418: It is already close to the northern border.

On this day, the convoy stopped to rest at a courier station named "Lingyun Station."

Lingyun Station was situated between two mountains and served as the final pass before entering the Northern Frontier; once past here, one would truly be within the Northern Frontier's borders.

The terrain here was steep, and the station was built halfway up a mountain—a solitary courtyard surrounded by peaks.

After nightfall, the cold wind howled like ghosts and wolves, battering the doors and windows of the station with a rhythmic banging that made people's hearts tighten.

Inside the station, the lamplight flickered.

The dim yellow candlelight danced, casting long shadows of the window frames and dappled light across the floor.

Jiang Yan dismissed the serving palace maids and eunuchs, sitting alone on a pearwood chair by the window of her guest room.

Her hand unconsciously rubbed a warm white jade pendant—a gift from Li Xuan when he was still the Crown Prince.

A twin lotus was carved onto the jade pendant, and on the back were the words "Hand in hand until old age," written in a vigorous script by Li Xuan himself.

The cold sensation transmitted from her fingertips, yet it could no longer stir even a ripple in her heart.

Twenty years had passed in the blink of an eye.

Those past vows of eternal love, those moments of mutual support, those whispers under the moon in the Eastern Palace, and that time they stood side by side at the enthronement ceremony—thinking of them now, they felt like a ridiculous dream.

The dream had ended, and nothing remained but a mess on the ground.

The wind outside grew stronger, swirling the fallen leaves outside the station with a rustling sound.

Jiang Yan looked up and gazed out the window.

The night was as thick as ink, and the distant snow-capped mountains shimmered with a cold light under the moon, like crouching giant beasts silently watching over this land.

She slowly raised her hand and gently placed the jade pendant carved with the twin lotus on the table.

Then, she stood up, walked to the window, and pushed open the creaking wooden window.

The piercing cold wind rushed in instantly, disheveling her hair and blowing away a single tear that had quietly escaped the corner of her eye.

The teardrop fell onto the windowsill and was quickly frozen into a tiny ice crystal by the cold wind.

Jiang Yan looked at the boundless night outside and the moonlight atop the distant snow mountains, her lips slowly curling into a very faint arc.

This time, her smile held no sorrow or numbness, only a dead silence as vast as the landscape of the Northern Frontier.

Thinking that she would enter the Northern Frontier borders tomorrow... Meanwhile, in the study of the City Lord's Estate in Northern Frontier City.

A single lamp, small as a bean, cast long and thin shadows from the window frames, barely illuminating a corner of the room.

Situ Jun stood by the window, holding a Jade Talisman whose transmission light had just extinguished; the glow on the talisman gradually faded, revealing the fine patterns carved inside.

The Jade Talisman was sent by the Mysterious Clarity Master, detailing how he had "cleverly" guided Li Xuan, "appealing to reason and emotion," and finally making Li Xuan "willingly" send away the Empress.

At the end, he didn't forget to add a few lines, saying that Jiang Yan, though possessed of the Phoenix Destiny, was wasted in the inner palace and it was truly not worth it, and that this action was all for Situ Jun's grand ambitions and the stability of the Northern Frontier and Tianqi.

That sense of cautious flattery almost overflowed from the Jade Talisman.

"This Mysterious Clarity Master certainly knows how to handle things."

Situ Jun chuckled softly, his tone nonchalant, showing no hint of emotion.

He casually tossed the Jade Talisman onto the sandalwood desk; it hit the edge of the inkstone with a crisp "ding," sounding exceptionally clear in the silent study.

He naturally understood the Mysterious Clarity Master's intentions: he wanted Situ Jun to protect the peace of Tianqi without violating his own loyalty as a servant.

Regarding Jiang Yan's arrival, Situ Jun was indeed somewhat surprised.

Although he knew the Mysterious Clarity Master's "good intentions" and the benefits of the "Phoenix Destiny and Dragon Qi" mentioned, he hadn't expected Li Xuan to actually agree to send the Empress of Tianqi over.

However, aside from the surprise, he was quite composed.

Destined for the Phoenix Destiny? Able to draw Dragon Qi to nourish the national fortune? The Mysterious Clarity Master's rhetoric was likely mostly to bluff Li Xuan.

It might be true that Jiang Yan possessed a special Luck.

After all, a woman who could sit firmly as the Empress of Tianqi for twenty years, managing the vast inner palace flawlessly and making all the concubines submissive, was definitely no ordinary lady.

Her intellect and bearing were already a hundred times superior to others.

But the claim that "the Empress must be sent to the Northern Frontier to stabilize the national fortune of Tianqi and ensure peace in the north" was likely an exaggerated narrative the Mysterious Clarity Master used to achieve his goal.

However, for Situ Jun, this was not a bad thing.

An Empress of Tianqi with a special status and Phoenix Luck, if she could be brought under his use, would likely benefit his personal Cultivation, Cultivation Technique, Luck, and even his future control over Tianqi and broader territories.

More importantly, this move by Li Xuan and the Mysterious Clarity Master was equivalent to handing a portion of the Tianqi Dynasty's future "national fortune" and "legitimacy" to him in a twisted yet direct way.

The political significance and potential value behind this "gift" were indeed substantial.

The Mysterious Clarity Master was indeed shrewd, achieving three goals at once: fulfilling his original intention to "protect" Tianqi, not violating his loyalty as a servant, and providing Situ Jun with a beautiful Dao Companion.

Of course, Situ Jun had his own way of doing things.

It was true that Jiang Yan was sent by Li Xuan under pressure, but he would not treat her merely as a trophy or a tool.

At least, as long as she didn't show hostility or do something foolish, he would give her the appropriate respect and enough... observation.

He wanted to see what was so extraordinary about this Jiang Yan, whose appearance and temperament were unsurpassed in the Tianqi Dynasty, and who had cultivated the aura of a mother of the nation over twenty years as Empress.

Early the next morning, the light was dim, and the morning mist of the Northern Frontier had not yet dissipated, carrying a hint of crisp coldness.

Situ Jun accompanied Yun Niang for a walk on the paths within the estate, with Xu Lian following beside them, carrying a food box containing freshly warmed milk.

Yun Niang's belly was already highly protruding, making her movements somewhat inconvenient; Situ Jun carefully supported her arm, keeping his pace very slow.

When they reached a patch of autumn chrysanthemums in full bloom, he spoke calmly, as if mentioning a common triviality:

"The Empress of Tianqi, Jiang Yan, will arrive in the Northern Frontier in a few days, ostensibly to accompany Princess for prayers. The Northern Frontier City Lords Mansion will be responsible for the reception; her living arrangements and expenses should follow the highest standards, but there's no need to be overly flamboyant to avoid drawing unnecessary gossip."

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping toward the East Courtyard, which was quiet and elegant with many plants, and added:

"As for her residence... arrange it in the East Courtyard. It's close to where Princess lives, making it convenient for them to talk and for her to be looked after."

Hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Yun Niang's eyes.

Although she had lived in the inner courtyard for a long time, she knew the weight of the Empress of Tianqi; it was somewhat unexpected that her husband would bring her into the estate to settle.

But she already knew about Situ Jun's Dual Cultivation Technique and had gradually become accustomed to new people constantly joining him.

She was Situ Jun's first wife and the legitimate mistress of the Northern Frontier City Lords Mansion; it was her responsibility to maintain the stability of the inner courtyard so her husband would have no worries.