Shang Ruyi froze for a mont.
Just as she was montarily dazed, a gust of wind carried snowballs the size of fists towards them, hitting them forcefully, and then there was a sharp slap as one hit her face, causing the shattered snow to scatter. The cold sensation brought her mind back to reality.
Shang Ruyi remained silent for a while, then softly asked, "He, went after Empress Jiang?"
Mu Xian replied, "Yes."
Shang Ruyi was silent again for a mont, then looked at him, "Did he go alone?"
Mu Xian looked at her face, unsure if she was pleased or angry, but her expression exuded a chilling oppression, making him shiver involuntarily. He could only answer, "He took only a few people—Second Young Master wanted to catch up quickly, so he didn’t bring many."
"..."
"He instructed us to et up with the Young Madam and then head to Taiyuan quickly."
"..."
"Luoyang has been captured, and soon everything around here will be under Liang—" He paused, carefully glanced at Lei Yu, and then continued, "Will be their forces. We are neither friends nor foes with them; to be safe, we should hurry back."
Shang Ruyi was quiet for a while and then said, "Is that what he instructed?"
"Yes."
"And he himself, isn’t he afraid of the worst?"
"..."
Mu Xian couldn’t answer.
The answer to this question eluded him throughout the journey. In fact, the very ergence of the question baffled him.
He could only say, "Young Madam, you should still—"
He didn’t finish because amidst the chaotic wind and snow, he saw Shang Ruyi’s grave expression, utterly different from her usual state in tis of peril.
At that mont, a horse’s neigh ca from behind them.
Turning around, he saw Lei Yu had already mounted her horse. She tightened the reins with both hands, her beautiful yet fierce face appearing indestructibly determined amidst the wind and snow. She looked down at Shang Ruyi and said, "I have to do what I must, Shang Ruyi—"
Shang Ruyi looked up at her.
The two gazed at each other through the storm, eyes filled with unspoken words that no longer needed to be voiced. Lei Yu finally sighed deeply and said in a low voice, "Take care of yourself."
Shang Ruyi, her voice hoarse, replied, "You take care too."
Lei Yu nodded to her, then whipped her horse and rode away with her entourage. But after galloping a distance, she stopped again, turned back to look at Shang Ruyi’s sowhat puzzled eyes, and after a long thought, said, "Rember what I told you before."
With that, she didn’t look back again and rode off.
Watching her silhouette vanish into the vast snowstorm, Shang Ruyi stood for a long ti, unable to regain her composure, feeling increasingly cold as the biting wind seed to strip away every last trace of warmth from her body.
Seeing the group completely disappear, Mu Xian finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He turned to look at Shang Ruyi and said sternly, "Young Madam, were they all Liang Shide’s people? What do we do now—"
"How long has he been gone?"
"Hmm?"
Suddenly hearing Shang Ruyi speak, Mu Xian was montarily stunned. Realizing she was asking about Yu Wenye, he replied in a serious tone, "We t up with Her Highness the Princess and His Highness Prince Zhao at dawn and after giving us those instructions, Second Young Master left..."
The more he spoke, the lower his voice beca.
Because Shang Ruyi’s eyes grew deeper and more enigmatic.
At that mont, Princess Xinyue slowly dismounted from her horse. The surrounding people hurried to support her, but her steps were unsteady, as if her legs were weighed down with lead from the frazzling ride. As a noble princess, even if she could ride, she clearly hadn’t endured such a long trek in such harsh conditions. As she approached, Shang Ruyi could even see her eyes were red, and when she spoke, there was an unconscious hint of grievance in her tone.
In a soft voice, she said, "Young Madam..."
Shang Ruyi looked at her for a mont and said, "Pr— Princess, it’s truly wonderful that you are safe. Ahead, there might still be a difficult journey, and I hope Your Highness can endure it."
Princess Xinyue bit her lower lip in grievance but still nodded.
She continued, "Second Brother went to rescue my mother. Mother said after my brother and I were safe, she would go to Jiangdu to accompany Father and fulfill her responsibilities as Empress..."
At this point, her voice choked, and Shang Ruyi felt a tightening in her chest. After a pause, she managed to say, "Is that so?"
Princess Xinyue continued, "Second Brother said it was too dangerous, so he went to bring her back. But I... I seed to see soone in the city pursuing them."
"..."
"Young Madam, I’m really worried about them..."
Shang Ruyi instinctively clenched her fists, but her expression remained calm, even more so than when she first heard the news. She said, "Don’t worry—Feng Chen, he knows what he’s doing. As long as he takes action, things won’t fail."
Princess Xinyue’s eyes glistened as she looked at her, "Really?"
Shang Ruyi nodded, "Really."
Princess Xinyue finally let out a sigh of relief and forced a smile, "That’s, great."
"..."
Shang Ruyi looked at her expression as pure as a blank sheet of paper, and for a mont, she didn’t know why a trace of pity arose in her heart. Reflecting again, she didn’t know who this pity was for, or even where it originated from.
She sighed lightly, then lifted her head to look around.
Now, the two groups had converged, and Princess Xinyue and Prince Zhao had been safely escorted out. To speak of it, their mission this ti could be considered a success.
Except for——
At this mont, Mu Xian walked up to her and said in a low voice, "Young Madam, we are at ease now that both of the highnesses have been entrusted here. Next, I want to take people back to assist the second young master."
Shang Ruyi looked up at him, "Oh?"
Mu Xian said, "The second young master didn’t take many people with him. In case he really encounters Liang Shide’s n, it would be hard for him to extricate himself. We need to go back and support him. We can’t let him fall into danger."
"..."
Shang Ruyi glanced at him and nodded.
Then said, "I’ll go with you."
Upon hearing this, everyone around was stunned. Jiang Kesong and Tushere both stepped forward to dissuade her, even Chang Wan said, "Young Madam, that’s too dangerous. You should stay here."
Shang Ruyi looked at them, then at Princess Xinyue, who was evidently still trapped in panic and didn’t know what to say, and calmly said, "You don’t need to worry, I’m not being unreasonable. I know what I’m doing. Jiang Kesong, you take your people and escort both of the highnesses back to the estate first. Don’t co out easily without our orders."
Jiang Kesong hesitantly exchanged a glance with Mu Xian and could only nod, "Yes."
Shang Ruyi then said to Tushere and Wo Xue, "Take good care of both of the highnesses."
Tushere stomped anxiously, "Miss."
Shang Ruyi said, "Obey!"
She showed a slightly stern expression, and the others had nothing more to say. Shang Ruyi turned her head and calmly said to Princess Xinyue, "Both of the highnesses—from now on, you mustn’t claim to be highness. It’s best to conceal your identities until I return with Feng Chen to take you away."
Princess Xinyue nodded.
After instructing them all, Shang Ruyi finally took a deep breath, turned and mounted her horse. In the biting cold wind, she raised her voice, "Go!"
Imdiately, they split into two groups and each galloped into the wind and snow.
Since they left the estate yesterday, heading north, evading the Emperor’s n, and then retracing their steps to assist Mu Xian’s group, in two days, Shang Ruyi had virtually no sleep. Her back ached intensely, and the inner sides of her thighs were chafed red and numb. Even though she had endured a difficult period in her childhood, she had never been this exhausted.
But she understood very well that these things were nothing.
Because the real tornt was not physical, but the light, hovering confusion in her heart that seed never to land.
Perhaps today, she would get an answer.
While she was lost in thought, Mu Xian’s voice sounded beside her, "Young Madam, in front!"
Shang Ruyi hurriedly raised her head, only to see in the near pitch-black night, a blur of shadows suddenly ca into view. As they drew closer, a massive silhouette erged from the haze. The familiar outline pierced into everyone’s eyes, and along with the wind ca a snow spray as sharp as knives as well as faint cries and screams.
That was Eastern Capital City!
The Eastern Capital City they had once lived in, now lay ahead, nearly ablaze in the dead of night, with flas reaching high in a few places, and thick smoke roaring skyward like a dragon!
The Eastern Capital City had indeed fallen!
Shang Ruyi involuntarily inhaled sharply and hurriedly commanded, "Quick, extinguish the torches!"
Those holding torches to illuminate the way imdiately plunged the torches deeply into the thick snow beside the road; the flas quickly extinguished, plunging them into even deeper darkness.
The only thing visible was the red glow of the entire city in front of them.
Mu Xian was also extrely tense, whispering, "Liang Shide’s people have indeed occupied the Eastern Capital. Young Madam, if we are to support the second young master, we must avoid the city and evade their forces."
Shang Ruyi trembled as she asked, "Could Feng Chen possibly already be—"
"Absolutely not!"
Mu Xian said decisively, "Even if the second young master is alone, he can certainly break through the encirclent. He won’t be easily captured."
"..."
With his words, Shang Ruyi’s heart seed to ease a little.
She said, "Alright, we—"
Before she could finish, a fierce cold wind suddenly swept over them, causing so to sway on horseback. Within the wind, there seed to be a faint, urgent sound of hooves filled with killing intent.
And a strong, bloody scent!
Shang Ruyi’s heart tightened, and she quickly lifted her head, widening her eyes to look ahead!
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