Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 132

Chapter 132

"Chang'an is still debating the matter of officials avoiding their home provinces. It’s not just Tongzhou; there is talk that this should also apply to the county level. In other words, officials cannot serve in their places of birth."

Sitting under a pagoda tree in the back courtyard of the post house, Fang Tong was relaying the latest news from Chang'an to the Princess. Mu Wanyao flipped through the various letters, and upon hearing Fang Tong’s explanation, she nodded. "Hmm, the avoidance policy. If Chang'an can truly reach a consensus, it will be to the benefit of the scholarly commoners. We must strive to make this happen."

She paused, her tone suddenly changing, her gaze drifting past the pagoda tree above as if deep in thought.

She had the lingering feeling that the rise of the scholarly commoners was something an entire era—every single person—was unknowingly pushing forward. This policy of official avoidance, which restricted the great noble families, had started because of the assassination attempt on her in Nanyang. Yet, when Mu Wanyao herself had planned the entire affair, her ultimate goal had merely been to gain control of the Ministry of Personnel.

She hadn't considered the avoidance policy, yet it had become the focus. Whether intentional or not, the era itself was propelling the rise of the commoners and the decline of the noble families.

Her support for the commoners—to have reached this point—was surely due to her Imperial Father’s support, but it must also have been due to following the tide of the world, right?

Mu Wanyao could not help but delve deeper into the relationship between the scholarly commoners and the noble families, the importance of the imperial examinations, and, branching out, the various commoners she had seen on this journey south… When poor, cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, improve the world. When she had been pressured by everyone, she had no energy to think of these things. Now that she had stepped away from that situation, she could see further and deeper.

This made her think of her Imperial Father.

How did her father, who had spent his life in the deep palace nursing his illness, look at them? In his eyes, were they all just sniveling, crawling wretches, utterly laughable? Were they all just pawns in his hand, helping him reach that predetermined goal? Fang Tong continued, "There is one more thing. There are vague rumors from Chang'an that Eunuch Liu has found a divine doctor from overseas who can help His Majesty ease his illness; it is possible for His Majesty to live another year or two."

Mu Wanyao halted.

She thought for a moment and said, "That will do."

Fang Tong added, "Also... His Highness the Crown Prince has finally made a move. After three years of silence in the Eastern Palace, his first act was to remove the Jiedushi of Shannan from office. He redirected the troops of the Shannan Circuit for his own use, demanding that they all be replaced by his own men. Naturally, the Prince of Qin refuses to submit. The policy of official avoidance had already left the Prince of Qin in a state of chaos, and now, with the Crown Prince taking advantage of the turmoil to pillage, the Prince of Qin has begun attacking the Crown Prince’s people in court.

"For example, the Yang family... those in the Yang family serving in the court are all being impeached and sent away to remote postings. Even Yang Sanlang—currently, Sanlang is waiting for a new imperial appointment, but because of the dispute between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin, the order has been stalled."

Mu Wanyao’s eyes flickered gently.

She turned her head to speak, but suddenly heard a very faint call of "Father." Fang Tong looked embarrassed as he saw his young son peeking out from behind a fence, waving at him. Mu Wanyao’s icy, snow-like gaze swept over, yet the boy was not afraid; he actually gave her a shy smile.

Before Fang Tong could tighten his expression to reprimand him, the boy trotted over, carefully handing a butterfly wrapped in a handkerchief to the Princess. He blinked, looking at Mu Wanyao with anticipation, hoping that a butterfly might earn a reward from this beautiful Princess.

Fang Tong felt pale and anxious, fearing that a single icy glare from Mu Wanyao would scare his son to tears. However, Mu Wanyao simply smoothed her skirts and sat down, looking with bright eyes at the butterfly the boy had placed before her. Without changing her expression, she took it, and with a slight flick of her index finger, the butterfly alighted on her jade-white, slender finger.

The five-colored, mottled butterfly rested on the beauty’s finger, a pleasing sight to behold.

Just as the boy was about to exclaim in wonder, Mu Wanyao flicked her finger gently, and the butterfly flew away. The boy froze, looking at the Princess with trepidation. Mu Wanyao’s expression remained indifferent. Crumping the handkerchief into a ball, she reached out both hands, placing them over the boy's ears from left and right, covering them.

Fang Tong was dumbfounded. Seeing Mu Wanyao tilt her head toward him, she said, "These things are not suitable for children to hear. Continue."

Fang Tong glanced at his red-faced son tucked in the Princess's embrace, feeling both anxious and amused. He coughed and continued with the government affairs. "In short, the Yang family has become a sacrificial pawn in the struggle between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin. Yang Sanlang remains in Chang’an, and no one knows what will become of him."

Mu Wanyao said, "The Crown Prince will arrange things for him; we don't need to worry about it."

Fang Tong let out a small laugh; he had only spoken out of turn because the Princess and Yang Si were close. But such closeness was useless when it came to principles and stance. The Princess would not go soft on the Crown Prince for the sake of Yang Sanlang, nor would the Crown Prince show any mercy to the Princess because of Yang Si.

Mu Wanyao thought for a long time before smiling. "I was originally worried that the avoidance policy would cause the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin to join forces to deal with the commoners and target me. I never expected that because of the military power, they would fall into disarray themselves. That’s good. We can remove ourselves from the situation and watch from the sidelines..."

Before she had thought it through completely, while she was still thinking aloud, the boy she had covered the ears of snuggled beside her and asked, "Your Highness, I think I heard a little bit? What are you talking about? I heard you say 'soldiers'—is there going to be a war?"

Mu Wanyao was shocked; she hadn't expected that covering his ears wouldn't block the boy's sharp hearing. She thought to herself that it was all Fang Tong’s fault for letting his son study martial arts so early. She removed her hands from the boy's ears and was about to glare at Fang Tong when she saw Yan Shang approaching outside the fence.

Yan Shang was being guided by a small servant, followed by a morose-looking Han Shuxing.

Mu Wanyao immediately exchanged a glance with Fang Tong, signaling that they should not discuss too much government business in front of Yan Shang. Mu Wanyao looked at Han Shuxing behind Yan Shang, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Pulling him out so soon? Did you ask my permission?"

Yan Shang entered the courtyard. Hearing Mu Wanyao’s voice, he stood in that direction and bowed. He said gently, "I brought Han Shuxing to apologize to the Princess. He was ignorant and made a mistake, but he has already been locked up for four or five days. I thought it was time to let him out. After all, I need people by my side."

Yan Shang had him well-trained. While Mu Wanyao sat there leisurely, Han Shuxing knelt down on his own, kowtowing to Mu Wanyao, and muttered sullenly, "I will listen to whatever Her Highness arranges from now on and will never act on my own again."

Mu Wanyao let out a cold laugh. "Do I dare arrange your life? In your eyes, there is only Yan Er, not me, the Princess, right?"

Just as Han Shuxing was about to defend himself, Yan Shang pressed a hand on his shoulder, signaling that more talk meant more mistakes—those unskilled with words shouldn't argue with a brilliant, scholarly Princess.

Mu Wanyao couldn't vent her anger on Yan Shang, as she always felt a sense of guilt in his presence, especially since he was the one who always suffered; she couldn't bear it. She vented her anger on Han Shuxing, mocking and ridiculing him to the point where not only was Han Shuxing’s face flushed red, but even Fang Tong felt the Princess’s tongue was ruthlessly sharp.

Fang Tong watched, feeling that Yan Er-lang truly had the better temperament. Even while the Princess was criticizing him through the guise of scolding others, he acted as if he heard nothing. Yan Shang tilted his head, and when the Princess paused her berating of Han Shuxing to take a breath, he interjected, "I vaguely heard the sound of a child. Is there a child here?"

Mu Wanyao’s heart stirred.

She pulled Fang Tong’s son into her arms. The boy was mesmerized by the fact that the cold Princess would actually hold him, while Fang Tong was stunned, hearing Mu Wanyao smile faintly and face Yan Shang. "My son. Surprised?"

Yan Shang, with his eyes covered by a white silk band, was silent.

He was stunned for a moment, unable to speak. After being shocked for a long time, he said, "Is Your Highness joking? You, you... you are a maiden who has yet to marry..."

Mu Wanyao said each word clearly, "The child's father is you."

Yan Shang: "..."

He opened his lips, closed them, and wanted to speak again, only to be struck dumb once more.

His mind was in chaos. After forcing himself to calm down several times, he began to count the time, count the days... no matter how he calculated, the timing didn't add up. Back then, he had only been in prison for a month, and before that, he was with Mu Wanyao... but that incident had stopped halfway; he hadn't truly entered her.

Before that incident, they hadn't seen each other for half a year.

How could she be pregnant?

Besides, Mu Wanyao had told him she was prone to difficulties in conceiving; how could she have given birth to such an old child... Right, the child’s age didn't match, either...

Han Shuxing, kneeling beside Yan Shang and dutifully listening to the lecture, couldn't hide his shock and looked up at Yan Er-lang. Seeing Yan Er-lang’s clean-shaven chin, he suddenly realized the truth, instantly understanding why Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao were so conflicted—

The two of them had conceived a secret child, spent the entire journey feigning hatred while secretly falling in love, and had tricked him so thoroughly.

Mu Wanyao held the boy and sighed faintly. "Brother Yan Er, are you now refusing to acknowledge your own son?"

Yan Shang’s brows furrowed slightly. After a long while, he said hesitantly, "You are speaking nonsense again."

Seeing his expression, Mu Wanyao knew he was half-doubting. She intended to tease him, so she wove the story with half-truths: "He really is your child. Did you think I had another man? Back in the day, when I was so close to you, what did we not do?"

As she spoke, she glanced at Han Shuxing, letting the shocked man hear that she and Yan Shang had a past, so he didn't need to play the hero.

Mu Wanyao: "I was already pregnant back then, but you and I were in the middle of a quarrel. I was so angry that I didn't want to tell you. I suffered greatly to secretly give birth to a son for you. Not to mention the suffering of the past few years, I never expected that when we reunited, you wouldn't even ask. Such cold-heartedness."

Yan Shang’s face flushed.

He had been half-doubting, wondering if he really had a child. But the way Mu Wanyao said it, he knew it was fake. It was probably some child playing nearby that she had picked up to test him.

He said helplessly, "Stop playing."

He was helped by the servant to take his seat, but Han Shuxing felt she had gone too far and couldn't help saying, "Er-lang, I have always been on your side, you know that. I believe you must have your reasons, but... how could you abandon your wife and child?"

Mu Wanyao covered her mouth and chuckled, holding back her laughter. "That’s right, that’s right! He is abandoning his wife and child, not to mention how he enjoys himself out there, never caring that I have been washing my face with tears every day. How pitiful."

Yan Shang said to Han Shuxing, "It is impossible for the Princess and me to have a child."

He turned back to Mu Wanyao and said softly, "Stop teasing Han Shuxing."

Mu Wanyao’s expression gradually cooled after he "looked" at her. He had been a bit too categorical, which made her feel unhappy. As she was displeased, Yan Shang said, "Yaoyao, come here."

Mu Wanyao didn't move. She was a Princess; if he told her to come, she would just come? Did someone have the self-awareness of a prisoner?

Yan Shang said in a low voice, "I have something to say to you, and it is not convenient for others to hear."

Mu Wanyao paused, her heart moved by his so-called secret words. She said aloud, "Fang Tong, all of you withdraw."

After they left the back courtyard empty, she walked over and sat down in front of Yan Shang. Yan Shang remained silent for a moment before saying, "I originally didn't want to say much to you, but... are you still worrying about the issue of offspring?"

Mu Wanyao looked at him.

He whispered, "Stop worrying. Let that matter go; it’s nothing."

Mu Wanyao looked at him blankly. Suddenly, she felt a surge of guilt. She realized that she had been testing him like this, and yet he had seen through the turmoil in her heart and was actually comforting her in return. He must have the softest heart in the world.

Unable to control her emotions, she reached out to take his hand, wanting to discuss the child with him and apologize... but Yan Shang pulled his hand away, refusing to talk about personal feelings with her.

He whispered, "I don't want to pay attention to you."

Mu Wanyao: "...You've been angry for far too long!"

Yan Shang: "You don't respect me; I cannot forgive you so easily. If I forgive you easily, you will dare to act like this again next time."

Mu Wanyao was infuriated. "I am a Princess; whatever I want, I get. Don't you know I am a Princess? By what standard are you demanding things of me?"

Yan Shang looked up. "If you are good to me, I will give you all of my heart. I won't say that I am always right, but I try my best to restrain myself... At the same time, you must learn to respect me. There are some things I can indulge you in, but you cannot always be willful, ignoring my views entirely."

Mu Wanyao: "Who are you to demand that I consult you on everything?"

Yan Shang blushed but remained firm. "Your man. Is that not so?

"I do not demand that you consult me on everything, and you could not do it anyway. What I want is respect. You and I are two different people; you cannot force your will upon me."

Mu Wanyao stared at him blankly, finally letting her shoulders slump. Can't I get him? She refused to believe she couldn't get him!

That night, when Mu Wanyao visited Yan Shang’s room carrying a bowl of medicine, Yan Shang was sitting under a lamp talking with Fang Tong’s son.

Mu Wanyao knocked on the door from outside.

From inside came Yan Shang’s gentle, smooth voice: "I still have urgent matters to attend to; please come back tomorrow, sir."

Mu Wanyao didn't wait. She pushed the door open and entered. "What 'sir'? It’s me. Can’t I come in directly? Why the false politeness?"

Yan Shang rubbed his brow and said softly, "I was being falsely polite, and yet I still couldn't stop you."

He spoke very casually.

The boy sitting beside him was extremely surprised; he hadn't expected the mild-tempered Yan Er-lang to talk back to Mu Wanyao. The boy looked on tremblingly as Mu Wanyao, who usually ignored everyone, simply raised an eyebrow at Yan Er-lang’s remark, showing no signs of anger.

Mu Wanyao took a seat and scoffed at the child beside Yan Shang. "What are you still doing here? You don't even know when you've been pumped for information. Why haven't you gone off to play with your father?"

Yan Shang’s expression stiffened slightly. Seeing the Princess, the boy felt both shy and fond of her; as soon as she spoke, the child scurried out. Mu Wanyao bowed her head and set the bowl of medicine intended for Yan Shang on the table in front of him. Taking advantage of his poor eyesight, she didn't even try to hide it; right in front of him, she added several drops of liquid into the bowl.

She casually used a spoon to stir the medicinal porridge, blending the drops into it.

Yan Shang was still whispering, "What 'pumping for information'? What nonsense are you spouting in front of a child?"

Mu Wanyao smiled indifferently while stirring the medicine. "I’m not an idiot. I let you see Fang Tong’s son this morning, and by night, the child is in your room, calling you 'Brother' so affectionately. I would never underestimate the charm of Yan Er-lang, who can win over men, women, young, and old. You are trapped now and don't know the news from the outside; what comes out of the mouth of a child is of immense use to you."

She tilted her face and smiled at him. "Am I right, Brother Yan Er?"

Yan Shang didn't speak for a long time.

Mu Wanyao chuckled softly. She leaned over, resting her head against his shoulder, and laughed lightly. She laughed until he turned his neck away, feeling extremely uncomfortable, trying to push her away, but she grabbed his hand. Her fingers gently rubbed his wrist. Yan Shang stiffened, instantly unable to stand it.

He bent his legs and shifted his sitting posture.

Mu Wanyao rested her forehead against his shoulder, looking at everything with her eyes lowered. She felt triumphant, her voice hoarse and soft. "You won't even deny it. You won't even coax me by saying you just like children and have no hidden agenda."

Yan Shang whispered, "Even if I have other motives, I have no malicious intent. I truly do like that child."

Mu Wanyao: "If there’s something you want to know, why resort to pumping a child? Just ask me directly, why don't you?"

Yan Shang was startled. He bowed his head to "look" at her. "Will you tell me?"

Mu Wanyao closed her eyes, smiling vaguely. "If you coax me until I’m happy, I’ll tell you."

Yan Shang whispered, "So, Your Highness is in the business of receiving patrons."

Mu Wanyao looked up at him. "You’ve made more veiled jabs at me in these two days than you have in the entire time we’ve known each other."

Yan Shang blushed and tried to pull his hand from hers, but she wouldn't let go, so he just left it there. He said, "I have never been one to speak ill of others, but Your Highness’s skin is too thick; I cannot be lenient with you."

Mu Wanyao smiled brightly. "Am I truly that bad?"

Yan Shang: "Don't you know?"

Mu Wanyao looked up at him; he lowered his head. She felt regretful in her heart, thinking how fun it would be if he could see her now. However, even if he couldn't see, there were ways to play. Mu Wanyao pushed the medicinal porridge in his direction carelessly.

She said, "Drink your porridge and take your medicine."

Yan Shang frowned and said, "What is it you give me every day? It tastes strange. I am not ill; there is no need for this. Every time I take your medicine, I feel a bit unwell."

Mu Wanyao thought to herself, It’s all potent, nourishing medicine; if you didn't feel unwell, I’d truly start to suspect you were suffering from kidney deficiency.

She smiled. "I just can't stand seeing you so thin. How about this? If you drink this medicine, I’ll tell you several answers you want to know. How does that sound?"

Yan Shang hesitated, then raised his hand to touch the bowl of medicine on the table. Mu Wanyao grabbed his hand, preventing him from touching it blindly. As he reached for the bowl, she seized it first, took a spoonful herself, and then opened her mouth to feed him. Yan Shang stiffened, his lips pressed shut for a long time. Mu Wanyao rubbed his sleeve in a mess, making soft whining noises as she nuzzled against him.

Yan Shang was set on fire by her teasing.

Finally, he opened his mouth and took the medicine she fed him.

As they kissed, with her soft tongue licking his teeth, the dense, tingling sensation made Yan Shang grip Mu Wanyao’s arm tightly.

After swallowing, he cursed, "Playing tricks again."

Mu Wanyao: "Right, you’re so lofty and noble, you haven't reacted at all."

She reached down to explore, and this time, even though the blind man couldn't see, he suddenly grabbed her hand as it moved lower. Mu Wanyao laughed, leaning against his shoulder, while Yan Shang turned red with irritation: "I knew you’d do this. I can’t control this; you’re the one who’s always teasing me. If you had the same roots of trouble as I do, would I play with you like this?"

Mu Wanyao: "If I had that thing of yours, you’d be destined to be pressed down and...—would you even have room to struggle? You should just be lucky that I’m a girl."

Yan Shang: "..."

He was struck dumb. He hadn't expected that the Princess, who hadn't even known a single dirty word when they first met, had walked so far down this path. Her path had gone so crooked that Yan Shang was momentarily dazed, wondering if the problem was with him. Was something wrong with him? Otherwise, why did Mu Wanyao become more and more uninhibited in front of him day by day? Every time he scolded her, she became even more flagrant.

Yan Shang felt dazed, ashamed, and angry, but he didn't want to talk or engage in another war of words with her. He grabbed the medicine bowl and, ignoring Mu Wanyao’s protests, downed it in one gulp. Mu Wanyao opened her eyes wide in shock. Yan Shang drank the medicinal porridge in one go, frowning as if he were slightly nauseated by the murky taste.

Mu Wanyao grew anxious: "Are you alright?"

Was the medicine she prepared meant to be downed like that?

Yan Shang endured it, and a moment later, his tone returned to normal: "You said that if I drank the medicine, you would tell me what I want to know. I want to know about the situation in Chang’an."

Mu Wanyao: "You are just a Magistrate of Rang County; why do you care about Chang’an?"

Yan Shang grabbed the hand she had pressed against the back of his hand, not letting her move it. His Adam’s apple rolled, and he said, "Why do you care? Just tell me what I want to know. I didn't break my word; I drank your medicine, so you shouldn't break yours either."

Mu Wanyao sighed.

Carelessly, she repeated the news Fang Tong had told her during the day to Yan Shang. She watched Yan Shang’s brows furrow slightly, feeling both infatuated with him and wary of him. The mind of the teenage Yan Shang three years ago had already been remarkable; the adult Yan Shang three years later would only be more formidable.

Mu Wanyao still didn't understand why he was holding onto that Magistrate’s post in Rang County. She would just have to wait and see.

Yan Shang said, "So, with His Majesty still unharmed, the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin are fighting fiercely? Your Highness, you have pushed the Prince of Qin to such a point; you must guard against him jumping over the wall in desperation."

Mu Wanyao lowered her head to play with his fingers and whispered, "With Brother Yan Er here, Brother Yan Er will help me; what do I have to fear?"

Yan Shang’s Adam’s apple rolled slightly.

He ignored her words and said, "It seems Your Highness has her own plans; it is I who worried too much. It’s just that the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin are fighting fiercely... however, I think the possibility of them joining forces is also extremely high. The official avoidance policy ultimately benefits the commoners more. In this situation, one cannot fail to take precautions."

Mu Wanyao: "Yang San is being pulled back and forth."

Yan Shang paused and said, "A pity for Sanlang."

He tried hard to ignore the influence Mu Wanyao had on him, but she kept moving his hair, then sticking her hand into his sleeves, fishing out everything he had inside. Yan Shang felt restless, thinking the air in the room was a bit hot. As he suppressed these feelings, he grew all the more afraid of Mu Wanyao’s proximity.

Yan Shang said hoarsely, "Is Your Highness not leaving yet?"

Mu Wanyao looked up. "You chase me away as soon as you’ve finished asking what you wanted to know; you truly are heartless."

Yan Shang retorted gently, "It was a deal; I drank the medicine, and you told me the situation. Where does heartlessness come into it?"

Mu Wanyao chuckled. She released his arm and stood up. As the girl’s fragrance that had permeated the air moved away, Yan Shang exhaled in relief, casually wiping the sweat from his forehead. Suddenly, Mu Wanyao twisted back, leaning over to hook his chin and look at him.

She knew perfectly well what was happening, but she whispered, "Your face is flushed red. What’s wrong with you?"

Yan Shang remained silent for a moment: "...It’s perhaps a bit hot."

Mu Wanyao chuckled.

Yan Shang suddenly realized something and hesitated. "Did you... put something in the medicinal porridge?"

Mu Wanyao’s answer was to gently rub the tip of her nose against his.

When she left, his face was red enough to bleed. He braced himself against the table with his hands, his arms trembling slightly. He scolded her, "Get the antidote! You’ve gone too far!"

Mu Wanyao was surprised: "For this kind of thing, where would there be an antidote?"

Yan Shang grabbed her arm. When he lowered his head, the beads of sweat on his forehead became denser. He endured it for a while, and when he spoke, his voice was even hoarser: "Get out."

Mu Wanyao sat down, leaning against his arm. She was also a bit confused, and her face was hot, too. She smiled, squinting her eyes: "I go out? Do you have the heart to let me?"

She said, "You should be saying, 'Come here.'"

Yan Shang reached out to touch her face. His body temperature was too high—it was hard to tell—but his voice was slightly urgent: "Your voice isn't right... what’s wrong with you?"

Mu Wanyao closed her eyes, leaning against his shoulder. She hadn't expected his self-control to be so strong that even now, he could tell her voice wasn't right. Feeling a dry, stuffy heat, Mu Wanyao let out a soft whine, like a cry. She buried her face in his neck, kissing the sweat there.

His veins trembled violently, and his grip on her arm tightened.

He barely managed to steady himself, hearing Mu Wanyao mutter to herself: "The medicine was in the porridge."

Yan Shang understood instantly: "So... you drank it, too?"

He was annoyed: "You tease me; why bother bringing yourself into it?"

Mu Wanyao acted like a spoiled child: "It’s not that I was afraid the medicine would be too potent, so I kindly helped you split it. Besides, if only you were the one drugged and you did that to me, I... I would definitely hurt to death; I would cry. I don't want that.

"If you don't touch me, just let me die."

Yan Shang had nothing to say for a moment.

Mu Wanyao closed her eyes, but she heard his breathing had already become heavy.

After a long time, she felt a kiss on her lips, and she opened her eyes. A drop of sweat fell onto her cheek; she looked up, watching the handsome man lean over to hold her. He held her in his arms, gently kissing her face and her lips.

His face, framed by the dim lamplight, seemed sacred.

He leaned against her, his lips a deep, blooming red, and said, "Come here, Yaoyao."

The bright moon hung high in the sky, the same sky reaching across ten thousand miles.

That night, the post house on the way to Jinling was filled with the intoxication of spring, while eight thousand miles away from Chang’an, in the ancient kingdom of Guhu, a wedding was being held.

It was the wedding of a King.

He was taking a wife, an alien woman named Zhao Lingfei.

This King of Guhu had received the envoys from the Great Wei. While they appeared to meet with the Great Wei envoys openly, in private, they had already secretly contacted the Southern Barbarians and submitted to them. This King of Guhu launched a mutiny in the city, imprisoned the Great Wei envoys, and planned to send these people to the Southern Barbarian Kingdom as a gift.

One of the Great Wei envoys was valiant and skilled in battle, leaving a deep impression on the King of Guhu. He wanted to persuade this brave warrior to leave Great Wei and serve him in Guhu, but he soon discovered that this warrior was a girl named Zhao Lingfei, not a man.

As such, he naturally decided to take her by force.

Late at night, the Kingdom of Guhu was covered in red silk, filled with festive cheer. Zhao Lingfei was dressed in the attire of a Queen and sat in a palace deep within the Royal Court. All of her weapons had been taken away, but she sat there with an unchanging expression, waiting for an opportunity.

The palace doors opened, and the sound of footsteps came from afar, drawing closer.

Zhao Lingfei waited for this person to stand by the bedside before the red veil covering her face was lifted. She clenched her fists, silently urging herself to endure humiliation and heavy burdens, and how to use this wedding to help the Great Wei envoys escape—she looked up, and was stunned.

The person in royal robes she saw was not the King of Guhu, but the familiar Wei Shu. After three or four years of life-and-death companionship, how could she not recognize him?

Wei Shu, who should have already escaped the Kingdom of Guhu and returned to Great Wei to seek help.

The red candles burned brightly, the wax dripping in droplets. Outside the hall, palace servants came and went; inside, the hall was quiet and vast. Sitting at the edge of the bed, Zhao Lingfei stared at him blankly, lowering her voice and saying anxiously: "Wasn't it agreed that you would go to Great Wei to seek help? How could you dare..."

Wei Shu looked down at her and said: "I left, but I came back.

"As a Great Wei person, how could I watch my compatriots fall into trouble while I escape alone? As a man, how could I watch a woman sacrifice her marriage to win a chance for me?

"Especially you... you traveled eight thousand miles to escape a marriage, only to be forced to marry another man?

"Let’s escape together. This place is eight thousand miles from Chang’an; the Great Wei cannot reach this far... Lingfei, we must rely on ourselves."