Liu Quan invited Yongyan to Qinxin Garden, where Heshen resided. Upon entering, Yongyan immediately noticed the nanmu wood used in the hall, a violation of imperial authority. He instantly understood Heshen's purpose in summoning him. Heshen emerged from the inner room, his long robe casually draped over his shoulders, wearing only white socks; his boots were still in Liu Hutu's hands. He gestured, inviting Yongyan to sit in the main seat, which Yongyan accepted with a smile.

After Heshen was seated in the lower seat, Liu Hutu remained standing beside him, holding the boots. Yongyan's hands, which had been tied behind his back, were open; he dared not clench them tightly for fear of making a sound. After a moment, he rose with a gentle expression and went to Heshen's side. He then took the boots from Liu Hutu and bent down to put them on Heshen.

Four bronze candlesticks stood in the hall, illuminating the space as bright as day. The extravagance of most of the furnishings was clearly visible, even the shapes of the candle wax dripping onto the bronze surface could be observed in detail. Heshen's eyes were like crescent moons. "Your Highness is so kind; I truly dare not accept such treatment!"

Before Yongyan could rise, he raised his head and said in a gentle tone, "Although Lord He is only a few years older than Yongyan, if you can ensure that Yongyan holds power, even though our Great Qing Dynasty does not have a prime minister, Lord He will certainly be second only to the emperor!"

Heshen helped Yongyan up, his crescent-shaped eyes smiling faintly, "Your Majesty, I only hope that you will not forget the kindness of presenting the jade ruyi today!"

When one is determined to find fault, one can always find a pretext. If scholars were to take things seriously, they could defeat even a military general on the battlefield. Yongxing's poems were meticulously examined by the Hanlin scholars under Heshen, who found words that were dissenting or expressed discontent with imperial power. Although Heshen knew this was at Yongyan's behest, he had no way to stop it. With power already firmly in Heshen's hands, Yongxing, frustrated with his career, devoted himself even more to calligraphy, rarely attending court.

In February of the sixtieth year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, unrest broke out in the Miao region. The factions of Heshen and Yongyan petitioned the Emperor to send Fukang'an, the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou, to quell the disturbance. The Emperor knew Yongyan's intentions but had no better candidate, so he sent Helin, the Governor-General of Sichuan, to assist Fukang'an, which also served to restrain Heshen.

De Xuan, who was serving in the imperial court, asked the emperor for permission to accompany his father. The emperor was pleased that he had the youthful vigor of Fu Kang'an and granted him permission to take the imperial edict to the Governor-General's Office of Yunnan and Guizhou to go to Miao territory with his father.

Before her husband returned, she had to send her son away. Yan Ning's heart was filled with sorrow, which had flowed through more than a decade. Unlike De Lin, De Xuan, perhaps influenced by her, had vowed since childhood to establish a career before starting a family. Therefore, he spent his days in his courtyard practicing martial arts and studying military strategy.

A long, narrow shadow of the moon fell on the vines in the courtyard, dappling Yan Ning's figure. Her moon-white cheongsam was veiled by a layer of gauze, her slender and beautiful silhouette standing forlornly. De Xuan saw Yan Ning's dazed expression as soon as he entered the courtyard. He quietly retreated, circled around the courtyard wall, leaped over it, and jumped into Liuxiang Garden. He slowly walked to Yan Ning's side and sighed at the moon, "My lord! I wonder if you and I are looking at the same full moon?"

A tall figure suddenly appeared, startling Yan Ning. She then glared reproachfully at De Xuan, whose handsome features, like jade and a sword, shone brightly in the moonlight. "You're leaving home tomorrow, and you're still so unruly! Do you know how harsh and cold the military camp is? There's no carefree life of luxury in the capital!"

De Xuan's still-childish face was full of disdain. "Isn't Father spent most of his time in the army? If he can endure it, why can't I!"

Yan Ning's hand touched De Xuan's youthful, impetuous face. With her child gone, her longing for her mother intensified. She had been away from home for twenty years, and her mother still didn't know if her child was alive or dead. This same state of mind had driven her maternal grandmother mad with worry over the disappearance of Qing Yue. And her mother? Had she ever truly let go of her feelings for her daughter?

Seeing Yan Ning's face streaked with tears, De Xuan assumed it was his earlier misbehavior that had stirred up her longing for her husband. He quickly wiped away her tears and comforted her, saying, "This time, I will definitely help Father suppress the rebels as soon as possible! Mother will also be able to see Father soon!"

Yan Ning nodded and smiled gently at the flustered De Xuan, saying, "Mother is waiting for you and your father to return soon!"

Upon leaving Liuxiang Garden, Dexuan noticed a figure passing by. He immediately shouted, "Who goes there! Show yourself!" A moment later, a graceful figure emerged from behind a tree. The fierce look on Dexuan's face vanished, and he strode towards Yunwan. "If you hadn't come to me, I would have come to you! Wuergong'a has a letter for you!" he said, pulling a letter from his robes and handing it to Yunwan.

The letter, tucked into Dexuan's clothes, was crumpled and rumpled. Like Yunwan's furrowed brows under the moonlight, it held unspoken emotions. She carefully put the letter away, looking at Dexuan with a sorrowful expression. "Did he volunteer to go with you this time because of me?" Dexuan looked at her and sighed, "He was supposed to be a high-ranking official alongside Agui's grandfather, but now he's serving as my bodyguard! If it weren't to prove to Father that he's a brave man worthy of marrying you, why would he give up this hard-won opportunity for advancement, and needlessly humiliate Agui's grandfather!"

Seeing that Yunwan lowered her head and remained silent, he continued, "In any case, you can leave Miaoxian Pavilion now, but you can't leave the mansion! You're already a well-known old maid in the capital, and Wu'er has also disobeyed his father's orders several times to not marry anyone else. Why do you both want to drag each other down?"

Knowing that Dexuan, who spent his days with weapons, was ignorant of matters between men and women, Yunwan raised her head and said angrily, "What do you know, someone who spends all his days with swords! When you meet the woman you love, you will understand the love between Father and Mother, and between Ul and me!" Without waiting for Dexuan to retort, she lifted her skirt and ran towards her own courtyard.

De Xuan touched his smooth forehead, staring blankly at Yun Wan running away in the candlelight. He truly didn't understand what she was saying, having served as a messenger for her and Wuergong'a for years in vain.

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