She was a woman of noble birth from the moment she came into the world.

Fallen to such a state, resentful and reluctant, crouching beneath the feet of a subject’s wife, all her former pride had been ruthlessly severed, powerless to turn the situation around.

The palace attendants serving the meals filed in and then out, one after another.

"Mother still refuses to eat?"

Puyang Yi walked to the Princess’s side and said with distress, "After all that has happened, why can’t mother let go? What is so bad about being in Andu, under mother’s own eyes? If there’s any movement, mother can be informed immediately, and because of this, we have one less formidable opponent. Even if people gossip, it’s no loss..."

"Foolish girl!"

The Princess pointed at her in fury and with a heart full of anger, her hand raised above her head, almost ready to come crashing down.

"With a basin of dirty water dumped on my head, I can hardly breathe, and here you are, making such insensitive remarks?"

Puyang Yi closed her eyes, bracing for the hit.

But the Princess let out a long sigh and lowered her hand.

"Leave. I do not wish to see you."

The servants had already fled in fear to the outside of the hall.

The entire sleeping chamber was enveloped in silence.

Puyang Yi knew her mother’s gloom was not easily dispersed, her own heart as if weighed down by a heavy stone. Upon visiting Huaxi Village, she lamented to Feng Yun.

"Mother grows more despondent by the day. The doctor says that repressed emotions harm the liver, and at this rate, I fear she may never recover..."

Feng Yun suggested, "Why not let the Puyang Medical Officer have a look?"

This time, Puyang Jiu had accompanied the entourage and was staying in the manor house.

"The Princess distrusts people and wouldn’t easily trust other doctors, but Puyang Medical Officer is a relative, so she may not mind as much."

Puyang Yi felt awkward.

In truth, ever since her father’s death, relations between the Princess and the Puyang Family had become distant. Apart from formal exchanges during festivals, there was little contact.

People from the Puyang Family, even, spoke ill of her mother behind her back.

Yet all they did was grumble a few words; they couldn’t really do anything to her.

Puyang Yi stated, "Medicines can’t cure a heart’s sickness."

Feng Yun offered a faint smile.

"I can’t provide such a remedy; I’m unable to help you."

She always spoke with calculated precision.

Not a hint of sympathy could be seen on her calm and composed beautiful face.

Puyang Yi cast a glance at her and then lowered her gaze.

Indeed, even when Pei Jue had his mishap, she had shown no emotion, so why would she care about the Princess’s illness?

"I should hasten the repairs of the other house, to move mother to the village for a short stay, see if she can gradually let go of her grudges."

The very grudge she referred to was Feng Yun herself.

Feng Yun knew this and simply laughed it off.

Ever since the Young Emperor came to Huaxi Village, she had more on her plate and no time to worry about whether others liked, resented, or even hated her...

Moreover, as long as people hated or resented her but could not touch her, it proved she was right and still commanded respect. It also meant that the news of Pei Jue’s death had not spread.

There were all sorts of rumors in the streets and alleys, but she paid them no heed.

As long as there was no official decree, she would assume Pei Jue was still alive, simply away at war.

No news was good news.

However...

The somber mood persisted until late April when it suddenly reversed.

On the twentieth of April, a triumphant dispatch came from the northwest.

The Prince of Yonghuai penetrated deep into Heibei Gorge, shattered the alliance of the twelve tribes, and under extremely harsh weather conditions, led his army across the Gobi desert and barren lands, detouring by Fenzhou and reaching Rongzhou, catching the Yecheng Imperial Court utterly by surprise.

The occupation of Rongzhou by the Beiyong Army had now opened up the route from Rongzhou to Xijing.

As a site of military contention since ancient times, and with Pingcheng being the Yuan Family’s ancestral land, it was a key defense for Dajin. Previously held by the Yecheng Imperial Court, the fortress was hard to eliminate, like having an enemy at one’s bedside, making Central Capital restless and the thought of fighting all the way to Li Zongxun’s stronghold all the more difficult.

For Pei Jue to secure a lifeline for his troops in extreme danger, preserve his own force, and then turn the tables by driving the enemy a thousand miles, his boldness and resolution astonished the world.

The courier rode swiftly from Andu City, shouting "Victory in the northwest!" with a voice that drowned out the vendors’ cries and the sound of the music, reaching into Taiping Garden, the Governor’s Office, and echoing through Huaxi Village to everyone’s ears...

The earth trembled with the impact, in the Beiyong Army’s camp, the soldiers raised a roar like a tidal wave.

"Long live the Prince of Yonghuai!"

"Long live!"

"Prince of Yonghuai!"

"Prince of Yonghuai!"

The military horns sounded, and the loudspeakers were employed again, their calls piercing the heavens, startling the eagles soaring in the sky, shaking all living beings on earth...

One can imagine how the history books would write it. The birth of a hero is built upon a mountain of dry bones, along with countless untold stories, quietly spreading in obscure places...