Over half a month had passed since the army’s arrival, and Xiao Jinyi’s wounds had by and large healed. The threat to Mobei had been dealt with. Reasonably speaking, Emperor Jingren ought to have withdrawn from the front to return to court. Instead, he remained.

He wasn’t being willful. The situation in Mobei was complex: it was crawling with people the late emperor had left behind to act as a check on Marquis Zhenbei, as well as the herding tribes’ spies. And Mobei was far from the capital; the situation might take a turn at any time. Since he was already here, for the sake of Mobei’s people, Emperor Jingren ought to rectify matters.

Half a month in, resting on the victory that had just taken place, Emperor Jingren had made drastic changes to Mobei’s personnel. With the aid of the military counselor Xiao Jinshu, he had soon cleaned up all the worms in Mobei. But once this was done, the number of people filling official positions was greatly reduced.

Of Marquis Zhenbei’s family, only a handicapped counselor and Xiao Jinyi remained. Xiao Jinshu had always been a better strategist than he was a warrior and was unsuited to commanding troops; as for Xiao Jinyi, even if he had wanted to stay, Emperor Jingren wouldn’t have left him behind. Since Xiao Jinyi had hung the pendant back around his neck, Emperor Jingren had decided that no one but Xiao Jinyi could ever be his empress, and he intended to keep him as long as he could.

Fortunately, Xiao Jinshu also thought that his sister shouldn’t be out on the battlefield. Anyone might be killed in battle; the little sister his whole family had doted on since childhood was much better off in the palace, being the most respected woman in the world. In the past, Xiao Jinshu had thought that the position of empress was as insubstantial as a paper tiger, and his honest sister might be eaten alive. But the late emperor had arranged this marriage; the whole family was against it, yet they had no choice. Now, though, it seemed that Emperor Jingren was utterly besotted with his sister. Xiao Jinshu had asked Su Huailing about the situation in the harem and learned that, for the empress’s sake, the emperor had demoted the four consorts and canceled plans to hold a selection. He spent every night in Qifeng Hall; the two of them were closer than some husbands and wives in noble families.

This soothed Xiao Jinshu’s worries.

As for why it was Su Huailing he had asked, principally it was because no matter how much time she spent with the Embroidered Guard, she remained completely artless. Xiao Jinshu had observed her at great length before determining that she would be a good source of information. Another reason was that, now that Su Huailing was in the city, Jing Xixian had told her to resume dressing in women’s clothes, and Xiao Jinshu had been told that she was a maid who served the empress in the palace. Xiao Jinshu thought that a palace maid would have a better understanding of the harem than any of these big, rough men; this was why he had chosen Su Huailing.

Of course, he had come to the right person.

Knowing that the emperor and empress had a good relationship, Xiao Jinshu felt somewhat better. And after Emperor Jingren had invested him with boundless trust, allowing him to recommend people to fill both military and civil posts, Xiao Jinshu’s respect for him had reached new heights.

When he heard that Emperor Jingren was letting him recommend talented individuals for these roles, Xiao Jinshu had asked, “Isn’t Your Majesty concerned about your relatives monopolizing power and posing a threat to the court?”

Emperor Jingren had responded, “If we are incapable of preventing it, our relatives will not be the only ones monopolizing power.”

The implication was that Emperor Jingren could and dared to make use of the Xiao family because he was confident that he could prevent them or anyone else from developing treacherous intentions.

“Your Majesty is a man of great vision and breadth of mind. Naturally no one would be disloyal. But power sways people. If there should be a youthful and ineffective emperor on the throne, I fear some people will be led to lawless behavior,” Xiao Jinshu said very directly to Emperor Jingren.

“Our son, when he reaches the appropriate age, will conceal his identity and train with the army,” said Emperor Jingren. “We do not require him to be a genius, a master of both martial and literary skills. We only ask that he know the hardships of the people and the ardor of the warriors. We do not need him to become a leader of troops, only to hone his will. When the time comes, please help him to improve, Brother.”

Xiao Jinshu understood: this young emperor’s aim wasn’t to keep his power clutched tight in his grasp; he hoped that his power could further benefit Xia. This was also Emperor Jingren’s requirement of his heir.

“Your Majesty’s word is my command. The Xiao family and its descendants will serve this nation to their dying breaths,” Xiao Jinshu said earnestly.

A dozen days later, most of Mobei’s vacant official positions had at last been filled, and the empress’s condition had improved considerably. With his strong martial abilities, his recuperative powers far exceeded an ordinary person’s. His external wounds had all knitted, and even the broken ribs, his most serious injury, were a good deal better. But, for the sake of his health, it was still best not to subject himself to the strain of travel.

Emperor Jingren had to bring the empress back with him when he returned, and there were no major events in the capital that required his immediate presence. The spring plowing was going smoothly, and spring rain had fallen throughout the country. For the moment, this year’s harvest promised to be excellent. This being the case, Emperor Jingren chose to remain temporarily in Mobei, planning to leave once the empress had made a full recovery.

But the empress did not agree to this.

“Your Majesty, you ought to return to the capital,” said Xiao Jinyi. "I must stay behind to capture Huyan Xi.”

Whether his motive was to learn the fate of the doctor or to ensure the safety of Mobei City, he couldn’t allow Huyan Xi to gather strength at the border. Huyan Xi was too powerful. It would take him only a few years to build another mighty army with which to attack Mobei City. Letting him go like this was no different than letting a tiger return to its mountain.

“Then we will stay as well,” Emperor Jingren said firmly.

“Your Majesty…” Xiao Jinyi hesitated. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Since Emperor Jingren had laid his cards on the table and obtained the truth he was after, he had said nothing further. It was as if none of it had happened; as if the young emperor had forgotten all about it, as he had said himself. Even if everything was an illusion, each day he continued to exist was another day he would fulfill the duties of an emperor to the best of his ability.

But now he was being rather headstrong, refusing to leave Mobei and return to the capital. Had he…given up on himself?

“Do not look at us like that.” Emperor Jingren pushed Xiao Jinyi’s face aside. “We know perfectly well what we are doing. We are not being willful. We have remained in Mobei to ensure everyone’s cooperation at the border and to clean up any traitors. Among them are men who were placed here by the late emperor. It is too thorny a problem for other officials. Only we can touch them. Many things might happen unobserved while we are far away in the capital, but now that we are in Mobei, naturally we must deal with them ourselves.”

“Yesterday my third brother told me that the adjustments to Mobei’s personnel were complete. The newly promoted generals are a little green, but there won’t be any major battles for the next few years. After some years of training, they will be fit to shoulder great responsibility. There’s nothing happening in Mobei now. Your Majesty ought to return to the capital. I’m not trying to send Your Majesty away, but I think that Huyan Xi might be concealing himself nearby. Your Majesty isn’t safe here.”

“Huyan Xi…” Emperor Jingren frowned. “Can he have the same aim as Yan Xu and the rest? But his skills are on a par with yours. He shouldn’t have the same goal as them?”

Xiao Jinyi shook his head. “I don’t know what his goal is. I’m not even sure what he is. But he makes me uneasy. The sooner Your Majesty leaves, the sooner I can relax. Please don’t worry, Your Majesty. After I take Huyan Xi alive, I will return to the capital to be Your Majesty’s empress.”

Emperor Jingren gazed solemnly at Xiao Jinyi. At length, he came close and kissed Xiao Jinyi’s lips with his own slightly chilly lips. “You must return to the capital alive,” he ordered. “We will give you one year. If you have not returned to the capital within one year, we will announce the death of the empress and choose a virtuous and worthy woman to fill that role.”

Xiao Jinyi looked at Emperor Jingren in silence. Not because he was angry that Emperor Jingren planned to take someone else for his empress, but because he hadn’t expected the young emperor to be so perceptive.

He had clearly sensed that if Xiao Jinyi completed his mission, he would leave this world…

Yes, it was precisely because of this that Emperor Jingren had been unwilling to leave Mobei—because this parting would likely be forever…

He himself had only been thinking of capturing Huyan Xi; he hadn’t thought as far ahead as the young emperor.

“I…” Looking into Emperor Jingren’s eyes, Xiao Jinyi couldn’t bring himself to speak.

What eyes they were! He ought to be a calculating ruler, his eyes filled with shrewdness and suspicion; but the young emperor’s eyes were so clean. It wasn’t the simplicity of a child; it was the clarity of understanding everything and still remaining firm in one’s conviction. Like crystal, shining and translucent.

With those eyes watching him, Xiao Jinyi couldn’t even provide a guarantee.

Because he truly was incapable of ensuring that he would return.

Once he determined the doctor’s fate, if he proved to be dead as Huyan Xi had said, his helmet would transmit the information to the technicians on the outside, who would recall him at once. Then he would still have his own work and his own duty; he would be unable to return.

When Emperor Jingren left, it would likely mean an eternal parting.

For a young emperor who loved his country so much to willfully remain in Mobei for his sake meant that, in Emperor Jingren’s heart, he…at times was even more important than the realm.

But, at his prompting, Emperor Jingren had realized anew where his duty lay and decided to leave.

For his throne, for his realm, Shen Junrui had truly endured the pain of giving up too many things. Everyone says that emperors are heartless, but everyone also knows that they do not lack hearts; they must chill their hearts for the sake of something greater, hiding their feelings away. Despite the pain that feels as though their hearts are being cut out, even if inside they are bleeding, they still have to remain rational and cool-headed sovereigns.

Once again, Emperor Jingren hardened his heart and hid all his reluctance deep down, even if he was doing it for the sake of a fake empire.

Each day he sat on the throne, he would do his best to discharge his responsibility. Even if all of this was false, Emperor Jingren still would not abandon his responsibilities.

Xiao Jinyi took a deep breath, held Emperor Jingren’s hand, and said, “The others can’t reveal our secrets, but I’m different. I was given great responsibility, so there is less control exercised over me. As long as I don’t do something to harm my mission, I won’t be forced to leave. Your Majesty, all the people who came here have only one goal: they want you to ignore the realm for the sake of love, to forsake the world for a single person.”

Emperor Jingren frowned. “That’s impossible. Our love for another person is only between the two of us. We wouldn’t be so foolish as to disregard the entire nation because of it.”

“I know,” said Xiao Jinyi. “I don’t want Your Majesty to forsake the world for me. I don’t want Your Majesty to remain untouched and give up the chance to have children. I only want Your Majesty to remember me… Even…even if someone erases your memories, please remember me, Your Majesty.”

In that moment, Emperor Jingren truly understood how it felt to be entirely at the mercy of forces beyond his control. He was nearly worn down by a sense of helplessness, but he still nodded and said, “We will think of a way to remember you, Jinyi. Our word is not lightly given.”

That night, Xiao Jinyi didn’t do anything, only watched Emperor Jingren, unblinking. After this parting, he would perhaps never have another chance to look at him.

The next day, Emperor Jingren left to return to court. Three days later, news reached Mobei City that Huyan Xi had attacked the emperor’s traveling party, and Emperor Jingren had been captured, along with a member of the Embroidered Guard.