Murong Jinyun's eyes trembled, her gaze fixed on Gu Beichen's face. Her heart ached with a bitter sorrow, and tears of guilt and emotion slid from the corners of her eyes.
Gu Beichen's feelings for her ran too deep; she felt that even a hint of disloyalty would be a grave hurt to him.
If Gu Beichen knew that her actions today were to ascertain the strength of the Eastern Chu forces and transmit the intelligence back to Western Liang, he would surely hate her to the bone.
The thought of losing Gu Beichen forever suddenly bloomed in her heart. In an instant, it felt as though a piece of her heart had been gouged out, leaving it hollow and lifeless. She felt like a walking corpse, wracked with unbearable pain.
"What's wrong? Why the expression? Did I say something that upset you?"
Stifling the tears in her eyes, Murong Jinyun quickly shook her head and threw herself into Gu Beichen's arms.
Caught off guard by her sudden embrace, Gu Beichen stiffened, daring not to move.
"You are so good to me. If you continue like this, I won't be able to bear to leave you."
Gu Beichen chuckled, "Silly girl, I won't let you leave me."
It had taken him three years to find her again; he would never let her go.
Murong Jinyun shook her head repeatedly, "From now on, even if I make mistakes, please don't... don't drive me away, okay?"
"Alright, I promise I will never drive you away again."
It was late when Gu Beichen finally sent Murong Jinyun back.
"Go wash your face properly when you get back. You look like a little raccoon with all those tear streaks."
Gu Beichen teased, the tear stains still faintly visible on Murong Jinyun's face.
"I know. You be careful on your way back too. I'm heading in now."
After Murong Jinyun had returned, Gu Beichen stood there for a long time before riding away.
Upon entering her room, Murong Jinyun keenly sensed the presence of another person within.
"Who's there? Be sneaky!"
As her words fell, footsteps echoed from the dark room. Bathed in the dim candlelight, Baili Xi's face became clearer.
"It's the middle of the night, why are you here?"
Recognizing the newcomer, Murong Jinyun let out a slight sigh of relief, though her tone remained displeased.
"Princess, you've truly fallen for him. Princess, don't forget the purpose of our visit. Do you still remember the Emperor's entrustment before we departed?"
Murong Jinyun's hand, gripping the teacup, made a slight clinking sound. Her exquisite face was contorted with anger.
"My actions are not for you to dictate, Baili Xi. Don't you forget, you were once merely a guard by my side. If it weren't for me recommending you to Father Emperor, you wouldn't have achieved the prestige of a great general today. Now that your wings have hardened, you dare to lecture me!"
"Princess, please calm your anger. Your subordinate did not intend to offend you, but this matter concerns the destiny of Western Liang for the next fifty years. It is of utmost importance. Please, Princess, do not let your eyes be clouded by personal affections!"
As Baili Xi spoke, a flicker of inexplicable jealousy flashed in his eyes, gone in an instant.
"I know what I'm doing, Princess. You may go down now. You are not permitted to enter without my command."
"Yes, Princess. Your subordinate takes his leave!"
Baili Xi emerged from the room. The moment the door closed, the gentle expression on his face vanished, replaced by an overwhelming murderous aura.
"General, the arrangements are complete. We have dispatched an additional half of the secret guards to protect the Princess."
A man in black knelt before Baili Xi and reported.
"Send men to deal with Gu Beichen, the heir of the Zhennan Prince!"
Baili Xi was convinced that Murong Jinyun had become this way entirely because of Gu Beichen.
Only when Gu Beichen was dead could Murong Jinyun let go of her attachment.
Back then, he shouldn't have been so soft-hearted and begged the Emperor to let Murong Jinyun accompany him. He harbored selfish intentions; he wanted to use this opportunity to make Murong Jinyun completely give up on Gu Beichen. He knew Murong Jinyun's heart didn't belong to him, but as long as he could stay by her side, see her smile every day, and hear her call him 'A'Xi', he would be content.
"Your subordinate obeys!"
The man in black cupped his hands in response. With a flash of shadow, he disappeared.
Murong Jinyun confined herself to her room and drew the military camp layout she had observed that day onto paper.
"Coo... coo..." The cry of a homing pigeon sounded outside the window.
Murong Jinyun rose, caught Fengjin, and untied the secret message from its leg. She then held a blank piece of paper over a flame, revealing the words: "What is the strength of the Eastern Chu forces?"
The drawing on the table sat there, stark and clear. She reached out and picked it up, her heart a jumble of emotions. She slowly placed it into the message tube.
With a flutter of its wings, the pigeon soared into the night sky towards the moon.
...
"Young General, this is a homing pigeon captured near the post station."
Lu Shi presented the still-living pigeon, a message tube still attached to its leg.
Ling Mohan took out the folded paper from the tube. Upon opening it, he found a terrain map, but it was a very unfamiliar one.
This was a fake map of the military camp's deployment. Why would Murong Jinyun release a fake terrain map?
"Fake!" Feng Jin immediately noticed something was amiss.
The layout of the military camp was intentionally fabricated to prevent spies, but this map was indeed different from the current layout, hence it was fake.
"The Western Liang people are truly elaborate. They even sent a fake map. Are they trying to play a game of infiltration?"
Feng Jin's mind conjured a grand double-spy drama, which was incredibly exciting.
"Infiltration?" Ling Mohan inquired, his tone rising. Feng Jin always uttered words he had never heard before.
"It means spy."
"Young General, how should we handle this homing pigeon?"
"Send it back." Ling Mohan carefully placed the map back intact. "Continue to monitor the post station and report any slightest disturbance immediately."
"Yes, Young General."
Lu Shi took the pigeon and walked into the courtyard. "Little fellow, you're lucky this time. If there's a next time, I'll definitely turn you into roasted pigeon!"
As if possessing sentience, the pigeon shivered involuntarily upon hearing this, almost unable to flap its wings. After a few frantic beats, it finally took flight.
Murong Jinyun sat by the window, her thoughts in a whirlwind. She held the drawn map in her hand. At the last moment, she couldn't go through with it. She didn't want Gu Beichen to be punished because of her.
So, she substituted it with a fake map. She had become a disloyal and unfilial person. What face did she have to meet her Father Emperor?
She was truly tired of living in this difficult position, caught between two sides. If she could choose, she would rather be the daughter of common folk than a princess of the royal family.