The young lady sitting in the corner vaguely heard the conversation between the two and raised her eyebrows, sneering coldly: “Drive us off the carriage? If you don’t want to live, then try it! My father’s army is waiting inside and outside the city to respond to us!”
Old Lady Xiao took a breath and reluctantly forced a smile on her face, about to turn around to pacify the situation, when she saw Lan Xian, who had been silent all along, rise to her full height. With a sharp slap, she struck across, “Want to be arrogant? Then get off the carriage now and try it. See whether your army receives you first, or whether the Five Military Commissions capture you first!”
The slap was loud and crisp. The young lady was stunned by the blow, covering her face for a long while. Her mother immediately pulled her into her arms and covered her mouth.
The carriage fell silent as death.
Old Lady Xiao’s expression changed several times. Looking at Xiao Wenliu, who seemed not to have seen anything at all, she sighed inwardly.
This granddaughter of hers had become increasingly unmanageable ever since she befriended the Crown Princess. Later, she somehow found this servant girl from who knows where—full of worldly airs, wild and unruly—yet Wenliu favored using her and even dismissed her own personal maid.
But at this moment, she still had to rely on Xiao Wenliu to think of a way out of the city, so she could only pretend nothing had happened.
Xiao Wenliu suddenly said softly: “Grandmother, we’ve reached the south of the city. How should we proceed from here?”
Old Lady Xiao handed her a map and said: “Have someone follow this route. Your grandfather said there’s a secret hiding place here. He told us to gather here if things go awry. Inside, there are prepared travel bags, funds, and guards waiting. Too many of us going together would be too conspicuous, so we’ll wait here.”
Xiao Wenliu said: “This matter is of great importance. I’ll go personally.”
Old Lady Xiao hesitated and said: “Isn’t it too risky for you to go personally? Why don’t you leave the token behind?”
Xiao Wenliu glanced at her.
Old Lady Xiao coughed.
Xiao Wenliu said nothing more, beckoning to Lan Xian to indicate she should get off the carriage with her. Old Lady Xiao felt this was inappropriate, but knowing her granddaughter was already angry, she dared not say anything more.
Xiao Wenliu and Lan Xian walked through the snow, following the route on the map toward the depths of the slums. The snow was knee-deep, and occasionally there were frozen homeless people by the roadside. The two supported each other, walking carefully.
They hadn’t gone far when they suddenly heard voices, the sound of horse hooves, and the faint clashing of metal.
The two immediately understood they had encountered troops and quickly ducked into a small alley.
Sure enough, they saw a large group of people pass by. Xiao Wenliu recognized them as soldiers from the Five Cities Military Commission and also saw Zhu Yi.
She was quite astonished.
Why would the Five Cities Military Commission come to the southern slums at this time? How could Zhu Yi, a civil official, be here with the Five Cities Military Commission?
After the large group passed and the south of the city gradually returned to quiet, Xiao Wenliu straightened her clothes and said softly: “Let’s go.”
After taking just a few steps, she nearly tripped over a pile of snow in front of her. Only then did she realize that in their haste to hide, they hadn’t noticed there was someone crouching in this alley.
That person was covered in snow from head to toe, with his head down and arms around his knees, looking almost like a pile of snow.
He held his head motionless. Xiao Wenliu could only vaguely see a bit of his profile, whiter than snow and cold and hard as stone.
A person frozen to death by the roadside.
Since entering the south of the city, they had already seen this scene several times. The two no longer paid much attention, sighing once before walking around this person who had frozen to death by the roadside, preparing to continue on their way.
After walking a few steps, Xiao Wenliu’s heart suddenly began pounding for some reason.
She vaguely felt something was wrong.
She stopped and turned around abruptly.
At that moment, a gust of wind passed by, stirring up scattered snow that dispersed like mist. When the snowy mist cleared, it revealed a bit of dark sandalwood-colored hair and a glint of golden light on deep red.
Xiao Wenliu suddenly rushed back urgently.
She ran so hastily that she stumbled halfway and fell heavily to the ground, landing on the other person’s knees.
Her movement shook off the accumulated snow on the other person, revealing a black cloak and half a face as pale as snow.
Xiao Wenliu forgot to get up, staring blankly at his face. Lan Xian hurried over to help her up, and upon seeing the person in the snow, she also gasped.
The two exchanged glances, unable to hide the shock in their eyes.
How could Murong Yi be here?
How could he be collapsed by the roadside in this southern slum?
When they followed Prince Zhao into the city, they had already received news of Murong Yi’s successful regicide. They had assumed that if he hadn’t died in the palace, he would have fled far away by now. Yet now, he had inexplicably appeared here.
If they hadn’t discovered him, would he really have died silently from the cold in this poor alley?
Lan Xian said softly: “Miss, I heard he killed the Emperor…”
Yes, Xiao Wenliu thought, how heartbroken His Highness must be.
Her own lover had killed her most beloved father.
When she first heard this news, she couldn’t help trembling all over and followed into Shengdu without a second thought. Yet after entering Shengdu, she suddenly realized her arrival was ill-timed. At this moment, entering the city made her a rebellious subject opposing His Highness.
She stared blankly at Murong Yi.
Looking at his lowered, lifeless eyes and brows.
Have you also, unknowingly like me, become a rebellious subject to His Highness?
She stepped forward, took out the hand warmer from her bosom, tucked it into Murong Yi’s embrace, and brushed the snow off his body.
Lan Xian said: “Miss, that’s not how you treat frostbite.” She stepped forward and struggled to drag Murong Yi up, carrying him into a nearby abandoned, dilapidated shed, placing him on a wooden board. She found a broken bucket, filled it with snow, and said: “Miss, please turn away.”
Xiao Wenliu walked out of the shed. Behind her, Lan Xian unhesitatingly stripped almost all of Murong Yi’s clothes off.
While undressing him, she muttered: “I hope the Crown Princess won’t hunt me down in the future…”
Suddenly she let out a sharp scream. Xiao Wenliu turned her head and saw something round, slippery, and bloody rolling on the ground. Xiao Wenliu instinctively stepped back.
Lan Xian finally saw clearly what it was and immediately said: “Miss, don’t look! I’ve stripped Murong Yi naked!”
Xiao Wenliu had to turn back around, but her heart was pounding.
What was that just now…
Covered in blood with eyebrows and beard all over, she couldn’t see clearly, yet she suddenly felt very frightened.
After Lan Xian waited for her to turn around, she quickly used her toe to kick the head back into the cloth bundle and tied it up.
Fortunately, Miss didn’t see it… otherwise she’d probably want to kill someone right now.
Lan Xian scooped up snow and began laboriously helping Murong Yi wipe his body. As she wiped, she became very troubled, saying: “There are too many wounds on his body. I don’t dare use force…”
Xiao Wenliu faced away from her, looking at the low eaves of the shacks ahead in the vast whiteness, like countless small dark boats struggling and drifting on a sea of snow.
That was a sea of suffering, difficult to cross between life and death.
After a long while, Murong Yi let out a soft sigh from inside the shack.
Lan Xian said happily: “He’s come back to life.”
Xiao Wenliu lowered her eyes, listening to the sounds behind her. After a while, Lan Xian came out supporting Murong Yi.
Xiao Wenliu turned around, her gaze falling on Murong Yi’s waist. He was wearing a wide cloak, and she could only vaguely see the outline of a bulge.
Xiao Wenliu stared at that outline and said: “What is this?”
Murong Yi’s expression didn’t change as he said: “A gift.”
Xiao Wenliu was stunned and turned her gaze away, looking at the snowy ground beside them. “The Young Master should be high-spirited. How did you fall to such a state?”
Murong Yi just smiled and said softly: “I will surely repay today’s life-saving grace in the future. Farewell.”
He turned resolutely to leave. Xiao Wenliu looked at his retreating figure and asked: “Did you betray His Highness?”
Murong Yi stopped and said: “If you thought I had betrayed her, would you still have saved me?”
“No,” Xiao Wenliu said. “I was just afraid that if you were wrongly accused and I didn’t save you, I would be letting His Highness down. But if you really betrayed His Highness, I could still kill you now.”
Murong Yi didn’t turn around, standing with his hands behind his back looking at the wind and snow. After a long time, he said: “I did not.”
Xiao Wenliu let out a long sigh of relief, unable to stop her tears from welling up.
Murong Yi turned around and looked into her eyes. Apart from looking at Tie Ci, he actually rarely looked carefully at others. At this moment, he looked earnestly.
Xiao Wenliu felt inexplicably cold, and Lan Xian instinctively stepped forward.
The next moment, a trace of relief appeared in Murong Yi’s eyes, and he turned his head away.
Xiao Wenliu inexplicably felt relieved again.
This moment was like a riddle, with unknown origins and results, yet Xiao Wenliu suddenly understood.
Just as she worried about his betrayal, he equally worried about her betrayal.
He knew her position in His Highness’s heart. He didn’t want her to inflict any tiny additional harm on Tie Ci at this time, adding insult to injury.
This person—he was covered in wounds, his breathing weak, having struggled all the way to escape confinement, and had just nearly frozen to death by the roadside in the heavy snow.
Yet he still cared about and worried for His Highness, thinking of resolving even the slightest things or people that might be unfavorable to His Highness.
Such a person.
How could he betray His Highness?
Murong Yi moved his feet, looking like he wanted to leave again.
“Where does the Young Master wish to go?”
“I need to leave the city,” Murong Yi said softly. “…I have people outside the city… If I can get out, I can receive support… I need to return to Liaodong as quickly as possible.”
Return to Liaodong, kill people, seize power, withdraw troops.
This was the decision he made immediately upon hearing news of the Liaodong uprising.
For this, he gave up the chance to return to Tie Ci’s side and turned away resolutely.
Xiao Wenliu looked at him with shock.
“But you can’t leave the city in this condition.”
“Since I didn’t die here today, I can crawl out of the city if necessary.”
Xiao Wenliu stepped forward and supported him.
“Young Master, I’ll escort you out of the city.”
…
In the carriage, Old Lady Xiao looked with amazement at Xiao Wenliu, who had returned without bringing back any people or luggage, but instead helped someone into the carriage.
The other person wore a black cloak from head to toe, his face unclear. He looked extremely weak, leaning softly against the carriage wall without saying a word.
“This is…”
Xiao Wenliu said calmly: “Oh, this is a nephew of my husband’s great-aunt—a distant relative.”
Old Lady Xiao: “…”
She wanted to say that outsiders shouldn’t be brought along, but saying this now would be slapping her own face.
She could only say: “What about the prepared things? We can’t leave the city with nothing. Also, did you see your grandfather and uncles? Did any of them go there to take refuge?”
“The Five Cities Military Commission is conducting extensive searches in the south of the city. There’s no way to get close.”
Old Lady Xiao’s face changed dramatically. “Then what should we do?”
“Let’s leave the city directly.”
“There are troops fighting near several city gates. How can we get out?”
“Don’t worry, I have a way.”
Old Lady Xiao vaguely saw that when Murong Yi sat down, there seemed to be something bulky around his waist. She cast her gaze over, and Murong Yi looked up, giving her a frank smile.
Old Lady Xiao actually felt she dared not look directly at that smile half-hidden in the shadows. It seemed ordinary enough, yet she inexplicably felt malice assaulting her, involuntarily shivering.
There was a strange smell in the air, mixed with the fragrance of cosmetics and powder, making one’s heart feel sticky and moist, always bringing to mind some dark and lifeless things.
Old Lady Xiao could only lift the carriage curtain, wanting to get some fresh air and suppress the inexplicable unease and tension in her heart.
She looked at the direction the carriage was heading—it was actually going toward the battle zone. Her eyes showed worry, but she was old, and this carriage full of pampered noble ladies had no means of survival in this icy, snowy weather without this carriage. She could only place her hopes on Xiao Wenliu.
Lan Xian drove the carriage outside, hanging two small flags under the tops of both carriages.
The carriages rolled along their way, and sure enough, before long they encountered a checkpoint manned by soldiers from the Five Military Commissions. Everyone in the carriage became tense. Old Lady Xiao stared intently at Xiao Wenliu, truly unable to imagine what method she could have at this time to send this whole family of rebels safely out of the city.
Lan Xian got off the carriage and approached first. An officer-like person walked over. Lan Xian handed over a token and spoke a few words with him. The officer examined the token back and forth with an astonished expression, then had Lan Xian wait in place while he turned and walked back to the barracks.
After a while, he came out, waved to signal passage, and additionally assigned a squad to escort the two carriages through the checkpoint.
Old Lady Xiao watched through the window as the carriage smoothly passed the checkpoint, almost suspecting she was in a dream.
Even if that token really was given to Xiao Wenliu by the Crown Princess, it would at most protect Xiao Wenliu alone. How could it allow all of them to pass through easily under such tense circumstances?
The other female family members in the carriage, who hadn’t dared to breathe heavily, all couldn’t help showing joy on their faces. But Old Lady Xiao kept looking at Xiao Wenliu, slightly frowning as if pondering something.
The carriage continued smoothly afterward, but each time they passed a checkpoint, the escort grew a bit larger. While others didn’t notice, Old Lady Xiao’s frown grew deeper and deeper.
The Shengdu camp troops that had entered the outer city were now being transferred, surrounded, and blocked by the government troops of the Five Military Commissions led by Qi Ling, along with the Three Great Camps and elite forces from Scorpion Camp, using the terrain to lure them into the mountains near Yuying Garden’s Nanming Mountain, preparing to annihilate them all at once. This required large numbers of troops to prevent the defense line from breaking and all previous efforts being wasted.
With Yongping elite forces present, defeating these tens of thousands wasn’t difficult. The difficulty lay in completely annihilating them, which tied up almost all the forces currently in Shengdu.
Therefore, there weren’t many defenders on the city walls. At precisely this moment, the remaining troops of the Shengdu camp that hadn’t entered the city discovered they had been deceived by Di Yiwei’s empty city stratagem. Sensing the poor situation inside the city, and having already rebelled anyway, they decided to go all out. The commanding general immediately led his troops to attack the city, hoping that the 150,000-strong army could coordinate from inside and outside to take the city in one strike.
The main forces concentrated under Changle Gate, where they had originally entered the city, and began the siege.
The enemy’s military strength was formidable, but Shengdu’s defensive forces were insufficient. In the first encounter, the city walls suffered heavy casualties.
At this rate, the city couldn’t be held.
At this time, the Xiao family’s carriage also reached Changle Gate. Below the city gate, an armored general waited in silent attendance. Xiao Wenliu prepared to get off the carriage.
Old Lady Xiao suddenly said: “Wait a moment.”