Huo Bu Yi leaped down with agile grace, lightly pushing off the remaining few inches of the stone steps. His long arm reached out to grab Shao Shang's wrist, pulling her into his embrace and holding her tightly, refusing to let go. Shao Shang felt the arms encircling her body, hard as iron, squeezing her bones until they ached, as if she were being forcibly embedded into him.
The four guards above had no time to cry out before a loud crack echoed, and a massive, heavy stone door descended from above, cleanly sealing off the original entrance and shutting them out. The dungeon plunged into darkness once more. Shao Shang felt herself suspended in midair, with nothing to rely on except the warm, solid male body pressed against her.
Huo Bu Yi had earlier noticed a slightly protruding stone on the wall beneath the hole. Relying on memory, he stretched out his hand to grasp it as he fell. Tall and long-limbed, he immediately sensed his toes might touch the ground. Seeing the hole above about to close again, he had no choice but to release the stone. The moment his toes touched the ground, he realized it wasn’t level—instead, it was an extremely steep, enormous slope. Unable to stop their momentum, the two tumbled downward.
Helpless, Huo Bu Yi did his best to envelop the girl within the shelter of his body. He knew the safest posture would be to curl up completely, protecting his head with his arms. But at this moment, he cared for nothing else—only that the girl remained unharmed.
The two rolled wildly, their heads, shoulders, backs, and legs colliding countless times against the unyielding stone walls. Suddenly, Huo Bu Yi felt the girl extend an arm from his embrace and drape something soft over his head. He instantly recognized it as the deerskin shawl Shao Shang had worn that day. The thick, warm fur brushed against his cheeks, and he couldn’t help but smile.
The slope was treacherously steep and seemingly endless, with not a sliver of light around them. The suffocating darkness made it feel as though they were in hell itself, hearing nothing but the beating of each other’s hearts. Yet Huo Bu Yi felt an indescribable peace.
No longer did he need to dwell on the blood debt left unavenged, nor feel guilty for keeping earth-shattering secrets from the one he loved. Most importantly, he no longer had to fear losing her.
After what felt like an eternity of tumbling, the two landed on a bright, level surface in their bizarre embrace. The sheer momentum sent them rolling several more times before they finally came to a stop, with Huo Bu Yi cushioning her fall.
Shao Shang, disheveled and breathless, lifted her head from his chest and gasped, “…Lord Huo, Marquis of Gaoyong, if I ever act foolishly again, don’t hold back—just say ‘Fool, don’t go,’ alright?”
Her life hadn’t been long, but she’d already experienced thrilling episodes like bandit chases, assassin ambushes, and palace intrigues. But heavens above, she’d never encountered such ingeniously crafted mechanisms and hidden passages! How was she supposed to know the seemingly solid dungeon floor would suddenly vanish?
Huo Bu Yi’s eyes sparkled with laughter, his chest’s vibrations transmitting to the girl’s palm. He murmured, “From now on, call me A-Zheng.”
Though their safety and survival were uncertain, gazing into those deep brown, crystal-like eyes filled with warmth, Shao Shang feared nothing. She grinned carelessly, “Mm, A-Zheng… but why were you foolish enough to jump down too?”
Huo Bu Yi chuckled softly, “We’re both fools—isn’t that perfect? A perfect match.” He’d done plenty of foolish things for her. One by one, he’d tell her all about them.The two gazed at each other with lingering, tender smiles, feeling such joy and contentment even in the dark, damp depths underground—until an utterly discordant cough sounded beside them, forcing them to turn their heads.
Who else could it be but Yuan Shen and Liang Qiu Fei, along with the guards who had just fallen?
The guards were fine; after all, they were trained martial artists and could protect themselves. But Yuan Shen was in a sorry state. Weak from captivity and weighed down by heavy chains, he had tumbled down, crashing left and right. Not only was his forehead bleeding profusely, but his left arm also seemed broken. A guard was hastily binding it with cloth strips and a scabbard.
They had landed before Huo Bu Yi and Cheng Shao Shang. Not long after lighting torches with a fire starter, the two had rolled down, clung to each other affectionately, and even exchanged a couple of sweet nothings as if no one else were present. Yuan Shen, injured and furious, could only watch helplessly.
Liang Qiu Fei and the other guards wanted to look but didn’t quite dare, all of them awkward and embarrassed.
Shao Shang felt a little sheepish and scrambled for something to say. “Ah, well… Young Master Yuan, are you alright?” Huo Bu Yi, unfazed, pulled Shao Shang to her feet and said curtly, “Seems everyone’s fine.”
Yuan Shen clutched his bleeding forehead and glared at his throbbing arm, nearly choking with indignation.
As soon as Shao Shang steadied herself, she noticed a coil of fine thread in her sleeve. From its texture, she recognized it as the strange thread Huo Bu Yi usually wore around his cuff. It must have unraveled when he reached for her earlier, slipping straight into her open sleeve.
She wanted to ask what this thread was for, but given the urgency of the situation, she decided to hold off for now.
Huo Bu Yi held Shao Shang’s hand tightly, instinctively shielding her behind him. Shao Shang frowned and whispered, “Do you smell that…?” A stench of decay. “Like something’s rotting.”
Huo Bu Yi nodded. He had noticed it too—and knew exactly what it was—but didn’t want to frighten her.
Liang Qiu Fei and the others moved to light the oil lamps embedded in the stone walls with their torches. But after only a few steps, they heard the familiar cracking sound again. An enormous boulder slid down the slope they had just tumbled from, instantly sealing the entrance and cutting off their escape. At the same time, the surrounding walls lit up one by one, as if licked by fiery serpents, revealing the oil lamps set into the stone.
When the group saw their surroundings clearly, they gasped. Earlier, with only a corner illuminated, they had assumed this was just an ordinary stone chamber. But now, under the full light, they realized it was a vast underground palace!
The hall was rectangular, half the size of the main hall of the Everlasting Autumn Palace. The domed ceiling towered at least fifty or sixty feet above, supported by eight massive pillars. Huo Bu Yi surveyed the sizable underground hall with an unusually grave expression, especially when he spotted scattered weapons and bedding on the ground. It seemed to trigger a realization.
Suddenly, a guard exclaimed, “Young Master, look over there!”
Following his outstretched arm, everyone turned to a protruding corner of the hall—and saw corpses. A small mountain of corpses. The stench of decay had come from here.Shao Shang felt her hands and feet begin to tremble. In her entire life, she had never seen so many corpses—their skin dull gray, limbs stiff, with large clumps of coagulated dark red blood everywhere. The group felt a chill run down their spines, as if they had truly arrived in the underworld. Only Huo Bu Yi remained as composed as ever, his voice steady as he scolded, "What are you afraid of? Dead men are easier to deal with than living ones. Let's go take a look."
Liang Qiu Fei puffed out his chest and, along with another guard, led the way. Shao Shang shrank behind Huo Bu Yi, following closely. When they reached the mountain of corpses, there were at least a hundred or two. The stench of decay grew stronger, nearly suffocating Shao Shang, forcing Huo Bu Yi to pull her back a little.
"Young Master Yuan, what's... what's wrong with you..." The guard supporting Yuan Shen suddenly cried out in alarm.
Shao Shang didn't faint, but Yuan Shen nearly did. Gritting his teeth, he managed to choke out through tears, "These... these are my family's... my family's private army."
Shao Shang and Huo Bu Yi exchanged glances. So this was where the Yuan family's forces had ended up—no wonder they couldn't be found outside.
Ignoring the stench, Yuan Shen trembled as he rushed forward, recognizing the familiar blue-and-white uniforms of the Yuan family guards. Tears streamed down his face. "I told them to surrender! We were lured into that forest, with our retreat cut off. I thought it was better to surrender and save their lives than to fight to the death... Tian Shuo actually killed them after they surrendered?! Tian Shuo... Tian Shuo slaughtered them all..."
The underground was dark and cold, preserving the expressions the dead had worn in their final moments. Faces twisted in rage and defiance seemed to silently recount the horror of being disarmed and massacred.
Yuan Shen recognized one of the dead—a burly man with a dark face and a thick beard, his eyes wide with fury. He could no longer hold back, breaking into loud sobs. "Master Wu, Master Wu, I got you killed! I got all of you killed!"
From a distance, Shao Shang glimpsed the dead man's face and murmured, "That's the captain of the Yuan family guards. He protected Yuan Shen since childhood and even taught him archery, horsemanship, and martial arts." With Prefect Yuan often absent and Lady Liang a neglectful mother, this loyal and kind-hearted guard captain had been like a father and mentor to Yuan Shen.
Faced with such a horrific scene, a young guard sighed and muttered, "Brother A Fei, our Young Master would never make such a mistake." Surrendering depends on who you're surrendering to! Surrendering carelessly is like the Battle of Changping against Bai Qi or Zhang Han's army falling into Xiang Yu's hands—countless were buried alive.
Liang Qiu Fei elbowed him sharply, signaling him to shut up.
In truth, Yuan Shen's intellect and strategy were no less than Huo Bu Yi's. His ability to unravel clues, find suspicions where there were none, and trace the faintest flaw to uncover Gongsun Xian's hidden son of over a decade proved his meticulousness and resourcefulness.
The difference between him and Huo Bu Yi wasn't just experience—it was maturity in handling affairs. This was a painful lesson that could only be learned through stumbling and rolling through blood and carnage.
Had Huo Bu Yi been in the same situation, he would never have acted alone, hiding his plans from all relatives and superiors just to save face. At the very least, the Governor of Liangzhou would have been informed.
This fall was devastating for Yuan Shen, jolting him awake from the refined elegance of his scholarly upbringing. From now on, he would understand that holding high office meant bearing the weight of countless lives. The slightest misstep in command could lead to thousands dying without a proper burial.In the underground palace, Yuan Shen's soft sobs echoed. Shao Shang trembled slightly as she looked at the horrifying pile of corpses. Huo Bu Yi took her hand and guided it to touch three round objects hidden in his waist pouch, whispering gently, "Don’t worry. With me here, I’ll always protect you and get you out."
Shao Shang realized what those objects were. Her large eyes widened in shock, but her heart settled somewhat.
Huo Bu Yi led Shao Shang a few steps into an open space and called out clearly, "Since things have come to this, and we’ve all fallen into your grasp, Madam, why not show yourself?"
"Madam?" Shao Shang froze for a moment, then lowered her voice. "Are you mistaken? Isn’t it Fort Master Li Kuo who’s plotting against us? He hasn’t been found yet."
Huo Bu Yi looked down and said, "Li Kuo was shot by me in a vital spot. He won’t last long. Besides, this man is violent and crude. The current slow, deliberate actions don’t match his usual behavior. Do you remember what we saw in Madam Li’s chambers earlier? Those dead maids—each had a joyful expression, smiling—does that look like a heroic death?"
Shao Shang recalled the scene and slowly replied, "You’re right. They looked like they were gathered in the room drinking and playing, unknowingly consuming poisoned wine—the poison must have been painless."
"And Madam Li’s corpse—the woman who died on the bed wasn’t Madam Li. Do you remember her fingers?"
Shao Shang nodded. "I remember. Her hands were soft, clean, and fair, without any signs of labor. She couldn’t have been a maid in disguise."
Huo Bu Yi said, "That’s exactly why it’s suspicious—it’s not just Madam Li who could have such hands. Even the personal maids of noblewomen wouldn’t do much labor. More importantly, there was an expensive lyre in the room that had been used for years, yet the dead woman’s fingers showed no calluses from playing." Even if one could wear tortoiseshell picks to protect the fingers while plucking the strings, pressing the lyre strings was best done with one’s own fingertips.
If Shao Shang had been a proper noble lady, she might have noticed the anomaly in the dead woman’s hands. Unfortunately, Shao Shang was only half-trained and had never fully received the education of a noblewoman. Hearing Huo Bu Yi’s analysis, she felt a bit embarrassed.
Behind the stone wall, the sound of mechanisms clanking echoed again. Suddenly, a small window about a foot square slid open on the opposite wall, and a head peeked out—everyone turned to look.
The face was fierce, with thick, unruly eyebrows like two ghostly blades stretching straight to the temples. According to Cheng Shao Gong’s interpretation, such a countenance indicated a life of misfortune and harm to kin—this was none other than Fort Master Li Kuo, whom they had seen on the city wall earlier.
Shao Shang shot Huo Bu Yi a teasing glance, as if to say, "Even you can be wrong sometimes."
Huo Bu Yi stared intently at the window, his brow furrowing as if he noticed something. He quickly pulled Shao Shang back several steps.
Puzzled, Shao Shang looked back at Li Kuo. His eyes bulged, his pupils fixed and hollow, the whites streaked with blood vessels. His face showed no expression or emotion, only an eerie, unnatural stillness. She began to speak, "Fort Master Li—"
Before she could finish, the head suddenly flew toward them! Shao Shang’s voice cut off abruptly.Without a body or limbs, just a solitary head rolled across the ground before coming to a stop, revealing the horrifying face of one who had died with eyes wide open. Had Huo Bu Yi not pulled Shao Shang back a few steps earlier, this eerie and terrifying head would have landed right at her feet.
A chill ran down Shao Shang's spine. Feeling the girl tremble, Huo Bu Yi said angrily, "In over a decade, I've seen countless dead bodies. Who could possibly be frightened by such petty tricks, Madam?!"
Yuan Shen stood behind the pile of corpses and shouted furiously, "If you have the guts, show yourself! Hiding in the shadows—what kind of coward are you?!"
From behind the stone wall came the refined laughter of a woman: "Just a little prank, no need for anger... Young Master Yuan, thanks to you, I was able to capture everyone in one fell swoop. It was worth all the effort I spent to spare your life from Tian Shuo's hands."
Hearing this familiar voice, Shao Shang blurted out, "Wang Yanji! It's you, Wang Yanji!"
A graceful and dignified young woman in luxurious attire slowly appeared behind a small stone window. Her face was calm and delicate—it was Wang Yanji, whom they hadn't seen in six years, the widow of the late Lou Family's second son, Lou Ben!
A few guards were still confused, but the trio of Huo, Yuan, and Cheng understood immediately. Yuan Shen and Shao Shang stood frozen in shock, while Huo Bu Yi quickly strategized an escape plan before glancing back at Liang Qiu Fei with a meaningful look.
Yuan Shen stepped out from behind the pile of corpses, his chest heaving with rage: "Wang Yanji! How long have you been planning all of this?"
Wang Yanji stared coldly at the three of them. "From the moment my late husband, Lou Ziwei, took his own life." In her heart, Li Kuo clearly did not count as her husband.
Huo Bu Yi asked solemnly, "Did you kill Lou Jing and his wife?"
Wang Yanji replied, "Indeed. That wretched woman was ambushed by bandits I sent—three stab wounds, six holes, left to bleed out slowly. As for that hypocrite Lou Jing, I bribed his attendants to poison him. Unfortunately, Gongsun Xian feared exposure and refused to lend me the poison he used to kill Lady Zhang, so I had to let Lou Jing die more comfortably."
Shao Shang couldn't believe it: "To avenge Lou Ben, you not only conspired with Gongsun Xian but also married... married Li Kuo! And Lou Li! You were afraid she'd recognize you, so you pretended to be sickly and rarely appeared in public. The few times you attended banquets, you had your maids impersonate you!"
"Correct," Wang Yanji admitted without hesitation.
Shao Shang's head spun. "Wait—Luo Jitong! Did you kill her too? Why? You wanted to kill me! No, wait—why would you want to kill me? I wasn’t the one who caused Lou Ben’s death!"
Wang Yanji's eyes burned crimson as she shrieked, "How dare you claim you had nothing to do with it?! Ziwei was a genius, but Lou Jing and his wife, out of jealousy, suppressed him at every turn. Driven to desperation, he took a reckless gamble—yet you hounded him relentlessly, refusing to let him go!"
Shao Shang recoiled from the venom in her gaze. Huo Bu Yi interjected, "I was the one who insisted on investigating Lou Ben. Yuan Shen was the one who matched his handwriting. Shao Shang truly had nothing to do with it."
Shao Shang smacked him in annoyance. Seizing the chance, Huo Bu Yi stumbled sideways out of Wang Yanji's line of sight and swiftly handed his waist pouch to Liang Qiu Fei, who had just hidden behind a pillar. In the blink of an eye, he returned to Shao Shang's side.
Shao Shang's pupils contracted, but she maintained her coquettish expression. The other guards pretended not to notice, while Yuan Shen, too consumed by fury, genuinely missed the exchange."Lou Ben framed innocent people, deceived the emperor, and slaughtered the entire family of the Copper Bull County Magistrate—he deserved to die!" Yuan Shen said indignantly. "For such a man, you would defy all reason and morality—do you not care about the lives of your entire Wang family?!"
Wang Yanji replied calmly, "Whether Ziwei was a loyal minister and valiant general or a treacherous rebel, whether he ascended to the ranks of immortals after death or descended to the eighteenth layer of hell—he was still the one I loved most, my flesh and blood, my very life. You killed him and left me in unbearable agony. No matter how powerful you are, I will settle accounts with each of you, one by one."
"You—you...!" Yuan Shen trembled with rage, his lips quivering. He had always known, always known that he was fated to clash with those who were 'devoted unto death, their love as deep as the sea'! He was so furious he nearly staggered, bracing himself against a palace pillar to catch his breath.
Shao Shang and Huo Bu Yi exchanged a glance, realizing they needed to buy time.
Huo Bu Yi asked first, "Was Li Kuo also involved in your conspiracy?"
Wang Yanji scoffed, "He was just an easily angered and gullible fool. Liang Wuji strictly enforced the Land Measurement Decree, which displeased him greatly. With just a few words of encouragement from Tian Shuo and me, he flew into a rage and agreed to anything."
Shao Shang raised her voice, "That doesn’t add up. Lou Ben died six years ago, but Gongsun Xian placed his son in hiding over a decade ago. Could he have foreseen the future?"
Wang Yanji said proudly, "Ziwei had extensive connections and well-informed sources. He had long known that Gongsun Xian secretly sent his son to the Central Plains. He had planned to use this as leverage against Gongsun Xian when the court launched its campaign against Shu, thereby earning great merit. But who knew... hmph!"
Shao Shang frowned, "If Young Master Lou knew the court would campaign against Shu years later, why not wait and earn merit properly then?"
"What do you know?!" Wang Yanji shrieked. "Ziwei was proud and refused to serve as a mere pawn. Though he foresaw the court’s eventual campaign against Shu, he lacked the power to fully utilize his talents. That’s why he set his plans in motion early, to secure a position in the court!"
"Fine, fine, your Son-in-law was a genius, and the entire court was blind to his brilliance, alright?" Shao Shang said helplessly. "There’s one thing I still don’t understand—how exactly did Gongsun Xian manage to place his son in the Tian Family Fort? Would you enlighten me?"
Wang Yanji sneered, "It was simple. The old master of the Tian Family Fort had a low-born concubine. As she aged and lost his favor, he rarely visited her or her son. Later, when the concubine’s son fell ill and died, Gongsun Xian replaced him with his own son of similar age. The concubine, long out of favor, feared losing her son would leave her with no future, so she agreed to raise Tian Shuo."
"At first, Gongsun Xian only wanted a safe hiding place for his son. But eight years ago, when Your Majesty pacified Longxi, Gongsun Xian realized the court’s unification of the realm was inevitable and Shu could not hold out. So he arranged for the old fort master’s sons to die one by one under 'unfortunate circumstances.' When the last son died in a riding accident, the old master had no choice but to bring back the concubine’s son—yes, Tian Shuo."
"The Tian family was truly unlucky!" Shao Shang exclaimed. "Then how did Luo Jitong die?"Wang Yanji suddenly gave a sinister smile. "I know you're trying to buy time, but let me tell you—this underground palace was built by craftsmen of the pre-Qin era. Its structure is intricate and solid, with each layer covered by stone slabs two feet thick. The passage you just tumbled down has been sealed by massive boulders. It would take the forces outside at least half a day to dig their way in."
Shao Shang was skeptical, but Huo Bu Yi said, "True. This underground palace is about fifty or sixty feet high, yet the distance we fell just now was well over a hundred feet. If I'm not mistaken, there's another layer of the palace above us, isn't there?"
Wang Yanji clapped her hands in admiration. "No wonder you rose to high office at such a young age—your reputation is well-deserved. Indeed, we are currently on the second level of the underground palace. Above us lies a grand hall three times the size of this one."
A glint flashed in Huo Bu Yi's eyes. "Three times? A space that large, combined with this one, could easily accommodate over a thousand people."
Wang Yanji laughed heartily. "You guessed right—five hundred Death Squad members and a thousand strong warriors, all loyal followers nurtured by Gongsun Xian over the years. They were originally the capital for their father and son to stage a comeback!"
"Where have all these people gone?" Huo Bu Yi took a step forward.
Wang Yanji replied indifferently, "I'll tell you before you die."
At that moment, Shao Shang caught a faint whiff of kerosene. Following the scent, she discovered a small black tortoise statue suspended upside down from the dome in the northeast part of the hall. At some point, a thumb-sized opening had appeared in its mouth, slowly oozing thick black liquid.
Yuan Shen also noticed it and exclaimed in shock, "You plan to burn us to death!"
Wang Yanji laughed freely. "Don't worry, the kerosene will take a while to flow. We still have time to talk."
"If I'd known I'd die here, I should have at least fulfilled Consort Xuan's dying wish first!" Shao Shang leaned weakly against a palace pillar, her face a mix of genuine and feigned frustration.
Wang Yanji said coldly, "You should thank Empress Dowager Xuan. If she hadn't died in time, it would have been your grandmother who perished."
Shao Shang was stunned. "Wh-what? What does this have to do with my grandmother?"
Wang Yanji spoke slowly. "Huo and Yuan—one holds high authority, surrounded by heavy troops; the other comes from a noble family, always accompanied by attendants. How could I exact revenge on them? The only way was to target you. With you as bait, I could lure them in. But you were either hidden deep in the palace or holed up at home, leaving me no opportunity. However, if your grandmother had passed away, I could have bribed a few scholars to advocate filial piety and urged your family to escort her coffin back to your hometown. That would have given me a chance on the road. But who knew..."
"Who knew Consort Xuan would pass away first," Shao Shang muttered dazedly. "And she left a wish for me to visit her hometown. Then my grandmother miraculously recovered." No wonder Cheng Mu, who had always been in good health, suddenly fell ill—even summoning her children to her bedside—only to recover just as abruptly. "What a brilliant scheme. I almost admire you."
Wang Yanji continued, "I had people find out your travel plans from Lou Li. Originally, I intended to strike when you passed through Yao County on your return journey. I planned to take my time with you then. But man proposes, heaven disposes..."
She laughed with satisfaction. "Still, this is even better. Now all three of you are in my hands, at my mercy!"
"Since heaven has granted my wish, perhaps I'll show some mercy." Wang Yanji wore a cruel smile. "Cheng Shaoshang, I'm willing to spare one of you three. Tell me, who should I let go?"
Shao Shang sighed. Seriously, such an old trick—"Whoever you choose is fine." She sounded utterly disinterested.
Wang Yanji's expression darkened. "Think carefully. Soon, with a single command from me, this hall will become a sea of flames, and you'll all burn to death!"
Shao Shang smiled. "I meant what I said. If you spare me, Lord Huo will be happy. If you spare Lord Huo, I'll be content. If you spare Young Master Yuan, then Lord Huo and I will die together—no matter what, it's all good. You decide."
Yuan Shen looked up, his lips quirking in exasperation.
Huo Bu Yi chuckled softly. Only a girl as mischievous and clever as her could turn such a dire life-and-death choice into a joke.
Shao Shang turned her head and beamed sweetly, seeking praise. "Did I say it right?"
"Right." Huo Bu Yi patted her head, his eyes full of affection. "You've never said anything wrong."Wang Yanji's first attempt thwarted, her face turned icy. "Fine, then let me rephrase. If I were to ask you to choose between killing one person to save another, who would you pick?"
Yuan Shen immediately sat down on the floor—of course the girl wouldn’t choose him, otherwise she wouldn’t have broken off their engagement! Five years of effort gone to waste—just thinking about it made his heart ache! Well, at least he had experienced true love once.
Huo Bu Yi stood with lowered lashes, one hand resting against a palace pillar, the other slightly clenched.
Shao Shang seemed not to hesitate at all: "Naturally, Lord Huo."
Wang Yanji was taken aback. "How cold-hearted of you. Aren’t you afraid of hurting Young Master Yuan’s feelings?"
"Young Master Yuan is my dear friend. After breaking off the engagement, I originally planned to see him again in twenty or thirty years. Thanks to you, Madam, I’ve met him again so soon, and because I was desperate to know his safety, I dragged Lord Huo into this mess—I believe this already fulfills my duty as a devoted friend."
Wang Yanji was momentarily speechless.
Shao Shang continued calmly, "However, people always have their priorities. Had I known this was your trap, I would never have let Lord Huo come here under any circumstances."
Huo Bu Yi gazed at her with a smile, as if radiating joy from head to toe.
Seeing their affectionate exchange, Wang Yanji grew even angrier. "You—"
"Have you said enough?" Huo Bu Yi coldly interrupted her. "If you’re done, let me speak a few words. See if I’m right. Once I finish, Madam, you can light the fire."
Wang Yanji glanced at the area where the oil had pooled on the ground and snorted.
"Earlier, Madam said that man proposes but Heaven disposes—a fair point. Yet despite your meticulous planning, you encountered one unexpected event after another." Huo Bu Yi clasped his hands behind his back and took a few steady steps forward.
"The first surprise was Imperial Attendant Yuan. You never expected him to stumble upon the Tian family’s Manor Fortress by accident. To avoid alerting your targets and ruining your grand scheme, you lured Yuan Shen and his party deep into the forest and quietly ambushed them."
Yuan Shen turned his face away, not letting others see his tears.
"The second surprise was Luo Jitong. This one was far more disastrous, directly disrupting your plans—if Luo Jitong had succeeded, either Shao Shang would have died by her hand, leaving you unable to use her as bait to capture me, or Shao Shang would have escaped but become a frightened bird, hiding in Anguo County or the governor’s residence until the matter was resolved before continuing her journey."
"Then you heard I had arrived, so you decided to go all out. You had Tian Shuo dispatch the Death Squad from Shu to slaughter Luo Jitong’s group under cover of night, deliberately leaving traces of the Gongsun remnants. Naturally, I grew suspicious and followed the trail straight to Yao County."
Wang Yanji sneered repeatedly but remained silent. Yet judging by her expression, Shao Shang guessed Huo Bu Yi had hit the mark.
"The masterminds behind this entire affair are you and Tian Shuo, though your motives differ. You seek vengeance, requiring the connections and influence of Gongsun Xian and his son. Tian Shuo aims to turn the world upside down and fish in troubled waters—he needs you to strategize for him, especially after Gongsun Xian’s death left him without guidance. Later, you incited the Shu commandery’s general Shi Xin to rebel, stirred up local magnates to resist the Land Measurement Decree, and plotted to assassinate the Crown Prince—each step meticulously calculated, truly impressive..." Huo Bu Yi said.
Wang Yanji replied coldly, "I never said anything about assassinating the Crown Prince. That’s purely your own speculation."Huo Buyi smiled indifferently. "You mentioned earlier that you originally planned to act when Shao Shang passed through Yao County on her return journey, intending to take your time tormenting her—how could you possibly have that luxury? If she went missing, Lou Yao would surely seek help everywhere. Not to mention Your Majesty and Her Majesty, even the Governor of Liangzhou and Madam Qu wouldn’t stand idly by. Your true motives would inevitably be exposed."
"You said that because by then, Yuzhou would already be in chaos. What kind of chaos could make even the Governor of Liangzhou unable to spare any attention?" Huo Buyi stared at Wang Yanji’s expression. "There’s someone around the Crown Prince feeding you information, isn’t there?"
Wang Yanji’s chest heaved, her face shifting through emotions. "...I don’t know!"
"At first, I also wondered how you could lure the Crown Prince into your trap. But then I realized—it wasn’t actually that difficult."
Huo Buyi pressed on relentlessly. "The Crown Prince travels with hundreds of guards. All you had to do was bribe a few of them to report his movements on schedule, and you’d know exactly where he was. The Crown Prince travels incognito to gauge public opinion on court policies. By tailoring your approach, it wouldn’t be hard to lead him where you wanted. Am I right?"
Wang Yanji broke into a cold sweat, her face pale. "So what if you’re right? You’ll all be dead soon anyway. Do you really think you can escape?!"
Huo Buyi laughed heartily, then fixed his gaze on her. "If I wish to leave, I will leave! The passage behind us may be blocked, but since you came down, there must be a way out—am I wrong? The exit is behind you!"
Wang Yanji sneered. "Try getting out first!"
"Didn’t you see the Sky-Shattering Fire Oil Bombs—the same firearms that blasted open your manor fortress today?"
Wang Yanji gloated. "I know. That’s why I changed plans at the last minute to lure you into the second level of the underground palace. In such a confined space, if you use those firearms, the explosive force would tear you apart too!"
"That would normally be true," Huo Buyi said calmly. "But in your eagerness to torment Yuan Shen, you carelessly dumped the corpses of the Yuan family’s private army here. Little did you know they’d end up saving us."
"What do you mean?!" Wang Yanji exclaimed.
Huo Buyi ignored her and turned aside. "A Fei, ready yet?"
Liang Qiufei, hiding behind a palace pillar, replied, "Young Master, all set. I’ll light the fuse now."
Wang Yanji hastily retreated from the stone window, shouting frantically to her men, "Light it! Light it now!"
In the blink of an eye, Liang Qiufei used a firestarter to ignite the long fuse, while two archers positioned at the small stone window nocked flaming arrows and shot them into the underground palace. Huo Buyi pulled Shao Shang aside, and Liang Qiufei grabbed Yuan Shen. The four of them quickly took cover behind a makeshift barrier of corpses that the other guards had prepared earlier.
—Though Huo Buyi had only encountered firearms for the first time today, he already understood that the best defense against their earth-shaking power was neither shields nor armor, but human flesh and blood.
Almost simultaneously, the spilled oil on the ground erupted into towering golden-red flames, and the fuse burned toward the three fire bombs Liang Qiufei had embedded in the stone wall beneath the small window. Before Huo Buyi and the others could be consumed by the inferno, a deafening explosion rocked the underground palace. The stone wall housing the small window collapsed in a thunderous crash.Nearly two hundred corpses blocked the front, so aside from their ears ringing, the group suffered little physical impact. However, Wang Yanji and her servants, who hadn’t fled in time, were directly struck by the explosion. The two archers standing by the window died instantly.
As the saying goes, a single log cannot prop up a collapsing house. The underground palace’s structure required balanced forces to maintain stability. Now that the pillars and walls of the lower hall had been blasted apart and the dome had collapsed, the upper hall was inevitably doomed as well.
Rocks continuously fell from the dome, and cracks split open the stone walls. The grand underground palace, like a torn silk fan, could no longer hold. The group desperately rushed toward the blasted stone wall. Liang Qiu Fei led the way with two torches in hand, while Huo Bu Yi carried Shao Shang. Two guards supported Yuan Shen, who kept turning back tearfully to look at the mountain of corpses, while the remaining guards covered the rear.
Behind the stone wall, there were indeed two paths—
One was a stone staircase leading upward, its steps trembling as rocks of various sizes tumbled down. Clearly, this was the path to the first level of the underground palace, the same way Wang Yanji had descended. But with the collapse already underway, this route was no longer viable.
The other was a tunnel leading further back, seemingly constructed independently of the underground palace. Despite the palace’s imminent collapse, the stone slabs embedded above and below the tunnel remained completely unmoved.
Huo Bu Yi made a swift decision and directed everyone into the tunnel.
As they passed a pile of massive fallen rocks, he spotted Wang Yanji pinned beneath them, covered in blood. She was already on the verge of death.
Huo Bu Yi instructed the others to go ahead while he rushed to Wang Yanji’s side. Upon closer inspection, he realized her chest and below were crushed beneath the boulder. Even if the rock were moved, her abdomen and pelvis were already shattered—there was no saving her.
He could only brush away the dust and gravel from her face and shake her shoulders urgently. “What exactly was your plan to harm the Crown Prince? Speak now, and I’ll ensure your Wang family remains unharmed!”
Wang Yanji’s pupils were unfocused, blood bubbling from her lips as her hands clawed frantically at her chest. “Where… where is it… my mirror… my mirror…”
Huo Bu Yi was puzzled, but then a pair of delicate white hands reached out beside him. Shao Shang calmly reached into Wang Yanji’s robe, retrieved a small silver mirror, and pressed it into her grasp. The mirror was exquisitely crafted, shaped like a blooming lotus, its surfaces polished smooth from years of caressing.
Wang Yanji clutched the mirror like a treasure, pressing it to her cheek. Her eyes regained focus, brimming with tender affection as she murmured, “Ziwei… Ziwei…” Shao Shang whispered, “This was Lou Ben’s token of love to her.”
Huo Bu Yi sighed inwardly.
Liang Qiu Fei shouted from nearby, “Young Master, hurry! This place is about to collapse! Young Master Yuan has already been carried out!”
Hesitating, Huo Bu Yi turned to Shao Shang. “You go first. Let me ask a few more questions.”
Shao Shang smiled. “Alright. I’ll wait for you at the tunnel entrance.”
Watching the girl stumble forward, struggling step by step toward the tunnel’s exit, Huo Bu Yi felt a surge of determination. Gripping Wang Yanji’s shoulders firmly, he raised his voice. “Listen to me! I have something to tell you about Lou Ziwei!”
Summoning her last strength, Wang Yanji slowly focused her gaze on his face.
“Listen well—Lou Ziwei was unworthy of you!” Huo Bu Yi declared solemnly.
Wang Yanji erupted in fury. “You lie!”Huo Bu Yi continued, "You gave him your deepest affection, willing to entrust him with your life. For him, you could abandon your family and even your own life, sharing a bed with a crude brute like Li Kuo. But how did Lou Ziwei treat you in return?!"
"After several years of marriage, the time you spent together as husband and wife amounted to mere months! He was absent year after year, leaving you alone in loneliness and longing, all for the sake of wealth and status, dressing it up as 'fulfilling his ambitions'!"
Wang Yanji screamed hysterically, "Shut up, shut up, shut up! Ziwei wasn’t like that!"
Huo Bu Yi remained unmoved. "He didn’t have to be this way. Lou Ziwei was born into a noble family, already far above commoners. But he refused to humble himself before his uncle Lou Jing, nor was he willing to start from a low-ranking official position. Instead, he chose the crooked path! Compared to staying by your side, not only were his ambitions more important, but his pride and arrogance mattered more than you!"
"Stop it! Stop it!" Wang Yanji wept bitterly, her face smeared with blood and tears, desperately striking at Huo Bu Yi with the Silver Mirror. "It wasn’t like that, it wasn’t like that...!"
Huo Bu Yi didn’t dodge. "You’re intelligent—these things aren’t beyond your understanding, but you refuse to face them! Lou Ziwei didn’t deserve you. He didn’t deserve your sincerity!"
The underground chamber shook violently, chunks of stone falling in sheets. Liang Qiu Fei supported Shao Shang and turned to shout, "Young Master, we really must leave now!"
Shao Shang wiped the dust from her forehead and hesitated, glancing back at Huo Bu Yi.
Wang Yanji clutched Huo Bu Yi’s collar with all her strength, spitting out words through gritted teeth, "You—you dare criticize my Ziwei? What kind of man are you?! I’ve investigated clearly how you treated Cheng Shaoshang! In public, your love seemed unbreakable; in private, you swore eternal vows. Yet three days before your wedding, you committed an unforgivable crime and abandoned her without a second thought!"
"You got your revenge and satisfied yourself, but did you ever consider how difficult life was for Cheng Shaoshang left behind in the Capital City?" Wang Yanji laughed maniacally. "You didn’t know, did you? Let me tell you. Though Cheng Shaoshang hid in the Palace of Eternal Peace, gossip followed her everywhere, especially in the early years. Even a lowly Palace Maid or Junior palace attendant could point fingers at her, let alone those noblewomen who had once envied her."
She gasped heavily, her voice like a broken bellows. "They mocked her for dreaming in vain, for being fooled by you, for being kept in the dark and used as a shield in your revenge! They said she was delusional..."
"I know. I know all of this," Huo Bu Yi said calmly.
"You..." Wang Yanji was stunned.
Shao Shang also halted her steps.
"I’ve long regretted it," Huo Bu Yi said, his gaze seemingly fixed on Wang Yanji yet also distant. "The night I exterminated the Ling Brothers, when I saw Shao Shang chasing after me with tears streaming down her face, I regretted it."
"When I threw her off the horse, I regretted it."
"When she kowtowed to Your Majesty and Consort Xuan, word by word pleading to break off our engagement, I regretted it even more!"
"Afterward, wandering the northwest and the northern deserts, through countless freezing nights alone on the pastures with the howling herds, whenever I thought of her, I regretted it over and over again."
Huo Bu Yi spoke with quiet determination, his words sincere and heartfelt, as if speaking to Wang Yanji—or perhaps to himself."I think, if I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t take such reckless risks or throw caution to the wind. I would restrain myself, even if it meant letting the Ling Brothers live a few more years, even if it made revenge harder—I’d choose the righteous path."
As he spoke, he slowly released Wang Yanji’s shoulders, stood up, and turned toward the girl standing dazed not far away. With a few swift leaps, he quickly caught up to her.
Wang Yanji lay on the ground, tears streaming silently down her face, her smile uglier than a grimace. "You can repent, so why couldn’t Ziwei? He died just like that, leaving me alone in this world—that heartless, cruel bastard! That damned short-lived devil! I’ll settle accounts with him... Hah, hah, seems I’ll have to wait for the next life."
Huo Bu Yi nimbly dodged several falling rocks as he caught up with Shao Shang and Liang Qiu Fei, only to see the girl, her face streaked with tears, throw herself into his arms.
At that moment, Wang Yanji suddenly raised her voice and shouted, "Sixty li east of here, near Xuzhou, there’s a village surnamed Guo. Tian Shuo has prepared hundreds of pounds of oil around the village. The Crown Prince will pass by an official road east of the village tomorrow, and Tian Shuo has fifteen hundred men lying in ambush there. Our plan—the best outcome is for Tian Shuo to succeed in assassinating the Crown Prince; the middling outcome is for the Crown Prince to escape but take refuge in the only village ahead, where he’ll be burned to death; the worst outcome is if neither succeeds, but Tian Shuo will still order the village burned to cover their retreat..."
Huo Bu Yi understood. He cupped his hands in salute. "Thank you, Madam."
Wang Yanji shook her head, closed her eyes, and pressed the Silver Mirror to her chest, quietly awaiting her final moment.
Amid a rain of falling rocks, the three of them—Huo, Cheng, and the others—managed to escape into the tunnel just in time. Behind them, the grand underground palace, a masterpiece of countless skilled craftsmen from the magnificent pre-Qin era, collapsed with a thunderous roar.
Shao Shang hadn’t run more than a few steps before Huo Bu Yi scooped her into his arms. As they sprinted, she felt the slope gradually ascending. After what felt like an eternity, the path suddenly opened up before them, and a faint glimmer of light flickered ahead.
When Yuan Shen and several guards pulled them out of the tunnel, Shao Shang realized the sky outside was already filled with stars.
"Why are you crying? Were you afraid we wouldn’t make it out?" Yuan Shen asked curiously.
"Must you always assume the worst? Can’t it be tears of joy after escaping death?!" The girl’s face was smeared with dirt, her clothes filthy, and her tears had carved clear tracks down her cheeks. She looked utterly disheveled, but her eyes were bright and lively, filled with childlike mischief and pure delight.
Huo Bu Yi seemed to sense something, and the two of them turned to look at each other at the same time, sharing a smile.
Yuan Shen averted his gaze.
"Where is this?" Shao Shang found herself standing on a grassy patch, surrounded by dense woods that felt vaguely familiar.
Yuan Shen turned back. "You’ll never guess."
"It’s the woods outside the Tian Manor Fortress," Huo Bu Yi deadpanned, utterly ruining the guessing game.
Yuan Shen’s face fell.
Liang Qiu Fei gaped. "No wonder we searched the Tian Manor Fortress for so long and found nothing. It wasn’t that there was no secret tunnel—it’s just that the entrance wasn’t inside the fortress at all."
Yuan Shen clicked his tongue. "A brilliant scheme. Two fortresses—one visible, one hidden—supporting each other, full of feints and deceptions. Hah, seems Wang Yanji married Li Kuo just to assist Tian Shuo’s plans."
Shao Shang fretted, "Shouldn’t we hurry and slip away? If the fortress discovers us, we’re dead for sure."The young guard grinned and said, "We just sneaked over to take a look. For some reason, the Tian Family Manor Fortress seems completely empty—only a few old servants are sweeping the grounds."
Shao Shang, recalling Wang Yanji's earlier words, felt a sudden pang of alarm. Huo Bu Yi's expression darkened instantly.
Soon after, Liang Qiu Fei launched a signal flare into the sky, and before long, Huo Bu Yi's subordinates arrived to escort them away.
Upon learning that they had fallen into an underground trap, Cheng Shao Gong and Lou Yao were frantic, continuously chiseling at the stone slab with clanging sounds. Only when they saw them safe and sound did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Yuan Shen, imprisoned for many days, was not only weak and exhausted but had also suffered a severe fall, leaving his forehead bloodied and his left arm fractured. His shackled wrists were rubbed raw, leaving a ring of bloody marks. Already at the end of his strength, the moment his tense nerves relaxed, he immediately fainted dead away.
Since ancient times, medicine and sorcery were inseparable, and most charlatans had some healing skills. Thus, Cheng Shao Gong not only had to assist the midwife in treating the wounded soldiers scattered across the ground but also had to tend to Yuan Shen while simultaneously finding a locksmith to remove the shackles from the esteemed Yuan heir.
Meanwhile, Huo Bu Yi gathered his men overnight to discuss plans. He assigned Lou Yao to handle the aftermath of the Tian and Li Manor Fortresses and immediately prepared for a long-distance raid. After dismissing his subordinates, he had just stepped out of the tent when he saw Shao Shang waiting for him at the entrance, holding the reins of her small flower-patterned horse.
"What are your plans?" the girl asked, her face now washed clean, revealing a beauty as radiant as the bright moon.
"Let me guess," she said with a smile. "You plan to split your forces into two groups—one to intercept Tian Shuo in advance on the main road, and the other to Guo Village, either to stop the arsonists or to help the villagers put out the fire. Am I right?"
Huo Bu Yi looked at her with displeasure, his expression unexpectedly darkly handsome.
Shao Shang continued, "I don’t understand warfare, but I’m quite good at calculations. Let me do the math for you. You originally had five hundred elite soldiers. A Yao brought a hundred from his private army, and Zhang Shan lent you four hundred troops—though unfortunately, they’re not as elite. During yesterday’s assault on the Li Manor Fortress, fifty or sixty were lost. Subtract the wounded who can’t ride for a raid, and you’re left with at most eight hundred and fifty able-bodied fighters."
"Just now, I heard A Yao sending someone back to the county to request reinforcements. He’s tasked with clearing the two Manor Fortresses, so you don’t plan to touch the newly arrived hundred He family private army. However, you still need to split this eight hundred and fifty men to send some to rescue the villagers. You once told me that Gongsun Xian’s death squad is extremely formidable, ruthless, and cruel."
Shao Shang said earnestly, "Your forces are only half of theirs, and they’re mixed with many local militiamen, while the enemy has fifteen hundred well-rested, robust fighters—including five hundred death squad members. Even with all the firearms I have left, esteemed lord, are you truly confident you can defeat a larger force with fewer numbers and successfully intercept Tian Shuo?"
Huo Bu Yi pressed his lips together. "...You don’t need to worry about this. I know my limits."
"If you knew your limits, perhaps by now we’d have a pair of children and wouldn’t have suffered years of separation and misery," Shao Shang played her trump card.
Mentioning the past softened Huo Bu Yi, and he sighed helplessly. "What do you want to do?"
"Focus entirely on dealing with Tian Shuo. If anything happens to the Crown Prince, it would shake the foundation of the state—no small matter," Shao Shang said. "Let me lead the team to rescue the villagers."
"No!" Huo Bu Yi flatly refused.
"Hear me out first," Shao Shang pressed a hand to his chest and spoke softly. "The guard I brought may not match your elite soldiers, but they’re far superior to local militiamen. After thrashing Luo Jitong last time, they’ve rested with good food and medicine for nearly half a month. Now, they’re well-trained and well-supplied, with over eighty able fighters."
She counted on her fingers. "Tian Shuo, confident in his strategy, took the main force to ambush the Crown Prince. How many men could he have sent to set the fire? Didn’t the Tian family servant confess earlier? They saw two groups leave—the smaller one had only a few dozen people.""The most crucial thing is, when it comes to firefighting, few in this world can surpass me." Shao Shang beamed with self-satisfaction. "Over these years, while testing firearms, my estate caught fire eighteen times annually—eighteen times! My people could perform sand-wrapping extinguishing, firebreak burning, and water diversion with their eyes closed."
Huo Bu Yi knew the girl spoke sense but still disagreed: "...No. What if you get burned?"
"You can't stop me unless you plan to divert more manpower to guard me." Shao Shang's eyes curved like crescent moons. "Truthfully, I never accepted your micromanagement before. I just endured it because I couldn't fight back. Now that you're stretched thin, you can't control what I choose to do."
Huo Bu Yi twitched his lips: "With battle imminent, you rejoice at my inability to restrain you. Very good, very good." Once this matter concluded, he'd need to reassert marital authority over this little troublemaker.
Sensing danger, Shao Shang quickly schooled her expression and said solemnly: "Trouble finds me even when I stay still. Since that's my fate, I might as well choose my own troubles this time."
"Glib tongue lacks convincing words," Huo Bu Yi remarked mildly.
Shao Shang sighed: "His Majesty told me—since I'm fortunate to live in peaceful times and a loving family, I shouldn't fear this and that, but live true to myself! A-Zheng, I want to help you now. I want to save those innocent villagers."
"Her Majesty once said compared to sun, moon and stars, we're but ants. Compared to peace for all people, our personal grievances mean nothing. A-Zheng, I vowed before her spirit to act in ways that wouldn't shame her memory. A-Zheng, I can't stand idly by when I can help."
Moved, Huo Bu Yi gripped her hand tightly and sighed. After a long pause, he said: "...Be careful."
Shao Shang smiled radiantly: "You be careful too! If I get burned, you'd still want me. But if your face gets damaged, I might not want you!"
As he'd done countless times before, Huo Bu Yi affectionately ruffled her hair.
...
Shortly after Huo Bu Yi's troops departed, Cheng Shaogong learned his sister was preparing to leave and rushed to obstruct her. Blocking her tent entrance, he stomped furiously: "You're not going! Absolutely not! Otherwise, otherwise—"
"Otherwise what?" Shao Shang stuck out her tongue playfully. "Elder brother couldn't stop me from hitting Luo Jitong before—how could you stop me from saving people now?"
"Just wait! I'll tell Lou Yao! His forces outnumber yours—I'll have him stop you!"
"Oh please! Since when does A Yao obey you instead of me? Besides, Lord Huo already approved this."
Cheng Shaogong wailed: "Then I'm coming with you."
"Elder brother, don't. You don't understand firefighting." Shao Shang lowered her head to adjust his robes, voice softening. "If you're free, help me with something else. Borrow more troops from neighboring counties to reinforce Lord Huo—you know where he's going. Elder brother, Mother taught you how to provide flank support growing up. He's outnumbered there... I'm worried..."Cheng Shaogong placed a hand on his younger sister's slender shoulder: "You've grown up."
Shao Shang said softly, "Not grown up, but come to understand. Earlier in the underground palace, Wang Yanji asked me a question - between Yuan Shen and Huo Bu Yi, who would I save?"
Cheng Shaogong laughed incredulously: "What kind of nonsense question is that?"
"Wang Yanji asked about Yuan Shen, but it made me think of myself." Shao Shang gently brushed dust off her brother's lapel. "Counting from that Lantern Festival, Huo Bu Yi and I have known each other for seven years now."
Cheng Shaogong noticed his sister used the man's full name without honorifics.
"There was a time when, whether together or apart, I firmly believed in my heart that if danger came, he would unhesitatingly sacrifice his life to let me live." Shao Shang's voice dropped lower. "But what about me? To say something only my elder brother can hear - in those early years, I knew perfectly well I would never have given my life for Huo Bu Yi."
Cheng Shaogong sighed: "Every man for himself - that's only natural. You can't be blamed."
"Then why was Huo Bu Yi willing to sacrifice himself for me?" Shao Shang raised her bright, shining eyes.
Shaogong was momentarily speechless.
Why would one person die for another?
Why would someone place another's life above their own?
Especially when that other person was a habitually cold and selfish little scoundrel.
"I've thought about this for many years. From the very beginning until last night in the underground palace, from palace halls to wilderness mountains. Now I can finally say with complete sincerity—" Shao Shang took a deep breath, "I wish him a lifetime of peace, free from disaster and hardship, even if it costs me my life."
At long last, she could love someone with her whole heart - unafraid of being hurt, undeterred by life-and-death dangers.
In this world, there was one person more important than herself.
Author's note: I really do prefer writing long chapters, though they take more time.
Tomorrow will be the final chapter. The epilogues will be free and mostly comedic - I'll write them gradually in the future.
OpenNovel