Atop Jade Screen Mountain, by the shore of Bonan Lake.
After a torrential downpour, the lotus blossoms in the pond had all fallen, leaving only tangled black stems floating on the water's surface. Occasionally, birds would lightly skim the surface, creating elegant ripples. A cold breeze swept across the lake, where a long wooden bridge, crudely constructed from ropes and planks, blended naturally into the scenery with a poetic charm.
A gentle breeze rustled through the blooming flowers along the lake's edge, their pristine white petals adorning the shore. In the water, fish surfaced, gently flicking their tails as they curiously observed the world above. The sky was a deep, brilliant blue, with not a single cloud in sight after the earlier storm. The sun shone dazzlingly, even as dusk approached, its glare almost blinding.
The winding wooden bridge led to a small pavilion at the heart of the lake. There, a young man in crimson robes stood alone at the center of the waterside pavilion. His sleeves billowed lightly in the breeze, which also tousled his jet-black hair and the dark red hem of his robe. Embroidered on the crimson fabric were vibrant red roses, blooming like exotic flowers in the wind. His face was as exquisite as a painting, with a tall nose bridge and slightly upturned eyes, his beauty so striking that one might mistake him for a woman at first glance. His narrow eyes swept indifferently over the people outside the pavilion before he parted his lips, his demeanor exuding an air of elegance, nobility, cool allure, and an undeniable sense of inscrutability.
But then...
"Step aside! Or I'll kill myself right here!"
A sharp, grating voice shattered the serene mountain retreat scene. Sure enough, the crimson-robed man was struggling to lift a heavy-backed broadsword, attempting to position it against his neck. Yet, his slender frame lacked the strength; his arms trembled uncontrollably, failing to raise the blade even after much effort.
"Ah, Your Highness," a young guard in a sapphire-blue robe leaned lazily against a pillar outside the pavilion, his face etched with weariness. "We're in no mood to care whether you live or die right now. The Emperor has decreed: we must bring you back, alive or dead. If you refuse to return with us, we'll have to report to the King of Hell ourselves."
The crimson-robed man turned his head, glaring resentfully. "Well, well, Lu Yunxi! After all the favor I've shown you, you dare kick me when I'm down? Just wait until I return to the capital—I'll have your sisters seized to serve in the palace!"
"Ah, Your Highness," Lu Yunxi replied dejectedly, "the moment I was unlucky enough to be assigned this task, my eldest sister took my three unmarried sisters to reside at Nian'an Temple. The moment you set foot alive in Tang Capital City, they'll shave their heads and become nuns. The razors are already sharpened."
"What?" The man froze, then his face flushed with rage. "They'd rather take vows than share a spring night with me? How outrageous!"
No sooner had he spoken than he turned to a burly man in brown clothing. "Tie You, are you turning against me too?"
"Your Highness," the large man mumbled drowsily, squatting on the wooden bridge with his head drooping as if on the verge of sleep. "I don't have any sisters."
"I know!" the man snapped viciously. "But you have a daughter!"Tie You sighed again, staring with unfocused eyes as he said helplessly, "Your Highness, my daughter just turned one month old yesterday. Isn't it a bit too early for you to threaten me with her?"
After saying this, Tie You shook his head in frustration and muttered gloomily, "I didn't even get to attend my own daughter's full-month celebration because I've been busy chasing you around all month."
"Fine! Everyone wants to rebel now!"
The man grew furious, scanning his surroundings before fixing his gaze on another handsome young man with an elegant demeanor. With a dark expression, he said, "Sun Di, are you going to oppose me too?"
Sun Di flashed a bewitching, seductive smile, blinking his bright eyes as he replied, "Your Highness, although I have no sisters, my mother has arranged four concubines for me. I eagerly await the day you take them all to the palace to serve you—that would be the greatest honor of my life."
"Your Highness," a weary voice chimed in. A young man of about seventeen or eighteen, with bulging muscles all over his body like a robust young leopard, yawned and said, "Are you done striking poses? If we head down the mountain now, we can still make it back before the city gates close. That way, we might still get a spot at Yuhua Tower tonight."
"What Yuhua Tower!" the man snapped angrily. "I'm telling you, my determination to escape this time is absolute."
The others looked at him with resignation, their mocking gazes intense enough to make Emperor Xia feel ashamed enough to kowtow before Yanshicheng's grave. Their meaning was clear: When have you ever not been determined?
Yet the man showed no trace of guilt or embarrassment. Frowning, he declared with righteous indignation, "I will not yield to my father's tyranny!"
Tie You sighed, adopting the tone of an elder as he kindly advised, "Your Highness, Princess Daxia has already entered the city, and envoys from various nations are arriving one after another. If you run away now and Emperor Xia finds out, he'll be furious."
"Exactly. If not for the monk's sake, then for the Buddha's. At worst, you can just marry her and leave her be without ever visiting her."
"Right. Endure a little, and the storm will pass; take a step back, and the world will broaden. Your Highness, don't stubbornly cling to this."
"Silence!" the man roared, lifting his face to the sky with the air of a moral crusader as he lamented, "I already have someone in my heart. I must keep the position vacant, awaiting her arrival."
The other four curled their lips in disdain. Him, having someone in his heart? Unless Daxia voluntarily submits to Biantang.
Lu Yunxi glanced up at the sun, sighed, and said gravely, "Your Highness, it's getting late. Let's not waste any more time."
The man, dressed in an exaggerated red robe, cautiously took a step back. "What are you planning? I'm telling you, I mean what I say. Don't push me too far."
Tie You clapped his hands twice, stood up from the ground, and lazily strode forward as he said, "Let's get to work. Finish early so we can go home for dinner."
Sun Di pulled out a long rope and shook his head helplessly. "It seems this is the only way."
...
"What are you doing? Don't forget who took you in back then! Little Lu Zi, when you lost all your money at the gambling house, I was the one who bailed you out. Fine, I admit I set you up, but at least I didn’t actually have your hand chopped off!""And you, Sun Di, have you forgotten the miserable state you were in when your mother kicked you out? You even had debts at the brothel, all the girls in the city looked down on you. If it weren't for me, you'd still be locked in the basement of Yihong Pavilion... Well, although you got kicked out because I forced you to admit that Qiutao's child was yours, you still got a good deal. Qiutao was such a delicate beauty, and now she's your concubine."
...
A piercing scream suddenly erupted, shattering the clouds. Birds and beasts within a twenty-mile radius scattered in panic. The most esteemed Crown Prince of Biantang, Li Ce, let out a heart-wrenching cry from Yuping Mountain. He shouted furiously, "You ungrateful bastards! After all my heartfelt treatment, you drag me down at the critical moment! Just wait, one day I'll have all your female family members serve me together!"
After being subdued and tightly bound, just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, they heard a horse casually clip-clopping up the mountain path from below, as if out for a leisurely stroll. The horse paused upon seeing them, curiously watching as if quite intrigued. More importantly, there was someone draped over the horse's back.
Everyone was startled and turned to look at the person.
It was a woman. Though disheveled, her attire was evidently luxurious—a lake-green gown with layered skirts adorned with delicate jade flowers, elegant yet understated. Her long, glossy black hair cascaded down her back, slightly tousled. With long legs, a slender waist, and a tall figure, she clearly had the makings of a stunning beauty.
However, this beauty seemed to be in a sorry state, as she lay slumped over the horse's back, apparently fast asleep.
"Eh? Looks like a young lady taking a nap," someone remarked, though bound tightly, he quickly caught on and winked at the others. "There's a woman present, save me some face. Quick, untie me."
Tie You glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. "No way."
Just then, a mountain breeze swept through, lifting the woman's hair. Li Ce, sharp-eyed, froze upon seeing her face, then immediately shouted at the top of his lungs, "Heroine! Qiaoqiao! Save me! It's me, Li Ce!"
His sudden outburst startled everyone, especially the horse. Having wandered the mountain without encountering anyone, it panicked at the noise, thinking wolves were near. It reared up on its hind legs with a shrill whinny.
The girl on its back was thrown off innocently, landing with a thud and rolling over. Before she could steady herself, the heartless horse had already bolted away as if fleeing for its life!
"Ah!"
Li Ce gasped, his face paling instantly. "What are you standing around for? Go save her!"The Biantang imperial carriage sped away from Jade Screen Mountain like the wind. From a grove on the mountain emerged several middle-aged men in dark green martial attire, all dressed as woodcutters. One of them said gravely to another, "Go back and inform His Highness: the Crown Prince has fled his marriage for the sixth time. His behavior is reckless and insane, even more absurd than the rumors suggest. He poses no threat. Everything shall proceed according to the original plan."
"Yes!"
The man acknowledged, immediately whistling. Soon, a warhorse as black as night galloped over. The man dressed as a woodcutter mounted the steed and swiftly vanished in a cloud of dust.
A strong wind swept through, leaving the trees flanking the mountain path emerald and glistening. After a heavy rain, everything felt renewed, radiating a fresh vitality.
Meanwhile, Chu Qiao, who had intended to head for Tang Capital to find Yan Xun, had succumbed to a poison-induced coma. In this state, she entered the commercial heart of the entire continent.
Sometimes, fate works in such coincidental ways that you might mistake it for a fabrication.
Thus, the moment Chu Qiao awoke, she thought she was dreaming—so she threw a punch and snapped, "Why am I dreaming of him?"
————Transition, pure transition
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