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“This little brat actually dares to go against me…”
“If I were Zheng Siyin, collaborating with Prince Changling who resides in the capital, I would certainly be aware of the power dynamics here. There’s no way I would knowingly walk into a trap unless something had gone wrong…”
Li Yunli paced back and forth, contemplating and rehearsing the scenario in her mind.
His suicidal attack at the city gate had cost the lives of A Si and Yun Chu—what was his purpose?
“Wei places immense importance on bloodline and kinship. Now, only Yun Chu remains from the royal bloodline. Back then, the court sought to eradicate him completely. However, this contradicted Chu’s founding principle of benevolence. Just as they hesitated, you intervened and disrupted their plans. That’s why, when you rescued him from prison, you bore so much condemnation.”
Ji Wenxun, who had been silently listening, interjected without much thought.
“But didn’t you say that the men under Zheng Siyin’s command were personally trained by him? Were they remnants of Wei, or were they from somewhere else?”
Li Yunli lifted her gaze sharply and looked at Ji Wenxun.
Ji Wenxun was startled by her intense stare. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I suddenly feel like I’ve overlooked someone very important.”
Without further hesitation, Li Yunli moved swiftly back to the desk, nudged Ji Wenxun aside, unrolled a large sheet of rice paper, and began grinding ink.
“Wait… what are you planning?”
Ji Wenxun had come to comfort her, but seeing this, she realized Li Yunli was preparing for something big.
“What do you need me to do?”
“There are spies watching my residence. If I send a carrier pigeon, the Empress Dowager will be alerted immediately. Can you do it for me?”
“I can… But where does the message need to go? Is it urgent?”
“The northern border, Yongzhou. Urgent.”
Li Yunli looked at her.
Ji Wenxun hesitated for a moment before nodding decisively.
“Fine. I’ve trusted you since we were young. Whatever you plan, I’ll stand with you this time.”
That night, Ji Wenxun once again climbed over the walls, carrying two pigeons she had taken from the Grand Princess’s residence.
Half an hour after Ji Wenxun left, Li Yunli’s men split into several groups and quietly slipped out of the residence, avoiding watchful eyes.
The vast Grand Princess’s estate was now severely understaffed in terms of security, making the guard Shiliu uneasy.
“Your Highness…”
“No need to worry. By dawn, we’ll have our answer.”
Li Yunli cut him off before he could say more.
“…Understood.”
Shiliu didn’t know what exactly the Grand Princess was planning, but since she had spoken, he had no choice but to step back.
Inside the study, Li Yunli let out a quiet sigh.
Yi Shui had come on behalf of the Emperor.
He was a member of the imperial shadow guards, trained since birth to serve the Li dynasty with unwavering loyalty.
The Emperor could not openly express his thoughts, so it fell upon people like Yi Shui to act in his stead.
Disguised as a lowly worker pushing a food cart, he passed through the prison gates unnoticed.
He walked carefully toward the deepest part of the dungeon. As he passed the interrogation chambers, the strong scent of blood made his heart sink. Pressing forward, he finally reached Cell Number One.
Yun Chu was still awake.
In his arms was a white cat, its origins unknown.
The cat was pristine, standing out starkly against the dark, damp prison cell.
Yun Chu’s prison robes were stained with blood, yet he carefully placed a blanket over his chest while holding the cat, as if afraid of dirtying it.
It was the only blanket in the cell.
The cat remained calm, curling comfortably in his embrace and stretching lazily.
Yun Chu lowered his gaze and smiled softly.
For a brief moment, he seemed to forget where he was and the pain of the whip marks covering his body.
“Ugh…”
A small movement from the cat pulled at his wounds, making him wince.
Dozens of whip marks overlapped across his body, the sharp pain seemingly etched into his soul, impossible to ignore.
Sleep was out of the question.
Yi Shui knocked on the iron bars and called out gruffly, “Meal delivery!”
Yun Chu turned toward the sound and saw him.
His expression immediately shifted. Gently placing the cat on the ground, he straightened his robes and stood up.
But his gaze remained fixed on Yi Shui’s face—his expression was almost pleading.
“Did… did Her Highness send you?”
“No. It was His Majesty.”
Yi Shui met his eyes through the iron bars. The moment Yun Chu heard that answer, his emotions visibly dimmed.
“What does he want?” Yun Chu asked.
Yi Shui didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he uncovered the food cart, took out a simple meal, and pushed it through the cell bars.
Yun Chu glanced at the plain food and said flatly, “I won’t seek death.”
“It’s not poisoned.” Yi Shui met his gaze. “His Majesty’s exact words were: ‘The Grand Princess’s affection for the former Wei prince was once a mere ruse, but now that ruse has become a weapon against her. It should have ended. But two years have passed—if she has developed true feelings, then that is a problem.'”
Yun Chu’s pupils dilated slightly. “So?”
Yi Shui lowered his voice. “Prince Changling will send someone to oversee your interrogation tomorrow. The Empress Dowager will allow it. His Majesty is powerless to stop it.”
This so-called “oversight” meant they would torture Yun Chu, hoping to extract some sort of confession.
Tomorrow would not be easy.
Yun Chu clutched the iron chains on the door, his arms marred with scars. “How is Her Highness?”
“She is under house arrest but unharmed for now.” Yi Shui glanced at Yun Chu’s injuries and sighed. “You should be more concerned about yourself tomorrow.”
“Tell His Majesty he needn’t worry. I won’t say a single word.”
Yi Shui nodded and took out a small red pill from a wooden box, pushing it toward him.
“If you take this tonight, you won’t feel pain tomorrow, and there won’t be any signs of poisoning. Prince Changling won’t suspect a thing.”
Yun Chu stared at the dark red pill and suddenly let out a cold laugh.
“So they all want me dead?” His deep, shadowy eyes held a quiet sorrow. “Too bad—none of them have the right.”
He stepped back with a smile.
“There is only one person in this world who has the right to take my life. But she won’t allow it.”
Yi Shui remained silent, retrieving the pill.
“In any case, if you utter anything unfavorable to the Grand Princess during the interrogation, we have orders to kill you before you can speak.”
Yun Chu’s hands clenched into fists, his knuckles cracking.
“If I betray her, I deserve death,” he said through gritted teeth. “But the only person who can execute me—is her!”
His anger flared like a wildfire, and he lunged forward, grabbing Yi Shui by the collar.
“When did it become your decision to make?!”
Yi Shui remained expressionless.
Yun Chu let out a bitter laugh. “Have you ever seen a hunting dog abandoned by its master? Even if it’s thrown into a pack of wolves, it will fight its way back—because it still waits for its master.”
“Do you think an abandoned dog will turn into a wolf?”
Yi Shui tried to grasp Yun Chu’s wrist, but Yun Chu forcefully shoved him back.
Yi Shui, now sitting on the floor, saw the raw fury in Yun Chu’s bloodshot eyes.
“You all pity a stray dog?” Yun Chu sneered. “You want to see me turn on my master?”
“Too bad.”
He stepped back into the shadows.
“I will never betray her.”
Yi Shui sighed. “I spoke out of turn. I will take my leave. I hope you survive tomorrow.”
The cell fell silent once more.
Yun Chu gazed at the small window high above.
At dawn, Li Yunli, armed and armored, stormed the city gates.