Chapter 189: Your husband has come to rescue you—are you happy?

The two words "flag sacrifice" were like a poisoned needle, viciously stabbing into Shen Shuangning's heart.

She stared at the man within arm's reach, the hand in her sleeve clenching quietly—

The dagger wound around her wrist was one Pei Zhi had secretly tied for her the night before; the black-iron dagger was wrapped in soft cloth, and with a flick of the fingertip it could fall into her palm—her only means of self-defense.

Pei Zhi had repeatedly warned her not to expose it unless absolutely necessary.

But Prince Rui's words now made her blood surge, a sudden impulse rising in her chest: he was about to kill her; if she could stab him now, kill this rebel prince, would everything be over?

But as soon as that impulse arose, she thought of her family still in Jingcheng.

The empress controlled Jingcheng; if she killed Prince Rui, the empress would surely send assassins against the duke's manor at once.

Shen Shuangning bit her lower lip hard, forcing the killing intent back, though her eyes reddened uncontrollably, filled with hatred as she glared up at the man.

Her features were naturally striking; now her face was icy, her gaze sharp, and that unyielding stubbornness added a few more points of breathtaking beauty to her appearance.

Prince Rui stared into her eyes, and a strange itch suddenly sprang from his fingertip, spreading from his palm to his heart.

He inopportunely recalled the little girl from the Rong Duke's mansion who, as a boy, had clung to his leg, tears streaming, begging him to return her bamboo dragonfly.

Back then her eyes were just as bright, but full of playful innocence, unlike now, when she bristled with thorns.

Whether it was the wine or the faint memory softening his hostility, Prince Rui's grip on her chin gradually loosened.

He suddenly no longer wanted to kill her.

Just as Prince Rui's fingertip was about to slide down her jaw, a voice from behind suddenly spoke—Pei Zhi's.

"Your Lordship, the Bureau of Provisions has just sent the dispatch list for the northern troops; you need to review it personally, lest there be omissions when we break camp tomorrow."

Prince Rui's motion froze abruptly, a flicker of displeasure crossing his face at the interruption.

He finally released her, turned, and coldly instructed the maid standing nearby: "Watch her, don't let her run about."

Having said that, he swept his sleeves and followed Pei Zhi toward the study.

Pei Zhi glanced back at Shen Shuangning once, said nothing, and left.

Shen Shuangning raised her hand to her chin; her fingertip felt the lingering red mark, still aching distinctly.

She slowly lowered her hand, gazing in the direction Prince Rui and Pei Zhi had gone, her heart swelling with complex emotions.

In her previous life, she never learned until death that the advisor who always helped Prince Rui with strategies was Xie Yan; but in this life, he has returned to Prince Rui's side under the identity of Pei Zhi...

And she herself is finally no longer the clueless Shen Shuangning who was kept in the dark and schemed to death; whether this is good or bad remains unknown...

Before entering Quanzhou City, Pei Zhi had said that Prince Rui's rebellion was within their expectations.

Letting Prince Rui slaughter his way back to Jingcheng was meant to lure the big fish behind him, so she could relax.

But who "they" are, Pei Zhi never elaborated.

Shen Shuangning vaguely guessed that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was also involved; she just didn't know whether the one on the dragon throne was aware.

Far away, hundreds of li from Jingcheng, the palace lights blazed.

The emperor lay unconscious; several imperial physicians bustled about in the Hall of Nourishing Heart, their foreheads beaded with cold sweat.

The emperor's illness came on fiercely, mainly because he had suffered an assassination a month earlier that damaged his viscera. The empress ordered that, no matter what, they must keep him clinging to life; he must not die.

Actually, the physicians didn't quite understand—how could the empress, who had already rebelled, still care about the emperor's life? But they dared not ask such a thing, merely keeping their heads down and working.

Outside, Empress Wang sat in the place of honor, wearing a gold-embroidered dragon-and-phoenix robe, her face as still as water.

A trembling eunuch below said, "Your Ladyship, we have searched the Hall of Nourishing Heart, the Imperial Study, even the late emperor's Fengxian Hall, short of lifting the floor tiles, yet… we still haven't found that last testament. Could it be… could it simply not be in the palace at all?"

What the empress had ordered them to seek was an imperial edict left by the emperor over ten years ago.

Seeing the empress silent for a long time, assuming she was worried, the little eunuch plucked up courage, raised his head, and obsequiously smiled: "Your Ladyship, I dare say a word—it's just a last testament! Now Prince Rui's army advances like a broken bamboo, heading north imminently; soon this world will be yours and Prince Rui's to possess—why trouble yourself over an old edict?"

He thought it concerned the succession, unaware that his words had struck exactly the empress's sore spot.

Empress Wang gave him a cold glance, curled her lip and snorted. The eunuch instantly felt a chill at his neck, hastily slapping his own mouth: "It was my fault for speaking out of turn!"

Empress Wang couldn't be bothered to look at him; her gaze drifted to the black night outside the window, her thoughts unbiddenly drifting back to that snowy night over ten years ago.

That day, after a heavy snowfall, thick snow piled on the palace roads; she personally stewed ginseng soup, intending to go to the Hall of Nourishing Heart to warm Emperor Xuánwén's body.

Just as she reached the hall's door, wondering why there wasn't a single palace servant outside, she heard inside the conversation between Emperor Xuánwén and Eunuch Hai.

"I've been feeling unwell lately; I ought to leave a last edict, just in case." Emperor Xuánwén's voice carried a hint of fatigue.

Eunuch Hai promptly replied, "Your Majesty's dragon body is healthy; why bother?"

Outside the hall, Empress Wang's heart clenched, yet she couldn't help pondering what edict the emperor wished to leave.

The heir apparent had been established, the realm was at peace—what else could the emperor possibly worry about?

As she pondered, Emperor Xuánwén's voice came through.

"I have my own considerations." Emperor Xuánwén paused, his voice lowered to a whisper, yet clearly reaching the empress outside the hall:

"Empress Wang… you are too clever, your ambition too great; after my demise, let you be buried with me, the funerary rites conducted per empress regulations, which also fulfills our marital bond. As for the prince… his temperament is fierce, lest he cause trouble later, I will send him to garrison the northwest frontier; he may not be summoned back to the capital, and in this life he shall not partake in state affairs."

The empress's expression froze completely on her face.

He wanted her to be buried with him.

How ironic.

She had always thought that, although Emperor Xuánwén did not love her deeply, he still held some respect for her, and moreover believed Prince Rui was his most favored son—yet she never imagined he had already arranged a "dead end" for them mother and son!

From that day on, the last shred of warmth in her heart died out completely, leaving only icy hatred.

That day, she did not enter, nor did she expose the truth; instead she calmly returned to the Kunning Palace, cradling the young prince and sitting motionless through the night.

Just one night, and she had figured it all out.

Then she began to scheme in secret, winning over officials, even allying with rebels if necessary—all because he had forced her hand.

That edict remained her constant heartache, a sword hanging over her head.

If it remained unfound, should someone later uncover the edict, even if she and Prince Rui controlled the world, they would be charged with "defying the late emperor's edict" and become the target of everyone's condemnation.

Empress Wang regained her composure and told the eunuch still slapping his own cheek: "Keep searching; dig three feet deep if you must, and find it. Also, Eunuch Hai—send an imperial physician to see whether he's truly feigning madness."

Last month, when Emperor Xuánwén was assassinated, Eunuch Hai was immediately suspected; this loyal servant was personally thrown into prison by the emperor.

To force him to reveal the hiding place of the last will, the Empress Wang specially had his adopted son made into a meat patty; after watching him gulp it down, she then told him the truth.

Then Eunuch Hai went mad.

The little eunuch had just retreated after receiving orders when the Imperial Physician came running out in a panic, fell to his knees with a thud, looking as if his head were about to hit the ground, and wailed:

"Empress, His Majesty probably won't make it through the night!"

Empress Wang blinked slightly, a flicker of emotion passing through her phoenix eyes, she leaned back and said coolly: "Let the Crown Prince enter the palace to attend to his illness."

She said this to the shadow in the darkness.

The person stepped out from the darkness, clasped fists, and retreated.

Prince Rui forced a levy of twenty thousand troops in Spring Prefecture; the next day, as the bugle sounded, over a hundred thousand iron-armored soldiers broke camp and marched north, like a black dragon.

Prince Rui ultimately did not use her as a flag sacrifice, but consequently he guarded her more strictly.

She rode in a carriage with the army heading north, surrounded front and back by masses of troops stretching as far as the eye could see.

Upon reaching Forever City, the gates were already wide open; it turned out that the ten thousand troops who had gone ahead had already taken Forever City, so when Prince Rui's army arrived they seized it virtually without loss.

But Prince Rui had no intention of resting; instead he marched straight to the next city that night.

Along the way, Shen Shuangning saw many displaced refugees, mostly the elderly, weak, women, and children; she felt uneasy but could do nothing.

After several days on the road, Shen Shuangning spent most of her time in the carriage; even when she stepped out for air she could not go far, and there was always someone following within three steps.

Prince Rui gave her a mute draught, rendering her temporarily speechless, and ordered her to wear the mask at all times.

Moreover, several young women were added to the army.

They were about her age, all dressed in identical gray uniforms, wearing the same mysterious iron masks, with their hair tied in uniform buns; from a distance, the dozen or so figures stood together, indistinguishable in appearance and attire, making it impossible to tell which was the real Shen Shuangning.

Such tactics to confuse the eyes and ears were likely meant to prevent anyone from rescuing her.

Besides that, Prince Rui specially brought another double to stay by his side, sharing the same carriage, inseparable.

Shen Shuangning, however, was placed at the rear of the troop, together with those dozen or so doubles.

The maid attending Shen Shuangning saw her wearing a translucent jade hairpin of simple design, nothing special, and said nothing more.

That night, the army camped at the foot of a mountain; Prince Rui, in a rare show of mercy, gave Shen Shuangning a tent, and she could finally lie down to sleep.

But she had barely fallen asleep when a commotion arose outside.

Shen Shuangning was immediately taken into the mountains to hide.

After an unknown period, when things seemed to have calmed, she was brought back to the camp, but only to stand before Prince Rui.

Prince Rui was wounded; the military doctor was bandaging him, but he seemed in good spirits, as if he had confirmed something.

Upon seeing Shen Shuangning, he even smiled at her and gestured for her to sit.

Shen Shuangning did not understand why, nor did she know the reason he had summoned her; she stood still.

She noticed that the double beside Prince Rui was gone, and there was a pool of blood on the ground, though she did not know whose it was.

But she hoped it was that lame bastard's.

"She was taken for you and rescued." Prince Rui suddenly said, looking at her with a half-smile, "Do you want to know who risked death to save you?"

Shen Shuangning gazed at Prince Rui's slightly gloomy brows, and an answer rose in her mind.

She still wore the mask Prince Rui had given her; it had a hidden clasp she could not undo herself.

A pair of slightly round almond eyes showed from outside, bearing a hint of chill.

Prince Rui waved his hand, signaling the military doctor to withdraw.

His left shoulder was wounded, already bound with gauze; his bronzed skin glowed with a warm jade hue in the candlelight.

That wound did not make him look embarrassed; instead it intensified the ferocity in his eyes, and his vicious aura coiled like vines, making it hard to breathe.

Seeing the woman before him silent, Prince Rui said on his own: "That day he was pursued by my men to Black Stone Mountain, gravely wounded, with no way out, he leapt off the cliff."

Shen Shuangning's gaze shifted abruptly, her fingers curling involuntarily.

She recalled that nightmare: the dark cliff edge, Xiao Jingyuan covered in blood, turning to smile at her before leaping down; she reached out to grab him, but grasped only emptiness.

It turned out that was not just a dream, but something that had really happened!

Shen Shuangning could not speak; she could only glare at him hatefully.

Prince Rui watched her lose control, not displeased but instead curling the corner of his mouth into a cruel smile.

"But that time I was careless, letting him slip away by luck; he really is tough." Prince Rui said the last sentence rather gritting his teeth.

Shen Shuangning blinked in surprise.

Xiao Jingyuan isn't dead?

Before she could feel joy, the man suddenly seized her wrist and jerked her forward; off‑balance, she stumbled and fell, her knee slamming hard onto the hard ground, sending a piercing pain through her.

Shen Shuangning, off‑balance, half‑knelt at his feet, her knee striking the ground hard; she lifted her face without error, while the man's hand had somehow moved to the back of her head.

Before she could struggle, a warm hand gripped the back of her head.

The next second, with a soft "click," the mysterious iron mask on her face fell away, revealing that complexion that outshone snow.

Panic flashed across Shen Shuangning's face as she instinctively lifted her chin, only to meet Prince Rui's unfathomable eyes.

The man's hand had somehow moved to the side of her neck, lightly gripping her throat without force, yet the sensation of having one's lifeline pinched was unpleasant.

"Just now I couldn't see his face clearly, but I know his martial arts from past encounter and would not mistake them." Prince Rui's voice came close to her ear, tinged with teasing; his warm breath brushed her skin, yet it made her whole body go cold,

"Your husband came to rescue you—are you glad?"

Shen Shuangning naturally could not answer him.

Prince Rui rubbed her skin with the calloused pad of his thumb, the gesture brimming with a nauseating possessiveness that made her frown, her eyes full of resistance and unease.

Prince Rui gave a low laugh, his tone growing more cruel: "I have already sent a thousand elite troops after him. To save that double he took an arrow wound and is burdened; do you think he can escape?"

Shen Shuangning's heart sank sharply, her nails digging into her palms.

"You've been wanting to find him all along, haven't you?" Prince Rui's hand tightened slightly, cutting off Shen Shuangning's breath, yet he laughed even more happily,

"Then I'll be merciful: once I catch him, I'll bring his corpse for you to see—so you can behold exactly how the husband you've longed for meets his end at my hands!"