Luo Sheng stared intently at the person gradually approaching, already determining from their build that this was a woman.

What kind of person would appear in this long-abandoned desolate residence in the dead of night?

Luo Sheng’s grip on the dagger tightened more and more.

What frightened her even more was that the person was heading straight toward where she was.

One step, two steps, three steps…

The person was already close at hand, forcing Luo Sheng to raise her hand holding the dagger, ready at any moment to strike with this blade that could cut through iron like mud.

When she was Princess Qingyang, she had learned martial arts and horseback archery—this was her father the prince’s requirement of her.

In her father’s words, learning some martial skills for self-defense wasn’t a bad thing. At the very least, if she wanted to beat up her prince consort in the future, she could rely on herself and avoid putting the servants in a difficult position.

She had always been obedient, learning martial arts and horseback archery quite well.

And Miss Luo had obviously also practiced martial arts. Regardless of skill level, purely in terms of physical condition, she was even stronger than her former self.

Come to think of it, it wasn’t strange—a young lady who led a group of servants to cause trouble on the streets should at least know how to crack a whip or something.

Luo Sheng felt that a single dagger wasn’t very reliable. Considering she hadn’t brought Miss Luo’s long whip today, she bent down to pick up a stone.

The person stopped more than a zhang away from Luo Sheng and suddenly knelt down.

Luo Sheng’s eyes contracted.

If she wasn’t mistaken, the direction that person was facing was… that embroidery tower.

The person kowtowed several times toward the embroidery tower’s direction, then rustling sounds arose, particularly clear in this empty, dilapidated desolate residence.

Luo Sheng could barely make out by moonlight that the person was unwrapping a bundle, but couldn’t clearly see what was being taken out.

Until a familiar smell drifted over.

It was the smell of burning paper money she had encountered not long ago—a faint scent that easily made one’s mood heavy.

Just as Luo Sheng realized what the person was doing, suppressed sobbing suddenly sounded.

Luo Sheng held her breath all at once.

Today was the death anniversary of the several hundred people in the Prince of Zhennan’s manor. Coming to the manor to burn paper money at this time, she dared to be certain that the person before her had deep connections to the manor, perhaps even a survivor!

Thinking of this possibility, Luo Sheng couldn’t help but feel excited.

Fragmented whimpering floated over with the wind, along with swirling paper money.

Mischievous ash butterflies landed on Luo Sheng’s black robe hem, but couldn’t draw even a trace of her attention.

All her attention was given to the weeping woman before her.

“Princess, this servant has come to see you…”

Luo Sheng was thunderstruck, completely unable to move.

This voice… was Xiu Yue!

She had four chief maids. When leaving home for marriage, she took with her Shu Feng who was skilled at management and Zhao Hua who was skilled at grooming, leaving behind Jiang Xue who had outstanding martial skills and Xiu Yue who was good at cooking to serve her mother the consort.

On this night twelve years ago, Wei Qiang had lifted her wedding veil and gone to the front courtyard to toast, while she sat by the wedding bed quietly waiting for her new husband to return.

Dragon and phoenix wedding candles as thick as a child’s arm burned merrily, occasionally bursting with festive sparks.

But what came to her was not Wei Qiang, but Jiang Xue covered in blood.

Jiang Xue, who had grown up with her since childhood, whom her martial arts master had personally praised for her exceptional talent, burst into the bridal chamber and collapsed before her, using her last breath to bring her the terrible news about the Prince of Zhennan’s manor.

In the countless times Luo Sheng had recalled this day after awakening in Jinsha, besides heartache, there was also a trace of gratitude.

She was grateful to Jiang Xue.

Without the news Jiang Xue desperately brought, she would have consummated the marriage with her new husband like any new bride, becoming a fool she could never forgive even in death.

Jiang Xue who brought the news died, and Shu Feng and Zhao Hua who accompanied her to the Prince of Pingnan’s manor couldn’t possibly have survived either. She hadn’t expected that Xiu Yue, left behind at the Prince of Zhennan’s manor, was alive!

Luo Sheng’s fingertips trembled lightly. She used all her strength to suppress the impulse to go forward and acknowledge Xiu Yue.

For her it was just closing and opening her eyes, but for Xiu Yue twelve years had passed, and she had even changed bodies.

At least now she had no way to acknowledge Xiu Yue with her identity as the princess.

The whimpering in the wind became increasingly sorrowful, those murmurs floating into Luo Sheng’s ears without missing a word.

“Jiang Xue, you damned fool, why did you have to go report to the princess? The princess didn’t have to die… wuwuwu, I can’t blame you, I know the princess would rather die than stay in the Prince of Pingnan’s manor… wuwuwu…”

Luo Sheng silently listened to Xiu Yue’s incoherent sobbing, the corners of her eyes gradually moistening.

The four chief maids who had served her since childhood all understood her very well, so even knowing she would seek her own death, Jiang Xue still rushed to report the news, and though Xiu Yue had countless complaints, she couldn’t voice them.

They all knew clearly that in that situation, death was more merciful for her than living.

She had taught them not to impose their self-righteous kindness on others’ behalf, and they had indeed achieved this.

The wind grew stronger. The pile of burning paper burned quickly, with Xiu Yue sending stacks of paper money into the flames.

“Jiang Xue, Shu Feng, Zhao Hua, serve the princess well down below, and temporarily do my share of duties too. Once I find out news about the young prince, I’ll come join you… wuwuwu, the princess suffered so much, I can only go see her when I have good news… wuwuwu…”

Hiding behind the tree, Luo Sheng was already unable to breathe.

What did she just hear?

The young prince—she hadn’t misheard, Xiu Yue said the young prince!

Could it be that her younger brother was still alive?

This was impossible. Her younger brother was her father the prince’s only son. Since the Prince of Zhennan’s manor suffered such devastating calamity, how could they possibly spare him?

Countless thoughts swirled in Luo Sheng’s mind, and finally all these thoughts transformed into one: she must acknowledge Xiu Yue!

Only by acknowledging Xiu Yue could she resolve these doubts.

Just thinking that her younger brother might still be alive made Luo Sheng tremble all over with excitement.

Her younger brother was her father and mother’s late-life child, encountering such terrible disaster just days after birth.

Her younger brother didn’t even have a formal name yet, only a pet name—Bao’er.

The moon in the sky hid behind clouds. Xiu Yue prostrated on the ground, crying somewhat selflessly.

Wind blew through Luo Sheng’s hair. She stood behind the tree but didn’t move at all.

When one’s heart was too bitter, one always needed to cry to feel better.

She would wait until Xiu Yue had cried enough before going over.

As for herself, the current her had no right to weep bitterly, much less to feel better.

The paper money burned to ashes was blown and scattered by the wind. The crying gradually ceased.

Luo Sheng was just about to step forward when her entire body tensed up.

Besides her and Xiu Yue, there was another person.

It was a tall man in black clothes. Because his back was turned, his appearance couldn’t be seen clearly, but she could be certain this person had outstanding martial skills.

Who was this person? Could he have followed Xiu Yue here?

Luo Sheng’s thoughts raced. She saw the black-clothed man silently approach Xiu Yue, striking toward the back of Xiu Yue’s neck with a hand chop.

In this instant, Luo Sheng could no longer think much. She raised the stone and smashed it toward the man’s back of the head.

In a flash, the man whose head was struck by the stone fell down. Hearing the commotion, Xiu Yue whirled around, covering her mouth and retreating repeatedly.

Luo Sheng blinked, feeling her luck was quite good.

She had an intuition that if she hadn’t chosen to strike at precisely the moment the man moved against Xiu Yue, it would be hard to say who would have fallen.

Luo Sheng bent down to help Xiu Yue up, incidentally sweeping a glance at the man’s face.