31: Chapter 31 Beautiful Women Have Often Fate (Part 2)

02

At this moment, inside Fenghua Palace, a tall man dressed in black looked coldly at the person kneeling before him, his voice filled with anger: "Where is she?"

"When this subordinate arrived, the Princess was already gone from the hall," An Yi said, bowing his head respectfully.

"A bunch of useless trash! She is nothing but a sickly weakling; where could she have run to!"

An Yi did not dare to reply, letting his master kick him squarely in the chest. Despite the heart-wrenching pain, he did not dare to dodge in the slightest.

"So, where exactly is the Imperial Jade Seal?" King of West Chu, Chu Yao, lowered his voice, sounding somewhat desperate.

"Heh... I was just wondering, the person who was in the front hall a moment ago vanished in the blink of an eye. So the King of West Chu came here. Did you find the Imperial Jade Seal?" The newcomer, dressed in white robes with a simple belt, holding a folding fan and wearing a headband, looked carefree and unrestrained. He did not look like a general who had seen many battles, but rather like a romantic young master from an aristocratic family.

King of West Chu, Chu Yao, wore a gloomy expression and looked at the newcomer with a sour face. This Li Nanxi, the son of the King of Jiangnan, had always been insidious and cunning; he appeared amicable on the outside but was vicious on the inside. Jiangnan was a wealthy land, and the current King of Jiangnan had many wives and concubines and numerous offspring, yet none stood out. With the King of Jiangnan at the front and Li Nanxi sitting steadily behind the scenes, his methods were by no means insignificant.

"What are you doing here?" Chu Yao scrutinized the newcomer with suspicious eyes, wondering how much of their previous conversation he had overheard.

"Naturally, I came to see a beauty. Rumor has it that Princess Anle is a rare beauty in this world, comparable to a goddess. I am a romantic by nature, so how could I miss this? Pity, it seems the King of West Chu is one step ahead and hid my beauty away."

Chu Yao frowned slightly: "She is not in my hands. When I arrived, she was already gone."

Li Nanxi clearly did not believe him. Fenghua Palace was neither small nor large, and the guards had already searched inside and out; there was nowhere left to hide anyone.

Li Nanxi looked Chu Yao up and down. Seeing that his expression did not seem fake, his own expression became more serious. The imperial palace had already been occupied by the armies of the five states, and the palace was in complete chaos. If the little Princess had taken advantage of the chaos to run out of Fenghua Palace... as a woman of such stunning beauty and lacking the strength to truss a chicken, if she ran into those soldiers, it would likely not end well.

"Bring all the servants who served the little Princess. Order the artists to draw a portrait of the little Princess and distribute it. Search carefully inside and outside the palace. I want to see her alive, or see her corpse."

...

Outside a graveyard in the suburbs of Yandu, the capital of Liang State.

Ming Xia rubbed her arms. Outside the walls, the autumn wind was chilling, the ground was covered in withered leaves, and wild grass grew everywhere. Not far away, a group of crows perched on bare branches. Inside the walls, there were small mounds of earth here and there, along with upright tombstones. Zhao Yan stepped forward and pushed open the wooden door.

It was clear that no one had been here for a long time; the old wooden door let out a creaking sound that sounded somewhat chilling.

"Princess, what are we doing here?" Ming Xia asked, feeling somewhat afraid.

"You will know when we go inside."

"Princess, I beg you, please don't do anything rash!" Ming Xia was both angry and anxious. Forgetting the protocol of not overstepping her bounds, she grabbed the Princess's sleeve and knelt down. "Please think of the Emperor and the Empress; they would surely not want to see you like this. You must live on. Xiao Qi and I will stay by your side. I know embroidery and can help wash clothes; I will take good care of you, Princess."

"Xiao Qi will too!" Xiao Qi also knelt down, knocked his head against the ground with a thud, and crawled to the Princess. "I can carry sandbags and work as a long-term laborer for others. I can support you, Princess!"

Being pulled from left and right, and seeing the two of them crying their eyes out, Zhao Yan felt helpless: "Do you think I would commit suicide?"

The two looked at each other—what else could they think? They had come to a graveyard.

"Everyone, get up. Don't worry, the revenge is not yet taken, and the country is not yet restored; why would I commit suicide? I am just here to meet our new friends."

She did not worry that Xiao Qi and Ming Xia would betray her. In her previous two lives, these two were loyal and died trying to save her. In this life, it was her turn to protect them.

Not long after, they arrived in front of the largest grave. Broken white funeral banners fluttered, and there was no inscription on the tombstone. Zhao Yan bent down and wiped the tombstone intently.

Xiao Qi and Ming Xia did not look closely at what the little Princess was doing, but suddenly they heard a click, and they saw a gap open in the grave behind the tombstone, just enough for one person to pass through.

Zhao Yan lifted her skirt and was about to move forward when Xiao Qi protected her: "Princess, let this servant go down first. My life is worthless."

"Who said it is worthless? Who was the one who said they would support me? Both of you, follow behind me."

Zhao Yan supported herself with one hand and decisively jumped into the crack, sliding down the chute.

The two following her felt that something was wrong, but in their highly tense state, they forgot that their little Princess was physically frail. That move just now was concise and efficient, without any hesitation.

As soon as the three of them went down, the crack above their heads immediately closed. The chute was pitch black, without a trace of starlight. Not long after, the view suddenly opened up, and torches in the corners of the stone chamber illuminated the entire room.

This was a massive underground stone chamber.

Inside, various weapons were displayed, and a group of people dressed in black with black masks, numbering about two hundred, stood in orderly rows. The only one not wearing a mask was a little old man standing at the head of the group; he had white hair and a white beard and looked to be over fifty years old.

"Subject Fu Chu pays respects to Princess Anle—" The old man paused for a moment before kowtowing, and everyone behind him followed suit in unison, kneeling and kowtowing.

Xiao Qi and Ming Xia did not even dare to breathe. What was going on?

Zhao Yan stepped forward calmly, using both hands to help the man up. "Commander Fu, please rise. Commander Fu should understand what my appearance here means."

The old man's eyes instantly turned red.

"There is no Princess Anle in this world anymore, no Liang State."

"Princess, the Emperor, he..."

Zhao Yan met his pleading gaze and nodded almost imperceptibly. The old man could not help but burst into tears.

After some sadness, Fu Chu led Zhao Yan to a quiet room. He already knew that Emperor Liang and the Empress were gone. He said in a deep voice: "The Emperor was wise. At the beginning of his reign, he had already left a contingency plan. At that time, the late Emperor favored treacherous officials, which harmed the foundation of the government. Military power was divided, and feudal lords occupied their own territories... Liang State was no longer the strong Liang State it once was. The reason for establishing this team of secret guards was also out of concern for the safety of the Princess and the Crown Prince... The Emperor instructed this old subject at the time: If Liang State is safe, then no one will ever set foot here; we are the living dead. If someone steps foot here, then the person who arrives is our master."

"I wonder about the Crown Prince..."

"Do not mention him!"

Ever since the little Princess entered, Fu Chu had been observing her without moving a muscle. He had originally thought that the person he would see would be the future ruler of Liang State, but he did not expect it to be Princess Anle.

It was rumored that the little Princess was delicate, precious, and peerlessly beautiful. This peerless beauty—was somewhat disheveled. The clothes on her body were already dirty and messy, and there was dust on the little Princess's face, making it hard to see clearly, but those clear and firm eyes left a deep impression.

This courage did not match the rumors at all.

Fu Chu was an excellent judge of character. This was not some fragile little princess; she was clearly someone with great courage. Seeing them, these murderous people, there was not even a change in her expression, even though the maid behind her was already pale with fear, her hands trembling.

Having gone through such life-altering events, she did not look decadent or depressed; on the contrary, her will was firm and her eyes were clear.

Although he had never met the Crown Prince, he guessed that after experiencing the fall of the country, his state would probably not be better than the little Princess before him.

The most important thing was that the person who came to find him was the little Princess, not the Crown Prince. What did this mean?

The Crown Prince had been abandoned by the late Emperor! Regardless of the reason.

He naturally obeyed the late Emperor, and now he would obey this little Princess.

"The reason why the South Gate of Yandu in Liang State was breached, and my grandfather died in battle, was all thanks to him. What qualification does he have to bear the surname Li! One day, I will execute justice on behalf of the family before the graves of my father and mother."

Zhao Yan spoke softly, but to Fu Chu, it sounded like a stormy sea. The Crown Prince... he actually committed such an act of treason! Why on earth? He was the Crown Prince of Liang State! How could he collude with the rebel army to attack Liang State!

This was the reason why Zhao Yan did not go to find the Crown Prince.

Compared to the Crown Prince, she was indeed more favored by Emperor Liang. Emperor Liang even told her about this elite team of secret guards.

In her first life, the original body finally managed to get rid of Wei Qingli, the son of the East Lake, and reunited with the Crown Prince Li Hong, and the two relied on each other for survival from then on. That was only what she thought, but what about Li Hong? While he acted as a loving brother with her and discussed the great cause of restoring the country, he turned around and sold them out for Saintess Bai of the Hidden Clan. Almost all the old officials of Liang State who supported them were wiped out, including this team of secret guards.

Later, she realized why the Liang State, guarded by the Duke of Zhen, her uncle, and her cousins, was easily breached—it was all thanks to her lovesick Crown Prince brother!

Save him? It would be better to save a dog!

In her second life, the original body died before she could even step out of Fenghua Palace, dying inexplicably.

"Why? The Crown Prince, how could the Crown Prince be so foolish!" Fu Chu was overcome with anger.

"What else could it be for? For so-called love, a woman who does not love him."

It was truly ironic. The disaster-causing beauty who carried the infamy and was spurned by everyone was single-mindedly thinking of avenging her parents and restoring the country. Even if she was bewitched for a time and immersed in love, she never forgot her mission and resolutely severed her ties. And what about the fallen Crown Prince, who was surrounded and held in high hopes by a crowd of loyal followers? He handed the Liang State over, and for the sake of that woman who did not love him, not only did he kill his parents, but he also caused countless followers to lose their lives.

Fu Chu did not doubt Princess Anle's words at all. The fact that the Emperor could tell the Princess the secret hidden in the grave already showed that in the Emperor's heart, the Princess was more trustworthy than the Crown Prince.

After Zhao Yan finished washing up, her gaze swept over the pink dress at hand. With a turn of her wrist, she picked up a black dress.

When Fu Chu saw her again, even at his age, he could not help but be dazed.

Yesterday, when they first met, the three of them were in a sorry state, and their features were unclear. Today, washed clean, this ordinary black dress was worn by the little Princess with an immortal aura. Her eyes, which were clearly charming, were now flashing with starlight, yet carried a deep coolness. Her entire temperament did not seem fake; it was as if she naturally possessed an indifference that kept people thousands of miles away. As for her appearance, it went without saying; she was so beautiful that she did not seem like a mortal.

Originally, Li Yuan had a very serious beauty face, but she had a pair of very unserious peach-blossom eyes that seemed to be seducing whoever she looked at. But since Zhao Yan arrived, the peach-blossom eyes were no longer seductive; they had a mocking smile and a coldness that looked down on all living beings.

Fu Chu coughed lightly, and the secret guards behind him hurriedly lowered their heads, though they were still thinking about the little Princess's appearance in their hearts. Fu Chu thought to himself, the little Princess was only in her early teens, and she was already so stunning. When she grew up, she would likely be even more so. He did not know if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Princess, what is this—"

"Let's put aside these brightly colored, complicated dresses for now. I will follow the Commander to learn martial arts every day in the future, so it would naturally be inconvenient."

"Princess, your body is delicate; how can you endure such hardship!" Ming Xia, upon hearing this, finally woke up from the beauty.

"Do I still have the qualification to be delicate now? I don't trust anyone with my life; it must be firmly grasped in my own hands."

If it were before he met the little Princess, he would not have believed it either. But after seeing her, facing those persistent and confident eyes, for some reason, he actually began to believe that she could really do it.

"It is fine for the Princess to learn martial arts. This subordinate will certainly teach you everything I have learned. Furthermore, practicing martial arts can strengthen the body and build health, which is also beneficial to the Princess's own body." These words barely managed to persuade Ming Xia. Fu Chu added, "However, this subordinate must state in advance that practicing martial arts cannot be achieved overnight. The Princess has already passed the best age for martial arts training, and the process is extremely hard. The Princess might—"

"Commander Fu, please rest assured, I can persevere."

Fu Chu nodded.

Zhao Yan was not really trying to learn martial arts; she just wanted an excuse, an excuse to openly display her martial arts skills to the world. After all, the original Princess Anle had never learned martial arts, and her body was extremely frail. Taking medicine was like eating a meal for her, and Emperor Liang cherished her like the apple of his eye; this was common knowledge.

"Then, then this servant (I) wants to learn too!" Ming Xia and Xiao Qi said at the same time.

Ming Xia's eyes were stubborn: "This servant cannot hold the Princess back."

"This servant also wants to protect the Princess."

Fu Chu also knew that the three of them had survived a life-and-death situation and naturally had a bond forged in adversity. These two servants were loyal, so how could he disagree?

"By the way, to avoid being noticed by people with ulterior motives when we go out in the future, do not call me Princess from now on. Call me Zhao Yan. Ming Xia, Xiao Qi, you do not need to refer to yourselves as servants either; you can address me just like ordinary people."

"But, this is not in accordance with the rules." Xiao Qi and Ming Xia were panicked and waved their hands repeatedly.

Fu Chu thought for a moment and said: "The necessary rules must still be followed, but what the Princess said also makes sense. Then why don't we address the Princess as Young Master?"

Zhao Yan nodded: "That works. Then I will call you Uncle Fu from now on."

After breakfast, Fu Chu took Zhao Yan to tour the underground cave. She did not know if the legendary Hidden Clan, the Bai Clan, had really established a paradise on the top of the snowy mountains. But this place was truly isolated from the world, a sanctuary to avoid disaster.

The cave had two entrances and exits. One was that abandoned graveyard, and the other was at the bottom of the lake. Neither was easy to be discovered, but Zhao Yan was still worried. It was hard to guarantee that her lovesick Crown Prince brother would not use her identity again to do things that would harm the old officials of Liang State for the sake of that Saintess Bai. Later, she would study it and install mechanisms at both exits, so that those who wanted to trespass would have no way to return.

This cave had a training ground, a sparring field, an iron smelting workshop, and a weapons research department; it was fully equipped.