After Being Forced to Marry the Evil Star General

The dungeons were perpetually dark and damp, with a foul and rotten smell in the air. No matter how many times he came here, it always made Zhao Yelan grimace.

Walking slowly to the innermost cell, he heard a low-pitched nursery rhyme that children in the capital would hum when they were young: “Crescent moon, crescent moon, like a mother’s arms……”

The person inside was restrained with heavy shackles on both hands and feet. Hearing movement, she raised her head and sighed when she saw him: “Why didn’t you leave Beijing as planned last year? If you had left, we wouldn’t be meeting here today.”

“Why did you do this?” Zhao Yelan asked.

The corners of Gu Niaoniao’s mouth twitched.

“I searched every corner of the capital, but I never suspected you,” Zhao Yelan said in a heavy voice.

Gu Niaoniao stood and walked slowly to the door with the dull, heavy sound of her shackles dragging on the ground.

The two of them looked at each other for a moment, separated by a cell door, and Gu Niaoniao asked: “Is he dead?”

“Everyone in the Imperial Hospital is trying to save him. He is still unconscious, but his condition has improved a bit. We will wait for him to wake up,” Zhao Yelan said.

On the day of the assassination, everyone in the capital was shocked. Zhao Xuan was already unconscious when he was sent back to the palace, and the people in the Imperial Hospital were busy coming in and out for three days before they managed to pull him back from the gates of hell. However, he still hadn’t woken up yet, and someone was guarding him day and night.

After seeing Zhao Xuan’s injury, Sun Muyun was filled with grief and couldn’t control her emotions for a while. She had unbearable abdominal pain, and gave birth to a prince prematurely. Fortunately, the mother and child were safe, but they also needed to be taken care of by Imperial physicians. The palace was very busy at the moment.

“Ah……not dead yet. I chose the wrong location, right? Clearly, I was aiming at the heart, ah.” Gu Niaoniao smiled helplessly. “It seems like fate.”

“Gu Niaoniao.” Zhao Yelan gritted his teeth as he called out to her. “Why on earth did you do this? Are you not afraid of death?”

“Death?” Gu Niaoniao’s shoulders trembled and she laughed out loud. “I am most afraid of death, I only fear that before I die, I won’t be able to take some people with me. But it’s okay, Zhao Xu went to the underworld before me. It was worth it.”

Zhao Yelan frowned upon hearing this: “Aren’t you on the same side as him?”

“Yes, and also no.” Gua Niaoniao’s lips curled up in a smile. “Years ago, I heard that the Princess of Nanjiang wished to marry Yan Mingting. I wanted to check her details for you, but who knew that I would find out something interesting. She had an affair with the First Prince.”

“So you helped them meet privately?”

“That’s right. I pretended to help him regain the throne and passed on news from the two countries to him, and he believed it like a fool. Believe it or not, no one else in the capital was willing to help him.” Gu Niaoniao smiled contemptuously. “The people who went to the other palace to take him away were killed by Yan Mingting’s subordinates, and I sent someone to rescue him back to Hongxiu House.”

“You didn’t want to help him win the throne at all, otherwise, you wouldn’t have let him carry out the assassination in public.”

“Of course I wouldn’t help that dog. I just reminded him that the Emperor may leave the palace from time to time. He stayed in the secret passage for a long while, and his mind became confused. He could only think of one thing, which was to kill Zhao Xuan and replace him,” Gu Niaoniao said.

“He failed, but gave you a chance to succeed.”

 “Correct. He was just a jester, and I let him go out and jump around a bit first, waiting for a chance when everyone was focused on him.” Gu Niaoniao smiled. “It wasn’t easy to wait for Zhao Xuan to leave the palace. I thought it would take a long time to carry out this plan.”

“So your purpose was to have the brothers kill each other?” Zhao Yelan asked.

Gu Niaoniao raised her chin and said calmly: “That’s right. I want the Zhao family to die a miserable death. Don’t you find it interesting that father and son, brother and brother, can all kill each other?”

Zhao Yelan guessed that this was related to her childhood experiences, and said: “Those things back then were done by the late emperor and had nothing to do with Zhao Xuan. Moreover, he indirectly helped us get vengeance, and now the land has stabilized……”

“It had nothing to do with him?” Gu Niaoniao suddenly laughed out loud. The laugh was a bit hoarse, and she clutched a pillar tightly with her hands, veins protruding. She asked through gritted teeth, “Then those things back then, did they have anything to do with me? With you? Why is it that when killing us, our entire families are implicated, and they would rather kill a thousand by mistake than let one go, but when it is their turn to be a group of murderers, they are separate and have nothing to do with each other?”

Zhao Yelan gazed at her silently. He had seen hatred in her eyes before. He’d thought it was just that the other party couldn’t hide it, but he didn’t expect that the hatred went so deep.

“Gu Niaoniao, your life is on the line.”

“Don’t call me Gu Niaoniao.” 

Zhao Yelan was taken aback.

“Gu Niaoniao died long ago by the executioner’s knife. My surname is Jiang.”

Zhao Yelan gave her a look of shock. Among the people involved in the case of the Marquis of An, there was only one family named Jiang, and that was the Marquis of An’s. 

“You are……”

“I am my father’s youngest daughter.” Gu Niaoniao recalled the distant past. “I had been studying and learning calligraphy since I was a child. My teacher was the current Imperial Grand Tutor, and my previous knowledge was no worse than that of Yin Pinglu. If I studied for a few more years, perhaps I would have been a female top scorer in the Imperial examinations. My father taught me martial arts, saying that his daughter should have the means to protect herself, and it would be even better if she could protect her family and country. It was a pity that I only learned how to hold a sword, and no one taught me further.”

“Zhao Yelan, you watched your parents die with your own eyes, and endured humiliation for so many years. What about me? Hundreds of people in my family were killed by the sword. Have you ever seen an actual river of blood? My infant brother was thrown into a well before he could even speak. What did he have to do with anything? Regardless of age, regardless of distance, there were more than twenty thousand people who had a relationship with our family and were killed or injured. Even innocent people like you were involved and ended up in ruins. You want me to let it go?” 

“I can’t let it go, ah,” Gu Niao cried out with a sob.

Zhao Yelan’s expression was downcast, and he couldn’t recover for a long while.

He had never suspected Gu Niaoniao, because the two of them had experienced the same tragedies and could understand one another’s pain without saying many words. However, he had still underestimated Gu Niaoniao’s determination and forbearance for so many years. She was able to hide everything completely, and even he had never noticed the difference in identity.

But he was likely the only one who could understand Gu Niaoniao’s choice. If it were him before, he would probably be just as desperate.

He handed in a handkerchief. Gu Niaoniao took it, but her hands were bound and her smile was uglier than her crying: “Wipe it off for me, ba.”

Zhao Yelan wiped her face slowly. Gu Niaoniao raised her head and said: “Actually, when I was first locked up in prison, I really didn’t want to live anymore, but every time I saw you, I felt like I could keep going. You didn’t seek death, so why should I do it first?”

Zhao Yelan said: “Your family must have hoped that you could live a good life.”

“I can’t live, I’m really tired of living in this world.” Gu Niaoniao looked up at him. “When you were about to feign death, you probably thought the same way, ba. The great revenge had been accomplished. There was nothing worth remembering in this world, so it was better to leave.”

Zhao Yelan did not deny it.

“But you were lucky, ah, you met Yan Mingting, who made you miss him so much that you couldn’t bear to part with him.” Gu Niaoniao said, “I didn’t have such luck.”

Zhao Yelan silently accompanied her for a while. Visiting time was ending soon. Gu Niaoniao whispered: “All my savings over the years are in the room we used to meet in. You take those silver taels and arrange a good place for the girls, ba. They are all innocent and don’t know anything about me.”

Zhao Yelan: “All right.”

“I left something for you in the building, don’t forget. You are not short of money, so I could only leave some spices and tea leaves for you. The spices are the Western Region incense I personally selected. For so many years, I have always used incense like you, as if it could cover up the filthy smell on my body over time.”

“…….En.” Zhao Yelan lowered his eyes. His throat rolled, and his tone was cryptic. “Is there anything else?”

“You and Yan Mingting should be fine. He treats you well. Don’t let your temper out all day long, and live a peaceful and beautiful life.”

“I’ll accept your good words.” Zhao Yelan lifted the corners of his mouth with difficulty and asked, “Have you ever heard Zhao Xu mention the Nanjiang poison?”

“What poison?”

“It’s nothing.” Zhao Yelan’s expression dimmed.

“There is one last thing you must help me with.”

“What is it?”

“Weren’t you able to kill Yu Junliang directly in prison before?” Gu Niaoniao said, “I would rather die by your hand than that of the executioner, with my head separated. Can you give me my dignity?”

After a long time, Zhao Yelan replied: “All right.”

“Thank you. In my life, the most valuable thing was to know you as a friend,” Gu Niaoniao said with red eyes.

Zhao Yelan asked with a stuffy nose: “What is your name?”

Gu Niaoniao was stunned for a moment, and after ten years, she at last said her name slowly: “Jiang Mu. My name is Jiang Mu.”

“Hello, Jiang Mu.” 

“Zhao Mengting, take care.”

After he emerged from the prison, he glanced around and suddenly wanted to see Yan Mingting. He got into a sedan chair, but thought that the sedan chair was too slow, so he disembarked halfway and ran all the way back to the General’s Mansion and started shouting as soon as he entered the gate: “Yan Mingting, Yan Mingting!”

“I’m here.” Yan Mingting walked out of the bedroom and Zhao Yelan ran up to him, stretched out his arms, and embraced him.

“You saw her?” Yan Mingting asked, lowering his head.

Zhao Yelan nodded.

Yan Mingting rubbed his head and said softly: “Let’s go inside, ba.”

Zhao Yelan let go of his hand, and just as he stepped over the threshold, he suddenly heard a bang. He turned his head in a panic to look at Yan Mingting, and found that he had slammed one tightly clenched hand on the door and fell down in a daze. 

“Yan Mingting!” Zhao Yelan immediately went to help him.

Slipping to the ground, Yan Mingting leaned his back against the door and smiled at him with a pale face: “It’s fine, I’m just a little dizzy. Just take it easy, go to the kitchen and pour me a cup of water.”

“I’m not going, I’m not going anywhere!” Zhao Yelan hugged him. “Don’t you try to find excuses to drive me away.”

Yan Minging leaned into his arms and said with a smile: “But, but I’m a little dizzy now, I want to sleep for a while……”

“Not allowed to sleep!”

“Alright, no sleeping, I won’t sleep.”

“General, my lord, what is the matter with you?” Xiao Gao followed the noise and stood at the door, startled.

“Go and get a cup of water,” Zhao Yelan immediately ordered.

“Coming, coming, water is coming.” 

Xiao Gao went to pour a cup of water and handed it to Yan Mingting. When he lowered his eyes, he found that Yan Mingting’s entire body was tense, his hands holding onto his thighs. “General, why are you pinching yourself?”

Zhao Yelan was taken aback for a moment, and then noticed that he had been secretly torturing himself to stay awake, and a line of hot tears immediately rolled from his eyes: “Why, why do you have to…..”

“Mengting, don’t cry, ah.” Yan Mingting raised his hand and wiped away his tears, saying with a pale face, “Go and find Yao Muze.”

“Okay, I’ll go.” Zhao Yelan handed him off to Xiao Gao, then got up and went out. Walking outside the door, he waited for a moment, and heard Yan Mingting’s restrained groan of pain inside. It was as if his heart was being whipped back and forth, and the pain was so terrible that he almost lost consciousness. 

Almost all the people in the Imperial Hospital were in the palace, so Zhao Yelan went from the hospital to the palace and brought Yao Muze out.

Seeing his expression, Yao Muze knew that the situation was not good. He quickly followed him to the General’s Mansion, and Yan Mingting seemed to have recovered, half reclining in bed and eating melon seeds like a normal person.

“I really troubled you to make a trip,” Yan Mingting said with a smile.

“The General is courteous.” Yao Muze opened the medical box. “This poison occurs intermittently. I will give you acupuncture first, in hopes of relieving your pain during an attack.”

“Thank you for your trouble.” Yan Mingting looked at Zhao Yelan again. “Mengting, go and see if dinner is ready. Let’s have Doctor Yao stay for dinner tonight.”

“I won’t go.” Zhao Yelan sat down at the table calmly and said, “Do the acupuncture. Don’t worry about me.”

One by one, thin needles were inserted into the acupuncture points. Zhao Yelan felt as if he was about to die from pain just looking at them. However, Yan Mingting had yet to close his mouth, and was chatting with Yao Muze: “Doctor Yao, help me see if my wife is secretly wiping away tears now?”

“He’s not,” Yao Muze said.

“That’s good, I’m really afraid that you outsiders will see it. You don’t know, he was born so beautiful, and he’s even more captivating when he cries. Ai, it’s better that no one ever sees him cry, or I’ll be so angry.”

“Zhao-daren doesn’t cry easily.”

“Is that so……Hey, Doctor Yao, do you think there is anyone in this world who is worthy of him except me, a handsome and dashing man?”

“No.”

“I think so too.” Yan Mingting smiled.

Listening to their conversation, Zhao Yelan remained silent, as if he didn’t exist, and just watched Yan Mingting quietly.

At night, Zhao Yelan lay beside him and talked about Gu Niaoniao, and Yan Mingting sighed endlessly.

“Do you know what she said?”

“What did she say?”

Zhao Yelan propped up his upper body and looked at him. “She said, we should live a good life in the future.”

Yan Mingting touched his cheek and whispered: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry……”

He had obviously been paying attention. After entering the southern border, he ordered everyone not to eat food other than military rations, and had people strictly guard those rations. But he didn’t expect that the Eighth Princess herself would use herself as a source of poison. Knowing that he would press to find out the old general’s cause of death, she poisoned him before she died.

And after years of refinement, the poison was more toxic than in the past, with no reaction in the beginning. He was eager to return and see Zhao Yelan, so he rushed back without stopping. It wasn’t until he was about to enter the capital that he had a sudden severe headache and fell off his horse due to weakness in his limbs, and realized that he might have been poisoned.

“I thought I could face it calmly, but I can’t, ah…..” Zhao Yelan even made arrangements for the funeral, and planned to leave together after Yan Mingting departed. But today when he saw Yan Mingting fall to the ground with his own eyes, he realized that he had overestimated his ability to endure. He couldn’t watch the other party die in his arms at all.

“My parents are dead, one friend is unconscious, with his survival uncertain, and another is waiting to die in a dungeon. Even you must leave me……Why can’t I keep anyone I want to keep? I beg you, Yan Fangli, I beg you, can’t you survive?” Zhao Yelan held his hand and pleaded hoarsely. “I will never lose my temper with you again, don’t leave me alone…..”

Yan Mingting’s eyes became hot. He pulled him into his arms and asked, a little choked up: “Mengting, tell me, am I really an evil star? Now it’s fallen on me, and even harmed you…..”

“What nonsense are you talking about!” Zhao Yelan covered his mouth, kissed his eyes, and took his lips again. The two people’s tears mixed together, and they couldn’t tell whose was whose. They only hoped that this night would pause forever, and that tomorrow would never come.

T/N: Um……is anyone else crying?