Chapter 120: Hero Saves the Beauty

Proofreader : Mim

 

Chu Jinyao held Lu Ge’er tightly, praying all the way that the child wouldn’t cry. Fortunately, it seemed that Lu Ge’er sensed something was amiss; although he kicked his legs around, he didn’t cry out loud. However, their luck abruptly ended when the number of torches outside suddenly increased, accompanied by the sound of running footsteps.

 

Chu Jinyao’s grip on Lu Ge’er tightened involuntarily. The sudden change outside happened in an instant—obviously, Chu Jinxian had been exposed.

 

Chu Jinyao wasn’t sure whether she should be relieved that her sister wasn’t mistaken for the Crown Princess and spared from a life-threatening situation or more worried about the increasingly dangerous position she herself was in.

 

General Hu, upon realizing that the woman he had captured with such great effort wasn’t the Crown Princess, was furious. After questioning the soldiers who had discovered Chu Jinxian, he quickly deduced that the real Crown Princess hadn’t escaped far and must be nearby.

 

This village was small, located on a plain. Outside the village were orderly fields, leaving no hiding places. Anyone fleeing the village would immediately expose themselves, leaving Chu Jinyao with very few options to hide.

 

Though General Hu was sure that the capital was in chaos by now, this was still the outskirts of the city, and he didn’t dare delay too long. As time passed, his patience ran out, and he no longer bothered with the polite formalities of the literati. He simply surrounded the village and dragged a few captured people to the front, shouting into the silent, dark night: “The front line has fallen, the state is in danger. A group of traitors has kidnapped the Crown Princess, and she is now hiding here. I, General Hu, have been ordered to retrieve the Crown Princess. If you surrender her now, the general will spare your lives. But if you persist…”

 

A soldier swiftly drew his sword with a clang and held it against the necks of the prisoners in front: “If you remain stubborn, these traitors will meet their end.”

 

Chu Jinxian felt the cold blade against her neck. She closed her eyes in fear, silently praying, “Don’t come out.”

 

Chu Jinxian firmly believed that, given the Crown Prince’s regard for Chu Jinyao, the court wouldn’t abandon her. As long as Chu Jinyao survived and returned, Lu Ge’er would have a chance to live.

 

One was the child she had risked her life to give birth to, and the other was her younger sister, who had been fated to suffer from the moment she left home. Neither of them deserved to die at the hands of these men with wolfish ambitions—they should live well, better than anyone.

 

The night remained eerily silent, with only the sound of the wind sweeping across the fields. General Hu’s eyes turned cruel as he signaled to his men.

 

The village woman and her daughter-in-law, who had sheltered Chu Jinyao and her party, were also dragged out and forced to kneel on the ground. General Hu slowly said, “These two women harbored the traitors. By lying to protect them, they’ve committed treason. Men, heat up your blades.”

 

The cold, curved swords were raised high, hovering over the innocent women kneeling beside Chu Jinxian. Unable to bear watching, Chu Jinxian shut her eyes and turned her head away.

 

The two women knelt like puppets. In the crowd, Chu Jinmiao saw this and felt a twisted sense of satisfaction. “Serves them right. Now they regret saving her, don’t they? She’s nothing but a disaster, rising higher and higher while everyone around her suffers.”

 

From the palace maids to Chu Jinxian’s dowry maid, to the wet nurse and village women, none of these people knew each other. They hadn’t even spoken to one another. But they had all carefully, silently clung to a shared belief. Yet, this fragile secret was maliciously exposed by a single woman. And that woman was none other than Chu Jinxian and Chu Jinyao’s sister, the Fourth Miss of Changxing Marquis Mansion, who had been raised there for thirteen years.

 

Chu Jinxian, eyes tightly shut, felt an unprecedented surge of hatred. She regretted the fate of the village women. And she found herself wondering: when Chu Jinmiao was a child, why hadn’t she strangled this poisonous snake?

 

As the swords swung through the air, they made a faint whooshing sound, almost carried by the wind. Chu Jinxian hesitated and opened her eyes. She hadn’t misheard—there was indeed a whistling sound, but it was coming from a different direction.

 

The soldier holding the sword froze in place, his eyes widening unnaturally, his throat convulsing. Looking down, there was an arrow lodged in his chest, its fletching still trembling. The arrow bore the insignia of the Imperial Guard.

 

The soldier, pierced through the heart, could no longer maintain his stance and fell backward with a loud crash. General Hu, rather than grieving over the loss of one of his men, was instead overcome with an unnatural excitement. His eyes locked forward, the veins in his neck throbbing.

 

At the end of the desolate country road, a figure stood silently. Darkness slowly receded, revealing her face to the crowd.

 

The moment General Hu saw her, he knew—this was the real Crown Princess.

 

No further proof was needed, no need to seek verification. Though she was dressed in simple clothes, without a grand entourage or numerous servants, General Hu was certain that this was the Crown Princess, whose beauty had compelled the Crown Prince to travel far to wed her. Just moments ago, he had thought Chu Jinxian was a great beauty, but now he realized he had simply seen too few beautiful women.

 

The greatest heroes and beauties of the world belong to the royal family. Seeing Chu Jinyao, General Hu’s blood surged with excitement. Such a woman could only be associated with power, wealth, and status. Without immense power, a man couldn’t hope to keep such a beauty. This was a woman destined for dragon sons and grandsons. General Hu’s desire for power reached its peak in that moment. Men seek power and beauty all their lives, and by reaching that position, he could possess a woman who seemed to radiate glory.

 

“Crown Princess,” General Hu said, without any need to ask for confirmation, “I have heard that traitors have abducted you. I am here under orders to rescue you. I apologize for any fright you may have suffered.”

 

Half of Chu Jinyao’s face was illuminated by the torches ahead, while the other half remained in the shadows. She gazed at the group in front of her—a large, burly man surrounded by others, likely the mastermind of this whole ordeal. The village women were sprawled on the ground, Chu Jinxian had a blade to her neck, and some of the palace servants from Changhe Garden had also been captured. This brute certainly had a lot of nerve.

 

While Chu Jinyao assessed the man before her, he was also sizing her up. Chu Jinxian’s eyes were filled with disapproval. Chu Jinyao noticed this and offered her sister a comforting smile. When she decided to reveal herself, she had already handed Lu Ge’er to a guard, instructing him to either bring the child to the Zhao family or to find Qin Yi.

 

If she couldn’t survive this ordeal, at least her sister’s bloodline would continue.

 

Chu Jinyao smiled gently, causing another shock to ripple through the group of bandits. She didn’t care for their reactions. Just as she was about to withdraw her gaze, she noticed someone who shouldn’t have been there.

 

Chu Jinmiao?

 

Suddenly, everything made sense. No wonder Chu Jinxian’s plan had failed, and no wonder this brute had surrounded the village. Chu Jinyao remembered Duan Yinghua mentioning that Chu Jinmiao had been confined to a rural estate under strict supervision. In normal times, that would have sufficed, but during chaos like this, distant estates were the first to fall into disarray. Chu Jinmiao must have taken advantage of the situation to escape. Her maid wasn’t anywhere in sight, likely sacrificed as Chu Jinmiao’s stepping stone, just like the Su family.

 

The estate where Chu Jinmiao had been held was in the same direction as Changhe Garden, and it was sheer misfortune that both sisters ended up hiding in the same village. This was their karmic connection.

 

Just like in the seventh year of Jianxing, when both Chu Jinyao and Chu Jinmiao were born amidst the turmoil of war, both were girls, born only days apart. When Madam Zhao casually pointed to the Su family back then, the fates of Chu Jinyao and Chu Jinmiao had already been sealed. Today was the culmination of that fate.

 

Like crops and weeds forced to grow together, but with limited nutrients. Only one could thrive. In the first half of their lives, Chu Jinmiao had taken the nourishment that should have been Chu Jinyao’s—living a life of luxury and being showered with love. But later, with the help of her destiny-bound jade pendant, Chu Jinyao had reversed her fortune, rising step by step until she was only one step away from the supreme position of all women. As she grew stronger, Chu Jinmiao withered in poverty. Now, after years of resentment, fate had granted Chu Jinmiao the chance to deal a fatal blow. Chu Jinyao’s life hung in the balance, yet as she gazed across at the woman in the crowd, she felt an unprecedented calm. After so many years of tormenting each other, it was time for a final reckoning.

 

True and false daughters, true and false lives, true and false identities—since only one could be real, only one of them would live peacefully. This was a life-and-death battle, for neither would spare the other once one emerged victorious.

 

“Crown Princess, please rest at the rear for now. I will rid us of these rebels,” General Hu said.

 

“Rebels?” Chu Jinyao sneered. “You’ve already come this far, so why bother with such pretenses? If you want to rebel, just say so. I might even respect you a bit more. But to be so sneaky, bullying the defenseless, ignoring external threats, and instead using your strength to harm innocent civilians—your actions are no more than those of an opportunistic scoundrel.”

 

General Hu hadn’t expected a mere woman to speak such sharp and bold words. He had assumed that noble ladies like her were nothing more than delicate songbirds, fainting at the slightest trouble and aligning themselves with whoever held the most power. He had been surprised when Chu Jinxian had pretended to be the Crown Princess and led away his soldiers. Now, hearing Chu Jinyao’s words, he was even more taken aback.

 

General Hu’s curiosity deepened. Once he achieved his goals, he would have plenty of time to explore the minds of these pampered noblewomen. But for now, he couldn’t afford to waste any more time.

 

“The Crown Princess speaks well, but while you may have time to stand in the cold, I do not. Men, bring the Crown Princess over.”

 

As several soldiers stepped forward, more than a few hidden guards suddenly leapt out from both sides of the road. They moved like killing machines, quickly cutting down the enemy. However, no matter how well-trained they were, they were still outnumbered. The guards retreated while fighting, and Chu Jinyao quietly tightened her grip on the cold dagger hidden in her sleeve.

 

She couldn’t help but look up at the sky. The wind was strong tonight, the sky completely clear, and the stars twinkled as if polished by the wind. The night was as black as ink, the stars as bright as lanterns. Chu Jinyao silently offered a prayer.

 

Qin Yi, I’m sorry. I probably won’t be able to walk the rest of the path with you.

I hope you will one day rule the world, restore the court, and command the submission of all nations.

 

Though the hidden guards surrounded Chu Jinyao tightly, their defensive circle was shrinking bit by bit. Slowly and steadily, Chu Jinyao drew her dagger. Her eyes were calm, as if she were simply arranging incense in a grand palace or flipping through a lady’s painting, peaceful and composed as always. It almost made one doubt whether she understood what she was about to do.

 

“Crown Princess!”

 

Shouts of alarm erupted from the crowd, but Chu Jinyao paid no attention to the varying tones of these cries. She had already brought the dagger to her throat. Her neck was long and slender, and with a single slash, she could swiftly end this beautiful life.

 

With the emperor captured, Qin Yi was the rightful heir to the throne. It was his destiny to be king, his rightful glory. Chu Jinyao wouldn’t allow anyone to harm him or hinder him, even if that person was herself.

 

The news of the Crown Princess sacrificing herself for the country, while carrying an unborn child, would undoubtedly stir the hearts of the people and the army. Qin Yi could rally his troops and crush the rebels, gaining the support of the people. But if she were captured, Qin Yi would be restrained, and the public would criticize the Eastern Palace. Chu Jinyao couldn’t let that happen.

 

The hidden guards, of course, knew what Chu Jinyao intended, but none of them tried to stop her. Did that mean they were disloyal? Of course not. They were risking their lives to fend off the enemy and protect Chu Jinyao.

 

Loyalty and filial piety were both regarded as the highest virtues, but loyalty was far more complex. Chu Jinyao didn’t have time to ponder such philosophical dilemmas. Just as she steeled herself to act, a sudden gust of wind blew through the air, followed by the sound of bodies falling to the ground. There was also the faint snorting of a warhorse.

 

General Hu turned in shock. “Impossible! Why didn’t I hear the horses?”

 

In truth, had General Hu thought it over, he would have realized that while it was difficult for someone of his rank to pull off such a feat, for those in the capital city that had witnessed countless bloody coups, silencing horses’ hooves was a simple task. The easiest method was to wrap the hooves in cloth. Meanwhile, General Hu’s men had lit torches in the night, practically making themselves moving targets.

 

Caught between two forces, the previously orderly crowd fell into chaos. The children who had been taken hostage were frightened and began to cry. Taking advantage of the confusion, Chu Jinxian shoved the soldier guarding her and, disregarding her dignity as a noblewoman, ran towards the side of the road. General Hu, preoccupied with the battle, had no time to care about the palace and noble women. Three arrows flew past him, swift and sharp, their fletching scraping the skin of those nearby. He could faintly hear angry shouts from the other side, and in the next moment, General Hu saw the owner of those arrows.

 

At that moment, General Hu still had the presence of mind to think, I’ve heard that the Empress sisters are renowned beauties, and it seems the rumors are true.

 

But before he could finish his brazen and inappropriate thoughts, a sharp pain shot through his shoulder. Biting down on the pain, he shouted, “Retreat!” and fled into the darkness.

 

The imperial guards hastily gathered behind Qin Yi were on the verge of panic. The Emperor had already been captured alive. If anything happened to the Crown Prince now, they might as well kill themselves on the spot and spare themselves the trouble of returning. They had pleaded repeatedly with the Crown Prince not to leave the capital, but it had been to no avail. Now that they had come face to face with the rebels, the Crown Prince was charging ahead faster than anyone else, almost breaking free from the protective circle and leading the charge.

 

They were absolutely terrified.

 

In truth, Qin Yi felt the same way.

 

After driving away General Hu with his arrows, Qin Yi immediately turned his horse and rode towards a different direction. The turn of events happened so quickly that Chu Jinyao barely had time to react. She heard the sound of screams from the enemy camp, and before she could fully process what was happening, she saw someone burst through the crowd and the twilight haze, clad in battle armor, riding a swift horse that seemed to shatter the moonlight beneath its hooves.

 

Chu Jinyao blinked hard, finally certain that what she was seeing wasn’t a hallucination before death. Forgetting the danger outside, she pushed past the hidden guards and ran forward. “Your Highness!”

 

Qin Yi dismounted swiftly and rushed forward in three quick strides to catch Chu Jinyao, pulling her into his arms with all his strength. “What were you thinking, doing something so foolish?!”

 

Chu Jinyao didn’t understand his words at first. Instinctively, she tried to wrap her arms around him, only to realize that she was still holding the dagger.

 

Qin Yi quickly snatched the dagger from her hand and kicked it far away. His eyes, sharp and dangerous as a blade, swept over the hidden guards. “Who gave her this dagger?”