Infinity, The Arcade Age

Once she started talking about her husband, Sun Ji couldn't stop.

She vented to Qin Ming relentlessly, pouring out all the grievances she had bottled up over the years.

As a political marriage pawn, Sun Ji held an extremely high status.

In Wu, she could practically do whatever she wanted.

And in Shu, aside from Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and Guan Yu, no one dared to offend her—even high-ranking officials had to give her some degree of respect.

But high status didn't mean a good life.

As a Wu princess, Shu was always on guard against her.

And as a woman married into Shu, Wu no longer trusted her either.

On top of that, because she had accidentally worn Liu Bei out in their early days of marriage, Shu's people resented her even more.

There was even a wild rumor circulating in Jianghu—claiming that she had practiced some kind of sinister sorcery, and that Wu had sent her over specifically to sap Liu Bei's vitality, ensuring he would leave no heirs and thus weaken Shu's power!

The worst part? Not only did the common people believe it—Liu Bei and his brothers believed it too!

Now, the moment Liu Bei saw her, he would immediately turn and leave, clearly traumatized.

Well, to be fair, even an iron-bodied man wouldn't have survived being relentlessly "cared for" by a whole squad of armored female guards for months…

At this point, Sun Ji position had become extremely awkward.

Neither side saw her as one of their own anymore.

Even though she stayed out of politics, only trained with her close circle of female warriors, and kept to herself, neither Wu nor Shu fully trusted her.

And now, she was just visiting her sick mother, yet Shu's top general had ordered an all-out pursuit against her, treating her like an enemy—she was beyond disappointed.

Watching Sun Ji drown her sorrows in wine, clearly feeling dejected, Qin Ming awkwardly shifted in his seat.

He felt like he had accidentally overheard too many things.

If any of this conversation got out, he could kiss his chances of ever blending into Shu goodbye—Liu Bei would have his head for sure!

Several times, Qin Ming tried to find an excuse to slip away, but Sun Shangxiang yanked him back every time.

Seeing her hugging a wine jug, looking completely miserable, he finally sighed and tried to comfort her.

"Come on, Lady Sun, no need to be this upset. You're still Lord Liu's wife, and your status is unshakable. No one dares to actually do anything to you."

That, however, only made Sun Ji angrier.

She slammed the wine jug onto the table with a loud bang, her face filled with fury.

"They don't dare?! Zhao Yun is literally chasing me down! That's what you call not daring to do anything?! I'm just visiting my family, and they're treating me like a damn fugitive! What, do they think I'm spying for Wu or something?!"

"Well, you might not be spying for Wu, but you are bringing Adou over…"

"What's wrong with that?! I'm just bringing my godson to see my mother! She's seriously ill and wants to meet her grandson—what's wrong with that?! It's not like I wasn't planning to bring him back!"

Watching Sun Ji fume, completely oblivious to the bigger picture, Qin Ming sighed deeply.

She really was a sheltered princess.

She had been spoiled her entire life, always had everything go her way, and never had to think deeply about political schemes.

She actually thought this was just a simple family visit?

He shook his head and spoke slowly.

"Lady Sun… that's Liu Adou we're talking about. Liu Bei's only son. The future ruler of Shu."

"So what? He's safe with me. Who in Wu would dare harm him? And besides, Wu and Shu are allies! We're on good terms!"

"Allies? Maybe. But good terms? Not necessarily. Wu might not harm him, but they could keep him hostage—use him to negotiate. A future emperor is worth a lot."

Qin Ming's words made Sun Shangxiang freeze.

He could tell—this was the first time she had ever considered the possibility.

Shaking his head, he continued.

"The ransom for a future ruler is endless—key cities, military outposts, strategic resources… all of it can be traded for him.

"Do you really think Wu's king is letting you bring Adou back just for a family visit?

"More likely than not, he plans to keep him."

"That's impossible!"

Looking at Sun Ji, who had lifted her head to stare at him in clear shock, Qin Ming could only shake his head helplessly.

"A future ruler holds immense value—strategic cities, military strongholds, and crucial territories can all be exchanged for power. The King of Wu sending you back with A'dou... I'm afraid that's exactly what he intends."

"Impossible! My second brother would never deceive me like that! He would never use our mother as an excuse to lie to me! He has always been the most filial to our mother and cares for me the most!"

"Your second brother wouldn't lie to you—but the King of Wu would. My lady, the imperial family is the coldest place of all. Have you truly forgotten how you ended up marrying Emperor Liu?"

Qin Ming's words left Sun Ji momentarily stunned, as if she had been struck by lightning. Memories of the past surfaced before her eyes—her second brother forcing her to marry Liu Bei, a man more than twice her age.

That day, he had arrived in formal royal attire, looking like an entirely different person—cold, detached, utterly unfeeling.

He hadn't come to seek her opinion. He had come merely to deliver a command. Whether she agreed or not was irrelevant.

"You are a daughter of the House of Wu! This matter is not yours to decide!"

That one sentence had sealed her fate.

It was precisely because of this that Sun Ji had harbored resentment in her heart. After her marriage, she had made Liu Bei's life as difficult as possible, trying to take revenge in her own way.

And this was what had led to the situation she now found herself in.

Even though she was beginning to believe Qin Ming's words, her instincts still pushed her to shake her head in denial. She couldn't—she wouldn't—accept this reality.

"No! My second brother knows exactly what kind of consequences this would bring! How would I ever return to Shu then? He would never do something like this!"

Watching Sun Ji shake her head vigorously, Qin Ming sighed and shook his own head as well.

"If this was merely about bringing you home, why send so many people? And why would Zhao Yun risk defying orders to lead men here and intercept the fleet? My lady, you know Zhao Yun's character better than anyone. Have you ever seen him act so recklessly before?"

Zhao Yun had always been a subject of debate in historical records and modern interpretations.

Some said he was nothing more than a glorified bodyguard with little actual power.

Some claimed he was Liu Bei's trusted confidant, akin to a commander of the imperial guards, wielding significant authority.

Others argued that he lacked strategic prowess and had never led a large army, making him inferior to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

And yet, there were those who called him the "firefighter" of Shu, rarely suffering defeats, and even when he did, he always managed to withdraw intact—a testament to his extraordinary abilities.

Regardless of the debates, one thing remained undisputed: Zhao Yun was incredibly cautious.

Meticulous in every action. Never careless.

He always knew exactly what should be done and what should not, what was permissible and what was forbidden—better than anyone else.

Among the famed generals of the Three Kingdoms, few lived to old age. Zhao Yun was one of the rare exceptions. Even in his twilight years, he could still drag his aging body onto the battlefield, wipe out an entire enemy household in single combat, and then return home to die of old age—an unparalleled feat.

Had he not been pushed to his absolute limit, forced to risk everything, Zhao Yun would never have undertaken a legendary act like charging into enemy ranks alone to rescue his lord's son.

If not for that moment of desperation, history might have only remembered him for a single phrase: "Zhao Yun, a lifetime of caution."

His prudence was ingrained in his very bones.

A man like that would never interfere in his lord's family affairs. The fact that even Zhao Yun had gone so far as to defy orders, storm the fleet, and try to take back his lord's son by force—how could this possibly be a small matter?

Having spent years in Shu, Sun Ji naturally understood Zhao Yun's character.

Guan Yu was proud—he never even looked her in the eye, offering only the bare minimum of respect for her husband's sake.

Zhang Fei was rough—straightforward and boorish, treating her in a casual, indifferent manner, never truly seeing her as one of their own.

Only Zhao Yun, due to his position, often interacted with her. He always maintained an impeccable level of respect, treating her as his mistress in every way, never giving anyone a reason to criticize his conduct.

Now, as her body swayed, realization finally dawned upon Sun Ji. She could no longer deceive herself.

Even someone as cautious as Zhao Yun had turned against her.

Then what of the other generals of Shu?

What of her husband and his sworn brothers?

How would they perceive her actions once they found out?

Would she even be able to return to Shu?

Could she, after doing something like this, even have the face to go back?

(End of Chapter)