"Second Prince, do you believe in reincarnation?"
Tuoba Hong asked in confusion, "What do you mean by that?"
Yi Shangyun looked into his eyes, as if she had never looked at him so intently before. After a while, she said in a low voice, "I know that as someone well-versed in medicine, I shouldn't have such doubts..."
Slightly hesitant, she paused before finishing her sentence, then slowly turned away from him, glancing at the tranquil and mysterious landscape before her, and spoke again.
"But for some reason, I always feel like I don't belong to this world. It's more like I'm from another world, but I can't remember where I came from?"
Upon hearing this, Tuoba Hong stared at her retreating figure in astonishment and asked, "How could you have such thoughts?"
Yi Shangyun took a deep breath, still not turning around, and said only, "From beginning to end, all my memories are just fragmented pieces. Sometimes in dreams—no, it's like a dream that's not quite a dream—I can even see a completely different, dazzling world. For this world, for all the people and things around me that I should be extremely familiar with, I have never had a complete memory, never. Whether it was in the former Western Qin Kingdom, as a useless, ugly girl in a pharmacist's mansion, or now…"
Seeing that she hesitated to speak, Tuoba Hong simply said, "You don't need to hide it anymore, I already know... You are the daughter of the late Empress of Dongning Kingdom, which is one of the wealthiest kingdoms on the Lingkong Continent, and you were abandoned at a young age in Xiqin Kingdom as the most noble legitimate princess."
"How did you know?" Yi Shangyun turned around and asked in surprise.
Tuoba Hong said, "Not long ago, after the sudden death of the old king of Dongning, the Dongning court was in turmoil. Regarding the succession of the new king, the princess argued with the arrogant and domineering empress in court. That position should have belonged to the princess, but in the end, it was given to the third prince, Mei Zhixuan, who was of humble origin. The princess's actions have truly shocked the entire continent!"
Seeing the veiled meaning in his words, as if blaming her for concealing her identity, Yi Shangyun withdrew her gaze and firmly stated her choice: "Whether a person is of noble birth or not, it doesn't mean anything. No one can choose their birth. Third Brother, although he has occasionally made mistakes in his actions, now, after witnessing and experiencing the great plague in Longhu City, given time, he will surely change. He is always more suitable for that position than I am. Besides, these are turbulent times for Dongning Kingdom, and I..."
As Yi Shangyun spoke, she slowly lowered her head and quietly reached out a hand to gently stroke her abdomen, her face showing a lot of melancholy.
Tuoba Hong noticed her movements through her back view. After thinking it over and over, he finally couldn't help but ask, "Since you already have his child, why do you keep him at arm's length? Isn't this the result you've always wanted? Could it be... just because he already has a principal wife in his household?"
Yi Shangyun smiled faintly and said, "As expected, the Second Prince understands me best. Not only does he know I'm pregnant, but he also knows who the father of the child is, unlike some people..."
Yes, even Tuoba Hongcai, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, could guess that the child must be Xuanyuan Han's. But Xuanyuan Han himself, when he heard her claim that the child was Yi Sanshao, seemed to have no doubts at all. Although she didn't want him to know that the child was his, she couldn't help but feel a chill in her heart.
The conversation between the two had just ended because Xuan Yuanhan was mentioned again, and Yi Shangyun once again fell into silence and reminiscence.
After a while, the two seemed to still be deeply immersed in their own thoughts, clearly unaware of how many mountains this small boat had already passed.
Until layer upon layer, until all the mountain peaks were far behind, a shore where one could dock could be vaguely seen not far ahead.
Tuoba Hong suddenly noticed that once the ship docked, it would be the location of the Western Qin capital.
So, he asked hesitantly, "Yun'er, if one day, if you really return to your world, will you... still remember me? Will I... eventually become just a blurry fragment in your future memories?"
Seeing the obvious expectation in Tuoba Hong's eyes, Yi Shangyun did not answer his question. Instead, she turned around abruptly, her eyes wide with surprise, and asked, "Back to my world? So... you also believe in reincarnation, right?"
"I..." Seeing Yi Shangyun, who was so excited that her eyes were shining with boundless light, Tuoba Hongshi couldn't bear to refuse her. Seeing her sad, he could only nod silently against his will.
Yi Shangyun was overjoyed to hear this, and then suddenly said, "No, you are a good person. I will always remember you, no matter what."
Upon hearing this, Tuoba Hong was overjoyed, so surprised that he seemed unable to react for a moment. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. He just stared into the woman's eyes, and the two of them remained silent, their eyes locked.
Before they knew it, the boatman's voice rang out: "Guests, be careful, the boat is about to dock!"
This startled the two of them awake.
After reaching the shore, Tuoba Hong carefully helped Yi Shangyun ashore. Yi Shangyun thanked him, saying, "Thank you so much for this journey. If it weren't for you, I don't know when I would have reached Western Qin."
"It was just a small favor, why are you always so polite to me? We've arrived in Western Qin, go quickly and find the person you're looking for. Do what you want to do. But no matter what happens, promise me you will never wrong yourself," Tuoba Hong said with concern.
Hearing this, and realizing that he still cared about her so much even now, Yi Shangyun's nose suddenly stung, and her eyes instantly filled with tears. But she still forced herself to ask, "And what about you? What are your plans for the future?"
Suddenly, a lone bird flew past the two of them. Tuoba Hong looked up and followed the lonely bird's departing figure for a long, long time...
Finally, I turned my gaze to an old fisherman wearing a straw hat who was skillfully casting his fishing net not far from the riverbank, and said, "All my friends and loved ones are gone, and my remaining life is all in vain. People are ultimately burdened by life, and I only envy the old fisherman by the river."
Upon hearing this, Yi Shangyun could no longer control her emotions. With a thud, she knelt down heavily, clutching Tuoba Hong's robe tightly, and tearfully apologized, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's all my fault, it's all my fault. Our country is destroyed, our home is ruined, we're displaced, we have nowhere to go. I'm the one who caused you to become like this. Scold me, hit me..."
Upon seeing this, Tuoba Hong immediately bent down to help her up, exclaiming in surprise, "What are you doing? Get up, get up quickly, be careful of the baby in your womb."
Yi Shangyun was filled with remorse and remained kneeling, crying, repeating the same words over and over.
Fearing his strength might harm the baby in her womb, and hesitant to lift her up forcefully, Tuoba Hong pleaded for a long time: "I've said it before, everything is in the past, we must both live well. Besides, you've always known that I never wanted to be the king of the grasslands. Perhaps, seeing you reminded me of the wonderful days we spent with Father on the grasslands. I just miss Father even more, which is why I said those things just now. I truly didn't mean it. Get up quickly, if you don't get up, I, I, then I can only..."
Seeing that nothing he said would make a difference, he panicked and knelt down with a thud, silently wiping away her tears.
Once Yi Shangyun had calmed down a bit, Tuoba Hong took the opportunity to carefully help her up: "Yun'er, never say those words again, never say them again. I just want you to live well and live happily."
“But, Your Highness…” Yi Shangyun frowned, seemingly still unable to let go of the matter.
Tuoba Hong said, "Remember, in this life, only if you are well, will I be well. So you are very important, and you must take good care of yourself."
Yi Shangyun seemed to have no choice but to nod and reply with a forced "Mm."
At this point, a faint smile, unseen for a long time, finally appeared on Tuoba Hong's face.
Tuoba Hong insisted on seeing Yi Shangyun off first, watching her figure gradually disappear from his sight before lifting the hem of his robe and returning to the ship.
"Young master, aren't you also heading to the Western Qin capital? This young lady is pregnant and needs someone to take care of her. Why don't you travel with her and help her out?" The boatman scratched the back of his head, puzzled.
At this moment, Tuoba Hong had already regained his serious expression and said, "No matter what, this is still her home, and it's safe for her. But right now, I need to go to the south of the city to find someone and figure something out. I hope this news is correct."
Standing at the bow of the boat, with his hands behind his back, looking in the direction where the clouds had left, Tuoba Hong murmured softly, "Yun'er, as long as you know that I have a place in your heart, that's enough. In this life, I will always protect you. I will help you find all the memories you've lost. Wait for me."
The Qin King's Palace in the Western Qin Kingdom.
The courtyard was filled with blooming flowers, a vibrant scene of springtime life.
The garden is full of spring colors under the layers of crabapple petals. A gentle breeze blows, crabapple blossoms fall, and ducks swim on the water. It makes one think of Feng Yansi's poem "Visiting the Golden Gate: A Sudden Breeze".
A sudden breeze stirs, ruffling the spring waters of the pond. Idly, I lead mandarin ducks along the fragrant path, gently moving red apricot blossoms. Alone, I lean against the railing of the duck-fighting pavilion, my jade hairpin slipping askew. All day I wait for my beloved, but he does not come; then I raise my head and hear the magpie's joyful cry.
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