The sun’s shadow gradually tilted as Hua Zhuyu watched the battle from afar. She struggled to suppress the turmoil in her heart, but sweat had already quietly seeped through her tightly clenched hands.

Such tension—tension that nearly suffocated her. This was a helpless kind of tension, just like that day when she could only watch Jinse die helplessly, helplessly…

Both Southern and Northern Dynasty soldiers began with high morale, but as time passed, the Southern Dynasty soldiers gradually showed signs of defeat. After all, they had come from afar and were inevitably tired, while the Northern Dynasty soldiers were fresh and rested. This was why Xiao Yin had decisively advanced his attack.

The Southern Dynasty troops needed inspiration now. This first contact battle with the Northern army absolutely could not be lost! Otherwise, it would definitely damage morale!

“Liu Yun, didn’t His Highness order you to play ‘Po Zhen Zi’ (Breaking Battle Formation)? Why haven’t you started?” Hui Xue appeared behind her at some point, giving orders in a cold voice.

Hua Zhuyu’s heart jumped—how had she forgotten Xiao Yin’s purpose in bringing her to the city walls? She was still Xiao Yin’s qin courtesan. He brought her to the walls to play qin, not to supervise and observe battle like that Southern Dynasty military supervisor.

Xiao Yin’s main purpose in bringing her to the battlefield should be to emulate the qin maiden beside Ying Shuxie, playing qin on the battlefield to demoralize Southern Dynasty soldiers, especially Ying Shuxie’s former orphan army unit Sha Polang. However, Xiao Yin had miscalculated. She could indeed play qin, but whether the result would demoralize or inspire Southern Dynasty morale was up to her.

Hua Zhuyu wiped the sweat from her palms and knelt before the qin table. Her slender ten fingers pressed on the strings, tuning several notes with resonant sounds. She had already decided which piece to play.

Her jade finger plucked, the string trembled like a low sigh. Ten fingers played in succession, a series of melodies flowing from the strings—vicissitudinous, stern, and sorrowful, representing the years and hardships the orphan army had experienced. After several turns, the qin music gradually rose to great heights. Hua Zhuyu flicked her ten fingers, and the music became passionate, as if countless hot-blooded men were about to charge out from within.

This wasn’t “Po Zhen Zi”—this was “Sha Polang.”

This piece was her own composition. Later, she had used this piece to name the orphan army. Though she had never personally played this piece for them, Dan Hong had played it many times on battlefields, and the orphan army had heard it repeatedly. Others wouldn’t understand this piece, but they would.

Hua Zhuyu’s eyes focused slightly as a smile full of sharp energy rippled from her lips. Sunlight streamed into the city tower, falling on her shoulders. In the light and shadow, she appeared beautiful yet hazy and distant.

The melody mingled with the war drums—ethereal yet audible enough to be heard. The war’s momentum seemed to reverse in an instant. The originally tired orphan army seemed suddenly infused with new power, fighting more fiercely and becoming unstoppable.

The Northern army was retreating steadily.

They found it incredible, not knowing what caused this sudden change.

This battle—the Northern army lost.

Defeat after defeat, retreating steadily. Over the following two days, the Northern Dynasty forces were finally driven out of Southern Dynasty territory and made camp at the Northern Dynasty border. Once they retreated into the Northern Dynasty, it was like reaching a final line of defense. The Southern Dynasty could no longer force the Northern Dynasty army back a single step, and both sides were locked in bitter combat.

Night deepened, and the wilderness was quiet. From the forest across the way came occasional bird calls—clear and distant sounds in the quiet night.

The entire connected camp seemed asleep, but Hua Zhuyu wasn’t sleeping. She was waiting. If her guess was correct, someone would come to rescue her tonight. Since playing “Sha Polang,” others might not know, but Father would certainly know the qin player was her.

At the fourth watch, subtle sounds came from outside the red tent. Hua Zhuyu alertly rose, staring fixedly at the door. A figure flashed in like light smoke.

“Who?” Hua Zhuyu asked coldly.

“Are you the one who played qin that day?” the newcomer asked quietly, his voice carrying a trace of doubt. In the darkness, a pair of bright eyes stared intently at her.

From the voice, Hua Zhuyu recognized the newcomer as Ping from “Ping An Kang Tai.” Ping was the most careful person—sending him to rescue her was perfect. From his question, she knew Father hadn’t revealed her identity, so she had to remain silent for now.

Hua Zhuyu said quietly: “That’s right, I was the one playing qin that day!”

Ping grasped Hua Zhuyu’s wrist, saying gravely: “Please come with me quickly, miss!”

The two flashed out from the tent, heading toward the camp’s exterior. Avoiding several patrol groups, they finally escaped the connected camp. A low whistle, and two fine horses lying in the wild grass shook their manes and stood up. Both mounted and galloped away in the night.

“There are Sha Polang soldiers ambushed in the dense forest ahead. Once we reach there, we’ll be safe,” Ping said quietly.

But they seemed unlikely to reach that dense forest. Behind her, horses were already galloping in pursuit—from the sound, not just one but many.

“Hyah!” Hua Zhuyu shouted loudly. The horse beneath her seemed to sense approaching danger, desperately extending its four legs and galloping forward madly.

The hoofbeats behind grew closer. Dozens of fast horses charged over, with the frontmost horse running extremely fast, soon drawing closer and closer to Hua Zhuyu’s horse.

Soon, the lead horse was only one horse-length from Hua Zhuyu’s mount. The rider leaned forward, purple cloak flowing behind him, forming beautiful streamlines with his horse. Purple eyes flashed dangerously in the dark night, carrying hidden anger like an approaching storm.

It was Xiao Yin—the Northern Dynasty’s crown prince personally pursuing! He certainly thought highly of her, a mere qin courtesan!

Several horses moved to surround Ping while two other swift steeds flanked her. Using her peripheral vision, Hua Zhuyu could see these two were Xiao Yin’s personal guards—Qing Yun and Bi Yue.

The orphan army waiting in the forest ahead heard the commotion and spurred their horses over. But Xiao Yin had already caught up—could they safely escape? Just then, Qing Yun’s large hand suddenly reached for her shoulder. In a flash, Hua Zhuyu threw her body to one side, her hands still gripping the reins tightly. With effort, her mount lowered its head and turned sharply left, horse and rider flying out again.

Hua Zhuyu spurred her horse. Just as she was about to meet the approaching rescue team, her mount suddenly neighed and fell among the withered grass. At the same time, pain shot through Hua Zhuyu’s shoulder and back—a golden-feathered arrow had pierced her right shoulder.

In the instant she fell into the dust, she saw behind her on the great black horse, Xiao Yin still maintained his arrow-nocking, bow-drawing posture, his gold-edged cloak flying like a banner in the night wind.

The orphan army from the dense forest had already spurred their horses forward, fighting with Xiao Yin’s pursuing cavalry. Ping avoided several cavalry surrounding him, leaping from his horse to scoop up Hua Zhuyu who had fallen to the ground, then remounting.

Xiao Yin remained seated on his horse without pursuing, his handsome face seeming covered with frost. He merely raised his hand slightly, and Hua Zhuyu’s shoulder immediately shot with pain.

She frowned to look and was immediately shocked.

The golden arrow’s tail was connected to a thin white silk that gleamed eerily in the moonlight, while the silk’s other end was wound around Xiao Yin’s finger.

A barbed arrow!

What Xiao Yin had shot into her shoulder was actually a barbed arrow.

Previously, she had heard the Northern Dynasty had a type of barbed arrow with barbs at the tip. Once shot, it couldn’t be pulled out directly but had to be dug out of flesh with a blade. This arrow had another fatal feature—the tail connected to tough silk with the other end in the archer’s hand. This silk was very resilient and couldn’t be cut by ordinary swords, so one struck by a barbed arrow couldn’t even escape.

“This is a barbed arrow. I can’t escape tonight. Quickly take the orphan army and leave—any later and you won’t be able to get away,” Hua Zhuyu said urgently.

“No, I have the Marquis’s orders. Even if I die in battle, I must take the miss away,” Ping said gravely, extending his sword to cut the tough silk. Hua Zhuyu’s shoulder immediately hurt, but looking at the silk, it remained taut and straight, not broken at all.

“Even if you die in battle tonight, you can’t save me. Leave quickly! Keep the green mountains, and you’ll have firewood to burn!” Hua Zhuyu said coldly, her clear, gentle voice carrying irresistible authority that made people instinctively obey her commands.

Ping felt this person’s speaking manner inexplicably reminded him of someone, his heart suddenly contracting with hollow pain.

Hua Zhuyu leaped down from the horse, pulled a silver hairpin from her head, and stabbed it viciously into the warhorse’s hindquarters. The horse neighed and galloped away with Ping into the night.

Only then did she turn back to gaze at the king seated on the black horse. Xiao Yin looked at her with cold indifference without speaking, his purple crystal-like eyes flashing with heart-stopping severity and anger in the moonlight.

Iron cavalry surged forward, forming a circle that completely surrounded Hua Zhuyu.

He raised his hand, winding the silk around his wrist like an embroidering woman winding silk thread—very slowly, very gently.

Round after round.

With each winding, Hua Zhuyu’s shoulder felt torn with pain. With each winding, she was forced to walk one step closer to Xiao Yin. The distance grew shorter and shorter, but Xiao Yin suddenly stopped winding, narrowing his purple eyes with a trace of gloom flashing through them.

Hua Zhuyu silently cried trouble, then saw Xiao Yin whistle softly. The great black horse began galloping with clip-clop sounds. Hua Zhuyu was pulled by the tough silk and had to run along with the black horse.

She ran desperately, knowing she absolutely couldn’t slow down. Once she fell, the arrow hooked in her flesh might be torn out alive. Then her shoulder, even her entire left arm, might be crippled.

The moonlight flickered bright and dim, like the unpredictable expression and unfathomable thoughts of the man on horseback.

Fortunately, the horse didn’t run very fast—Xiao Yin didn’t want her to die yet. But it wasn’t slow either—it was her running limit. Plus the intermittent tearing pain in her shoulder—this was simply unbearable torture.

When the horse reached Xiao Yin’s royal tent, she no longer knew how long she had run. Sweat dripped from her forehead, flowing down her cheeks and melting the rouge.

Xiao Yin leaped down from his horse and strode into the tent. Hua Zhuyu, pulled by the tough silk, had no choice but to walk on tired steps toward Xiao Yin’s royal tent.

The warm-as-spring royal tent gained heavy oppression with the entry of two people.

“Speak. Who are you?” He asked coldly with his back to Hua Zhuyu.

“Is who I am so important?” Hua Zhuyu spoke lightly, her voice clear and tone cold—completely different from the coquettish, slightly soft voice she had used before him previously.

Xiao Yin turned back somewhat surprised, seeing his qin courtesan standing in the tent.

Still the same woman, but he felt something was different. Gone was the compliance and gentleness of her time as military prostitute and qin courtesan. She stood there calmly and straight. Her face still bore heavy makeup, rouge stained by sweat creating patches of chaotic colors that further highlighted her pair of beautiful bright eyes.

Those were beautiful eyes—when her gaze flowed, they held soul-stirring charm. Now, these autumn-water-clear eyes looked at him as coldly as a suddenly flowing icy river.

Xiao Yin was stunned.

“You are…” he asked somewhat incredulously, “you are the marriage princess Muyun?”

Anyone rescued by Hua Mu’s orphan army, he knew, was definitely no ordinary person. He had never imagined it would be that marriage princess. In his view, how could a Southern Dynasty noble lady—a noble lady sealed as princess for marriage, a noble lady he had demoted to the red tent—be the qin courtesan beside him? Moreover, she had used qin music to help the Southern Dynasty on the battlefield.

Though he hadn’t known that day why the Southern Dynasty suddenly won that battle, thinking it over afterward, he felt it was related to that qin courtesan. He had originally thought she might be a spy sent by the Southern Dynasty. He never expected she was actually the marriage princess Muyun, Hua Mu’s daughter.

The woman didn’t answer his question, but the corners of her beautiful lips curved with a trace of smile—languid, arrogant, even mocking.

Xiao Yin smiled coldly. A woman who could survive being thrown into the red tent—and a Southern Dynasty delicate lady at that—he had to reassess her. Not to mention anything else, her endurance of humiliation was extremely admirable. Any other woman would probably have slit her throat and died long ago.

“You are Hua Mu’s daughter—very good, very good… Originally, this crown prince thought he could defeat the Southern army in one stroke. Now that the war is deadlocked, your appearance is truly wonderful—perfect timing. Tomorrow, this crown prince will have you bound and stuffed into a prison cart, dragged to the battlefield. If Hua Mu doesn’t surrender, this crown prince will have your clothes stripped off,” Xiao Yin said with a cold smile, while coldly shouting toward the door: “Someone come! Bind her…”

“You wouldn’t dare!” came a clear, cold voice drifting over. Ordinary women in this situation should weep and beg for mercy, shouldn’t they? More fiery ones might curse him loudly. But she said “You wouldn’t dare!”

“You say I wouldn’t dare?” Xiao Yin suddenly turned, purple eyes hiding rolling flames of anger that seemed capable of burning everything to ashes. However, his gaze touching Hua Zhuyu left him speechless.

That woman who had been shouting at him was actually sitting on his table, holding his tea and tilting her neck back to pour it into her mouth. This was a somewhat crude action, but when she did it, it didn’t seem crude at all—instead displaying complete ease and elegance. Her slender, pale neck tilted back slightly, forming a beautiful arc that was quite bewitching.

Admittedly, except for the dragon chair he was currently sitting in, there were no other chairs in this room. But she shouldn’t sit on his table either. Moreover, this tea was brewed by a maidservant for him—precious new tea from this spring that should be sipped slowly and savored. How could it be drunk like this?

Hua Zhuyu was truly too thirsty—anyone who chased after horse’s hindquarters running all night would be the same. Besides, not knowing if she could escape safely tonight, she had no need to continue pretending compliance and gentleness before him—the act was truly tiring. The last mouthful of warm tea entering her throat, she elegantly placed the white jade teacup on the table and said lightly: “Indeed good tea, but the brewing method is wrong—the tea’s fragrance and mellowness are much diminished! Our Southern Dynasty’s tea brewing methods are very particular.”

Xiao Yin was now so angry he almost wanted to laugh. She shouted at him, sat on his table, and drank his tea? He must have been blind before to think she was just a servile military prostitute.

“Your drinking method is wrong!” Xiao Yin snorted coldly. As soon as the words left his mouth, he somewhat regretted them, almost wanting to bite off his own tongue. His expression darkened, instantly covered by ice and snow. He again became the King of Hell from the underworld. His narrow hawk eyes squinted as he flicked the tough silk in his hand, saying deliberately: “Just now you said this crown prince wouldn’t dare?”

The barbed arrow shot into her shoulder was already very painful. When the wound was pulled again, yet couldn’t be extracted, the pain was even worse.

Hua Zhuyu pressed her lips tightly together, her clear bright eyes instantly becoming somewhat hazy.

“You wouldn’t dare, and you won’t do this. Do you know why your Northern army retreated steadily, yet after withdrawing into the Northern Dynasty, never suffered defeat again and reached a stalemate with the Southern Dynasty? Because your soldiers know this is the final line of defense. If they lose again and retreat further, Southern Dynasty soldiers will march straight in and attack your Northern Dynasty. With the country about to fall and families about to be destroyed, their relatives will be displaced. If you bring me to the battlefield and have soldiers humiliate me before Southern Dynasty troops, you’ll arouse the righteous indignation of Southern Dynasty soldiers. Then this prolonged stalemate will immediately be broken. The Northern Dynasty will definitely suffer complete defeat.” Hua Zhuyu said with a frown, her light tone carrying tranquility, like a spring flowing over stones—gentle yet firm.

“You certainly understand how to inspire military morale,” Xiao Yin said through gritted teeth. “Who exactly are you?” How could a boudoir lady understand such things? He found it hard to believe!

His question played right into Hua Zhuyu’s hands. She frowned slightly and said leisurely: “I am a maid from the Hua residence. My name is Dan Hong. I previously served the Marquis, so I spent two years on battlefields. I know something about these battlefield matters. Later, the Marquis bestowed me upon Young General Ying, and I played qin for him. After Young General Ying’s unfortunate early death, I returned to the Marquis’s residence. When you came to propose marriage, I married in place of my young mistress—that’s how it is!”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yin’s expression grew even darker. Originally he was to marry Wen Wan, but unexpectedly married Miss Hua. In the end, he had married a maid—a fake among fakes. Now, even bringing her to the battlefield probably wouldn’t threaten Hua Mu. If Hua Mu were forced into desperation and shot her dead with an arrow, it would truly inspire Southern Dynasty morale.

“Your not marrying my young mistress is your good fortune. To tell you frankly, my young mistress is extremely ugly,” Hua Zhuyu glanced at Xiao Yin, seeing his unpleasant expression, and said lightly.

“What tune did you play on the city tower that day?” Xiao Yin asked again. So she was the red-clothed woman beside Ying Shuxie—no wonder she could play qin and inspire Southern Dynasty morale.

“It was the piece I often played on battlefields, ‘Sha Polang,'” Hua Zhuyu said with a light, shallow smile.

Xiao Yin smiled coldly—no wonder Southern Dynasty soldiers were so inspired upon hearing it.

Xiao Yin’s thin lips pressed slightly together. Thinking of how he lost the first battle because of her, and subsequently suffered defeat after defeat—if not for her, how would he, Xiao Yin, have fallen into such a difficult predicament?

He rose from his chair unhurriedly, the unfathomable depths in his purple eyes condensing into pre-storm gloom that slowly spread inch by inch. He threw aside the tough silk, pulled Hua Zhuyu over, twisted her arms behind her back, pressed her to the ground, and reached out to tear open the clothing on her right arm.

Hua Zhuyu didn’t resist.

Tonight, making him believe she wasn’t Miss Hua but a maid from the Hua residence—this was her success. She absolutely couldn’t let him use her life to threaten her father, no matter what.

With things reaching this point, she knew Xiao Yin hated her and wanted to kill her.

To preserve her life in this confrontation, she could only refuse to yield. No matter what, she couldn’t lose to Xiao Yin. Otherwise, her life definitely wouldn’t be spared. Only if she won would Xiao Yin be unwilling to give up, would he spare her life and continue tormenting her.

Hua Zhuyu guessed correctly. Behind her came Xiao Yin’s cold, stern voice: “Tell me, if this crown prince severs the tendons in this hand of yours, do you think this hand could still play qin for Southern Dynasty soldiers, could still inspire their morale?”

Hua Zhuyu’s clear eyes narrowed, flashing coldly in the shadows where Xiao Yin couldn’t see. Then she smiled lightly and said indifferently: “Probably not!”

Xiao Yin grasped Hua Zhuyu’s hand. Her hand was pale, slender, with distinct joints, as if carved from beautiful jade. However, there were faint calluses on her palm. This further confirmed she wasn’t Miss Hua, because how could a boudoir lady have calluses on her palm? These were results of labor. He gently caressed her hand as if caressing a lover’s hand.

This was indeed an extremely beautiful hand, but it was this hand that had destroyed his victory.

Xiao Yin’s deep eyes suddenly narrowed, the crystal purple becoming deep crimson purple. His right hand somehow held a dagger, its sharp blade cutting through her skin and hooking the tendon in her wrist. Hua Zhuyu could clearly feel the blade scraping against her wrist—the sharp pain made the pain in her left shoulder seem less painful by comparison.

She bit her lip without even a groan. Actually, she was very afraid of pain, which was why she practiced martial arts desperately—to avoid getting hurt. But why did she still have to suffer injury?

Xiao Yin glanced at Hua Zhuyu, seeing her bite her teeth without even crying out in pain. A trace of light flashed through his deep eyes. His hand trembled, then he suddenly exerted force—Hua Zhuyu’s left hand tendon was severed. Intense pain struck, so clear and distinct. Sweat appeared on Hua Zhuyu’s forehead again. At some point, she had bitten a piece of clothing at her chest, biting it to shreds.

Xiao Yin stopped.

Because the hand in his grasp was no longer that slender, dexterous, well-proportioned delicate hand. Xiao Yin slowly released the hand, suddenly feeling somewhat hot. Looking down, his palm was covered with sweat. He stood up, tugged at his collar, exhaled, and slowly paced to the table to pick up a teacup to drink, only then remembering that the tea had already been drunk by that woman.

He held the cup in a daze, seeing before his eyes the elegance and ease with which she had tilted her head to drink tea. He dropped the cup and walked back to stand before Hua Zhuyu.

She sat straight with her slender, delicate back, like an upright bamboo that no matter how fierce the wind, could never be blown down.

Her hair hung down, dampened by sweat and sticking to her forehead. Her cheeks had rouge, somewhat messy and dirty from sweat, but where sweat had flowed, it revealed her natural skin tone—pale to the point of transparency. On her left shoulder, the barbed arrow still remained, her clothing stained blood-red in a shocking sight. Her left wrist was already streaming with blood, yet she merely smiled calmly and methodically wrapped it with cloth.

But she still didn’t beg for mercy.

Those eyes looked at him quietly—without resentment, without fear, without hatred, only pride, just looking at him with that ambiguous smile.

All along, Xiao Yin had thought purple eyes were the most beautiful in the world, but the pair before him was also beautiful. The pupils were black—very pure jet black, bottomlessly deep black, as if they could absorb his heart at any moment. He could no longer get angry. Moreover, surprisingly, he felt his heart contract with some pain.

This feeling shocked him!

“How about it? Do you beg for mercy? If you ask this crown prince, this crown prince will spare you!” He bent down to ask, a trace of gloomy, angry light flashing in his narrow hawk eyes.

He wasn’t clear what exactly he was angry about!

“No!” she said coldly, without a trace of hesitation.

Xiao Yin looked at her incredulously. If it were anyone else, no matter who, even if it were a man, they probably couldn’t bear this heart-piercing, bone-stabbing pain. Hearing that he would spare them, they would probably already be crawling at his feet weeping and begging for mercy.

But she not only held on, hearing that he would spare her, she could still so rationally refuse.

Didn’t she fear pain?!

Hua Zhuyu wasn’t unafraid of pain—she was very afraid.

The pain in her shoulder, the pain in her wrist—it didn’t end with Xiao Yin stopping but continued persistently.

But have her beg for mercy?

She wouldn’t!

She still remembered that night, how she had prostrated herself in the dust to beg him to find Jinse’s corpse, and how he had coldly turned away, not even looking at her, cruelly refusing her.

Begging once was enough! Moreover, she knew that perhaps begging others might work. But Xiao Yin would never spare her because of her pleas. He would only look down on her, he would only kill her, so she wouldn’t beg him!

Xiao Yin looked at Hua Zhuyu, seeing her slender brows tightly furrowed, her uninjured hand clenched tightly. Her bloodless lips held a piece of cloth torn and bitten from her shoulder. The cloth was stained with blood—she had probably bitten through something.

She wasn’t without pain but in great pain, yet she wouldn’t beg for mercy.

For the first time, Xiao Yin felt an uncontrollable helplessness.

With just one word, he could make her perish—that would be simple. But what use was killing her? He felt he would still be the loser.

This feeling was too unpleasant.

He pressed his thin, cold lips together, slowly standing up and saying coldly: “You’re just a maid, a maid used by others. Since Hua Mu had you marry in substitution, why must you risk your life for him? Why not stay in the Northern Dynasty and follow this crown prince? I’ll spare you—how about it?”

“Good!” Hua Zhuyu still didn’t hesitate, saying decisively. Though her voice was very hoarse and low, her tone remained firm.

“What?” Xiao Yin thought he had misheard, hardly believing she would agree so readily. Shouldn’t she still say “no”?

“I said, good!” Hua Zhuyu said slowly.

Staying in the Northern Dynasty didn’t mean staying forever—she could still leave at any time. Following him also didn’t mean following him for life.

Xiao Yin looked at her upright back, not knowing why his heart secretly sighed with relief. He truly didn’t know if she had refused again, whether he could have continued!

In this confrontation, Hua Zhuyu ultimately won.

The army doctor was summoned by Xiao Yin. He used a short knife to cut open the skin on Hua Zhuyu’s shoulder, removed the barbed arrow, and reconnected the tendon in her wrist. Perhaps from pain, or perhaps from fighting most of the night and finally relaxing, Hua Zhuyu fell into exhausted sleep after the barbed arrow was removed.

Hua Zhuyu’s injuries took a full half month to heal—the shoulder wound finally scabbed over. The left hand tendon had healed, but she still didn’t dare exert force. She continued living in the original red tent, but her treatment this time was obviously different from before. Guards were specially added at the door—Xiao Yin seemed truly intent on keeping her in the Northern Dynasty.

Xiao Yin also specially assigned Hui Xue to serve her. If she remembered correctly, Hui Xue served Xiao Yin exclusively.

During this half month, the war between Southern and Northern Dynasties remained deadlocked. Both sides had victories and losses, with considerable soldier casualties on both sides. This time, the elite troops led by Marquis Pingxi Hua Mu, except for the ten thousand troops under General Ma Lan stationed at Xiangyu Pass, the remaining fifty thousand were all Hua family troops. The Hua family army’s losses in this battle should be considerable.

It was said that seeing the prolonged attack yielding no results, Emperor Yan of the Southern Dynasty dispatched another fifty thousand elite troops from the imperial capital as reinforcement, but they suddenly withdrew halfway. This was undoubtedly good news for the Northern Dynasty, but Hua Zhuyu felt somewhat uneasy.

Emperor Yan had so ambitiously provoked this war—why would he give up so easily? Could it be that Eastern Yan was making moves?

Most of Eastern Yan’s territory bordered the Southern Dynasty. Though not vast, Eastern Yan was rich in minerals and very prosperous. Over the years, Eastern Yan and the Southern Dynasty had maintained good relations, but this didn’t mean Eastern Yan wouldn’t suddenly attack while the Southern Dynasty’s capital was vulnerable.

The Southern Dynasty had fought Western Liang for many years, considerably draining national strength. Now, they absolutely couldn’t fight Eastern Yan and the Northern Dynasty simultaneously. Moreover, if the war with the Northern Dynasty couldn’t be resolved quickly, there was only one path—peace talks. Indeed, several days later, Hua Zhuyu learned from Hui Xue that the Northern and Southern Dynasties had held peace talks.

Both countries simultaneously withdrew their troops, while her fate remained with the Northern Dynasty.

It was said that Hua Mu demanded on the battlefield that Xiao Yin return her. Xiao Yin replied: “Though she is a maid, a substitute, since she came for political marriage, she is already a Northern Dynasty person. There’s no reason to return her. Moreover, she has already agreed to stay in the Northern Dynasty.”

Father hadn’t revealed her true identity—probably feeling that being a maid would be safer for her.

The day after the peace talks, Hua Zhuyu began withdrawing with the Northern Dynasty soldiers.

Wheels rolling, Hua Zhuyu looked out the carriage window, seeing only endless tender grass rapidly retreating. She was also leaving the Southern Dynasty at the same speed, leaving her homeland.

As the carriage sped along, a figure suddenly lifted the curtain and entered, reclining on the couch opposite Hua Zhuyu. It was Xiao Yin—she hadn’t seen him since awakening from unconsciousness that night. She had thought he had forgotten her again, which would be good. She could wait for her injuries to heal, then escape at the first opportunity. Unexpectedly, he hadn’t forgotten her.

Xiao Yin had changed from his battlefield armor, wearing only flowing black robes, reclining coldly and proudly on the opposite couch. Without even glancing at Hua Zhuyu, he reached for a goblet from the side table, filled it with wine, and drank it all in one graceful motion. Squinting to savor it, he filled the goblet again and offered it to Hua Zhuyu: “Would you like a cup?”

“This servant dares not!” Hua Zhuyu lowered her eyes, saying softly.

Xiao Yin narrowed his eyes, almost wanting to splash the wine from the goblet. She dared not? Then who was it that had shouted at him and drunk all his tea? However, seeing Hua Zhuyu’s appearance clearly, the wine he hadn’t splashed out still spilled due to his trembling hand.

The young woman before him seemed to be that woman, yet somehow different.

She no longer wore heavy makeup, having shed her previous vulgar, seductive air to become so purely beautiful it was breathtaking. Especially those eyes—like an autumn pool, clear and shimmering.

Xiao Yin was momentarily dazed, and the goblet in his hand tilted slightly.

Hua Zhuyu reached out to take the goblet from Xiao Yin, raised it and drank deeply. After drinking, she raised the empty goblet and smiled lightly at Xiao Yin, with a trace of free-spirited boldness.

Xiao Yin was almost dazzled by Hua Zhuyu’s smile. Ice and fire—these two extreme qualities combined perfectly in her. When she withdrew, she was ice—profound and cold. When she emerged, she was fire—bright and brilliant.

“Don’t you ask what this crown prince wants you to do by following me to the Northern Dynasty?” Xiao Yin recovered, taking the goblet and twirling it in his hands, his lips holding an ambiguous smile.

Hua Zhuyu leaned back against the couch, her lips lifting in a beautiful arc: “What’s the point of asking? I’ve already been a military prostitute—what else can’t I do?”

Xiao Yin’s ambiguous smile slowly froze. The temperature in the carriage instantly dropped, the air seeming ready to freeze bit by bit. He silently poured another cup of wine and drank it all in one gulp.

She was so calm, so indifferent, as if none of it had happened to her.

“It seems Miss Dan Hong is quite willing to be a prostitute!” Xiao Yin held his goblet, slowly savoring another sip. This wine was from that night—indeed good wine, very fragrant and delicious, but now he couldn’t taste any flavor, feeling inexplicably irritated. “Perhaps you weren’t a maid in the Southern Dynasty but a family prostitute? Let this crown prince guess—how many men have pillowed your jade arms? Hua Mu? Ying Shuxie? Ying Shuxie’s four personal guards? Or all the generals in the Hua family army?” His words were like knives, stabbing straight into one’s heart.

Hua Zhuyu was slightly stunned but not angry—instead, she smiled radiantly.

How he viewed her didn’t matter. What mattered was that she remembered he had said he would absolutely never touch prostitutes. Perhaps this was actually protection for herself.

“Yes, everything is as Your Highness thinks. Does Your Highness regret having Dan Hong follow you? It’s not too late to regret now. How about letting me leave immediately? To avoid polluting Your Highness’s eyes.”

Her smile appeared especially bright and pure in the dim carriage.

Such a woman didn’t look like a prostitute at all. But even if she wasn’t before, after arriving in the Northern Dynasty, because of him, she had become a military prostitute.

Xiao Yin’s face was cold, a dark light flashing in his deep eyes. The carriage fell silent, with only heavy coldness emanating from his tall figure. After a long while, he slowly stood up, his face carved like stone showing nothing but cold severity.

“Whether you’re a prostitute or a respectable woman, from now on you belong to this crown prince. Don’t think of leaving again! Moreover, even if you escape, this crown prince has ways to bring you back. I advise you not to harbor vain hopes.” The stern intimidation in his words made Hua Zhuyu’s heart tremble involuntarily. In a moment of distraction, his tall figure had already left the carriage.

Hua Zhuyu reclined on the couch, a light smile curving her lips. Telling her not to think of leaving—Xiao Yin, you’re the one with vain hopes.

After many days bouncing across grasslands, Hui Xue followed her every step, probably to prevent escape. Actually, such strict supervision was unnecessary—her hand hadn’t recovered, she couldn’t even ride a horse, so how could she escape?

This day, they finally reached the Northern Dynasty’s capital—Shangjing, the Northern Dynasty’s most prosperous city.