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Rong Shu took it and asked, "Have you finished eating?"

He replied with a soft "Mm."

In truth, he was somewhat exhausted, but he was reluctant to sleep.

On such a bone-chilling night, in a small thatched cottage, with two humble earthenware pots, a few charcoal braziers, and a person who captivated your gaze no matter what they did, who could bear to sleep?

Yet, even if he didn't want to, he had to sleep.

After Rong Shu tidied up the bamboo bed, she urged him to rest.

For the following days, Rong Shu feared that Chang Ji might wake up hungry in the middle of the night, so she would always warm up a couple of bowls of soup or congee in the kitchen before settling down for the night.

This was no different on the day when Chang Ji and Heng Ping visited.

Gu Changjin was already able to get out of bed, and on that midnight when Rong Shu went to fetch soup from the small kitchen, he accompanied her.

The distance between the cottage and the little kitchen wasn't far, but he insisted on going together. Rong Shu acquiesced to his request.

This time, the soup was made from a wild boar that Chang Ji had hunted in the mountains.

The winter-fed wild boar had accumulated a layer of fat. Chang Ji and Heng Ping skinned the meat and used the bones to make the broth, adding a generous handful of wild mushrooms they had gathered from the hills.

The broth was as creamy as milk, richly aromatic and sweet.

In the past, Rong Shu could finish a bowl of this soup within the time it took for an incense stick to burn. But today, she ate at an unusually slow pace, stirring the soup with her wooden spoon before setting it aside.

Tomorrow, they would be leaving this place for Da Tong.

Seeing her stir the soup without taking a bite, Gu Changjin frowned and asked, "Are you full?"

This was the soup she usually enjoyed, but she had eaten very little for both breakfast and lunch today. So Gu Changjin had instructed Chang Ji and the others to hunt some wild boars or snow rabbits for the soup, only to find that she still had no appetite.

Rong Shu shook her head and sipped the soup slowly. "I can eat, but it took three hours to prepare this soup. We can't waste it."

After finishing the soup, she held the wooden spoon and asked Gu Changjin, "Are you truly recovered? Should we... stay longer at Qingyan Temple for more rest?"

Gu Changjin was just about to hand her a handkerchief. Hearing her words, he paused, then lifted his gaze to look at her.

"If Mother were in Da Tong, simply have Chang Ji or Heng Ping deliver a message," Rong Shu said, her eyes still lowered, her voice barely audible. "When your injuries are fully healed, I will go to Da Tong to meet up with Mother."

"Zhaozhao, I must hurry back to the capital," Gu Changjin replied. "That way, you can live the life you want."

Pausing, he added, "Gui Zhong is surely still searching for you."

For this reason, he had to return to the capital to eliminate any potential threats for her.

Rong Shu remained silent.

After a long while, she lifted her gaze and looked at him. "Alright."

Gu Changjin moved his lips, considering asking if she wanted to accompany him back to the capital. But the words died in his throat.

He couldn't ask that.

If he did, even if she was unwilling, she would still go back to the capital with him.

Both of them stayed awake throughout the night.

The following morning, after everyone had finished their breakfast, Rong Shu and her companions bade farewell to Daoist Qing Miao and Baoshan, setting off down the mountain.

Heng Ping and Chang Ji had already gone ahead to prepare the horse-drawn carriage. By the time they reached the foot of the mountain, Yingyue and Ying Que were already waiting by the carriage.

Upon seeing their young mistress, tears immediately welled up in their eyes, streaming down their cheeks. They scrutinized Rong Shu from head to toe, front to back, making sure she was unharmed before they could stop crying.

Rong Shu felt a mix of sadness and amusement at their reaction.

"I told you, that corpse they found at the bottom of the cliff couldn't have been Miss!" Ying Que wiped angrily at her tears. "Who on earth was so wicked as to disguise that female corpse to look like Miss?"

Yingyue scolded her, "Don't mention that corpse anymore, it's bad luck! As long as Miss is safe and sound, that's all that matters!"

Ying Que still couldn't shake off her anger and continued to curse until she felt somewhat relieved.

Unbeknownst to them, just as their carriage left Long Yin Mountain, the person Ying Que had cursed stopped their entourage.

Gui Zhong, dressed in a bright red robe, led a squad of imperial guards, kneeling before Gu Changjin's carriage. "Your Highness, the Emperor has specially sent this servant to invite you back to the palace for a discussion."

Gu Changjin lifted the carriage curtain and silently observed Gui Zhong, who respectfully knelt in the snowy ground.

It was no surprise to him that Emperor Jia You would send someone.

Knowing that he had left everything behind in Liaodong to come to Dragon Yin Mountain in search of Rong Shu, Emperor Jia You, with his temperament, would undoubtedly dispatch someone to summon him back to the palace for questioning.

Before he left Liaodong, he had entrusted Shiiun with the affairs of the military in Liaodong, leaving him in charge as the acting commander. Then, he instructed Heng Ping to return the imperial edict granting the marriage to the capital.

His initial intention was to reassure Emperor Jia You and assure him that all his concerns would not come to pass.

Now, however, he had a better plan.

Gu Changjin handed a letter without any change in expression, saying, "I must make a trip to Da Tong first. Deliver this letter to the palace on my behalf and tell His Majesty that I will return within half a month at most."

Rong Shu's carriage was right behind Gu Changjin. At that moment, she was listening to their conversation while holding a copper hand warmer.

Upon hearing this, she couldn't help but lower her gaze. After a moment, she freed her right hand to lift the curtain slightly, watching as the letter already in Gui Zhong's hands.

When did he write this letter?

Was it written before he came to Qingyan Temple, or had he secretly composed it after waking up?

Gui Zhong clenched the letter in his hand, feeling a heavy weight in his heart. He knew all too well that the usually mild-tempered Emperor was genuinely enraged this time. If His Highness the Crown Prince didn't return soon, there would be consequences from the Emperor's end...

Gui Zhong gritted his teeth, about to say more, but Gu Changjin spoke up, "Go back to the capital with peace of mind. The Emperor won't be angered after reading the letter." He seemed to have completely understood Gui Zhong's concerns.

Gui Zhong had no choice but to reply, "Yes, sir."

Gu Changjin then asked, "Did you cause the avalanche on Dragon Yin Mountain?"

Gui Zhong hastily shook his head. "How dare I provoke such a disaster? That avalanche was an accident."

Gu Changjin nodded, lowering the carriage curtain. "You saved a life, which offsets your mistake. You may go back now."

Gui Zhong understood that the Crown Prince was letting him off the hook for using a fake corpse to stage Rong Shu's misfortune.