The Compassion of Pin'er

Pin’er’s anxious confession of guilt left everyone present stunned. Oulan regarded her shrewdly, wondering what on earth this woman was plotting. Of all people, Oulan knew best that Pin’er had no part in the conspiracy; she herself had merely seized the chance to use Pin’er as a scapegoat to clear her own name. The plan had been to extract a confession under torture—who could have expected the accused to suddenly admit the crime on her own?

Doudou, too, looked at Pin’er with a face full of questions. What was happening to her mistress? This wasn’t how things had actually unfolded.

At that moment, Pin’er’s greatest fear was that Doudou would say too much. And as luck would have it, the very thing she dreaded came to pass.

“It’s not true! Madam Pin’er is innocent. It was clearly you, Princess—” Doudou hadn’t finished her words before Cuizhu slapped her hard across the face.

“What an insolent little wretch! No sense of decorum at all!” Cuizhu stepped in just in time to silence Doudou.

“Guards! Beat her to death!” Oulan’s gaze finally fell on the girl she had previously overlooked. Well, no matter—let her go ahead and scout the road to the afterlife for her mistress; before long, the two of them would travel that path together.

“Ah! Princess, have mercy! It truly wasn’t Madam Pin’er—Princess, please see the truth—” Doudou was dragged away, still naively pleading for the princess to spare Pin’er. Pin’er closed her eyes in anguish; this poor girl’s innocence had just cost her her life.

The wretched cries for mercy and the sound of wooden staves striking flesh echoed from outside. Pin’er felt dizzy, digging her nails into her palm: Doudou, for the bond we shared as mistress and servant, on every anniversary of your death I will recite scriptures for you, praying that in your next life you will not be swept into such a wrongful case and lose your life so heedlessly.

“A foolish and jealous maid, having served in the general’s manor for a year without giving birth to a child, harbored resentment and committed this wicked deed. I submit myself to the princess’s severe punishment,” Pin’er declared, kneeling and bowing her head to the ground.

Oulan eyed her suspiciously, and Cuizhu approached as well. Only the two of them knew full well that Pin’er had nothing to do with today’s incident.

“Everyone leave. I wish to speak with Pin’er alone.” With a wave of her hand, Oulan dismissed the others. Cuizhu, though reluctant, followed the rest out after a moment’s hesitation.

“Pin’er, rise.” Oulan’s stern demeanor softened as she helped Pin’er up. “We’re like sisters. If you have anything on your mind, you may speak freely with me.”

Pin’er forced a smile. “Princess, you overstate things. I long only for a quiet life, away from the world’s entanglements. Now that you wish me to step into these troubled waters, no matter how I struggle, I am already caught in the current. Why not go along with you, Princess? How you choose to handle this is beyond my control; I only hope to suffer as little as possible… and meet my end swiftly.”

“Heh… I never imagined the General’s Manor would harbor such hidden talent. You appear so delicate and unassuming. I never noticed you before, blinded by your beauty. Today, you’ve shown me what it means to be truly formidable… and strengthened my resolve to eliminate you.” Oulan circled behind Pin’er, both admiring her wits and courage, and feeling ever more threatened. “But… as you wish!”

Pin’er fell to her knees. “Thank you, Princess, for granting my request.”

“Guards! Take Pin’er away!” Oulan’s gaze lingered on her. Thank heavens this woman could be dealt with today; otherwise, she would surely become a threat in the future.

In the imperial palace—

“My dear son-in-law, what do you think of my proposal?” The Emperor Jing had noticed that Pan Yueyang had been distracted all morning.

“Yes, Your Majesty’s concerns are my concerns as well. The plan you have just proposed is excellent,” Pan Yueyang replied with a strained smile, while the unease in his heart continued to grow.

“I want you to select a deputy as soon as possible. Now, when Tianfeng is at its weakest, we must seize the moment and achieve a breakthrough!” The emperor gazed at the map of Panlong Kingdom, seeing its future expansion in his hands.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I accept your command.” Pan Yueyang felt a headache coming on. Gu Yinhe had been poisoned for a month now, Xueqing had gone to the frontier in search of medicine and had not sent back a word, and there were few reliable generals left at court—almost none among the younger generation. There was hardly anyone who could truly support him… “Your Majesty, I have a suggestion, if I may?”

“Oh? Speak. What is your proposal?” The emperor held absolute trust in Pan Yueyang’s judgment in military matters.

“I have a junior fellow apprentice whose martial skills surpass mine. Would Your Majesty allow me to appoint him as my deputy?” After much deliberation, only Baili Mubai came to mind as someone who could help.

“A junior apprentice? Someone from the martial world?” The emperor had never held much regard for the wandering swordsmen of the land. In his eyes, they only knew how to fight and kill, and would never serve the court. Most important of all, they did not fear the throne—meaning, they did not fear him.

“We’ll discuss this later. Summon Ruolan to the palace. The two of you will dine with me tonight. Since Ruolan married, I’ve missed my daughter every day.” The emperor glanced at the sky—he had delayed long enough for his beloved daughter’s sake.

“I wish to return to the manor, Your Majesty…” Pan Yueyang’s mind was in turmoil.

“Hmph!” The emperor pretended to be angry. “Very well. Come, let us play a game of chess. If you win, I’ll let Ruolan stay home today.” With that, the emperor turned and strode into the inner hall.

Pan Yueyang closed his eyes in vexation, and when he opened them again, worry still filled his gaze. Shaking his head, he followed the emperor inside.

General’s Manor—

Pin’er sat quietly in her chair, eyes closed, resting her mind. She thought of Pan Yueyang, who had not returned; she knew Oulan would see to everything before he came back, and her own departure from the manor was not far off. Sure enough, hurried footsteps approached, bringing a faint smile to her lips.

“Madam Pin’er, the princess has sent me to bring you some tonic,” a strange young maid announced from the doorway, carrying a porcelain bowl of unknown contents.

“Come in,” Pin’er said without opening her eyes.

The little maid hesitated, glanced at Pin’er, but said nothing more and quietly withdrew.

Pin’er noticed that before leaving, the maid had already poured the entire contents from the stewing pot into a bowl. She picked up a spoon, stirred the liquid twice, and murmured, “Such amateur tricks.” Setting the spoon aside, she smiled faintly.

A low, chilling laughter echoed through the room. Pin’er could not discern its source and could only kneel.

“Pin’er greets the master,” she said, bowing her head.

The man in black made no reply, merely pressing at several points on her body. This time, her cleverness seemed to have pleased him greatly.

“Ah—thank you, Master, for unlocking my meridians!” With a breath, warmth flooded her core—her martial abilities had been restored!

“Come with me,” the man in black said curtly.

“Master!” Pin’er seemed desperate to speak, which piqued his interest. “Master, would you spare that woman’s life?” Pin’er could not bear the thought of Yan’er perishing with her unborn child. Now that the child was gone, the princess would never summon a physician for Yan’er, and would likely let her waste away. Pin’er, already burdened by her own sins, could not bring herself to doom another innocent soul.

“Hmph! Soft-hearted woman!” A cold light flashed in the man’s eyes.

“Master, she truly is blameless.” Yan’er, from beginning to end, had stumbled into this cruel game by accident, just like Doudou…

“Wait for me on the slope outside the city.” Without another word, the man in black vanished. Pin’er rose slowly, pondering this strange turn: her master had not rebuked her for pleading for a useless woman. In fact, he had accepted her request quite naturally. How odd.

The man in black, his skills in lightness unmatched, soon arrived at the guarded room. There, on the bed, lay the girl, still bathed in her own blood. He shook his head; behind his mask, his face was unreadable, but his exposed eyes brimmed with pity.

Just as Pin’er had feared, after a perfunctory diagnosis and prescription from the physician, Oulan had given orders that no one was to treat the poor woman. Yan’er curled up on the bed, her face as pale as a blank sheet of paper, lying as motionless as a corpse.

The man in black checked her breath—barely a thread. He took out a porcelain vial, hesitated a moment, then finally opened it and placed a pill beneath her tongue. He sent a surge of internal energy into her body, yet she remained unconscious.

He finished, patted her face, and found no sign of life despite all the energy he had given her. Was she so determined to die? The man dropped his gaze, gently stroking her icy cheek.

Once more, he gathered his energy, this time even stronger than before, and slowly channeled it into Yan’er’s body. At last, some warmth returned to her limbs. He caressed her gently, then slapped her with force.

The dead heart within Yan’er was startled by the force of his blow, and her brows furrowed though her eyes stayed shut.

A smile tugged at his lips as he bent low and, through the black cloth of his mask, pressed a kiss to her lips.

“Mm…” She had already prepared herself for death; why now, at her final moment, was someone taking such liberties? Unwillingly, Yan’er squinted open her eyes.

“Awake?” The man in black paused.

That voice—so familiar, though she could not immediately place it. Yan’er struggled to open her heavy eyelids. “Mm…”

The man in black stiffened. Everything she had suffered was the result of her own choices. Remembering this, he gripped her wrist tightly.

“Ah—” The pain brought Yan’er to full consciousness. She opened her eyes wide to see a man dressed all in black, his features hidden, but his eyes full of concern and regret, fixed intently on her.

“Who are you?” Yan’er blurted out.

“Does it matter?” Beneath the mask, his smile deepened.

“You… your voice sounds familiar.” Yan’er tried to place it. The man glanced away quickly, released her wrist, and lowered his voice by her ear.

“If you wish to honor those who died for your sake, then you must live. Blood debts must be repaid by those who owe them.”