Transmigration: Of Mysteries and Songs

This day, two events were about to take place in the Xuan Kingdom, at Chang’an City. One of them was that Chamberlain Feng’s eldest daughter, Feng Luodi, would be decapitated at noon. The execution would directly be carried out outside the court prison and commoners weren’t permitted to get close. The second event was that the General-in-Chief of the Northern Army, Situ Muye, would leave Chang’an for the deserts of the North to patrol the borders under imperial order.

However, it was totally unexpected that something else would happen in this day.

A day later, the Xuan Kingdom’s court would appoint the First Prince as the heir to the throne. The commoners only knew some rumours so they naturally weren’t aware of the surging undercurrents in court. The people involved were able to discern the situation clearly, but they were powerless, not able to do anything about it.

Feng Luodi stood in the prison cell spread with rice straws and indifferently looked at the prison guards bustling about outside the prison.

She wasn’t foolish, so she could naturally tell that ever since the day she’d entered the court prison, the security laid out had been extremely lax. She even suspected that if she were to find a way to break through the fence locked with chains, she could directly escape by herself.

But, she couldn’t escape. If she obediently allowed herself to be arrested without putting up any resistance, she wouldn’t implicate her family members. But if she escaped, the consequence would be the nine familial exterminations[1].

She didn’t wish for Situ to come to save her. If he came to rescue her, he would fall into the Emperor’s trap. Then, the Feng Residence and the Situ Family would be implicated. Then, this wouldn’t be simply an issue of reclaiming Situ’s military power.

She knew that Situ would return to save her. Ever since Jiang Moyin came the last time, she had been having this premonition. Situ wouldn’t give up on her. He wouldn’t abandon her. She, on the other hand, thought of abandoning Situ…

“How foolish…”

Feng Luodi shut her eyes and concealed the painful expression in her eyes.

The prison guards were still putting on an act and there were soldiers going in and out of the court prison continuously.

The court prison was originally dingy and damp. Light wasn’t able to penetrate that place all year round, as if it was to create some kind of desolate miasma before one’s death.

Ten days was sufficient to let that dampness bite into her bones. Feng Luodi would occasionally feel her fingers stiffen and she would feel her blood not circulating as freely. She had to endure. She couldn’t make any sound and give those people a chance to spread rumours out, troubling the people outside.

Even if sunlight could not stream into the court prison all year round, the idle Feng Luodi could still count the days in her heart. She knew exactly what time it was and which hour it was.

And, as she counted to this day, she knew that it was about to be noon soon.

“According to conventions, you should eat your last meal in this world before departure.”

A prison guard brought a food box[2] and took out the dishes one by one. It indeed looked like a sumptuous meal.

Feng Luodi cast a sidelong glance at the dishes, but she didn’t walk over.

The third day she was confined in the court prison, Jiang Moyin came to pay her a visit and brought her food. Ever since then, she only ate the food sent by the people from the Jiang Residence. As for the food provided by the prison guards, she didn’t dare to touch them.

She had no choice but to guard against the vile schemes of that insane and unscrupulous Emperor.

However, even if she was careful and took precautions, it didn’t mean that she could solve the problem at hand.

The past few days, Feng Luodi didn’t eat the food sent over by the prison guards, and no one bothered with her. However, today was different.

Feng Luodi suddenly saw that prison guard open the door and take out a small wine pot as he walked towards her.

As far as she could recall, she had never seen him before amongst the prison guards working in shifts.

“Who are you?”

Feng Luodi took a few steps back. However, the cell was very narrow and small. She already reached the mossy wall after taking a few steps back.

“You will drink this wine whether you like it or not.”

The prison guard’s expression turned sinister as he said this. At this instant, Feng Luodi suddenly thought that his tone sounded very familiar. Someone had used this same kind of tone to talk to her before.

“You’re someone dispatched by the Emperor?”

Feng Luodi continued to struggle and push, while that prison guard didn’t dare to attract attention by making too much noise. Feng Luodi then used a little trick and exerted strength to push that prison guard away. At that split moment, his wrist was accidentally revealed and she saw a tattoo on it.

Feng Luodi was taken aback. She recognised this tattoo. This person wasn’t dispatched by the Emperor.

As Feng Luodi glared at the prison guard, her expression instantly turned fierce. She caught him unprepared and smashed that wine pot. The sound of fragments hitting the ground successfully attracted the attention of the people outside.

“What happened here?” Someone immediately came over to check.

That prison guard hastily retreated a little and spoke in a low muffled voice, “It’s the departure meal. I accidentally let a plate fall when I took it out.”

“Oh, I see.”

The prison guard outside nodded and waved his hand.

“She doesn’t need to eat anymore. It’s already time. Bring her out.”

“Alright.”

The prison guard in the cell wanted to approach Feng Luodi again but she quickly evaded him and walked out by herself.

The dazzling sunlight she hadn’t seen for a long time stung her eyes. Feng Luodi lifted her sleeve slightly to block the light. It was so dazzling that tears were about to seep out from the corner of her eyes.

As for that person, he was dressed in martial attire and carried a Hong Ming Scimitar at his waist. Under the brilliant sunlight, his whole body was covered with a layer of warm radiance. He’s so dazzling yet no longer considers himself unexcelled in the world. He’s the one she should have loved with all her heart. How is she deserving to have met this person?

The covert guards behind him were similarly dressed in armour and carrying weapons. She was used to seeing them wear various simple-coloured clothes with a shawl covering their faces so she was a bit unused to their current get-up.

“You came anyway.”

Feng Luodi’s voice sounded almost inaudible as she uttered those words, but she was unable to say any more.

That yearning gaze that landed on her represented everything. She had longed to see him again so much, such that she was fine with dying just to do so.

She knew that he had longed to see her too so that they could reunite and be together forever.

The promise back then. He remembered; she also remembered.

Situ and the others were clearly only standing a few hundred feet away, not striking and not speaking while the prison guard beside Feng Luodi had long been unable to suppress his emotions and hollered loudly, “Someone come, there are people breaking into jail!”

“Where is the Imperial Army?”

“Quickly go and inform the Emperor!”

“Keep a watch on the prisoner properly!”

It was in a state of chaos. Feng Luodi stared at her surroundings indifferently. When she reached out a hand towards Situ in the next second, her gaze softened and her expression turned gentle. At this instant, the surrounding commotion had seemingly nothing to do with her.

The surrounding scenery blurred out and vanished to the back of her mind immediately. Only Situ, clad in armour, was in her sight and everything around her faded away.

The disorderly scene didn’t affect them one bit.

Seeing him inching closer, Feng Luodi let out a chuckle in an attempt to soften the stern look on his face.

“The hero always appear at the last moment.”

Situ used the hand that wasn’t stained with blood to caress Feng Luodi’s face.

Feng Luodi shut her eyes for a moment to thoroughly take in the familiar warmth she hadn’t felt in a while.

“You know why I’ve come. You understand all of it.”

His tone was still as methodical as ever, yet it carried an appeal that was hard to ignore.

Feng Luodi raised her head and looked at Situ, her tone calm as she said, “I know all of it…you don’t have to explain.”

The Emperor was forcing Situ. Everyone was using her to force Situ.

As for Situ, he was also pressuring the Emperor.

The Emperor presumably never would have thought that Situ had, in fact, long made his decision. The security around the court prison was extremely lax the past ten days, but Situ didn’t come on the first day nor did he come on the fifth day. He’d waited until the last moment to make a move. He’d wanted the Emperor, who was debilitating with age, to worry about it every day and rack his brains before he made his appearance in style.

*These past few days, Situ had probably put on an ‘I’m very fretful, I’m in a very bad mood, don’t come to provoke me, I’m forced by the Emperor’ appearance.

*Everyone must have thought that Situ had made a choice at the last minute while, in fact, he had already drawn up this plan at the beginning.

“You’re too wilful.”

Feng Luodi faintly glanced at Situ while sighing in her heart.

Although Situ had duped everyone, it wouldn’t change the outcome. Situ had broken into the court prison as the Emperor had desired. This was a capital offence and he would have no choice but to hand over his military power.

Of course, Situ definitely had another card up his sleeve. In that case, the outcome would turn into Situ taking her to escape to a faraway place while the others remained peacefully in Chang’an.

But, if Situ took her away and realise that she would leave one day, what would he think? He would definitely hate her to the core, right?

Remain here. An inner voice was constantly telling her this.

Just leave. You’re Situ’s burden. You’ll bring him harm.

Leave this place. Your father and mother are still waiting for you. They have waited for you for so long already.

“Do you want to go to the deserts of the North or Jiangnan?” Situ suddenly asked with great interest.

Feng Luodi glared at him and turned her head to look at the scenery before her eyes.

The covert guards had dealt with all the people inside and outside the court prison. The corpses on the floor were appalling to the eyes and the tang of the bloody smell wafting into her nose was especially strong.

Feng Luodi restrained her urge to vomit and steadied herself as she looked towards the only path leading to the court prison. *The person who’d caused all of these, the Emperor of this country, was about to arrive right from there. *

“Duke of Anping, you have disappointed me too much. I trusted you so much, yet you’ve committed the capital offence of breaking into the court prison.”

The Emperor was tightly encircled by the Imperial Army as he shouted in Feng Luodi’s direction.

Situ naturally thought nothing of it while Feng Luodi noticed that the Emperor's body was very weak. The words ‘emaciated’ and ‘sallow’ were no longer sufficient to describe his current appearance; he was currently all skin and bones. That bright yellow dragon robe that was originally well-fitting on his body was very loose now. As for the Emperor himself, it looked like he could collapse at any moment.

“Your Majesty, haven’t you long expected this day?”

Situ who stood by Feng Luodi’s side didn’t use any honorifics. This angered the Emperor so much that he started gasping for air. At his side, Palace Attendant Yu was trying to calm him down while continuously peering at Situ.

Feng Luodi was rather regretful that the First Prince, Gan Qingjia and the others couldn’t come. Perhaps, after leaving with Situ this time, she wouldn’t see them ever again.

“Someone, come!”

the Emperor seemed to have lost his patience and directly commanded the Imperial Army.

“Seize these rebellious convicts. You’re not allowed to let even one of them off.”

“As you’ve commanded, Your Majesty!”

Orderly footsteps that shook the sky could be heard as the Imperial Army troops dressed in a monotone grey-black armour instantly encircled Situ and the others.

Just as Feng Luodi thought that something was out of place, she noticed someone in the Imperial Army nodding at Situ and a sudden realisation hit her. These people were also on Situ’s side.

Situ is so powerful. No wonder, all the Emperor could think of before his death is pulling Situ down from power.

“Palace Attendant Yu, announce my decree. Duke of Anping incited this bunch of people to break into the court prison and snatch the prisoner away. He has committed a heinous crime and all his actions contain heinous motives. Thus, I command the Imperial Army to arrest him here.”

Palace Attendant Yu took a step forward, but he didn’t speak yet.

Feng Luodi noticed that there were also few civil officials standing behind the Emperor. They were holding bamboo slips including brush and ink in their hands.

They must be the court historians. Feng Luodi instantly recognised their identities. The Emperor wanted to record Situ’s operation this time into the annals so that he could erase all of Situ’s meritorious contributions. How vicious and despicable!

Feng Luodi glanced at Situ in bewilderment, hoping that he would stop.

Yet, Situ didn’t waver in the least.

Palace Attendant Yu was about to open his mouth when a voice sounded. A voice that Feng Luodi would never be able to forget again in this lifetime.

“Wait. Your Majesty, things have to be investigated clearly before a decision is made. I was the one who planned and prepared the operation this time. It’s me who has committed the capital offence.”

It’s Jiang Moyin.

1. Family members and relatives related to the criminal are punished, up to nine degrees of relation.

2. A food box has a few layers of compartments