The next day, all the young men and women from the prominent families went out to participate in the hunting competition. Only Yun Ni stayed in her tent, sleeping until the sun was already high in the sky.
Just after Yun Ni finished washing up and getting dressed, the tent flap was lifted.
It was the Fifth Young Miss of the third branch of the Shen family, Shen Baozhang, who had come to see her.
Shen Wuniang and Yun Ni got along fairly well. They were not close enough to be best friends, but they could at least chat comfortably.
Shen Wuniang did not like her Fourth Sister, Shen Baolu.
This was because the Second Madam, Ye-shi, was in charge of the household affairs. Whenever fruits, silk, or other gifts were bestowed by the imperial court, Ye-shi would always let her own daughter choose first before sending the rest to the third branch.
The fabrics were equally valuable; only the patterns and colors were different. Still, it was hard not to feel unhappy when someone else had already chosen the things they liked.
These were all trivial matters, and Third Madam Xia-shi could hardly go to the Old Madam and complain about them. She could only swallow her grievances in silence.
Because of this, Fifth Miss often quarreled with Fourth Miss. Fortunately, the Old Madam noticed her youngest granddaughter’s grievances and would privately give the third branch some extra allowances from time to time. Every year at the beginning of summer, she would also take the tribute cherries sent by Shen Tinglan and give Fifth Miss a plate first, allowing the little girl to enjoy the fresh fruit.
On the surface, the Old Madam protected the dignity of Ye-shi, the woman in charge of the household. In private, she sympathized with Xia-shi’s difficulties. She never favored one side over the other, which prevented the second and third branches from developing resentment and making a spectacle of themselves in public.
In any case, Fifth Miss simply disliked Fourth Sister. Now that she had seen Yun Ni suffer because of her as well, she naturally regarded Yun Ni as an ally.
“Elder Sister Yun, my Third Brother said that with Fourth Sister’s temper, she’ll probably need someone to teach her a lesson after she marries into her husband’s family! Don’t take her seriously. Oh, right, this is some venison my Third Brother hunted. I had the servants roast some for you. Have a taste.”
Shen Jichuan was Fifth Miss’s biological elder brother, so naturally, he had to stand on her side and help her deal with their enemies.
Shen Wuniang brought over a package of roasted venison wrapped in broad banana leaves. She also carried a jug of grape wine for Yun Ni.
“Thank you, Fifth Miss,” Yun Ni said gratefully.
Fifth Miss smiled and said, “You and my brother can just call me Wuniang!”
She wanted to chat with Yun Ni a little longer, but suddenly the sharp crack of a whip sounded outside the tent.
A girl shouted from outside, “Wuniang! Are you there? Come out quickly! We’ve already gathered people for a night hunt. The prize is a pair of white-jade bracelets! Hurry and pick a horse from the stables, or your Fourth Sister will get there first again!”
Yun Ni was not good at riding, so naturally she could not join Shen Wuniang and the others.
And Wuniang hated Shen Baolu the most. She certainly did not want Baolu to win the prize all by herself.
The young girl hurriedly got up and stuffed another package of venison into Yun Ni’s hands.
“Elder Sister Yun, do me a favor. This is some roasted meat Third Brother asked me to deliver to Big Brother. I’m in a hurry to go night hunting and really don’t have time to deliver it. Could you take it there for me?”
Before Yun Ni could refuse, Shen Wuniang had already lifted the tent flap and hurried away.
Yun Ni stared at the hot package in her arms and could not help sighing.
If you’ve accepted someone’s food, it’s hard to refuse a favor.
Since Yun Ni had eaten the venison Shen Wuniang had given her, she could only help her with this little task.
Yun Ni brushed the wrinkles from her skirt, picked up the package of venison wrapped in green leaves, and headed toward Shen Tinglan’s tent.
Shen Tinglan was a celebrated founding hero. The young emperor had once bestowed upon him the prestigious honor of the Nine Bestowments—including a ceremonial golden carriage, imperial robes and red shoes, court musicians, a vermilion gate and elevated rank, as well as personal guards and troops symbolizing the military authority to wage war.
A powerful marquis who dared to enter the imperial palace while carrying a sword and even maintained his own private troops possessed such tremendous power that he might have been even more influential than the emperor himself.
Yun Ni knew little about court politics, but when she saw rows of black-armored soldiers patrolling outside Shen Tinglan’s tent, she instinctively realized that his status and power might be even more extraordinary than she had imagined.
Yun Ni did not want to cause trouble for herself. She approached Wei Lingfeng and held out the venison.
“Brother Wei, is Young Master Shen here?”
Wei Lingfeng was familiar with Yun Ni and was quite happy to see her. He smiled and said, “The Young Master isn’t here. I think he’s gone boating with Miss Wang.”
Wei Lingfeng had not actually seen Shen Tinglan leave with Wang Ruodan. That morning, Wang Ruodan had specifically come to invite Shen Tinglan to go boating at noon, and Shen Tinglan had indeed left his tent around noon. Putting the two together, Wei Lingfeng simply assumed that Shen Tinglan had gone to meet her.
After saying this, Wei Lingfeng suddenly realized that Yun Ni had spent a whole year traveling with Shen Tinglan. He had casually said such things without thinking, and she might feel jealous and hurt.
Wei Lingfeng stammered, “Ah, but maybe not. How could we servants possibly know where the Family Head went? I was only saying it casually…”
Yun Ni simply smiled calmly.
“It’s all right. I’m only here to deliver some roasted venison to Young Master Shen on behalf of Fifth Miss. I’ve delivered it, so I’ll be leaving now.”
She politely handed over the food and then smiled as she walked away.
She guarded what little dignity she had left and maintained the composure expected of a young woman. She did not want anyone to see how pitiful she was.
Whether Shen Tinglan had gone boating with Wang Ruodan or not actually had nothing to do with Yun Ni.
Even if it were not Wang Ruodan, it would be some other noble young lady.
The woman standing beside Shen Tinglan could never be Yun Ni, a commoner.
Yet Yun Ni had tried so hard to forget Shen Tinglan. Why, then, did hearing anything about him still make her chest feel inexplicably tight, as though a layer of paper had been wrapped around her lungs, making it difficult to breathe?
So this was how difficult it was to forget someone she had once loved.
Yun Ni refused to let herself remain idle.
She led Caixia out, intending to find a flat patch of grass where she could practice riding.
She gently pinched Caixia’s long ears and whispered to it,
“Wenchun didn’t come with me today, so I’ll have to mount you by myself. I don’t walk steadily, and my legs aren’t very strong, so don’t let me fall. If you’re good, I’ll buy you a whole basket of fresh jujubes when we return home.”
Caixia loved sweet, juicy jujubes. However, the horse groom had repeatedly warned Yun Ni that the pits could choke the horse, so if she fed Caixia jujubes, she had to remove the pits first.
Whether by coincidence or because Caixia truly understood her words, the red horse suddenly snorted and bent its front legs, kneeling down in front of Yun Ni.
With its body lowered like that, it was much easier for Yun Ni to climb onto its back.
Overjoyed, Yun Ni quickly climbed onto the horse.
She stroked Caixia’s mane a few times, as though she were petting a cat or teasing a dog, and praised it.
“Good horse! Good horse!”
Just then, a low chuckle suddenly came from the grass nearby.
Yun Ni cautiously backed away.
“Who’s there?”
It was already evening. The sun was sinking in the west, disappearing behind the distant dark mountains.
Night mist began to rise, obscuring Yun Ni’s vision and making it difficult for her to see clearly.
After a while, the thick grass was pushed aside, and a young man’s head emerged from among the green leaves.
“Don’t be afraid, Sister. I’m a person, not a ghost.”
Yun Ni dismounted and stepped closer for a look.
The young man had bright eyes and pearly teeth, with striking and handsome features. His black hair was tangled with bits of dried grass and tied beneath a jade crown.
He wore a narrow-sleeved golden-orange riding outfit and sat cross-legged in front of Yun Ni. From a distance, he looked around seventeen or eighteen years old.
Yun Ni was certain she had never met this young man. She had no idea why he had immediately called her so familiarly, “Sister.”
“Since Young Master is resting here, I won’t disturb you. I’ll be leaving first.”
Yun Ni guessed that he was the young master of some prominent family. She had no intention of getting acquainted with these noble young men, so she naturally preferred to avoid them.
Seeing that Yun Ni really was about to leave, the young Emperor, Li Yi, suddenly caught the edge of her skirt.
“I’m sorry. I was being reckless and frightened you. It’s just that you resemble my elder sister, so I was momentarily lost in thought and called you ‘Sister.’”
The young man lightly tugged at Yun Ni’s clothing before quickly releasing her. He lowered his head sadly.
“Seven years ago, during the Jia Zhen Rebellion, the rebels killed officials, seized the city, and broke into people’s homes. My elder sister died beneath the rebels’ swords while protecting me. I miss her terribly.”
Jia Zhen had been the name of the previous era. It had since been changed to Jingyou.
At that time, Yun Ni had only been around ten years old herself. She had been far away in Xuzhou, struggling every day just to survive. How could she have known about the fierce struggle for power taking place in the capital?
Only after coming to Longzhou did she learn that Shen Tinglan had led his army into the imperial palace and fought against the various vassal princes. He had saved the young emperor, established the Jingyou era, and founded the new dynasty.
Yun Ni was an orphan, but she understood the pain of losing one’s family.
Seeing Li Yi lower his head in sadness, she felt a little sorry for the young man.
Soft-hearted as she was, Yun Ni hesitated before reaching out, intending to pat the young man’s head in comfort.
But before her hand could touch Li Yi’s head, a sharp, piercing whistle suddenly tore through the air beside her ears.
Silver light flashed, and danger surged through the darkness.
A black-feathered arrow shot forward like lightning, grazing Yun Ni’s temple before plunging directly into an ancient banyan tree behind Li Yi.
Bang!
The tremendous impact startled them both.
Yun Ni fell backward onto the ground and stared wide-eyed at the arrow, which had struck the thick tree trunk with tremendous force.
Perhaps the force of the bowstring had not yet completely dissipated. The bright black feathers at the end of the arrow were still trembling violently, shaking for a long time.
Yun Ni was terrified by what had just happened.
Her teeth chattered. She turned around in shock—and saw something even more astonishing.
The person who had launched the sudden attack was none other than Shen Tinglan, who was supposedly out boating with Wang Ruodan.
Shen Tinglan stood on a nearby hillside.
His hair was held up by a bamboo hairpin, his phoenix-like eyes cold and emotionless. He wore a snow-white robe, and the powerful horn bow in his hand still seemed to carry the fury of his recent shot.
Perhaps he had just fired another arrow into the distance. The skin on the back of his hand was taut, faint veins visibly throbbing beneath it, giving him an intimidating air of explosive strength.
Yun Ni’s mind went blank.
She remembered the arrow that had nearly struck her and frowned angrily.
What on earth was Shen Tinglan doing? Had he gone mad? Was he trying to kill someone? Was he trying to kill her—or the young man on the ground?
Before Yun Ni could question him, Shen Tinglan had already strode forward.
His handsome face was cold as he bent down. His long fingers closed around Yun Ni’s wrist, gripping it firmly.
It had been a long time since Yun Ni had been in physical contact with Shen Tinglan. The sudden touch made her shiver involuntarily.
“You…”
Yun Ni had just begun to speak when Shen Tinglan moved before she could finish.
He abruptly pulled her behind him.
Yun Ni’s entire body was hidden by Shen Tinglan’s tall, imposing figure.
She was completely sheltered within his shadow, safely blocked behind him.
Shen Tinglan was acting so strangely that Yun Ni could not make sense of him.
After a moment, Shen Tinglan spoke calmly.
“Your Majesty, I was pursuing a mountain tiger and accidentally came into this area, inadvertently disturbing Your Majesty’s presence. I deserve a thousand deaths. However, the mountains are dangerous, and Your Majesty’s life is precious. You should not have dismissed your guards and ventured out alone.”
Only after hearing Shen Tinglan’s words did Yun Ni realize who the young man lying on the ground was.
He was actually the Emperor of Wu, Li Yi!
Yun Ni was merely a commoner. She had never seen the emperor before, and for a moment, she had no idea how to react.
She panicked and hurriedly bowed.
“Your Majesty, this commoner Yun Ni pays her respects.”
Li Yi grinned.
“Miss Yun, there’s no need for such formalities. I was only joking with you just now.”
After speaking, Li Yi climbed to his feet and brushed the dried grass from his knees.
“You’re right, Prime Minister. If anything happened to me, those useless servants wouldn’t have enough heads even if they had ten each. All right, I should return to the imperial tent. When I have time next time, I’ll come find Miss Yun to play.”
Li Yi let out a sharp whistle.
Soon, a snow-white steed with a mane as white as clouds came galloping from the distance.
Li Yi mounted the horse and left Yun Ni and Shen Tinglan behind, riding straight back toward the camp.
The moment the horse disappeared into the forest, the smile on Li Yi’s face vanished.
A hidden, sinister coldness gradually surfaced in his beautiful, almond-shaped eyes.
His earlier story about Yun Ni resembling his elder sister had, of course, been completely fabricated.
His elder sister had wanted nothing more than to kill Li Yi. How could she possibly have protected him and sacrificed herself for him?
On the night the rebels broke through the city gates and stormed into the palace, his elder sister had clutched a dagger and taken advantage of the chaos to find Li Yi’s bedchamber.
She had lost all traces of her former elegance as a princess. Her hair was disheveled, her bun in complete disarray, and her eyes were bloodshot and nearly deranged.
“Shen Tinglan has led his army into the palace. His foundation is still unstable, so he doesn’t dare to usurp the throne and replace the emperor. Instead, to stabilize the court, he will surely ‘hold the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords.’”
“Yi’er, Shen Tinglan needs a puppet emperor to inherit the throne. But apart from me, the Empress’s daughter, you are the only remaining imperial heir. For Mother’s sake, you must obediently die in my place!”
“My life was saved by Her Majesty the Empress and you, Sister. Of course I am willing to do anything for you…”
Li Yi pretended to be a weak and helpless child who was incapable of resisting.
But when his elder sister came close, he revealed his true nature.
He pulled a jade hairpin from beneath his pillow and fought back.
Li Yi grabbed his elder sister by the throat with one hand and drove the sharp end of the hairpin toward her throat.
Blood splattered everywhere.
Crimson blood sprayed across Li Yi’s face.
Afraid that his elder sister might be pretending to be dead, Li Yi stabbed her dozens of times. He then picked up the dagger and hacked off her head before he finally dared to release his grip.
Li Yi had been only ten years old at the time, yet he already knew how to kill someone with his own hands.
A fire from the side hall spread to the sleeping quarters, and Li Yi nearly died in the flames.
His entire body was drenched in blood. Like a demon, he crawled out of the swirling black smoke and back into the world of the living.
His elder sister was dead.
Li Yi had become the only surviving imperial heir of Wu.
Suppressing the victorious smile on his face, he stumbled toward Shen Tinglan, who stood silently in the distance with a sword in hand.
For a moment, Li Yi could not tell whether Shen Tinglan had only just arrived in the rear palace, hoping to rescue him from danger, or whether Shen Tinglan had been waiting outside the bedchamber all along, deliberately waiting until the dragon and phoenix fought to the death, allowing the victor to claim everything.
But it did not matter.
Li Yi had won.
He had survived.
Li Yi blinked his dark eyes and looked up at the tall man before him, whose bearing was as cold and pure as ice and whose presence resembled a pine standing proudly against the wind.
He forced tears into his eyes and choked out,
“Family Head Shen, please save me…”
……
Those boring events from so many years ago had long since been cast aside by Li Yi.
Now, when he tried to recall them, even his memories had become blurred and indistinct.
Li Yi pursed his lips in boredom, then suddenly remembered the timid Yun Ni from earlier.
His guess had been right.
Shen Tinglan really had been deliberately hiding her away.