Ruyang’s defenses were weak and couldn’t withstand the harassment. The Northern army took one day to breach the city, and another half day to continue their southward advance to support their main forces engaged in a standoff with General Wei’s army in Nanyang.
The pretense of friendship between North and South shattered, ignoring the ongoing diplomatic talks between their scholars in Jianye.
Along the border, war spread like wildfire.
On the roads leading from Ruyang to other commanderies like Yingchuan and Nanyang, refugees fled southward.
At night, the snowfall intensified. Dozens of li from Ruyang in a desolate forest, Fan’s group of southern refugees finally found a City God temple to rest in after enduring hunger and thirst.
This time Fan Qingchen didn’t need to be polite – those in carriages jumped down, those on horseback rolled off. Everyone, minds clouded and eyes seeing spots from the bitter cold of the wilderness, rushed like locusts into the dark temple.
Luo Lingyu had also suffered greatly from the journey’s bumps and jolts. When dismounting, her legs trembled so much she could barely stand. Though exhausted, as she entered the temple with Fan Qingchen, she still refused to even glance at the commoners who had claimed the most comfortable spots and were starting fires.
While Fan Qingchen’s two servants went to socialize with those people, Fan Qingchen found a corner for him and the lady to sit. His eyes showed worry. In his opinion, they shouldn’t have stopped but pressed on southward in one go. But the horses and oxen were exhausted. If it was just him and Luo Lingyu, they could kill the worn-out animals and get new ones… but with so many people together, Fan Qingchen couldn’t afford to offend everyone.
Fan Qingchen turned his head and looked at Luo Lingyu doubtfully, his gaze inevitably sweeping over her abdomen. The lady sat properly behind him, showing some fatigue on her face, but her eyes were extremely bright. She looked frail enough to be blown over by the wind, but Fan Qingchen, who knew Luo Lingyu well, could see his sister’s excitement—
She wasn’t tired at all.
…And the child in her womb was unharmed?
After such a long journey, where did Luo Lingyu get such good spirits from?
Before Fan Qingchen could probe further, a figure suddenly approached. He immediately tensed up, gripping the sword at his waist that was originally just for decoration, and turned his head coldly to see a pretty commoner woman walking over with a bowl of hot soup.
The woman was startled by Fan Qingchen’s cold gaze, took a moment to collect herself, then crouched down with a shy expression.
The woman said softly, “Would the young master like some? I can serve you…”
Fan Qingchen immediately saw through this woman’s intentions and sneered, “No need.”
The woman felt awkward under his gaze but bit her lip and looked up stubbornly. In her view, fleeing south like this, someone of her humble origins could only be saved by attaching herself to a noble young master. She thought herself beautiful and wanted to serve with her looks, wondering if this young master just didn’t understand… As she looked up wanting to make things clearer, she suddenly froze, because over this Lu master’s shoulder, she saw the noble lady sitting behind him.
Since they fled south from Ruyang, Fan Qingchen had given them most of the carriages and horses. Not only did they have shelter from the wind, but there was also dried food and wheat cakes in the carriages to save people from danger. As for Fan Fourth Young Master himself, from start to finish, he personally escorted that noble lady. The lady rode with Fan Fourth Young Master, covered the whole way by his cloak – those behind barely got a clear look at her.
The few who had caught glimpses said the noble lady was plain-looking, probably only protected by that young master because of her high status.
People spoke of this with jealousy and resentment.
But now as everyone crowded into the dilapidated City God temple, with bitter snow and wind outside and flickering firelight inside, the dust that had covered the noble lady’s face all this time fell away, revealing her beautiful features in the darkness.
Her skin was like porcelain, her lowered eyes and features exquisite.
Luo Lingyu sat quietly in the back. Though she tried her best to hide her figure, her body still emitted a faint glow. That gentle light, like the soft snow of the Jiangnan region, made her different from everyone else in the temple.
So this noble lady’s true face was so beautiful… no wonder the young master was unmoved by her advances.
Sensing this woman’s gaze, Luo Lingyu suddenly looked up. Her cold, pitch-black eyes made the commoner woman feel awkward again.
The woman awkwardly offered the bowl: “Would the lady like some?”
Luo Lingyu was not friendly to any strangers she met on the road. Wariness was her normal state: “No.”
The commoner woman sensed these two nobles’ unfriendliness toward her, and felt many grievances and embarrassments in her heart. She smiled slightly, and when Fan Qingchen’s two servants returned, she stood up somewhat uncomfortably, holding the bowl of hot soup she had originally wanted to give away, and returned to the other commoners.
Meanwhile Luo Lingyu lowered her face carelessly, her hand randomly touching the ground, then smearing more dust on her face.
She could feel Fan Qingchen watching her, but she ignored him.
Fan Qingchen wasn’t offended though. She wanted to escape his marriage, but he saw many shadows of past years in her.
As memories flashed through his mind, Fan Qingchen laughed softly: “Sister, you just now reminded me of when I first saw you. You were still a child then, dressed like a little beggar, thin and weak, looking like you’d fall over in the wind. You came to Nanyang seeking refuge with the Luo family. I just glanced at you on the street, and you warily pushed Huan’er behind you.”
Fan Qingchen smiled: “Who wanted to look at your sister – you didn’t know how attractive you looked, all covered in thorns.”
She was much more destitute then than now, the girl’s face so thin it was almost just skin and bones. But her eyes were bright, both wary and fierce. That vigorous life force made him remember that little beggar from his very first glance. How could he have imagined then that such a child would grow up to be the current beauty that was Miss Luo.
Luo Lingyu mocked: “So you like little girls. I was an innocent little girl, satisfying your abnormal desires, right?”
Fan Qingchen looked at her coolly.
He knew she was trying to provoke him, but he had been angered by Luo Lingyu so many times that he had developed some immunity. Her casual provocations were no longer enough to make him angry.
Fan Qingchen showed a slightly dazed expression and said: “…You still haven’t changed at all. No matter how well you pretend normally, at times like this, you still see everyone as bad people. You don’t trust anyone who gets close to you.”
Fan Qingchen: “Sometimes I wonder, when you fled from Ruyang to Nanyang back then, how much hardship did you have to endure to develop such a personality.”
Luo Lingyu’s eyes suddenly contracted, her expression changing slightly. She couldn’t help but look at him. He sat slightly in front of her, his profile gentle, his temperament like an orchid, with hints of romance and madness hidden in his lowered eyes. He was exactly the type of young master she would like, and she had received his protection before, yet they had come to this point.
Fan Qingchen wondered puzzledly: “…How strange, why have I been thinking about past events these past two days? Must be because you trying to escape the marriage drove me mad.”
He casually said things that made her anxious.
Luo Lingyu’s body tensed up, her fingers curling to grip her skirt, loosening then tightening again. After a while, Luo Lingyu pleaded softly: “Young Master Fan, can’t you let me go? There are so many beauties in the world, why won’t you let me go? How have I offended you, can’t I make amends in other ways?”
Fan Qingchen smiled slightly.
He turned his head to look at her, his strangely bright eyes staring at her, his body leaning slightly forward, forcing her to lean back against the wall behind her.
Fan Qingchen sighed: “Here we go again… you’re doing it again… Sister Luo, of course I can’t let you go. I’ve watched you grow up since you were ten, how can you say your current self hasn’t been influenced by me at all? How could other ladies be as good as you? Other ladies faint with just a little scare from me, they’re no fun at all. But Sister Luo is different.”
He curved his lips: “Not afraid of being broken by me.”
Luo Lingyu glared at him angrily, her bright eyes brilliant. No matter how dirty her face was painted, how could it hide her natural beauty?
Fan Qingchen’s arm moved slightly, finally turning his shoulder to take her stiff body into his embrace. The two guards beside them immediately blushed and blocked off this area, while Fan Qingchen pressed his handsome face into the hollow of the lady’s shoulder, taking a light sniff of the fragrance in her hair. The faint floral scent gave him a sense of satisfaction at possessing her. Fan Qingchen said quietly: “Do you often let him hold you like this? You’ve been intimate with him, slept with him, your body carries his scent. When did he sleep with you…”
Luo Lingyu pushed him away in fear: “You’re crazy! Let me go…”
But Fan Qingchen grabbed her hands, not letting her struggle. His eyes were red with jealousy, as if he wanted to strangle her. But with the lady struggling fiercely in his arms, trembling all over, he could only smile helplessly: “Alright alright, don’t be afraid, I won’t say any more, won’t mention him… You can make trouble with me, argue with me. Hit me, scold me, whatever you want. You flirting with Lu Yun, wanting to escape the marriage… I won’t get angry about any of it, I won’t take revenge on those around you, won’t kill them. I was so scared before, thought you would never come back… it’s good that you’re back.”
Luo Lingyu opened her mouth to argue.
Fan Qingchen suddenly asked: “You’re not pregnant, are you, Sister Luo?”
Luo Lingyu: “…!”
Her face turned pale as she realized that throughout this long journey, though she lacked strength, her body hadn’t shown any discomfort. Fan Qingchen had indeed noticed.
Fan Qingchen chuckled softly, looking down at her threateningly: “Sister still likes to deceive people. Let me hold you for a while, hmm?”
So Luo Lingyu stayed stiff in his arms, allowing him to hold her, not daring to move. He had already seen through that she wasn’t pregnant – if she resisted too strongly and angered him directly… Luo Lingyu closed her eyes, reciting a calming spell in her mind, trying to ignore this young master who frightened her.
But this didn’t last long. After just quietly holding her for a while, people in the temple suddenly felt tremors coming from the ground. Everyone’s expressions changed drastically. Some quick-thinking people immediately jumped up from around the bonfire, desperately running toward the door as if to escape. But the next moment, horses whinnied outside, and the door was kicked open with a “bang”.
“Ahhh—” Amidst screams, the young men who had just run out the temple door were kicked back in from outside. Before everyone’s horrified eyes, their bodies traced long arcs through the air, blood spraying from their mouths!
Bang bang bang, several people fell to the ground, and those resting in the temple suddenly stood up. Fan Qingchen also stood, shielding Luo Lingyu behind him, his body tense. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the temple door swayed, and like black clouds pressing down, dozens of Northern soldiers in armor burst in from outside. Snow and wind rushed in behind them, scattering on the ground like white moonlight, vast and cold.
Everyone panicked: “The enemy army is here!”
It was the advance guard that had arrived.
They blocked the door, staring at the refugees in the temple with gloomy eyes. Their faces were stern as both sides faced off. On Fan Qingchen’s side, seeing them standing imposingly with hands on their weapons, a bloody smell assaulting their noses, the atmosphere was tense. Just as everyone despaired, thinking the Northern soldiers would start a massacre, they saw the other side just casually sweep them with a glance, as if not very interested in killing.
The leader of this group of soldiers grinned and said grimly: “We’ve killed enough today, so we won’t kill you. How about everyone pays a life-preservation fee?”
Everyone was stunned, then immediately: “Of course, of course.”
The Northern soldier continued with satisfaction: “Oh, and suddenly it’s snowing, we can’t see the marked road clearly anymore. Does anyone among you know how to get to Nanyang?”
Luo Lingyu and Fan Qingchen’s group stood quietly in the corner without making a sound. Fan Qingchen’s arm suddenly tensed, his expression changing slightly. Nanyang was Lu family territory, and the Northern army wanted to go to Nanyang. The two servants tightly held their young master’s arm, not letting him step forward to die. While Fan Qingchen was still shocked and angry, there were already eager people going up, saying they were willing to lead the way, begging for mercy from the young master.
The Northern soldiers’ contemptuous, unrestrained, arrogant laughter echoed through the rafters as they patted the heads of those who came to their side like dogs: “As long as you lead the way well, we won’t kill you.”
But the Northern soldiers’ desires were clearly not so easily satisfied.
They sent men to search for money and valuables to put in their own purses, acting like ruffians who didn’t care, but with just one look, no one dared to hide. The temple became somewhat chaotic, with some ladies’ crying sounds coming through. When two soldiers searched near Fan Qingchen, he also calmly handed over two silver pieces to exchange for the lives of his four people.
But the two soldiers didn’t leave, their malicious gazes falling on the lady behind Fan Qingchen. That lady kept her head down, her face blocked by the young master in front of her – this only made people more curious. The soldiers took two steps forward, their probing gazes fixed on that lady, but their bodies were once again blocked by Fan Qingchen.
Fan Qingchen tensed his face and handed over two more silver pieces.
The soldier bit down on the silver pieces – in the silver light, he left tooth marks on them. It was pure silver! The two soldiers were delighted, giving meaningful looks at these few people’s clothes that were clearly much more luxurious than ordinary people’s. But having gotten the silver pieces, they didn’t ask or look anymore, turning on their heels to walk to the side, letting Luo Lingyu go.
This side breathed a slight sigh of relief, but the next moment, a woman’s piercing voice rang out in the temple: “Ah—”
Luo Lingyu was stunned. Her feminine instinct made her immediately look up toward the direction of the scream. She saw the leader of the soldiers dragging a woman, pressing her under him. The woman cried miserably, struggling and shouting, her face receiving several slaps with loud “pah” sounds. The leader undid his belt, mercilessly spreading the woman’s legs…
That woman turned out to be one they had met before – it was the commoner woman who had come to curry favor with Fan Qingchen and Luo Lingyu earlier.
In these dangerous times, with the woman being abused like this, not a single person in the temple moved.
Luo Lingyu felt a suffocating sensation in her chest, unable to breathe. Her fingers trembled in her sleeve as she heard the woman’s cries, trying hard to look away, wanting to pretend she didn’t know. Who would have thought that the woman being pressed down by the man would cry out shrilly: “Don’t touch me, don’t touch me! I’m not the most beautiful… yes, yes! We have someone who’s the most beautiful, it’s her! She’s especially pretty! Go touch her instead!”
Like lightning, the leader suddenly turned his head, following the finger of the woman beneath him to look at Luo Lingyu standing behind Fan Qingchen.
Luo Lingyu: “…!”
That woman pressed under the man covered her face and wept, her trembling finger still resolutely pointing at her. The woman couldn’t bear to look at her, but had thrown the flame her way. While that leader looked over and indeed saw a young master shielding a woman. Though he couldn’t see her face, the leader stood up and walked over.
In the flickering firelight, the noble lady’s features behind the young master were alternately visible and hidden…
He carelessly pushed aside Fan Qingchen, who was just an ordinary scholar to him, to look at the lady against the wall. He saw that though the lady’s face was smeared with ash, her neck’s skin was like jade and porcelain, the gold and jade pendant below her ear swaying like rippling water. Those layers of light and shadow stirred bestial desires… The leader’s eyes fixed as he reached out his hand, but a cold light flashed beside him as a sword thrust forward!
Fan Qingchen shouted fiercely: “Kill!”
With one hand he grabbed Luo Lingyu, pulling the frightened lady behind him, while his other hand swung the sword in his grip toward the leader’s arm. At his command, the two servants protecting him also leaped up, coordinating with their young master to draw their swords and attack. The leader faced three fierce attacks coming at him, making him stagger backward.
The Northern soldiers in the temple all drew their weapons at once: “How dare you resist! Brothers, kill them!”
The ordinary refugees in the temple were terrified, rolling and falling to the ground: “We have nothing to do with this, we have nothing to do with this, don’t kill us…”
But once swords are drawn, they must taste blood. The delicate balance in the temple was broken. The Northern soldiers showed no mercy, killing everyone around them. And that leader, after his initial surprise, picked up his weapon, gave a cold laugh, and attacked toward Fan Qingchen.
Fan Qingchen was greatly hindered by having to protect Luo Lingyu.
A blade struck his arm, leaving a wound.
The two servants: “Young Master!”
They both rushed forward together to catch their Fourth Young Master who had been kicked in the chest by that military officer. Seeing the wound on their young master’s arm staining his robe red, seeing their young master’s pale face, the two servants were shocked and angry: if their young master was injured under their protection, the Lu family wouldn’t spare them!
It was all because of that damned Lady Luo!
What kind of love potion had that Lady Luo given their young master? If not for her, they wouldn’t be fighting with these brutal men tonight!
Clang! Bang!
Weapons clashed, metal struck metal, while outside vast snow covered everything. In the City God temple, commoners cried in panic, scattering in all directions!
That military officer was very strong, and this whole advance unit of the Northern army was stronger than them. At first Fan Qingchen could still hold onto Luo Lingyu, but after his arm was wounded, he could barely parry attacks, unable to hold onto her. Luo Lingyu was pushed away, kept by Fan Qingchen in one direction where that officer couldn’t reach her.
The two servants fought desperately to protect him!
But the enemy was so fierce!
The battle was already one-sided. His injured arm became harder and harder to raise, corpses littered the ground, fewer and fewer people remained alive, steps became more and more difficult. Forced to retreat step by step before the leader, seeing stars, cold sweat running down his face,
Fan Qingchen gritted his teeth: “What are you two doing following me? Quick, go protect Sister Luo!”
They were no match for such numbers.
The longer this dragged on, the more danger to their young master’s life. Fourth Young Master Fan’s vision was already going dark in patches, his arm numb. Suddenly, he heard his two servants say softly “Forgive us,” and directly reached out to strike his pressure points.
Fan Qingchen’s body froze: “You—!”
He was lifted up, grabbed by the arms by the two servants, and thrown toward the snowy world outside the door. When the soldiers behind tried to chase, one of the two servants reached out and threw a corpse at them, blocking them for just a moment. They had struck their young master’s pressure points, and ignoring Fourth Young Master Fan’s angry shouts, leaped several zhang away, fleeing this place, calling out loudly—
“Lady Luo, fend for yourself!”
…
Everyone in the temple: “…”
The abandoned Luo Lingyu’s face was pale: “…”
But she reacted extremely quickly. While the Northern army’s leader was still stunned, she suddenly jumped up from the corner and ran toward the outside. Stepping over blood and corpses, Luo Lingyu raised her voice, shouting to those still alive in the temple: “There are horses outside! Everyone run, take care of yourselves!”
In this critical moment, the lady ran, her cloak spreading open, her long hair like clouds, brushing past her features.
Her face inadvertently passed before everyone’s eyes – black eyes and snow-white skin, a stunning beauty’s fleeting image that made the reaching leader freeze in his tracks, staring dumbfounded.
Those who reacted and gathered their courage heard her and suddenly understood, desperately rushing out of the temple.
The Northern army leader saw these people scatter like birds and beasts, blocking the way out, the beautiful lady he first saw now separated from him. He cursed loudly and strode out in pursuit. Outside the temple horses’ hooves thundered as people fled in all directions! The pursuing Northern soldiers looked up to see in the vast snowy expanse, among the many jolting figures on horseback scattering in all directions, one in red clothing struggling to lie low on a horse.
The leader’s eyes lit up: “Heh, interesting. The little beauty has some wildness in her.”
He raised his arm and shouted: “Chase!”
…
At the same time, iron horses moved through ice and snow, the mighty Southern army advanced north. The cold snowlight illuminated the faces of Lu Yun and Liu Mu at the front.
All along their northward advance, they saw corpses everywhere.
When they reached the temple, they found half dead or wounded.
While Prince Hengyang Liu Mu was still judging after hearing people describe the previous battle, he saw Lu Yun’s expression change slightly as he turned and left. Liu Mu was startled, then chased after him. He heard Lu Yun say softly—
“I don’t know who that young master was, but that lady…”
“That lady they spoke of must be Lingyu.”
How many ladies in the world could be as calm as her?
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