Chapter 60: Remembering Jiangnan – Did I ever love?

Xie Yicheng had already heard the commotion in the alley. He walked unhurriedly to the gate of his own courtyard, his expression calm. He gave Jiang Si a polite nod and said, "Good morning, Lord Jiang."

Zijing's words were like a thunderbolt, striking Jiang Si directly and shaking him to his core. His ears were ringing, his cold was still lingering, and his mind was a jumbled mess, with countless images and sounds surging and colliding wildly.

"You're Xie Yicheng? You're Xie Yicheng?"

“Yes,” Ye Mu answered frankly for Xie Yicheng, “He’s taken, you don’t need to keep thinking about him.”

"Who would be so hung up on him?!" Jiang Si was even more furious when he saw that she was still in the mood to joke.

Ye Mu got up and handed the bowl and the handkerchief to Zijing to take back to the courtyard. She closed the gate behind her, afraid that the noise would disturb her mother inside.

As for why Jiang Si could not be found, it was because Xie Yicheng had only returned to secular life a little over a month ago. Although his ordination certificate had been handed over to the Buddhist Registry, the official procedures for restoring his original residence had not yet been fully completed, and his name had not yet been entered into the public register.

Jiang Si only checked existing records, so he naturally couldn't find it.

She straightened her clothes, stopped looking at Jiang Si, and walked towards the alley entrance.

As she passed Xie Yicheng, she didn't stop, but turned her head and smiled brightly at him, "I have to go to work now. Today I'm going to the carriage shop with you to pick up the carriage."

"Okay." Xie Yicheng lowered his sleeve and locked his own courtyard gate.

Jiang Si watched as the two of them talked as if no one else was around. Their familiar understanding and intimacy burned into his heart, which was on the verge of collapse.

Wen Kong is Xie Yicheng...

The Master Wen Kong whom he had begged at Baoxiang Temple to calculate his and Ye Mu's birth charts.

Master Wen Kong, with his witty remarks, resolved the Crown Prince's predicament with just a few words.

At the high level of the Dharma assembly, Master Wen Kong, whose expression remained unreadable, heard Ye Muqing's clear and resolute "Xie Yicheng" from below the steps.

Absurd! Ridiculous! Shameful!

A surge of anger, a mixture of being fooled, betrayed, and humiliated, suddenly rose in Jiang Si's heart, burning him so intensely that his teeth chattered.

No wonder he said they were bound by a cursed fate; it turns out this bald monk was harboring evil intentions.

Last night, last night.

Jiang Si suddenly chased after him, no longer looking at Xie Yicheng's hatefully calm face, and was eager to confess to Ye Mu, "Fourth Sister! Don't be fooled by his appearance! He's a monk who's not pure of heart and has returned to secular life, what kind of good man could he be? Do you know that last night in this courtyard, there were clearly sounds of a woman! He must have been with another woman behind your back..."

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

The intermittent, joyful moans of last night, the laughter and indistinct whispers mingled together between the two of them—the sounds he heard in his half-awake state—disturbed his mind.

At the time, his mind was in a daze, and he vaguely felt that the woman's voice sounded somewhat familiar. He thought it was because he had been thinking about something for days and his dream and reality were mixed up, and that the voice of Ye Mu in his dream was still lingering.

If Wen Kong is indeed Xie Yicheng, then the woman who was entangled and making those sounds with this monk last night, just a wall away from his bed...

Who else could it be?!

"I fucking swear!!!"

Jiang Si could no longer hold back, completely losing his composure, and blurted out vulgar, colloquial language.

The veins on his forehead throbbed, and his chest heaved violently, as if a mouthful of blood was stuck in his throat.

Shame, anger, and jealousy gripped his heart.

Not only was he kept in the dark like a fool, rummaging through old documents to find someone so close at hand, but he was also a complete idiot, still trying to understand their youthful impetuosity on the other side of the wall last night, and even now, he's trying to use this incident as leverage to attack Xie Yicheng?!

This was the most absurd humiliation he had ever suffered in his life!

Jiang Si felt a surge of anger stuck in his chest, unable to be exhaled or swallowed, almost choking him to death.

"Ye Mu!"

He coughed violently a few times, a metallic taste rising in his throat, his eyes reddening. He reached out to grab her, but before his hand could touch Ye Mu's sleeve, it was intercepted halfway by another steady and powerful hand. "Lord Jiang, please have some self-respect."

Xie Yicheng blocked Ye Mu's way.

He looked at Jiang Si, his eyes showing no provocation or smugness, only indifference, as if he were looking at an unreasonable child.

This made Jiang Si feel even more like a complete madman and a fool, having performed an absurd one-man show.

He went to great lengths to find out that she was renting a place in Yuqian Lane. He spared no expense and urged the craftsmen to work day and night to hastily tidy up the small courtyard so that he could be closer to her.

But his wife would rather have a monk than him.

"Good, very good. You two had a good time last night, didn't you?" Jiang Si staggered back, turning his gaze towards Ye Mu, who was being tightly protected by Xie Yicheng. "Ye Mu, are you that thirsty? So desperate for a man that you're practically begging for one? Did he use all that chanting on you? Serving you like that..."

Bang!

Before he could finish speaking, a dull thud, solid and heavy, struck Jiang Si's face.

Jiang Si didn't even see how Xie Yicheng made his move. He only felt a black shadow flash before his eyes, and then his jawbone felt like it was about to shatter. Accompanied by the sour sound of his teeth colliding, his mouth was instantly filled with a rusty taste.

The immense force lifted him off the ground, his back slamming heavily onto the cold, hard flagstones. The impact displaced his internal organs, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Xie Yicheng stood still, her body as straight as a pine tree, and slowly withdrew her hand, her finger bones slightly red.

He acted swiftly, a stark contrast to his usual calm and composed demeanor.

Xie Yicheng lowered his eyes slightly, looking at Jiang Si, who was curled up and coughing on the ground. His face remained expressionless, but his aura was chilling. "Lord Jiang, whatever grudges you have, or whatever right or wrong you want to discuss, you can come at me."

He took half a step forward, and the shadow he cast in the morning light completely enveloped Jiang Si on the ground.

The alley was deathly silent for a moment, except for Jiang Si's painful gasps and the fluttering of startled birds in the distance.

"Don't drag Ye Mu into this," Xie Yicheng said. "Stop your filthy speculations and foul language, or I'll be even less polite."

Jiang Si, lying on the ground, clutched his cheek. The intense pain and dizziness had not yet subsided. He struggled to sit up, glaring at Xie Yicheng who was looking down at him with resentment in his eyes.

He wanted to open his mouth and curse, but Xie Yicheng's terrifying aura at that moment, coupled with the pain in his jaw, made him lose his voice for a moment, only making a "hoarse" gasping sound from his throat.

Xie Yicheng stopped looking at him, turned away, and the terrifying chill in her eyes melted away.

He reached out and gently squeezed Ye Mu's slightly cool fingers, whispering, "It's alright, let's go."

Ye Mu snapped out of her brief shock. "Xie Yicheng, so you can hit people too."

"Weren't you scared?" Xie Yicheng looked closely at her expression. He really didn't want to show such a violent side to her.

"Of course not," Ye Mu shook her head, instead moving closer and naturally taking his hand that had just thrown a punch, looking down to examine his knuckles. "But you... did your hand hurt?"

"Not quite."

Xie Yicheng let her examine him, feeling the soft touch of her fingertips. The slight unease in his heart caused by the roughness was soothed by her attentiveness.

All she cared about was whether he was alright; the condition of the person on the ground was completely irrelevant to her.

Hearing this, Ye Mu felt relieved, then raised her face, her eyes sparkling, and sincerely praised him, "Xie Yicheng, you can even hit people so well, tell me, is there anything you can't do?"

Hearing these words from Jiang Si, who was still lying on the ground, was like receiving another punch to his other cheek.

The monk hit her, and she actually... she was still worried about whether the bald monk's hand hurt?! Is that even reasonable?!

And with those sparkling eyes, uttering such shameless praise?!

Jiang Si closed his eyes. The pain in his chest made him feel cold all over. He curled up on the cold stone slab. Where was the glorious new top scholar, the reborn prophet? Now, lying here unattended, he was like a stray dog ​​with nothing.

actually……

In the instant Ye Mu's gaze swept over him, a ridiculous and absurd thought pathetically surfaced in a dark corner of his mind: if only she could come over, even just bend down to look at him and ask, "Did you get hurt?", even just a little bit, even just a tiny bit of pity or concern...

Even if she really wanted both of them at the same time, he gritted his teeth, swallowed the blood-stained saliva, and figured it wasn't impossible... he would agree.

However, no.

Not a single bit.

Her gaze swept toward the monk.

She didn't even glance at him for a second.

The chill seeped into his bones through the cracks in the stone slabs. Jiang Si lay there, listening to their footsteps gradually fading away, and finally realized that Ye Mu no longer loved him.

I don't love them at all anymore, not even hate them.

In this self-righteous struggle, he was an outsider from beginning to end.

Jiang Si gritted his teeth. If he couldn't have her, then that monk shouldn't have her either.

-

Inside the Moon-Viewing Platform, the fragrance of sandalwood wafts faintly.

“You will travel to Suzhou under the name ‘Ye Mu’,” Crown Prince Xiao Zhen handed her the travel permit. “Mu means ‘admiration’, which is the same as your original name but different in character, so it will be easier for you to understand. Your age is set at nineteen, your place of origin is Wanping County in the capital region, and your identity is that of a failed scholar who is going to Suzhou to seek refuge with a distant relative and looking for an accounting job.”

Ye Mu listened quietly, his mind racing.

A nineteen-year-old failed scholar is of a suitable age—neither too naive to arouse suspicion, nor too mature to be inconsistent with her actual experience.

Wanping County is neither too far nor too close to the capital, and the accents are similar, making verification difficult, but it is not entirely without basis.

"You lost both your parents at a young age and were raised by your uncle, a small landlord in Wanping. He sent you to a private school for a few years and you passed the imperial examinations, but you failed repeatedly. After your family fell into poverty, your uncle passed away. You then sold your land and went to Suzhou to seek a living with your cousin who was in the silk business."

Xiao Zhen looked at her and constructed a complete background for her. "This cousin is indeed a real person. He is the second manager of Jinyun Silk Shop in Suzhou City. His surname is Han. He owed me a favor in his early years. I have already arranged for someone to take you as his distant nephew and recommend you to work in the Wujiang County Government Office as a temporary clerk, specializing in copying and organizing the accounts of money and grain over the years."

Ye Mu's eyes lit up slightly.

Temporary scribes, though of low rank, have access to the most original accounting records and vouchers, making them an ideal position for clandestine verification.

The Crown Prince even arranged the introducer; he was truly meticulous.

“You must remember,” the Crown Prince said seriously, “Ye Mu’s temperament needs to be adjusted. He should not be too clever or outwardly shrewd. He should have a bit of the pedantry of a scholar and be unusually rigid when it comes to numbers and accounts. In this way, others will only think of him as a dull scholar who is ignorant of the ways of the world and only knows how to bury himself in old books, which will make it less likely for people to be on guard.”

Ye Mu nodded.

"also……"

The prince took two items from his sleeve and pushed them in front of Ye Mu.

One is an inconspicuous dark brown wooden plaque, about the size of a thumb, with a tiny "安" (peace) character carved on the front and faint cloud patterns on the back.

"This is a pass for the Ping'an Post Station. After you arrive in Suzhou Prefecture, if there is an emergency or you need to deliver a message, you can take this pass to any post station in the city marked with the character 'An' and say, 'An old friend in the capital entrusted me with delivering mountain goods.' Someone will come to meet you. This pass can only be used three times. Do not use it unless absolutely necessary."

Ye Mu took it; it felt warm to the touch and had been around for quite some time.

The other item was a flat, small celadon box. When opened, it contained a slightly darker, fine paste that emitted a very faint herbal scent.

"This is a special disguise cream made by the Imperial Medical Academy. It is not for changing one's appearance, but for modifying the Adam's apple and skin tone. After cleansing your face every day, take a small amount and apply it to your neck, rubbing it until it feels slightly warm. This will make the skin in that area appear slightly darker, mimicking the outline of a man's Adam's apple. A small amount can also be used on the cheeks and the back of the hands to make the skin tone slightly yellowish after labor, reducing the pale and feminine appearance."

The prince said, “Women and men differ in their bone structure, physique, and how they move, sit, and lie. You need to pay attention to this at all times, taking larger steps, keeping your shoulders and back relaxed, and avoiding hunching your shoulders and chest. You need to deliberately speak in a deep and slow tone, and avoid high notes. You need to practice these things diligently on the road.”

Ye Mu picked up the small celadon box. The Crown Prince was indeed a meticulous person.

"I will send two guards to secretly accompany you and protect you, but they will not make direct contact with you and will only take action when necessary. All investigations must be carried out by yourself."

The Crown Prince asked solemnly, "Ye Mu, this matter is fraught with difficulties and dangers. If you go back on your word now, I will not blame you."

Holding the warm wooden plaque and the slightly cool porcelain box, Ye Mu looked up at the Crown Prince and said, "Since I have already agreed to Your Highness's consideration, I will not back down. However, I have three more requests."

"speak."

"Firstly, my mother and maid are in the capital. I humbly request Your Highness to secretly look after them and ensure they are not disturbed."

"Alright. Even if you hadn't brought it up, I would have made the arrangements."

"Secondly, the woman needs as much detailed background information as possible on Zhou Chongli, the magistrate of Wujiang County, the county clerk, the registrar, and even the clerks who may be involved, especially their place of origin, background, kinship, past political achievements and misdeeds, hobbies and temperament. Also, copies of all the engineering projects and tax ledgers reported to the imperial court by Wujiang County in the past five years, as well as approximate accounts of similar projects in neighboring counties during the same period."

The Crown Prince nodded in approval and said, "Very well. On the day you depart, the necessary documents will be secretly delivered to you. Remember, burn them immediately after reading, and leave no trace."

"I understand."

"Thirdly?"

"This humble woman wants the Crown Prince to help investigate someone, as I suspect he has accepted bribes."

"Oh? Who is it?"

"The top scholar of our time, Jiang Si."

Crown Prince Xiao Zhen smiled with a hint of amusement, “Heh…you and this Scholar Jiang are quite interesting. He proposed to you in front of the Emperor and all the officials, and you turned around and asked me to secretly investigate him.”

The chilling scene of Jiang Si fabricating charges and investigating her entire family in her past life overlaps with his relentless pursuit and foul language in this life.

Settling scores with him is simply an eye for an eye, even things out.

“Your Highness is wise,” Ye Mu said, lowering her eyes. “I am only stating the facts. The gifts that Lord Jiang gave me were worth a thousand gold pieces, which is beyond the reach of an ordinary newly appointed scholar. He has just entered officialdom and his foundation is not yet stable. Such lavish spending may have suspicious sources of money. Since I have noticed the doubts, I dare not hide them.”

"Ye Mu, now that you have decided to work for me, there are some things I may tell you."

Xiao Zhen smiled. "Jiang Si is my man."

Ye Mu was stunned for a moment, then he understood. Jiang Si, now that he had passed the imperial examination, why wouldn't he find a powerful patron to rely on? Besides the Eastern Palace, where else would be more worthy of serving such an ambitious person?

really.

"After he passed the imperial examination, he took the initiative to seek an opportunity to serve me. He claimed that he could secretly maneuver for me and win over some court officials whose stance was unclear. He also held many secrets about court officials that he could not tell outsiders."

Xiao Zhen was puzzled. "I still don't know how he could have mastered so many secrets in such a short time, but he is no ordinary person. His methods and scheming are far beyond what one should expect for his age."

Yes, Ye Mu agreed in his heart. Jiang Si had long been well-versed in the ways of officialdom, an instinct honed from decades of struggle in the power struggles of his previous life.

"His request was quite direct: he simply hoped that I could provide him with enough financial support to help him quickly establish himself in the capital and expand his network of connections."

Xiao Zhen curled his lips slightly, "As for whether he used my money for anything other than building connections, I don't care."

Jiang Si's extravagance has a long history and was indulged by the Crown Prince.

Ye Mu suppressed her disappointment, showing no sign of it on her face, and raised her eyes, "It was I who overstepped my bounds, unaware that there was such a connection involved."

She changed the subject slightly, "Your Highness, since Lord Jiang is one of your men, shouldn't he be more disciplined in his actions? He has repeatedly loitered near my residence, and his words and actions have been quite inappropriate, which is really bothering me. I hope that Your Highness can give Lord Jiang some pointers if you have the chance. I only want to serve Your Highness in peace and do not want any complications."

Xiao Zhen thought that Jiang Si was indeed a rather strange person.

When working for the Crown Prince, she is decisive and efficient, with remarkable abilities. However, when it comes to personal matters, especially with Ye Mu, she becomes almost obsessively persistent.

Xiao Zhen was not entirely unaware of his subordinates' private affairs. The eyes and ears of the Eastern Palace had already reported Jiang Si's recent unusual behavior: how he relentlessly pursued Ye Mu, how he went to great lengths to move next door to her, and how he lost control and became entangled with her in the alley...

He knew every single detail perfectly.

For now, the pawns are still useful, and he can tolerate some personal indiscretions as long as they don't affect the overall situation.

"I am aware of this matter." Xiao Zhen stroked the armrest of the armchair. "Jiang Si has indeed acted inappropriately. I will find an opportunity to reprimand him. It is time for him to understand that you are now also serving under me."

He smiled and said, "From now on, in terms of official matters, you and he can be considered colleagues. He should know his place."

Ye Mu nodded, knowing when to stop, and then asked, "Your Highness, my brother Ye Xingjian is currently serving in Jiangsu Prefecture. If there is any emergency or if we need the local authorities to secretly assist in an investigation, could I inform my brother after I arrive, so that he might be able to offer some assistance?"

Blood relatives are naturally the most reliable support, and in unfamiliar and dangerous places, this is indeed a very natural consideration.

However, Xiao Zhen said coldly, "It's best not to."

He wouldn't allow her any room for wishful thinking. "The fewer people who know your whereabouts and true mission when you go to Jiangsu Prefecture, the better. Although Ye Xingjian is your brother, he is also in officialdom. Getting involved could easily cause further complications. Remember, from the day after you leave the city, you are just 'Ye Mu,' a failed scholar from a fallen family. You have absolutely no connection with your brother Ye Xingjian, who is an official in Jiangsu."

These words may sound harsh, but they are the stark truth.

The officialdom is like a spider web, where seemingly unrelated threads are often secretly connected. Trust in blood ties can sometimes become the most fatal weakness, dragging more people into danger.

Ye Mu felt a chill run down his spine and instantly snapped to his senses.

She completely abandoned the idea of ​​contacting her brother, lowered her head, and said, "I have learned my lesson and will certainly uphold my identity as Ye Mu and will never implicate anyone else in the slightest."

The incense smoke from the burner dissipated, leaving a lonely aftertaste, and the room was filled with a coldness.

After Xiao Zhen's figure disappeared outside the door, Ye Mu stood alone in the silent Lan Yue Terrace, remaining motionless for a long time.

She closed her eyes and focused her mind, carefully reviewing her conversation with the Crown Prince and her future plans. She felt that everything had been clearly explained and arranged.

As for Jiang Si, since the Crown Prince has promised to give him a warning, she can put his troublesome behavior aside for now and focus on her upcoming journey.

However, the changes came too quickly.

Before the Crown Prince could offer any advice to Jiang Si, an unexpected imperial edict was delivered to Fuyou Pavilion by Jiang Si himself shortly after the Crown Prince left.

By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:

Prince A'jun of the Tiele tribe came to pay homage. At the Buddhist ceremony at Baoxiang Temple, he was captivated by the quick wit and outstanding calligraphy of a commoner girl named Ye Mu, and earnestly requested a marriage alliance with me. I appreciated his sincerity and, in order to demonstrate the virtue of the Celestial Empire in pacifying distant peoples, I hereby grant this marriage.

I hereby bestow upon Ye Mu the title of Lady Yihua, and bestow upon her pearls and silks. She shall immediately return to the grasslands with the Tiele Khan and the prince to complete the marriage. May you two live in harmony and ensure lasting peace on the frontier.

So be it.

After the imperial edict was read aloud, the chamber fell into a deathly silence.

Ye Mu stared at the person in front of him, his teeth chattering, his fingertips trembling with anger. "Jiang Si! You're even taking on the job of the eunuch who delivers imperial edicts now, is that it?!"

Jiang Si's face darkened. "Ye Mu, this is His Majesty's decree. Thunder and rain are both acts of imperial favor. You have no choice but to obey."

"I refuse!" Ye Mu was furious. "His Majesty already knew I had someone I loved, how could he suddenly betroth me to that grassland prince? Jiang Si, it must be you who stirred up trouble and maliciously instigated this between His Majesty and others! I want to see His Majesty! I want to see the Crown Prince!"

"His Majesty has spoken, and His Highness the Crown Prince has no right to change it."

Jiang Si said no more to her and waved to the palace guards following behind him, "Escort Miss Ye to the carriage. Don't be late. Tiele Khan and his son will set off to return to the tribe early tomorrow morning."

"Jiang Si! How dare you!" Ye Mu struggled, but was firmly held down by the guards on either side, their strength so great that she was instantly unable to move.

Lady Yun, her face filled with anxiety, quickly stepped forward, trying to explain, "Scholar Jiang, you don't know that Miss Ye is actually too..."

"That's too presumptuous, they're ignorant of their own limitations!" Jiang Si interrupted Yun Niangzi before she could finish her sentence.

His voice was cold and stern. "Who told her to be so unrestrained at the Dharma assembly, insisting on standing out and parading around in the city? Who told her to be so ungrateful? I sincerely asked her to marry me, but she embarrassed me in public. This is her bitter fruit. Lady Yun, don't try to excuse her anymore. Neither of us can bear the crime of disobeying the imperial decree."

After saying that, Jiang Si didn't delay any longer. He personally stepped forward and roughly pushed Ye Mu, who was still trying to resist, into the green-canopied carriage that had been prepared in advance.

The carriage started up with a rumble and drove away from Fuyou Pavilion, heading towards the post station where the Tiele Khan delegation was being accommodated.

The car was cold and quiet.

The light was dim, with only faint beams of light seeping in through the gaps in the curtains.

Ye Mu was pushed down onto the soft cushion on the side of the carriage. She quickly sat up, her back pressed against the carriage wall. She pursed her lips, her face was pale, and her chest heaved violently. With each breath, she tried her best to suppress her trembling.

“Jiang Si,” she finally spoke, as if grinding her words between clenched teeth, each word dripping with icy hatred, “you won’t stop until you drive me to hate you to the bone, will you?”

Jiang Si sat in the shadows opposite Ye Mu, his body taut and his face sharply defined, without uttering a word.

He just stared at her like that, as if trying to imprint the hatred in her eyes deep into his gaze.

"You bastard!" Ye Mu's teeth clenched coldly. "Why won't you let me go? Why do you have to torture me like this again and again? Didn't you hurt me enough in my past life? My family was destroyed, I was exiled to my death, wasn't that enough?!"

The words "past life" acted like a key, suddenly unlocking the valve that Jiang Si had been suppressing in his heart.

He leaned forward abruptly, and in the next instant, violently grabbed Ye Mu's slender neck.

Their noses almost touched, and their rapid breathing could be heard.

"Ye Mu, you are my wife, you should have been my wife!"

His eyes held an almost obsessive pain. "I am your husband! How dare you choose that monk and not me?! How dare you abandon me?"

Her questioning was filled with overwhelming grievances and resentment, as if she were the one who had betrayed her vow and was guilty of heinous crimes in this plunder orchestrated by him.

Why don't you want me?!

The direction of the post station was getting closer and closer, and the sound of wheels rolling over the bluestone road was like a death knell.

Ye Mu was held tightly by him, fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead, and her face flushed red from difficulty breathing. The carriage was dim, and her clear eyes were like cold jade in a cold pool, staring at Jiang Si who was so close to her with such obvious hatred.

They showed no mercy, no fear, only hatred.

Jiang Si's heart skipped a beat absurdly under that hateful gaze.

Her eyes... how can they be so beautiful?

Her eyes were tinged with red from resentment. Even in such a wretched moment, with her life hanging in his hands, she possessed a breathtaking beauty, both broken and stubborn.

Why does he want to destroy her, yet also possess her?

Jiang Si's Adam's apple bobbed, and his tone softened, "Did you ever love me?"

Ye Mu was also visibly taken aback.

He loosened his grip on her slightly, and stroked her face with his other hand. "Ye Mu, did you ever love me?"

His hands trembled uncontrollably, his gaze fixed on her face, a desperate yearning, even if it was just a tiny bit, whether in the past life or this life, even if it was just a fleeting moment of wavering.

"Answer me." His fingertips hesitated to move forward, afraid of disturbing her thoughts. "Ye Mu, answer me, have you ever loved?"

Ye Mu's lips moved slightly, but in the end, he said nothing.

A few breaths of silence fell inside the car.

A short while later.

A tear, without warning, slid down Ye Mu's cheek and quietly landed on Jiang Si's hand.

That tiny bit of warmth made Jiang Si's heart tremble.

She cried.

She didn't answer, but she cried...

More powerful than any curse or resistance, Jiang Si was suddenly awakened as if by something, his heart almost spasming with pain.

He withdrew his hand, sat back down, knocked on the side of the carriage, and shouted to the driver outside in a deep, cold voice, "Turn around! We're not going to the post station anymore, we're going back to the scholar's residence!"

The coachman tightened the reins with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, and the horse's hooves pounded restlessly.

A guard standing beside the carriage hurriedly rode forward and said urgently through the carriage window, "Lord Jiang, you mustn't! The post station is just ahead, and the Tiele Khan is waiting to pick us up. If we don't go now, it will be blatant disobedience to the imperial edict, a crime..."

"Return to the Scholar's Residence!"

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Author's Note: Thank you for reading and for adding this to your favorites!