THIP Chapter 6

Leisurely moments always seem to pass quickly. Though the imperial city of the Great Yin Dynasty was peaceful and prosperous, the borders were in constant turmoil.

The Great Yin Dynasty boasted vast and fertile lands, but to the south lay the barbarian tribes, whose lands were far less bountiful. As a result, they frequently sought to seize Yin’s territory, leading to ongoing skirmishes between the two sides. While the Great Yin army was large, the southern barbarians were fierce warriors, and despite years of conflict, they had yet to be fully subdued.

In past battles, victories and losses were often evenly matched. However, this time, Yin had lost a city—the border had fallen. Enraged, the emperor commanded that the southern barbarians be conquered.

Thus, the Grand General of the Nation, Lin Yuan, was ordered to lead the campaign. Crown Prince Yin Xiu was to accompany him as a deputy general.

This event had also occurred in the original timeline, so Mu Liuyin was not surprised. As for why the emperor had chosen to send him to the battlefield as a deputy general, it was simple: the original Yin Xiu lacked a powerful maternal family backing him. Though he had been named crown prince early due to the emperor’s favor and his engagement to Lin Xi, he had yet to achieve anything of true merit and lacked the respect of the court.

The border’s fall was an opportunity for him to prove himself. And with Grand General Lin Yuan as the commanding officer, the emperor had no fear that Yin Xiu would come to harm. Setting aside his status as crown prince, as Lin Yuan’s future son-in-law, he would be well protected.

Grand General’s Residence

In the study, Lin Xi was painting.

“Miss, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived,” Zihan rushed in to report.

Lin Xi glanced at the lively smile on Zihan’s face, put down her brush, and tapped the girl’s forehead lightly with her finger, sighing. “You’re always so reckless.”

Mu Liuyin had already stepped inside.

The seventeen-year-old youth was tall and handsome, his refined features carrying a warm smile as he looked at Lin Xi.

“Xi’er, come with me. I want to take you somewhere.”

Lin Xi studied his youthful, handsome face, tinged with the last traces of boyishness, before responding, “Alright.”

She stopped Zihan from following them, and only after leaving the residence did she realize that Mu Liuyin had come on horseback today.

He swung himself onto the horse and then reached out a hand toward her.

Lin Xi’s beautiful eyes remained calm as she gazed at his outstretched hand, revealing no hint of her thoughts.

Seeing her hesitation, Mu Liuyin blinked playfully. “Xi’er, are you afraid of riding?”

Lin Xi placed her hand in his. “I’m not afraid.”

With his help, she mounted the horse.

Seated in front of him, she felt the warmth of his embrace as he took hold of the reins, his clean and refreshing scent lingering around her. For a moment, she found herself caught between past and present.

“Don’t be scared,” Mu Liuyin said with a soft laugh before calling out, “Hyah!”

Since they were still in the city, he rode at a steady pace, but once they left its gates, he spurred the horse into a gallop.

They passed through bamboo groves, and gradually, a sea of flowers came into view. Lin Xi’s serene gaze brightened slightly.

Mu Liuyin pulled back on the reins, bringing the horse to a halt. He dismounted first, then held out his arm for Lin Xi to step down.

The vast field was filled with blooming roses in a variety of colors, interspersed with wildflowers of unknown names. It was peak season, and the flowers were in full bloom, vibrant and breathtaking.

Having spent so much time with Lin Xi, Mu Liuyin understood that beneath her gentle exterior lay a distant and indifferent nature. Lately, he had sensed a growing coldness in her words. After much thought, he concluded that she was in a bad mood, though he had no idea why.

Then he recalled a recent day when he had gone to find her, only to see her quietly admiring the flowers in her courtyard. That was when he had Little Nine search for this place, hoping to cheer up this girl whose life had been filled with hardship.

Now, as he saw her lips curve slightly at the sight of the flowers, he stepped closer and asked in a low voice, “Xi’er, do you like it?”

Lin Xi gazed at the radiant sea of blossoms but remained silent.

Sunlight bathed her delicate features, making her look almost ethereal.

This had never happened in her past life. Lin Xi remembered clearly that, in the days before the expedition, Yin Xiu had been busy making arrangements for his people in the capital. He hadn’t even had time to see her.

Or rather, it wasn’t that he had no time—it was that he had spent all his free time secretly meeting with Su Biyan.

At that thought, Lin Xi chuckled softly. “Why did you bring me here, cousin?”

Mu Liuyin answered without hesitation, “Haven’t you been unhappy lately?”

He smiled. “If you like this place, you can come here whenever you’re feeling down.”

Lin Xi clenched her fists, a dark glint flickering in her eyes. So, he had noticed after all. She thought she had concealed it well—had it been that obvious?

They didn’t stay long. By the time Mu Liuyin escorted Lin Xi back to her residence, the sun had already begun to set.

Inside her room, Lin Xi picked up a brush and wrote something down before sealing the paper in an envelope and setting it on the table.

Her gaze darkened. To the hidden figure in the shadows, she said, “Deliver this letter to Yin Yu tonight.”

After a pause, she added, “As for the flower field we visited today—destroy it.”

Ever since Princess Yin Jinxi had handed her the secret decree, Lin Xi had mobilized the elite shadow guards under its command. They followed her at all times, hidden from sight.

The shadow guards had trailed her and Yin Xiu at a distance today, so they would know the location of the flower field.

There was no verbal response from the darkness, but Lin Xi knew her order would be carried out to perfection.

A few days later, Grand General Lin Yuan led the army to war. Mu Liuyin sat atop his horse, turned back to glance at Lin Xi, and winked. Then, mouthing the words, he said:

“Wait for my triumphant return.”

Lin Xi watched as the army disappeared into the distance. Only then did she whisper,

“When you return victorious, I will have a grand gift waiting for you.”

She just wasn’t sure if her dear cousin would be able to handle it.

She turned around, and as Yin Yu, who had come to see off the soldiers, watched Lin Xi leave, his eyes narrowed slightly. He thought back to the letter he had received a few days ago, deep in thought.

On the day the soldiers left for battle, at the Hour of the Rat, in the Mingyue Tower.

The letter contained only a few words, but the key point was the identity of the writer.

As night fell and the Hour of the Rat approached, Yin Yu entered the prearranged room in Mingyue Tower. The young girl, dressed in a light blue gown, was pouring tea. The candlelight reflected off her delicate and otherworldly face, highlighting her beautiful yet indifferent black eyes.

After filling the second cup of tea, Lin Xi pushed it closer to Yin Yu, who was already seated opposite her.

Yin Yu studied the future Crown Princess, who had been predicted since birth to have a destiny of great power. His narrowed gaze fixed on Lin Xi. “How did you know?”

He had been pretending for years, fooling even the biased emperor into believing he was nothing more than a hopeless playboy. To think he had been so easily exposed by someone like her.

And it was a woman he hadn’t even expected.

Lin Xi took a small sip of tea before answering, “There is no royal-born person who doesn’t desire to be emperor, especially a naturally intelligent second prince.”

“What do you want?” Yin Yu asked, looking at the coldly indifferent girl.

Lin Xi replied, “I want Yin Xiu’s life.”

Yin Yu was stunned. He never imagined that Lin Xi, who had always admired the Crown Prince, would say such a thing.

“Does the second prince not want to ascend to the throne by rightful means?” Lin Xi said. “With the prophecy of my destined fate.”

Yin Yu’s expression hardened. “Why should I trust you?”

Lin Xi smiled, but there was no trace of humor in her beautiful dark eyes. She said, “The moment you asked that question, you already trusted me.”

Their conversation was short, but an agreement had already been reached. Just as Yin Yu was about to leave, he suddenly asked, “Why?”

He was asking why Lin Xi wanted to overthrow Yin Xiu.

In the candlelight, Lin Xi’s expression was somewhat unclear, but her voice was soft, tinged with a faint smile. “Because he is not born to be emperor, but I am born with a destined fate.”

Meanwhile, Mu Liuyin, still on the battlefield, was unaware that Lin Xi had already begun making deals with the villainous second prince. What would await her when she returned to the capital?

Life on the border was harsh, and Mu Liuyin, who had never experienced hardship before, often complained to Little Nine, then wrote letters to the girl in the capital.

She often wrote letters, nearly one every month, even more frequently than her father, Lin Yuan.

However, while her letters were sent, she rarely received replies. The only time she would get a response was when the letters were sent alongside those from Lin Yuan.

This outcome left Mu Liuyin somewhat frustrated.

Until one day, Little Nine, puzzled, asked her, “Host, don’t you dislike women? Why do you keep sending letters back?”

Mu Liuyin sighed. “Maybe because Lin Xi is the only person I’m close to in this world.”

She was a little frustrated. The engagement between Lin Xi and the original Yin Xiu left her unsure of what to do. After much thought, she decided to go with the flow.

After nearly three years of war with the southern barbarians, they finally received a letter of surrender from them.

Three years had passed, and Mu Liuyin had grown from the young boy he once was into a young man. His face was still as handsome as before, but now his figure was taller and more muscular, his skin having darkened somewhat.

When Lin Yuan returned with the army, the emperor prepared a welcome feast and rewards for them.

Due to his repeated military achievements, Mu Liuyin was also bestowed the title of Young General.

However, everything changed too quickly. The army had been back in the capital for no more than three days when the emperor was assassinated. Fortunately, he was not fatally wounded, but it still led to a state of martial law in the capital as they searched for the assassin.

Half a month later, Lin Xi and Yin Yu’s fabricated evidence of Crown Prince Yin Xiu’s supposed conspiracy to rebel was uncovered by the emperor’s eldest son and presented to the emperor.

No one knew who the true mastermind was.

Mu Liuyin knelt in the Golden Luan Hall, watching the emperor’s angry and disappointed expression, listening to the ministers read the fabricated evidence of her supposed rebellion. She was completely at a loss.

What the hell was this? This wasn’t part of the plot.

The evidence was so convincing that Mu Liuyin almost believed it herself. She quickly began frantically messaging Little Nine.

But instead of Little Nine’s usual voice, she heard the cold, mechanical voice of the system issuing an alert: “Alert, alert. Detected plot data error. Re-loading mission.”

Within three seconds, Little Nine’s voice returned, and Little Nine, glancing at the newly downloaded mission, cried out, “Wuwuwu, Host, I’m so sorry, I just detected that the mission target in this world has been reborn!”

Mu Liuyin: Wht???!!!

You’ve got to be kidding me!