Chapter 82 Escape

**Chapter 82: Escape**

A Wu trembled, “De Ning, do you know that the Crown Prince came to see the Emperor today?”

Princess De Ning frowned. “Is this about my brother? Did the Emperor grow angry with you because of him?”

A Wu sensed that De Ning knew something and anxiously gripped her sleeve. “Why would you say it’s connected to the Crown Prince? What happened?”

De Ning blushed slightly but answered, “I only heard… that a wet nurse in my brother’s household is with child, so she was made a concubine…”

A Wu looked puzzled. A wet nurse—*that* concubine?

She had seen her before—but what did this have to do with her?

She wanted to know about Lu Yunjian! The Lu family! How much had the Emperor already uncovered? How much longer did she have to live?

Seeing A Wu’s dazed expression, Princess De Ning grew more anxious. “What’s wrong? Tell me!”

A Wu stared blankly at her. “De Ning, all the jade ornaments and jewelry the Emperor once gave me—you may take whatever pleases you. They’re of no use to me now. All of it is yours. I’ve also put aside some silver…”

She had intended to leave the silver for her father and brother, but there was likely no chance of that now.

If she died in the palace, everything would be seized anyway.

Gripping De Ning’s hand, she said shakily, “I’ve hidden away some valuables. Take what you fancy, whatever you don’t scorn. As for the rest, share them with my dearest sisters, especially Attendant Li. Her family is poor—give her more.”

Then she remembered the two children. “And the little prince and princess… they’ll be motherless now. If the Emperor ever neglects them, please help them—for me.”

At this, she collapsed into weeping.

Princess De Ning froze in shock. “How has it come to this? I must speak to Father!”

A Wu no longer wished to hide anything. The burden of these secrets had crushed her.

Her fate was sealed regardless.

With a heartrending cry, she began to recount everything in broken fragments.

De Ning paled in horror. “You mean… the Emperor said that if he were to pass, you’d be forced to join him in death?”

Tears streaming down her face, A Wu nodded. “Those were his exact words.”

De Ning’s eyes darkened. “How could he be so cruel? He cherished you so deeply—he wouldn’t…”

She remembered how her father had gazed at A Wu in the countryside—with such tenderness and affection. How could he bear to part with her?

A Wu whispered through tears, “De Ning, you’ve studied history. You know Emperor Wu of Han ordered Lady Gouyi’s death before his own passing. He must have loved her as much as our Emperor loves me. But even a ruler like Emperor Wu—great and formidable, yet merciless—would show no mercy, no matter his love.”

De Ning’s eyes widened. A Wu’s reasoning struck her.

Shaking her head, A Wu let the tears fall. “Besides… if it were only that, I would pray for his long life, hoping to survive under his protection. But now… now… he has uncovered my past. He won’t spare me.”

De Ning couldn’t understand. “But… you and Imperial Uncle? And Empress Mother?”

She had always believed the Empress to be kind and noble, and her uncle seemed decent enough. Who knew such darkness lay beneath?

A Wu looked at the stunned princess and murmured, “You don’t understand. There’s something deeper at play—I don’t know what. But I’m already trapped. The Empress is dead… I killed her…”

Thinking back to her escape from Fengtian Hall, she realized someone must have seen her. Fu Tai knew. The palace maids knew. It was only a matter of time. Her fate was sealed.

Princess De Ning froze in horror: "You... you killed the Empress?"

A Wu: "Yes. I don’t want to talk about it anymore. It’s all over now—I’d rather die."

Her gaze wandered around the bedchamber until she spotted a strip of silk. She rushed over and grabbed it: "Go now. I think I’ll just hang myself. I can’t bring myself to stab myself—hanging will do. I can’t bear his questioning, I can’t..."

Princess De Ning quickly grabbed her: "You and the Emperor’s brother... that child, was it yours?"

A Wu: "I don’t know. He told me it died at birth. Maybe it didn’t, but I clearly remember it was dead. As for whether there’s any child in his household, it’s none of my concern."

She hung her head: "I know nothing. The Empress said that—she slandered me!"

Princess De Ning looked at her, seeing right through her lies.

She murmured, "But... the Emperor will investigate... If he looks into this..."

She shuddered, unable to imagine it.

The Old Emperor held absolute power—how could he tolerate such a thing? Every consort in the harem had been meticulously chosen; no shadow of doubt was permitted!

But A Wu... A Wu had not only been entangled with the Crown Prince before, but also with the Emperor’s brother.

A Wu raised her head listlessly, defeated: "Actually, from the very beginning, the Emperor questioned me. He’d always suspected something—I just managed to deceive him."

She remembered that day when the man had gripped her chin and coldly warned that if she dared lie to him, he would have her drawn and quartered.

The ice in his gaze at that moment was no act.

A man of his pride—how could he tolerate this?

She exhaled: "I won’t survive to join him in death. I’ll just die first."

Princess De Ning frowned but remained silent.

A Wu thought for a moment: "That’s why I can’t bear to see him, can’t bear his questioning—"

They had their moments of tenderness too. She had even borne him a prince and a princess.

Back then, when Lady Li was dying, she refused to see the Emperor. Perhaps A Wu could follow her example.

After all, it was just a matter of dying a few days earlier or later. Rather than being hysterically interrogated about past disgrace, it was better to end it herself. That way, caught off guard, he would surely be heartbroken.

Perhaps he’d even feel some guilt, pity, or regret—and thus dote more on their children.

—Wasn’t this exactly the mind games he had planned to use against the Crown Prince? Once someone dies suddenly, all is forgiven. Ideal to guilt him into caring for the children! At the very least, he’d secure them a rich domain and prepare a generous dowry for their daughter!

A Wu thought coldly, *Good. I can put his own lessons to use.*

The Old Emperor was a fine teacher indeed—italics for irony.

She’d die this instant, and she was certain he’d be devastated!

But unexpectedly, Princess De Ning seized her wrist: "You don’t necessarily have to die!"

A Wu: "Your father will never forgive me. How could he possibly tolerate—"

He had exiled her to Nanqiongzi back then precisely because he despised her, despised her past.

He was an emperor—proud, demanding. The women he wanted had to be flawless, meticulously chosen—not a woman like her.

He had tolerated the Crown Prince before, but he might not necessarily endure Lu Yunjian—or her deception.

Princess De Ning, however, said, “You could run away.”

A Wu didn’t even want to respond.

How could anyone escape from the palace? She had already taken a reckless risk just by sneaking into Fengtian Palace’s front hall to overhear that one sentence.

But Princess De Ning said seriously, “Do you know why I came to find you?”

A Wu looked at Princess De Ning.

“I’m supposed to visit the Mingguo Duke’s villa with his wife,” Princess De Ning continued. “I mentioned it to the Emperor beforehand, and he agreed. So the palace has already arranged carriages and horses. Earlier, I met Eunuch Fu, who brought you up. He seemed really worried, so I decided to come check on you first.”

A Wu listened, slowly turning her gaze toward Princess De Ning.

Her heart raced.

Princess De Ning took her wrist and said, “We can switch places. My carriage is due to stop at Langhua Palace anyway, so I’ll make a point of visiting you. After we change clothes, you can leave the palace in my carriage while I stay here pretending to be you, buying you time. Everyone knows you’ve been unwell lately, so later I’ll just say you’re too tired and need rest. No one will dare question me or enter your quarters.”

A Wu’s heart pounded. She gripped Princess De Ning’s hand tightly: “I—I—”

Her thoughts were a jumble, racing through countless possibilities.

What if the Emperor blames Princess De Ning for this? Even if she escaped, where would she go? The Imperial Guard would surely be sent after her, and alone, how far could she get?

Princess De Ning reassured her, “I don’t know how things work out there, but staying means certain death. Escaping might give us hope. As for me, don’t worry. Even if the Emperor is furious, he wouldn’t kill his own daughter.”

She gave a faint smile. “He once told me I am the eldest princess of Great Hui, privileged and revered. I should care for the people and understand their struggles. Now, as a princess, it’s my duty to help you.”

A Wu remained silent, biting her lip as she stared at Princess De Ning.

Ever since her children were born, she couldn’t help comparing them, hoping her little girl would be as doted upon as Princess De Ning—never to be outshone.

She never thought Princess De Ning would still help her after learning the truth.

Helping her meant betraying the Emperor and her own mother.

Princess De Ning added, “Your kids are like my little brother and sister. The Emperor said I must act like an elder sister. So now, saving their mother’s life—what’s wrong with that?”

Tears streamed down A Wu’s face. Choking back sobs, she whispered, “Fine. If I make it out, I’ll pray for you every single day.”

At that moment, she also thought of Ye Han.

If she could find him, maybe there was still hope.

***********

A Wu frantically packed her valuables—stuff from the Emperor, gifts from the Crown Prince, and even some old trinkets from Lu Yunjian!

She almost left Lu Yunjian’s junk behind, but then thought better of it.

He’d said they were priceless and insisted she wear them close to her skin forever. Of course, she didn’t care—but she tossed them into the bundle anyway.

After killing his sister, if they ever crossed paths, these might come in handy.

With Princess De Ning’s help, she changed clothes and slipped out of Langhua Palace.

Everything went shockingly smoothly. Before she knew it, A Wu was dressed in coarse servant’s clothes, carrying a small blue-flowered bundle on her back, riding a donkey hurriedly toward the nearby Zhenwu Daojun Temple. She could hardly believe she had truly fled the palace and gained her freedom—at least for now.

She wasn’t free yet—still too close to the capital. She needed to get farther away, preferably all the way to the Eastern Sea, and escape Great Hui entirely.

She soon arrived at the Temple of the True Martial Lord. The sacred grounds of the Daoist deity were expansive, and from a distance, one could see ornate halls, intricate corridors, and incense smoke curling upward. As midsummer approached, nobles and common folk alike came to burn incense and pray for blessings. In front of the temple, vendors peddled paintings of gods, demons, and spirits, as well as various snacks.

A Wu merged with the crowd, cautiously ascending the stone steps before slipping into the main hall. She found a young Daoist and, steeling herself, inquired about Ye Han. Not knowing his current Daoist name, she described him only as “a lay disciple named Ye Han,” roughly gesturing to his height and appearance.

The young Daoist asked, “Does he have a southern accent?”

A Wu quickly nodded. “Yes, yes!”

The young Daoist asked her to wait, so A Wu stood in the northwest corner of the western side hall, where two dragon-clawed scholar trees stood beside an octagonal pavilion. She hid beneath their shade, keeping a wary eye on those nearby.

She didn’t know how long Princess De Ning could keep up the deception. If misfortune struck, the palace might already be searching for her.

Just then, she spotted a young Daoist in robes hurrying toward her from behind an ochre-red wall—it was unmistakably Ye Han.

At the sight of him, tears welled up in A Wu’s eyes.

Ye Han saw her too, clearly startled. He glanced around quickly, and seeing no one nearby, hurried over and signaled for her to follow.

A Wu didn’t dare utter a word, fearing attention, and silently trailed after Ye Han.

He moved swiftly, leading her past the main hall to the foot of a bell tower adorned with upturned eaves, then through a corridor until stopping before a vermilion lattice door.

There, a wisteria-covered trellis, thick with green leaves, shielded them from view.

His voice was strained, slightly hoarse. “What happened?”

She was the Imperial Noble Consort, the emperor’s favored consort—how could she appear in such attire at a temple? Something terrible must have occurred.

Seeing Ye Han, A Wu felt a flicker of relief, as if she had someone to lean on.

Her voice quivered with tears as she whispered, “Brother, the emperor is set on killing me. I had to flee.”

Ye Han frowned. “Why? Why would he kill you? What happened?”

A Wu glanced around nervously. Though no one seemed to notice them, unease prickled at her.

Clenching her jaw, she said, “Brother, we don’t have time. He wants me dead. I have to leave. Please, take me away.”

Ye Han pursed his lips, looking at her with hesitation.

A Wu grew uneasy. Suddenly, she realized she had taken for granted that she could trust Ye Han, see him as family. Instinctively, she had turned to him, expecting him to help her escape—as if he were her father or brother, someone she could always lean on.

But this could endanger him. Perhaps he did not want to be involved.

She opened her mouth. “Brother, I—”

Ye Han seemed to sense her thoughts and cut her off. “After surviving the disaster in the East Sea, I journeyed north, determined to find you. I’ve been searching for you ever since. If you’re in danger, I’ll do anything—even die for you.”

A Wu stared at him, stunned, seeing the restraint and deep emotion in his dark eyes.

Her nose stung with emotion. In that moment, she saw the familiar Ye Han—the one from long ago.

Ye Han looked at her bitterly. “But now you’re the Imperial Noble Consort. You’ve worked hard to reach this position. You’ve borne royal children and live in luxury. If you run with me, I fear I may ruin your life… That’s why I held back. Even knowing you were in the palace, I dared not seek you out, afraid of jeopardizing all you’d gained. I could only secretly gather news of you.”

His voice grew hoarse. “Is the emperor really trying to kill you? Why now?”

A Wu understood his concern. “Brother, you don’t understand. He’s the emperor. He has an empress, many concubines—he could never offer true love. He’s ruthless. Once, he nearly took my life. I barely escaped death to remain by his side. His favor is fleeting; life is harsh… And when he dies, he’d demand I join him in death!”

Ye Han frowned, shocked at the emperor’s cruelty.

A Wu said, "There's more to it... I even killed someone. I killed the empress. These things are hard to explain, but if I stay in the palace, I'll surely die horribly!"

Ye Han immediately understood upon hearing this.

The empress was from the Lu family, and A Wu had killed her.

He lowered his head, thinking briefly, then quickly said, "Since things have come to this, we can't delay. Wait here—just the time it takes for one incense stick to burn. I'll come back and take you away. You can tell me the details on the way."

A Wu nodded vigorously.

Ye Han rushed back to his quarters, while A Wu waited nervously. Before long, he returned carrying a bundle and a long staff. He told A Wu to act natural and slip out of the temple, agreeing to meet her outside near a cluster of flowers and trees. A Wu complied.

After that, things went without a hitch. Ye Han changed into civilian clothes and blended into the crowd of worshippers with her. They hopped on a donkey and raced down the mountain.

On the road, Ye Han whispered, "I've brought provisions and a water pouch. No stopping—we push straight for the East Sea. If we reach it, we can grab a boat and sail away. Once we're at sea, even the imperial court won't be able to reach us!"

A Wu knew the stakes. The journey was long, and if the Jingxi Emperor sent pursuers, the two of them would have little chance of escape. But they were out of options—now it was do or die. She nodded repeatedly.

Fortunately, Ye Han was thorough in his planning. In such a short time, he had considered every detail.

Gripping the reins, he pulled A Wu tight against him and said, "A Wu, tell me slowly—what exactly has happened these past few years?"

Normally so stern, his voice rough-edged, yet when he spoke to A Wu, his tone softened, like coaxing a child.

A Wu relaxed, body and soul. She felt like she was back in the past, breathing in the scent of old memories.

She would follow him back to the East Sea and wait for her father and brother to return.

This was the way home!

A Wu held onto Ye Han’s waist like a lifeline, pressing her face into the coarse cloth of his robe.

His rough-spun clothes were a far cry from the Jingxi Emperor’s silken robes, yet A Wu loved the feel of them.

Her nose burned, and a warmth she couldn’t name swelled in her chest. Neither Lu Yunjian nor the crown prince, not even the Jingxi Emperor himself could give her this kind of steadfast contentment.

She thought, even if they were caught and killed right here, at least in this moment, she was whole.