Dong Ming gripped my wrist tightly, almost dragging me down the city wall. No matter what I said, he didn't listen, and roughly pulled me onto the horse, whipping it to move forward fiercely.

  All the way, he still didn't say a word, only the sound of the wind whizzing past his ears.

  I didn't know where he was taking me until the horse stopped, and then I suddenly realized that in front of me was the Dongji Commercial Building.

  Most people in the merchant's house had gone to defend the city, and a maid named Zhen Yu hurriedly came forward as soon as we entered: "Master Ming, you're back, are you hurt anywhere?"

  Dong Ming ignored her and directly pushed me to her side, speaking in a rapid and urgent tone: "Zhēn Yù, help her treat her injuries, then keep a close eye on her, don't let her leave the Dongji Commercial Firm for a single step!"

  He finished speaking and turned around to leave, Zhen Yu hastily called out: "Master Ming, where are you going now?"

  "Returning to the city tower, I cannot leave my father alone!"

  Dong Ming said as he walked out of the door in big strides, I looked at his back, and after this farewell, I don't know if there will be another chance to meet again.

  She couldn't help but close her eyes slightly, and stood up lightly saying: "Dong Da Ge, I will always remember the great kindness you showed me just now."

  If it weren't for that slap from Fang Cai, Dong Di would have probably made his move already. Even if he didn't succeed in the end, I still accelerated the collapse of his resistance. The murderous intent and hatred in his eyes were too obvious, and he didn't even bother to conceal them.

  Dong Ming's figure stiffened slightly at my words, and he paused at the door, still not turning his head: "Coercing a weak and timid woman like you is something that men would find shameful, but circumstances have forced us to do so, and it's our fault for wronging you. For now, I can only temporarily spare your life, but I cannot let you go. Father was right, as far as the lives of hundreds and thousands of people in the Dong family are concerned, you will always be a talisman for our survival."

  He paused for a moment, then spoke again: "Third Princess, all that's owed to you by the Dong family will have to be repaid in the next life!"

  As soon as he finished speaking, he didn't stay for another moment, and hastily walked out. He arranged two guards to stand at the door, then his resolute back disappeared from my sight without looking back even once.

  Zhen Yu's expression turned cold again, and he stared at the wound on my neck for a long time before reluctantly taking out his medicine box to help me apply ointment.

  "Thank you, miss, I'll do it myself."

  I slowly got up, now in a warm room, the numb pain from the cold earlier started to come back, my palms were embedded with dense pieces of heater fragments, blood still hadn't stopped, I had to clean it first.

  Zhen Yu was just about to say something when he heard a sudden rush of footsteps and shouting outside the door: "Zhen Yu, Zhen Yu, are you in there? And Song Ge and Tian Ge, what are you still doing here? The city is about to be breached, come with me quickly!"

  That jade was startled and didn't even have time to put down the medicine box in her hand, hastily welcoming her forward: "Sister, what did you say?"

  The guard outside also asked urgently: "Zhenzhu, where did you hear the news?"

  "Now what's the time? Still asking this and that! Hurry up and follow me, or else you won't be able to leave later!"

  "I won't leave, I want to wait for Master Ming!" Zhen Yu turned her head and bit the handkerchief before speaking.

  Zhenzhu took a step forward, reached over her shoulder and said: "What's wrong with you, girl? Nobody has ever taken you seriously! Besides, even if Master Dong is dead, Master Ming may have escaped, but he won't come back here!"

  "What?!" The other three were also greatly shocked.

  The expression on Zhenzhu's face became more and more urgent, her speech also faster and faster: "I'm also listening to what others said, don't waste any more time, pack up your things and follow me, I've already arranged everything, the carriage outside is just enough for us four to sit!"

  Zhen Yu was also flustered and looked at me in the room with a distracted expression: "What about her? Master Ming had instructed us to take good care of her..."

  Zhen Zhu glanced at me for a moment, and then her expression changed: "Find some rope to tie her up and lock her in the secret room. If Master Ming comes back, he'll know where she is!"

  Those two guards looked hesitant: "This... isn't quite right..."

  "Otherwise, what can we do? Zhen Yu and I will leave anyway. Whoever wants to stay here and guard her can just go ahead!"

  The two guards looked at each other for a few seconds and finally silently fetched the rope, after all their own lives were more important.

  I watched this scene unfold before my eyes, knowing that saying more would be useless. I simply looked at them calmly and said, "May I ask if you gentlemen would allow me to treat my wound first?"

  "The three queens are extremely intelligent, but I'm afraid treating the wound is fake and delaying time is real. We're giving you a chance to live, yet you want to take our lives?"

  I looked at the cold ridicule and hatred on her face, and didn't say anything more. If it weren't for her sister listening to Dong Ming's words, she might have even killed me with a single knife stroke.

  I let them lead me in a circuitous route for a long time, and finally touched the mechanism in a very hidden place and pushed open a rock door.

  The secret room was hidden extremely deep, and as soon as the door was pushed open, a chill hit.

  I quietly allowed them to tightly bind my hands and feet with ropes. Since struggling was useless, I couldn't let people see my embarrassment and mockery, and I could also conserve a bit of energy to deal with the unknown.

  The rope was tied tightly around my skin, causing a dull ache. The two sisters, Zhenzhu and Zhenyu, had already left. I let out a soft sigh and spoke to the two guards, "I don't know if you two brothers can find something for me to keep warm. It's so cold outside, and there's no stove in the room. I'm afraid I won't be able to hold on."

  Those two guards looked embarrassed, just about to say something, but heard the sound of pearls outside the door shouting loudly: "You still don't come out, don't forget, it was her good husband who forced us to this point!"

  The two of them exchanged a glance, and then quickly took off their outer garments and threw them over my shoulders. They turned around abruptly and strode out the door.

  I heard the heavy door of the secret room close, followed by the sound of the hidden compartment returning to its place, and the room was plunged into darkness.

  I have no doubt that Nan Chongyao will take down this city of Ye, and I don't even doubt that he can find me.

  But I don't know if I can wait for him.

  The clothes on me were thin, and even with the addition of the two guards' cloaks, they didn't help much in this freezing place. My body, which had lost blood, was especially afraid of the cold, and before long, it had become numb and lost all sensation.

  This dark room has no windows, I'm trapped inside, completely unaware of the passage of time, every minute and second feels like an eternity.

  I strained every nerve to keep awake, knowing that if I fell asleep in such icy cold weather, I might never wake again.

  In the midst of a dark room, I forced myself to recite from memory the poems and classics I had read, thinking about every happy moment from before, thinking about every fragment of life I had experienced.

  Memories before the age of thirteen were given by others. I was born into an official family, grew up in a grand mansion, wore fine clothes and ate delicious food, and had a life of unparalleled luxury.

  In the nearly six years after I was thirteen, I seemed to have lived a whole lifetime.

  Falling off a cliff, I met Su Xiuzhen. He called out softly, and that one call of "Qing'er" opened up a whole new life for me.

  In the valley of evil doctors, outside the red dust, on the Gobi Desert, between mountains and rivers, three years is a short time, but memories are so long.

  When my family finally found me, he personally escorted me out of the valley. The last glimpse was his figure leaving resolutely without ever looking back.

  Later returned to the Xiangfu, life is warm and comfortable, although with the people in the clan have an unavoidable gap, but also can find real warmth.

  I recall those days when I galloped and drank with Lin, his sword dance, my zither's sound.

  Later, it was the grand wedding, that empty and spacious red room, those dragon and phoenix candles with tears dripping until dawn, had never intentionally remembered, but now realized, I myself had also never forgotten.

  Then came the first encounter in "Maple Forest Evening", he wore a dark red robe, step by step walking to my front, with a handsome face like a god, on his face there was a hint of careless and faint smile, but his eyes were cold as a star.

  I recalled the arc of his lips in Qingyang Palace, full of interest and excitement.

  At the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, after a tune of "Surprise Goose", in those deep and dark eyes, there was an obscure light, like a shooting star, flashing by.

  Then it was the quiet night when the medicine was applied to the wound, and the prince fought wits with Qiantianju. I saw his endurance and ambition, and also witnessed his cunning and ruthlessness.

  It was still the same tune "Startled Goose", he stayed overnight in my Returning Ink Pavilion for the first time, entwining and lingering, tenderly and gently, but it turned out that it was just for a similar shadow.

  Then, he stood on the "Thieving Light Colt" with a white feather armor, commanding the three armies. Although I had known his exceptional talent before, such an extraordinary and impressive demeanor still left me with a very deep impression.

  I don't know if it's because of this, but when the first ray of light pierced through the darkness in the room, also piercing my drowsy consciousness, I tried hard to open my eyes, and in a daze, I saw a figure clad in white armor standing against the light, reversing time and space, jumbling memories, reality and dreams intertwined together in chaos. The only thing that remained unchanged was his majestic demeanor, proudly standing between heaven and earth.

  The ropes on my body were untied, and I was enveloped in a warm chest. He held my arms so tightly that they trembled slightly.

  I listened to his powerful heartbeat, beat by beat, and gradually felt at ease, then fatigue and drowsiness came like a tide, suddenly arriving.

  Just as I was about to let myself drift off into a daze, his voice suddenly rang out in my ear: "Pass on the order, throughout the Dong Manor, not one person is to be left behind."

  He was embracing me with his back to the door, issuing orders to the crowd of generals outside. From start to finish, he didn't turn around or change his posture in the slightest, only his voice was cold and detached, every word weighed carefully, leaving no room for compromise.

  His subordinates were stunned after hearing him, but no one dared to come forward and dissuade him, and they all responded and left.

  Startled, she shouted with all her might: "Your Highness... don't..."

  He held me, still motionless.

  I grew more and more anxious, wanting to stop him, but my whole body was powerless, my throat was also dry and hoarse, and I could only barely make out a few sounds: "...... Leave... the prince... restrained..."

  The Dong Mansion had over a hundred lives, among them were many who had traveled with me to the north of the desert, day and night together, taking care of me and Shu Ying. Many of them were innocent.

  I thought that by revealing the danger, I might be able to save them. After all, toppling the Eastern Palace is a big deal, and living people are much more useful than dead ones. With Nan Chongyue's cunning, he should understand this point.

  However, he just hugged me and stood up, stretched out a hand to gently cover my eyes: "I said, if he dares to hurt you even half a hair, I will make the entire Dong family, nine clans be exterminated."

  The tone was light, but there was no room for compromise.

  As he spoke, he had already carried me out of that secret room. His palms were gently and firmly covering my eyes, not letting the sudden bright light hurt me, nor letting me see that patch of blood-stained red.

  However, though invisible, the sound of swords clashing and cries for help continued to echo in my ears. My heart was filled with shock and pain, I stretched out both hands to hold onto his arm that covered my eyes, wanting to say something, but only a surge of intense pain rushed up, my body which had already reached its limit could no longer support itself, and I could only let the warm soft darkness envelop me, my entire person also softly leaned into his embrace.

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