Yu Kong glanced at Jin Shaoyun and didn’t think much about it. Anyway, no matter how it turned out, it was already like that. She couldn’t just take people away from the capital anymore.
Seeing that Yu Kong was not interested in talking to him anymore, Jin Shaoyun breathed a sigh of relief. After several sleepless days, his nerves finally relaxed, and he felt tired. He leaned against the carriage and fell asleep.
“Master, where are we going?”
Shen Yi glanced at Jin Shaoyun sleeping before asking Yu Kong.
“To the capital. Your home is in the capital. Do you remember anything?”
Yu Kong had only heard of dissociative amnesia but had never seen it before. She looked at Shen Yi expectantly, hoping that Shen Yi would remember something soon.
Shen Yi shook her head as before. The place’s name was unfamiliar to her, and she showed no reaction.
Realizing the reality, Yu Kong had to accept it.
While Jin Shaoyun escorted Yu Kong and Shen Yi to the capital, in the capital, Qin Su received news about Shen Yi. Reading the brief message brought by a messenger pigeon, Qin Su relaxed.
“We found An Ping!”
Looking at Qin Hao, Qin Su stood up. “Second Brother, I need to go meet An Ping. I entrust the capital to you for now.”
Qin Hao was dozing off but was startled awake by Qin Su’s words. His mind cleared instantly. “No way! This is a critical moment. How can you leave now? Where is Miss Shen? How long will you be gone?”
Despite Qin Hao’s series of questions, Qin Su did not stop her steps.
“An Ping is in Jingyuan County and is on her way back now. It will probably take a day or so. The evidence is ready, and we can deliver it to Concubine De’s palace tomorrow. Then, we’ll wait for the arrest of the third prince and everything will be settled. With you, Second Brother, it’s enough.”
Qin Su was impatient now; she just wanted to be with Shen Yi as soon as possible.
Previously, due to the assassination attempt, the evidence was conclusive. Although they knew there might be someone pulling the strings behind the scenes, Qin Su and Qin Hao had discussed and decided to move forward by first arresting the third prince, Qin Heng, with the evidence.
But that alone was not enough. Qin Su also wanted to eliminate any doubts and suspicions. She planned to deliver all the evidence to the birth mother of the third prince, Concubine De. Since Concubine De would know best whether her son committed such acts, she would undoubtedly want to know who was behind it. To save the third prince, she had to help Qin Su find out who that person was.
With this plan, Qin Su could sit back and reap the benefits, watching them turn against each other.
After Qin Su finished speaking, Qin Hao sat up straight and took a sip of tea. “You know there’s still so much to do? Just arresting the third prince won’t work. With his temper, if you’re not there, he might escape on the spot. Who can stop him? With the Yu family not in the capital and even Jin Shaoyun, who can be considered a fierce warrior, escorting Shen Yi away, and looking at those old men above, who can we rely on? Do you want them to sacrifice themselves for the country?”
“I’ve made this mistake once, and I don’t want to make it again…”
Standing behind the dragon case, Qin Su clenched her fists, her face much thinner, filled with sadness and guilt.
The events of the past few days had caused Qin Su countless sleepless nights, drowning in self-blame. She blamed herself countless times for not bringing Shen Yi back with her earlier, for not going to meet Shen Yi sooner.
Seeing Qin Su like that, Qin Hao softened. He couldn’t imagine what Qin Su would become if something happened to Shen Yi.
“Forget it, go ahead. Be careful on the way. I’m worried that leaving these matters unsettled might lead to trouble for you again.”
“Thank you, Brother!”
Qin Hao sighed, and Qin Su wasted no time. She ordered her guards, and they set off. With Qin Hao holding the fort, there shouldn’t be any major issues in the capital.
On the other hand, Yu Kong and Shen Yi had been on the road for a day. As night fell, they had entered the outskirts of the capital. If they traveled faster the next day, they would reach the capital.
Seeing the darkening sky, Jin Shaoyun realized there was no inn nearby, so they had to camp for the night.
After finding a sheltered spot, they left a few people to keep watch, set up camp, rested for the night, and planned to continue their journey the next day.
During that day, Shen Yi learned from Yu Kong that she was the daughter of Shen An, the prime minister of the capital. She had gone out of the city with the Princess to visit her when they encountered the assassination attempt on their way back to the capital. Yu Kong had pulled her and jumped into the river to escape, accidentally hitting her head and causing amnesia.
Shen Yi nodded at everything Yu Kong said, but she showed no reaction to any of it. She had no memory of these events whatsoever.
Sitting in front of the tent, Yu Kong handed a roasted pigeon to Shen Yi. Watching Shen Yi eat gracefully despite her condition, Yu Kong reached out and rubbed Shen Yi’s head. “Tomorrow, you will go to find your parents. Be good, okay?”
Shen Yi looked up, put down the pigeon in her hand, and grabbed Yu Kong’s sleeve. “What about Master?”
“You’re still thinking about your master? You’re going to find your parents, and your master should go where masters belong.”
In just those two days of getting along, Yu Kong also felt a bit reluctant to part with Shen Yi, but ultimately they were not true masters and disciples. She couldn’t take her away. It was better to send Shen Yi to where she should go early, which would be good for everyone.
“I’ll follow Master.”
Shen Yi couldn’t remember anything about her parents. She had a natural fear of the unknown and clung tightly to Yu Kong’s clothes, like a child afraid of being abandoned.
Yu Kong looked at Shen Yi with complicated emotions. Before she could say anything, she heard a commotion by the official road. Looking up, she saw another group of Imperial Guards coming with torches.
“Her Royal Highness, the Princess, is coming!”
Jin Shaoyun was the first to react, jumping up and shouting, standing by the roadside waving his hand, afraid that Qin Su might miss them.
Upon hearing the commotion, Yu Kong knew they couldn’t avoid what was coming. She stood up with Shen Yi and said, “Let’s go. Maybe seeing the little girl will help you remember something.”
Qin Su also spotted Jin Shaoyun waiting by the official road. Without waiting for the carriage to stop, she dismounted and hurried a few steps, asking, “Where’s An Ping?”
Jin Shaoyun pointed just as Yu Kong led Shen Yi over.
Seeing Shen Yi standing alive in front of her, Qin Su’s suspended heart settled. She took a few steps forward to hug Shen Yi, but Shen Yi dodged behind Yu Kong, leaving Qin Su stunned in place.
“An Ping?”
In disbelief, Qin Su called out to Shen Yi. She thought Shen Yi was angry with her, blaming herself for not protecting her well enough. Just as she was about to explain, Yu Kong spoke first.
“An Ping has amnesia. She doesn’t remember anyone.”
Yu Kong explained the situation to Qin Su, expecting her to be furious. But there was no immediate reaction from Qin Su.
Looking at Qin Su again, Yu Kong saw her with red eyes, staring at Shen Yi, who was hiding behind Yu Kong. “It’s my fault for not protecting An Ping well. I should have gone back earlier that day to pick her up; otherwise, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Those words from Qin Su were something Yu Kong hadn’t expected. She was taken aback and felt uncomfortable seeing Qin Su like that. “This is also my fault. I failed to protect this little girl.”
“Don’t blame yourself, Aunt. If it weren’t for Aunt, we wouldn’t have had the chance to meet here,” Qin Su said with a touch of bitterness, cautiously approaching Shen Yi, trying to smile. “An Ping, look at me. I’m Zi Xun.”
Though Shen Yi was startled by Qin Su’s sudden approach earlier, after hearing Qin Su and Yu Kong’s words, she cautiously peeked out from behind Yu Kong and glanced at Qin Su.
Qin Su’s face, illuminated by the torches, showed a smile more painful than crying, which made Shen Yi uncomfortable. She quickly hid her head back.
Qin Su glanced at Yu Kong, unsure of Shen Yi’s actions.
“We’ve been running for a while. Let’s rest for a bit.”
Yu Kong didn’t say much in front of Shen Yi. Qin Su understood Yu Kong’s intentions and nodded, returning to their tent together.
Qin Su hadn’t eaten much along the way and was hungry. She sat beside Yu Kong, eating dry rations, while Shen Yi sat quietly beside Yu Kong, nibbling on pigeon meat.
Qin Su’s gaze was always on Shen Yi, but she didn’t dare to stare too openly, fearing she might scare the timid Shen Yi, who was like a fledgling just out of its shell.
Despite Qin Su’s discretion, Shen Yi occasionally hid behind Yu Kong, which made Qin Su feel like she was being stabbed in the heart, feeling unfairly treated.
After dinner, it was getting late. Yu Kong advised Shen Yi to rest early, perhaps because Qin Su was nearby, Shen Yi insisted on having Yu Kong stay by her side. She pulled Yu Kong’s sleeve for a while before finally falling asleep.
Once Shen Yi was asleep, Yu Kong carefully took off her outer cloak and covered Shen Yi with it. She glanced at Qin Su, who was still looking at them. “Can you stop staring for a while? You’ve scared the child so much she can’t even sleep.”
Qin Su was the one feeling aggrieved. She went out for a while and came back to find that her daughter didn’t even recognize her. Now she was being scolded for looking too much.
Yu Kong fetched a cloak from the side and put it on. She then led Qin Su away from the scene, still staring at Shen Yi.
“Aunt, can’t you do anything about this?”
In Qin Su’s memory, Yu Kong had always been adept at handling strange situations.
“What can I do? I’ve only heard of this amnesia; I’ve never seen it. Some people recover in a few days, some suddenly remember after several years, and some never remember for their whole lives. Who can predict this?”
If Yu Kong had a solution, she wouldn’t have been so worried earlier. This condition was mysterious, and no one could understand it clearly.
Qin Su lowered her head. “It’s okay. When we reach the capital, I’ll gather experts from all over the world. Someone will surely help An Ping remember.”
Yu Kong knew there was no immediate solution. “Yes, let’s deal with it when we get back to the capital.”
Qin Su also understood there were no easy solutions at the moment. “After sending this little girl back to the capital, I’ll leave. I once thought about not sending her back and raising her as my disciple, passing on my legacy. Unfortunately, fate didn’t allow it. Just as I was thinking about it, that boy from the Jin family found me. I couldn’t take her away again.”
Qin Su looked at Yu Kong with some regret. She knew that Yu Kong had lived a free and easy life, having chosen a path of solitude and success in business. Yet, Yu Kong valued Shen Yi so much.
“If An Ping remembers everything, it will be her choice. I won’t stop her. I think An Ping also wants to travel with Aunt to see the world.”
Qin Su comforted herself. She didn’t want Shen Yi to leave her, but if it was Shen Yi’s choice, she would give her the freedom to choose. After all, by then, this world would be hers.
Yu Kong chuckled and shook her head at Qin Su’s playful tone. “You’re speaking so uncertainly. If you have the ability, just say now that the little girl wants to go with me, will you not stop her?”
“That won’t do. An Ping only recognizes Aunt for now.”
Thinking about it, Qin Su changed her tone. She knew that if she let Shen Yi choose now, she would undoubtedly choose to go with Yu Kong without hesitation.
Yu Kong glanced disdainfully at Qin Su, who couldn’t handle the joke. “Alright, look at you being all dejected. Go rest for a while. We have to rush back to the capital tomorrow.”
Qin Su was indeed exhausted. Although she managed to hold on for the past few days, she was tired. Without delaying any further, she returned to camp and went to sleep.
Yu Kong watched Qin Su leave, and then she used her momentum to climb up a tree branch and sat down, leaning against the tree trunk. She looked up at the round moon in the sky and closed her eyes.
After a night passed, Qin Su woke up early. Just as she exited her tent to stretch his muscles, she saw Shen Yi talking to Jin Shaoyun. Although she knew she shouldn’t interfere, Qin Su couldn’t help but walk over with a stern face.
Shen Yi had only gotten to know Jin Shaoyun better just the day before and had become somewhat acquainted. When she woke up early and didn’t see Yu Kong, she came to ask Jin Shaoyun.
As the two were talking, they saw Qin Su approaching with a stern face, which startled both of them.
“Your Highness, did you not sleep well last night?” Jin Shaoyun, of course, couldn’t possibly know what was bothering Qin Su and asked hesitantly.
“What are you two talking about?”
Qin Su looked at Shen Yi, who had been silent since she approached her, feeling uncomfortable. So, when she asked Jin Shaoyun, her tone wasn’t friendly.
Up to now, Jin Shaoyun, who had no idea about the real relationship between the two, couldn’t imagine the real reason. Scratching his head, he answered, “Miss Shen just asked me where my aunt went. I said I hadn’t seen her either.”
Seeing Jin Shaoyun’s clueless look and Shen Yi taking small steps backward with fear, as if ready to run at any moment, Qin Su frowned. She felt ridiculous for being upset with these two.
“It’s alright, is my aunt not in the tent?”
Qin Su tried to appear more friendly, but that only made Jin Shaoyun take a step back in fear.
“Not… Your Highness, do you need anything? I’ll go prepare breakfast, and we can start our journey early,” Jin Shaoyun, unsure of where he offended Qin Su, felt uneasy and wanted to escape.
“Go away! Get lost!”
Seeing Jin Shaoyun like that, Qin Su was angry and drove him away. As a result, when she turned around, she was met with an even more frightened look from Shen Yi.
Shen Yi stood pitifully in place, her eyes red, looking at Qin Su as if she was about to cry.
“I’m not talking about you, I’m talking about Jin Shaoyun…”
Qin Su regretted it again and spoke softly to comfort Shen Yi. However, as soon as she took a step forward, Shen Yi stepped back and stumbled over a tree branch, falling.
Seeing Shen Yi burst into tears, Qin Su felt heartbroken. She wanted to help her up, but she avoided her, leaving Qin Su feeling bewildered.
Yu Kong, who had gone to pick wild fruits somewhere, finally returned. She saw Qin Su sitting on the ground and Shen Yi standing next to her.
“Qin Su!”
Yu Kong thought Qin Su was bullying Shen Yi and quickly walked over, helping Shen Yi up. “How could you bully An Ping?”
Hearing Yu Kong call her full name, Qin Su felt even worse. “I didn’t bully her.”
“An Ping, don’t cry. Here, have some fruits. Tell Auntie, did she bully you?”
Shen Yi, looking at Qin Su with fear, held the fruits and said, “She’s so fierce.”
Qin Su: …
“I’m not fierce to An Ping. I was just angry with Jin Shaoyun earlier,” Qin Su felt helpless, yelling for Jin Shaoyun, “Jin Shaoyun! Come here and testify for me!”
Jin Shaoyun, who was preparing breakfast with the soldiers not far away, heard Qin Su’s voice and immediately perked up, running even farther away.
“Alright, stop scaring An Ping. Can’t you be more gentle?”
Yu Kong thought Qin Su shouldn’t bully Shen Yi and said only that before dropping the matter.
But Qin Su felt wronged. She felt like she had never been so wrong in her life. She looked at Shen Yi with resentment, and Shen Yi, taking advantage of Yu Kong’s presence, gained courage and hid behind Yu Kong, whimpering softly and following her.
Qin Su felt both angry and amused. She suspected that Shen Yi and Yu Kong were teaming up to make her angry.
After a quick breakfast, they set off again. Qin Su rode alongside the carriage, softly tempting Shen Yi.
“An Ping, would you like to try riding a horse? It’s quite majestic.”
Shen Yi, leaning on the carriage window, watching Qin Su and the others riding horses, showed curiosity and eagerness. But as soon as Qin Su spoke, she shrank back again, remembering how Qin Su scared her before.
Failing to entice her, Qin Su’s smile faded. She jumped off her horse and onto the carriage, opened the curtain, and went inside.
Sure enough, when Shen Yi saw Qin Su coming in, she hid behind Yu Kong, who was napping. Qin Su couldn’t help but make a scary face to tease her.
Shen Yi was indeed scared again, grabbing Yu Kong’s sleeve to shield herself, but she soon peeked out and saw Qin Su rolling her eyes and sticking out her tongue, pretending to be dead. That startled her again.
“Aunt…”
Shen Yi hid behind Yu Kong and complained. Yu Kong opened her eyes, glanced at Qin Su, and said, “Don’t bully An Ping.”
Qin Su sat in the corner of the carriage, feeling her position in Yu Kong’s heart plummeting. Previously, Yu Kong had always protected her, but now everything seemed upside down.
When Yu Kong closed her eyes again, Qin Su couldn’t resist making another scary face at Shen Yi. Shen Yi was startled but not as scared anymore. She laughed and mimicked Qin Su’s scary face.
Their playful antics reduced Shen Yi’s fear of Qin Su considerably.
They continued their journey without stopping, even eating a simple lunch of dry rations. Qin Su watched Shen Yi struggling to eat her hard rations, so she poured some water from the water bottle, crushed the rations, and handed them to Shen Yi.
Seeing the extra bowl in front of her, Shen Yi hesitated and looked at Yu Kong before realizing she was already dozing off. She then accepted the bowl from Qin Su.
“Thank you.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Shen Yi couldn’t continue with the hard rations. After thanking Qin Su quietly, she took the bowl from Qin Su.
Seeing Shen Yi’s blushing face after thanking her, Qin Su felt a surge of warmth in her heart. The grievances of the night and morning had disappeared, and she felt happy.
In the afternoon, Shen Yi also became tired. She leaned against the corner of the carriage and fell asleep. Qin Su, worried about her head hitting the wall during bumps, walked over carefully and sat beside her. She gently rested Shen Yi’s head on her lap, allowing her to sleep peacefully.
When Yu Kong woke up, she stretched lazily and saw that scene.
Qin Su gestured to Yu Kong to keep quiet. Yu Kong smiled knowingly, rubbed Qin Su and Shen Yi’s heads, then withdrew and opened the curtain to look outside. She made a gesture to Qin Su with her mouth.
“I should go.”
Qin Su wanted to ask Yu Kong if she wanted to visit the Yu family, but she didn’t. Once a monk, always a monk. With that thought, she lost the sense of belonging to a family.
Feeling melancholic for a moment, the carriage headed straight to the palace, where the entire family of the Prime Minister’s residence was waiting eagerly.
Qin Su looked at Shen Yi in her arms, wondering if she could handle everything later.
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 