I was a mineral prospector in Chengdu, who transmigrated into the body of a mortal sword immortal.

A night breeze swept through the courtyard, carrying the faint sound of a wooden clapper in the distance, as well as the very faint, suppressed sobs coming from inside the room.

Li Bai held his breath, his body pressed against the shadow of the wall, like a frozen statue. The sobbing was intermittent, with the unique, suppressed yet uncontrollable choking of a young girl, exceptionally clear in the quiet night. He heard the sorrow and helplessness in the voice, and something deep within his heart was gently touched.

Behind the paper window, the dim light flickered, casting a shadow on the window paper—it was a girl sitting on the edge of the bed, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Li Bai confirmed that there was no one else around. The servants in the other rooms of the backyard were all sound asleep, their breathing even. Only the girl in this room was awake, weeping alone in the dead of night.

He moved quietly to the window. The wooden window was tightly closed, but there were a few minor tears in the paper windowpane, marks left by time. Li Bai leaned closer to one of the tears and peered inside.

The room was simply furnished: a wooden bed, an old wardrobe, a small table with an oil lamp on it, the wick cut short so the flame was barely a bean. A young girl in a blue cloth dress sat on the edge of the bed with her back to the window, wiping away tears. She was slender, with a round face and her hair styled in two buns—it was Yun'er, the clever maidservant who served Yang Yuhuan.

Li Bai noticed that Yun'er was tightly clutching a plain handkerchief in her hand, the edges of which seemed to be embroidered with some kind of pattern. Several sheets of paper were scattered on the table, and in the dim light, it could be seen that they were covered with writing.

He took a deep breath and decided to take action.

There was no knocking, no calling. Li Bai extended his right index finger, a wisp of extremely fine azure lotus essence gathering at its tip. The essence was tangible yet formless and colorless. He flicked it lightly at a crack in the window frame.

"despair."

A very soft sound, like a pebble falling to the ground, echoed in the room.

Yun'er's sobs stopped abruptly. She suddenly raised her head, looking warily toward the window, her body instinctively shrinking back, her hand gripping the handkerchief even tighter.

"Who...who's outside?" Her voice trembled as she tried to remain calm.

Li Bai lowered his voice and spoke in a volume that only the two of them could hear: "Miss Yun'er, it's me."

The voice entered the room, and Yun'er shuddered. She clearly recognized the voice, but her face showed disbelief, and a hint of fear flashed in her eyes—a man sneaking into the backyard late at night was anything but normal.

"You...you are..." Her voice trembled even more.

"Li Bai." Li Bai stated his name directly. "Don't make a fuss. I have something to ask you, about Miss Yu Huan."

"Young Master Li...?" Yun'er's voice was a mixture of surprise, confusion, and a hint of inexplicable expectation. She stood up, hesitated, took two steps towards the window, then stopped. "You... what are you doing here? In the dead of night..."

"This is a matter of great importance, and I have no other choice but to do it." Li Bai's voice was calm and sincere. "Miss Yun'er, please open the window. I will only say a few words and then leave. If you are afraid, I can speak here, but you must lower your voice."

Yun'er bit her lip, her heart clearly in turmoil. She glanced back at the door—the latch was on—then at the window, and finally her gaze fell on the scattered papers on the table. Those papers contained her secret notes from the past few days, recording the events leading up to her mistress's departure. She was afraid she would forget, and even more afraid that no one would know.

Finally, as if she had made up her mind, she strode to the window, but instead of opening it immediately, she asked in a low voice through the paper window, "You...you are really Young Master Li? What proof do you have?"

Li Bai hesitated for a moment. He couldn't reveal too much, but he needed to assure Yun'er of his identity and make her feel safe.

He slowly released a faint aura, the very aura of a cultivator. It wasn't oppressive, but rather a pure, clear aura, like a mountain spring or a lotus under the moon, carrying a calming power. At the same time, he softly recited two lines of poetry:

"Clouds remind me of her clothes, flowers of her face; the spring breeze caresses the balustrade, the dew is heavy."

These are the lines of poetry he wrote for Yang Yuhuan, and Yun'er, as his personal maid, must have heard them.

Yun'er inside the window trembled.

That aura inexplicably dissipated most of the fear in her heart, as if she were enveloped by a gentle power. And those two lines of poetry struck her memory directly—she still clearly remembered the rare, heartfelt joy and shyness on her young lady's face when she received the poem.

"It really is...Young Master Li." Yun'er's voice was trembling with tears. Without further hesitation, she reached out and unlatched the window, pushing the window open a crack.

A dim, yellow light shone through the cracks, illuminating half of Li Bai's face. He wore a scholar's cap, his face somewhat blurred in the shadows, but his eyes shone exceptionally brightly in the night, clear and deep, carrying a reassuring power that Yun'er had never seen before.

When Yun'er saw his face clearly, tears welled up instantly: "Young Master Li...it really is you..."

"Let's talk inside," Li Bai whispered, his figure flashing as he slipped into the room through the window crack, landing silently. He gently closed the window behind him, but didn't bolt it shut.

The room was cramped, the glow of the oil lamp illuminating only a few feet around it. The air was filled with the slightly acrid smell of burning lamp oil, the faint fragrance of soap from the girl's room, and the salty taste of tears. Yun'er stood by the bed, her hands tightly clasped in front of her, her eyes red and swollen, her face still wet with tears, anxiously watching Li Bai.

Li Bai quickly scanned the room. Besides the simple furnishings he had just seen, there were two old wooden boxes piled in the corner, and several faded dresses hanging on the wall. The papers scattered on the table still had fresh ink stains.

"Miss Yun'er, I apologize for the inconvenience." Li Bai cupped his hands, his tone gentle. "I had no choice but to disturb you in the middle of the night. I only want to know... what happened to Miss Yu Huan before she left?"

Upon hearing the words "Miss Yuhuan," Yun'er's tears fell again. She wiped her face haphazardly with the back of her hand, her voice choked with sobs, "Miss...Miss...she passed away so painfully..."

"Tell me slowly." Li Bai took out a clean handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Yun'er.

Yun'er took the handkerchief, clutching it in her hand, but didn't use it. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself, and whispered, "Young Master Li, where...where have you been these past few days? Before Miss was taken away, she asked about you, saying...saying that if Young Master Li returned, she would definitely tell him..."

Li Bai felt a pang of pain in his heart, but maintained a calm expression: "I went to a distant place and only returned yesterday. Upon arriving in Chengdu, I heard... I heard that Yang Guifei had already been taken away by the palace."

Yun'er nodded, tears welling up again: "It happened a month ago. So many officials came that day, including palace eunuchs, female officials, and Imperial Guards... It was such a grand affair that all the neighbors came out to see. Master and Madam received them in the front hall, while Miss... Miss was in the back courtyard, and I was with her."

Her voice gradually drifted into memories, tinged with deep sorrow.

"Miss barely ate anything those few days, and she lost a lot of weight. She locked herself in her room, refusing to see anyone, and just stared out the window in a daze. When I went in to bring her food, I saw the poems you sent, Young Master Li, on her table. She looked at them over and over again, and tears would fall as she looked at them."

Li Bai's fingers tightened slightly.

"The morning she was taken away, Miss got up very early. She asked me to do her hair and makeup. I styled her hair in the simplest double buns and dressed her in a plain dress, refusing to use any makeup." Yun'er's voice trembled. "She said... she said, 'Since I have no choice in my actions, why bother with makeup?' While I was doing her hair and makeup, her hands kept shaking. When I put flowers in her hair, she suddenly grabbed my hand and said..."

Yun'er paused, then large tears fell from her eyes: "She said, 'Yun'er, if Young Master Li returns, please tell him for me... tell him that Yu Huan has never forgotten the moonlight by the Jinjiang River, nor has she forgotten those poems.'"

The room was completely silent, except for the faint crackling sound of the oil lamp wick burning.

Li Bai closed his eyes, and the image of that night floated into his mind—by the Jinjiang River, the moonlight like water, a young girl carefully stepping on the bluestone, lifting her skirt, turning back to smile sweetly at him. The clarity and beauty of that moment, now, seemed like a distant memory.

"Anything else?" He opened his eyes, his voice a little hoarse.

"Miss... before she left, Miss burned some things." Yun'er's voice was even lower, filled with fear. "She burned most of the poems you gave her, right there in that copper basin. She said... she said these things couldn't be kept, that keeping them would harm you. She cried as she burned them, the firelight illuminating her face. I've never seen Miss so heartbroken..."

Li Bai felt a suffocating, dull pain in his chest. She burned…she burned those poems. Was it to protect him? Was she afraid this evidence of their “private dealings” would become ammunition for others to attack him?

"But..." Yun'er suddenly raised her head, a glint of light flashing in her eyes, "Miss didn't burn them all. She...she secretly kept one, the smallest one, with only four lines of poetry on it. She hid it close to her body, and no one knew."

Li Bai suddenly looked at her.

Yun'er turned and walked to the bedside, squatted down, and pulled the old wooden box from under the bed. She opened the lid, rummaged inside for a moment, and took out a small package carefully wrapped in oilcloth. She placed the package on the table, carefully unwrapped the oilcloth, and inside was an old book with yellowed pages.

She turned the pages of the book and took out a tiny, folded piece of paper with slightly scorched edges from the middle.

The piece of paper was only the size of a palm, made of ordinary bamboo paper, the most common type available on the market. But the handwriting on it was delicate and graceful, with strokes that carried the unique softness and strength of a young girl—it was Yang Guifei's handwriting.

Yun'er held the piece of paper in both hands and handed it to Li Bai, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible: "The night before Miss left, she secretly called me to her room and gave me this. She said... 'Yun'er, keep this safe. If one day Young Master Li really comes back and asks about me, give this to him. If he doesn't come back... burn it, burn it with me.'"

Li Bai took the piece of paper.

The paper was light, yet it felt incredibly heavy in his hands. The scorch marks on its edges indicated that it had been very close to the flames and had narrowly escaped being burned. He slowly unfolded the paper.

Under the dim light, neat handwriting came into view:

"**The red walls separate us from the world, severing all communication.**"

The bright moon still shines on the steps of yesteryear.

I wish my body could transform into a blue lotus petal.

May the wind carry me a thousand miles to your side.

There was no signature, no date. Only these four lines of poetry, the ink deeply seeping into the paper fibers, each stroke written with utmost care, even showing some strokes slightly blurred from the pressure applied—were those tears that fell onto the paper while writing?

Li Bai's fingers trembled slightly as he held the piece of paper.

Red walls separate us from the world... The bright moon still shines... I wish I could transform into a blue lotus petal, drifting a thousand miles on the wind to accompany you...

She knew she was about to enter the impenetrable palace walls, forever severing all contact. She remembered the steps where they once admired the moon together. She even knew his sword was named "Azure Lotus," and she wished to transform into a lotus petal, drifting a thousand miles on the wind, just to be by his side…

What a profound and hopeless longing this is!

"Miss secretly wrote something in the carriage." Yun'er's voice pulled Li Bai back from his intense emotional turmoil. "She used the eyebrow pencil she always carried, and wrote it on the lining of a handkerchief. I discovered it when I was helping her change. She asked me to find an opportunity... to find an opportunity to give this poem to Young Master Li as well. But the guards were very strict along the way, and when we arrived in Chang'an, she was directly sent to one of the palace's reserve residences. I... I had no chance at all."

Yun'er took out the plain handkerchief she had been clutching from her bosom and unfolded it. The edges of the handkerchief were embroidered with simple intertwined floral patterns, and the lining was made of light yellow fine cloth. She dipped her fingertip in some tea and gently dabbed it on a spot on the lining of the handkerchief.

Gradually, some pale blue characters appeared. They were written with eyebrow ink, the handwriting more hurried and messy than on the paper, yet still legible:

"**Her body, like willow catkins, entered the palace gates,**"

My heart flows eastward with the Jinshui River.

If in the next life one is not favored by the Emperor...

We'll grow old together, though our home is humble and simple.

When Li Bai looked at these two poems, he felt something churning and surging in his chest, almost bursting out of his body.

The first poem expresses reluctance and prayers before parting; the second, despair and anticipation during the journey. My body is like willow catkins, my heart follows the Jin River… If in the next life I am not favored by the emperor, we will grow old together in a humble cottage…

She even thought about the afterlife. She would rather not have the emperor's favor, but only a simple life in an ordinary family, growing old together with him.

But what about this life? In this life, she has been sent into that golden cage, and the wheel of fate is rolling forward in the predetermined direction.

"Miss...she has never forgotten Young Master Li." Yun'er's voice trembled with tears. "In the carriage, she would always stare blankly out the window, and sometimes she would suddenly ask me, 'Yun'er, where is Young Master Li now? Could he...could he have already forgotten me?' I asked her why she didn't tell Master and Madam, and she said...she said, 'What good would it do to tell them? Father would only say I'm ignorant, and Mother would only weep. In this world, a woman's fate is never in her own hands.'"

Li Bai carefully folded the two pieces of paper and tucked them close to his body, inside the innermost layer. The thin paper, pressed against his chest, seemed to still carry the warmth of the young girl's body and the stains of her tears.

He looked up at Yun'er. This sixteen or seventeen-year-old maid had red and swollen eyes and her face was covered in tears, but she still stood there, determined to fulfill her mistress's instructions.

"Miss Yun'er, thank you." Li Bai's voice was low and solemn. "These...are very important to me."

Yun'er shook her head, tears falling again: "Young Master Li, are you... are you going to Chang'an? Are you going to find Miss?"

Li Bai did not answer directly, but instead asked, "Where is Miss Yu Huan now? What are the specific details of the palace selection process?"

Yun'er wiped away her tears and tried hard to recall: "After Miss was sent to Chang'an, I don't know exactly where she was placed. I only heard the escorting lady mention that she would first stay in a residence near the 'Yichun Courtyard' while waiting for instruction in court etiquette and preliminary selection. The Yichun Courtyard... seems to be a place where palace maids are taught music and dance. The selection process involves several rounds, overseen by palace ladies-in-waiting and people from the Inner Palace Secretariat, and finally... finally, His Majesty himself must review it."

She paused, then lowered her voice even further: "The ladies-in-waiting said privately that with your looks and talent, Miss, you're sure to be selected; it's just a matter of rank. They also said... they also said it's the Yang family's good fortune, Miss's destiny."

Good fortune? Fate?

Li Bai sneered inwardly. To confine a beautiful young woman's life within the high walls of the palace, making her a decoration and a bargaining chip in the game of power—what kind of blessing is that?

"Miss Yun'er, have you told anyone else about these things?" Li Bai asked.

Yun'er quickly shook her head: "No! Miss instructed that these things could only be told to Young Master Li. I haven't even told my parents... These days, I can't sleep at night. When I think of how Miss looked when she left, I can't help but cry. I'm afraid these poems will be discovered, so I have to hide them in a book and at the bottom of a chest..."

Looking at her fearful and uneasy appearance, Li Bai sighed inwardly. This young girl must have been living in constant anxiety these past few days because she had learned a secret she shouldn't have known.

He took out a money pouch from his bosom—secular silver he had exchanged with a merchant in a small town outside the mountains for some low-grade pills when he left the Western Mausoleum Divine Kingdom. He poured out about twenty taels of silver and placed it on the table.

"Miss Yun'er, keep this money safe. You must never mention tonight's events to a third party, including your parents, the other servants, and even... the masters of the Yang household." Li Bai's tone became serious. "If you speak of it, not only will I be in danger, but you yourself could also suffer. Palace affairs are far-reaching; the slightest mistake could be fatal. Understand?"

Yun'er was startled when she saw the pile of silver on the table: "Young Master Li, this...this is too much, I can't accept it..."

"Take it." Li Bai said without room for argument. "You kept Miss Yu Huan's secret and took the risk, so this is what you deserve. You can use this money to supplement your household expenses, or... if you can't stay in the Yang family in the future, you can use it as travel expenses to find a stable place."

Yun'er stared blankly at Li Bai, then suddenly knelt down and kowtowed: "Yun'er... Yun'er thanks Young Master Li. I... I will definitely keep my mouth shut, I will never tell anyone, even if it means my death!"

Li Bai helped her up: "There's no need for that. Remember my words, I never appeared tonight, and you never saw me. You never touched those poems. If anyone asks, you must know nothing about them, understand?"

Yun'er nodded vigorously, tears welling up again: "I understand... Young Master Li, you... you must be careful. Chang'an... Chang'an is not like Chengdu. It's under the emperor's nose, the rules are strict, and there are many spies..."

"I know," Li Bai nodded. "Take care of yourself too. If there's a chance... perhaps in the future, I can introduce you to Miss Yu Huan."

Yun'er's eyes lit up, then dimmed again: "Is there really...is there still a chance?"

Li Bai did not answer. He walked to the window, pushed it open a crack, and looked outside. The night was still deep, the courtyard was quiet, and the sound of the clapper had already passed the third watch in the distance.

"I should go now," he said softly. "Take care, Miss Yun'er."

"Young Master Li..." Yun'er stepped forward, hesitated, and finally whispered, "You...you must stay safe."

Li Bai glanced back at her and nodded. In a flash, he slipped through the window crack, landing as lightly as a falling leaf. He gently closed the window behind him, hearing the soft sound of Yun'er locking the door from inside.

Standing in the shade of the courtyard, Li Bai looked up at the sky.

The night sky was deep and the Milky Way was dazzling. A bright moon hung high, its gentle light bathing the world. This moonlight had once shone on the stone steps by the Jinjiang River, on the smiling eyes of a young girl, and on her despairing profile in the carriage.

He reached into his robes and touched the two thin pieces of paper. His fingertips felt the rough texture of the paper and the slightly raised marks on the writing.

Red walls separate us from the world... My body is like a willow catkin... I wish to transform into a lotus petal... To grow old together by thatched cottage and simple hairpin...

Every word, as if carved by a knife and axe, was deeply engraved in his heart.

Changan.

That majestic imperial capital, the center of power, a golden cage.

His jade ring is there.

The last trace of hesitation and confusion in Li Bai's eyes vanished completely, replaced by a resolute determination as deep and unfathomable as a cold pool. He no longer looked at the small room with its dim yellow light, and with a swift movement, he swept across the courtyard like a ghost and arrived at the wall.

With a light touch of his toes, his blue robe cast a faint shadow in the moonlight as he scaled the high wall and disappeared into the darkness of the back alley.

The night wind swept through the alley, stirring up a few withered leaves. There was no trace of him on the cobblestone path.

Only the two pieces of paper in his arms, pressed against his heart, felt slightly warm.