Chapter 44

Shen Yu took advantage of the opportunity, lightly bumped into him and said, “I’ll be heading to the Beijing soon. After that, we may not have another chance to share a bed. If you don’t mind, how about tonight we…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Xie Tingzhou abruptly pulled away, not caring whether the people next door would notice, and walked out without looking back.

Suppressing a laugh, Shen Yu followed suit. This was too amusing.

A few guards from the escort bureau heard the sound of the door opening next door and came out to investigate. They happened to see the two of them coming out from the adjacent woodshed, the one in front looking solemn and the one behind with a smile on their face.

The guards looked embarrassed. “They must have heard us.”

“Most likely.”

“How did they end up here?”

One of them pondered for a moment and said, “Don’t you understand? Different places, different experiences. Look at the one in front, he must be angry that their intimate moment was interrupted.”

“But I saw Mr. Shi smiling.”

“I know, I know,” said the one who had knocked on the door earlier, his face mysterious. “When I knocked on the door this morning, I overheard Mr. Shi complaining that he had been too indulgent last night. He’s probably feeling overwhelmed now that we’ve spoiled his plans, hence the smile on his face.”

As the others listened to his analysis, they all found it quite reasonable.

Shen Yu followed closely behind Xie Tingzhou. Xie Tingzhou stepped into the room first but stopped, turned around to hold the door, and teasingly said, “Since you desire me so much, I’m afraid you might not be able to control yourself. How about you spend the night outside the door?”

With a smirk on his lips, he disappeared behind the door, leaving Shen Yu staring dumbfounded at the closed door. She had tried to take advantage verbally, but Xie Tingzhou seemed prepared to make her suffer physically.

Indeed, old habits die hard.

She raised her hand to knock on the door and whispered, “I’ll definitely be able to control myself.”

“How can I be sure of that?” Xie Tingzhou’s voice came from behind the door.

Shen Yu raised her hand again, and Xie Tingzhou’s voice sounded once more.

“If you knock again, I’ll chop off your hand.”

Disappointed, Shen Yu withdrew her hand with a sigh. After all, he was the crown prince.

She comforted herself with the thought that she had slept in dilapidated temples before, spending a night at an inn’s doorstep wouldn’t hurt. The guards were supposed to keep watch anyway, she reasoned.

She lifted her skirt and sat down at the door, leaning back. Suddenly, the door behind her was pulled open.

Xie Tingzhou had just opened the door when he saw her sprawled on the ground, looking up at him in a daze.

“Are you not coming in yet?”

…

After another seven days of travel, the convoy finally arrived in Shengjing on the eve of the New Year.

However, it was already late, and the city gates were closed. They could only wait until morning to enter the city.

Many others were also stranded outside the city walls, where bonfires illuminated the area.

The convoy found a spot to camp for the night, setting up tents and woodpiles expertly.

The crackling of the bonfire filled the air, and sparks flew like a drizzle in the night wind.

Shen Yu sat by the fire, lost in thought.

A few months ago, when she woke up, she was filled with joy, thinking she could save her father and brother. Now she realized how naive that idea was.

She couldn’t change their fate. There was a huge, unseen force manipulating everything behind the scenes.

Looking towards the city gates, she knew that once she stepped into Shengjing, all the ease and comfort would come to an end. She would soon face a battle of life and death.

She could follow her brother’s advice, give up on revenge, and live a peaceful life. With her mother’s dowry and the support of the Lu family, she could live comfortably no matter how she squandered her life.

But she couldn’t.

The blood debt of her father and brother must be repaid with someone’s life.

Beside her, the dry grass rustled as Xie Tingzhou sat down next to her.

“Have you been to Shengjing before?” Xie Tingzhou asked.

Shen Yu poked at the fire with a stick. “I used to come with the Young General every time.”

Xie Tingzhou heard the melancholy in her words and pondered for a moment before saying, “If you want to return to the General’s residence, I’ll let you go.”

Shen Yu shook her head. “I won’t go. General Shen and the Young General are gone. I failed to protect them, and I can’t face the Shen family again.”

Xie Tingzhou stared silently into the campfire.

“Are you trying to drive me away?” Shen Yu suddenly asked, turning her head towards him.

Xie Tingzhou glanced at her, his eyes deep.

He said solemnly, “Once we pass through that gate tomorrow, everything will change. Shengjing is not a good place.”

It was like a prison.

Since the day he decided to march out, he had been trapped inside.

The suspicious Emperor would not tolerate the rise of the vassal kings. That battle had saved thousands of lives but had also shown how powerful Beilin was to Shengjing.

The Emperor had issued three edicts summoning him to the capital, intending to keep him as a hostage to restrain the King Beilin.

Shen Yu’s face flushed from the heat of the fire. She thought to stand up to cool off, but as she rose, her hand was caught by Xie Tingzhou.

“Shi Yu,” Xie Tingzhou gazed at the fire. “We’ve been together all this way, so I’ll give you a chance. What exactly is your purpose in staying by my side?”

Shen Yu opened her mouth but hesitated. “If I tell you, will you believe me?”

Xie Tingzhou released her hand and looked towards the looming city walls in the distance. “Tell me now, and I’ll believe you. Once we pass through that gate, I won’t trust anyone.”

Shen Yu’s heart wavered slightly. She sat back down, organizing her thoughts for a moment before saying, “General Shen and the Major General were family to me, the closest people in the world to me. Now, with only the General’s wife and daughter left in the Shen family, it falls on me to seek revenge for them.”

Xie Tingzhou stared into her eyes.

Shen Yu met his gaze firmly. “You’re the person closest to the top of power that I can currently access. You could say I’m using you to achieve my goals, or you could say I willingly let myself be used by you. As long as I can make those people pay for their blood debt, my life is yours.”

There was a flicker of fire in her eyes, burning with undisguised hatred and unwavering determination.

He saw everything in those eyes that spoke volumes. In that moment, Xie Tingzhou felt like he could see through her.

He let out a slow breath. “Shengjing is full of tricks and deception. One misstep, and you’ll die in a conspiracy. Once the arrow is released from the bow, there’s no turning back. This is your last easy night.”

From his tone, Xie Tingzhou seemed determined to keep her by his side.

Shen Yu still had many questions, about how the Qingyun Guards had learned of Yanliang Pass’s distress signal and where Liang Jianfang was now.

She didn’t believe that Xie Tingzhou, with his keen mind, would let Liang Jianfang be killed.

Shen Yu: “Liang Jian—”

The conversation abruptly stopped when they heard footsteps, and both turned their heads simultaneously.

He Xuehui waved her hands repeatedly. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I just wanted to talk to Mr. Shi.”

“What about?” Shen Yu asked.

Whether it was from the firelight or not, He Xuehui’s face reddened slightly. She fidgeted with her skirt nervously. “Could we talk privately?”

Shen Yu looked at Xie Tingzhou. “Can you handle yourself?”

Now that they were in Shengjing, they had to be cautious.

Xie Tingzhou nodded. “Go ahead.”

Shen Yu followed He Xuehui, who walked on, looking anxious and unsure how to begin.