This year the winter has been without snow.
"Ling Ye!"
The person who once hid in the shadows had now vanished.
She was imprisoned in a dark chamber by Yue Bei Yang, cut off from daylight.
All because Princess Yue Nan Sang of An Zhou had fallen in love with a man from the outside world, and with her help, had eloped with him.
Yue Bei Yang searched for Yue Nan Sang like a madman, but found no trace.
Thus, his "assistant" became the prime culprit for his loss of the one he cherished most.
"Speak! Where is Sang Sang? Hand her over!"
Looking at the man, who was like a madman, Xing Ru seemed to see a shadow of another person.
So he wasn't always so indifferent; he too could go mad, and possess emotions.
However, it was only when facing Yue Nan Sang that he was like this.
It was her deliberate neglect in the past that had led to this entire tragedy.
Xing Ru remained silent about Sang Sang's whereabouts, and Yue Bei Yang confined her to the dark chamber.
So, this Second Prince had a secret room.
Because the dark chamber was always without daylight, Xing Ru had no idea how long she had been inside.
Until—
"Wang Fei!"
It was Wu Han's voice.
Wu Han was a guard by Yue Bei Yang's side, always with him, considered his confidant.
These days, it was he who would occasionally check on her, while Yue Bei Yang, ever since sending her into this dark chamber, had never entered again.
He must have been busy searching for Sang Sang.
Recalling that day, the way Sang Sang's eyes lit up when she spoke of that man from the outside world, her longing could not have been greater.
Xing Ru, for reasons unknown, knowing the deep love Yue Bei Yang harbored for her, still listened to Yue Nan Sang and helped them.
She lost her freedom and would not have happiness, yet she wished Sang Sang could attain happiness and freedom.
Wu Han appeared, but Xing Ru paid him no mind.
She lay quietly, bound to the bed, not speaking, not moving, just lying there.
Her eyes held a stagnant pool of water.
Calm and undisturbed.
"Wang Fei, escape quickly!"
Wu Han, disregarding everything else, hurried to untie her.
Startled by his sudden action, Xing Ru asked, "Has Sang Sang been found?"
Otherwise, she didn't think Yue Bei Yang would let her off so easily.
"The little princess has returned, but..."
An Zhou was also destroyed...
The man the little princess had rescued was a man from the Central Plains, from the Sheng Qi Kingdom.
Su Mu was a general of the Sheng Qi Kingdom. The Man Luo Kingdom and Sheng Qi Kingdom were at war, but Man Luo Kingdom, with its native sorcery, had caused Sheng Qi Kingdom to retreat steadily.
In the outside world, legends of An Zhou were circulating.
Hoping for luck, Su Mu took a small group of men and ventured into the depths of the desert.
They happened to fall into the lake that held the barrier, and were coincidentally rescued by Yue Nan Sang.
Yue Nan Sang brought him back to An Zhou.
After only a few days together, the two fell in love.
According to Yue Nan Sang, their love was eternal.
But this was a great taboo in An Zhou.
Therefore, to be with that man, Yue Nan Sang, with Xing Ru's help, escaped from An Zhou.
The barrier could be opened by the Imperial Preceptor, or by using An Zhou's sacred artifact—the Little Spirit Snake.
The spirit snake clan had always lived in the land of An Zhou.
But Yue Nan Sang had raised a little spirit snake since childhood.
Thus, she could come and go freely.
Unable to refuse her, and wishing to fulfill her wish, Xing Ru agreed.
She racked her brains and drugged Yue Bei Yang in his food or tea, making him fall into a deep sleep.
…
Seeing the anxious look on Wu Han's face, Xing Ru felt an inexplicable panic.
"What exactly happened?"
The ropes were completely untied, and she finally regained her freedom.
But the next second, Wu Han knelt on the ground.
"Wang Fei, the Central Plains people have broken in! It was the little princess's little spirit snake that brought them here..."
Yue Nan Sang had joyfully awaited the ten-thousand-mile dowry promised by Su Mu, only to be met by the iron cavalry of Sheng Qi Kingdom.
Where the iron cavalry passed, there were corpses strewn everywhere.
They advanced directly towards the An Zhou royal family.
"So, Wang Fei, escape quickly..."
Escape as far as possible...
This woman had truly suffered too much.
Wu Han had always felt pity for Xing Ru. Even though he was a military general, he had long noticed the woman's feelings for his master, but alas...
Dispelling the chaotic thoughts in his mind, Wu Han escorted Xing Ru out of the dark chamber.
"Where is your master?"
In her urgency, she asked about Yue Bei Yang's whereabouts.
"Master should be in the Lan Hall..."
Wu Han could not bear to tell her the truth, but seeing the determination in her eyes, he spoke the truth.
His master seemed to have forgotten the Wang Fei in the dark chamber.
When trouble arose, the first place to go was the Lan Hall.
But clearly, this woman was his lawfully wedded wife!
"Wu Han, can you take me to find my father?"
Now, only by finding her father and persuading him to put aside his prejudices temporarily and join forces with Yue Bei Yang could An Zhou be saved.
She figured her father would most hope to profit from the situation.
But the Sheng Qi Kingdom was advancing aggressively.
She was determined to save An Zhou!
Along the way, dead bodies were everywhere.
Even the heavily guarded Yue Royal Palace was like this, so what about outside the palace?
What about those unarmed commoners? What would happen to them?
Xing Ru had never studied political theory since childhood, nor had she ever harbored any political aspirations. Her thoughts were for An Zhou, this land where she had grown up.
"Good!"
Wu Han seemed to understand the emotions in her eyes and solemnly agreed.
However, her father did not agree; instead, he imprisoned her.
It was only when Wu Han bravely rescued her that she was saved from being imprisoned again.
Her father was indeed planning to seize the opportunity.
Before the Sheng Qi Kingdom's iron cavalry could breach the palace walls, Queen Yue and Xing Zhan had already joined forces to kill the King of Yue and occupied the Yue Royal Palace.
What they had just seen was the chaos Xing Zhan had taken advantage of.
It was to seize power during this turmoil, and then, amidst the chaos, kill Yue Bei Yang.
Yue Bei Yang and Yue Nan Sang were now like fish on a chopping block.
On the city wall.
The figure in red made Xing Ru stop in her tracks.
Below the city wall, on one side were the iron cavalry of Sheng Qi Kingdom, and on the other, Xing Zhan's troops.
Xing Ru stood inside, looking at the red figure on the city wall.
Something seemed to prick her eyes, and her eyes instantly turned red.
A dark figure stood behind her.
Just by his back, Xing Ru recognized him as Yue Bei Yang.
The tall man's body was trembling; though far away, Xing Ru could almost hear his heart-wrenching cry.
"Sang Sang! No!"
The wind carried his voice to Xing Ru.
And at this moment, her father was poised to raise the arrow in his hand.
The person on the city wall seemed unaware.
Could he, so astute, not have noticed?
It was probably because the person before him was more important than his own life.
Xing Ru thought so, and a smile bloomed on her lips.
"Wang Fei?" Under Wu Han's bewildered gaze, Xing Ru, hidden in the crowd, suddenly walked resolutely towards Xing Zhan.
*Swoosh!*
The arrow left the bow.
But in the next second, it was blocked by a young girl.
Blood stained her white robe, blooming like a flower on her chest.
It was snowing...
The figure on the city wall leaped down.
Blood stained the white snow.
An Zhou had become a sea of blood.
"I'm sorry, I'm late..."
Ling Ye searched for three days and three nights, and finally found that figure amidst the scattered corpses.