He should have known long ago that if it truly were her, how could she be so easily discovered and captured? This sort of thing was not the first time. Each time he told himself he would never again do such disgusting acts. Yet when intelligence reports arrived, he still leaped onto his warhorse without thinking, riding out filled with hope.
Even in his current predicament, he had still come.
Something had quietly taken root in his heart. He thought that simply pulling it out would solve everything, but forgot that some wounds can never heal. They only quietly fester and rot in sunless environments, emitting overwhelming stench that made even himself no longer recognize himself.
“Tyrant! You will surely die a horrible death!”
A clear, sharp voice suddenly rang out, startling the contemplating Chu Li. He slowly lowered his head to look at the woman in coarse hemp clothing whose beauty couldn’t be concealed, remaining silent, filled with invisible pressure.
The woman showed no fear, still looking at Chu Li with hate-filled eyes, saying coldly, “You incompetent usurping traitor, who killed your father and abandoned your mother, poisoned your brothers, and harmed loyal ministers—you will surely face national destruction and family ruin, dying without an intact corpse!”
“How dare you!” The Black Guards on both sides shouted angrily and stepped forward.
Chu Li waved his hand lightly and said in a deep voice, “What relation are you to the Shangguan family?”
“You?” The woman was greatly shocked, asking in panic, “You? How do you know?”
“Concubine Rou secretly bribed officials at Quarry Valley to release Shangguan family survivors. Did you really think I wouldn’t know?” Chu Li snorted coldly, saying icily, “Moreover, your face cannot deceive anyone. You are Shangguan Jing’s youngest daughter, Shangguan Rouxiang.”
The woman turned pale with shock, her face losing all color.
The Shangguan family’s fate from half a year ago—due to opposing Chu Li’s land enclosure policies, they faced impeachment from Chu Li’s court faction. The last generation of virtuous ministers was exiled to Nanjiang, news that had spread widely. All Shangguan men were beheaded, women exiled to Quarry Valley as slaves. Shangguan Jing had been imperial tutor to three dynasties, presiding over generations of imperial examinations with students throughout the realm. Under petitions from scholars worldwide, he kept his name. Unfortunately, he died of illness during exile.
Crown Princess Shangguan Rouxue died of grief and illness, Concubine Rou Shangguan Roulan fell from favor in the harem. The Shangguan clan thus withdrew from Southern Chu’s aristocratic court families. Who would have thought that today on these barren Western Black Grasslands, he could encounter Shangguan descendants.
“You devil! My father served the country loyally with clean governance. Yet you destroyed my family—I won’t forgive you!” The desperate woman suddenly burst into curses, shrieking shrilly.
Chu Li’s expression turned cold as he said icily, “Blame only your Shangguan family for not seeing the situation clearly and choosing the wrong side.”
Shangguan Jing had been imperial tutor, but when Chu Li was held hostage in Eastern Qi, he instead became Prince Huainan Chu Sheng’s teacher. After Chu Li returned, he allied with the Thirteenth Prince, supporting deposing the crown prince and establishing Prince Huainan as heir. To consolidate his position, Chu Li eliminated the Shangguan family.
“Return to camp!” Chu Li no longer had any mood to remain in this place, commanding the others in a deep voice.
“Yes!” The Black Guards responded in unison, thundering behind him. On the white snow, the black cavalry in battle armor appeared very conspicuous.
“You devil!” Shrill screams arose behind them. Desperate, broken curses gradually turned vicious as the Shangguan family’s youngest daughter Shangguan Rouxiang shrieked, “Prince Huainan has gone to Eastern Qi! Empress Dowager Xiao no longer supports you! The old matriarch of the Huo family army is dead! Nanjiang’s Wusi Saint Maiden has also fled—no one in the world supports you anymore! Your death approaches, you traitor! Bastard! Lowly, base man…”
The shrill shouting still echoed in the night as Chu Li galloped away without looking back. Goose-feather snow fell from the sky, filling heaven and earth with vast whiteness. The cold snow covered all blood and darkness, leaving only sacred radiance.
Who trudged with difficulty through the darkness?
Who groaned painfully in despair?
When everything had passed, who still remembered yesterday’s bone-deep humiliation and indelible hatred?
Between heaven and earth stretched desolate whiteness. Who, covered in wounds with a filthy heart, crawled and survived in the cold mortal world?
Zhuang Qingxia, you cannot escape!
The man in darkness tightly pressed his lips, cold gaze showing enormous tenacity.
I will search the highest heavens and deepest underworld to find you.
Even if it means going to the netherworld, you must accompany me on the journey.
The shrill female voice gradually faded and disappeared. Chu Li in silver-white armor, followed by three thousand Black Guard elite cavalry, galloped like lightning toward Hanchao City. He traveled at the foot of Longji Mountain. Below his feet lay vast expanses of white snow. The fierce battle that occurred here two days ago was now completely buried by heavy snow. Countless corpses were forever left on the Western Black Grasslands’ wasteland in the avalanche disaster, frozen into living specimens.
Chu Li, who had traveled thousands of li searching for someone, gradually departed. But he didn’t know that at this very moment, the person he sought was right beneath his feet in the imperial mausoleum, struggling forward with difficulty.
Fate is often separated by just a thin line. Once missed, it becomes forever missed, never to be reversed.
Just as darkness enveloped the outside and Chu Li massacred Ludan people at the mountain’s foot, inside the Qin Imperial Mausoleum’s Green Wood Hall, Qing Xia was enjoying the most refreshing hot bath in days.
Steam rolled down from her delicate, smooth skin, further highlighting her tender, fair complexion. Her full head of black hair scattered on the water surface, draped over her smooth back. Her thin shoulders were round and fair like the finest delicate porcelain. Her scarred hands seemed less frightening under the hot spring’s soaking. Qing Xia let out a long breath. Having washed away blood and foul odors, she felt refreshed throughout her entire being.
In this isolated underground imperial mausoleum, everything was so magical. Surroundings gradually dimmed as a moon slowly rose into mid-sky, enormous and bright. The distant bamboo forest released light fragrance in the breeze, casting scattered, mottled light and shadows. Qing Xia felt everything seemed like a great dream.
Slowly standing up from the hot spring, she dried her hair with clean cotton cloth, stood barefoot beside the warm pool, crouched down to pick up clothing from the ground and dressed.
This was a cotton cloth dress set with very simple styling—moon-white long dress with white cloth deep robe outside, tied high at the waist, emphasizing her high chest and long, graceful legs. If worn by someone tall, it would appear very elegant, but Qing Xia was quite petite, making it look somewhat incongruous. She frowned, carefully lifting her skirt, afraid of dirtying such clean fabric by dragging it on the ground. Her jet-black long hair hung wetly to one side, her cheeks rosy, appearing very cute.
“Yima’er, are you ready?”
A gentle voice suddenly rang out in the distance. Qing Xia joyfully raised her head and called toward the dense bamboo forest, “Qin Zhiyan, come over here.”
Gentle breeze softly brushed across faces. Cool moonlight cast faint, serene radiance. From the emerald bamboo forest emerged a man in blue long robes and moon-white boots, with gentle features and soft lips, walking out slowly.
Qin Zhiyan had bathed on the other side. Hearing no sound from Qing Xia for a long time, he grew worried and came over.
This was the first time he had seen Qing Xia in women’s clothing.
Although he had seen countless beauties throughout his life, he still felt slightly stunned upon first seeing Qing Xia like this. Under moonlight, the woman wore moon-white long robes with flowing hair and plain features, wearing no cosmetics. Her light eyebrows were clear as morning mist, lips dotted red. She frowned slightly, standing barefoot on tiptoes, hands holding up her long skirt hem. Like a fairy from paintings, unstained by worldly dust.
“What’s wrong? Don’t the clothes fit?”
“Your Empress must have been from the north!” Qing Xia said resentfully.
“Mm? How do you know?”
“Ah? I really guessed right!”
Qin Zhiyan smiled faintly, “The Empress was the daughter of our nation’s Grand Master Qin Shouye. Of course she was northern.”
“Sigh!” Qing Xia glumly raised her eyebrows, “Why am I so short? Look, it’s this much too long.”
Qin Zhiyan looked with amusement at Qing Xia holding her long skirt hem while frowning. Warmth filled his eyes as he walked forward and picked up shoes from the ground. The Empress had been tall, so her feet were naturally larger than Qing Xia’s. He turned around with his back to Qing Xia and said, “Come on, I’ll carry you back.”
“Ah?” Qing Xia widened her eyes and quickly shook her head, “No need, no need.”
“Come on, you can’t go back barefoot.”
Qin Zhiyan’s voice was gentle, yet carried rare firmness in his words. Qing Xia’s eyes turned, then she jumped onto Qin Zhiyan’s back with a thud. Qin Zhiyan’s form swayed, knowing Qing Xia did this intentionally. Not getting angry, he handed the shoes to Qing Xia, saying, “Hold these.”
Qing Xia obediently held one shoe in each hand, lying on Qin Zhiyan’s back, leisurely humming tunes with her legs swaying below, appearing extremely peaceful.
Actually, it wasn’t impossible to walk back barefoot.
She just wanted to experience this rare warmth once more.
Because she knew that once they left this isolated underground mausoleum, everything would no longer be like now.
“Qin Zhiyan, this place is truly wonderful. I don’t want to leave.”
“Mm,” Qin Zhiyan smiled faintly, “Yes, it’s very good.”
“Outside is always war and chaos.” Qing Xia’s voice was muffled, carrying traces of fatigue and helplessness. “I really wish I never had to go out again.”
“Then don’t go out.” Qin Zhiyan smiled, his voice light as clouds, unfathomable as distant smoke and trees.