In the Ming Dynasty, I became invincible simply by extracting memories!

The carriage with its blue curtains hung quietly at the entrance of Guanqian Street. Liu Rushi gracefully lifted her skirt and jumped down from the carriage, clutching a shopping list filled with necessary items tightly in her hand.

The streets were bustling with noise—the loud shouts of vendors, the heated haggling between customers and shopkeepers, and the clatter of carts and bells—all blending together into a lively symphony of street life. Liu Rushi carefully weaved through the throng, her gaze sweeping over the fragrant spice shops and the cosmetic shops displaying their various products.

She inquired at many shops and compared a lot of goods, but she still couldn't find anything that completely met her expectations and satisfied her.

Liu Rushi frowned slightly, slowed her pace, and walked slowly forward along the long street. Before she knew it, she had reached the edge of the market area.

As dusk approached, the afterglow of the setting sun gently bathed the bluestone road. Many stall owners began to pack up their goods, carrying their loads and heading towards the city gate one after another.

As she watched the streets gradually empty and the crowds disperse, Liu Rushi felt a growing sense of anxiety.

Just as she was about to turn back, she suddenly saw a familiar figure by the city gate.

She stood there, stunned.

At that moment, the man was facing away from her, talking to the city gate guards.

Although I couldn't see the person's face, I could see their back—

It can't be wrong, absolutely not wrong!

"Shen...Lian?" she murmured.

After finishing his conversation with the guard, the man prepared to board the carriage.

"Shen Lian! Shen Lian!" she shouted, running towards the city gate.

The crowd was dense, and Liu Rushi's delicate figure was like a small boat on a turbulent sea. She called out several times, but the person didn't hear her and finally lifted the curtain and got into the carriage. The driver cracked his whip, the wheels turned, and the carriage slowly headed south along the official road, leaving only a trail of dust that drifted away in the setting sun.

Liu Rushi leaned against the city gate pillar, panting heavily as she stood still, watching the direction the carriage had gone. Her chest was still pounding, and her fingers were clenched so tightly that the crumpled purchase list looked like it was about to tear.

Is it really him? Could I have mistaken him for someone else?

The certainty I felt just now is slowly melting away in my heart.

She stood there, gazing blankly for a long time, until the shadow of the carriage completely disappeared at the end of the road and dusk began to spread over the city walls. Only then did she slowly withdraw her gaze, her fingertips gently touching her still burning cheeks, her mind a jumbled mess.

After a while, Liu Rushi slowly sorted out her chaotic thoughts. She glanced back at the increasingly dark city gate behind her, bit her lip, folded the crumpled list in her hand and stuffed it into her sleeve, then turned and walked quickly toward her own carriage parked on the street.

As dusk settled, lanterns lit up one by one inside the Vermilion Bird Gate, casting a soft glow on the blue brick path.

Liu Rushi got out of the car, looked at the sign above the gate that read "Prince Yu's Mansion", walked up the steps, and knocked on the door knocker.

A moment later the door opened, but it was a little boy who opened it.

"Sister Rushi, you're finally back!" the boy said with a smile. "The princess was just talking about you, worried that you might get lost in the city, and was about to send someone to look for you."

"Where is the princess now?"

"She's in her bedroom, go quickly."

"I see."

After turning left and right in the palace, Liu Rushi arrived at the door of the princess's bedroom.

Liu Rushi removed her cloak, her hair still carrying a hint of chill, but her steps were not hurried—she knew that Princess Li always disliked impetuousness and even more so, she disliked people speaking carelessly before they were settled.

The maid gently lifted the bamboo curtain, and she entered with her eyes lowered.

"princess."

Princess Li was examining a copy of the "Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty" by the light of a glass lamp. Her fingertips hovered over the entry on "Duties of the Embroidered Uniform Guard." Upon hearing this, she simply closed the book gently, placed it on her lap, looked up, and smiled.

"You're back. So, did you bring back everything I asked you to buy?"

"This...this servant has disappointed Your Highness," Liu Rushi said, bowing her head, her face flushed red in the lamplight.

"Oh, you," the princess smiled and shook her head, "it's alright, I'll just have someone else go tomorrow."

"Um, Your Highness..."

"Um?"

When the princess saw Liu Rushi's hesitant expression, she couldn't help but smile again.

"Just tell me what's wrong. Didn't I tell you before that you should treat me like an older sister?"

"Yes." Liu Rushi nodded slightly, then looked into the princess's eyes and slowly said, "I think I saw Shen Lian today..."

"Who?" The princess was taken aback, then her eyes darted around. "Oh! It's your old flame, isn't it?"

"Your Highness!" Liu Rushi stamped her foot, a flash of anger crossing her eyes.

"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore." The princess's expression turned serious. She asked, "When and where did you see him?"

Liu Rushi raised her hand and gently pressed it against her chest, trying to suppress her surging emotions. Her voice still trembled slightly with some unease: "Right at the Zhuque City Gate at the end of Guanqian Street, he said a few words to the guard. I recognized his back from afar and called out to him several times, but he didn't hear me through the crowd and had already taken a carriage to the south of the city."

As she spoke, her fingertips tightened slightly again. "I stood there for a long time, until the carriage disappeared from sight, but even now I'm not sure if it was him or not—I've seen several people in the capital with similar builds over the years, only to realize I'd mistaken them for someone else when I got closer. This time... I'm not sure either."

The princess took a sip of tea and slowly said, "Didn't you say that your Shen Lian was imprisoned because he was framed? How come he's out there perfectly fine?"

"This... I don't know either..."

"You said before that he was arrested in Huizhou. I asked the Prince to inquire with the prefect of Huizhou, and the reply was that because Shen Lian was involved in a serious crime, he had been transferred to the Imperial Prison of the Northern Garrison in the capital. After we returned to the capital, I immediately asked someone to inquire again, but the reply was that there was indeed a person named Shen Lian in the prison, but later, for some reason, he was transferred elsewhere. Later, I tried my best to persuade the Prince to go to the Embroidered Uniform Guard Headquarters in person, but the reply I received was also nothing."

"Thank you so much for your trouble, Your Highness. I will never forget your great kindness!" Rushi bowed deeply.

The princess quickly helped Liu Rushi up. "Look at you, kneeling again. I'm not telling you this to make you grateful to me, but..." She looked at Liu Rushi's face and said cautiously, "Is it possible that this Shen Lian you mentioned has already..." She paused here and didn't continue.

Liu Rushi understood the meaning behind her words perfectly. Her fingertips suddenly felt cold, her lips trembled slightly, but she gritted her teeth and shook her head: "No, he'll be fine."

In recent years, she has often dreamed of Shen Lian standing by the Huizhou River, smiling at her. When she wakes up, she always feels that he is still alive and well, in some corner of the capital. Maybe one day, they will meet again.

"If something happens to him, I, I..." Liu Rushi suddenly hugged herself and began to sob softly.

The princess hurriedly stepped forward and gently patted her back, softly comforting her: "I misspoke, don't take it to heart. I was just saying it casually. Think about it, if he were really gone, the Northern Garrison Command would have given us confirmation long ago. The fact that they're being so secretive now only shows that he might still be alive, but it's just inconvenient for him to show his face for the time being."

Upon hearing this, Liu Rushi slowly stopped crying, raised her tear-stained face, her eyes still glistening with tears, and softly asked, "Really?"

"When have I ever lied to you?" The princess smiled and wiped away her tears. "Calm down first. Leave this to me. When the prince is about to enter the palace, I'll have him ask someone he knows in the Northern Garrison to inquire again. We should be able to find out something. You must be tired after running around all day. Go back to your room and rest. Get a good night's sleep and don't overthink it."

Liu Rushi nodded, sniffed, and, as instructed, composed herself, curtsied to the princess, then turned and quietly left the bedroom. A breeze carrying the night air blew from the corridor. She pulled her clothes tighter, looked towards the south of the city, where countless lights twinkled. She silently repeated that name in her heart, her fingertips trembling slightly before slowly clenching her fists.

Back in her familiar bedroom, she gently closed the door, shutting out the noise from the outside world.

She slowly walked to the bedside, lay down wearily, and her gaze involuntarily fell on the quietly burning candle on the table. The candlelight flickered gently in the breeze, the light and shadow shifting and changing, outlining the ever-changing shadows on the wall. Watching the restless, dancing flame, she felt that her own emotions were like that candle flame—chaotic, swaying, unable to find a stable place to settle.

Shen Lian, where are you? Once this thought arose, it entwined her heart like a vine.

Was that figure I caught a glimpse of on the street corner today really you?

That familiar silhouette, that back view that once gave her immense peace of mind, was so real, yet so unreal.

If it really was you, Shen Lian, during these long days, did you ever think of me for even a moment? Did you ever have the thought of searching for me? Or has time passed and the world changed, and you have already forgotten me and this relationship in a corner of your memory?

No, that can't be. She tried hard to convince herself otherwise.

He won't forget me. We shared so many unforgettable memories, those vows, those glances—how could he just forget them like that? He must have some unavoidable hardship, something must have held him back…

But… another faint yet sharp voice echoed in my heart. If he hadn't forgotten, if he still cared for me, why had there been no news of him for so many years? Why had I been left alone to bear this endless longing and speculation?

Liu Rushi dared not continue down this heartbreaking path. She suddenly curled up, clutching the blanket beside her tightly to her chest, as if it were the only piece of driftwood in a vast ocean.

However, the overwhelming grief eventually broke through her defenses, and scalding tears could no longer be held back. One after another, they silently slid down her cheeks, soaking into her pillow and leaving damp stains of varying depths. In the quiet room, only the crackling of the candlelight and her barely suppressed, soft sobs remained.

It was a sleepless night.

Meanwhile, Shen Lian and his group were heading south without stopping.

As Yi Dong had predicted, Xia's injuries had mostly healed after more than ten days of careful recuperation. However, prolonged travel would still cause occasional sharp pains from the wounds. Therefore, the group deliberately slowed their pace, choosing only wide and flat official roads. Following the travel permits prepared in advance by Zhu Xixiao, the officials of the various prefectures and counties along the way had already been notified, and the journey proceeded smoothly without any obstacles.

After several days of arduous travel, the group finally arrived in Nanjing and settled down at a local post station.

In the stillness of the night, Shen Lian sat alone by the candlelight, engrossed in his book, until nearly four in the morning. He guessed that Yi Dong and Yi Xia were already fast asleep in the next room, so he gently closed his book, blew out the flickering candle, and silently pushed open the door, stepping into the night.

The moonlight was exceptionally bright and clear, its silvery glow bathing the earth, making it easy to walk freely on the streets even without any artificial light. Shen Lian wasn't wandering aimlessly; he was steadily moving in a specific direction, occasionally pausing to carefully observe the surroundings, as if searching for some important clue or a specific location.

After passing a closed grocery store, Shen Lian suddenly quickened his pace and turned into a deep, nameless alley. He weaved and twisted through the alley, finally stopping beside a low wall.

Shen Lian cautiously glanced around, making sure no one was nearby, then swiftly scaled the wall with both hands and leaped up with one leg. The wall wasn't very high, and he easily climbed to the top. On the other side of the wall was a deserted courtyard, the yard and rooftop covered with a thick layer of dead leaves, indicating it hadn't been tended to in a long time. Shen Lian leaped and landed lightly in the courtyard.

He walked straight to the center of the courtyard, where a solitary ancient well stood. Shen Lian picked up a pebble from the ground and threw it into the well—first came the crisp "bang" of the stone hitting the well wall, followed by the dull echo of it falling into the soil at the bottom of the well.

Upon hearing the sound, Shen Lian no longer hesitated. He firmly grasped the edge of the well with both hands, braced his feet against the inside of the well wall, and slowly slid down using friction, his figure gradually disappearing into the darkness of the deep well.

The well was shallow. Shen Lian felt that he hadn't slid more than a few steps before his feet touched the bottom of the well. When he looked up, he could see the bright moon in the sky.

The well was very dry. Shen Lian stretched out his hands and groped around on the well wall. Finally, after touching a stone, he sensed something was wrong.

He forcefully pried the rock off, and there was a hole behind it. He reached into the hole and groped around. Then, his face lit up with joy as he pulled out a long box from the hole. Shen Lian didn't even look at it before opening the box, taking out the contents, stuffing them into his pocket, and tossing the box aside.