Acuerdo de Mu Yucheng

Capítulo 97

Because her arms were being pulled in opposite directions by two forces, Wanlan felt as if she were naked and covered in ice and snow. Her body was completely numb with cold. She stared blankly at the bundle that had fallen to the ground and said in a low voice, "You two... let go!"

"lady……"

"Lan'er..."

Wanlan closed her eyes, took a step back, and then forcefully shook her hands to break free from their grip. However, due to the excessive force, she was thrown backward by the rebound, lost her footing on the slope behind her, and unexpectedly fell into the weeds, then rolled downhill...

As a sharp pain shot through the back of her head, she felt an icy chill rush into her nostrils. In a daze, she felt herself struggling to breathe, and then she gradually lost consciousness...

Volume 5, Chapter 92, "After Parting, I Don't Know How Far You Are" (1)

On the fourth day of the seventh month in the second year of the Taiping Xingguo era, the Yellow River dike in Rongze County breached. Due to continuous torrential rains, the river swelled and the dike was destroyed. The small county of Rongze was submerged by the Yellow River in an instant.

The muddy, murky river flowed southward like a vast ocean. Everywhere on the river, one could find driftwood and various other objects floating downstream. On one of the larger bamboo pillars, a grayish-blue bundle was hooked. The bundle was soaked with water and mud, looking filthy and messy. Yet, a hand on the bank scooped it up.

The girl in blue who retrieved the bundle trembled with fear as she opened it. Tears welled in her eyes instantly, and with a soft sob, she turned and rushed towards the group of people nearby. She spoke in a hoarse voice to one of the men in white standing by the riverbank with his hands behind his back:

"Sir...this bundle—"

Before he finished speaking, the grayish-blue bundle had already changed hands. The man in white gripped the bundle tightly with both hands, ignoring the mud and water he wrung out that had stained his clothes a dark yellow. His originally stiff body began to tremble slightly.

Wanlan... Wanlan...

How could he just let go and leave her without looking back!

"Master, the Prince of Yan said that Lan Wu jumped into the river with his wife, and he will definitely protect her with his life!" Xuan'er said softly, biting her lip, whether she was comforting her grieving master or herself.

She should have been on guard! If she had been more careful when she went to see the Prince of Yan that day, she wouldn't have been ambushed by him and sent away from the Madam's side. Then the Madam would certainly not be in trouble today.

"...Keep searching."

"Defang".

Four men, a few steps away from Zhao Defang, approached him. Zhao Ling (Note: Zhao Guangyi. The same applies below) called out to him, "You have been searching day and night for five days, traveling downstream from Rongze. Rest here for a day and continue tomorrow. I will have Eunuch Wang take more men to search for you."

"No need!"

Zhao Defang gripped the bundle tightly in his hands, his low, hoarse voice refusing firmly, "I only beg Your Majesty to spare me and Wanlan, I... will be eternally grateful."

"Defang!" Zhao Zhi glared at him angrily. "What did you say?"

Slowly closing his eyes, Zhao Defang hugged the bundle in his arms, ignoring the yellow liquid that had soaked through his clothes. He simply let out a long breath and suddenly realized that everything he had been worried about, cared about, and doubted had become utterly illusory at this moment, so illusory that it had no form. The only thing remaining in his body was a faint plea, a plea for heaven to show him a little mercy and let him hold the hand he had let go of once more.

The only woman who truly understood him, comprehended him, and painfully sacrificed herself for him—he should do everything in his power to protect her, not selfishly hurt her for his own sake.

Beside Zhao Ling was Wang Ji'en, who was accompanying her, and on the other side was Zhao Dezhao. He had been silent ever since he had hurriedly sent Xiao Luzi back to the capital five days ago to tell Zhao Defang about Wanlan's accident. He knew that he was responsible for the accident, but he didn't know how to tell his younger brother.

Seeing his resolute break, Zhao Dezhao took a step forward with his hands behind his back and called out to him, "Defang, about this matter—"

"Brother, please don't speak."

Zhao Defang abruptly turned to face them, her pale face concealing deep pain. "Don't say anything. I'm afraid I'll regret it. I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself and will want to hate you..."

He had respected his elder brother since childhood. If it weren't for his uncle, he wouldn't have married Princess Deqing, nor would he have met Wanlan. He knew that his admiration for his elder brother would have lasted his entire life if none of this had happened. However, he did not regret taking away the woman who originally belonged to his elder brother. Without Princess Deqing, Wanlan would not have appeared in his life.

His guilt towards his elder brother, his gratitude for the protection he received from his uncle over the years, and his mother's constant doting affection all occupied a very important place in his life. Even knowing that Wanlan understood him and could comprehend his feelings, he forced her to share these concerns with him, completely ignoring her feelings and safety.

His words provoked Su Li, who was standing behind Zhao Dezhao, to express her indignation. She bit her lip and couldn't help but defend Zhao Dezhao, saying, "The person you originally wanted to spend your life with was His Highness the Prince of Yan. You can't hate him!"

"How dare you!" Wang Ji'en snapped. "This is none of your business to speak!"

Zhao Defang merely smiled faintly, meeting Zhao Dezhao's expressionless face, "Brother, you already know she's not a princess. Although I don't know when you realized it, you believed it, which is why you made that request of me. The reason I agreed to let her stay was because I guessed you might have found out."

He never told Wanlan about these things.

Upon first hearing that his elder brother was actually staying in Rongze, and after gaining a deeper understanding of his brother's life, he was shocked by the brother who was almost consumed by despair. Later, after orchestrating a chance encounter with Su Li and leaving Wanlan in Rongze, he finally realized that his elder brother had indeed learned that Wanlan was not Princess Deqing herself.

"I regret promising to let her stay. I hate you. You not only failed to protect her, but also put her in danger." He closed his eyes in anguish, his voice hoarse. "Do you know? She was over a month pregnant. In such a dangerous flood, she could barely protect herself, let alone the baby?" Wanlan… she was still experiencing morning sickness…

What was he thinking at that time? He couldn't understand why he left so decisively.

Five days have passed, and he simply cannot imagine what her chances of survival are.

Zhao Ling and Zhao Dezhao stared at him in disbelief, quite shocked that they had only learned of such a deadly piece of news five days after the incident.

Zhao Dezhao's face turned deathly pale. He suddenly turned and reached out to grab Su Li's neck without any mercy, his voice icy cold, "Why have you never mentioned such an important matter to me! How did you serve her! You damned servant!"

"Master..." Su Li's eyes widened in horror, and she gasped for breath as she tried to explain herself, "This servant...doesn't know...about this..."

"You don't know! She's your mistress! How could you so blatantly ignore her—"

“Brother,” Zhao Defang closed his eyes wearily and interrupted his anger in a low voice, “there is no point in pursuing these matters now. What I want to tell you is that since you know she is not a princess and has no further connection with you, the troubles between you and her should end here.”

Ignoring the expression on the other person's face and no longer wanting to be upset by him, Zhao Defang turned to Zhao Ling after speaking and said, "Uncle, this time, regardless of whether we can find Wanlan or not, I don't want to turn back. If you truly care about me, then grant me this last request."

"Defang, you don't need—"

"No!"

This time, he would not compromise with anyone. He could no longer waver like this. For Wanlan, he abandoned all his past and would not look back.

"Uncle, my leaving is the best choice. Some old ministers in the court who still care about the past will no longer make things difficult for you. Just consider it... giving me a break."

From this day forward, no matter where he is, he will find the heart he had abandoned, pick it up again, and never let it go again.

While the three Zhao brothers were tirelessly searching for Wanlan, Wanlan, who had been asleep for five days, opened her eyes for the first time in a small town called Hongfeng, which was less than a hundred miles from Rongyang.

She was rescued by a middle-aged couple surnamed He, who had a seven-year-old daughter. It was this seven-year-old girl who found them on the riverbank and called her parents to rescue them.