Kill Me Love Me – Liu Xueyi, Wu Jinyan

The Da Yan and Xi Yan kingdoms have been at war for many years. The third prince, Murong Jinghe, led the Wei Bei Army into battle and successfully reclaimed the lost territory of Qingzhou. However, after the army entered the city, Qingzhou was deliberately set on fire. Mei Lin’s father, Mei Dashan, died tragically in the fire while trying to protect her. Mei Lin unexpectedly obtained a military token from the arsonist, who belonged to the Wei Bei Army.

From then on, rumors spread that Murong Jinghe harbored resentment against the people of Qingzhou for betraying Da Yan and had ordered the massacre of the city. He was also blamed for the slaughter of 100,000 civilians in Qingzhou and was exiled to Jingbei, earning the title "Butcher General. "Ten years passed quickly. Mei Lin, determined to avenge her father, joined the secret Dark Workshop as a trained assassin, living alongside death and violence every day.

Her only goal was to one day personally push Murong Jinghe into the abyss. The brutal and cruel training of the Dark Workshop gradually taught Mei Lin to be patient and ruthless, forcing her to suppress her humanity and fear of death. She relied on antidotes to sustain her life and loyalty.

Despite her struggle for survival in the darkness, Mei Lin still retained a shred of conscience, doing her best to prevent other girls from falling into the same fate within the Dark Workshop. In the 25th year of Zhaoming’s reign, the long-standing conflict between Da Yan and Xi Yan was resolved with peace talks.

To show sincerity, the king of Xi Yan sent Princess Zi Gu along with 100 beauties to Da Yan for a peace marriage, in exchange for the release of over 10,000 prisoners. The peace delegation would enter Da Yan from Jingbei, and Murong Jinghe, stationed in Jingbei, volunteered to serve as the envoy to welcome the bride. At the same time, Mei Lin was ordered to take the deadly poison of the Mo Vein and received her first mission.

The master of the Dark Workshop commanded Mei Lin to infiltrate the peace marriage delegation and use the grand banquet as an opportunity to assassinate Murong Jinghe. Only by completing the mission could she obtain the antidote and leave the Dark Workshop.

Due to Murong Jinghe’s past excessive killing in Xi Yan, and the peace marriage being a gesture of goodwill between the two nations, some officials in the court opposed the idea of having the Wei Bei General serve as the envoy, fearing it would cause further tensions. Emperor Murong Qian summoned Crown Prince Murong Xuanlie for his opinion.

Murong Xuanlie believed that Xi Yan intended to use the peace marriage to bide their time, and that Murong Jinghe was the best candidate to intimidate Xi Yan. Murong Qian agreed with this view. Under the arrangements of the Dark Workshop, Mei Lin became one of the 100 beauties sent from Xi Yan to Da Yan for the peace marriage.

She set off with the group, sharing a carriage with A Ga, A Yi, and A Dai, all of whom were Princess Zi Gu’s close attendants. During the journey, the other three women discussed Murong Jinghe’s cruelty and ruthlessness, describing him as a devil. Mei Lin, however, remained silent, lost in memories of her past suffering. The Xi Yan convoy traveled 100 li a day and soon reached the gates of Jingbei.

Paper money floated in the air, creating a cold and terrifying atmosphere. After a moment, the city gates slowly opened, and the guards stood in two rows, on high alert. Murong Jinghe appeared in a palanquin, making his first appearance before the crowd. Using the pretext of holding a funeral for a turtle, he greeted the peace marriage delegation with an arrogant and disrespectful attitude, subtly insulting them by selecting beauties even before the formal ceremony began.

He particularly noticed Mei Lin, who had remained silent throughout. After entering the city, the group rested in Jingbei for the night. Princess Zi Gu, unable to sleep, sought out Mei Lin and the others for comfort. Mei Lin jokingly suggested knocking her out to cure the insomnia, but Princess Zi Gu, fearing something might go wrong, declined and chose to share a bed with them instead.

Feeling dejected from being sent away for the peace marriage, Princess Zi Gu was comforted by the others. In the middle of the night, Mei Lin disguised herself and infiltrated Prince Jing’s residence, discovering that Murong Jinghe’s bedroom was filled with traps. His true resting place was in a secret room behind a mechanical wall. While there, Mei Lin encountered other assassins attempting to kill Murong Jinghe. They fled when they couldn’t match her skills.

Disguising herself as a maid delivering medicine, Mei Lin entered Murong Jinghe’s medicinal bath, offering herself as his woman with the hidden intention of assassination. Unexpectedly, Murong Jinghe suddenly pulled Mei Lin into the bath. To her shock, the water contained a paralyzing agent, and Murong Jinghe remained suspicious of her, harshly questioning her true intentions.

Just as Mei Lin was trying to maneuver her way out of the situation, the steward Liu Zhong and Qing Yan sensed something was wrong and hurried in with guards. In a desperate move, Mei Lin kissed Murong Jinghe passionately, and the two became entwined. Because of this, Mei Lin managed to survive using her wits.

Murong Jinghe decided not to kill her, ordering her to stay in the residence for the night and take her with him back to Zhao Jing the next day. As Murong Jinghe slowly rose from the bath and stepped outside, the playful arrogance on his face faded, as he thought to himself that this little beggar girl, Mei Lin, had indeed not disappointed him.

In the 14th year of Zhaoming’s reign, Murong Jinghe volunteered to reclaim Qingzhou. However, he was later accused of ordering a massacre, surrounded by angry citizens, and left with crippled legs. The grief of losing his mother only deepened his despair, causing him to drown in alcohol and become mentally debilitated. One day, Mei Lin, disguised as a beggar, attempted to assassinate Murong Jinghe.

Even with arrows piercing her legs, she crawled forward, swearing that she would one day take her revenge. On the eve of their departure, Princess Zi Gu learned that Mei Lin had stayed overnight at Prince Jing’s residence and mistakenly thought that Murong Jinghe had mistreated her. She immediately brought Mei Lin to confront him. Murong Jinghe seized this opportunity to propose an archery contest among the beauties from Xi Yan, selecting a soldier to demonstrate.

When the soldier, lacking skill, missed his target, Murong Jinghe killed him on the spot, displaying his ruthless "Butcher General" reputation. However, Mei Lin harbored doubts. She recognized that the soldier was the assassin from the previous night, and was startled by Murong Jinghe’s deep scheming, fearing her own identity might be exposed. Princess Zi Gu, pure and kind, was always concerned about Mei Lin’s safety.

She promised to protect Mei Lin with her status as a princess once they reached the capital, deeply moving Mei Lin. Now, Emperor Murong Qian had granted Murong Jinghe permission to return to the capital, a decision that any discerning observer could see was aimed at reconciling the father and son. Yet few knew of Crown Prince Murong Xuanlie’s secret actions, and one of his co-conspirators was Zhang Yin, the Deputy Minister of War.

Upon hearing that Murong Jinghe would be escorting the Xi Yan princess to Zhao Jing, Zhang Yin became increasingly worried about their plot being uncovered. Murong Xuanlie, however, reassured him, asserting that the crown was his for the taking. Soon, the peace marriage convoy entered Zhao Jing. Citizens lined the streets, hurling insults at Murong Jinghe, calling him the "Butcher General," claiming he was unworthy of returning home.

Children sang rhymes mocking the Wei Bei Army, and these voices collectively formed a powerful wave of public opinion. Unbeknownst to the public, Murong Xuanlie had orchestrated everything, intending to stir up the people’s anger. Sure enough, the citizens became agitated, throwing rotten vegetables at Murong Jinghe. In the chaos, a box containing relics of the Wei Bei Army was opened, and a military token fell to the ground, catching Mei Lin’s attention.

Though Murong Jinghe could endure personal humiliation, seeing the relics of the Wei Bei Army trampled upon enraged him. He immediately intimidated the crowd, silencing those who had tried to incite a riot. He then cleverly turned the situation by offering money to the children, prompting them to sing a different song, one that portrayed him not as the misunderstood "Butcher General" but as the "Commander of a Hundred Ghosts" of the Wei Bei Army.

Emperor Murong Qian summoned Murong Jinghe for a private meeting, reminding him that after ten years of reflection in Jingzhou, he should have changed for the better and should avoid future conflicts with Xi Yan. In truth, Murong Qian knew his son still harbored unresolved feelings about the events in Qingzhou. In response to his father’s reminder, Murong Jinghe smiled bitterly, saying that the past was too painful to revisit.

Liu Zhong arranged accommodations for Princess Zi Gu and her attendants, informing them that it was the late empress’s memorial day, and they would have to wait until the next day to enter the palace. Princess Zi Gu felt disappointed at first, but upon learning that her brother Yue Qin was nearby, her mood lifted, and she smiled joyfully.

Just then, the sorrowful toll of a long bell echoed, touching the hearts of everyone present, but none more deeply than Murong Jinghe, for the sound seemed to reopen an old wound in his heart. Looking back on the past, before heading to Qingzhou, Murong Jinghe had promised his mother that he would retire from the battlefield and marry once he returned victorious. The Empress, to celebrate his success in reclaiming Qingzhou, prayed to the gods for an auspicious date.

Ironically, that date became the anniversary of her death. To honor his promise to his mother, Murong Jinghe dressed in wedding attire on the day of her memorial, but this led Emperor Murong Qian to misunderstand his intentions, forbidding him from openly mourning the late empress again. Mei Lin infiltrated Prince Jing’s residence with the intention of stealing the Wei Bei Army’s token and unexpectedly uncovered these past events.

She even stumbled upon Qing Yan interrogating the citizens who had attacked Murong Jinghe earlier that day. Standing before the late empress’s shrine, Murong Jinghe quietly whispered his grief, lamenting that his mother had never believed he was not responsible for the massacre. Hearing this, Mei Lin’s doubts only deepened.

Back in her room, Mei Lin carefully compared the token in her possession with the ones among the relics of the Wei Bei Army and noticed a difference in the sound they made. By this time, Murong Jinghe had already become suspicious and personally visited Mei Lin’s room. The tension between them was palpable as they subtly probed each other’s intentions.

In the middle of the night, Mei Lin received a secret order to meet with the master of the Dark Workshop, where she was harshly punished and told that she must complete the assassination at the peace banquet the next day, or the poison in her body would take her life in three days. Weak and exhausted, Mei Lin left, unaware that Murong Jinghe himself was the master of the Dark Workshop.

Since Murong Jinghe returned from Qingzhou, he had been in a constant state of mental decline, drowning his sorrows in alcohol every day. Despite the hatred Murong Xuanlie harbored for his younger brother, he still had to act the part of a caring elder brother, frequently visiting Prince Jing's residence to show concern and hypocritically advising Murong Jinghe to seek treatment for his leg injury.

Though the two appeared to be reminiscing about the past, in reality, they were testing each other. Murong Jinghe had already suspected that the fire in Qingzhou was somehow connected to the Crown Prince. The mastermind behind the plot knew that the Wei Bei Army had strict military discipline and would never harm civilians, which is why the citizens of Qingzhou were incited to attack the army camp.

Deputy General Yang Donghu was burned alive while trying to protect Murong Jinghe, who was also left with broken legs. As Murong Jinghe, accompanied by Qing Yan, paid tribute to the fallen soldiers of the Wei Bei Army in a secret chamber, he silently swore that this time he would not show any mercy.

Mei Lin gazed at the blackened veins on her arm, recalling the orders from the master of the Dark Workshop, and felt that there was still a fog of mystery surrounding the fire in Qingzhou. She found herself torn about whether to carry out the assassination. Princess Zi Gu came to visit Mei Lin, and her optimistic and cheerful personality alleviated some of Mei Lin's inner turmoil, helping her find the true answer she was seeking.

Meanwhile, Xi Yan's Prince Yue Qin, upon hearing that his sister had arrived in the capital, eagerly rushed to visit her. However, he caught a fleeting glimpse of Mei Lin and quickly gave chase, but she had disappeared, leaving behind only her Qingzhou knot hanging in the air. Yue Qin, the least favored prince of Xi Yan, had been helped by Mei Lin during the chaos of war and had secretly developed feelings for her.

After Xi Yan’s defeat, he had volunteered to enter Da Yan as a hostage for the sake of his sister and his mother. Little did he expect to encounter Mei Lin again in Zhao Jing, even if it was only for a brief moment. Later, Yue Qin met with his sister Zi Gu, telling her that he would wait until she had fully adapted to life here before leaving Da Yan.

In truth, Princess Zi Gu was anxious inside, filled with curiosity about her future husband. She knew well that as a princess, she had no control over her fate or love and could only resign herself to the fact that she would have to marry the emperor of Da Yan. Likewise, Yue Qin regretted that he and Mei Lin were unlikely to be together.

The grand banquet for the peace marriage was held as scheduled, and Princess Zi Gu was granted the title of Lady Yan, residing in the Hall of Blossoming Glory. Emperor Murong Qian bestowed beauties upon various princes and nobles, and Murong Xuanlie, seeking to probe the situation, deliberately requested Mei Lin in front of everyone.

Worried that his elder brother might discover Mei Lin’s identity, Murong Jinghe, in a moment of urgency, stood up from his wheelchair to declare his feelings for Mei Lin and pulled her into his arms. Before Mei Lin could make a move, she whispered a plea for help to Murong Jinghe, betting that he was not the true culprit behind the fire in Qingzhou and that he was willing to overturn the case.

She used a fake military token as bait, seeking his cooperation. Before Murong Jinghe could react, Mei Lin unhesitatingly stabbed him in the chest with her hairpin. However, since Murong Jinghe was wearing a gold-threaded soft armor, he only suffered a minor injury. Murong Qian, seeing his son stand up again, was overjoyed, while Murong Xuanlie was filled with alarm. Murong Jinghe intentionally showed weakness, hoping his elder brother would take charge of investigating Mei Lin's assassination attempt.

In the process, Murong Xuanlie discovered that Mei Lin was a Mo Veined Death Warrior, which deeply shocked him, making him suspect that she was either one of Zhang Yin’s people or connected to his brother. However, the Mo Veined Death Warriors had supposedly been wiped out ten years ago, leaving no evidence behind.

Murong Jinghe was certain that Zhang Yin, driven by profit rather than loyalty, could play the role of an obedient lapdog, only to turn into a vicious dog that would bite its master once Murong Xuanlie no longer had use for him.

Murong Jinghe personally went to the prison where Murong Xuanlie attempted to use force against Mei Lin to pressure his brother into compromising, but to no avail—Mei Lin remained completely unresponsive, as though the matter had nothing to do with her. Afterward, Murong Jinghe secretly summoned Zhang Yin, dropping hints during their conversation that led Zhang Yin to realize the Crown Prince would abandon him in a time of crisis.

Mei Lin, subjected to torture, was locked in a dark, windowless prison, almost losing her will to live. But then, she saw a flower growing between the cracks of the stones, and with great effort, she crawled over to protect it, telling herself she must not die. Witnessing this, Murong Jinghe was moved by Mei Lin's unyielding will to survive as the last orphan of Qingzhou. He ordered Qing Yan to secretly protect her life, ensuring that Zhang Yin would not silence her.

Now that Mei Lin was imprisoned, rumors spread among the people of Da Yan that Xi Yan was plotting something, once again endangering the diplomatic relations between the two nations. Concerned for Mei Lin’s safety, Yue Qin immediately brought his servant, Shu Mo, and went to the palace to request an audience with the emperor.

He waited outside the gates for an entire night until Eunuch Liu Zhong conveyed the emperor’s response, stating that the assassination attempt had nothing to do with Xi Yan, but Mei Lin’s crime of attempted murder was unforgivable. Because of this, Yue Qin, under the name of Princess Zi Gu, personally delivered a lantern fruit pastry to the imperial prison, planning to take a desperate risk and use a fake death medicine to rescue Mei Lin from the prison.

However, Zhang Yin saw Yue Qin delivering the food box to Mei Lin and devised a plan to poison her using the food box. Meanwhile, Murong Jinghe sat alone, admiring the flowers and drinking, his mind filled with images of Mei Lin fighting to survive against all odds. He mocked her inwardly, thinking she was overestimating herself.

A maid from the late empress’s chambers, noticing that Murong Jinghe seemed fond of these wildflowers, casually mentioned that the flowers were both lowly and resilient, commonly known as "immortals" because they couldn’t die easily. Murong Jinghe, thinking that Mei Lin’s situation was a hopeless dead end, concluded that only death would leave any evidence behind.

Soon after, someone disguised as a prison guard delivered poisoned lantern fruit pastries to Mei Lin, but she sensed something was wrong and fought back against the attacker. Fortunately, at the critical moment, Murong Jinghe arrived at the prison with Qing Yan. Mei Lin directly told Murong Jinghe that he was not the true culprit. She was willing to take the blame for the massacre, even if it meant being scorned by the world, rather than explain the truth.

She claimed that the arsonists in Qingzhou were not the real Wei Bei Army, and that the true Wei Bei Army, even when attacked by the civilians, would turn their blades on themselves. She had seen it all clearly on the day they entered the city. Mei Lin hoped to cooperate with Murong Jinghe, stating that if she could leave the prison, she would handle everything else herself.

Her greatest bargaining chip was the fake Wei Bei Army token carried by the arsonists. At that moment, Yue Qin arrived at the prison with the food box and happened to see Murong Jinghe leaving. Seizing the opportunity, Yue Qin attempted to gauge Murong Jinghe’s stance on the matter.

The next day, Zhang Yin sought out Murong Xuanlie, suggesting that Prince Jing had orchestrated the assassination attempt in the hall to lure out the Mo Veined Death Warriors and overturn the old Qingzhou case. Murong Xuanlie, realizing that the situation had escalated too far, believed that the only way to survive was to eliminate all the Mo Veined Death Warriors; otherwise, they would leave themselves vulnerable.

Murong Jinghe then went to the palace to see the emperor and revealed Mei Lin’s true identity, hoping that the emperor would spare her life for the sake of the greater good. He explained that Mei Lin had had countless opportunities to get close to him, yet chose to act during the grand peace banquet, which clearly indicated a conspiracy behind the scenes. In Murong Jinghe's opinion, someone was trying to stir up trouble by exploiting the resentment over Qingzhou.

Whether Mei Lin was an orphan of Qingzhou or a member of Xi Yan, she could not be killed. He suggested that they publicly declare that Mei Lin’s assassination attempt was driven by romantic jealousy, and he was willing to bear the reputation of being a foolish, lustful man. Just as he finished speaking, Princess Zi Gu rushed in to plead for Mei Lin, claiming that Mei Lin had acted because Murong Jinghe had humiliated her.

Murong Jinghe immediately knelt down and admitted his mistake. Left with no choice, the emperor agreed to spare Mei Lin, but she would still have to endure a public whipping outside the main hall. To prevent Murong Xuanlie from interfering, Murong Jinghe personally wielded the whip and even harmed his own internal energy to forcibly divert the force. Afterward, he carried the badly injured Mei Lin back with him. With this incident, their enmity was resolved.

Mei Lin told Murong Jinghe that the fake Wei Bei Army token was buried beneath a tree at the Honglu Temple and that the revenge for Qingzhou should be carried out by the people of Qingzhou themselves. Knowing that Mei Lin’s poison would soon take effect, Murong Jinghe secretly decided to obtain the red fuzi to cure her of the Mo Vein poison.

Meanwhile, Yue Qin, unable to forget her past kindness, visited Mei Lin personally, urging her to live well and not be consumed by hatred. On the other side, Murong Xuanlie scolded Zhang Yin, convinced that Mei Lin was Murong Jinghe’s pawn, and ordered him to eliminate the Mo Veined Death Warriors hiding in the Wenhua Pavilion. Although Zhang Yin was reluctant, he had no choice but to agree.

Shortly after Zhang Yin left, Murong Xuanlie received a messenger bird, informing him that Da Yan's greatest female general, Yin Luomei, had returned to the capital to take up her new post. He was overjoyed at the news.

Murong Jinghe then sent Qing Yan to retrieve the token, confirming that what Mei Lin said was true. Indeed, someone had used a fake token to impersonate the Wei Bei Army. Murong Jinghe decided to investigate all personnel related to the Military Department, hoping to find evidence incriminating the Eastern Palace.

He speculated that the Crown Prince, in order to protect himself, would plan to abandon Zhang Yin, and all he needed to do was wait for Zhang Yin to turn on him, allowing Murong Jinghe to reap the benefits without lifting a finger. When Yin Luomei heard about the assassination attempt on Murong Jinghe, she rushed back to Zhao Jing from the border without rest and sent tonics to him as soon as she arrived.

Qing Yan sighed, noting how thoughtful Yin Luomei was toward his lord. However, instead of going directly to Prince Jing’s residence, Yin Luomei trusted that Murong Jinghe would come to find her himself. Jiangtu, feeling indignant on Yin Luomei’s behalf, thought it unfair that she sent gifts to Murong Jinghe every year but never received any response. Just as Jiangtu finished speaking, Yin Luomei heard that Murong Xuanlie had sent gifts.

She felt a bit disappointed, although she said aloud that she couldn’t bear to see Prince Jing fall so low and that, as a comrade, she had a duty to save Murong Jinghe. In truth, she still harbored feelings of admiration for him. That night, as Yin Luomei reflected on the past with mixed emotions, Murong Jinghe suddenly arrived to ask her for red fuzi, claiming he wanted to drown his sorrows in drink.

Seeing Murong Jinghe in such a state, having forgotten his former ambitions, Yin Luomei was both angry and saddened. In the end, she agreed to give him the red fuzi. However, as soon as Murong Jinghe left the general’s residence, he heard that Mei Lin had gone alone to Wenhua Pavilion, and he immediately sensed danger. He hurriedly took Qing Yan and rushed over.

At that moment, Mei Lin had infiltrated Wenhua Pavilion, searching for the red fuzi, when she unexpectedly stumbled upon Zhang Yin and a woman with markings on her neck secretly plotting. She was shocked to discover that Zhang Yin was the leader of the Mo Vein organization and the true culprit behind the massacre years ago. Suddenly, a fire broke out at Wenhua Pavilion. All the Mo Vein Death Warriors, dressed in phosphorus-coated clothes, perished in the flames.

Zhang Yin and the woman escaped through a secret passage, leaving Mei Lin trapped. Fortunately, Murong Jinghe arrived just in time to rescue Mei Lin and take her back to his residence. On the night of the imperial bedchamber, Zi Gu was filled with anxiety and hid a dagger, a gift from her brother, under her pillow. However, Emperor Murong Qian discovered it. He did not blame Zi Gu, knowing she would never attempt an assassination.

Instead, he expressed his hope for peace between the two nations and said that if Zi Gu was unwilling, he would not force her. He then gently pricked her finger and let her blood drip onto the chastity cloth before sitting at a nearby desk to handle government affairs. Meanwhile, after Mei Lin took the red fuzi, she began to hallucinate. First, she clung to Murong Jinghe’s neck and bit him fiercely.

Then, she mistook him for Zhang Yin, the master of the Dark Factory, and fell into a delusion, yearning for her parents. Seeing this, Murong Jinghe was moved and used a brush to draw flowers, guiding Mei Lin back to her bed to rest. When Mei Lin woke up again, her mind was clear, and she noticed that the Mo Vein markings on her arm had disappeared, and she sighed in relief.

On the other side, the doctor told Murong Jinghe that while the red fuzi had detoxifying properties, Mei Lin's constitution was different from that of ordinary people. During her years of wandering, she likely consumed too much spoiled food to survive, damaging her body. As a result, the red fuzi only temporarily relieved the Mo Vein poison, giving her one more year to live.

If she were to take the red fuzi again after that year, she would likely die instantly. Despite the slim chance of success, Murong Jinghe ordered the doctor to prepare the antidote as soon as possible. From then on, everything would depend on Mei Lin’s fate.

Minister Wang hurried to report to Murong Xuanlie that all the Mo Vein Death Warriors in Wenhua Pavilion had perished, and only Zhang Yin’s belongings were found at the scene, suggesting that he had also met a grim fate. Yue Qin, playing chess with Emperor Murong Qian, found it difficult to let go of Mei Lin and suggested that the hundred beauties of Honglu Temple first learn to read and write before being distributed to the noble families.

He even volunteered to be their teacher. After a moment of consideration, Murong Qian agreed and decided that Honglu Temple would open in three days, with Zi Gu personally overseeing the preparations. After waking up, Mei Lin revealed to Murong Jinghe that Zhang Yin had not perished in the fire but had escaped through a secret passage. However, Mei Lin couldn’t understand why Zhang Yin would drag one hundred thousand innocent Qingzhou citizens to the grave over a personal grudge. Murong Jinghe, too, was filled with anger and sorrow, as the Wei Bei Army had been unjustly implicated by Zhang Yin’s actions.

Mei Lin told Murong Jinghe that they shared a common enemy and could work together to seek revenge for Qingzhou and the Wei Bei Army. She was willing to be used as a tool if necessary. At this moment, Yue Qin came to Prince Jing’s residence, stating his intention to take Mei Lin back to Honglu Temple to study.

Seeing Mei Lin readily agree, Murong Jinghe was overcome with jealousy and immediately took her back to her room, warning her that she belonged to him and should not even think about collaborating with Yue Qin. However, instead of getting angry at Murong Jinghe’s warning, Mei Lin was pleased that he agreed to cooperate. She then revealed to him that the woman hiding Zhang Yin had a peony flower tattoo on her neck.

As long as they found the woman with this mark, they could locate Zhang Yin. Murong Jinghe demanded that Mei Lin report everything related to Yue Qin to him in detail. Mei Lin responded that Yue Qin was a good person, but Murong Jinghe did not agree. Yue Qin then took Mei Lin back to Honglu Temple.

Zi Gu, upon learning that Mei Lin was the one who saved her brother’s life and was also the woman he had been longing for, tried to play matchmaker but was met with refusal. Shumo knew that Yue Qin had never discussed politics with the Yan Emperor in Da Yan, but his bold request for the position of teaching instructor might arouse the emperor’s suspicion, preventing him from ever returning to Xi Yan.

Even so, Yue Qin did not give up, knowing that this was Mei Lin’s only way out of Zhao Jing. The hundred beauties from Xi Yan gathered at Honglu Temple, but Mei Lin, after arriving, had yet to find the woman with the peony tattoo. Murong Jinghe came to see Mei Lin and found her soaking herself in cold water. He suspected that the woman Mei Lin had seen might have been a hallucination.

Suddenly, he recalled his own hallucinations from taking red fuzi and confirmed that the woman with the peony flower tattoo was real. Murong Jinghe helped Mei Lin recall the details of her hallucination. Mei Lin asked if he had been searching for red fuzi for her. Murong Jinghe replied that after going through so much trouble to get her out of the imperial prison, it would be a waste if she died too quickly.

The next morning, Murong Jinghe was playing chess with his father, but Emperor Murong Qian scolded him for neglecting Yin Luomei. Just then, Murong Xuanlie entered, overhearing their conversation. He came to report on the situation with Zhang Yin, trying to brush over the details. Emperor Murong Qian ordered the brothers to visit Rong’an Palace together. Murong Xuanlie deliberately brought up memories of their past, recalling their mother’s actions toward them.

Hearing Murong Xuanlie’s words, Murong Jinghe felt disgusted by his hypocrisy and exposed Xuanlie’s act of pretending to be a loyal brother. The two completely fell out with each other. Murong Xuanlie then purposely used the cause of their mother’s death to provoke Murong Jinghe, claiming that people like him caused her death and that he had no right to compete for the crown prince’s position.

Murong Jinghe responded by saying it was too early to judge whether he was guilty or not and swore to reclaim everything Murong Xuanlie had taken from him. Murong Xuanlie’s subordinates reported that a woman had fled from Wenhua Pavilion and was last seen at Honglu Temple, after which she vanished. The woman appeared to be skilled in Xi Yan martial arts, and her wrist had been burned by fire. Nanny Shang showed the ladies the late empress’s embroidered screen.

When Mei Lin turned her head, she saw Murong Jinghe standing in the corridor, recalling how he mourned at the late empress’s memorial, grieving that his mother never believed he was innocent of the massacre. That night, A Dai personally made lantern fruit cakes for Mei Lin. Unfortunately, it was her first time making them, and they turned out very bitter. She decided to make another batch the next day.

Mei Lin noticed the burn on A Dai’s wrist and learned that she had secretly been taking whitening pills. Mei Lin handed the bottle of pills to Murong Jinghe, suspecting that the peony flower woman she had seen was actually a man in disguise, with the peony flower used to conceal an Adam’s apple. Murong Jinghe had arranged for many people to have injuries on their wrists to confuse those in the Eastern Palace, but unexpectedly, A Dai suddenly died.

Upon investigation, it was found that she had been poisoned by eating toxic mushrooms. Mei Lin knew A Dai would never eat them by mistake. Sure enough, she later discovered Nanny Shang burying the poisonous mushrooms in the middle of the night. After questioning her under disguise, it was confirmed that they were searching for someone with an injured arm. To uncover the mastermind, Mei Lin used a red-hot iron hook to burn her own wrist, using herself as bait.

To catch Nanny Shang's attention, Mei Lin intentionally exposed the scar on her arm. As expected, Nanny Shang found an excuse to let her rest but secretly arranged for people to be in her room, planning to stage a scene where a beauty, out of guilt for damaging the Empress Dejia's embroidered screen, commits suicide. Little did she know, Murong Jinghe had already entered the room.

He first knocked out the hidden servants, then deliberately slashed the "Xun Zi Tu" painting to frame Mei Lin, using the excuse of damaging the embroidery to imprison her in Honglu Temple. Nanny Shang, fearful of being exposed, panicked inside. With Yue Qin and Murong Jinghe cooperating smoothly, she couldn't decide what to do and had no choice but to report the matter to Crown Prince Murong Xuanlie.

However, Murong Xuanlie did not punish Nanny Shang for this and even rewarded her with a large sum of silver. But as soon as she left, Murong Xuanlie ordered his men to silence her, framing the incident on his brother. Mei Lin noticed that while Murong Jinghe outwardly appeared indifferent to "Xun Zi Tu," he actually deeply valued the relic left by his mother. He had been secretly working hard to repair the embroidery screen.

To help Mei Lin, Yue Qin hand-copied the Dejia Empress's embroidery patterns and gave them to her. He also brought food to Mei Lin daily, cherishing every moment he spent with her, even finding silent observation to be a joy. After some time spent on the repair, Mei Lin unexpectedly discovered a hidden pattern left by Empress Dejia on the screen. Through Qing Yan, she arranged for Murong Jinghe to come to Honglu Temple.

Mei Lin told Murong Jinghe that there was an unnoticed line on the screen, and the location pointed to a hidden pattern on the wooden frame. When Murong Jinghe reached out to touch it, it turned out to be the flag signals of the Wei Bei Army. It turned out that Empress Dejia knew her son’s nature to be kind and that he could never be the one to commit a massacre.

However, rumors had spread too widely, so she embroidered "Xun Zi Tu" to temporarily quell public anger and buy time, hoping only that Murong Jinghe would survive. She wanted him never to lose faith, believing that the truth would eventually come to light. With this revelation, Murong Jinghe was assured that his mother had never blamed him, and he was overwhelmed with emotion. Mei Lin, knowing how much Murong Jinghe cared for his mother, felt guilty.

She realized that if he hadn't been busy saving her, he wouldn't have damaged the screen in the first place. To Mei Lin, a deceased person's belongings serve as a bridge between the living and the dead. If the screen couldn’t be properly repaired, it could hinder communication between heaven and earth. Mei Lin believed in the existence of spirits and always felt that her parents were by her side, just as Empress Dejia was always with Murong Jinghe.

In the next moment, Mei Lin found matching gold thread on Murong Jinghe’s clothing, and Murong Jinghe helped her continue the embroidery. Yue Qin saw this and felt a pang of discomfort in his heart. He also happened to glimpse some patrolling soldiers behaving strangely, but he paid little attention to it. After a long night, the two of them finally finished repairing the screen.

Mei Lin left the room first, allowing Murong Jinghe to have a private moment with the late empress. Mei Lin originally planned to leave Honglu Temple, but Murong Jinghe advised her to stay for her safety and reminded her that, when necessary, she didn’t have to always act like a beauty. She could reveal her martial skills to protect herself.

At this time, Qing Yan reported to Murong Jinghe that there was a woman named Mei Niang who frequently bought whitening pills on the black market, and she had a peony flower mark on her neck. Qing Yan arranged for the black market people to meet Mei Niang three days later. Murong Jinghe guessed that Murong Xuanlie would not sit idly by and ordered Qing Yan to have someone monitor the Crown Prince's faction closely.

In Murong Xuanlie's plan, when the Yan Emperor learned that a spy from Xi Yan had infiltrated the group of beauties, he summoned Murong Xuanlie for his opinion. Murong Xuanlie recommended Yin Luomei to investigate the matter in detail, also intending for Yin Luomei to completely lose hope in Murong Jinghe. After arriving at the military camp, Murong Jinghe deliberately pretended to lose control of his horse to get close to Yin Luomei.

His feelings for Yin Luomei had remained unchanged since his youth. Meanwhile, after learning about the Xi Yan spy, Yin Luomei took the initiative to investigate at Honglu Temple and became increasingly suspicious of Mei Lin's identity, deciding to test her. Yue Qin noticed something was wrong and tried to stop it, but he couldn’t enter the temple, so he had to think of another way. Mei Lin and Yin Luomei engaged in a confrontation.

Elsewhere, Murong Jinghe and Qing Yan overheard Mei Niang's conversation. When Mei Niang lifted her veil, her true identity was revealed to be Shumo, Yue Qin’s attendant.

Faced with Yin Luomei's questioning, Mei Lin responded that she had infiltrated the marriage envoy to assassinate Murong Jinghe in order to avenge Qingzhou. At that moment, Yue Qin arrived, offering to help Yin Luomei investigate the case, though his real intention was to assist Mei Lin in escaping. However, Yin Luomei confirmed that Mei Lin was not a spy from Xi Yan but more likely a surviving orphan from Qingzhou.

Still, because Mei Lin's martial skills were so advanced, further investigation was necessary. Murong Jinghe, standing in the shadows, overheard Yin Luomei’s words and finally understood why the Eastern Palace had been so quiet recently—they planned to use Yin Luomei to deal with him. Since Mei Lin had hidden her identity well, Murong Jinghe wasn’t worried about Yin Luomei uncovering anything. For now, he just needed to follow the trail of Shumo to find Zhang Yin.

Given Yue Qin’s kindness to Mei Lin and his close bond with the emperor, Murong Jinghe didn’t order Shumo’s capture. Instead, he moved into Honglu Temple under the pretense of supervising Mei Lin as she repaired the embroidery, living alongside her. Meanwhile, Mei Lin, Yue Qin, and Princess Zi Gu were drinking together. Zi Gu, tipsy, tried to matchmake Mei Lin, but Mei Lin didn’t respond directly. Shumo hurriedly arrived to urge Zi Gu to return to the palace.

Zi Gu, anxious that her brother hadn’t confessed his feelings to Mei Lin, was frustrated, while Yue Qin believed that matters of the heart should be mutual. Back in her room, Shumo applied medicine to the wound on her arm, thinking that if there was a way to help Zhang Yin escape, then there was also a way to help Mei Lin leave.

She informed Murong Jinghe that she had obtained a travel pass through the black market for Xi Yan. She explained that on the night of Shangsi, the plan would be finalized, and Mei Lin could be escorted out of Zhaojing. Early the next morning, Murong Jinghe forcefully moved into Honglu Temple. Mei Lin guessed that Murong Jinghe had made new progress in his investigation, but he didn’t reveal anything.

Crown Prince Murong Xuanlie sent the imperial guards to monitor the embroidery room, so Murong Jinghe had no choice but to share a bed with Mei Lin. Mei Lin soon discovered Murong Jinghe had many sleep habits and often suffered from insomnia due to living in constant danger. To help him sleep peacefully, Mei Lin knocked him out and stayed by his bedside all night, watching over him until he woke up.

Murong Jinghe was somewhat annoyed when he realized Mei Lin had knocked him unconscious. Just as he was about to scold her, he accidentally discovered that Mei Lin had lost her sense of taste. Mei Lin admitted that after the great fire in Qingzhou, she had completely lost her ability to taste. Qing Yan then reported to Murong Jinghe that Shumo planned to meet Zhang Yin during the Shangsi Festival.

Murong Jinghe instructed Qing Yan to find a remedy for restoring taste. At the same time, Princess Zi Gu was pulled by the imperial consort to practice court etiquette. She tried to sneak away and hide behind the rockery, discussing how unfathomable the Yan Emperor was, unaware that Murong Qian was standing not far away. Yin Luomei personally visited the palace to meet her aunt, who was now an imperial consort.

The imperial consort knew that Yin Luomei had feelings for Murong Jinghe, but it was obvious to everyone that Murong Xuanlie had feelings for Yin Luomei. Murong Xuanlie took the initiative to find Yin Luomei, inviting her to watch the fire dragon during the Shangsi Festival and pray for the soldiers of the Yan Empire. Yin Luomei had no choice but to agree.

On the night of the Shangsi Festival, Mei Lin and Murong Jinghe pretended to be a loving couple, interacting sweetly and playfully. Qing Yan tailed Shumo and had someone notify Murong Jinghe. When Murong Jinghe brought Mei Lin along, they happened to run into Murong Xuanlie and Yin Luomei. Seeing Mei Lin by Murong Jinghe’s side made Yin Luomei uncomfortable, so she quickly left with Murong Xuanlie. Suddenly, Mei Lin smelled a faint scent of sulfur.

When she turned around, she saw a suspicious-looking man who quickly slipped into the Qingyin Pavilion. Murong Jinghe and Mei Lin followed and entered the room opposite Qingyin Pavilion to observe in secret. Shumo, having not yet seen Zhang Yin, immediately went upstairs, unaware that Yue Qin was trailing her. Mei Lin, who was standing on the second floor, witnessed this scene and wondered why Yue Qin was there.

The original plan was proceeding smoothly, but Mei Lin had to reveal herself in order to save Yue Qin. In the process, Shumo was accidentally shot with an arrow, so Yue Qin took Shumo back. Zhang Yin hurriedly barged in with his men, only to find “Shumo” unconscious on the ground. Just as he was feeling pleased with himself, he didn’t expect that “Shumo” was actually Mei Lin in disguise, and she angrily beat him up.

Murong Jinghe took Mei Lin away, and when he saw she was injured, he angrily scolded her for putting herself in danger just to save someone. However, Mei Lin argued that Yue Qin was her savior, which made Murong Jinghe even more upset. He gave her two choices: either follow Yue Qin to repay her debt of gratitude, or follow him to seek revenge.

On the other side, Murong Xuanlie accompanied Yin Luomei to admire the fire dragon and offered a toast to the fallen soldiers. Yin Luomei felt very grateful upon seeing this. Seizing the opportunity, Murong Xuanlie confessed his feelings to Yin Luomei, saying that she had always been the only one he wanted as his crown princess. He even used Murong Jinghe and Mei Lin's relationship to provoke her, but Yin Luomei still did not respond.

To divert the spies of the Crown Prince, Murong Jinghe celebrated the festival with Mei Lin in earnest, though he was still angry about what had happened earlier. Mei Lin, treating Murong Jinghe as a friend, gave him a dog-shaped lantern as a gift. Murong Jinghe was initially displeased, feeling that she was comparing him to a dog. But Mei Lin explained that after the great fire in Qingzhou, this dog was her only companion, which moved Murong Jinghe.

Murong Jinghe captured Zhang Yin and bluntly told him to implicate the Eastern Palace, as that was the only way to save his life. Initially, Zhang Yin refused to cooperate, but when Murong Jinghe produced a fake Weibei military token, Zhang Yin's expression changed drastically. He then admitted that there was a key witness to the old Qingzhou case, and that person was the Eastern Palace strategist, Li Qing.

Mei Lin speculated that Li Qing must have been hidden somewhere and, upon hearing that the mastermind behind the Qingzhou arson was Murong Xuanlie, swore to avenge the people of Qingzhou at all costs. Yue Qin brought Shumo back to Honglu Temple, but Shumo was poisoned and close to death. Before dying, Shumo revealed everything to Yue Qin, explaining that she had done it all to help him return to Xi Yan, though she had failed.

Because of this, Yue Qin began to suspect a connection between Murong Xuanlie and Qingzhou. While lost in thought, he heard Shumo calling him. In her final moments, Shumo entrusted Yue Qin to let Yun Qi take care of him and had prepared things that Yue Qin liked, worrying that after her passing, no one would prepare them for him anymore. Shumo’s death left Yue Qin devastated.

The two had grown up together, and though they were master and servant, their bond was stronger than family. To Yue Qin, Shumo was like the other half of his life. Since the Isang flowers were used in Xi Yan to honor the deceased, and such flowers didn’t grow in the Yan Empire, Yue Qin searched in vain for them.

Frustrated, he locked himself in his room and tirelessly carved day and night, blaming himself for his incompetence, which had led to Shumo’s death. Mei Lin took the initiative to visit Yue Qin. Seeing him like this left her feeling uneasy, but to help him recover, she personally embroidered a ribbon with Isang flowers for him to use in commemorating Shumo. Once they placed the ribbon with the Isang flowers in a high place, they finally felt some relief.

Yue Qin wanted Mei Lin to leave the Yan Empire with him, but she declined, saying that after the great fire in Qingzhou, she had never considered any other path and couldn’t turn back now. Since Mei Lin was resolute, Yue Qin handed over all the evidence Shumo had left behind, advising her to take control of the situation herself.

Later, Mei Lin shared this information with Murong Jinghe, describing her impression of him and hoping to clear up any misunderstandings he had about Yue Qin. Murong Jinghe promised not to take his anger out on Yue Qin, but warned Mei Lin not to have any further dealings with him. Late at night, Murong Jinghe sat alone by the pond, gazing at the dog lantern Mei Lin had given him, his mind filled with thoughts of her.

Murong Xuanlie ordered people to closely monitor his younger brother’s interactions with Mei Lin, and he suspected that someone in the court had secretly allied with Prince Jing. He feared that on the night of the Shangsi Festival, Murong Jinghe was not merely there to watch the fire dragon. Meanwhile, Murong Jinghe instructed his men to find a way to approach Li Qing, but the heavy security at the Xishan mine made it difficult to get inside.

To avoid arousing Murong Xuanlie's suspicion, Murong Jinghe decided to turn the situation to his advantage, making it seem as though he had completely fallen in love with Mei Lin. Murong Jinghe began frequently visiting Honglu Temple to accompany Mei Lin, patiently watching her practice dancing. Since Mei Lin only knew how to wield weapons, her dancing was clumsy, like a stiff puppet on strings.

Murong Jinghe personally beat the drum to accompany her, and sure enough, Mei Lin’s movements became more natural when she combined them with her martial arts skills. However, she was still punished by the dance instructor and had to stand for two hours. Murong Jinghe couldn’t intervene, so he had someone fan her and hold an umbrella, turning her punishment into something more enjoyable, making the other women envious. The instructor had nothing more to say.

Meanwhile, Princess Zi Gu, upon hearing of Shumo's death, decided to plant some Isang flowers and dug up soil from the imperial garden, nearly digging up the peonies that Emperor Yan had ordered planted. Fortunately, Murong Qian did not blame her and instructed the agricultural officer to send some gardeners to help Zi Gu plant the Isang flowers in her palace. Back in her palace, Zi Gu was overwhelmed with sadness.

On one hand, she was angry that Yue Qin always kept secrets from her, and on the other, she was heartbroken over their impending separation. Years ago, when their mother passed away, Yue Qin and Zi Gu depended on each other for survival. Later, when Yue Qin went to Yan as a political hostage, Zi Gu, out of anger, didn’t go to see him off.

Now, Zi Gu had grown a lot and could no longer live as carefreely as she once had. She declared that this time, she would protect her family. Yue Qin personally sought out Emperor Yan and played a game of chess with him, expressing his desire to maintain good relations between the two nations. Murong Qian also promised that Zi Gu would be well cared for in the harem and that her innocence would be preserved.

In the days that followed, Murong Jinghe either spent time with Mei Lin at Honglu Temple or sent her various gifts, such as jewelry, clothes, and even medicinal tonics. Mei Lin’s friends gossiped about how deeply Prince Jing had fallen for her, and one of them even gave Mei Lin a book of illustrations on intimate matters between men and women, which made Mei Lin blush.

Coincidentally, it was Mei Lin's birthday, and Yue Qin came with a gift, intending to use the opportunity to confess his feelings. However, before he could say much, Murong Jinghe suddenly walked in, and the two rivals faced each other, creating an intense atmosphere. Mei Lin found herself stuck in the middle, unsure of what to do. Although she knew Murong Jinghe was just putting on an act, she still felt a strange emotion towards him.

Murong Jinghe took Mei Lin on a boat ride down the river, admiring the scenery. He told her that he had once fought in the northern border of Yan, sailing across the Lancang River, where he had seen a stunning blue starry sky. He shared the myth of the Lancang River with her. As a gift, Murong Jinghe released countless floating lights onto the river.

He was the only one who knew Mei Lin’s real birthday and had prepared lantern cakes for her, making Mei Lin overjoyed. Looking at the lantern cakes, Mei Lin was reminded of her parents. Murong Jinghe then drew a family portrait for her. Mei Lin wished to live well and one day open a spring flower pastry shop.

Jinghe promised that once the Crown Prince was overthrown, he would help her open the shop, and they would split the profits fifty-fifty. Even though Mei Lin knew Murong Jinghe was acting for the Crown Prince's benefit, in that moment, she truly felt touched by him. The next morning, Murong Jinghe ordered Honglu Temple to make pastries for Mei Lin, specifically requesting that they didn’t need to taste good but should look exquisite.

Mei Lin recalled how she had mentioned that since she couldn’t taste anything, beautiful pastries could make up for it. She was surprised and touched that Murong Jinghe remembered this. However, Granny Liu, who was Murong Xuanlie's spy, reported everything, including Mei Lin's loss of taste. Wang Quan also discovered that Murong Jinghe had attended the Shangsi Festival to seek treatment for Mei Lin. When the imperial physician Sun Taiqing was unable to find a cure, he was beaten.

Murong Xuanlie found the situation amusing, believing that Murong Jinghe had fallen for his pawn, which would only benefit his relationship with Yin Luomei.