Xiao Wenliu turned to look at her.

The light inside the carriage was dim, making each face appear sallow and pale, only Old Lady Xiao’s pair of eyes gleamed with sharp brilliance.

She reached into her bosom and pulled out a paper package. Opening it, inside was actually a bright red persimmon cake.

She said lovingly: “Little Liu’er, from last night until now, you haven’t eaten anything. Come, grandmother saved a piece of your favorite persimmon cake from when you were little. It’s been a long time since you’ve had one, hasn’t it?”

She handed over the persimmon cake, its moist red surface covered with snow-white sugar frost, its fragrance rich and enticing.

The female family members present all began to swallow saliva, thinking resentfully that everyone from last night until today had eaten nothing—the old lady was playing favorites!

Old Lady Xiao said gently: “You have to save us, protect us, and later you’ll have to take risks again, won’t you? Having you worry for this whole family makes grandmother feel terrible. At grandmother’s age, I no longer seek anything else, only that the family doesn’t harbor different intentions, that we support each other, and that everyone will be well.”

Xiao Wenliu gazed at the persimmon cake, slightly lowering her eyes so no one could see her expression.

After a long while, she said softly: “Grandmother can rest assured, everyone will be well.”

Old Lady Xiao said: “Good, then eat it.” She pushed the persimmon cake forward a bit.

Xiao Wenliu raised her eyes. Her eyelashes were thick and long, with a bit of scattered snow on them, crystal clear like flashing light.

She slowly reached out to take it. “Thank you, grandmother.”

Murong Yi suddenly opened his eyes.

Then he reached out and said: “What? Persimmon cake? Let me try some.”

Old Lady Xiao’s face changed.

But that hand was resolutely blocked by Xiao Wenliu. Xiao Wenliu laughed and said: “This is something my grandmother specially saved for me. What are you grabbing for!” While speaking, she stuffed the persimmon cake into her mouth, eating until her cheeks bulged, squinting her eyes at Old Lady Xiao with a smile. “Delicious, it still tastes the same as when I was little.”

Old Lady Xiao stared at her for a long while, then gently let out a breath and smiled. “You’ve always been a good child.”

Xiao Wenliu smiled, patted her hand, turned around and got off the carriage.

The general led Xiao Wenliu into the temporary camp, where someone was waiting. It was remarkably Qi Ling, who should have been commanding the city defense battle at this time.

Qi Ling listened to his subordinate’s report. Someone had already quietly gone to look at the people in the carriage and made a confirming gesture to him.

Qi Ling was silent for a while, then said to Xiao Wenliu with some disbelief: “You’ve decided?”

Xiao Wenliu hummed in acknowledgment and said: “I only ask that afterward, Governor Qi help put in a good word for me before His Highness.”

“You understand righteousness and have merit for the country,” Qi Ling said. “His Highness will only thank you, not make things difficult for you.”

“The Governor knows what I truly want,” Xiao Wenliu said. “I only want the lives of the Xiao family’s female relatives preserved.”

Qi Ling was briefly silent, then said: “I cannot promise this matter, but I will do my best.”

“That’s enough.” Xiao Wenliu handed over the token. “The token His Highness gave me once allowed me to bring one person in and out of Shengdu at any time with this token.”

Qi Ling said in surprise: “Didn’t you say you weren’t leaving?”

“I’m speaking of someone else.” Xiao Wenliu turned around. Lan Xian was supporting Murong Yi as he slowly approached.

Qi Ling was initially puzzled, but after carefully looking at Murong Yi, who was wearing a black cloak, several times, his expression changed.

“Who is he!”

Xiao Wenliu said: “…Governor, you don’t need to concern yourself with who he is. His Highness said that at any time, anyone except Xiao family men, I could take away.”

“No, he can’t either!” Qi Ling said angrily. “He committed regicide and great treason. Guards—”

Suddenly a series of urgent footsteps interrupted his command. A deputy general quickly approached and whispered a few words in his ear.

Qi Ling showed surprise but dared not delay. While saying: “Someone come, please escort Miss Xiao and her companion to the tent to rest, treat them well!” he quickly walked away.

He went to his own military tent. Lifting the curtain, he indeed saw someone he absolutely hadn’t expected, and couldn’t help exclaiming: “How did Eunuch come here?”

…

Inside the tent, Lan Xian paced back and forth, looking at the dark shadows outside, saying: “Now this is great, we can’t leave and can’t get out.”

Xiao Wenliu gave a bitter smile and said to Murong Yi: “I’m sorry.”

Murong Yi leaned back in his chair and said calmly: “It doesn’t matter.”

Living had things that needed to be done, but dying really didn’t matter either.

The tent top shook slightly as someone dropped down, saying in a low voice: “Young Master!”

It was Chazi.

Murong Yi wasn’t surprised she would find him. Chazi should have placed a medicine tracker on him, able to follow the faint scent to find him.

Chazi said softly: “Young Master, I’ll take you away!”

Lan Xian said: “Where to? There are armies everywhere outside!”

Chazi said coldly: “Better than being delivered to the door and trapped here to die!” As she spoke, she bent down to carry Murong Yi on her back.

Suddenly urgent footsteps sounded, heading this way. Chazi wanted to leave but it was too late, so she had to hide in the shadows of the tent.

The one who lifted the curtain was Qi Ling. He didn’t enter, standing outside in the darkness, his expression not very good, saying from afar to Xiao Wenliu: “Which two people you want to send out, come out.”

Xiao Wenliu stood up with great joy, indicating for Lan Xian and Murong Yi to come out. Lan Xian finally reacted and stepped back.

Xiao Wenliu turned to look at her. Lan Xian shook her head and simply reached back to pull Chazi out.

Chazi: “?”

Then she also reacted, pulling her cloak to cover herself and supporting Murong Yi.

Qi Ling, full of confusion, dissatisfaction, and irritation, had no mind to observe the situation inside the tent. He waved his hand, and a garrison commander stepped forward saying: “Follow me.”

When Murong Yi walked past Qi Ling’s side, he turned his head to look at him.

Qi Ling clenched his fists, rolled his eyes skyward, his jaw clenched tight.

The garrison commander led them to one side of the city gate, saying: “Later the city will try to retreat the troops. Once the outside retreats, we’ll briefly lower the drawbridge to let you two leave the city. The timing is brief, you must grasp it yourselves.” He pointed to a black carriage nearby and walked away.

Chazi looked at the carriage, feeling it was familiar, and made a sound of surprise.

Then she discovered she couldn’t find the carriage door. This carriage was actually seamless.

Murong Yi stepped forward and touched a certain spot on the door. With a click, two doors opened to either side.

Chazi had already recognized this carriage and looked back at Murong Yi.

Murong Yi stood before the carriage door, slightly closing his eyes.

Without looking, he knew this carriage was heavy because the outer layer was deep iron and the inner layer was ebony, impervious to blades and guns and not afraid of water or fire.

He also knew that inside the walls were embedded various weapons—swords, crossbows, arrows, springs, and mechanisms.

He knew that beneath the windows, hidden compartments contained poison and knockout smoke.

He knew that behind the backrest was a secret door that, when opened, revealed various dry provisions that could last a month without repetition.

He knew that bending down and pulling out a drawer would reveal clothes of various colors, human skin masks, and disguise supplies for instant transformation.

Because this was originally something he had made to give her for protection.

A unique mobile fortress in the world that took over three months to successfully create at the secret base.

On that evening when the Spring Examination incident was resolved, also the evening when his identity was exposed and the ice was broken, he had given it to her as a gift.

At that time, spring was perfect. The spring breeze at Juemei Tower was beautiful. The golden orbs he had blessed for her scattered in the night sky, golden light floating and sinking. He remembered her eyes held laughter then, spring colors flowing tenderly in her gaze.

In the blink of an eye, wind howled and snow was cold. Those golden orbs had scattered who knows where, but the carriage he gave her had silently returned before his eyes.

Not just the carriage.

On the small table, deep iron silk armor was neatly stacked.

On the wall hung the bone carvings, eight-treasure glazed rouge, and shell pearl fish-shaped necklace he had given her.

Without pulling open the drawer under the seat, he knew that silver-white ceremonial dress, along with the deep-sea pearls, pearl sable fur, and iron beast leather boots he had once given her… should all be inside.

All those gifts he had searched for her, made by hand, and personally given to her.

Today, they had all been quietly and silently returned to his hands.

Murong Yi suddenly bent over.

As if someone had suddenly stabbed him.

Since his injury, he had been severely ill, but from leaving Chongming Palace onward, as long as he stood, he had remained upright. Only at this moment did he suddenly curl up like a shrimp, as if finally unable to bear this snowy day in Shengdu, the strong wind and bitter cold.

Because.

I do not fear this world’s bloody conspiracies, dangers everywhere, struggling with each step, fighting between life and death.

I only fear.

That you and I part ways, forever separated by the ends of the earth.

…

The Xiao family’s carriage, originally stopped by the roadside, suddenly had several strong soldiers jump onto the driver’s seat.

The already anxious Xiao family female relatives in the carriage immediately screamed in panic.

Old Lady Xiao suddenly grabbed Xiao Wenliu, who had just entered, and said sternly: “So you really—you really—”

“Grandmother and all the aunts and sisters, please remain calm,” Xiao Wenliu said peacefully. “Rest assured, I said everyone’s lives would be safe.”

“Xiao Wenliu!” Old Lady Xiao said. “Did you offer us to Tie Ci? Did you never plan to send us out of the city at all! What magic potion did Tie Ci give you to make you so heartless and ungrateful that you could even betray your own grandmother! I foolishly placed my hopes on you… You, you traitor to the Xiao family!”

Only then did the people in the carriage understand, and immediately there was angry cursing, weeping, and pleading, creating unbearable chaos.

Xiao Wenliu just stood at the carriage door, eyes lowered, expressionless.

After Old Lady Xiao’s angry scolding, she suddenly grabbed Xiao Wenliu’s hand with such force that it made Xiao Wenliu frown.

Old Lady Xiao’s voice was low and urgent: “Wenliu! Did you promise Tie Ci something! Or did Tie Ci promise you something! Don’t be naive! The crime the Xiao family committed warrants complete family execution! Even if Tie Ci promises to spare you, that would at most leave you alive for exile to distant lands. Do you want your nearly seventy-year-old grandmother to walk this thousand-mile exile road, or do you want these pampered aunts to walk it? Who do you think could survive the journey? We clearly still had a way to live, yet you personally delivered grandmother, aunts, and sisters into Tie Ci’s hands. Aren’t you afraid you won’t be able to enter the ancestral tomb after death, afraid the world will laugh at your stupidity and curse your unfilial nature… aren’t you afraid that persimmon cake will choke you!”

The last sentence paused slightly, her hand tightened, cold as ice.

Xiao Wenliu raised her eyes. In that instant, her gaze was bright and sharp, making Old Lady Xiao’s heart tremble. In her confusion, she remembered that although Xiao Wenliu had behaved like a proper lady from a great family and royal consort these past two years, back in Dongming, she had been the most willful and mischievous among all the children.

She softened her voice: “Wenliu, don’t do this. You’re too young, you don’t know how powerful people change their orders overnight and turn ruthless. Think of another way… think of another way…”

“I’ve thought about it. This is the best method I can give to Da Qian and the Xiao family. Grandmother, please think—with just us female relatives, could we leave the city during battle? Could we guarantee safety after leaving? If we don’t leave the city and stay, we’ll definitely be discovered, and then we’d be great traitors!”

“We still are now! And we don’t even have a last chance to turn things around!”

“Grandmother, rest assured. As long as you go up to the city tower once today, your life and those of aunts and sisters will definitely be safe.”

Old Lady Xiao was both anxious and angry: “Xiao Wenliu, even you yourself…”

Xiao Wenliu interrupted her: “Grandmother may blame and scold me as she wishes, but this is the only way I can preserve the lives of the Xiao family’s female relatives.”

“Naive! Foolish!” Old Lady Xiao angrily rebuked. “With such a great crime, why would Tie Ci spare us!”

Old Lady Xiao also came from an extraordinary background, well-versed in laws and regulations. She clearly knew that even going up to the city to persuade surrender would at best result in exile, which was still death.

She stared at Xiao Wenliu with extreme hatred for her naivety and stubbornness.

After a long while, she said through gritted teeth: “Then you can die together with us!”

But Xiao Wenliu only smiled sadly, shook her head, and was about to get off the carriage when suddenly a woman rushed over and spat viciously at her skirt.

She cursed: “Ungrateful bitch!”

Lan Xian had been watching with red-rimmed eyes all along. At this moment, she rolled up her sleeves to rush forward but was held back by Xiao Wenliu.

Xiao Wenliu didn’t pay attention to her soiled skirt, got off the carriage, and walked alongside it.

Someone opened a window trying to jump from the carriage. Before their head could emerge, the soldiers outside crossed their long spears, and that head quickly retreated.

Crying and cursing erupted inside the carriage. These noble ladies who usually prided themselves on their so-called refinement and dignity now used all manner of foul language to address their niece and sister.

Xiao Wenliu continued to listen calmly, but her face grew paler and paler.

For a moment, she raised her head, as if wanting to see through the clouds to see the person she wanted to see.

Unfortunately, the cloud layer hung low over the horizon, dark and gloomy, with no visible light.