Chapter 56: Choice Part 2

“If I die, Great Qi’s borderlands will surely face war. Even if Yuan Man dies, Great Qi will send a new general. Princess, your schemes will ultimately fail. You hate Great Qi for forcing you into this marriage and separating you from your beloved, but you and I are the same. The borderlands didn’t force me into this marriage either, nor did Great Qi force you to marry over. The one you should hate is your own country—they abandoned you.”

Ana Yanran bent down halfway, pinching Xun Yisu’s chin, her nails digging into the flesh. Her eyes darkened with ferocity. “So what? The borderlands are already under my control. Revenge must be taken slowly. I will make my iron cavalry trample every corner of Great Qi. So what about Xun Yi? He’s Great Qi’s war god, but internal strife has left him too preoccupied to act.”

Xun Yisu wanted to retort that it was a fool’s delusion, but then thought it was just pointless argument. She swallowed her words and stared at her haggard reflection in the clear liquid. If Yuan Man saw it, she would surely scold her for not taking care of herself.

A tear dropped into the cup, mingling with the wine. Ana Yanran saw the tear clearly and smiled, her laugh tinged with obscure mystery. “Two cups of wine, two choices. The one in your hand is poison—death without pain. The one on the tray will rot your guts, ruin your face.”

Xun Yisu frowned and gripped her cup tighter. Seeing her disgusted expression, Ana Yanran arched her delicate brows. “Drink the one in your hand, and the lingering Yuan Man outside will rush in and be pierced by a hail of arrows. Drink the one on the ground, and Yuan Man can take your corpse away. Do you want me to send both your corpses back together, or let Yuan Man carry yours back to Great Qi? Choose for yourself.”

A woman’s beauty was her essence for survival. After death, a ruined face would make her unrecognizable. Xun Yisu’s left hand slowly caressed her cheek, her eyes softening inexplicably. A’Man should recognize me; she wouldn’t mind.

Actually, A’Man, it’s better for you to live alone than for us to hesitate together.

Xun Yisu set down the cup in her hand and picked up the one from the ground. The moonlight condensed the night, and she seemed to see Yuan Man on the battlefield, armored and heroic—a woman outshining men.

She turned back and met Ana Yanran’s gaze directly, her lips curving slightly in mockery or admonition. “I have no regrets. One day, Princess, you will. Love transcends life and death; once dead, what use is beauty?”

With that, she tilted her head back and drained the poison wine, resolute and unrepentant.

The cup clattered onto the cold floor. Xun Yisu curled up in agony on the ground, her eyes stern. “Those in political marriages have no love to begin with. Our mistake was loving too deeply.”

Ana Yanran’s gaze was like arrows, fixed on the person writhing in pain on the ground. She ground her teeth. “When Yuan Man sees your disfigured corpse, she won’t care. Your death will just free her to find someone new.”

Xun Yisu smiled faintly without responding. Her abdomen felt like it was being sliced by knives or devoured by countless ants—the torments of hell were no worse. Tears slid to the floor, but she said nothing more. Her body felt torn apart by countless hands, scattered in this damp, heartless room.

Ana Yanran looked at the stubborn woman, bewildered, and retreated a few steps. Suddenly, she turned, her eyes hardening as she ordered, “Withdraw everyone immediately. Leave no one behind.”

After the large contingent of soldiers withdrew, the mansion grew even quieter. Someone flipped over the wall outside, running through the front courtyard and the garden blooming with a hundred flowers. All the scenery appeared dull in her eyes.

Yuan Man followed the map and rushed into the Princess Consort’s residence. The door was open; by the faint silver glow, she groped her way in, not daring to light a lamp for fear of alerting others. She moved lightly inside, but no one was there. She couldn’t call Asu’s name, so she could only fumble over every inch of furniture.

By moonlight, she clearly saw the white-clad figure under the window. She hurried forward and lifted the person from the floor, her voice trembling slightly. “Asu… Asu, answer me…”

No response. This darkened Yuan Man’s already grim expression. She placed her hand under Asu’s nose; the faint breath terrified her even more. She pulled out a medicine bottle from her bosom, poured out the pills, and fed them all into her mouth, murmuring, “Good Asu, open your mouth and swallow them. Asu, I’ll take you back to see your mother consort. We’ll marry like everyone else… I’ve prepared the wedding robes for the ceremony you’ve longed for, and the bridal chamber… Good Asu, eat them, and we’ll have all that.”

Yuan Man’s soft calls went unheard by Xun Yisu, who lay quietly in her arms. After a long while, only Yuan Man’s rapid breathing was audible. The pills still wouldn’t go down. Panicking, Yuan Man suddenly noticed the tear stains at Asu’s eye corner and stopped fearing. She gently cradled Asu’s hair, her misty eyes welling with sorrow.

She swallowed the pills herself, leaned down slightly, found Asu’s bloodless lips, and gently took them between hers. Her tongue pried open the teeth, crushed the pills slowly, and passed them entirely into Asu’s mouth. Her tongue lingered at the corner of Asu’s lips. After a long gasp, she whispered, “This is the medicine you gave me, the one that saves lives. Now I’m giving it back to you…”