Li Shimin smiled sardonically. “Even so, you did save me, and I will not forget that.”
What did it matter if he wouldn’t forget? They ultimately could not be together…
Yunyi suppressed the bitterness in her heart and smiled. “If you truly feel you owe me, then defeat the Yuwen Zhiji brothers as soon as possible and rescue my mother, the Empress.”
Li Shimin answered without hesitation, “Very well, I promise you.”
Yunyi looked up and smiled. “With your word, I can return to Taiyuan with peace of mind.”
Her words made Li Shimin’s heart tremble, and he blurted out, “When are you planning to depart?”
Yunyi endured the reluctance in her heart. “I’ll leave once I’m feeling better—it should be within these few days.”
Staring at her pale cheeks, Li Shimin said, “Actually… you don’t need to leave in such haste. You could wait until you’re fully recovered before departing.”
Yunyi briefly met his gaze, then looked away. “Since I must leave sooner or later, why stay a few more days? This place… is ultimately not where I should be.”
“I…” Li Shimin wanted to ask her to stay, but when he thought of Li Xuanba’s death, he couldn’t voice the words. He still couldn’t overcome this barrier in his heart.
Though he didn’t speak, how could Yunyi not guess his thoughts? She forced a smile. “I’m tired. You should go.”
Li Shimin nodded and left the tent. The moment the curtain fell, a tear slid down Yunyi’s cheek and soaked into her hair…
Yunyi’s injury wasn’t severe; she had only been weak due to the poison. After several days of careful care, she was mostly recovered and only needed to change the dressing on her arm regularly.
Li Shimin had wanted Yunyi to stay a few more days, but she remained resolute. He had no choice but to prepare a carriage according to her wishes and assign twenty soldiers to escort her to Taiyuan.
Looking at the bundles Ruyi and Jixiang carried out one by one, Yunyi laughed. “We came with empty hands, so how did we suddenly acquire so many things? Where did you get all this?”
Ruyi placed the last bundle in the carriage. “We didn’t get these things—they were all prepared by the Second Young Master these past few days. Clothes, rice, food, even silk bedding—everything is provided, so naturally there’s a lot. Jixiang was just telling me that if we had delayed our departure a few more days, what the Second Young Master prepared probably wouldn’t fit in one carriage.”
Her words left Yunyi slightly dazed, but she quickly recovered and smiled calmly. “The Second Young Master is so thoughtful. I must thank him properly later.”
Ruyi bit her lip lightly and stepped forward. “Your Highness, must we really leave?”
Yunyi looked surprised. “We’ve already packed everything, so naturally we must leave. Why ask this suddenly?”
Ruyi looked toward Li Shimin, who was walking in their direction. “Once Your Highness leaves, you may never see the Second Young Master again.”
Jixiang also approached. “Though Your Highness twice accepted the marriages arranged by Her Majesty the Empress, we servants know that you’ve only ever had the Second Young Master in your heart. Though there was the matter with the Third Prince, it’s been several years—perhaps… the Second Young Master has already let it go?”
Yunyi smiled bitterly. “The hatred of a slain brother—how can one simply let that go?” Before Ruyi and the others could speak, she continued, “I’m fine. You two shouldn’t worry about this.”
As they spoke, Li Shimin and Du Ruhui approached. The latter asked, “Have you brought everything? If anything is missing, the day is still early—we can send someone to the county town to buy it.”
“I haven’t looked carefully, but Ruyi and the others say the Second Young Master prepared many things, so there shouldn’t be anything missing.”
“That’s good. Tell my parents and Xianyue that after I help Duke Li take Chang’an, I’ll bring them here. Tell them to wait patiently.”
Yunyi smiled. “Very well, I’ll relay your words exactly. Take care of yourself—I don’t want to see Xianyue heartbroken.”
“I will!” After laughing and agreeing, Du Ruhui glanced at Li Shimin beside him. “I’ll go check the carriage. You two talk first.”
After Du Ruhui left, Li Shimin approached Yunyi and took a bottle of medicine from his sleeve. “I know Physician Sun already gave you one bottle, but keep this one as well. If you drop it or break it on the journey, you’ll have this for emergencies.”
“Thank you, Second Young Master.” After Yunyi took it, he said with downcast eyes, “You’re going to Taiyuan now, where the Du and Wang families can look after you. But what will you do when they come to Chang’an later and you’re alone?”
Yunyi smiled. “Have you forgotten about Ruyi and Jixiang, Second Young Master? With them caring for me, I’ll be fine.” She glanced at the sky. “It’s getting late. I should depart. After today’s parting, we may never meet again. Yunyi humbly wishes here that the Second Young Master will soon conquer the realm, bring peace and happiness to the people, and spare them from the suffering of war. Farewell!” Having said the last word, she turned and left without the slightest hesitation. It wasn’t that she felt no reluctance toward Li Shimin, but she feared that continuing would make it impossible for her to leave.
Watching her departing figure, Li Shimin’s eyes filled with struggle. He knew that today’s parting might be their final farewell. He didn’t want to part, but… could he ask Yunyi to stay?
As the wheels turned, the carriage slowly carried Yunyi and her two servants away. Du Ruhui walked to Li Shimin’s side and watched the departing carriage with him. “The Princess once told me that she deeply regretted killing the Third Prince, but the grave mistake had been made and she had no remedy. All she could do was speak well of Duke Li before Yang Guang, dispelling his suspicions. Combined with that incident in the prison, she has essentially repaid what she owed the Li family. Some things should be let go when it’s time—forcing oneself to remember and hold onto them only brings suffering.”
“Now that Yang Guang is dead and Empress Xiao has been captured by Yuwen Zhiji, she has suddenly changed from a noble princess to a homeless daughter of a fallen kingdom. Though Taiyuan’s situation is relatively stable, it’s ultimately unsafe for a lone woman. Who knows when something might happen? When that time comes, it will be too late for the Second Young Master to regret!”
Li Shimin understood Du Ruhui’s meaning. How could he not want to keep Yunyi? “She and I are ultimately not on the same path.”
“Different paths can lead to the same destination. Whether two people can walk the same path doesn’t depend on their origins or the roads they take, but on what they think in their hearts.” At this point, Du Ruhui smiled bitterly. “If I had been more resolute in my feelings for Meixue back then, she and I wouldn’t have ended up separated by death. These past few years, I’ve regretted it every moment, but… what use is regret? The dead cannot return to life.”