In the unfinished academy south of the city, Princess Cheng sat on the freshly-turned earth before a new grave, her face flushed with emotion. Mu Feng and the others had already stepped aside.
Gu Helian, dressed in plain clothes, stood a few steps away, observing the woman before him whose eyes were bloodshot from crying.
"I know you're grieving over everything that has happened recently, and feeling regretful over years of wasted love," he said. "But you’ve been hurting yourself by not eating or drinking, mourning deeply every day. You’re not the one who’s suffering. It’s never Xie Tianyu, nor is it Tang Ning, who’s been running around with Xiao Yan. Your sister-in-law from the Rong family and Song Xi have also died with regrets. If you truly let yourself fall apart and give up, who will avenge them?"
Gu Helian looked down at Rong Yue.
"Back when they died suddenly, everyone assumed it was an accident, but after their bodies were dug up, desecrated, and their remains destroyed, they couldn’t even rest in peace underground. Do you still think it was just an accident?"
"I’ve already asked Xiao Yan, and this incident is connected to both the aristocracy and the royal family, possibly involving something else as well. Investigating it will not be easy. Right now, the only people left in the Rong family are you and Tang Ning. Do you really want to put all of this on her? Do you want her to investigate the truth behind her parents’ deaths while also taking care of you, who’s hiding away, unwilling to come out of your shell?"
As he spoke, Rong Yue’s eyes reddened even more. She stared at the newly built grave, and suddenly she collapsed before it, crying out loud.
Her sobs started as quiet murmurs, but soon escalated into loud wailing, as if she was releasing all the frustration and sorrow that had built up within her.
Gu Helian squatted beside her, his hand halfway raised to comfort her, but then he hesitated and withdrew it.
"Rong Yue, you still have Tang Ning…"
And me...
The second half of his sentence remained unspoken. The person who had always been bold and unrestrained now felt weak and uncertain. Once his usual arrogance faded, all that remained was a quiet presence, silently staying by her side.
When Gu Helian and the others returned to Tang Manor, it was already late at night. After sending Rong Yue to her room to rest, he sat silently in the corridor, not leaving until nearly dawn, when exhaustion finally overcame him and he leaned against the pillar, falling asleep.
When Rong Yue awoke, she felt as though a heavy burden had lifted from her heart.
"The Princess looks much better today," Xichun said joyfully as she helped Rong Yue sit up.
Rong Yue looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was thinner than before, and she no longer looked as delicate. She changed into a bright dress she hadn’t worn in a while and let Xichun fix her hair. After the finishing touches were done, she said, "Let someone bring me some food. I’m hungry."
Xichun smiled and replied, "Master Gu had someone prepare it last night, anticipating you'd be hungry once you woke up. I'll go get it now."
"Wait," Rong Yue called out, pausing for a moment. "Where is he?"
Xichun hesitated for a second before replying, "Master Gu is outside."
This time, Rong Yue was taken aback. Outside? She quickly stood and went to the window, where she saw Gu Helian leaning against the pillar, fast asleep. He was still fully dressed, his long legs carelessly stretched out on the ground, and the sunlight of early summer cast its warm glow on his face, showing a side of him that was completely unguarded.
His jaw had stubble, and his face looked tired. Usually so sharp-tongued and provocative, now even in sleep, his lips were gently pressed together.
"Master Gu hasn't rested properly for several days. After bringing you back last night, he stayed outside your window. I urged him twice to leave, but he refused, so I just let him be," Xichun quietly explained. "Do you want me to wake him up?"
Rong Yue said, "You go get the food. Bring extra."
Xichun nodded and quietly exited, not disturbing Gu Helian.
Rong Yue stayed by the window, looking at the sleeping figure outside. For a moment, it felt like the past had returned.
She remembered when they were younger, how Gu Helian had always been different from the other sons of officials. He didn’t like studying or following rules. Despite his father’s serious and reserved nature, Gu Helian was always mischievous, never focusing on the right path and preferring unconventional things.
He was always bringing back strange and rare items, and money was never an issue for him. He would buy her and her sister beautiful jewelry, make them clothes, and take them to the theater. Sometimes, when she and her sister were reading under a tree, his head would pop out from the branches, grinning widely.
"Ah Jie, Rong Yue."
Every time, she would glare at him, annoyed that he called her "Ah Jie" while addressing her sister so informally.
When Xichun returned with the breakfast, Rong Yue reached out and plucked a still-budding flower from the pomegranate plant on the windowsill. She threw it toward the outside.
Gu Helian instantly woke up, his eyes locking with hers as he stood there.
She was dressed in brilliant red, her phoenix eyes gleaming. For a moment, he felt as if he had seen the second lady of the Rong family from his youth.
"What are you staring at? Get up and eat," she said.
"Ah?"
"Ah what? Don’t you want to eat?"
Seeing the frown on Rong Yue’s face, as if she might skip the meal, Gu Helian snapped into full alertness, quickly getting to his feet, but he was still unsteady as he hastily said, "Eat!!"
He didn’t care about anything else—he would deal with it later.
Rong Yue rolled her eyes, and Xichun, standing inside the room, stifled a laugh.
...
The next time Tang Ning visited Rong Yue, she noticed that her aunt was visibly better. She no longer seemed like a shadow of herself, and her eyes were clearer.
When Rong Yue asked about Prince Cheng, Tang Ning shared everything she knew, including the involvement of the Lu family, Empress Lu, and their suspicions. Rong Yue was shocked but also surprised by the revelation.
"So it was her…" Rong Yue murmured.
Tang Ning replied, "There's no solid proof yet, but after Brother Xiao’s investigation, we know she sent people to the Lu family. If Mrs. Lu is indeed the scapegoat, we can be sure that Empress Lu has been involved with Prince Cheng all these years."
Rong Yue’s face darkened. Her opinion of Empress Lu had never been clear-cut. Although she had frequently interacted with her after marrying Xie Tianyu, she had never had a particularly good impression of her. After Tang Ning got engaged to the Lu family, she had often visited Fengxi Palace, growing very close to Empress Lu.
Rong Yue pondered for a moment. "Xie Yin... isn’t he Xie Tianyu’s blood relative?"
If Empress Lu had been ruthless enough to make people marry Prince Cheng, she would never have let Xie Tianyu leave an heir. Moreover, Empress Lu could not have quietly had a son, so Xie Yin must have been adopted.
Tang Ning responded, "He should be from the Lu family, but we’re not sure who exactly."
Rong Yue said, "Lu Qingfeng is very cunning. If she’s been plotting against Xie Tianyu for years, she wouldn’t have just brought a child to claim the position of heir to Prince Cheng’s manor. We should investigate which woman from the Lu family gave birth that year, or which child might have died prematurely…"
She paused, then added, "Although Lu Qingfeng was adopted by Lu Chongyuan, she’s still closer to her birth family than to him. If we can’t find anything in the Lu family, we should look into her biological parents. That might lead to something."
Tang Ning nodded. "I’ll tell Brother Xiao."
Rong Yue lowered her voice. "This matter involves the Empress. Whether it's true or not, once it's exposed, it will hurt the royal family’s reputation. Even if you and Xiao Yan manage to gather evidence, you mustn’t reveal yourselves. If possible, find someone else to expose it."
Tang Ning reassured her. "Don’t worry, Brother Xiao has everything arranged."
"That’s good."
The two women quietly discussed Empress Lu’s involvement, and Rong Yue also learned from Tang Ning about Prince Cheng’s punishment. Neither of them mentioned the child that had been swapped years ago, as they both seemed to have accepted that the child was likely dead.
Rong Yue then said to Tang Ning, "In the next few days, I’ll find an opportunity to report to His Majesty, and I’ll ask for a divorce from Xie Tianyu."
Tang Ning nodded. "Alright."
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You can read ahead to chapterr 370 (100+ extra chapters) here
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