The sword sliced through the air, leaving a trail of afterimages. The sharp tip sped toward Xiao Jin.

“Cousin!” At the moment the sword flew, everyone in the hall was in a panic.

Even the Zhen Guo Gong, who had remained composed, suddenly rose to his feet.

The hall descended into chaos, with some people shouting in alarm, but no one paid attention to their cries.

Everyone looked up and saw the sword flying swiftly past Xiao Jin’s neck, cutting off a strand of his hair with a loud thud as it embedded itself into the wall behind him.

Crack.

The moment the sword struck the wall, it shattered, breaking into pieces that scattered on the ground.

Wen Yuesheng calmly turned her back, leaving the sword’s shattered remnants on the floor.

Killing him would have been too easy.

Behind her, the hearts of countless people finally settled.

The palace attendants by the martial arts platform slowly regained their senses, hesitated for a while, and then said, “Princess Sinning wins—”

Only then did everyone on the platform snap back to their senses, but the hall remained eerily quiet.

The reason for this silence was simple—Wen Yuesheng’s display of power had far exceeded anyone’s expectations.

In the capital, there were few who could surpass Xiao Jin in martial arts.

Perhaps Xiao Jin had held back, but even so, he shouldn’t have allowed himself to end up in such a humiliating state.

As the fourth prince and the sole legitimate heir of the empress, losing so miserably to Wen Yuesheng was no longer merely a matter of losing face. It was akin to letting Wen Yuesheng trample on the dignity of the entire imperial lineage.

What was even more baffling was that the Emperor, witnessing the scene, lightly clapped his hands and said calmly, “Well done!”

Prince Jingkang, seated below the Emperor, wore a constantly shifting expression, his gaze flickering with uncertainty.

The scene just now had been too shocking. Since the Emperor did not pursue the matter, Wen Yuesheng’s actions were deemed justified.

No one dared to question it.

Wen Yuesheng walked step by step toward the hall.

By the time she arrived, Yan Ling was already waiting by her side.

His expression remained indifferent, but as she approached, his gaze wavered slightly.

He handed her a clean silk handkerchief.

Wen Yuesheng accepted it, and he said softly, “News has arrived from Haozhou.”

“The marriage alliance has been postponed, and the Emperor has urgently summoned the Crown Prince back to the palace.”

Wen Yuesheng raised her eyes to meet his.

The grand plan for the marriage alliance, which had been in the works for so long, was suddenly forced to halt just before it was about to be finalized.

At this moment, the Emperor in the hall had also received the news brought by Yan Ling.

The atmosphere in the hall shifted dramatically, and everyone, initially stunned, began to react.

One minister spoke up, “… In just three to five days, the marriage alliance was supposed to take place.”

Even the wedding ceremony for Princess Furu was already prepared.

And now, Haozhou called it off?

“Your Majesty, Haozhou’s actions are an affront to our Great Hui! I believe the Haozhou Crown Prince should be forbidden from leaving the capital until the marriage alliance is secured.”

“However, since the matter is still under negotiation, acting rashly could provoke a reaction from Haozhou.”

Lu Qinghuai’s face was dark. He handed the border military report, which had arrived simultaneously, to the Emperor and then said in a grave tone, “… News from the border: Haozhou has deployed an army of 500,000 troops to the frontier.”

The hall fell silent instantly.

A minister shot to his feet in disbelief. “500,000!?”

In recent years, the border had seen occasional skirmishes, but at most, each side had deployed only around 100,000 troops.

That war, fought a few years ago, had cost Great Hui dearly due to inadequate preparation.

Since then, Great Hui had been focused on recuperating and rebuilding.

But such efforts take time, and even after years of recovery, it was still challenging to match Haozhou’s strength.

Now, with 500,000 troops suddenly at the border…

Everyone present felt their hearts sink.

Haozhou’s intentions were clear: if the Crown Prince could not return, their army would breach the border defenses and directly invade Great Hui.

“General Lu,” someone asked anxiously, “how many troops do we have at the border?”

Lu Qinghuai closed his eyes briefly and replied, “200,000.”

This number was something everyone already knew, but hearing it confirmed sent chills down their spines.

Great Hui was already at a disadvantage in terms of military strength, and the disparity in numbers now was staggering.

If Haozhou were to invade, the border defenses would undoubtedly collapse.

Even mobilizing troops now would not guarantee the defenses could hold.

The Grand Marshal’s expression changed drastically as he exclaimed, “Your Majesty, we cannot fight this battle.”

If the battle were fought, the 200,000 troops at the border would be like eggs smashed against a rock.

The lives of those soldiers would be wasted in a meaningless conflict.

The Emperor’s face darkened. Such a sudden turn of events made it impossible to make a decision immediately.

The Emperor summoned all his advisors and generals, including Lu Qinghuai and the Grand Marshal, to the imperial study for a discussion.

Meanwhile, Yan Ling, who had brought the news, stood with Wen Yuesheng and said coldly, “The Haozhou Crown Prince wishes to meet the Lady of the Prefecture.”

The situation with Haozhou was urgent, and Great Hui had to make a decision tonight. Yu Shun was to leave the capital before sunset.

Yet the last thing he wanted to do before leaving wasn’t to explain his actions to the Emperor of Great Hui but to see Wen Yuesheng.

If this matter were to spread, one could only imagine how others might react.

There was a tavern in the capital named Misty Willow Manor.

Though called a tavern, it was built with pavilions and corridors shrouded in mist, resembling the picturesque Jiangnan of legend.

Within the tavern, at its center, was a deep red pavilion.

Surrounded by lotus leaves, now drooping in the autumn, the pavilion overlooked ripples spreading across the lake.

Yu Shun, dressed in a dark robe with a gold crown, sat elegantly by the water, holding a cup of tea.

When he saw Wen Yuesheng being led in, he set the teacup down and rose to look at her.

The setting sun cast its golden light on her, making her appear as though she were bathed in radiant gold.

In that resplendent glow, her expression remained cold—just as it had been the first time he met her.

Yu Shun’s eyes darkened slightly, and for once, his emotions flickered, as if countless feelings were struggling to break free.

After Wen Yuesheng took her seat, he didn’t speak immediately.

Near the distant rooms by the pavilion, Tailan stood anxiously.

They should have already left, but for some reason, the Crown Prince insisted on seeing this lady.

He could only glance at the sky, watching as the sun gradually sank into the horizon.

After a long pause, Yu Shun finally raised his eyes to look at Wen Yuesheng and said, “We’ve met several times before, but always too briefly and in chaos.”

“If I miss this chance today, there won’t be another. Tonight, I must leave the capital, but I have one question for the Lady of the Prefecture.”

Wen Yuesheng looked at him calmly.

He gazed at her seriously, his deep eyes filled with earnestness. “The marriage proposal before was not a mere formality. I am willing to offer you the position of Haozhou’s Empress and walk alongside you for the rest of my life.”

“What is your answer?”

This time, he bypassed all rules and protocols, even disregarding the Emperor of Great Hui and all regulations.

He only wanted her answer.

Before Wen Yuesheng could respond, he added, “If you agree today, no matter the cost or the pain, I will take you away from Great Hui.”

At any price, at any cost, as long as it was her.

The sun in the distance gradually tilted, casting the golden hues of sunset across the sky. Wen Yue’s figure sat amidst the dazzling light of the setting sun, lifting her gaze to look at him.

Even in such a bright golden light, her eyes were still a deep black.

They resembled the endless night.

Yu Shun met her gaze, with the faint breeze brushing past his ears, the cold scent of sandalwood in the air.

Amidst the soft fragrance, his voice was gentle: “Hao Zhou has vast blue skies, boundless grasslands, and endless deserts, quite different from the scenery of Da Hui.”

“The people of Hao Zhou are not stringent in their observance of etiquette,” he said slowly. “Though Hao Zhou has never had a foreign queen in the past, if you are willing, I will move mountains to make it happen.”

“Everything that the princess had in Da Hui, I will promise you the same, and everything Da Hui lacked, I will give you.”

Among the sons of the old emperor of Hao Zhou, Yu Shun was the last to marry. At twenty-six, he still had not wed.

But Hao Zhou was not like Da Hui, and Yu Shun knew clearly the kind of person he wanted.

Thus, despite the intense competition for the title of crown princess, he had not yet given it to anyone.

The person before him—he had initially thought his admiration for her was only for her talent.

Yet, after speaking these words, he realized how eager he was, and as he waited for her answer, his mood grew tense.

Such emotions were rare for him.

Ever since he became the crown prince and held real power, he had hardly experienced such feelings.

In Yu Shun’s eyes, matters of love were not of great importance. Compared to these, he had more ambitious plans. What he desired to conquer was not just a woman.

However, an unexpected situation arose.

Even the distant Tai Lan paused for a moment.

Actually, the message from Hao Zhou had already arrived the previous day. According to their plan, the best time to leave would have been last night.

The later they waited, the more difficult Yu Shun’s position would become.

Even though his fierce generals were around and Nulie had recovered to his best state, they were still in Da Hui.

But for some unknown reason, Yu Shun had not rushed to leave. Instead, it was only today, when Da Hui had received the news, that he remained there.

Tai Lan, who had followed the crown prince for many years, understood the kind of person Yu Shun was. His mind was filled with national concerns, and such trivial emotions had no place.

Yet today, his actions clearly contradicted his usual principles.

But it also showed that this woman was truly worth it.

Tai Lan couldn’t help but glance up at the indifferent Princess Si Ning.

He stood in front of the room, not noticing that, inside the room behind him, there was a person sitting.

Di Zhu was standing quietly behind Yan Ling, who sat in the room, not reading, not playing chess, doing nothing at all, simply sitting.

The room was not far, and they could hear the sincere words of the Crown Prince of Hao Zhou.

Di Zhu felt a little anxious.

If he had not realized his master’s feelings before, after the matter with the Grand Prince, he understood now.

When had Yan Ling ever been so willing to serve others?

But his master, who had grown accustomed to being cold and detached, found it hard to express feelings, no matter how much affection he had.

It wasn’t Yan Ling’s fault.

Compared to the Crown Prince of Hao Zhou, Yan Ling seemed too restrained.

And such restraint clearly lacked competitive edge.

Forget everything else—just listening to the Crown Prince of Hao Zhou speak, Di Zhu didn’t know whether Wen Yue was moved, but even he was on the verge of being moved.

Wen Yue, now in charge of military power in Da Hui, was still a foreigner. The Crown Prince of Hao Zhou offering her the same treatment was already surprising.

Not to mention, the Crown Prince’s superior status meant she would be the future crown princess of Hao Zhou.

Di Zhu became more anxious as he tried to listen for Wen Yue’s reply.

Wen Yue did not speak immediately.

In the quiet atmosphere, she could sense the sincerity of the person before her.

“In times of urgency, I can only express my feelings in this setting,” Yu Shun said softly. “But if you are willing, I can give you a grand wedding.”

The autumn wind was chilly. Wen Yue sat in the courtyard, filled with sunset light, and took a sip of tea.

On her wrist was a string of greenish-blue Buddhist beads, which shone brightly under the orange light of the setting sun.

The tea was slightly sweet, but her voice was still cold: “If it is to recruit talented ministers, it should be for capable ones. If it is out of affection, then it is for a wife.”

She raised her gaze, her dark eyes staring directly at him. “But from the Crown Prince’s words, it seems you want me to act as a minister while holding the position of wife.”

“To assist the Crown Prince in achieving great things.”

Yu Shun did not deny it.

But what surprised him, and even caught him off guard, was that he was not entirely indifferent to Wen Yue.

“I do not wish for such a thing,” she said, cutting him off before he could continue.

The surroundings fell silent.

The only sound was the wind rustling the leaves in the courtyard.

Empty and lonely.

Tai Lan, standing in front of the room, furrowed his brow. He couldn’t understand why Wen Yue refused. The position the Crown Prince promised her, such as the current Princess position, was far better than what she had now.

Though the people of Hao Zhou were open-minded, women did not typically engage in politics, yet the Crown Prince was willing to offer her that power.

Yet, she still rejected it.

He couldn’t figure it out.

In contrast, Di Zhu inside the room let out a sigh of relief.

He turned to look, only to see Yan Ling finally open his eyes.

When they had been speaking earlier, his expression had been as cold and indifferent as usual, but now, it seemed the same, except that his eyes were brighter than ever before.

Di Zhu felt that compared to the Crown Prince of Hao Zhou, Yan Ling did not hold the advantage.

But he didn’t realize that someone like Wen Yue was the brightest light on her own, and Yan Ling had been moved, but he had never wanted to suppress her brilliance.

He believed her world didn’t need a man to add to it, because she could already transform on her own.