How Dare You?! 成何体统 (Cheng He Ti Tong)
By 七英俊 Qi Ying Jun
Translation by Spider
She stood at the endpoint and starting point of power, overlooking the torrent where the wind began to rise. Realms changed with the turn of her mind, fortunes rose and fell with karma. Sunrises and sunsets, upheavals of dynasties. all at her whim.
She couldn’t help but tremble uncontrollably for a moment, suddenly feeling an unprecedented sense of awe and loneliness. At that moment, Yu Wanyin suddenly understood the meaning of ‘alone’. Perhaps everyone who reaches the highest point has passed through this turning point. Whether it’s deviation or abandonment, letting go of tightly held hands and throwing oneself into the vast emptiness.
But why them? Why did someone who was lazy and weak, whose only pleasure in life was reading novels in the subway, fall into this world and end up in this position? This question, which should have been asked by wise men and answered by heroes throughout history, was now thrust upon her by fate. Since she had to answer it…
Yu Wanyin suddenly smiled abruptly. Then her answer is: she wants it all.
“General Lin,” Yu Wanyin said, “His Majesty commands you to obey the orders of This Mistress, right?”
Both Lin Xuanying and the giants were stunned.
Since Yu Wanyin publicly forced him to show loyalty, it meant that whatever command she was about to give, they probably wouldn’t like it.
Lin Xuanying lowered his head and met her gaze. Compared to the pampered imperial concubine he had first met, she was now pale and thin, with a faint bluish shadow under her eyes.
What was unbelievable was that this contrast made her features even more striking. The raised eyebrows, crimson corners of her eyes, the faint curve at the corner of her lips, were both charming and dignified.
It seemed like a long time before he knelt down and said, “I am willing to serve Your Majesty with the diligence of a dog or horse.”
In the palace hall, the civil and military officials were as silent as cicadas in winter, only the brave dared to glance up in amazement.
Xiahou Bo’s wheelchair was parked next to the empty dragon throne. He sat askew, looking down at everyone. “His Majesty has been afflicted by the demon consort and is unable to recover. Therefore, he has entrusted me to handle state affairs. Does anyone have any matters to report?”
His current appearance was truly horrifying. Half of his head was bandaged. Bei Zhou’s shot not only shattered one of his ears, but also destroyed the surrounding skin. It was certain that his face had been disfigured.
Even more serious were his legs, which were wrapped up like a dumpling. Many people saw it at the foot of Mount Bei; his legs were smashed by a huge stone, and when he was dragged out, his bones had broken into countless pieces.
The old chief physician at the Imperial Medical Centre has already changed the treatment three times in an attempt to save the two legs, but the outlook is still bleak. Even the courtiers, with their rudimentary medical knowledge, were muttering to themselves that such serious injuries could lead to sepsis and death.
Despite this, he persisted in attending court with a pallid face and beads of cold sweat on his forehead.
This man’s ambition was simply mad to the point of insanity.
It’s also possible that he was originally a concealed madman, even crazier than Xiahou Dan.
But even for those courtiers who clearly understood his ambitions for power, they dared not speak out – outside the Great Hall, his rebel army continued to patrol everywhere, crushing any sign of resistance. Meanwhile, three large armies were advancing on the capital from outside.
It was only a matter of time before this man took control of power. Why risk their life for nothing?
Xiahou Bo urged again, and several old ministers nervously stepped forward, reporting trivial matters.
Before he could speak, suddenly someone loudly declared, “Your Majesty, I have a matter to report.”
Li Yunxi strode forward proudly from the ranks.
At the foot of Mount Bei, just as the border troops were propping up the boulder and dragging away the crippled Prince Duan, his legs shattered, the earth suddenly began to shake.
In the midst of that chaos, Li Yunxi and others miraculously preserved their lives. The soldiers chasing them were shaken off and fell down, but they managed to grasp onto tree roots and escape disaster.
As they crawled down the mountain in desperation, Xiahou Dan and Xiahou Bo were nowhere to be seen. Only several carriages escorted by rebel soldiers could be seen hastily heading towards the imperial palace.
Because of this, doubts lingered in the hearts of the courtiers.
Li Yunxi voiced the question: “May I ask Your Highness, when can we have an audience with His Highness the Emperor?”
In the hall, Xiahou Bo lowered his eyes and looked coldly at Li Yunxi.
However, Li Yunxi was not even afraid of Xiahou Dan, and now he was even less afraid of him. He stood as if he had stepped onto the central stage, bravely looking back at him.
They locked eyes for a few seconds. Xiahou Bo seemed to want to smile, but all that twitched was half of his face, making his smile look particularly grim. “I just said that His Majesty is seriously ill and needs to recuperate. Moreover, the Demon Queen is still lurking outside, and no one knows what demonic arts she might use to disrupt the court. It’s better for the palace to be fully prepared these days. Therefore, I dare not let suspicious persons meet His Majesty.”
He emphasised the word ‘suspicious’ heavily, casting a chilling glance at several ministers.
During the Mount Bei Rebellion, amidst the chaos, civil and military officials instinctively fled towards their chosen factions. Because of this, many hidden supporters of the Empress Dowager were exposed in the eyes of Prince Duan.
As he scanned over these individuals now, a shiver ran through them, heads bowing lower, inwardly lamenting their misfortune.
Who asked them to bet on the wrong horse?
Xiahou Bo withdrew his gaze, leisurely remarking, “I am curious though, Lord Li, what pressing matters do you have that require disturbing His Majesty at this moment?”
With the conversation having reached this point, it was clear that if Li Yunxi continued to press, he would likely be accused of being a ‘supporter of the Demon Queen.’
Li Yunxi raised his head to face Prince Duan directly, “I believe. “
“I believe that the events at Mount Bei were highly suspicious, with many unanswered questions that need to be reported to His Majesty.” A voice interrupted.
Yang Duojie walked slowly to Li Yunxi’s side and stood shoulder to shoulder with him, “Based solely on the word of a mere assassin, are we to convict the empress of a nation?”
“Exactly,” Er Lan followed immediately after, “Minister Yu, as a respected minister, was imprisoned without trial. What law is this following?”
“Outrageous!” cried a supporter of Prince Duan, “Your Highness, these people are causing trouble for no reason, with sinister intentions. They should be detained and thoroughly investigated!”
Xiahou Bo narrowed his eyes and raised his hand towards the guards.
“Minister Jin, you are mistaken!”
A young official suddenly strode forward, “Minister Li seeks an audience with His Majesty because of crucial matters that require His Majesty’s personal judgement. I wonder what Minister Jin means by causing trouble for no reason?”
This person was one of the exposed supporters of the Empress Dowager during the Mount Bei incident.
With his lead, the remaining supporters of the Empress Dowager looked at each other and felt a bit restless. When they had seen the fierce light in Prince Duan’s eyes earlier, many of them had understood. Now, it was too late for them to play it safe. Even if they ducked their heads for a while, with Prince Duan’s meticulous and suspicious nature, they would have no future.
Rather than await certain death, they might as well take a chance.
At this critical juncture, everyone couldn’t help but feel a surge of defiance. How could such an usurper be allowed to act so arrogantly!
One after another, more than twenty people stood up and confronted Prince Duan’s faction. Even those who didn’t speak up finally raised their heads, staring directly at Prince Duan.
Countless gazes shot towards him simultaneously, creating an imposing momentum.
Hatred surged in Xiahou Bo’s heart.
He could kill one or two people. But with the opposition forces not completely cleared from the capital, he couldn’t afford to kill dozens of senior officials.
He had to grit his teeth and endure for a few more days until the three armies arrived. Then he would have nothing to worry about.
Taking a deep breath, he spoke calmly, “Later today, when His Majesty’s health improves, he will naturally summon you all. Court is adjourned.”
With that, he gestured for the palace attendants to push him away, his departure seeming somewhat like fleeing in haste.
Naturally, Li Yunxi and the others were not going to be placated by such vague words.
After court adjourned, they, along with a group of young officials, went directly to Xiahou Dan’s palace and knelt before it.
When the guards approached to drive them away, Li Yunxi displayed an air of righteousness, “We are only kneeling here to pray for His Majesty’s well-being, waiting for his summons.” He stated.
These were all Civil officials with no martial power, who invoked that they were praying in the name of the Emperor. The guards dared not act without permission, so they had to seek Prince Duan’s approval.
It’s unclear what Xiahou Bo instructed, but no one came to drive them away, allowing them to kneel in the cold wind on their own.
By afternoon, the Civil officials were shivering, even Li Yunxi, who was the strongest among them, was visibly shaking. Er Lan beside him had a grim face, looking on the verge of collapse.
Li Yunxi struggled to lift his head and glanced at the still-closed palace gates, pondering whether to force his way in now or return home and try again tomorrow at the morning court, even if it meant death.
At this moment, the palace doors suddenly opened, and a palace maid rushed out, running along the corridor.
Li Yunxi squinted as he watched, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
Before long, the maid hurried back with an elderly physician staggering behind her. The guards promptly closed the gates, blocking their view.
A moment later, Xiahou Bo arrived in person, his expression cold and stern, being pushed through the gates. Li Yunxi and the others had already stood up and called out to him, but he ignored them completely.
Li Yunxi turned to the guard, “Let us in.”
“I have orders not to allow anyone in.” the guard said.
Yang Duojie nervously pulled Li Yunxi aside and approached the guard. Before he could say a few words, a sharp wail came from inside the door.
Li Yunxi and the others pushed through a group of weeping palace maids and rushed into the inner room.
The physician knelt, and Prince Duan sat. The person lying on the bed was pale, eyes fixed and lifeless.
Li Yunxi couldn’t accept it. He carefully examined the face three times, a loud “boom” sounded in his mind, and he found himself kneeling down, feeling utterly confused.
How could it really be Xiahou Dan?
How could Xiahou Dan… die so silently, so desolately?
This shouldn’t be him, nor should this be how he died.
Prince Duan sat crookedly in his wheelchair, struggling to reach out and hold Xiahou Dan’s hand, his face filled with profound grief. “Your Majesty, rest assured, I will take good care of the young crown prince.”
A taste of blood rose in Li Yunxi’s mouth as he clenched his teeth. He suddenly raised his head, glaring fiercely at Prince Duan.
Xiahou Bo seemed oblivious, elegantly wiping his eyes with his sleeve. The undamaged half of his face still radiated gentleness and refinement. “In this turbulent time, we cannot be without a ruler even for a day. Prepare for the crown prince’s enthronement ceremony as soon as possible. Guards. “
“Yes!” Voices outside the window responded in unison, with a stunning momentum.
Xiahou Bo’s gaze swept over Li Yunxi and then drifted away lightly, “Escort the gentlemen back to their residences for rest and prepare for the mourning.”
Dong, dong,
The deep toll of funeral bells echoed through the capital, lingering under the leaden sky.
Lin Xuanying received this news while on horseback. The news of the emperor’s death couldn’t be suppressed, and the entire group erupted in a commotion.
He was stunned for a few breaths, then suddenly turned back and looked behind him. Yu Wanyin was pretending to be his personal guard, marching behind him.
Most of her face was hidden by armour, revealing no expression.
Lin Xuanying gathered the reins, slowed down to match her pace, but hesitated for the first time, unsure how to broach the subject.
Finally, he dryly asked in a low voice, “What do you think about this?”
“It’s good news.” Yu Wanyin said.
He looked at Yu Wanyin with some trepidation.
Yu Wanyin’s voice remained steady, “If the body is real, Prince Duan no longer has any leverage over us. If the body is fake, it means he hasn’t found the emperor yet, so he still has no leverage. In either case, we can continue with our plan.”
Lin Xuanying struggled to organise his thoughts. “Is it possible that the body is fake, but the emperor is still in Prince Duan’s hands, using it as a last resort?”
“Impossible.” Yu Wanyin shook her head calmly. “The news came from him. Now that everyone knows the emperor has died, who would believe it if he produces another ’emperor’ later?”
Lin Xuanying was shocked. “But wouldn’t you believe it?”
“I would. But Prince Duan doesn’t believe I would. He himself is naturally cold-hearted and believes everyone else is the same. He wouldn’t risk it with human nature. I understood this when devising the plan.”
Yu Wanyin’s plan, in its simplicity and directness, was this: Prince Duan was eager to meet with the leaders of the three armies sooner or later. Lin Xuanying just needed to endure until then, and then kill them all on the spot. The leaders would die together, and the rest would naturally scatter like monkeys when the tree falls. If the other two armies still harboured treacherous intentions by then, it wouldn’t be too late for the Right Army to slaughter them.
Originally, Lin Xuanying had thought of striking decisively before Prince Duan grew suspicious, simply accustomed to the mindset of the era of steel weapons, without considering overwhelming firepower, which would grant them limitless tactical freedom.
But what if Prince Duan became suspicious? What if he set up even more defences? Unless he developed bulletproof armour, everything would be futile.
According to this plan, cutting the head off the python will make it easier to wrestle, minimising casualties. Delaying the operation would also provide more time to search for Xiahou Dan’s whereabouts, ensuring he wouldn’t be put in danger.
However, the ‘good news’ from the capital…
Lin Xuanying glanced worriedly at Yu Wanyin beside him.
Yu Wanyin seemed overly calm, unnaturally so.
Just as he was about to speak again to discuss the possibility of the body being real, she said, “Since the emperor isn’t in Prince Duan’s hands, we must hurry to find him.”
Lin Xuanying: “…”
She was completely refusing to entertain the possibility of the body being real.
Yu Wanyin not only refused to discuss it but also refused to think in that direction.
Once she opened that valve, her thoughts would immediately stall, and her hands and feet would no longer obey her.
As if compelled by some force, she heard a voice urging her: Don’t stop, don’t think of him, keep moving forward.
She knew she was relying solely on determination. She couldn’t let that determination falter here because there were things she had to accomplish.
One day’s march later, the army set up camp.
Lin Xuanying pointed out a separate tent for Yu Wanyin, still guarded by Twelve and Forty-Seven.
She also had an extra follower. After entering Peiyang City, she had intended to pay off the mute woman’s fees and bid her farewell. But unexpectedly, the mute woman rolled her eyes and gestured that she wanted to stay and work.
Stealing was too hard, she didn’t want to work hard anymore.
Yu Wanyin hesitated for a moment. Considering that the mute woman had had countless opportunities to hand her over to the pursuers, but had never betrayed them, she didn’t seem to be malicious by nature. Besides, as a woman following the army, there were indeed many inconveniences. So she reluctantly accepted her as a servant.
The mute woman was clever and agile. Just as two Shadow Guards set up the tent, she had already laid out the bedding for Yu Wanyin and even fetched a hot water bottle, filled it with hot water, and handed it to Yu Wanyin, indicating she should hold it to keep warm.
Still recovering from the cold wind, Yu Wanyin hugged the warm water bottle and sighed in relief, deciding not to inquire where the mute woman had gotten it from.
Yu Wanyin had expected to have difficulty sleeping all night, but due to physical exhaustion, she fell into a deep, unconscious sleep.
In the middle of the night, she was suddenly awakened by someone pushing her.
The mute woman crouched in front of her, lighting a match, her face alert, gesturing for her to listen carefully.
Yu Wanyin forced herself to wake up, only hearing the howling wind and snow outside the tent.
“What’s going on…?” Yu Wanyin started.
As her words trailed off, she hesitated slightly. Amidst the wind and snow, there seemed to be other disturbances. a noisy clamour. Yet before she could distinguish them clearly, the clamour abruptly ceased.
Yu Wanyin pushed aside her bedding and took the matchstick from the mute woman’s hand.
If something had gone wrong, why hadn’t Lin Xuanying sent someone to inform her? Even Twelve and Forty-Seven hadn’t signalled any alert?
Suspicion crept into her heart, and she blew out the match. To avoid suspicion, the central part of the tent was separated by a cloth curtain, with the two shadow guards keeping watch on the other side.
Yu Wanyin stealthily walked over and lifted the cloth curtain. Sure enough, both shadow guards outside were nowhere to be found.
She then lifted the door curtain and squinted outside into the blowing snow.
At this moment, the camp was eerily quiet, unlike the scene of an ambush. Not far away, Lin Xuanying’s commander’s tent flickered with lantern light.
Before Yu Wanyin could reach the entrance of the commander’s tent, the curtain was pushed open by someone, and Lin Xuanying strode out quickly. As he spoke to someone behind him, he almost collided with Yu Wanyin but managed to sidestep in time.
“You wait, I’m going to ask. Your Highness!” He nearly bumped into Yu Wanyin. “…Why are you awake?”
“I’m looking for my guards.” Yu Wanyin said.
Lin Xuanying paused, puzzled. “They’re missing? Don’t worry, I’ll send someone to find them. It’s cold out here, come inside and talk.”
Lin Xuanying found a blanket for her. “Sit. Why did you run out with so little on? Have some hot tea…”
He said he would send someone to find the guards, but there was no action from him for a while.
Yu Wanyin glanced at him inquisitively, didn’t touch the cup of hot tea, but calmly surveyed the tent, taking note that a cloth curtain also hung in the commander’s tent, dividing another part of the space. She couldn’t tell if it concealed firearms and ammunition or something else.
Lin Xuanying sat opposite her, seeming lost in thought, and took a sip of tea on his own. “Wanyin, I want to ask you again.”
It was the first time he had addressed her by her name since their reunion.
Lin Xuanying’s expression became serious. “We will soon reach the capital, and then there will be no turning back. If you want to leave, this is your last chance. I can escort you to a safe place where you can have your own life… You shouldn’t have to endure all this.
His eyes shone brighter than the single candle flame, staring intently at her.
However, this question at this moment seemed somewhat untimely. In Yu Wanyin’s mind, all she thought about was: Who was he just talking to? Where did the guards go?
“If I don’t endure it…” She smiled. “Who would? You?”
Lin Xuanying’s gaze dimmed slightly. “I’ve said I have no interest.”
“Then who does?”
Lin Xuanying: “…
Yu Wanyin had casually asked, but seeing his calm demeanour, she suddenly stopped.
“Then who does?” She asked again. “Is there someone else in charge here?”
Lin Xuanying blinked.
His gaze slightly shifted to the side.
Yu Wanyin abruptly stood up. Her movement was too fast, nearly knocking over a nearby lamp.
Lin Xuanying seemed like he wanted to help her, but she had already stumbled to the cloth curtain and tore it open.
Xiahou Dan smiled at her. “Long time no see.”
In the dim candlelight, he sat by the stove, wrapped in a fox fur coat. His face, however, lacked any hint of colour, showing a ghostly pallor. The wind stirred the flickering shadows of the lamp as it swayed, and he was half hidden in the dense blackness, his long hair scattered, surrounded by an aura as dark as ink.
“…Where have you been?” She asked.
Xiahou Dan calmly replied, “Just as A’Bai said, if you wish to leave, now is your last chance.”
Yu Wanyin took another step forward, catching a faint smell of blood. “What happened on the way? Where’s Uncle Bei?”
Xiahou Dan ignored her, “Have you read the letter?”
Suddenly, Yu Wanyin felt a surge of anger, “Shut up and answer my question!”
“It seems you have read it. Now that everything is known, you can carefully consider your choices…”
“Smack!” Yu Wanyin slapped him across the face.
Xiahou Dan’s entire head turned to the side, motionless for a while.
Yu Wanyin’s chest heaved, “So, you’ve returned, yet instead of coming to me, you hide and send A’Bai to dismiss me?”
Lin Xuanying: “…
Lin Xuanying peeked out from behind the curtain. “I’ll leave for now.”
Neither of them paid him any mind.
Lin Xuanying silently walked away.
Yu Wanyin’s voice grew colder, “Did you really think I would just walk away at a time like this?”
Finally, Xiahou Dan moved, slowly turning to look at her, his eyes faintly gleaming, weakly saying, “No woman has ever dared to strike me.”
Yu Wanyin: “?”
Yu Wanyin, full of rage, suddenly felt like a burst balloon pricked by a needle, unsure of what expression to make.
On the contrary, Xiahou Dan’s eyes held a hint of amusement as he reached out to tug at her sleeve, “Calm down.”
Yu Wanyin shook off his hand.
Xiahou Dan: “…”
Yu Wanyin grabbed his fox fur coat by the collar and pulled it down, then moved to remove his inner garment.
Xiahou Dan dodged, “Is this how you greet someone after a long absence…”
Yu Wanyin paid no attention to his jests, quickly tearing open his clothes in a few swift movements, exposing his skin underneath. At the same time, she understood the source of the faint scent of blood.
There were no weapon wounds on Xiahou Dan’s body, just patches of bruises and scratches all over, the skin split open, scabs joined by scabs, and unhealed wounds oozing blood.
Yu Wanyin then grabbed his wrist, rolled up his sleeve, and as expected, saw blood-stained bite marks.
She turned her head as if her eyes had been burned, gritting her teeth, “Did you have an episode on the road?”
“Yes.” Xiahou Dan answered.
Because of this, he couldn’t arrive in Peiyang as planned.
At the foot of Mount Bei, during the chaos of the earthquake, Bei Zhou, severely injured, carried him and fought his way out with a group of Shadow Guards.
After shaking off their pursuers, Bei Zhou stopped halfway, handed Xiahou Dan over to the Shadow Guards, gave him a deep look, then left the group and went alone down another path.
He didn’t say a word, so Xiahou Dan didn’t know if he was worried about slowing down the group’s pace or if he had learned his true identity and chose to part ways.
Later on, relying on a group of Shadow Guards who sacrificed themselves to protect him, they narrowly escaped several dangerous situations. Just as they could see Peiyang in the distance, Xiahou Dan suddenly suffered a relapse of his poison.
This episode was more violent and severe than before. Xiahou Dan remained conscious for only as long as it takes an incense stick to burn before he loses his senses. Later, in agony and madness, he did things of which he was completely unaware.
At first, the shadow guards did not dare to restrain him. But when they couldn’t stop him from hurting himself, and feared that too much commotion would attract pursuers, they had no choice but to tie him up and hide him.
By the time he regained consciousness, two days and nights had passed. By then, Lin Xuanying had already led the army away from Peiyang.
Xiahou Dan sent someone to contact Lin Xuanying and confirm Yu Wanyin’s safety. But he was too weak himself. Appearing before the Right Army at this time would only shake their morale. Thus, he waited until nightfall before being brought to the military camp by one of Lin Xuanying’s confidants.
“I wanted to sneak a glance at you first… Ah.” Xiahou Dan paused, taking a sharp breath. “Be gentle.”
Yu Wanyin was in the midst of reapplying medicine for him. At his words, her fingertips trembled involuntarily. “Does it hurt a lot?”
Only after asking did she suddenly realise, he had suffered from splitting headaches for more than a decade. Would he really sigh in pain for such a minor injury?
Yet Xiahou Dan pursed his lips, shamelessly saying, “A bit. How about you blow on it?”
Unable to bear it any longer, Yu Wanyin remained silent for a few seconds before staring directly at him. “Are you doing this on purpose?”
“Hmm?”
“Intentionally provoking me, and deliberately letting me discover your injury on my own?”
Xiahou Dan remained silent.
“Yes,” he finally admitted.
Yu Wanyin lowered her eyes as she applied medicine for him, then fetched warm clothing from beside the stove, gently wrapping him up. She quietly asked, “In fact, when A’Bai went to find me, it was also because you intentionally wanted to make me suspicious, to come to your tent to find you, wasn’t it?”
Xiahou Dan bowed his head. “Yes.”
Suddenly, a pang of bitterness welled up in Yu Wanyin’s heart. “What do you want? You’ve gone to such lengths… hiding things from me for so long, then sending me off alone to save myself, leaving behind a letter confessing everything… and now appearing in front of me like this, asking me if I want to leave… What exactly do you want?”
Xiahou Dan said nothing.
As she got up, Xiahou Dan’s fingers lightly clasped her wrist.
The candlelight flickered, reflecting in his deep, inscrutable eyes, finally showing a glimmer of light.
Yu Wanyin shivered as if struck by ice.
His grip on her fingers suddenly tightened, the force causing her pain for the first time.
Xiahou Dan looked up at her, the relaxed smile he had deliberately crafted disappeared without a trace. Even the gentle warmth in his misty eyes when facing her faded away.
Like a scorpion raising its stinger, like a wolf king baring its fangs, a monarch who smiled cunningly to the end, now stared at her expressionlessly. There was no longer any mask between them, only naked, brutally honest mutual understanding.
He didn’t say a word, yet he had already conveyed everything: all of this was planned. Using himself as bait, weaving a web step by step, it was his most intricate and cruel strategy.
Yu Wanyin should have felt awkward and uncomfortable, yet she felt as if she had been waiting for this moment for a century, a sense of clarity filling her heart. Instead of struggling, she raised her free hand and gently touched his lips.
The cruel lonely monarch closed his eyes and kissed her palm.
“I want you to love me.”
Lin Xuanying endured a difficult night.
Initially worried that the two of them would argue upon meeting, he stood outside the camp and listened for a while. As the sounds inside gradually became unsettling, he stood dumbfounded for a moment before cursing under his breath and walking away.
After a few steps, he turned back around, gesturing to command the guards around to strengthen their defences.
Xiahou Dan had occupied his tent, leaving him with nowhere to stay. Eventually, filled with frustration, he slipped into a subordinate’s tent. In the dead of night, he woke everyone up for a meeting, forcing a few strong men to stay up with him all night.
Before dawn and before the army woke up, Lin Xuanying returned to the main commander’s tent. Clearing his throat heavily from outside the fabric curtains, he sarcastically asked, “Did His Majesty sleep well last night?”
There was rustling inside. After a moment, Yu Wanyin emerged, dressed neatly, her eyes sleepy and weary as she said, “Thank you for your trouble.”
Lin Xuanying thought to himself: With you like this, won’t the wounded be tortured half to death from sleep deprivation?
But Xiahou Dan appeared behind her, looking refreshed, with a hint of colour returning to his face. Compared to his half-dead appearance when he first arrived last night, he now resembled an old demon who had regained his vitality and was once again wearing a mask.
Lin Xuanying: “…”
He didn’t want to know how they spent last night.
Looking weary, Lin Xuanying said, “What are the plans next? Could the two of you please give some instructions.”
Before dawn, as the army set off, two inconspicuous guards had already been added to the carts transporting firearms and gunpowder.
Xiahou Dan decided to continue lying low according to Yu Wanyin’s plan, so he only met in secret with Lin Xuanying’s trusted lieutenants. He needed to recover from his injuries as quickly as possible so that when the time came to reveal his true self and rally the troops, he could boost morale and stabilise the situation.
Yu Wanyin naturally accompanied him.
The undercover guards rode ahead, while the carts rumbled forward. Inside, the interior had been arranged as comfortably as possible for the two of them.
Glancing through a crack in the window, Xiahou Dan whispered, “Actually, it would be safer for you to stay in Peiyang to preside over matters. After the turmoil in the capital settles down…”
“Dream on.” Yu Wanyin flatly refused, “I won’t let you succeed a second time.”
Xiahou Dan looked at her, sighing with a hint of a smile, “Wanyin… don’t you want to travel the world?”
“The world will still be there. We can delay a bit. After we raise a child who can stand on their own, we can retire together.” Yu Wanyin casually remarked, “Okay?”
Xiahou Dan hesitated, “Alright.”
Both of them looked serious, though they both knew deep down that this was just a fleeting fantasy.
. Xiahou Dan’s hope of surviving his next poisoning relapse was slim.
It was precisely because of this that he needed to seize the moment of clarity to quickly sort out the situation and pave the way for the future.
By staying now, Yu Wanyin was implicitly making a heavier commitment: she would take over this burden from him.
Before she arrived, he had already exhausted himself, burning his candle at both ends. If she allowed this flickering flame to extinguish, it would erase the meaning of his existence.
So she couldn’t go anywhere. She would protect the peace of the land and ensure a long period of tranquillity.
Snowflakes kept falling on the road. Lin Xuanying was afraid that the two non-combatant patients in the carriage would catch cold again. He stuffed blankets and hand warmers into the carriage as if they cost nothing.
As a result, the compartment was cramped but warm. The two of them squeezed together like animals hibernating in a tree hollow, having nothing else to do but chat idly.
At this moment, amidst the warm atmosphere, there was also a hint of awkwardness.
It was Yu Wanyin who started the conversation just now. “You still don’t know my real name, do you?”
“Hmm, I used to have doubts myself, so I didn’t dare broach this topic with you. What’s your name?” Xiahou Dan asked.
“Wang Cuihua.”
“?”
“Well, your parents aren’t so bad then.”
“You’re too kind.”
After a moment of silence, Yu Wanyin couldn’t help but laugh again, “But I never expected you to be a middle schooler. This age-gap romance is a bit hard for me to accept…”
Xiahou Dan’s face darkened, “There may not necessarily be an age difference between us.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I have spent over ten years in the book, and in reality I may not have come here at the same time as you. To be honest, when you used some modern terms earlier when talking about the outside world, there were some I didn’t quite understand. So I’ve always had my suspicions. “
Yu Wanyin paused, suddenly recalling Xie Yong’er’s reaction upon hearing ‘maglev train’. She had arrived two years before herself, just when the concept of electromagnetic levitating trains was becoming popular. Therefore, she had suspected that ‘Devil’s Beloved Consort’ was an old story.
“What year was it when you transmigrated?” She asked.
“2016.”
Yu Wanyin was dumbfounded, “I’m from 2026.”
Xiahou Dan looked incredulous, “You said earlier that this story was sent to you on your phone? For such a trashy story, why did it become popular for ten years?”
In any case, this news finally made Yu Wanyin let go of her hope of returning.
Originally, she had hoped that after their souls left their bodies, their real bodies would still lie in the hospital as vegetative patients. Then one day in the future, when they woke up, they could continue their relationship in reality.
But now it seemed that even if Zhang San had been out of body for ten years, the possibility of him still being alive was quite slim.
Xiahou Dan, on the other hand, had not planned in that direction at all, his attention still focused on a serious issue, “So what about us? Isn’t it an age-gap romance?”
“Well. ” Yu Wanyin deliberately dragged out her tone.
“Hmm?”
“I don’t know.” Yu Wanyin touched his chin, “Maybe we should first try calling me ‘jiejie’ and see how it feels.”
Suddenly, the carriage jolted, as if it had hit a stone. At the same time, there was a faint sound of something breaking through the air outside, followed by the unsheathing of a longsword by the Shadow Guards.
Xiahou Dan’s eyes narrowed, reacting swiftly. He pulled Yu Wanyin close and down, hiding behind the box containing firearms, before asking, “What’s going on?”
The Shadow Guard hurriedly said, “It’s nothing, just refugees causing trouble.”
“Refugees?”
The Shadow Guard’s tone was somewhat complicated, “The local people along the way mistook us for rebels… hiding behind trees and throwing stones at us. They’ve already been driven away.”
On their journey with the Right Army, the people of various states hadn’t dared to act rashly, but they hadn’t refrained from rolling their eyes or spitting behind their backs. Many still remembered the benefits of Xiahou Dan’s light taxes and duties, and did not believe the nonsense the Empress Dowager had spread about him being a witch’s husband and an incompetent ruler. Now that they had heard of Xiahou Dan’s sudden death, they firmly believed that the Empress Dowager had seized power and usurped the throne. So when they saw the huge army heading for the capital, they weren’t happy, and the brave ones started throwing stones.
Yu Wanyin understood the cause and effect, her expression becoming complicated, “Well, I’m somewhat moved.”
Xiahou Dan also smiled, “This is all thanks to the Empress.”
Before her arrival, his strength was only enough to compete head-on with the Empress Dowager.
Translation by Spider
Next: Chapter 23
Previous: Chapter 21