Yu Jin Chang An (With Jin's Chang'An)

Chapter 44

After returning to the banquet, Li Shuang seemed somewhat absent-minded. She noticed the envoy from the Western Regions returning to the banquet as well. Li Shuang stared at him for a moment, and the old man noticed her gaze, his eyes sharp. He then raised his wine cup, gesturing to toast Li Shuang from afar.

Li Shuang didn't move. Seeing this, Sima Yang raised his own wine cup and said, "General Li is not good with alcohol. Allow me to drink this cup on her behalf, how about that?"

The old man immediately spoke up, exchanging a few polite words before drinking his wine and sitting down. Not long after, Sima Yang claimed he couldn't handle his alcohol and left. With the departure of the emperor, the banquet gradually dispersed. However, just before the emperor left his seat, he made a point to approach Li Shuang and tapped her on the head, whispering softly, "Can't handle it, don't drink next time."

Such intimacy, surpassing the relationship between monarch and minister, might even exceed the favor shown to the consorts in the harem. Among the courtiers present, they were all astute. The emperor's intentions would likely be discussed and disseminated throughout the court the next day.

But Li Shuang just stared blankly at Sima Yang until his figure disappeared into the crowd. At this moment, she had no other thoughts. Fortunately, Sima Yang didn't notice anything amiss and just thought she was drunk and dull. Li Shuang rubbed her forehead, thinking back to the scene she witnessed earlier at the lake, where Jin'an met with the envoy from the Western Regions.

Although the light was dim at night, making it difficult to see clearly, Li Shuang would never mistake Jin'an's figure, and the old man with the crutch had a similar silhouette to the envoy from the Western Regions.

The old man stood respectfully in front of Jin'an, adopting a gesture of respect. Jin'an's status was probably noble as a member of the royal family of the Western Regions. The fact that this old man risked meeting him at the palace showed Jin'an's status as a distinguished member of the royal family. His identity...

And Jin'an's agreeing to meet with this old man indicated that he must have remembered his own identity.

After some thought, his silence and frequent thoughtful gazes at her along the way had an explanation. He remembered who he was. His body had fused with the gu worms, no longer changing day and night, memories restored. He no longer liked sticking close to her. Jin'an... probably had returned to normal, right? Had he overcome the Jade Silkworm Gu?

Li Shuang's mind was chaotic as she absent-mindedly returned to the general's mansion. She sat in her room for a long time, hesitating whether to go to Jin'an's courtyard to find him. At this moment, she suddenly heard some movement on the roof. She was slightly stunned and when she turned her head, she saw Jin'an had somehow entered the room.

She glanced towards the quiet and deserted courtyard outside while the guards stationed outside stood straight as usual. Li Shuang closed the window as usual. She turned to face Jin'an, looking into his eyes, but suddenly felt a hint of unfamiliarity in them.

"You remembered who you are?" she asked.

"Yeah," Jin'an didn't evade the question. "The new king's only son, Ao Deng."

The only son of the new king of the Western Regions, which meant he would be the crown prince when he returned to the court. Such a prestigious status.

Li Shuang fell silent for a moment. "With such a status, why did no one from the Western Regions search for you when you went missing?"

"The former king was suspicious. My father didn't dare to mobilize troops to search for me. Moreover, the witch from the Five Spirits Sect acted in secrecy. The place where I was imprisoned was located on the border between Great Jin and the Western Regions. As you know, it's always tense there, making it difficult to investigate," Jin'an explained.