The moment the intruder spoke, Feng Lezhen recognized the voice. Steadying herself, she asked calmly, “How did you get in?”
The man behind her said nothing.
Feng Lezhen hadn’t expected an answer. Her gaze swept the room—and she spotted a large hole in the ground near the screen.
She looked genuinely surprised. “You dug a hole to get in.”
“Enough talk.”
Feng Lezhen raised her brows slightly. “No wonder you’ve been so quiet these past days—you were busy digging a tunnel.” That explained how, despite the many guards stationed in the courtyard, he was still able to appear silently in her chambers.
The man behind her said nothing, and Feng Lezhen didn’t mind. She lowered her gaze to the unconscious Ah Ye on the ground. “What happened to her?”
“You talk too much,” the man said coldly.
Feng Lezhen let out a soft laugh. “I know exactly why you’ve come to take me hostage. If you won’t answer my question, believe it or not, I’ll risk my life to make sure all your people die with no burial.”
Before the words had even finished, the sword at her neck pressed harder—its sharp edge slicing her skin, sending waves of pain.
But Feng Lezhen’s expression didn’t change. “What happened to her?”
“I’m here to kill you. My task is only to kill you,” he said coldly. “As long as you die, my mission is complete.”
“I’ll ask you one last time—what happened to her?” Feng Lezhen finally lost her patience, her voice sharp as she looked at Ah Ye lying motionless on the floor. “If you only came to kill me, you’d have done it already. Why wait until now?”
The one being held hostage showed not a hint of fear; the one supposed to kill hesitated to act—and so the moment hung in tense silence.
After a long pause, the black-clad man finally answered, “There was a drug on the dart. She just passed out.”
Hearing that Ah Ye was fine, Feng Lezhen’s heart eased. She calmly acted as if the sword didn’t exist, turning around to face the man behind her.
The man, dressed in black with his face covered, had only a pair of eyes exposed. Those striking eyes now brimmed with hostility as he kept his sword steady and unwavering.
“Careful. Don’t injure me any further,” Feng Lezhen said mildly, the pain from her neck flickering on and off.
The man’s eyes narrowed threateningly. “Your Highness seems unaware of your current situation.”
Feng Lezhen met his gaze for a moment, then smiled. “I’m well aware of my situation. The real question is—do you know yours?”
She paused, then parted her lips. “Wenge.”
The moment she said his name, Wenge’s eyes turned cold. “How do you…”
“Curious how I know your name?” Feng Lezhen smiled meaningfully.
Wenge stared at her for a long time. Suddenly, a flicker of disbelief flashed in his eyes. “No… no…impossible…”
“Your name is only known to your accomplices. If they hadn’t betrayed you, how could I know?” Feng Lezhen asked calmly, glancing occasionally at Ah Ye on the floor.
Seeing that Ah Ye showed no signs of waking, she stopped looking and simply walked over to the dressing table and sat down, checking the cut on her neck.
When she saw it was just a shallow wound, she let out a small sigh of relief. She pulled out a bottle of wound medicine from her robe, applied it slowly, and continued, “I not only know your name—I also know that you always carry a string of bells on your waist. They were given to you by your late mother, and you’ve treasured them all these years.”
These things weren’t exactly secrets, but outsiders would never know. As she revealed them so openly now, Wenge’s eyes grew darker and darker.
Feng Lezhen figured it was enough. She put the medicine away and turned to look at this old acquaintance from a past life. “They’ve all surrendered already. What are you still holding out for?”
“Impossible!” Wenge glared at her.
Feng Lezhen chuckled. “Is it that you can’t accept they betrayed you, or that they betrayed Feng Ji? From what I see, you were never that loyal. Otherwise, when you tried to assassinate me back then, you wouldn’t have been the first to flee when the tide turned.”
Ah Ye on the ground seemed to stir. Wenge instinctively looked over, but Feng Lezhen suddenly stood up, drawing his attention back.
“If you’re not a loyal man, then it makes no difference who you serve. Why not follow me instead?” she said softly, persuasive. “I promise you—if you obey me, you’ll have a brighter future than with Feng Ji.”
Before she could finish, Wenge’s sword pointed at her again. “Take me to them.”
Feng Lezhen laughed. “They betrayed you, and you still want to save them?”
“I don’t believe your words,” Wenge said, his eyes dark and unmoved. “Take me to them.”
Feng Lezhen raised her brows. “If you don’t believe anything I’ve said, then I have no choice but to…”
Before she finished, she suddenly turned and ran. Wenge froze for a beat, then rushed to chase her—but the sharp sound of a flying projectile cut through the air behind him. Without thinking, he turned and deflected the dart with his sword.
In that split second, Feng Lezhen had already flung open the window and shouted, “Assassin!”
Wenge reacted quickly and lunged toward her. Ah Ye, who had barely regained consciousness, immediately fired a second hidden blade to stop him. But Wenge didn’t dodge—instead, he let the dagger pierce straight into his waist.
Ah Ye saw his reckless move and cursed inwardly. She aimed her third arrow at his throat, but before she could shoot, Wenge had already grabbed Feng Lezhen and pulled her in front of him.
The guards stormed in, surrounding the main chamber layer upon layer.
Wenge gripped Feng Lezhen’s arm with one hand, and the other hand held her throat. He issued a cold warning: “One more step, and she dies.”
Ah Ye quickly stopped the guards from advancing, staring coldly at Wenge. “If you dare harm Her Highness in the slightest, I’ll make sure your comrades are left with no graves to bury them in.”
With those words, she revealed that the people Wenge came to save hadn’t betrayed him. His expression softened slightly. Feng Lezhen didn’t care much either—after all, everything she said earlier had only been to buy time. She never expected him to truly believe it.
“This back-and-forth of threats is meaningless,” Feng Lezhen said. In the silence, they could hear the sound of his blood dripping onto the floor. “You’re badly injured. If this drags on, you won’t last much longer.”
Wenge clearly realized this as well and immediately made a demand: “Bring my people here.”
“If I bring them, will you release me?” Feng Lezhen asked.
Wenge’s hand tightened slightly on her throat. “You’re in no position to negotiate.”
…How domineering. Feng Lezhen lifted her eyes and glanced at Ah Ye. Her fingers, still hanging quietly at her side, tapped twice.
Ah Ye understood instantly and turned to leave.
As soon as she exited, the guards surged toward the door, clearly restless. Feng Lezhen could feel Wenge’s grip tightening, making her wince in pain. “All of you, withdraw. No one is to enter without my command.”
“Your Highness…” The guards looked hesitant and conflicted.
Feng Lezhen’s tone grew colder: “Are you disobeying my orders now?”
With her words made clear, the guards dared not resist and quickly stepped back a few paces.
“Close the doors—it’s cold,” Feng Lezhen said with leisure.
The guards: “……”
A moment later, the doors and windows were shut tight again, leaving only the two of them in the room.
“I’ve shown plenty of sincerity, haven’t I? Isn’t it time you let go?” Feng Lezhen reminded him casually.
But Wenge remained still. Clearly, her sudden call for help earlier had drained whatever trust he had left.
Seeing this, Feng Lezhen didn’t push any further.
Time slipped by little by little. The lamp on the table burned down to a short stub, and dawn was close. Yet there was still no sign of Ah Ye returning. Feng Lezhen, already exhausted from the many sleepless nights of planning for her return to the capital by year’s end, couldn’t hold on any longer. Though she knew this was the worst possible moment, her body gave in—and she fell asleep leaning against Wenge.
When the sound of even breathing reached his ears, Wenge was momentarily stunned. He stared at the woman in disbelief.
…She actually fell asleep?
He inhaled lightly and said cautiously, “What trick are you playing now?”
No response.
She was truly asleep. Her body was completely relaxed, her full weight slumped against him. Wenge’s face darkened, and he pushed her away, but in her sleep, Feng Lezhen simply let out a soft hum and leaned right back against him—pressing down directly on his waist.
Right where the broken arrow was still lodged.
The sudden pressure sent a wave of pain through him. Cold sweat instantly broke out, and the face beneath his mask turned pale. Feng Lezhen suddenly jolted awake with a frown. “What’s poking me?”
“What do you think?” Wenge gritted his teeth.
Feng Lezhen reached back—and happened to grasp the arrow shaft. The pain made Wenge suck in another sharp breath.
“Ah—sorry,” Feng Lezhen withdrew her hand quietly. Seeing blood on her fingers, she calmly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped it off.
Her actions were completely open, and Wenge could clearly see the slight look of distaste on her face. His temple twitched.
The last bit of the candle finally burned out. A breeze slipped through the door crack and extinguished the flame, yet the room wasn’t completely dark. The floor heating system in Yingguan was still running, and with the doors and windows shut, the room had grown warm. Wenge’s wound continued bleeding, and his breathing was becoming labored.
Realizing he wouldn’t last much longer, he tightened his grip on Feng Lezhen again. “Why aren’t they here yet?”
“No need to rush. They’ll come,” Feng Lezhen said calmly.
Just as she finished, the door opened. Ah Ye stepped in with a cold expression, followed by guards who shoved the captured assassins into the room.
“Commander…” The assassin in front was momentarily stunned to see Wenge. Once he realized the situation, he quickly shouted, “Don’t worry about us—kill her now!”
Ah Ye’s gaze sharpened. She immediately kicked the man in the knee, and with a muffled grunt, he fell to the floor. In the next instant, her dagger struck a key acupoint on his body. As blood seeped out, he opened his mouth—but could no longer speak.
“Don’t hurt him!” Wenge, now clearly more anxious upon seeing his people, snapped.
Feng Lezhen stayed calm. “Be reasonable. He tried to incite you to kill me—can’t my people at least silence him? Your people are here now. Shouldn’t you release me?”
Ah Ye chimed in, “We’ve prepared horses for your departure. At this hour, the city gates are open. You can ride out immediately.”
“Who said we’re leaving?” Wenge, now sure his comrades were safe, responded smoothly.
That left not only Ah Ye, but even Feng Lezhen stunned. “You went through all this trouble—wasn’t it to rescue them?”
“Yes, to rescue them,” Wenge said, his breathing weaker due to the heat worsening his wound. “But not now.”
“I don’t understand what you mean,” Feng Lezhen said coldly.
Wenge quietly released her arm and slowly reached into his robe. “They’re all injured and can’t get far. I’ll give you one month. Tend to them and get them healed. I’ll return for them in a month. If they’re not fully recovered—I’ll kill your princess.”
Feng Lezhen suddenly realized what he was going to do and quickly shouted to Ah Ye, “Seal the tunnel!”
Ah Ye rushed toward the screen without hesitation. But after just two steps, two metal pellets shot at her. She dodged—only for the pellets to explode, filling the room with thick smoke. The floor shook beneath them.
When the smoke cleared, the tunnel had completely collapsed. And Feng Lezhen and Wenge, who had been near it, had vanished without a trace.
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