The improved female villains regained their memories.

Previously, Xu Anyin did not know that Ling Shui'er was her mother. Now that he knows, he changes the title of Ling Yan'er from "Mother Consort" to "that woman".

Yang Pingsheng glanced at her, patted her hand, and said, "Don't get excited. Do you remember the lesson I taught you?"

"Yes, Grand Tutor."

Xu Anyin calmed down, but still looked thoughtful. Yang Pingsheng looked at her and decided to ask her first.

"When you were reborn, didn't you know what happened during your birth?"

Ling Shui'er's decision to have her child recognize Ling Yan'er as her mother couldn't have been her own idea; it must have been Ling Yan'er's.

But why did Ling Yan'er do this?

When did she begin to set up this scheme?

What was her purpose in orchestrating this?

I always feel like this place is shrouded in mist, making it hard to see clearly.

When asked about Yang Pingsheng's question, Xu Anyin shook his head: "I don't know either."

When he was first reborn, Xu Anyin's soul was unstable, so he went to sleep in Xu Anlu's consciousness space and didn't wake up until Xu Anlu was eight years old.

Therefore, Xu Anyin was unaware of what happened at that time.

"Grand Tutor, even if my mother handed me over to that woman, she and that woman are still sisters. Why would she want to get rid of my mother?"

Xu Anyin asked, she hadn't figured out the answer.

Ling Shui'er is a good knife, specializing in helping Ling Yan'er handle dirty business. The two are also sisters from the same womb, so there's no reason for them to turn against each other.

However, according to Yang Pingsheng's intelligence, Ling Yan'er had indeed decided to kill and had set up a trap, but Ling Shui'er, who had just completed her mission, was obviously unaware of all this.

"If all else fails," Xu Anyin said, "then let her kill him."

Yang Pingsheng's hand holding the bamboo slip trembled slightly, and he looked up at her.

Chapter Seventy-One: Farewell

Silence, long silence.

Xu Anyin tilted his head and looked at Yang Pingsheng: "Grand Tutor?"

What did you just say?

I said, let her kill.

Xu Anyin said, "That woman doesn't even want the knife anymore, which means she already has a better one."

"I'll show you the intelligence." Yang Pingsheng frowned. "Is this what you're thinking?"

"What else could it be?"

Xu Anyin did not have deep feelings for Ling Shui'er.

Reborn with only revenge in mind, she is willing to use anything as a pawn to achieve her goal.

So what if she's her birth mother? Regardless of whether Ling Shui'er is her birth mother or her aunt, Xu Anyin has no intention of saving her. In her eyes, trying to save her now would be tantamount to suicide. Her advantage is that she's hidden, and she should maintain that advantage.

Yang Pingsheng sighed: "She is your biological mother."

"That woman has set up a deadly trap in the palace to eliminate her and the Minister of Personnel. Even if I wanted to save them, what could I do?"

Xu Anyin looked at Yang Pingsheng and tentatively asked, "Does the Grand Tutor intend to get involved in this mess?"

She couldn't forget that Yang Pingsheng had a romantic entanglement with Ling Yan'er.

"I'm too old to deal with these things, so I'll just help you out."

Why is the Grand Tutor helping me?

"Didn't I say that?" Yang Pingsheng turned his face to the window, "I hope you learn the way of the king."

Outside the window, a light mist condensed, and snowflakes drifted down from the sky.

A world of white.

"The snow is really heavy this year," Yang Pingsheng murmured to himself.

“Yes,” Xu Anyin replied cooperatively.

A heavy snowfall foretells a bountiful year; with such an auspicious omen, the day for Xu Anlu to return to the palace finally arrived.

People from the palace arrived, led by Eunuch Shi. He was an old eunuch who worked for Ling Yan'er and was also an acquaintance of Xu Anlu.

On the day he arrived, people from the Wenxian Sect also came, saying they wanted to take Xiaozhu and Xiaohua away.

Xiao Zhu and Xiao Hua left in the morning, and Xu Anlu will be leaving this afternoon. Eunuch Shi stood on the snow-covered steps, hands clasped in greeting, and greeted Yang Pingsheng: "Grand Tutor, Happy New Year!"

Yang Pingsheng looked at him and bowed slightly: "I didn't expect it to be Eunuch Shi who came in person."

"Oh dear, not at all. Her Highness the Princess's return to the palace is of paramount importance. The Empress Dowager has instructed that this old servant must personally oversee the process."

He laughed, his face crinkling into a deep wrinkle, making his laugh look particularly unsightly.

Xu Anlu stood behind Yang Pingsheng with her head down, holding onto his sleeve.

Yang Pingsheng turned to look at her: "Your Highness, have you packed your things?"

It's not Xiao Lu, but Your Highness.

"Everything is packed."

Xu Anlu spoke, not daring to look her in the eye.

"Eunuch Shi, I have prepared some things for His Highness. Please wait here for a while."

"This, Grand Tutor, this time..."

Yang Pingsheng approached, placing a coin in Shi Gonggong's sleeve: "Please do me this favor."

"Of course." Eunuch Shi smiled broadly. "I know what kind of person the Grand Tutor is. You have taken care of His Highness for so long, this old servant can wait a little while."

"It's troublesome."

Yang Pingsheng walked back and patted Xu Anlu's head: "Let's go."

"Yes, Grand Tutor."

Yang Pingsheng walked in front, and Xu Anlu followed behind. The hand that was holding the clothes slowly reached out towards the swaying hand.

"Grand Tutor".

"Ok?"

Can I hold your hand?

He took her hand.

Pushing open the study door, the warm winter light streamed in, creating a boundary between light and shadow. Yang Pingsheng led Xu Anlu in, then released her hand, bent down to open the box, and took out bamboo slips.

On the bamboo slips was a drawing he made; the drawing was of Xu Anlu.

Xu Anlu practicing boxing, Xu Anlu wielding a spear, Xu Anlu practicing standing meditation.

Happy Xu Anlu, sad Xu Anlu, lively Xu Anlu.

Xu Anlu in all sorts of ways.

"Here, this is for you." He handed it over.

Then, he walked behind where the weapons were kept and took out a red-tasseled spear.

"The spear is the king of weapons."

As he spoke, he handed it to Xu Anlu: "This is for you too. You'll find it useful when you grow up."

Xu Anlu took it, and the gun, held high in her hand, felt somewhat awkward.

"Thank you, Grand Tutor."

She grinned and said, "I love it!"

She laughed while tears streamed down her face.

Yang Pingsheng stepped forward and wiped away her tears: "Don't cry, Little Ears will go back with you, it will stay with you."

"Grand Tutor, I didn't cry."

She turned her head away and took a step back.

"I'm all grown up now, I don't cry anymore."

Yang Pingsheng was stunned for a moment, then he smiled.

"That's good."

When Yang Pingsheng led Xu Anlu out, the snow was falling heavily, and the old man Shi and the people waiting at the door were already covered in a layer of snow.

"Oh dear, Your Highness, how can I let you carry this?"

Seeing the gun in Xu Anlu's arms, Eunuch Shi quickly led his men forward to take it. But Xu Anlu stepped back, stubbornly saying:

"I'll take it myself."

She's grown up now and can take it herself.

Yang Pingsheng patted her head: "Go ahead."

Xu Anlu looked at him, then walked over with the gun and the painting in her arms.

"Then, Grand Tutor," Eunuch Shi said, looking at Yang Pingsheng, "we'll be leaving now."

Yang Pingsheng nodded: "Please give my regards to the Empress Dowager."

The crowd surged in and then surged away. Surrounded by the crowd, Xu Anlu slowly walked down the mountain.

She turned around and, through the gaps in the crowd, saw the person standing at the door.

He stood there, his clothes billowing in the cold wind, his body ramrod straight like a high mountain, as snowflakes fell one by one, turning his head white.

She suddenly dropped something—a gun or a painting—and burst through the crowd, causing a commotion. Then, like an arrow released from a bow, she flew straight into his arms.

"Grand Tutor, Grand Tutor..."

Tears streamed down her face.