Mu Wan Yao was escorted back to the city by her guards. Since the princess had been assassinated earlier, the soldiers protecting her were extremely vigilant, leaving no opening for the enemy.
With her other hand, Mu Wan Yao clutched her bleeding palm. As they made their way back to the city, blood continued to flow from her hand, yet the pain had numbed her to the point of feeling nothing. The moment she stepped through the city gate, she clearly sensed Fang Tong letting out a soft sigh of relief.
But Mu Wan Yao remained entirely on guard.
She refused to retreat first, instead noticing the soldiers urging the civilians to take cover. The wooden plank road creaked, and the city gates began to close one by one. Amid the orderly retreat, Mu Wan Yao saw a commotion erupting at one of the city gates, where the soldiers stationed there had clashed.
At such a critical moment, no risks could be taken. Mu Wan Yao approached and demanded, "What is going on?"
The two soldiers who had been arguing turned and, upon seeing the princess, immediately bowed their heads. One of them answered indignantly, "Your Highness, what wrong have I done? There is a spy in the city, so I killed the spy. But he insists that I killed a comrade..."
Mu Wan Yao's arm, which Fang Tong was supporting, suddenly stiffened. Fang Tong glanced over and saw that Mu Wan Yao's already bloodless face had grown even paler.
Mu Wan Yao lifted her chin slightly and spoke coldly, "After two months of naval battles in Guangzhou, every soldier in this city is one of our own. How could there be a spy? What is your purpose in sowing discord among the troops? There are no spies in this city! Take him away and execute him!"
Fang Tong, who was supporting Mu Wan Yao, was stunned.
But the other soldiers surrounding the princess only hesitated for a moment before, under Mu Wan Yao's dark, piercing gaze, they dragged away the soldier who had been shouting about spies and executed him.
From afar, the soldier's cries still pursued Mu Wan Yao: "There really is a spy! He is the spy! I am innocent! Why kill me? Your Highness... Your Highness... you are unjust! You must have made a deal with the enemy to destroy Guangzhou..."
Mu Wan Yao frowned and ordered coldly, "Gag him!"
After that, she still did not leave. Instead, she had Fang Tong support her as she ascended the city tower to observe the retreat at the gates and the enemy's offensive situation.
As they climbed the tower, Fang Tong whispered in her ear, "That soldier might have truly been wronged. There could indeed be a spy in the city..."
Mu Wan Yao cut him off indifferently, "Whether there is a spy or not is unimportant. Starting today, Guangzhou is under lockdown. Not even a fly can enter, and no message can leave.
"Whether there is a spy or not is unimportant. What matters is that I cannot let his shouting panic the civilians and demoralize the troops."
Fang Tong suddenly understood, feeling deep admiration for the princess's foresight. Under the dark night sky, Mu Wan Yao's bleeding palm, resting on his arm, trembled slightly. She tilted her head slightly and whispered to Fang Tong, "Besides, there may not even be a spy.
"Usually, in situations like this, those who shout about spies are actually afraid themselves. They start suspecting their comrades, turning their battle companions into enemies. This is a sign of their fear. If I let this continue, this panic will spread throughout the city.
"If everyone suspects there are spies in the city, if everyone starts guarding against their own comrades harming them... how can we fight this defensive battle?
"If we cannot trust our own people, this defensive battle is already half lost.
"Fang Tong, I predict... the Southern Barbarians are making a desperate move. They will not retreat easily. The defense of Guangzhou may last a very long time. We must relieve the pressure on Jiannan and buy time for the central command. We cannot afford to lose our composure."Guard Fang felt inferior to Princess Danyang's strategic vision. Without another word, he focused solely on protecting Your Highness.
Mu Wan Yao, shielded by him and the guards, ascended the tower, eager to assess the battle from the city walls. Hastened by their hurried pace and the earlier ambush during their return to the city, the jade hairpins and dangling ornaments in her hair swayed precariously. As Fang Tong protected her on the battlements, dodging arrows shot from below, one of her hair ornaments snapped with a sharp crack.
Pearls and emeralds scattered, her vibrant robes gleaming.
Amid the chaos of soldiers moving in the darkness, Mu Wan Yao suddenly turned. Her jet-black hair cascaded down like a thick, flowing waterfall.
Her snow-white skin contrasted starkly with her raven locks, and the serene yet intense light in her dark eyes was utterly captivating.
As the golden hairpin clattered to the ground and the soldiers stared, mesmerized by the princess's disheveled hair, Fang Tong urgently ordered the guards to lower their heads and help search for the pin, attempting to restore Mu Wan Yao's tied-up hair.
But Mu Wan Yao looked down at them and, without warning, drew Fang Tong's sword. Before he could intervene, she gathered her flowing black tresses and decisively severed them at mid-length.
Strands of hair drifted away, flying from her blood-stained palm.
That beautiful, ankle-length hair—tended painstakingly by her maids and praised by Yan Shang—was now cut short at her waist.
The symbol of her noble birth and pampered life was ruthlessly severed. No longer would her hair sweep the ground or hinder her in moments of urgency.
The past was severed; a new beginning dawned.
Mu Wan Yao held the sword, letting her now waist-length hair cascade over her shoulders.
Facing the stunned gazes of the surrounding soldiers, she declared loudly, "Listen well, all of you! I, the Eldest Princess Danyang of Great Wei, hereby swear an oath upon my severed hair. From this day forward, I will stand with you, eat the same food, and wear the same clothes.
"I will defend this city alongside you!
"No betrayal, no spies, no discord. Together, we guard Guangzhou, sharing life and death. Should I dare abandon you and flee... may I fall into the underworld, my loved ones perish, my enemies prosper, and suffering haunt me all my days!"
Below the walls, the fighting raged on; within the city, fear lingered. Yet, in that moment, all paused to watch Mu Wan Yao. As she repeated her vow, her calm, resolute voice echoed across the battlements in the silence.
She stood there on the city tower, under everyone's gaze. Her sleeves fluttered, her hair was disheveled. Though disarrayed and travel-worn, she appeared noble and majestic, like a heroine. The soldiers looked up at her as if beholding a radiant pearl or a towering mountain.
In the profound silence, the troops suddenly stirred with fervor. Their eyes grew hot, tears welling up. They rallied around this beautiful princess, and following their general's lead, roared:
"Heaven bless Great Wei, long live Great Wei! Protect Your Highness, swear not to abandon the city!"
"Protect Your Highness, swear not to abandon the city!"
Soldiers raised banners and scaled watchtowers. Messengers spread Mu Wan Yao's words throughout the city, and mounted troops proclaimed her oath through the streets.
The thunderous cheers frightened the besieging enemy below. As the cries rose with the banners of Great Wei, anxious citizens opened their windows, gazing into the cold night, listening to the relentless beat of war drums.War drums thundered and battle horns blared across the city, yet the soldiers and civilians gradually fell silent. The trial of fate and the hardship of survival arrived simultaneously—not everyone was unafraid of death, yet nearly all seemed unafraid of death.
Mu Wan Yao had encouraged the officers and soldiers. Seeing the people’s hearts steadied and the city’s defense no longer in disarray, she finally let out a sigh of relief. Surrounded by guards like Fang Tong, she descended from the city tower.
Qiu Si was waiting for her below. At the sight of the princess with her hair disheveled, tears welled in her eyes, and she muttered about needing to properly trim the princess’s messy hair.
Fang Tong reminded from the side, "Your Highness’s palm is injured and has yet to be bandaged."
Suddenly, Mu Wan Yao looked down toward her waist, her brows furrowing deeply.
Fang Tong noticed keenly, "What is it? Is Your Highness unwell?"
For a moment, Mu Wan Yao didn’t know what to say. She was no longer the resolute princess on the city tower; instead, she revealed a somewhat bewildered, girlish expression.
Uneasily, Mu Wan Yao said, "I’ve lost my token of love."
Fang Tong was slow to react, "What?Mu Wan Yao was deeply frustrated, "It’s the jade pendant Second Brother Yan gave me." He said it was his family’s heirloom, passed down only to a married couple. Since he gave it to me, I’ve treasured it dearly and often wore it. I shouldn’t have worn it today... It must have been lost when I went out of the city and returned, during the attacks and all the stumbling about. I’ve lost Second Brother Yan’s family heirloom jade pendant."
She felt so upset she wanted to cry, "What should I do? How could I be like this? Whenever Second Brother Yan gives me a token of love, I either break it or lose it. What will happen if this continues?"
Amid the crisis of war, the princess was worried about losing her token of love.
Fang Tong was at a loss for words. After a long pause, he said, "Shall I go look for it?Mu Wan Yao hesitated for a while, then said sadly, "... Forget it. It’s probably lost outside the city. I just ordered that no one is to leave the city, so I can’t violate my own command. It’s just a pity about my token of love..."
The water lily she had given Yan Shang had died from her neglect, and now the jade pendant he gave her was lost.
It was a Yan family heirloom.
If Yan Shang found out...
Mu Wan Yao lowered her head and muttered, "After the city battle is over, before I meet Second Brother Yan, I need to quickly find someone to carve an identical jade pendant. I have to coax him."
Fang Tong: "..."
Qiu Si helped the princess down to bandage her wound and whispered, "The Imperial Son-in-Law is so meticulous, and that was his family’s heirloom. If Your Highness tries to trick him like this, won’t he be angry when he finds out? Wouldn’t that lead to an argument with Your Highness?"
Mu Wan Yao snorted.
She scolded Qiu Si for not understanding, raising her voice, "Nonsense! Second Brother Yan would never argue with me over such a trivial matter! The bond between me and Second Brother Yan can’t be compared to a jade pendant!
"Even if Second Brother Yan notices, he’ll pretend he didn’t. He won’t even ask me about it... He’ll even help me deceive his family, so his father doesn’t find out."
Thinking of Yan Father, Mu Wan Yao felt a pang of guilt and instructed, "Keep the Yan family well protected, and don’t let Father come to see me. Just say I’m very busy... I need to protect Yan Shang’s family. Only if they’re safe can I properly explain things to Yan Shang. Tell them not to run around."
After giving her orders, Mu Wan Yao looked up at the dark sky.
She frowned.At this moment, she was no longer a princess others relied upon—she was merely an innocent girl longing for her beloved—
She sighed: "What a pity, it will probably be a long time before Yan Xiao Er returns... Now that Guangzhou is under lockdown, I can no longer exchange daily letters with him. I miss him so much."—
Among the Southern Barbarians, through life-for-life exchanges and assaults, King Ale had finally obtained a token from Princess Danyang—a jade pendant.
He laughed heartily.
He felt that with this jade pendant, something that belonged to Mu Wan Yao... it was all worth it! All the military losses could be recouped!
He hissed his orders: "Send someone with the jade pendant to negotiate with Yan Shang! And deliver a severed finger of a Great Wei citizen to him, claiming it's the princess's!
"Tell him his wife is in our hands, and we've already cut off one of her fingers. If he doesn't withdraw his troops and negotiate peace... we'll kill his wife!
"Let's see whether he values the territorial integrity of Great Wei more, or his wife's life!"
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