Chapter 90: The System

The operation to suppress the bandits concluded swiftly. Over two thousand bandits were either killed or captured. Bai Choushen, the master of Baihu Villa, fled eastward with the princess to join the rebel leader Zhang Xiaoshi.

When the young overseer accompanying Murong Qingshan to suppress the bandits heard the news, he exclaimed anxiously, “How could the princess associate with these bandits? They are ruthless and commit every atrocity imaginable! Following them is akin to seeking death!”

The officers present all avoided eye contact, remaining silent.

Murong Qingshan had no choice but to speak. “His Highness the Crown Prince is absolutely right. It must be that the princess was misled by malicious lies and mistakenly trusted these treacherous rebels, which led to one misstep after another.”

Yuwen Xiu furrowed his brows. “Before I left the palace, Father repeatedly urged me to carefully persuade the princess if I saw her, hoping she would repent so our family could reunite. But now, with this situation, how am I supposed to report back to Father?”

Murong Qingshan quickly offered comfort. “This is due to our failure to act swiftly, allowing Bai Choushen to seize the opportunity to abduct the princess. We are ashamed before Your Highness and the Emperor. Please punish us!”

Yuwen Xiu shook his head. “This isn’t entirely your fault. Even Bai Yichun, the second-in-command of the Beizhen Fusi, and Lu Jin, the deputy commander, fell here. Clearly, this group is not mere rabble. Furthermore, with court officials defecting to join the bandits, this matter is far more complex than it appears. Unfortunately, the princess is now in their lair, and I fear her fate may be grim.”

Murong Qingshan responded, “Your Highness is compassionate. However, if this news reaches the palace and the Emperor finds out the princess is missing, he will surely be enraged. We are truly terrified.”

Yuwen Xiu sighed. “Report it as it is. When we arrived, Bai Yichun had just breathed his last. For a mere bandit hideout to take down such a high-ranking official—it’s almost unbelievable unless seen with one’s own eyes.”

Murong Qingshan breathed a sigh of relief. “Fortunately, Your Highness witnessed it yourself. Otherwise, we wouldn’t know how to explain this to the Emperor.”

After some thought, Yuwen Xiu added, “We were tasked with suppressing the bandits, but finding the princess was originally Bai Yichun’s responsibility. Now that he is gone, we can only report to my father and await further orders.”

“In that case,” Murong Qingshan interjected, “we should escort Your Highness back to the palace immediately.”

Yuwen Xiu refused. “Yinzhou is in chaos. The bandits wreak havoc, and the local officials are incompetent. The people are suffering. The county assistant has joined the bandits, and the magistrate has fled in fear of punishment, leaving only a registrar behind. I will stay for a few days to assist in stabilizing the situation and will return to the capital once the new magistrate arrives.”

Murong Qingshan felt a headache coming on. Though Yuwen Xiu claimed to stay for the people, he clearly intended to linger for leisure.

He hurriedly advised, “Your Highness, this is inadvisable! Yinzhou is in turmoil, with bandits lurking in the mountains, waiting to strike. If anything were to happen, even ten heads of mine wouldn’t suffice to atone! Please, return to the palace as soon as possible!”

Yuwen Xiu, displeased, said, “My decision is made. I will explain it to Father myself. You need not worry.”

Murong Qingshan had no choice but to fall silent.

With the Crown Prince refusing to leave, Murong Qingshan had to stay as well, sending a secret report to the Emperor about the suppression of the bandits while ensuring the prince’s safety.

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Bai Yichun’s death brought some relief to Pear Blossom.

However, Murong Qingshan’s penetrating gaze during their parting left her feeling uneasy. What was supposed to be a quiet elimination had now dragged Murong Jin into the mix. She had no idea how the Murong family would react.

Watching Pear Blossom pace back and forth anxiously, Murong Jin remarked, “What are you so worried about? My uncle allowed us to leave, which means this matter is settled. Even if they investigate, it has little to do with us.”

“That may be true…”

“Stop dithering. That’s not like you.” Murong Jin dismissed her concerns. Since learning of her own origins, she knew she could no longer remain uninvolved. Her junior sister, however, was still in the dark.

Her uncle had arrived in Jinyang the night before and met with her father. He likely knew everything already. Whatever actions he decided to take were beyond her control.

Murong Jin preferred not to dwell on matters she couldn’t influence.

Judging by her uncle’s demeanor, he seemed to have a plan. That was reassurance enough.

Pear Blossom couldn’t help but ask, “With Bai Yichun dead and news of the princess’s escape spreading, does this mean Jinyang is safe now?”

Murong Jin shook her head. “Uncle sent someone to inform my father that their forces will remain in Jinyang for a while to assist in stabilizing the area.”

Her uncle had instructed them not to reveal the Crown Prince’s presence to avoid unnecessary complications. After some thought, Murong Jin decided not to share this with Pear Blossom.

“When will they leave?” Pear Blossom pondered, calculating the time. She wondered if her sister would return once the troops were gone.

“It’s uncertain—perhaps a few days, or it could take a month or two.”

Hearing this, Pear Blossom frowned. If they genuinely stayed to assist the people, that would be fine. But if they continued investigating her sister, her return would be even further delayed.

But what could she do? It was beyond her control.

For the past few days, she frequented the Dart Bureau, ostensibly to train with Murong Jin but primarily to gather information about when the Beizhen Fusi troops might leave.

What she hadn’t anticipated was the young overseer who had accompanied Murong Qingshan deciding to stay at Longwei Dart Bureau instead of the inn or government office.

Not only that, but he hovered around her and Murong Jin every day.

Encountering him repeatedly over the past few days had left her utterly exasperated.

Yuwen Xiu watched the two people sparring on the martial arts field, unable to take his eyes off them.

The young eunuch standing nearby couldn’t help but mutter quietly, “Your Highness, you’ve been watching for three days straight. Doesn’t this endless fighting make you feel bored?”

Yuwen Xiu shot him a displeased look. “What do you know!”

His eyes were fixed firmly on Pear Blossom, and a hint of admiration flashed in his gaze.

When the two finished their sparring and came down from the arena, he couldn’t help but applaud and praise them. “A woman’s prowess is no less than a man’s. These extraordinary women, like you two, are what this phrase is all about.”

Murong Jin, knowing Yuwen Xiu’s high status, didn’t say much. He just smiled and said, “You’re too kind, young master. These days, anyone can encounter all sorts of people while escorting goods. If someone doesn’t have some skill, they wouldn’t last long. Not only would they fail to protect the client’s cargo, but their own life would also be at risk.”

Pear Blossom didn’t recognize him. She only thought that although this young military commander looked fair and clean, resembling her teacher, the teacher’s demeanor was scholarly and calm, whereas this man, though well-mannered in appearance, had a somewhat frivolous air about him, which was far less admirable than her teacher’s.

He was accompanied by a pale, beardless servant, his back hunched, making it seem as though he had never stood upright.

Pear Blossom didn’t like this kind of mannerism at all, so she couldn’t be bothered to be polite. She threw her weapon onto the rack and turned to leave.

She thought to herself that she hadn’t seen Fubao for several days, so she would go buy some fun little toys on the way to meet her.

Yuwen Xiu, as the crown prince, had never been ignored to this extent. He wasn’t angry but rather intrigued. The more the girl ignored him, the more he became eager to pursue her. He caught up to her and said, “Pear Blossom—Miss Pear Blossom—wait, are you in such a hurry to leave?”

Pear Blossom glanced at him with some impatience and said, “Is there something you need? If not, I’m leaving.”

The servant, seeing Pear Blossom’s attitude, scolded her, “What kind of attitude is that?”

Pear Blossom rolled her eyes. “What attitude? Can’t I speak like this? What, do you want to stop me?”

Yuwen Xiu quickly stopped the eunuch and smiled. “Miss Pear Blossom has her business to attend to, how could we stop her? It’s just that I was so impressed by your extraordinary skills just now. If you have the time, would you mind teaching me a thing or two?”

Pear Blossom frowned at the man in front of her, about to speak, when suddenly the system’s voice rang out in her mind: “Host, agree to him!”

The unexpected voice made Pear Blossom pause for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure and asked, “Why?”

The system replied, “This person will greatly help in completing our task. Agree to him and pursue him!”

Hearing the system’s words, Pear Blossom narrowed her eyes slightly and then said to Yuwen Xiu, “My skills were taught to me by my master and senior sister. If you want to learn, go directly to my master. I’ve only just started learning; I’d be a bad teacher. Well, I have things to do, so I’ll take my leave.”

With that, she led her horse out of the escort agency and turned to leave.

Yuwen Xiu stood there, watching her retreating figure, unable to regain his senses for a long time.

On horseback, the system’s voice was unusually excited, questioning, “Host, why did you refuse to complete the task of pursuing him?”

Pear Blossom sneered, her tone resolute, “I dislike the way he looks at me. I want to pursue someone else.”

The system made a jumbled noise, as if frustrated and helpless. “Host, if you keep refusing to cooperate, it will be very difficult for us to complete the task!”

“Is that so?” Pear Blossom raised an eyebrow, her tone dismissive. “You should know why I’m not cooperating. Before I find my sister, I won’t do any tasks.”

Seeing her firmness, the system reluctantly conceded, “Host, as long as you complete this pursuit, I promise I will fully help you find the princess and will not hide anything.”

Pear Blossom sneered, her face full of scorn. “Now you’re finally admitting that you’ve been hiding something? But I’m telling you, there’s no way I’ll pursue this man!”

“You—” The system was furious, its voice trembling with agitation. “Host, you better not disobey my orders, or I will restrict your personal freedom and block your physical functions!”

Pear Blossom sighed softly, her tone filled with disappointment and helplessness. “I always thought the system and the host worked together, but why has it turned into self-destructive conflict now?”

The system’s voice was cold. “That’s because you’re not listening.”

Pear Blossom laughed bitterly with anger, “Why should I listen to a system that deceived me from the start?”

The system’s electromagnetic noise buzzed, as if it was hiding something. “No matter what I do, it’s all for the sake of completing the task.”

Pear Blossom stood her ground. “Unfortunately, your goal is not my goal. When we first bound, I made it clear. If you want me to pursue a man and become the crown prince’s concubine to save my life, I’d rather have jumped off the building back then. You agreed to my terms, and that’s why I bound with you. Since you’ve broken the agreement from the beginning, our contract no longer holds!”

The system’s voice was stunned. “How… how did you know that man was the crown prince?”

Pear Blossom snorted. “I didn’t know until just now, but now I’m sure. And you’re too careless. You’ve let things slip more than once, even encouraged me to head north to the capital (Beijing), without caring about my sister’s life. I’ve added enough points to my wisdom attribute, I couldn’t have missed it.”

The system replied, “Well, it’s no use. We’re already bound. You have no choice but to obey me! From now on, if you don’t follow my orders, I will take forceful measures to restrict your body!”

“Then just wait for your task to fail completely!” Pear Blossom said, pulling the reins and riding swiftly back home.

However, just as the horse took two steps, she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of weakness wash over her. In an instant, all the strength left her body, and she could no longer hold onto the reins. She fell off the horse.