Chapter 109: The Past

Evening.

After her bath, Pear Blossom came out to find Fubao lying perfectly fine on the bed, but its position had shifted from the middle to the inside.

She didn’t dare overthink it and, after turning off the light, obediently lay down beside Dong Yun, preparing herself to fall asleep.

Unexpectedly, Dong Yun reached for something beside her pillow, handed it to her, and asked, “What is this?”

Pear Blossom had deliberately left it by the bedside for her to find, so she calmly replied, “This is a farsight device. I meant to tell you about it last night, but it was too late then.”

“Where did it come from?”

Having spent a day in the cave, Dong Yun had already figured out the device’s secret of enabling distant vision.

Pear Blossom shook her head. “I found it in the mountains of Baoxi Village some days ago. I don’t know who lost it, but even if I did, I wouldn’t plan to return it.”

Then, hesitating, she asked, “Would you think this behavior of mine improper?”

Dong Yun chuckled lightly. “That depends on who lost it. Besides, it’s been several months since you picked it up, and no one has come looking for it. Perhaps heaven intended it for you.”

Pear Blossom smiled. “I think so too. With this, whether it’s dealing with bandits or the Beizhen Fusi, our chances of success have greatly increased.”

Dong Yun hummed in agreement, feeling a bit of joy in her heart, then asked what Pear Blossom had done today.

Pear Blossom answered truthfully and added, “Master agreed to help me find weapons, but for now, he can only acquire a small quantity. Getting more seems difficult.”

Dong Yun asked, “Why not seek out Zuo Qi? He’s in the military camp now, and it should be easier to obtain equipment from him than from the head escort.”

Pear Blossom hesitated before saying, “I noticed you don’t seem willing to interact with Master Zuo Qi, so I thought I’d wait for definite news from Master Murong before bringing it up.”

Dong Yun then turned to face her, asking, “Do you know whose man Zuo Qi is?”

Pear Blossom, puzzled, said, “Wasn’t he someone you commanded in the past?”

Dong Yun shook her head. “He’s someone of the Eldest Princess.”

Pear Blossom froze for a moment. She had always thought Zuo Qi was one of Dong Yun’s former subordinates and that Dong Yun avoided meeting him because of her constant evasion. She hadn’t expected Zuo Qi to be under the Eldest Princess.

“Why do you reject people associated with the Eldest Princess?” Pear Blossom cautiously asked. Dong Yun had never shared any of the royal family’s affairs with her. Outsiders often said that the Eldest Princess of Xisai was Dong Yun’s biological aunt. Having remained unmarried and childless all her life, she should have been the one to love Dong Yun the most. Yet, despite years of fleeing, Dong Yun had never considered seeking refuge in the west.

Pear Blossom wanted to know the reason behind it!

Of course, if Dong Yun was unwilling to explain, she didn’t need to know.

Dong Yun exhaled deeply. “Some things should have been told to you long ago.”

“The Eldest Princess, Yuwen Ying; my father, the Emperor; and my Fifth Aunt, Princess Huajung, Yuwen Hui, were all born of my royal grandmother. In the early years, the three siblings shared a harmonious and loving bond.”

At this point, her voice suddenly changed. “But Yuwen Ying committed the unforgivable—she took advantage of my Fifth Aunt while drunk and robbed her of her dignity…”

Hearing this, Pear Blossom’s mind began buzzing.

The Eldest Princess and the Huajung Princess weren’t…

“My father treated my two aunts very well. He even conferred the title of Xisai King upon the Eldest Princess, granting her a fief as a woman—a rare honor that demonstrated his affection for her.”

“When the Eldest Princess went to her fief, my Fifth Aunt begged to go with her, but she refused… Not long after arriving at her fief, my Fifth Aunt hastily married the second son of the Duke of Qingguo. That son was already frail, and my aunt became a widow within two months of her marriage.”

“Later, when Yuwen Jing ascended the throne, he sought to force the Eldest Princess to surrender Xisai’s military authority, ordering her to return to the Beijing for debriefing. He promised to allow Princess Huajung to leave the Beijing. The Eldest Princess feigned illness and did not return. Enraged, Yuwen Jing decreed a second marriage for my aunt, who had been widowed for six years, to the powerful minister, General Wei.”

At this point, Pear Blossom asked, “Is it because of the Eldest Princess’s betrayal of your aunt that you disdain her?”

Dong Yun sneered. “Everyone claims the Eldest Princess had no choice, that she stayed in Xisai to preserve my father’s lineage from being exterminated in the future; that her refusal to return to the Beijing stemmed from Yuwen Jing being a hypocrite whose promises couldn’t be trusted. If she returned, she’d lose everything, soldiers and land alike.”

“They all say I’m ignorant, that I don’t understand the Eldest Princess’s sacrifices, and that I’m foolish for refusing to seek refuge in Xisai despite my dire straits.”

“Perhaps those are her reasons,” Dong Yun continued, her tone growing colder. “But what I cannot accept is that vile woman, Li Yue’e, being in Xisai.”

Pear Blossom’s heart tightened. She quickly asked, “Who is Li Yue’e?”

“The daughter of General Li Hao, the court-appointed military leader stationed in Xisai.”

“And what’s the relationship between the Eldest Princess and this Li Yue’e? Does the Eldest Princess care deeply for her?”

Dong Yun scoffed. “This Li Yue’e is the woman my aunt, the Eldest Princess, once admired. The night she got drunk, she mistook my Fifth Aunt for her!”

Pear Blossom was speechless for a moment. After a while, she said, “Since she’s the daughter of the Xisai garrison commander, isn’t it possible that the Eldest Princess has to maintain appearances with Li Yue’e to gain the General’s favor?”

Dong Yun replied, “That’s what others might think. But when I was young, I visited the Eldest Princess’s residence and saw Li Yue’e’s portrait in her study. The truth is, their relationship has long been no secret.

“She can be with whomever she likes—that’s her business. But they should never have dragged my Fifth Aunt into it! My aunt’s remarriage to General Wei and her eventual exile to marry into the Qiang tribe were all orchestrated by that venomous woman, Li Yue’e. I know this for a fact, so how could the Eldest Princess not?”

“Since you already know, instead of thinking about rescuing your own younger sister from misery, you’ve stayed hidden in Xisai and refused to come out, even treating Li Yue’e’s son as if he were your own! You turned a blind eye to my fifth aunt’s suffering and hardships—how do you expect me to endure this?”

Pear Blossom felt her anger and quickly grasped her hand, saying, “What about Li Yue’e’s husband? How could he allow such things to happen between them?”

Dong Yun replied irritably, “Her husband died long ago. She’s just a foul widow. Hmph, Yuwen Ying seems to have a taste for such women.”

Hearing this, Pear Blossom couldn’t help but find her emotions shift from sorrow to a mix of grief and amusement. Her elder sister was clearly enraged, so much so that her words dragged both their fifth aunt and Yuwen Ying into her scolding.

Still seething, Dong Yun continued, “I refuse to go to Xisai precisely because I don’t want to see that venomous woman. Even if I were to die elsewhere, I wouldn’t seek shelter under those treacherous women!”

As she spoke, memories of her harsh experiences and her disappointment in the princess filled her with tremors of anger.

Heart aching for her sister, Pear Blossom embraced her tightly and said, “Don’t worry, sister. You don’t need their shelter. You have me. Together, we can live well.”

Feeling the warmth of Pear Blossom’s embrace, Dong Yun’s rage lessened slightly. She began explaining in a calmer tone, “Fubao is the child of our fifth aunt and General Wei. Although General Wei was Yuwen Jing’s trusted subordinate, he wasn’t entirely bad. The two of them accidentally fell into Li Yue’e’s trap and consumed a love potion… Later, General Wei asked Yuwen Jing for permission to marry my fifth aunt. To curry favor with General Wei, Yuwen Jing agreed and used the opportunity to coerce the princess into returning to the Beijing. Unsurprisingly, the princess refused.”

Pear Blossom asked, “What happened to General Wei afterward?”

“He died falling from his horse,” Dong Yun replied. “A seasoned general dying from a horse fall—it’s simply absurd. Ever since then, people have claimed my aunt is cursed, but who really knows the truth?”

“If it was truly Li Yue’e’s doing, she must have hated your fifth aunt deeply,” Pear Blossom said, a fleeting suspicion surfacing in her mind before vanishing.

Dong Yun sneered, “It’s nothing but the princess indulging a jealous woman’s antics. Only Yuwen Ying could tolerate her. Three years ago, when the Qiang tribe invaded, General Wei died in battle. To negotiate peace, Yuwen Jing exploited my aunt once again, sending her north for a political marriage. Naturally, that woman had her hand in it as well.”

Pear Blossom asked, “Didn’t they know your fifth aunt was already pregnant with Fubao at the time?”

Dong Yun shook her head. “Knowing she was targeted by that serpent, my aunt realized her life would never be peaceful. After her husband’s death, she foresaw trouble and concealed her pregnancy to spare the child from future harm. Yet, just as she faced the devastating news of a political marriage, I was also imprisoned by the Beizhen Fusi. She made a deal with Yuwen Jing—release me, or she’d end her life, destroying his plans completely.”

“At that time, since the Qiang tribe specifically requested my aunt for the marriage, Yuwen Jing dared not act recklessly. Thinking it wouldn’t be difficult to capture me again later, he agreed to her terms and released me.”

“Claiming her mourning period wasn’t yet over, my aunt delayed as much as she could, secretly giving birth to Fubao and entrusting the child to me. With Grand Chancellor Xie’s help, I fled the Beijing.”

“You know the rest. My aunt went to marry into the Qiang tribe, but Yuwen Jing didn’t keep his promise and continued to pursue me.”

“And the princess? She remained comfortably seated in Xisai, feigning ignorance of everything that transpired in the Beijing.”

“People say she had her reasons for enduring it all, but think about it—if a woman can’t even protect her own sister, how could I dare hope she’d protect me?”

At last, Pear Blossom pieced together the hidden truths behind Dong Yun’s past and felt profound sorrow for her sister’s suffering and the tragedy of their fifth aunt, who had loved her so dearly.

“Your fifth aunt must have been breathtakingly beautiful,” Pear Blossom stated firmly.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been endlessly exploited, remarried, and later singled out by the Qiang tribe for marriage.

And she wouldn’t have aroused such venomous hatred from Li Yue’e.

Hearing her mention Yuwen Hui, Dong Yun’s eyes grew warm with tears. Sniffling, she said, “My fifth aunt was the most beautiful woman in the world and the best aunt anyone could have.”

Listening to her trembling voice, Pear Blossom saw not the distant, cold moon she usually associated with her sister, but a deeply wounded young woman who had endured so much pain.

Holding her tightly, Pear Blossom reassured her, “Don’t worry, sister. Heaven always protects good people. She’s surely safe now. When our situation improves, we’ll go to the Qiang tribe and bring her home, alright?”

Dong Yun didn’t know if this dream could ever come true, but the words filled her with a sliver of hope. She softly replied, “Alright.”

Pear Blossom then asked, “I once heard rumors that Yuwen Jing seized the throne unjustly and forced your mother to her death. Is that true?”

Dong Yun nodded. “My father’s death remains suspicious to this day. After ascending the throne, Yuwen Jing coveted my mother’s beauty and wanted to take his brother’s wife. Refusing to endure his humiliation, my mother took her own life by ramming into a pillar.”

Pear Blossom’s heart clenched. Compared to the hardships she had endured with the Xiang family, her sister’s youth had been far more harrowing and heart-wrenching.

“Sister, believe me. One day, I will personally sever Yuwen Jing’s head, avenge your father and mother, and bring justice for you and our fifth aunt.”

Dong Yun pressed her forehead against Pear Blossom’s, her tears burning hot. “Sister believes in you.”

“And as for Li Yue’e, she’ll suffer the consequences and meet a miserable end.”

Dong Yun stroked her head, tilting her chin to seal her lips with a kiss.

Of course, she wasn’t willing to place all her hopes on her young lover’s shoulders. This burden was hers to carry and her responsibility alone.

Now that the world was in chaos, wasn’t this also her chance?

She had an inexplicable feeling that the girl beside her might truly be her destined lucky star, and everything she had imagined might actually come true one by one.