Moxun felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her heart, so intense that it made her want to cry.
She fumed inwardly, "That bastard National Preceptor! So he’s been treating me as a substitute all along! No wonder he’s so skilled in bed—he’s had plenty of practice."
Unable to accept it, she stared at the portrait of the woman.
She couldn’t see how she fell short in comparison.
Since Zhang He'an had another woman in his heart, there was no point in Moxun trying to hold on. She would never lower herself to beg or fight over a man who was already tainted.
Moxun left the secret chamber.
That night, the National Preceptor was occupied with calculations at the Astrological Bureau and hadn’t returned. Seizing the opportunity, Moxun rushed to the treasury of the National Preceptor’s residence. Tears streamed down her face as she swiftly gathered all the banknotes she could find.
Before leaving, she picked up a brush and scrawled out a letter of divorce.
She was going to divorce Zhang He'an!
With the letter left behind and the money in hand, Moxun fled the Imperial Capital overnight.
...
...
First, she returned to the Valley of the Medicine King, where she wailed before the grave of the Old Medicine King, cursing Zhang He'an as a heartless scoundrel and lamenting her own foolishness for ever falling for him.
Once she had cried her fill, Moxun wiped her tears dry, steeled herself, and left the valley.
Disguised as a man, she wandered the martial world, gradually building a reputation with her exceptional medical skills.
Life without Zhang He'an flowed smoothly—until one night, half a year later, when she found herself wandering a small town with a wine flask in hand.
Step by step, she walked aimlessly until a figure clad in dark crimson appeared before her.
She used to adore Zhang He'an in red—deep, sensual crimson.
But now, the sight of that familiar shade sent her stumbling backward in shock. She smacked her own forehead and muttered, "I must be drunk! How could I dream of that bastard Zhang He'an? When I wake up, I’ll need to jab my head with needles—dreaming of anyone but him!"
She hurled the wine flask at him.
Clink—
The fragile vessel shattered against Zhang He'an’s shoulder, drenching his robes in rich liquor. The impact jolted Moxun’s foggy mind into clarity. Realizing this wasn’t a dream, she gasped, "What are you doing here?"
Zhang He'an advanced step by step.
Moxun retreated in turn.
Moonlight spilled over them, casting a frost-like glow as their shadows merged.
Now fully awake, Moxun turned to flee—only to find his guards, ghostly and swift, blocking every escape route.
She was dragged back to the Yue Kingdom and returned to the National Preceptor’s residence. Frustrated, Moxun tried reasoning with him: "Look, you don’t even love me. Why force this? I know you brought me back just because I resemble your beloved. Just find another girl who looks even more like her—problem solved."
Zhang He'an gripped her wrist. "Don’t overthink it."
Moxun’s nose stung with unshed tears. "How can I not? Was that portrait in your secret chamber just a fake?"
Zhang He'an sighed. "Moxun, it’s a long story."
Moxun scoffed. "Oh, don’t tell me—the woman you loved is dead, and I’m her reincarnation? Save that nonsense for naive young maidens. Do you think I’m stupid?"
Zhang He'an, who had been about to explain, fell silent.
Moxun spat in disgust and slapped him. "Stop lying! I know you’ve spent years searching for women who resemble her. I just happen to be the closest match. Zhang He'an, you’re sick! I don’t want you anymore—I’m divorcing you!"
Yet, despite her protests, she was forced to stay.
For the first time, she witnessed the dark, obsessive side of Zhang He'an—beneath his cool, moonlit demeanor lay an abyss of unfathomable shadows.
No light could penetrate it.
But Moxun was no helpless victim. Swearing to break free, she schemed and fought, escaping the Yue Kingdom time and again.
And each time, Zhang He'an brought her back.
Years slipped by in this cycle—until one day, Moxun succeeded in fleeing far beyond his reach, arriving in the distant Qing State.
Here, free from Zhang He'an’s grasp, she found temporary peace. She traveled the land, indulging in food and drink, practicing medicine, and steadily rising in fame.
On one journey, she met a kindred spirit—Sun Qingmei, the daughter of a military general. The girl was sharp-witted and skilled in martial arts. After days of lively conversation, Moxun took a liking to her.
Learning that Sun Qingmei was headed to Yanjing City to marry, Moxun gifted her three antidote pills and taught her basic medical techniques.
After parting ways, Moxun continued her travels. Unlike the Yue Kingdom, where princes slaughtered each other for power, Qing State was stable—the old emperor had only three sons, with the crown prince already appointed.
Eventually, Moxun arrived in Yanjing City, drawn by rumors of an exquisite new pastry shop. Disguised as a man, she strode confidently into "Wei Yan’s Delicacies."
The owner, a stunning woman surnamed Ye, served her plate after plate of delicate pastries in a private room. Moxun took one bite—and her eyes lit up.
"Delicious! Absolutely divine!" She devoured every last crumb and even packed extras for later.
In all her years of travel, no delicacy had ever struck her like this. The pastries of Wei Yan’s carried an indescribable familiarity, as if she’d tasted them long ago.
Determined to savor more, Moxun decided to stay in Yanjing awhile.
But as she strolled the streets with her pastry box, she sensed someone following her.
Annoyed, she wondered—Zhang He'an again?
She couldn’t fathom why he wouldn’t let her go. Wasn’t she just a meaningless stand-in?
Leading her pursuer into a secluded alley, Moxun prepared to drug them—only to find the stalker was no agent of Zhang He'an.
Clad in iron armor, sleeves emblazoned with tiger insignias, the man was one of Prince Yan’s elite guards.
Summoned to Prince Yan’s Mansion, Moxun met Li Yuanjing—a striking, ambitious young prince. He explained his purpose: the crown prince of Qing State was gravely ill, and Li Yuanjing sought the renowned "Miracle Physician Mo" to save his brother.
Moxun was surprised. In Yue Kingdom, brothers were mortal enemies. Yet here, Prince Yan and the crown prince shared genuine fraternal love.
She agreed to treat the crown prince—on one condition: Li Yuanjing must ensure the National Preceptor of Yue never set foot in Yanjing.
It was in Prince Yan's Mansion that Moxun met Shen Wei, the friend who would become her lifelong confidante. At the time, Shen Wei was merely a low-ranking concubine in the mansion. When Moxun first laid eyes on her, an inexplicable sense of familiarity surged within her—so strong it felt almost innate.
Too familiar.
As if they hailed from the same world, sharing the same perspectives and values.
Moxun took the initiative to approach Shen Wei, eager to befriend her. But after spending some time together, Moxun began to doubt her initial impression. Shen Wei seemed too docile, too gentle—like a delicate, spineless dodder flower, her eyes forever fixed on Prince Yan.
Clearly, Shen Wei was a hopeless romantic, utterly love-struck.
Moxun felt a pang of disappointment.
Still, she respected Shen Wei’s nature. After all, Shen Wei was just an ordinary girl; Moxun couldn’t impose her own standards on her.
Out of concern, Moxun gently warned her: "You’re in a prince’s mansion. You can’t afford to be too naive. Even if you love Prince Yan, you must protect yourself—understand?"
Women in royal households were far from simple. A love-struck fool wouldn’t last long.
Shen Wei merely chuckled and replied, "I know."
...
After staying in Yanjing City for some time, Moxun was once again apprehended by the ever-perceptive Zhang He'an and dragged back to the Yue Kingdom.
Zhang He'an informed her that Qing State was in turmoil—Prince Yan and Prince Heng were secretly vying for power, and a great upheaval was imminent.
"Staying by my side is the safest option," he insisted.
Moxun scoffed. "Safest with you? I left your so-called shelter and found no storm waiting outside."
Zhang He'an fell silent.
Later, the political landscapes of both the Yue Kingdom and Qing State underwent dramatic shifts. With Zhang He'an’s support, the Yue Kingdom’s Ninth Prince, Tuoba Hongchuan, emerged victorious from the brutal succession struggle and ascended as the new emperor.
Meanwhile, in distant Qing State, Prince Yan, Li Yuanjing, also claimed the throne.
A new era dawned for both nations.
Both emperors, ambitious and far-sighted, chose to pursue peace. The Yue Kingdom’s new ruler, Tuoba Hongchuan, even humbled himself to propose marriage to Qing State’s Zhao Yang Princess.
After the princess wed into the Yue Kingdom, Tuoba Hongchuan prepared a grand coronation ceremony to crown her empress. Still trapped in the Yue Kingdom, Moxun attended the event. Watching the beautiful Qing State princess from afar, she felt a faint twinge of envy.
Here was an emperor who could offer undivided love to a foreign princess—while Zhang He'an’s actions paled in comparison, leaving her disheartened.
Not long after, Moxun drugged Zhang He'an in his sleep and escaped once more.
...
With the Southern Chu Kingdom still embroiled in internal strife and the Eastern Lin Kingdom too small to hide in, Moxun fled to Qing State.
This time, she was wiser. She slipped straight into the imperial palace and, leveraging her connection with Shen Wei, secured a position as an unconstrained palace physician.
Previously, Moxun had assumed Shen Wei was nothing more than a love-struck fool—a meek, guileless girl. But now, after reconnecting with her, Moxun was stunned to discover that beneath Shen Wei’s gentle, beautiful exterior lay a heart as dark as ink.
Shen Wei was no delicate flower—she was cunning, ruthless, and brimming with schemes!
She was a woman of unwavering ambition, stopping at nothing to achieve her goals. She pushed herself relentlessly and dragged everyone around her into the fray, using everything and everyone as stepping stones.
Shen Wei provided Moxun shelter, while Moxun lent her medical expertise to aid in palace intrigues. The two became partners in crime, collaborating seamlessly.
Moxun admired her deeply.
Shen Wei was practically tailor-made by the heavens to be her confidante—their minds resonated on every level.
Within Qing State’s palace, Moxun found fleeting freedom—until the day she stumbled upon a secluded palace called "Qiuliang Palace."
This had once been the residence of Princess Taihua, Li Qingxun—the famed Southern Chu empress who, in her brief 35 years of life, left an indelible mark on history.
Moxun climbed into Qiuliang Palace. The grounds were desolate, overgrown with wild grass. There, she spotted a towering silk tree, its branches lush and heavy with blooming flowers.
"How strange..." Moxun murmured, her soul inexplicably stirred by the sight.
That night, she sneaked back with bedding and slept beneath the silk tree. The palace was eerie, its halls echoing with ghostly winds, and servants avoided the place out of fear.
But Moxun wasn’t afraid.
She had always been fearless.
Lying under the tree, she felt like a fish returning to water. That night, she dreamed a peculiar dream:
[Under a blazing sun, a man and woman stood in a courtyard, conversing.
The woman said, "I’ve planted a silk tree for you, my lord. May we share a harmonious union for a hundred years."
The man remained silent.
The woman dug the earth herself, burying a tiny sapling.
The wind tugged at their robes as they both gazed at the young tree.]
Come morning, Moxun woke yawning, most of the dream already forgotten—only the image of the two planting a tree lingered.
From then on, she often returned to Qiuliang Palace to sleep. Before, hunted by Zhang He'an, her mind had been too restless for peaceful rest. But here, beneath the silk tree, she slept soundly through the night.
Time passed.
After aiding Shen Wei in a major scheme, Moxun was rewarded with an ancient tome—The Taihua Journals.
Clutching the weathered parchment, she hurried back to Qiuliang Palace. Leaning against the silk tree, she eagerly opened the century-old book.
The handwriting was slanted, as if scribbled in charcoal. The script was bizarre, yet Moxun could inexplicably read it with ease.
"Weapon blueprints... physics equations... diaries." Moxun traced the familiar words, baffled.
This was the handwriting of Southern Chu’s Empress Li Qingxun.
Yet her intuition whispered—this was her handwriting too.
Moxun had been an orphan raised by the Old Medicine King, exposed only to Yue Kingdom’s culture. Yet she understood these strange entries perfectly.
[September 12, Rain
Nothing much today. Loafed around in a cave with Zhang He'an, experimenting with new positions. If this keeps up, I’ll end up pregnant.
Ah, whatever. No use overthinking. Cross that bridge when I get there. A kid wouldn’t be so bad. This ancient world is so dull—I don’t dare think of home. Using Zhang He'an to distract myself from the restlessness. Tsk, Li Qingxun, you’ve fallen! That male fox is trouble!]
[September 13, Rain
Still raining. Still in the cave. Tried another position. Li Qingxun, you can’t keep sinking like this! Where’s your grand ambition? Stop obsessing over men! They’ll only slow your blade!]
[September 14, Clear
Sun’s out. Taking Zhang He'an to the river. Heh, rubbing hands in anticipation.]
Entry after entry mentioned a man named Zhang He'an.
Moxun whispered the name: "Zhang He'an..."
The Yue Kingdom’s National Preceptor was also named Zhang He'an.
Could it be a coincidence?
But Empress Li Qingxun had lived a century ago. Zhang He'an was from the Yue Kingdom—how could he be tied to a long-dead Southern Chu empress?
Moxun kept flipping through The Taihua Journals.
She scrutinized every detail, leaving no word unexamined. The deeper she read, the more engrossed she became, until she was entirely lost in the pages, oblivious to the passage of time. Three days later, Moxun had a long, vivid dream beneath the silk tree.
Perhaps influenced by the "Taihua Notes," she recalled fragments of an old memory—about "Li Qingxun."
She was Li Qingxun.