After a long silence, Wen Zhiyi finally let out a soft sigh.
“But I stopped hating you a long time ago.”
“My sister doesn’t hate you either.”
A faint, unreadable chuckle escaped Wen Zhiji’s lips.
“…Then what about Father?”
Wen Zhiyi blinked in confusion.
“Father?”
Instead of answering, Wen Zhiji slowly lifted his head.
Above him stretched an endless expanse of clear blue sky.
Yet within his heart lingered a haze that refused to disperse.
Seeing him fall into silence for no apparent reason, Wen Zhiyi was just about to ask another question when a surprised voice interrupted them.
“Second Miss has returned?”
Turning toward the sound, Wen Zhiyi saw Zhao Momo, Wen Zhiji’s wet nurse, hurrying toward them with surprising speed.
Her face, no longer young, was covered in deep smile lines that gathered together like blooming chrysanthemums in autumn.
“Oh my, Second Miss… no, that’s not right!”
She lightly slapped her own mouth in mock reproach.
“Your Highness, the Noble Consort, has returned!”
She hastily offered an imperfect bow.
“This old servant greets Your Highness.”
Wen Zhiyi smiled and nodded.
“And this must be Miss Lurao!”
Without waiting for permission, Zhao Momo walked around Wen Zhiyi and grabbed Lurao’s hands enthusiastically, looking her up and down.
“Miss Lurao, do you remember me? I’m Zhao Momo!”
“My goodness…”
“When you followed Her Highness into the palace two years ago, you were still such a little girl.”
“Now you’ve grown into such a graceful young lady.”
“Wonderful, simply wonderful!”
Her overwhelming enthusiasm left even the normally ice-cold Lurao at a loss.
She tried to force a polite smile, only to discover that the corners of her mouth were twitching uncontrollably.
Unable to free herself, she could only cast pleading looks toward Wen Zhiyi for help.
Fortunately, after sighing nostalgically for a while, Zhao Momo finally released her.
She turned back toward Wen Zhiyi, still smiling from ear to ear.
“Since Your Highness has come home…”
“Does that mean our Master has been released as well?”
“I knew it!”
“Our Master is the most loyal man in the entire empire.”
“There’s no way he could have done something like treason…”
Wen Zhiji interrupted gently.
“Momo.”
“Father is still imprisoned.”
“Her Highness only came back to visit.”
Zhao Momo’s smile froze.
“…What?”
Looking at her stunned expression, Wen Zhiyi forced herself to smile reassuringly.
“The evidence against Father is overwhelming.”
“I’m afraid his innocence can no longer be proven.”
“I returned today because I couldn’t bear the thought of the Wen family bloodline ending here.”
She glanced at Wen Zhiji.
“I came to persuade Aji to leave an heir for our family.”
Wen Zhiji quietly looked at her.
Zhao Momo, however, staggered backward so violently she nearly collapsed.
She looked at Wen Zhiyi…
Then at Wen Zhiji…
Seeing that neither appeared to be joking, she suddenly covered her face and burst into tears.
“Oh heavens!”
“What are we going to do?”
“If the evidence is truly conclusive…”
“Doesn’t that mean execution comes next?”
“My poor Master…”
“My poor Young Master…”
She wailed so miserably that even Wen Zhiyi couldn’t help feeling sorry for the elderly woman who had watched her grow up.
Trying to comfort her, she said,
“Don’t worry.”
“The ones most likely to be executed are those of us with the surname Wen.”
“You’ll probably still have the chance to return to your hometown and enjoy your retirement.”
It would have been better had she said nothing.
The moment Zhao Momo heard those words, her vision darkened.
Her legs gave way, and she nearly fainted on the spot.
Thankfully, Wen Zhiji caught her before she hit the ground.
Looking at Wen Zhiyi with quiet resignation, he sighed.
“Zhao Momo is easily frightened.”
“Perhaps Your Highness shouldn’t tease her.”
“I wasn’t entirely teasing.”
Wen Zhiyi chuckled.
“I simply didn’t realize she was this timid.”
Her eyes wandered thoughtfully over Zhao Momo’s attire.
“That Huanhua brocade suits you wonderfully.”
“It makes your complexion look so much healthier.”
“You even seem years younger.”
Receiving praise from the Noble Consort herself, Zhao Momo instantly brightened.
“I knew someone from the palace would recognize quality!”
She beamed proudly.
“I queued outside the fabric shop for an entire month just to get this Huanhua brocade.”
“You’ve got excellent taste.”
Wen Zhiyi smiled.
“And paired with that purple jade necklace around your neck…”
She nodded approvingly.
“It’s a marvelous combination.”
“I daresay even the wives of high-ranking officials couldn’t put together such an elegant outfit.”
“Hehe…”
Zhao Momo blushed with delight.
“Your Highness flatters me…”
She looked ready to continue discussing fashion in hopes of growing closer to the Noble Consort.
Instead, Wen Zhiji calmly interrupted.
“That’s enough, Momo.”
“Since Her Highness has honored us with her presence, why don’t you prepare a few of your signature dishes?”
“We should properly entertain our guest.”
“Oh!”
Zhao Momo slapped her forehead.
“Look at me, I got so excited I completely forgot!”
“We absolutely can’t let Her Highness go hungry.”
She hurried off toward the kitchen in a whirlwind.
“Young Master, Your Highness!”
“You two have some tea and chat for a while!”
“I’ll have lunch ready soon!”
Watching the elderly woman disappear in a flurry of excitement, Wen Zhiyi couldn’t help laughing.
“You’re much closer to your wet nurse…”
“…than you are to your own two sisters.”
Wen Zhiji answered without hesitation.
“And aren’t you far more familiar with the maid by your side…”
“…than with me, your younger half-brother?”
Wen Zhiyi frowned slightly.
Of everything he had said today, those words cut the deepest.
It was obvious he was deliberately defending Zhao Momo.
Still…
That was only natural.
When Wen Zhiyi had been young, she had always had her elder sister to love and care for her.
Although their father hadn’t spent much time with her after their mother’s death, he had never forgotten about her.
He had eventually emerged from his grief, entrusted the household to the steward and his eldest daughter, and devoted himself entirely to state affairs.
His achievements in court eventually elevated him to the position of Chancellor.
Wen Zhiji’s life had been entirely different.
From the day he was born, his own father had treated him as though he didn’t exist.
His food, clothing, and daily necessities were provided according to the standards befitting a young master.
But beneath the surface, every servant kept their distance.
He had grown up like an orphan with living parents.
Only Zhao Momo, who had entered the household shortly after his birth, had pitied the lonely child.
She believed no child deserved such a life.
So she devoted herself wholeheartedly to raising him.
Her own child had died young.
Over the years, she had come to love Wen Zhiji as though he were her own son.
In that enormous Chancellor’s residence…
…the two of them had relied on each other for survival.
Thinking of this, Wen Zhiyi no longer had the heart to argue with him.
She merely smiled quietly.
Zhao Momo’s cooking was excellent.
It wasn’t as lavish or refined as the imperial chefs’ cuisine inside the palace.
Instead, it carried the comforting warmth of home.
Wen Zhiyi ate with great enjoyment.
By the end of the meal, both she and Lurao even asked for second helpings, leaving Zhao Momo overwhelmed with delight.
After lunch, Wen Zhiyi rose to leave with Lurao.
However, once they exited the Chancellor’s residence, they made no attempt to return to the palace.
Instead, they circled around to a secluded side entrance.
Finding a hidden spot nearby, the two women crouched down and began waiting with quiet anticipation.
They waited…
And waited.
By the time midnight arrived, Wen Zhiyi was nodding off from exhaustion.
Suddenly—
Smack!
Lurao slapped her awake.
Wen Zhiyi jerked upright in alarm, blinking sleepily as she peered toward the side gate.
Sure enough…
Someone was bribing the guard stationed there before sneaking furtively into the Chancellor’s residence.
The visitor remained inside for roughly the time it took to burn a stick of incense before finally emerging again.
“Lurao.”
Without taking her eyes off the departing figure, Wen Zhiyi asked softly,
“Did you get a good look at who it was?”
Lurao nodded.
It was the first sentence she had spoken since leaving the palace that morning.
“I did.”
“It was Deng Rui.”