Chapter 7: Who is he?

The stable was very high, and Ye Tianhui fell to the grass.

She reflected on the eyes she had just seen, those eyes that were so familiar she couldn’t forget them.

At that moment, the changes of dynasties, the shifts of time and space, all disappeared.

In her mind, there was only one thought: The Sage is here, and he has seen her.

This made her instantly return to that moment in time, when she was trapped in Minzhou, struggling for months. On Fenghuang Mountain, she jumped, intending to leave behind a clean reputation even if it meant shattering her body.

At that time, what was the emperor far away in Yanjing doing?

History books are nothing but women who can be dressed up as one pleases. Before her death, as far as the eye could see, was only Di Rong^[1]Part of the four barbarian tribes I think. The ones in the west were called [Rong] and the ones in the north were called [Di]. There was also a pre-Qin tribe that was part of Beidi which is one of … Continue reading, and though she swore not to surrender, who knew of it?

At that moment, she even thought about those who had followed her for many years, the brave generals who had served the Ye family for generations and stood firm for centuries. Had they all turned to ash under the towering imperial power?

Just then, footsteps were heard.

The sound of feet stepping on the stone slabs was clear, steady, and calm, like the cycle of day and night—awake and rhythmic.

This made Ye Tianhui feel suffocated, as if she were about to be exposed to the scorching sun.

The footsteps stopped, and everything around became unusually quiet.

Ye Tianhui’s consciousness slowly returned, and she looked ahead.

By the wooden horse stable, amid the desolate swaying of brick-red cat-tail grass, she saw a pair of sneakers. Looking up, she saw long, slender legs wrapped in denim jeans.

Her gaze moved upward, trying to see the person’s face.

But it was unclear.

In the backlight, the figure was surrounded by a halo, and she squinted, but could not see his features.

She opened her lips, wanting to speak, wanting to question him, but at that moment, she couldn’t make any sound.

Just then, the man took a step forward, walking toward her.

She saw those long legs, wrapped in denim, step by step coming toward her.

He walked slowly, his sneakers crunching on the grass and fallen leaves, making a faint rustling sound.

She thought, it must be him.

No one else in this world could give her such a shock; only that person could. He was the supreme authority she had been taught to respect since childhood.

At this moment, she heard a voice from above: “Did you come to deliver the grass?”

Ye Tianhui’s brain froze for a moment.

His voice was unmistakably the voice of the Sage, but what was he saying?

Then she heard a laugh, clear and cheerful, tinged with a bit of teasing and sarcasm.

He laughed and said, “What happened to you? The grass over there is soft, did you step on it?”

Saying this, he reached out his hand to her: “Come over here.”

Ye Tianhui looked at the hand in front of her, staring at it for a long time, then looked back at the man.

He had approached her, and it was as if the magic had vanished; the halo around him disappeared.

In the lush autumn, she clearly saw his appearance.

His brow bones were high, his facial features noble and handsome. He looked so much like the Sage, from the depth of his eyes to the steepness of his nose. Of course, it also included the smile on his lips at that moment—elegant and peerless, as though it could make everything in the world dim.

But there seemed to be a slight difference.

His dark, thick short hair was styled in a modern way, removing the godly aura of an ancient emperor crowned with twelve imperial ornaments, leaving him with a more relaxed, comfortable air. Moreover, the shirt and jeans made him appear more approachable.

A gust of autumn wind rose, and the branches and leaves were blown into each other, making a rustling sound. Sparse patches of light filtered through the branches and the cracks in the horse stable, casting on his face, making his eyes look sincere and kind, with fragments of light reflecting in them.

He was still smiling, smiling at her.

Ye Tianhui pursed her lips, composed herself, and tentatively extended her hand.

When the man’s hands clasped hers, she felt warmth and strength, accompanied by a faint dryness and the robust scent of hay.

The man’s light gray shirt sleeves were half rolled up, revealing wheat-colored, solid-looking arms.

With a gentle tug, she was pulled to her feet.

Once standing, Ye Tianhui realized just how tall the man was.

Back on the mainland, she was considered tall and slender. Even after arriving in Hong Kong, she still felt she had a height advantage. But standing in front of this man, her gaze could only reach his lips.

She pressed her slightly dry lips together again and tentatively asked, “You are?”

The man’s lips still carried a friendly smile. He looked at her with a warm gaze and said, “It seems I mistook you. Just now, the supply office at the stables called me, saying they’d send over some fresh hay. When I heard the noise, I came out, thinking you were here to deliver the hay.”

Ye Tianhui: “Oh…”

She glanced at the stables and then at the man in front of her. His attire was casual—a gray shirt with little attention to detail and faded jeans bearing noticeable wear marks.

She thought, this couldn’t possibly be him. After all, he was such a dignified and meticulous person.

Of course, the more critical point was that if it were him, upon seeing her, he would undoubtedly smile. But that smile would carry an unreadable meaning, followed by a detached greeting like, “General Ye, how have you been?”

How could he pretend not to know her? After all, he should understand very well that even with changing eras and a dynasty long turned to dust, as long as it was him, as long as he revealed her identity, he could easily leverage her to his advantage, making her serve him wholeheartedly once again.

This was the imprint of her family, instilled in her since childhood by her elders, and a mission she could never betray.

She exhaled softly in her heart.

Good, this is good.

Whether or not this person was his reincarnation, as long as he didn’t remember, it was excellent. She could finally shed her former shackles.

So she relaxed herself, speaking in an unpretentious tone, “I am indeed a staff member here, but I just started two days ago and am still getting familiar with the work.”

Then, she feigned confusion, glancing at the stables, “May I ask who you are? Are you in charge of the horses here?”

The man’s ink-black eyes carried a gentle smile. Observing her innocent and confused expression, he smiled and said, “You don’t know me?”

Ye Tianhui remained calm, “Oh? Are you famous?”

The man chuckled, “My surname is Gu, first name Shizhang.”

Gu?

The Sage naturally did not bear the surname Gu. The Sage’s surname was that of the heavenly family.

Ye Tianhui: “And then? What do you do?”

The man raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly, “Shouldn’t you tell me your name first? Otherwise, that would be quite unfair.”

His gaze swept over Ye Tianhui’s attire before saying, “Otherwise, I might mistake you for a sneaky trespasser climbing walls.”

Ye Tianhui’s heart skipped a beat.

Beneath this seemingly gentle smile, the man concealed a sharp edge that should not be underestimated.

So she forced a smile, “Mr. Gu, hello. I just arrived two days ago and am indeed still getting familiar with things. There’s much I don’t understand. Please bear with me.”

Then, meeting his ink-black eyes, she smiled and said, “My surname is Ye.”

She noticed that when she mentioned her surname, the man showed no unusual reaction.

She continued, “My name is Ye Tianhui.”

Her speech was deliberately slow because she wanted to clearly capture the man’s reaction to hearing her name. Yet, there was nothing. His eyes remained calm, filled with a gentle smile.

Beside her, Gu Shizhang still carried a smile and spoke in a warm tone, “So it’s Miss Ye. Pleased to meet you.”

Ye Tianhui raised her eyes, smiling, “Actually, Mr. Gu, the reason I reacted strongly when I saw you earlier is that you looked very familiar, like a friend of mine.”

Gu Shizhang raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, “Really? What friend? Someone who looks like me? Do I have the honor of knowing him?”

Ye Tianhui fixed her gaze on his eyes, “He’s no longer alive.”

Gu Shizhang regretfully shrugged, “That’s unfortunate. He must have been a dear friend of yours.”

Watching his reaction, Ye Tianhui grew more certain. It really wasn’t him.

She felt a tinge of disappointment, some relief, but mostly a sense of ease.

Gu Shizhang, however, smiled at this moment and said, “Were you just trying to see Long Guang?”

Ye Tianhui: “Long Guang?”

Gu Shizhang nodded, “I thought you saw it earlier. The horse I was feeding just now. Its name is Long Guang. It’s an excellent horse.”

Ye Tianhui showed interest, “Can I take a look?”

Gu Shizhang’s lips curved into a charming smile. He glanced around, then lowered his voice slightly, speaking with a touch of mystery, “Normally, it’s not allowed. But since no one is around now, you can sneak a peek. Shall I take you inside?”

Ye Tianhui: “Alright.”