"What's wrong?" Qu Xiao-man looked at her concerned expression, furrowed her brows, and glanced at her hand, her face brightening immediately. "Has the poison from Chi Man-luo finally cleared?" Yun Rao shook her head, looking at Qu Xiao-man. "Xiao-man, my internal energy is all scrambled." Qu Xiao-man's expression changed, quickly seizing her wrist, pressing her pulse for a moment, then releasing it. "The pulse is perfectly normal," she said. Yun Rao rubbed her wrist. "I don't know what's happening." "You must be exhausted—don't overthink it," Qu Xiao-man soothed. Yun Rao nodded. "Yes." She wanted to turn back, yet wasn't ready to give up yet, trying to subtly channel her strength, only for a sharp pain to strike her chest again, and her feet now unable to move as lightly as before. Qu Xiao-man took her hand firmly. "Let's go back and rest first. If you need anything bought, I'll go get it for you." Yun Rao nodded and turned to go back to her room. She hadn’t really intended to buy anything—just wanted to go see Xi Yue first. But now, looking at her two pale hands, she sniffed gently and turned back toward the room. Huo Xi Yue appeared promptly, dressed in a bright imperial gown, with a simple makeup that exuded grace and elegance. After ten years, the once-稚 girl had shed her youthfulness, now standing tall and poised, breathtakingly beautiful. Her complexion was pale, and her eyes slightly swollen, bearing clear signs of tears—though the makeup concealed her weariness and fatigue. "Who are you?" Ho Xi Yue did not recognize Yun Rao at first, furrowing her brows as she spoke, each gesture and expression radiating the noble dignity of a royal princess, no longer the playful, youthful girl of old. Yun Rao rose and approached her, offering a warm smile. "Xi Yue, it's me—don't you remember me?" Ho Xi Yue fixed her gaze on Yun Rao, striving to find traces of familiarity in her face. Those beautiful eyes gradually shifted from doubt to astonishment, then to overwhelming joy, tears welling up. She raised both hands to her skirt, stepping swiftly toward her. With both hands now clutching at the folds of her gown, she reached out to grasp her shoulders, just as she was about to speak—her words caught in her throat. Turning to the maids attending in the room, she said, "You go ahead." "But..." the leading elder maid hesitated, unwilling to leave, not wanting to be left alone with贺惜月 in the room. 贺惜月's expression grew cold. "Are you all deaf? I'm still unmarried, and yet you all are beginning to rebel?" "No, Your Highness, no!" the senior maid stammered, waving her hand to send the other maids out, making sure to close the door behind them. As the door closed, 贺惜月 reached up and clasped both hands firmly on Yun Rao's shoulders. "Su Wan... Su Wan, is it really you? Are you truly alive? Are you truly alive?" By the end of her words, she was weeping uncontrollably, and simply embraced Yun Rao, crying into her arms. Yun Rao's eyes were slightly glistening, as she held onto her tightly. After a while, He Xi Yue finally settled down, taking her hands and examining her from head to toe, asking one after another, "Where have you been all these years? How have you been? Why didn't you write to me at all? I sent out people to look for you, but none could find you. I thought... " Her voice grew slightly choked, and she gently thumped her on the shoulder. "You're still alive and yet you never sent a word—how could I not be worried all the time?" Yun Rao apologized, holding her hand firmly. "I'm sorry. When I first started, I accidentally lost my memory. Only recently have I started to remember everything." "Lost your memory? How did that happen? Did you get hurt? Seriously?" She asked a rapid succession of questions, leaving Yun Rao momentarily unable to answer all of them. It had been so long since they last saw each other, and there was so much to say. But now that An Ziyuan was here, she simply couldn't open up fully. Yun Rao turned to An Ziyuan. "Ziy "I'd like to chat with my sister for a while," said He Xi Yue, only now noticing An Zi Yuan who had been quietly standing by. She looked toward Yun Rao. "This is..." Yun Rao didn't know how to introduce An Zi Yuan, so she simply said, "He's An Zi Yuan." An Zi Yuan gave a slight nod to He Xi Yue, but did not bow formally. "Princess Xi Yue." He Xi Yue didn't find this unusual; she merely glanced at him, then back at Yun Rao. "An公子... is he your husband?" Yun Rao blushed, quickly clarifying, "No, no—don't misunderstand." "He will be," said An Zi Yuan, calmly. He Xi Yue smiled with a touch of mischief, looking at Yun Rao. "So you're the one preparing to be the new bride." Yun Rao smiled, but it was somewhat hesitant, and she didn't answer—she had never had the chance to wear a wedding gown in her life. An Zi Yuan slightly furrowed his brow; she often unconsciously wore such a fleeting smile. He Xī Yuè also noticed Yun Rao's concerns, yet did not explicitly mention them. Instead, she looked at An Zǐyuān and politely asked, "Could Master An allow me to have a private conversation with Wǎn Wǎn?" An Zǐyuān nodded. He had a favorable impression of this princess, renowned as Yunze's most beautiful, and was not someone who would be difficult or obstructive. Thus, he felt at ease, offered a few gentle reminders to Yun Rao, and then left. As the sound of footsteps outside faded away, He Xī Yuè took Yun Rao's hand and inquired about her recent circumstances. Yun Rao said little, merely offering a brief account. She explained that during her escape, she had stumbled and fallen from a cliff, sustaining head injuries. After being rescued, she had forgotten everything from her past, and had been raised by that family until recently, when she began to remember her earlier life. "May I ask," He Xī Yuè asked, "what was the family's financial situation? How well did they treat you? Did they ever make you suffer?" Yun Rao found Yun Rao’s motherly concern both amusing and touching, and nodded repeatedly with a smile, “Yes, yes. They’ve treated me so well—like a family member—and never made me suffer. As for you, how have you been these past years?” He Xi Yue’s previously bright expression faded into a look of resignation. “What else can I do? Just manage to get by, hoping to be sent off as a bride when I grow older.” Yun Rao took her hand. “Are you not thinking of marrying into the Daguang Imperial family?” He Xi Yue lowered her gaze. “It’s not just a matter of wanting or not wanting. As a member of the royal family, with the nation in decline, who can truly have a say in my own marriage?” “What about the General Mu?” Yun Rao looked at her, remembering their childhood jokes. “How have you two been doing?” He Xi Yue blushed. “Why bring him up?” Yun Rao observed her expression and sensed something unspoken, then hesitated, asking, “Have you two actually been together?” He Xī Yuè first glanced at her with a reluctant expression, then gently nodded, his face clouded with concern. "Even if we're together, I'm already going to be married." "Has he just watched you marry, doing nothing?" Yun Rao asked. He Xī Yuè looked at her, her eyes glistening. "He certainly hasn't been idle. But what can one do? Though he holds the rank of general, he has no military authority, and I can't possibly have him challenge my father emperor for my sake. He actually came all the way over recently, breaking in at night, disturbing Cen the Imperial Clerk, and nearly reaching the emperor himself." "Where is he now?" He Xī Yuè shook her head, her voice slightly choked. "I don't know. I was only worried that on the day of our wedding, he'd storm into the Dà'ān Palace. He's just such a headstrong, unthinking fool." "He's not that kind of man—brave but lacking in strategy," Yun Rao reassured her. He Xī Yuè nodded, holding her hand tightly. "Wǎn Wǎn, if only I had escaped with you I really don’t want to marry the Grand Emperor, Dai'an. I don’t want to—truly, I don’t want to worry about the state, the nation, or the world. I just want to run away. Please help me. Can you help me escape? I really don’t want to marry the Emperor." By the end of her words, she was weeping uncontrollably. Yun Rao looked deeply moved, holding her hand tightly. "Hmm." Her simple nod seemed to calm贺惜月 a little. "After all, if I truly escape, it won’t be the common people who suffer—those beneath me who will bear the burden. For my own private desires, I make others suffer, and I end up living in constant unease." "Xiyue, I’ll help you," Yun Rao said, gazing at her. "I promised you this, didn’t I?" Xiyue stared at her, momentarily stunned, then slowly came to understand, shaking her head vigorously. "No, no, that was just a childhood promise. And now you’ve already married An Gongzi..." "I can’t make it work with him," Yun Rao interrupted. "Why not?" Yun Rao shook her head, didn’t answer "Hè Xīyuè still hesitated, looking at her. Yún Ráo nodded, "There won't be any problem. I promise." "Alright... alright," Hè Xīyuè hesitated, giving a nod with lingering concern and glancing toward the door. "As for the An公子..." "Only mention it to the maids you've grown close to. Don't speak to anyone else." Hè Xīyuè nodded, still uncertain. Now, seeing her appear here so animated and upset, Yun Rao feels a great relief—after all, she is finally safe and unharmed. ********************************************************************** *****The following content is unrelated to the main text and will be added two hours later****** ********************************************************************** "What's wrong?" Qu Xiao Man notices her unusual expression, frowns, and asks, glancing at her hand. Her face brightens immediately. "Has the poison from Chi Man Luo finally been expelled?" Yun Rao shakes her head, looking at Qu Xiao Man. "Xiao Man, my internal energy has completely become disordered." Qu Xiao-man's face changed instantly. She snatched her wrist, pressed her fingers against her pulse for a moment, then released it. "The pulse is perfectly normal," she said. Yun Rao rubbed her wrist. "I don't know what's going on." "Perhaps you've just been overworked. Don't worry too much," Qu Xiao-man reassured her. Yun Rao nodded. "Yes." She wanted to turn back, yet didn't want to give up. She tried to subtly channel her strength, but her chest ached again, and her feet could no longer move as lightly as before. Qu Xiao-man took her hand. "Let's go back and rest first. If you need anything, I'll go get it for you." Yun Rao nodded, turned, and went back to her room. She didn't actually have anything to buy—only wanted to visit Xi Yue first. But now it seemed... She glanced at the two pale hands, sniffed, and then turned back to her room. An Zi-yuan returned in the afternoon. She changed her clothes, and he accompanied her to the station to find Princess Xi Yue. An Zi-yuan carried Cen Tong's token, so they moved smoothly from the station to the hall where When Yun Rao was called in, her palms were slightly damp. It felt like a homesick hesitation—after ten years apart, her sister seemed so far away, yet so familiar. "Come in," An Zi yuan whispered in her ear, holding her gently as they entered. "Hmm," she softly replied, allowing him to guide her inside. Several maids were already waiting in the hall, dressed in the refined attire of Yunze Palace—the elaborate garments, the bright hues, familiar yet distant. Yun Rao's nose ached. Her once-familiar homeland now felt like a foreign land. An Zi yuan took her hand and guided her to sit. He Xi Yue appeared soon after, in a vibrant palace gown, with a light makeup, poised and graceful. Ten years had passed, and the once-soft-spoken girl had grown into a tall, elegant woman—radiant, breathtaking. Yet her complexion was pale, her eyes slightly swollen with traces of tears, though the makeup concealed her weariness and fatigue. "Are you?" Hua Xi Yue did not recognize Yun Rao. She furrowed her brows, asking with a grace and dignity utterly unlike the lively, unrefined girl of old. Yun Rao rose and walked toward her, offering a warm smile. "Xi Yue, it's me—don't you remember me?" Hua Xi Yue's gaze stayed fixed on her, striving to find traces of familiarity in her face. The beautiful eyes gradually shifted from doubt to astonishment, then to overwhelming emotion—tears welled up. With both hands gripping her skirt, she hurried forward, and as she reached out, her hands brushed against Yun Rao's gown, quickly settling on her shoulders. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the words caught in her throat. Turning to the maids attending her in the room, she said, "You go ahead." "But—" the leading elder, hesitant, refused to leave, unwilling to have Hua Xi Yue alone in the room. Hua Xi Yue's expression grew stern. "Are you all deaf? I haven't even married yet, and now you're all going to rebel?" "No, Your Grace, the servants are not deaf!" The senior maid, startled, replied with hesitation, then gestured for the other maids in the room to follow her out, not forgetting to close the door behind them. Hè Xīyuè watched the door close, and then clasped both hands tightly around Yún Ráo’s shoulders. "Sù Wǎn... Sù Wǎn, is it really you? Are you truly alive? Alive...?" By the end of her words, she was weeping profusely, and soon embraced Yún Ráo in tears. Yún Ráo’s eyes were also slightly glistening, and the two held each other tightly. After a while, Hè Xīyuè finally calmed down, took Yún Ráo’s hand, and examined her from head to toe, asking repeatedly, "Where have you been all these years? How have you been? Why didn’t you write to me at all? I sent out people to look for you, but none could find you. I thought... I thought..." Her voice grew slightly choked, and she gently patted Yún Ráo’s shoulder. "You’re still alive, yet you never sent me a word—how could I not be heartbroken all this time "Forgotten? Why would you forget? Did you get hurt? Severely?" The questions poured out like a stream, leaving Yun Rao momentarily unable to answer them all. It had been too long since they last saw each other, and there were so many things to say. But now that An Ziyuan was here, she simply couldn't open up fully. Turning to An Ziyuan, Yun Rao said, "Ziyuan, could you please step outside for a moment? I'd like to talk with my sister for a while." He was only now noticed by He Xi Yue, who had been quietly standing by. "This is..." Yun Rao didn't know how to introduce An Ziyuan, so she simply said, "His name is An Ziyuan." An Ziyuan gave a slight nod to He Xi Yue, but did not bow formally. "Princess Xi Yue." He Xi Yue didn't seem surprised, merely glanced at him, then back at Yun Rao. "An公子... is he your husband?" Yun Rao blushed, quickly clarifying, "No, no—don't misunderstand." "He will be," An Ziyuan added calmly. He Xi Yue smiled with a touch of playfulness and looked at Yun Rao, "So you've been preparing to become the new bride all along." Yun Rao smiled, but it was a bit forced; she hadn't had the chance to wear a wedding gown in her entire life. An Zi Yuan slightly furrowed his brow—she often unconsciously wore this elusive smile. He Xi Yue sensed Yun Rao's unspoken concerns but didn't explicitly mention them. Instead, she turned to An Zi Yuan, politely asking, "Would Master An allow me to speak privately with Wanda?" An Zi Yuan nodded. He had a favorable impression of the princess known as Yunze's number one beauty—she wasn't demanding or difficult to deal with—so he felt at ease and offered a few words of advice to Yun Rao before stepping out. As the sound of footsteps faded outside, He Xi Yue took Yun Rao's hand and inquired about her recent circumstances. Yun Rao said little, merely offering a brief account. She explained that during her escape, she had stumbled and fallen from a cliff, injuring her head. After being rescued, she had forgotten everything from before—she had been taken in by a family, raised as one of them, and only recently had begun to remember her past. "By the way, what was the family like? How well did they treat you? Did they ever make you suffer?" After Yun Rao finished, He Xie Yue asked repeatedly, as if a mother might. Yun Rao found her maternal concern both amusing and touching, and nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes. They treated me very well, treated me like a family member, never made me suffer. As for you—how have you been these past years?" He Xie Yue’s bright expression faded. "What else could I do? Just managing to get by, hoping to be sent off as a bride when I grow older." Yun Rao took her hand. "Don’t you want to marry the Duke of Dà'ān?" He Xie Yue lowered her gaze. "This isn’t really a matter of wanting or not wanting. As a royal daughter, with "Where is General Mu?" Yun Rao looked at her, never forgetting their childhood jokes. "How have you two been getting on?" He Xi Yue blushed. "Why bring him up?" Yun Rao observed her expression and sensed something unspoken, hesitating. "Have you two actually been together?" At first, He Xi Yue looked awkwardly at her, then gently nodded, her face clouded with concern. "Being together doesn't matter—I'm already going to be married." "Does he just watch you marry, doing nothing?" Yun Rao asked. He Xi Yue looked at her, her eyes glistening. "He certainly doesn't sit idle. But what can he do? Though he holds the rank of general, he has no military authority. I can't ask him to rise up against my father, the Emperor. Just recently, he came all the way over, broke in at night, startled Cen the Imperial Clerk, and nearly reached the Emperor himself." "Where is he now?" He Xi Yue shook her head, her voice slightly choked. "I don't know. I was only worried that on the day of our wedding, he'd storm into the Great Peace Palace. He's just such a headstrong, impulsive man." "He's not someone who's brave but lacks strategy," Yun Rao soothed. He nodded, holding her hand tightly. "Wanwan, if only I had escaped with you back then, I wouldn't have had to marry someone I didn't love. I truly don't want to marry Emperor Da'an. I don't want to—truly, I don't want to be involved in matters of state and the nation. I just want to run away. Help me, please. Can you help me escape? I really don't want to marry the Emperor." By the end of her words, she was weeping uncontrollably. Yun Rao felt deeply moved, holding her hand firmly. "Hmm." Her simple nod seemed to calm He Xi Yue a little. "Perhaps it's better that I stay. If I truly escape, it's the common people who will suffer—because of my own desires, others endure hardship, while I myself live in discomfort." "Xi Yue, I'll help you," Yun Rao said, looking at her. "I promised you, didn't I?" Hè Xīyuè looked at her in quiet astonishment, gradually coming to understand after a long moment, and shook her head vigorously. "No, no. That was just something I said as a child. And now you have An Gongzi..." Yun Rao said nothing at all, merely returning to the estate with him. The next morning, as the sky began to lighten, there was already a bustling noise outside. Yun Rao dressed and stepped out to the hall, where she encountered Su Ran—someone she had not seen in several days. Since her departure from Zui Lou Red Pavilion, she had paid little attention to Su Ran’s condition, knowing that with An Ziyuan’s capabilities, rescuing her would surely not have been difficult.