Mu Wanyao was escorted back to the city. Due to the earlier attempt on the Princess’s life, her guards remained vigilant, refusing to give enemies any opportunity to strike.
Mu Wanyao’s other hand covered her bleeding palm. Though blood continued to flow during the journey back, the pain had numbed her to the point of numbness. As they passed through the city gates, she felt Fang Tong let out a subtle sigh of relief.
But Mu Wanyao remained cautious.
She refused to retreat first, noting how soldiers urged civilians to take shelter as the walkways creaked and city gates began to close. During the orderly withdrawal, Mu Wanyao noticed a commotion at one of the gates where soldiers had begun fighting amongst themselves.
At such a critical moment, they couldn’t risk any disruption. Mu Wanyao approached: “What’s happening?”
The two arguing soldiers turned, and seeing the Princess, immediately lowered their heads. One answered angrily: “Your Highness, what wrong have I done? There are spies in the city, so I killed one, but he claims I killed a comrade…”
Mu Wanyao’s arm, supported by Fang Tong, suddenly tensed. Fang Tong looked over to see her already pale face from blood loss grow even whiter.
Mu Wanyao lifted her chin slightly and spoke icily: “We’ve been fighting naval battles in Guangzhou for two months. All soldiers in the city are our people – where would spies come from? What is your purpose in disrupting military morale? There are no spies in the city! Take him away and execute him!”
Fang Tong, who supported Mu Wanyao, was shocked.
But the other soldiers surrounding the Princess only hesitated for a moment before, under Mu Wanyao’s dark gaze, taking away the soldier who had been shouting about spies executing him.
From a distance, the soldier’s pleading voice still followed Mu Wanyao: “There are spies! He is the spy! I’m innocent! Why execute me? Your Highness… Your Highness… you’re being unjust! You must have made a deal with the enemy to destroy Guangzhou…”
Mu Wanyao frowned and commanded coldly: “Gag him!”
Afterward, she still wouldn’t leave, instead having Fang Tong support her up to the tower. She needed to observe the withdrawal at the gates and the enemy’s offensive situation.
While ascending, Fang Tong whispered in her ear: “That soldier might truly have been wrongly accused. There might be spies in the city…”
Mu Wanyao cut him off dispassionately: “Whether there are spies or not is irrelevant. From today, Guangzhou will be sealed – not even a fly will get in, and no message can get out.
“Having spies or not isn’t important. What’s important is that I couldn’t let his shouting panic the citizens and break military morale.”
Fang Tong suddenly understood, inwardly admiring the Princess’s deep consideration. Under the black night sky, Mu Wanyao’s bleeding palm resting on his arm trembled slightly. She turned her head slightly and whispered to Fang Tong: “Besides, there might not necessarily be spies.
“Usually in such situations, those who shout about spies are afraid themselves, becoming suspicious of their comrades and treating their brothers-in-arms as enemies. This is a sign of his fear. If I had let it continue, this panic would have affected the entire city.
“If everyone suspected spies in the city and began to fear their fighting companions would harm them… how could we defend the city?
“When you can’t trust your people, the defense is already half lost.
“Fang Tong, I predict… the Southern Barbarians are going all-in. They won’t retreat easily. Guangzhou’s defense might last a very long time. We need to ease pressure on Jiannan and give the central government time. We can’t lose our composure.”
Guard Fang felt humbled by the Princess Imperial of Danyang’s strategic vision. He said nothing more, focusing solely on protecting Her Highness.
Mu Wanyao, protected by him and the guards, climbed the tower, eager to view the battle situation from the city walls. Due to their hurried movement and the earlier attack during their return to the city, the ornaments in Mu Wanyao’s long hair – jade hairpins and steps-sway ornaments – shook precariously. As Fang Tong protected her on the tower while dodging arrows from below, the steps-sway ornament in Mu Wanyao’s hair snapped with a bang.
Pearls and jade, magnificent clothing in splendor.
In the black night, amidst the chaos of troop movements, Mu Wanyao suddenly turned back. Her black hair cascaded down like a thick black waterfall flying in the wind.
Snow-white skin and black hair, white and black reflecting each other, the light in her clear dark eyes was bewitchingly captivating.
As the golden hairpins and steps-sway ornaments fell with a clatter, all soldiers saw the Princess with loose hair. While those who saw were stunned by her beauty, Fang Tong hurriedly ordered the guards to bow their heads and help find the hairpins, to help Mu Wanyao tie her hair back.
But Mu Wanyao looked down at them, and suddenly, she drew Fang Tong’s sword. Before Fang Tong could stop her, Mu Wanyao gathered her flowing black hair and decisively cut through it at mid-length.
Black strands scattered, flying from her bleeding palm.
Her beautiful hair that reached her ankles, that the maids had worked so hard to maintain, that Yan Shang had praised – she cut it to waist length with one stroke.
The symbol of her noble birth and privileged upbringing, ruthlessly severed. That hair would no longer trail the ground, nor would it encumber her when she needed to run urgently.
The past was cut away, and a new life began here.
Mu Wanyao held the sword, letting her now waist-length hair fall over her shoulders.
Facing the shocked gazes of the surrounding soldiers, Mu Wanyao declared loudly: “Listen well, everyone! I, as the Great Wei’s Princess Imperial of Danyang, cut my hair and made this vow. From today forward, I will share your fate – eat the same food, and wear the same clothes.
“I will defend the city with you!
“There is no betrayal, no spies, no discord. We will guard Guangzhou together, live or die as one. If I dare abandon you and flee… may I fall into the Yellow Springs, may all I love perish, may all I hate prosper, may suffering never leave me!”
The fighting below the city was endless, the city itself restless with anxiety. But at this moment, everyone stopped to look at Mu Wanyao. They watched as she repeated her words, and in the silence, her clear yet firm voice once again spread across the city walls.
She stood thus on the tower, standing under everyone’s gaze. Her robes billowing, hair disheveled. Her clothes were in disarray, travel-worn, yet she stood so noble and majestic, like a woman warrior. People looked up at her as if gazing at a brilliant pearl as if admiring a magnificent mountain.
In complete silence, the soldiers suddenly became energized. Their eyes began to burn, tears welling up. They gathered around this beautiful Princess and, led by their generals, shouted:
“Heaven bless Great Wei, sacred be Great Wei! Protect Her Highness, swear not to abandon the city!”
“Protect Her Highness, swear not to abandon the city!”
The soldiers raised their banners and climbed the corner towers. Messengers spread Mu Wanyao’s words throughout the city, and mounted soldiers proclaimed Mu Wanyao’s oath through the streets and alleys.
The cheers thundered like lightning, frightening away the attacking enemies below the city. As the cheers rose with Great Wei’s banners, the anxious citizens opened their windows, gazing into the cold night, and listening to the drums beating in the darkness.
War drums thundered, city battle horns sounded, but the soldiers and citizens throughout the city gradually calmed. The test of fate and the hardship of survival arrived together – not everyone was unafraid of death, but almost everyone was unafraid to face it.
After encouraging the soldiers and seeing the people’s hearts steady, the defense no longer in chaos, Mu Wanyao finally let out a breath and was escorted down from the tower by Fang Tong and the other guards.
Qiu Si waited for her below the tower, and seeing the Princess with loose hair, tears filled her eyes as she muttered about needing to properly trim the Princess’s now messy hair.
Fang Tong reminded from the side: “Her Highness’s palm was wounded and hasn’t been bandaged yet.”
Mu Wanyao suddenly looked down toward her waist, frowning deeply.
Fang Tong was alert: “What is it? Is Your Highness uncomfortable somewhere?”
Mu Wanyao didn’t know what to say for a moment. She was no longer the resolute Princess from the tower; she showed the confused expression of a young girl.
Mu Wanyao said anxiously: “I lost my love token…”
Fang Tong didn’t react immediately: “What?”
Mu Wanyao was very distressed: “It’s the jade pendant Second Brother Yan gave me. He said it was his family’s heirloom, only given to married couples. After he gave it to me, I treasured it especially and often wore it out. I shouldn’t have worn it today… It must have been when we went out and came back, during the attack and all the stumbling around, I lost Second Brother Yan’s family heirloom jade pendant.”
She was so upset she wanted to cry: “What should I do? How could I be like this? When Second Brother Yan gives me a love token, I either break it or lose it. What will happen if this continues?”
In such a critical military situation, the Princess was worried about losing her love token.
Fang Tong didn’t know what to say, and after a long while finally offered: “Should this servant go look for it?”
Mu Wanyao struggled for a moment before saying sadly: “…Never mind, it’s probably lost outside the city. I just ordered everyone not to leave the city, naturally, I can’t violate my command. It’s just such a pity about my love token…”
The water lily she had given to Yan Shang had died under her neglect, and now she had lost the jade pendant he had given her.
That was his family’s heirloom.
If Yan Shang knew…
Mu Wanyao muttered while looking down: “When the siege is over before I meet Second Brother Yan, I need to quickly find someone to carve an identical jade pendant, I have to fool him.”
Fang Tong: “…”
Qiu Si supported the Princess as she went to bandage her wound, and hearing this, whispered: “The Prince Consort is so attentive, and it’s his family heirloom – if Your Highness tries to deceive him like this, won’t the Prince Consort get angry when he finds out? Wouldn’t that cause an argument?”
Mu Wanyao snorted.
She scolded Qiu Si for being foolish, speaking loudly: “Nonsense! Second Brother Yan would never argue with me over such a small matter! How can a jade pendant compare to the bond between Second Brother Yan and me?
“Even if Second Brother Yan notices, he’ll pretend he hasn’t. He won’t even ask me about it… He’ll even help me deceive his family, not letting his father know.”
Thinking of Yan’s father, Mu Wanyao felt guilty for a moment and instructed: “Keep Yan’s family well protected, don’t let Father come see me. Tell them I’m very busy… I must protect Yan Shang’s family, only their safety will let me give Yan Shang a proper account. Don’t let them wander around.”
After giving these instructions, Mu Wanyao looked up at the black sky again.
She frowned.
At this moment she was no longer the Princess others relied on, but just a naive girl thinking of her love—
She sighed: “It’s a pity, it will probably be a long time before Little Yan Two returns… Now that Guangzhou is sealed, I can’t exchange letters with Little Yan Two every day anymore. I miss him so much.”—
On the Southern Barbarians’ side, after sacrificing lives for lives and launching attacks, King Ale finally obtained one of the Princess Imperial of Danyang’s possessions – a jade pendant.
He laughed loudly.
He felt that having this jade pendant, having something belonging to Mu Wanyao… made it all worth it! Even though they lost so many troops, it would all pay off!
He ordered in a sinister voice: “Send someone with the jade pendant to negotiate with Yan Shang! Also send him a finger from a Great Wei person, saying it’s the Princess’s!
“Tell him his wife is in our hands, we’ve already cut off one of her fingers, if he doesn’t withdraw his troops if he doesn’t negotiate peace… we’ll kill his wife!
“Let’s see if he chooses the integrity of Great Wei’s territory or his wife’s life!”