Li Yuanli never considered himself inferior.
The world is unpredictable—he just lacked a bit of luck.
"Stealing another's love and still making excuses!" Li Yuanjing's face darkened. "Lift the curse sooner, or I will lead an army to crush Southern Chu!"
Li Yuanli raised a brow, his presence undiminished. "Then fight. Who's afraid of whom?"
The two stood like fire and ice, on the verge of clashing again.
Shen Wei rubbed her temples, exasperated. "What’s the point of fighting? Starting a war between two nations over a trivial matter—what kind of foolish rulers are you? The people have finally found peace, and you’d make them holess and displaced?"
"Use your heads! Grown n acting like brainless pigs!"
At Shen Wei’s words, the two fell silent.
Neither dared provoke her further.
Shen Wei couldn’t allow war to reignite. If the two nations fought again, not only would the people suffer, but her vast comrcial empire would face devastating losses.
She couldn’t let chaos persist—war was no ti for business.
Boom—
A deafening noise echoed from outside the courtyard.
Shen Wei stood abruptly as Li Chengyou rushed in, breathless. "Father! Mother! Two thousand private soldiers are approaching from the southeast—likely Southern Chu’s forces!"
He glared at Li Yuanli. "Last night, we agreed to a truce, yet today you mobilize troops? Hypocrite! Not only did you mistreat Mother, but now you plan to capture Father and ?"
Li Yuanli arched a brow. "I never mistreated your mother. I intend to marry her."
Li Chengyou: "..."
Shen Wei rapped the table. "Did you summon these soldiers?"
Li Yuanli shook his head. "No."
Just then, a Southern Chu cavalryman entered with a report: the private forces were remnants of Chancellor Tuoba’s faction, aiming to capture Li Yuanli and seize control of Southern Chu’s court.
Li Yuanjing sneered. "Useless. Can’t even clean up a re chancellor’s remnants."
Li Yuanli shot back, "When you purged Da Qing’s noble houses, did it happen overnight?"
As the two bickered again, Shen Wei felt a headache brewing. Two incompetent fools, drowning in chaos, yet still finding ti to argue—could they not prioritize?
She slamd the table. "Enough! Li Yuanli, how many Southern Chu cavalry remain?"
"Two hundred. Half severely wounded." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
Shen Wei closed her eyes, thinking fast. The Southern Chu cavalry and Da Qing’s Tiger Guards were elite, but last night’s brawl had left them weakened. They stood no chance against two thousand private soldiers.
Their only option was to flee.
"Li Yuanli," Shen Wei said, "the nearest Southern Chu military outpost is a hundred li east, in Haicheng. Send soone for reinforcents."
"The Tuoba remnants are here to capture the Southern Chu emperor. Two thousand soldiers are no joke. We’ll split into three groups to divide their forces. Li Yuanjing, have the Tiger Guards disguise themselves as Southern Chu cavalry and head west with Moxun. Li Yuanli and I will go north. Chengyou, you’re a strong swimr—take a small group of Tiger Guards to the ships, fake an escape by sea, then jump overboard when the ti’s right. Regroup after Haicheng’s forces crush the remnants."
Her strategy was concise and clear.
The room fell silent.
Li Yuanjing’s heart pounded. He never expected Shen Wei to understand military tactics. His Weiwei was endlessly captivating.
Li Chengyou was awestruck. "Mother! Dividing three ways to scatter two thousand soldiers—simplifying the complex! Incredible!"
Who knew his palace-bound mother had such strategic brilliance?
Li Yuanli nodded. "Agreed."
Li Yuanjing frowned. "Weiwei, I’ll take you west." He couldn’t bear to let Li Yuanli travel with her.
Shen Wei rose on her toes, brushing her fingers against Li Yuanjing’s handso face. "Be good," she murmured. "My plan has its reasons."
Her touch was warm, comforting.
Li Yuanjing thought: Fine.
He’d listen to Shen Wei.
Ti was short. Orders were swiftly carried out. Within minutes, the three groups scattered across the southern coast, vanishing into the distance.
...
Horses galloped.
They distanced themselves from the shore, riding deep into remote wilderness. The pursuing soldiers dwindled. Li Yuanli fought fiercely to protect her.
By nightfall, they finally shook off their pursuers.
Shen Wei’s frail body couldn’t endure hours on horseback. Dismounting, she clutched her chest and retched violently, emptying her stomach until she swayed, lightheaded.
"Drink." Li Yuanli handed her a waterskin.
She sipped, but nausea still churned within her. Her head spun, her steps unsteady as if walking on clouds.
"More water?" Li Yuanli asked.
She waved him off. "No... If not for you, I wouldn’t be in this ss."
His grip on the waterskin tightened.
Gazing at her pallid face, he knew she spoke the truth.
Under the starless sky, they rested in a cave. Two cavalryn stood guard outside. The fire within cast a feeble warmth.
Too queasy to eat, Shen Wei leaned against the rocks, half-lidded eyes soaking in the fire’s glow.
Li Yuanli draped his coat over her. Even then, her fra felt alarmingly slight—like a bundle of fragile bones.
The mountain wind howled outside. Inside, the fire crackled softly. Li Yuanli pulled her close, letting her rest against his shoulder. Exhausted, she shut her eyes.
"Have I caused you pain?" he asked.
Shen Wei sighed. "You finally noticed..."
After decades of toil, she’d barely tasted retirent before being thrust into Southern Chu’s chaos. More than once, she’d wanted to stab Li Yuanli.
He fell silent, the firelight flickering in his eyes.
Just as drowsiness claid her, his voice ca low: "Shen Wei, I’ve tried my best to treat you well. Yet everything I do only worsens things.
"My whole life, I’ve chosen the wrong paths. Never finding the right one."
He wanted her, yet hurt her.
With him, she only suffered.
Li Yuanli was lost. He didn’t know how to love her.
His mother had died long ago, never teaching him how. He’d clawed his way through bloodshed, ruling with an iron fist, yet couldn’t earn even a glance from Shen Wei.
"Shen Wei," he asked, "tell . What do you want?"
The fire popped. She lifted her head, voice hoarse. "I once longed to return to my world. But that’s impossible. Now, I just want to return to my body in Da Qing and live out my days in peace."
The night was still. The wind whispered.
Li Yuanli said, "Alright."
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