Chapter 50

“She failed to suppress the bandits, the people’s suffering remains unresolved, and military prestige has been damaged—she must be punished!”

Xie Tinglan’s voice was clear and cold, ringing through the entire hall. Ye Rui could even hear the faint echo. Every syllable felt like a blade cutting into her.

I know. I know Xie Tinglan can’t protect me in front of the Yuan Emperor. I know that. So why does it still hurt? It hurts more than the wound on my back.

“Then what does My Dear Official think should be done?”

The Emperor lifted his brows, as if he’d taken an interest. His gaze stayed fixed on Xie Tinglan, trying to catch even the slightest change in expression. Then his eyes moved to Ye Rui, who had her head lowered. He could not see her face, but she seemed to be trembling all over, her arms shaking.

“A death sentence may be avoided, but punishment cannot. The bandit-suppression mission concerns both the people’s livelihood and military prestige, so let military law be used.”

Xie Tinglan’s voice fell across the vast Chengtian Hall, carrying an unsettling authority. Ye Rui kept her head down the entire time; she heard every word, yet somehow felt as if she did not understand a single one. Her mind was foggy. It felt as though her soul had been torn out of her body.

“If she cannot complete a military mission, then let her receive twenty strokes of the staff as warning.”

After Xie Tinglan finished, Tang Yan’s face went white. He turned to look at Ye Rui and thought bitterly: This person is so frail; forget twenty strokes, she might not even survive ten.

“Oh? Is My Dear Official speaking of court staff or military staff?”

The Yuan Emperor was still watching Xie Tinglan’s expression, but when he failed to see what he wanted, his disappointment was obvious.

“Since Ye Rui accompanied the army on this expedition, of course it should be military staff.”

Xie Tinglan said it lightly, but Ye Rui and Tang Yan both turned deathly pale, fear written across their faces. Ye Rui had never personally suffered a caning, but even from television she knew military-staff punishment was the harshest of all.

Military-staff punishments were meant to intimidate; unlike ordinary canings, there was no mercy in them. They often killed people outright, which was why some even called them “murder staffs.”

Is Xie Tinglan trying to kill me?! Ye Rui broke into a cold sweat. For a moment, she could not understand why Xie Tinglan would do this. Was it because she did not want the Emperor to have leverage over her, even if that meant sacrificing Ye Rui too…?

No. Xie Tinglan wouldn’t do that. She wouldn’t.

The Yuan Emperor was also slightly surprised by Xie Tinglan’s decision. He had not expected her to be so ruthless toward one of her own, though that was very much like her style.

She left no room for retreat.

His eyes narrowed; the hand gripping the dragon-head armrest tightened, then loosened again. Just as he was about to speak, a soldier behind Tang Yan stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, Miss Ye saved this humble servant during the chaos. I am willing to take the punishment in her stead!”

“Your Majesty, please show mercy. Miss Ye also saved this general. I am likewise willing to take the punishment for her!”

Tang Yan also spoke up.

In that instant, Ye Rui suddenly wanted to laugh. In the end, the ones who saved her were the false sincerity she had shown during the battle chaos.

The Yuan Emperor looked down from the steps at the two of them, his expression dark. His gaze gradually fell on Ye Rui. “Ye Rui, do you admit your guilt?”

Ye Rui lowered her head until it was almost touching the ground. The cold seeping out from her own body made her tremble all over. “This commoner admits her guilt and is willing to accept punishment.”

The Emperor gave a short “Mm.” He glanced at Xie Tinglan, then after a few seconds of silence said, “Ye Rui is My Dear Official’s guard, and she also shielded My Dear Official from a blade and saved her life. Twenty strokes is indeed too severe. Ten will do.”

His expression had eased somewhat, though his tone was still angry. “Tang Yan, you failed to lead the army properly; dereliction of duty led to defeat. You shall take fifteen military strokes yourself.”

“This general thanks Your Majesty for your mercy.”

Tang Yan prostrated himself and thanked the Emperor. Ye Rui followed his example, pressing herself to the floor; the glaring brown-red stain on her back was exposed at once. Xie Tinglan’s eyes moved; the hand gripping the jade tablet was not only damp with sweat, it was trembling.

“Let the bandit-suppression matter be discussed later. All of you may withdraw. I am going to the imperial study to handle state affairs.”

Having not seen the result he wanted, the Yuan Emperor was clearly no longer interested. Even Xie Tinglan was dismissed, and everyone was sent away.

At that moment, Ye Rui lifted her head and met Xie Tinglan’s gaze. Xie Tinglan’s eyes were cold, but when she looked at Ye Rui, she stubbornly refused to look away. Only when two palace guards came to take Ye Rui away on either side did Xie Tinglan finally avert her eyes.

Xie Tinglan did not know how she made it to the Yuelong Gate. She felt as though all strength had been drained from her; she was dazed and lost, like a person whose soul had been sucked out. Once she got into the carriage, before Ri Xi could say a word, the jade tablet in Xie Tinglan’s hand slipped to the floor with a sharp crack, breaking into two pieces.

“Ri Xi…”

Xie Tinglan’s voice was broken, and her throat was tight with an urgent, stifled sob.

“Bring out the best life-saving medicine in the residence.”

Ri Xi stared at Xie Tinglan in a daze; even her breathing became short and tight.

“Yes.”

**

The winter night wind was like a blade. In the biting cold, Yin Yue hurried back to the Xie residence carrying someone on her back. Fine snow was falling, and drop after drop of blood landed on the white ground like red spider lilies blooming on the road to the underworld, gorgeous and forlorn.

Ye Rui’s arms hung at her sides, her body limp and weak. She was breathing in more than she was breathing out, yet her body was unnaturally hot; Yin Yue felt as though she were carrying a red-hot iron.

For the first time, panic showed plainly on Yin Yue’s face. Her complexion turned even paler in the moonlight, and her movement was as swift as the wind; if there had been any shortcut that would get her back to the Xie residence in an instant, she would have taken it without hesitation.

“Ye Rui, Ye Rui, we’re almost home. Hold on! Don’t fall asleep!”

Home? In her dazed state, Ye Rui seemed to hear that word. Did she have a home?

It seemed… she didn’t. She had never had one.

Blood dripped from the hem of her clothes. Her hair was in disarray; a few long strands stuck messily to her bloodless face from the undried cold water.

She was almost about to faint… no, in fact she had already fainted after the fifth stroke. She had been roused by cold sweat, and under the freezing water, she had somehow endured five more strokes.

It was only when she heard the guard carrying out the military punishment shout, “By imperial decree, the punishment is complete—count!” that Ye Rui finally relaxed completely and let all her internal energy disperse. Her body seemed to be stripped of every last bit of strength, and she lost consciousness.

Did it hurt? It hurt terribly; it hurt so much Ye Rui almost wanted to become cosmic trash on the spot. Even Hutu had been frightened into tears.

She really did not know what a system sounded like when it cried. But Xie Tinglan… would you cry for me?

Is me being alive such a burden to you?

Through her hazy vision, Ye Rui caught sight of a blurred glow. It was the two large red lanterns hanging before the manor gate. By this hour, they should already have been extinguished…

Why are they still lit? Is this an illusion?

Am I going to die…? But my life, traded for so many people in the mountain stronghold, should be worth it, right?

Ye Rui let out a breath of turbid air…

Xie Tinglan, would you shed even a single tear for me?

**

Dongfeng Ward remained as crowded as ever. Neither the fine snow nor the bitter wind could stop the surging throng and the street’s bustle; this was still the liveliest district in the Capital City.

When the steward led Lu Yihua to the door on the third floor, her face looked troubled, and she muttered under her breath, “Why does that silly girl always give me such difficult jobs?”

“What?”

Lu Yihua heard her speaking, but she was busy studying the layout of the third floor and did not catch it clearly. She thought she was talking to her.

The steward waved a hand to show it was nothing, then steeled herself and went into the room. Mu Xue had been in a very bad mood lately, irritated to no end; the steward always wanted to avoid her if possible. Who would have thought someone would come charging straight into trouble themselves?

Not long after, the steward came back out and told Lu Yihua to go in.

Once Lu Yihua entered, she first saw a painted-lady screen, its graceful figure lit with alluring charm. Then she heard Mu Xue’s languid voice: “Who are you, and why did Ye Rui send you to find me?”

Mu Xue had finished washing up not long ago and was seated before the mirror, combing her hair with a frown. She did not even look at the person slowly approaching.

“Miss Mu, hello. Miss Ye asked me to come seek your protection.”

Mu Xue’s hand paused on the comb; she gave a cold laugh. “Protection?”

“That fool thinks this place is a charitable hall?”

She tightened her grip on the carved wooden comb and turned to look at Lu Yihua. Lu Yihua was wearing coarse hemp clothes. Her face was passable enough, but she had not even added an extra robe in such cold weather; she really did look penniless.

Seeing Mu Xue’s unfriendly tone, Lu Yihua thought she should not be disturbing her any further. The people in the stronghold would have to find their own way.

Ye Rui had been right; the court really had no intention of letting them go.

After Lu Yihua led everyone out of the stronghold, they split up and settled in different villages, earning a living doing farm work. But life was still miserable. Sometimes they could not even gather enough for medical expenses, and they could only watch the villagers from Ping’an Village die one after another from severe injuries or illness.

She had once gone back to the stronghold to look; it had already been burned down, and atop the ruins fluttered the Great Yan flag, clearly declaring who had destroyed the place.

“I’m sorry. I have disturbed you.”

Just as Lu Yihua was about to turn and leave, Mu Xue called out, “Stop.”

She rose and walked over to Lu Yihua, reaching out to seize her shoulder. Lu Yihua instinctively turned to block her, and the two of them almost simultaneously locked onto each other’s wrists. Their movements were eerily identical.

“How do you know military martial arts?”

Mu Xue asked with narrowed, beautiful eyes, examining Lu Yihua from head to toe.

“And why do you know military martial arts, miss?”

Lu Yihua did not answer; she countered the question instead. Mu Xue, however, only smiled and said, “I’ve traveled the world. It’s normal to know a little of everything.”

“No, that stance of yours is more than ‘a little.’”

Lu Yihua pushed back, and Mu Xue lifted a brow. “So are you.”

The two looked at each other in silence for a while, then released their grips in tacit understanding. Mu Xue asked, “Speak. What is your relationship with that fool? Why did she ask you to come find me?”

After much thought, Lu Yihua knew that revealing her true identity might very well bring disaster upon herself, but the person in front of her had been introduced by Ye Rui; perhaps she could be trusted.

So Lu Yihua explained her identity and purpose in full. Mu Xue’s brows and eyes darkened with anger. “So that’s how it is. That fool deliberately let you all go…”

Mu Xue bit her lip. That fool…

“Miss Mu, may I ask how Miss Ye is? Has something happened to her?”

Lu Yihua had tried to ask around, but it seemed that very few people recognized the name Ye Rui. The tea master at the roadside tea stall only knew she was someone from the Xie residence.

Lu Yihua had once hated that wolf from the court, but Ye Rui had indeed saved them, and she had also said that the massacre of the village had not been done by that wolf from the court; so Lu Yihua had begun to think about it more carefully.

Hearing Lu Yihua’s question only made Mu Xue feel even more irritated. She gritted her teeth and said, “Half a life left. It’s been half a month and she still hasn’t woken up.”

Lu Yihua’s expression changed drastically. She was about to say something when Mu Xue went on, “Don’t say all that useless nonsense. Since that fool made this decision, she naturally has to bear the consequences herself. It’s just… that bastard Xie Tinglan is vicious too. In order to cut off the Emperor’s suspicions, she actually pushed things to this extent.”

Mu Xue’s voice grew quieter at the end, but Lu Yihua still heard it clearly. She did not say anything guilty or apologetic; instead, she asked, “Is there anything I can do to help Miss Ye?”

“I can’t help her; what can you do?”

Mu Xue gave Lu Yihua a look of open disdain. Neither of them asked why the other knew military martial arts; both seemed to understand certain secrets without needing to pry.

“Xie Tinglan will naturally save her. If she can’t be saved, then I’ll kill her.”

After Mu Xue said this, Lu Yihua seemed to understand something and asked, “You… like Miss Ye?”

Same-sex affection was not rare, especially since Lu Yihua had roamed the jianghu for many years. People of the martial world were unrestrained and unconcerned with petty rules; many were not bound by convention, so she was no longer surprised by such things.

“What does that have to do with you?”

Mu Xue rolled her eyes at Lu Yihua, then slowly walked back to her dressing table. “I can help you people, but not for free. I’ll send you all to Youlan City in batches. There, you’ll work for me, and the pay will definitely be much better than it is now…”

As she spoke, Mu Xue glanced at Lu Yihua’s clothes and frowned. “It shouldn’t be so bad that you can’t even afford an extra robe.”

Lu Yihua’s face flushed at that, and she awkwardly tugged at her hem. Mu Xue pointed to the fur robe hanging on the screen. “Take it and wear it. Also, there are a few gold ingots on the table. Go use them to buy your people some supplies to keep warm; otherwise, before I’ve even finished preparing, your people will all freeze to death.”

Lu Yihua: “……”

This person wasn’t bad-hearted, but her mouth was vicious; truly… impossible to deal with. Lu Yihua still stood unmoving. Mu Xue looked at her impatiently and said coldly, “If I tell you to take it, then take it. If that fool wakes up and finds everyone she entrusted to me dead, how am I supposed to collect my reward?”

“All right. Thank you, Miss Mu.”

Lu Yihua no longer refused. She did need supplies, and there was no room to turn things down at the moment. She would repay Mu Xue later through work.

She took the fur robe from the screen and the two gold ingots. Just as she was about to leave, Mu Xue suddenly said, “Don’t reveal that military martial art of yours casually. Otherwise, you’re likely to invite disaster.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Miss Mu. I understand.”

**

The tung tree branches were stripped bare, thrusting straight into the gray-white sky. The remaining dead leaves rustled down in the wind and gathered on the bluestone path like scattered thoughts.

Ye Rui had already been lying face-down for half a month. It was not that she had never woken up; it was just that she only stayed conscious for a few breaths before fainting again.

Ri Xi applied medicine to Ye Rui’s back, buttocks, and thighs. The wounds were irregular, like crumpled paper, and anyone who looked at them would be horrified. The injuries were dark brownish-black, with large patches of bruising that had yet to fade. Fortunately, she had used her internal energy in time to protect her bones, so there had been no fractures or crippling damage.

However, Ye Rui had already been injured when she was punished; then she rushed back through the wind and caught a chill. After that, she was gravely wounded again, and the cold evil qi entered her body. Injury piled upon illness; her vitality was badly depleted, and the fever kept returning. Even after half a month, she still had not fully regained consciousness.

Ri Xi still remembered that when Ye Rui was brought back, she had only one breath left. Her whole back was a bloody mess; blood and clothes were impossible to separate. Ri Xi had forcibly fed her several life-saving pills and pulled her back from the brink. After that came the long, day-after-day treatment. Ye Rui’s injuries were all on her back, so she could not lie flat. At first, Ri Xi stayed up several nights in a row, terrified that Ye Rui would simply stop breathing.

“How is she today?”

Xie Tinglan hurried over as soon as she came down from court, still in her court robes and not yet changed, rushing to the bedside to look and see whether the person had opened her eyes.

“She’s still the same, but she didn’t run a high fever today, so that’s good news.”

Ri Xi had just finished applying the medicine and was helping Ye Rui close her clothes. Every morning, she applied the medicine; after that, Xie Tinglan took over for the rest of the day. The one lying there looked haggard, and the one standing here was hardly any better.

Winter was already hard to endure, and during this period Xie Tinglan had not been resting well. Whenever she had time, she would come to look after Ye Rui. Not only had her body grown thinner than before, even her face looked like a ghost’s, devoid of color.

If Gong Yinzhi had not used internal energy to regulate Xie Tinglan’s condition, she would probably have long since collapsed, and Ri Xi would have had one more person to care for.

The day after Ye Rui was carried back, Mu Xue sent someone over. The steward, who still retained her charm despite her age, had completely abandoned her usual smooth, tactful manner. The moment she arrived, she launched into a harsh scolding of Xie Tinglan and even wanted to bring Ye Rui back to Rain and Mist Pavilion for care.

At that time, Xie Tinglan had flown into a rage again, driven the steward away with threats, and even warned them that if they dared come to the Xie residence again, she would not mind having Rain and Mist Pavilion shut down.

Of course Xie Tinglan had the power to shut down Rain and Mist Pavilion. It was only that far too many interests were tied up behind it, and those words were nothing more than an outburst of anger. Even so, Ri Xi felt this was also proof that Xie Tinglan had lost her composure. When had the feared Prime Minister Xie ever spoken such childish, petulant words?

Ri Xi understood why Xie Tinglan had done it, but military-staff punishment could take a person’s life. Why did Xie Tinglan have to leave no room at all? If Tang Yan had not pleaded for Ye Rui, would Ye Rui have died under the staff?

And what basis did Xie Tinglan have to know that Ye Rui could endure it? How did she know the Yuan Emperor would reduce the sentence?

Ri Xi did not dare ask any of this. She understood even more clearly that the path Xie Tinglan walked allowed no room for other feelings; it was destined to be lonely.

Ri Xi left the room, and the quiet chamber was left with only Xie Tinglan and Ye Rui. Ye Rui’s breathing was steady, as if she were asleep, but every rise and fall of her chest made Xie Tinglan feel both grateful and guilty.

A cold fingertip touched Ye Rui’s cheek, tucking the loose hair behind her ear. Xie Tinglan murmured, “Will you hate me?”

Xie Tinglan thought of the person carried back that day, her clothes soaked through with red. Her breathing unconsciously quickened, and her face seemed to go even paler.

“But I had no choice. Otherwise, you really would have died.”

Xie Tinglan remembered the helplessness and fear she had felt when Helian Shaohua’s letter had been delivered into her hands. It had been a long time since she had felt that way. If one were to name the Yuan Emperor’s most precise strike over the years, this would undoubtedly be it.

Every single word Xie Tinglan had spoken when punishing Ye Rui at court was still etched in her memory. That was the first time she had hated her own restraint and acting skills so much.

Before those monsters and demons, even the slightest emotion was a grave sin.

-----------------------

Author’s note: I’m here! I’m bringing the knife down!

The wedding preparations for my best friend are still ongoing, so I’m still very busy. I’ll reply to comments one by one later. Love you all! [heart][heart]