Zhao Yi looked up at the window, a resolute glint in his eyes: "Letting go is not because I don't love her, but because my love is so deep that I don't want her to sacrifice for me anymore. I don't want to insist on keeping her behind those high walls. As for not being able to forget her, that's just human nature. The word 'love' is the most difficult to understand."
Seeing this, Shen Hanshan secretly admired Zhao Yi's magnanimity and deep affection. He said softly, "It is a great blessing for the Great Xuan Dynasty and for the Empress that Your Majesty has such a broad mind. However, matters of the heart are like drinking water; only the person drinking knows whether it is hot or cold. Your Majesty should act with caution and not let good intentions turn into misunderstandings."
Zhao Yi nodded, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes: "Hanshan is absolutely right. I will be careful. I only hope that during the Lantern Festival, I can be blessed by heaven and have an unexpected reunion with her. I don't ask to be together, but I just want to see her from afar and know that she is well. That would be enough."
After saying that, Zhao Yi turned and walked into the inner room, his back view appearing particularly lonely.
As Shen Hanshan watched his retreating figure, he silently prayed that the star-crossed lovers would eventually get what they wanted, even if it was just a moment of warmth and peace.
At Cuiwei Palace, Zhu San Niang breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that Zhao Zhi had rejected Zhao Yi's invitation.
Seeing her relieved expression, Zhao Zhi felt a pang of heartache in her eyes. "Third Sister, if one day you find—"
"Your Majesty, I, San Niang, do not wish to remarry in this life." Zhu San Niang interrupted her rudely, saying, "The matter of love is like viewing a mountain through a veil. I went to the mountain, only to find that the mountains were all similar, nothing more than that."
Zhao Zhi knew that Empress Qin Sheng, who had long lived in the deep palace, no longer held any expectations for love. Love is a matter of personal experience, like a fish drinking water—only the person involved truly knows whether it's hot or cold.
The Lantern Festival is just around the corner.
Zhao Zhi, Lin Wanqing, and Zhu Sanniang disguised themselves and went to the banks of the Chunchao River in high spirits.
A river of lights, the bustling streets and alleys of life.
As dusk settles, the lanterns illuminate the entire Chunchao Riverbank, resembling a fiery dragon winding through it. The lanterns twinkle like stars, adorning the Jade Bridge in the night sky, making it seem like a bridge leading to a fairyland.
In the middle of the long river, a beautifully decorated flower boat slowly glides across the mirror-like water, moving forward at a leisurely pace.
"Wow, Daddy! Look over there, all so colorful and beautiful!" Yunxuan's little hand tightly gripped Shen Hanshan's big hand as she hopped and skipped to the front of the flower boat, her eyes smiling like crescent moons, her face full of wonder and delight at the glittering lanterns and bustling crowds on the shore.
"Hmph, my sister just makes a fuss over nothing. What's so strange about this?" Yun Xiao stood on the other side of Shen Hanshan, arms crossed, his little brows slightly furrowed, and the corners of his mouth slightly downturned, looking like a little adult, exuding an imperceptible arrogance.
"Yun Xiao, what did you just say? I didn't hear you clearly." Yun Xuan turned her head, her eyes carrying a hint of warning.
Seeing this, Yun Xiao hesitated for a moment, then smiled ingratiatingly, "Hehe, Xiao Xiao said that what Sister said is right, those lanterns are really beautiful!" As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Yun Xuan, as if to confirm whether she had dodged another "trouble".
Feng Hong and Lan Ru, watching from behind, carefully suppressed their laughter. The bloodline suppression from his older sister would likely be a lifelong wound for Yun Xiao.
Zhao Yi stood on the gunwale, looking down at the riverbank. His gaze pierced through the bustling, dimly lit riverbank and finally spotted that familiar figure in the crowd.
"Hanshan, you all enjoy the lanterns at your leisure. I'm going down for a walk." As he spoke, he told everyone to take their time to enjoy the lanterns, but he hurriedly waved for a small boat to be rowed over. Before long, he was ashore and hurriedly chased after that figure.
"Daddy, Uncle is in such a hurry, where is he going?" Yunxuan asked in her childish voice.
As Shen Hanshan watched Zhao Yi's departing figure, he gently lowered his head and said to Yunxuan, "Xuan'er, your uncle saw a friend he hadn't seen in a long time and was very happy, so he wanted to hurry over to meet that friend and chat."
Upon hearing this, Yunxuan's eyes lit up. She nodded as if she understood, and replied in her childish voice, "Yes, Yunxuan understands! Just like how I always want to see my mother as soon as possible, right?"
Shen Hanshan smiled and patted Yunxuan's head, continuing, "That's right, Yunxuan is so smart. Let's continue to enjoy the lanterns here and wait for Uncle to come back so he can tell us some interesting stories about him and his friends, okay?"
Yunxuan clapped her hands excitedly and cheered, "Great! When Uncle comes back, I want to hear lots and lots of stories!" After saying that, she took Chen Hanshan's hand and looked at the lanterns on the shore even more intently, her little face full of anticipation.
After a while, she suddenly pulled a long face, grabbed Chen Hanshan's wide robe sleeves with both hands, and pleaded. "Daddy, I want to go down the boat to see the lanterns too. Please, Daddy—"
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