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On the third day of the Lunar New Year, after the snow had just cleared. Liu Rumeng, dressed in a crimson and gold robe and wearing a seven-feather crown, stepped into Xuan Zheng Hall, surrounded by palace maids. The fragrant smoke from the gilded incense burner mingled with the scent of her own perfume, weaving a rich mist within the hall. She gazed at the gilded throne on the steps, her fingertips digging into her palm— in her past life, she had married into Qi Wang Mansion as the "Virtuous Princess," only to be silenced with a drug on her wedding night and left to die in a cold courtyard. Now, having returned to this moment, she finally understood that what was called "virtue" was merely a puppet string in the hands of the emperor.
"Liu Rumeng, hear the decree—"
The sharp voice of the eunuch pierced through the silence of the hall. Liu Ruyi tightened her grip on Old Madam's hand slightly. She had received secret news last night that Zhenguo Grand General had "accidentally" dropped a list of privately forged weapons belonging to the Crown Prince during Liu Rumeng's conferral ceremony. She had anticipated this move but did not expect it to come so soon.
"By heavenly mandate, the emperor decrees: Liu Residence's second daughter, Rumeng, is virtuous and gentle, and is hereby conferred as Virtuous Princess, with a princess mansion granted and ten thousand taels of gold..."
As Liu Rumeng knelt to thank him, a piece of rice paper slipped from her sleeve. The emperor raised an eyebrow, signaling for a lady-in-waiting to pick it up. Gasps filled the hall— on that paper was a detailed map indicating the location of the Crown Prince's secret furnace, with Liu Rumeng's name boldly written at the bottom.
"What does this mean?" The emperor's voice suddenly turned cold.
Liu Rumeng trembled all over but met Liu Ruyi's gaze when she looked up. The pity in her sister's eyes struck like a heavy hammer, shattering the carefully maintained mask of fear she wore. Suddenly, she recalled the secret letter she received last night, signed by "the Chancellor of Qi Wang Mansion," which stated: "For tomorrow's events, you need only act according to plan; once successful, your maternal family will be guaranteed safety."
"Your Majesty," she heard her voice rasping like a broken bellows, "this was something I stumbled upon by chance; I intended to present it to Your Majesty today but accidentally dropped it..."
"Stumbled upon by chance?" Zhenguo Grand General stepped forward from among the officials. "Yesterday I searched Crown Prince's Mansion's secret furnace and found ashes inside that matched exactly with what Princess Liu has drawn. Coincidentally, the craftsman responsible for forging is a distant relative of Liu Rumeng’s husband, Li Ming."
The hall erupted in chaos. Liu Ruyi watched as Li Ming was dragged out by guards, his face filled with terror. She suddenly remembered how he had looked when his family was raided in her past life—eyes bloodshot as he shouted that he was wronged. The wheels of fate seemed to have rolled over these people's throats prematurely under her influence.
"Your Majesty! I am wronged!" Liu Rumeng suddenly lunged before the emperor, her golden threads trailing on the ground with an ear-piercing sound. "This is all my sister Liu Ruyi's scheme! She has long colluded with Zhenguo Grand General and made me take the blame for her..."
"Enough!" The emperor slammed his palm on the table, causing the bronze crane incense burner at the corner to shake slightly. "I see you have been blinded by your title! Guards! Take Liu Rumeng into custody at Zongrenfu and strip her of her title starting today!"
As Liu Ruyi assisted Old Madam out of the hall, she heard Liu Rumeng's cries behind her. Zhang Yue leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "Miss, just now Zhenguo Grand General looked at you strangely, as if..."
"As if he knows I am the one pulling the strings." Liu Ruyi tightened Old Madam’s cloak and glanced toward the distant imperial garden where Zhenguo Grand General stood under a plum tree, playing with a jade pendant—exactly what she had sent him: an imprint of Crown Prince's Mansion’s iron plate.
By the time they returned to Duke's Residence, dusk had fallen. Yuan Yingwu stood in the courtyard holding a burnt letter. He was still dressed in court attire; the qilin pattern on his shoulder armor glimmered coldly in the twilight.
"The emperor has ordered me to escort remnants of Crown Prince Faction to the northwest in three days." He tossed the letter into a charcoal basin where flames instantly consumed "Liu Rumeng." "Zhenguo Grand General wants me away from the capital so he can seize power."
Liu Ruyi reached up to remove his hairpin from his head and touched his newly added white hair at his temples. "Do you want to go?"
"I don't want to." Yuan Yingwu suddenly embraced her tightly, resting his chin on top of her head. "I want to stay by your side and watch how you make Liu Rumeng completely disappear."
She looked up at him and noticed a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes. Over these past six months, he had transformed from a roguish young master into an iron-blooded general; from being doubted as Duke's Residence’s heir to becoming an emergency firefighter in the emperor’s eyes while still retaining that tenderness hidden beneath his nonchalant demeanor.
"Tomorrow I will visit Zongrenfu to see Liu Rumeng," Liu Ruyi said softly. "There are some truths she needs to understand."
The dungeon at Zongrenfu reeked of mildew as Liu Rumeng curled up on straw; her seven-feather crown had been removed, revealing bruises on her forehead inflicted by guards. When she saw Liu Ruyi enter, hope flickered briefly in her eyes before being replaced by hatred. "Are you here to mock me?"
"I’m here to tell you the truth." Liu Ruyi signaled for the guard to leave and took out an account book from her sleeve. "This is Li Ming’s examination paper from back then; take a look— is this really something he could have written?"
Liu Rumeng trembled as she took it and stared at the bold character “Yuan” annotated at the top; suddenly she recalled how Li Ming had once mentioned after passing his exams that he owed it all to a benefactor’s help. She shot up her head in disbelief: "Is it Yuan Yingwu? Why would he help Li Ming?"
"Because I want you to believe that your 'prophet' ability is useful." Liu Ruyi crouched down to meet her gaze. "Since the day of the marriage exchange, we have been playing chess. You think you are using Li Ming and the Crown Prince, but in reality, you are merely a piece on our chessboard."
"Impossible..." Liu Rumeng shook her head, but memories flooded back of every time she had "coincidentally" received information, every piece of "accidental" evidence she had discovered—each one a carefully laid trap by others. Suddenly, she grasped Liu Ruyi's wrist, her nails digging into her flesh. "Then what about my mother? Why did you save her?"
"Because I don't want to become you," Liu Ruyi gently pushed her away. "In your past life, your mother poisoned mine to ensure you became a noble consort. In this life, I saved her just to see if, when you lose all your chips, you can still survive on your own like I did."
Suddenly, the sound of clanking chains echoed from outside the dungeon; it was the personal guard of the Grand General of Zhenguo. Liu Ruyi stood up and straightened her clothes, hearing him scream from behind, "You can't leave! I have evidence! I know where the Grand General hides his weapons..."
"It's too late." Liu Ruyi walked out of the dungeon without looking back, letting her cries be muffled by the heavy wooden door. Snowlight streamed through the skylight, casting a cold shadow on her face. She knew that Liu Rumeng could no longer stir up trouble—Grand General Zhenguo needed a scapegoat to solidify the Crown Prince's guilt, and Liu Rumeng was the perfect candidate.
Three days later, Yuan Yingwu led his troops into battle. Liu Ruyi stood on the city tower, watching as his silver spear sliced through the sunlight with a sharp gleam. He suddenly reined in his horse and looked up at her; the wind lifted his cloak, revealing the two characters she had embroidered—"Peace."
"Miss, it's time to go back," Zhang Yue said as he handed her a warming stove. "Old Madam said today she wants to take you to Baiyun Temple for blessings."
The carriage slowly rolled down Zhuque Street. Liu Ruyi lifted the curtain and saw an old man selling sugar paintings by the roadside. She suddenly recalled seeing a sugar painting stall just before her death in her past life; the vendor's face bore a striking resemblance to Yuan Yingwu's. At that moment, she thought it was merely a fleeting vision; now she understood that some fates had been sown long before.
The divination tube in Old Madam's hand shook slightly as it dropped a fortune slip that read: "Two wild geese fly south, ultimately finding their place." Liu Ruyi gazed at the snow-covered pines outside the temple and suddenly remembered last night's secret report—Li Ming had committed suicide in prison, Liu Rumeng was exiled three thousand miles away, and the Crown Prince Faction had been completely annihilated.
"Liu Ruyi," Old Madam pressed the fortune slip into her hand. "Some things need to be let go."
She nodded and folded the slip neatly into her sleeve. As she exited the temple, snow began to fall again. Zhang Yue pointed toward a distant plum grove. "Miss, is that Young Lord's hidden guard?"
Beneath the plum tree stood a figure dressed in black who turned to leave; hanging from his waist was indeed Yuan Yingwu's personal jade pendant. Liu Ruyi suddenly smiled; he had already calculated everything—even leading troops to the northwest was part of drawing out flaws from Grand General Zhenguo.
"Let's return home," she said as she climbed into the carriage, her fingertips brushing against the jade pendant in her sleeve, where the characters "Yuan Yingwu" had been worn smooth and shiny. The wheels crunched over the snow with a creaking sound reminiscent of his horse's hooves shattering thin ice as he rode toward her in her past life.
In this life, she was no longer a pawn at others' mercy; he was no longer a reckless young master. They were both players and pieces on this grand chessboard named "Rebirth," navigating through an ever-changing world.
The snow fell heavier but would eventually cease. Leaning against the carriage wall with her eyes closed in rest, she knew that when Yuan Yingwu returned, they would have to play an even larger game—one concerning the future of Duke's Residence and the direction of this chaotic world. But she no longer feared it because she knew that no matter when it was, he would stand by her side to share in this vast landscape together.
The illusions of flowers and moonlight would eventually fade away; only true hearts could illuminate past and present. She gently caressed her abdomen where a small life already resided. Perhaps this was fate's greatest gift to her—not revenge or power struggles but warmth and hope that could still be grasped in this calculating world.
As their carriage slowly entered Duke's Residence, Liu Ruyi lifted the curtain and saw icicles hanging from the eaves of the main hall reflecting colorful light in the sun. She suddenly recalled Yuan Yingwu's words: "The colder winter gets, the more splendid spring flowers will bloom."
Indeed, winter had arrived; how far could spring be?
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