Hearing these words, Shen You lifted his eyelids slightly. Without a word, he charged forward on horseback, wielding his large sword. Chu Yu rushed towards Shen You with her sword drawn. As their weapons clashed, Chu Yu felt the overwhelming force of her opponent’s strike. With just one powerful blow, she felt her hands trembling.
The horses neighed, and Chu Yu laughed out loud, “Shen You, you disloyal, unjust, and unfilial wretch! Your martial skills are quite impressive, though!”
Shen You remained silent and launched a second attack. This time, Chu Yu dared not meet it head-on. Her sword style wasn’t suited for such heavy weapons, while Shen You’s large sword was incredibly forceful. Moreover, fighting on horseback gave longer weapons a significant advantage. Chu Yu had no intention of engaging Shen You in prolonged combat. While dodging his fierce attacks, she said, “Shen You, do you want to pledge loyalty to a scoundrel like Zhao Yue? Don’t you feel any guilt?”
“His Majesty saved me from peril,” Shen You replied calmly. “What’s wrong with me repaying his kindness?”
“Neglecting the welfare of the entire world for the sake of one person’s favor – is that right?”
Shen You didn’t respond, but his sword strikes became more rapid. Cold sweat began to form on Chu Yu’s forehead. Shen You was no ordinary opponent, and in a one-on-one fight, she might have had a chance. However, she had already fought earlier and was nearing exhaustion. Wei Yun watched silently from above, then suddenly turned and asked, “Has the Sixth Madam been invited?”
“She’s on her way.”
Wei Xia hesitated, glancing at the battlefield. He pursed his lips and said, “Your Highness, the First Madam…”
Before he could finish, Wei Yun stood up and walked down the city wall, ordering, “Sound the gong.”
Wei Xia had been waiting for this command. As soon as Wei Yun spoke, Wei Xia quickly said, “Sound the gong! Quickly sound the gong to call the First Madam back!”
Meanwhile, Wang Lan sat in a carriage, watching it sway back and forth, still feeling uncertain.
“His Highness said that for this mission to persuade General Shen to surrender, he hopes you’ll do your best. But he also insists that you shouldn’t compromise yourself. Just speak casually, and doing your best is enough.”
Wang Lan remained silent. As she watched the imposing city gates draw closer, her heart began to race. She had never been this close to a battlefield before. Gripping the carriage curtain tightly, she said with difficulty, “I’ll try my best.”
After a moment of silence, Wang Lan couldn’t help but ask, “What if I can’t persuade him?”
“If you can’t persuade him?” Wei Qian furrowed her brow and said slowly, “Then he’ll probably be killed. Shen You is a talented man, after all. If he can’t be used by His Highness, it’s best to eliminate him.”
Wang Lan was stunned. Her mind flashed back to a month ago when he had escorted her out of the city, lifting the curtain at that moment.
She felt her heart sink into the water, the liquid engulfing her heart, silencing all other sounds.
On the battlefield, Chu Yu suddenly heard the sound of gongs and drums. She hastily retreated, almost in a fleeing posture. However, with the blood of several great generals still fresh on her, Shen You couldn’t let her escape so easily. He pursued her on horseback as Chu Yu raced towards the city gates. Wei Qingping and Qin Shiyue anxiously rushed forward to meet her, but two Zhao army generals immediately charged out to engage them.
At that moment, the war drums suddenly thundered, and the city gates swung open. With battle cries, a general in silver armor and a red-tasseled silver spear, mounted on a chestnut warhorse, led troops charging out. The Zhao army’s drums responded in kind, and the two armies, led by their respective commanders, rushed towards each other.
In the middle of the battlefield, Shen You was about to catch up with Chu Yu. He leaped from his horse, abandoning it to charge forward with his sword raised high. As his horse reared up in fright, Chu Yu was forced to roll on the ground. The second sword strike followed, but at that instant, a red-tasseled spear whistled through the air, its chilling intent forcing Shen You to retreat hastily. The spear then planted itself firmly in front of Chu Yu, embedding three inches into the ground.
In that brief moment of hesitation, the silver-armored youth in white had already flashed to Shen You’s front. With one hand, he pulled out his spear and launched into a fluid series of spear techniques, pressing Shen You back.
Shen You was forced to retreat repeatedly. His opponent was fast and powerful, leaving Shen You struggling to defend himself, feeling as if he could hardly breathe.
“Twenty-nine years ago, your mother was captured,” Wei Yun said calmly as if the intense battle did not affect him at all. “She suffered greatly at the hands of the Northern Di, then became pregnant and gave birth to you.”
“Shut up…”
Shen You’s expression changed, and his sword techniques became more fierce. Wei Yun dodged his attack with a slight movement and continued, “When you were ten years old, you and your mother encountered bandits on the road. It was Zhao Yue who saved you both. To repay him, you followed his instructions and became a secret agent on Yao Yong’s side. Do you remember what you were aiming for back then?”
Shen You remained silent, bringing his large sword down with a powerful strike. Wei Yun’s spear entangled Shen You’s sword, then pressed down hard. He looked up at Shen You and said, “Back then, Zhao Yue promised you a prosperous Great Chu, where the Northern Di would never invade again.”
“If you want to fight, then fight! Why all this useless talk?” Shen You panted heavily, clearly agitated. Wei Yun’s expression remained unchanged as he dodged Shen You’s kick while continuing, “You’ve spent half your life working towards this goal. But at White Emperor Valley, for Zhao Yue’s sake, you transmitted false information, leading to the deaths of 70,000 soldiers and the loss of Great Chu’s territory. The capital was almost taken. Shen You, don’t you find it ridiculous?”
“Shut up!”
“You’ve wasted half your life trying to bring peace to the world, but in the end, you single-handedly pushed Great Chu to the brink of destruction. Seeing the nation in ruins, people homeless, women suffering humiliation like your mother did – while your master Zhao Yue ascended to the throne as he wished. I suppose you don’t regret it?”
“I didn’t!” Shen You gritted his teeth and said, “The information… I didn’t deliberately transmit it wrong.”
“You still believe the Northern Di tricked you?” Wei Yun laughed mockingly. “Then how did the Northern Di know you were a spy? How did they calculate the situation so precisely? Why am I rebelling now, why is the whole country rebelling? Are you still trying to deceive yourself?!”
“The monarch you serve, for the sake of the throne, didn’t hesitate to ally with the Northern Di who once humiliated your mother. He used you to kill our Great Chu soldiers and harm our people! Shen You, you are guilty! You’ve failed those 70,000 heroic spirits, failed my Wei family, failed Great Chu, and failed yourself!”
Shen You said nothing, gritting his teeth as he launched a strong attack against Wei Yun.
However, he was already at his limit. Wei Yun suddenly kicked out, sending Shen You flying. Nearby, the sounds of soldiers fighting could be heard. Shen You got up and charged at Wei Yun again. Wei Yun calmly said, “Am I wrong? You’ve spent most of your life ruining Great Chu. Are you happy?”
“What’s even more ridiculous,” Wei Yun grabbed Shen You’s hair and slammed him hard into the ground. Pinning him down, he said calmly, “Is that when Zhao Yue saved you back then, it was also fake. Those bandits were his men all along.”
Hearing this, Shen You’s eyes slowly widened.
“Impossible…”
Shen You found strength from somewhere unknown. He gripped his sword and swung it fiercely, shouting, “Impossible! Impossible!”
He was now twenty-eight years old. His greatest dream had once been to keep Great Chu free from war, to prevent anyone else from suffering as his mother had.
Yet it was by his hand that Great Chu’s most elite troops were destroyed, and it was he who had pushed Great Chu to the brink of destruction. As he walked that path, he could only tell himself that he was repaying a debt of gratitude, that he was being loyal.
If a person has neither loyalty nor righteousness, he is unkind and unjust. At the very least, he should be a loyal subject. But how could he be told now that everything was a lie?
The so-called debt of gratitude was false, everything that had supported him was false.
He swung his large sword fiercely, oblivious to Wei Yun’s spear slashing across his body.
Wei Yun kicked him away, but he stood up again. He was smashed into the ground, but he stood up again.
His eyes were blurred with blood, his surroundings becoming hazy, but he still stood up again and again, his voice hoarse as he said, “Impossible…”
Once more, he was kicked down. He coughed up blood but still supported himself to stand up, struggling to say, “Impossible…”
All around were the sounds of killing. One person after another fell, and he felt something draining from his body, but he had to stand up, he had to hold on.
“Shen You,” Wei Yun’s voice was calm, “You made a mistake. Not only do you refuse to repent, but you insist on making the same mistake again?”
As he spoke, he raised his spear and pointed it at Shen You’s chest. “Surrender.”
Shen You opened his eyes. Blood had smeared his vision, and he managed a painful smile. “Please kill me.”
Wei Yun’s expression remained unchanged. His spear pointed steadily at Shen You. “So eager to die?”
“I will not surrender.”
Shen You coughed up blood lightly. His body was covered in wounds, and he clearly couldn’t lift his sword anymore. He breathed heavily and lowered his eyes. Wei Yun pursed his lips and finally raised his spear. But at that moment, a woman’s cry rang out: “Shen You!”
Shen You suddenly looked up to see a woman in a goose-yellow robe in the distance. She was strikingly visible on the battlefield, like a delicate flower among cold blades. Surrounded by the clash of arms, she alone was unarmed, yet she ran towards him frantically.
She seemed extremely anxious, lifting her skirt and rushing towards him regardless of everything. Shen You’s eyes widened, and he reacted immediately. He raised his sword and charged towards Wang Lan.
Why had she come?
How could she come here?
Didn’t she know how dangerous the battlefield was?
Shen You’s heart raced with worry. He cut down nearby soldiers while rushing towards Wang Lan. Wang Lan had never seen such a scene in her life.
Everything around her was blood and corpses. Swords and blades could fall at any moment. Yet it was precisely because of this that when she saw that badly wounded man, she found immense courage and ran towards him.
In the chaos of battle, the guards following Wang Lan inevitably failed to protect her completely. Seeing a sword about to fall on Wang Lan from behind, Shen You’s heart leaped. He suddenly threw himself forward, taking the blow meant for her. Blood splattered across Wang Lan’s eyes. Shen You gripped her shoulders, supporting himself as he gritted out, “I’ll take you back.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Wei Yun’s spear thrust from behind him. Shen You painfully turned his body and was kicked to the ground. As he saw the silver spear tip thrust directly at him, Wang Lan suddenly blocked Shen You’s front.
Wei Yun stopped his movement and frowned slightly. “Sixth Sister-in-law…”
“Don’t kill him…” Wang Lan’s voice trembled. With tears in her eyes, she said hoarsely, “Xiao Qi, don’t kill him…”
Wei Yun’s expression remained unchanged. He lowered his eyes and said, “Sixth Sister-in-law, he is a criminal.”
“What crime can’t be atoned for? If he truly intended to kill, then I’ll give my life for his. But he was just a pawn. No matter how great his crime, can’t he spend a lifetime slowly atoning for it?!”
“Even if he can’t fully atone, I’ll atone for him. Spare his life.”
“Sixth Sister-in-law!” Wei Yun raised his voice. “Step aside!”
Wang Lan said nothing. She stood in front of Shen You, her body trembling, but she didn’t retreat a single step.
This usually weak woman seemed to have unleashed a strength far beyond her usual self at this moment. Facing Wei Yun’s blade, she said tremblingly, “If you insist on killing him… then kill me first.”
“Sixth Madam…” Shen You’s voice was hoarse. “Please move…”
“You be quiet!” Wang Lan suddenly raised her voice. With her back to him, she said hoarsely, “You guarded the Wei family gate for five years, why did you stop?”
“Coming every year, guarding every year…” Wang Lan’s tears rolled down. “Coming when you say you’ll come, leaving when you say you’ll leave, how can you be like this?”
“Sixth Madam…” Shen You clenched his fists. “I am a criminal.”
“If you’re a criminal, then atone for your crimes!” Wang Lan turned to look at him, gritting her teeth. “Do you think dying will make anyone forgive you? Shen You, live and spend your entire life making amends to me, to those who died. That’s what has value. If you die, what are we supposed to do with a corpse?”
“Are you so afraid of admitting you’re wrong?”
Her tears flowed freely. “You’re not afraid of death, but you’re this afraid of admitting you’re wrong, of atoning, of saying one sentence that you were wrong? If you’re afraid, then live for me. I’ll help you atone, I’ll die in your place, alright?”
Shen You said nothing. Wang Lan turned her head away. She knelt and said hoarsely, “Your Highness, Wang Lan is willing to die in General Shen’s place.”
“Sixth Sister-in-law, don’t be absurd.”
“I’m not being absurd.” Wang Lan raised her head and looked at Wei Yun. “I’ve been weak and confused all my life. Never have I been more clear-headed than at this moment.”
Shen You trembled slightly behind her. He felt a cold hand grasp his. She pulled him and said coldly, “Kneel.”
Shen You’s eyelashes quivered slightly. Wang Lan looked up at him. “Do you want to force me to die?”
She had never been so forceful before. She stood up, struggling to lift Shen You’s body, and kicked his leg, forcing him to kneel before Wei Yun.
Shen You lowered his head without speaking. Wang Lan suddenly snatched a sword from Wei Qian behind her and pressed it against her neck.
“Shen You,” Wang Lan looked at him with tears, “If you surrender, I’ll marry you. If you don’t surrender, I’ll die in your place. Will you surrender or not?!”
Hearing these words, Shen You closed his eyes.
He envisioned countless scenes in his mind as if he had traversed a long road in life. Yet with each misstep, he found himself in deeper trouble. The peaceful and prosperous world he yearned for had been buried by his own hands; the loyalty and gratitude he sought had become the schemes of others.
What is truly real in this life?
He recalled the tear-filled eyes hidden behind the rockery, the first moment he experienced the enchanting beauty of the southern flowers.
He let out a soft laugh, but moments later, he heard the woman’s voice ask, “Shen You, I’ll ask you one last time, will you surrender…”
“I surrender.”
Before she could finish her sentence, he interrupted her. Wang Lan paused in surprise. Shen You opened his eyes, shimmering with unshed tears. Bowing his head, he knelt and rasped, “Zuo Qianfeng Shen You are willing to surrender!”