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“Do you think that even he believes this…”
The western storage room was under the watch of the royal secret guards, ensuring that no major incidents would occur. The guards had responded promptly when the assassins arrived.
Initially, they assumed the attack was an attempt to rescue him, but to their surprise, the intruders came for Yun Chu’s life instead.
Though nothing ultimately went wrong, the peculiarity of the situation prompted them to report to Li Yunli immediately.
By the time Li Yunli arrived, Yun Chu had already been placed on a chair outside the storage room. His body was leaning against the table, breathing heavily, drenched in cold sweat, and looking extremely weak.
She felt a slight tug at her heart and quietly turned to ask Shi Qi, “Is he injured?”
“No,” Shi Qi answered in a low voice. “I was worried something might go wrong when you saw him, so I gave him the same medicine we used before.”
Li Yunli turned to him, her voice filled with doubt. “What medicine?”
Shi Qi was momentarily stunned, hesitating before answering, “It’s called ‘Breaking Army’.”
Li Yunli wasn’t familiar with the name, but she quickly realized it must be a remnant of her body’s previous owner.
She let out a soft “Mm” to indicate her understanding.
Seeing Yun Chu in such visible distress, she suspected the medicine must have had a powerful effect.
She furrowed her brows.
The ropes on Yun Chu’s wrists had already been untied under the secret guards’ supervision. His hands rested weakly on his abdomen, his face pale, brows tightly knit, and lips so colorless they nearly blended with his skin.
He was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday, though the hem was now smudged with dirt.
Li Yunli remembered that he was afraid of the cold, yet he wasn’t even wearing an outer robe. She wasn’t sure if his trembling was due to the effects of the medicine or the chill in the air.
The sun was not warm today, and he looked rather pitiful.
Li Yunli was slightly surprised by her own sympathy, but she slowly stepped forward nonetheless.
Sensing someone approaching, Yun Chu struggled to open his eyes.
Bloodshot and weary, his gaze shifted from guarded to shocked, then to something like relief when he saw Li Yunli.
He pressed a hand against the table for support but did not stand up. Instead, he dropped to his knees.
“Your Highness.”
His voice was weak and hoarse as he looked up at her.
Li Yunli stood on the steps, looking down at him from above, her face expressionless. “Do you know who wants you dead?”
After a night of cooling down, she was no longer as furious as she had been the night before.
Now, looking at him felt like evaluating an item of value—one that still held use but could also pose a threat.
Yun Chu silently shook his head, his eyes filled with desperate hope.
Li Yunli studied him.
His lips trembled slightly as he spoke, his voice raspy. “Your Highness, I never meant to deceive you…”
Hearing him revert to the submissive self-address of “slave,” Li Yunli’s gaze lowered slightly, but she did not respond.
Yun Chu’s throat tightened. The numbing pain from the medicine in his abdomen suddenly felt distant and insignificant.
He knew very well that Li Yunli had not come to hear his pleas.
The long princess of Chu was sharp and ruthless—if something held no value, she would discard it without hesitation.
This was his only chance. A rare, fleeting opportunity.
Taking a deep breath, he gathered his strength and spoke.
“I do know Gongliang Chong, but I have not seen him in years. I could not be certain if he was friend or foe, so I dared not admit it…”
Li Yunli lifted her chin slightly, silently permitting him to continue.
After a night of captivity, Yun Chu had pieced things together.
Gongliang Chong had once been known as a benevolent official who cared for the people. He had orchestrated last night’s incident, intending to use Li Yunli’s hand to kill him.
Yet there was one thing Yun Chu still could not understand.
If Gongliang Chong feared he would rebel and bring suffering to the people, if he wanted to kill him to protect them—then why had he turned to banditry, seizing Yongzhou for himself?
“Your Highness, they only wish to take in the people, not to oppose the court. Gongliang Chong has no hostility toward you—the only person he wants dead is me.”
Right now, his survival depended on proving his worth.
Even if she would eventually abandon him, she could not do so now!
Li Yunli’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “Gongliang Chong sent men to kill you?”
Her voice was laced with sarcasm, her amusement evident. “Yun Chu, give me a reason.”
“Gongliang Chong was the Left Chancellor of Wei. When Wei fell, I was the only surviving member of the royal family.”
Yun Chu spoke slowly, each word taking effort. “Your Highness can investigate—Gongliang Chong was known for his integrity and devotion to the people. The Wei royal family was fiercely proud. Gongliang Chong feared I would one day rise and bring disaster upon the common folk…”
“Yun Chu, are you telling me that a Wei official tried to assassinate you for the sake of Chu’s people?”
Li Yunli’s voice was icy.
“No, not just that.” Yun Chu pressed his voice lower and forced himself to sit straighter. “He is a man of Wei, Your Highness. Even if his heart is vast, why would the people of Chu trust him? If the second-in-command of the Yongzhou rebels is Gongliang Chong, then that means their true leader must be someone with the ability to win the people’s trust.”
Finishing his words, Yun Chu exhaled heavily, clutching his abdomen as he coughed.
Li Yunli narrowed her eyes. She knew he was a cunning speaker and a master of deception, but she still reminded him coldly:
“Last night, Gongliang Chong called you ‘Young Master’ and asked you to go with him.”
“…Yes.”
Yun Chu lowered his gaze.
It was a conspiracy. A deliberate framing.
But the most painful truth—the one he refused to acknowledge—was that Li Yunli had no trust in him whatsoever.
Whatever faint compassion she might have felt had been completely eroded after last night.
Seeing him fall silent, Li Yunli stepped up onto the platform, looming over him. “Even Gongliang Chong believes the Wei royal family is either dead or waiting to restore their kingdom.”
She lifted his chin with her fingers, her voice colder than ever.
“If even he thinks so, then should I not kill you now to eliminate any future threats?”
Yun Chu was forced to tilt his head back, his eyes shutting in pain.
She had spoken the truth he dared not voice.
The only way he could earn her sympathy was if she believed he had no intention of revenge.
But the truth was, if he ever showed the slightest intent of reclaiming his past, she would have him executed without hesitation.
Yet what right did a sinner, stained in blood, have to beg for trust from the one he had hurt?
His lashes quivered, and in the next instant, Li Yunli felt something warm touch her fingertips.
She froze slightly.
She rarely saw a grown man shed tears.
Yun Chu forced his eyes open, his voice trembling. “If today, I tell Your Highness everything as it is… can I earn even the slightest trust? Just enough to spare my life?”
The last words were whispered, barely audible.
Li Yunli’s gaze grew complicated.
She had never intended to kill him—he was the protagonist of this world.
But his sincerity was too real, as though he had truly poured his heart into it.
It wasn’t an act.
It was the genuine desperation of a man clinging to life.
“…Speak.”