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For these secrets were but a burden to her. Once one bears a burden, their steps become heavy, no longer light or free.

She was not willing to confine herself for another person again, and Gu Changjin naturally saw this reluctance in her eyes. He understood why she didn't wish to know.

She remembered her past life, but had put aside all that transpired between them.

Yet he could not let go; it was impossible for him to do so.

Gu Changjin held the jade pendant in his hand, his lips parting as he was about to speak. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside.

Chang Ji knocked softly on the door and said, "Master, someone is here."

Chapter 77

Dawn broke, and the dense foliage blocked out the sun.

A troop of Imperial Guards, clad in armor and wearing phoenix-winged helmets, rode through a mountain trail. The sound of their galloping horses echoed loudly, startling the birds in the trees into fluttering skyward.

As they neared the wooden cabin, Xie Hushen gently pulled on the reins and waved his hand behind him. Over a hundred Imperial Guards came to an abrupt halt, dismounting respectfully to stand on one side.

This scene reminded Xie Hushen of that day when the masses had gathered at the gates of the Eastern Depot to appeal for justice. Back then, he had rode in with the same grandeur, asking the then-Criminal Minister Gu Changjin to recount the events of that day.

He had been impressed by the eloquence of the scholarly officials back then, their sharp tongues prevailing in the world.

Little did he expect that this official would have such a destiny?

Recalling the words of advice Lord Wang Dehai had given him before this journey, Xie Hushen's heart stirred with solemnity. He approached the door with a respectful demeanor, ready to knock.

Inside the room, Gu Changjin exchanged a glance with Rong Shu and whispered, "It will take around four or five days to reach Wanping County. Once we're there, find a safe place to stay first. Let Chang Ji handle the task of capturing the person; you mustn't take unnecessary risks."

Rong Shu agreed, "Alright."

Gu Changjin gave her a profound look before strolling out the door.

Just like in his dream, Xie Hushen was there to meet him. What was meant to happen in the twenty-third year of Jiaoyu had unfolded ahead of its time.

Gu Changjin gazed at the brilliant autumn sun hanging high in the tree branches, his expression inscrutable.

In the distant capital, in the Kunning Palace.

Empress Qi reclined on an imperial couch, her chin resting on her hand as she gazed silently at the vibrant autumn begonias blooming outside her window.

A palace attendant hurried through the hall, whispering something into Aunt Gui's ear as they passed the entrance.

Aunt Gui's face lit up with joy. She lifted the curtain and entered, addressing Empress Qi, "The assassins sent by the Xing family have all been slain by Commander Xie. He should be receiving the captured survivors within the next couple of days. This time, the Xing family has truly shown remarkable audacity, not fearing to incur the wrath of the Emperor."

She spat fiercely, her teeth gritted with resentment, "It's a pity we couldn't capture any alive, allowing that old villain Xing to escape this calamity. This old servant doesn't believe that the Qi family's affairs could have unfolded without the Xing family's involvement!"

Granny Gui is an old member of the Qi family, having accompanied Empress Qi into the Taiyuan Mansion and then back to the capital to take up residence in the Kunning Palace.

She had watched Empress Qi grow up and shared a deep bond with her. However, she was, after all, a member of the Qi family. Her son and grandchildren were all part of that clan. Now that the Qi family was being investigated and their assets seized, how could she not feel resentment?

Qi Zhen gazed upon Nurse Gui's wrinkled, haggard face and spoke softly, "The Xing family did indeed fan the flames, but flies do not hover around an egg without a crack. If not for my brother and Yu'er's mistakes, how could the Xing family have found an opening? Yu'er dispatched men to ambush Liu Yuan and his party at the ferry, a matter the Emperor has also thoroughly investigated. This time, even I cannot save the Qi family."

Even under layers of elaborate makeup, the fatigue around Qi Zhen's eyes was unmistakable.

In just a month, the capital city has witnessed a myriad of dramatic transformations.

Half a month ago, on the day Liu Yuan was attacked, she paid a visit to Daci'en Temple to meet with Left Supreme Censor Meng Zong.

Sir Qi Zhen, the Grand Censor, was someone whose name his elder brother had mentioned on several occasions. Known for his enigmatic nature, both Chief Minister of Punishments and his elder brother had attempted to win him over, only to be met with failure.

Meng Zong maintained a distant relationship with everyone, yet he never offended any of them.

A man who refuses to align himself with factions has always had a rocky path in the imperial court, yet his exceptional abilities earned him the favor of both Emperor Jiande and Emperor Jiayou. For many years, he has administered the Board of Censors with such ironclad discipline that it's no easy task for others to corrupt even his subordinates.

Meng Zong had never been involved in political intrigues, let alone entangled with the concubines in the harem. Qi Zhen was at a loss as to why this man would request an audience with her.

Yet, the first sentence that Meng Zong spoke in that small temple almost made Qi Zhen drop the rosary beads she was holding in surprise.

"The Empress must be familiar with this small temple," Meng Zong said indifferently. "On the sixth of April in the second year of Jiayou, Her Majesty secretly gave birth to the little princess here."

Those words transported Qi Zhen back to that stormy spring night.

On the sixth day of the first month that year, Emperor Jiayou had fallen critically ill. At that time, he only had Xiao Yi, his eldest son, who had just turned one year old, leaving the entire court in a state of unrest.

Qi Zhen had already been diagnosed with a pregnancy then, but she dared not make it known.

She was all too aware of the countless hazards lurking within the imperial harem.

Despite her utmost precautions, she couldn't guard against those closest to her. The moment news of her pregnancy spread, the hidden agents of the Xing family, nested in the Kunning Palace, sprang into action. If not for Aunt Gui's prudence, her unborn child would have been lost.

At that time, whether the child in her womb was a prince or a princess would determine the future of both the Qi family and herself.

Should it be a son, the former loyalists of the Qi family and most of the military officials in the court would rally behind her. But if it were a daughter, the fate of the Qi family, hers, and that of her child would be grimly predictable.

Her brother had foreseen this and discreetly concealed in the capital several women from the Qi family who were also expecting around the same time, including one of his concubines.

On the third day of April, the concubine experienced premature labor due to pregnancy complications, giving birth to a boy.

Reluctantly, she left the palace under the pretext of a dream visit from her mother, guiding her to seek blessings at Dashi'en Temple. On the sixth day of April, she consumed an herbal potion to hasten labor, despite being barely seven months into her pregnancy.

She endured a night of excruciating pain in the Buddhist temple of Great Mercy, barely clinging to life. As she gazed at the jade Buddha statue in the shrine, she thought to herself that this was karma's retribution.

The Qi family has consistently supported Prince Qiyuan.

Back then, she was married to Xiao Yan solely as a temporary measure to deceive Emperor Jinde. In the second year of Emperor Jinde's coma, when Prince Qiyuan had assumed regency, the Qi family was already prepared to eliminate Xiao Yan so that she could fake her death and return to the Qi family, remarriage into the Eastern Palace as a collateral member of the Qi clan.