Chapter 63

The Shattered Jade

The rope was just an ordinary hemp rope, tied with a dead knot, binding her hands so tightly that a living, breathing person could do nothing about it.

She had endured an entire night, struggling until she was completely exhausted. In the end, she slumped powerlessly against the window, forced to accept her fate.

Her mouth was dry, her body immobile.

Her mind felt dull and sluggish. In her daze, she thought of Zhang Yuehui. They had been apart for so long that someone who lived only in her memories had inevitably become flat, two-dimensional with time. The spiritual support he once gave her had gradually weakened as well.

Subtly and imperceptibly, Xie Queshan had changed the way she viewed the world. She had even begun to question: was a man’s love for a woman truly so cheap?

In this world, does Zhang Yuehui still exist? If he cares about her, wants to see her, why has he completely lost contact? Why has he allowed her to drift through this chaotic world and let her die in some corner?

Or perhaps, he was nothing more than an excuse for her to want to live. With no one else to rely on, she thought of going to his side, but now, faced with certain death, her obsession with him had started to fade.

She thought about the jade bracelet on her wrist. If she had sold it earlier, she could have exchanged it for money and wouldn’t have needed to steal Xie Queshan’s purse, avoiding everything that followed.

Fate is truly a cruel thing.

She thought about how the bracelet had just been violently smashed against the railing by Xie Queshan. It must have shattered by now. She tried to move her wrist, and the ropes had already rubbed her skin raw, causing sharp pain with every slight movement. Only the part of her skin covered by the bracelet remained somewhat unscathed.

Then, something flashed in her mind!

Until now, her focus had been on escaping. The pain in her wrist was bearable in the face of life and death, but now that she had calmed down, she realized that some of her wounds were caused by the sharp edges of the broken jade bracelet cutting into her skin.

Yes, wasn’t this a sharp tool?

Struggling against her restraints, she managed to pry a shard of the broken bracelet from the tangled rope. She scraped it across the wall a few times, sharpening the broken edge, then slowly began to rub it against the rope.

At first, progress was slow. The sturdy hemp rope hardly budged. Her raised arm began to numb, but she mechanically repeated the action, as this was her only hope.

Until the rope finally gave way and a small gap appeared. After that, it became easier, and one of her hands was quickly freed. In no time at all, she had removed the entire rope.

She was free again. She hurried to the door, knelt down, and scooped up some snow to eat. The cold, pure snow water slid down her throat, bringing a refreshing relief like a long-awaited rain in a drought, revitalizing her.

For a moment, she felt a little dazed. She looked up at the gray sky, and then, with dry lips, she smiled silently.

She was alive.

She was alive!

But as she smiled, tears unexpectedly welled up in her eyes. Where was she supposed to go now?

________________________________________

In Lidu City, news of Xie Queshan’s return was kept tightly under wraps. To everyone’s knowledge, he was still missing and his whereabouts unknown.

A few scattered Qibi soldiers, under the pretense of searching for Xie Queshan, were actually scouting the area in advance.

Through secret reconnaissance, they confirmed that the Yucheng Army had indeed set up camp at the Daoist Temple in Huguishan. Xie Queshan’s intelligence was accurate.

Wanyan Jun immediately set about deploying plans to annihilate the Yucheng Army, with his elite soldiers taking the lead. He intended to take full credit for this operation and had entirely excluded Husa from the loop, revealing not a word of the plan.

Xu Kouyue had been moving in and out of Wanyan Jun’s quarters. Through listening and guessing, she had learned a rough idea of what was going on.

As for the Yucheng Army, rumors had been floating around. Some said the army was hidden in Huguishan, others claimed they had been wiped out by the Qibi soldiers midway. Before encountering the army, it was all just speculation.

Lady Gantang had previously settled in Yucheng, so if the Yucheng Army was indeed hidden in Huguishan, its connection would be clear. It was because Xie Queshan was still around that Wanyan Jun dared not openly harm her second sister.

However, if the Yucheng Army were found, it would inevitably implicate Lady Gantang.

Of course, Xu Kouyue was concerned about her maternal aunt, but she was helpless in the back courtyard. After much hesitation, she took the opportunity to bring medicine into Xie Queshan’s quarters.

She dared to approach Xie Queshan because he had saved her during the spring banquet. She bet that he still had some conscience left. Even if negotiations failed, he didn’t need to betray her to Wanyan Jun.

At that moment, Xie Queshan was awake, still weak, barely able to breathe.

Xu Kouyue didn’t want to beat around the bush. Xie Queshan was an intelligent person, and given the urgency of the situation, she went straight to the point.

“Young Master Xie, you are in your position, fulfilling your duty. There is no fault in that. But if you tell Lord Wanyan about the Yucheng Army, your second sister will surely be in danger. Do you really want to push her into the fire?”

Xie Queshan sighed in relief—Xu Kouyue had finally come to find him.

But he couldn’t be too direct: “I am powerless. Some matters are better discussed by the Princess with those who can act.”

“Who are these people?” Xu Kouyue was anxious. “I am locked in the back courtyard, unable to go out, unable to see anyone. Am I supposed to ask Wanyan Jun for help?”

“The Princess should find a way to have Lord Wanyan take you out, and you will naturally meet that person.”

Xu Kouyue froze. Wanyan Jun’s daily activities involved only the military camp and the maritime department...

The military camp was full of Qibi soldiers, and the only other option was the maritime department? Song Muchuan?

Song Muchuan didn’t have enough influence to sway Wanyan Jun’s decisions. What could she possibly say to him?

—No, this couldn’t be a simple suggestion from Xie Queshan. There was something more to his words.

“Why him?” she asked.

Xie Queshan looked at her, his expression indifferent: “Sometimes, a message... can decide the outcome.”

Suddenly, Xu Kouyue understood. She had originally only wanted to protect Lady Gantang and ask Xie Queshan to intercede. But the root of the issue was whether the Yucheng Army was safe. If she could find a way to leak Wanyan Jun’s plans to destroy the Yucheng Army, it might force the army to relocate, causing Wanyan Jun to miss his target.

The best person to pass on the message would be Song Muchuan.

Xu Kouyue was stunned. No wonder he had suggested it so indirectly. If the Qibi people found out, it would be a death sentence.

She dared not think too much and bowed her head in gratitude. “Young Master, thank you.”

“Princess, I have one more favor to ask of you.”

“Please, go ahead.”

Not long after, a startled cry from Xu Kouyue echoed from the room.

“Doctor! The patient has fallen unconscious again!”

Xu Kouyue rushed out of the room just as the doctors entered one after another. She took a deep breath, suppressing the nervousness of lying.

She mentally reminded herself—today, as soon as she entered, Xie Queshan had lost consciousness. She hadn’t spoken a word to him. Of course, there needed to be a witness, so she had called for the doctors to come in.

Inside the curtain, Xie Queshan lay with his eyes closed, deep in unconsciousness. He had barely held on to a shred of consciousness, waiting for Xu Kouyue to come find him. Fortunately, she had arrived not too late.

Now that this matter was settled, he could finally rest.

Just before his consciousness faded, he recalled that night on the painted boat.

He should have stayed on the Sifang Bridge and kept away from the boat, avoiding the mess. But the source of all this trouble was that he saw Song Muchuan bring Nan Yi onto the painted boat as well. She was his person—how could Song Muchuan involve her in such a dangerous situation? Worried about potential danger, he had followed them.

He ran into the false Chang Yan, who had already seen through the candleholder’s scheme. She was about to leave to report, which was completely unexpected, so he had no choice but to kill the false Chang Yan.

Then, he had accidentally confirmed from the subtle clues that Song Muchuan intended to take Nan Yi away that night. Enraged, he had forgotten to clean up the aftermath, failing to notice that the tassel of his sword had been left in Chang Yan’s hand.

He waited on that small boat, watching to see if Nan Yi would come. In the end, she did try to escape.

But everything had started to spiral out of control the moment he couldn’t bring himself to kill her...

In the end, he had dug his own grave. It had been a long time since he acted without thinking, losing his composure. Life had been too comfortable lately, and he had even forgotten that he was walking a tightrope, where a single mistake could lead to disaster.

To patch up the gaps in his plans, he had ended up in this miserable state.

But he was only human, and the pain from his injuries was unbearable... His consciousness was slowly slipping away.

The doctors checked Xie Queshan’s pulse and began a frantic attempt to resuscitate him.

Xu Kouyue wasn’t anxious anymore. She simply waited outside, standing in the courtyard in the cold, waiting for the situation inside to unfold.

In the afternoon, Wanyan Jun returned from the military camp and saw this scene. His expression darkened immediately.

“Why are you so concerned about Xie Queshan? There are people here to take care of him.”

But Xu Kouyue didn’t leave. She responded gently, “After all, Young Master Xie is a guest of the Lord. I should pay attention to him, otherwise, I can’t be of any help to you.”

“Do you have a relationship with Xie Queshan?”

Xu Kouyue hesitated before answering, “We met a few times in the old capital, but we’re not close.”

Wanyan Jun sneered and pinched her cheek. When his gaze met her eyes—like clear autumn water—it revealed a trace of guilt.

He could tell exactly what was on her mind. She said they weren’t close, but there was some relationship. She must have been waiting for Xie Queshan to wake up so she could go in and discuss how to save Lady Gantang.

These days, the mission to eliminate the Yucheng Army was critical, and he couldn’t allow anything to go wrong.

“Since you’re so idle, come with me to the maritime department this afternoon. As an imperial princess, a little walk will encourage the artisans to work harder.”

Xu Kouyue’s face showed a flustered expression, but her heart was racing. From what she knew of Wanyan Jun, the more she wanted to go to the maritime department, the more she had to act like she wanted to stay at home. Wanyan Jun was very cautious and suspicious of her. To keep her away from Xie Queshan, he would want to keep her close, always watching her.

This was her first time trying a small trick in front of Wanyan Jun, and her legs were trembling.

Was this working?

No, this was just the first step… What worried Xu Kouyue even more was telling Song Muchuan... Could he really turn things around?