Xie Ming

As if separated by time, a touch of spring lingers late in the cave.

However, the world is inherently cold, and dreams can shatter in an instant.

On one side, the inner sanctuary was filled with uncontrollable emotions, separated by a curtain of rain. Outside, the wind howled and the rain poured down, and as they hurried on, the sound of horses' hooves could be heard.

It sped past like a gust of wind.

The brief moment of tenderness inside the cave was shattered.

Upon hearing the sound, Yuzhen was terrified and couldn't immediately tell who was friend or foe. She quickly pulled back, dispelling the spring fever in her mind, and was utterly shocked.

How could Heaven possibly have any pity on them?

The frail woman was filled with sorrow; if foreign enemies were to approach again, how could she possibly resist?
Tears streamed down her face as Yuzhen, in her panic, tightly embraced the unconscious Xiao Lang.

Although she was physically weak, she was determined not to sit idly by and wait for death.

Trying his best to shake off distracting thoughts, he looked around and casually grabbed Xiao Lang's sword, awkwardly drawing it from its sheath.

Such a desolate scene suggests that there is now no one left to help.

If fate is unavoidable and enemy slaves come to claim my life, then I will have to accept my fate. If I can go with Xiao Lang on this journey, then there will be no reason to regret it.

And so, once this longing began, Yuzhen's demeanor became increasingly resolute.

He held his sword horizontally against Xiao's shoulder, ready to die alongside Xiao Jingchuan at any moment.

only.
Such was the joy of it all; even the distant sound of horses' hooves seemed to vanish into the distance, yet they did not return for a long time.

It's unclear how much time has passed, but the torrential rain outside the cave continues unabated, and the sky seems to be getting darker.

The initial enthusiasm was quickly ignited, but as time dragged on, the temperature gradually dropped.

The cave was dark, and Yuzhen was already exhausted from a day of fright and running around.

Right now, the stalemate at the cave entrance has been going on for so long that my eyelids feel like they're about to close.

Knowing how dangerous this place was, and with Xiao in this state, she refused to loosen her grip just in case.

As a result, he bit his tongue several times, and his lips were stained with traces of blood.

It is to borrow pain and to relieve weariness.

She held fast to General Xiao, as if she had her own tough battle to fight.

Time unfolds slowly, like peeling back layers.

The heavy rain in Tianmu Mountain eventually gave in and stopped, with no further developments.

After the rain stopped and the wind died down, the sky suddenly cleared.
About half an hour passed.

Just as dusk was falling, a ray of warm sunlight shone into the cave.

Yuzhen was in a daze and was nearing her limit.

Suddenly, dark figures began to move within the blurry halo.

Startled, Yu-zhen was forced to shudder again.

Upon closer inspection, they could hear a commotion of voices outside the cave!
"Hey, here! Here!"

"There's a hole here, and the tire tracks are still there. Could it be inside?"

During this time, a man with a gruff voice kept calling out to them.

A moment later, another horse neighed, as if a leader was approaching.

"Ah, as expected."

"I come!"

Another young, strong voice.

Yuzhen was on tenterhooks inside the cave. Hearing that everything was in Mandarin, she figured it was highly likely that Xiao Lang's troops had come to investigate from behind.

There was indeed a moment of surprise, but then again, how could she possibly be seen with another man when she was embracing Xiao Jingchuan like this?

In a panic, at a loss for what to do, he blurted out a refusal and shouted outside.

"Who?"

"Who is it?"

Who is outside the cave?

Unexpectedly, the moment the woman's voice rang out, an even greater commotion erupted outside the cave.

To prevent anyone from barging in recklessly and suddenly showing signs of affection, Yu-zhen hurriedly followed up with her words.

"Who exactly is it?"

"I am Consort Hui from the palace, please do not enter!"

"You guys wait outside, just a moment." The words sounded awkward.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, a reply came hurriedly from outside. "Ah, hehe, so it really is the ladies inside."

"Your Majesty, please do not be alarmed. This humble servant is Mei Cheng'an, a junior officer of the Imperial Guard and former garrison commander of Xihua Gate in Nanjing."

"By special order of the imperial court, I have traveled north from Hangzhou to search for the Empress's whereabouts."

"Uh, this, this..."

"May I ask, is Consort An also inside?"

Mei Cheng'an?
Yuzhen racked her brains, but had no recollection of recognizing this general.

I thought it would be Xiao's men who came, but it turned out that the Imperial Guards arrived first.

Moreover, this person speaks strangely. When he came up and asked Consort An what his intentions were, he asked her.
Lost in thought, Yuzhen didn't have the time to delve into anything further.

Upon hearing the messenger's report, she realized that she and Xiao Lang were in such an ambiguous situation inside the cave. What would she do if an outsider saw them?

Then a flurry of activity ensued.

"Ah, yes, you, wait a moment."

While making excuses, she hurriedly helped Xiao Jingchuan put on his clothes.

In the heat of the moment, Xiao might not have been able to control himself, and during the journey, he fell into a deep sleep for half an hour before suddenly waking up on his own.

Upon seeing this, Yuzhen felt as if she had been granted a pardon and could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Uh--"

"Yuzhen, what year is it now?"

Unexpectedly, Xiao Lang was completely unaware of the situation outside the cave. As soon as he opened his eyes, he was still teasing and joking with her. In his words, he snuggled against Yu Zhen's snow-white chest.

Upon seeing Xiao's sudden flirtation, Yuzhen was overwhelmed with mixed feelings and truly wanted to cry but had no tears.

She was overjoyed, surprised, and horrified.

So she quickly caught him off guard, pressing her slender fingers to his lips to cover up what he was about to say.

In a very short interval, he leaned close to her ear and hurriedly told her what was going on.

"Oh my god, get up and don't make a sound."

"Put your clothes on properly. The Imperial Guards are coming to find you outside the cave."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingchuan's expression changed abruptly, and his previous sweet and affectionate mood vanished instantly.

He also panicked, and with a quick movement, pulled himself out of her affectionate embrace.

Without saying a word, after a moment of stunned silence, he hurriedly and subconsciously put on his clothes.

Meanwhile, a commotion broke out inside, leaving Mei Cheng'an, who was waiting outside, completely bewildered.

He frowned in suspicion, his anxiety growing stronger.

But with Consort Hui's words preceding him, he couldn't disobey.

To avoid the situation from becoming too chaotic and disrupting etiquette when entering the cave later, the waiter gave further instructions.

He gestured, ordering the soldiers who had followed him to retreat twenty paces and stand guard in front of the cave, forbidding them from entering later.

Although he was eager, he had at least served in the palace for a long time and knew his place.

It will be over in a short while.

Just as the imperial guards outside the cave were beginning to lose patience, Yuzhen inside, after a long delay, finally gave the order to lift the ban and allow people to enter.

Mei Cheng'an had his own selfish reasons. After ordering the soldiers who had come with him to stop, he still took care of himself and went in alone first.

However, even though he followed the rules carefully and had prepared himself in advance, he was still quite startled when he stepped in and saw Xiao Jingchuan.

Right now, this Duke of Jingguo is disheveled, his armor is off, and his inner garment is in disarray.

Consort Hui, who was standing nearby, also had rather disheveled hair.

The atmosphere between the two was awkward and strained; it was hard not to feel that others were harboring their own thoughts and feelings.

"Uh, this"

"Your Excellency, Duke, you..."

Feeling awkward, Mei Cheng'an stiffly clasped his hands in a fist salute and offered a greeting.

Following the man's words, Yuzhen turned her gaze back to Xiao.

Seeing that his shirt buttons were still undone and his clothes were disheveled, she blushed with shame and embarrassment, hesitated to speak, and became flustered.

Unfortunately, since outsiders have already been let in, it's too late to make amends.

With a sigh, there was nothing she could do but roll her eyes and give up entirely. (End of Chapter)