"Young Master, Young Master."
Ji Lian crept into the room through the window, his voice hushed and urgent. "The guards at the side gate have been distracted by me. I'll try to stall the people outside. You must flee, as far as you can go." Preferably never to return, far away from this man-eating Duke's mansion.
"There's no escape." Ye Yunting sat upright in the inner chamber. His fingers brushed over the exquisitely embroidered red wedding robes as he lifted his gaze to his anxious page boy.
"The guards you distracted are only the ones in plain sight."
Ye Yunting stood up, pushed open the tightly shut window, and pointed slowly from east to west at the old trees with thick trunks and lush foliage. "Here, here, and here—all are hiding highly skilled shadow guards. Before I could even step through the side gate, they would seize me."
His gaze was calm, deep black pupils harboring a trace of resignation and helplessness towards his situation. "When that happens, I will still be forced to marry into Prince Yong'an's mansion, and you..." would have your legs broken and be held hostage in the Duke's mansion, never to see the light of day again.
Ye Yunting's eyes turned to Ji Lian. He paused, leaving the unspoken words unsaid. Instead, he smiled, pulled Ji Lian to sit down beside him, and casually grabbed a handful of wedding candies from the table, stuffing them into the boy's arms. "Since there's no escaping anyway, why waste the effort and cause you to suffer needlessly?"
Holding the candies, Ji Lian stared at him blankly, murmuring, "Young Master, I feel like you're a bit different from before?"
He looked at his master, who seemed resigned to his fate, a few lines of worry creasing his plump, fair face.
Just three days ago, when they had first learned he was to be sent to Prince Yong'an's mansion for a "fortunate marriage" to ward off illness, the Young Master had ordered him to secretly investigate the mansion's guard deployment. He had said that on the wedding day, taking advantage of the lax security, they would escape the mansion together. From then on, the world would be their oyster, free and unconstrained.
Why had he changed his mind now, at the last moment?
"Being different is right..." Ye Yunting sat down beside him, casually picked up a cup of long-cold tea, and took a small sip, his expression serene.
After all, anyone who had died once and come back to life would be different from before.
Three days prior, he had learned from his father that the Directorate of Astrology had calculated his birth characters to be perfectly compatible with Prince Yong'an's. Worried about the Prince's illness, the Emperor had exceptionally bestowed upon him the title of Princess Consort of Yong'an, ordering him to enter the Prince's mansion to perform the "fortunate marriage" for the gravely ill Prince.
In Beizhao, the fame of Prince Yong'an was known to all.
He had joined the army at thirteen, made a name for himself at sixteen by slaying a general of Xihuang, and over the next decade, through countless battles large and small, had never known defeat. Even the most ferocious and vindictive Xihuang soldiers would tremble at the sight of Prince Yong'an's black banners of the Mystic Armor Army.
Yet just a month ago, Prince Yong'an had been poisoned by assassins. His meridians were destroyed, and his life hung by a thread. It was said that the entire Imperial Medical Bureau had taken turns trying to cure him, but no one could counteract the strange poison in the Prince's body.
The current Emperor and Prince Yong'an had grown up together, their bond as deep as true brothers. Tormented by worry over the Prince's condition, the Emperor could not sleep at night. Later, the Director of the Directorate of Astrology suggested finding a person of auspicious fate whose birth characters complemented the Prince's to perform a "fortunate marriage," which might resolve the current crisis.
And he was the "auspicious person" painstakingly selected by the Directorate of Astrology.
The teacup made a crisp sound as he set it down on the table. Ye Yunting smoothed his sleeves, a hint of mockery curling at the corners of his lips.
Back then, he was still young and simply thought it was his destined fate. It wasn't until later, after entering the Prince's mansion and witnessing the unfathomable depths of human hearts, that he understood: there was no such thing as destined fate.
He and Prince Yong'an were both merely obstacles in someone else's path.
It was just a pity his own life wasn't hardy enough. After muddling through nearly a year in the mansion, he died prematurely from mistakenly drinking poisoned soup. It was the Prince, who had been bedridden and supposedly on death's door, who appeared by his bedside as he lay dying. The Prince said Ye Yunting had been implicated because of him, and asked if he had any unfulfilled wishes, promising to do his best to fulfill them.
At that time, Ye Yunting was utterly alone. His only concern was Ji Lian, held hostage in the Duke's mansion, so he entrusted Prince Yong'an with looking after Ji Lian...
Ye Yunting pulled back his wandering thoughts. Looking at the Ji Lian before him—with both legs intact, plump and round—his spirits lifted somewhat.
Heaven had indeed treated him not unkindly. Although reborn, he still couldn't escape the fate of performing the "fortunate marriage" for Prince Yong'an, this time at least he could take Ji Lian with him.
Reaching out to pinch Ji Lian's cheek, Ye Yunting smiled. "Eat more later. Once we go to the Prince's mansion, there might not be such chances."
Ji Lian, with a wedding candy stuffed in his cheek, mumbled indistinctly, "Could the food at the Prince's mansion be worse than at the Duke's mansion?"
His plump face wrinkled with worry. Their meals at the Duke's mansion were bad enough. If the Prince's mansion was worse, how were they supposed to live?
Seeing him fret over their future livelihood, Ye Yunting gently flicked his forehead with a knuckle, his smile fading. "You won't starve. The time has come. Let's go out."
Dawn had not yet fully broken. The entire Prince Yong'an's mansion was heavily guarded, the atmosphere solemn and austere.
Only this corner of the southwestern side courtyard was draped in red and adorned with festive decorations. Auspicious red lanterns hung from every eave and tree branch, forcibly conjuring an air of inappropriate celebration.
The wedding procession stood in quiet rows within the courtyard. The matchmaker, dressed in a bright red coat, stood at the head of the procession. Her anxious eyes swept over the tightly shut door from time to time, and her deep sighs sounded especially abrupt against the backdrop of the courtyard's silence.
There would be no joy in today's wedding ceremony.
The matchmaker was fretting over what to do if the Eldest Young Master refused to cooperate later when she heard a soft creak. The door to the main chamber was pushed open.
She looked towards the sound and saw a tall, slender figure step out. The layered crimson hem of his robes swept over the high threshold like a flowing red cloud, illuminating the entire courtyard.
Majestic as the rising morning glow, fresh and bright as a willow in the spring moon.
It was exactly as the saying went.
She had only heard people say before that the Eldest Young Master of the Duke of Qi's mansion possessed a divine and lofty demeanor, like jade trees in a gemmed forest. Although he rarely appeared in public for unknown reasons, whenever he did, he never failed to make the noble ladies blush and crane their necks for a glimpse.
With just this handsome face, the threshold of the Duke of Qi's mansion had nearly been worn down by matchmakers. Yet, by the time the Young Master was nearly twenty, his marriage had still not been settled. Who could have imagined that this delay would lead to him being chosen by the Directorate of Astrology to be sent for a "fortunate marriage" to the critically ill Prince Yong'an?
Although nominally he was the Princess Consort of Yong'an, personally bestowed by the Emperor, since when in any dynasty had there been a precedent for a man to marry? Not to mention Prince Yong'an was afflicted with a strange poison and probably didn't have many days left.
This Eldest Young Master's fate was likely about to reach its end as well.
The matchmaker sighed inwardly, her mind swirling with these thoughts, which she quickly suppressed. Her face, caked with heavy powder, stretched into a stiff, polite smile as she stepped forward. "Is the Princess Consort fully prepared now?"
As she spoke, she couldn't help but scrutinize Ye Yunting, her gaze tinged with admiration. Suddenly remembering something, she hurried back into the room, rummaged around, and found the forgotten red bridal veil. "On such an auspicious day, we mustn't forget the veil," she chattered, standing on tiptoe to place the red veil over Ye Yunting's head.
Ye Yunting took a step back to avoid her, raising his hand to press down on her wrist. His tone was gentle yet carried a hint of firmness: "I am a man. The bridal veil is unnecessary."
The wedding matron hesitated: "But according to the custom…"
Ye Yunting gave a faint smile: "Customs are rigid, but people are flexible." He paused, then added meaningfully: "You are all merely going through the motions with me today. Why delay the main event over such an unimportant detail?"
The wedding matron met his gaze, thinking to herself that the eldest young master's temperament was rather different from what she had imagined. She had been worried Ye Yunting might cause trouble on the wedding procession. Seeing now that he was only refusing the veil and was otherwise cooperative, she dared not push too hard. Murmuring her assent, she put the veil away, curtsied, and said with a smile: "Then we shall follow the Princess Consort's wishes."
With that, she turned and called out to the wedding procession: "Lead the way—"
Instantly, celebratory music swelled, and the clamor of gongs and drums filled the air.
Dressed in a grand crimson wedding robe, Ye Yunting was escorted on either side by Ji Lian and the wedding matron as they walked out of the mansion.
Passing through the courtyard gate, he glanced back at the residence, festive yet undeniably desolate. Emotions surged in his eyes, then quickly settled into calm.
At the entrance of the Duke of Qi's mansion, Duke of Qi Ye Zhili and his wife Yin Hongye led the household servants to see off the bride.
Although Ye Yunting was the Yong'an Princess Consort personally conferred by the Emperor, there had never been a precedent for a man to marry. No one understood the various reasons behind this marriage better than Ye Zhili. What the Emperor cared about was not the process, but the result. As long as the person entered the Yong'an Prince's mansion and became the Princess Consort, no one would care about the details.
Thus, he didn't even bother with superficial niceties.
Seeing Ye Yunting emerge, Ye Zhili stepped forward with a complicated look in his eyes and spoke earnestly: "Prince Yong'an is a great hero of our Northern Zhao. You are going there to perform a wedding to ward off his illness. You must be sincere and harbor no resentment."
Ye Yunting lowered his gaze and nodded: "Yes."
Perhaps his submissive posture touched Ye Zhili's paternal heart. He couldn't help but step forward and pat his son's shoulder, his voice low: "All these years... I have failed you as a father…"
As he spoke, as if truly caught up in the act, he instinctively grasped Ye Yunting's hand and urged with fervor: "If... if anything should happen in the future, the Duke of Qi's mansion will still be your home."
Although everyone, including Ye Yunting, knew that from this day forward, his fate was tied to Prince Yong'an's.
If Prince Yong'an died, he would die too.
"Father misspoke." Ye Yunting's gaze was calm, devoid of sorrow or joy as he looked at his father. "Today, once I step over this threshold, my life or death will have nothing more to do with the Duke of Qi's mansion."
He paused, withdrew his hand to hang by his side, and said softly: "The debt of birth and upbringing, I consider repaid today."
The myriad complex emotions on Ye Zhili's face froze. He looked at his son in disbelief, his tall frame swaying slightly.
Yin Hongye, who had been standing quietly to the side, reached out to support his arm. She cast a scornful glance at Ye Yunting and sneered: "They say a married-off daughter is like spilled water. Our eldest young master isn't even married off yet, and he's already in a hurry to consider himself spilled water?"
"The auspicious hour is growing late. Let's go." As if not hearing her taunt, Ye Yunting lifted the hem of his robe and boarded the sedan chair by himself.
Yin Hongye's face darkened. She looked at Ye Zhili, whose expression had stiffened: "Look, Master. You tossed and turned with worry all last night, yet he can't wait to leave."
Ye Zhili looked towards the sedan chair, his eyes flickering. After a moment, he waved his hand: "Enough."
Seated upright inside the sedan chair, Ye Yunting listened as the stagnant sound of gongs and drums outside started up again. He closed his eyes wearily.
The road ahead was uncertain, life or death unknown.
But he had to try, to carve out a path to survival.
After leaving the Duke of Qi's mansion, the wedding procession headed for the Yong'an Prince's mansion.
According to Northern Zhao's marriage customs, the wedding procession had to circle the entire capital once to demonstrate its grandeur.
The more prominent the family, the larger the procession. The clamor of gongs and drums would start before dawn. When the auspicious hour arrived, they would begin their lively parade around the city with great fanfare. Special wedding matrons in the procession would distribute coins and candies to the watching commoners, who only needed to offer a few words of blessing to receive a red envelope or some sweets.
Therefore, whenever a prominent family married off a daughter or welcomed a bride, the capital's main streets would always be packed. Even if one couldn't get coins or candies, it was good to catch a bit of the wealthy family's auspicious air.
But today, the marriage between the Yong'an Prince's mansion and the Duke of Qi's mansion began in utter silence.
As the sky was just beginning to lighten, vendors along the long street were barely setting up their stalls, rubbing sleep from their eyes to start the day's business, when they saw a wedding procession passing down the main street. Judging by the eight bearers carrying the sedan chair, it was clearly the kind used by wealthy families for marrying off a daughter. The gongs and drums were deafeningly loud, yet the entire procession showed not a hint of joy. Everyone wore grave expressions, moving hurriedly. It looked less like a joyous occasion and more like the sedan chair carried a hot potato they were desperate to deliver.
Passersby stopped to watch, whispering and speculating about which young lady was getting married.
Those who had heard the news lowered their voices to explain to the uninformed: "What young lady? The one in that sedan chair is the eldest young master of the Duke of Qi's mansion—the one brought in to ward off Prince Yong'an's illness."
The crowd was startled, then understanding dawned.
No wonder.
It was for warding off Prince Yong'an's illness.
Prince Yong'an had been the victim of poisoning and had been critically ill for over a month. Such a major event couldn't be covered up; it had long been known throughout the streets and alleys. The current Emperor was as close as brothers with Prince Yong'an. It was said that out of concern for the Prince's condition, the Emperor had visited the Chuyun Temple outside the city many times, using his imperial person to pray for divine protection to help Prince Yong'an survive this ordeal.
Later, the Imperial Astrologers observed the stars at night and reported that Prince Yong'an's ruling star was dimming. Only a noble person whose destiny complemented his could help him safely pass through this calamity.
Thus, the Emperor issued an order. After a meticulous search, they finally found a noble person whose destiny matched Prince Yong'an's.
It was this eldest young master of the Duke of Qi's mansion.
This eldest young master was somewhat known in the capital. At his age, typical scions of noble families either embarked on official careers, showing early promise, or roamed the capital as unrestrained playboys. For better or worse, they were usually visible. But this eldest young master rarely appeared in public, kept more secluded than a young lady raised in a deep boudoir. However, on the few occasions he did appear, his exceptionally striking looks were talked about with almost mythical reverence. This stirred the hearts of many young ladies and even prompted matchmakers to visit his home with marriage proposals.
Today, having a rare chance to see the rumored celestial beauty, the commoners lining the streets craned their necks to peer at the sedan chair, hoping to catch a glimpse. Unfortunately, the sedan curtains were thick, not allowing the slightest peek.
The watching crowd, unable to see anyone, shook their heads in disappointment. After a moment of sighing, they gradually dispersed.
And by now, Ye Yunting, sitting upright in the sedan chair, had been delivered to the Yong'an Prince's mansion.
This marriage, absurd in its inception, was carried out with the utmost perfunctoriness.
Due to the poisoning incident involving Prince Yong'an, the Emperor was furious and severely punished all the servants who attended to the prince. Now, the servants in the prince's residence were either dead or dismissed. Those few who remained unscathed were all on edge, walking as if on tiptoes, afraid to make a sound.
Therefore, when Ye Yunting was sent in, he was greeted only by an empty, silent residence, not a single living soul in sight.
The wedding matron who entered with him probably hadn't expected such a vast residence to be completely deserted. After looking around awkwardly, she said dryly, "Please wait a moment, Princess Consort. Perhaps the people in the residence aren't aware of our arrival. I'll send someone to announce us."
Ye Yunting, however, was not surprised. After all, he had already experienced this exact scene in his previous life and was prepared.
He stood calmly in place and said, "Let's wait."
In his previous life, the Emperor had dispatched the Head of the Inner Court, Cui Xi, to oversee the wedding ceremony. This time, it should be him as well.
Cui Xi was the Emperor's confidant, in charge of the entire Palace Secretariat, wielding immense power. Even first-rank officials in the court would address him respectfully as "Eunuch Cui." Now, he was merely carrying out orders, so his late arrival was no surprise.
They waited for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before Cui Xi arrived with his entourage, unhurried and fashionably late.
The wedding matron hurried forward with a smile. "Eunuch Cui."
Cui Xi glanced at her, tilted his chin slightly, and a young eunuch following him promptly presented a plump, heavy purse to the matron. "You've worked hard today. We'll take it from here."
The matron quickly understood the implication. After weighing the purse in her hand, she tucked it into her sleeve and retreated with a beaming smile.
The wide-open gates of the prince's residence were closed again with a dull thud.
Ye Yunting stood with his attendant Ji Lian by his side, facing Cui Xi and his party.
Unhurried, Ye Yunting turned his gaze to Cui Xi. "Eunuch Cui, shall the wedding ceremony proceed as usual?"
Cui Xi studied him for a moment and smiled. "The Eldest Young Master is an intelligent person. Let's not waste time then. We shall escort you to the main courtyard now."
With that, he raised a hand in a gesture of "please," indicating Ye Yunting should go first, his manner surprisingly polite and courteous.
Even having experienced this once before, Ye Yunting was still deeply puzzled.
Cui Xi was notorious for his sinister and ruthless methods. His striking features paired with a gloomy demeanor often reminded people of a vividly patterned venomous snake. It was said his temperament was unpredictable, and even when facing high-ranking court officials, he rarely showed a pleasant countenance.
Yet, in both lifetimes, Cui Xi's attitude towards him could be described as amiable.
Ye Yunting concealed the confusion in his eyes and followed him to the main courtyard.
There weren't many servants in the main courtyard either, only two maids guarding the entrance. Seeing the group approach, they scrambled to their feet in a flustered bow.
Cui Xi ignored them, turning instead to Ye Yunting. "I shall escort the Eldest Young Master only this far. The remaining path, you must walk yourself."
"My thanks, Eunuch Cui." Ye Yunting gave a slight nod. After expressing his gratitude, he turned without hesitation and walked towards the main chamber where Prince Yong'an resided.
Cui Xi watched his retreating back, his slightly upturned eyes narrowing slightly. Suddenly, he spoke up, "Eldest Young Master, though fate cannot be defied, as long as one lives, there is still opportunity."
Ye Yunting paused mid-step and turned to look at him. "Thank you for the advice, Eunuch Cui. I understand."
Cui Xi smiled. "The Eldest Young Master is a sensible man."
With that, he cupped his hands in a slight salute, turned, and left with his people.
The confusion in Ye Yunting's eyes deepened, but searching through his memories, he couldn't recall any connection with Cui Xi that would warrant such advice. He decided to stop pondering it, pushed open the door, and entered the main chamber.
The maids behind him promptly closed the door.
Once the door was shut, the light inside grew dim. Ye Yunting glanced around casually and continued walking steadily towards the inner chamber. Ji Lian, however, wrinkled his nose and sneezed, muttering in surprise, "Why does it smell so bad? What is that odor? And why is it so dark in here? Why isn't a single lamp lit?"
Everything felt strange and unsettling from the moment they entered the prince's residence.
Feeling uneasy, Ji Lian could only follow closely behind Ye Yunting. As a result, not paying attention to his feet, he suddenly kicked something, producing a crisp cracking sound that startled himself. "What was that?!"
Ye Yunting looked by the dim light and said, "It's nothing, just a broken bowl."
Ji Lian found it even more peculiar. He picked up the broken pieces and placed them on a table, whispering, "How come even the Prince's bedchamber lacks someone to clean?"
Ye Yunting shook his head. "Apart from you and me, there's no one else here. Who would they be putting on a show for?"
Ji Lian stared blankly, only half-understanding.
"Never mind. Wait for me in the outer chamber," Ye Yunting said, seeing his confusion. Without further explanation, he entered the inner chamber alone.
Inside the inner chamber, the light grew even dimmer, and the unpleasant odor became more concentrated.
Ye Yunting fumbled around, found a candle, lit it, and then carefully approached the bed in the center, holding the weakly flickering candleholder.
The bed curtains were half drawn up and half hanging down in disarray. The purple-red, gold-threaded curtains were covered in large and small black stains, like traces of spilled broth that hadn't been cleaned in time. Half of the room's foul smell emanated from these curtains.
Ye Yunting placed the candleholder on the bedside table, frowned, and gathered up the fallen curtains. Only then did he clearly see the figure lying on the bed.
The legendary, aloof and cold War God of Northern Zhaolay lay amidst dirty, messy bedding, his breathing already very faint. His jet-black hair was scattered around him like withered grass, his face sallow, cheeks deeply sunken, his form emaciated beyond recognition. His thin lips were purplish-blue and parched. Apart from his increasingly gaunt and sharp contours, there was no trace left of the former War God's visage.
