Chapter 51 No Retreat Allowed
After the Prince of Jin finished speaking, he released his grip.
Although they let go of each other's hands, they still stood very close. Ruan Bi could feel his warm breath brushing against her hair, and his scent lingering beside her. Hearing his words, she wasn't unmoved, but her heart was too heavy and her situation too complicated. Such words were merely a firefly's light, unable to illuminate the darkness within her heart.
To be honest, she felt sorry for him. If he met another girl, it would have been a light and warm encounter. But she was too burdened, so burdened that she felt she had let him down, so burdened that she couldn't reciprocate his feelings. She sighed softly and said, "If you know there's a cliff ahead, do you still walk towards it?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than he said firmly, "Whether it's a cliff or not is up to me to decide."
His words were forceful and resounding, leaving no room for doubt, and carrying a hint of anger. Could he be angry? Ruan Bi was startled and turned to look at him. His face was serious, his brows and eyes resolute, his gaze sharp, and he exuded an imposing aura. The moonlight on his clothes seemed to turn into frost in an instant.
Indeed, the Prince of Jin was angry. He had made himself perfectly clear, yet she still hesitated, which infuriated him, a man of his word. He stared into her eyes and said, "Do you know what kind of person I despise most in my life?"
Ruan Bi was taken aback by his imposing presence and asked, "Who is it?"
“Those who desert in the face of battle.” The moonlight condensed into ice blades in his eyes. “Such people are all killed without mercy. In every battle, my army is equipped with swordsmen. Anyone who retreats will be killed with a single blow. Also, any wounded soldier on the battlefield who has been shot in the back by an enemy arrow is also killed without mercy.”
Ruan Bi was stunned, staring blankly at him. He had always been gentle and polite in her presence, so much so that she had almost forgotten he was a general who commanded thousands of troops and traversed bloody battlefields. After a long while, she parted her lips slightly and whispered, "But..."
"No buts." Prince Jin interrupted her without room for argument, spurring his horse forward. He had thought it would be a romantic evening under the moon, a chance to ease his longing. But instead, it only added to his troubles. His anger was hard to quell, and he hissed, "Youde."
After a while, only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves could be heard, but no response was heard from Youde.
The Prince of Jin was surprised and turned to look at the woods. Although there was moonlight, it could not penetrate the dense forest. Even though he had practiced martial arts since childhood and had excellent eyesight, he could not see where Youde was hiding.
Ruan Bi asked worriedly, "I hope nothing bad has happened to him."
The Prince of Jin shook his head and said, "No, he can fight a hundred ordinary people, and ten experts."
"Then why didn't he agree?"
Didn't you tell him to stay away?
Ruan Bi smiled slightly, listened intently, and looked around. A gentle mountain breeze blew, and the shadows of the trees swayed. You De seemed to have disappeared. She said, "You should go and meet up with Yu Qing and the others first."
The Prince of Jin understood her concern for his safety, and his heart warmed, his anger subsiding. He said, "Didn't you complain that he was difficult to talk to? Now that he's far away, he can talk more." Although he couldn't see where Youde was hiding, their years of tacit understanding meant he was nearby, so there was no need to worry.
"Why are you saying so much?" Ruan Bi muttered shyly.
The Prince of Jin said jokingly, "It seems I'll have to bring a swordsman with me next time and have him stand behind you."
"You command thousands of troops, and this is all you know how to do?"
“There are countless methods, but after much thought, I think this one is the most suitable. Everyone else fears power but cherishes virtue, but you alone fear power without cherishing virtue. You won’t know how to advance unless you’re held at knifepoint.”
"Shouldn't I at least check what kind of road lies ahead?"
"With your eyesight, what you see may not be the truth. It's like Youde is hidden in the fourth tree on the left, but you just can't see him."
Ruan Bi was startled and quickly looked up, but all she could see was lush foliage; she couldn't make out the figure of You De anywhere.
The King of Jin laughed and said, "You've been fooled; he's not there."
Ruan Bi hadn't expected him, so serious, to play a prank. She was both amused and exasperated, and couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. Her eyes, always bright and lively, brimming with moonlight, shifted in such a way, a mixture of anger and reproach, that the world seemed to lose its color. The Prince of Jin's breath caught in his throat, his smile froze, and his eyes seemed to hold the flickering light of an overturned fire pit.
Ruan Bi's heart raced and her cheeks burned as she was stared at.
Youde squatted on a branch, watching the two who had suddenly fallen silent and were just staring at each other. He grinned and turned away. He thought to himself, "It seems I should find a woman too. The women of Beirong are nice, but they're all too unrestrained, like strong liquor. You get drunk after just one sip. I wonder what it's like to slowly savor and slowly get drunk?"
After a long while, the King of Jin suddenly exclaimed again in a low voice, "Youde."
Youde turned around and saw that the two had probably finished talking, as they were standing slightly apart. This time, he didn't pretend he hadn't heard them; he quickly leaped a few times and landed in front of them.
"Take Fifth Sister back, and be careful."
"yes."
Youde picked up Ruan Bi as if she were a chick, leaped up the tree trunk, and then jumped over the wall. A moment later, he climbed over the wall again and landed next to Prince Jin, grinning as he said, "Your Highness, hurry up and reward me."
Why should I reward you?
"The prince just called me. If I had come out, the prince would have been furious all night."
The King of Jin laughed and said, "You've been clever this time. What reward do you want?"
"Find me a proper, elegant lady, though a bit awkward."
"Okay, I'll pick one out for you when we get back to the capital."
"Are you going back to the capital now?"
"No, the city gates are all locked. If we go back, we'll have to open the side gates secretly. Tomorrow morning, all those civil and military officials will probably submit memorials accusing me. Let's stay at the Grand Princess's estate tonight."
Youde sighed and said, "Your Highness, the rules in the capital are too strict and make us feel too uncomfortable. Xingping City is much better. We are so free and happy there."
Halfway up the mountain, they met up with Yu Qing and the others, and together they descended the mountain.
Princess Huiwen's estate was not far down the mountain, not connected to any village, occupying its own corner and bordering a large expanse of farmland. The steward recognized Prince Jin and greeted him with exceptional respect at the door, carefully arranging all the food and lodging for him.
The next day, Prince Jin returned to his palace in the east of the capital with a group of guards. After bathing and washing up, he changed into casual clothes and summoned Xu Maoyu to his study. "Master Mao, please cast a divination for me."
Xu Maoyu was somewhat surprised and asked, "What does Fei Yang want to divine?"
"Regarding the marriage... I plan to speak with the Empress Dowager."
"Are you referring to the Fifth Sister?"
The Prince of Jin nodded.
Xu Maoyu frowned and said, "Feiyang, do we need to consult the oracle for this? If you tell the Empress Dowager that you have taken a liking to the fifth daughter of the Ruan family, there are only two possible outcomes. First, the Empress Dowager will appoint her as your concubine. Second, the Empress Dowager will order the Ruan family to marry her off immediately. As things stand, the second possibility is more likely. Even if the Empress Dowager appoints her as your concubine, the Ruan family, a prestigious family in Jingxi, cares most about their family reputation. Although they are not as renowned as before, they will not allow their daughter to become a concubine. Even if the Empress Dowager designates her, the Ruan family will definitely submit memorials to decline again and again, and to avoid suspicion, they will certainly arrange the fifth daughter's marriage as soon as possible." He paused, then added, "Feiyang, you should know very well that no matter what happens, the fifth daughter will be the first to be affected."
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