The moment Cai Yu saw the cold curve of his lips, alarm bells went off in her mind, and her face darkened.
"Your Highness, are you going to cause trouble for Brother A Li again?"
When Song Yinghuai saw the change in her expression, his heart skipped a beat. The teacup in his hand slipped and fell to the ground. He scrambled to his feet and stammered an explanation.
"No, I'm not..."
Suddenly, the figure in front of him blurred, and multiple shadows overlapped. Song Yinghuai slumped back onto the stool, his limbs feeling weak.
He looked up at Cai Yu in shock, his eyes filled with disbelief. With great effort, he managed to utter two words.
"Yu'er..."
Cai Yu was momentarily stunned. Only then did she notice that something was wrong with Song Yinghuai.
His face was pale, and his expression was listless, as if he had been poisoned.
Her face turned ashen. Forgetting about their bickering and anger, she quickly supported Song Yinghuai's tottering body, her voice filled with panic.
"Your Highness, what's wrong with you?"
Song Yinghuai held her suddenly cold little hand, feeling it tremble slightly due to her nervousness. The pain in his heart vanished instantly. Instead, he squeezed her hand gently and comforted her.
"The tea on your table is poisoned."
Cai Yu immediately turned to look at the table. Her face turned deathly pale.
That tea was brewed by Sheng Jiangli himself and brought to her!
Why?
She turned to look at the weak Song Yinghuai again. Suddenly, everything became clear to her.
Cai Yu gritted her teeth and bent down to help Song Yinghuai up.
"I'll take you out of the city!"
With a loud "bang," Cai Yu's door was kicked open from the outside. Hu cavalry and Southern Army soldiers rushed in with weapons in their hands, surrounding the two of them tightly.
All the bows and arrows were drawn to their full extent.
The air was filled with a tense atmosphere.
A path was cleared in the middle. Cai Yu stared blankly as Sheng Jiangli and Li Muge emerged from the crowd.
Sheng Jiangli's handsome face was as cold as ice. He didn't even glance at Cai Yu's angry and questioning eyes. Instead, he stared straight at Song Yinghuai and curled his lips.
"Your Highness, the Prince of Yan, why are you in such a hurry to leave? Since you've come, why don't you stay in Jizhou City for a few days and have some tea with us?"
Leaning on Cai Yu's shoulder, Song Yinghuai didn't seem the least bit flustered. However, even smiling was a struggle for him. He simply replied softly.
"Sure. Thank you for your invitation. I'll accompany you to the end."
Li Muge could no longer contain his excitement. He burst into laughter before Sheng Jiangli.
"Hahaha! I didn't expect that Your Highness, the Prince of Yan, is such a passionate man. You still can't forget Miss Cai Yu after two years. You dared to break into Jizhou City even though you knew it was heavily guarded. I admire your courage and your deep affection."
Song Yinghuai took a deep breath. Cai Yu felt the weight on her shoulder increase. She heard his weak reply.
"I also admire your ability to act like a coward, Lord Li."
Li Muge's face immediately froze. A ferocious expression appeared on his face.
"Humph! You're still so stubborn even when you're about to die. Guards! Arrest him and throw him into the dungeon!"
"Who dares?" Cai Yu roared. She stepped in front of Song Yinghuai, her eyes blazing with anger as she scanned everyone present. Finally, her gaze landed on Sheng Jiangli, her eyes filled with a chilling coldness.
"Brother A Li, let him go!"
The corners of Sheng Jiangli's lips drooped. He stared deeply into her eyes.
The girl's gaze was like a sharp knife, revealing a hint of uncontrollable killing intent and madness.
His heart felt as if it had been cut by the knife in her eyes. The sharp pain pierced through him like a thousand needles.
Sheng Jiangli said coldly, "It's impossible! Shu'er, I told you before we entered Jiaodong that I'm going to capture him. I want you to live without having to hide from him anymore."
Cai Yu's eyes instantly turned red. A thin layer of mist formed in her eyes. She felt a pang of sadness at Sheng Jiangli's words.
"Brother A Li, I can hide from him for the rest of my life, but you can't hurt him."
"Let him go. Take me away. I've already agreed to marry you."
Song Yinghuai, who was leaning on Cai Yu's shoulder, suddenly slumped. His voice was filled with anger.
"If you really marry him, I'll chase you to the ends of the earth and dig you out, no matter where you hide!"
"Do you hear?" Sheng Jiangli raised his eyebrows. "Shu'er, he won't let us go. If he doesn't die, we'll have to live in hiding for the rest of our lives."
"But he wouldn't have found us in the first place!" Cai Yu glared at him angrily. "If you hadn't taken me out of the fishing village, he would never have found us!"
"Brother A Li, I'm begging you. Spare him."
Li Muge looked at one person and then the other. He felt ignored as the commander-in-chief of the three armies. He was extremely dissatisfied.
"Presumptuous! Who dares to let go of this top rebel of the court? As long as I'm here, Song Yinghuai will be captured today!"
He impatiently urged the soldiers surrounding them. "Attack!"
Cai Yu quickly drew out the Yaojiu dagger she had been hiding on her body. She pointed it at the crowd, her sharp eyes looking as if they could pierce through the soldiers' internal organs.
"Come on! All of you!"
She was like a cornered she-wolf. Even though there was no hope in sight, she still refused to sheathe her fangs and claws.
All she wanted was to protect the most important thing in her heart.
Her bloodshot eyes and the crazy look on her beautiful face made the approaching soldiers involuntarily stop in their tracks. They looked at each other in confusion.
Li Muge looked at Sheng Jiangli with a gloomy face.
"General Sheng, I know she's your fiancée, but she's protecting the Prince of Yan. To put it bluntly, she's colluding with the rebel. Out of respect for you, I can overlook this... but if she continues like this, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Sheng Jiangli's face was also gloomy. He looked at Cai Yu and slowly reached out his hand.
"Shu'er, come here."
The air instantly fell silent.
Cai Yu stubbornly stood still.
She had always been like this. Once she made up her mind, she would never change it, even if it meant death.
At this moment, a stalemate seemed to have occurred.
But Li Muge was not Sheng Jiangli. He had no intention of being gentle with a beautiful woman. The killing intent on his face was almost palpable.
Song Yinghuai leaned against Cai Yu's side. He lowered his eyes and lingered on the side of her face that he had been longing for for two years.
Two years had passed.
Perhaps it was the mercy of heaven that allowed him to see Cai Yu again.
This meeting should be enough.
Suddenly, he let out a soft laugh and said, "Go. I don't need you to save me."
Cai Yu suddenly turned her head and met his empty pupils. Her heart skipped a beat.
"Your Highness..."
Before she could finish speaking, she was pushed out by Song Yinghuai with all his might!
She looked back in horror. Her body fell into Sheng Jiangli's arms. What she saw was Song Yinghuai surrounded by dozens of people.
In a daze, she seemed to see the man's relieved smile.
Li Muge laughed triumphantly.
"Heaven is on my side! Heaven is on my side! Hurry! Send an urgent memorial to the Emperor!"
Several generals of the Southern Army also beamed with joy.
Capturing Song Yinghuai, the Prince of Yan, was a great achievement. Rewards from the court and promotions in the officialdom were almost guaranteed!
The Southern Army rushed in like a tide and then retreated like a tide, leaving only Cai Yu standing stiffly in Sheng Jiangli's arms like a wooden stake.
It seemed as if everything that had just happened was like a dream.
"Shu'er," Sheng Jiangli whispered in her ear.
"Slap!"
A crisp slap echoed in the room, causing Lan Guifan, who had just stepped out of the room next door, to stop in his tracks. He almost stepped on Lang Zhua's paw.
Then, Cai Yu's angry roar came out.
"Sheng Jiangli! If you don't let him go, the wedding tomorrow will be called off!"
A Ye's ears twitched. His tail drooped between his legs, and he turned around and went back into the room.
It's better not to provoke a woman when she's angry.
Lan Guifan watched A Ye's fast retreating figure and chased after him into the room.
"Hey, you're a wolf! Don't be so timid. Come with me and try to persuade her... It's not easy for my third sister to get married. Why is there a man trying to steal the bride?"
"By the way, isn't that man who tried to steal the bride the one we saved a year ago?"
"He's the Prince of Yan? Oh my god..."