In the darkness, Mu Wan Yao’s soft breaths intertwined with Yan Shang’s. Her fingertips caressed the jade pendant, and for a moment, her heart wavered between confusion and bitterness.
The first time Yan Shang had been intimate with her, he had shown her this jade pendant. He said it was his family’s token of love, a family heirloom passed down through generations. At the time, she had avoided it at all costs, fearing that he would insist on claiming her and forcing the pendant upon her.
Yet that was the only chance Yan Shang ever gave her to see the pendant. Later, Mu Wan Yao regretted it countless times, but Yan Shang never brought it out again. After their marriage, she had also struggled with the question—why hadn’t he given her the pendant?
Wasn’t it supposed to be a token of love? Wasn’t it a family heirloom? Why hadn’t he given it to her?
But later, Mu Wan Yao thought perhaps it was because she and Yan Shang could never have children, and giving such a pendant to the two of them would be a waste. Since the pendant couldn’t be passed down in their hands, perhaps Yan Shang had returned it to his father, and Yan Father had given it to the eldest or third son.
She never expected the pendant to still be here.
Mu Wan Yao lowered her head and whispered, “Why didn’t you return the pendant?”
In the midst of a tense wartime situation, perhaps they shouldn’t be discussing such sentimental matters. But since they couldn’t move and worrying about other things was pointless, she might as well ask the question outright.
Yan Shang smiled faintly and said softly, “If I had returned it, you would have been so heartbroken. Don’t you want to wear something from our family?”
Mu Wan Yao retorted, “Who cares about your family’s things?”
Yan Shang smiled but said nothing. Perhaps he was in too much pain to speak, or perhaps the pain had numbed him. His head throbbed with dizziness, his spirit grew weary, and his physical condition was likely dire.
As Yan Shang endured his suffering, he felt Mu Wan Yao reach for his hand. He froze for a moment, then heard her mutter softly, “Are you trying to distract yourself and stay alert by talking?”
Yan Shang paused, instinctively wanting to deny it.
Mu Wan Yao lifted her face. “Don’t hide it from me. Have you forgotten what I said? In front of me, be at ease, don’t exhaust yourself so much. Don’t carry everything alone—Second Brother Yan, you have a wife, you have a partner, you have a companion. Let me share the burden with you.”
Yan Shang was taken aback.
After a long silence, he smiled hoarsely and said, “Alright.”
In the deep darkness, unable to move, Mu Wan Yao struggled to reach out and embrace him. She tried several times but couldn’t slip her hand between his back and the stone. Yet she felt the thick, sticky blood, overwhelmingly dense.
Yan Shang probably didn’t realize it himself. Having lost sensation to the pain, he didn’t know how much blood he had lost. But even the blood she felt on the hem of his clothes made Mu Wan Yao’s heart race with panic.
Could a person survive losing so much blood?
But she was adept at forcing herself to remain composed.
No matter how shocked, pained, or frightened she felt inside, Mu Wan Yao’s upturned face still carried a trace of a smile. “Speaking of which, your family comes from a remote, impoverished village. How is it that you have a family heirloom like this jade pendant?”
Yan Shang replied sheepishly, “I’ve wondered about that too. It seems to have been passed down from my mother’s side. I don’t know… I was curious about it as a child, but my parents never seemed willing to say much.”
Mu Wan Yao chuckled softly.
Suddenly, she tightened her grip on the jade pendant.
In the darkness, one’s senses were heightened. A sliver of light seeped through a crack, and Mu Wan Yao’s heart leaped. She suspected that Fang Tong had dug his way to them and that they would soon be rescued.
But fearing false hope, she widened her eyes, staring intently at the light filtering through the crack, and did not tell Yan Shang right away.Her fingers tightly clutched the hem of his robe, digging into the cloud patterns embroidered there as a means to maintain composure.
Mu Wan Yao: "We're so exhausted."
Yan Shang: "Don't be afraid."
Mu Wan Yao sighed softly: "Do you have any wishes?"
Yan Shang grew quiet for a moment before saying: "Yes, I do."
Mu Wan Yao was immediately surprised, because based on her understanding of Yan Shang, he was an extremely pragmatic person. He had no fanciful ideas, no unrealistic thoughts, and no exaggerated expectations for the future.
He always followed his own plans step by step, never dwelling on impractical things. Such a person shouldn't have any wishes.
Mu Wan Yao muttered: "It wouldn't be something like hoping for world peace, the people's wellbeing, or a return to golden age prosperity, would it?"
Yan Shang smiled somewhat sheepishly.
He said: "No, it's my own personal wish. I want to be strong and healthy, like my Eldest Brother, like Yang San. I want to have exceptional martial arts skills - able to easily crush metal and break jade, scale walls and leap across rooftops, even kill from a thousand miles away without difficulty."
Mu Wan Yao found this strange.
She no longer paid attention to the faint light filtering through, focusing instead on Yan Shang's peculiar thoughts. Mu Wan Yao: "Why would you have such a wish?"
Yan Shang said quietly: "That way, you and I wouldn't be trapped here, unable to move. If it were Third Brother here instead, you wouldn't have ended up in this situation. If I knew martial arts when the stones started falling, I might have been able to escape with you.
"But in reality, I'm too weak."
Mu Wan Yao grew pensive.
A bittersweet feeling welled up in her heart, mingling joy with sorrow. With great effort, she raised her hand and caressed his face in the darkness. Struggling, she moved closer to him, nestling against him as she tried to embrace him tightly.
Mu Wan Yao said affectionately: "Don't think like that. The reason I love you is precisely because of who you are now. I don't want you to become someone else, I don't want you to be accomplished in both literary and martial arts, or to have all kinds of talents. I like you as you are now - I like your face, your smile; I like your waist, your stature.
"What I love is Yan Shang, not anyone else. So stop these random thoughts - you're perfect as you are now. You have no idea how much I adore you."
Yan Shang's face immediately grew hot, leaving him speechless.
Having been married for over half a year, things were different from when they were just lovers. Marriage brought with it a sense of entitlement that made people less inclined to constantly exchange sweet nothings.
Yan Shang had thought he didn't care to hear such things. But when Mu Wan Yao spoke to him like this, he still found himself blushing and secretly delighted.
Mu Wan Yao smiled faintly. She didn't need to look at him - just by feeling the temperature of his face, she knew he must be both happy and trying to contain it, savoring the words in his heart.
He was always like this.
Mu Wan Yao teased him: "Actually, I have a wish too. Do you know what it is?"
Yan Shang's face remained warm. His wife was someone who loved to mess with him and enjoyed teasing him. He suspected her wish involved him, but felt too embarrassed to admit it outright.
Yan Shang said quietly: "I don't know."
Mu Wan Yao said seriously: "I feel that both of us are too exhausted. After we get out of here, when all these matters are settled, we should take a proper rest. Find some place where no one will disturb us, where we won't be bothered for seven days and seven nights. What do you think?"
Yan Shang thought to himself that there was nothing wrong with this. Didn't it mean she wanted to be alone with him?
He said gently: "Alright."
Mu Wan Yao burst into laughter.She said, "You don't even know what it means, yet you dare to casually say 'good'."
Yan Shang looked bewildered.
Mu Wan Yao: "It means wanting to sleep with my brother undisturbed."
Yan Shang: "..."
Hearing his silence, Mu Wan Yao knew he had truly understood this time. Leaning against his neck, she bit her lip and chuckled softly.
Feeling mocked, Yan Shang said, "Why bring this up now?"
The matter with Prince Qin wasn't resolved yet. What was she doing?
Yan Shang whispered, "I can't do that."
Mu Wan Yao spoke earnestly, "You can. I'll teach you when the time comes."
Yan Shang laughed, "You're not my sister."
Clinging to each other, they shared many intimate words. Months of separation had left much unsaid, and now it seemed they had found an outlet.
After an unknown length of time, Mu Wan Yao spoke quietly to Yan Shang, "Brother, there's something I need to confess to you."
Yan Shang's mind was already growing hazy, but he forced himself to listen. "What is it?"
Mu Wan Yao: "Do you remember that day when we were together, and I brought the water lily to you? That was our token of love."
Yan Shang hummed in acknowledgment, "I remember. Wasn't that water lily kept in our dormitory? I saw you tending to it every day. Though I haven't been home this year, I imagine it must have bloomed beautifully?"
Mu Wan Yao said, "I lied to you about that."
Yan Shang paused. "What do you mean?"
Mu Wan Yao lowered her gaze, noticing the light seeping through the cracks behind Yan Shang's shoulders growing brighter. Staring intently at it, she replied dismissively, "Our token of love, that pot of water lilies, died long ago.
"You were away from Chang'an for three years. I never visited your courtyard, and that water lily died under our care. In other words, our token of love has been gone for a long time."
Yan Shang: "..."
Mu Wan Yao: "But I feared it was an ill omen, making people think we wouldn't last. So before the wedding, I replaced it with a new one."
She tightened her grip on Yan Shang's hand, already hearing the anxious voices of the guards outside.
Mu Wan Yao: "I didn't dare to let you know. But now it doesn't matter. You've already given me the jade pendant, which means you've chosen me... That fake token of love is unnecessary. I'll throw the water lily away when we return."
Yan Shang said, "I know."
Mu Wan Yao was stunned.
Her gaze fell upon his face. Her eyes narrowed slightly, for by the light filtering through the stone crevices, she could now see Yan Shang's features clearly. Beads of cold sweat covered his forehead, his lips were pale and bloodless. His face was tinged with a bluish, deathly pallor, a far cry from his usual gentle, jade-like demeanor.
Yet his voice remained calm. If she hadn't been able to see his face, she would never have guessed how poorly he was faring just from his tone.
Yan Shang smiled softly, "I knew the water lily was fake. I personally cared for that flower for a year, fearing daily that it might die, checking on it three times a day. How could I not recognize that what you showed me later was a substitute?
"But what does it matter if the flower was fake? I knew Yao Yao desperately wanted to keep me, which is why you used a fake flower to comfort me. You wished for the flower not to die, and for us to last. How could I not understand?
"Keep the water lily. But our feelings don't need to be tied to a pot of flowers."
His dark eyes gazed at her, his vision already beginning to blur as he whispered tenderly, "Yao Yao, I love you."He spoke word by word: "You must believe that no matter what happens, I love you."
Mu Wan Yao's eyes held a faint light as she restrained her emotions, trembling slightly. With increasing illumination pouring in, she could now see the man kneeling before her, shielding her—half his body seemed soaked in blood.
How could a person bleed so much?
Mu Wan Yao’s face tightened sharply, her expression contorted. Clutching the jade pendant in her hand so tightly her nails nearly pierced it, she barely managed to control her emotions: "I believe you."
Yan Shang’s shoulders slumped slightly. He said, "I... I..."
As if understanding him perfectly, Mu Wan Yao said, "Are you feeling sleepy? Second Brother Yan, close your eyes and rest for a while. I’ll handle what comes next!"
Yan Shang’s unfocused gaze sharpened slightly: "No..."
Mu Wan Yao: "Trust me."
After a long pause, he murmured vaguely: "I’ll only rest for a moment. Remember to wake me when we get out."
In reality, a large hole had already broken open behind him, revealing the faces of Fang Tong and other guards. Fang Tong shouted joyfully into the opening, urging the princess not to worry as they would soon rescue them.
Expressionless, Mu Wan Yao held Yan Shang. Light streamed in from the large opening behind them as Yan Shang leaned against her shoulder, closing his eyes. His long eyelashes gently brushed against her dust-covered cheek.
His lashes wiped away a drop of moisture clinging to hers.
She refused to cry!
Yan Shang couldn’t see—she wouldn’t let anyone see her tears!
Staring at the rescuing guards, Mu Wan Yao’s heart filled with hatred for Prince Qin and the Emperor. This throne belonged neither to Yan Shang nor to her, yet they, husband and wife, had toiled for it.
This detestable realm and state!
This hateful land of Great Wei!
Why must Yan Shang be injured!
As Fang Tong and the others worked to rescue the princess and the Imperial Son-in-Law, delighted to find them buried here, their eyes widened upon seeing the large bloodstain soaking through the Imperial Son-in-Law’s robes on his back.
The Imperial Son-in-Law lay gasping against the princess’s shoulder, his pale profile nearly translucent.
Mu Wan Yao reached out, her voice cold: "Get us out now!"
She demanded: "Has Prince Qin been captured? Take him alive! I will settle accounts with him!"
The guards carefully helped the princess carry Yan Shang out. While listening to their reports on the outside situation, Mu Wan Yao ordered them to take Yan Shang away. With no imperial physicians present, they could only hastily bandage his wounds with gauze.
Mu Wan Yao’s voice was tense: "Be careful with his back... there’s a stone embedded. Don’t touch it recklessly."
Fang Tong: "Several ministers..."
Mu Wan Yao took a deep breath: "Have them come see me."
The air was stifling, heavy with impending rain. Mu Wan Yao looked up at the sky, hearing the rumble of thunder once more. The thunder echoed with her gritted teeth—
"Capture Prince Qin alive!"
—
In a Chang’an alley, lightning illuminated the panicked faces of the crowd.
Yan Xiaozhou carefully led people into hiding, quietly making their way toward the alley where the Princess Residence was located. But while watching the front, she neglected the rear. With so many people fleeing together, Yan Xiaozhou couldn’t turn anyone away, yet the larger the group, the greater the risk of exposure.
In a moment of inattention, during a struggle between adults and children, a child was pushed out of the alley. Simultaneously, the sound of pursuing iron hooves approached from outside.Yan Xiaozhou’s heart raced wildly. She had no time to spare for the adult who had shoved the child aside; her only thought was to rush out of the alley and save the child. In that very moment, the pushed-out child was caught by a pair of arms, effortlessly lifted into the air.
Before the soldier’s spear could strike, the soldier himself was dragged from his horse and knocked unconscious with a single palm strike.
A young woman held the child by the collar with one hand, withdrawing her palm with the other. She turned and looked at Yan Xiaozhou.
Zhao Lingfei stared at the crowd of civilians hiding in the alley behind Yan Xiaozhou, a puzzled frown creasing her brow.
Yan Xiaozhou spoke cautiously, "Thank you for saving us, miss. I was just leading these people home... My elder brother is a court official, and my sister-in-law is a favored princess. If anything were to happen, my brother and sister-in-law would protect me."
Zhao Lingfei’s eyes widened in astonishment, her breath quickening slightly. "You... your brother is Second Brother Yan? And your sister-in-law is Danyang Princess?"
She blurted out, "So you’re Second Brother Yan’s younger sister! You’re the one my cousin..."
She nearly mentioned Yang San’s lingering thoughts about Second Brother Yan’s sister—even she had heard about it. But recalling that Yang Si was now leading the siege and unsure of Yan Xiaozhou’s stance, Zhao Lingfei bit back her words.
She simply stared at Yan Xiaozhou, thinking, No wonder, no wonder. This girl’s gentle demeanor and such kindness—she truly resembles Second Brother Yan.
Yan Xiaozhou’s heart stirred. "You know my brother?"
Zhao Lingfei smiled, a hint of joy in her expression. "Of course. I’m Zhao Lingfei..."
She offered proactively, "Are you taking these people to the Princess Residence? I’ll help you."
Yan Xiaozhou was naturally overjoyed.
With Zhao Lingfei’s assistance, the group’s escape became much smoother. However, the city was now swarming with enemy troops, making it impossible to find a completely safe route.
Just two alleys away from the Princess Residence, the group led by the two women was caught up. The thunderous sound of hooves approached—it wasn’t the Northern Agency troops led by Liu Wenji but the army under Yang Si’s command.
The soldiers surrounded Yan Xiaozhou, Zhao Lingfei, and the civilians behind them. A young officer shouted angrily, "General, they’re here again, blocking our siege! The Northern Agency uses these civilians to hinder us. Why not make an example of them and show that eunuch from the Northern Agency it’s useless!"
Yan Xiaozhou abruptly looked up at the young general astride a black horse, towering like a mountain, a blade in his hand—Yang Sanlang, Yang Si.
Zhao Lingfei stepped in front of Yan Xiaozhou, instinctively shielding those behind her from the impending attack.
Yan Xiaozhou stood speechless in a daze, while Zhao Lingfei gazed at the general on horseback and exclaimed, "Cousin!"
At the address "cousin," all eyes turned to Yang Si.
Yang Si ignored them and said, "Step aside."
Yan Xiaozhou replied softly, "No."
Zhao Lingfei stated firmly, "No."
Yan Xiaozhou asked, "Why should innocent civilians become your sacrifices?"
Zhao Lingfei declared, "I spent years in the Western Regions and witnessed countless families torn apart. Cousin, whether you seek to achieve greatness through the ages or become a rebel, I won’t stand in the way of your ambition and still call you ‘cousin.’ I have nothing to say about what you’re doing today, but these civilians—Xiaozhou and I are determined to save them."
Yang Si said indifferently, "You are no match for me."
Yan Xiaozhou pleaded, "We’re going to the Princess Residence and won’t come out. Can’t you pretend you never saw us?"
Zhao Lingfei proposed, "Cousin, let Xiaozhou leave. I’ll be your prisoner—how about that?"Yang Si's gaze fell upon Yan Xiaozhou, then shifted to Zhao Lingfei. Urged by the junior officer beside him to take action, he was persuaded that those who achieve great things need not concern themselves with minor moral scruples.
They told him the Crown Prince was waiting.
Until the imperial palace was captured, Chang'an would not truly be theirs.
With hands capable of crushing gold and snapping jade, strength enough to uproot mountains and shatter stones—what were these unarmed civilians to him?
Yang Si raised his blade, its tip pointing at the two women. A single light swing would sever all past bonds.
The voice beside him grew urgent: "General Yang—"
Yan Xiaozhou's eyes remained bright and clear, silent as she tightened her embrace around the child in her arms, clearly unwilling to yield.
Zhao Lingfei assumed a defensive stance. Once they had practiced martial arts together, but now she had shed his influence, becoming a woman with her own convictions.
After addressing him once as "cousin," she spoke no more, lifting her chin slightly with resolute eyes—If you wish to fight, then we fight!
Boom—
The day-long rumble of thunder finally broke, and raindrops the size of beans pattered down, splashing against the edge of Yang Si's blade.
The sharp edge, stained with blood, reflected the bright gazes of the two women and Yang Si's own eyes.
Through the curtain of rain, Yang Si stared at them.
One haunted his dreams, the other had grown up with him.
Both now stood opposed to him.
Yang Si averted his gaze, tightened his grip on the reins, and abruptly wheeled his horse around, shouting, "Move out—"
Leading the turn, he pretended not to see the group. Yan Xiaozhou and Zhao Lingfei breathed sighs of relief, but the soldiers behind Yang Si were stunned. The junior officer followed in dismay, lamenting, "General Yang, by sparing them, when we attack the imperial city, that eunuch will use the same tactics against us..."
Yang Si's horse sped like lightning, his voice cutting clearly through the heavy rain: "The imperial city has six gates. Liu Wenji lacks the means to fill every one with civilians. We'll assault the least defended gate!"
The junior officer protested, "Why go to such lengths—"
Yang Si sharply interrupted: "Military orders are as unshakable as mountains! You will follow my command!"
Thus, no one dared question further.
Yet... a commander soft-hearted toward civilians, facing a ruthless enemy. No matter how skilled the commander, this battle might have been lost from the very start.
—
At the mountain retreat, when Yan Shang arrived, Prince Qin found himself cornered. Later, reinforced by troops provided by Yang Si, Prince Qin regained the upper hand. But it was all in vain.
By evening, private soldiers dispatched by the Li Family arrived from the south. Coupled with a sudden torrential downpour that disrupted the battle, Prince Qin's forces were swiftly and decisively defeated.
Captured alive, bound tightly, and covered in blood and grime, Prince Qin was brought before Mu Wan Yao. Seeing his sister equally drenched by the rain, he laughed heartily.
Prince Qin: "What, Yaoyao, are you still trying to save the Emperor?"
He couldn't comprehend: "Why save him? Can he make you emperor? What has he promised you? If I become emperor, I can grant you the same. Isn't it the rise of the humble classes you want? I don't seek their destruction. I merely—"
Gritting his teeth in furious despair: "I merely want to survive!"
Mu Wan Yao replied indifferently: "You choose to be a traitorous rebel. I do not."
Prince Qin shook with bitter laughter.He murmured "traitorous subjects" a few times before saying, "Don't you hate the Emperor? When he sent you away for the Peace Marriage, didn't you resent him at all? Yaoyao, this is your perfect chance for revenge. The Emperor gave you troops to enter Chang'an and rescue him, right? If you just arrive a little later—just a little later... he'll be doomed. With Crown Prince here... Crown Prince will help us kill him!"
"After he dies, can't we decide who becomes the next emperor? Both Crown Prince and I have given you our promises, isn't that enough?"
"You trust even Father Emperor, yet you don't trust us? Yaoyao, search your conscience—between the Crown Prince and I... who is as ruthless as him?! Who isn't a better ally than him!"
Mu Wan Yao instructed: "Gag him, don't let him speak."
She turned and walked away, afraid that listening further would sway her. Yet her mind was already in turmoil; Prince Qin had indeed swayed her... With the troops under her command, if she delayed just a little longer...
—
Torrential rain poured down as troops regrouped.
Mu Wan Yao gazed at the dark mass of soldiers in the rain, then stared blankly at the raindrops under the eaves.
"Your Highness, shall we dispatch troops to support Chang'an?" a minister asked.
While Mu Wan Yao hesitated, a weak yet firm voice came from behind: "Support Chang'an immediately."
Everyone turned around, and Mu Wan Yao also turned in surprise, stepping forward to support the pale-faced young man being helped in by guards.
Mu Wan Yao: "Why don't you rest a while..."
Yan Shang gave her a comforting smile, thinking how could he rest.
Yan Shang repeated the order once more. Seeing the princess remained silent, everyone withdrew.
After they left, Yan Shang said quietly to Mu Wan Yao: "I know what you're thinking, but we cannot delay. The common people in the city are innocent."
Mu Wan Yao whispered: "You only care about the common people."
Yan Shang paused and looked at her: "I care about you too. You cannot commit patricide, even indirectly."
He said: "Yaoyao, the crime of patricide should not fall upon you. The torment of conscience should not haunt you later. No matter what others do, we must have clear consciences. We will not be the villains, because..."
He looked out at the heavy rain with her and said softly: "There are others more eager to play that role than us."
—
But those who wished to be villains ultimately fell to Yan Shang and Mu Wan Yao.
When troops entered the city, Yang Si's ten thousand soldiers faced opponents allied with the Northern Agency who outnumbered them several times over, using civilians as human shields. After countless deaths in the city, when dawn broke and the rain cleared the next day, Yang Si was captured in the imperial palace.
When this news reached the Eastern Palace, mournful cries filled the halls. The Crown Prince was surrounded by guards, treated as a rebel prisoner.
Liu Wenji announced that Prince Qin had confessed and was begging for the Emperor's mercy. The Emperor asked the Crown Prince if he had anything to say—whether pleas for mercy or explanations. The Emperor wished to hear them all.
The Crown Prince remained silent.
Liu Wenji stared at him with immense satisfaction, recalling how this very man had caused his own tragedy. Now that he was interrogating this person, Liu Wenji trembled with exhilaration, wishing he could carve this man apart.
Amid the Eastern Palace's despair, the Crown Prince lifted his head and said calmly: "In worldly affairs, it's simply the victor becomes king, the loser becomes outlaw. I have nothing to say."
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