On the rooftop, Li Luoning stood shoulder to shoulder with a familiar figure, watching ChengSangJY and Lin Huaichu already waiting at the agreed-upon location.
"Are you really sure he's involved with your junior sister?" asked the person beside Li Luoning.
"Absolutely," Li Luoning replied calmly.
"What do you plan to do next?"
"Find out exactly what happened."
"You know that once that jade pendant is seen by others, your identity will be exposed."
Li Luoning glanced at the string of beads on his wrist, then looked down at ChengSangJY waiting below, and said calmly,
"I know."
The person beside him sighed heavily and said helplessly,
"You've been out of the world for many years, and your junior sister must have her reasons for leaving without a word back then. Why are you so persistent in searching for the truth?"
Li Luoning looked into the distance, his voice calm,
"I want to see her alive, or see her body."
The person beside him knew that he couldn't be persuaded, so he shook his head and decided to leave. He had just taken a few steps when he turned to Huazhiyue and said,
"Little girl, let's go."
Huazhiyue looked excitedly at the bustling scene below in Kyoto, her big, bright eyes feeling like they weren't enough. When she heard the man call her, she turned her head and replied,
"Senior, go back first. It's so lively here. I'll play some more before I go back to drink with you."
The person beside him shook his head helplessly and muttered to himself,
"It's the New Year, and yet I'm left alone with these two heartless people."
Li Luoning led Huazhiyue towards the agreed-upon location. Lin Huaichu saw them from afar and stood on his tiptoes to wave at them,
"Mr., over here! We're here!"
ChengSangJY followed Lin Huaichu's pointing finger and his eyes involuntarily fell on Huazhiyue.
It felt like in an instant, everything around him slowed down. At this moment, in his eyes, there was only the lively woman in the white fox fur coat.
While he was in a daze, the two had already arrived. Lin Huaichu spoke first,
"So you're the master's apprentice. I thought you'd be a..."
"A what? A man?" Huazhiyue asked with a grin.
Seeing Huazhiyue's sweet smile, Lin Huaichu scratched his head a little embarrassedly for a moment and didn't speak.
Li Luoning was the first to notice ChengSangJY, who had been staring at Huazhiyue the whole time. He lowered his head and smiled without saying a word.
Huazhiyue also noticed ChengSangJY staring at her at this time. She reached out and waved her hand in front of him, asking,
"Who is this dazed young master?"
Lin Huaichu quickly nudged the dazed ChengSangJY with his elbow and whispered,
"JY, don't stare at people like that. It's rude. They're asking you."
"My surname is... Yun."
ChengSangJY only then reacted and quickly bowed his hand in greeting. This was outside the palace, so he couldn't easily reveal his identity. Yun was the surname he often used outside the palace.
Huazhiyue returned the bow and said, "Greetings, Young Master Yun."
On the side, Lin Huaichu also waved his hand and introduced himself, "I'm Lin Huaichu, you can just call me Huaichu."
Huazhiyue nodded and said, "Young Master Huaichu."
Lin Huaichu was quite familiar with her and said enthusiastically, "What young master? We should be a few years older than you. You can call me Brother Huaichu."
ChengSangJY quickly pulled Lin Huaichu aside, telling him to stop. This kid was clearly just trying to get her to call him brother. Which eye did he see that he was older than her?
Huazhiyue looked at Li Luoning on the side, then at Lin Huaichu who was smiling foolishly, and then responded with a smile, "Brother Huaichu."
ChengSangJY sighed helplessly on the side, not wanting to look at him.
Lin Huaichu was very happy and said happily, "Alright, alright. I'll protect you in the city from now on. Don't worry about being bullied."
"Second Young Master Lin sure has a lot of face."
The group followed the voice and saw that it was ShangGuanCY and MuJinling.
ShangGuanCY was dressed in a sky-blue brocade embroidered with white magnolia flowers. The high-quality material glowed with a soft luster under the streetlights, which matched his fair skin perfectly, elegant and yet not lacking in style.
Compared to ShangGuanCY, MuJinling was thinner and his eyes were especially touching, the petals painted to cover the marks at the corners of his eyes. Outside his white and blue brocade robe, he wore a turquoise fox fur coat. The snow fox's fur, as white as jade moonlight, gently swayed with the breeze, and his loose curls fell down, his clear and watery eyes greeted them with a smile.
"Brother CY!"
Lin Huaichu was about to go up to greet him, but his eyes were immediately attracted to MuJinling beside him. He took two quick steps closer, looked up at MuJinling's exquisite face, and said with a silly expression, "Brother Ling, you look so beautiful today."
ShangGuanCY raised his hand and slapped Lin Huaichu on the head, warning him, "No manners."
Lin Huaichu took a painful step back after being hit and returned to ChengSangJY's side, complaining, "Brother CY, why did you hit me? Hitting my head will make me stop growing!"
"You're not going to grow too tall anyway, so it doesn't matter if you hit it or not."
ShangGuanCY didn't care at all, and turned back to notice the woman behind him, asking, "Who is this young lady?"
ChengSangJY quickly introduced her, "This young lady is the master's disciple, her name is... her name is..." Only then did he realize that he didn't know her name yet.
Huazhiyue smiled and looked at ChengSangJY's back, then introduced herself, "My name is Huazhiyue."
MuJinling felt that the woman in front of him had an aura that was indeed different from the others, and couldn't help but say,
"The fragrance of orchids, the auspicious light of the moon, a peerless beauty under the moon. Such a lively woman is indeed worthy of such a beautiful name."
Then he looked at Li Luoning beside Huazhiyue and said, "This must be Lord Li, I've heard of you for a long time."
MuJinling bowed his hand, and Li Luoning nodded slightly in return. As he lowered his hand, he glanced at his wrist, a fleeting emotion that was almost imperceptible flashing in his eyes.
Lin Huaichu suddenly reached out to ShangGuanCY and said bluntly, "Brother CY, Happy New Year, give me a red envelope!"
ShangGuanCY took out a red brocade bag from his pocket and put it in Lin Huaichu's hand, complaining with a bit of indulgence and gentleness,
"You're not a young kid anymore and you still want a red envelope, you little miser."
Lin Huai-chu happily received the red envelope, grinning and saying,
"It's precisely because I'm older that I need red envelopes even more. Look at all the delicious and fun things at the temple fair - everything costs money."
He tucked away the red envelope given to him by Shangguan Chunyi and looked at Mu Jinling with a mischievous grin.
"Hey, hey, hey, brat, don't push your luck." Shangguan Chunyi warned.
Mu Jinling glanced at him, smiled faintly, and took out a red envelope from his pocket, handing it to Lin Huai-chu.
Lin Huai-chu weighed the red envelope Mu Jinling gave him and then weighed Shangguan Chunyi's red envelope again, saying happily,
"Boss Mu is so generous! Thank you, Brother Mu, for the red envelope."
He bowed to Mu Jinling, turned back to look at Cheng Sang Jinyun with a twinkle in his eye, and flaunted the two red envelopes he had just received, bouncing over to Li Luoning and spreading his hands out with a grin.
If it were any other day, Cheng Sang Jinyun would probably be going around asking for red envelopes with Lin Huai-chu. However, with Hua Zhiyue present today, he suddenly felt a bit embarrassed and awkwardly turned his head to the side, saying nonchalantly,
"Don't look at me, I'm not like you, asking for red envelopes everywhere even though I'm so old."
Lin Huai-chu happily took Li Luoning's red envelope while retorting,
"When did you ever stop asking? Why are you suddenly so reserved this year? I'm telling you, when you run out of money, don't come to me for more."
"You!"
Embarrassed by his brother's public exposure, Cheng Sang Jinyun saw Hua Zhiyue snickering to the side and didn't bother to argue with Lin Huai-chu.
"What's the matter with you? I'm telling you, if you don't hurry, the candied haws at the corner of the street will be sold out. Sister Zhiyue, let me take you to eat the best candied haws in the city. I'm telling you, that old man's skills are amazing. I almost didn't get any last year..."
Lin Huai-chu chatted as he led Hua Zhiyue towards the front, and the group followed suit involuntarily.
"Jinyun."
Li Luoning took a few steps and called out to Cheng Sang Jinyun.
Cheng Sang Jinyun stopped and turned around. Seeing that Li Luoning was standing still, he turned back and asked,
"Sir, is there something wrong?"
Li Luoning took out a small red satin bag from his pocket and handed it to him with a smile, saying,
"This is for you."
Cheng Sang Jinyun took the satin bag and weighed it in his hand. It didn't feel like silver, so he carefully reached in and took out a piece of jade pendant with gold threads. He couldn't help but exclaim in surprise,
"Wow, what a beautiful jade pendant! I love it. Thank you, sir!"
"I heard from Huai-chu that you like jade, and I happen to have a piece of jade pendant with good color here, so I'll give it to you as a 'New Year's gift'. Do you like it?" Li Luoning said with a smile in his eyes.
Cheng Sang Jinyun nodded uncontrollably, overjoyed, and quickly thanked him,
"Oh, great, great! The color of this jade pendant is really nice. It's much more worthwhile than any amount of New Year's money. Thank you, sir."
"Jinyun, what are you waiting for? Hurry up! If we're late, we won't get any~"
Lin Huai-chu's urging voice came from behind.
Li Luoning raised his chin, signaling Cheng Sang Jinyun to hurry over, and followed slowly behind.
The streets of the temple fair were bustling with activity, with hawkers hawking their wares, fireworks exploding, and music playing from restaurants. As far as the eye could see, the crowd was bustling and thriving, a scene of peace and prosperity.
Looking at Cheng Sang Jinyun and Lin Huai-chu laughing and joking in the distance, Shangguan Chunyi couldn't help but feel a bit feel sad,
"I haven't seen Jinyun smile so happily in a long time."
[In the heavens, the one who truly holds power must always be an eagle.]
MuJinling glanced at ShangGuanCY, who was lost in thought. He knew it would take time for ShangGuanCY to understand this matter; it was not something that could be grasped overnight. However, he was certain that his initial goal had been achieved.
"Are you all here?" LinMuchuan's voice came from behind.
The group turned to see LinMuchuan standing with a few patrolling soldiers.
"Grand Preceptor." LinMuchuan stepped forward, clasped his hands, and saluted.
Seeing LinMuchuan in soft armor, ShangGuanCY was puzzled and asked,
"MuChuan, why are you still on duty today? Isn't the security of the capital usually handled by the Ministry of War? Why are Lin family soldiers patrolling here?"
LinMuchuan explained,
"After the incident with the grain depot in the western city, His Majesty worried about the winter grain supplies. So, he transferred some men from the Ministry of War to escort the grain from the south. As a result, the patrol was understaffed, and the Lin family soldiers were called to assist. Where is Huaichu? Isn't he with you?"
ShangGuanCY nodded towards a nearby stall and said,
"Over there. JY's indulgences have always been managed by your second brother."
LinMuchuan looked over to see LinHuaichu enjoying himself and sighed,
"This boy, he can't learn anything else, but he's an expert in entertainment."
LinHuaichu spotted his elder brother and waved cheerfully.
"Be careful, don't get dirty," LinMuchuan called out.
LinHuaichu made a face at him and turned back to what he was doing.
MuJinling, curious, murmured,
"The Ministry of War transporting grain? Isn't this usually handled by the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works?"
ShangGuanCY explained,
"Normally, it is managed by those ministries. However, after the incident with Xiao Shikai, the Xiao family wanted to atone for their mistakes. MoLan prince suggested that the Ministry of War take on the responsibility, funding and managing the task themselves."
"ChengSangMo is quite calculating. This reduces the court's expenses and allows him to play the hero in front of the Xiao family. He gets to be the good guy on both sides," MuJinling said with disdain.
"I won't keep you any longer. I need to check ahead. Let's gather at my residence in a few days. My mother has prepared good food and wine. LiLuoning, you must come too. My mother wants to thank you personally for your teachings to Huaichu. She always says that since you started teaching him, he's become much more enthusiastic about his lessons." LinMuchuan clasped his hands and left with his soldiers.
"Every festive season, one misses family even more. You all have mothers who care for you, while I'm all alone. Ah, such a bitter life," MuJinling lamented dramatically.
ShangGuanCY crossed his arms and bumped MuJinling's shoulder,
"Stop it. It's not like MuChuan didn't invite you."
MuJinling pretended to be clueless,
"He didn't specifically invite me."
ShangGuanCY teased,
"MuChuan has always been like that. You should know him by now. Besides, if you don't go, who will drink with LinMuchuan? I don't want to get drunk and lose consciousness again during the New Year."
MuJinling smirked and looked at LiLuoning,
"LiLuoning, do you have any other family?"
LiLuoning thought for a moment and replied with a gentle smile,
"I once had a junior sister, but we lost contact years ago due to certain events."
On the street above the tavern, ChengSangMo watched the bustling crowd below, leisurely sipping his wine.
"Your Highness, the person you requested is here," a guard reported.
ChengSangMo paused, his eyes flickering slightly before he put down his wine, forcing himself to remain calm. In a serious, low voice, he asked, "Are you sure it's her?"
"Absolutely certain," the guard replied confidently.
"Bring her in."
Soon, a woman was brought into the private room of the tavern, kneeling on the floor. Her hair was disheveled and tangled, with a branch from the roadside stuck in her hairpin. She wore a patched, tattered hemp dress, and her pants were ragged and uneven, making her look extremely destitute.
The woman's face was mostly destroyed, with only half of it vaguely recognizable.
ChengSangMo sat at the table, staring at the woman kneeling on the ground. He asked, "Do you know why you were brought here?"
The ragged woman seemed very timid, shivering uncontrollably at the sound of a voice, and replied in a trembling voice, "I don't know."
"Stop the nonsense. We know exactly who you are. Just tell us what you know!" The guard beside ChengSangMo shouted, seeing the woman hesitate.
Frightened by the guard's voice, the woman fell to the floor, her hands trembling as she clutched her chest. She looked terrified and stammered, "I'm just a beggar. I don't know what you want me to say."
The guard was about to step forward, but ChengSangMo raised his hand to stop him. After staring at the woman for a while, he said, "Are you NanZhu? The personal maid of Princess LanShi?"
At the mention of that name, the woman's body stiffened noticeably, and she began to tremble even more. She quickly denied it, saying, "I don't know any NanZhu or DongZhu. I'm just a beggar, just a beggar."
ChengSangMo continued to stare at her calmly and said, "Years ago, to escape from being hunted, you hid in a haystack but ended up with half your face burned in a fire. That was what saved your life, allowing you to beg your way from BeiMo to the capital."
The woman's breathing became rapid, her eyes darting around. She muttered to herself, as if making a decision, before suddenly straightening up and changing her tone completely. "I never thought I'd be found after so many years. Yes, I am NanZhu. I've been hiding for most of my life, and you still want to kill me after all these years. Don't think killing me will hide your dirty deeds from back then. ChengSangKing is a beast. Even if I become a vengeful spirit, I won't let him go!"
In a fit of emotion, the woman lunged at ChengSangMo, but the guard quickly restrained her.
ChengSangMo frowned, sensing something amiss, and asked, "Wasn't he the one who saved the people of BeiMo? Why do you hate him?"
The woman sneered, "If General Lin hadn't fought the soldiers of ChengSang to save the people of BeiMo, General Lin's Scarlet Lin Iron Cavalry wouldn't have been wiped out."
"The Scarlet Lin Iron Cavalry was killed by their own people?" ChengSangMo thought, puzzled.
"How are you so sure it was the Scarlet Lin Iron Cavalry that saved you?" ChengSangMo asked, still doubtful.
The woman snorted, "Of course I know. General Lin would never do such a treacherous thing. But ChengSangKing, who knows how many shady deals he made back then."
"Do you remember Princess LanShi giving birth to a boy in the camp?" ChengSangMo asked tentatively.
At the mention of Princess LanShi, the woman's demeanor softened significantly. Her eyes filled with sadness as she said, "Of course I remember. I personally wrapped the little prince in swaddling clothes. He was a healthy, handsome child. He would have grown into a fine young man." She mimed holding a baby in her arms as she spoke.
Seeing the woman had calmed down, ChengSangMo sighed and said, "Aunt NanZhu, I am that child."
NanZhu's eyes widened in shock, and she froze.
ChengSangMo slowly stood up, walked over to NanZhu, and placed a wolf's fang into her hand. Looking into her eyes, he repeated, "I am the son of Princess LanShi of BeiMo."
Meanwhile, LinHuaichu strolled through the temple fair with great interest, occasionally inspecting the stalls. Behind him, ChengSangJY and Huazhiyue walked leisurely.
Huazhiyue was drawn to a hairpin at a nearby stall. She picked it up, tried it in her hair, and turned to ChengSangJY with a smile, "How does it look?"
Huazhiyue's smile made ChengSangJY nervous. He stammered for a moment before finally saying, "It looks good."
"Boss, I'll take this one," Huazhiyue said, holding up the hairpin and reaching for her purse.
ChengSangJY handed over a silver ingot and said, "Keep the change, boss."
Seeing that the hairpin was paid for, Huazhiyue playfully said, "Thank you, I'll consider it a New Year's gift from you."
ChengSangJY, shy and unsure of what to say, simply nodded while staring at her face.
"What are you waiting for? Help me put it on," Huazhiyue said, handing the hairpin to ChengSangJY.
"Oh, right."
ChengSangJY took the hairpin and carefully approached her, raising his hand to place it in her hair. Huazhiyue slightly bent her knees to help.
"Done," ChengSangJY said.
Huazhiyue stood up, finding herself very close to ChengSangJY. Her cold nose accidentally brushed against his lips. Looking up at his face, she couldn't help but think, "Why does he feel so familiar?"
At the same time, ChengSangJY looked down at Huazhiyue. A tiny snowflake gently landed on her hair and cheek, and time seemed to freeze in that moment.
"Why do I feel like I've known Zhiyue for a long time?"