After Yan Wan and Jing Xi finished arranging things at the escort agency, they loaded the grain transported from Jiangnan onto the carriages. This time, Jing Xi would lead a team ahead to the Northwest, while Huang Zhong would lead another team behind her. They were expected to depart in three days.

Yan Wan has been very busy lately. She has been busy collecting grain from the various estates under her name, storing the excess grain into her space, and instructing them not to plant any more after harvesting. Before leaving the capital, she must arrange everything. She is not in a hurry for the hot pot restaurant in the capital. If there are refugees, the capital will probably close its gates, so the estates in the suburbs of the capital are more dangerous.

June 20th.

Beside the manor on the outskirts of Beijing, the grain transport team had already assembled. Jing Xi, dressed in a black riding outfit, looked dashing and heroic, making her seem like a chivalrous woman who dared to love and hate, free and unrestrained, yet decisive in killing.

Yan Wan stood beside Jing Xi, anxiously holding her arm and nagging her, saying that this trip to the Northwest was even more dangerous, and that a slight mistake could cost them their lives.

Jing Xi listened helplessly to Yan Wan's rambling, silently complaining in her heart, "Silly Wan'er, didn't you say I'm the female lead? How could the female lead die so easily?" However, she didn't dare to say it out loud, otherwise Yan Wan would repeat her words from beginning to end.

"Wan'er, look, it's getting late. I have to go, or I'll be late, right?" Jing Xi said as she backed up to her horse, then nimbly mounted it, spurred it on, and galloped off in a flash.

Yan Wan was furious and could only helplessly shout, "Jing Xi, you must remember what I said, don't forget it."

From afar came Jing Xi's reply: "I know, Wan'er, I'll be waiting for you in the Northwest."

Jing Xi tightened the reins, stopped the horse, raised the whip, revealed a carefree smile, waved to Yan Wan, and then, with a flick of the whip, galloped away into the distance, kicking up dust.

Happy and carefree, spontaneous and unrestrained—this is the real Jingxi, and the life she yearns for.

Jiang Bai mounted his horse and said to Yan Wan, "Princess Han, please rest assured, I will take good care of Jing Xi." Then, he raised his whip and galloped towards Jing Xi. The grain carts began to move in a grand procession. Yan Wan stood there for a long time, until they were out of sight and the dew had soaked her hair, before she finally turned and left.

Jingxi, seeing you happy makes me even happier than you! May you continue to be happy like this, carefree and free-spirited Jingxi, for the rest of your life.

Prince Han's Mansion.

The shadowy figure entered Ji Mohan's study unnoticed and respectfully said, "Your Highness, Fang Shi has arrived."

The man behind the desk paused, then asked, "Where is the Princess?"

Xuan Yi immediately stepped forward and said, "The Princess Consort has just returned from outside. Should I go and invite her?"

"Yes, please go to the front hall, Your Highness." Ji Mohan put down his brush, pinched the corner of his eye, and said. On the surface, he seemed calm, but in reality, his heart was in turmoil. After searching for the truth for so many years, it was about to be revealed. His painstaking planning over the years had finally come to an end.

"Bring Aunt Fang to the front hall as well," Ji Mohan said in a deep voice, suppressing his emotions.

Immediately, Ji Mohan got up, straightened his clothes, and seeing that there was nothing wrong, he left the study and went to the front hall.

Ji Mohan sat down in the main seat and silently looked at the middle-aged woman with disheveled hair kneeling below. He stood up and quickly walked towards the middle-aged woman, wanting to help her up, even though the Aunt Fang in front of him was very different from the Aunt Fang in his memory.

"Aunt Fang, please get up quickly." Just as Ji Mohan was about to help Fang Shi up, she pushed his arm away. Caught off guard, Ji Mohan stumbled back a few steps, bumping his waist on the table, causing the teapot on the table to fall to the ground and shatter.

"Aunt Fang, what's wrong with you..." Ji Mohan asked in a deep voice, but before he could finish speaking, he met Fang's fierce gaze and helplessly withdrew his hand.

After a long silence, Ji Mohan spoke again: "Aunt Fang, I invited you here only to ask my mother. I want to know who killed my mother."

Fang, kneeling on the ground, sneered and said, "Consort Xue doesn't want to see the Prince. You're a despicable scoundrel. After all, Consort Xue hates you the most. If she hadn't been soft-hearted back then, she would have strangled you long ago..."

"Slap!" When Yan Wan arrived, she heard Fang Shi's words and, unable to bear it any longer, fearing that Fang Shi would say something else to provoke Ji Mo Han, she raised her hand and slapped her.

Fang Shi, with blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, looked at Yan Wan and said sarcastically, "This must be the Princess Consort of Han. Your Highness, you are truly laughable. Even your own mother hates and despises you, yet you dare to hope that others will like you. How ridiculous! Does Your Highness not know what people say about you? They say you are a living Yama, a demon, a monster, cold-blooded and ruthless, a bloodthirsty killer, an absolute villain."

"Slap!" Yan Wan raised her hand and slapped Fang Shi again. She turned around and looked at Ji Mohan with concern. Ji Mohan's face was cold and sullen, his eyes were bloodshot, and he curled his lips into a mocking smile. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down. He gritted his teeth and slowly clenched his fist. The teacup in his hand had already been crushed and was bleeding from his palm. He seemed to feel nothing at all.

"Go on," Ji Mohan said in a hoarse voice.

"Ha, if it weren't for you, Her Majesty would have fled the palace long ago. Wasn't it you who held her back and prevented her from leaving? How could she have failed? You've been cold and heartless since childhood, disliked by everyone. You deserve to be cursed by the world now, you deserve to be alone. You never deserve anything, including love. You're a monster." Fang Shi cursed hysterically, as if she wanted to say out all the unbearable things that had happened over the years.

Seeing Ji Mohan's increasingly worse mood, Yan Wan slapped Fang Shi again, angrily saying, "Are you blind? Who told you he's a person? He's not alone. I'll be with him! You old hag, he's a great hero, you're the monster! He's not wrong, you're the ones who are wrong, aren't you?" Yan Wan stared straight into Fang Shi's eyes. Fang Shi looked away in shock. Why did she feel like the young girl in front of her knew something? She comforted herself, thinking that so many years had passed, what could a mere child like her possibly know?

Just as Fang Shi was about to say something, Ji Mohan had already gotten up and left. Yan Wan glanced at Fang Shi coldly and said in a cold voice, "Take her away and lock her in the dark cell. Don't feed her for two days. Her mouth smells so bad. Let her starve for two days."

"Yes." The guards beside her covered Fang's mouth and dragged her away.

Yan Wan turned her head to look in the direction Ji Mohan left. He must have gone to the study. Yan Wan found the wound medicine and gauze and followed him.

When Yan Wan arrived at the study, it was pitch black, without any light. He secretly hid in the darkness, not wanting anyone to see his vulnerability. Yan Wan slowly pushed open the door and went inside. The room was so dark that Yan Wan could only rely on his memory of the route, stumbling forward.

Suddenly, Yan Wan tripped over something and was about to fall to the side when a gust of wind came and she felt herself fall into a warm embrace.

Ji Mohan sat under a pillar with his hand outstretched. A small candle was placed beside him, and Yan Wan was carefully tending to the wound on his hand by the candlelight. Ji Mohan just stared blankly at Yan Wan's profile.

Yan Wan looked up at his blank expression, a mixture of pain and numbness. Tears that Yan Wan had held back for a long time dripped down her cheeks onto Ji Mohan's fingers.

Ji Mohan then snapped out of his thoughts. He curled his fingers; the tear was so hot, it felt like it had burned his heart. He asked in a hoarse voice, "Why are you crying?"

"I feel sorry for you," Yan Wan replied in a low voice. After she finished speaking, her tears flowed even more profusely.

My dearest Jimo Han, seeing you sad only makes me sadder.

You weren't the one at fault, but never before have I hated my own powerlessness so much.