“What is your name?” Tazhu’s gaze slowly swept across his face.

Though his hands and feet were bound, he still ignored her.

The carriage sped across the withered yellow grasslands outside the capital, with snowflakes beating against the curtains with a rustling sound. Tazhu pulled the silver-gray fox fur tighter around her neck, noticing his broken silver armor and lips that had turned blue from the cold.

She blinked, her dark brown eyes containing a hint of disdain. “Why won’t you speak?”

His features were exceptionally sharp, with eyebrows like ink and cold, phoenix eyes that met her gaze with predatory darkness.

Tazhu saw his lips pressed tightly together. She glanced at the letter from Hamu’er in her hand. Having only recently learned the Great Mu script, she couldn’t recognize all the characters. She pointed at the character “虢” in “Xiao Guo” and asked: “How is this character pronounced? What does it mean? Is it pronounced ‘hu’ (tiger)?”

“Guo” referred to a feudal state, not a king.

But Xiao Guo was not content.

He had planned to establish military merit to ascend to the throne.

After careful plotting, in this battle against Danta, he had prepared to ambush their supplies, believing that if the horses were insufficient during war, the Danta people would be nothing to worry about.

But unexpectedly, his strategy was discovered by the Danta’s flying eagles.

The young woman before him was their falconer.

He had heard others call her Tazhu.

Tazhu waited a moment, ready to let the matter drop, but then saw him turn his head, his gaze passing over her finger as he slowly pronounced the character “Guo.”

His voice was clear and not harsh at all, but rather pleasant to hear.

“Xiao Guo,” Tazhu repeated, “I hear you’re a prince of Great Mu? Which one are you?” Though the Emperor of Great Mu did not have as many children as the Great Lord, he still had three sons.

Xiao Guo was the youngest. The Crown Prince was dull-witted, and the Second Prince was treacherous. He believed he should be the one to inherit the throne.

But now he had been captured by the Danta people, which was both laughable and tragic.

He looked again at the falconer sitting opposite him. She wore red clothes, with black hair falling loose and silver ornaments on her forehead, set with a red bead.

Her expression was indifferent, but there was a certain innocence in her tone. She appeared to be nothing more than a useless beauty, yet he had been defeated by her—a foreigner, a woman.

Tazhu saw that he wouldn’t speak, his expression arrogant, so she turned away and read the letter once more. It said: “Prince Lu Xiao Guo.” After reading, she tucked the letter into her bosom.

This Prince Lu Xiao Guo was now a prisoner of Danta.

Hamu’er had told her she had accomplished a great feat and instructed her to quickly send the prisoner to the palace, where the Great Lord would reward her.

So Tazhu led several dozen Ha clan cavalry, with Xiao Guo bound, toward the palace without stopping.

As soon as they entered the official gate, two armed soldiers approached Xiao Guo, one on each side, intending to take him away.

Tazhu smiled and said, “What are you doing? This is my gift to the Great Lord, and I must present it personally.”

The two soldiers looked at each other and stepped back.

The Ha clan was Danta nobility, with both eagles and weapons in their hands—not to be offended.

Tazhu’s men, escorting Xiao Guo, followed her closely toward the Great Lord’s residence.

Xiao Guo, looking at the red-clothed young woman before him, felt increasingly humiliated.

Upon seeing the Great Lord, Tazhu folded her hands and bowed briefly.

When the Great Lord saw her appearance, his gaze greedily looked her up and down.

Seeing the expression in his eyes, Xiao Guo inwardly sneered—so this was the Great Lord of Danta.

“Are you Prince Lu Xiao Guo?” The Great Lord glanced at him and laughed heartily. “The Third Prince of Great Mu, haha!”

Xiao Guo’s face turned pale, and he clenched his teeth, taking a deep breath.

Tazhu turned her head to look at him.

The Great Lord smiled at Tazhu: “To have captured this man, the Ha clan has rendered a great service. What reward does Tazhu desire?”

Tazhu had already thought about it before coming: “I want the red jade silver knife from the palace.”

The Great Lord laughed a couple of times. “Come, go fetch it and present it to Ha Tazhu.”

The red jade silver knife had always been bestowed upon Danta warriors.

Tazhu had always wanted one.

She accepted the knife from the attendant, seeing the red jade glimmering and the silver blade gleaming, and tried it out with satisfaction.

Xiao Guo glanced at the short knife in her hand. Tazhu looked back at him provocatively before sheathing the knife.

“Thank you, Great Lord. If there’s nothing else, Tazhu will leave now.”

She disliked the way the Great Lord looked at her, feeling as if a wolf was eyeing a sheep.

She had no desire to be a sheep.

The Great Lord’s face showed a desire to detain her, but before he could speak, Tazhu had already turned and left.

Xiao Guo was imprisoned in the royal palace of the capital.

When Tazhu saw him again, it was at the victory banquet in the capital half a month later.

With Xiao Guo’s capture, the morale of the Great Mu army had sharply declined, and within days they had been utterly defeated, retreating more than a hundred li beyond Diecity.

The Danta people were encouraged, and in the royal court, songs and dances resounded. Tazhu drank two cups of barley wine and then rose to leave.

Hamu’er, seeing her move, asked, “Where are you going now? Weren’t you supposed to stay tonight and drink with the Great Lord?”

Tazhu smiled and said, “Let my brothers accompany the Great Lord in drinking.” As she spoke, she turned and glared at Hadai.

Hadai immediately smiled and said, “The girl has something to do tonight. Earlier, Nahuer’s new consort was looking for Tazhu.”

Tazhu clapped her hands: “I’ll go right away.”

After leaving the banquet, she naturally did not go to find Nahuer’s new consort.

Behind the palace was a large stable where, because of the night’s celebration in the palace, bonfires were also lit.

She walked a few steps toward the fire and saw a tall figure standing by the bonfire.

Xiao Guo.

Tazhu saw that he was wearing a white robe typical of Great Mu people, with a black fur coat over it, and a tall headdress on his head. His face was free of blood stains now, but his cold eyes looked toward her.

Tazhu noticed several attendants not far behind him.

“Xiao Hu,” she called out and walked over.

Facing her defeated enemy, Tazhu said pleasantly: “Today is a joyous occasion for my tribe, but a sorrowful one for you. How pitiful.”

Xiao Guo’s brow twitched as he saw her powdered face illuminated by firelight, her words falling on his ears full of mockery.

He gave a cold laugh: “Thank you for your concern, Miss Tazhu. I hear the Danta Great Lord will soon welcome his nineteenth consort. Miss Tazhu, with your outstanding beauty and prominent family, would certainly be a suitable choice.” If he meant to hurt her, he would strike at her most vulnerable point.

Tazhu became irritated and said impatiently: “What business is it of yours! How dare you, a prisoner, speak of me. If I don’t wish to marry, then I won’t. Can anyone force me?”

Xiao Guo, seeing she was barely twenty years old, shook his head and said sidelong: “The young lady is perhaps too naive.”

Tazhu, already harboring this anger, became even more furious at his provocation: “If you continue this nonsense, I’ll smash your mouth. You’re just a prisoner of war.”

Seeing her anger, Xiao Guo smiled and said: “Please calm down, miss.”

Tazhu, seeing the mockery in his eyes, grew even angrier and reached out to slap his face.

Xiao Guo’s right hand caught her wrist, but then Tazhu smiled and raised her left hand.

With a crisp “smack,” she slapped him hard.

The left side of Xiao Guo’s face stung fiercely despite his thick skin.

The guards behind them froze, unsure whether to step in and restrain Ha Tazhu.

“Ha Tazhu,” Xiao Guo said through gritted teeth.

Raised in the palace since childhood, he had never been struck like this before, least of all by a woman.

His face flushed with a mix of anger and shock.

Tazhu felt immediately relieved: “I advise you to mind your words. If you speak such nonsense again, I’ll hit you every time I see you.” After speaking, she laughed merrily, the sound like silver bells.

Xiao Guo touched his left cheek, asking incredulously: “Is this how foreigners and barbarians behave, with no understanding of propriety?”

All the women he had met before were educated and graceful.

Tazhu stopped laughing: “What foreigners? What barbarians? You see me as foreign, and I see you as foreign too.”

She tossed her hair: “It’s laughable. We all have one nose, one mouth, two eyes—we’re all people, yet we fight relentlessly. I say we might as well live well together. With constant warfare, we lose horses, people, even grass… It’s so pointless.”

Xiao Guo was astonished by her remarks.

Looking at her again, he thought that this Ha Tazhu was perhaps truly unconventional.

Having slapped him, Tazhu’s irritation had dispersed. She sat down by the bonfire, took out a bamboo whistle from her waist pouch, and began to blow it softly.

Before long, several brown eagles flew in from the evening sky.

Seeing the eagles, Xiao Guo’s eyes darkened, watching as Tazhu softly whistled while the brown eagles circled overhead.

“What are you doing?” Xiao Guo asked, lifting his robe to sit down.

Tazhu smiled at him: “Playing with my eagles. They like to hear my whistle.”

He looked up at the eagles again, then glanced sideways at Tazhu, her face reddened by the firelight.

Her dark brown eyes were bright, her long lashes black. Looking at the eagles, her expression was very gentle, with no trace of her earlier fierceness.

Xiao Guo turned his gaze to the flames.

The Danta Great Lord wanted to marry Ha Tazhu as his nineteenth consort, and the Ha clan was inclined to arrange this match.

The First Consort sent people to invite Tazhu to stay in the palace for a few days. Hamu’er personally escorted her to the carriage.

Tazhu lifted the carriage curtain to look at Hamu’er, glaring at him hatefully without a word.

Hamu’er averted his eyes: “Just stay for a few days.”

Tazhu angrily dropped the curtain.

After several breaths, she heard Hadai’s voice: “If you’re unhappy after a few days, send a message by eagle.”

Tazhu lifted the curtain again: “For the sake of our clan, I can stay a few days, but if you expect me to marry, forget it!”

Hadai smiled good-naturedly: “There are others from various clans staying in the palace this time. He might not even choose you.”

Tazhu snorted coldly: “You’d better go now!”

After entering the palace, she discovered that Hadai was right—the Great Lord was selecting a consort, and noble families had sent candidates.

All this for a mere nineteenth consort—was it necessary?

Tazhu disdainfully left the others in the garden and walked alone to a secluded place. Following a small path, she saw a small wooden hut that seemed newly built, still smelling of lacquer.

Four guards stood at the door.

She smiled and walked over to ask: “Is the person inside present?”

The guards, seeing it was her, shook their heads.

Tazhu stood there for a while, when suddenly she heard footsteps behind her. Looking back, she saw four guards escorting Xiao Guo.

She smiled sweetly: “Xiao Hu.”

Seeing Tazhu in the Danta palace, Xiao Guo’s brow furrowed slightly. He ignored her and proceeded directly to the wooden hut.

Tazhu followed, and the guards dared not stop her.

Inside, the light suddenly dimmed.

Tazhu looked around and saw no lamps, only a soft couch, not even a table or chair.

Though for a prisoner, these accommodations were already quite good.

Seeing her follow him in, Xiao Guo said, displeased: “A single man and woman alone together—is this how you conduct yourself while entering the palace to be selected as a consort?”

Tazhu stared at him unflinchingly: “What business is it of yours! I can go wherever I please in this palace.”

Xiao Guo sneered: “Then why not leave the palace?”

Tazhu’s face darkened, and she took a large step forward, but suddenly both her wrists were firmly gripped by Xiao Guo.

“You’ve already hit me once. I won’t let you hit me a second time.”

Tazhu saw the clarity in his eyes and struggled vigorously, but found she couldn’t break free from his grasp.

Xiao Guo’s hands held her wrists firmly: “Without your eagles, you’re just a weak woman. Do you understand this principle?”

Tazhu bit her lip and pulled again. Her fair wrists turned red from his grip, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break free.

Xiao Guo laughed softly: “If you understand this principle, then leave the palace.”

Tazhu blinked, then suddenly smiled and violently raised her knee toward his lower abdomen.

Xiao Guo was struck, and his body stiffened in pain. He immediately released her wrists and stepped back, falling onto the soft couch. With a pale face, he said: “You…” but the pain prevented him from saying more.

Tazhu rubbed her numb and painful wrists: “I told you, if you talk nonsense, I’ll hit you every time I see you.”

She looked down at him from above: “Do you understand this principle?”

Xiao Guo clenched his teeth and took several deep breaths, seeing her standing smugly in place.

With a graceful bearing, her red clothes like fire, she was as vivid as a blazing pit of flames.

“You…” he finally recovered, “do you understand anything about propriety and shame?”

“No,” Tazhu walked to the couch and bent down to look at him. Seeing sweat on his forehead, she asked curiously, “Does it hurt that much?”

Xiao Guo took two quick breaths, saw her curious face, and suppressed the anger in his chest: “I won’t hold it against you, considering your ignorance…”

In the dim light of the room, Tazhu carefully examined Xiao Guo.

Her gaze was extremely focused, her wide dark brown eyes gleaming as she leaned close to his face, startling Xiao Guo. Then she suddenly said: “Has anyone ever told you that you have a delicate, feminine handsomeness…”

Xiao Guo’s voice seemed to come through his teeth: “Get out.”

But Tazhu wasn’t upset. For some reason, seeing Xiao Guo in discomfort made her happy.

“Then I’ll go,” she said with a smile.

That night, Tazhu heard rustling sounds outside her room. In the palace, she never dared to sleep deeply.

She turned over, her hand already reaching for the short knife under her pillow. She had brought it into the palace hidden in her boot, ready for use in case of emergency.

After several rustling sounds outside the window, Tazhu saw what looked like a figure flashing by, but then there was silence.

She lay with her eyes open, not daring to sleep again. She understood Xiao Guo’s words—it wasn’t that she wanted to leave but couldn’t.

Tazhu tossed and turned restlessly as a wave of heat gradually spread throughout her body, like warm currents expanding outward from her stomach. She touched her palms and forehead, burning hot.

This was bad!

She quickly thought about what she had eaten and drunk that day.

At meals, she had eaten the same as everyone else. Could something have been tampered with in the silver utensils?

She had no time to think further and could only get up, wrap herself in the fox fur, and tuck the silver knife into her boot.

She had to get out while she still had strength.

Tazhu put on her outer robe, opened the door, and, hearing footsteps around the corner, immediately ran in the opposite direction.

Behind her, footsteps and voices arose.

Tazhu looked back to see flickering lights and torches.

She ran faster along the path ahead, heading toward the stables. Perhaps she could…

Her mind was becoming increasingly foggy. As she ran through a flower bed and onto the small path she had visited earlier in the day, she collided with someone in the darkness.

Both were startled.

Tazhu stared blankly at the person before her—a white robe covered in blood, a face also splattered with blood, and phoenix eyes that gleamed like a wolf’s in the night.

Xiao Guo!

She looked behind him and saw several bodies—the guards who had been watching him—lying sprawled on the ground.

Though she didn’t know how he had escaped, but…

“Are you running away?” she asked.

Xiao Guo held a long knife in his hand, remaining silent for a moment, as if hesitating.

Tazhu was suddenly alarmed. Looking back, she saw the pursuing lights drawing closer. She grabbed Xiao Guo’s sleeve and said urgently: “Come with me to the stables behind. I know…” Her breathing became increasingly unstable. “I know a way out.”

Seeing her face strangely flushed and with pursuers behind, Xiao Guo pulled her along: “Lead the way. Where is the exit from the stables?”

He had planned his escape for over a month but hadn’t expected to encounter Tazhu, an unexpected complication.

Tazhu was pulled by him, her wrist tightly gripped, as they stepped over several bodies toward the stables.

She only felt that the hand holding hers was ice-cold, while Xiao Guo also noticed Tazhu’s scalding body temperature.

He frowned and asked: “What’s wrong with you?”

Tazhu panted: “I think I’ve been drugged.”

Xiao Guo’s heart sank. Taking Ha Tazhu along was already inconvenient, and if she…

In the stables, there were only a few idle horses.

Xiao Guo grabbed the reins, mounted a horse, and Tazhu, with weak limbs, tried several times to step on the stirrup but couldn’t mount.

Xiao Guo looked at her face, hesitated for a brief moment, then pulled her up onto the horse, securing her in front of him.

Her heat enveloped him.

Xiao Guo asked solemnly: “Where is the exit?”

Tazhu pointed to a direction: “It snowed heavily last month, and with no animals on the plain, several wolves entered the stables. The fence doesn’t seem to have been repaired yet. From there…” Her throat moved slightly, her breathing quickening, “From there we can escape to the grasslands. Following the horse path, there’s a dense forest.”

Xiao Guo said no more, spurred the horse’s belly, and galloped forward.

After riding swiftly for some time, the pursuers were gradually left behind.

Tazhu was becoming increasingly confused and could barely sit straight. She turned to embrace Xiao Guo’s waist.

Feeling him stiffen, Tazhu closed her eyes and breathed long and slow. It felt like the fever of childhood illness, but unlike the discomfort of sickness, a strange sensation was rising within her body.

“Ha Tazhu.”

Xiao Guo seemed to call her name.

She raised her head to look at him, and his brow was furrowed even more tightly.

“Ha Tazhu.”

Seeing her eyes half-closed, Xiao Guo called her again.

Tazhu, as if bewitched by his melodious voice, used her last bit of strength to lean close to his ear and say: “Xiao Hu, I think I know what drug I’ve taken. I once heard Nahuer joke that in the palace…” She took a deep breath, “That in the palace there’s a secret drug that can make people… desire intimate relations…”

She saw Xiao Guo’s phoenix eyes narrow sharply as he looked at her.

Tazhu, unbearably hot, instinctively held him tightly, pressing her face to his chest and sniffing like an animal.

Her nose detected the smell of blood, but beneath it, there was also a scent she found irresistible—like the first warm sunlight on the grasslands in the morning.

Before them was the lush, dense forest. Xiao Guo felt a coolness at his chest as Tazhu opened his collar, pressing her flushed cheek against his chest, then letting out a long sigh, her breath increasingly hot.

This was neither the time nor place for such thoughts.

But Xiao Guo only watched as she looked up at him once, her eyes rippling with desire, her pink lips slightly parted as she gently kissed his chin.

He slowly drew a breath, looked back, and saw no sign of pursuers.

He tightened his grip on the reins, his knuckles making a light sound. Looking around, he saw a small mound in the dense forest and, beneath it, a black hole hidden by fallen leaves.

Xiao Guo dismounted and lifted Tazhu down.

He unfastened the water pouch from the saddle, slapped the horse’s rump hard, and watched it gallop toward the mound.

Tazhu’s body was limp, and she only cupped his face, kissing and nibbling.

Xiao Guo laboriously carried her on his back, took a flint, lit a torch, pushed aside the fallen leaves, and shone it into the hole—it wasn’t an animal den.

He made a moderate-sized fire in the depths of the cave.

Xiao Guo removed the fox fur from Tazhu’s body, spread it on the stone floor of the cave, cleared away the messy wild grass, and tried to gently place Tazhu on the fur.

“Ha Tazhu.”

Tazhu opened her eyes to look at him: “Xiao Hu.”

Xiao Guo reached out and pressed her down forcefully.

Tazhu felt a sharp pain in her chest: “What are you doing?”

“Tazhu… do you know what we’re about to do?” His eyes grew increasingly dark as he asked her.

Tazhu bit her lip and nodded: “I know.”

She nodded again, “I feel so awful.” She tugged at his already open collar. “I’m willing!”

Xiao Guo had nothing more to say.

He bent down and kissed her forehead, eyes, cheeks, and finally lingered on her lips.

The kiss was very long.

Tazhu felt increasingly unbearable, squirming restlessly, and couldn’t help but bite him, urging: “Xiao Hu, I’m suffering.”

Xiao Guo whispered against her ear: “Wait a moment, it will be better soon.”

He laughed softly and added, “Thankfully, you didn’t ruin me earlier today.”

Tazhu suddenly felt a coolness on her body, then the pressing of another burning form against hers.

The firelight blazed fiercely, casting intertwined shadows on the stone walls as the flames crackled softly, the silhouettes on the wall pursuing each other.

When Tazhu awoke, the fire in the cave was still burning, seemingly freshly stoked.

There was no one else in the cave.

Xiao Guo had left.

Tazhu looked at herself, her clothes neatly arranged, with the fox fur wrapped around her.

She got up from the ground, circled the fire, and stared blankly for a while.

Outside the cave came sounds again, fallen leaves rustling as a bit of daylight filtered in.

She turned to look at the newcomer and asked in surprise: “You didn’t leave?”

Xiao Guo hadn’t expected her to wake so quickly. He handed her the water pouch: “I went to the shallow stream by the mound to find some water.”

Tazhu silently accepted it, lowering her eyes to look at the mottled bloodstains on his black robe.

Xiao Guo couldn’t stay any longer.

“I’m leaving,” he said.

Tazhu responded with a soft “mm” and stood up.

Outside, the sky was faintly bright. Xiao Guo looked back at Tazhu, about to speak, when suddenly an eagle’s cry came from the sky.

Tazhu saw a flash of sorrow cross his face and had to avert her eyes, still feeling parched: “I can’t let you go. If you leave, there will be war again.”

Xiao Guo laughed twice: “Ha Tazhu, your loyalty is unwavering.”

Tazhu immediately felt worse. She wanted to ask him why he hadn’t left earlier.

But Xiao Guo didn’t look at her again and quickly fled into the dense forest.

“You can’t escape now,” Tazhu said behind him.

Following the eagles’ trail, the guards captured Xiao Guo in the dense forest.

The sun had risen high.

Hadai rode up and found Tazhu waiting outside the forest.

Her head was covered in messy grass, her cheeks pale. Seeing him arrive, she said nothing, her expression indescribable.

He pulled her onto his horse.

Tazhu buried her head and said: “I want to go home, not back to the palace.”

Hamu’er was waiting for them at the door, seething with anger. Seeing Tazhu, he swung his long whip, nearly grazing her arm.

Hadai stepped forward quickly, grabbed the whip, and said with a placating smile: “What are you doing, elder brother? Xiao Guo has already been recaptured!”

Hamu’er pushed Hadai aside and said to Tazhu: “You go with me immediately to beg forgiveness from the Great Lord.”

Tazhu said firmly: “I won’t go!”

Hamu’er’s face darkened: “You secretly released Xiao Guo last night, nearly causing a disaster, and you still won’t seek forgiveness!”

Tazhu glared at him: “I’ve done nothing wrong! I did nothing wrong! It’s all the fault of that old lecher in the palace!”

Hamu’er was furious and raised his right hand as if to slap her.

Tazhu stood her ground, neck rigid, not moving an inch.

Hadai exclaimed: “Tazhu!” He quickly pulled her aside and said to Hamu’er: “My brother and I will go to seek forgiveness. Tazhu has been out all night, and capturing Xiao Guo was no easy feat. Let her rest first!”

Hamu’er snorted coldly and strode out the door.

Hadai pushed Tazhu: “Quickly go wash up and rest.” With that, he was about to leave to follow Hamu’er.

Tazhu called him back, hesitantly asking: “Xiao… will Xiao Guo die…?”

Hadai quickly waved his hand: “He won’t die. He’s more useful alive.”

Tazhu nodded, bathing and changing clothes with a troubled mind.

There were still marks from the previous night on her body. She glanced again at the water pouch she had thrown under the couch, growing increasingly agitated as she put on her clothes and fell into a deep sleep.

After more than two months of inner torment, Tazhu couldn’t wait any longer. She sought out Hadai and said straightforwardly: “I want to see Xiao Guo.”

Hadai was shocked: “Why do you want to see him?” After a pause, he added, “He’s imprisoned in the dungeon now. It’s not somewhere you can visit whenever you want.”

Tazhu couldn’t speak plainly and only gripped Hadai’s sleeve tightly: “I want to see him. If he hadn’t taken me out of the palace that day, I might not have been able to return home. In a way, I owe him a favor. I… just want to see if he’s alright.”

Although Hadai vaguely guessed the events of that night, he still had some doubts: “Are you telling the truth?”

Tazhu nodded and, as she had done in the past, smiled coquettishly: “Please, brother.”

Hadai agreed. The dungeon was in the capital city, and if he wanted to go, he had ways.

Tazhu waited another five days before finally disguising herself as Hadai’s attendant and following him into the dungeon.

She had never been to such a place before and was truly startled.

The stone dungeon was dark and narrow, with rats occasionally scurrying past underfoot. The thick smell of blood made her stomach churn, and she barely suppressed a retch.

Xiao Guo was imprisoned in the furthest cell, with no daylight, only a dim candle lamp in front of the iron bars.

He wore shackles on his hands and feet, the iron chains as thick as fists and black. He seemed to be wearing a grayish-white robe, but it was covered with whip marks and bloodstains, making its original color indiscernible.

Tazhu bit her lip and pushed open the iron bars to enter.

Hadai had arranged with the jailers beforehand for this brief opportunity. His brow was deeply furrowed as he said to Tazhu: “Be quick.”

But Tazhu said: “Brother, could you wait outside for me?”

Hadai was unwilling: “Why? What do you have to say to him that I can’t hear?”

Tazhu looked at him pleadingly, with what seemed like tears in her eyes. Hadai sensed something was wrong and immediately said: “Are you hiding something from me?”

Tazhu insisted: “Brother, wait outside. I’ll finish speaking in a moment and come out.”

Hadai stood for several breaths before finally compromising: “Alright, I’ll wait for you outside.”

Xiao Guo had known it was her when he first heard her voice.

After Hadai left, she approached him, squatted down, and called: “Xiao Hu.”

Xiao Guo finally raised his head, looking at her with an ice-cold gaze: “What instructions do you have now?”

Tazhu met his gaze and shrank back slightly: “Are you… doing well?”

Xiao Guo said coldly: “Do I look well to you?”

Tazhu shook her head: “No, not well.”

Xiao Guo grew angrier: “What have you come for? Just to see how unwell I am?”

Tazhu suddenly reached out and touched his face, wiping away a trace of blood from his cheek. The words she wanted to say wouldn’t come out, so she changed the subject: “I… once heard a joke, would you like to hear it?”

Xiao Guo laughed bitterly: “No.”

Tazhu looked around and continued regardless: “It’s about a prisoner who developed a strange disease. His left hand grew sores and had to be cut off. The prisoner said that because he missed his homeland, he wanted to send his left hand back home, so the jailer agreed and sent his left hand back via eagle. Not long after, his right hand also developed sores…”

Xiao Guo interrupted her: “What do you mean?”

Tazhu went on: “His right hand was also cut off and sent back by an eagle. But when his right leg developed sores and he wanted to send a message by eagle, the jailer refused and told this prisoner, ‘This is your plan to escape, isn’t it…'”

Xiao Guo paused in astonishment, frowning as he looked at her.

Tazhu moved closer to his face and whispered: “I can help you send messages by eagle to help you escape.”

Xiao Guo’s expression suddenly tightened: “Why?” He pondered for a moment, then angrily said, “What scheme is this?”

Tazhu took a deep breath: “Xiao Hu, I am with child…”

Seeing Xiao Guo’s shocked body tremble, causing his shackles to rattle, she quickly pressed his wrists and said: “I want to give birth to this child, but in the royal capital, it would surely not survive. If your people come to rescue you, could they take me along?”

Xiao Guo felt a buzzing in his ears. He couldn’t tell if what he felt was joy, shock, or confusion.

He only heard himself ask anxiously: “…Do you have feelings for me?”

As soon as he spoke, he regretted it. This question—he had never pleaded like this to anyone before.

Hearing his words, Tazhu burst into laughter, the worry on her face instantly disappearing: “Xiao Hu, if it weren’t so, my eagles wouldn’t have pursued you so relentlessly from the beginning.”