The palace maid who had slipped away moments ago returned with a crowd of people, and in an instant, Feng Jiu’er and Jian Yi were surrounded.

“My lady, what happened to you? My lady—”

Lingling hurried over and crouched down beside Feng Qingyin.

“Something is terribly wrong — Your Highness the Crown Prince, something is terribly wrong! My lady — she is bleeding — someone come quickly! Summon the imperial physician, quickly!”

Zhan Yuheng strode over, crouched down, and lifted Feng Qingyin up from the ground.

“Crown Prince Brother, Jiu’er, she—” Feng Qingyin clutched her abdomen, breathing in deep, labored gasps.

“I said it is Crown Prince Brother’s — I said so — sob sob — my stomach hurts so much, Crown Prince Brother, my stomach hurts so much!”

“No! Don’t let them leave — she came here for Ninth Prince’s sake. Ninth Prince is about to march back on the capital. Ninth Prince means to seize power.”

“She said that once Ninth Prince ascends the throne, she would become Empress, and only then would she have the standing to bear a Crown Prince. She said my child is a bastard.”

“Crown Prince Brother, don’t let her deceive you any further — the only person in her eyes is Ninth Prince. She has never given Crown Prince Brother a single thought.”

“Crown Prince Brother, don’t — don’t be taken in by her again. She will not spare us, will not spare our child—”

Feng Qingyin’s head lolled to one side, and she fell unconscious.

“My lady—”

Lingling cried out, “Imperial physician! Where is the imperial physician? Send for the imperial physician at once!”

Watching Zhan Yuheng carry Feng Qingyin away with an expression of visible alarm, Lingling shot a cold, hard glare at Feng Jiu’er and Jian Yi.

“Someone come — kill them. Kill these two cold-blooded individuals. Kill their leader, and this campaign need not drag on much longer.”

Zhan Yuheng heard Lingling’s words and his footsteps briefly faltered.

The unconscious Feng Qingyin clutched at his sleeve, her crescent brows tightly knitted.

“No — this is Crown Prince Brother’s child — Jiu’er, I beg you, don’t — don’t!”

The unconscious woman’s face was deathly pale, the crease between her brows drawn tight.

“You must not — I won’t let you harm Crown Prince Brother — you must not — Jiu’er, don’t you dare — I absolutely will not allow—”

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, what is Miss Qingyin’s condition?”

Not far away, two imperial physicians came rushing over.

Zhan Yuheng carried the woman in his arms and walked into the tent.

Feng Jiu’er had known from the start that striking at Feng Qingyin in this moment was unwise. And so she had never intended to settle Jian Yi’s score right now.

Yet she had not imagined that this woman, purely to strike at her, would not even spare her own child.

With guards multiplying around her by the moment, Feng Jiu’er no longer had the luxury of seeking out Zhan Yuheng to explain.

She steadied the increasingly faint Jian Yi, leapt into the air, and fled outward.

Lingling cast a glance in the direction where Zhan Yuheng had disappeared, then turned and shouted: “Pursue them! They must not be allowed to escape.”

“Yes!”

Seeing no opposition from the Crown Prince, the soldiers received their orders, weapons in hand, and gave chase.

Knowing that these were the enemy’s leaders — and that they had wounded their Noble Consort — the hot-blooded soldiers would have gladly cut them down on the spot.

Watching the soldiers give pursuit, Lingling turned and vanished without a trace.

“Jiu’er, don’t worry about me — just go.”

Jian Yi opened his mouth to speak, and for what felt like the hundredth time, spat blood.

“Silence! Since it was I who saved you back then, your life belongs to me. Only I have the right to decide whether you live or die.”

Jian Yi looked unblinkingly at the woman supporting him, and in his fading vision, a small, indistinct figure appeared.

“Here, drink some water.”

“Take the medicine. This is what Wet Nurse gave me last time when I had a fever. It was too bitter, so I didn’t take it. I kept it.”

“Why aren’t you waking up yet? Could you be dead?”

“Oh right — what is your name? What? I didn’t catch that.”

“Your sword is so beautiful. How about I call you Jian Yi? From now on, we’re friends.”

“Jian Yi, eat this — I sneaked these steamed buns out. Why won’t you say anything?”

“Jian Yi, I have to go now. Father came looking for me. He said I’m not allowed to wander off, or he’ll beat me to death. Jian Yi, goodbye!”

At the end — a girl’s sharp, anguished cry echoed through Jian Yi’s mind, and his fading awareness snapped instantly clear.

“No!”

Feng Jiu’er was surrounded on all sides, still shielding another person at the same time, when without warning, a dark-tipped cold arrow came hurtling in from the side.

Jian Yi, suddenly lucid, gripped his sword and threw himself in front of Feng Jiu’er.

With a sharp crack, the poisoned arrow struck the blade and was deflected, piercing a soldier instead — the soldier collapsed to the ground at once.

“Jian Yi, you—” Feng Jiu’er braced herself hard against the man at her side who was on the verge of collapse. “Are you trying to get yourself killed? You cannot use your strength right now.”

“Jiu’er, I remember now.”

Jian Yi turned to meet Feng Jiu’er’s gaze. “That girl — it was you. Not Feng Qingyin.”

“I owe you my life—” The words were not yet finished when a great surge of dark blood spilled from Jian Yi’s mouth.

“Owe? Owe what?”

Feng Jiu’er was frantic, and pressed several more meridian points on his body.

Jian Yi’s body went limp, and the sword in his hand slipped away.

“I’ll find you a finer sword later. You owe me a life — it cannot be repaid so easily. You have to hold on for me — do you hear me?”

No one had anticipated that a man so close to death could still move so suddenly. The soldiers were all startled by Jian Yi’s action and hesitated for just a moment.

“Kill! What are you standing there for?”

Lingling, who had fired the poisoned arrow, leapt down from the roof of a tent with sword in hand.

Feng Jiu’er gave no one any time to act. She held tight to Jian Yi’s arm and leapt once more, weaving swiftly across the tent rooftops.

She glanced back over her shoulder. It was perfectly clear — there was no going back. Only forward.

Feng Qingyin wanted her dead. How could she possibly let Feng Jiu’er return safely to her own camp?

“Jian Yi, don’t fall asleep — you have to hold on!”

Even as Feng Jiu’er flew forward at full speed, she steadily increased the force of her grip.

She had begun to remember it now too — it seemed she really had once saved a young man.

Unfortunate, though, that those images were so hazy — like fragments of a dream. Had Feng Qingyin not said anything, she truly would have believed it was nothing more than something she had dreamed.

And besides — the one who had saved Jian Yi was the true Feng Jiu’er. She herself was only Feng Jiu, able to catch a faint glimpse through Feng Jiu’er’s buried memories. That alone was already something remarkable.

Even while supporting another person, Feng Jiu’er’s speed was startlingly swift.

“Pursue them! They must be intercepted!”

Lingling’s voice continued to ring out behind her.

Good thing her lady had already laid a net across their path of retreat. The two of them were now moving in the opposite direction entirely.

Even if they truly managed to slip away, there was still a chance to capture them.

“Pursue! After them! So many of you, and you’ve let two people escape right under your noses — aren’t you afraid the Crown Prince will have your heads?”

“They have wounded Noble Consort — their lives are forfeit! Capture them — show no mercy!”

“Yes!”

The guards all shouted in unison.

Feng Jiu’er drew her short dagger and flung it forward with full force.

The blade’s wind slashed through the rope of a fine horse standing not far away. The horse gave a low whinny and bolted ahead.

Feng Jiu’er steadied Jian Yi and leapt, landing squarely on the horse’s back.

The horse surged forward at full gallop — and in its wake, it left behind a long, unbroken trail of blood.