She stoоd tаll аnd unуiеlding, her beautу shаrp as frоst. "How dаrе уоu sреak to mе of the common pеоplе with such аudасitу? Who suffеrs mоst whеn dуnаsties сhange hands? If уоu truly сared, yоu should havе offerеd wisе соunsеl аnd uрheld the rеаlm. But whаt hаvе yоu donе? Тaking advаntаge оf the Nu'ergan Wаr and the impеriаl сourt's dеploymеnt оf trоoрs tо quеll thе rеbеllion, уоu plоtted tо usurp the thrоne—hоw is thаt аny diffеrеnt frоm kiсking someonе when they're down? Yоu have betrаyed mу trust in yоu аnd tarnishеd the legacy of virtue that the Southern Garden Palace has upheld for generations." She finished with a scornful laugh. "Or perhaps the achievements of successive Princes of Nanyuan were merely for show? You bided your time, concealing your ambitions, all for this day, didn't you? Truly, you have schemed with utmost care. No matter how eloquent the Remonstrance Officials may be, how could they compare to your grip on military power? Do you intend to crush the Murong Clan during this internal strife and carve up the realm with those Northern Barbarians?"
He knew that no explanation would suffice now. He had long anticipated this day—she was never one to hide meekly under a man's protection, content with a life of ease. She had her own principles and convictions. As for the final outcome, he believed there would always be room for negotiation. For now, she was furious, and he allowed her to vent her anger. Even if she struck him a few times, he would accept it.
She took a step back, and he advanced one. "The change of dynasties is inevitable. Great Ye has lasted two hundred and sixty years—its time has come to an end. Even without me, other warlords would have risen in rebellion. Such events are unavoidable. You grew up in the Forbidden City, dressed in silks and satins, feasting on delicacies from land and sea. You have no understanding of the people's suffering. To speak of nothing distant, just recall when you accompanied me to Huaining last time. Did you see the fear in those children's eyes? Did you see the elderly huddled by the roadside, starving and helpless? The Emperor sits upon his cushion, turning a blind eye. I thought you, with more flesh and blood than him, would empathize more deeply with the people's plight. But it seems I was mistaken. Should such a scarred and broken nation be allowed to persist, dragging more people into the depths of misery? You hate me for rebelling, but have you considered what would become of us if this realm fell into others' hands? Rather than waiting to be slaughtered, it is better to strike first. I promised to protect you for a lifetime, but if I cannot command the realm, I fear I will be powerless, forced to watch helplessly as others mistreat you."
After all his lengthy explanations, he had only proven that his rebellion was meant to protect her. Did loving her necessitate the destruction of Great Ye's State Altars? How difficult it must have been for him to come up with such a laughable excuse.
She gazed at him with anguish. "I would rather die standing than kneel to accept your favor. What you are doing is not love—it is tearing out my heart and soul. You have made it impossible for me to hold my head high for all eternity. How could I have married such a treacherous rebel?"
By the end, her words were filled with profound grief. He had never seen her like this—like a candle flame in the wind, flickering and on the verge of extinction. He recalled how she had once debated scholars in the Chengguang Hall, likely with the same fiery spirit. A delicate princess, she had endured so much, and it pained him. But this decisive strike now was to ensure she would never suffer such pain again. A sharp pain in one's prime is far better than a lifetime of anxiety and fear in old age. With the strength to weather this upheaval now, why wait until later, only to live in constant dread for our descendants, day after day, preparing for the day when our fiefdoms are stripped away and we are punished?He could not find more excuses for himself. Indeed, rebellion was rebellion. Once this step was taken, there was no turning back. He could only persuade her to abandon her stubbornness.
"Think of our child, Wanwan. He was already five months old. If The Emperor had not forcibly detained you in the capital, he would not have died. Don’t you want to avenge our child?"
She nodded slowly. "You are right. With the child gone, I should have someone to hate. I do despise The Emperor deeply. If not for him, I would not have had to argue with the Inner Cabinet, nor would I have suffered a miscarriage from the distress. But now, I realize I have hated the wrong person. If you had not harbored ill intentions, how could our baby have died? Now, your rebellion is not to avenge our child but to satisfy your own selfish desires. Since that is the case, why not admit it openly? Why dress yourself up in such a righteous guise?"
She was beyond persuasion; whatever he said would be in vain. He had prepared himself for this, ready to endure her blame however she directed it. How could he argue with her now? He could only bow his head and sigh. "So, in your eyes, as long as the Great Ye dynasty stands, no matter how much the imperial court oppresses the Southern Garden, I should not resist."
Her gaze was icy as she said coldly, "The ruler is the ruler, and the subject is the subject. If you cannot be loyal to your sovereign, then you are a traitor. Do not speak of oppression by the imperial court. Look across the land—the Southern Garden remains the most prosperous Feudal Territory of Great Ye. The imperial capital of Jinling—when the founding emperor bestowed this land upon your Qi People, he treated you generously enough. How many times have later rulers contemplated reducing the power of the Feudal Territories? Yet, in the end, they never touched your Yuwen Clan. Had their methods been more decisive, the Southern Garden Palace would have ceased to exist long ago. Would you still have the chance to march north with your army?"
He looked at her wordlessly. Her stance was one of irreconcilable enmity, and he felt only a deep sense of loss. To be honest, women were always the weaker party in war. If he were more ruthless, why would he care about her thoughts? But he could not—she was his wife, his most beloved woman. In the face of shifting power and ambition, she might seem insignificant, but in his heart, she was of utmost importance. His Ama had once judged him: he had enough wisdom but lacked ruthlessness. Without affection or love, one could conquer all; but once emotions were involved, it often meant destroying the enemy at great cost to oneself. He was not a good warrior.
But what difference was there between being truly heartless and loveless and being a beast? Everyone had their weaknesses, and his weakness was her. If forced to put it another way, it could be understood that his ambition was vast—he wanted the best of everything in this world, be it the realm or her. Since they had come into his grasp, he would never let go.
His face wore an expression of remorse. "I have been fair to everyone, except you. Now that the situation is beyond control, please try to accept it. Do not harm your health over this."
Wanwan naturally hoped there was still room for compromise. Softening her tone, she pleaded with him, "There has been no battle yet. Order Lan Zhou to stop immediately. I will explain to The Emperor, saying it was my misunderstanding, that everything was a mistake."He laughed at her naivety. "It's too late. The garrison troops suppressing the rebellion have already marched straight to Nuergan, followed by three hundred thousand soldiers. How can we make the imperial court believe this is all a misunderstanding? Once war begins, it cannot be stopped. I cannot let the Qi People face annihilation for the sake of one person's preferences. Wanwan, are the Han and Xianbei your people, but not the Qi People? If we give up now, the court will only bathe the Southern Garden in blood." As he spoke, he turned to look at the sunlight outside and murmured, "The first round of the siege has already begun at noon..."
Wanwan felt as if struck by lightning. It had begun—what was done could not be undone. She staggered backward. "Three hundred thousand troops... Great Ye has two million mighty soldiers. Don't you know that?"
Yet less than a million could be mobilized, and with the Tiger Tally in hand, another three hundred thousand would likely be excluded from that million. Thus, the forces would be evenly matched, and those stationed far away would be unable to provide timely support. In all major military strategist battles throughout history, only the core regions were fiercely contested. For instance, deploying border troops stationed beyond the Yumen Pass was absolutely impossible.
Having laid everything bare, the heavy burden in his heart lifted, though she remained a thorny issue for him. He sighed sorrowfully, "Wanwan, do you believe in my feelings for you? If we achieve a great victory, the empire will still be yours. If we are defeated, I alone will face death. You can submit to the court—no matter what, you will suffer no harm."
She trembled with rage. What nonsense was this! She realized she could no longer communicate with him. Their positions were worlds apart, destined only to drift further away.
Outside the window, the spring sunlight blazed brightly. Peach blossoms bloomed, a cluster of branches stretching forth in an exquisitely graceful posture, yet she could not appreciate the beauty. Leaning one hand on the edge of the table to steady herself from falling, she took two steadying breaths and said, "I cannot distinguish which of your words are true and which are false. In truth, you need not have been so determined to marry a princess and drag me into this. You have truly harmed me, and it brings no benefit to yourself either."
He admitted that he had indeed implicated her, causing her heart-wrenching pain, but he did not regret his actions. "I feared I would be unable to protect you if the city fell. If I gained the empire, yet you had already become another's wife, what use would this empire be to me? Who would share it with me?"
Suddenly, she hated him with gnashing teeth. He was so shameless—he had truly deceived her. Never in her life had she suffered such humiliation. Even when she had clashed with the Inner Cabinet before, it was merely filled with anger. But now, she felt both shame and hatred, realizing she had stumbled so gravely, prostrating herself before her own husband, never to rise again.
She laughed, a laugh that was eerily terrifying. "Do you still intend to make me your empress after seizing the empire? A queen like a stray dog—do you think you alone can ensure my eternal safety?" She shook her head mockingly. "You overestimate yourself. Today, you have no choice, but in the future, you will face countless more dilemmas. By then, the old ministers will remember me as the eternal sinner who allowed her husband to usurp the throne, and your Qi People lackeys will remember me as the helpless former dynasty princess. When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. I fear long before you give the order, they will have already strangled me with a rope. Between you and me, one side must compromise. You are utterly unwilling, and so am I. Since we cannot remain husband and wife, we can only become enemies. From this day forward, I ask you never to set foot in my Eldest Princess Residence again. Otherwise, everyone in my residence will fight you to the death with all their might."He stood there in a daze—was she trying to draw a clear line between them now? His mind felt numb, his tongue bitter, as he attempted to approach her. "Wanwan, we loved each other so deeply..."
His words made her sick. "When you spoke of loving me, what you truly plotted in your heart was the Murong Clan's empire. What right do you have to speak of love?" Seeing that she couldn't drive him away, she turned and took down the jade-hilted sword from the wall. As the blade left its sheath, a cold gleam flashed beneath her billowing sleeves. "If you don't leave now, don't blame me for being discourteous."
The jade-hilted sword was the most prestigious and noble among all ceremonial swords, once a mandatory accessory for the Crown Prince and the Emperor during court sessions. When she left for her marriage, The Emperor personally escorted her for fifty miles and, at the dock, removed his own sword to give to her. This showed that although Gao Gong had lived a life of folly, his heart toward his sister was sincere. Wanwan could have used it to execute a traitorous minister, but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to do it, and it ultimately became nothing more than a tool for intimidation. He wasn't afraid of its sharp edge; rather, he retreated temporarily, fearing that she might be too overwhelmed by grief to bear it.
He said, "Alright, I'll go. Put down the sword, don't hurt yourself. Wanwan, after all the hardships we've endured together, are you willing to part ways like this?"
The three-foot blade advanced another half-step, cutting off his words. The imposing aura on her face, dignified without anger, reminded him of how she had been before their marriage—always an unattainable lotus on a snowy mountain. Even after yielding to him, she never lost her integrity or pride.
Only after he left did she slump down into a seat. The room had been tense with confrontation earlier, and Tong Huan and the others had been waiting outside. Once the Prince of Nanyuan departed, they immediately entered. They said nothing, merely standing silently by her side.
She lowered her hand, the tip of the sword resting on the lotus-patterned paving bricks, and murmured to herself, "It's too late..."
Xiao You, tears in her eyes, gently patted her arm. "Your Highness, you must stay strong."
She handed the sword in her hand to Tong Huan and said despondently, "There are many good people in this world, but those who always make you compromise and endure—they are certainly not good people."
Yes, she had always been compromising and enduring, from the moment of her marriage until now. She understood the principle of gains and losses: since her noble birth had brought her supreme glory, the responsibilities she bore must also be greater than others'. She never complained, only endured silently, but now, after enduring for so long, it was becoming increasingly unbearable. It would have been one thing if others were plotting rebellion, but why did it have to be him? He was the Imperial Consort, her husband!
She had misjudged him. She had thought him gentle and refined, at least someone who cherished old sentiments. She never expected him to act so ruthlessly and decisively. It was only afterward that Yu Xixia told her that after the three hundred Imperial Guards left the mansion, Jinshi had secretly gone to investigate, only to find no news of them—they were likely already dead or in grave danger.
She broke out in a cold sweat, thinking of the Silk-clad Guards who had remained behind, nearly failing to protect even them.
Blaming herself, she stood before the Silver Peace Hall with tears streaming down her face. "It's my fault. If I hadn't agreed to him, this wouldn't have happened."
But what use was regret? Would he have refrained from targeting so many of her attendants? It was merely a matter of sooner or later. Now, the entire mansion was surrounded by his Imperial Guard, not even a fly could escape. The Tiger Tally was difficult to find, and their movements were restricted. In this situation, it was even worse than when they were in the capital.
"I've always been held in someone's palm—first it was Brother, now it's my husband." She sat under the eaves, gazing vacantly at the drifting clouds on the horizon. "I've become a caged bird. I should have listened to Jinshi that day and returned to the capital. That would have been better."Tong Huan said no, "If you return to the capital, it will only hasten the Southern Garden army's campaign. Staying here might make him hesitate, perhaps buying some time."
Yu Xixia entered through the second gate and approached, giving her a somber glance.
"What is it?" She straightened up and asked, "Any news from outside?"
Yu Xixia hesitated before replying, "Wu Qu, whom we sent out earlier, returned to report but was no match for the prince's Goshiha. He was killed in the alley."
Wanwan stared blankly, her face deathly pale. "Why did he come back? He shouldn't have returned..."
Outside the residence, the storm was already raging. A dynasty on the brink of collapse, its replacement would not only overthrow the ruling family but also cost countless lives. Her Eldest Princess Residence alone had already lost so many. What about the Forbidden City? What about Beijing City? She dared not think further. Her heart raced violently, and she collapsed backward, losing consciousness completely.
When she awoke, it was already dark. A bitter wind and rain lashed against the lattice window, and the candlelight on the desk flickered dimly. She propped herself up and looked around. The bedroom no longer felt familiar; she was utterly alone. Startled, she called out loudly for Tong Huan and Xiao You, but it was he who appeared.
He wore a bamboo-green meditation robe, his hair loosely tied back, and carried a glass lamp into the room. The lamplight illuminated the hem of his gently swaying robe and his gentle, almost divine, features.
"Awake?" He placed the lamp on the kang table and came to her bedside. "I heard you fainted and came back to care for you. The physician said it's due to physical weakness and requires careful recuperation. You've endured too much lately, and it's all my fault. You resent me, and you may punish me however you wish, but please don't harm yourself." As he spoke, he cautiously watched her expression, inching closer. "Wanwan, don't ignore me. This hurts me more than a thousand cuts. What's done is done, and life must go on. Do you intend to hate me forever?"
She gazed at him indifferently, her heart as cold as ashes. His actions felt utterly alien to her. Were human lives mere trifles in his eyes? To her, he appeared gentle and kind, but behind her back, he became a life-reaping demon. What had those Imperial Guards done wrong for him to slaughter them all at once? Now it was those outside the second gate; gradually, it would spread to those within—Tong Huan, Xiao You, Zhang Mo, Nanny Li... and finally, it would be her turn. When the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold. Even while Great Ye still stood, this was the case. Once he breached the nine gates, would there be any place left in this world for the Murong Clan and its subjects?
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