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“I like you, so you must come back…”
Li Yunli fell into a painful dream this time.
She dreamt of her own death.
Most likely due to the effects of the drug, she had no strength in her body.
In reality, she lay on a soft bed, but in her dream, she lay on the cold ground.
Her consciousness had already left her body, floating gently in midair. Looking down at her silent, motionless body, a single question echoed in Li Yunli’s mind:
Wasn’t she supposed to die by Lingchi at the hands of Yun Chu?
Lingchi—three thousand cuts, stripping the flesh from a living person.
She lowered her head, looking at her now translucent hand, then at the lifeless body on the ground, its pale lips stained with blood.
—Why did it look like she had died from poisoning instead?
Could it be that this wasn’t the original owner, but actually her current self?
Did she miscalculate the dosage of Pojun and accidentally poison herself to death?
No… That couldn’t be, right?
Li Yunli stared wide-eyed at the body on the ground, wanting to return to it. But just as she tried, she suddenly heard a creaking sound—the door opened, and the harsh daylight poured in, instantly illuminating the corpse on the ground.
Instinctively, she raised her hand to shield her eyes, but then realized she had no physical form.
She heard a deep, heavy voice from the visitor speaking to the person who opened the door:
“Is she completely dead?”
Lifting her head, she saw the visitor walk right through where she was floating, heading toward the still corpse on the floor.
The person who opened the door lowered his head, showing respect as he answered, “Elder Zheng, she’s completely dead. The poison took effect immediately, she barely struggled before stopping.”
The visitor was Zheng Siyang?
Taking advantage of her ghostly form, Li Yunli floated closer to look at his face. He appeared like a refined scholar, yet his eyes were filled with madness.
Zheng Siyang stroked his beard and let out a low chuckle. “Do not report this to Prince Wei just yet. Wait until we enter the capital, then use this woman’s head as a battle banner to honor the late emperor!”
“But Elder Zheng, Prince Wei visits her chambers every day. Can we really hide this from him?”
“If we can’t, then so be it.” Zheng Siyang flicked his sleeve and let out a cold snort. “He actually wants to make a woman from an enemy nation his empress—a woman who once held military power and fought on the battlefield! Raising a wolf in his own home—how could I, as a loyal minister, allow such a thing?!”
The subordinate immediately bowed and aligned with him. “Of course, of course. Most of the court officials already support you. Even if Prince Wei returns, he won’t dare say anything!”
“This woman is too cunning. If she had been obedient, I wouldn’t have needed to kill her.”
Zheng Siyang let out another cold snort, glanced at the breathless corpse, then turned and left with his hands clasped behind his back.
As soon as he exited, the guards stepped forward, grabbed the body by the armpits, and dragged it out of the room.
Li Yunli tried to follow but found she couldn’t leave the room. Looking around, she realized that the furnishings were very similar to those in her residence at the Princess Manor, but this wasn’t the exact same place.
She was even more confused now.
This story’s ending was not what she had known.
Although Yun Chu’s attitude toward her had already deviated from the original novel—since she knew he had been reborn—this was something she hadn’t expected.
If this death was real, then from which ending had Yun Chu returned?
Did he experience the Lingchi execution, or was it this?
Li Yunli floated midair, carefully surveying the entire room.
She had always been a lone wolf, trusting only herself, always calm and rational, with the sole purpose of solving problems. Emotions rarely disturbed her.
But now, she suddenly felt tired.
She suddenly wondered—if Yun Chu didn’t actually hate her in his past life, if he truly loved her back then, maybe she didn’t have to be alone after all?
Perhaps she shouldn’t handle things the way she always had?
That guard who had tried to poison her—he had been under Shiliu’s surveillance for some time.
So when he obtained the poison, preparing to slip it into her drink, Li Yunli had already known.
Switching the poison with Pojun had also been her instruction.
She could generally control everything around her, but she hadn’t been able to determine who was behind the poisoning attempt. Since most of Yongzhou’s citizens had already been evacuated, she had deliberately played along with the scheme.
*
“Li Yunli, you used your own body as a gamble—do you even know what it means to cherish your life?!”
Seeing Yun Chu this anxious, Li Yunli merely tilted her head and let out a soft chuckle.
“What are you laughing at?”
Yun Chu was fuming, yet she remained so composed—it only made him angrier.
Li Yunli, having regained some strength, leaned against his shoulder. “I’m relieved. Looks like it wasn’t you who poisoned me, but Zheng Siyang.”
“Of course it wasn’t me!” Yun Chu’s brows knitted together tightly. “You—you used yourself as a gamble just to test that? Are you out of your mind? You knew exactly what Pojun was, yet you still dared—”
“Relax. You saw the medicine yourself—it wasn’t the same as the decoction. When ground into powder, it turns black. He didn’t dare use too much, afraid of being discovered.”
Yun Chu had indeed checked. He knew the drug too well—one sniff and he recognized it.
But his fear hadn’t subsided. Holding Li Yunli up, he was so frustrated that he didn’t know whether to scold her or be mad at himself. “Even so, this drug is incredibly harmful to the body. How could you just take it? Nothing is worth this risk!”
“My enemies are hidden in the shadows. The Marquis of Yongcheng appears bold, but with the Northern Army still looming, he wouldn’t dare act directly unless I was down. Today, no matter what he does, once Ji Wenxun leads the Northern Army into the city, his crime will be sealed.”
Li Yunli sat up, looking at Yun Chu’s worried face, and gave a regretful smile. “But unfortunately, your people will be trapped in Yongzhou with his private army.”
“That’s not the point. The ones I brought today were exchanged from Zheng Siyang’s men. The White Tiger Order is in his hands now.” Yun Chu exhaled sharply, then sighed. “Next time, don’t do this again.”
Li Yunli had never valued her own life.
She had always been like this in both lives—taking risks without hesitation.
Yes, this recklessness often led to success, but it also worried those around her.
Before, she had been alone, so it didn’t matter. But now, she was still like this.
Yun Chu clenched his jaw.
“What’s there to fear?”
Li Yunli brushed her fingers along his chin, smiling. “You drank this drug before, too. You knew it wouldn’t kill you. Besides, I took a smaller dose than you did—”
“It’s not the same!”
Yun Chu grabbed her wrist, his voice almost a roar, startling her.
“You and I are not the same! You dosed me carefully, never intending to kill me. But they poisoned you to take your life!”
His eyes were red. Li Yunli rarely saw him like this, and she was momentarily stunned.
*
Finally, she spoke softly:
“I like you, so you must come back.”
Yun Chu’s breath hitched.
“So now,” he murmured, “I’m back.”