Even if she were to state her position as originally planned, it wouldn't be in front of the emperor and those soldiers who came to his rescue. Instead, she would wait until she captured Lin Chujie and then talk to them in a safe place.
Ji Feiyu knew that she no longer had the time to catch up with Yong Yaxuan. She really had to leave.
Standing in the Golden Hall, she felt an unprecedented sense of loneliness and desolation. She looked back at Yong Yaxuan on the golden throne and suddenly felt that he was so far away from her. Then she thought of her purpose for coming here and felt a bit relieved. As long as he was safe and still in control of the world, wasn't that enough?
Ji Feiyu didn't know how she walked out of the Golden Hall. She only knew that not long after she left, a large army filed in. Then came a thunderous chorus from inside the hall, "Your Majesty, please forgive us. We're late to rescue you!"
Yong Yaxuan, sitting behind the golden curtain in the hall, couldn't help but shed tears. He had pushed Ji Feiyu away with his own hands again. His eyes were already damaged, and his health had been deteriorating since the assassination attempt. He didn't want her to worry about him day after day. Instead, he thought it better to let her go while her feelings for him weren't too deep. The court situation was still unstable. She had entered the palace with a rebel army. His throne was precarious, and he himself was in danger. It was even more difficult for him to protect her. So it was better to let her go.
At this moment, Ji Feiyu was also standing on the west side outside the Golden Hall, shedding tears.
In the palace, there were constantly troops running back and forth. Ji Feiyu avoided their way and walked absent - mindedly on a secluded path. Suddenly, she saw a soldier she had brought in before running up to her to report, "The vassal king's army has been under our control. What should we do next, General?"
General? Ji Feiyu looked at her military uniform. How could she deserve such a title? She gave him a faint and powerless smile and waved her hand, saying, "Let your king handle the rest."
The soldier took the order and disappeared from her sight. Ji Feiyu slowly walked towards the Chaoyang Gate. Suddenly, she felt a bit disgusted with this place full of the smell of blood.
All that glory and those schemes had finally become a mockery. She had come to save him, but he thought she was just comforting him. She was sad for someone, but he thought she had feelings for that person. He said he would let go again, but it was no longer what she wanted.
Cheng Xuan was dead, Zhan Shan was dead, and Lin Zhiran was also dead. They died quickly, but left the living to bear the value of their existence.
A rebellion, a change in the sky. It turned out that after all the twists and turns, they could no longer find the place where they had gotten separated.
Ji Feiyu endured her pain and angrily ran out of this prosperous yet desolate imperial city. However, outside the city, thousands of troops were waiting for her. Not knowing the truth, they saw Ji Feiyu coming out and all claimed they would execute the evil empress. Ji Feiyu smiled indifferently, waiting for them to come.
A green figure quickly landed in front of Ji Feiyu. Before she could react, she was quickly picked up and carried away at full speed.
The rapid flight made Ji Feiyu dizzy looking at the scenery receding around her. The shouts and the sound of arrows breaking through the air behind them gradually faded away.
Ji Feiyu suddenly wanted to ask that person why he had taken her away. Shouldn't she stay and pay the price for her misjudgment?
She didn't remember where they stopped in a quiet place. She only remembered a warm voice gently asking her, "Yu'er, how did you get yourself into such a mess?"
Ji Feiyu looked up. After getting used to the overly bright daylight, she finally saw the face of Hua Hudie. This time, she couldn't hold back her grievances anymore and threw herself into his arms.
"Yu'er, what's wrong with you?" Hua Hudie was a bit stunned holding the girl in his arms.
But Ji Feiyu couldn't stop her tears in his warm embrace and kept repeating, "It's impossible between him and me anymore... It's really impossible!"
Hua Hudie gently patted Ji Feiyu. His heart ached a bit, but he tried to smile, "No, he won't give up on you. Everything will pass."
But Ji Feiyu's tears welled up involuntarily and she just couldn't stop crying. He didn't want her anymore. He really didn't want her...
Hua Hudie gently hugged Ji Feiyu and said softly, "Cry out all your grievances. I came here originally to tell you that I've completed all the things you told me to do. But now it seems I can just lend you my shoulder..."
Ji Feiyu wiped her tears and snot on his clean and grass - scented clothes and then continued to cry, as if she wanted to pour out all her grievances and sadness.
By chance, through her tear - blurred eyes, Ji Feiyu glanced at the grayish - blue sky and suddenly thought of a sentence.
If the world were to be destroyed, who would still stand by your side?
Yong Yaxuan, if it were me, I would still choose to stand by your side.
Then... what about you?
...
In January of the fifth year of Tianhe in the Great Yong Dynasty, the empress passed away. During her lifetime, she defied the world's opposition and went alone into the enemy camp to gather intelligence. Then she led the troops of the Northern Han to relieve the siege. The Northern Han expressed their willingness to be in good relations with the Great Yong forever and would never go to war again.
In the same month, the vassal king's army was annihilated, and the Northern Han troops withdrew from the Great Yong. The emperor ordered the abolition of the enfeoffment system.
In February of the fifth year of Tianhe, the rebellion was quelled. A total of 200,000 officials and common people were killed or injured. The emperor ordered the resumption of production and the recuperation of the people. All the officials in the court were to be re - selected and appointed.
The emperor followed the principle of leniency. Although he spared the lives of the rebels, he would never appoint them again. After learning of his failure, the former grand preceptor wrote a suicide note and hanged himself.
The prosperous and floating life changes like the ebb and flow of the tide, which makes people sigh.
It was many years later when Ji Feiyu heard these news while riding a donkey. There was a name deeply buried in her memory that she still didn't want to be dug out.
Yong Yaxuan, are we really separated like this? Will you feel regretful?
...
Four years later.
The wind outside the pass was always a bit dry.
It blew sharply on people's faces, making them clearly feel the reality.
"Giddy - up! Sister, surround that side!" Ran Wei's hearty voice came.
Ji Feiyu smiled slightly and urged her horse over, "Don't worry. It can't escape!"
"There it is! Shoot quickly!" The horses' hooves kicked up the yellow sand on the ground. Ran Wei's excited voice came along with the sound of the hooves.
Ji Feiyu immediately drew an arrow from her back, put it on the bow, and shot it out quickly. It was a rare good angle.
With a "puff" sound, the badger they had been chasing together flopped down, struggled a few times, and then stopped moving.
"What a good shot!" Ran Wei's eyes lit up. She said to the maid beside her, "Hurry up and pick it up. Let's find the next target! We can't lose to them this time!"
Ji Feiyu put the bow back on her back and rode her horse towards Ran Wei. "Okay! Even if we can't match them in quality this time, we must outnumber them."
Ran Wei nodded and followed Ji Feiyu to ride forward on her horse.
Time flew by. Four years had passed before they knew it. In these four years, Ji Feiyu returned to Liuyun in the first year to clean up the mess. In the following three years, she stayed in the Northern Han.
In these three years, she had almost traveled every inch of the Northern Han, but this was the first time she went hunting with Ran Wei.