The atmosphere instantly grew heavy. After a long while, Mo Hua’s face darkened as he snorted lightly and said to Zhuo Jing and the others, “You protect the Princess.” With that, he turned to leave. Ye Li frowned and asked, “Where are you going?” Mo Hua gnashed his teeth in a fierce smile and said, “I’ll take some men to slaughter those commanding generals first, and see how they try to take advantage of the situation then!” Ye Li shook her head and said, “No, with so many troops stopped near Hongzhou, it will only create more chaos if there’s no one in control. Besides… those currently in command may not be the real decision-makers. Mo Jingqi wouldn’t fail to send his people.” Mo Jingqi wasn’t someone who easily trusted his officials – if he issued such secret orders, he would send someone of significant importance to personally oversee them.
Mo Hua turned to look at Ye Li. “What does Your Highness plan to do?”
Ye Li pondered briefly before saying softly, “We must at least prevent them from approaching Hongzhou today. Zhuo Jing, find a way to let them know I’ve already left Hongzhou!”
Everyone turned to look at Ye Li, their gazes filled with disapproval. Zhuo Jing said, “Princess, that’s too dangerous.” Ye Li sighed softly and said, “We have no choice now. We can only hope… His Highness can send people in time to secure Hongzhou. Go.” Zhuo Jing stood his ground, refusing to move. Ye Li’s expression darkened slightly as she said, “This is an order!” Reluctantly, Zhuo Jing turned and left. After a moment of silence, Mo Hua said, “His Highness should be on his way to Hongzhou. Princess, if we take the small paths south, we might meet him on the way.” Ye Li looked back at Hongzhou City one last time and said softly, “We have no choice. Let’s go.”
The group headed south along the small paths as Mo Hua suggested. Soon, the Eastern Chu garrison troops stationed nearby began to move, but instead of heading toward Hongzhou, they scattered in all directions as if searching for someone. At the same time, another elite force rapidly passed Hongzhou City, heading toward the interior.
In the darkness of night, the sound of clashing weapons echoed continuously through a forest. Among the trees, over a dozen imperial guards protected Ye Li in the center, calmly dealing with waves of approaching enemies. The ground around them was littered with corpses, and the thick smell of blood permeated the entire forest.
“Princess, we’re surrounded,” Mo Hua said gravely, standing beside Ye Li.
Ye Li nodded, “Obviously.” Their group numbered less than fifty, while the enemy had at least seven or eight hundred men. Moreover, seeing the signals the enemy had sent earlier, she did not doubt that more enemies were continuously arriving. “Should I say Mo Jingqi truly considers me important enough?” Lin Han said, “In their eyes, Hongzhou will end in mutual destruction either way, so naturally capturing Your Highness is more important.” Most critically, they had learned from a captured commander that Mo Jingqi’s secret orders offered ten thousand taels of gold and three promotions for capturing the Crown Princess alive, or ten thousand taels for killing her. In comparison, the rewards for participating in the Hongzhou battle were negligible. Mo Hua looked at the four of them and said, “You escort the Princess to break through, we’ll hold these people back.”
Ye Li smiled bitterly and said with resignation, “Breaking through with just a few people would be nearly impossible now. Let’s go together.” Mo Hua paused, understanding the Princess spoke the truth – surrounded in this forest, trying to break through with just a few people would be suicide. Moreover, the Crown Princess was their primary target.
Ducking to avoid a soldier’s thrusting spear, Ye Li turned and effortlessly crushed his throat. The smell of blood in the air made her furrow her brows as she suppressed the urge to vomit.
“Crown Princess, please come out to talk!” A commander’s voice suddenly called from outside the forest. The attacking soldiers had received orders and stopped as well, though they kept wary eyes on their group. Ye Li stood behind the guards, her expression calm as she said indifferently, “Which general might you be?” The other party chuckled and said, “The Princess need not know that. We have no intention of harming Your Highness – we simply request that you come out, and we will immediately escort you back to the capital to recuperate.” Ye Li laughed coldly – such pretty words. After returning to the capital, all that awaited her would be endless house arrest and manipulation. They would use her to negotiate terms with Mo Xiuyao, nothing more. Moreover, now that she was with a child, she absolutely could not fall into Mo Jingqi’s hands. Given Mo Jingqi’s hatred for the Crown Prince’s household and jealousy of Mo Xiuyao, it was hard to imagine what he might do.
Seeing Ye Li’s silence, the other party grew impatient and said sternly, “Princess, we know His Highness the Crown Prince is currently leading troops here. So we cannot give Your Highness much time. If Your Highness cannot come out within an hour, please forgive our rudeness.” Wei Lin laughed coldly and said, “Since you know the Crown Prince is nearly here, how dare you treat the Princess so rudely – do you not value your lives?” The other party was silent for a moment before responding, “We eat the emperor’s grain and share his burdens. We have no choice in this matter. Please understand, Crown Princess.” What followed was a tense and heavy wait. Ye Li looked at the countless vigilant eyes watching them from not far away, gently stroking her flat abdomen with a smile that held both resignation and exhaustion. “Zhuo Jing, at this moment… I wonder how Hongzhou City fares?” Zhuo Jing said, “The first troops to arrive weren’t many – likely all were diverted to pursuing us. As long as nothing unexpected happens, the situation in Hongzhou should be proceeding as Your Highness planned.” Ye Li nodded with some satisfaction and smiled, “That’s good. At least… one side has won.” Lin Han asked in a low voice, “Princess, what should we do now?” Ye Li calmly raised her eyes and said quietly, “Breakthrough toward the southeast corner.”
Mo Hua’s brows drew together in worry as he said, “Princess’s condition…”
Ye Li gave a cold laugh, “If we fall into their hands, what do you think will happen?” Mo Hua fell silent. Perhaps just a Crown Princess in Mo Jingqi’s hands wouldn’t die or be used to threaten His Highness. But a Crown Princess carrying the future heir of the Crown Prince’s household in Mo Jingqi’s hands… that would be an absolute disaster, not just for the Crown Prince and Princess, but for the entire Mo Family army. After giving Ye Li a deep look, Mo Hua bowed to her with unprecedented respect and said, “We await Your Highness’s command.”
The southeast corner led into deep mountains, with much more treacherous terrain than other directions. Perhaps because of this, there were notably fewer guards on this side than the others – this was their only hope of breaking through. At Ye Li’s command, all the imperial guards charged toward that point together, showing no mercy as they cut down everything in their path. Behind them came furious shouts from outside the forest, “Kill them! Dead or alive, don’t let a single one escape!”
With this unstoppable momentum, the group managed to break through the encirclement, heading deeper into the mountains. However, only seven or eight imperial guards remained by their side, and everyone including Mo Hua and Zhuo Jing was covered in wounds. Only Ye Li, who they had protected in their midst, was without external injury, though she showed signs of fatigue.
The deep mountains were rarely visited by people – even with several thousand troops, finding a few people hiding in such vast forests would not be easy. By early the next morning, they had shaken off their pursuers, but they were also deep in the endless mountains with no clear path forward. They could only advance in a general direction. In both her past and present lives, Ye Li had never been in such a desperate situation. Though she had experienced far worse conditions in her previous life, that was when her body had been completely healthy. But now, due to her pregnancy, although it didn’t yet affect her movement, her spirit and strength were flagging. The first three months of pregnancy were already a dangerous period, unsuitable for too strenuous activity. Though it had only been a little over a day, Ye Li was already feeling some discomfort. She knew very clearly that if she wasn’t more careful, she might lose her first child.
They stopped at a hidden, relatively flat area, and the group ate some dried rations and drank water. Lin Han said, “As long as we don’t encounter more pursuers, we’ll be fine once we get out of here.” Wei Lin shook his head and said, “Though we don’t know our exact position, given this mountain range’s location, we’ll be far from His Highness and the Mo Family army no matter which direction we exit. And if we return the way we came… we’re likely to encounter pursuers.” Ye Li thought for a moment and said, “Lin Han, you go back alone to find His Highness.” Lin Han disagreed, saying, “If it’s just to seek help, sending an imperial guard would suffice. I can be of more help by staying here.” Ye Li shook her head and said, “No, the return journey will certainly be extremely dangerous. I’ll only be at ease if you, Zhuo Jing, or Wei Lin go back. Besides, here in the deep mountains, if we’re careful about hiding, the chance of encountering large groups of pursuers is small. Go quickly and return quickly… if something happens to the messenger on the way, no one will know we’re here. Then…” Wei Lin patted Lin Han’s shoulder and nodded. Lin Han looked at everyone, then had to nod and say, “Yes, I will find His Highness as quickly as possible!”
Ye Li nodded, “Be careful on your way.”
After sending Lin Han off, everyone rested temporarily in this relatively flat area. Ye Li sat beneath a large tree, leaning against the trunk and gazing at the sky through layers of leaves. A bitter, self-mocking smile lifted the corners of her lips: how truly desperate they were… In this world…
She knew she wasn’t strong enough. This was an age of cold weapons, and compared to true masters, her inner power wasn’t strong enough, and her lightness skills weren’t good enough. On the battlefield, compared to truly legendary generals, the military theory she had learned was useless. All she relied on was thinking completely differently from others. In this confrontation with the Prince of Southern Peace, though she seemed to have the upper hand, she knew clearly that with equal military strength and reserves, she would likely be utterly defeated within three months. She also understood that she could have chosen an easier, more comfortable way of life – as a woman, no one could say she was wrong. But… she ultimately couldn’t see herself completely as a weak woman of this era, staying at home contentedly enjoying silks and delicacies while men fought desperately outside. Even now, in such a desperate situation, she had no regrets. At least… she had done what she could, rather than staying in the capital waiting to be caught by Mo Jingqi and used as a piece to threaten her child’s father.
Supporting herself against the tree as she stood, Ye Li walked toward the campfire – early winter nights were already quite cold. The three imperial guards busy roasting meat and brewing soup quickly stood when they saw Ye Li approach. She waved her hand and said, “Everyone’s tired, no need for such formalities. Sit.” The imperial guards had never encountered such a master before and hesitantly looked toward Zhuo Jing, who was resting with closed eyes against a tree. With Mo Hua gone hunting, they could only seek guidance from Zhuo Jing, who had also once been an imperial guard. Noticing their glances, Zhuo Jing opened his eyes, looked at them, and said, “Follow the Princess’s orders.” Only then did the three sit back down, silently continuing their tasks, though more stiffly than before.
Ye Li smiled faintly, took a branch and stirred the fire, then took a roasted bird skewer and tossed it toward the tree branch where Wei Lin hung upside down. He caught it without a word and began eating, making Zhuo Jing in the next tree drool. “Princess…” Ye Li raised an eyebrow and tossed another skewer his way. Zhuo Jing cheered and happily began eating. Ye Li turned back to the imperial guards, who watched their interaction with surprised expressions and smiled, “Everyone’s hungry, eat first. We can cook more when Mo Hua and the others return.” Zhuo Jing spoke between bites of roasted meat, “I told you… I’d be faster at finding food than… the commander *cough cough* Mo Hua…”
The atmosphere gradually relaxed due to Ye Li, Zhuo Jing, and Wei Lin’s interactions. Ye Li forced herself to eat the greasy roasted meat despite the smoke and oil making her lose her appetite. One of the imperial guards looked at her and took out two fist-sized bright red wild fruits, offering them to Ye Li somewhat shyly, “We gathered these on the way. If Your Highness doesn’t mind, please eat these instead.” Ye Li smiled, took them, wiped them briefly, and took a bite. The slightly tart sweetness of the fruit immediately made her feel better, and she nodded at the guard with a smile, “Thank you.”
The guard blushed and hurriedly said it was nothing.
While eating the wild fruit and watching the imperial guards try to discreetly observe her with curiosity, Ye Li smiled faintly and asked softly, “You’ve been dragged into this – are you afraid?”
These imperial guards were all extremely young and talented. In the future, whether reorganized into the Black Cloud Riders, Mo Family army, or joining Qilin, they would have had limitless prospects. But this time, following her, almost all had sacrificed themselves.
“We’re not afraid!” declared the guard who had given Ye Li the fruit. “Dying loyally for Your Highness and His Highness is an imperial guard’s glory.”
“Nonsense,” Ye Li gently rebuked. “How can you think only of dying loyally without first seeking to live? If everyone dies, who will remain loyal to the Crown Prince’s household?” The three young men looked at Ye Li in confusion. What she said contradicted their education from childhood, making it difficult for them to understand. “Does Your Highness mean we should be cowards who desert in battle? Though we’re not the famous Black Cloud Riders or Mo Family army, we would never do such a thing.” The three young men disagreed with Ye Li’s words. Ye Li smiled and said, “Some deaths weigh as heavy as Mount Tai, others as light as a feather. To give up on life over small matters or attempt suicide over minor setbacks, even if done in the name of loyalty, is foolish loyalty. But if for the greater good, for ideals and beliefs, you’ve fought with all your might and can only sacrifice yourself in the end, then even in death and defeat you are truly a warrior.” The three young men pondered this thoughtfully. In these times, imperial guards and similar groups had an unwritten rule – many would commit suicide to atone for failing important missions. As imperial guards, they had naturally seen many such examples and even held such thoughts themselves. So while the deaths of their brothers protecting the Princess saddened them, they were also mentally prepared – if anything happened to the Princess, they would all commit suicide to atone. But hearing the Princess’s words, it seemed she felt their approach was incorrect.
“Princess… shouldn’t we die to atone for mistakes?”
Ye Li rolled her eyes toward heaven and asked, “If the person who made the mistake dies to atone, does the mistake cease to exist?”
“Then… what should we do?”
“Of course, you should strive to live and make amends for your mistakes. Taking the easy way out through death is cowardly,” Ye Li said firmly. The three young men pondered this for a long while, until one carefully asked, “Princess, um… is Qilin still recruiting?” Ye Li smiled warmly, “You know about Qilin?” All three nodded. Qilin wasn’t completely secret within the Mo Family army and the Crown Prince’s household. Compared to the hundreds of thousands of Mo Family troops scattered across various regions, the imperial guards naturally knew more. The three young men looked at Zhuo Jing and Wei Lin – one sitting, one hanging in nearby trees – with envy and longing in their eyes. They were all from similar backgrounds, some had even trained and grown up together. But now they seemed so different.
Ye Li tilted her head and smiled, “Of course. If you survive and return this time, I might be able to put in a good word with Qin Feng and give you a chance. However… you’ll have to convince Mo Hua yourselves?”
The three young men were overjoyed, their young faces shining with vibrant light, washing away their previous exhaustion and depression.
“Someone’s coming!” Zhuo Jing and Wei Lin simultaneously leaped down from their trees, landing beside Ye Li with alert expressions. The others quickly stood and prepared for battle.
Ye Li listened carefully and said gravely, “Two groups. One coming up from below the mountain, still far away. One coming down from above – it’s Mo Hua and the others.” The imperial guards behind her had already swiftly extinguished the fire, and in an instant Mo Hua arrived with several guards. Mo Hua said with a grim expression, “Just saw people coming up the mountain.” Ye Li frowned and said, “Going down is impossible, the base of the mountain is surrounded. Is there a path up?” Mo Hua said, “There’s a cliff at the mountaintop, with another peak completely separate from this side. If we could get across…”
“Can we make it?” Ye Li asked.
Mo Hua nodded slightly, “We can try.”
Ye Li let out a small breath and said gravely, “Let’s head up.”