Jiang Yan pondered for a moment and said, "Ji Mo'an, it's been a long time since I've seen him. Ge'er was always thinking about him until her death. Isn't he dead? Why are you suddenly asking about him?" Jiang Yan asked in confusion. In his memory, Ji Mo'an had been dead for many years, in the Northwest.

“Uncle Jiang, he’s not dead, he’s still alive. He’s in Huangzhou now, and his privately-run troops are preparing to rebel,” Yan Wan said with certainty.

"What? Then, then, Ge'er, no, no." Jiang Yan's eyes suddenly reddened. That beast Ji Mo'an is still alive in this world. Ge'er died of depression back then, filled with regret for Ji Mo'an. Or was it all a scheme orchestrated by Ji Mo'an?

"Uncle Jiang, how are you? Are you alright?" Yan Wan stepped forward to support the swaying Jiang Yan, who was staring at the horizon in disbelief.

He simply couldn't believe that Ji Mo'an was still alive. Hadn't his Ge'er died in vain?

"Princess Han, may I go to Huangzhou with you?" Jiang Yan asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"Uncle Jiang, are you feeling alright? The journey is tiring, and we're leaving in three days." Yan Wan looked at Jiang Yan with concern.

"I can't take it anymore! I want to go see that beast for myself! How could he do this to Ge'er!" Jiang Yan shouted hoarsely.

"Princess Han, please tell Jiang Bai when you go back that I'm leaving for Qingzhou tomorrow to see his mother and that he should take good care of himself. He doesn't need to come with me." Jiang Yan seemed to have aged ten years in that instant.

What is love in this world that makes people willing to die for it?

Jiang Yan slowly cupped his hands towards Yan Wan, then walked out unsteadily, his body slightly hunched, as if he had suddenly become an old man.

Seeing Uncle Jiang like this, Yan Wan felt bad too. Uncle Jiang was truly devoted to Aunt Li.

Love arises without warning, and deepens with time.

——

"Wan'er, you're back?" Jing Xi saw Yan Wan walk in from outside the door looking somewhat disappointed, and she quickly stood up and said.

“Yes, Jingxi. Jiang Bai, Uncle Jiang just said he’s going to Qingzhou to see Aunt Li tomorrow. He told you to take good care of yourself and not to go with him this time. Oh, right, Uncle Jiang found out that Uncle An is still alive and he’s having some trouble accepting it. He also wants to go to Huangzhou.” Yan Wan finished speaking in one breath.

"Cough cough, is Father alright? No, I need to go see him." Jiang Bai struggled to get out of bed, but Jing Xi pressed him down. "Don't move, I'll go check on him for you," Jing Xi said directly.

"Jingxi, you shouldn't go either. Let Uncle Jiang have some peace and quiet," Yan Wan said, pulling Jingxi back as she was about to leave.

"Alright, Wan'er, let him have some peace and quiet. No one can advise you on matters of the heart." Jing Xi seemed to realize that even if she went, she wouldn't know how to comfort Uncle Jiang.

Love makes the proud bow their heads and the cowardly brave.

Jiang Yan walked slowly for a long, long time. He looked at the free, vast, yet desolate Northwest, and his eyes were filled with melancholy. It had been a long time since he had seen Yunzhou City. It had been a long time since he had seen Li Ge.

The Northwest is the home that Li Ge longs for. Since she can't come here, he will go and see it for her.

Ge'er, I've come to the Northwest. Tomorrow I'll go to Qingzhou to see the place where you grew up.

Back then, Jiang Yan came to Yunzhou City with his father to do business. Later, he went to Qingzhou. He originally planned to stop in Qingzhou for a day and then leave. Unexpectedly, he met the girl he would love for the rest of his life.

"Hey, how much is this?" A girl in red asked, standing at Jiang Yan's stall with a black horse in her arms.

"Ten coins for one, fifteen coins for two," Jiang Yan said without looking up.

Thump~

A silver ingot fell in front of Jiang Yan. He looked at the generous girl with some doubt, but in that one glance, Jiang Yan was attracted to her.

At that moment, he felt his heart pounding violently, as if it were about to leap out of his chest. The sound of his heartbeat was so loud that he couldn't hear any other sounds from the noisy street; his eyes were only on that girl.

"No need to look anymore. You've had a tough time, setting up a stall in this freezing weather. Take the money and live a good life." After saying that, Li Ge didn't give Jiang Yan a chance to speak, and pulled his horse away.

Jiang Yan only realized what had happened after Li Ge left. He looked at his clothes and realized that there was a tear in his sleeve somewhere, which had caused the girl to misunderstand. Jiang Yan hurriedly grabbed the money and chased after her; he couldn't just take so much money from the girl for nothing.

"Hey, girl, it's not me, it's your money!" Jiang Yan shouted anxiously from behind, but the wind was too strong and drowned out his voice.

Jiang Yan looked around, gritted his teeth, and, ignoring the stall, took off chasing after Li Ge.

When he caught up, he saw that the woman had actually picked up a man on the street. He didn't know whether he should continue forward. He hesitated and could only watch helplessly as the bold and cheerful woman left with the man who looked like a beggar.

Originally, the father wanted to rest in Qingzhou City for a day and sell the goods they had brought, but unexpectedly, it started snowing heavily. Jiang Yan and his father had no choice but to stay in Qingzhou until the snow melted before leaving.

It seemed as if fate was playing a cruel joke on the father and son. The snow melted and then fell again, repeating itself without stopping. Their money was almost gone, and they still couldn't make it.

On the very day that Jiang Yan and his father were kicked out of the inn, he unexpectedly encountered Li Ge again. After asking around for a long time, he finally learned that she was the eldest daughter of the Li family.

Li Ge, Li Ge, Jiang Yan murmured her name repeatedly. It sounded so beautiful.

"Why are you staying at an inn if you don't have money? Get out!" the innkeeper shouted, pushing Jiang Yan and his father out of the inn.

"Shopkeeper, could you please give us a few more days? We certainly won't be short of your money," Jiang Yan pleaded. In this freezing weather, they would freeze to death if they stayed outside for even a day.

"What happened?" A dignified voice came from behind.

The innkeeper greeted them with a fawning expression, "Master Li, it's nothing serious, just two merchants who can't afford a place to stay."

Jiang Yan glanced back and saw the middle-aged man standing there, who was the "Master Li" mentioned by the shopkeeper, and the woman in red behind him.

Li Ge clearly saw him too, and she took the initiative to say, "I know him, he's my friend. You can let them stay, and I'll pay for it."

"Thank you, Miss Li. Miss Li Ge is truly beautiful inside and out," the innkeeper said obsequiously.

"I thank Miss Li Ge," Jiang Yan said, bowing in return.

"No need to be polite, just stay here comfortably." Li Ge smiled at him and went into the inn first. Jiang Yan stared blankly at Li Ge's back for a long time.

"Do you like her?" A dignified voice rang in Jiang Yan's ears.

When Jiang Yan finally came to his senses and saw that it was Li Ge's father, he quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Patriarch Li. Miss Li Ge is kind-hearted, lively and lovely, it's hard not to like her."

"Hmm." The head of the Li family said nothing more and followed him inside.

Jiang Yan thought that Li Ge's father was not satisfied with him, and he felt a little sad. Unexpectedly, a few days later, the head of the Li family came to him and asked him to marry Li Ge.

He was suddenly overwhelmed by happiness, and Jiang Yan felt somewhat at a loss.