Chapter 2
However, that terrifying feeling seemed to be Shen Yao's illusion, and it quickly dissipated.
The man addressed as General put away his smile and said loudly, "What does Prince Jing have to say? The princess is new here and longs for home. She's being hastily married before she's even settled in. Isn't it understandable that she'd throw a tantrum?"
Subordinate: "...Ah, yes, that's right."
The man continued, "If the princess is missing, just look for her. Look at all of you, so useless. I thought the dignified princess of the Sheng Dynasty had poisoned my wedding wine, eloped with some wild man, and was eventually found dead in some bush outside the city, left to rot in the wilderness."
After saying that, the man gave his subordinate a very harmless smile.
Shen Yao immediately understood the implication in the man's words and frowned. Before she could think of a solution, she suddenly felt the person behind her hold their breath.
Turning around, I saw Zhao Chong's pupils dizzying—
Throughout the entire city of Xiliang, everyone knew the identity of the dark horse general, Lan Yunyi.
The younger brother of the current Imperial Concubine, and the maternal uncle of the only prince of the Sheng Dynasty.
What he is more famous for than his identity is his gentle and refined demeanor and his insidious and treacherous methods.
Countless loyal ministers and righteous men died at his hands.
Even more outrageous is his superb knife skills; it is said that he can slice a fish into three thousand pieces while it is still alive, and the fish will still be jumping around even after the skin and flesh are torn open.
His methods of extracting confessions were extremely horrifying.
Zhao Chong suddenly felt weak in his limbs, and thinking of those terrifying rumors, he could barely hold onto the bundle in his hands.
Shen Yao noticed his unusual behavior—that bag of gold and silver jewelry would surely attract attention if it fell to the ground, so when the bundle in his hand was about to fall to the ground, Shen Yao suddenly reached out and caught it.
She breathed a sigh of relief, completely unaware that the bundle had an opening.
A gold bracelet inlaid with enamel fell out of the bundle. Shen Yao instinctively caught the opening of the bundle, but could only let the bracelet make a soft "clang" as it hit the hard ground.
The bracelet spun slowly on the ground... and finally settled into stillness without much noise.
Shen Yao's heart suddenly pounded, as if it were about to jump out of her throat.
Zhao Chong snapped back to his senses, shoved Shen Yao aside, and ran. There was a dead end in front of him, but he easily scaled the wall and disappeared within seconds.
Shen Yao stumbled violently from his push.
That jerk of a male lead, he just left her alone with that obviously villainous guy and ran off?!
And so, the tragedy from the original story was repeated once again.
The torch that was thrown over slowly rolled to her feet, gradually illuminating her figure.
Shen Yao squatted down and then stood up again, standing alone in the same spot. Her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and she was dressed in white, her face slowly revealed. Her face was cold and beautiful. When she raised her head, her large and long phoenix eyes glanced at her, revealing both a captivating beauty and a conquering ambition.
The soldiers barely blinked, holding their breath. The leader of the men in black raised an eyebrow slightly when he saw her, clearly displeased by her gaze.
Within Xiliang City, he was the most powerful person before the princess.
For so many years, no one has dared to look at him like that.
He looked directly into Shen Yao's eyes, pulled on the reins, rode up to her, and then dismounted.
Now that she had been discovered, Shen Yao didn't think about resisting. She lowered her head and slowly put on the bracelet, seemingly not caring much about the person who came.
The other person smiled and drew his sword, the tip pointing directly at her throat without hesitation, forcing her to raise her head.
"..." Shen Yao looked at him expressionlessly.
The general named Lan Yunyi said, "In the dead of night, a woman like this suddenly appears on the street. If she is not a ghost, then she must be a demon."
"Demons and monsters? That's utter nonsense," Shen Yao replied.
“Then she must be a person.” Lan Yunyi tilted her head and continued, “If she is a person, then that girl is truly an extraordinary person. To go out ‘alone’ in the middle of the night, it is truly puzzling to me.”
Shen Yao suddenly lowered her head and smiled.
You brat, asking me where your lover is.
Lan Yunyi raised an eyebrow: "What is there for you to enjoy, young lady?"
"This young general, I suppose he's never been married," Shen Yao suddenly asked. "When did he come of age?"
After she finished speaking, Lan Yunyi's smile faded slightly, and one of his adjutants completely lost his composure, jumping out on the spot and shouting, "How dare you! Our general turned twenty last year and will be twenty-one this year. He's getting married tomorrow..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lan Yunyi suddenly turned her head and glared fiercely at the adjutant.
The adjutant fell silent.
He turned back, donned his flawless fake smile again, and looked at Shen Yao: "Well? What does this have to do with you, young lady?"
Serves you right for pretending!
Keep pretending!
Shen Yao's smile widened, and she said, "...This young general, perhaps it would be more appropriate for you to call me sister."
Lan Yunyi narrowed her eyes, then asked quite shrewdly, "...So, why is this 'sister' out at night?"
Shen Yao: "Are you very curious?"
The man didn't speak, but tilted his head, his gaze towards Shen Yao becoming more focused.
His appearance is actually quite endearing.
Shen Yao suddenly gave a bitter laugh and said with a sigh, "For twenty-five years I have secluded myself in my chambers, studying the ways of being a wife and a mother every day, all so that one day I could marry a good husband..."
Lan Yunyi laughed again: "What, did your family find you a bad husband? Is your aunt... is she trying to commit suicide?"
Shen Yao was pleased with his change of address, then shook her head and said, "Rumor has it that my husband is gentle, considerate, sweet-talking, five years younger than me, from a wealthy family, and young and handsome."
Lan Yunyi tilted her head, only to see Shen Yao shake her head: "But even such a good husband can't satisfy everyone in every way."
After she finished speaking, everyone held their breath. Even Lan Yunyi couldn't help but fall silent and frown.
The adjutant beside him noticed that Lan Yunyi, unusually, did not smile, but glared at the woman in front of him with a hint of displeasure.
The adjutant fell into deep thought.
Lan Yunyi finally couldn't help but speak first: "Why don't you tell me, young lady?"
Shen Yao looked even more sorrowful, and even wiped away non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes: "...That good husband isn't just someone I've taken a liking to. I only recently learned that he already has a woman in his courtyard who is as pure as a breeze and as bright as the moon!"
Lan Yunyi raised her eyebrows sharply, this time even causing the sword in her hand to tremble. The blade lightly grazed Shen Yao's shoulder, tearing a small hole in her outer garment.
Shen Yao didn't stop there, continuing her dramatic performance under the moon: "I am naturally jealous. My husband will never have a peaceful life in the courtyard after marrying me."
Lan Yunyi steadied his sword hilt again, trying to put on his familiar smiling mask once more, but the nerves in his face suddenly became very uncooperative. He tried for a long time, but finally gave up and coldly sheathed his sword.
"So, the young lady went out at night to relax." Lan Yunyi couldn't stand it anymore and found a reason for Shen Yao.
Shen Yao smiled and nodded: "So, can I go now?"
Lan Yunyi remained silent.
Shen Yao continued, "I'll trouble you to escort me, young general." After saying that, she slung her small bundle over her shoulder and headed straight for the Jing Prince's residence.
Lan Yunyi smiled and followed.
A few days ago, he received a letter from the capital, in which he said that the princess had never been favored, but before her departure, the emperor personally saw her off to her carriage and talked with her for a long time.
Someone overheard the emperor making a promise to the princess.
Therefore, they dared to speculate that although the princess was foolish, she might still do something against him because of the emperor's promise.
Upon seeing her today, Lan Yunyi was certain of his guess: the princess and he were of the same kind.
Not only do they vie for his power, but they also stir up trouble in his private life.
Ah, you jealous shrew!
Suddenly, the princess, who was walking slowly away, paused, as if she had secretly swallowed a sneeze.
Lan Yun stood there for a while, recalling the words "gentle" and "thoughtful" that the woman had just used. For some reason, a slight ripple suddenly stirred in her heart.
He recalled the woman's words about being "dissatisfied," and suddenly felt a little unhappy.
Because he always handled things perfectly and never let anyone find fault with him, the women in the courtyard... well, he had his explanation, and it wouldn't be too late to talk about it later!
So he suddenly followed, took off his outer robe, and wrapped it around Shen Yao's body from behind.
Shen Yao was startled, thinking that this damn villain was suddenly going to kill her, so she quickly took out the Princess Seal from her bosom to forcefully suppress the other party, but when she touched it, she found that the Princess Seal was gone!
At that moment, her body was suddenly enveloped by the warmth of the young man's body, along with a unique rose fragrance and a hint of pear blossom scent from the Western Regions.
When she turned around, Lan Yunyi had already covered her up.
Shen Yao was startled, and then she realized that there was a hint of coldness in the air. The fragrance in her outer robe also had a relaxing effect, making Shen Yao feel a little dizzy.
A warm but rough hand suddenly took her hand in its grasp, placed a small white jade seal in her palm, and together they held the princess seal, a symbol of power and status.
She raised her head and frowned as she looked at Lan Yunyi.
Lan Yunyi was also looking at her, her smile so gentle and tender that it was... somewhat eerie.
Although she knew she shouldn't, Shen Yao was even more surprised to discover, amidst all the danger, that Lan Yunyi was not only fair-skinned and young, but also, as rumored, as beautiful as Consort Lan, the "most beautiful woman in the prosperous dynasty."
Just then, the sound of the night watchman's gong suddenly rang out, the long and deep "dong, dong" announcing the official arrival of a new day.
In the original story, the original owner of the body had already been left to rot in the wilderness at this point.
And she survived.
Just surviving is good enough.
Shen Yao breathed a sigh of relief and looked up to meet Lan Yunyi's obsidian-like eyes.
He stared at Shen Yao and said slowly, "The climate in Xiliang is harsh, unlike that of the capital. Sister... you must take good care of yourself."
After saying that, he slowly released his hand, helped Shen Yao tie the drawstring of her outer robe, pointed her in a direction, and then watched her leave.
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