The Lament of Autumn - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Raising the Eyebrows in Mutual Respect, the Heart Remains Unsettled; Piercing the Jade Hairpin, Ultimately Failing the One Loved

At night, the lamps in the small mansion burned so brightly they were piercing to the eyes. Jiang Xueting paced back and forth in the bedroom's side chamber, then peered toward the inner bedroom. Inside, the sandalwood canopy bed was draped with pearl-gauze curtains, with embroidered golden pom-poms hanging from all four corners. She was lying within the curtains, not moving an inch. Consumed by anxiety, he turned and barked at the outside, "Where is the doctor? Why hasn't the doctor arrived yet? Are you all waiting for her to die?!"

Before his scolding voice even faded, an adjutant was heard saying from outside, "Dean Jiang, the doctor is here." As the door opened, a tall, sturdy doctor walked in carrying a medical bag; he was the one the adjutant had been sent to the hospital to fetch in the middle of the night.

Jiang Xueting could not spare any pleasantries, only saying, "Quickly, bring him in." Ruixiang stepped out of the bedroom and led the doctor inside. The bedroom was enormous and, naturally, quite warm. Ruixiang first moved to pull back the curtains. Pingjun, in her delirious state, felt someone come forward to lift her up. She gasped for air, unable to open her eyes, but whispered so softly it was barely audible, "Save me..."

The doctor was momentarily startled. Beside him, Ruixiang smiled and whispered, "The Madam suffered a fright during the day, which agitated her pregnancy." The doctor nodded, took her pulse, listened to her heart, and checked her temperature before saying indifferently, "Indeed, she has been startled, but it is nothing serious. The Madam is a person of good fortune; I shall prescribe some medicine to soothe the fetus, and she will be fine if she takes it regularly."

He went to the side to write out the prescription. Ruixiang helped Pingjun lay back against the pillows. Once the doctor finished writing, he turned to Ruixiang and said, "Take this prescription to Dean Jiang first, so there are no mistakes." Seeing his caution, Ruixiang took the paper and walked to the outer chamber.

Pingjun lay on the pillows, her eyelids feeling so heavy she could not force them open. In her semi-conscious stupor, she heard someone beside her whispering urgently, "Miss Ye, Miss Ye, why are you here?"

Even in her delirium, she heard the voice clearly. She fought desperately to open her eyes and saw a man standing by the bed. He was wearing a white robe and appeared to be a doctor. She struggled to say, "Save me..." The man whispered, "Miss Ye, do you not recognize me? I am Liyuan's elder brother, Xie Zaohua."

Her mind was in utter chaos, yet she still retained a vague impression of the name Xie Zaohua. Trapped in such a desperate situation, seeing a glimmer of hope made her heart ache. She reached out, gripped his sleeve tightly, and whispered, "Please, write a letter for me to Yu Changxuan, the fifth young master of the Yu family in Jinling. Tell him I am in Jiang Xueting's hands, my situation is perilous, and the child... the child is in danger of being lost..."

Xie Zaohua felt as if he were lost in a thick fog, completely bewildered, yet seeing her state, he realized she was in grave danger. He reached out, squeezed her hand firmly, and said gently, "Don't worry, I will certainly help you." Tearfully, she slowly loosened her grip.

A door sounded, and Ruixiang walked in with the prescription, smiling at Xie Zaohua, "Dr. Xie, Dean Jiang says he fears the Madam might be allergic to one of the ingredients, so please, could you amend it?" Xie Zaohua replied, "Very well," and turned to walk away, carrying his medical bag. Ruixiang came forward to tuck in Pingjun’s blankets, and seeing that Pingjun was sleeping soundly, she felt relieved and followed him out.

After one dose of the prenatal medicine, her complexion began to improve, and she slept much more peacefully. Jiang Xueting came in to check on her. Ruixiang lifted the curtain and called out softly, "Miss Ye, Miss Ye." Pingjun made no sound. Jiang Xueting waved his hand, saying quietly, "Forget it, don't disturb her."

Ruixiang lowered her head, pulled back the curtains on both sides, secured them with gold hooks, and then withdrew from the bedroom, closing the door.

She lay on her pillow with her eyes closed, her breathing very steady. Her hair spilled over the pillow like clouds, as if scattered by a turbulent wind. Her haggard face was completely devoid of color. Jiang Xueting did not know what to make of the feeling in his own heart; it felt as if it were being clawed at by a cat's paws. After a long while, he whispered, "Pingjun, if I am defeated by him in the future, will you be happy for him? Or will you be sad for me?"

Her eyelashes fluttered as if stirred by a breeze, but the windows in the room were tightly shut; there was no wind. He knew she was awake. He reached out to hold her hand, and her fingers trembled. She opened her eyes; those pupils were like black stones submerged in a vase of water. He looked at her, his own eyes clouded, "Pingjun, do you still remember, back when..."

She finally said, "I remember."

His heart stirred. She had never spoken to him so softly before. He stared at her intently, but she gazed at the top of the canopy and said silently, "I lost the jade hairpin you gave me. Later, you gave me another one, saying this one was better than the one I lost. I told you, a pity that no matter how good it is, it is not the one from the beginning."

He paused, smiling faintly, "I truly wish I could find that original one."

She said, "The time has passed. Even if found, the objects remain but the people have changed; what would be the point?"

The room fell into a deathly silence. The golden pom-poms on the curtain hung down, casting shadowy silhouettes on the wall under the lamplight. He stared at her, as if he had lost all his strength, and then let out a self-deprecating laugh, whispering, "I know you hate me for what I have done to you. But I do not care. However, what about him? Do you think he truly wouldn't care?"

Her lips quivered silently. He said, "There are two things I must tell you. First, your aunt’s death was no accident. Someone arranged for the fire to be set. Whether you believe it or not, that person's true goal was to burn you alive, because he could not tolerate his son agonizing over a woman all day and losing the world!"

He continued, his voice flat, "There is one more thing. I kidnapped you and brought you to Yuzhou precisely to save your life. Less than an hour after my men secretly took you away, that ship exploded—naturally, that was also his arrangement. Pingjun, having told you this, do you still not understand?"

Pingjun’s breathing grew rapid, her voice so faint even she could barely hear it, "I don't believe it."

Jiang Xueting smiled slightly, "You don't dare to believe it. Once love involves self-interest, where can there be anything eternal?"

Her lips quivered slightly, "Then, are you the same?"

Jiang Xueting gazed at her; the lamplight through the gauze cast shadows on his face. His eyes remained clear and gentle, but the haggard, weathered look between his brows could not be hidden. He laughed self-deprecatingly, "That's right, I am just the same! The person you love is also like this now."

She slowly withdrew her gaze, quietly turning her head inward. The pattern of the canopy spread out little by little before her eyes. The canopy was hazy, yet she could always clearly see the nightscape outside the window—a dark, ink-like color, as if covered by a layer of ash. She lay on the pillow, sobbing silently, her tears wetting the pillowcase like scattered pearls. His voice drifted over, clear and distinct, "Pingjun, I have decided. This is our child; he will take the surname Jiang."

A few days later, Pingjun had improved considerably. With her large belly, her mobility was quite restricted, and she generally did not leave the room. This day, Dr. Xie came to examine her. Before leaving, as he placed his stethoscope into his medical bag, he smiled at Ye Pingjun, "It is not good for the Madam to be cooped up like this. When I came in, I saw the white jade hairpins in the garden are in full bloom. When the Madam has time, you should go take a look; it would serve as a good distraction."

Pingjun leaned against the bed and said silently, "I have no heart for that."

Dr. Xie nodded toward her, smiling, "Breathing fresh air and smelling the flowers is extremely good for the fetus." Pingjun caught the look in Dr. Xie's eyes and paused slightly. She said to Ruixiang, who was at her side, "Then go and pick a bouquet for me."

Ruixiang smiled, "I will go in a moment."

Pingjun turned her head, "I want it now."

Ruixiang, having been rebuffed, knew that Pingjun was aware she was there to monitor her, but she dared not defy Ye Pingjun, so she nodded and walked out. Seeing Ruixiang gone, Pingjun gripped the chair and slowly stood up, saying, "Mr. Xie."

Xie Zaohua knew time was of the essence and spoke only the most critical words: "Miss Ye, I have already sent a telegram to Yu Changxuan in Jinling yesterday!" Hearing this, Pingjun did not know what to feel; tears burst from her eyes, "Then, he will soon know I am here?"

Xie Zaohua said, "I have already explained the situation here clearly to Yu Changxuan. I believe there will be news soon. Miss Ye, please endure for now and do not be afraid."

Her tears kept falling, a thousand feelings churning in her heart. For a long while, she could not speak, her lips trembling incessantly. Xie Zaohua looked at her and comforted her gently, "Miss Ye, you must not be sad. I believe heaven will not cut off a person's path. It is of the utmost importance that you take care of your health."

She silently wiped the tears from her eyes with her fingers; the teardrops clung to her fingertips, wet and cold. Her heart was tangled in sorrow, and she could no longer hold back. The tears fell in streams, but she was choked by them, unable to express her words. She only nodded her head slowly, gave a soft "Mm," and said, "He must come quickly... otherwise this child... truly will not be preserved..." Before she could finish, she was choked by her tears.

By August, the weather in Jinling became increasingly hot. Inside the office hall of the Yu official residence, Wu Zuoxiao and several duty guards were speaking in the corridor outside Yu Changxuan's office when they saw the Sixth Miss, Qixuan, storming in from outside the hall with a newspaper in her hand, intending to barge into the office. Wu Zuoxiao hurriedly blocked her, "Sixth Miss!"

Yu Qixuan ignored Wu Zuoxiao entirely, raging, "Get out of the way!" She pushed the office door open and stormed in, crying out to Yu Changxuan, who was working, "Fifth Brother!"

Yu Changxuan was reviewing documents submitted by the Ministry of War. He looked up to see Qixuan rushing in like this and frowned, "You are getting more and more unruly as you grow older. Do you not see what kind of place this is? How can you be allowed to throw such a tantrum?"

Qixuan raised her brows and retorted rudely, "I don't care what kind of place this is! I just want to ask you, are you still the Fifth Brother I knew before?!" After saying this, she slammed the newspaper in her hand onto the desk, already shouting indignantly, "What does it mean by 'upholding the League of Nations' peace cessation, forcing the merger of Jinling and Yuzhou, and suspending all firepower attacks against Fusang?' What does it mean by 'the many years of war in the motherland all stem from the Xi Bei Xiao family faction, warlord infighting, usurping power, and occupying territory, brewing the disintegration of the nation?' Fifth Brother, you give me a clear explanation!"

Yu Changxuan said, "Everything must have a sense of priorities. Right now, the merger of Jinling and Yuzhou is the most important thing. For the sake of this merger, Father has even issued a circular telegram to retire from office. I have already been kept in turmoil by that Jiang Xueting of Yuzhou; do you still want to add to the chaos?!"

Qixuan gave a cold laugh, "Jiang Xueting of Yuzhou? I have heard that my Fifth Brother and Jiang Xueting are sworn brothers, and you have even sent five telegrams inviting Jiang Xueting to come to the Jinling government to govern! You even sent a wedding invitation to Jiang Xueting for your own wedding."

Yu Changxuan’s expression darkened, "You are not permitted to ask about political matters! If you have any dissatisfaction, go talk to Father!" He knew his tone had been too harsh, so he softened slightly and added, "I will explain one thing to you: currently, the north is in total chaos—it is the best time for us to attack. But if Jinling and Yuzhou do not merge, the Yuzhou government sitting there is a huge hidden danger. The Yu army cannot act rashly, so how can we talk about moving north?"

Qixuan’s gaze shot straight onto Yu Changxuan’s face, and she gave a mocking laugh, "This time I understand. Fifth Brother, all these words of yours can be summed up in one sentence: you just want to appease Jiang Xueting to ensure your rear is secure, and then take advantage of others’ misfortune in the north!"

Yu Changxuan furrowed his brows, "Moving north is Father’s lifelong ambition. When the time comes to sweep away warlord separatism and bring peace to the world, is that not a great good for the country and the people?"

Qixuan said coldly, "Speak not of the country and the people! I only see Xiao Beichen fighting against Fusang in the north without a single retreat, while you help Father scramble for power and influence here, having lost all sense of honor and righteousness! You are merely acting out of your own ambition. Father wants to rule the world, and my Fifth Brother has now gone mad, his mind also captivated by this world!"

Yu Changxuan suppressed the rage in his heart, "Qixuan, are you accusing Father and me?"

Qixuan said, "How could I dare to accuse you? I only know that Xiao Beichen in the north is a hero, and Fifth Brother is not. Even if Fifth Brother rules the world in the future, you will still not be a hero. You have transformed from a soldier who should have been passionately serving the country into a cold-hearted politician. How tragic!"

Yu Changxuan had a chest full of rage with nowhere to vent. After a long while, he said coldly, "Since you say so, if you have the ability, go find your great hero in the north! See if he even wants you!" Qixuan shouted, "Fine! I am precisely here to tell Fifth Brother—I am going to find him right now!"

She turned and headed out, but after a few steps, she stopped and turned back, "Fifth Brother, you are getting married in a few days." Yu Changxuan stood facing the window, thinking she was backing down. Still angry, he only let out a faint "Hmph."

Yu Qixuan smiled and said in a ringing voice, "Sixth Sister wishes Fifth Brother and Sister Daiti a long and happy life together! And I wish you a successful merger of Jinling and Yuzhou, and every success!"

She spoke with great verve. Yu Changxuan turned his head in astonishment to see the office door half-open; Qixuan had already bolted out. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside. An adjutant came running, not even bothering to knock, and pushed the door open, "Commander-in-Chief, the Sixth Miss has snatched a horse from the back and has actually ridden away! We couldn't stop her!"

Yu Changxuan felt a violent jolt in his heart and sprinted outside. He saw several adjutants standing in the open space, all with expressions of shock. When Wu Zuoxiao saw Yu Changxuan running out, he hurried to meet him, "Commander-in-Chief, the Sixth Miss has left!" Yu Changxuan, flustered, urged, "What did she say?"

Wu Zuoxiao said, "She said she was going to the north!"

Yu Changxuan had never imagined that Qixuan would actually do what she said. The little sister who had always followed him around bickering and joking was, in reality, such a resolute person. He stood there dazed for a long time. Wu Zuoxiao stepped forward, "Commander-in-Chief, rest assured. The Sixth Miss does not have a special permit; she cannot get past the checkpoints." Only then did Yu Changxuan regain his senses, and he flew into a rage, "Quickly, go chase her! Whatever it takes, bring her back to me!"

Because Yu Changxuan and Jun Daiti’s wedding was imminent, the residence was busy preparing for the great event all day long. It was originally said that Fengtai would be the bridal chamber, but because Yu Changxuan said that running back and forth was too troublesome, they didn't use Fengtai and instead had Yu Changxuan's living quarters in the residence newly decorated. This day, Jun Daiti was dragged to the residence by her cousin, Minru, who said they should look at the new bridal chamber first; if anything was missing, they could prepare early.

Daiti followed Minru and Jinxuan around, seeing that everything was complete and flawless. Naturally, she was very pleased. After they finished looking, everyone went to the main hall to taste tea and sit with Mrs. Yu. Mrs. Yu’s expression was always somewhat gloomy—everyone knew it was because of Qixuan running away from home. After sitting for a while, they heard Mrs. Yu say, "I am tired. You all go for a walk yourselves. Whatever business there is, wait until Changxuan returns later; just keep Jinxuan here."

Minru pulled Daiti out of the hall and, all the way, dragged Daiti back toward the bridal chamber they had just seen. Daiti was confused, but Minru smiled, closed the door, took a telegram from her person, handed it to Jun Daiti, and smiled slightly, "Take a look."

Jun Daiti was slightly startled and took out the telegram to read. A look of shock appeared in her eyes. Minru knew she had finished reading and smiled, "Sister Daiti, what do you think we should do?"

Daiti flipped the telegram onto the yellow pear-wood tabletop and said indifferently, "Why ask me? This is your family’s business; do you expect me to provide ideas?"

Minru smiled and said, "You are about to become our family’s Fifth Young Mistress, why distinguish between your family and our family? I will tell you the truth: this telegram was intercepted by Father, who gave it to Mother, and Mother told me to bring it for you to see. She said that regardless of who came first or last, you are the one legitimately married into the Yu family; at most, that woman counts as a concubine."

Daiti lowered her head and looked at the yellow pear-wood table. For a long time, her lips moved gently as she whispered, "What does Auntie mean?" Minru smiled, "Mother’s meaning is that the woman herself is not important, but since the child in her belly is, after all, a Yu descendant—but your wedding with the Fifth will be held soon, and in the future, if you want children, there will be plenty, so the child in that woman’s belly doesn't really count for anything."

Daiti’s expression remained indifferent. She asked another question, "What does Uncle say?"

Minru smiled, "Father needs to be talked about even less. Just looking at the fact that he intercepted the telegram explains it all. What is the most important thing for our Jinling government right now? The merger of Jinling and Yuzhou. We have reached such a critical juncture; do you think Father would fall out with Jiang Xueting of the Yuzhou government because of a woman?! Or let him have any caution?!"

The yellow pear-wood table directly faced a shutter window with two panels opening outward. The clouds in the sky were gradually thickening. Outside the window was a pond, rippled by the wind into circles of rings. The wind blew in through the open window, carrying a faint fragrance—the very air of a mountain rain ready to pour.

Minru said at her side, "You must not let Changxuan know about this telegram."

Hearing her cousin’s words, she parted her red lips, smiled slightly, and whispered, "Am I mad? Why would I go tell him?"

As they were talking, they heard Jinxuan’s voice outside, "Eldest Sister-in-law, Daiti, are you inside?" The sound of footsteps approached. Minru was startled and subconsciously pushed the telegram deeper, randomly finding something to press it down with. She pulled Daiti out of the room and saw Jinxuan about to enter. Minru hurriedly smiled, "Second Sister, what is it?"

Jinxuan smiled, "Mother is calling for you all. She said she bought new silk fabric to make new clothes and wants you all to come down and pick some." After saying this, she pulled Minru and Daiti downstairs. Sure enough, there were many bolts of silk stacked on the large table downstairs. Mrs. Yu was holding a pipe and took a puff. Seeing them come down, she smiled faintly, "Just in time. Come see if there is any you like?"

Minru smiled, "This is thanks to Daiti’s light. Mother is making new clothes for us. That dark blue floral silk is mine; no one is to compete with me for it." Mrs. Yu smiled, "Minru’s mouth, she makes it sound as if I am usually stingy. The new bride hasn't even entered the door yet; don't frighten her."

Daiti smiled slightly and didn't say much, standing before the large table with Minru and Jinxuan, picking out some fabric at will. The steward, Zhou Tai, walked in from outside, bowed, and whispered a few words to Mrs. Yu. Mrs. Yu was slightly startled, "Why did he leave just as he returned? Is he that busy?!" After saying this, she glanced at Daiti and fell silent, saying nothing more.

After Daiti finished looking at the fabric, she made an excuse that her handbag was left in the room upstairs and needed to be retrieved. Only then did she get away, walking back to the room alone, intending to secretly put away the telegram. Who would have expected that as soon as she pushed the door open, she would hear the shutter window shaking violently in the wind, making a "clatter, clatter" sound, and the telegram originally placed on the yellow pear-wood table was gone.

Daiti looked out the window and saw the pond water rippling in the wind, forming small waves. Faintly, she could see a piece of paper floating and sinking in the water. She smoothed her hair blown by the wind, watched for a long time in silence, and finally whispered, "It is good that it blew into the water; just let it go with the current."

Jun Daiti’s father was a priest of the Methodist Church, and the family’s assets were quite substantial. Since the Jun family only had Daiti as a daughter, they naturally treasured her like a jewel, even setting up a property in Jinling specifically for her, which counted as part of her dowry. Daiti had returned to the country and lived there. This morning, she was still wearing a morning robe, her hair let down, sitting on the bed reading a book when she saw her personal maid, Hongyu, push the door open, stick her tongue out at Daiti, and giggle, "Miss, the prospective groom is here."

Daiti’s face flushed instantly, and she said to Hongyu, "You little ghost, what prospective groom? You actually dare to laugh at me." Hongyu was on very good terms with this young mistress, so she dared to be bold, "If I can't call him prospective groom, should we just call him groom directly?" Daiti picked up a book, half-scolding and half-smiling, throwing it toward her, "Go tell him to wait for me downstairs."

Hongyu went downstairs laughing. Daiti hurriedly got up from the bed, changed out of the morning robe, and picked through her wardrobe, ultimately choosing that Chinese-style Xiangyun silk qipao with a drip-shaped collar—elegant and dignified. She pinned her long hair up into a bun at the back, inserted a jade hairpin, and, facing the mirror, meticulously made herself up. She was about to rise and head downstairs, but after a few steps, she paused, as if lost in thought, and slowly sat down on a Western-style gilded chair to the side.

She sat for a while before going downstairs. Sure enough, she saw him sitting on the sofa in the large living room, actually dozing with his eyes closed. She was slightly startled to see that his heroic face looked extremely exhausted. They hadn't seen each other for several days; he had actually lost so much weight. He had only just recovered from a major injury, and she was even more worried. She gently nudged him, whispering, "Fifth Brother."

Yu Changxuan opened his eyes, and there were bloodshot streaks in them. Daiti looked at him, "What is the matter with you? You’ve lost so much weight." Yu Changxuan rubbed his temples, smiled at her, and said, "Nothing much. There have been many things to do these past few days."

Daiti said, "Is it because of the Jinling-Yuzhou merger?"

Yu Changxuan was slightly startled by her question and didn't know how to answer, merely nodding vaguely. Since she shouldn't ask about government affairs, she smiled, "Since you are so busy, why come to find me?" Yu Changxuan said, "Mother insisted that I personally give you something."

He took out a brocade box and untied the ribbon. Inside, resting on black velvet, was a dragon and phoenix jade pendant—the jade was white and moist, with a beautiful color, strung on a thin gold chain. One look and it was clearly extremely valuable. He looked at her and smiled, "This is given to you by Mother, no one else has one."

He placed the pendant and the box into Daiti’s hand, but Daiti pushed his hand away. He was slightly startled, looking at Daiti. Daiti smiled slightly toward him, "Put it on for me."

She sat at his side and turned her back to him. Yu Changxuan hesitated, but after a long while, finally picked up the dragon and phoenix pendant and placed it on her white neck. The cold gold chain slid across his palm like quicksand. He slowly fastened the clasp, but his heart felt suddenly empty.

She waited for a long time but didn't hear him speak. She turned her head and saw him staring at her as if his gaze were fixed. His dark pupils seemed to contain a magnet, drawing people in. A red flush rose on her cheeks. She lowered her head and whispered with a smile, "Fool, are you dazed?"

He came back to his senses, looked at her shy appearance, and added, "You look beautiful."

Daiti gave a charming smile, the red flush on her cheeks not yet faded, and whispered gently, "I knew I looked good, otherwise you couldn't have stared so intently!" After she finished, she lowered her head again. Seeing her like this, he reached out and took her into his arms. The living room was extremely warm. Beside the sofa was a sandalwood screen embroidered with a lively "hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix" pattern, which was even more lifelike.

She leaned against his chest. His iron-gray military uniform was stiff, and it was certainly not comfortable to lean against, yet the happiness in her heart was limitless; joy overflowed from the corners of her eyes. She couldn't control the urge to smile, whispering, "Fifth Brother, I am truly happy. We are getting married."

Yu Changxuan’s arm suddenly stiffened.

He remembered a day that felt like a long time ago. At that time, the winter outside the window was biting, but the bedroom was as warm as spring. That pot of white jade hairpins appeared before her, the white flowers like a quiet beauty. Her lips curved up, her eyes like water. He said to her gently, "Truly beautiful."

He saw the corners of her lips rise as she smiled, her translucent profile looking like fragrant petals. Truly, a thousand styles twined around her brows, black hair like a waterfall falling on the jade hairpin. He loved her dearly and leaned toward her, taking her into his arms, whispering, "I have only heard that the lute and zither are in accord, all is peaceful!"

He still remembered the entire courtyard of pear blossoms, the moonlight shining down, the flowers covering the ground. She seemed to be entangled in a nightmare, sobbing to him, "Changxuan, you must be here, you must always be here. I am afraid alone."

Worldly affairs grow weary and fade, all things follow a flickering candle. The husband is a heartless person, the new bride is beautiful as jade. The joint-willow still knows the time, the mandarin ducks do not sleep alone. But seeing the new bride laugh, who hears the old one cry?

He suddenly felt dazed, unable to tell where he was or what he was doing. Qixuan said he was mad; he was indeed mad. He was now merely a trapped beast, a beast tightly bound by his family. He remembered his father exhausting all efforts to facilitate the merger, and to show sincerity to Jiang Xueting in Yuzhou, issuing a telegram to retire. When he left Jinling, the look in his father’s eyes was so profound and meaningful.

His father was using his own political career to pave the way for him.

He told himself, a great man acts when the time is right. Now the situation is decided, and at this moment, there cannot be the slightest slip-up! One wrong move, and the whole game is lost! He must be careful with every step.

Only the two of them were in the living room. Jun Daiti whispered in his arms, "Fifth Brother." He looked up at the window, "Yes, we are getting married."

Not long after, they held the wedding. It was naturally extremely luxurious, the capital full of VIPs. Jiang Xueting, Chairman of the Yuzhou Government, also sent a congratulatory card, showing that the merger of Jinling and Yuzhou, advocated by the Yu family of Jinling, was a sure thing. Moreover, through this series of separations and reunions, Chu Wenfu had long been hollowed out, becoming a nominal Chairman of the National Government. The Mou and Tao families suffered huge losses, Yu Changxuan firmly held military power, and on top of that, he held the private army of the Yu family. Jiang Xueting was the number one person in the party, nominally the first leader of the Jinling government. The Ming Bao newspaper used a double entendre, calling this grand wedding a "Gold-Jade Marriage."

A pot of white chrysanthemums was placed on the windowsill, swaying in the wind. The curtains fluttered, and the cool autumn air brushed against her face. Pingjun sat on the chair with her belly protruding. She was approaching labor, and her feet were now completely swollen. She couldn't wear shoes, and she had trampled a pair of soft slippers out of shape; it was incredibly ugly.

The room was silent. The newspaper had fallen at her feet; the entire page was a report on Yu Changxuan and Jun Daiti’s wedding. The wedding was Western-style; he was wearing a Western tuxedo, handsome and tall, and she was wearing a wedding dress with white georgette dragging to the floor. There was a delicate circle of small flowers woven from buds in her hair, and she stood at his side, holding a bouquet of bright red roses, bird-like and dependent. It was truly a match made in heaven, a perfect couple.

Jiang Xueting said to her, "He doesn't want you anymore; do you still not understand?"

She did not speak, only sitting, using a pair of nail clippers to trim her slightly long nails little by little. Everything around was so quiet, only the sound of breaking nails, a "snap, snap" sound, bearing a sense of loneliness. The clipped nails fell onto the newspaper on the carpet, illuminated by the golden sunlight, appearing quite warm.

She raised her head to look at the windowsill and suddenly whispered, "It’s October, the chrysanthemums have bloomed."

Jiang Xueting was confused by this sudden sentence. Just as he was about to ask, he heard her say another, "Rather die holding its fragrance on the branch, than dance with the yellow leaves in the autumn wind. These chrysanthemums are truly beautiful." After she finished, she turned her head and smiled slightly at Jiang Xueting. That smile, reflected in the golden sunlight, carried a gentle, feminine air, extremely beautiful.

His heart stirred, and he whispered, "Pingjun, after the child is born, I will take you and the child to Fusang. The three of us can live a very good life there."

She was somewhat bewildered, "A family of three..."

He walked to her side, stretched out his hands, and took her into his arms, saying gently, "That’s right, you, me, and the child. Our family of three."

Pingjun was held by him, lazy as a cat basking in the sun, not moving an inch. She lowered her head and carefully trimmed her nails. Jiang Xueting looked at the extremely peaceful expression on her face. Her body was extremely warm, carrying a sweet fragrance, as if it were the milk scent of an infant, spreading into his nostrils little by little, stirring his heart and soul.

Just as Jiang Xueting went downstairs, he saw Zhou Zhenghai leading a woman of about forty years old waiting in the hall. When Zhou Zhenghai saw Jiang Xueting coming down, he said to him, "Dean Jiang, it has been done according to your wishes. This is the midwife I hired; Dr. Xie specifically introduced her."

Jiang Xueting glanced at the woman. The old woman looked terrified. Jiang Xueting said indifferently, "After the child is born, you should know what to do, right?"

The midwife hurriedly nodded, "I know. As soon as the child is born, I will say the child’s neck was strangled by the umbilical cord and could not survive. Dean Jiang, rest assured, I am very reliable; there will never be any mistakes."

Jiang Xueting was impatient with her chatter and turned to Zhou Zhenghai, "Let her stay here and have someone arrange a room for her." An adjutant came up and led the midwife to the back. Zhou Zhenghai stepped forward, "Dean Jiang, the Jinling side has sent another representative. They have truly shown full sincerity."

Jiang Xueting hesitated for a moment. After a long while, he smiled indifferently, "They are truly persistent!"

Zhou Zhenghai saw that although Jiang Xueting’s tone carried a touch of mockery, the indecision was already written plainly between his brows, so he took the opportunity to step forward and advise, "If the Jinling side agrees to your demands, Dean, to establish a Central Special Committee and place you as the first, this could curb the dictatorship of the Yu family. Then the Jinling-Yuzhou merger would not be considered..." He paused, looking at Jiang Xueting, smiling, "Moreover, you have high prestige in the party now; who would dare offend you?! The Yu family of Jinling has long had the intention to make amends with you; why not give them a way out like this?"

Jiang Xueting listened to Zhou Zhenghai’s words before raising his eyes to look at his right-hand man, suddenly smiling indifferently, "Putting it that way, there is indeed some logic to it." Zhou Zhenghai glanced upstairs and said slowly, "Dean Jiang, there is one thing I must say: the one upstairs is likely to become a rift between you and that Fifth Young Master of the Yu family. It is very difficult to handle."

Jiang Xueting didn't even need to think, saying emotionlessly, "What is difficult to handle? Do you need to point that out to me? I have my own arrangements. Yu Changxuan already thinks she is dead. Once she gives birth, I will send her to Fusang."

Zhou Zhenghai hurriedly nodded, smiling obsequiously, "Actually, there is no need to send Miss Ye thousands of miles away. I have an idea that can keep Miss Ye safely by your side, Dean."

Jiang Xueting said, "What idea?"

Zhou Zhenghai smiled, "It is an old-fashioned method, but it is effective and has existed since ancient times. There are many old-style families in Yuzhou; to keep their sons from going out to cause trouble, the elders would find ways to coax them into smoking opium. Once they are addicted, it is easy to handle."

Jiang Xueting was slightly startled, turning his head to look at Zhou Zhenghai, a trace of hesitation in his eyes. Zhou Zhenghai smiled, "Miss Ye is a living person, how can one keep her locked up? Besides, even if you keep her locked up like this, there is no point. You always want her to follow you wholeheartedly so that you can live comfortably. Dean, don't you agree?"

When he left, she was still trimming the nail on the little finger of her right hand. The room was empty; dust was dancing in the sunlight streaming in. There was a "snap" sound; the little fingernail broke off, and drops of red blood welled up from the gap under the nail. She slowly put down the nail clippers as if she couldn't see clearly, holding her finger up to the sunlight. That drop of bright red blood dripped down from between her fingers...

Her expression held a sense of blank bewilderment, as if she were remembering a dream, such a distant dream, as if it were a matter from a past life. In the dream, there was a courtyard, and in the courtyard grew a few pear trees, the moonlight reaching the window.

She lowered her head to embroider a pear blossom, and the needle pricked her fingertip. She let out an "Ouch," and a drop of blood welled up, falling beside the embroidered pear blossom on her white shirt. He frowned, "How could you be so careless?" He came to look at her finger, but she stared at the bloodstain on the shirt, sighing incessantly, "It was perfectly fine; why did it have to get stained?"

He gripped her bleeding finger, brought it before his eyes, and put it in his mouth to suck it for her. She let out another "Ah," pulled her finger back, and glared at him, blushing. He smiled, "Your blood is sweet."

At this moment, a pot of white chrysanthemums stood before her eyes—also a dazzling white. She slowly put her little finger into her mouth and gently sucked it. Her gaze lost its focus, scattering into a misty fog, a wet, sorrowful fog of tears. Her life hereafter seemed to have turned into such a sorrowful layer of teary mist from this very moment.

She looked toward the balcony. The carved iron railings were entwined with lush vines, the leaves swaying in the wind in heavy layers. Between the gaps in the leaves, two or three small, pale yellow flowers bloomed. Outside the balcony was a tall osmanthus tree, its luxuriant branches and leaves supporting there like a large umbrella. Everything around was silent.

When she cried, she made no sound; only two streams of scorching hot tears flowed slowly down her cheeks.

Pingjun had not expected that giving birth would be so painful, as if she were being torn into two. She was in agonizing pain. Beside her ears were the midwife’s words, "Miss Ye, hold on, hold on! You must use your strength! How else can you give birth to the child?"

She closed her eyes, her face covered in tears, her long hair, soaked with sweat, scattered on the pillow. The cork she was biting into was stained with blood, and her breathing was full of hot steam that made it hard to catch her breath. She just wanted to die with this child because she knew he would never let this child go!

The midwife suddenly leaned to her ear and whispered, "Miss Ye, I am the person Dr. Xie arranged to send in. Dr. Xie is right outside. As soon as the child is born, we will hide the child in the medical bag and smuggle him out. Don't worry, Dr. Xie and I will spare no cost to preserve your child!"

Her heart jolted, as if soaked in ice. She didn't know where she found such great strength, struggling to grab a hand beside her, not caring whose hand it was, gripping it with all her might, and stuttering, "...Save... my child..."

Her heart felt pierced by needles, tears rolling slowly from the corners of her eyes. Having struggled to finish those few words, her face was deathly pale. The midwife placed her hand on her sweaty forehead, "Don't worry!"

When she heard the child’s cry, she felt her whole body relax; she didn't even have the strength to hold her fingers. The midwife cut the umbilical cord, wrapped the child up, and brought him before her, lowering her voice, "I am taking him away now." She struggled to turn her head to look at the child. The child was wrapped in blankets, small and thin, so thin she couldn't even clearly see his nose or eyes, like a small, red lump of meat. Yet, this tiny child had to experience this life-and-death separation the moment he was born.

She struggled to lower her head to kiss the child’s face, and tears rolled down in strings, uncontrollable. The teardrops rolled all the way to the child’s lips. The child kept his eyes closed but smacked his lips, as if swallowing his mother’s tears like milk. She said through tears, "Child, my child."

When the midwife walked out holding the child, she heard the door close. Her whole being seemed to have died at that very moment. She knew she had no way out.

The next day, Jiang Xueting brought a Fusang man.

She lay on the bed, completely unable to move. She watched as the Fusang man took out a box of morphine, drew it into a syringe. Jiang Xueting said, "It is her first time; do not use too much."

The Fusang man bowed and scraped, "Dean Jiang, rest assured."

She realized abruptly and became terrified, trying to struggle up from the bed. Jiang Xueting stepped forward and pressed her down, dragging her arm out. She had just given birth, her body incomparably weak; any movement caused dizziness. She could only look at Jiang Xueting in despair, weeping and pleading, "Don't."

She watched with open eyes as the Fusang man walked toward her with the syringe. Jiang Xueting held her tightly in his arms, and she heard him whisper through gritted teeth above her head, "Even if I let you die in my hands, I will never let you have him!"

Tears flowed like a spring down her face. The moment the needle was about to pierce the vein in her arm, she suddenly exerted force and bit Jiang Xueting’s hand. Jiang Xueting frowned and failed to hold her. Her arm whipped up, and the sharp needle slashed across her pale skin. In an instant, blood gushed from her arm. She struggled and fell to the floor, then struggled to stand up, stumbling and hiding in a corner, kneeling on the ground in desperate, trembling sobs, "Jiang Xueting, kill me! I beg you, kill me right now!"

The Fusang man looked at Jiang Xueting, at a loss. Jiang Xueting frowned and came forward to grab her, saying ruthlessly, "Come here!"

Pingjun was terrified to the extreme, crawling up to back away. He stepped forward and pulled her. The doctor with the needle hurriedly walked over. She screamed, struggling with all her might, tears flowing like a flood, "Jiang Xueting, you cannot do this to me! My mother raised you; think of how she treated you, think of how our Ye family treated you..."

Jiang Xueting was slightly startled. Ye Pingjun saw a glimmer of hope and hurriedly pointed her hand toward the cloudy sky outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, trembling, "Jiang Xueting, look outside! My mother is watching you from heaven; you cannot do this to me, you will face retribution!"

Her voice was miserable and hoarse. Jiang Xueting felt a sudden tremor in his heart and involuntarily looked at the sky outside the window, a look of panic appearing on his face. The force of his grip relaxed slightly. She broke free and fled far away. Jiang Xueting saw her stumbling to the door, frantically hitting the door, but it was tightly locked; she couldn't open it. Jiang Xueting regained his senses and said coldly, "Ye Pingjun, I tell you, you don't need to block me with these words. Today, this morphine—you must have it!"

She knew she couldn't escape. Suddenly, she turned her head sharply, her gaze filled with hatred shooting straight at Jiang Xueting, tears streaming down her cheeks. She turned and slammed her head hard against the wardrobe to the side, instantly causing her head to bleed and lose consciousness, her body sliding limply down the cold wardrobe.

Jiang Xueting had never expected her to do this. He shouted in terror, "Pingjun—!" and sprinted forward to hold her cold body, reaching out to cover her forehead. Her eyes were tightly closed, and there was a large bloody gash on her forehead, blood gushing like a spring. Her breathing was weak. He was so frightened he was trembling all over. The Fusang man to the side asked anxiously, "Dean Jiang, should we still inject the morphine?"

Jiang Xueting held the unconscious Ye Pingjun tightly, turning his head suddenly, his eyes bloodshot, shouting, "Inject your ass! Hurry and call a doctor for me, goddamn it! Hurry!"

When she woke up again, her mind was muddled, and she was always terrified, her whole body feeling cold, unable to bear the sunlight. She curled up in the corner like a small animal. When Jiang Xueting dragged her out of the corner, she would bite him like a madwoman, letting out miserable screams that were unbearable to hear. Other times, she would slam herself against the balcony; the balcony’s floor-to-ceiling windows had already been sealed and covered with a thick curtain, making the room pitch black.

All the doctors Jiang Xueting hired were helpless. Watching Pingjun grow more haggard and demented day by day, Ruixiang, who took care of her, sighed privately to Fu Ma, who was working in the kitchen, "It is a pity that Miss Ye had such a beautiful appearance, only for her to become foolish."

But many days later, Pingjun gradually became much calmer and finally quieted down, obedient as a weak child. Jiang Xueting tried to approach, and she neither ran nor avoided him, quietly lying in Jiang Xueting’s arms, her lifeless eyes staring at the tiny bit of light leaking through the gaps in the curtains.

It was already winter. A thin layer of snow was laid on the balcony, and the floor-to-ceiling windows reflected a blinding snow light. The light in her pupils slowly dispersed. Suddenly, she pulled at Jiang Xueting’s sleeve. Jiang Xueting lowered his head. She smiled gently, stretched out her hand to point outside the window, and called out faintly, "Mother..."

Before the Lunar New Year that year, Jiang Xueting issued a circular telegram to retire in Yuzhou. The Jinling government and the Yuzhou government were officially merged into one. Jiang Xueting became the Minister of Administration and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Jinling government. Since then, the Jinling-Yuzhou merger, which the Yu family of Jiangnan had painstakingly managed and promoted, was finally a complete success.

On New Year's Eve, one could hear the sound of firecrackers far and near. The steward of the residence, Zhou Tai, had long ago led the servants to clean all the courtyards. Colorful lanterns were hung in the veranda, and the leafless branches were wrapped in silk, tied into clusters of flowers. The hall had long been set up with many potted landscapes. Minru led Daiti into the hall and saw the Second Miss, Jinxuan, helping Mrs. Yu arrange a pot of narcissus flowers. As soon as Jinxuan saw Daiti, she greeted her with a smile, "The Fifth Sister-in-law is here. Take advantage of your supple waist and bow to us for the New Year."

Daiti smiled slightly, "Second Sister is teasing me again."

Minru also smiled, looking at Mrs. Yu, "Mother, I heard Qixuan has written a letter." Mrs. Yu sighed, "This child’s temper is truly stubborn. The few words in the letter are just ‘I am safe, do not worry.’" Minru smiled, "As long as the little sister is safe, we can rest easy."

To the side, Zhou Tai walked in from outside the hall and said to Mrs. Yu, "Mistress, the New Year’s Eve dinner is on the table." Mrs. Yu nodded, turned her face, and smiled slightly at Minru and the others, "Changxuan is hosting Jiang Xueting from Yuzhou this evening; they are drinking and enjoying themselves there, so this New Year’s dinner you all can only eat with me."

After saying this, Mrs. Yu led Minru and the others to the restaurant. Jinxuan specially gestured for Daiti to sit at Mrs. Yu’s right side. Daiti wanted to decline, but Mrs. Yu smiled, "No need for courtesy, just sit." Only then did Daiti sit down. After eating a few bites, Mrs. Yu looked at Daiti and smiled, "I just offered a statue of the Avalokiteshvara of Child-Bearing in white suet jade in the main hall. After eating, don't forget to go and pay your respects."

Daiti lowered her head, the gold-inlaid jade earrings on her earlobes swaying incessantly on her collar, the shadows of the beads flickering. She didn't speak, only nodding slowly.

It was already late at night when Jun Daiti returned to her room.

The room remained quiet as usual; only the pendulum of the large floor-to-ceiling clock placed to the side swayed back and forth before her eyes. The carpet was as thick as a sponge. She wore a blue peacock-patterned padded qipao, bright and dignified, sitting alone on the bed. The bed was so large, the bedding was brand new, yet the bedspread felt icy cold.

Outside the door came the voice of the steward, Zhu Ma, "Young Mistress, it is late, you should rest."

She suddenly shivered, as if afraid of the cold, subconsciously reaching to the cabinet beside the bed, picking up the phone, and dialing Fengtai. The one who answered was his personal adjutant, Wu Zuoxiao. For some reason, she felt so nervous her teeth couldn't help but chatter, her voice astringent, "Is he still busy?"

Wu Zuoxiao was silent for a moment before answering politely, "Young Mistress, the Commander-in-Chief has already rested."

Jun Daiti slowly hung up the phone.

A double-sided embroidered screen stood at the side of the bed, embroidered with a scene of snow in the mountains—exquisite and delicate. She turned her head and looked at herself in the dressing mirror. The gilded hairpin stuck in her hair bun was slightly askew. She reached out to straighten it and looked at herself in the mirror—she was already very perfect. Only then did she slowly lower her hand, lost in thought.

She remembered that when she was a child, her father had given her a copy of Dream of the Red Chamber. At that time, she liked foreign operas very much and had no interest in such ancient literature, only flipping through a few pages casually, yet she remembered that one sentence alone: Sighing at the human world, believing now that beauty is imperfect; even with eyebrows raised and eyebrows aligned, the heart remains unsettled.

She didn't quite understand it at the time, but now she understood everything—unfortunately, it was already too late.

Jiang Xueting participated in the inauguration ceremony in Jinling and flew back to Yuzhou on a private plane overnight. Arriving in Yuzhou at one or two in the morning, he saw Zhou Zhenghai waiting to welcome him as soon as he stepped off the plane. He began immediately, "How is she?" Zhou Zhenghai knew who Jiang Xueting was asking about and hurriedly replied, "Miss Ye has been very quiet these past few days. With Ruixiang taking care of her personally, there is nothing abnormal."

He nodded and sat in the car, braving the snow to head toward the small mansion. When the car reached the ferry, it drove directly onto the boat. The boat swayed, and Zhou Zhenghai smiled, "Dean Jiang, this trip can be called a proud spring breeze. The newspapers, both large and small, have published your grace at the inauguration ceremony; everyone says you are the cleanest person in the party, your prestige spreading far."

Jiang Xueting darkened his face, letting out a "Hmph" after a long while, "The more the Yu father and son yield to me, the more worried I become. I know they have plenty of methods they likely haven't even used yet."

Zhou Zhenghai smiled, "Dean Jiang, you don't need to worry about that. We have the Northwest Army in our hands; at worst, we will have a hard confrontation. No one should think they can be at ease."

Jiang Xueting nodded. The boat sailed for a short while before reaching the south bank of Yuzhou. As the boat docked, the cars on it shook, causing the snow on the car bodies to fall. The driver drove the car onto the bank and headed toward the mansion. The snow fell in clusters; the car did not stop until it reached the front of the mansion.

Jiang Xueting got out of the car, not bothering to take off his overcoat, and headed upstairs. As soon as he pushed open the bedroom door, he was met with a wave of warmth. She had her hair draped, was barefoot, and was hiding behind the balcony curtains, as if afraid, using her little finger to pull back a corner of the curtain to peek outside. She looked a few times, then pulled her hand back, a nervous expression on her face.

He called out, "Pingjun."

She turned her head and saw him, smiling broadly. Barefoot, she ran toward him like flowing clouds, throwing herself into his arms, laughing as innocently as a child, "Look, there are many flowers outside... white flowers..."

Jiang Xueting said with a smile, "I rushed back from Jinling specifically to accompany you. What do you want to eat? I will take you to eat it."

She shook her head vigorously, "I don't want to eat."

He looked at her; she was spirited, her eyes as bright as starlight. Suddenly, she pointed to the snow on his overcoat that hadn't melted yet, giggling, "Flowers... flowers..."

She reached out to touch the snowflakes on his coat. He grasped her thin hands and said with a gentle smile, "Don't move, it’s cold."

She withdrew her hand, biting her finger and smiling foolishly. He took off his overcoat and just as he hung it on the coat rack, he turned to see her running toward the sandalwood wardrobe, lying on the carpet and trying hard to look under the wardrobe. He said, "What are you looking for?"

She turned back to look at him, smiling, "There is something hidden inside here. I saw it."

He walked up, pulled her up from the carpet, and said gently, "Never mind it." She still wanted to search under the wardrobe but was pulled into his arms. Jiang Xueting held her and sat on the sofa, his hands locked around her waist. She was just anxious to search under the wardrobe and reached out to pry his fingers open one by one. She barely managed to pry one open, but he closed it again. She grew anxious and used both hands to forcefully pry his hand away.

She lowered her head, her black hair hanging down like a waterfall, and some small strands of hair fell out, sticking to her white neck. Jiang Xueting slowly leaned close to her neck, carefully kissing her warm skin. She didn't know anything, only concentrating on prying his fingers, as if this were the most important thing in her life.

The moon slowly flashed out from the clouds, the only silver plate in the pitch-black night sky, appearing all the brighter. Outside the window, a cold, chilly white was revealed. The hot water pipes in the bedroom were burning hot, the room full of warmth. A branch of broken white hibiscus was inserted into the official kiln vase placed on the shelf, the painted lattice reflecting its posture, winding and graceful.

His breathing gradually grew rapid. He lowered his head to kiss her cheeks, but she reached out to push him away in displeasure. His hands moved, easily grasping both of her restless hands tightly.

When Jiang Xueting woke up in the middle of the night, he reached out, but the side of the bed was empty.

He broke out in a cold sweat. In a panic, he rose from the bed. The snow light outside the window shone into the bedroom, bright as day. She was not in the room. The door was open a crack, and the light from the corridor shone through. He didn't care about anything else, running out of the room in his pajamas. The guards on duty in the adjutant’s room downstairs were all startled. When Zhou Zhenghai learned the situation, he hurriedly sent all the guards to search and took a coat from the adjutant’s room to drape over Jiang Xueting, following him and saying incessantly, "Dean Jiang, don't worry. Miss Ye must still be in the courtyard. There are sentries at the gate; if Miss Ye had walked out, she would have been discovered."

The snow in the courtyard was already very deep, and even the trees in the garden were covered in white. All the courtyard lamps were turned on. The clean, flat white snow was trampled into a mess by the searching, bustling guards. The late-night weather was extremely cold, and the breath exhaled turned into a white mist in the blink of an eye. Jiang Xueting frowned, "It is so cold."

Zhou Zhenghai hurriedly said, "Dean Jiang, quickly go inside. We will definitely find Miss Ye."

Jiang Xueting raged, "Stop with the nonsense. Hurry and find her for me! If she gets frostbitten in the slightest, I will hold you accountable!"

Zhou Zhenghai realized what Jiang Xueting was worried about and hurriedly led several adjutants into the garden. Suddenly, they heard a guard in the distance shout, "Found her, Miss Ye is here."

Jiang Xueting walked over quickly and saw Ye Pingjun curled up under a tree. In such cold weather, she was only wearing a thin nightgown, barefoot. Her hair was full of snowflakes, her face frozen of all color, her whole body frozen stiff. Jiang Xueting took off his own overcoat and wrapped Pingjun up entirely. She looked at him slowly from the gap in the coat, brilliant ice shards hanging from her eyelashes, and said indistinctly, "Hot, hot, so hot... there is a fire burning me..."

She trembled incessantly, falling into an overwhelming hallucination, surrounded by flames. Jiang Xueting wrapped her in his clothes, and she tried to break free, but her fingers were frozen numb. Jiang Xueting carried her into the house. She snuggled into his arms, gazing upward at the snowflakes drifting from the night sky. She slowly stretched her pale, frozen hands toward the deep night sky, a gentle and touching smile appearing at the corners of her mouth, and she chanted softly, "Flowers..."

He was startled.

Childhood memories, as if the jade hairpin flowers blooming in the corner of the wall, flashed before his eyes one by one. On a scorching afternoon, he was still a child under ten, picking a handful of jade hairpin flowers to find her. She was taking a nap on a mat, and he was lying on the window, calling her name hard, "Pingjun, Pingjun..."

She was awakened by him and scrambled up from the mat, rubbing her eyes vigorously. The first thing she saw was the handful of jade hairpins in his hand. Her smile was like a flower, as brilliant as sunlight, pointing at the jade hairpins in his hand, "Flowers..."

The reality, like a dream, was broken and then forcibly reconnected by him. He was intoxicated in that dream. In the dream, her brilliant smile was the attachment he picked up again. She twitched in his arms, making distressed breathing sounds, while he was in a daze. She in his arms was still warm, warm as if she were a lump of burning charcoal, sticking to his chest. He only wanted such a dream and hoped never to wake up.

In the blink of an eye, it was early spring in February. Yu Changxuan was promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Central Army of the Jinling government in Jiangnan, leading the army north. At that time, the main force of the Xiao army was in a fierce battle with the Fusang army on the Xinping Island front. The Yu army of Jiangnan took this opportunity to occupy Huyang Pass, the gateway to the north. This move caused an uproar throughout the country.

Chu Wenfu, the then-Chairman of the Jinling Government, and Jiang Xueting, the Minister of Administration, suddenly became the targets of public criticism. Jiang Xueting was in his position but could not plot his governance, trapped in a dilemma. On one hand, he could not control the Yu army and had bitter words he couldn't speak; on the other, he became a scapegoat, bearing the infamy of "taking advantage of others' misfortune, unbenevolent and unrighteous" for Yu Changxuan!

Inside the Yu Army Command at Huyang Pass.

The office was silent. A page of case report was placed on the table, on which was written: "Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Ninth Army, Gu Yigang, embezzled military funds and lined his own pockets. Resisting orders in the face of battle, delaying military affairs... Order by telegram for him to be shot on the spot at Xiangpingkou..." To the side of the desk was a leather sofa, the floor beneath it covered with cigarette butts. Yu Changxuan sat on the sofa, closing his eyes to rest, his feet crossed on the tea table. He heard the voice of his adjutant, Wu Zuoxiao, from outside, "Commander-in-Chief, the person sent by Dean Jiang of Jinling demands to see you."

Yu Changxuan didn't even open his eyes, "Kick him out!"

The sound outside the door faded away. He slowly opened his eyes and finally stood up, walked to the table, and took the page of the case report, quickly signing his name on it. He knew that as soon as he signed this name, Uncle Gu’s life would be over. But what other choice did he have? At present, the big shots in the Jinling government were watching him extremely closely. If he favored his relatives at this time, wouldn't he be giving them an excuse!

Moreover, Uncle Gu was quite insistent on relying on his status as an elder and actually dared to disobey his orders, privately mobilizing the troops at Xiangpingkou. Although Uncle Gu had watched him grow up, he was always an old official of his father’s, and now he dared to treat him with such contempt. Keeping him around would always be a hidden danger.

He had to be removed sooner or later!

Thinking of this, the light in his pupils gradually grew cold. He casually pressed the electric bell beside the desk, and the Secretary-General of the Confidential Room, Wang Ji, walked in. He threw the case report to Wang Ji, saying indifferently, "Go handle it immediately."

Wang Ji took the file and walked out. Another secretary came to deliver the strategic report. Yu Changxuan took the report and flipped through it page by page. The secretaries of the Confidential Room came and went; frontline military reports were sent one after another. By two o'clock in the afternoon, after meeting with high-level staff, Yu Changxuan led the commanders of all armies to rush straight to the front line of Huyang Pass to inspect the military fortifications.

Huyang Pass had long been known as the "First Pass under Heaven" and had been a military town since ancient times. What Yu Changxuan came to inspect in person were precisely the new fortifications built along the Jianghua line. Who would have expected that upon reaching the site, the work had been skimped on; they were merely perfunctory piles of earth, and even the machine gun bunkers did not have the most basic concealment. Adjutant Wu Zuoxiao directly took a few men and tied up the commander of the 28th Regiment, Sun Yicheng, who was responsible for the construction, dragging him out of the fortifications.

Sun Yicheng knelt on the ground with a "plop," weeping and begging in terror, "Commander-in-Chief, spare my life! Give me another chance, I will definitely..."

Yu Changxuan pulled out his pistol with an expressionless face, raised his hand, and shot Sun Yicheng in the forehead. Sun Yicheng immediately fell, his brains splattered on the ground, and he was silent. Yu Changxuan turned his head to look at the Deputy Commander of the 28th Regiment, who was pale with fright, and said indifferently, "If these fortifications don't look different by tomorrow morning, you can pull out your gun and blow your own head off!"

He turned and headed outside the fortifications. Several adjutants and aides followed him all the way. The people of the Guard Corps all advanced with guns, their faces cold and stern. After inspecting the second-line fortifications, the entire afternoon was spent on this land that had been swept over countless times by the flames and smoke of war. It was not until late at night that Wu Zuoxiao, panting, held the fortification position map, walking through the trenches, when he was stopped by He Junsun, who crossed his arms.

Wu Zuoxiao was slightly startled. He Junsun whispered, "If you go over now, aren't you looking for death!"

Wu Zuoxiao said, "Why?"

He Junsun raised his head and signaled to the front. Wu Zuoxiao looked in the direction he pointed, and an expression of sudden realization immediately appeared on his face.

He saw the ground covered with a thin layer of snow. On the slope shrouded in cold night colors, there was a command post built temporarily with military tents. One side of the tent curtain was pulled open, and one could see a tree of pear blossoms outside. A pear blossom branch snaked obliquely across the deep night, and the cold air was filled with a frigid fragrance.

Yu Changxuan lay on the command desk, covered with a thick cape, his figure seeming to melt into the cold night. He closed his eyes, an expression of wistfulness showing on his angular face. Everything was silent, only the cold wind blowing through the pear trees, the shadows of the branches swaying and rustling. Pear blossoms fell to the ground, as if covered by a thin layer of snow.

In the misty dream, a little girl with a double bun turned back and smiled at him. Her fair and beautiful face seemed to melt into the frost-white moonlight. Her smiling face was like a petal of a white pear blossom, the spiritual elegance revealing a touch of faint, fragrant, cold air.

He had too many such dreams, so even in the dream, he knew it was just a dream.

Only one light bulb hung above the tent, swaying and creaking with the wind. That dark light covered his stiff body, as if shining on a body without a soul.

He lay quietly there, frowning, murmuring in a daze: "So cold..."

Orioles on the branches listen to tears, new tear marks between old tear marks. Throughout spring, no news of the fish and geese, thousand miles of mountain passes labor the dream soul. Vines on the tall trees, rocks and reeds—how can they compare to your family’s ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers, a picture scroll of unified eternal merit.

Half a month later, North Xin City fell, and the Xiao warlords were destroyed. Yu Changxuan led his troops north rapidly. The Fusang army, which had already lost more than half, abandoned the city and retreated to guard Xinping Island. The Yu army finally won the vast territory of the north.

A month later, Jiang Xueting returned to Yuzhou overnight on a private plane, sending a telegram from Yuzhou to the Jinling government to resign from his positions as Minister of Administration and Minister of Foreign Affairs.