The mistress who remarried has returned.

Su Yunxi rubbed her hands on the towel again and again, using so much force that her palms and the backs of her hands became red. Her eyes also reddened. When she returned to her bedroom, she silently hid the small stove for brewing medicine in a secret compartment, and then hid all the medicine in the compartment as well.

Her gaze fell on the agate bracelet that Qin Huai had personally polished for her birthday on the year she came of age. She dared not wear it for fear that the guards would confiscate it, so she hid it in a secret compartment. However, it was not appropriate to keep it in the East Palace, so she put it in her clothes. But she was distracted and her hand touched the still hot copper skin of the stove. Instantly, a large blister swelled up on her palm.

The pain was so intense that she couldn't scream or suppress it, so she closed the door to the window and pressed the burned part of her hand against the snow on the window frame. Her nose twitched, and she made uncomfortable sounds in her throat. Her shoulders also started to tremble.

Does continuing the family line mean doing those intimate things with Xue Wenying that we did last night?

"My lady, did you burn your hand? Come here and let me take a look."

Su Yunxi was pressing her hand against the window frame to cool herself down when she suddenly heard the Crown Prince's voice coming from the direction of the sickbed behind her. Forgetting her pain for a moment, she turned around and saw the Crown Prince, who had been unconscious for some time, propping himself up. His bright eyes and clear gaze were fixed on her, and he was speaking in a very clear voice.

"Your Highness, you're awake!"

As she spoke, Su Yunxi hurriedly walked towards Zhou Yu, sat down by the bedside, and was overwhelmed with emotion upon seeing the Crown Prince awaken. All her hard work had finally paid off.

Su Yunxi felt a warmth in her palm as Zhou Yu took her hand in his. He turned her hand over and immediately saw the large, bulging blister.

Zhou Yu stared intently at the blister for a long time. The blister made the delicate hand look pitiful. He raised his eyes and looked directly into Su Yunxi's eyes. "How much suffering have you endured these past few days?"

Su Yunxi recalled being mocked and ridiculed for kneeling outside the residences of the Crown Prince's relatives and friends, being framed for stealing a gold pendant by the maids and servants in Jiuli Lane, being mistaken for a servant twice by Xue Wenying, and being treated as a plaything by Qin Huai. However, she didn't mention any of these things, simply shaking her head. "No. I once saved Qin Huai's life. He remembered my contribution and placed a doctor in the Eastern Palace. Actually, everything went smoothly."

Zhou Yu knew her temperament; she wouldn't complain even if she suffered. He didn't point it out. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Where are the writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones you stole and hid from the mansion on the day the house was raided? Bring them to me for a while."

Su Yunxi didn't know what the Crown Prince was going to do, but she didn't delay. "It's in the hidden compartment. I'll get it for you."

After speaking, Su Yunxi went to get a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. She laid out the Xuan paper, ground the ink, dipped the brush in the ink, and handed it to Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu picked up his brush and wrote a letter of divorce on the Xuan paper. It roughly meant that the Crown Prince was unlucky and could not protect his good concubine, so he was giving her a letter of divorce so as not to delay her from finding another place. He also gave her five thousand taels of silver, which was a voluntary gift and would not be asked to return.

After Zhou Yu finished writing, he put down his brush on the inkstone, blew on the ink to dry the characters, bit his finger and pressed his bloody fingerprint onto the "Letter of Concubine Release." Once the fingerprint was dry, he handed it to Su Yunxi. "I have awakened and have medicine. I can take care of myself from now on. Take this letter of concubine release, and later go to the jujube tree in the front alley and back yard to retrieve the five thousand taels of silver I buried. Then leave the East Palace and don't come back again."

Su Yunxi was caught off guard by the heavy letter of divorce. She understood that Zhou Yu did not want to drag her down, but she had enjoyed the glory and benefits he brought her for the past four years. Now she really could not do something like abandoning him. "Your legs can't walk yet. You need someone to take care of your daily meals and living arrangements."

Zhou Yu closed his eyes. "I'm fine now. I can eat by myself while guarding the kitchen. When I go out, I'm always accompanied by my right-hand men, so you don't need to worry."

Su Yunxi understood that he meant that there must be guards following him when he left the East Palace, making him a walking prisoner. The fact that he was fighting with the guards for food made her feel very uncomfortable. After all, she had seen him when he was the crown prince and was extremely glorious. His current destitution was really heartbreaking.

She handed the divorce papers back to Zhou Yu, then walked to the center of the room, quite a distance from the window. "If you can walk over here and give me the divorce papers yourself, I'll dig out the silver notes today and take them with me."

Upon hearing the sound, Zhou Yu opened his eyes. He threw back the covers, clutched the "Letter of Release from Concubine," and tried to move his legs. The slightest movement caused him unbearable pain, and he immediately broke out in a cold sweat. He wasn't one to give up easily, so he forced his legs off the bed and stood up with all his might. However, he let out a muffled groan, and his knees buckled as he sat back down on the bed, breathing heavily. Sweat streamed down his forehead, soaking his inner clothes in an instant.

Su Yunxi hurried over, took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and said softly, "Don't think too much about it. The letter of divorce is here with you. I won't suffer with you anymore once you've recovered. I'll take 4,500 of your 5,000 li. Then I'll ask you for the letter of divorce."

Zhou Yu raised his hand and grasped Su Yunxi's hand, his voice deep and resonant, "I'll give you all five thousand. I'll never need money again in this lifetime."

Su Yunxi felt his hand was very warm, and she felt a sense of mutual dependence, but she was still uncomfortable holding hands like that, so she tried to pull her hand back.

Zhou Yu tightened his grip on her hand, but eventually let go. He was too weak to hold her tightly now, and he couldn't hold her like this. He leaned back on the pillow, thinking about all the beautiful concubines he used to have, and how she disliked his ways. Now, he realized that none of them had left a trace in his heart. He asked softly, "Are Empress Xiao and Zhou Yuan still alive...?"

When Su Yunxi heard him ask about his mother and sister's situation with such caution and hesitation, she said in a deep voice, "I haven't heard any bad news about them yet. Don't worry, I'll let you know if I have any news. But you must believe that the reason they're able to hold on is because the Crown Prince hasn't sent any bad news yet. You must hold on."

Zhou Yu carefully examined Su Yunxi, the pawn he had kept by his side to restrain powerful officials. Yet, she had made him aware of her in such a profound and intense way, and he had engraved her in his heart and bones. She was no longer a pawn to restrain anyone, nor was she there to make Qin Huai hesitate to act against her.

If he can make a comeback...

Zhou Yu gazed intently at Liangdi, unable to look away.

Su Yunxi folded up the "Letter of Divorce" and placed it under Zhou Yu's pillow. Although she had already been divorced by the Crown Prince with his fingerprint on it, she could not forget the Crown Prince's kindness. She still needed to repay the kindness she owed him, at least until the Crown Prince could take care of himself, walk, and take care of his own daily life.

She doesn't have any particularly great abilities; this is all she can help him with.

However, she believed that as long as one is alive, there is hope; one should first survive and then make long-term plans.

Su Yunxi observed the Crown Prince's expression. He must have remembered the day the Eastern Palace was raided, when Empress Xiao was also thrown into the Cold Palace. He was dragged out of the Meridian Gate, while Empress Xiao was locked behind the heavy wooden door of the Meridian Gate, screaming for Yu'er in anguish. Empress Xiao's fingernails were scratching the Meridian Gate until they were bloody and her voice was hoarse and unpleasant.

"Consort Su, the Imperial Concubine Shu has sent someone to deliver a message. Come and listen."

Just then, the guard outside the door responded.

Su Yunxi and Zhou Yu exchanged a glance, and Su Yunxi gestured for Zhou Yu to lie down and not reveal that he was getting better, so as not to cause any complications. After all, he was not fully recovered yet and could not withstand any setbacks.

Su Yunxi walked to the door, opened it, and asked the guard, "What message does Consort Shu want to convey?"

The guard glanced at Consort Su and then reported back: "Consort Shu said that Empress Xiao is critically ill in the Cold Palace and will probably only last three to five days at most. She keeps calling out the Crown Prince's childhood name. Consort Shu and Empress Xiao are like sisters, so she sent someone to fetch one of the Crown Prince's robes and bring it into the palace so that it can be buried with Empress Xiao when she passes away, thus fulfilling Empress Xiao's longing for her son."