Yun Wenfang felt someone swinging a blade toward his neck. He clearly knew how to dodge it, but his body grew increasingly sluggish, no longer under his control. Yet his thoughts had never been clearer. The surroundings grew quiet, the sounds of clashing weapons fading into the distance, leaving only the fatal strike drawing nearer.
Yun Wenfang smiled, but he did not close his eyes. It wasn’t because he felt he would die with regrets—the blade descending upon him held no fear or power to make him retreat. Instead, he thought of Ren Yaoqi.
He had expected to recall the scene that had haunted his dreams for over a decade: Ren Yaoqi kneeling, begging him to let her go. But no, what came to mind were all the smiles she had ever worn in his memory. Yun Wenfang’s gaze softened, and his hand twitched, as if reaching for something, until he remembered that not a single one of those smiles had ever been meant for him.
Ren Yaoqi had smiled at him before, of course, but those distant, perfunctory smiles always made his teeth itch with frustration. In the end, she stopped offering even those polite gestures. In his presence, she was always guarded, impatient, wishing she could pretend not to see him.
Suddenly, Yun Wenfang felt weary—not the exhaustion of a spent body, but a despair and helplessness welling from the depths of his soul. He closed his eyes.
“General—” His personal guard, stumbling to protect him from behind, stared wide-eyed in horror. No longer defending himself from the blades aimed at him, he mustered his last ounce of strength and lunged recklessly toward Yun Wenfang.
The sound of blades slicing into flesh had long since numbed everyone present. The gushing blood merely stained the small patch of ground beneath their feet.
“General—”
Yun Wenfang fell. The soldiers who had been struggling to hold their ground could no longer see the figure fighting valiantly before them. Their gazes grew vacant; some, drained of strength and spirit, collapsed to the ground alongside him.
Just as they were on the brink of total annihilation, the sounds of battle suddenly erupted from beyond the woods.
A soldier who had been sneaking toward Yun Wenfang, intending to behead him and claim the reward, never managed to raise his blade. An arrow from nowhere pierced his heart, pinning him to the trunk of a nearby tree.
“The Yanbei Army reinforcements are here—”
Someone shouted these words, throwing the imperial troops who had been poised to finish off the remaining Yanbei soldiers into disarray. At first, they thought it was just a false alarm amid the chaos, but when they saw soldiers in Yanbei Army armor charging into the woods from outside, their only thought was to turn and flee.
Outside the woods, Xiao Jingxi, clad in soft armor, sat atop his horse, gazing into the distance toward the gates of Yunyang City.
Tongde stepped forward and reported, “Young Master, there’s only a small force in the woods. General Zhu has already led men inside. The battle should be over soon.”
Xiao Jingxi remained silent.
Tongde continued, “The Prince just sent word. Eunuch Lin, who came with General Zhang, is requesting a ceasefire and promises to withdraw immediately.”
A young general behind Xiao Jingxi scoffed softly. “Losing the fight and then calling for a ceasefire—that’s their usual style. But do they think Yanbei is a place they can come and go as they please? They’re dreaming!”"General Zhu is back!" Tongde, sharp-eyed, spotted Zhu Ruomei emerging from the woods with his men, carrying a person over his shoulder.
"Is that... General Yun?"
Xiao Jingxi looked at the man Zhu Ruomei had brought out. Covered in blood and grime, he looked as if he had been soaked in blood and dragged out, his features almost unrecognizable. Yet many present still identified him.
Zhu Ruomei reported to Xiao Jingxi, "I found him beneath a corpse. He still has a faint breath, but it's more exhalation than inhalation."
Xiao Jingxi frowned, then dismounted and walked over to Zhu Ruomei to check Yun Wenfang's pulse. After a moment, he sighed and instructed Tongde, "First treat his wounds, then send him back to the city. Have the physicians do their utmost to save him."
Tongde acknowledged the order and immediately took Yun Wenfang from Zhu Ruomei. The army physician carrying the medicine chest hurried over. However, army physicians were generally broad in knowledge but not specialized; the only physician in the Yanbei Army skilled in treating external injuries had followed the Prince of Yanbei.
Upon seeing Yun Wenfang's injuries, the physician gasped and shook his head. Without a word, he began treating the numerous wounds large and small on Yun Wenfang's body.
Xiao Jingxi glanced over and reminded, "First use acupuncture to stop the bleeding, then get him back to the city as quickly as possible."
Hearing this, the physician immediately complied, thinking to himself that while this might cause someone who had lost too much blood to go into shock due to blocked circulation, it was still better than having him bleed out and die on the way before reaching the city. Desperate times called for desperate measures; it was up to this young master's own fate now.
After giving this instruction to the physician, Xiao Jingxi said to Zhu Ruomei, "I leave this to you. I'm heading back to the city first."
Zhu Ruomei saluted with a solemn expression, "I obey your command!"
Xiao Jingxi gave orders to several other generals, then mounted his horse and rode toward Yunyang City with his personal guards.
Once Xiao Jingxi and his men had vanished from sight, someone coughed lightly and whispered, "Doesn't the young master seem like he's in a hurry to return?"
Zhu Ruomei, with sharp ears, overheard and glared, "You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting! How dare you casually gossip about the young master? Asking for a beating, aren't you?"
The deputy general straightened his face, about to apologize, when Zhu Ruomei rolled his eyes, "You, who don't even have a wife, what do you know! This isn't called 'in a hurry to return'; it's called 'fearing a delayed return'!"
Everyone was taken aback, then burst into laughter. The deputy general also scratched his head and grinned foolishly.
The Princess Consort of Yanbei had already returned to the palace. Seeing Ren Yaoqi safe and sound, she breathed a huge sigh of relief, then turned to restore order in the palace. Consort Dowager Yun was also escorted back to her own Orchid Hall.
"Miss, your complexion doesn't look good. Would you like to rest on the bed?" Sangshen asked.
Ren Yaoqi had not slept all night, so her complexion was naturally poor. Fortunately, she was strong-willed and had made every effort to control her emotions from start to finish, so it had not affected the fetus in her womb.
Ren Yaoqi also felt she should rest. Although she believed she wouldn't be able to sleep, for the sake of the child, she allowed Sangshen to help her lie down on the bed in the inner room, closing her eyes to rest just as she had the previous night.It was impossible to tell how much time had passed before Ren Yaoqi heard the sound of the curtain being lifted, followed by footsteps so light they were almost inaudible. Thinking it was Pingguo or some other young maid coming in—since neither Sangshen nor Nan Xing, who were keeping watch by her side, made a sound—she paid it no mind.
Only when the person stopped by her bedside, their figure blocking the light streaming in from the south window, did Ren Yaoqi frown slightly. Her eyelashes fluttered as she prepared to open her eyes, but the person sat down on the edge of her bed. Before she could even open her eyes, she was enveloped in a warm embrace.
Ren Yaoqi’s body stiffened for a moment, then a soft smile spread across her face. Without struggling, she gently nuzzled against the newcomer’s neck. “You’re back?”
This ordinary greeting made it seem as though the person had merely stepped out in the morning to attend to some small matter and returned home by evening.
The newcomer’s response was to tighten his arms, holding her closer.
The maids in the room had, at some point, all withdrawn. Ren Yaoqi allowed Xiao Jingxi to hold her quietly for a while before opening her eyes and lifting her head to look at him.
Xiao Jingxi had grown thinner since he left, and a shadow of stubble had appeared on his chin. Ren Yaoqi raised her hand, tracing the contours of his face inch by inch. Though she said nothing, her movements were filled with a tenderness only the two of them could understand.
“I’m sorry…” Xiao Jingxi began, his voice low and hoarse.
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi smiled, leaning in to plant a kiss on his lips. “No, thank you.”
They gazed at each other, both understanding the meaning behind the other’s words.
Xiao Jingxi’s apology was because he felt he had put Ren Yaoqi in danger and had not been by her side when she needed him most. He had also caused her to worry for so long.
Her thanks were for his promise to return. As long as he came back, nothing else mattered to her.
Xiao Jingxi couldn’t help but want to kiss her, but as soon as their lips touched, he straightened up again, somewhat annoyed. “I should have changed before coming in.”
When Xiao Jingxi returned, his only thought was to see her, to see her as soon as possible and to see her safe and sound. He had practically rushed back to Zhaoning Hall without stopping, leaving even those who wanted to announce his arrival behind. The moment he saw her, his heart finally settled.
Realizing he had entered the room covered in the dust and grime of his journey, Xiao Jingxi deeply regretted it. His journey had not been easy, and he had inevitably been stained with blood. Before Ren Yaoqi could say anything, he stood up and strode out of the room.
Ren Yaoqi watched his retreating figure with a hint of helplessness, though a gentle smile still graced her face.
Ren Yaoqi had originally intended to wait for Xiao Jingxi to return so they could talk for a while, but this time, for some reason, she fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.
When she woke again, it was already dark outside. A candlestick had been lit on the kang table by the south window, its faint, soft light casting a serene and tranquil atmosphere over the room.
Ren Yaoqi reached out to touch the space beside her but found it empty. She immediately sat up, a look of confusion on her face.
Had she dreamed that Xiao Jingxi had returned?
Pingguo, who had been keeping watch nearby, hurried over. “Miss, you’re awake? Would you like something to eat? The young master ordered the kitchen to prepare some porridge. This servant…”Before Pingguo could finish speaking, she saw Ren Yaoqi raise her head to look at her, and her words involuntarily paused. Pingguo, whom everyone considered not clever or adaptable, shifted her tone: "The young master was with you in the room earlier and was just called to the study by Tongde not long ago."
Ren Yaoqi smiled: "I see. I'm hungry."
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