After getting married, she spent every night alone in her room; when she asked for a divorce, he kne

Jiang Zhihuan.

Those three simple words pulled Liu Yuansheng's wandering mind back to the waterside pavilion within the Orchid Garden.

She stared blankly at Xiao Jingzhuo, who was still complaining bitterly, unable to believe what she had just heard. She wanted to ask, but couldn't speak, and could only look anxiously at the pavilion, trying to find Jiang Zhihuan's figure.

But she was too far away, and she was wearing a veil, so it was impossible to see her clearly.

Just then, a clear, pleasant voice rang out from behind, "Excuse me, are you Young Master Xiao?"

Upon hearing the sound, Liu Yuansheng froze in shock, her eyes widening as she turned to look behind her.

Inside the small waterside pavilion, a man appeared.

He wore a moon-white robe with a dark patterned collar and wide sleeves, with a plain blue undergarment underneath. There were no bright colors on his clothes, only very faint silver orchid patterns embroidered on the hem and cuffs, which could be faintly seen in the sunlight.

Her skin was pale and sickly, and her peach blossom eyes were full of affection, yet also conveyed a sense of aloofness that kept strangers at bay. Even though she was so close to him, she still felt that he was far away, an illusion, a soft cloud, a light breeze, about to disappear in the next second.

Liu Yuansheng stared intently at the person in front of her, feeling as if her heart had stopped beating.

Tears welled up silently in her eyes, falling in large drops. She clenched her fists tightly, clearly wanting to say a thousand words, yet unable to utter a single one.

She's mute?

Through the veil, Liu Yuansheng stared at Jiang Zhihuan almost blatantly, but Jiang Zhihuan never glanced in her direction. He bowed to Xiao Jinghan and said, "The fragrant orchids lean quietly against the ground, where we once admired the fading evening breeze together. Now, I face only the empty leaves in the courtyard, no longer seeing you holding a fan to admire them."

"This poem, 'Remembering the Orchid,' consists of only twenty-eight characters. By contrasting the past and present, it fully expresses the sentiment of things changing and people being different. Not a single word in the entire poem is explicitly sad, yet the sorrow of parting overflows from the page. The emotions are subtle and graceful, making it a truly excellent work."

"After reading this poem, I am very fond of it and have been reciting it over and over again. If the opportunity arises, I would like to discuss poetry and orchids with you and become friends. I wonder if you would agree?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingzhuo was taken aback.

He stared at Jiang Zhihuan for a moment, smiled brightly, returned the bow, and said, "Brother Jiang, you flatter me. That little poem was just something I wrote down on a whim. It's a crude and unremarkable piece, not worth mentioning. How could I dare to compare it with someone as knowledgeable and refined as Brother Jiang?"

"Young Master Xiao, there's no need for such modesty." Jiang Zhihuan raised his hand, took two celadon teacups from the stone table, his eyes gentle and smiling. "It is an honor to meet you today, Young Master. Our discussion on poetry has delighted me, and I truly hope to forge a literary bond with you. I will offer you this cup of tea instead of wine."

Liu Yuansheng's gaze followed that fair and slender hand down.

It was this hand that once pulled her out of the lake.

It was this hand that helped her stand up again.

It was this hand that taught her to hold a pen and write.

This hand helped her carry water and chop wood.

It was this same hand that held her and told her that she was the best woman in the world.

Liu Yuansheng trembled violently and could hardly sit still, but then she saw Jiang Zhihuan slowly pick up the two cups of tea and smilingly hand one of them to Xiao Jingzhuo.

Xiao Jingzhuo readily accepted the teacup, and the two of them picked up the teacups and drank them down in one gulp.

Liu Yuansheng watched Jiang Zhihuan's every move, watching him slowly drink the tea, then wipe his lips and give Xiao Jingzhu a hearty smile.

Then, he put down his teacup, bowed to Xie Qinghe and her, and said, "I will take my leave now, without disturbing your enjoyment any longer."

After saying that, he nodded to Xiao Jingzhuo and turned to leave.

Liu Yuansheng suddenly stood up.

His clothes billowed like wind, propelling Liu Yuansheng forward until they crashed into the stone table.

It's him!

It's really him!

He's still alive! He's still alive!

But why doesn't he acknowledge her? Why doesn't he go to find her?

Has he forgotten her, or... no longer wants her?

Liu Yuansheng's head throbbed with pain as she watched Jiang Zhihuan walk further and further away, feeling like her head was about to explode.

"This Jiang Zhihuan is quite interesting."

Across from him, Xiao Jingzhuo was still savoring his conversation with Jiang Zhihuan. "Sister-in-law, did you hear that? Jiang Zhihuan praised my poetry!"

"So this is Jiang Zhihuan? He's quite a refined and gentle young man. But what are you so smug about?" Xie Qinghe twisted Xiao Jingzhuo's ear with exasperation. "I'm here for you to make a acquaintance, not to exchange poems. Miss Sun is the one you should be focusing on!"

"Oh, sister-in-law, these things are about fate; you can't rush them!"

The two chatted incessantly in the waterside pavilion.

Liu Yuansheng's soul followed Jiang Zhihuan far away. She tried to hold back, but finally couldn't help but chase after him, her heart sinking towards the figure she longed for day and night.

She wanted to ask him why he was ignoring her.

She wanted to ask him if he had forgotten her.

She was far from him, so she had to walk faster and faster. Then a breeze came and blew off her veil.

With her vision obscured by the snow-white veil, Liu Yuansheng lost her footing and accidentally stepped on a fallen veil, falling onto the bridge.

"Miss!"

"Third sister-in-law!"

"Yuansheng, what are you doing?"

Hearing the commotion, Xie Qinghe and Xiao Jingzhuo chased after them together.

Liu Yuansheng ignored him, looked up in a disheveled state, and stared at Jiang Zhihuan.

Jiang Zhihuan stopped at the other end of the arched bridge.

Seeing him looking at her, Liu Yuansheng hurriedly stood up, but Jiang Zhihuan turned his head away the moment their eyes met and left without moving.

Liu Yuansheng stood there in disbelief, staring blankly at Jiang Zhihuan as he vanished without a trace.

It felt like something inside my chest had shattered, and blood was seeping out.

Liu Yuansheng's lips trembled, wanting to make a sound, but she couldn't call out that name.

She clutched her chest in desperation, only to find it completely empty...

So be it.

I can't have it, I can't have it.

Her entire life was one of unattainable desires.

Liu Yuansheng gave a self-deprecating laugh, closed her eyes, and fainted...

-

The Honglu Temple's Sifang Hall, with its walls stretching for half a street, comprises four courtyards in the east, south, west, and north, corresponding to envoys from the four directions: Yi, Man, Rong, and Di.

In the north courtyard, the room was quiet. Everyone held their breath and kept their expressions solemn. No one dared to make a sound.

Just yesterday, the fierce and valiant Mukteji died.

The cause of death is still unknown, but the anger of the Wedge Tribe is evident. They went to the emperor and demanded that he thoroughly investigate the cause of Muktaiji's death and give them an explanation.

The emperor attached great importance to this case and issued a special decree ordering the three judicial departments to conduct a thorough investigation, with the Court of State Ceremonial in charge of cooperating.

"Lord Xiao, in your opinion, how did this Muktaiji die?"

Liang Yuheng covered his mouth and nose with a white handkerchief and said to Xiao Jinghan beside him.

Xiao Jinghan had just gone to see Muktaiji's body and was feeling nauseous. Hearing Liang Yuheng's words, he waved his hand and said, "I only took a look, I don't know."

Liang Yuheng then went to ask Feng Liangcai.

Feng Liangcai shook his head vigorously, "How would I know? Doesn't he always go to the Stork Tower? Did he suffer a stroke and use that as an excuse to frame us?"

Upon hearing this, Liang Yuheng suddenly understood and felt that Feng Liangcai's analysis was quite reasonable. Just as he was about to reply, Muktaiji's younger brother, Muletaiji, rushed in.

"Who is Xiao Jinghan? Show yourself! I'm going to kill him to avenge my brother!"