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“Have you been well these past few days…?”
Li Yunli fell silent.
Looking at their expressions, it really seemed like she was the one bullying them.
But wasn’t it him who had lured her here, cut off her escape, and now, after just a few words, made it seem like she was the one at fault?
She sighed softly. “Zheng Siyian is so suspicious. If you really act on this, you’ll leave the Wei people empty-handed. How will you explain that to him?”
Yun Chu held onto her tightly, refusing to let go, his face buried in her neck as he gently rubbed against her.
He whispered, “They won’t leave empty-handed.”
Li Yunli frowned. “Won’t leave empty-handed? Who have you accounted for?”
It seemed that during these past few days at the Wei stronghold, he hadn’t been idle—he must have uncovered something she wasn’t yet aware of.
Yun Chu, unable to stand straight, leaned entirely on Li Yunli. Hearing the slight change in her tone and the faint trace of apology, he took advantage of the moment and lingered a bit longer.
“Does Your Highness remember Cheng Si?”
Of course, Li Yunli hadn’t forgotten. Yun Chu had already warned her about him before. “You mean the mole we caught in the magistrate’s office? The one who claimed to work for the Marquis of Yongcheng?”
Yun Chu rested his forehead lightly against her ear, like a large dog begging for affection.
Unknowingly, Li Yunli’s arm had already wrapped around his back.
“Although he is from the same clan as the Marquis of Yongcheng and has some connections with him, his true master is Zheng Siyian. The Marquis of Yongcheng is a fool—he doesn’t even realize he’s being used.”
Hearing this, Li Yunli started to understand.
“You mean to say that the Marquis of Yongcheng has ulterior motives? He controls part of the military now, and the troops you plan to ambush on the eastern flank belong to him?”
As she spoke, a more critical thought struck her. She flicked Yun Chu’s forehead and lowered her head to ask, “Who has he been conspiring with—your people, or the Wurong?”
Yun Chu replied, “He hasn’t exposed himself completely yet, but it’s likely not us. At least, I haven’t communicated with him before.”
Then it must be the Wurong.
That made sense. The Wurong were currently a vassal of Chu. Even if they had secret dealings, they could argue it was merely military coordination.
But it was different for the Wei. Zheng Siyian and his men were outright rebels. If the Marquis of Yongcheng had indeed been colluding with the Wei, then he was guilty of treason.
The Marquis of Yongcheng had only risen to power after the Empress Dowager took control. Without extraordinary abilities of his own, he wouldn’t dare to commit treason.
His dealings with the Wurong were likely aimed at eliminating Li Yunli.
If that was the case, then the suspicious flood disaster and Zhou Foxiao’s notes could all be traced back to him.
Li Yunli sneered. “I wonder just how much credit he deserves for my journey to the northwest.”
Yun Chu lifted his eyes slightly. “Last time, I wasn’t in Yongzhou with Your Highness. Zheng Siyian’s presence is an unexpected variable this time. Previously, just dealing with the Marquis of Yongcheng took nearly a year. Does Your Highness remember what hindered you back then?”
This question stumped Li Yunli.
She lowered her eyes, withdrawing the hand resting on Yun Chu’s back.
She deflected, “I can’t recall the details. For now, I’ll have to take things as they come.”
Yun Chu had already heard from Qingnian that Li Yunli’s memory was incomplete.
For her to forget the wrongs she had committed was fortunate for her, but for her to forget the wrongs done to her—that was another matter entirely.
Yun Chu sighed inwardly at the irony of fate and spoke patiently, “It doesn’t matter. I’m here now, and I’ll help Your Highness. Since you managed to leave Yongzhou safely last time, this time, too, you will turn peril into peace. No need to worry.”
Li Yunli asked, “So how did you find out there were hidden troops in the northwest? I sent people to investigate, even the royal shadow guards, and none of them found any sign of a Chu army here.”
Yun Chu replied, “After I was captured, I studied the Wei army’s secret communication codes. I noticed irregularities in the coded messages from our agents embedded in the Wurong army. Having dealt with the Chu army before, I started to suspect something and used the same secret codes to send messages to them.”
It turned out they had focused on the same thing.
However, while Li Yunli was technically raised in the Jin Prince’s army, she wasn’t fully versed in the Chu military’s various secret codes. She had written to Ji Wenxun to ask, but his reply had yet to arrive.
So, this was the missing piece.
Li Yunli looked at him.
It had only been a few days apart, yet now he seemed unusually dependent on her.
She gently pushed at the arms wrapped around her waist, but instead of letting go, Yun Chu snuggled closer.
Li Yunli sighed. “Have you been well these past few days?”
“No, not at all.”
Yun Chu shook his head against her neck, making her skin tingle.
“My mind isn’t here. I have too much to think about, and I can’t focus while dealing with Zheng Siyian. He’s not easy to handle—rigid, strict, and extremely ruthless. Every day, I have to maneuver between different factions, and I can’t sleep at night.”
His words carried a hint of grievance, as if he were complaining to her.
Li Yunli chuckled. She couldn’t understand how things had come to this point and absentmindedly muttered, “But in your past life, you got along with him quite well.”
Yun Chu immediately sensed danger and shut his mouth.
Li Yunli tilted her head slightly, noticing that he had even closed his eyes.
“I can’t remember much, but since you were able to get along with him before, you should be able to handle him now. Do you really not want to leave with me?”
Yun Chu’s fingers twitched.
Of course, he wanted to. Desperately.
In his past life, he had managed to get along with Zheng Siyian only because the man had seen his ruthlessness. Back then, Zheng Siyian had only appeared after he had taken his revenge and committed countless atrocities. The situation was completely different now.
Right now, he was just a Wei prince with nothing but an empty title. People treated him with respect, but only because they were waiting to see his accomplishments before pledging their loyalty.
If he had a choice, he wouldn’t want to stay among the Wei at all.
Somewhere along the way, his heart had changed. He had betrayed his homeland.
Maybe it had begun in his past life, when he rode through the Central Plains and saw corpses strewn across the land, starving people forced to eat their own children.
Maybe it was more recent, when Gong Liangchong stood before the flood-ravaged fields, speaking of his dreams.
Or maybe it was the first time he made a promise to Li Yunli.
He had once been the renowned scholar of Wei, devoted to his homeland but also to all its people.
His revenge had only brought endless suffering.
Perhaps revenge itself was at odds with the Wei royal family’s self-destructive fate.
He should have died when his country fell.
But he had survived.
And after one lifetime of vengeance, he had been given another chance.
He wanted to live. He wanted to love.
He needed to repay his debts, clear his sins, and protect the one he loved.
He could not leave with Li Yunli now.
Taking a deep breath, he forced a smile and asked, “Would Your Highness be willing to leave me outside?”
Li Yunli looked at him.
For a moment, she wondered—if she said no, would he change his mind and come with her?
She did not try.
“If your heart is with me, then I can trust you. If your heart betrays me, then nothing can hold you. It’s up to you.”
“I’m not just doing this for you,” Yun Chu said with unwavering devotion.
“I promise, I will never betray you. Your Highness, as long as I’m here, no one will strike at your back.”