Holding the script, I want to give up.

After bringing the person back, Shangguan Zitong went straight to the General's Mansion.

Inside the general's mansion, Shangguan Zitong sat leisurely in the seat of honor, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table without saying a word. He quietly watched the people below, giving them an invisible sense of pressure.

"Miss Sang, shall I speak or will you speak yourself? Think carefully about the consequences before you speak."

Shangguan Zitong picked up the teacup, blew on it, and took a slow, elegant sip. She set down the teacup, propped her head up with one hand, and continued tapping the table with the other.

"What wrong have I done? Does the princess have any evidence? Don't ruin my reputation with your lies."

Sang Ran was relentless in her pursuit of justice, teetering on the edge of self-destruction. She spoke with such conviction that she unconsciously straightened her back, knowing that her father was there to back her up.

“Alright, the border is bitterly cold, and General Sang is too old to walk. Miss Sang, please do your filial duty and go to the border to see the soldiers on his behalf.”

"Come back after a year of training, and set off immediately. By then you will know you were wrong."

"Why should I? I haven't done anything heinous. Princess, aren't you going too far?"

Sang Ran never expected that she would send her to the border for the sake of a mere hostage.

"You know perfectly well that I'm not saying anything to preserve your dignity and reputation."

"Father!"

"Go and gain some experience; it will do you good. The border region is harsh and cold, so take good care of yourself."

General Sang was clear-headed and felt a pang of heartache seeing his daughter slumped on the ground, dejected. However, he also felt that he had spoiled her, which had allowed her to act so recklessly.

"I will truthfully report General Sang's loyalty to my father."

Seeing that the matter was almost resolved, Shangguan Zitong got up to return to the palace.

"This old minister thanks Your Highness and respectfully sees you off."

General Sang bowed and said.

Inside the palace, Shangguan Zitong recounted the whole story to the Southern Emperor, who frowned and pondered, saying, "You are still too young."

The Southern Emperor sent some rewards to the General's Mansion and instructed General Sang to help his daughter travel light.

The meaning is self-evident: traveling without a single attendant—truly, experience counts.

After learning about Shangguan Zitong's actions, Huangfu Hongxi's attitude towards her improved.

......

It's another new year, a time for family reunions. Shangguan Zitong is overflowing with happiness. Meanwhile, Sang Ran is eating in the wind and sand, tears streaming down her face.

Shangguan Zitong gave Youzhi, Youxi and Yibai a fifteen-day holiday so they could go home and have a good New Year.

After finishing her New Year's Eve dinner, she walked back to her palace alone. After observing Liu Yunwan and Mu Rongyi's condition for a while, she felt that things should be getting better. At least Sister Liu wasn't being tortured yet, so she fell asleep.

She woke up in the middle of the night feeling cold. She remembered that she had closed the window, so why was it so cold?

She covered the white fox with a blanket, got up and walked barefoot to the window. She yawned and saw a person dancing with a sword in the snow.

That's right, it's sword dancing! Who the hell would get up at the crack of dawn to dance during the New Year, and dance right in front of her window?

Shangguan Zitong wasn't interested in the dancers. Since it was too dark, she closed the window without even looking and muttered, "What a nutcase." She went back to bed and fell asleep immediately.

"..."

Huangfu Hongxi deliberately opened her window quietly when no one was around, found a good angle to practice his swordplay, and wanted to impress her.

What I got in return was the sound of the window closing crisply.

No, sister, don't go to sleep yet! Get up and take a look at the person performing the sword dance for you before you go to sleep. How can you sleep during such a wonderful opportunity?

The next day, Shangguan Zitong woke up naturally, stretched, turned on her computer for only seven seconds, then turned it off and went back to sleep.

......

“I’m not sleeping here. There’s not even a mattress. It’s even more shabby than my woodshed.”

"Miss, it's up to you whether you want to sleep or not. This is the only superior room we have. Would you like to stay or not?"

The waiter didn't tolerate it either.

Sang Ran was so angry she wanted to bite her teeth.

"Once you miss this opportunity, you won't find another one."

The waiter, with a straight face, spouted nonsense, deciding to extort money from this once-wealthy but now down-on-her-luck young lady.

"Stay, stay, stay."

Sang Ran tossed a silver ingot to the waiter and said, "You must have hot water, right? Bring some up for me."

"Yes, yes, yes, it's a pleasure to serve you. I'll take it up to you right away."

The waiter said with a fawning expression.

Sang Ran returned to her room and began to examine its facilities. How could this pampered young lady endure the weariness of her journey? At that moment, she felt utterly wronged and helpless, and she squatted down, burying her face in her hands and sobbing.

Actually, her father had secretly sent a group of people to protect her, and the emperor turned a blind eye, but she was too naive to know. The inn was fully booked, mostly by the people sent to protect her.

However, they at least left her a superior room, so she wouldn't actually have to sleep in the woodshed.

After Sang Ran arrived at her destination, the general guarding the pass gave her a warm welcome and then immediately assigned her a demanding and exhausting job. The person above her had said he wanted to give her some serious training.

Sang Ran was exhausted after only a month in this job, working like a slave. "Oh well," she told herself, "just grit my teeth, a year will pass." She complained about Shangguan Zitong's wickedness while working.

......

Meanwhile, Shangguan Zitong sneezed. She pulled her cloak tighter around herself, and holding the white fox, she watched the people dancing with swords in the snow, feeling a strange sense of familiarity.

Seeing that the covert approach wasn't working, Huangfu Hongxi decided to take a more direct approach. On the third day of the Lunar New Year, he pulled her to a bench in front of a side hall and made her sit down, using the excuse of her improved martial arts skills to get her to watch him practice his swordplay.

Shangguan Zitong was forced to watch a sword dance in the snow. She didn't know if it was beautiful or not; all she knew was that she was freezing to death.

"Damn it, can't we dance in a different season? Why does it have to be this freezing winter month?" Shangguan Zitong thought to herself.

"How was my dancing?"

Huangfu Hongxi put down his sword and walked towards her, wanting to hear her advice.

"Yes, yes, very good."

Shangguan Zitong gave a perfunctory reply.

"Then who dances better, me or your guard?"

Huangfu Hongxi was not annoyed by her perfunctory reply.

"...Mu Rongyi Ke?"

Shangguan Zitong recalled the scene in the video where Mu Rongyi and Liu Yunwan practiced martial arts together, which was simply too beautiful.

"Who is he?"

"She is the white moonlight in my heart."

Those are the epitome of a beautiful, strong, and tragic madman! Who wouldn't like a character in a book? Just like how people in the world of anime like two-dimensional characters.

What does "white moonlight" mean?

"As radiant and clear as the moon."

"..."

Huangfu Hongxi's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a pang of bittersweetness. What was it? Of course, it was the seed of unrequited love that was sprouting within him.

"Well, once you're done dancing, I'll be leaving."

Regardless of Huangfu Hongxi's reaction, Shangguan Zitong picked up the white fox and left without looking back.

Seeing her yawning repeatedly, Huangfu Hongxi felt a pang of pain in his heart. Watching her departing figure, he realized that in this foreign land, only Song Yao truly cared about him.

......