Chapter 31: Escape

The more flustered one becomes, the more likely they are to reveal their secrets.

Everyone in the village went about with dust-covered faces, yet Bai Cha stood out immediately in her moon-white robe, with gentle and delicate features that made her easily recognizable.

Li Youqing noticed the other person hesitating under the corridor eaves. Waiting until the surroundings grew quiet, she approached and said, “Young Master Bai, might we speak in private?”

Standing upright with her hands clasped behind her back, she no longer carried the coy demeanor she displayed before the General, instead radiating an undeniable authority that commanded attention.

Bai Cha silently took a step back, lowering her gaze as she replied, “My apologies, but I have matters to attend to and cannot speak with you at the moment.”

After the incident with the night-blooming incense ointment, she had realized the General’s intense possessiveness toward his new favorite. To avoid bringing trouble upon herself, she wanted no further involvement.

Li Youqing remained where she was, her tone detached as she said, “Whatever inconvenience Miss Bai is facing might well be resolved after our conversation.”

Bai Cha stiffened upon hearing these words, her eyes widening in disbelief.

“What nonsense are you speaking? I am a man—”

Li Youqing interrupted impatiently, “This isn’t the place to talk. You’d better come with me.”

Bai Cha wondered if Xiao Ziqi had revealed her secret, yet found it hard to believe he would do such a thing.

Filled with trepidation, she watched the girl’s straight-backed figure stride ahead. Her own feet felt heavy as lead, yet she had no choice but to follow step by step.

At dusk, the setting sun painted the grove in golden hues, while the stream shimmered with rippling light, as though countless tiny fish darted beneath its surface.

Li Youqing cupped her hands in the water, and the silvery fish instantly transformed into shards of ice, stinging her palms with cold.

Bai Cha halted several paces away, observing the girl seated on a large rock by the stream, leaning forward to play with the water in her hands. Her calm expression gave no hint of her thoughts.

This innocent charm and delicate figure were everything Bai Cha had ever yearned for.

If given the choice, who would willingly live behind another’s disguise?

But her so-called father was undoubtedly a beast.

Being born a woman in the Bai family marked the beginning of a tragic fate.

Either she would be offered by that old scoundrel to powerful figures as bargaining chips for political gain, or she would become a plaything for entertaining guests, enduring days of unbearable suffering in the inner chambers.

Fortunately, her mother possessed a secret medicine passed down through their clan, which could conceal all feminine traits when ingested.

Because she and her mother lived in a remote estate, and even her birth had gone unnoticed by her father, they had managed to deceive everyone all these years. No one knew she was actually a woman.

Remembering her mother’s teachings, Bai Cha suppressed her envy of the girl before her, though she could no longer maintain a friendly facade. Coldly, she demanded, “What exactly do you want from me?”

With a face like that, this girl had probably never experienced the bitterness of unfulfilled desires.

Recalling all she had done to win General Xuan’s assistance, Bai Cha couldn’t help but laugh mockingly at herself.

What she had struggled so desperately to obtain came effortlessly to others—all because of a face captivating enough to cloud men’s judgment.

Seeing that the other had followed as planned, Li Youqing employed her prepared script: “I heard with my own ears Xiao Ziqi tell the General that you’re a woman. Could I have misheard?”

She lied with such conviction and consistency that Bai Cha couldn’t find any reason to refute her, ultimately having to silently accept it.

She then heard the other speak coolly: “They’re not telling you now only because they want to squeeze out your remaining value.”

Li Youqing slightly raised her chin, displaying some of a princess’s dignity: “I’ve said all I need to say. Whether you believe it or not is up to you.”

Bai Cha watched her quietly for a moment before asking doubtfully: “You’re General Xuan’s favored concubine. Why are you telling me all this?”

Hearing the term “favored concubine,” Li Youqing felt a slight sting in her heart, desperately restraining herself from showing any reaction.

She blinked, her gaze revealing some pity: “We’re both women. To be honest, my fate might be even harder than yours. How would you know whether I’m living well now or not?”

Bai Cha suddenly recalled the rumors she had heard before – about those women who were carried out of the General’s Mansion covered in wounds.

Noticing the faint red marks accidentally revealed on the other’s wrist, along with the broken skin and swelling on her lips, she began to understand.

Li Youqing smoothed her wind-tousled hair and stared steadily ahead, waiting for the other to make her choice.

~

That evening, when the soldiers gathered for dinner, Xiao Ziqi searched everywhere for Bai Cha but couldn’t find him. He then looked for the General but didn’t see him either.

Thinking that perhaps Bai Cha had finally taken his advice and voluntarily confessed to the General, he felt somewhat relieved.

His previous warnings hadn’t been meant to scare him – the General truly was that terrifying when it came to torturing enemies.

Why would a perfectly good young woman dress as a man and mix with their rough company?

And talking about conspiring with the General on important matters – he really couldn’t understand it.

In his mind, young women should be embroidering, playing musical instruments, and living leisurely lives in the inner quarters.

Suddenly, rapid hoofbeats approached from ahead. A dust-covered man dismounted and urgently asked: “Where’s General Xuan?!”

Xiao Ziqi recognized him as Lao Ba, the army scout, and first led him aside saying: “The General just went out. Wait here for a while.”

Lao Ba had rushed back from the capital, having exhausted two horses, fearing he might delay important matters.

Finding the General absent, he couldn’t sit still and immediately wanted to go search for him.

Seeing his urgency, Xiao Ziqi suspected something major had happened and followed along.

Meanwhile, Xuan Rui sat despondently in the room from earlier, growing increasingly agitated.

Her crying had annoyed him, but not seeing her worried him. After resolving his matters, he hurried back only to find her gone.

Aunt Chen brought steaming hot food and, seeing him there, specially fetched a pot of good wine. Smiling, she said: “Young girls love to play – how could she stay cooped up in a room? She’ll be back soon. General, please drink and don’t worry.”

Xuan Rui picked up the wine cup before him and drank it down in one frustrated gulp.

Were girls this age all so playful and fond of novelty?

What had he been like at that age?

Charging recklessly across battlefields with a sword, living day to day without tomorrow – nothing and no one had meant anything to him.

Every day brought endless slaughter, and only fresh blood could stimulate his senses.

That feeling had been truly novel, thrilling…

Later, watching his comrades fall one after another, some without even leaving corpses behind, he gradually grew numb.

He no longer knew when it had started—his reasons for going to battle were no longer for the thrill, but because he carried the weight of all those vibrant lives and the sea of blood-soaked vendettas.

In the past, he could drink several large jars without getting drunk, yet now, after just three cups of gloomy wine, he already felt somewhat intoxicated.

He opened the window, letting the cold air seep in, which cleared his dizzy and swollen head slightly, preventing his current mood from disturbing her again.

She was a delicate noble lady from the capital, while he was a rough man who didn’t know how to cherish and care for such tenderness.

Seeing her cry like that before, trembling beneath him, he had silently vowed to be more careful in the future, not to be so rough again.

As for kissing, after experiencing it once, he naturally longed for it every day, but he couldn’t act recklessly again, disregarding her wishes.

However, when that frail, plain-clad figure appeared on the path alongside another slender man, all his self-control suddenly shattered.

The scene was unbearably glaring; he watched it unfold, his chest aching as if torn open by a gaping wound.

Xuan Rui turned and walked back to the table, picked up the wine pot, and drank it all in one go. Then he moved to the doorway, lying in wait quietly.

If that pretty boy dared to enter, this would be his burial ground.

Li Youqing parted ways with Bai Cha at the courtyard gate and, lost in thought, slowly made her way back to the small house.

They had agreed to leave together at the hour of the ox tonight. While she felt relieved, a sense of unease also crept into her heart, fearing that something might go wrong again.

Pushing the door open, she saw dishes already laid out on the table. Hungry, she was about to sit down and eat when a chilling coldness crept up from behind her.

The sun was gradually setting, and the remaining light from the window cast a long, heavy shadow on the floor, enveloping her petite figure entirely within its darkness.

A sense of dread, as if being stalked by a wild beast, slowly swept over her entire body.

The room was filled with the smell of alcohol, and the empty wine pot lying on the table reminded her that someone had been there not long ago.

The person behind her shifted, and the shadow swallowed her even deeper.

At that moment, the sun sank completely, plunging the world into darkness and draining away the last traces of warmth.

The man, like a beast concealed in the night, with a trace of restraint between his brows, reached out and gently brushed the strands of hair scattered over the back of her neck.

Li Youqing jumped as if startled, turning around to glare at him reproachfully. “General, how old are you? Why play such childish tricks, hiding here to scare me?”

She couldn’t panic—the more flustered she became, the more likely she was to give herself away.

She took the initiative to grab Xuan Rui’s hand, leading him to the table, and said cheerfully, “Since you’re here, keep me company for a meal.”

But she had overlooked how unnaturally fast her mood had shifted.

“Do you have an appetite now?” Xuan Rui suddenly spoke, his tone indifferent, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.

Though the light was dim, Li Youqing had never studied his expression so intently before.

Of the two young men she had interacted with most in her life, if Crown Prince Li Jing was like a dragon’s grace and phoenix’s elegance, then the man before her was a lone, ominous star.

His innate formidable aura made people overlook his age and appearance, feeling only a pressure as deep as an abyss and as towering as a mountain.

But now, perhaps because he had drunk some wine, his face was flushed, revealing a hint of youthful spirit compared to his usual composed and steady demeanor.

What exactly had he noticed? Li Youqing’s heart began to waver, and she grew flustered and unsure of what to do.

Just then, Aunt Chen brought in a lit candlestick and gave Li Youqing a kindly smile, saying, “Miss, you’re finally back. General Xuan has been waiting to have dinner with you.”

“Oh.” Her face flushed as she lowered her gaze to her toes.

The warm glow of the candle made the atmosphere feel cozier. Li Youqing looked at him and softly asked, “General, why haven’t you eaten yet?”

Xuan Rui picked up his chopsticks, then irritably set them down again, wanting to ask why she had been with Bai Cha earlier and why they had returned together.

Just as he was about to speak, a slice of beef was placed atop the mountain of white rice in his bowl.

After serving him the food, Li Youqing buried her head in her own meal without another word.

She needed to eat her fill first—she’d need strength to escape tonight.

Xuan Rui recalled how listless and appetite-less she had been earlier. After going out and returning, she had changed so dramatically. Could it all be because of that man?

The thought made his chest ache even more, as if gripped tightly by something, leaving him stifled and breathless, desperate for an outlet.

Under the intense stare of what felt like a vicious wolf, Li Youqing set down her chopsticks after only a few bites, pretending nonchalance as she said, “I’m full. If you’re done eating, General, I’ll take the bowls to the kitchen.”

The atmosphere grew increasingly heavy and oppressive. She could hardly bear it and only wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible.

Finally, she stood up, somewhat clumsily placing the bowls back on the tray, ready to carry it away.

But then he suddenly picked up his chopsticks. Li Youqing hesitated, forced to pause mid-action, her breath catching slightly.

For a moment, she was torn between staying and leaving.

Seeing that he only finished the slice of beef she had served him earlier before setting down his bamboo chopsticks, Li Youqing swiftly placed his bowl on the tray, picked it up, and hurried away.

He was acting far too unusually tonight, reminding her of that evening when he had trapped her on horseback like a mad beast, biting her neck in a frenzy…

She hid in the kitchen for a long time—so long that Aunt Chen came to check on her several times.

Only when Aunt Chen finally told her that General Xuan had left did Li Youqing finally let out a sigh of relief.

Returning to her room, she found the windows already shut. The faint scent of alcohol lingered in the air, nauseating her.

She hadn’t noticed it while forcing herself to stay composed earlier, but now, sitting alone, she realized her inner clothes were soaked with sweat.

The trunks she had brought from the General’s Mansion were all placed in this room. After resting for a while, she began packing her belongings.

The journey back to the capital was long. She selected a few changes of clothes and tucked the money pouch he had given her earlier into her bundle.

After a moment’s thought, she also took a waterskin.

This time of hardship hadn’t been entirely without progress—at least she had learned to conceal her appearance.

She smeared kitchen soot on her face and rubbed thick oil into her hair, making the strands cling greasily to her scalp.

Taking one last look in the bronze mirror, she nearly cried at how ugly she looked.

It seemed effective enough—she probably wouldn’t be kidnapped by barbarians again.

Sitting on the bed with her knees drawn to her chest, she quietly waited for the appointed hour.

When the hour of the Ox arrived, a whistle sounded from outside.

Without a second thought, Li Youqing grabbed her bundle and rushed out.

Everything was silent all around, save for a carriage waiting quietly at the courtyard gate. The coachman removed his felt hat, revealing a delicate, handsome face.

Only then did the heavy stone in Li Youqing’s heart finally lift. She said to Bai Cha, “Let’s go quickly.”

She casually let the curtain fall and slightly raised her chin. The thought of returning home soon made her blood boil with excitement.

She would make Father Emperor severely punish the Crown Prince and send troops to attack Erhai, killing all those who had bullied her.

And then, Xuan Rui—

How should she punish his insolence?

Li Youqing tightened her grip on the bundle, her mind conjuring an image of an aged and sickly face. Remembering Father Emperor’s deep affection for her, her nose tingled with emotion, and she nearly burst into tears.

[Author’s Note]

At this critical moment, the female lead’s mental fortitude remains strong! Also, she hasn’t returned to the palace yet. The male lead is slightly showing a darker side, but he still dotes on the little princess dearly!