Seeing that the Emperor had left, Zhenshu pointed to his retreating figure and whispered to Yu Yichen, "Was she the Empress?"
Yu Yichen nodded in agreement and extended his hand, saying, "Come and sit down."
Zhenshu had been on tenterhooks for days, assuming he must be suffering terribly in the palace. But here he was, leisurely sipping tea, with beautiful women by his side. Enraged, she pointed a finger and said, "I thought you were about to die, and you still have the leisure to be here..."
Yu Yichen pulled Zhenshu to sit down beside him and asked, "It's come to this, are you just going to sit here and cry?"
When Zhen Shu saw that the Emperor's words were very unfriendly as he got up to leave, she coldly criticized Yu Yichen, saying: "With Du Guogong's army surrounding you outside, you still have the mind to flirt with the Emperor's woman. You deserve your retribution, Yu Yichen."
Yu Yichen asked, "Have you eaten yet?"
Zhenshu shook her head and asked, "You still have food to eat? We've only been eating dry rations outside. I heard that both land and water routes have been blocked off, and I'm afraid everyone in the capital is just waiting to starve to death at home."
Yu Yichen took out the wooden hairpin from his bosom, removed the jade hairpin from her head and replaced it with a wooden hairpin, before saying, "I want to keep my promise. When I am about to die, I will definitely see you one last time."
Zhenshu exclaimed in surprise, "Are you going to take poison, or commit suicide?"
Yu Yichen shook his head, pulled Zhenshu up and said, "Let's finish eating first and then think about it."
The two arrived at the dining room. Zhenshu saw that the table was piled high with pastries and various kinds of porridge. In the distance, there were many plates decorated with oranges, olives, and other delicacies, presumably for display. A palace maid served her some porridge. Seeing that Zhenshu tasted it and seemed to enjoy it, Yu Yichen picked up his own bowl and said, "There haven't been any fresh vegetables outside for days. This is all we can eat."
Zhen Shu was extremely anxious at this moment. She put down the bowl and asked Yu Yichen, "What are your plans? You have to tell me first."
Seeing that she refused to eat, Yu Yichen scooped up some soup and fed it to her himself, saying, "If Du Wu wants to become regent, he'll have to suffer some hardships. As for me, I'll find somewhere else to go. Let's finish our meal and then make our plans, shall we?"
Zhenshu was filled with anxiety and couldn't eat. She had come to him with the intention of dying, hoping to save him from danger, but she never expected that he would be living a carefree life in the palace with beautiful women by his side and delicious food at his side.
Seeing that Zhen Shu had no appetite, Yu Yichen asked with a smile, "How does the young shopkeeper plan to help me escape?"
Zhenshu pointed to her belly and said, "I am pregnant, and Duke Du has seen it. If he still cares about his grandson, he might spare my life. If you kidnap me, you can probably escape."
He pulled a dagger from his boot, the blade gleaming coldly.
From the very beginning, she proposed to marry Du Yu and requested to see Duke Du, all so that Duke Du would know that she was pregnant, and that she, with her frail body, wanted to ensure the safety of Yu Yichen.
Yu Yichen reached out and took the dagger, looking at it with pity for her naivety and her courage. He pulled her into his arms and sat down, sighing, "Since he wants to reach the pinnacle of power, why would he care about a small fetus in the womb of a poor woman with no family background?"
Zhen Shu said, “I know this is ridiculous, but I am powerless and this is the only way I can think of. I can’t sit in the mounting shop and listen to people say that you are about to be killed or that you are already dead. I have to think of some way, even if it sounds naive and ridiculous.”
After watching her finish the porridge, Yu Yichen took a handkerchief and wiped her lips before saying, "You've seen me now, so go back now."
Zhenshu was somewhat incredulous, and after a long pause, she asked, "You're just telling me to leave like this?"
Yu Yichen laughed and said, "Do you really want to see me die in front of you?"
Seeing that many palace maids around them were standing with their eyes downcast and seemingly not listening to their conversation, Zhenshu lowered her voice and said, "Shall we escape together?"
Yu Yichen helped her up and said, "Why don't we go for a walk?"
Zhenshu thought that once they were outside the palace, she might be able to persuade him, so she went outside with him. After they left, the imperial guards still surrounded the palace like an iron barrel. They walked through the alleys within the high walls, passing one empty gate after another. Zhenshu asked, "Is no one living here?"
Yu Yichen said, "Clean them all up and lock them up in one place to wait."
Seeing that no one was following her, Zhen Shu blocked Yu Yichen's throat and said, "Why don't I wear the Empress's clothes and protect you as you escape? I can run fast and we'll be far away, so the people outside probably won't be able to see me clearly."
Yu Yichen still shook his head and smiled. After walking for a long time, he left the Yanfu Palace area and stood with his hands behind his back in a wide and open space for a long time before saying, "You have prepared a lot of clothes for the children and given all the money to Mei Xun. It seems that you are determined to come with me."
Zhenshu looked up at him and saw that although he was smiling, his eyes were full of pity. Her own eyes welled up with tears, and she choked up, saying, "I know I look ridiculous and shameless. Running away with someone while six months pregnant, I'm afraid there's no one in the world as thick-skinned as me. But I must keep this child, and you and I must go with him. If the child is born, I will raise him myself. I've already asked Meixun to find us a secluded place. If you don't love this child, then never look at him or play with him. I'll raise him alone, okay?"
☆、124|Escape
Yu Yichen bent down and put his arms around Zhenshu's shoulders, saying softly, "I used to dislike pregnant women, finding their figures ugly and unsightly. But now that you're pregnant, I've come to love you even more. It's a bit strange, but the thought of the little baby inside me warms my heart. If I could bear it, I would definitely take you with me, but now I can't even bear it myself, so how can I take you with me?"
Zhen Shu pushed Yu Yichen away, turned her head and stared into his eyes, saying slowly and deliberately, "So, are you planning to abandon me and run away, or die here?"
Yu Yichen pointed to the tall palace gate and said, "Whether you escape or die, you have seen me. From now on, consider me dead and walk out of here."
Zhen Shu sneered and pushed his hand away, saying, "I didn't come here to hear your words. Nor will I leave here. If you stay here, I will wait here until Du Wu's army climbs the ladders or burns down the palace gates and storms in."
She remained as stubborn as ever, even he was afraid of her.
Seeing that she wouldn't listen to his persuasion, Yu Yichen asked again, "Would you like to see the Emperor?"
Zhenshu asked in surprise, "He's still alive?"
Yu Yifa said, "He's dead."
Zhen Shu shook her head and said, "I don't want to see dead people, not even the emperor. Since he's going to die sooner or later, why don't you escape from here before he dies, or perhaps you've already reached a place where Du Wu can't find you?"
Yu Yichen smiled gently as he looked around the empty palace: "It's a matter of loyalty. Since I promised to accompany him on his journey, how can I leave halfway?"
Zhenshu nodded deeply and said, "I am only going with you out of loyalty. You cannot betray him, nor can you betray me."
She wore a bulky, oversized cotton-padded coat, her belly bulging, her shoulders and back bare, and a few unsightly freckles on her face. Her expression sometimes held a hint of reproach, sometimes a touch of smugness—both expressions he loved most. No matter when, where, or what his mood, seeing her made him unable to stop smiling, unable to feel sorrow. For she was his faith, the very essence that nourished him.
Yu Yichen pulled Zhenshu's hand and said, "Shall we go back to Yanfu Palace?"
Zhenshu shook her head: "I don't want to see the Empress. She doesn't seem to like me much. Or perhaps you flirted with her, making her hate you now, and by extension, me."
She pretended to be serious as she said this, but she couldn't hide the jealousy in her eyes. Yu Yichen laughed loudly and said, "Then let's find another place to go."
He led her through palace after palace, deeper and deeper into the inner palace. After about half an hour, they arrived at a narrow alleyway with moss-covered walls and a damp, chilly ground. He passed one dilapidated courtyard after another, then pushed open the rotten door of one of them and led Zhenshu inside. Rows and rows of houses stretched out side by side. They passed through two rows of houses on the side, and when they reached about seven or eight rooms in the middle of the third row, Yu Yichen pushed open the door, pulled Zhenshu to the door, and pointed, saying, "This is where I lived when I first came to the palace. I slept here for two years. The endless fever almost killed me, but I still survived and made it to where I am today."
Zhenshu looked at the row of wooden planks in the damp little house and, for some reason, thought of the small straw hut in the Wuling Mountains. She stared for a long time before asking, "Do you live alone?"
Yu Yichen said, "At most, there were four children; at least, I was the only one left. I was always sick, and they gradually refused to live with me anymore. They moved away because they found someone they were on good terms with."
Zhenshu asked, "How long have you been here all alone?"
Yu Yichen said, "It was about a year. I remember the summer rainstorms that flooded the foot of the bed, and I also remember the winter snow that covered the dormitory bed and gradually buried me."
From then on, no matter where he went or how thick his clothes were, he could not shake off the bone-chilling cold. Only when he was with her could he escape the unbearable cold for a moment.
He pulled Zhenshu into his arms and turned around, saying, "I crawled out of here not to die in the palace, so I will not die. But I cannot take you with me. I cannot let you and your child live a life of wandering with me. Now that you have seen me, you should go back and live a good life with Du Yu. As long as you remember me in your heart, it is as if I am still here, okay?"
Zhen Shu shook her head and pushed Yu Yichen, saying, "No, I don't want to go back. I have no intention of going back now that I'm here. I will follow you wherever you go. If we really end up being hunted down and about to die, at least I will be there to protect you."
Yu Yichen reached out and stroked her stomach, saying, "But you still have a child. You can't come with me with such a big belly."
Zhenshu pushed his hand away and said, "I can't abandon him, and I can't abandon you. It sounds ridiculous, but can you just pretend he doesn't exist? I know how to take care of a child, and I'll make sure he won't bother you, okay?"
Yu Yichen took her hand and led her out of the small courtyard. The two walked back along the alley. Zhenshu saw that Yu Yichen was determined not to take her with him, and felt a pang of sadness. She tentatively asked, "If you don't want to die here, how can you get out of this palace? Do you want to fight your way out?"
Yu Yichen shook his head: "Guess."
Zhenshu exclaimed in surprise, "Could there really be an underground passage?"
Yu Yichen smiled and said, "Yes."
Zhenshu took his hand and said, "Then let's go quickly."
Yu Yichen shook his head: "We need to wait for the right opportunity. Besides, the tunnel has been in disrepair for many years, with many places collapsed. The tunnel is also long and narrow. If it is not cleared and unblocked beforehand, the air inside will not circulate and we may suffocate."
Zhen Shu angrily said, "Since there is a tunnel, why can't you take me with you?"
Seeing that Yu Yichen remained silent, she knew that he would not change her mind no matter how much she tried to persuade him. She reached into her bosom and took out a small lotus lantern, holding it in her hands and asking, "Do you remember this?"
Yu Yichen held the gift between his two fingers and smiled, "This is a gift for you."
It was three years ago, on the Lantern Festival. He had errands to run outside the palace, and as he passed the palace gate, he saw many palace maids making lotus lanterns. Since ancient times, girls have loved to be pretty, and the young palace maids were no exception. One of the bolder ones held up a lotus lantern and asked with a smile, "Eunuch Yu, would you like a lotus lantern to pray for a good marriage?"
It was common for eunuchs and palace maids to engage in clandestine sexual relationships. Lonely and hopeless in the deep palace, and knowing that most eunuchs were of lewd appearance and cunning nature, they hoped to catch the eye of this handsome chief eunuch. Yu Yichen tapped the young palace maid's eyebrows and suddenly remembered a woman. Her eyebrows were too thick and dark, giving her an overly heroic air. She glared at him with her round almond-shaped eyes, bowing deeply and calling him "Your Excellency." A sudden surge of excitement filled him. He lightly picked up the lotus lantern and examined it. As the carriage started moving, he tucked the lantern into his robes.
If they hadn't met in that bookstore, perhaps their paths would never have crossed again. But they did meet, and their lives became intertwined, forging a bond that, in the end, all stemmed from that little lotus lantern.
Seeing him holding the lotus lantern in silence, Zhenshu sniffed, her nose slightly chilled by the cold wind, and said, "You once said that I should use this lotus lantern to pray for a good marriage. I've kept it all this time because I can't find a better match than you. If you insist on not taking me with you, then take me out of the city to the canal, and we can release it into the canal together, so I can see the fun, okay?"
Today marks the fourth Ghost Festival since they met.
He needs to escape, so he must leave the city; if not the official road, he'll have to take the waterway. If she gets out of the city with him, he'll probably be willing to take her with him.
Yu Yichen looked at Zhenshu, as if he could see through her thoughts, and said softly, "If you really want to come with me, I will take you with me."
These words were like heavenly music to her. Zhen Shuxi climbed up to Yu Yichen's neck and kissed him twice before saying, "I will definitely not be a burden to you. If there are really pursuers and we can't escape, I will leave you, okay?"
Yu Yichen handed the lotus lantern back to Zhenshu, and after seeing her carefully put it in her bosom, he said, "Although the Sage doesn't like you, she's the only place where we can eat right now. Let's go there and wait warmly until we can leave the city. Is that alright?"
Zhenshu nodded vigorously and said, "Yes."
Walking down an alley behind them, the high-walled courtyard was crowded with palace maids dressed in silk or plain clothes. They had been starving for two whole days and didn't know how much longer they would have to go hungry. The rooms were too crowded, so they squeezed outside, fighting over territory and settling old scores. The high palace walls blocked the women's heated argument, while the armed imperial guards outside watched coldly without blinking.
Du Yu was still standing outside the Donghua Gate; it was already noon. Three hours had passed since Zhen Shu entered the palace, and neither she nor Yu Yichen had come out. They knew nothing of the situation inside. Today was the Lantern Festival; if they couldn't capture the palace soon, not only would the Prince of Liangzhou, but several nearby princes would likely bring their troops to defend the emperor.
As the sun began to set, and with the Lantern Festival approaching, the two-day curfew was about to be lifted, fearing that the citizens of each neighborhood would rise up in revolt. Du Wu finally lost his patience, drew his long sword, and ordered his troops, "Set fire to the palace gates!"
The palace gate was incredibly thick, with massive stones pressing down inside, making it impossible to break open. Only setting it on fire could destroy it. Suddenly, Imperial Guards appeared at the Donghua Gate, raining down arrows. The soldiers swung their swords and spears, but some were still unable to dodge and were struck by arrows, falling into the moat. Unable to break through this gate after a prolonged siege, Du Wu led another group of men to set fire to the Xuande Gate.
The Xuande Gate was poorly guarded, and flames suddenly shot up from the gate and continued to burn inwards with the wind.
Inside the Chuigong Hall of the palace, Zhenshu put on a black short jacket and couldn't help but ask Yu Yichen, "Where did you get these two people?"
Yu Yichen, also dressed in black, watched Mei Fu handling the corpse and explained, "It was prepared long ago; someone my size is the same."
☆、125|Escape
Zhenshu pointed to the other plump maid and asked, "So, is this me?"
Yu Yichen smiled bitterly, "If you insist on coming with me, where are we going to find a pregnant woman in this palace? If we set fire to the palace, we can burn her first before burning the house, and maybe we can get away with it."
Zhen Shu felt a chill run down her spine and asked, "Did you kill her to take me away?"
Yu Yichen couldn't bear to make Zhenshu feel guilty, so he gave Mei Fu a look. Mei Fu quickly explained, "These past few days, there have been changes in the palace. Some palace maids who were already in poor health have naturally died, so there's no need to kill any more."
Zhen Shu felt a chill run down her spine. She had Yu Yichen pull her hand and led her outside. They hadn't gone far when they saw flames soaring into the sky from the tall palace. Mei Fu also screamed and rushed out. Yu Yichen continued to run with her, and when they were almost at the inner city gate, they saw that flames were also soaring into the sky outside.
He pulled her into the government hall. Flames from the wind outside had already rushed in, causing the doors and windows to rattle and pop. The two stumbled and ran quite a distance inside, finally reaching a locked room. They unlocked the door and then closed it again. Yu Yichen lifted a floorboard, found some tinder, lit a tall candle, and used it to support himself as he took a few steps down. He reached out and pulled Zhenshu down, then climbed back up and lowered the floorboard. Below was a narrow passage, with hoes and other objects placed on the walls.
Seeing that although it was dark, it didn't feel oppressive, Zhenshu asked urgently, "Where does this tunnel lead? Outside the city?"
Yu Yichen walked quickly ahead and said, "Where could such a long tunnel be dug? This tunnel can only lead to the Yu residence."
They strode forward, but the tunnel grew narrower and narrower. After about fifteen minutes, Yu Yichen suddenly turned around, put his arm around Zhenshu's shoulder, and said, "We've reached the bottom of the moat now. It's a very narrow place with poor ventilation. The tunnel is so narrow that we can only crawl through it. You're pregnant, so you might feel chest tightness. If you really can't stand it, hold on tight to me, and I'll drag you out."
Before Zhenshu could agree, the tunnel ended, leaving only a small, round hole large enough for one person to pass through. The tall candle flickered twice and went out. Yu Yichen darted inside first, followed by Zhenshu in the dark.
Not knowing how long the passage was, Zhenshu felt as if her head was covered in dirt, and her shoulders were so tightly pressed together that she couldn't even muster any strength. Gradually, the air became increasingly scarce, her breathing became heavy, and her heart pounded like a drum. It felt as if she were walking through a tomb, and she was sweating profusely, as if she were about to suffocate at any moment. There was no way back at this point, so she could only keep crawling forward step by step.
The Xuande Gate was burned open, the inner city gates were also on fire, and the Council Hall was also ablaze. Du Yu charged in with his sword, shouting like a madman, "Zhenshu, Song Zhenshu!"
Suddenly, he captured a eunuch, Mei Fu, who was on duty with Yu Yichen. He held his sword to Mei Fu's neck and asked, "Where is Yu Yichen?"