"Why can't I say these things? What are you guarding against, what are you suspecting? I grew up in Da Jing, my mother is also from Da Jing, I ate Da Jing's food, wore Da Jing's clothes, and enjoyed the glory bestowed by the Emperor of Da Jing. I have lived like this for over twenty years, and now I am being forced to Qi Rong.
On what grounds? Am I Qi Rong just because they say so? I was born in Da Jing, and I will…
…die in Da Jing too!
Faced with his insistent questioning, Ling Yao remained silent.
He was somewhat agitated now, his pain evident on his face.
Only his labored breathing filled the carriage.
"Young Master, we've reached the foot of the mountain. The carriage cannot go further."
The driver stopped and called out into the carriage.
Lu Yanmo tried to regain his composure, his eyes holding an emotion she couldn't decipher.
"Princess, please alight!"
Ling Yao stepped out of the carriage and found herself at the back of Du Sheng Tower.
There was no path here at all. What was the purpose of coming here?
The driver turned and left. Ling Yao looked at Lu Yanmo, bewildered.
"Princess, they all say you have divine power. Since I rescued you from the palace, I have been waiting. Waiting for you to use your divine power to escape, or to kill me. But you didn't. Why?"
Ling Yao said nothing. He continued, "Walk with me!"
"Lu Yanmo, what exactly do you want to do?"
Ling Yao could sense that he truly had no intention of harming her, but what was he doing bringing her to this desolate wilderness? She was truly perplexed.
She also felt something was wrong with him.
"Princess, I like you. I liked you from the first moment I saw you." He gazed at her adoringly, his scarred face carrying a desolate air.
"If we had been born in a time of peace, if I were merely the son of a powerful minister and you were an ordinary royal princess, perhaps we could have had a beautiful story?"
"These past few days, I have been very happy. Sleeping in the same bed, eating from the same pot, me tending the fire and you cooking, like an ordinary couple. I will consider this as having married you in this lifetime."
Lu Yanmo's gaze passed through her, looking into the distance.
There, over a dozen horses were galloping towards them. Even without seeing clearly, he knew the one leading them.
Da Jing's young commander of the Imperial Guard, the heroic and extraordinary son of the Prime Minister, Song Beiting.
When they were children, they had been friends, but later, for some unknown reason, their families drifted apart.
They had come so quickly.
"The Queen of Qi Rong ordered me to bind you and take you to Qi Rong. Originally, I intended to travel south with you, accompany you to the southwest, and then hand you over to General Shenwu before I left.
But on second thought, I decided against it. The journey was too long, and I feared I would be even more reluctant to let you go. Besides, you dislike seeing me."
Lu Yanmo took out a paper packet and placed it in Ling Yao's hand.
"This is the pill the Queen of Qi Rong uses to control people. I took it from my throat. You can have someone study it. Goodbye…"
My Princess.
He ran towards the hillside.
The wind tousled his hair, his straight back appearing desolate and lonely.
"Lu Yanmo—"
Ling Yao realized something and chased after him.
Distant, chaotic shouts reached her, but she didn't hear them.
She finally understood why he had sent Zhu Sheng away, and she knew what he intended to do.
On the back mountain of Du Sheng Tower, there was a famous cliff called Duan Chang Cliff. The young monks of Du Sheng Tower who had committed mistakes were sent there for penance…
At the edge of Duan Chang Cliff, Lu Yanmo turned back, watching Ling Yao running towards him. A faint, happy smile bloomed on his handsome, injured face.
"Lu Yanmo! Didn't you tell Zhu Sheng to wait for you?"
Ling Yao, exhausted, bent over, her strength failing her, looking at the slender figure by the cliff.
She suddenly remembered how he looked when they first met, that aloof and noble young gentleman.
"Princess, I apologize. My father committed regicide. After thirty years of favor, the former Emperor raised a viper. A son must pay for his father's sins. I am indeed unworthy of being a person of Da Jing, but I still wish to die in Da Jing. Please, Princess, grant my wish…"
Having spoken, Lu Yanmo faced Ling Yao, his eyes filled with deep reluctance, and he opened his arms, falling backward.
"Lu Yanmo—"
Ling Yao ran towards him, only to see a black figure receding further and further until it disappeared.
"Princess!"
From behind, a strong arm yanked her away from the cliff's edge. What met her eyes was Song Beiting's panicked face.
"Are you alright? Huh?"
He had lost his composure, gripping her arm and examining her all over.
"Did he harm you? Speak, Princess, Ling Yao—what's wrong?"
Ling Yao, recovering from her shock, saw Song Beiting's undisguised anxiety.
His eyes looked as if he hadn't rested in a long time, his lips were pale, and his handsome face bore signs of fatigue.
Wen Tang gege.
They had grown up together, and she knew his character. Perhaps she should trust her intuition and not attribute her father-in-law's problems to him.
"Search the area below! Alive or dead, bring him back!"
Song Beiting's voice was stern as he ordered the accompanying guards to search the cliff.
"No need!" Ling Yao stopped him. "Let's return to the palace!"
"Princess?" Song Beiting was confused. That person had committed a grave crime. If he wasn't confirmed dead, it would leave future trouble.
Matters that required cutting off the roots should not be met with softheartedness.
Or perhaps, the Princess knew him?
"He…"
"Wen Tang gege, let's go back! It's all over."
Song Beiting froze.
After returning to the palace, Ling Yao mentioned to no one who had abducted her. She spent two quiet days thinking, and perhaps understood why Lu Yanmo had to die.
Born into prominence, achieving success at a young age, and having a smooth journey through life, he was an exceptionally proud man. Once his beliefs crumbled, the country was no longer his country, and his home was no longer his home.
He could not love the one he loved, and whom did he hate? He didn't know.
Perhaps he had wandered for a long time and had already come to terms with everything.
There was nothing left in this world for him to cling to.
To live on in humiliation was, for a proud person, a form of slow torture.
Emperor Mingde tested her a few times and, seeing that she had not been harmed, stopped his investigation.
Yu Liu, after being confined for a few days, emerged and hugged Ling Yao, weeping profusely.
If she were in Xian Wang Sect, she would have died countless times by now.
After her release, she began sparring with the guards whenever she had free time to improve her skills.
Ling Yao finally saw the letter that Xiao Shan had sent ten days earlier.
She missed him dearly. The longing was like the drizzling raindrops outside, ceaseless, and like the May wind, carrying warmth that blew through every corner of her body, yet only stirring up annoyance.
She lay on the table and wrote over a dozen pages. As she wrote, moved by emotion, she couldn't help but blush.
Before the letter was finished, she received another one.
Xiao Shan was clearly impatient. The letter was full of questions, and it also contained good news: Li Zhou had been recaptured.
"A great hero."
Ling Yao was happy. She quickly sealed the letter she had finished and sent it by express horse to the southwest.