The wedding escort traveled north for over half a month, arriving at Lianyun Mountain on this day. Lianyun Mountain was the natural barrier between the Southern and Northern Dynasties—beyond Lianyun Mountain lay Northern Dynasty territory. The five hundred men from the Ministry of Rites bid farewell to Hua Zhuyu at the southern foot of the mountain and returned toward the capital. From this point, only Hua Zhuyu and Jinse, two people from the Southern Dynasty, would continue alone to the foreign land.

Hua Zhuyu stood at the mountain’s base, looking back toward the south. In her heart, she couldn’t help feeling desolate. Once she crossed Lianyun Mountain, she would truly be leaving her homeland.

Must she ultimately marry after all? Given her nature, she would have escaped midway long ago. However, limited by her status, she couldn’t flee. If she escaped, Father and Grandmother in the capital would surely be implicated. Moreover, she couldn’t escape—her martial arts hadn’t yet recovered.

Jinse knew martial arts and had tried multiple times along the way to unlock the internal energy Father had sealed, but for some reason, she never succeeded. Hua Zhuyu suspected it was due to that cup of wedding poison wine.

At this moment, she somewhat hated Ji Fengli.

Why did he act so ruthlessly? Why did he give her such poison?

The wind rose—this northern wind was bone-chillingly cold.

Hua Zhuyu bowed toward the south, then boarded the carriage. Crossing this mountain with their dowry-laden procession would take a day and night. No matter when they departed, they would inevitably cross the mountain at night.

They departed at dawn, planning to cross the mountain by early the next morning. The Northern Dynasty soldiers were very pleased—for them, they were finally returning home.

The mountain night was extremely quiet. In this season, there were no bird or insect calls, only the sounds of carriages and horses, which sounded particularly alarming.

Such nighttime travel wasn’t unfamiliar to Hua Zhuyu—in the past, she had never felt the slightest fear. However, tonight, perhaps due to her sealed internal energy and weak limbs, an inexplicable tremor rose in her heart. With her keen instincts, she felt something was wrong. It seemed something was about to happen.

“Jinse, lift the carriage curtain and let me get some air,” Hua Zhuyu said in a low voice.

Jinse obeyed and lifted the curtain. Hua Zhuyu gazed intently outside. The carriage was about to enter a canyon section with high cliffs on both sides. From a military perspective, this was the most suitable place for ambush attacks.

It was now the hour of Hai—moonlight spread like silk, the sky clear as washed jade.

In the dark clusters of shrubs in the valley, cold light briefly flashed, seemingly reflecting moonlight off weapon blades.

Hua Zhuyu’s heart grew cold as boundless chill instantly penetrated her heart. Indeed, her political marriage wasn’t a simple alliance but a conspiracy—a game of chess. And she was an indispensable piece in this game, moreover, a sacrificial piece.

The mountain mist was hazy, obscuring vision, yet Hua Zhuyu’s mind suddenly became clear as a mirror.

This was obviously a killing trap.

Relations between the Southern and Northern Dynasties had never been harmonious. After pacifying the western frontier, Emperor Yan perhaps had long intended to conquer the Northern Dynasty. He probably never expected the Northern Dynasty to actively seek peace through marriage, which obstructed Emperor Yan’s ambitions. People throughout the land yearned for stability—without justification for war, he would lose popular support. However, if the marriage princess was assassinated in Lianyun Mountain just after leaving Southern Dynasty territory, it would certainly cause tremendous upheaval. The Southern Dynasty would inevitably point fingers at the Northern Dynasty, making war justifiable at that time. Therefore, this time, she wasn’t going for political marriage as someone else’s substitute, but as someone else’s substitute for death.

Initially, the Northern Dynasty envoys had chosen Wen Wan for political marriage. Later, someone probably learned of Emperor Yan’s scheme and couldn’t bear to have Wen Wan die, so she, Hua Zhuyu, became the scapegoat.

That informed person was perhaps Left Prime Minister Ji Fengli.

If choosing between Wen Wan and Hua Zhuyu, Ji Fengli would naturally choose the Southern Dynasty’s foremost beauty. Who made her, Hua Zhuyu, lack talent, virtue, and beauty? Of course, choosing her for death had another benefit—she was Marquis Pingxi Hua Mu’s daughter. If she died, her father would surely be furious and, seeking revenge for her, would fight even more fiercely when leading the Hua family army north.

Hua Zhuyu truly admired such schemes by Emperor Yan and Ji Fengli. In her heart, she couldn’t help but hate them. However, there was no time to think about this now. How should she deal with the approaching killing trap?

Having understood everything, Hua Zhuyu’s clear eyes became ice-cold. Far from feeling sad, she became even calmer. She, Hua Zhuyu, was definitely not one to sit and await death.

“Jinse, tell the guard driving the carriage that I feel unwell and need to rest. Have him report to Prince Xian to stop the procession from entering the canyon and rest for a moment,” Hua Zhuyu said gravely to Jinse.

Jinse obeyed and left. Soon, the procession stopped, precisely at the entrance to the canyon ahead.

“Miss, what’s really wrong with you?” Jinse asked, her eyes full of concern.

“Jinse, don’t panic. Someone wants to assassinate me—we must escape from here,” Hua Zhuyu lowered her voice. “Support me as we get down from the carriage. Say we’re going ahead to relieve ourselves, and don’t let anyone follow. Find a hidden place to hide first.”

For now, hiding was the only option.

Since Emperor Yan was determined to have her die, the Northern Dynasty soldiers certainly couldn’t protect her. Emperor Yan knew exactly how many people were in the Northern Dynasty’s wedding party—the number of assassins sent would definitely be sufficient to succeed. And that grey-bearded envoy Prince Xian wasn’t a person of superior martial skills either.

Hearing this, Jinse turned pale with fright, her almond eyes wide. Without a word, she helped Hua Zhuyu down from the carriage and said coldly to the guards outside: “The princess has business. You wait here.”

The guards cleverly understood what this “business” was. Along the way, this wasn’t the first time the princess had needed to relieve herself—they tactfully didn’t follow.

Jinse supported Hua Zhuyu as they walked a few steps, turned around a cliff, bent down to carry Hua Zhuyu on her back, and used light-body skills to run with unsteady steps. The mountain path was covered with perpetual snow that crunched underfoot. The cold wind hitting their faces carried bone-chilling cold. The mountain path was treacherous—Jinse’s foot slipped, and both rolled down the slope.

Behind them came sounds of horses neighing and people shouting, particularly harsh in the dark night. The smell of blood drifted over with the night wind. Obviously, the assassins hidden in the valley had begun their attack. Jinse climbed up from the snow and was about to carry Hua Zhuyu and run again.

“Jinse, don’t run. Tonight the moonlight is clear—they’ll discover us immediately. Find a place to hide first,” Hua Zhuyu looked up and saw steep mountain paths beside low shrubs.

Jinse looked at the thick snow before them, bit her silver teeth, and suddenly began removing Hua Zhuyu’s clothes.

“Jinse, what are you doing?” Hua Zhuyu’s eyes widened as she demanded sternly.

Jinse said nothing, quickly removing Hua Zhuyu’s wedding dress and reaching to remove the phoenix crown from her head.

Hua Zhuyu suddenly understood what Jinse intended to do. However, she was completely powerless and couldn’t stop her—she could only watch helplessly as Jinse skillfully switched their clothes.

“Jinse, don’t be foolish…” Before Hua Zhuyu could finish speaking, Jinse sealed her mute acupoint.

Night deepened. A bright moon hung in the sky, its clear light enveloping Jinse in red clothing. Her picturesque features appeared especially poignant and beautiful against the red dress. She smiled faintly, her clear eyes misty with tears. She sniffled, holding back a tear about to fall.

“Miss, if you hadn’t saved Jinse back then, those ruffians would have tortured her to death long ago. All these years, Miss gave Jinse a place to live. When Miss is in trouble, Jinse must certainly help. Even if there were hiding places on this mountain, it would only be temporary—we couldn’t escape those killers’ pursuit. So only if Jinse dies pretending to be Miss will they stop pursuing,” Jinse said slowly, removing a pendant from her neck and hanging it around Hua Zhuyu’s neck.

“Miss, this is something Jinse has worn since childhood—a token for reuniting with family. Jinse’s greatest wish in this life is to reunite with family. Miss, please fulfill this for Jinse.” As Jinse spoke, she carried Hua Zhuyu to a deep ditch, scooping snow and continuously sprinkling it over Hua Zhuyu. Soon she had buried Hua Zhuyu in the snow.

Ice-cold chill overwhelmed her, yet this couldn’t compare to the icy despair and desolation in her heart.

Jinse, Jinse, Jinse…

Hua Zhuyu’s lips kept opening and closing, but she couldn’t call out this name.

Snow invaded through her slightly parted mouth, melting into cold water. The chill flowed down her throat into her heart, as if an invisible hand grasped her heart, the pain nearly suffocating her. She reached out trying to push away the snow covering her, but her limp hands couldn’t summon any strength.

Chaotic footsteps approached. She faintly heard someone shout: “Over here! That woman is over here!”

Wind sounds, killing sounds, clashing weapons, followed by a string of filthy laughter.

“The task given to us from above is quite good. Look at this tender skin, look at these features. Tonight, we brothers are quite fortunate,” a crude male voice said.

“Tonight, we brothers have great luck. We can also taste what flavor these noble ladies from the capital have. Haha…” another male voice responded.

Even though Hua Zhuyu was buried in snow, she could still hear the lewdness and vileness in those voices.

Everything around was ice-cold, yet Hua Zhuyu’s heart burned with fury. She tried circulating her true qi, but her dantian was empty, her meridians painfully throbbing as if about to burst. Without internal energy, she was unwilling—she tried cultivating energy again, only feeling a cold qi slowly rising from her dantian, instantly flowing throughout her body, making her limbs even more limp.

What kind of poison was this?

Hate! She had never hated someone as much as now!

She hated Ji Fengli!

She also hated herself!

She shouldn’t have let Jinse follow her—she should have sent her back with Taose. How could Jinse match trained killers?

You can’t touch her, you can’t hurt her!

She opened her mouth, futilely shouting, her lips trembling violently. With her mute acupoint sealed, her throat could only produce hoarse sounds—she couldn’t make any voice. She trembled, struggling to push away the snow above her head, bit by bit.

Finally, some cold moonlight appeared before her eyes—her head finally emerged. However, Jinse’s miserable screams that followed made Hua Zhuyu’s heart ache violently. Blood rushed to her heart, and fresh blood spurted from her mouth. The white snow was instantly stained red, like red plum blossoms in snow—beautiful yet tragic.

Her body shook uncontrollably like a sieve. Her heart ached nearly to suffocation.

Jinse was just a maid—how innocent she was. Why must she suffer such humiliation and brutality in her place?

Why?!

She struggled to climb out of the deep ditch, but her earlier struggles had exhausted her meager strength. She felt her limp body seemed weightless and floating. The surrounding cold snow melted into water from her body heat, soaking her clothes and freezing her consciousness…

She didn’t know how long passed before distant voices awakened her.

“Your Highness, there’s still one alive here. Oh, it’s a woman,” a male voice said joyfully.

Hua Zhuyu felt herself being dug out of the snow by a pair of arms. Only then did she realize she had fainted.

How long had she been unconscious? Where was Jinse?

Hua Zhuyu’s breathing suddenly became rapid. Clear moonlight fell on her face—the dark blue mark on her left cheek had been soaked by snow water and smeared across her entire face, giving her a ghastly pale appearance beneath the ink stains.

Her gaze swept past several people before her, falling on the empty snowy ground not far away. There was no one there—only blood.

Dark red blood mixed with remaining snow, such a large patch…

Under the moonlight’s illumination, it looked shocking.

That was Jinse’s blood!

Hua Zhuyu’s mind spun dizzily. Everything before her seemed stained blood-red, even that bright moon appeared crimson—red and twisted, red and shattered.

In the red light and shadows, Jinse’s delicate face flashed by. In her heart, Jinse was like a sister to her. She was only seventeen! Such a Jinse in her prime—she would never see her again. Tears blurred Hua Zhuyu’s eyes.

Jinse had died in her place!

“Who are you? Are you Princess Muyun or… that maid?” an uncertain voice asked ahead.

Hua Zhuyu squinted and saw the speaker clearly. About fifty years old, his grey beard stained with red blood. High-bridged nose, piercing sharp eyes looking at her with expectation.

“Your Highness, haven’t you seen the princess?” a guard beside him asked carefully.

“Southern Dynasty custom—before marriage, the veil cannot be lifted, so this prince has never seen the princess,” the old man said quietly.

It seemed this person was the Northern Dynasty’s Prince Xian. He hadn’t died? That made sense—if the Southern Dynasty wanted to frame the Northern Dynasty for this assassination, Prince Xian couldn’t die.

“You are Princess Muyun, aren’t you?” Prince Xian stepped forward urgently, asking anxiously.

A cold snort suddenly sounded ahead, seemingly indifferent, seemingly arrogant, seemingly disdainful…

Hua Zhuyu slowly turned her head and saw a man standing tall on a nearby slope, his tall figure wrapped in cold moonlight, surrounded by endless chill that made people afraid to approach.

“This place isn’t suitable for lingering. Save the person first, then talk,” the man spoke. His deep voice and light tone contained natural kingly dominance.

Hua Zhuyu opened her mouth but still couldn’t make a sound. A guard beside her noticed and lightly patted her, releasing her mute acupoint.

“Don’t leave! Please find her—you must find her!” Hua Zhuyu crawled on the snowy ground.

For the first time in her life, she was as humble as dust. For the first time in her life, she begged others. Even if Jinse was gone, she had to find her—she couldn’t let her body remain exposed in these wilderness mountains. This was all she could do now.

Hearing her plea, the man’s intimidating gaze lightly swept over her. Cold ripples flowed in his eyes like water, but couldn’t hide the forest-like coldness in their depths. Such a forbidding gaze could suffocate people. He merely glanced at Hua Zhuyu before coldly ordering his subordinates: “Why aren’t you taking her away quickly?” Having spoken, he turned and left with hands behind his back.

Guards lifted Hua Zhuyu from the ground, carried her on their backs, and headed down the mountain.

“Hehehe…” After a long while, Hua Zhuyu laughed through tears at the cold moonlight.

Jinse, I can do nothing for you now. But someday, I will seek justice for you.

Although Hua Zhuyu was saved by that man, she didn’t receive particularly good treatment.

Once down the mountain, the guard set Hua Zhuyu down from his back. At that cold man’s direction, they bound her arms and stuffed her into a cloth sack like cargo. With the sack mouth tied, she could see nothing and was finally hung on a horse like baggage.

Horse hooves clattered as they began galloping. Hua Zhuyu bounced on the horse’s back, several times unable to breathe and nearly fainting.

In the northern frontier wind, they traveled for an unknown time. The hoofbeats gradually slowed, and human voices could be heard faintly.

Hua Zhuyu was carried down from the horse. She heard the guard say: “Your Highness, how should this woman be dealt with?”

“First see if she’s dead!” the man spoke lightly, his voice mixed with bone-cutting sharpness, as cold as this northern temperature, making people shiver.

The guard opened the sack mouth and pulled Hua Zhuyu out.

The sudden brightness made Hua Zhuyu uncomfortable. She hurriedly closed her eyes, slowly opening them after a moment. Her black hair hung disheveled, her face dirty, hiding her true appearance. Only her dark, bright eyes radiated determined, stern light.

The wind carrying northern chill blew, disturbing her long hair. Through the gaps in her messy hair, she could see everything before her clearly.

This was a gentle slope. Looking around, over a hundred tents stretched in a line. Northern Dynasty soldiers constantly emerged from the tents, but none spoke—all looked respectfully at the man before her.

Hua Zhuyu was familiar with this situation. Obviously, this was an army encampment.

“She does have good eyes, but… what a pity,” the man before her squinted and sighed lightly.

Only then did Hua Zhuyu see clearly this man who had stood on the high slope last night.

He wore a deep purple cloak, standing there casually. His physique was extremely tall, his face handsome, with sharp sword-like brows and slightly closed long eyes revealing a trace of sharp ice-purple.

Purple eyes?

Those pupils were like finest ice jade—dark with flowing purple light, adding an inexplicable bewitchment. If one ignored his surrounding icy aura, if one also ignored the mocking cold smile slightly lifting at his lips, this person was undoubtedly a handsome man pleasing to the eye.

Unfortunately, his natural cold, stern, unapproachable distant aura made people unconsciously overlook his external appearance.

Who was he?

Hua Zhuyu remembered someone had called him “Your Highness” earlier—then this must be the Northern Dynasty’s Crown Prince Xiao Yin, the person she was supposed to marry in this political alliance.

Hua Zhuyu had heard something about the Northern Dynasty’s crown prince.

Initially, she heard from Dan Hong that folk legend spoke of: “Southern White Phoenix, Northern Purple Roc, Western Asura, Eastern Wealth God”—referring to the four men with peerless martial arts in the current era.

Southern White Phoenix referred to the Southern Dynasty’s Rong Luo; Northern Purple Roc was this Northern Dynasty Crown Prince Xiao Yin; Western Asura was the Silver-Faced Asura Ying Shuxie who guarded the western frontier; Eastern Wealth God was Eastern Yan’s Prince Rui, Dou Qianjin.

At that time, Hua Zhuyu scorned this saying. What four peerless men—how many were truly worthy of their names? At least she was an outright fake, so it seemed the others weren’t necessarily truly peerless either.

Looking now, this Purple Roc before her did have some bearing of a peerless master.

Hua Zhuyu’s scrutiny somewhat surprised Xiao Yin. He hadn’t expected this woman to be so bold—he had never seen anyone dare look directly at him like this.

He raised his hand, using his spear tip to lift Hua Zhuyu’s chin, squinting as he examined her. The snow-bright spear tip and the light in Hua Zhuyu’s eyes reflected together, making her dark eyes even brighter. Xiao Yin’s wrist moved slightly—the sharp spear tip scratched the skin on Hua Zhuyu’s chin, and a drop of fresh blood dripped down the spear tip.

“Your Highness, you mustn’t act rashly. Although we fell into the Southern Dynasty’s treacherous scheme this time, if Princess Muyun hasn’t died, perhaps there’s still hope for this situation,” Prince Xian said gravely.

“Uncle Wang, you’ve always advocated peace, but you also see that the Southern Dynasty has been eyeing our Northern Dynasty like tigers. This incident is merely an excuse. Even if we avoid it this time, they still won’t spare us in the future. Better to meet them in battle—surely our Northern Dynasty isn’t afraid of them?” Xiao Yin spoke coldly, withdrawing his long spear from Hua Zhuyu’s neck.

Hua Zhuyu’s heart grew cold. If the Northern Dynasty was determined to fight, did she still have hope of survival?!

No! She couldn’t die—she had to live. There were many things she still needed to do!

“Your Highness…” As soon as Hua Zhuyu spoke, she discovered her voice was hoarse. Having had no water for a day and night, her lips were already cracked and her throat already hoarse.

“Your Highness is correct—the Southern Dynasty does have ambitions, but… cough cough cough…” Hua Zhuyu coughed continuously. After a long while, she continued intermittently: “This battle must be avoided now. Because Your Highness knows in your heart that you don’t have thirty percent chance of victory in battle now. I can help you avoid this war. Cough cough cough…”

Xiao Yin lowered his head, gazing at the woman whose shoulders shook from violent coughing. He stretched out his hand—someone presented a leather wine pouch. He opened the pouch, pinched her nose, and forcibly poured the liquid into her mouth.

He poured too quickly—she couldn’t drink fast enough and was immediately choked, feeling very uncomfortable. Xiao Yin paid no attention, grabbing her hair and continuing to pour it down her throat. Finally, Hua Zhuyu couldn’t swallow anymore—wine flowed out from her mouth and nose.

Only then did he stop, slowly bending down before her with a slight smile.

When this cold person smiled, he was indescribably bewitching. However, that smile contained tremor-inducing mockery.

“This crown prince isn’t afraid of war and doesn’t want to avoid it. Moreover, rest assured—although you’re not the woman this crown prince fancied, although you’re only a substitute, this crown prince won’t let you die.” Having spoken, his smile slightly froze as he stood and coldly ordered: “Someone come! Send her to the red tent.”

Prince Xian could hardly believe his ears—Xiao Yin actually wanted to send the political marriage princess to the red tent? That was where military prostitutes lived!

Red tent—no one understood the meaning of these three words better than Hua Zhuyu. She had once angrily burst into red tents, dragging out soldiers who were seeking pleasure inside and having each given twenty military lashes. She had also tried to send away all those military prostitutes.

However, Father, as the army’s commander, disagreed, saying this was men’s need. Those military prostitutes unexpectedly didn’t want to leave—instead kneeling and begging to stay, saying this was their livelihood and pleading with her not to cut off their income source.

These women, forced by life’s circumstances, were actually willing to use their bodies to earn money—some even enjoyed it.

She deeply sympathized with them. Yet today, Xiao Yin actually wanted to throw her into the red tent?

“Your Highness, although she isn’t Wen Wan, isn’t the crown princess Your Highness fancied, she is still the Southern Dynasty’s Marquis Pingxi’s daughter. That Miss Wen—this prince later learned she has a weak constitution and takes medicine constantly. How could such a delicate canary survive in our Northern Dynasty?” Prince Xian stepped forward, earnestly persuading: “Your Highness, please don’t act impulsively—you absolutely cannot send Princess Muyun to the red tent! She’s Hua Mu’s daughter!”

“Uncle Wang, you need say no more!” Xiao Yin turned back, looking at Hua Zhuyu prostrate on the ground vomiting mare’s milk wine, his lips lifting mockingly: “Isn’t she also a canary? You two—take her away!”

It seemed Xiao Yin was not only angry about the Southern Dynasty’s deception this time, but probably also deeply humiliated that the Southern Dynasty had replaced his chosen marriage partner Wen Wan with her. If the one coming for political marriage had been his chosen Wen Wan, he probably wouldn’t have treated her so ruthlessly.

Hua Zhuyu coughed a few more times. Two military maidservants approached and supported her on both sides.

Along the way, soldiers constantly looked at her with schadenfreude, saying quietly: “The Southern Dynasty actually plotted against our crown prince—do they think we’re afraid of them? Look, this is the Southern Dynasty’s political marriage princess—she was sent to the red tent as soon as she arrived. Tonight we’ll also go to the red tent for fun and taste how this Southern Dynasty princess differs from our Northern Dynasty women.”

Hua Zhuyu quietly listened to those soldiers’ words, her cold eyes showing no expression.

Soon, several connected red tents appeared ahead. The two maidservants sent her into a red tent, pointed to a bed, and left.

Hua Zhuyu sat on the bed, frowning as she surveyed the tent’s interior. This was a tent shared by two people, with beds separated by cloth curtains. In the military camp, this was considered a lower-class military prostitute’s tent, because higher-class military prostitutes each had their own tent.

On the other bed, someone was obviously present—male and female breathing sounds could be heard. Through the curtain, two entangled figures could vaguely be seen moving. Obviously, a military prostitute was entertaining a client.

Hua Zhuyu closed her eyes and lay down on the bed. How could she now escape the approaching humiliation?

The mare’s milk wine’s effects surged up, her whole body growing hot and her head dizzy. After being buried in snow all last night, her body had been thoroughly chilled. Unexpectedly, the mare’s milk wine Xiao Yin had forcibly poured down her throat had saved her. Otherwise, she would certainly have fallen ill.

This mare’s milk wine was quite potent, but Hua Zhuyu’s alcohol tolerance was good, so she didn’t get drunk. She lay drowsily on the bed, hearing the breathing sounds inside gradually stop and footsteps beginning. She opened her eyes and saw a man pulling up his pants, heading toward the tent exit.

“Sister, are you new? What’s your name? I’m called Zhu Xiang,” a woman gracefully emerged from inside, arranging her clothes while asking in a melodious voice.

She was about twenty-something years old, somewhat attractive, wearing a pink cotton dress. Her hair was loose and disheveled, with a pearl hairpin precariously inserted at her temple.

“Oh my, sister, why is your face so dirty? Are you perhaps a war captive? But I haven’t heard His Highness was fighting. What’s your situation? Let me bring water to wash you!” Zhu Xiang said in alarm—she was apparently a warm-hearted person.

“No need!” Hua Zhuyu replied coldly. She didn’t want to wash yet—her current appearance might somewhat frighten away soldiers seeking pleasure.

“Looking like this, what man would want to find you? Since you’re in this trade, you should think of ways to earn more silver. Although the military camp provides us meals and monthly wages, those men seeking pleasure always give rewards after each encounter. Over time, it’s quite a substantial income,” Zhu Xiang quietly advised beside Hua Zhuyu.

This Zhu Xiang had obviously been in this trade for quite some time.

“I don’t want to earn silver. Sorry, I’m somewhat tired,” Hua Zhuyu closed her eyes and said lightly.

Night came quickly.

In the vast silence, winds from the extreme north blew across the vast wilderness—frightening to hear, making people tremble involuntarily. Cold wind penetrated through tent gaps, making the interior extremely cold. The mare’s milk wine’s effects had long faded—without internal energy protection, her body gradually grew cold. However, Hua Zhuyu felt her body was no longer limp and gradually gaining strength—she could move somewhat.

Hua Zhuyu was extremely puzzled. She had never understood what poison Ji Fengli had given her or what antidote could cure it. Yet now, without any antidote, it had mysteriously resolved itself. From last night until now, she had only drunk the mare’s milk wine Xiao Yin had forced on her.

Could it be that wine had cured her poison? Could the antidote be so simple?

Hua Zhuyu couldn’t understand it, but at this moment, she heard footsteps approaching outside—from the sound, they were heading toward their tent. Her heart tightened. Zhu Xiang in the neighboring bed had no clients tonight and had already fallen asleep.

If someone came seeking pleasure, she hoped it wasn’t for her.

The tent door was violently pounded. Hua Zhuyu heard a man loudly demand: “Open up! Southern Dynasty woman, come open the door and serve!”

The pounding was extremely loud, waking the sleeping Zhu Xiang. She lit a candle and put on clothes to open the door, only to hear a crash—the person outside had grown impatient and kicked the tent door open. A tall figure burst inside.

“Oh my, so it’s Right Commander Da Qi…” The smile that had begun blooming on Zhu Xiang’s face suddenly stiffened, even her speech becoming difficult.

Hua Zhuyu coldly observed the newcomer—tall and imposing, very fierce-looking, with a long scar on his right cheek that looked especially frightening in the candlelight.

No wonder Zhu Xiang was afraid. This man called Da Qi clearly wasn’t one to cherish women tenderly. Such a client—even experienced military prostitutes like Zhu Xiang were unwilling to serve. However, this frightening person had obviously come for her. Since being sent to the red tent, Hua Zhuyu knew she would face this situation someday, but she hadn’t expected it so soon. These people truly gave her no breathing room.

How should she deal with him?

This Da Qi was obviously a general-level figure under Xiao Yin. Looking at his fierce, murderous aura and vigorous gait, he was certainly a fierce general on the battlefield. Currently, without recovered internal energy, she was no different from ordinary people—not his match.

The man roughly pushed Zhu Xiang aside and strode toward Hua Zhuyu with large steps.

“You’re that Southern Dynasty political marriage princess?” He reached the bed, stretched out his robust arm, grabbed Hua Zhuyu from the bed, and held her close to the dim candlelight for careful examination. That gaze was like a wild wolf observing its prey.

Hua Zhuyu didn’t resist—she hadn’t yet found an opportunity for a decisive strike.

“Ha! Why is your face so dirty? Hmm, this skin is really smooth. Although you’re not particularly attractive, I don’t mind,” the man extended his calloused finger to touch Hua Zhuyu’s smooth cheek, then released her, throwing her onto the bed. He stood and removed his diagonal outer robe, then bent to remove Hua Zhuyu’s clothes.

Hua Zhuyu’s clothes were the garments Jinse had switched with her—the jacket Jinse had worn.

The man seemed impatient with unfastening the dress buttons and roughly tore the garment. The ripping sound of torn fabric thundered in Hua Zhuyu’s ears like lightning.

Jinse had been humiliated in this very manner that day.

Sorrow froze her heart like ice. Fury ignited the accumulated gunpowder in her heart like fire. When ice and fire alternated, she quietly reached up, pulled a silver hairpin from her hair, and gripped it tightly in her palm—the hard hairpin painfully pressed into her palm.

For the first time, Hua Zhuyu felt her former self had been somewhat arrogant. Why hadn’t she prepared a convenient defensive weapon? Now she could only rely on this silver hairpin. Actually, she didn’t want to kill anyone. However, she had no choice but to act, because she absolutely had to survive.

“Sir, don’t be hasty…” Hua Zhuyu suddenly smiled charmingly at the man before her, her low voice slightly hoarse yet carrying irresistible enchantment.

This sudden smile stunned the man momentarily.

Hua Zhuyu smiled seductively while raising her arm, her jade hand slowly caressing Da Qi’s neck. The man, unaware of danger, bent down to kiss her face. Her clear eyes slightly focused as the silver hairpin in her hand thrust toward the man’s nape. With a howl of “Aow!”, his tall body had already rolled to the ground.

Hua Zhuyu didn’t dare relax, her jade fingers flying as she sealed his pressure points. The silver hairpin in her hand pressed against the pulsing artery in the man’s neck.

The silver hairpin wasn’t sharp enough—otherwise, that strike would have been sufficient to send him to meet the King of Hell.

The man glared angrily with wide eyes, looking incredulously at this seemingly fragile woman before him.

“You… you dare attack me? What do you want to do?” He glared with wolf-like eyes in fury.

Hua Zhuyu smiled lazily, that smile especially gentle and elegant, without a trace of killing intent. However, Da Qi inexplicably felt fear. He believed this woman before him could definitely kill him while smiling. He, Da Qi, wasn’t one who feared death, but being restrained by a woman today would be such humiliation for him!

His anger made veins bulge on his forehead as he roared like a tiger or leopard: “You… you whore, I’ll kill you!”

Hua Zhuyu applied slight pressure with her hand—blood immediately flowed from Da Qi’s neck, and his roaring voice immediately lowered.

“Shout again—believe it or not, with one effort from me, you’ll immediately be silenced forever?” Hua Zhuyu said lightly, her dark eyes extremely cold like an unfathomably deep, frigid pool shrouded in cold mist. Such a forbiddingly pressing gaze could suffocate people. She merely glanced at Da Qi once before coldly speaking: “I came for political marriage to marry your crown prince. Nominally, I’m still your crown prince’s person. Now with poor relations between north and south, your crown prince sent me here. However, who can say which day the misunderstanding between our two countries will be resolved? Your crown prince will certainly bring me out. At that time, what will be the fate of people like you who came here?”

Da Qi was immediately stunned. Tonight, he dared come here because his subordinates had egged him on, and he’d had some wine and acted impulsively. Now hearing Hua Zhuyu’s words, he was immediately very frightened. Having followed Crown Prince Xiao Yin so long, he still couldn’t fathom his temperament. This woman, even if sent to the red tent, was ultimately still the crown prince’s person!

“I, Da Qi, swear to heaven that I absolutely won’t trouble the princess again. I’ll go back and order my subordinates never to come either!” he said firmly.

Hua Zhuyu squinted at his eyes, knowing he spoke truth, and extended her finger to release his pressure points. Da Qi wasn’t a nobody in the army—killing him wouldn’t end well.

Da Qi climbed up from the ground, covering his bleeding neck, glared angrily at Hua Zhuyu once, and quickly retreated from the tent.

“You’re really the political marriage princess? You’re really amazing—you actually made Da Qi completely obedient,” Zhu Xiang approached with great admiration.

However, Hua Zhuyu felt no joy in her heart. She didn’t know—having sent away Da Qi, would others come? And next time, how should she deal with them?