Yao shi Passes

　　It was a rare moment of clarity for Yao shi; however, it caused Fu Ya’s face to turn a bit red. She had always believed that Yao shi was muddled and was a bit demented, thus she brazenly acted as her daughter and enjoyed the motherly love that should have belonged to Feng Yu Heng. But it was only just recently that she found out that Yao shi was not actually demented in the slightest. It was just that she chose to avoid certain things and did not want to admit. This was what caused today’s situation.

　　Yao shi pushed Fu Ya onto a water container to the side to have her climb onto the wall. She was a little reluctant, as she reached out to try and grab Yao shi: “Madam, let’s leave together! In the current situation, if you stay behind, it’s most likely that there won’t be a good outcome. You and Feng Jin Yuan are no longer a married couple. There’s no need to throw yourself away for the sake of the Feng family. Madam, don’t worry. Fu Ya definitely will not drag you down. Let’s leave this Feng residence first. After that, you can go and find the ninth prince. He is the imperial daughter’s fiance. No matter what, he should not trouble the imperial daughter’s mother.”

　　Fu Ya desperately pleaded, and there were some true feelings attached. It was just that there was also a hope that Yao shi could bring her to Xuan Tian Ming. Like that, she might have another way out.

　　But Yao shi shook her head, as a look of anger slowly appeared on her face, saying: “I won’t leave. Although I have not been part of the Feng family for a long time, the end result today was partially caused by me. If it was not for me being so insistent on acting recklessly, we could not have possibly come to the South. One must atone for one’s own crimes. I must bear the burden of this bad ending caused by my own decisions. Quickly go! Even if you are not my daughter, in any case, you have an appearance that is the same as my daughter. I do not wish to drag you into this. Be a good child and go. In the future, stay far away from the quarrels of the court. Find a place and live a good life. Don’t dive back into these muddy waters. Do you understand? Quickly leave!”

　　As she spoke, she moved to push Fu Ya’s foot; however, it was at this time that some shouting and urgent footsteps could be heard approaching. Yao shi turned back in horror and saw that Ji Ling Tian had already brought the officers into the backyard. Aside from government officers, there were also people who looked like soldiers. With a cold demeanor, they looked at Fu Ya, who had climbed onto the wall and loudly said: “Don’t let her escape! Capture her!”

　　This shout completely frightened Yao shi. Without any concern for anything else, she quickly gave Fu Ya a strong push and said: “Quickly! Quickly jump down. I can still hold on here for a while. Run quickly!”

　　Fu Ya could not concern herself with anything else. She could not make Yao shi move, and the pursuing soldiers had already reached her. Ji Ling Tian had a murderous look on his face, and even Feng Jin Yuan had been arrested by the people that he had brought. If she did not run now, she would be giving up on life.

　　Fu Ya gritted her teeth and leapt down from the wall. Yao shi watched her escape, as tears began to pour out. Although she clearly knew that was not her daughter, that face was exactly the same.

　　She turned around and looked at the soldiers that had rushed over. Spreading her arms, she was like an old hen protecting her young. She then loudly said: “Nobody can hurt my daughter! If you want to settle a debt, Feng Jin Yuan and I are both here. My daughter is innocent!”

　　The soldiers were boorish. How could they possibly care about such things. They only knew that they had originally been guards for the prefect’s manor, but it was because this family of three had come to Lan Zhou with a fake imperial daughter that their Lord Ji bought in. It was this that left the prefect’s manor in a bad position. They had been locked up inside the manor for a number of days and had been accumulating anger that could not be vented. Hearing that they would be capturing the fake imperial daughter’s family, they were rubbing their hands in anticipation.

　　Someone stepped forward and grabbed Yao shi, loudly cursing: “You shitty woman! Just between you and that old thing, what can you possibly do? That fake imperial daughter is the real criminal. The one we came to capture was her. Get out of the way!”

　　After that person finished speaking, he suddenly threw Yao shi to the side. Yao shi was thrown into a tree and could not stop coughing. But even in this case, she still endured the pain and rushed forward once more. Seeing that the person had already climbed onto the water tank and had one hand over the wall, who knew where she found the strength, as she suddenly ran over and wrapped herself around that person’s leg, dragging the strong man back.

　　A soldier helplessly said from behind: “Madam Yao, the one that ran away is not your daughter. She has been lying to you the entire time. That one is a fake.”

　　But how could Yao shi be bothered with hearing that. She knew that she was a fake, but she still wanted to protect Fu Ya’s life. The big man had been dragged down, and Yao shi had returned to her original position, blocking the water tank, not allowing anyone to get close.

　　Ji Ling Tian lost it. If things remained like this, the fake imperial daughter would have escaped! Thus he angrily shouted: “You failures. You couldn’t even take care of a single girl! If she can’t be caught today, none of us should even think of living!”

　　With the shock of a life-or-death situation, the officers also became anxious. Numerous sets of hands reached out to tug at Yao shi; however, Yao shi just remained atop the water tank, desperately trying to buy some time for Fu Ya to escape further. The soldiers became furious, and one of them pulled out their sword, stabbing at Yao shi.

　　The soldiers behind saw this scene and and loudly shouted: “Wait!” But this was still half a step too late. That soldier had already stabbed the sword through Yao shi’s back. The tip of the sword could be seen poking out of the front. It was at this time that the soldier subconsciously reacted to the shout of “wait.” The sword that had just been stabbed in was pulled back out. Blood spewed out of Yao shi and immediately dyed the ground.

　　Feng Jin Yuan was dazed by fear. Seeing Yao shi fall to the ground, he wanted to rush forward to take a look, but he was still being held. He could only shout: “Yao shi! Yao shi, wake up! You can’t die!”

　　The soldier holding him did not have the heart to continue holding him and let Feng Jin Yuan go. He rushed over to Yao shi’s side in a few steps and did not hesitate to pick her up and hold her in his embrace.

　　Yao shi was still alive; however, she could not fight off the aura of death that surrounded her. It was as though she did not feel any pain. There was even a smile on her face. She looked at Feng Jin Yuan, and it was as though she had returned to the time when she had gotten married. Feng Jin Yuan was the top-scoring scholar and was intelligent enough to have been praised by the Emperor himself. When she had seen Feng Jin Yuan paraded through the streets as the top scholar, she had seen him from far away and felt enamored.

　　It had been Feng Jin Yuan who was first to bring up marriage, as he asked the Emperor for the Yao family’s only daughter. But it had to be said that the Yao family did not agree to a marriage with Feng Jin Yuan, especially Yao Xian. After investigating the matriarch, he was very resolute in his refusal. It was she, Yao Qian Rou, who had begged her father to agree. She had even said that regardless of how the Feng family treated her, she would not regret it, and she would handle it properly.

　　She pushed the issue by threatening suicide, and there was nothing that Yao Xian could do. He loved his daughter and could only agree. In any case, he thought that his family would be able to remain stable in the capital. He would send some more of a dowry to accompany her. If the Feng family had a conscience, they would not mistreat his daughter. Just like this, Yao shi married into the Feng family; however, who knew that the Feng family would be such a dangerous place. All of them knew how to eat people.

　　She had regretted it before. She had once felt despair while holding the imperial decree allowing her to divorce Feng Jin Yuan that her daughter had requested. This severed their ties and feelings as a couple. But now that she was about to die, and she was almost unable to breathe, she no longer felt that sort of regret. She suddenly recalled the first few years after they had gotten married. Feng Jin Yuan had treated her so well.

　　Yao shi reached up and felt Feng Jin Yuan’s face. This person had aged a great deal and become much more dispirited; however, she could still see the former appearance of that top scholar. She opened her mouth and weakly said: “I really did love you, once.” However, she then helplessly said: “Unfortunately, you did not cherish it.”

　　After saying this, she did not look at Feng Jin Yuan any longer and turned her attention on the soldiers that had gathered around. She then waved to one of them.

　　That person had an apologetic expression, squatting down and saying to her: “Madam Yao, right before coming, His Highness gave the order to not harm you as much as possible, but… why did you do this!”

　　Yao shi was not worried whether she would live or die. She just struggled to say to the solder: “Tell His Highness to pass along a message to A-Heng. Just say… Just say that I… let her down. If there is a next life, she should not be my daughter. I… am unworthy.”

　　Once the word “unworthy” came out of her mouth, Yao shi’s gaze began to grow lax. She looked up toward the sky, and nobody knew what she was looking at. The smile on her face remained. When she breathed her last breath, Feng Jin Yuan heard her mutter: “I saw A-Heng…”

　　Finally, she stopped breathing, and her eyes closed. A tear slid down her face and announced the end of this life.

　　Feng Jin Yuan also closed his eyes, as two tears slid down his face. Up until this moment, from Chen shi to Feng Zi Hao to Feng Chen Yu, Jin Zhen, the matriarch, and Kang Yi later on, how many people had he seen off? For the large Feng manor, he had left himself with almost no family. Now that Yao shi had died, then… what about him?

　　The situation was hopeless! The situation was hopeless!

　　Feng Jin Yuan quietly sighed. When he opened his eyes once more, he said to Ji Ling Tian: “Don’t act mighty! I have been abandoned by the eighth prince, and you’re the same. You and I are nothing more than just two of the eighth prince’s many chess pieces. If we can be used, we’ll be used. If not, we’ll be discarded. He does not care in the slightest. Don’t think that just helping His Highness the ninth prince capture me will ease your punishment. I understand that prince too well. I’ll tell you that it’s impossible! He has never been a person to keep his word. He has never acted in a methodical manner, and he will do whatever he pleases. Any promises made beforehand are all worth shit! Moreover, the person you killed today is Yao Qian Rou. Do you know who Yao Qian Rou is? She is the real Imperial Daughter Ji An’s mother! She is the only daughter of the capital’s Divine Doctor Yao Xian! Even if His Highness the ninth prince pardons you, the Yao family would not forgive you. Ji Ling Tian, you are definitely dead! As for me…”

　　In the end, his hope of living increased a bit. Feng Jin Yuan let go of Yao shi and stood up, saying to the officers and soldiers: “You can’t kill me. Although I am no longer the left prime minister, I am still Imperial Daughter Ji An’s father, and I still have another daughter in the capital, who is the fifth prince’s future princess. Regardless of which reason, you do not have the right to kill me.”

　　Even if Feng Jin Yuan did not speak this reasoning, the soldiers understood it clearly; moreover, Xuan Tian Ming had given the order to bring Feng Jin Yuan and Yao shi to Sha Ping City. They did not intend to do any actual harm to these two. They would just scare them a bit. The most important part was to capture the fake imperial daughter. In regards to that girl, she could be killed. Xuan Tian Ming had said that they just needed to leave the head for him to take a look at.

　　But now, Fu Ya had run away. They had already sent someone to give chase; however, they did not know if she could be caught.

　　Yao shi had also died. She had been killed before their eyes by that officer. This matter… how would they explain it?