Her Majesty Chose Violence, They Chose Her

In the days that followed, Mu Yunlian was incredibly busy.

He was constantly consolidating his businesses. While it appeared he was planning for the Third Prince, he was actually divesting and cutting ties.

Xiao Yang, however, was at leisure. She spent her time at their residence gathering information and observing the developing situation. She couldn’t meddle in Mu Yunlian’s business affairs.

The Eldest Prince and the Second Prince were fighting tooth and nail. Their battlefield had moved from the shadows into the open.

Within the Beimeng court, the two were in open opposition, even coming to physical blows.

One night, Mu Yunlian woke Xiao Yang. "Your Majesty, would you like to see a show?"

Xiao Yang, still groggy with sleep, asked, "What show?"

Mu Yunlian replied, "The Beimeng coup."

The Second Prince, on the verge of defeat, had finally resorted to staging a coup. He led his men to storm the Imperial Palace, planning to seize the throne right at the Beimeng King’s sickbed.

The Eldest Prince was now on the defensive. The bloody struggle would happen tonight.

This was also the night that would decide the Third Prince’s fate.

Jin Zeyu did not enter the Imperial Palace. He was still waiting.

The fighting in the Imperial Palace had already begun.

News from the Imperial Palace was reported in real time, and a result came in less than an hour.

The Second Prince killed the Eldest Prince, but the Beimeng King, dragging his ailing body upright, had the treasonous Second Prince captured.

"The Beimeng King’s messenger is here."

As Mu Yunlian finished speaking, the messenger shouted, "Summoning the Third Prince for an audience!"

Jin Zeyu finally appeared. He was dressed in magnificent robes made from a White Tiger Skin, exuding a wild and heroic aura as he strode into the Imperial Palace.

The others had to fight their way in, but he alone was invited. The Beimeng King intended to personally crown him.

Mu Yunlian explained, "The Beimeng King had a childhood sweetheart, but she was taken as a concubine by the previous Beimeng King. That concubine died the same year Jin Zeyu was born."

"Beimeng abolished the old custom of sons succeeding their fathers long ago. Besides, the previous Beimeng King was still alive when Jin Zeyu was born, so his birth mother’s identity could only be publicly declared as that of a servant. However, the treatment he received was no worse than that of the other two princes. Moreover, that concubine’s maternal clan, the Sinluo Tribe, is loyal only to the current Beimeng King; neither the Eldest nor Second Prince could win their support. Now, the Beimeng King is personally handing all of it to him."

"From the very beginning, the Beimeng King only ever intended to pass the throne to Jin Zeyu."

’I chose him as a partner based on instinct back then. It seems I didn’t back the wrong horse.’

"The mines the Eldest Prince promised Your Majesty... I’m afraid that promise will come to nothing now."

Xiao Yang saw Wu Muyuan guarding the Eldest Prince’s body, his face wrought with agony.

’I only said it casually, worried that the Eldest Prince wouldn’t be able to fulfill his promise if he didn’t secure power. I never thought my words would prove to be a prophecy.’

’Between the two, the Eldest Prince was clearly the most likely to succeed. But the Beimeng King was determined to pave the way for the Third Prince. No matter how capable the Eldest Prince was, he was still just a prince. In the hands of the Beimeng King, he was destined to be nothing more than cannon fodder.’

Now that the Eldest Prince could no longer fulfill his promise, Xiao Yang had more than enough reason to declare war.

The next morning, the Beimeng King dragged his ailing body to the morning court and, in front of all his officials, personally passed the throne to Jin Zeyu.

"Your Majesty, it’s time to leave."

Mu Yunlian led Xiao Yang into a waiting carriage that had been prepared in advance.

Mu Yunlian held a box. Inside were maps of Beimeng and its mineral deposits, along with the Seals for various mines. His entire fortune in Beimeng was now contained within this box.

He handed the box to Xiao Yang and instructed Ling Ji to take good care of her.

Finally, he looked at Xiao Yang. "Your Majesty, you go on ahead. I’ll follow shortly."

’Jin Zeyu has just become the Beimeng King. If I immediately flee with my people, he’ll notice and will certainly give chase.’

’So I have to stay behind for now. I’ll leave once Xiao Yang is out of Beimeng territory.’

’I had to return to Beimeng after receiving Jin Zeyu’s letter. Before I left my own lands, I’d acted on an impulse and kidnapped Her Majesty. I’ve spent this time with her, resolved the knots in my heart, and consolidated my assets. All my objectives have been met. Now, only the final step remains: sending Her Majesty home.’

Xiao Yang grabbed his hand, her gaze firm. "Let’s go together."

Mu Yunlian gazed at Xiao Yang, his eyes filled with a greedy longing. He couldn’t bear to be parted from her either, but they had to separate for a while. Shaking his head, he said, "He will definitely send someone to summon me to the palace any moment now. I can’t leave."

Xiao Yang said, "You’re wrong. If you don’t leave now, you’ll never be able to. He’ll offer you an official post. Will you accept it or not? You can’t refuse. But if you accept it and then leave, that’s treason."

Xiao Yang squeezed his hand. "Leaving together now is risky, of course, but a manageable risk isn’t a real problem. Since you’ve pledged your allegiance to me, we’ll share that risk."

Mu Yunlian found himself unable to refuse. He immediately arranged for his men to break into smaller groups and disperse in all directions.

The carriage was too slow, so they abandoned it. They both mounted horses and rode hard, traveling nonstop.

The journey here had taken nearly ten days. On the return trip, by riding without rest, they condensed what should have been a three or four-day journey into a single day.

At this pace, they would be back in Da Wei’s territory in two more days at most.

On the third day of their journey, with only two more cities to pass before reaching the Da Wei border, victory was within reach. And it seemed Jin Zeyu hadn’t given chase.

After traveling at such a frantic pace, the entire group was looking haggard. When they were caught in a downpour, they had no choice but to stop and recuperate.

Inside an inn, they all ate first. They would rest for the night; the horses also needed a good meal.

"I’m sorry you’ve had to endure this."

Mu Yunlian’s heart ached seeing how exhausted Xiao Yang looked. He didn’t regret bringing her on this trip; if he hadn’t, they would never have been able to resolve their issues, much less take their relationship a step further.

What he regretted was his failure to take proper care of her, forcing her to suffer alongside him.

Xiao Yang was indeed tired, but she didn’t need his guilt.

"If it weren’t for you, I don’t know when I would have ever been able to leave the Imperial Palace. I’m physically exhausted, yes, but my spirit feels truly free. You don’t need to apologize."

’God knew that being the Emperor was driving her mad. Mu Yunlian taking her away was a chance to finally, truly breathe.’

She raised a hand and gently pushed his head down. "Go to sleep. We have to be on the road early tomorrow."

Mu Yunlian sighed softly, deeply inhaling her scent.

’She was so indulgent with him. So much so that it made him feel he could be even more brazen.’

The next second, a slap landed on his head. "If you dare get any funny ideas right now, you can get out."

Mu Yunlian: "..."

One slap was all it took to make him behave.

The pitter-patter of the rain outside was a soothing sound, perfect for a good night’s sleep.

When they woke early the next morning, the rain had stopped.

The people were well-rested, and the horses had been fed and rested, too. After breakfast, they continued their journey.

Brilliant sunlight stretched out before them. They only needed to bypass two more cities to reach the Da Wei border. By taking the smaller paths and avoiding the cities themselves, the journey was even shorter. They could cross before nightfall.

Though victory was in sight, Xiao Yang didn’t dare let her guard down for even a moment.

’You can’t afford to be careless about anything, especially not at the last minute.’

’One careless move, and you lose everything.’

"SKREEE!"

A sharp eagle’s cry echoed across the sky.

The color drained from Mu Yunlian’s face. "Damn it. He’s here."

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