Lightning tore countless gashes in the night curtain, torrential rain seeming to pour down from those split openings. Muffled thunder also sounded one after another in succession.

Wen Yu’s thoughts seemed disturbed by the thunder. Brief confusion surfaced in her eyes, then those complex emotions settled layer by layer. Only cold desolation remained in her pupils as she looked at Xiao Li: “It seems what I said to General Xiao that night wasn’t clear enough.”

“I’m here precisely to give you an answer to your question that night.” Xiao Li interrupted her.

His height and build were there—the jawline visible from the side clear and sharp. Whenever he raised his head to look directly at someone, the sense of oppression was extremely strong. At this moment, even in his disheveled state, he seemed more dangerous than ever before.

“You asked me that night whether escorting you to Southern Chen meant staying there for a lifetime.” His pupils reflected Wen Yu’s appearance in her wedding dress, the deeper expression impossible to see clearly: “My answer is I won’t let you marry into Southern Chen. I will become a third path you can choose. You marry me, or I marry into your family—either works.”

Perhaps seeing the astonishment on Wen Yu’s face, he was silent for a breath before saying: “I haven’t read much. I don’t know how to say it in your more elegant terms. Anyway, that’s the meaning. So, will you choose me or not?”

That gaze looking at Wen Yu was restrained, sincere, persistent, yet calm. Clearly these were words spoken after deep consideration, definitely not on a whim.

Wen Yu was stunned for so long she didn’t know what to say.

She had always known Xiao Li had feelings for her, but had never imagined that this person with an untamable spirit in his bones would lower his head to this degree. Her heart felt like something had squeezed it hard, suddenly aching intensely.

Her red lips freshly colored with rouge unconsciously pressed together. Her five fingers concealed in the wedding robe’s large sleeves dug even harder into her palms. She turned to look at Xiao Li, her eyes calm and cruel, as if completely unmoved, speaking indifferently: “Even if you could capture Xin and Yi prefectures, what would it change?”

“I need troops and power. Do you have them?”

Thunder crashed in bursts, rain rustled urgently.

Half of Xiao Li’s face was hidden in the dimness where candlelight couldn’t reach. His expression couldn’t be seen. Only the five fingers gripping Wen Yu’s wrist slightly loosened.

Wen Yu took advantage to break free of his hand, coldly turning her face away to look at the candlelight on the lamp shade. The stabbing pain transmitted from her other hand stimulated her nerves, allowing her to barely maintain the coldness on her face.

Not wanting Xiao Li to notice anything, just as she was about to coldly issue an order to leave, she heard Xiao Li say: “Before taking Xin and Yi prefectures, first block Southern Chen outside the passes. After occupying these three prefectures and one commandery in Great Liang’s southern territory, recruit soldiers and buy horses, rest and recuperate. Wait until autumn when the barbarian tribes beyond the northern frontier invade You Prefecture and Wei Qishan is stretched too thin, then mobilize troops to head north together to attack Pei Song.”

These words were clearly his answer to Wen Yu’s earlier question about what capturing Xin and Yi prefectures could change.

As Wen Yu was shocked, he had already taken down the tube on his back, pulled out the map, and spread it on her dressing table.

Both sides of the map curled up. Xiao Li used Wen Yu’s makeup case to weigh down one corner, bracing his arm on the other side. The distant candlelight cast his tall shadow on the makeup stool. His expression remained calm throughout as he said: “While suppressing bandits, I discovered some intelligence Wei Qishan had sealed off. When Pei Song initially withdrew from Yi Prefecture, he had already implemented a scorched earth policy there. What Wei Qishan captured was just an empty city. Currently he’s using the forces of Xin Prefecture alone to maintain two prefectures. There are many weak points. Capturing these two prefectures won’t cost much military strength.”

His hair, wet in strands, was still dripping water. Fortunately, the map was coated with a layer of waterproof wax oil, so getting wet wouldn’t soak it. But the first drop—whether flowing from his sleeve or falling from his hair—happened to fall on the back of Wen Yu’s hand.

“Relying on the strategic advantage of Bairen Pass, according to our original plan, we can already block Southern Chen’s forces from entering the passes. If Southern Chen burns their bridges and attacks with full force, they also have many conflicts with surrounding small nations. Send people to visit small nations like Dala and Wujian. They may well be willing to directly take Southern Chen’s royal court at this time. To protect themselves, Southern Chen will inevitably have to withdraw troops to aid their royal court and won’t dare attack Bairen Pass with full force.”

The dressing table was only so big. Even though he stood to the side, because he was bracing his arm on the map and from time to time had to point out terrain features on it, there were always moments when he was extremely close to Wen Yu. His breath when speaking and the dampness on his body—even though Wen Yu deliberately tried to ignore it, she could still clearly feel it. She couldn’t help but lightly furrow her brows.

Xiao Li didn’t know why Wen Yu frowned. Thinking she was impatient, he condensed his words: “Pei Song has lost several consecutive battles. Wei Qishan’s pursuit is fierce. Before autumn, Pei Song can’t spare the energy to send troops south. Wei Qishan also won’t cross Pei Song’s territory to punish us for two prefectures far in the south. After autumn, when he’s pinched between the northern barbarian tribes and Pei Song, he definitely won’t move against us. When Pei Song is defeated, since Wei Qishan is waving the banner of clearing out rebel factions when sending troops, if you as a Great Liang princess demand he submit as a subject and he doesn’t comply, he too becomes a traitorous subject. Attacking him would be justified.”

Having said this, he looked up at Wen Yu: “Troops and power—I don’t have them now. You can wait until I do have them, then marry me.”

This was his answer to her second question.

Wen Yu glanced at the densely packed annotations and revision marks on that map, only feeling that the spot on the back of her hand where the water drop had struck was faintly burning.

As if what fell on it wasn’t rainwater but scalding oil drops.

Supporting her forehead, she quietly looked at that map for a while before finally steeling her heart: “Why would I buy on credit from you what I can obtain by allying with Southern Chen? Borrowing Southern Chen’s momentum and negotiating peace with Northern Wei, I can take Xin and Yi prefectures without spending a single soldier or losing a single man, and don’t need to station troops at Bairen Pass to guard against strong enemies. This way is beneficial with no harm, isn’t it?”

Hearing this, obvious pallor had already appeared on Xiao Li’s face.

“Moreover…” Wen Yu’s words were clearly not finished. She raised her eyes, meeting Xiao Li’s gaze without avoidance: “I think General Xiao has probably misunderstood something.”

Her fingertips picked up the sachet Xiao Li had placed on the dressing table: “I carried this wood carving only because I greatly liked the four characters ‘carp leaping over dragon gate’ that the general spoke of in the past, not for any other reason. The general has overstepped bounds several times. It truly makes things difficult for this princess.”

Imperceptibly, she had already changed how she referred to herself, as if she had truly been troubled and annoyed by this for a long time.

Having said this, her fingertips loosened and the sachet containing the carp wood carving fell to the ground. The ties on the sachet had long since loosened. The carp wood carving inside fell out and rolled to Xiao Li’s feet.

She said as if unconcerned: “Since this wood carving was already lost, this princess will consider it never found.”

Xiao Li tilted his head slightly, most of his face hidden in shadow. Only the taut muscle lines on his neck could be seen, his throat seeming to move with difficulty before he continued asking: “What about the cloak when blocking the river embankment?”

Wen Yu seemed to make an effort to recall before understanding what he meant, her expression inexplicable: “That day this princess went to inspect and bestowed many things. If the general hadn’t mentioned it, this princess would probably no longer remember this matter. General Tan Yi said you stayed awake guarding for several days. When this princess went to the main tent and saw you had fallen asleep at your desk, I had someone find a cloak for you. Did this also cause General Xiao to misunderstand?”

That final question was most devastating to the heart.

In her eyes that calmly met Xiao Li’s gaze was coldness like thorns.

Xiao Li finally tasted what it felt like to be shattered to pieces. He recovered for a long while but could only raise his hand to cover his face. After standing in place for a moment, he said: “I apologize. It was my wishful thinking that brought so much trouble to the Princess Imperial. Xiao Li here wishes the Princess Imperial and Prince Chen… to treat each other with respect as guests and grow old together.”

His voice was hoarse like gravel scraping over rubble.

Having said this, he turned and strode outside. Between his hanging fingers were wet traces. The moment he opened the door, cold wind and moisture rushed into the room together, and a black iron cold blade also pressed against his neck.

Xiao Li maintained his door-opening posture, standing with head bowed, disheveled hair covering his eyes. He showed no intention whatsoever of fighting with the newcomer.

Zhao Bai had been lured away to circle in the storm, soaked through. In the distance were still chaotic voices shouting to catch the assassin.

The blade she held at Xiao Li’s neck dripped water. The blade edge had already cut slightly into the flesh on Xiao Li’s neck, blood lines seeping out. Her face was full of fury. It seemed that with just one word from Wen Yu inside, she would sever Xiao Li’s neck. But when she saw Xiao Li’s eyes, she was briefly stunned.

At this moment, a clear, calm voice came from inside the room: “Let him go.”

The ending tone was cut off by the rain curtain, making it impossible to discern emotion.

Zhao Bai looked inside and only saw Wen Yu’s back sitting before the mirror behind the bead curtain. She looked at Xiao Li with complicated feelings and sheathed her blade with a clang.

Seven or eight shadow guards who had been lured away and hurried back saw this scene and also sheathed their blades, no longer blocking Xiao Li.

Xiao Li lowered his head and stepped into the rain curtain, like a stray dog, never looking back again.

After he had gone far, Zhao Bai entered the room dripping wet and knelt on one knee outside the bead curtain: “This servant failed to guard the Princess Imperial properly. Please punish this servant.”

Wen Yu said calmly: “General Xiao discovered military intelligence while suppressing bandits. He came tonight only to report military intelligence.”

Zhao Bai was stunned and looked up toward the bead curtain, only to hear Wen Yu ask: “Did you remember?”

Zhao Bai immediately nodded: “This servant remembers.”

Only then did Wen Yu softly say: “Go down.”

Zhao Bai seemed to have many things to say, but since Wen Yu had spoken, she could only accept the order and withdraw. However, she never left Wen Yu’s courtyard even one step, continuously holding her blade and standing guard outside the door.

Inside the room, candlelight burned slowly. Wen Yu picked up the wood carving that had fallen to the ground earlier. She had intended to brush off the dust stuck to it, but where her hand brushed became stained with blood. She lowered her eyes and only then discovered that her palm had somehow long been clenched until broken, fresh blood spreading across an area.

She casually bound the wound with a handkerchief, then took another one to meticulously wipe away the blood stains on the wooden carp bit by bit.

It was just that the blood stains on her hands weren’t cleaned, so the more she wiped, the more blood she smeared on the wooden carp instead.

Wen Yu wiped futilely for a while. When a teardrop struck the wood carving, her hand movements paused slightly as she said to herself: “It really does hurt.”

Then more and more moisture rolled from her eyes, spreading patch after patch of wet marks on the wedding dress. But there was still not a trace of expression on her face.

She thought it was just that the wound hurt too much.

It hurt so much she suddenly remembered many things. There was him carrying her on his back through the mountain forest at night when they were pursued into the mountains by Pei Song’s assassins. There was her suffering from unrelenting high fever while he stayed awake all night guarding by the bed in the farmhouse. There was also when she was captured by Pei Song’s assassins and he was ground into the muddy rain by countless fists and feet yet still stared at her, telling her he cared…

What finally surfaced in her mind was the day she left Luodu. Elder Brother, who had been guarding the city gate for several days and nights, hurried back. The armor he wore that he hadn’t had time to change was covered in gunpowder smoke and scratches. Seeing her, without saying anything else, he simply squatted down before the door steps and said to her: “Come, Elder Brother will carry you out on his back.”

Mother Consort and Sister-in-law under the eaves cried until they were tear-streaked. Afraid of making them even more upset, she didn’t dare cry. Only when lying on Elder Brother’s back—armored yet still seeming thin—did she secretly let tears fall. Elder Brother’s form seemed to pause.

The path from the inner courtyard to the main gate wasn’t far. He silently carried her on his back for a long time before saying to her: “A Yu, I’m sorry.”

And then: “After going to Southern Chen, don’t be afraid. Elder Brother will soon come take you home.”

Under the setting sun, he turned his head, as if wanting to look at her again, but she caught sight of the newly formed scab on his face.

Wen Yu gently blinked once. Burning tears rolled from her long lashes. She cried silently and soundlessly.

Elder Brother died in Fengyang. He wouldn’t come to take her home anymore.

No one would come to take her home anymore.

This road, she had to walk it herself.

She hadn’t told Xiao Li that in his seemingly thorough plan, there were many fatal flaws. All conspiracies and calculations on the chessboard were mutual.

He schemed to cast aside Southern Chen and then defeat Pei Song and Wei Qishan one by one.

But in reality, from the moment she broke the agreement with Southern Chen, Southern Chen would turn and ally with Pei Song. Whether Pingzhou could hold in the end, and how many loyal ministers and good generals would die, was impossible to estimate.

She knew his feelings and knew he had given everything to her.

But since she couldn’t reciprocate even a fraction, it was better to shatter all his hopes. Only then could she completely sever the shackles on him and return him his freedom.