The dense crowd outside looked up and saw You Weixuan in her phoenix crown and red bridal robes standing at the doorway.
Behind her sat Tie Ci, and on the ground lay You Yun and You Weinan.
Who had won and who had lost was clear at a glance.
In the flower hall, the flute music stopped abruptly, strings snapped, and Liu Chan’er, who had been dancing on the musical stone chimes for today’s new performance, fell from the chimes, leaving only the clear lingering sound echoing endlessly.
Some people gasped and stepped back, others rushed forward, and the large area in front of the wedding hall immediately became chaotic.
Until You Weixuan’s clear shout: “Stop.”
She raised her hand and a golden firework shot straight up into the sky. Someone exclaimed: “Golden Smoke Command!”
The Golden Smoke Command was a communication method unique to the Yannan King, only usable by the Yannan King and his heir, representing Yannan’s highest decree. The summoning signal issued by the Golden Smoke Command was equivalent to the King’s personal presence, and violators would be considered traitors.
Everyone was amazed, thinking that the female heir had been held captive for so long, yet could still hide this most crucial command token right under You Yun’s nose—they truly didn’t know how she had concealed it.
The Golden Smoke Command exploded in the clear sky into the shape of a golden camellia, Yannan’s most famous flower.
“Under the Golden Smoke Command, the Kun Prefecture garrison, Kun Prefecture inspectors, Kun Prefecture Five Cities Military Commissioner, and all subordinate troops of the Yannan Royal Palace must obey the order to protect the King,” You Weixuan’s once sweet voice was now cold as stone. “Those who do not wish to die in military chaos, immediately help me capture the Chang family and the remaining You clan members. Except for the direct relatives and descendants of the Chang family and the direct line of the You father and son, all other rebels who surrender their weapons now may be pardoned.”
The crowd fell silent for a while, looking at the corpses of the You father and son.
The tide had turned.
Some officials began shouting orders for their guards to help, some abandoned their weapons, some fled, and others resisted desperately. For a moment, the scene became a complete mess.
However, Tie Ci’s guards remained motionless, only following Tie Ci’s orders. You Weixuan didn’t need to command them either—the army was rushing from outside, while inside the Chang family and You clan members were falling apart. With the You father and son dead and the group leaderless, Yannan would eventually be hers.
She extended her hand toward the guard closest to her: “May I trouble you to lend me a knife?”
Standing nearest to the door was Wan Ji. Considering she was His Highness’s friend, he drew his own knife, reversed the handle and handed it over. Seeing the slight murderous aura between her sweet brows and eyes, he kindly advised: “Miss You, your great revenge has been avenged. Why not be more magnanimous? Otherwise, if word spreads, it might not look good.”
He was afraid You Weixuan intended to further mutilate the corpses.
The knife he handed over was a short blade. You Weixuan took it and casually inserted it at her waist, smiling at him: “Thank you, thank you.”
She was born petite and sweet, and when she smiled, her eyes curved into crescents. Wan Ji inexplicably blushed and quickly stepped back with a bow.
The door of the wedding hall closed again in front of him.
Wan Ji and the others were stunned, but hearing no orders from Tie Ci, and thinking that this young lady wanted to vent her anger in ways that might be inappropriate for others to see, they didn’t force their way in and stood guard by the door as before.
They heard You Weixuan’s loud voice from inside: “You Yun set up this wedding hall for me, and today there truly is a great joyous occasion. It’s only fitting to celebrate properly.”
Inside the wedding hall, red candles burned high. She stood before the hall in her phoenix crown and red bridal robes, resplendent in brocade and brilliance, extending her hand to Tie Ci: “Your Highness, please take the seat of honor and receive my bow.”
Tie Ci lazily leaned back in the grand chair, resting her cheek on her hand as she watched her. Hearing this, she laughed: “What is this? Bowing to the high hall?”
You Weixuan also laughed, saying playfully: “Why not? Your Highness has shown me such great kindness, like parents who gave me new life. What’s wrong with receiving my bow?”
Before Tie Ci could shake her head with a laugh, she sighed again: “Your Highness, to speak truthfully, I really wanted to bow to heaven and earth before you, with the person I care about.”
Tie Ci made a questioning sound, and You Weixuan said softly: “After I returned to Yannan, I met a scholar. We were perfectly matched and pledged our hearts to each other. I told my uncle… You Yun about it, wanting him to officiate our wedding. Who knew that from then on, that scholar disappeared. Looking back now, he must have been killed by You Yun.”
She picked up Chang Yuan’s spirit tablet that had been placed on the table, drew the short knife, and with several strokes scratched out Chang Yuan’s name, then wrote another name with brushing sounds.
She stared at that name for a long while, her expression gradually becoming both infatuated and desolate.
Such an expression appearing on her naturally bright and beautiful face was like clear skies suddenly rolling with red clouds carried by wind, beneath which flowers half-withered and moonlight dimmed.
Like waves hitting rocks, reluctant to part, then being called back by the sea.
Like those deeply hidden, obscure, unspeakable thoughts and emotions finally awakening at this moment, yet only allowed to wake for this moment, to indulge for this instant. After this instant, the moon would hide behind clouds, wind would rise across the vast sky, and another cycle of life’s seven mixed flavors would begin.
She held the spirit tablet tightly in her arms, saying mournfully: “Your Highness, I will never marry anyone else in this lifetime. While we have this moment, please fulfill this for me.”
Tie Ci pointed at the corpses on the ground: “Don’t you find it inauspicious?”
You Weixuan laughed coldly: “Letting my enemies watch as my heart’s desire is fulfilled, no longer able to interfere—this is clearly joy upon joy.”
She faced Tie Ci holding the spirit tablet, so Tie Ci couldn’t see the name on it. Hearing this, Tie Ci smiled and actually stood up to take the seat of honor, though she didn’t sit in the parents’ position but only in the side seat of honor, as a noble guest observing the ceremony.
“First bow to heaven and earth.”
You Weixuan said softly, holding the spirit tablet as she bowed toward the offering table.
“Second bow to the high hall.”
Another bow.
“Husband and wife bow to each other.”
You Weixuan placed the tablet on the western side of the ground, standing opposite it. The tablet was placed at a slight angle, and from Tie Ci’s perspective, she could vaguely see a few characters, though there was some glare.
“Wait.”
Tie Ci spoke up, leaving her seat and walking a few steps, her eyes fixed on the tablet, wanting to see more clearly.
At this moment.
The tablet was angled toward Tie Ci.
Tie Ci walked to You Weixuan’s side.
Suddenly, a strong wind rose outside.
The wind caught the poorly closed door of the bridal chamber, slamming it against the wall with a bang, drawing the attention of everyone outside the wedding hall.
Then they saw the moment when Tie Ci and You Weixuan passed by each other.
A cold light flashed in You Weixuan’s hand—a short blade pierced into Tie Ci’s lower abdomen.
“…”
A moment of deathly silence.
Wan Ji, standing nearest to the door, was like being struck by lightning from above.
The knife the young lady used to assassinate His Highness was the knife he had lent her!
Wan Ji nearly vomited blood in that instant, overwhelmed by urgent anger.
In the crowd outside the door, another person suddenly looked up, about to shout, but was covered by someone’s hand.
Inside the wedding hall, in the deathly silence, Tie Ci covered her lower abdomen, slowly raising her head, bright red blood flowing between her five fingers.
She stared at You Weixuan, her lips moving but saying nothing.
You Weixuan laughed with a grinding sound, not even glancing at the dumbstruck crowd outside, only picking up the spirit tablet from the ground and bringing it close to Tie Ci: “Your Highness, can you see the name on it clearly now?”
The name carved on the ebony spirit tablet showed the white wood beneath, now being stained red by Tie Ci’s continuously dripping blood.
Murong Yi.
Tie Ci stared at that name for a while, slowly raising her head to look at You Weixuan, her voice light and floating: “…Why?”
You Weixuan also said softly: “I think you should understand why.”
Royal families and imperial houses are inherently the dirtiest, darkest, most difficult places to survive in this world.
Women of royal and imperial families who are heirs face even greater difficulties.
You grew up in such a place—you should know how hard it is for people like us to survive, to emerge, and to ascend to power. How very hard.
For goals that aren’t particularly difficult for men, we might have to pay much heavier and more tragic prices.
We also face more questioning and trials in this world filled everywhere with the voices of powerful men.
Everything we accomplish, even the smallest progress and achievements, gets erased, covered up, even replaced.
In this dark brocade web, wanting to keep one’s nature unchanged, wanting to always remain a pure person—did you manage it?
I couldn’t.
The Weixuan who studied at the academy was gentle, bright, lively, daring to love and hate, would pursue someone she liked, and would draw her sword against enemies while following behind the Crown Princess to protect her classmates.
The Weixuan who left the academy and returned to Yannan no longer faced young, simple, bright classmates with clear joys and sorrows, but an uncle with ulterior motives, clan elders with invisible oppression, officials who climbed high by stepping on others, and various people with insatiable greed.
Everyone wanted to get a piece of the inheritance process of the Yannan Royal Palace.
They united, using various means to pull me down, constrain me, cast me aside.
From military power to legitimate status, and finally to me as a person.
As one clan elder said, dealing with women is simple—just marry her off to anyone.
I could eliminate one person, two people, but couldn’t eliminate all the parasites throughout Yannan.
The You clan elders wouldn’t even dare show their shadows before you, yet could constantly use clan rules to suppress me.
Sometimes in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, tossing and turning, I would search for something in this world that could comfort and support me.
Just like when I first saw you, I thought I had found my kind, and in you I once found courage. Then finally I understood—you and I are still different.
You have parents who love you deeply and support you forever.
You have ministers who wave flags and cheer for you.
You even have someone willing to abandon a royal position just to charge into battle for you.
That person I also liked, whom I once tried hard to pursue, yet with just a turn of his head, he threw himself into your embrace.
That day on the high tower, seeing you and him on the swing, both of you laughing in the air, each laugh was an arrow piercing through my heart.
You have everything, and I have nothing.
Two people with seemingly similar status, yet such different fates.
How unfair.
Such unfairness flows like poison through my heart day and night, until finally it’s riddled with holes, penetrating midnight cool winds and starlight under the moon, cold and icy.
Since you are so complete, perhaps you can share a little with me.
Since you are praised throughout the world, you should be willing to help me.
Since you want Yannan, then come.
Come, use all your legendary methods, take down the You father and son, persuade the Yannan army, reorganize the Yannan officials, and frighten away those old fools who rely on their age.
Then, Yannan will be mine.
Everything is just right.