The Flirtatious Beauty Decides to Steal the Princess - Chapter 38

As the Minor Heat approached, the weather grew unbearably hot. Wen Ying had blocks of ice brought into her room to cool the stifling air. Recently, the Xiongnu invaders had pressed forward relentlessly, and the imperial army suffered repeated defeats, their retreat bringing the enemy alarmingly close to the capital.

In these days, those who could flee had already left. Many wealthy families had abandoned the capital entirely.

Only Jiang Zhiyi and the high-ranking officials including their fathers remained trapped in the palace, debating countermeasures day and night. And yet, Wen Ying refused to leave, choosing instead to stay in the capital to keep them company.

Over the past few days, noblewomen from prominent families had come to Wen Ying’s residence in tears, only to leave in despair. Everyone sensed that something was terribly wrong, the dynasty seemed on the verge of collapse.

But no one wanted to believe it. Just a short while ago, the empire had been aggressively expanding its borders. How had it become so weak now, unable to even subdue a mere Xiongnu incursion?

Night fell, and the oppressive heat felt like the relentless string of bad news tightening around Wen Ying.

Feeling suffocated, she stood up, intending to step outside for a walk.

But the moment she pushed open the gate of her residence, she heard the distant clatter of hooves pounding against the long street urgent, rhythmic, growing louder. As the sound drew nearer, shouts and battle cries pierced the air.

Wen Ying froze. Her legs refused to move. Anyone with sense knew what this meant, the city gates had fallen, and the Xiongnu were charging in with their swords drawn.

It took her a long moment to regain her senses. As the Xiongnu cavalry thundered past her, she snapped back to reality and retreated inside, shutting the door behind her.

These invaders defied the usual image of marauding bandits.

Yun Chu was still in the palace, and the empress remained as well. Even if these people hadn’t protected her all these years for her own sake, Wen Ying still felt she ought to be grateful. No matter what, she couldn’t continue hiding. So she stood up and pushed open the gate of the residence.

The weather was still fine today, the scorching sun hanging high in the sky. Wen Ying felt as though each step she took was somewhat unsteady. When she arrived not far from the palace gates, she could still see Xiongnu soldiers roaming about.

It seemed there had been no progress yet. Frowning, Wen Ying was about to step forward when suddenly her vision darkened, and she fainted outright.

By the time she woke again, it was already afternoon. Staring at the unfamiliar surroundings and feeling the pain in her neck, Wen Ying was momentarily dazed. But the faint, refreshing scent nearby quickly brought her memories back.

” Fu Qingyin?” Wen Ying hesitantly called out the name. Truthfully, even she didn’t know why she remembered Fu Qingyin’s scent so vividly perhaps because some feelings were simply impossible to let go of.

Fu Qingyin emerged from behind the curtain, sighing as she responded, “I didn’t expect you to still remember me.”

Hearing that long-missed voice, Wen Ying’s eyes instantly reddened. “Where have you been all this time? It’s not safe here now, why did you come back?”

Fu Qingyin, caught off guard by Wen Ying’s soft voice, was momentarily at a loss, much like their first meeting.

“I couldn’t stop worrying about you.” After a pause, Fu Qingyin finally managed to say it. The exhaustion on her face seemed genuine clearly, she hadn’t had an easy time either. Seeing her like this, Wen Ying found herself unable to voice any of the grievances she’d been holding onto.

Fu Qingyin didn’t dare get too close to Wen Ying. She knew she’d caused her pain these past months, and now, just being able to look at her from afar was enough.

“Silly Wen Ying, how could you dare walk toward the palace?” Fu Qingyin’s voice was hoarse. She wasn’t supposed to show herself, but when she saw Wen Ying walking forward alone, she couldn’t stop herself from stepping out and pulling her into an embrace.

Not knowing how to explain herself, Fu Qingyin had no choice but to knock Wen Ying unconscious first and carry her back to the inn where she was temporarily staying.

The inn had already been taken over by Fu Qingyin’s people, so no one came to disturb them.

Wen Ying

“Wen Ying, don’t move. Let me massage your neck. I had to knock you out with a chop in the heat of the moment, don’t be angry with me.” Fu Qingyin spoke with sincere remorse, her hands applying just the right amount of pressure. No wonder Wen Ying had woken up with such a sore neck.

So this was how Fu Qingyin had taken her away by knocking her unconscious.

Wen Ying couldn’t help but stretch out her leg to nudge Fu Qingyin’s legs dangling off the bed. It wasn’t a hard kick, more like a puppy or kitten brushing against her.

But Wen Ying truly had little strength left, and she didn’t want to hurt Fu Qingyin anyway. This was just her way of venting her frustration.

Though “frustration” wasn’t quite the right word. The moment she saw Fu Qingyin, joy had outweighed her disappointment. She had never denied how much she had missed her all these days, but she was also angry that Fu Qingyin had stayed away for so long.

And now, the first thing she did upon returning was deliver such news. Once Fu Qingyin finished massaging her, Wen Ying nestled into her embrace, as if craving the comfort of her arms, her head nuzzling against Fu Qingyin.

“Did you orchestrate the Xiongnu invasion this time?” Wen Ying blurted out the question, one that seemed impossible to answer. Fu Qingyin hesitated.

In the end, she shook her head, refusing to acknowledge any connection between herself and the Xiongnu. With the current turmoil, no one knew if Emperor Wen still had hidden schemes.

Perhaps it was best for Wen Ying not to know. At least, that was what Fu Qingyin chose to believe. She tightened her arm around Wen Ying slightly, afraid that disbelief might make her pull away.

Wen Ying, of course, noticed the subtle tightening, but she chose to trust Fu Qingyin. She only sighed. “I don’t even know why I thought of going back. But since you’re here now, should we leave? You once said we could hide in a small village together. I’ve been reading books on farming and trade, we could earn enough to live comfortably.”

She had truly looked forward to that life. Before seeing Fu Qingyin again, she hadn’t realized where her heart truly lay. Even when browsing book stalls, her attention had always drifted toward such topics.

Looking back now, she had unknowingly treasured every word Fu Qingyin had ever said to her. But Fu Qingyin felt a pang of guilt. Back then, her words had been half-truths, half-lies more about changing her own circumstances than abandoning her people to live in hiding.

Wen Ying might not understand such sentiments, but Fu Qingyin wasn’t angry. She only blamed herself for being unable to give Wen Ying the peaceful life she deserved.

“I’m sorry, I still have my people to care for.” Fu Qingyin couldn’t bring herself to deceive Wen Ying any longer. Her voice was gentle, and though her words brought disappointment, Wen Ying found it impossible to resent her.

“It’s alright.” Wen Ying lowered her almond-shaped eyes but still replied sweetly, as if nothing was wrong. After all, she had always been the one to accommodate others especially when it came to Fu Qingyin.

Her obedience was heartbreaking. Fu Qingyin didn’t know how to comfort her. No words seemed enough to ease Wen Ying’s sorrow.

Why did Wen Ying always have to suffer? Fu Qingyin had promised to make her happy.

Just then, a soft knock came at the wooden door. A respectful voice called from outside, “My lady, someone is here to see you.”

The voice carried an utmost reverence, something Wen Ying had never heard before. The commanding aura emanating from Fu Qingyin made Wen Ying notice, for the first time, the regal bearing of a ruler in her.

Suddenly, Wen Ying felt a sense of relief. The idea she had just proposed hiding in a small mountain village might solve their immediate troubles, but it wasn’t suitable for a woman like Fu Qingyin, who harbored grand ambitions.

Wen Ying had aspirations too. She wanted to change the status of women.

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