Chapter 117: People Part Ways and Flowers Easily Fall (Part VIII)

The third day after Chuxiu returned from Prince Mu’s estate was the first day of the seventh lunar month. News arrived from the imperial capital of Nanxi that Emperor Nie had issued a decree bestowing a marriage upon Prince Mu, ordering him to take the daughter of Grand Chancellor Zhuang Qin as his primary wife—a legitimate and rightful Princess Mu.

The moment the news broke, it caused an uproar across both the North and South kingdoms. Everyone knew that Prince Mu was a man of the battlefield, rising from the ranks of the traveling guard; while he held great prestige among military generals, he lacked support among the civil officials. Yet, Grand Chancellor Zhuang Qin was not only the head of the civil administration but also had protégés spread across the entire world. What did this marriage alliance signify?

It meant that Emperor Nie had begun to bolster Prince Mu’s standing among the civil officials. In other words, the Emperor intended for Prince Mu to be proficient in both civil and military affairs. Analyzing it even further, Prince Mu was likely the successor the Emperor held in his heart.

For the Fourth Prince, Prince Fu, who had just secured the support of the Ming clan, this was a significant blow. One must remember that Empress Ming Zhen’s own brother was the Right Chancellor, Ming Cheng, while Prince Mu’s future father-in-law was the Left Chancellor, Zhuang Qin.

A Right Chancellor and a Left Chancellor—in the Nanxi court, they were notoriously at odds. The Right Chancellor was slick and worldly, while the Left Chancellor was upright and aloof; they differed greatly in both character and political views. The two kept each other in check, maintaining a delicate balance within the court.

As it stood, the Right Chancellor had the slight upper hand because his sister was the reigning Empress. However, the Left Chancellor’s strength lay in his vast network of protégés and his high moral standing among the common people of Nanxi. This marriage between Prince Mu and the Left Chancellor’s daughter clearly signaled the Emperor’s intent to name him the heir apparent. If this were true, the title of the Ming clan as the "Empress’s kin" would sooner or later be replaced by the Zhuang clan. Ming Cheng, the imperial brother-in-law and Right Chancellor, would likely be no match for the future imperial father-in-law and Left Chancellor.

After receiving the news, Chuxiu was filled with anxiety:

First, with the Emperor bestowing this marriage, Prince Fu would not sit idly by. The struggle for the throne between the two princes was imminent, and Prince Mu’s first move would be to seize Shen Yu to hold as leverage against the Marquis of Wenchang.

Second, Prince Mu was about to depart for the capital, Jingzhou, to marry the Grand Chancellor’s daughter. If he left first, even if Shen Yu followed behind him, there was a high probability of being ambushed along the way.

Third, since the Emperor had now openly declared his support for Prince Mu and the Yun clan was providing secret funding, Prince Mu’s chances of winning were clearly higher. If Prince Fu failed in his bid for the throne, the entire Marquis of Wenchang’s estate would suffer. To protect Shen Yu, he had to be married to Yun Xiangrong as soon as possible!

The arrow was on the string; Shen Yu had to leave!

Chuxiu had no choice but to visit Prince Mu’s estate once more, ostensibly to offer congratulations on his upcoming marriage. Knowing that Nanxi princes were required to marry their primary wives in the capital under the Emperor’s personal supervision, she carefully inquired, "When does Your Highness intend to depart for Jingzhou for the wedding?"

"We depart in a few days," Prince Mu replied vaguely. "My trip to the capital will take at least four months. If all is planned correctly, everything will be settled by then."

In a few days? Which day exactly? Would it conflict with her plans? Chuxiu calculated in her heart while wearing a bright smile on her face: "This humble woman offers my early congratulations to Your Highness for fulfilling your wishes."

Prince Mu did not show any pride at her words. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly requested, "During the four months I am away from Fangzhou, please find time to visit Luan Su."

Chuxiu readily agreed: "Rest assured, Your Highness. My relationship with Lady Luan is one of both kinship and old acquaintance. I will visit her often to keep her company."

When she arrived, Chuxiu had expected Prince Mu to be in high spirits; instead, she found his words filled with loneliness.

At this moment, the magnificent Prince Mu of Nanxi was nothing more than a lovesick man. The woman he loved did not love him back; he possessed Luan Su’s body but could not win her heart. Now, he had to marry another for the sake of power and status... In the realm of love, to love without being loved in return is the greatest suffering of all.

By comparison, at least she and Yun Ci had once known and loved each other...

Thinking of this, Chuxiu could not help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Prince Mu. But for the sake of Shen Yu, she had to harden her heart and use this opportunity to manipulate him: "The Yun clan’s banks are everywhere. Since you are preparing to act, why not take this opportunity to have your secret guards go to various locations to escort the silver back? It will prepare you for any unexpected needs."

Whether it was because he was about to gain power or because of his romantic frustrations, Prince Mu did not deliberate long. He agreed to the request without hesitation and provided Chuxiu with the clearance passes needed to leave Fangzhou.

Fearing that Prince Mu might renege, Chuxiu struck while the iron was hot, gathering the secret guards and ordering them to go to various locations to collect the Yun clan’s silver. She knew she could not hide this from the Matriarch, so she reported it truthfully and received the Matriarch's approval.

There was one thing, however, that she did not confess to the Matriarch—she intended to smuggle Shen Yu out of the city among these guards.

Chuxiu had been brewing this plan for a long time. Even without Yun Xiangrong’s sudden intervention, she had been prepared to send Shen Yu out this way. Yet now, with the pressure of Yun Xiangrong’s marriage, her suspicion after sending Shen Yu away would be much lower. Prince Mu, considering the massive financial support from the Yun clan, would likely not suspect her of helping Shen Yu escape. After all, Shen Yu was now considered Prince Mu’s enemy, while the Yun clan was his ally.

*****

On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the night of the full moon, it was destined that people and the moon would not be reunited. Chuxiu, the new matriarch of the Yun clan, personally saw off two hundred secret guards as they departed the city to collect silver from various regions.

The summer breeze was gentle, yet Chuxiu felt a biting chill. Looking at the pitch-black wilderness and the two hundred guards standing by in the darkness, her heart was filled with mixed emotions. This time, she had used public business for private ends. She used the transport of silver as a cover, and the two hundred secret guards as a ruse, to send Shen Yu out of the city.

These were the "Yun Clan Secret Guards," one of the most mysterious organizations in the world. For centuries, the Yun estate had raised these men, who were not only loyal and obedient but also possessed exceptional martial arts skills, rivaling the most disciplined armies of the North and South. Because they mostly operated at night and never revealed their true faces, they eventually earned the title "Yun Clan Secret Guards."

After the guards heading to Quzhou and Huizhou left, the final group was ready. Each wore black night-traveling clothes, silver masks, and the Yun clan’s auspicious cloud emblem embroidered on their left shoulders. They knelt on the ground, waiting respectfully for orders.

Though they knelt, their postures were upright and... ready to face death without fear.

The final group tonight consisted of the fifty most elite guards. Their official mission was to go to the capital to escort silver, but their secret task was far more important: to protect Shen Yu.

This was the safest method Chuxiu could conceive, and the limit of what she could do.

Even though she knew Shen Yu was hidden among them, because all the guards wore identical black clothing and silver masks, she could not identify him. She did not know which one was Shen Yu.

To make the ruse convincing and to divert Prince Mu’s attention, she had not seen him for a long time, relying on Zhu Yang to pass secret messages. She longed to see Shen Yu one last time and offer a final word of caution, knowing that after today, there might be no chance of meeting again.

Humans are not made of wood or stone; how could she be heartless? Faced with Shen Yu’s unwavering devotion, Chuxiu was not unmoved. But gratitude is one thing, and love is another; she and he were not meant to be. No one could replace Yun Ci in her heart. No one...

As she thought this, Chuxiu felt a sting in her nose. But in front of these guards, she could not shed tears; she had to maintain the dignity of the matriarch. Chuxiu suppressed her tears, her gaze sweeping over each person, trying to find that familiar figure, but in the end, she was disappointed.

So be it! This was for the best; it proved that Shen Yu was well-hidden. If even she could not recognize him, then surely, even if Prince Mu were present, he would not be able to identify him either.

Chuxiu steeled her voice and said coldly, "You are the finest of the elite, having never known defeat. This time, you must succeed. You are to deliver the person safely to the capital at all costs!"

"We will not fail our duty!" the fifty men replied in unison, their voices ringing with such resolve that it seemed they would sacrifice everything for the Yun clan’s command.

Chuxiu gave a slight nod to the lead guard, who ordered, "Depart!" At his command, the black shadows mounted their horses with uniform, swift, and decisive movements.

The midnight summer breeze rose, accompanied by the neighing of many horses in the wilderness. Chuxiu sat back in her carriage, closing her eyes, trying to ignore the sudden sorrow of parting.

The carriage began to rattle forward. The sound of rushing wind filled her ears as the guards set off. They carried the clearance passes specially granted by Prince Mu, so no one would dare block them at night. As long as they made it out of Yanlan City... Shen Yu’s escape would be half-successful.

Chuxiu clenched her fists tightly, letting the carriage return to the Yun estate. For some reason, her heart beat rapidly. Beyond the sorrow of parting with Shen Yu, there was a sense of panic and unease.

A long time later, just as the carriage was about to reach the Yun estate, Chuxiu seemed to recall something. She suddenly opened her eyes and commanded the driver, Zhu Ying, "Go to the South City Gate!"

The Yun estate was located in the north of Yanlan City, but one had to pass through the South City Gate to reach the capital. To go to the South City Gate now meant traversing the entire city! Zhu Ying was surprised, but not daring to defy Chuxiu, he turned the carriage around and headed in the opposite direction.

Whether it was a coincidence or fate, just then, a black figure on horseback galloped toward them. From afar, the flashing of a silver mask was unmistakable. Chuxiu lifted the carriage curtain, thinking it was Shen Yu, but upon closer inspection, she realized it was the leader of the secret guards.

"My Lady! Prince Mu’s men have intercepted our brothers at the South City Gate! They claim they must remove every person’s mask to see their faces before letting them leave." The leader dismounted and reported in urgent tones.

Chuxiu was shocked. Could Prince Mu have discovered something? "Absurd! Who does Nie Peihan think the Yun clan is?" Angry and frightened, she gathered her courage and ordered the leader, "Go back and tell them I will be there shortly! Do nothing until I arrive."

The leader departed.

Seeing this, Zhu Ying accelerated the carriage. In less than an hour, they reached the South City Gate, at least half an hour earlier than usual.

The full moon had hidden itself behind thick, dark clouds, as if signaling that a conflict was brewing tonight. Chuxiu kept her spirits high, not daring to relax. Before the carriage even stopped, she impatiently lifted the curtain.

Several torches were planted beneath the gate. Under the firelight, two groups of men were locked in a tense standoff. One group, numbering over a hundred, wore military uniforms—clearly Prince Mu’s personal guards. The other group, exactly fifty in number, wore black with silver masks—the final group of Yun clan secret guards, the ones tasked with escorting Shen Yu to the capital.

Chuxiu felt the blood-chilling aura of slaughter from afar, and her heart sank into an abyss. Prince Mu... he really had suspected them!

After a few moments of rapid thought, the carriage stopped. With Zhu Ying’s support, Chuxiu stepped down and, feigning composure, addressed the leader of Prince Mu’s guards: "I am Chuxiu of the Yun clan. I wish to see Prince Mu."

By now, she could barely control the tremor in her voice, but fortunately, the atmosphere was so tense that no one noticed her distress. Only Zhu Ying, who had helped her down, felt the cold sweat on her palms.

Prince Mu was indeed a strict disciplinarian. If it were any other group of soldiers, they would have been unable to contain their curiosity at the mention of "Chuxiu of the Yun clan" and would have turned to look. But Prince Mu’s guards remained motionless, their faces tight as they stood off against the secret guards like wax statues. Only the leader looked toward her and said politely, "Greetings, My Lady."

Chuxiu had no time for pleasantries. "Please inform him that there must be some misunderstanding. My Yun clan guards are leaving the city with Prince Mu’s own warrant!"

"I am here." As soon as she finished speaking, a tall man in black stepped out from among the guards. With his hands behind his back, a charming smile on his face, and an air of incomparable grace, it was none other than Prince Mu, Nie Peihan.

He had come to the South City Gate himself!

It seemed Shen Yu could not escape this disaster after all!

Chuxiu subconsciously glanced at the fifty guards, and upon confirming that she could not tell which one was Shen Yu, she calmed herself slightly. Gritting her teeth, she looked at Prince Mu and questioned him: "What is the meaning of this, Your Highness? These guards are leaving with your permission, are they not?"

"Naturally, it was with my permission," Prince Mu’s charming smile remained as he looked at Chuxiu. "However, I have changed my mind. If these guards wish to leave, they must remove their masks. I will verify each one personally before I allow them to pass."

Chuxiu’s heart plummeted. She spoke with solemnity: "Why must Your Highness go to such lengths? You know that the Yun clan’s secret guards never reveal their faces. If you force them to remove their masks, they would rather die."

"There are exceptions to every rule, are there not?" Prince Mu seemed unmoved. He glanced toward the guards before looking back at Chuxiu. "It is precisely because these guards are entrusted with such a heavy responsibility that I must be extra cautious."

Extra cautious? Chuxiu sneered. "Then why did you not check the previous groups of guards, and why do you choose to make things difficult for this particular group heading to the capital?" She forced herself to look confident, her face as cold as water as she questioned him again: "Does Your Highness not trust me? Or do you not trust the Yun clan?"