The carriage was escorted by the Imperial Guards, entering the palace. Just past the palace gates, Shen Yi, who was leaning on Qin Su’s chest, rubbed her eyes and woke up.
Qin Su tensed up.
Shen Yi rubbed her eyes and, staring blankly, looked at Qin Su’s reaction for a moment. Then she quickly got up, almost hitting her head on the carriage, but Qin Su caught her in time, and she fell back into Qin Su’s embrace.
“Let go of me…”
Shen Yi struggled to get up from Qin Su’s embrace and sat in the corner farthest from her. She looked around the carriage, her eyes turning red, and accusingly looked at Qin Su. “Where is my master?”
As expected, Qin Su prepared a response, “Your master has some matters to attend to. She said to wait until you remember everything before going to find her.”
Although Yu Kong had already informed Shen Yi earlier, the news was still difficult for Shen Yi to accept. She curled up in the corner like a pitiful soul, feeling uneasy about everything unfamiliar around her.
“An Ping, you’re home now. Your parents are waiting for you.”
Qin Su couldn’t bear to see Shen Yi like that, but getting closer would only make Shen Yi more uneasy, so she sat in place, comforting her softly.
Shen Yi glanced at Qin Su, then turned away, facing the carriage, indicating that she didn’t want to engage.
Qin Su had no way to deal with Shen Yi’s amnesia. She could only think of the methods Yu Kong used to comfort Shen Yi and tried to find some snacks. However, aside from dry rations and water, there was hardly anything on the carriage.
Just then, the carriage slowed to a stop. Shen Yi looked at Qin Su, then lowered her head and sat back in her place, clutching a handkerchief without saying a word.
Qin Su pulled aside the curtain and glanced outside, then reached out to Shen Yi. “It’s okay, don’t be afraid. It’s your parents and younger brother.”
Seeing that, the Prime Minister Shen and Lady Shen, who had been waiting for a long time, couldn’t help but tear up. They rushed over, with Lady Shen looking at Shen Yi with love, hugging her, and crying non-stop.
Shen Yi sensed Lady Shen’s emotions. This time, at least, she didn’t resist and even patted Lady Shen’s back gently while being held.
“My Ping’er, it’s good that you’re back, it’s good…”
Lady Shen touched Shen Yi’s head with tears in her eyes and held Shen Yi’s face, “Let me see, have you lost weight?”
Shen Yi didn’t know how to respond, but she still held onto Qin Su’s sleeve with one hand, glancing at her for help.
Qin Su first comforted Lady Shen, explaining Shen Yi’s current situation, and then pulled Shen Yi closer.
Upon hearing Qin Su’s explanation, Lady Shen burst into tears again, looking at Shen Yi beside Qin Su with a pained expression. “Ping’er, I’m your mother.”
Shen Yi looked at the noble lady in front of her, feeling very unfamiliar, but she couldn’t bear it in her heart and reached out to wipe away the tears on Lady Shen’s face.
“Ping’er, I’m your father.”
The Prime Minister Shen approached and said a few words to Shen Yi.
Shen Yi looked at Prime Minister Shen for a while, frowned slightly, lowered her eyes, and didn’t remember. Facing their expectant eyes, she felt uncomfortable.
“Thank you, Your Highness, for bringing Ping’er back. May I take my daughter home?”
Seeing Shen Yi silent, Prime Minister Shen wiped his eyes and didn’t press further, just talking to Qin Su.
Qin Su, seeing the situation, also felt troubled. The Prime Minister’s request was reasonable, but Shen Yi’s current condition worried her. It wasn’t that she doubted the Shen family’s care but feared that Shen Yi, without her memories, might not adjust well.
“Prime Minister Shen, perhaps it’s better to ask An Ping. An Ping has been with my aunt these days, and today my aunt suddenly left, leaving An Ping unsettled and perhaps unable to adapt for a while.”
Qin Su’s reasoning was sound. The Prime Minister and Lady Shen looked at Shen Yi again, and under everyone’s gaze, Shen Yi chose to stand beside Qin Su, holding onto her sleeve tightly.
The choice was clear. Although Shen Yi felt Qin Su was a bit fierce, she was still more familiar with her.
Although the Prime Minister and Lady Shen were disappointed, they respected Shen Yi’s choice.
Just then, a palace servant came to report that Qin Hao was looking for Qin Su.
Hearing that, the Prime Minister and Lady Shen didn’t want to delay any longer and bid farewell, leaving with heavy hearts.
Changing to a sedan chair, Qin Su and Shen Yi went to the Zhengyang Palace together.
Shen Yi observed her surroundings, “Where is this?”
“This is inside the palace. I’m Qin Su, but call me Zi Xun. This is the Da Yong Dynasty. I am the Princess of the Da Yong Dynasty. You are Shen Yi, nicknamed An Ping. I’m…”
Qin Su stopped halfway through her words and looked down, “We’re at the Zhengyang Palace. We’ve arrived; I’ll explain more later.”
Shen Yi hesitated, looking at Qin Su, but didn’t ask further.
They soon arrived at the gates of the Zhengyang Palace, and Qin Su and Shen Yi got off the sedan chair and walked inside together. Inside the main hall of the Zhengyang Palace, Qin Hao was having tea.
Seeing another stranger, Shen Yi hid behind Qin Su, tugging at her sleeve.
Qin Hao put down his teacup, “Miss Shen, I hope you’re well.”
Shen Yi glanced at Qin Hao and nodded in response.
“This is Qin Hao, my second brother.”
Qin Su introduced him to Shen Yi.
Qin Hao had heard from the message Qin Su sent earlier that Shen Yi had amnesia, but it was his first time seeing her. He was curious, “Miss Shen, do you not recognize me?”
Qin Su shielded Shen Yi and sat her down, “Of course, she doesn’t recognize you. You said you had urgent matters to discuss with me, what is it?”
“Oh, it’s about what I told you earlier. Since you weren’t here, and there was no one capable, Third Brother Qin Heng ran away under the escort of his guards. We couldn’t stop him.”
“When did he leave?”
Qin Su felt her temples throb. She suspected Qin Hao’s casual demeanor was intentional, yet she also felt he had no reason to do so.
“Yesterday morning,” Qin Hao replied after a moment of thought.
“Are there pursuers?” Qin Su asked again.
“They were sent but lost track,” Qin Hao stated.
Qin Su had nothing else to say, “Second Brother, did you hide other plans from me?”
“No, I followed your instructions,” Qin Hao replied without hesitation.
Pressing her temple, Qin Su suspected Qin Hao, “In your opinion, what should we do now?”
“It’s up to you,” Qin Hao replied decisively.
“Second Brother, didn’t I ignore your advice and insist on meeting An Ping? You agreed at that time, why bring it up now?” Qin Su understood Qin Hao’s temperament well. Although Qin Hao had been helping her, it didn’t mean he had lost his temper.
Qin Su realized that offending Qin Hao would lead to repercussions, not based on how many times one offended him but how many times he remembered being offended.
“You have some self-awareness,” Qin Hao admitted, not hiding anything, which silenced Qin Su.
The two fell silent for a while, and Shen Yi, who sat nearby, observed their interactions quietly, sensing they were arguing because of her.
“Issue a wanted notice,” Qin Su finally said. Even if she pursued it now, she might not catch up. That was the only option.
“No need,” Qin Hao interjected, “Monitor Concubine De’s palace closely. In three days, either we’ll receive the Third Prince’s body back, or if he leaves the capital, those few guards left with him won’t fare differently than fat to those wolves. Alternatively, Concubine De’s people might find the Third Prince’s whereabouts. She knows this better than us; she wants to find him sooner.”
Qin Su understood Qin Hao’s plan. If the Third Prince died mysteriously in prison, it would create suspicion. But letting him escape would lead his pursuers to reveal themselves, and Concubine De would also act to find him, ensuring his demise.
Listening to Qin Hao, Qin Su realized, “Brother, you were prepared for this strategy; you anticipated borrowing a knife to kill.”
Qin Su was impressed by Qin Hao’s foresight. His plan made it clear that without Concubine De’s support, the Third Prince was doomed.
Qin Su was about to say more, but she saw Qin Hao’s stern face and stopped herself.
“I’m feeling unwell these days, don’t bother me,” Qin Hao dismissed them, signaling his guards to take him away.
Watching him leave, Qin Su felt like she had been hit hard.
This period had been too smooth, almost making her forget her struggles and flaws, especially her arrogance and stubbornness. She realized she needed to be more cautious and humble, even if she ascended to the throne.
After a while, Qin Su noticed Shen Yi sitting quietly beside her.
“Are you hungry, An Ping? Let’s have a meal first,” Qin Su suggested, thinking Shen Yi must be hungry by then.
The two had lunch together, and Qin Su then attended to her pending tasks in the study. Shen Yi was disinterested in the books and snacks provided, preferring to remain quiet.
In the afternoon, Qin Su finished her work and noticed Shen Yi hadn’t moved or eaten anything.
“An Ping, is something wrong?” Qin Su asked wearily.
Shen Yi remained silent, avoiding eye contact.
“Are you bored? Shall we go to the imperial garden?” Qin Su suggested.
Shen Yi neither agreed nor disagreed. When Qin Su came to hold her hand, Shen Yi avoided it and grabbed Qin Su’s sleeve instead.
“That works too.” Qin Su led her outside.
Since Emperor Yongle left the palace, the Imperial Garden had been quiet. Concubines used to enjoy strolling there and hosting tea parties or poetry gatherings frequently. Now, with the Emperor absent, no one was interested in such activities.
Walking in the Imperial Garden, it was midsummer, and most flowers were in full bloom, creating a beautiful scene. Sitting in the pavilion, enjoying the gentle breeze, felt exceptionally serene.
Qin Su had some fish food brought over for Shen Yi to feed the fish. Shen Yi glanced at it and then poured it all into the water, causing the fish to rush towards it.
“This is not how…”
Before Qin Su could say how to properly feed the fish, Shen Yi let go of Qin Su’s sleeve and stood aside sulkingly, not looking at her or the fish.
“Alright, alright, no more feeding fish. An Ping, would you like to see the flowers? I’ll take you to see them. Or maybe…”
Before Qin Su could finish her sentence, Shen Yi turned her head away, showing no interest in listening.
Rubbing her temples, Qin Su patiently coaxed, “Then we won’t see the flowers. Would you like to see your old paintings?”
Only then did Shen Yi look at Qin Su, showing some interest. Qin Su led Shen Yi back to the main palace, where Qin Su ordered Shen Yi’s paintings to be hung up and introduced each one to Shen Yi.
“Look at this painting. It’s one of your works from when you were still in Jiangnan. I happened to see it once and treasured it. When you were in Jiangnan, you were hailed as the top talented woman there. Coming to the capital, you became even more formidable, earning the respect and admiration of all talented men and women. You are indeed the rightful top talented woman of Da Yong. You still…”
Qin Su was speaking endlessly to Shen Yi, but she was interrupted by Shen Yi.
“What relationship do we have?”
Shen Yi couldn’t remember, but she wasn’t stupid. After looking at those paintings, her gaze fell on Qin Su.
Qin Su’s voice stopped, unsure of how to answer Shen Yi now that she had amnesia. Could she still accept the relationship between them?
“It’s time for dinner. Let’s have our meal first.”
After a long silence, Qin Su changed the subject and avoided Shen Yi’s gaze, walking away to arrange dinner.
Shen Yi remained standing in place, looking at the paintings in front of her. One of the paintings was not signed with her handwriting, only two short lines:
Willing to be birds flying together in the sky,
Willing to be intertwined branches on the ground.
The meaning was self-evident.
After dinner, Hua Xi arrived.
Shen Yi still had wounds on her head, and with the amnesia, Qin Su was worried about other possible illnesses. She let Hua Xi take a look to ease her mind.
When Hua Xi heard about the amnesia, she was curious. She had seen people with amnesia before, some were foolish, and some were crazy. Now looking at Shen Yi, she was amazed.
“Is it really that apart from not remembering anything, there are no other issues?”
Hua Xi removed the bandage from Shen Yi’s head, and the wound was almost healed. It needed some more time to reduce swelling, and even the bandage was unnecessary.
Qin Su nodded, “Isn’t that enough?”
“It’s enough, it’s enough,” Hua Xi could tell that Qin Su was not in a good mood, so she didn’t push further, “Miss Shen’s injury is not serious anymore, but this amnesia is difficult to resolve. Its causes are complex, sometimes due to injuries, unresolved emotions, or extreme joy leading to madness. How to treat it varies widely, and in the end, self-recovery is often the most common.”
After listening, Qin Su realized that Hua Xi’s knowledge was similar to Yu Kong’s, both relying heavily on fate.
“Miss Shen, let me reintroduce myself. I’m Hua Xi, we used to be friends.”
Leaving Qin Su aside, Hua Xi chatted with Shen Yi, observing the different version of Miss Shen with curiosity.
“Hua Xi? The famous healer?”
Shen Yi blinked and smiled at Hua Xi, nodding in acknowledgment.
“Hey! Do you still remember me?!”
The sentence from Shen Yi made Qin Su and Hua Xi both come over, eagerly looking at Shen Yi.
Shen Yi was a bit puzzled, “I don’t remember, but you should be the divine doctor, right?”
Hua Xi nodded, “Yes, that’s right. You used to call me the divine doctor.”
Qin Su looked at Hua Xi with questioning eyes, and Hua Xi understood Qin Su’s meaning, nodding to Qin Su, “In my opinion, Miss Shen might be able to remember because of the injury on her head. Once this injury heals, she should be fine with some more rest.”
“So, the diagnosis of the divine doctor is that I will be able to remember? Then can I go find my master?”
Shen Yi’s last sentence was directed at Qin Su.
Hua Xi looked at Qin Su with a puzzled expression, “Miss Shen has a master?”
“My aunt, An Ping, disappeared together with my aunt. After An Ping forgot everything, to cover up, my aunt and An Ping called themselves master and disciple.”
Qin Su explained to Hua Xi.
Hua Xi laughed, nodding at Shen Yi, “Yes, I’m afraid that once you remember everything, you won’t want to leave.”
Shen Yi stared strangely at Hua Xi and then Qin Su, while Qin Su looked at Hua Xi, who was beating about the bush, “You can go back.”
Hua Xi, of course, didn’t know that before Shen Yi lost her memory, she had already agreed to leave with Yu Kong to learn business together. So Qin Su’s words seemed a bit strange to her, “It’s late at night; can’t I stay here for the night? I’ve stayed here before.”
“Chi Shui, take Hua Xi to the side hall.”
Qin Su spoke, instructing Chi Shui to take Hua Xi away.
After Hua Xi left, only Qin Su and Shen Yi were left, and there was a moment of silence between them.
“Let’s talk about everything when you’re better.”
Qin Su broke the silence, actually not wanting Shen Yi to remember so quickly.
Shen Yi looked at Qin Su in front of her and gently touched Qin Su’s face with her hand, “What is our relationship?”
Shen Yi asked the question again, but Qin Su didn’t avoid it. With Shen Yi’s intelligence, it was impossible not to guess, “It’s just as you think.”
“Why?”
Shen Yi frowned slightly.
“Why what?”
Qin Su felt a bit uncomfortable, holding Shen Yi’s hand on her face, closing her eyes, and leaning into Shen Yi’s palm.
“Can you tell me? About us and this.”
Shen Yi flicked the silver bracelet on her wrist. She remembered when she was in Jingyuan County, Yu Kong wanted to pawn it for money, but upon seeing the inscription inside, it seemed to be a token of affection.
Shen Yi had seen it herself; inside was carved “Zi Xun,” which was Qin Su’s name.
Qin Su looked at the silver bracelet in front of her, “Aren’t you afraid of me anymore?”
After asking that question, Qin Su regretted it immediately. Indeed, Shen Yi fell silent for a while and withdrew her hand.
“I…”
Qin Su wanted to explain but didn’t know what to explain.
In the end, it was Shen Yi who spoke first.
“I’m not afraid of you.”
Shen Yi lowered her head and played with the silver bracelet in her hand. She felt like a clean sheet of paper, knowing nothing about the world. Everyone was a stranger to her, and she heard what everyone said, but couldn’t recall any of it from memory.
That instinctive unease made Shen Yi want to escape, to protect herself. But it didn’t mean she couldn’t discern right from wrong; she could still feel people’s intentions towards her. She just needed time to readjust, to accept things anew.
And among all the people who always seemed to be mentioned alongside her, there was Qin Su.
From Yu Kong’s words, from Jin Shaoyun’s words, and from everyone she had seen until now, there was always Qin Su’s shadow.
Therefore, Shen Yi was more curious about Qin Su than anyone else, but in her quest for understanding, she couldn’t help but be cautious. She was like a rabbit in a burrow, observing everything. Any disturbance would make her retract.
Shen Yi’s eyes reflected Qin Su’s face, and Qin Su looked at Shen Yi in the same way, “Let me tell you.”
Qin Su understood Shen Yi’s thoughts. She held Shen Yi’s hand, intertwining their fingers, “You are the only person I, Qin Su, want to marry, the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
Starting from last year’s heavy snowfall, Qin Su’s voice flowed calmly in the spacious hall. Through Qin Su’s narrative, Shen Yi saw scenes from the past.
Qin Su wasn’t good at storytelling, saying whatever came to her mind. She talked about Qin Su’s triumphant return to the capital and even brought out the pouch Shen Yi had given her.
“Look, this, this, and this,” Qin Su introduced the origins of the items Shen Yi had given her.
Shen Yi listened earnestly, her gaze falling on Qin Su’s face. She noticed that Qin Su while speaking, had tears in her eyes.
“Why are you crying?”
Shen Yi felt a tug at her heart and raised her hand to wipe away the tears from Qin Su’s face. At some point, she had tears in her own eyes.
Qin Su couldn’t speak, knowing that letting Shen Yi remember those memories would be painful, but just the thought of Shen Yi never remembering them again, of those memories that belonged to both of them only existing in her mind, was also agonizing.
This is a fan translation, the novel does not belong to me. Support the author by donating to the site linked on the synopsis page. You can also donate to me if you appreciate my work and help get the funds to donate to the authors. I would also appreciate it if you left a comment!
Baihe Tales 