After Being Marked by the Eldest Princess, I Got Pregnant with Her Child [Transmigration into a Novel] - Chapter 33

On the slopes, the two armies clashed, the clanging of cold steel ringing through the air.

Xie Mingyou was covered in blood, her armor split open with a gaping tear. The veins on the back of her hand bulged violently.

The soldiers of Li Kingdom surged forward in waves, each one exceptionally fierce.

On the other side, Yan Chen rode through the chaos, cutting down countless foes. Amid the crowd, Xiao Yunli held an arrow, taking aim at her.

Yan Chen turned and met her gaze.

Xiao Yunli smirked at her triumphantly.

It was as if she was mocking her foolishness for rejecting her, for dragging Zhao Kingdom into this battlefield.

Yan Chen narrowed her eyes. A hidden weapon shot toward Xiao Yunli, who snapped back to attention and leaped away with a swift movement, evading the attack.

Fury surged in her heart, Yan Chen had never shown her any mercy.

Then why should she hesitate?

“Whoosh—”

An arrow streaked through the air. Yan Chen dodged, and it embedded itself into a tree.

The battle raged fiercely, neither side willing to yield.

“How does it feel? Any regrets?”

Xiao Yunli fought beside her, their blades sparking as they clashed.

Yan Chen parried and struck back. “Are you worth my regrets?”

Still daring to say such things now.

The killing intent in Xiao Yunli’s eyes deepened. “Let’s see how long that sharp tongue lasts when I carve you into pieces.”

Yan Chen had no intention of dragging this out. Ahead, Xie Mingyou was completely surrounded if this continued, it would only end badly for her.

The people of Li Kingdom were skilled in battle, and they outnumbered them.

Yan Chen cut down two soldiers and moved toward Xie Mingyou.

Xiao Yunli saw through her immediately, she wouldn’t give her that chance.

The stalemate persisted.

Then came the sound of galloping hooves.

“Ah You—”

Xie Mingyou turned and froze at the sight of that slender figure. “Ah Yue.”

Yan Yue wore a pale yellow cloak, leading a group of elite soldiers behind her.

Her heart ached at the sight of Xie Mingyou, drenched in blood, all of it shed for her.

Yan Chen frowned when she saw her. “Didn’t I tell you to stay in the palace and not go anywhere?”

How could Yan Yue’s frail body endure such a scene?

“Whoosh—”

An arrow grazed Yan Yue’s ear. Startled, her bodyguards swiftly intercepted it and joined the battle.

These were Yan Chen’s most trusted subordinates, their reflexes astonishing. Yan Yue was shielded once, but her horse, spooked, began to bolt wildly.

Seeing this, Xie Mingyou fought her way through the encirclement and chased after Yan Yue’s horse.

Xiao Yunli laughed. Just as she was frustrated by the deadlock, here came the perfect disruption.

She was pleased.

Yan Yue truly lived up to her reputation as a sickly weakling, she couldn’t even control a horse.

“They say the ruler of Zhao Kingdom is frail as a reed. Seeing it today, the rumors don’t lie.”

“Capture the ruler of Zhao Kingdom, and you’ll be richly rewarded!”

Xiao Yunli suddenly shouted, and the Li Kingdom army followed the direction of her sword.

The focus of the battle shifted instantly.

Yan Chen sensed the danger, Xiao Yunli was too cunning.

Yan Yue was carried away by the panicked horse, jostling violently through the battlefield until she could hold on no longer and fell.

A pair of arms caught her just in time, cushioning her as they tumbled across the ground.

She opened her eyes, it was Xie Mingyou.

Seeing her usually dignified appearance now in disarray, Yan Yue’s heart clenched. She reached up and gently touched her face. “I’ve dragged you into this.”

And she had remembered everything.

Xie Mingyou smiled. “I’m willing.”

There was no such thing as dragging her down.

The two gazed at each other, emotions laid bare, when suddenly a blade came slicing toward them. Xie Mingyou reacted instantly, pulling Yan Yue aside before drawing a dagger from her waist and deflecting the attack.

With one hand holding Yan Yue and the other countering strikes, the Li Kingdom soldiers closed in around them.

She had been stabbed in the shoulder, and Yan Yue’s face turned deathly pale with fright.

More blades came slashing toward them. Yan Yue watched as Xie Mingyou shielded her desperately, using her own body to block every attack. Blood trickled from the corner of her lips, gushing from her chest.

She let out a piercing scream.

Everything around them had already turned desolate. She shouldn’t have come she had made yet another mistake.

Xie Mingyou curled into a ball in her arms, blood soaking into her pale yellow cloak in splotches.

“Don’t cry.”

She wanted to lift her hand to wipe Yan Yue’s tears, but found she no longer had the strength.

With a weak smile, she saw Yan Yue’s raven-black hair cascading down, smooth and fragrant.

Yan Yue frantically pressed her hands against Xie Mingyou’s wounds, but there were too many, too deep, she couldn’t cover them all.

Tears welled up endlessly in Yan Yue’s eyes. Xie Mingyou, her lips pale, murmured softly, “It’s alright, don’t be afraid…”

Yan Yue had always been terrified of bloodshed since childhood. And now, seeing so much blood spilled right before her eyes she must have been terrified.

Xie Mingyou wanted to cover her eyes, but halfway through raising her hand, she couldn’t muster any strength. Around them, Yan Chen arrived with guards, forming a protective circle.

Yan Yue could no longer hear the chaos around her.

All she saw were those dark green eyes slowly closing before her.

Xie Mingyou felt exhausted. She wanted to embrace this long-lost warmth.

Wanted to tell her that she no longer hated her, no longer blamed her.

When it was all over.

Yan Yue didn’t know how she left that place. She only remembered clinging to Xie Mingyou’s body, refusing to let go.

Yan Chen couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

Xiao Yunli had taken a final sword strike before the enemy forces retreated in defeat. She had turned the tide with her last breath.

Both sides suffered heavy losses.

Back at the estate.

Song Shujiu was stunned at the sight of her and immediately rushed over to embrace her.

Two months later.

The enemy was forced to sign a five-year non-aggression pact and withdrew completely from Zhao Kingdom.

Song Shujiu’s bun shop was finally renovated. She stood there, apron tied around her waist, kneading dough.

A pair of arms wrapped around her from behind. Her waist had thickened, her belly still protruding noticeably beneath her loose robes. The hands were gentle, as if afraid of hurting her.

Song Shujiu didn’t need to look to know who it was. She leaned back into the embrace. With her pregnancy advanced, sitting for too long made her feel cramped, but moving around while standing eased the discomfort.

Yan Chen rested a hand on her waist, feeling the vibrant life stirring within.

The crimson mark on her left ear caught Yan Chen’s eye. For the sake of her recovery, it had been so long since they last.

Feeling that hand growing restless, Song Shujiu froze, the dough slipping from her fingers into the bowl. She turned to see Yan Chen’s dark, smoldering gaze.

“The physician said it’s safe now.”

Song Shujiu saw the intensity in her eyes. After so long, even she herself had been feeling restless. It was strange—most women lost interest during pregnancy, yet she found her thoughts wandering all day.

“This is a good spot.”

Yan Chen pulled something from her sleeve, a cylindrical, translucent jade of the finest quality, its surface intricately carved with raised patterns.

Song Shujiu averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing. The steamers in the kitchen were already heating up, and now the air felt even warmer. She stared at the bamboo-woven baskets, listening to Yan Chen’s low murmur: “It’ll be fine.” She knew how to be careful.

Song Shujiu wrapped one arm around her neck as Yan Chen’s narrow eyes grew misty. She advanced gently inward, careful not to hurt her. Song Shujiu trembled all over from her skilled touch, while steam from the bamboo basket filled the kitchen with the aroma of rice and flour. Hoarsely and somewhat unwillingly, she protested, “My buns…”

She still needed to sell them for money.

They sold well at the capital’s night market too.

Yan Chen pressed the jade closer, successfully silencing Song Shujiu.

Those wretched buns had long annoyed her. Rather than wasting time on them, Song Shujiu should be exploring with her how to make life more enjoyable.

Surrounded by warmth and fragrance, Song Shujiu completely lost herself, gazing up at the newly renovated ceiling. She noticed the decorations here paled in comparison to the princess’s residence. Once the shop expanded, she’d have to redecorate properly.

Inside the palace.

Yan Yue looked at the increasingly gaunt figure on the bed, who had lain unconscious for over two months. Every possible treatment had been tried, yet Xie Mingyou remained unresponsive.

The imperial physician came daily to check her pulse faint but steady while she stayed trapped in deep slumber. The memory of that day when blood had gushed like a spring still brought her sharp pain.

Incense curled through the chamber as she held Xie Mingyou’s hand. After the incident with Li Kingdom, Zhao Kingdom was temporarily secure, but the person before her had become an unhealed wound. Every day after court affairs, she came here to this place they’d once shared, now restored exactly as she remembered it.

Yan Yue’s gentle fingers lingered on Xie Mingyou’s cheek. As long as there was even a sliver of hope, she wouldn’t give up on Ayou.

No matter what, she would stay by her side, waiting for her to awaken.

The sunset hues faded at the horizon.

As some things ended, others began anew.

Time stretched long before them nothing had truly concluded yet.

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