Heading to Miao Territory

When Xu entered the palace and handed the mermaid pearl to Yueling, he stepped into the Imperial Preceptor's Hall and was surprised to see Yueling doing her homework.

She followed closely behind to her morning class, occasionally glancing at her.

Why are you being so serious today? It's not even a special day.

Yueling focused intently on her morning lessons, closing her eyes to rest, her lips moving silently. She knew Xu was no longer looking at her, and she could concentrate on her lessons.

After morning class ended, Yueling reached out her hand, clearly knowing why she had come.

Sui Zhixu took out the mermaid pearl and placed it in her hand. She said frankly, "Hey, it's not very useful. If you're not going to wear it, I'll just throw it in the box."

"Isn't it a sacred relic of Mount Tsukiyama?"

"Moon Mountain didn't have many things to begin with."

Yueling's expression was strange, and Xu felt that she was quite disgusted by her. In just a moment, Yueling returned to normal.

"I have one more thing to do on this trip."

Sui Zhixu lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes revealing clear, bright peach blossom eyes, yet there was an inexplicable sadness in them.

“I received Jiang Yun’s letter.” She took the letter out of her bosom and placed it on the table, then looked up at her. “I haven’t opened it yet.”

"Before opening this, I inexplicably wanted to see you."

“I used to feel like I was a duckweed in the wind, without roots or a place to settle. I always wanted to search for the past, to find my origin.”

"I don't think so now. In fact, I'm a little scared. Is that unknown past really worth looking into?"

Sui Zhixu took a deep breath and said self-deprecatingly, "I've become a little complacent, complacent in the current stability."

Her fingertips touched the edge of the envelope, as if she was about to open it the next second.

Yue Ling said calmly, “Fate and fortune are always intertwined. The future you choose is no longer something that can be decided by a single letter.”

Sui Zhixu paused for a moment. From the moment she received the letter, two voices had been echoing in her heart.

First

This is it! Open it! Open it, everything you wanted in the end is here, the unquenchable hatred that Sima Xian harbored after killing you, the endless hatred with no known source.

You try to recall the scene of your death—your body was left in the wilderness, with no trace of your remains.

You almost became a wandering ghost in the human world, so miserable that anyone who didn't know better would think there was some great hatred or old grudge between you.

Everything is right before my eyes.

Aren't you going to open it yet?

Second

Amidst the mingling of countless voices, she heard many voices—those of her closest and most respected relatives, and those she hadn't met often. There were no other words, only people calling her name.

She could barely walk after hearing just one name.

She met Shang Yueling's calm, still eyes, and could see right through her in just one glance.

"A master is always a master."

Despite all that talk and all those assumptions, she simply can't let go.

As soon as Xu opened the letter, Jiang Yun spoke succinctly, recounting his many years in Miao territory.

Jiang Yun is the same age as her in her previous life. When she was five, Jiang Li brought her back to Miao territory. Jiang Li was never married and had no engagement, so the people in the village all believed that she was the child of Jiang Li and a man from the Central Plains.

The letter reads, “When I was young, I thought the same thing. You often called your aunt A-niang. You had no companion with the Gu, and the other children in the village often mocked you, so your aunt kept Xiaoqing by your side to protect you.”

"When you grew up, I once heard my aunt say that you were not her biological daughter. However, she never mentioned your biological parents, only occasionally mentioning that your uncle was the Prince of Chang'an. And you were born with a Gu worm. I once suspected that my aunt had feelings for you, which is why she adopted you from your uncle. However, these are all just personal speculations and cannot be taken as evidence."

She stayed in Miao territory for seven years, from the age of five to twelve. Jiang Li treated her better than Jiang Yun, clearing out a place for her to grow flowers, keeping Jiang Yun's insects away, teaching her simple martial arts to better suppress the Gu worms, and picking up the abandoned Thirteen Niang from outside the village to keep her company.

At the age of twelve, Jiang Li handed her and Thirteen Niang back to Sima Xian. After that, Jiang Yun only saw them occasionally during festivals.

However, according to Jiang Yun, they had been practicing martial arts with their master, and Jiang Li would often accompany her.

At seventeen, Jiang Li went into seclusion. Jiang Yun received her plea for help, asking him to help her escape her arranged marriage. He had rushed to Chang'an before the wedding, but was stopped by a woman who claimed to be her master.

He deeply regretted this. Two years later, news of her death and burial came from Chang'an to Miao territory. Just then, Jiang Li came out of the pass and personally brought her back to Miao territory. It turned out that she had suffered a Gu worm attack and was in a state of suspended animation.

Jiang Li spent seven days and seven nights trying to save her, but her symbiotic Gu was almost destroyed.

To protect the companion Gu, Jiang Li had to constantly recuperate. During that period, according to Jiang Yun's recollection, she always came and went in a hurry. She would leave in a rush, return with a body full of injuries, and then leave in a rush again after recovering.

In response, Jiang Yun wrote, “I do not know what you have done, nor do I understand your intentions. When I asked you, you remained silent. I only learned from a few words that Thirteen Sister has passed away, and you have placed all the blame on yourself.”

This went on for a year. Once, she left and never returned. When I heard news of her again the year before last, it was already news of her death.

Last year, Jiang Yun left the village to escape an arranged marriage, while Jiang Li had not yet finished her seclusion.

In the letter, Jiang Yun also revealed many details about Miao territory. Their branch of the tribe was known for its anti-foreign culture, and the villagers believed that she was Jiang Li's daughter, which was why they allowed her to stay. The letter also included some information about the villagers.

It must be said that Jiang Yun was very considerate. Considering her amnesia, he recounted many stories about their childhood in Miao territory.

Finally, she described how she should sense Jiang Li's companion Gu.

As Xu Zhixu's fingertips landed on the plain words, through the paper, she gradually sketched out the image of that year in her mind.

She is not good with words and speaks little. Jiang Li, who is cold and only has eyes for Gu worms, cares about her a lot. Jiang Yun, who is forced to be gentle, and the passionate and bright Thirteen Niang...

It looks so cozy.

Xu's face darkened, and he slammed the letter onto the table.

Hearing the noise, Yueling put down her teacup, looked up and asked, "What's wrong? What in the letter upset you?"

"No."

But it felt like something was blocking her heart.

"Ha—" Sui Zhixu stood up, panting heavily, "Sima Xian went to Miao territory."

Her tone was affirmative; she firmly believed in her judgment.

On the surface, the Xuanping Prince's Mansion was perfectly peaceful. Sima Xian intended to use Miao territory as a base, but Jiang Li got into trouble, and Xi Yushao, who was supposed to go to Jingzhou to "assist" her, fell ill and was delayed on the way.

Every single detail demonstrates that Sima Xian's plan is being implemented.

"You want to go to Miao territory?"

“I need to stop him.”

Yueling looked up into her eyes and said, "Sima Xian has lost his power, but have you thought about it? If you go there now and get killed by him, everything you've done before will be in vain."

"It's precisely because I've done so much that I can't give up at the last step."

Yueling stared at her for a long time before finally standing up. "Since you've made up your mind, then hop on a fast horse and travel through the night."

"good."

As he turned around, he stopped and looked back at her eyes and brows, her ethereal beauty, devoid of naivety and worldly troubles, gazing at her calmly.

"I will come back, Master."

After she finished speaking, she turned and left. The palace servants who passed by were all quietly discussing the fact that Princess Chaoyang was pregnant.

As fate would have it, Sui Zhixu bumped into her ahead.

"You've come to see the Imperial Advisor?" Chaoyang gestured to dismiss her formalities.

"Hmm, Your Highness is pregnant, where is the Prince Consort?"

"He went to see the imperial physician." Chaoyang, a new mother, was overjoyed.

"Your aunt is currently discussing marriage arrangements with those brats. Aren't you going to take a look and see if you've made up your mind?"

Chaoyang learned from Cui Wan about the tacit relationship between Sui Zhixu and Fan Lingzhang.

"I heard that his deceased wife looks similar to the actress. I sent people to investigate, but something seems off. Sima Xian probably wanted to use the same trick again."

"However, recently Prince Xun has been making a fuss about taking Niangzi as a concubine, as if he is deliberately going against Lady Xie. He even wanted to bring Niangzi to my birthday banquet last time."

"Your Highness, please take care of yourself. His Majesty will be concerned about the Prince. As for me, I am destined to be with him."

Having made up his mind, Chaoyang smiled and said no more.

"Alright, young master, go out of the palace and have some fun. It's no fun in the palace."

The child of the emperor is also extremely important to the royal family. As the first child of the grandchildren, many people are watching, so she naturally has to protect herself and the child.

After Xu comforted her with a few words, Chaoyang was too lazy to listen to her flattery and said that she had become glib and that it would be better to wait until she gave birth to congratulate her.

He knew that Xu should agree.

After leaving the palace, since she had decided to go to Miao territory, she naturally needed to make many preparations before the trip.

Upon hearing this, Sui He simply hugged Sui Zhi for a long time. When she first received the letter from Cong Lan, she felt heartbroken and wished she could execute Sima Xian on the spot.

Her young mistress, without memory, stumbled and staggered through the world; how terrified she must have been then.

"Ah Xu, my child."

Sui He released her, saying, "Have a safe journey."

Cong Lan stood behind Sui He and looked at her with the same tenderness, "We believe in you."

At that moment, Sui Zhixu could no longer hold back and threw herself into their arms.

Sui Zhixu finds people strange; something you've persisted in alone for a long time can suddenly crumble when someone starts to understand you.

She's human too; she's not immune to worldly concerns.

"Father, Mother—"

She couldn't talk about her affairs with outsiders. Whenever someone asked, Cong Lan would only say that she and Fan Lingzhang went to Luoyang to admire the lotus flowers, which were in full bloom in July and August.

"More than this year, I hope that next year, and every year thereafter, we can be together."

During a rest stop along the way, Fan Lingzhang held her hand tightly and said that after learning the news, he had taken Alu with him without hesitation and followed her.

"We will be safe."

At night, Sui Zhixu tried to sense Jiang Li's symbiotic Gu according to Jiang Yun's method. She dripped blood onto the broken wood that Jiang Yun had sent and waited for a long time, but nothing happened.

But that night, Sui Zhixu had a dream.

In the deep forest, a blue snake coiled around a strangely shaped tree, which was covered with bright red berries, hanging from the branches like little lanterns during the Lunar New Year.

Unfortunately, they are not cute. In the misty forest, the green snake is the only green on the ancient tree that has no leaves. It is this tree that is full of bright red fruit, which perfectly expresses the strangeness and temptation, the bizarreness and incongruity.

As soon as Xu stepped into the tree's range, she was immediately enveloped in white mist. The snake remained motionless, obediently coiled on the tree, with only its open eyes watching her.

She could clearly see the snake's golden vertical pupils, soft and bewildered. Then, a small green snake appeared under the withered tree and slithered towards her.

As soon as she reached out, the little green snake coiled around her wrist, forming a green jade bracelet—a rare, spiraling jade bracelet.

"Ah Ling, cough cough... Is that you?"

The little green snake stayed obediently on Sui Zhixu's wrist. She tried to speak, but for some reason, she couldn't utter a single sound.

Perhaps it was just a random dream.

She tapped the snake's head with her finger, and it looked bewildered. Its nimble tail twitched along with Zhixu's arm, as if telling her not to do that.

As Sui Zhixu stepped forward and placed her hand on the cold scales of the green snake, the dream shattered, and the surrounding white mist swallowed her completely.

Outside the dream, Xu desperately pinched her own palms, teetering on the edge of lucidity and collapse. She tried to wake herself up, but each time she was swallowed by the white mist at the last moment.

"Ah Ling! Wake up!"

Who's calling her? Is it Little Hibiscus?

In a white mist, Sui Zhixu followed the source of the sound and kept running until dawn.

She suddenly stood up, meeting his gaze, while outside the window, silver butterflies fluttered, and moonlight shone on the silver scales, creating glittering starlight.

It is Jiang Yun's butterfly.