The long river of history has concealed too many unknown secrets.

The scholars were naturally very excited. The documents were well preserved, but they would need time to be restored, ranging from a few months to several years.

Archaeology is inherently a tedious and boring job.

Only those who can endure loneliness can persevere.

The unearthed materials were sent to a specialized historical research institute on the same day, where professional staff restored and translated them.

The script used during the Jiang Kingdom period is not much different from that used today, and it is more similar to traditional Chinese characters. It is also much easier to understand than seal script.

Jiang Yue went to bed very late that night, tossing and turning, not knowing why she couldn't fall asleep. Now that she knew how she died, she shouldn't be curious about anything else.

Perhaps... perhaps she was afraid of seeing her father, mother, and her useless younger brother, whose fate might not be as good as hers?

No, it shouldn't be like that.

Zhou Fuwei, a major threat, also died mysteriously at her grave three years after her death. With this threat removed, things should not have been so difficult in the court.

Jiang Yue clenched her hands, silently encouraging herself. Running away wasn't the solution. Knowing more about her mother and the others was better than dying without knowing anything.

My mother is very clever; her idle and good-for-nothing brother probably won't be a ruler who brings about the downfall of the country.

Jiang Yue pondered these confused thoughts until 3 a.m., and then woke up again before 7 a.m. the next day.

I can't sleep.

I went downstairs with obvious dark circles under my eyes.

She doesn't usually come downstairs for breakfast this early. Jiang Zhi, who was on his way to his early morning class, seemed to be taken aback when he saw her in the restaurant.

Jiang Zhi poured her a glass of milk without saying a word. Even though he had moved back, his presence in the house wasn't very strong.

If you don't speak, you almost can't remember this person.

Every day, I go back and forth between school and home.

He occasionally substitutes for classes, but most of the time he buries himself in his laboratory. People with high talent are truly blessed to be in this field.

They can easily research topics that others have been unable to break through.

Even the world's leading pharmaceutical companies are willing to make exceptions for him, hardly inquiring about his research direction and progress, patiently waiting for a result and a finished product.

Didn't you sleep well?

"Um."

Jiang Yue tilted her head back and took a sip of the warmed milk in her cup.

Jiang Zhi has never been good at flattering her, nor is he good at saying nice things. Even when he does speak, his tone sounds very stiff: "You can sleep a little longer."

He added, "If I can't sleep, I have sleeping pills in my room."

Jiang Zhi suffers from insomnia frequently, and medication has become the norm for him.

Jiang Yue was so polite to him, it was like they were meeting for the first time. "I'm not sleeping, I have things to do."

Jiang Zhi nodded. He had finished his breakfast and sat upright opposite her. Without any offense, he politely asked, "Have you and Zhou Ji made up?"

"right."

Jiang Zhi had no particular feelings towards Zhou Ji, and they rarely met or interacted.

He nodded. "Understood."

Jiang Yue didn't know what kind of attitude he was taking. The next second, the tall, thin man stood up. "I'm going to school first."

He had reached the door, then stopped. He turned and stared at her intently, hesitating before finally speaking: "Sister, is there anything you need later?"

Jiang Yue didn't plan to inform him and blurted out, "A date."

Because they had given prior notice, when Zhou Ji brought Jiang Yue to the Institute of History, the institute sent a young researcher to greet them.

An ordinary person would never have been able to access such important cultural relics and information in such a short period of time.

However, Zhou Ji was no ordinary person; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he had connections and influence throughout the capital.

However, he has always been a low-key person, and since he has spoken up about such a small matter, no one would be so rude as to offend him.

The young researcher could hardly miss the two people's clasped hands as soon as they met.

The air conditioning in the courtyard was set low, and Ms. Jiang was dressed lightly. Mr. Zhou gave her his coat, and his subtle and gentle care seemed genuine.

"Because the cultural relics are well preserved, the restoration work is also going smoothly. The documents in the wooden box are also fortunate; the paper has not oxidized, and the inscriptions on the bamboo slips are very clear. So the whole process is progressing quite smoothly."

"The documents are extensive, filling several large boxes, and reading them all would take a considerable amount of time. I wonder which aspect Mr. Zhou is interested in?"

Zhou Ji held Jiang Yue's hand and said calmly, "There's no rush. Are there any other discoveries?"

The researcher had never heard of the Zhou family being so interested in historical artifacts before. After thinking for a moment, he told them the truth: "There are also some ordinary gold and silver jewelry, and a jade ruyi engraved with Princess Mingyi's name."

There are very few cultural relics related to Princess Mingyi.

You can count them on one hand.

Only two or three have been discovered in total over the years.

This little princess is very mysterious to historians. There are many writings about her, but there is very little information that simply recounts her life.

I always have to sift through other people's historical records to find even a little bit of detail.

For example, Princess Mingyi's younger brother, Emperor Pingxuan, who later succeeded to the throne, is recorded in imperial historical materials.

The emperor, who had already secured his throne, would often mutter his elder sister's nickname in his dreams. On several occasions, he couldn't help but shed tears when he walked outside the princess's palace. The palace servants who saw this wished they could go blind.

Emperor Pingxuan was a ruthless man who pretended to be weak while actually being strong. He did not show any signs of his abilities before ascending the throne, and it was only after the death of the regent that he revealed his political talents and his decisiveness in killing was in no way inferior to that of Zhou Fuwei.

There are also rumors that Emperor Pingxuan sent people to search for Zhou Fuwei's tomb multiple times, intending to dig him up, grind his bones to dust, and scatter his ashes.

Such deep hatred makes the rumor that Zhou Fuwei poisoned Princess Mingyi seem more credible.

There are too many rumors about this princess.

It seems that all those famous historical figures are related to her.

She was rumored to be beautiful, and it's all the more regrettable that she died so young.

"Where is the jade ruyi? Can I go see it now?" Jiang Yue peeked out and asked politely.

She has received many jade ruyi (a type of scepter) since she was a child.

I don't know which one was left outside.

"Sure, I'll take you there."

Zhou Ji saw that she was already quite impatient, so he silently lowered his eyelashes. It seemed that every time it came to something related to her past, she was always so eager that she couldn't wait even a moment longer.

Zhou Ji had no doubt that if she ever had the chance, she would leave without hesitation or looking back.

As Jiang Yue was walking forward, she suddenly felt a strong force pulling her hand back. She turned around and looked at Zhou Ji: "Don't you want to go?"

She tried to break free, but felt trapped in a cage. She said, "You don't need to come with me. I can go by myself."

Zhou Ji exhaled, his expression unchanged. The coldness he had shown just moments before seemed to be merely Jiang Yue's illusion. He said softly, "I'll stay with you."