On the final day of the mourning period, news finally arrived: someone had been moving about Mount Bei late at night, shifting several large boulders and burying them beneath the snow.
"Looks like they've chosen Plan B," Yu Wanyin said. "Are our people in position?"
Xiahou Dan replied, "They've been lying in ambush in the mountains for days. On the day of the funeral procession, the Imperial Guards will also surround Mount Bei to prevent any opportunity for them to act."
After finalizing the operational details with the Shadow Guard, Yu Wanyin brought up the matter of Xie Yong'er. Xiahou Dan raised no objections and immediately arranged a carriage to send her away.
Despite everything being in place, Yu Wanyin felt an increasing unease, as if she had overlooked some crucial detail.
She ran through the plan in her mind over and over, each time feeling it grow more precarious.
Xiahou Dan said, "Don't just focus on others. What about you? Why don't you hide with Xie Yong'er for now—"
Yu Wanyin cut him off, "I'm going with you to Mount Bei."
Xiahou Dan: "?"
He frowned. "No."
"I can disguise myself as a guard, like before—"
"Your presence won't help."
"It will! Otherwise, why make the guns? Don't forget, my aim is better than yours."
"We don't need you there!" Xiahou Dan softened his tone. "Listen, this time it's truly dangerous. I thought this wasn't even up for discussion—didn't we agree on this when you were named empress?"
"Agreed on what?"
Xiahou Dan: "."
Yu Wanyin pressed him, "Agreed on what?"
"Agreed to let me be at ease," Xiahou Dan said flatly. "Do you want me to have one more worry in a life-or-death situation?"
Yu Wanyin turned and strode away.
She wasn't sure what stung more—Xiahou Dan's tone, as if he were leaving last words, or the ominous premonition she couldn't shake.
The Shadow Guard glanced at Xiahou Dan's expression.
His face calm, Xiahou Dan dismissed them and knelt alone before the memorial tablet, awaiting the next wave of mourning officials.
Footsteps approached, and Yu Wanyin stormed back in, exasperated. "Let's go. What's the point of kneeling? They're planning to strike at Mount Bei, and you're thinking of celebrating the New Year with the Empress Dowager?"
With a dark expression, she pulled Xiahou Dan up and called loudly to the attendants, "His Majesty is unwell. Escort him back to his chambers to rest."
Xiahou Dan quickly slipped into character, lamenting, "But my mother—"
Yu Wanyin urged earnestly, "Your Majesty, your health comes first. Do not delay tomorrow's procession."
Xiahou Dan: "Well... that makes sense."
They returned to the palace chambers, shut the doors, and dismissed all the attendants.
Yu Wanyin asked, "Shall we make dumplings?"
Xiahou Dan looked at her expression, puzzled. Suppressing her agitation, Yu Wanyin turned away. "Let's make some. It's the New Year, after all. I'll call Uncle Bei."
The thought that after today, no one knew what tomorrow would bring made time feel more precious than ever. She couldn't even spare the energy to stay angry.
Xiahou Dan smiled. "Alright."
Bei Zhou gladly accepted the invitation, bringing over a full set of kitchenware and demonstrating his dough-kneading skills.
Xiahou Dan removed his mourning robes and helped chop the filling nearby, the spacing between each chop as unpredictable as human fate. After watching for a while, Yu Wanyin couldn't take it anymore and snatched the cleaver away. "Move aside."
Xiahou Dan refused to leave and insisted on commenting, "That's the pot calling the kettle black."
"Still better than you... Change tasks. Can you wrap dumplings?"Bei Zhou said, "How could he possibly know how? Let me do it, you two go have fun."
Bei Zhou worked swiftly, his hands flying as he single-handedly accomplished the work of ten. Yu Wanyin couldn’t find an opportunity to help, so she decided to do something else.
The palace had originally been decorated for the New Year, but the Empress Dowager’s untimely death had forced them to take everything down. After searching for a while, Yu Wanyin dug out two Palace Lanterns adorned with dragons and phoenixes symbolizing marital bliss. Unable to hang them outside, she hung them by the bed for her own amusement.
She then went to the side hall to call Xie Yong’er. "Want some dumplings?"
Xie Yong’er: "...Sure."
Surprisingly, Xiahou Dan picked up a brush and wrote a pair of Spring Festival couplets.
Yu Wanyin was astonished. "Your handwriting?"
"How is it?"
"Was it always this good before?"
Without looking up, Xiahou Dan finished the stroke with a flourish, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I’ve been practicing."
Yu Wanyin tilted her head, scrutinizing the characters. They had practiced calligraphy together, yet his progress had been so meteoric that he had suddenly left her in the dust.
Xiahou Dan: "Stop overthinking it. I’ve had an epiphany, while you can only watch helplessly from afar."
Yu Wanyin: "?"
Her fists clenched. "Are you a middle schooler?"
Xiahou Dan laughed.
Xie Yong’er: "Ahem."
She cleared her throat politely, reminding them that there was still a third wheel present. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Well, now that you mention it," Xiahou Dan said, "where’s your guitar? Bring it over and play us a festive tune?"
Xie Yong’er froze.
Centuries later, Xie Yong’er finally realized what she had been through.
"You… you two…" Her fingers trembled. "When I was playing the guitar…"
Xiahou Dan nodded. "You played Canon quite well."
Yu Wanyin: "And Romance de Amor ."
Xiahou Dan: "Though you missed a few notes. Still, I managed not to laugh."
Xie Yong’er: "..."
"Don’t be like that," Yu Wanyin said, poking him with a straight face. "It wasn’t that bad."
"Right, right."
Xie Yong’er: "…………"
The dumplings were ready. The group gathered around the table, pouring small cups of wine.
Outside, the sky darkened as heavy snowflakes drifted down.
Xiahou Dan let out a surprised sound. "Something’s stuck in my teeth…" He spat it out and froze.
It was a copper coin.
Bei Zhou raised his cup with a smile. "Dan’er, may all your wishes come true, and may you have peace year after year." The New Year’s meal had been so casual that he didn’t bother with palace formalities—this was simply an elder’s blessing for a younger one.
Xiahou Dan paused, then suddenly stood up.
Before Bei Zhou could react, he remained seated as Xiahou Dan raised his arms, holding the cup level with his brow, and bowed to him.
It was the bow of a child to a parent.
Bei Zhou was startled, scrambling to his feet. "Dan’er, this isn’t proper!"
Yu Wanyin grinned and tugged at him. "It’s fine, it’s fine, Uncle. Just accept it." She thought to herself that Xiahou Dan’s every movement carried an impeccable grace—she had no idea how he had practiced it, but it was mesmerizing to watch.
Flustered, Bei Zhou returned the bow, his eyes slightly red.
Xiahou Dan refilled his cup, then turned to Yu Wanyin.
Yu Wanyin: "."
Sensing what was coming, she stood up to face him.
Xiahou Dan gazed at her intently, his striking features illuminated by the wine’s glow, his eyes shimmering. Slowly, he raised the cup to his brow before solemnly lowering his lashes.
Yu Wanyin mirrored his movements, bowing in return.
It was the bow of husband and wife.Her ears began to burn, and the ordinary wine cup in her hand suddenly felt scalding, as if it had taken on the significance of a nuptial wine cup.
Xie Yong'er and Bei Zhou silently quickened their pace as they ate the dumplings.
The snowfall had ceased, and the clouds over the capital gradually dispersed, revealing a clear night sky.
Li Yunxi went to visit Cen Jintian and stayed to share a New Year's meal with him. On the way back, he remained deep in thought. Yang Duojie, who was sharing the carriage with him, asked curiously, "What's on your mind?"
"You think..." Li Yunxi hesitated, looking embarrassed. "Doesn't Er Lan seem a bit too attentive toward Brother Cen?"
Yang Duojie leaned back. "Ha, I thought it was something serious. So you've finally noticed."
Li Yunxi: "?"
Yang Duojie scoffed lightly. "I realized long ago that Er Lan has a fondness for men. I thought you were aware too—why else would you have disliked him at first? But honestly, once you get to know him, he's not so bad..."
Li Yunxi stood frozen in shock.
Yang Duojie waved a hand in front of his face. "What, no 'how improper' this time?"
A thousand miles away, snow fell thick as mats.
Lin Xuanying stood on the high ground by the riverbank, gazing down as soldiers broke the ice to fetch water.
"Deputy General." A subordinate hurried over, presenting a secret letter.
Lin Xuanying opened it and skimmed the contents. "Prince Duan will make his move tomorrow. Once chaos erupts, we won’t need to hide anymore. The other two armies set out earlier—they might already be close."
"So we should..."
Lin Xuanying looked up at the distant city lights flickering through the snowstorm. "Prepare to charge straight in."
In the palace.
After a satisfying meal of dumplings, Xie Yong'er excused herself to pack her belongings.
Before leaving, she pulled Yu Wanyin aside outside the door and took out a letter from her sleeve. "After I leave tomorrow, could you pass this to Xiao Tiancai for me?"
"Sure. It’s not a rejection letter, is it?"
Xie Yong'er: "..."
Xie Yong'er’s smooth departure was bought with Xiao Tiancai’s professional skills. The lovestruck fool had tried to keep it from her, but she wasn’t stupid—a little deduction had led her to the truth.
Yu Wanyin: "It really is a rejection letter? And the tone is gentle, right? Don’t break his heart so badly he slacks off at work."
Xie Yong'er laughed helplessly. "Don’t worry about that."
She watched as Yu Wanyin tucked the letter close to her chest, seeming somewhat moved. "I never thought the person I’d entrust this to in the end would be you."
Life was like a play, and the plot had galloped wildly off the rails to this point. The two of them had schemed and struggled against each other, and even now, they couldn’t be said to have fully opened their hearts. Yet Xie Yong'er’s request didn’t surprise Yu Wanyin at all.
Perhaps they could both laugh and chat amiably with the other beauties in the palace, but their backgrounds and circumstances were too different—some thoughts could never be conveyed in words. At times, Yu Wanyin inexplicably felt that even Xiahou Dan didn’t truly understand her.
But those restless fears, those lofty ambitions, even those tangled, lovesick thoughts—Xie Yong'er grasped them all without needing a single word. In this peculiar world, they were each other’s only mirror.
Having someone who understood her so completely in this world was a threat, but also a comfort.
Yu Wanyin patted her shoulder. "What do you plan to do after leaving the city?"
"Travel for a while, see the world properly, and then..."
"Retire in seclusion?"
Xie Yong'er smiled. "How could that be? Once you’ve stabilized the empire, I’d like to come back and secure some royal investment to build a business empire."Yu Wanyin was impressed. Truly the chosen heroine, undeterred by setbacks.
"Do you have a specific business direction in mind?"
"Let's start with developing food delivery services city by city."
Yu Wanyin's eyes lit up: "Excellent, I'm in."
Xie Yong'er added: "We could also do courier services. Oh wait, that would require improving transportation first... Would you invest if I made cars?"
Yu Wanyin laughed: "Why not go all the way and build pipeline maglevs?"
"Huh? What's that?"
Yu Wanyin froze.
What year was "Demon Consort" written? She'd forgotten to check the publication date.
Could this be an old novel? Did the concept of pipeline maglev even exist when this was written?
Her pause was too abrupt. Xie Yong'er gave her a puzzled look. Flustered for a moment, Yu Wanyin quickly made up an excuse: "Nothing, just something I read in sci-fi. I can't really explain it."
"You're suggesting I build something from sci-fi?"
"Just joking..."
But Xie Yong'er kept staring at her, a dawning light slowly brightening in her eyes: "By the way, last time you mentioned... where were you from in your original world?"
Yu Wanyin: "..." Why did she have to open her big mouth.
"North... small county town, you wouldn't know it."
She inwardly groaned. Even as they were about to part ways, if Xie Yong'er started digging deeper now and fell into an existential crisis, it would be entirely her fault.
Unexpectedly, Xie Yong'er suddenly blinked, and that spark of light instantly vanished: "Alright."
For a fleeting moment, Yu Wanyin felt an odd sense of familiarity.
The subtle shifts in Xie Yong'er's expression just now—from hesitation to suppression to sudden ease—had all happened within seconds. Yet somehow, Yu Wanyin understood.
It was as if the other woman had been standing before an invisible giant door, hand outstretched for the longest time, only to turn away at this very moment.
One step forward would be an abyss; one step back, life like a dream. With a slightly dazed smile, Xie Yong'er said: "When I get the food delivery going, remember to teach me some local snacks from your hometown."
Yu Wanyin snapped back to reality: "Sure."
Why had that moment felt so familiar just now?
Xie Yong'er left. Yu Wanyin remained standing outside, exhaling a white puff of breath into the night air.
The lone moon temporarily dimmed, revealing clusters of stars. Yu Wanyin had only glanced up casually, but suddenly froze in place.
Moments later, footsteps approached from behind as Xiahou Dan came to her side: "Aren't you cold? You've been out here so long."
"I finally see it." Yu Wanyin excitedly pointed upward. "Those stars—aren't they almost perfectly aligned?"
Back in summer, A Bai had once dragged Xiahou Dan out to stargaze, mentioning something about celestial bodies nearly forming a straight line.
Yu Wanyin continued: "I later looked up Master A Bai's prophecy. 'Five stars aligned' refers to this exact celestial phenomenon. Ancient texts say it foretells an assassination attempt on the ruler."
Xiahou Dan: "That was pretty accurate."
Yu Wanyin shook her head vigorously: "No, look closer. The tail end is already curving—it's no longer a straight line. You know what that means? It means this calamity has passed. After defeating Tuer, you've successfully changed your fate!"She said excitedly: 'The darkest hour is just before dawn.'" Tomorrow will be fine."
Xiahou Dan chuckled: "Since when do modern people believe in celestial omens?""Believe it or not, I choose to believe. Let me go with you tomorrow." Yu Wanyin suddenly circled back to her original demand.
Xiahou Dan exhaled almost imperceptibly: "Wan Yin."
"I know, you've said all there is to say. But... you've been acting strange these past two days. Saying morale is low would be an understatement—it's like you're preparing for the worst!"
Xiahou Dan's remaining words died in his throat.
Had he been that obvious?
Seeing the shift in his expression, Yu Wanyin's heart clenched tighter: "I just want some peace of mind too. You're risking your life while asking me to stand by and watch—think about how that makes me feel..."
"So you'd only feel at ease if we faced danger together?"
Yu Wanyin steeled herself: "Yes."
"What about being empress? You'd give that up?"
"If we can't eliminate Prince Duan, this empress title would just be for show. I don't want to play dress-up my whole life."
Xiahou Dan froze.
After a long pause, he asked softly: "So you're saying... you'd rather die with me?"
Yu Wanyin drew a sharp breath. This question was serious.
She didn't understand why he was so pessimistic, yet somehow knew this answer mattered deeply to him.
So she considered carefully before responding: "Crossing over here was like dying once already. I thought death would lead to heaven, but instead I got this hellish dungeon. There were times I wanted to quit from sheer exhaustion, but having you as my teammate... somehow I kept going until now."
Xiahou Dan turned to gaze at her intently.
Yu Wanyin continued: "We've accomplished so much—preventing droughts, defeating the Empress Dowager, allying with Yan... Even if it ends here, I'd still be proud. Of course, there are unresolved issues, more things I'd like to do. Xie Yong'er's business empire idea intrigues me too... But this path has been exhausting. So exhausting."
Her throat tightened—she hadn't realized she was choking up.
She reached for his hand: "You promised—in life or death, you wouldn't leave me alone. Do you mean to break that vow?"
Xiahou Dan smiled: "Alright." He pulled her into an embrace. "Then we'll go together."
How wonderful—this must be what the poets meant by "in life and death, our pledge stands." Pity such ocean-deep affection was wasted on this heavy mask.
But if only tonight remained...
Xiahou Dan lowered his head to kiss her. The palace lay silent after snowfall, their kiss witnessed only by the stars—quiet and tender.
With a guiding hand at her waist, he led her toward the warmth indoors.
Just wear this mask until dawn, he thought with self-loathing.
In the flickering lamplight, their bodies entwined. Yu Wanyin surrendered to the moment, her thoughts dissolving—until a sudden realization struck like lightning.
She'd understood Xie Yong'er as if seeing her own reflection, because she too stood before a door she dared not open.
To stop thinking, she clung to Xiahou Dan's neck, letting pleasure's current sweep them both away.
Prince Duan's Residence.
Xiahou Bo finished burning paper offerings for his deceased mother and rose calmly: "Assume your positions."
His trusted followers dispersed, leaving one kneeling figure behind.
Xiahou Bo looked down: "I said I'd add one final adjustment at the last moment to evade their Heavenly Eye. That moment is now."
The death warrior bowed: "Your orders, my prince."Xiahou Bo handed him a scented sachet and several letters: "I'll dictate, you record."
In the city's deathly silence where ice ran three feet deep, a solitary night watchman's clapper sounded.
The new year had arrived.
The next morning, as the sun rose high and the auspicious hour arrived, the Emperor dressed in mourning robes completed the sacrificial rites. After listening to the ministers recite the funeral eulogy, he led the civil and military officials in escorting the Empress Dowager's triple coffin in a grand procession out of the city.
Xiahou Bo rode his horse among the procession, slightly raising his gaze to look ahead.
Today, there were noticeably more guards accompanying the imperial carriage than usual, clustered around it and effectively creating distance between His Majesty and his ministers. Behind the officials marched several hundred Imperial Guards as rear guard.
It seemed the Emperor had taken precautions. Yet the brilliance of their plan lay in the fact that unless the Emperor could foresee the future, no amount of guards would make any difference.
—Unless he could foresee the future.
Near the mountain's base, An Xian approached the imperial carriage and bowed: "Your Majesty, please escort the coffin up the mountain." According to ritual, this final stretch required the Emperor to walk alongside the coffin to demonstrate filial piety.
Funeral music swelled as Xiahou Dan descended from the imperial carriage and walked to the coffin cart, continuing forward on foot. Ahead lay a section where the mountain terrain broke sharply, forming a sheer cliff face about ten zhang high. Beyond that, snow blanketed the silent slopes. Opposite the cliff stood a dense, dark forest.
Xiahou Dan walked with solemn dignity, eyes fixed straight ahead as he approached the cliff area.
Fifteen paces remaining—
Xiahou Bo subtly reined in his horse, causing confusion in the ranks behind him.
Ten paces—
Several screams echoed from the mountainside, followed by a sharp cry: "Assassins!!"
The officials erupted in panic, instinctively scrambling backward while craning their necks to see what was happening.
From his position in the procession, Xiahou Bo watched as the Emperor calmly stopped and turned around.
When their eyes met, the Emperor's lips curled almost imperceptibly.
The clang of metal rang out from above the cliff, though no figures were visible—only shaking trees and cascading snow and rocks. Then came shouts of alarm as someone screamed: "Your Majesty, take cover!"
A massive dark shape plummeted from the sky.
The crowd scrambled back again, tripping over each other until they lay in tangled heaps.
The object crashed down with a thunderous impact, gouging a deep crater before them. Only then could they see it was a boulder taller than a man—falling from such height, it could have crushed someone to pulp.
The boulder had landed just ten paces from Xiahou Dan.
Had he taken a few more steps forward, today's funeral would have gained another principal.
Guards swarmed around the Emperor to escort him to safety. Xiahou Dan, appearing thoroughly frightened, hurried back several paces before roaring in fury: "Who dares attempt assassination? Arrest them at once!"
Dozens of figures appeared atop the cliff. Leading them was the new Imperial Guard commander, High Commandant: "Your Majesty, we've eliminated the assassins and captured their leader. We're descending now."
No sooner had he spoken than movement stirred in the snow-quieted forest.
Xiahou Bo strained his eyes to see—a dark mass of Imperial Guards was closing in from all directions. Further away on the official road came the sound of approaching troops.The Imperial Guards arriving near Mount Bei today were far more than the few hundred at the rear of the formation. Yet the other boulders prepared on the cliff remained unmoved—clearly, the ambush near those rocks had already been completely wiped out.
Foresight? This ability was in abundant supply within Xiahou Dan's faction.
Xiahou Bo knew the Emperor was watching him. He also knew the full performance that would soon unfold once the Imperial Guards had encircled the area.
His expression remained unchanged as he amiably bent down to help up a few ministers who had stumbled.
Xiahou Dan's lips tightened imperceptibly.
High Commandant quickly had the man taken away. The guards beside Xiahou Dan stepped forward for routine interrogation, delivering kicks and punches during the search before loudly declaring, "We found Prince Duan's token on this assassin!"
The hall fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.
All civil and military officials simultaneously turned their gaze toward Xiahou Bo.
No assassin would be foolish enough to carry their master's token. But whether he had it or not was irrelevant—if Xiahou Dan needed his guards to find a token, they would find one. That was all there was to it.
No fools were present in this assembly. The situation made everything crystal clear: the royal brothers were staging their final confrontation here and now, right before everyone's eyes.
"Prince Duan!" Li Yunxi roared passionately, beating the drums of war, "How dare you—!"
Yet Xiahou Bo widened his eyes in apparent disbelief, exclaiming indignantly at the guard, "Y-you're lying!"
Li Yunxi: "..."
What kind of act was this old fox putting on?
Xiahou Bo fell to his knees with a thud. "This must be the work of treacherous villains! I beg His Majesty to investigate thoroughly and clear my name!"
Xiahou Dan continued his own performance, looking torn between the guard and the assassin before speaking in a meek, aggrieved voice, "The empress dowager's coffin was nearly destroyed. We must investigate thoroughly who sent these assassins. Royal Brother must be shaken as well—perhaps you should return to the city to rest. Guards, escort Prince Duan back to his residence."
At his command, Imperial Guards immediately surged toward Prince Duan.
Xiahou Bo cooperated gracefully, offering a polite bow before turning to meet the guards, his fingers twitching slightly at his sides.
Just then, someone in the crowd suddenly exclaimed, "Your Majesty, I recognize this assassin! He's a servant from Yu Shaoqing's household!"
The speaker was a member of the Prince Duan faction and added loudly, "Yu Shaoqing, why aren't you acknowledging your own servant?"
The crowd erupted.
After Prince Duan, Yu Shaoqing now experienced the spotlight. Far less composed than Xiahou Bo, his legs immediately gave way. "N-nonsense! I've never seen this man before!"
Li Yunxi: "How could he be Yu Shaoqing's man? Everyone knows Yu Shaoqing is renowned for his virtue and integrity—"
"How strange," a clear voice interjected. "Yu Shaoqing just became the emperor's father-in-law. Instead of enjoying his newfound wealth and status, he'd conspire with Prince Duan to assassinate His Majesty? Has he gone mad?"
Li Yunxi choked.
The voice belonged to Er Lan. Her sarcastic remark carried ten times the weight of his words, simultaneously reinforcing Prince Duan's guilt.
Li Yunxi: "Y-yes, exactly."
The Prince Duan faction wouldn't have this. Another member stepped forward: "Your Majesty, when I visited Minister Yu's residence for his birthday celebration, I definitely saw this servant. Minister Yu, how did your servant obtain Prince Duan's token? There must be more to this story."
Yu Shaoqing was already terrified out of his wits, staggering to his knees. "Th-this... this..."
The pro-emperor faction members present felt a chill at his guilty demeanor.
Those Prince Duan faction members might not actually remember some random servant's face, but their willingness to speak up now proved they already knew the assassin was indeed connected to Yu's household. With thorough investigation, the blame could be firmly pinned on Yu Shaoqing.Had the new father-in-law of the nation truly gone mad?
Yu Shaoqing had felt his blood run cold the moment he saw the assassin’s face.
The servant was indeed one of his, but when had this man become Prince Duan’s assassin? He had no idea.
Yet, how could he say such a thing? And even if he did, who would listen to the latter half of his explanation?
To put it bluntly, in this situation, the least important thing was the truth. Yu Shaoqing had always been a minor figure in court, neither here nor there, and now that his daughter had soared to the heights of a phoenix, those who envied him far outnumbered those who sought his favor. Judging by the current momentum, this group had long conspired to make him the scapegoat!
Prince Duan, oh Prince Duan, just how long had he been plotting this?
As more and more members of the Prince Duan faction chimed in, Yu Shaoqing broke into a cold sweat and kowtowed desperately. “Your Majesty, this old subject is wronged! This man… this man is a spy sent by Prince Duan!”
“Hahahaha.” The bloodied leader of the assassins suddenly laughed. “I was wondering why you all think I was ordered by someone else. Lord Yu, between the two of us, who ordered whom? Can you make that clear?”
Yu Shaoqing nearly fainted. “What nonsense are you spouting? I never—”
Xiahou Bo sneered inwardly. Once pushed onto the stage, did he think he could still escape? He’d have to ask if the heavens would allow it.
The servant cackled and pulled out a bloodstained scented sachet from his robes. “When you searched me earlier, how did you miss this?”
The Shadow Guards: “…”
They only found what they needed to find.
The sachet was crudely made, its bright red fabric embroidered with a man and a woman riding a soaring eagle in pitch-black thread.
Xiahou Dan’s pupils constricted slightly, and he instinctively glanced to his side. Among his personal guards stood a somewhat slender figure.
Xiahou Bo caught the flicker in his gaze and narrowed his eyes.
The servant: “As for who embroidered this sachet, I’m sure His Majesty the Emperor can tell, right?” He laughed triumphantly. “I’m a dead man either way today, but before I die, I’ll speak my mind so you can’t bury this as some palace scandal!”
The night before.
Xiahou Bo handed a scented sachet and a few letters to the man. “Listen and memorize.”
The death soldier took them and saw the letters were written in a woman’s handwriting—not particularly elegant—filled with ambiguous love notes, the same ones Yu Wanyin had used to deceive Prince Duan in the Secluded Palace.
Xiahou Bo: “Carry the sachet with you. Hide the letters in the Yu residence for the searchers to find. Right now, everyone suspects Empress Yu is pregnant, and the Emperor deposed the Crown Prince to make way for her child. But after your capture, you must publicly confess that the child in Empress Yu’s womb is yours.
“She flirted with you before entering the palace and continued to seek you out afterward, eventually conceiving your child. Unexpectedly, Lord Yu discovered the affair, so you dragged him into the plot. Knowing the truth couldn’t stay hidden, you decided to take advantage of Prince Duan’s rift with the Emperor to kill the Tyrant once and for all. Lord Yu lent you some men, and you ambushed them at Beishan, planning to pin the blame on Prince Duan if you failed.
“But you were recognized, and the plot was exposed. Knowing you wouldn’t survive, you decided to mock the Tyrant one last time before death.”
The death soldier memorized it all but still hesitated. “Your Highness, will the Emperor truly believe this?”
Xiahou Bo: “Whether he believes it or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that every official present will hear it.”In this way, Yu Wanyin would forever bear the name of a seductress, and if Xiahou Dan dared to shield her openly, he would become a lust-blinded tyrant.
The assassin: "What if the Emperor hasn’t taken any precautions, and we succeed in one strike, sending him straight to the underworld?"
Xiahou Bo: "Then you won’t confess. Let the child in Empress Yu’s womb become Xiahou Dan’s posthumous heir."
"...Empress Yu isn’t actually pregnant," the assassin reminded him.
Xiahou Bo smiled.
Then it dawned on the assassin: it didn’t matter. Once Xiahou Bo seized power, she would naturally become pregnant. The child would be the infant emperor, and Xiahou Bo would be the regent.
Everything they schemed for boiled down to four words: legitimacy and justification.
Prince Duan wanted more than just power. He wanted the people’s praise, virtue that spread far and wide, achievements that overshadowed the world. He wanted unity between ruler and subjects, diligent governance, and the creation of a golden age.
So he absolutely could not ascend to the throne under the stigma of regicide.
He wanted to be a sage ruler—and sage rulers were always worth dying for.
The assassin quickly rehearsed his lines in his mind and calmly began: "Yu—"
That was the only word he managed to utter.
A deafening blast. The last thing he saw was the Emperor raising a strange object toward him, its dark muzzle smoking.
The assassin collapsed, convulsed several times, spat blood, and lay completely still.
Xiahou Dan had shot him dead with one bullet and immediately turned to aim at Prince Duan.
Legitimacy and justification—who didn’t need them? They had endured until today precisely to deal with Prince Duan under righteous cause. But all of this hinged on one major premise: events had to unfold according to their script.
Clearly, more than one person held the script today.
The moment Xiahou Dan turned, his heart sank.
In just a few breaths, he could no longer get a clear shot at Xiahou Bo.
Xiahou Bo had already vanished behind a wall of Imperial Guards. The distance was perfectly calculated—separated by countless officials and soldiers, he stood just beyond Xiahou Dan’s range. As if... he had known exactly what weapon Xiahou Dan held.
And the soldiers who had just surrounded Prince Duan had, at some point, shifted into a protective formation around him.
The newly appointed High Commandant paled. Unable to stop them despite his shouts, he fumed, "Do you mean to rebel?!"
No one answered him. Silently, the thousands of Imperial Guards present split into two factions, gathering on opposite sides and facing off.
Between the two factions stood the unarmed officials, trembling like quails.
Bei Zhou’s ears twitched. He whispered, "There are more than just these. There are ambushers in the woods—likely his private troops or border forces that have already arrived. Dan'er, he never planned to kill you with mere stones. His backup plans exceed my expectations."
Even now, Xiahou Bo was diligently raising his voice in protest: "Your Majesty! The assassin said the word 'Yu' before he died. Why were you in such a hurry to kill him? Who embroidered that scented sachet in his hand—does Your Majesty not wish to investigate?"
The ministers had long shrunk into silence, too afraid to speak. In the crowd, Li Yunxi stiffened his neck, ready to retort, but Yang Duojie clamped a hand over his mouth. Yang Duojie hissed in his ear, "Don’t speak. The battle of words is over."
With the arrow already nocked, a fierce battle was now unavoidable.Xiahou Bo: "Your Majesty, for the sake of a woman, would you really disregard right and wrong to turn against your own flesh and blood? What sorcery does Empress Yu possess to cloud men's minds? She offended the Empress Dowager yet escaped unscathed, while the Empress Dowager suddenly met her demise..." His gaze abruptly shifted to the short guard. "Empress Yu, have you nothing to say?"
The small guard trembled violently.
Xiahou Dan didn't even glance sideways: "Silence him."
The High Commandant roared, delivering the verdict: "Seize the rebels!"
Simultaneously, Xiahou Bo shouted his battle cry: "Eradicate the enchantress! Purge the court!"
The two forces clashed head-on, their collision shaking the earth.
Trapped between them, the officials found themselves caught in a pincer attack. With mountain cliffs on one side, their only escape route was the dark forest ahead.
Li Yunxi and others were jostled by the crowd toward the woods, only to be forced back moments after entering.
The ambush troops emerged from the forest.
These soldiers had concealed themselves so thoroughly among the trees that even their breathing was nearly undetectable—only a peerless master like Bei Zhou could have noticed their presence. Now they surged forth in overwhelming numbers, their ranks stretching beyond sight.
At their leader's command, the soldiers drew their swords in unison. Before they even reached the battlefield, their murderous aura loomed like storm clouds, making the disorganized Imperial Guards seem like mere rabble in comparison.
Li Yunxi cursed: "Border troops..."
Such formidable presence could only be forged through blood-soaked battles.
How could so many border troops appear here? Whether from the northern or southern frontiers, their journey to this place couldn't have gone unnoticed by the capital.
The only explanation was that General Luo of the Central Army or General You of the Right Army had left forces behind when they returned to court for reports. These troops had been hiding nearby, waiting for Prince Duan's call to arms.
This development clearly exceeded Xiahou Dan's expectations. The Imperial Guards charging ahead were caught off guard. Against these battle-hardened warriors, their defenses crumbled almost instantly, leading to immediate rout.
Officials screamed in terror, scattering in all directions.
Though both sides cared about their reputations and deliberately avoided harming the ministers, stray blades still sent them scrambling for their lives.
Among the civil officials, Li Yunxi was relatively robust. Even while running, he helped several fallen colleagues to their feet. The battlefield echoed with war cries, and ominous explosions sounded from the Emperor's direction—he didn't know what caused them, but they boded ill.
Suddenly, a panicked horse broke formation and charged straight toward them. Li Yunxi reacted swiftly, pushing a stumbling elder minister out of harm's way before rolling aside barely in time to avoid the hooves.
"Brother Li!" Yang Duojie crouched low to help him up. "Are you hurt?"
Li Yunxi coughed dust: "Don't mind me—get to safety! Where's Brother Er?"
"Haven't seen him!"
Li Yunxi looked up urgently, scanning the crowd for Er Lan. His gaze fixed on one direction, pupils contracting.
Yang Duojie: "Brother Li? Where are you going?"
Li Yunxi broke into a sprint, dashing through the thick of battle.
On the forgotten mountain path in the distance, a slender figure was desperately climbing upward. Right before his eyes, the figure ducked behind a tree.
What was Er Lan trying to accomplish by reaching the cliff face? Remembering the massive boulders and observing the battle's ebb and flow, Li Yunxi immediately understood.
But if they could think of this strategy, surely others could too!The Imperial Guards, suddenly faced with formidable foes, saw their morale plummet. Originally a disorganized group of opportunists, their fighting spirit now shattered, and their formation began to crumble.
Xiahou Bo did not mount his horse but calmly hid behind a wall of men, watching from afar as strange explosions continued to sound from the Emperor’s side.
Yet it wasn’t the Emperor who was firing.
After the battle began, the weapon in the Emperor’s hand had vanished.
Perhaps to avoid drawing attention, the short attendant didn’t hide behind the Emperor but instead charged into battle alongside the other guards. Yet "he" was unsteady on his feet, clearly no trained fighter.
After a brief skirmish, "he" quickly became overwhelmed and had to pull out that strange weapon for self-defense.
Seeing this, Xiahou Bo pointed from a distance: "Capture that attendant."
At that moment, the attendant was firing with deadly accuracy, dropping enemies one after another, forcing the rest to keep their distance.
—Had Xiahou Bo not investigated the bullet holes in the Hall of Offering at Beishan or sent assassins to observe the shape of Yu Wanyin’s weapon, he might have been at a loss now.
Xiahou Bo raised his arm, and six or seven assassins closed in, using their bodies as bait, charging straight toward the weapon’s muzzle.
The attendant indeed panicked, firing hastily. Just as two were shot down, a large net suddenly descended from above, ensnaring "him" completely.
The attendant struggled violently, but the assassins pounced, pulling the ropes taut. The net tightened instantly, immobilizing "his" limbs completely.
Pinned to the ground, the attendant writhed uselessly until a blade pressed against "his" throat forced stillness.
Only after confirming "he" could no longer raise an arm did Xiahou Bo order, "Take the weapon, tear off the Human Skin Mask, and hang 'him' from a tree for all to see."
Then, using "him" as leverage, the Emperor would be forced to sound the retreat and return to the palace under guard.
The Emperor couldn’t die today, nor here. He had to be driven to madness by the enchantress empress Yu Wanyin and perish in the palace.
Li Yunxi gasped for breath: "Stop!"
Er Lan: "Don’t worry about me."
"There’s no way the top is unguarded. You’d just be throwing your life away." Li Yunxi gritted his teeth and chased after her, always a few steps behind, stretching out his arm to grab her. "Let me go, alright?"
Er Lan laughed softly: "What’s this, Brother Li? Don’t you want to be a key official?"
"I joined the court to die gloriously in history—don’t steal—my—chance!" Li Yunxi lunged forward, finally seizing Er Lan’s wrist, and with a forceful yank, flung her behind him. "Look at those thin arms of yours. At least I’m sturdy and strong—"
"I’m a woman."
"—enough to push that rock—" Li Yunxi’s voice cut off abruptly.
Seizing his stunned hesitation, Er Lan overtook him again: "Go back, Brother Li. My presence in court was never proper to begin with."
The scene atop the stone wall was gruesome.
Prince Duan’s rebel forces pressed forward relentlessly, driving Xiahou Dan’s Imperial Guards back to the base of the wall. By now, dropping the boulder would crush not just the Emperor but also a swath of the Guards.
Prince Duan’s assassins had anticipated this, rushing up at the battle’s onset to seize the boulder.
Xiahou Dan’s Shadow Guard, stationed there to defend, tried to halt them midway with arrows. The enemy retaliated in kind, raining down a hail of projectiles.
By now, the area around the boulder was littered with corpses. Only three or four Shadow Guards remained, all grievously wounded, barely holding on behind the boulder’s cover.Er Lan had barely raised her head when an arrow struck her shoulder, the searing pain nearly forcing a scream from her lips.
She immediately flattened herself against the ground, gritting her teeth as she tore a piece of armor from a nearby corpse and draped it over her back. Slowly, she crawled toward the massive boulders ahead.
A Shadow Guard suddenly spotted an unarmed scholar-official approaching alone and demanded in surprise, "Who are you?"
Er Lan: "Look down below. How far have Prince Duan's men advanced?"
The Shadow Guard froze.
Er Lan: "If I were His Majesty, I'd deliberately retreat faster to lure them beneath the rocks."
A Shadow Guard, pale-faced with an arrow embedded in his back, risked his life to peer over the edge before swiftly ducking back. "It's true—Prince Duan's forces are all below now. No wonder they're in such a hurry..."
He loosed two more arrows at the approaching enemies, but weakened by his injuries, the shafts fell short.
Desperation tinged his voice: "They're coming up."
After glancing at his struggling comrades, he took a deep breath and braced himself against the boulder.
Er Lan crawled to his side and pushed alongside him: "One, two—"
At the foot of the mountain, several death warriors stepped forward. One pried at the guard’s fingers gripping his spear, while another tore at the Human Skin Mask.
As the mask peeled back slightly, the features beneath were revealed.
The death warrior’s movements abruptly halted, his mouth opening to shout—but the trapped man suddenly erupted into motion. Bones cracked as his frame expanded explosively, shredding the net that bound him in an instant!
In the blink of an eye, all the death warriors lay fallen. The man, now in his true form, soared into the air like a great roc spreading its wings, reaching an impossible height before leveling his spear at Prince Duan behind the human shield.
His defenses were wide open—countless hidden weapons shot toward him from below, yet he ignored them entirely, pulling the trigger without hesitation—
Bang!
Xiahou Bo had no choice but to dodge.
He moved fast, but the gunman was faster, as if anticipating his evasion. Two rapid shots followed almost without pause—
Bang! Bang!
The moment Xiahou Bo’s feet touched the ground, he felt something fly off.
A sudden wetness spread across half his face—his own blood, pouring freely.
What had flown off was his ear.
Er Lan and the Shadow Guard, both wounded, mustered every ounce of strength but could only shift the boulder a few inches.
With a desperate cry, she threw her entire body against the rock.
It moved.
A surge of triumph filled her—only then did she notice another person beside her.
Li Yunxi: "Together."
Er Lan: "You’ll die!"
Li Yunxi met her gaze, his eyes burning with an unprecedented fervor, and repeated: "Together."
At this critical moment, hesitation was impossible. Er Lan shouted again: "One, two—"
A fourth person slammed into the boulder.
Yang Duojie: "Together."
Li Yunxi: "..."
Bei Zhou, midair with no escape, was struck by multiple hidden weapons. As his body began to descend, he fired two more shots in that split second.
Xiahou Bo fled like a dog.
This time, he truly scrambled for his life. After sprinting a distance, his heart suddenly lurched—instinctively, he looked up—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion momentarily froze all combatants on the battlefield.
Only Xiahou Bo’s upper body remained visible beneath the boulder. He clawed desperately to pull himself free, but his legs were pinned, his fingers digging frantically into the mud.
Bei Zhou landed, swayed, and raised his spear again.
Out of ammunition.
From the crowd came a furious roar: "Keep advancing! Capture the Emperor!"The one who spoke was the leader of the ambushing border troops. With Prince Duan down, they should have been left without a leader, but this commander clearly held considerable authority. Without hesitation, he took command: "Left flank, save Prince Duan! The rest of you, chase after Empress Yu!"
The rebels knew there was no turning back—today, they would either win or die. With that resolve, they threw themselves at Xiahou Dan with even greater desperation. Another group galloped in the opposite direction, heading for the other city gate to find Yu Wanyin.
Bei Zhou, half-drenched in blood, fought his way back to Xiahou Dan’s side and uttered a single word: “Retreat.”
Without waiting for a response, he hoisted Xiahou Dan onto his back and ran.
Caught off guard, Xiahou Dan struggled. “Uncle, wait—I can’t just—”
“I don’t care!” Bei Zhou snapped. “This side is collapsing. Do you want to live or not? Let’s go. Forget being Emperor.”
While Er Lan and the others rushed toward the mountain, Yu Wanyin abruptly woke up.
She immediately realized she was in a jolting carriage—and Xiahou Dan was nowhere in sight.
Last night, he had promised to go with her to Bei Mountain, and then they had grown intimate. But she had no memory of how she had fallen asleep afterward.
“Xiahou Dan…” Yu Wanyin gritted her teeth and yanked open the carriage curtain. They were clearly already outside the city, but instead of the main road, they were on a forest path. A team of Shadow Guards flanked them as escorts.
Yu Wanyin shouted, “Stop the carriage!”
No one responded.
Yu Wanyin raised her voice. “Stop now! Where is His Majesty?”
One of the Shadow Guards finally spoke. “We have orders to escort Her Ladyship at all costs. No matter what happens, we cannot turn back.”
“Save your breath,” a cool voice interjected from across the carriage.
Xie Yong’er sat opposite her, watching her with a helpless expression. “You only woke up half an hour after leaving the city. Seems like Xiao Tiancai’s intoxicant worked pretty well.”
Yu Wanyin’s eyes narrowed. “Xiahou Dan put me in here? And you knew?”
Xie Yong’er raised her hands. “I had no idea. I was about to leave this morning when he shoved you in at the last moment. He kept it secret until the final second to make sure no one leaked it. Come on, don’t be mad. He did it for you, didn’t he?”
Yu Wanyin pulled a pistol from her robes.
A terrible premonition filled her. “What’s happening at Bei Mountain?”
“No way to know right now. We’ll have to reach another city, disguise ourselves, and settle down before we can ask around.” Xie Yong’er sounded oddly cheerful. “Where do you think we’ll go first?”
Yu Wanyin: “…”
“Sorry, I’m just a little drunk on freedom—”
Xie Yong’er’s voice cut off abruptly.
The next second, the world spun violently. Yu Wanyin was thrown from her seat as the horses let out panicked whinnies.
“Tripwire!” a Shadow Guard shouted.
Yu Wanyin hit the ground hard, her vision blacking out.
The whistle of arrows.
The clash of combat.
The thud of Shadow Guards collapsing.
Yu Wanyin rubbed her forehead and sat up—only to find the carriage had flipped, and she was now pressed against what had been the side wall. Xie Yong’er was half-sprawled beside her, clutching her arm in pain.
Yu Wanyin whispered, “Are you okay?”
“I think it’s broken…”
An arrow shot through the window, grazing Yu Wanyin’s ear before embedding itself in the seat.
“Empress Yu, would you mind crawling out yourself?” someone called mockingly from a distance.
Xie Yong’er’s head snapped up. “That’s Mu Yun’s voice.”
Mu Yun stood far off, watching his men fight the Shadow Guards. “Prince Duan wants you alive—but dead works too.”
Inside the carriage, Yu Wanyin reached into her robes again—only to find nothing.
Mu Yun called again, “Come out on your own. Don’t make me burn the carriage. If you’re charred beyond recognition, Prince Duan won’t be pleased with me.”The firelight drew nearer. Mu Yun truly wasn't joking.
Yu Wanyin frantically groped around in panic, but the more desperate she became, the harder it was to find that gun.
A hand pressed her shoulder gently: "Don't rush, take your time."
Xie Yong'er raised her voice: "What a pity, you've got the wrong person."
Yu Wanyin looked up in surprise to see Xie Yong'er already climbing toward the window. She reached out to pull her back but failed.
Xie Yong'er: "Didn't expect it to be me in the carriage, did you?"
The moment she crawled out of the carriage, she was seized and dragged before Mu Yun.
Mu Yun paused, then laughed instead of getting angry: "Well, if it isn't Consort Xie?"
Xie Yong'er's hands were twisted behind her back, aggravating her fractured injuries. Sweating profusely from the pain, she gasped out: "You... since you've already been dismissed... why not join my rebellion... Prince Duan... isn't a worthy master anyway."
Mu Yun sneered darkly: "Indeed, staking everything here was my last gamble—first betting the Emperor would send Empress Yu away, then wagering they'd choose this remote path. I prided myself on understanding human nature, destined to be Prince Duan's right-hand man. Yet now I must scheme relentlessly just to regain a shred of his favor. Tell me, who do I have to thank for this?"
Xie Yong'er struggled to modulate her tone soothingly: "You don't understand—"
"Of course I have you to thank!" Mu Yun's eyes flashed with murderous intent.
The person behind Xie Yong'er suddenly forced her to her knees. She cried out in pain, then received several sharp slaps across her face.
After finishing, Mu Yun admired her suppressed expression before bursting into laughter: "Did you really think such petty tricks could protect whoever's in that carriage?"
"What... are you talking about?"
"Don't worry, none of you will be left behind." Mu Yun drew his dagger and stabbed casually while ordering, "Burn the carriage."
These were his last words.
Then came a series of explosions.
He froze mid-motion, looking up in terror to see his men falling one after another as the blasts approached.
Echoes of words heard before his dismissal resurfaced in his mind: "Several bowl-sized pits were left in the Hall of Offering, apparently made by some unknown weapon..."
Then he could think no more. Because such a pit appeared in his skull.
With their leader dead, the remaining men scattered like monkeys from a toppled tree, pursued and eliminated by the surviving Shadow Guards.
Yu Wanyin rushed to Xie Yong'er.
Mu Yun had been efficient—before falling, he'd already stabbed several holes in her body.
"It's okay, we just need to stop the bleeding." Yu Wanyin's hands trembled as she vainly tried to stem the bleeding, her voice breaking. "Where's Xiao Tiancai?!"
Xie Yong'er smiled weakly: "Don't you remember? He stayed in the palace... to buy my freedom."
"We'll go back, we'll find him—just hold on a little longer..."
"Listen," Xie Yong'er grasped her hand, "Don't tell Xiao Tiancai. If he learns I'm dead... he might stop working."
Yu Wanyin's eyes reddened with desperation: "Shut up!"
Meanwhile, with Bei Zhou carrying Xiahou Dan in escape, the Imperial Guards' morale collapsed completely, their defeat becoming a rout.
The Prince Duan faction wouldn't let them escape easily. Abandoning plans to take prisoners, they unleashed a hail of hidden weapons and arrows—yet none could touch the fleeing pair.
But Bei Zhou was bleeding profusely from multiple wounds. After running some distance, his steps began to falter.
Seeing his limit approaching, Xiahou Dan said: "Uncle Bei, put me down. Save yourself."Bei Zhou let out a short, derisive laugh, as if hearing the biggest joke of his life: "Even if the sky falls, I won’t abandon you."
"I was never meant to live long anyway."
"Nonsense! If you just stop being this damned emperor, you’ll live a hundred years. Uncle will find medicine for you—"
Xiahou Dan fell silent for a moment, resting on his back. "I’m not the child of your old friend."
Bei Zhou’s steps didn’t falter, but his voice suddenly vanished, as if unsure whether he understood.
Xiahou Dan: "I’m not Xiahou Dan. I’m just a wandering soul borrowing this body. Everything before now—I deceived you."
"......"
"Uncle?" Xiahou Dan pressed, urgency creeping into his voice as the man still refused to put him down. "Do you understand? I’m not—"
"I heard you. You’re not her child." Bei Zhou’s voice turned hoarse, as though he had aged decades in an instant. "But she wouldn’t have wanted to see you suffer either."
He drew a sharp breath and roared toward the heavens, the sound shaking the mountains and forests.
"Prince Duan’s men are closing in." Er Lan crouched behind the last remaining boulder, glancing at the others. "To die alongside you all today is the greatest honor of my life."
Li Yunxi’s face twisted in conflict before he finally clenched his fists, as if steeling himself. "Brother Er, actually I—"
"Hahaha, let’s swear brotherhood here and now, so we may meet again in the next life!" Yang Duojie declared fervently.
Er Lan: "Brilliant."
Li Yunxi: "......"
"Live on... build your commercial empire." Xie Yong’er’s gaze began to blur. "Don’t grieve. I’m returning... to the world beyond the book."
Yu Wanyin’s tears finally spilled over.
For a Paper Doll, what world could exist beyond the book?
Xie Yong’er: "When I get back to the modern world, I’ll visit your hometown and try that... what was it called again...?"
"Douzhir." Yu Wanyin’s tears fell one by one onto her face. "And fried liver, zhajiang noodles, roast duck, steamed flower duck, steamed lamb..."
Xie Yong’er slowly closed her eyes to the rhythm of Yu Wanyin’s culinary recitation.
The earth trembled in that very second.
The chosen one’s unexpected departure sent shockwaves through the world. The mountains quaked, rocks tumbled, and everything teetered on the brink of collapse, as if the heavens themselves were about to come crashing down.
Yu Wanyin clung tightly to Xie Yong’er’s lifeless body, shielding it from the falling dust and debris.
Her mind was blank, save for one thought: Why couldn’t she have found that gun sooner?
The earthquake lasted a full quarter of an hour before the world grudgingly settled.
Yu Wanyin remained seated in a daze until a Shadow Guard pulled her up. "Your Highness, we must keep moving. Should we bury Consort Xie here?"
"......"
"Your Highness?"
Yu Wanyin took a deep breath. Only five Shadow Guards remained alive, all lightly wounded.
She patted her cheeks, forcing her thoughts back into motion. "Bury her. Erase our tracks as much as possible—or leave false trails elsewhere to mislead the pursuers."
One guard stayed behind to handle the burial while the other four escorted her onward. With their horses slain, they had to proceed on foot, following a desolate path far from human settlements.
By sunset, Yu Wanyin’s strength was spent. They found a cave to rest in for the night, not daring to light a fire, and shared dry rations instead.
Yu Wanyin managed only a few bites before losing her appetite. She retreated to a corner, hugging her knees, her gaze vacant.
So much had happened today, yet only two questions circled endlessly in her mind.Why hadn’t she realized last night that Xiahou Dan was deceiving her?
Why couldn’t she have found that gun sooner?
Perhaps it was because her state was truly too wretched. The Shadow Guards kept stealing glances at her, whispering among themselves before one of them finally took out a letter from his chest pocket. "Your Highness."
Yu Wanyin slowly raised her eyes.
"Before parting, His Majesty left this letter with us, instructing that it be given to Your Highness only after we had safely escaped. I took the liberty of retrieving it early... perhaps Your Highness would like to read it now."
Yu Wanyin snatched the letter, tore it open roughly, and hastily read it under the last rays of the setting sun.
The letter was written entirely in simplified Chinese, but the handwriting was elegant and unrestrained—unlike the script Xiahou Dan usually showed her. Each stroke resembled the calligraphy he had used for the couplets he wrote the night before.
The first line read: "To my wife, Wan Yin."
The second line: "My name is Zhang San."
To my wife, Wan Yin:
My name is Zhang San.
Laugh if you want. People used to ask me if I was a freebie that came with a phone plan, given such a name. Ironically, the opposite was true—my parents were extremely pleased with it, believing its unconventional nature would make me stand out in a crowd.
And it did. From elementary to middle school, I never once met someone with the same name. I was always the first student the teacher remembered. But aside from this cool name, I was pretty unremarkable. My grades were average, with only physics earning me top marks twice. As for English, multiple-choice questions were basically a game of dice for me.
Oh, and I was decent at sports—always getting roped into long-distance races for school meets.
By now, you might be wondering why I’m rambling about middle school.
Because in our original world, I have no memories beyond that.
In my third year of middle school, I was distracted in class, playing on my phone, when a pop-up ad pulled me into this book (a lesson in paying attention during lectures). When I first became Xiahou Dan, his body was that of a six-year-old.
Sixteen years and eight months have passed since then.
By this count, I’ve now been Xiahou Dan longer than I was ever Zhang San.
In recent years, I’ve sometimes doubted whether the "world outside the book" was real or just a delusion born of a sick mind. After all, a place with air conditioning, the internet, healthcare, and aspirin sounds increasingly unreal.
It’s funny—when I first arrived here, it felt like being trapped in a nightmare with no end. But looking back now, I can barely recall the name of my middle school. The past seems more like a fleeting dream.
Until you asked me, "How are you?"
So it was all real. I had truly lived, flesh and blood, with parents, friends, and a future.
I am a despicable person. You saved me in that moment, yet in the next, I plotted to deceive you. To gain your trust, to make you my ally, to use the script in your hands for my own ends. Only this way could I secure victory and make the Empress Dowager and Prince Duan pay in blood.
Before you, I not only whitewashed my past but also carefully controlled my words and actions, striving to play the role of a modern man you’d recognize. I couldn’t let the blood on my hands scare you away.It wasn't until I truly began playing Zhang San that I was forced to gradually realize how far I had drifted from him. All these years, I've dreamed night after night of demons dragging me down into the endless abyss of hell. After so many repetitions, it became routine. A month after your arrival, I suddenly dreamed of classmates passing me notes, calling me to rush to the cafeteria together after class. When I woke, I smashed several cups and saucers, just wanting to fill these palace walls with more noise. In that moment, I truly wished to set everything ablaze and be done with it all.
You came too late, Wan Yin. There are no kindred spirits left here waiting for you. All you've found is a madman whose days are numbered. Born but not human—for that, I apologize.
—Did you just smile at that? Smile more often. You've been too unhappy lately.
I can't pinpoint when I fell in love with you. As Zhang San, liking you seemed only natural; as Xiahou Dan, it bordered on obsession. All I know is that from then on, I became even more terrified of being exposed.
Drowning men pray to clutch at floating wood. But when they're too far from shore, beyond all hope of rescue, clinging desperately only drags the wood down with them.
I hoped, at the very least, to keep you free of bloodstains. I hoped that in this stormy sea of darkness, there might be one place where you could sleep peacefully. I hoped to delay facing your frightened, wary gaze. But what I hoped for most was to see you forever blazing like fire, pure as the moon—always that fearless young girl who once took the world by storm.
If you ever falter in fear and need a kindred spirit for strength, then I'll play that role until the day I die.
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