Many years later, I met Shen Junyi.

At that time, he was the most popular young general in the whole city, a moon in the sky that I could never reach no matter how hard I tried.

I am Lady Ji, abandoned by King Ning after his rebellion, the most detestable existence in everyone's eyes.

At the banquet, the princess asked me, if I could go back to the time when he was down and out, would I regret divorcing him?

I bowed down and bowed my head to the ground.

No regrets.

1

When Shen Jiajun entered the city, my nominal husband, Ning Wang, had already fled overnight.

I stood beneath the city gate, looking up at the young general atop his tall horse.

He seems to be no different from three years ago, the only difference is that on the night I divorced three years ago, he waited for me under the steps in a whole rainy night.

Eventually I got impatient and threw the jade pendant that we had once exchanged as a token of our love at him. He bent down before me, his hands trembling slightly, and picked up the broken jade pendant from the mud.

Once I looked down on him from a high place, now I look up at him.

In the year that Shen Junyi loved me the most, I left him and became the consort of the King of Ning.

Now that Ning Wang's plot to rebel has failed, I have escaped alone. I have fallen into the hands of Shen Junyi, which can be considered as not being against karma.

I smiled and said, "Long time no see, General Shen Xiao."

He didn't look at me, the horse galloped past me. Dust flew onto my face, and I coughed for a while, holding a handkerchief.

The dust was so thick it made my eyes blurry, and I coughed until tears came out.

A few months later, I was taken to Yanjing under escort.

Although I am the consort of the King of Ning, I am still the only legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister of the dynasty.

My father knelt in front of the palace for three hours to protect me. In the end, the emperor was merciful and said that the crime was not related.

When I returned to Yanjing that day, it had snowed heavily.

My father didn't want to make too much of a fuss, so he ordered people to carry me in a sedan chair back to the mansion despite the heavy snow.

That night I fell ill and stayed in bed for months. When I left the house, the snow had cleared and it was already spring.

The Crown Prince's Consort summoned me to the palace to ask questions.

The eunuch was ordered to take me to the Eastern Palace, and I immediately ran into Princess Rongyi. She was the emperor's most beloved daughter, and since she was a child she had been spoiled and willful. We were also old acquaintances.

She is not much different from before. I still remember that she also liked Shen Junyi, but she was not satisfied with Shen Junyi's marriage to me. She made things difficult for me in secret and she did not have a few grudges against me.

Later, I married the powerful Ning Wang for power. She rushed into my mansion, red-eyed and fiercely slapped me. She was confined to her home for a month, and I was sent to marry far away in Panzhou, so I never saw her again.

I ran into her today, it was definitely not a coincidence. So I can only admit my bad luck.

She rolled her eyes and the maids behind her sent away the chamberlains. Several maids clamped my hands and pressed my shoulders, forcing me to kneel.

Rong Yi stepped forward gracefully, her red rouge was both bright and beautiful. She grabbed my chin and the pain spread. I lightly furrowed my brow.

She had a hint of displeasure on her face, "Your face is as annoying as ever."

The palace maid standing nearby heard this and took it upon herself to come forward, pushing me into the lake.

The spring chill is piercing, the lake water is icy and bone-chilling, the cold has not yet healed, I choked on saliva, and for a long time I couldn't stop coughing.

The rippling lake water splashed onto Rong Yi's skirt, and she stood on the shore, her expression haughty: "My jade bracelet has fallen into the lake, so let the river girl stay here and look for it. Without my orders, no one is allowed to let her get up."

It's been so long, Rongyi.

If it were three years ago, I would not have swallowed this bitter pill. It would have been best to drag Rong Yi along and jump into the water together, making a big fuss, preferably all the way to the emperor.

Rong Yi's best face, no matter if it's being confined or apologizing, as long as it's something she doesn't want to do in the end, I'm happy to see it.

Now I no longer have the heart to entangle with Tong Rongyi. On my first return to Yanjing, I don't want to cause any trouble.

Although the maidservant was sent away just now, she will still return to the East Palace to report this matter to the Crown Prince's consort.

I was trembling in the lake, thinking that in a moment I would be able to come out of the lake.

Enough.

In the next moment, a voice pierced through the cold wind, and someone wrapped in a chill, standing tall like a pine and bamboo after the snow, took a few strides and arrived in front of me.

It is Shen Junyi.

The attendant came much faster than I expected. Perhaps he met Shen Junyi on the way and brought him here as a savior.

Shen Junyi's eyes drooped, he grasped my wrist and pulled me up from the icy lake.

The chill seemed to penetrate my bones, and I shivered uncontrollably by the lake. Without a word, he took off his fox fur cape and handed it to me.

The attendant beside him was in a hurry, spinning around and saying, "It's done, it's done, the Crown Prince is still waiting!"

It turns out that it was not the Princess who wanted to meet me today, but the Prince.

Shen Junyi bowed his head and said: "The Princess's jade bracelet, the servant will order someone to help the Princess retrieve it. As for this person, I will take him away first."

After Shen Junyi saw the gift, he pulled me away. I stumbled a step and followed him, slightly raising my eyes and I could see his black and glossy hair.

I pursed my lips, somewhat absent-minded. I couldn't help but think back to several years ago when I was bullied by Rong Yi, and Shen Junyi was also the one who protected me like this.

At that time, I suffered a setback, Shen Junyi stood in front of me, Rong Yi burst into tears, the setting sun's afterglow spread over him, and all I could see was the black hair of the person in front of me.

It is a pity that things have changed and we can no longer go back.

Rong Yi was left behind, angrily and resentfully challenging: "Shen Junyi! Do you still have her in your heart?"

Shen Junyi stopped in his tracks.

In a moment, he turned around, his dark eyes coldly glancing over me with a hint of mockery and self-deprecation on his face.

The princess is worrying too much; everything I do today is because of the crown prince.

He paused and said, "As for the Prince Ning's consort, I really don't think much of her."

2

It's not wrong to say that.

I am indeed still the consort of King Ning.

Just as I thought of the rainy night three years ago when Shen Junyi had thrown away his clothes, he was gripping the broken jade pendant and bright red blood was spilling out from between his fingers, mixing with the pouring rain, yet he seemed oblivious to it all.

He was drenched by the rain from head to toe, yet he still stubbornly looked up and said, "If you want fame, I can go and earn it. If you want glory, I can give it to you--"

I interrupted him and said, "What are you bringing?"

The large raindrops hit my umbrella, thunder rumbled in my ears, I curved up the corners of my eyes and smiled at him: "Is it your father who was condemned, or just you alone?"

He clenched his fists.

I said in a low voice, "I married King Ning so that one day I could be a queen. Can you give me that?"

Looking back on these now, I feel like I was really bad to myself back then. In pursuit of fame and fortune, I divorced Shen Junyi at the time when he was most desperate and needed me the most.

But what does it matter? Even if I am scorned, I would rather him stay away from me.

I went up the mountain in the cold wind and heavy snow to pray. I prayed for Shen Junyi's safety and that someone would always be by his side.

May you ascend the ten thousand mountains, step by step, all that you wish.

My wishes are all in vain.

Being tied up with someone like me is when he's considered unlucky.

Now that my once distant wishes are coming true, I should be happy.

I didn't know when Shen Junyi had stopped, I was indulging in my thoughts and bumped into him without paying attention.

My nose tingled with a slight ache, and I held my bruised nose, almost letting out tears from the impact.

With tears in my eyes, Shen Junyi lightly lifted his eyelids and said simply and succinctly, "Stay away from the Crown Prince."

I didn't quite catch that, so I reflexively asked, "What?"

He leaned slightly forward, bowing close to me, his dark eyes calm and distant: "The Prince and Princess have a deep and sincere love for each other, and there are no concubines in the Eastern Palace. There is no possibility for you to become his Queen."

The ending sound is very faint.

I looked at him in amazement.

I never thought he would think like this.

Does he think that now that King Ning has fallen, I should be embarrassed and try to find ways to ask the prince to take me in?

I said I wanted to be a queen, but I only said it to make him back off.

The Shen family has been loyal and righteous for generations, and compared to the ambitious and ambitious King Ning, being a queen is something that Shen Junyi cannot give me.

I never thought that these few words would come back to me one day, it's like lifting a stone to smash my own foot.

I stared blankly at his retreating figure, then suddenly heard someone behind me laughing lightly and sighing: "Miss Jiang really has bound herself in her own cocoon."

I came to my senses and paid my respects to the crown prince.

The prince came to my side, standing with me on the steps, watching the distant figure of Shen Junyi leave.

"These years, thanks to you for timely informing the court of the movements of the Prince of Ning. After the Prince of Ning's party in court is cleared, I will report to the Emperor the reason for it and find a way out for you and the Jiang family."

I shook my head and opened my mouth calmly: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."

In an instant, he asked with a smile, "Three years ago, you planned to marry Ning Wang, but you wouldn't let Gu Jiang tell Shen Junyi the truth."

Now that you have returned to the capital, why not be a matchmaker and let you continue your relationship with Shen Xiao and the General?

I lowered my eyes and said, "As a guilty woman, I dare not reach too high."

Three years ago, the person who was supposed to marry King Ning was not me.

At that time, my father was involved in the grain and grass case and was held by the King Ning. Since then, the Jiang family has joined the party of King Ning, and my eldest sister should have been married to the King Ning's Mansion.

Later, my elder sister died on the way to meet her fiancé. The King of Ning was pressing my father to hurry up and arrange my marriage to Shen Junyi. My father didn't want me to be involved in the situation, so he urged me to get married.

It was my own decision to marry King Ning.

He sighed, somewhat regretfully: "If you had married Shen Junyi back then, you would be a general's wife now."

I quietly listened to him finish speaking without rebutting, only replying, "This servant only has one question for Your Highness."

If I had married Shen Junyi at that time, would Your Highness still allow Shen Junyi to sit in his current position when the Jiang family's crime is exposed in the future?

The smile on the prince's face disappeared.

I smiled and lowered my eyes, bowed to him, and then I was about to leave.

The prince is suspicious and summoned me to the palace only to test me.

Is it the old flame of my heart, Shen Jun's clothes, that has been rekindled? Or are you not trusting me, worrying that this is a trap set up by the King of Peace and me?

For a long time, as I was about to step out of the East Palace, the voice of the Crown Prince came from the wind: "You guessed it right. Gu certainly would not allow someone who had a relationship with the King of Ning to hold military power."

This time I summoned you to the palace just to tell you. Although I don't know what happened between you and the Prince, the detective found his traces in the capital.

Ning Wang was willing to risk his life to enter the capital, as if he was looking for you.

3

Ning Wang, Ji Qing Shi.

I still remember seeing him for the first time.

On the night of the big wedding, he wore a red robe with his hair unbound, casually draped over his chest.

He easily opened my veil, and the pendant hanging from my neck was suspended between us as he bent down.

The hood covered us both, the surroundings were a blinding red, the world seemed to have quieted down, but he seemed oblivious, his dark eyes deeply gazing at me.

After a while, he smiled with his lips, wearing simple clothes, but he was like a demon in the storybook, absorbing people's energy to survive.

He said, "You will be the only lady in the Ning Wang Mansion."

I am just a servant, my lady.

At that time, I didn't take his words to heart. When I saw him distance himself from me, I subconsciously let go of the bedding I was clutching, only to find my palms were already covered in sweat.

Rumor has it that King Ning had a harem of concubines with unpredictable temperaments. Later, he kept his promise and dismissed them.

I indeed became the only consort of King Ning.

The carriage stopped abruptly, and I suddenly came to my senses from my memories. The maid beside me got off to check the situation, but there was no movement.

I sensed something was wrong, took a deep breath, and opened the car curtain to look outside.

Before I could get a clear view of the situation, someone had taken me down from the carriage by embracing my waist. The hairpin in my hand didn't stop, and the person dodged sideways, only getting his arm scratched by me.

Jiqing was still wearing a red dress, so bold that no one could compete with him. The city was full of officials looking for him, yet he was so bold and daring to wear red and brazenly rob my carriage.

He didn't care about the wound, but bowed his head to me, just like on our wedding night, his eyes were lazy and beautiful.

He said, "Ah Wan, you have a very cruel heart."

I have a bit of a headache.

I asked him, "How did you get here?"

He lazily lifted his eyes, his eyebrows and eyes were all scattered: "If you come a bit later, the king's concubine may have been married twice."

Before I could say anything, he moved closer to me. A necklace slipped out, a common stone, polished into the shape of a peace charm. He had worn it for many years, never taking it off.

He curved his lips, his tone gentle and seductive: "But my royal brother's worries are not bad. The position of Queen, only I can give it to you."

The sunlight shone in his eyes, he squinted and looked behind me, then he laughed indifferently and stood up straight.

He took off the peace pendant and placed it in my palm. "Awan, I'll come pick you up when we meet again."

If I looked back with a feeling, I only then noticed that there was someone standing at the entrance of the alley.

Shen Junyi stood in the shadows, not knowing how long he had been watching.

4

I don't know how Shen Junyi got here.

He almost ignored Ji Qing's slightly provocative chuckle, standing still in the same place. His fingers that held the medicine bag kept tightening, leaving several obvious wrinkles on the sandpaper.

Outside the alley, there was a loud clamor of voices, and the Forbidden Army soon arrived. Jiqing quickly disappeared into the crowd without a sound in the midst of such chaos, and soon lost track of her.

The military commander did not know that the person who had robbed me was Ji Qing Shi. He glanced at Shen Jun Yi, then glanced at me, and wisely took his people away.

My maidservant was knocked unconscious beside me, and the coachman was also lying on the carriage frame. I walked over and picked up the maidservant and said to Shen Junyi, "General, please help me to let the Jiangfu know and send someone to pick me up."

I could walk back, but it wouldn't be appropriate to leave the two of them here.

I waited and waited, but I never heard Shen Junyi's response. When I looked up again, I saw Shen Junyi's face cold and tense.

He tightly pursed his lips, grabbed the maid and the coachman's collar, and threw them into the carriage all at once.

Next came a brisk turn-over and mounting of the horse, seeing me still standing in place, he coldly lifted his eyelashes and said, "Still not coming up."

This is to send me back.

In that moment, I was unusually slow to respond, and I mumbled a reply. When I got on the carriage, I realized belatedly that if this had happened before, he would have laughed at my reaction.

But Shen Junyi said nothing.

The journey back to the Jiangfu was not far, just two more streets. When the carriage finally arrived at the entrance of the Jiangfu, the servants crowded around in confusion, thinking something big had happened.

After I thanked Shen Junyi, I was about to enter the mansion, but he called out to me.

The medicine that was wrapped in mulberry paper was thrown into my arms.

He apologized briefly.

I looked at the bag of medicine that still had warmth, and I knew his intention in my heart.

I had just recovered from a fever, but today I was pushed into the water by Rong Yi. This medicine is here to make up for this crime.

He stood at the foot of the stairs, looking at me as silently as he had the night I left him. But I felt my anger burning, as if something was burning away my sanity.

I suppressed my anger and descended the stairs amidst the butler's cries of surprise, striding quickly up to Shen Junyi.

I looked up at him, the bright light was making my eyes sting: "You said you wanted to apologize, so go ahead, tell me."

"Is this package of medicine today for you to make up for pushing Rong Yi into the water, or is it something you wanted to give me out of your own heart?"

Shen Junyi doesn't owe me anything; it's me who owes him.

So what does he have to apologize to me for?

He seemed to not have expected me to ask such a question; he was stunned for a moment, opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something.

Suddenly I remembered the time when I was pushed into the lake and Rong Yi stood on the shore, looking down at me from a high place.

Her gaze was disdainful: "Right, you still don't know. I heard that the emperor recently wants to give me and Shen Junyi a marriage."

I suddenly closed my eyes.

Before Shen Junyi could open his mouth, I almost awkwardly dodged his gaze, and fiercely shoved the medicine into his arms.

I suddenly don't really want to know the answer anymore.

5

That package of medicine couldn't be returned after all.

After I left that day, Shen Junyi gave the medicine to the servants in the manor. The black soup medicine was served, and the hot steam made the candles hazy.

Fortunately I did not collapse from a chill again, and I had the energy to do what I had to do.

Jiqing is currently in the capital. I was having a conversation with the crown prince in the palace, yet he was aware of it, showing that he has eyes and ears in the palace.

Does he also know about the party members he arranged in the court, which I revealed?

It is hard to express my feelings towards Jiqing. In the past three years, he has been almost completely obedient to me. If it weren't for his title of Lady Jiqing, I almost thought I was his legitimate wife.

He never shied away from me, so I knew all the pieces he had placed in court. He never treated me coldly due to his busyness, so in the eyes of his subordinates, I was the favored lady in his heart.

Even if I am just a concubine.

I calmed my mind and wrote a few sentences on the paper.

In no time at all, an invitation was sent out from the palace, saying it was the birthday of Rong Yi, and inviting the talented ladies and gentlemen of the capital to the banquet.

I don't really want to go. Who would be kind enough to invite their enemy to their own birthday party?

Moreover, Rongyi is already twenty, yet she has not been married. It is clear to everyone that this banquet is nothing more than a pretense to select a groom.

In the palace, the invitation was sent down again and again, no matter how I feigned illness to get out of it, it was only until the Rong Yi personally ran to my house to invite me that I had to go.

It looks like it's still the Grand Banquet of the Stakes. I wonder if Rong Yi has made any progress compared to three years ago.

I sat between the seats, occasionally hearing the comments of others.

It's just some jokes about my current situation, nothing new, so I'll just listen and move on.

Rong Yi today was dressed in a dazzling manner, wearing twelve pearl hairpins on her head like an opened peacock. She came forward with a smile and said, "What are you all talking about with such enthusiasm?"

The girl from Wang Changshi's family smiled with her lips covered, "It's just that I saw Jiang Girl today and felt a bit sentimental."

She then said, "It is said that Jiang Gu Niang's luck was not good. If Jiang Gu Niang had not been greedy for the power of King Ning that year and had divorced Shen Xiao General, now we would not be here to talk about it."

I smiled at her with my lips curved.

You can't talk back, haven't you been talking back here for a while?

Rong Yi suddenly turned around, her pearl hairpin trembling on her temples. She opened her bright eyes, seemingly very curious: "Oh, Jiang Wanyu. Have you ever regretted breaking off the engagement with Shen Jin Yi?"

No regrets.

Upon hearing my answer, Rong Yi was not very pleased.

She looked glum, circled around me, and unhappily asked, "What did you say?"

I bowed down and bowed my head to the ground.

No regrets.

Perhaps I need to admit all my regrets in order for Rongyi to feel relieved. Rongyi gently offered me a cup of wine. The wine pot was a nine-curved mandarin duck pot, she probably thought I wouldn't know.

She kept a straight face and said, "That's the best it can be."

My lips pressed against the glass of wine, and without blinking, I poured the wine with a wave of my sleeve.

Afterwards, Rongyi frequently glanced at me from across the table. Knowing I should be "drunk" by then, I wobbled away from the table.

I know that Rongyi will choose her husband today, and Shen Junyi will probably be mentioned.

I don't want to find my own unhappiness, nor do I want to see Rong Yi's happiness, so I use her to pretend to have a plan, and then quietly let her leave the palace and return to the mansion.

The palace maid who was leading the way was also arranged by her. She held me and soon we arrived at a side courtyard.

I originally thought Rong Yi just wanted to make me look silly and laugh at me, until I saw the man passed out on the bed, I felt like I was falling into an ice cave.

Rong Yi gave me the top scholar award, it really shows that he values me.

I took advantage of the palace maid not paying attention and knocked her out with a hand knife. I shook my slightly sore hand and pushed open the door to leave.

A familiar scent wrapped around me from behind, as if someone was smiling softly in my ear: "Shh, it's me, Awan."

It is the time of the princess.

He pulled me through the heavy palaces, his scarlet robe like a beautiful ghost in the night. He was very familiar with this place, turning left and right, and easily taking me up to the top of the city wall.

I thought it was a risk to see him in the capital city, but I never expected him to boldly enter the palace.

The night sky was dotted with stars, the lights outside the city wall were bright, and below was the patrol guard. I pressed down on his head and the lady gently "hissed" and obediently crouched in the corner of the wall.

I lowered my voice in disbelief and asked him, "Are you crazy? What do you want to do?"

Jiqing furrowed her brows, "I didn't want to come looking for you so quickly, but what Rongyi did today was really too much for me to bear."

He is not one to keep his feelings to himself.

He slowly explained, "I promised to protect you for life. If anyone dares to bully you, I will repay them a hundredfold, a thousandfold."

My right eye twitched fiercely, as if something big was about to happen.

Sure enough, the noise started not far away, and the sound came from the palace where I was originally.

I gazed into his black eyes and patiently explained to him: "If you are here to take me away, there is no need to be like this. You know that I leaked the deployment in the mansion, you should hate me fiercely."

I am very confused.

He stubbornly grabbed my sleeve and said, "I don't care."

I knew long ago that you were approaching me with a purpose. But I don't care.

I was taken aback when I heard this. I couldn't figure out what he was up to.

After a while, he lowered his hand and his eyes were a bit sad: "Ah Wan, you have always been so cruel to me."

In the next moment, those bright star-like eyes looked back at him again. He quickly raised a smile, "No, otherwise how could you have tricked me out of the city and let me leave alone?"

My heart is a bit sluggish.

Everyone knows that his plot to rebel failed, so he abandoned me and ran away.

No one knew that day before Shen Junyi came, I had already left the city, and opened the city gate to let the Shen family's army in.

I softly said, "I just don't want there to be any more casualties in the city."

Once war begins, only the common people will suffer.

I don't want it to be this way.

But," Ji Qing said with a smile, "You had the chance to kill me, didn't you? I never guarded against you, so isn't it unfair to take credit for it?"

I no longer want to argue with him, the patrol guard may pass by any time, now I just want to get him out of here quickly.

Jiqing stood up calmly and said with a smile, "You are late again."

Shen Junyi flipped up from the other side, his gaze lingering on me for a moment before quickly moving away.

I don't think the magnetic field between the two of them is quite right. Otherwise, why do they always meet in this way?

Shen Junyi said lightly, "Has the Emperor not received the letter of divorce from the Jiang family yet? The Emperor said that the crime does not extend to the innocent, and has already granted her to divorce you. Let's not get entangled anymore."

The air suddenly became tense.

Shen Jun stepped forward, shielding me behind him, separating me from the lady, and said to him, "Let's talk."

I don't understand how things got to this point. They said they wanted to talk, yet they both tacitly excluded me.

In just a moment, Shen Junyi came out of the room. There was no longer the figure of Ji Qing in the room. He always followed his heart, so he must have left.

I looked up at the stars from the city wall. The moon was very bright tonight, and under the moonlight, a small shadow was left under Shen Junyi's long eyelashes.

He pointed to one of the palaces and said, "That's the abandoned palace."

The lights are bright at this moment, it is the palace that the Rongyi people sent someone to lead me to.

When I saw you uncomfortable at the banquet, I wanted to come out to look for you. But someone held me back, so I was a step too late.

I looked back at him and said inexplicably, "You don't have to explain these to me."

Shen Junyi was silent for a moment, then said, "I'll take it."

He leaned against the wall of the city, half his body suspended in the air, like a butterfly ready to flutter down. He closed his eyes slightly, looking delicate and fragile.

But when he opened his eyes, the light in his eyes was too brilliant. He was a little confused, but without any hesitation or hesitation.

He was almost falling, and I instinctively reached out to pull him, but he pulled me into his embrace instead.

A sudden wave of cool air swept over me, engulfing me in its breath. Even my breathing paused for a moment.

He said, "I should hate you."

My eyelashes quivered.

I have never seen such a contradictory detour, his chin resting on my shoulder, his voice low, with an obvious retreat of embarrassment: "Stay away from him, okay?"

I didn't say anything.

I lifted my head from his embrace and looked at him intently: "Shen Junyi, if you knew what the Jiang family had done, would you still say these words today?"

I lowered my eyes and teased on my lips: "You don't know, the grain and grass case three years ago, was done by the Jiang family."

"My father is a traitor. Are you sure you want to be associated with the daughter of a traitor?"

Three years ago, the grain and grass case involved many officials in Beijing and Central China.

The grain and military funds that were allocated were devoured by officials of all levels, leaving very little when they reached the front line.

As the side joint retreated, three cities were lost.

Liangzhou's county magistrate fought to the last moment. With no food in the city, they had to rely on sand and soil to fill their stomachs. The soldiers were starving, so he killed his most beloved concubine and shared her with the other soldiers, allowing them to survive for another day.

Later, the enemy broke into the city, and no one from Liangzhou survived without surrendering.

This is called a massacre.

The grain and grass case that should have been thoroughly investigated was only pushed out with a seven-rank small official to take the blame, and Shen Jia was demoted for looking after the grain and grass unfavorably, and this matter was easily turned over.

I never thought my dad would be involved. He always held me in his hands, and he would look at me kindly as I learned to write, proudly proclaiming to all: this is my daughter, the pearl of the Jiang family.

I also always thought he was a well-regarded good official.

Look, the painting of "uprightness and integrity" personally inscribed by the emperor is still hanging on the wall.

But on the other side of the wall, as I listened to him coldly and indifferently arrange my elder sister's funeral, I only then realized--he was no longer my father.

Ah.

He was involved in the grain and grass case.

Originally, the King had a handle on him.

It turns out that the elder sister was not the one who had a crush on Ning Wang, but she was willing to marry him and become his concubine.

I suddenly remembered the year my dad took me to the lantern festival when I was young.

I watched as the butler kicked away the beggar blocking the street, and I bit into my candy doll, wondering why my father had to kick them away. Won't they hurt?

Dad was silent for a while, then he pointed at me and laughed out loud.

Children's minds are hard to understand, but you will understand when you grow up.

Later, when I grew up, I finally understood.

In the eyes of some upper class people, human life is as insignificant as a mustard seed and not worth mentioning.

When I rushed into the room to tell my dad that I wanted to marry King Ning, he shook his hand and gave me a slap.

He was dejected, as if he had aged a lot.

But what else can be done?

One wrong move and it's a disaster that can never be undone.

In these years since I married Ji Qing, I have collected evidence of the collusion between the King of Ning and local officials, recorded every box of jewels they gave to the King of Ning, and every crime they committed by embezzling from the grain and grass.

While I was doing my duty as a contented wife to Lady Jiqing, I was sending all the evidence to Yanjing.

Even so, it seemed as if a giant hand had blocked the sky over Yanjing. The grain and money that had been allocated had disappeared without a trace.

Jiqing seized the handles of most of the officials involved in the grain and grass case, but no matter how much I searched, I could not find the figure of the last person.

Who could it be?

So I coaxed Jiqing to leave and went back to the capital. I never shied away from the fact that I had secretly exchanged letters with the Crown Prince, all for the purpose of using the Crown Prince's hand to draw out the last worm in the grain and grass case.

Look, it's still eating people now.

There is not much I can do. As the daughter of a traitor, on one hand I am close to my family, on the other hand I am a citizen of the world.

Unfaithful, unfilial, unkind, and unjust.

No one knows how heavy the fate of the world is, making it a nightmare that terrifies me, making it hard for me to breathe at night.

I never expect the Jiang family to forgive me, but I can't pretend nothing happened and act as the daughter of the Jiang family.

I can only end it all in my own way.

I am atoning for my sins.

6

I'm waiting for Shen Junyi to let go.

This embrace is too warm, warm enough that I don't want to break it. I'm waiting for him to push me away himself, waiting for him to show me a surprised and disappointed look.

I have already mentally prepared.

But he didn't. He lowered his long eyelashes and a mysterious shadow fell in his eyes.

A head of jet black hair was slightly disheveled in the wind, but I suddenly felt a cold fragrance approaching me, and the silence was so heart-stirring.

Are you going to leave me again?

His eyes drooped slightly, conveying a sense of loneliness. He loosened his grip slightly and took out a folded letter from his pocket.

The wind spread out the letter, rustling softly.

How can I not be familiar with the handwriting on the paper? This is the evidence of the officials involved in the grain and grass case that I have written over the years.

Shen Junyi asked calmly: "Even though you have changed your handwriting, why do you think I won't recognize you?"

I only felt a tight string in my heart suddenly snap.

These years I have hidden my name and have written several letters to Shen Junyi.

I don't trust my father, the crown prince, or the people around me.

I only trust Shen Junyi.

Jiqing collected the account books of the officials involved in the incident, which are now hidden in a certain mansion in the capital.

At that time I was waiting. Waiting for Shen Junyi to go to Panzhou to escort me back to Beijing, and waiting for him to bring the account book back.

I only trust him.

The moonlight lit his profile coldly like snow, his eyelashes distinct and delicate. My fingers curled slightly and then I stepped back, withdrawing from his embrace.

He didn't let go of me and pulled me back into his embrace.

I instinctively lunged towards him, enveloped in a soft and gentle embrace.

This time it's really going to fall.

Hearing my exclamation, he seemed to give a faint smile.

I'm here, Jiang Wanyu.

So, don't leave me behind, okay?

It is nearly midnight when I return to the mansion.

A large red lantern was hung under the eaves, and the candlelight in the room was faint. I sat at the desk, picked up the pen, and then wrote one letter after another.

After I returned to the capital, in addition to the officials involved in the case on record, I sent some letters to the other households in the capital.

The gist of it is to deceive the other party by saying that I have caught the handle of his case in the grain and grass case, either by coercion or by inducement, so as to make him support the rise of the King of Ning again.

I am Lady Ningwang, and this identity is a very good cover.

It's a pity that the rabbit had three burrows; that person was really too cunning.

Under my various tests, that person did not contact me, leaving only a few words, nor did they easily believe my words.

But I'm sure that since he is so cautious, he won't leave my life as a threat to himself.

It is no harm to risk one's own safety.

Moonlight poured in from the window, and I looked up to see the bright moon hanging high in the sky. Even my hand stopped writing.

In the silence of the full room, I suddenly wanted to see Shen Junyi.

7

Rong Yi married the new first-place scholar.

This marriage was originally arranged by her for me, but now she has become the protagonist of this farce. I wonder if she had any regrets in her heart when she was arguing with me that night.

I occasionally go out of town, giving the other side a chance to make a move against me.

Whenever I bump into Shen Junyi, it's always a peaceful encounter.

Upon second thought, how could the other person possibly kill me in broad daylight? It would be wiser to borrow a knife to kill someone, so I was relieved.

On the day of Rong Yi's wedding, I was not invited.

This is right. She must hate me very much now. Is she inviting me to the banquet just to make fun of me?

When I woke up, I was already in Rongyi's carriage, and at that moment she was pushing the coachman down.

She was wearing a bright red dress, her hair disheveled, and she gave me a sorrowful smile: "You must be very proud now."

The horse has gone mad and is galloping towards the cliff. There were only two of us in the carriage, me and her. I held onto the side of the carriage and barely managed to keep my balance.

Today she came looking for me with the thought of giving up, and I don't want to get too entangled with Rong Yi.

I had just reached out to take the reins when I heard Rong Yi murmuring to himself, "I only regret not listening to her and destroying you on the day you entered the palace."

My heart was pounding, as if something hidden for a long time was about to emerge. I asked hoarsely: "Who is she you are talking about?"

To kill with a borrowed knife.

In that moment, what I thought of was to kill someone with a borrowed knife. The person I had always wanted to catch may have already taken action against me in the dark, but I just didn't know it.

But Rong Yi just smiled at me and then rushed over to snatch the reins from my hands, nearly exhausting all my patience.

I suddenly closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, I slapped Rongyi. She was stunned by me, and I grabbed her collar and dragged her to the window. Half of her body was hanging outside the window, her hair strands falling down and touching the muddy and dirty ground.

Rong Yi screamed loudly.

I endured it again and again, and pulled her back. She was stuck on the car wall, scared and uncertain. I bent down and got close to her: "You are marrying the new top scholar today, all because of your own doing. You have sown the cause, so you must reap the fruit. What does it have to do with me?"

Rong Yi covered her face and cried, and I only felt my heart ache. I asked again: "Who is she that you speak of?"

Seeing her silent, I became more and more disappointed, and turned to look for the reins to try to steady the frantic horse.

I heard the sound of horses' hooves coming from behind me. I turned around in the cold wind and saw Shen Junyi riding on a horse, his white clothes fluttering in the wind like an arrow released from a bow.

Behind him was a person several dozen meters away, a person I was not unfamiliar with. It was the new top scholar, Rong Yi's son-in-law.

The horse wouldn't stop, and at my wits' end, Rong Yi wiped away my tears and grabbed the reins with me.

She doesn't want to die again.

I said one more thing to her: "Marrying the new number one scholar is not a bad thing. I heard that he was born poor, but he is knowledgeable and wise. He came to save you in danger today, and he must be a brave and righteous man."

Rong Yi angrily said: "Then why don't you go get married?"

I closed my eyes with patience: "Rongyi, you have been surrounded by people since you were young, enjoying the name of a princess, but you don't know the suffering of the world, and you are spoiled and domineering. It is indeed a humiliation for the top scholar to marry you."

Rong Yi was so angry that he couldn't speak.

After a moment of silence, Rong Yi softly spoke: "It is the Crown Princess."

On the day the princess summoned you to the palace, she told me that Shen Junyi still had feelings for you and that the weed must be rooted out. Rong Yi paused and said, "You are indeed annoying, but I don't want to die."

She added, "I don't want to die with you feeling like I've lost face."

I stopped listening to her ramble, and my thoughts became clearer.

I finally found that sly fox.

8

Shen Junyi gradually caught up. Although the horse was frantic, it was still dragging a heavy carriage.

He pulled on the reins and the horse flipped over from underneath him.

At the critical moment, the arrows flew from the bowstrings. Dozens of black-clad men emerged from the woods and a blade cut the ropes of the horses and carriages.

Rong Yi fell inside the carriage, I fell down to avoid the swords.

Shen Junyi grabbed me, the horse underneath him was even more startled and accelerated towards the cliff.

He held me as I rolled off the horse. He cradled me in his arms and we stumbled along the rocky path, occasionally hearing a soft groan, which must have been very painful.

The black-clothed people relentlessly pursued. Shen Junyi was not wearing his sword, and was quickly captured by the black-clothed people.

I knew the man in black was coming for me, so I ran deep into the pain.

As I ran, I held tight to the pendant around my neck that had been a gift from Jiqing. He said that as long as it was with me, I would be protected by the spirits of the dead.

He never left me, but that day he gave it to me.

So I dared to take the risk.

Before I could show this item, someone grabbed my shoulder and quickly stepped aside.

That person's red clothes were dazzling like fire, like pearls and jade, with the most unrestrained and reckless teenage posture in the world.

At the corner of her lips, Jiqing lifted a faint arc: "Ah Wan, it's me."

I suddenly let out a sigh of relief.

In an instant, one of the black-clothed men shouted out, "The King's orders are absolute, no mercy for traitors!"

In this way, they could excuse their original act of violence as a purge of the rebels of King Ning.

As for me, to die in this is the most fitting.

The arrows were released simultaneously, and the lady smiled absentmindedly and nodded. The dead soldiers quickly blocked the steps of the black-clothed man.

He pulled me and ran, just like that day when we ran through the palaces, running towards the most brilliant sunset at the horizon.

The imperial army has arrived, and people are gathering among the trees. The leader of the group is Li Xiao, the elder brother of the Princess's mother. I grabbed Ji Qing and ran back.

Behind me is a towering cliff, and in front of me are the advancing forbidden troops.

There is no retreat.

I saw Shen Junyi pushing through the crowd, running towards me.

I keep repeating to myself, wait a little longer, wait a little longer.

Li Xiao didn't give me a chance to wait. Perhaps he was too self-satisfied, he went forward alone with a knife and fought with Ji Qing.

Lee Xiaoxiao did not expect that Jiqing's physical skills were not bad. He fell off the cliff in Jiqing's approach and grabbed Jiqing's ankle, pulling him down together.

I only managed to grab one of Ji Qing's hands before I had to leave.

I clenched my teeth and almost lunged towards the cliff edge, a pungent sweetness emanating from my throat. I saw him reach into his waist and take out a butterfly knife, viciously slashing it towards his leg. Li Xiao then fell down.

When Ji Qing was there, his forehead was full of fine beads of cold sweat. He loosened his sword and climbed onto the rocks on the edge of the cliff. The rest of the forbidden army was silent, seeming to want to move forward.

"Ning Wang is not here today. The extermination of Ning Wang's rebels is just a cover-up for the Li family's crime. Do you remember that?"

So, Ji Qing then wanted me to abandon him and firmly bite the fact that Li Jia was guilty of committing a crime out of cowardice.

He looked at me, his eyes gentle and bright, like they were hiding stars.

He murmured, "It's really a pity."

I was taken aback.

Then Ji Qing smiled at me, just like the night of the wedding when she was so carefree: "Ah Wan, I give you a promise."

He looked at me silently, as if he wanted to etch my appearance into his mind.

After a while, he said softly, "With me gone, no one in the capital will dare to bully you again."

He released the hand that was clinging to the rock, and slowly pried my hand away from his.

I shook my head desperately, with tears in my voice: "My lord, I don't want it."

He smiled and looked serious: "I always do whatever you say. Except for this, no."

The military was one step too late.

When Shen Junyi arrived, he only managed to catch me. I knelt on the ground in a daze, in front of me was a dark abyss, there was nothing there.

Shen Junyi raised his hand to cover my eyes and said, "Don't look."

Perhaps the wind is too strong today, strong enough to blur one's vision.

When the tears splashed onto his palm, he shivered lightly.

Then he lifted my face, tenderly and gently wiping away my tears.

Stop thinking about him.

I nodded vigorously and grabbed the person in front of me's clothes earnestly.

But the tears kept flowing.

I think so.

There is a little bit of sadness.

9

The Li family exposed their tracks, making it much easier to look for further clues.

With the protection of the Crown Princess these years, the Li family has become very wealthy.

The old grain case was revisited. Too many officials from the court were involved, so the new scholars, led by the new top scholar, stood up and filled the vacancy in the court.

It is said that the Prince and Princess have a deep and sincere love. But when the incident at the East Window happened, the Prince decisively cut off the mother clan of the person at his pillow.

The princess consort went mad and soon left with her people.

My father barely managed to stay alive. Over the years he had squandered away his family's wealth, intending to make up for it, but he has already passed away, and the guilt still remains.

When I stood up from the cushion in the temple, it seemed as if I could see the red silk outside the temple fluttering in the wind.

If I feel something, I will get up and go to the tree outside the temple.

The tree is hung with red prayer ribbons.

I raised my hand and just managed to catch the closest one to me.

Above is my name.

The wind is rustling, and the red ribbons are swaying in the wind. The sea-tangerine branches are falling down, and I look slowly at them one by one. When I look up again, the sunset has dyed the sky red. Shen Junyi is standing not far away, silently watching me.

I stared at him absentmindedly, unconsciously loosening the red ribbon in my hand.

In the years when I thought he had given up on me, in the corners no one knew about, someone was faithfully tying one after another prayer ribbon.

Every red string on this tree, every wish, is a wish for my safety.

I looked at him and saw the flowers swaying, saw the leaves falling, and felt a pain in my heart.

This is the spring March I dream of touching.

When re-entering the palace, it was spring again.

At that time I was already Mrs. Shen. On the way to meet the emperor, I met the prince. He bowed his lips to me and I only then realized that his eyes had never had any emotion, as if he had no feelings at all.

Yes, the mother of the Crown Prince had once been a deposed empress. Perhaps he had already known of the various deeds of the Li family. He merely used the power of the Li family to ascend the throne of the Crown Prince and lay in wait in the shadows for years, waiting for an opportunity.

Cold hearted and cold blooded, like a born prince.

He said, "Congratulations."

Later I found out why the prince had congratulated me.

The Emperor bestowed a decree.

When I heard this news, I was stunned. My thoughts drifted away, as if someone had said before leaving that they would give me a promise.

When I left the palace, I stepped on the broken moonlight on the ground, and the surrounding was peaceful and auspicious, the branches of pear trees shone like the moon illuminating the snow.

Someone came towards me in the snow-moonlight, their white robes spotless, the moonlight casting a few strands of light on their hair.

When I saw him, my steps suddenly lightened up.

Shen Junyi tidied up my cloak and extended his palm to me.

He asked, "Is it cold?"

I thought carefully and grasped the warm hand.

I answered: "Some."

Outtake: Shen Junyi

1

Shen Junyi felt that the year he was reprimanded was probably the most difficult day of his life.

He constantly thinks if he has done something wrong, so even she has to leave him.

He wore a white robe, as white as snow, but his hands were stained with fresh blood. He wanted to take back the three cities that had been taken away by the enemy, to wash away the shame of having been taken away, and to wash away the fresh blood on his hands, bit by bit.

He sometimes hates too.

At that time, he almost lost his life under the enemy's curved sword. He lay in the sand, panting, and only he survived the battle.

The silence around was so eerie that even the cicadas' chirps were not heard. He looked up at the bright moon in the sky, yet he didn't feel so lonely anymore.

He knew that the old grain case was different, and had been investigating it secretly all along. He had also experienced days without food during the war, but there was always a relief team arriving in time to bring food.

Later he received one letter after another of anonymous letters, which contained the names and evidence of the officials involved in the grain case. Although the person deliberately changed the handwriting, after more than ten years of living together, how could he not recognize the writing habits of the letter writer?

He almost immediately understood her intention.

The usually composed and self-contained teenager surprisingly shed tears one day. With a bitter-sweet taste lingering in his mouth, he clenched his teeth tightly, not allowing himself to make any sound.

The subordinate knocked on the door and said that the advance team had explored the way. He wiped away the tears without expression, picked up the sword and left.

Another great victory!

At the celebration banquet, he silently watched the ripples in the glass of wine. Someone joked: "I'd say it's like our general has divine assistance, otherwise how come there's always reinforcements when we're short on supplies?"

Yes indeed! How coincidental.

The subordinate exclaimed, "I recognize the person who delivered the grain this time. He's one of Ning Wang's people."

In the army, everyone knew that his wife who had not yet gone through the door had married the King of Ning, and was still a concubine. Gradually, they all hushed.

Avenge the abduction of a wife, how much hatred this must bring.

He clenched the glass tightly and drained the glass of wine. He dropped the glass and, for the first time, lost his composure in front of everyone.

He spent a night taming a horse on the mountain, and when dawn broke he finally achieved peace.

He changed his strategy and tactics gradually became mysterious, becoming a victorious general in the army. He quickly recaptured the three cities that had been taken away, and his official rank kept rising.

Later, King Ning plotted a rebellion and fled. He asked to go to Pancheng and bring her back to Beijing.

He has too many words to know how to express them.

He was also a favored son of heaven. He was also afraid of being abandoned again.

Later that night, when they met at the city wall, he saw her in an intimate posture with the King of Peace, and his jealousy almost swallowed him up.

He shamefully exposed his innermost thoughts before everyone, almost begging her not to leave him behind.

He watched his girl go alone into danger, watching her pretend to be a villain and force herself to leave.

It hurts too much.

In that moment, he suddenly felt that his previous hesitations were not worth mentioning.

He never loved the Second Miss of the Jiang Mansion or the Lady of the Ning Wang Mansion.

He always stands firm in his choice, which is always Jiang Wan Yu.

He embraced her tightly, holding her close to his heart and bones.

He said, "Jiang Wan Yu, I'm here."

I've been here all along.

So you don't have to bear everything alone, don't worry about dragging me down, and don't worry if the journey has been too lonely.

They are people who can understand each other's thoughts with just a glance, and can walk side by side even though they are on different paths.

Perhaps there are too many attachments and obstacles between them.

But who can say that they are running towards the same moon?

代Bonus: The Age of Princesses

1

I had seen her long before I met her.

At that time, he was the fallen prince in the palace. The other princes of the same age had already gone to study for the festival, but he was like a fallen water dog, bullied by others.

His mother concubine was just a small palace maid. She got lucky and thought she could rise to fame, but she never thought that she would die so soon, leaving her son behind.

Jiqing had no backing. His father was ashamed of his mother, the concubine, and the queen didn't care at all, wishing for one less prince to compete for the title.

That day he was pushed into the water by eunuchs. They laughed and pinched him with their sharp nails, as if they saw the decline of the royal blood, how satisfying it was.

He was the one who saw her then.

She blocked the stone that was thrown at him. The hurriedly arriving aunt was a grand palace maid in the Imperial Palace and she sentenced the eunuchs with only a few words.

That was the first time he knew the benefits of power. Even though he was pulled out of the water, he still stared intently at the girl who saved him.

In his dark and dirty past, he descended from the heavens like a deity.

He quietly picked up the stone she had blocked for him, tightly clenched in his palm, even if it cut his palm and the blood was dripping, he still refused to let go.

In the end, the matter was brought to the emperor's attention. Even though the emperor did not like his background, he would not tolerate anyone trampling on the royal bloodline.

He also fasted because of this. His studies were always good, but he knew the truth that the best will stand out, so he kept his sharpness hidden and cultivated his strength.

Many years have passed, and he finally has followers of his own. He holds the reins of the granary case and places one chess piece after another in the court.

Those people gave him beautiful concubines and a lot of silver money, and he accepted them all and put them in the mansion.

He understood the thoughts of those people too well. Therefore, King Ning should not be too picky, he should love the beautiful and the ugly, so that those people can rely on him with peace of mind.

Because he is a person with "defects", he can be thrown to what he likes and seek his own interests.

When she opened the gift box, she never expected that the gift from the Prime Minister's Mansion would be for her.

That sheet of joy revealed a calm and beautiful face. Nobody knew that his palms were suddenly sweaty.

Bright eyes and white teeth, looking around with a glow. He still remembers clearly what it felt like at that time.

Later on, she became his only lady-in-waiting.

She should have been his consort, his one and only wife. He was never a king, that was just a shell that Heaven had put on him, his shackles, his prison.

He tried his best just to catch the light that shone on him at the beginning, and nothing more.

He tried his best to inch his way into her heart. He was willing to be used by her, even if he was abandoned and discarded.

On the last day, he fell off the cliff. He clearly had many chances to take her away, but he knew that what she wanted was never those.

In that moment, he recalled many things, all related to her.

He remembered standing on the city wall facing Shen Junyi, when Shen Junyi said the thing he feared most.

What did he answer at that time?

So what, she will always remember me.

He smiled, his eyes crinkling.

They all say that King Ning loves the most beautiful woman with a mole at the corner of her eye.

No one knew when he was struggling in poverty that year, someone stepped into the water and came to him, using his small body to block the boundless malice of the world.

Someone lit up his whole spring.

At this moment, he looked at the fiery red setting sun on the horizon, and at the woman in front of him with slightly reddened eyes.

This is his heart's person, the only light in the darkness of thousands. He wanted to reach out and touch her face again, but he couldn't.

So he slowly and almost cruelly withdrew his hand.

The thing he feared most was her being alone and unprotected. Fortunately, even without him, she can now bravely move forward.

It's really a pity.

When he fell into the bottomless abyss, he thought.

He was just a little short of being able to grasp the light in his hands.

He looked at his empty palm in a daze, yet he felt content.

Because of the light, it has shone upon him.

2

Jiqing thought she had died.

He was in great pain all over his body, as if his bones had been broken and put back together. He opened his eyes with great effort, only to be choked by water.

He looked at the shrinking body, and his heart was stunned. The eunuchs who had once insulted him knelt down in one piece, and someone greeted the light and handed it to him with an open palm.

He went back to the past.

He remembered that he did nothing at that time, just staring blankly. So she soon forgot him, and a Shen Junyi gradually appeared around her.

His heart thumped loudly, he looked up at her with anticipation, his eyes were dark and bright, as if he had seen the light.

At that time, he was obviously older than her, but he was happy to use his thin and weak body to gain sympathy.

He firmly grasped his light and stumbled into her embrace.

Ah Wen, I'm in so much pain.

Complete.