Chapter 39: Farewell

Chapter 39: Farewell

The discovery of the female corpse in the royal hunting ground was known to Emperor Chengyuan, who was aware that Zhou Yan had provided the evidence.

Although he was not at fault, he had reported on a prince, and Emperor Chengyuan naturally redirected his anger, deciding to no longer grant him important responsibilities.

Zhou Yan felt a mix of regret and relief.

He had come to the capital in search of A Yuan, and although he had found her, he couldn't take her with him.

This time, reporting Prince Jing was also to save A Yuan. The process had been fraught with danger, but thankfully, the outcome was a positive one.

"I will return to Jiangnan."

"That's good. Your talents and abilities, Hanlin Zhou, are exceptional. There will surely be opportunities for reuse in the future. Jiangnan is a place where talents abound, and Hanlin Zhou can make more connections with capable scholars."

The Crown Prince spoke in a veiled manner, but Zhou Yan, with his intelligence, had already discerned the Crown Prince's meaning.

This gave him a reassuring promise that when the Crown Prince ascends the throne, there will still be a place for him in the capital. His task now was to win over the noble and upright for the Crown Prince in Jiangnan.

"I obey, Your Highness."

The Crown Prince, due to his weak constitution, could not drink much and left with his attendants ahead of time, leaving Zhou Yan and Wei Xun alone in the private room.

Zhou Yan held a wine cup, a self-deprecating smile curling on his lips.

"When I poured the wine, Lord Wei must have discerned my purpose, correct? Only I believed it to be flawless. Since I am about to leave the capital, you no longer need to worry about me competing for A Yuan."

Wei Xun gently tapped the table with his knuckles, his cold expression conveying an indifferent detachment. "I was never worried."

The person he wanted would always stay by his side, and no one could take her away.

"Hah!" Zhou Yan was angered by his arrogance, but it was precisely this confident pride that he lacked.

He and A Yuan had grown up together, known each other for thirteen years, but in those thirteen years, he had never been able to pull A Yuan out of the mire. Now he was once again left with nothing, and A Yuan would only suffer more if she followed him.

Zhou Yan raised his hand, downed the wine in one gulp, and a mist of moisture appeared in his eyes.

"Be good to her. That's my only request."

His A Yuan had suffered so much. If Wei Xun truly cherished her, then he was willing to let go.

"...I will."

Wei Xun raised his wine cup and also drank it all in one go, the man's promise sealed in the wine.

Zhou Yan's eyelashes trembled slightly as he held back his tears. Looking at Wei Xun before him, he made another request.

"Before I leave, I want to see her one more time. You can be present."

This farewell might be the last, and he did not want to leave any regrets.

Wei Xun remained silent for a long time before finally nodding in agreement, "Alright."

......

A Yuan's eyelid twitched, and she felt as if something was about to happen.

Although it was summer, the night was still cool.

Chun Tao closed the window for her, spent a while shooing away the mosquitoes, and seeing that she was not sleeping, stayed to chat with her.

"Has the mistress been missing the young master?"

Since returning from the hot spring estate, Wei Xun had not yet visited Yuqing Courtyard again.

There were rumors buzzing in the capital, with Su Wenxuan and Prince Jing being punished one after the other. As someone involved, A Yuan felt anxious.

The things Wei Xun did could easily cost him his life with the slightest misstep. How could she not be worried?

Because Wei Xun did not enter the rear courtyard, she couldn’t see him, and those worries had to be swallowed down.

Hearing Chun Tao’s words, A Yuan pursed her lips, "It's my right eye that has been twitching badly. Get me the embroidery hoop, I’ll sew a few stitches."

She was worried about Wei Xun but dared not say it out loud, so she could only distract herself with some embroidery.

Chun Tao sighed softly, unwilling to push further, and brought her the embroidery hoop, "It’s late, master. Sew a few stitches and then sleep. The young master is such a wise and valiant man, he’ll surely be fine."

"Yes."

The two chatted for a while, and when it was already past midnight, Chun Tao grew sleepy. Just as she was about to blow out the lamp and rest, Wei Xun arrived.

"Young master?"

A Yuan immediately put down her embroidery and hurried over, her eyes carefully scanning him, worried he might be injured.

Wei Xun took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze in response. He had drunk more today, and his behavior was different from his usual cold demeanor.

Especially after hearing so much from Zhou Yan about her, his chest felt full, swelling with emotion.

"What are you embroidering?"

The man led her to sit on the bed. Seeing this, Chun Tao quietly retreated, and closed the door behind them, then went to the kitchen to heat water.

The young master hadn’t visited for a month or two, so today they would surely need hot water.

"I’m making shoes for the young master..."

The windows in the room were closed, and it hadn’t felt unusual before, but now with the man sitting beside her, A Yuan suddenly felt warm.

Coupled with the scent of alcohol on the man, A Yuan’s face turned red.

"Let me take a look?" Wei Xun became interested.

A Yuan rarely made clothes for him, and he treasured the robe she had made before.

"It’s just the pattern embroidered so far."

A Yuan looked somewhat embarrassed. She hadn’t been able to focus lately and hadn’t done much embroidery.

But even so, Wei Xun was already very pleased.

"Is your hand sore?"

He put down the embroidery, took the concubine’s hand, and gently massaged it.

Under the dim candlelight, the man’s expression was unusually gentle.

A Yuan had never seen him like this before.

"Has the young master encountered something good?" she asked cautiously.

Zhou Yan's lips curled slightly, his wine-soaked eyes glimmering.

"Zhou Yan is leaving."

Her mind went blank with a sudden shock.

He's leaving?

Why would he leave?

A Yuan was confined to the small world of Yuqing Courtyard, all her news coming from Wei Xun's mouth. Her relationship with Zhou Yan was still a secret, and now she couldn't even bring herself to ask about his recent situation.

A Yuan's face turned pale, her worry clearly visible.

Wei Xun saw this and felt jealous.

"Worried about him?"

The man gently parted her fingers and grasped her hand, as if holding her lifeline.

A Yuan shook her head hurriedly. "I'm not."

Zhou Yan leaving might actually be for the best; perhaps his obsession would fade once he was gone.

"He wants to see you before he goes."

A Yuan's heart was lifted. "I don't want to..."

"I've already agreed."

"My lord?!"

A Yuan was momentarily stunned, her whole face frozen.

Wei Xun lightly snorted, pinching her chin. "Did you think I would refuse?"

A Yuan shook her head, her face pale. "No, there's nothing for me to say to him."

What was lost was already lost. She had never promised Zhou Yan anything. Meeting again might only create unnecessary complications.

Moreover, the man before her was extremely jealous, and she feared Wei Xun might take his anger out on Zhou Yan again.

A Yuan's response pleased him. Wei Xun rubbed the soft flesh of her chin, his tone softening.

"Just take a quick look and then come back."

On the day Zhou Yan left, autumn had just arrived in the capital. A Yuan got out of the carriage wearing a veil, and the two stood in the pavilion, their vision obscured by the veil.

Wei Xun, being so possessive, naturally wouldn't let Zhou Yan see her face.

Just being able to see her was enough for Zhou Yan.

......

Having decided to let her go, Zhou Yan wouldn't say any more words of entanglement. Wei Xun waited in the carriage, determined not to cause trouble for A Yuan.

"Wei Xun is a man of integrity, and if he wants to protect you, he certainly can. But while he can handle the court, the struggles among the women in the inner chambers might be beyond his control."

In the end, Zhou Yan still cared about A Yuan's status.

No matter how much Wei Xun cared for her, he couldn't give her the status of a legal wife.

"If you can't continue in the future, return to Jiangnan. Mother misses you dearly."