"That's all he managed to do," Luo He said quietly. "I was searching for her. I found her before he could progress further." He said calmly.
"He didn't have time to tear her clothes or kiss her. He only touched her. Only threatened her. And then I intervened."
For several long seconds, no one moved.
Jin Su blinked, as if waking from a nightmare. "That's...all?" Jin Mulan nodded slowly, understanding her mother's desperate need to confirmation
the horrible deeds that transpired.
"That's all, Mother." Jin Su broke into tears again. This time they were tears of overwhelming relief, not horror. She immediately embraced her daughter, pulling her close as if she could shield her from what had already occurred.
"Thank the Heavens... Thank the Heavens you're safe... My poor child..."
She held Jin Mulan tightly, stroking her hair, her entire body shaking with the release of tension that had threatened to destroy her.
Jin Quan closed his eyes and exhaled deeply, as though an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The rage that had consumed him suddenly transformed into something else.
Gratitude, profound and absolute.
Even Ning Jia visibly relaxed, though she watched Luo He carefully. She clearly understood now what he had done. He had deliberately waited.
He had allowed their minds to spiral into catastrophe before revealing the truth. It was cruel in its own way, a calculated manipulation of their fear.
But it had ensured they understood the gravity of what had almost happened.
Jin Quan looked toward Luo He. For a long time, neither man spoke.
Finally, the older count gave a slow nod, his eyes meeting Luo He's with new understanding. "You found her in time."
"I did." He said calmly.
"Thank you. For this I am ever greatfull."
Luo He simply inclined his head. "There was nothing to thank me for. I merely arrived before it was too late."
The room fell quiet once more. This time however, the silence no longer carried despair. Only relief.
And the shared understanding that, although Jin Mulan's heart still bore scars from what could have happened, she had come home safe. She had survived.
"Don't ask her about it constantly. Always reopening those memories will only deepen her wounds. What she needs now isn't further questions, it's people who will stand beside her."
They all silently nodded. Luo He then turned to Ning Jia. "Can Bing and Little Lin sleep with us tonight?" He asked.
"Of course," Ning Jia replied without hesitation. That night, Little Lin slept between Luo He and Jin Mulan, while Ning Jia lay on Luo He's other side.
She was jealous, how could she not be?But her compassion for her fellow sister wife and lover outweighed her jealousy. She couldn't imagine enduring the same suffering Jin Mulan had experienced.
The night was anything but peaceful.
Three times Jin Mulan awoke in terror, her body frozen, unable to move as nightmares overwhelmed her.
Each time, Luo He, Ning Jia, and Bing comforted her until she calmed down. None of them slept much.
Much had changed during Luo He's absence during the campaigns at the Northern Isles. Even after returning, he had scarcely found time to truly reconnect with his family.
Little Lin had changed the most. The child now called Jin Mulan "Mommy" and affectionately referred to Bing as "Big Sister."
Watching them together warmed Luo He's heart, even amidst the darkness surrounding them.
The following morning, Jin Quan and Fei marched toward the Yue capital with four thousand cavalry.
Meanwhile, Jin Sang dispatched thirteen warships carrying three thousand sailors and soldiers to strengthen the defence of the Jin Mansion, in case the Duke forces attempted a surprise strike.
The Emperor personally departed with three thousand of his fastest cavalry and his Imperial Guard, reaching the outskirts of the Yue capital in just two days.
Jin Quan's cavalry linked up with the imperial force after roughly two and a half days of marching. Soon another powerful ally arrived.
Duke Bian, the Emperor's sworn brother since the bloody Succession Wars and one of the great Dukes of Yue, personally led ten thousand elite cavalry to answer the emperor's call.
Inside the capital, however, the Crown Prince still possessed considerable strength. His greatest supporters were his maternal clan.
The powerful Shia Clan, which assembled nearly twenty thousand soldiers for his cause. The City Watch numbered around forty thousand men, and most of its officers had reluctantly pledged loyalty to the acting regent.
The feared Black Mang Army had originally declared neutrality. That neutrality enraged the Crown Prince.
He believes neutrality to be betrayal.
So he ordered an assault on the Black Mang strongholds, burning an entire tower and slaughtering countless prisoners alongside Black Mang soldiers.
Nearly six thousand of his own men died capturing little more than a prison filled with broken captives, while the Black Mang Army withdrew in good order after losing only three hundred or so soldiers.
When news reached Elder Shia, he closed his eyes in disappointment. "My grandson..." He muttered bitterly. "Is a complete fool."
The Crown Prince's reckless purge did not end there. Numerous neutral ministers and officials were executed merely because he suspected they might oppose him.
Princess Ning Luo, on the other hand, proved to be a far more tactical and capable commander. Although she possessed only ten thousand Palace Guards.
Far fewer than the Crown Prince's combined forces of close to sixty thousand she still used them with remarkably high precision.
Rather than wasting lives in direct battles, she focused on protecting ministers, rescuing important officials, securing armouries, granaries, and supply depots.
While eliminating gangs and criminal groups that preyed upon civilians. As a result, the districts under her control remained orderly. Food was distributed fairly.
Merchants who attempted to hoard grain were killed. Crime almost disappeared.
In contrast, districts ruled by the Crown Prince descended into fear, extortion, and chaos.
The common people gradually began viewing Princess Ning Luo not as another claimant to power, but as their protector. Every day more citizens secretly aided her cause.
Without the support of the people, finding anyone within the vast capital became like searching for a needle in a haystack.
The Shia Clan itself remained a terrifying force. Although only a branch family within the Yue Kingdom, its patriarch held one of the highest positions in the Yang Empire.
The clan also maintained influence through an Imperial Consort in the Yue capital.
Their private army numbered two thousand elite warriors. The remaining eighteen thousand troops fighting for the Crown Prince were very expensive mercenaries hired at enormous cost.
Everything had been calculated. The Emperor of Wu secretly supported their plans. The Emperor of Yue had supposedly died. The Crown Prince ruled as Regent.
Victory had seemed inevitable. Then Luo He returned with the Emperor alive, the Crown Prince's legitimacy shattered overnight. The First Princess immediately withdrew her support.
The Heavenly Golden River Sect backing her up also abandoned him, unwilling to gamble on a losing cause. Now the Crown Prince sat trapped inside his own capital.
He was surrounded by the Emperor's armies from outside. Princess Ning Luo's armies constantly harassed his from the inside of the capital.
Inside the palace in his room, he raged uncontrollably. He cursed Luo He's name. He cursed Jin Mulan's name.
He smashed furniture and vented his frustration by beating the women serving him.
He had always been a weak man. His mother had promised him the throne since childhood. His grandfather had paved every step of his political path.
He excelled at court intrigue but lacked the courage of a true warrior.
What kind of man found pleasure in abusing defenseless women? As he struck them, he screamed that one day he would make Jin Mulan suffer the same fate while Luo He watched.
If only he knew what awaited him should he ever lay a finger upon Luo He's precious Mulan.
To the Crown Prince, Luo He had stolen everything from him. First his Mulan. Now his Empire itself. Meanwhile, Elder Shia no longer planned for victory. He was now planning only how to survive the coming siege.
Their soldiers still controlled the city gates. Yet the real danger was no longer the Emperor outside the walls. It was Princess Ning Luo inside them. At any moment, she could seize a gate and open it for the returning Emperor.
Before reinforcing the walls or preparing for a siege, the Crown Prince had to capture her. Otherwise, the capital would fall from within.
There was one final uncertainty. The palace eunuchs had supported the Crown Prince only because they believed the Emperor was dead.
The moment they saw the Imperial Seal in the Emperor's hand, their loyalty would almost certainly return to its rightful master. The Crown Prince did not yet realize just how fragile his rule had become.