Mercenary Princess - Chapter 107
Seeing this, Rongyue knew clearly that Dongfang Yao's threat had successfully threatened the general, and that the Great Desert Orchid would certainly not be obtained today.
Filled with resentment and anger, Rongyue glared at Dongfang Yao, then with a wave of her hand, turned her horse around and returned to the group.
"Cao Sen, I'll give you three days. You decide what to do! Men, take this defeated opponent and head back!"
"Your Highness!" Cao Sen cried out in alarm, gripping his longsword and desperately trying to save him.
Giving Cao Sen a warning look that said "Don't move," Dongfang Yao turned to look at him and warned, "You'd better guard that orchid! Remember what I said!"
Watching helplessly as Dongfang Yao was taken away right before his eyes, Cao Sen slammed his sword hilt against his head, utterly distressed: "What on earth is going on?!"
...
After closing Chaoyang Gate, the army returned to the palace in a grand procession.
"Little San!" As soon as Rong Yue dismounted, Tuoba Chen, who had been waiting in the palace for a long time, rushed forward and embraced her, anxiously searching her body to make sure she was alright.
Such intimate actions in front of the three armies made Rongyue blush and feel somewhat embarrassed.
Grasping his hands that were groping her, Rongyue whispered, "I'm fine..."
After freeing himself from Rongyue's hand, Tuoba Chen still checked her over again, not entirely reassured. Only after confirming that she was alright did he finally breathe a long sigh of relief.
"Little San—" Tuoba Chen murmured affectionately, "I was so worried about you! Why did you take so long? I was so anxious in the palace, waiting and waiting, thinking something had happened to you. I was almost driven crazy with worry! If you hadn't come back, even if I was blind, I would have crawled to the battlefield to question you about why you broke your promise time and time again..." He tightened his arms around Rong Yue with affection, buried his head in Rong Yue's thick hair, feeling the smoothness of her hair. Tuoba Chen squinted his eyes and sighed softly, his expression full of deep satisfaction.
The beautiful and touching scene didn't last long before it was shattered by a roar filled with anger—
"Shameless!!"
Her almond-shaped eyes flashed with blood: "Say that again!"
The colored contact lenses were tinged with sorrow: "You, utterly shameless, why are you still so lewd..."
Volume Two: The Resolute Heroines' Chronicle, Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Second Standoff
"Damn it!" Zhang He roared, furiously dismounting and slamming his fist into Dongfang Yao's fair face, a face of unparalleled beauty. "You bastard, what are you saying! You shameless little bastard, are you tired of living?! I'll beat you to death, you son of a bitch!" As he spoke, his fists rained down on Dongfang Yao like a storm.
The words "bastard" jolted Rongyue's nerves, and vivid memories suddenly surfaced from her dream, shattering the tranquility of her heart.
"Enough, Zhang He! Step back!" After dismissing Zhang He, who was still not satisfied with the fight, Rong Yue gestured for Tuoba Chen to release his grip and then stepped in front of Dongfang Yao.
With his hands tied behind his back, Dongfang Yao fell to the ground in a disheveled state, his face bruised and bloodied. He turned his head to wipe his bleeding lips on his shoulder, struggled to sit up, and looked up at Rong Yue with a sorrowful and resentful gaze: "Kill me!"
Looking down at Dongfang Yao, Rongyue smiled cruelly: "Kill you? Do you think I would? You should know that this general still needs to rely on you, young prince, to obtain the Great Desert Orchid!"
Dark and turbulent emotions raged in his eyes, and the jealousy and anger churning in Dongfang Yao's heart seemed to pierce the heavens! He stomped his feet hard on the ground and shouted angrily, "Don't even think about it! Don't even think about it! Even if I destroy it, I won't hand it over to you even a fraction!" Little did he know that his harsh words, spoken through gritted teeth, were mostly driven by resentment.
"Then we'll see, Your Highness!" With a clang, the armor trembled, and Rong Yue, her face cold, turned to leave.
"Don't go—" Seeing Rongyue turn around in front of him, Dongfang Yaoshen suddenly panicked and let out a frantic scream, like a child who had been separated from his parents, with great fear gathering in his eyes.
His legs were eager to push him up, but his body, which was leaning forward sharply, was clearly moving in the opposite direction to his legs, which were trying to stand. His legs buckled, and his body fell heavily to the ground like a broken doll.
"Don't leave me, my wife..." Sobbing softly, Dongfang Yao crawled on the ground until she reached Rongyue's feet, curling up and pressing down on her feet as she tried to move forward. Her beautiful eyes were tightly closed, and large, hot tears trembled as they slid down her thick eyelashes, leaving clear streaks on her mud-covered face, then sliding down her chin and wetting the cold mud.
Quickly turning her face away from Dongfang Yao's pale expression, Rongyue gazed at the setting sun and the lingering glow on the horizon, letting out a frustrated sigh. After a long while, she irritably waved her hand at the guard beside her: "Take him to the cell and keep him under strict guard!" Pulling her feet away from that once warm and comforting chest, Rongyue turned and left without looking back.
Behind them, came Dongfang Yao's heart-wrenching cries and sobs...
"Hey, do you think this young prince from the Eastern Dynasty has gone mad? How could he call our General's wife?"
"Exactly, he doesn't seem quite right to me! I've heard that this young prince is actually an idiot!"
"Yes, yes. I heard about it too! He was originally an idiot, but somehow, he became a better person overnight!"
"But judging from his appearance, could it be that his mental illness has relapsed?"
"Yeah, I guess so. Otherwise, why would they randomly choose wives?"
"However, he is so handsome, he is just as good-looking as the Second Prince... Do you think the General might take a liking to him?"
"Shh—don't talk nonsense, how can you gossip about such things?"
"I'm not making this up! Come closer, come closer, let me tell you, our general might actually have feelings for this prince! While the general was dueling with him, I counted carefully, and the general showed mercy no less than twenty times—"
"No less than twenty times?! Really?"
"If you don't believe me, go ask the veteran generals. They have sharp eyes and see it clearly..."
...
After Rongyue left, the soldiers pointed at Dongfang Yao, who had been taken away, and whispered among themselves, gossiping. When they got excited, sighs and murmurs arose. Not far away, Tuoba Chen listened to the commotion. Although his face remained expressionless, the clenched fist under his sleeve betrayed his emotions.
He knew the mistress's personality very well; she would never let that man make more than twenty moves for no reason...
The night was cool and still.
Clutching the thin quilt, Rongyue tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Frustrated, she opened her eyes, glanced at the man sleeping soundly beside her, and quietly got up, got out of bed, and left the palace.
Little did she know, the moment she got out of bed, Tuoba Chen's tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open, and his outstretched hand gradually pulled inward, gripping the corner of the thin quilt tightly...
The moon was bright, the wind was gentle, the stars were sparse, and the clouds were light. Strolling through the luxurious and opulent inner gardens of the palace, Rongyue breathed in the unique scent of the night, subconsciously trying to dispel the lingering, inexplicable melancholy that had been building up in her heart…
"General!" The two soldiers guarding the prison gates called out respectfully, giving a military salute.
Her expression suddenly froze. She quickly looked around and realized with a start that she had unknowingly found herself in front of the cell door. Instinctively, she turned to leave, but after taking a step, her back foot remained rooted to the spot, and she didn't follow.
Since we're here, why not take a look?