Chapter 46: The Gamble of the Past

Li Yunli really liked him like this…

The downfall of the Great Chu Dynasty spanned two winters.

The first was in the ninth year of Yuanhe, during the first snowfall. On that snowy night, Yun Chu stormed the royal court, trapping and slaughtering the young emperor Li Han and the remaining loyalists of Chu.

The second was in the eighth year of Yuanhe when Yun Chu declared himself the King of Wei in the south.

By then, Chu was already in decline—its government in disarray, besieged by internal strife and external threats, standing on the brink of collapse.

Among all its enemies, the gravest threat was Yun Chu in the south.

The old Wei Kingdom had its territories in the north, and everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Yun Chu’s formidable army, gathered from all directions, would march northward.

Yet, the irony was that Chu had no generals left to oppose him.

The empire was crumbling, yet the desperate Chu court could do nothing but hope that internal discord would tear Yun Chu’s army apart before he could strike.

Some, in their desperation, even placed their hopes on the exiled Grand Princess—not by expecting her to lead the northern army against Yun Chu, but by wishing she could use her feminine charm to win back the rebel king.

Little did they know, in Yun Chu’s eyes, the first person who needed to be eliminated was the Grand Princess of Chu!

---

“King Wei! Li Yunli has escaped!”

A soldier burst into the war tent, panicked.

“Useless.”

Dressed in black armor, Yun Chu drove a dagger straight into the table.

The soldier trembled, too scared to lift his head.

This was the first month since Yun Chu’s successful rebellion. He had spent years deciphering the covert network under Li Yunli’s command, setting up ambushes south of the Huai River to weaken her forces. Eventually, he captured her.

At the same time, his old comrades, led by Ah Si, coordinated with him from within, absorbing the rebels rising against Chu’s oppressive rule into his ranks, solidifying his uprising.

The Grand Princess of Chu was not only his bargaining chip in negotiations with the royal court but also his prized war trophy.

As Yun Chu stood from his seat, the soldier’s legs nearly gave out.

He had only recently started following this prince-turned-king and had witnessed firsthand how ruthless he was—slaughtering through three cities, annihilating the Chu army. This was not a master to be trifled with.

And now, the very person Yun Chu had explicitly ordered to be closely guarded was gone.

“Why are you shaking?”

Yun Chu’s voice was cold, carrying an edge of impatience, but his tone was casual, as if he were merely asking whether the soldier had eaten breakfast.

The soldier stammered, “I… I… The Grand Princess fled north.”

The camp had guards stationed all around, except for the northern side, which bordered the mountains and had fewer defenses.

It was his negligence that allowed her to escape, and now, all he could do was offer what little information he had in hopes that Yun Chu would spare his life.

Yun Chu scoffed, the corner of his lips curving into a smirk. “I’ll personally chase her down.”

He descended the steps with an oddly light gait.

As he passed by the soldier, the poor man nearly wet himself in fear. It wasn’t until Yun Chu left the tent, mounted his horse, and galloped away that the soldier finally let out a breath.

His comrades were stunned that he had not been punished.

“You’re lucky! The King spent the night with the Grand Princess, and now that she’s gone, you still got away unharmed. Your ancestors must be watching over you!”

The soldier, still shaken, quickly clasped his hands in prayer. “Blessed ancestors, blessed ancestors…”

Meanwhile, Yun Chu rode off impatiently, mounted on his prized warhorse, “Treading Clouds.”

He claimed he was leading a pursuit, but he left alone.

The night before, he and Li Yunli had tangled in bed, and she had finally yielded to him—for once. Pleased, he had agreed to let her go.

With a condition.

Once the messengers discovered her absence, he was free to chase after her.

If she escaped, it was her fate.

If she didn’t—she would have to accept her fate.

Yun Chu spurred his horse forward, exhilaration coursing through him.

It had been a long time since he felt this alive.

For years, he had been caged in her palace, shackled by duty, constantly pressured by that insufferable Zheng Siyuan. But now, with the wind in his face, all of that seemed distant.

He tightened his grip on the reins, recalling their agreement from the night before…

---

The red candle burned by the bedside, illuminating her face.

Li Yunli turned away, biting her lip in silence.

“Speak!” Yun Chu grasped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Look at me! Didn’t you like me like this?! Now that I’m the king and you’re the fugitive, you can’t handle it? You used to enjoy this, didn’t you? Look at me!”

Li Yunli’s calm gaze sent a jolt through his heart.

A brief pause, then Yun Chu chuckled against her neck, his sharp teeth flashing. “Do you know? Your precious Chu royal family is about to give you to me. They aren’t even trying to ransom you back. A bunch of cowards. They don’t see you as their princess at all. So why not stay with me?”

She turned her eyes away, indifferent.

His teasing faltered, and he seized her throat.

“I want more, Li Yunli.”

Desperation colored his voice as he loosened his grip, his lips brushing against hers. “More. They want me to be your slave under your skirts? That’s not enough. Say something!”

Li Yunli’s eyes fluttered open.

Then suddenly, she moved—her arms snaking around his neck.

Yun Chu froze, his body instinctively tensing.

Then, she kissed him.

His mind went blank.

Li Yunli… was kissing him?

The soft press of her lips was more innocent than any pleasure they had shared before. Having indulged in excess for so long, Yun Chu found himself craving this rare sweetness.

But before he could deepen the moment, she wiped her lips and smirked.

And just like that, he was ensnared.

Desperate, he grabbed her. “Again—do it again!”

“No.”

She pushed him away, her voice cold. “You kept me alive, not for love, but to sacrifice me as a blood offering.”

He tightened his arms around her.

“That was just to scare the Chu court.”

She sat up, calmly brushing back his hair. “I don’t like you carrying a blade.”

A faint blush crept up his ears as her cool fingers traced his skin.

She was talking about the dagger at his waist, the one he had kept on him since the rebellion.

“Fine, fine, I won’t carry it,” he relented, unbuckling the weapon.

Yet, the realization struck him—he had always yielded to her.

Even now, when their roles had reversed.

He scowled and shoved the dagger back in place.

“No. You forget your place, Princess. This is the King’s tent—you should be serving me.”

His words were forceful, but his conviction wavered.

Li Yunli chuckled. “I want to return to the capital.”

“No.”

“Let me go.”

“Impossible.”

“Then one more time.” She lifted her chin, meeting his eyes. “If you let me go.”

“I…”

Yun Chu hesitated.

“One more time,” she repeated. “And if you catch me, I’ll still be yours.”

He clenched his teeth.

“I must be mad,” he muttered.

Yet, as he chased her now, following the fading footprints in the snow, he was certain of one thing—

She would never escape him.