Holding the script, I want to give up.

Mu Rongyi and Liu Yunwan strolled around the palace and outside the city, not going far.

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, everyone was busy preparing for the palace banquet, and no one paid attention to the feelings of the others.

How did you get here?

"You didn't even call me."

Liu Yunwan found Mu Rongyi Ke by the lotus pond in the abandoned palace where she had taken Shangguan Zitong before.

"I'm bored, so I'm just taking a walk."

"I want to be alone."

When Mu Rongyi saw Liu Yunwan walking towards him, he turned around and calmly said to her.

"Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, but I won't go. Going would only add to the sadness."

"Just tell the public that I've been ill for a long time."

"I believe you will eventually find a way to find me, and I look forward to it."

"Yi Ke, I believe that our separation is only temporary, and one day we will meet again in a parallel universe."

Liu Yunwan leaned against the railing, admiring the lotus flowers in the pond, without specifically looking him in the eyes as she spoke. She wasn't sure if they would meet again in their limited lives, so she offered him a rosy picture to keep him from appearing so dejected.

"Really? Can I come to see you?"

A glimmer of starlight finally appeared in Mu Rongyi's eyes.

"Yes, as long as you can break through this void."

Liu Yunwan turned her head and smiled faintly at him.

"...Then teach me about your way of life. Let me learn about it first."

Mu Rongyi took her hands in his and said.

"Without the actual product, I can't operate it properly."

"Come on, I'll take you somewhere."

Liu Yunwan let go of his hand, then pulled him along with one hand towards Huayu Pavilion.

"She's gone, what are you doing here?"

"To mourn her?"

Mu Rongyi didn't even believe what she was saying. They were the ones who harmed her, so why would they come to mourn her?

"No, there are energy fluctuations here, perhaps because she was here before."

"I will find the threshold back here, and I will leave you a mark, perhaps..."

"I really can't say the rest, and you can't hear me anyway, you know?"

Liu Yunwan sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, looking up at him. Mu Rongyi stood beside her, listening to her speak and looking into the hall.

"Okay, I understand. I'll have someone bring the food over."

Mu Rongyi walked out of the courtyard and whispered instructions to the eunuchs.

"She's gone, and I rarely come to this courtyard anymore."

"I really miss the carefree days I spent with her in Xizhao."

"Perhaps she misses the three years she spent traveling in Nanning more. I wonder what kind of image I left in her heart."

Liu Yunwan couldn't help but sigh a few times, then let out a silent sigh.

"I don't know, it could be beautiful, or it could be ugly."

"Have a meal."

After the maid came forward to serve the dishes, Mu Rongyi Ke stopped talking. He really didn't want to say anything sentimental or melancholic, nor did he have the energy to try to persuade her to stay.

He did everything he was supposed to do and say... but she never even glanced back at him. However, having had it at least is better than never having had it at all.

At the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, officials of the fifth rank and above from the palace all brought their wives and children to enjoy the feast, making it a lively occasion.

"Let the banquet begin!"

Following Mu Rongyi's instructions, the chief eunuch shouted at the top of his lungs to the civil and military officials below.

The crowd watched as nearly a thousand dishes were brought forward and served by maids! In the center of the stage, there was a dance performance they had never seen before, leaving them speechless! The dancers danced like fairies, scattering beautiful petals from their sleeves, adding to the beauty, with ribbons fluttering, like a dream.

Looking at the shocked expressions of the officials below the stage, Huangfu Hongxi couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth. This was what she had been preparing for these past few days, and she wanted to watch all of these performances.

"Oh, my husband, where is the Empress? It's such a pity she didn't come to such a beautiful scene."

The wife of the newly appointed prime minister whispered something in his ear.

"Madam, I heard she's bedridden, and judging by the looks of it, she probably doesn't have long to live, otherwise she wouldn't..."

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. His Majesty has been visibly in a bad mood lately!"

The prime minister spoke to her patiently, covering his face with his sleeve and pretending to be drinking nuptial wine with his wife.

Mu Rongyi was stung by this scene. He stood up and let the officials drink to their hearts' content, raising his cup to them in a toast! Then he quietly left his seat and walked slowly toward Huayu Pavilion.

"See you again someday, I have to go now."

"I'm sorry to leave you here all alone!"

Liu Yunwan stepped into the void gate without hesitation, smiled at her, and waved.

"Um... goodbye..."

Seeing that she didn't linger, a deep wound tore open in Mu Rongyi's heart; he felt as if he were about to shatter. A heart-wrenching pain shot through him, making it hard to breathe. He clutched his chest, his black hair turning white! He collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.

"Your Majesty, why are you doing this?"

Xu Bin, who had been observing from the shadows, hurriedly stepped out, helped Mu Rongyi up, and quietly summoned the imperial physician to examine her.

......

Within Xizhao City, the people lived in peace and contentment, their customs simple and honest, leading a very comfortable life. In their leisure time, they would gather in teahouses to chat about what they considered important figures and events.

"Tsk tsk tsk! I think being an emperor isn't so good; you become an old man at such a young age!"

A middle-aged man sipped his tea, cracked some melon seeds, and pouted.

"That's right, our country is so much better!"

A young man took a sip, his well-defined knuckles gripping the teacup with a strong grip.

"Yes, look at that young emperor in Nanning, hasn't his hair turned white recently?"

"The emperor of Beiji died young, and then some empress dowager came and ruled from behind the curtain? That sounds nice, but isn't she just a female emperor?"

"That young emperor of Dongchuan, his hair has turned white before his death and he's afflicted with a terrible illness, how pitiful!"

A talkative storyteller kept rambling on and on! The crowd listened intently, their brows furrowed in a frown.

"Look at our country, there are no little emperors yet, isn't that great!"

"In comparison, His Highness the Crown Prince must be quite happy!"

"It's so innocent," a woman said.

"Shh! Don't say that!"

"His Highness the Crown Prince's elder sister was the Empress of Dongchuan. I heard she died from overwork!"

A middle-aged woman covered the innocent-looking girl's mouth. She nervously observed the crowd's reactions, and seeing that the others were just having fun, she released her.

"Yes, what a young girl!"

"It's something," a woman remarked.

"What's there to regret!"

"If we're talking about pitiful ones, we have to mention the two princesses from Nanning who were successively sent to Beiji for marriage alliances!"

After finishing his sentence, the traveler sighed.

"Yes, they were all sent there at fifteen, and died at seventeen!"

"I heard that after the princess died, she was not taken into the royal family of Beiji, but was sent back to Nanning, accompanied by some unpleasant words."

"That little princess couldn't stand the people there, so she chose to burn herself to death as a way to escape. She was quite a ruthless person!"

The waiter who brought the tea couldn't help but sigh after he finished speaking, and everyone else sighed as well.

"Hey, Xiao Liu, what are you saying to the customers?"

Why do you all look so wilted, like eggplants that have been hit by frost?

The proprietress grabbed the waiter's ear and scolded him, which made everyone laugh and cry at the same time.

"Hey, hey, hey—boss lady, I was wrong! I promise I won't do it again next time."

The waiter was powerless to fight back and lost the battle in terms of momentum.

"Boss lady, I think you'll need a beating to keep him in line! Do you need my help?"

A tall, muscular man stood up and walked towards the proprietress and her companions with a smile.

"Oh? No need, we're just doing a small stunt, there's no need to trouble you, sir!"

The old woman stood protectively in front of the waiter, like a mother hen guarding her chicks.

"Okay then, sorry! I misunderstood."

The tall man scratched his head sheepishly, then sat back down and continued drinking tea and chatting.

No one was surprised by this little incident. They all understood the situation without saying a word. Outsiders understood, but those involved were unaware of it.

Inside a temple in Nanning.

"Master, what's so special about the stars in the sky? Aren't they just like the ones from the past few days?"

A chubby little monk climbed all the way up the hill from the temple to the top, panting heavily. He plopped down next to Master Wugou, his extra fat on his face jiggling noticeably. He asked, full of confusion, "These stars are everywhere! Why did we have to climb so high to see them?"

"Me? I'm observing the stars!"

Master Wugou smiled kindly and patted the little fat monk's head.

"So what did you see?"

"Master, have some candy! I bought this when I came down from the mountain! It's so sweet."

Although the chubby little monk was full of curiosity, when he took out the candy he had been saving for a long time from his sleeve, he showed his childlike nature, opening his palm towards Master Wugou, gesturing for him to eat together.

"It cannot be said... I can only say that the gods have returned to their places!"

"Yeah, very sweet!"

Master Wugou took the candy and ate it with the chubby little monk.

......