Overnight, the Imperial Capital was thrown into turmoil.
While the common folk still slumbered peacefully, in the deep silence, the sudden sound of galloping hooves erupted through the streets.
Amidst the thunder of carriages and horses, it seemed a large force was passing through.
Some were abruptly awakened and tried to step outside, only to find the city already under martial law.
Guards stood watch every five steps, a grim and oppressive atmosphere settling over the streets.
People were shocked but dared not pry.
Hastily, they retreated back into their homes, hoping that whatever was happening was not some catastrophic event.
At that moment, Emperor Jingxi swiftly issued orders to all Coastal Defense Stations under the nearby prefectural offices and Regional Military Commands surrounding the capital.
A traitor had escaped the city, and all elite troops were to be mobilized, setting up tight checkpoints around key points in the capital, ready to respond at a moment’s notice.
Simultaneously, the Twelve Imperial Guards were given secret orders to set a net like heaven and earth, hunting and capturing the fugitive.
The Twelve Imperial Guards of the Imperial Capital were his personally controlled troops, and now every one of them was fully deployed.
As for Emperor Jingxi himself, he took three hundred elite Dragon Guards, spurred his horse out of the city, and rode straight to the Zhenwu Daojun Temple, intent on seeking out A wu’s old acquaintance.
He would not let A wu slip away under any circumstances.
Emperor Jingxi and his troops swiftly arrived at the temple, quickly tracking down A wu’s childhood friend, Yehan, and learned that he had already fled during the daytime.
He ordered some men to intensively interrogate the local guards, while the Dragon Guards mounted a pursuit on horseback.
As Emperor Jingxi rode his frenzied horse, the wind lashed harshly across his face.
He gritted his teeth so tightly that his knuckles whitened, nearly crushing the reins in his grasp.
He had paced the matter all night long and finally decided to stop overthinking it.
That heartless, ungrateful woman, that wild white-eyed wolf — she had escaped!
She had simply grabbed some man and fled!
The pain stabbed his chest like a dagger.
Had he not treated her well?
Was he not good enough for her?
What did their love even mean?
They still had two infants at home, yet she hadn’t even glanced back, cruelly abandoning them all!
Emperor Jingxi recalled how she had once begged Nie San to help her escape.
She always played this same trick!
But now, everything was different.
All those past tender moments, those passionate entanglements—they surged uncontrollably into his mind, transforming into shards of knives that tore him apart, leaving him battered and broken.
How could she do this to him?
His anger roared like a flood.
If A wu were here now, he would tear her into pieces.
***
Yehan led A wu, hiding by day and traveling by night, heading steadily south.
At a market, he sold a donkey and managed to buy a horse at a high price—A wu still had gold on her.
A wu said, “Brother, I have plenty of gold. It was all given to me by them.”
Yehan knew that this “they” referred to the men A wu had once been involved with.
He helped her onto the horse, then climbed up himself, wrapping his arms around her from behind.
“Keep it if you like. But Brother will work hard to earn silver and gold for you. One day, we won’t need them anymore.”
He understood why those men gave her gifts, though he didn’t speak of it.
Three men—each had once possessed A wu.
It made him ache inside, but there was nothing he could say.
Their hometown had suffered a flood; life had been adrift for years.
That she was alive and well was already a blessing.
A wu was momentarily stunned by his words and said, “Alright. A wu only wants the gold from Father, Brother, and you. No one else’s.”
Yehan lowered his head and kissed her hair.
“It’s alright. That’s all in the past now. If they took it, let them take it.”
As they spoke quietly, Yehan asked about Lu Yunjian.
He hated Lu Yunjian intensely and suspected him of causing villagers’ deaths.
Knowing that A wu had dealings with him naturally made him curious.
A wu recounted everything about Lu Yunjian’s past dealings.
Yehan frowned, “So it really was him. It was him!”
A wu bit her lip and said, “He’s so evil. But Brother Ye Han, I don’t want you to die for me. You can’t defeat him… with his status, how could you?”
She thought of Emperor Jingxi, who surely would deal with Lu Yunjian.
Hearing this, Yehan said nothing more but held her tightly.
“I know. Fine. From now on, I’ll stay with you. We won’t bother with those unrelated people.”
He held her close, locking her soft body into his embrace, almost squeezing the warmth of her into himself.
A wu felt his strength.
Yehan had grown up by the sea, doing rough labor and learning martial skills to protect family and fight pirates.
He was a sturdy young man.
His hands were rough and calloused, veins bulging a faint bluish green.
From past hardships, the nail on his left middle finger bore a shocking crack.
When he held A wu like this, his grip was like a vice, so tight it made her ache.
Yet she found it familiar and comforting.
She knew Yehan would save her, would help her, no matter what she faced.
He would never disdain her.
He would accept her.
He was different from Emperor Jingxi, different from the Imperial Son, different from Lu Yunjian.
So when she sought his help and asked him to take her away, she did so without hesitation.
This was family.
This was kin.
This was someone she could rely on.
Suddenly, A wu began to cry, overwhelmed with sorrow.
“Why didn’t you come looking for me sooner? They bullied me. No one treated me well!”
At this moment, all the gold and silver in the world felt worthless compared to the warmth of his embrace.
She wanted him to hold her, to hold her forever.
Yehan gripped the reins with one hand while holding her close, pressing his chin against her hair and softly kissing her cheek.
He said with guilt, “It’s my fault. I should have found you sooner and protected you from them.”
In truth, the thought of those men treating her so cruelly filled him with a murderous rage.
A wu cried even harder.
“And Father, and Brother… if they don’t come back, without you, anyone can bully A wu!”
Yehan said, “They may have run into trouble. It might take some time, but it’s alright. I’ll take you to find them.”
A wu nodded, choked with emotion, “Okay!”
In this moment, she truly felt she had found where she belonged.
Not with Lu Yunjian, nor the Imperial Son, nor the Emperor.
Though the Emperor doted on her, making her call him “husband,” when it came to her father, he still coldly referred to him as “Honorable Father,” a distant and formal title.
He never realized it himself, but she knew.
She was just a concubine.
Her father was not his father-in-law.
Besides, as Emperor, everyone in the land was his subject, so he could casually say that her father could “return to grant mercy” or reward her with an official position.
How lofty and condescending.
Though an Emperor naturally acted this way, she didn’t want such a husband.
Wiping away tears, she said, “Let’s leave this place and never come back.”
Yehan hesitated before replying, “Alright.”
He wanted revenge.
He wanted to kill Lu Yunjian.
The Lu family was responsible for the villagers’ deaths and had bullied A wu.
It was a grudge of killing father and seizing wife.
Without killing Lu Yunjian, he would never be at peace.
But A wu wanted to leave, and she had already angered the Emperor of Great Hui.
So he thought it best to escape first.
First protect A wu, settle her somewhere safe, then find a way to kill Lu Yunjian later.
— Of course, maybe he couldn’t kill Lu Yunjian at all.
He needed to stay alive.
Only by living could he protect A wu.
By now, A wu was gradually calming down.
She probably guessed Yehan wanted revenge, but she believed it was impossible for them on their own.
Better to escape first and find peace for a few days.
She was truly scared—anxious—constantly feeling like they could never get away.
As for Lu Yunjian, Emperor Jingxi would never let him go.
He would tear Lu Yunjian to pieces.
But she didn’t want to burden Yehan with these complicated matters.
She was both afraid of and trusting Emperor Jingxi.
Instinctively, she believed he cared for her, but she also felt his heart was ruthless and deeply scheming.
She couldn’t understand a man ten years her senior, an Emperor with such profound cunning.
By contrast, Yehan was simple and straightforward.
He could never understand how an Emperor could be both gentle and capable of turning around to kill you.
In their village, there was no one like that.
It was already dawn when they reached a shallow riverbank, with thick reeds ahead and withered grasses behind.
Yehan looked around and said, “We should cross the water here.”
A wu asked, “Swim across?”
Yehan said nothing but gazed at the water.
In the morning light, a boat floated faintly.
A wu followed his gaze and saw it too.
They had escaped by night all this way, never seeing any signs of people.
Suddenly, to see a boat, A wu’s heart trembled with fear.
Yehan sensed it and clenched his fists protectively in front of her.
“Don’t worry. We’ll take that boat over to the opposite shore.”
He knew A wu had given birth just six months ago and that it was best not to swim, especially with the cold river water in early summer dawn.
A wu nodded, “Alright.”
She had little thought besides following Yehan’s lead.
But she added, “If we’re caught, let’s die together. I’ll drag you down with me.”
She could have stayed safe at the temple.
Yehan understood her meaning and held her tighter.
“That’s alright. Dying together isn’t so bad.”
Their families were gone.
The villagers were mostly dead.
He was alone in this world, and finding A wu was his one chance to stay by her side.
A wu tilted her head and leaned on his shoulder, whispering, “I used to be afraid of death because then I wouldn’t find Father or Brother. But now that I have you, I’m not afraid. If I die, you must protect me on the road to the afterlife.”
Yehan’s eyes reddened.
“When I heard you became Noble Consort and had an Imperial Son and Princess, I thought we’d never meet again. I snuck into the temple just to tell you about home, so you’d know.”
He hadn’t expected her to suddenly run away, asking him to take her with him.
For a moment, it was like returning to their past.
A wu understood.
She nodded softly, “I always thought if we went back to the village, it would be as we left it.”
Those people were still there—some drying nets, some gathering fish and shrimp, others smiling as they greeted them.
A wu hadn’t seen it herself, so she couldn’t believe the villagers were dead or that her old home was completely changed.
Not having seen it, her mind still clung to warm memories.
Yehan felt a pang in his nose, homesick and wanting to cry too, but he restrained himself.
With all the villagers dead and A wu’s father and brother gone, he was her only support.
He had to hold himself together.
He forced a smile and said, “Alright, let’s go check out that boat.”
***
The boat had a ferryman whose voice was low and hoarse.
He wore a bamboo hat and a raincoat, beneath which was a rough black cloth robe—just a typical ferryman’s appearance.
Still, Yehan was cautious, testing a few words and then asking the price.
The ferryman demanded ten copper coins.
A wu quickly said, “I have ten coins.”