072 The Death of Huangfu Ziyun

Even the act of nodding held its own significance; indeed, it was done with a certain vigor. Yun Heng smiled, the corners of his lips curving ever so slightly.
"I knew you wouldn't disappoint me," he said eagerly, grasping my hand, only for me to pull away.
"Thank you, General, for your understanding."
"It's nothing. Rong'er is young and ignorant—if she has done anything out of line, you need not take it to heart."
"I wouldn't dare," I replied.
After all, he was her own brother; with a single phrase of 'ignorance,' he could absolve her of all blame. Yun Rong and Qiao Ruoqing must both see me as a thorn in their side. Spoiled and unruly Yun Rong, cunning and malicious Qiao Ruoqing—neither was easy to deal with. Growing up in the palace, I had learned well how a woman's vanity and jealousy could easily twist her heart. Even the kindest of women could become calculating and ruthless, seeking to harm those who displeased them or stole their limelight.
It was precisely because of this that I guarded myself against Yun Rong and Qiao Ruoqing, though sometimes, avoidance was impossible. Just as I had once failed to see Lady Lan's true nature and, by extension, harmed both my mother and father, as well as the Kingdom of Lingyun. Since then, I had grown to abhor the endless strife and jealousy among women, and I despised the women around Yun Heng. I had no desire to engage with them.
But since Yun Heng had spoken as he did, I could not press the matter further.
"Mufan, forgive me."
"It isn't your fault, General, so why apologize to me? Best not to speak of it."
"Very well." Yun Heng seemed in high spirits; the smiles gathered on his face today outnumbered all I had seen from him before. Evidently, he was truly happy—was it really just because of me?
"I wonder, General, for what reason have you summoned me here?" My expression grew serious.
Yun Heng let his smile fade, paused, and then smiled again.
"You are indeed the one I have chosen—so clever. My judgment is not wrong. Tell me, how did you figure it out?" Yun Heng folded his arms across his chest and looked at me.
"It was simple. This tavern is already quite hidden. When I arrived, Jin Hu was stopped outside. The two guards at the door were clearly highly skilled; the calluses and scars on their hands, though concealed, still bore traces. Such marks are not made in a mere few years. Moreover, they spoke of digging pits and strong inner force—they must be your trusted men, seasoned from years of campaigning at your side. Once inside the rear courtyard, there wasn't a soul to be seen. In this season, one would expect at least the chattering of birds, yet here there was nothing. There is only one explanation: there are men lying in ambush. In fact, it's less an ambush than your men standing guard. With your skills, General, you would have known at once if there were danger—and even if you had to drag along someone as defenseless as me, you would have made preparations to withdraw."
Having spoken so much in one breath, I felt a little tired, and took a deep, steadying breath.
As a member of the royal family, how could I not possess even this basic sense of danger? Else I would meet disaster before ever achieving anything, without the chance even to react or escape. Besides, I had already sensed the murderous aura in the air, though they were well hidden; the looks in their eyes betrayed the feeling of being hunted, as if I were an animal watched by predators.
It was like sitting atop a dais as a princess, feeling the unrestrained gazes of the crowd below shooting up at you.
Clap, clap, clap… Yun Heng applauded and shouted a command to those around.
Sure enough, people emerged from the undergrowth, from the trees, from every corner.
I was clearly startled.
It was as though I had been studying a military treatise, only to be suddenly thrust onto a real battlefield. No matter how many brilliant strategies one reads, when actually faced with war, one's legs are bound to tremble. Theories on paper remain just that—only rarely do books so perfectly capture reality that they make you feel as if you are truly there; but that is another matter.
Yun Heng signaled again, and those men melted away, vanishing without a trace.
"Frightened? Don't be afraid," Yun Heng stepped forward, as if to embrace me, but I instinctively took two steps back. When had Yun Heng become so terrifying?
"What do you intend to do?"
"Mufan, my feelings for you are true. I've never concealed my strength from you—these shadowy forces are all," Yun Heng's outstretched hand froze in midair.
"I would rather not have known. Now you are pushing me into the vortex. If I claimed ignorance, would you let me walk out of here unharmed?"
Yun Heng said nothing, but I knew—the answer was no.
"Must you really do this?"
"And if I must? Would you kill me, General? After all, the life of a lowly maid means very little."
A sharp pain pierced my chest. Yun Heng stood so close, yet he felt as distant as the sky.
"I would never kill you. I would keep you captive, make you belong solely to me. In this way, you would be neither my obstacle nor able to escape my side."
His answer astonished me. What exactly was he planning? Should I ask?
"General, could you not let me go?"
I hoped he would show mercy for the sake of our past connection.
"If I recall correctly, you were the personal maid of Princess Huarfu Ziyun of the Lingyun Kingdom, were you not?"
So many unexpected things had happened today. Since Yun Heng brought me back, he had never mentioned Lingyun Kingdom—not once. What did this mean? Could it be related to Lingyun Kingdom? I dared not speculate, and merely answered respectfully, "Yes."
"After I rescued you that day, I returned to the palace of Lingyun and saw the corpse of Huarfu Ziyun."
Yun Heng's words caught me so off guard that I tripped over a pebble by the artificial hill and fell to the ground.
How could it be? I was obviously alive, here, now—why then was there a corpse of mine? A sudden panic seized me. I was afraid, trembling. Since birth, I had carried the memories of a previous life—could there really be two Huarfu Ziyuns, two people from different times in one place, and only one had died?
Such wild thoughts flashed through my mind, and I realized how absurd they were.
"Mufan."
At some point, Yun Heng was already at my side, lifting me in his arms. I longed to rest my head on his shoulder, but I dared not; Yun Heng was no longer the man I once knew. I found that I no longer knew him at all. He was like a dormant threat that could erupt at any moment to destroy me.
Yun Heng set me down on a stone bench in the rear courtyard, then sat on another nearby, pouring me a cup of tea. For a moment, I did not know whether to drink it, but in the end, I accepted and drank. He only meant to calm my nerves—an occasional reversal of master and servant was no great matter.
"Your face is so pale—this is why I didn't tell you before, for fear you couldn't take it. Though you served her as your mistress, she is gone now; do not let it weigh on you."
I was at a loss for words. I was not dead—how could I be? I had simply been frightened by this bizarre turn of events, while Yun Heng mistakenly believed I was mourning my old mistress. What an ironic twist! When Yun Heng rescued me, I was dressed as a palace maid; of course he hadn’t recognized me. I owed it all to clever Afu.
"The Princess was always kind to us. I just cannot accept it so suddenly."
"It will pass."
"Why, General, do you tell me all this? Would it not be better to keep it from me forever, to leave a hope that the Princess still lives peacefully somewhere?"
"That is not reality. What use is wishful thinking? One cannot live in dreams."
"True, I was too naive."
"I am ashamed to say, I sent people to investigate. Of the Princess and her servants, none survived—save you. Had I not ordered your traces erased, no matter how vast the world, there would have been nowhere for you to hide."
"A generous benefactor you are, General. How would you have me repay you?"
There are no favors without reason. He had saved me so many times—surely he had his own use for me. However lovely my face, however enchanting, I did not flatter myself that Yun Heng would treat me well without some ulterior motive.
"Do not say that. I admit, I hoped to learn something from you." Yun Heng rose, took a few steps, and spoke with his back to me. "But in all my calculations, I overlooked one thing—a fatal thing."
"What was it?" Yun Heng finally admitted his scheming, but what could he have overlooked? I was curious to know.
"I never expected that my plans would be undone because of a woman."
Yun Heng turned to me, and I knew I was the woman he spoke of. In his mind, only I held the secrets he wished to uncover.
"Yun Heng, the mighty general, famed as the God of War—how could you be ensnared by a mere woman like me? Surely you jest."
"Believe it or not." Yun Heng strode forward and pulled me into his arms.
This time, I did not struggle. I simply let him hold me.
After a long moment, I pushed him away.
I remained silent. Reality had taught me not to trust too easily, even those who had stood by me through countless seasons. Sadly, this lesson was something I had not truly learned until my country was lost and my family destroyed. I only thought I had understood.
"Mufan, will you come back to me?"
"General, I am neither so capable, nor so broad-hearted."
"You—"
Yun Heng could do nothing with me.
"General, I…"
"Do you not wish to know what Princess Huarfu Ziyun truly suffered, who killed her? Are you so heartless as to let the murderer go unpunished, to forget the dead?"
"Is that what you want to know?"
"Not entirely. If you are willing to help me, I will help you investigate. As far as I know, in this Moonlight Kingdom, someone was inquiring about Huarfu Ziyun before the palace coup in Lingyun. Mufan, you are not a cold or ungrateful person. I am certain you will not stand idly by, which is why I confide in you."
"Let me think about it."