Seeing that Xuan Yuanhan was so sad, Consort Chun was so distressed that she had no appetite left. So she waved her hand weakly, and a group of maids came forward to clear away the banquet.

Hearing her mistress's heavy sigh, Zhang Mama helped her to her feet and sat her down on the soft couch by the window. She said with concern, "Your Highness, since His Highness returned from the Eastern Border, he seems like a completely different person. Aside from his daily sword practice and morning court sessions, he spends almost all his time indoors. He always looks so gloomy and troubled; it's heartbreaking. I've heard that he's been drinking heavily every night for the past few days. His Highness has always been extremely self-disciplined; he's never done anything like this before. If this continues, I'm afraid it will harm his health!"

As Consort Chun sat down, she pondered Zhang Mama's words and couldn't help but let out another helpless sigh: "Alas! As the saying goes, 'No one knows a child better than their mother.' How could I not know that my son has become like this? How could I not worry?"

In fact, ever since Xuan Yuanhan returned to the Qin Prince's Mansion from Longhu City, Consort Chun had already noticed that something was wrong with him.

So, on countless sleepless nights, she and Huan'er would secretly come to Lin Yuexuan together.

But whenever she stood outside the palace, watching Xuan Yuanhan alone facing the lonely candlelight, listlessly pouring and gulping down cups of bitter wine, she felt utterly helpless. She couldn't know how much she loved her son.

Recalling these heartbreaking and helpless scenes, Consort Chun felt a deep empathy for her son's suffering: "Two people who love each other but cannot be together is the greatest torment in a person's life."

After a pause, Consort Chun spoke, "My son's heart is truly filled with sorrow. I have no way to console him. In all these years of his growth, I have been absent for far too long. Perhaps my son does not want me to worry about him, which is why there are many things he is unwilling to tell me, and I do not know how to reach into his heart?"

At this point, a glint suddenly flashed in her eyes, and she said, "I initially thought that when he returned from the Eastern Border, he might bring Princess Yongning back to Western Qin with him. Although I knew she was a princess of an enemy state, as long as my son liked her, I was willing to accept her. I was even prepared to confront those two in the palace. In this way, the lovers could finally be together. In this life, as long as my son is happy, what is there that I cannot compromise on!"

But clearly, this light was like a fleeting flower in the night, vanishing in an instant. The next second, his brows furrowed deeply: "But I never expected... things are far more complicated than we thought. That legendary Princess Yongning is indeed extraordinary. In our great Western Qin, and even throughout the entire Lingkong, how many noble ladies dream of winning my son's favor? Yet this Princess Yongning..."

After a moment of silence, Consort Chun was clearly taken aback: "I originally thought that they were in love and a match made in heaven. I never expected that Princess Yongning would actually abandon her son and choose to protect her motherland in the end! This is truly admirable."

As Consort Chun spoke, she seemed to be deep in thought, her tone and eyes revealing her deep admiration and even greater interest in Yi Shangyun.

"This old servant doesn't understand any grand principles. This old servant just feels sorry for His Highness Prince Qin and can't bear to see him so sad and upset," said Granny Zhang.

Consort Chun came to her senses, turned her head and looked carefully at her face and her graying temples. After a moment's thought, she lowered her head and slowly reached out to hold Zhang Mama's weathered hands tightly.

After a while, she said to him earnestly, "The late Emperor passed away early. Having you in my life is my greatest fortune. In these years, I haven't been by my son's side, and everything is thanks to you. But..."

For some unknown reason, Consort Chun's voice suddenly choked up. She had to pause, then took out a handkerchief and quickly covered her nose. After her emotions calmed down a bit, she continued, "But it ruined your whole life! For me and for the Prince of Qin's mansion, you gave up your only chance to be released from the palace, which meant giving up your freedom, your chance to be a wife, a mother, and to have children. It was such a great injustice to you."

As Consort Chun spoke, she and Granny Zhang gazed into each other's eyes for a long time, their eyes seemingly glistening with tears.

"Your Majesty is too kind. It is my great fortune to have met a mistress like Your Majesty in this lifetime."

After a while, Zhang Mama, with tears in her eyes, recalled, "That winter was exceptionally cold. If Her Majesty hadn't sent the imperial physician out of the palace to treat my only sister, the twins in her womb would never have been born. Over the years, Her Majesty has never treated this old servant like a servant. With such a master, how could this old servant feel wronged? If there is an afterlife, or the life after that, this old servant will still be Her Majesty's person, and will only recognize Her Majesty as my master."

"Zhang Mama..." Upon hearing this, Consort Chun clenched her hands even tighter, at a loss for words.

But Granny Zhang was still extremely worried: "This old servant knows that His Highness is everything to Her Majesty. If things continue like this, what should we do?"

Perhaps it was Zhang Mama's words that gave Consort Chun a renewed sense of strength to cheer up.

Consort Chun thought for a moment, then seemed to have mustered her courage again, and said firmly, "Zhang Mama, you and I should both believe in His Highness. He has grown up, he is not so fragile, and he will definitely overcome this hurdle. Let's give him some time. Until then, the only thing we can do is stay by his side and believe in him."

After speaking, Consort Chun slowly shifted her gaze to the quiet night outside the window.

It was now past midnight, and the Qin Prince's mansion was a vast and quiet place. The moon was bright, the breeze was gentle, and everything was so pleasant.

Following her mistress's gaze and seeing the renewed confidence on her face, Zhang Mama decided to cheer up as well. She declared confidently, "Your Highness is absolutely right! Our Prince is a valiant and invincible war god; even death fears him, let alone a mere young girl. This old servant understands. This old servant will stay with you, Your Highness, and we will stay with you for the rest of our lives, never to be separated again!"

At this point, the master and servant both breathed a silent sigh of relief.

The clouds rolled and unrolled, and a beam of light tore through the clouds and poured down, instantly illuminating the earth; dawn had broken.

After rushing as fast as she could, Yi Shangyun finally stood weary from her journey at the place she had longed to reach for so long.

Seeing the three striking characters on the plaque above the door that she knew all too well, still as majestic, imposing, and noble as ever, she wore a pale yellow dress and carried a simple bag, silently reciting each word in a low voice: "Qin, Wang, Fu".

He was always worried that he would fail because of his own actions. In the end, he was too soft-hearted to carry out the entire plan to seize the city of Dongning, which was carefully arranged by Emperor Jing for Xuan Yuanhan. After the plan ended in failure, what kind of miserable life would Xuan Yuanhan lead as a fugitive after returning to the country?

Only now, having witnessed it all with her own eyes, and seeing the Qin Prince's Mansion still standing majestically, did she finally feel at ease.

He excitedly muttered to himself, "Thank goodness, it seems His Highness hasn't been punished by the Emperor. His Highness, he has finally resumed the life that was rightfully his."

Recalling the sweet and bitter moments they shared in the past, she seemed to remember something, and suddenly a look of sorrow appeared on her face: "But now, how can I face Your Highness?"

Perhaps because she wasn't mentally prepared, she thought to herself, "Never mind, I'll go back to the Yi family mansion in the west of the city first. I haven't seen my father, mother, and Yan'er in a long time. I'll go see them first and then make other plans."

Having made her decision, though she felt a little reluctant, she looked towards the door again for a while, but did not see the person she longed for. Helpless, she could only slowly turn around and prepare to leave.

As soon as she turned around, she looked back every few steps, lost in thought. Before she had gone far, she bumped into Granny Zhang, who was used to getting up early to go to the market to buy groceries and had just returned.

Yi Shangyun quickly bent down, picking up the vegetables from the bamboo basket that had fallen to the ground while repeatedly apologizing, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Granny Zhang joined her in picking up the trash, saying, "You silly girl, where did you come from so early in the morning? Don't you even watch where you're going? Luckily, this old woman is alright. What if you had bumped into her and caused her any harm?"

Yi Shangyun still didn't look up, only apologizing repeatedly: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

After the two of them picked up all the fallen vegetables, Granny Zhang stood up and looked up, ready to continue her lecture, but she froze the moment she saw her face: "You...who are you?"

Yi Shangyun recognized the person's face immediately upon seeing them and denied it, saying, "I, I'm not."

Granny Zhang circled around her, scrutinizing her closely, and then asked suspiciously, "Aren't you?"

Yi Shangyun vehemently denied it: "No."

Fearing that saying another word would reveal his identity, he finally said, "Excuse me, sir, I'm in a hurry to get home. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave!"

After that, they fled in panic.

Watching her hastily departing figure, Granny Zhang said in great bewilderment, "Looking at that figure, it looks so much like someone..."

Just then, Cheng Liang walked out the door and came to Zhang Mama's side, asking, "Zhang Mama, what are you doing standing at the door? Why don't you go in?"

Granny Zhang said, "I just came back from buying groceries and was about to go in when I saw a girl acting suspiciously here. But the more I think about it, the more I feel like I've seen that girl somewhere before?"

Cheng Liang smiled and said, "There are plenty of girls coming and going on the street every day. Perhaps you were just seeing things because you weren't fully awake this morning?"

Granny Zhang was puzzled as to why she couldn't remember: "Go away, stop teasing this old woman. That girl just now really looked familiar, but I just can't remember where I've seen her before?"

As Cheng Liang took the bamboo basket from Zhang Mama's hands, he helped her back, saying, "Alright, alright, enough joking around, let's get down to business."