Her only way out was for him to die.

    Beneath a beautiful, smiling face, Jia Wu was seething with a rage like erupting flames. The hatred and anger stirred like a storm in her heart. The more she loved Fang Ning, the more she despised the Empress Dowager. The only thing that could hurt the Empress Dowager to the brink of death was the tears of Fang Ning.

    Jia Wu knew well that if the coward Dong Yang couldn’t bear the torture, he would surely speak her name. The punishment she would receive would be severe and harsh. The only way for her to survive was if Dong Yang could no longer speak. So, as evening approached, she dressed carefully and seized the opportunity to act.

    "The Princess has ordered me to bring this mantou[1] to the prisoner."

    "Leave it there. We will bring it to the prisoner ourselves." The two soldiers were instructed directly by Yan Shi Jin to watch the prisoner closely. Jia Wu, carrying the food tray, smiled and took out some liquor, trying to get close to Dong Yang.

    "The Princess has some words for the prisoner. Would you dare to refuse her order? Take this liquor to warm yourselves. I'll only be a moment."

    "Alright, but make it quick, or Master Cheng Xi will reprimand us."

    "Thank you."

    Dong Yang was not kept in a stone building but a makeshift cage on a cart. He was shackled, with a cloth gag in his mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue to commit suicide. His body was battered, his eyes swollen, his cheeks bruised, and his head caked with dried blood. When Dong Yang looked up and saw Jia Wu, a spark of hope flickered in his desperate eyes.

    "How are you? I’m sorry for hitting you," Jia Wu gently removed the gag from Dong Yang's mouth, wiping his face and eyes with tears. "I couldn’t sleep all night, worried something might happen to you."

    "Jia Wu, I... I’m fine. Even if I have to die, I won’t hurt you."

    "Why?"

    "The truth is... the one I love is not the princess, but you... Jia Wu... I love you." Tears streamed down Dong Yang’s face. His confession shook Jia Wu deeply. She lifted the edge of her shirt to dab his tears before offering him a small piece of mantou.

    "Oh, Dong Yang... You know I'm already betrothed."

    "Yes, I know. I know there’s no survival for me... So, I wanted you to know. Help me get free, and let’s escape together. My family has business in the north. I won’t let you suffer."

    "Don’t say anything yet. Eat the mantou first. Here, let me feed you."

    A clap sounded from one corner, and the piece of mantou paused near Dong Yang’s mouth. When Jia Wu turned to see who made the sound, she saw a rough, muscular hunter standing with his arms crossed, smiling. Every gesture he made was full of energy, as if nothing could shake this man. Somehow, he had moved unnoticed, and suddenly the tray of mantou she had brought was knocked over by a stone, scattering and soiling the ground.

    "The method you used was too slow, and the amount of rat poison you put in the mantou was not enough to kill him."

    "You! What are you talking about? I don’t understand," Jia Wu exclaimed, flustered, but Dong Yang immediately realized that she had intended to kill him.

    "You used me."

    "I didn’t deceive you at all. You made your own choices. I'm sorry, I knew you wouldn't betray me, but the best keeper of secrets is a dead one."

    "You-You are cruel..."

    The more ruthless, the more likely to survive. Jia Wu admired the pain reflected in Dong Yang’s eyes without flinching. She spoke confidently to Yan Shi Jin, "I was merely avenging the princess, acting on impulse. Even if you report this to the princess, she loves me like a true sister. At most, I would kneel and cry, admitting my guilt, and she would forgive me."

    "Don’t worry, I am actually on your side."

    "On my side?" Jia Wu clearly expressed her disbelief.

    "I will prove it."

    A tall figure moved slowly like a majestic tiger, twirling a knife carelessly in his hand. But in an instant, Dong Yang’s throat was slashed, blood spurting like a burst pipe. Jia Wu was shocked to the point of fainting but stood firm, silently watching Dong Yang writhing in agony until he died before her eyes. Before Jia Wu could react, a small sachet was thrown in front of her. She immediately recognized it as Princess Fang Ning’s sachet.

    "My snooping nature is hard to cure. The beautiful princess’s sachet was so lovely... I couldn’t resist taking a closer look. I never knew that the nobles liked to carry a potent Yang Jin Hua[2] on their body."

    "You!"

    Jia Wu was startled, her secrets uncovered in a flash. Recently, she had been secretly mixing Yang Jin Hua into Fang Ning’s sachet to facilitate Dong Yang’s actions, but she had made a huge miscalculation—the appearance of this man.

    "Who... who are you really?"

    "I am a hunter who trades in money. The deeper a beast hides, the more I enjoy hunting it," Yan Shi Jin stood tall and imposing like a mountain, his sharp eyes devoid of any smile. His skillful knife-twirling, used to end Dong Yang’s life, was intimidating. The previous night, hiding in a tree, he had caught a faint scent of Yang Jin Hua from Fang Ning. Pretending to get closer to confirm, he became sure she had been drugged.

    "Such trivial tricks are all too familiar to me from the courtesan quarters. Ah… Lady Jia Wu, I could see that you despise the beautiful princess greatly."

    "You know now, are you going to kill me?"

    "Don’t reproach like that. Right now, Yan Region wants to take the princess as a hostage to exchange for Princess Yong An’s return. You think... how much money could I make by delivering her to Yan Region?"

    "If you don't know your own status, I won't speak."

    Yan Shi Jin listened to this maid and grinned mockingly, quickly clasping hands in a respectful bow. "A good bird chooses a tree to nest in, and one should abandon a rotten tree. If the lady cooperates, I will generously share the money."

    "The words from a thief like you are unreliable. Keep your money; I do not need it."

    "It's truly surprising. Money could even hire ghosts to mill the flour[3], yet you reject it. So, what do you want?"

    "I want her to suffer hell on earth, to neither live in peace nor die in peace. I'll make the Empress Dowager come and kneel to beg for my forgiveness," Jia Wu's face showed a fierce resolve, her ruthlessness even impressing Yan Shi Jin, who could not help but whistle to admire her cruelty. Even when witnessing he man who loved her being killed right in front of her, she remained unphased. Such cold-blooded nature suits the battlefield, not servitude.

    "Just curious, why do you hate the beautiful princess so much?"

    "Huh! Born a servant, one must bow until death. We risk our lives for others, sacrifice our happiness for others, and ultimately, we must die for others. She is the princess who stands above everyone else, indifferent and unbothered by anyone's demise. The Empress Dowager frames me and torments me to the living hell, yet she does nothing to help. I will return the favor in kind; it is only fitting."

    Yan Shi Jin secretly felt a headache; women's reasons can be so trivial. "I'm sure that when the beautiful princess falls into enemy hands, that Empress Dowager will surely cough up blood."

    "Good! Tell me what you want me to do."

    "To deceive others, one must first deceive one's own.” He picked up a grass stalk to chew on. “I'll have you disguise as the princess and travel with the convoy, while the real princess will be lured to the forces of the Yan Region."

    "And if I'm caught instead of her?"

    "Do you think the beautiful princess would just abandon you?"

    Jia Wu was silent before smiling. If she were captured, the truly kind princess would surely order to come back and rescue. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, thinking of the prophetic dream she had the night before the journey. It was all happening so fast.

    I will wear the golden garment…

    I will wear the golden garment...

    "Even if you're captured, just insist that you are the real princess and assert that Princess Yong An is still alive. At most, they'll just detain you to negotiate with Li Wang. While you sit back and relax, think about what the beautiful princess will go through," Yan Shi Jin spun his dagger so fast it was a blur. "No matter who gets caught, I make money. If you want the beautiful princess to have some fun, you must take the initiative before her."

    "She will be sold into slavery or become a courtesan, a plaything for men, hehe." Jia Wu began to feel satisfied with his cunning wit, agreeing to cooperate.

    "Talking to you makes more sense than talking to that turtle, Dong Yang. Initially, I intended just to ruin the princess's purity for fun, but it turns out you are more cunning than I thought. I'm confident I can impersonate her perfectly. My appearance is similar to hers, and I know her mannerisms well. My needlework skills are no less than hers. The people of the Yan Region have never met the real princess. Just by covering my face, they wouldn't know any better. I'll do as you instructed."

    "Please, take care of it."

    Yan Shi Jin smiled, bowing slightly. She thought of burning others, unaware she's burning down her own house. When he was ordered to assassinate the Princess of Li Region to avenge his sister, his father and brothers were furious, their eyes blazing. They loudly vowed to chop Princess Fang Ning's body into pieces as a reprisal. If Yan Shi Jin were to change the order capriciously, he had to ensure that Fang Ning would not become a vent for the fury of war. Jia Wu, therefore, was the first choice as a most suitable helper.

    Yan Shi Jin smirked as he watched Jia Wu's departing figure, thinking to himself that her temperament was indeed suited for war.

    "Your Highness,"

    Three men in black knelt, waiting for orders in the shadows. Yan Shi Jin then threw a dagger to pin on Dong Yang's corpse, the dagger bearing the emblem of the Lian Region.

    "Gather everyone. I want the beautiful princess to be my captive exclusively."

    The three men looked at each other before accepting the order, "Understood, Your Highness."

[1] Mantou, or Chinese steamed bun, is a white and soft type of steamed bread or bun popular in northern China.

[2] Yang Jin Hua (洋金花) is a type of flower where both the petals and leaves are toxic. Used in small amounts, it is harmless and can even repel insects. However, prolonged use can lead to poisoning. Fresh flowers and leaves, if they come into direct contact with the skin, can cause the skin to peel. Dried flowers and leaves are ground into powder; inhaling too much can cause headaches and weakness. Continuous inhalation over a long period, or if brewed for drinking, can lead to muscle paralysis and heart failure, especially if inhaled or ingested after engaging in sexual activities, as it acts particularly quickly in such circumstances.

[3] It is an idiom to express that money is the most powerful force that it can buy anything and ask anyone to do the impossible to become possible.