Jin Ziyuan hesitated again and again before wrapping himself into a cocoon as well, leaning against another corner of the bed.
In the moonlight, they saw that neither had fallen asleep.
The atmosphere was somewhat awkward.
Gu Youyou thought for a moment, then asked, "How much do you know about the Dao Family’s medicine people?"
Gu Youyou estimated that such a secret matter from the Dao Family would be either unknown to outsiders or known only in small bits.
As expected, Jin Ziyuan said, "Not much. There are... there are five others like you."
Gu Youyou’s eyes flickered slightly as she said, "So you know it’s six women and one man?"
Jin Ziyuan nodded, "Yes, I only found out about it recently. I also know that the other five women have all fallen into Yue Rujing’s hands and they’re all in Lingnan."
Gu Youyou hummed in acknowledgment, then said, "For you, the biggest enemy is Yu Jizi. The rest of us can be replaced at any time. He can simply spend more time to find others, but you’re different. You can’t be replaced. On the sacrificial stage, even if you don’t die, you won’t be yourself anymore. In the end, whatever you fight for will be wedding clothes for someone else."
Jin Ziyuan’s brows smoothed out, revealing a faint smile as he said, "You’re worried about me, not solely for yourself?"
Gu Youyou was taken aback and said, "You’re overthinking it. I simply can’t stand to watch you miss the point, and besides, I’m speaking the truth."
"So you know that the recent troubles were my doing?"
Gu Youyou did not deny it, saying, "You disrupted King Jin’s grand wedding and shifted the blame to Prince Qin, igniting a fight between them. Now they’re at each other’s throats, and you, Jin Ziyuan, have played a significant role. Yet, your biggest enemy is not the Emperor, but Yu Jizi. Yu Jizi wants your life. You should deal with him before you think about revenge."
But Jin Ziyuan said, "You’re wrong, to me there’s no difference."
"You’re thinking too naively. They all want my life. Dealing with Yu Jizi is to secure a chance for my own survival, for my own revenge. But how can I face those from the Prince Residence who died that year if I don’t avenge them while I still live?"
Gu Youyou disagreed with his thoughts, saying, "But they would rather see you live on. The deceased have passed, and they have returned to dust. Their wish is to see the person they protected live a longer life."
She still remembered back in those mountains, in that ancient tomb, how the wild man uncle took meticulous care of Jin Ziyuan despite barely being able to look after himself.
Without utter desperation, how could a father who loved his son so deeply have the heart to feed him those medicines?
Prince had dared to rebel, he must have been a wise man. He couldn’t possibly have been unaware that those medicines were actually poison.
Jin Ziyuan didn’t say anything, shadows from the moonlight cast upon his thick eyebrows. He hung his head, his thoughts unknown.
Gu Youyou sighed and said, "Forget it, whatever you do is your own decision. Just think of me... as a doctor who can’t bear to see chaos in the world. Of course, nobody wants to see the world in chaos unless they’re treacherous rebels, right? I’m just an ordinary person."
Jin Ziyuan let out a cold laugh and said, "That’s right, I am a treacherous rebel."
Gu Youyou paused, then said, "That’s not what I meant. You have your own helplessness too. Let’s leave it. Although we are of the same kind, we are not on the same path."
"Yes, we’re not on the same path!" Jin Ziyuan sighed. "But who wants to be labeled a treacherous rebel? Jin Moning was the usurper; he deceived the world and took my father’s throne. I saw the Emperor’s will clearly before they destroyed it and then used it as a pretext to label us as rebels."