“Xiao Mo, this is for you.”

“In the future, when you see this small clay figurine, it’s the same as seeing me.”

“As long as you speak to this figurine and say you want to see me, I’ll come see you, okay~”

On the streets of the imperial capital, a little girl stood in front of a little boy, her eyes curved into crescents as she spoke.

......

“General, come back!”

“Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry! Follow the general closely!”

“Swear to the death to protect the general!”

“We will die with the general!”

On that vast plain strewn with corpses, a man holding a silver-white long spear and wearing an asura mask had already broken a grand spell formation and executed the ruler of Qi.

Just when the Qin army thought this great battle was about to end—

they never expected the enemy to use the blood-and-killing aura of the battlefield and a million heroic souls as sacrificial offerings, laying down another grand spell formation, trapping the leading commander inside it, exhausting everything to kill that man.

But the man never feared.

“Since I can’t retreat out of this formation, then I’ll break this formation myself!”

The battle went on until the end. The man broke the formation, but in the end, he also died inside that formation.

Yet even at the moment of death, the man used his own life to protect the small clay figurine in his arms.

......

On the bed in the Hall of Nourishing the Heart.

Xiao Mo snapped his eyes open.

When Xiao Mo steadied his mind and looked around, realizing that what he’d had was only a dream, he finally let out a breath.

He got out of bed. Xiao Mo looked at the mask and the clay figurine set beneath the table.

He tried to recall that dream again.

But the dream was like a stone thrown into water—once the ripples faded, the stone was gone without a trace.

No matter how he tried to remember, he couldn’t recall a single detail. Only that lingering, after-the-fact chill of death, and a sense of guilt toward that man, remained.

“Looks like what you see by day, you dream by night.”

Xiao Mo shook his head and stopped thinking about that already-blurred dream.

He took a box. After Spring Swallow [N O V E L I G H T] packed the small clay figurine and the mask inside, he walked out of the sleeping palace.

At this time the sun was about to set. The blood-red glow of the sunset was like an immortal maiden flinging ink across the sky, staining every building in the palace a deep red. When Xiao Mo looked out, he could only see a sliver of the dying sun at the edge of the horizon.

Today, Xiao Mo had risen early in the morning, taken the two consorts to pay respects to Empress Dowager Yan, and then gone to Qin Siyao’s sleeping palace.

After Xiao Mo returned to the palace, he lay down for a nap—only to sleep all the way until now.

“Your Majesty, it’s almost time for the evening meal. Tonight... which noble consort’s palace will Your Majesty dine at?”

Sili walked to Xiao Mo’s side and spoke softly.

“Dine” was only a euphemism.

In truth, wherever he finished dining was wherever he would spend the night.

“Come. We’ll go to the Hall of Congealed Snow.”

Xiao Mo thought for a moment, then said, and immediately strode out of the palace.

Xiao Mo felt that if the two consorts he had married were ordinary women, then tonight he would certainly go to the Hall of Holding Wine to make it up to Consort Mu.

But his two consorts were anything but ordinary, and last night he had also slept in the Hall of Nourishing the Heart.

So there was no talk of “making it up.”

Compared to that, he instead wanted to go to Yan Ruxue’s place and hear what Yan Ruxue had to say about last night.

......

“His Majesty arrives!”

In less than half a stick of incense’s time, Sili’s voice carried into the Hall of Congealed Snow.

The palace maids of the Hall of Congealed Snow heard His Majesty had come and hurriedly stood on both sides of the main doors, lowering themselves in salute.

And along the main path in front of the hall, Bai Ruxue walked toward Xiao Mo, composed and unhurried. When she reached him, she dipped into a salute.

“This consort welcomes Your Majesty...”

“Tonight, I want to dine with my beloved consort. That won’t be a problem, will it?”

Xiao Mo helped Bai Ruxue up, asking with a smile.

“Your Majesty, what are you saying? This consort can dine with Your Majesty—this consort is happy beyond measure. How could it possibly be a problem?”

Bai Ruxue smiled, then spoke to a maid beside her.

“Go to the imperial kitchen. Have them bring the evening meal here.”

“Yes, Your Consort.”

The maid hurriedly bowed and, with light, cheerful steps, happily left the sleeping palace.

In her eyes, His Majesty spending two nights in a row in the Hall of Congealed Snow meant that in His Majesty’s heart, her young lady mattered far more than that Qin princess.

“Your Majesty, the night is cold and the wind is sharp. Please come inside.”

Bai Ruxue smiled gently.

“Mm.”

Xiao Mo nodded and followed Bai Ruxue into the room.

Bai Ruxue’s room was still arranged as the bridal chamber from last night.

According to Great Zhou’s customs, that arrangement would not be removed until half a month later.

“Your Majesty, please sit.”

Bai Ruxue guided Xiao Mo to sit, poured him a cup of tea, then sat beside him, looking at him with warm composure.

“There are some matters—National Preceptor Jiang and Consort Mu have likely already told Your Majesty.”

Bai Ruxue wore a faint smile and spoke first.

“This consort also knows that in Your Majesty’s heart, there are many doubts.

But please rest assured, Your Majesty. This consort will not do anything that harms Your Majesty, nor will this consort do anything that betrays Great Zhou. What this consort wants... Your Majesty has no use for it.”

As she spoke, Bai Ruxue looked at Xiao Mo deeply.

“Once this consort obtains what this consort wants, this consort will naturally take it and leave. Before that, if Your Majesty wishes to reclaim the greater authority, this consort can also help Your Majesty.”

“That won’t be necessary. Matters of court—I can handle them myself. I won’t trouble Yan Ruxue.”

Xiao Mo shook his head and declined.

In Xiao Mo’s eyes, he had the Book of a Hundred Lives, and experiencing life alone already brought him benefit.

Moreover, after several rounds of marrow-cleansing and body-tempering, his spiritual root and physique had both improved.

His cultivation so far was also progressing smoothly.

And at court, there were still quite a few loyal ministers who were devoted to the Xiao imperial clan.

He was not far from cleansing the court and restoring proper governance.

And right now, Yan Ruxue’s identity was still unclear. If he let her assist him and the other side later demanded something in return, it would only become more troublesome.

Bai Ruxue heard Xiao Mo’s refusal and said nothing more, only smiling softly in acknowledgement.

Not long after, the evening meal was brought in. Bai Ruxue attended to Xiao Mo as he ate.

After the meal, Bai Ruxue attended to him again as he washed up.

The two of them were like a true married couple—courteous and restrained, treating each other with mutual respect.

“Your Majesty should stay here tonight.”

Bai Ruxue suggested.

“In this consort’s Hall of Congealed Snow, there are quite a few of Empress Dowager Yan’s eyes. If Your Majesty leaves again tonight, it may arouse suspicion.”

“If the lady does not mind, then naturally I have no objection.”

Xiao Mo looked at Bai Ruxue’s gentle, graceful manner, and then thought of all the times he had encountered her. A quiet sense of emotion rose in his chest.

“Does Your Majesty have something on your mind?” Bai Ruxue asked.

“It isn’t exactly something on my mind.”

Xiao Mo let out a soft sigh.

“It’s a question. I wonder if the lady can answer it.”

Bai Ruxue nodded lightly. “Your Majesty may ask.”

“From the first time I met the lady until now—exactly which day’s version of the lady was the real one?”

Xiao Mo lifted his head, looking straight into her eyes as he waited for her answer.

Hearing the question from the one she cared for, the woman’s expression paused slightly. Then her eyes curved like crescents.

Those peach-blossom eyes gazed at Xiao Mo, their tenderness blending with moonlight and candleflame.

“Ruxue has always been Ruxue.”

“She has never changed.”