"You're awake?"
The sudden voice startled Ming Yu. She looked up at the approaching figure and breathed a sigh of relief, "It's you, Young Master Chang Yu."
Chang Yu smiled, "It's still me. Who else did Miss Ming think it was?"
Ming Yu gave an embarrassed smile. Chang Yu glanced at her and said lightly, "I have some bad news for you."
"What news?" Ming Yu asked, a nameless, bad premonition stirring within her.
"Shen Yun Xuan is to behead Cheng Chang Xing today," Chang Yu stated.
Ming Yu trembled, "What? You... say that again?"
"Shen Yun Xuan is to behead Cheng Chang Xing."
"How is that possible? How can he overstep his authority and issue orders on behalf of the Empress?" Ming Yu asked Chang Yu, word by word.
"What is impossible? The imperial seal is in Shen Yun Xuan's hands. Is there anything he cannot do?"
"Take me to the execution ground," Ming Yu said, her voice tight with anxiety.
"To storm the execution ground?" Chang Yu inquired.
Ming Yu nodded.
Chang Yu looked at her and asked, "You plan to go to the execution ground dressed like this?"
"Then how should I be?" Ming Yu asked.
Chang Yu pointed to the clothes on the table, "Change into these."
Ming Yu followed his gaze to the table, where black clothes were laid out. Without hesitation, she picked them up and went into the inner room to change.
When she emerged, Chang Yu was not there. As she was about to open the door, she heard voices outside.
"Mr. Chang Yu, I may not be able to attend to you today. Please remain at the manor. We shall discuss matters tomorrow."
"Minister Shen is too kind," Chang Yu replied.
Shen Yun Xuan spoke with Chang Yu for a while longer, their conversation revolving around the Flower King.
After Shen Yun Xuan departed, Chang Yu pushed open the door and found Ming Yu looking at him with a guarded expression.
"Are you a retainer of Shen Yun Xuan?" Ming Yu asked Chang Yu, scrutinizing him.
Chang Yu said, "If Miss Ming believes so, I cannot refute it."
"Following Shen Yun Xuan might bring merit when he rises to power. Why would Young Master Chang Yu help me?" Ming Yu asked, unable to believe Chang Yu would abandon such significant gain to assist her. After all, she had nothing to offer him.
Chang Yu let out a low chuckle after her question and then said, "Shen Yun Xuan is, after all, not legitimate."
Ming Yu was taken aback. As she looked at Chang Yu, he continued, "If I help Miss Ming, will Miss Ming introduce me to His Majesty, the Flower King?"
Ming Yu glanced at him, noting the openness in his gaze. Those with a purpose were stronger than those without.
She nodded and said, "Naturally. If I am able to see the Crown Prince, I will certainly introduce you."
"That is all I require," Chang Yu stated.
Ming Yu then asked, "Where is Cheng Chang Xing at this moment?"
"He should have left the imperial palace by now," Chang Yu replied.
"Take me there!" Ming Yu urged.
Chang Yu looked at her and asked, "Miss Ming, you don't intend to storm the execution ground yourself, do you?"
"Otherwise?" Ming Yu retorted. If it were only her, no one else would be able to save Cheng Chang Xing.
"Miss Ming, going by yourself would only be suicide."
"Does Young Master Chang Yu have a plan?" Ming Yu asked.
Chang Yu looked at her and said, "I have bribed some beggars. When the time for execution arrives, they will swarm forth. You can then rescue him amidst the chaos."
"Thank you, Young Master Chang Yu. You are indeed thorough," Ming Yu said, though a flicker of doubt crossed her mind. Was Chang Yu truly helping her solely for an introduction to Hua Yun Jin?
However, she likely couldn't afford to dwell on it now.
Hidden within Chang Yu's carriage, she left the imperial palace.
Chang Yu did not head directly to the execution ground but instead found a nearby tavern and reserved a private room.
Ming Yu, disguised as Chang Yu's attendant, entered the room. She pushed open the window, which offered a clear view of the execution ground below.
"Young Master Chang Yu, Shen Yun Xuan doesn't actually want to kill Cheng Chang Xing, does he?" she asked, looking at Cheng Chang Xing, who was kneeling on the execution ground.
Chang Yu nodded. "He wants to lure Miss Ming out, or perhaps let Hua Yun Jin know."
Ming Yu blinked in surprise and then asked, "Will his plan succeed?"
Chang Yu sat down, holding a cup of tea. "I do not know if it will draw the Flower King. Miss Ming can continue to watch."
On the execution ground, Shen Yun Xuan sat in a corner. He was unsure if Hua Yun Jin would come for Cheng Chang Xing, but if it were him, he would not. This was clearly a trap. However, Cheng Chang Xing was no ordinary person; he was the closest confidant of the Flower King.
"Minister Shen, the time has come. Should the execution proceed?" the supervising official asked cautiously.
Shen Lan, standing beside Shen Yun Xuan, said coldly, "Wait until Minister Shen gives the order."
The supervising official dared not say more and continued to wait.
The midday sun blazed fiercely. Cheng Chang Xing knelt there, unmoving.
Shen Yun Xuan suddenly stood up and declared, "Proceed with the execution."
Shen Lan instructed the supervising official, "Execute him!"
The supervising official dropped the token he had been holding for several hours. "Execute!"
The executioner pushed Cheng Chang Xing's head onto the chopping block and raised his blade.
In the tavern, Ming Yu gasped in alarm. Just as she was about to reveal herself, Chang Yu's voice called out from behind her, "Don't you find the person on the execution ground a bit unusual?"
Ming Yu paused and turned to ask, "What's unusual?"
"He's too quiet," Chang Yu said, emphasizing each word.
With Chang Yu's reminder, Ming Yu finally noticed. It was true; this Cheng Chang Xing seemed to have been kneeling there the entire time. In her memory, Cheng Chang Xing would not have remained kneeling so passively. Could it be...
"Is it possible that person isn't Cheng Chang Xing at all?" Ming Yu suddenly blurted out.
At that very moment, a commotion arose. She quickly looked outside and saw the crowd of commoners below becoming agitated.
"Young Master Chang Yu, is that your doing?"
Chang Yu shook his head. "No."
Ming Yu froze, a sense of foreboding creeping into her heart. Could Hua Yun Jin have arrived? "No, I have to go down and see."
As she spoke, she prepared to jump out the window. Chang Yu suddenly asked, "Even if you know it's a fake, you still want to go?"
Ming Yu's body stiffened. After a long moment, she replied, "Yes."
"You may go."
For some inexplicable reason, she felt a moment of disorientation, a flutter of panic in her heart. But she had no time to ponder it. She turned and leaped from the tavern.
Chang Yu watched her retreating figure, a bitter smile playing on his lips. "You're doing this for him, aren't you!"
Amidst the chaotic crowd, Ming Yu searched for a familiar face, hoping to spot Hua Yun Jin. Suddenly, someone grabbed her hand. Just as she was about to turn, she heard the person say, "Don't look back. Follow the crowd forward."
Ming Yu's heart soared. This voice, it was his.
Following the crowd out of the execution grounds, she was pulled into a carriage. She saw Hua Yun Jin, clad in dark robes, and her heart swelled with emotion. "You..."
Hua Yun Jin smiled at her. "What? Don't recognize your king anymore?"
Ming Yu shook her head, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. "No, it's just... I didn't expect to see you here."
Hearing this, Hua Yun Jin embraced her tightly. "Yu'er, I've made you wait."