After Ji Sang left, Wen Jian fell seriously ill, with a high fever lasting for several days. He was in a daze, mumbling incoherently in his dreams. It felt as if someone had taken away his soul, plunging him into endless darkness. It was so dark and cold around him that he couldn’t find any source of warmth or light. It was as if he had been thrown into water, and when he raised his face, he finally caught a glimpse of a faint light. He struggled to swim upwards, but he swam for a long time without being able to grasp that glimmer…

He was in so much pain.

His whole body was in pain, especially his chest.

It felt as if it had been shattered into pieces, and even breathing was painful.

When Wen Lishi saw her son like this, she couldn’t help but cry. She felt immense regret in her heart. She never expected that her daughter-in-law, who appeared delicate and weak, would be so decisive and unstoppable once she made up her mind. Not even ten bulls could pull her back.

When Wen Jian finally regained consciousness, he had become emaciated. When Wen Lishi reached out to hold his hand, he pulled it back and tucked it under the blanket.

Wen Lishi’s nose instantly turned sour, tears swirling in her eyes. She was overwhelmed with grief.

She knew her son wanted to separate from her.

She sniffed and, in the end, didn’t say what she wanted to say about Ji Sang and the words she said afterwards.

Wen Lishi wiped the tears from her cheeks, but more tears immediately streamed down. She choked as she called out, “Wen Jian…”

Before Wen Lishi could finish speaking, Wen Jian interrupted her.

His eyes were bruised, his face pale, exuding a coldness that made him seem lifeless.

He said, “Why are you crying?”

He looked at her with eyes as cold as if he had been drenched with icy water in December, and his words were even more frigid.

“Mother, you will cry even more in the future.”

Wen Lishi stared at Wen Jian with wide eyes, forgetting to shed her tears. She heard him continue, “In this lifetime—”

“In this lifetime, I will never have children.”

Wen Lishi’s heart suddenly ached. She angrily pointed at Wen Jian with trembling fingers. “You!” She took a deep breath and said, “Wen Jian, you’re sick now. I won’t argue with you about your nonsense. There are plenty of women in this world who can have children. Are you trying to anger your father and me to death?”

Wen Jian didn’t say anything. He only called the housekeeper to bring the old lady out and then buried his face in the blanket.

It was the same blanket.

He took a deep breath, and his lungs immediately filled with the lingering sweet scent. He slowly exhaled the stale air and took another deep breath…

He repeated this process as if it was the only way to alleviate the pain in his chest.

He had searched everywhere, almost turning the entire Beiliang City upside down, but Ji Sang seemed determined to hide from him this time.

He couldn’t find her…

He had lost her…

That overwhelming feeling of despair, as if falling into a frigid abyss, deeply engulfed him. His heart ached as if it were about to die.

__

After recovering from his illness, Wen Jian went to see the emperor to resign from his position.

The emperor hadn’t seen Wen Jian for a month, and when he saw him again, he was taken aback. He had become so thin and unrecognizable, lacking the former vitality. Without waiting for Wen Jian to speak, the emperor sighed deeply and said, “Wen Jian, I have heard about the situation in your family. I had ordered my subordinates to inform you to take a break for a while and come back to me when you have recovered. But you are different. Your heart is still focused on state affairs. Yesterday, I sent someone to deliver documents. After reading them carefully, I was truly pleased.”

Wen Jian’s eyes revealed a hint of surprise upon hearing this.

He didn’t remember sending any documents. The resignation letter that he kept in his sleeve hadn’t been submitted yet. But the emperor continued, “Having you, Wen Jian, is truly fortunate!”

“Therefore, I want to allocate a space next to the arsenal for the production of gunpowder and entrust its management to you.”

Gunpowder?

Wen Jian had never heard of it. After a moment’s pause, he said he wanted to see the document he supposedly wrote.

The emperor was briefly stunned, then instructed his subordinates to hand the document to Wen Jian.

Wen Jian read it carefully, and the more he read, the more shocked he became…

The handwriting!

It was Ji Sang imitating his own handwriting.

The content of the document was simple, stating the discovery of a weapon. If developed, it could have several times the power of cold weapons. It was called gunpowder!

Wen Jian felt as if he was frozen in place. He opened his mouth but couldn’t find words, staring blankly at the emperor and then back at the document, unable to speak for a long time.

Why did Ji Sang throw out this bait?

She had already left!

His mind seemed to have crashed, but his heart was pounding relentlessly…

Or…

Was she showing him the way?

Was she telling him that she was by his side?

Perhaps she was angry with him for deceiving her, but after some time, when her anger subsided, she would appear before him.

In a short while, his mind spun in circles, unable to focus on what the emperor was saying. All he knew was that when he emerged from the Eastern Palace, the people below called him “Wen Jian, congratulations!”

___

When Wen Jian returned to the Mansion, someone immediately presented him with a letter. After seeing the handwriting, he swiftly locked the person in a room.

His hands trembled as he opened the letter.

It was written by Ji Sang.

Ji Sang’s handwriting lacked the elegance of a noble lady; instead, it flowed with a rough touch.

It contained the formula for gunpowder, without the exact proportions because she didn’t know them either. She wrote: “I believe the emperor will certainly spare no expense in the development of weapons. After all, military strength signifies national power. If gunpowder truly exists, the first thing to do is suppress those barbarians at the borders and reduce the enormous losses caused by war. Only when the surroundings are stabilized can Beijin have greater development possibilities.”

Only at the end did she write, [No need to find me.]

Wen Jian sat in his study for a day and night.

The next day, the steward came knocking on the door, saying that someone sent by the emperor had arrived. Now that he was the current Prime Minister, this residence with its three entrances and exits was not befitting his status, so they needed to move him to a new place.

Wen Jian finally opened the door of his study and calmly said to the trusted person beside the emperor, “Tell the emperor that there’s no need to change the residence. I have grown accustomed to the this Mansion. If a change is necessary, it can be done by replacing the plaque.”

It was a joke. This was the only place where every trace of Ji Sang remained. How could he possibly leave?

The trusted person by the emperor was somewhat embarrassed, but seeing Wen Jian’s determination, he could only return to the palace and report to the emperor for further consideration. Unexpectedly, Wen Jian’s action received praise from the emperor, who said that Wen Jian was dedicated to the court and a frugal person.

Wen Jian received the task assigned by the emperor and almost moved into the gunpowder workshop.

The gunpowder workshop was larger and more fortified than he had imagined, heavily guarded on all sides. Wen Jian knew nothing about gunpowder, so he followed the instructions in the letter and found Master Qin, who specialized in making fireworks. Master Qin could never have imagined that he would be secretly brought to the gunpowder workshop to manufacture gunpowder because of fireworks…

Meanwhile, Ji Sang, who thought of gunpowder, coincidentally managed to infiltrate the military camp…

__

Three years flew by in the blink of an eye.

It was winter again.

Good news came from the border—the barbarians had sent envoys to negotiate, and they were making their way south from the northern river, expected to arrive in Beiliang soon.

During the morning court session, the entire assembly was abuzz with excitement.

Wen Jian stood at the forefront among the officials, with jet-black brows and sharp features. He was undoubtedly a handsome man of the current era. However, the aura emanating from him was colder than before, as if coated with a layer of winter chill that made him seem aloof. While others were discussing, he stood there alone, like a rare flower on a high peak that no one dared to desecrate.

Over the past few years, the officials had grown accustomed to it.

The Right Minister of Beijin was a reserved and unsociable individual.

The gatekeeper announced, “The General of the Cavalry has arrived!”

Everyone turned their gaze toward the gate, witnessing Jiang Bei stride into the palace in military attire.

Wen Jian hadn’t seen Jiang Bei for three years. When he saw his colleague again, the creases in his brows slightly relaxed. Compared to three years ago, Jiang Bei’s stature had become more robust. The years of battling on the frontier had tanned his cheeks, and his black eyes exuded determination and righteousness.

Jiang Bei respectfully greeted the emperor and briefly explained the current state of the war.

He also mentioned that he wanted to commend his military advisor.

Upon hearing about the military advisor, the emperor publicly expressed a desire to meet him.

Jiang Bei hesitated for a moment, then agreed and glanced at Wen Jian with an ambiguous look in his black eyes.

Wen Jian furrowed his brows and pursed his thin lips.

It was a beautiful day with the sun shining brightly.

As the doors of the palace opened, sunlight flooded into the hall, almost illuminating the entire space. Wen Jian’s indifferent black eyes glanced toward the entrance, and suddenly his whole body froze. Everything before his eyes seemed to slow down, and the surroundings became eerily silent, as if one could hear a pin drop.

A person walked into the hall. She wore a wide-sleeved green robe with a yellow cotton belt tied around her waist. A jade pendant in the shape of a small rabbit swung back and forth as she moved. This attire, coupled with her clean and exquisite features, added a touch of androgynous elegance. It not only lacked any sense of incongruity but also made her more captivating.

“Your Majesty, this is my military advisor. Over these past three years, we have fought side by side. Apart from the gunpowder sent by Wen Jian, my military advisor has also been a great help to me!”

Jiang Bei’s words echoed in Wen Jian’s ears, especially the part where he said, “Over these past three years, we have fought side by side.” Just that sentence alone felt like a knife being ruthlessly thrust into Wen Jian’s heart.

The person he had yearned for day and night…

Was actually spending time with the man who made him jealous not once, but twice. They had been together for a full three years!

Wen Jian’s whole being felt sour.

Frustrated, enraged, on the verge of crying out of anger, he felt as if he were going mad. He couldn’t even hear the emperor’s words clearly behind him until someone nudged him, and only then did he react.

His eyes stared straight at Ji Sang.

Ji Sang finally looked at him, and as his black eyes slightly lowered, he saw the large rabbit pendant hanging from his waist…

After she returned to Beiliang, she secretly met him a few times.

It was said that Mr. Wen loved his pendant dearly. Once, it was stolen by a thief, and he chased after them through several streets to snatch it back…

The emperor repeated again, “Wen Jian, today is a joyous occasion for all, and both the General of the Cavalry and… this military advisor will receive rewards. As for you, who is solely dedicated to logistics, of course, there will be a reward.”

“Wen Jian, listen to the reward.”

Wen Jian took a deep breath, suppressing the trembling of his body caused by his anger, and knelt down to listen to the imperial edict.

The emperor said, “I have a younger sister who has just come of age. She has been spoiled by me and recently mentioned her admiration for you, Wen Jian. I am aware of your feelings toward your late wife…”

Before the emperor could finish, Wen Jian replied, “Thank you, Your Majesty, I…”

He didn’t finish his sentence before someone forcefully kicked him from behind. Since he was already kneeling, the kick sent him falling to the side. Rolling over and looking back, he saw the person with flushed cheeks, sitting astride his waist, angrily pulling at the accessory hanging from his waist.

She shouted in anger, “Wen Jian, you don’t deserve to wear this.”

In front of everyone, Wen Jian suddenly received a kick from behind, igniting the fire in his heart. And hearing her say he didn’t deserve it, his anger soared even higher.

If he didn’t deserve it, then she certainly didn’t either!

He thought of himself, maintaining his purity for three years, while she had the audacity to stay by Jiang Bei’s side for three years!

He reached out and grabbed her slender waist, pushing her back, his large hand attempting to pull at her small rabbit accessory. “I don’t deserve it, and neither do you!”

The two of them ended up wrestling on the grand hall…

This scene stunned everyone!

It even shocked the emperor.

The emperor was so furious that he immediately ordered their imprisonment.

“Wen Jian! Military Advisor Ji, for causing a disturbance in the court, send them to the dungeon!”

…