Da Ming: The system granted me immortality; I clock in every day.

Every pull is draining the last vestiges of life.

Shen Wan lost her father at a young age and lived a life of constant displacement with her grandmother.

He suffered greatly in his early years, which left him with serious health problems.

After arriving in the north, the cold and dry climate of Shuntian Prefecture dealt a heavy blow to her already weak lung meridian.

Over the years, she has devoted herself to managing the family and never complained.

They forcefully suppressed the illness within their bodies.

Now, this illness can no longer be suppressed.

It is a dangerous form of tuberculosis.

In this era, this is an incurable disease.

"Don't say such formal things. We live under the same roof, and it's only natural for us to support each other."

Gu Yannian wrung out the washed clothes and hung them on a bamboo pole to dry, then turned and went to the kitchen to brew medicine.

A strong, bitter medicinal smell permeated the courtyard.

Gu Yannian held the prepared medicine and watched Shen Wan swallow it with difficulty.

He knew that these herbs were just a drop in the ocean.

He could only barely muster the last bit of strength left.

At night, Shen Wan lay on the bed in the main room, her breathing heavy.

Gu Yannian sat cross-legged on the daybed in the outer room, his eyes slightly closed.

His body no longer needs sleep to replenish its energy.

He simply circulated his vast amount of vital energy quietly.

He could easily tear tigers and leopards apart with his bare hands, and he could keenly sense killing intent from a hundred feet away.

But he sadly discovered that he was powerless to change life, death, illness, or death.

The longevity system is rigid, only giving attribute points and no elixirs or miraculous medicines.

Even a fraction of his terrifying power of 1,600 points.

For Shen Wan's fragile mortal meridians, it was also a deadly poison, capable of bursting them instantly.

This is the cold and cruel reality.

He was a mortal with a godlike body.

However, he was not a true immortal who could defy fate.

In the following months, Gu Yannian unusually requested a long leave from the Bureau of Justice.

Upon learning of this, Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi not only readily granted the leave, but also...

Several senior imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy were also dispatched to treat the patients.

Several white-haired imperial physicians took turns taking his pulse, but in the end they all shook their heads and sighed helplessly.

"Lord Gu, your wife's illness is a chronic and long-standing ailment. The pathogenic factors have penetrated deep into her lungs and internal organs, and her life is almost over. We can only prescribe some mild remedies to keep her alive until the very last breath."

"My lord... please make preparations as soon as possible."

The head of the Imperial Medical Academy bowed regretfully and took his leave.

Gu Yannian saw the imperial physician out of the hospital and calmly slipped him a silver ingot as a reward.

He went back inside.

It was the height of summer, and cicadas chirped outside, but inside, a sense of decay and death permeated the air.

Shen Wan turned her head with difficulty and looked at Gu Yannian.

Her already thin face was now even more gaunt and sunken.

Only those eyes remained bright and peaceful.

"My lord, I heard everything the imperial physician said."

Shen Wan forced a smile.

"I know my own body best. My lord, please don't go through all that trouble for me. Those expensive ginseng soups are just a waste."

Gu Yannian walked to the bedside and sat down on the low stool.

He reached out his long, slender hand and gently tucked the blanket around her.

"Don't talk nonsense. There's plenty of silver in the treasury; a few bowls of ginseng soup are nothing to us."

Gu Yannian spoke in a calm tone.

He tried to use this calm tone to cover up the unfamiliar bitterness in his heart.

Shen Wan looked at him with gentle eyes.

It even carries a kind of clarity that sees through the ways of the world.

"My lord, I have been married into the Gu family for nine years now."

Shen Wan's voice was extremely soft, as if a gust of wind could dissipate it.

"These past nine years have been the most peaceful and dignified days of my life."

"I won't go hungry or cold. When I'm out and about, everyone will respectfully call me Madam Gu."

Gu Yannian listened quietly without saying a word.

"Actually... I know the answer in my heart."

Shen Wan breathed slowly, her gaze fixed on Gu Yannian's face.

"Your Excellency is no ordinary man. Nine years have passed, and I have watched as wrinkles have appeared at the corners of my eyes and my hair has turned white. But Your Excellency is exactly the same as when I first met you nine years ago."

"My lord never sleeps at night, but meditates quietly. I have seen the skills that my lord occasionally displays."

"Since you know, why haven't you asked for so long?" Gu Yannian asked in a low voice.

"What's the point of asking?"

Shen Wan shook her head with difficulty.

"I am but an ordinary, weak woman. Whether you are a celestial being descended to earth or a reclusive sage, you have given me a home to shelter me from the wind and rain, and you have given me dignity and respect. That is enough."

"I am grateful to you, sir, so how could I possibly pry into your secrets and cause you any trouble?"

Looking at her pale face, Gu Yannian felt a growing pang of sorrow in his heart, which transformed into a heavy, dull ache.

He always used Shen Wan as a useful shield.

A responsible housekeeper.

The two treated each other with respect, but rarely opened their hearts to each other.

He rationally maintained his distance.

They thought that this would free them from unnecessary entanglements during this long period of time.

But he ultimately underestimated human nature and overestimated his own indifference.

Nine years of living and working together day and night.

Those bowls of warm rice porridge, those dim night lights.

It had already left a deep mark on his life.

"grown ups……"

Shen Wan stretched out her withered hand with difficulty, trying to touch Gu Yannian's sleeve.

Gu Yannian quickly grabbed her hand in return.

That hand was cold and bony.

It was as if it would easily break if he applied even the slightest bit of force.

"I'm here," Gu Yannian replied calmly.

"After I leave, my lord, please do not grieve."

Shen Wan was breathing heavily, each word seeming to exhaust her immense strength.

"This world is vast, but your journey is long. I am content to accompany you on this short journey."

"I only ask that you, my lord, allow me a simple funeral and find a quiet, scenic place to bury me."

"I...do not like crowds."

"Okay, I promise. Quiet, no noise."

Gu Yannian nodded solemnly.

The autumn wind rises.

The leaves on the old jujube tree began to turn yellow rapidly.

In the late autumn of the nineteenth year of the Yongle reign, a bleak chill permeated the air.

The sunset was magnificent at dusk that day.

The courtyard in Xuanwufang was tinged with a poignant golden-red hue.

Shen Wan was unusually energetic.

She asked Gu Yannian to carefully comb her hair and changed into a clean blue plain silk jacket and skirt.

Gu Yannian knew that this was what people commonly referred to as a "last gasp before death."

He sat quietly by the bed, keeping her company as she watched the brilliant sunset outside the window.

"My lord, the sunset today is absolutely beautiful."

Shen Wan murmured softly, her gaze unfocused, as if lost in distant memories.

"I think I saw my grandmother calling me from afar..."

Gu Yannian held her hand tightly.

He could clearly feel that the originally weak pulse was slowly but irreversibly heading towards its cessation.

"Sleep peacefully."

Gu Yannian said gently.

"Get a good night's sleep."

Shen Wan nodded weakly, managing a weak, peaceful smile.

She slowly closed her eyes.

That cold hand, in Gu Yannian's palm, completely lost its last bit of strength and then fell limply to the ground.

The autumn wind blew fiercely through the courtyard.

A few withered jujube leaves drifted in through the window and landed silently on the blue brick floor.

There were no mournful cries, no agonizing wails.

Gu Yannian sat quietly by the bed, looking at that peaceful face that had completely lost its vitality.

He clearly sensed that this faint life magnetic field had completely dissipated from his perception.

[Ding! Current time: 5:00 AM (Mao Shi)]

Should a roll call be conducted?