TNIBFT -Chapter 340 The End – The Accursed Lone Star

Shen Jie was covered in blood, hair disheveled, curling up in a pile of hay, laughing and crying at the same time, his voice wild and frenzied.

The soldiers guarding the horse corral heard the noise. They exchanged glances. One of them said, “Should we go check?”

“This Shen Jie is extremely important. If he escapes, His Majesty will surely blame us. We can’t afford that.”

Several of them nodded in agreement. Lifting their torches, they braved the heavy snow and hunched forward toward the horse corral.

“Hahaha…”

“All loyal ministers, rise!”

“From now on, I, the emperor of Daliang and Dazhou, shall rename the nation as ‘Dai’…”

The few low-ranking soldiers froze in terror.

Was this bastard beaten so badly he started hallucinating? Uniting two kingdoms? Shen Jie must have gone completely insane.

“Guys, let’s beat him up!”

“If His Majesty finds out, we’ll be implicated too!” someone warned. Nods of agreement followed immediately. The soldiers raised their torches and charged into the horse corral, raining blows on Shen Jie.

Shen Jie lay still like a corpse.

Blood covered his face, a strange smile still lingering at the corner of his mouth. His cheeks were unnaturally flushed. The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances.

“Looks like a high fever. He’s burning up… I don’t think he’ll make it through the night!”

“Don’t bother with him. As long as he doesn’t run, it’s none of our business.”

“Let’s go, go warm up inside the tent…”

Outside, wind and snow raged. The horses huddled together under the shelter for warmth, but Shen Jie lay alone in the horse manure, life or death unknown.

…

On the other side.

On the snow-covered plains, Princess Leyang and her group, having escaped from the Dazhou camp, set up camp here. Over the past two days, their group had turned back, preparing to return to the Daliang capital.

The cold wind howled outside.

Inside a tent, Princess Leyang wore thin clothing, her hair in disarray. Her cheeks were hollow, her eyes vacant.

One hand gently stroked her flat abdomen, and tears rolled down uncontrollably, one by one.

The atmosphere in the tent was oppressive.

The palace maid attending her kept her head down, not daring to speak.

A shadow moved across the tent. Someone outside whispered, “Has the princess not gone to sleep yet?”

The guard at the door shook his head.

Sighing, the person lifted the curtain and entered the tent. Princess Leyang seemed not to hear him, her gaze empty, her body like a lifeless puppet.

“Princess!”

Her loyal aide Li Gao cupped his hands and spoke softly. Seeing her lips pale, her once radiant face shriveled overnight into that of a weary woman, his eyes filled with sorrow. “Princess, some people aren’t worth you suffering like this. You are the most noble of Daliang. Why…”

Li Gao sighed helplessly.

Princess Leyang turned her head numbly, looking at Li Gao, weathered by wind and frost. “Is there news of him?”

She forced a bitter smile. “By tomorrow, they should be leaving Sifang City for Dazhou, right?” Her voice choked, her lips trembling, tears streaming uncontrollably. She covered her mouth, turning to sob silently.

Watching her trembling shoulders, Li Gao shook his head. “Zhu Yingxue is already dead!”

“You had me watch over them. Tonight, two squads came. Zhu Yingxue was killed on the spot!”

“What?”

Princess Leyang suddenly turned her head, eyes wide, staring at Li Gao in disbelief. “Are you sure?”

“Zhu Yingxue is the daughter of the Left Prime Minister of the Great Zhou. In the entire realm, who would dare harm her?”

“And what about him? How is he? Is he in danger?”

Princess Leyang stood up anxiously, gripping Li Gao’s arms, pressing for answers. Li Gao looked at her snow-white hands and felt an unspoken bitterness well up in his heart. He lowered his head and said softly, “He’s already been captured. Zhu Minshan has rebelled. Shen Jie has been taken… I’m afraid he won’t survive!”

“What?”

Princess Leyang’s eyes widened in terror. For a long moment, she couldn’t comprehend it.

“No!”

“I have to save him! Li Gao, we have to go save him right now! He cannot die—I won’t let him die!” Princess Leyang’s desperation bordered on madness as she shook Li Gao urgently.

Li Gao’s eyes burned with anger, unable to understand. “Princess, the one who would have killed you is Shen Jie. For the sake of wealth and glory, he would have killed you. To flatter you, he seduced and enticed you, disregarding your reputation, and secretly claimed a child. Once he had it, he did not cherish you, leaving you in this state. Why would you want to save him?”

“He deserves to die. If he can die, then heaven has eyes!”

“Slap!”

Before Li Gao could finish, Princess Leyang slapped him across the face.

The sound echoed sharply in the tent.

Li Gao pressed a hand to his face, looking up in disbelief at Princess Leyang.

Seeing her trembling right hand, Princess Leyang’s face filled with regret. She shook her head repeatedly. “I… I didn’t mean to, Li Gao. You’ve been with me since I was a child. You are my personal eunuch, my brother even. I never intended this… sob… sob…”

“I beg you… right now, only you can save him. I beg you, please…”

She clutched Li Gao’s robes with both hands and slowly sank to her knees.

Li Gao’s face reflected utter despair.

He had rescued Princess Leyang from pools of blood, watched her torment herself night after night for Shen Jie, constantly anxious for news of him. He had thought it was all hatred, and that after everything, she would have no lingering ties in this life.

Yet, as soon as he was in danger, she was the first to rush forward, willing to risk everything to save this scoundrel!

Looking into Princess Leyang’s earnest, desperate eyes, Li Gao was moved. “It’s not that we won’t save him, but the men who came this time are generals under the Empress herself. How could we openly defy the Great Zhou Empress? Even His Majesty might not be able to protect you!”

“Our manpower… isn’t enough at the moment…”

Before Li Gao could finish, Princess Leyang smiled and grasped his hand. “As long as you go, you will be able to save him. Li Gao, you are the greatest warrior in the palace. Even the emperor admires you. If you give the word, there’s no one in this world you cannot rescue.”

Li Gao was silent for a moment. Unable to bear Princess Leyang’s disappointment, he finally said, “For the princess, I will do my best!”

…

The next morning.

Ye Tian had not yet awakened. Qin Fengyi, dressed in a simple white garment, lay on her side, quietly watching him.

Half-asleep, half-awake, she had dreamt. In the dream, in her previous life, she had not woken up this early. By the time she fully woke and sought the child, the child was already gone from Sifang City. The vast world felt like finding a needle in the ocean; her heart burned with anxiety as she searched everywhere in vain.

By chance, she met Shen Jie. He was confident and radiant, different from everyone else. Being the son of Liu Ruyan, he also carried the token she had left for her child.

Through investigation, she discovered that Shen Jie had once helped her child. Qin Fengyi began to let down her guard, keeping him close and trusting him completely.

It was both compensation and gratitude.

Later, Shen Jie informed her that the new city lord of Sifang City repeatedly obstructed him from searching for the prince, suspecting that the new lord had killed her child.

With the evidence before her eyes, Qin Fengyi lost all reason, continuously sending troops to attack the city lord.

As for the second son, with his long record of crimes, his role as a mercenary in the martial world, and his opposition to the court, she felt nothing but disgust. Years later, when Shuangxue stood before her for the only time, her gaze lingering, Qin Fengyi, trusting Shen Jie’s words, mercilessly dispatched troops to suppress Shuangxue.

She would never forget the dream in which Shuangxue mocked her: “Indeed, I have neither father nor mother… an accursed lone star!”

Though it was only a dream, Qin Fengyi could not help feeling a pang of guilt and sorrow.