Ye Xiren sat up abruptly, clutching her neck, breathing rapidly, her face filled with terror.
She had died again!
Killed by an arrow through the throat. More than the pain, what left a deeper impression on her now was the fear brought by that arrow, along with the icy, oppressive gaze in those upturned eyes. Just recalling it made her shiver uncontrollably, her scalp tingling with dread.
Ye Xiren grabbed Xue Chan’s wrist and asked urgently, “What’s the date today?”
Xue Chan, holding a basin, replied in confusion, “Today is the third day of the third month.”
Ye Xiren’s heart first sank, then surged with joy. She had been filled with grand ambitions to assassinate Chizhan Lan Ce, only to be killed the moment she left the Imperial Prison—a mission cut short before it even began…
But she was alive again!
Ye Xiren nearly wept with happiness. It was wonderful—this wasn’t her final Rebirth, which meant she still had opportunities. She could even use these repeated Rebirths to accomplish more, rather than gambling everything on a single desperate attempt with a fixed outcome.
As for death…
Dying, dying, dying—you get used to it after a while.
Ye Xiren took a deep breath to steady herself, then lowered the hand clutching her neck and smiled. “Quick, Xue Chan, help me get dressed. I need to go out.”
She wanted to see Yan Danqing again—not just to retrieve the blood letter once more. Since she had another chance, why not devise a more thorough plan? Ye Xiren wanted to kill the Northern Yan Crown Prince, Chizhan Lan Ce, but she also wanted to save General Yan.
If Yan Danqing could be freed to lead the Yanjia Army, wouldn’t Daliang have a greater chance of victory?
Though they had only met once, Ye Xiren did not wish for such a person to die bearing infamy. Even if he were to die, it should be on the battlefield defending his homeland, not in the midst of schemes and conspiracies.
Ye Xiren thought of Chizhan Lan Ce again.
This man appeared to be preparing for peace talks with Daliang, seeking lasting friendship between the two nations, but in reality, he was closely monitoring General Yan. Lu Qian had merely taken her to the Imperial Prison to see Yan Danqing, and this man had immediately acted without hesitation, killing both Lu Qian and her without even asking for reasons.
Such actions—preferring to kill mistakenly rather than let anyone slip—could only indicate the determination behind his mission. Ye Xiren did not believe that killing her and Lu Qian, the commander of the Imperial City Department, would come without cost to him.
Lu Qian was a Northern Yan spy, crucial to their subsequent plans—essentially one of their “own people.” Yet Chizhan Lan Ce had shown no mercy in killing him.
He truly was a ruthless man!
In daily life, he appeared ethereal and transcendent, like an immortal descended to earth. Everyone spoke of his gentleness and courtesy—how he would apologize to an ordinary woman whose cart he bumped into… Yet in truth, his mind was profound and venomous to the extreme. In contrast, General Yan, who was truly as pure and noble as the bright moon, was described by others as arrogant and overbearing, his achievements overshadowing the throne. It was truly lamentable.
Ye Xiren exhaled and hurried forward, but as she stepped out the door, she suddenly halted. The sky was still dark, and a gentle night breeze brushed past her as she fell into deep thought.
Outside the Imperial Prison, Chizhan Lan Ce was waiting.
Before going there…
She had to take care of one thing first.
Imperial City Department, Imperial Prison.
Lu Qian, gripping a knife in his right hand, pressed it against the person imprisoned inside, his face twisted with rage as he gritted his teeth. “I truly despise this demeanor of yours, Yan Danqing. Today, you will surely die.”
Yan Danqing: “…”
Here we go again. He had heard this many times before.
Judging by the timing, Miss Ye had just left the Imperial Prison when she was killed…
"I'll be watching to see if you still have this fearless gentlemanly demeanor when your head is on the chopping block!" Lu Qian turned away angrily, lantern in hand.
Yan Danqing paid no heed, brushing aside the straw on the ground.
【Eight】
He had died eight times already.
Frowning slightly, he lifted his head to gaze toward the entrance, waiting quietly.
He waited for a long time—far longer than the previous occasion—so long that he thought no one would come. Then, footsteps echoed, and a familiar figure appeared at the entrance. Carrying a lantern, she entered with its flickering light, hurrying toward him. Her black skirt swayed, casting heavy shadows.
Yan Danqing’s brow relaxed.
Ye Xiren appeared once more in the Imperial Prison. Holding the lantern, she skillfully lit the candles in the wall niches, then walked familiarly to Yan Danqing. She removed her veiled hat, tossed her cloak aside, and sat directly on the ground.
"Chun Zhou, my name is Ye Xiren. I’m from the Ministry of Revenue…"
Last time, General Yan had chosen to trust her at first sight. This time, she knew more about him—even that his courtesy name was "Chun Zhou." She refused to believe he wouldn’t trust her now!
Sure enough, as she rambled on with her lengthy introduction, Yan Danqing watched her patiently, his expression gentle, listening attentively.
Half an hour later, they had smoothly confirmed all the "signals" from their previous encounter.
Yan Danqing silently took out the blood-stained letter and handed it to her, cautioning, "Be careful. Chizhan Lan Ce may have backup plans. He is a formidable opponent—even with a thorough strategy, remain vigilant."
This time, Ye Xiren did not simply take the letter and leave. Instead, she looked up at him, her voice clear and resonant like jade: "I came to find a way to save you."
Yan Danqing’s expression softened further. He shook his head with a smile. "There’s no need. It’s meaningless. If Chizhan Lan Ce dies, I likely won’t survive either."
There were too many people who wanted him dead…
"How will you know if you don’t try?" Ye Xiren retorted stubbornly, tilting her chin and muttering softly, "What’s the harm in trying? At worst, it’s just dying a few more times, wasting rebirth opportunities. What if we can still save you?"
The latter words were spoken to herself, barely audible.
Yan Danqing’s ears twitched, catching every word clearly. He replied softly, "His Majesty has already acknowledged my guilt."
And after killing Chizhan Lan Ce, the guilt would only compound.
Ye Xiren straightened her posture, gripping the iron bars and leaning forward. Her eyes, stubborn and unyielding, fixed on him, filled with determination and sincerity. "Then I’ll help clear your name!"
If his guilt had been acknowledged, then she would wash away that guilt. There had to be a way.
They hadn’t reached a dead end yet—how could they surrender?
She spoke with such conviction and natural assurance. Yan Danqing met her dark, clear eyes, seeing within them glimmers of hopeful light. She had died so many times, yet her fighting spirit remained undimmed…
Yan Danqing pressed his lips together, his Adam’s apple bobbing. His bound hands and feet trembled slightly. In the darkness, the candlelight seemed almost blinding, stirring his heart and soul. The deathly silence had long been shattered.
"Just let me try," Ye Xiren clenched her fists, gritting her teeth as she emphasized, "The Northern Yan Crown Prince is waiting outside the Imperial Prison. His desire to kill you is plain for all to see. We can’t let him have his way. He must die, but you must live."
Her father’s words made sense: sometimes, when right and wrong are unclear, go against the enemy. What opposes the enemy cannot be wrong!
"Alright." Yan Danqing looked into her eyes and nodded slowly.
He couldn’t refuse a Ye Xiren like this.
Ye Xiren's face lit up at the words, but just as she was about to speak, a rat suddenly darted out from beneath the straw, startling her into a sharp cry. She leaped up from the ground and stumbled backward.
The plump rat scurried boldly across the passageway and disappeared into another cell, squeaking arrogantly. Ye Xiren felt a chill run down her spine.
"Afraid of rats?" Yan Danqing shifted slightly.
Ye Xiren nodded. "A little."
She walked back and sat down again, letting out a long sigh. "It must be hard for you here too. The chains are bad enough, and then there are the rats. The ground is damp as well—I’ve only been sitting for a while, and I already feel uncomfortable…"
Yet a general who should have been defending the nation on the battlefield had been imprisoned here for so long, without even a single lamp for light.
Hearing this, Yan Danqing watched her sitting on the ground, his fingers twitching slightly, but in the end, he said nothing.
"Our goal is to stop the peace talks and rescue you.
"Stopping the peace talks isn’t too difficult—we just need to kill Chizhan Lan Ce. But rescuing you is much harder. After killing Chizhan Lan Ce, you’ll be labeled as a rebel for obstructing the peace talks. So, we must prove that the Northern Yan peace talks are problematic and that you are not a rebel."
And these two points…
Happened to be extremely difficult to prove.
Yan Danqing looked at her, his expression growing increasingly complex. "Do you really believe I’m not a rebel?"
"Of course," Ye Xiren replied without looking up. "How could someone willing to sacrifice their life for Daliang be a rebel?"
Last time he was here, even on the brink of death, he was still thinking about how to reassure the Yanjia Army and secure victory for Daliang, how to protect this nation. If someone like that were a "rebel"…
Then it would be this nation that had a problem, deserving of rebellion!
Yan Danqing remained silent for a long while.
Ye Xiren then asked, "What really happened with those charges against you?"
"Chizhan Lan Ce is extremely skilled at winning people over. I only raised the Yanjia Army to resist Northern Yan last year. Before that, Northern Yan was undefeated in battle. From Beidu all the way to Nandu, countless people had already lost faith, no longer believing Daliang had any chance of victory."
Yan Danqing did not hesitate, slowly unveiling the truth:
"Huai'an Qu was of critical importance. Even though I won several battles in a row, I still couldn’t leave Huai'an Qu to repel the Northern Yan Army. The reason was that all the officials near Huai'an Qu had defected to Northern Yan. They couldn’t be controlled or reclaimed—they only leaked military intelligence."
"So, the officials you slaughtered were traitors?" Ye Xiren was shocked.
According to rumors, Yan Danqing had slaughtered all the officials near Huai'an Qu, earning a reputation for brutality. Yet the truth turned out to be that every single one of those officials was a traitor?!
Yan Danqing’s eyes turned cold. The gaze she had once thought so gentle now held sharpness and killing intent. "When Chizhan Lan Ce infiltrated Huai'an Qu, any officials who refused to cooperate were already replaced!"
Every official in Huai'an Qu had defected to Northern Yan—not a single good one remained.
"In times of chaos, harsh measures are necessary. I slaughtered them all to completely secure the area around Huai'an Qu. To drive out the Yan dogs, I needed a stable rear."
Yan Danqing took a deep breath. The candlelight flickered as he continued under Ye Xiren’s horrified gaze:
"As for burying the refugees alive… that batch of military provisions was problematic—it was all river sand. Huai'an Qu was severely short on food, and the little grain left couldn’t last much longer. While I petitioned the court for provisions, I also sent people out to search for grain. I had sealed off the news, yet the Northern Yan Army knew every detail."
"Throughout Daliang, wars rage everywhere, leaving the people in dire straits. Countless have been driven to eating tree bark and guanyin soil just to survive. To stay alive, one must have something to eat. Chizhan Lan Ce spread word everywhere that large quantities of military provisions had arrived at the front lines, and that there was food at Huai'an Qu—come and you would be fed. Endless streams of refugees swarmed toward Huai'an Qu. I did not massacre the refugees, but I did create the illusion of a massacre and had people spread the news."
The rumor of the refugee massacre was spread by him himself!
Ye Xiren drew a sharp breath.
There was hardly any food at Huai'an Qu. To maintain the morale of the troops, General Yan dared not let the frontline soldiers know, but Chizhan Lan Ce was fully aware. The false news he spread drew all the refugees to Huai'an Qu. With so many people, where would the food come from?
Even if Ye Xiren knew nothing of warfare, she understood that if the refugees who had struggled to reach Huai'an Qu found no food, how could Huai'an Qu remain stable?
Forget launching an attack—even defending the city would become difficult!
Yan Danqing’s release of the "refugee massacre" news was a desperate move. By doing so, he prevented the refugees from swarming to Huai'an Qu, thwarting another of Chizhan Lan Ce’s schemes. Yet, it also became one of the nails in his coffin.
And if Bei Yan truly wanted peace talks, why would Chizhan Lan Ce go to such lengths?
What followed became clear. Yan Danqing could not change the court’s decision. He led a surprise attack to intercept and kill Chizhan Lan Ce but was betrayed by Lu Qian and others, ultimately landing himself in prison.
Ye Xiren pursed her lips, feeling angry. "Why were there so many people holding him back?"
Finally, a capable general had emerged, only to face such adversity. If Yan Danqing had been allowed to fight freely, how could things have come to this?
They were all traitors!
Yan Danqing shook his head:
"Daliang… has been in chaos for too long."
Emperor Xian of Liang was incompetent, thoroughly ruining Daliang during his reign and leaving behind a mess. Later, he died abruptly, and a young emperor ascended the throne, allowing treacherous ministers to control the government. Years of warfare had left Daliang ravaged by Bei Yan.
The new emperor had only been on the throne for a short time. How could this worm-ridden dynasty transform overnight?
The straw in Ye Xiren’s hand fell. She sighed deeply:
"How can I make His Majesty believe you? Compared to you, he seems to trust Prime Minister Jiang more, and Prime Minister Jiang is clearly no good!"
General Yan sent one urgent dispatch after another, but all were intercepted, not a single one reaching the emperor. The person most likely responsible was Prime Minister Jiang. Anyone who would do such a thing was no good.
"Those letters are nowhere to be found. If only we could retrieve them…" Ye Xiren said, then dejectedly lowered her head. "Since he intercepted your letters, he would never keep them to help clear your name."
What other way was there to clear his name today?
Even just a little would be enough.
Seeing her despondent, Yan Danqing lowered his gaze and thought carefully before saying:
"An 800-mile urgent dispatch is a major event. If it were intercepted only after reaching the emperor, Minister Ye and the others would have surely heard something. Since the rumor says, 'His Majesty ordered me to submit a report, but there was no response,' that can only mean…"
Ye Xiren’s eyes widened as she finished the thought: "They were intercepted before even entering the city!"
"When I sent out the first secret letter, Jiang You couldn't have known the exact timing, let alone tampered with the courier stations. So, the first 800-mile urgent dispatch reached Jiang You, and he intercepted it. The subsequent five secret letters were likewise intercepted before they could enter Nandu."
Yan Danqing looked at her. The firelight illuminated his handsome features, lending him a touch of earthly presence. His eyes were filled with seriousness:
"From Nandu to Huai'an Qu, there are countless courier stations along the way—large and small, one every twenty or thirty li. Some are under my jurisdiction, others under the court's. Jiang You couldn't possibly have killed everyone at all the stations and erased all traces."
Ye Xiren sighed inwardly, then grasped the meaning behind his words, her eyes lighting up.
She almost immediately clapped her hands in excitement, saying, "So you mean, the courier stations might have evidence proving you sent back the 800-mile urgent dispatches? General Yan, how far is the nearest station from Nandu?"
"Only twenty li. Round trip, no more than an hour." As Yan Danqing gave the answer, he already knew what the person before him intended to do.
Ye Xiren's eyes indeed grew brighter and brighter, brimming with restless energy.
Just then, footsteps sounded, and Lu Qian's voice, laced with suppressed anger, echoed from afar: "Are you done yet?"
Ye Xiren hurriedly said to Yan Danqing:
"Wait for me a moment. I'll go check the station first."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she stood up, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and swiftly slammed her head hard against the solid stone wall beside her!
"Thud!"
Yan Danqing: "…"
Tap, tap, tap.
At a later hour than the previous "today," clear footsteps echoed through the secret passage, shattering the silent darkness.
"General Yan, good news, absolutely wonderful news!"