Just as Lian Zhou had picked on Wan Qiu, Shan Yu also picked on the aloof Emperor.

Regardless of whether he was a fire pit or not, Shan Yu wouldn’t let Lian Zhou escape to be with that emperor.

The royal family was ungrateful, and the emperor was unkind.

Not to mention…

There was something wrong with this emperor.

Shan Yu had no evidence and relied on intuition to ponder the details of his encounter with Lian Zhou. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that something was awry.

To put it bluntly, why had the emperor with such high security bumped into Lian Zhou on the day of the Lantern Festival? Were all the guards around him freeloaders?

If the emperor had deliberately approached Lian Zhou, was it just for beauty?

Maybe because he was in business for so long, or perhaps because he had seen too many intrigues, his instincts and conspiracy theories were kicking in.

Lian Zhou had nothing but his appearance. If the emperor truly desired something from him, he would have to start with the original owner.

Shan Yu went to the brothel, hoping to charm the madam and glean some information about Lian Zhou’s true identity.

He feigned power and smashed the gold ingot that the princess had compensated him with at the theater that day. When the madam saw it was genuine money, she quickly spoke up.

“…He was knocked unconscious and sold. I don’t know his exact identity. These were the clothes he was wearing when he arrived. He also had a jade pendant. The clerk took it to the pawn shop and sold it when he was organizing the warehouse…”

The clothes were plain yet of luxurious fabric. When sniffed, they still carried a faint scent of tea.

Frowning, Shan Yu speculated that the original owner had been sold to the brothel for some unknown reason.

His home must have been far from this small town, likely involved in the tea business to leave such a lasting tea fragrance on his clothes.

This further fueled Shan Yu’s suspicion that the emperor had a hidden agenda with Lian Zhou.

‘Just think about: why would an emperor burdened with so many responsibilities come to such a remote town? And why would Lian Zhou’s clothes carry the scent of tea?’

Shan Yu was almost certain the emperor had ulterior motives for Lian Zhou. He hurried to the pawn shop and redeemed the jade pendant as the old madam had described.

The red blood jade was engraved with a bird symbolizing blessing, and when held up to the light, there was also a small “lian” character inscribed on it.

Shan Yu thought of something and hurried back to the medical clinic, hoping to share his newly discovered clues with Lian Zhou to prevent him from walking into danger. Unfortunately, it was too late.

Wan Qiu had helped Lian Zhou escaped.

.

The night was enchanting, and Shan Yu stood on the porch, silently gazing at the large window.

He had locked Lian Zhou inside the house and secured the window latch backward, fearing Wan Qiu might release him. Shan Yu didn’t even dare to leave the key. Despite this, Wan Qiu still managed to open the window and set Lian Zhou free.

“I told you not to let him out. Didn’t you promise?”

Shan Yu kept his back to Wan Qiu, his voice gentle, his waist-length ink-black hair fluttering in the wind like cold iron.

In truth, Wan Qiu regretted it the moment Lian Zhou grabbed the window and escaped. He knew he went against Shan Yu’s orders and did something wrong. He murmured, “Husband… I… I…”

“What use are you to me?”

Shan Yu didn’t scold or even look at Wan Qiu. He calmly asked what purpose Wan Qiu served.

Wan Qiu’s eyes reddened. He stuttered, unable to explain himself. Shan Yu’s gentle inquiry felt like a stab.

He would have preferred Shan Yu to lose his temper, to scold and strike him in anger, rather than ask such questions with gentle tone.

“I’m sorry, husband, I…” Wan Qiu choked softly, reaching out to tug at Shan Yu’s sleeve but was rebuffed.

.

Shan Yu dashed out, propelled by the night wind, his sleeves and robes billowing in the moonlight. He had one thought in mind: he must bring Lian Zhou back.

The pampered youth, sheltered by his father and brothers, had never faced such trials. How could he survive the emperor’s schemes alone?

Shan Yu and Lian Zhou had grown up together, friends and brothers. If anything happened to Lian Zhou in this unfamiliar world, Shan Yu would carry the guilt and blame for the rest of his life.

A bright moon hung overhead as a royal carriage with a royal banner passed by on the long street, fading into the distance amid the clatter of hooves.

But it was all too late.

“Lian Zhou! Come back! Lian Zhou!”

As Shan Yu was blocked by guards in silver armor brandishing swords and spears, a dragon spear swiftly came from behind, piercing through his shoulder blade and pinning him to the ground.

A eunuch stood with a token in his hand, amidst the shadows of swords and spears, his voice cold and ruthless: “His Majesty decreed that the commoner Shan Yu had behaved inappropriately in front of the emperor and should have been executed according to the law. However, considering it was his first offense and that he was the adoptive brother of the noble guest, he showed mercy…”

It was very quiet all around, with only the faint chirping of insects audible.

Shan Yu looked at the carriage disappearing at the edge of his sight and stretched his fingers forward, leaving several bloody fingerprints on the bluestone-paved ground.

“Lian Zhou…”

‘Did you hear it?’

His Majesty the Emperor, who had promised to grant you the title of Imperial Consort, broke his promise. As for the rest…

What more could one expect?

.

Lian Zhou had a dreamlike trance. In the dream, a man laid in a pool of blood, waving to him from afar, calling his name over and over, his voice sad and blood-filled.

“Shan Yu! Shan Yu!” Lian Zhou woke up in inexplicable agitation. He lowered his head, clutching his heart, unaware of the cold gleam in the emperor’s eyes. “No! I must return and see him!”

“We have arrived in Chang’an.” The emperor gently stroked Lian Zhou’s hair, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

Lian Zhou hesitated for a moment. He looked through the carriage curtain at the bustling street outside, then gazed at the palace walls that loomed close.

.

Shan Yu laid seriously injured in bed for more than a month. His right shoulder had been pierced by a spear, damaging his meridians. When he awoke, he couldn’t even hold chopsticks.

With red eyes, Wan Qiu fed Shan Yu porridge. Seeing him frown and ignore him, he knew he was still angry. He hastily wiped his tears with his sleeve and forced a smile. “Husband, would you like to go for a walk? The sun is beautiful today.”

Shan Yu shook his head and laid back on the bed, looking drowsy.

Wan Qiu didn’t know if he was truly sleepy or just ignoring him while he slept. Standing by the bed, he hesitated for a long time before gathering the courage to ask the figure with his back turned, “Husband, are you still angry? I’m sorry, it’s all my fault…”

Shan Yu closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time before speaking gently, “It’s not your fault. He’s determined to leave, and no one can stop him… I spoke harshly before, so please don’t take it to heart.”

“That…”

“I don’t feel well and I’m not in a good mood. Please leave me alone for a while.”

Later, Shan Yu was in a depressed mood for a long time, and he ignored Wan Qiu for a long time. He didn’t even pay much attention to the little bun, and he was immersed in worrying about Lian Zhou.

After that……

When Shan Yu saw Wan Qiu secretly crying under the lamp with the child in his arms, he suddenly realized that his low pressure and negative energy had seriously affected the people around him.