“This is Yan Qige.” Yusang sighed as she stepped forward, standing at the bedside to look at the baby. She smiled and reached out to touch his face. Thinking about how he would bully her in the future, she put on a fierce expression and wrinkled her face at him, saying, “Little fellow, remember this face of mine. In the future, when you see me, you’re not allowed to bully me. Whatever I want, you must give me. You must protect me and not let others bully me. You’re not allowed to bully me either. Even if you’re unkind to everyone in the world, you must be good to me. Do you understand?”
“I have remembered it.” Yan Qige’s voice suddenly came, startling Yusang into quickly standing up and looking around, but there wasn’t a trace of Yan Qige in the room. She turned back to the baby with half-belief and half-doubt, discovering that the child who had been crying incessantly was now smiling at her.
“You… you…” Yusang stared at him in disbelief, her eyes wide.
“I didn’t go to the underworld to drink Meng Po’s soup. After my soul reincarnated, I retain my memory for one hour, and it seems I’ve also retained the ability to transmit messages through secret speech.”
“No wonder you possessed such extraordinary magical abilities at such a young age in the future. It turns out you were born with them.” Yusang nodded and whispered in amazement. Just as she was about to say more to him, she discovered that the baby before her was crying loudly again. It seemed his one hour had run out, and now he was just an ordinary, unknowing infant.
“Well then, let’s wait until we meet again in twenty-five years.” Yusang patted the baby’s head, turned around with her hands behind her back, walking with a swagger, chin raised high as she passed the busy palace maids and left.
Leaving the palace, the sky outside had already turned as black as night, with dark clouds pressing down and wind stirring the clouds at the horizon. Yusang felt a powerful magical force surging, making her somewhat uneasy and worried about what was happening outside the barrier. Looking left and right through the rain curtain, Yusang identified the highest palace rooftop in the imperial palace and flew up to land on the roof beams. As soon as she steadied herself, she discovered a swallow on the azure tiles that had been knocked down by the storm. Seeing its life hanging by a thread, Yusang felt compassion. She took off her outer garment and used two tiles to prop up a small shelter in the corner of the roof beam, placing the swallow inside.
Then Yusang stood up, facing the fierce wind and rain. Feeling the power of the gale, she slowly began to smile. Her arms danced as she used her innate wind-controlling ability as a princess of the Fengjian Clan. Wherever there was wind, she could borrow the wind’s power to enhance her magic. The stronger the wind, the greater the power she could borrow. At this moment, with the wind surging like a tide, her magical abilities were unprecedentedly powerful.
Following a flash of lightning across the sky, Yusang struck the black clouds in the sky with a blast of spiritual energy. The cloud mass split open, and the dark clouds scattered, revealing the bright moon and stars in the sky. But the heavy rain didn’t stop. Yusang flew upward through the heavy rain, emerging from the crack in the clouds.
…
When Yusang opened her eyes again, she found herself lying beside the barrier in the underground palace. Standing up to glance at the barrier, she felt somewhat frightened. This phantom barrier was truly formidable—there wasn’t the slightest bit of unnaturalness or flaw, as if it had truly happened and been experienced. If she hadn’t been self-aware beforehand, she might have been trapped for a lifetime without ever discovering it.
Remembering what Yan Qige had instructed her earlier, Yusang didn’t dare delay. Following his directions, she tore off the yellow talismans from the barrier and held the small embroidered pouch, extending it toward the crack in the barrier.
Suddenly, a thunderous crash came. The marble platform beneath Yusang’s feet shook several times, and stone debris fell from above. Yusang retreated in panic, nearly falling into the flowing water channel below the platform. Fortunately, someone timely grabbed her waist and leaped back with her to a position against the wall.
“Stand behind me.” Without even glancing at Yusang, Yan Qige pushed her behind him. Taking the small embroidered pouch from her hands, he quickly leaped into the air. With one hand holding the lantern and the other grasping the embroidered pouch, he bent his fingers and rapidly chanted incantations. As his brow furrowed deeper and deeper, the underground palace pool also shook more and more violently. Just when Yusang could no longer stand steady, even while supporting herself against the stone wall, golden light suddenly came from the passage entrance. A soul rushed in at high speed, charging directly at Yan Qige, who was suspended in midair.
“Be careful!” Yusang shouted. At the same time, Yan Qige quickly dodged sideways to avoid the attacker’s assault. When the attacker approached, he extended his finger forward, thrust once, then pushed, using the red embroidered pouch in his hand to absorb and stabilize that soul before throwing it into the phantom barrier.
The barrier emitted a blinding flash of light. Yan Qige seemed to have been struck hard, falling heavily to the ground and staggering back several steps before steadying himself against the wall.
“The ten-year pact is fulfilled, our exchange is complete. This palace will take the prince and reincarnate him. Thank you.” A voice came from within the barrier. Then the barrier collapsed on the platform, turning into clouds of powder. The red embroidered pouch carrying two souls flew out from the barrier—one was a middle-aged woman dressed in luxurious clothing, the other was Zhao Zhang.
“I will personally perform the ritual to help you both cross over and guide your souls. You may rest assured.” Yan Qige extended his hand, and the red embroidered pouch in the air lost its glow, falling from the air into Yan Qige’s palm.
More and larger stones fell from overhead. Yan Qige hastily grabbed Yusang’s arm and led her running outside. Along the way, Yusang nearly got hit by falling stones several times. When they ran out of the stone gate with their hearts still pounding, thunderous crashes came from behind them. Yan Qige scooped up Yusang and leaped with all his strength, landing several zhang away. When Yusang turned to look back, she saw that Yongze Palace, which had been magnificent and towering just moments before, had been reduced to scorched earth where not even a single intact tile could be seen.
“Yusang, no matter what happens next, you must trust me.” Yan Qige rarely spoke with such a cautious tone. Yusang turned to look at him with a frown, but before she could ask what he meant by these words, the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps and the friction of armor came from all around.
“Audacious Prince Yan, you dare assassinate His Majesty! Surrender yourself now!” A rough male voice called out, followed by Imperial Guards in golden armor wielding weapons, who densely surrounded them.
“Assassinate His Majesty?” Yusang thought she had heard wrong and couldn’t help but open her mouth wide in surprise.
Although she had already guessed that the Emperor was dead when she saw his soul in the underground palace earlier, based on her understanding of Yan Qige, he would never kill mortals, let alone his brother. She remembered that the eunuch had said only Imperial Consort Chen and the Emperor were in Chengqian Hall. If someone had truly killed the Emperor, she would rather believe it was Imperial Consort Chen.
“Yan Qige, you have committed the grave crime of regicide and defying your sovereign. Do you have anything to say?” An arrogant voice came from behind the crowd. As the Imperial Guards stepped aside, Zhao Yirong in silver-white brocade robes walked over, still maintaining that superior and overbearing attitude.
“I have nothing to say.” Yan Qige responded with his hands behind his back, calm and indifferent as if he had anticipated this.
“Arrest them both and throw them into the imperial prison. Without my permission, no one is allowed to approach them.” Zhao Yirong waved his hand to signal. With one command, people immediately stepped forward to surround Yusang and Yan Qige.
Yusang was about to fight back, but Yan Qige shook his head slightly at her. While she hesitated, her arms were already bound.