Just a few days ago, the two of them quietly went to the Ministry of Personnel to complete the relevant reporting procedures.

However, since then, they have disappeared from people's sight as if they had evaporated from the face of the earth, and have never appeared in public again.

The documents in the Ministry of Personnel could be described as piled up like a mountain, and there were countless matters that needed to be processed and approved every day.

Therefore, this seemingly ordinary report did not attract much attention among the many complicated affairs and was soon drowned out.

The corridors in the palace are long and quiet. The sunlight shines through the intricately carved window frames and casts patches of mottled light and shadows on the ground.

The breeze blew gently, blowing the palace lanterns hanging under the eaves, making slight tinkling sounds.

When the emperor accidentally learned the news, an uncontrollable fire of anger suddenly ignited in his heart.

His originally dignified face suddenly became extremely gloomy, and his eyes were as sharp as lightning, as if he wanted to pierce through the heavy fog in front of him and see the truth hidden behind it.

"I have been kept in the dark this whole time!"

With an angry roar, the emperor slammed the armrest of the dragon throne beneath him. The huge noise echoed in the empty palace for a long time.

Seeing this, the eunuchs and palace maids who were serving nearby turned pale with fear, trembled all over, and fell to their knees on the ground, not daring to even breathe.

At this moment, the emperor's mind was in a mess, with all kinds of speculations and doubts coming one after another.

Finally, thinking that Ye Zifen has always been the kind of person who would not easily listen to other people's opinions, let alone do things according to his wishes, he couldn't help but frowned tightly.

Memories of the past flooded into my mind like a tide, and those little moments I had spent with her began to flash through my mind.

I remember that every time he enthusiastically gave Ye Zifen suggestions that he thought were very reasonable and feasible, Ye Zifen would always look thoughtful, but then shake her head firmly, indicating that she had her own unique insights, and turn around without hesitation to embark on the path that only she recognized.

However, at this moment, when he once again witnessed Ye Zifen's continued behavior, he suddenly felt an unprecedented feeling deep in his heart.

He was surprised to find that he was no longer as angry or anxious as he used to be.

On the contrary, an inexplicable sense of relief quietly crept into my heart, as if the huge rock that had been weighing heavily on my heart for a long time had finally been removed.

He slowly exhaled a long breath, and that breath seemed to dissipate into the air with all the long-accumulated annoyance and pressure.

More than a month has passed since Ye Zifen and Zhang Gaoyi embarked on this long journey.

It’s not that they were unwilling to speed up their pace, but the frequent rainfall caused the temperature to drop sharply, and the roads were blocked by thick snow, making it difficult to move forward.

Initially, the two were looking forward to reaching their destination on time as planned and arriving before the Chinese New Year.

However, things went against their wishes. The sudden bad weather ruthlessly shattered their good wishes and forced them to welcome the New Year on their journey.

The biting cold wind blew across the earth, making sharp whistling sounds.

The cold wind blew across my cheeks like a sharp blade, bringing a burning sensation.

The snow under my feet was bottomless, like an endless white ocean. Every small step required a huge effort. My heavy feet were stuck in it, as if being dragged by an invisible force and unable to extricate themselves.

Along the way, food also became a big problem.

Apart from the cold, hard dry food they carried with them, there was nothing else to fill their stomachs.

After long-term storage and exposure to low temperatures, these dry foods have long lost their original texture and flavor. Chewing them feels like gnawing on a piece of tasteless wood, making them difficult to swallow.

Night falls quietly and darkness covers the whole world.

In this vast sea of ​​snow, finding a corner to avoid the raging wind becomes a top priority.

Finally, they found a narrow space that could barely shelter them from the wind and snow.

Everyone huddled together, snuggling up to each other, using the faint heat emitted from each other's bodies to resist the invasion of the severe cold.

Ye Zifen raised her head and stared at the inky black night sky above her head, her heart filled with endless helplessness and melancholy.

Zhang Gaoyi, who was standing by, kept rubbing his hands, which had long been frozen stiff and numb, trying to generate some warmth through friction.

Despite being in such a difficult environment, fortunately, no one in the team had any complaints or grumbles.

Everyone endured all the hardships silently, and supported each other to move forward with their unyielding will and indomitable spirit.

From their unwavering eyes, we can see that the light of hope for the future has never been extinguished.

Ye Zifen smiled bitterly and said slowly, "At this moment, I feel mixed emotions. I feel extremely hard, but also somewhat relieved."

His originally handsome face was now covered with traces of fatigue, as if he had been through many vicissitudes of life.

The strands of hair became messy under the fierce cold wind, as if they had lost their former softness and luster.

And in his deep eyes, there was a complex emotion that was difficult to describe.

The hardship contained therein undoubtedly comes from the numerous difficulties and obstacles encountered along the way; however, it is somewhat comforting that despite being in such a difficult situation, there is still a glimmer of hope deep in his heart.

At the same time, Zhang Gaoyi cast his gaze toward the end of the distant sky, and muttered to himself thoughtfully: "This sudden heavy snow, although it has added a lot of trouble to our journey, is at least a good thing. At least we can foresee that by the beginning of next spring, we should not suffer from drought again."

As soon as he finished speaking, his voice was immediately swallowed up by the whistling wind around him, and he sounded so weak and powerless.

However, even so, one can still clearly feel from his words that an unshakable belief is surging out.

As the two were talking, snowflakes as big as goose feathers were falling from the sky like dancing white butterflies.