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墨書 Inktalez
The man stared at the wooden board for a long time, noticing that the dark red color on it was written in blood. Upon closer inspection, it read: Grave of A-Dan, with a line below stating: Erected by A Xun. If it weren't for someone familiar, one would never guess that the person buried here once commanded great power and looked down upon the Seven Kingdoms.
He had finally found her. A-Dan? The only person who would call her that was that annoying guy from Zhao, the one who always pretended to be refined in front of others but was no cleaner than him inside—Young Master Ji Xun.
As he touched the wooden board, he murmured, "You died cleanly, but do you know the pain of the living? Back then, you only showed him your smile, and now that you're dead, you leave him to pay his respects alone? I've searched for you for two years and finally found your grave... Are you so heartless that even in death you won't let me see you? Today, come with me... From now on, whether you want to see me or not, you will belong to me in this life..."
The absurdity of his words suddenly filled the air with a chilling atmosphere. San Chun instinctively rubbed her arms, unsure if it was the morning chill or if she was scared by him, as goosebumps covered her skin. He wanted the living and the dead; such an obsessive person was truly rare.
Could this be considered her finding a kindred spirit?
Tilting her head, she pondered whether to discuss the commonality of their "obsession" when she suddenly saw the man raise his hand and point at the tomb, shouting, "Dig it up—"
"Yes." Eight warriors stepped forward and drew their swords to start digging at the grave.
It was a waste for swords, symbols of a warrior's identity, to be used for digging graves; it felt utterly inappropriate. Fortunately, a few of the warriors were quite skilled and strong; in no time at all, they had dug up a pit.
Dust flew everywhere as the stench of decay mixed with dampness rushed toward them, splattering some mud onto their shoes. The man did not flinch at all; instead, he gazed into the grave with a hint of deep affection in his eyes.
The first time he saw her was on his way to Chu; it was the most unfortunate moment of his life. The King of Chu needed a hostage, and Wei Wang sent him simply because he was the least favored son of Wei Palace.
He knew he wasn't liked; his mother was the lowest-ranking maid in Wei Palace, and he was merely an illegitimate child from Wei Wang's night of passion. He had always been despised and scolded; being chosen as a hostage was expected.
It had rained heavily that day, making the roads muddy and nearly impassable. However, with the deadline set by Chu approaching, he had to press on despite the rain. His carriage was the most dilapidated in Wei Palace; it didn't take long before the axle broke and a wheel flew off far away. He and a servant boy tumbled out of the carriage and landed in the mud.
It was then that he saw her...
She stood atop a large carriage, dressed in a snow-white brocade robe with a bright red ribbon tied around her waist. Her hair was exceptionally smooth, and her round cheeks still held some baby fat. She looked stunningly beautiful—delicate and charming—with her hands on her hips exuding an air of authority.
"Hey! Who are you? Why are you sitting on the ground? Do you think sitting on the ground will keep you dry?"
He couldn't tell if the child was an idiot or just deliberately mocking him. That clear gaze was also quite annoying. He snorted and got up from the ground, but lost his footing again and fell into the mud, getting dirt all over his face.
He had expected to hear laughter. At Wei Palace, the young masters took pleasure in making fun of him, deliberately pushing him down and then laughing at how he fell.
But unexpectedly, that child reached out a hand to him. "Come on, get up and ride with me?"
In his entire life, no one had ever offered him a hand, not even during his most difficult and painful times. No one was willing to help him. And this hand, so fair, seemed like the hand of fate opening a door in front of him.
With divine intervention, he grasped that hand, perhaps wanting to see how she would react to being held by his muddy hand.
The child didn't seem to mind; instead, she held on tightly. Her smile was as bright as a flower, her hand soft and warm, surprisingly warming his heart that had been frozen for so long.
But her mouth... it was a bit too chatty.
Once they got on the carriage, she started lecturing him. "Don't sit on the ground anymore; it's so cold down there! What if you get sick? If you get sick, you'll have to take medicine, and medicine is very bitter..."
He felt an impulse to go crazy and wanted to cover her mouth with his muddy hand. But years of living by reading people's expressions made him dare not act rashly; instead, he pretended to be very attentive and patiently listened. As he listened, he felt a faint warmth in his heart... Could it be that she was concerned about him?
She continued talking while munching on a large pear. "Crunch," she took a bite before saying, "My name is Yan Dan. What's yours?"
He hesitated and softly replied with one word, "Xue."
"Crunch," she took another bite of the pear. "I come from Yan Kingdom. Where are you from?"
"Wei Kingdom."
"Crunch," she continued, "I'm ten years old. How old are you?"
"Eleven."
He kept staring at her hand, puzzled that a person could eat a pear so deliciously, making everyone unable to resist wanting to crunch like him.
Noticing his gaze, she let out a satisfied burp and then handed him the half-eaten pear, saying, "Do you want some?"
He paused for a moment, then suddenly grabbed the half pear and threw it out of the car curtain. He felt relieved only when he saw the core sink into the mud. Even in Wei Palace, no one would give him leftovers.
She blinked in surprise and then suddenly hugged him, exclaiming, "Are you saying you don't want to part with me? I'm so happy! Every time I eat pears at home, Qi never wants to share with me; she doesn't want to leave me..."
He: "..."
At that moment, he realized that this child, who was only ten years old, was actually the famous Crown Prince Yan.
When selecting hostages from the four nations to enter Chu, most chose those who were not favored or had no chance of inheriting the throne. However, Yan State was an exception because they chose the most favored Yan Bodan.
Yan Dan is Crown Prince Yan as well. Her mother is the Queen of Yan State, her aunt is the Queen of Chu State, and her aunt is the Queen of Zhao State. Her family is a nest of queens; several queens are related to her. Yet such a person ends up as a hostage in Chu State—what an oddity!
Everyone knows that hostages cannot return home without a general amnesty; living in another country means their lives and deaths are in others' hands. How could it be as comfortable as staying in one's own country?
The reason he knew about this prince was not because of her prominent status but because of her courage to take her brother's place as a hostage and her words, "I am the eldest son; why should my brother suffer?" which earned genuine admiration.
He had once thought that this Yan Dan must be the biggest fool, the most foolish person.
He thought this way partly out of jealousy—jealous that such a good brother was occupied by a snotty little girl named Qi. Why didn't his own brothers have such affectionate bonds or selfless thoughts?
Observing her up close, he found that she truly was as silly as he imagined—she didn't even know his identity yet dared to let him into the car and comforted him not to be sad.
He truly was a kind-hearted person. Suddenly, he felt a stir in his heart and began to recount his tragic experiences in the Wei Kingdom, lamenting how pitiful he was, even showing her the wound on his arm.
In reality, although life in the Wei Kingdom was tough, he was only bullied by a few brothers and it wasn't to the point where everyone was out to get him. The wound on his arm wasn't from a beating; he had fallen while climbing a tree to steal bird eggs due to extreme hunger.
Yet she believed all of this, her face filled with pity as she took his hand, using her handkerchief to wipe his face, assuring him that as long as he was in the Chu Kingdom, no one would bully him.
His original intention was to gain her sympathy and find a protective umbrella for himself. So he flattered her, using various beautiful words to praise her and express his gratitude. Before leaving, he even asked her for a book—the Songs of Chu—hoping to understand the Chu Kingdom and quickly figure out what kind of place he would be living in for the next few years. Only by doing so could he survive in an unfamiliar land.
As for Yan Dan, whether it was due to her excessive kindness or genuine foolishness, she considered everything for others, unlike those he had encountered before. Throughout their interactions, he gradually began to like her, recognize her worth, and eventually poured his heart into her.
Meeting her was both her fortune and misfortune; she made him understand what love was but also taught him what suffering and heart-wrenching pain felt like.
Clearly, he had met her first; why was it that in the end, she fell for someone else?
He became obsessed with this thought, leading him to make a regretful decision for life. Part of her death was indeed caused by him; if the Wei Kingdom hadn't started the war or forced Yan to cede land and pay reparations, she wouldn't have gone to the battlefield. He conspired with Menglin Jun of Yan to help him seize control of Yan and then cede three cities to him. At that time, he thought that perhaps if he didn't become the crown prince, she could follow him. But who would have thought that this terrible idea would push her toward death?
He indirectly caused her death; surely in another world, he must hate himself deeply.
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