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When she thought of that name, Meng Fuyao's heart began to hurt. She bit her lip and suppressed the sudden surge of emotions, sighing deeply—She had been so determined all these years, never once wavering in her desire to go home, yet now that she was really on the journey home, saying goodbye still hurt, still hurt…

She took a deep breath and flipped herself onto the ground, burying her head in the dirt and suppressing her heart viciously, not allowing herself to feel hurt any longer.

Lord Yuan Bao hadn't been able to take a deep breath before it was squished, and it struggled out of her robes, glaring hatefully at the woman who had been acting strange ever since she had entered the borders of Fufeng. This woman was starting to become more and more unreasonable, if not for its master's request, it couldn't have been bothered with her.

'Why isn't Master here yet?' Lord Yuan Bao scratched its head with a paw and glanced around exasperatedly—he had said that he had some things to settle and would be late, but it still hadn't been able to see even his shadow after a whole day.

Speaking of its master, he was truly pitiful, he had originally intended to return to Wuji first, but now that things had come to this point, it seemed he wouldn't be able to do so. The only silver lining was that its master's father was becoming more and more promising, not expecting him to return home and govern the nation, letting him out as a nomadic prince, or else… hehe.

Lord Yuan Bao sighed again, thinking that its master didn't know how to appreciate a precious treasure that was right in front of him, instead choosing the smelliest and most stubborn moss-filled rock. It was truly unbecoming of the Crown Prince of Wuji and the stupidest thing he had ever done in his life.

After hearing it sigh repeatedly, Meng Fuyao began to feel frustrated and turned around to grab a piece of cloth to stuff her ears when her hand slipped and instead landed on the lotus embroidered bag that she'd found under Xu Wan's bed. Back then, she had been too troubled to look at it and simply threw it into her bag to bring along with her, but now, she could finally take a careful look.

After opening the old fabric, she made out several faded words written skillfully with cheap ink.

”For my nameless child.”

It was the will that Xu Wan had left her. Meng Fuyao's hand trembled.

”Recently, Mother has been feeling unsettled, as if something inauspicious is about to happen. After pondering for a while, I've decided to leave this letter to you, but I hope that you see this only after you've grown up peacefully.”

Meng Fuyao bit her lip, holding the aged paper as she read each word that Xu Wan had written about her and the life she hoped for her.

”… My child, carry yourself with humility and dignity. Always be righteous and courteous. Should you marry after you grow up, always remember to respect your in-laws, be filial, and support the family, be benevolent and compassionate, love your husband, and nurture your child…”

All the virtues of a traditional, historical-age woman, written by a mother, with her heart filled with fear, hoping earnestly for her daughter to pursue happiness in the way that matched the times, to live happily in the Five Regions Continent where men were superior, and women were suppressed.

Meng Fuyao's eyes turned slightly red as she imagined, many years ago, in a small room with a candlelight the size of a bean, Xu Wan, immersed in writing the final letter for her daughter. Her heart filled with fear and uncertainty of the future, even more for the life of her young daughter. That kind of worry turned into the brush strokes and ink, into the bloodstained will that her daughter would read fourteen years later, bringing out all of her feelings.

And at that moment, she was already a pile of white ashes buried within the palace walls in eternal sleep.

'I'm sorry.'

'I wasn't able to grow up according to your wishes, but I was able to do what I should do.'

'I've killed the b*tch that sentenced you to death and her tattletale daughter.'

'I've destroyed the entire evil Royal Family of Xuanji, even the name, and ancestral temple, right from the roots.'

'I've trampled upon the greatest wish of the man that fathered but did not nurture, the bastard that never cared about your situation. I've wiped out him and the entire Feng Clan that he treasured so much and gave him a taste of his own medicine, and to die as a world-class criminal without a single memorial tablet to commemorate his death.'

'I've given them the most severe punishment they deserve.'

'I've given you the biggest compensation I can offer, your name has become the name of the nation, the Royal Ancestral Hall only has your tablet, you are the first Empress Dowager of Dawan, courtesy name Eternal Compassion.'

'Do you… still, have any unfulfilled wishes?'

”… My nameless child, if one day you are able to meet a man from the Qingze Tribe with a scar on his forehead, and if he should mention me to you, you must tell him on my behalf, Xu Wan has never once truly blamed him…”Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.

22 years ago, a yet-to-wed couple from the Qingze Tribe had arrived in Xuanji after escaping their hometown. However, on the day that they had arrived in the bustling capital, the relatives that they had been looking for had already moved away, leaving them helpless. They had originally intended to commit suicide together at the Hongxi Lake in Dan City, yet had been saved by a lowly official who had pointed the path to life for them. That year, the Royal Family had been hiring concubines, and all unwed women under 16 were to enter the palace. Some officials had been reluctant to let their daughter serve others. Hence, they had been looking for poor girls to replace them. The lowly official had let this couple choose for themselves, for the man to enter the palace as a eunuch, or for the woman to replace his daughter and enter the palace as a maid. He would then compensate the man with a large sum of money, and after eight years, the woman would be let out, and they could wed then. After a night of painful deliberation, the pair had decided for the woman to enter the palace and return eight years later. After a tearful parting by Hongxi Lake, from then on, she had entered the palace and lived out the tragic fate that awaited her. And he had waited for her in the capital, holding onto that sum of money, trying all means to hear any news about her while waiting for the agonizing eight years to pass.