Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress novel Chapter 1566

Chapter 1566: Chapter 1561: Regret

"It’s Gaoyi King! Quick! Open the city gates! It’s Gaoyi King!" The guard at the gate turned around and shouted, "Quickly go and inform the General! Tell him that Gaoyi King has swiftly returned! Hurry!"

Meanwhile, inside the city, the Hidden Guard sent by the Weisu Faction had just arrived. He noticed that Bai Qingyan had set out early before dawn and was about to follow when he heard Bai Jinzhi loudly proclaiming that the Emperor had been attacked, and he tightened his grip on the reins.

The master ordered Master Weisu to take all the Hidden Guards to protect the Third Miss, taking all the Dong family’s death warriors too, so now... there is no one to protect the master!

The two city gates, still closed due to the plague, slowly opened, as the Zhou garrison general hurriedly rushed out.

Lu Yuanpeng, holding Bai Jinzhi in his arms, finally saw the city gates opening amidst his daze, with soldiers rushing out. The storm of emotions he had been holding back loosened as he recalled his consciousness teetering on the brink of darkness. Glancing at the anxious Bai Jinzhi in his arms, he couldn’t help but think of Bai Qingyan...

This time, he failed to fulfill his loyalty as a subject and soldier, betrayed his true intentions, and abandoned his Bai family sister, the Emperor!

Galloping back from the battlefield took nearly two hours. The enemy came prepared, heavily armed, and Bai family sister... split the troops to carve a path of blood for them, a dangerous endeavor.

Lu Yuanpeng, from a young age, acted on his instincts, never knowing what guilt was.

But recently, guilt always plagued him!

"Gaoyi King!" The garrison general had already rushed out, eyes wide with panic at the sight of the disheveled group.

"Whoa..." Bai Jinzhi reined in her horse and shouted, "The Emperor has been attacked! I urge the garrison general to deploy all forces in the city and follow me to save him! Quick!"

The garrison general responded, quickly turning around and shouting, "Sound the drums! Muster the troops!"

Upon hearing these words, Lu Yuanpeng, his body swaying, finally couldn’t hold on, his vision darkened, and he limply fell from his horse.

Bai Jinzhi suddenly felt empty behind her, and her horse, uncontrolled, trotted two steps forward. She hurriedly pulled the reins to turn back...

Only to see that the horse’s haunches were covered in blood, and as its tail swished, blood droplets splattered the ground.

On the ground lay Lu Yuanpeng, face pale, groaning, with several arrows embedded in his armor at his back.

"General!"

"General Lu!"

Several Bai family soldiers quickly dismounted, supporting Lu Yuanpeng with fear that turning him over might drive the arrows deeper into his flesh.

"Lu Yuanpeng!" Bai Jinzhi, frightened out of her wits, exclaimed, dismounted, and held Lu Yuanpeng in her arms, realizing for the first time that his back was all bloodied. Her tension and choked voice broke into sobs as she understood that Lu Yuanpeng had taken the arrows for her. Along the journey, he hadn’t uttered a word, enduring it silently.

Amidst the deafening drum rolls, Bai Jinzhi looked up and shouted towards the city, "Quickly call for a doctor! Get a doctor now!"

The guards, hearing this, urgently ran out, unaware of what kind of ambush the Emperor had encountered, which left General Lu of the Bai family army severely wounded. They quickly sent someone to fetch a doctor.

He’d said, "Sima Ping, we’re good brothers, you’ve saved me numerous times, so I don’t want to fall out with you... You know how I feel about the Bai family’s little fourth, I’ve kept nothing from you, yet you... treated me as a fool! If my brother hadn’t told me you might also have feelings for Bai Jinzhi, how long were you planning to keep it from me?"

He watched as the playful smile faded from Sima Ping’s face, his heart ached, he dared not see Sima Ping, clenched his fist, and said, "Anyway... whatever you want, I’ll agree, even if you ask for my life! But not Bai Jinzhi! If you want to compete with me, then let’s sever our ties!"

Sima Ping, suppressing his emotions, said in a low voice, "Lu Yuanpeng, if I intended to compete with you for Bai Jinzhi, do you think you could take her from me?"

"Then this time, do not follow us. Without you constantly in between, Bai Jinzhi and I will definitely be together!"

After that, Sima Ping truly didn’t stay by his side...

Regret?

Lu Yuanpeng did regret it. Each time he recalled the loss of Sima Ping’s smile or his disappointed gaze, he was filled with remorse.

He knew that from childhood, Sima Ping conceded to him in anything he wanted. In fact.... he realized Sima Ping might never have intended to compete for Bai Jinzhi.

Yet from the moment he knew Sima Ping also had feelings for Bai Jinzhi, he was constantly afraid, recalling how Sima Ping always protected him and Bai Jinzhi on the battlefield, fearing... Bai Jinzhi might also favor Sima Ping.

If he really were to die here today, what he would regret most wasn’t the love never confessed to Bai Jinzhi; after all, by not expressing it, her heart remained untroubled, and she merely saw him as a fellow brother-in-arms, sparing her from unbearable grief.