About four or five li down the canal, near a reed marsh at the edge of a bustling dock, two heads suddenly rose from the inky water. Supporting each other, they crawled ashore, peeling off their heavy, waterlogged clothes.
“What is this thing, My Lady?” one asked. “It’s amazing, if not for it, I could never have swum that far.”
“Too bad we can’t keep it,” said the taller one, it was Meng Guqing. “Let’s find a place to burn them. We’re still too close. We need to move quickly.”
When she’d first planned her escape from the Imperial Park, she’d started making simple “floatation belts” from ancient materials, a primitive version of a life preserver. Crude compared to modern ones, they weren’t full rings but segments tied around her thighs, waist, and arms. They provided just enough buoyancy. She’d originally planned to use them to escape the palace by river, but fate had her use them here instead. Still, they worked and that was what mattered. Yet this was only the first step.
The two crept into a small grove, removed the flotation pieces, and opened their small waterproof pouches made of deerskin. Inside were two sets of coarse, homespun clothing, dull colors typically worn by women in their forties or fifties. They changed, and though their hands and faces were far too pale and delicate for commoners, the disguise would do. Meng Guqing had considered men’s clothing, but one try had proved hopeless: her looks, figure, and gait gave her away immediately. Without real skill in disguise, it was safer to dress plainly as women. Besides, they wouldn’t be using these outfits for long.
Once dressed, they wrapped headscarves over most of their faces and walked, arm in arm, toward their meeting point to find Fusang’s brother. He should be fine. Meng Guqing hadn’t assigned him any truly dangerous task. The men setting off fireworks were hired desperadoes, paid well to disappear afterward. Firework boats were a common enough sight during festivals, though tonight’s had strayed into a restricted zone, reckless thrill-seekers were hardly rare. Punishing them was one thing, catching them was another.
As for leaving Fusang behind, it was necessary. If all three of them “died” in the fire, it would seem too contrived. As long as she didn’t expose flaws in her plan, Fusang would be safe. Meng Guqing held Caiwei’s hand as they walked, thinking over every detail. By the time they reached Yuncheng’s southern gate, more than an hour had passed. Both were breathless when Caiwei suddenly said, “My Lady, look, the red cloth on that teahouse banner!”
Finally, they’d found it. The journey had been tense but smooth. Caiwei ran ahead into the teahouse, bundle in hand. Meng Guqing followed but stopped when she saw Caiwei standing frozen just inside the door. “What’s wrong, Fu—”
The rest of the words died in her throat.
Sitting calmly in the center of the hall, dressed in a dark imperial robe embroidered with dragons, was a young man she recognized at once. Her heart slammed against her chest. Why is he here?
Xiao Shuo set down his teacup and rose slowly. Walking up to her, he cupped her face in his hand and said with a faint smile, “So, you knew I was coming to take you away and came out to find me yourself. How obedient.”
Only then did Meng Guqing notice—the teahouse, though full of tables, had no other guests. A few men in black stood silently in the corners. As Xiao Shuo straightened, it was as if he’d given a signal. From behind the counter, his men dragged out three unconscious figures, Fusang’s brother among them, and two others who must have come with him.
She knew they were only unconscious, not dead, because she saw Caiwei struck down right before her eyes, felled by a single blow from Xiao Shuo’s men, then carried away with the others toward the back courtyard.
Knowing his utter disregard for human life, she cried out, “Where are you taking them? You’re not allowed to hurt them!”
“They’re your people,” he said lightly. “So they’re my people. Why would I hurt my own? I just told them to take a nap so they won’t get in the way.”
His mood was unusually pleasant today. When he smiled, the dark gloom he usually carried seemed to lift, his refined features framed by rich robes like a noble young lord out of a painting.
But Meng Guqing had no mind to admire him. She was furious. “Why are you taking me away? Where do you want to go? When did I ever say I’d go with you? I want to go home, I’m not going with you!”
Only now did she truly realize, this man wasn’t just cold and twisted; his shamelessness surpassed anything she had ever imagined.
Realizing that fighting him would be like striking a stone with an egg, Meng Guqing turned to leave but to her dismay, she found several men guarding the doorway. Their stance made it obvious they were Xiao Shuo’s subordinates. Even the carriage parked on the street outside was surrounded by guards at each corner.
She was just a weak woman; even the people she’d arranged to meet her only numbered three. Yet to catch her, he had brought so many men, he really did “value” her, didn’t he? While she was fuming in helpless anger, a finger pressed against her shoulder from behind. In an instant, all strength drained from her body, and she slumped to the ground but before she could hit the floor, the man who had sealed her acupoint bent down and scooped her up. Then, as if mocking her, he brushed a kiss against her forehead.
Xiao Shuo carried Meng Guqing straight into the carriage. She could only watch as the curtain fell and the wheels began to turn, the teahouse where Caiwei waited shrinking into the distance. Her heart was in turmoil, out of the wolf’s den, into the tiger’s jaws. Could her luck get any worse?
The handsome young man holding her refused to let her go. Meng Guqing turned her face stubbornly to one side, not wanting to see him. But he forced her chin back toward him, saying, “We’ve been together this long, yet you’ve never even seen my home. Whatever Zhao Donglin can give you, I can too. And don’t expect him to find you, he’s in no position to save himself now.”
What did he mean by that? Could it be that the assassins who’d attacked earlier today had been sent by him? Meng Guqing looked back at him in shock, staring fixedly into his face. His expression, bright a moment ago, darkened instantly. His tone turned vicious: “I talk to you and you ignore me. But the moment I mention Zhao Donglin, you get all worked up. Fine, I’ll go kill him right now.”
Meng Guqing wanted to cry. Why did he always take his jealousy out on others? Every time he got jealous, he turned violent, it was exhausting. She didn’t want Xiao Shuo to go after Zhao Donglin. If those two clashed, it would be like a war between Wu and Fulan, and she’d end up as the “beauty who brings disaster.” Forcing her voice steady, she said, “Go ahead then, kill him. And kill me while you’re at it. I’m the deposed Empress of Wu, and now you want to drag me to Fulan? Do you really think I’ll have a good life there? If I’m doomed to die anyway, why not save us both the trouble?”
“With me here, who dares bully you?” Xiao Shuo replied coldly. “He won’t live to see another sunrise. And besides, when did I ever say we were going to Fulan?”
The night pearl embedded in the carriage wall glowed softly, lighting up her upturned face; her skin gleamed like polished jade. Xiao Shuo lowered his gaze to her, and though he had meant to wait until they were on the boat, he couldn’t resist. He bent down and kissed her, lingeringly, savoring her scent and the softness of her lips.
Meng Guqing was furious. Did he really think she had no temper just because she’d always been gentle around him? To take her away without asking, to just decide for her, what kind of sane person did that? And this lunatic wasn’t just unhinged, he was strong. Talking reason to him was pointless. Even a cornered rabbit would bite; though weak from the acupoint strike, she still struggled to push him away.
But resisting only made him worse. Her defiance seemed to excite him, he pinned her down on the couch and kissed her until he was satisfied.
The carriage raced down the road for about half an hour. By the end of it, Meng Guqing’s mind was spinning. When Xiao Shuo lifted her again, she could hear the rush of water outside, the night was deep and misty. They were boarding a boat.
She began to struggle violently. “No—no, I’m not going with you! I never agreed to go to your house! You can’t just take me away like this! I want to go home, I want to see my father!”
That was a reasonable request, wasn’t it? He had no right to stop her from seeing her father. But she underestimated how shameless he could be. If he didn’t want to answer a question, he simply acted without speaking. Even when she thrashed in his arms like a fish, he held her fast.
His subordinates were stunned. When had their young lord ever been this patient? They’d never seen anyone dare throw a tantrum in front of the shizi before. Usually, whoever dared wouldn’t live long enough to regret it. Yet here he was, being hit and scolded by this woman, and saying nothing, just carrying her quietly into the cabin.
Meng Guqing struggled until she was sweating all over, while he remained completely composed. Furious, she flopped onto the pillow, on the verge of tears, only to see the shameless man reaching to undress her. Terrified, she sat up, clutching her collar. “You—you, what are you doing?”
“How ugly,” Xiao Shuo said expressionlessly, moving to unfasten her clothes again. The woman he intended to keep, how could she wear such coarse, rough garments? Her skin at her neck and wrists was rubbed red from the fabric; it was an eyesore.
Meng Guqing still couldn’t move properly, her acupoints were sealed, and her brief outburst earlier had drained what little strength she had left. She couldn’t stop him. Fortunately, all he did was change her clothes, removing the rough ones and dressing her in soft, fine underclothes before tucking her into bed.
She felt the new fabric, it was luxurious, no worse than what she’d worn in the imperial palace, even tailored to her usual style. He had thought of everything. She couldn’t deny that he was thorough. But even if he wanted to make her Empress of Fulan, it wasn’t the life she wanted. Talking sense to him was useless; fighting him was hopeless. Exhausted in both body and mind, she finally murmured, “When my ship caught fire and the assassins attacked, was that your doing?”
His face darkened again, so Meng Guqing hurried to add, “I’m not accusing anyone. It just seemed too coincidental. And stop threatening me with him. If I still cared about Zhao Donglin, I wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to escape. I just truly don’t want to live in the palace anymore.”
She was sure he could see that her feelings for Zhao Donglin were long gone, yet he still enjoyed frightening her. And his next words confirmed it: “If I hadn’t seen that you planned your escape so carefully, showing no sign of lingering affection, you think I would’ve let him live?”
Meng Guqing wanted to cry again. No wonder, no wonder he’d been so quiet these past weeks. He’d known all along. While she’d been taken out of the capital and brought back again, he’d just been waiting for her plan to unfold, waiting to catch her like prey. “When did you know I was leaving?” she asked bitterly. “The assassins at Putuo Villa, don’t tell me those were yours too? And today, were you involved?”
He had already caught his prize, and he wasn’t about to let her go again. Xiao Shuo, who rarely bothered to explain himself, finally spoke, “I didn’t know what you were doing in the palace, but when you started selling your shops and estates, my men were watching. Everything your two little maids and that maid’s brother did, I knew it all.”
In truth, he had planned to take her away right after she escaped from the river, but he hadn’t wanted to bring that maid along, so he’d waited for her at the teahouse instead. Even her entire route there had been under surveillance.
After a pause, Xiao Shuo decided he’d said enough. Surely she wouldn’t be frightened just because he’d been watching her so closely?
But Meng Guqing was indeed horrified, her skin crawled. If he’d known this much already, how could she ever hope to escape him? The very idea of planning again felt pointless. Covering her face, she began to cry in despair. Heaven help her, what kind of monsters had she gotten herself entangled with?
When he saw her crying, Xiao Shuo, who had just been taking her pulse by the bedside, let her pull her hand away. Then, gathering both her and the quilt into his arms, he said softly, “If you want to feign illness to fool the imperial physicians, I can help you. You don’t need to swallow all those useless medicines. Cry if you want, cry it out. But once you’re done, come with me quietly. And don’t even think about escaping again. I won’t harm you but anyone who helps you run, I have plenty of ways to deal with them. I’ll make sure they regret ever being born.”
The woman in his arms froze, then burst into louder sobs.
The boat had been sailing down the river for two days, it was indeed much faster than traveling by carriage. The fat cook in the galley told Meng Guqing that in another two days, they’d reach Yongzhou. Putuo Temple, where they had once lodged, was in that province. So soon! That meant she was already far from the capital.
Leaning against the cabin window, she watched the willows on the riverbank recede rapidly behind them. The banks were lively with carefree travelers. Unlike her, trapped, guarded, unable to take a single step away from that madman.
In the past two days, Xiao Shuo had not left her side for more than an hour at a time. They ate together, slept together and even when she bathed, he acted as though he might help her with that too. If she hadn’t angrily driven him out, red-faced, he really might have stayed.
He watched her constantly but not so strictly as to confine her to the cabin. Every evening, around dusk, when the heat had faded, the boat would stop at a nearby town. He would take her ashore to stroll the streets, dine out, buy her clothing and jewelry. Whatever she looked at for more than a moment would appear in her room that night. He really did seem to care for her mood, only, he still wouldn’t let her out of his sight.
When Meng Guqing didn’t want to talk to him, she would sit by the window and stare blankly at the water. Sometimes she thought about jumping in, hiding underwater until the boat had gone. Maybe then she could finally escape. But reality was cruel. She couldn’t even sit alone for fifteen minutes before the fat cook’s wife would appear, bringing her dainty pastries and smiling kindly. “Madam, have some snacks. They caught fresh fish today, you’ll have fish for dinner.”
Meng Guqing smiled faintly, unwilling to make things difficult for her. That woman was the only other female on the boat; she could only visit when Xiao Shuo was away. If she offended her, she feared Xiao Shuo might really start watching her twenty-four hours a day.
He was that kind of man, a complete lunatic. Escaping from him was a near-impossible task.
Their vessel had been disguised as a wealthy couple’s boat traveling south to visit relatives. Apart from Xiao Shuo, his dozen guards, and the cook, the rest of the crew were regular sailors, curious perhaps, but discreet enough to mind their own business. The cook’s wife stayed a little while, chatting amiably about local sights, then left politely as soon as the young master returned.
Hearing the cook at the door reporting to the “young master” about the “madam,” Meng Guqing’s face heated up. She scolded inwardly, how shameless! It wasn’t enough to steal someone; now he was openly living together with her without even saying anything! If he weren’t at least well-behaved at night, holding her quietly while sleeping, she really would have scratched that face of his. Just thinking of that handsome face being clawed up gave her a pang of pity; it’d be like a flawless pearl getting blemished. But who told him to be so hateful in the first place?
Hearing his footsteps entering, Meng Guqing sat up a little straighter and picked up a book from the table, pretending to read, though she couldn’t focus at all. According to Xiao Shuo, both assassination attempts on Zhao Donglin were orchestrated by southern Yan. He had merely lent a small hand, the poison on the assassin’s sword the first time was made by his organization; the second time, he had only sent a few people to stir the waters and create confusion, making Zhao Donglin too busy to bother with her.
Strictly speaking, both times he had actually helped her escape smoothly. But there was a catch; if he’d had no selfish motives, she might have been grateful. Now? She didn’t even want to look at him. Yet he didn’t seem to care. For Xiao Shuo, who had left his parents at five and fallen into the hands of a group of deranged masters at seven, he had inherited all of their eccentric martial temperaments. The things worldly people valued most, he despised; he only cared for what was tangible and real. Like now, even if the person in his arms wasn’t emotionally present, as long as he physically held her, that was enough to soothe the violence simmering inside him.
He often questioned whether she still liked Zhao Donglin, yet never asked whether she liked him, because, to him, that didn’t seem so important. She was, in his eyes, like a shaft of golden sunlight breaking through years of unending rain, a rare brightness in his eighteen years of life. He liked it, so he seized it. That was all. Simple as that.
Sitting beside her, he took her hand, studying it closely, rubbing and kneading it, kissing and biting, but she still ignored him. He couldn’t help it, cupped her face, turned it toward him, and kissed her deeply. The kiss left Meng Guqing, who, being an excellent swimmer, should’ve had great lung capacity, nearly breathless. Her tongue and lips tingled with soreness as she glared at him tearfully, “What are you doing?”
“You’ll come with me first,” he said, looking displeased. “Once we’ve settled down, if you miss your two maids, I’ll have someone fetch them.” He sounded annoyed, as if he disliked those two girls. But she hadn’t seen them offend him in any way. What she didn’t know was that, in Xiao Shuo’s world, he darkly hoped to be her closest person. She could care about others and other things but none of them should outweigh him. Otherwise, he might really make those existences disappear.
From Meng Guqing’s point of view, she could barely manage to escape alone; taking two others along would only be more of a burden. She quickly said, “No need, I don’t particularly miss them. I just want to go home—to Gaochang, to the mountains and rivers there, to my father, my brother, and sister-in-law.” What she meant was clear: what’s the point of just bringing two maids? If he were generous enough to let her return home, she’d be very grateful. She looked at him hopefully, wishing to sway him.
But rogues always answer like rogues. “You can’t live in your parents’ house forever, you’ll have to marry eventually. When you married into the capital, didn’t you miss home?” His words held a deeper meaning: when you married Zhao Donglin, why didn’t you feel homesick? Was it because the man you married weighed more in your heart than your home ever did?
Seeing his expression shifting between gloom and jealousy, Meng Guqing knew exactly what he was thinking and didn’t want to bother with him anymore. When would he stop being jealous for no reason? Exasperated, she said, “When I married into the capital, I hadn’t seen him for seven or eight years. I only met him once when I was a child, I don’t even remember what he looks like.”
“We’ve already separated, and you still won’t say his name.” His tone dropped low, dangerous, the kind of voice that could turn aggression into action at any moment. Furious, Meng Guqing snapped, “You know I was married into the capital properly. My father personally escorted me, my dowry worth a fortune, known across the country. And now? Did you ever propose? Bring betrothal gifts? Have the support of both families? No! You didn’t have any of that, yet you dare steal me away and still act so domineering, what kind of person are you?”
He had his retort ready. “If I send you back to Gaochang now and ask your father for your hand, will you marry me? I want the truth.” Meng Guqing was speechless. Seeing the eagerness in his eyes, she suspected he wasn’t just bluffing, she truly feared his impulsive whims. After a pause, she said cautiously, “Isn’t it possible… that not every proposal gets accepted? Joining two families involves many considerations.”
But in his world, anything he wanted could be taken by force. If you weren’t ruthless or strong enough, you deserved to starve, to be killed, to be trampled like mud. He liked her, wanted her, and so he took her by his own power—and the idea of letting go never existed. “You just want to trick me into sending you back to Gaochang so you can abandon me, right?”
Abandon him? As if she’d been the one to seduce and then leave him! Meng Guqing fumed. “When did I ever trick you? Didn’t you say last time, if I dared deceive you, you’d take me with you even if I turned to ashes?” Now she finally understood what he’d meant back then, he’d already been planning to “take” her. He wasn’t just a bandit, but a calculating one, and she’d been thoroughly outmatched, no wonder she lost.
He was unexpectedly pleased that she’d remembered something he’d said so long ago. His mood lightened instantly; lowering his head, he kissed her and said softly, “Forget the sweet talk I used to fool you with, remember the good parts.”
She couldn’t tell when he’d ever “fooled” her, after all, the first time they met, he’d dragged her into the water! She knew he thought she wanted to run, and she knew that he knew but being guarded was one thing; she didn’t care. Every time he took her ashore, she paid special attention.
That evening, after dinner, she waited for them to dock. But a subordinate from the rear suddenly ran up to report something to Xiao Shuo. He stood at the bow, tall and poised, then turned, saw her standing at the cabin door, and smiled. “We won’t go ashore today,” he said lightly. “Once we’re home, I’ll play with you then.”
She had no say in the matter, so she didn’t argue. Though curious why he changed his mind, she didn’t dwell on it, until that night, when they anchored near the shore. Half asleep, she woke to faint sounds of fighting outside and sat up in fright. The man beside her immediately pulled her close, calm as ever, and murmured, “It’s nothing. Go back to sleep.”
Meng Guqing hesitated, wanting to ask, but the noise soon faded. Yet after that night, she felt several waves of pursuers coming after them. When they finally reached a large junction port where changing boats would lead straight to Fulan, she noticed even more people trailing behind. She was anxious, but Xiao Shuo remained unruffled, as if they were truly a newlywed couple on a leisurely trip. He tilted her chin and brushed a kiss over her lips, sneering, “I underestimated him. He came fast. Want to see your ex-husband?”
