Shadow Love (Yu Jin Chang An)

After a night of extraordinary revelry, on the day of the Pure Snow Festival, the people of Deer City began their ancestral worship, the atmosphere more solemn than the previous day. Yet, it was on this very day that two major events occurred in Deer City.

One of them was the escape of a prisoner from Deer City's dungeon.

The dungeon of Deer City was built exceptionally sturdy, designed to hold the most dangerous criminals from the northern frontier, with tight security to match. After Li Shuang entered the city, she had even dispatched soldiers from the Changfeng Battalion to guard the prison, ensuring that the high-profile inmates wouldn't take advantage of the chaos of war to escape.

Yet, despite these layers of security, a man with disheveled hair, delicate features, and dressed in luxurious robes managed to escape from the dungeon.

Not only did he escape, but he also left behind a letter addressed to Li Shuang, the gist of which was: "The dungeon wasn't quite what I imagined—too dark, not to my liking. I've decided to leave early. My apologies for the disturbance."

The words were sincere, as if an old friend were bidding her farewell...

Li Shuang was both amused and exasperated. The fact that he had left a letter meant he had not only escaped from the dungeon but also gone out to buy writing materials, penned the letter, returned to the dungeon to place it inside, and then left again. In one night, he had broken out of prison twice, suggesting his martial arts and agility were unfathomable.

This confirmed that the mysterious man in the opulent robes she had seen in the alley the previous night was indeed him.

What this man intended by coming to the northern frontier in such bitter cold, Li Shuang could not fathom. But just as she ordered an investigation into him, the second incident occurred.

Crown Prince Sima Yang of the Eastern Palace arrived in Deer City ahead of the main forces, expected to reach the city shortly after noon.

Upon receiving this news, Li Shuang immediately mustered her troops, ordering all officers and personal guards to assemble outside the city gates to welcome the Crown Prince.

Jin An had been accompanying the personal guards during the day these past days. Today, with all the guards leaving the city, he followed along. Small in stature, he stood unnoticed at the back of the crowd. Uninterested in the others, his gaze pierced through the throng, settling distantly on Li Shuang at the forefront.

Li Shuang gazed at the vast northern frontier, her expression grave, her lips slightly pursed as if suppressing some emotion. Jin An was puzzled—was she unhappy? Why?

Luo Teng, as Li Shuang's deputy, stood two steps behind her alongside Qin Lan. At noon, Luo Teng's stomach growled loudly with hunger. A straightforward man, he rubbed his belly and grumbled under his breath, "What's the Crown Prince doing coming at mealtime..."

Qin Lan scolded him, "Do you want to keep your head?"

Luo Teng touched his neck and sighed. "It's freezing out here. Who knows when the Crown Prince will arrive? My feet are already numb from standing." He glanced at Li Shuang. "General, we mustered in such a hurry earlier that I forgot my cloak. I'm freezing now—may I go back and fetch it?"

"Go ahead."

"Right. Should I bring yours as well?"

Li Shuang hesitated for a moment. "Bring it."

Normally, Li Shuang would have declined to trouble him, but today she felt a dull ache in her lower abdomen. Having lived long in the northern frontier, her body was chilled from the cold, and frequent horseback riding and battles had left her menstrual cycle irregular—often skipping months, and when it did come, lasting only two or three days, with excruciating pain. The pain usually started the day before and persisted until her period ended, sometimes lingering for days afterward.The generals around her were all rough and tough men, so she had never found it convenient to share her pains with anyone. Every few months, she would endure it silently until it passed. This time, however, the pain happened to coincide with Sima Yang's arrival...

Sima Yang had always been observant, and if he noticed, it would be awkward. Li Shuang asked Luo Teng to fetch her a cloak, hoping the warmth would ease the pain and help her get through the moment.

Not long after Luo Teng brought the cloak, dust suddenly rose in the distance on the official road—a few fast horses galloping toward Lucheng. The thundering hooves crossed a small hill ahead and charged straight toward them. Just three zhang away from Li Shuang, the lead rider abruptly reined in his horse, causing it to rear high with a spirited neigh.

At that moment, the midday sun hung directly overhead, making the newcomer seem as dazzling as if he stood within the sun itself. Li Shuang instinctively narrowed her eyes slightly.

As the horse's hooves landed, the man clad in deep purple robes sat tall in the saddle, his hair slightly disheveled, his face bearing traces of exhaustion from the long journey. Yet none of this diminished the authority in his bearing. Only upon seeing Li Shuang did that sternness soften slightly, replaced by a hint of warmth.

He gazed at her, dismounted, and approached. Before he could say a word, Li Shuang suddenly bowed deeply. "Li Shuang, commander of the Changfeng Battalion, pays respects to Your Highness, the Crown Prince."

Sima Yang's slightly outstretched hand froze midair before he withdrew it. "Shuang... General Li, there’s no need for such formality. Please rise."

Li Shuang straightened and stepped aside respectfully. "Your Highness must be weary. Please enter the city and rest."

Sima Yang looked at her in silence. His wordlessness left everyone else motionless, until finally, noticing the faint tremble in Li Shuang’s lips, his gaze deepened. Only then did he turn and proceed toward the city, the officers and guards parting to make way.

Yet after only a few steps, Sima Yang halted.

A child stood in his path, looking up at him with neither deference nor fear, offering no gesture of respect.

Li Shuang, following behind, frowned at the sight. "Jin An." The boy’s gaze immediately shifted to her. "Pay your respects to His Highness the Crown Prince," she instructed.

Jin An frowned. "Why should I bow to him?"

The soldiers at the gate tensed at his words. One of the Crown Prince’s guards immediately barked, "How insolent!"

Protective of her charge, Li Shuang coughed lightly and explained, "Your Highness, this is an orphan we found beyond the frontier. The northern borders are rough, and we haven’t had the chance to educate him yet. I beg Your Highness to forgive his lack of manners."

Sima Yang turned to her. "You picked him up?"

"Yes."

A faint smile tugged at Sima Yang’s lips, tinged with amusement. "His temper resembles yours when you were young." His familiar tone suddenly brought back memories from years ago—when her father had first brought her to the general’s residence, and she, upon meeting the then-young Crown Prince, had offended him without hesitation, far more severely than Jin An just had...

She had punched Sima Yang squarely in the stomach, leaving him unable to eat properly for days. Fortunately, the Emperor had been magnanimous and hadn’t held it against a child. From then on, she and Sima Yang had become friends through conflict, growing up amidst their squabbles and mutual encouragement—until now.Recalling the past, the deliberate coldness in Li Shuang's eyes softened slightly.

Noticing this, Sima Yang's smile deepened. "Since it's a child you picked up, the offense shall be compensated by you." Without giving Li Shuang a chance to speak, he strode forward. As he passed Jin An, he reached out to pat the boy's head, only to find his hand meeting empty air.

Sima Yang's brow arched slightly. "Trained?"

Jin An had no intention of answering him and simply said, "I don't like you. Stay away from me. This is the first time. If there's a next—"

"Jin An." Li Shuang cut him off sharply. She rubbed her temples and beckoned, "Come here." Jin An obediently walked over, and Li Shuang took his hand, whispering, "Be good. Don't speak."

Sima Yang found the scene amusing, assuming Li Shuang had picked up a child to dote on out of boredom in the frontier. He let it go and turned to walk into the city.

Only after Sima Yang had left did Li Shuang crouch down to speak to Jin An. "I don't care about others—even I don't mind—but don't speak to him like that again, understand?"

"Why?" Jin An frowned. "Are you afraid of him?" His expression turned cold in an instant. "I'll kill him for—"

"Shh!" Li Shuang's gaze hardened. "You can be reckless with anyone else, but not in front of him. While he's in Lucheng, stay away from him. And never say such words again."

Jin An's frown deepened. "Why?"

Li Shuang patted his head. "Be good and listen to me." Because he was the sovereign, and they were his subjects. She could protect Jin An from anyone else, but if the son of heaven wished him dead, she would be powerless to keep him safe.

Jin An stared at Li Shuang in silence. Seeing the resolve in her eyes, he swallowed his words and remained quiet.

Taking his silence as agreement, Li Shuang waved for her guards to take him back to the camp. She herself led the remaining soldiers into the city with Luo Teng and Qin Lan.