I've Decided To Be This Tyrant's Dark Moonlight - Chapter 79

“Feeling sorry for me?”

Yunshao froze. The thin layer of tears in her pitch-black eyes hadn’t yet faded, and her reddened eyes looked like those of a frightened rabbit as she stared blankly at her.

Wei Ying suddenly pressed the emperor down, her fingers digging painfully into her. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a flash of yellow slipping through the underbrush. Her heart sank. She stepped in front of the emperor, drew out a feathered arrow, pulled the bowstring, and shot.

She missed.

The arrow struck a rock, the tip ricocheting off before falling into the withered grass.

From the bushes leapt an orange-striped big cat. Wei Ying silently discarded the bow and gripped her dagger tightly. The distance was too close for arrows; her palm was slick with clammy sweat as she stared down the beast’s golden eyes.

Yunshao suddenly darted in front of Wei Ying, arms spread wide. Though her shoulders trembled with fear, she refused to take a single step back.

Wei Ying hesitated, bit the dagger between her teeth, wiped her sweaty palms, and let her stand there as a shield.

The tiger let out a low growl, sprang, and slammed Yunshao to the ground. Its gaping jaws snapped shut ferociously.

“Rooaaar—owww!”

There was a sharp crack! A broken fang dropped at Wei Ying’s feet.

The big cat howled in pain, eyes widening in disbelief. It swiped at Yunshao with a paw—screeeech! The sound of claws scraping against metal rang out. Not only did it fail to move her, but it nearly snapped its own claws.

The tiger froze, baffled by life itself.

Seizing the chance, Wei Ying reached out and swiftly rubbed the cat’s head.

The fur was coarse, nowhere near as nice to pet as the little emperor’s.

Defeated, having lost a tooth and been petted on the head, the big cat’s fur bristled all over. With a startled yowl, it leapt away like a frightened rabbit.

Wei Ying lowered her gaze toward the little emperor and stretched out her hand. “Your Majesty, are you hurt?”

Yunshao, still shaken, stared wide-eyed. Her lips trembled before she finally blurted out, “Yingying, the fur on its belly felt so good to touch!”

Wei Ying tilted her head. “Hm?”

Yunshao beamed happily. “When it pounced, I took the chance to pet it! Its belly was soft, white, round, and fluffy—it felt wonderful. Ah, I really want to do it again.”

Wei Ying: … Damn it, I let my guard down!

She sighed, rubbed the little emperor’s head, and muttered, “Still, Your Majesty is nicer to pet.”

Yunshao’s cheeks flushed pink. Tugging at her sleeve, she smiled shyly. “Yingying, I really do have a dragon’s aura protecting me!”

Wei Ying nodded, picking up the fallen bow. “Your Majesty is a true dragon.”

Yunshao covered her lips, her eyes curving into crescents as she said, “Whether true or false, with time even falsehoods can become reality.”

Wei Ying turned back to look at her.

“Isn’t that right, Yingying?” Yunshao’s gaze shimmered.

Wei Ying answered offhandedly, “Whatever Your Majesty says is right. Everything you say is right.”

Yunshao pointed south. “Yingying, let’s go that way.”

Having just said “everything Your Majesty says is right,” Wei Ying remembered Yunshao had foreseen Commander Wei’s odd behavior and probably made preparations. Trusting her words, she drew her dagger to clear away thorns and weeds, crouched low, and led the way into the dense forest.

“Your Majesty, just follow me.”

Yunshao followed eagerly, chattering endlessly—sometimes asking her to slow down so she wouldn’t tire, sometimes praising her for being so capable.

Wei Ying felt like she was being followed by a little bell that never stopped ringing.

She sighed inwardly, only wishing to get through the woods and return to the hunting grounds to rejoin the Noble Consort and the others. She wasn’t sure if the emperor was right, or if Consort Qianxue was being harassed.

An hour later, the hunting party still hadn’t seen the emperor return.

Prince Luling rode in circles with his head down, gripping the reins tightly, caring for nothing else. Commander Wei cast him a look of bitter disappointment, then organized soldiers to search the mountain for the emperor.

The Noble Consort urged her horse after him.

As for Prince Luling, he was reluctantly dragged into the forest that had haunted him with lifelong nightmares.

In the dense woods, Pei Que called for a halt, dismounted, and picked up a shredded ribbon from the ground.

A deep blue silk hair tie, embroidered at the end with a fluffy little mountain warbler.

Xiao Qianxue gasped. “That’s Yingying’s hair tie!”

Pei Que’s face was grim. She clenched it in her palm, eyes scanning the forest. The signs of a fight had clearly been swept clean. She brushed away thick fallen leaves and found a blood-stained arrowhead.

Commander Wei’s eyes lit up with feigned concern. “The emperor’s been ambushed! Men, find His Majesty at once!”

Eunuch Fushou’s face collapsed, his panic like an ant on a hot pan. “What do we do? What do we do?”

Commander Wei added quickly, “My lady, assassins are here. Please return to the palace with me at once.”

Xiao Qianxue refused without hesitation. “No! I’m staying here to wait for Yingying!”

Commander Wei pressed his sword hilt. “I cannot guarantee your safety, Your Highness!!”

Startled by his roar, Xiao Qianxue shrank back, pitifully protesting, “W-why are you yelling at me like that?!”

Commander Wei: …

Pei Que had been squatting to examine hoof prints, but at the sound she straightened, stepped between them, and cut in bluntly: “We’re not leaving.”

Instantly, Xiao Qianxue found her backbone, shrinking behind Pei Que like a bullied wife and nodding repeatedly.

Commander Wei frowned, voice hard. “Not leaving? There are assassins in these woods. What if something happens to you?”

Pei Que didn’t even glance at him. She spat, then dragged Xiao Qianxue away.

Commander Wei ordered soldiers to block their way, insisting on “escorting” them back.

“Forgive us, my ladies,” he said with a smile, “but your safety is our priority. If anything happens to you, our heads wouldn’t be enough.”

Pei Que sneered, her lovely face sharp with menace. “And what are you supposed to be? Even daring to block me? Go back with you? Ha. And the emperor?”

“We will leave men behind to search,” he said.

“Search—or silence?” Pei Que pressed her hand to her blade, eyes glinting coldly.

Commander Wei’s face drained. “My lady, what are you implying?”

Pei Que’s laugh was icy. “Traitor. Don’t speak of negligence—this whole ambush must’ve been your doing!”

Sweat poured down his brow. Desperate, he turned to Prince Luling. “Your Highness, say something!”

But the prince, cowed by Pei Que’s presence, merely tugged at his reins and edged away, head still bowed.

Realizing he couldn’t count on the prince, Commander Wei signaled his men to forcibly escort the women back. By the time they returned, the capital would have changed hands, and the emperor’s concubines would no longer matter.

He was just beginning to grin when his neck went cold. Touching it, his fingers came away bloody.

A moment later, his body collapsed with a thud, and his head rolled to a stop at Prince Luling’s feet.

Prince Luling screamed, “Ahhh! A headhunter demon!”

Pei Que planted her boot on the corpse, scarlet blood dripping from her shining blade onto the grass. Facing the soldiers, her voice was calm but commanding: “I followed my father and brothers to battle since childhood. At twelve I repelled Beijue and defended Yunzhou. And this is what you send against me?”

Blood spattered across her cheek like rouge, heightening her dangerous beauty.

“You will search the mountains. Kill any assassins on sight. Form another unit to follow me deeper into the forest.”

The men hesitated, still loyal to their fallen commander.

Pei Que turned her gaze on Prince Luling. “Your Highness, what say you?”

The prince, already terrified out of his wits, nodded frantically without even opening his eyes. “The Noble Consort is right, she’s always right! Do as she says!”

Having long experience commanding troops, Pei Que knew how to mix severity with promises of reward. With talk of promotions for rescuing the emperor, she quickly swayed the soldiers to her side.

She read the trampled undergrowth, identified the emperor’s trail, and led a squad of light cavalry into the forest depths.

Mounting her horse, she frowned when she noticed Xiao Qianxue had followed. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m staying with you, sister Consort. That way we’ll definitely find Yingying!”

“There are wild beasts in these woods. If you don’t want to be scared into tears, it’s not too late to turn back now.”

“I won’t cry,” Xiao Qianxue bit her lip. “I’m from Yunzhou. I won’t disgrace you.”

Pei Que’s lips curled. Tugging the reins, she urged her horse onward. “Then keep up.”

Xiao Qianxue hurried to follow.

——

By now, Wei Ying and the emperor had already reached the forest’s edge.

Standing on a slope, she looked down at the golden wheat fields below and smiled. “Your Majesty, just a little further and we’ll be safe.”

Yunshao sat beside her on a rock, nodding.

Guessing the emperor was tired, Wei Ying handed her a flask to rest a while.

Below them, the fields rippled like golden waves, farmers like black ants toiling diligently across the autumn land.

Yunshao quietly slipped her hand into Wei Ying’s, fingers intertwining.

“Yingying, let’s keep going that way.” She pointed south.

Wei Ying frowned. “That’s not the way back to the capital, is it?”

Yunshao leaned lazily against her, fingers brushing her hand, and said quickly, almost under her breath, “Then let’s not go back.”

Wei Ying blinked. “What?”

Yunshao raised her head, her bright eyes curving, childish smile radiant in the sunlight. The pallor of her cheeks was warmed to pink with excitement, her gaze shining as if holding stars.

Gripping Wei Ying’s hand, she said, “Yingying, let’s not return to the capital, all right?”

Just like in that dream—riding side by side into the horizon.

Wei Ying turned toward her, gaze cooling. She let go of her hand and asked softly, “Your Majesty, did you plan this?”

Yunshao’s mouth moved, but she said nothing. Her black eyes welled up, yet she stared back at her with stubborn silence.

“You knew Commander Wei was suspicious,” Wei Ying pressed. “You must have considered another assassination attempt. Did you lure me into the forest on purpose, knowing ambushes awaited? What is your true goal?”

Yunshao lowered her head. She tried to take her hand again, failed, and awkwardly pulled back, fingers clenched tight and bloodless.

Wei Ying leaned on her hand, frowning. In the novel’s original storyline, there was nothing like this—no mention of an assassination at the hunting grounds. Likely the emperor had long since eliminated the threat.

But today, everything pointed to Yunshao deliberately leading her into the woods.

Why?

Yunshao’s frail shoulders trembled. At last, she whispered, “Yingying, let’s go there together. Didn’t you say your hometown was in Jiangnan? We could see the river lights and the stars on the water. We could pick lotus seeds in the ponds, we could, we could…”

Wei Ying cut her off with a puzzled look. “Your Majesty, don’t tell me all this was just because you wanted to visit Jiangnan?”

Yunshao peeked at her timidly and gave the tiniest nod.

Wei Ying was speechless.

She had spent nearly a thousand points, only to discover she was helping a runaway little emperor.

Her chest tightened with equal parts frustration and pity. She pulled at the weeds without speaking.

Sensing her low mood, Yunshao curled up, hugging her knees, head ducked. After a long time, she whispered, “Before my tutor left, he said Yunshao only ever coveted the throne—that for the crown, I’d sacrifice anything.”

Wei Ying gave her a strange look. Coveted the throne? More like eager to run away from it.

Yunshao’s eyes reddened, fists clenched. She seemed to have much to say, yet all that came out was, “I don’t like the throne. I only like Yingying.”

Wei Ying tried to reason with her. “First of all, Your Majesty, you must understand—running away from home is not acceptable.”

Tears rolled silently down Yunshao’s cheeks, lips pressed thin, nose red. She glanced up at Wei Ying, whispering, “Is Jiangnan so bad?”

“It’s wonderful,” Wei Ying admitted. “But—”

“Then why not?” Yunshao interrupted quickly. “It was you who said you wanted to go home.”

“…What?” Wei Ying blinked.

In Yunshao’s mind rose the scene from her recurring nightmare—

A woman lying beneath the grape arbor, pale lips stained red. Her fading gaze drifted upward through the canopy. She murmured about wanting to go home. Yunshao had climbed onto the stone table, tearing down vines and leaves to let the sunlight flood in. But when she looked down again, the woman’s eyes were already closed.

Yunshao whispered, “You were the one who said you wanted to go home. Isn’t Jiangnan good enough? We could go together, and I’d stay by Yingying’s side forever. Prince Luling could take the throne. It was never… never something only I could hold.”

Wei Ying realized this must have been something her past self had said to the emperor. After a pause, she replied, “Your Majesty, I did want to go home. But my home isn’t in Jiangnan.” She pointed upward. “It’s in the sky.”

“…In the sky?” Yunshao repeated blankly.

Wei Ying looked at her, eyes soft with pity and complexity. A mayfly could never reach the world of a great roc. After their fleeting encounter, one would always remain bound to this realm, while the other had to set out for infinite horizons.

Your Majesty, my home is a place you can never reach.

Her lips moved, but in the end she couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud.

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