Jiu Yue once said she preferred quiet cemeteries, so Sima Qing deliberately chose a secluded spot in the peach grove. Unless someone came looking intentionally, no one would ever pass by this place. When the peach blossoms bloomed and petals scattered like rain, she could still quietly admire the beauty of it all… This was Sima Qing’s selfish wish.
So when he erected the tombstone, he deliberately controlled its depth. By the time the grass grew thick and petals piled up, the character for "tomb" would be completely hidden. Sima Qing believed that from afar, people would instinctively overlook the "grave" below and focus only on the two characters "Jiu Yue."
"Tomb" was not a good word.
But now…
The tombstone seemed to have grown taller.
Sima Qing: "…"
Sima Qing narrowed his eyes, and before he realized it, he had already stepped forward to touch the tombstone. It stood firm, unmoved—meaning nothing beneath the ground had pushed it up.
Then he noticed the mound of earth… It too looked off.
"Your Highness…" Mo Jin approached, unable to hold back his question. "What’s wrong?"
Sima Qing rose expressionlessly, his anger turning into a cold laugh. "How audacious… to dare steal from a grave I buried."
Mo Jin gasped. Over by the grave, Mei Wuchang, who had been kneeling in prayer, immediately jumped to his feet.
"What? Grave robbery?" Mei Wuchang stared at the burial mound in disbelief. "Jiu—Jiu Yue’s grave was robbed?"
Fu Yu’s voice was firm. "Jiu Yue’s grave was personally buried by His Highness. He couldn’t have misremembered!"
"Then…" Mei Wuchang glanced around before settling on Qiu Dongfang, who stood closest. "Should we open it and check?"
Qiu Dongfang fell silent.
The dead should rest in peace.
Jiu Yue had already been laid to rest—wouldn’t disturbing her be inappropriate?
Mei Wuchang then turned to Mo Jin. "If we do open it… can I place some local specialties beside her?"
Mo Jin: "…"
The group all looked to Sima Qing.
Sima Qing, too, was silent.
She was supposed to sleep undisturbed beneath the earth… He had been careless. He should have stationed guards nearby.
A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, and memories of Jiu Yue surfaced—how she would seize every opportunity to ask him for money. Even in death, she had still been fixated on her two hundred taels of gold.
Sima Qing shook his head. "Proceed."
Otherwise, she’d throw a tantrum.
With that, he turned and walked toward the carriage.
Mei Wuchang’s mood had also grown heavy.
He never imagined his final meeting with Jiu Yue would be like this…
Beside him, Qiu Dongfang tried to offer comfort. "Don’t worry. Though some time has passed, His Highness placed specially prepared incense from the imperial physician inside the coffin… She should still look quite presentable."
Mei Wuchang: "…"
Somehow, that only made him feel worse.
The four of them quickly dug open the small mound, soon uncovering the coffin lid.
Mei Wuchang brushed the dirt away, discreetly wiping his tears before noticing Qiu Dongfang had slipped away to Sima Qing’s side—now carrying two boxes as he followed the prince.
"What’s that?" Mei Wuchang asked.
Fu Yu sniffled beside him. "Compensation for Jiu Yue, no doubt. Since her grave was robbed, all the valuables inside must be gone."
Mei Wuchang nodded and pulled out his own money pouch.
Sima Qing and Qiu Dongfang approached.
His mind still occupied with arranging manpower, Sima Qing’s gaze swept over the coffin. His voice was low and complicated as he ordered, "Open it."
Mei Wuchang stood at the front, his vision already blurring with tears.
The four of them carefully lifted the coffin lid, inch by inch…
Sima Qing had just opened the box of gold and silver, retrieving a handful, when three sharp screams erupted behind him.
"Ah—!?"
Mo Jin and the others cried out in unison.
Mei Wuchang, reacting a beat slower, wiped his eyes… then also let out a horrified shout.
"Your Highness!" He pointed at the coffin, both shocked and furious. "The thieves stole Jiu Yue’s body too!"
Sima Qing: "…"
His gaze dropped to the empty coffin—
No, not entirely empty.
Some of the gold bars and incense remained, but the person who had lain inside was gone.
The gold and silver in his hands slipped into the coffin, clinking against the remaining bars in the heavy silence.
All five of them froze.
Countless thoughts flashed through their minds… only to leave them utterly blank.
It took a long while before Sima Qing regained his composure.
But his usually steady voice carried a trace of bewilderment. "Take everything out… from inside."
Mo Jin and the others stared at him in shock.
Only Mei Wuchang nodded in understanding. "We have to. Otherwise, what if those grave robbers come back?"
Mo Jin and the others: "…"
Sima Qing suddenly laughed. His gaze swept over the scattered incense in the coffin before he closed his eyes and turned away.
"Wuchang is right. Hurry up—it’s getting late." His voice had regained its calm.
The three of them silently scrambled to collect everything.
Sima Qing picked up the wooden box from the ground, but his limbs suddenly felt weak.
Looking down at the gold and silver inside, he gave another hollow laugh before muttering under his breath, "Useless."
Whether he meant the treasures or himself, no one could tell.
Sima Qing left the valuables behind and walked alone to the carriage, lost in thought for a long time.
Only when Mo Jin and the others returned did he finally speak. "Tell the training camp to stop searching for the dogs."
The four of them paused.
Of course—with a missing person, the priority was finding her!
But then Sima Qing’s voice turned icy. "What happened today stays buried. If even a whisper leaks out, I will show no mercy."
They stiffened again.
Mei Wuchang, however, couldn’t help but speak up. "But… it might already be out."
A shadow appeared in their line of sight.
"Greetings, Your Highness." Si Shui knelt before them.
Sima Qing’s expression darkened, his gaze flickering with something unreadable before he suddenly let out a cold chuckle. "So it was your doing."
Si Shui froze.
But Sima Qing had already stepped into the carriage without another word.
"Back to the capital," he ordered.
Great Yan, the secluded mountains behind the Hermit’s Villa.
A jug of wine was poured over the grave before Doctor Tang tossed the jar aside and stomped on the burial mound twice.
"You died early and left all the mess for me and Nangong Cang to clean up!" He clicked his tongue. "Back then, I said I should raise that child—I’d have made her famous across the land. But you refused. Look how you raised her—practically a weapon of destruction."
The grave, of course, gave no reply.
Doctor Tang sat silently for a long time before settling cross-legged in front of it. He unpacked the delicacies he’d bought from various places, muttering introductions to himself before stuffing them into his mouth.
They tasted like ash.
With a sigh, his forced expression melted away, revealing genuine sorrow.
"She doesn’t seem like the kind of child you’d raise. You were always so quiet, yet she grew up sharp-tongued."
"I almost thought she’d never appear… but she still came to Great Yan in the end."
"She knows the truth now, but I suppose you never intended to hide it from her, or you wouldn’t have deliberately worn that silver hairpin..." Doctor Tang chuckled. "But don’t worry—she doesn’t blame you."
"She had her reasons for going back, so I took the liberty of making a decision for you. If we couldn’t stop her, we might as well lend her a hand." Doctor Tang wiped his face and rambled on.
"By my calculations, she’s probably already arrived..." Doctor Tang stared blankly at the grave mound, his expression troubled. "I taught her one move—hopefully it’ll come in handy when she meets that person."
Footsteps approached from behind.
Doctor Tang turned and opened a fresh jar of wine, passing it over.
The newcomer was none other than Nangong Cang.
The usually dignified manor lord now sat carelessly on the ground, leaning back-to-back with Doctor Tang.
"You haven’t come here in years," Nangong Cang said after taking a sip. "Still planning to return to Great Yan?"
"She went back. Those people won’t let her go so easily..." Doctor Tang smiled.
Nangong Cang fell silent, his gaze deepening as he studied Doctor Tang. "You’re not thinking of—"
"We elders ought to at least stand behind the younger generation when they need us." Doctor Tang glanced at the tombstone and extended an invitation. "Are you coming?"
"I—I’m going!" The voice didn’t belong to Nangong Cang.
The two men froze, turning to face the third speaker.
