Grand Tutor Yu, after Fengyang fell, had been imprisoned with many former Liang ministers in Hongen Temple for nearly a year.

The collapse of Great Liang and the deaths of Prince Changlian and his son had made him seem to age ten years in this single year. At this moment, following Wen Yu’s gaze toward those undulating mountain ranges to the north, he said:

“Thirty-five years ago, Founding Ancestor ended the civil strife, unified north and south, and won all the people’s hearts. Wei Qishan was constrained in the northern border by the barbarians beyond the pass and did not send troops south to quell the disorder. When Founding Ancestor went north to accept his surrender, he ultimately yielded unwillingly. The events of yesteryear seem about to repeat themselves now. Therefore this time, even though the barbarians beyond the pass still pose a threat to the northern border, it appears Wei Qishan will also risk sending troops south to jointly attack Pei Song. With such a pincer attack from north and south, that Pei clan traitor won’t be able to run rampant much longer. Princess, do not worry.”

The wind on the city tower was strong. After standing for just this short while, her body felt somewhat stiff and cold. Wen Yu drew her cloak around her and slowly walked with Grand Tutor Yu toward the inner city brick corridor at the side, saying:

“Since Teacher’s passing, hearts throughout the Liang camp have been unsettled. I also felt there was no longer any support behind me. For many days I couldn’t sleep at night. Now that the Grand Tutor and the assembled ministers have returned to the Liang camp, I can finally catch my breath. Only as long as my sister-in-law and A’yin remain in Pei Song’s hands for one more day, I ultimately cannot completely set my heart at ease for one more day.”

When she spoke these words, there was not a trace of emotion on her face, as if she had grown accustomed to not showing joy or anger before others.

As a princess admired by ten thousand people, with no one left in this world before whom she could display weakness, she had slowly grown accustomed to being strong. But Wen Yu herself didn’t realize that her words just now seemed to unconsciously feel she had support again.

—When Grand Tutor Yu previously gave lessons to Wen Heng, she often ran to eavesdrop. Grand Tutor Yu had always turned a blind eye to this. If one counted it up, he could also be considered half a teacher to Wen Yu.

The speaker was unaware, but the listener’s eyes were already full of heartache.

Grand Tutor Yu fell back two steps behind Wen Yu, looking at her elegant back. In the snow-white world, Wen Yu’s pale blue cloak trailing on the brick and stone seemed like a mountain peak rising from this desolate landscape.

Refined, vigorous, and magnificent.

In barely one year, he could no longer find much trace on Wen Yu of that youngest daughter of Prince Changlian’s manor who had once been protected behind her father and brother.

Now as Great Liang’s Princess Who Stabilizes the Nation, beneath her slender yet not frail shoulders, she already protected Great Liang’s myriad subjects.

Apart from himself, who else still knew that once upon a time, she was merely a little girl who ran excitedly to sit in on his lessons, yet because the policy discussions were too boring, would secretly doze at the corner of the desk…

After Wen Yu walked several steps and saw Grand Tutor Yu hadn’t followed, she turned back and called out with some confusion: “Grand Tutor?”

Fine snow like salt grains fell at Grand Tutor Yu’s temples. For a moment it was hard to tell whether his hair was whiter or the snow was whiter.

He looked at Wen Yu with eyes full of vicissitudes, seeming to hold infinite emotion. Through the flurrying fine snow, he finally only said: “Princess has suffered.”

Wen Yu was slightly dazed. In this past year, she had forced herself to grow through bone-breaking transformation. Sorrow and weakness seemed to be things that only existed in her previous life.

Seeing Grand Tutor Yu so pained by her experiences and growth this past year, Wen Yu was somewhat at a loss for a moment. After a pause, she said: “The enmity of family extermination, the calamity of a nation’s collapse—these are all Yu’s responsibilities to bear. To have Teacher, Grand Tutor, Minister Zhou, Minister Chen, Minister Li, General Fan, and many other excellent ministers assisting Yu is Yu’s fortune, yet also makes Yu feel ashamed.”

Grand Tutor Yu shook his head: “In the past, the Heir severed one finger to exchange for this old minister’s life. This time being able to successfully escape from Fengyang also entirely depended on the Heir’s Consort using herself as leverage. This old minister can only use all the learning of a lifetime to plan for the Princess in order to repay the great kindness of the Heir and Heir’s Consort, and also not betray the Prince’s deathbed entrustment.”

Before Wen Yu went to Southern Chen for the marriage alliance, she had already posthumously conferred titles on Prince Changlian and his wife and her own brother. But Grand Tutor Yu and this group of former ministers who had just escaped from Fengyang not long ago were still accustomed to using the original forms of address to call them.

Wen Yu had not personally seen how her parents, brother, and nephew died, but based solely on those words that spread, she had countless times in nightmares dreamed of their tragic deaths. At present, hearing that her royal father seemed to have left final words before death, she suddenly felt a long-absent trace of sadness.

This past year, she had actually very rarely allowed herself to recall anything related to her royal father and mother.

Fine rain mixed with snow grains continued falling. Wen Yu stood silent in this desolate chill for two breaths before asking: “What did my royal father… say at his final moment?”

Grand Tutor Yu, recalling that day’s circumstances, sighed bitterly: “That day the Prince knew the general situation was lost. He told this old minister Great Liang’s fate was thus—Founding Ancestor was muddled in his later years and cast many mistakes, the late Emperor was also weak, court politics were controlled by relatives by marriage, ultimately causing Great Liang’s national fortune to decay to this point. He told this old minister there was no need to preserve honor for Great Liang. No matter whose hands the realm ultimately fell into, he should continue serving as an official for the people’s livelihood. Only if in the future there was remaining strength, he could help and support you somewhat, protecting you as much as possible…”

Something warm and wet fell on Wen Yu’s hand. When the cold wind blew, very quickly only bone-piercing coldness remained.

Wen Yu turned away in time, gazing at the distant mountains, letting the desolate cold wind blow her stinging eyes. After several breaths, she said with some heaviness: “Thank you, Grand Tutor, for telling Yu these things.”

Grand Tutor Yu looked at her back, his eye sockets blown slightly red by the wind on this city wall: “Great Liang collapsed, yet the Princess with her own strength raised up half the realm. Everything you’ve done has long exceeded everyone in the world’s expectations. If the Prince and Heir have knowledge beneath the springs, they will only feel gratified.”

Pausing, thinking of old friends, the vicissitudes in his eyes deepened: “In the past, Duke Li and I served together in court, originally jointly assisting the sovereign. Later we had some disagreements in political views and thus grew distant. But to be able to accept a student like the Princess—even sacrificing his life to lay the foundation for the Princess’s great enterprise—he died with a smile.”

He smiled wistfully: “If this old minister doesn’t properly assist the Princess and secure this realm, in the future when I descend to the Yellow Springs, I fear I’ll still be mocked by him…”

But Wen Yu gently shook her head: “In the past when I asked Teacher to plan for me, he asked what I planned for. I answered it was for the myriad people. Today it’s still the same.”

She looked toward the distant horizon: “If this realm falls into the hands of a benevolent person with great governing talent, after I execute Pei Song and avenge my family’s extermination, I can also cease hostilities and yield power. But from last year until today, after the great waves have washed away the sand from the state officials and bandits who raised flags in rebellion everywhere, the largest remaining forces are nothing more than the allied Liang-Chen army in my hands, the rebel army in Pei Song’s hands, and the Wei army in Wei Qishan’s hands.”

“Pei Song is without principle, viewing the myriad people as straw dogs—no one in the present world doesn’t curse him. Although Wei Qishan has always had a reputation for worthiness, when I personally went to the northern border, I also saw how his son brutally murders subordinate generals. These common people from broken mountains and rivers, who have struggled to find a thread of survival from military chaos—they can no longer endure any brutal and incompetent sovereign. If they defeat me, as the defeated general, I naturally have nothing more to say. But if they are inferior to me, for this realm—how could I have any reason not to contend!”

Her words were clear, heavy, and resonant, like pearls falling on a jade plate, yet also like alarming drums striking heavily.

For that instant, Grand Tutor Yu felt Wen Yu actually had some shadow of Great Liang’s Founding Ancestor Wen Shi’an.

Only Founding Ancestor’s ambition and grip on power had long extinguished that compassion of his.

But in Wen Yu, her compassion far exceeded her ambition.

If previously he only decided to assist her because of his many connections with Prince Changlian’s manor, and because everything Wen Yu had done after Great Liang’s collapse was good enough—

At this moment, hearing Wen Yu clearly express her innermost thoughts, he vaguely understood somewhat why Li Yao, who no matter what would not accept Wen Heng as a student back then, accepted Wen Yu.

Not because after mountains and rivers collapsed and Prince Changlian’s manor was left with only this lonely daughter struggling to support it, he had no choice but to help restore Liang and execute Pei Song.

But rather this Great Liang royal daughter, after experiencing so many upheavals and growth, made Li Yao feel she was worth choosing.

Probably due to over a decade of differing political views, Grand Tutor Yu looked at Wen Yu with a gaze no longer merely feeling gratified that she as a royal daughter had achieved this extent, which was already remarkable. Rather it carried some meaning of evaluating an orthodox heir as he asked: “While this old minister was trapped in Fengyang, I also heard the many slanderous words among the people toward the Princess and Liang camp after the Battle of Majialiang. When the Princess first heard these, were you not angry?”

Wen Yu said: “Angry—but only angry at how poisonous Pei Song’s methods were, setting this poisonous scheme to frame our Liang camp, causing countless soldiers to die innocent tragic deaths. Compared to these, the curses of the common people he incited are not worth mentioning.”

Grand Tutor Yu asked: “Toward those common people, does the Princess have no complaints whatsoever in your heart?”

Wen Yu shook her head: “Quite a few scholars who studied hard in cold windows would still be incited by those words—how can we demand that those ordinary common people who’ve never even entered a school and have labored for food and clothing their entire lives can distinguish right from wrong themselves? When their curses were excessive, to me it was merely losing some reputation. But if I took it seriously, even if it were merely a decision to raise some flying sand, when it fell on their heads, what pressed down might be a mountain.”

Her gaze was peaceful: “Those I must deal with have never been these common people, but rather the chief culprits who use the common people to fan the flames behind the scenes.”

Grand Tutor Yu suddenly felt heat in his eye sockets. He bowed with cupped hands toward Wen Yu: “In the past, the Prince entrusted the realm’s common people to this old minister. Today this old minister can also with peace of mind entrust these myriad people to the Princess.”

Wen Yu looked back at that white-haired old man and said: “Perhaps I also cannot do well as this sovereign, but as long as there is no one superior to me in this world for one day, I should try my best. After this battle ends and the envoys going to Northern Wei transport back Jiang Yu’s corpse, I still need to return to Southern Chen once. At that time, the many affairs within Liang territory will trouble the Grand Tutor to help me manage somewhat.”

Grand Tutor Yu’s voice slightly choked: “Receiving such great trust from the Princess, this old minister will certainly bend his back to the utmost, dying only when the task is done.”

Wen Yu helped him up and said: “Yu hopes even more that the Grand Tutor will have long years of health. With an old minister like you watching over things behind Yu, Yu won’t fear stumbling on the road ahead.”

Grand Tutor Yu now truly shed tears. With red eyes he looked fixedly at Wen Yu and promised: “Princess, rest assured and walk forward—this old minister… will watch over things for you!”

The wind on the city wall at dusk was too strong, blowing until Wen Yu’s eyes also showed redness.

—

At dusk, the lamps under the Wei manor corridors and in the garden stone platforms had all been lit, reflecting the red silk hung during the day with an indescribable eerie and decayed feeling.

Wei Pingjin was drunk to unconsciousness. When servants helped him back to his room from the banquet, before reaching the room door, he leaned against the railing in the connecting corridor and vomited until heaven and earth were dark.

When the servants tried to help him again, without exception they were kicked and beaten by him, shouting for them to get lost, that he wanted to continue drinking.

Just then the kitchen brought hangover soup. The subordinates had no choice but to first force the hangover soup down his throat.

After one bowl of hangover soup entered his stomach, Wei Pingjin, blowing the cold wind, sobered somewhat. Seeing there was no longer any banquet or guests around, knowing he was no longer at the feast, he pressed his faintly aching temples and asked: “Where is this?”

An attendant below answered: “The bridal chamber is just ahead. Young Lord, you’ve forgotten—you got married! The Princess is still waiting for you in the room!”

Not knowing which word struck Wei Pingjin, he suddenly flew into a rage. He forcefully struggled, shaking off the support of two attendants, supporting himself on the wooden railing and staggering to his feet, his face full of fierce anger and mockery: “Princess? Bullshit princess!”

Ahead at the bridal chamber, presumably the people inside heard the commotion outside. Two young maidservants had just walked out preparing to help support Wei Pingjin. Suddenly hearing his cursing, they looked at each other for a moment, seeming not to know whether they should still go forward to help.

The attendants beside Wei Pingjin were also especially embarrassed and could only say to them: “The Young Lord… the Young Lord drank too much…”

When the two little maidservants were still somewhat at a loss, a gentle female voice had already come from inside the bridal chamber: “Since the Young Lord drank too much, why don’t you go help support the Young Lord?”

Only then did the two maidservants prepare to continue forward to help support him.

But Wei Pingjin, using the wine’s momentum, even though those coming forward were two maidservants, when he kicked and swept his sleeves he didn’t hold back his strength at all. After knocking them to the ground, he said without concealing his disgust: “Get away! Don’t touch this Young Lord!”

One maidservant was kicked in the chest by him and didn’t get up for a long while. The other maidservant supported her companion and for a time didn’t dare approach Wei Pingjin again.

Wei Pingjin had a great rage suppressed in his heart. Even after drinking all evening at the banquet it hadn’t been pressed down. He turned to walk back.

Behind him that gentle and soft voice came again: “Tonight is our wedding night. Where does the Young Lord want to go?”

Wei Pingjin, suppressing his anger, turned back to see Wang Wanzhen had already lifted her veil herself and was standing at the bridal chamber door looking at him, wearing that magnificent and dignified wedding attire.

At first glance, her entire bearing and temperament truly didn’t lose half a point to those noble daughters of aristocratic families.

But in Wei Pingjin’s gaze toward her was only disgust and immense humiliation.

After approaching, he pinched Wang Wanzhen’s chin, the wine breath he exhaled all spraying on her still made-up cheeks. Facing this intimacy before the servants that contained humiliating meaning, Wang Wanzhen’s face still only wore a gentle and proper shallow smile. Her gaze toward Wei Pingjin was also tenderly affectionate, exactly like a wife looking at her husband.

Wei Pingjin, looking at her constantly acting appearance, felt even greater disgust in his heart. He raised his hand without restraining his strength and heavily slapped her cheek several times, mocking: “An actress singing opera on stage is fine, but putting on airs offstage—who are you disgusting?”

Having said this, Wei Pingjin directly walked away with long strides.

The cold wind blew the lanterns under the eaves, causing them to sway gently. In the dim light, Wang Wanzhen’s cheek seemed to have been slapped somewhat red, only the gentle expression on her face still had not changed one iota. Even before returning to the room, she could still considerately instruct the attendants beside Wei Pingjin: “The night is dark and the snow heavy. The Young Lord also drank too much. You follow and watch carefully—don’t let the Young Lord fall.”

Wei Pingjin dared humiliate Wang Wanzhen that way, but the subordinates who didn’t understand the truth didn’t dare overstep half a point. After receiving her words, they hastily bowed to her before hurrying to chase Wei Pingjin.

After Wang Wanzhen returned to the room, she removed her makeup and hair ornaments herself before the mirror. The two maidservants hadn’t yet grasped her temperament. Encountering such a situation, for a time they didn’t dare make a sound.

She took the initiative to speak, gently asking about the injuries on their bodies, then rewarded each person with two silver ingots. After the two maidservants happily went out to fetch some food for her to eat, she turned the cheek Wei Pingjin had slapped red toward the bronze mirror and examined it carefully.

—

After Wei Pingjin left that courtyard, when descending the steps, he truly missed a step and fell into the snowdrift.

With the wine’s momentum rising, his whole body was generating heat now and he didn’t feel cold. He just lay spread-eagled in the snowdrift, even pulling open his collar to let the cold wind blow and make him more comfortable.

Only no matter how deeply he breathed this cold air in the atmosphere, the fire in his chest cavity still burned until his five internal organs and six bowels all felt suffocatingly oppressed.

That fiery anger accumulated to the extreme, slowly becoming an intense resentment and grievance.

—If eldest brother were still here, Father would certainly not have made eldest brother marry such a lowly actress as wife.

After all, Father already loved the house and its crow to the point that even toward a Liang camp spy who somewhat resembled eldest brother’s heroic appearance back then, he could repeatedly indulge him!

Thinking of today’s guests—though they didn’t say it openly, they had been secretly discussing the matter of miscellaneous troops blocking the city gates—Wei Pingjin felt even more humiliated. He swung his fist to fiercely pound the ground.

After a moment, as if still unable to vent his anger, he climbed up unsteadily with heavy head and light feet, heading in a certain direction.

—

The Wei soldier guarding the dungeon had just closed his eyes leaning against the wall base when the iron gate outside was suddenly slapped until it shook with thunderous sound.

The Wei soldier was frightened awake with a start. Seeing the person who came, he hurriedly called out “Young Lord.”

Wei Pingjin’s face was red, his eyes were red, his whole body reeking of alcohol as he shouted viciously: “Open the door! I want to see that Liang camp spy!”