Chapter 33

In early April, the Southern Dynasty’s great army reached the borders of Yong Pass. The General of Chariots and Cavalry fought them for three consecutive days, resulting in countless casualties on both sides.

For reasons unknown, on the fourth day, the General of Chariots and Cavalry opened the gates himself, leading the remaining Yong Dynasty soldiers to surrender the border city.

From that moment on, the Yong Dynasty possessed no remaining generals capable of mounting a defense. Like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, the Southern Dynasty’s forces surged forward, capturing dozens of cities in their rapid advance toward Bianjing.

With no resources left to counterattack, the prefects of several cities, hoping to save their own lives, surrendered their official seals the moment the enemy appeared at their gates, offering little to no resistance.

This news was intercepted in transit and only reached the capital ten days later. By then, Qi Yu had already stationed his troops outside the city moat. As if deliberately tormenting the people trapped within, he harassed the city with sporadic attacks but made no move to launch a full-scale siege.

Emperor Minghui, in a fit of rage, demanded the General of Chariots and Cavalry be brought to justice. However, when the Imperial Guards arrived at the General’s estate, they found it completely deserted. Every servant and attendant had vanished into thin air, and Qin Susu was nowhere to be found. It was clear they had made preparations long ago.

"The rebel army has sent word, they want—" A city defense officer burst into the grand hall, trembling so violently he forgot to offer the customary salutations.

He looked up at the Emperor’s expression, not daring to leave his report unfinished. "The rebels demand that Your Majesty go personally to negotiate peace with them."

"They also said... they also said," he continued, looking as though he had lost his mind, clearly terrified, "the lead general says that Your Majesty should think carefully and bring something of value to the table before stepping outside the city gates."

"Preposterous!" The deathly silence of the hall was shattered by a chorus of indignant shouts.

The Emperor fell into deep thought, recalling the several civil officials he had previously sent out to negotiate, none of whom had ever returned.

The loyal ministers he could rely on were exhausted, and the Yong Dynasty’s fate truly seemed to have reached its end in his hands. Seeing that the Emperor did not oppose the peace talks, the ministers grew bolder, their discourse shifting from condemning the rebels to airing a litany of grievances.

"If only we had handed over the Princess a few days ago, perhaps none of this would have happened."

"Why is this General Qi of the Southern Dynasty so obsessed with the Princess?" a young official asked, clearly puzzled, suggesting that sacrificing one princess was not enough to quell a war.

Someone immediately retorted, "Princess Rongzhao is a beauty rarely seen in generations. Even heroes struggle to overcome the allure of a beautiful woman. What is so strange about that?"

Whispers and murmurs rippled through the hall, a dense, chaotic sound that frayed the nerves. Those who had been at court for a long time, familiar with the General of Chariots and Cavalry, began discussing his betrayal.

"Brother, have you heard? General Qin surrendered the city to avenge his sister!" An elderly man in a red, round-collared robe stroked his beard, revealing a secret unknown to the newer arrivals at court.

The crowd was stunned, immediately abandoning the topic of the Princess.

"Avenging the Empress? Hasn't the Empress been dead for many years?" The assembly grew noisy, seemingly desperate to assign blame to someone, anything to excuse their own inaction.

The old man shook his head enigmatically, sparking a flurry of wild speculation.

Emperor Minghui sat slumped on the dragon throne, his gaze wandering aimlessly. When it finally settled, he beckoned to a clever young eunuch, whispered a series of instructions in his ear, and ordered him to leave the palace.

"Take this news to Princess Rongzhao. If you cannot see the Princess, tell a man named Du Jin in her residence. Do not let anyone else know. Go."

The young eunuch slipped out through the rear of the hall while no one was watching. The Emperor then summoned the head of his secret guards and gave a listless command.

"Follow that eunuch. If he meets anyone else along the way, leave no survivors."

***

After returning from Heaven’s Pool, Pei Muci began taking his medicine, coughing up blood that was black and purple.

Again and again, his breath surged, and fresh droplets of red—like plum blossoms—bloomed across his snow-white robes. He wiped his lips with an indifferent air, the blackened blood seeping into the gaps between his fingers.

An Qi, standing by helplessly, called out to him, his voice filled with distress, "Young Master—"

Pei Muci elegantly removed his outer robe, ignoring him. "Prepare the bath."

His entire body felt sticky, as if coated in blood, and he could not let the little Princess see him in such a state.

Several buckets of hot water were left by the tub, the steam curling through the washroom. After the sound of splashing, ripples obscured his chest, shielding the intimate scene.

"You may leave," Pei Muci said, his eyelids drooping, signaling An Qi not to stand guard.

An Qi reached out to test the water temperature, only to be stopped by Pei Muci. "Bring a carafe of wine."

Pei Muci did not drink much, however. He slumped against the wall to rest, and as he began to regain a sliver of consciousness, he sensed a phantom presence beside him. His hair stood on end, and his voice dropped to a freezing chill.

"Who?"

"Who do you think?" Qingwu sat by the clothes rack next to the tub, a bowl of grapes in her lap, eating quietly.

Pei Muci opened his eyes, remembering something. "The Princess should eat fewer cold things."

The steam from the hot water added a hint of color to his pale complexion.

"You’ve started taking the medicine? How does it feel?" Qingwu patiently peeled a grape, placing the seeds in a plate beside her.

Pei Muci let out a stifled, weary breath. "Bitter," he replied simply.

Qingwu pinched a grape and held it to his lips. "This one is sweet."

She leaned over the edge of the tub, strands of her hair falling into the water, floating on the surface. She teased him, "What kind of man adds flower petals to his bath?"

The surface of the water was covered in a thick layer of rose petals, their rich fragrance masking the scent of blood. Pei Muci toyed with her hair using his fingertips, then suddenly pulled himself up, pressing his lips against hers.

It was a fleeting touch, filled with caution.

"What is it?" Qingwu popped the grape into her mouth, resting her chin on her hands as she leaned over the tub.

Pei Muci seemed lost in thought; in the depths of his eyes lay a layer of thin ice that would shatter at the slightest touch. His breathing was shallow, his eyelids lowered as if he were drifting off to sleep.

Qingwu cradled his face, wiping away the water droplets clinging to his skin. "Why are you always looking so pitiful?"

She hated that she was most vulnerable to his fragile appearance, as if he were something to be easily toyed with.

"Will the Princess ever leave me?" Pei Muci sat quietly in the water, gently playing with a lock of her hair, his thin lips pressed together.

"Leave you?" Qingwu frowned, touching the skin behind his ear. "Where are you planning to run off to now?"

She reclaimed her hair and wrung out the water. "If you run away again, I won’t go looking for you. The moment you step out of the Princess’s residence, I’ll find a few new, obedient young men. You might not know it, but there are plenty of people waiting to enter my household."

Pei Muci looked at her with a pitiful expression, closing his unfocused eyes. He remained rigid, his face devoid of emotion, making him appear even more cold and desolate.

"But then again," Qingwu noticed his strange behavior and decided to tease him, "a random one might not be as good as you, but if I find ten or eight, surely one will be more diligent—"

Pei Muci clamped a hand around the back of her neck, pulling her toward him and silencing her lips with his own.

Qingwu was enveloped in the overwhelming scent of wine, as if she, too, were intoxicated by the burning heat. She set aside all other concerns, dropping the grapes onto the small side table.

The kisses grew dense and urgent. Pei Muci shifted from sitting to kneeling, desperate to be closer, his long fingers loosening the ribbons of her dress. Qingwu held his head, her fingers sliding into his thick, black hair.

...

Qingwu swayed, unable to stand, and fell into the water with him. She spat out a flower petal she had accidentally swallowed, the bitter taste making her gag. The water, hotter than her body temperature, surged around her, causing her to shiver in alarm.

Pei Muci lay back in the water. Obscured by the intrusive petals, everything beneath the surface was a blur.

"Why use rose petals..." Qingwu’s mind began to drift. She summoned her strength to push him away, her voice firm as if she were facing death. "Why must you always start with me?"

She braced her hands on the edge of the tub, forcing herself to sit up.

...

Pei Muci listened to her protests, clearing a path through the dense forest of petals. With a slight movement, Qingwu fell back into his embrace.

"Ah!" Tears welled in her eyes, and she lost the strength to speak further.

As the storm began to break, Qingwu pressed her hands against his shoulders, interrupting him again, her words becoming incoherent.

"The petals... no, we can’t be together like this."

Pei Muci gripped her delicate wrists, pulling them around his neck. He floated in the water like a lily pad, leaving her no point of leverage.

***

"No, no." Qingwu felt the edges of the petals brushing against her; a weightless sensation that felt infinitely magnified at this moment. She raised her hands, her voice laced with sobs.

Pei Muci held her shoulder blades tightly, the sound of water splashing as he bit down on her cherry-like skin.

...

Pei Muci slowly loosened his grip, using other means to distract her. The currents in the water swept new petals into the vortex, rushing inward. The withered fragments soaked in the warm water, and amidst her soft cries, the unique fragrance of roses filled the air.

"Yuanxi, Yuanxi," she cried out.

Pei Muci, well-versed in her reactions, tormented her deliberately, determined to make her retract the words about finding ten or eight other young men.

The slightly salty water splashed against the rock-like hardness of his body, the waves churning. After the tremors subsided, Qingwu lay limp, her cheeks damp with a mixture of tears, sweat, and water.

Pei Muci pulled back slightly, and Qingwu felt as though she had fallen from the clouds, her throat instantly dry.

"So hot."

Dissatisfied with his retreat, she clung to his shoulders, gasping for air. The restlessness he had barely suppressed came roaring back. Pei Muci burned away his cold, aloof facade, hooking a hand under her knees and patting her back.

"Princess, get up."

The water temperature was lower than her body heat; it would be easy to catch a cold. Qingwu shifted from kneeling to squatting, but she slipped and fell back. The splash scattered the sticky remnants of their encounter.

Pei Muci let out a long, stifled groan, his long fingers gripping the edge of the tub, his gentle gaze now burning with madness. When he was caught off guard, Qingwu tried once more, and Pei Muci’s breathing stalled.

...

Qingwu’s eyes brimmed with tears, but the corners of her mouth curled into a triumphant smile. Pei Muci lifted her out of the water and sat her on the edge of the tub.

She was overcome with emotion, her anticipation mixed with nervousness.

"What are you doing?"

After the deluge, her voice sounded like a crushed sprout on the roadside, its stem snapped clean off.

"Isn’t the Princess hot?" Pei Muci saw through her little tricks and kissed her again. She felt as if she had been struck by a mute spell, her mouth hanging open, unable to move.

...

Qingwu sat on the narrow edge of the tub, one foot pressed against the rim, the other dangling over the water, forced to step on his shoulder for balance. She used all her remaining strength to steady herself, terrified of falling over.

Pei Muci stepped out of the tub and stood beside it. She tilted her jade-like neck, her nails digging into the wood of the tub, nearly embedding themselves in the grain.

The room was filled with the scent of roses, the steam carrying a strange aroma. She wept in fragmented gasps. Pei Muci suddenly pulled away, then returned again.

She was sent to the clouds and plummeted back down, over and over. In the end, Pei Muci simply placed her on a stool to change, retreating half a step to calm himself. He refused to give her what she wanted, and she looked haggard, her body feeling as if it had been dismantled.

Once Pei Muci had tidied up the aftermath, Qingwu changed the subject. "I need to stabilize the hearts of the people in the city center. I won't be at the residence much. You stay here and recover, don't go out."

Pei Muci changed the water in the tub and carried her over.

Qingwu pushed him away. "Don't wash anymore, let's sleep."

"Sleep?" Pei Muci used his palm to ripple the water, washing the fine sweat from her forehead.

"I'm tired, I feel awful." Qingwu lay on the edge of the tub, refusing to get close to him.

Pei Muci smiled gently, his palm pressing against her waist to massage her. The knotted tension melted away under his expert touch, and just as Qingwu realized what was happening, his fingers spread outward.

"What are you doing?!" she demanded.

He remained as aloof and noble as a refined gentleman, yet he was deeply skilled in these matters, applying all his expertise to Qingwu. He alternated between soft and firm, deliberately lingering where the petals were trapped.

Qingwu felt as if she were undergoing a torture, begging him to just finish it and get the petals out.

...

He brought up her attempt to trick him earlier, his cold eyes hiding a faint smile.

"Doesn't the Princess like to slide down?"

Qingwu had no intention of admitting it.

Pei Muci easily picked her up and pressed her against him, brushing her hair back. When he spoke, he looked as elegant and refined as jade.

"Come, move."

Qingwu felt as if she were pinned to the spot. Pei Muci’s black hair spilled over his shoulders, the ends trailing in the water. He smiled faintly.

"Then, Princess, hold steady."

***

Qingwu fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, her bones feeling as if they had been extracted, leaving her with no strength. Knowing he had gone too far, Pei Muci sat by the bed, coaxing her to sleep.

When the first light of dawn touched the window, he rose an hour before her to busy himself in the small kitchen, and then they ate breakfast together. Pei Muci saw her off and waited for her to finish her work and return.

"I have important matters later, no more," Qingwu said, downing a few mouthfuls of water upon entering the room, clearly preoccupied.

"Very well." Pei Muci glanced at the early sky and reluctantly agreed.

The next day, Qingwu endured her soreness and struggled to wake early, clenching her fist to strike the person lying next to her. But upon seeing his naturally noble, handsome face, her anger melted away.

Pei Muci seemed to sense something; his eyelashes fluttered, and his clear, handsome eyes opened, smiling with noble tenderness. "Is the Princess awake?"

Qingwu thought of that night on the boat and quickly closed her eyes again. She didn't dare to wake up.

Who knew that one nap would drag on until noon? It was only when Ningchun came to knock on the door with the items Qingwu had requested that they finally began to wash up, moving with agonizing slowness.

Qingwu spent a few days like this in the Qingsong Garden.

It wasn't until Pei Muci stopped taking his supplements and officially began the medicine to suppress the toxins that he spent his days in a daze, coughing up blood. Qingwu became increasingly busy, disappearing for entire days at a time.

This was the critical period of Qi Yu’s siege, and many matters required Pei Muci’s personal decision, yet he struggled to even maintain consciousness.

He didn't seem to care, resting on the lounge chair with a calm expression as he asked An Qi, "Any news from Yunting?"

Since that man had arrived at the Princess’s residence, he hadn't used him once. As he asked, his mind flashed to the night before, when he had carried the woman to the bed, wanting her once more, and heard the terror and sobbing in her voice when she begged him not to mess around.

She wouldn't be able to find a young man more diligent than him, would she?

***

As Pei Muci thought this, black blood began to spill from the corners of his smiling mouth.

He froze for two seconds, unable to react; the abnormality in his body was already glaringly obvious. It wasn't painful, really; the blood simply flowed out as if he were sweating.

"Young Master!" Seeing his master’s indifferent expression, An Qi was on the verge of tears, wishing he could bear the pain himself.

Pei Muci saw only blinding red before his eyes. His body had grown accustomed to the sensation of being torn apart, leaving him somewhat numb.

He turned his head and stared quietly at An Qi. For once, his face was expressionless, appearing exceptionally detached and elegant.

An Qi began, "Yunting says the Emperor sent someone to the Princess’s residence to deliver a message. The Princess wasn't there, so the little eunuch delivered the verbal decree to Du Jin."

Pei Muci began coughing up blood again. After a great struggle, he finally found the strength to speak. "What did it say?"

"The security around Du Jin is too tight; Yunting couldn't get in. If you want to know, we’ll have to send Xizhi and Xixing to find out."

After the strategist Gu arrived in Bianjing yesterday, he had sent word to the Young Master, allowing the two secret guards he had brought along, Xizhi and Xixing, to sneak into the Princess’s residence. However, out of caution for Hanyue and Qingwu’s skills, they had not dared to reveal themselves.

Pei Muci took a cool cloth from the table and wiped the blood stains from his skin with an expression of disgust. "Where is the Princess now?"

"The city is in chaos these past two days. The Princess is outside settling the refugees." An Qi’s voice was filled with resentment. In this state, the Princess had only visited once with that physician Du, and after Du said that the Young Master had to pull through on his own, the Princess hadn't come back even once.

"Hmm." Pei Muci acknowledged this, remembering that Qingwu seemed to have mentioned it last night.

So she had gone to settle the refugees? She should be back tonight, then.

"But if the Princess is secretly hoarding wealth, planning to escape with her valuables when the city falls, what should we do?"

Many noble families in the capital were beginning to sell their assets, doing everything they could to flee the city, terrified that the flames of war would claim their lives. An Qi was indignant, feeling that these royals were all the same.

"She won't." Pei Muci coughed up a large mouthful of blood, but his eyes curved at the corners, as if he were smiling. "She said she wouldn't leave me behind."

An Qi looked at his master with a strange, shocked expression. He felt it was absolutely necessary to write a letter to Strategist Gu, to let him know the Young Master's current situation and ask for advice on what to do during such a critical time.

Pei Muci suddenly frowned, coughing up another large mouthful of blood that soaked the thin blanket over his legs.

As if a great weight had been lifted from his heart, the tension he had been holding onto suddenly snapped, and he quickly lost consciousness.

An Qi called out to him twice, but received no reply. Gritting his teeth, he rummaged through a cabinet and pulled out a plain black cloak, draping it over his master.

The servants of the Princess’s residence were all gathered around Qingwu’s courtyard, while the outsiders had already packed their belongings and fled. For a time, no one noticed the activity in Qingsong Garden.

An Qi only had time to pack a small bag before carrying his master and preparing to leave. Pei Muci was completely unconscious, his entire weight hanging on An Qi, his arms dangling limply like a puppet—a rare moment of obedience.

An Qi braced himself, focusing on the faint glimmer of victory ahead, holding onto a single breath to carry out his task. So many people had spent so many years laying the groundwork; the moment for that person to lose everything was right before them. He hoped that after Pei Muci had burned out his heart’s blood, he would have the chance to see it with his own eyes.

"Young Master, the situation is dire, so I must beg your forgiveness for acting on my own." An Qi looked back toward the Princess’s residence and shook his head inexplicably. "If you wake up and find me guilty, I will accept whatever punishment you deem fit."

At the very least, he believed the decision he had made was for Pei Muci’s own good.

After leaving the Princess’s residence, An Qi carried Pei Muci on his back, heading toward the Red Jade Pavilion. The scene before him was far more chaotic than he had imagined. The Southern Dynasty’s army had marched thousands of miles north and still maintained high morale, while the people of the Yong Dynasty were in a state of panic, fleeing in total disorder.

He heard from passing citizens that only the Princess was currently maintaining order in the city, worrying about their food and shelter.

Meanwhile, the ministers at court quarreled incessantly in front of the grand hall. Their content was mostly directed at the Princess for interfering in state affairs as a woman, arguing it was contrary to propriety. Another faction argued that since the Princess was working alongside the people, she was the only one providing any sense of stability.

The current national power was insufficient to support the evacuation of civilians before the war. Rather than leaving everyone trapped in the capital in a state of terror, it was better to have a member of the royal family out there to comfort them, preventing rumors from inciting riots at the gates of various estates.

The residence of Princess Rongzhao, whether in terms of financial resources or manpower, was the most suitable candidate.

An Qi listened to these rumors along the way. At first, he scoffed at them, but as he went on, his mood grew heavier, and he frequently looked back to see if Pei Muci had awakened.

After half an hour, he finally arrived in front of the Red Jade Pavilion. Xu Ying had already arranged a carriage and a team of guards to escort them back to the main camp. The city towers of the capital gradually disappeared from view.

An Qi did not feel relief for having escaped the capital. He looked at Pei Muci, who had still not woken up, and the panic in his heart grew, as if he had left something vital in the hands of others.

***

Qingwu had just finished a round of work and retreated to a canopy set up in the back to rest. Outside the city, a steady stream of refugees continued to pour in.

Ningchun approached with a panicked expression and whispered a few words in her ear.

"How is that possible?" Qingwu raised her eyebrows, disbelieving. "Haven't they been stationed outside the city moat for days? Why would they suddenly attack?"

The situation was sudden. Ningchun had no time to explain, bundling her into the carriage and instructing Uncle Cheng to hurry toward the Princess’s residence.

Du Jin had been watching from the front gate for a long time before he saw the familiar carriage come into view. He quickly stepped forward to meet them.

With so many people around, they showed no signs of abnormality, keeping their composure as they headed toward the Green Bamboo Garden. Du Jin lowered the crossbar of the window and locked the inner door.

Her belongings had been packed early on, and two wet nurses were counting the daily necessities. It was as if they had known this would happen all along, preparing everything while Qingwu was away, waiting only for her return.

"What is going on?" Qingwu asked Du Jin once the nurses had left.

"His Majesty sent a message via a young eunuch, saying the Princess must leave the city today." Du Jin summoned Hanyue and Yunting. Everyone the Princess was close to was present, as if confirming her earlier statement that they would leave together.

Qingwu had returned to the residence in such a hurry she hadn't even had a drop of water. She looked at the teacup on the round table; Du Jin poured a cup and handed it to her.

She drained it in one gulp.

"Just us? What about Pei Muci?"

Ningchun was organizing the items the nurses had selected. Seeing that there was no immediate rush, Qingwu sat at the table and asked Du Jin to explain the details.

"I have arranged everything. As soon as the Princess leaves the city, you will see everyone you wish to see." Du Jin refilled the cup and pushed it toward her.

A few days ago, he had heard news regarding Pei Muci’s true identity, but he was afraid that if Qingwu heard it, the emotional shock would affect her health, so he had kept it to himself.

It wasn't that he didn't know An Qi had taken Pei Muci and left the residence, but at such a critical moment, there was no time to go searching for people. In any case, with Pei Muci’s background, he was clearly not a simple person; it was better for him to be far away from the Princess.

"Lingyu, are you hiding something from me?" Qingwu picked up the cup, the water rippling in circles.

Du Jin’s expression was open and honest, his gaze following the ripples without revealing a hint of deception. "How would I dare hide anything from the Princess."

"Father said he would come out of the palace in two days. Let’s wait one more day." Qingwu had been working hard for the refugees these past few days. The streets were in chaos, and everyone said the Yong Dynasty’s time was up; the day of the city’s fall was right before them.

She had told Emperor Minghui that day that she would wait for him to leave together.

If the Emperor didn't take the lead in moving the capital, what was the point of her running away alone? Besides, with the reputation of a fallen dynasty’s princess hanging over her head, she wouldn't have a good life ahead.

"His Majesty wants the Princess to go first." Du Jin was decisive, his tone uncharacteristically firm, telling her clearly that there was no room for negotiation.

Qingwu sipped her tea, not arguing with him, but calculating silently in her mind.

"Princess! Princess, this is terrible!" A servant burst through the door, crawling on his knees before her, his mask skewed on his face.

He was a young attendant Qingwu had placed in the palace, used for delivering messages at critical times. Having heard the Emperor’s decree and that he had sent someone to the Princess’s residence, he was afraid the messenger would only report good news and hide the bad, so he had rushed to tell Qingwu the truth.

Unfortunately, the Princess’s residence was also in chaos, and he had wasted time finding his way to the Green Bamboo Garden. At this hour, the Emperor should be in the palace, changing his robes and preparing to ascend the city gates.

"What is going on?" Qingwu helped him up and told him to speak.

Hanyue prepared to pour tea for the man, but was stopped by a look from Du Jin. She stood back with Yunting.

The young attendant slumped on the floor and told Qingwu the news. "To protect the people in the city, His Majesty has agreed to the Southern Dynasty’s conditions."