Chapter 399
**Chapter 397: Follow Me**
In the backlight, that face gradually came into focus.
Shen Wei recognized it as Li Yuanli, the Emperor of Nan Chu.
She was utterly taken aback.
By the banks of the Mingyuan River, the blood-red flag of Nan Chu fluttered ominously. Shen Wei slowly stood up, the icy river water still trickling through her fingers. Upon seeing Li Yuanli, the mystery that had troubled her for days unraveled.
In an instant, she understood that her inexplicable change of body was entirely due to him. This man had quietly set a grand scheme in motion, robbing her of her peaceful days and casting her into a fishing village in Donglin.
"Glad to see you well," Li Yuanli said, offering her a faint smile, his finely arched eyes locking onto Shen Wei's face.
Shen Wei's expression darkened.
At that moment, hurried footsteps approached from the riverside pavilion. Yuanfu rushed over, calling out, "Sister! Sister!"
Yuanfu's face was pale with fear.
He had just fetched water, intending to brew medicine for his sister to treat her cold. But just as the fire was lit, the sound of iron hooves thundered from the riverbank, and a terrifying group of black-armored knights appeared, as if heavenly soldiers had descended.
Yuanfu trembled in fear.
Thinking a battle was about to break out, he hurried to find Shen Wei, wanting to take her away from this dangerous place.
Before Yuanfu could reach Shen Wei, he was seized by the armored knights. The King of Wu, his face ashen, stepped forward tremblingly and clasped his hands in a bow to Li Yuanli. "My lord, I am the King of Wu from Donglin, here to escort tribute. Might you, for the sake of my humble status, release my concubine and my brother-in-law?"
The King of Wu had never seen Li Yuanli before.
He had no idea that the imposing man before him was the infamous Emperor of Nan Chu.
Li Yuanli raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on Shen Wei's dark, gaunt face. He was not surprised; Shen Wei always had a knack for surviving against the odds. No matter how dire the situation, she could find a way out.
Li Yuanli said, "Concubine... in less than two months, you certainly have a talent for this."
His voice carried a mix of mockery and menace.
Shen Wei contemplated her predicament. Situated at the crossroads of three kingdoms, while Li Yuanjing had yet to find her, Li Yuanli had already made his move. Surrounded by the valiant knights of Nan Chu, even if she sprouted wings, escape was impossible.
She replied calmly, "Let them go. Whatever grievances you have, come at me."
The King of Wu was alarmed.
Could it be that the fisher girl Yuan Xier truly had an extraordinary background? Was the prophecy of the former state master of Yue indeed true?
Shen Wei continued, "Shen Xiuming is in Wenzhou, and he has elite troops. If you kill the prince of Donglin here, perhaps Donglin and Qingguo will unite against Nan Chu."
Li Yuanli narrowed his phoenix eyes.
The King of Wu's eyes darted around, and he immediately raised his voice, summoning all the courage he could muster, "Though Donglin is a small nation, we have our pride! I am the favored son of my father; if I die, Donglin will not let Nan Chu off the hook."
Li Yuanli let out a derisive laugh.
He had traveled thousands of miles to find Shen Wei, intending only to bring her back to Nan Chu. As for the small fry surrounding her, he had no interest.
He extended his hand toward Shen Wei. "Come with me."
Shen Wei did not respond.
A military carriage from Nan Chu appeared by the riverbank, and a palace servant bowed respectfully, lifting the ornate curtain.
Shen Wei glanced at Li Yuanli and said, "Thanks to you, my body is weak and still recovering from the cold. Have the imperial physician prepare a prescription and bring the medicine to me daily. The road ahead is long, and I don’t want to die on the way."
Li Yuanli's interest and excitement grew stronger. Even though Shen Wei had taken on a different appearance, her familiar tone and calm demeanor effortlessly tugged at his heartstrings.
He nodded. "Alright."
Shen Wei silently climbed into the carriage.
The blood-red flags fluttered as the orderly black-armored cavalry of Nan Chu departed, the waters of the Mingyuan River flowing gently, and the mountain breeze brushing against the youthful face of the King of Wu.
His legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the ground. His attendant, Zhang Wulang, rushed to support him. "Your Highness! Are you alright?"
The King of Wu's handsome face was pale, and he stammered, "D-did you hear? That man referred to himself as 'I'?"
Zhang Wulang replied, "I heard."
The King of Wu trembled, fear gripping him. "C-could he be that terrifying Emperor of Nan Chu? The one who nearly wiped out the Nan Chu royal family?"
Zhang Wulang was equally uncertain.
The Emperor of Nan Chu had secured his position through iron-fisted means, his reputation for slaughtering royal relatives well-known. The King of Wu never expected to encounter him by the Mingyuan River.
He was terrified, his legs shaking.
Yuanfu, with tears in his eyes, ran over pleading, "Your Highness, please save my sister! She was taken away by bad people, wuwuwu."
The King of Wu regarded Yuanfu with a complex expression, unable to restrain himself from asking, "Little Afu, are you the illegitimate son of the Emperor of Nan Chu? Or is your sister the illegitimate daughter of the Emperor?"
Yuanfu, teary-eyed, replied, "I-I’m not!"
His sister had nothing to do with the Nan Chu royal family.
She had claimed she was not Yuan Xier but had not revealed her true identity. Yuanfu was desperate, hating his own powerlessness.
Because he was young and weak, his elder sister Yuan Xier had been forced to jump into the sea and drown.
Because he was young and weak, the sister he had just recognized was also taken away by outsiders.
The King of Wu clenched his fists, his voice ringing with determination as he declared, "Since Yuan Xier has nothing to do with the Nan Chu royal family, I must find a way to rescue her! She is to be my future concubine. How shameless of the Emperor of Nan Chu to take my wife! I only wish I could kill him face to face!"
Zhang Wulang quickly reminded him, "Your Highness, keep your voice down. What if there are spies from the Emperor of Nan Chu nearby?"
The King of Wu fell silent.
He raised his voice, "Set out! Immediately go to Wenzhou to seek help from Shen Xiuming!"
...
...
In Wenzhou, at an inn.
At the entrance to the upper room, the Tiger Guards stood watch with their swords, their eyes sharp. Inside the inn, Shen Xiuming, dressed in plain clothes, sat at a desk, opening a letter sent from Yanjing City.
Shen Xiuming frowned.
Not long ago, his sister Shen Wei had been subjected to a malevolent curse, and her soul had been taken over by an evil spirit. Such a bizarre tale, one that seemed only fit for a storybook, had actually come to pass.
The retired emperor and the new emperor were anxious and restless. After uncovering the truth, they began searching for Shen Wei across Qingguo, Yueguo, Nan Chu, Donglin, and other regions.
In the vast sea of people, finding her was like searching for a needle in a haystack, and to this day, there was still no trace of Shen Wei.
"Oh, my poor sister," Shen Xiuming lamented, his heart aching.
He had never seen a woman more unfortunate than his sister. Shen Wei had risen from a humble concubine, enduring countless hardships to become the Empress Dowager, and just as she was about to enjoy her twilight years, she was targeted by the Emperor of Nan Chu.
Shen Xiuming's eyes brimmed with tears.
There was a knock at the door.
The Tiger Guard entered and bowed to Shen Xiuming. "My lord, our informant has reported that the Nan Chu cavalry appeared by the Mingyuan River and abducted a girl named Yuan Xier from the Donglin tribute convoy."
Shen Xiuming was taken aback. "They got there first! Yuan Xier's identity is suspicious! Send someone to pursue them!"
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