How Dare You?! 成何体统 (Cheng He Ti Tong)
By 七英俊 Qi Ying Jun
Translation by Spider
On the last day of mourning, news finally arrived: people had been seen late at night on Mount Bei moving several large stones and burying them under the snow.
“It looks like they’ve chosen Plan B,” Yu Wanyin said. “Are our people in position?”
“They’ve been lurking in the mountains for several days now,” Xiahou Dan replied. “On the day of the funeral, the Imperial Guards will also surround Mount Bei. They won’t give them a chance to act.”
They finalised the operational details with the Shadow Guards. Yu Wanyin then brought up the matter of Xie Yong’er. Xiahou Dan had no objections and immediately arranged for a carriage for her departure.
Although everything was prepared, Yu Wanyin felt increasingly uneasy, as if she had missed some crucial detail.
She reviewed the plan in her mind again and again, feeling more perilous with each thought.
“Don’t just worry about others, what about yourself?” Xiahou Dan interrupted. “Otherwise, why don’t you hide with Xie Yong’er…”
Yu Wanyin cut him off, “I’m going to Mount Bei with you.”
Xiahou Dan frowned, “No.”
“I can disguise myself as a guard, like before. “
“You won’t be of any help.”
“I can help, otherwise why bother making weapons? Don’t forget my marksmanship is better than yours.”
“We don’t lack someone like you!” Xiahou Dan changed his tone, speaking calmly, “Listen, this time it’s really dangerous. I thought this didn’t need discussion. Didn’t we agree on this during the sealing ceremony?”
“What did we agree on?” Yu Wanyin pressed him. “What did we agree on?”
“We agreed that you’d let me rest assured,” Xiahou Dan said flatly. “Do you want me to have one more worry in life and death?”
Yu Wanyin turned and walked away quickly.
She didn’t know whether it was Xiahou Dan’s tone, as if he were leaving a final message, or her own lingering, ominous premonition that hurt her deeply.
The Shadow Guards caught Xiahou Dan’s eye.
Xiahou Dan remained calm and waved them off, kneeling alone in front of the memorial tablet, waiting for the next batch of mourners to arrive.
As footsteps approached, Yu Wanyin returned in a flurry. She was not in the best of moods. “Let’s go, why are you still kneeling? They’re planning to make a move at Mount Bei, and you’re planning to spend New Year’s with the Empress Dowager?”
With a stern face, she pulled Xiahou Dan up and raised her voice to call the palace attendants, “The Emperor is feeling unwell, quickly help him back to his bedchambers to rest.”
Xiahou Dan hurriedly played along, speaking mournfully, “But Imperial Mother…”
“Your Majesty, your health is of utmost importance. Don’t delay tomorrow’s funeral.” Yu Wanyin earnestly advised.
“Well, that makes sense,” Xiahou Dan acquiesced.
They returned to the palace, closed the doors, and dismissed all attendants.
“Let’s make dumplings?” Yu Wanyin asked.
Xiahou Dan looked at her with some surprise. Suppressing her impatience, Yu Wanyin turned aside, “Let’s make them, it’s New Year’s. I’ll call Bei Zhou.”
With the thought of today and the uncertainty of tomorrow, she felt that time was more precious than ever. She couldn’t even spare a breath.
Xiahou Dan smiled, “Alright.”
Bei Zhou gladly accepted the invitation and promptly brought a complete set of kitchen utensils, demonstrating his mastery of dough-making.
Xiahou Dan took off his mourning clothes and helped to cut the stuffing on the side. The distance between each cut was as unpredictable as human fate. Yu Wanyin watched for a while, unable to bear it any longer, and snatched the knife away. “Go somewhere else.”
Xiahou Dan refused to leave and insisted on commenting, “You’re just laughing at me.”
“That’s still better than you… How about switching positions, can you make dumplings?” Bei Zhou interjected.
“He can’t possibly… Let me do it, both of you go play,” Bei Zhou swiftly moved, his hands flying up and down, performing the work of ten people. Yu Wanyin didn’t find a chance to help and decided to do something else.
The palace had been prepared for the New Year’s decorations, but unfortunately, the Empress Dowager’s death had disrupted everything. Yu Wanyin searched for a while and found two phoenix-shaped palace lanterns, unable to hang them outside, so she hung them at the bedside for her own entertainment.
She went to the side hall and called Xie Yong’er, “Want to eat dumplings?”
Xie Yong’er hesitated, “…..yes.”
Surprisingly, Xiahou Dan picked up a brush and wrote a pair of Spring Festival couplets.
Yu Wanyin was surprised, “You wrote this?”
“How is it?” Xiahou Dan didn’t look up, finishing a stroke and smiling slightly, “I’ve practised.”
Yu Wanyin tilted her head to examine it closely, still pondering. Clearly, they had practised calligraphy together, but his improvement had surpassed her by leaps and bounds.
“Don’t think about it,” Xiahou Dan teased, “I’ve had a breakthrough, while you… can only watch from afar, helpless.”
“What?” Yu Wanyin clenched her fists, “Are you a middle schooler?”
Xiahou Dan burst into laughter.
Xie Yong’er coughed lightly, politely reminding them of her presence, “Is there anything I can do?”
“If we’re talking about it, there is,” Xiahou Dan said, “Where’s your guitar? Bring it over and play a congratulations song.”
Xie Yong’er was dumbfounded.
After centuries, Xie Yong’er finally realised what she had been through.
“You… you two…” Her fingers trembled, “When I played the guitar…”
Xiahou Dan nodded, “You played Canon in D well.”
“And Love Story,” Yu Wanyin added.
“But you missed a few notes, yet I managed to hold back my laughter,” Xiahou Dan remarked.
“…” Xie Yong’er was speechless.
“Don’t worry,” Yu Wanyin said with a straight face, poking him, “There’s really nothing wrong with it.”
“Yes yes.”
“…………”
The dumplings were ready. They gathered around the table and poured some wine. Outside the window, the sky was dark, heavy snow falling gently.
Xiahou Dan exclaimed, “Huh, something just caught in my teeth…” spat it out and looked at it in disbelief. It was a copper coin.*
*To put money in the dumpling means whoever eats the dumpling with the coin has good luck and will be lucky in the upcoming year.
Bei Zhou laughed and raised his glass, “Dan’er, may all your wishes come true and may you have peace year after year.” This New Year’s dinner was eaten with the utmost casualness, so he didn’t pay attention to court etiquette; this toast was simply a blessing from an elder to a younger.
Xiahou Dan paused for a moment, then suddenly stood up.
Bei Zhou hadn’t reacted yet and sat there stunned, watching Xiahou Dan lift both arms, raise his wine glass to his eyebrows, and bowed. a gesture of respect as a junior.
Bei Zhou was taken aback and hurriedly stood up, “Dan’er, you mustn’t!”
Yu Wanyin smiled and pulled him, “Let him, let him. Uncle, just accept it.” She thought Xiahou Dan’s movements and demeanour were surprisingly spot-on, wondering how much he had practised, as it was quite a spectacle.
Bei Zhou awkwardly returned the gesture, his eyes slightly red.
Xiahou Dan refilled his glass and then turned to Yu Wanyin.
Yu Wanyin hesitated, then stood up consciously to face him.
Xiahou Dan gazed at her intently, his deep and elegant eyes reflecting the light of the wine, a hint of tenderness in them. He slowly raised his glass to eyebrow level and solemnly lowered his eyes.
Yu Wanyin mimicked his movement and bowed to him.
This was the gesture between husband and wife.
Her ears started to feel hot, and the ordinary wine glass in her hand suddenly seemed to burn, as if it held the essence of a marriage ceremony.
Xie Yong’er and Bei Zhou quietly sped up their eating of dumplings.
The snow had stopped, and above the capital city, the clouds gradually dispersed, revealing a clear night sky.
Li Yunxi went to visit Cen Jintian and accompanied him to a New Year’s dinner. On the way back, he remained silent in contemplation. Yang Duojie, who was in the same carriage, curiously asked, “What’s on your mind?”
“You mean… Is Er Lan showing too much concern for Cen-xiong?” Li Yunxi hesitated to speak.
Yang Duojie leaned back, “Ah, so that’s what’s bothering you. I thought you had already noticed.”
Li Yunxi was puzzled.
Yang Duojie chuckled lightly, “I’ve long seen that Er Lan has a fondness for Cen-xiong. I thought you knew too, otherwise why were you initially so displeased with him? But this person, after getting to know him for a while, isn’t bad at all…”
Li Yunxi was dumbfounded.
Yang Duojie waved a hand in front of his eyes, “Why aren’t you saying ‘What a scandal’!?”
Thousands of miles away, the heavy snow lay like a blanket.
Lin Xuanying stood on a high ground by the riverbank, looking down at the soldiers breaking the ice to fetch water.
“Vice General.” His subordinate hurriedly approached and presented a sealed letter.
Lin Xuanying quickly scanned it, “The Prince will strike tomorrow. When chaos erupts across the realm, we won’t need to hide anymore. The other two armies will set out earlier; they might arrive soon.”
“What should we do…”
Lin Xuanying looked up at the faintly visible city lights amidst the snow and wind, “Prepare well. Let’s charge straight in.”
In the palace.
After a satisfying meal of dumplings and plenty of wine, Xie Yong’er bid farewell and returned to her room to pack her belongings.
Before leaving, she called Yu Wanyin outside the door and took out a letter from her pocket, “After I leave tomorrow, can you deliver this to Xiao Tiancai?”
“Sure. It’s not a good person card*, is it?”
*Internet slang for a confession rejection letter. Stemmed from the common rejection phrase “you’re a good person but-” etc etc
“…”
Xie Yong’er’s ability to get herself out was achieved through Xiao Tiancai’s professional skills. Originally, Xiao Tiancai wanted to keep it a secret from her, but she wasn’t stupid and deduced it with a little thought.
“Is it really a good person card? Your tone seems tactful. Don’t cause someone to go on strike from hurt feelings.” Yu Wanyin asked.
Xie Yong’er smiled wryly, “You can rest assured of that.”
She watched as Yu Wanyin carefully put away the envelope, seemingly feeling a bit sentimental, “I never expected that, in the end, I would entrust this to you.”
Life is like a play, and the plot runs wild like untamed horses. They’ve fought a battle of wits and wills between them, but they can’t really call themselves open-hearted. But Xie Yong’er’s gesture didn’t surprise Yu Wanyin.
Perhaps they could banter and jest with other beauties in the palace, but their backgrounds and circumstances were too different, and some thoughts could never be conveyed in words. Sometimes, Yu Wanyin inexplicably felt that even Xiahou Dan didn’t understand her thoughts.
But those anxieties, those ambitions, even that tangled and confusing love, Xie Yong’er could understand without a single word. In this unique world, they were each other’s only mirror.
To have someone who understands her so well in the world was a threat, yet also a comfort.
Yu Wanyin patted her shoulder, “After leaving the city, what do you plan to do?”
“First, I’ll travel around the mountains and waters, explore this world thoroughly, and then…”
“Retire?”
Xie Yong’er smiled, “How is that possible? When you stabilise the realm, I still want to attract some royal investments and establish a commercial empire.”
Yu Wanyin nodded in admiration. Truly a protagonist, stronger after setbacks.
“Do you have a specific business direction?”
“Let’s start with city-based food delivery services.”
Yu Wanyin’s eyes lit up, “Excellent, count me in.”
“We could also get into express delivery. Oh, no wait, we’d need to improve transportation first… How about I start a car manufacturing venture? Will you invest in that?”
Yu Wanyin chuckled, “Why not go all out and start with a maglev train?”
“Huh? What’s that?”
Yu Wanyin froze.
‘The Devil Beloved Consort’ was written in which year? She forgot to check the publication date. Could this be an old story? Did they have the concept of electromagnetic trains when this story was written?
Her pause was too abrupt, and Xie Yong’er looked at her in surprise. Yu Wanyin panicked for a moment and hastily made up an excuse, “It’s nothing, I read about it in a science fiction story. I can’t explain it either.”
“Are you suggesting I start building things from science fiction stories?”
“Just joking…”
But Xie Yong’er still stared at her, and there seemed to be a glimmer of understanding in her eyes that slowly lit up, “By the way, you mentioned last time, where are you originally from in your world?”
Yu Wanyin: “…” How did she end up with such a loose tongue?
“North… a small county town you’ve never heard of.”
She inwardly lamented. With their parting imminent, if Xie Yong’er were to press further and then stumble upon an existential crisis, it would be entirely her own fault.
But unexpectedly, Xie Yong’er blinked suddenly, and that glimmer of understanding faded away, “Alright.”
In a fleeting moment, Yu Wanyin strangely felt a sense of familiarity.
Just now, Xie Yong’er’s expression had changed subtly, from hesitation to suppression, and then to indifference, all within a few seconds. But in the depths of her mind, Yu Wanyin understood.
The other person seemed like standing before an invisible giant door, reaching out for a long time, but finally turned away at this moment.
One step forward was a deep abyss, one step back was the fleeting dream of the mortal world. Xie Yong’er looked somewhat dazed and smiled, “When I start the food delivery business, remember to teach me a few specialties from your hometown.”
Yu Wanyin came to her senses, “Okay.”
Just now, why did she feel it was so familiar?
Xie Yong’er left. Yu Wanyin remained standing outside the door, looking up and letting out a puff of white mist.
The lonely moon in the night sky was temporarily obscured, and the stars appeared. Yu Wanyin had originally just glanced casually, but when she looked up, she suddenly froze in place.
After a moment, footsteps approached from behind, and Xiahou Dan walked up beside her, “Aren’t you cold? You’ve been out here for so long.”
“I finally figured it out,” Yu Wanyin said excitedly, pointing up with her hand, “Those stars, aren’t they almost in a straight line?”
In the summer, A’Bai had once showed Xiahou Dan the sky, mentioning something about things almost lining up in a row.
Yu Wanyin said, “Later on, I looked up A’Bai’s master’s prophecy. ‘Five stars aligning’ refers to this kind of star pattern. Ancient texts say it’s an omen of an assassination attempt on a monarch.”
Xiahou Dan nodded, “That’s quite accurate.”
Yu Wanyin shook her head vigorously, “No, look carefully again. The tail is starting to bend now, it’s no longer a straight line. What does that mean? It means the danger has passed! After defeating Tur, you’ve successfully changed your fate!”
She was exhilarated, “It’s always darkest before dawn. Tomorrow will definitely be fine.”
Xiahou Dan chuckled, “Are modern people starting to believe in celestial omens?”
“Whether you believe it or not, I do. Tomorrow, let me go with you,” Yu Wanyin abruptly changed tack.
Xiahou Dan sighed almost imperceptibly, “Wanyin.”
“I know, you’ve said everything you should. But… you’ve been acting strange these past two days. Saying morale is low is an understatement, it seems like you’ve been preparing for the worst!”
Xiahou Dan was at a loss for words.
Was he really that obvious?
Seeing his changing expression, Yu Wanyin’s heart tightened even more, “I just want some peace of mind. You’re going to take risks, but you want me to just stand by and watch. Have you thought about how I feel…?”
“Would you only feel at ease if we faced the danger together?”
Yu Wanyin made up her mind, “Yes.”
“What about being the Empress? Aren’t you going to be one?”
“If we can’t take down Prince Duan, being the Empress is just a role. I don’t want to play roles for the rest of my life.”
Xiahou Dan fell silent.
After a long while, he asked softly, “So you mean, you’d rather die with me?”
Yu Wanyin took a deep breath. This question from him was serious.
She didn’t understand why he was so pessimistic, but inexplicably knew that this answer was very important to him.
So she thought carefully for a moment before responding cautiously, “Coming here is like having already died once. I originally thought I would go to heaven after death, but unexpectedly ended up in this hellish parallel world. There were several times halfway through when I was physically and mentally exhausted and didn’t want to continue playing, but because we formed a team together, unconsciously, I persisted until now.”
Xiahou Dan quietly turned his head, his eyes fixed on her.
“We’ve done so many things. preventing droughts, defeating the Empress Dowager, forming an alliance with the Yan Kingdom… Even if it ends here, I want to praise ourselves. Of course, there are many unresolved issues, many things I still want to do. I’m also interested in Xie Yong’er’s business empire idea… But this path is really exhausting, too exhausting.”
Her throat tightened, and she realised she was choking up.
She reached out and took his hand, “You promised that, regardless of life or death, you wouldn’t let me be alone. Are you going to break your promise?”
Xiahou Dan smiled, “Alright.” He embraced her, “Let’s do this together.”
How wonderful, this is what they say in books, ‘In life and in death, let’s make a pact.’ Unfortunately, this heart as deep as the sea of emotions was bestowed upon a heavy mask.
But if tonight is all that’s left…
Xiahou Dan lowered his head and kissed her. In the palace after the snow, all was quiet; only the countless stars witnessed this kiss, serene and gentle.
He gestured with his hand, leading her towards the warmth indoors.
Let’s wear this mask until dawn, he thought maliciously.
The lamps flickered, bodies intertwined. Yu Wanyin indulged herself in the pleasure, her thoughts returning to emptiness. Suddenly, she had a revelation and found the answer.
Just now, like looking into a mirror, she understood Xie Yong’er, because before her stood a door she dared not push open.
To stop thinking further, she clung tightly to Xiahou Dan’s neck, plunging into the torrent of joy together with him.
Prince Duan’s Mansion.
Xiahou Bo knelt on the ground, finishing burning a stack of paper money for his deceased mother, then rose calmly, “Everyone, take your positions.”
His trusted followers dispersed upon hearing this, leaving only one figure still kneeling in place.
Xiahou Bo looked down at him, “I said, remember what I told you. It’s time now.”
“Please give your orders, Your Highness.” the Executioner said,
Xiahou Bo handed him a sachet and a few letters, “Remember what I’m about to tell you.”
In the city frozen in silence, there came a lonely sound of striking the hour.
The new year had arrived.
The next day, as the sun rose, at the auspicious hour, dressed in mourning clothes, the Emperor performed the ritual. He listened to the ministers read the eulogy, and led civil and military officials to escort the Empress Dowager’s triple coffin, grandly heading towards the outskirts of the city.
Xiahou Bo rode along with the procession, gazing ahead slightly.
Today, more guards than usual accompanied the royal carriage, surrounding it and keeping a distance between the Emperor and his ministers. Behind the ministers, hundreds of Imperial Army soldiers formed a barrier.
It seems the Emperor had taken precautions. However, the brilliance of their plan lay in the fact that, unless the Emperor could foresee the future, no matter how many guards there were, they were all just empty show.
. Unless he could foresee the future.
Approaching the foot of the mountain, An Xian walked to the side of the dragon carriage and bowed, “Your Majesty, please carry the coffin up the mountain.” According to custom, the Emperor needed to walk the final stretch to honour filial piety.
The funeral music swelled, and Xiahou Dan dismounted from the dragon chariot and walked beside the coffin carriage, leading the way. Ahead of them was a sheer cliff, about ten metres high, jutting straight into the ground. Further up, it was covered in silent snow. On the other side of the cliff was a dense, dark forest.
Xiahou Dan walked solemnly, his eyes fixed straight ahead, step by step approaching the range of the cliff.
Just fifteen steps left.
Xiahou Bo quietly pulled the reins, causing a commotion among the procession behind him.
Ten steps.
A few cries came from the mountain above, followed by a shout, “Assassin!!”
The officials were in an uproar, instinctively trying to retreat backwards, while looking up and trying to see what was happening.
Xiahou Bo watched helplessly as the emperor leisurely stopped and turned around. Their eyes met briefly, and the emperor subtly curled his lips.
Above the stone wall, there was a clang of metal and gold, but no figures were visible. Only the shaking of trees and the falling of large chunks of snow and rocks. Suddenly, there was a cry, and someone shouted hoarsely, “Your Majesty, take cover!”
A dark, massive object descended from the sky.
Everyone hastily retreated again, stumbling over each other, sprawling in disarray. The object plummeted straight down, creating a loud crash and leaving a deep pit before them. As they saw clearly now, the boulder was as tall as a person; falling from such heights, it could easily flatten someone into a pancake.
The boulder landed just ten steps away from Xiahou Dan. If he had taken a few more steps forward, today’s funeral would have had another protagonist.
The guards rushed forward, protecting the emperor as they retreated. Xiahou Dan, seemingly shaken, hurried back a distance before angrily demanding, “Who dares to attempt assassination? Capture them at once!”
From above the stone wall, dozens of figures appeared. Leading them was the newly appointed commander of the Imperial Army, General Gao, who said, “Your Majesty, forgive the disturbance. We have eliminated the assassins and captured their leader. We shall leave the mountain now.”
Before his words had settled, figures began to move in the silent snowy forest.
Xiahou Bo strained his eyes to see; the Imperial Army swarmed down the mountain towards them. Further along the official road, the sound of troops marching could also be heard.
The Imperial Army near Mount Bei today was far more than the few hundred men trailing them. The other prepared boulders on the stone wall remained unmoved, indicating the ambush near the boulder had been completely wiped out.
Prescience? This skill was in surplus within Xiahou Dan’s camp.
Xiahou Bo knew the emperor was watching him. He also knew that once the Imperial Army encircled this place, a full-scale performance would soon unfold.
His expression didn’t change; he even kindly bent down to help up several fallen courtiers.
The corners of Xiahou Dan’s mouth tightened.
General Gao quickly brought down the captured individuals. Xiahou Dan’s guards approached to interrogate them conventionally and then subjected them to a thorough search, loudly declaring, “From this assassin, we found a token from Prince Duan’s residence.”
The entire scene fell silent.
Civil and military officials alike looked straight at Xiahou Bo.
Assassins wouldn’t be foolish enough to carry a token from Prince Duan’s house on them. But whether they had it or not was irrelevant. Xiahou Dan needed his guards to find the token, and they did. That was all.
No one present was a fool; seeing this scene, they all understood: The two royal brothers were about to stage a decisive battle, right before their eyes.
“Prince Duan!” a thunderous shout erupted as Li Yunxi passionately beat the war drum, “How dare you. !”
But Xiahou Bo stared incredulously at the guard and exclaimed indignantly, “You. you’re talking nonsense!”
Li Yunxi fell silent.
What was this old fox up to?
With a “thud,” Xiahou Bo knelt down, “Surely this is a set-up! I implore Your Majesty to investigate and vindicate me!”
Xiahou Dan played his part separately. He glanced helplessly at the guards, then at the assassins, and in a subdued voice, seemingly aggrieved, he said, “Even Imperial Mother’s coffin was nearly smashed. We must thoroughly investigate who orchestrated these assassins. Imperial Brother is also distressed. Perhaps it’s best to return to the city to rest. Escort His Highness back to the mansion.”
With his command, the Imperial Army immediately moved towards Prince Duan from all sides.
Xiahou Bo cooperated quite well, elegantly bowing and turning to face the Imperial Army, lifting a hand that hung by his side.
Just then, someone in the crowd exclaimed, “Your Majesty, I recognize this assassin. He is a servant from Minister Yu’s manor.”
The speaker was a supporter of Prince Duan, and he continued loudly, “Minister Yu, why don’t you acknowledge your own servant?”
The crowd erupted.
Following Prince Duan, Minister Yu also experienced the spotlight. Unlike Xiahou Bo’s composure, Minister Yu’s legs gave out on him right then and there. “Th-this is nonsense! I have never seen this person before.”
Li Yunxi interjected, “How could he possibly be Minister Yu’s man? Everyone knows Minister Yu is renowned for his integrity and prudence…”
“Strange,” a clear voice cut in, “Minister Yu was just appointed as a national minister, enjoying prestige and wealth, yet he conspires with Prince Duan to assassinate the emperor. Has he gone mad?”
Li Yunxi choked.
The one adding fuel to the fire was Er Lan. Her ambiguous remark countered ten of his, effectively implicating Prince Duan.
“Yes, indeed,” Li Yunxi said.
Seeing this, Prince Duan’s supporters were dissatisfied. Another person stood up, saying, “Your Majesty, when I last visited Minister Yu’s mansion to offer congratulations, I did see this servant. Minister Yu, how did your servant obtain Prince Duan’s token? There must be something fishy going on here.”
Minister Yu was now thoroughly frightened, stumbling to his knees, “Th-this…”
The pro-imperial faction present was chilled by his guilty behaviour.
Those Prince Duan supporters might not really remember the face of a mere servant, but their willingness to speak up now indicated they had long known the assassin had ties to Minister Yu’s household. If they continued investigating, they could easily pin this blame on Minister Yu.
Has this newly appointed national minister truly gone mad?
Minister Yu had seen the assassin’s face just now and felt like he had fallen into an ice cave. Yes, the servant was indeed his, but when had this person become an assassin for Prince Duan? He had no idea.
But how could he say such a thing? Even if he did, who would listen to the latter half of his sentence?
In essence, the truth was the least important thing in today’s scenario. Minister Yu’s foundation in court was already fragile, without much support. Now that his daughter had risen to prominence, envy towards him was greater than flattery. Judging from the current situation, this group had clearly planned to use him as a scapegoat!
Prince Duan, oh Prince Duan, how long had he been plotting against him?
More and more of Prince Duan’s supporters chimed in. Minister Yu was sweating profusely, despairingly bowing his head, “Your Majesty, I am innocent! This person… this person was sent by Prince Duan as a spy!”
“Hahaha.” The leader of the assassins, blood at his mouth’s corner, suddenly laughed, “I find it amusing that you all think I’m being manipulated by someone else. Minister Yu, who exactly is manipulating whom? Can you clarify?”
Minister Yu nearly fainted, “What nonsense are you talking about? I have never. “
Xiahou Bo inwardly chuckled. Once you’re on the stage, you can’t just run away. You have to see if this master allows it.
The servant grinned strangely, pulling a blood-stained sachet from his pocket, “When you searched me just now, how come you didn’t find this?”
The guard hesitated, “…”
They only search for what they need to find.
The sachet was crudely made, its bright red base embroidered in black with a man and a woman riding a winged eagle.
Xiahou Dan’s pupils contracted slightly, instinctively looking to his side. Among his personal guards stood a slightly slender figure.
Xiahou Bo caught his gaze shift slightly.
The servant continued, “Who do you think embroidered this sachet? Surely His Majesty the Emperor can tell.” He laughed triumphantly, “Even if I can’t escape death today, I’ll speak out before dying, lest you all bury this as a palace secret!”
Last night.
Xiahou Bo handed a sachet and several letters to the assassin. “Remember what I’m about to tell you.”
The assassin took them and read the letters, written in a woman’s handwriting that lacked elegance, filled with ambiguous love words. These were concocted by Yu Wanyin in the cold palace, intended to manipulate Prince Duan.
Xiahou Bo said, “Keep the sachet on you, hide the letters in Yu’s residence, and wait for them to be found during the search. Right now, everyone speculates that Consort Yu is pregnant, and the Emperor deposed the Crown Prince to pave the way for her unborn child. But after you’re captured, you’ll publicly confess that the child in Consort Yu’s womb is yours.
“She had secret dealings with you before entering the palace, and continued to seek you out afterward, secretly bearing your child. When Minister Yu found out, you and Yu conspired. The truth couldn’t be contained, so you took advantage of the rift between Prince Duan and the Emperor, and if your plan failed, you’d pin the blame on Prince Duan.
“Unexpectedly, someone recognized you, and the conspiracy was exposed. Facing death, you decided to mock the tyrant one last time.”
The assassin nodded, taking it all in. “Your Highness, will the Emperor really believe this?”
Xiahou Bo replied, “Whether he believes it or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that all the civil and military officials present will hear it.”
This way, Yu Wanyin would forever be tainted as a seductress, and if Xiahou Dan dared to protect her, he would be seen as an incompetent ruler blinded by love.
The assassin pondered, “But what if the Emperor isn’t prepared at all, and we succeed in one swift strike, sending him directly to the afterlife?”
Xiahou Bo said calmly, “Then you won’t have to confess. Let Consort Yu’s unborn child become Xiahou Dan’s posthumous offspring.”
“…But Consort Yu isn’t actually pregnant,” the assassin reminded.
Xiahou Bo smiled knowingly.
The assassin’s mind raced: “No problem, once Xiahou Bo takes power, she’ll naturally conceive. The future child will be the young emperor, with Xiahou Bo as the regent. Everything they planned revolved around one thing: legitimacy.
Prince Duan sought not only power but also acclaim from the people, virtue recognized by all directions, and accomplishments renowned across the world. He also desired unity among his subjects, striving for prosperity and creating a golden age.
Therefore, he absolutely could not ascend with the stigma of regicide. He aimed to be a revered ruler, and such rulers always had many willing to die for their cause.
The assassin quickly rehearsed the lines in his mind and calmly began: “Yu. “
That was all he managed to say.
A blast rang out. His final image was the Emperor raising something strange, emitting smoke from its dark hole.
The assassin collapsed, spasmed a few times, blood spewing from his mouth, and then lay motionless.
Xiahou Dan swiftly shot him dead and turned his gaze toward Prince Duan.
Legitimacy. everyone needed it. They had endured until today precisely to publicly deal with Prince Duan. But all of this hinged on one major premise: the situation had to unfold according to their script.
Clearly, there were more than one holding the reins of this script.
Just as Xiahou Dan turned, his heart sank.
In the blink of an eye, he couldn’t aim at Xiahou Bo anymore.
Xiahou Bo had disappeared behind a human wall formed by the imperial guards. The distance was just right, shielded by countless courtiers and soldiers, exactly out of his shooting range. It was as if… he knew in advance what weapon Xiahou Dan held.
Meanwhile, the soldiers who had just surrounded Prince Duan had unknowingly shifted into a protective stance.
General Gao, newly appointed, paled, unable to stop them, frustrated. “Are you intending to revolt?!”
No one answered him. Invisibly, the thousands of imperial guards had split into two factions, gathering and confronting each other.
In the middle stood the trembling courtiers, unarmed and terrified.
Bei Zhou’s ears twitched. He muttered quietly, “It’s not just these people. There are hidden troops in the woods, perhaps his private army or reinforcements from the border. Dan’er, he didn’t rely on a few rocks to kill you; he has more tricks up his sleeve than I expected.”
By now, Xiahou Bo was fervently proclaiming, “Your Majesty! Before the assassin died, he uttered the name ‘Yu.’ Why rush to kill him? Who embroidered the sachet he carried? Will Your Majesty not investigate?”
The ministers had long ago cowered like quails, afraid to make a sound. Amidst the crowd, Li Yunxi strained his neck to retort but was swiftly silenced by Yang Duojie, who covered his mouth and urgently whispered, “Don’t speak. The debate is over.”
Once the arrow was on the bowstring, a bloody battle was inevitable.
Xiahou Bo continued, “Your Majesty, for the sake of a woman, are you unable to distinguish right from wrong and turn against your own brother? What methods does Consort Yu possess to deceive minds? She could challenge the Empress Dowager earlier and come out unscathed, yet the Empress Dowager suddenly dies…” He suddenly looked towards the small statured attendant, “Consort Yu, do you have nothing to say?”
The attendant trembled all over.
Xiahou Dan’s gaze remained unmoving, “Silence him.”
General Gao roared furiously, decisively, “Subdue the rebels!”
Simultaneously, Xiahou Bo also shouted, “Exterminate the demoness, protect the Emperor’s side!”
Both sides clashed immediately, shaking the earth.
The trapped courtiers suddenly found themselves caught between advancing and retreating, with a mountain wall on one side and dense forest on the other. Only one side remained open, the dark and shadowy woodland.
Li Yunxi and others were pushed by the crowd toward the forest. They took a few steps inside but were forced back out.
The hidden troops in the woods had sprung into action.
These people had just been hidden in the thickets, their breath barely discernible, detectable only by supreme masters like Bei Zhou. Now, they surged out mightily, an immense force without end in sight.
The leader among them shouted a command, and soldiers drew their swords in unison. Before they even arrived, their fierce aura loomed like dark clouds pressing down, starkly contrasting with the scattered imperial guards.
Li Yunxi cursed, “Border troops…”
Such momentum could only have been honed on the blood-soaked fields of battle.
How could so many border troops appear here? Whether from the northern borders or southern borders, they had rushed here, and the capital could not have missed their arrival without sounding an alarm.
The only possibility was that General Luo of the Central Army or General You of the Right Army had left behind forces during their return to the court. These troops had been lurking nearby ever since, awaiting Prince Duan’s call to arms.
This sudden change clearly exceeded Xiahou Dan’s predictions. The front half of the imperial guards charging ahead were caught off guard. Confronted with this force of grim reapers, their defences were almost instantly breached, and they collapsed in defeat.
The courtiers wailed and scattered in panic.
Though both sides cared about their reputations and intentionally avoided the ministers, swords and blades were blind, terrifying them into scrambling for safety.
Among the civil officials, Li Yunxi was robust and pulled up several stumbling courtiers as he ran along. Battle cries shook the heavens, and in the distance, several blasts seemed to come from the direction of the Emperor, sounding ominously foreboding.
Suddenly, a horse neighed, a startled horse veering off course directly toward them. Li Yunxi acted swiftly, pushing away an elderly courtier who was stumbling, rolling himself aside just in time to evade the horse’s hooves.
“Li-xiong!” Yang Duojie bent down, approaching to assist him in getting up. “Are you alright?”
Li Yunxi choked on dust, “Don’t mind me, find a place where there’s no one from the court. What about Er-xiong?”
“Haven’t seen him!”
Li Yunxi urgently raised his head, scanning the crowd for Er Lan, his pupils shrinking as he glanced in a certain direction.
“Li-xiong? Where are you going?” Yang Duojie called out.
Li Yunxi sprinted, dashing through the throng of swords. In the distance, on a forgotten mountain path, a slender figure was desperately climbing upward. Under his watchful eyes, the figure darted behind a tree.
What was Er Lan trying to reach on the rock wall? Li Yunxi recalled the massive falling rocks and glanced at the advancing and retreating directions of the troops. Immediately, he understood the answer.
But if they could think of this, others surely could too!
The imperial guards, caught off guard by the formidable enemy, lost morale. They were a group of grasses on the wall, each seeking his own safety. Now, with their spirits shattered, their formation began to dissolve.
Xiahou Bo did not mount his horse, calmly hidden behind the human wall, gazing into the distance where strange blasts continued to echo from the Emperor’s direction.
But it wasn’t the Emperor firing.
After the battle started, the weapon in the Emperor’s hand had disappeared.
Perhaps to deceive onlookers, the diminutive attendant did not hide behind the Emperor but instead charged out to join the fight with other attendants. However, ‘he’ was unstable, his steps unsure, clearly he was not a skilled fighter.
After a brief struggle, ‘he’ quickly found himself in dire straits, forced to draw the strange weapon from his side for self-defence.
Seeing this, Xiahou Bo pointed from afar, “Go, capture that attendant.”
At this moment, the attendant fired relentlessly, dropping a swath of opponents, preventing others from approaching.
If Xiahou Bo hadn’t investigated the bullet holes in the Enjoying Palace of Mount Bei or sent assassins to observe the shape of Yu Wanyin’s weapon, he might indeed have been at a loss now.
With a gesture, Xiahou Bo directed six or seven assassins to surround and bait, charging straight towards the muzzle.
The attendant indeed panicked, hastily firing. Just after killing two, unexpectedly, a large net descended from above, enveloping ‘him.’
The guard struggled violently, but the assassins pounced, grabbed the net ropes and pulled them tight together. Suddenly the large net tightened, trapping his limbs and preventing him from moving an inch.
The attendant lay on the ground, futilely writhing, until the assassins held their knives to his neck, finally stopping him from moving.
Once ‘he’ was confirmed unable to lift his arms, Xiahou Bo gave the order, “Take his weapon, tear off his human skin mask, and hang him from a tree for everyone to see clearly.”
Then, using him as leverage, he commanded the Emperor to sound the retreat, obediently returning to the palace to accept confinement.
The Emperor couldn’t die today, not here. He had to be deluded by the demoness Yu Wanyin, going mad in the palace and dying.
Li Yunxi gasped, “Stop!”
“Never mind about me!” Er Lan exclaimed.
“There must be no one above, but you’re going to die.” Li Yunxi gritted his teeth and chased after him, but always fell a few steps behind. He could only stretch out his arm in an attempt to grab her. “I’ll go, I’ll be alright!”
Er Lan chuckled, “What are you saying, Li-xiong? Don’t you want to be a minister?”
“I entered the court to be immortalised in history by dying, not fighting. my. chance!” Li Yunxi took a step forward, finally grabbing Er Lan’s wrist and exerting force, tossing her behind him. “Look at your thin arms, at least I’m strong. “
“I am a woman.”
“… to push that stone…” Li Yunxi’s voice suddenly stopped.
When his foot froze like a thunderbolt, Er Lan again surpassed him. “Go back, Li-xiong. I’m not decent for the court.”
The scene on the rock wall was extremely bleak.
The rebels of Prince Duan pressed on relentlessly, soon forcing Xiahou Dan’s imperial guards back below the cliff. By now, the falling rocks, even if they didn’t kill the Emperor, could crush a whole imperial guard.
Naturally, Prince Duan’s assassins also thought of this point, rushing in as soon as the battle began, trying to seize the massive stone.
Xiahou Dan’s Shadow Guards stayed behind to guard, intending to shoot arrows to block them halfway up the hillside. The enemy immediately retaliated, raining arrows like locusts.
By now, bodies lay strewn around the massive stone, with only three or four surviving Shadow Guards left, all severely wounded, barely sustaining themselves behind the massive rock.
Just as Er Lan showed up, she was hit by an arrow, causing severe pain in her shoulder, almost making her scream.
She immediately prostrated herself on the ground, gritting her teeth tightly. She tore off a suit of armour from a nearby corpse and draped it over her back, then slowly crawled towards the several giant rocks.
A shadow guard suddenly noticed a civilian official running alone without weapons, astonished, “Who are you?”
Er Lan replied, “Look down. Where are Prince Duan’s people?”
The shadow guard was taken aback.
Er Lan continued, “If I were His Majesty, I would deliberately retreat faster to lure them under the rocks.”
One shadow guard, wounded and pale-faced from an arrow, risked his life to lean out and glance downwards. He quickly withdrew, “It’s true. There are all of Prince Duan’s men down there. No wonder they’re so anxious…”
He shot two arrows towards the approaching enemies, but severely injured, the arrows fell short midway.
The shadow guard, despair in his voice, said, “They’re coming up.”
He glanced at his struggling companion, took a deep breath, and turned to brace against the giant rock.
Er Lan crawled up to him and together they exerted force, “One, two. “
Down the mountain, several soldiers approached. One went to break the fingers of the guard holding a gun, while another tore off his human skin mask.
As the mask was torn open, a glimpse of the face beneath was revealed.
The soldier’s movements suddenly halted. He opened his mouth to shout, but the captive person in the net suddenly exploded, bones cracking several times, body swelling abruptly, and in an instant tore apart the net that bound him!
In the blink of an eye, all the soldiers fell, revealing the man’s true face as he soared into the air like a giant eagle, flying to an unimaginable height and aiming his gun at Prince Duan behind the human wall.
With space wide open around him, countless hidden weapons shot towards him from the ground. He made no attempt to dodge, simply pulled the trigger.
“Bang!”
Xiahou Bo had to dodge.
He dodged quickly, but the opponent’s gun was faster, as if predicting his movements. “Bang bang” rang out almost without pause!
As Xiahou Bo landed, he felt something fly out.
His face suddenly felt wet with his own blood.
What flew out was his ear.
Er Lan and the shadow guard were both injured, giving their all, but could only move the giant rock a few inches.
She shouted loudly, throwing herself against the giant rock with her body.
The giant rock shifted.
Er Lan was overjoyed to find another person beside her.
Li Yunxi said, “Together.”
Er Lan replied, “You’ll die!”
Li Yunxi glanced at her, eyes burning with unprecedented determination, repeating, “Together.”
At this critical moment, there was no room for hesitation. Er Lan shouted again, “One, two. “
The fourth person rushed over.
“Together.” Yang Duojie said.
Li Yunxi: “…”
Bei Zhou, with no escape in midair, was hit by several hidden weapons. His body began to fall, in the blink of an eye, firing two shots in succession.
Xiahou Bo fled like a frightened dog.
This time, he was truly risking his life. After breaking free for a distance, he suddenly felt a thump in his heart, instinctively looking up.
“Boom!”
A loud noise caused all soldiers in battle to pause involuntarily.
Only Xiahou Bo’s upper body remained exposed outside the giant rock. He struggled desperately to climb out, but his legs were firmly pinned down, his fingers digging into the mud in desperation.
Bei Zhou landed, bloodied from the waist up, and rushed back to Xiahou Dan’s side, saying only one word: “Retreat.”
With that, he picked up Xiahou Dan and ran without hesitation.
Caught off guard, Xiahou Dan struggled, “Wait, I can’t just. “
“I don’t care!” Bei Zhou insisted forcefully. “We can’t hold here. Do you still want to live? Let’s go; the emperor is no longer safe.”
At the same time Er Lan and others were rushing up the mountain, Yu Wanyin suddenly woke up.
She immediately realised she was in a bumpy carriage, with Xiahou Dan not by her side.
Last night, Xiahou Dan had promised to accompany her to Mount Bei, and then they had become intimate. But she had no memory of how she had fallen asleep later.
“Xiahou Dan…” Yu Wanyin gritted her teeth and pushed open the carriage curtain to look outside. The carriage was clearly out of the city, not on the official road, but on a forest path. A squad of shadow guards escorted them.
“Stop the carriage!” Yu Wanyin yelled.
No one paid attention.
“Stop quickly! Where is His Majesty?”
One of the shadow guards spoke up. “I have orders to protect you at all costs, no matter what happens.”
“Don’t bother.” A cool voice came from across.
Xie Yong’er sat opposite her, looking at her helplessly. “You woke up half an hour after we left the city. It seems Xiao Tiancai’s drug worked quite well.”
“Did Xiahou Dan put me in here? Did you know?” Yu Wanyin asked.
Xie Yong’er raised her hands. “I had no idea. I was about to leave early this morning, and he suddenly stuffed you in. He deliberately kept it a secret until the last moment to ensure no leaks. Sigh, don’t be angry. Isn’t it all for you?”
Yu Wanyin pulled out a pistol from her bosom.
She had a bad feeling in her heart. “What’s happening on the Mount Bei side?”
“We can’t possibly know right now. We have to escape to another city, settle down in disguise, and then we can inquire about it.” Xie Yong’er surprisingly sounded cheerful. “Where do you think we should go first?”
Yu Wanyin: “…”
“Sorry, I just breathed in the free air and got a bit high. “
Xie Yong’er’s voice abruptly stopped.
The next moment, Yu Wanyin felt dizzy. Her whole body lifted off the seat, accompanied by the mournful neigh of horses.
“Tripwire!” shouted a shadow guard.
Yu Wanyin fell heavily to the ground, her vision darkening.
Sounds of arrows whizzing.
Sounds of fighting.
Sounds of shadow guards falling.
Rubbing her forehead, Yu Wanyin sat up. Surprisingly, she was now against the overturned carriage wall. Xie Yong’er lay beside her, clutching her arm in pain.
Yu Wanyin whispered, “What’s happening?”
“I think I’ve broken my bones…”
An arrow flew in through the window, narrowly missing Yu Wanyin’s ear and embedding itself in the carriage seat.
“Empress Yu, why don’t you crawl out yourself?” A voice from afar was mocking.
“It’s Mu Yun’s voice.” Xie Yong’er raised her head abruptly. “Prince Dan wants you alive, but dead is also acceptable.”
Inside the carriage, Yu Wanyin reached into her bosom again, finding nothing.
“Come out yourself; don’t force me to set fire to the carriage. If you end up burnt beyond recognition, it won’t look good for Prince Dan, and I won’t be able to explain.” Mu Yun said.
The firelight drew nearer. Mu Yun wasn’t joking.
Frantically searching around, Yu Wanyin grew more anxious as she failed to find the gun.
A hand pressed her shoulder gently. “Don’t rush; search slowly.”
Xie Yong’er raised her voice, “It’s a pity, you got the wrong person.”
Yu Wanyin looked up in surprise, but Xie Yong’er had already climbed towards the window. She reached out to grab her but missed.
Xie Yong’er said, “Didn’t expect this, did you? It’s me in the carriage.”
As soon as she crawled out of the carriage, she was seized and dragged in front of Mu Yun.
Mu Yun hesitated for a moment, then smiled instead of getting angry, “Who would have thought, it’s Consort Xie?”
Xie Yong’er’s hands were bound behind her, and she grimaced from the pain of her broken bones, speaking intermittently, “You… since you’ve been dismissed anyway, why not… join me in rebellion? After all, Prince Dan… isn’t a good ruler.”
Mu Yun said ominously, “Indeed, I’ve been staking everything on this, betting that the emperor would send Empress Yu away, and betting that they would take a remote path. I considered myself insightful into human nature and expected to be the first under Prince Duan’s command in the future. But now, I have to scheme desperately just to win back a little favour from him. Tell me, whose fault is this?”
Xie Yong’er tried to adjust her tone to soothe, “You don’t understand…”
“Of course, it’s your fault!” Mu Yun’s eyes flashed with menace.
Suddenly, the person behind Xie Yong’er exerted force, making her kneel down. She cried out in pain, and immediately her face was slapped repeatedly.
Mu Yun finished hitting her, enjoying her humiliated expression for a moment, then suddenly laughed, “Do you really think these petty tricks can protect the person in the carriage?”
“What are you… talking about?”
“Don’t worry, none of you will be left behind.” Mu Yun drew a dagger and casually stabbed down. “Burn the carriage.”
This was his final statement left in the world.
Following that were a series of explosions.
He stopped his actions and looked around in panic. One by one, his men fell.
In his mind echoed words he had heard before being dismissed. “In the hall, there are several bowl-sized craters left behind. I wonder what weapon caused them…”
After that, he couldn’t think anymore. Because those craters appeared in his mind.
With their leader dead, the remaining men scattered like frightened monkeys, but they were caught up and dealt with by several surviving shadow guards.
Yu Wanyin rushed towards Xie Yong’er.
Mu Yun was efficient in his work; before falling, he had already stabbed several holes in her.
“It’s okay, it’s okay, just stop the bleeding.” Yu Wanyin’s hands trembled as she futilely tried to cover those bloody holes, her voice changing tone, “Where’s Xiao Tiancai?!”
Xie Yong’er smiled, “Have you forgotten? He stayed in the palace in exchange for my freedom.”
“Let’s go back, let’s go back and find him. Just hold on a little longer…”
“Listen to me.” Xie Yong’er grabbed her hand. “Don’t tell Xiao Tiancai. If he knows I’m dead, he might go on strike.”
Yu Wanyin’s eyes reddened with urgency, “Shut up!”
Bei Zhou carried Xiahou Dan and fled, with the Imperial Army losing all morale, defeated as mountains collapsed.
Where would the Prince’s party let him escape to? At this point, they couldn’t care less about leaving anyone alive, as hidden weapons and arrows rained down like a storm, but they never managed to hit their targets.
However, Bei Zhou was bleeding all over, and after running for a while, his steps gradually slowed.
Xiahou Dan could see that he couldn’t hold on much longer. He spoke up, “Uncle Bei, put me down and save yourself.”
Bei Zhou scoffed briefly, as if he had heard a huge joke, “Even if the sky collapses, I won’t abandon you.”
“I don’t have long to live anyway.”
“Nonsense! As long as you don’t become this damn emperor, you’ll surely live a long life. I’ll find medicine for you…”
Xiahou Dan quieted on his back, “I’m not your friend’s son.”
Bei Zhou didn’t say another word, though he suddenly stopped his footsteps. It was unclear if he understood.
Xiahou Dan said urgently, “Uncle, do you understand?”
“I understand now, you’re not her child.” Bei Zhou’s voice suddenly became hoarse, as if he had aged in an instant, “But she wouldn’t want to see you suffer either.”
He took a deep breath, looked up to the sky, and let out a long howl that echoed through the mountains and forests.
“The Prince’s men are coming up.” Er Lan hid behind the last remaining boulder, looking at the few people beside him, “To die together with you all is the greatest fortune of my life.”
Li Yunxi’s face was full of conflict, and finally, as if making a painful decision, he clenched his fist and said, “Er-xiong, actually I…”
“Hahaha, why don’t we swear brotherhood here, and be brothers again in the next life!” Yang Duojie generously suggested.
Er Lan nodded, “That’s a great idea.”
Li Yunxi remained silent.
“Live well… and build up the commercial empire.” Xie Yong’er’s gaze began to wander, “Don’t be sad, I’m going back to… the world outside the books.”
Tears finally welled up in Yu Wanyin’s eyes.
For a book character, was there really a world outside the books?
Xie Yong’er continued, “When I return to modern times, I’ll visit your hometown, and try… the bean juice you mentioned…”
“Soybean juice.” Yu Wanyin’s tears fell on her face one by one, “And stir-fried liver, fried sauce noodles, roasted duck, steamed duckling…”
In the midst of her food list, Xie Yong’er slowly closed her eyes.
The earth began to tremble at that moment.
The unexpected passing of the female protagonist caused a humming sound to echo through the heavens and the earth, shaking the mountains and rocks, as if they were about to collapse.
Yu Wanyin tightly embraced Xie Yong’er’s body, trying to shield her from the dust and falling wood.
Her mind went blank, with only one thought remaining: why couldn’t she have found that gun earlier?
The earthquake lasted for a full fifteen minutes before the world finally calmed down.
Yu Wanyin still sat there in a daze, until the shadow guards pulled her up, “Your Highness, we must continue on. Can we bury Consort Xie here?”
“…”
“Your Highness?”
Yu Wanyin took a deep breath. Of the shadow guards who were still alive, only five remained, and they all had minor injuries.
She slapped her cheeks, forcing her thoughts to start functioning again, “Bury her. Try to erase our traces as much as possible, or leave some false traces elsewhere to confuse our pursuers.”
Thus, one person stayed behind to handle the aftermath, while the remaining four escorted her and continued on their way. The horses were killed, so they had to proceed on foot, following a path that avoided populated areas, walking farther and farther away.
As the sun set that day, Yu Wanyin’s strength gave out. They found a cave to spend the night, refraining from lighting a fire and instead sharing out dry rations.
Yu Wanyin took a few bites but lost her appetite, retreating to a corner, hugging her knees and staring blankly.
So many things had happened today, but she kept going over just two questions in her mind.
Why didn’t she realise earlier that Xiahou Dan was deceiving her last night?
Why couldn’t she have found that gun earlier?
Perhaps because her condition was too poor, the shadow guards glanced at her several times, exchanged whispers, and one of them took out a letter from their bosom, “Your Highness.”
Yu Wanyin slowly raised her head.
“Before parting, His Majesty left this letter for his subordinates, saying he would give it to you after safely escaping. His subordinate took the liberty of taking it out early… Perhaps Your Highness would like to read it.”
Yu Wanyin snatched the letter, tore it open hastily, and read it under the last rays of the sunset with urgency.
The letter was written in elegant and flowing characters, not the usual font Xiahou Dan used to show her. Each stroke and stroke resembled the couplets he wrote last night.
The first line reads “My wife Wanyin”.
The second line is: “My name is Zhang San.”
To My wife Wanyin:
My name is Zhang San.
Feel free to laugh if you want. People used to often ask me if I got my name from a phone credit promotion*, it’s so unusual. But in reality, it’s quite the opposite. My parents were extremely pleased with this name, thinking it was so unconventional that it would make me stand out in the crowd.
*It’s really sad rn but Zhang San’s name is literally 张 one of the most common Chinese surnames in the world and 三 as in the number three. It’s an incredibly weird name.
And indeed, it did. From childhood to adolescence, I never encountered anyone with the same name. From elementary school to middle school, I was always the student the teachers remembered first. However, apart from this cool name, I’m rather ordinary. My grades were average, with physics being the only subject where I got first place twice. As for English, I mostly relied on multiple-choice questions and a roll of the dice.
Oh, and I’m decent at sports. During school sports meets, I was always coerced by my classmates to sign up for long-distance running.
You might wonder why I’m talking about my middle school days at such length.
It’s because in our world, I have no memories beyond that.
In the third year of middle school, I was playing with my phone during class, distracted by a pop-up ad that lured me into this book (this story tells us, pay attention in class). When I first became Xiahou Dan, this guy’s body was only six years old.
It has been sixteen years and eight months since then.
By this calculation, my time as Xiahou Dan has actually been longer than my days as Zhang San.
In recent years, sometimes I’ve suddenly doubted whether the “world outside the book” really exists, or if it’s just a delusion from my sick mind. After all, a world that simultaneously has air conditioning, the internet, medical insurance, and aspirin sounds increasingly unrealistic.
Ironically, when I first arrived here, I felt like I had fallen into an endless nightmare. But looking back now, I can barely recall the name of my middle school. All those past events now seem like a fleeting dream.
Until you asked that question, “how are you?”
It turns out, it was all real. It turns out I once lived with flesh and blood, had parents, friends, and a future.
I am a despicable person. In that moment, you saved me, but in the next second, I formulated a plan to deceive you. Gaining your trust, becoming your ally, and using the script you held in your hands for my own ends. Only in this way could I achieve victory in the most secure manner, and make the Empress Dowager and Prince Duan pay for their blood debts.
In front of you, not only did I embellish my past, but I also deliberately controlled my words and actions, striving to play the role of a modern person familiar to you. I couldn’t let the blood on my hands scare you away.
It wasn’t until I truly started acting as Zhang San that I was forced to gradually remember how far I had drifted from him. Over the years, I often dreamt of demons dragging me into an endless hell. After experiencing it countless times, I became accustomed to it. A month after you arrived, I suddenly dreamt of a classmate passing me a note, calling me to rush to the cafeteria after class. I woke up and smashed several cups and bowls, wanting to make more noise within the palace walls. In that moment, I truly wished I could set everything on fire and be done with it.
You came too late, Wanyin. There are no more like you waiting here. You can only encounter someone as insane as I’ve become. Born but not human, I’m deeply sorry.
. Did you just laugh? Laugh a little more, you’ve been so unhappy lately.
I can’t explain when I fell in love with you. As Zhang San, liking you seemed natural; as Xiahou Dan, it was almost like a madness. All I know is that since then, I’ve been even more afraid of exposing myself.
Those drowning beg for a piece of driftwood to hold onto. But when they drift too far from shore, they are beyond saving. Holding onto the driftwood tightly only drags the wood into the water as well.
I hope, at least, not to let you get stained with blood. I hope that in this sea of darkness, there is at least one place where you can sleep peacefully. I hope to face your fearful and guarded eyes a little later. Most of all, I hope to see you forever bright and fearless, like the young girl who was once invincible and conquered all.
If you ever feel temporarily timid and wavering, needing someone of your kind to give you strength, then I will play that role, until the day I die.
Translation by Spider
Next: Chapter 21
Previous: Chapter 19