“Stop!” A cold voice suddenly called. Xiao Yin’s personal bodyguards, Liu Feng and Hui Xue, walked over.

  The swords all returned into their sheaths as the guards retreated.

  Hua Zhu Yu stood in the courtyard, her sword dripping with blood.

  Unbeknownst to her, the rain had stop and the faint light of lanterns shone through, shining on Hua Zhu Yu. Her robe was covered with blood, her silky hair was messy. Her face didn’t carry a hind of expression. Her eyes were filled with a coldness that seeped into the bone marrows of anyone who looked at them.

  She lifted her sword and slowly walked toward the corridor.

  “You want to see his highness?” Liu Feng asked in a heavy voice.

  Hua Zhu Yu glanced at him but continued to walk toward the corridor.

  “Dan Hong, why is it you?” Hui Xue had just seen the female in front of her clearly and found that it was Hua Zhu Yu. She felt shock. In her eyes, after Hua Zhu Yu has stayed for so long in the Taizi residence, other than being stubborn, she was a servant girl that abided by the rules. However the Hua Zhu Yu today completely broke through the view she had of her before.

  Hua Zhu Yu glanced at her and then stepped into the manor. Hui Xue blocked her path and said: “Dan Hong, if you want to see his highness, you could’ve told me. What exactly happened? Can you tell me?”


  “I need a horse, 5 days of food and also a token that lets me leave the city tonight. If you can, immediatelly prepare everything. If you cannot, do not stop me.” She needed to immediately leave the city and couldn’t wait until tomorrow. However, in order to leave the city tonight, she had to have a token.

  “You want to leave?” Hui Xue froze. She couldn’t help Hua Zhu Yu with this matter, “Wait a moment. I’ll go report.”


  “No need!” Hua Zhu Yu pa.s.sed her and walked with big steps into the manor. At this time, Xiao Yin wouldn’t definitely not want to see her and so she had to forcibly go see him.

  The moment she stepped inside, the sound of siqin and of laughter entered her ears. Hua Zhu Yu lifted her eyes. With her veil on, she felt as though she was looking through a mist into a different world. The golden candles were burning. A couple dancers were dancing within the manor. One of the females was singing a song.She took off her veil and slowly walked inside. Her robe was dripping with blood and rainwater, giving off the faint smell of blood.

  Hua Zhu Yu’s entrance was like a sonorous melody suddenly entered with a discordant note. The dancers stopped their steps, the singer stopped singing. Everyone looked towards Hua Zhu Yu. The originally happy atmosphere had changed with her arrival.

  Hui Xue hastily walked forward and kneeled in front of Xiao Yin: “Your highness, Dan Hong urgently needed to see your highness. Hui Xue couldn’t stop her!”


  Xiao Yin sat on the large golden jade chair which was in the exact center of the manor. On his left sat Bai Ma furen. On his right was his two concubines, Mei Na and Xue Ji. Xiao Yin’s cold eyes looked at Hua Zhu Yu. His purples eyes narrowed and flashed with a sliver of dullness. He acted normally and finished drinking his wine. Xue Ji hurriedly stretched out her delicate hands to fill the wine cup with wine again.

  His narrowed eyes pa.s.sed over the dancers and he quietly said: “Why are you not dancing?”


  The dancers returned from their dazes and hastily glanced at Hua Zhu Yu. The sound of the huqin arose. The dancers began dancing. The song was being sang again.

  Xiao Yin held the cup in his hand and slowly played with it. His gaze was on the dancers in the manor. Under the glittering light of the candle, the smile on the corner of his lips seemed particularly clear.

  Hua Zhu Yu coldly scoffed. She raised her delicate hand and a cold light flitted past. ‘Ding‘ a couple strings of the huqin snapped. Without the accompaniment of the instrument, the dancers and the singer both stopped.

  Xiao Yin’s face was covered with iciness and he coldly said: “How bold!”


  With his words, two shadows flew by. Hua Zhu Yu only felt her kneecaps burst into pain as her whole person kneeled on the ground. Two sharp swords were pressed to her throat. The two people who attacked her were Xiao Yin’s personal bodyguards, Qing Yin and Bi Yue. The current her was not their opponent.

  Long before, a servant girl had carried over another huqin and the sound of music resounded yet again.

  Wait!

  After being soaked with rainwater, her wounds burned painfully. Yet the panic in her heart arose even more. However, other than waiting, she could do nothing else. Her brain thought as fast a lightning. How would she let the male who was sitting up high smoothly let her leave?

  After some time, the music and dancing stopped. The sound of voices and laughter slowly faded. The manor was filled with silence.

  “What happened that would make you come to see me at that expense?” Xiao Yin’s voice slowly pa.s.sed over.

  Hua Zhu Yu lifted her eyes and quietly looked at Xiao Yin. She coldly said: “I want to return to the South Kingdom!”


  “It seems like you have heard of the Hua Mu’s matter. He committed a big crime. If you go now aren’t you afraid of being implicated? Or could it be that you think you can save him? Just based on you, do you think you would be able to affect his sentence?” His eyes narrowed and shone with sharpness and ridicule.

  “That’s right!” Hua Zhu Yu said with surety.

  “You dare!” Xiao Yin’s expression changed as he coldly said. His suddenly raised voice thundered in the manor before echoing into silence. On the candle was still flickering was a yellow light.

  Liu Feng, Hui Xue, Qing Yun, and Bi Yue all held their breaths as they quietly moved back. Even after following his highness for so many years, this was the first time they had seen him so angry.

  “You seem to be a really loyal servant. Right. Bendianxia forgot that you were a prost.i.tute. You had served Hua Mu and those generals. You are unable to forget your old lovers and even want to change the law. That really is – ”


  “Shut up!” Hua Zhu Yu suddenly lifted her eyes. Her normally water-like and clear eyes now was full of frost. “I’m not a prost.i.tute!” She coldly said.

  Xiao Yin froze. The corners of his lips slowly lifted up into a smile. A couple guards’ minds buzzed with shock. They couldn’t believe their ears. His highness had been interrupted by a servant. But what they couldn’t believe any more was that his highness had not gotten angry!

  “I need to leave tonight! I hope that you can help me!” Hua Zhu Yu suppressed her anger as she coldly said.

  “On what basis can you let bendianxia help you?” Xiao Yin sat on his chair with one hand supporting his chin as he said: “Hua Mu is my enemy. His death – to me – is something I am happy for. Why would I help you save him?”


  “If you help me, I will wholeheartedly help you in the future.”


  “Laughable. Why would bendianxia need your help?” Xiao Yin seemed as though he had heard a big joke.

  “You do need my help! First, your position in the North Kingdom is not stable. Second, several ethnic groups in the North did not surrender to your North Kingdom and is a great trouble for your kingdom. All of these, I can help you with!” These days in the North Kingdom, Hua Zhu Yu did not stay worthlessly. She was extremely clear about the situation in the North Kingdom.

  After the death of Xiao Yin’s mother, his father favored Concubine Ye. Concubine Ye had a son named Xiao Lu. Even though he was only 10, however he had Xiao Gan’s favor and as Concubine Ye was from a large clan in the North Kingdom, her father was an official in the government. Yet Xiao Yin’s ancestors had died in battle long ago. Concubine Ye was always planning ways to kill Xiao Yin. When Xiao Yin heard Hua Zhu Yu’s words, he stood up from his chair, rapidly walked in front of her, and then narrowed his eyes as he looked at her.

  Her blood-mottled robe outlined her delicate body. Her silky hair was messy and scattered. Her face was also splashed with spots of blood. The current her was like the previous him – very miserable. However, her pair of clear eyes was full of determination. It made people want to naturally believe her and follow her!

  Battling is a man’s job. However, she, a female, had followed by Ying Shu Xie, and stayed in the Hua Mu army for two years. Not only that, but by playing just one song, she had increased the strength of the South Kingdom soldiers drastically.

  Perhaps, she could actually help him!

  “Okay! Bendianxia agrees. However, you must also keep your promise!” He said with surety as he looked down at her.