Chapter 34

A sense of foreboding rose in Qingwu’s heart. "What are their conditions?"

"The Southern Dynasty demands that the Emperor of the Yong Dynasty personally issue a letter of surrender, open the city gates, and slit his own throat to surrender the city. In return, they promise not to harm the commoners, not to execute the ministers, and to grant a path to survival for the ordinary soldiers who fought in the war."

Qingwu was stunned.

The commoners in the city, unaware of the hidden circumstances, would only blame the Emperor for poor governance and for subjecting them to the hardships of war. How was this any different from humiliating her father in public?

Qingwu turned to leave, but Du Jin grabbed her sleeve.

She used her inner energy to break free, but Du Jin, unable to hold her back, quickly positioned himself between the two doors and locked them from the other side, blocking her path. "The Emperor is almost at the city walls by now. What use is it for the Princess to go?"

"He is my father." Qingwu, careful not to harm Du Jin, held back her strength, her fingertips turning deathly pale from the backlash of her own energy.

"If the Princess does not leave now, she is merely wasting the chance for escape that the Emperor has fought to secure for her." After receiving the secret message, Du Jin had begun gathering trusted people from the estate, striving to reach the outskirts of the city as quickly as possible.

Qingwu shook her head. "When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. You and I both understand this truth."

"The Princess can escape. The Emperor has been preparing for this for some time. Do you have the heart to let the hopes and efforts of so many come to nothing?" Du Jin urged her, an uncharacteristic impatience creeping into his tone.

"But you want me to live out my life in hiding after I leave? To linger on under the rule of usurpers? Ling Yu, you know that the one thing I have always loathed is a life without freedom."

Her throat felt dry after speaking. Du Jin handed her some water, and she drank it without a second thought.

Both were lost in their own thoughts; Qingwu hoped to sway him with memories of the past, while Du Jin was single-mindedly focused on getting her out. However, they knew each other too well to believe they could change the other’s mind.

In the end, Du Jin was the first to yield. "If the Princess has made up her mind, so be it."

A flicker of joy crossed Qingwu’s face. Without a word to anyone, she set down her teacup and walked toward the door.

"You do not need to follow me." Qingwu saw Du Jin stand up as if to accompany her, and she quickly stopped him. She did not want to implicate the others in the estate, nor did she want to hear Du Jin’s nagging.

"I will see the Princess off." Du Jin’s expression was calm, though a hint of reluctance and other complex emotions could be seen.

Thinking of their friendship of over ten years, Qingwu felt a deep sense of sentimentality and allowed it.

She had just crossed the threshold when cold sweat suddenly broke out over her body, and she heard Ningchun’s startled cry.

"Princess!"

Her legs immediately went weak. After a dizzying spin, she collapsed to the ground, falling securely into Du Jin’s arms, and lost consciousness.

"You poisoned the Princess!" The moment Hanyue spoke, she held her sword hilt to Du Jin’s neck.

Du Jin, appearing not to notice, stood up while holding the unconscious woman, facing Hanyue’s blade. "Or would you prefer I send the Princess to her death?"

He looked composed, showing no sign of guilt. He gently laid Qingwu on a couch and beckoned the maids to come closer. Ningchun and Hanyue no longer obeyed his every word as they once had, and the two sides stood in a standoff in the inner chamber, neither willing to be the first to break the silence.

It was not until Zhixue, who had been missing, appeared at Du Jin’s side wearing the new palace attire prepared for the Princess a few days prior, that the others suddenly realized the physician had made arrangements long ago. They then crowded around, chattering in confusion.

"If they discover the Princess is missing when the Emperor ascends the city walls, they will surely send people to find her," Du Jin said, not concealing anything since he was facing Qingwu’s most trusted confidantes. "There are six of us here in total. We will split into three groups to buy the Princess some time."

The others had nothing more to say. After exchanging looks, they waited in silent agreement for Du Jin to elaborate.

"Zhixue, who best mimics the Princess, will take Yunting and Hanyue and leave the city acting as the Princess. I will take Nanny Zhao through the secret passage in the Green Bamboo Garden, leaving behind items the Princess frequently uses to confuse those pursuing us—it would be best to make everyone left in the estate believe the Princess escaped through that passage. Finally, Ningchun and Uncle Cheng will take the Princess and leave through the secret passage in the garden."

*Thump!* A sound like a heavy object hitting the ground echoed.

Du Jin pressed his index finger to his lips, signaling for silence. Hanyue silently gripped the hilt of her blade and walked toward the door, shielding the others behind her.

"Hanyue, it is me," a man’s voice rasped, muffled and unclear.

Hanyue threw open the door. Upon seeing the man, she introduced him to Du Jin: "This is Huo Xun, the leader of the Emperor’s secret guards."

The man went straight to the point: "The Emperor knew this matter was highly confidential and that Physician Du had few people at his disposal, so he sent me to assist you."

Du Jin pondered for a moment, weighing the reliability of his words, and decided he could be trusted. "Ningchun and Uncle Cheng do not know martial arts, and I fear what might happen if they encounter trouble. You should accompany them and provide protection."

The other two routes were fine; the only concern was an accident involving Qingwu.

"The secret passage in the garden has many forks; be very careful not to take the wrong turn. There will be a carriage waiting at the exit; just board it directly." Du Jin took out a map used when the passage was built and handed it to Ningchun.

Unexpectedly, Ningchun hesitated for a moment before returning the map.

"How about I switch places with Physician Du?" She looked around and made her decision, saying to the group: "You all go outside to prepare. I need to speak with Physician Du alone."

The Princess always valued Ningchun most, so the others did not think twice and stood sullenly in the courtyard. Dark, heavy clouds hung lower and lower, and one could almost smell the gunpowder lingering in the air.

"Why do you say that, Miss?" Du Jin felt his arrangements were sound, with even the smallest details taken into account.

"Physician Du, you should accompany the Princess on the final route. The Princess’s illness requires your constant care." Ningchun knew clearly that of the three groups, only the one accompanying the Princess had any chance of survival; the others were merely bait to buy time. But without the physician’s skills, the Princess would be tormented by illness for the rest of her life, and she did not wish to see that end.

Du Jin was silent. It was not that he hadn't considered this, but Qingwu had said she wanted the people around her to escape together. Ningchun was her closest friend, and he had intended to help her escape as well.

"Also," Ningchun lowered her voice, fearing those outside might hear, "the Princess usually travels in Uncle Cheng’s carriage. If we switch to Yunting, someone observant might notice. Let Uncle Cheng go with Zhixue and the others."

"But that makes their group too large; their objective would be too obvious," Du Jin argued.

Ningchun gave him a meaningful look. "Let Yunting go with you to protect the Princess; Hanyue will be grateful to you, and she will listen to whatever you order."

"And what about you? Too many people know about the secret passage in the bedroom; it may no longer be safe." Du Jin had always thought Ningchun was efficient, but after their brief interaction, he was surprised by her keen insight.

"That is why no more people need to go. Nanny Zhao and I will do our best to buy you time. If we are captured, you need not worry about us," Ningchun said, her face devoid of fear. She and Nanny Zhao had followed the Princess out of the palace; they would never betray her.

Du Jin had nothing more to say. He called the others in and announced the final decision.

"Physician Du can treat her, Yunting can serve her, and there is a secret guard from the palace—this is the best outcome," the group said, seemingly indifferent to their own fates, still worried only about the Princess. "The Emperor gave the Princess the chest left behind by the Grand Princess. Physician Du, please take it with you."

Huo Xun and Yunting went to fetch the chest, while Ningchun used bindings to secure Qingwu to Du Jin’s back. Her hands hung limply, and Zhixue stepped forward to pull the hood over her head. They looked at each other, seeing the profound weight in each other’s eyes.

"Take care. If there is a chance in the future, we shall meet again."

—

After An Qi returned to the main camp with Pei Muci, Gu Hanjiang arranged for a military physician to perform acupuncture.

After Pei Muci woke, he summoned Xi Zhi and Xi Xing. An Qi knelt outside the tent for two hours, but Pei Muci never gave word on whether to see him or not.

It wasn't until the sound of the Qi Yu army’s drums echoed from the front line that Pei Muci calmly ordered the camp to be struck and to advance. Gu Hanjiang helped An Qi up, telling him to be at ease: "I have already arranged for men to block the city gates; we will bring back the person Yuan Xi wants."

He had only heard from Xu Ying in a letter that Yuan Xi had personally designed a hairpin-dagger and commissioned the Scarlet Jade Pavilion to make it, seemingly having taken an interest in that Princess of the Yong Dynasty.

This was a good thing.

He had always worried that once his great revenge was satisfied, Yuan Xi would lose the drive to keep living and might not hold on. He hadn't expected the boy to be captivated by a girl one day; it actually saved him a lot of trouble.

"No," An Qi said, gripping his forearm tightly as he stood up, trying to dispel his thoughts. "The Yong Princess is not as simple as rumors suggest. The Master being influenced by her affairs—I do not know if it is a benefit or a harm."

Perhaps because he had been kneeling for so long, his voice wavered. "If Military Advisor Gu finds information regarding the Princess, it would be better to keep it hidden and not tell the Master."

"Although the Qi Yu army is not strong, conquering the Yong Dynasty will be effortless. Once the Emperor surrenders the city, that woman will be a remnant of the former dynasty. After Yuan Xi settles the Qi Yu leaders, it will be simple enough to take a woman of such status, would it not?" Gu Hanjiang said dismissively.

In the end, she was just a young woman; if they captured her and locked her away, what trouble could she possibly cause?

An Qi found it difficult to express the restless panic in his heart. Remembering that Pei Muci was not well enough to endure the hardship of riding, he stood up to prepare the lead carriage.

Gu Hanjiang sat in the carriage with Pei Muci, looking him over, but saw nothing unusual.

"Qi Yu is in the light while we are in the dark. I can send people to search, but we cannot be too conspicuous. If there is news, I will keep her in the rear for now; is that acceptable?"

Pei Muci gave him a faint, sidelong glance before retracting his gaze. Seeing him like this, Gu Hanjiang didn't take An Qi’s words to heart. Between years of deep hatred and a woman who could be easily obtained, he assumed Yuan Xi knew the weight of each.

Considering Pei Muci had just taken warm medicine, he didn't say more and stepped out of the carriage to check the battle readiness of the units.

Once Qi Yu conquered the imperial city, they would be at their most relaxed; that would be the best moment to launch a counterattack, and it would be the first major battle they would face.

Pei Muci was left alone in the carriage. No one came to disturb him. In the quiet atmosphere, one could see the dust motes floating in the air.

He sat elegantly against the side of the soft couch, his clothes unstained, eyes closed as he rested.

Since waking, he had not mentioned the Princess's name, nor had he specifically rebuked An Qi. He was simply wondering: did An Qi take him away from the Princess’s estate first, or did she flee with Du Jin, leaving him behind?

If the former, would the little Highness send people to find him once she realized he was gone?

If the latter, in such chaotic times, with Du Jin unarmed, where could she possibly flee?

Once he finished dealing with the matters at hand, it would not be too late to seek her out.

An Qi rode his horse, following silently behind the carriage. At first, he thought the Master would move heaven and earth to send troops to find the Princess, or punish him by forbidding him from participating in this operation. He hadn't expected Pei Muci to simply have Xi Zhi and Xi Xing take his place upon waking, and then begin issuing orders in an orderly fashion.

He was as calm as a lake, making it impossible to fathom the violent waves beneath the surface. This made An Qi feel even more uneasy.

"Master!" A soldier from the rear supply unit, clearly in a hurry, shouted directly into the carriage, unable to wait for the standard reporting process.

An Qi’s left eyelid twitched violently, and he instinctively intercepted the man. "What is it?"

The soldiers in the camp mostly knew An Qi and that he was Pei Muci’s man, so without a second thought, he relayed the news from the rear.

An Qi lowered his gaze, his peripheral vision monitoring the carriage, and leaned in to whisper into the soldier’s ear: "After you capture her, do not use force. Find a clean room and lock her up. Give her whatever she needs; do not mistreat her."

The soldier looked up, confused, not quite understanding. Since when did the prisoners they captured receive such treatment? Was that woman not the one Military Advisor Gu said needed to be strictly guarded?

Fearing the soldier might be unreliable, An Qi urged him repeatedly: "Do not send any more news regarding her for the next few days. Just ensure she is well-cared for, and I will send you further instructions later."

The soldier received the order and was about to take his leave when a cold, bone-chilling voice came from behind him.

"What is it?"

An Qi stepped forward. "Some irrelevant prisoners were captured in the rear, and they asked how to dispose of them. I saw the Master was resting and did not want to disturb him with such trivial matters."

Pei Muci’s eyes curved with an unusual arc, and he said blandly, "Kill them."

An Qi shivered all over, feeling as though he had been seen through. However, he dared not reveal the truth and pretended to be calm. "That is exactly what I said, Master."

"People who ran out of the city?" Pei Muci asked.

"It should be the unit Qi Yu sent to support the capital. They were wiped out after encountering Military Advisor Gu’s elite team; I didn't expect a few stragglers to escape." This was something Gu Hanjiang had mentioned in passing earlier; he didn't know if the Master had heard.

Pei Muci interrupted him, "I asked you if anyone escaped from the capital city."

"Our men have infiltrated the city; not even a sparrow can fly out," An Qi said, cupping his hands. "Once your revenge is fulfilled, the Princess will surely be waiting for you at the estate."

They had designed the capital to be a prison. Once Qi Yu led his army inside, they would be able to capture everyone in one fell swoop. Gu Hanjiang had long ago ordered men to guard every key pass; he did not know how the Princess could have escaped.

Fortunately, the rear had captured her. With her in their hands, An Qi felt more stable. He only thought of waiting until things settled down here to secretly return the Princess to the city, and everything would be resolved.

"Master, I..."

An Qi could not guess what Pei Muci was thinking and only wanted to offer a few words of explanation, but someone arrived to serve a meal, so he could not speak further and silently retreated to the main army to inspect the equipment.

The vanguard scout team did not send back news, so the main force kept their pace slow, spending the better part of the day on the road.

After the soldiers delivered dinner into the carriage, they brought out the lunch, which had remained untouched. There were no delicacies on the road, but Pei Muci was not a man driven by appetite; usually, even the hardest meals to swallow, he would eat a little of without a change in expression.

The trusted aides surrounding the carriage all realized something was wrong. Gu Hanjiang looked at An Qi, but An Qi only shook his head with a gloomy face. No one dared to go up and disturb him now, and even when passing the carriage, they dared not make a sound.

Pei Muci seemed to have shut himself in a tiny space. Except for when Gu Hanjiang took the opportunity to send up medicine while discussing military strategy, everyone else felt the dark clouds gathering overhead, signaling an impending storm.

The vanguard scouts returned unscathed, and the main camp was re-established, stopping at a position where the city walls could be seen in the distance.