Jiang Wu felt that Yin Wuzhi had it rough.
Apart from working with the ministers daily on governmental affairs, he also fed and dressed him and carried him to sunbathe.
Of course, Jiang Wu had no shortage of attendants, and he didn’t want to trouble Yin Wuzhi like this; it just seemed that Yin Wuzhi enjoyed personally caring for him.
One day, during the early court session, Jiang Wu heard that Zhao had sent an envoy to discuss matters concerning the crown prince’s reception. He felt indifferent.
Although Yin Wuzhi had clarified the issue of his original identity, it still felt too distant for him, leaving him unmoved.
As the officials voiced their opinions on the matter, he naturally tuned out.
Now it was hard to zone out as he once did—whenever he stared blankly, Yin Wuzhi’s features appeared in his mind.
Yin Wuzhi’s facial features were striking; what he once found merely beautiful now seemed unusually beautiful.
After all, it could even captivate a ghost without a heart or soul.
“Your Majesty,” Yin Wuzhi turned to him, “What do you think?”
Jiang Wu hadn’t been listening, but when Yin Wuzhi asked like this, he only needed to nod.
“Very well, let it be as my ministers suggest.”
The emperor, wrapped in his grand dragon robe, was carried from the throne. The officials were long accustomed to this, and as they left the palace, some whispered to each other, “I dared to glance just now; His Majesty’s complexion seems much improved?”
“Indeed, his face even looks fuller—perhaps he’s gained a bit of weight.”
“If his health improves quickly, we should thank the heavens.”
The emperor’s background had spread throughout the kingdom. Knowing of the symbiotic gu in his body, he had risked his life for the nation, purging hidden dangers from the kingdom. This action had earned him the admiration of the entire Xia Kingdom.
There were even rumors that the Emperor was actually an immortal from the heavens who had descended to undergo a tribulation.
Those who knew the truth understood that these rumors were deliberately spread by someone manipulating public opinion. But many more blindly believed them.
However, for the loyal ministers, led by Prime Minister Chen, they didn’t have many demands of Jiang Wu. Perhaps it was because of all he had already done. Now, they felt that Jiang Wu’s dedication to the Xia Kingdom was as clear as day, and few wanted to push him into the spotlight any further, let alone since he was the Emperor.
Xia Kingdom had not descended into chaos according to Zhao Ying’s plan, which was already a great comfort to these hardworking ministers.
Jiang Wu wondered if the karmic bond with Yin Wuzhi in this life played a role, as he felt little malice around him but rather received kindness more often. Not only did the ministers not push him to work, but in their daily greetings, they would tell him about the delicious food they had eaten or places they had visited, encouraging him to experience life more.
As for how he knew this, it was because he had voluntarily asked to read the reports with Yin Wuzhi.
After all, Yin Wuzhi was working too hard, and even a carefree soul wanted to help share some of his burden.
As he was carried, freed from the heavy dragon robe, to the imperial study, he asked Yin Wuzhi, “What did you discuss today?”
He never paid attention in court, instead insisting that Yin Wuzhi summarize each day’s session for him. If it had been anyone else, they might have grown tired of it long ago, but Yin Wuzhi remained endlessly patient.
“We discussed which official would be most suitable to receive the envoy from Zhao Kingdom.”
“Who will go?”
Yin Wuzhi placed him behind the desk, ordered for fruits and pastries to be brought, and then sat beside him. “I will.”
Jiang Wu rested his cheek on the desk.
Others who leaned over desks would usually rest their arms beneath their heads, but he was too lazy even for that, with his face squished against the desk. When he tilted his head to speak, his voice came out a little muffled. “Yin Wuzhi, do you still hate them?”
Yin Wuzhi lifted his face and placed a soft cushion underneath. “What do you mean?”
Jiang Wu said, “Zhao Cheng lost his mother at a young age, so he must hold her in high regard, but that is purely his imagination; there is no real bond between them. But now that you’ve forcibly kept him and Ku Yin here in Xia Kingdom, he’s being humiliated and bullied. His days won’t be easy, and the more he realizes that all of this suffering stems from his so-called mother, resentment will inevitably grow.”
Yin Wuzhi calmly flipped through the reports and fed him a bite of watermelon.
After swallowing, Jiang Wu lazily rubbed his mouth against the edge of the cushion and continued in his unhurried tone, “You must have left people to monitor them at the reception hall. Any news?”
Yin Wuzhi gave a concise reply, “They’ve argued a few times. I hear Yao Ji has been crying herself to sleep every night.”
“Has she tried to come to see me?”
Yin Wuzhi paused. Jiang Wu blinked. “She probably will. She’s good at this. She and Zhao Cheng don’t have much of a relationship, and she likely thinks I acted impulsively.”
“Yes.” A hint of sarcasm gleamed in Yin Wuzhi’s eyes. “I didn’t let her see you.”
“Oh,” Jiang Wu said, then opened his mouth, “Ah—”
Yin Wuzhi fed him another piece of watermelon, which dripped with juice as Jiang Wu sucked it down. Then he suddenly asked, “Do you think I’m cruel?”
“No.” Jiang Wu didn’t wonder why he asked this; he simply replied because Yin Wuzhi had asked. “You can do whatever you want.”
Yin Wuzhi looked at him. “You’ve been adrift for so long, wanting nothing. I thought you’d find me too extreme or perhaps advise me to let go of my hatred.”
“If you hadn’t been extreme, how would I be here now?” Jiang Wu tugged at his sleeve. “Even if living has little meaning, the watermelon is sweet. I like this summer.”
Yin Wuzhi gradually rested his head on the table to look him in the eye. “Is it because I’m here?”
“Mm.”
“Truly? You don’t think I’m cruel? You don’t think that, even after so long, I should let go…”
For years, everyone had advised him to let go. The words he had heard most in his life were to “let go.”
“Everyone has their own emotions. No one understands your feelings better than you do. If you hold onto hatred, it’s because you need to. When you no longer need it, you’ll let it go on your own.”
“If you asked, I would let it go.”
“Why let go?” Jiang Wu replied, “You can calm your own emotions; why do it for me? If you let go now because of me, wouldn’t you regret it if you saw them again someday and hadn’t gone through with your vengeance?”
Jiang Wu couldn’t entirely empathize with his past self, but he thought that when his past self had decided to have Yin Wuzhi kill Yao Ji, he must have been as calm as he was now.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have disappeared entirely.
Because it was no longer important.
Being humiliated, oppressed, and destroyed no longer mattered, not enough to stir any waves in his heart.
He hoped that everyone could act freely in this world. Since Yin Wuzhi had the strength to extinguish hatred, he wouldn’t keep it buried within him to disturb him for eternity.
Yin Wuzhi hoped for him to live an unrestrained life, and Jiang Wu, in turn, wanted Yin Wuzhi to live freely, too.
If the wicked Jiang Wu could not cherish him, then the virtuous Jiang Wu would love Yin Wuzhi.
“Ai Fei.”
Yin Wuzhi was lost in thought. “Hm?”
“I’m tired.”
The way to cherish Yin Wuzhi was to let him hold Jiang Wu as he slept.
At the reception hall, Zhao Cheng had a splitting headache.
“Why can’t I even meet with our envoy?”
Ku Yin, sitting across from him, replied, “There’s no reason—Yin Wuzhi is provoking you on purpose.”
Zhao Cheng’s anger was difficult to contain. Though he knew Xia Kingdom was deliberately making things difficult to vent the Emperor’s grievances, he also understood that Yin Wuzhi was using him against the woman who had mistreated the Emperor.
But he couldn’t calm himself down.
In the end, he actually hadn’t seen much of Yao Ji since childhood and had little real attachment to her. Any idealized image he had of her had long shattered under repeated humiliations.
In the Reception Pavilion during the summer, surrounded by vibrant blooms, Zhao Cheng restrained himself, sitting under the gazebo with a dark and brooding expression.
Soft footsteps approached, and Yao Ji, dressed in simple silk, her face pale, looked at him with a hint of fear. “Cheng Er, I made some chilled lotus seed soup. Would you like to try it?”
At this point, Zhao Cheng could barely muster a pleasant expression for her. His ability to hold back his anger was already an immense act of tolerance.
After a pause, Yao Ji stepped forward, carefully placing the lotus seed soup before him and offering a bowl to Ku Yin as well. In a soft voice, she asked, “I heard that envoy from Ah Ying has arrived. Does that mean we can go back soon?”
She tentatively probed, thinking this was good news, a small smile forming on her lips as she hoped to see joy mirrored on Zhao Cheng’s face.
But there was none. Zhao Cheng’s jaw tightened, and a chilly hostility emanated from his gaze.
Yao Ji’s smile faded. “Or perhaps, I should go to see Wu Er… Now that the Zhao delegation has arrived, it’s surely for the sake of peace between the nations…”
Zhao Cheng slapped the bowl away with a flick of his sleeve.
Yao Ji fell silent instantly.
Zhao Cheng stood and walked to the edge of the gazebo, then let out a sardonic laugh. “Peace? There is no peace anymore. The envoy came, but they refuse to even let us meet, stationing heavy guards at the pavilion’s gate to restrict us. Do they seem like they’re here for peace to you?!”
“Wu Er wouldn’t do that… This must be Yin Wuzhi’s doing…”
“Does it matter?!” Zhao Cheng turned to look at her. “Whether he is that kind of person or not, things between you and him are irreparably broken. I truly don’t understand you—as a mother, you spent over twenty years with him. What did you even do to him for your son to risk his life trying to kill you?”
“Cheng Er…”
“Don’t call me that,” Zhao Cheng said in disgust. “I’m actually relieved you left Zhao long ago. Otherwise, I don’t know if you’d have tormented me for not being excellent enough or pressured my father to seize the throne just because he was only a Wangye.”
“I… I only meant well for Wu Er…”
“You meant well, yet you drove him to the brink of inhuman despair, pushing him to the point of patricide! If you meant well, then why does he seek death at every turn under my care?!” Zhao Cheng was nearly driven mad by the oppressive atmosphere. As a crown prince, he never imagined he’d be treated as a caged animal in an enemy state. And to make matters worse, all of this was because his mother had harmed the emperor of Xia.
Everyone knew he came to Xia to rescue his mother, and everyone knew he was plagued by thoughts of her, people even mocking him as a child who couldn’t let go of his mother.
If she had valid reasons for her actions, he would stop at nothing to bring her back.
But now, he was furious not only with Yao Ji but with himself, angry at his own foolishness for risking so much for a woman like her.
“Was it Zhao Jing who forced you, or did you initiate it?”
Yao Ji seemed to drain of color instantly, and she answered weakly, “How could you say that about me? I came to Xia against my will. If I’d stayed in Zhao, would I have ended up like this? No matter what, I gave you life. How can you humiliate me like this?”
Zhao Cheng’s expression remained harsh for a few moments before he finally replied, “I’m sorry.”
He hurriedly left her sight. If he stayed any longer, he feared he’d say even worse things.
In a daze, Yao Ji walked to the gate. She realized she might not be able to stay in the Reception Pavilion unless Jiang Wu changed his mind. She still clung to hope in him, the gentle child who’d always been considerate since young. Surely, if he knew of her plight, he wouldn’t ignore her.
But everyone was stopping her from seeing him.
“Miss He, please return,” the guard said as he blocked her.
In the eyes of the people of Xia, she had reverted to Miss He. To the people of Zhao, she was simply a madam, no matter if Zhao Ying had already ascended the throne.
“I want to see Wu Er,” she said, looking up at the guard with a pleading expression.
The guard replied, “The Shizi has ordered that you may not leave the Reception Pavilion.”
At the mention of Yin Wuzhi, her gaze turned venomous with resentment. “That vile creature! That wretched fox spirit has corrupted my Wu Er! Let me out, let me out! I’m Jiang Wu’s mother; I gave him life—”
“Do you have anything else to say beyond that?” A horse’s hooves sounded from the distance. She looked up sharply to see the shizi himself, dressed in red robes, black hair half-tied, towering over her from his mount.
“Filthy demon!” She screamed, her voice hysterical as she stared at the red mole by his eye. “You, you vile wretch! You cunning snake of a traitor, why do you cling to Wu Er? Get out, get out of the palace! Leave the capital!”
“Have you ever considered how the emperor would feel about your ravings?”
Yao Ji froze in place.
It seemed she still cared about Jiang Wu’s reputation. Of course, Yin Wuzhi could see through it; she cared only because her only way out lay in Jiang Wu’s hands.
“The emperor has asked me to deliver a message.”
In her momentary panic, Yao Ji looked up, her eyes instantly filling with hope.
Yin Wuzhi found it laughable.
How good must Jiang Wu have been in the past for Yao Ji to believe that, despite all that had happened, he would still forgive her without question.
Yin Wuzhi dismounted. “Let’s speak in private.”
Perhaps realizing that Jiang Wu wouldn’t harm him anymore, Yao Ji hesitated for a few moments before following him.
As they stood by the wall together, he spoke softly, “The emperor has agreed to let you return to Zhao.”
Yao Ji trembled all over. “Wu Er… Wu Er truly has…”
“Yes,” Yin Wuzhi said. “You’re the Lady of the He family. You agreed to collaborate with Zhao Ying mainly because you wanted to return to your homeland, right? The Emperor understands that. After all, this is enemy territory, and Zhao Ying, after ascending the throne, changed his attitude and used the threat of not allowing you to return as leverage, forcing you to act against the interests of Great Xia. He’s well aware of this.”
Yao Ji’s eyes reddened. She clenched her hands tightly, biting her lip, and after a long pause said, “Wu Er, I want to see him. Please, let me see him.”
“That day, the Emperor acted impulsively toward you, in a way almost intended to destroy himself. But he’s certain his actions hurt you, and he feels deeply remorseful for causing you pain.”
“I don’t blame him at all,” Yao Ji said immediately. “It was the pressure I put on him. Yin Wuzhi, let me see him again, just once more.”
Yin Wuzhi’s lips curved. “Do you want to return to your homeland?”
Yao Ji replied, “I want to see Wu Er.”
“I heard the He family’s matriarch is not well,” Yin Wuzhi said. “The Emperor is deeply saddened at the thought that you might not get a final meeting with her. If you’re willing, he can arrange for someone to take you back tonight.”
Yao Ji looked at him for a while and, after a long silence, said, “Tonight. And what about Cheng Er?”
“His royal father, the King, will naturally protect him,” Yin Wuzhi said. “But you, having hurt the Emperor, may face resentment from officials and discontent from the people. Zhao Ying may not dare to protect you, and if this becomes public, your fate is almost certain.”
Upon hearing this, Yao Ji’s expression darkened. “He’s now seated on the throne and certainly wouldn’t risk anything for me.”
“So, the Emperor intends for you to leave before the envoys’ negotiations, to ensure you arrive safely in Zhao. Knowing how much the Emperor values you, Zhao Ying will be less likely to act against you.”
Yao Ji hesitated. “Do you really think Zhao Ying won’t trouble me?”
“The Emperor cares for you, so Zhao Ying won’t make it difficult,” Yin Wuzhi glanced at the sky. “Or, you could wait until the negotiations, where you may be handed over to Great Xia as a gesture.”
Yao Ji had no other choice. “I’ll go with his arrangements.”
