The Road to Glory

Chapter 233: “I Will Continue to Punish You.”...

Having arrived in haste, Wen Yu’s thick black hair was loosely tied up with a few large hairpins. Half her robes and the dark tresses cascading down her waist were thoroughly soaked. After being chilled for this duration, her face had taken on a pale, ice-sculpted quality, yet her eyes remained like cold stars struck by fire, glaring at Xiao Jun with fury.

Heartache, lingering fear, and too many overwhelming emotions surged within her all at once. Upon witnessing how he had abused his own body, they all transformed into anger. She scowled at him, her brows furrowed: “If I hadn’t come, did Xiao Jun intend to torment himself to death in this Water Prison?”

Xiao Jun, however, simply stared at her and uttered ambiguously, “You came.”

His breath was still scorching, his gaze obsessive, dark, and dangerous.

Wen Yu’s anger did not subside. Her body trembled slightly uncontrollably in the cold pool, yet she strained to keep her voice cold and taut: “What does Xiao Jun wish to say?”

The large hand that had been caressing her cheek moved downward, instead embracing her waist and lifting her upward. In her panic, Wen Yu instinctively clutched the fabric at his shoulders and arms.

He seated her on the stone platform, away from the pool water, but showed no intention of retreating himself. Because they were so close and Wen Yu still gripped his shoulder garments, their posture momentarily resembled an embrace.

He braced his hands on the edge of the stone platform, caging her with his arms, his feverishly hot and slightly heavy breaths spraying against her cheek.

This posture instantly reminded Wen Yu of when he had trapped her against the stone wall of the mountain nunnery’s hot spring. She frowned slightly and unconsciously tried to move away, but then heard Xiao Jun say, “Do you care this much for every prisoner?”

Realizing he was responding to her earlier words, but since he had already broken free of the iron chains and, despite his high fever, trapped her in the pool without going ashore herself, Wen Yu felt anger rise in her heart again: “Xiao Jun alive is of greater value than dead. Naturally, I must be concerned.”

Xiao Jun’s throat seemed to swallow some emotion with difficulty. He grinned sarcastically, his eyes holding only a fierce mix of darkness and crimson as he stared at her: “Didn’t the Princess say that seizing the military power in my hands would leave no one in the world to criticize? Then what use am I to the Princess, that you would condescend to come see me in person?”

Wen Yu tilted her head slightly, lowering her gaze to the Black Iron Prison Bars beside them, her lips pressed tightly together. She had no desire to continue this conversation with him in the Water Prison and said only, “The cold pool water is freezing. Since I have fallen into Xiao Jun’s hands, you may very well capture me as leverage. After having the imperial physician examine you, demand horses to leave the royal court.”

Xiao Jun looked at her, the sarcasm in his laugh deepening, the red and turmoil in his eyes gathering ever more heavily. He used that hand, marked with scabs and bloodstains, to forcefully cup Wen Yu’s cheek and said, “What I came here for, I said when I surrounded the royal court.”

“I know I overestimated myself, and I know I was wishfully thinking. But, Wen Yu, back when you said you would marry whoever gave you the provinces of Xin and Yi, I came to see you with the military map for conquering Xin and Yi.”

He clenched his jaw, clearly showing her all the love, hatred, pain, bitterness, and resentment in his eyes, and uttered that accusation over two years overdue: “It was you who went back on your word, it was you… who didn’t keep your promise, changing your demand to want troops, to want power!”Something dark and bitter fell from his crimson eyes: "You despise me, loathe me—I was the one who left back then, but you're the one who fell into my hands again!

"Didn't you marry King Chen, who commands troops and holds power? Didn't you make what you thought was the best choice after weighing the pros and cons? Didn't you forbid your subjects from coveting you? Then why have you ended up in such a wretched state? When I protected you on the journey south back then, as long as I had a breath left in me, did I ever let you face such danger alone? But you chose them! How could I possibly accept that? Wen Yu, I ask you, how can you expect me to accept this?"

He hurled accusation after accusation at her, pouring out all the resentment that had corroded his beating heart over the years, leaving countless gaping holes. His other hand cupped Wen Yu's face, his thumb gently wiping away the tears rolling from her eyes. His breathing was ragged and pained, their foreheads nearly touching as he spoke through gritted teeth:

"And it was you—you who personally denied all the hatred you once held for me, saying you loved me.

"I believed it. Now I too have troops and power. So why do you still refuse to give up on King Chen?

"If you won't choose me, I'll prove that I'm the strongest, the most worthy ally. You're so clever, with so many ways to consolidate power—why must you seek a child with someone else..."

He couldn't continue. Ripples of emotion stirred as something wet fell again from his sore, red eyes. His breathing trembled slightly before he finally choked out one last resentful question: "What right... do you have to treat me like this?"

Wen Yu was forced to look up at him. Her pale cheeks, illuminated by the dim candlelight, resembled a cold moon reflected in rippling water, shimmering with a faint glow. Her soaked dress clung heavily, pulling the collar slightly open. With each breath, the sharp outline of her collarbones—barely covered by thin skin—became clearly visible.

Xiao Li gripped her face fiercely, their breaths mingling. Yet the wet trails on his face only multiplied. His gaze was fierce, filled with such venom, laying bare the love and hatred that pierced his heart. His Adam's apple slowly moved as he uttered, "Wen Yu, why don't you just kill me?"

His voice was hoarse and gravelly when he said this. Though he still stared intently at Wen Yu, his vision had begun to blur with double images.

He hadn't slept properly for two days and nights. Wounded and having eaten little, pushing himself this far had reached his limit.

The bitterness in Wen Yu's eyes deepened, but her expression remained taut. Her hands groped until they found the chain attached to the collar around Xiao Li's neck. Suddenly, she yanked it downward, forcing him to bow his head even closer.

She didn't release the chain, letting the heavy Black Iron Collar press against the scabbed bite mark she'd left earlier. Raising eyes still tinged with red, she met his fierce gaze with equal intensity and demanded once more:

"Why did you slaughter Pei Song's twenty thousand surrendered soldiers?"

"Because... they deserved to die..."

Xiao Li managed only those few words before his body, burning like charcoal, collapsed against Wen Yu's shoulder and neck. Having strained beyond his limits, he completely lost consciousness.

In the shimmering reflections of torchlight on the cold pool, Wen Yu saw the arrow wound on his shoulder, the bandage stained with a spreading red blotch. Memories of the past flooded her mind. She steadied her stifled breathing, slowly closed her eyes, and exhaled.

The firelight cast their shadows on the wall—one shadow lifting a hand and placing it on the other's back.In the empty silence of the Water Prison, an extremely low voice murmured: "I will continue to punish you."

The next day, the sunlight was dazzling, and a gentle breeze blew softly.

The curtains in the hall fluttered slowly, stirred by the wind pouring in through the wide-open window frames.

"...His constitution is good. Last night, the wound on his shoulder still showed some inflammation, but when the dressing was changed today, the inflammation had already subsided, and the fever has broken. With a few more doses of medicine and proper rest, he should be out of danger."

Physician Fang stood at a distance, answering cautiously.

Wen Yu sat by the window before a Go board, holding a piece without looking up, and said, "You may leave."

Under Tong Que's watchful gaze, Physician Fang bowed to Wen Yu and then withdrew cautiously.

Wen Yu placed the piece she was holding on the corner of the board before asking Tong Que, "Has Pei Yuan confessed?"

Tong Que shook her head: "His mouth is extremely tight. He’s been held in the Water Prison until now, and even under torture, he still refuses to speak."

Ordinary prisoners, before being brought to court, are first beaten with the "Intimidation Stick."

For serious criminals entering the imperial prison, they are first confined in the Water Prison for a night before further interrogation methods are applied.

Thus, on the night when Xiao Li and Pei Yuan were escorted back together, Wen Yu’s order to imprison them both in the imperial prison led the subordinates to mistakenly treat Xiao Li as a serious criminal as well, and he was also taken to the Water Prison.

Wen Yu picked up a black stone from the Go bowl and said only, "Continue the interrogation."

Tong Que bowed her head in assent, knowing that if Pei Song had defected to the Western Mausoleum, Pei Yuan must also be aware of some of Pei Song’s schemes with the Western Mausoleum.

But when she lifted her head to look at Wen Yu, she still expressed concern: "Princess, you barely slept last night, and today’s court session and discussions lasted until the afternoon. How can your body endure such exhaustion? Let me attend to you so you can rest."

After bringing Xiao Li back from the imperial prison last night, to avoid attracting attention, Wen Yu had initially placed him in a side hall of Zhaohua Palace.

When Physician Fang secretly entered the palace to examine him, he discovered that the arrow wound on Xiao Li’s shoulder had not only torn open again when he forcefully broke the chains but had also become inflamed due to the high fever, making his condition critical and requiring someone to stay by his side to care for him.

Tong Que found a reliable young eunuch to tend to Xiao Li in the side hall, instructing him to constantly monitor the fever and use cool water to wipe him down and reduce his temperature.

Wen Yu had already slept for three hours earlier and, after returning from the imperial prison, found herself unable to sleep. After changing out of her damp clothes and drying her hair, she had been in the main hall handling the accumulated memorials.

Late into the night, she suddenly heard unusual noises from the side hall. Going to check, she found that the young eunuch, while wiping Xiao Li down to cool him, had his hand dislocated by Xiao Li, who, half-conscious, sensed a stranger approaching him.

The young eunuch’s face was streaked with tears and snot, afraid of disturbing Wen Yu, he dared not make a single sound of crying.

Wen Yu ordered Tong Que to take the young eunuch away and ensure he was properly cared for. Turning back to look at Xiao Li, whose face was flushed red with fever and still lost in delirium, she reached out to feel his forehead. As she tried to withdraw her hand, he abruptly grabbed it firmly.

He seemed trapped in some nightmare, mumbling incoherently, calling for "Mother," and then calling her name.

Wen Yu was suddenly reminded of the time he fell ill at the mountain temple, when he had gripped her wrist just like this.

She remained silent for a few breaths before trying to free her hand, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break his grip.Soon after, Tong Que returned and saw that Wen Yu was being "detained" by Xiao Li. She tried to pry his hand open, but as he felt the external force in his dazed state, the more resistance he encountered, the tighter his grip became. Wen Yu's hand was starting to hurt from the pressure, yet Tong Que still couldn't loosen the grip. Fearing he might injure Wen Yu, she had no choice but to give up for the time being.

Trapped by the bedside, Wen Yu rubbed her temples and instructed Tong Que to fetch the unfinished memorials. She placed them on her lap and spent the entire night reviewing them by candlelight.

By dawn, she could no longer fight off exhaustion. As she closed her eyes for a brief rest, the vermilion brush slipped from her hand, leaving a red streak across the bedcovers and sheets.

When Tong Que entered to wake Wen Yu for the morning court session, she felt a pang of heartache seeing her asleep in such a state. Noticing Xiao Li still gripping Wen Yu's wrist, her feelings grew somewhat complicated.

Fortunately, after this night, Xiao Li's high fever had finally subsided. However, likely due to severe depletion of qi and blood, he remained unconscious. When Tong Que tried again to help Wen Yu free her wrist from his grasp, she finally succeeded in prying it open.

Whether out of slight irritation or not, Wen Yu's expression remained stern throughout the morning court session. The ministers below, assuming she was troubled by the western border conflicts, feared provoking her displeasure. None dared to offer any evasive arguments during deliberations, resulting in significantly more efficient handling of trivial administrative matters than usual.

Hearing Tong Que's words now, Wen Yu twirled a black chess piece between her fingers, unable to find a suitable spot on the board for a long while. A gentle breeze swept through the hall from the window once more, carrying the rustling sounds of leaves from the tall trees in the courtyard.

She turned to look out the window and said, "The Azure Guard has sent word that A Zhao should be arriving at the royal court soon. I'll rest after I've met with A Zhao."

When the royal court was besieged, the Azure Guard, while delivering a message to Gu Xiyun, had also sent word to Liang territory as per Wen Yu's instructions.

With Xiao Li secretly leading troops to surround the royal court, Wen Yu naturally needed to ascertain immediately whether any changes had occurred within Liang territory.

Upon receiving the message, Zhao Bai, fearing that Wen Yu might be in danger, set out beyond the pass that very day.

By the end of the You hour, Zhao Bai, riding alone, galloped into the royal palace along the main road outside the Eastern Capital Gate, stirring up fallen blossoms along the way.

By then, A Li had already woken from her nap. Having just cried, she was brought by the palace maid to Wen Yu's side.

Zhao Bai hurried into the hall and immediately knelt on one knee, supporting herself with a hand on the ground. "This servant has failed in the task entrusted by the princess and was unable to successfully rescue the consort."

Wen Yu had already learned the details of that day's events from the Azure Guard's report. She personally stepped forward to help Zhao Bai up. Remembering her sister-in-law who had treated her like a own sister, even though she had known this tragic news for some time, her heart remained heavy with sorrow. She said softly, "The situation was perilous that day. You did your best. I don't blame you."

Then she asked, "How are your injuries healing?"

Hearing this, Zhao Bai's eyes reddened almost imperceptibly. She quickly lowered her head, unwilling to rise, and replied, "They've mostly healed. There was a great river at the bottom of that cliff, with turbulent currents. I searched along the river for a long time... but so far, I haven't been able to find the consort's body."

Upon hearing this, Wen Yu felt a sharp pain in her heart. She took a steadying breath, and the hand that had been supporting Zhao Bai's forearm moved to gently pat her elbow. "Sister-in-law has always been blessed with good fortune. She was likely carried downstream by the current and rescued by someone. We'll just continue sending people to search."

From the rocking crib, A Li let out a babble. When Zhao Bai looked up, she saw that the child could already pull herself up using the wooden rails of the crib—a far cry from the soft, tiny bundle she had been when Zhao Bai left the royal court.Her sorrow was somewhat dispelled, and she knew that since Wen Yu had spoken thus, it would be improper for her to continue kneeling. Nodding, she suppressed the stinging sensation in her eyes and rose alongside Wen Yu, saying, "I left a portion of the Azure Guard behind, instructing them to continue searching along the river with the officials."

Wen Yu asked, "What about A Yin?"

Zhao Bai's expression darkened further as she shook her head. "The young princess has been sleeping poorly at night, often waking with fright and crying for the young lady of the heir.".." The redness she had earlier suppressed resurfaced in her eyes. "I originally intended to bring the young princess to see you once we had news of the crown princess, but when word came that something had happened at the royal court, I feared it would be too dangerous to take her out of the pass." So I entrusted her to Madam Chen's care for the time being."

A similar sting touched Wen Yu's eyes as she said, "When I left Luodu, A Yin was only three years old. Now... it has been nearly three years since I last saw her."

A Li could only cling to the crib railing and stand for a brief moment. Whether it was because Wen Yu had ignored her for so long or because she noticed the redness in Wen Yu's eyes, A Li suddenly puckered her lips and began to cry.

Wen Yu turned and picked up her daughter, soothing her gently. Watching this scene, Zhao Bai recalled how she had comforted A Yin at night, speaking of how the heir used to be. When A Yin asked who the heir was, and she replied that he was her father, A Yin first looked bewildered, then burst into sobs, saying she couldn't remember what her father looked like. A dull ache pierced Zhao Bai's heart.

As A Li's cries gradually subsided and Wen Yu placed her back in the crib, Zhao Bai said, "Princess, I have discovered the true reason why Xiao Li massacred Pei Song's twenty thousand surrendered troops in Liang during my return trip to Liang."