The mountain forest was lush with vegetation, the branches dense. The two riders on the horse had to lower their heads, almost lying on the horse's back. The black horse needed no urging from its master, seemingly knowing the way as it forged ahead through the woods.

Amidst the bumpy ride, Liao Tingyan felt Sima Jiao behind her, his breathing slightly heavy. At the same time, she noticed a wet liquid seeping onto her shoulder, sticky and with a fishy smell - it was blood from Sima Jiao's wound.

The feeling of fear in her heart grew stronger. Liao Tingyan couldn't help but wonder, was Sima Jiao going to die? Could they escape? Were there still pursuers behind them?

The black horse suddenly burst out of the forest, the view ahead instantly opening up. Liao Tingyan saw it was a small trail with signs of human passage. The black horse didn't follow the trail towards the main road, but plunged into another mountain forest. After running for a long time, it crossed a small river and stopped at a place upstream where the wild grass was knee-high.

Dismounting from the horse, Liao Tingyan saw Sima Jiao's blood-stained robes, a shocking sight. He leaned on his long sword and sat down against a tree by the riverbank, eyes half-closed, his face even more pale and cold than usual.

"How are you?" Liao Tingyan knelt in front of him and reached out to undo his lapels. Sima Jiao had no reaction, just looking at her with lowered eyes, not knowing what he was thinking.

Liao Tingyan opened his outer robe and found a long tubular object tied to his arm.

"This is...?"

Sima Jiao untied the object and tossed it aside. "A modified sleeve arrow that can only shoot one arrow but with great power."

Liao Tingyan suddenly understood. The arrow in Chen Yun's chest at that time was shot by Sima Jiao! Thinking carefully, that position seemed very close to the heart.

Seeing her stunned expression, Sima Jiao suddenly laughed, even quite happily. He said, "He wanted to kill me and even dared to send a letter to provoke me. Of course I had to kill him. There were other things on that arrow too, his death is certain!"

Liao Tingyan thought, this madman couldn't have done it on purpose, right? Chen Yun wanted to use her as bait to lure the enemy in deep. Sima Jiao also used this trick, deliberately risking himself to show weakness and draw the person in before making his move when they were off guard.

Others may not be able to do it, but Sima Jiao definitely could. Otherwise, why would he be so skilled at it?

While thinking, Liao Tingyan pulled open Sima Jiao's clothes and saw the long wound. It was slashed across his chest by a sword, almost cutting off a large chunk of flesh. Just looking at it was painful. Liao Tingyan felt her scalp go numb at the sight of the bloody wound, at a loss for what to do.

But Sima Jiao was still able to laugh.

Not bothering with his madness at this time, Liao Tingyan suddenly started taking off her own clothes. The wound on her arm still had medicine tied to it. Now there was no choice but to take it off and use it as an emergency measure for Sima Jiao.

She took off her clothes and untied the bandages on her own, casually draping her clothes back on. She ran to the riverside to wring out a handkerchief, then came back to wipe the blood from Sima Jiao's chest. After cleaning it a bit, she pressed the medicine and bandages onto it.

Her pinned-up hair had long come loose, locks falling onto her cheeks. She was too anxious and didn't notice her disheveled clothes exposing her shoulders, single-mindedly pressing on his wound.

Sima Jiao looked at her without speaking.

Liao Tingyan bit her lip and finally raised her head to look into his eyes. "Will...will you die?"

Sima Jiao: "What do you think?"

Liao Tingyan exhaled. "If you die, what will happen to your country? The world will be without a ruler and fall into chaos everywhere."

Sima Jiao seemed indifferent, his attitude exceptionally cold. "No dynasty can prosper forever. This land didn't always belong to the Sima family. So what if the country falls? When a dynasty reaches its end, it's bound to collapse. Many people hope for my death. Don't you?"

As he said this last sentence, Sima Jiao's gaze turned probing.

"If I die, you'll be free too."

Liao Tingyan herself didn't know what she thought. She just felt very scared seeing this dog emperor looking like he could die at any moment. She raised a hand to wipe the tears from her face and shook her head.

Sima Jiao sat up, gripping her shoulders with some force and pressed, "You don't want me to die?"

Liao Tingyan: "I don't want you to die, and I don't want your country to fall."

Sima Jiao's shoulders trembled as he laughed out loud. He pinched her chin to make her raise her head. "Alright, since you say so, I won't die and I won't let the country fall."

Liao Tingyan: ...The reality is so bleak yet you talk so big.

Sima Jiao lay back down, holding one of her hands. "If you hadn't shaken your head just now, I would have killed you before I died."

Liao Tingyan suddenly felt it would be better to let this dog emperor die after all.

Sima Jiao pinched her wrist. "Don't think about running. You can't escape. If I die, I'll definitely have you die with me. Otherwise it would be too boring wherever I go."

Liao Tingyan couldn't cry anymore and simply sat down. "Then how does Your Majesty plan to seek help now?"

Sima Jiao: "Didn't you notice Jin De didn't leave with us? He went to find Grand Protector Gao. Grand Protector Gao has ways to find me. We just need to wait for him to come pick us up."

Easier said than done. If enemies found them first, or if Sima Jiao died from his injuries before then, or if more time passed and they both starved to death, wouldn't that be too unfortunate?

Sima Jiao: "It doesn't matter. No matter what, you'll die with me."

Liao Tingyan: I refuse. I don't want to die.

The forest was very dark at night, with only starlight in the sky above. The black horse rested beside them. Liao Tingyan leaned against Sima Jiao's embrace, listening to the gurgling stream beside them, unable to fall asleep no matter what.

In the first half of the night, the person she leaned against was very cold, making her feel constantly fearful that he might have quietly died. Only by gently resting against his chest and hearing his heartbeat could she feel at ease.

Sima Jiao also didn't sleep, but he didn't speak, quiet in a way that was a bit unlike him. Liao Tingyan thought he must be very tired from losing too much blood, or unwilling to speak from the pain of his wounds.

But occasionally, he would raise a hand to slowly stroke her hair. In the quiet night, they cuddled together. Liao Tingyan felt something was different from their countless previous embraces. Perhaps it was because Sima Jiao's movements were too slow, giving her a sense of extreme gentleness. Slowly, even his cold body became warmer.

Wait a minute, his body was getting warmer? Liao Tingyan realized something and abruptly sat up. She cradled Sima Jiao's head and touched his forehead with hers. Indeed, he had a fever!

She didn't know how to deal with a fever without medicine. Does putting a wet cloth on the forehead really work? She stood up, pinching her brow, intending to go wash a cloth by the water. But Sima Jiao grabbed her hand. Though feverish, his expression was still clear. "What are you afraid of? Come back and keep sleeping."

Liao Tingyan said, "You have a fever!"

Sima Jiao looked matter-of-fact. "So come over and sleep close to me. Won't that be even warmer?"

Liao Tingyan was going crazy.

Sima Jiao pulled her back into his arms. His voice carried a hint of weakness, but was still calm. "I won't die that easily."

Liao Tingyan understood that many things were beyond human control, even for Sima Jiao. Didn't he die in the original story? What made him so sure he wouldn't die now? Maybe by tomorrow morning his corpse would be stiff.

Hugging his waist, Liao Tingyan couldn't hold back her soft sobs after a long while.

Sima Jiao said, "Only those without courage cry."

Liao Tingyan retorted angrily, "Then I have no courage!" If she had courage, would she be a damn imperial consort? She'd just kill Sima Jiao and become the emperor herself! Besides, these were tears shed for him. What kind of shitty male response was that?

Sima Jiao said, "Fine, you dare to scold me, so you have courage now."

Liao Tingyan understood why Sima Jiao always wanted to laugh when she faked a smile. She also wanted to laugh now, while also wanting to cry. It was uncomfortably stifling.

"Your Majesty, you seem in good spirits. Doesn't such a long wound hurt?"

"When my head hurts, it's a hundred times worse than this. This pain is nothing." Sima Jiao replied casually, "Besides, I took medicine."

Liao Tingyan was completely baffled. "What medicine? I didn't see any."

Sima Jiao took out a small medicine bottle and tossed it to her. Liao Tingyan held it with a complex expression. "Your Majesty, what medicine is this?"

"It treats my congenital condition. It also contains some precious medicinal ingredients that stabilize emotions and relieve pain after taking it."

Liao Tingyan couldn't help but guess, "Is Your Majesty's body often cold because of this medicine?"

Seeing Sima Jiao nod, Liao Tingyan's gaze involuntarily glanced at a certain spot on him. She thought, so impotence is caused by the medicine.

Sima Jiao was very perceptive. "What are you looking at?"

Liao Tingyan: "..." On a night like this, how was his eyesight so good to immediately notice a glance?

Sima Jiao seemed to see through Liao Tingyan's thoughts. His chilly voice said, "I'm not incapable, just unwilling. Don't you think that kind of thing is a disgusting beastly act?"

Wow, what a civilized and harmonious odd man. Liao Tingyan was stunned. After a while, she said, "Humans are animals too. In the end, we're no different from other animals."

Sima Jiao said, "Humans are naturally different from beasts. Beasts have no sense of shame, but humans can control those desires."

Then you're so amazing. Why don't you control yourself when killing people? Liao Tingyan pouted, not wanting to discuss these things with an ancient emperor whose worldview, outlook on life and values were different.

Sima Jiao added, "You're always talking about this. Are you hinting that I should do that kind of thing to you?"

Liao Tingyan jumped up. "I'm not! I didn't! Don't talk nonsense!"

Sima Jiao said, "Come here."

Liao Tingyan refused. "No!" Can't you stop pushing yourself with your wound bleeding?

Liao Tingyan felt especially tired that night, though nothing happened besides bickering with Sima Jiao. The next day, they rode along the river and found an abandoned thatched hut in the mountains to temporarily stop.

It seemed to be a hunter's temporary residence, with a burned-out fire pit.

Unfortunately, neither of them brought flint or anything to start a fire.

They found some wild fruits along the way that were too sour to eat. Besides that, they found nothing to eat. Liao Tingyan thought it was funny. An emperor and an imperial consort might starve to death. After so many years imagining countless ways to die, who would've thought she'd starve in the end?

Sima Jiao leaned outside the hut to bask in the sun. Seeing her squatting beside him frowning at a wild fruit, he raised his hand and patted her head. "Endure one more day."

Sima Jiao was a very amazing person, because he spoke very accurately. When he said one day, it was really just one day. After that day passed, sure enough, people found them there. The leader was a teary-eyed Jin De. Soon after, the Grand Protector Gao also arrived.

They brought a large group of guards and soldiers and knelt down. "Your Majesty!"

Sima Jiao waved his hand. "First go find something for the empress to eat. She's about to starve."

Liao Tingyan's face was full of joy, but then she thought, what's there to eat? Hurrying back is the main thing!

After her anger subsided, she realized Sima Jiao had said "empress" just now, not "imperial consort".

Empress???