A burning, stinging pain washed over her.
Shen Ying’s face turned red and swelled up visibly, the change apparent to the naked eye.
Seeing that Wei Jinhu still intended to speak, she scolded him sharply. “Be quiet. We are completely at their mercy, and this is the suffering we must endure.”
Wei Jinhu’s face was twisted with humiliation, his eyes bloodshot. He punched the stone wall hard, and bright red blood trickled down through the gaps between his fingers. “You are no man at all, to raise your hand and strike a woman.”
Xiao Mingyang sheathed his sword in a casual, unconcerned manner. “In my eyes, there is no distinction between men and women—only those who are alive and those who are dead. Enough of your pointless talk. Lead the way.”
His gaze, sharp and filled with killing intent, swept across every person present.
“You have one hour. If you still have not found the way out by then, you will all die.”
……
The network of passages was vast and complex.
Before long, Shen Ying and the others reached a point where the path divided.
There were six different directions to choose from here.
Yet only one of these paths led back to the county town; as for where the others might lead, they had no idea whatsoever.
Xiao Mingyang seized Shen Ying by the neck once again. “What shall we do now?”
“I do not know either. We can only choose a path and hope for the best.”
Hearing her reply, Xiao Mingyang’s frown deepened even further.
To guard against hidden traps or mechanisms within the passages, he ordered Wei Jinhu and the others to walk at the very front, while he kept one hand firmly gripping Shen Ying and held his sword ready in the other.
Without realizing how much time had passed, the group arrived before a large stone door.
Spotting the intricate mechanism set into the door, Xiao Mingyang’s eyes lit up with excitement. “I never thought I would find it here. After searching far and wide without success, the prize has fallen right into my hands without the slightest effort. The treasure is right here.”
He waved his hand forcefully, pushing all of them back to create distance.
Then he took a key from his clothing and inserted it into the mechanism.
A low rumbling sound echoed through the air.
As everyone watched in astonishment, the heavy stone door slowly swung open of its own accord, and immediately a brilliant, dazzling light flooded out from within.
Good heavens.
Gold. Everywhere they looked was gold.
At first glance, the entire space shimmered with a brilliant golden glow, while the other side shone with countless dazzling, sparkling lights.
This was truly the hidden treasure hoard. Apart from bars of solid gold, there were mountains of silver and piles of precious jewels and gemstones.
Even from a rough estimate, the value of what lay here amounted to at least ten million taels of silver.
So it turned out that the true purpose of Xiao Mingyang’s journey had never been to locate the young prince, but to seek out this great treasure.
And now, by sheer chance and coincidence, he had found exactly what he was looking for.
While Xiao Mingyang was still caught up in his moment of excitement, Shen Ying used the cover of her wide sleeves to hand certain items she had been holding to Wei Jinhu and Tudou, glancing subtly toward the rear without drawing any attention.
Having traveled and lived together for many days, they had developed a deep understanding and unspoken trust in one another.
Their eyes met for the briefest instant, and then each turned their gaze away once more.
“I have found it! I have found it! I am rich! From this day forward, I shall rise to the highest ranks of power and nobility, and I will trample every single person who ever looked down on me beneath my feet. I have done it! I have finally done it…”
By this time, Xiao Mingyang had already rushed into the hidden chamber, clutching armfuls of gold, silver, and jewels, laughing uncontrollably like a man possessed.
His behavior was wild and unhinged, and he continued to laugh without pause.
As he laughed, tears began to stream down his face.
He scooped up a large handful of precious stones and flung them high into the air above his head.
“This is the ladder that will carry me to the heights of power and glory. From this moment onward, who would ever dare to look down upon me again?”
His laughter ceased abruptly. He spun around sharply and fixed his gaze intently on Shen Ying, who still held the child in her arms. He strode quickly toward her and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“I always said you were a woman who brings good fortune and success to the men in your life. From this day forward, I will permit you to remain by my side. In the future, when you bear my children, I will even grant you the official status of a concubine. You are the one who has brought me this great fortune.”
Crushed in his embrace, Shen Ying felt as though she were being suffocated, her face pressed hard against his chest.
At this moment, her heart was filled with bitter regret.
She had made a mistake.
Just moments earlier, she had passed along every weapon and sharp object that could be used to kill, and now this perfect opportunity had presented itself.
If she still had her dagger in her possession, she could have ended this man’s life with a single strike right here and now.
Just as Shen Ying was consumed by this feeling of regret, Xiao Mingyang suddenly released his grip on her, his expression showing an urgency she had never seen before.
“Promise me, will you? I swear that you will enjoy endless wealth, honor, and comfort for the rest of your days. I will arrange for you to take on a new identity, and you will live in my household as my concubine. Only by staying with me can you ever hope to live a life free from hardship and worry.”
Shen Ying took a deep breath, putting on an appearance of someone who was seriously considering his words and tempted by what he offered. “You must give me time to think this over. I am afraid that once we return to the capital, I will be put to death.”
“That will never happen. With my power and influence, I can easily arrange a new identity for you.”
Xiao Mingyang pulled Shen Ying along by the hand as they walked deeper into the chamber. “Look closely. All of this is gold, silver, and precious treasure. This is the very hoard that the emperor has been searching for over many long years. Do you know why there are so many groups of bandits occupying these mountains? Every single one of them has been searching for this treasure.”
“Yet who could have imagined that after searching far and wide without success, I would find it here without any effort at all? The emperor has sent people here year after year, but I am the only one who has finally discovered it. What does this mean? It means I now have the opportunity to rise to the highest ranks of power and prestige…”
He was completely lost in the joy and excitement of the great future he believed awaited him.
Shen Ying kept her eyes lowered, while deep within her heart, waves of shock and realization crashed against one another.
“Hurry, we must leave this place as quickly as possible and send word back to the capital. This discovery is the key that will open the doors to my great future and success.”
Xiao Mingyang quickly regained his composure and stepped out of the chamber. He closed the heavy stone door once again and returned the key to his clothing.
……
The surrounding area was once again plunged into total darkness.
Shen Ying glanced subtly toward Tudou, then continued to lead the way forward, carrying the young prince in her arms.
An hour passed.
At long last, they emerged from the network of passages.
However, they had not returned to the county town as expected, but had come out once more in the midst of the wild, desolate mountains.
Xiao Mingyang paid this no mind at all and immediately set off walking down the mountain path. He moved with long, easy strides, his manner confident and filled with ambition, as if he had already become one of the great and powerful figures of the realm whom no one would dare to oppose.
Shen Ying and the others followed silently behind him. When they finally reached the foot of the mountain, she cast a quick glance back at her companions.
“This is terrible! What are we going to do? The young prince has developed a fever, and his body is burning hot all over.” Shen Ying cried out in alarm, putting on an expression of deep anxiety and distress, tears glistening in her eyes.
I am truly sorry, my young prince.
Earlier, while they were still inside the passages, she had deliberately pulled open a gap in the blanket wrapping around him, allowing the cold air to seep through.
After an hour had passed, the young prince’s face had turned bright red from fever, and his whole body was burning to the touch.
Xiao Mingyang stopped in his tracks and turned back with a look of annoyance. He reached out and placed his hand against the child’s forehead, his frown growing even deeper. “Even so, we must first return to the county town. Compared to the treasure we have found, the young prince is of no importance whatsoever.”
“Have you lost your mind? This is the child of the Imperial Noble Consort, and even if I must give my own life, I will protect him with everything I have. I will fight you with my last breath…”
As if she had been driven to the edge of her sanity by what he had said, Shen Ying placed the child quickly into Tudou’s arms, then rushed forward like a gust of wind, grabbing a heavy wooden branch as she ran.
“You are nothing but a madwoman!”
Seeing that the branch was about to strike him on the head, Xiao Mingyang kicked her away forcefully.
With a heavy thud, Shen Ying was thrown to the ground. Xiao Mingyang strode over quickly and pressed his foot down hard against her stomach. “What kind of tricks and schemes are you trying to play now? You have only one path left to take: you must obey me completely, or else…”
“Or else what? You will kill me? Then let us see who possesses the greater skill and wisdom in the end.”
Even with his foot pressing down hard upon her, Shen Ying remained completely calm and composed, a strange, mysterious smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
“I will kill you right here and now.”
Wei Jinhu rushed forward, holding a dagger in his hand, ready to fight to the death.
Xiao Mingyang drew his sword and swung it forward, but in the next moment, his eyes widened in shock and disbelief. He looked down and saw that a sharp blade had been driven deep into his chest.