Revealing the Truth

The battle had ended, with the Northern Kingdom surrendering. The Northern general had committed suicide by slitting his throat, and his son was thrown into prison.

In the pitch-black room, a sliver of morning light seeped through the crack of the door. A disheveled figure huddled miserably in the corner, her eyes holding nothing save for sheer hatred.

"Yun Xueyan, I swear I will kill you! I will!" A slow, venomous voice rasped out. In the dim light, a horrifying, mutilated face was revealed.

Beneath unkempt locks of hair, a pale face was covered in a vast expanse of severe scars. Yun Xiyin sat there with a dull, vacant expression.

Her face... was completely ruined. She would never let those vile men touch her—absolutely never. That was why she had willingly destroyed her own face. She had etched that excruciating pain into her memory, and she would return every bit of it to Yun Xueyan!

Suddenly, the door was thrown open, flooding the space with bright daylight. Yun Xiyin raised a hand to block the glare, squinting as she sized up the figure standing before her, retreating cautiously. "Who are you?"

"Someone here to save you." A soft female voice rang out. The sword in the woman's hand spun a couple of times before she let out a cold snort. "If you're coming with me, move quickly. If you're too late, you can stay here and rot!"

"I'll go!" Yun Xiyin steadied herself against the wall, wobbling as she staggered toward the woman. She no longer cared who this person was; as long as she could be taken out of this place, she would go.

Grabbing Yun Xiyin, the woman whisked her away at a breakneck speed.

In the imperial court.

Duan Siyi's expression today was far from pleasant, tinged with suppressed anger. Holding several memorial scrolls, he glared down at the gathered officials. "Will someone explain to Me what is going on!"

The court fell into dead silence. Yun Xueyan stood in her original spot, draped in a white robe embroidered with golden phoenix threads, her face veiled. Raising her gaze to Duan Siyi's gloomy countenance, she had no inkling of what had provoked him.

"Your Majesty, if you do not state the matter, how are we expected to reply? Even for a guess, you must at least give us a hint." Feng Xilou stepped forward, cupping his fists in a salute. He looked up at Duan Siyi seated on the high throne, a light smile playing across his brows.

Flinging the memorial aside, Duan Siyi stared darkly at Feng Xilou for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. "Why is Prince Xiao injured while you are unscathed? Otherwise, I would have granted you plenty of time to rest!"

His tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly as he picked up the discarded scroll once more. "A severe snow disaster has struck the south, and yet someone dared to embezzle the official disaster-relief silver. If I find out who is responsible, I will show no mercy!"

"The relief funds embezzled?" Feng Xilou let out a light scoff. "It must be some unscrupulous official trying to deceive his superiors while shielding himself from the subordinates below, pocketing the money entirely. In the end, it is the common people who suffer and the imperial court that bears the blame."

"That is precisely My meaning, and therefore..." Duan Siyi deliberately drew out his tone, shifting his gaze between Feng Xilou and Yun Xueyan. "I desire someone to go and resolve this matter. What do you say?"

Before the words had even faded, Feng Xilou, who had been standing at the front, smiled faintly and stepped back into the ranks, remaining silent.

"What say you, Minister Yan? Would you be willing to go for Me?" Duan Siyi's gloomy expression softened somewhat as he looked at Yun Xueyan. "I believe you will handle this properly."

Slowly stepping forward, Yun Xueyan replied in a gentle voice, "This subject obeys the imperial decree."

"Wait," Feng Xilou stepped out once more, pausing beside Yun Xueyan with a calm expression. "This subject will go as well." Without offering further explanation, a smile touched the corners of his lips. How could he possibly bear to let her go to the southern provinces alone?

Duan Siyi must have anticipated that he would accompany Yun Xueyan when he made this decree. On the surface, Feng Xilou maintained a faint smile, but the look he cast at Duan Siyi carried a deeper meaning.

"Since Prime Minister Feng wishes to go as well, I shall not stand in your way. Granted! You may set off on an auspicious day." Rising from his seat, Duan Siyi glanced down at the court and laughed heartily before departing. "Court dismissed."

"Xilou," Yun Xueyan said as they walked out of the grand hall, looking at Feng Xilou. "Acting like this will cause others to misunderstand."

"What is there to fear?" Feng Xilou smiled with effortless grace, looking straight at her without a trace of evasion. "I like it. Because you are Yan'er, I want to stay by your side. Anyone who dares to utter nonsense will not be dealt with lightly."

An emperor's decree left Yun Xueyan with no choice but to offer a helpless, bitter smile. It seemed he had no intention of letting go anytime soon.

Upon returning to the estate, Yun Xueyan saw Ziyu walking toward her. The maid offered a slight bow upon approaching. "My lady, Young Master Feng has returned and is currently in his chambers. Will you be going over?"

Feng Yihan was back? She had waited for him for many days, instructing Ziyu to notify her the moment he returned.

"Yes, I'll go right now. Please help me prepare some lunch; I'm rather hungry. Once it's ready, come call me in Young Master Feng's room." Nodding gently, Yun Xueyan made her way toward Feng Yihan's quarters.

The snow was melting rapidly, turning into pools of slush, and the wind was no longer as biting as it had been in previous days.

As Yun Xueyan walked up to the exterior of Feng Yihan's room, her footsteps abruptly halted. Her hands clenched tightly together, the face hidden behind her veil carrying a trace of sorrow. The truth she least wanted to believe was about to be unmasked by her own hands.

She had spent many days preparing herself, yet when Feng Yihan actually returned, cowardice still overtook her. She would have preferred for all of this to have nothing to do with him; she loathed the thought that he might be the one orchestrating these events.

Suddenly, she felt his mind was far too labyrinthine—terrifyingly so. Yet she had no idea what was truly buried deep within his heart.

Taking a few steps forward, she knocked on Feng Yihan's door. "Young Master Feng, may I come in?"

"You've been standing outside for so long, it's about time you came in to warm up." The voice from inside was thin, devoid of any discernible joy or anger.

Yun Xueyan was momentarily stunned; he had known she was there all along. Pushing the door open, she stepped inside to see Feng Yihan reclining sideways on a soft couch. As she entered, he slowly opened his eyes, his expression completely blank.

"Young Master Feng is certainly living in leisure." Yun Xueyan sat down and poured herself a cup of tea. It was somewhat cold, having likely been brewed quite a while ago. She held the cup in her hands without drinking. "What has Young Master Feng been busy with these past few days? Can you tell Jueyan about it?"

A serene smile hung on her face behind the veil as she set down the teacup, looking at Feng Yihan while awaiting his reply. Yet her heart churned with anxiety; she only hoped her judgment hadn't been wrong.

"I went out to attend to some private matters. These are hardly things you ought to be asking about." Lazily propping himself up, Feng Yihan gazed apathetically at Yun Xueyan and slowly drew closer. "You care far too much about me. You shouldn't."

"Young Master Feng, you misunderstand. I care about myself, not you." Meeting his gaze without a single step backward, she pressed on, "Does Young Master Feng happen to know Yun Xiyin?"

"Never heard of her!" The words slipped out of Feng Yihan's mouth before he even had time to think.

"Isn't Young Master Feng answering a bit too quickly? I've been wondering all along how Yun Xiyin discovered my true identity, and she certainly wouldn't have thought to seek refuge with the Northern Kingdom on her own. Yet it just so happened that you were away during that exact timeframe, and only a handful of people know my true identity. Aside from you, I can think of no one else!" Abruptly rising to her feet, Yun Xueyan bypassed the table to stand directly in front of Feng Yihan, closing the distance step by step!

"Why?" Her voice paused for a fraction of a second before she blurted out, "Why frame me? Why leak my identity? Who on earth are you?"

The faster he answered, the more certain she became that he was behind it all!

"You went and told Yun Xiyin my true identity, using me to manipulate Duan Nanxu and Feng Xilou—what is your true intention, Feng Yihan?" Glancing away, she bit her lip hard. She truly never expected that the person who saved her would treat her like this.

She was willing to act as his chess piece, but that did not mean she could be used to harm the people around her!

In a flash, her body was suddenly pulled into an embrace. Yun Xueyan gasped in shock as Feng Yihan used his own weight to pin her directly against the wall, pressing his body tightly against hers. His breathing was hurried and chaotic. "I told you, women shouldn't be too smart. Act like this, and I can't guarantee what I might do to you next time! Don't pry into my affairs—your life was saved by me!"

His attitude turned agitated, pressing his body even closer to hers. A face that had always been devoid of expression now revealed anger and... desire.

Yun Xueyan was startled. She thought she was seeing things, but when she once again met his gaze with panicked terror, those intense emotions were still there.

"L-Let me go." Her voice stuttered. She had never imagined that the refined man before her could have such an impulsive side. Her face flushed a deep crimson, partly from shame and anger, and partly because his arms wrapped around her waist were exerting enough force to pin her entirely against him.

She was pressed so firmly against the wall that even breathing became difficult.

He was too close, and their posture was far too ambiguous. The hand behind her back slid from her waist upward, gently stroking her spine, making her gasp softly.

True panic began to set in. The current Feng Yihan looked frighteningly like a predator locking onto its prey; she dared not provoke him further, lest she had no idea what he might do.

"Let you go?" Slender fingers pinched her chin from beneath her veil, stroking it gently. A sinister smile flashed across his face. "On what grounds? I am a man, too."

Her entire body shuddered, and Yun Xueyan trembled uncontrollably. The suppressed tone in her voice grew anxious. "What... what do you want?"

"I want..." The drawn-out syllable stabbed at every nerve in Yun Xueyan's body. Looking at the bewitching, wicked smile lingering on Feng Yihan's lips, she felt a wave of terror. "...you."

"No!" She cried out in defiance, struggling frantically.

Between him and her... she could not even begin to imagine it. Today's Feng Yihan was far too different, instilling an inexplicable dread within her.

"My lady," Ziyu's voice suddenly rang out from outside the door. "Lunch is ready. Will you be heading over now?"

"Yes, I'm coming. Young Master Feng and I were discussing some matters; I'm heading out now. Go wait for me in the front hall." Striving to steady her trembling voice, Yun Xueyan issued the command.

"Understood." Hearing Ziyu's footsteps fade away, Feng Yihan finally loosened his grip, leaving Yun Xueyan to slide limply down to the floor, panting heavily as she gasped for air.

The expression on Feng Yihan's face vanished once more. Turning his back to the person on the floor, he spoke in a light tone. "I have my past, and I have my reasons. Since you're unharmed, stop meddling in who lives and who dies. Perhaps one day, the ones who die will be them, or perhaps it will be me. So do not easily provoke me; even someone who has practiced restraint for a long time will eventually lose control."

Looking at Feng Yihan's retreating back, Yun Xueyan felt a pang in her chest. She had to uncover his past; otherwise... it would lead into an abyss of eternal damnation.

Prying herself up by leaning against the wall, Yun Xueyan walked up behind Feng Yihan. "Let's go eat; it'll get cold soon." She no longer blamed him. She knew all too well how much torment he carried within.

He had no outlet to vent his agony; the heavens had not shown him enough mercy.

Gazing at her with curious eyes, Feng Yihan asked, "You're still keeping me around? Aren't you afraid I'll harm you again, or someone else?"

"If I let you leave, I'll never be able to help you. I'd only be watching you continue down the wrong path. But if you stay by my side, I believe that one day, I can talk some sense into you. If there truly is no other way, then I will simply accept my fate." She offered a faint smile, then adjusted her attire and walked toward the door. As she pulled it open, a gust of cold wind rushed inside.

She must have lost her mind, keeping such a dangerous person by her side. Yet... she preferred to believe he would eventually be willing to tell her everything.

"Let's go eat, Young Master Feng." Her voice was very soft, instantly scattered by the wind, as if nothing had just transpired between them.

"Your injuries... have they healed?" he asked quietly, as a gesture of concern.

"Thank you for your concern, Young Master Feng. They are healed." With that, Yun Xueyan walked out.

With a soft sigh, Feng Yihan followed her out. Some matters afforded him no choice; perhaps in the end, all that would remain was an apology.