Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

On the tea table, the map prepared by Zhang Jingwei and his companions was spread out. Li Can's finger moved quickly along the ink line, and his speech speed also increased. "Brother Jingwei, look, this is the fastest route - exit the city from Taiyuan East Gate and head straight for Qinghe County. Once you reach Qinghe, there's no need to delay. Just find a boat and go south along the Fen River. The waterway is clear, and you can reach Jinzhou City directly! This is the fastest and safest way right now."

Zhang Jingwei's eyes followed Li Can's fingers closely, but his brows did not relax. He spoke in a low voice with worry that was hard to conceal: "I just hope that Lingmei did not choose this waterway..." If she took a boat south, the speed would be faster, and it would be more difficult for him to catch up.

Li Can understood his concerns and pointed his finger at the area south of Taiyuan City and Jinzhou on the map. He analyzed, "Don't worry for now. She's coming from the south city. If she wants to reach Jinzhou by land, she'll have to cross the entire Bingzhou territory. Bingzhou is mountainous, and the official roads are winding. Even if she rides a BMW that can travel a thousand miles a day, it will take at least two days to cross the mountains and ridges to enter Jin territory. If we take the water route, perhaps we can buy some time."

Cui Yi, who was listening to the conversation between the two, turned pale and blue in his face, feeling extremely embarrassed. The "beautiful lady with a fierce horse" who he had beaten up yesterday after failing to flirt with her turned out to be the wife of Zhang Jingwei, the county magistrate! He wanted to find a hole to crawl into, but in order to make up for his mistake and to save his image in front of the "role model", he hurried forward and pointed to Qinghe County on the map. With a tone that was a bit flattering and eager to show off, he said, "That... Brother Jingwei, don't worry! Qinghe County is the birthplace of my Cui family's ancestors! There are relatives and friends everywhere, and it has quite a bit of influence. As long as you get there and tell them my name, Cui Yi, they will definitely arrange the fastest and safest boat for you! The food, wine and accommodation will also be treated to the highest standards, and they will never dare to neglect it!"

Zhang Jingwei was extremely confused at the moment and had no time to care about these trivial matters. He just responded unhappily, "Well, thank you for your concern, Mr. Cui." The alienation in his tone was obvious.

Li Can put away the map and solemnly clasped his fists towards Zhang Jingwei, saying, "Brother Jingwei, I'm on patrol duty and official business, so I can't leave the city to see you off. Right now... you're on your own. Remember, once you find your sister-in-law, you must return to Taiyuan immediately! I'll then find a way to ensure your safe return to Gaoyang and that you won't be impeached for this."

Zhang Jingwei was grateful and returned the gift solemnly: "Brother Li, I will always remember your help today! Thank you! Goodbye!" After he said that, he no longer hesitated, turned around, and quickly left the teahouse with Wang Ergou, Qian Ming and others, jumped on his horse, and galloped towards Dongzhimen.

Li Can stood at the door of the teahouse, watching Zhang Jingwei and his group disappear at the end of the street, his face full of worry.

Cui Yi, standing beside him, finally breathed a long sigh of relief. Then his face fell again, and he pounded his head hard, wailing in frustration, "How could she...how could she be Zhang Jingwei's wife?! I have such a broken mouth and such blind eyes! I'm really...really unlucky!"

Li Can retracted his gaze, glanced at him helplessly, and said with a tone of admonition: "Brother Cui, after this incident, you should also control your temper that makes you unable to walk when you see a beautiful woman. You are not always so lucky to meet a reasonable person like Zhang Jingwei."

Cui Yi, however, seemed to have grasped a lifeline. He grabbed Li Can's sleeve and pleaded with a tearful face, "Brother Li! Brother Can! You have to help me! I've treated you to so many drinks, and we're a lifelong friendship! You can't bear to see me forever in Kaimu's mind as a filthy bastard who flirted with his wife, right? You have to help me think of a way to redeem myself, even if it's just a little bit!"

Li Can looked at Cui Yi's pitiful and infuriating appearance, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. In the end, he could only sigh heavily, shook off his hand, and shook his head:

"Alas, if I had known this would happen, why would I have done it in the first place? Brother Cui, oh Brother Cui, this is what you call asking for trouble! You deserve to die!"

……

Two days later, Jinzhou.

Zhang Jingwei and his companions ultimately underestimated the power of "Zhuifeng." This Western Regions gem, initially bought by groom Zhang Shiyi as a mere swift horse, was in fact a rare, exceptionally powerful horse capable of a thousand miles, its stamina and endurance far exceeding ordinary imagination. While Zhang Jingwei and his companions were still sailing, Huangfu Ling had already reached the borders of Jinzhou.

In the Prince of Jin’s Mansion, inside an exquisite and elegant embroidery building.

Princess Sima Yanran blinked her bright eyes and repeated the unfamiliar word in confusion: "Castration? Second sister, what does this mean?" She was still young and knew little about these hidden gynecological diseases.

Huangfu Ling sat on a cushioned embroidered cushion, her face even more haggard than the previous two days, a hint of unremovable sadness lurking deep in her eyes. She lifted her teacup, her fingertips pale. Her voice was calm, almost numb, yet tinged with a heartbreaking heaviness: "It's just...from now on, I can never be a woman again."

Sima Yanran was stunned for a moment when she heard this, then burst out laughing as if she had heard some ridiculous joke, with the innocence and confusion unique to young girls: "Second sister, what you said is illogical! You are a woman to begin with, how can you not be a woman? Can you become a man?"

The corners of Huangfu Ling's mouth twitched reluctantly, revealing a smile that was uglier than crying. He looked at the swaying branches outside the window with a somewhat empty gaze, and whispered, "Yeah... I don't know what kind of person I can be in the future." The voice was light, but it contained endless confusion and pain.

Sima Yanran then realized that Huangfu Ling was in a bad mood. She restrained her smile, hurriedly sat down next to Huangfu Ling, took her arm, and her tone was full of concern and heartache: "Oh, second sister! Look at you, you have been traveling for two days and your face looks so bad. You must be exhausted! Don't think about those trivial things, just rest here with me! I will send someone to Zhuji to buy all your favorite cakes!" She tried to divert Huangfu Ling's attention with delicious food.

Huangfu Ling nodded obediently, like a child who needed support: "Well, I want to eat red bean paste buns."

"Okay! Enough!" Sima Yanran agreed readily, but then she remembered something and asked cautiously, "Speaking of which, Second Sister, if you sneak out like this, Zhang Jingwei... he'll be mad with worry and will definitely come looking for you. How are you going to explain that to him then?"

Huangfu Ling was silent for a moment, her long eyelashes drooping, hiding the emotions in her eyes. Her voice was a little hoarse with fatigue: "He will understand... I just want... to talk to you sisters while I can still be considered a complete woman, and vent all the frustration and grievances in my heart. Otherwise, I'm afraid I will go crazy."

She did not specify the specific details of the "Ningxiang" incident, but the unspeakable humiliation and the subsequent despair were already permeated between the lines.

Sima Yanran sighed: "He has always harbored grudges against my brother and is quite hostile. Besides... you also know how my brother feels about you. If we were to run into each other..."

Huangfu Ling suddenly raised her head, her eyes suddenly became sharp and resolute, and she interrupted her: "Yanran! I have been married for a long time, and I am Zhang Jingwei's wife in this life! If anyone still talks about those inappropriate old feelings all day long and tarnishes my reputation, then I will have no choice but to die, and exchange my blood for a good reputation for my husband, and for my own!" When she said the word "good reputation", the tears that she had been holding back in her eyes could no longer be restrained, and rolled down like pearls from a broken string.

That day, she was harmed by "Chunxiang". The absurdity and pleasure she experienced in her dream while she was in a daze turned into bone-eating shame and self-loathing after she woke up. She felt ashamed to live in the world again and again, and it was Jiuer who persuaded her. Jiuer suggested that she simply undergo the "castration" technique to completely eliminate future troubles, and then she could be at ease as a leisurely official mistress in the future. If she really wanted a child to be in her lap and take care of her in her old age, she could adopt one from Zhang Jingwei's concubines or relatives in the future. Jiuer made it clear that if she kept dragging it on like this, with her illness and no children, there was no guarantee that there would not be a second or third "Ningxiang" who would be jealous and hate her and harm her again.

Sima Yanran felt a pang of grief at Huangfu Ling's appearance. She quickly took out her embroidered handkerchief and gently wiped Huangfu Ling's tears, changing the subject. "Alright, alright, Second Sister, let's not talk about these sad things." A trace of sadness also touched her face. "Second Sister, I'm also old enough to get married. Father...he wants me to marry the son of the Governor of Hebei."

Huangfu Ling wiped her tears, tried to calm down, and asked with concern: "Have you met him? Do you want to marry him?"

Sima Yanran shook her head, looking dejected. "I've never even met him, so how can I even think about him? But I listen to my father. He's... old, and now all he cares about is how to protect himself, how to provide support for my brother, and how to pave a way out. The court has stripped my father of his military power, and he's worried all day long... My marriage is naturally part of this chess game."

Huangfu Ling held her hand and nodded in understanding: "For the sake of the family, it's time for you to get married. Women like us don't get to decide our own marriages."

Sima Yanran held Huangfu Ling's hand in hers, her eyes filled with envy. "So, sometimes I really envy you and Big Sister. How lucky and happy it is to have someone you love and eventually marry him!"

Huangfu Ling was touched by her words, and finally a genuine smile appeared on his face. He gently tapped her forehead and said, "Silly girl, your elder sister is not married yet. Mu Tou went to join the army, saying that he would make a career and come back to marry her in a grand ceremony. This time, he will probably be gone for several years."

Sima Yanran's eyes suddenly lit up, and with a hint of joy that she herself didn't even notice, she blurted out: "What? Big Sister and Mu Tou... they haven't gotten married yet? I thought they had already..."

Huangfu Ling keenly caught her fleeting abnormal emotion, looked at her thoughtfully, and asked tentatively: "Hmm? You seem... a little happy? You can't be... also..." to that stupid big wooden guy...

"No! How is it possible! Second sister, don't talk nonsense!" Sima Yanran's face turned red in an instant, like a cat whose tail was stepped on. She waved her hands to deny it, but her eyes avoided Huangfu Ling's gaze in panic.

Huangfu Ling saw her trying to hide something, and she understood. She couldn't help but sigh, and her tone became serious: "Yanran, listen to my advice and put away those inappropriate thoughts. You two are really not suitable. You are a princess of a golden branch and jade leaf, a royal family, and he is just a soldier who has joined the army. You are from different worlds and are not a good match."

The light in Sima Yanran's eyes dimmed instantly. She lowered her head, playing with her belt. Her voice was as thin as a mosquito, filled with endless grievance and loss: "I know... Sometimes I really wish I wasn't this princess... If I weren't a princess, could I be like an ordinary woman and boldly like someone..."

Huangfu Ling felt sorry for him and comforted him softly, "Silly sister, life is unpredictable. What if... what if after you marry the young master of the Admiral's family, you slowly get along with him, discover his good points, and slowly fall in love with him?"

Sima Yanran suddenly raised her head, eyes filled with the pure and stubborn determination that only a young girl could possess, and shook her head firmly: "No! Second sister, that kind of gradual liking is not love! True love is the first time you see him. In that first glance, your heartbeat quickens, your cheeks heat up, you feel shy and can't bear to look directly at him, and... there's also indescribable joy and concern! That's love!"

Huangfu Ling looked at her serious yet somewhat childish face, and listened to her declaration of "love". He felt both amused and sad. He couldn't help but reach out and pinch her cheek, teasing her, "Oh, what sin have I committed? I have so many bad debts in my heart that I can't even settle them, and I have to sit here and listen to a little girl like you being crazy about love."

Sima Yanran was so embarrassed and annoyed by what she said that she stomped her feet and acted coquettishly: "Oh, second sister! You just know how to make fun of me! Don't say that again!" The two sisters laughed and made a noise, temporarily dispelling the heavy haze that filled the room.