Xia Yiren's POV
You're lying.
Ling Meihua's smile doesn't waver. Am I? Then how do I know about the soul bond mark over your heart? How do I know you're from the future? How do I know that in your timeline, I framed you for poisoning the Empress Dowager?
My mind races. This can't be real. Ling Meihua can't have lived through this seventeen times. She can't have a soul bond mark. She can't
You look confused, she says, almost kindly. Let me explain. You think you're special because you remember one past life. But I've remembered every single one. Seventeen cycles of watching you and Yijun try to change fate. Seventeen times of making sure you fail.
Why? The word tears out of me. Why do this? What do you gain?
Everything. Her eyes gleam in the torchlight. Every time you die, the timeline resets. But I keep my memories. I keep getting stronger, smarter, more prepared. And one day, when I've learned enough, I'll break the cycle completely and take everything—the throne, the power, the empire itself.
Through the bond, I feel Yijun's sudden alarm. He senses my terror through our connection.
He's coming, isn't he? Meihua asks. Your prince. Running to save you. She laughs. He always does. And it never works.
Footsteps thunder down the corridor outside.
Yiren! Yijun's voice echoes. Hold on!
Meihua leans close and whispers: I wasn't poisoned, by the way. I drank a harmless herb that mimics poison symptoms. By tomorrow, I'll be 'miraculously recovered.' And you'll still be locked up, awaiting execution. She straightens. See you at your trial. Again.
She slips out a hidden door in the wall just as Yijun bursts through the main entrance, Commander Wei Zhao right behind him.
Are you hurt? Yijun demands, rushing to me.
She was here, I gasp. Ling Meihua. She's not really poisoned. She's— I stop. How do I explain what she just told me? That she's lived through this seventeen times?
Through the bond, Yijun feels my swirling panic. What did she say?
Later. First, we need to get out of here before more guards come.
Wei Zhao—a tall, sharp-eyed man in his early twenties—shakes his head. Your Highness, breaking an imperial prisoner out of isolation is treason. If we're caught
We won't be caught, Yijun says firmly. I've already arranged a distraction. In thirty seconds, there will be a fire in the east wing. Every guard will rush to contain it.
Right on cue, shouts erupt in the distance. Bells clang frantically.
Now, Yijun orders.
Wei Zhao clearly thinks we're insane, but he's loyal. He helps Yijun lift me to my feet—I'm weak from hours in darkness—and we slip through the hidden door Meihua used.
It leads to a narrow servant passage I never knew existed. We move quickly through darkness, Yijun leading the way with the certainty of someone who's explored every inch of this palace.
We emerge in the imperial library's back room. Dusty. Forgotten. Safe.
Yijun finally releases the breath he's been holding. Through the bond, his relief washes over me.
But Wei Zhao looks furious. Your Highness, what is going on? You drag me from my post, tell me we need to break a traitor out of prison, set fire to the palace—
She's not a traitor, Yijun interrupts. She's being framed. And you're going to help us prove it.
Why would I do that?
Because you're my most trusted commander. My childhood friend. And because— Yijun glances at me. Because she can prove she's telling the truth.
Wei Zhao crosses his arms. I'm listening.
I take a shaky breath. This is my chance to gain an ally or sound completely insane.
Tomorrow morning, I say carefully, Minister Zhao will announce in court that the Northern Kingdom has sent an unexpected delegation. They'll arrive three days early, demanding to renegotiate the border treaty.
Wei Zhao frowns. How could you possibly know that?
Because it happened in my first life. I remember it. The delegation arrives, causes chaos, and in the confusion, evidence of my 'treason' gets presented to the Emperor. It's all part of the plan to execute me quickly.
That's... Wei Zhao looks at Yijun. Your Highness, she's claiming to be from the future. You believe this?
Through the bond, I feel Yijun's absolute certainty. I've seen her memories through the soul bond. Experienced her execution. She's telling the truth.
That's impossible.
Wait until tomorrow, I say. If the Northern delegation arrives early exactly as I predicted, will you believe me then?
Wei Zhao stares at me for a long moment. Then slowly nods. If it happens exactly as you said... I'll consider it.
It's the best we'll get for now.
We need more allies, Yijun says. My sister Mingyu is due back from her diplomatic mission next week. She's clever and doesn't trust Minister Zhao. If we can bring her into this—
And Yunfei, I add. My brother already suspects something. We should tell him everything.
Agreed. But we need to be strategic. Yijun starts pacing. Our enemies don't know you've escaped. They think you're still locked up, helpless. We can use that.
How? Wei Zhao asks.
We let them think they've won, I explain. Tomorrow, when the delegation arrives, I'll sneak back into my cell before anyone notices. You present the evidence of my 'treason' to the Emperor. Rush through the trial just like they planned.
And then? Wei Zhao looks skeptical.
And then we spring our own trap during the trial, Yijun says, his eyes sharp. We've got three days to gather real evidence. To expose Ling Meihua and Minister Zhao before they can execute Yiren.
Through the bond, I feel his fierce determination. He's not going to fail me this time.
But doubt gnaws at me. Meihua said she's lived through this seventeen times. That we always lose. What if she's right? What if no matter what we do, fate still leads us to that execution block?
There's something else, I say quietly. Ling Meihua... she claims she remembers multiple past lives. She says she's been through this seventeen times and that we always fail.
The room goes silent.
That's not possible, Wei Zhao says. But he sounds uncertain.
I didn't think any of this was possible until yesterday, Yijun counters. Through the bond, I feel his mind racing. If she's telling the truth, then she knows every move we're going to make. Every plan we come up with.
Not every plan, I say slowly. She knows what happened in my original timeline. But this time is already different. The poisoning happened faster. I escaped from isolation. She doesn't know what we'll do next because we're changing the pattern
Then we keep changing it, Yijun says firmly. We do things she won't expect. We
A soft knock at the door makes us all freeze.
Your Highness? A voice calls. Young. Female. Familiar.
My blood runs cold. I know that voice.
Yijun opens the door carefully.
Lin Suyin—the sharp-eyed girl from the selection ceremony—slips inside. She looks at each of us, then smiles slightly.
I've been looking for you, she says to Yijun. I thought you might be doing something reckless like breaking the Imperial Consort out of prison. I wanted to help.
How did you find us? Wei Zhao demands, hand on his sword.
I followed the secret passages. Suyin's smile widens. I know all of them. My mother was a palace servant before she married my father. She taught me every hidden corridor in this place.
Why would you help us? I ask suspiciously.
Because I don't want to be here either, remember? I told you that during selection. She looks at me seriously. And because I've been watching Ling Meihua. That girl is dangerous. The way she manipulates people, the way she's always three steps ahead... Suyin shakes her head. I don't trust her. And I think you're the only one brave enough to stand against her.
Through the bond, I feel Yijun evaluating her. Can we trust this girl?
Prove you're on our side, Yijun says carefully. Tell us something useful.
Suyin doesn't hesitate. Ling Meihua's maid—the one who 'confessed' before dying? I saw her this morning. Alive. Hiding in the servants' quarters in the east wing.
We all stare at her.
That's impossible, Wei Zhao says. Minister Zhao showed us her body. Her confession.
Then it was someone else's body, Suyin says calmly. Because I served tea to the real Lianhua just hours ago. She's terrified. Said Ling Meihua threatened her family if she didn't disappear.
Hope surges through me. If Lianhua is alive, she can testify that she never wrote that confession. That she was coerced.
If we can get to her before Meihua does, Yijun says grimly.
I can, Suyin offers. Lianhua trusts me. I'll bring her somewhere safe and
The door explodes inward.
Palace guards pour in, led by Minister Zhao himself.
Well, well, he says, smiling coldly. The Crown Prince, a commander, the escaped prisoner, and now Lady Lin. How convenient. You've all just confessed to treason by gathering here together.
Through the bond, Yijun's rage ignites. You followed us.
I've been watching you all night, Your Highness. Zhao's smile widens. Did you really think I wouldn't notice you setting fire to the east wing as a distraction? Or that I wouldn't post guards at every secret passage?
We're surrounded. Trapped.
And through the bond, I feel Yijun's despair crashing into mine.
We played right into their hands.
Arrest them all, Zhao commands.
As guards grab us, one thought echoes through my mind:
Ling Meihua was right.
No matter what we do, we always lose.