Xiao Xiang Dong Er

THE LEGEND
OF CHU QIAO:
DIVISION 11'S
PRINCESS
AGENT
Chapter 1
It was May 12, 116, 2 a.m. in the middle of the night, in the countryside of X, a city of the
empire.

Seven jet black vehicles were speeding along the country highway, two in front, two at the
rear and two more anking a sedan in the middle of the convoy. The vehicle was built to
military speci cations; its high powered engine emitted a smooth and steady hum. It was
covered with high performance alloy. If one looked closely, one could see spiral patterns on
the windshield that made it bulletproof. This vehicle was without a license plate, nor a
fi
fl

 military insignia. This convoy inevitably caused suspicion. How on earth did this convoy
emerge from the highly secured city?

After an hour, the convoy pulled into an ordinary yellow building somewhere in the city’s
countryside. Four soldiers in camou age uniforms walked forward, indicating to the convoy
that they were subject to security checks. When the doors of the front vehicle opened, a
young man in a black suit stepped out and gave the soldier a dark red card. After the soldier
inspected the card for a long while, he said softly, “I need to seek approval from my
superiors.”

The man in black suit furrowed his brows and looked a little annoyed, as he muttered, “The
signature of General Jin is on the card, whose approval do you still need?”

The soldier showed no signs of emotions, as he replied, “Major, the superiors issued their
orders just now. Unless it is the head of state comes here in person, no one is to enter this
military facility unless they have the permission of both General Jin and Mr. Zhang, the Chief
of Sta .”

“You…”

“Li Yang.”

A deep voice suddenly emerged from the vehicle behind him. One of the black cars moved
gently forward. The driver rolled down the windows and behind it was an old and seemingly
wearied face. The soldier was stunned. He stood to attention immediately while o ering a
salute. “General Sir!”

General Jin nodded mindlessly and asked, “Can we go in now?”

The soldier paused and said, “Sir, Chief Zhang has ordered that there would be no vehicular
movement within the camp, only walking is allowed.”

General Jin frowned, while patting his leg he asked, “Even I have to walk?”

Looking increasingly uncomfortable with the situation, the soldier gazed into the car to take
a look at the General’s injured leg. Even so, he emotionally said, “Sorry Sir, these are the
orders from the top. No one is to ride in vehicles, only walking is allowed!”

Li Yang was furious, with his face ushed red.

General Jin gently waved the soldier away and turned towards Li Yang. “Li Yang, go in
yourself. Bring my documents, and you have to bring Agent 005 out safely and securely. We
cannot a ord to su er a loss like we did with Agent 003. These agents are all treasures of
the empire,” he instructed.

Li Yang froze, facing this exhausted and aging elder. He respectfully paid a salute. With a
voice of determination, he said, “Rest assured General, I will de nitely complete this task.”

ff
ff
ff
fl
fl
fi
ff
 However, at this moment, a massive blast was heard. Bright and blazing ames were seen,
with a dark gigantic mushroom cloud hovering over it. Li Yang’s eyes widened in shock.
With veins on his forehead visible, he sprinted straight into the military camp.

In this night, X’s citizens were still quietly fast asleep, but right outside the city’s limits, at the
fourth military prison, there was a huge explosion that would shock the world. In the
darkness, everyone’s eyes around the country were xated on that same spot, waiting for
dawn to break in a few hours.

Four hours ago.

In the courtroom of the country’s fourth military prison, seven high ranking military o cials
sat in their uniforms, with their rank insignias sparkling on their shoulder epaulets. They were
all generals. On the judges’ stand, there were ve military judges, all of whom came from
di erent military divisions, which were not necessarily under a similar military system.
Beneath them were over 20 men holding Kurt MOD733 5.56 caliber machine guns, all of
which were from the country’s top special forces operatives. They looked prepared to take
down anyone who stood in their way.

The atmosphere in the courtroom was solemn and serious, all eyes were concentrating on
the defendant stand. At this moment, one of the judges in military uniform cleared his throat
and said with a deep voice, “Name?”

“Chu Qiao,” a low voice responded calmly and mildly. Although it was a little hoarse, no one
would have di culty to identify the gender of its owner.

As expected, a lady sat on the defendant’s stand, dressed in light green military pants with a
white shirt. She rolled up her sleeves revealing a pair of fair arms. She sat there calm and
collected, without a tinge of nervousness.

The judge continued the dry judiciary process, “Gender?”

“Female.”

“Birth date?”

“October 8th, 90.”

“Hometown?”

“Luo City of Yun Tu Province.”

“Past military positions?”

“I enlisted in the empire’s military school in 109. In 111, I was picked out and transferred to
the 5th intelligence unit within the military command center to learn. In the same year, I went
into Hawk squad in the 7th army to start my training. On August 27, 112, I was o cially
inducted into the 5th intelligence unit, working in section 2, regarding data analysis and
distribution. In December 113, I transferred to the intelligence department in City Y, carrying
out Plan HL together with the 9th Military Intelligence division. In June of the next year, I was
ff
ffi
fi
fi
fl
ffi
ffi
out of the country working as a spy. I returned in November 114 and was working in the
11th division command center as their assistant commander, until now.”

“During your tour of duty, what operations were you on?”

“The 11th division executed a total of 97 operations of all types, 29 of which were
conducted by me. Among the missions, there are 11 one-starred missions, 9 two-starred, 5
three-starred, 4 four-starred and no ve-starred missions.”

“Which operations did you participate in during your time in service? Please elaborate
missions that are classi ed as four-starred and above.”

“In August 114, with the intelligence gathered from the 7th intelligence division, 9th
intelligence division participated in ‘Operation Sea Salt’, planned by Colonel Li and me,
successfully obtaining 3 tons of uranium ore. In November of the same year, 11th division
and the 6th outpost division came together for ‘Bait and Capture’ operation, successfully
capturing the rebel leader ‘Mica Half Rat’, destroying the nuclear reserves of country F. In
April 115, I planned and instigated the super-powered beings from country E and
successfully regained the passwords to the loophole within the Central Bank. In June of the
same year, with the help of country X, planned by the 11th division, assisted by super-
powered beings, Agent 003 of 9th division conducted operation Ximo, successfully
obtaining the blueprint of HK-47.”

The judge nudged his glasses higher. As he read through the documents, he muttered, “Can
you please elaborate on your relationship with Agent 003 of the 9th military intelligence
division?”

The lady raised her brows, her unchanging expression turned cold and took a thorough look
at the seven military o cials on the stand. She nally said, “When I was training in the 7th
Army, I was living in the same bunk as Agent 003, Agent 007 and Major Huang Minrui, the
operations planning o cer in the 11th division. In 115, I was part of operation Ximo with
Agent 003.”

The judge asked with a deep voice, “How would you describe your relationship with Agent
003? A comrade, colleague, or an acquaintance?”

She remained calm and raised her brows once again. After a while, she answered, “We were
friends.”

The jury started murmuring among themselves. She looked at two of the judges with an
incisive stare, glimpsing at the smile that they were unable to hide.

“Can we also infer that Agent 003 and you were close friends who shared everything with
each other?” a female judge asked. She was dressed in a dark green military out t and was
in her forties.

Chu Qiao turned and faced the judge, her gaze settled upon the judge and studied her for a
while. She eventually said, “Your Honor, Agent 003 and I have been through the country’s
professional training and are top quality soldiers. We are very clear as to what we are
ffi
ffi
fi
fi
fi
fi
 supposed to say, and what we are not. With that, when you said that we shared everything
with each other, I feel that you are doubting our professionalism and that is utterly
disrespectful to a hero that laid her life on the line for the sake of the country’s interest.”

The female judge paled and sealed her lips, with an awkward atmosphere surrounding her.

The main judge continued, “Chu Qiao, as of now, please elaborate and defend the
Operation M1N1.”

At this point, the hearing was entering the moment of importance. After hearing that
sentence, two judges in their forties sat forward and focused intensely.

Chu Qiao lowered her head, straightening her neck after a long while. She spoke slowly and
clearly, “I wish to meet my superior, or I will be tried in the highest military court. Before any
of that happens, I will not elaborate further on Operation M1N1.”

The judge frowned, and said with a tinge of anger, “Are you questioning the authority of a
hearing conducted together by ve di erent military districts that were set up by the leading
law experts?”

“I am not.” Chu Qiao repeated, with her head held high, “I just want to see my superior,
without a handwritten note to declassify this operation by General Jin, I am afraid I cannot
elaborate on the details and data of Operation M1N1.”

With his brows tightly furrowed, the judge continued, “Then, please defend and elaborate on
your orders to storm and raid the main operations building, causing the death of hostages
from 23 di erent countries.”

“They are not hostages.” Chu Qiao raised her head and muttered, “All of my orders are in
accordance with military law and I have not killed a single innocent person. As long as I see
the document signed o on by my superiors as well as General Jin, I will explain the entire
operation to the military court. Before that, I will not accept any questioning.”

The hearing slipped into a stalemate. After taking Chu Qiao away, the judges and generals
retired from the courtroom, with the CCTV capturing their every move. However, under the
chair which one of the generals sat on, there was a little device with a blinking red light, it’s
screen glowed with numbers counting down.

There was not much time left.

Chu Qiao sat silently on her metal bed, with her head hung low. The place she was
imprisoned in was surrounded by steel reinforced glass, allowing full view of the cell from
the outside, but those on the inside were clueless about the outside world. There was no
form of privacy. These hardened glass walls were so tough, that one could only blast a tiny
hole after shooting it with a ri e all day. In order to escape, only a nuclear bomb would be
su cient.

Although she could not hear nor see the outside world, as the senior commander of one of
the most classi ed intelligence units in the country, she knew the entire layout of the
ffi
ff
fi
ff
fl
fi
ff
 complex. With one hand on her pulse, she felt her heartbeat to determine the time and she
knew mealtime was coming.

As expected, with a loud click, the hatch at the bottom of the reinforced glass opened and a
hand holding a tray slid into the cell.

Chu Qiao sat motionless on her bed, with her head down. She seemed motionless, but a
small pebble ew out and hit the watch strap of the soldier who brought her meal silently
and precisely. After only a faint swoosh, the watch fell to the oor of the cell.

The soldier was stunned, he reached his hand in and tried to feel for the watch, but he could
not nd it. Chu Qiao heard the clank and turned towards it innocently, furrowing her brows in
confusion. She knew that other than the soldier, there was another guard watching her every
move carefully. In normal circumstances, when meals were served, inmates were not
supposed to go near the cell door, but this time, she pointed towards herself. The soldier
outside saw it clearly, and tried to reach for the watch again, but to no avail, and hit the oor
twice, accepting her help.

Chu Qiao jumped o her metal bed and picked up the watch, placing it into his palm and
smiled towards the reinforced glass. After which, she picked up her tray and returned to her
bed.

It soon became quiet outside the cell.

All these seemed natural, without any anomaly.

After nishing her meal, Chu Qiao walked towards the simple bathroom in her cell and
opened the door.

The government being moral, designed the bathroom with some privacy. Below the
shoulder, the bathroom was made of opaque plastic. Chu Qiao sat on the toilet and lowered
her head. She knew there were people watching her, and she could not spend more than 20
minutes in the bathroom.

When no one could see what she was doing in the bathroom, Chu Qiao opened her fair
palm. Earlier when she had come into contact with the ngertips of the soldier, she had a
sheet of plastic on her hand, which she used to secretly obtain his ngerprints. She knew,
that the clock was ticking, she had to move.

Chapter 2

It was 1:20 a.m., and Chu Qiao closed the door to the bathroom. She walked over to the
sink to wash her hands.

The prison was dead silent, not a single noise was heard. At this time of the night, usually a
person would be most exhausted. Even if a person was a special forces operative who had
gone through rigorous training, their alertness and strength would be less than optimum.
fi
fi
fl

ff
fi
fl
fi
fl
 Chu Qiao looked calm. After washing her hands, she lifted the towel o the rack and dried
her hands thoroughly. The loud swooshing of the toilet ush lled the cell as she placed her
nger on her pulse, calculating the time silently.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4…

Time’s up. Chu Qiao turned her body calmly and walked towards her bed.

All of a sudden, a mu ed bang sounded and large splashes of water exploded from the
pipes. A dim glow from the explosion could be seen from the burst water pipe. Chu Qiao
was not far from the burst pipe and was hit by a jet of water that knocked her onto the oor.

Outside the cell door, the prison guards were stunned. They could only see the burst water
pipe within the cell and that the prisoner had been hit by the explosion. She could be dead
or alive. With so much happening, the guards panicked and keyed in the access code to the
cell. With a walkie-talkie in one hand and a submachine gun in the other, they rushed into
the cell. However, the momentary burst of the pipes disrupted the radio transmission. During
those ve seconds, the main station could only hear indistinct rustling from an unidenti ed
channel.

Opportunities cannot be missed, as they may not return. When the two prison guards ran
into the cell to check for the cause of the burst pipe, Chu Qiao, who was originally
unconscious, opened her bright eyes. All of a sudden, her body was as nimble as a cat
asshe bounded out of the cell door. The prison guards were taken aback, but before they
could cry for help, the doors slammed tightly shut.

Chu Qiao ignored the furious prison guards and sped into the surveillance room. She copied
the footage recorded from an hour ago and quickly transferred it into a small DVD where she
cut, edited, and deleted the footage. After that, she dragged a chair under the camera that
was pointing at the cell and turned the DVD around. She then played the edited video for
the DVD to record. She then went back into the surveillance room to sever the transmission
signals of the walkie-talkie.

The timing was just right. After ve seconds, the mini explosive device that was used to
burst the pipe started to self-repair after the blast. Portions of the pipe that had leaks were
quickly mended by a lique ed adhesive, which hardened rapidly. All this while, she had this
mini device hidden in her hair. In the sealed cell, the furious screams and howls of the
guards trapped within seemed like the buzzing of irritating insects, the sound unable to
penetrate through the walls. The surveillance devices were back to normal. The footage that
the main station was seeing was the footage from an hour ago, a female prisoner sitting
quietly on her bed, while the two prison guards were doing their rounds. All seemed quiet
and normal.

Her gaze was sharp and she checked her surroundings. It was all clear.

She went back into the surveillance room and opened the prison guards’ reserve box.
Taking o her wet clothes, she changed into the uniform of the prison guards of the 4th
prison. After putting on her cap, she picked up an AK74U and tted it with a silencer.
Placing the gun at her waist, she walked out of the room.

fi
fi
ff
ffl
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
fl
 When the two prison guards had decided to open the prison cell, it had not been an
uncalculated and rash decision.

The 4th prison was right next to the capital. With its geographical location secretive and
remote, all prisoners that were detained here were repeat felons that were awaiting trial from
the nation’s senior military court, and its importance could be inferred. The defense
mechanism of every prison cell was impeccable. Every cell was independent of each other,
the weapons provided to the guards were top of the line, they were highly surveillanced, and
guards were su ciently dispatched. Three special forces operatives were used to guard
each cell, split between the inner and outer cell doors. Similar to the cell Chu Qiao was in, if
one had the codes for the inner door, one could open them. As for the outer doors, one had
to obtain the ngerprints of the last person who locked the door. Only then could it be
unlocked.

The three guards were rotated routinely. At that time, there were already two guards in the
cell, Chu Qiao held the lm containing the ngerprints of the guard which she had prepared
earlier and scanned it on the ngerprint scanner. Soon enough, a crisp click sound was
heard. In the standard military uniform, under the ferocious gaze of the two guards, she
openly walked out of the prison’s main gates.

After passing the gates, there was a long corridor in front of her. She was now in level four of
the underground prison. To achieve her objective, she still had a long way to go. The
surveillance footage could only hold out for an hour, so she had to move quickly.

In level four of the prison, all detainees were top military commanders and secret agents
waiting for the ruling of the nation’s military court. The detainees in level three were all
mostly wanted criminals. Level one consisted of the working quarters of the 4th prison’s
o cials. As for level two, it was where receptions were held for guests that had come to the
4th prison, and that was where she had to go.

After walking for about two minutes, she was leaving the cell area. At the end of the outer
corridor, there were four highly trained and fully armed prison guards holding submachine
guns. In the 4th prison, there were no air conditioning ducts and no empty underwater
pipes. Other than this corridor, the only way to get out was to hack her way through the
concrete walls. To escape out of this prison unscathed was nearly impossible.

When the guards saw Chu Qiao’s unfamiliar face, they started to become nervous. The
leader of the group raised his muzzle and yelled, “Stop there! Who are you? Password?”

Chu Qiao gazed right into the eyes of the guards as she walked forward, straightening her
back. With a thick binder of documents in her arms, she said, “I am Colonel Liu Siwei from
the military law department. I am holding document 12685 which investigates a case of
military arms smuggling. Please call Lieutenant Colonel Tan Zhongming. I have important
documents to convey to him.”

The guard remained dazed and frowned with a confused look. He said, “Ma’am, Lieutenant
Colonel Tan Zhongming is not on duty tonight. His personal number is con dential. Can you
please show your identi cation?”

ffi
fi
ffi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
“The military law department does not need to show their identi cation in the 4th prison. I
was invited to help on this case by Warden Li of the 4th prison. Three days ago, Colonel Lu
Fanghao personally escorted me into the prison’s trial hall, didn’t you know?” Chu Qiao
frowned as she sized up the guard out of the corner of her eye. She continued, “Which unit
are you from? Are you familiar with military regulations? Tell me your serial number, as well
as your unit’s code.”

After hearing this, the soldier was shocked. Rankings in the military were clear. This lady had
a way of speaking, and she seemed to be very familiar with Lieutenant Colonel Tan and
Warden Li. He could not help but feel a tinge of reverence for her. He replied, “Ma’am, my
serial number is 0475, belonging to the 8th Southern Army 309 Brigade Task Force 571. We
are not under the authority of the regular army. We have just been transferred over for two
days, that’s why we did not know that you had been personally escorted into the trial hall by
Lieutenant Colonel Tan.”

As Chu Qiao heard this, her expression softened and her brows relaxed. She nodded and
said, “You are from the 8th army? How is your assistant commander, Commander Liu? Was
he the one that brought you all in? Coming into the capital to work, are you guys staying for
a few more days?”

The soldier started to gain respect for her. He told himself that those in the military law
department were indeed di erent. He replied, “Ma’am, Commander Liu is well. Our team
was brought here by Advisor Yan and we will not be following him back to the South.”

“Oh,” Chu Qiao nodded and said, “I started my military career from the 8th army too and
was working in the intelligence department of the 8th army. You can say we were comrades
too. When you see your commander, please send him my regards. Okay, I still have matters
to settle. Go to the transmitting center to fax these documents out, two documents in a
single form. Also, notify Advisor Zhang and Commander Hua’s secretary, that tomorrow
morning at six, Colonel Liu Siwei from the military law department will be paying a visit to
discuss some issues.” Upon nishing her sentence, she turned and walked o .

The soldier stayed rooted at the same position, his arms wobbling from carrying the huge
stack of documents with “CLASSIFIED” printed clearly on the top.

Advisor Zhang… Commander Hua…

Walking out of the cell area of the 4th prison, the back of Chu Qiao’s shirt was drenched
with sweat. She leaned against the wall and was slightly breathless. She raised her wrist and
looked at her watch. Ten minutes had passed. Taking a deep breath, she stood up straight
and continued walking.

After searching and monitoring the other levels, she nally arrived outside the VIP room on
level two. Looking at the plaque which read “Military Law Department” hanging on the door,
the edge of Chu Qiao’s lips curled to reveal a tiny smile.

Very good. There is a lead for injustice and an owner for a debt. She nally found the real
owner.

ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
She spent no time guring out the password for the door, after which she gently twisted the
handle and slid into the room sideways. Although it was late in the night, the corridors were
very well lit, and there were still many people moving around. Chu Qiao maintained her
composure, held her head high and walked through the corridor of the Guest Department,
nodding and waving to the o cials of the 4th prison that passed by her.

Although they did not recognize her, her calm demeanor and military out t allowed her to
blend in with the other o cials without raising any eyebrows.

Five minutes later, she left the o ce corridor, and the Military Law Department’s employees’
resting room came into view. She could smell the wafts of alcohol coming from that room,
she knew that she was in the right place.

Chu Qiao’s slender hands were on the AK around her waist in no time.

A man wearing a black suit stuck his head out and was greeted with the black muzzle of the
gun. With the help of the silencer, the bullet ew out of the muzzle and blasted a huge
bloody hole in his chest. His pupils widened and Chu Qiao was quick to support his body
while covering his mouth, right until his pulse stopped. Only then did she carry him into the
room.

There were two rows in the room, with sixteen people living in it. Apart from the man that
was just killed, the rest were still fast asleep. These were insiders, the ones who took care of
the informants and creators of legal identities.They were top quality comrades with precise
weapons.

Chu Qiao had always lacked compassion toward the enemy. Although she had been
involved in behind the scenes planning for all these years, it did not mean she lacked the
courage to pull the trigger. Chu Qiao held up the pistol and aimed the muzzle straight at a
middle-aged man lying on one of the beds. With a dull thud, the man shuddered violently in
his sleep and passed away without knowing what had happened.

Without any pauses, she quickly walked forward. After ten seconds, there was no one left
alive.

Opening the door inside, there were only ve men lying on the bed, sleeping soundly. Many
times, killing was much easier than eating or having a bath. There was no hesitation. Five
rounds were shot continuously, with dull thuds heard each time. Fresh blood oozed out of
the wounds along with minute cracking sounds, the air soon lling with the nauseating smell
of blood.

From the man lying furthest into the room, Chu Qiao found a small DVD while rummaging
through his wallet. Standing over the bodies strewn all over the place, she turned on the
device and started to watch the videos on it.

fi
ffi
ffi
ffi
fi
fl
fi
fi
 Chapter 3
Con rming that it was the right one, Chu Qiao placed the DVD into her pocket. She then
found C4 explosives with extra repower from the briefcase of the deceased and set it up in
the room, turning on the trigger mechanism. The red light on top of the black box started to
blink quickly.

Chu Qiao took one last look at the deceased in the room, con rming that they were dead.
Then, she opened the door and walked out.

However, at that moment, a cold streak suddenly rushed closely across her neck!

Chu Qiao’s gure shortened abruptly, throwing her body onto the ground within seconds
and rolling towards the back; barely evading the attack of a bullet. Bullets ashed by and
the shooting did not stop. Chu Qiao kicked the door, closing it tightly with a loud bang. She
was half kneeling on the oor. Hearing the deep breaths from outside, she knew very well
that she was compromised.

Chu Qiao’s muscles were tensed and her breathing slow, both eyes staring straight at the
door opposite her. She was not 003, a super agent from the active 9th division. In military
school, she had learned about demolition, planning, exploiting a favorable environment, and
how to achieve e cient, e ective and large-scaled killings with highly accurate intelligence
and limited manpower resources. However, at this moment, when the danger was just over
three meters from her, she clearly knew that attacking head-on was not logical.

Her gaze slowly fell onto the sad man that died in his sleep.

With a loud bang, the main door was kicked open. A lady was standing right in front of it,
looking at the two men hiding outside the guest room with a haughty expression.

Both of them were clearly not expecting her to walk out by herself, causing them to be
momentarily dazed.

With a plop, Chu Qiao gently threw her dagger and AK onto the oor. She tilted her back
foot and pushed out both her palms, showing a Taiji stance. Facing the men, she shouted a
cold war cry and waved them forward. Obviously meaning: Together!

The two men holding high caliber submachine guns were furious. They dropped their guns
and showed the stance of Japanese Taekwondo. With a deadly glare, they leaped with all
their might and closed in on her in no time.

The small room felt like a gust of cold shy stench had blown through it, rattling the curtains
and dimming the lights. The murderous atmosphere seemed to rise from the ground,
following the two men who bounded quickly towards Chu Qiao. Just by looking at their
muscular bodies and ruthless moves, one could easily predict the outcome of this ignorant
lady.

At this instant, the initial deep expression of the lady suddenly turned into a grin, her lips
curling up coldly, showing a proud yet emotionless smile. As if it was a magic trick, a
fi
fi
ffi

fl
ff
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
 Japanese manufactured M609 small caliber shotgun appeared in her hands. The M609 was
the best weapon of choice for close quarter battles. It would not pierce through, but would
always blast heads o !

Only two mu ed blasts were heard, the ve seconds of killing did not even allow the men to
cry out in pain. The close-range shot blasted their heads o , with their brains splattering all
over Chu Qiao.

Chu Qiao kicked the men in the way hatefully, quickly opening the door to the bathroom.
Although she had not included these two men in her predictions, the operation seemed to
be going on without a hitch, allowing her to save twenty minutes of her originally planned
time, giving her time to clean herself up a little.

After 15 minutes, a lady wearing a black suit of the military law department walked out of
the restroom of the department. She walked along the corridors of the guest department on
the second oor, smiling cheerfully at the 4th prison’s o cials as they walked past her. In
three minutes, she calmly opened the doors of the second level and walked out.

The gentle and cool evening breeze blew across her face, Chu Qiao was walking through
the 4th prison’s main hall on the ground level. Everyone was busy at work, and all of them
were the country’s elite soldiers. She raised her wrist. It was only ten seconds before the
explosion.

Chu Qiao continued forward, her expression unchanging. As she walked, she grabbed a
copy of yesterday’s newspapers from the newspaper stand at the side.

10, 9, 8…

“May 11th, another case of type A M1N1 disease has been diagnosed in Shang Jingl. At the
moment, this is the 47th patient that has been diagnosed with such a disease. The port and
some of the ights to and from our country have been stopped, our tourism industry has
taken a huge toll, stock markets are plummeting with no signs of recovery…”

7, 6, 5…

“Xinhua News Agency reported: According to current numbers, country M has a total of 689
con rmed diagnostics of the type A M1N1 disease, the numbers of those suspected to have
been infected by the disease have reached 1272, and the death count is 68 and is rising
uncontrollably. Country Y has a total of 352 con rmed cases, 561 suspected infections, 97
deaths. Country A…”

4, 3…

“Choulian News Agency of country M reported: After the investigation of the researchers of
country M, they suspect that this current type A M1N1 virus has been spread by country Z.
Due to the massive earthquake in country Z, the stability of the atmosphere was disrupted,
causing the virus to manifest. The actions taken to alleviate the e ects of this earthquake by
country Z’s government have not been quick nor e ective, causing the disease to spread
quickly. The government of country M has agreed to a short-term solution, which is to cease
fi
fl
fl
ffl
ff
fi
fi
ff
ffi
ff
ff
all trade with country Z, at the same time deporting country M’s citizens out of country Z,
and declining entry to all country Z’s citizens. The parliament is now intensely debating this
issue, it is believed that a solution will be implemented shortly.”

2, 1, 0!

Suddenly, the ground shook violently and eardrums were hit by a deafening explosion as red
alarms blared piercingly. Thick smoke and ery ames came into view. The 4th prison was
shuddering terribly from the explosion.

The thick smoke stung their eyes shut. All the trained soldiers of the 4th prison picked up
their weapons and rushed over to the scene of the explosion. Chu Qiao was caked in dust.
With a look of shock on her face, she pulled back a man wearing a military uniform by his
arm and asked loudly, “Comrade! What is going on?”

The man saw the tattered military law department’s suit and knew at once she did not
belong to the 4th prison. Holding her up, he said, “Are you from the military law
department? Come with me, let me bring you out.”

The soldier that was busily helping out a colleague from another department was totally
unaware that the person that he was supporting was the real culprit behind the explosion.
On top of that, she was responsible for the deaths of more than ten of his comrades from
the military law department.

Following the chaotic crowd rushing out of the ground level main hall, as they rushed
forward, both of them crashed into a man that was frantically running into the hall.

“Ah! Sorry for that! Ah, it’s Colonel Li!” the man apologized while supporting his colleague.

“What happened inside?” Li Yang furrowed his brows and asked. As he glanced sideways,
his eyes widened at the sight of Chu Qiao. He pointed at her and his jaw dropped with
shock, “Chu…”

“You are here to look for me, right? There is an explosion inside, we should talk outside.”

Chu Qiao frantically cut Li Yang short. After hearing that, the soldier hurriedly said, “Then I
won’t send you guys out. I don’t even know what’s going on inside. I have to go back and
take a look.”

Li Yang nodded. As the soldier walked further, he pulled Chu Qiao close and asked with a
deep voice, “What happened? Why did the military court want to put you on trial? How did
you get out?”

“The M1N1 virus is not a disaster, it is a man-made catastrophe. M, R, Y, F and 10 other

senior o cials from western countries are a part of this, even some o cials in our country
who are reckless with greed are also involved. When we captured team X, the ‘hostages’
captured were not even real hostages, they were disease specialists who were hiding within
each country’s military research centers. They wanted to spread this disease throughout the
world and cripple the country’s economy. At the last moment, they would then introduce the
ffi
fi
fl
ffi
 antibiotics to prevent and treat the M1N1 virus through a listed company, reaping enormous
pro ts. My guys obtained the evidence of their criminal activities. Here it is,” Chu Qiao
explained while pulling out the DVD from her pocket and passing it to him. She continued,
When Xiao Shi went to Tokyo last time to kill the senior commander of team X, the thing she
brought back in the end was the evidence that was obtained by trading it with the life of one
of my contacts. It is a pity Xiao Shi died on the streets of Tokyo, causing this matter to
remain unresolved. One of the culprits behind this type A M1N1 virus is team X, an organ
reseller on the surface, but people who have been secretly researching this deadly
contagious virus. They sent spies into our country, working undercover, with the protection
of the country’s treasonous senior leadership. They faked themselves as colleagues from
the military law department, entering the 4th prison and stealing my evidence, but I have
eliminated them all.”

Li Yang gasped in shock and said unbelievably, “You are saying, the one that killed Xiao Shi,
was…”

“Yes!” Chu Qiao nodded and said without a doubt, “The man who gave the order to give up
003 is the enemy spy hiding undercover in the senior leadership, and it was also him who
ordered me to be detained in the 4th prison, stealing my evidence and trying to cover up
their heinous deeds.”

Li Yang was still in a deep shock, his brows locked together and fury radiating from his dark
gaze. He said in a low voice, “Country M’s artillery experts are still heading over to Shang
Jing today to visit and learn. Jing Hua Army’s Advisor Qian and I did so much preparation
work, I can’t believe they…”

“What did you say?” Chu Qiao raised her voice suddenly.

Li Yang paused and asked, “What?”

“Are you saying that country M’s artillery experts are coming to Shang Jing?”

Li Yang nodded and replied, “Yes, they arrived last night.”

Chu Qiao’s face went white and she started patting him down, searching for something,
“Did you bring the GPS to locate the military’s arsenal?”

“Why are you looking for that?”

Chu Qiao raged and snapped, “Did you bring it?”

“How would I bring such a thing with me?” Li Yang hurriedly said as he saw Chu Qiao’s
nervous expression, “Come with me, I know where to get it.”

Both of them hopped into an electric car, tearing away from the bustling yard in no time.

After two minutes, when she saw the red blinking dot continuously on the GPS, her mind
blanked out.

“What is going on? Why would the courtroom have a bomb?”

fi
Chu Qiao stood up quickly looking for a suitable weapon within the warehouse. As she
hurried her steps, she said, “Country M has no trust in Team X from country R, they were
afraid that they would not succeed, causing everything to be spilled to the public. That’s
why they set a GPS triggered bomb within the courtroom. Once time is up, the bomb will
detonate. When that happens, the whole of 4th prison will be leveled and destroyed, along
with me and the evidence.”

“Then what should we do? I will inform the bomb disposal unit immediately. At the same
time, I’ll request backup from the special forces, to control the ambassadors from country
M.”

“There is no time,” Chu Qiao said with a grieved expression, “Prepare a helicopter for me
now to disperse the crowd. What you have to do is hand this evidence over to Commander
Hua. The lives of Xiao Shi, the 14 supernatural beings from the 11th division, and the people
who are about to die from this virus are in your hands. You cannot a ord to make a
mistake.”

After realizing the huge responsibility that fell on his shoulders, he was dumbstruck. Afar,
smoke billowed and the crowd moved along restlessly. He saw the determined look in her
eyes on her worn face. His heart aching, he was shocked. After a while, he mustered his
determination and replied, “I will de nitely succeed, Chu Qiao, be safe.”

“You too.”

Finishing, she sprinted out of the warehouse without looking back at the prison cell from
which she escaped through countless hardships.

After ten minutes, a chopper took o from the parade square of 4th prison.

It pulled up above the prison, sped away from it, and ew into the desolate countryside.

Sitting in the car heading towards the commander, Li Yang held the GPS bomb locator,
watching as the little dot, which represented the 4th level courtroom, moved slowly towards
the parade square, through the buildings, and ew into Shang Jing’s countryside in no time.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion was heard from the sky. The red dot on the GPS vanished,
turning it into a dark empty screen.

Sitting in the car, Li Yang did not look back. In the dark tears streamed down his face
uncontrollably.

The night in Shang Jing turned completely silent.

Chapter 4
The Xia Empire was located on the northern shore of the Hong River. It was customary for
their people to know martial arts and their army was valiant. Since their ancestors, they were
a nomadic race which roamed in search of water and green pastures.

fi
ff
fl
fl
ff
 The rst long ring from the city’s clock sounded at the crack of dawn, sounding majestic as
if it were miles away. The city’s gates opened slowly as the clock rang with sunlight shining
upon the city, signifying the start of a new day in Zhen Huang City under the iron- sted rule
of the empire.

“Go!” a clear voice shouted strictly.

A handsome black horse raised its white hooves, galloping on the snow outside Zhen
Huang city, kicking up snow akes in its wake. Its hooves clanged as it hit the ground,
leaving ten or so men far behind.

“Yan Shizi, you’re late!” Zhuge Huai said towards them after a hearty laugh, while steering
his horse forward.

Standing by him were four teenagers, the youngest eleven to twelve years old, and the
eldest being merely thirteen to fourteen years old. All of them were dressed in brocade
clothes, surrounding him from the back, appearing handsome and smart. Hearing his voice,
they turned in unison, looking at the man coming towards them.

Yan Xun halted his horse with a shout. His horse reared and neighed loudly, landing steadily
on the snowy plain. Yan Xun was dressed in azure colored clothes, with a few carps stitched
at the end of his robes with gold and silver thread. He had a white, long fur coat on his
shoulders. He laughed, “I heard the news of you, Brother Zhuge. The eighth princess was at
my home and I couldn’t leave her there alone. Sorry to keep everyone waiting.” He had a
hearty voice and smiled youthfully. Only through his half-closed eyes, one could tell that he
was a little introverted. With a mink scarf around his neck, he looked regal, casual and
elegant. Yan Xun was no older than thirteen to fourteen years old, but he de nitely radiated
the elegance and stature of one that was older.

“I did not know you had a date with a beautiful woman. It seems like we have spoiled the
mood for you, your Royal Highness,” the prince said while walking forward. He was wearing
turquoise clothes and his voice seemed prepubescent. He looked no more than twelve to
thirteen years old and his eyes curved like that of a fox and he spoke with glee.

Yan Xun laughed slightly and said with a moderate tone, “Second prince of Wei, you must
be joking. If not for you causing me to break the princess’ glass cup during the state
banquet a few days ago, I would not have the privilege of having her at my place today.
Speaking of which, I must thank you for giving me that opportunity.”

The young prince smiled and was not o ended by it. He turned and said to another
teenager by his side, dressed in green robes, “You see, Mu Yun, I told you his Royal
Highness would not let this go and would de nitely talk to me about this.”

Mu Yun raised his brows and said, “How many in this imperial city have su ered because of
you? Royal Highness Yan has a good temper. If it was me, I would have rushed to your
place and confronted you the night before.”

fi
fl
ff
fi
ff
fi
fi
 “Are we still competing? If you two would like to keep talking, we might as well head back!”
A teenager in black clothes walked forward with a huge bright yellow bow at his waist,
obviously his weapon of choice.

Yan Xun looked as if he just saw this teenager. He jumped o his horse and bowed
respectfully, “Oh, the Seventh Highness is here, please pardon my poor eyesight.”

Zhao Che gave Yan Xun a slanted gaze and smirked to acknowledge their presence. “My
eighth brother and I have got to head to the bookstore during dinner time, we don’t have
much time to waste,” he said straight to Zhuge Huai.

Zhuge Huai laughed and said, “Since Royal Highness Yan is here, let us begin.”

The prince of Wei clapped his hands and chirped, “What did you nd us this time? Quick, let
us have a look.”

Zhao Jue said, “I see a bunch of animal cages over there. You’re not asking us to hunt, are
you? That’s not very interesting, maybe that’s why your fourth brother did not want to
come.”

Zhuge Huai shook his head and with a mysterious tone, he said, “He has an awkward
character. When has he ever joined us at our gatherings? But I have put in quite a bit of
e ort today, you’ll see.” After nishing, he clapped his hands twice. It was clear and crisp,
as the clap echoed throughout the snowy plain.

In the distance, the arena that was fenced up opened its gates. Pushing large carts, Zhuge
Huai’s followers walked into the arena. Six cages were placed in a straight line in the arena.
They were covered by pieces of black cloth, totally hiding anything that was in it.

Prince Wei was very interested in the cages. He chirped, “What is in the cages? Stop
keeping us in suspense, Zhuge.”

Zhuge Huai laughed and waved to his men in the distance. In a swoosh, the black clothes
were being pulled o the cages. Prince Wei was startled and dazed for a moment but
started smiling gleefully in no time.

In those huge cages were a bunch of young girls no older than seven to eight years old.
There were twenty of them in each cage and each girl only had a piece of rough short gown
on them. On their chests were large words that made them look like prisoners, and the
words di ered with each cage. There were ‘Mu’, ‘Wei’, ‘Yan’, ‘Zhuge’. But for Zhao Jue and
Zhao Che, they were set apart by ‘Jue’ and ‘Che’ respectively. These children had been
closed in a dark cage for too long. When a light suddenly shone in the cage, they could not
open their eyes and huddled together in shock like a bunch of cowardly rabbits.

Zhuge Huai smiled. “A while ago, a troop of merchants from the west came to my house,
and they taught me this game. Later, I will ask my men to remove the cages and let out the
wolves. Those beasts have been hungry for three days and are only seeing red. We can
shoot the beasts or we can shoot the slaves in the other cages. After a stick of joss, we will
then see who has the most slaves left, and they will be the winner.”

ff
ff
ff
fi
ff
fi
 Prince Wei clapped and laughed heartily, “This is interesting, it could be fun.”

Getting their orders, his men went to remove the cages and left the arena. The children
shuddered and stood rooted to the ground as if there was a cage surrounding them. They
did not dare to move an inch.

Suddenly, a deafening howl was heard and the gates to the arena opened at both sides.
More than twenty erce and evil wolves rushed into the arena, opened their bloodthirsty
mouths, and thundered towards the children.

Piercing screams were heard in that instant. The children screamed in unison, frantically
running towards where others were standing, huddling together. At the same time, sharp
arrows rushed into the arena from the outside, but not towards those erce wolves, but
rather towards the children.

The stench of blood lled the arena, pitiful screams and pleas shooting into the sky. Sharp
arrows pierced through the thin shoulders and chests of the children. With fresh blood
owing out, their frail bodies looked as if red owers were blooming on them. Agitated by
the stench of blood, the pack of wolves became more ferocious. A navy blue wolf jumped
into the air and bit one of the children right in the neck, snapping it with a bite. Before she
could scream, another wolf tore o one of her legs and another bit through her skull. Her
white brains and fresh red blood mixed into a mess, spraying all over the snow-covered
ground.

The screams did not end. The pain on her shoulder was unbearable, and her eyelids
seemed as though they weighed a ton. Jing Yue Er’s body was lled with arrows that had
pierced through her and she was nailed roughly to the ground. Her breathing was shallow as
if she was dead. But her brows were furrowed together, tighter and tighter. A hungry wolf
inched closer and closer to her, its menacing gaze falling right onto this child. Its smelly
saliva hung onto the side of its mouth. Stretching longer and longer, it dripped onto the
child’s face with a plop.

Out of the blue, as if God’s gaze had fallen upon this tragedy on earth, just as the wolf laid
his teeth on the child, her eyes shot open ercely, as bright and sharp as snow. It was not
the courage and bravado a child should have. Instinctively, her hands shot out and closed
the jaws of the wolf. Raising her head, she tore o the wolf’s tongue which had been out.

A sharp scream sounded in that instant. Everyone turned their heads towards that direction,
staring at the child who bit o the wolf’s tongue. They were astonished and totally forgot
about the shooting.

Zhao Jue was the rst to react. Looking at the large ‘Jue’ on her chest, he laughed heartily,
and pulled his bow, shooting an arrow straight into the throat of that wolf.

The wolf fell to the ground with a cry. The tragedy in the arena was still ongoing, all the other
wolves were right on the heels of the children. Bodies were lying all over the arena and
dismembered limbs of children were strewn everywhere. Heart-wrenching screams and cries
lled their ears.

fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
ff
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
 Jing Yue Er stood up shakily, widening her eyes with unbelievable shock as if she was
petri ed. Torn clothes hung on her body, her hair was messy, and her pale face was stained
in blood. Cold winds blew over with a urry, she seemed like she was a delicate blade of
grass.

Shoot! A sharp arrow shot in her direction. Jing Yue Er jumped back with her nimble body,
dodging a fatal arrow, but due to her weakened state, she was grazed on her calf by the
same arrow. Fresh blood owed down her leg.

Prince Wei smiled in glee and drew back another arrow, shooting once again.

Zhao Jue raised his eyebrows and groaned coldly, pulling the bow, he shot an arrow right
into the arrow Prince Wei red.

A wolf followed her like a shadow, but its stench gave it away. Smelling it, Jing Yue Er did
not have the time to inspect her wounded calf and sprinted right in the direction of Zhao
Jue.

It was this person, who saved her life twice in such a short period of time. Though her mind
was in a trance, she chose the direction which was most advantageous to her.

However, in just a few steps, an arrow shot towards her, nailing the ground viciously right in
front of her foot. The child was dazed and stopped in her tracks. She frowned as she raised
her head, looking at the teenager dressed in black on the red horse with a look of confusion.

Zhao Jue groaned at her in despise, giving her a sweeping gaze and shooting an arrow
through the back of another child.

That child was barely between ve to six years old. She screamed and fell to the ground, her
blood staining the ‘Yan’ on her back red, and was torn apart by the wolves in no time.

Time passed so quickly, yet so slowly. The children stood where they were, with a dazed
expression. Suddenly, she bit her lips and turned quickly. Her speed was unbelievably quick
as if her injured legs did not a ect her agility at all. A wolf was chasing right behind her and
pounced viciously. She escaped with a millimeter to spare, barely making it.

At a corner of the arena, there was a pile of wooden rods and hay for the horses. The child
picked up a rod. Without turning her head, she pounded the rod onto the waist of one of the
wolves that were sneaking up to another child.

Chapter 5
The wolf howled and darted to a corner, obviously heavily injured.

“Come here! All of you, come here!” she shouted while she bent down and picked up two
stones, hitting them together. With a spark, the hay caught re with a roar. The child lit her
rod on re and raised the torch. She ran all over the arena, chasing away the pack of wolves
that was attacking the children. While doing that, she continued shouting, “All of you, come
here! All of you, come here!”

fi
fi

fl
fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
Children of all ages ran towards Jing Yue Er as they wailed, all of them injured. Some were
bitten by wolves, some were shot by arrows. After the onslaught, there were barely twenty
children left alive.

The pack of wolves were afraid of re. Looking at Jing Yue Er protecting them from the
middle, they tarried and dared not to inch forward. They had been hungry for too long.
Seeing that their prey was now protected, they ran back to the bodies that lay in the arena,
devouring all that they could.

Zhuge Huai’s long and narrow eyes squinted at this sight and murmured, “Useless animals.”
He pulled his bow and started shooting at the wolves.

Sharp arrows ew towards the pack, attacking them unknowingly. The wolves howled in
pain, collapsing onto the oor and in no time, they were all dead.

The children that survived were overjoyed. Ignoring the wounds on their body, they cheered
loudly.

However, even before their cheers could be heard, another wave of arrows rained down on
them, piercing through their small bodies.

The empire’s aristocratic descendants shot ruthlessly with their sharp eyesight.
Unsympathetically, they aimed right at the children in front of them with bloodthirsty arrows
coming in for the kill.

An arrow swooshed through the air coming at a frightening speed, shooting through a
child’s head with a thud, entering through her left eye and coming out from the back of her
head, stopping right in front of Jing Yue Er’s nose. Warm blood splattered all over her face
and she opened her mouth. With the burning rod being held tightly in her grip, she froze.
The cries of children reverberated to the sides of her ears. It was all like a nightmare.

The arrows started to lessen as Prince Wei and Mu Yun laughed in unison. Both pulled back
their bows, took aim right at the girl, and released an arrow, letting them speed through the
air.

Zhao Jue frowned and steered his horse forward. Reaching for his quiver, he realized that he
only had one arrow left. With a cold groan, he snapped the arrow in half and put them on his
bow. With a skilled shot, he shot both arrows, shooting the arrows shot by Prince Wei and
Mu Yun out of the sky.

Zhuge Huai laughed and commented, “Good shooting skills!”

Finishing his sentence, all cries stopped and the northern wind swept through the snowy
arena, blowing the stench of blood along with it. The arena was covered in red and the only
child surviving was Jing Yue Er. Her hair strewn all over her head, with hay stuck within it,
her clothes dyed red and a pale expression. She held the wooden rod and did not move an
inch. She looked over with a stunned gaze as if she was in shock.

fl
fl
fi
Zhao Jue said, “The seventh brother is still the best. I have no more arrows left. I think you
will be the winner today.”

Prince Wei raised his brows, looked at his quiver, then Mu Yun’s, and nally turned towards
Zhuge Huai.

Zhuge Huai smiled smartly and said, “I was out of arrows long ago.”

“Yan Shizi still has some arrows, doesn’t he? The time is not up. Whose hand the deer will
die under is still unknown,” Mu Yun said all of a sudden.

All gazes fell on Yan Xun.

Zhao Jue looked coldly at Yan Xun and said without emotion, “Yan Shizi is known for giving
everyone surprises at unsuspecting times.”

The joss stick was only burnt halfway through, but everyone else had already used up their
arrows. There was only one snowy white-feathered arrow lying in Yan Xun’s quiver.

Yan Xun sat stately on his horse. Although he was only thirteen, his back was strong and
straight, with dashing eyebrows and sparkling eyes. His nose was sharp and had a piercing
gaze. The neatly pressed clothes he wore, distinguishing him from the crowd, made him
seem handsome but cold. With his cold expression, he nudged his horse forward and drew
his bow, aiming at the child standing right in the middle of the arena.

Gusts of wind swooshed by, blowing up the child’s tattered clothes and messy hair. She was
still very young, not older than six or seven years, looking malnourished and ghastly, like a
hairless little wolf that had just been given birth. Her arms, neck, and calves were covered in
wounds, and the wound on her shoulder was near her artery. She stood in the middle of the
messy Xiu Luo Arena, with dismembered limbs strewn everywhere, fresh blood owing from
bodies, and the stench of blood lling the air. The strength of cruelty was like the spirit of
hopelessness, tearing at the delicate eyes of the child.

A glistening bloodthirsty arrow slowly took aim at the child’s throat. The teenager sat stately
on the back of his horse. With his sharp gaze and brows furrowed, the veins on his arms
bulged while he pulled back his bow.

There was nowhere she could hide. Disorganized thoughts were rushing through her mind,
so many queries and mysteries vanishing under the sudden onslaught. She slowly raised
her head. Her gaze extremely cold, radiating an immense amount of hate and resentment,
she glared at the teenagers in front of her without the slightest fear.

That day, it was year 770, the 4th day in the rst month of the Bai Cang calendar. The
people of Zhen Huang had just celebrated New Year’s Day. In the royal hunting arena on the
outskirts of Zhen Huang City, it was the rst time he and she met.

Time went through the path of history, tearing open the gates of time and space. Two souls
that were never destined to meet had been placed on the same platform.

Yan Xun knitted his brows. Moving his ngers a little, he let go of the arrow.

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
 The long arrow shot out, moving the cold air, as it soared through the air. All gazes
concentrated and fell onto the child that was rooted to the spot.

With a swoosh, the line of blood lengthened as the sharp arrow grazed the neck of the child,
cutting her. Her gure wobbled a little, but continued standing after staggering for a few
steps.

“Ha ha! Congratulations seventh brother!” Zhao Jue laughed.

Zhao Che glanced scornfully at Yan Xun and smirked, “Yan Shizi has been spending all his
time on song, dance, and poetry. Did he forget how the ancestors of the Zhao clan held a
bow?”

Yan Xun put down his longbow and turned. With a bland tone, he said, “How the ancestors
of the Zhao Clan held the bow, it would already be enough if their descendants
remembered. I wouldn’t dare to meddle in your family’s a airs.”

Zhuge Huai let out a huge laugh and said, “Since everyone is here, I guess the winner of this
competition is his Seventh Royal Highness. I have dinner prepared for all of you at my
house. Let’s go and have drinks at my place.”

All of them agreed and climbed up onto their horses together, as if all that had happened
was just a game that could not be more ordinary.

A huge gust of wind blew past, whipping up the robes of these men, the stench of the wind
lling the vast snowy plains. From afar, Yan Xun turned back, looking at the child covered in
blood and lth. She had been standing in the middle of the plains after all this while, her
deep gaze looking in their direction, xated for a long while.

The sky gradually darkened. With the northern winds howling past, the piercing cold chilled
them to the marrow. The wind whipped up snow on the ground while moaning like a crazed
beast.

The men from the Zhuge family were clearing up the arena, shoveling up those young, tiny
bodies, throwing them into a cart behind them. Not far away, there was a medium sized
ditch that was dug out, with wormwood crackling in ames within the ditch, thick smoke
billowing from it. It was used to bury those children, along with those bloodthirsty beasts.
These lives were worthless, as if they were balls. Their rich owners would play with them
only once and grow tired of them, hence throwing them out.

Jing Yue Er had a torn sack draped over her, and her head hung low in silence, sitting
quietly beside the cages. She was seriously injured, but even if had she been a grown man,
it would have been hard to su er the immense pain in total silence.

The men from the Zhuge family thought that she would die soon, but even after a long while,
they noticed that her chest was still rising and falling, albeit very little. They knew that she
was alive due to her breathing and that an unknown source of strength was still supporting
this child even though she was so close to death. Hence, they did not throw her into the
mass burial ditch. Instead, they put her back into the cage when they left.

fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fl
ff
 The cage that was initially packed with children suddenly seemed spacious. All the children
were dead, only one had survived. As the men were amazed at the child’s luck, they could
not hold back the urge to turn back and survey her with caution.

Even though they could not nd the words to describe it, they acutely sensed that the child,
compared to when she had arrived, had changed.

The home of the Zhuges occupied a vast space. They entered through the back door and
Zhu Shun placed Jing Yue Er under the care of two workers. After giving them a few
instructions, they took one last cold look at her, turned their bodies and left.

With a click, a lock on one of the rooms was opened. Jing Yue Er was pushed into it. The
door was locked shut before she could even pick herself up.

It was pitch black within the four walls, with a pile of rewood that was bunched together.
One could still hear the rustle of rats scuttling through the room. The child did not yell in
horror. She sat in the middle of the room, taking o the sack that was draped over her
shoulders. Using her teeth to secure one end of the sack, she started tearing pieces of cloth
o the sack, wrapping the wounds on her body with intense concentration, her techniques
surprisingly well practiced.

Such a long time was enough for the quali ed agent to calm her nerves, using careful
thinking and a calm demeanor to tackle anything that came her way, even if the
circumstances were unbelievable.

Indeed, Jing Yue Er of that time was Major Chu Qiao, assistant commander of the 11th
division, who had sacri ced her life for her nation. Fate, at many times, could be as
unbelievable as this. Under an abyss may not be hiding certain death, but perhaps the path
to a new life.

Chu Qiao raised her arms. Using the light that was outside, she looked at her small palm. A
tinge of sadness could be felt at the bottom of her heart, but she was unaware as to
whether she was sad for herself or this pitiful child.

“There is no one here. I can allow myself to be sad and afraid, but I have to shorten this time
as much as possible.”

The child murmured to herself as tears streamed down, owing across her lthy, skinny
face. Hugging her knees, she lowered her head, nestling it between her arms. Silently, her
back started to shudder.

This was the rst night Chu Qiao spent in the Xia Empire, in the cold, well circulated
rewood hut of the Zhuge household. It was the rst time she cried helplessly because she
was weak and afraid. She gave herself an hour to curse her fate, reminisce her past, worry
about her future, and to adapt to her new life. After an hour, she would no longer be Chu
Qiao, the super commander of the 11th division, but instead, a young and helpless female
child slave with nothing, struggling to survive in this inhumane, bloodthirsty, and chaotic
empire.

fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
 Chapter 6
Fate had pushed her into the ditch, she told herself. She had to climb out.

This terrible predicament did not give her any chances to be full of remorse or to be anxious.
If she did not pull herself together, she might not be able to survive the night.

She raised her blackened hands and picked up a wooden stick, slowly starting to write on
the ground.

Zhuge, Wei, Mu, Jue, Che. At this word, her brows started to furrow. It started to darken
outside, and the woodwind instruments playing within the palace grounds could be heard.
Among the rustling, waves of laughter could also be heard. She silently recollected her
thoughts for awhile and nally penned down the last word: Yan.

In the main hall of the Zhuge palace, everyone was toasting each other. Yan Xun’s right eye
twitched all of a sudden. He scrunched up his beautiful brows and turned slowly, gazing
deep into the complete darkness.

The night was pitch black. With jackdaws soaring high in the sky, this turbid and ugly empire
was rotten from the core.

The old was destined to be destroyed, with the new order coming in its place, rising from
the ashes.

Even with the wounds on her body hurting terribly, Chu Qiao still forced herself to stand up
and run rounds around the small rewood room, occasionally stopping to use her hands to
massage her skin in case she froze to death in this dilapidated hut.

The drum signifying that it was 3 a.m. rung, and a window that was around the height of a
person was being pushed open. Then, a small head popped into view. Chu Qiao was
stunned. Raising her head, she saw a pair of bright eyes carefully check the surroundings of
the room. After seeing Chu Qiao, a look of happiness ashed through his gaze. He held his
index nger to his lips, asking her to not make a sound. He then nimbly jumped into the hut.

The boy quickly ran towards her, opening his arms, and pulled Chu Qiao into his arms. He
choked a little, but comforted her with determination, “Yue Er, don’t be scared, the fth
brother is here.”

The boy was skinny and was not very old either. He looked like he was between eight and
nine years old. He was wearing gray eld clothes that did not t him very well, making him
seem skinnier than he already was. His stature was not fully grown and was merely half a
head taller than Chu Qiao. However, his facial features and outlines seemed to have endured
many hardships. He held the child tightly in his arms and patted her back, continuously
repeating, “Don’t be scared, the fth brother is here.”

Unknowingly, Chu Qiao’s eyes lled with tears. Beads of tears rolled uncontrollably down
her face, soaking his rough clothes. She did not know whether it was her body’s natural
fi

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
 reaction or her own true emotions, but in this strange, foreign, and cold night, this frail but
warm hug was too precious.

The bright, clear moonlight shown through the slightly opened window, shining on the small
bodies of the children. Within the cold four walls, the only little warmth came from the heart.
The boy’s small body was like a tough mountain. In this frigid night, even though he might
have been shuddering in fear, he still hugged his sister rmly, holding her tightly in his arms.

“Yue Er, are you hungry?” The boy released her from his hug and carefully wiped o the
tears on Chu Qiao’s face with his blackened ngers. He smiled and said with glee, “Guess
what brother brought you?”

The boy took out a little cloth bag from the back and sat down on the oor, neatly opening
the bag. The aroma of the food drifted into the air instantly. He lifted his head to see that
Chu Qiao was still standing and was puzzled. Raising his brows, he said, “Sit down.”

It was a coarse porcelain bowl with the blue and white decorations on the side already
discolored from rubbing, and there were a few tiny holes at the mouth of the bowl. It was
lled to the brim with rice, along with vegetables piled on top of it. There was not much oil,
but its aroma was just as good. The boy took a pair of chopsticks and wedged them into
Chu Qiao’s hands, rushing, “Quick, eat.”

Chu Qiao lowered her head and shoved her mouth full of rice. All she tasted was saltiness,
due to the taste of her tears. Her throat was choked but she continued munching like a
robot, occasionally sobbing in tears.

The boy looked straight at Chu Qiao. Every time she opened her mouth, he would open his
too, as if he was teaching her how to eat. When she swallowed her food, he would grin from
ear to ear, causing his eyes to turn into slits.

As her chopsticks were ddling in the bowl, they poked into something. Picking it up, it was
actually a piece of braised pork that was still warm.

That piece of meat was the size of a thumb and was a little burnt on the side. It was half
fatty and half lean, but in a dark cold night like this, it was so tempting.

A noise suddenly rumbled. Chu Qiao raised her head from the bowl, looked towards the
boy, and saw that he was awkwardly rubbing his tummy. Purposely putting on a nonchalant
front, he said, “I just nished dinner, I’m not hungry.”

Chu Qiao passed the chopsticks over and said,”You have it.”

The boy shook his head instantly. “Our dinner today was especially good. The fourth young
master allowed us to add dishes. Braised sh, sweet and sour ribs, vinegar fried pork,
steamed duck, there were so many dishes. I ate so much I may throw up, I don’t think I can
have any more food.”

Chu Qiao stubbornly raised her chopsticks and said, “I don’t like to eat fatty pork.”

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
 The boy remained dazed for a while, looked at Chu Qiao, then diverted his gaze onto the
piece of braised pork. He unknowingly swallowed his saliva. After a while, he nally reached
for the chopsticks she o ered, and carefully bit o the fatty portion of the meat. He then
passed the lean pork back to Chu Qiao. Laughing in glee, revealing his row of white teeth,
he said, “Yue Er, now you can eat.”

A pang of emotions hit her and she hurriedly lowered her head. Tears swirled in her eyes,
but she managed to hold them in.

After a while, she raised her head slowly and smiled at the boy. She opened her mouth and
devoured that piece of meat, munching and grinning at the same time.

“Yue Er, is it delicious?” His eyes shone as if they were stars in the galaxy.

Chu Qiao nodded furiously. She was all choked up, but she managed to say, “It’s delicious.
The most delicious thing I’ve tasted in my life is this piece of meat.”

“Silly girl.” The boy reached out and patted her head. With a tinge of sadness in his
expression, he said,”How old are you to say things like ‘in my life’? We don’t need to talk
about the future, just when we were young. We have savored many expensive foods, but
you were still too young to remember a thing. But don’t you worry. One day, the fth brother
will let you eat and dress well, and bring you delicacies from all around the world. Not only
braised pork, but also ginseng, abalone, bird’s nest, shark’s n, and clams. Whatever you
want, you will have it. Until then, no one will think of bullying us. Yue Er, do you believe me?”

Chu Qiao nodded and continued shoving rice into her mouth. Although it was not very
delicious, the warmth it gave was tremendous.

“Yue Er, don’t be scared.” While saying this, the boy took o his jacket and draped it onto
Chu Qiao’s shoulders. With a warm tone, he annotated his words very clearly and said,
“Fifth brother will protect you and will be here accompanying you. Don’t be afraid.”

As the moonlight shone clear and bright, the light shone through the gaps into the rewood
hut as dazzling white light. Like frost under the moonlight, the children’s small bodies laid
closely together, seemingly small, but so very warm.

The ames of light ooded the area from afar, woodwind instruments playing to their heart’s
content and the aroma of meat and drinks lling the air. The nightless city of Zhen Huang
had nally ushered in the climax of tonight’s banquet. Under the brilliant lights, no one
remembered the little girl that had survived the onslaught in the arena. The cold air billowed,
causing the ag with the ame insignia of the Xia Empire to whistle in the wind.

When she woke up the next day, the boy was no longer here. On the oor, he had left a
message in his neat handwriting: The fth brother will be back tonight. There are buns
beneath the rewood.

Chu Qiao pulled away the dried twigs and saw two slightly yellowish buns wrapped in a
piece of oil paper. She held them tightly and looked calm, but her gaze started to warm.

fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
ff
fl
fi
fi
ff
ff
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
 Like this, three days passed with no one questioning her condition. The boy continued to
visit her daily, bringing along food and accompanying her, then leaving silently the next day.
On the third day, the door to the hut banged open. Zhu Shun looked down at Zhu Qiao, who
had remained alive after three days in the rewood hut, furrowing his brows tighter and
tighter. At last, he ordered his men to release her.

When she stepped out of the hut, Chu Qiao stopped at the door. Taking one last look at this
dilapidated hut, pressing her lips together, she turned with a look of determination.

As she walked forward, the hut seemed increasingly worn-out. A huge bunch of kids could
be seen hiding behind the trees, sneakily watching her. When she reached the yard, with the
men taking their leave, the crowd of kids rushed towards her, pulling her into their arms.

“Little sixth, you are back!”

“The sixth sister, I thought you were never coming back.”

“Sister Yue Er, wuuuuuuu…”

The children started chattering all at once. Some wailed outloud, scaring Chu Qiao a little,
who stood there in a daze with the children surrounding her as she tolerated the snot and
tears from these little kids.

“Okay, stop crying.”

A male voice was heard, turning the heads of all the children, causing them to cry out, “The
fth brother!”

A boy ran in from outside, hugging a cloth bag. In two steps, he dropped its contents onto
the oor. It was a bag full of melon seeds. Upon seeing it, the children cheered and let go of
Chu Qiao in unison, running to the seeds.

“Don’t snatch them. This is enough for everyone,” the boy said maturely. He continued, “Yue
Er just escaped death and was severely wounded. Don’t disturb her. Everyone has to help
her complete her job for the next few days.”

The children nodded. A girl with two ponytails and pale, soft features raised her head. She
smiled and said, “Don’t worry the fth brother, we will de nitely help the sixth sister.”

The boy continued, “Xiao Qi, has your injury recovered? Why are you out of bed?”

“Fifth brother, it has recovered already.” The child smiled as he rolled up his sleeves,
revealing black and blue scars from a whipping. Some areas still revealed his esh and were
nowhere near recovered. Xiao Qi said gleefully, “The medicine you gave me was very useful.
It was painless once I applied it. Xiao Ba was kicked in the waist by the horse while she was
feeding them, I’ve got to help her.”

“Lin Xi, come in, I have things to say to you.” A young girl scuttled forward suddenly, holding
the boy’s hand.

fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
He turned and looked at Chu Qiao. He said, “Yue Er, the wind is quite strong outside. Come
inside too.”

In the small and dilapidated house, there was a large bed-stove, with more than ten blankets
folded neatly on top of it. A boy named Lin Xi chirped, “Sister Zhi Xiang, you were looking
for me?”

Zhi Xiang was not much older, looking around ten years old. She crouched down and
opened the bed-stove from below, revealing its pitch black interior and pulling out a small
box. She said, “In ve days, it will be the anniversary of our parents and relatives’ deaths.
The incense and joss paper you wanted us to secretly prepare are all here.”

Lin Xi nodded and said with a cautious tone, “Be careful, don’t let the manager know about
this.”

“Yes, don’t worry. No one will come over to us. But for you, when you are taking care of the
fourth young master, you have to be careful. The day before yesterday, I heard from Si Tao
from the laundry room that the third young master has already killed two reading partners in
his room. Even though the fourth young master is not like him, his weird character is
unpredictable. When the master is not around, Young Master Huai does not bother with the
happenings within the household. They are getting more and more ill-disciplined. The old
master has already killed more than twenty young female slaves. The ones that were sold to
the Du family together with us have all perished. I’m really worried that this fate would befall
us as well.”

Chapter 7
In the middle of their conversation, a piercing scream was heard outside, followed by a high-
pitched voice that roared, “Good job you pathetic slaves. How dare you steal? Don’t you
want to live?”

Lin Xi frowned and took a step towards the door. Zhi Xiang pulled her back and whispered,
“Leave from the back door, quick! No one can see you here. The fourth young master will kill
you.”

“I…”

“Leave, quick!”

No one could believe that such a dilapidated hut would have a back door to it. When Lin Xi
pushed open the door, Zhi Xiang held her arm and said very seriously, “No matter what
happens, don’t come back.” After which she rushed out of the door.

Cries of pain and the cracks of the whip sounded simultaneously. A woman with a fat belly
swung her arms and roared viciously, “Weren’t these the daughters of the wealthy Jing
family back in the day? Who could have imagined they would stoop down to this state
today. Your sisters are whores on Shi Hua Lane, and here you are being thieves. What a
family of despicable scum.”

fi

“Lady Song, we know that we were wrong. We won’t dare do it again.” Zhi Xiang put herself
between the woman and children, su ering lashes to her face and covering it with wounds
and blood. She kneeled and pulled at the edge of the woman’s skirt, crying for forgiveness.
“We won’t dare do it again.”

“Finally realized your mistake? You guys seem to have a better memory after being
whipped.”

The lashes of the whip landed mercilessly on the bodies of the children. Xiao Qi, whose hair
was tied into two ponytails, had already been injured and could no longer stand the pain.
After a few lashes, her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out. The other
children instantly started to wail, but the woman was enjoying herself, striking harder with
each hit. With a cry, she raised her whip once again.

There was a swoosh, but no cries were heard. Lady Song looked down to see a little girl
with tattered clothes in front of her. Though she was skinny, her gaze was cold and stern.
Her blackened hands were tightly grabbing onto the other end of the whip. She said with a
deadly tone, “Enough.”

Lady Song raged and howled, “Hey girl, are you looking for trouble?”

“Yue Er, Yue Er, release your hand!” Zhi Xiang crawled over and tugged at Chu Qiao’s
clothes. She cried and said, “Quickly, beg Lady Song for forgiveness!”

Chu Qiao did not waver and continued glowering at the woman. With a chilly tone, she said,
“Try hitting them one more time.”

Lady Song raised her eyebrows and roared, “I won’t hit them, I’ll hit you!” After nishing her
sentence, she raised her whip and swung it with all her might. Chu Qiao laughed mockingly,
grabbed the woman’s belt, and tripped her, causing her fat body to land heavily on the
ground.

Cries of cheer erupted from the children as Chu Qiao sauntered over to the woman. She
bent down and smirked, “Not coming back to complain?”

Lady Song sprung to her feet and shouted, “Just you wait!” Then, she sprinted out of the
yard.

Zhi Xiang ran forward worriedly, her anxiousness causing tears to pool in her eyes. She said,
“Yue Er, you’ve caused a big problem. What do we do now?”

“Look after them,” she instructed and ran out after the woman.

She had already memorized the route when she was being brought to the hut. After turning
two corners, she saw the woman hurriedly running across the stone bridge. Due to her
immense size, she started to pant after just a short distance.

Chu Qiao crouched down in the bushes. She surveyed her surroundings carefully, checking
that the coast was clear. She picked up a stone and squinted, aiming the stone right at the
woman before throwing it with all her might.

ff
fi
 With a thud, the stone landed forcefully onto Lady Song’s ankle. With a surprised cry, she
slipped and fell o the bridge.

It was already the middle of winter, and the surface of the lake was covered with a thick
layer of ice. Her fall did not shatter it, causing her to lay spread eagle on top of it, where she
moaned in agony.

Chu Qiao emerged from the bushes and walked leisurely towards the bridge, looking down
to where the woman was lying. She yelled, “Hey, do you need me to get help?”

The woman turned and her tone instantly changed. In a friendly tone, she said, “Good girl.
Would you quickly get help for me? This hurts so badly.”

Chu Qiao laughed. With a bright smile, she bent down and picked up a massive rock, lifting
it over her head with all her might.

Seeing that, the woman’s face paled. She stuttered, “You… what are you doing?”

Not allowing the woman to cry for help, she released her hands and the massive rock
smashed the layer of ice, cracking it instantly. With a cry of shock, the woman was engulfed
in the icy water, sinking to the bottom of the lake and leaving merely a few bubbles on the
surface.

Chu Qiao stood on the bridge, looking calm and composed with an unchanging expression.

This was a savage world. To survive, a person had to eliminate their predators in one fell
swoop.

Without a tinge of regret, she turned and retraced her steps. As she stepped into the yard,
the children rushed towards her, all wounded and teary-eyed. Chu Qiao reached out to
embrace Xiao Qi, who had just regained consciousness and was right in front of her. With a
deep breath, she whispered, “Don’t be afraid, everything is ne now.”

In this slave yard, which housed the lowest class of slaves of the Zhuge household, the
young female slaves lived the lives of animals. They could no longer hold back their tears,
crying their sorrows away.

When dinnertime came, the granny that was in charge of the Jing family’s children ordered
them to work. Even the wounded children like Xiao Qi and Zhi Xiang had to. Only Chu Qiao
and Xiao Ba, who had injured his waist and was fast asleep, remained in the hut. It was not
until midnight that the other children returned exhausted from work. After nishing their
dinner, the children obediently climbed into bed. Zhi Xiang crouched at the side of the bed-
stove, adding rewood to keep the re burning. The scars on her face were red and swollen,
as though they were tiny snakes.

There was pin drop silence within the hut, and soon the slow breaths of children in deep
sleep lled the room. Dressed in the clothes that Zhi Xiang had just given her, she sat up
and whispered, “If you do not treat the wounds on your face, there will be scars.”

fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
 The ames within the bed-stove glowed, brightening her face. She was so skinny, making
her eyes seem bigger and darker. She raised her head and said, “Yue Er, slaves aren’t
supposed to use medicine. The last time Xiao Qi secretly used the medicine Lin Xi brought,
we did not know the risk that we were taking. If it had been discovered, everyone could
have lost their lives. We can’t mess around with the wounds on my face.”

While saying that, a sound was heard from above the stove. Both of them turned their
heads, and realized that it was Xiao Qi who had kicked away her blanket in her sleep. Zhi
Xiang rushed forward and covered Xiao Qi with her blanket. Wiping the sweat from her
forehead, she returned to man the re.

Chu Qiao looked at Zhi Xiang and her lips trembled, but she did not say a word. This child
was barely ten years old but had to shoulder such huge responsibilities. All the children in
this hut were between ve to ten years old. Why would the wealthy Zhuge family need so
many children of this age?

“Sister Zhi Xiang,” Chu Qiao whispered while getting o the bed-stove. Sitting beside Zhi
Xiang, she continued, “Have you been to Jiang Nan?”

“Jiang Nan?” Zhi Xiang’s brows furrowed. “Where is Jiang Nan?”

“Do you know where the Yellow Mountain is? Or the Yangtze River?”

Zhi Xiang shook her head and answered, “I know that on the west bank of the Hong River
lies the Hong Mountain, and beneath the Hong Mountain there is the Cang Li River. Yue Er,
why do you ask?”

Chu Qiao seemed to be in a daze and was deep in thought for a while. She shook her head
and said, “It’s nothing, I just wanted to ask. Oh, by the way, Sister Zhi Xiang, do you know
who the current emperor is?”

“The emperor is the emperor. How could we call the emperor by his name? But I do know
that the Royal Highness that is always dressed in black and frequents the Zhuge household
is the emperor’s seventh son, Zhao Che. He is the youngest prince in the Xia Empire to be
named king.”

That cold emotionless appearance with a scornful expression ashed through her mind. Her
eyes narrowed and she repeated, “Zhao Che?”

“Yue Er, what happened to you? You seemed weird when you returned. What did you say to
Lady Song? How could she let us o just like that?”

Chu Qiao turned and grinned. She said, “I’m ne, don’t worry. Lady Song did not let us o ,
but she fell into the icy lake and drowned. I saw her drowning with my own eyes. Regarding
the matter of Lady Song coming here, do not mention it to anyone.”

“She died?” Zhi Xiang gasped as her face paled.

Chu Qiao covered her mouth quickly, looking around. Seeing that none of the children had
woken up, she said seriously, “No one knows about this except for you and me. Don’t tell
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
ff
fl
ff
 anyone else. She has an evil heart, so there are plenty of reasons for her to die. But she is
already dead, and you need not worry anymore.”

“Yue… Yue Er,” Zhi Xiang stuttered. “You… you did not kill her, right? She fell into the lake
by herself, right? Her… her son is the consular guard of the court. We cannot a ord to
o end him.”

Chu Qiao laughed and pointed to herself. “Do you think I would be capable of killing her?
Okay, you have to stop thinking so much. She committed so many bad deeds that even if
no one killed her, God would have taken it into his own hands. You’ve had a tiring day. You
should rest.”

Zhi Xiang shook her head furiously. “No, I have to keep the re going.”

“I can do it. I’m injured and can laze around tomorrow. Go and rest.”

Chu Qiao sat quietly on a small stool, adding rewood once into a while into the re. The
ames crackled while they burned, illuminating her face with a bright red glow. She raised
her head to look at the children in the hut, and her heart ached. Such a pity, but what could
she do? She had mysteriously been brought to this era and was trapped in the tiny body of
Jing Yue Er, losing all her martial arts skills and being of such a lowly class. She could barely
take care of herself, how could she take care of others? The things she had done today
were to return the favor of Lin Xi delivering food to her for the past three days. After this, she
had to leave immediately.

Chu Qiao gradually closed her eyes. She knew that whatever she did, there would always be
a limit to her capabilities. But in her current state, she did not have the ability to shoulder
such a huge burden.

The rooster cried as dawn broke. The Jing family children woke up on time and put on their
servant’s clothes, preparing for the rest of the day.

Although she had lost her well-trained skills, she was still clear minded. Chu Qiao was no
longer the super agent from the 9th operational division, but she had still gone through
professional military training. The Zhuge household was vast with many people living in it,
but for a tiny eight-year-old child with exceptional logical reasoning and a concept of space,
it still seemed like a defenseless playground.

Within half an hour, she crept out of the slave yard and walked towards the front garden. Its
defenses began to grow more stringent, and guards armed with knives could be seen
patrolling the grounds.The Zhuge family was not an ordinary household, as Zhuge Huai
could call Zhao Jue, Zhao Che, and the other members of the royal family his brothers.

Standing tall, her small body looked like a tiny tree. Chu Qiao straightened her clothes and
stepped out with con dence.

“Stop! Are you looking for trouble? Do you think this a place where you can roam around
wherever you like?”

fl
ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
A tall soldier with a large gure walked up to her, his face chubby and overweight. Chu Qiao
froze in her steps and looked up, her fair, cute features coupled with dark, watery eyes. She
said in a sugary tone, “Oh, elder brother, I have orders from the old master to go to his outer
quarters. From what I heard, if I’m not there within the hour, they’ll kill me.”

Chapter 8
The guard’s brows furrowed and sized up little Chu Qiao. Since when does the old master
prefer girls that are not fully grown? he thought. Confused, he asked, “Who asked you to go
there? Do you know the location of the old master’s outer quarters?”

“I have the address.” The child rummaged through her bag and took out a small piece of
paper and started to point out the directions. She mumbled, “Once you exit the house, turn
left at the third junction. Fu Xiang Restaurant would be right in front…”

“Okay,” the guard snapped in annoyance. “Who told you about it and why isn’t anyone
bringing you there?”

The child replied honestly, “Lady Song told me all this. She was supposed to bring me there,
but when we were crossing the stone bridge, she slipped and fell over, smashing the ice on
the lake. I saw her drown. So I guess she can no longer bring me there.”

“What?” The guard gasped and grabbed Chu Qiao by her shoulders. He shouted, “Who did
you say fell o the stone bridge?”

“Lady Song, the one in charge of the slaves in the backyard.”

With a tight slap, the guard’s palms landed forcefully on the child’s face. He raged, “You
brat, why didn’t you tell me earlier? Come on guys, we have to rescue her!”

Chu Qiao fell to the ground with the blow, her ears ringing. Looking at everyone rushing out
frantically, her lips waned and a heartless smirk emerged.

She would remember this slap.

Chu Qiao stood up in no time. Holding her bag in her hand, she walked towards the main
gate without looking back. The gates were plated in gold and were enormous. A pair of
ferocious stone lions stood at either side of the gate, with their eyes painted red, both
radiating a vicious aura. The name of the Zhuge household was engraved on top of the door
and was painted in sparkling gold, dazzling under the sun.

Chu Qiao walked with short strides and needed quite a bit of e ort to climb over the sill.
When she was halfway through the door, the sun shone brightly onto her and even the air
seemed a whole lot fresher. From then on, her life would have a new start. The humiliation
and pain she su ered, she would always remember it.

The child pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. Raising her leg, she began to
step out of this rotten prison.

ff
ff

fi
ff
 At this moment, a familiar piercing cry could be heard by the well to the right side of the
front garden, followed by the horrendous wail of a child. The gates on the right side of the
garden opened wide, and the dull thuds of planks landing on a child’s bared bodies lled the
household.

The servants that walked by snuck gazes at the scene, wondering who was the person who
had the “honor” of deserving that. Chu Qiao stood at the main gate and was extremely
close to leaving this savage courtyard, but the continuous screams kept ringing in her ears.

Her brows tightly knit, she nally stopped shu ing forward. She turned and ran to her right.

Fate would always give people the opportunity to choose. A single step could make a
worldly di erence.

Zhuge Yue was dressed in light green clothes that were of the nest quality. There were
several green lotuses stitched onto them and his black hair laid loosely on his back. His
complexion was as white as jade and he had jet black eyes, his lips a shade darker than the
rest. Although he was just thirteen to fourteen years old, he looked wicked and cold. With
both his eyes half closed, it seemed that nothing was worthy of his gaze. He was as cold as
the snow atop the peak of Long Dong Mountain during mid-winter. He lay on his side on a
reddish gold cushioned seat, with both his arms behind his head. He had two female
servants kneeling by his side, with incense in their hands, occasionally peeling fresh lychees
for him that had been rushed over from the Tang Dynasty by their quickest horses.

Barely twenty steps before him, a child in the servant’s uniform was battered until her esh
was showing, her cries started to weaken. A little female servant who was only six to seven
years old knelt at the side, repeatedly kowtowing and begging for forgiveness. Her forehead
was already grazed and there was blood owing down past her teary eyes.

The sun started to rise. The city of Zhen Huang was located in the Hong Chuan Highlands,
and even though it was well into winter, the sun was still merciless. Zhuge Yue raised his
head and frowned, squinting at the bright light. Seeing this, the two female servants
frantically opened their umbrellas to cover his head. Zhuge Yue sat up straight and waved
o the servants beside him, resting his back on his chair.

Two strong and burly men shu ed forward respectfully, taking up their positions in front and
behind Zhuge Yue’s chair and lifting it, walking towards the door to the right.

The girl that was kowtowing for forgiveness gasped in shock. She frantically crawled
forward and cried, tugging at Zhuge Yue’s clothes. “The fourth young master, please let Lin
Xi go. He will not survive if you continue hitting him.”

Zhuge Yue raised his brows and lowered his gaze, looking at the girl’s blackened hands
which were dripping with fresh blood.

The child felt an uncontrollable rush of coldness sweep through her body, freezing her mind.
She saw ve bloodstained ngerprints on Zhuge Yue’s white boots, strikingly obvious.

ff
fi
ff
fi
fi
ffl
fl
ffl
fi
fi
fl
With a kick, one of the guards carrying the palanquin knocked the child to the oor. The two
female servants rushed forward instantly, removing his dirtied boots. Zhuge Yue glanced at
the child and turned back, looking emotionless throughout.

One of the female servants said coldly, “Cut o one of her hands.”

The child sat shell shocked on the ground, her cries stopping in an instant. Rushing over
with rigor, a guard drew the sword by his waist, and a stream of blood spewed out. A tiny
white hand had been chopped o !

Piercing screams shot out, startling the ferocious vultures circling the sky. The teenager sat
comfortably in his chair, being silent, and closed his eyes as if he saw and heard nothing.

Chu Qiao stood in a daze at the door. As if she was carved from stone, her hurried footsteps
stopped instantly. Her eyes widened and covered her mouth tightly. She froze in fear.

“Fourth young master, this child has stopped breathing.”

Zhuge Yue looked over at Lin Xi’s tiny body with a sweeping gaze. Rubbing his temples, he
said cooly, “Throw him into the pond in the back and feed the sh.”

“Yes.”

The strong men raised the palanquin that Zhuge Yue was on, moving forward slowly.
Everyone got on their knees when they passed, not even raising their heads.

“Wait,” Zhuge Yue suddenly whispered while passing the right gate. Turning his head, he
gazed at Chu Qiao, who was glaring at him. He frowned and said, “Which house are you
serving, slave? Why didn’t you kneel when you saw me?”

The morning breeze blew, blowing up specks of dust at the corners of the wall. Sunlight
pierced their eyes like thousands of sharp needles. There were white birds soaring through
the sky, apping their wings which were as white as snow. Chu Qiao took a deep breath and
bit her lip, suppressing her anger and pushing it down her throat inch by inch. She plopped
onto the ground and looked straight towards the brick oor with her eyes open wide. With
the voice of a child, she frantically said, “Yue Er is a slave in the backyard. May the fourth
young master forgive my lack of knowledge. This is my rst time seeing you, Young Master,
and I thought I saw a fairy.”

Zhuge Yue’s expression calmed. He saw that the child was adorable and young, but not
very good with her words. This aroused his interest and he continued asking, “How old are
you? And what is your name?”

“Fourth young master, Yue Er is seven this year, and my surname is Jing.”

“Jing Yue Er?” Zhuge Yue said, “Change your name and follow me in the future. Let your
name be… Xing Er.”

Chu Qiao instantly knelt on the ground and said loudly, “Xing Er thanks the fourth young
master.”

fl
ff
ff
fl
fi
fi
fl
Zhuge Yue retracted his gaze. His men lifted up his palanquin and turned around the
corridor. They disappeared from view.

It was quite a lively nish, but there had been the death of a lowly slave. The men in the
Zhuge household had already grown accustomed to this sight, parting ways without a word.
A few cleaners lifted the child’s body and threw it into a sack, tying it up. They dragged it
towards the lake in the backyard.

The child was still young. His bones had been completely broken, and fresh blood owed
out of the sack. Sticky drops of blood stained the brick oor, leaving a long trail behind.

Chu Qiao was still kneeling on the ground, with her back heaving up and down, her teeth
clenched tightly onto her lower lip, as though they were weaved shell sh. She looked
straight ahead, with her tiny sts clenched tight. Looking at the sack being dragged away
before her, with glaring blood spreading all over the oor and covered in dust and dirt, a
huge tear welled in her eyes and fell onto the back of her hand with a splash.

Sorrow and hatred surged through her, but she knew that she could not cry. She could not
show even a tiny bit of resentment at this time. She wiped her face with the back of her
hand and stood up quickly. At the spacious area beside the well, Xiao Qi had already lost
consciousness, with blood spewing from her wrist, but no one cared.

Chu Qiao quickly tore her clothes and pressed Xiao Qi’s acupuncture points, wrapping up
the wound to stop the bleeding with her superior techniques. After everything was done, she
clenched her teeth and placed Xiao Qi on her back, walking towards the backyard.

When she set foot outside of the gate, a cold voice suddenly muttered, “Stop! Who gave
you permission to carry her away?”

Chu Qiao looked up and saw Zhu Shun, the one that had locked her up for three days. She
frowned and said with a calm tone, “The fourth young master didn’t say he wanted her
killed.”

“Master also did not say where to place her.” Zhu Qiao glared at Chu Qiao and said coldly,
“Speculating what is on the master’s mind on your own, you are looking for death. Men,
take her down!”

Two servants came forward at once, reaching out to grab Chu Qiao’s arms. She scurried
backward as she avoided their hands. When they struggled to grab her, Xiao Qi let out a
grunt. The wound that was wrapped up started to bleed again.

“How dare you come near me! I am working at the fourth young master’s side. Do you want
to be killed?”

Zhu Shun sneered and said, “You barely received any recognition, and yet you use it to
command us. I don’t think the fourth young master will even remember your existence by
tomorrow morning. How dare you use that to scare me?”

fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
 Chu Qiao picked at her brow. Carrying Xiao Qi, she retreated as though she was a leopard,
sharpening her gaze while frowning. “Butler Zhu, I thought you were sending a message
from my Royal Highness to Young Master Huai. Why are you badgering me with such
a airs? You seem to be very free to me.”

Chapter 9
A voice suddenly sounded. Chu Qiao turned towards the crowd and saw a boy that served
in a scholar’s study speaking loudly with an arrogant tone. Not far away, a teenager with a
long and slender gure wearing a dark green robe stood before the court hall with his back
facing the crowd. At his side, there were four followers.

Zhu Shun was stunned. Turning his head hurriedly, he pathetically bent down, well below his
crotch. He nodded while he bowed and scraped, “Royal Highness Yan, my men were not
well disciplined, causing them to make fools of themselves in front of your Royal Highness.”

“Is your servant’s discipline more important, or is my family’s royal highness more
important? Zhu Shun, I think you must be crazy.”

Zhu Shun was taken aback. He got on his knees and started to kowtow, hurriedly saying, “I
wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare, I know I am wrong.”

The young attendant snorted, “If you know your mistake, what are you still doing here?”

After hearing that, Zhu Shun stood up at once, rushing towards Zhuge Huai’s study room.
The servants in the household retreated to a corner. One of them said cautiously, “Can I
invite Royal Highness Yan to wait in the hall?”

The teenager dressed in robes nodded and turned slowly, his jet black eyes sweeping
through his surroundings. When he saw Chu Qiao, his eyes narrowed, as though he
remembered a thing or two. He walked straight up to her.

Chu Qiao remained calm and cautiously took two steps back. When Yan Xun saw her
retreat, he stopped and thought to himself for awhile. He took out a white porcelain bottle
from the pocket in his sleeves. Pictures of delicate orchids were engraved onto it. The
teenager reached out with the bottle in his hand and nodded, signalling for her to take the
bottle.

Chu Qiao looked up and down at Yan Xun, and the scene at the hunting arena ashed by
her eyes. She stood her ground with caution.

Yan Xun was puzzled. Immediately, his lips waned and let out a grin, bending down to place
the bottle gently on the oor. After which, he turned and led his followers into the hall.

“Urgh.” A slight groan could be heard behind her. Xiao Qi barely made out Chu Qiao’s
features. Her voice as soft as mosquitoes, with paramount fear, she cried, “Sister Yue Er,
Xiao Qi… is Xiao Qi dying?”

ff
fi

fl
fl
Chu Qiao crouched down and placed the porcelain bottle in her hand. The muscles
tightened throughout her body, and she looked gloomily towards the main house of the
Zhuge household. She said slow and rmly, “Xiao Qi, I assure you, you will be okay.”

Carrying Xiao Qi, she ran back to the slave’s yard, rushing into the room and cleaning the
wound before bandaging it. The medicine Yan Xun had given her was very e ective. It could
not only stop the bleeding, but also had a mild anaesthetic e ect. Xiao Qi let out several
hums before falling into a deep sleep.

Xiao Ba, who had been sick all this while, woke up and could barely get out of bed. These
children were traumatised by all the recent incidents. No one spoke a word after they woke
up, looking at Chu Qiao busily taking care of Xiao Qi with dazed looks like a bunch of fools.

It was getting late. Chu Qiao wiped the sweat o her forehead, the wound on her shoulder
blazing in pain. She leaned against the wall, listening to Xiao Qi’s soft cries of pain in her
sleep. It felt as if someone had tightly gripped her heart and yanked it out resolutely,
throwing it onto the freezing snowy ground. Closing her eyes, Lin Xi appeared in her mind.
The boy that was good looking and pure, the one that promised that he would protect her,
the one that was beaten so viciously that he was unrecognizable.

A stream of tears owed from her tightly shut eyes. They owed down her chin, dripping
onto her cloth shoes.

Suddenly, a frantic voice could be heard outside the door. In a moment of shock, Chu Qiao
opened the door and walked out. A girl that was twelve to thirteen years old stood in the
yard. When she saw Chu Qiao, it seemed as though she had seen her savior. She cried and
rushed forward, “Yue Er, Zhi Xiang and the children from the Jing family were taken away by
the men Butler Zhu sent.”

Chu Qiao frowned, and her voice sank. “Taken away? When did this happen?”

“They left early in the morning. I only managed to nd Lin Xi, asking him to plead
forgiveness from the fourth young master. A day has passed but there is still no news from
him. What do we do?”

“Did they say what the children were doing?”

Wiping her tears, the girl cried and said, “They said… They said the children were being sent
to the old master’s house outside the city.”

“What?” Chu Qiao exclaimed. Alarm bells started ringing in her mind. The rumors Lin Xi had
told them these past few days about the beastly hobbies of the old master ran rampant in
her mind. Her face paled.

Xiao Ba stood at the door. Hearing their conversation, she walked up, as if in a trance. She
tugged at Chu Qiao’s sleeves. Her voice was soft, like a small injured animal. She asked
repeatedly, “Sister Yue Er, where are Sister Zhi Xiang and the rest of the children? Where did
they go?”

fl
fi
ff
fi
fl
ff
ff
 Chu Qiao reacted, turned around, and sprinted out the door.

“Yue Er!” the girl cried from behind. Chu Qiao did not look back, a bad feeling entrenched in
her mind. She did not know whether she would be able to make it, and did not know
whether she had a chance of rescuing those children. She could only do her best, sprinting
ahead, not daring to stop.

She passed the Qing Shan court, the stables, the back gardens. Sprinting forward, she
would reach the ve curve corridors of the front court. All of a sudden, the sound of hurried
footsteps were heard. Chu Qiao stopped with caution.

“Sister Yue Er?” A tiny voice was heard from behind her. Chu Qiao was stunned. She turned,
only to see Xiao Ba dressed in a loose blouse, standing pitifully behind her. She had not
even put on her shoes. In a daze, she asked, “Where did Sister Zhi Xiang and the others
go?”

Holding Xiao Ba, Chu Qiao turned and crouched beside a bush. It was already winter and all
its owers had wilted. Luckily, it was in the middle of the night, where lights were sparse. It
would be di cult to spot them.

The sound of footsteps came closer and closer. There were four people pushing a cart
towards them. One of them was pushing, with the other three supporting the sides of the
cart. The road Chu Qiao had used was already very remote, and only the cleaners would use
this road. She pulled Xiao Ba close and crouched within the bush, quietly waiting for the
people to pass.

These people walked up to where the two of them were hiding and stopped. Xiao Ba
appeared very afraid, her body shuddering, tightly grabbing Chu Qiao’s clothes in her hands
and not daring to move an inch.

One of the men said gru y, “Guys, let’s take a rest. We walked quite a distance without rest.
At least let me have a smoke.”

The others laughed, “Old Liu’s smoking addiction is here.” After which, they lit their
cigarettes in glee, starting to smoke.

Chu Qiao started to get anxious and her brows were tightly knit together. As the cold wind
blew by, Xiao Ba, who was dressed thinly, started to shiver vigorously due to the cold. With
the northern winds picking up speed, the straw mat on top of the cart was blown up with a
swoosh, circling in the air for awhile before landing on the ground with a crunch. The yellow
straw mat was red in color, drenched in dark red blood.

Chu Qiao and Xiao Ba gazed into the cart. With lightning speed, Chu Qiao threw her hand
onto Xiao Ba’s mouth, shutting it tightly.

The moon shone through the clouds, allowing dim white moonlight to illuminate the
surroundings. All they saw were small bodies of children being piled onto the medium
pushcart, like a pile of lifeless radishes. Zhi Xiang’s skinny body lay naked, with bruises all
over it. Her eyes were still wide in shock, with blood clots at the corner of her eyes. Her
fl
ffi
fi
ffl
lower torso was a mess and limbs were still being tied together. Her posture was strange
and she had been placed in the most humiliating manner at the top of the pile of bodies.
Chu Qiao covered Xiao Ba’s mouth tightly, with her other hand hugging her in a tight grip.
The child seemed like she had gone mad, desperately wanting to break free from her grip.
Enormous drops of warm tears rolled down Chu Qiao’s arms, her teeth sinking mercilessly
into Chu Qiao’s palm. Fresh blood seeped out, owing down her fair wrist, and eventually
dripping onto the blackened soil. Moonlight shone through the sparse tree onto them,
covering them in mottled shadows as dismal as frost.

No one knew how much time had passed. The cart started to get further and further away,
and they were surrounded by dead silence. Chu Qiao let go of her hand slowly. The esh in
her palm could be seen and was covered in blood. Xiao Ba seemed as though she had
become dumb, simply standing there quietly, in a daze. Chu Qiao reached out and patted
her on her cheek, calling out her name cautiously with a hoarse voice.

The wind was frigid. Withered branches whirled in the air. In this night of dead silence, music
sounded from the main hall of the front court as if it had come from another world.

“Kill them…” the six year old child murmured. Her eyes widening all of a sudden, she
continued, “I want to go and kill… Kill them!”

The child had bloodshot eyes, rummaging around as if she was looking for something.
Suddenly, she picked up a stone from the bush, stood up, and wanted to run towards the
cart. Luckily, Chu Qiao had a fast reaction. She held the child back, holding her tightly in her
arms.

“Kill them!” Kill them!” The child could not hold it back anymore as she roared in fury, her
face twisted with hatred and despair, tears streaking down her face. She could collapse any
moment.

Chu Qiao felt as if a knife had been driven through her heart. She held this crazed child in
her arms and nally succumbed to her torrential tears.

These animals, these beasts, a thousand deaths would not be enough to wash away the
sins of these scum. She had never felt such intense hate, and she de nitely never had felt
such a desire to kill someone. She was consumed by an overwhelming amount of hatred.
She hated them, hated the cruelty of those people, hated this cruel world. But she hated her
weakness and her helplessness the most. She hated that she could only watch these events
unfold, but could not do anything about them.

The child in her arms was nearing collapse. Her cries seemed like knives, slicing away at
Chu Qiao’s heart. If she could get her hands on a shotgun, she would not hesitate to rush
into the Zhuge household, killing every one of those scum living inside.

It was a pity that she did not have one. She had nothing. She had no money, no power, no
background, no skills, and no arms. She was just a spirit from another world being trapped
in the small body of Jing Yue Er. Even though she had the brains and knowledge that were
thousands of years more advanced than the time she was in, at that moment, she could
fi
fl
fi
fl
 only hide carefully in the bush. She had not even been able to muster the courage to see
them one last time.

Chu Qiao raised her head slowly, allowing the cold moonlight to shine on her face. She
secretly swore to herself that this could only happen once. She would never want this to
happen again. She never wanted to live with nothing, and never wanted to live without the
ability to protect herself. Never again!

The cold moon seemed like it was liquid. In such a huge household, two weak and lowly
slaves crouched in the bushes within the back garden like two shy puppies, laying close to
each other. However, in their hearts, they had enough hate to destroy the world.

By the time they reached the slave’s yard, it was already midnight. Before entering the gate,
she saw that the door was wide open. Chu Qiao’s heart sank. She let go of Xiao Ba’s hand
before running into the house.

The room was a mess. The top of the bed-stove was lled with blood stains, with adult
footprints covering the oor. There was no sign of Xiao Qi.

“Yue Er, you are back!” The girl whom she had met before crawled out from the pile of
rewood at the corner of the room.

Chu Qiao hurried forward and pulled her back. She asked in a deep voice, “Where is Xiao
Qi? Where did Xiao Qi go?”

The girl cried and replied, “Butler Zhu brought his men over and took Xiao Qi with him. He
said that she could no longer work without one hand. They carried her out and wanted to
throw her into the Ting Lake to feed the crocodiles.”

Chapter 10
Chu Qiao blacked out as she lost consciousness. Her heart could not take it any longer.
Clutching at the girl’s robes, she said slowly with a hoarse tone, “How long were they gone
for? How long were they gone for?”

“It was almost an hour ago. Yue Er, it’s already too late to save her.”

Chu Qiao turned at looked at Xiao Ba, who was standing at the door. Her eyes were red
from crying as she raised her head, looking at Chu Qiao as well. When their eyes met, tears
started to roll down their cheeks, but none of them made a sound.

“Yue Er, I have to go back. You two have to be careful. From what I heard from the people in
the laundry room, Butler Zhu is deliberately targeting you. Did you do anything to o end
him?”

There was pin-drop silence in the hut. The courtyard was a huge white space. Both children
stood there silently for a long while.

fi

fl
fi
ff
When the clock struck 3 a.m., the drum sounded. The last two children of the Jing family
silently snuck through the Qingshi forest, reaching Ting Lake which was behind the Zhuge
house. The cold wind rustled the bamboo trees and there was resounding silence from the
lake. Its tranquil surface looked no di erent from any other day.

Chu Qiao kneeled on top of a hill as she said to Xiao Ba who was right beside her, “Xiao Ba,
get on your knees. Give our brothers and sisters a kowtow.”

Xiao Ba was barely seven years old but she had experienced a traumatic change tonight.
Her tiny face had lost the childish innocence that was supposed to be visible upon it. She
knelt silently at Chu Qiao’s side, bowed deeply in the direction of the lake, and knocked her
head heavily thrice on the ground.

“Xiao Ba, do you hate this place?”

The child nodded without uttering a word.

Sounding calm, Chu Qiao said lightly, “Do you want to leave?”

The child said in a deep tone, “Yes.”

Chu Qiao looked ahead, her voice calm and composed. She squinted her eyes and frowned,
gently saying, “I promise you, I will bring you away as soon as possible. But before we
leave, we still have some un nished business. After all that is over, we will leave this place.”

The child nodded quietly as she kowtowed once again, muttering each word clearly, “Sister
Zhi Xiang, you have always prayed for God’s blessings, but I don’t think you knew that they
were blind. Take our brothers and sisters with you and move on. Wait and see, as Sister Yue
Er and I will avenge you all.”

The cold wind billowed through the pitch-black night. Atop the hill in Qing Shi Forest, two
tiny bodies laid towards each other, tightly holding hands.

It was December. At the northwestern border; the Quan Rong people had invaded, burning
everything in their way as their large army advanced.

Within twenty days, the war intensi ed, tens of thousands of common people living outside
the gates being dragged into the con ict. The northwestern gates were at a special
geographical location. They were between the western ef that was controlled by the Ba Tu
Ha clan and the Northern Yan territory that was controlled by the Yan King. The
northwestern Old Ba Tu had fought against the Northern Yan’s Lion King for years. Today, as
the Mu He clan, who backed Old Ba Tu, stabilized its power within the empire, the Ba Tu Ha
family started to gain the upper hand. In the last year, they had nally seized military control
of the northwestern gates with blood, cleansing all the o cers that were stationed there.
Within the empire, other clans were also sending their children to the northwest, hoping to
penetrate the empire’s largest military system. When this happened, the old generals who
possessed a wealth of experience and had guarded the border had been overthrown. Those
that rose to power were the empire’s elites that had never seen blood spilt.

fi
fi
ff
fl
fi
ffi
fi
 This was precisely why the Quan Rong people had invaded the border. They had seized this
opportunity and paid a small price to open up the rst entrance towards the gates, allowing
their cavalry to rush into miles of fertile land outside the gates.

Even though the Ba Tu Ha family had promptly resisted the attack, sending their elite
soldiers into battle, due to their lack of knowledge of the enemy and the numerous factions
within the gates, all their attacks lacked cooperation. The confusion within the troops only
intensi ed. Letters of emergency assistance urried towards the capital, begging the Zhen
Huang elders to send troops to resist the invaders.

It was the 27th day of the lunar month. The broken star emerged and Zhao Ming went into
hiding. The priest within the Qin Temple summoned a prophecy: the Taihe star is indi erent
and the waters of chi contain ice. A calamity is befalling us.

The seven families of power discussed long into the night, nally deciding to send the
Huang Tian Brigade to the gates, stabilizing the northwestern region.

When the call to arms was released, it was then sent towards the Sheng Jin Palace. After
the emperor read it, he replied: permitted.

Within moments, the capital of Zhen Huang was engulfed in strong winds, and the families
of power were scared. In the pitch-black night, rapid currents surged beneath the thick ice
on the surface of the river.

At this moment, Chu Qiao was at the northern pavilion, busily working within the dried
bushes, carefully nding the winter cat snakes. Suddenly, a resounding horn was heard from
a distance, as if a crane was cawing, majestic and forceful. She stood up slowly, squinting
towards the south of Zhen Huang City. There stood the Cheng Jin Palace.

In the dark night, roads were not easy to navigate.

In the next afternoon, the heavy snow fell under the sun. Under the glass of the Qing Shan
Pavilion, there were two white jade snow-dogs sparkling brightly under the sun, their
intricate carvings shining. There had been a huge snowfall the night before, causing almost
a foot of snow to be piled up. The cleaners passed by the dogs, not even daring to lay a
gaze on them as they were afraid that they might get into trouble.

Jin Cai was wearing a traditional Han vest made from sable skin and a beautiful red dress,
with a pink belt tied around her waist. She stood in the middle of the snow-covered ground,
looking as gorgeous as ever. This female servant who was always by the fourth young
master’s side was barely thirteen years old, but looked slim and graceful, allowing eyes to
feast on her gorgeous looks. When she was beside her master, she would be warm and
gentle, but now, she had become arrogant and domineering. Her tone was cold as she
looked at the children with disgust. They merely wore thin clothes while they carried the jade
dogs. She said, “Hold it tightly. The young master has said that jade has life. It will become
smooth and clear when it comes into contact with human energy. You pathetic slaves
should feel honored to be serving the fourth young master. Don’t be lazy. If anyone is
disobedient when I return, you will be dragged to Ting Lake to feed the sh.”

fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
ff
 The children nodded timidly, as Jin Cai let out a sneer before heading back into the warm
ower room.

After the snow, it became colder and colder. Not even wearing a ferret coat while hugging
the heaters would have been of much use, but these children were only wearing a thin layer
of clothes out in the cold. The children’s lips were frozen solid within moments.

Chu Qiao was carrying a tray of fresh peaches just as she came from the Lan Shan Yard.
When Jin Cai saw her, she ran out of the ower room, calling out to her.

Chu Qiao stopped in her tracks and turned, her face blushing red, appearing ignorant as she
said with a tilt of her head, “Sister Jin Cai, is something wrong?”

“The fourth young master is having his afternoon nap. Just hand me the peaches.”

Chu Qiao smiled as she nodded, handing over the peaches. Jin Cai turned and walked back
into the ower room. Before she could get comfortable in the room, a loud roar was heard
from Xuan Hall. Jin Cai frantically put down the peaches and sprinted towards it.

Before she could reach the door, a colorful shadow ew out of the door, hitting her face with
a swoosh. When she felt it, it was soft and cold, with a greasy texture. However, it smelled
disgustingly shy.

Jin Cai looked down and saw a small snake with its head raised. She was scared out of her
wits, crying as she fell to the ground.

Chu Qiao ran into the room and saw Zhuge Yue with his brows tightly furrowed together,
dressed in light green clothes as he laid on his couch. Dark blood was owing from his wrist,
obviously having been bitten by a snake. She rushed forward and grabbed his wrist while
picking up a fruit knife on the table, slashing the wound.

The servants outside the room saw this scene, and some rushed in to grab this treasonous
little slave.

Zhuge Yue raised his brows and gently waved his hands, stopping his servants from rushing
forward. They saw Chu Qiao cut a cross-shaped wound on his wrist, squeezing it hard for a
moment as she sucked the poison out with her mouth. After which, she spit it out and said
hurriedly, “Young Master, please do not exert any strength or the poison will spread quicker.
I will go get you the doctor.”

At this moment, many slaves gathered at the door. Jin Cai frantically rushed forward,
pushing Chu Qiao away as she knelt on the ground while holding Zhuge Yue’s hand. She
cried, “Young Master, how are you?”

Zhuge Yue frowned when she grabbed his hand, seemingly annoyed. His feet landed on her
chest as he kicked her away, growling, “Scram!”

When Jin Cai touched the ground, she screamed in terror. Snakes were crawling all over the
ground, almost twenty of them. It looked strange and terrible.

fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
Chu Qiao took out a candle and lit it immediately, chasing the snakes away using the re as
they were afraid of it. They backed o immediately.

The Zhuge family doctor rushed into the room as the crowd dispersed. The servants of the
Qing Shan Court kneeled at the door in fear with ashen looks on their faces.

After a while, the doctor walked out alone as he addressed the servants, “Who is Xing Er?”

Chu Qiao stood up from within the crowd with her short stature and tender face. She
whispered as she raised her hand, “I am, sir.”

The doctor did not expect her to be such a young child. Somewhat in a daze, he said with a
faltering tone, “Come in, the fourth young master said that you sucked the blood out for
him. He asked me to check on you as well.”

There were about one hundred servants kneeling there. Everyone looked up in shock, their
gazes falling upon Chu Qiao.

Chu Qiao’s expression turned into fear, as she kowtowed a couple of times, thanking the
master’s compassion. After which, she followed the doctor into Xuan Hall.

In the chilly wind, the servants who welcomed the powerful but despised the weak changed
their minds about Chu Qiao instantly.

Within a few moments, Chu Qiao walked out with a calm expression, without any signs of
arrogance.

When the doctor left, Jin Cai and Jin Chu, the two servants, led a few higher-ranking
servants into the room. Zhuge Yue leaned back in his chair. With his eyes half closed, he
asked softly, “Who is on duty in this house today?”

Jin Chu looked at Jin Cai. Her face ashen with fear, she stuttered, “Young Master, I, I am, I
just…”

“Say no more.” Zhuge Yue’s voice rang cold and deep. “You know the rules here. I don’t
keep lazy servants. Go down and receive thirty ogs of the cane. After which, take my letter
to the An Jun Court to get a job.”

Once she heard his words, Jin Chu’s tears owed from her eyes. She cried as she knelt on
the ground, “Young Master, can you forgive me this time, I would not dare do it again.”

Zhuge Yue raised his brows. Two burly guards walked forward instantly, dragging Jin Chu
out of the room.

“Who are the gatekeepers?”

Two servants knelt onto the oor, their bodies trembling as they kowtowed continuously.
They were so afraid that they did not speak a word.

Zhuge Yue opened his eyes and glanced at the two servants. He said, “It’s you two?” With a
little sneer, he continued, “All the while, you two were always hitting others. This time, get
fl
ff
fl
fl
fi
 the canes and go to the well to hit each other. When one dies, the other will not need to
su er punishment.”

The house was lled with dead silence, and Zhuge Yue was upset due to his injured wrist.
He frowned and ordered, “Get out, all of you! Just looking at you makes me frustrated.”

Everyone looked as if they had been pardoned. They shu ed back in unison. This time, a
small voice suddenly squeaked, “Young Master, can I shift the pots containing burnt rattan
outside Xuan Hall?”

Zhuge Yue picked up his brows, looking in the direction of the voice.

Chapter 11
As everyone turned their heads they saw the little maid, who had just entered Qing Shan
Courtyard. Standing in the crowd with her small gure, she gently spoke, “Even though it’s
winter, we are situated near the hot spring that provides much warmth but also mosquitoes
and moths. Rattan itself attracts these bugs but burning it emits more warmth and further
attracts the birds and mice. They feed on the bugs which then, attracts the snakes which
feed on the mice. This is common knowledge and the maids should have thought long and
hard about it.”

Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows with alarm, turned his head and asked with a stern tone,
“Who brought these pots of rattan here?”

Jin Cai was frightened and murmured hesitantly, “Sir, these few pots were sent by the Zhu
household caretaker yesterday, explaining that they are a speciality of South Xinjiang. He
thought that you would like it and speci cally requested the maids to place them here.”

“Zhu Shun?” Zhuge Yue pondered for a while, his eyes turned slightly cold and he slowly
spoke, “This caretaker has become more brazen. If he buys a dagger and requests to put it
on my bed, I bet you will do as instructed.”

Utterly shocked, Jin Cai hurriedly exclaimed, “I would not dare!”

Zhuge Yue did not utter a word and as his servants were about to leave, he suddenly said,
“You will serve in the interior from now on.”

The crowd stood still and wondered who he was referring to.

Zhuge Yue frowned impatiently, pointed to Chu Qiao and said, “You.”

Everyone suddenly stared in unison.

Chu Qiao respectfully responded, “I will obey your command.”

After exiting the main Xuan Hall, the servants just threw Jin Zhu, who was covered with
blood, into the cart. This weak girl was just handed thirty strokes of the cane and was about
to be thrown in An Jun Hall, an insu erable place. How is she going to survive?

ff
fi

ff
fi
fi
ffl
Jin Cai felt ominous and shuddered at the sight. Just then, a sweet voice was heard behind
her. She turned her head and saw Chu Qiao smiling eye to eye while looking at her, she then
sweetly said, “Sister Jin Cai, let’s work together from here on. I am still young and immature,
please take good care of me!”

Jin Cai suddenly panicked without understanding why but still tried to maintain a calm
expression and replied, “We are all servants and working together… together is a must.”

“Yes.” Chu Qiao smiled and replied, “Then Sister Jin Cai, don’t you think you should forgive
Nuan Yu and those children?”

Albeit feeling slightly angry, Jin Cai still nodded her head and said, “Their time here is almost
up too, they can leave.”

“I shall thank you for them,” Chu Qiao grinned and walked towards the shivering cold
children. She spun around like she suddenly thought of something and said, “If Sister Jin
Zhu was as kind as you, Shu Tong and Lin Xi wouldn’t have been beaten alive by the Master.
That’s why it pays to be kind. Lin Xi has only been dead for 3 days and it looks like Jin Zhu
is going to be dead too. This thought sends a shudder down my spine.”

Jin Cai couldn’t put up a fake front anymore. She turned white with fear and glared intensely
at Chu Qiao. Thinking that this small child gives o such an evil aura was frightening.

Chu Qiao edged her way forward and whispered into Jin Cai’s ear, “After committing evil
deeds, there is bound to be retribution. If one has yet to be served what they deserve, it’s
just that it has yet to come. Don’t you think so?”

Jin Cai was shocked, took a step back and left hurriedly.

Chu Qiao reacted immediately and grabbed onto her shoulder. Jin Cai was appalled and
jumped aside, exclaiming, “What do you want?”

Chu Qiao sighed coldly and said without a hint of a smile, “Why are you nervous? I merely
wanted to direct you back to that dish of peaches.”

“Peaches?”

“We are both interior servants now and are equal in status. I’ve retrieved the peaches from
Nanyuan with much hard work, don’t you think I should be the one to present it?”

Jin Cai was speechless upon hearing that.

Chu Qiao turned and walked towards the ower room. She thought out loud while speaking,
“We should all know our place and should not do what we aren’t supposed to do, then can
we become great people of our time. Some things can only be said once and some
warnings can only be warranted once. Slowly re ect on how you are going to treat people
and handle matters correctly the next time.”

After noon, the bright sun’s rays pierced down on the snowy ground.

fl
fl
ff
This was not any ordinary day, because the court of elders decreed the military to be
activated. Huang Army immediately set out to commence counter-insurgency. The warlords
of the seven divisions were ghting aggressively with each other to take over the helm of the
Huang Army. The head of Zhuge Prefecture, Zhuge Mu Qing, was not around, The decision
making was assigned to Zhuge Huai.

Also on this day, the fourth prince of Zhuge Prefecture, Zhuge Yue, was hurt by the bite of a
poisonous snake. Although he was given immediate medical attention, he still needed time
to recuperate. Despite his young age, he was the Huang Army’s Major General, birthed in
the hall. He had led men to counter insurgents three times and was highly skilled. In the
Zhuge Family, he was the leader apart from Zhuge Huai. The other divisions received
information about him promptly from their informants. After Zhuge Huai placed his brother in
the leadership position, the rest quickly voiced their opposition.

That afternoon, the imperial doctor entered the Zhuge Prefecture. Zhuge Clan wanted to
take over the Huang Army, he had no choice but to abandon his plan of taking over.

This action brought about an overwhelming response. Upon hearing this, the elders of
Zhuge Clan all came , taking over the Zhuge Main Residence.

On the same day, because of Zhuge Yue’s injury, the Zhuge Prefecture staged the usual
drama and competition. Jin Zhu, the main servant of the Fourth Master who always bullied
others, was caned while the two servants of the Qing Shan Courtyard fought each other,
resulting in one dead and one injured. Due to the severity of his injuries, he passed away the
next day. Zhu household’s main caretaker was given twenty strokes because of a few pots
which induced trouble for him. He was still lamenting while recuperating.

At the rear of the mountain, crocodiles were kept in a pavilion on a lake beside the hot
spring. Once again, three corpses surfaced silently and were food for the crocodiles, but no
one seemed to care.

As the dark, starry night loomed, Chu Qiao received the last bunch of notes and gradually
placed it in the rattan pot.

These past few days, Jin Cai was unable to concentrate. Every time she saw the child from
the Jing Family, she would feel a chill rising from the bottom of her feet, resulting in a loss of
appetite and a feeling like there was a shbone stuck in her throat.

From early in the morning when the weather was good, the servants cleaned up the snow in
the courtyard and carried on with the rest of the day’s work in an orderly manner. While
preparing a meal, news came from the Red Hill Court, Master Mu of the South of the Five
Ridges, Master Wei, Seventh Royal Highness Zhao, Eighth Royal Highness Zhao Jue,
Thirteenth Royal Highness Zhao Song and Emperor Yan were gathered in the glass hall of
Red Hill Court. The Eldest Master was already there accompanying them while the Third and
Fifth Masters are still making their way there. The Fourth Master was asked to make his way
there to join in the crowd if his body had recovered.

Zhuge Yue was more introverted. He did not go on walks frequently with his siblings, but
prefered to stay in Qing Shan Courtyard to read or eat on his own. He lacked exuberance
fi
fi
and if not for his cruelty, he was known to keep to himself. He received the news while lying
on his bed and informed the messenger that he wasn’t feeling too well; hence he wouldn’t
be making his way there.

Chu Qiao gently fanned the incense and upon receiving the information, she raised her
eyebrows but remained silent. After some time, while the food was going to be delivered,
she followed quietly behind the servant delivering the food and retreated.

Jin Cai took a slight glance but kept her thoughts to herself, and after some e ort, she made
her way out.

Despite being termed a hall, it was actually just a pavilion. It was located on the octagonal
mountain in Red Hill Court, below lied a green lake. Since it was the middle of the winter, the
lake was frozen with layers of snow. It was surrounded by red and white plum trees on each
side which disrupted the bright white landscape, painting vibrant colors.

Behind the plum trees lay Zhuge Family’s horse racing hill. The huge plains were fully grown
with pastures brought in by members of the Zhuge Family, specially used to rear the
superior breed of horses. This huge plot of land had few visitors as servants were not
allowed to enter, hence the serenity.

Chu Qiao was small in stature and she cleverly evaded the watchful eyes of the guards,
entering and hastily climbing onto the plains of the horse racing hill and yet no one found
out.

The small stature of Chu Qiao had both its pros and cons. Take for example, now that she
has to shift the pots, she has to put in additional e ort.

As Chu Qiao was about to leave, she saw a suspicious looking shadow creeping about. She
bent down and waited until the person left before gradually approaching. She saw a dark
horse being tied to a pine tree on her way down. The horse looked strong and well-groomed
but did not respond despite noticing her presence. She was puzzled, as this seemingly well-
trained horse should be resistant towards the approach of a stranger. Upon lowering her
head, she noticed a bundle of buckwheat which had yet to be nished. She tiptoed forward
and held the horse’s head and took a closer look for a long time, but the horse did not react.

As she was just about to leave, she turned her head and saw a few dozen white feathered
arrows in the bag attached to the horse. She took one out to observe the pure white
arrowhead and noticed a carving of “Swallow” forcefully edged on the surface.

The leaders of the various divisions were feasting in the hall while admiring the plum trees.
Chu Qiao ran along the deserted trail on the precipice of the octagon mountain. She placed
the burning rattan on the trail and poured out a few snakes from the bag she carried.

“Ha! I knew you were the one causing trouble!”A shrill voice suddenly sounded.

Chu Qiao turned around and saw Jin Cai smugly standing there.

Jin Cai chided, “I will de nitely tell the Fourth Master this time and that’s it for you!”

fi
ff
fi
ff
“Is that so?” Chu Qiao tilted her head and slyly smiled. Upon hearing trailing footsteps in the
distance, she shook her head and said, “I don’t think so.” She instantly leaned back and fell
along the precipice.

“It’s there!” Voices in the distance sounded in unison.

Jin Cai wasn’t able to yell out her surprise before getting ferociously pinned down by a
group of burly men.

Zhu Shun glared at her and muttered, “Jin Cai, now that you’ve been caught with the loot,
what have you got to say?”

Jin Cai was taken aback and hurriedly defended herself, “It’s not me, it’s Jing Xing Er! I just
followed her here!”

“Nonsense, I saw you loitering around suspiciously and going to steal that pot of rattan from
Zhu housekeeper, yet you still dare to accuse others!” A crisp voice sounded.

Jin Cai turned and saw a familiar little girl standing beside Zhu Shun. Suddenly it clicked
and she realized the situation, shouting “She’s in cahoots with Jing Xing Er, Zhu
housekeeper, don’t believe her!”

Zhu Shun was sitting in a padded chair lifted by four burly men. After su ering from beatings
a few days ago, his bottom was still swelling. After being told, he frowned and spoke in his
low voice, “You said you were here with Jing Xing Er, so where exactly is she?”

Chapter 12
“She jumped o the cli .”

“What?” Zhu Shun was angry and instantaneously snapped, “You think I’m an idiot? You
mean the lass from Jing household set you up and jumped to her death thereafter?”

“I…”

“A bunch of nonsense,” Zhu Shun shouted, “You were in here for four to ve years and I
have always treated you well. Your ght with Jin Zhu in Qing Shan Court is your own a airs,
why did you drag me into it? What are you trying to do now? Are you trying to get me into
trouble in front of the various masters?”

“Zhu caretaker, please believe me.”

“Guys! Teach her a good lesson!”

A shrilling scream sounded.

Chu Qiao held on tightly onto a rope she had prepared previously and swung herself into a
small cave. This octagonal mountain was made up of piles of charcoal rocks. Every spring,
there will be purple moss appearing on the charcoal rocks. After roasting it, it has a unique
smell which calms the soul. Every spring, people from Zhuge family will collect the mosses
ff

ff
fi
ff
fi
ff
from the cli and as time passed, they dug up a man-sized hole. Chu Qiao spent a lot of
time in the backyard and was made well-aware of the existence of this hole. She carefully
placed the withered grass she plucked apart and kept her rope, waiting for the crowd to
disperse.

At this moment, warm breath could be felt in her ear, a male voice whispered with a chuckle,
“This girl, how are you so wicked?”

Chu Qiao was shocked. She immediately turned around and hastily struck the person with
the hook attached to her rope.

“It’s hard to imagine you are a child who is not even ten years old yet.” The person was agile
and grabbed ahold of Chu Qiao’s small hands with ease, his voice tranquil.

Because of Chu Qiao’s small stature, this person pinned her down to the oor with just one
hand. But she still unyieldingly raised her head and was surprised as she raised her
eyebrows, “It’s you?”

The man seemed to be stunned for a moment too and carefully scrutinized the child. He had
an epiphany and smiled, “Who am I? So it’s you, is the medicine still e ective?”

The man had dashing eyebrows with a sharp nose, jet-black eyes with an incisiveness
hidden below his gentleness. Impressively, he is a distinguished guest of today’s gala, Royal
Highness of Yan, Yan Xun.

Chu Qiao determinedly raised her head and said coldly, “Why are you here? What are you
trying to do?”

Yan Xun grinned, “I should be the one asking you this.”

Many thoughts ran across Chu Qiao’s mind and she repeatedly considered the chances of
pushing this man down the cli . While she was considering, she tried to reach for the
dagger hidden at her waist.

Yan Xun pointed at her and said calmly, “If you don’t want to be discovered, you better be
obedient and not have any other ideas. Such a small child, how can you be so wicked?”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrow, “Compared to you people, I am far from wicked. With you
hiding here, you are probably up to no good too. Pot calling the kettle black, don’t be a
hypocrite and act like you’re a big help to me.”

Yan Xun instantly stood up upon hearing this, plied open the worm and shouted, “Who’s
above?”

Chu Qiao gasped and did not manage to stop him in time. If she was exposed, Xiao Ba will
get into trouble too. She immediately pulled out her dagger and thrust it towards Yan Xun.

Yan Xun did a hook with his natural re ex and lounged onto Chu Qiao’s mouth, bringing her
into his embrace. Just then, an alarmed voice came from above and Yan Xun stuck his head
ff
ff
fl
ff
fl
out and shouted, “His Royal Highness is here appreciating the plum trees, why are you guys
causing a ruckus? Quickly disperse.”

Zhu Shun was brought to the cli by his men and upon seeing Yan Xun, he lost his
dominance and bowed down for a long while before hastily bringing his men away.

Yan Xun grinned as he released her arm, spun around and said, “This counts as me giving
you a big helping hand right?”

Chu Qiao is short and is below Yan Xun’s shoulders. She stuck her ear out and listened for a
while,realizing that there wasn’t any movement above. She threw her hook above and
ensured that it was ledged on properly before turning over and maneuvering her way up.

Yan Xun squinted and observed her. Although she is de nitely more agile, she doesn’t seem
to be from a martial arts background. While she is brave, she is not reckless with nimble
movements. The cave was merely a meter below, Yan Xun rmly held onto the cli and with
a surge of force, he jumped up.

Chu Qiao kept her hook and surveyed her surroundings to ensure her safety before leaving.
She suddenly turned around and said coldly, “I don’t like to owe people favors. Later on
before making your way back, look carefully at your horse.”

Yan Xun was slightly taken aback. By the time he recovered his sense, the child was long
gone. In the distance, she seemed like a dog crawling on the rugged trail and was gone
after a moment.

The young Royal Highness of Yan squinted and gave a slight grin, “Interesting.”

Descending the octagonal mountain, she passed by a strip of exquisite rockwork before
entering the plum forest.

Today the various vagrants of Huang City’s great families were gathered at Zhuge Court, the
plum forest area was under extra watchful eyes, hence extremely quiet. While treading
through, Chu Qiao occasionally leisurely tiptoed to pluck some plum owers.

“Hey you! Come over!” A rude voice shouted out, seemingly of a child’s but was of an
overbearing tone.

Chu Qiao glanced and saw a young prince dressed in an emerald robe with an intricate
depiction of a u y snow white sable tail embroidered in golden stitches. He had a bright
face and slightly crinkled sharp nose. His et black eyes stared at her and shouted, “Yes, you!
I’m calling for you!”

Chu Qiao frowned but thought it best not to cause any trouble. She bowed down
respectfully and said, “I still have things to do, please excuse me.” Once she completed her
sentence, she turned and left.

The young prince was taken aback as he did not expect this servant to leave as she wished.
He wrinkled his nose and suddenly yielded the whip in his hand and shouted, “You mongrel!
So daring!”

fl
ff
ff
fi
fi
fl
ff
 Once she heard the sound, she turned back immediately and grabbed the tip of the whip
with her bare hands while staring coldly at him.

Little did he know that Zhuge household’s servant was so ferocious, he used all his might
and tugged but to no avail. He pouted and raged, “Do you want to die? I will tell my men to
chop you up!”

Chu Qiao smiled coldly and nimbly spun the whip. The whip immediately slipped out of the
young prince’s hand and into her own. Despite being less than eight years old, having a
small stature and with a tender face, her glare was de nitely not of a child. She calmly
edged forward and said without a tinge of emotion, “The whip is used for chasing horses
and not for you to attack others.” Once she nished speaking, she handed the whip back to
him and turned to leave.

Seeing that this girl was smaller in stature but was full of con dence and was so nimble, he
felt attracted to her. Seeing her leave, he felt anxious but he was not able to speak to her
positively with his huge ego. He presumptuously ran up and blocked her path, “You are a
servant from which Zhuge Court? What’s your name? Do you know who I am? Do you
believe I will ask my men to chop you up?”

Chu Qiao lifted up her head, glanced at him slightly and pushed his arm away. She raised
her eyebrows in disdain, “You can’t beat me so you will have to call your men, what a
weakling. No matter your status, I’m not interested to nd out.”

The plum trees swayed as the young prince stood amidst the trees; he stared blankly at Chu
Qiao disappearing into the horizon.

After reaching Qing Shan Court, she said her greetings to those around and headed straight
to Xuan Hall. Zhuge Yue was lying on his bed with a lazy demeanour and just vaguely
looked at Chu Qiao without lifting his head.

She walked towards a jade vase and removed the owers from the day before, placing the
plum owers she plucked into the vase. After which, she went beside Zhuge Yue and
kneeled down at the incense burner. She mixed the slush from the plum owers with basil
before carefully pouring it into the incense burner and gently fanned it. Immediately there
was a refreshing smell, Zhuge Yue took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.

A long time passed and Zhuge Yue seemed to have fallen asleep. At this moment, there
were sudden movements outside and he wearily opened his eyes.

“Fourth Master, Zhu caretaker deployed his man to inform us that at the octagonal mountain
he had caught Jin Cai red-handed, laying out a pot of rattan and many poisonous snakes.
She’s being trailed now.”

Zhuge Yue half-opened his eyes and leisurely said, “Even though Jin Cai is bossy, she is
timid, she wouldn’t dare to bring poisonous snakes with her. Did anyone hear what she
said?”

fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
“She said…”The servant’s voice trailed o while darting a look at Chu Qiao quietly sitting in
the corner. He whispered, “She said she was following behind Chu Qiao and even said that
she had set up both Jin Cai and Jin Zhu. Her purpose is to take revenge for the deaths of
the children of the Jing household.”

“Xing Er,” Zhuge Yue reclined on his bed, lifted up his teacup and said calmly, “Explain
yourself.”

Chu Qiao kneeled down and replied calmly, “I didn’t do it.”

“So where did you go?”

“Xing Er went to the plum garden.”

“Did anyone else see you?”

The child shook her head but thought for a moment and said, “Xing Er saw a young prince
at the garden. He isn’t from our court, he’s slightly over ten years old and was wearing a
jade robe with a snow white sable tail. I don’t know his name.”

“Hm,” Zhuge Yue nodded his head and told the messenger, “You go.”

The messenger was slightly taken aback and said with uncertainty, “So for Miss Jin Cai…”

Zhuge Yue raised his head, closed his eyes and leaned on the bed. He gently said, “She has
to pay the price for her mistakes, see how the court wants to handle her.”

The messenger nodded and left. The house was quiet with the slight scent of the smoky
incense.

“Xing Er, do you hate the court for killing your relatives?”

Chu Qiao looked down and replied obediently, “Master, Xing Er has been the court’s servant
from a young age. And only because of you, I have a warm bed to sleep on, warm food to
eat and clothes to keep me warm. I’m still young and my heart can’t contain so many
thoughts. I only wish to serve my master well and live properly.”

“Yes,” Zhuge Yue nodded his head, “What you’re thinking is right. Even though you are
young, you are still reliable. Next time, the matters of Xuan Hall will be handed to you to
manage.”

Chapter 13
“Yes, young master. Thank you!” The child respectfully lowered her head. After quite some
time, she suddenly asked, “Does young master believe that sister Jin Zhu was set up by
sister Jin Cai?”

Zhuge Yue let out a short groan. “Jin Cai is not a daring person, and even if she had the
guts, she was not intelligent enough to come up with this plan. Zhu Shun is an elder here,
but made a mistake and was punished for it. His ego was too big, and he wanted to nd an

ff
fi
 excuse for his mistake, which is okay. However, he shouldn’t push the blame to people from
my courtyard, setting up a false image of a tussle between the servants in Qing Shan court
in order to prove himself innocent. He hasn’t learned properly from his past experiences.”

“Then why doesn’t young master help sister Jin Cai? She will get beaten to death by the
court.”

“If she really did it, I actually would save her. But she fell so easily into somebody else’s trap,
and that was enough to prove her stupidity. There’s no point of letting someone like that
stay with me.”

The sun rays were piercing into the room from the window cracks and the refreshing scent
of the plum owers gradually emanated.

Ultimately Zhu Shun had already served in the Zhuge residence for over ten years and
hadn’t wasted his years being useless. Although he truly believed that it was due to the
tussle between Jin Cai and Jin Zhu that he was incriminated, he was afraid that Zhuge Yue
wouldn’t believe him and might think that he was trying to wash away his fault by setting Jin
Cai up. Hence, Zhu Shun didn’t let the court beat Jin Cai to death, but instead wanted to
wait until the next day to report to his First Young Master, who would be free then.

At night, the court was dead silent. In the pitch black woodshed, Jin Cai’s esh seemed to
have been torn apart, with marks from whipping all over. She appeared to have received a
heavy sentence. Chu Qiao stood in front of Jin Cai, scooped up a ladle of water and
dumped it all over Jin Cai’s face. Jin Cai groaned a little and slowly woke up. Upon seeing
Chu Qiao, she raged and ercely shouted, “You b*tch! You still dare to come see me?!”

Chu Qiao calmly stood in front of her and quietly listened to her cursing and swearing. After
a while, she gently smiled and said, “If you really want to die, feel free to continue shouting.”

Jin Cai’s clothes were tainted red, her face ghostly white as she heaved heavily with hate
lled eyes.

Chu Qiao shook her head and said slowly, “Even if I didn’t have an intent to harm a snake,
the snake still wants to bite me. I have warned you before, you shouldn’t have repeatedly
gone against me. If you didn’t stalk me, you wouldn’t have su ered this consequence. It
ultimately was your own fault. How could you blame others?”

“You wicked b*tch, even if I was dead, I would haunt you as a ghost!”

Chu Qiao let out a sigh. “So you really want to die?”

Jin Cai was taken aback as Chu Qiao continued speaking, “I didn’t intend to harm you, and
whatever happened today was only to teach you a lesson. Too bad the fourth master
refused to save you. Seems like you will be accompanying Jin Zhu in the Ting Lake soon.”

Jin Cai’s face became paler after she heard this. She looked at Chu Qiao and her eyes
revealed a glimpse of her pleading for her life. She hurriedly said, “Xing Er, neither we were
implacable foes in the past, nor did we had much hatred toward each other recently. Lin Xi’s
fi
fl
fi
ff
fl
death was all Jin Zhu’s idea, I just acquiesced. If you could come here without being
noticed, I’m sure you can save me. Please save me, I don’t want to die!” After which, she
trembled and started bawling.

Chu Qiao sighed, placed her bag down and said, “Don’t cry already. You think I’m here
tonight to just chat with you? You do not deserve to die, and since I caused you to be in this
situation, I de nitely won’t leave you to be. Put on this clothes and I will bring you out
immediately.” She came forward and undid the ropes tied to Jin Cai’s body.

Jin Cai was delighted and asked, “Can we escape? The security here is very tight.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve bribed the guards at the back door. The master is returning home. You’re
just an insigni cant maid; no one will bother to investigate. As long as you can escape, you
won’t die.”

Jin Cai followed closely behind Chu Qiao, and they both slipped out from the window and
passed the rockery of Red Hill court. Suddenly they heard footsteps in the distance. It was
the guards who were patrolling. Both girls immediately squatted down and dared not take a
step forward.

Chu Qiao turned back and handed her bag to Jin Cai. She whispered, “I will go distract
those people, you make your way to the western gate. I’ve already made an arrangement
with the gatekeeper. Once you are there, just mention my name and you will be free to go.
Here is some money and clothing. It belonged to sister Zhi Xiang. They’re a little small and I
don’t know if you can t into them. I don’t have much money and that’s all I can give you.
You take care of yourself after you leave and make good choices please.” She turned and
went to the other side, making some noise as she left so that the guards on duty would
notice and chase toward her direction.

Jin Cai opened the bag to nd that there was such a meager amount of money that she
couldn’t even a ord to buy a roasted goose. She raised her eyebrows. The clothes were
either torn or dirty, and they were ugly and gave o a weird smell. She was even more upset.
She thought that instead of being a proper servant, she had ended up as a fugitive. If she
was caught, she would de nitely die. This was all due to Jing Xing Er, who acted like she
was a good person. So shameless of her.

Jin Cai took the money and threw the bag on the oor. She didn’t care about the
consequences Chu Qiao had to face if people found this bag and its contents after she
successful escape.

The cold wind blew and tugged on the corners of her clothes, the moon shone down
brightly on the earth.

At that moment, in Zhu Shun’s room, a man’s heavy breathing and a woman’s tender
moaning with dirty talk could be heard. The winter night was freezing, and the guards had
long found warm places to take a nap. The small child tiptoed her way to Zhu Shun’s door.
She didn’t make a single visible action or audible sound.

fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
Chu Qiao knelt outside Zhu Shun’s door. Her eyes shone like diamonds in the pitch black
environment, showing her wise and calm demeanor. The man inside let out a groan,
followed by the rustling sound of him putting on his clothes. Chu Qiao picked up a stone
and threw it at the door. The rock hit with a soft thud, but enough to be heard by the people
inside. Zhu Shun raised his voice, “Who’s out there?”

Chu Qiao did not reply but picked up another stone and again threw it at his door.

“I’m coming!” the man said frustrated. “In the middle of the night, who’s that?”

The door was pulled open but no one was to be seen, Zhu Shun raised his eyebrows
astonished, stuck out his head, and started walking out. Once he lifted his leg, he was
tripped by a rope that he didn’t notice before crashing to the ground.

“Ouch!” he screamed in pain and was about to curse. A black sack was placed over his
head, obscuring his vision. He was shocked and realized that something was amiss. He
started shouting and throwing his hands around.

The night was dark and freezing. Chu Qiao held her sharp dagger, her eyes and lips revealed
a cold-hearted expression. She directed her dagger at his chubby hand and slashed it. A
loud shriek that sounded like a pig going through a slaughterhouse erupted. Zhu Shun held
his wrist painfully and rolled around on the ground. Chu Qiao immediately escaped
westwards, towards the direction of the owerbeds.

Behind her, a clutter of footsteps from the guards followed and a sharp scream from a
woman could be heard. “What happened? Ah! Who did this to you, Steward Zhu?”

The woman’s clothing was not on properly. She was shocked and said, “I did not clearly see
who it was. I could only tell the person was short, seems like…seems like a child.”

“Where did the person head towards?”

“West!”

“Chase!”

Over ten people’s footsteps made their way in front of her and swept past her. She tried her
best to crouch and hide among the bushes. The voices slowly drifted away and the
surroundings quieted down. The child patted the soil and dirt o her body before standing
up and leisurely started to leave. Her pace was unusual casual and con dent.

As she passed by the rockwork of Red Hill court, she saw her bag with its contents messily
sprawled about, as she had expected. She sneered, picked up her bag and walked towards
Qing Shan court. She carefully climbed through the back window and changed into white
pajamas. Voices outside became louder and the torch was glaring, lighting up the sky.

Chu Qiao ran her hand through her hair and rubbed her eyes before opening the door with a
sleepy expression. She coincidentally met a few of the other young maids who just opened
their doors.

fl
ff
fi
“What happened?”

These few servants were already thirteen to fourteen years old but their status was not as
high as Chu Qiao’s. They blankly shook their heads. Then, the opening of a door could be
heard from Xuan hall, and they hurriedly ran over there.

Zhuge Yue was gloomy and saw the unkempt Chu Qiao and the other servants. He asked
his bodyguard, “What happened? Why is there so much noise?”

“Young Master, there seemed to be an assassin. Steward Zhu’s hand was cut o . Guards at
the western door captured Jin Cai trying to escape. She was brought back to the court.”

Zhuge Yue was shocked but a chuckle followed. “Who would’ve thought Jin Cai had such a
temperament.”

The guard carefully looked at Chu Qiao. “When Jin Cai was caught, she screamed that she
was set up by Chu Qiao and that she had done nothing.”

Once this was said, all attention turned to Chu Qiao. She wrinkled her small face and her big
innocent eyes blinked as they watered, and she felt she was wronged. She turned and
looked pitifully at Zhuge Yue and sadly claimed, “The fourth master, I’ve…I’ve been in my
room sleeping this whole time. I-I didn’t…”

“Fourth Master, Xing Er was in her room the whole time, we all saw,” a third-class maid
stepped forward and said.

Other servants started standing up for Chu Qiao.

Zhuge Yue nodded his head and told his messenger, “Tell the court, if that woman continues
spouting nonsense, don’t even bother to give her a trial, just throw her into the lake. How
old is Xing Er? How could Jin Cai’s talk get more and more ridiculous?”

The servant immediately nodded his head and left.

Zhuge Yue looked at his young maids and said, “Go back to sleep,” and went back into
Xuan hall.

Chu Qiao stood in her spot, her face revealing her displeasure from being wronged. A few of
the other servants tugged at her and said, “Xing Er, don’t be afraid, we are your witnesses.
She can’t accuse you.”

Chu Qiao nodded her head and with a weeping voice, said, “Thank you, sisters.”

It was already late in the night and the cold wind continued blowing. Today was the seventh
day after the children from the Jing family had left this world. The people who caused their
death had nally paid their dues with their blood.

However, this little amount of pay back, was far from enough.

The “assassin” incident was a hot topic and causing chaos until the next day. Zhu Shun was
left with one hand and took his rage out by ordering his men to beat Jin Cai to death. She
fi
ff
was already injured previously, and was killed within two hours. She was thrown into the
lake with a straw mat to feed the crocodiles.

Zhuge Yue had been a loner and was unsociable. Xuan hall initially only had Jin Zhu and Jin
Cai, but within a few days they died one after another. Now, only Chu Qiao was left. She
was still young and was not even eight years old. She had a baby-like face and spoke with
childish voice. No matter how capable she was, outsiders still more or less felt weird that
she would be in charge. In less than half a day, rumors had spread throughout the
residence, claiming that the fourth young master was following in the old grand master’s
footsteps, and had developed an abnormal liking for the ungrown young girls.

Chapter 14
As a result, Chu Qiao was treated with even more respect by the others.

In the afternoon, Chu Qiao wore a brand new white cherry apple dress, white camel fur
boots and two emerald jade owers on her head. She looked adorable as she bounced
along the lakeside in the backyard. She had just retrieved some agilawood incense from the
outer courtyard and as she walked past the bamboo grove, a shadow suddenly appeared in
front of her. The person let out a big laugh as he said, “Haha! Finally, I found you!”

The young prince wore a sapphire robe stitched with multi-colored birds and it was an
assemblage of colors. He elated waved his whip in front of Chu Qiao, looked at her from
head to toe, and said with a smile, “What’s up? Today’s weather is so good, let’s go
fowling.”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows when she saw the young prince beaming with excitement.
She shook her head and said, “I’m not free, I still have things to do, please excuse me.”
With that, she turned and left.

“Hey, don’t leave.” The young prince hurriedly ran to block her path by extending his arms
and said, “It was not easy for me to nd you, and I was waiting here in this garden for the
whole afternoon. How about you tell me your name and which court you belong to? I will
request Zhuge Huai to let you accompany me, what you do think?”

She raised her eyebrow, turned around and faced him. “You really want me to go with you?”

The young prince solemnly nodded his head and said, “Yes, among all the servants, you are
the most pleasing to my eye. Let me designate you as my chief bodyguard. What do you
think?”

Chu Qiao smiled and nodded. “Okay then, I will tell you my name. But whether you are able
to request me from my master, we’ll see.”

“Rest assured!” He tapped his chest and proclaimed, “Even if I requested ten, Zhuge Huai
still has to listen to me, let alone I am only asking for just you.”

fl
fi
 “Okay, listen carefully, I’m name is ‘None’ and I belong to the ‘Exist’ court. I’m under lady
‘Tricks’, and what I do is knead clay gurines for the masters and ladies to play with so that
they would have fun. You must remember.”

The young master’s eyes shone brightly and he said, “You know how to knead clay
gurines?”

“Yes.” Chu Qiao held in her laughter and seeing that this kid was adorable, she tiptoed and
extended her arm to gently pinch him on his cheek. She smiled and said, “I have many
abilities and will let you see them rst-hand in the future. I still have thores to run and I need
to leave now. Remember to talk to my First Young Master.”

“Don’t worry, I will.” The young prince nodded and grinned. “You better go back and pack
rst. I will pick you up in a short while.”

Chu Qiao walked forward for quite a while and when she turned her head, the young prince
was still standing on a boulder, enthusiastically waving his hand. Chu Qiao held back her
smile and walked through the bamboo grove, holding her agilawood incense as she headed
towards Qing Shan court.

“Named ‘None’, court ‘Exist’, servant of lady ‘Tricks’ and skilled in kneading clay gurines
and have fun. How on earth did you come up with these?” A distinctly male voice suddenly
rang out. Chu Qiao was taken by surprise and raised her head to see Yan Xun in a teal-
colored light robe, sitting on the branch of a pine tree, smiling as he gazed at her.

Chu Qiao had already revealed her true self in front of him a few times and didn’t nd the
need to hide anymore. She coldly glanced at him and angrily chided, “You climbed so high,
aren’t you afraid of falling to your death?”

“That should not be your concern. You are a wicked little kid, you should be more worried
about yourself. The dark clouds are gathering, you can’t be sure that there will not be
thunderstorms during winter and that those who are guilty of wrongdoings will be struck.”

With her small stature, she stood below the tree, looked up and said coldly, “No matter how
many wrongdoings I commit, I couldn’t compare with you brats that don’t even blink when
taking someone’s life. All of you are swine and none of you are any good.”

“How daring!” Even though his words sound serious, he still spoke with a casual tone and
smile. Yan Xun sat on the branch, looked down at the child and said, “I purposely mis red
my arrow to spare your life. To save you, I lost the winning prize of eight beautiful western
dancers from your First Young Master. You aren’t even grateful but insult me instead. What
is your reasoning?”

“Reasoning is spoken to people, what’s the point of speaking to swine? I have warned you
not to harass me again, and don’t even think of turning me in as a threat. If you dare to do
that, you are bound to regret your actions.”

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
 Once she nished her words, she turned and quickened her pace. After taking two steps,
she was struck by some object on the back of her head. She looked down and saw a
pinecone still covered in snow. She was furious. She turned her head and glared at Yan Xun
with anger. “Are you trying to provoke me?”

“Nope.” Yan Xun smiled proudly and said, “I’m not provoking you, just bullying you.”

Chu Qiao tilted her head and suddenly turned and left without uttering a word. Yan Xun
purposely acted like he was deep in thought by half shutting his eyes, thinking that the child
would argue with him. But to see her just leave like that, he was a little disappointed.

At this moment, a st-sized stone unexpectedly soared through the air towards Yan Xun’s
face. Luckily, he had learned martial arts and had good re exes. He managed to tilt his head
and dodge the hit. He was secretly pleased but suddenly felt a burst of coldness on his
back and a crashing sound ensued. From the impact on the tree, the accumulated snow
scattered all over him.

The teenage Royal Highness in nery jumped o the tree, covered in snow, and was a mess.
He raised his head and saw the little girl standing on the snow-covered ground, clapping her
hand to dust o . She saw he looked towards her, raised her right arm and pointed her
middle nger at him. She smiled proudly and turned to leave.

Yan Xun frowned slightly and pointed his middle nger too. The thirteen year old Royal
Highness Yan was quite confused, What does this gesture signify?

Eleven year old page boy Feng Mian ran out from the woods and aggressively called out,
“Your Royal Highness, I will go and capture her for you to punish this disrespectful servant.”

“You? Catch her?” Yan Xun snorted and raised his middle nger. “Feng Mian, what does this
gesture mean?”

“This?” Feng Mian was slightly taken aback but decisively said, “It should signify an
apology. She knows that what she did was overboard but she is still a child and is
embarrassed to apologize upfront, so she used that gesture to replace her words.”

“Apology?” Yan Xun frowned. “Doesn’t seem like it.”

“It must be, your Royal Highness.”

“Is that so?”

In the main hall of Red Hill court, Zhuge Huai, Zhao Che and the rest burst out into laughter
as they overheard the conversation.

Wei Jing smiled and said, “Zhuge, I didn’t know you have such a bright girl here. Now even I
wish to meet her.”

Zhuge Huai shook his head and said, “My servant isn’t sensible and put herself in a position
to be ridiculed.”

fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
 “What happened? Why are all of you laughing?” The young prince was red with
embarrassment as he seemed to know that he might have been the butt of the joke, but was
unaware of what he did wrong.

Zhao Che chuckled. “Named ‘None’, from the ‘Exist’ court, servant of lady ‘Trick’, can
knead clay gurines to play and have fun. Put it together, it was ‘none exists, play tricks and
have fun’. It was all a lie. Thirteenth brother, she was just making fun of you!”

Zhao Song’s small face was bright red with embarrassment. He stomped his foot in anger
and ran out.

A rumble sounded out. A wave of happy recracker explosions unexpectedly appeared, the
sparkles mixed in with the large snow akes on the ground. Along the streets, many children
were laughing and playing as they covered their ears and ignited the cheaper ‘thunder-
cracker’ which let out a thunderous sound but without sparks. They were having so much
fun.

The twenty- fth lantern festival after the ascension of the throne for Emperor Bai Zong of the
Xia Dynasty arrived amidst the festivities. Everyone was overwhelmed with joy as they lled
the streets. The authorities provided free recrackers for the people, which successfully
created a livelier and joyful atmosphere. Sheng Jin palace’s master appreciated the actions
of the capital magistrate and praised and rewarded him.

Amidst the thunderous sounds, Zhuge residence had also tightened their preparations for
this important day. On this day, large amounts of snow fell, which looked like goose feathers
oating everywhere. The elders in the city claimed that this year’s snowfall was a little bit
odd, as normally by this time normally there was only frost.

Chu Qiao wore her newly knitted pink dress with a fox fur coat, and her white jade-like face
was covered by the fox wool. She looked adorable with her two bright eyes, and she gently
removed snow akes that landed on her sharp nose.

“Xing Er, Young Master is calling for you.” The new servant, Huan Er, ran over with a thud,
arms akimbo as she heaved while calling for Chu Qiao.

Chu Qiao nodded and said, “Let’s go.” She headed towards Xuan hall steadily and without a
single tinge of anxiousness.

Frowning, Huan Er watched Chu Qiao walked away. After a while, she shook her head,
hurriedly trying to catch up. Compared to Chu Qiao, Zhuge Yue was more slow-paced.
When Chu Qiao pushed open the doors, she saw the fourth master of the Zhuge family
sitting on his heated couch, reading a game of go. His eyebrows frowned as he pondered.

Chu Qiao had prepared and double-checked all the items required for later, and handed
them over to the other servants. Once she was done, she poured a cup of tea and placed it
on the desk beside Zhuge Yue. She then sat straight beside the incense burner as she held
her chin and waited quietly for him.

fl
fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
 A book sat on the table and the pages were ipped open. The pages were already yellowed
which showed that it was a pretty old book. Chu Qiao was xated on the book and saw that
it was actually a Buddhist scripture, and became very curious.

Zhuge Yue could not considered to be too cruel, nor was he too sly. At a minimum, he was
not as bad as rest of his aristocrat peers who participated in the game in the royal hunting
ground that day. However, he was aloof and was extremely self-con dent. Other himself, he
did not think highly of anyone else, let alone believing in faith or religion. Why would he
change his mindset and read Buddhist scriptures?

“What is written on that is not all rubbish,” seemingly reading Chu Qiao’s mind, Zhuge Yue
muttered. He picked up a black go piece and placed it on the game board, while ipping
over a few pages of the book. “Read it out loud.”

“Living a life is like living in thorns. If your heart remains still, then your body remain calm
and still. Your body remain still, then you would not get hurt. If your heart is perturbed, your
body would follow and take rash actions, thus you would be hurt by the thorns. It would
scratch your body, pierce through your bones, and thus you would su er for all kinds of pain
in the world…”

Zhuge Yue raised his head slowly, his eyes revealed a whirlpool of thoughts as he stared at
her with a profound look. He nally smiled and said, “Not bad, you know so many words at
such a young age. Who taught you?”

Chu Qiao had already felt something was amiss when she read the rst line, hence she did
not panic, but smiled. “Thank you, Young Master, for your compliment. I have loved reading
books since I was young and learned from my brothers and sisters.”

“Is that so? Do you understand what you have read?”

“I brie y understood.” Chu Qiao replied, “Could master explain it to me?”

Zhuge Yue grinned slightly and did not speak before lowering his head and continuing to
study his go game.

Chapter 15
As time slowly passed, the attendants outside curiously entered the room multiple times.
Finally, Zhuge Yue pushed the go game board aside and stood up. The servant at his side
immediately came forward and help him put on his deer leather boots. He wore a pale blue
and dark owered robe with a bright red overcoat made of fox fur. A child, who was not
even thirteen years old, gave o an unexplainable maturity.

“Let’s go,” Zhuge Yue mumbled as he brought his entourage of servants out.

At the front of his compound, a herd of ne horses was waiting. Because of Zhuge Yue’s
delay, the other masters of Zhuge residence had already left. One servant kneeled on the
fl
fl

fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
ff
fl
 oor, and Zhuge Yue calmly walked forward and stepped on his back to climb onto the
horse.

As he completed his preparation to move out, Zhuge Yue suddenly turned his head towards
the servant standing at the front door and asked, “Xing Er, have you seen the lights during
the lantern festival?”

Chu Qiao was taken aback and hurriedly shook her head.

Zhuge Yue nodded his head and said, “Come up here, I will bring you to see them.”

Chu Qiao was stunned for a while before she realized what Zhuge Yue was implying and
hurriedly replied, “Young Master, I am not allowed to do that.”

Zhuge Yue frowned and was about to speak, but Chu Qiao instantly stood forward and said,
“Xing Er can ride her own horse.”

Zhuge Yue was not convinced as he eyed Chu Qiao’s small stature. His suspicion was very
obvious.

“Master, give a horse to Xing Er. Xing Er can ride the horse.”

Zhuge Yue gently smiled and nodded to his escort Zhu Cheng. In a while, a small claret
horse was led out. Even though it was small, it was still much larger than Chu Qiao.
Everyone’s gaze was on Chu Qiao. When they saw that she wasn’t taller than the horse’s
leg, they chuckled.

The child circled the horse for two rounds and raised her hands straight up but could only
touch the horse’s back. Zhuge Yue thought it was funny and was about to call someone to
help her up, but the child just grabbed onto the horse and with a surge of strength, climbed
onto it. Her action was very swift and precise.

The people standing around let out a gasp in surprise. Zhuge Yue turned and saw the child
covered in snow, looking like a snowball, but still sitting straight and proudly on the horse.
He couldn’t help but smile to himself before tapping the horse to leave.

Of course, Chu Qiao knew how to ride a horse. Even though this body was a little
inconvenient, the good thing was that this horse was very tame. Once it saw the other
horses leaving, it followed suit.

There was no curfew in the city, and as that day was the lantern festival, the streets were still
crowded and lively. It was almost evening already as the skies had darkened. The streets
were illuminated and the skies were lled with reworks. A cool wind blew. Passing by the
river bend, the beautiful lanterns illuminated the streets. The sides of the walkway were lled
with dragon-shaped red lights and many tenements were converted to stages for
performances. Dances, variety shows, dramas and music were everywhere. The lights and
reworks brightened up the night sky as hawkers lined the street soliciting customers,
selling alcohol, tobacco, food, clothes, vegetables, fruits, furniture, owers, and reworks.
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
Whatever the people wanted was available. The night sky seemed to be like a vibrant
brocade with the world’s magni cence scrambled all over as everyone gathered together.

Chu Qiao sat on her horse as she looked around, soaking in the rare sight of the night scene
in olden times.

Zhuge family was renowned and respected. Wherever they went, people would give way.
They passed by an elegant building decorated with many unique and vibrant lanterns, such
as adorable animals, celestial plants and owers. The stall owner saw Zhuge Yue stopping,
and immediately brought a big golden dragon lantern forward and started singing his
praises.

Zhuge Yue seemed to ignore what he was saying and merely pointed at another hanging
lantern. “Bring that one here.”

The stall owner turned back and saw the fourth master pointing at a snow-white rabbit
lantern. He was stunned momentarily at this young master’s choice.

As Zhuge Yue held on to the lantern, his face revealed a rare smile. He handed the lantern
over to Chu Qiao and said, “For you.”

Chu Qiao was shocked and subconsciously extended her hand to take it, even forgot to
express her gratitude.

Zhuge Yue was expressionless and turned around before tapping the horse to continue
moving on like nothing had happened. The people around carefully eyed Chu Qiao as they
moved around her, pondering about what had happened.

Chu Qiao felt a bit ironic. She was really treated as a child.

The rabbit lantern was very exquisite. It was spotlessly white with its pair of red eyes, and as
Chu Qiao extended her nger to gently tap on the mouth, a strip of pink ribbon for a tongue
stuck out, surprising her.

At that instant, a gentle chuckle could be heard. Chu Qiao turned around, a bright and
colorful parade passed by and blocked her view. There were all kinds of varieties of carts
such as golden dragon, colorful phoenix, jade butter ies, snow foxes, fairy and goddess and
all kinds of owers. There were so many that she felt giddy looking at all of them at once.
Streams of people and carriages travelling up and down the streets, and they brightened the
night.

Finally, the parade had moved on. The other end of the long street could be seen. Snow
piled on the frozen lake and the willow branch hung low with snow and icicles on it. The
black steed leisurely stood there as a green robed young man stood with his arms crossed.
He was apathetically leaning on the tree while he gazed forward with his bright black eyes
and gently smiled.

All of sudden, a loud bang could be heard and everyone immediately looked up. They saw
an extravagant reworks display which resembled fairies dancing in the sky. A mischievous
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
 kid threw a recracker under Chu Qiao’s horse, and since it was the rst time the horse had
been out, it was frightened and raised its hooves to sprint to escape.

The young man at the tree witnessed this and immediately climbed onto his mount, whipped
it and headed towards Chu Qiao’s horse.

Zhuge residence’s personnel were shocked but they were separated by the crowd and were
unable to react in time.

Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrow, whipped his horse and wanted to go over but was held back
by his escort. He was angered and whipped the escort’s face. He raised his head and was
about to chase her but the street was already a mess. With the crowd and the bright lights,
Chu Qiao was already gone.

The horse raced forward as the cold wind howled. The chatter and noises gradually faded
away in the distance and only the footsteps of the horse could be heard. The little red horse
might have been small, but it was of a superior breed and was fast. Chu Qiao’s small hands
grabbed tightly onto the horse and she crouched on the horse’s back as she calmly
observed her surroundings. Her mind raced. Jing Yue Er’s small frame wouldn’t be able to
survive the fall from the horse’s back at such a high speed so she would need to nd an
escape.

At this moment, the quickened sound of hooves could be heard from the back. A horse was
catching up to Chu Qiao and had equalled the horse Chu Qiao was on.

“You plead with me and I will save you!” The teenage boy’s voice was scattered by the cold
wind blowing, but Chu Qiao could still hear bits and pieces of it. She turned her head and
glared sternly at the young men who was laughing at her misfortune. Her gaze was xated
and re ected no sign of panic.

“Or you tell me what that gesture means and I will save you!”

The cold wind was brittle as the little horse raced along in knee-deep snow. It’s speed
gradually reduced, but there was no sign of stopping.

There was no time to lose. Chu Qiao suddenly released both her hands and with one hand
pushing against the horse’s back, she leapt in the direction of the young boy.

With a thud, Chu Qiao’s body was thrown onto the teenage. He let out a gasp and tried to
stop the horse but was a little late. Both of them were thrown o the horse and landed on
the soft snow before rolling to the ground. The black horse was unaware and was still
chasing after the little red horse. They gradually faded into the night sky and couldn’t be
seen anymore.

“Flurry!” The teenage called out as he raised both his eyebrows. He staggered two steps
before he shrugged o the snow on his body, but it was a wasted e ort.

fl
fi
ff
ff
ff
fi
fi
fi
 “This horse should be dragged back and slaughtered. If it doesn’t even know its owner fell
o it, what’s the point of keeping it?” Chu Qiao crawled up and patted o the snow on her
body, glad that she wasn’t injured.

Yan Xun turned and glared at Chu Qiao as he raged, “Flurry is a precious horse that my
father brought back for me when he was hunting in Yan Bei. It hasn’t been with me for more
than half a month and we are not familiar with each other. What’s weird about that? You are
the one who was daring enough to let go of my horse. Who do you think deserves
punishment?”

Chu Qiao said with disdain, “I didn’t even ask you to follow me. You can’t watch over your
own horse, it has nothing to do with me.”

“You are so daring, how dare you speak like that to me?”

Chu Qiao furrowed her brow as she looked with disdain at the young but high-status Royal
Highness Yan. She coldly sco ed and turned around to head back to the city.

Yan Xun was taken aback as he didn’t know that she would just leave like that. He hurriedly
chased her and asked, “Where are you going?”

Chu Qiao glanced at him. “Of course I am going home. You expect me to spend the night
here?”

The snow has piled up considerably. The shallow portions were below Chu Qiao’s knee, but
the deep portions buried her thighs. Yan Xun was walking beside Chu Qiao, and seeing that
her footsteps were heavy, the moodiness as a result of losing his horse disappeared. He
grinned as he trotted along. After a few steps, his joy turned to sorrow as his leg gave way
and he plopped on the oor.

Upon hearing a crack, Chu Qiao realized things weren’t well. She initially held onto his arm
but Yan Xun’s weight was too much for Jing Yue Er’s body to bear. With a bang, the two of
them fell into a big snow cave.

“Hey…how are you feeling?” Yan Xun emerged from the snow as he desperately pulled
himself up. He saw a little hand and went to pull her out. He started shaking her head.
“You’re not dead, right?”

“Let go.” The child gloomily frowned. She shook her leg. It was painful, and her frown
deepened.

Yan Xun was a little anxious. “Are you injured?”

“I won’t die.” Chu Qiao raised her head and looked. The snow cave wasn’t deep down. She
asked Yan Xun, “Can you climb up?”

Yan Xun tried to gauge the distance and shook his head. “The snow here is soft. If we were
on at ground I could jump up. But here, we will just sink deeper.”

ff
fl
fl
ff
ff
 “We will freeze to death in one night.” Chu Qiao mumbled and stood up, “You stand on my
shoulders and climb up, and go look for people to come rescue me.”

Chapter 16
Yan Xun shook his head and said, “Let me send you up rst instead, you can nd people to
come rescue me.”

Chu Qiao was shocked and scanned Yan Xun up and then. She then accepted his
suggestion and said, “Okay.”

With great e ort, when Chu Qiao nally was able to see the bright round moon, she felt like
it seemed to be a life and death situation. She laid down on the snow and looked down at
Yan Xun who was still trapped in the hole and shouted, “You wait for me and I will go get
help.”

Yan Xun smiled and waved. “Hurry up!”

Her ankle was hurting and it was likely she sprained it when she fell into the hole. She
limped for a few steps before an idea struck her. She stopped moving and squinted her eyes
and felt chills go down her spine. If she turned and left, in this cold and deserted wilderness,
Yan Xun would freeze to death. In this case, would she then get her revenge? She thought
of the rst day she was here—the non-stop ow of fresh blood on the hunting eld, the
sharp arrows—and Chu Qiao’s heart raced.

Even though the arrows that were meant to kill her were red by the two brothers of the
Zhao family. Even though the Royal Highness’ arrow struck the wild wolf. Even though after
what happened, he was mocked by the Zhuge brothers for being a weakling. Even though
he trusted her so much and smiled as he asked her to go and to come back quick…

Chu Qiao stood in the vast white eld, her eyes pitch black, twinkling.

With a thud, a branch that was longer than one the height of a human was thrown into the
hole, narrowly missing Yan Xun’s head. Chu Qiao hadn’t even revealed her head when she
heard Yan Xun’s roar, “Are you trying to kill me?!”

Chu Qiao rolled her eyes in irritation. “If I was trying to kill you, I wouldn’t need such e ort.
Hurry and come up.”

Yan Xun was agile and climbed up. He scanned her face and then smiled wryly. “I thought
you would have just left me here and wouldn’t return.”

Chu Qiao looked at him coldly. “I can only blame myself for not being cruel enough.”

Yan Xun let out a laugh as he went in front of her. He bent down slightly and said, “Since
you didn’t just leave me here, I want to thank you. Let me give you a piggyback ride back.”

Chu Qiao looked at him in disbelief. “You would do something like that? Isn’t that below
your status?”

fi
ff

fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
“I’m feeling good today.”

Chu Qiao stopped speaking, and just as Yan Xun thought she was unwilling, he felt a small
and soft body sink onto his back.

The snow on the vast plains glistened. Yan Xun was carrying someone for the rst time and
his actions were slightly awkward as he tried to maneuver through the snow. Chu Qiao
extended her soft white hand and tapped his neck. “Don’t wiggle! I am about to fall o .”

Yan Xun paused slightly but steadied himself and gradually started moving again.

“Hey, do you know how long we have to walk?”

The child calmly replied, “Shorter than the burning of an incense, so walking back will take
about two hours.”

Yan Xun nodded his head. “You’re named Xing Er?”

“How do you know that?”

“The last time at the precipice, that’s what the servant that set you up called you.” Royal
Highness Yan seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood today. Seeing that Chu Qiao
wasn’t replying, he continued asking, “What’s your actual name and surname?”

Chu Qiao quietly said, “Why must I tell you?”

“Don’t tell me if you don’t want to.” Yan Xun replied, “But one day, you will be begging for
me to listen.”

“If you have the patience, slowly wait for that day to come.”

Yan Xun frowned. “You are a child, why do you speak like an old person?”

The child on his back condescendingly replied with a twitch of her lip, “You people are not
that old either. Why are your actions so devious?”

Yan Xun was astounded but smiled. “My gosh, you really do hold grudges.”

The child sounded more dreary as her tone turned cold. She replied apathetically, “You don’t
hold grudges because you weren’t pointed at with an arrow before.”

The strong gusts of wind continued blowing and Yan Xun suddenly felt cold. He tried to
open his mouth to refute but no words could come out. The concept of di erence in status
which he believed in for many years became inappropriate after what the child mentioned.
For many things, as long as the majority of the people say something is right, you will
naturally believe in it even though you don’t think that way inside.

The chilly moonlight shone on the snowy ground as the shadows of the two children
became tiny. At this moment, the hurried steps of a horse could be heard from the distance.
Yan Xun focused and said, “My men are here.”

ff
fi
ff
 The child on his back slightly frowned as she tried to focus on listening. All she could hear
was a clutter of noise from the horses, and it seemed like an army was coming, followed by
the rapid footsteps of people. It was foggy and a group of people could vaguely be seen
trudging in. The child squinted and slowly spoke, “Seems like they are not your men.”

The northern winds resulted in a snowstorm as the snow drifted feverishly and densely,
blocking the bright moon resulting in them being unable to open their eyes fully.

The sky was pitch black with the occasional shrill of the night owls. The birds circled the sky
and the Zhen Huan city seemed like a small pearl in an ocean of white from the view of a
bird. It was dazzling. Now, on the outskirts of the pearl, there was a group of shabbily
dressed, sallow people who were the opposite of what the ourishing city was, and were of
a di erent race. They were trudging along.

The piercing wind penetrated the ragged clothes of the people, resembling a knife cutting
their skin which was already turning blue. The strong winds howled and the people
arduously huddled together to brace themselves against the storm. Without the walls of the
city to protect them from the wind, the plateau’s winter was all the more unbearable.
Suddenly, a baby’s cry could be heard and the lone voice gradually spread throughout the
entire group.

With a crack, there was the sound of a whip. The leader who was riding on the horse came
forward with a gloomy face and snapped, “All, shut up!” However, those infants did not
understand his command and the crying persisted. The leader frowned and brought his
horse into the crowd. He bent down and grabbed the baby from a young woman. He raised
the baby and viciously slammed it on the ground.

“Ah!” A shrilling scream followed, and the mother of the child was shocked. She
immediately knelt down and hugged the baby which had already lost any form of life, crying
uncontrollably.

The leader glared, and as he passed by all the refugees of a di erent race, they all fell silent.
In the wilderness, only the crying of the young woman could be heard. The leader drew his
knife and slashed the woman’s vertebrae. Blood spurted everywhere, tainting the white
ground.

Chu Qiao suddenly stopped breathing for a moment and bit her lips hard. With a surge of
force in her hands, she wanted to run out and help.

“Do you not care about your life?” Yan Xun hugged her tightly and whispered into her ear,
“They are Wei Fa’s army, don’t act rashly.”

“It’s here,” the leader with black nails and a black fur coat told his subordinates in a deep
voice. The soldiers wearing iron helmets immediately came down from their horses and
drew the knives from their waists. With a tug of the rope, those refugees whose legs were
tied together fell to the ground simultaneously. The eyes of the leader were gloomy and his
thin lips straightened into a line before mouthing the word, “Kill!”

ff
fl
ff
 The slicing motion of the knives was decisive and the young soldiers had maintained their
composure. They didn’t blink before tens of heads rolled on the oor and blood owed out
to form a red stream, which froze in an instant.

The child bit her lip tightly as she hid behind the slope, watching the massacre in close
proximity, her heart clenched tightly. Her eyes shone brightly like a star but they felt heavy.
Yan Xun’s hands were cold but still held on tight to her, but he could feel emotions running
through his blood and he wasn’t able to turn his head to look her in the eyes. The small
body in his embrace emanated some sort of warmth which seemed to scorch his hands.

He witnessed these repeated acts of decapitating the refugees. He felt that they weren’t just
cutting o the civilian’s heads, but also his own principles. The stubbornness that had
existed within him for a long time was sliced o until there was nothing left and there was
nowhere to hide.

The knives slashed and the blood splattered everywhere. The refugee’s expressions were
seemingly calm and there wasn’t any fear of death. Chu Qiao clearly saw that it wasn’t
numbness from extreme fear, it wasn’t despair from losing all hope, and all the more it
wasn’t the feeling of giving up on oneself—It was a stubborn determination and hatred to
the bone. Everyone was quiet and there wasn’t any crying or cursing, even the babies were
quiet. They opened their eyes and watched their people die in the arms of these other
people. Their gaze was bright, but surges of hatred were tumbling inside them. This hatred
would even be felt by the heavens, and even the Asura from the inferno had to give way to
this hatred.

The rage and hatred that was hidden deep in her heart slowly over owed and she clenched
her st tight like a bloodthirsty wolf. At this moment, the hurried gallops of a horse could be
heard, accompanied by a man’s angry shout, “Stop! All of you stop!”

The white horse sprinted to the scene, the young master leapt o the horse and he crazily
whipped the soldiers’ wrists. He stood in front of the refugees and shouted angrily at the
leader, “Jiang He, what are you doing?”

“Major General Shuye, I’m just following orders and executing the rebels,” he said as he
wrinkled his eyebrows, but still hopped o his horse and bowed in respect.

“Rebels?” Wei Shuye furrowed his brow and, with an intense gaze, he pointed at the elderly,
the women and the children, and sternly said, “Who are the rebels? Them? Who gave you
the authority to do this?”

Jiang He’s face remained the same, as stubborn as a rock. “Major General, it was ordered
by Sheng Jin palace. They were direct orders by your uncle and were agreed on by the
elders. Your own brother gave the orders and elders from the Wei Family discussed to come
up with this order. I’m just conducting the execution.”

Wei Shuye was stunned. He turned around and and scanned the refugees. The refugees
that only had solemn faces revealed much anger when they saw him. One old lady suddenly
stood up without any care and scolded, “You are a liar! A shameless betrayer! The gods will
punish you!”

fi
ff
ff
ff
ff
fl
fl
fl
 A knife sliced the old lady’s waist and blood dripped from the knife. Her waist seemed to
split in half and she collapsed to the ground. However, she still used her remaining strength
to viciously spit bloody phlegm onto Shuye’s clothes. She cursed, “Even if I become a
ghost…I will forever haunt… haunt… ”

Chapter 17
Wei Shuye was livid, and the phlegm disgustingly stuck to his robe. However, he did not
wipe it o but just sucked his teeth as he gazed upon the mess of corpses, and his eyes
lled with hatred.

“Major General,” Jiang He sighed and walked forward and said in a deep voice, “our country
does not have money to provide for these people. The elders will not sponsor the building of
their quarters. You are the grandson of Wei, you need to respect your family’s wishes and
protect your interests.”

Wei Shuye felt something hot pounding on his chest. His eyes were bloodshot and he was
speechless. Jiang He frowned and signalled to his soldiers with a wave and a slight nod.
The soldiers understood his command and instantly raised their knives to resume the killing.

“Bad guys!” a crisp voice rang. At the back of the crowd, a small face appeared from a
mother’s embrace. There was no sign of tears but both eyes were red as he shouted, “Liar,
you promised that you would bring us to the country to live in protected houses. You said
that everyone wouldn’t have to worry about food or clothes, you said…”

An arrow instantly shot out. General Jiang He was very accurate and stopped the child’s
speech as the arrow pierced through his mouth and blood spurted out from his head.

“Take action!” Jiang He withdrew his sabre as he commanded with rage.

“Stop!” The young Major General rushed towards the child and pushed away two soldiers in
his path.

Jiang He raged, “Hold onto Major General!” The soldiers immediately rushed forward
skilfully and held onto Wei Shuye tightly. The inhumane killing resumed and blood owed
everywhere, mixing in with the soil. The shrill of an eagle could be heard overhead, making
this massacre even more frightening with the symbol of death circling above. A big hole was
dug, and the few hundred corpses were thrown inside, with soil quickly added to ll it up.
The soldiers rode their horses and repeatedly trampled over the ground. With the snow
falling rapidly, the blood-stained ground was covered up, along with the heinous and ugly
act of murder.

The handsome child of the illustrious family had lost his composure in front of his
subordinates over a bunch of lowly peasants.

“Major General,” Jiang He walked forward and said after seeing him staring at the snowy
ground, “you shouldn’t be like that. They are from a lowly race, with lowly blood owing
inside them. But you shouldn’t oppose orders because of that. Your uncle has high
fi
ff

fl
fi
fl
expectations of you. Without you, your brothers won’t have a leader. They are waiting for
your return.”

Seeing no response from Wei Shuye, Jiang He sighed and retreated, galloping back with his
team. They disappeared within a short moment.

The young man stood there for a long time as the snowstorm brewed. This lantern festival
felt especially cold. The two children hiding behind the slope were shocked when the noble
Major General of Wei Fa fell on his knees and kowtowed to the dead before climbing back
onto his horse and galloping away.

After a while, the snowfall didn’t seem to be stopping. The child shifted her sti , frozen feet
and swayed forward.

“What are you doing?” Yan Xun was puzzled and stood up, stunned.

The child turned around with a calm expression, but her gaze was ickering. “I’m from a
lowly race with lowly blood owing inside me. You shouldn’t be standing next to me. Since
we are treading a di erent path, let’s part early.”

Yan Xun stood at the back and stared longingly, thinking that she could tear open the
degenerate world. The snow was u y and their footprints slowly became further apart as
they headed into the heart of the Yan Empire.

Behind the vermilion gates of the rich, meat and wine went to waste; but along the road, the
bones of the poor froze to death. Just as the Xia Dynasty claimed that there wasn’t money
to provide for those of the other race and massacred them instead, the city sang and
danced to extol the good times with a vibrant collage of colors. The beauty’s waist was slim
like a willow, her skin glistening like jade, with a sweet smile and toned arms. Those
“hardworking” statesmen of the Xia dynasty removed their robes and were provided sensual
experiences.

Outside, icicles formed and snow accumulated. The silk strips uttered on the various lit
lanterns. The lantern festival was a time for national jubilation, even for those women. At this
moment, the hurried steps of horses disrupted the lead master of the Wei family Wei
Guang’s sweet dream. The white-bearded but still good-looking elder, squinted his eyes and
waved o the dozens of women covered in makeup surrounding him. The women
straightened their clothes and half-kneeled on the oor before retreating, without daring to
lift their heads.

Wei Guang lifted his teacup, took a deep breath and gradually leaned on his soft bed. The
burner released a cloud of incense slowly. The smoke drifted like a graceful dragon
gradually oating up. Watching it seemed a little dreamy.

A respectful voice came from outside, “Master, Master Shuye is here.”

He should be here. The elder raised his eyebrow slightly. He was here slightly earlier than
expected and wasted the lady Jade’s e orts to please. With a low voice, the elder said, “Let
him in.”

ff
fl
ff
fl
fl
ff
ff
fl
fl
fl
ff
The doors slid open and a young man entered the most luxurious room in the prostitute den.
His moon-white colored robe was so simple and plain that it almost should not have been
seen on such a noble person. Wei Shuye was gloomy and without any pretext, he asked the
elder, “Why?”

Wei Guang obviously knew what he was implying. He squinted his eyes and without even
looking at him, he slowly said, “When you see an elder, you don’t pay your respects? Are
these the manners I taught you?”

Wei Shuye frowned as the candle in the corner of the room crackled. Time slowly passed
and the young man nally lowered his head and said, “Uncle.”

“Not all matters in the world can be divided into right and wrong. Jing Er is younger than
you but you need to go learn from him at this point.”

Wei Shuye crumpled his face and deeply said, “Then why did you send me there? I
promised them…”

“You are Wei’s successor in line for the head of the Xia Dynasty, with royal blood owing in
your veins. You are part of the most well-respected family in the country, you need not
makes promises to a bunch of lowly peasants. Their meaning in life is to lose it when the
time comes, to sacri ce for their country. You did not make a mistake, and do not need to
feel guilty, and shouldn’t even be here to question your uncle,” The elder cut o Shu Ye’s
words and said sternly.

Wei Shuye shook his head and frowned. “Uncle, this is not what you taught me in the past.”

“Because I was naïve like you in the past and it resulted in your father’s death in the internal
strife of our family.” Wei Guang opened his eyes and his gaze glistened with emotion. He
slowly turned around and stared at Wei Shuye and spoke slowly, “The winner is the predator
while the weak stay as prey. The world is like that. Ye Er, after all these years, you still don’t
understand?”

“Uncle,” Wei Shuye’s expression was stern, “the country needs people to go westwards to
open up the lands. The youths of their race believed in me and headed there. Why don’t the
elders take care of their families? They travelled thousands of miles to follow me to the
capital because you already promised that I would construct residences for them. They left
their own houses, gave up their nomadic lifestyle, just because I promised them!” Wei Shuye
emotionally lifted the incense on Wei Guang’s table and shouted angrily, “You said the
country didn’t have the money to provide for them, then what’s this? This is incense from
the Song Empire. Just one bundle of this costs two hundred gold coins. Two hundred gold
coins can feed their entire tribe for ten years!”

Wei Guang’s expression remained unchanged as he calmly listened to Wei Shuye’s rant. The
atmosphere was all set for a showdown and was lled with the youth’s rage. After a long
while, the elder gently smiled and calmly said, “Ye Er, you went with Major General Zhi Lu to
settle the civil discord, which ended disappointingly. It is unknown if he’s dead or alive, but
you can still argue here with me. Why is that so?”

fi
fi
fi
ff
fl
Wei Shuye was taken aback, the indignation frozen on his face, and he had no words to
reply.

“You can still be standing here intact because your surname is Wei. I know you empathize
with those peasants and repel the ideology of discrimination. But even though you hate this
status, you are still Wei’s descendant, my nephew. What you enjoyed from the time you
were born was all provided by the family. All that you ate and used, status and power, were
all from the family. It will never change. A person who has enjoyed the privileges this whole
time do not have the right to curse it.” Wei Guang took a deep breath and leaned on the
bed, his chest rising brie y, his voice deep and with a hint of despair. “Everything in this
world happens for a reason. Today, the reason that it was the Weis who massacred the
Biantas, not the Biantas massacred the Weis, was because the Weis have been ghting for
the growth and prosperity of our family since three hundred years ago. Three hundred years
down the road, Wei family protected the frontier and guarded land of our empire, and won
many distinctive battles. While the Biantas were roaming around, the children of the our Wei
family were already learning skills for war, learning the ways of business, starting to dodge
away from schemes secretly planned against them. The Wei family is part of the seven big
clans but these nomads are diminishing. Child, the heavens are fair, they are never in favor
of anyone. The reason they lost is because they never gave enough. No weakling should
blame the strong for bullying them. To not be preyed on, they can only get stronger
themselves. Today, you are here pitying them. If all descendants thought like you, those that
were killed today would have been your siblings.”

Wei Shuye stood still and his face still tensed. He could not speak what he wanted to say.

Wei Guang gradually stood up as he extended his arm to pat his shoulder. “Ye Er, your uncle
is old already and can’t protect all of you for long. When I am not around, who will protect
the family? Who will protect my children against others’ attacks? Who can protect my
daughters from getting played? Who can protect all of you? Will it be you?”

The doors opened and a wave of music oated in with a mesmerising essence. The elders’
footsteps gradually distanced. Wei Shuye stood up straight and felt his shoulders burning.
What was pressing down on him was an invisible burden. It was a huge responsibility which
he wanted to shake o but couldn’t.

The sky was pitch black, but it wasn’t as dark as his heart. The demons remained in his
thoughts as they swallowed his morals. The struggle was pointless. Ultimately, he sighed
and remained speechless.

Chapter 18
Some things were decided since one’s birth, such as blood ties and their destiny.

He slumped in his seat, raised his wine glass and gulped it down in one shot, along with all
his suppressed thoughts and indignation.

ff

fl
fl
fi
Chu Qiao had just walked over to the city gates and saw the servants of the Zhuge family
holding lanterns and looking around. Upon spotting her, they ran towards her direction in
elation.

“Xing Er, the fourth young master asked us to wait here for you. Let’s go back to the house.”

Chu Qiao paused. Given Zhuge Yue’s character, she did not expect him to send people to
locate her. She nodded and got into the carriage prepared by the servants.

The horse carriage creaked forward along the bustling city streets. The volume of the noises
outside gradually decreased, eventually reaching complete silence. The child leaned on the
inner walls of the horse carriage. Scenes of the recent massacre started to appear before
her eyes—the cold-blooded stares of the soldiers, the deeply rooted resentment of the
refugees, and the limp resistance of Wei Shuye.

It was still futile despite his identity. What could she, a small fry, do then? To resist an entire
empire with her abilities would be akin to a mantis trying to stop a car—an utter failure.
What she could do now, was to tread carefully on her toes and continue living on, in search
of an opportunity to exact revenge and leave with Xiao Ba. As for other matters, she could
not hope to change anything, due to her limited capabilities.

The horse carriage slowly wandered into the distance. Chu Qiao suddenly felt a chill. She
opened the curtains and scanned her surroundings, and remarked, “This isn’t the way back
to the house. Where are you taking me?”

The servant froze, not expecting a child of such a small age to be able to recognize
directions. He smiled obsequiously and replied, “The young master is in the other courtyard,
not in the main residence.”

The child’s eyebrows twitched. She carefully asked, “Courtyard? Which courtyard?”

“The courtyard in the western part of the lake.”

Chu Qiao frowned. The precarious nature of her work over the years had naturally made her
develop a sense of cautiousness, allowing her to sense when something was amiss. She
tested the waters and probed, “I did not manage to retrieve the things from the house that
the young master instructed me to. Let’s go back to the house, then make our way to the
courtyard.”

The servant replied with a smile, “Don’t worry. the young master just said that the things no
longer need to be retrieved. He’s waiting in the courtyard. Let us go there quickly, lest he
gets worried.”

Chu Qiao nodded slowly with a quiet expression and let the curtains down. The servant
heaved a small sigh of relief. A sly look ashed across his eyes and the edges of his lips
became sharp. However, the instant where his smile expanded, a dagger suddenly made
contact with his neck, coldly. The child, taking advantage of an opportunity, swiftly pounced.
She solemnly exclaimed in a cold tone, “You’re not serving the fourth young master. Who
are you?”

fl
 “Hehe,” a low pitched laugh, as hoarse as a night owl, suddenly erupted from the side. A
gorgeously decorated carriage slowly made its way out from the dense forest. Inside was a
amboyantly dressed old man. He laughed and remarked with words carrying a tinge of evil
to the servant who was at the side, nodding and bowing to him, “Impressive indeed, such a
stubborn temper at this tender age. Her looks are not bad either. I’ll reward you handsomely
later.”

Zhu Shun, attered, replied with a laugh, “Sharing the burden of the second Grand Master is
my duty. If the second Grand Master rewarded me, it would mean my loyalty was not
accepted by you.”

The old man laughed and gave orders to the two servants on his left and right, “Take this
lass back to the house.” Everyone obliged resoundingly and swiftly advanced forward.

In that instant, hundreds and thousands of thoughts ashed past Chu Qiao’s mind. She was
aware that she could capitalize on the other party’s contempt and carelessness to make her
escape by swiftly wounding them. However, in this case, it would arouse the suspicions of
others, especially the one-limbed Zhu Shun. Even if she escaped by luck, it would no doubt
implicate Xiao Ba, who was still trapped in the house. If she decided not to escape, she
would end up in the clutches of this old lecher. At that time, given the capabilities of an eight
year old girl, how would she manage to resist an entire army of guards from the Zhuge
residence?

To escape, or not to escape?

Chu Qiao tightened up, her mind still rapidly weighing her options. How about she beat this
old lecher at his own game and eliminate him, given this opportunity?

In a ash, some well-built men surged towards Chu Qiao, intent on snatching the dagger
she held in her hands.

“Hang on!” a low-pitched, distinct voice suddenly reverberated. Everyone turned their head
towards the source of the voice, only to see the snow on the ground being scattered by a
herd of over twenty rapidly approaching pitch-black war horses. The youngster mounted on
one of the horses was handsome and was dressed in green robes, adorned with white fur.
He gave a loud whistle and galloped forward.

The horses gave a long neigh and stood up, their warm breaths blending with the crisp, cold
air, forming a cloud of mist. The youngster, under the guard of his servants, stared coldly at
the crowd. His voice was calm, he gave o an aura of wisdom and calmness that was way
beyond his years. He remarked, in a low voice, “Long time no see, Mister Zhuge.”

Grand Master Zhuge, with eyes half-open, sized up the youngster. He gave a chuckle,
revealing his yellow teeth. “Oh, it’s Prince Yan Xun of Yan Bei. At this ungodly hour, instead
of resting in your house, what are you doing out here braving the strong, snowy winds?”

Yan Xun remarked unscrupulously, “Thanks for your concern, Mister Zhuge. How could I be
sleeping soundly in my house, if you, at this age, are still admiring the lights at this late
fl
fl
fl
ff
fl
 hour? It’s lantern festival, the entire nation is celebrating. I just came out to admire the
festivities.”

“Oh?” Grand Master Zhuge’s long eyebrows smoothed out and he replied, “In this case,
Young Prince Yan, do continue admiring the sight. I will not stay with you then.” He promptly
turned to his subordinates and said, “Back to the house.”

“Hold on!” Yan Xun swiftly ordered his horse to move forward, blocking Master Zhuge’s
path. He laughed lightly, pointed at Chu Qiao, and declared, “Mister, you can leave, but only
if you leave this child behind.”

The old man’s eyebrows moved ever so slightly. He quizzed, “What do you mean by this,
your Royal Highness?”

“This child just startled my horse, Flurry, and scared it away. I want to bring her back to
answer for her deeds.”

Grand Master Zhuge, hearing these words, gave a slight smile and retorted, “In this case, I
will compensate you with a ne horse.”

“This horse was just brought back from the Western desert by the King of Yan Bei! It is a
ne, well-travelled horse, can you a ord to pay for it?”

“Feng Mian, shut your mouth!” Yan Xun frowned, berating the page boy behind him. “The
Zhuge family is a patriarch of the empire. The head of the Zhuge family is also one of the
seven elders of the Grand Elder’s Council, and possess wealth and power that even our
royal family cannot hold a candle to. There is nothing that they cannot a ord to pay for.
However, fatherly ties run deep. Flurry was personally tamed by my father and was delivered
to Zhen Huang from afar. It is not a typical war horse, so I cannot let things slide just like
that. I have to take this child with me.”

“Prince Yan…”

“You need not say no more, Mister Zhuge,” Yan Xun interrupted the old master. He raised
his head and declared, “Mister Zhuge, given your high status, you should not need to lower
yourself to plead for a slave. Regarding this matter, I will answer personally to the fourth
young master of the Zhuge family. Men, take this child away.”

The personal attendants of the Yans’ residence stepped forward; one of the well-built men
pushed Master Zhuge’s subordinates away, causing him to stagger. He carried Chu Qiao out
with a single hand and prepared to mount the horse.

Zhu Shun, seeing that old Master Zhuge was teetering with rage, stepped forward with a
pretentious smile. He tugged on the saddle of Yan Xun’s horse and pleaded, “Your Royal
Highness, things can be discussed…”

With the cracking sound of a whip, followed up by a ferocious kick from Yan Xun to Zhu
Shun’s chin, Zhu Shun’s fat body was knocked back. He fell on the oor and exclaimed in
agony, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, along with two of his yellowed front teeth.

fi
fi
ff
fl
ff
“Who are you to gesture in front of me? You have no idea of your limitations!” Yan Xun
stared sharply at Zhu Shun and remarked coldly.

Zhu Shun was caught by surprise. He quickly kneeled down and frantically kowtowed. In the
Xia Empire, a member of the royal family did not need a reason to slaughter a civilian.

Yan Xun raised his whip and pointed at Zhu Shun, declaring coldly, “I will spare you
temporarily on account of Mister Zhuge today. If you still exhibit this unruly behavior another
day, I will kill you in person, even in the presence of the head of the Zhuge family.”

Finishing his sentence, Yan Xun did not even look at old Master Zhuge and echoed to his
subordinates, “Let’s go!”

Yan Xun’s people then mounted on their horses. With the sight of snow being scattered
around, they faded away into the end of the long street.

Old Master Zhuge turned red, his left hand trembling in anger. Zhu Shun crawled forward,
maintaining a kneeling posture. He tugged at the leg of Master Zhuge. He pleaded, “Grand
Master, please don’t be angry! I…”

“Scram!” the old man bellowed. He delivered a kick to Zhu Shun’s chest and shouted,
“Useless piece of trash!” Following that, he boarded the carriage and promptly departed.

The heavy snow continued to fall. Silence now enveloped the long street, further highlighting
the bustling main street.

The war horse stopped by the lake. The youngster, having maintained a serious look
previously, now turned back with a smile and laughed, “Lass, you owe me a favor…again.”

The child raised an eyebrow slowly. Although she remained silent, her body language
obviously conveyed the message, I did not beg for you to come.

Yan Xun grunted indignantly and whispered, “Would it hurt to say something nice?”

Chu Qiao took one look at him and prepared to walk away.

Yan Xun froze and hurriedly blocked her path. “What are you going to do?”

The child raised an eyebrow, “Of course I’m going back to the Zhuge residence.”

“You still want to go back?” The youngster frowned and questioned, “That lowly servant will
not spare you! And as for that old fellow from the Zhuge family, he is known for his deeds in
the city of Zhen Huang! Do you want to court your own death?”

Chu Qiao pushed him aside and said, “None of your business.”

Yan Xun did not let go and maintained his grip on her, saying, “What do you mean? I
rescued you out of the goodness of my heart and you give such cold treatment. What good
do you see in Zhuge Yue, that enigmatic fellow, he is worth you disregarding your safety to
go back to him?”

Chu Qiao raised her head, frustrated that she prepared to risk all or nothing, but failed to
eliminate the old lecher Zhuge. She impatiently brushed Yan Xun’s hand o , looked up and
stated coldly, “Did I cry for you to come and save me? Keep your kindness to yourself, I
cannot stand it.”

Yan Xun’s eyes seethed with anger. Seeing Chu Qiao’s small shadow disappearing into the
distance, he shouted childishly, “Ridiculous! Serves you right that you got bullied. If I cared
about you again, my surname would not be Yan!”

Chu Qiao did not even look back and disappeared among the vast sea of people after a
long while. Feng Mian carefully approached and surveyed Prince Yan. He saw that his eyes
were bloodshot as if he was about to cry from anger. Feng Mian froze slightly. The empire
deployed various feudal lords to helm the neighboring territories and defend Zhen Huang, its
capital. However, to suppress them, their sons were held hostage back in the capital. These
children lived in the whirlpool of power from a young age and matured incredibly early as a
result. It was the rst time that Feng Mian had seen his master express his joy and anger
towards another person in such a manner, just like…just like a normal child.

“Your Royal Highness, let’s make our way back to the house?”

“Hmm!” Yan Xun grunted coldly, his voice hinting at a tinge of anger. He mounted his horse
and led his assistants back to the Yans’ residence.

“Feng Mian,” Yan Xun, having barely taken two steps, turned back and instructed his
apprentice, “You take a trip to the Zhuges’ residence and tell them that I found Flurry. Also,
tell them not to make things di cult for that girl.”

“Ah?” Feng Mian froze and opened his eyes wide. “Your Highness, didn’t you say that your
surname would no longer be Yan if you helped her again?”

Chapter 19
Yan Xun ew into a rage, gave Feng Mian a kick while on his horse, and shouted, “Idiot! I
dare you to say that again!”

Feng Mian yelped twice in pain. He immediately turned around and ran towards the Zhuge
residence. He did not dare to repeat those words again.

Yan Xun hu ed in anger. He saw all his subordinates staring at him and hollered, “I do what I
want!”

Everyone hurriedly looked away in their own direction and did not dare to look Yan Xun in
the eye again. Each of them thought the same thing and sighed to themselves. After all, the
prince was only thirteen years old. It was no big deal if he occasionally threw a childish
tantrum.

By the time Chu Qiao reached the Zhuge residence, it was already late at night. Upon
seeing Chu Qiao, the gatekeeper was slightly taken aback, as he recognized that this was
fl
ff
fi

ffi
ff
 the favored maid of Qing Shan court’s young master. Hence, he did not make things di cult
and even gave her a lantern to light the way.

The Zhuge residence gave o an icy cold aura at night, and without the noise and liveliness
of the daytime, the silence made the place feel like a pitch-black prison cage. Occasionally
there were a few cries of some jackdaws, which were then promptly shot down by archers
who had great precision. Any forms of noise was not tolerated while the masters were
sound asleep; even animals could not be excused.

As Chu Qiao passed by the high walls of Lan Shan court, she heard a burst of suppressed
cries. It was as if a female servant was hiding on the opposite side of the wall and crying,
having erred and taken a beating.

Chu Qiao’s footsteps gradually came to a halt. The gigantic moon in the sky, pale and
round, re ected her small shadow onto the red wall. Her shadow seemed thinner and longer,
which reminded her of past times when she had a taller gure. She suddenly felt a tinge of
sadness. Perhaps, she would snap out of her trance and realize that it was just a dream. If it
was a dream, all of these things would not have happened. Those lifeless corpses, the fresh
blood that owed, and those tears of despair…

The cries of the child on the opposite side of the wall persisted. As she was too short, she
could not scale the wall. How could she give warmth to others if she herself was cold? Just
like those corpses that were buried underneath the snowy plains. Her despair did not help
the situation.

Unexpectedly, she opened the front door of Qing Shan court. Chu Qiao was surprised. She
had originally planned to spend the night in the rewood room; the fact that the courtyard’s
gate was not locked stunned her. Zhuge Yue knew how to take care of his own health. When
he was not attending lessons in the General Academy Hall, he would stay in the garden
either busy with his owers or enjoy some tea and burn some incense. He also highly valued
sleep, unlike the other young masters, who were only preoccupied with lust, often
throughout the night.

As she carefully stepped into the courtyard, the glow of a lantern started advancing towards
her. Huan Er hurriedly grabbed Chu Qiao’s hand and whispered, “Finally! Where did you run
o to just now? I’ve been waiting for you the entire night.”

Chu Qiao apologetically stuck out her tongue and replied, “My horse was scared away. I just
came back. Where’s the young master? How come the gate isn’t locked?”

“You’re lucky.” Huan Er curled his lips and remarked with a smile, “Young master is in his
study reading. He has been there all night and he has not told me to lock up. He hasn’t slept
either, so I’ve been able to wait for you here.”

Chu Qiao nodded, walking towards Zhuge Yue’s room. Huan Er hurriedly stopped her and
said, “The young master was not in a good mood when he came back. I do not know who
ru ed his feathers. It’s late, let’s discuss things tomorrow. Anyway, the young masters did
not ask you to go to Xuan hall. You go and take a rest, I’ll inform the young yaster on your
behalf.”

ff
ffl
fl
fl
fl
ff
fi
fi
ffi
 Chu Qiao nodded and replied, “That works too.” She turned and walked back towards her
own room. Huan Er dashed into the Xuan hall, spoke a few sentences and exited.

Chu Qiao was one of the maidservants in Xuan hall with a higher status. Her room was
located close to the main yard. As she walked to the door, the light in the room behind her
went out before she could manage to open it. She was enveloped by the darkness.

Chu Qiao was a little dazed. She turned back slightly, looking in the direction of Zhuge Yue’s
room. As the last light was extinguished, the entire Zhuge residence fell into a deep sleep.
Chu Qiao stood in the corridor for a long time. As the wind blew, she twitched her nose
lightly. It was as if she could smell the scent of blood beneath the ground.

Zhuge Yue seemingly had a nightmare just after closing his eyes. When he woke up, the
third sound of the drum had just been struck. The sounds of the watchman dragged on,
carrying a soft tail sound, and drifting far away in the silent night.

In that instant, he thought that he was still dreaming. In the dream, there was a warm spring
breeze and beautiful peach blossoms. The touch of his mother’s hand felt as gentle as the
warm spring water, elegantly brushing across his hair, combing a neat bun for him. However,
instantly, the cold air permeated his senses, rudely awakening him. He sat up, his white
pajamas drenched with sweat. The windows were not fully closed and the icy, cold wind
blew onto him through the window slit. The teapot by his bedside was already cold. A few
pieces of osmanthus cake sat in a small blue and white porcelain dish. It’s refreshing aroma
was still delectable, despite the distance. He did not feel like sleeping anymore. He put on
his coat, took his long ute, opened the door and walked out.

The maidservants outside were sound asleep, not awakened at all by his movement. He
continued to walk and pushed the room door open, seeing the snowy white moonlight in the
courtyard. It passed through the trees and shone on the ground, forming streaky, barbed
re ections. It was as if it snowed out of nowhere. The warm radiance spread around the
courtyard. The midnight wind was slightly chilly and brushed against his sleeves. The
uttering sounds mimicked that of a butter y’s wings. Heading east of the courtyard, he was
welcomed by a big plum plantation. Its red and white colors intertwined and gave o a
fragrant aroma, spread about by the wind.

This mansion was probably only silent at this hour. Without the other noises, it was as if he
was the only person left in this world. He spotted a pavilion located higher up and wandered
along the mottled stone path leading up to it. Frost had just descended upon the night,
causing the path to be slightly slippery. He bent down and walked slowly, seemingly
minding his way, but not paying attention at the same time.

“Fourth young master?” a crisp sound echoed in the distance. He raised his head and saw a
little girl sitting on a tree next to the pavilion. She was wearing jade-green clothes, her neck
adorned by a ring of snow-white camel fur. Her black eyes were big and round and were
staring at him. A pair of small green boots were swinging around in mid-air, just like two
dancing grass crickets.

He slowly raised his eyebrows and asked, “Why are you here?”

fl
fl
fl
fl
ff
 “I couldn’t sleep.” Chu Qiao was astonished to see him here at this hour as well. She
remarked honestly, “Fourth young master, you couldn’t sleep either?”

Zhuge Yue remained silent and slowly walked up towards the pavilion.

The Zhuge residence was originally constructed on a hillside. The sights here were
marvellous and o ered a view of almost the entire city of Zhen Huang. The hazy moonlight
was just like a thin white veil, shrouding every corner of the city, and suppressing the
hostility of the harsh northern winds which had chipped away at the city for a few hundred
years. The moonlight made even the thick city walls, which had been stained with the blood
of numerous people, appear gentler.

Chu Qiao looked at his back view, suddenly feeling a sense of disorientation. The peace
after the bloodshed made her feel tired. She leaned on a branch, staring at that quiet
youngster. She watched the wind tug at his bright-colored sleeves, just like two big
butter ies ying about with the ow of the wind.

“Fourth young master, I lost the little red horse.”

Zhuge Yue did not respond, as if he did not hear her words in the rst place. The long ute
was still in his hands, but he did not play it. He stood still silently for a while, before turning
and walking down the hill.

Chu Qiao, seeing that he was leaving, climbed down the tree to follow him. However, she
lost her footing and slipped. In desperation and confusion, she grabbed hold of the tree
branch, only for it to slice a big hole in her clothes. The back of her arm was also cut and
fresh blood oozed out of the wound.

Zhuge Yue stopped in his tracks and raised his head, only to see what seemed like a
monkey—no, a child—hanging from a tree branch. He paused to think and reached out his
arms.

Chu Qiao was caught o guard and questioned suspiciously, “Fourth young master, what
are you trying to do?”

Zhuge Yue replied, “Jump down.”

“Ah?” She thought for a long while, before realizing his intention. Chu Qiao quickly said, “It’s
okay, Xing Er can make her way down by herself.”

Zhuge Yue frowned slightly, appearing rather impatient, and declared stubbornly, “Jump
down.”

Chu Qiao could not insist further and she could only release her grip. In an instant, she
dropped into Zhuge Yue’s arms. She was still short, only reaching his shoulders in height. In
his arms, she felt like a small cat.

“Let’s go.” Zhuge Yue placed her on the oor and walked in front of her, Chu Qiao promptly
followed. They were surrounded by plum trees and the oor was strewn with petals. They
trod on the soft white snow, leaving behind two rows of shallow footprints.

fl
fl
ff
ff
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
By the time they got back to Qing Shan court, all the servants there were awake and
frantically searching for the pair. Zhuge Yue did not elaborate and went straight back to his
room. Huan Er dashed over to Chu Qiao’s room and started to question her.

As they spoke, a maidservant reported that Young Master had caught a cold and that
someone was on their way to get a doctor. All of Qing Shan court started to become busy.
Huan Er brought a few maids and servants in and out to prepare warm water and change
towels, until the doctor arrived to take the Young Master’s pulse and prescribe some herbal
medicine. Only then was everyone able to catch their breath.

Chu Qiao, having had some supper, was preparing to sleep, when she suddenly heard a
knock on her door. She opened the door to see Huan Er standing outside, along with an
elder who looked over fty. Huan Er uttered, “Xing Er, the young master said that you were
cut. Since the doctor is here already, let him take a look at your injury.”

Chu Qiao paused for a second, and then made her way for the doctor to attend her wound.
After the doctor was nished, Huan Er stated, “Also, the young master said that he would
sleep in tomorrow, so we need not wake up too early to work.”

Chu Qiao nodded in agreement, and Huan Er left the room joyfully.

The hazy moonlight shone on this silent courtyard, it was as if a layer of white frost had been
glazed over it.

The next day, rst thing in the morning, Chu Qiao went to see Zhuge Yue. However, the
young but mature young master was not in his room. Chu Qiao, aware that she lost the red
horse, knew that she had t provide explanation to him. As she was about to go outside to
ask for his whereabouts, she saw Zhuge Yue stroll into the courtyard, wearing a set of dark
golden armor and holding a long sword. He was anked by a group of servants and adopted
a decisive and agile posture. Chu Qiao had not seen him like this before. Zhu Cheng, back
bent, had a cloak draped over his arms. He followed closely behind.

Huan Er along with other maidservants hurriedly ran up. They served tea and water to Zhuge
Yue, started burning the incense, wiped his hands clean, and started preparing for his bath.

Chu Qiao stood by the side of the main entrance and waited for Zhuge Yue to take his seat.
And then she stepped up and confessed, “Fourth young master, I lost the little red horse.”

“Um.” Zhuge Yue acknowledged her lightly, drinking a mouthful of the tea that he received
from Huan Er. Then, he ordered his other servants, “Go and fetch two pots of the cymbidium
that was delivered yesterday and take away this incense burner. It irks my sense of smell.”

The servants quickly obliged and set about to run their errands. Chu Qiao stood in her
original spot. Seeing that Zhuge Yue had no intention of punishing her or continuing with
this topic, she smartly stopped talking. Just as she prepared to sneak out, Zhuge Yue put
down his teacup, pointedat her and said, “Xing Er, hold on.”

fi
fi
fi
fl
 Chapter 20
Chu Qiao’s heart skipped a beat. She would be getting her just deserts after all.
Unexpectedly, Zhuge Yue remarked, “Follow Zhu Cheng later on and nd an able guard to
teach you how to ride a horse.”

“Ah?” Chu Qiao and Zhu Cheng froze, then exclaimed in unison.

Zhuge Yue raised his sword-like eyebrows, frowned slightly, and declared deeply with an
impatient look, “What’s the matter? Is there a problem?”

“No problem, no problem.” Zhu Cheng was seventeen this year and he had followed Zhuge
Yue since he was young. Hence, he naturally knew that Zhuge Yue practiced what he
preached. He replied in an appeasing tone, “I’ll bring Miss Xing Er there right away.”

Zhuge Yue raised his head in suspicion, frowned again, and stared at Zhu Cheng. “Xing Er
just turned eight… Why are you calling her ‘Miss’?”

“That’s right, that’s right. I’ll bring Xing Er… Xing Er…” Zhu Cheng, who was usually witty,
struggled to nd a title to be t this child. He stuttered for a long while, but to no avail.

Zhuge Yue waved his hand impatiently and said rmly, “Okay. Scram. Straighten your back
when you walk, lest outsiders think that the servants of Qing Shan court are all
hunchbacks.”

“Yes, yes.”

Chu Qiao stood at her original position. Her petite frame was adorned in a pale yellow dress,
with a vest made of fox skin on top. She looked adorable. She bowed to Zhuge Yue and
softly said, “Xing Er thanks the fourth young master.”

Zhuge Yue waved his hand lightly, not even looking up.

Chu Qiao and Zhu Cheng exited the Xuan hall. Zhu Cheng looked suspiciously at the child
and saw Chu Qiao staring back towards him. He remarked with a laugh, “Miss Xing Er, let’s
go?”

Chu Qiao smiled and ignored him, walking out of the court.

“Miss Xing Er, these are the people that I chose for you. They are all adept at horse riding,
please take your pick.” Everyone, including Chu Qiao and Zhu Cheng, stood at the foot of
the horse riding hill. The eight year old child raised her head slightly and scanned the group
of well-built, able-bodied men standing in front of her. These men, who were usually cross
towards the servants, now stood in front of her respectfully, smiles on their faces. Anyone
who did not know this would have thought that they were usually that kind natured.

Chu Qiao took small strides, passing the men one by one. Suddenly, her eyes brightened
up. She paused, taking a long look, a plain smile slowly appearing on her face. She pointed
at a ustered-looking man, smiled lightly and said, “I want him.”

fl
fi

fi
fi
fi
 “Miss Xing Er.” Song Lian laughed in a attering manner, his smile obviously unable to hide
his worry.

The eight year old girl, wearing a snow-white vest made of fox skin, stood on the hill. Her
eyes sparkled, making her appear very adorable.

“Please choose your horse.”

Chu Qiao surveyed the herd of over ten horses in front of her, only to see that their
horseshoes had not been attached. Their fur appeared clean; it was obvious that they were
domesticated since they were young and had not ventured outside. The child trudged on
the snow unevenly, waved her whip, and remarked playfully, “I don’t want any of these. I
want to ride a big horse.”

As the servants at the side prepared to intervene, Song Lian quickly stopped them. He
nodded and bowed, saying, “If Miss Xing Er wants a big horse, it is no issue. The few of
you, go and fetch a few ne horses. Remember, they must be big.”

Song Lian purposely emphasised the word “big”. The two servants, understanding his
intent, proceeded to fetch the horses. In just a while, ve big-sized horses were brought
over.

Chu Qiao took a quick look and deciphered that these horses were already old. She
wondered if the horses’ mobility posed a problem, but she did not raise her concerns. She
turned and said to Song Lian, “These horses look strong. I’m young and have not ridden
such a big horse. Guardian Song, how about you demonstrate for me and teach me
something?”

In that instant, Song Lian frowned rigidly, a defeated look appearing on his face.

Zhu Cheng chided suspiciously, “Go, quickly! Don’t tell me you don’t know how to ride a
horse? Why were you so eager to go along with her just now?”

Song Lian, not being able to voice his frustrations, thought to himself, if only I knew who I
was serving, I would not have agreed even if they beat me to death. He walked in front of
the white horse hesitantly, reached out his hand, and patted the tired-looking horse’s head
twice. He carefully stepped on the stirrup, treating the horse as if it was paper paste. He
feared that the horse would buckle if he used just a little strength.

The horse was stronger than expected. Although its four legs were upright, they did not
buckle. Song Lian heaved a sigh of relief and said with a laugh, “The snow is heavy today.
As Miss Xing Er is still young, we shall learn to mount the horse rst, and commence riding
tomorrow.”

As Zhu Cheng was about to nod in agreement, Chu Qiao suddenly rushed forward and
forcefully smacked the horse’s buttocks. She replied jovially, “Don’t say so much! Go for a
round rst!”

fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
As the sound of the smack reverberated, not only did the horse remain stationary, but its
hooves buckled and it fell on the oor. Song Lian was thrown o forcefully, ipping through
the air before landing head rst into the snow.

All the servants rushed forward in a ustered manner. Zhu Cheng, looking at the horse,
which was inhaling more than it was exhaling, frowned and commented disdainfully, “Is this
the best horse? I think all of you are not taking Fourth Young Master’s instructions
seriously.”

“I do not dare,” Song Lian said, crawling to his feet. “This thought has never crossed my
mind. It is only that given Miss Xing Er’s tender age, we do not dare to fetch a well-
developed war horse!”

Zhu Cheng nodded and remarked, “You do make a point. Xing Er, you’re still young, let’s
start with a small horse, okay?”

“As long as Brother Zhu Cheng wants me to ride a smaller horse, Xing Er will follow suit.”
Chu Qiao raised her head, revealing her pink cheeks and a pair of crescent eyes. She was
simply adorable.

Zhu Cheng’s spirits lifted. However, the moment he turned towards Song Lian, his mood
changed to that of anger. He ordered angrily, “Go and fetch the horse!”

Song Lian led the horse back, limping. Amidst Zhu Cheng’s cries for him to be careful, he
helped Chu Qiao mount the horse. She looked down, broke into a grin, and requested,
“Brother, I still do not know how to ride a horse. Help me to lead the horse by the reins and
let’s go for a round slowly.”

Song Lian earnestly wished to do this and he promptly nodded his head in total compliance.
This horse was relatively well-behaved and it slowly walked behind Song Lian. In a while,
both of them had managed to cover a hundred steps. Song Lian looked up and smiled
pleasingly, “Miss Xing Er, I hope this horse is good? It is a newborn. When the seventh
Missy requested it from me a while back, I did not gift it to her. If it is to your liking, I can gift
it to you.”

“How could Xing Er take what the seventh Missy likes? This would be unruly.”

Song Lian gritted his teeth and replied with a laugh, “Miss, what are you saying? Although
the seventh Missy is the old master’s biological daughter, she is way below the fourth young
master in terms of status. You are popular with the fourth young master, making your status
higher than them.”

“Is that so?” The child smiled lightly and said, “I did not know that my status was so high.
Until recently, I was at your mercy.”

Song Lian instantly blanched.

Chu Qiao gave him a cold look, took the crossbow attached to Song Lian’s arm, and
stabbed it into the horse’s buttocks with one swift and ruthless motion. The horse, shocked,
fi
fl
fl
ff
fl
 gave a loud and long neigh. It kicked Song Lian aside and rapidly galloped forward! The
child, ustered, loudly exclaimed, “Guardian Song! What are you doing?”

Zhu Cheng and the rest saw what was happening from afar and panicked. They yelled and
followed in pursuit of them, but none of them could outrun the beast. Chu Qiao pretended to
be panicked, while her eyes darted in all directions, looking for a safe landing point.

At this instant, a yellow horse suddenly appeared in the distance. Zhuge Yue, with his fair
complexion, a thunderous look, unusually red lips, dressed in a dark purple embroidery
gown, came sprinting after them on his horse. He swiftly brandished his sword and planted
it between the eyes of the horse. The horse, having been attacked, bellowed in agony and
started to kick, standing on two legs, shaking its head rapidly! At the same time, a soft whip
ew in front. Wrapping itself around Chu Qiao’s small waist and taking her down from the
horse!

“Haha, that was a close save.” Yan Xun, handsomely dressed in a pristine green robe,
smiled and took Chu Qiao into his arms. His voice sounded sly, hinting that he knew
everything.

Zhuge Yue took the arrow out from the horse’s buttocks and turned to look at Song Lian
coldly. He ordered his servants, “Take him away and hand him over to Zhu Qi at the
magistrate.”

Two guards dashed forward and tied Song Lian up.

The man pleaded, “Fourth young master, no…”

In the blink of an eye, there was a loud sound. Yan Xun dashed forward and with a kick to
Song Lian’s face, dislodged most of his teeth making him unable to speak. Zhuge Yue
raised his eyebrows slightly, turned his head and looked at Yan Xun, his eyes slanted.

“This kind of slave would have been executed long ago in the Yan residence. How could he
have any chance to defend himself?” Yan Xun laughed and remarked, “Fourth Childe Zhuge,
you are overly benevolent. I didn’t mean to interfere your business Please pardon my
rudeness.”

Zhuge Yue replied plainly, “It’s nothing. Prince Yan is so well-skilled. How did I not realize it
back when we were both studying in the General Academy Hall.”

Yan Xun casually waved and laughed, “It was just some u y skills. How could that
compare to the art of war in your minds?”

Zhuge Yue did not respond. With a wave of his hand, his servants took Song Lian, who was
bleeding heavily from his mouth, away.

“Prince Yan, many thanks for returning our lost horse today. However, you could have asked
the servants to run this errand, instead of troubling yourself. I would love to invite you to
stay for a meal but I know that you are busy. I will not impose on you further. Zhu Cheng,
see Prince Yan out.”

fl
fl
fl
ff
Yan Xun laughed indi erently, exchanged a few courteous words with Zhuge Yue, and
prepared to leave. As he departed, he passed by Chu Qiao and whispered in her ear,
“Ruthless lass, you set up another person again.”

Chu Qiao froze. She looked up, only to see Yan Xun acting as per normal, walking away with
a slight smile. He adopted a straight posture and had a calm look on his face. He looked just
like an adult. How was it anything like that dissolute prince with a smile on his face?

“Xing Er,” a deep voice suddenly echoed from behind her. She turned back, seeing the
troubled look on Zhuge Yue’s face. “Come back with me,” he said.

Chu Qiao sighed. She was down on her luck, actually having been exposed. She needed to
think of a way to handle this small, wily fox. She followed behind Zhuge Yue, depressed.
She started to formulate excuses in her mind about how she was tragically bullied in the
past, but she did not see the look in Zhuge Yue’s eyes. Amidst the gloom, his eyes re ected
a sense of pride, but no one knew what exactly he was proud of.

The room remained silent for a long time. The breeze outside the window continued to blow
gently. A faint aroma emanated from the cymbidium perched on top of the jardinière. The
child continued to stand silently at the bottom. However, a long time passed, long enough
for her to assume that the people above had fallen asleep. She could not resist anymore and
took a peek above, meeting a pitch-black gaze as she looked up.

Chu Qiao couldn’t pretend that she didn’t see anything anymore. She licked her lips and
called out softly, “Fourth young master.”

“Have you formulated your lies already?” The youngster held up a teacup, took a slow sip
out of it, and stated in a plain, soothing manner.

Chapter 21
Cunning fox Zhuge Yue! Chu Qiao thought to herself. She nervously kneeled down and
hastily said, “Xing’er doesn’t dare to tell lies.”

“Really?” Zhuge Yue tilted his head down and chuckled softly to himself. “Well, explain it to
me then.”

“On the fourth of the previous month, Xing’er and a group of girl slaves were brought to the
hunting grounds by young master Huai. In the end, only Xing’er survived. When Xing’er
came back, Xing’er was very scared. While waiting for my wounds to heal, I took the chance
to pack my belongings and plan to run away.”

“Run away?” Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows and asked, “Where were you planning to run
away to?”

Chu Qiao softly replied, “I don’t know. I just didn’t want to wait there and die. Young master
might think that Xing’er is being rebellious for thinking that way, however, we only get to live
once. Xing’er’s life might be deemed worthless in others’ eyes, but to Xing’er, her own life is
very precious. However, when I was about to run away, I was caught by the Guard Song. He
ff

fl
 then beat me up harshly. Today Guard Song saw me, he must be afraid that I would take
avenge on him. Hence, he was trying to harm me to silence me.”

“Oh really? I understand now. He is still very daring.” Zhuge Yue drank a mouthful of tea and
said with a calm voice, “Do you remember if he ever hit you?”

Chu Qiao stunned as Zhuge Yue’s stare was sharp like a snake. Chu Qiao immediately
bowed her head and said, “It happened not long ago. That’s why Xing’er still remembers.”

“Your memory is not too bad.” Zhuge Yue nodded his head and said, “Well then, do you
remember how Jin Si and Jin Zhu nessed me to kill Lin Xi? Remember when Zhu Shun sold
your family members away? Remember when someone killed your sisters?”

Chu Qiao’s heart stopped for a moment and knocked her head on the oor. She said as
tears rolled down her face, “Young master, Xing’er remembers everything. She is also clear
about her own identity and knows her duty as well as her powers.”

“What you are trying to say is that the day when you have the same abilities as her, you will
also get your revenge, right?”

Chu Qiao looked up in horror and exclaimed, “Fourth young master!”

“There is no need to deny it. When I rst saw you, I already knew you were not a normal
child. I saw that your eyes were hiding a lot of things.”

With tears welling up in her eyes, Chu Qiao pursed her lips and said, “What did the Young
Master think Xing’er would do? Did he think Xing’er would kill people? Or did he think
Xing’er was the one who harmed Jin Zhu and Jin Cai? Xing’er is still young. Even though
she is lled with hatred, she still knows what to do and what not to do. Xing’er’s family and
thousands of clansmen were killed. Xing’er was a highly respected person and became a
slave overnight. If there really is hate, wouldn’t Xing’er hate the Sheng Jin Palace’s emperor,
the Presbyterian church who gave the order, and Huang Tian Army who copied her family?
Young master, Xing’er does not have that great of an ability. I only want to live happily.
Those things are too serious, Xing’er cannot assume the responsibility.”

Chu Qiao knelt on the ground with her spine straight and head rmly upright, her shoulders
trembled continuously as if she was extremely scared, and even tears would not come out.

Zhuge Yue looked back and forth at the child with intense stares which started to soften
whilst listening to the child’s pitiful sobbing. Zhuge Yue put down his teacup, leaned on the
couch and said slowly, “Get up.”

Chu Qiao tightened her lips, her reddened and watery eyes widened.

Zhuge Yue looked at the child in front of him. Looking at her small frame, ushed face with
her small sts bunched nervously as if she was trying very hard not to cry, Zhuge Yue let out
a sigh. Zhuge Yue had experienced many betrayals, hence he started to become very
suspicious of everything that happened around him so much so that he even suspected a
small child.

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
“Okay. I have wronged you. Just cry out loud.” To Zhuge Yue’s men, this was already
considered an apology as he had never been so polite to others, except to the child who
was standing stubbornly in front of him, with her big, round, and watery eyes.

Zhuge Yue suddenly felt irritated for no particular reason. He waved his hands and said, “Go
away. Don’t stand here and stare at me.”

Without saying a word, Chu Qiao turned around angrily and started to leave.

“Stop right there!” Zhuge Yue suddenly shouted. Chu Qiao obediently stood there, with her
back facing him.

Zhuge Yue took a small bottle made out of porcelain out of the side drawer and slowly
walked down towards Chu Qiao. He grabbed Chu Qiao’s shoulders and wanted to turn her
around. However, his ngers felt the tension in her shoulders. Zhuge Yue raised his brow
while Chu Qiao struggled to remain facing forward and refused to turn around. Since Zhuge
Yue was older than her, with some force, he managed to turn her body around. A teary-
faced child stood in front of him. At the sight of Zhuge Yue, more tears ran down her face.

“It’s okay. Stop crying. I only scolded you a bit.” The young master said while frowning, “You
yourself made a mistake and was not expecting others to blame you?”

“I didn’t do anything wrong. It was the young master who told me to ride the horse. I was
learning well and no one said anything.” The eight year old nally released her temper and
talked back to her master. While talking, she was continuously sobbing and mucus was
running into her mouth.

Zhuge Yue frowned slightly and took out his handkerchief to wipe the tears o the child’s
face. While wiping her tears, he said, “You still have the guts to cry? You lost my horse the
other day, and today a precious pony from the west also died because of you. You still don’t
admit you are at fault?”

“It’s not…it’s not like I was the one who wanted to ride the horse. In addition, Prince…
Prince Yan had also returned the lost horse. I heard the news.” The child was very stubborn
and argued her point to death, as tears fell down her cheek, wetting Zhuge Yue’s
handkerchief.

Zhuge Yue was about to take another handkerchief, but the child took it and rubbed her
nose to wipe her snot. Surprised, Zhuge Yue stared blankly at the dirty and sticky
handkerchief. The child continued and said, “Even that precious pony was killed by the
young master yourself.”

“So, you meant you didn’t do anything wrong?”

The child lowered her head and murmured, “What I said was the truth.”

The sunlight shone in from the corner of the window onto their shoulders. Since the child
was small, even when she was standing upright, she was only at the Young Master’s
shoulders. Her face was red like an apple.

fi
fi
ff
“This is for you.” Zhuge Yue placed the porcelain bottle in her hands and said, “Go back and
rub it on yourself.”

After all, the attention span of the child was short and she was easily distracted. Zhuge Yue
smiled coyly while looking at the child, who held up the porcelain bottle and asked
doubtfully, “What is that?”

“Medicine to heal the wound.”

Earlier, when the horses were galloping too fast, Chu Qiao’s palms were scratched. The
child bit her lip, nodded and said, “The fourth young master, may Xing’er be excused now?”

The young master went back to his seat with his head down and with a expression as if he
did not want to see her any more. He waved his hand while saying, “You can go now.”

Chu Qiao was just about to open the door when Zhuge Yue suddenly shouted, “Xing’er, the
next time you see Prince Yan, don’t go near him.”

Chu Qiao tilted her head and stared back at him with a puzzled look.

Zhuge Yue frowned frustratedly and shouted, “Do you understand?”

“Understood!” The child replied loudly and turned to leave. Her small body crossed over the
high door sill, causing her to almost fall over.

This child was starting to get more and more daring. The young master’s face was had a
gloomy face while breathing deeply.

Right after she opened the door, she saw Zhu Cheng’s worried face. He hurriedly ran over,
saw Xing’er’s teary face and asked worriedly, “What did the young master say? Is he
angry?”

Chu Qiao looked at him, nodded her head and went back to her room.

Zhu Cheng entered the room frightened and saw Zhuge Yue with his head bowed down. He
didn’t dare to make a sound and just stood there quietly. After a while, something ew
towards his head suddenly. Zhu Cheng was terri ed. He didn’t even dare to hide and
thought to himself, I am dead. However, the object that hit him as soft, and hence Zhu
Cheng’s head did not even hurt. He looked down and saw that it was actually a dirty
handkerchief with a word “Yue” sewn on it.

“Throw it away.”

Zhu Cheng suddenly remembered Chu Qiao’s teary face, and he remembered something.
After a short pause, Zhu Cheng nodded and replied, “Yes, master.”

However, as he was about to leave, he heard Zhuge Yue say, “Wait a moment.” Zhu Cheng
turned his head and waited for his instructions like a slave.

The Young Master’s face turned red without any warning. Zhuge Yue thought for a long time
but did not say anything.

fi
fl
Zhu Cheng carefully raised his head and saw Zhuge Yue’s frowning expression, as if he was
going to make a huge decision. Zhu Cheng recognized that this was the expression that the
Young Master usually had when he was resolving a di cult problem, so Zhu Cheng became
very alert, waiting for the command. Finally, an authoritative voice said to Zhu Cheng, “Go
and wash it now. Bring it back to me after it is cleaned.”

“What?” Zhu Cheng shouted, surprised.

Zhuge Yue’s anger started to rise. “What? Don’t you understand me?”

“I understand. I will do it now.”

Chu Qiao walked along the corridor with her head down and ignored everybody she walked
past. Right after she shut the door, her face no longer looked wronged. Her face was very
calm and eyes were very bright. With her hand on her chest, she sat on a stool and poured a
cup of tea but did not drink it.

At last, today’s challenge was over. No matter how much Zhuge Yue trust her, it should be
safe for now.

When the strong winds blew against her wet clothes, she felt a cold chill down her back.
After drinking some tea, she started to calm down. She closed her eyes and gave out a
huge sigh of relief.

Whatever it was, her plans had to go on as there was not enough time.

This year’s winter had been extremely cold, as the winds cut the skin.

In the midst of the dark sky, the bright stars shone on the earth. Winter was here and there
was snow everywhere. The Yuan festival had just passed and Zhen Huang City celebrated
the start of misfortune.

Zhen Huang City was covered in ice. The roads in between the palace and the Presbyterian
homes were lit up with lights and was busy with horse carriages. The army that went to the
west to ght in the war was defeated and their blood could be smelt from the river owing
down from the hill. Everyone knew about the defeat.

The Quan Rong army came to provoke the country, causing the noblemen to be very angry.
They felt like their power was challenged and they felt threatened, causing a new war to be
started. Before that, someone needed to be responsible for the previous defeat to maintain
the dignity of the empire.

The gold-plated decree was sent out from the Sheng Jin palace, past the Presbyterian
homes’ ruling and through Zi Wei square, Jiu Wai main street, Cheng Tian altar, Qian Kun
main door towards the borderland.

The night before the chaos, the people were oblivious to the start of a war and were
sleeping soundly in their homes.

fi
ffi
fl
 Chapter 22
“Sister Yue’er.” Xiaoba was just about to call out but Chu Qiao hurriedly covered her mouth.

The little girl had bright eyes and was looking around. She took out the embroidered bag
she was holding and put it in Xiaoba’s hands while saying quietly, “Xiaoba, there is not much
time left. Let’s cut to the chase. If I have not come to nd you by dinner time tomorrow, you
must run away from the back door of the horse shed where all the horse food is kept. I will
nd a way to distract the guard to leave his post tomorrow. The door will be unguarded for
two hours before dinner. Here is some money and a fake identity certi cate. Hold it with you
and leave the city. Don’t wait for me.”

“Sister Yue’er?” Xiaoba immediately held onto Chu Qiao’s hand and said, “What are you
planning to do? Are you going to get revenge? Xiaoba also wants to help you. I can’t leave
alone.”

“Listen and be a good girl.” Chu Qiao patted her head and said, “There are only two of us
left in the Jing family. I’m the older sister so you need to listen to me. As long as there is
someone left, the Jing family will survive. If something happens to me, you can still help me
get revenge.”

“But Sister Yue’er…”

“Xiaoba, listen to me. When you leave the city, head north. When you reach the San Yi city
located at the border of Xia and Tang empire, wait for me for three days. If I still do not arrive
after three day, you should leave by yourself. You don’t have to worry, this is just the back
up plan. Once I get out, I will de nitely catch up with you.”

With reddened eyes, Xiaoba pursed her lips tightly and suddenly held out her hands to wrap
them around Chu Qiao’s waist. She said while choking on her tears, “I know Sister Yue’er
always can resolve any problem. Nothing bad will happen to you.”

Chu Qiao hugged her shoulders, smiled and said, “Don’t worry. We will soon leave this
place. In the future, there won’t be people trying to hurt us.”

The moon was shaped like a crescent in the cold, winter weather. The wind blew against the
snow, creating a very dull atmosphere.

On the second day, Chu Qiao woke up early as usual and went to Zhuge Yue’s room to
serve. However, she was told that the fourth young master went out early in the morning
and was no longer in the residence.

Chu Qiao thought to herself, Even the gods are helping me. She turned around and walked
in the direction of the main courtyard. Just as she walked to the Green pavilion, she was
stopped by Zhuge Yue’s personal guard Yue Qi. The guard, who was less than fteen years
old, stared at her with a cold expression and said word by word, “The young master
commanded that Xing’er is not allowed to pass through the gate.”

fi

fi
fi
fi
fi
Chu Qiao was stunned and was not sure what Zhuge Yue was up to. She lifted her head and
said with a cute smile on her face, “Big brother, I’m not leaving the courtyard. I just wanted
to go to the kitchen to check if the new tea leaves that were delivered yesterday are fresh.”
Right after, she turned and started walking towards the kitchen.

A little while later, Huan’er came out from the kitchen. Yue Qi frowned and asked with a
confused look on his face, “Where is Xing’er?”

“Picking tea inside the kitchen with the group.”

Yue Qi frowned again, “With her status now, why does she need to do this kind of work?”

“Huh? Do you think Xing’er is as snobbish as Jin Zhu and Jin Cai?” The maidservant raised
her eyebrows and looked at Yue Qi with disdain. She directly expressed her displeasure,
“You are snobby!”

The white clouds were oating in the sky, what a beautiful day!

Chu Qiao found a random excuse to leave Qing Shan court. She was scared to be seen by
others and chose to leave using the most hidden path. Just as she walked to the plum
woods, a shadow suddenly appeared. She was shocked and saw that it was actually a
teenage, with bright eyes and good features. He looked very familiar.

“Don’t be scared. I am Prince Yan’s page boy, Feng Mian. I was sent by Prince Yan to pass
a message to you.”

“A message?” Chu Qiao furrowed her eyebrows and eyed Feng Mian’s body. She said,
“How did you know to nd me here?”

Feng Mian chuckled and said, “My master said that if I could not get into Qing Shan court, I
should go hide in the most secluded pathway and I would be sure to nd you.”

Chu Qiao sco ed and said, “Well, your master seems to know everything.”

“Yes, he is very smart,” Feng Mian replied cheekily while revealing his white teeth.

“What message did he want to tell me? Say it quick, I’m busy.”

Feng Mian was quite surprised and thought to himself, This little slave indeed has quite an
unique temperament. No wonder both his Royal Highness and the fourth master Zhuge Yue
paid so much attention to her. Feng Mian answered quickly, “He wanted to tell you that he
must go back to Yan Bei in the morning tomorrow and wanted to say goodbye to you
tonight. Hence, he wants to meet you at the same place as last night.”

“Back to Yan Bei?” Chu Qiao said while confused. “The Prince is a hostage in the capital.
Why would he suddenly go back to Yan Bei?”

Feng Mian replied, “I’m not sure about the exact reason, but our King of Yan Bei sent
messenger to the capital and asked for the Prince to return to Yan Bei. There must be
ff
fi
fl
fi
something urgent that happened. The Grand Elerly’s council already approved for the Prince
to go back to Yan Bei tomorrow morning.”

Chu Qiao nodded her head and said, “Tell your Prince, my identity of a servant does not
allow me to leave Qing Shan court as I wish. In addition, whether the Prince goes back to
Yan Bei or not, it has nothing got to do with me. I have no right to even say goodbye to
him.”

Feng Mian smiled and said, “My master said if you want to go, there’s no one can stop you.
Whether this has anything to do with you, is not something I could o er opinion for. Since
you are busy, I will leave now.” Feng Mian smiled and disappeared into the forest. Chu Qiao
could not help thinking that the Zhuge residence was so loose in security that a child like
Feng Mian could wander about so freely.

After an hour of cautious prowling, Chu Qiao nally reached the side yard of the front
courtyard. The yard of Zhu Shun, the steward of the Zhuge family, was presented right in
front of her eyes, unguarded. At this very moment, Zhu Shun was holding a box with a sad
expression on his face. The box contained a rotting hand. It looked disgusting.

Just then, a banging sound was heard. Zhu Shun was horri ed. He held a dagger and ran
out. His eyes were wide opened, and he shouted, “Who is it?”

It was silent. There was no one.

Zhu Shun turned around and saw a white letter sitting quietly on the ground. The top of the
letter was attached to a thread, which was tied with a stone. The envelope had a peach
painted on it and had a faint fragrance. After opening the letter, the man’s eyes suddenly lit
up with disgusting and dirty desire in his mind. However, after some thought, he sighed,
went back to his chair and did not go out.

A moment later, another bag was thrown in from the window. Zhu Shun opened it and saw
that it was a women’s red binder. On top of it, there was a picture of a naked man and a
women hugging each other. He felt his blood racing and burning.

He let out a laugh. He bowed his head down and smelled it. He held it and muttered, “She
would not even wait for it to be nighttime! B*tch!” He then left after putting on his coat.

The Zhuge Residence was located in the east of the Zhen Huang city. Its back facing Mount
Chi Song and Chi Shui lake was to its right. The residence was facing the south and
covered a wide space. The building had three gates. The inner court was deep, with many
layers of security. It had twenty four hours of non-stop parol. another four buildings
surrounding it and a small trench re. If there were to be a war, it would be considered a
small city on its own.

Even Zhuge ladies’ rooms were located in the safest part under the mountain. For those
who wanted to enter the prefecture, besides going in head-on from the front gates, there
was no other possible way of getting in. The side door burst open and the guard greeted
loudly, “It is Zhu Shun! Why did you come here?”

fi
fi
fi
ff
 “Yesterday, there was a water leak in the Tao Ran court due to the snow that melted from
the second oor, which leaked into the downstairs hall. I have come to check on it.”

The guard smiled and said, “How can I trouble you to do such trivial things? Leave it to me.”

Zhu Shun smiled and shook his head while saying, “I have nothing to do anyway. Is the First
Young Master in the residence today?”

“The First Young master and the Fourth Young master have been in the study room
discussing things for the whole morning already. I don’t think they will stop anytime soon.”

“Oh, okay then, I’ll go in now. There is no need to inform the masters that I was here. It is
noon, the masters must be taking naps. Don’t disturb their rest.” Zhu Shun replied while
nodding his head.

“I understand.”

The time was just right. A small gure was hidden in the trees. Her eyes was bright eyes and
her lips lifted gently, revealed a gentle smile.

Chun Hua Court’s seventh lady Duanmu Huaning was preparing to take a nap. Her shawl
slid o her shoulders. Her breast was plump and her waist was slim; her bottocks were
round and her legs were long. Her skin was clear and tender, and her nails were colored red.
She radiated beauty. Her maid ipped open the silk comforter and help her lady lay down to
sleep naked as usual.

Just at this moment, the tile on the roof shifted quietly, but no one noticed, as a small bag of
things was slowly lowered down. The bag was wriggling. It seemed like there was
something alive in it.

The maidservant left and the room became very silent so that only the lady’s breathing could
be heard.

The bag then landed on the seventh lady’s pillow. It was pink and there was a beautiful
peach drawn on it.

While the seventh lady was sleeping soundly, she suddenly felt something was licking her
good-smelling ears and neck. She lightly touched it and felt something furry. She thought it
was a dream and did not bother opening her eyes. Just then, she suddenly felt pain on her
face. She rubbed her eyes and saw what it was. Shocked, she screamed and it echoed
throughout Chun Hua garden.

“Lady! Lady!” A maidservant hurriedly ran into the room. Just as she stepped into the room,
she was shocked to see what was happening. The seventh lady’s room was lled with huge
rats. They were dark, big and fat, and were not scared of humans. There were also a few on
her bed, biting on her robe.

“Ah!” Where did these rats come from? Get rid of them!”

ff
fl
fl
fi
fi
That afternoon, the entire court turned into chaos as everyone was trying to get rid of the
rats.

The seventh lady drank more than ten cups of tea to help calm her nerves, but she still felt
anxious and her whole body was shaking.

“Lady, I found this on your bed.” A bodyguard walked towards her, holding the pink bag.

The seventh lady took the bag and looked at it. Her eyes immediately enlarged as she stood
up and said, “Little sl*t! I knew it was you! Come with me to the Tao Ran court. Let’s see
what I will do to her.”

Chun Hua court’s people followed the seventh lady and left for the Tao Ran court. No one
noticed the child hiding inside the cabinet in the corner. Not long later, the entire residence
was in chaos and especially Tao Ran court. Chu Qiao returned back to Qing Shan court
using the same path she came, and left the the chaos behind.

Chapter 23
In the study room, Zhuge Huai looked serious and told Zhuge Yue, “Fourth brother, what do
you think of this incident?”

It was silent, not a single sound was to be heard. Zhuge Huai furrowed his brow and nudged
Zhuge Yue who seemed to be deep in his own thoughts. “Fourth brother?”

“Yes?” Zhuge Yue raised his head and said absently, “King Yan’s family is doomed. Yan Xun
is in danger.”

“Yes, I agree.” Zhuge Huai nodded his head and said, “King Yan has very high status and
hence easily become the target to be attacked. The Bahuta family eyed the land of Yan Bei a
long time ago. This time, the trouble will no doubt be beared by King Yan. In addition, the
master of Sheng Jin palace’s would rather trust strangers than his own brothers.”

Just then, voices were heard outside and it started becoming very noisy. Zhuge Huai asked
loudly, “Zhu Yong, what is going on outside? It is very noisy.”

“Master, the noise is coming from Tao Ran court. It seems like the seventh lady and Tao
Xiang are ghting. The fourth and third ladies have gone to stop them.”

Zhuge Huai’s face hardened and he said hastily, “There is not a day when they will stop. It is
ridiculous.”

Zhuge Yue heard and did not respond. Instead, he sipped his tea and bowed his head,
without saying a word.

“Master, the third lady wants you and the fourth young master to go to Tao Ran court. She
says that there is an emergency and you need to help solve it.”

fi

 Zhuge Huai suddenly got very angry and said, “What happened that requires us to go
down? Are they not embarrassed? Tell them that I have no time.”

“Master, the third lady is going to use the family law and wants…wants to kill Tao Ran
court’s Tao Xiang.”

Zhuge Yue put down his teacup and stood up while saying, “Big brother, let’s just go. They
might really need your help.”

Zhuge Huai let out a long sigh and followed him out of the study room.

Tao Ran court was a mess. Every lady was shouting at each other and would not back
down. However, in the midst of the hatred and anger, there was a hint of perverse delight –
nally, that degrading fox who dared to seduce the master got what she deserved!

The seventh lady arrogantly stood in the middle of the yard and sneered at Tao Xiang,
whose clothes were unkempt. She smirked and said, “Who would ever imagine that such a
scandal would ever occur in the Zhuge household. The old master has always been treated
you well, but this is how you return his kindness? How shameful of you!”

The third lady was only thirty years old. She was covered in fox fur, had very good
composure and gave o a very elegant aura. Her face was full of regret and she said, “Tao
Xiang, the old master originally said that when he come back, he would make you his
concubine. Unfortunately, look at what you have done today? This is not something that
would be tolerated.”

“Ma’am, why waste your e ort talking to her! My opinion, just beat her to death and be done
with it. Her existence dirties Our Zhuge household’s name.”

Tao Xiang’s face was pale, her arms were covering her chest while she knelt on the ground.
Her clothes were torn and tattered, her eyes had no expression and she was trembling.
From time to time, she stole a glance at the man beside her. He was also shaking
uncontrollably. His face was even paler than hers.

When Zhuge Yue stepped into Tao Ran court, the situation greeted him. After listening to the
seventh lady’s explanation, Zhuge’s fourth master’s eyes had a glint and he started to think
intensely.

“First Young Master!” Once Zhu Shun spotted Zhuge Huai, he immediately rushed forward
while crying and said, “It was her who seduced me rst. She sent me a letter to ask for me.
Once I arrived, she started removing her clothes to seduce me. But I clearly remember
master and young master’s kindness towards me and all I want to do is to serve the Zhuge
family. How could I even think of doing such a shameful thing to you? Just now, I was trying
hard to reject her. I was, I was wronged. I had no idea what she was up to. This is a
misunderstanding.”

“You! Do you have any heart? It was clearly you…”

fi
ff
ff
fi
“You still dare to make excuses!” The seventh lady slapped Tao Xiang across her face and
said coldly, “You are such a sl*t! You dare to use such despicable tactics to assassinate my
character? In the end, you only ruined yourself. Serves you right!”

“Fourth brother! Where are you going?” Zhuge Huai was confused when he saw Zhuge Yue
turn around and walk away, so he asked his question aloud.

“Big brother, I have something urgent to attend to. I’ll come back to you later.” After that one
sentence, the young Zhuge Yue hastily left Tao Ran court and headed towards Qing Shan
court in a hurry.

Bang! Zhuge Yue ung the gate of Qing Shan court open and saw Huan’er and a few
maidservants watering the plants in the garden. As soon as they noticed Zhuge Yue, they
immediately made way for him and respectfully bowed to him. Zhuge Yue did not even
spare them a glance and headed towards the servants’ quarters. As he was walking, he
asked, “Where did Xing’er go? Did anyone see her?”

“Xing’er said that she didn’t feel well, so she went back to her room to rest,” one of the
maidservants replied.

Huan’er, who was standing there, was scared that Xing’er would get punished and hurriedly
said, “She was picking tea with us for the whole day and had just left.”

Zhuge Yue looked gloomy and walked towards Chu Qiao’s room. Yue Qi followed quietly
along and said, “Xing’er really did help out in the kitchen for a full day and she did not leave
the Qing Shan court.”

Bang! Zhuge Yue again ung Chu Qiao’s door open and walked right in,his face gloomy. He
saw the pale looking child lying in bed as if she was really sick. Zhuge Yue was slightly
surprised and hadn’t expected her to really be in her room. Seeing her lying in bed, he was
relieved and let out a sigh as if a huge weight was lifted o his shoulders. For some reason,
he even felt a bit peaceful in his mind.

“Fourth young master?” The child sat up alarmed. Her voice was weary as if she had just
woke up. “Did Xing’er do anything wrong?”

Zhuge Yue started, shook his head and said awkwardly, “No, I heard Huan’er said that you
were sick, so I came to check on you.”

“Oh.” The child nodded her head and replied, “The young master came to check on me with
so many other people. Xing’er is very thankful.”

Zhuge Yue’s face started to turn red and he didn’t know how to respond. He stood there
awkwardly. To break the silence, he pretended to clear his throat and coughed.

Zhu Cheng saw Zhuge Yue’s awkwardness and quickly came to help him out. He said,
“Xing’er, young master came to see you, shouldn’t you get up?”

The child stumbled and nervously bit her lip but didn’t move at all.

fl
fl
ff
 Zhuge Yue started to become suspicious. After what happened today, if she wanted to
escape, she had to be very careful. With that being said, her clothes would surely leave trails
of her. Right after hearing the news, Zhuge Yue himself immediately rushed back so he
would not be much later than the person who planned this. Now that she was so nervous,
could it be that she was hiding something under the blanket?

“Xing’er,” Zhuge Yue stepped forward, with his eyes xed on the child’s face and said, “Pour
me a cup of tea.”

The child panicked and said while biting her lips. “Young master, could you step out for a
moment? Xing’er will serve you in a bit…”

“No.” Zhuge Yue walked to the side of the bed, used his slim long ngers and rmly pulled
her silk blanket o . His jet black eyes stared into the child’s big eyes. “No. I want to drink it
now,” Zhuge Yue sternly replied.

“Ah!” Everyone was shocked by the sudden cry that came one after another. The small, thin
child was clutching her chest desperately, with her face buried in her arms. Her shoulders
were shaking with her long, black hair draped over them. She was naked!

Zhuge Yue grabbed onto the blankets, shocked. Zhuge Yue’s face immediately turned bright
red with embarrassment. He hastily turned around and shouted at everyone, whose eyes
were enlarged due to shock, “What are you all doing? Get out!”

All the servants snapped out of it and started to leave the room.

Zhuge Yue grabbed the blanket and threw it over Chu Qiao’s body. His voice quivered as he
said, “Quickly put on your clothes!”

Soft sobbing could be heard from behind him. Zhuge Yue frowned and said, impatiently,
“Forget it. Just continue lying in bed.” Instantly, he strode out of the room and shut the door
tightly. The child in the room lifted her head to check if he had left the room. Her eyes were
solemn and her face was calm. There was no longer a trace of sadness. Chu Qiao lifted the
mattress under her and threw the dirty clothes which were covered with dirt and soil onto
the oor.

Sure enough, Zhuge Yue was very vigilant. He came so quickly that she did not even have
enough time to put on her clothes. But this was good as well, because there wouldn’t be
people dare to come to her room in the afternoon any more. This gave her ample time to
execute next steps of her plan.

The child lowered her head and smiled lightly. It was surprising to see such a gloomy
expression on her young face.

It was time for them to pay.

Right after changing into new clothes, there was a knock on her door. Huan’er ran over
excitedly and said while smiling, “Xing’er, there is good news. Do you want to know?”

fl
ff
fi
fi
fi
Chu Qiao’s legs could not reach the oor while sitting on the tall chair due to her small
frame. She poured a cup of tea and said after drinking a sip gracefully, “You can tell me.”

“Xing’er!” the maidservant said grumpily. “Do you really want to hear it? Why do you not
look excited at all?”

Chu Qiao smiled without her teeth seen and said, “Just say it if you want to. No matter if I
want to listen or not, you will say it anyway.”

“Fine, I won’t argue with you over this. But this time, it is really good news.” Huan’er smiled
and continued, “Zhu Shun was accused adultery with a girl whom the master favored and
was caught by the seventh lady. Even the third lady and the rst young master were noti ed.
That girl has been cast into the well and steward Zhu also got fty cane strokes as
punishment. Isn’t this great news?”

Her hand, which was holding the teacup, suddenly froze. Chu Qiao sat on the chair with
narrowed eyes, as her suppressed all of her emotions slowly and covered up her wit. She
nodded her head and said, “It surely is good news.”

Huan’er said angrily, “Right? Zhu Shun always abuses his power and bullies others. Us,
slaves, have all endured his rage. He must have done something and caused the children
from your Jing family to be sent to the second grand master. Today he was beaten up,
because even the gods could not tolerate him any more.”

Chu Qiao’s expression remained depressed and she said soothingly, “He had a scandal with
the master’s favored mistress. The punishment for such disgraceful behavior was only fty
can strokes. It sounds quite merciful.”

“Who said it wasn’t? The seventh lady just complained to the fourth young master as she
felt it was unjust. But too bad our fourth young master normally does not get bothered by
this kind of issues. The master and the rst lady were not here, hence the rst young master
had the last say. Zhu Shun has been serving the rst young master, so it is what it is.”

Chu Qiao nodded and replied, “Okay, I understand. Huan’er, thank you for reporting it to
me.”

Huan’er noticed that Xing’er didn’t look quite right and asked out of concern, “Xing’er, do
you feel alright? Do you need me to get a doctor for you?”

Chapter 24
“It’s okay.” Chu Qiao said with a mild smile, “I’ll be ne after some rest.”

“Oh.” Huan’er nodded and left the room. As soon as the door closed, the face of the child
instantly changed. She thought to herself, even such a scandal is not enough to get rid of
Zhu Shun? Alright, I will end him with my own hands then.

Chu Qiao bit her lips slowly, while sitting on her chair. It seemed like she would have to
come up with brand new plans now.

fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
The doors of steward Zhu Shun’s courtyard were closed shut, but the sounds of a man
screaming like a pig-slaughter could still be heard in the distance. Peasants passing by
walked with their heads down. No one dared to take a look at what was happening, but their
gloating expressions still beamed on their faces—seeing Zhu Shun su er made them even
happier than getting their salary at year end.

As he lied on the bed butt-naked, Zhu Shun wailed and howled, constantly yelling at the
servants who were applying the medicines on him, as if they were the ones who caused the
pain. “Screw you! You want to hurt me to death?”

Face covered in sweat, one of the servants said carefully, “Steward Zhu, you have to endure
this. Your skin is sticking to the pants, we have to tear them apart!”

The east side of the room was along the water with a few sparse shrubs around. A sharp
dagger sliced along the edges of the window. Nudging open the window latch quietly as
Zhu Shun screamed, Chu Qiao stood up slowly while holding a self-made foldable
crossbow, aiming the arrow at the Zhu shun’s head. The crossbow originated from a local
forest tribe in South Africa, with intricate designs. It was able to be dismantled, folded and
capable of stealthily ring at close range with great accuracy.

Using this crossbow, Chu Qiao once sneaked into a highly-secured private party, taking out
the target during an undercover mission overseas. This crossbow was easy to carry but at
the same time very lethal, such that a skilled hunter could kill a fully-grown tiger using it. In
the cold weapon era, this weapon was very suited for assassins, almost as if they were
custom-designed for them. Zhu Shun was very lucky to be the rst to die under this cross-
spacetime superweapon.

At this moment, a man ran into the room frantically, yelling, “Steward Zhu, steward Zhu!”

“What are you crying about?” Zhu Shun screamed, “You think this is a funeral? I am not
dead yet!”

The servant frantically said, “Steward Zhu, sir, people from the other courtyard are here. The
Second Grand Master sent someone asking why the female slave hasn’t been delivered yet
as promised?”

Stumbling, Zhu Shun shot up, forgetting about his wounded butt. He laid back on the bed
again, howling and wailing in pain. Amidst the screams, he said, “I’m afraid that the girl
slave I promised will not make do. The fourth young master will not release her. I have
prepared ten newly bought slaves in the Xi Le hall. Get someone to bring them out.”

“Yes sir, I understand,” the man answered, turning around and running.

Zhu Shun yelled, “Remember to let the Second Grand Master know that I am very sick. I will
visit him when I’ve recovered.”

The crossbow outside the window was lowered slowly. Chu Qiao looked around, coming up
with another idea.

fi
fi
ff
Maybe there was another way to kill this man without staining her hands with blood.

As Xi Lei hall’s dungeon doors opened, an unbearable fouled smell escaped. The man sent
by secondary household frowned and said with his nose covered, “What is this? You think
that girls of such standard can be o ered to the grand master?”

The servant from before immediately responded respectfully, “Slaves have not been so easy
to buy recently. Once the dealers hear that it’s for the Zhuge household, the prices are
raised signi cantly. These few were brought after much e ort from my boss. There’s nothing
for you to worry about. When they are all cleaned up, I’m sure they are all young beauties.
The Grand Master will sure to be elated once he sees them!”

“Okay, no more nonsense, just release them.”

The girls inside the dungeon had not seen the sun in a long time as they were locked up.
Once they were brought back, looking unkempt, distraught, and their eyes shut, they
appeared like a group of pups tightly squeezed together.

The man from the other courtyard looked and said with a frown, “Shouldn’t it only be ten
slaves? Why are there eleven here?”

“Really?” The peasant counted the numbers again hurriedly and said, “Maybe steward Zhu
remembered wrong. I’ll go back and ask.”

“Save the trouble, I don’t have the time, just take them away!”

As ordered, a few well trained brawny guys stepped forward, pushing one of the girls and
yelled, “Follow up!”

The kids were intimated. One of them even started whimpering.

“Whoever dares to cry again will be dead! Outrageous!” one of the men yelled as he reached
to grab onto one of the cleaner girls.

At this moment, the girl he grabbed turned and bit the man’s wrist without hesitation, forcing
him to release his hands with a yell. The girl took the chance and sprinted away.

“Ah! One got away! Get her!”

Servants from the Zhuge Residence turned frantic as they looked in the direction of the girl
running away. Pulling back the servant from the other courtyard, they yelled, “Butler Zhu, the
area there belongs to the fourth young master’s Qing Shan court, we can’t go there!”

“It’s just an escaped slave, what’s there to worry about?” Butler Zhu exclaimed, pushing
away the servant’s hands and running to chase after the girl who got away.

The doors of Qing Shan court were kicked open. The men of the second Grand Master of
Zhuge ran into the court like scavengers, shocking the maidservants such as Huan’er who
was cleaning vases in the corridor.

fi
ff
ff
Zhuge Yue was just summoned to Hong Shan court by Zhuge Huai, and guards like Zhu
Cheng were also not around. Zhuge Yue adored the tranquillity, hence the court was rather
sparse with not many people around. Now only the maidservants were left behind.

Huan’er, being the older one among the maidservants, went forward and asked while
trembling, “Who are you people? How dare you step in here. Don’t you know that this is the
fourth young master’s courtyard?”

“We are here in pursuit of an escaped slave. We are sorry if there’s any inconvenience
caused, we hope you understand.”

“Why would you be looking for a slave here in our court?” Since the person who was talking
to her was somewhat polite, Huan’er’s courage grew stronger and she asked con dently,
“Which court are you from? Do you not know the rules?”

“We are with the Second Grand Master. If you want to complain, you can go tell your fourth
young master. We’ll inform the Second Grand Master later as well.”

Upon hearing the Second Grand Master’s name, Huan’er shushed up and said without
much con dence, “We didn’t see any slave. You guys…you guys better not mess around.”

One of the servants came up and said, “She’s in the house over there! I saw her climb in
through the window.”

Shocked, Huan’er said, “You can’t go in there. That’s the room for the young master’s maid
in charge.”

Butler Zhu looked at Huan’er suspiciously and in a deep voice said, “Go in and get the girl.”

“No!” Just as Huan’er was about to step forward, she was held back by one of the brawny
men, and could only watch the men stomp into the room.

“Butler Zhu! That’s her!”

“Xing’er!” Huan’er exclaimed. She turned around and yelled, “You have the wrong person!
That’s the maidservant from our court, not the slave you are looking for!”

Butler Zhu looked at her with a cold stare and said, “I’ve seen many slaves like you trying to
cover up for each other, I’d rather you keep quiet. It won’t do you any good if anything was
to happen.” With such a threat a bunch of servants hollered, bringing Chu Qiao out of Qing
Shan court.

“Xing’er!” Huan’er exclaimed. Spotting the last servant from Zhuge residence in her
hindsight, she went up and said, “Aren’t you Steward Zhu Shun’s men? Are you the one that
brought them here? Get Xing’er back!”

The man was confused, he also saw the slave girl jump in the room with his own eyes. He
did not expect the maidservant from the Qing Shan court to be so close with her. He
frowned. “Don’t mess things up here, they are all female slaves o ered to the second grand
master by steward Zhu. if you continue to interfere, I’ll send you with them as well.”

fi
ff
fi
In a moment’s e ort, the men left and the room was empty. Huan’er stood in shock, the
younger maidservants hid behind her, with no one daring to come forward.

“Oh right, go and nd the fourth young master!” Huan’er wiped away her tears and ran
towards the Hong Shan court.

Zhuge Yue was in a meeting with Zhuge Huai in the study room. Suddenly Zhu Cheng said
from the outside, “Fourth young master, Huan’er just came to report that there is an urgent
matter to be discussed with you.”

Zhuge Yue frowned and said, “What matter is it that cannot be discussed when I get back?
This is getting outrageous, ask her to go back and wait.”

It grew dead silent outside the door, but after awhile, Zhu Cheng knocked and said again,
“Fourth young master, it’s…it’s Xing’er. She’s being taken away by Zhu Shun’s men.”

The door to the study room was immediately opened. Zhuge Yue said coldly, “What did you
say?”

Zhu Shun started perspiring, while looking inside the room at the confused face of Zhuge
Huai. He licked his lips and said slowly, “Steward Zhu’s men said that one of their slaves
escaped and said Xing’er was the escaped one. They took her away from Qing Shan court
by force.”

“Took her away? To where?”

“Erm, they said it’s to the other courtyard of the Second Grand Master.”

At that moment, the face of Zhuge Yue cannot be more gloomy.

“Maybe they got the wrong person. Ever since Zhu Shun was injured, he started handling
things inappropriately.” Zhuge Huai went forward, patting Zhuge Yue on the shoulder. He
smirked and said, “The fourth brother, since it’s to the Second Grand Master’s court, let’s
forget about this matter. It’s just a maidservant. I’ll pick a few quick-witted ones and send
them over to your court later. I’ll be sure to not let you down.”

“How long since they left?” Zhuge Yue’s eyes were still locked onto Zhu Cheng and he
asked him in a deep voice as if he hadn’t heard Zhuge Huai.

“They’ve…they’ve been gone for almost an hour.”

Zhuge Yue pushed open the study room doors without a word and straddled out. Zhu
Cheng and other servants from Qing Shan court knew that this would happen and followed
behind.

Just as Zhuge Yue received the news that Chu Qiao had been taken away by the grand
master in Wei’s ancestral hall, Wei Guang passed a single golden arrow into the hands of
Wei Shuye. With a serious look, the old men said slowly, “Shuye, do not let uncle down and
do not disappoint the Wei family’s ancestors.”

ff
fi
Wei Shuye laid both hands at, looking at the golden arrow. His eyes glistened. He opened
his mouth, wanting to say something, but just like a sh out of water, no words came out.

“Shuye, Wei family’s ancestors are watching you, your father is also watching you. You know
what to do.”

With his brows locked, he slowly said, “Who?” after a long while.

Wei Guang smiled mildly and slowly wrote a word on the altar after he dipped his nger in
the teacup.

Wei Shuye’s eyes widened and brow locked. He looked at the old man as if he was looking
for an answer.

Chapter 25
“This is what Sheng Jin palace’s master wants. Child, you can go now. You do not need to
know the reason. As long as you know that whatever you are doing is for the Wei family, for
Wei family’s three hundred years of honor, that’s enough.”

The child slowly retreated and disappeared. The sunlight shone into his room through the
door, giving the room a red hue.

Wei Jing came out from behind the back hall and walked to Wei Guang’s side. Wei Jing wore
a dark green robe and had a cold, icy stare and saluted indi erently, “Uncle.”

“Have you prepared everything?”

“You don’t have to worry, uncle. Everything is prepared to perfection.”

“Okay.” Wei Guang turned around and faced the ancestral tablet to burn incense. With his
expensive robe dragging on the oor, it rolled up the incense ashes.

Seeing that Wei Guang was about to get up, Wei Jing quickly approached him and held his
arm to support him. With a light voice, as if he was gossiping, he said, “Uncle, in your
opinion, what are the chances of success for King Yan Shicheng?”

“Ah…” The elderly man chuckled and replied, “No chance at all.”

Wei Jing frowned and said doubtfully, “The ef of Yan Bei is very wide and vast. Even
though it is cold, their trading connections with western regions is still prosperous. Since the
election, there have been more talented people on their side. Even though the King of Yan
Bei does not seem to have any great talent, he is very kind to his people. Since he managed
to win the love of the people, he should be able to have some chance of success.”

Wei Guang’s face was lled with wrinkles as he let out a sigh and said, “He himself was not
at fault, but what he possessed is bringing him his dooming fate. What do you think made
Sheng Jin palace’s master so determined to get rid of the King of Yan Bei? If someone does
not make a single mistake, that itself is a mistake. The method to gain power is to balance

fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
 their successes and failures to maintain a cycle.The only reason they have the intention to
kill him is because Yan Shicheng was so blessed with the great location and natural
resources. Moreover,” Wei Guang let out a smile and continued, “how can one tree produce
two di erent types of fruits? Yan Bei rose in Da Tong but will also perish due to Da Tong.”

Wei Guang turned his head around and looked at the child who pleased him the most and
said, “Jing, people say the Presbyterian will gain power. The seven families are called
subordinates and are in fact royals. However, uncle told you that only the owner of the
Sheng Jin palace is the real ruler of the Great Xia Dynasty. You must always remember this.”

Wei Jing rarely saw Wei Guang talk about something so seriously, so he quickly bowed his
head and agreed.

Wei Guang breathed in deeply and said, “The reason why King Yan will not have a chance of
surviving is that he never even thought of rebelling. Hence, even if they have not done a
single thing wrong, as long as the master of Sheng Jin palace wants them killed…they will
be.”

The sunset was as red as blood and brightened the streets of Zhen Huang city. Some
people suddenly exclaimed at the night sky and alerted other passers-by. Everyone looked
up and saw a bloody red star strangely ashing in the darkening sky. It kept ashing, giving
people chills.

Outside the Zhuge Residence’s main door, Zhu Shun, who realized that he was in trouble,
was carried out. Seeing Zhuge Yue ride the horse with a murderous glint in his eye, Zhu
Shun immediately forgot about his pain. He desperately ran towards him and cried, “Fourth
young master, listen to my explanation. This is all a misunderstanding!”

“Swoosh!” A string of blood shot into the sky. All that could be heard was a man’s pitiful cry
as a plump ear, covered in blood, fell to the ground.

“Just wait here. I’ll come back for your life.” The young master had a gloomy expression.
Even though his tone was calm, he sounded glum to others. Zhuge Yue’s stare was icy as
he turned around. The guards looked at Zhu Shun sympathetically as they obediently
followed behind Zhuge Yue.

Zhu Shun had just lost one of his hands a few days ago. He laid on the ground and sobbed
while rolling around. However, none of his past so-called con dants dared to go forward and
help him.

During dinner, it started snowing, covering the Chi Shui in snow. Yan Xun was wearing a full
body white marten fur coat with the hood on, standing by the lake while holding a horse.
The young teenager was wearing luxurious clothes and had a very handsome face. His eyes
had a lot of energy, and his re ection in the frozen lake was chic yet graceful.

As the sun gradually set down the hill, there was a whale oil lamp that had not been put out
for thousands of years, ashing brightly in Sheng Jin palace’s direction. Yan Xun turned his
head and slowly gazed in the direction of the palace gate.

ff
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
 “Prince!” Feng Mian ran towards Yan Xun and said breathlessly, “Something big has
happened!”

Yan Xun raised his eyebrows and asked, “What happened?”

“There is a rumour that Xing’er was caught by Zhuge family’s second grand master and was
brought to the Ba Xing alley’s homes.”

“What?” Yan Xun’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and he said seriously, “When did this
happen and where did you hear it from? Are you sure it is true?”

“Yes, I heard it from Zhuge Residence’s cleaner. Whether or not it’s true, I am also not sure.
All I know is that it is about Qing Shan court’s Xing’er.”

Yan Xun furrowed his brow, and after contemplating for a long time, he suddenly stood up
and jumped on the back of his horse while saying, “Feng Mian, I’m going to Ba Xing alley.”

“What? Are you really going? What if the rumor is false? How about you wait for a while,”
Feng Mian worriedly shouted out.

Yan Xun shook his head and said, “If it’s false, I can just come back. There is nothing wrong
with that.”

“What reason are we going to use to get in? We can’t just barge in so boldly to nd
someone, right?”

Yan Xun shift his eyes and said, “We can just say that we are going to say goodbye before
we leave the city. Let’s go.”

The wind howled loudly as a large snow fog formed. Not far from the west of the city, there
was a three hundred man army waiting quietly as the horse hurriedly galloped back. He said
to the young commander, “Major general, I saw with my own eyes that Prince Yan was
heading towards Ba Xing alley’s Zhuge courtyard.”

“Zhuge courtyard?”

Wei Shuye frowned and said seriously, “What did Yan Xun go to Zhuge house for? Is Zhuge
family trying to intervene? Zhuge Muqing did not attend the the Grand Elder’s Council this
time. Maybe he is trying to deliberately avoid this matter?”

Jiang He rode a horse towards him and said, “Major general, I thought he would not. Zhuge
Muqing and old Batu have always had a good relationship. This time, he was busy with the
ood on his land, Zhuge Muqing had no time. I thought that it was only a coincidence.”

Wei Shuye nodded his head and said, “If this is the case, things would be much smoother.”

A bright moon shone in the sky. Wei Shuye raised his head up towards the sky and said,
“It’s time.”

Once the army heard that it was time, they immediately started charging towards Zhuge
family’s second old master Zhuge Xi’s residence.

fl
fi
Just as Zhuge Yue, Yan Xun and Wei Shuye were going to strike Zhuge Xi’s residence, they
noticed that the young girl’s room was unusually quiet. Fresh blood trickled down the sharp
edge of the dagger, penetrating the white camel carpet, creating a red circle pattern. The
cooling wind blew into the room from the corner of the window, dissipating an extravagant
aroma. The room was brightly lit as Zhuge Xi’s old face was shocked. He grabbed his neck
as he stared at the children who were not even up to his shoulders. The sand in the
hourglass slowly owed down and nally, Pong! Zhuge Xi knelt down and slammed on the
ground.

“Are you begging me to forgive you?” Chu Qiao asked softly. She gently bowed her head
and sideyed Zhuge Xi. The hatred boiling in her stomach was about to burst out through her
mouth. Chu Qiao remembered the image of Zhixiang and others’ dead bodies together on
the ground. This memory caused her much pain in her heart. She said with a low voice,
“There used to be so many people who came to you for mercy. Why did you not spare
them?”

Zhuge Xi lay on the oor as the blood rushed out of the wound on his neck. Afraid of death,
he trembled as he extended his bloody hands in front of him to continue crawling forward.
He wanted to stay as far away from Chu Qiao as possible. His blood left a trail on the
ground. The bright red color was so striking and so terrifying.

“You have lived too long. It’s time for you to pay for your sins. If God does not want to
collect your sins, I will do it.” The knife slid across his throat and neatly cut o his head.
Blood spurted out immediately and became purple with a shy smell.

Chu Qiao held Zhuge Xi’s head and threw it onto the ground with no expression on her face,
then walked towards the ten slave girls hiding in the corner of the room. They looked at her
in horror as they squeezed closer to each other. In their eyes, Chu Qiao looked insane for
having the sudden courage to kill the old master. She was as scary as one of hell’s devils.
But little did they know that if not for her, who knows how many of them would still be alive?

Chu Qiao dragged along a demure, ten year old girl. Her face was as pale as white sheets
and her lips were trembling. Chu Qiao bowed her head and said with a very clear voice, “Are
you scared?”

The child stared straight ahead and nodded continuously as she feared that she would be
the second one to be beheaded. Tears and snot dripped down her face as she dared not
make a single sound.

“Since you are scared, you should just scream.”

Even though the child was from a poor family and young, she was sensible and quickly
shook her head, saying while crying, ” I won’t make a sound. I did not see anything. Please
spare me.”

Chu Qiao impatiently frowned and said, “Was I not being clear enough? Scream out loud.”

“Please,” the child cried, “please spare me. I will do anything you want. AH!”

fl
fl
fi
fi
ff
Chu Qiao suddenly raised her dagger towards one of the slave’s neck and tried to stab her.
The child was originally crying softly, but due to the shock, she exclaimed loudly as the
dagger slid next to her neck by a hair. Chu Qiao mercilessly inserted the dagger into the
bedpost behind the child who was screaming, but not hurt.

“What happened? Master, what happened… Ah! There is a murderer!” The attendant at the
door heard the cry for help, carefully stuck his head in the door, and saw Zhuge Xi covered
in blood and lying on the oor. He screamed and sat down in shock. He then awkwardly
climbed out of the room and stumbled out.

Chu Qiao tried to relieve her anger. Judging by the time, it was very likely that the whole
prefecture heard. She threw a dagger towards the servant, impaling his head. It went
through his head and stuck out on the other side!

Flustered footsteps started approaching. The child quickly sat with the rest of the slaves as
more than twenty guards rushed into the room. Right when they saw Zhuge Xi’s body, the
color drained from their faces.

“What happened?” the leader of the guards urgently asked the group of slaves.

“Assassin!” Chu Qiao shouted at the top of her lungs, with tears running down her cheeks,
before anyone else could respond. She exclaimed, “Master Zhuge…Master Zhuge was
killed… It was so scary…” Her nose started running as her tears continuously ran down her
face. Her face was so pale and she could not speak properly as if her tongue was tied.

The leader of the guards asked angrily, “Where did the assassin run o to?”

“There!” Chu Qiao pointed towards the south window that was slightly open and replied,
“He went that way!”

Chapter 26
“Leave some people here, the rest of you, follow me!”

The guards rushed out of the room in a urry, leaving just three men to guard the body of old
Grand Master Zhuge.

Other children all looked at Chu Qiao, terri ed. She, who just coaxed away the guards of
Zhuge courtyard, with a crossbow in hand, no longer showed any sign of fear on her face.
She smiled at the servants checking on the corpse of the second Grand Master Zhuge, and
whistled loudly in a light-hearted manner. “Hey! Stop what you are doing.”

The three guards turned their heads and the color drained from their faces immediately. But
before they had time to yell out a single cry, three arrows were red in rapid succession and
struck the three astonished skulls at the same time, like shooting stars. Their bodies fell
simultaneously, their blood owed, loyally following their Master Zhuge to hell.

“Ahhhhhh!” a child slave suddenly screamed.

fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
ff
Chu Qiao covered the child’s mouth at once. “You should have yelled when I told you to,
rather than choosing this moment to make my life di cult.”

The children’s faces were the color of clay as they sobbed quietly.

Chu Qiao breathed a long sigh, then slowly spoke, “What I’m about to say is very important,
you have to listen carefully if you want to stay alive, understand?”

They stopped crying and stared at her with their eyes wide.

“Me? I am one of steward Zhu Shun’s people. That old goat has always harassed children
and has lost all humanity. Steward Zhu Shun could put up with it no longer and I was sent
here to kill him. We are getting rid of him for good of our society, and none of you are
allowed to rat on steward Zhu Shun; no matter what kind of torture the Zhuge household
imposes on you. You may not tell. Steward Zhu Shun will save you, do you remember that?”

The children nodded their head quickly, like a group of frightened bunnies.

Chu Qiao smiled faintly. The net had been cast, now they could only wait for the sh to op
in. Whether these kids would willingly take on the torture without telling or not, the people of
Zhuge household would doubt their words. But all of Qing Shan court saw rsthand that it
was Zhu Shun’s men who brought her to the court of Zhuge household, and this fact alone
would ensure that he would never get out of it. Death is inevitable, it’s just a matter of how.

She glanced at the trickling hourglass. There was enough time to sneak back and help
Xiaoba, who was escaping from the back door. Yet just as she was leaving through the front
door, a hand suddenly clasped her ankle tightly. Chu Qiao looked down and saw it was a
guard on his last breath.

“You deserve to die for playing jackal to the tiger!” Chu Qiao’s eyes were cold as she pulled
out the arrow from the man’s forehand in a single motion. The body twitched a few times,
then stopped moving altogether. Chu Qiao strained to pry open his hand, but couldn’t pull
her leg out after multiple tries. She abruptly lost her mind in a fury, pulling out the sabre at
the guard’s waist and then chopped o his hand with a thud.

“What are you doing?” a low voice rumbled, not particularly loud but lled with malice.
Dressed in a ery red fur coat covered in snow and followed by a large company of retinues
from the Qing Shan court, Zhuge Yue looked somberly at the child whose hands were
covered in blood, pausing after each word.

Chu Qiao looked up as her pretty eyebrows knitted together. Why was Zhuge Yue here? But
that’s not important to me anymore. She gazed at him calmly, ther corners of her mouth
raised in a faint smile. “As you can see, I’ve killed this lthy old man, who deserves to die
ten thousand times over for his sins.”

Zhuge Yue’s face looked sullen and dark clouds ickered under his eyes. “The things that
happened before, they were your doing too?”

fi
ff
fl
ffi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
 “That’s right!” The child’s face beamed. The sweet, innocent smile on her face seemed so
un tting under the circumstances. Holding the severed hand in one hand, she grinned as
she spoke, “Unfortunately for you, it’s too late to know now. It may be a better idea to think
about how to face the questions from the other family branch leaders of Zhuge clan. After
all, I’m a servant from your court, and with the death of Zhuge Xi, the biggest benefactor
would be you and the rst wife’s family branch.”

“Men!” Zhuge Yue growled. “Seize her!”

“In your dreams!” the child sneered. She bellowed as she made a throwing motion, “Take
this!”

The servants of Qing Shan court agilely went to surround Zhuge Yue, shielding him in layers
with their bodies. Though still young in age, Yue Qi’s martial skills are well beyond his years
as he pulled out his sabre and rapidly spun forward. His blade was dancing like the wind
and rain at extreme speeds. Waves of white lights ashed before him, forming a barrier that
would even repel water if it was splashed at him.

Splat. An object abruptly struck the blade of Yue Qi, and a line of blood jetted up towards
the sky. They looked down to nd a mangled and dis gured hand.

Outside the window, the child uttered a shrill cry, “Zhuge Yue, Linxi won’t die for no reason!”
The moonlight was dense with tension as the tiny body vanished into the boundless night.

The young boy’s face was darker than the night, his eyes red with anger as he stood there.
Zhu Cheng glanced at him fearfully, his voice anxious as he shouted at the guards, “What
are you waiting for? Get her!” They stumbled after the girl as if they had just woke from a
dream.

In the ower thickets of the side residence, a girl’s delicate body quickly dashed along the
winding trails like a civet cat. Just then, a group of men seemed to emerge in the distance,
apparently running towards her. The child’s face showed nothing as she halted her
footsteps.

“Oh! It’s you!” Once she identi ed the approaching crowd, the child hurried forward. “Did
you get the bad guys?”

The man in charge barked when he saw it was a sobbing girl slave. “Move! This isn’t
something you may ask, now out of my way!” As he spoke, his hands reached out and were
about to push the child’s shoulders.

“There were more assassins in the house who killed all of your people. They claimed to be
working for the fourth young master of Qing Shan court, and I’m only here to spread the
word.”

“What?” The man spoke, his face full of shock. “Nonsense, there were around three hundred
men lurking outside the gates as well, you could tell from one glance that they did not
belong to the Zhuge household. Our brothers were struggling to hold them back, so we
returned to get reinforcements.”

fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
 There were people outside? Could they be Zhuge Yue’s retinues? Chu Qiao’s eyebrows
knitted together. She calmly said, “This way is impassible; they have more people than you.
How about you hide here and I lure them out for you?”

The man was delighted. Perhaps this little girl does have some courage. “Good, if this
works, I’ll truthfully report what happened to my superiors.”

“Yes.” The child beamed. “I only ask to be freed from my servitude.”

The men of Qing Shan court followed moments later. Before they could utter a sentence,
they were engaged by the men of Zhuge’s side residence in the dark.

Yue Qi rode forward, his voice seething with anger. “Who are you people? I am the
subordinate of the second old master and the personal bodyguard of the fourth young
master! ”

“Go f*ck yourself!” The opposing brute spat, “I’m the imperial guard of Sheng Jing palace!
Brothers, get them!”

As the clash and bangs of ghting raged on, Chu Qiao gradually retreated from the
battle eld. Upon nally reaching the outer wall, Chu Qiao glanced at her surroundings and
looked for wall-climbing equipment. Just then, she felt a wave of air on the back of her
head. Chu Qiao immediately turned around, her re exes fast and agile. She pulled out her
crossbow and prepared to shoot, yet her opponent was even quicker. Her captor scooped
her up with one arm and nimbly performed multiple leaps, landing on the high walls.

“Yikes, it’s so rude of you to wave weapons at me the moment we meet.” Yan Xun was
dressed in a large, pure white fur coat, with pitch black hair and eyes that shone like the
stars. He looked at her with a playful, almost irtatious smirk on his lips.

Back at the Zhuge court, there were lit torches and disarrayed people everywhere. The
people inside and outside of the court tangled together in combat. The sound of battle
persisted on and on. Yan Xun looked around, shaking his head as he sighed. “Look at you, a
little child causing such a big mess. The Zhuge family is so unlucky to have you as their
servant.”

Chu Qiao snorted. She struggled and said, “Let go of me!”

The young boy laughed, unafraid to be seen by other people. He inched closer with a grin
on his face, “Girl, I don’t mind you skipping our date. But now that you owe me another
favor, how are you going repay me?”

“Who asked for your help? You conceited b*stard!”

“Hmph, you always say that. I feel like my kindness went to a backbiting wolf.” Yan Xun
harrumphed, but his face immediately brightened up. “But that’s alright, I do as I please.
Now that the show is over, we better go before the re catches up to us. Hold on tight!” That
said, the young boy took o and leaped down from the edge of the wall.

fi
fi
fi
ff
fl
fl
fi
Surprised, Chu Qiao cursed under her breath for his stupidity and arrogance. But at the
same time tightened her grip on Yan Xun’s body. She hoped that the brilliant art of Qinggong
really existed in this world, otherwise the fall would surely kill both of them.

Thump. The war horse neighed as the weight of two people landed on its back. Feng Mian
grinned cheerfully. “My prince, I’ve been waiting for ages.”

Seated on his horse, Yan Xun laughed heartily. “Then let’s go.”

Behind them the battlecries were so loud that they reached the sky. The light of ames
dazzled for miles on end. The prince of the Yan Bei kingdom raised his whip and galloped
onward. He quickly disappeared at the end of the long street.

Almost at the same instant, Wei Jing and Zhuge Huai received a secret letter. Under the
candlelight, the elite members of their respective families’ younger generation expressed
deep concerns on their face. Then, after giving short, brief instructions, they each stepped
out of their family households.

Across the sky the clouds layered and snow lled the air. The moon faintly shone upon the
land of the living. Beside the Bai Liu Temple of Zhen Huang City, Yan Shiqi, the shadow
guard from the court of the Yan Bei Prince, had just intercepted Yan Xun’s war horse. His
face was stricken with worry as he said, “Lieutenant Colonel Song from the city-front,
General of the Dauntless Cavalry has surrounded your residence with troops. The eldest
young master from the Zhuge household hurried towards Ba Xing Alley with his army of
bodyguards as well. Now, they are all making their way here.”

Yan Xun frowned, his voice deep with concern, “What’s the Dauntless Cavalry Camp doing
here? Did the Zhuge family notify the Grand Elder’s Council so quickly?”

“Prince!” Feng Mian cried. The sound of hoofbeats approached rapidly from the rear. “Men
have caught up from behind!” The page hurriedly said, his face lled with worry.

“How many? Are they Zhuge Yue’s men?” Yan Xun asked.

“No.” Covered in snow, Feng Mian was so agitated that the white dust on his hat tumbled as
he spoke. “They were men from the Wei’s house, I saw Wei Shuye lead at the front with my
own eyes.”

“The Wei family?” Yan Xun frowned again, the tone of his voice even lower than before.
“When did they start working with the men of Zhuge family? On top of that, how could they
possibly notify and mobilize the Wei army in such a short time?” He looked down at Chu
Qiao, who sat next to him. “Lass, did you provoke the men from the Wei family?”

Chu Qiao’s forehead scrunched together as her tiny face fell into deep thought, but she
quickly shook her head a rmatively. “Nope.”

“Then I don’t know why that is,” Yan Xun muttered.

ffi
fi
fi
fl
 Chu Qiao turned her head around. “One must bear the consequences of their own actions.
This matter concerns myself alone. There is no need for you to be dragged into this, Yan
Xun.”

Yan Xun was stunned. Her face was obviously that of a child, but seeing the calmness and
composure between her words and expression, he couldn’t help but stare in awe. “Lass, I
am so inexplicably drawn to you, so before you tell me the truth about yourself, I would
rather not see you fall captive like this.”

Chu Qiao, with arched eyebrows, coolly said, “As long as time stands, there will be a day
when we meet again. Besides, it won’t be easy for them to catch me. Being a small target
and being on my own, I could easily get away. On the other hand, considering your social
status, I don’t want you involved for no reason.”

Chapter 27
Yan Xun xed his gaze on her intently, his eyes lighting up like re. Chu Qiao rolled o the
horse swiftly, her slight frame showed no trouble in doing so. Once she was o the horse,
she lifted her chin to gaze back at him. “I’ll be leaving now, Yan Xun. Though we may live in
di erent worlds, in my heart I will remember all the times when you lent me your hand. If
there ever comes a day when I can return the favor, I will.”

Yan Xun did not respond, but a faint smile reached his lips.

From the look on his face, Chu Qiao suspected that something was up but did not overthink
the issue. Time was running short, and it wouldn’t do her any good to linger here. Although
the entire a air got a little out of hand, not only did Zhuge Yue come out of nowhere, but the
troops of the Wei family and the Dauntless Cavalry Camp were alerted as well. The extent of
the commotion was ridiculous. However, in such a large city, she was con dent she could
hide safely.

The child knelt and tightened the coat she wore. She took one last glance at Yan Xun, then
turned around and quickly ran o towards the empty street.

Horsesteps abruptly sounded behind her. Before she could turn back and see, Chu Qiao’s
tiny body was picked up by someone. Yan Xun’s laughter sounded warmly from behind her.
“Don’t believe I can’t protect a lass like you? Let’s go! We return to Yan Bei tonight. I shall
see what the generals of the Wei Army and the Dauntless Cavalry Camp can do about that!”
That said, he brought his whip down hard, then rapidly galloped towards the city gates.

“Your Highness!” Surprised, Feng Mian and Yan Shine cried aloud at the same time.

“Shiqi, gather our men, and follow me out of the city.”

The north wind whistled and the snow covered the sky. More than a hundred riders galloped
frantically on the streets and startled a large portion of Zhen Huang City residents from their
ff
fi
ff

ff
fi
fi
ff
ff
sleep. But none of them were keen to know what happened that night. They cautiously
sealed their windows, afraid that trouble would come to them if they got involved.

Yan Xun reined on his war horse, then put up a hand to stop the movements of the Yan
Guards behind him. The young prince raised his chin slightly, staring at the rows of soldiers
on the opposite side with a cold gaze. Yan Shiqi spurred forward. “We are soldiers of His
Highness, the Prince of Yan Bei, Yan Xun. Who goes there and why do you block our path?”
he hailed loudly.

“I am the Army Major General of the North Barricade of the Dauntless Cavalry Camp with
orders to lock down this road.” A resonant voice sounded across from him.

Yan Xun’s eyebrows tightened. “I hold imperial orders from Sheng Jin palace! Who dares
stand in my way?” he proclaimed, showing his displeasure.

“That’s rather unfortunate.” A slightly feminine voice spoke slowly. The voice wasn’t loud,
but in the silent night it sounded rather ear-piercing and dense with coldness.

A young boy dressed in ink-green silk robes circled to the front of the crowd. His lips formed
a slight smile, then slowly said, “Prince of Yan, unlucky for you, I happen to have imperial
orders from Sheng Jin palace as well. Tonight, no one leaves the city. Those who violate that
order will be…” The boy paused intentionally, his eyes going up and down Yan Xun’s body.
Then he faintly smiled, spitting out his next three words, “…killed without pardon.”

“Wei Jing?” Yan Xun arched his eyebrows. A full length of a horse behind him, Chu Qiao
spurred forward as well. Using his hand, the one with the whip, Yan Xun silently put up his
arm. He blocked her path and shielded her from sight. Dressed in the Yan guards’ clothing,
Chu Qiao felt warmth in her heart. She lifted her head and looked at Yan Xun’s straight,
poised spine. The warmth crept into her, and on a cold night like this, it felt especially
precious.

“Besides, if I remember correctly, the imperial order given to Your Highness was to leave
tomorrow morning.”

“I miss my mother, the Queen of Yan. I leave tonight.” Yan Xun sco ed, his eyebrows
arched.

“Filial piety is a good thing, but I don’t think there is a reason to rush to show it, Your
Highness.”

“Sorry to have you see me like this, Childe Wei, but I’m young and headstrong. If I decide on
something, I must see to it immediately. I won’t be able to sleep otherwise.”

“Is that right?” Wei Jing smiled slightly, his voice soft but unsettling. “If that’s the case, then
Your Highness may be in for a sleepless night.”

“You are too bold, Childe Wei!” The boy page, Feng Mian, stepped forward as he yelled
angrily, “Even during normal times, my prince has the right to leave the city and hunt
ff
whenever he likes, and no one would dare say a word about it, much less now. On whose
authority do you stand here to challenge that right?”

“On the authority of the Sheng Jin palace!” a low voice abruptly sounded behind them. Yan
Xun and his company of men turned around, only to nd two more legions of soldiers
marching towards them. Wei Shuye, dressed in a dark fur coat, accompanied by Zhuge Huai
at his side. His face showed no sign of his usual kindness. Instead, it was cold as ice and
completely expressionless.

“On the imperial orders, King of Yan Bei, Yan Shicheng, was found treasonous for plotting a
rebellion and betraying the empire. Major General Wei Shuye had special orders to capture
the heir of the Yan Bei King, Yan Xun, and turn him over to the Court of Judgement for
custody.” As soon as he said it, ashes of silver light cut through the night, as countless
blades were freed from their sheaths. With startled expressions still on their faces, the Yan
guards simultaneously dashed forward, shielding Yan Xun by standing in front of him.

“Hey!” Chu Qiao removed the crossbow from her waist, then moved forward to stand
against Yan Xun’s right shoulder. “Looks like they are here for you.”

The look of shock and anger slowly abided from Yan Xun’s face. “Sorry to drag you in,” he
growled, eyes sternly xed on the other side.

“It’s alright.” Chu Qiao smiled. “A favor for a favor. Once this battle is over, we’ll be even.”

The night was darker than ever. Savage winds attacked from the direction of the Nine Realm
Platform, sweeping across the entire main street. It turned over the edges of the young
men’s robes, their clothing apped in the wind like moths diving into the ames to die. Up in
the cloud-covered sky, a large, black avian ew across the night, its wings beating as it
maneuvered through heavy, cotton-like snow, uttering shrill cries. Upon Jiuwai Main Street,
the breath of the war horses instantly turned to frost. Sabres emitted bright, chilling light that
cut through the moon and stars. They glistened against the blood red colored gleams of
torches, as if re ecting the eyes of primal beasts.

One by one, the iron-strong Yan guards began to fall under swarms of arrows. His shoulder
soaked in blood, Yan Shiqi desperately cut down another ying arrow, then turned around to
yell loudly, “Protect the prince! Get him out!”

A couple of Yan guards roared in reply. They waved their swords in a circular motion as if
drawing a full moon. They surrounded and protected Yan Xun in the middle.

With a loud rumble, a miniature catapult was carried onto the battle eld and soon boulders
began to fall. Before long, the protective circle formed by the bodies of the Yan guard was
smashed open, the blood of the Yan warriors sprayed frantically, their bodies knocked up
showers of snow as they struck the ground.

“Where are you going?” With one hand, Yan Xun grabbed Chu Qiao, who was about to
charge into battle equipped with only a crossbow and a lean, frail body that showed no sign
of threat. The young man anxiously shielded her. “Do you want to die?” he bellowed angrily.

fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
“Let me go!” Chu Qiao struggled, her eyes scanned the opposing crowd. At the same time,
she tried to break free of Yan Xun’s grasp.

With a single stroke, Yan Xun knocked down another arrow. His eyebrows perked up like his
sword. Hr roared angrily, “You are running to your death! I won’t let you.”

“There may still be a chance to live if we go now,” Chu Qiao turned around, her voice
uncompromising. “Do you expect me to stay here with you and wait for our deaths?”

Stunned, Yan Xun’s eyes seemed to dim under the light of the re. He spoke deeply with a
faint trace of child-like pique, “Take heart that even if I die here today, I will never let you
down.”

Chu Qiao knew he had misunderstood her words, but decided against explaining. Instead,
she turned around to make a light harrumph sound.

“Shiqi,” Yan Xun said, “later, when it gets chaotic, take some men and escort her to
someplace safe, do you hear me?”

“Prince Yan!” Yan Shiqi’s forehead furrowed as he protested, “My duty is to protect you!”

“Your duty is to do as I say!”

Chu Qiao stared at them with a frown. Seeing that Yan Xun was distracted, she jerked her
hand and broke free from his grasp. Being lean and small, she was surprisingly nimble as
she hopped onto a horse and left the circle in an instant.

“You!” Caught by surprise, Yan Xun howled loudly, and suddenly eyes of both sides were
focused on the tiny child.

Chu Qiao rode with impeccable skills. Like a tiger out of its cage, she snatched a pair of
sharp blades from two of the Yan guards. Her maneuvers were dazzling. Holding her small
crossbow, she moved her body left and right, then red from multiple positions at the side
and under the horse. Without enough light in the night, the sharp, ying arrows could not
reach her at all.

“Quick! Cover her!” Yan Xun began shooting with a bow as well, penetrating the skull of an
enemy archer with a thud. Being highly skilled in archery and possessing a perfect martial
form, he approached the enemy within seconds.

Though weak in strength, Chu Qiao attacked from extremely cunning angles. With quick
eyes and hands, she won her battles with bravery and stealth. This allowed her to charge
into enemy ranks in a matter of minutes, even though anyone with a good eye could tell she
had yet to learn much about martial arts. She waved her blades and struck two men, then
threw a ying blade before her opponent could attack. The weapon pierced the throat of a
Wei soldier.

Seeing such aggressiveness from such a small child, the morale of the Yan guards were
considerably raised. Seeing the opportunity, Yan Shiqi bellowed, “Charge with me!”

fl
fi
fi
fl
“You’re just trapped, thrashing beasts, you don’t know any better!” Wei Jing sneered coldly.
Holding up his crossbow, he quickly pulled back the bowstring and loaded an arrow.
Immediately, a streak of silver light was red as the arrow took o like a shooting star.

The sound of air rushed towards Chu Qiao, but when she realized it, it was too late. She
moved her head to the side and found the arrow shivering within her pupils, and in an
instant, her face was struck as her body slanted to the side, then fell o the horse!

“Lass!” Yan Xun cried. He turned his face to look at Wei Jing, his eyes aring with an anger
that threatened to burn another man.

Wei Jing sneered again, then spoke in a loud voice, “The Prince of Yan has disobeyed
imperial orders! All men heed my command, capture him, alive or dead!”

The Army of Wei roared, then advanced forward with soldiers from the Dauntless Cavalry
Camp. The battle suddenly turned from a shooting battle to close range combat. Yan Xun
sent a bulky man ying with a single kick, his three-footed bronze sword dancing as he
cleaned up two more enemies who tried to pounce on him.

“Yan Xun, are you trying to raise a rebellion?” Zhuge Huai cried when he saw what Yan Xun
was doing. He did not join the battle, but instead commanded the soldiers of Zhuge
household to stand and watch from outside the range of combat.

“If you really wanted to condemn me, wouldn’t you nd something to charge me with? I
never even thought about rebelling, but if the house of Wei uses the Grand Elder’s Council
to prosecute us, then we will show that the men of the Yan Bei Kingdom are no pigs waiting
for slaughter!”

“Arrogant b*stard!” Wei Jing snorted. Spurring forward, he waved his hand as he said, “If
that’s the case, then don’t blame me for overlooking our days as studymates together.”

Just as he was going to issue an all-out attack, a sharp, piercing sound rang next to his ear.
Bewildered, Wei Jing turned around to see the corpse of the Army Major General from
Dauntless Cavalry Camp fall o his horse with a crash. The man’s eyes were wide open, his
forehead punctured by a single arrow and his mouth gaped in disbelief. It was as if he was
trying to say something, but could no longer utter a single word.

He and the general had stood outside of the shooting range, and the shot could not have
come so far, so where did the arrow come from?

A severe sense of crisis washed over Wei Jing. He madly turned his horse around and was
about to run away when his battle horse whined and knelt forward, its forelegs su ering
critical wounds. Wei Jing fell o the horse. Before he could pick himself up, a cold, sharp
dagger was tightly placed on his throat. Chu Qiao’s cold voice spoke directly in his ear, with
a faint trace of jest and mockery, “How do you feel now, Childe Wei?”

fl
ff
ff
fi
fi
ff
ff
fl
ff
 Chapter 28
“Everyone drop your weapons!” The rapid winds changed direction and snow ew adrift.
Chu Qiao abruptly raised her lean, small face and cried sharply, “Otherwise I will kill him!”

“Drop your weapons!” Wei Shuye hollered in response, frowning.

There was a shriek. An arrow accurately buried itself into the head of Wei Shuye’s war horse,
entering from its left eye and coming out of its right. Blood and brain matter splattered as
the horse uttered a painful, shrill cry. Wei Shuye stumbled o of the horse and tumbled onto
the ground. It was a rather sorry sight.

Half-crouching on the oor, Chu Qiao held her knife to Wei Jing’s neck with her left hand.
With her right hand, she held her crossbow, holding it up with her shoulder. She slanted her
head and using her mouth she picked up an arrow from the quiver on her back. Her mouth
and arm collaborated as she quickly reloaded the arrow. Arching her eyebrows, she gazed
at Wei Shuye coldly, then slowly said, “My next arrow won’t be going for the horse, so I
suggest you don’t move.”

For a moment, everyone’s eyes seemed to be dazed, all of them frozen by the unrelenting
weather. Thousands of elite Zhen Huang soldiers, the princes and heirs of the biggest noble
families, and top-tier generals serving at the Imperial Military Assignment Center gazed and
frowned at the child who was barely three feet tall. She was dressed in clearly oversized
leather armor, the teal leather collar shielding her sharp, lean face. It was a face even smaller
than the palm of a full-grown man. She had a pair of clear eyes and her small, delicate nose
perked upwards slightly. Her arms were so slim that they seemed like they would break if
anyone placed force on them. Her entire person exerted an unmistakable sense of fragility
and immaturity.

But it was this very child, who looked like the wind could blow her away, that had broken
through the defenses of the elite soldiers of the Wei household. At this very moment, half-
crouched at this very place, she fearlessly faced thousands of soldiers. She was against the
decision made by the Grand Elder’s Council, against the holder of Sheng Jin Palace, against
the entire Great Xia Empire. She threatened everyone by holding the head of the enemy
hostage, her face cold and menacing.

This was the rst time Chu Qiao would go up against the authoritarian rule of the Great Xia
Empire publicly, looking down on imperial authority. Her thoughts were simple. She would
run away from here and bring Yan Xun along as she escaped from this place.

“Put down your weapons and open the gates. Don’t make me say this twice.” Her voice was
deep and her gaze slowly swept across the crowd. As her body slowly turned around, so did
the crossbow resting on her shoulder. The arrow point glared like her other blood-thirsty
eye, gliding across the people surrounding her as their fear increased.

“Do it!” Wei Jing suddenly cried out. Being of noble birth and having lived a luxurious life,
the imperial prince could not tolerate the shame of being threatened by a lowly peasant. He
fi

fl
ff
fl
stubbornly lifted his young face, unafraid of the knife that threatened to slice through the
skin on his neck, and said furiously, “Take them down!”

Thwack. Before Wei Jing could nish his sentence, two of his ngers had been sliced o by
Chu Qiao. Unprepared for the pain, he howled in misery, blood pouring from his wound and
dripping to the ground.

“I suggest you shut your mouth, Childe Wei.” Chu Qiao looked up at the soldiers of the Wei
household and smiled coldly. “Did you not understand what I said, or do you intend to
disobey? Perhaps you are under the command of another master of yours?” Her gaze
turned to Wei Shuye as she circled him slightly. “With your biggest competitor dead,
someone may be able to step up and become head of their family. Major General Shuye,
who else but you would be the next Elder Master of the Wei family?”

“Scum!” Wei Jing seethed, his voice full of hatred. “Don’t bother trying, the bond between
me and my brother is strong.”

“Bonds must be tested to tell how strong they are.” Chu Qiao grinned. The smile was creepy
and ghastly, completely un tting of an eight-year-old child. Her eyes met Wei Shuye’s as she
faked a cut with her knife across Wei Jing’s neck.

Her hands worked quickly as she tied up Wei Jing. Despite her slight gure and weak
strength, her skills and the type of knot she used worked miraculously. She had prevented
Wei Jing from escaping despite his strength.

“Get on the horse,” she said. “I wish to trouble Childe Wei to walk with us a bit further.”

The clouds had now grown so thick that not a trace of starlight could be seen and even the
clear moonlight was starting to fade.

Chu Qiao did not ride the same horse as Wei Jing, but was alone on another war horse. She
rode boldly and con dently, staying two horse-lengths behind him. She held her small
crossbow, her eyes xed lethally on the man strapped on the horse in front of her, and she
remained prepared to deal the nal blow should the need ever arise. “Yan Xun, let’s go.”

Yan Xun squinted. His lips slanted upwards on one side and he laughed joyfully. He lazily
hopped back on his horse, leading his subordinates as he rode forward, completely
unconcerned about the enemies at his side. Chu Qiao led the way and emitted a dark, cold
feeling that was impossible to ignore despite her small body. Everywhere she went, rows of
Zhen Huang soldiers cowered back like ood waters ebbing away.

The city gates opened with a creak. Torches burned brightly, lighting up the sky and coloring
it red. The smoke signals from the north of the empire continued to fume. The battle a ected
tens of thousands of Xia people and blood soaked every inch of earth upon the Yan Bei
Plateau. Yet at this moment, at the heart of the empire, the boy named by the empire to be
the head of rebellion, son of the King of Yan, Yan Xun, strode out of the walls of Zhen Huang
City unchallenged. The only thing the most elite of the Xia Imperial troops could do was
watch on with blank expressions, no longer able to change anything about the outcome.

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
ff
ff
The corners of Zhuge Huai’s mouth twitched upwards, forming a barely noticeable smile.

For the family of Zhuge, it was not important whether Yan Xun made it back to the north.
What was important was the fact that Sheng Jing Palace had assigned the task to the Wei
family, and they had failed.

No other news would be more delightful than this, Zhuge Huai thought to himself. He said to
the guard next to him, “Notify the fourth young master to return home at once. I have things
to discuss with him.”

The guard bowed and stepped forward. “The fourth young master has left the city.”

“What?” Zhuge Huai was taken aback. “Left the city?”

“He has just left from the northern gate. He said he was going to catch a runaway slave from
the household.”

“A runaway slave?” Zhuge Huai frowned. “What kind of runaway slave would he bother to
chase himself?

“I’m not sure. I will see to it immediately.”

“I hope that he doesn’t mess things up,” Zhuge Huai mumbled, as he lifted his head and
squinted towards the pitch-black night sky.

An hour later, on an old, desolate path, Yan Xun instructed to have Wei Jing freed from his
binds. “Since I have agreed to let you go, you can count on me not to go back on my word.
You may leave now,” he said coldly.

Taking one last spiteful glance at Yan Xun and Chu Qiao, who stood behind him, he turned
around and left. He headed back in the direction of Zhen Huang City.

“You shouldn’t have freed him,” Chu Qiao said behind him, her voice icy. “Did you not see
the look in his eyes? Keeping him alive will only mean bigger trouble in the future.”

Looking at the gradually disappearing silhouette of Wei Jing, Yan Xun shook his head, then
slowly explained, “Killing him would mean Yan Bei had really committed treason. I still don’t
know what happened back home, so I can’t take the risk.” He turned around. “What are you
going to do now? The house of Zhuge won’t let you o easy. Come to the north with me.”

Chu Qiao lifted her chin and chuckled, “Thanks for the o er, but I still have things to do.”

Yan Xun frowned. With a deep voice he said, “What sort of things could a child need to do?”

Chu Qiao arched her eyebrows at Yan Xun. “After knowing me for so long, which part of me
looks like a child to you?”

Speechless, Yan Xun was tongue tied trying to justify his words. Thinking about it, the girl
really did not seem like a child. The Prince of Yan locked his eyebrows together and thought
for a long time, then pulled on her hands in exasperation. “You look just like a child to me.
ff
ff
Look at your hands, your small arms, small legs, small head, and small gure. You are
obviously a kid. No matter how cruel you are, you are still a child,” he said stubbornly.

Chu Qiao shook o Yan Xun’s hands, muttering to herself, “What a pest.”

“Hey!” Yan Xun spurred forward, blocking the way of Chu Qiao, “You’re really leaving?”

“I must go.”

“What do you need to do? Can’t I have someone do it for you?” the Prince of Yan asked
loudly, humiliated by her rejection.

Chu Qiao turned around. She looked at the boy’s clear eyes and replied seriously, “Yan Xun,
we were never the same kind of people. I think it’s enough for us to have walked together for
so long.”

Sitting on his horse, Yan Xun remained silent.

“For the sake of having known you, I will say this: it’s hard to predict what will happen in the
future. Take care of yourself,” she said with her tone low like an elder. Then, she turned her
horse around, her horse whip waving in the air as she left.

Without the light of the moon and stars, the lone child and her horse gradually disappeared
into the snowstorm. Yan Xun suddenly jerked out of his trance and spurred forward, but to
no avail. Sitting on his horse, he yelled to the child who had disappeared into the snow,
“Hey! Look for me in Yan Bei if you ever need me!” His voice pierced through the snowstorm
and echoed into the night. The night was far from over, the scene pitch-black and chilling to
the bone.

In the complete darkness outside of Zhen Huang City, a small shadow quickly dashed along
the traveler’s road outside of the eastern gate. An oversized leather coat covered his face
and body. A small sack made from the skin of a mink plopped against his back, its bulging
shape an indicator of its heavy weight.

The snowstorm continued to worsen and the blowing winds barely allowed a man to open
his eyes. The men struggled to walk forward but never stopped moving, as if some savage
beast was in pursuit of them.

In the howling winds, the crisp sounds of hooves suddenly sounded. On the distant plain, a
pure black war horse galloped rapidly. The child on its back was slight in gure, no more
than seven or eight years old, and dressed in the clothing of a Yan guard. Her pair of black
pupils scanned the scene beneath the night sky like a perceptive hawk. She saw the lonely
strider in front of her and immediately increased her pace in delight.

“Xiaoba!” Chu Qiao cried. The winds raged and tore her voice apart within seconds. The
individual on foot seemed completely oblivious and continued on his journey, his head kept
low. Chu Qiao spurred onward and dashed, then stopped right in front of the man.
Frowning, she spoke in a low voice, “Xiaoba?”

ff
fi
fi
“Hehe,” a low, raspy voice answered her and the small gure lifted his head. His face was
wrinkled and showed no traces of a young child. It was a middle-aged dwarf around forty
years old!.

Suddenly, a bolt shot from the sleeves of the dwarf and straight towards the Chu Qiao’s
face. Its edge was sharp and glistened with coldness. Caught o guard, Chu Qiao moaned,
then her body fell o the back of the horse.

A raspy laugh sounded, extremely creepy in the chilly night. The dwarf tossed aside the
sack on his back and slowly crept forward, one foot kicking the leg of the child. Only when
he saw that the child was as limp as a corpse did he crouch down to check her breathing.

“Master must be mad to have sent me against such an easy child.” The dwarf sneered and
turned the body of the child lying on the ground over. But in that instant, the limp body of
the child jerked upwards. Her pair of eyes shined like stars and her motions were explosive
and powerful. In the blink of an eye, the child who had been at the mercy of the dwarf had
turned things around. She mercilessly sent the cold dagger into the artery in the dwarf’s
neck and spat out the sleeve bolt onto the ground.

Chapter 29
“Tell me! Where is Xiaoba?” Chu Qiao’s voice sounded out coldly. She pushed her dagger
forward, in icting a wound on the man. Crimson red blood oozed out of his neck.

“Who…who is Xiaoba?” The scheming man, no longer as arrogant as before, cowered in

fear and stammered, “I don’t know any Xiaoba…I just work for people.”

“Xiaoba is the owner of this baggage. The child that you impersonated.”

“I…I don’t know,” the dwarf replied. “Someone under Fourth Young Master approached me.
I am a guest of the Zhuge family. I don’t have any problem with you.”

“You don’t know?” Chu Qiao frowned and sized up the man. Seeing that the dwarf was
nodding non-stop, she was overwhelmed with anger. With a few swift motions of her wrists,
the man’s eyes widened, his pupils dilating. His limbs sti ened, unable to breathe. There
was only one long, bloody wound on his neck.

“You are not suited to be a hitman. Since you will die sooner or later, you might as well do
something good before you die.” Chu Qiao stared coldly at the man’s corpse. She squatted
down and unfastened his clothes with a swift slice.

There was not to be a moment of peace in Zhen Huang City that night. Even though it was
in the wee hours of the night, the eastern city gates were still brightly lit. The fourth young
master of the Zhuge family was personally stationed there, requesting the mobilization of
half of the troops in Zhen Huang to apprehend the servants who had escaped from the
Zhuge Residence. A few waves of soldiers had departed, but there was still no news.

fl
ff

fi
ff
ff
Zhuge Yue sat on his horse. The eastern gate behind him was like a giant lion in slumber.
His servants followed behind him solemnly, not daring to make a sound for fear of agitating
him.

“Fourth Young Master!” Zhu Cheng, wearing a grey robe, dashed swiftly to Zhuge Yue’s
side, whispering in his ear, “Fourth Young Master, First Young Master wants you to go back
to the house now.”

Zhuge Yue, pretending that he did not hear anything, continued to stare in front of him, his
face devoid of any emotion.

Zhu Cheng hurriedly continued, “There is news that Yan Xun has escaped the city, along
with people from the Zhi Zi Residence. The Wei family messed up big time. Wei Jing had
two of his ngers chopped o and was taken hostage.

Zhuge Yue frowned upon hearing this. He thought for a long while before replying, “Yan
Xun?”

“Yes,” Zhu Cheng rambled on, “It was at Jiuwai Main Street, between Bai Lan Temple and Zi
Wei Square.”

The young Zhuge Yue replied deeply, “In what direction did they come from?”

“I think…I think it was from the direction of Chi Shui Lake.”

“How audacious!” Zhuge Yue sneered, his eyebrows raised up. It dawned on him why Wei
Shuye had surrounded the Zhuge residence in Ba Xing alley and wounded the servants
inside.

“In what direction did Yan Xun escape to?”

“Fourth Young Master, First Young Master speci cally instructed you not to interfere in this
matter. Please do not interfere!”

Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows. Just as he was about to talk, he suddenly heard the sound
of horses’ hooves approaching in the distance. A small, skinny man wearing a large hat
approached on his horse. He threw a small corpse on the ground before he had even
reached Zhuge Yue’s side. He was dressed in green leather armor, indicating that he had
been murdered by someone from Yan Xun’s party.

A servant standing at the side exclaimed loudly, “Fourth Young Master, Hu Sheng is back.”

Zhuge Yue stared at the corpse that was sprawled on the ground. His body was sti , his hair
was messy, and his clothes were stained with mud and blood. It could be seen that he had
been dead for many hours. Zhuge Yue was overwhelmed with rage. He slowly raised his
head, staring sharply at the dwarf who was no taller than three feet. He uttered slowly, “You
killed her?”

fi
ff
fi
ff
Hu Sheng got o his horse in an elegant manner, and lowered his head and kneeled on the
ground. His voice was deep and inaudible amidst the strong northern winds. “I’m glad I had
not disappointed you!”

“When did I tell you to kill her?” Zhuge Yue used his whip to lash Hu Sheng’s back
mercilessly. He bellowed, “You deserve to die!”

“Young Master!”

“Ah! Assassin!”

A series of gasps sounded out. As Zhuge Yue’s whip landed on the person’s back, the
person suddenly looked up. This person had a childish appearance and a fair complexion.
How could he be a hardened hitman? The child sneered and took a hit from his whip, then
sprung up swiftly, brandishing a dagger and holding it to Zhuge Yue’s neck. With a small
motion, he had stopped struggling.

“You’re not dead yet?”

“As you wished, I’m still alive and well.” Chu Qiao stared at Zhuge Yue coldly with
viciousness in her eyes. She replied slowly, “However, I’m not sure how much longer you will
live.

“Let my sister go!” Chu Qiao barked. “If not, you can meet your family’s Second Grand
Master in hell!”

The vast plains were snowy, the mountains majestically prominent. The northern winds
scattered the snow about, causing snow akes to land on everyone’s eyelashes. Chu Qiao
was dressed in a steely grey cloak. Her giant hat covered her clean eyelashes. Her little, fair
hands carried a dagger. She stood amongst tens of thousands of troops, not an ounce of
fear or weakness visible.

Zhuge Yue sneered coldly, turning around and calmly saying, “Would you really kill me?” The
wind blew in the gap separating both of them. Night owls in the sky howled, resembling the
cries of spirits who had died wrongful deaths.

The look in Chu Qiao’s eyes became cold. That dilapidated rewood hut, the child’s
innocent smile, that piece of fragrant roasted meat…those thoughts erupted in her mind like
a bomb. She lowered her head slowly, staring the young man squarely in the eye. “You can
try me.”

“Really?” Zhuge Yue smiled and half-squinted. He replied, “Okay then.” Finishing his
sentence, he thrust his head downwards toward the sharp dagger, as if he had lost control
of his body.

“Young Master!”

“Master!”

ff
fl
fi
 All the panicked voices sounded out in unison. In this instant, it seemed like time had
stopped. The noise in the background was concentrated at one spot, making it seem
ampli ed. Chu Qiao was taken aback, not expecting that this young man was decisive and
determined to the point that he would rather commit suicide than be threatened. In a ash,
countless thoughts ran through her mind. Before she had time to comprehend any of them,
she subconsciously withdrew her dagger with agility, but it still made contact with his neck,
leaving a long, bloody scar all the way to his earlobe.

Just as Chu Qiao withdrew her dagger, Zhuge Yue took advantage while she was distracted.
Like an agile loach, he stuck out his body, took a step forward and turned the tables around!
Everything happened at lightning speed. Before the gasps had ceased, the young man, who
had initially been held hostage, had broken free, albeit with his extreme methods. However,
at this moment, he stood opposite the child, pointing his long sword at her and remarked
coldly, “You are not able to kill me.” Fresh blood trickled down his neck. Although the wound
was not deep, large amounts of blood gushed out, owing down his fair skin and mixing into
his clothes.

Zhu Cheng immediately rushed forward, exclaiming in fear, “Fourth Young Master, you’re
injured! Quick! Back to the house, back to the house!”

Zhuge Yue stared coldly at Chu Qiao, as if he had not heard anything that Zhu Cheng had
said. He reached into his pocket, taking out a snow-white handkerchief. Blood oozed out
from his neck and onto his handkerchief. The crimson-red stains were akin to a plum
blossom in full bloom.

“Quick! Pass the medicine! Fourth Young Master, take a seat and let me bandage your
wound!”

The young man, who appeared pale, stood on the vast, snowy ground. An unpredictable
sharpness ashed past his eyes. He raised his right hand and clenched it, revealing bulging
veins. After a long while, he opened up his hand, letting the wrinkled handkerchief be carried
away with the wind. It made two loops in the night sky before disappearing into thin air,
blanketed by the thick snow.

The white handkerchief had been used to wipe o a certain someone’s tears before. The
young man, despite his unpredictable personality, had wanted to protect that certain
someone too. With the wind, all of those thoughts had dissipated, signalling the end of the
show. The party that had invested more into the act was bound to lose.

“Capture her!” Zhuge Yue turned around coldly, devoid of any emotion.

The guards of the Zhuge Residence surrounded Chu Qiao. She stood in the center of the
crowd, wielding her long sword which mirrored the steely look in her eyes. In it, one could
see her calmness, her thirst for revenge, her cautiousness, her unrivalled determination, but
not an ounce of weakness or remorse.

From the start, she knew how to survive. She knew what kind of hatred she carried upon her
shoulders. She knew exactly what kind of favors she owed. Hence, Zhuge Yue, when you
fi
fl
ff
fl
fl
 severed Xiaojiu’s arm, when you put Linxi to death, we were destined to become worst
enemies. One of us must kill the other. There is no other way.

“Advance!” A low voice suddenly boomed out from the crowd. No servant from the Zhuge
family dared to underestimate this frail-looking small child. A group of agile big men rushed
forward to attack her. In the bright night, the clanking sounds of sword ghting could be
heard distinctly. The child, demonstrating unparalleled agility, pivoted on her left leg and
kicked out with her right leg. With a ying somersault, her long sword was stained with
blood. Her right hand ruthlessly clasped the neck of one of the men. As her ngers moved,
she snapped the tendons of the man’s neck with a resounding crack. The man’s eyeballs
popped out of his sockets and he collapsed softly on the ground.

Everyone in the crowd was shocked, but none of them retreated. A big and thick sword
sliced through the air, destined for Chu Qiao. She raised her arm to block the blow, but was
still knocked back two steps due to her small frame. Her clothes were stained with blood,
showing that she had been injured after just one round of sparring.

Upon seeing this, the guards of the Zhuge Residence rejoiced. No matter how smart or
ruthless this child was, she was, ultimately, still barely eight years old. Her strength was
incomparable to that of those well-built men.

Everyone sensed an opportunity and advanced forward. Zhuge Yue stood outside the
battle eld, appearing serious, his lips pale, while Zhu Cheng held a bandage over his
wound. The heavy snow made the entire place appear desolate.

“Giddyup!” At this instant, a crisp shout suddenly echoed from the distance. Messy,
unsynchronised sounds of horses’ hooves drifted over from the north.

Everyone turned around to look in the northern direction. From afar, hundreds of well-built
horses were making their way towards the battle eld. The young man at the front of the
party was dressed in white. He had jet-black hair and he held a crossbow in his arm. With a
few arrows, he shot down some of the guards belonging to the Zhuge family.

“Lass!” The warhorses dashed rapidly, blending themselves into the crowd. The young man
on the horse picked Chu Qiao up and placed her onto the back of the horse. With a bright
look in his eyes, he laughed, “I saved you again! How will you repay me?”

With a brush, Chu Qiao de ected a spear with her sword. She turned back and looked
angrily at Yan Xun, exclaiming, “Are you crazy? Coming back at this time, do you want to
die?”

Chapter 30
“What would you do if I didn’t come back? What an ingrate!” Yan Xun pouted, and
continued, “Hold tight!” Finishing his sentence, he whipped the horse’s rear end. With a
neigh, the horse leapt high up into the air, above the heads of everyone!

fi

fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
“Yan Xun!” Zhuge Yue raged. He adjusted his robe and shouted, “How dare you interfere
with my a airs!”

The warhorses in Yan Bei were widely recognised as the best in the world; no one could
stop them on the plains. Yan Xun, while carrying Chu Qiao, turned back and laughed.
“That’s kind of you, Fourth Young Master Zhuge. I’m going back to the north, you do not
need to send me o anymore. Adios, see you next time!” Finishing his sentence, he led the
warriors of Yan Bei and departed the scene.

“Young Master!” Zhu Cheng exclaimed in shock, only to see the heavily injured Zhuge Yue
sneering in anger. He brushed aside the bandage on his neck, frowning, and climbed on his
horse’s back. With a series of frantic whips, he chased after Yan Xun’s party in pursuit.

“Quick! Quick, follow Young Master!”

The night winds conjured up large snow oes. Yan Xun and Chu Qiao rode on the same
horse, advancing across the empty, vast and snowy plains.

“Lass, go back to Yan Bei with me!”

“No!”

“No is not an answer.” The young man laughed. “Let’s see where you can run to this time.”

The sounds of the horse’s hooves disrupted the serenity of the plains. As the winds blew
across the plains, more sounds of hooves could be heard from behind, just like thunder. Chu
Qiao nervously gripped Yan Xun’s arm, shouting, “Lunatic, there’s someone chasing you
from behind?”

Yan Xun nonchalantly laughed it o , replying, “It’s ne. Yan Bei is big and rich in resources.
It’s no big deal if the Wei Clan wants to follow us there.”

Chu Qiao frowned heavily. She sporadically turned back, looking at the gures behind
getting closer and closer. She knew that there were many people in pursuit. She bit her
lower lip, scanned her surroundings and berated Yan Xun, “Are you crazy? You knew that
people were out to kill you. Why did you still come back?”

Yan Xun raised his eyebrows slightly. He repeated the same line, “What would you do if I
didn’t come back?” Tears welled up in Chu Qiao’s eyes. She looked up, her eyes making
contact with Yan Xun’s chin. He was really still a child after all; his beard had not even
grown. He was an aristocrat and did not know his boundaries, oblivious to the dangers of
the world.

Yan Xun, seeing that she was in a trance, laughed and probed, “What’s going on? Are you
so touched that you want to betroth yourself to me? You don’t have to. You’re still too
young. Who knows what you will look like in the future. How about this, you follow me, and
we’ll see how it goes.”

ff
ff
ff
fl
fi
fi
 “Traitor from Yan Bei! Get o your horse and surrender yourself!” A loud voice suddenly
boomed out from behind. Yan Xun froze. He helplessly said, “Hey, looks like we have trouble
again.” As he said those words, he whipped his horse to get it to accelerate.

The black armor gave o an extremely intimidating aura in the night. Rumbling, hurried
sounds of horses’ hooves became more audible by the second. Large amounts of snow
were stirred up into the air by the horses, as if an avalanche had happened. The ground
beneath trembled heavily, as if a beast had awakened and was about to break through the
ground.

“Hold tight!” The young man’s expression suddenly became steely and serious. He frowned,
held the reins of the horse tightly and with a loud holler, the warhorse let out a long neigh. It
raised its hooves in the air and started to gallop even faster. The wind sliced past their ears
like a sharp knife, leaving the people chasing shadows.

“Haha!” The warriors of Yan Bei let out loud, hearty laughter in unison, looking back at the
shocked faces of the Wei soldiers.

Feng Mian, the small apprentice, laughed and added, “Prince, we should let those people
see a real warhorse from Yan Bei is like.”

Yan Xun laughed and replied, “Sure. Let’s give them an eye-opener.” As he nished his
sentence, the warriors of Yan Bei grabbed the horses’ reins together, putting a nger to their
mouths and letting out a high-pitched, crisp whistling sound. Amidst everyone’s confusion,
the warhorses belonging to Yan Xun’s party suddenly stood on two legs, their manes fully
extended. They let out a loud cry which resembled that of a lion. The sound reverberated in
the night, re ecting the horses’ unrivalled power and domineering nature. It was simply
su ocating.

The warhorses belonging to the royal troops of Zhen Huang let out cries of agony, their legs
crumbling and falling to the ground. No amount of whipping by the generals could get the
horses back to their feet.

Chu Qiao was intrigued.

Feng Mian laughed, explaining, “In Yan Bei, we produce our horses by cross-breeding the
nest mares from Tian Mu Mountain and wild wolves. They are unbelievably fast and are
also able to call upon packs of wolves for help in battle. These nobles’ horses from Zhen
Huang have not even been on the battle eld; naturally, they will cower in fear by just hearing
to the sounds of our horses. It’s impossible for them to chase us.”

The warriors of Yan Bei laughed in unison again. Yan Xun’s robe uttered about in the wind.
He sat atop his horse, ordering, “Let’s go! Back to Yan Bei!”

The warriors laughed heartily and echoed, “Back to Yan Bei!” The sounds of horses’ hooves
rumbled, scattering the snow about. In the pitch-black night, the warriors of Yan Bei
whipped their horses, departing from the scene with grandeur.

fi
ff
fl
ff
ff
fi
fl
fi
fi
 However, at this moment, Chu Qiao suddenly felt a sense of danger. The sense of
cautiousness, cultivated from working precariously for many years, set o alarm bells in her
head. Before the child could comprehend her thoughts, which came out of the blue, a
swoosh sound penetrated the darkness and whistled towards her party with an intimidating
aura.

In a split second, before Chu Qiao could react properly, she delivered a blow to Yan Xun’s
stomach. Yan Xun grimaced in pain, bending his back downwards as a re ex action. As he
was about to scold the ungrateful Chu Qiao, an arrow embedded itself into his left shoulder,
its tip sticking out from his back. The force of the impact caused blood to ooze out from the
wound, knocking him backwards and causing him to fall from his horse onto the snowy
ground!

“Yan Xun!” Chu Qiao shrieked. She held the horse’s reins back, trying to stop the horse, but
it ignored her actions and continued to dash forward, defying all commands. Chu Qiao
panicked, leaping o the horse and up into the air. With a frontal somersault, she landed
rmly on the snowy ground. “Yan Xun!” Chu Qiao held his shoulder. She asked, “Are you
alright?”

The young man frowned, a cold expression in his eyes. “I’m ne, I won’t die.”

With another swoosh, another arrow ew towards the two of them. Chu Qiao, sensing that
the source of the sound came from a di erent direction, raised her sword to block the arrow.
The force of the impact of the arrow with the sword caused a spark to form, illuminating the
dark sky.

“Put down your weapons!” Many low sounds echoed together in unison. Countless troops,
easily over a thousand, surfaced from beneath the snowy ground. They were all dressed in
white, camou aging themselves in the snow. It was no wonder that the warhorses did not
detect any danger when they passed by. Many swords were pointed at the two of them,
making it impossible to break free.

Intense sounds of ghting resonated from not far out. It was evident that the warriors of Yan
Bei could not dismount in time, being surrounded heavily by the royal troops.

A young man dressed in black emerged from within the crowd. The robe within his cloak
had a golden dragon embroidered on it. A sharp-looking dragon claw could be seen on his
collar, appearing very intimidating and majestic under the brightly burning res.

Zhao Che half-squinted and sneered, “I knew that the Wei family couldn’t do anything right.”

The sharp swords were pointed at both of their necks. The swords had purplish-golden
ower logos imprinted on them, a symbol unique only to Sheng Jin Palace. This meant that
they were imperial guards. Zhao Che, the seventh royal prince, stared Yan Xun in the eye
and proceeded to size up Chu Qiao, ordering, “Take them back.”

“Seventh Royal Highness.” A guard walked forward, taking small glances at the warriors of
Yan Bei who were still intensely engaged in battle. “What about the rest?”

fi
fl
fl
fi
ff
fl
ff
fi
ff
fl
fi
 Zhao Che raised his eyebrows, sneering. “Those people de ed royal orders and betrayed
their country. What use is there keeping them alive?”

The guard, sensing what Zhao Che meant, shouted, “Kill all of them!” Roars of
acknowledgment resonated from the distance. In an instant, a urry of arrows ew towards
where the warriors of Yan Bei were. Moments prior, they were still laughing heartily with
conviction. However, they now laid lifelessly on the oor, their corpses collapsing onto the
snowy ground.

Chu Qiao was enraged. Hearing Feng Mian curse uncontrollably beside her, she clenched
her sts tightly, staring coldly at Zhao Che who was perched atop his horse. At this moment,
imperial troops from Sheng Jin Palace approached. The child struggled slightly, catching the
eye of the royal prince.

Zhao Che sized her up with his eyes and frowned slightly. She appeared familiar, but he
could not remember where he had seen her before. “Execute all the irrelevant people,” he
said.

“Who dares!” Yan Xun dashed forward, holding Chu Qiao tightly in his embrace and staring
at the young man fearlessly in the eye.

Zhao Che froze; his anger turned into laughter. He retorted, “You do not know your
boundaries. At this stage, do you still think of yourself as the Prince of Yan Bei?”

Yan Xun remarked coldly, “Zhao Che, if you dare to do this, I guarantee that you will regret
it.”

Zhao Che frowned and sneered. “I want to see how you, a trapped beast, will make me
regret. Do it!”

Elite troops from both directions raised their swords and advanced forward. Yan Xun
withdrew his dagger and pointed it at his chest. The look in his eyes was steely and
exempli ed his unwavering decisiveness.

“Stop!” Zhao Che was taken aback and frowned in disbelief. His eyes scanned the child
from head to toe, before he said, “Yan Xun, I’ll spare your dignity this time. Bring them
back!” Their weapons were taken away, and both of them were imprisoned in a carriage that
had been prepared.

The young man held Chu Qiao tightly in his embrace. She rested her head on his chest.
Blood oozed non-stop out of the wound on Yan Xun’s left shoulder and down his neck,
mixing with her clothes.

“Yan Xun,” Chu Qiao whispered, “how are you?”

“Lass, I’ve implicated you.”

Chu Qiao was saddened. She shook her head, replying, “Don’t say this. We will…”

fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
“Don’t worry!” Yan Xun suddenly interrupted Chu Qiao and declared with conviction, “I’ll
protect you.”

Chu Qiao’s body sti ened and she froze. Not long ago, in that dilapidated rewood hut,
someone told her the same words with the same seriousness.

“Yue’er, don’t be scared. I’ll protect you.”

The wind whistled past, cold enough to freeze one’s blood. Yan Xun had lost too much
blood; his body was cold and he trembled non-stop. Chu Qiao reached out her thin arms
and held him tight. She looked towards the left, spotting a small hill not far away. The dark
clouds had dissipated, paving the way for the bleak moonlight to shine on the ground. A
young man was perched atop the solitary warhorse. He possessed a crossbow which he
held, pointing to himself. The wound on Yan Xun’s shoulder had been in icted by this exact
person.

Even though they were separated by quite a distance, Chu Qiao could still make out the
person’s appearance and eyebrows. She held Yan Xun, whose body was becoming
increasingly colder, tightly in her arms. She bit her lower lip and clenched her small sts
behind the young man’s back.

Chapter 31
The night was mesmerising. The heavy clouds had dissipated and the moonlight was clear.
Zhuge Yue put down his crossbow slowly, stood there for a long time watching the carriage
from Sheng Jin Palace move farther and farther away.

This long night was nally about to end.

The sun had rose. The sunlight entered the room from the window located high up, revealing
specks of dust oating about in mid-air. Soft screeching sounds could be heard in the
background. One that did not pay attention would have thought that the sounds came from
a rat wandering through the grass.

Chu Qiao leaned on a wall and closed her eyes, falling into slumber. However, behind her
back, her hand moved ever so slightly, using a small stone to grind against the wall.

The sun rose and set quickly. The noise outside slowly subsided. The prosperous city was
enveloped with darkness. The prison wardens patrolled the grounds twice and went to
sleep, yawning. It was late into the night and the moon had risen high above the sky. With a
thud, a big adobe landed in the grass.

“Yan Xun…” A weak voice sounded out slowly, appearing crisp in the dead silent prison cell.

Chu Qiao turned around and looked at the neighboring cell, spotting a young man dressed
in white, leaning on the opposite wall. His legs were outstretched and he sat on the dirty,
wilted grass, his eyes shut and seemingly in slumber.

“Yan Xun,” Chu Qiao whispered cautiously.

fl
ff
fi

fl
fi
fi
 The young man’s eyelashes moved slightly. He opened his eyes and scanned the
surroundings. He saw the child’s clear eyes in front of him. Overwhelmed with joy, he
crawled over to the hole, remarking, “Lass, you’re so smart.”

“Idiot!” Chu Qiao hissed, “Keep your voice down lest anyone hear you.”

“Oh,” Yan Xun mimicked her and scanned the surroundings. He turned around and laughed
in a silly manner, revealing his sparkling white teeth. “Lass, don’t be afraid. My father will
send people to rescue us. These people will not dare to do anything to us.”

“Mmm.” Chu Qiao nodded bleakly, not answering him.

Yan Xun frowned. “Hey, don’t you believe me?”

“I wouldn’t dare.” Chu Qiao stuck out her tongue, pouting. “Your father will rescue you. I
don’t have such capable relatives.”

Yan Xun laughed. His eyes sparkled like the stars in the sky. “Don’t worry. I won’t abandon
you. You can follow me in the future, I’ll protect you.”

A feeling of warmth enveloped her entire body. The eight-year-old child laughed and smiled
brightly, nodding. “You’ve got to treat me to something good when we’re out. I’m starving.”

“No problem,” Yan Xun promised. “You can eat anything you want. I’ll grant any request that
you make.”

Unknowingly, heavy snow had started to fall outside. The snow akes drifted into the cell
from the window above, along with the cold wind. As Chu Qiao was about to open her
mouth, she trembled and felt a shiver up her body. Yan Xun, seeing this, pressed his face
against the hole. He started to get nervous when he saw that the child was dressed in thin
layers of clothes, her face was pale and her lips had started to turn purple from the cold.

“Are you cold?”

“I’m ne.”

“You’re wearing so little. You must be freezing to death.” Yan Xun suddenly got to his feet
and removed the cloak that he was wearing. He squatted down and attempted to shove it
through the hole. However, the cloak was too thick; even its sleeve could not pass through
the hole. Chu Qiao pushed his cloak back towards him, saying, “Stop it. It would be terrible
if they nd out.”

“So what if they nd out?” Yan Xun sneered. He continued, “Wait ’till I’m out. I will let not
anyone of them o the hook.”

“Save those words for when we get out alive,” Chu Qiao replied sarcastically, looking up in
disdain.

Yan Xun sco ed indignantly. “Just wait and see.”

fi
fi
ff
fi
ff
fl
 The prison cell become colder by the minute. Yan Xun leaned by the hole. He suddenly said,
“Lass, reach out your hand.”

“Oh?” Chu Qiao was dazed. “What?”

“Your hand,” Yan Xun said, while gesturing. “Reach out your hand.”

Chu Qiao frowned. “What do you want to do?”

“Don’t ask anymore,” Yan Xun said impatiently. “Just do what I tell you to.”

Chu Qiao muttered softly to herself and reached out her thin arm, which was pale due to the
cold. She placed it in the small hole, grasping at thin air. Gently, she questioned, “What are
you trying to do?” She felt another person grabbing her icy-cold hand. The young man’s
hand was slightly bigger. He held her hand while exhaling warm air on to her palms. His eyes
sparkled. He asked while exhaling, “Do you feel better? Do you feel warmer?”

The night was mesmerising; the pale moonlight was cold, just like the snow. The snowfall
outside became increasingly heavier; the snow akes drifted into the cell through the
window, littering the oor. The child leaning by the wall was momentarily stunned; tears
welled up in her eyes. She nodded forcefully, but realized that the person opposite would
not be able to see what she did. She responded with a tone that sounded nasal, “Mmm.”

“Haha,” Yan Xun laughed. He asked, “Lass, what’s your name? I heard that the fourth young
master of the Zhuge family addressed you as Xing’er. Is that your real name?”

“No,” the child replied in a low voice. A feeling of warmth swept over her hand, causing her
blood to circulate better. She leaned against the wall, gently adding, “My name is Chu
Qiao.”

“Chu?” Yan Xun was perplexed. He subconsciously stopped what he was doing. “Aren’t you
the child of O cial Jing Yidian? Why is your surname Chu?”

“Don’t ask,” The child’s voice was low, but carried an ounce of solemnity. “Yan Xun, no one
knows of my name. I have only told you so far. Just remember it, but don’t tell anyone.”

Yan Xun froze, but it suddenly dawned on him that this could be due to some undesirable
hidden secrets within her family. He suddenly felt a feeling of happiness and satisfaction. In
telling him her darkest secrets, wouldn’t it have meant that she already saw him as a
con dante? He patted his chest and promised, “Mmm, don’t worry. I won’t reveal it even if I
die.

“How do I address you then?” The young man frowned. “Can I call you Xiaoqiao?”

“No,” Chu Qiao, suddenly thinking of the beauty of Eastern Wu during the period of the
Three Kingdoms, whose was also Xiaoqiao. She objected, “Don’t call me that.”

“Why?” Yan Xun questioned suspiciously, “Can I call you AhChu then?”

“Um…” Chu Qiao thought for a while and nodded, “Sure. You can call me that.”

fi
ffi
fl
fl
 Yan Xun exclaimed in joy, “AhChu!”

“Mmm.”

“AhChu!”

“I heard you.”

“AhChu! AhChu!”

“Are you done yet?”

“AhChu, AhChu, AhChu!”

“AhChu, your other hand.”

Chu Qiao obliged, retracting her hand which was already warm. She reached out her other
hand. Yan Xun held her arm and exhaled two breaths of warm air before realizing that his
own hands had turned cold. He unbuttoned the top of his clothes, revealing his chest,
before putting her hand in his robe.

“Aiya!” Chu Qiao exclaimed, attempting to retract her hand.

“Haha,” Yan Xun laughed, not releasing his grip. “You got a good deal. I bet you’re smiling
inside.”

“Morals!” Chu Qiao sneered. Her small hand rested on the young man’s chest. In the silent
night, she could feel Yan Xun’s heart beat forcefully. The young man was skinny, but his
body was muscular from the frequent horse-riding and martial arts training. His chest
muscles were de ned.

Yan Xun held Chu Qiao’s hand tightly, leaning onto the wall and sitting down. He continued
in a gentle tone, “AhChu, after this issue is settled, go back to Yan Bei with me. I’ll nd
someone to settle anything that’s still on your mind. This world is chaotic. Where could you
go as a small child? You might get bullied by the bad guys. Even though you may appear
erce, you haven’t met a real villain. In the event you meet that villain, without me by your
side, you will de nitely lose.”

Chu Qiao leaned on the wall. The dried, wilted grass lay beneath her feet. The snow drifted
in front of her. She looked far into the distance, but her gaze could only be xated on what
was in front of her. Where was she thinking of going? Perhaps, even she did not know the
answer herself.

Yan Xun rambled on, not hearing Chu Qiao’s reply. “I don’t know why, but I have this urge to
help you. When I rst saw you at the hunting range, I thought this kid is a pretty interesting
person; so small but so erce. I could not bring myself to kill you. I’ve been in the capital for
so many years and this is the rst time that I’ve lost to Zhao Che. It irks me just thinking
about it.”

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
 The sound of a drum being struck drifted towards the prison, signalling that the time was an
hour to midnight. The young man’s voice sounded bleak and distant. “AhChu, Yan Bei is a
pretty place. Con icts are far and few there. Come summer, there is green grass
everywhere. My father, elder brother, third brother and I used to hunt for wild horses on Huo
Lei Plains. I was young then, about seven or eight years old. I couldn’t ride on a big horse,
so my elder brother would let me ride on the o spring of the hunted horses. I was often
angry at him as I felt that he looked down on me. However, I came to understand that he
was just afraid I would get injured. My third brother had the worst temper and always picked
ghts with me. When he got angry, he would lift me high up in the air and threaten to slam
me to death. My second sister would rush forward and use a whip to hit him. Then, they
would come to blows. Although my third brother was strong, he was no match for my
second sister. I looked down on him then. Now that I think about it, he was probably just
unwilling to ght with my second sister.

“When winter arrives, Yan Bei experiences a month of heavy snowfall. We go up to Shuo Bei
Highlands. There are vast and steep mountain ranges there, with plenty of hot springs. My
mother was from the Tang Empire. She could not stand the cold in the north. Coupled with
her poor health, she would spend half the year at the palace beside the hot springs. We
often sneaked out of the school hall behind our father’s back to visit her. Who knew that
after we reached the palace, our father would already be waiting for us there?”

Underneath the clear moonlight, the young man’s face exhibited a feeling of gentleness that
Chu Qiao had not seen before.

“AhChu, Yan Bei is not like the capital where families turn against each other; scheming and
plotting non-stop in their own self-interest. In the capital, you can see derogatory dancing
and starving civilians everywhere. In Yan Bei, chaos is hardly existent and there are no
refugees. Everyone has enough food to eat and slaves can decide their own fate. AhChu,
follow me back to Yan Bei! You can live a better life there. With me by your side, no one will
bully you again. No one will point an arrow at you again. I’ll bring you to Huo Lei Plains to
hunt wild horses, to the mountain ranges to visit my mother. She is a really gentle person.
You will de nitely like her.”

The air was silent, only lled with the sound of the young man talking. The thinly-dressed
child suddenly felt warm on the inside. She looked up and seemingly saw the Yan Bei that
Yan Xun had so vividly described. She saw the green pastures, the snow-white crystallized
mountain ranges, the herd of galloping wild horses and the hearty, carefree laughter of the
young men.

Chapter 32
The edges of her lips slowly raised. She laughed plainly and nodded heavily, saying lightly,
“Sure. Let’s go to Yan Bei.”

The night was long. In the icy-cold, humid prison cell within the capital, two small children
were separated by a wall. They sat in their respective cells, their hands reaching through the
hole they had made, intertwined with each other’s.

fi
fi
fi
fl

fi
ff
 We will go to Yan Bei. We will make it out of here.

The night and the raging winds passed. The sky slowly brightened up. The sounds of heavy
footsteps rudely awakened the sleeping children. They swiftly retracted their hands,
covering the hole even before they had opened their eyes. They saw black cotton boots
stepping on the dusty prison oor, step by step. Crisp sounds of keys jangling together
resonated non-stop.

With a clack, about fty soldiers entered the cell, lling it up fully. They were all dressed in
green body armor, adorned with a yellow cloak. The warden carefully stood behind them,
nodding and bending his back. Chu Qiao sat in the corner, staring coldly at the guards. Her
heart sank.

Yan Xun sat on the oor, his back facing the entrance. Without blinking, the aura of warmth
around him faded. He reverted back to his stoic expression, ignoring any outsiders that
passed by.

The leader of the guards stared at the Prince of Yan Bei, a member of the Xia Empire’s royal
family. His expression was cold, devoid of any respect. He took out a royal decree and
proceeded to read it by the book, “By the orders of Sheng Jin Palace, Yan Xun, the Prince of
Yan Bei, is to proceed to Jiu You Platform to await his sentence.”

Another guard stepped forward and sneered, his lips remaining straight. “After you, Prince
Yan.”

The young man opened his eyes slowly. The look in his eyes was sharp. With a simple
glance, he sent an uncontrollable cold shiver up the guard’s spine. He seemed to
understand what was going on, but he maintained the arrogant look on his face. He stood
up stubbornly and walked towards the entrance of the prison. The group of guards held the
shackles that they had prepared. They thought for a long while, before putting it behind their
backs. They exchanged eye contact with each other and promptly followed.

The young man’s snow-white robe swept across the ground, stirring up the dirty dust that
had settled on the oor, causing it to land on his white boots made of deerskin. A golden
dragon with ve claws, a pattern exclusive to the royal family, was embroidered on it. Under
the re ection of the morning sun, it appeared extremely striking. Even in such a pathetic
situation, it was still able to stand out. It seemed as if it was sending out a reminder that the
lineage of Yan Bei was still a part of the Xia Empire no matter what.

The wind streamed through the long, dark passageway, bringing with it the remnants of
fresh air outside and the bone-piercing cold.

A hand suddenly popped out from within the grills of the prison cell. It was pale and thin,
just like re ned porcelain. It gave people the misconception that they could break it with just
a little strength. However, it was precisely this hand that blocked everyone’s way by
grabbing onto Yan Xun’s leg, holding onto his trousers tightly, determined not to let go.

“What are you doing? Are you tired of living?” one of the guards raged, stepping forward
and shouting.

fl
fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
Yan Xun looked back and stared at the guard. His expression was cold and serious,
suppressing any further words that the guard had to say. The young man squatted down
and held onto the child’s thin nger. He frowned, looking at the frail child. He remarked in a
low tone, “AhChu, don’t cause trouble.”

“You broke your promise!” Chu Qiao, a bright look in her eyes, looked up stubbornly and
uttered, “You said you wouldn’t abandon me.”

Yan Xun frowned. From living in the capital, which was the center of power, for a long time,
he sensed that things would not proceed the way he thought the moment he saw the
imperial guards. Some things he was unaware of might have happened, which were out of
his control. It was hard to guess whether a good thing or a tragedy had happened. How
could he let her take the risk by bringing her along with him? The young man locked his
eyebrows and declared in a deep tone, “I won’t abandon you. Patiently wait here for me to
come back.”

“I don’t believe you,” the child replied stubbornly, not relaxing her grip on his leg. “Bring me
along.”

One of the guards suddenly raged, shouting, “What an audacious slave!”

“How dare you call her slave!” Yan Xun turned his head back ferociously, staring sharply at
the soldier and remarking coldly, “When did the laws of the royal empire allow you, a lowly
person, to exclaim like that in front of me?”

The man’s face turned bright red at that instant. The other guards on both sides restrained
him, afraid of any incondonable actions he might commit in anger. Yan Xun ignored him. He
turned his head back and looked at the child’s pale face. He frowned, adding, “AhChu, listen
to me. It’s for your own good.”

“Bring me along if it’s for my own good.” Chu Qiao looked up and tugged at the young
man’s trousers tightly. With an uncompromising stubbornness, she repeated rmly, “Bring
me along.”

Time passed fast. The wind blew in front of their eyes. The young man xed his attention on
the child’s eyes, seeing a sharp, decisive glow in them. He knew that given her wisdom, she
was fully aware of the dangers that followed. The young man moved his lips, preparing to
speak, but was stopped by the determined look in her eyes. After a long while, Yan Xun
stood up. He said to the guards behind him, “Open the door.”

“Prince Yan, the royal decree only summoned you…”

Before the guard had nished what he was saying, Yan Xun turned around and took big
strides back to his prison cell, saying coldly, “Take my body back to Sheng Jin Palace for
the interrogation then.”

The guards discussed among themselves for a long while, before helplessly opening the
door of Chu Qiao’s prison cell. After all, she was just a small, lowly servant.

fi
fi
fi
fi
It was bright outside. Yan Xun ran in front of everyone and held the child’s hand, not letting
her be bound by any ropes. The young man had a decisive look in his eyes. He looked at
the child who was shorter than him by one head, saying deeply, “Are you afraid?”

Chu Qiao looked up, a smile breaking out from her face. “No.”

Yan Xun smiled, walking out of the prison hand-in-hand with Chu Qiao.

Outside the prison, soldiers dressed in body armor lined up neatly in rows, their swords
towering over them. Their armor re ected the white snow; the sight was blinding. The
soldiers stood neatly in their le with solemn expressions on their faces, as if they were
expecting the impending assault of a big enemy force. The civilians stood far out around the
outside perimeters, tiptoeing to get a peek of what was going on. They looked on, their eyes
full of surprise and fear.

Who exactly needed the royal guards of Sheng Jin Palace to be mobilized as personal
escorts?

The winds swept across the land. White eagles ew across the dark, cloudy skies of Zhen
Huang, letting out loud, ear-piercing cries. The civilians looked up unanimously; in that
instant, they seemingly heard the rst sound that signi ed the downfall of the Xia Empire.

The capital prison was split into the eastern and western regions. There were two main
roads leading out of the prison. The eastern road led towards the main street of Jiu Wai,
which was where prisoners passed through on their way to be released or exiled. The
western road led to Jiu You Platform, where death sentences were carried out.

There was no sight of prisoner carriages, no court trials, sentencing, nor any attempt made
to verify any identities. Instead, a solitary black warhorse stood in front of the main gates of
the prison. It was well-built, and grunted happily upon seeing Yan Xun, its owner. The young
man smiled bleakly, caressed the horse’s head and hoisted Chu Qiao on the horse’s back
before mounting it himself. The horse advanced forward along Zhu Wu Street along with the
crowd. Along the way, numerous civilians fought to get a glimpse of the spectacle, following
behind and journeying towards Jiu You Platform.

The dark clouds in the sky were thick. The violent winds made contact with the two children.
Yan Xun opened the front of his robe, covering Chu Qiao’s small body within, revealing only
her head.

Chu Qiao turned back and looked at the young man’s handsome face. The look in his eyes
was pristine. Yan Xun looked down, smiled at her, and held her hand tightly within his robe.

They did not know what destiny had in mind for them. The storms in this world were too big;
they could only look up stubbornly, stagger, and advance forward in anticipation of the
heavy storm.

With a dong, everyone walking along the main street stopped in their tracks, looking at the
Ya Lang mountains on the Eastern Hongchuan Plains. Heavy sounds of clocks being struck
fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
 reverberated from Sheng Jin Palace’s Cheng Guang Temple. In total, there were exactly
thirty-six sounds.

Yan Xun suddenly turned pale. Chu Qiao sensed the hand holding her trembling. She raised
her eyebrows, looking at Yan Xun with a confused look. However, the young man did not
say a word.

By the royal empire’s traditions, whenever the Xia Emperor passed away, the clocks had to
be struck forty- ve times as a form of respect. When the clocks were struck thirty-six times,
it signi ed the passing of a member of the royal family.

The blood of the Xia Empire’s royal family owed within him. Many years ago, he had paid
respects with the Zhao faction of the royal family. He smiled coldly, thinking to himself, what
comes around goes around. Time to face the music.

Flags lined the way to Jiu You Platform. Towards the north, the majestic Zi Jin Gate could be
seen. The walls were lined with golden tiles, giving o an imposing aura. Jiu You Platform,
made entirely of black cymbidium stones, stood horizontally on the at ground. The
re ection of the white snow on the black-coloured ground made the mood even more
solemn.

Yan Xun got o his horse and prepared to walk up the platform. At this moment, a middle-
aged man wearing an o cial’s uniform walked towards him, saying, “Prince Yan, this way
please.”

“General Meng Tian?” Yan Xun raised his eyebrows slightly, looking in the direction the
middle-aged man was pointing at. He replied, “Am I not supposed to sit over there?”

“By orders of Sheng Jin Palace, Prince Yan will take his seat there.”

Yan Xun looked at the execution seat beside the platform. If the royal to be killed today
wasn’t him, who could it be?

“In this case, I shall gladly oblige.” The young man turned around and walked up the
execution platform to everyone’s surprise, taking his seat on the execution o cial’s seat.
Beside him stood the o cials from the Elders’ Court. The young man was strikingly
handsome. His look was icy cold, devoid of any anxiety or unease.

Time passed slowly. No prisoners could be seen in the direction of Zhu Wu Street. At that
instant, a loud rumbling sound echoed. The majestic Zi Jin Gates started to open slowly.
Various powerful gures from the Elders’ Court, the troops from outside royal families, and
the warriors from the Military Hall started to stream out. Even Zhuge Huai and Wei Jing
followed behind the crowd along with their respective families, taking their seats in the
observation stands.

The look on Wei Jing’s face was pale. He put his wrist in his pockets, hiding any signs of
injuries. He stared sharply at Chu Qiao, who was hiding behind Yan Xun. Yan Xun, seeing
this, turned back to look at Wei Jing. Their stares set o sparks in mid-air. He smiled coldly,
fl
fi
ff
fi
fi
ffi
ffi
fl
ff
ff
fl
ffi
then proceeded to pretend that nothing had happened. They assumed their natural
postures, a calm look on their faces.

Chapter 33
The sun shone brightly in the sky, approaching its zenith. It was almost noon.

The person in charge of the execution, Elder Huang Qizheng, approached with his back
bent. He pointed at the clock in the center of Jiu You Platform and respectfully said, “Prince
Yan, the hour is here, it’s time for the execution.”

Yan Xun laughed plainly, prepared to play the situation by ear. He icked his sleeves and
replied, “Elder Huang, please.”

Huang Qizheng stood upright, maintaining a con dent posture. His voice reverberated loud
and far, declaring, “The hour is here. Bring out the prisoners for the execution!”

“Carry out the execution!” someone announced.

A loud sound suddenly boomed. 3000 assembled at Jin Chi Square, located below Jiu You
Platform. They cheered in unison spectacularly, giving o an intimidating aura. The
thundering sounds continued to echo. The heavy purplish-golden gates opened, revealing
20 armored soldiers carrying a tray, adorned with a white cloth. Their expressions were cold
as they walked up the steps to the black Jiu You Platform.

Wei Jing suddenly sneered and gave a mocking smile. He stared coldly at the execution
platform.

Yan Xun frowned tightly. A premonition that something bad would happen suddenly hit him.
He gripped the handle of his seat tightly, revealing the veins on his hands.

20 royal troops from the Military Assignment Hall stood coldly on Jiu You Platform. The First
Marshal of the royal empire, Meng Tian, stepped onto the platform. He questioned the
soldiers in a deep voice, “Are the identities of the criminals proven?”

A soldier, expressionless, maintained his gaze towards the front. He replied, “No, Marshal!”

Meng Tian frowned and said, “Why is this so?”

“Marshal, no one was able to carry out the task. Sheng Jin Palace has issued an order to let
the execution o cial be in charge of today’s execution.”

Meng Tian nodded. He turned around to look at Yan Xun who was sitting on the main seat.
He said, “Prince Yan, sorry to trouble you.”

Yan Xun sti ened his lips and continued to frown. The feelings of uneasiness and fear within
him were becoming unbearable, causing him to lose his usually calm demeanor to the point
that it took considerable e ort to even utter a word.

ff
ffi

ff
fi
ff
fl
Chu Qiao stood behind him, sensing his emotional state. She stuck out her fair arm and
grabbed the young man’s arm tightly.

“Open the boxes and identify the criminals!”

20 royal guards walked forward uniformly. They took o the piece of white cloth on the tray,
revealing 20 valuable boxes made of gold. The boxes were slowly opened, the key making a
resounding click. The guards lifted the lid of the box, revealing its contents in front of
everyone!

Yan Xun’s eyes widened, the veins on his forehead bulged. He let out a savage, beast-like
roar, springing out of his seat at lightning speed towards the platform. Royal troops from
both sides rushed forward to intercept him. The sounds of swords leaving their sheaths
echoed. The bright shine of the swords were visible. The movements of both parties was
lightning fast. In that instant, a small shadow appeared in front of everyone. With a crisp
sound, the young child disarmed a royal guard. Frowning, she leapt in front of Yan Xun, not
letting anyone get close to him.

The wind started to blow ferociously. The sky turned pale yellow and dark clouds started to
appear. The crows in the sky let out sharp cries as they ew past. Everyone raised their
sleeves to shield against the sudden, relentless gush of icy cold wind and snow. Only a few
people remained unfazed, their eyes remaining focused on the platform and the impending
bloodshed that was to follow. Figuratively, it felt like the gods of martial arts were laughing
presumptuously, their voices penetrating the hearts of the human beings below, clouding
the axioms of the mortal world.

The heavily-armored Meng Tian declared deeply, “Situ Yundeng, name them!”

“Yes!” The young general with a bird embroidered on his shoulder walked forward. He
pointed towards the rst golden box containing a human head with dried bloodstains. He
declared loudly and rmly, “The hereditary feudal lord of Yan Bei! The 24th generation of
Emperor Pei Luo’s descendants! The 576th tablet position within Cheng Guang Temple in
Sheng Jin Palace! The King of Yan Bei—Yan Shicheng—executed on the 16th day of the
fourth month at Yan Bei’s Huo Lei Plains!”

Finishing, he walked to the second box and continued, “The hereditary prince of Yan Bei!
The 25th generation of Emperor Pei Luo’s descendants! The envoy of the royal empire’s
Northwest Township! The 577th tablet position within Cheng Guang Temple in Sheng Jin
Palace! The eldest son of Yan Shicheng, the king of Yan Bei—Yan Ting—executed on the
14th day of the fourth month at Yan Bei’s Xun Lie Wall!

“The hereditary prince of Yan Bei! The 25th generation of Emperor Pei Luo’s descendants!
The vice envoy of the royal empire’s Northwest Township! The 578th tablet position within
Cheng Guang Temple in Sheng Jin Palace! The third son of Yan Shicheng, the king of Yan
Bei, Yan Xiao, executed on the 16th day of the fourth month at Yan Bei’s Huo Lei Plains!

“The hereditary princess of Yan Bei! 25th generation of Emperor Pei Luo’s descendants! The
579th tablet position within Cheng Guang Temple in Sheng Jin Palace! The eldest daughter
fi
fi
ff
fl
 of Yan Shicheng, the king of Yan Bei—Yan Hongxiao—who killed herself in a lake on the
16th day of the fourth month after being driven to desperation!

“The hereditary prince of Yan Bei! The 24th generation of Emperor Pei Luo’s descendants!
The deputy commander of the royal empire’s Northwestern Army! The 580th tablet position
within Cheng Guang Temple in Sheng Jin Palace! The younger brother of Yan Shicheng, the
king of Yan Bei—Yan Shifeng—executed on the ninth day of the fourth month at Yan Bei’s
Shang Sheng Highlands!”

“The hereditary…of Yan Bei…” Situ Yundeng said.

The list of names nally came to an end. The wind relentlessly swept at Jiu You Platform.
Meng Tian stood atop the stone platform, looking at Yan Xun rmly and declared, “The
naming is complete! Prince Yan, please identify the criminals!”

With a loud sound, the wind uprooted an old tree beside Jiu You Platform. Giant branches
ew in the air, landing in the center of Jin Chi Square with a resounding thud. Under the
wind, all eyes, lled with unpredictability, xated onto the young man standing on the
platform! The resentment he felt was so extreme that it was indescribable!

Yan Xun closed his eyes slowly. As he opened them again, his eyes were bloodshot!

Sounds of thunder broke out from the pitch-black sky. The northern winds whistled
tragically, just like a savage beast. The black clouds were almost touching the oor. The
raging storm greatly reduced visibility.

The cold-blooded leader of the Meng Clan continued, his expression unchanged, “Prince
Yan, please identify the criminals.”

A violent gust of wind started to brew, blowing at the black ags on display, making the
dragon patterns on the ag seem as if it had come to life. The young man gritted his teeth,
his eyes bloodshot, his face turning green with anger. He clenched his st, an intense ery
sensation brewing within his chest. Suddenly, Yan Xun bellowed! Just like a panther who
was out to devour, he struck a royal troop with one st, seizing a weapon. He started to
slash through the crowd ferociously, clearing his path towards the platform.

A urry of gasps suddenly broke out in that instant. Royal guards from the yellow tent
started to stream out, just like fountain water. Chu Qiao stood behind Yan Xun, frowning.
She turned around and kicked a soldier in the leg. She used the force of the kick as her
springboard, ying up in the air and grabbing at the ropes of the agpole on the execution
platform. With a whoosh, numerous black ags descended from mid-air, covering the entire
crowd.

“Capture him!” Wei Jing raged, being the rst to emerge from the ags. He pointed at Yan
Xun, who was eeing from the platform. “Don’t let that wild dog from Yan Bei escape!”

The soldiers in Jin Chi Square were rapidly approaching. Chu Qiao grabbed the enraged
young man with one arm while holding her weapon in the other. With a slash, the braziers at
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
 the side of Jiu You Platform collapsed one by one, scattering charcoal and oil onto the oor.
Flames started to ignite on the snowy ground.

“Let’s go!” Chu Qiao hollered, pulling Yan Xun towards Zhu Wu Street. However, the young
man broke free from her grip with astonishing strength, and leapt back towards the heavily
guarded platform!

“Yan Xun!” The hat on Chu Qiao’s head ew o , revealing her hair. Frowning, she shouted,
“You’re crazy! Come back!” In that instant, blood spurted everywhere and corpses lay on
the oor. Prince Yan had lived in Zhen Huang all this while. He was rash and unrestrained,
but no one had ever seen him this angry. Even the esteemed nobles, like Zhuge Huai, were
unaware of his temper. However, in this instant, looking at the young man’s ferocious agility
and bloodthirsty expression, even the seasoned war veterans were struck with terror.

That was a kind of power not attained through martial arts, wisdom nor brute force, but
fueled by a deep-rooted resentment, a sense of conviction, and a mixture of madness and
determination that was not to be stopped by any mortal or deity.

The winds raged on, uprooting countless blades of grass. The broken branches let out a
crisp sound that resembled the broken cries of spirits. The young man’s fringe covered his
forehead. The blood stains on his shoulder were visible as his robe had fallen out of place.
The veins on his hands erupted. The look in his eyes symbolized a beast being driven to
desperation. Holding a blood stained sword in his hands, he walked, step by step, up Jiu
You Platform.

The troops on both sides hesitated, their waists half-bowed. They did not know what had
happened to them. There were thousands of elite troops, but none of them dared to take a
step when faced with this young man with a look of madness in his eyes. A murderous aura
lingered in the air, attracting a swarm of vultures who circled high up in the sky, waiting to
pounce on the delicacies below.

With a light sound, both of the young man’s legs planted themselves on the last step of the
platform. With another step, he would have scaled the platform. At that instant, Meng Tian’s
voice sounded out coldly, “Prince Yan, are you here to identify the criminals?”

Yan Xun raised his head slowly. A drop of fresh blood belonging to an unknown person
trickled down his chiseled jaw. The young man replied with a low hoarse voice, “Get out of
the way!”

A loud sound boomed. Even though it was winter, there was actually thunder! The snow
scattered about with the movement of the wind. The young man raised his blood-stained
sword, pointing at General Meng Tian coldly. He uttered just a single word, “Scram!”

With a thud, the general suddenly leapt in the air, delivering a kick to the young man’s chest.
In that instant, Yan Xun was knocked back, somersaulting in the air, spitting out a mouthful
of blood. He landed heavily on the stone platform.

“Yan Xun!” Chu Qiao exclaimed, surging forward with her sword. The troops snapped out of
their trance at this instant, swiftly surrounding her. After all, she was small and weak, making
fl
fl
ff
fl
 her unable to resist so many people. She had su ered many cuts to her limbs after ghting
for just a bit. As her body buckled, she was rendered motionless by over ten swords held to
her neck.

“Yan Xun!” Chu Qiao cried in despair. Her eyes were bloodshot and her hands were
restrained behind her back, making her unable to break free.

Time passed rapidly amidst the silence. The winds raged on relentlessly within the square.
Everyone in every corner of Zhen Huang City held their breath, staring at the young man
with blood-stained clothes. After what seemed like neither a long nor short time, the young
man, sprawled on the oor, moved his nger slightly. He ferociously grabbed the snowy
ground below him. He got to his feet, step by step, with a stubborn look in his eyes. He
swayed ever so slightly, holding his sword, and continued to advance towards the platform.

Chapter 34
“Jiu You is a sacred place within Zhen Huang. Prince Yan, if you do not state your intentions
in coming to this place, you cannot enter, even if you are the execution o cial. I’ll ask you
one more time. Prince Yan, are you here to identify the criminals?”

The ags ew in the air above. The atmosphere was dead silent below. The young man, with
a cold look in his eyes, brushed his hand over his lips heavily, declaring deeply, “Scram!”

With another sound of thunder, followed by a deafening thud, Yan Xun was knocked o the
stage again!

“Yan Xun!” Chu Qiao could not contain herself anymore. She shouted, “You idiot! Are you
trying to court death? Come back!”

He could not hear any more sounds despite the roars reverberating around his ears. His
eyes were red and swollen, his face full of cuts in icted by dust and sand. His hands were
soaked in blood, as if he had just bathed in blood. His chest injuries were so severe, similar
to the impact made by a giant stone. It was as if someone was calling out to him, but he
was unable to hear anything. Only the sounds of Yan Bei remained in his mind. He
seemingly heard his father’s carefree laugh, his elder brother’s endless nagging, his third
brother and second sister chasing after him with a whip, his uncle playing music from Yan
Bei, and his father’s subordinates, who had carried him on his shoulders to simulate horse
riding since he was young.

However, they were oating away into the distance, their faces indistinguishable. The sky
was pitch-black, and many cold, monotone voices were calling out to him in his mind. They
were saying, “Yan Xun. Stand up. Stand up. Stand up, just like how a man from Yan Bei
would.”

Everyone’s eyes widened, looking at the young man—the esteemed noble in the past—who
was drenched in blood. He slowly got to his feet, standing in his pool of blood. Step by step,
he left his bloodied footprints on the black steps. The re ection was blinding.

fl
fl
fl

fl
fi
ff
fl
fl
ffi
fi
ff
The general frowned. He stared at the young man who staggered up the stage, not knowing
what to say. His only action was to kick him o the platform at the last moment.

Amongst the crowd, soft sobbing started to echo out. The crying sounds among the
impoverished civilians gradually became louder. These lowly people stared at the square,
unable to suppress the grief in their hearts. After all, he was still a child. The nobles sti ened
their lips. They were also slightly moved by this scene.

The cold wind raged on. The young man could no longer stand up. The First Marshal of the
royal empire, Meng Tian, was a divine exponent who possessed superhuman strength. He
once took on an army of over 200 people on the highlands of the Western desert and
prevailed. Being struck by him was akin to a quick death. However, no one knew what kind
of force was supporting the young man. Using his blood-stained ngers as a support, he
slowly made his way back up the platform.

After delivering one nal kick to Yan Xun, the general frowned and ordered the guards
beside him, “There’s no need to carry on the identi cation. Capture him and carry out the
execution!”

“General Meng Tian!” Wei Jing frowned. He stood up and replied, “I’m afraid that this is not
in accordance with the rules. The order from Sheng Jin Palace was for him to identify the
corpses. How could you treat this so lightly?”

Meng Tian frowned and turned back, looking at this young leader from the Wei Clan. He
pointed to Yan Xun and retorted, “Do you think he can still follow the decree given his
state?”

Nobody wanted him to follow the decree. Sheng Jin Palace was just looking for a suitable
reason to eradicate him. With the fall of the Northwestern Pass, the royal empire and the the
Grand Elder’s Council would pin the blame on the king of Yan Bei, thus exterminating his
entire family. He was the only member of the family still living.

Yan Xun, having lived in the capital for many years, did not get himself involved in these
matters and was not able to be implicated. With the demise of Yan Shicheng, Yan Xun
would rightfully be the next ruler. However, how could the royal empire take the risk and
release this imbecile? Hence, they had set this trap for him. If he did not follow the royal
decree, he would be perceived as a de ant traitor who was not loyal. If he obliged, he would
be viewed as a coward, an un lial son. No matter what, it was a situation of certain death for
him.

This move by the royal empire was but to answer to the civilians and various feudal lords—
to keep them quiet. Who would not know their intentions?

However, this reason could not be verbalized in broad daylight. Wei Jing, visibly enraged,
looked at Yan Xun and remarked coldly, “General Meng, by doing this, aren’t you afraid of
incurring the wrath of the Emperor and the the Grand Elder’s Council?”

fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
ff
 “I’ll take responsibility for everything that happens. You do not need to worry.” Meng Tian
turned around and looked at the subdued child. He sighed and turned back, continuing with
the execution.

In that instant, an old voice suddenly echoed. Huang Qizheng, the assistant execution
o cial, slowly made his way to the front. Half squinting, he spoke gently, “General Meng, as
per Elder Muhe’s orders, here is a letter for you, if things do not proceed as planned.”

Meng Tian took the letter. As he looked at it, his expression changed drastically. The general
stood on the stage for a long while, before turning his head back to look at Yan Xun. He
uttered slowly, “Prince Yan, please do not continue to be stubborn. Yes or no, you just need
to nod your head. They are your biological family and only you are most quali ed to identify
them.”

Yan Xun was still subdued on the oor, looking a far cry from the con dent gure he was in
the past. Presently, he resembled a demon from hell, overwhelmed with resentment, thirsty
for blood.

Meng Tian looked at the young man’s eyes, who showed no signs that his stubbornness
had wavered. He sighed helpless and continued, “Since Prince Yan refuses to obey the
decree, pardon me for going by the book. Men! Drag him up!”

“Hold it!” Amidst the relentless winds and the black clouds, a crisp voice suddenly sounded.
Everyone turned towards the direction of the sound, only to hear sounds of a horse’s
hooves drifting from where the purplish-golden gates were. A lady, dressed in white with jet-
black hair, approached on her horse, declaring, “I’ll identify them!”

“Mother?” The young man, still lying in the pool of blood, suddenly looked at the lady on the
horse. The lady, dressed in white, gave o an elegant aura. Her facial features were strikingly
beautiful. It was like a living goddess had descended to the mortal world.

The lady got o her horse and walked to Yan Xun’s side. The guards on both sides were
stunned; no one rushed forward to stop her.

The lady held Yan Xun’s head in her arms, using her sleeves to wipe o the blood on his
face. She broke out in a huge smile, uttering a few words gently. “Xun’er.”

Yan Xun’s tears started to ow. This young man, expressionless even when faced with
thousands of royal troops, started to cry out loud. Holding on to the lady’s sleeves tightly, he
shouted, “Mother, why? What happened?”

“Xun’er,” the lady gently wiped another blood stain o his eyes, “do you trust your father?”

Yan Xun choked and nodded. “Yes.”

“Then, don’t question anything.” The lady held the child, her eyes scanning the crowd of
nobles on the platform. She continued gently, “Not everything in this world can be explained
clearly. Just like how certain predators choose their prey, there is no clear reason why.”

ffi
ff
fl
fl
ff
ff
fi
ff
fi
fi
 “Mother!” Yan Xun turned around and looked at the amboyantly dressed nobles. “Was it
them? Did they harm Yan Bei?” The look in the young man’s eyes was extremely cold. In
that instant, it was as if he had waged a cold war with the nobles. They stared at the
beautiful lady, looking at her smile as she wiped the child’s tears. “Xun’er, don’t cry. The
o spring of the Yan family only sheds blood, not tears.

“General Meng, let me identify the corpses. They are indeed those of my husband, son,
daughter and my family. I believe that in this world, no one is more quali ed than me to carry
out this task.”

Meng Tian frowned tightly. Looking at the lady, even he was rendered speechless. The ups
and downs in the past ashed through his mind. He still remembered what happened that
year. It was spring. Shi Cheng, along with him and the man who could not even call out his
own name, bumped into the lady as they wandered by a clear lake in the Tang Empire. They
were young back then. The lady, who was wearing green, rolled up the sleeves of her pants,
revealing her fair legs. She yelled to the three young men who were captivated by her
beauty. “Hey! Do you three big men want to board the boat?”

In a ash, 30 years had passed. They had been through everything, through all the
bloodshed, the massacres, and the scheming. Back then, they would not have known that
30 years later, they would be facing this kind of situation. If they had known, would they still
have su ered through thick and thin, united as one, willing to die for each other? Everything
they had done back then…was it only for them to go after each other’s heads in the future?

Meng Tian sighed slowly. He remarked deeply, “You shouldn’t have come.”

“He mentioned before that he would not restrict my freedom within the capital. As long as I
do not step out of Zhen Huang, no one can stop me. General Meng, this is a royal decree,
you cannot disobey it. Just like how you sieged Yan Bei, you did it regardless of whether
you were willing to.” The lady lifted up her skirt slightly, making her way up the platform step
by step. Her movements were so elegant, yet her steps seemed so heavy.

“Mother!” Yan Xun panicked and attempted to leap forward. However, before he had
managed to take a step, he fell on the oor heavily, groaning in agony.

Chu Qiao broke out from the circle of soldiers who were surrounding her. She dashed
forward, holding Yan Xun’s body. She asked anxiously, “How are you?”

The snow continued to fall. The northern winds whistled on, with the cries of the vultures in
the sky audible. Fresh blood covered the snowy ground which was also littered with torn
ags and fallen braziers. Everyone xated their gaze onto the lady who was making her way
up the platform. The wind made her sleeves y up in the air, like a white bird circling in the
wind.

Chapter 35
The lady reached out her nger and touched the rst golden box. The man’s eyebrows had
been stained by blood, colored dark red. His eyes were shut, as if he was in slumber. The
fl
ff
fl
ff

fl
fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
 bridge of his nose was upright and his lips were sti ened, as if he had something to say but
could not.

The lady looked at her husband, her nger feeling at where his body was supposed to be.
She did not cry, but only looked down, smiling gently. She said, “This is my husband, the
hereditary feudal lord of Yan Bei. The 24th generation of Emperor Pei Luo’s descendants!
The marshal of the northwestern region of the royal empire. The 576th tablet position within
Cheng Guang Temple in Sheng Jin Palace! The King of Yan Bei—Yan Shicheng.”

The snow akes landed on the lady’s eyelashes but did not melt. Her face appeared pale,
but her voice retained its gentleness. She looked at the severed head of her husband, as if
he could somehow miraculously open his eyes to smile at her. Her hand caressed his face,
locating a small scar by his earlobe. It was aged, and had almost faded away.

“This scar was in icted by a sword at Sheng Jin Palace’s You Wei Gate, in the year when the
king of Cang Lan rebelled. That year, the Emperor fell victim to a plot and ingested the
Spectral Grass, causing him to lose all his strength. Shicheng and General Meng fought
their way inside the palace through the eastern and western gates to rescue him. Shicheng
found the Emperor, who was still the Crown Prince then. He carried the unconscious
Emperor and escaped the palace, breaking through a cavalry of 300 troops all alone. He
su ered over 20 stab wounds all over his body, only managing to walk again after
recuperating for half a year on his bed. That year, he had just turned 17.

“Over here. This was left during the battle at White Horse Pass,” The lady placed her hand
on a distinct, red scar, continuing, “In the year 756 of the Bai Cang calendar, the royal
empire conducted a ritual to honor an ancestral temple at Yao Shui. All the nobles, elders
and relatives of the royal family were present at the scene. However, the king of Pu Jiang
took the chance to create chaos, betraying the empire by opening the Southwestern Pass
for the people of Quan Rong. 30 thousand Quan Rong soldiers surrounded Yao Shui. After
Shi Cheng heard the news, he gathered his army and departed from Yan Bei, not
dismounting from his horse for seven days and seven nights straight. As a result of him
taking the initiative, he managed to avert the crisis at Yao Shui. Your Emperor swore at the
peak of Yao Shui’s White Horse Mountain that the royal empire and Yan Bei would be
inseparable allies for generations to come. Most of you were present at that scene.”

The o cials of the royal empire below the stage were shook. The past issues which had
been swept under the carpet had been dug up, and were exposed to everyone in broad
daylight. Their aged, blurred eyes also replayed the scenes of that day many years ago. The
sunset was pale; the lion ags of Yan Bei ew high in the air, celebrating the annihilation of
the Quan Rong barbarians. At that time, they were all young, and excitedly joined in the
celebrations by patting the young man on the shoulder and partying with wine.

“Here. This wound, General Meng, was in icted by you personally on the 16th day of the
fourth month at Huo Lei Plains. General, you are in the prime of your life. You are adept at
warfare and decisive in killing. Surely, you would be able to recognize your own sword.
Would you not know if this wound was in icted by you, or whether this person is Yan
Shicheng?”

ff
ffi
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
ff
Meng Tian was suddenly rendered speechless, his face like stone.

“I can con rm that this person is my husband, the king of Yan Bei, Yan Shicheng, without a
doubt.” Finishing her sentence, she closed the golden box with a loud thud, turning around
and walked towards the next box.

“This is my son, the hereditary prince of Yan Bei. The 25th generation of Emperor Pei Luo’s
descendants. The envoy of the royal empire’s Northwest Township. The 577th tablet
position within Cheng Guang Temple in Sheng Jin Palace. The eldest son of Yan Shicheng,
the king of Yan Bei—Yan Ting. He was 21 this year. He joined the army at age 13, working
his way up from the lower ranks. He was promoted 24 times in eight years, and prevented
67 invasions by the people of Quan Rong. He earned countless credit in battle, receiving
seven awards from Sheng Jin Palace and the Elders’ Clan. At 18, he was appointed as the
envoy of Guan Bai Township, leading an army to protect the northern borders of the royal
empire. He did not put a foot wrong. On the 14th day of the fourth month, he was trampled
on by tens of thousands of horses and dis gured to the point that it was hard to identify
him.

“This is my son, the hereditary prince of Yan Bei. The 25th generation of Emperor Pei Luo’s
descendants. The vice envoy of the royal empire’s Northwest Township. The 578th tablet
position within Cheng Guang Temple in Sheng Jin Palace. The third son of Yan Shicheng,
the king of Yan Bei—Yan Xiao. He was 16 this year. He joined the army at age 13, following
his father from south to north in combat. He tamed the barbarians at the northern border
three times valiantly, never retreating once. He su ered over 40 knife wounds for the people
of Yan Bei. On the 16th day of the fourth month, he was maimed with a trebuchet by the
western troops. His spine was broken, both his legs were severed, and he bled to death.

“This…this is my daughter.” The lady’s voice suddenly choked. The head in the golden box
was pale green and swollen, indicating that it had been submerged in water. Purplish blood
stains could be seen at the corner of the eyes and the nostrils. “The hereditary princess of
Yan Bei. The 25th generation of Emperor Pei Luo’s descendants. The 579th tablet position
within Cheng Guang Temple in Sheng Jin Palace. The eldest daughter of Yan Shicheng, the
king of Yan Bei—Yan Hongxiao. On the 16th day of the fourth month, she attempted to
rescue her mother who had been abducted. When she rode past a lake on her horse, she
was captured and gang-raped to death by the western troops’ Fourth Field Army, led by
Muhe Xitian. Her corpse was thrown into the lake afterwards.”

The snowstorm became much heavier at this instant. The lady’s voice sounded increasingly
melancholic and shrill, her face turning increasingly pale. Her words re ected her extreme
sorrow. As the wind raged on, scattering the snow about, countless vultures apped their
wings in unison, striking at the pitch-black sky with the black ags.

“These are the warriors of Yan Bei. They colluded with the enemy to betray the empire. They
are corrupt o cials and traitors. General Meng, continue with the execution!”

A gigantic bronze cauldron was carried atop the platform. The ames burned brightly within
the cauldron. Meng Tian, frowning, declared deeply, “Carry on with the execution!”

fi
ffi
fi
ff
fl
fl
fl
fl
 24 boxes were thrown into the bronze cauldron together. Yan Xun, with a ery look in his
eyes, let out a beast-like howl, preparing to stand up and dash forward.

The royal guards neatly advanced forward and blocked Yan Xun’s path. Chu Qiao gripped
his body tightly, no longer able to suppress her tears which were starting to ow. The young
man in her embrace knelt on the ground, sounding utterly devastated. He reached out his
veiny sts and started to pound the stone ground of Jin Chi Square, unaware that blood was
oozing out of his hands. His piercing cries were terrifying and heartbreaking.

The lady turned around, looking at the burning bronze cauldron. Her tears, which she had
tried so hard to suppress, started to trickle. She reached out her hand and gently caressed
the exterior of the cauldron. Her expression was pale and fallen. Turning back, she glanced
at her son below the stage before looking back at Meng Tian. She said slowly, “Brother
Meng, I only have my last child alive. Tell that person not to forget what he said.”

Meng Tian shivered from head to toe. Upon hearing her call him “Brother Meng”, it was as if
he had been transported back 30 years ago. He was able to remain emotionless at even the
most melancholic words, but this simple salutation caused his hands to tremble non-stop.
He wanted to walk forward and call out, “Bai Sheng…”

Suddenly, the lady in white turned around swiftly, and banged her head on the bronze
cauldron!

“Bai Sheng!”

“Mother!”

Countless gasps sounded out from the crowd of over 10 thousand present on Jin Chi
Square. Blood oozed freely from the lady’s forehead. Her hand held onto the cauldron, then
she collapsed on the ground softly.

“Quick! Quick! Call a physician!” Meng Tian panicked, ordering his guards below. He held
the lady in his arms, his stern expression gone.

“Mother!” Yan Xun shouted and staggered up Jiu You Platform, leaping towards the lady
and roughly shoving the general aside.

The weather was stormy. The plants had no choice but to weather the storm. Thunder
erupted from the horizon while the northern winds howled closer to the ground. The heavy
snow continued to fall. The lady opened her eyes slowly and looked at the child’s face. She
gave a gentle smile, but in doing so, more blood spurted out from her mouth.

“Mother!” Yan Xun’s eyes teared. His hands made contact with fresh blood wherever he
touched. In despair, he hollered, “Why? Why must you do this? Father is no longer around,
Big Brother is longer around, everyone is not around anymore! Now, even you are leaving
me? Mother! Why?”

fi
fi
fl
 The lady’s tears slowly trickled down her face. With great di culty, she raised her hand and
intertwined it with her child’s. “Xun’er…promise me you will live on even if it is worse than
death. Don’t forget. You still have a lot of things to accomplish.”

“Mother!”

The look in the lady’s eyes suddenly became lifeless. She lay on the black cymbidium stone.
The owers on her white out t were stained with blood, like a plum blossom in full bloom.
Her face was as white as cymbidium to the point that it was almost transparent. She smiled
lightly, her voice was barely audible as she said, “I always thought that the place I loved
most was the Clearwater Cli in the Tang Empire. That place has no winter, no snow and no
seasons. However, I now know that I was wrong. Everything that I love is in Yan Bei. Now, I
am going back to nd it.”

In an instant, she seemingly saw the sunny skies above the thick layers of dark clouds. She
saw the vast, distant plains of Yan Bei. The man, his eyes beaming, was riding on his horse,
approaching her from afar. His voice travelled along with the sunshine, reverberating around
the green plains. The mountains in the distance echoed with him in unison. “AhSheng…

“AhSheng, I want to give the best things in the world to you. Tell me, what do you like
most?” The man sat on his horse, questioning jovially.

Fool, I already had the best things in the world long ago: our family, our child and our Yan
Bei.

Her arms lifelessly fell. The cold northern winds ravaged the upper skies of Zhen Huang. The
vultures circling in the sky followed the ow of the wind, their feathers scattered about,
descending with the snow akes to the ground together.

“Mother!” The young man held the lady’s body tightly. Her eyes were lifeless as she entered
eternal slumber.

Chu Qiao stood beside him, clenching her sts, the blood drained from her face. The cold
wind raged on, messing up the child’s hair in front of her. She suddenly looked up, staring
sharply towards the north where Sheng Jin Palace was located. The majestic structure over
there in the distance reeked of oppression.

That day, she felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart by a sharp thorn. She clenched
her sts tightly, sti ened her lips, not uttering a single word for a long time. However, she
knew that through all the su ering and hardship, she would grow to be more resilient. With
time, she would bear the fruits of her labor!

Chapter 36
As the snow fell, the funeral bell rang continuously. Within the Sheng Jin palace, a black
gure turned inside the towering ancestral temple. Along the long and narrow corridor, he
walked deep into the heart of the Xia Empire. The ickering ames from his candle
illuminated him as a long shadow was cast behind him.

fi
fi
fl
ff
fi

fl
ff
ff
fi
fl
fi
fl
ffi
fl
 It was April 17th, 770 of the Cang Bai calendar. It was a year that was unforgettable. On that
day, the entire family of the King of Yan Bei, except for his son, Yan Xun, who had lived in
the capital for most of the year, was slaughtered. Their spirits could not rest in peace after
they were killed. They were all executed on the Jiu You Platform, right in front of the Sheng
Jin palace gates. Their bodies were dismembered and burned, turning them into dust.

At this very place the ferocious ag, which terrorized the northern territories, started to y in
silence. The ag was imprinted with a ferocious lion of Yan Bei. When the noble families of
the empire tried to divide the land of the Yan Bei territories, there was a grand celebration on
the northwestern prairie. The 11 tribes of Quan Rong gathered together. The Da Han King,
Nayan Minglie personally hosted the celebration as they celebrated the downfall of the Yan
Bei ruler and the death of Yan Shicheng, as well as the miles of northwestern fertile soil
which the Xia Empire sel essly cultivated for them. The great Quan Rong God had blessed
his tough people. With that, they believed rmly that no one could resist the blades of the
prairie warriors.

At this moment, the cold wind howled through the dilapidated door that led to a remote and
narrow room. Snow leaked in from the roof and there were neither braziers nor warm stoves.
There was only a broken bed, which was blackened with dirt, reeking of a strong stench.

Outside the door, the soldiers were playing drinking games in delight as they drank the night
the way. The strong scent of meat wafted into the house. The young man’s face was pale
with his forehead scalding. His chapped and whitish lips made him look sickly. His sharp
brow was tightly furrowed as drops of cold sweat dripped from his temples. His jet-black
hair was already drenched in sweat.

Sounds of banging echoed within the room. An eight year old child struggled as she lifted a
chair, smashing it onto the oor soon after. By smashing it repeatedly onto the oor, the
chair nally gave way into pieces of rewood. She took a deep breath as she wiped the
sweat from her head. She lit a re. A ame crackled to life, warming the house in an instant.
She boiled a bowl of water carefully. After which, she climbed onto the bold bed-stove and
cradled the teenager’s head as she whispered, “Yan Xun, wake up and drink some water.”

The teenager had already lost his sense of hearing. He had no response at all.

The child frowned as she reached for a pair of rough chopsticks on the table. She wrenched
open the teenager’s mouth and forced the hot water down his throat. He coughed instantly
as his chest shook violently. Yan Xun coughed loudly as he threw up all the water that he
had been given.

Chu Qiao looked at the water that had just been thrown up. She could see a trace of blood
in it. Her heart sank as she bit her lip and sni ed. She crawled out of the bed and continued
boiling water.

“Yan Xun?” As night fell, the house got unbearably cold. Chu Qiao wrapped the teenager in
fur coats and quilts, while she merely wore a thin jacket. She shrank into a small gure
beside Yan Xun as she held a porcelain bowl. She whispered, “I have added some rice to
the water, it’s porridge. Get up and have some.”

fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
ffl
fl
fi
fl
The teenager remained silent as if he was fast asleep. However, the moonlight shone onto
his tightly closed eyelids, showing signs of his pupil moving. Chu Qiao knew that he was not
asleep and had been awake all this while. He was just reluctant to open his eyes.

Chu Qiao let out a slow sigh as she lowered the bowl. She hugged her knees and sat
against the wall.

Outside, a blizzard raged. Through the broken doors and windows, they could still see the
pale tree under the moonlight. Her voice was low as she slowly said, “Yan Xun, I am a
person who has nothing. I came to this foreign land without power or authority, without
family or friends. My family had been killed. Some were beheaded, some were banished,
some were beaten to death, and some were dismembered and thrown into a lake to feed
the crocodiles. Some of them were raped and killed when they were still so young. Their
bodies were piled onto a cart as though they were trash. This world was supposed to be a
fair world. Even if you were a slave with a pathetic bloodline, you should still have the basic
right to live. I did not understand the existence of di erent classes within society. Why did
wolves have the right to devour rabbits without the rabbits having the right to ght for their
life? But I understand now; it was because the rabbit was too weak and it did not have the
teeth and claws to defend itself. If one does not want to be looked down upon, he must
stand up for himself. Yan Xun, I am young, but I have patience and the luxury of time. Those
that have owed me a debt, not one of them could escape from me. I must live on, to see
that they have paid for their sins. Otherwise, even if I died, I cannot rest in peace.”

The teenager’s eyelashes trembled. His lips were tightly shut. The snowstorm raged on as
the cold wind howled through the windows.

Chu Qiao’s tone became even deeper as she said, “Yan Xun, do you still remember your
mother’s last words? She asked you to live on well. Even if life is tough and miserable, you
must still live on. You still have many things left undone. Do you know what they are? You
must su er through the humiliation and hardships to wait for the golden opportunity to
avenge your relatives who were brutally and ruthlessly killed! There is too much of your
family’s hopes and blood on your shoulders. There are too many gazes watching you from
the heavens. Can you bear to disappoint them? Can you allow them not to rest in peace?
Can you bear to see the foundations that were built by your father be torn down in an
instant? Are you willing to die on this shabby bed? Can you accept the fact that the people
who killed your parents are sleeping each night peacefully, enjoying every day of their lives
at this very moment?”

Chu Qiao’s voice suddenly became hoarse, as though it was a knife slicing through ice,
sending tiny shard of ice ying. She said the following words slowly and clearly, “Yan Xun,
you must live on, even if it means that you have to lead a pathetic life, a life that as low and
pitiful as animals, you still have to live on, for only living on, there is hope. You will only be
able to ful ll your wishes if you live on and you can only take back what is rightfully yours if
you live on. In this world, you can no longer rely anyone else but yourself.”

Instantly, heavy breathing sounded. Chu Qiao scrambled as she picked up a bowl and
brought it before the teenager. His eyes glowed bright with energy, as though a raging re
was burning wildly within him.

ff
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
“Yan Xun, live on and kill them all!”

A concentrated gaze suddenly shot out from the eyes of the teenager. It was lled with
bloodthirsty rage and worldly unjust. He nodded his head furiously and said with a deep and
evil tone, “Live on, kill them all!”

The cold wind continued to whistle outside, as two children stood within the freezing
dilapidated hut, their sts tightly clasped.

Many years later, when Yan Xun became an adult and thought about that fateful night, he
still had a lingering fear in his heart. He did not know what would have happened if he
hadn’t been weak and let the unkempt and disheveled girl with a determined gaze live. If he
had not helped the girl out of curiosity or bade her farewell out of impulse the day they
parted, would all of the misfortunes of that day disappeared like a mirage? Would the
teenager from the noble family have been knocked down by some crisis in his life? Would
he have been in so much despair that he would have died a lonely and pathetic man?

However, there are too many ‘ifs’ in this world. That’s why, both children, who had nothing,
made a silent vow in that snow and icy night: Live on. Even if they had to lead a pathetic life,
they must live on!

The long night was coming to an end. Before dawn broke, Sheng Jin palace sent a
messenger to them. There were various reasons why they had sent the messenger to split
the spoils of war—to leave him to his demise. Maybe they did not have any agenda at all.
The other kings of the empire had pressured the emperor to order Yan Xun, the son of King
Yan Bei, to succeed the throne. However, he would only assume the throne when he
reached 20 years old. Until then, control over Yan Bei’s territories would be rotated between
the kings of the empire and the emperor himself. Yan Shizi was to return to the capital, Zhen
Huang city, to be taken care of by the royal family until he became of age.

Before that, there were still eight years. He had to endure eight more years.

On April 21st, Yan Xun moved out of the Yan residence and moved into the Sheng Jin
palace; the place that was most guarded within the entire Xia Empire.

That morning, strong winds howled as snow urried around him. Yan Xun wore a Yan Bei
black mink coat as he stood in Zi Jin square with its full glory. Before him, was Jiu You
platform and the Zi Jin gates. Behind it laid the empire’s northwestern territories. There was
once his home, the place where he grew up, a place where he could nd his loved ones. But
now, they had left him. He strongly believed that they were standing tall in the heavens,
watching over him in silence, waiting for his iron hooves to step into Yan Bei and Shang
Shen, over the mountain ranges of He Tong!

That day would have been the fourth month of empire’s western conquest. Although the
northwestern army was still in shambles, they had caught the culprit behind the mess. The
King of Yan Bei slaughtered his family mercilessly. The Xia Empire’s ruthless army had once
again used its thundering e ciency to safeguard the empire’s dignity. However, many years
later, when historians opened the historical scrolls, they could not help but gasp. It was at
that very moment that the Xia Empire had paved her way to her demise. The raging ames
fi
ffi
fl
fi
fi
fl
 of death rekindled within the swamps of the dead—all of the atrocities and betrayals that
had been committed, the ruthlessness and cruelty that had the power to disintegrate
everything. The blade that had destroyed the life of this surviving teenager had also sliced
through his heart, causing blood to surge from that wound. All of this would bury the empire
in its grave.

The teenager turned and took the hand of the eight year old child as they walked straight
through the heavy palace gates. The gates closed slowly with a rumble, devouring all forms
of light as it closed. Insane winds howled as blew, but were blocked by the massive city
walls. Only the sharp eyes of the eagle could see the two gures clearly from the sky.

As the sun set with a bloody glow, both gures seemed minuscule as they stood on the
magni cent palace balcony, but they still stood tall and mighty. One day, they would leave a
trail of blood in their wake, as they fought their way out, side by side, heading out of these
reddish gold gates! God rmly believed that there would be such a day!

Chapter 37
“Gentlemen, this will be the plan for now.” Within a simple tent, a girl dressed in cyan raised
her slender chin slightly and pointed towards the topographic map on the desk with her
slender ngers. She addressed the soldiers around her in a deep tone, “This operation will
start at 1:45 a.m., Xia Zhi will bring the rst team to the Chi Chao Bridge between the Chao
Lake and the Chi Shui to set up an ambush. Xirui and Bian Cang will each lead 5 men under
the bridge, destroying the straw boats that are crossing the river, severing the river crossing
hook lock. After which, Zhi Xia will initiate the attack, destroying the defensive positions of
the The Dauntless Cavalry Camp on the bridge. Do not worry about the battle growing, but it
must end when a stick of incense burns out. Do you understand?”

“Yes!” Zhi Xia, Xirui, and Bian Cang nodded in unison and accepted the order.

The lady then drew her nger along the western line on the map. She turned and said,
“AhDu will bring the second team to set an ambush along the trail within Suo He Village,
coordinating with Zhi Xia’s operation. This will prevent The Dauntless Cavalry Camp from
sending reinforcements to their defensive positions on the bridge when Zhi Xia is attacking
them. Your mission is to cut o the route between The Dauntless Cavalry Camp and the
Northern Prisons when you are in the northern region. Try your best to delay the army for
two hours.”

With a dark expression, AhDu nodded furiously as he said, “My Lady, don’t worry.”

The lady nodded and circled the top of the map with her nger. After which she pointed in
the general direction forcefully and said, “Your mission is to try and in ltrate the
underground camp of the Northern Prison, rescuing Mr. Mu and Scholar Zhu, who are
locked up in the northwestern corner of the water prison. Also, you must rescue 28 of our
comrades from the Tian Yuan Tower on the south side of the prison. Some of them may be
unable to walk, but you must rescue all of them and send them to Gu Ding village, which is
fi
fi

fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
 fteen miles southwest from here. After which, your reinforcements will then pick all of them
up with carriages. That’s why we have to take the risk of starting the operation early.”

The tent was completely silent as everyone listened intently to the lady’s instructions.

The lady had a calm expression as she continued, “About 300 meters in front of the
Northern Prison, everything is covered in thick vegetation. However, within 100 meters of
the prison, all vegetation is cut down. There is no cover at all. At the four corners of the
prison, there are eight watchtowers with guards watching over its perimeter at all times. All
of you will have to crawl.”

The lady turned back and took out another map. She said, “Take a look, this is the concise
map of the Northern Prison. This is the military warehouse, the food storage, the armory, the
resting quarters for the troops, and this, is our destination: The Tian Yuan Tower and the
northwestern water prison. I need you all to know this map inside and out within two hours;
there is no time for mistakes. Two of you need to coordinate with each other to carry out
your mission. When the mission commences at 1:45 a.m., Cheng Yang will then lead the
third and fourth teams to launch the assault, while AhDu and AhCheng lead the archers to
go around the camp along the trench line. The archers will then take out the guards on the
watchtowers with their arrows. They must be killed with a single shot; not a single guard can
live. After that is done, Cheng Yang will then lead the main assault team to open the gates.
The team will then split into two groups, one attacking towards the west, as if they were
attacking the armory as well as the provision base. That will lure the guards over to their
position, creating chaos. The other group will shoot the barracks with aming arrows.
However, their intention is not to kill, but to create a diversion, slowing down the escaping
troops. All of you must remember, if all the soldiers are out of the barracks, the mission will
have already failed. All of you must be accurate with your shooting and act accordingly. Xiao
Jiong will help you all from the outside, getting our horses to run through the dense jungle
as if an enemy was attacking the camp.”

Xiao Jiong stood at the side. He was still a child that was not even 17 years old. However,
the numerous wounds on his tanned skin as well as his muscular build could show that he
was an outstanding warrior who had fought countless battles. Xiao Jiong smiled as he
nodded. He said to Cheng Yang, “Brother Cheng Yang, don’t be like the last time, forgetting
who I am when you get out of the enemy camp. You actually shot me with an arrow thinking
I was the enemy.”

Hearing this, everyone broke into laughter, lightening the mood within the tent. Cheng Yang
reached out and gave the kid a nudge. He laughed and said, “You really do hold grudges.”

The lady coughed softly, causing everyone to turn towards her, getting serious once again.
“AhLi’s archers will take out the soldiers on the watchtowers and the sentry posts. After
which, the mission will o cially begin. Cheng Yang will lead the main assault team to rush
into the camp, setting archers ve meters from each other as the team is pushing forwards.
This is to protect the advance of the team. Your main mission is to rescue hostages; you do
not have to care about the other positions. AhLi will eliminate all the targets and cover you
as you advance. All of you will rst head to the northwestern water prison, rst rescuing Mr.
Mu as well as scholar Zhu. After which, you will rush to the Tian Yuan Tower. Some of the
fi
ffi
fi
fi
fl
fi
guards there are our men; they will have already eliminated the other guards for us when we
reach them. Once we have rescued everyone, retreat using the trench line on the
southwestern side of the camp. AhLi will then attack the enemy on the right ank while
AhCheng attacks them from the back as a diversion. When Cheng Yang has con rmed that
they have everyone with them, re the green are. By 3 a.m., the ghting should cease. All
of you are to be back at the designated location by 3:45 a.m. Xiao Jiu will arrange for your
safe retreat from there.”

Her eyes were as bright as snow. She raised her head and looked at everyone within the
tent as she said in a deep tone, “Does anyone still not understand the mission?”

No one replied. The lady nodded. “Good. For now, prepare your weapons and memorize the
map of the camp. After half an hour, I will ask each and every one of you the battle
procedure. If there are no further questions, we will set o in an hour.”

“Yes,” The men answered in unison as they stood from their seats. The small tent got
crowded in an instant.

The lady in cyan stood up as well. Although she seemed thin and sickly, her narrow eyes
glowed with energy. She reached out her right hand that was in a tight st and placing it
over her heart as she said slowly and steadily, “Da Tong will not perish.”

“It will not perish!” the men roared in unison. She nodded approvingly as they gradually took
their leave.

The tent became quiet all of a sudden and the only sound was the strong wind howling
outside the tent. There was a decent snowfall that day. A timely heavy snowfall was a sign
for a fruitful year ahead. Hopefully, the people would have a better life in the coming year.

After having a sip of tea, a boy that was dressed in brown suddenly burst into the tent and
said, “My lady, Mr. Wu is here.”

The lady raised her brows as the teacup in her hands trembled slightly. She steadied herself
and said, “Let him in.”

A gust of fresh wind blew into the tent as the man took o his hat. He was dressed in a
green robe and he looked smart and upright. He was around 27-28 years old and there were
some wrinkles around the corner of his eyes, but that did not diminish the aura of elegance
that he emanated. He put down his belongings as he smiled and said, “AhYu.”

The lady naturally took the dark robe from Wu Daoya as she smiled lightly. “When did you
come back? Aren’t you going back to Yan Bei?”

“There were some urgent matters that required me to return to the capital immediately,” Wu
Daoya said as he sat on a stool to take o his boots. As he tilted his boots slightly, it could
be seen that it was lled with shards of ice.

Lady Yu picked at her brows as she said, “Have you come from the ice plain?”

fi
fi
ff
fl
ff
ff
fi
fi
fl
fi
 “What can I do?” Wu Daoya raised his head and said, “The person in the Sheng Jin palace
is celebrating his birthday and is inviting the three heads of state for it. Security is very tight.
Everyone is being paranoid now; it’s better to be careful.”

“You are right, it is better to be careful.”

“Oh right.” Wu Daoya frowned and said, “Xi Hua sent a letter and said that two of the
capital’s stronghold has been revealed. Is that true?”

“It was just to deceive them.” Lady Yu grinned as she poured a cup of tea. She handed it to
Wu Daoya and continued, “Recently, the patrol within the capital have been very strict. Right
after the New Year, the entire atmosphere within the capital was so tense. Muhe Xifeng is
the new o cial in town and is burning with enthusiasm, causing everyone to be unable to
live peacefully. I purposely leaked the location of two deserted strongholds to let him
perform well in his job so that he’ll be less enthusiastic. However, I did not leak any
classi ed information, and it was hard to determine whether the intelligence he gathered
was true or not. Our men su ered no casualties as well.”

“I had rightly guessed 80% of it.” Wu Daoya chuckled. “Wei family lost his job and Wei Jing
was utterly defeated in the south. This caused Wei Shuye to lose his job as the capital’s
magistrate to the Muhe family. The Muhes got it too easily. It seems that things will get
bloody within the Grand Elder’s Councill.”

“That treacherous Wei Guang. I think 90% of these events were arranged by him.”

Wu Daoya raised his brow and looked puzzled. He said, “What do you mean?”

Lady Yu let out a sigh as she explained, “Daoya, it has been seven years. In less than six
months, the young master will be crowned as King. However, do you think the elders within
the empire, as well as the Batuha clan in the northwestern region, would allow the young
master to assume the throne in Yan Bei without a hitch? All these years, they have tried to
sabotage him in every way possible, trying to put him to his death. If it had not been for the
presence of the other Kings, which caused the elders to fear an uproar, they would have
already killed him. This is their last opportunity to sabotage the young master; they won’t
hold back. Also, it is the Emperor’s birthday; all three heads of states are under one roof,
with the smaller neighbors coming into the capital to send their gifts and regards. Everyone
fears that chaos will befall the capital. No matter what happens in the end, the capital will be
ooded with blood, and the capital’s magistrate will de nitely be pulled into this chaos. How
could the sly Wei Guang not foresee this future? Wei family had already decided to protect
themselves when the empire slipped into chaos.”

Wu Daoya nodded solemnly and said, “Only you are able to think through all that. It now
seems like once Muhe Yunting is dead, the Muhe family will no longer be able to hold up
future generations of the Xia Empire. No wonder I heard news that Zhuge Muqing sent
Zhuge Huai over to the southeastern region to settle some matters with the Song Empire
when I was on my way here. That move was to save him from all the chaos.”

“You have been in the capital for too long, hence you are unable to understand the
relationship between these matters. Other than the Muhe family, who is still unclear of the
fl
fi
ffi
ff
fi
situation, choosing to ght it out with the Batuha clan with regards to the territories in Yan
Bei, the other ve royal families have chosen to get out of this chaotic situation. The Mu
family had even directly recalled Young Master Mu back to Ling Nan to avoid this disaster.
This battle of yours, it’s hard to ght.”

Wu Daoya agreed with a heavy nod. He sighed. “Because of this day, the 200 thousand
troops from Yan Bei are at the ready. They waited for the last seven years. No matter what,
we must ensure that the young master left the capital safely. The entire family of the late
King Yan had sacri ced their lives for Da Tong. We cannot give up on his last blood relative.”

Lady Yu patted Wu Daoya on the shoulder. “We will overcome anything that comes our way.
Don’t be too worried about it. No matter what happens, the young master’s life is in no
danger; that’s something we can be happy about.”

Hearing that, Wu Daoya could not help but reveal a smile. He nodded and said, “Oh yes,
you feel that the child is pretty decent too right?”

“Yes.” Lady Yu nodded. “At such a young age, it is rare to be so prudent. Initially, to make
her trust me, I put in quite a bit of e ort. All these years, if it wasn’t for her staying by the
young master’s side, protecting him, I’m sure the last remnant of the Yan Bei bloodline
would have perished. This child is especially gifted. I will take note of her.”

“As long as you are here to look after them, I don’t have to worry. I won’t be able to stay in
the capital for long this time, as I have to be back at Yan Bei. Another year of spring tax is to
be collected, I need to be there to prevent the imperial court and Old Batu from putting too
much into their pockets. Even though we have not o cially taken over, Yan Bei still belongs
to the Yan family. Although we are unable to restore Yan Bei to its former glory, the least we
can do is to prevent the young master from inheriting a mess.”

Lady Yu grinned and said, “Don’t worry, I will look after them. I will do my best.”

“My lady, it is time!” Suddenly, a cry came from outside the tent. When Wu Daoya heard it,
he stood up and said, “I am just here for a quick visit. I’m heading to the Yan Bei household
after this. The tax collections for the winter season have been sent to the capital, I’m going
to see the amount young master paid.”

Lady Yu nodded as she walked him out of the tent. Wu Daoya stopped her with his arm,
“The wind is too strong and your body is still weak. There is no need to see me out. I’ll take
my leave.” After which, he put on his cap and walked out of the tent.

Lady Yu stood there motionlessly as she looked at the uttering curtains as if she was in a
daze. After a while, she walked back to her desk and picked up the battle plan, studying it
carefully.

“AhYu.” A deep voice sounded out of nowhere. The curtain lifted and Wu Daoya walked into
the tent once again.

Lady Yu raised her eyebrows with a puzzled expression as she looked at him.

fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
ffi
fl
 Wu Daoya thought in silence for a long time. He nally said, “The weather is getting colder
and colder, you must take care of yourself. Don’t do everything on your own, and you must
do everything safely and carefully.” After saying that, he turned and left. Although the winds
were howling loudly outside, she could still hear his footsteps fading away.

Moments passed and a loud neigh suddenly sounded. Lady Yu was still looking at the
curtains of the tent as she whispered, “Same to you.”

Time ew and in the blink of an eye, seven years had passed. The imperial family of the Xia
Empire had been nomadic in the past. 300 years ago, they were like the Quan Rong people,
riding horses, galloping through the Hongchuan Plains, living their nomadic lifestyle in
search of greener pastures. Under the leadership of Peiluo Zhenhuang, this tough clan
stepped into the view of the eastern orthodox clans, promoting their culture, opening up
their trade, and developing their farming techniques. After another hundred years of
accumulating experience, the former alien regime had abolished its old ways, presenting
itself in a di erent light, becoming solemn and respected. The Xia people turned it into a
place with its own taste and heritage. They transformed the barren land that was buried
under thick layers of snow. As compared to the cowardly Tang Empire and the ashy Song
Empire, the Xia Empire showed the generosity and sobriety of a great nation.

At the same time, the imperial family of the Xia Empire still had the prairie’s spirit within
them. Although they had weak feelings for the land, they were brimming with enthusiasm
when it came to power. They were tolerant of other races as they annexed multiple
territories, causing their culture to be vibrant and colorful, merging all kinds of other cultures
together. This became a unique sight on the mainland.

Sheng Jin palace occupied a massive plot of land. The various races within western
Mongolia heavily in uenced its architectural style. It possessed unique aspects of the
Jiangnan region while it retained the relatively solemn and majestic aura of the northwest.
The outer walls were sturdy and the red walls were tiled in gold. The platforms were made
out of jet-black stone and its moat was incredibly deep. The palace was heavily guarded,
causing the atmosphere to be tense within. In the middle of the palace, o cials gathered to
discuss national matters. The mahogany hall, golden gate building, and Xia Hua Sheng
palace, were all grand and majestic. At the back of the palace was where the princes,
princesses, and concubines lived. It was lled with beautiful trees and streams, pavilions
and bridges. It was a beautiful and intricate landscape. The spring waters from the Ya Lang
peak owed into the palace grounds through a series of pipes as they reinvigorated the
ower and fauna within the palace. All these allowed the palace to have picturesque
scenery, earning it its nickname ‘Little Southern Tang’.

Chapter 38
The Xia Empire originated from the plains and had a nomadic nature. This caused them to
elevate women’s social status, giving them the respect they deserved. This was completely
di erent from the Tang and Song Empire. For thousands of years, there were plenty of
female generals and o cials in the Xia empire. Within the imperial harem, there were also
many women that called the shots. They were relatively tolerant of the behavior between the
fl
ff
fl
fl
ff
fl

ffi
fi
fi
ffi
fl
genders. Therefore, within the back palace, other than the Emperor’s concubines and
princesses, there were many guards stationed there too. Many princes that had not
assumed their respective thrones were living there as well.

At this very moment, at the Ying Ge yard inside the back palace, there was a young prince
who sat among the sea of bamboo in black robes.

This young man was around 20 years old. He looked handsome with his eyes shining
brightly like stars. He had a pointed nose and eyebrows that looked like swords. His jet-
black hair lay on his back and was tied loosely together with a black ribbon. His black robes
were elegantly embroidered with purple oral Kirin and auspicious clouds that traced the
edge of his robes. It was made with cloth from the Song Empire, and his boots were made
of deer leather. The bottom of them were engraved with pictures of Qing Yun. He was sitting
leisurely in front of a little bluestone table, with the fragrance of incense wafting around him.
A sparkling Guqin lay on the table before him with a few scrolls scattered by his side. There
was a jade wine pot with a glass cup by its side. Dragons with pearls in their jaws were
carved out of glass on both sides of the cup. It was de nitely a treasure.

Although it was winter, the areas around Xuan Lang Mountain had warmed up as it was
surrounded by hot springs. These hot springs had naturally created a warm sanctuary
during the cold winter. When the wind blew, a fresh and cool breeze rustled through the
bamboo grove, seeming carefree and content.

The young man’s hands were as fair as white jade, and his ngers were slender. He slowly
raised his glass cup to his lips, but he paused at that moment. His starry eyes squinted a
little. Without looking, he said lightly, “Come out.”

“Irritating.” A delicate voice sounded instantly as a charming young girl came into view from
within the bamboo forest behind him. “You manage to nd me every single time, you are no
fun!”

The girl was not even 19 years old. She was wearing a purple blouse with a long skirt,
embroidered with white butter ies. Around her waist, she wore a light green belt with a lily
hanging by her side. Her thick and beautiful hair was tied into a bun, and her fringe reached
the tip of her ears. A blood red jade pendant hung between her eyebrows, and she wore an
agate necklace and a pair of Ding Lan earrings. Although she looked noble, she did not
seem crude. As the girl walked towards him, she took o her fur coat. In a crisp tone, she
said, “My father dotes on you the most. I have just returned from Lan Shan court and it was
freezing cold there. Look at the place you’re in, the snow melted even before it touched the
ground.”

The young man turned to face her. He grinned calmly and said, “It’s the emperor’s great
love.”

“Hehe.” The girl snorted. “Then why does he not show great love to me, I am his daughter
after all.”

“Princess.”

fl
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
“Why are you calling me princess again!” the girl shouted as she threw her coat at her
servants while running towards him.

The young man smiled helplessly as he said, “Chun’er.”

“Don’t you think you can subdue me by doing that,” said Princess Chun’er as she sat on the
stool opposite him. Pu ng up her cheeks angrily, she continued, “Tell me, why did you leave
before the banquet ended? You caused me to leave all the guests behind in order to catch
you here.”

The young man said with a calm smile, “I’m sorry, there was something urgent.”

“What important things do you have to do?” the girl cried. As she nished her sentence, she
immediately realized how reckless she was. She looked carefully at his expression through
the corner of her eyes. Seeing his lack of reaction, she hurriedly said, “Did you leave the
banquet because Wei Jing had arrived? He had just returned from the South. Even I did not
know he was coming, please don’t be mad at me.”

The young man raised his head and shook it slowly. “My princess, do not worry, Yan Xun
wouldn’t dare.”

“You’re calling me princess again,” said Chun’er as she frowned. She stood up suddenly
and tugged at Yan Xun’s clothes. She said angrily, “Brother Xun, do you not see me as your
own?”

Yan Xun lowered his head as he frowned at the girl’s fair hand. He could not help but furrow
his brow as he silently pulled his clothes free from her grip. “My princess, you worry too
much. We have to pay attention to our status within the palace.”

“That damned status. It was so much better when we were young. Do you remember the
time when we were nine years old and you brought me to a brothel to ght? But now, you
even have to hide when addressing me by my nickname.”

“I was young and was not sensible at that age. I was too reckless.”

“That’s hateful!” Chun’er threw the wine ask on the ground as she cried, “I hate you!” As
she said that, she turned her body in an attempt to leave.

“May the princess wait for a moment,” Yan Xun stood up and said as he handed her a
purple silk-wrapped box.

Chun’er furrowed her brow. “What is this?”

“It is the princess’ birthday, and this is a little token from me. I wish you would accept it.”

Chun’er’s tiny face broke into a wide smile as she opened the box happily. After she opened
the box, she saw a rabbit’s tail, which was a brilliant shade of white. The girl’s eyes widened
instantly. She cried, “Is this…Yanyan’s tail?”

ffi
fl
fi
fi
 Yan Xun nodded. “A couple of days ago, I heard that Yanyan had bitten your hand, and her
Majesty had ordered it to be ogged to death before throwing it out. Because of that, you
cried for so long. I then ordered my men to cut o its tail for you to keep as a memento. This
does not amount to much but I hope you don’t mind.”

Zhao Chun’er’s eyes turned moist as she shook her head and whispered, “I have countless
jewelry in my possession, but this is the best present I have ever received. Brother Xun,
thank you, I am very happy.” After nishing her sentence, the girl’s cheeks ushed red as
she held the rabbit’s tail in her hand. She ran out of the bamboo forest without her coat.

Yan Xun stood in the same spot. His smile faded as the girl started to disappear from his
sight.

“My Crown Prince, Princess Chun has left.”

As he heard that, he silently took o the robes which the girl had touched. He threw them
onto the table and turned to take his leave as he said in a deep voice, “Burn it.”

“Yes,” his servants answered in a heavy tone. When they raised their head, Yan Xun was no
longer there.

The afternoon sun was shining brilliantly. Yan Xun sat in his study, ipping through the tax
documents that had been submitted for the winter, making comments as he read each line
carefully. Feng Zhi came into the room thrice to invite Yan Xun to have his lunch, but was
chased out of the room each time by the guard, AhJing. He could only wait patiently at the
door.

The wind blew gently through the room, gently swaying the incense on the desk. All of a
sudden, a fresh fragrance wafted into the room. It neither smelt like it was from the palace,
nor did it smell like the orchid incense from Ying Ge Court. It also did not smell like the sea
of bamboo. It was a unique smell that had a tinge of sand and mud mixed in with it. It even
had the smell of a sharp blade.

Yan Xun frowned as he raised his head. He saw the person that came and his gaze
softened. He wanted to say something funny but he could not hold in his laughter. He tried
to suppress it in by looking away, but the corners of his mouth curled into a smile.

“Are you done laughing?” The person that came in did not look like she was even 16 years
old, still a young teenager. Her skin was fair and her eyes were watery. She was dressed in
black leather armor. She looked increasingly heroic. As she leaned on the door with her
hands across her chest, her eyes sparkled with a tinge of laughter. She stubbornly said, “It
is still cold outside.”

“When did you come back?” Yan Xun’s voice was as gentle as water, as if he had gotten rid
of his air in an instant. He gazed into the warm eyes of the teenager at the door as he
laughed gently.

The teenager laughed as well. She tilted her head and answered, “Just now.”

fl
fl
fi
ff
ff
fl
fl
“Why don’t you come in?”

The teenager pouted as she said disdainfully, “Someone said to not allow anyone in, even if
it was a matter of great importance.”

Yan Xun nodded. “I did? Since I made such an order, they still dared to let you in. They
should be punished by death.”

“Aren’t I still outside the door?” The teenager raised her eyebrows. “Who would dare to
violate the rules that the Crown Prince of Yan had set?”

When Yan Xun was about to speak, the little child behind the teenager could not help but
speak up, “I must say, Miss, stop speaking so guilefully to the Crown Prince. I have already
asked the kitchen to heat up this meal for him more than ten times. Please have a bite.”

“Okay then.” Chu Qiao took the lunchbox and walked in. She smiled and said, “I give in only
because of Feng Zhi.”

The little boy wiped his sweat as he took his leave.

Yan Xun stood up from the back of his desk. He walked up to Chu Qiao to untie her cloak,
then set it on a chair. He sat in front of his desk, looking at Chu Qiao lay out the dishes in
front of him. Only then did he close his eyes to take a whi . As if he was in a trance, he said,
“How fragrant! How did I not smell this?”

“Your nose is no longer working. You would have starved to death if I had not returned.”
Serving a bowl of rice to Yan Xun, Chu Qiao sat up straight beside him and shoved in a
mouthful of rice. “Lady Yu still makes the best dishes.”

Yan Xun’s expression changed slightly, showing a rare glimmer of sorrow as he lowered his
gaze to the teenager. He asked, “Was it tough?”

“It was okay.” Chu Qiao shook her head and continued, “It was just too cold.”

“Are your feet frozen again?”

“Nope, the boots that you gave me were very warm and comfortable.”

Yan Xun nodded and said in a deep tone, “Next time, let AhJing and the rest handle things
like this. Don’t keep running around.”

“I also wish to stay in this house, but how could I be assured that things would be
completed?” Chu Qiao let out a long sigh. “Luckily we do not have to do this for long. Six
more months and life will never be as tough.”

Yan Xun’s gaze brightened as a gust of wind blew through the windows that were slightly
open, bringing in the fragrance of the bamboo forest from afar.

“Did you see Mr. Wu?”

ff
 “Nope.” Chu Qiao shook her head. “But I saw Xi Hua. He said that Mr. Wu had already
entered the capital and is in the process of collating the data for winter taxes. He asked you
not to worry.”

Yan Xun nodded and let out a long sigh. “That’s good, it has been many nights since I have
had a good rest. I have been doing the taxes all this time. Now that Mr. Wu is back, it will
save me a lot of e ort.”

“Is everything peaceful in the palace?”

Yan Xun laughed coldly and was unable to hide the sarcasm from the edge of his lips. “It’s
still the same old thing. But I don’t know if you heard that Wu Jing is back. I just met him
earlier today.”

“I heard.” Chu Qiao nodded as she replied, “The mausoleum at Nan Ji Mountain had
collapsed, and Wu Jing could hardly absolve himself of the blame. I heard that he had been
dismissed from his role, but I never expected him to return so quickly.”

Yan Xun put down his chopsticks and raised his teacup to take a sip. “Your method of
removing the root of the problem had been going so well. Wei Shuye had been implicated
by Wei Jing, and has been removed as the Capital’s magistrate. There are rumors within the
palace saying that Wei Guang did this on purpose in order to get out of the position.
Although he had not commented on it, the elders had always been critical about Wei Guang.
Just a few days ago, they eliminated the Wei family from the picture. Although Muhe Xifeng
is good for nothing, and Muhe Yunting is no longer around, Muhe Rongcheng is not a
vegetarian. When he is back from Xi Ling, the Grand Elder’s Council will become a whole lot
livelier.”

Chu Qiao’s had stu ed her mouth with food. However, she managed to say in a solemn
tone, “We must continue to follow up on this matter; we must not be careless. Don’t worry, I
will deal with it.”

Yan Xun nodded. “I can count on you.” When he said that, he laughed all of a sudden as he
raised his slender nger, rubbing it on Chu Qiao’s face.

Chapter 39
Chu Qiao’s face was as fair as a white jade; her skin clear and tender, showing signs of the
bitter cold weather outside. Yan Xun used his ngers to warm her up, causing her to fall into
a daze. She could not help but blush when he did that, pushing his hands away uneasily.
She frowned and said, “What are you doing?”

“Here.” Yan Xun showed her his hands, and a grain of shiny white rice was stuck to his
ngertip. He laughed and said, “AhChu, you must’ve been really hungry out there. I think I
have to compensate you for your e ort.”

fi
ff
fi
ff

ff
fi
 As Chu Qiao opened her mouth to speak, she suddenly caught a glimpse of Yan Xun’s
ngers. On his pale hand, there were four long and slender ngers, but part of his pinkie was
cut o .

Chu Qiao’s gaze suddenly turned cold. As she slowly scooped up a mouthful of rice, she
raised her head and said in a deep tone, “If we succeed this time, Wei Jing will never be
able to climb into power again.”

The atmosphere became quiet all of a sudden as Yan Xun looked at the side of Chu Qiao’s
face. He raised his hand and patted her shoulder. “AhChu, don’t think too much.”

“Yan Xun, I will not be reckless. I will do what I can.” Chu Qiao suddenly sounded bored as
she lowered her voice and said, “We have waited for so many years, I will not lose my
patience now.”

The warm afternoon sun shone through the windows, engul ng them in a warm glow. There
seemed to be a taste of spring in the air. Time ew and the young children from the past had
now turned into adults. The sun shone brightly outside. There were things that had changed,
but there were things that aged like wine, turning mellow with time.

“AhChu, since you are back, don’t head out again. Take a good rest.”

Chu Qiao raised her head. Although she was not very old, she had grown into a beauty. Her
eyebrows curved, which was an uncommon sight among the ordinary noble woman as she
seemed to possess more spirit and wisdom. She lowered her head, resting her forehead on
Yan Xun’s chest as she whispered, “Okay.”

Yan Xun reached out to pull the girl into an embrace. He gently patted her back and said,
“When we return to Yan Bei, spring should be there. I will bring you to Huo Lei plains to hunt
for wild horses.”

“Okay.” Chu Qiao sounded somewhat vexed as she said, “We will do that.”

Time passed slowly. Yan Xun’s shoulder started to ache but Chu Qiao remained silent for a
long while. The boy looked down, seeing the long eyelashes casting a silhouette on her
face. Under the sunlight, she seemed even more beautiful.

“AhChu?” Yan Xun murmured, but saw no response from Chu Qiao. He chuckled softly
under his breath, “She actually fell asleep in this position.” He stood up and carried her by
the waist. With her alertness, she did not struggle, as if she knew that she was in a safe
place.

When they walked out of the study room, AhJing came forward immediately. Yan Xun gave
him a glare, causing AhJing and several other servants to back o instantly, not daring to
make a sound. They watched as Yan Xun slowly carried Chu Qiao, who was dressed in
men’s clothes, into the bedroom.

After a while, the Prince Yan walked out of the door. AhJing came forward hurriedly.

“What happened?”

fi
ff
fl
fi
fi
ff
“They were ambushed on the way back. Miss led her men as they took an alternative route
from Lu Ye, rushing back here. She was afraid that your Highness would be worried; hence
she did not stop her horse for three days. I’m afraid that she might be too exhausted.”

Yan Xun furrowed his eyebrows tightly together as he muttered, “Where are those people?”

“They are now 80 miles west of Zhen Huang City, at Liang Shan Town. Our men are
currently watching them. Your Highness, do you want to take action?”

“Yes.” Yan Xun nodded as he walked calmly towards the study room.

“Then…” AhJing hesitated as he thought. He asked, “How about the stone merchants in
charge of the mausoleum? The ones Miss brought over?”

Yan Xun pondered for a moment and said, “Since they are now useless, get rid of them too.”

“Yes, your Highness.”

The cold wind blew from the direction of Xuan Lang Mountain. Yan Xun raised his head and
saw a featherless white bird soaring through the northern winds. It seemed to be attracted
to the fragrance wafting from his body as it circled fearlessly above his head, chirping
curiously and apping its wings, ying up and down.

AhJing seemed a little dazed, but he cried gleefully, “It is the Cang Wu bird! Your Highness,
this may be a little Cang Wu bird that has lost its way. This bird is not afraid of humans and
is very precious. There are many people that domeste it! But this is my rst time seeing a
Cang Wu bird so small.”

“Is it?” Yan Xun replied faintly. He put out his hand as he raised his eyebrows towards the
bird that was circling above his head. The little bird chirped and it seemed very curious.
After a few aps, it actually landed on Yan Xun’s ngertips, pecking at his palm with its tiny,
bright yellow beak. Its red eyes looked around energetically with a ection.

AhJing was surprised. As he wanted to gasp in disbelief, a crisp crack sounded. Yan Xun
clenched his st, and the precious little bird did not even have the time to scream. It landed
on the ground with a dull thud.

“You are too gullible. If I did not kill you, someone else would have. It was just a matter of
time.” The man’s black robe uttered behind him. With a straight posture, he disappeared
within the pavilion. Gusts of strong wind caused massive amounts of snow to billow, burying
its corpse under a thick cover of snow.

When she woke up, it was deep into the night. Within the tiny stove on the table, there was
a pot of warm milk. Chu Qiao poured it into a small cup and drank from it, instantly feeling
the warmth spread through her. The moon was enormous that night and hung brightly in the
night sky, illuminating Ying Ge court. She opened the windows and bright white moonlight
shot into the room. She sat on a stool and placed her elbows on the windowsill, breathing
slowly.

fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
ff
fi
She had looked at this yard countless of times, but there were many times which she could
not discern whether the view before her was a dream or if her past life was purely an illusion.
Within the blink of an eye, she had been in this world for eight years. Eight years is enough
to change many things, including a person’s thinking, beliefs, longing, and their
determination to strive for what they want.

There were two tall pieces of timber in the yard. They had stood there for more than seven
years. Even in dark nights like this, one could still use the moonlight to see the deep blade
marks within the blocks of timber. This was the place where she and Yan Xun had practiced
their martial arts. In the early years, they did not even dare to practice in the day. Every
night, they would sneak into this courtyard, one of them silently looking out for the other.
One silently practiced the international mixed martial arts that Chu Qiao had demonstrated.
Whenever the palace’s servants walked by, they would get hold their breath, only releasing it
when the servants had walked away.

Within the remote west warming room, there would always be two sets of bedding prepared.
At that time, they did not have anyone they could trust. These two children would sleep in
the same room, with their knives in their arms. When one was asleep, the other had to be
awake, with a thin string tied between the two doors. Even when there was the slightest
movement from either of them, both would jump out of the bed with their knives in hand.

On the shelves of the study room, there was an antique vase lled with a variety of
medication to prepare them for anything that came their way. Although they did not use it
often, it became a habit of theirs. The chopsticks and spoons they used for their meals had
to be made of silver. They had also reared quite a number of rabbits. Before having their
meal, these rabbits would have a bite of the dishes that were served to them. After which,
they would wait for a day or two before putting the foods into their mouths. In the rst few
years that they were here, they had never tasted a steaming hot meal.

It did not matter whether it was in the middle of summer or deep in the winter, they would
always wear a layer of soft armor under their clothes. They would always have a handy
weapon on them, regardless if they were asleep or awake. Time passed incredibly slowly,
but no matter how tough life was, they fought side by side and grew up together. Hope
started to seem clearer and the future did not seem as bleak. Inside their hearts, a tinge of
raging anticipation grew with time.

Chu Qiao grinned slightly. In a way, this could count as having a sense of belonging. After so
many years, so many killings, and so many devious plots, she nally did not see herself as
an outsider wanting to escape. As a matter of fact, the moment she stepped into this royal
city, their fates were tightly bound together.

Chu Qiao could not help but look towards the northwestern skies. There lay the Hui Hui
Mountains and Huo Lei Plains that Yan Xun vividly described countless times. Also, the Yan
Bei prairie that they longed to go to was also there. These thoughts supported them through
countless cold nights, humiliating moments, as well as moments they were lled with
hatred. They had come through all of that.

fi
fi
fi
fi
 She took a deep breath and closed the windows. She came to the desk and spread out the
chart, lowering her head as she studied it closely.

The door creaked open slowly as a man, dressed in a white cotton robe with camels
embroidered on its collar, walked into the room. He looked tidy and handsome.

Chu Qiao grinned, but she did not get up. She greeted him, “It’s already so late, why aren’t
you sleeping?”

Yan Xun carried a meal box as he walked in, and opened its lid. He said, “You slept until
midnight and missed dinner, aren’t you hungry?”

As he nished his sentence, a rumble sounded from her stomach. Chu Qiao rubbed her
belly as she smiled sheepishly. “It was ne before you mentioned it. It just started to rebel.”

“Have some of it rst, let’s see if it ts your appetite.”

“Okay,” Chu Qiao said as she put down the pen and paper. She stood up and took the meal
box. Looking in, she exclaimed, “Woah! Pear dumplings!”

“Yes. I know you love it, that’s why I asked the servants to prepare it. It was kept frozen for
the last few days, waiting for your arrival. They’re freshly cooked.”

“Hehe.” The girl’s eyes turned into slits as she smiled in glee. “Yan Xun, every time I eat this
dish, it feels like I am home.” She munched on the dumplings as Yan Xun poured her a glass
of deer milk, silently watching her eat her meal. The moonlight shone through the windows
onto both of them, with the re crackling in the corner of the room. It seemed that
everything had become peaceful and tranquil.

“AhChu.” Seeing that Chu Qiao had nished her meal, Yan Xun passed her a white
handkerchief and wiped the greasy stains from the corner of her lips naturally as he said in a
deep tone, “The stone merchants that you have brought over…”

“Yan Xun, do what you must, you don’t have to tell me anything.” Before allowing Yan Xun
to complete his sentence, she said, “I have not thought this through carefully, and was not
ruthless enough to kill them. However, having them around might cause trouble in the future.
When we do not have the power to go against the elders within the palace, it is unwise to
have such evidence around. The reason I brought them back was for you to make this
decision for me. That’s why you need not explain it to me.”

Yan Xun grinned and his gaze turned gentle suddenly. “Well, I just did not want to keep it
from you.”

“That’s right.” Chu Qiao laughed as she said, “We have already sworn to never hide
anything from each other. Hiding facts would only cause misunderstandings and rifts
between us, no matter the initial intention. We must not make that mistake.”

“Hehe,” Yan Xun chuckled. “All right, then tell me about your trip to Nan Ji Mountain this
time, including all the minor details, from start to nish.”

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
 Chapter 40
“Okay,” Chu Qiao laughed as she pushed Yan Xun in front of the desk, pointing towards the
map and vividly recounting the details of her trip seriously.

The skies were foggy and a profound silence engulfed them both. Drinking a mouthful of
tea, Chu Qiao jotted down a nal stroke and began pointing at the chart. “As long as
General Meng Tian ruled the Meng clan, I would not have to worry about them. Due to
current circumstances, instead of worrying about the Sheng Jin palace or about Wei Fa, we
have to worry about the Zhuge clan.”

Yan Xun picked at his brows and said, “Didn’t Zhuge Huai just leave the capital? In recent
years, Zhuge Muqing had slowly retreated from the Grand Elder’s Council, handing the
family matters to Zhuge Huai. Would he interfere this time?”

“I think you have underestimated the slyness of this old fox.” Chu Qiao shook her head. “In
the empire’s reign of 300 years, the Grand Elder’s Council had been led by di erent families.
Among the founding elders, only the Zhuge clan had fought their way out of the prairie,
along with the Great Emperor Pei Luo. The Zhuge clan understood the balance of power;
this was their greatest asset. They have never placed themselves in harm’s way, unlike the
Muhe clan, which craves the limelight. The recent emperors wanted to consolidate their
power, starting from the ones who had the most limelight. This was the only reason why the
Zhuge clan had survived all these years. There were constant disputes within the empire,
although it seems Zhuge Muqing had always taken the neutral stance, avoiding any con icts
that came their way. This did not happen by chance. Look here,” Chu Qiao pointed at the
chart, “this is the intelligence that I have gathered over the months. The Zhuge bloodline
seems like they are not plotting anything on the surface, but the supplies, salt, and metal
ores, in the northwestern region were reallocated on a small scale. Although there hadn’t
been much that was allocated each time, the frequency of reallocation was very high. Zhuge
Xi had been sent to Xi Han City from Song Shui to collect the taxes for land and supplies.
However, it has already been two months and he is still not back. The o cials felt that
Zhuge Xi was dull-witted and was not of much use. However, in my opinion, although the
size of Xi Han City is small, it sits beside the Ya Ming Gates, which is one of the places we
must pass in order for us to return to Yan Bei. It sits in the center of the courier routes of Yao
Shui, Fu Su, and Chi Shui, causing it to have signi cant strategic importance. That city must
not be overlooked.”

“Also, look here on the eighth of last month, the Grand Elder’s Council had agreed to
announce Zhuge Ran as the o cial call to arms. Zhuge Muqing did not send his son back to
their northeastern camp. Instead, he was sent to the southwestern camp to be a general.
The southwestern camp neighbors the northwest, with the southwestern camp situated
within the territories that are under the control of the Bataha clan. If the Zhuge family had
not secretly communicated with the Bataha clan, how would Old Batu allow an outsider to
camp within his territory? Also, this is the most important point: did you not notice that
Zhuge Yue might be coming back very soon?”

fi
ffi
fi
ffi
ff
fl
Yan Xun nodded. “I have noticed all that you said. Lady Yu sent her men to remind me about
this a few days ago.”

“Oh?” Chu Qiao’s eyes brightened. “What did Lady Yu say?”

“She said that it was still too early to act. When various powers gather to celebrate the Xia
Emperor’s birthday, there will be too many variables to consider. For now, we can only react
accordingly.”

Chu Qiao’s brows instantly furrowed as she looked up at Yan Xun. She said slowly, “Yan
Xun, do you think that it is okay? I fear that there will be trouble. I think we should prepare
ourselves in advance to be absolutely sure.”

“AhChu, there are no perfect plans in this world. Talking about preparation, haven’t we
prepared ourselves adequately throughout the years?” Yan Xun gazed seriously into her
bright eyes. “Do you believe me?”

Chu Qiao nodded. “I do.”

“Then you should take a rest.” Yan Xun laughed softly. “Leave these matters to me. Your trip
to the Nan Ji Mountains has stressed your body too much, you are too exhausted for this.”

“Yan Xun…”

“I do not want to return to Yan Bei alone.” Yan Xun suddenly said in a deep tone, “I do not
have any relatives left. AhChu, you mean the most to me.”

The candles burned warmly, Yan Xun’s gaze was as soft as water. He raised his hand and
stroked Chu Qiao’s cheek. “AhChu, do you still remember the year that we stepped into
Sheng Jin palace when my fever was so severe, and there was no medicine to treat it? Do
you remember what you said to me?”

Chu Qiao was stunned as Yan Xun continued, “You said that you wanted me to rest without
worry, that you would be awake until I woke up. In the end, I woke up four days later and
you were still awake, taking care of me all of that time. Now that I have the ability to take
care of you, you can rest without worry. I will be awake until the day we can close our eyes
together and sleep in peace.”

Chu Qiao lowered her head and pursed her lips gently. A bunch of warm ames tingled deep
within her heart, reassuring her within this cold and dark winter night. “Okay, then I will not
leave. I will stay by your side, waiting for you to bring me away from here.”

Yan Xun nodded and had a bright gaze. His smile was so warm it seemed like a thawed lake
in March. The worry she had had over the past months vanished instantly.

“AhChu, we walked in here together and we will walk out together. You have to trust me
because, in this world, we are all we have.

At that time, snow accumulated in mid-winter as the long tranquil night passed. Zhen Huang
City was peaceful. However, no one knew about the devilish sharp blades that lay beneath
fl
 its surging undercurrents. The bizarre and unpredictable currents broiled silently, ready to
over ow at any moment, annihilating everything in its way. The people on the shore could
only tread with caution, trying their best to save their clothes from the muddy water. When a
person could not ght against the tide, the most he could do was stay away.

Closing the door of Chu Qiao’s room, he saw the candlelight within the room going out. His
gaze turned cold and stern as he raised his head, looking in the direction of Xia Hua hall
with an intense memory ashing before his eyes. He squeezed his ngers together, breaking
a dried twig within his palm. He looked up and closed his eyes, suddenly remembering one
night, years ago.

That day, Chu Qiao was just nine years old, and she was frantically looking for medicine that
could cure his illness. However, Wei Jing found out about it as he was spying on them in the
dark. In the end, she was whipped and beaten by 20 big, burly men. In order to prevent him
from getting targeted with this excuse, she neither escaped nor fought back. She was
beaten to a pulp, with blood owing down her body. When he arrived, the child was almost
dying but she was still clutching the packet of stolen medicine.

He had silently sworn from that day on, he would never let someone that meant so much to
him leave his side again. There was no one in this life that could mean more to him than her.
He hoped that his moment would come quicker. He had waited too long and he could not
wait any longer.

Yan Xun opened his eyes, his gaze seemed clear as day. Tomorrow would be the time when
Zhuge Yue returned to the capital. He had not seen this old friend in seven years. How was
he all these years later?

The wound on his shoulder had recovered long ago, but a tinge of hatred still remained
rooted in his heart. Yan Xun laughed coldly as he turned and strode into the darkness.

Since the beginning of this year, the capital city of Zhen Huang was experiencing the
heaviest snowfall in its history. The heavy snow fell on the city for twelve consecutive days.
Harsh and cold winds billowed through the ancient roads leading into the city. A team of
light cavalry, clad in black armor, galloped through the snowy plains as they sped towards
Zhen Huang City.

This troop looked very inconspicuous, wrapping themselves with ordinary blue fur coats.
Wearing their fur cap, their weapons were all wrapped with cotton as they hung them over
their backs. Their rides were also ordinary Hongchuan horses. One would think that they
were ordinary city guards from a single glance. However, if one looked closely, they would
feel an indescribable aura emanating from them.

The light cavalry rode past Jiu Wei as they bypassed its busy main street, going behind the
Chi Lake and passed Zi Jin Square. They stopped only when they reached the Bai Qiang
Gates, the place that only allowed the Inner City’s Imperial Guards to enter. The man who
took the lead was dressed in black armor with a black fur coat wrapped around his
shoulders. With a light ick, snow and dust fell from his coat. He walked away from his
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
 troops with some of his men as he walked straight into the heavily guarded Sheng Jin
palace.

“Seventh Royal Highness!” Among the snow, young Zhao Che raised his head with his face
covered in frost. Beneath his sharp brow were his cold and emotionless eyes. He had spent
the last four years at the border regions. His time there was like a stone, sharpening the
edges of his sword. He raised his brow and asked, “Where’s my eight brother?”

“He’s been taken over by the state’s household.”

Zhao Che picked at his brow as he said in a deep voice, “Did you even work?”

The few men before him instantly knelt down in fright, as they echoed, “We deserve to die.”

Sitting on his horse, Zhao Che squinted his eyes and said, “Since you all know you
deserved to die, why did you even come see me?” After that, he turned and walked along
Qian Xi road, leaving the young guards who were kneeling in the snow behind.

The snow was getting heavier by the minute, and raging winds howled. Zhao Che and the
others were wrapped in their coats and fur caps as they walked hurriedly between the red
walls.

“Who is that?” the palace guards shouted sternly.

The gure froze in front of them. Under the cover of the snowstorm, they could only make
out the silhouette of that person. The gure was not very tall and was extremely skinny, but
very clever. She knelt down when she heard the voice and lowered her head humbly.

“Your Highness, it should be the palace maid.”

Zhao Che glanced in that direction silently, brandishing the sword from his waist, and
instantly lifting the cap from his head. His long hair was tied in a man bun, but his neck was
unusually slender and fair. Zhao Che stepped onto his cap with his boots as he gazed at the
person kneeling before him. He said slowly, “Lift your head.”

A delicate and pretty face entered his view. Her eyes were calm and her pupils were jet-
black. Although she was in a man’s attire, she was a beauty. Zhao Che’s brows rose slightly
and relaxed after a while as if he remembered something. With a mocking sneer, he said,
“When a man becomes powerful, even their pets ascend to heaven. I can’t believe that
would be a day even you could walk freely within Sheng Jin palace?”

Chu Qiao lowered her head and remained calm, not speaking a word.

Zhao Che glanced back and spat, kicking her cap back towards her. He left without uttering
a single word.

The snow and wind continued to billow while the girl raised her head, only seeing a fuzzy
gure walking away from her. However, she felt an immense pressure coming onto her. Why
would he return to the palace during the blizzard today? The situation within Zhen Huang
fi
fi
fi
had become increasingly tense without anyone having noticed, although there was still more
than half a year until Yan Xun returned to Yan Bei.

That night, within Sheng Jin palace, there was a grand banquet organized. Apart from the
Seventh Prince Zhao Che, who had just returned from his crusade, there was also the fourth
prince of the Zhuge family, Zhuge Yue, who had returned from Wolong Mountains after
seven long years of recuperation. He had already become the deputy commander of the
military o ce.

The Emperor of the Xia Empire, Emperor Zhao Zhengde, had not come for this banquet, as
usual. Only the Empress Muhe Nayun attended as a symbolic gesture. After all, Prince Zhao
Che was her esh and blood. Everyone enjoyed the banquet as toasts were o ered between
the kindly ministers. There was no sign of what had happened three days ago, when the
eighth prince, Zhao Jue, was banished from the royal Zhao’s family temple due to him
incurring the wrath of the Emperor. He had since been relegated to the common people and
was on trial by the country’s government.

“Those things were like stones within a lake; not everyone could tell its shape and size. Only
those who had the courage would reach in to nd out. The depth of the water and whether
they could walk out alive would be the unknown that could never be foreseen.”

Chapter 41
Yan Xun, who was ineligible to attend the banquet, was trimming his bonsai tree when Chu
Qiao rushed in. Only then did Chu Qiao inform him of what she had seen that day. Without
any sign of shock, he only mumbled as he crouched over his plant.

Chu Qiao tilted her head, as she was deep in thought. After which, she passed him a pair of
scissors as she whispered, “Are you saying that Zhao Che’s returned, but has no intentions
of helping Zhao Jue?”

Yan Xun smiled lightly. “Muhe Nayun only had two sons, if Muhe wanted to rival Wei for the
place of the Crown Prince, they could only a ord to support one of their sons. Zhao Che
spent the last four years at the border, far away from the capital. Who would know what he
was thinking. Within the imperial family, the brotherhood is within the Zhao family, hehe.”

With a crisp crack, the sharp scissors cut the stem of the orchid instantly. It was a pot of
priceless orchids, delivered from Nan Jiang Road to the capital on a quick horse. It had just
been placed in the ower room. Chu Qiao let out a whimper of sorrow as she saw Yan Xun
throwing the cymbidium into a corner. He picked up another pot and started to trim once
again.

“For now, the Muhe clan is like me; they could only be trimming one of their plants. They do
not have other choices.” Yan Xun smiled a little. “Who asked the orist to send only two
pots of orchid owers to the palace?”

Outside the house, snow lled the air in the starless and moonless night. Chu Qiao suddenly
realized that the plan that both of them plotted to get Zhao Che into trouble four years ago
ffi
fl
fl
fl

fi
ff
fi
fl
ff
 had failed terribly. The prince, who was initially detested by both Wei family and the Grand
Elder’s Council, had climbed out of the ditch, coming to the capital once again with his heart
lled with hatred and vengeance. Even though he never knew who was his real enemy, both
Yan Xun and Chu Qiao had to tread carefully from then on.

“You don’t have to worry.” Yan Xun’s palm rested gently on Chu Qiao’s shoulder. “Zhao
Che’s rise from the dead may not be a bad thing after all. As compared to the sinister Wei
Jing and Zhuge Yue, who are hard to get along with, the weakness of this prince is too
obvious.”

It was that night that the Eighth Prince Zhao Jue, who was doted on the most by the
Emperor, had been executed secretly within the State House in the capital. Everything went
smoothly. The body was carried out of the capital through the Xi An gate, vanishing into the
vast night. No one knew the sin that he had committed. No one planned to pursue this
matter further. Everyone knew that this was the rst time Emperor Zhao Zhengde personally
ordered an execution since the slaughter on the Jiu You platform after the Yan family. With
that said, he de nitely had a reason to die, like that of Yan Shicheng. As for the culprit of this
whole incident, it was no longer important to know who was involved in it.

Seven days later, Prince Li Ce from the Tang Empire, would lead an envoy to visit the Xia
Empire. At the same time, he would personally pick his bride from the many princesses of
the Xia Emperor. This was the right he fought for after repeatedly trying to commit suicide by
hanging and ingesting toxins. As the only child of the Tang Emperor, Li Ce was the black
sheep of the imperial family. He never cared for power or authority, and only loved poems
and beautiful women. Only people that had not gone through struggle and hardships could
have such a leisurely and carefree attitude.

As the Princes of the Xia Empire were secretly at war with each other. Prince Li Ce, the
greatest talent of the Tang Empire, though it was self-proclaimed, was nearing the Zhen
Huang Capital.

Chu Qiao set down her last chess piece as she had won the last piece of cake that was
behind Yan Xun. She said slowly, “Although I have to wonder who will have the most kills in
the Xiao Wu arena tomorrow, I know that you will be hungry tonight.”

Yan Xun laughed softly as his gaze drifted out of the window. He saw a pear tree standing
within the snow, exuding charm and grace.

“AhChu, do you remember the bottle of Yu Lan Chun that we buried under that tree years
ago?”

“Of course I remember.” Chu Qiao smiled. “We made a pact to drink it the day before we
returned to Yan Bei.”

Yan Xun closed his eyes gently and took a whi . “I think I can smell the wine now. Do you
think I’m a little too impatient?”

Chu Qiao shook her head and said, “You were never impatient, you have just waited too
long for this.”

fi
fi
ff
fi
 As the sun started to set, the snowy ground was dyed a shade of red and the northern
winds of Zhen Huang blew. It was another year that had a chilly spring. The forests were
cold and the land was covered in frost.

“Xi’er.” Along the vast snowy earth, a troop was trudging through the snow as a man who
wore ne clothes sat atop a luxurious carriage. He reached out his fair and slender hands
and looked at the woman with mischievous glance. She had a well-developed gure with a
charming look. He said, “My hands are cold.”

Xi’er giggled as she gently opened the lapel on her dress, revealing much of her large and
developed breasts. Her nipples showed through her thin white dress as she irted, “Let Xi’er
warm them up for you.”

The man reached into her lapel and grabbed lightly. He gasped and asked, “Xi’er, what is
this?”

The woman moaned and fell into the arms of the man, her gaze was sensual as she giggled,
“My Prince, it is a stove.”

“Is it?” The man frowned as he caressed her with his ngers. “Such a nice stove.” His voice
started to get hoarse, “Little devil, warm me up.”

The roads were tough to traverse at night. For the nobles, there were many ways for them to
enjoy their bedtime pleasures.

The Zhen Huang capital was starting to get lively. After eight years, she was nally back.

The snowy plains were boundless. Chu Qiao sat on her horse with colorful memories
ooding into her mind. Eight years ago, it was on this snowy plain where she opened her
eyes, seeing the land of western Mongolia for the rst time. The stench of blood and
disgusting killings lled the air and swept towards her. She was dressed in a shabby dress
and could only run barefoot for her life within this spacious wilderness. But today, as though
time had ashed by, she was the one on horseback, facing the cages that contained the
children that were trembling in fear. The bow in her hands seemed as though it was broken
into pieces.

“AhChu.” Yan Xun steered his horse forward as he turned back, looking at her. He frowned
and said, “What happened?”

“Nothing.” Chu Qiao shook her head and replied, “I’m ne.”

With a thunderous rumble, the drums roared to life. Even though it was freezing, shirtless
men atop the platform in the distance were pounding on the drums. The drumbeats felt as
though they rumbled from beneath the earth, vibrating one’s spine. The men were covered
in sweat and had a red ribbon on their heads as they pounded and roared. The servants
from the Muhe clan cried in unison, each of them wearing Hai Sha Qing body armor of the
nest quality, with a golden belt tightened around their waist. These people stood together,
re ecting sunlight o their belts, blinding everyone that looked at them. They seemed rich
and powerful. However, they also seemed like a bunch of crude upstarts.

fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
“The Muhe clan is worthy of being called the rst family within the Grand Elder’s Council.
They even used Hai Sha Qing for their servants’ armor. It really does re ect their power and
wealth.”

Chu Qiao looked to her side. Under the cover of a ag, she saw a handsome prince with thin
eyes sitting within the deep purple tent. He was not even 19 years old. His complexion was
extremely fair and had a head full of jet-black hair. He was dressed in a coat that was made
from the feathers of the Nan Huang bird, and had a snow eagle embroidered on his collar,
looking incredibly graceful. Chu Qiao had also known this man for a while. She had also met
him at this very place, in this very season. But he had had an arrow pointed directly at her.

The second master of Wei sipped his tea as he smiled and moved his body towards the son
of King Ling and said, “Zhong Yan, King Ling is considered rich, but does he have the ability
to arm his personal guard with Hai Qing Stone?”

Zhao Zhongyan was a little over 20 years old and looked like a decent gentleman. As he
heard, he laughed and said, “We are just a small country bordering the Ling Stream, how
could we have that much money? Wei Jing, you must be joking.”

“Hai Qing Stone is nothing. If I had equipped an army with Bi Luo Gauze by tomorrow, that
would indeed be generous.”

The second prince of Wei and the son of King Ling chuckled. The eldest son of General
Yueying, Le Yi, placed his hand on the shoulder of the teenager as he laughed and said,
“Your thirteenth highness, if you had actually equipped an army with Bi Luo Gauze, even the
Prince of Tang would have to admit his defeat.”

Zhao Song picked at his brow. As he wanted to speak, he saw a glimpse of a handsome
emaciated gure behind the heavily guarded ags. He jumped out of his seat instantly and
ran out. While running, he yelled, “Let me discuss that with you when I get back.”

“Ha, you’re here too!” Through the crowd, he pulled the girl’s hand and cried out in
excitement.

Yan Xun stood behind Chu Qiao as his eyes narrowed. In a blink of an eye, he nodded
faintly, “Your thirteenth highness.”

“Prince Yan, I haven’t seen you in a while, what have you been doing?”

Yan Xun grinned as he nodded. “I am just a free man, wandering in Ying Ge Court all day
with not much to do.”

“Hehe, stop being modest,” Zhao Song said as he smiled so widely his white teeth shone
brightly. “A few days ago, Mr. Fu brought your poems and read it to us. He sighed. “Why did
you have to use such complicated words? I couldn’t gure out what you were saying, even
after staring at it for more than half a day. In the end, I got punished to write your poem 200
times. My servant Dezi is still helping me with it in the palace right now.”

“Oh? Your thirteenth highness has not graduated from the Imperial College?”

fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
“I’ve still got three months left,” said Zhao Song as he turned to face Chu Qiao. He laughed
and said, “I will nally turn 18 in three months. Then, I can nally marry the princess and
start a family.”

“Really?” Yan Xun said, “Then I must congratulate Your Highness.”

“That would not be necessary as long as you bring me a large gift,” said Zhao Song as he
chuckled, immediately tugging at Chu Qiao’s sleeves. “Prince Yan, can I borrow your
servant for a while?”

Yan Xun side eyed Chu Qiao. Seeing that she did not object to it, he smiled and nodded.

“Ha ha! Prince Yan, thanks a lot! AhChu, follow me!”

Both of them disappeared into the crowd in no time. Yan Xun was dressed in black robes
with his hair shining, and his gaze seemed like the boundless ocean. However, it started to
turn cold as Chu Qiao disappeared from his sight.

“AhChu, take a look, what is this?”

Chu Qiao picked up the golden box that Zhao Song had been protecting carefully. Opening
it, she saw a bunch of long roots that had red powder at the top. It looked familiar.

“Matches?” The girl frowned and said, “To start a re?”

“Ah! AhChu, you are too smart!” Zhao Song gave her a thumbs up as he was speechless.
“How do you know everything? This was a gift from the Folang Mosa people, who came
over to our country from the West Seas. Look, you could light it with a strike, isn’t it
amazing?”

Chu Qiao nodded lightly as she icked Zhao Song’s forehead. She laughed and said, “Yes, it
is amazing. You should keep such things safe.”

“AhChu!” Zhao Song cried gloomily as he clutched his head, “I told you to not ick me.”

Chu Qiao shrugged and said, “I won’t do it then.”

“AhChu,” Zhao Song walked in front of Chu Qiao and said in a serious tone, “I have a
serious matter ask you. Why did you come for the eld hunt with Yan Xun? Don’t you know
Zhuge Yue is back? If he sees you, won’t you get into trouble?”

Chapter 42
Chu Qiao felt a tinge of warmth in her heart as she patted Zhao Song on his shoulder. She
said, “Don’t worry, I have a way to deal with it.”

Sigh. “Since you always had a plan, I worried for nothing.”

“No, you did not.” Chu Qiao laughed as she said, “You told me that you were worried about
me, which means you still treat me as a friend. I appreciate that.”

fi

fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
“You do?” Zhao Song was suddenly elated, a smile spread across his face. “Then don’t
return to Yan Bei with Yan Xun. Instead, stay in the capital with me?”

“No,” Chu Qiao said resolutely. “I would agree to anything else, but not that.”

Zhao Song sighed once again as his shoulders drooped, an I knew it expression on his face.

They had known each other for about six or seven years. When Yan Xun initially came to the
palace, everyone saw Chu Qiao as his female guard. Nobody doubted her identity, nor
looked into the young child’s history. Those who knew anything about Yan Xun had
perished. No one from the Zhuge family had the chance to meet her in the palace. The only
person who knew everything was Zhuge Yue, but for some reason he had said nothing
about it. A month after that incident had happened, he left Zhen Huang for the Wolong
Mountains and hadn’t returned since.

All these arrogant aristocrats had seen her in the very beginning on the hunting grounds, but
they would never bother to look twice at a lowly slave. Even though Wei Jing hated her to
the core, he only saw her as Yan Xun’s servant. Every time he wanted revenge, he would
come directly for Yan Xun when no one was around.

However, Yan Xun and Chu Qiao’s tranquil days had came to an end after they met Zhao
Song. This young prince recognized the young servant from the Zhuge household that had
repeatedly made fun of him with a single glance. However, he did not speak a word. Even
when the aristocrats wanted to put Yan Xun down further, he had secretly helped Yan Xun
and Chu Qiao overcome their challenges, one after the other. On a serious note, he was the
only friend the two of them had in the capital.

It was a pity that Zhao Zhengde was his father and that he was the Prince of the Xia Empire.
This was one thing that Yan Xun would never let go.

“AhChu,” Zhao Song handed her the box and said, “This is for you.”

Chu Qiao was stunned, “How can I accept it? It is a treasure.”

“Just take it.” Zhao Song stu ed the box into her hands without another word. “It’s of no
use to me. You know me, I will get bored of it in a while. Since it is going to be someone
else’s sooner or later, I’d rather give it to you rst. Your body is weak, and Yan Xun is such a
cold-hearted guy, he sent you out for errands even when it is so cold. I heard that you just
returned from the northern regions, right?”

“Yes.” Chu Qiao nodded and said, “I went there to do some small business for the prince.”

“I have some fur coats that were brought over by the Si Se Ee people, they are incredibly
warm. I will order my servants to bring it over to your place, you must remember to wear it.”

“Okay.” Chu Qiao smiled. “Thank you.”

“Well then, I’ll be heading back rst.”

As if she was in a daze, she said, “Aren’t you participating in the hunt later?”

ff
fi
fi
Zhao Song shook his head and said, “The hunt will last a few days and today’s main event is
the human hunt. Looking at a bunch of people shooting arrows at young slaves, I don’t see
the fun in it. I just came to look for you. Since I found you, I’ll head back rst.”

Chu Qiao nodded. As she was about to speak, she heard a high-pitched squeak behind her,
“Aiyo! My little ancestor, I did not mean it that way!”

Both of them turned their heads, looking straight at two teenagers that were around 16 to 17
years old standing in front of Zhao Song’s tent. They stood shoulder to shoulder, the
contours of their gures were very deep and they looked very much alike. One of them had
thick and bushy eyebrows with a strict gaze. He wore a blue robe with a coat over his
shoulder, making him look as if he was as strong as a leopard. The other had a large, grey
fur coat that looked worn, and it just reached his mid-thigh; it seemed a little too short for
him. His gaze was cold and strict. Behind them were a few smaller servants, without a
carriage within the tent.

The teenager in the blue robe stared coldly at a young eunuch of the second class as he
said angrily, “If you had not meant it that way, then what could you have meant?”

The young eunuch was kicked aside, the tremendous force nearly breaking his arm. As he
cried in pain, he said, “What I meant was that this camp is for the thirteenth highness. My
sixteenth highness, you cannot use this camp.”

His voice was deep and sounded cold to the bone as he heard what the eunuch said. With a
single grab, he held the little eunuch by the scru of his neck and demanded, “Then where
am I assigned to?”

“You…you were assigned to the west side of the forest.”

“Really?” The teenager sneered. “Is that a good place? If I’m not mistaken, it is just beside
the horse’s stable with animals in it.”

“This…this… We will be careful not to let the animals disturb your sixteenth highness in the
middle of the night.”

“Yu Delu!” The teenager widened his eyes and roared, “How dare you!”

“Sixteenth!” A deep voice suddenly sounded. The teenager in a grey fur coat that was
standing beside him held him back as he said, “Don’t cause trouble.”

“How did I cause trouble?” The teenager seethed. “Fourteenth brother, I do not understand.
We are sons of our father, how could some of us be doted on, while some of us get thrown
into a corner? These servants are looking down on us!”

“Stop.” Fourteenth turned and said to Yu Delu, “Eunuch Lu, could you please show us the
way to our tent?”

“Yes, yes.” Yu Delu stumbled to his feet as he led the way.

“Wait!” Zhao Song suddenly shouted as he walked forward.

fi
ff
fi
As sixteenth saw him, he glared at Zhao Song and wanted to rush towards him. However,
fourteenth pulled him back.

“Thirteenth brother.” Zhao Song nodded and said to Yu Delu, “Eunuch Lu, I’m not
participating in today’s hunt, let fourteenth and sixteenth brothers stay in my tent.”

Yu Delu looked dazed as he glanced cautiously at Zhao Song. He asked, “Then what about
tomorrow and the day after? Is your thirteenth highness not coming here at all?”

Zhao Song laughed and said, “Let’s talk about it tomorrow. Even if I had to live beside the
animals, I’d be okay with it. Don’t forget that I slept in the stables when I was young. It’s
okay.”

“This…” As Yu Delu was about to speak, fourteenth suddenly interrupted, “Thank you,
thirteenth brother, for your kindness. Sixteenth brother is still young and naïve. This camp
will still be yours. Sixteenth, let’s go.” After which, he turned and left, pulling the sixteenth
prince along with him. Yu Delu was still stunned but hurriedly caught up with them.

“That was my fourteenth brother, his name is Yang. He’s too troublesome to deal with. You
may have never seen him before. That is because their mother was a woman who was
gifted to the emperor by the Han Jia people. Hence, they were born with a lower status and
always roamed within the Xi Wu palace, and have never been where you stayed.”

Chu Qiao nodded in silence.

“Alright, I gotta go. You go back to Yan Xun. Watch out for Zhege Yue, I saw him at dinner
last night. He is not like what he used to be, you must be careful.”

Chu Qiao nodded, and said, “I understand.”

Zhao Song brought his bodyguards as he climbed onto his horse. He turned and did not
forget to remind her, “If there is nothing to be done, try not to roam around. Jing Han and
the rest have seen you before. Don’t let them see you here. Furthermore, Wei Jing is back.
You and Yan Xun have to keep your cool when you see him. If something happens, send
someone to notify me immediately.”

The girl sighed helplessly and said, “I know, you should get on your way.”

“If something happens, send someone to inform me immediately. Don’t be silly and deal
with it yourself.”

Chu Qiao did not know whether she should laugh or cry as she said, “If you wait any longer
to leave, the night will soon come.”

“Hmph.” Zhao Song left on his horse as he mumbled, “I knew you would want me to leave.
Why are you so heartless? Sooner or later, you will realize who cares about you the most.”
With a shout, Zhao Song left in a urry, his men following closely behind.

Chu Qiao looked on as Zhao Song’s gure rode further away. Suddenly feeling the warmth
of the western dusk, she forgot about the frigid northern winds.

fl
fi
When she came back, she passed by the western forest. From afar, she saw the fourteenth
prince, Zhao Yang, and the sixteenth prince Zhao Xiang, raising the tent with their servants.
Chu Qiao made sure to remember them as she took a glance, after which, she walked back
to Yan Xun’s campsite.

When she pulled the drapes open, a waft of fragrant bluegrass hit her nose. Yan Xun did not
look up, as he to be writing something. He asked calmly, “Zhao Song has left?”

Chu Qiao looked at Yan Xun as she sat beside the replace to warm her hands. “You’re
quite smart.”

Yan Xun let out a long sigh as he put down the documents that he had just written. As he
put down his pen, he said, “He has not liked such game since he was young. It isn’t
surprising that he left.”

As she heard Yan Xun use the word “game” to describe the hunt, she unknowingly felt a
tinge of coldness within her heart. She raised her head as she asked, “He could not bear to
play this game. How about you?”

Yan Xun frowned and said, “Are you talking about the past, or now?”

“All of it.”

“AhChu,” Yan Xun walked over to Chu Qiao and knelt beside her, “do you know why my
father failed?”

Chu Qiao looked up but remained silent.

Yan Xun laughed lightly with a bitter smile that had a tinge of bloodlust. “He lost because he
was too soft-hearted and thought too highly of friendship. He once had the opportunity to
overthrow the current emperor and take the throne himself, bringing the Yan clan back into
the Zhao clan’s bloodline. But he didn’t. After that, he had the opportunity to kill General
Meng Zhen who led a conquest against him, but he did not. In the end, Zhao Zhengde killed
his whole family and Meng Zhen beheaded him. When I rst stepped into the Sheng Jin
palace, I swore to never be like him.”

The young Yan Xun stood smart and upright, his gaze dark like the deep sea as he walked
out. He stopped as he lifted the curtains. He said in a deep tone, “If you are unable to
accept it, stay in the tent tonight. Don’t come and watch.”

There was a full moon but stars were rare. Over at the main hunting arena, sounds of music
and dance echoed through the air. The Xia Empire respected the martial arts and its people
were tough. To commemorate the nomadic spirit of the ancestors, the empire would always
organize two huntings in a year; one in the spring and one in the autumn.

However, it was still early spring. In Hong Chuan, snow would continue falling until May or
June each year. Their winter was extremely long, while their summer was extremely short. In
the nearby forest, there were sporadic sounds of chatter. Chu Qiao knew that it was the
soldiers hunting for tigers and bears, allowing the hunt to carry on safely tomorrow.

fi
fi
She wore a white mink jacket with a fur coat over her shoulders. Her boots were also white,
making her hair and gaze seem a little darker than usual. She started to age seriously.
Although her features had not fully matured, the face of Jing Yue’er was one that would turn
into a beauty, emanating an obvious aura of charm and beauty.

Within the tent, braziers radiated warmly, but she had an indescribable moodiness within
her. She walked all the way to the northwestern corner of the campsite and became restless
as she heard distant music. There were some con icting feelings within her that had
accumulated over time.

Chapter 43
She lifted her head and took a deep breath, swallowing all of her emotions. She tried her
best to calm down and not think about it. The night was pitch black. With a sudden thud, a
white dove landed on the snowy ground. It was looking at Chu Qiao from afar, inching closer
as its head tilted to the side.

This was a wild dove. Unlike domesticated messenger doves, it was still afraid of humans. It
must be curious as to why this person was sitting alone and was motionless for so long. It
wanted to take a closer look. Chu Qiao raised her head and took notice of the little bird and
grinned. She reached into her pocket to take out the horse feed that she had brought along,
scattering it on the ground.

With thick snow covering the land, it was hard to nd food. When the dove saw the food, it
let out an excited chirp as it spread its wings and ew hurriedly towards Chu Qiao. However,
at the same time, two sharp arrows shot towards the dove from afar, piercing through its
abdomen. In a swoosh, blood spewed all over the ground.

Thunderous hooves sounded in an instant. Two quick horses galloped ahead of the pack,
one was red and the other was black. The man on the red horse was twenty- ve to twenty-
six years old, and he looked de antly at the teenager sitting on the ground. Without
speaking, he took another arrow and pulled his bow, shooting an arrow straight towards
Chu Qiao’s heart!

With a swish, Chu Qiao burst up like a cheetah, supporting her weight with one hand as she
got up. Her actions were strong yet graceful. Her right hand swept past her body, grabbing
the arrow rmly in her palm. A gust of wind billowed as the young girl’s coat uttered in the
air, like the wings of a ying eagle. Her gaze was as cold as ice, staring directly at the people
galloping towards her.

“Whose slave are you and why are you wandering in the hunting arena?” a cold voice
sounded from the man riding the red horse. Although he had tried to attack her without
reason, he showed no signs of regret. He was dressed in a coat made from an arctic mink.
Despite his graceful stature, he exuded an unspeakable aura of icy eeriness.

With a thud, the man on the black horse leapt to the ground. He too was around twenty- ve
to twenty-six years old. He had bronze eyes and a dark complexion. He ran towards the
fi

fl
fi
fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
dove that was shot and picked it up. As he was examining it, he said, “Muhe Xifeng, how do
we count this?”

The man on the red horse glared coldly at Chu Qiao, then turned towards the other man and
said, “Zhalu, I shot at its throat. Naturally, I win.”

The man frowned and raged, “How can you tell that your arrow is the one in its throat? It’s
not like our arrows have our names engraved on them.”

“It shot from my hand, I would know.”

“Hmph, that won’t do.” Zhalu said, “Let’s go again.”

Muhe Xifeng picked at his brow and said, “How do you want to compete?”

“We’ll aim at her.” Zhalu pointed at Chu Qiao and said, “Isn’t she a slave? Let’s just shoot
her.”

Chu Qiao’s brows furrowed as she squinted at Zhalu. Zhalu did not even notice as he
climbed onto his horse and said to her, “Run, quick. Run far.”

Chu Qiao sized up both of them, her brow tightly knit. She said in a deep tone to Muhe
Qingyun, “I am not a slave.”

Muhe Qingyun raised his brow as he heard it, as though he was interested in her. He said,
“So what?”

Yes, so what? Even if she was not a slave, these aristocrats could kill anyone they wanted
without reason.

Chu Qiao said nothing as she turned and walked towards Yan Xun’s tent. With a swoosh, an
arrow embedded itself in the snow, inches away from her feet. Zhalu shouted, “I told you to
run, did you not hear me?”

Engulfed in the cold wind, the girl suddenly turned and shot a cold gaze towards Zhalu. The
Lord Zhalu of the northwestern felt a chill shooting up his spine, and swallowed the curses
that he wanted to say.

“If I was riding a horse, could the two masters shoot me?”

Muhe Xifeng gave her a smirk but did not say a word. Zhalu raged, “Give her a horse.”

A war horse that had jet-black fur was brought before her. Chu Qiao patted its head gently
as she turned and glanced at the two men. The wind was strong that night, whipping up
snow from the ground and painfully hitting their faces as if it were sand.

Suddenly, the girl ung her body onto the horse, brandishing a dagger from her waist as she
stabbed it into the horse’s buttocks without hesitation. The war horse let out a loud neigh
and galloped away with incredible speed. Before anyone could react, she had vanished from
their sight.

fl
 Zhalu was dumbfounded as his eyes widened in shock. After a while, he turned and said to
Muhe Xifeng, “She just left like that?”

Muhe Xifeng turned his horse as he steered it towards the sounds of chatter. He said
casually, “Otherwise, what do you think she did?”

Zhalu was lled with rage, and irritable voices cried behind him. Muhe Xufeng ashed them
a sharp and cold gaze.

Even before nearing the camp, a troop was galloping quickly towards her. Chu Qiao stopped
her horse as she frowned, looking into the distance. She saw gures coming closer and
closer. It was Yan Xun and AhJing leading a troop of guards.

“AhChu!” When Yan Xun saw Chu Qiao, he pulled his reins and ran towards her. In a deep
voice, he asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m ne,” Chu Qiao said as she shook her head, then asked, “Has the night hunt ended?
Why are you back so soon?”

Yan Xun looked up and down at the girl as his chest heaved, trying to catch his breath. He
shook his head and said, “Let’s get back to the tent rst.”

Yan Xun seemed unusually tired tonight. When they returned to the tent, both of them went
back to their respective rooms. As she walked out of her door, she coincidentally bumped
into AhJing with some other guards leading them into the camp. Chu Qiao was astonished
as she walked forward and enquired.

AhJing said respectfully, “Miss, his Highness bought them from the hunt.”

Chu Qiao was dumbfounded as she said in a deep tone, “They were bought from the night
hunt? What do you mean?”

“At the human hunt tonight, the prince said that he had had too many drinks for the night
and did not feel like participating in the hunt. The second master of Wei, along with Prince
Ling and the others, protested against his decision. Prince Yan was helpless, so he bought
every child in his cage for 100 gold coins each.”

“Oh.” Chu Qiao nodded and said, “Then carry on with your work, I will head back in.” The
girl turned back calmly. Although the winds that night were cold as they blew towards her,
when she opened the curtains that led into the tent, she felt warm and comfortable inside.
Her low spirits had vanished completely.

On the second day, the hunting conference that was organized by the Xia Empire
commenced. Those who were eligible to participate in the hunt, other than the royal families,
the ministers and their families, along with the envoys from neighboring efs, were invited.
With that being said, the grandeur of the event was unparalleled. The spring hunt could not
beat the autumn hunt. Throughout the hunting arena, white snow gleamed within the
boundless pine forest. Everyone turned up in their nest dresses, with large mink coats on
their shoulders and bows on their backs, possessing peerless valor.

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
 The Xia Empire had an open culture that was drastically di erent from that of the Song and
Tang Empire. Looking out, sights of women riding on horseback were common. Hence,
when Chu Qiao was by Yan Xun’s side, she did not seem out of place.

“AhChu,” Yan Xun turned back and looked at Chu Qiao, her face ushed red. He asked,
“Are you cold?”

“Nope.” Chu Qiao raised her head and answered, “It has been a long time since I woke up
this early, and the air is so fresh.”

Yan Xun laughed. As he was about to speak, a troop closed in on them hurriedly. Muhe
Xifeng was dressed in a purple mink coat. He looked incredibly handsome and attracted
much attention as he rode by.

“Prince Yan, we haven’t met in a long time, how are you?”

Yan Xun turned and squinted as he glanced at Muhe Xifeng from head to toe. He had a faint
smile and said, “Prince Muhe has been leading troops out of the capital for most of the year.
Indeed, it’s been a long since I last saw you.”

“Yes,” Muhe grinned and said, “Recently, there are small portions of people that are causing
problems in Yan Bei. However, Prince Yan is lucky to have avoided all that as you have lived
leisurely in the capital. It’s sad that I can’t enjoy that life as I am fated to have a hard life.”

Yan Xun’s smile remained unwavering as he nodded and said, “An able man is always busy,
and all you have done is for the sake of the Xia Empire’s revival. The actions of Prince Muhe
are seen by our people.”

Muhe Xifeng laughed and said, “I appreciate your auspicious remarks.” After that, he
steered his horse and turned, stopping to take a glance as he passed by Chu Qiao. He
smiled eerily and said, “This lady looks familiar.”

Chu Qiao bowed respectfully as she answered, “I think Master Muhe has mistaken me for
someone else. Chu Qiao isn’t blessed enough to have met you before.”

“An outstanding person, Chu Qiao is a good name.” Muhe Xifeng smiled and galloped away.

At this moment, drum beats suddenly sounded. With seven long and short beats, its rhythm
was inconstant. From afar, one could see the Xia Emperor ascending onto the balcony, with
Muhe Nayun and a troop of guards following behind him. Tens of thousands of imperial
troops stood to face di erent sides, separating the emperor from the other people. Behind a
thick golden veil, one could barely make out the emperor’s eyes; they could only feel an aura
of bitter cold emanating from behind the curtains.

Everyone fell silent as they shouted, “Long live the emperor” in unison. They fell to their
knees and kowtowed. The hunting teams stretched more than 30 miles long as they
chanted in unison, their impetus was staggering. The long-awaited hunt of the Xia Empire
had nally begun.

fi
ff
ff
fl
In a distance, a sea of ags rose on the coast of Chi Shui, with silhouettes moving about.
Chu Qiao stood beside Yan Xun as they saw army tents for miles without end. They could
not help but narrow their gaze. The might of the Xia Empire’s military was indeed
extraordinary. Even though it was just a royal hunt, they had staged such an impressive
display. It would be unthinkable if they were really called to battle. They would be vigorous
and mighty.

The emperor’s tent was in the middle of the whole formation. The Xia people had set up the
most aggressive formation, with the Imperial Guard, the Green Army, the Cavalry Battalion,
and the Jing Qi Army arranged so that each army faced a di erent direction. Within the
army, the troops were arranged vertically from the start to the end. There were watchtowers
deployed on both anks, perched on high grounds and in a square formation, surrounding
the central main tent.

The Northern, Southern, Western, and Eastern armies, which guarded the city, formed a
snake formation and surrounded the central army. Every 30 steps, there was a signalman
deployed. With every 100 steps, 100 soldiers were deployed. At the four outer corners of the
camp, there were thousands of troops from the eld operations division deployed there,
setting up sentry posts. The defense was so intense, it seemed like even water would be
unable to squeeze through the tiniest hole.

A long wind blew past as the war horses neighed. With their ags uttering, Yan Xun looked
as far as the eye could see. His expression was solemn as he said in a deep tone, “AhChu,
go back and rest for awhile.”

Chu Qiao turned and looked at his expression, understanding what he truly meant. She
nodded and said, “You need to be careful.”

Yan Xun turned and smiled lightly. “Opportunities are hard to come by, AhChu, wait for my
good news.”

Throughout the afternoon, the atmosphere within Yan Xun’s tent was incredibly tense. Chu
Qiao sat inside the tent in her jet-black robes. With a glance, one could even mistake her for
Yan Xun.

She wrote a last stroke on the map and raised her head as she said in a deep tone,
“Remember to do everything carefully and not to be exposed.”

Everyone replied in unison, “Miss Chu, don’t worry.”

That afternoon, the youngest and most outstanding individual of the Muhe family, Muhe
Xifeng, disappeared within the dense northwestern jungles. The Muhe clan sent out a large
number of troops to nd him, but to no avail. Muhe Xifeng was the nephew of Muhe Nayun.
The Empress of the Xia Empire wanted to personally order the The Dauntless Cavalry Camp
to search for him but was rejected resolutely by the current commander of the camp, Zhao
Che. The mother and son parted ways in discontent. Zhao Che would never imagine that
this choice he made would cause him so much trouble in future.

fl
fi
fl
fi
ff
fl
fl
 Chapter 44
Other than the Muhe family, the other royal families and imperial kinsmen were immersed in
the joyous mood of the hunt. They were secretly delighted about Muhe family’s loss; no one
would show the slightest sympathy. Muhe Xifeng spent most of his year away at the border
regions, and he was de ant, cold, and cruel. No one supported him. Also, everyone thought
that he had merely lost his way in the forest. After all, no one would execute a devious plan
against the country’s elites under such a tight lockdown.

Of course, this was what they thought.

At this moment, in a cave within the dense northwestern jungle, Yan Xun looked at the
bruised and battered body of Muhe Xifeng. He smirked and said in a low tone, “Master
Muhe, how are you doing?”

Muhe Xifeng looked up vigorously. His eyes looked as if he was a ferocious wolf. His sharp
gaze fell upon Yan Xun as he said slowly in an icy tone, “Yan Xun, you will pay for what you
have done to me today. One day, I will make you regret living in this world.”

Yan Xun grinned slightly with a tinge of sarcasm.

Muhe Xifeng ground his teeth, his voice was hoarse and it somewhat sounded like a duck.
His gaze had an insane glow as he said, “Just wait. I will not let you go. I have slept your
sister, and I will get all of your other women too. Yan Bei is gone. All of your family have
been beheaded like dogs, leaving behind a cowardly and incompetent b*stard like you,
dragging on your last breath, just for the sake of living. Would you dare to kill me? You
wouldn’t. Once I am dead, the entire hunt will be disrupted and everyone will start to
investigate. Our Muhe family will never let you go; you wouldn’t even survive a few months.
Do you really like that little slave? Then, you can only bring her to hell to reunite with your
family. You can only…”

Even before he could nish his malicious words, Muhe Xifeng’s pupils dilated. A trail of
blood shot into the air, trickling down his pale neck.

Yan Xun threw a gaze lled with despise onto Muhe Xifeng’s panic-stricken face. He said
with disdain, “You fool, you are already a prisoner and continued to boast without shame.”

With a thud, Muhe Xifeng’s body fell to the ground. Yan Xun wiped the bloodstains on his
dagger with his shirt as he ordered to his servants by his side, “AhJing, feed it to the tigers.
Leave clues to lead the Muhe family here.”

“Miss had prepared to set up Zhao Che and Wei Jing, is that okay?”

Yan Xun nodded and walked out of the cage, leaping onto his horse. He said, “Just do what
she says.” After which, he rode his horse back to the camp.

“Miss,” Jia He walked into the tent and said with a sonorous tone, “Prince Yan is back.”

Chu Qiao nodded and asked, “Did you complete the task?”

fi
fi
fi
“Everything was done according to your instructions. There will be no mistakes.”

“That’s good.” Chu Qiao nodded and said, “All of you, have a good rest.”

“Yes.”

The curtains of the tent lifted suddenly, Yan Xun walked in with his head covered in snow.
Chu Qiao came forward to sweep the snow o his hood and she asked, “Did everything go
smoothly?”

“It was okay.” Yan Xun took o his coat as he sat in front of the brazier. “Tomorrow morning,
chaos will reign.”

“So what?” Chu Qiao shook her head. “It is impossible to determine who killed him. He
committed too many evil deeds and o ended too many people. We have been weak and
have not done much for the past seven years in the capital. How could we take the risk to
commit such a crime when it is so heavily guarded? Also, Zhao Che and Wei Jing had both
just returned to the capital. Compared to the vengeance between Zhao Che and him, the
hatred between Wei Jing and the Muhe family, it is too deeply rooted to accuse us of killing
him.”

Yan Xun tilted his head slightly and smiled. He said, “Did he bully you last night?”

Chu Qiao was stunned. She shook her head and laughed. “No. When did I ever get bullied?”

Yan Xun nodded and said, “That’s good.”

The snow fell heavily outside. Yan Xun picked up a piece of yellowed paper and forcefully
erased Muhe Xifeng’s name. On Yan Bei’s list of enemies, there was one less person.

On the second day of the spring hunt, an outstanding member of the younger generation
within the Muhe family, Muhe Xifeng had died within the Xi Bai forest. The tigers ate his
body. His skull was broken and his chest ruptured, his guts spilling out of his body. When
his body was found, more than half of it was gone. If Muhe Xifeng’s mother was not at the
scene, no one could have recognized the bloody mess belonged to the attention-seeking
and highly-spirited oldest heir of the Muhe family.

The atmosphere of the hunt had become incredibly icy. Muhe Xifeng had led his troops for
most of the year, and his ghting skills were above the rest. Normally, thirty or fty people
would struggle to get near him. A tiger would not be able to kill him. Also, at the scene, there
were no signs of a brutal ght occurring; his sword had not even left his scabbard. Under a
cloud of suspicion, Muhe Xifeng’s elders have submitted a memorial to the Emperor to
plead for the Shang Lu court to investigate this case, as they were sure someone had killed
him.

From then on, the situation escalated uncontrollably. At that point of time, the Muhe family
would have known whatever that was happening as they had the most power within the
imperial court. In the Grand Elder’s Council, the Mu family from Ling Nan never liked to
embroil themselves in the squabbles of the council. The Zhuge bloodline had always kept a
fi
fi
ff
ff
ff
fi
 low pro le. The Helian family had begun its decline since the last generation and had
become segregated from the council. The Shang clan from Dong Yue had originated from a
religion, hence they did not have much in uence on the politics within the country. Also, the
northern Batuha family had been in the northwestern region all the while. Their power in the
capital was minimal, and they had relied on the Muhe family for survival. Now, the only
person that could stand against the Muhe family was Wei family, who had committed a
grave sin. Wei Jing had since been stripped of his position of the Capital’s magistrate. All
that was left was the Muhe family, who had an Empress and three concubines by the
Emperor’s side; of course, they would be the family with the most power.

Jiu Cheng’s government o cials entered the hunting arena, picking random people for
questioning and interrogation. The Xi Bai forest was under lockdown; outsiders were
forbidden to enter the area. Even letters that entered and left the area had to be monitored
and checked, in case the culprit used that as a means to escape. The Imperial Family of the
Xia Empire had expressed their great sympathy and support for the Muhe family’s loss,
pledging their support to nd the culprit behind it, apprehending the murderer. Hence, the
hunt was being disrupted.

Night fell. In Yan Xun’s tent, located in the southwestern region of the hunting ground, the
heavy curtains made from bear fur opened. A gust of cold air blew into the room, causing
the candles on the desk to icker with the wind. A man wearing a white robe looked up, his
gaze was dark and deep.

“Prince Yan, is the Miss here?” AhJing looked around the tent. As he was about to take his
leave, Yan Xun raised his brow and asked, “What is the matter?”

“His thirteenth highness had ordered his servants to send this over, it is for the Miss.”

Yan Xun knitted his brow suddenly as he put down his book. He said, “Oh, then place it here
rst.”

“Yes.” AhJing responded and left of the tent. Outside the tent, strong winds battered the
roof of the tent, causing it to squeak under the strain. Looking at the slight uttering of the
curtains, Yan Xun frowned as he waited. The curtains had not opened in a long time. His
gaze remained on the package on his desk as he remained silent.

The package was bulky and it was made of purple embroidered silk from Jiangsu. The
background of the wrapping cloth was brocade with pale moon and white lotuses
embroidered on it. Both ends of the package had been sealed with a knot; there was no way
to look at its contents.

Yan Xun glanced at it and casually turned back to his book. The tent was so silent that you
could hear the footsteps of the soldiers outside the tent. However, even though it was so
quiet, the man was too annoyed to continue reading. He stood up and walked to the tea
case in the corner, pouring himself a cup of tea. The fragrance of the tea leaves was fresh; it
was the new tea that was used as a tribute from Ling Nan to the Emperor. Zhao Zhengde
did not like to drink tea, so he distributed such items to everyone in the palace. Ling Nan
was known for their silk tea and this tea was called “Red Girl”. It was rumored that the
fi
fi
fi
ffi
fl
fl
fl
 charming virgins used the tip of their tongues to pick the tea leaves in the early mornings; it
was incredibly precious. Although its taste was no better than ordinary tea, the mood it
evoked when one drank it was better than the rest.

With Yan Xun’s current status within the palace, he was not able to enjoy various tributes.
But what no one knew was that the man that lived deep in the palace, the crown prince of
Yan Bei, was actually running one of the biggest tea shop in Ling Nan. Even the royal family
of Ling Nan, the Mu Clan, did not know about this.

Yan Xun held his cup of tea as he returned to his desk, the fragrance of the tea allowed him
to regain his center. Yan Xun narrowed his eyes but his expression remained calm and his
footsteps were steady. However, as he sat down, his palm suddenly tilted, spilling his cup of
tea. With a splash, the tea landed on the package, soaking it quickly. The man was calm as
he quietly watched the tea seep into the package. After a while, he suddenly muttered to
himself, “I made it wet and I should open it to clean it up.”

Late at night, Chu Qiao nally returned. After hearing what AhJing had to say, she returned
to Yan Xun’s tent and said, “Yan Xun, you were looking for me?”

“Oh.” Yan Xun put down his book and stood up, his white robes glowing warmly from the
re ection of the golden re. “You’re back, it must be cold outside.”

“It was okay.” Chu Qiao walked towards the brazier and took o her fox leather mittens. She
warmed her hands above the ame and said, “You were looking for me?”

“It was nothing, Yu Hetian came by just now, trying to nd out where I went yesterday.”

Chu Qiao laughed coldly and said, “They’re so anxious, they seem like ants in a hot pan. Yu
Hetian had been in the north for years and worked his way up from a mere o cer. When
Zhao Che was banished to the border regions for years, they built a friendly relationship. If it
weren’t for Zhao Che, how would he have been promoted so quickly? Today, seeing that
Zhao Che might be in trouble, he would naturally try to help. However, I would guess that
Zhao Che did not ask him to come; he is too proud to do such a thing.”

Yan Xun nodded and said, “When he was at the northern border, he also communicated
with my father and my brothers.

“Yu Hetian is a vile character. Back in the day, he was the one who gifted the topographic
map to the capital, betraying Yan Bei. Today, he wanted to come here in hope of gathering
some useful intelligence. If you do not want to bother with him, let me deal with him.”

“Okay. Anyway, I do not want to see him again.”

Candlelights ickered as Chu Qiao shifted her feet, going closer to the brazier. She said,
“That’s easy. We just have to nd a suitable opportunity to notify Zhao Che that he came to
our camp tonight. With Zhao Che’s arrogant and paranoid personality, he would de nitely
guard himself against the words of Yu Hetian and ignore him. However, we should avoid
handling him by ourselves.”

fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
ff
ffi
fi
“Ok,” said Yan Xun as he nodded. “You can plan it.”

“Oh yeah, Yan Xun, you were looking for me regarding this matter?”

“Nope.” Yan Xun stood up and walked towards a platform at the back of the tent, taking out
a box made out of white jade. He said, “Yesterday, Wenting sent over a dress, but I think he
took the wrong dress; it’s for women. You can have it.”

Chu Qiao took the box. She frowned and said, “Ji Wenting gives you presents all the time,
how could he make a mistake this time?” As she opened it, her eyes brightened. Within the
box was a neatly placed coat made out of white fox fur. It was not just a large piece of fox
skin, but it was the skin of the whole fox. Its fur was pure white, without a trace of other
colors. It was as soft as ne silk. At the cu s of the coat, there were white-feathered snow
eagles embroidered onto it; the lapels of the coat were bright and dazzling, like the pearls
from the black sea. From a single glance, one could tell that it was extremely rare and
priceless.

Chapter 45
Chu Qiao could not help but be stunned as she said, “Ji Wenting spent quite a lot this time.”

Yan Xun turned and walked towards his desk without replying.

“Well, then I am heading out.”

“Hold on.” As if he suddenly remembered something, Yan Xun passed her a package and
said, “I almost forgot, Zhao Song sent his men to bring this package over.”

Chu Qiao took the package as she weighed it in her hands, knowing instantly what was
inside. As she was about to leave, Yan Xun asked, “Aren’t you going to open it to see what’s
inside?”

“It’s a fur coat from the Si Se Ee people. He told me that he’d give one to me the day before.
I didn’t expect it to be sent here.”

“Oh.” Yan Xun nodded and said, “My father had deep and friendly relations with the Si Se
Ee people in the past. However, when there were several counties that were experiencing a
period of unrest, we were in a special situation. Although it is just a coat, it might arouse
suspicion.”

“I understand.” Chu Qiao nodded and said, “I thought of it long ago. I was unwilling to turn
down the thirteenth Highness. You know that he is a very kind-hearted person.”

“You have always done things with caution. I never had to worry about you. It’s late, rest
well.”

“Ok, rest early too.” Chu Qiao agreed and walked out.

fi
ff
After a while, AhJing rushed into the room anxiously and said to Yan Xun, “Your highness,
why did Miss take away those clothes? Mr. Wu had brought those rare clothes all the way
from Bei Ming Yuan. Didn’t the Prince intend to give those to the Lady Shang of Dong Yue
for her birthday?”

Yan Xun continued to be xated on his book as he said lightly, “Just nd another one. If you
can’t, then there’ll be no gifts for her.” AhJing was shocked. Even before he could react, Yan
Xun had left the table, heading into the inner tent to sleep.

Snow billowed outside the tent. That night, other than Yan Xun’s camp, no one could sleep
well. Although the main pillar of strength within the Muhe clan had collapsed, the hunt
organized by the Xia Empire’s imperial family continued as planned.

The Zhen Huang lands were situated within the Hong Chuan Plains, with the Chi Chui River
running through it. It was vast and boundless, stretching beyond what the eye could see.
The plain was indeed a great place for hunting as well as horse riding. Under the star-
studded night sky, various camp res were seen throughout the vast snowy plains,
brightening the campsite that spanned miles. The weather was kind as the night was
windless and snowless. The temperature was on the rise as tens of thousands of the
Empire’s elite scattered around the hunting grounds, barbecuing and riding horses,
competing in shooting and sword ghting, drinking and dancing. It was incredibly lively. All
that was heard were the sounds of poetry and grass harps. The air was lled with the aroma
of cooking of game meat.

Chu Qiao was dressed in the snowy white fur coat and white boots as she sat on her horse,
her hair tied back simply with a ferret hat on her head, only revealing her petite and delicate
face. Her dazzling eyes gleamed like stars in the night sky.

Yan Xun turned to face her as he looked at her from head to toe. He laughed and said,
“AhChu has also grown up.”

The teenage girl picked at her brows as she looked at Yan Xun. “How much older are you?
Stop acting like you’re an old man in front of me.”

Yan Xun laughed. As he was about to say something, he suddenly heard the sound of
hooves galloping quickly towards him. Zhao Song, with his pine-green cloak billowing
behind him, shouted as he rode quickly towards them, “AhChu, AhChu!”

Yan Xun frowned. With an annoyed tone, he said, “Why does he call you that?”

Chu Qiao snorted softly, “He learned it from you.”

With 20 of his men, Zhao Song galloped over like a gust of wind, smiling as he greeted
them, “You guys are here too.”

“Everyone is here at the bon re banquet.” Yan Xun’s voice was still warm and gentle, but his
tone seemed like it was blocking them out from thousands of miles away.

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
Chu Qiao turned towards him, giving him a puzzled look as she frowned slightly. Luckily,
Zhao Song did not notice the hostility in Yan Xun’s voice as he looked at Chu Qiao from
head to toe. He said, “AhChu, why didn’t you wear the fur coat that I gave you? It’s not
warm enough?”

Chu Qiao nodded and smiled warmly. “It is indeed warm. However, it is not that cold tonight,
that’s why I didn’t wear it.”

“Oh,” Zhao Song suddenly realized and nodded. He praised her, “But you look good in this
coat as well.”

“I heard from AhJing, that the horse-riding and shooting competition is currently happening.
Your Thirteenth Highness, aren’t you going to have a look?” Yan Xun suddenly said from the
side.

Zhao Song was stunned, and he started to blush. How could he say that he had given up
his competition to run all the way up here just because he saw Chu Qiao? He started to
mutter, “It’s not much fun. Anyway, I’m bored of it already. It’s better to be admiring the
miles of frozen scenery from up here. It’s a much better place to take a break.”

“Is it?” Yan Xun suddenly smiled and said, “That’s coincidental. We wanted to head down to
take a look. Since the Thirteenth Highness is here, we wanted to ask you to join us as well.
But it seems that we don’t have the chance to do so.”

“Ah?” Zhao Song’s eyes widened as he froze in shock. He was tongue-tied as he barely
managed to say, “You guys are going down?”

Chu Qiao felt awkward, and she secretly tugged at Yan Xun’s sleeves. Who would have
predicted that the man would use this opportunity to grab her hand tightly? With his other
hand, he pulled the reins and said, “We will not disturb your rest, Your Highness.” After
which, he galloped away with Chu Qiao.

“Hey! Hey!” shouted Zhao Song. But all he could do was see them disappear with a trail of
dust.

“What are you doing?”

Yan Xun remained silent, looking at Chu Qiao with his lips tightly shut. He seemed to be
pleased with himself. As Chu Qiao looked at him, the feelings of pity she had had for Zhao
Song disappeared with time.

Oh well, it had been long since Yan Xun was this childish and happy. With a sigh, she had
no choice but follow closely behind him.

At that moment, the crisp sounds of hooves sounded once again. Both Chu Qiao and Yan
Xun froze. When they turned their heads, all they saw was Zhao Song leading a group of
men, galloping after them. He pretended to be surprised as he said, “Oh, you guys are here
too? The wind is too strong up there, and I wanted to come down to set a re. Since you are
here, let’s walk.”

fi
 Even with his good manners, Yan Xun could not hide his darkened expression. Chu Qiao
squelched and let out a laugh. Zhao Song knew that his reason was too far-fetched. He
laughed and ran forward, acting like a tourist guide for both Yan Xun and Chu Qiao.

The enormous camp was lled with laughter. Bon res were everywhere, and the fragrant
smell of cooked meat lled the air. The three of them walked into the crowd with an
entourage behind them, but it did not seem too conspicuous.

The royal tent occupied a large area and was covered in northwestern deer fur. The golden
powder that was collected from the black sea was painted onto it with shark pearls as
ornaments. A dragon was embroidered onto the tent, with pearls as its eyes. It was
vermillion with sharp claws. Two enormous vats of oil were placed right in front of the tent.
The res that raged from it were bright and ashy. Above it, tall ags ew proud and high.
The Imperial Guard surrounded the tent and was dressed in bright armor. From afar, the
bright yellow tent looked like the eastern dragon that was lying in ambush in the darkness,
exuding a strong aura. Its majesty was unparalleled. The Imperial élan surged from it,
blocking the unbridled joy happening within the area.

Suddenly, there was a racket in the distance. Walking closer, there were more than 20 burly,
topless men that were wrestling in the snow. As they wrestled, they roared. A girl on a horse
was dressed in aming red riding attire and had a red coat over her shoulder. She appeared
graceful and elegant, shooting three arrows instantly, all of them hitting the bull’s eye that
stood 100 meters away.

The crowd burst into cheers in an instant. The young girl put down her bow as she looked at
the crowd proudly. Suddenly, she leaped from her horse and onto the shoulders of a burly
man. Releasing the end of her whip, she lashed the other men as she laughed heartily. “I’m
with him, all of you, attack!”

“Zhama?” Chu Qiao’s knitted her brow tightly together as she turned to look at Yan Xun.
Both of them understood each other too well. Yan Xun knew what she was worried about
immediately. With a nod, both of them turned and tried to leave.

“Stop there!” a shout suddenly lled the air! The red whip snapped in front of them in a
ash. Chu Qiao reacted swiftly, grabbing the whip tightly in her palm, then winding it around
her wrist with a few twists. When both of them tugged at the whip, the slender whip became
taut in an instant!

“Wanting to leave when you just arrived? Prince Yan, are you a tortoise?” The girl leaped
onto the ground. The crowd parted, leaving a clear path. The brothers from other clans
secretly took pleasure from their misfortune, laughing in glee as they watched on.

The Batuha family from the northwestern regions had always been enemies of the Yan clan
in Yan Bei. This girl was the daughter that Old Batu doted on most. Her status in the
northwestern regions was higher than that of Prince Zhalu. She had always been
overbearing. Now that she was face to face with the Crown Prince of Yan Bei, whose family
had been destroyed, who knew what would happen.

“Princess Zhama.” Yan Xun turned with a pale expression. He said, “It’s been a long time.”

fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
 “Indeed,” Zhama laughed in glee and said, “Ever since the Yan Bei bloodline was
eradicated, I have not seen you. I heard that you were a tortoise when you were in the
Sheng Jin palace in the capital. I thought I would never get the chance to see the Crown
Prince of Yan ever again. The Gods have been kind to give me the pleasure of meeting the
descendant of the Yan clan, who were the former rulers of the north.”

“Zhama! Mind your words!” Zhao Song stepped forward suddenly and said in a deep tone,
“We are in public. How can a girl say such harsh words? Did Old Ba Tu not teach you
anything?”

“You are in no position to educate me on how my father should teach me! Don’t you dare
raise your voice to me just because Wei Fa is behind you!”

“Sister, did anyone bully you?” a sturdy voice sounded from behind them as Zhalu stepped
forward. His build was massive; it was hard to believe that both were born from the same
mother.

“Nope.” Zhama said loudly, “They can’t bully me.”

“You…”

“Your Thirteenth Highness, the banquet is about to start, let’s go.” Yan Xun put his arms
around Zhao Song, who was burning with rage. His gaze was quiet and he had a calm
expression as he ushered them to leave.

“You’re leaving?” Zhama laughed coldly and roared, “You have got to ask for permission
from my arrows!” Zhama drew an arrow from her waist and pulled her bow, the arrows
aiming straight for Yan Xun’s back.

At that moment, the girl by Yan Xun’s side turned towards Zhama like a whirlwind, her large
white coat billowing behind her. She reached out her hand as quick as a shadow, and her
ngers were like nets, catching the arrow by its tail. With a backhand ick, she threw the
arrow away. Her actions were ferocious but graceful. A crisp crack was heard as the sharp
arrow embedded itself into Zhama’s bow. The longbow that was made of wood and metal
cracked in half, failing to the ground with a crash. Everyone was frozen in shock. No one
said a word. It was dead silent.

Chu Qiao was dressed in a long fur coat, and her complexion was fair. Her calm gaze fell
onto Princess Zhama’s pale expression as she said lightly, “Swords and daggers have no
eyes. Princess, you have to be careful.” After saying that, she walked towards Yan Xun.

Chapter 46
Zhama was stunned by her intricate archery skills and took a long time to respond. She
bellowed angrily, “You! Stand there!”

“Sister,” Zhalu, holding Zhama back, remarked deeply, “the banquet is starting. Let’s settle
this score later.” In the distance, the sight of bright lights signi ed the long-awaited start of
the rst banquet of Xia Empire’s Spring Hunt.

fi
fi

fi
fl
 Before entering the tent, AhJing slowly crept up to the front, beside Yan Xun. He whispered,
“There are unknown intruders approaching the base. Should we take action?”

Yan Xun raised his eyebrows lightly and asked, “Who are they?”

AhJing answered, “I don’t know, but they don’t seem like they belong to the Muhe Clan.”

“Let me take a look,” Chu Qiao walked forward and whispered.

Yan Xun nodded and said in a deep tone, “Be careful. Do not use martial arts if it’s
unnecessary. The banquet is starting soon, I’ll wait for you.”

“Don’t worry. It might be Zhalu’s people creating trouble. I’ll be right back.” Finishing her
sentence, she headed towards the base with AhJing.

“AhChu!” Seeing Chu Qiao leaving, Zhao Song was dazed. He exclaimed loudly, preparing
to he chase after her.

“Your Thirteenth Royal Highness,” Yan Xun tugged at Zhao Song’s arm and said with a
laugh, “Chu Qiao has errands to run. She’ll be back soon, let’s go rst.” Zhao Song
reluctantly let Yan Xun drag him away, continuously staring back at Chu Qiao as he walked.

The cold wind, together with the snow, blew in Chu Qiao’s face. The sounds of horses’
hooves echoed, and the re torches on both sides of her burned out. In the cold darkness,
few stars were visible. The dark and deep sky appeared high up and far away. Occasionally,
goshawks ew past, letting out long cries.

In the blink of an eye, she had spent eight years in this unknown dynasty. Life had never
bestowed upon her the chance nor the right to feel any sadness or enjoy its pleasures. The
harsh environment, endless massacres, and tragic bloodshed continually forced her to ght
and be on the run. Too many unknown variables confronted her. There were too many traps
and schemes hiding out there which were out of her control. The endless cycles of
desperation spurred her on, making her unable to stop and rest. She was not born as a
slayer nor bandit. Under the premise of ensuring her survival, she simply wanted to just
maintain her ability to di erentiate good and evil.

The world was unkind. It treated everything like sacri cial o erings. From being esteemed
and of high value before the rituals, to being chucked aside and shunned after the rituals.
The di erence between annihilating and saving the mortal world was separated by just a
thin line.

“Giddyup!” Chu Qiao exclaimed. She rode on the horse’s back and advanced forward
swiftly on the snowy plains.

The sound of horses’ hooves approached from afar. A solitary man, dressed in black from
top to bottom, galloped along the snowy plains on his horse. Chu Qiao and her party
stopped their horses. AhJing frowned and deeply remarked, “Miss, there’s something wrong
with this person. This person came from the direction of our camp.”

ff
fl
ff
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
 One of the Yan residence’s guards stepped forward and shouted at the approaching
stranger, “Hey! Who are you?”

Before the guard had the time to catch his breath, a shiny dagger sliced through the cold air,
ying towards him. It approached at a lightning speed in an intimidating manner, packed
plenty of sharpness and gave o a murderous aura.

Clank! With a sound, AhJing’s sword intercepted the dagger, giving o a visible spark in the
darkness. AhJing advanced forward, shouting, “Who exactly are you? How vile!”

The stranger noticed the crowd in front, then slyly turned back and galloped towards the
west. Chu Qiao saw this and frowned. She ordered, “After him!” The rest obliged and
chased after the stranger in pursuit.

The mountains, along with the dense forest, appeared pitch-black in the distance. The
gargantuan snowy plains were lled with countless hoof marks, as if from a savage beast.
The snow scattered around wildly with a whistling sound.

Suddenly, many shadows appeared in front as if there was a large army of people and
horses approaching. The war horses were silent. An indescribable chill and a murderous
scent emanated from the shadows amidst their silence and synchronised movement.

“Who is that?” a loud voice boomed. As it was late at night and they were far away from the
shadows, they were not able to distinguish the identities of the unknown group of strangers.
The people lurking in the shadows, sensing an ambush, assumed that Chu Qiao’s party
were in cahoots with the man in black. The sound of swords being brandished lled the air
and arrows began ying in the direction of Chu Qiao’s party. The opposition packed plenty
of repower and was scarily fast in responding to threats!

“Halt!” AhJing shouted. “We are not…”

Before she could nish, a sharp arrow came ying towards her. Chu Qiao was agile; she
supported herself on the horse’s back with a single hand, leapt up, and delivered a kick to
AhJing’s lower abdomen. The man took the impact with a great deal of pain. Poof! With a
twist of his body, the arrow sunk itself into AhJing’s esh. Although it avoided his heart, it
had ruthlessly embedded itself into his shoulder.

Chu Qiao’s eyebrows locked. The opposition, before clarifying the situation, tried to kill
indiscriminately. It was utterly atrocious. The young lady, dressed in a snow-white coat,
advanced forward on her horse and jumped down with a somersault. She knelt on the
ground, crossbow in hand and a serious expression on her face. Her eyes, similar to that of
a panther, coldly scanned the pitch-black snowy plains in front of her. Her ears moved ever
so slightly, eyebrows locked. The cold wind blew on her fringe. She had a thunderous and
sharp look in her eyes.

A solitary arrow ew out from Chu Qiao’s crossbow. It zipped through the air and appeared
incredibly intimidating. It left behind a shiny, white edge, almost as if it would ignite some
sparks in mid-air. The arrow ew into the distance.

fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
ff
fl
fl
ff
fi
 Almost instantaneously, from the darkness on the opposite side, an earth-shattering sound
of a crossbow ring echoed. Another sharp arrow ew towards Chu Qiao’s direction in
retaliation. The arrows, like two streaks of lightning, ew along the same trajectory with a
whistling sound. Their velocity was shockingly fast. With a crisp sound, the two arrows
collided in mid-air and disintegrated, falling onto the grounds of the vast, snowy plains.

In a ash, Chu Qiao, with astonishing technique, continuously changed her position and
body shape. She red seven arrows, each with a di erent trajectory and velocity. The
opposition retaliated with equally mysterious techniques. The sounds of arrows leaving a
crossbow and colliding in mid-air dominated the night. The opposition was on equal footing
compared to Chu Qiao!

The intense sounds dissipated for a moment. Chu Qiao, adopting a sharp look, squinted
and turned to feel for the last three arrows in her arrow pot. She waited quietly for the best
opportunity.

A gale suddenly brewed, scattering the white snow all about. Everyone subconsciously
closed their eyes, to shield against the snowstorm. However, in the darkness only two
people stood up in unison, sprinting and exerting. The three arrows ew out in succession
towards the front, just like shooting stars. The glistering sight was simply breathtaking.

Four arrows collided with each other and disintegrated, making a sound. As the wind blew,
the last arrow behaved like a homing missile. Under the snowy sky, the arrow approached
the opposition’s hideout from two directions at a blazing speed, just like a sparkling
meteorite!

Chu Qiao experienced an adrenaline rush and gained an additional explosiveness in her
movements, just like an awakened beast. She chucked the crossbow aside and leapt to her
feet using her abdominal strength, with her right hand as a support. However, with a sound,
the arrow menacingly grazed against her neck. It left a trail of blood in its wake.

“Miss!” The Yan guards were shocked and rushed to her side. Chu Qiao stood up and used
her hand to stop the blood, which was oozing out of her neck. She did not say a word and
stared coldly at the pitch-black darkness on the opposite side. She knew that her opponent
had similarly avoided her “homing missile”, but had also been wounded in the process.

Silence dominated the night. There was no trace of any sound. Amidst the darkness and the
raging snow, Chu Qiao could feel her opponent staring back at her coldly and cruelly.

A goshawk’s cries suddenly reverberated across the sky. In the darkness that separated the
two parties, a strong and vigorous shadow suddenly appeared. The stranger dressed in
black, previously in a prone position, suddenly got up and sprinted like a projectile to make
an escape.

Almost at the same time, Chu Qiao and her opponent each brandished their sabres from
their waists and threw them at the man. The escaping man shook and his eyes enlarged. He
looked down indignantly, only to see that he had been hit by the two sabres. With a thump,
he fell heavily to the snowy ground.

fl
fi
fi
fl
ff
fl
fl
 Time passed slowly. Both parties remained silent. One of the aides carefully took a few
steps forward. Seeing that the opposition did not respond, he shouted, “Dear friend on the
opposite side, we were trying to apprehend a thief. What just happened was a
misunderstanding.”

The other party did not respond.

Another aide, Zuo Tang, rode forward on his horse. In just a short time, sounds of horses’
hooves could also be heard from the opposite side.

“Missy,” Zuo Tang dashed back in an instant and got o his horse. He returned Chu Qiao’s
sabre and remarked deeply, “Your sword.”

The young lady frowned. “Where did the other party come from?”

“I’m not sure,” Zuo Tang replied truthfully. “The aides from the other side wore black gowns
and looked unfamiliar. I have not see them before.”

Chu Qiao, not saying a word, nodded. She started to frown as she took the sabre.

This was a rare sword. It had an ancient appearance, and a body which was thin and light.
There were bloodstains on it. The blade was sharp and shiny. Under the re ection of the
moonlight, a bright sharpness was visible, just like owing mercury. The hilt of the sword
was wrapped in gold silk and two ancient words, “Po Yue” were carved on it.

Chu Qiao, frowning, touched the hilt of the sword and said, “This isn’t my sword.” Zuo Tang
was surprised, and quickly replied, “I will nd them to give it back.” As he nished his
sentence, the sound of horses’ hooves again echoed from the opposite side. With the snow
being scattered for the nal time, the people from the opposite side rapidly disappeared.

“You won’t be able to catch them,” the young lady slowly remarked, putting the sword back
into its sheath. She was surprised to nd out that the sword actually t her own sheath.

“Bring that corpse back. AhJing, go back to the camp to recuperate. Everyone else, follow
me to the imperial tent.” The young lady remarked in a sonorous tone and lead everyone
back to their destinations. When they arrived at the square in front of the imperial tent, it
was as if they had entered a di erent world. The fragrance of meat and sounds of laughter
lled the air. Chu Qiao handed her weapons over to the guards and was escorted in.

The imperial tent occupied a large area, there were a total of 36 tables that spread across
both sides. When Chu Qiao entered the majority of the people had arrived. As the Emperor
had not made his entrance, the tent was bustling and full of noise.

Chu Qiao was just a servant, hence she could not wander about. She scanned her
surroundings and made her way towards an area with less people. As expected, she saw
Yan Xun looking handsome and wearing a white robe. He had a calm expression on his face
and was quietly sitting there, sipping his tea. Zhao Song stood beside him, scratching his
ear, appearing frustrated and impatient.

fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
fl
“Your Highness.” Chu Qiao walked over and before she could speak, Zhao Song remarked,
making a fuss, “Ah! AhChu, what happened to you? Are you injured?”

Chapter 47
Although it was just a super cial wound on her neck, it started to bleed again. Chu Qiao
shook her head and remarked nonchalantly, “It’s okay. It’s just a graze.”

“How could you be so careless?” Zhao Song remarked with concern, frowning. “I’ll fetch a
physician right away, this has to be handled properly.”

“No need.” Chu Qiao held him back. “It’s only a small injury. There’s no need to make a
mountain out of a molehill.”

“No way.” Zhao Song frowned unhappily, but he knew that his words did not carry much
weight in the rst place. He turned towards Yan Xun and said, “Prince Yan, what do you
think?”

Yan Xun raised his eyebrows slowly, looking at Chu Qiao’s pale face. The chemistry between
them after all these years allowed Yan Xun to understand what was going on. He did not
probe further and only remarked, “Are you really alright?”

Chu Qiao nodded and said rmly, “I’m alright.”

Zhao Song looked at the both of them, suddenly feeling alienated from the conversation. He
desperately tried to search for a topic, saying, “Then I’ll go get some medicine.” Finishing,
he turned and left.

Chu Qiao took a seat, one row behind Yan Xun. She bent forward, whispering, “It’s Zhalu’s
men. They stole the safe in your camp. I already killed them.”

Yan Xun replied, “That thing is worthless, it was meant to act as a decoy. Why would you
risk your life for it?”

“Zhalu’s men are not worthy!” Chu Qiao touched her wound lightly and added, “There was a
small accident. Did any exponent appear in the capital recently?”

“Exponents in the capital?” Yan Xun frowned, struggling to understand what she meant.
“There’s no shortage of them.”

“Brother Xun!” A demure voice suddenly sounded. In the crowd, a young lady, dressed in
purple from head to toe, surrounded by her servants, approached joyfully. As she neared,
the smile on her face disappeared. She stared coldly at Chu Qiao who was seated behind
Yan Xun and said with hostility, “Why is she here?”

Chu Qiao stood up and respectfully bowed, “Eighth Princess.”

Zhao Chun did not even look at Chu Qiao, and sat down beside Yan Xun. She stated angrily,
“You didn’t even come to nd me these few days. Is it because she’s back?”

fi

fi
fi
fi
 Yan Xun got up and stood beside Chu Qiao, remarking plainly, “Yan Xun feared that he
would disturb the princess while she was resting.”

“Oh, now that she’s back you call me ‘princess’?” She pointed ercely at Chu Qiao and said
in a cold tone, “Who allowed you, a lowly slave, to enter this place?”

As she uttered these words, Yan Xun gave her a cold look. He frowned and retorted,
“Princess, given your status, how could you swear like this? I brought her here. Don’t tell me
that you want to chase the both of us out?”

Zhao Chun pouted, her eyes becoming red. She stomped ercely, not answering Yan Xun.
She pointed at Chu Qiao and shouted, “Just you wait!” Finishing her sentence, she stormed
o . The other princesses who followed her all gave Chu Qiao a hostile look and chased after
Zhao Chun.

Chu Qiao sighed and remarked deeply, “Why would you o end her now? I could’ve just
left.”

The man’s deep voice was akin to clear spring water owing down the mountains—slow. He
replied, “I had to tolerate her when I was young because I had no other choice. If I still had
to tolerate this kind of behavior now, my e orts all these years would have been in vain.”
Yan Xun sat on his seat and took a sip of wine slowly. He was calm and collected, his facial
features re ecting his handsomeness. He was dressed in white. Coupled with his jet black
hair, he appeared just like a man in a portrait.

At this instant, a gust of wind blew into the tent. Everyone turned their heads in the opposite
direction. The curtain of the tent moved. A young man wearing a purplish-white robe walked
in. He looked majestic and his eyebrows were like swords. He had a cold look in his eyes
and he was the epitome of handsome. He was like a sword that had been brandished, its
sharp edges giving o a fearsome aura. However, a bloody scar was on his outstretched
neck, which was not be tting of a person who gave o such an aura. Blood oozed from his
wound.

Chu Qiao’s pupils constricted and she frowned heavily!

“Fourth Master!” Second Prince Wei and the other princes rushed to his side and happily
exclaimed, “It’s been seven years. Fourth Master, you look more imposing than ever!”

Zhuge Yue smiled and greeted everyone individually. He was gentlemanly in his actions,
laughing and chatting with the crowd. He was no longer the paranoid and suspicious loner
he was back then. In seven years, he had turned from an ordinary sword into a precious
one, capable of giving o his radiance anytime.

Under the bright lights, a joyous mood enveloped the tent. Zhuge Yue, having nished
entertaining the crowd, scanned his surroundings, eventually xing his eye on the table in
the backmost corner.

Yan Xun was drinking quietly, his head not even raised. His broad shoulders covered all the
ladies behind him, stopping Zhuge Yue’s continued cold gaze in his tracks.

ff
fl
ff
fi
ff
ff
fl
ff
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
 “Prince Yan, how have you been?” a deep voice echoed.

Yan Xun looked up, laughed, and stood up. “Long time no see, Fourth Master Zhuge.”

Zhuge Yue smiled and laughed coldly. He tilted his head slightly, looking behind Yan Xun. He
said deeply, “Xing’er, don’t you recognize me?”

Chu Qiao looked up with a calmness expression. Her lips spread, forming a smile. She
looked at her old master and remarked warmly, “The Fourth Master is well known all over
the world. Who wouldn’t know you?”

As she nished her sentence, a loud bell echoed. There were a total of nine long sounds and
ve short sounds. It reverberated around the entire camp which spanned over ten miles. The
entire tent fell into silence. Everyone kneeled on the oor and echoed in unison, “Respects
to Your Majesty!”

The curtains of the tent opened up. As the northern winds blew, the torch ames ickered in
the night. Amidst the silence, tidy footsteps could be heard outside. A large army
surrounded the imperial tent. The scent of the guards’ iron armor masked the thick
fragrance of the meat.

Chu Qiao looked up carefully, but only saw a pair of deerskin boots trampling over the bear
fur carpet. They were the size of what a normal human being wore. There were embroidered
colourful patterns of dragons on the sides. The man walked steadily and slowly, not
impatient at all.

“Please rise.” A deep voice echoed from upwards. It was not bright nor stern. It even
sounded slightly hoarse. However, the voice carried a strength that matched big waves. It
slowly enveloped the tent, which had been noisy moments before. Everyone got to their feet
but nobody dared to gaze upwards.

The Xia Emperor’s voice echoed deeply from above, “Take a seat. Qi’er, please proceed.”

The Third Royal Prince, Zhao Qi, answered respectfully, “Yes, Father.” He took a step
forward and declared, “The banquet has o cially begun. Everyone, please take a seat.”

The sounds of the sizhu started to play. From the passageways on both sides, groups of
scantily-clad female dancers with sexy gures started to stream out. Their faces were
strikingly beautiful. Their complexion appeared extremely fair. They danced seductively,
waving their long sleeves. Various delicacies were served to the tables. It was only then that
everyone’s mood lightened. Slowly, the shouts of joy and laughter resumed.

Zhuge Yue stood in front of Yan Xun’s table. His gaze was deep and his expression was
cold. He looked at the young lady beside Yan Xun, staring at her calm and familiar yet
stubborn face. He nodded slowly, turning to leave without uttering a single word. His robe
brought about a gush of wind as he turned, causing the wine on the table to ripple slightly.

fi
fi
fi
ffi
fl
fl
fl
 Chu Qiao felt a chill rush through her ngertips suddenly. A certain emotion started to bottle
up within her, causing her to frown heavily. The young lady closed her eyes slowly, took a
deep breath, and then sat down.

Chu Qiao suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and met Yan Xun’s eyes,
which were staring at her. Yan Xun remained silent but she knew the message that he was
trying to convey. All these years on those hate- lled nights, whenever they felt sad and
depressed, they always encouraged each other in this manner: Carry on waiting and
tolerating, there will eventually be light at the end of the tunnel.

Chu Qiao nodded silently amidst the loud background noises and indistinct chatter. She
looked up towards the northernmost end of the tent, where it was brightly illuminated to the
point that it was almost blinding. The young lady opened up her eyes and looked at the man
in the spotlight. The bright lights camou aged him, making his face indistinguishable. Only
the colourful dragon patterns on his out t were visible and they seemed to point at every
single person who harbored ill intentions, warning them.

With a loud, booming sound, the tabernacle on the front door of the elaborate tent was
pulled open. The biting cold wind suddenly rushed into the tent. On the large square
outside, numerous rows of torches could be seen. With a glance, about 300 tables could be
spotted. Those that were deemed unworthy of entering the main tent sat outside,
surrounding the main tent. They vacated the square, leaving a big, empty space. The
atmosphere was electrifying, exceeding the levels within the tent. As the tent’s curtains were
raised, loud cheers of approval roared from the outside.

At this point, crisp and rapid sounds of horses’ hooves started to echo. Everyone looked up
and saw hundreds of imposing war horses approaching from the distance. The speed at
which they came was terrifyingly fast. Amidst everyone’s surprise, 100 soldiers wearing
white armor burst out from their formation. They leapt high up into the air from where they
were standing, on to the horses’ backs with one clean, crisp, decisive, and synchronized
movement.

The onlooking royals and nobles gave a thunderous roar of approval. Amidst the performers,
one stood out. He positioned himself in the center of the square, holding a machete in his
left hand and a shield in his right. He controlled the horse with both legs, continuously
displaying di erent poses and executing di erent motions. His actions were as smooth as
owing water, yet he also showcased combat-worthy skills. It was a sight to behold. The
general at the helm was young. He wore a steel helmet on his head which hid his face. He
was rm and decisive in his commands and maintained an upright posture. He was the
epitome of a valiant warrior.

At this time, all the soldiers withdrew their machetes and put their shields behind the horses.
Then, they proceeded to take out their crossbows which were attached to their waists. They
loaded their crossbows with arrows, using their legs to support themselves in the stirrup.
Facing upside down, they released their arrows under the horses’ stomachs. With a sharp
swoosh, 100 arrows simultaneously ew towards a predetermined target board.

fl
fi
ff
fl
fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
With a striking sound, the arrows packed plenty of power and snapped the thick target
board apart. The target board did not fall on the ground, instead it ew out horizontally and
embedded itself into the core of a giant pine tree. Many of the 100 arrows penetrated the
back part of other arrows, stacking up in layers and piles.

In that instant, the entire atmosphere became dead silent. The soldiers returned to their
original sitting position. Their leader got o his horse with a somersault, took o his helmet,
knelt on the ground, and said in a deep and steely voice, “Zhao Che wishes Father
unrivalled prosperity and eternal longevity!”

At that moment, the entire eld rumbled. Everyone applauded unanimously at the archers’
magical precision.

“Che’er, I see you have improved after a few years of training at the border,” the Xia
Emperor, sitting above, remarked in a pleased tone.

Chapter 48
“Thank you, Father!” Zhao Che replied, kowtowing heavily on the ground.

The lords and o cials, seeing the situation, simultaneously applauded Zhao Che’s bravery.

Yan Xun sat below and continued to sip his tea, not uttering a single word. His eyes slowly
squinted.

“The Seventh Brother is brave. He defended the borders of the Xia Empire all these years.
He is indeed a rare talent. With the Seventh Brother stationed in the northern border, there is
no cause for worry.” The Third Prince, Zhao Qi, nodded slowly. He had a natural expression,
devoid of any jealousy or frustration. Regardless of his intentions, it was be tting of his
status as a royal.

After Zhao Che thanked him, he retreated along with his subordinates. The mood slowly
came back to life. The various warlords belonging to di erent clans started to showcase
their prowess in martial arts through horse duels, archery, and sword ghts. Mouth-watering
delicacies, mostly barbecued meat from wild animals, were served. They were fragrant and
tempting.

The Ba Tu Ha family, from the northwestern region, came from afar to grace the occasion.
Amongst the people present, other than a few uncles not biologically related to the family’s
lineage, there were only Zhalu and Zhama. Just then, Zhalu had led the warriors in his clan
in showcasing certain wrestling moves infused with the style of the northwestern people,
earning the adulation of the crowd. Zhama led a group of young ladies with desirable gures
in performing exquisite horsemanship. Although their moves were not outstanding, it was
inevitable that a crowd of pretty young ladies would win huge amounts of praise.

The Xia Emperor was in a joyous mood, bestowing the ladies with 20 layers of silk from Huai
Song. This evoked yet another thunderous reaction from the crowd.

ffi

fi
ff
ff
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
 Zhama thanked the Xia Emperor with a smile. She got up and said, “Your Majesty, I feel that
it’s meaningless to keep on performing. In the northwest, martial arts duels are allowed
during banquets. As this is my rst time coming to Zhen Huang, may I request Your Majesty
to grant me the permission to issue a challenge to a certain someone?”

As she was still a young lady of about 16 or 17 years old, she sounded naive as she spoke,
inducing subconscious spurts of laughter within the crowd.

The Xia Emperor, seated above, appeared perplexed. However, he questioned with a tinge
of pleasure, “In this case, who are you planning to challenge?”

“I’ve long heard that the maidservant under the Prince of Yan Bei is very skilled. However, I
have not had a chance to see it for myself. How about we have a duel, as everyone is in a
good mood today?”

As she nished her sentence, all eyes xated on Yan Xun in the back of the tent. Those who
knew about the battle naturally knew about the entire sequence of events. For those who
did not, they thought that Zhama was intentionally trying to start a con ict. After all, the Ba
Tu Ha and Yan Bei lineages had been adversaries for the longest time. Duels like this
between the two families were frequent even before Yan Shicheng’s demise.

Before the Xia Emperor had spoken, Yan Xun stood up and remarked, “She’s still young.
She only knows a bit of martial arts. She does not dare to embarrass herself in front of Your
Majesty. Princess Zhama is skilled and adept in horsemanship, please do not make things
di cult.” He was wearing a white robe embroidered with owery patterns. He had the air of
a prince with his jet-black hair and fair complexion.

“Prince Yan, deception is a capital o ence. Moreover, Princess Zhama is also 16 years old.
Given her status as a princess, it would be an honor for the maidservant to be able to spar
with her. You giving excuses like that, isn’t that akin to not appreciating others’ good
intentions?” From the fourth table of the front row, a young man beside Wei Jing interrupted
the ongoing conversation. This person’s name was Wei Qingchi. He was a gure that had
recently rose to prominence in the side family of the Wei clan. He was eloquent and did not
fumble his words. Yan Xun had crossed paths with him at a few banquets. However, he did
not expect him to openly oppose him today.

“Qingchi is right.” Wei Jing laughed and added, “Prince Yan, a gentleman must oblige. It is
rare that a princess from the Northwestern Plains has such interest. In this case, you might
as well grant her request, lest Old General Batu accuses the royals of Zhen Huang of
bullying his daughter in future.” As he spoke, others agreed.

The Xia Emperor looked at Zhama and said, “Please go ahead and do as you wish.”

Yan Xun frowned. As he was about to retort, Chu Qiao suddenly stood up from behind,
tugged at Yan Xun’s sleeve and nodded silently. Yan Xun looked solemn, but he knew that
he did not have a choice today. If he continued to plead his case, he could be subject to
attacks from others. From under his sleeve, he held Chu Qiao’s hand tightly. He remarked
softly, “Be careful.”

ffi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fl
fl
fi
 Taking o her long outer robe, Chu Qiao walked to the center of the arena. Bowing towards
the north, she turned her head and said to Princess Zhama, “In this case, please pardon
me.”

Everyone’s eyes xated on this young lady at this instant.

Seven years ago, the eight year old Chu Qiao and Yan Xun were in the same boat. They
broke three of Wei Jing’s ngers on Jiu Wai Street and made their escape from Zhen Huang,
using him as a hostage. Thereafter, they engaged in combat with guards in front of Jiu You
Platform and narrowly escaped. These memories were still freshly etched in the minds of
these people.

An eight year old child had demonstrated such bravery and capability at that time. Seven
years later, what kind of capability did she possess? Even though she was only a lowly
maidservant, she represented the entire lineage of Yan Bei.

Everyone in the Xia Empire knew that even though the lineage of the royal Yan family had
ended with the death of Yan Shicheng seven years ago, minor o cials continued to govern
the empire. The Yan lineage was still widely despised in the Northwestern Plains. Due to the
continued intervention of the Quan Rong clan, the Xia Empire was unable to eradicate Yan
Bei. This was the main reason that the Xia Emperor did not dare to eliminate Yan Xun all this
time. In addition, behind the scenes, there was a mysterious force providing support to Yan
Bei economically. Without complete con dence in uprooting Yan Bei totally, Yan Xun was
still recognized as the Master of Yan Bei.

The winds from outside the tent blew onto the young lady’s light green sleeves. Chu Qiao,
with her black brows, jet-black hair, and a frail-looking complexion, was not the most
alluring person. However, the calmness and decisiveness she exuded were enough to
command the respect of any man.

This was the rst time Chu Qiao stood in front of everyone in the royal chamber of the Xia
Empire. As a maidservant, she accepted the challenge of Princess Zhama, probably the
most prominent gure in the northwest.

Zhama looked at the young lady who had just embarrassed her earlier on. She smiled coldly
and said in an arrogant manner, “I have not recovered since performing my horsemanship
techniques earlier on. This is an unfair challenge. How about this? I will ask my servant to
spar with you rst on my behalf. If you defeat him, I’ll spar with you.”

The crowd was surprised to hear these words. Zhao Song could not tolerate it anymore.
Ignoring Zhao Qi’s frown, he stood up and said, “Father, this is unfair. “Princess Zhama is of
high status. Sparring with a maidservant is beneath her in the rst place. Moreover, she has
just nished her performance.”

“Thirteenth Prince, it’s only a maidservant, there’s nothing unfair about it,” Zhao Zhong Yan
laughed and remarked nonchalantly.

Wei Jing smiled and looked at Chu Qiao with evil in his eyes. “The Young Prince is
absolutely right. It’s only a maidservant, this is just for pure entertainment.”

fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ffi
 “All of you…”

“Thirteenth Brother!” Zhao Qi hollered, “Sit down.”

Seeing that the Xia Emperor did not object, Zhama turned back and spoke to one of her
well-built servants sitting in the back. “Tu Da, you go and entertain this young lady.”

As the big man stood up, everyone exclaimed in surprise. This man was well-built and stood
over seven feet tall. He had erce, big eyes, and he was muscular. Chu Qiao seemed
insigni cant when she stood next to him.

Everyone instantly understood Princess Zhama’s intentions. This was not a sparring contest
but premeditated murder. However, no one raised any concerns; after all, in their eyes, it
was just like Wei Jing described: it was just a maidservant, this was just for pure
entertainment.

Chu Qiao looked up and stared at Tu Da calmly. She knew that as she fought, Yan Bei’s
reputation was at stake. This was the rst time in many years that Yan Xun had appeared in
front of the Empire’s o cials. If she lost, it would cripple Yan Bei’s morale. The unconditional
loyalty of Yan Bei’s soldiers was the basis as to why Yan Xun was alive and well today.

She took a deep breath, walked out of the imperial tent, and made her way towards the
center of the stage. She walked to the weapon rack at the side and picked up a spear. She
held it in her hands, felt its weight a few times, turned back and asked, “What weapon are
you using?”

Tu Da clenched his sts and knocked them together a few times, producing a deafening
sound. He remarked arrogantly, “My sts are my weapons.”

“Be careful, weapons have no eyes after all.”

A gust of wind suddenly blew towards Chu Qiao’s direction. Tu Da let out a booming roar
just like a thunder strike!

The young lady took a few steps back. As she stepped away from where she was standing,
a giant st slammed into the ground, drilling a big hole in it. The snow scattered from the
impact, forming a layer of mist.

Cries of surprise echoed from the crowd. The strength that this man used signalled his
intent to kill the young lady. Many young and middle-aged ladies, seeing this, turned pale
with fright. They covered their eyes, not daring to see what was unfolding in front of them.

Chu Qiao picked up her spear but did not have a chance to showcase her skills. Tu Da
possessed astonishing strength but was also quite agile. He pounced forward towards Chu
Qiao, like a ferocious tiger.

Zhao Song watched on with a nervous look on his face. Although he knew that Chu Qiao
was highly skilled, how could she be a match for an opponent of such stature? The young
prince made up his mind. If things did not look good, he would intervene and rescue Chu
Qiao.

fi
fi
fi
ffi
fi
fi
fi
 In the blink of an eye, the two of them had exchanged a few blows. The frail-looking young
lady had not retaliated, instead looking to avoid a direct confrontation with Tu Da. As
everyone thought that she was about to lose, Tu Da hollered loudly and rushed at Chu Qiao.
He had a savage look on his face, lled with murderous intent. As the strong winds blew, the
torches burned brightly in the night sky. Everyone gasped in unison, thinking that Chu Qiao
would de nitely perish at the hands of Tu Da.

In the crowd, Yan Xun’s expression became less tense. He held his wine cup tightly in his
hands and brought it to his lips. He took a sip of wine and let go of the cup. The cup
smashed into a few pieces and scattered onto the oor.

Everyone that was spectating the battle instantly became abbergasted. The young lady,
who was previously trying hard to escape, turned back. Her steps were unique; her agility
was obvious. She twisted her waist, using her abdominal strength to somersault in the air.
The spear was dragged back along with her motion. With all her might, she thrust it forward!
With a piercing sound, fresh blood spewed everywhere and cries of agony started to echo.

The strong, whistling winds blew at the young lady’s silky hair. The spear had embedded
itself into Tu Da’s chest. However, it was not stuck deep in his chest. Chu Qiao was
intentionally merciful and she was not willing to kill.

With another sound, Chu Qiao withdrew her spear. She nodded lightly and said, “Thank you
for going easy on me.” Finishing, she turned around and bowed towards the north again.

The audience gave a thunderous round of applause! The Xia Empire valued martial arts
prowess. Seeing that such a young lady had defeated a giant of such stature with such
ease, everyone cheered in awe.

However, at that instant Tu Da bellowed. He clenched his sts and charged at Chu Qiao,
whose back was facing him!

Chapter 49
“Be careful!” Zhao Song shouted, dashing out of his seat. At the same time, a bright, white
object ew out from behind! As Tu Da’s st was about to land on Chu Qiao’s back, the
object smashed into Tu Da’s head, carving a big, bloody wound in his head! At this moment,
Chu Qiao had just kowtowed on the oor.

Tu Da’s eyes widened in disbelief. Blood oozed out of his mouth and nostrils. With a lifeless
look, he collapsed on the oor, bleeding heavily from the back of his head. The sight tugged
at people’s heartstrings.

“How audacious!” Zhama raged, jumping out from her seat. “How dare you carry a weapon
in front of the Emperor! Are you intending to rebel?”

Yan Xun, unfazed, sat in his chair. He held a porcelain shard between his index and middle
nger and retorted coldly, “Is a cup considered a weapon too?”

The audience was shocked. Yan Xun had actually used a broken cup to kill Tu Da!

fi
fl
fi

fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
Zhao Song remarked coldly, “Father, Princess Zhama’s servant did not abide by the rules.
He tried to backstab his opponent. He deserved to die.”

The Xia Emperor nodded in agreement. The guards on both sides dashed out and dragged
Tu Da’s corpse out of the tent.

“Princess, are you su ciently rested?” The young lady calmly turned back, looking at the
uneasy Zhama emotionlessly. She declared deeply, “If you’re still tired, you can ask your
other servants to spar with me.”

The nobles of the Xia Empire turned their attention from the deceased Tu Da to Zhama, in
anticipation of how she intended to handle the situation. Everyone could see that Zhama did
not intend to spar with Chu Qiao. She previously issued the challenge as she was con dent
that Tu Da could kill Chu Qiao. However, Tu Da was now dead. If she were to decline the
challenge by fabricating excuses, she would be viewed as a coward that did not dare to
take up the challenge. In addition, she was the initiator of the duel. In the Northwest,
cowardice was regarded as worse than being a deserter. She would be despised by
everyone.

Zhama gritted her teeth and swung her whip. She stood up and said, “So be it, let’s spar.
Why would I be scared of a lowly maidservant?”

“Hang on,” Zhao Qi suddenly rose and added with a laugh, “I have not seen such a
masterful lady in a long time. How about this? Instead of sparring like the last round, let’s
allow them to compete using archery this time around. What do all of you think?”

As Zhao Qi spoke, everyone understood. The Batuha family dominated the northwest region
with their powerful in uence. Old Master Batu was hot-tempered. If his precious daughter
was hurt in the capital, it would most certainly induce his rage and resentment. In addition,
Princess Zhama was renowned for her exquisite archery skills. Zhao Qi had just intended to
salvage some pride for the northwest region.

Although she, a lowly maidservant, was skilled in the art of weapons, her prowess in archery
was not as recognized. The audience would most certainly be disappointed but they did not
have a say.

However, from the seventh table in the front row, Zhuge Yue squinted slightly. He had
witnessed Chu Qiao’s exquisite archery skills. He raised his cup and took a sip.

As expected, Zhama’s expression become smug. She con dently retrieved a crossbow,
walked to the center of the square, and said, “You rst?”

“I do not dare. Princess, you rst.”

Zhama gave a cold laugh. She loaded three arrows into her crossbow. Bending the bow, she
released three arrows together. They ew at a lightning speed towards the target a hundred
steps away, landing in the center of the bullseye. The audience applauded at her impressive
skills.

fl
ffi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
 Before the thunderous applause had stopped, the other young lady suddenly knelt on the
oor and released her arrows from the crossbow that was slightly taller than her. Three
sharp arrows homed in on the arrows on the target board, penetrating the rear part of
Zhama’s arrows. It was as if both of their arrows landed on the bullseye simultaneously! In
that instant, it was clear who the winner was!

The audience could not believe their eyes. The intensity of the applause escalated, not
subsiding for a long time.

“Princess Zhama, thank you for going easy on me.” Chu Qiao nodded, walking towards the
tent.

Even the Xia Emperor was visibly moved and exclaimed, “I have not seen archery skills of
this level in many years. Especially since you are a female, it is indeed rare.”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows, but she continued to kneel on the ground, remarking deeply,
“Thank you for the compliments, Your Majesty.”

Zhao Song said excitedly, “In this case, Father, how about you reward her?”

The Xia Emperor stared at his son bleakly and replied, “Reward them each a roll of silk.”

Zhao Song, obviously unhappy with the reward, was about to intervene. However, he was
stopped by Zhao Qi, who gave him a stern look.

An o cial carrying two rolls of silk approached, handing Chu Qiao and Zhama their rewards.
They received it and retreated. The atmosphere in the tent was electrifying and the audience
was captivated by dancers who had started to perform. Yan Xun looked up at Chu Qiao and
they shared a smile.

The royal banquet had nally ended. Chu Qiao and Yan Xun retreated back to their tent.
AhJing was critically injured and Zuo Tang stood guard outside at all times.

Yan Xun prepared a pot of tea. He sat on the chair, drinking. Chu Qiao, sitting beside the
replace, looked up and said, “What do you think about the Xia Emperor rewarding Zhao
Che with the Long Quan Sword?”

“It was very obvious that he was warning the Muhe clan to stop pinning Muhe Xifeng’s
death on Zhao Che.”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows and nodded. “In this case, wouldn’t the Wei clan take the
rap? Don’t tell me that he wanted to instigate between the Wei and Muhe clans?”

“Yes.” Yan Xun nodded. “The Muhe clan is overly domineering. The higher their status, the
harder they will fall, just like the Ou clan thirty years ago.”

Chu Qiao sighed, suddenly feeling fatigued from today’s events. Too many things and too
many people were entangled in the situation within one day, further complicating the already
complex situation. She rubbed her temple, saying, “I’ll go back rst. You have an early rest
too.”

fl
fi
ffi
fi
fi
As she turned to leave, Yan Xun’s voice suddenly rang from behind her. “AhChu, when Tu Da
was about to hurt you, why didn’t you hide? Given your ability to sense danger, you would
surely have realized it.”

Chu Qiao turned back, saying naturally, “Because you were behind me.”

The winds outside were blowing heavily onto the tent. A few gusts of cold air entered. Yan
Xun started slightly but quickly broke into a smile. “You’re right. I’m so silly.”

“I’ll take my leave then.” With the curtains raising, the young lady disappeared from the tent.

Yan Xun smiled slightly, adopting a warm expression. His icy cold heart gradually started to
open up to the feelings of warmth and gentleness. As he had been behind her, she did not
raise her guard. She left her back, which was the most vital part of her body, exposed. After
all, they were each other’s most trusted con dantes. Much like when they were young, he
could only close his eyes in front of her and she could only sleep peacefully in his presence.

The night sky was dark and devoid of any glimmering light. The young prince of Yan Bei
looked up slightly. “Thank you, AhChu, for letting me know that there’s still one person I can
trust.”

The inside of the tent was warm. Chu Qiao took a bath, feeling very tired. She leaned on the
soft couch, preparing to close her eyes. As her eyelids narrowed, she saw the precious
sword that she had put on the side of her bed. She sat upright and took out the sword
gently. Its green re ection sparkled like owing water under the light. The dark red carvings
on the sword were like fresh blood, subtly shimmering.

It had been seven years. She anticipated that they would cross paths again but she hadn’t
expected it to turn out this way. She knew that Zhuge Yue had surely seen the wound on her
neck. They were always opposing each other like that. Wherever they were, they were
destined to be enemies.

The child’s cries of agony seemed to play in her ears again. The severed limb, the bloody
sack, the cold lake—the memories swiftly replayed in front of her eyes just like a movie. The
piece of roasted meat, whose fragrance drifted in the night when she felt most helpless, felt
like a sharp arrow, embedding itself into her heart.

“Yue’er, do you trust fth brother? I’ll protect you!”

Emotions of sorrow and grief bottled up in her chest. She had a sharp look in her eyes. The
cries of agony, which lived on in her daily nightmares, reverberated beside her ears again.
The tragic cries before Xiaoba died in the prisoner’s carriage on Jiu Wai Street had been
etched in her nightmares for seven whole years.

“Sister Yue’er! Help me, please help me!”

Blood and human esh were spewed everywhere on the ground. The faces of the children,
who had been cut to death, were unrecognizable. On that horri c night, she sneakily
escaped from Sheng Jin palace, making her way to the marketplace. She scavenged
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
 through the corpses along with the wild dogs, but could not make out the child’s head or
limbs. She could not even give the child a proper burial, having no choice but to let those
body parts sink to the bottom of the lake, staining it bright red.

“Xiaoba, you lie here and wait. I’ll exact revenge for you.”

Her tears had already dried up that day. What remained was a strong feeling of resentment
that brewed savagely within her heart. The child clenched her sts tightly and bit her lower
lip, just like a savage beast.

Within a ash, seven years had passed.

Zhuge Yue, you nally came back.

The young lady’s breaths could be heard in the darkness.

Don’t you know, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.

The stars in the sky were few and far. The distant winds from Yan Bei carried bloody air with
it, blowing along the contours of the western plains.

It was early spring in the year 773 of the Bai Cang calendar. The Hong Chuan Highlands
were experiencing a harsh winter with heavy snowfall. The road from the border of the Tang
Empire to Zhen Huang was blocked. Trade between these two places came to a halt,
causing the prices of goods in the capital to spike sharply. Many merchants hoarded goods
and capitalized on the opportunity to raise the prices of necessities like oil, rice, and salt,
causing chaos within the capital.

On the sixth day of the third month, Sheng Jin palace summoned Muhe Xiyun, the biological
o spring of the Muhe clan, and stripped his status as a court o cial, replacing him with
Zhao Qi, the third son of the Emperor. This was the rst time in the empire’s 300 year history
that the capital’s government o ces were commanded by someone from the Zhao family.
Following this, the power of the three armies of Zhen Huang were completely in the royal
family’s hands.

After Zhao Qi assumed his post, he immediately took control of the armies and carried out
an internal reshu e. Zhao Qi’s biological mother, Empress Dowager Shu, the half-sister of
Wei Guang, the head of Wei clan, obtained the support of the Wei clan’s generals by using
Zhao Qi’s decrees. In just three days, the entire army was reshu ed and reintroduced with
new faces. On the tenth day of the third month, Zhao Qi led the army outside of Zhen Huang
to repair the road personally, endearing himself to the citizens of the capital.

At this moment, the snowstorm outside the capital peaked in intensity. A horse, braving the
strong gale, approached at lightning speed. It was all bleak in front, without any traces of
human beings. The surroundings were all white, making it impossible for anyone to
di erentiate between the di erent directions.

Separated by one slope, Wu Daoya squinted and stood on the snowy ground on the other
side. He wore a green hat and white frost settled on his eyebrows. His face was frozen white
ff
ff
fl
fi
ffl
ff
ffi
fi
fi
ffi
ffl
 but he looked ahead with vigor in his eyes. His expression was calm; no one could make out
what he was thinking.

Chapter 50
“Sir.” A small child, wearing a grey out t, dashed out from the horse carriage, holding a big
gown. He remarked deeply, “Sir, stop waiting. It won’t come. The snow is too heavy, Liu
Huzi said that there would be a big snowstorm later on. We should hurry in our tracks and
reach Que Yu Mountain before dark.”

Wu Daoya was unfazed, as if he had not heard anything. His eyes remained xed towards
the front, an expressionless look on his face.

“Sir?” The child, dazed, tugged at Wu Daoya’s sleeve. “Sir?”

“Ming’er, listen.” The man wearing a green robe suddenly opened his mouth. He sounded a
little hoarse and his voice appeared deeper under the whistling winds. He spoke slowly, with
the grace of the autumn winds.

“Listen?” The child frowned, his ears sticking out. “Sir, what I am to listen to?”

“The sound of horses’ hooves.” Wu Daoya remarked, “It’s here.”

“Horses’ hooves?” Ming’er listened for a long time but could not make out any sound other
than the whistling winds. In this weather, a face-to-face conversation would also prove
di cult, much less the sounds of horses’ hooves from afar. Ming’er stated, “Sir, there is no
sound of horses’ hooves. You must have heard wrong! How about we…”

Before Ming’er had nished his sentence, rapid, crisp sounds of horses’ hooves sounded.
The child looked up in shock. In the snowy plains ahead, a yellow horse slowly appeared at
the end of the horizon. The identity of the gure on the horse was indistinguishable. The
snow got heavier and scattered about, causing visibility to decrease sharply. However, it
was clear that the gure on the horse looked frail, as if they could be blown away by a gust
of wind anytime.

“Sir,” Ming’er remarked in disbelief, “you are divine!”

“Yu!”

A crisp, low sound echoed. The gure dismounted from the horse and approached. She was
wearing a thick green robe. A giant cloak covered her face, leaving only a strand of black
hair visible under her hat. “Luckily I made it in time.” The lady took o her hat, revealing her
skinny face. Her lips were pale. She quickly took out a roll of paper and handed it to Wu
Daoya. The long distance that she had travelled in the cold had obviously taken its toll. She
remarked, panting slightly, “Keep it. It’s all here.”

Wu Daoya frowned. He looked at the lady with an angry expression, then said, “Why didn’t
you send someone else here? It’s so cold out here. Have you recovered from your illness?”

ffi
fi
fi

fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
 The lady shook her head. “No one else could make this trip. Muhe Xifeng is dead, and that
idiot, Muhe Xiyun, has been replaced. The Emperor’s third son is not easy to handle. We lost
a few comrades on the court. As I am a woman, they were less stringent in their checks.”

“Zhao Qi has kept a low pro le for so many years. It’s surprising that his reaction was so
big, considering that he had just assumed the post. Zhao Zhengde has produced some
good o spring indeed.”

“Let’s not talk further, you better be on your way. We are tight on time, as we only have less
than a month. The Prince’s name is becoming more well-known. There are pros and cons. If
we do not stabilize the situation at this moment, we may have to change our plans midway.”

Wu Daoya nodded. “I understand. You must be careful.”

“Alright.” The lady nodded. Her face turned pale and her gaze turned deeper. She replied,
“You too.”

Wu Daoya had a worried look in his eyes. Looking at the lady’s pale face and frail gure, he
sighed helplessly. He turned back, taking the robe from Ming’er’s hands and placing it on
her shoulder. Looking down, he helped her to fasten the robe properly with a gentle look in
his eyes. As he helped her, he remarked, “The weather is becoming colder by the day. You
must be extra careful. This one month is neither long nor short. The situation in the capital is
changing, you must be careful not to act impulsively. Of all the seniors and juniors, only two
of us are left. Yu, I do not want anything to happen to you.”

Lady Yu lowered her head and remained silent. Some thoughts started to formulate in her
mind. Too many things were on her mind, causing her to not know what to say.

“As for things in the court, you must act within your power. Although there were no
casualties when we rescued Master Zhu, our secret rendezvous place was exposed. The
higher-ups will inevitably feel aggrieved. For now, try to tolerate it and do not lose your
temper. Let the factions within the royal capital ght within themselves and do not get
involved. Our motive this time is solely to rescue the prince. As for other matters, it is none
of our business. Do not be overwhelmed by greed and lose your boundaries in the process.

“Also,” Wu Daoya looked up slowly, the calm in his eyes symbolic of a frozen lake during the
winter—where the waves and ripples underneath were not visible. Even his voice sounded
monotone. “You are not in good health. Focus on recuperating, do not use too much e ort.
Once things on this side are settled, I’ll take you to the Tang Empire for a while. Its warm
climate and scenery will aid in your recovery.” As he fastened the last knot, Wu Daoya took
two steps back and looked at the lady. He turned around and walked back. As he walked
back, he waved, “Go back. Be careful on your way.”

“Daoya.” Lady Yu suddenly looked up with a heavy look on her face.

“Hm?” Wu Daoya turned back and asked, frowning, “Is anything else wrong?”

Lady Yu tightened her lips and thought for a long while. She shook her head and replied,
“Nothing much. Let’s wait until you are back before we discuss other matters. Take care.”

ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
 Wu Daoya stared at the young lady. She was not considered a ravishing beauty, given her
skinny face and frail gure. Although she was only 27 or 28, the many years of su ering had
caused wrinkles to appear on her eyelids, and her skin appeared unhealthily pale. It was
precisely this face that caused him to have many concerns that he could not dismiss.

Just like today, for example, this was not an important document. However, he believed that
she would deliver it herself to take one last look at him, although he was still chiding her for
not knowing how to take care of herself.

Even until now, he still remembered the details of their rst meeting vividly. That day, he had
followed his Shifu to the capital of Zhen Huang. On the small bridge at Xi Miao Street, he
saw a little girl being spanked by her master for trying to escape. She was only nine years
old, cutting a skinny and small gure. The prolonged malnutrition had caused her skin to
become jaundiced, making her appear lifeless. However, her big, black eyes, which sparkled
so brightly, exempli ed her feelings of intense resentment and a rugged determination to not
let things slide so easily. At that instant, he knew that this child would de nitely survive. No
matter how many times she failed, she would be able to escape as long as there was still life
within her.

As expected, half a month later, at a winery located outside Ru Nan City, they bumped into
her again. By that time, she was starving, on the brink of death, but she refused to beg for
food. His Shifu adopted her and brought her home. From then on, Tian Ji Mountain had a
new young, female disciple. As for him, it was the start of another long-standing worry.
Seven days ago, Xi Hua perished on the Zuoling Plains located in Yan Bei. Of the 13
disciples which had journeyed down from Tian Ji Mountain together, only two of them
remained.

Wu Daoya reached out his hand, placing it on Lady Yu’s shoulder forcefully. He wanted to
say something, but he suppressed his words. “We’ll talk when I’m back. I’ll take my leave
rst, be careful.”

“Alright,” Lady Yu nodded, “you too.”

Wu Daoya got into his horse carriage. Liu Huzi, dressed in an out t made of dog skin,
rubbed his hands together and cracked his whip. The horse, with a long neigh, started to
move. The snow scattered about and the horse carriage slowly disappeared into the heavy
snowstorm.

No matter what is on our mind, it can be discussed when he gets back. Lady Yu sighed
slightly. The icy snow akes fell on her face, causing her to reminisce about the Huo Lei
Plains in Yan Bei.

Everything was about to end. In a few months, upon rescuing the prince, she could nally
nish her mission. Then, she would be able to journey to Bian Tang, where it was warm,
unlike Hong Chuan, which was snowy half of the time. By that time, she would also be able
to experience the sights as described in books; rafting on the crystal clear lakes and the
fragrance of lotuses in the night.

fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
Yu looked up and took a deep breath. The pressing issue at hand was to ensure that the
prince was rescued safely. She straightened her posture and departed swiftly on her horse.

They had waited too many years. It would not hurt to continue waiting. Although some
things were not able to be said right away, there would be a day where it was divulged.
When that day came, the world would be united and its citizens would live in peace. There
would be no more slavery nor wars.

The cold winds blew from afar, forming mini-whirlwinds on the ground. The white snow
scattered into the air in a circular motion, symbolic of one’s destiny in life— repeated ups
and downs.

At this time, in Sheng Jin palace, a young lady slowly put down her books on the table. She
walked beside the window, looked at the smoke clouds on the horizon and became
distracted momentarily.

Lu Liu, the maidservant, knocked on the door carefully, pulling the door open with
cowardice. She remarked softly, “Miss, there’s someone outside looking for you.”

Here, other than Yan Xun, the rest of the people feared her. Every servant who entered Ying
Ge court was subjected to her stringent checks. She was an intelligence agent in her
previous life and constantly ghting for her life currently. This had caused her to approach
everything with care and caution.

The young lady raised her eyebrows lightly and replied, “Who is it?”

“The guards did not mention anything.” Lu Liu said softly, “Lieutenant Colonel Song from
the frontal city gates came to report personally.”

“Song Que?” Chu Qiao remarked in suspicion. The person in search of her was not simple.
Not only was this person able to enter Sheng Jin palace at will, but they could also
command Song Que to convey a message to her. Who could it be?

“Go and tell Lieutenant Colonel Song that I’ll be right there.” Wearing her coat and
equipping herself with her dagger, Chu Qiao opened the front gates of Ying Ge court. She
saw Song Que, whose face remained as icy as ever. The young lady thought to herself and
sighed, this leader does know how to handle human relationships. It was no wonder that he
had been guarding the city gates from the time Chu Qiao had entered the palace up until
now, with no signs of progress or improvement.

As they walked, they reached the pavilion in the garden of the back palace. This was a place
that Zhao Song liked. When they were young, she would sneak here to receive material
assistance from Zhao Song often. However, she had not been here in a long time.

The woods remained largely similar. Only the plum trees from past times had become
slightly bigger. As it was currently the season where the owers of the plum trees
blossomed, the entire garden was blessed with the aroma of the owers. Lieutenant Colonel
Song, not saying a word, retreated. Chu Qiao ventured inside alone. She had barely taken a
few steps before she saw the shadow of the person that was looking for her.

fi
fl
fl
“Miss Xing’er.” In just a few years, Zhu Cheng had put on some weight, as shown by his
round belly. He still had a smile on his face, not caring about the fact that Chu Qiao had
betrayed the Zhuge family.

Chu Qiao’s expression remained unchanged. She said in a calm voice, “Steward Zhu, my
surname is Chu.”

Zhu Cheng replied with a laugh, “Miss Chu, I was ordered by the young master to look for
you.”

“The young master?” The young lady replied coldly but respectfully, “Which young master?”

Zhu Cheng started, but he still answered her question. “The Fourth Young Master, Zhuge
Yue.”

Chapter 51
“What does he need me for?” Chu Qiao asked Zhu Cheng.

“This is what Master ordered me to give to you.” A long black cloth wrapped around a
slender sword, only the handle was revealed. Chu Qiao knew that the sword was the same
one she used to kill Zhalu’s men.

“Master said that since your sword has now been returned back to you, he wants his own
sword back.”

“It is not with me now.” Chu Qiao furrowed her brow and said, “You should have told me
earlier so that I could have brought it with me.”

“Oh?” Zhu Cheng froze and replied, “I told Lieutenant Colonel Song.”

Chu Qiao sighed and thought to herself, Telling him is as good as not saying anything. She
stretched out her hand to take the sword and said, “I will take the sword rst and then I will
get my men to send his sword over.”

“Miss Chu,” Zhu Cheng looked uncomfortable and replied, “Master said both of you do not
want to have anything to do with each other, so things should be solved as soon as possible
without any delay. How about this? I will wait for you here so you can go back and send
someone to bring the sword here.”

Do not want to have anything to do with each other? Chu Qiao raised her eyebrow as she
took the sword and said, “Fine.” Right after, she turned and left.

Sheng Jin Palace did not allow anyone to carry weapons. Even though there was no one
watching, Chu Qiao still hid the sword inside her fur coat and walked slowly to Ying Ge
court.

Two days later, she would begin her assignment in the Cavalry Camp. This was a very
strange appointment and the timing was also very abrupt, which led Chu Qiao to be

fi
surprised. Even though it was only a low-ranked o cer, it still caused some attention in
government and the public. After all, she was still a woman, especially she was well-known
as Yan Xun’s right hand.

The Emperor of Xia began to use people from Yan Bei? What did that mean? Did he want to
leave the past and bring Yan Xun back to Yan Bei in order to keep the peace?

But that was impossible. After so many years, the Emperor had always turned a blind eye to
Sheng Jin palace’s in ghting towards Yan Xun. Even though he did not personally do
anything, as an emperor, his indi erent attitude encouraged others with ulterior motives to
exterminate Yan Xuan. If not for Yan Xun and Chu Qiao’s cautiousness, they might have
already died after rounds of arrow shooting.

The Emperor of Xia had once killed Yan Xun’s own parents and brothers in front of Yan
Xuan. Within a night, he managed to knock down a beast into the pits of hell. Then, it was
absolutely impossible to let Yan Xun return to Yan Bei. It was not like the Emperor did not
want to kill him, but it was because he failed to do so.

The date of Yan Xun’s return was approaching. How could he hand Yan Bei over to that
resentful beast so easily?

So, what was the intention of the Emperor’s appointment? There was almost no one who
really knew Zhen Huang City. Chu Qiao was Yan Xun’s strongest aide. Chu Qiao, who was
not even 15 years old, had been protecting Yan Xun for the past seven years in many life or
death situations. She was very agile and had amazing swordsmanship. Maybe the Emperor
really liked her and planned to protect and nurse her? Or, was it to remove Yan Xun’s
protection in order to eliminate her as one of his competitors?

No one knew the real reason, hence many speculations circulated. Chu Qiao knew that
things were never that simple and that she had not gured out the answer to the problem.

Around Chang Xuan Street was Xuan Men Road. There were high, red walls on both sides of
the road, with bright yellow tiles that were covered with snow. Loud footsteps suddenly
sounded. Chu Qiao frowned and thought, Was I wrong about today? Was there a court
meeting today?

Those attending the court meeting were high-level o cials from Sheng Jin palace. Chu Qiao
needed to kneel and leave the room. She walked to the corner of the wall and knelt against
it. Her head drooped down as her fur coat covered her facial features, only revealing her
white and smooth neck.

Light footsteps approached her and stopped by her side. A deep voice sounded from above
her head. “Raise your head.” Chu Qiao frowned and slowly straightened her body. Out of all
places, she had met her enemies here. Her luck today was really bad.

Her face was as smooth as jade under the re ection of the snow. Her eyes were as black as
ink, and her gure was slender. Even though she was skinny, she was very independent and
calm. She was still young and her body was not fully grown, but she had a very cold aura
around her.

fi
fi
ff
fl
ffi
fi
ffi
 The man’s eyes narrowed slowly as his right hand clenched unconsciously. The red sun
shone on them, giving the snow a red glow. His middle, ring, and little nger were broken
and had golden buckles to cover them up.

“Hit her.” A deep voice suddenly echoed in the wind. The guards on both sides, who already
started gearing up, immediately came around. A strong looking man stepped up and raised
his large hands to slap her harshly.

Bang. His hand was about to hit her face when she suddenly cut in and grabbed him. Chu
Qiao raised her head and said, with no expression on her face, “Master Wei, you ordered
your servants to hurt me, shouldn’t you give me a reason as to why you do this?”

“Reason?” Wei Jing’s mouth turned into a smile as he replied, “My reason is that you, a
mere slave, dare to disagree with my words.”

“Master Wei, if your memory is good, then you should remember that your majesty took
away my slave identity and granted me the position of an archery coach at The Dauntless
Cavalry Camp. You and I are now on the same level and should work together to serve our
empire of Xia. I knelt to show you my respect as courtesy for an aristocrat. Otherwise, given
your current position, you do not deserve my kneeling. Afterall, you were just removed from
the o ce and became a common civilian. Do you still dare to walk around Sheng Jin palace
so arrogantly?”

Chu Qiao’s expression was cold as she pushed the hand away and got up. She brushed her
knee gently and said, “I still have things to do, I shall take my leave rst.”

“How dare you!” Wei Jing screamed and then said calmly, “I will kill you today. Let’s see who
dares to help you! Get her!” Just as he nished his sentence, four ghters charged forward
and aimed at Chu Qiao’s head!

Chu Qiao never knew Wei Jing was so bold. Besides carrying a weapon in Sheng Jin
palace, he even dared to start a ght. However, since time waits for no one, she had no time
to think. Without any fancy moves, only the sound of bones cracking could be heard. In no
time, the guard who charged at her had many bone fractures and was screaming out in
pain.

Chu Qiao dodged his long sword and kicked backwards, hitting a guard’s chest as if she
had eyes in the back of her head. The guard let out a cry as blood spurted out of his mouth,
and he staggered backwards.

She extended both of her arms like lightning, one grabbing a guard’s wrist, another holding
onto a knife. She used ninja-like skills to stab him accurately and relentlessly. Before they
even felt the pain, they fell to the ground. Everything happened in a ash. The four skilled
guards were all defeated, injured and no longer able to continue ghting.

The winds blew hard as Chu Qiao stood in the middle of the four men lying on the ground.
She looked calm, standing tall and covered in a long fur coat of. She gave o a very cold
and energetic aura, as if she hadn’t moved a single nger from the start. She coldly stared at
Wei Jing, whose face was lled with resentment, and said mildly, “Move out of the way.”

ffi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
ff
Wei Jing’s face became pale as he thought about his hatred for her for cutting o his ngers,
and he lost his cool. “Kill her!” he shouted with a low voice, sounding like a ghost in hell.

The cold wind blew through the doorway and across the hallway between the two high
walls, resulting a huge mound of snow. More than ten guards marched forward and
squatted in front of Wei Jing with one knee on the oor. With one arm in the back, all of
them took out the arrow from their back and presented it to him!

Chu Qiao’s brow furrowed as she carefully stepped back. Wei Jing dared to carry a
crossbow into the palace, what did it mean? After the Qi and Zhao family got more power,
did the Wei family also extend their power, or did he get a special exception and was
allowed to carry weapons into the palace?

Before she could even nish processing her own thoughts, a bunch of arrows ew towards
her. Due to close range archery, the arrows were as powerful as thunder and shot through
the cold air towards Chu Qiao!

Chu Qiao dived on the ground and rolled in front of the guard, whose bones she had
cracked earlier, and grabbed him by his collar. Only popping sounds could be heard as
blood splattered everywhere. By the time he was going to start screaming, he was already
being used as a shield. In no time he was covered with arrows and fell to the ground.

Chu Qiao used the chance to kick his body forcefully, sending his body ying into the row of
archers, breaking their formation. Chu Qiao took the opportunity to ght them with lightning
speed. She grabbed onto the head of a big guard, twisted her arm, and pulled out a bunch
of his hair!

All those who were watching were stunned. Looking at how cruelly their partners were being
killed caused them to be too scared to even attack. Chu Qiao’s expressionless and cold
face was like a dark monster’s. Wherever she went, she would cause a mess. She was very
accurate; every move would harm the enemy.

Until this moment, the people all understood that “one man guards the pass, but ten
thousand cannot get through.” However, it was only a thin and fragile looking girl standing in
front of them.

The guards’ shots started to become weaker as their faces turned pale. Chu Qiao’s
professional ghting skills and antagonistic persona caused these guards to become
frightened.

In an instant, Chu Qiao had killed all of them. Wei Jing’s eyes had a hint of panic as he
hurriedly grabbed the sword at his waist. However, within the next second, Chu Qiao had
already kicked away the remaining two guards in front of him and was about to grab him.

Chu Qiao’s hands looked scarier than knives at that point. Carrying the burden to protect
their master, two guards swiftly took their swords and started attacking Chu Qiao.

Her speed was incredible! Chu Qiao jumped up into the air, extended her leg, and
mercilessly kicked a guard’s neck.

fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
ff
fi
Taking advantage of this situation, Wei Jing quickly retreated behind two guards. When Chu
Qiao turned around, he would be much farther away. No matter how fast Chu Qiao was, her
arm would not be long enough to reach him.

Fast-paced footsteps approached in the distance. It was no doubt that the ght had been
heard by the people in the palace. Wei Jing, who was originally arrogant and determined to
kill Chu Qiao, secretly lled with glee. Then, a shadow appeared as a black gure leapt into
the air. Wei Jing felt something cold on his neck, as a black and white sword stopped at his
throat!

Chapter 52
The young girl was covered in white fox fur and had black hair. Her eyes were as dark as ink
and with her head drooped, she stared coldly at Master Wei who had a shocked expression.
A contemptuous smile crossed Chu Qiao’s face.

“Stop right there!” The head of the gate guards, Song Que, immediately walked to the front
and said, “Who dares to start a ght within the palace? Everybody stop!”

Chu Qiao stared at Wei Jing, whose face was pale, with a hint of ridicule in her eyes and
removed her sword.

“Song Que,” Wei Jing struggled to catch his breath and said, “who is she to carry weapons
within the palace?”

Song Que noticed that he did not mention starting a ght but only talked about the
possession of weapons. He could not help but frown. Even though Song Que was stubborn,
he was not a fool. He wanted to survive in the court, so he could not o end families with
power and in uence. Song Que tried to resist his suspicion and turned around and said to
Chu Qiao, “Miss Chu, can you explain to me why you are carrying a weapon within the
palace?”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows lightly and shifted her gaze towards Wei Jing’s swords and
crossbows. Without saying anything, she conveyed the message that they had weapons
with them as well.

Song’s face turned red, as he could not say anything.

However, Wei Jing shouted back, “Who are you to compare yourself to me? Not only do you
have weapons within the palace, but you also dared to start a ght with a prince. Let’s see
who else will side with you. Song, what do you think of this situation?”

Song Que frowned but did not dare to o end Master Wei, whose temper had changed after
he had lost his ngers. Just as he was about to speak, a clear voice suddenly sounded from
behind him. Everyone was stunned as they uniformly turned their head around.

“It was me who I asked her to carry that sword.”

fl
fi

fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
 Someone with a tall frame, sitting on a dark horse, slowly approached them. Zhuge Yue
wore a sabal coat as he rode his horse closer to them. He reached out towards the girl
below and said, “How long were you planning to make me wait? Give it to me.”

Without saying a word, Chu Qiao stared into his indi erent eyes. The cold wind blew as they
continued making eye contact. All the doubt and hatred from the past reignited and it would
never be forgotten. It felt like a long time had passed but it was actually only a short
moment. Chu Qiao nally extended her arm and handed the sword over to Zhuge Yue.

“Song Que, this is why I asked you to nd her for me. I left my sword at Prince Yan’s Ying
Ge Court, and I wanted this maid to go get it and return it to me.”

Song Que nodded his head and replied, “I see. I understand now.”

Zhuge Yue looked at the men lying on the ground and said calmly, “I told you to fetch the
sword, but you started practising martial arts from Master Wei’s people instead, as if there
are no rules in this place. Is this how Prince Yan trains his people?”

Practising martial arts? Chu Qiao’s expression changed as she suddenly felt angry. Just as
she was about to speak up, Zhuge Yue turned towards Master Wei and said, “Master Wei, I
will take her away.” Right after completing his sentence, he turned away and was prepared
to leave.

“This matter has nothing to do with the Fourth Master. What is the reason for the Fourth
Master to take her away?” Wei Jing snorted and said unhappily.

Zhuge Yue turned around with his eyebrows raised and said, “Master Wei, are you saying
that I am being a busybody? You were just promoted to be able to hold a weapon in court,
yet you immediately ordered all your people to possess weapons. Master Wei, you reacted
too fast.”

Wei Jing’s anger started to boil. Without a chance to speak, Zhuge Yue continued, “If
today’s ght gets out and word spreads, you will not bene t from it at all. Master Wei, you
were born aristocracy, it is important to understand the pros and cons. You must distinguish
between primary and secondary and weigh the severity of your actions. If Master Wei Guang
was here today, he would not be happy about this.”

Wei Jing’s eyes turned and he could not utter a word. He understood the potential outcome
of this situation. However, he could not forgive and forget what Chu Qiao had done, so every
time he saw her, he wanted to get his revenge on her.

“Let’s go,” Zhuge Yue said slowly as he turned his horse around.

Song bowed deeply towards Zhuge Yue. Chu Qiao looked at Wei Jing’s eyes which were
lled with anger, then followed Zhuge Yue.

Snow drifted down from the sky as night fell. Along both sides of the Xuan Men road, snow
constantly ew around. As Chu Qiao followed behind Zhuge Yue, she gradually started to
disappear into the ying snow.

fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
 Wei Jing clenched his teeth and suddenly let out an angry howl. He kicked one of his
servants in his abdomen and walked away angrily.

The blue lake was covered with snow and the scenery was as beautiful as a picture. There
was an exquisite stone arch bridge across the lake, which was connected to a pavilion.
There were two gures standing under the pavilion. The man wore a sable coat and had a
handsome face with thick eyebrows and a trace of an evil aura. While the woman, who was
not yet 15 years old, was wearing a white fox fur coat and looked small and re ned.

These two people were Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao, who had just left Xuan Men road.

“I was not planning to save you. I just happened to think Wei Jing was being a nuisance, so
you do not have to thank me.”

Chu Qiao raised her head and said with a cold expression, “I don’t have the intention of
thanking you.”

Zhuge Yue let out a chuckle and replied, “You are just as stubborn, despite seven years
having passed. It seems like Yan Xun did not teach you how to please people.”

“You are also the same. Looks like Wolong Mountain’s wise man did not teach you what is
stupid. You are still so arrogant.”

As her voice faded, Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows, straightened his stance, and retreated
anxiously. At the same time, Chu Qiao, who was originally standing calmly, suddenly rushed
forward with intense tactics and nimble actions, about to grasp Zhuge Yue’s hand. Zhuge
Yue stretched out his arm to block, but grabbed her wrists instead. Chu Qiao turned back
exibly, ipped over, and kicked. She landed outside the pavilion and on top of the frozen
lake. The snow immediately stopped ying around.

The long sword that was wrapped in black cloth had a very sharp blade that re ected the
light. Her impressive sword skills cut through the air, causing the snow to y around in a
frenzy.

Zhuge Yue did not have any weapons with him so he broke a branch o of a plum tree next
to the pavilion to prepare himself for the ght.

From afar, in the midst of the wind and snow, the frozen lake was covered in a blanket of
snow. Two shadows were ghting vigorously with each other. The image was undeniably
beautiful. The winds swept up the snow and fog, causing the owers to oat about in the air,
creating a mixture of red and white in the sky.

Chu Qiao’s white fur coat drifted with the wind. After a long ght, they came to a draw in the
end.

Just at this moment, Chu Qiao suddenly slipped, and due to her instability, Zhuge Yue
managed to hit the sword out of her hands.

fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
ff
fl
fl
fi
fl
 Chu Qiao was shocked. With one hand on the ground, she tried to stand up. Just as she put
force to step on the ice, there was a big crunch. The ice started to crack as ice cold water
started to ow out.

She was surprised and shouted for help. However, it was too late to run away as her body
started to sink.

Before it was too late, Zhuge Yue quickly grabbed Chu Qiao’s arm, and with great force,
pulled her back up.

“You are still so stupid!” A cold dagger appeared at Zhuge Yue’s throat. Chu Qiao looked
erce and sneered at him. She said, “You have been deceived by me in the past. Even after
seven years, you still have not learned?”

Zhuge Yue let out a cold laugh as the corner of his lips started to curl up. He replied, “Must
you always be so con dent?” With the sharp dagger in his hand, Zhuge Yue held the dagger
tightly against Chu Qiao’s vest. Even a slight movement, would cause the blade to cut into
her skin.

An eye for an eye! They were of the same match! It was hard to conclude who would win!

The cold wind suddenly blew, mixing with the cold snow that hit their faces. They were
standing close to each other, with their breathing matched and skin touching. From afar, it
looked like they were embracing each other a ectionately. Only in the vicinity of the plum
owers could the tense atmosphere be felt.

“Zhuge Yue, between you and me, there will never be a day when we forgive each other. The
reason why I will not kill you today is because I do not want to implicate Yan Xun. I will give
you a chance to leave with your head on your shoulders. As long as I’m alive, your head is
not yours.”

Zhuge Yue sco ed and replied, “You?”

“Yes, me!” Chu Qiao said each and every word rmly, “Children of the Jing family will not die
for nothing.”

“Good!” He let go of her and walked back to pick up the sword on the ground. Zhuge Yue
stood under the plum trees and said coldly, “I’ll wait for you. When you have the ability,
come back for this sword.”

The north wind swept up intensely as Chu Qiao stood still, watching Zhuge Yue gradually
walk away with her sts clenched tightly.

Everything that had happened was just an act.

As their planned return day to Yan Bei approaching, when would she get the time to be
bothered by Zhuge Yue? When Zhuge Yue let her go and did not reveal her identity, Xiao Ba
died in her position as the one who killed old grand master Zhuge. Now that Zhuge Yue was
back, Chu Qiao was back in danger again.

fi
fl
fl
ff
fi
fi
ff
fi
Let him wait. As long as Zhuge Yue did not take the initiative to attack or reveal her identity,
Yan Xun would have more precious time to deploy his plan.

Whether or not Zhuge Yue believed it, it was still worth a try.

Chu Qiao stood there for a while and left the plum garden. On the other side of the blue
lake, the owers and trees were shaking.AhJingg and Yan Xun walked out of the pine forest.

“Ah Jing, were you discovered by Zhuge Yue when you were leading him to Xuan Men
Road?”

“No,” AhJing rmly replied, “I was very careful.”

Yan Xun nodded his head and said in a low voice, “Okay then.”

“Prince,” AhJing frowned and asked, “why are you so sure Zhuge Yue will help Chu Qiao?”

“Haha!” Yan Xun chuckled lightly and replied, “Surely, he himself will also consider this
question. Why will he help her?” Yan Xun said something that AhJingg could not
understand, “Perhaps only I know him well enough as I understand why he would do so.
AhJing, next time you have to pay attention. Zhuge family is already involved. The situation
is getting more complicated. There needs to be an increase in night patrol. Kill any
suspicious person.”

AhJing was stunned. He asked in shock, “Kill? Prince, is that really ok?”

Chapter 53
“Don’t worry, absolutely ok, because even if their people died, no one would dare to say a
word about it. The deeper the chaos is, the better it will be for us.” Yan Xun lifted his head
and looked at the gray sky while muttering, “It is time to start.”

After returning to Ying Ge court, the sky was already pitch black. The servant in charge of
lighting up the area, Xiao Lizi, was standing at the door. When he saw Chu Qiao had
returned safely he was overjoyed and ran up to her and said while smiling, “Miss, you have
returned.”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows and asked, “What happened?”

Xiao Lizi replied, “Nothing happened. Just now when the prince came back, he asked for
you. When he heard you left, he took AhJing with him to go nd you.”

“Oh, how long have they been gone?” Chu Qiao nodded and replied.

“It has been awhile.” Xiao Lizi replied while attentively making sure the lantern was lit.
Suddenly, Chu Qiao headed towards the direction of Lan Tian garden. He immediately stood
in her way and said, “Miss, there are slaves cleaning the snow, let’s go his way.”

Chu Qiao was stunned and raised her head slowly. She stared softly at him, not saying a
word.

fl
fi

fi
 Xiao Lizi had an awkward expression on his face and murmured nervously, “That road is not
easy to walk.”

Chu Qiao looked serious and grabbed his arm. Just as she dragged him to the main
entrance, they heard the soft and tender sounds of girls and servants bowing down on the
oor. Chu Qiao stopped in her tracks and stood in front of the entrance. She was calm and
waited for a long time before asking quietly, “Who sent them here?”

“Northwest Supervisor, Ji Wenting.”

Chu Qiao frowned and said in a serious voice, “Him, again.” Chu Qiao sounded angry. Xiao
Lizi faltered and looked helplessly at her for fear that she would walk in.

In an instant, Chu Qiao swiftly turned her body around and walked towards her room. While
walking, she said seriously, “Tell them to keep their voices down and not to disturb me.”

Xiao Lizi stared into the distance, facing the direction of Chu Qiao’s room, as he could not
comprehend what she said. This place was quite far from Chu Qiao’s room, no matter how
loud the sound was, it was probably impossible for her to hear it from there.

During dinner time, people were sent to call for Chu Qiao. After calling twice, Chu Qiao did
not come out. Prince Yan Bei sighed, but in his heart, he was secretly happy. Just as he was
about to go into her room, Chu Qiao came out wearing all white. She was obviously wearing
a men’s dress; it seemed like she did not change out of it ever since she came back.

Yan Xun was stunned and asked, “AhChu, what were you doing just now?”

Chu Qiao raised her head and said with a calm expression, “I have a few questions that I
want to discuss with you regarding the approval of the draft for Bian Yang Canal spring
festival.”

A wave of disappointment hit Yan Bei as he straightened his body and said, “Come and eat
rst.”

“Okay.” Chu Qiao nodded and replied, “I’m a little hungry.” She sat down and started eating.
Yan Xun frowned as he looked at Chu Qiao eating without speaking a word. He could not
see any irritation or abnormal expression on her face. He began to feel bored.

It was very cold outside. There were sparse stars in the sky as the snow nally started to
stop.

“The Bian Yang spring festival must be stepped up. Especially since the governor of the
river was replaced, the water transport is not operating. Time is running out; we need to
make plans.” She put down her chopsticks, and her voice was cold. She pulled out a white
paper from her arms and said while watching, “Li City’s o cer who is in charge of salt, came
to work last month. He is Wei Fa’s relative, Wei Yan. After he started work, he redesigned the
process of salt transportation. The salt miners were not satis ed and uneasy. Lady Yu told
us to be careful as people are always leery about change. This problem is related to both
Shang Dang and Peng Ze family. In times of need, their actions play a big part. There needs
fi
fl
ffi
fi
fi
 to be a person to take over Xi Hua’s position. I recommend He Qi to take over, what do you
think?”

Yan Xun nodded his head and replied, “You see how it goes and then decide.”

Seeing that Yan Xun was very restless, Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows and asked, “Are you
tired?”

He replied, with no interest whatsoever, “I’m okay.”

“You should rest.” Chu Qiao said while standing up, “Prince of Tang will reach the imperial
capital soon. The Emperor’s birthday is approaching. The messenger from Huai Song is also
on the way. The real deal is about to come. The rest will have to be put aside for the time
being.”

Yan Xun did not speak a word as he watched Chu Qiao turn around and leave. A
maidservant, dressed in a robe, chased after her as their gured disappeared in the long
corridor. He sighed quietly and leaned back in his chair while gently rubbing his temples. On
this day, a secret message was sent. He needed to deal with court o cials and royal
members. All of those problems were much easier compared to the problems regarding Chu
Qiao.

“AhJing,” Yan Xun said softly, “send the women from Ji Wenting out.”

“Prince?” AhJing was shocked and replied, “I thought you wanted to act like you are
indulged by women? By doing so, I am afraid Ji Wenting would be disappointed. ”

Yan Xun shook his head, let out a sigh and said, “Those who are deceived by such
super cial means are not worthy worrying. Those we need to pay attention to will not be
confused by this kind of play. Hence, it is better to be humane. Especially…” The next
sentence was said very vaguely, and AhJing did not hear it clearly. Yan Xun’s lips gently
closed as he slowly closed his eyes. Compared to AhChu’s trust, Ji Wenting was not worth
mentioning. Although, she did not necessarily care.

Yan Xun comforted himself and thought, AhChu is still a child after all. Although, she never
acted like a child.

“Your highness,” Lu Liu ran back and handed him a box of instruments and said, “This is
what Chu Qiao just approved.”

Yan Xun ipped through the thick stacks of documents and was about to stop ipping when
his eyes suddenly lit up and he said, “Why are these letters not open?”

The servant scratched her head and replied, “Chu Qiao said that saying nothing was more
attering than words. She told me to tell the messengers to let their masters think of
something new next time.”

Yan Xun was surprised and then revealed a hint of happiness in his expression. His eyes
smiled and he handed the letter to AhJing while saying, “Just do as AhChu said.” Then, he
stood up and walked back to his study with light footsteps.

fl
fi
fl
fi
ffi
fl
 AhJing looked back in confusion. He looked down at the letter he was holding and saw that
on the cover, there was a word “Ji” written on it. The paper also smelled fragrant.

On the second day, the vice general Cheng of the Dauntless Cavalry Camp sent over
crossbows and shooting equipment for Chu Qiao to inspect. Chu Qiao’s few young maids
were so excited that they gesticulated with their hands and commented that no woman had
ever become the Dauntless Cavalry Camp’s coach! How those noble young masters would
feel when they were taught by a fteen year old girl.

As the group talked, Chu Qiao secretly listened. Not to mention the meaning of the
Emperor’s move, but could those high ranking o cials stand being coached by a small
woman? Even if they were very open-minded and her status was very high, it was quite
impossible. After all, women faced discrimination in the army. No matter how brave they
were, the rate of promotion was far less than that of men. After thinking, even someone as
smart as her started to feel anxious.

“Miss Chu,” AhJing suddenly walked up to her from behind and said, “the prince said that
he would be back late tonight so you should eat rst. There is no need to wait for him.”

Chu Qiao was stunned. All these years, Yan Xun had always been low-key. Although the
situation had been worse lately, he would never wander outside that late at night.

“Did anything happen?”

“No.” AhJing smiled and replied, “Do not worry, Miss.”

Seeing how he did not mention anything, Chu Qiao stopped asking.

At night, Chu Qiao did not eat as she was alone. She only ate some cakes while getting
warm by the re in her room as she was too lazy to move around. These two years, she had
been running outside to cultivate the outside forces and had not had such a leisurely life in a
long time.

Although the owner of Sheng Jin palace restrained his actions and did not allow him to
leave the imperial capital, he was not very strict about the control over Yan Xun’s men. Chu
Qiao did not want to understand the intention of the Emperor. Is he ignoring the fact that
Yan Xun’s forces have been secretly developing? What is his plan?

In the current empire, the current country had been split into di erent parts. It was not
something that could be easily solved by just a word from the emperor. Did the emperor
really have the power to control the country?

Within the seven families in power, Mu of Ling Nan, Helian of Huai Yin, and Shang of Dong
Yue had always been low-key and had remained neutral in all the ghts. Over the years,
although some people had the power and authority to exercise their rights and privileges,
they had always maintained their position. Especially in recent years, Muhe and Wei’s high
pro le allowed the rest of the families to lose power. However, these families accumulated
their power from generation to generation. Temporary peace does not mean that there is no
greed. Once they had the opportunity, they would certainly ght back to seek greater power.
fi
fi
fi
ffi
fi
fi
ff
fi
 These people were like arrows in the night. It was impossible to know when these arrows
would be shot.

However, the Muhe family, which had been very powerful had been gradually decreasing
due to the death of Muhe Yunting, the previous generation’s owner. The women in the family
were respected, and Muhe Nayun was the Queen and gave birth to three sons, emperor
Zhao Che, Zhao Jue and Zhao Teng. However, this was not enough to bring back the
family’s name and power. Before this, Muhe had always been supporting Zhao Jue to be the
emperor to help bring the family up again and become better than the Presbyterian.
However, he was killed by the Emperor. Zhao Teng was still young. The Muhe family had no
choice but to support Zhao Che to become the emperor. However, Zhao Che did not like his
mother’s plans for him. Hence, he did not obey her desires and caused their relationship
disseminate.

Some families were happy while some families were sad. Muhe was worried, but Wei Fa was
very delighted. Wei Guang had been waiting for this chance for many years and nally
accumulated enough strength to take today’s throne. Even though Shu Guifei had been
living in the palace for many years, the emperor did not love her. Hence, her position was
below the Empress. The emperor had always liked Zhao Qi and Zhao Song. At a young age,
Zhao Song was granted a high, royal position. After Zhao Che, Zhao Song was the one who
got a piece of land from the emperor. Zhao Qi had a lot of power in his hands as the
emperor trusted him. The Wei family then started to rise again.

The Batuha family came from another nation. One hundred years ago, they were the
emperor of the northeast area. After the Emperor claimed them, they became ministers in
the Presbyterian. However, the other families did not like them as they were the “outsiders”.
Hence, the Batuhas started to try to get closer to the Muhe family. Now that the Muhe family
has lost their power, Batuha also began to follow suit.

Chapter 54
On the other hand, the Zhuge family was very confusing. Many people were willing to
compare Zhuge with the Mus and the Helians. But Chu Qiao knew that the Zhuge family
would not be so simple. Hidden under Zhuge Muqing’s ordinary face, was his unfathomable,
irreconcilable, and cunning calculations. The Zhuge family had been rich and powerful for
300 years. Deep down, this family did not look as gentle and powerless as it appeared, one
could tell by looking at how Zhuge Yue and Zhuge Huai were raised.

In the army, Meng Tian, Le Xing and other generals, who mostly relied on powerful families
and imperial power, were unable to form a powerful team. Secondly, seigniors lived in
di erent parts. They were not strong enough to go against the imperial Xia.

20 years ago, seigniors in Jiang Nan area had once tried ganging up against imperial Xia.
However, the result was that they were defeated and suppressed. King Ling of Lingxi, King
Jing, and King Yan Shicheng were all survivors from that battle. The rest of the seigniors had
vanished. Their family members were all killed and only 20% to 30% of them were still alive.

ff

fi
 During the year of the massacre of the royal family, although King Yan Shicheng was not
involved in this incident, he helped the other royal families plead for forgiveness, and as a
result was incriminated. He was expelled from the Zhao’s temple and had to change his
surname to Yan. He was sent to Yan Bei and was not allowed to return to the capital.

Today, were there still people who remembered that the Yan family was also part of the royal
family of Xia and grew up drinking the same breast milk as King Zhao Zhengde?

Chu Qiao smiled. Being the emperor was really not that easy. From the beginning of the
construction of the great Xia dynasty, he had been losing his royal rights. Compared to the
kings of Hua Xia, who all mastered military and political power, Zhao Zhengde was nowhere
close in comparison.

At this time, she heard the sound of a door opening. Chu Qiao glanced at the window with
her ears perked up.

“Miss, are you sleeping?” Lu Liu’s voice sounded from outside the door. Chu Qiao replied,
and the servant carefully walked into the room.

“Miss Chu, it is very cold tonight. Let me help you change the re.”

Chu Qiao nodded her head and said, “Has his highness come back?”

“Yes,” the servant replied, “I heard Xiao Lizi say that the prince went to Jin Xiao Pavillion and
invited several generals from the Dauntless Cavalry Camp for dinner. He also sent the
dancers, given by Ji Wengting, to them.”

Chu Qiao was stunned and looked at the replace without saying a word.

“Miss Chu?” The servant called out to her.

Chu Qiao raised her head and replied, “Yes?”

“If there’s nothing, can I leave?”

Chu Qiao nodded and said, “Yes, you can leave.”

“Rest easy,” the servant replied and closed the door. The wind outside suddenly became
stronger and louder as it blew through the windows. The voice in the front yard gradually
became smaller and everything returned to quiet.

In ve days, Chu Qiao would start coaching in the Dauntless Cavalry Camp. It was obvious
why Yan Xun treated the generals a meal. They agreed to be frank with each other, not to
hide anything, and to trust each other forever so that they never felt hostile with one another.
However, with age, some things just couldn’t be said honestly to each other. For example, it
was hard for her to tell him her messy relationship with Zhuge Yue, her displeasure with the
aristocratic life, and that she did not like the other face Yan Xun put on when he needed to
social.

fi
fi
fi
 However, there were still some things that would not change. The deep understanding of
each other’s hearts and their common friendship allowed them to silently do the best for
each other. Without the need to say it aloud, when facing the bizarre outside world, they
would always be close comrades. Through life and death.

Just like the night of a big snowstorm many years ago, she was looking for medicine when
she was beaten up and wounded. She was covered in scars while taking slow steps in the
midst of the heavy snow and embracing the precious herbs in her arms. She was on her
way back when she spotted young Yan Xun, who was very sick, looking for her in the midst
of the bamboo forest. He was softly shouting her name.

That day, Yan Xun was very ill but he still carried the wounded girl. He was pale and his lips
turned purple as he walked alone in the dark night with the girl on his back. Even though he
faltered, his expression was still very rm. He knelt in front of her bed and held her hand. He
whispered to the girl, who looked like she was going to faint at anytime, that this life would
not allow her to be bullied, and to stay strong. At that time, they did not dare to speak loudly
at night. But that sentence stuck deeply in her mind and she was very grateful to him.

On the second day, Wei Jing brought people once again. Young Yan Xun, who had no
power, had his pinky nger cut o . If not for Zhao Song’s timely arrival, he could have had
his whole hand cut o . That night, it was the rst and last time Chu Qiao cried after she
entered Sheng Jin palace.

When she was undernourished, she did not shed tears. When she was bullied, she did not
shed tears. When she was being whipped and punished, all she did was widen her eyes and
rmly memorize the enemy’s appearance without revealing a trace of fear. But that day,
when Yan Xun’s nger got cut o , and he refused to let her see his wound, she could not
hold it in and cried.

She could endure hunger, pain, and be looked down on by others. She could endure such
su erings, as she knew that when she grew up, she could always run away from her
situation. She could get her revenge as long as she was patient and had time. But she
would not stand for the people around her getting hurt. Now that Yan Xun’s nger was hurt,
who could cure him?

That night, she cried for a long time. Yan Xun was at a loss and ended up hugging her in an
awkward manner while patting her back. He lifted his right hand and said that only a small
section was cut o , and that it would not deter him from continuing sword training. He could
still eat, write, he was okay.

This was the rst time Chu Qiao had cried so badly. She shed more tears as compared to
that time in the Zhuge family’s house. A long time later, she then realized that because she
had always been alone, even when there were children around her, she did not feel a sense
of belonging. However, on the day that Yan Xun lost his nger, she nally felt like she had
someone who cared for her. That was why she could let go and show her emotions as a
form of weakness.

Both of them were lonely in this world, they had no one else but each other.

fi
ff
fi
fi
ff
ff
fi
ff
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
The light from the re shone on Chu Qiao’s face as the night became darker. Chu Qiao
raised her head and looked at the swaying shadows of the trees. She slowly shrank back on
the couch and skipped her dinner. She was quietly waiting for someone to knock on the
door.

“AhChu.” At last, a soft voice came from outside, “Are you sleeping?”

Chu Qiao’s lips lifted slightly and formed a smile. There was no sound coming from outside
after that. After a while, she jumped o the couch and ran to the door with her bare feet.

The door creaked open but there was no one outside. A carved food box sat quietly on the
ground in front of her door, with a note attached to it. She picked it up and saw a very
familiar handwriting:

I know you sleep late, so if you are hungry, eat this duck. I removed the fat so don’t be
scared that you will get fat.

Chu Qiao raised her head and saw a black bamboo umbrella held over her head. A gure,
wearing a white fox cloak, stood in the middle of the hallway. She remembered last time
when they stood next to the Chi Shui lake, Yan Xun warned Chu Qiao, “If I help you one
more time, my surname won’t be Yan.” Perhaps, only in front of her, he would occasionally
reveal what he looked like that year.

He actually did not change because of her existence. Chu Qiao would always have a special
place in his heart. No one else could replace her.

Chu Qiao held the food box while staring blankly into the distance. The snow drifted along
the sky and disappeared into the surrounding.

Two days later, it was the Eighth Princess Zhao Chun’er’s hair ceremony. The eighth
princess and Zhao Che were born from the same mother, and she was the most respected
princess out of the whole royal family. Hence, her ceremonies were naturally the most
extravagant.

Because of the dispute on the day of hunting, Yan Xun’s patience was gradually decreasing.
He told Ah Jing to send a gift just to get it over and done with. When Chu Qiao was ipping
through the gift list, Yan Xun was drinking his tea in the hall. There were a few congratulatory
sentences on the gift list and below was the actual gift: two pairs of jade Ruyi, four gold
lions, and eight rolls of brocade. They were all not expensive and not shabby, so they were
perfect.

Chu Qiao shook her head and wondered what Zhao Chun’er would feel after receiving the
gift. For so many years, Princess Chun’s love for Prince Yan Xun had already spread within
the capital. Muhe Nayun Queen tried to intervene in this matter. However, Zhao Chun’er was
stubborn. Besides Yan Xun, he did not listen to anybody else. Xia Huang did not care about
her, so she became even more carefree.

“AhChu, if we have the opportunity to go to the Tang empire, we need to see the Lichee
Garden and taste the Zhu Shun wine.”

fi
ff
fi
fl
Chu Qiao looked up. The sunshine was excellent that day and the snow had stopped. She
was called to the greenhouse early in the morning by Yan Xun. Both of them did not speak a
single word the whole afternoon. She was reading while he drank his tea. Suddenly, when
she heard him say that sentence, she replied, “Okay, when there’s an opportunity, we shall
go together.”

Looking at her happy face, Yan Xun also let out a smile and said, “AhChu has grown into a
beautiful young lady.”

Chu Qiao laughed and replied, “What did you eat today? How are your words so sweet? Or
are you too used to speaking like that outside that you cannot break the habit?”

Yan Xun shook his head slightly and said, “You still don’t understand. I only hang out with
other girls outside for putting on the show to confuse others. AhChu, you are still the most
beautiful woman in the world and no one can compare to you.” His words came out
extremely naturally. Chu Qiao heard it and was stunned for a while. Her cheeks were slightly
red and a slight smile crept on her face.

Even though they were close, they had never disclosed their real feelings. After all these
years, they were like comrades and families, but had no romantic talks at all. After hearing
what Yan Xun said, Chu Qiao, who had lived two lives, could not help but got a bit nervous.

“AhChu,” Yan Xun suddenly became serious, looked at her sincerely and said, “Both of us
have known each other for eight years. During that time, we shared the same weal and woe.
Now that all the hardships are over, and after we are done with here and go back to Yan Bei,
we shall…”

Before he could nish his sentence, AhJing’s voice suddenly sounded from outside, “Prince,
you were summoned by his Majesty.”

All the emotions suddenly vanished. Chu Qiao quickly got up as her book slammed onto the
ground.

Chapter 55
Yan Xun was also stunned. It had been seven years, but the Emperor had never summoned
him until today. Was this a blessing or a curse?

“What now?” Chu Qiao said, looking very serious.

Yan Xun thought for a long time, and said, “Don’t panic. I doubt it’s anything serious. I’ll go
and take a look.”

“Yan Xun.”

Yan Xun turned around and was about to leave. Just then, Chu Qiao grabbed him. Her small
hands were sweaty and cold. She pulled him tightly and said with an anxious expression,
“Be careful, and come back early.”

fi

 “Don’t worry,” Yan Xun replied while tightly grabbing her hand to reassure her. “I will come
back soon.”

Lu Liu came up to Yan Xun and put a large fur coat on him. Yan Xun took a few people with
him and left Ying Ge Court.

Throughout the entire afternoon, Chu Qiao was restless and could not sit down. She
couldn’t stop thinking that something bad had happened to Yan Xun. In the evening, AhJing
returned suddenly. Chu Qiao was delighted as she rushed out front and said, “Where is the
prince? What happened? Why has he not returned?”

Looking awkward, AhJing replied, “The prince is alright. He is now attending a banquet.”

Chu Qiao let out a relieved sigh and said, “Okay, that’s good. Why did the emperor call for
him?”

AhJing looked left and right. After seeing a few servants around, he looked at Chu Qiao with
hesitation. Sensing that something was amiss, Chu Qiao furrowed her eyebrows and asked
again, “What happened?”

“The emperor…” AhJing stammered, “The emperor summoned the prince to…to marry him
o to Princess Chun who just had just turned fteen.”

Chu Qiao was surprised. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out.
She glanced around as she asked in a low voice, “Marriage?”

“Miss Chu…” AhJing called out worriedly.

Chu Qiao nodded and whispered, “Marriage.”

“Miss Chu, the prince was scared that you were worried so he told me to come tell you
that…”

“I’m ne.” Chu Qiao shook her head while saying, “It is not just a royal banquet. There must
be some hidden intentions behind it. You should go back quickly and protect him. I’m just a
little worried that the emperor is scheming against him. But as for the marriage, alright, I
understand.”

AhJing was worried and whispered softly, “Miss Chu…”

“I will go back to my room for now. You should go.” Chu Qiao turned away with her back
straightened and murmured expressionlessly, “I still have things to do. Lu Liu, bring all the
letters to my room. I need to reply to them.”

It was snowing heavily. The wind blew against a woman wearing a yellow dress and a cloak
of the same color. The snow hit the back of the cloak while the woman herself emitted a
very cold aura. In the distance, the sun was setting slowly. The sky was a ery red, but was
also very colorful. Eventually, the sun set. The candles were lit. Red wax dripped o of them.

ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
 It had been a very long time but Yan Xun had not returned. The servant watching over the
replace carefully opened the door and saw that the room was dimly lit, along with Chu
Qiao’s thin and slender gure. She did not lift her head when she heard the noise but merely
frowned, seemingly thinking hard about something.

“Miss Chu,” the servant said. Although she was only twelve years old, she was mature
enough to understand the situation. She carefully continued, “It is late, you should sleep
soon.”

Chu Qiao did not say a word and raised her hand to signal for her to leave the room.

Lu Liu, who was carrying a new brazier, came to the door and suddenly turned back to tell
Chu Qiao, “If the prince comes back, I will immediately call you.”

Chu Qiao slowly lifted her head and looked at Lu Liu. She said slowly, “Are you so free as to
do that?”

The servant was surprised and immediately knelt on the ground. She quickly replied, “I
should not have overstepped my boundaries. I deserve to be punished.”

“Just go back,” Chu Qiao’s sharp voice sounded. Right after that, she did not say any other
words and lowered her head back down to continue looking at the letter in her hand. Lu Liu
trembled as she closed the door and left the room. The room soon became quiet again.

The candles were lit and occasionally tossed a few sparks into the air. The light made Chu
Qiao’s shadow very long and slender.

Chu Qiao’s life had not changed since she was busy thinking a lot, and even the tone of her
voice was the same. Only when she was writing on paper could her strength be seen from
the way she wrote.

The winter night was long and in the evening, the sound of the door opening was heard. Her
brush immediately stopped as Chu Qiao listened for a long while. Then she stood up and lit
up all the lights in the room.

The room was suddenly brightened up. No matter how far it was, it could still be seen. Chu
Qiao stood and lifted a corner of the window in front of her. The nighttime wind blew through
the window against her long, black hair. Her eyes were calm, scrutinizing the outside. She
was waiting for the result. At one glance, it would be noticeable that she was still awake and
that she was still waiting for him. If he walked over, it meant that the situation might still
change. Otherwise, it meant that he had made up his mind and nothing would change.

As time passed slowly, the lights in the front yard never moved. There was a man dressed in
a silver cloak which covered half of his face. He stood with his back straight. AhJing stood
behind him, holding a large umbrella over his head to protect him from the snow. A light
wind blew from the distance and tossed up the snow from the ground. It swirled into a
corner, creating many miniature snow tornados and sweeping against his shoes and cloak.

fi
fi
“Prince,” Xiao Lizi said while bowing. He glanced into the distance where Yan Xun was
staring, and there was light coming from behind the plum forest and the fake mountain.
“Miss probably hasn’t slept yet.”

Yan Xun did not react but stood there quietly. He knew that Chu Qiao was standing on the
other side, in front of the window of her room. Between them, there were three corridors,
two doors, a lake, and a plum blossom garden. He could reach her in the blink of an eye.
However, a sense of helplessness slowly settled in. Why does this seemingly short distance
feel so far away?

His eyes were quiet and peaceful. Without saying a word, he gazed silently. His staring
seemed to have brought him back to seven years ago, through the vicissitudes of life,
illusions, dangers, and disasters.

As the wind blew, the umbrella in AhJing’s hands was blown away. The young servant was
shocked and immediately turned around to chase after the umbrella. Snow fell all over Yan
Xun’s shoulders. Even though he was wearing a thick coat, he could still feel the cold.

“Let’s go.” The short word was spat out from Yan Xun’s mouth. Xiao Lizi smiled and
immediately led the way. He said while walking, “Miss Chu must not have slept yet.
Prince…” Before he could nish his sentence, he noticed Yan Xun had brought AhJing in the
opposite direction. Xiao Lizi widened his eyes as he held onto the lantern. He stood there
with his mouth open, not knowing where to go.

Thump. Chu Qiao gently lowered the window back to its original position and slowly took o
her robe. She was wearing just a single coat and walked towards the lanterns in the four
corners to blow them out one by one. Her movements were slow and her face was tranquil.
Finally, the candle on the bookcase was also softly blown out. The room fell into darkness
within seconds.

She groped around and went back to her bed, opening the quilt and lying down. The wind
was abnormally quiet as her eyes remained wide open. No tears were in her eyes, but she
felt very anxious.

Early the next morning, Chu Qiao went to the front yard as usual to eat her breakfast. Ying
Ge Court was unusually quiet today, as if everyone was carefully refraining from making any
noise. Chu Qiao and Yan Xun sat opposite each other and ate, occasionally lifting up their
heads to chat.

The masters were no exceptions, and were calm as if nothing had happened. AhJing and Lu
Liu nervously stared at them. Chu Qiao then reluctantly sighed. Maybe I really thought
wrong, she thought.

After breakfast, everything was calm. Everyone performed their own tasks while looking a bit
happy. After all, in this huge palace, Ying Ge Court no longer had to be wary of others when
doing things.

At noon, Yan Xun opened the door of the greenhouse and saw Chu Qiao quietly leaning
against the ower railing as if she had been waiting for a long time.

fl
fi
ff
 “My blue orchid!” Yan Xun exclaimed as he rushed towards it.

Chu Qiao looked back and saw Yan Xun holding a broken blue orchid. He was livid as he
shouted, “My blue orchid!”

“It wasn’t me.” Chu Qiao raised both of her hands to signal that she was had nothing to do
with the situation and justi ed it by saying, “I didn’t lean against that.”

“Did you not see the rope between the shelves?”

Chu Qiao was surprised and looked at the ne rope. She shrugged and replied, “Let’s just
say it was me. It’s no big deal. I can just give you another one.”

Yan Xun shook his head and placed the ower pot aside. He sat on a chair and said rmly,
“What do you think about this matter?”

Chu Qiao thought for a long while and then said, “the Emperor wants to kill you.”

Yan Xun smiled faintly and said, “He has wanted to kill me for a long time.”

“This time, it is di erent.” Chu Qiao shook her head and said quietly, “He does not really
want to reconcile with you. Instead, he needs to nd a way out for himself and prevent
others from spreading rumors. He wants to kill you while remaining uninvolved at the same
time.”

Chu Qiao was digni ed as she analyzed the situation. “Now the noble families are power,
and they possesses vast land. The emperor has little military power besides the army of the
capital. The military and government power is in the hands of the Presbyterian and is
scattered in the hands of the family. Zhao Zhengde wants to reclaim his kingship. Besides
relying on the small number of imperial powers such as Meng Song and Le Xing, he can
only hope the princes living near the border will help him. Therefore, he must not openly kill
you since he is afraid of causing a commotion in Yan Bei. An assassination of the o cials
will scare the royal family. After all, the clan is waiting for the royals from various royal
families to take advantage of the opportunity to compete for land and expand their family
power. Once the royal forces are eroded, the royal family will then be able to regain imperial
power and it will be even more di cult.”

Yan Xun nodded and agreed with her. Chu Qiao continued, “So if he really wants to kill you,
he will need to have someone else do it for him. He wants to kill you secretly and blame it on
others to keep himself out of it. However, once you die, every spearhead will be pointed
towards him. That’s why he chose to marry his daughter o to you at this time, to trick
others into thinking that he really wants to forgive you and let you go back to Yan Bei. He
will then take the chance to personally kill you. After you die, his most beloved daughter will
become a widow. Then, naturally, no one will suspect him.”

Chapter 56
Yan Xun smiled lightly. He drank a sip of his tea and said, “What you said is correct.” The
ower house was very warm. Since Yan Xun really loved orchids, the house had a very oral
fl
ff
fi

fi
ffi
fl
fi
fi
ff
ffi
fi
fl
fragrance. Along with the light winds, it caused people in the house to become intoxicated
by the smell.

Yan Xun raised his eyebrows slightly and softly asked, “Well then, AhChu, what do you think
I should do?”

“You already have something in mind, why ask me?” Chu Qiao asked curiously in a deep
voice. “If you marry Zhao Chun’er, you will ultimately be killed, and if you don’t marry her,
you will be going against the king’s order. He would think that you are trying to rebel and kill
you. You are such a clever person, how can you not know how to weigh the pros and cons
of this situation?” Chu Qiao smiled and continued, “In the past seven years, you have
conquered all kinds of obstacles, so why would you let one woman stop you? Oh, the
emperor is only doing this to nd a way out and protect himself. We are not delaying time,
I’m just sorry for Zhao Chun’er’s true obsession for you.”

Yan Xun looked indi erent, with a hint of loneliness and su ering. He then said slowly, “Is
this how you truly feel? Looks like you already planned everything out for me.”

“You and I have been together for many years, through life or death situations. I naturally
would understand and help you plan.” Chu Qiao said seriously, “Moreover, even if I do not
say anything, you will also make the same decision. Last night, you already told me.”

Yan Xun was surprised as he heard what she said. With a faint smile he said, “AhChu, you
really are the person who knows me most.”

Chu Qiao stood up and smiled while patting his shoulder. She said, “Of course. We grew up
together and have been through so many things together. This will never change.”

Yan Xun looked at Chu Qiao’s smiling face and smiled. He nodded and said, “Yes, it will
never change.”

“I’m going rst as I need to go to the Dauntless Cavalry Camp. Before I go, I should go say
hello to Zhao Song.”

Yan Xun nodded his head and stood up while saying, “Say hello to him on my behalf.”

Chu Qiao turned and walked out. Just as she walked to the door she stopped and slowly
held up her st. She released her st three times and had yet to leave. Yan Xun seemed to
know that she had something to say but he just stood there quietly.

“Yan Xun, when you are in love, you might end up being distracted. You still have a lot of
wishes that are not yet ful lled. You should put the interests of the whole above everything
else.”

Yan Xun was silent as he stared blankly at her back as she gradually disappeared into the
layers of green.

AhChu, I only gave you a drop of water, yet you returned the whole spring. How could I ever
repay you?

fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
The afternoon sunshine was warm and comforting, but suddenly, Yan Xun thought that
everything was very blinding.

On the 14th of March, the sky was clear as snow started to fall in the afternoon as usual.
The topic of the entire empire’s conversations were still centered around the King asking Yan
Xun to marry Princess Zhao Chun’er. There were all kinds of speculations going in and out
of the imperial city. However, amidst the chaotic situation, no one noticed that Lu Ying’s
defense soldiers had come out one hour earlier. The West gate also opened early in the
morning, about one hour earlier than usual.

At the time of receiving this news, Yan Xun was drinking tea in the ower house. He was
wearing a light robe and looked relaxed. The musician on the porch was playing the song ‘Xi
Chuan Hua Ye’, spreading a melodious melody into the surroundings.

Yan Xun let out a faint smile. Ah Jing stood aside and waited quietly for Yan Xun’s
instructions. But Yan Xun just waved gently and ordered him to leave as he pulled out a
music sheet from the music box beside him and threw it at the musician. The music
suddenly stopped. He picked up the music sheet and looked at it with a surprised
expression. Immediately afterwards, intense sounds of music came from his Guzheng. The
rhythm was forceful and strong.

Yan Xuan laughed out loud as he clapped along to the music. He shouted, “Hold a sword
while drunk and defeat eight hundred enemies. While radiating the smell of alcohol, use
snow to bury the faded owers.”

Chu Qiao stood outside the door as she looked up to see snow ying in the sky. There was
also a black goshawk ying above her, and her ngers were freezing cold.

How fast is the turmoil? Like the ground during autumn, after a re was started, it spread
quickly and turned very erce.

In the afternoon, a snowstorm started despite it being a sunny day. A memorial to the throne
from Ministry of Revenue was delivered to the desk of the Presbyterian. The Ministry of
Revenue did not have enough money and food rations for the victims of the natural disaster
in Zhong Zhou. The victims were very agitated and started stealing from the noblemen,
causing many of them to be beaten to death. Someone secretly exchanged grain and rice
for rotten rice, which resulted in many people dying due to food poisoning. More than ten
thousand were killed. The noblemen were busy lling their own pockets, and the memorial
included all the records of the corruption cases.

One stone can create thousands of layers of waves. All the chaos that happened in the
capital was caused by this memorial presented to the throne.

What followed was an astonishing thorough investigation. The Presbyterian became chaotic
in seconds, as the military also issued o cial documents. The words were written in blood
and tears; every sentence had a huge meaning. This caused the noblemen to be scared. An
hour later, an astonishing conclusion was presented to the stage regarding the disaster in
Zhong Zhou. Sheng Jin palace was controlled by the governor of the prefecture.

fl
fl
fi
ffi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
Before Zhao Qi came into the o ce, it was managed by Muhe Xifeng. The ministry of food
was in charge of the food ration for both the ministry of food and military a airs. Besides,
everyone knew that Song Duan favoured Muhe’s grandson, Muhe Yunting, the most. His
status in the Muhe family was comparable to that of the eldest son in the family. The
government was in de cit of 800,000 yuan in gold and 20 million in gold for grain.

The Presbyterian was decisive. The Muhe family’s Muhe Yunye knelt overnight in front of
Sheng Jin palace to request the emperor to be merciful. He complained that it was not done
by his family and that it was done by the Wei family. All the lists were fake and were not to
be trusted.

Sheng Jin palace unexpectedly closed all the palace doors and refused to see anyone.
However, just as Muhe Yunye wanted to stop kneeling, a secret order was sent out of the Zi
Jin gate. The Muhe family’s corruption was serious. He was ordered to lead 30 thousand
horses to check the Muhe o ce for any crimes. If there was anyone who went against this
order, they would be punished!

Just when Zhao Qi was secretly bringing Lu Ying soldiers and horses towards the Muhe
family, Shang Sifang sent the royal clothes for Yan Xun’s wedding feast. Yan Xun stood in
the middle of the hall and respectfully sent o the guards, not forgetting to tip them.

The clothes sent by Shang Sifang were very famous and expensive. There was a dragon
sewn onto the cloth which looked very majestic. Chu Qiao squatted down and helped Yan
Xun fasten his jeweled belt. The strong styrax scent from the clothes made Chu Qiao held
her breath.

The room was very quiet and the people in the room had all left. Chu Qiao’s gure appeared
weak under the lights. Her neck was pale and her ears were white and cute. Her chest was
also slightly bulging. She no longer needed to trick others by pretending to be a man.

Yan Xun gently exhaled and asked, “AhChu, when was your birth time?”

Chu Qiao stood behind him and said while arranging his straps for him, “I do not
remember.”

Yan Xun was stunned and thought that she did not want to share. He replied, “You are going
to be sixteen years old. It’s time for you to have the coming of age ceremony.”

Chu Qiao shook her head and said, “What would I need that for?”

Yan Xun stopped talking instantly. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came
out.

Chu Qiao went to his opposite side and frowned as she looked at the Qing Hai map. At the
corner, there was a thread hanging out of the cloth. She wondered if they did it on purpose
or if they were careless. “Take it o , I’ll hook it back for you.”

Yan Xun was surprised and said, “You know how to do it?”

fi
ffi
ffi
ff
ff
ff
fi
Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at him as she replied, “When you were
young, who mended your clothes?” She sat under the lamp. Eyebrows looked like two
streams of smoke.

Yan Xun’s train of thought seemed to be drifting away into something else. How could he
forget those cold and snowy nights, where the house was gloomy and Chu Qiao was sitting
next to the replace with a faint candlelight, trying to embroider the royal ladies’ clothes.
Because they were too lazy to do it themselves, Chu Qiao had to help them, and she was
only provided with very little food and charcoal.

He still remembered her posture. She was bent over and her frame was very small.
Sometimes, when she could not keep her eyes open, she would squat and put her head on
her knees to take a short nap. She was very calm and never once complained that she was
tired.

Over the years, he had tried very hard to refrain from thinking about his past, as he feared
that his hatred would blind him and a ect his decisions. That’s why, he forgot about the girl
in front of him, who had helped him survive. She cooked food for him, watched over him,
and even gave him medicine when he was sick. She taught him how to shave an empty
shelf into a martial arts weapons, and used them to help him learn ghting methods to
protect himself. She helped him write out his strategy for war, and stayed with him in this
huge prison. Even though she was bullied and beaten by others, she never complained.

This girl, she was so thin and weak. She had no power or authority, yet she had the
strongest heart in the world. When his entire world crashed, she used her weak shoulder to
support him. She shouldered his burden, and spent all of her energy and strength to
exchange that little hope for them to survive.

“Okay.” Chu Qiao stood up and went back to his front to say, “Try it on. There is only two
more hours until the feast. There cannot be any mistakes.”

A low sigh suddenly came out from Yan Xun’s mouth. He opened his arms and held her. He
rested his chin on her head and said, “AhChu.”

Chu Qiao was surprised and her whole body went sti . She gently pushed Yan Xun’s arm
and asked, “What happened? Did something happen?”

“Don’t move,” Yan Xun replied softly, “just let me hug you for a while.”

Chu Qiao’s body started to relax as she extended her hand to wrap around his waist. She
lay her head against his shoulders and remained there in silence.

“AhChu, don’t blame me,” Yan Xun said softly with a very deep voice. “All these years, I
have done a lot of things that you don’t approve of. You are very cold on the surface.
Whenever you kill someone you are not merciful. But I know that you are a person with good
intentions. The tea merchants in Ling Nan, boat owners of Huai Shui, rice merchants of
Sheng Jin, and the Yan Bei o cials who did not obey my orders…I have a lot of blood on
my hands. I just don’t want it to be the same as the past, where I just watch the people
around me get bullied and killed, unable to do anything. However, now that I’m trying so
fi
ffi
ff
ff
fi
hard and doing so much more, I still get manipulated by others and fail to do what I want.
And most importantly, I cannot protect you.”

Chu Qiao’s gaze ickered slightly and the corners of her mouth slowly curled upwards. Her
heart started to warm as she felt indescribable and unclear emotions. Even though she did
not understand what he said, she still shook her head and replied, “I completely understand.
You don’t have to be worried about me. The Dauntless Cavalry Camp soldiers will not hurt
me.”

Chapter 57
Yan Xun froze. He could not see the young lady’s expression, only hearing her words. He let
go of her hand slowly. Either she did not understand or she might not have taken this matter
into consideration.

Yan Xun nodded silently, “Okay then. You be careful yourself.”

Chu Qiao nodded in reply. “Don’t worry. As for the banquet later, I will not follow you there.
You’re alone, remember to be extra careful.”

As she turned to walk out, Yan Xun’s voice suddenly echoed deeply from behind, “AhChu.”

The young lady was dazed and she stopped in her tracks.

“Anybody can betray me or leave me, but not you.”

Chu Qiao did not reply. She stood at her position silently. Then, she pulled the door open
and exited the room.

Yan Xun closed his eyes slowly and leaned on his chair. He muttered to himself, “If you left,
I’d be left with nothing.”

There was light snow in the courtyard. The young lady wore a light green gown and the
white robe given to her by Yan Xun. The wind lifted her long hair, making it y about in the
air. She turned behind, looking at the shadow on the window. It stayed there for a long time,
not disappearing.

The mood outside Ying Ge court was very di erent from that inside. On the outside, many
imperial clansmen were present and the mood was joyous. Colorful jade statues were
placed in front of Ying Ge court, forming a row which led all the way to Duan Mu pavilion
which was owned by the Eighth Princess Zhao Chun’er. Carpets were placed on the snowy
ground. The palace maids on both sides were amboyantly dressed, and the pavilion was
brightly illuminated.

Early in the morning, everyone gathered at Duan Mu pavilion. The Emperor personally
graced the occasion, and the guests were all in a happy mood. The noisy sounds of the
sizhu drifted over from Duan Mu pavilion. On Chang Hua Road, whose atmosphere was
cold and lonely, a war horse stood at the side silently. The young lady, dressed in a military-
fl

ff
fl
fl
style out t and a green cloak. She turned back and looked at the bright lights in the
distance. Her expression was calm and plain.

The sky was pitch-black and the winds were icy cold. The world appeared lonely all of a
sudden. The cold winds blew at the loose strands of hair on her forehead, making her face
appear even frailer.

I chose this path for myself. From the start, this was a path of no return. The only way is
forward. Life never gave me the power to regret. I will not let my emotions get in the way of
your progress. Before revenge is exacted, the stability of the empire is not guaranteed. How
could there be thoughts of future generations at this moment?

Yan Xun, I will not leave you. I’ll stay by your side as long as you need me, waiting for the
day that you conquer the empire. Only cowards feel sad and only incapable people
complain. I will not. I am not sad and never have been.

The loud sounds of the clock echoed. Fireworks were set o into the sky. The sounds of the
sizhu accompanied the clock echoes. Sounds of lively chatter from Duan Mu pavilion drifted
towards her direction from afar, in celebration of this joyous occasion.

“Giddyup!” In the cold wind, the frail, young lady cracked her whip. She sti ened her lips
and rode away into the distance.

The night was cold. In the lively palace, Yan Xun stood up and stared at the pitch-black sky
outside, remaining silent for a long while.

In the cold, lonely Ying Ge court, a snow-white robe lay in front of a table in a room. It
looked brand-new with no traces of dust.

“We’ve known each other for eight years. We’ve been through life or death together.
Everything will end soon. When everything here is settled, we’ll go back to Yan Bei and
let’s…”

Let’s… Let’s get married. Let’s be together and never leave each other…

Those words and thoughts which had never been verbalized had never been made known.
They were buried deep in his mind, never to be thought of. Destiny was like a big re. Most
of the time, there was only that one chance. Once it had passed, it could never be found
again.

The interior of Sheng Jin palace was bustling with life. Suddenly, outside the palace, earth-
shattering cries of agony echoed from the northwest direction! Zhao Che was shocked. He
dashed out of the tent before putting his boots on, looking at the sky towards the northwest.
It was chaotic. There was the sight of dangerous res and massacres. The army, which had
set out to repair the road, swiftly surrounded the Dauntless Cavalry Camp.

Something big had happened!

Zhao Che raised his eyebrows. He ordered the soldiers standing to his side, “Fetch the
weapons!”

fi
fi
ff
ff
fi
“Hold on,” a cold voice suddenly commanded. Zhuge Yue walked out from the tent, and
said, “You cannot go.”

Zhao Che stared coldly at this fellow who had invited himself. He retorted, “Why are you
here?”

“Look there. Whose residence is that?”

Zhao Che stared into the distance. He dreaded to think of the name of the clan that came to
his mind.

Muhe clan!

A white colored bird perched itself on Zhuge Yue’s arm. Its mouth was sharp and it had red
eyes, very similar to the species that Yan Xun had strangled to death the other day. The bird
stood gently on his arm, pecking at his nger. He entertained the bird while saying, “Muhe
clan was involved in a corruption case. Muhe Yunye knelt in front of Sheng Jin palace for an
entire afternoon, asking for the Emperor to see him, but to no avail. Why was this the case?
This thing happened suddenly. From the tip-o to the investigation, to the charges,
everything only took half a day. It was not planned. Who would have believed this? The
Eighth Princess, Zhao Chun’er, is getting engaged tonight. The Emperor did not summon
you to the palace despite this important occasion. Even if you were not close with the
Empress Dowager, Zhao Chun’er is your biological sibling. Why is this the case? Muhe clan,
which is a liated with you, being attacked… You being in charge of the army, should have
total control over the situation. Why is it that the troops outside are disproportionate to your
forces? They don’t hold a candle to you. What are they waiting for? Don’t you understand?”

Zhao Che realized what was going on. “You’re saying, it’s Father…”

“Not necessarily,” Zhuge Yue replied with a laugh. “The Emperor left you at the Dauntless
Cavalry Camp probably to test you. He wanted to see whether your surname was Zhao or
Muhe. As for the people outside, they may not have been sent by the Emperor. However, I
do know that those outside are the ones who yearn to see your downfall.”

Zhao Che was smart but anger clouded his judgment, causing him to lose his rationality for
a moment. Thinking back, everything made sense. He broke out in a cold sweat.

“That person wanted you to lower your guard. He purposely sent a small army to surround
the camp. However, the moment you stepped out of the camp, you would be considered a
traitor. The people who would be after you then, would not just be this small group.”

Zhao Che’s frowned. He thought for a long while before replying, “Why are you helping me?”

“Because you’re Muhe Nayun’s son. After the downfall of Muhe clan, the in uence of Zhao
Qi has been on the rise. His mother is part of the Wei clan. Coincidentally, I’m not a liated
with the Wei family.” Zhuge Yue laughed, staring at him. “You see, in the blink of an eye, we
have a common enemy.”

ffi
fi
ff
fl
ffi
 Zhao Che sneered and retorted, “Even if Muhe clan was exterminated, what makes you so
sure that I will cooperate with the Zhuge family?”

Zhuge Yue looked at the sky, his arms outstretched. The bird ew out of his grasp. He did
not look back, walking outside while saying, “If you couldn’t even see the stakes, I wouldn’t
have appeared here tonight.”

Zhao Che lowered his head and thought for a long while. He caught up with a few steps and
remarked deeply, “You usually tend to ignore these things. Why are you involving yourself
this time?”

By this time, Zhuge Yue had walked into the distance. He said softly “I just don’t like that
fellow, Zhao Qi.”

An entire night had passed but the chaos had not subsided. The civilians of Zhen Huang
City stayed in their houses, too scared to watch what was unfolding outside. The shouts
carried on all the way from dusk till dawn without stopping. The scenes of res, thick smoke,
and cries of despair were tragic.

The extermination of Muhe clan had been expected for a long while. Even if they had not
anticipated the gravity of the situation—that their entire clan would be killed, that the
Emperor would carry out a mass genocide—the Wei and Zhao factions would have forced
them into this predicament.

The Muge clan was not prepared. Even though they had established themselves over
hundreds of years, they were totally annihilated by the troops of the royal army and without
any room for retaliation.

As rst light broke, the battle was nearing its end. The trio of Muhe Xiweng, Muhe Xili, and
Muhe Yunxiao were killed on the spot. Over 2000 troops from the Muhe clan perished. Muhe
Yunye and every single member of the Muhe clan, ranging from his elderly mother to his
newborn son, was captured alive. The capital prison was instantly overpopulated.

At the same time, the city gates were sealed shut. Movements of the citizens were
restricted. Led by Zhao Song, the Thirteenth Royal Prince, troops set out carrying the Muhe
family’s token and a fabricated o cial declaration to visit the 23rd and 26th armies of Dong
Chui, the Southeast Field Army, and the 16th Army of the Southeastern Navy. Their motive
was to spread the news that Muhe Yunye, the head of the Muhe clan, had passed away due
to illness. This was so that they could summon Muhe Xichi, Muhe Xisheng, Muhe Xiyu, and
Muhe Yunye’s smallest grandson, Muhe Jingran, back to the capital to decide who should
succeed him as the clan leader.

As the commanders of the four armies stepped into Zhen Huang City, they were captured by
the royal troops. Muhe clan’s last hopes were obliterated and they were utterly defeated.

However, on the same night, Song Duan, Muhe Yunye’s grandson, escaped from the heavily
guarded capital prison. He managed to break out of the city gates and escape towards the
east on his horse.

fi
ffi
fl
fi
The Muhe family rejoiced. Muhe Yunye was dumbfounded. After a long while, he closed his
turbid eyes slowly and shed tears, all while saying that he had let his ancestors down.

Three days later, General Meng Tian’s grandson and foster daughter, Meng Zhan and Meng
Feng, led the Meng army towards the east in pursuit of the Song clan, who had rebelled with
the Muhe clan. The Song clan, hearing the news, panicked. The leader of the Song clan
decisively o ered Song Duan and Muhe Yunye’s daughter, Muhe Minglan to the Meng army.
The Meng army rejected the o er. After a urry of arrows, the army continued their
massacre. In less than ve days, the Song clan, the number one clan in Huai Dong, had
been exterminated.

In an instant, the two big clans in alliance with each other had been massacred. On the 28th
day of the third month, in front of Jiu You platform, more than 4000 people of the Muhe and
Song clans were executed. Five generations of the Muhe clan, bar the Empress Dowager,
Muhe Nayun, were eliminated entirely. Even the Ting Concubine, Muhe Nari and the Xiang
Concubine, Muhe Lanxiang, were served poisoned wine and murdered.

On the day of the massacre at Jiu You platform, the citizens of Zhen Huang City fought to
see the spectacle. In an instant, Zhen Huang City bustled with life, like never seen before in
previous years.

Entire clans, along with their past achievements and glory, were buried deep in the soil,
vanishing into the turbulent times. They became yet another sacri cial product in the shift of
power towards the royal capital. In uential and esteemed gures within the clan, who
enjoyed a luxurious life previously, also met their doom as their heads fell to the ground at
the hands of royal capital. All the talk about a prosperous, peaceful utopia crumbled to dust.

Chapter 58
For 14 entire days, Zhao Che did not step out of the camp. The news continued to stream
in, keeping him updated. This was not due to Zhao Che’s sources of intelligence. He
understood that this was meant to provoke him and bait him out of the camp. Although his
eyes were closed, he could visualize the forces waiting to kill him outside the camp.

On the second day of the fourth month, Sheng Jin palace issued a decree that Zhao Che
was loyal and patriotic. He was to be rewarded with two thousand taels of gold and
promoted to the General of East Road. Although the rank conferred upon him had no real
power, once the Emperor endorsed it, he was a general. This was enough to show the
Emperor’s satisfaction and trust in him.

On the night that he received the royal decree, Zhao Che stood on the square of the martial
arts school in the calvary camp. He stood there, silent for a long time. He could hate the
Muhe clan, their domineering nature, their abuse of power, and the fact that they did not
recognize status within the clan. However, it was undeniable that he owed his stability
among the royal siblings to this in uential clan. With its downfall, how would he maintain his
foothold in the royal family?

ff

fi
ff
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
 The calvary camp was shrouded in a cloud of depression for ve whole days. Those that
were better o had left the calvary camp to go to the royal army. As for those who did not,
they retired and went back home. Zhao Che did not stop them. After all, these nobles
understood that in order to survive in the Xia Empire, other than the approval of the royal
family, strong support was needed.

Within ve days, the strength of the calvary camp decreased by two thirds. The people left
were either loyal subordinates that had followed Zhao Che for many years or the disciples
that had been promoted from the borders.

As time passed, the chaos within the capital died down. The o cial documents from the
military were issued and a messenger was entrusted to pass them to Zhao Che. Seeing that
he was not around, he placed the letter on the table and prepared to leave. As Zhao Che
approached from afar, he pretended not to notice him, departing on his horse.

Deputy Commander Cheng handed over the letter, frowning. “Your Highness, the military
issued a letter. They want to mobilize the troops of the calvary camp to station at Yu Cheng,
130 miles away, to repair the roads. This is to allow for the Tang Prince’s smooth journey.”

Zhao Che did not read the letter. Instead, he only clenched his sts tightly. Half a month ago,
the Third Prince, Zhao Qi, was said to have personally journeyed out of the city to repair the
roads. However, with what happened to the Muhe clan, it was obvious that Zhao Qi did not
leave the royal capital. The army was discreetly sent to wait in ambush for an opportunity to
strike.

Presently, the Muhe clan had been exterminated. The Wei clan reigned supreme. Zhao Qi
had also taken credit for repairing the roads, resulting in him being revered by the civilians.
However, today, he wanted Zhao Che to lead the calvary camp to repair the roads. Was this
an act of mockery from the one in power? Or was it an act of humiliation from the victor?

Zhao Che stood stationary for a long while. Even though he had gotten used to being the
victim of the abuse of power, the resentment he felt was hard to stomach. He laughed coldly
and turned back, facing the majestic palace. He stared in that direction with a sharp and
ruthless look in his eyes. The next day, the troops from the calvary camp set o towards Yu
Cheng to repair the road and welcome the Tang Prince, Li Ce.

The Tang and Xia Empires were not far away from each other. With a fast horse, one could
travel between the two places within a month. With a horse carriage, it would take about
two months. This prince had travelled four months in advance without any notice, but was
nowhere in sight.

The majority of the princes of the Xia Empire had travelled along the borders before. They
travelled with the army, passing all sorts of terrains from vast plains, mountain ranges to
rivers. However, this esteemed guest from the Tang Empire needed a bridge to be
constructed before he crossed a river. The bridge had to be wide enough to accommodate
the width of four horses, and had to be made of stone. If he was to venture through the
grasslands, a path had to be paved for him rst, lest his precious horse’s hooves were
dirtied. He refused to utilize water transport and was not willing to walk through
fi
ff
fi
fi
ffi
fi
ff
mountainous roads, deserts, or any path outside a fty-mile radius of a city. He only
consumed the nest delicacies which were brought down by the Tang Empire. Over 200
carriages carrying his clothes, weapons, and other material needed to accompany him on
his journey. Anything that was handled by men was instantly rejected by him. The Tang
Emperor, in order to satisfy him, had racked his brains. It was rumored that the grains
consumed by Li Ce had to be harvested from fertile soil in the back palace by the best
farmers, and then cultivated by the young ladies in the palace personally.

After getting wind of what happened, Chu Qiao was left speechless. To welcome such an
bold character, the Xia Empire had actually sent Zhao Che and his troops from the calvary
camp camp. Wasn’t that a deliberate act to make things di cult?

In short, the warriors from the calvary camp braved the snow for ten days to pave a path. As
everything was about to be nished, news suddenly broke out from the front: The prince had
caught a cold as had kicked his blanket away during the night. Their entire party had turned
back.

Zhao Che, hearing this, was so enraged that he turned back with his soldiers.

Chu Qiao sighed upon hearing the news. A feeling of fear suddenly bred in her heart. The
Tang Prince was either a really absurd character or a feared exponent who knew how to
mask himself.

No matter what, she had been drafted into the calvary camp after all. She knew the chaos
surrounding the Muhe clan early on, and she had the intention to push back her reporting
time. Presently, Zhao Che was no longer as powerful as before, but he was still the head of
the calvary camp. Chu Qiao, as a head instructor of horse riding and archery, had to show
her face within the camp.

In the evening, Zhao Che’s messenger returned with news. The prince, who acted as if he
was a big shot, had agreed to pause his journey temporarily to recuperate. However, he
refused to enter the camp, instructing Deputy Commander Cheng to remain where they
were and await further orders. In addition, he requested for Chu Qiao to meet him personally
where he was stationed.

Chu Qiao was perplexed and sought to clarify the situation.

The soldier hesitated for a long while, before whispering, “The prince refuses to see Your
Highness, claiming that his ferocity would aggravate his illness. These words were quoted
by the maidservant beside the prince.” Everyone who was listening was stunned. Was it that
this prince, who only had tastes of the nest, was not willing to talk to another male?
Additionally, the soldier instructed Chu Qiao to dress like a lady and set o immediately.

The heavens were kind. For the next few days, there was no heavy snowfall, which meant
that their previous e orts were not ruined. Chu Qiao, accompanied by four soldiers, rode
towards their destination. She was dressed in a bright red robe. Although it was meant for a
man, it made her seem gorgeous as it accentuated her beautiful features.

fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
ffi
ff
 The two places were just four hours apart. Barely two hours into their journey, a horse
carriage approached from the oncoming direction. It was amboyantly decorated and
accompanied by four ne horses. It occupied the width of the entire lane, blocking
everything in its path.

Chu Qiao frowned and stopped her horse. She saw two young ladies leading the horse
carriage. One of them was wearing a white robe made of leopard skin with a pink dress
made of cotton. The other was dressed in green and looked like a hunter. Both of them were
wearing hats and cloaks, their faces red with the cold. They constantly turned back,
engaging in joyous conversation with the people in the horse carriage.

“Ah! Sister Fu, there are people in front?” the lady in green remarked, her eyes brightening
up. The horse carriage stopped in front of Chu Qiao’s party.

“Who are they?” a charming voice sounded out. “Are they male or female?”

The young lady gave a nonchalant reply, “Four males and a female.”

“Oh?” The voice inside hesitated. “Can I ask, how does the female look? How old is she?”

The young lady looked at Chu Qiao, before replying, “She looks alright, about 16 or 17. Her
looks are comparable to mine but way below that of Sister Fu, Sister E and Sister Qing.”

A laugh suddenly erupted from inside the carriage. The voice continued, “For Lu Er to say
this, the person must be beautiful. Let the men go and make the female stay. I want to talk
to her.”

The young lady sneered in disdain towards Chu Qiao’s party. “Did you hear what, Sister Fu,
said? The men can leave. The female stays behind.”

Chu Qiao and her party were dazed. The four soldiers that accompanied her were enraged.
Given the way they were dressed, they were not ordinary gures. No matter who these
young ladies were, they should not have been so audacious.

Chu Qiao was wary. There were many extravagant and unruly nobles within the Xia Empire,
not to mention their o spring. She was careful not to o end these people as she did not
know which family they were from.

Before Chu Qiao’s party had spoken, the young lady replied angrily in desperation, “Did you
not hear what I said? How stupid.” She took out two taels of gold and threw them on the
oor before declaring arrogantly, “I see that you are not carrying a jade token, which means
that you are not part of any clan. I’m o ering this price for a clanless female, which is a
pretty good o er. The few of you, quickly leave.”

One of the soldiers shouted angrily, “Where did this lass come from? I dare you…”

Before he nished his sentence, a whip ew towards him. The maidservant, although she
looked young, was quite skilled. The whip made contact with the soldier’s eye, leaving a
bloody scar. The soldier fell o his horse, covering his eye and exclaiming in agony.

fl
fi
ff
ff
fi
ff
ff
fl
ff
fi
fl
 “Hm! This useless creature doesn’t know his limits!” the maidservant remarked, her whip
ying towards the soldier again.

Chu Qiao, seeing that she was so overbearing, was subconsciously overwhelmed by anger.
She rode forward and grabbed for the whip. With exquisite technique and a little strength,
she seized the whip.

“Don’t go overboard,” Chu Qiao warned the maidservant coldly.

Another soldier suddenly exclaimed loudly. Chu Qiao looked down to see fresh blood all
over the palm of the soldier who had bore the brunt of the whip. Blood oozed out from his
eye, indicating certain permanent blindness.

“Hm!” Lu Er, the maidservant, sneered. “What’s so special? It’s just a lowly civilian. At most,
I’ll pay you… Ah!” Before she had nished, a whip ferociously made contact with her fair
face. The force of the impact was heavier than that of the previous stroke. The young lady
yelped in agony, covering her face, anger seething through her teeth.

“What’s so special? It’s just an ungrateful creature. I’ll make you blind in one eye just for fun.
At most, I’ll compensate you with some silver.” Chu Qiao replied coldly, mimicking her tone.

The young lady was quite rugged. She did not scream but only gritted her teeth, staring at
Chu Qiao with extreme resentment. “Stupid lass, I will not let you o !”

“Who needs your mercy?” Chu Qiao, squinting, retorted, “Didn’t you say you wanted to buy
me? Let’s see what you’ve got.” As she nished her sentence, a dagger swiftly ew out,
embedding itself in one of the horses’ hips. The horse, shocked, raised its hooves in the air
and started to gallop.

Chapter 59
“Help him onto the horse. Let’s go!” Chu Qiao remarked coldly, departing on her horse. The
four men with her followed swiftly behind. She had realized that they were not the only
people present. In the dense, snow-covered forest on both sides, she could hear the sounds
of many careful footsteps. She knew something was amiss. The horse carriage seemed
isolated but was anked by close to a hundred able-bodied guards. Once they had clashed,
it would not be bene cial for Chu Qiao’s party. The only solution was to feign ignorance and
strike by surprise.

As expected, in an instant, the thundering sound of horses’ hooves echoed from behind.
Chu Qiao yelled while controlling her horse with the whip, “Faster!” The ve people started
to make their escape with a head start.

At this moment, a urry of arrows aimed towards their horses ew in their direction. The
arrows struck their intended targets, causing the four men to fall from their horses.

“Still not stopping?” an evil voice echoed beside Chu Qiao’s ear. A white horse galloped
beside her. The man on the horse was dressed in red. His facial features were like that of a
fl
fl
fl
fi

fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
fl
woman’s. His face looked charmingly evil. He held the reins of the horse in one hand and a
fan in the other. He rode beside Chu Qiao with a smile on his face.

Chu Qiao aimed a ferocious kick to the horse’s stomach. The horse neighed in agony but
did not fall back.

The man, momentarily dazed, spoke with a smile, “What a erce lady. It’s ne. Since you
don’t like it, let’s not allow it to disturb both of us.” As the man nished his sentence, he
leapt onto Chu Qiao’s horse in one swift motion. He placed his hand on Chu Qiao’s waist,
his breath landing on the back of her ear in spurts. He remarked gently, “How fragrant and
fair. There are actually beautiful ladies in Hong Chuan. How ignorant of me.”

Chu Qiao, with a sneer, tried to bump him o the horse. The man, with a laugh, held her
tight in his embrace. He stuck out his tongue, licking her earlobe and added, “Such fairness
and fragrance. A ravishing beauty indeed.”

Chu Qiao felt a cold shiver up go up her spine. She saw that she was surrounded. Brimming
with anger, she clenched her st and elbowed the man in his shoulder. Turning her body, she
slid below the horse’s back. Wrapping her legs around the horse’s stomach, she grabbed
the man’s leg and tugged at it with strength. The man, underestimating her agility, was
caught o guard. With a thud, he fell o the horse, landing on the snowy ground pathetically.
The young lady leapt o her horse and aimed a single knee at the man’s back, causing him
to see stars from the impact.

Chu Qiao, like a ferocious tiger, started to execute her Wing Chun martial arts, raining blows
on the man’s head with lightning speed. The lady’s blows packed a punch. The swiftness of
her strokes was dazzling. Everyone looked on, dumbfounded, at the young lady sitting on
the man’s back.

“Ah! You fools, go and save the Prince!”

Upon hearing the lady’s words, Chu Qiao’s heart skipped a beat. She thought to herself,
Prince?

The thunderous sounds of horses’ hooves echoed caused the snow to scatter about. Zhao
Che had arrived at the scene with his troops from Xiao Qi Camp. However, seeing the
events unfolding before their eyes, everyone panicked, and their faces turned pale.

Zhao Che, giving a big frown, yelled while perched atop his horse, “Chu Qiao! What are you
doing?”

Chu Qiao stopped what she was doing. The man, whose face was bruised, giddily looked
up. His eyes were swollen and everyone wondered if he could see what was in front of him.

Zhao Che decisively got o his horse, taking big strides forward. He bowed to the man
sprawled on the oor, saying, “Your Royal Highness, I was not strict enough with my
subordinates. Sorry for o ending you.” Finishing his sentence, he grabbed Chu Qiao’s arm,
pulling her away from the man and towards himself.

ff
fl
ff
ff
ff
fi
ff
ff
fi
fi
fi
 Chu Qiao was dumbfounded. She looked at the Tang envoys who were on the brink of tears,
feeling at a loss. Was this the only son of the Tang Emperor, Li Ce? The lecher, the prince
who got whatever he want?

She had lost her mind. Chu Qiao knew that she had stirred up trouble, big time.

There were too many things to worry about. Killing the prince of the Tang Empire?
Conspiring to destroy diplomatic relations between the two empires? Disobeying orders of
the higher-ups? Any charges that proved her guilty was su cient to get her executed. She
had never acted so rashly before, to the point that she did not consider the consequences.
What had gone wrong? Why had she behaved like she was possessed?

She did not dare to look at Zhao Che. The chattering of the few ladies on the opposite side
was loud enough to break the roofs of the tents. She stood behind Zhao Che, recounting
what had happened. However, she could not nd any excuses to defend herself. She could
only hope that this incident did not implicate Yan Xun, or that he would not have to take the
rap on her behalf.

“Are the few of you done?” a cold, deep voice suddenly boomed. The few ladies froze. Zhao
Che was wearing a suit of armour from head to toe. His look was steely and he stared
sharply at the few of them, articulating clearly, “If you’re done, then scram!”

“You!” a lady dressed in yellow pointed at Zhao Che and exclaimed. However, she was
stopped by another lady who was slightly older than her. “Xiao E, do not be rude towards
the Seventh Royal Highness.”

“Sister Fu…”

“As Your Highness is busy, we will not impose. However, we will not let this slide easily. We
have sent out a messenger to Zhen Huang in order to discuss this matter. As for this lady,”
the lady’s eyes lingered on Chu Qiao. “as Your Highness refuses to hand her over, we
cannot do anything about it. Please watch over her on our behalf. We will settle the score
some other time. Farewell.” Finishing, she turned around and left the tent. The other ladies,
sneering, followed behind.

Zhao Che stood silently in the tent. He looked at the curtains moving in the wind, remaining
silent for a long time.

Chu Qiao stood behind him, unable to see his expression, but able to imagine how angry he
was. To Zhao Che, the best solution to the problem was to execute this rebellious woman
on the spot rather than hand her over to the court. However, he had refused to hand her
over to the Tang Empire. Why was this the case? Chu Qiao swore to herself that if he swung
his st at her in that instant, she would not retaliate.

Suddenly, Zhao Che’s back jerked. It was as if he was trying to suppress what he was trying
to say. Sweat trickled down her forehead and her palms were clammy. Her pupils
constricted. What was he trying to do? Was he trying to make use of this opportunity to sow
discord? The Emperor had been trying to nd fault with Yan Xun all along and this was the
perfect opportunity to eliminate him. Would she become an excuse for him to do so? Why
fi
fi
fi
ffi
was she so unlucky to have stirred up such a big mess, having just entered Xiao Qi Camp?
She clenched her sts, subconsciously feeling for her dagger around her thigh.

Zhao Che turned around with a weird look on his face. He looked at Chu Qiao with vigour in
his eyes. Suddenly, his mouth opened and then…

“Hahahaha!” A booming laugh echoed from his mouth. Deputy Commander Cheng and a
few other key appointment holders of Xiao Qi Camp suddenly stormed in, laughing along.

Zhao Che reached out his hand and placed it on her shoulder. He gave her a thumbs up and
exclaimed, “Excellent! Well done!”

What in the world is going on? Chu Qiao was momentarily stunned, her eyes enlarged.

“Li Ce, this lad, should have been taught a lesson long ago.”

“Prince of the Tang Empire? He behaves like a sissy, wearing red and green all day. It makes
me puke at the sight of him.”

“How problematic. Someone should kill o his arrogance.”

“Lass, well done. If anyone dares to mess with you, we’ll be the rst to back you up!”

Chu Qiao was dumbfounded, unable to speak. After a long while, she whispered lightly,
“Your Highness, we cannot treat this issue lightly. Although the ignorant cannot be found
guilty, I walloped the Tang Prince. Also, he came to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday. Even if
it did not help matters, shouldn’t I give him a sincere apology?”

“You walloped him?” Zhao Che raised his eyebrows, turning towards his men and saying,
“Who witnessed it? Did all of you witness it?”

Everyone replied in unison, “I did not witness anything.”

Chu Qiao was stunned. She looked at Zhao Che in confusion.

Zhao Che sighed and remarked, “Now that I think about it, how stupid of you. If you wanted
to beat him up, you should have done so when no one was around.”

“That’s right!” Big Beard Dong brashly stepped forward, interrupting, “Your Highness has
discussed this with us. When this fellow is on his way, we will nd an opportunity while no
one is around to place him in a sack and beat him up to vent our anger. We will make sure
that he goes to Zhen Huang with a swollen face. However, we did not expect you to strike
faster than us. We had arrived long ago and watched you beat him up from afar but did not
show our faces.”

Chu Qiao looked at the men, who were beaming. She wept, but no tears were shed.

“Don’t worry.” Zhao Che gave her a pat on the shoulder with loyalty. “Although we did not
see eye to eye in the past, since you’re under my charge now, I will not treat you shabbily.”

fi
ff
fi
fi
As night fell, the base fell into silence. The only sounds came from the eastern side,
resembling that of a sizhu. This was an unusual sight, considering that it was a military base.
Deputy Commander Cheng had mentioned before that this was a routine for the Tang Prince
—that he could not fall asleep without a tune. Today, after his ordeal, the tune sounded
much more solemn. It was symbolic of a palace maid missing her youth.

Chu Qiao sat on the snowy hill, playing with the long sword in her hands. Across the vast,
snowy plains, countless bright lights illuminated the sky. The bright moonlight re ected onto
the ground. Silence enveloped the camp, occasionally interrupted by soldiers on patrol. The
fact that this place was not a battle eld made the atmosphere much more relaxed and less
tense. It was much more desolate.

Chu Qiao sighed lightly. “Nothing’s special about the many bright lights after all.”

A crisp sound suddenly echoed. Chu Qiao looked down at the precious sword that had not
been taken out of its sheath, realizing that the sound had originated from there. She frowned
lightly and took the sword out its sheath. The sword was uniquely forged. It was four feet in
length. It had a greenish-white body accompanied with indistinct dark red carvings. At rst
glance, one would have thought that those carvings were bloodstains that had not yet dried.

“What a ne sword!” a gasp of praise sounded from behind.

Chu Qiao turned back, only to see Zhao Che walking up the snowy hill. He was dressed in a
black robe. He made his way to her side and sat down, asking, “What is its name?”

Chu Qiao was momentarily stunned. She shook her head and replied, “I don’t know.”

“How would you not know the name of your sword?”

“This sword is not mine.”

Zhao Che nodded his head, not probing further. He held a agon in his right hand. He
angled his head upwards and took a mouthful from it, subsequently handing it over to Chu
Qiao.

Chapter 60
Chu Qiao shook her head and laughed. “I don’t drink. It only causes misunderstandings or
adds to my sorrows.”

Zhao Che was dazed upon hearing her words. After a long while, he replied in a low voice, “I
used to think the same way. However, my views changed with time.”

“Your Highness, what you did today was a bit muddle-headed.”

“Was it?” Zhao Che smiled lightly and drank, looking up.

Chu Qiao continued, “Your Highness publicly humiliated Prince of Tang in front of everyone.
You did not show yourself despite seeing me beat him up and attempted to cover up after
fi

fi
fl
fl
fi
that. Everyone is aware of this incident. Do you know the consequences if this is revealed?
Your Highness, do you trust your subordinates so much?”

Zhao Che replied lazily, “What should I do then? Send you to the court? I had wanted to do
this all along. However, someone did it on my behalf. Why should I be ungrateful?”

“Your Highness shouldn’t be like that.” Chu Qiao shook her head slowly. “You are di erent
from what I expected.”

“Then, what should I be? Like those people in Sheng Jin Palace? Scheming and ghting
against each other all day, not caring about kinship or status at all?”

The young lady’s expression changed. “Your Highness, do you know what you’re saying?”

“Of course.” Zhao Che’s voice suddenly sounded serious. He gazed into the distance,
saying deeply, “Sometimes, I just feel like burning everything.” The man looked down,
adding slowly, “I’ve been ghting with others for over ten years. Since I learned how to
speak, I’ve been acting for my self-interest. It was only when I came to the border that I
learned how to fully relax myself. Sometimes, I feel that being in the company of these
comrades feels much more comfortable than in Sheng Jin Palace. Although my biological
family is there, to me, they are more ruthless than savage beasts.

“Chu Qiao, I came tonight just to ask you one thing. In coming to the Dauntless Cavalry
Camp, are you just trying to pave the way for Yan Xun in future, or are you sincere in
pledging your allegiance to me?”

Chu Qiao was calm. She looked at the man in the eyes, replying with conviction, “I just want
to live. It’s been like that all along.”

The bright look in Zhao Che’s eyes instantly faded. He nodded slowly, replying deeply, “In
the future, you shall follow me wholeheartedly. No one will be able to hurt you.”

The lassie kneeling on the snowy ground, exclaimed, “Thank you, Your Highness!”

The bright lights and stars were far and few. By the time Chu Qiao got back to the camp,
she was drenched from head to toe. As she immersed herself in the warm bathtub, all her
thoughts and emotions started to brew in her heart.

Everyone in Zhen Huang City was an expert at acting. She was no di erent.

The Xia Emperor used the power of the Third Royal Prince, the Thirteenth Royal Prince, and
the Wei Clan to massacre the Muhe Clan. However, he isolated Zhao Che and sent people
to test him and keep him under surveillance. Who, in his shoes, would not harbor
resentment towards the Emperor?

A bright emperor could tolerate childish tantrums from his children, but not a traitor could
not suppress his frustrations and schemed at every opportunity to exact revenge. A prince
who coveted the throne could tolerate his brash, useless siblings, but not a competitor who
sucked everything up to make sure everything went perfectly. No one would think that a
fi
ff
fi
ff
lowly head archery instructor would be so audacious to assault the Tang Prince. It would be
obvious who the instigator was.

She stayed there in wait for him. She did not believe that Zhao Che did not send people to
investigate her. If he put in e ort, given that she was just a lowly servant, he would not
return empty-handed. Hence, she took Zhuge Yue’s long sword and waited for her chance
quietly. The sword, named Moon Shatterer and designed by the Master Swordsmith, Feng
Yazi, was a gem among all swords. How would Zhao Che not recognize it?

If he knew the con icts between her and the Zhuge family, he would be certain that she had
no choice but to follow Yan Xun back then. Thinking that she had killed the second Grand
Master of the Zhuge family, she had nowhere to go but to rely on that pathetic prince.

If he knew all of this, he would naturally think that the relationship between Yan Xun and
herself was only that of mutual interest. Only thinking this way would he attempt to bribe
and manipulate hers.

Scheming and deceptive. When you laughed silently when you tried to lie to me, you knew
that I wasn’t just going with the ow. We’re still going to see who perishes rst, she thought.

“Human kindness?” The young lady snorted, leaning on the bathtub and closing her eyes.
“It is but a trivial thing.”

In the distance, at the gates of Sheng Jin Palace, Yan Xun opened the letter that read:
Irritate the Tang Empire, stabilize the overall situation. Only be wary of the Wei Clan.

The palace lights were bright. Watching the letter incinerate in the re, the Prince of Yan Bei
issued an order: Within three days, capture all reports or news from the Wei Clan that comes
into the palace.

AhJing was shocked. He knew that with one careless mistake, all the power that they had
built over the years would be gone. He questioned, “Your Highness, isn’t this too big a price
to risk?”

“The price of losing AhChu is bigger.”

“Prince?”

“AhJing,” The man smiled, “You just need to remember that AhChu’s life is more important
than everything else.”

AhJing, raising his voice, replied, “Even more so than Yan Bei?”

Yan Xun smiled bleakly. “If she’s not around, what do I need Yan Bei for?”

AhJing panicked, kneeling on the oor and exclaimed deeply, “You are the Prince of Yan
Bei. You are the Master of the people, the hope of the masses. How could you forsake
everything due to personal reasons?”

fl
ff
fl
fl
fi
fi
 Yan Xun laughed coldly, “When I was imprisoned, where was Yan Bei? Where was Da Tong?
Is there anyone from the masses that can help me? I’ve su ered for many years, even being
humiliated in order to survive, so that I can seek revenge and protect the ones I love.
Everything else, to me, is insigni cant.”

AhJing frowned and replied in a spiteful manner, “In this case, why would you allow her to
follow someone else, instead of protecting her yourself?”

The young man looked up slowly and said with conviction, “Because I trust her.”

I trust that she is the valiant eagle in the barren lands. I trust that she is strong enough to
overcome all adversities. I trust that she is the only one that truly knows me, who will stand
beside me and ght alongside me, braving the storm.

“AhJing, I hope that the Da Tong Guild will be loyal to her how you have been to me, and
protect her like how you have protected me. Because, with her, I am your leader, the hope of
the masses. If she’s not around, I’ll de nitely run amok!”

AhJing’s body shook. He looked at Yan Xun, the man he had been loyal to all these years.
He thought that he would take after Emperor Yan Shicheng, who loved his people and
idolized Da Tong. However, today, in this brightly lit study, he suddenly realised that he was
wrong all along. They were making a giant wager with exorbitant stakes, which would
back re at the slightest mistake!

“Don’t panic.” Yan Xun smiled plainly. “I dare to tell you this means I have not worried about
Da Tong would betray me. Yan Xun is not Yan Shicheng. He is not a pawn nor a puppet. He
only ghts for his heart.”

AhJing lowered his head, replying coldly, “Your actions disappoint me.”

“It’s ne.” The wind suddenly blew the window open, messing up Yan Xun’s hair. He looked
into the distance, his voice slowly losing its volume. However, AhJing heard every word
clearly. “I must rst be a man before I can be considered your Master.”

Amidst the cold winds, he smelled what seemed like a soldier’s armor.

All the happenings were made known to Lady Yu an hour later. Xia Zhi stood at the side,
frowning. “My lady, this girl is Prince Yan’s kryptonite. There will be trouble sooner or later.”

“Right,” Bian Cang remarked deeply. “How could those that achieve great accomplishment
disregard the big picture?”

“Lady Yu, should we report this to the higher-ups, or capture her?”

Lady Yu remained calm. She turned over and looked at Xirui, stating slowly, “What are you
trying to say? To capture her or kill her to eliminate any trouble?”

Xirui froze. He replied, “I do not have such intentions.”

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
 Lady Yu grunted and replied, “Do you know what de nes a strong person? However strong
or powerful one can be, he can be defeated as long as he is su ciently outnumbered. A real
strong man is strong on the inside, not swayed nor deterred by anything. Only with this can
one brave all adversities and make it to the top, to unprecedented heights. What is enough
for one to be considered strong on the inside? Ruthlessness? Having no worries? Being
strong in one’s beliefs? Or is it the absence of greed? None of the above. People are all
sel sh to a degree. No one is truly sel ess. For one to be considered truly strong, he must
have something that he wants to protect with his life.” The lady put down the letter and
sighed. “I nally do not have to worry for the Master anymore. He has grown up. As for all of
you, follow his instructions in the future. You do not need to consult me anymore.”

“Lady?” Bian Cang replied quickly, in a daze.

“Rejoice.” The lady closed her eyes and sighed. “All his years as a prisoner have not eroded
his faith in humanity fully. If he was a vicious, resentful person who did not trust anyone
today, among all of us, no one would make it back to Yan Bei alive.”

“To exact revenge and protect the ones he loves?” Xia Zhi questioned with a laugh. With
malicious intent, he added, “But what if both of his aims were to con ict with each other?
What happens then?”

Lady Yu’s expression turned cold upon hearing those words.

Xia Zhi waved her o . “My lady, please do not take it to heart. I’m just making a comparison.
It’s only that this Prince cannot compare to late Master back then. As for

his character, we still need to discuss. I only feel that putting the fate of Da Tong into this
person’s hands may seem too rash a decision.”

Lady Yu remained silent for a while, before remarking helplessly, “Is that so? However, Da
Tong already has no alternative choices.”

Thinking that the Tang Prince would not let things slide so easily, Zhao Che and the rest had
already prepared to ght a long battle here. Who knew that on the morning of the next day,
Li Ce was demanding to go to Zhen Huang, not wanting to stay in the military base any
longer.

Although she was not scared, Chu Qiao silently heaved a sigh of relief. She did not think
about what Prince Li would accuse her of in Zhen Huang. At least he agreed to move,
making her guilty of one less crime.

Three days later, the carriage of the Tang Prince nally entered Zhen Huang City under the
Dauntless Cavalry Camp’s welcome! This was the rst time in many years that the two
empires had carried out a diplomatic exchange between members of the royal families. The
Xia Empire valued this highly. Led by the Third Royal Prince Zhao Qi, many o cials waited
ten miles outside of the royal palace for the arrival of the Tang Prince.

fi
fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
ffi
fl
ffi
 Chapter 61
Along the way, ags uttered in the air as drumbeats echoed in the skies. The people
hurried out of the city and were greeted with this sight. The armored military guard was
protecting the entourage at the side. Its magni cence was comparable to an Emperor’s
outing.

At the area where the Tang Empire’s horse carriages had reached, one of its curtains
opened, revealing the Prince of Tang behind it. He was dressed in a bright yellow robe along
with a yellow fur coat draped over his shoulder. He stepped o the carriage and strode
forward, holding his head high. If it were not for his bruised face, he would have looked
perfect.

Everyone’s expression, including Zhao Che and Chu Qiao, squelched at the sight of the
Prince. This sight saddened even the emissaries from the Tang Empire. No one would have
expected the Prince to appear in public in such a state!

Poor Zhao Qi and the rest of the o cials from the Xia Empire, everyone was not prepared
for this. All of them were stunned and dazed, not sure of what to do. However, luckily for
them, the elders of the court were present to deal with this situation. The Elder of Wei family,
Wei Guang, bowed deeply as he said, “We heard that Prince Li Ce has a talented and
romantic personality with a handsome appearance. Now that I have the honor to see the
Prince, you are indeed glowing, brighter than the moon and the stars.”

Just after Wei Guang nished his sentence, everyone hurriedly fell on their knees, with the
civil o cials creating poems for the Prince, praising him as if he was the best in the world,
the handsomest man to have ever walked the Earth. However, the military o cials were not
as good with their words; they merely gave him a thumbs-up while praising his looks with
their limited vocabulary: Pretty, handsome, beautiful.

Li Ce laughed in delight but started to cry in pain as the wounds at the corner of his mouth
hurt. He waved at the o cials as he said, “Thank you, thank you.” He had accepted the
praises wholeheartedly. No one would know how the Emperor and Empress of the Tang
Empire would feel if they were here.

After using every possible way to coerce the Tang Emperor’s dearest child into the carriage,
they were nally on their way. Bugles were played the whole way as they marched
majestically towards Zhen Huang City. Who would have known,but after just a few steps,
Prince Li Ce commented, “Why does the fanfare sound like I am going to war?”

Zhao Qi was stunned as he was secretly relieved that he did not have to personally meet
him again. This bugle piece was speci cally made for such ceremonies, there were pieces
that were used when heading for battle, pieces that signi ed a successful conquest, and
pieces that were only used for the Emperor’s travels. For welcoming esteemed dignitaries,
there was a piece to be played with respect to their rank. Now that everything was in order,
why would the Tang Empire be unhappy?

ffi
fi
fl
fl
fi

ffi
ffi
fi
fi
fi
ff
ffi
After over half an hour of negotiation, the Xia Empire had no choice but to make a
concession. Within moments, extravagant tunes started to play. Immersed in tunes that
were played by young women in bright clothes, the army nally started to move once again.
Li Ce did not seem bothered about the wounds of his face as he repeatedly opened the
curtains of his carriage., waving towards the ordinary people as he smiled, seeming amiable
and approachable.

Chu Qiao sighed secretly as she rode on her horse, following the battalion of the Dauntless
Cavalry Camp as they sent Prince Li Ce all the way into Sheng Jin Palace.

Zhao Che and Vice-General Cheng followed the Prince into the palace as Chu Qiao and the
troops returned to camp. When they reached the gates, they saw a black hawk soaring
overhead. An archer saw it as he pulled out his bow and tried to shoot it out of the sky. Who
knew, but another arrow was shot directly at his arrow, de ecting his arrow from the hawk.

Seeing that, the hawk started to get arrogant as it squawked loudly, circling around them a
few times before ying away.

“Instructor Chu! Why did you de ect my arrow?”

Chu Qiao gazed coldly at the soldier as she sneered at him, riding her horse into camp.

After a few days of hard work, there was nally time to rest. When everyone returned to
camp, except for the guards at the sentry post, they fell into deep slumber. Dressed in
ordinary clothes, Chu Qiao sneaked out from the side gates.

The weather was getting warmer and the Chu Shui Lake had already defrosted. Looking
from afar, a tall and graceful male dressed in white robes was standing on the bank of the
river, looking graceful as the wind blew past him.

Chu Qiao came forward and smiled, “Whom are you posing for?”

Yan Xun turned and smiled gently, looking up and down at Chu Qiao, he said, “Are you
afraid?”

“Nope.” The girl smiled slyly.

“Stubborn.” Yan Xun laughed as he continued, “The whole capital already knows about it,
you have become a celebrity this time.”

Chu Qiao was stunned. “Everyone in the Capital knows? No one reported it?”

“Zhao Che said that he didn’t see you hit anyone and the entire cavalry camp followed that
story as well. Even the Tang Prince did not admit that you hit him, insisting that he had fell
on his own. Even the victim did not pursue this matter, so what could the Emperor do?”

Chu Qiao covered her laugh as she said, “If I knew that this was going to happen, I would
have hit him harder.”

“AhChu, are you used to life in the army?”

fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
 “It’s okay,” said Chu Qiao as she nodded. “Zhao Che still does not trust me. I have tested it
a few times, but it isn’t that bad. Everything is under control.”

Yan Xun nodded slightly as he said, “Okay. You have to be careful. If some things are not
meant to be, don’t force your way through.”

“I know. Don’t worry.”

“Then I won’t bother you any longer. This token is able to make the people of Da Tong guild
to work for you. You may nd this useful when you are outside.”

Chu Qiao held the piece of wood that had a quaint style. On it, there were engravings of a
huge Gyrfalcon with the word “Tong” carved onto its back.

“I’ll leave now.”

“Yan Xun!” The man turned as he looked at her with a puzzled look. Chu Qiao was also
stunned that she had lost her cool. She smiled sheepishly and said, “You got to be careful
on your way.”

Yan Xun laughed, his smile as gentle as a spring breeze. He galloped away as his robes
uttered in the wind.

Chu Qiao stood silently for a moment as she watched him vanished from the horizon. She
then strode back to her camp.

Yan Xun pulled his horse to a stop as he jumped o it. The said in a deep tone to the people
that came forth, “What happened?”

AhJing hurriedly replied, “Wei Jing sent his men to collect information about the Lady
beating up the Prince of Tang overnight. They had also bribed two soldiers from the cavalry
camp to be witnesses. They are now rushing towards Sheng Jin Palace.”

“Wei Jing?” said Yan Xun as he halted. His gaze turned cold as he said, “Notify the Night
Team, and let them deal with it.”

AhJing was stunned as he muttered, “Prince, what do you mean?”

“Kill Wei Jing.” The man’s gaze turned incredibly ferocious within moments. It could be
compared to a wolf’s. There wasn’t a tinge of gentleness from before as he said in a heinous
tone, “He has lived long enough.”

It was already late at night but the Sheng Jin Palace was still immersed in the sound of
music. The cool moon hung high in the sky, emanating a pitiful glow. Beyond Zi Wei Square,
it was considered already considered the Imperial grounds that were heavily guarded. It was
dead silent, especially at this hour. Although Zhen Huang City did not have a curfew, no one
walked around at night. Those that did were not ordinary civilians.

More than 100 cavalry troops came together to form a shuttle formation, where more troops
were at the front and started to narrow at the back. The long street was silent except for the
fl
fi
ff
 clopping of horses’ hoofs. In such a quiet night, it sounded crisp and clear. The troop’s
armor got colder by the second as they inched on by the city wall. More than 15 minutes
had passed, but they were not even on the main road that led to the palace.

Most of the cavalry troops congregated in the middle of the formation with the guards on
the anks holding their shields high. There were two lanterns at the front and back of the
formation. It was complete darkness in the middle. No one could see what was actually
going on, but they could de nitely tell that the formation was guarding someone important.

The vanguard held razor sharp weapons such as swords and spears, preparing to both
attack and defend. On the left and right sides of the formations, there were 20 cavalry
troops, forming a wall of defense, carrying swords. They donned thick armor plates for
protection. Their armor re ected a silvery glint; one could tell that it was cast from the armor
of the western regions with a glance. Even if an archer shot a regular arrow at them from the
high walls, it would not bother them.

With such a tight defense, one could say that even water would not leak from it. Since the
mysterious death of Muhe Xifeng of the Muhe clan, the noblemen within the Capital feared
for their lives, plunging into a state of panic. Wei Jing had also started to cherish his life even
more so, with his armored entourage by his side everywhere he went.

Gusts of cold wind caused the snow on the ground to billow, causing the atmosphere to
become increasingly stern and icy.

“Second Young Master,” a servant came forward on his horse as he said in a deep tone, “we
will reach the north of the Yuan An Gates in a bit. We will sneak in quietly; the master of the
household will not detect our presence. Eunuch Qin is already waiting for our arrival in front
of the Palace Gates. Once the booklet in is their hands, Prince Yan and that woman will
have nowhere to run.”

Wei Jing nodded coldly, his gaze as ferocious and bloodthirsty as a wolf’s. The corners of
his mouth arced into a devious gloomy grin.

High in the sky, clouds accumulated, causing it to be a moonless and starless night.

The man in the dark was dressed in dark clothes. His eyes narrowed as he perched high
above the palace walls. A gust of cold in blew past his slender body, making his gure seem
arrogant and lonely, distinguishing him from the common crowd. 30 men in black were seen
on both sides, squatting or lying on the ground as they stayed in the shadows, waiting for
their moment to arrive.

Suddenly, the earth shattering palace music played with occasional bells and drums playing
in the background. The man knew that the time had come; the musicians had started to
cover their operation. They only had 15 minutes.

A loud scream pierced into the sky, shattering the silence of the night, breaking the uniform
clicking of the hooves. Wei’s troops were taken aback, looking at the shadows around them
in panic.

fl
fl
fi
fi
 At this time, arrows swooshed through the air as the 30 crossbows high above the walls
red in unison. The arrows glinted as they ew by, aiming for the horses instead of the men.
The warhorses neighed in pain as they kicked up their hooves, causing the troops to fall of
their horses. Cries of pain lled the air. Wei Jing was safely protected in the middle as he
roared in fury and confusion, “Who are you?”

The man in the dark sneered as he raised his golden crossbow into the air, shooting out
another arrow. Before the arrow could reach its target, he had leaped o the wall in a ash,
his fellow soldiers following in his footsteps. He then whipped out the hook in his hand as he
ew through the air, landing steadily on the ground. With a sweep, the man pierced his
sword mercilessly into an armored soldier. Another soldier rushed forward with his sword
aloft. Before he could take another step, the golden arrow reached its target, piercing right
through his throat.

Sounds of pitiful screams echoed down Zi Wei Street.

Following close behind, the gods of death that were hiding on the walls leapt onto the
ground, heading for their kill.

Almost half of Wei Jing’s men had perished, with their horses howling in pain, rearing their
hooves in panic. Many were wounded by arrows and were ung to the ground, perishing
under the chaotic stampede of the horses’ hooves. The formation had been destroyed; the
armored entourage of 100 guards seemed to be on the brink of collapse.

“Traitor Wei! You have framed and discriminated others, trying to usurp the throne, Muhe
Xike will now carry out God’s Will to take your life! Die!”

From afar, sound of hooves could be heard; Wei Jing knew that the Imperial Guard was
rushing over. He calmed his nerves and roared, “Traitorous Muhe, you are ghting with
death, come at me if you can!”

Chapter 62
At this moment, a large net suddenly fell from the sky, trapping Wei Jing tightly within it.
Four warriors dressed in black leapt onto the ground cleanly, swapping positions as they
tightened the net. After which, they threw out a hook and jumped onto the wall, leaving
agrantly.

When a long whistle was heard, the warriors in black were summoned back to their base.
Although they had the upper hand, they retreated without hesitation. They dropped their
weapons as two of the warriors held two wooden buckets, pouring out the liquid inside onto
the oor. Without turning back, they threw a lighted match on the ground as they leapt
towards the outskirts of the city, disappearing between the buildings. All that happened with
a blink of an eye.

The whole operation took less than 15 minutes. Everything returned back to normal. Over at
Sheng Jin Palace, deafening music continued to play as it was still immersed in song and
fi
fl
fl
fl

fi
fl
fl
ff
fi
fl
dance. The Imperial Guard was greeted with a sea of ames and a bunch of Wei Troops
wailing in pain. This was the aftermath of an e cient and ruthless attack.

“Master Wei has been abducted! Quick! Report this to the Grand Elders’ Council! The rest of
you, follow me, we’ll chase the assailant!”

When the Imperial Guard started their relentless pursuit of the assailant towards the
outskirts of the city, a troop of men in black rushed into the Royal Grounds without
hesitation. Within the Song Bo Forest by a main street, more than ten guards in cyan
surrounded a carriage silently. Several men rushed towards it and tossed Wei Jing, who was
tightly entangled in a net, in front of it.

“You…” Just as Wei Jing wanted to speak, a dull thud was heard. One of the guards kicked
him in his mouth, shattering his teeth. Wei Jing moaned and did not speak another word.

Two cyan dressed guards rushed forward and tied him up tightly, gagging his mouth and
securing his limbs. After which, they tossed him into the bottom compartment of the
carriage that was meant for rewood. The leader of the troop of black warriors leapt onto
the carriage as he took o his black outerwear, showing his inner white robes. When he
pulled o his mask, a handsome face and a sharp gaze was revealed.

The other warriors that were dressed in black had also changed into the cyan uniforms of
the guards. “My Prince,” one of them came forth with a brazier in his hands as he said
respectfully, “this should warm you up.”

Yan Xun nodded as he took the brazier from him, pulling down the curtains of the carriage.
He picked up the black robes that he had worn and threw them into the carriage as he
waved his hand towards the guards. With that, the entourage started to move slowly
towards the Forbidden palace.

Thunderous hooves were suddenly heard behind them as a guard demanded, “Who’s that?
Why are you galloping in the palace at night, don’t you want to live?”

The man was stunned. After he looked clearly, he hurriedly said, “Oh, it’s Prince Yan.
Second Master Wei was ambushed along Zi Wei Avenue, I have been ordered to rush to the
palace to report this to His Majesty.”

“Ambushed?” The curtains on the carriage were pulled aside as Yan Xun frowned. “Did you
catch the assailant? Where is the Second Master of Wei? Is he hurt?”

“Prince Yan, the assailant is on the run. He ed in the direction of the city’s outskirts,
General Lu is currently chasing down the assailant. Second Master Wei has been abducted.
No one knows whether he is dead or alive.”

Yan Xun nodded and muttered, “Report this quick.”

“Yes.”

The horse galloped away as Yan Xun retreated back into his carriage and muttered, “Let’s
move on to Lv Hua Palace.”

ff
ff
fi
fl
ffi
fl
 As soon as he got out of his carriage, he saw Wei Guang leading Wei family and a few other
o cials rushing out of Lv Hua Palace. They leapt onto their steeds and galloped quickly out
of the palace.

Dressed in a white fur coat, Yan Xun looked incredibly handsome. He only entered the
Palace when Wei family and his entourage were gone.

The Xia Emperor had already left the Palace, leaving a panicked Zhao Qi in charge of the
entire situation. The palace maids that were dressed in bright robes were serving dishes for
them as the imperial band played melodious and soothing music from the corner of the
palace.

Prince Li Ce was dressed in deep purple robes with a dragon embroidered on it. He was
chatting happily with those around him, toasting anyone that raised their cup to him,
appearing incredibly sober. If it weren’t for his bruised face, it would have been a
spectacular scene. The atmosphere of the banquet was warm and the o cials had drunk
enough. They were elated and gave toasts to everyone.

Yan Xun went over to his table silently. He gently raised his head towards the bruised and
battered face of Prince Li Ce as he grinned. Raising his cup, he shook his head and
chuckled.

“What took you so long?” Zhao Chun’er was dressed in a pink shirt with butter ies
embroidered onto it with a long dress that was purple-gold. She had pearls and jade
accessories all over her, looking gorgeous.

Yan Xun raised his head as he looked at the lady walking towards him. He grinned and said
lightly, “I had a short nap.”

“I thought you wouldn’t come!” Zhao Chun’er’s gaze was like water as she glared at Prince
Li Ce who was sitting in front of her. She pouted and said, “That guy just asked for my
maiden name. How rude!”

Yan Xun smiled gently as he drank another cup of wine. He did not say a word.

Zhao Chun’er looked as if she was mesmerized by him, ignoring the fact that he was
incredibly cold towards her. After a while, she suddenly realized her folly. She blushed and
tugged at her own clothes. She asked, “Look, this is the new tribute from the New
Territories. Is this pretty?”

Yan Xun was stunned as he was thinking about events at the Chi Shui Lake. That woman’s
gaze was bright as she called his name hurriedly. Flustered, she had said, You got to be
careful on your way. Yan Xun’s expression softened instantly as he let out a heartfelt sigh,
“Very beautiful.”

Zhao Chun’er was instantly delighted as she thought that he was referring to her. She sat
happily at his side, pouring him wine and picking dishes for him.

ffi
ffi
fl
Troops had been entering the hall from the sides as they gave Zhao Qi constant updates.
His expression turned ugly. O cials within the hall were careful to notice this change. Only
the drunk Li Ce kept tugging at his sleeves as he swung the cup in his hands, spilling wine
all over him.

It was not until 2 a.m. did the banquet end. By then, Li Ce was already dead drunk, falling
asleep on the table with food all over him. Zhao Qi did not return to the Forbidden palace.
He walked to his horse and galloped straight out of the city. Yan Xun stood within the dark
square as he watched Zhao Qi’s gure vanish into the night. He started to grin to himself.

“Brother Xun,” Zhao Chun’er tugged carefully at his sleeves as she whispered, “it’s cold
here, could you send me back to my palace?”

Respectfully, Yan Xun took a step back as he bowed and said, “Yan Xun is a little drunk. I
wouldn’t dare to disturb the Princess. I urge the Princess to walk back on your own.” After
which, he got into his carriage.

As the carriage got further away, Zhao Chun’er stood motionless at the same spot. The
palace maids rushed forward and draped her in a large fur coat. The dark red fur coat fell
onto the oor accidently. On the snowy ground, it looked exceptionally striking, like a pool of
blood.

Zhao Chun’er bit her lips as tears rolled in her eyes, trying her best to not let them fall.

“My Princess?” Grandma Yu sighed as she held the Princess’ hand, she continued, “Let’s
go.”

Zhao Chun’er nodded obediently as she followed Grandma Yu to her carriage. A gust of
cold wind blew past, causing a teardrop to ow down her cheeks onto the pale snowy
ground.

Within the secret room in Ying Ge Court, AhJing ripped the blindfold o the man. Wei Jing’s
brow was tightly knit as he took awhile to get used to the lights. As he raised his head, he
suddenly saw the face of a man with an indi erently smile.

“Yan Xun?” Wei Jing’s eyes widened as he cried in disbelief. “How dare you!” Wei Jing
raged and snapped.

“I have always been very daring. Second Master Wei should know that fact very well.”

“Yan Xun, Wei family will never let you get away with this. You will die without a grave!”

Yan Xun laughed as though he was hearing a joke. He said slowly, “I do not know whether I
will die without a grave, but I am certain that you will die without one.

“Do you remember?” Yan Xun tilted his body slightly as a sly smile spread across his face.
With a soothing tone, he said, “I said this before, if you did not kill me that day, you would
die under my blade eventually. You can cut o my nger and I will cut o your head.”

fl
ffi
fi
fl
ff
ff
fi
ff
ff
“Ah!” A deafening scream was heard suddenly as a sharp blade fell. A dismembered hand
fell onto the ground in a bloody mess. A few drops of blood splattered onto Yan Xun’s wrist
and he frowned slightly. Annoyed, he took out a white handkerchief and started to rub
furiously as he said coldly to his men, “Drag him out and chop his head o .”

Wei Jing struggled furiously as he raged, “Yan Bei dog, you scoundrel! My uncle will never
let you get away with this!”

“Wei Guang?” Yan Xun let out a cold laugh, “He is too old and his brains are not of much
use. Only Wei family treats him like a god. Within his rotten skull, he will still be suspecting
who did this. Wei Jing, you are a fool!” Yan Xun turned his head silently as he gave him an
icy gaze. With an annoyed tone, he muttered, “Initially, you still had time to live. It is too bad
that you chose to incur my wrath. You should never have threatened me with someone I
cared about. Did you really think you could have taken me down? How naïve are you! From
the start, you have been nothing but a useless fool. You were useless. You are still useless.
You will be useless. It’s a pity that you won’t have the opportunity to be useless anymore.”
Throwing his bloodstained handkerchief onto the oor, Yan Xun turned and strode out of the
door. He ordered, “Drag him out!”

Enraged curses and panicked screams rang around the room as Yan Xun turned a deaf ear
to all of them, standing tall and straight. He had already begun his revenge. All those had
once humiliated or hurt him would pay for their deeds. From then on, he would never allow
anyone to harm those that meant so much to him. He would never allow that to happen
again!

The moon was as cold as frost and the winds of the night were icy. Tonight was another
sleepless night. The next day, all of Zhen Huang City was alarmed. Wei family’s eldest son,
Wei Jing had been ambushed the night before. His guard of a hundred men had perished
and Wei Jing had been abducted. When the Imperial Guard reached the scene, there was no
sign of the assailant. They had found nothing even after a night’s search. Many feared for
the worst. Due to the fact that the Imperial Guard had vaguely heard the chants of Muhe
Xike from the Muhe clan, a massive investigation was being conducted on the Muhe clan.

At this moment, within the main bedroom of the Wei household, Wei Guang passed a letter
to his most trusted servant as he muttered, “This must get to Ye’er. The future of Wei family
counts on this. His Majesty has already started to act against the Wei bloodline. If he does
not come back, Wei family will become the next Muhe Clan.”

Five steeds sped out of the city gates, galloping towards the North. When AhJing came to
inform Yan Xun about it, he was enjoying his tea on the porch. He smiled coldly and
muttered, “It would be better if it got more chaotic.”

With these words, AhJing felt a chill down his spine. He had followed Yan Xun for three
years but he started to realize that he did not tell what his Master was doing.

On the school’s yard in the Calvary camp, waves of thunderous applause could be heard. A
young woman with a carefree smile stood at the center of the yard, shooting seven arrows
at once, hitting the bullseye on the targets that were 100 feet away.

fl
ff
 Chapter 63
“Instructor Chu!” From afar, a warhorse galloped hurriedly towards her and the young soldier
on it was dressed in khaki colored armor. While panting, he said, “Someone is here for you.”

“For me?” Chu Qiao was stunned as she put down her bow and leapt o the shooting
platform. She asked, “Who?”

“Instructor Chu!” A burly man with a hearty smile shouted while waving his bow, “Do you
still want to compete?”

“You have already lost your robes to me, yet you do not know when to stop. Sooner or later,
you’ll have no clothes to wear!” the girl turned and shouted in a crisp tone. The other troops
around him roared in laughter as they mocked that man who wanted to compete with her.

The messenger laughed with the crowd, showing his white teeth as he smiled. He said, “I’m
not sure. It seems to be from the ceremonial department. There are a lot of people.”

Chu Qiao frowned. Who would come looking for her? Didn’t Yan Xun inform her that the
issue of her beating up the Tang Prince had already been settled? Why would there be so
many people looking for a mere archery instructor like her?

“Let’s go and take a look.” Chu Qiao leapt onto another horse and followed behind the
messenger, galloping in the direction of the camp’s main tent.

Looking from afar, the cavalry camp seemed extraordinarily busy today, with golden dragon
ags uttering in the wind, ceremonial o cers walking around, gorgeous women carrying
enormous golden platters in their arms. The supervisors of the ceremonial departments
were dressed in their best attire, following respectfully behind the entourage. Rows of
glittering boxes were placed in front of the tent; no one knew what treasures were inside.

Zhao Qi furrowed his brow and frowned as he muttered to Vice-General Cheng, “Where is
the Seventh Royal Highness? Why is here not here yet?”

Vice-General Cheng was drenched in sweat as he was also unsure about what was
happening. In a low voice, he answered, “He’s going to be here, I have already sent a
messenger to him.”

“Well, it all looks okay. It seems that there are lots of things to see within these barracks.” A
lazy voice rang from the side.

As soon as Zhao Qi heard it, his head started to ache as he turned and said, “My Prince,
may I ask why you wanted to come all they way to my Seventh brother’s camp?”

“You will know soon enough.” Li Ce was dressed in a bright red robe with phoenixes and
dragons embroidered at the bottom of the robe. It was glittering and was incredibly fragrant.
A fur coat made from a red fox was draped over him, his eyes glinting irtingly. It was a cold
day, but he insisted that someone must fan him. Everyone looked at him with gritted teeth.

fl
fl

ffi
fl
ff
Zhao Qi swore that he could not take it any longer. For two whole days, he had followed this
man everywhere he went. First, he complained that it was too stu y to sleep within Sheng
Jin Palace. After a busy night, the palace was nally ventilated. But then, he complained that
it was too cold. First thing in the morning, he complained that the palace maids were too
ugly and was unwilling to have breakfast. After nding a beauty to serve him his breakfast,
he complained once again that she did not know how to recite poetry. Every time he had a
meal, he would be extremely picky, complaining that the tea leaves were not freshly
plucked, and that the troops’ boots were not cushioned, waking him from his sleep when
they were walking around in the city. In short, he was able to come up with all sorts of
variety of things to complaining about, the list seemed endless.

He was torturing Zhao Qi. Zhao Qi felt that the squabbles between the brothers seemed to
be easier to cope with as compared to the Tang Prince. He was still clueless as to why the
Prince had brought them all the way to this camp. Before this, he had even suspected that
the Prince was a scheming and sly person just pretend to be dumb. But now, he was a
hundred percent sure that he was merely perverted and unreasonable.

“Aiya! They are here!” Li Ce’s eyes brightened. Before Zhao Qi could even look clearly, Li Ce
pulled him aside as he nervously asked, “How do I look today? How do I smell? Do I look
crude? Look at my boots, they were given to me by King Mo Han from the Northwest. Are
they good enough?”

Zhao Qi sighed helplessly as he nodded. “Yes, they are great.”

Once she stepped into the tent, Chu Qiao saw the troops from Zhao Qi’s Green Army. She
furrowed her brow as she made a mental note to remain cautious. What had happened?
Why did Zhao Qi have to nd her himself? Did Yan Xun reveal something?

At the moment, she was closing in on the crowd, looking on as the o cials from the
ceremonial department frowned at her; they seemed confused about what was happening
as well. Her heart had become relieved. If Yan Xun’s plan had failed, Zhao Qi would have
just brought his Green Army along. Why would he bring the ceremonial department? Things
were not as severe as she thought.

“General Chu Qiao greets your Third…”

“Haha! Let’s see where can you run o this time!” A bright red gure jumped towards her
from behind, pulling her tightly into his arms. Everyone was shocked at what they saw.
Before they could react, the young girl reacted as if a predator was attacking her. She leapt
into the air at lightning speed, breaking free from his grip with a sweeping movie. A crisp
crack was heard as she twisted his arm into a lock, pinning the attacker to the ground within
seconds!

“Who is this?” Chu Qiao said in a chilly tone.

The beloved son of the Tang Emperor struggled as he raised his head, still smiling with a
lustful gaze. He said happily, “How rough. It’s me, don’t you remember?”

fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
ffi
 The o cials of the Xia Empire were stunned as they looked at the Tang Prince being pinned
to the oor. They then turned to look at Zhao Qi, the third Prince. After which, they turned
their gaze towards the confused lassie, Chu Qiao. Everyone was dumbstruck; no one knew
what to say. The envoy of ambassadors from the Tang Empire had pained expressions, as
though they had predicted that this would happen.

Zhao Qi was rst to calm his nerves as he took a step forward, snapping at Chu Qiao, “How
dare you! How can you be this rude to the Prince of Tang! This is a crime!”

Chu Qiao was stunned and let go at once. As she wanted to beg for forgiveness, Li Ce
suddenly crawled up as he shouted sternly at Zhao Qi, “You are the outrageous one! I would
like to marry her. I even brought a the dowry for the wedding. Come, bring them up!”
Hundreds of giant boxes were brought over. Upon reveal, they were lled with gold and
silver treasures, shining and glittering within the boxes. Everyone exclaimed in shock.

Chu Qiao stood frozen in her spot as she looked at everything in shock. She frowned as she
was at a loss for emotion. Who could tell her what was actually going on?

The cold winter had passed. Spring had returned. When the windows were opened, it was
clear that the snow had mostly melted and the ice was gone, the lake was nally open. The
southern sparrows had returned to the north, chirping with delight. It was music to the ears.

Yan Xun was particularly happy today. He had just eliminated one of his enemies; a huge
burden was lifted from his chest. He was dressed in lake green robes with a belt of the same
color. His complexion was fair and his gaze was icy and respectable, exuding an aura of a
gentleman. At this moment, he was sitting in a pavilion within the lake, sipping on a cup of
tea as incense was burned, its fragrance lling the air. The smoke rose into the sky, as the
air was still and windless. Faint plucking of a zither could be heard from the distant Dong
Hua Garden. As one looked across the lake with the mountains in the background, it all
seemed like a part of a picture, without a trace or sign that this was actually Earth.

It was long since he could properly relax.

It was noon. A horse galloped into Sheng Jin palace, disrupting the rare peace and
tranquility. “My Prince,” AhJing brought a few burly servants from Ying Ge court as they ran
to the pavilion. He shouted as Yan Xun went to leave the pavilion, “Something bad had
happened.”

A breeze blew past as Yan Xun’s robes uttered in the wind. He turned and glanced at
AhJing. It seemed like he was unhappy with AhJing barging in recklessly. “What made you
so panicky?” Yan Xun’s tone remained calm and unchanged, his expression neutral. AhJing
could never understand his temperament. He panted and said, “The Prince of Tang went to
the Cavalry Camp and said that he was going to marry the archery instructor!”

“How does the Tang Prince’s marriage a ect me?” Yan Xun raised his eyebrows as he said
in a leisurely tone. After which, he turned and continued walking.

AhJing was stunned as he glanced at his companions, his heart lled with glee and utmost
respect. Did the Prince nally learn to look at the big picture, to distance him from his
ffi
fl
fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
personal romantic feelings? Miss Chu and the Prince had grown up together, and their
relationship was unique. Did the Prince possess extreme discipline and self control to allow
him to be so calm and composed even when hearing such news? Did he unknowingly give
up certain things in pursuit of the ideals of the Tong Empire?

However, before he could grin, he was hit by a sudden realization. The man who was initially
calm and composed suddenly tightened his muscles and grabbed AhJing by the shoulders.
He said sternly, “What did you say? Which archery instructor? Who did he want to marry?”

With a pained expression, AhJing grieved. “There is only one female archery instructor in the
cavalry camp.”

“Damn it!”

“Damn it!” A long gust of wind blew past Zhen Huang city. At this moment, an enraged voice
rang through the air. Zhao Song rushed out of his house and leaped onto his house, rushing
towards the cavalry camp on the eastern side of the city.

“Li Ce, the Prince of Tang?” Within the plum garden of the Zhuge Household, a man dressed
in purple robes scrunched his brows as he said in a deep tone, “Is he stirring the pot
again?”

Zhu Cheng smiled as he bowed and said, “Young master, I don’t think he is stirring anything.
The Prince of Tang had already brought Xing’er out of the City. He was afraid that the Xia
Emperor would not agree to their marriage, hence they rushed back to the Tang Empire. The
third royal prince could not dissuade nor prevent this from happening. He had already sent
his men to report back to the palace.”

Zhuge Yue knitted his eyebrows and stood up suddenly. He draped a coat over his
shoulders as he walked out.

“Master, where are you going?”

“Going to take a look.”

From afar, a faint sound could be heard. He walked out before Zhu Cheng could complete
his sentence. Within the blink of an eye, the clacking of hooves disrupted the peace and
serenity of the plum garden.

When Yan Xun and his men rushed towards the cavalry camp, the Prince of Tang and his
entourage had already left the camp, heading straight for the city gates.

Li Ce’s gaze was as sly as a fox. He had been beaten up not long ago and the corners of his
eyes were still bruised, causing him to lose much of his good looks. Chu Qiao was tied up in
the corner of his carriage and the Prince was creepily staring at her. Her expression
darkened. Despite the hatred she had for him, she couldn’t help but say, “My royal Prince,
Chu Qiao did not know the true identity of Your Highness. If I o ended you in any way, I am
begging for your forgiveness.”

ff
Li Ce raised his brows and smiled lazily. He said, “Your name is Chu Qiao? Can I call you
Xiaoqiao? How about Qiao’er?”

Chu Qiao froze as she felt goosebumps appear on her skin. She said, “Chu Qiao is just a
lowly servant. Her name should not be remembered by your royal highness.”

Chapter 64
“Can I call you Qiaoqiao instead? It sounds relatively cordial.”

Chu Qiao’s expression turned cold, her patience started to run out as the time ticked by.
She frowned and said, “If this is due to the fact that I o ended Your Highness the other day,
I would rather be punished. Please report this to His Majesty.”

Li Ce turned a deaf ear to what she said and continued gleefully, “Do you have any family
members? Are your parents still around?”

“Your Highness, can you please tell me your true intentions. Chu Qiao is a mere commoner, I
do not deserve such care and concern from Your Highness.”

“When is your birthday? How old are you? My birthday is in July and I’m 21 this year.”

“Your Highness, what do you want? Can we talk normally?”

“Where did you come from? You are small and talented, and you don’t look like you’re from
the north. In fact, you look like you come from the south. Did your father tell you that?”

“Your Royal Highness!”

“You look pretty even when you’re mad, I have such great taste!”

After half an hour, Chu Qiao tried to communicate with Li Ce. She composed herself and
said sincerely, “Your Highness, what do you see in me?”

Li Ce smiled gently. “I like everything about you.”

Chu Qiao was speechless and she shook her head. “In other words, what do you want from
me? There are many ways to get away from marrying a Princess of the Xia Empire if you are
not willing to. You do not have to use me as a shield. I am just a mere commoner without
much use.”

“Qiaoqiao,” Li Ce frowned and said with a puzzled expression, “I fell in love with you at rst
sight. Please do not misunderstand my intentions. It will make me very sad.”

It would be a joke if you would be sad about it! Chu Qiao thought. She had suddenly
realized it was a joy to converse with a normal person. Even if it were with her enemy, it
would not be as confusing as this. She was clueless about his intentions. She exhaled

ff
fi
 slowly and gave up on trying to gather more information from Li Ce. She sat quietly in the
corner of the carriage and closed her eyes, not even bothering to open them.

“Qiaoqiao.” Li Ce grinned as he inched towards her, his hoarse and frivolous tone had a
tinge of charm in it. He continued, “My hands are cold.”

After a moment of silence, there was a huge bang. Prince Li Ce was tossed out of the
carriage like a ball. He ew over the heads of the envoys and guards, crashing head rst
onto the ground.

“Who’s that?”

“Ah! Your Highness!”

“There are assassins! Protect the Prince!”

Chaotic screams lled the air as Zhao Qi raised his brows and unsheathed his sword from
his waist. Due to Wei Jing’s disappearance, his nerves were incredibly tense. Now, he had
become even more tense. He ordered his guards to surround the carriage that was
ridiculously huge.

“It was a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!” Li Ce moaned as he staggered onto his

feet, limping as he ran towards the carriage. He stopped in front of the carriage and said in a
ustered tone, “It was me. I wasn’t careful and did not sit properly. It’s all good.”

Everyone frowned and was at a loss for words. Looking at the motionless carriage, they did
not know what to say. He hadn’t sat tight? The carriage was moving so slowly, how could
one y out from it?

“It’s okay. Everyone, don’t be nervous.” Li Ce dusted himself o and climbed into the
carriage. He smiled and waved them away.

Zhao Qi was on the verge of a breakdown. He was incredibly exhausted from taking care of
this unpredictable prince. He still hadn’t gotten a reply from the messenger that he sent.
They were about to reach the city gates; did it mean that the next Tang Emperor would
marry a lowly Yan Bei slave?

As soon as the curtains were closed, Li Ce gritted his teeth as he rubbed his elbows. He
groaned as he looked at Chu Qiao, who sat motionlessly in one corner. He said, “Qiaoqiao,
you are too ruthless. How can you treat your future husband like this? There will be
retributions.”

Chu Qiao squinted and looked at him coldly. “There are di erences between men and
women. Your Highness, please have some self respect.”

“Qiaoqiao, help me rub some medicine on my wounds.” Li Ce held a white porcelain case
as he spoke pitifully, revealing his hand which was oozing with blood.

Chu Qiao scratched her brow and stayed where she was.

fl
fl
fi
fl
ff
ff
fi
“I’m doing this for your own good.” Li Ce said, “If anyone sees these injuries, you will be in
trouble again.”

Chu Qiao sighed and took the vase. She pulled his arm over roughly and started to cover it
with medicine.

Li Ce suddenly started to scream in pain. When Zhao Qi and the rest heard his cries of pain,
their brows furrowed with a steeled expression.

The sky was clear blue with white clouds peppered all over. The air was fresh and the
afternoon sun was warm and cozy. Birds soared gracefully through the sky. On either side of
the road, commoners that were unable to hide in time got on their knees, bowing as the
entourage passed by. However, as they heard the moans from in the carriage, they could not
help but take a peek.

The vast grasslands were incredibly green; it was incredibly stunning. Li Ce had changed
into his bright red robes that were embroidered with large peonies. Although it looked crude,
on him, it exuded a peculiar elegance. He rode on a handsome white horse with a purple
rose tied to its neck, looking as if he was a newlywed groom. With the reins in one hand and
his sword in another, he looked at Zhao Qi, who looked as if he was close to tears, and said,
“You can go back. Please thank the Xia Emperor on my behalf for his hospitality. I’ll take my
leave. We’ll see each other again if fate permits.”

Zhao Qi was speechless as he choked. He did not dare move an inch. This mad prince had
tried to chop his head o on one of the nights. If it wasn’t for the quick reaction and
alertness of the guards, de ecting his sword at the last minute, Li Ce’s head wouldn’t be
attached to his body. No words could describe the anguish that Zhao Qi was experiencing.
He watched with sorrow as Li Ce’s gure started to inch further away from him. He felt that
the heavens were too unjust.

Chu Qiao felt the same way as Zhao Qi—incredibly unjust. Towards this unpredictable and
unreasonable prince, she felt that the only appropriate way to deal with him was to snap his
neck, so that he would shut his chatty mouth.

“Qiaoqiao, are you happy? We are out of the city.” Li Ce smiled at her, his gaze had a slight
charm. “Let’s go. In the future, you will be able to enjoy boundless riches, and wear all the
Ling Luo silk that you please. Anything that Yan Xun can provide, I will be able to do the
same. Things that he cannot provide, I will be able to provide. You will no longer need to
bow down to anyone, isn’t that good?”

“You should know that you can never escape.”

Li Ce smiled and said, “How do you know that I cannot escape?”

Chu Qiao did not wish to comment. She merely laughed coldly and said, “If you had left just
like that, you would not have to make this trip.” Her gaze suddenly turned sharp as she
glared coldly at Li Ce’s handsome face. “What is your plan?”

ff
fl
fi
Li Ce shifted closer to her, his nose almost touching her face. “My plan is to bring you back,
incurring the wrath of the Seventh and Thirteenth Zhao Prince, as well as Yan Xun.”

All of a sudden, Chu Qiao felt all her energy drain from her. As she looked at Li Ce. She felt
that it was a waste of energy to speak to him. She shook her head and said, “Li Ce, if all of
this was a lie and you have other plans, you are really terrible.”

Li Ce smiled gleefully as he said, “It is indeed my ulterior motive to cause trouble within
Zhen Huang. But my initial motive is true. In any case, I will be unruly and unconventional
wherever I go.”

Chu Qiao let out a helpless sigh. At this moment, her heart lled with uneasiness. In a blink
of an eye, the girl leapt within the carriage, throwing herself onto Li Ce, knocking him over!

“Qiaoqiao! Why are you so rough with your embrace? You…”

“Shut up! Untie my rope!”

“Nope, you’ll run away.”

The woman roared. At this moment, a dense shower of arrows rained down on them. In a
distant, there were countless enemies with their bows at the ready at the bottom of the
slope. The sounds of shooting arrows lled the sky. More than ten guards fell of their steeds;
the horses neighed in pain. Chu Qiao pulled Li Ce to one side, narrowly dodging the
massive body of the white steed. Countless arrows shot into the horse’s corpse. The
arrowheads glinted with a blue shimmer; they were all dipped in poison.

“Are you playing tricks?” Chu Qiao snapped at Li Ce, who was still puzzled about what was
happening.

“Why would I get my men to ambush myself?” he asked.

“Damn it!”

At the same time, cries of war erupted from all sides! On the high grasslands, countless
enemies sprang into action. All of them had sabers in their hands and were dressed in
civilian clothes. They roared as they charged into battle.

“Protect the Prince!” the commander of Li Ce’s guards ordered as he rushed forward with a
few of his men. Chu Qiao nimbly twisted free from the ropes, wielding a sword to de ect a
few arrows. Li Ce was hiding behind her with a helpless look. She roared in rage, “You don’t
know martial arts?”

Li Ce nodded furiously and whimpered, “Qiaoqiao, you must protect me.”

“Idiot!” The girl was enraged as she kicked Li Ce’s knee. He groaned as he fell to the
ground, coincidentally dodging an arrow.

“Don’t panic! Those at the front, engage the enemy! Those in the middle, cover them by
shooting arrows! Those in the back, round up the horses, break away from the siege once
fi
fi
fl
 there is an opportunity!” Chu Qiao grabbed a bow as she ran, shooting arrows at the enemy.
The arrows she shot seemed to know where they were going, hitting every single target.

There were cries of war everywhere with the sky lled with arrows. Deafening wails
shattered the sky. The enemy charged at them relentlessly, as if there was a never-ending
ow. There were more than thousands of them. As for Li Ce’s guards, there were no more
than 100 men left, all of them wounded and un t for battle. Chu Qiao pulled Li Ce as they
staggered along. When she saw a dense forest in the distance, she smiled in relief as she
shouted, “Retreat to the woods!”

A sharp blade ew towards them. Li Ce screamed in panic. Chu Qiao rushed to his aid and
kicked the enemy forcefully. A scream was heard instantly. Before he could scream further,
Chu Qiao wielded her sword and chopped his head o ! Blood splattered onto Li Ce in an
instant. He was shocked. Pulling out his handkerchief, he started to wipe his clothes
vigorously.

“Idiot! What are you doing?” Chu Qiao pulled Li Ce by his hand as they dashed into the
woods, the dense vegetation shielding them from the barrage of arrows. Those that
managed to penetrate through the forest were much slower than before.

Chapter 65
Seeing that they were retreating into the forest, the enemy dropped their bows and drew
their swords, charging towards them.

There were enemies everywhere, rushing towards them like a swarm of locusts. Chu Qiao’s
swordsmanship was astonishing as she ran like the wind. She pulled Li Ce along as Tie You
and the others struggled to catch up. At this moment, no more than 50 men were left.
Everyone was drenched in blood and severely wounded. They could no longer ght.

Chu Qiao’s thought quickly as she glanced at the enemies around her. She ruthlessly killed
six of them with a swipe of her sword. Two lives worth of martial arts experience, coupled
with tireless years of training paid o in this guerilla battle, allowing her to have the upper
hand. Although she was petite, she was able to use the terrain to her advantage as she
sliced her way through the forest. No one could match her.

“Qiaoqiao! Qiaoqiao!” Li Ce cried out all of a sudden. Chu Qiao turned towards him as she
saw a huge warrior closing in on him with a huge blade in his hand. Tie You was covered in
blood. He could not hold on any longer.

Chu Qiao leapt into the air, kicking his shoulder. The sword she wielded sliced through the
air, cutting through the man’s cheek and reaching his shoulder. He groaned as he opped to
the ground, cracking his skull. blood splattered everywhere.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her shoulder. She raised her brow as she used her the
back of her left palm to feel for the dagger that was hidden below her ribs. Instantly, she
stabbed it into the eyes of her attacker. With her right hand, she grabbed a spear that was
being thrust right at her. As her opponent was reeling back, she took the opportunity to stab
fl
fl

ff
fi
fi
ff
fi
fl
 him with her sword. She then leaped into the air, landing a roundhouse kick right on his
head while thrusting her sword right through his heart.

“Qiaoqiao!” Li Ce’s expression paled with fright. He ran forward, pulling Chu Qiao into his
arms. “You are hurt!”

“Don’t worry about me! Tie You, take your Master with you and head west!”

“No! I will not leave you behind!” Li Ce was stubbornly rooted to the spot as he picked up a
sword, playing around with it as he said sternly, “Little thieves! Come at me!” Before he
could attack the enemy, he smacked himself with the sword, causing it to fall to the ground.

“Fool!” Chu Qiao roared as she pulled him along. She ordered, “Follow me!”

The Sword of Moon Shatterer was incredibly sharp. It sliced through the enemy’s sword as if
it was butter. All that was left in his hand was a short steel stub. The rest of the troops
nished him o as they rushed past. He tumbled to the ground in a bloody mess.

Stepping over the enemy’s corpses, Chu Qiao ran through the forest, leading everyone to a
hilltop. A river raged beneath them as waves hit the banks. The layer of ice covering the river
had just broken as shards of ice slushed within the water.

“Jump down!” Chu Qiao screamed as she stuck her foot into an assassin’s gut.

“Ah?” Li Ce frowned as he stood by Chu Qiao’s side, stretching his neck as he looked over
the edge. “Qiaoqiao, we will freeze to death!”

“You can stand here if you want to die!”

Li Ce hesitated as he stood on the hilltop. After several attempts, he still couldn’t muster his
courage. Suddenly, a man charged towards them as he brandished his blade, trying to
ambush the girl that was currently engaged with the enemy. Not knowing where his courage
came from, the Tang Prince picked up a huge rock and hauled it at the man’s head. With a
thud, his skull was crushed as he rolled down the hill, unconscious.

“Haha!” Li Ce was delighted that his attack had worked as he continued tossing stones at
the enemy.

When his men saw their Prince displaying his prowess, they all started to follow suit. The
enemy’s momentum started to be suppressed.

“Leave, quick!” Li Ce was engrossed in the battle as Chu Qiao turned and held onto him,
dragging him down the slope. With a plunge, everyone jumped into the water and was faced
by the bitter cold. Chu Qiao and Li Ce instantly sank beneath the surface.

Chu Qiao remained calm as she swam upstream. However, no matter what she did, she
could not get to the surface. She was enraged as she looked down. Li Ce was holding a
huge rock between his arms, as though it was a golden brick.

fi
ff
She threw a punch at his back as she snatched the rock from him. Before they could reach
the surface, they heard a barrage of arrows entering the water. Wails of pain could be heard
from all sides. Tie You and the rest had perished. Chu Qiao thought, a fool may be lucky at
times. Tugging Li Ce along, she continued to dive along.

The current was incredibly fast. After a while, both of them resurfaced. Although the enemy
was trying their best to keep up, they were not quick enough. Before long, they were
nowhere to be seen. Chu Qiao’s lips started to pale as her shoulders were drenched in
blood. Her strength was draining from her body.

“Qiaoqiao, Qiaoqiao?” Li Ce’s voice started to become increasingly blurry. Chu Qiao
struggled as she turned her head towards him. As he paddled hard, he said, “You have to
hang on. We are going to be out of danger.” This was the rst time Li Ce spoke to her with a
serious tone. His expression was pale and his lips were ghastly. His gaze lacked the
happiness of his usual self, but in its place was a tinge of seriousness. He exuded a
completely di erent aura.

Chu Qiao wanted to talk to him. She tried to open her mouth, but nothing came out. She
shivered in the cold. The immense blood loss had taken a toll on her.

The river was dyed red as the cries of the enemy echoed continuously from afar. Gradually,
the beacons on other hilltops started to burn. In that moment, it seemed that they would be
in trouble no matter where they went. The large scaled assassination led by the enemy had
mobilized an unimaginable number of men.

There was no longer the sound of guards by their sides. The waves started to get louder by
the second as night began to fall. The river was bitterly cold and was starting to pick up
speed. Chu Qiao and Li Ce gasped as they fell over the edge of a waterfall. They tumbled
through the air and Li Ce tightened his grip around the girl.

Yan Xun closed his map as he looked at his men that were around him. “There are merely
two objectives of this mission. The rst is to successfully rescue Chu Qiao. The second is to
never expose your true identity. If you are caught, you should know what to do.”

AhJing and the rest nodded and said, “We understand.”

“Then go.”

Everyone rose in unison. Leading their men, all of them were gone in an instant.

AhJing stayed behind to guard Yan Xun. He whispered, “Master, do you know who had
ambushed the Prince of Tang?”

Yan Xun shook his head and replied, “I don’t know. There is insu cient intelligence. There
are just too many suspects. It is no longer important. Once Li Ce is dead, the Xia and Tang
Empire will be at war with each other. We have nothing to lose from that war. Since we all
have similar objectives, why don’t we give them a helping hand? Besides, if Li Ce was with
AhChu, he would already be dead.” After which, a grin spread across his face. He whispered
as he raised his head, “Even the gods are helping me.”

ff
fi
fi
ffi
 Even though they were incredibly used to navigating the jungle, the sight of countless
torches on their heels every time they ascended up a hill made it seem like there were
predators biting on their tails. They did not have any time to rest, nor have other escape
options. They could only run deeper into the dense jungle and traverse the steep mountain
ranges. When they had nally got those men o their tails, it was already pitch black. They
were nally lost with no idea where Zhen Huang was.

The night was cold and foggy. Earlier in the night, there was even a light shower, causing the
temperature to drop drastically. To prevent them from being discovered, they did not dare
start a re. Chu Qiao and Li Ce sat in a dense bush. The frail and skinny girl laid by the tree
trunk. She felt as though her bones were falling apart. The numerous wounds on her body
were bleeding continuously; the pain was simply unbearable. The arrow wound on her
shoulder was especially serious; a slight move would cause excruciating pain. The immense
blood loss caused her to be tired and weak. All she wanted to do was to sleep. However,
years of experience told her that this was the crucial moment of escape. If she slept, she
would not wake up.

“Qiaoqiao?” Li Ce’s voice rang by her ear as he draped a coat over her shoulders. Chu Qiao
frowned as she raised her head to look at the man kneeling by her side. He was still smiling
as he said, “My clothes are dry.”

Li Ce’s clothes were no longer fragrant. After being soaked in the river and escaping through
the jungle, only a crumpled and ragged cloth remained. There were dark red spots that
stained his red clothes. Which unfortunate assassin did it belong to?

With a slight movement, Chu Qiao’s shoulder started to bleed once again. Li Ce gasped as
the smile vanished from his pale face. He hurriedly applied pressure onto her wound as he
said, “You’re bleeding again. What can we do?”

“It’s nothing,” Chu Qiao’s brow was tightly knit together. She tore of a piece of his shirt as
she dressed the wound hastily. She said, “Sit down.”

“Ah?” Li Ce’s eyes widened with confusion.

“Sit down!” The girl started to frown impatiently. Although she sounded weak, it was
incredibly forceful. “We do not have much time. We have to rest while we can.”

“Okay.” Li Ce sat down earnestly. After pondering for a while, he asked, “Qiaoqiao, do you
know those men?”

“If you have that much energy, can you save it for later? That would save me a ton of
trouble. I’ll kill you if you dare disturb me while I rest.”

The Tang Prince fell silent as he sat on the ground, his eyes darting around restlessly.

Of course she wanted to know who did it! However, there were just too many targets. She
was unable to nd a clue in that moment.

fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
 If Li Ce were to be assassinated on the outskirts of Zhen Huang City, the Tang Empire would
be rst to attack. The war between the Tang and Xia Empire would be inevitable. If these
Empires were to go to war, looking at the big picture, the empires that would bene t would
be the Song Empire that bordered the eastern sea, Da Huang in the south, and Quan Rong
in the northwest. Especially the Song Empire their prosperous economy and plentiful
resources would de nitely be the target of the countries at war. The Tang and Xia Empire
would try their best to get the Song Empire on their side, causing the military might of the
Song Empire to increase by leaps and bounds, occupying a strategic position.

From the perspective of internal politics, Li Ce’s death would mean that there would be no
successor to the Tang throne. The religious sects that had royal lineage would then have the
chance to ascend to the throne. The brothers of the Tang Emperor could also succeed the
throne. All of them wanted a part of the vast Tang territories.

From the perspective of the Xia Empire, only the Imperial and Royal families had the ability
to pull of this act. However, with the recent downfall of the Muhe clan, Yan Xun killing both
Muhe Xifeng and Wei Jing with a borrowed knife, the royal families were plunged into
paranoia and fear. The political stability within the Xia Empire had originated from the equal
distribution of power between the Imperial and Royal families. Once the balance had been
broken, it would inevitably lead to a series of bloody coups.

Wei Guang, Zhuge Muqing, and the rest were incredibly sly and cunning; they would never
be able to notice the crisis hidden beneath the cover of prosperity, single handedly
instigating chaos. Hence, the Xia Emperor had no choice but to rely on the powers of the
royal families. However, there was also the possibility that the royal families had used this
opportunity to consolidate their power over the military.

What worried Chu Qiao most was that Yan Xun was behind all this, with the Da Tong Guild
supporting his plans. If that was really the case, things would get pretty awkward.

Chapter 66
Perhaps in all of Zhen Huang City, only Chu Qiao knew Yan Xun’s true extent of authority.
From his perspective, eliminating Li Ce was no doubt a good strategy. Should Li Ce die,
Zhen Huang would sink into chaos, as the trust between the noble families and royal family
would be instantly shattered. The Tang and Xia Empires would muster troops for war, the
Song Empire would take this opportunity to rebel with the Quan Rong people following suit
in the north. The entire West Meng continent would descend into anarchy and become
engulfed in the ames of war. At that point, the Xia Emperor would have no e ort to spare to
confront Yan Xun and might even have to rely on Yan Bei’s armies to resist Quan Rong in the
North. In that instant, Yan Xun would instantly be impregnable and gain the upper hand.

If this incident was truly by the hands of Yan Xun, then should she nd ways to expose her
tracks, dispatch Li Ce, and divert the blame to the noble families? If Yan Xun was not the
mastermind, then since she had already understood the potential bene ts for Yan Bei, and
considering the big picture, should she take this opportunity to go along with the ow?

fi
fl
fi

fi
fi
ff
fl
fi
 The agents code of conduct would say to think of the big picture at all times. No sacri ce is
too great for the exchange of the greatest possible advantage for friendly forces.

Chu Qiao’s hand clenched tightly. The dagger hidden at her waist glistened with a macabre
glint that almost pierced her skin. She refused to think of how she made it to the shore after
fainting, how Li Ce carried her and staggered through the forest. How he cried out her name
again and again with worry and anxiety.

Without me, he would have died in the initial assassination. Measure for measure, the
heavens are very fair.

Chu Qiao narrowed her eyes and her ngers slid towards her dagger. Composing herself,
she quickly erased those unpragmatic emotions. She always knew what she needed to do,
as if carrying out a mission. These eight years, the desire to go to Yan Bei had never left her
mind. Apart from that, nothing else was important.

With inconspicuous engravings, the light and compact meteoric iron dagger was concealed
in cloth. Considering the metallurgy maturity at the time, this was already a high-tech
product beyond the technical expertise of this era. The moment she touched the weapon,
she became clear headed. All the emotions that were not supposed to exist disappeared in
an instant, and she swiftly returned to being a tting iron-blooded agent. Pinching the blade
with her middle and index nger, she unsheathed it, pivoted it into the grasp of her palms
and out it went!

Everything happened in the blink of an eye, as Li Ce’s abruptly pounced over, panicking and
shouting, “Qiaoqiao, be careful!” A large hound came from behind Chu Qiao. In a split
second, it bit Li Ce’s wrist, which he had used to shield Chu Qiao. From where Li Ce’s body
was, an even larger hound sprung out. The menacing dagger’s path did not change.
Following its momentum, it stabbed the canine’s carotid artery. With an extra twist, she
jerked the dagger horizontally! Blood splattered! Howls shrilled! Chu Qiao spun around and
landed a kick on the waist of the other hound. With a shriek, it fell on its side.

Six men in black appeared in a ash from within the woods, their faces covered by scarves.
Their erce stare and steady footsteps spoke of their immense pro ciency in martial arts.
Chu Qiao inched forward and pulled Li Ce, who had been surprisingly rm in bearing with
the pain from his wound. Slowly drawing out the Moon Shattering Sword, her cold gaze
a xed to the six people.

When masters ght, the pace would be rapid until the climax. The Moon Shattering Sword,
like a hot knife cutting through butter, smashed through the blades of two men and sheared
the shoulder of another man. Following up with a kick to the leg, Chu Qiao’s left hand
clawed into another man’s neck. With a crisp snap, the sound of bones dislocating
resonated. Without time to even let out a scream of anguish, the man dropped limply on the
ground; a lifeless corpse. In merely one instant, one was dead and one injured. Her combat
prowess was unparalleled.

At this point, the other four had already split up and rushed forth. Two towards Chu Qiao,
and two towards Li Ce. As Chu Qiao spun around, from her peripheral vision she saw an
ffi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
 assassin going toward Li Ce. With a frown, she lobbed the Moon Shattering Sword. The
blade made a shrill sound as it cut through the air, giving an impression of a thunderous
strike. In the blink of an eye, the loud sound of cracking bones boomed. The sudden
onslaught was lethal and swift. Before they could react, their vision turned black. Blood,
mixed with their brains, spurted out.

At almost the same time, a cry of anguish came from in front of Li Ce. Just as the assassin
was about to strike him, a sharp blade pierced through the assassin’s back and came out
through his chest. The blood-soaked blade stopped steadily, just short of touching Li Ce.

White as a sheet, Li Ce was aghast. But before he had a chance to let out a scream, the last
assassin leapt forth. The young lady sailed forward and pulled out the Moon Shattering
Sword from the dead assailant’s body. In one swift motion she cut o his wrist, turned the
blade around, and sheared o his elbow. Snatching his blade, she pivoted her body and cut
open his stomach.

With agile movement like owing water, the assassin, who was ercely bloodthirsty
moments ago, was left in disbelief. Having being disemboweled, blood poured out from his
enormous wound, and with a loud thump, he crashed to the ground.

The young lady then resumed her original posture. The cold wind brushed over her body,
and the blood in her hair dripped down. From the moment of the ambush to now, everything
had happened in a few mere blinks of the eye. But in those few moments, the courage,
judgement, speed, and skills of both parties were put to the test. Obviously, as the outcome
suggested, this marvelous agent from the 21st century would be slightly better.

“Qiaoqiao!” Li Ce ran forth and hugged her in his arms. He shouted excitedly, “You are
amazing!”

Indi erent, Chu Qiao pushed him aside. Her cold gaze stared into the depths of the forest
and she boldly declared, “All of you can stop hiding!”

Li Ce was stumped and his jubilant expression was instantly replaced by that of
seriousness. Turning around, four men also dressed in black casually walked out of the
dense jungle. Their blades were still sheathed. Apparently they had just arrived.

The four stared at the frail young lady and felt a cold shiver go down their spine. They were
just a couple of dozen steps behind the previous team, but in that short time, there were six
dead and one injured. How much strength did this seemingly vulnerable girl have?

Chu Qiao’s face brimmed with arrogance, and she coldly stared at the four mockingly. With
a snort, she asked, “One by one, or all at once?”

The four cautiously ignored her question and steadily drew their blades.

With another snort, Chu Qiao dropped the Moon Shattering Sword. “Fighting with the likes
of you, even bare-handed, would be considered bullying.”

ff
fl
ff
fi
ff
The four were taken aback, and subsequently, their eyes lled with glee. In their heart, they
cheered that this stupid lady was really too full of herself. They might have seen idiots, but
they had never seen idiocy to this extent. Being assassins, the morals and honor of Jianghu
principles could be ignored anyway. Worried that they would lose their initiative, they let out
a roar and simultaneously pounced towards her

The sharp blades glistened in the moonlight and the ruthless edges exuded an invisible
menacing pressure that forced its way into Chu Qiao’s pores. But the young lady stood still,
with full composure. Her lips formed a sarcastic smile, as if completely ignoring them. The
four cheered internally and wanted to take this opportunity to nally achieve their mission.
Without further hesitation, all dashed forth with shocking and thunderous momentum!

Chu Qiao suddenly moved. With a mere ick of her wrist, four stinging knives appeared out
of thin air. The blades were streamlined, with a mirror-like polished surface, as if it was a
work of art.

Those four assassins were de nitely not in the frame of mind to admire the beauty of the
blades. Their faces twisted in shock, as their eyes were now lled with horror. Facing a
murder weapon that was faster than the sword and harder to dodge, no one would be
without worry or fear. But alas, it was too late to retreat. Chu Qiao icked her wrist and the
four knives, like reapers coming after their lives, shot out. In such a close distance, there
was no way to possibly dodge. As if the blades had eyes, the four knives accurately
burrowed themselves into the throats of each assassin in quick succession. Blood gushed
out and the four assassins did not even have the opportunity to exclaim about the
subterfuge before they succumbed to their wounds.

Seeing how the four assassins were so quickly annihilated, Li Ce was utterly stunned for a
moment with his mouth agape. Only after a few moments, he expounded, “Qiaoqiao, that
was so despicable!”

Unsure if that was a compliment or sarcasm, Chu Qiao just looked at him coldly and
suddenly lost strength, slumping over.

“Oh gosh! Your wound is bleeding again!”

Chu Qiao was left without energy to concern herself with Li Ce. Looking at the last assassin
who was lying in the distance, she instructed the man, “Go, kill him”.

“Sure thing!” Li Ce swiftly replied, and after feeling on the ground for a while, he picked up a
rock and ran towards the assassin who had fainted from losing too much blood.

“Hmph! Dare to ambush me? I will send you to your maker now!” With that, Li Ce lifted his
arm and hit the man with the rock.

“AH!!” A blood-curdling scream resounded. Chu Qiao frowned and Li Ce did not look good
either. His con dent strike had not only not killed the man, but it woke the assassin up.
Feeling pain, the man shouted, and it had de nitely spread far. All enemies within a few
miles must have been alerted by the noise.

fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
Chu Qiao’s gaze was already beyond that of fury. Losing his composure, Li Ce hurriedly
covered the assassin’s mouth, while the other hand swung the rock in a quick succession of
hits. Within a few moments, the assassin’s head was left a horrid mush of organic mass,
with nothing recognizable.

Chu Qiao could not help but feel pity for the assassin. He was considered to be decently
skilled in martial arts but died at the hands of such an idiot, and in such a bloody way.

“Qiaoqiao, can you still walk?” Li Ce walked over, his hands rubbing together in
embarrassment.

Coldly looking at him, she used the sheath to support her body up.

The sound of the waterfall roared, the ames of torches shone in the distance, they were
surrounded by enemies and did not know from which direction help the emperor would
come. They could not a ord to be careless.

“Qiaoqiao, that move just now was so powerful! Can you teach me?

“Qiaoqiao, do you think those few were killed by the ying blades or because they were so
infuriated by you that they died? I think two of them did not close their eyes… Must be
because they could not rest in peace.”

“Qiaoqiao….

“Shut up!” she ercely snapped and turned her attention back to scouting the front. She had
almost forgotten about the previous plan just a while ago. She thought of the hound just
now that had in icted Li Ce’s wrist with an inch-long wound.

Well, let’s just take it as interest and let him live a while longer.

Li Ce, who had been trailing behind, had not the slightest idea how that hound had saved
his life. He merely looked at his serrated wound in anger, miserably complaining, “In my
palace there is a pack of dogs. If I randomly picked one, it would able to easily beat eight or
ten of them.”

Chapter 67
The night mist clouded their vision of the future, as the unfamiliar mountain path extended
seemingly inde nitely. Li Ce carefully followed the lassie. Having rarely experienced such
hardship, the Tang Prince depressingly knitted his brow. “Will the Xia Emperor send men to
save us?”

The lassie did not reply. Li Ce had not expected an answer anyways, so in a few moments,
he started complaining about how the cold temperature of the highlands was not a place for
people to live.

“They will.” A low but rm sound replied. Li Ce, stunned, lifted his head in skepticism. “What
did you say?”

fi
fi
fl

fi
ff
fl
fl
 Those people had not recognized her, so they were de nitely not from Da Tong. If that was
the case, Yan Xun would de nitely be on his way to save her.

“De nitely they will,” Chu Qiao replied in a low voice. Her gaze was rm, with a certain
glimmer in her eyes.

They continued on the mountain path until they reached a lake.

“Li Ce!” The crisp voice of the young lady reverberated around the lake.

“Qiaoqiao, I am still here.” The man stood up, happily waved his arm, and watched Chu
Qiao quickly walk over to him. Taking a quick glance behind her, he spoke, “You took out all
of them already?”

Chu Qiao remained quiet and approached the waterside. With her hands, she scooped up
some water and drank it.

“Qiaoqiao, that was amazing!” Li Ce happily squatted next to her. “Are we going to go nd
more of them?”

Chu Qiao frowned. Li Ce was slightly taken aback and momentarily was a bit awkward. He
explained, “It is just that I feel it would be easier for us to escape if we killed all of them ”

The young lady raised one nger and slowly swung it back and forth. With a deep voice, she
said, “Firstly, it is just me doing the work, not us. Secondly, there are thousands of enemies,
how many do you think I can kill? If you remain like how you were, screaming when seeing a
mouse, I will sooner or later be killed as a result. Do not blame me for not warning you
beforehand, but when there is no retreat, I will be very happy to give up on you in order for
me to live.”

Li Ce sulked as if he was really sad and pulled on Chu Qiao’s clothes. “Qiaoqiao, don’t be
so cold.”

Chu Qiao groaned, causing Li Ce to quickly draw his hand back, only to see the location he
was pulling on had fresh blood seeping out of it. It was apparently a fresh wound. Chu Qiao
frowned and checked, only to nd an arrow wound in her left rib. The wound was not big but
was bleeding steadily and the pain was unbearable. It was surprising that such a wound had
escaped her detection.

“Qiaoqiao, you have been injured again. Are you okay? You must hang in there,” Li Ce
frowned too and worriedly said.

Chu Qiao pressed on the wound, closed her eyes, and leaned on the tree. She quietly said,
“Help me bandage it.”

“What?”

“Help me bandage!” Her voice became sharp and caustic.

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
Startled, Li Ce nodded his head hysterically and clumsily tore o a piece of cloth. He lifted
up her clothes to reveal silky smooth skin that had been dyed a bright crimson. The
arrowhead was deeply buried under the skin of the left rib, with two sides swollen and red.
Li Ce grabbed the broken arrow and sternly cautioned, “Qiaoqiao, if you are in pain, just
shout out or you can bite on me.”

Chu Qiao closed her eyes and took a deep breath, but did not speak.

Li Ce’s face showed a rare glimpse of seriousness as he grabbed the arrow and scowled.
With one swift motion, he yanked it out! Blood squirted. Li Ce tightly covered the wound.
Chu Qiao groaned in pain and fell forward. Li Ce stretched out his other hand to catch her
as she fell.

“Qiaoqiao? Are you okay?” perturbed, Li Ce anxiously asked.

“I won’t die yet.” Her hoarse voice gradually reached his ears. The lassie took a deep breath
and she leaned her chin on his shoulder. Li Ce gave o a sigh of relief as he proceeded to
bandage her wound. In the darkness of the night, her body was like ice. It suddenly dawned
upon Li Ce that this girl in front of him could no longer ght, even one more battle.

However, at this critical moment, hurried footsteps echoed from afar. The duo instantly
tensed and sat up straight. Their faces were brimming with seriousness, as their sharp gaze
surveyed their surroundings.

“What should I do?” Chu Qiao scowled deeply. She had already lost all ghting potential.
The smell of blood here was so heavy that waiting here would lead to certain death. The
only way out was to take down Li Ce and to use her guise to create a mess, such that she
could make an escape. Her gaze drifted gradually towards the man sitting beside her, only
to see his face lled with a rarely seen solemnity and sternness. She was not a saint, but
saving people must also be within her capability. When helpfulness started to encroach on
her very safety, any smart person would know what to do.

In addition, with Li Ce’s death, Yan Xun would gain a huge advantage. She should have
known what to do, she must have known what to do, and she ought to do it as such. She
had an even heavier burden on her shoulders as there were people waiting for her. Her life
was still precious and not something she should easily forsake. Her heavy ngers felt for the
dagger tied to her thighs, and she got ready for action.

“Qiaoqiao!” Li Ce suddenly turned. With an expression of sobriety, he calmly explained, “I

will try to distract these people, you should take the opportunity to escape. You must be
careful!”

Chu Qiao was stunned and her eyes opened wide. Li Ce took o his coat and covered Chu
Qiao with it. Taking out a metallic cylinder from his waistband, he handed it to her hand and
said, “I don’t know martial arts, so my Father made this self-protective weapon for me. If
you pull the trigger string, fty needles will shoot out, each with extremely potent poison.
This can re up to three times. Keep it. It may save your life in case you need it.”

fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
ff
ff
fi
fi
 Still astonished, Chu Qiao took the metal cylinder, her brows still furrowed. Unable to
comprehend what just happened, she stared at Li Ce, as if to scan his brain to uncover his
true intentions.

“Haha, did you suddenly fall in love with me?” Li Ce suddenly ashed a smile, exposing his
pristine white teeth. He patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, when you return to Zhen Huang,
you will still have a chance.”

“Li Ce! Keep it, I won’t need it.” She held him back and tried to return the weapon.

“I don’t need it either. Actually, I really don’t know how to use it. Hearing how scary it is, I
can’t help but imagine accidentally shooting myself. Wouldn’t that just spell the end of me?
You can keep it and test it out. If it is really good, I will go get another when I get back.”

Chu Qiao bit her lips. Finally letting go of his hand, she responded, “Be careful.”

Li Ce smiled. “You too, I am still going to learn martial arts from you when we get back!”

Chu Qiao nodded.

The man stood up. Clumsily brushing away the thorny overgrowth, he walked towards the
direction of the footsteps.

“Oi! Bring a weapon!”

Li Ce did not even turn around and casually waved back. In the soft glow of the moonlight,
she saw an uneven piece of rock that was covered in blood in his hands. His clothes
tattered, his footsteps uneven, there was not the slightest trace of the Tang Prince’s
elegance left in him. He was, in fact, more like a beggar.

As Chu Qiao stared at his silhouette, the hand that grabbed the dagger loosened.

Still some time left before dawn, darkness covered the land. Tiny ripples on the lake
re ected minute amounts of light, it felt desolate and miserable. It had been six hours since
Li Ce had left. Footsteps on the two banks, as if life-seeking specters, nally closed in. With
bloodied shoulders and pale lips, the continuous ghting and running had pushed Chu Qiao
past her physical limit. But when she smelled the presence of hostiles, with great
determination, she stood up, her two eyes shining like an agile panther.

In the darkness, she was like a phantom, quickly traversing the dense jungles. She ran for
two whole hours before she came to a stop. The hill in the distance was lled with light from
the ames, and the curves formed by the lines of torches looked like a reaper’s sickle that
was approaching quickly. Chu Qiao roughly estimated the time before it would arrive, and
she inspected her wounds. She then rubbed her aching head from the excessive blood loss
and nally sat down, leaning on a tree to quietly rest.

The crisp sound of birds chirping echoed. Chu Qiao suddenly opened her eyes and leapt
up. The slightly warm morning sunlight shone through the leaves and onto her face, while
the cool dew droplets condensed on her nose like crystal. A few sparrows dived down from
beyond the clouds and curiously examined her, while not forgetting to still let out refreshing
fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
 chirps. The singing of the birds was so pleasing to the ear, the sounds seemed to have
originated from the most skillful musicians in Sheng Jin palace.

Chu Qiao was again stunned. She could not believe she had slept for so long. Touching her
forehead, she con rmed it was burning up as if it was a piece of hot charcoal. Her throat felt
sore, making it hard to breathe as if there was something stuck inside. Without a doubt, at
this critical juncture, she had fallen sick. Luckily, these people had not yet come for her.

Just as Chu Qiao was about to heave a sigh of relief, footsteps suddenly echoed. As she
lifted her head, a soothing voice asked, “Are you awake?”

Zhuge Yue, his back facing the winter sun, appeared from within the depths of the forest. He
wore a dark purple robe, which was fashionable among the rich sons in Zhen Huang City.
With a drooping robe and huge sleeves, lined with layers and layers of golden eece, the
purple robe was decorated with complicated patterns that made use of multi-colored thread
that delicately formed many blossoming roses. Under the sun, the clothing looked all the
more vibrant and colorful. His long hair was tied up and owing down his back. His
eyebrows were well de ned, decorating his eyes that were so dark they seemed like an
abyss. His neck was pristine white, not unlike a lady, and his chin was slightly lifted, his lips
bright red. Just like that, he stood back, facing the light. His eyes stared at her with
indi erence, as if looking at a just another lifeless stone.

Even if it were the same piece of clothing, Li Ce would give o a di erent aura if he wore it.
This man had a kind of devilish beauty, but the malignant and frosty aura that emitted from
his eyes would remove any thoughts of befriendment from others.

Chu Qiao kept her head up, examining this uninvited guest. “Why are you here?”

“Where is the Crown Prince Li? Escaped? Dead? Or…murdered, by you?” he asked
indi erently, raising his eyebrows.

Chu Qiao ignored his question and inquired directly, “How long have you been here?”

“Since you fell asleep like a pig. Do you want some water?” Zhuge Yue shook the bottle of
water on his waist. But seeing how Chu Qiao stared at him without any intention to speak,
he put it back down.

“Why are you helping me?”

Zhuge Yue coldly smiled and looked at her from the corner of his eyes. “You think I am here
to help you?” With arms crossed, he lazily leaned on a nearby tree trunk. Calm and
composed he laughed. “Xing’er, who did you think I was? Zhao Song? Yan Xun? That just
by living in the small room for over a decade, I started to believe you were the number one
woman in the world? Or,” he paused and leaned over slightly and continued, “you thought I
was the number one idiot in the world, to be cajoled by you again and again?”

With a sneer, he looked up at the sky and nonchalantly stated, “I just wanted to see what
crazy stunt Li Ce was trying to pull and to see how miserable you and Yan Xun were. I had
ff
ff
fi
fi
fl
ff
ff
fl
 not expected how the heavens would help you this time, ruining the show right when it was
getting good.”

Chapter 68
Chu Qiao stood up. The pain within her body was bearable, then the dizzy spell that
originated from her fever hit her like a torrent. She had already not eaten for one day and
one night, and her face was as white as fresh snow. She steadied herself against a tree and
took a few deep breaths to get a grip, before turning towards the dense forest.

“You are leaving just like that?” Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows and lifted his foot, intending
to follow her. Just as he did, Chu Qiao suddenly turned back, and with a whooshing sound,
a white ash took to the air. Like an agile sparrow, Zhuge Yue’s left foot released a burst of
strength, and he lept into the sky. The white ash grazed his face. With a buzz, it bore into a
thick rock. Strands of hair oated down and Zhuge Yue’s left cheek was left with a small
inconspicuous white line. Only a moment later, the white mark seeped out a crimson red
liquid. Thin and straight, it was like a razer that had cut through paper.

Chu Qiao coldly warned, “Do not think that I won’t dare to kill you.”

Zhuge Yue wiped away the thin trace of blood on his face and nonchalantly replied, “But
can you?” His long and amboyant sleeves uttered in the cold wind that had penetrated
through the thick vegetation. Chu Qiao quietly glared at him, her arch-nemesis of many
years, before nally putting her hand on the sheath, gradually pulling the sword out. Slowly,
words came out from her mouth, “If that is so, let us reach a conclusion today.”

With a quick twist of his long sleeves, his sword appeared within his hand. Still sheathed, he
pointed the tip of the scabbard at Chu Qiao. “Alright. Then I shall play along with you.”

Chu Qiao, with a ick of her wrist, positioned her sword and exploded towards him. But it
was then a wave of nausea hit her like a truck. Too weak to even groan, she fell in Zhuge
Yue’s direction.

“Take her down!”

Roughly a dozen men leapt out of the bushes. The leading one, with a bamboo blowpipe
still in his mouth, noticed how Zhuge Yue was still standing still. Without hesitation, he
pu ed his cheeks and shot out the hair-thin needles straight at Zhuge Yue’s chest.

With a swing of his sleeve, over a dozen needles were swept astray. With blue gleams on
the tips, it was apparent that these needles were poisonous. With his arm stretched out, he
took the chance to pull Chu Qiao, who had already fainted, into his chest. He then noticed
that her face appeared even paler; her left shoulder had around seven or eight needles stuck
close to each other, and was seeping black blood.

Zhuge Yue scowled. It was apparent that things had taken a downward spiral. In the nick of
time, he noticed the metallic cylinder hanging at Chu Qiao’s waist, and without any
ff
fl
fi
fl

fl
fl
fl
fl
suspense, he pulled the trigger string. A few blood-curdling screams followed. In that rain of
projectiles, not a single one was spared. In that opening, he carried Chu Qiao and ed.

Chu Qiao was merely temporarily dizzy from her ailments, so in a few moments, she was
fully conscious again. Opening her eyes, she only saw how Zhuge Yue was carrying her,
with constant rustling sounds behind, an obvious indication of pursuers. By now, there was
no more pain in her shoulder, as she had lost all sensations in her left arm. She clenched her
teeth and ercely shouted, “Let me down!”

Completely ignoring her, Zhuge Yue slashed at the vines blocking his path.

“Zhuge Yue put me down!”

“Noisy!” He stopped in his tracks and pressed her against a tree trunk, coldly declaring, “Do
you want to die? No problem, but you have to rst tell me, where is Li Ce!”

“I don’t know!”

Sneering, Zhuge Yue replied, “You don’t? Then I am so sorry. Don’t you hate to be in debt to
others? I shall make sure you owe me a favor, a favor so big, you can’t even repay it with the
rest of your life.”

The sounds of the pursuers rapidly caught up, as if it was the growling of a beast ready to
strike. Out of the blue, lightning struck, and then came the rolling sounds of thunder. A
torrential downpour ensued. The heavy water drops created splashes of mud as it struck the
ground. Still pinned to the tree, Chu Qiao’s eyes resembled that of a cautious wolf as she
glared unwaveringly at Zhuge Yue.

“Zhuge Yue, you have been stalking me so much. Are you sure you did not fall in love with
me?”

With a wide grin, Zhuge Yue put his face next to her ear, almost touching it. He whispered in
a hoarse voice, “You are so scared of being indebted to me. Are you sure you are not just
scared of falling in love with me, making it di cult for you to avenge your siblings?”

Chu Qiao countered, “If that makes you feel better, I shall not reveal my real thoughts until
the moment I kill you.”

Zhuge Yue grinned. “Same to you. If you have the luck of living until tomorrow, I will return
to tell you how amusing you are.”

“Zhuge Yue! If you do not eliminate me now, you will regret it in the future!”

“I am more curious to see how someone who can barely survive can make me regret.”

With a menacing gaze, Chu Qiao growled, “Someday I will make sure you die in my hands.”

Zhuge Yue brushed that threat aside. “Someday? That line is too old. Xing’er, do you not
have anything new?”

fi
ffi
fi
fl
A group of at least a hundred men approached them warily. Everyone clad in black and their
faces covered in cloth. With every step, they checked their surroundings. Four gigantic
hounds led the way, leading the group towards the hideout of the duo.

Chu Qiao laughed lightly. “Looks like we’ve got company. Zhuge Yue, if you have any last
words, you can say them now. If I am in a good mood, I can help you convey it.”

“Shouldn’t that be my line? Pretty sure they’re not after me.”

Chu Qiao taunted, “Do you think they can still di erentiate between us?”

“If they cannot even do that, then they are nothing but living trash, even if I don’t permit
them to live.”

The hounds, as if signalling the start of the incoming bloodbath, started to ercely bark at
the same time. The mob halted for an instant, but immediately dashed towards the duo!

Whoosh! With a sharp buzz, Zhuge Yue drew his blade. The afterimage of the blade was
vividly visible as it accurately cut through an incoming arrow while splitting the pouncing
hound in two. Fresh blood splattered everywhere, some landing on his robe, looking like
blossoming petals.

“Go!” someone shouted. The men in black rushed up in quick succession, their blades
tearing through the heavy night, and their urry of arrows shearing the air. There was nothing
but bloodthirst and death.

With one clean ash of his sword, two heads ew up into the sky. Zhuge Yue’s gure leapt,
lightning fast like an eagle. In full view of everyone, his dazzling sword skills were on full
display, beautiful like reworks. At this point, the two headless corpses dropped while still
maintaining their original battle position, and took a few steps past him before dropping into
a puddle of mud, blood spurting out of their wounds, creating a mess.

Following that, Zhuge Yue stepped back to his original spot, and with an immense amount
of slashes, took down the torrential rain of arrows. Chu Qiao was standing behind him. By
now, the poison had spread to half of her body and she did not have strength left in her right
hand to hold her sword. Her legs were trembling and if she had not been so determined to
hang on, she would have certainly been lying on the ground.

Zhuge Yue turned around and raised an eyebrow. “You are already in such a state, why are
you still pushing yourself so hard?”

Chu Qiao weakly replied, “None of your business!”

“If I was not here, you would have died long ago, and yet you still speak of killing me. How
shameless.”

Just then, an arrow ew towards his blind spot at a height that was almost touching the
ground. Aiming straight at Zhuge Yue’s heart, Chu Qiao astutely noticed it and pounced
towards Zhuge Yue. A few sharp blades ew through the air. With a shake of the sword
fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
ff
fi
fi
handle, he stabbed it into the ground and used it as a pivot. With a quick twist, he grabbed
Chu Qiao and brushed past the fatal arrow.

“If you do not get serious, we are both going to die here!” Chu Qiao ercely exclaimed.

Zhuge Yue replied, “So you are also scared of death?”

Chu Qiao clenched her jaws and unsheathed her sword as well. Without any excess motion,
without any amboyant style, her movements were neat and steadfast. Every swing of her
blade was deadly.

The rolling thunder resounded and the heavy downpour continued. Stepping on the mixture
of blood and mud, the hundreds of assassins brandishing their blades crowded forward and
surrounded the duo. No shouts or screams, no sounds of ghting, everything was covered
by the roaring sounds of rainfall. But in the freezing shower, shadows ashed by,
crisscrossing in a urry of exchanges. Blood splashed and body parts splattered onto the
trees around.

The hearts of assassins pounded rapidly, as their blood boiled. All their weapons
unsheathed, they maintained their swift movements. But still, facing the previous round of
confrontation with nothing but mounting losses on their part, they felt shivers go down their
spines. Still forming a circle, they slowly retreated while keeping their eyes focused on the
duo, who were still in an aggressive stance. At the signal of their leader, all reached out
behind them. Following that, a row of short javelins, each half a meter in length, appeared.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Zhuge Yue’s face showed seriousness once more and he
cautioned, “Careful.”

“Go!” the leader bellowed. Countless javelins ew towards them from all directions, leaving
gleaming trails as they cut through the heavy air.

“Step aside!” Pushing Chu Qiao aside, Zhuge Yue aunted his sword. With movements like
lightning, he de ected two projectiles, and in the process, the huge force scraped o a layer
of skin. Seeing that, Chu Qiao brandished her blade and was ready to charge forward. It
was then with a woosh, a silver arrow shot past, and a black chain fell from the sky, like a
snake. It caught her at her waist. A huge force followed, pulling her up right before the
swarm of javelins hit.

The assassins were surprised, but with quick reactions, they lifted their head and aimed
upwards, only to see a shadow descend like a comet. Waving the sword in his hand, the
intruder blocked all of the arrows. As if the grappling hook had a mind of its own, even as if
he had casually ung it out, he was still able to traverse through the dense forest with ease.

A cold wind blew through the dense woods. As Chu Qiao ew past, looking at the mob
below, she saw Zhuge Yue in a bloodbath, only with his eyes still crystal clear. Just like that,
he looked at her indi erently. The only thing that could be seen in the in nite depths of his
iris was the re ection of his ourishing blade.

fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
ff
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
ff
Lightning ashed and thunder boomed. Just as the assassins looked up in search of the
vanishing lady countless grappling hooks appeared out of thin air. More intruders turned up,
coming from the sky.

“Master, leave rst!” AhJing shouted as he beheaded an enemy.

A few men in black landed, shielding Chu Qiao and the man. Razor thin blades struck out
against the enemies, as horses rushed through the mud towards them.

“Let’s go!” the man’s voice bellowed, with a tone of undecipherable emotions. He took Chu
Qiao by her waist and jumped onto one of the horses. Waving the whip, he left.

“Intercept them!” the enemies barked, as the horde of assassins sailed forth.

With an emotionless hmph, the man e ortlessly slit the throat of one assassin. The blood
gushing out was still searing hot and blinded another man, who panicked. Before he could
recover from the surprise, he was struck squarely in his chest by an arrow.

The man held pulled the reins and the horse stood up on its hind legs. With a huge bang, its
front legs vigorously kicked the chests of two incoming assassins. At that moment, their ribs
were crushed, their blood gushed out like a geyser. Flying more than 30 meters back, they
rammed into four of their other comrades.

Seeing how they could not defeat the intruders, the leader of the assassins snapped out a
cylinder from his waist and shot it into the sky. A pale blue rework went o in mid-air,
shining light in the vicinity.

Chapter 69
“Hold on tight!” the man bellowed. With a whip of the reins, the horse exploded forward.

Sounds of countless horses galloping ensued. Chu Qiao was hugged tightly within that
man’s chest. A cold, sharp wind blew past. Despite the heavy storm all around, only a few
droplets reached her. Turning back and staring past his shoulders, she could only see the
curtain of clouds tightly covering the sky, as if it was night time. The sound of galloping
horses in the dense forest was thunderous, and it was unclear how many enemies were
there. It was impossible to tell friend from foe or to distinguish the imperial forces from the
hostile assassins. In the direction she had just escaped from, birds circled overhead. Metal
clashed endlessly. The trees were even shaking with violence as if they were about to be
uprooted completely.

“It is the Master!”

Suddenly, rustling sounds came from the front. Men in black brushed shoulders with them,
and when their gazes crossed, their eyes were clearly lled with deference and they nodded
with reverence. They pulled out their weapons, some with menacing daggers, some with
deadly swords. Without any hesitation, they charged towards the bloodthirsty pursuers.

“Master! Right in front!”

fl
fi

ff
fi
fi
ff
 “Master! Enemies 80 steps to the west!”

“Master! Reinforcements from the south!”

“Master! Reinforcements from the northwest!”

“Master! Reinforcements from the east!”

In the frenzy, wave after wave of reinforcements appeared to help. Completely unfazed, the
man handled the reins singlehandedly and hugged the young lady with his other hand.
Gradually, they had left the chaos far behind them. The dense vegetation faded into plains of
tall billowing grass. Chu Qiao’s hand was covered in fresh blood. Anxiously, she raised her
head and asked, “You were injured?”

Yan Xun was in also wearing black, his face covered by a cloth. He looked down and
questioned, “Where is Li Ce?”

Chu Qiao replied honestly, “He escaped.”

In the darkness, Yan Xun’s eyebrow shot up. With ominous eyes, he stared at the forest that
was still brimming with torchlight. Finally, he turned back with a wave of his hand. He
ordered, “Let’s return to the city.”

“Wait!” Chu Qiao hurriedly added, “Zhuge Yue is back and he is still inside.”

Yan Xun, with a slightly bewildered look, replied, “You intend for me to go back and take the
opportunity to kill him?” Taken aback, her initial intend instantly vanished like mist. Yan Xun
continued, “We cannot expose ourselves yet. Without much time left, we should let him o
rst.”

On the galloping horse, Chu Qiao cowered in Yan Xun’s chest. Looking over his broad
shoulders, the waves of trees were in full view. The sky was shrouded in darkness, so dark,
it seemed like it was made of ink.

The spring of Hong Chuan highlands always came late. Right now, owers in Tang Empire
and Song empire were already in full bloom but Xia Empire’s land remained mostly barren in
the frigid coldness, with the freezing wind from the northwest occasionally bringing a wisp of
a distinct owery fragrance. According to Yan Xun, it was the smell of the Huo Yun ower.

It seemed like anything that the Tang Prince was involved with would certainly turn
complicated and puzzling. Whether it was being beaten up by Chu Qiao or the attempted
assassination, the incidents were all willfully suppressed by someone. If Chu Qiao had not
had such heavy injuries that she needed one whole fortnight to recuperate, she would have
doubted thought the whole incident was but a eeting nightmare.

Despite the presence of Chu Qiao as a primary witness, the whole incident was shrouded in
mystery. It was fruitless, despite thinking about the incident for a few days. Yan Xun had
little choice but to activate all the strength Da Tong had at their disposal in the capital. Even
then, it took ten days for them to arrive at a vaguely logical conclusion. But this conclusion
made Chu Qiao feel nothing but aghast. She would rather not believe it was true.

fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
ff
“Since we cannot nd the root of the problem, we must think in terms of the result. Which is,
despite numerous e orts and mobilizing over three thousand soldiers to hunt down the
assassins, the Xia Empire was still judged to have failed to protect Prince Li Ce. It had to
give concessions in regards to the tax implementation at the Tang Hu customs. Within the
Tang Empire itself, this incident led to a series of investigations, involving over a dozen
nobles from the side of the family who had army authority. In these nobles, it was highly
likely three of the feudal lords lost control over their army as a result. The biggest suspicion
among all was, despite being ambushed by a force over ten times their size, Li Ce’s
subordinates were all merely injured with no deaths at all. With such results, even if we were
to say Li Ce was lucky, I have to conclude that his luck was way too good to believe.
Inferring as such, when we have eliminated all the impossible choices, the remaining option,
no matter how unlikely, will be the truth.”

Lying sideways, Yan Xun leaned on the soft cushion in the carriage, his hand holding his
forehead. “AhChu, you really were lucky this time around. If you had really done something
to Li Ce, perhaps you would not be here anymore.”

Frowning, Chu Qiao carefully re ected on the incidents of that day, but she could not nd a
single loophole in that hypothesis. If it was really as Yan Xun had said, that had been Li Ce’s
doing, then that man was way too dangerous to be involved with.

Yan Xun was not the only one interested in this incident. Just as the doctor left, the palace
summoned Chu Qiao. Yan Xun accompanied her all the way to the Chang Ping gate, as she
was to proceed alone. Chu Qiao got out of the carriage and followed the servant who was
there to lead her through the corridor to the front hall.

Perhaps it was too early. Sheng Jin palace was still in a state of tranquility. White birds
gracefully glided across the clear blue sky, while cooling winds brushed against everybody’s
clothes, causing their long sleeves to utter like butter ies.

“Eunuch Bai!” A young eunuch ran over from the Xiang Zhang palace and exclaimed to the
elderly eunuch who was leading the way, “Eunuch Bai! Lady Qin of the Shu Yi dwelling had
deceased!”

“What?” Eunuch Bai was dumbfounded and his y-whisk dropped to the ground.
Incoherently, he asked, “What happened?”

“Shu Yi dwelling’s claimed that she suddenly fell ill after eating the red date cake prepared
by the west cookhouse. The Court of Internal A airs has already arrived.”

“How could that be?” The eunuch furrowed his eyebrows. He turned and was just about to
speak when Chu Qiao interjected, “Eunuch, please proceed with your urgent business, I
know the way to the front hall.”

“Ah, thank you,” the elderly eunuch replied with gratitude, before turning to the younger
eunuch. “Lead the way, with haste!”

Chu Qiao had lived in the palace for so many years and was familiar with the mistresses and
eunuchs. More accurately, the Xia Emperor was not exactly lustful, and as a result, the
fi
ff
fl
fl
ff
fl
fl
fi
 women in the palace had seen little involvement from the Emperor. She could vaguely recall
how Lady Qin was not particularly conspicuous and had always been one of the quietest
and peaceful ones in the palace. She took frequent trips to the Shang Yi chamber to borrow
books. Even such a neutral person could not escape from the politics and ended up dying.

Chu Qiao did not want to overthink. Passing through the Xiang Zhang palace, she entered
the Ba Qu Ming Lake. The willows along the two shores had already began to grow. Some
even had owers, forming whole patches of crisp bright green. The occasional breeze
caused ripples in the pale green water. Standing on a bridge above the lake, with the
refreshing breeze blowing in her face and her clothes uttering in the wind, it was no wonder
that Chu Qiao felt a sense of rejuvenation within her heart. Pacing past the Rong Hua
pavillion, the gate to the front hall was just ahead. She took the side path, which was quieter
and with fewer people. She walked under rows of brick-red rooftops with gold
embellishment and ornamental mountains in the distance. The azure lake water had
owering willows along the shores. Her white clothes and jet black hair t impeccably with
the ambience, forming an elegant scene.

But this tranquility was shattered when a pained shriek suddenly reverberated through the
air, stopping Chu Qiao right in her tracks. She lifted her head, only to see a snowy white
eagle falling from the sky and hitting the ground with a loud thump. A sharp arrow had
penetrated its chest, staining its beautiful feathers with crimson red blood. A series of
footstep followed. Scowling, she reached out for the closest door along the corridor and
dodged into it. But, just as the door closed, she was ambushed by someone whose strength
was so strong, their palms could stir wind.

Her opponent was extremely strong. Without noticing, she was already being suppressed.
With amazing reaction speed and without identifying the assailant, she turned and took hold
of the palm. With a twist of her other wrist, she grabbed the assailant’s throat in her hands.
But just as she hit her mark, a slender yet cold hand, tightly clamped around her neck.

Striking like lightning, the two were equally matched.

The doors and windows were all shut, without a single ray of light. Within the day room they
were unable to clearly see each other’s facial features. The duo was concealed by the
darkness and only their sharp gazes glimmered, like two beasts who had unwittingly
stumbled upon each other.

Even though they had both mutually suppressed each other, they did not go any further.
Almost simultaneously, both of them released their ngers. Seeing each other’s intentions,
they continued to unwrap their ngers, one at a time. Finally, they stood free, facing each
other, but that did not erase the tension in the air.

Meanwhile, a gentle voice resounded in the courtyard, “Sister Yun, why are you doing that?”
Dressed in blue clothes with phoenix decorations, and donning a headdress with violet and
gold engravings, the lady strolled forward surrounded by her maidservants. With u y long
sleeves and a slender gure, she had the face of a Greek goddess.

fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
ff
“As sisters, how could I bear to see you commit such grievous mistakes?” As the servants
brought a chair made of Phoebe Zhenan wood, Lady Shu icked her sleeves and slowly sat
down. With a slight smile, she took the letter retrieved from the white eagle. Removing it and
inspecting it carefully, she proclaimed, “Palace women communicating with outsiders is a
huge crime. Sister, having been in control of the palace for six years, how could you not
know? Why did you make such a mistake?”

As the one who used to be the most prominent woman in court, Muhe Nayun wore a dark
purple Chinese dress with golden decorations. Standing upright, with two maidservants
behind her, she was still as beautiful as had been in her prime. But now, she seemed a little
thinner and paler. Without even a glance at Lady Shu, she instructed her two followers,
“Let’s go.”

“Hold up!”

As if she had not heard, Muhe Nayun proceeded.

A few servants followed and blocked her. In a deep voice, they warned, “Your Majesty,
please hold your steps. The Lady has something to say.”

With a loud slap, Muhe Nayun violently swatted his face. The Xia Empress raised her
eyebrows and bellowed, “Know your position! How insolent are you to stand in my path?!”

The servant, taken aback, dropped down on all fours. After all, as the Empress for over ten
years, with her accumulated reputation and stature, she was able to instill such fear into
these servants.

Lady Shu’s gaze froze and she indi erently replied, “Sister’s in uence is still so
overwhelming, just like in the past. That is really something to be celebrated.”

Muhe Nayun’s expression was frigid and she chillingly stated, “We were never that familiar
and did not interact much. I was never scared of you, and even now I do not take you
seriously. The rise and fall of women in the palace is very common, and since we are neither
friend nor foe, you do not have to always address me as sister.”

Lady Shu ashed a smile and replied, “Sister Yun’s personality is so ery and her words are
so direct. I am all the more captivated by you.”

“Thanks, but no thanks. I still have business to attend to, so I will excuse myself from
accompanying you to view owers.” With that said, Muhe Nayun turned to leave.

“Hold up!” Lady Shu’s face turned gloomy. Slowly standing up, she raised the letter in her
hand and coldly asked, “Sister, are you not planning to explain this?”

Chapter 70
“You had the mind to accuse me, so what explanation can I have?” Muhe Nayun snorted
and slowly replied, “If you so wish to, you can bring it to the Emperor. With his wisdom, he
will naturally arrive at a fair judgement.”

fl

fl
ff
fl
fl
fi
 “But, I still wish to hear Sister’s explanation,” Lady Shu said.

Slowly turning back, Muhe Nayun’s gaze was already below freezing. Squarely staring at
Lady Shu, her elegance and royal aura were suddenly unleashed. Arrogantly, she smiled and
said, “If I were you, I would de nitely not do that today.”

Stunned, Lady Shu was taken aback. That was de nitely unexpected.

Muhe Nayun continued to speak, “The women in the palace are ranked rst by lineage,
second by the Emperor’s favor, and last, by o spring. Lady Shu, we both entered the palace
in the same year and started o as lowly maidservants together. In every aspect, you were in
no way lesser than me, but why is it that I have been the Empress for ten years, but until
now you were just another concubine? Have you ever thought of the reason?”

Lady Shu’s face froze up, with not a single trace of a smile left on her face. Muhe Nayun
continued, “The reason for that is because you are dumb. Quibbling over small stu , you
have a short vision and were merely being arrogant to satisfy your inner ego. Ultimately you
are unable to achieve anything great. You are just lucky to have been born into a good family
with good elders.”

“How dare you!” a maidservant beside Lady Shu spoke aloud.

Fiercely shouting back, “How dare me? How dare you! The Empress is speaking to your
Mistress. Since when was it your turn as a lowly servant to speak up?”

“The Muhe family has already fallen. If I were you, I would not be standing here at this time.
Compared to me, don’t you think that the person from Lan Xuan palace is more of a threat?”

Muhe Nayun smirked.”You think that the emperor will still tolerate the Wei faction to become
the next Muhe family? Although the Muhe family has fallen, I am actually the best person to
counterbalance everyone else. In this life, you could never be the Empress. No matter how
reputable the Wei family is outside of the palace, you are just another concubine in the Xia
palace. My advice to you is to learn manners and courtesy, learn about when to advance
and when to lay low, and even the basics of hierarchy. The Empress of Xia Empire will only
be me, Muhe Nayun, alone. This will hold true in the past, in the present, and in the future.
You? Forget it.”

The wind blew, lifting up the corners of Muhe Nayun’s clothes. She had a face of pride and
con dence, with long silky hair like a waterfall. She seemed like she was merely 30 years
old, every motion lled with elegance and dignity.

Lady Shu stood still at her spot as she glared at Muhe Nayun’s silhouette walking away, her
face lled with gloom. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, she spotted the
servant who had kneeled down in deference to the Empress prior. “Bring him away and
behead him.”

“Lady! Spare me!” utterly shocked, the servant fell on his fours again and shouted.

fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
ff
fi
fi
ff
 Without turning around, Lady Shu speedily walked out of the courtyard. The corridor once
again resumed its tranquility, with sparrows chirping, and the lake re ecting the soft bask of
sunlight.

Opening the door, sunlight lit up the room. Chu Qiao narrowed her eyes as she turned her
gaze at the person beside her. The man was lean and lanky. He donned a dark red costume
that was embroidered with a black eagle. His gaze was rm and his lips crimson red. He
slowly turned his head towards her.

A cold wind blew between them and brought about a chilly atmosphere. The man’s gaze
remained frigid, lacking a single trace of emotion. This man always seemed emotionless, like
a statue. Gradually taking two steps back, Chu Qiao indi erently stared at the man in front
of her, as if she had no recollection of this person.

The spring wind blew and sent much of the dust lying on the ground into the chilly air. Then,
the duo took their gazes o each other simultaneously, and stared into the space in front of
themselves. Brushing shoulders with each other, they spared no further attention to each
other. From the start to the end, they did not share the same path. Even if destiny arranged
various encounters, almost as if teasing them, those were but temporary meetings. Like
comets in the vast space, they would rush past each other only to follow their own paths.

Meanwhile, in the dense bamboo forest, dark red clothes uttered. “Master, everything is
ready,” a servant walked up and informed him quietly. Zhuge Yue frowned a little but
hesitated to speak. The weather was not exactly hot, but the servant was so anxious for
acknowledgement, he was already covered in perspiration. After a good two minutes, Zhuge
Yue nally nodded and said, “Go ahead.”

In the cold wind, the smell of blood reeked in Sheng Jin palace. Just as Chu Qiao reached
the front hall, many people darted about. The square was lled with purple cone owers. Yan
Xun stood upright, waiting for her from afar. Chu Qiao hastened her pace. Noticing her, Yan
Xun smiled and also approached her.

“Qiaoqiao!” Li Ce was also nearby. Wearing a bright red mandarin robe, he eagerly waved at
Chu Qiao. Before Chu Qiao’s expression of disgust could spread across her face, a piercing
bell rung out. Everyone raised their head in shock and fear, looking at Xie Fang palace.

“Assassins! The Empress is dead!” The sharp voice of the eunuch, tinged with sadness,
reverberated through the air like a death knell. Everyone instantly turned pale. Servants who
wore black military dresses dashed across the courtyard like a ood, heading towards the
place of the incident. The silence lasted for a few moments, before sounds of wailing broke
out all over Sheng Jin palace.

“Empress Muhe Nayun, born in what used to be the most powerful family, the Muhe Family,
entered the palace at age 13. She took the Empress’s seat at 30 years old. As the bearer of
the Phoenix Stamp for ten years, she ruled over the six palaces. Only subservient to the
Emperor, no one dared to disobey her,” the eunuch declared.

Chu Qiao’s face was pale like a ghost. She turned, only to see that Yan Xun’s face re ected
the same fear. At this very moment, that palace in question was the place she had just
fi
ff
fi
ff
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
 walked past. If the assassination had been a few minutes earlier, she would de nitely not be
standing here alive!

Death knells chimed, once, and then again nine times. These nine chimes were short, but it
seemed like an eternity. All walking and standing, whether they were they soldiers or
maidservants, eunuchs or o cials, everyone turned towards the Imperial Harem and
prostrated. The inner palace was left with a deafening silence, and even the bustling front
hall lost all the murmuring of conversations. The chiming paused for a few moments, before
continuing. This time, even louder than before. And then, one person, two people, ten
people, and then a hundred, a thousand. All kneeled in succession and kowtowed in the
direction of Xie Fang palace.

Chu Qiao’s mouth was left agape, but no words came out. Her mind had nothing but that
iron- sted lady who represented the Muhe family who stood tall in her position as the
Empress and controlled half of the Xia Empire for ten years. She thought of the rm words
that were left behind by that lady: The Empress of Xia Empire, will only be me Muhe Nayun
alone and that will hold true, regardless if it was in the past, in the present, or in the future.
The words still resounded in her ears, but the person who said it was already gone. What
other dangerous powers did this beautiful palace conceal?

The loud sounds of wailing pierced through the skies, coming from even beyond the Zi Jin
gate.

Year 773 of the Bai Cang calendar, on the 9th of May, the Empress died. Hundreds of
o cials cried in sorrow outside the Zi Jin gate, with tens of thousands of civilians joining the
mourning across the whole empire. On the 16th of May, the funeral procession began,
starting from Tai Qing Street, the carriages were lined up for several miles. The Xi Huai King,
according to customs, followed the casket the whole way, until the royal graves in Jiu En
Mountain.

In historical records, the descriptions of Muhe Nayun were but a few rough lines. Behind
such glorious facades, there were not even additional titles after death. Regarding the cause
of death, apart from the word “died”, there was no other description. This represented the
setting of the last remnants of the once powerful Muhe family on the historical stage. The
elders meetings now only had six participants instead of the usual seven, and with the death
of Muhe Nayun, those hoping to rise to ll the gap would only become more active.

On the day of the funeral procession, Chu Qiao stood on the clock tower in the
southwestern corner of the royal palace, and observed the white decorations that seemed
to extend into in nity. The entire procession seemed to be a facade to a prosperous dream
scene. Yan Xun stood beside her, his gaze indi erent as usual, with undecipherable
emotions. But as he turned to leave the area, Chu Qiao noticed that the railing he grabbed
was left with a clear mark of his ve ngers.

How could he forget that the rst cavalry that stepped into the Yan Bei grass plains
belonged to that of Muhe, and how could he forget, the eyes of humiliation that Yan
Hongxiao had, even upon death. As the Muhe family fell, one by one, the hatred between
Yan Bei and the Muhe family nally ended amidst all the bloodshed.

ffi
fi
fi
ffi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
On the return trip to Ying Ge court, Chu Qiao unexpectedly saw the Seventh Prince Zhao
Che. The young prince wore light green clothes. Only the waist belt and sleeves were white.
This streak of green was in stark contrast to the pure white that lled the entire city.

Zhao Che’s face was emotionless as he stood tall in the round pavillion atop the hill. The
drizzle brought about mist, obscuring his facial features. Chu Qiao, with her umbrella open,
lifted her head up to look at him. As a result, the drizzle wet the side of her shoe, along with
the corner of her dress.

Zhao Che raised his head as he stared into the distant sky towards the west. Chu Qiao
knew in that direction was the highlands of legends, where the ancestors of the Xia Empire
came from. They rode horses and waved blades. With blood and faith, they united all the
tribes on the plains and formed this great country. When they died, their spirits would return
to their home, to forever rest in the peace of that red soil.

The Xia Empire’s royal graves were also located under the Jiu En Mountain. According to the
words of common folk, there was a huge temple atop that mountain with torches made of
whale blubber that burned both day and night through the millennia.

The drizzle drifted sideways, hitting the umbrella. The young lady’s gure was concealed
within the bushes of owers and leaves, with only the white corner of her dress utter
visible.

To prevent the Muhe family from being too powerful, upon being born, the Seventh Prince
Zhao Che was given to the daughter of the Elder Scholar in Wen Hua Chamber, the Yuan
concubine. As one of the only concubines in the Xia Emperor’s life to have really gained his
favor, Lady Yuan was a tad bit special. Following Master Scholar Yuan from the Tang
Empire, although she had no special lineage, she was favored deeply by the Emperor for as
long as seventeen years. But on the 17th birthday of Zhao Che, in front of many, she jumped
into the lake and commited suicide.

Regarding Lady Yuan’s death, no one knew the true cause. The rumors claimed that it was
the Empress who was behind it all, forcing Lady Yuan to commit suicide, but the Emperor
did not react in any way. After Lady Yuan’s death, he continued the daily court hearings and
continued in his responsibilities as a ruler, completely compliant with the image of a wise
ruler. Although, since that incident, he had not even accepted a single new concubine.

Zhao Che was also distanced from his biological mother due to his step mother’s death.
Eventually, due to di erences in political views, he turned against his family and was
eventually sent to the borders with no aid. But when the Muhe family fell, his brother, the Xi
Huai King and his sister, Princess Chun, naturally got involved and their reputation took a
heavy blow. Only he was not the a ected in the slightest, and as usual, held heavy
responsibility and great power.

Many times, what is on the surface may not be true. Chu Qiao turned around and walked
away from the young prince who had achieved so much, despite being alienated from his
family.

ff
fl
ff
fi
fi
fl
 Chapter 71
In this palace, everyone had their own share of sadness and cruelty. Chu Qiao had seen too
much and was long used to those bitter defeats under the veneer of prosperity.

Back in Ying Ge court, Yan Xun was drinking in the pavillion within the plum woods. These
years, he had always passed with caution, and apart from very necessary situations, he
rarely drank. Chu Qiao stood within the corridor and observed the man, who was dressed in
pale green, and suddenly felt a rush of emotions surge within her heart. She was suddenly
reminded of many years ago, during one of their afternoons, when this young man took a
nap, only to be awoken shortly by a nightmare. Still groggy, he weakly inquired, “Chu Qiao,
when can I safely let myself get drunk without worry?” At that time, they were too weak and
dared not to even take a sip of alcohol without feeling anxious about falling drunk. Now,
they had gained much, and although they had the courage to let go and douse themselves
in alcohol, their shoulders only carried more burdens. That stress only made them all the
more unlikely to lift up the wine cup.

As expected, Yan Xun only took a few sips before he stopped. The winter had passed, and
the plum owers started to fall as the wind blew. With the plum petals falling like rain, the
pale green clothes uttered in the wind with his ink-like hair. With his eyes closed and brow
slightly furrowed, he let the falling petals hit his face freely, as the incoming wind uttered his
sleeves as if he was a bird trying to take ight.

Chu Qiao did not head over and only looked quietly from afar at that man who had been
standing next to her for many years. Some emotions were impossible for others to
understand and some hatred was impossible for others to withstand. Even between them,
as partners that hid nothing from each other, she knew she would never be able to share his
bone-searing hatred. What she could do, was just to look at him from afar, and if it rained,
she could at least pass him the umbrella in her hand.

The most distinguished woman of this empire had passed away, but what she left behind
was a huge rock that smashed into the seemingly tranquil lake surface.

Unexpectedly, within the Imperial Harem, the seemingly dominant Lady Shu did not manage
to take over Muhe Nayun’s position, as many directed their suspicion towards the Wei
faction. Lady Shu also became a person of direct suspicion. O cials from the Secretary
O ce, the Court of Internal A airs, and the Great Temple Dwellings regularly made their
rounds within Shu Yun palace, the home of Lady Shu. After seven days of investigation,
there was no conclusion but that had not washed away Lady Shu’s suspicion. With the
willful manipulation of those in power, Lady Shu’s position in the Imperial Harem took a
heavy blow, and similarly, the Wei faction was also being ostracized with a bleak future in
sight.

But at the same time, within Lan Xuan palace, Concubine Xuan rose out of nowhere. She
was arranged for night duty three days in a row, and on the fourth day, gained the title of a
Noble Consort, placing her at the same rank as Lady Shu. In fact, right now, she and Lady
Shu were the only ones holding that rank. Moreover, the phoenix stamp was bestowed upon
ffi
fl
fl

ff
fl
ffi
fl
 her, granting her the responsibility to oversee the funeral of the empress. In practice, that
rmly secured her position as number one within the Imperial Harem.

She was di erent from the Yuan Concubine who had no strong family background, and of
course di erent from Muhe Nayun, whose family had fallen. This woman, whose nickname
was Lanxuan, had a resplendent family name that carried the weight of hundreds of years of
history. Her full name was Zhuge Lanxuan.

The winds had changed and the Zhuge family, as a result, rose in in uence and power,
instantly reaching the same level as the Wei faction. This birthday of the Emperor would
undoubtedly be a turbulent event. The funeral of the empress was held merely three days
before his birthday, and on the same day, he was to marry his beloved daughter to the
Prince of Yan Bei. The tension reached its maximum, as the hidden sense of hostility grew
even more obvious.

On May 17th, a group of erce cavalry shattered the peace in the capital. The consul from
the Batuha family had arrived. Ba Lei, the youngest brother of Old Batu, cried out loudly
upon entering the castle. He leapt onto the empress’ statue in Zi Wei Square and he wailed
exaggeratedly. Following that, he was summoned to Sheng Jin palace. Due to his loyalty
and love for the nation, the Emperor decided to see him personally.

That night, Zhuge Yue, and the Master of the Wei family, Wei Shuye, received letters from
the North West. Zhuge Muqing stared at the letter for a long time, before placing it aside. He
slowly shook his head. “Just say that the young master is sick and is not in a state to go
out.”

Zhuge Yue frowned. “Father, why?”

Zhuge Muqing quietly replied, “Our objective has been reached. It would not be a good
sight if we received further interference. The power of the family is not yet steady, and
Lanxuan needs more time in the palace to solidify her power.”

“If we can complete this, the Emperor will only rely on us even more.”

Zhuge Muqing slowly raised his head and countered, “Yue Er, do you still not understand?
Whether the Emperor gives us his attention or not is not dependant on our contribution, but
on your power. General Meng has contributed to the empire over the generations, but even
now he is just another general. No land and no wealth. The noble families and royal families
are split in terms of power and authority, and there is no way that could be reconciled. As
your father, I have taught you this many times.”

“But…”

“Let us not mention this again. From today, we will shut our doors to all visitors. Let us sit
and wait for the conclusion three days later.”

Zhuge Yue’s words were interrupted by his father. Actually, what he intended to say was,
“What if that idiot Ba Lei was unable to succeed and Yan Xun managed to escape from the
capital alive? What would become of the capital if Yan Xun managed to return to Yan Bei
fi
ff
ff
fi
fl
and regain his authority?” The entire empire would let loose a lion that may one day come
back to hunt everyone down.

He also wanted to say that father was already old. What remained of his faltering vision was
only the bene ts of the family but not of the entire world. If the whole country was no more,
what would become of the Zhuge family? If Yan Xun really managed to escape, what about
her? Would she follow him and head for Yan Bei?

With that said, although Ba Lei was an idiot, there was still Wei Shuye. With the recent loss
of political clout, they would de nitely grasp this opportunity.

Zhuge Yue slowly raised his head and murmured to himself, “Do not let me down…”

The next day, Wei Shuye brought 18 warriors into the dwellings that belonged to Old Batu,
while Zhuge Yue had not turned up at all. Despite meeting for the rst time, Ba Lei and Wei
Shuye were not awkward. Sitting down, the young General Ba Lei raised his lips and
sneered. “Seems like the Zhuge family is intending to give up on this opportunity to
contribute to the nation. This chance to prosper will be left to us two brothers alone.”

Wei Shuye’s expression was rigid as if he did not wish for much banter with Ba Lei. He
directly brought up the topic, “General, you are so con dent, unlike my foolish self. Do you
already have a complete plan?”

Proudly smiling, Ba Lei replied, “Of course!”

On May 18th, late into the night, the young lady stood in front of the map. She repeatedly
went through the plan for the day after tomorrow, then nally mentioned, “Everything is
going as planned, except this part where you head towards the Ancestral Temple in the
south of the city. I am not con dent that this is safe.”

Raising an eyebrow but without speaking, Yan Xun indicated for her to continue speaking.

“According to the ceremony, you need to head to the ancestral temple to prostrate to the
ancestors before following the ceremonial o cials to head back to the palace and marrying
the princess. In this part, you are no doubt being protected by soldiers, but they are not
reliable. If anyone attempts to block you along this road, it will certainly be disastrous.”

Yan Xun looked at the map and he said in a deep voice, “This area has an open terrain and
is near the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison. With many factions coming into the picture,
once there is an incident, huge armies will appear, escalating the incident. Moreover, as we
had ties with that said emissary before, he may not dare to try anything funny.”

Shaking her head, Chu Qiao disagreed, “We have to account for all possibilities and assume
the worst. We both should know that the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison did not pledged
their allegiance neither to you or Yan Bei. We need to have a plan just in case.”

Yan Xun nodded and picked up the map. He started planning the potential circumstances
and countermeasures. Similarly, Chu Qiao joined in, leaned against the table and continued
to plan. After about 15 minutes they exchanged their papers. With just a quick glance, both
fi
fi
fi
ffi
fi
fi
fi
 smiled in relief. If the Xia Emperor dared to play his cards, then all of Zhen Huang City would
be forsaken!

The two days passed without any major incidents. On May 20th, all of entire Zhen Huang
City blossomed into joy, as red silk carpet was laid down from the Zi Jin gate all the way
across Jiu Wai Street to the East Castle gates. The Xia Emperor showed a rare glimpse of
his face, as all the o cials, merchants, and civilians of the city crowded around, all shouting
words of respect, and prostrating themselves to show deference and reverence. It was the
image of a glorious and prosperous era.

For this special occasion, many of the criminals, besides those who had commited murder,
were pardoned. In Zi Wei Square, the pardoned criminals prostrated themselves, lling up
the entire area. Upon the arrival of the carriage of the Emperor, they jovially expressed their
thanks and reverence.

All o cials, both civil and military, along with emissaries from various lands, all prostrated
themselves in front of Zi Jin gate and later followed the line of carriages in the parade. The
parade lasted until afternoon, and a huge banquet was held in Sheng Jin palace. Until late at
night, colorful lanterns shone bright, and amboyant colors into the sky. While countless
dancers had their turn in the square, with loud music being played to be heard in the
distance. The civilians’ cheers were so loud, it could be heard from miles away. But just as
the waves of cheers resounded in the square, a group of people, neatly dressed, headed
towards the Ancestral Temple slowly.

Di erent from the cheers in the inner city, the area around the Ancestral Temple was
anything but bustling. The sounds of ovation that transmitted from afar made this place
seem all the more desolate. The moon shone dimly, as the crimson red lanterns lit the way.
Yan Xun, dressed in crimson red as well, sat in the carriage with his eyes closed, waiting for
the opportunity to strike. After the carriage moved for a while, it suddenly stopped. Yan Xun
opened his eyes, frowning. The last bit of hesitation had already vanished from within his
heart.

The carriage was dead quiet. Similarly, the outside was lled with a deafening silence. It was
as if everyone had forgotten about the origins of this carriage and its destination. Of course,
no one would know how the man inside the carriage had already left.

Behind a huge mansion, warriors, with their war horses’ hoofs wrapped in cloth, welcomed
the incoming man. Ah Jing got o his horse to lead Yan Xun to his horse and whispered,
“Your Highness, everything is ready.”

Yan Xun nodded and with a quick ip, jumped onto the horse. Immediately, he dashed
towards Southwest Emissary’s Garrison on the other end of the street. Stationed there were
over ten thousand Yan Bei soldiers, transferred to the capital by the Emperor to guard the
capital. Although those soldiers were not part of his allegiance, considering that they were
part of Yan Bei, Yan Xun decided to drag them into this mess. Now, he would be heading
over to seek help.

ff
ffi
ffi
ff
fl
fl
fi
fi
 Suddenly, blades gleamed in the soft moonlight! Shouting arose, and the Ancestral Temple
guards, with swords in their hands, appeared. With such agile movements, they were
de nitely not the real guards but were obviously veterans of the battle eld.

“Yan Xun has committed treason! Kill him!” The assailants, brandishing their weapons,
charged forth. The defense line that the ceremonial guards formed was easily washed away
by the o ensive. Only then, the leader reacted and shouted, “Assassins!”

Chapter 72
The sharp blades ew through the air with a sharp cutting sound. Trying to parry, the leader
held up his blade, but apart from a spark that resulted from the two pieces of metal brushing
past each other, it was to no avail. The assailant sliced his throat with ease. Without any
further sound, the man dropped down, limp.

The ceremonial o cials had yet to step down from the carriage they heard the sound of
projectiles ying through the air. In a ash, the arrows hit the o cials and they fell, their
bodies looking like porcupines.

A blood-curdling scream resonated, sending a shiver down any witnesses’ spine. The waves
of arrows followed, and with nothing but a thin layer of the carriage in between their body
and the deadly projectiles, the innocent ceremonial o cials were ruthlessly killed.

The guards drew their blades and tried their best to put up a ght. But the ambush was so
well coordinated. Before they could put up an e ective resistance, the assault had already
broken through. Roaring, and with some pained shrieks mixed in between, the two parties
fought to their deaths. Without a chance to ask for each other’s allegiance, the men could
only raise their blades and smash into each other’s bodies. But completely outnumbered,
the few guards were overwhelmed within a few moments, sinking into the shadows.

Amidst all this, waves of cheers sounded in the distance. As if reminding everyone of the
joyous event, reworks dotted the night sky. But it was precisely these cheers that drowned
out the bloodthirsty screams. No one would know, no one would see, and no one would
think that with such a beautiful banquet, there would people so daringly ghting out in the
open.

The guards roared in anger, not giving up in their last bit of resistance. The enemy poured in
like a ood from all corners. Their enemies were faces twisted in anger and their eyes were
bloodshot, devouring the last bit of hope within the guards’ hearts.

“Hang in there! Reinforcements will soon arrive!” But alas, what they did not know was that
these assassins had come straight from their beloved nation. They were the team destined
to be sacri ced for the sake of the empire!

Yan Xun’s carriage was full of holes. No one would think that he would still be alive. Out of
the over two hundred guards, there were no survivors. Whether they had resisted or
surrendered, it did not matter. All of them were massacred.

fi
fl
ff
fi
fl
fi
ffi
fl

fl
ff
ffi
fi
ffi
fi
fi
 At this very instance, a particularly large rework went o in the capital. The colors were
radiant and lit up the city. A thunderous wave of cheering roared in stark contrast to the
quiet bloodbath on the battle eld.

Ba Lei paced over and pushed away the subordinate whose face was aghast. A young man
wearing a fancy Chinese robe leaned in the carriage, but his body was riddled with arrows.
As he looked at Ba Lei, he tried to spit out the blood in his mouth, but fell into a coughing t.

Ba Lei’s face was completely lled with fury. Coldly, he asked, “Where is Yan Xun?”

The man smiled in jest. Without another word, Ba Lei snapped out his blade and with a swift
blow, beheaded the man.

The subordinate’s face was completely horri ed. Trembling, words came incoherently out of
his mouth, “Gen-general…”

Ba Lei turned around and coldly said, “With an ambush of eight hundred men with an
additional three hundred surrounding the area, all armed with the best weapons and
su cient preparation, you still managed to let him escape? What do I need you for?”

“General, we can go to the outer ring where Wei was lying in wait. Perhaps he was caught
already.”

“Fine.” Ba Lei nodded. Holding on to the tiniest bit of hope, he went to mount his horse. But
a thunderous wave of horse steps sounded. The entire earth felt like it was shaking. Ba Lei
raised his head in fear, only to see a cramped row of torches at the other end of the road,
approaching rapidly. With trampling war horses and razor sharp murderous intent, an entire
cavalry army had arrived.

“It is the Yan Bei soldiers of Southwest Emissary’s Garrison!” Ba Lei nally lost it, as he
quickly turned and ran. “Retreat!” By now, running was already too late. With human legs, it
was impossible to outrun the four legs of the horse. It was no longer a battle, but a
massacre.

“I am the Ba Lei General of the Batuha family! We have the Emperor’s order!” The panicking
voice sounded o . As Ba Lei saw how his subordinates fell to the galloping tide, he
attempted to use his identity as a last attempt to hold o the enemy. But who would believe
him? The warriors who were mobilized by the Yan Bei prince were completely in murderous
moods. Since the fall of the Yan family, the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison, became one
class lower than other armies and were frequently being bullied by other camps such as the
Dauntless Cavalry Camp and Green Army. This was such a good opportunity to achieve
something, who would stop to think about the words of the assassin? Daring to carry out a
large-scale assassination within Zhen Huang City, these people must be out of their minds.

Roaring, the soldiers continued the slaughter. The black tide of soldiers swept through the
street, before opening a path for a man completely donned in red. His gaze was like that of
an eagle and despite his smile, one could feel his pressing aura.

ffi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
ff
fi
fi
 “Prince! Without disappointment, all enemies have been eradicated, not a single one
escaped!” The vice-commander of the Garrison, He Xiao approached on his horse.

Yan Xun nodded and smiled. “Commander He, your achievements have been great. Saving
my life, I will not forget such a huge favor.”

He Xiao shook his head. “Your highness, you are exaggerating. Protecting the safety of the
capital was originally my duty. All the more, when Your Highness also came from Yan Bei, it
was impossible to stand on the sidelines.”

Yan Xun laughed. “I will surely submit a complete report to the Emperor. I believe very soon,
the vice in your ‘vice commander’ will be removed!”

He Xiao grinned and said, “If that is so, I will express my appreciation in advance.”

At this point, a junior commander walked up and whispered to He Xiao, “Sir! Something is
not right!”

Stunned, He Xiao turned around and inquired, “What happened?”

The junior commander, with his brow deeply furrowed, quietly said, “Sir, please follow me.”

He Xiao quickly ended the conversation with Yan Xun and went with his subordinate. Body
by body, he felt more and more chills go down his spine, and by the time he saw the body of
Ba Lei, he almost fainted and fell o his horse.

When Ba Lei entered the city, he made a huge ruckus, and as a result, few would not
recognize him. As the commander who was in charge of crowd control, how could he have
not known Ba Lei? Upon seeing how that arrogant man was now just a lifeless body, full of
arrows in his chest, He Xiao felt like vomiting blood.

Forcing himself to stay conscious, the young vice commander was still disillusioned.
Perhaps it was just an independent assassination by the Bahatu family to rid the empire of
the Yan Prince. Afterall, there were con icts between Old Batu and Yan Shicheng, which
was well known throughout the country. But when he identi ed the huge number of soldiers
from the Dauntless Cavalry Camp, he instantly knew what happened was merely a murder
orchestrated by the empire. For him to bring out his soldiers to sabotage this operation and
having saved the Yan Bei Prince, what would become of him? In that instance, He Xiao only
had one thought. To take down Yan Xun and to make up for his error!

“The one who wanted me dead was none other than the Xia Emperor.”

At that instant, everyone was stunned!

Yan Xun sat tall on his horse and nonchalantly glanced at the numerous soldiers before
xing his eyes on He Xiao. Indi erently, he continued, “Commander He, to have brought you
into this mess, I am really sorry. But if you and the rest of Southwest Emissary’s Garrison
were not from Yan Bei, capturing me might allow you to change your fate.” His speech jolted
everyone back to reality. Looking at Yan Xun’s face, devoid of any hints, everyone suddenly
understood something.

fi
ff
ff
fl
fi
 The Southwest Emissary’s Garrison was already trapped. If it were other troops, the
fratricide could be explained with the maintenance of public order. But as the troop that had
garnered attention from the empire already and was repeatedly suspected of helping
betrayers from Yan Bei, the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison could never escape from being
accused treason. The Empire wouldn’t forgive them, the Grant Elder’s Council wouldn’t
forgive them, and the Sheng Jin palace all the more wouldn’t. Even trying to backtrack
would mean certain death. The commander’s eyes were bloodshot and a voice screamed in
his mind. He knew everything! He purposely laid the trap! But he said nothing. After a short
while, the murderous intent vanished from his eyes, and in its place, desperation arose.

Within the tens of thousands of soldiers on the street, any clear minded person would know
what had just happened and what would become of them. Even though peace had already
returned to the area, they could almost feel the ground wobbling. Everyone looked at He
Xiao, or Yan Xun, or even at the heavens, seeking inspiration as to how to get out of this
predicament alive.

He Xiao jumped o his horse and raised his hands. Facing the soldiers behind him, he
bellowed, “Brothers! There are some words I had to swallow for eight whole years! Today, I
am nally going to say them! Those years, who was the one who suppressed the rebellion of
Cang Lan King and broke out of the encirclement at Sheng Jin palace to save the Emperor?
Who was the one who chased thousands of miles to Bai Ma Pass to save the Grand Elders
and O cials of the Empire? Who was the one who defended the lands of Yan Bei
Highlands, protecting our family from the northern savages? It was the King of Yan Bei!
Master Yan Shicheng! But what did this loyalty invite? A massacre of his whole family! For
eight years, our Yan Bei soldiers had been bullied by those b*stards from the Dauntless
Cavalry Camp and the Green Army. All these years, we tolerated it. But now, the empire, for
no apparent reason, wanted to get rid of our old Master’s only blood descendant! And with
such despicable means! As soldiers of Yan Bei, are we going to let it be?”

“No!” Thunderous cheering suddenly arose. Many soldiers raised their weapons and it was
at that moment the legends of the invincible Yan Shicheng, were once again reignited
among the soldiers, making their blood boil. The repression they felt over so many years
exploded within them like lava erupting from a volcano.

“Brothers! We are soldiers of Yan Bei! Tonight, we killed these people, and we are now in the
same boat as the Prince. If our Prince is gone, we would be no better. You tell me, can we
sit and do nothing?”

“No!”

“We must not die!”

“The Emperor repaid loyalty with cruelty! He is not t to lead us!”

Chapter 73
Not caring who said that last statement, the whole troop instantly drowned in silence after
hearing that.

fi
ffi
ff

fi
“Warriors of Yan Bei!” Yan Xun sat on his horse, as he gazed at those who raised their hands
up in the sky. His eyes formed a thin line as he rmly stated, “My father was mercilessly
killed eight years ago! Yan Bei has fallen greatly in the meanwhile, trampled upon by evil.
The glory of the Yan Bei warriors were also destroyed by the rotten Empire! We were all loyal
people of the Empire. We guarded the borders and fought against the barbarians, as we
protected the peace within the Empire. But as time passed, the prosperity of the capital
clouded the eyes of the leading group in the capital. They forgot who fought beyond the
boarders. They forgot who built the great walls of protection using sweat and blood! They
forgot who weathered the storm and kept the Quan Rong people at bay. They forgot who
saved the Empire during the most dangerous time!”

“It was us! Us, Yan Bei!” the soldiers cheered.

“That is right! It was us!” The wind started to blow, and the young man ripped o his
crimson red robes, revealing a jet black battle dress. On that dress was an embroidered
golden eagle. That was Yan Bei’s war ag! A golden eagle!

Yan Xun bellowed ercely, “The Emperor is no longer a wise leader. He can no longer
separate loyalty from evil! We can bleed on the battle eld, we can ght for the sake of the
civilians, but we cannot be a slave to a master who repays loyalty with retaliation!”

“We will not be slaves!” everyone echoed in succession.

As the wind started picking up, Yan Xun drew a blade from his waist. The erce wind sent
his battle dress uttering and the embroidery moved along with the uttering. It was as if the
golden eagle would readily take ight at anytime! Being trapped for eight years, the Prince
let out a mighty roar, “Warriors! Follow me! Breakout of the capital and return to Yan Bei! We
have no choice but to rebel! From now on, Yan Bei will be an independent territory!”

“Breakout of the capital! Return to Yan Bei!” The excited roars pierced the skies!

At this instance, within Ying Ge court, Chu Qiao wore a long black blouse waiting under the
darkness of night. Behind her was a group of similarly dressed men. A white eagle soared
through the sky and perched on her shoulder. Retrieving the letter, she read it solemnly
before letting out a long sigh of relief and ordering, “Move out. Let us use the rotting innards
of those in power as a sacri ce for our country’s rebirth!” With a short rustling, the courtyard
was soon empty.

Meanwhile, a well-dressed female o cial rushed towards the princess. Her face gave away
her panic, “Princess! The ceremony is about to begin! Why are you still here? The
ceremonial o cers are already waiting for you and a few servants are kneeling in Bai He
Hall!”

In a similar state of panic, the lady dressed in bright red fumbled for the female o cial’s
hand. “Nanny Miao, what should I do? It is already past the scheduled time, but he has still
not come back. Could something have happened?” The female o cial was only slightly over
20 but she seemed very mature for her age. She comforted Zhao Chun’er and hugged her
close. Gently, she told her, “Right now, outside of the palace, everyone cheering and being
delayed by the crowds for a while is normal. You don’t have to worry.”

ffi
fl
fi
fi
fl
ffi
fl
fi
fi
ffi
fi
fl
fi
ff
ffi
 Zhao Chun’er bit her lips and her sense of worry had not dissipated in the slightest. She
persuaded herself to believe those words, and stopped overthinking. Following the o cial,
she stepped towards the Imperial Harem.

In the darkness, the female o cial’s brow furrowed. For all royal ceremonies there were
xed timings to adhere to. How could the common folks dare to obstruct royal
proceedings? There must have been something that had gone wrong.

Just then, a horse suddenly arrived at the palace gate. A soldier jumped down and
staggered towards the palace gates breathlessly, but was blocked by the guards. “I have
important things to inform the Emperor! Let me in!”

The guards refused to budge. Blocking the messenger, a guard warned, “Please show us
any order from the Emperor.”

The soldier, his head sweating profusely, roared in anger, “The matter is of great urgency! If it
is delayed, ten of your heads will not be enough to compensate!”

“What is going on?” Zhao Chun’er inquired.

“Your Highness, the Princess?” Just taking a glimpse at the costume, the soldier recognized
her. Stepping forth, he quickly whispered to her. “Princess, it was disastrous! The Yan Bei
Prince, Yan Xun, rebelled! He is heading over with soldiers from the Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison!”

Thump! One of the hand warmers in Princess Chun’s hands dropped to the oor. The young
lady’s face was as white as a sheet of paper and her lips turned blue-black. She was so
shocked, she could not muster strength to speak.

“They controlled the path to the Grand Elder’s Council and to the Capital City Hall. The
Elders and Generals are still in the palace. Before they leave, we need to let them know so
that they can strategize! Princess? Princess?”

“Ah, you, you are right.” Finally reacting, Princess Chun sti y nodded. Her terri ed look
faded away. Putting up a strong front, she said, “Follow me.”

The soldier, delighted, followed after the princess. The guard frowned and daringly, he
headed up to the princess and said, “Princess, this is against the rules.”

“What rules?!” The female o cial retorted furiously, “If the Princess wants to bring a servant
in, she needs your approval? Who do you serve, giving you the courage to doubt the
Princess?”

“Nanny Miao, let us go.” Zhao Chun’er was completely pale and turned towards the Fang
Gui Hall. The great wedding tonight would be held there, and all o cials had already
reached it. As the princess and her party entered the gates, the guards looked coldly at
each other, their eyes signalling to each other.

Passing by the various buildings in the palace, the sky was already completely dark. Apart
from a few lanterns that provided a dim light that was just enough to walk, it was completely
fi
ffi
ffi
ffl
ffi
fl
fi
ffi
quiet. Zhao Chun’er suddenly stopped. Her face was now so pale that it was frightening.
She turned and told the soldier, “Come here, I have something to ask of you.”

The soldier hurried forth. Bowing, he approached the Princess. Zhao Chun’er walked forth,
almost sticking to that soldier. The o cial frowned, but just as she was about to speak,
there was a shriek. Following that, the soldier jumped up and kicked the princess. The
princess fell and a huge part of her robe was torn o .

Utterly shocked, the female o cial screamed, “Assas-..” But before she nished her
sentence, she stopped herself. The soldier was spasming on the oor, his whole body
covered in blood. Zhao Chun’er miserably got up from the oor and clumsily crawled
towards the soldier. With the golden dagger in her hands, she stabbed the soldier’s chest!
The blood splattered, and large amounts of blood, still lukewarm, splashed everywhere.
Even though she was covered in blood, the princess kept swinging the blade. The sound of
metal cutting through esh and bone resounded eerily across the empty corridor.

“Princess! Princess!” The female o cial, almost wailing, staggered over and hugged Zhao
Chun’er. Holding back her hand, she pleaded, “He is already dead! Already dead!”

Clang! The dagger dropped to the oor. The young lady, with her eyes wide open, sat down
all of a sudden with her hands still trembling.

“I have killed someone… I have killed someone…”

“Princess, what happened? Did this man violate you??

“Nanny Miao!” Zhao Chun’er held her hands tightly, her eyes already bloodshot. She
instructed, “Leave the castle immediately and seek the Yan Prince. Tell him not to be rash!
Do not ruin his future! He does not want this marriage, I know. I understand completely. I will
not force him anymore. I will go and explain to the Emperor now!”

“Princess! What did you say?”

“Go!” the princess furiously stated. She steadied herself and said, “Go and nd him now
and tell him what I said. I will head to the Emperor now and retract the marriage. I won’t
force him anymore!”

“Princess…”

“Nanny Miao, please..” Big droplets of tears fell from Zhao Chun’er’s eyes. Her face was still
pale and her lips were still blue-black. Her eyes were now completely bloodshot. Biting the
bottom of her lip, she forced herself not to cry. With big patches of blood still on her neck,
she tightly grasped the female o cial’s arms with strength so great it was as if she wanted
to dig her ngers into the esh.

The female o cial was ultimately not that experienced, and face with this whole mess, she
was so terri ed she started to cry as she wailed, “Princess, do not worry, I will de nitely nd
the Yan Prince.”

fi
fi
ffi
fl
fl
ffi
ffi
ffi
fl
ffi
ff
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
“Alright, then please leave quickly. The palace is now very messy. Stay safe.” Zhao Chun’er
wiped away her tears.

“Um, please do not worry.” The two brie y exchanged words of blessings before splitting
into opposite directions.

The cold breeze brushed the dust and leaves on the oor. The female o cial hurried through
the small alleyways. Just as she turned past an ornamental fountain, a ash of white lled
her vision. Before she could recognize the assailant, she fell in a pool of her own blood. In
the darkness, a few men stepped out, the leader apparently the guard.

“Brother Yu, about the Princess…”

“Worry not, she will not spread the message.” The man, with a face of steel, whispered,
“Seal the north gates and get ready to meet our lady at the west gate.”

Near the west gate in a dilapidated hut, a lady dressed in white stood in the courtyard.
Looking at the aqua blue ames burning in the sky, her face showed no emotion. After a
long while, she instructed her subordinates, “According to the original plan, within two
hours, paralyze the entire Green Army, the Dauntless Cavalry Camp, and the rest of the
military commands in the capital.”

Xia Zhi and Xirui acknowledged her quietly. Bian Cang stepped forth and said, “My lady,
everything is still peaceful within the palace. The eastern and northern gates are already in
control. Miss Chu’s plan has already succeeded.”

“Yes, let us now execute the plan of ames.” Lady Yu nodded.

With the tranquil re ection of the moon in the still waters, the celebration continued on.
However, few realized that the beasts were gradually approaching and slowly making their
way to the unprotected parts of the Empire.

After two hours, a team of men in black rushed to the west gates. The guards at the gates
acted as if they had not seen them at all, and no one made a single noise.

“Zuo Qiu, bring word to his Highness. Everything is in order, proceed as planned.”

“Yes, Miss.” The loyal subordinate left the castle. Chu Qiao removed the blood-soaked
battle dress and revealed the dazzling robe underneath. Quickly, she made her way to a
carriage hidden in the bushes. The servants lifted up the carriage, and without a single
word, marched forward.

Chapter 74
After a short while, the carriage stopped in front of the gates of Fang Gui Pavilion.
Relentless killings were being carried out in the darkness outside, but this royal palace
remained una ected, isolated from the outside. Joyful tunes and sounds of laughter
emanated from the palace.

ff
fl

fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
ffi
fi
 “Miss, we have arrived,” the servant said, lowering his head.

Chu Qiao got out of the carriage. She was dressed in a light blue robe. She stood upright,
eyes xated rmly towards the front, devoid of any fear. She lifted her legs walked towards
the palace.

“Miss,” a low voice boomed from behind her. Four of the carriage marshallers knelt on the
ground in unison. The young lady stopped in her tracks upon hearing the hoarse voice. The
man, in a forced tone, uttered slowly, “The path ahead is unpredictable and arduous. Miss,
please stop for the sake of Da Tong and Your Highness.”

Chu Qiao shivered lightly. An unknown emotion surged through her mind. The years of
anticipation and waiting had ignited her determination. Amidst all the storms that she had
weathered, she had become much more resilient. Her eyes were able to see much clearly,
her spine had become more straight, and her shoulders had become more rugged. She
believed that she had the ability to journey on. At this instant, the purpose of this was no
longer due to aspirations or due to Da Tong. It was solely to honor the promise she had
made at the start.

“Let’s go back to Yan Bei together?”

“Let’s go back to Yan Bei together!”

With a whoosh, the wind blew at the seams of her dress. The young lady raised her head
and took slow, steady strides towards Fang Gui Pavilion.

A fragrant aroma drifted from the distance. The sleeves of the dancers uttered with the
breeze. Hundreds of o cials were gathered here. They were in groups and conversing with
one another. The banquet had not o cially started. The Emperor, the main lead for the night,
was still resting in the back palace after a long day of visiting. Without his presence, the
atmosphere in the pavilion appeared relaxed.

Due to Chu Qiao’s identity, she was not allowed to step in the main palace; she was only
allowed to take her seat at the second block of the side palace, which was separated from
the main palace by a row of thick pillars. In the main palace, the indistinct chatter and
movement of human heads made the inside seem lively. The royals of the Xia Empire were
amboyantly dressed, giving o an aura be tting of their status.

“Miss,” a gentle voice said beside her. Chu Qiao turned around and saw a young lady with a
fair complexion sitting on the seat next to her. She was dressed in light pink and appeared
elegant. She remarked gently, “May I know which family you are from? I’m from the Heluo
family, my father is Heluo Zhangqing. What’s your name?”

The young lady dressed in pink looked demure and lovable. Chu Qiao nodded her head
politely, replying, “I am Chu Qiao, Prince Yan’s personal attendant.”

“Oh, it’s Miss Chu.” The smile on the face of the young lady from the Heluo family dissipated
upon hearing her words. Although she replied to Chu Qiao politely, her attitude was visibly
cold as compared to moments ago. As she turned her head to talk with the other rich, noble
fl
fi
fi
ffi
ff
ffi
fi
fl
ladies at the side, she deliberately turned her body away from Chu Qiao, fearing that others
would associate them together.

After a short while, she revealed Chu Qiao’s identity to more people. Many people stared in
Chu Qiao’s direction, harboring disgust, disdain and other negative emotions. Chu Qiao sat
at the side nonchalantly, smiling. She had seen enough indi erence and coldness that
humans harbored towards each other.

She brewed a cup of tea for herself and gulped it down while raising her cup. The noble
ladies at the side, seeing her raise a wine cup, thought that she was drinking wine in public,
amplifying their feelings of disdain. Sounds of gossip started to surface, saying that she was
an uncultured, lowly swine with no proper upbringing. The volume at which they spoke was
expertly controlled. Their remarks were audible, but the exact person who said it could not
be pinpointed.

Chu Qiao remained indi erent. After a long while, the sounds around her suddenly faded
away. A shadow appeared in the re ection of the water in her cup. Chu Qiao looked up
slowly, seeing Zhuge Yue standing in front of the many mats. He was dressed in a dark
purple robe, embroidered with dark half-moon patterns. His jet black hair was bundled by a
ribbon of the same color, fastened behind his back.

The second block and the main palace was separated by a shallow pond. The wind carried
the cymbidium aromas onto the man’s robe, spreading a fragrant scent all around. All the
noble ladies in the second block were stunned. To them, they were just small fries within the
capital. However, gures in the seven big families were living legends, comparable to
members of the royal family. Many of the ladies were unable to interact with them their entire
lives. Also, the cost of attending this banquet was equivalent to four taels of pure, solid gold.
Although the second block and the main palace was separated by a mere pond, that
distance seemed insurmountable. In addition, the other party was the eldest biological
grandson of the Zhuge family. How would the ladies not be captivated by him?

Zhuge Yue’s eyes scanned the crowd, eventually noticing Chu Qiao. He started to walk in
her direction. Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows, wondering if the man would make trouble for
her. However, he made his way to the seat beside her.

The young lady from the Heluo family turned red with excitement. She stood up clumsily,
knocking over the teapot on the mat accidentally, spilling the water all over her dress. The
young lady panicked, giving way to Zhuge Yue, while trying to conceal her actions. Her face
turned unbelievably red and she did not know where to put her hand.

Zhuge Yue sat down on the mat, not even looking her in the eye.

“Young Master Zhuge, please…please have some tea.” The young lady from the Heluo
family stood at the side, shocked. She could not conceal the look of surprise on her face.
Under the envious stares, she prepared a cup of tea and gave it to Zhuge Yue.

The man remained silent. He took the teacup and drank it in one gulp, without even raising
his head.

fi
ff
fl
ff
Sounds of discussions erupted from all directions at this instant. The fourth young master of
the Zhuge family had actually accepted the cup of tea from this young lady. This was a great
honor for her.

Miss Heluo was all smiles, but was timid in her actions. She held the edges of her dress and
slowly took her seat beside Zhuge Yue. Her face was red but carried a tinge of arrogance.
She leaned towards Zhuge Yue, speaking softly and gently, “Master Zhuge, are you just
back in the capital?” Seeing that he did not answer her question, she took the initiative and
added, “During the last hunting meet, we noticed each other from afar. I didn’t expect
Fourth Master to remember me.”

Zhuge Yue remained silent. He held the teacup in his hands, frowning. No one was able to
comprehend his thoughts.

The second block was unlike the main palace. The gaps between the seats were narrow.
Although the other noble ladies were engaged in their own conversations, they were half-
hearted. It was obvious that they were trying to eavesdrop on Zhuge Yue.

The look on Miss Heluo’s face turned to that of embarrassment. She bit her lower lip lightly.
Making her voice even gentler, she remarked lightly, “Master Zhuge, I am Heluo Fei. My
father is Heluo Zhangqing, from the Ministry of Ceremonies.”

“Do you mind sharing a seat with someone else?” Zhuge Yue suddenly turned his head and
remarked. Miss Heluo froze for a moment. Zhuge Yue repeated, “I’m asking, do you mind
sharing a seat with someone else?”

Heluo Fei snapped out of her trance and replied, waving, “I don’t mind. Of course Fei’er
doesn’t mind.”

“Oh, that’s good.” Zhuge Yue nodded, raising his head to look at the side. He pointed at
another lady who was looking at him and gestured, “You, come over.” The lady’s face turned
red and she walked towards Zhuge Yue with a smile on her face, asking, “Master, are you
referring to me?”

“Yes.” Zhuge Yue nodded and continued, “Do you mind sharing a seat with someone else?”

Heluo Fei looked on, dazed and unaware of what was happening. The other lady vaguely
sensed Zhuge Yue’s intentions and looked at Heluo Fei with a strange smile. She said,
“Since Master Zhuge has spoken, I do not mind.”

Zhuge Yue remarked, “In that case, I’ll trouble you to bring her over.”

Heluo Fei was stunned, retorting, “Master Zhuge, you…”

“That’s enough!” The young lady smiled and tugged at Heluo Fei’s arm. “Did you really think
that a delicacy just fell from the sky? Let’s go.”

Heluo Fei turned red with embarrassment and gritted her teeth. As she was dragged away
by the other young lady, tears welled up in her eyes. She was ready to cry anytime. The
 other ladies, who were happily chatting with her not too long ago, covered their mouths and
laughed at her misfortune.

Fang Gui Pavilion was the biggest in the Xia Empire’s royal palace. It was joined together by
36 other smaller pavilions on the water, decorated by hundreds of carvings on the walls. The
exquisite craftsmanship in designing the entire structure could be seen. The majestic central
pavilion was built to worship the Wine Deity, Fang Gui. It was surrounded by four big side
pavilions, connected by a waterway. The fragrance of the owers along the waterway could
be smelt. Along with the sounds of the sizhu, the place seemed pristine and serene.

At this instant, the main pavilion started to bustle with the arrival of majority of the o cials
and scholars. The atmospheres in the other pavilions were also lively. Only in the second
pavilion, people were ghting to stare at Zhuge Yue. He remained indi erent, continuing to
sip at his tea, seeming unaware that he had become the focal point for many.

At this moment, someone from the main pavilion reported, “The arrival of the Tang Empire’s
Crown Prince, the Seventh Royal Highness and the Thirteenth Royal Highness!”

The atmosphere was noisy in the main pavilion. Everyone there was ghting to see the royal
gures. The unruly and unrestrained Tang Prince, since arriving in Zhen Huang, had not put
his best foot forward. He exempli ed the de nition of a wastrel. Perhaps only due to the
importance of today’s occasion, Li Ce was dressed in a red robe, adorned with cymbidium
patterns. Although he was amboyant as usual, his out t added a bit of seriousness to his
demeanor. His hair was neat, he was all smiles, and he was bubbly, as if he was getting
married. On the contrary, Zhao Che and Zhao Song, who stood beside him, appeared
gloomy.

Zhao Che’s biological mother had just passed away. He was not dressed to the nines, just in
a plain brown out t. He was frowning lightly, standing beside Li Ce and appearing impatient.
It was obvious that he was not here on his own accord.

Li Ce laughed and raised his hand to say, “Sorry I’m late, I seek everyone’s understanding.”

The musicians and dancers started their routines. Melodious tunes started to resonate
around the compound. Li Ce and the rest followed the navigator and walked towards their
assigned seats. Li Ce’s seat was near Zhao Che’s. As he sat down, he leaned towards Zhao
Che, looked around, and asked, “Where’s Qiaoqiao? Have you seen her?”

Zhao Che frowned and replied, “Who is Qiaoqiao?”

“The one under your charge.” Li Ce gestured wildly, continuing, “The one who pummeled
me with a few ruthless blows.”

Zhao Che frowned again, looking at this prince from the Tang Empire in confusion. He
suspected that Li Ce enjoyed being abused from the fact that he appeared uncomfortable if
he was not beaten up by anyone. He shook his head and replied, “I didn’t see her. This is a
royal banquet. Given her identity, she would not be quali ed to attend this banquet.”

fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
ff
ffi
 “Is she not attending her master’s wedding?” Li Ce sighed and shook his head. “Poor
Qiaoqiao. Yan Xun is about to marry. She must be hiding somewhere, crying.”

“Zhao Song, have you seen Qiaoqiao? The young lady beside Yan Xun, the one who beat
me up.”

Zhao Song, angered at the fact that the Emperor had ordered him to follow Li Ce, appeared
even more enraged upon hearing Chu Qiao’s name. He stubbornly turned his head and
looked at Li Ce, replying in a cold tone, “I don’t know.”

Chapter 75
Li Ce asked a few more people, but to no avail. He suddenly stood up and looked around in
all directions. In the big pavilion, other than the dancers, only he was standing up. In that
instant, he attracted the attention of the crowd. Countless people stared at him, perplexed
at his antics. Zhao Che and Zhao Song were also shocked, fearing that he would do
something stupid.

Fang Gui Pavilion housed hundreds of people. The four side pavilions on the outside added
to the number. Li Ce scanned the entire crowd, but was unable to spot the person he
wanted to. The young Prince Li frowned and went into deep thought. Suddenly, with ample
breath, he bellowed, “Qiao Qiao!”

His shout was deafening, instantly overpowering the sounds of the music. The musicians
panicked, momentarily forgetting to continue their repertoire. The music stopped at that
moment. The entire pavilion fell into utter silence. Everyone, shocked, stared at Li Ce with a
morti ed expression.

At this instant, Chu Qiao suddenly heard a snicker. She turned around and saw Zhuge Yue
looking at her, seemingly enjoying the fact that she had been embarrassed.

“Qiao Qiao, where are you?” The crazed Tang Prince continued to shout as if the entire
pavilion belonged to him. He did not care about how others stared at him.

“Qiao…”

“That’s enough, stop calling me. I’m here.” The well-built young lady in the second pavilion
stood up with a cold look on her face, revealing her frustration and embarrassment.

“Haha, I knew you were here.” Li Ce laughed heartily. He turned around, saying to the
others, “Please carry on, don’t mind me. How about the musicians? Continue to play your
songs!” Prince Li Ce stepped over the rows of seats, ignoring the fact that his robe had
knocked over some wine cups. He cut through the main pavilion and ran towards Chu Qiao.

At this instant, the noble ladies in the second pavilion focused their sight on Chu Qiao. They
were shocked.

“Qiao Qiao, are you drinking wine? Drowning your sorrows in wine only worsens the
problem!”

fi

Chu Qiao slumped back in her seat, frowning. The way that she attracted stares did not help
the cause of tonight’s operation. At this crucial moment, she had no time to entertain him.
The young lady, with a cold look on her face, remarked in a low tone, “Prince Li, given your
noble status, you shouldn’t disregard etiquette like this. Please leave.”

“Qiao Qiao, I’m touched. You always spare a thought for me,” Li Ce replied with a smile. He
wanted to sit beside Chu Qiao, but she did not have any intention of making space for him.
He touched his nose, walking to the seat beside her. He spotted a lady, whose identity was
unknown. He said to her with a face full of smiles, “Pretty girl, could you let me have this
seat?”

The girl did not look older than 14 years old. She had not seen such a sight before. Dazed,
she stood up to give way. Li Ce thanked her and took his seat. The pavilion o cials in
charge of the a airs in the main pavilion frantically delivered Li Ce’s personal utensil set to
him.

Chu Qiao sighed helplessly. The second pavilion was now livelier than that of the main
pavilion. The people in the main pavilion, whose stares had followed Li Ce to the second
pavilion, suddenly realized that Zhuge Yue was also seated beside him. Numerous sounds
of speculation suddenly echoed through the roof.

“Fourth Master Zhuge, we are both men of good judgement. Cheers, here’s to celebrating
Prince Yan’s marriage,” Li Ce remarked passionately. He raised a cup towards Zhuge Yue,
bypassing Chu Qiao.

Zhuge Yue reciprocated with a plain smile. He raised his cup slightly, drinking to his toast
without uttering a single word.

At this moment, sounds of drums suddenly broke out from the front of the pavilion.
Everyone looked up towards the majestic golden pavilion, where the Emperor, wearing a
golden robe, slowly stepped out. Chu Qiao followed everyone out of the pavilion to kneel
and pay respects to the Emperor. She looked up. The Emperor had visibly lost weight and
his hair had turned white. His head sagged and his face was indistinguishable.

Li Ce stood at the side. He was a messenger of another empire and a prince, which meant
that he did not need to kneel down like the others. The man, while the others shouted “Long
live the Emperor”, whispered, “Don’t be scared of him. He’s just an old man similar to the
one in my family. They are all pretending.”

If she could, she would have beaten him up again. However, this was but just a thought.
After the formalities had ended, all the guests returned to their seats. The Xia Emperor made
his commencement speech and looked towards the second pavilion. He smiled plainly,
saying, “Prince Li, why are you sitting there? Is the place that I arranged for you not to your
liking?”

“I do not dare,” Li Ce replied with a laugh. “It’s cool here, I feel more comfortable.”

The Xia Emperor nodded, saying, “Zhuge Yue, please accompany Prince Li then.”

ff
ffi
 With a mere sentence, the pride of the Zhuge family was salvaged. Zhuge Yue did not dare
to look at Zhuge Muqing, who was standing atop the pavilion. He replied in a deep voice,
“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Has Prince Yan’s carriage entered the city?”

An o cial stepped out and replied, “Your Majesty, we have not received any news from the
guards at the city gate.”

The Xia Emperor frowned slightly.

Chu Qiao’s heart rose at that instant. The Xia Emperor nodded and added, “It’s my birthday
and my daughter’s wedding day today. I have watched Yan Xun grown up from childhood. I
am at ease betrothing my daughter to him. Everyone here is valuable to the empire.
Although Yan Bei rebelled in the past, I have always loved that kid. After today, Yan Bei will
welcome a new king. Please cooperate with him and bolster the strength of our empire
together.”

“Yes, yes. The Prince of Yan Bei is talented. He will be a good ruler to come.”

“Your Majesty is generous and benevolent. Prince Yan will be loyal to Your Majesty in order
to repay his gratitude.”

“Princess Chun is virtuous and beautiful. Prince Yan is blessed by the heavens and Your
Majesty. He will be loyal to his country.”

“With Your Majesty, the Xia Empire will be prosperous for thousands of years.”

The string of praise for Prince Yan and the Emperor continued to ring in. Chu Qiao scanned
the main pavilion but did not spot anyone from the Batuha family. What was more peculiar
was that the eldest princess from Huai Song was not present too, which caught her o
guard momentarily.

At this instant, a guard dressed in green walked into the second side pavilion, his back
bowed. He approached Chu Qiao from the back and whispered something into her ear. Chu
Qiao nodded and the guard retreated.

Li Ce saw what was going on and looked over. He whispered to Chu Qiao with a degree of
familiarity, “Qiao Qiao, who is that? What did he say to you?”

Chu Qiao frowned and stared at him. She wanted to say something, but felt that whatever
she said would be pointless. She turned away from him, ignoring him. Li Ce did not budge,
and continued to probe. He turned to Zhuge Yue, saying, “Brother Zhuge, do you know?”

Zhuge Yue replied plainly, “Even Prince Li does not know. How would I know?”

Li Ce nodded. “You make a point.”

ffi
ff
Suddenly, some noises could be heard outside the palace. The noises resembled that of a
woman’s cries. Everyone in the pavilion turned their heads towards the source of the sound.
The Xia Emperor, frowning, asked in a deep voice, “Who is outside?”

One of the guards wiped the cold sweat o his forehead, ran inside, knelt on the ground and
replied, “Your Majesty, it’s…it’s Princess Chun.”

Everyone froze. Chu Qiao guessed what was going on from her earlier conversation with the
guard. The Xia Emperor frowned again, continuing, “Chun’er? What is she here for?”

“The Princess…the Princess said that she needed to see Your Majesty urgently.”

“Today is her wedding day. What is she doing, disregarding tradition and appearing here?
Bring her back and tell her that Prince Yan is about to enter the city,” Noble Consort Shu,
who was sitting beside the Emperor, declared in a cold, crisp tone.

“Chun’er must have waited until she was too anxious.” Noble Consort Xuan smiled,
covering her mouth. She looked up, staring squarely at the Xia Emperor, adding, “After all,
Chun’er is just 16 years old. She might be a bit scared.”

“As a royal princess, it is not acceptable for her to disregard traditions like that! Men, take
the Princess away and severely punish the servants in charge of looking after her!”

Upon hearing this, tears welled up in Noble Consort Xuan’s eyes. She replied, “Empress
Muhe has just passed away. Sister Shu, don’t you think that treating the Empress’s daughter
like that is a letdown towards your sisters?”

“Father! Chun’er has something to say!” A high pitched voice suddenly echoed from outside
the gates. Everyone in the pavilion looked outside in surprise, strange expressions on their
faces. The Xia Emperor thought for a long while before nally saying, “Let her in.”

The wind entered the pavilion through the gates. Zhao Chun’er was wearing a bright red
robe, her hair messed up from running over. The petite lady’s face was pale. Under the
attention of everyone, she entered the pavilion. The wind blew at her robe, making it seem
like there were butter ies in the air. It was a messy sight, yet its magni cence was visible.

“Father!” The young lady stood on the pavilion, suddenly kneeling on the ground and
kowtowing heavily. “Please retract your order. Chun’er does not wish to marry anymore!”

The entire pavilion was utterly shocked upon hearing these words! At this instant, the entire
Fang Gui Pavilion fell into dead silence for a long while. Subsequently, loud sounds of
discussion started to surface, drowning out what Zhao Chun’er had said.

“What nonsense!” Noble Consort Shu hissed, the look on her face frosty cold. Following the
demise of Empress Muhe, Zhao Chun’er’s wedding had solely been handled by her. Hearing
the little princess utter such rebellious and absurd words, she exploded with rage.

Zhao Chun’er knelt on the ground. She looked up, eyes bloodshot, face pale. She pouted
and kowtowed again, repeating, “Father, please retract your order. Chun’er does not wish to
marry anymore.”

fl
ff
fi
fi
Noble Consort Shu frowned, replying coldly, “Prince Yan’s entourage has arrived. They are
outside the city gates now. Your wedding has been made public for more than a month.
Now, in the presence of all the diplomatic envoys, you are refusing to marry him? Did Sister
Muhe teach you to be like that?”

“The deceased are gone. Sister Shu, you do not need to mention their names again.” Zhuge
Lanxuan looked up at Zhao Chun’er, smiling. “Chun’er, you can’t bear to let go of your
father? Be good. Even though you are married, you can come home to visit Your Majesty
often.”

“Lady Xuan, Chun’er does not feel this way. It’s just that I don’t wish to marry anymore.
Please help me plead with Father to retract his orders.” Zhao Chun’er knelt on the ground.
She looked up, tears welling up in her eyes. She was determined.

“Men, take the Princess away. Dress her up nicely and wait for the carriage from Yan Bei.”
The Xia Emperor did not even look her in the eye. Under the bright lights, the Emperor’s face
was indistinguishable. His voice was bleak, as if he had not heard anything that Zhao
Chun’er had said. The maidservants outside the gate walked into the pavilion, tugging at
Zhao Chun’er’s arm.

Chapter 76
“Let go of me!” the little princess shrieked. She pushed the maidservants aside, knelt on the
ground and crawled forward. Tears started to stream down her face. She reached out her
hand to wipe the tears o of her face, staring brazenly at her father, whom she had feared
since young. Her voice was shaky, but she tried hard to maintain an upright posture, uttering
slowly, “Father, please retract your order.”

“Chun’er!” Zhao Che frowned and berated, “What are you doing? Stop it!”

There was a strange expression on everyone’s faces. In the giant Fang Gui Pavilion, only the
sounds of the wind could be heard.

“Seventh Brother,” the little princess, her eyes bloodshot, turned her head to look at Zhao
Che, “please help Chun’er. Chun’er does not wish to marry anymore. Please plead with
Father on my behalf.”

“Seventh Prince, take your younger sister away.”

Zhao Che frowned, rooted to the spot. Ultimately, he agreed in the end, nodding his head.
He grabbed Zhao Chun’er, replying deeply, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Father!” Zhao Chun’er hollered. She looked up, tears owing freely from her face. “Please
grant my request! I’d rather marry someone from the western wastelands, northern borders,
or the frontier. I beg you, please retract your order!”

“Chun’er, stop your nonsense, follow Seventh Brother!”

ff
fl
 “Father!” Zhao Chun’er pushed Zhao Che aside, kneeling on the ground stubbornly and
kowtowing with force. The sounds of her head hitting the ground reverberated around the
pavilion. “Father, I beg you, please retract your order. Please, please retract your order…”

The Xia Emperor did not look at Zhao Chun’er, and instead looked sternly at Zhao Che. He
declared, “Seventh Prince!”

Zhao Che frowned. He lowered his head and picked Zhao Chun’er up from the ground, and
walked towards the exit of the pavilion. Zhao Chun’er, who had suppressed her tears
previously, wailed without any restrain. She pleaded, “Father! Please retract your order.
Father, Chun’er does not wish to marry anymore. Father, I beg you, please…”

Fresh blood oozed out of Zhao Chun’er’s forehead, dripping onto the white carpet laid out
on the oor of the pavilion. It was a shocking sight. The entire pavilion fell into dead silence.
Everyone stared at the Xia Emperor from the corner of their eyes, not daring to look up.

“Chun’er is a lial child. Your Majesty need not be angry. After all, she’s a girl, and she can’t
bear to leave home.” As Noble Consort Xuan uttered those words, the entire pavilion
responded in agreement. The atmosphere livened up again. Scholar Cui, from the Book
Bureau, added, “The Princess is caring and lial. It is a rare sight. Crying during marriage is
a re ection of the Princess’s virtues, just like ancient sayings.”

“Your Majesty is benevolent, he showers love upon his children. As his children are leaving
home, they would not be able to listen to the Emperor’s wise words. Naturally, they would
feel sad.”

“That’s right, it must be like this.”

While the pavilion bustled with life, no one’s attention was on the second side pavilion. Chu
Qiao cautiously stood up, preparing to leave. As she stood up, a hand tugged at her sleeve.
Zhuge Yue was looking down, sipping at his wine. As she stared at him, he looked up,
residual stains of the red wine still on his lips, accentuating his evil appearance. The man
puckered his lips gently, saying in a low, hoarse tone, “Where are you going?”

Chu Qiao, half-squatting, placed her face closed to Zhuge Yue’s eyes, smiling sarcastically.
“Am I close to Fourth Master? Are you overstepping your boundaries?”

Zhuge Yue inched his body closer, his nose almost touching Chu Qiao’s face. “The banquet
has not ended yet. Leaving your seat midway is very rude.”

“So what?” Chu Qiao replied sarcastically, in a cold tone. “This is the royal palace of the Xia
Empire, not Qing Shan Court. Fourth Master, must you meddle in everything?” As she
nished her sentence, the young lady grabbed Zhuge Yue’s wrist. With a clean, swift
movement, she loosened his grip on her sleeve and pressed his palm against the ground.

Zhuge Yue’s jet-black eyes sparkled in the background. He smiled plainly and said,
“Coincidentally, I like to meddle in other people’s a airs.” Zhuge Yue’s hand, like a loach,
slipped out of Chu Qiao’s grip with some swift movements. He grabbed her sleeve again.

fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
ff
 “Is it? In just a few years, Master has changed. I always thought that you were a cold-
blooded, ruthless person, unmoved by anything.” Chu Qiao used two ngers to feel across
his arm, pressing on his acupuncture points and suppressing the movement of his arm.

“You atter me. In terms of being cold-blooded and ruthless, I concede defeat to you.”

The two of them exchanged blows under their seats, hidden by the long tablecloth. No one
would have been able to notice them. As the main pavilion bustled with life, no one would
focus their attention on the side pavilion.

“Haha, what are the two of you talking about? Both of you seem so happy. Let me hear it
too.” Li Ce jumped behind the both of them, smiling brightly.

Chu Qiao stared at Li Ce coldly. She turned around and looked at Zhuge Yue, laughing. “I’m
going to the restroom now. Fourth Master, are you intending to follow me there?”

Zhuge Yue was stunned. He did not expect that a girl, in front of a man, could think of such
an excuse. The normally aloof master of the Zhuge family turned red with embarrassment,
enhancing his charisma.

Chu Qiao stood up, satis ed. She reached out her hand and patted Zhuge Yue’s face lightly,
saying with a smirk, “Don’t follow me. Take note of your identity. You are part of the seven
noble families. It’s inappropriate to follow a normal civilian.”

Crisp smacking sounds echoed out at that moment. Zhuge Yue turned even redder, about to
explode with rage. As he prepared to speak, Chu Qiao had already walked out of the side
pavilion, blending into the darkness outside. He noticed many di erent strange stares in his
direction. The rich ladies from the various families were looking at him in shock. Obviously,
the events that had just unfolded did not escape their eyes. The fourth young master of the
Zhuge family, of high status, had actually been played by a lowly civilian!

“What a rare sight!” The Tang Prince sat at the side, staring at him in envy.

Zhuge Yue suddenly realized that this man was incredibly irksome. He turned away in
disgust, looking at the dancers in the main pavilion.

As Chu Qiao walked out of the pavilion, the wind made its assault on her. She frowned and
looked back, noticing Li Ce holding up his robe and following behind her sneakily. Li Ce,
seeing that he had been noticed, embarrassingly rubbed his palms together and said, “It’s
dark outside, let me accompany you.”

Chu Qiao frowned, a solemn look on her face. Li Ce took two steps back, adopting a
defensive posture. He replied, “I’ll wait for you outside.”

“Where do you want to wait?” The young lady approached him, smiling sweetly, her words
carrying a distinct murderous intent.

Li Ce’s hair stood up. He frantically waved and replied, “I’ll stand here and wait for you.”

fl
fi
ff
fi
 Chu Qiao’s expression visibly relaxed. She raised her leg, reached out her hand and
caressed Li Ce’s head, smiling sweetly. “Good boy.”

Li Ce realised that she was way more erce when smiling, as compared to when she was
cold. Chu Qiao was Yan Xun’s trusted subordinate. At his wedding, she needed to be there
to calm the nerves of people, and to protect against those who harboured ill intentions.

She advanced swiftly along the small road, according to plan. She thought to herself, If not
for Zhao Chun’er, she would have had to use much more e ort to escape from the banquet.

The time was right. The young lady put a nger in her mouth, producing a shrill whistling
sound akin to a night owl’s cries in the dark. The hidden gures in Zhen Huang City, upon
receiving the signal to take action, quickly assumed their positions amidst the darkness,
which acted as their best cover. The young lady, a cold expression on her face, gave a
sinister smile. “Zhen Huang, welcome to hell.”

The young lady was as agile as a panther. She dashed through the dark alley. The wind blew
past her ear, like a hidden beast in the darkness. She approached her target, camped inside
a room for messengers, situated at the northwestern Xi An gates. The target was whistling,
lying on his bed and perched his feet up, appearing leisurely.

Chu Qiao did not hesitate and entered the building. As the messenger became aware at
what was going on, Chu Qiao ferociously stuck out her left hand to cover his mouth. She
raised her right hand slightly, glanced at the man, and sent him on his journey with a swift
and elegant stab to the throat. It was just a stabbing action! There were no other fancy
methods.

Carrying out a killing is so often that simple.

At this instant, blood oozed out of the wound on the messenger’s throat. Chu Qiao let go of
him. The man made choking sounds as the wound on his neck split open. Slowly, more
blood oozed out. His pupils slowly dilated and he collapsed softly. A pool of blood formed
on the ground.

Chu Qiao used a blanket to cover the man. She turned around and walked out, advancing
towards her next destination.

This was the mission that she worked on in conjunction with the Da Tong guild. They would
carry out a two-pronged, internal and external assault on Zhen Huang. Within the rst two
hours of Yan Xun’s signal, they would disable the relay system of the royal capital, cutting o
Zhen Huang’s means of communication.

Within the rst two hours, the assassins from the Da Tong guild had reaped considerable
results. Looking at the blue ares which were set o into the sky, and the succession of
“night owl cries”, Chu Qiao heaved a sigh of relief. As she squatted in the garden, she used
her nger to trace the nal stroke. A Chinese character, “Zheng”, was visible on the ground.

On that night, many innocent people lost their lives. Their occupations were di erent; they
had not seen each other or had any dealings before. The mission of the Da Tong guild was
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
ff
ff
fi
ff
to uphold justice within the mainland, to promote a united society, to abolish slavery and to
advocate equality. Hence, even though they had considerable in uence, backed up by the
various powerful clans around the world, they did not carry out any indiscriminate killings.

Chu Qiao stood up. As she turned around, she saw a long shadow standing in the darkness.
The moonlight re ected onto his body, revealing a faint, silverish silhouette.

“Good methods.” The man in the darkness replied with a low, cold voice.

Her initial shock disappeared. Chu Qiao looked coldly towards the front, remaining silent.
She wanted to see if there was anyone else present.

“No need to look. There’s no one else.” The man took two steps forward. Under the
moonlight, it seemed like his purplish robe had been adorned with a faint silver veil. He was
handsome, yet appeared like a lady. The look in his eyes was icy-cold. The man walked
forward slowly, stating in a low voice, “Where are you going? Who do you still want to kill?”

Chapter 77
The young lady’s expression was serious. Coldly, she uttered, “Get out of my way.”

“How naive!” Zhuge Yue sneered.

With a swoosh, Chu Qiao dashed forward swiftly, clenching her sts and twisting her back.
Zhuge Yue obliged, retaliating with a few blows of his own. Both of them were agile, their
strokes exquisite, matching each other blow for blow. With the cold wind blowing onto
them, their sts landed on each other’s chests with considerable force. Both of them let out
a grunt, taking two steps back, further showing that they were evenly matched.

“Yan Xun will never succeed with his rebellion. Ba Lei and Wei Shuhua have laid down traps.
Traitors that oppose the royal capital will only die.”

Chu Qiao sneered. She used her hand to wipe o the sweat on her forehead, saying,
“Slave!”

Zhuge Yue was enraged. He replied in a low voice, “What did you say?”

“Zhuge Yue, I thought you were a self-centred, inhuman, egotistical noble in the past. Today,
I realise that you are a slave, a lackey with the surname Zhao.”

Zhuge Yue maintained a stoic expression. “I am not loyal to the Zhao family, but to the Xia
Empire.”

“Is there any di erence?” Chu Qiao sneered, continuing, “Cut the crap on traitors. Only the
winners matter. Who knows, the history books in future would describe you as a lackey, an
accomplice? History is solely based on the words of the victorious.”

“You have con dence in him,” Zhuge Yue sneered. “I would like to open my eyes and see
how he manages to escape from the gates of Zhen Huang.”

fi
fi
ff
fl

ff
fi
fl
Chu Qiao squinted, replying, “I’m afraid you won’t have the chance to.”

The murderous aura was overwhelming. The young lady drew her dagger and started to
exchange blows with Zhuge Yue. Under the moonlight, the two shadows leapt around with
unparalleled agility, ghting amongst the grass.

“If you follow him, you will eventually die too!” Zhuge Yue reciprocated and drew out his
dagger, advancing forward.

“Thank you for your concern, but do look out for yourself rst!” Chu Qiao somersaulted in
the air, landing heavily on Zhuge Yue’s shoulder. She stuck out her knife and prepared to
sink it into his shoulder with a merciless blow.

“The unjust is doomed to destruction. Don’t force me to take action!”

“We are sworn enemies. There’s no need to show any mercy.”

“Who’s there?” Untidy footsteps suddenly echoed in the distance. The two of them froze,
stopping in their tracks and running towards the thick and dense bushes on their left. As
they started to run towards their cover, they noticed that the other had followed in the same
direction. Momentarily, they forgot that they were being chased and continued to exchange
blows. “Towards the east, let’s follow!”

The palace guards approached rapidly. Zhuge Yue frowned and grabbed Chu Qiao’s wrist,
hissing, “Do you want to die? You still want to ght?”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows and retorted, “Why are you following me?”

Zhuge Yue retaliated in anger, “Who’s following you?”

“In front, quick!”

With a swoosh, Chu Qiao kicked Zhuge Yue in the calf. Zhuge Yue looked her ercely in the
eye and berated, “Crazy woman, you don’t know your boundaries!”

The young lady, half-knelt on the ground, replied coldly, “Vile stalker!”

“Quick!” The sound was approaching from within ten steps out. Both of them, shocked,
stopped ghting each other and rolled into the thick, dense bushes.

“Where is it?”

“Boss, you must have heard wrongly.”

The guard commander shook his head cautiously and said, “Impossible. I saw a few
shadows here.”

“Boss, it must have been a cat. There are plenty of them in this courtyard.”

“No. I saw it for myself.” The leader said in a low voice, “Search the premises. It’s Your
Majesty’s birthday tonight, make sure there are no mistakes.”

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
“Yes!” The group of guards slowly walked away. Two pairs of wary eyes stared cautiously
towards the outside, until the guards disappeared out of sight.

A thud suddenly rang out. Zhuge Yue felt an acute pain in his stomach. Before he had any
time to react, Chu Qiao leapt on top of him, subduing him on the ground. Zhuge Yue did not
expect her to strike at this moment, being caught o -guard by her sudden movement. Chu
Qiao was agile and highly skilled; a small distraction on Zhuge Yue’s part was enough for
her to capitalize on the opportunity. Her knee made contact with his stomach, causing him
to nearly yelp in pain. In the next second, he was already tied up by her.

“On account of you not bringing more people to catch me, I’ll spare you today.” Chu Qiao
stood up, looking down at the enraged Zhuge Yue. She replied coldly, “Zhuge Yue, you
didn’t expose me eight years ago, choosing to spare me. I’m grateful for that, but that
doesn’t write o the enmity between us. As a member of a noble family, killing a few slaves
is nothing to you. However, these few people are the ones that I treasure. You injured Yan
Xun, preventing us from escaping from the capital and caused us to be imprisoned for eight
years. We were enemies from the start, and it will remain so until the end, never to be
changed. I hope you understand. I won’t kill you today, but it doesn’t mean that I won’t kill
you in future. You’d better be careful the next time you see me.”

Zhuge Yue was seething with rage. As he saw her leaving, he replied, “You will surely die if
you walk out of the capital now. How will you kill me in future?”

Chu Qiao turned back, smiled, and calmly said, “Do you not have con dence in him? I don’t
think so. Why don’t we have a bet?”

Zhuge Yue stared coldly at her, giving a sinister smile, but remained silent.

“You bet that we won’t be able to escape from here, losing our lives instead. I believe that
not only can we walk out, but we will walk out openly. We will let the entire world, and all of
Yan Bei know that their ruler is back!” Chu Qiao declared.

At that instant, the young lady’s face sparkled brightly just like the sunset. In the darkness,
she was ever so mesmerising. It was an indication that she trusted Yan Xun wholeheartedly,
without an ounce of suspicion or fear. Suddenly, Zhuge Yue felt that her smile was an
eyesore. He felt a sense of resentment. Why was the person being trusted not him?

The young lady looked at him and declared con dently, “Zhuge Yue, wait and see!”

That night was an indelible night for Zhuge Yue. Even after years, he would not be able to
forget the young lady’s expression when she left, and her con dent words. Zhuge Yue, wait
and see.

Indeed, he stood there and watched her disappear from his sight, just like a gust of wind
and a cloud, similar to the scene eight years ago where she shouted, “Zhuge Yue, Lin Xi will
not die in vain!” She was one who walked the talk. When things changed and chaos erupted
back then, interrupting their lives and dashing their dreams, he would always regret what
happened that night. If he knew what would happen after that, would he have just stood
there and watched her leave? Would he have released her without saying a word? However,
ff
fi
ff
fi
fi
 there were no ifs in this world. He lay quietly in the icy cold grass, watching the young lady
disappear into the shadows, like an arrogant phoenix entering a whole new world.

Bright lights suddenly appeared on the horizon!

“Your Majesty!” A ustered voice suddenly echoed from outside the pavilion. A eunuch ran
inside slowly, knelt on the ground, crying, and said, “Your Majesty, Princess Chun, Princess
Chun… she…”

“What happened to Eighth Sister?” Zhao Song stood up and berated.

The eunuch was on the oor. He replied loudly, “Princess Chun, she ran away!”

“What?” Noble Consort Shu raised her eyebrows, chiding, “How did she run? Where did she
run to? There are so many people watching her, yet you still let her run away! What good is
there in keeping all of you?”

“I deserve to die, I deserve to die!” the old eunuch cried out. “Your Majesty, please spare my
life!”

As the wedding neared, the bride had eloped. Everyone stared at each other in disbelief.

Zhao Che stood up, stating in a deep tone, “Shut up. Make yourself clear. When did the
princess run away, and where did she run to?”

As the old eunuch prepared to speak, he was interrupted by the sounds of drums from
outside. A sharp, shrill siren rang out. Amidst the urgency, a storm was about to brew.

“What’s going on outside?” the Emperor frowned, asking in a deep tone.

“Reporting!” A long sound echoed from afar. An imperial guard, dressed in green, barged
into the pavilion without notice, and said rmly, “Your Majesty, Imperial Concubines, Royal
Princes and all elders, please proceed to a safe place. A re has broken out in the palace. It
is a big re, and it is out of control.”

“On re?” The third prince, Zhao Qi, froze. He remarked in disbelief, “Where’s the re?
Where’s the Water Bureau? Why is there no one putting out the re?”

“We have sent someone to the Water Bureau, but there is no news from them. As for the
location of the re, I do not know. I only see ames everywhere. Your Majesty, let’s go. The
re is spreading to Fang Gui Pavilion.”

“How brazen!” Zhao Qi berated. “Does Sun Yunpu not want his job anymore?”

“It’s pointless to pin the blame on anyone now. Father, the re is getting out of control, let’s
leave this place,” Zhao Che remarked deeply.

The Xia Emperor frowned and nodded, preparing to stand up. The two eunuchs on his side
rushed forward to straighten his sleeves, but before they managed to do so, another shout
echoed. Another soldier, kneeling on the ground, shouted, “Your Majesty, please do not
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
leave Fang Gui Pavilion. It’s not safe outside. A group of assassins has just in ltrated the
palace and killed over sixty of our men. The death toll is still rising!”

Hearing these words, the o cials further panicked. Sounds of discussion started to surface.

Zhao Che frowned, questioning, “Who has been killed?”

The soldier replied, “Lieutenant Colonel He, commander of the Yulin army, Lieutenant
Colonel Lu from the western gates, Commander Yu from the northern gates, the
messengers stationed at the outposts, Master Sun Yunpu, head of the Water Bureau, the
soldiers guarding the southwestern gates…”

As the soldier recited more and more names, Zhao Che and the war veteran, General Meng
Tian, looked each other in the eye. What they saw was an incomprehensible fear in each
other’s eyes. Although the people who were killed were seemingly unrelated, upon further
analysis, it revealed the perfect setting for a rebellion to take place. With the deaths of these
people, the middle-ranked leaders were all wiped out, greatly weakening the big royal army
and cutting o the relay system between the higher ups in the royal capital. Orders issued
could no longer be conveyed.

On this night, what other thing, unbeknownst to them, had happened?

Chapter 78
“Reporting!” Another warning sound echoed in the air. Everyone shivered subconsciously in
fear of the bad news that these soldiers would bring. Before the soldier spoke, Zhao Qi
interrupted, “Has anyone been killed again?”

The soldier was dazed, shaking his head. “No.”

Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. At this moment, the soldier continued, “Your Majesty,
something bad has happened! Zi Wei Square, outside the palace, the southwestern
ancestral temples, Da An Temple, Jiu Wai Street, the southern lakes, Hua Rong City near Xi
Zhi Gates, Western Residential Areas, Eastern Guwan City, Eastern Coastal Camp, Southern
Scholar Residences… Fires have all broken out in these places. Also, bandits have run
amok in the city, killing and committing arson on various shophouses. Jiu Wai Street is in
chaos, with many casualties. We estimate that about 30 thousand people have involved
themselves in this con ict.”

A few older o cials nearly fainted in panic after hearing these words.

Zhao Song raged, “What’s going on? Is there a rebellion? Where’s the Cavalry Camp? The
Green Army? The Southwestern Envoy? Have they all been killed?”

“Thirteenth Royal Highness, Lieutenant Colonel Song has led a few hundred troops outside
to restore order. Those people who committed the robberies and arsons have been found to
be normal civilians. Some of them are local hooligans, some from the universities, some are
highly skilled bodyguards from foreign lands. Some of the civilians also said that they
ff
ffi

fl
ffi
fi
 wanted to take back what was theirs. Also, some troops from the various police
departments.”

“Even the troops from the police department participated in the robberies? Are they tired of
living?”

The messenger broke out in cold sweat, replying, “Third Royal Highness, the troops went
out to restore order. However, they were robbed by other people. Some of them were
overwhelmed by anger, some of them were swayed by money, and some of them were
coerced. Hence, they removed their uniforms and participated in the robberies. It is too
chaotic, the few hundred troops outside are also helpless! Your Highness, there is no news
from the Cavalry Camp and the Green Army. The forces stationed at the Southwestern
Envoy’s residence are nowhere in sight. Lieutenant Colonel Song has said that this rebellion
is not coincidental. There is someone behind masterminding this operation, adding re to
the ames. Your Majesty, Lieutanent Colonel Song also said that the rebellion is escalating
out of control. More and more civilians are participating in it. When all the civilians in the
capital are involved, we won’t be able to control the situation. Your Majesty, please make a
decision swiftly!”

Everyone focused their sights on the Emperor. He stood high up on the stage, a solemn
expression on his face. He remained silent for a long while.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!” A series of shouts echoed in the air. A soldier, covered in fresh
blood, dashed into the pavilion. Everyone in the pavilion was unable to suppress their fear.
As they looked at the messenger running into the pavilion, no one dared to speak a word.

Zhao Che stood amongst the crowd, frowning but calm. He probed in a low voice, “What
else has happened?”

“Yan Xun has rebelled! He has brought the army from the Southwestern Envoy’s residence
to attack this place! The Green Army, Cavalry Camp, Seventh Army, Ninth Army, the troops
from the Sixteenth Camp, the Magistrate’s Residence are nowhere to be heard of! All the
roads have been sealed. All the relay outposts have been cut o , and all messengers have
been killed. The southern, northern and eastern gates have been conquered by the enemy.
The commanders from the twelfth, nineteenth and thirty-sixth divisions have brought
reinforcements towards the royal capital, but have been stopped by the unrestrained
civilians. They are unable to break through the perimeters of Jiu Wai Street. Yan Xun has
sieged the Zi Jin Gates. Lieutenant Colonel Song is weathering the storm over there. With
less than three thousand troops there, we were unable to withstand their attack!”

Everyone was stunned with panic. A few elderly o cials struggled to remain on their feet,
collapsing in their seats, the color drained from their faces. Was this an indication that a
change was imminent?

The Xia Emperor closed his eyes slowly. At this moment, he had no choice but to admit to
the complete failure of Ba Lei and Wei Shuye’s assassination plan. He had mobilized a
thousand troops to eliminate a caged, defenceless bird, but the tables had turned around
fl
ffi
ff
fi
 spectacularly. Even the Southwestern Envoy had defected towards Yan Xun now. In these
eight years, what exactly had he nurtured?

The elderly Xia Emperor sighed to himself. Shicheng, how could I have forgotten? He’s your
son after all!

The entire Xia Empire, even the entire continent of West Meng, did not expect the Xia
Emperor, Zhao Zhengde, to release the Prince of Yan Bei back to his homeland unscathed,
after eight years of imprisonment. No one had expected the Prince of Yan Bei to submit
obediently too. Everyone had expected Yan Xun, who had dared to ght against the royal
troops on the platform that day, to plan a series of escapes, be it through methods like
poisoning others or disguising himself as a civilian to sneak out of the city and being chased
by the royal troops for thousands of miles. If he was lucky, he would have escaped to a
place where he could have started anew, only wreaking havoc occasionally. If he was
unlucky, he would have died in the hands of the royal army, his body never to be seen again.

In their eyes, the Prince of Yan Bei was only capable of such antics. After all, he had been
under the surveillance of the Xia Emperor for seven or eight years. How capable could he
have become? However, no one had expected Yan Xun to be capable of stirring up a
rebellion of this scale. On the contrary, he looked courteous, peaceful and ordinary.
However, when he struck, he was swift and determined to ght until the end. It was evident
from his methods—the endless ghting and bloodshed, the scheming, the assassinations,
the mutinies, setting res to the structures of the capital and attempting to siege it without
any consideration. Fueled by desperation, he had risen from the ashes. Yan Xun was the
son of Yan Bei’s Lion King, Yan Shicheng indeed! Scheming, resilient and brazen, he
deserved to be named “the world’s leading lunatic.”

“Reporting!” With another long shout, Scholar Cui’s old heart could not withstand any more
shocks. He fainted, making a loud thud on the ground.

“You’re panicking and making noises! What has happened? Has Yan Xun entered the city?”

The soldier froze and replied, “No, Seventh Royal Highness.”

“Then what are you panicking for?”

“Your Majesty, I am here to inform all of you to get out of here. The re has spread here!”

That night, the entire city of Zhen Huang was incinerated. Heart wrenching cries of agony
reverberated everywhere. The city of Zhen Huang had indeed become a living hell.

“Master! I’ve nally found you!” Zhu Cheng clumsily untied Zhuge Yue. He added in a low
voice, “Old Master instructed me to nd you. I’ve been so worried. Let’s move. The palace is
on re.”

Zhuge Yue frowned and quizzed, “Zhu Cheng, what has happened outside?”

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
“Prince Yan has rebelled! He has brought the troops of the Southwestern Envoy to attack
the city gates. The civilians have gone crazy! The Cavalry Camp, Green Army and the other
divisions have been cut o , and are nowhere to be heard of. The twelfth division is also
unable to provide reinforcements. It’s too chaotic!”

Zhuge Yue’s expression sank. Decisively, he replied, “No way. I’m going home to mobilize
the family’s troops to control the situation.”

“Young Master, Old Master instructed you not to be rash. The other families have not taken
action, let’s…”

“It will be too late if we don’t take action!” Zhuge Yue raged, eyes bloodshot. “What is
Father thinking? At this time, do they still want to ght internally? I’ve said before that Ba
Lei, that idiot, wouldn’t be able to kill Yan Xun!”

Zhu Cheng was ustered. “Old Master said that the Elders’ Clan would take care of this
matter. This is not within Young Master’s jurisdiction, you do not need to intervene.”

“Elders’ Clan?” Zhuge Yue sneered with rage. “What do they know? Internal politics?
Scheming against each other for their self-interests? The survival of the country, the Xia
Empire, they wouldn’t give a hoot about this! Zhu Cheng, get out of my way!”

“Master,” Zhu Cheng turned pale. “What are you doing this for? The families are not
mobilizing any troops. If we were to do so, what would others think?”

“Who cares about what they think!” Zhuge Yue, eyebrows locked, added, “If the country
falls, what would happen to our family? If the Xia Empire falls, where could the Zhuge family
go? I’m not doing this for the royal Zhao family, but for the civilians of Zhen Huang, for the
people of the Xia Empire!”

“Is…is it that serious? Old Master said, the city walls are durable enough to withstand 100
thousand troops for three days. The civilians would only be able to ght for another two
hours. Once the troops from the twelfth division arrive, Yan Xun’s forces would be
eliminated. It’s just a small rebellion.”

“Small rebellion?” Zhuge Yue laughed in a t of anger. “You guys think that Yan Xun is a
fool? Would he ght all the way until the reinforcements arrive? He’s about to escape. It’s all
chaos in the capital now. Who would be able to chase him? If we were to let someone this
scheming and resentful escape back to Yan Bei, what would be the consequences? He’s
ten thousand times scarier than Yan Shicheng.”

“Master!”

“Let go of me!”

A large rod hit Zhuge Yue on the head. He frowned, collapsing on the ground.

“Master, I’m sorry, these are Old Master’s instructions.” Zhu Cheng shook his head. “You’re
right, but we are a noble family. We have our own rules and protocols. Also, do you only wait
to eliminate Prince Yan?”

fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
fi
 Having lived in the capital for eight years, Chu Qiao had not witnessed Zhen Huang in this
state. There was chaos everywhere. Cries of agony could be heard everywhere. Adding to
the noises were unrestrained laughs and endless cursing. Amidst the heavy res, robberies
and bloodshed, the normally law-abiding civilians had shed o their morals and principles,
transforming into lawless, savage beasts.

The robbers broke into the shophouses, killing the shopkeepers who pleaded for their lives.
Their sons, witnessing what had happened, took their knives and killed the robbers for
revenge. They looked at the house, stained with blood, laughed, and dashed out of their
houses to join in the mass killings. Others broke into the shophouses and looted all the
useable items. As for those items that they could not take away, they smashed or burned it.
Their purpose of committing the robbery was not for their own interests, but purely to wreak
havoc and vent their frustrations. People were killing each other everywhere. Dirty corpses
and res were everywhere. An air of desperation and craziness lingered along the upper
skies of Zhen Huang. An aura of death enveloped the entire city.

Was this Yan Xun’s foretold prophecy, that someone would block the troops of the 12th and
19th divisions for them?

Chu Qiao felt a cold shiver go up her spine. Her limbs turned cold. Setting res in the capital
and creating chaos had been the basis of their strategy. However, she had not expected that
this would have caused such serious consequences. Too many people had run amok, too
many people had died, and too many innocent people had been implicated. The city of
Zhen Huang, under extreme desperation and the threat of a catastrophe, under the discord
sown by the intentional, under the celebrations of the unrestrained, descended into a ery
living hell, with no possibility of reincarnation.

It was nighttime on the twentieth day of the fth month. The civilians of Zhen Huang, who
had been oppressed for years on end, nally gave in to their emotions, awakening the devils
in them.

Chapter 79
“Lady!” The civillions on the road dispersed in fear as a horse galloped forth. Covered in
fresh blood, one could no longer tell Ah Jing’s clothes’ original color.

“The prince is retreating from the Zi Jin Gates, heading towards the West gates. Follow me,
with haste!”

Quitely, Chu Qiao nodded. Throwing aside her problems, she trailed behind Ah Jing.

Heartrending cries could be heard along the entire street. Turning around Zi Wei Square, one
could see the Iron Eagle war ag of Yan Bei uttering in the night sky that was a tinge of
crimson. Countless soldiers stood on the street in from of the Zi Wei Square, with their
glistening blades drawn and ready to strike. A man in black robes rode on a horse proudly,
with his gaze xed to the front. His face was a pristine white and his eyes exuded
con dence. Handsome and elegant, he was like a drawn blade, beautiful yet emitting an
overwhelming murderous intent.

fi
fi
fi

fl
fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
fi
Chu Qiao was stunned and stopped still in her tracks, as if she was stranger. Startled, Ah
Jing reminded her, “Miss, why are you not going?”

“Oh, never mind.” She replied in such a small voice, that under the chaos of the night even
Ah Jing found it inaudible. Even then, that man who was over a hundred feet away suddenly
raised his eyebrows, and twisted his head around. Like a sharp sword, his gaze pierce the
lady. The grim expression vanished like mist, and was replaced by a grin. Yan Xun steered
his horse toward her and loudly called, “Ah Chu!”

It has been eight years since Chu Qiao last saw him smile so brightly. Putting all stray
thoughts behind her, Chu Qiao exhaled slowly. Whatever. Even if it was a path littered with
bodies, even if it was a path lled with dangers and di culties, she resolved herself to walk
together with him. At this moment, how could she be focused on any minor details? As long
as he was around, as long as he was ne, as long as they could still peek into each other’s
eyes and smile, everything was well.

The lady maneuvered her horse forth, and on her face was also an overwhelming smile. It
was just then, crackling of the hooves resounded from the direction of the Zi Jin Gates. Both
Chu Qiao and Yan Xun were startled. At this time, was there still anyone exiting the palace?

“Brother Xun!” A lady dressed in bright red wedding dress jumped o the horse, and
blocked o Yan Xun’s path. Her eyes were bloated, and her expression was pale. Stuttering,
she said, “No, don’t do this! Chun’er would not marry you anymore, Chun’er would not force
you anymore, run away! My father would kill you! Wait, no, go and apologize to my father!
Brother Xun, it’s my fault! It’s my fault!”

Yan Xun’s brows furrowed slightly, and he looked at Chu Qiao in confusion. Chu Qiao’s heart
sank, and she turned to face Zhao Chun’er with pity. Chun’er’s hair was a mess, and her
face was pale as a sheet. Chu Qiao’s past dislike towards Chun’er disappeared without a
trace. This stupid lady, even now, does she not understand?

“Brother Xun, do not do stupid things!” The lady started crying in anguish, and feebly sat
down on the ground, covering her face with both hands. Tonight, she had really gone
through too much. Big drops of tears seeped through her ngers, and dripped onto her
beautiful red dress.

“Yan Xun! You madman, you dare to rebel? To think that I had thought of you as a friend all
these years, look what you’ve done!”

Another horse bolted over. Zhao Song, donning a robe of green, dashed forth. Spotting
Zhao Chun’er, his expression turned to that of rage, and he exclaimed, “Chun’er, why are
you still there? This man planned to rebel, and you are still following him?”

Zhao Chun’er stood up in a panic, and turned to face Zhao Song. Although scared, she did
something that shocked all. Slowly opening up her frail arms, she stood in front of the
massive army, and stubbornly shook her head, “Thirteenth Brother, it is like this. He just
refuses to marry me, and wants to protest against our father…”

ff
fi
fi
ffi
fi
ff
 “Dumbass!” Zhao Song bellowed. “He is doing this to control Yan Bei’s army! You dumb
sister!”

Zhao Chun’er frowned, and her face was pale. Quietly, she replied, “Control of the…army?”

“If you do not believe me, ask him!”

Like a puppet, Zhao Chun’er slowly put down her arms. Turning around, her eyes widened in
disbelief as she softly asked, “Brother Xun, he is lying, you are not trying to rebel, am I right?
You just want to talk it out with father, am I right?”

Standing in the chilling wind, her small gure looked so frail, as her face looked drained of
blood. Looking at Yan Xun, she seemed as if she was looking at her last vestige of hope in
life.

Yan Xun’s eyebrow raised slightly, and he looked slightly impatient. Finally, he declared, “It
has been a long time since I wanted to rebel, and it was completely unrelated to you. And I
had never thought of marrying you either.”

“Such an ungrateful dog! I dare you to say that again!” With one swift motion, Zhao Song
drew his blade. His green robe uttered in the frigid night wind, like a ferocious eagle
apping its majestic wings. Usually so easy-going and compassionate, his gaze now turned
sharp and unforgiving, and his expression gave o a murderous aura. It was as if the royal
Xia spirit was suddenly rejuvenated within him!

Yan Xun too, was not in his usual peaceful mood. His stared somberly at Zhao Song from
his corner of his eye. Behind him was the pitch black darkness of the sky. Under his
soldiers, the entire royal capital was trembling, and he could almost hear the sounds of
collapse of the rotten palaces. Slowly raising the corner of his lips, his voice still piercing like
a blade, he replied, “Ungrateful? Yan Bei and the Xia Empire, what gratitude is there
supposed to be?”

Zhao Song snorted, and sternly declared, “Our father raised you for over ten years, and
viewed you as his own child. Not only bestowing the title of the King of Yan Bei, but he even
married Chun’er to you. How big a favor is this! Yet you returned his favor with treason, and
massacred the civilians in the royal capital. Yan Xun, you have the heart of a dog, and you
deserve to die!”

With his black robe still uttering in the cold wind, the man smirked, “Raised me for ten
years, and viewed me like his own child? The bones are still in the battle eld, and blood is
still owing on the execution stand. Zhao Song, is this the overwhelming favor from the royal
family that you were referring to?”

Taken aback for a split second, Zhao Song swiftly stuck back, proclaiming, “The King of Yan
Bei was plotting a rebellion in the chaos, and the royal army set out for a rightful crusade…”

“Enough!” Yan Xun loudly barked, his face full of irritation. Coldly, he announced, “You need
not waste more words. History is forever written by the victors. All these right and wrongs
will eventually be determined by our descendents. We need not debate here. Zhao Song,
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
ff
fi
 considering our friendship for all these years, I will let you leave. Return, and tell your dad, I,
Yan Xun, have rebelled.”

It was just then, a recrackers shop in the south had been set ablaze by someone, and with
a huge boom, the reworks exploded into the sky, lighting up the sky a deep crimson red. In
that afterglow, Yan Xun’s eyes shone brightly in the dark backdrop of the night like a bright
star, full of life, and rm like a mountain.

Eight years of plotting all for this day. Could this enormous Xia Empire withstand such furor?

“You!”

“Zhao Song!” a clear female voice echoed out. Chu Qiao brought her horse forward, and
sternly said, “Go back.”

“Ah Chu? You are also going to stand as my enemy?” With a pained expression, Zhao Song
frowned.

Chu Qiao looked into Zhao Song’s face. Beside her were iron-blooded soldiers, and behind
her was the capital that had sunk into the inferno. It was as if everything was just a eeting
dream, as time sprinted past. She was reminded of many years ago, in the gardens, when a
young prince arrogantly shouted at her, “It is you again! Yes, I am talking to you!”

In the blink of an eye, so many bloody years had passed. She raised her eyes, and rmly
stared at the other man on the horseback, and slowly replied, “I never wanted to be your
enemy. Eight years of being by my side, I will never forget.”

Zhao Song exhaled in relief, as his expression loosened up, and he quickly continued, “Then
that is ne, Ah Chu. Go back with him. Don’t leave with him, I will explain to…”

“But I will become the enemy of the Xia Empire,” leaving no room for compromise, the lady
rmly declared. Zhao Song was completely stunned, only to see Chu Qiao bring her horse
next to Yan Xun’s. “You should understand my perspective. I never changed from the start.”

“Very well, seems like my eyes were rotten.” Zhao Song hoarsely replied and laughed
miserably with bloodshot eyes. With a loud screech, Zhao Song brought his blades down,
leaving a white mark on the marble tiles on the street. His face was dead serious as he
a rmed, “From now on, I, Zhao Song, break all ties and relationships with the two of you! If
we meet again on the battle eld, we will be nothing other than enemies! Chun’er, come with
me!”

Zhao Chun’er’s eyes were hollow, and was unresponsive like a lifeless doll. Hearing Zhao
Song’s voice, she raised her head, and her eyes were still misty. Stretching out her hand,
she wanted to hold Yan Xun’s boots. The man on the horse furrowed his eyebrows, and
pulled his horse back causing her to miss. The pale hand remained stretched out, and there
was still a streak of dark red left on it. That streak of blood, was from the messenger that
she had killed. It was the rst time she had ever killed someone in her life.

fi
ffi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
 Suddenly, Zhao Chun’er kneeled down, and started to vomit. The stomach acid poured out
of her mouth and stained her beautiful dress, dirtying the pair of mandarin ducks that were
supposed to symbolize eternal delity.

“Why did it turn out this way?” The young woman, with her unhealthy white face, looked as
miserable as a furless puppy in winter. Her tears, like opened oodgates, once against
started owing. Her voice did not tremble, but gave people an acute heartache. As if
everyone around her no longer existed, she spoke to herself, “It was all me, it was all my
fault… Yan Xun, why was Chun’er not by your side when father killed all of the Yan Family?

“All these years, I was always regretful. If I was there back then, even if I could not save the
Yan Master, but I could at least protect you from being bullied. But Chun’er was still too
young. Mother locked me up in the palace, and regardless of how much of a tantrum I
threw, she refused to let me out. Xiao Tao helped me stack up wardrobes so that we could
step up and ip open the roof tiles, wanting to escape from above, but I carelessly fell down,
alerting mother.”

Zhao Chun’er started to sob, and her voice started to tremble. Her tears became even more
torrential. “And then…and then, Xiao Tao was beaten to death by Mother’s servants. I…I
saw it with my own eyes, her waist was broken, and blood poured out from her mouth,
owing… owing so far that it soaked into my shoes. It felt so hot, like re.

“Yan Xun, I am really so useless, I will never escape again. Even the rst two years after that,
I did not dare to look for you in your house. I was scared, I was timid, and I always got
nightmares. I dreamt that Xiao Tao’s blood engulfed me, covering my neck, my mouth, and
even my eyes.”

Zhao Chun’er hugged herself tightly and shivered, as if blood was really about to drown her.
She bit her lips and raised her head. Her tears continued to pour out from her tear ducts, but
her soft voice transmitted across the chaos of the night audibly and clearly. “But Yan Xun,
do not rebel, please? Father will kill you. Chun’er does not want anything, and will not force
you to marry me. As long as you continue to live, even if it is somewhere far away I cannot
see, as long as you continue to live happily, that is all I ask for.”

Chapter 80
Yan Xun’s furrowed his brow even deeper, and avoided Zhao Chun’er’s eyes. He instead
turned to the side. The side view of his face looked even colder and rmer.

“Chun’er, come back!” Zhao Song shouted, enraged.

Zhao Chun’er suddenly dropped down, and crawled forward. She reached out to clinch on
to Yan Xun’s robe, and started wailing again, “Brother Xun, do not rebel, I am begging you!”

Zhao Song’s eyes were lled with pure rage. He exclaimed, “Chun’er, what are you doing?”
Saying that, he whipped his horse and dashed forward. At that instant, the warriors of Da
Tong Guild simultaneously stepped forward, and shielded Yan Xun with their blades, giving
o an intimidatingly warcry!

fl
ff
fl
fl
fl

fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
 “Brother Xun, Chun’er is begging you! Father will kill you! He will send men after you!” Zhao
Chun’er wept on the ground. Yet Yan Xun was completely unmoved, and he raised his head
to look at the heavens, completely disregarding his robe that had was being clutched by
Zhao Chun’er. His eyes were slightly blocked by his hair, but when the chilling night wind
blew past, one could see that on his well de ned face there was a pair of eyes shining in the
dark that spoke of unparalleled resolution and determination.

It was just then, intense sounds of blades clashing came from afar, and an golden burst of
ames exploded in the sky above the south side of the city. Yan Xun and Chu Qiao both
turned their heads at the reball with grim looks.

“19th Division has charged in! Yan Xun, if you do not want other innocent people to die with
you, quickly surrender yourself!” while brandishing his blade to force the warriors of Da Tong
back, Zhao Song loudly proclaimed.

“Yan Xun, we cannot delay any further.”

Yan Xun turned back and slowly nodded, and instantly turned his horse around. Without
hesitation, he headed toward the source of the con ict. Zhao Chun’er, still sitting on the
ground, lost her balance and fell at on the ground. Chu Qiao and the black armored
warriors followed behind Yan Xun. From afar, Chu Qiao could still see Zhao Chun’er still
crawling and wailing with Zhao Song sitting upright on his horse beside her, his hand tightly
gripping his blade. The cold wind continued to send his robes uttering, and even his ru ed
jet black hair seemed to exude a sense of loneliness and desolation.

Eight years of friendship, ultimately was just a eeting dream, and returned to oblivion. From
that instant when she followed Yan Xun into Sheng Jin Palace, the result was already
destined. Thirteenth Prince, I have ultimately betrayed your friendship and trust.

“Giddyup!” With a short cry, Chu Qiao whipped her horse and sped away. Leaving not just
the duo, but also those eeting eight years behind. Her eyes were xated on the front, on
the black Iron Eagle war ag.

On Nan’An Road, the riotous civilians had already been suppressed. 19th Division
Commander Fang Baiyu held his longsword with his body bathed in blood, killing any
belligerent along the way with his soldiers. Everywhere he went was left a mess.

The messenger sped through the battle elds, bringing back piece after piece of
disadvantageous news. Yan Xun sat on his horse, speechless and expressionless, and it
was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Chu Qiao squinted and asked, “Is it not enough yet?”

Yan Xun replied softly, and calmly shook his head, “Not enough.”

“There have been great casualties!”

“I know.”

fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
ffl
Chu Qiao inhaled deeply and frowned. In a serious tone, she replied, “Yan Xun, the casualty
rate is too great, the Xi Nan Town Emissary’s forces cannot hold out any longer. If we
continue to wait, they will be crippled.”

Yan Xun retorted, “The 12th Division and 36th Division are still waiting for an opportunity
outside the city. If we retreat now, they will pounce upon our men. Should that happen, our
return to Yan Bei will not be smooth sailing, and will be continually harassed by the empire.”

“Even then, if we continue to wait, our casualties will be severe! Treating the wounded and
arranging a retreat will create chaos among our own ranks.”

Yan Xun gave a light frown, but immediately followed with a shake of his head. “Worry not, I
have my plans.”

“Yan Xun…”

“AhChu, leave the capital rst.”

Chu Qiao was dazed, but immediately replied replied, “I refuse.”

“AhChu.” Even under in the afterglow of killings and blood, the man put up a gentle
expression, and softly said, “Leave the capital rst, and go to Chi Shui to arrange river
crossing operations together with AhJing. He is not very good with intricacies, I am
worried.”

“No way, I want to be with you!” Chu Qiao stubbornly shook her head, and insisted.

Yan Xun put up a harsh face, and sternly admonished her, “Chu Qiao, this is a matter of
great importance, do not be childish now!”

“There is danger everywhere in this capital, and the 12th Division and 36th Division are
staring at us, waiting for an opportunity to strike anytime, how can I leave you here to face
this alone!”

Yan Xun smiled. “Dumb*ss, how am I alone? There are still the ten thousand soldiers from Xi
Nan Town. You need not worry about me!”

Chu Qiao immediately retorted, “They just switched sides, who knows if they would
capitulate again? How can I trust them?”

“If Xi Nan Town’s forces are not reliable, even if you remain, we would not escape our fate.
AhChu, one should not rely on someone they doubt, and should not doubt someone they
rely on. That line, was what you taught me.”

Chu Qiao looked suspiciously at Yan Xun, and expressed her doubts, “Yan Xun, do you
really trust them that much?”

“I do not trust them, I trust myself!”

Sounds of war cries pierced the night sky yet again. It was another round of attacks and
counter attacks. Arrows dotted the sky, and the city was tainted the color of blood. His
fi
fi
black robes still uttering, Yan Xun’s gaze was sharp like a sword, and he peacefully
observed the clash of blades in front of him. Slowly, he stated, as if a fact, “Apart from
capitulating under me, they have no other way to survive. Fight to the death, they still have a
glimmer of hope of survival. But if they surrender themselves to the empire, they will be
viewed as traitors by both Yan Bei and the Xia Empire.”

“But this battle is too bloody. I worry for your reputation of benevolence.”

“Benevolence?” Yan Xun sco ed. “Father was too benevolent, and that was how he died on
the highlands of Yan Bei. I will make sure I will not be like him.”

Suddenly, it was as if Yan Xun’s face was shrouded by a layer of black mist. Taken aback,
Chu Qiao lifted her head and looked towards him, and softly asked, “Yan Xun?”

Yan Xun lowered his head, and looked toward Chu Qiap. Still on horseback, he spread his
arms open and tightly enveloped her frail gure in his embrace. “AhChu, trust me. Wait for
me at Chi Shui. We would leave together.”

The wind intensi ed, and Chu Qiao suddenly felt chills. She stretched out, and returned the
embrace, with a noticeable trembling in her voice. “Yan Xun, if something happen to you, I
will make sure to get revenge for you.”

The whooshing of the wind sweep across the road, and the warcries from afar seemed so
distant. Ink black hair uttered on King of Yan Bei’s handsome face, as he lifted the lady’s
chin with one hand, and smiled tenderly. Looking at each other, their emotions for each
other were over owing. Eight years of companionship through life and death, their
relationship had long been engraved deep into their souls.

Yan Xun’s eyes were dead serious, and he whispered, “AhChu, I never told you this before. I
will only say this once, so listen carefully. I want to thank you for accompanying me all these
years in hell. Thank you for not abandoning me during the darkest days of my life. Thank
you for standing by my side. If not for you, Yan Xun is nothing, and would have probably
died in the snowy night eight years ago. AhChu, this will be the only time I say these words.
I speak with actions, and will make it up to you with the rest of my life. There is something
between us that we need not say to understand. AhChu, you are mine alone, and I will
protect you. I will leave with you. From the moment I held your hand eight years ago, I never
planned to let go.”

Chu Qiao slowly closed her eyes. The night wind was whooshing like the silkworm, and in
that instant, her heart felt like Morus leaves being slowly eaten up.

Yan Bei, Huo Lei Plains, Hui Hui Mountains…

“Yan Xun, I have no home. It was because you were here with me that I think of your
hometown as mine.”

The man deeply inhaled, and tightened his arms. His heart was like a huge lake melting in
the warmth of spring. “AhChu, trust me.” He lightly sighed. He had not said what to trust
him about, but AhChu understood. She told him in her heart that of course she would
fl
fl
fi
fl
ff
fi
believe in him. If she did not trust him, who else could she trust? In this world, they only had
each other.

“AhChu, there is something I wanted to do for very long.”

The young lady’s pristine white face was suddenly tinged with redness that was clearly not
from the re ection of the ames of war. She raised her head, and tenderly smiled. “Then
what are you waiting for?”

“Haha!” The young king gallantly laughed, and leaned forward. Gently, he pressed his lips
against her tender lips.

At that moment, Chu Qiao closed her eyes, and loosened the reins of her mind and
emotions. All the bits and pieces of emotions within the past eight years rumbled in her
mind. Meanwhile, in the distance, rallying cries shook the earth, and closer to them, sounds
of blades clashing reverberated. All of Zhen Huang City was trembling under their footsteps,
and it sounded like the last shrieks of a cornered beast. The majestically embellished Sheng
Jin Palace had been engulfed in ames, along with the surrounding golden towers and
palaces, sinking into a blazing inferno. The corrupted elders and nobles of the empire
rubbed their eyes in disbelief, unable to believe their sight.

Eight years ago, no one would have believed that two frail and powerless children would
have such courage and strength. Now, eight years later, no one would doubt it, that the
cubs of the past had grew up, and they had been polishing their claws, ready to tear apart
the walls of the capital to escape from this land of degeneracy into the outside world.

“AhChu, wait for me!”

“Sure.” Letting go of the man, Chu Qiao’s face blossomed into a smile. “We will ride in the
grasslands of Yan Bei Plains, step into the snow of Hui Hui Mountain. I will wait for you, Yan
Xun!” In the violent night wind, with a click of her tongue, the young lady signalled the horse
to move. With a team of escorts, they dashed towards the West Gate!

Yan Xun sat still on his horse and xed his gaze on Chu Qiao, who was slowly fading into
the darkness of the night. Under the night sky, his gure was like a tall tree standing aloof in
the plains, without a single indication of bending or breaking. “History will not remember the
details, it will only remember the results. And these results are always written by victors!”

“Prince! The 12th Division is starting to move, and 36th Division is also showing signs of
advancement!” A Scout galloped forth on his horse, and Yan Xun nodded, muttering, “It is
about time.”

A streak of light ashed across in the night sky. The dazzling reworks were ashy, and the
sky blue color of the ames attracted everyone’s attention. On the desolate plains, a group
of men were quickly moving along, but upon seeing the reworks, everyone halted.

“The complete counterattack has begun.” Chu Qiao’s face was tense, and she quietly
muttered under her breathe, “Yan Xun, take care. Giddyup!” On the grassland, the young
lady rushed toward Chi Shui riverside. Meanwhile, on a tower, a man with a serious and rm
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
 expression raised a cup of liquor and proudly declared, “Warriors! The glory of Yan Bei is
now dependent on you! The many elderly in Yan Bei Plains are depending on us. We lose,
they die with us! I, Yan Xun, will await your victorious return!”

The tens of thousands of soldiers immediately roared back, “Long live your highness! Yan
Bei will not perish!”

“Yan Bei will not perish!” The deafening roar echoed in the skies above the capital. Even
Sheng Jin Palace seemed seemed to tremble under the might of this war cry. Yan Xun pull
out his blade, and and loudly shouted, “Yan Bei War Eagle, will soar in across all land and
rivers. We will never be restricted by anything! Warriors, use your blades to tell this useless
capital what the war spirit of Yan Bei is!”

Chapter 81
Yan Bei war spirit! The excitement of the soldiers had been completely aroused. They
jumped onto their horses and charged into enemy troops many times their number. A bloody
street-by-street ghting ensued. The soldiers of Southwest Emissary’s forces, who used to
be rumored as weak and cowardly, became embodiments of lions, roaring in the streets,
stabbing their weapons into the enemies.

“Master,” Xirui and Biancang from the Da Tong association walked up the tower and grimly
asked, “Southwest Emissary’s Garrison have already made an opening in the enemies. 12th,
19th, and 36th Division received severe casualties from their assault. Shall we make our
retreat now?”

“No, this is still not enough.”

Xirui and Biancang looked at each other with a tinge of anxiousness. According to the plan,
this should be the moment of retreat. Was the master so blinded by revenge that he became
so xated?

“The elites of the empires are still alive and well.”

“Elites?” Biancang questioned. “I do not understand. The Cavalry Camp and the Green
camp lost their commanders, and Southwest Emissary’s forces have turned to our side.
12th, 19th, and 36th Division have su ered severe casualties. It is our victory.”

“So what if there are no more o cers among their ranks? The Xia Empire still have those
soldiers who can be easily deployed.”

“What does Your Highness mean?”

Yan Xun raised his eyebrows, and his eyes were completely devoid of any sympathy. He
stood aloof on the tower. On his black robe he overlaid a white cape with an eagle
embroidery that uttered in the wind.

“If we do not uproot their forces entirely, they can easily remobilize. Order all the warriors of
Da Tong to follow me to Shang Wu Hall, where the empire nurtures future military leaders. I
fi
fi
fl

ffi
ff
 want the Xia Royal family to have no capable generals to summon, no competent marshals
to eld for many years to come!” Yan Xun said.

Xirui and Biancang were stunned for a moment as they stared at the young man. The
insatiable murderous aura exuded by this man who was usually peaceful and calm; the
intense bloodlust was like overwhelming ood water, engul ng the entirety of the royal
capital.

The massacre was only beginning now. The beginning of the decimation of Zhen Huang City
had been activated by this man. The blade of destruction streaked across the pitch dark
night sky, and the maddening cries of anguish resonated amidst the capital. History may
forget Zhao Zhengde, but there would de nitely be an unforgettable mark left by Yan Xun.
On the 20th of May, Yan Xun rebelled and ordered the massacre of 3000 o cer trainees in
Shang Wu Hall. The majority of the empire’s elite perished in that one battle!

Under the illumination of ame torches, all of Shang Wu Hall was dead quiet due to the lack
of orders and leaders. The elites of the empires were wise and retreated to avoid the
spearhead of the initial rebellion. No guards were sent out to maintain order, and for that
reason they were still in full strength.

And yet, at midnight, the exterior suddenly was turned into a blazing inferno, and tragic
screams came from outside. There were trainees who attempted to charge out of the
school, but what they faced was a neat formation of Da Tong warriors waiting for their
demise. In barrage after barrage of arrows, no one managed to escape. Through the dense
crowds, one could see the ex-Prince of Yan Bei who used to always be in an inconspicuous
corner of the capital. But now that same man’s upright gure looked like the silhouette of a
reaper, and these trapped o cers shouted in fear, “It is Yan Xun! The traitor has come!”

Shouting in disorder, these 3000 elite soldiers had fallen into chaos before even engaging.
Xirui taunted them, but he was ignored. By the third time, Yan Xun calmly instructed Xirui,
“They have lost their will to ght. We can avoid close quarter confrontation and just burn the
place down. You lot shall guard here and block the escape of those animals.”

“Yan Xun, you coward! If you have the balls, come and ght me alone!” Wei Shuhan, the
young general from the Wei faction, shouted at the top of his lungs and brandished his
blade. But before he could even take one step forward, an arrow pierced his neck. His eyes
still glaring with bitterness. He dropped dead among the wreckage of the inferno.

Yan Xun had not even spared him a single glance as he ipped himself onto his horse and
ordered, “Head to Cavalry Camp now!”

That night, the Southwest Emissary’s forces defected, and the capital guard forces had
mostly died in the chaos. 12th, 19th, and 36th Division fought the whole night with
Southwest Town Emissary’s forces, and both side su ered heavy losses. Immediately, using
a string of similar methods, Yan Xun was able to annihilate the military forces from Shang
Wu Hall, West Wing of Cavalry Camp, and the entirety of 7th and 9th Army. In the end, there
were ultimately too many enemies, so Yan Xun ordered that the war stables be opened, and
with barrages of arrows, he forced the remaining 2000 o cers and soldiers of the 16th
fi
fl
fi
ffi
fl
fi
ff
fi
fi
fl
ffi
fi
ffi
 Camp to Xi Wei Square. Forcing the war horses to charge, the stampede claimed the lives of
over 1800 lives, leaving the remaining injured and crippled, moaning in pain on the
battle eld.

Biancang suggested to complete the act, but Yan Xun shook his head and said, “Let us
leave all the crippled to Zhao Zhengde to settle.”

At 2am, the sky sunk even deeper into the pitch darkness, and the entire royal capital was in
ruins. There were few left alive in the camps, and the last team returned from Fuyi Yamen,
reporting that the o cials from Fuyi Yamen had already escaped. After slaughtering some
hundred soldiers, they returned.

At this instant, apart from the 3000 guards under Song Que, and the three divisions that
were currently locked in combat with Southwest Town Emissary’s Garrison, there was no
more military strength.

“Master, shall we inform Southwest Emissary’s soldiers to back out? It is time for us to
leave.”

“Yep, it is indeed time to leave.” Yan Xun slowly nodded while looking at the charred land
that was left of the royal capital.

“If that is the case, I will proceed to transmit the order to them”

“Stop right there.” Yan Xun glanced at Xirui and asked, “Since when did I mention we were
bringing the Southwest Emissary’s forces along?”

Xirui was stunned and questioned, “Master?”

Yan Xun turned around, and continued to speak matter-of-factly, “Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison sacri ced themselves and volunteered to stay behind to block o the advancement
of the erce enemies in order to preserve the strength of Yan Bei. They are loyal and faithful,
and should be the model of all soldiers!”

Xirui knit his eyebrows together, and walked up, “But, general…” Before he nished his
sentence, Biancang held him back and covered his mouth.

“General Xirui, please do not doubt the loyalty of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison. They
stayed undercover in the capital for many years, only waiting for this opportunity to strike
back at the empire.” Yan Xun’s gaze remained steady. The coldness in his tone was anything
but tactful, like an arrow pierced deeply into the crowd’s heart.

Biancang immediately followed up, “Yes, Master, indeed! They are honorable in sacri cing
themselves for our country, and we will forever remember them as the exemplar of soldiers!”
His hand tightly held Xirui’s clothes, fearing that this comrade would utter more words that
could irk Yan Xun. Seeing Yan Xun’s merciless slaughter just prior, he had no doubt that this
seemingly peaceful man would order their execution with just a gesture of his hands.

“Alright, all forces are to retreat from the North Gate. Upon exiting, seal the gate!”

fi
fi
fi
ffi
ff
fi
fi
 The majestic war horses bolted out, and the gates slammed shut. At that very instance, it
was as if the heaven and earth turned dark, and the soldiers of Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison who were locked in combat with the 12th, 19th, and 36th Division were completely
at a lost, utterly stunned.

After a long pause, desperate voice reverberated, “Your Highness! There is still us! We are
still here!”

“We have been abandoned! We were betrayed!”

The seeds of fear blossomed within their hearts, and their formations that were hanging by
string completely descended into utter chaos. The soldiers dashed out of their positions,
and scattered around, shrieking miserably in fear.

“How? What to do? We’ve been abandoned!”

19th Division Commander Fang Baiyu instantly took advantage of this opportunity to rally
his men. Wiping away a streak of blood on his face, he shouted, “Brothers! Follow me! Kill
them!”

“Royal troops are here! Our reinforcements are here!” the soldiers of 19th Division shouted
at once.

With sharp brows and a rm gaze, the man leading the reinforcements wore white armor,
and held a pale green blade. Riding majestically, he seemed like embodiment of victory,
clearing a path stained with the blood of enemy generals.

“It is the 7th Prince! His reinforcements came!”

Following arrival of the troops lead by Zhao Che, Zhao Yang readied himself, only to have
his reins tightly held by Zhao Xiang. Zhao Xiang cautioned, “14th Brother, the capital is in
such chaos right now. Father did not send you out, why would you poke your nose into this
mess?”

Zhao Yang frowned and tightened his grip on his sword. Looking at his younger brother, he
rmly said, “17th Brother, do you want to forever stay on the ground and look at others? Or
do you want to stand tall and proud by your own power? If you want the latter, follow me out
now.”

Zhao Xiang’s face turned ushed red, and jumped onto his horse without hesitation. Pulling
out his blade, he loudly declared, “14th Brother, no matter where you go, this younger
brother will always follow you!”

Zhao Yang nodded with approval, and stared at the imposing city gates from which sounds
of ghting and death resounded from the other side of. The young prince brandished his
blades, and steeled his gaze.

Bring along his personal royal guards, this troop consisting of barely a hundred men struck
into the heart of Southwest Emissary’s troops, like a hot knife slicing through butter. A rain of
blood ensued, marking the rise of a new star of the empire amidst the slaughter.

fi
fi
fi
fl
 Chu Qiao arrived at the waterside of the Chi Shui, AhJing was already in waiting. The
opposite bank had thousands of war horses in waiting for the retreat. Upon seeing Chu Qiao
arriving here alone, no one was surprised, and immediately acted to bring her across the
river. Chu Qiao dismounted from the horse, and greeted AhJing and the others. Chu Qiao
frowned and grimly asked, “AhJing, there is only one oating bridge. Southwest Emissary’s
forces consists of over ten thousand soldiers. Can we complete the river crossing by day?”

AhJing smiled and nodded. “These are the instructions from the prince, so it should be
accurate. Shall I send you across rst?”

Chu Qiao stood still, and a scary foremonition suddenly dawned upon her, and her face
suddenly turned pale, showing a sign of panic. AhJing asked, “Lady, what is wrong?”

Chu Qiao quickly concealed that icker of worry and smiled. “Nope, it is nothing. You can
bring them over rst. I will wait for Yan Xun.”

AhJing frowned. “But his highness instructed…. ”

“You need not waste more words. Hurry up and cross the river.”

AhJing naturally knew the feelings that Chu Qiao and Yan Xun had for each other, and it was
something that he could not interfere with. He nodded and did not insist any further.

One hour later, intense clashing of blades resounded from the south-eastern direction. It
was even more intense than the previous skirmishes encountered in the capital. Chu Qiao’s
heart trembled. She mounted her horse, riding towards the battle eld.

“Lady! Where are you going?” AhJing panicked and shrieked.

“I am heading back to get Yan Xun!”

Before long, she saw a group of roughly 5000 soldiers racing towards her. Wearing black
out ts and armor, the black war ag waved in the skies. Chu Qiao was ecstatic, and upon
closing in, she spotted Yan Xun speeding towards her, with his robes uttering behind him
like the wings of an eagle.

“AhChu!”

“Yan Xun, are you okay?” Chu Qiao welcomed him and smiled in relief.

Chapter 82
“All is well, let us go,” Yan Xun replied.

Chu Qiao nodded and took a quick glance behind her. “Where are the troops of Southwest
Emissary’s Garrison? Why did they not catch up?”

Yan Xun obviously would not use the story of them sacri cing themselves for the country to
fool her, so he smiled and replied, “Do not worry, they will arrive shortly. We will leave rst.”

fi
fi

fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
 “Okay.” Without a single doubt, she followed him and headed towards Chi Shui.

With haste, the troops initiated the river crossing. Although there was only one bridge, but
within one hour, most men and horses had already crossed. Chu Qiao stood beside Yan Xun
and observed the river crossing that was happening while Zhen Huang City was engulfed by
ames. Suddenly, she heaved a sigh of relief. “It’s been eight years. We’ve nally been out.”

Yan Xun sighed, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. With an emotional voice he
said, “AhChu, it’s been hard on you.”

Chu Qiao shook her head, and her eyes sparkled with happiness. “No, it was you who gave
my life meaning, who gave me motivation to live. All these years, we relied on each other,
helped each other, cared for each other, perfected each other’s plans, and xed each other’s
mistakes. That is precisely why we were able to survive day after day in that corrupted
palace. We do not owe each other anything.”

“Yes, we do not owe each other anything. Since long ago, we have been bound, our fates
tied together.” Yan Xun revealed a tender smile.

“Indeed,” Chu Qiao gently nodded, “our fates have since long ago merged into one.”

“Your Highness, all men have crossed the river. We can leave,” AhJing ran up and reported.

“Yan Xun!” Chu Qiao shouted out, “Are we not waiting for the Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison?”

Yan Xun shook his head. “Fret not, they will catch up to us.”

“If the oating bridge is removed, how will they cross the river?”

Yan Xun had already thought up an excuse. Slowly he explained, “The empire’s pursuing
forces are of no concern to us. They can go down the o cial path to Xi Ma Liang to
rendezvous with us.”

Chu Qiao nodded. “Oh, I see. Let’s go”

Having walked a few steps, the lady suddenly frowned. She touched her waist and suddenly
panicked. “Where did the Command Token from Da Tong that you gave me go? It
disappeared!”

Yan Xun frowned. The command token was of great importance, thus he became anxious as
well. “How could it be? Did you not carry it with you all the time? Try to think of where you
could have misplaced it.”

Chu Qiao searched herself up and down two times, but was unable to nd it. Suddenly, she
slapped her forehead. “I am so stupid! I left it in the pouch on the horse saddle. I will go and
get it now.”

Yan Xun swiftly grabbed her arm, as out of nowhere, he suddenly got an ominous
premonition. He added, “Let someone else go. You can wait here.”

fl
fl
ffi
fi
fi
fi
“There are so many horses, how do they know which is mine? Do not worry, I will come
back quickly.” Before he could stop her, she jumped onto the oating bridge. Her light and
frail body would not even cause the oating bridge to wobble. After about a minute, she had
already reached the other side. Yan Xun ordered his men to light up the ames, only to see
that Chu Qiao had already found her horse, and brought it to the waterside. She stopped, as
if contemplating something.

Yan Xun was startled and shouted, “AhChu, have you found it? Hurry up!”

The lady lifted her head. Her face was as white as sheet, but her gaze was lled with
determination as she stared rmly at Yan Xun.

At that instant, as if struck by lightning, Yan Xun pushed AhJing aside, and started a
maddening run towards the bridge. Almost at the same time, Chu Qiao pulled out her blade,
and without any hesitation, struck the bridge. The oating bridge fell, and oated down the
river along with the current.

“AhChu! What are you doing?” Yan Xun bellowed in fury.

The young lady stood besides the waves of the torrential current, her gaze xed on Yan Xun,
full of conviction. She replied, “Yan Xun, you just told me, our fates have converged!
Disaster or prosperity, we will be in it together. That’s why I will not sit around and watch you
make such a blunder!”

With that said, Yan Xun attempted to jump into the river, only to be pulled back by AhJing
and the rest. He howled, “AhChu! Do not be stupid! Come back immediately!”

“Yan Xun, the reason for your popularity, and reason for the civilians anticipating your return
to Yan Bei was due to the benevolent rule of Old Master Yan! No one was able to take over
control of Yan Bei precisely due to the lasting in uence of his name! Yan Xun, I cannot stand
around and watch you destroy this foundation, and stage your own defeat!”

Yan Xun was in an utter rage, and had completely lost his usual composure. Exasperated,
he roared, “AhChu! Come back immediately! We will construct a rope bridge. Catch it from
there, and come back immediately! This is an order!”

Chu Qiao shook her head. Quietly, she went to mount her horse before turning around and
stating, “You made a mistake, so I must correct it! Yan Xun, we will meet at Xi Ma Liang. If I
do not arrive in two days, bring the men back to Yan Bei rst! I will bring the soldiers from
Southwest Emissary’s Garrison towards the Yan Bei Highlands to rendezvous.” With that
said, with a curt shout, she brandished her whip and struck the horse, and disappeared into
the pitch black grassland. The 5000 horses who had lost their riders trailed behind her and
headed toward the majestic city.

“AhChu…” The furious river water smashed on the riverbank, creating huge splashes that
wet Yan Xun’s robes. Under the endless pitch black sky, all that remained was the echoes of
his vexed howls.

fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
This world is not an amusement park, and there is no restart option. What we can do is
merely to twist our fate around before disaster was completely materialized. Yan Xun, the
rationale behind what I do today will probably take you many years to understand. I am not
being sympathetic; I merely do not want you to be blinded by revenge! Wait for me, I will
bring all these soldiers back for our reunion!

“Giddyup!”

“Commander, we have been abandoned!” The shattered soldiers roamed aimlessly amidst
the crowds. They were surrounded by enemies. The advance had been blocked, and their
retreat had been cut o by the enemy. These soldiers, far away from home, had completely
became abandoned. In the whole world, there was no place for them to return to.

“Why? Why abandon us?”

“Kill! HAHAHA! Kill all of them! The apocalypse is here! Let us go down to hell together!”

The inferno embraced the entire capital, and every direction was an dead end for these
soldiers. They descended towards maddening desperation, as they were left without
formation, without strategy, and could only rely on their own strength to battle it out. The
defenders of the royal capital could nally breathe easy after being pressured by the rebels
for the entire night, and struck back mercilessly, using all possible means. Within sight, there
were piles of bodies and rivers of blood. Dozens of imperial soldiers would surround one,
mutilating their bodies even after death, completely venting their anger!

Zhao Qie sat on his horse and watched his brother, whom he had never paid much attention
to. The young Zhao Yang was covered in blood, and his handsome face was completely
bloodied. Even then, his blade continued to ourish, and he faced the battle eld with
unparalleled composure.

“Seventh brother, the enemy is breaking.”

“Alright, it is about time.” Zhao Qie nodded. But it was then, just when he was about to give
the command, a huge rumble came from afar. From the Northwestern gate, it seemed like
there was thousands of thunder clouds rumbling at once. All of Zhen Huang City started
trembling yet again. Everyone halted whatever they were doing to look for the source of the
noise.

BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The cacophony sent chills down everyone’s spine. It was as if they were facing the rage of
the entire cosmos. Everyone lifted up their heads to look at the distant sky. A Yan Bei
warrior’s blade was still buried in the shoulder of an imperial soldier, but he forgot to pull it
ff
fi
fl
fi
 out! An imperial guard laid his sword on a Yan Bei ghter’s neck, but he forgot to swing it
down to nish o his enemy!

With an deafening outburst, the west gate burst open, and 5000 horses poured in like a
ood into the fray, instantly driving a wedge into the masses of soldier. The defenders of the
capital were instantly reminded of the tactics used by Yan Xun when slaughtering the 16th
Camp. Their faces were plae, and their knees buckled. At this moment, a black iron eagle
war ag was planted on the city gate. A frail but steady feminine gure stood under the ag,
and with great fervor, she shouted, “Fighters of Yan Bei! You have not been forsaken! Listen
to me! Obey me! Follow me! I will bring you home!”

One second, two seconds, three seconds… After a short pause, an overwhelming wave of
cheers arose!

“Return to Yan Bei! Return to Yan Bei! Return to Yan Bei!” The men in despair grabbed onto
this twig of hope, and like a ood, they crowded toward the west gate!

“Seventh Brother, 14th Brother, who is that?” Zhao Yang looked at Chu Qiao, and hesitated
to speak. Zhao Qie continued sitting on his horse, and squinted at that silhouette under that
proudly soaring ag, and opened his mouth, “You two, remember this well. That women will
become the greatest threat to the Xia Empire! If we want to rebuild the empire, she will be
one of the greatest obstacles!”

The ames of war were reignited. Today, on the watchtower along the northwestern side of
the capital, the entire Xia Empire remembered her name. Eight years ago, she entered the
palace as a slave, but today, she led the last armed forces of Yan Bei away from the empire,
and headed o to the lands beyond Zhen Huang City.

Chu Qiao had yet to know, it was precisely this move today that rescued Yan Bei from an
overwhelming defeat, and resuscitated the gravitas of the Yan Bei government. At the same
time, she created the rst military power for herself in this chaotic era.

The entire remnants of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison pledged eternal loyalty to this
seemingly frail and weak lady. From here on out, they would follow this leader in campaigns
all over the West Meng continent, and stick with their pledge forever. No matter how tough
the situation, they would remain faithful and loyal to Chu Qiao for the rest of their lives.

This frail woman, because of this, had unknowingly taken her rst steps onto the path that
led her to become what people later called, “Princess Xiuli”…

Empire Calendar, in the year 755, 20th of May, was an unforgettable day. The capital of the
Xia Empire, Zhen Huang City, was decimated by an inferno, and half of the city was
abandoned. The symbol of the empire, Sheng Jin Palace, was completely in ruins. The elite
royal garrison had lost around 80% of their strength, making up a total of over 170,000
deaths. Within these, 30,000 were from direct combat with Southwest Emissary’s Garrison,
while 70,000 had been systematically slaughtered by Yan Xun. The remaining were
attributed to the anarchic clashes with the civilians and fratricide from the chaos.

fl
fl
fl
fi
ff
ff
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
 Chapter 83
Surprisingly, those severe losses were not the greatest blow dealt to the empire. After that
skirmish, the entire economy of Zhen Huang City was completely paralyzed. In the
sweltering heat of summer, the mountains of corpses brought about inevitable disease.
Most infrastructure and buildings were burnt down in that inferno, resulting in huge batches
of homeless refugees. Even injured soldiers had to make do resting on the roadside. Making
matters worse, it rained profusely over the next few days. Bodies that had yet to be
removed were soaked with water and quickly started decaying, giving o an intense stench,
with ies buzzing around.

Before Yan Xun had left, he made sure that the inferno engulfed the food stockpiles. Food
merchants had also been ransacked during the riots by civilians. In this disaster, Zhen
Huang City was unable to even provide food for its citizens. Within half a month, batches
and batches of civilians fell from sickness and hunger. During this struggle for survival,
peaceful civilians reared their ugly side as robbery became frequent. Some even picked up
arms and formed groups of armed militia in order to rob food.

At one point in time, during a mere span of two days, 30 groups of soldiers who were
ordered to patrol the city disappeared without a trace. A few days after their disappearance,
their belongings—uniforms, daggers, boots—appeared in the drains. Among those, there
were occasionally some which were more private or grotesque, such as underwear, wallet,
or broken limbs, eyeballs, or even bones…

There was not a single vestige of order left in the royal capital

Another half a month later, the maddened refugees broke open the city gates and escaped
from the city. The Royal Zhao family saw all this but could do little to reverse this
catastrophe.

Zhao Zhengde helplessly stood at the ruins of Sheng Jin Palace and smiled bitterly, before
leaving with the last group of armed forces. Guarded by Song Que, his carriage rumbled into
the distance, away from this ruined city. The Xia Empire had a history of over 300 years, and
the royal capital had withstood countless sieges from enemies.

In the year 633, the Defense of the Imperial Capital, Emperor Bai Wei led 8000 cavalry
troops against 200,000 Quan Rong warriors. The siege lasted for one whole month, and
they ran out of both food and arrows. Even then they refused to give way. Finally
reinforcement from various noble families arrived to break the siege. That became an
everlasting legend.

In the year 684, the noble family of Wo Long defected, and opened the Bai Shui Gates,
allowing a massive coalition between the Tang Empire and Song Empire to enter the borders
unopposed. The enemy charged straight into the heart of the empire, and reached San Li
Hills, which was not even 30 miles away from Zhen Huang City. The Emperor of that era was
still inspecting the southwestern borders, and there was only the eight year old Prince Zhao
Chongming and the Queen, Muhe Jiuge. At that time, the entire court recommended retreat,
fl

ff
but the 27 year old Queen stood at the top of the watchtower for 3 whole days with her son,
until they saw the Empire’s ag ying above the San Li Hills after driving back the enemies.

In the year 741, during the Chi Chao Uprising, the city gates were completely destroyed.
Even then, the Zhao Royal families had not taken a single step out of the capital!

Year 735…. Year 761…. Year 769…. Stubbornly standing despite all the battles on this grass
plains for over 300 years, the capital was nally abandoned by the Royal Zhao family on the
morning of June 9th. They abandoned this heart of the empire which their ancestors had
defended for more than 300 years. Miserably, they retreated to the Holy Citadel, Yun City

Historians of the future would have greatly di ering opinions about the rationale of this
decision, but they would all agree that the one who had caused this was none other than the
new King of Yan Bei, Yan Xun! By his own strength, along with the 5000 warriors of Da Tong
Guild, he managed to achieve what 300,000 warriors of Quan Rong, and 580,000 soldiers of
the Tang-Song coalition could not! The entire West Meng continent trembled at the might of
this waking lion. This era would undoubtedly be dominated by Yan Bei, as the ames of war
had just been reignited.

It was a cloudy morning as the war horn sounded o on the watchtower of Zhen Huang
City. The sun slowly rose from the horizon, but the mist persisted, as if rain would soon fall.
A dozen soldiers, all donned in pale green armor, stood on top of the watchtower, gazing
into the distance. Along the empty paths, there was not a single person in sight. Sighing, the
old soldier put down the horn, and turned around.

“Is there still no one coming?” It was a deep voice. Startled, the old soldier lifted his head,
only to see a man in his twenties, handsome and youthful. Wearing a black cape, he
concealed his attire such that no one would recognize his position. Even then, the old
soldier could tell that this man was a general, and was of a di erent league from him.

“General, no one is coming.”

The young man nodded silently, as if already expecting this outcome. He observed the old
soldier who seemed to struggle to support the weight of the armor with a 50 year old body.
Even the division engravings on his shoulder plate showed signs of weathering. The young
man inquired, “19th Division should have already left for Yun City with the Emperor. Why did
you not follow?”

“General, I am really too old. I can no longer walk long distances. I would rather leave the
chance for the youngsters.” Sighing, the old man continued, “I enlisted at 14 and became a
horsekeeper. I was later assigned to guard this City. I already defended this city for over 30
years. Even if this city was attacked, even if all the civilians ran away, I cannot run away. As
long as the gates are still intact, I must be here.”

The younger man frowned, and in his eyes a complicated emotion ashed past while his
gaze was still locked on the old soldier.

The old man did not notice, and continued, “Furthermore, my family all died in that battle.
Going to Yun City alone would be meaningless. I would rather stay here and look for the
fl
fl
fi
ff
ff
ff
fl
fl
 bodies of any familiar people or neighbors to bury. Humans should ultimately return to the
soil!”

The youngster lowered his head, and his expression looked forlorn. Behind him there was
an endless stretch of ruins. Previously, there stood the most prosperous buildings and
crowd, the most majestic towers, and the most luxurious palaces. But now it is just history.

“General,” the old soldier lifted his head, and anxiously rubbed his hands, looking a bit
uneasy, “why did none those nobles and aristocrats send men for reinforcement? Master
Zhuge and Master Wei all left for their own lands. Is the empire going to split? Are we going
to war? When will the Yan Prince attack here?”

“There will not be such a day!” a calm voice came out of that young man, slow and steady.
Although softly spoken, the words were lled with con dence. The young man looked
determined, and his tone was rm. Word by word, he stated, “The empire will not collapse.
Yan Bei Army will not advance here. Someday, those who left will return. Zhen Huang City
will be restored to its former glory!”

The old man was stunned and looked at this young man. All the rumors he had heard in
recent days were immediately blown out of his mind. At that instance, he wholeheartedly
believed the words of this young general. Light returned to his eyes, as he excitedly asked,
“Really? They will be back? Then can I still continue to guard this city gate?”

“You will,” the young man replied. Turning around, he smiled, revealing sparkling white teeth.
“I will specially allow you to continue to guard these gates. Even if you live to a hundred and
can no longer walk, I will send men to bring you here on a carriage. If you still have living
descendants, I can extend this special permission to them to guard these gates too! As long
as I am alive, the empire will not fall!”

With that said, the young general searched himself and took out a silver token. On it, there
were ne engravings of crepe owers—the national ower of the Xia Empire. Right now, that
seemed so holy, yet so desolate.

“This item will be the proof of that promise.”

The old soldier was ecstatic, but in the next moment he felt suspicious of this young man.
Smartly, he asked the young man very tactfully, “General, which division do you belong to?
May I know your name?”

“I am from the Cavalry Camp. My name is Zhao Che.”

The old soldier was utterly stunned, and his eyes almost popped out of his sockets. After a
few seconds, he dropped onto the oor kneeling, and kowtowed with all his force. “I am
such a blind man. Your highness, please forgive me for my insolence!”

There was no response. The old man lifted his head, only to see a gure on the staircase of
the watchtower. The gure held a sword in one hand, and step by step, disappeared from
view. From the corner of his eye, he saw a blinding ash of light. Looking carefully, he saw
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
 that the light was being re ected from the silver token. The blossoming crepe owers
engraving felt like warm summer sun!

Centuries later, the archives of Tang Empire left records as such: Following the revenge by
the Da Tong Guild, the Royal Zhao Family tried to assemble all noble families, but none of
the factions responded to his call to arms. Helpless, they could only abandon the
devastated capital. Prince Zhao Che continued to guard the capital, while Prince Zhao Yang
volunteered to pursue the Yan Bei army. The Xia Empire displayed symptoms of collapse, as
they could no longer retain full control over the huge swathes of land and aristocrats. Under
the leadership of our brilliant and wise Prince, the Tang Empire became the greatest empire
in the world, and the hub of commerce started to shift towards us. Merchants in the Xia
Empire lost con dence in the government, and started to migrate towards the Tang Empire.
The brilliant and wise prince displayed unparalleled wisdom and intelligence, and godly
courage and bravery. Such could only be described as a genius blessed by heaven, and the
population found themselves extremely lucky….

Many later historians took these records with a grain of salt, as Yan Xun’s rebellion had been
completely unrelated to the Tang Prince. Many even took it one step further to claim that the
later portion had been added by Prince Li Ce himself, as the handwriting was completely
di erent. If one were to describe the rst portion as the handwriting of a calligraphy master,
then the later portion would be something that even calligraphy novices would be ashamed
of. Despite that, this would not deny the truth of the rst part. After the revenge by the Da
Tong guild, the enormous Xia Empire really started to decline.

Just as Zhen Huang City faced its calamity, the last forces of Yan Bei were still loitering
around Qiu Ping Mountain. On those endless plains, a group of shabbily dressed soldiers
were lying in ambush. Despite their equipment, their eyes were lled with determination, and
they were like a pack of wolves, patiently waiting for their prey.

Although the factions had not assisted the Royal family, they still had their eyes on Yan Bei.
Only now, Chu Qiao felt slightly relieved for Yan Bei’s decision to abandon the Southwest
Emissary’s Garrison forces. Yan Family had been completely wiped out by the Royal family,
so the hatred between Yan Xun and the Royal Family was not something that everyone
knew of. Da Tong Guild, on the other hand, was well known as the organization that led
rebellions on this continent. Consequently, the only group that was branded as the traitors
of the nation was the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison personnel.

Chapter 84
This army that had been abandoned by Yan Xun at Zhen Huang City had instantly turned
into everyone’s target. All factions wanted to annihilate them to become the hero who had
defeated the traitor. In the past few days, Chu Qiao and the troops had already faced
countless ambushes.

“Miss,” He Xiao trotted over while carefully maintaining under cover, and whispered to Chu
Qiao, “the scouts are approaching, please give us the order to attack!”

ff
fi

fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
 Chu Qiao, still keeping her head low, calmly replied, “Let us wait a bit more.”

“But Miss, they are only 200 feet away!”

“Just wait a bit more.”

“If we wait anymore, our ambush will become meaningless!”

“The time is not ripe yet.”

He Xiao was about to continue trying to convince Chu Qiao, but at that moment, a red and
white ag was raised from a trench in the distance. Upon seeing that, Chu Qiao shouted,
“Attack!”

At that instant, roaring warcries overwhelmed the surroundings. Thousands of brandishing

blades appeared out of the bushes and charged towards the enemy. Those scouts, who
were already not in proper formation due to being rushed, instantly sank into chaos.

It was doubtlessly another slaughter. With lethally accurate calculations, Chu Qiao grabbed
the best opportunity using the perfect setup to completely surround and destroy the enemy.
Within one hour, the battle was over. Without having time to chase down all of the routing
enemy soldiers, Chu Qiao sent her remaining soldiers charging toward the largest escaping
group! After four days of countless hiding and running, this fearsome Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison could nally let loose of their reins and ght freely in the plains of the Qiu Ping
Mountains!

The sky started to drizzle. With a quick wipe of her pale and frail face, Chu Qiao smoothly
sheathed her blade. With a rm voice, she ordered, “Warriors, we are retreating.”

The crowd instantly sank into a commotion. The huge victory had lled their hearts with
pride and bloodthirst, and the desire for revenge had been carve into their souls from the
four days of escapade. Oftentimes, opportunities of war were eeting, and retreating during
their period of greatest momentum was undoubtedly a misjudgement that even a new
recruit would not commit. A smudge of unhappiness surfaced in everyone’s eyes, but out of
respect and gratitude for this young women who had saved their lives, they did not say it
aloud. Even then, seeing their eyes, it was more than obvious what they were thinking.

“Soldiers, I know what you are thinking.” The young women took a moment to clear her
throat, before continuing at the top of her voice, “In this period of unrest within the empire,
all factions are polishing their weapons. This is indeed a prime period for courageous men to
open new chapters in history. We had great momentum and overwhelming morale, and
should not give up such a good opportunity to attack. But! Is the situation really so simple
as we think? No! It is not! The empire still has huge reserves of soldiers from each and every
noble, each and every great family, each and every tribe. These forces all have great
numbers of loyal and erce soldiers. They may not have made it here in time to defend the
empire from our rebellion, but that does not mean they will not come here after we have
defeated forces from the Royal Zhao family! Once we defeat the Zhao army, they will all
brandish their spears that were already pointed at us. By then, our bows will be broken, our
arrows will be depleted, our blades will be dulled, and our horses will be exhausted. Without
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
food and medicine, how long could we sustain our rampage? Once we show signs of
exhaustion, the enemies will jump at this opportunity like a mad dog. No matter how strong
a tired lion is, it will still fall prey to a pack of wolves. We’ve had enough, we are tired, and it
is time for us to go home.”

Hearing the phrase “go home”, some suddenly started to sob. Some spoke out, hoping that
Chu Qiao could refute their bleak reality, “But, His Highness has already abandoned us.”

“Yes, Miss, we are already homeless.”

“We are the rebels of the Empire, and have been abandoned by Yan Bei. Where can we go?”

“Do not believe those baseless rumors!” Chu Qiao bellowed. A surprisingly loud voice came
out from her seemingly weak gure. “Those were all tactics to seed discord among Yan Bei
soldiers! His highness has not abandoned you! The King of Yan Bei will never abandon his
citizens!”

“But His highness has left us behind, surrounded and helpless. All of us saw it with our own
eyes.”

“No! His Highness did not leave you behind! He sent me to save you!”

“So our reinforcement was just one person?”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrow, and without leaving any room for debate, declared, “Yes,
indeed. But I did it! His highness believed that I could do it, so he entrusted me with this
task. And I did accomplish this task!”

The entire eld turned dead silent. Although the circumstances were hard to accept, it was
the reality. This frail lady was able to rescue over 4000 soldiers of the Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison by herself. With these soldiers, she crushed all ambush and interceptions by the
enemy, and broke out of the encirclement.

“Warriors, hesitate no more! Now, we shall bury our comrades who have fallen in battle just
now. We will leave behind their bodies, but we will carry on their dreams. You fought for the
country, bled for the country, and died for the country. History will remember your loyalty
and courage. Now, follow me, we will return!” With that, Chu Qiao suddenly lowered her
head. Her lustrous black hair owed down on each side like two waterfalls as she bent into a
perfect bow.

The soldiers remained speechless. One by one, the soldiers kneeled down with one knee,
and roared in harmony, “We will follow you!”

That day, the winds carried the smell of blood far and wide, as the roars of the soldiers
echoed within the winds. These soldiers had not known that the army that had just been
decimated by them did not actually intent to search and destroy the Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison. In fact, it was the advanced party of the combined army of 11 northwest nobles
and tribes, led by Zhao Yang for the sole objective of sieging Yan Bei. All preparations had
been made, as they brought along huge food stockpiles, conscripted many able-bodied
fi
fl
fi
 men to help with logistics needs, and had carefully examined the geographical conditions of
Yan Bei. Having found the best scouts in the region, they were all poised to strike once the
main army group arrived. Aiming for the fact that Yan Xun had not consolidated his power in
Yan Bei, this war was estimated to have a 70% chance of success.

But all these preparations were for naught thanks to Chu Qiao’s appearance. Upon hearing
the news, this young prince was left speechless for a long while. He was reminded of the
gure that was stood rm and unyielding atop the watchtower on that aming night.

“Your Highness, there is already no hope to invade Yan Bei. Shall we destroy this ambush
force?”

Zhao Yang lowered his head, and remained deep in thought. Finally, he stood up and
ordered, “The big sh has escaped, why are we concerned with the shrimps? Return to Yun
City!”

In the meanwhile, on Bie Ya Slope in Xi Ma Liang, a camp could be seen. In front of the main
tent, there was a jet black Iron Eagle War Flag. Lady Yu ipped open the tent and walked in.
Before she could even open her mouth, she heard an irate voice coming from a man, “Did I
not tell you not to come in anymore?”

Lady Yu was stunned and stopped in her tracks. Softly, she replied, “Master, it is me.”

Yan Xun turned around, and upon seeing that it was Lady Yu, he hurried forth, and replied,
“So it was Miss Yu, Yan Xun apologizes for the hasty remark. ”

“It is alright, Master.” Lady Yu smiled. “AhJing just came?”

Yan Xun nodded and said no more, but his expression was obviously irritated.

“You Highness, it has been more than ten days, we need to go.” Lady Yu continued, “Yan
Bei is now in a state of chaos. Hearing that Master is about to return, Yan Bei’s various
factions are now in turmoil. We have already wasted a lot of previous time.”

Yan Xun helplessly sighed. “I understand that.”

“Of course Master would understand. You are also smart enough to know what will happen
if we continue to delay, even just a few more days. But you have not been acting logically.
Master, you are not like the person I thought you were. I think, even if Chu Qiao was
standing here, she would not want to see how you are ignoring the greater picture. Even
without you waiting here, with her abilities, she would no doubt be able to return to Yan Bei
safe and sound.”

Yan Xun slowly raised his head and muttered, “I understand what you are trying to tell me,
but I am just a bit worried. When she comes and sees that I was not waiting for her, she will
be disappointed.”

“What?” Lady Yu was utterly shocked. This man would stubbornly lead the entire army into
this risk not because he was worried for Chu Qiao’s safety, but simply because he was
worried she would feel upset?

fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
 “I am hilarious, am I not?” Yan Xun laughed in self-belittlement and shook his head. “As long
as one is human, there are no doubt times when one will make silly mistakes. I lied to her,
and abandoned the soldiers of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison. She may not have said
anything, but she might be angry deep down. I just want to explain myself to her as soon as
possible.”

Lady Yu raised her eyebrow, “But…”

“I know.” Yan Xun cut into her sentence, “By tomorrow, if she still has not arrived, we will
leave.”

Lady Yu sighed, and nodded, “If that is the case, I will take my leave now.”

Yan Xun walked up and said, “I will follow you out.”

Just as they left the tent, a shape blade pierced toward Yan Xun from his side, along with a
thunderous roar. Yan Xun responded like a beast in danger, and with his acute senses, he
exploded into action. His palm drew the dagger at his waist, and parried the incoming
blade. With a twist of his body, he narrowly avoided the lethal strike!

“Protect His Highness!” Lady Yu calmly shouted. By then, the guards had already dashed
forward, and after a quick brawl, the assassin had been captured.

Yan Xun stood among the crowd, and frowned at the subdued man. With a furrowed brow,
Yan Xun declared, “I said, do not let there be a third time!”

The assailant was around 20, and had a handsome face. The cheery sunlight that used to
shine from his face was now replaced by a frigid expression of bloodthirst. The assassin
stared at Yan Xun, and rmly said, “As a traitor, everyone will try to kill you!”

“Stubbornly stupid!” Yan Xun snorted. “Zhao Song, this is really the last chance.
Considering our relationship, I will let you o this one last time. If we see each other any
other time I will make sure to ght you with all my strength!”

Zhao Song smirked. “Yan Xun, I thought you were really cold blooded seeing how you killed
so many at the royal capital. Why do you only show mercy for me? Letting me go today will
de nitely be something you’ll regret in the future!”

Yan Xun turned around and ignored him. “Let him go.”

“Where is Chun’er?”

“Chun’er is not here!”

Zhao Song was enraged. “You are lying!”

Suppressing his anger, Yan Xun shouted back, “There was no need for me to bring a Xia
Princess who had already lost her status!”

Zhao Song frowned, and nally believed Yan Xun. He lifted his head up and told Yan Xun,
“Yan Xun, let me repeat, from today on, our relationship of eight years is nulli ed, and we are
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
 strangers. If we see each other in the future, I will try to kill you. And you need not hold
back. You let me o three times, so to return the favor, if I can kill you in the future, I will
commit suicide to return this life you have given me. I will see to it that vengeance for the
citizens of the Royal Capital will be carried out!”

Yan Xun did not reply. In the winds of Xi Ma Liang, his robes uttered like a big bird taking
ight. Facing the wind, his face was calm, but his eyes had the depth of the ocean, not
allowing anyone to read his thoughts.

Chapter 85
“As for AhChu, I have some words for her. Help me tell it to her.” Zhao Song’s voice went
even deeper as he stepped forward.

As the soldiers saw that he stepped up, everyone placed their hands on their blades, ready
to strike. Yan Xun, however, stepped forward.

“Tell her, I…”

At this very moment, a dull impact was heard. Following a small bump, a searing pain
spread out from Yan Xun’s chest. Zhao Song’s dagger had deeply buried itself in Yan Xun!

“Your Highness!”

“Young Master!”

“Kill the assassin!”

Zhao Song’s face was completely oblivious to the surrounding havoc. He pulled out the
blade and swung it down again! The guards were still several steps away, and Yan Xun was
left to fend for himself. Holding his blade, Yan Xun stepped back. But the wound on his
chest was bleeding so profusely that he could barely muster any strength. Zhao Song was
still able to close in on him!

In that split second, as Zhao Song’s dagger was about to strike into Yan Xun’s heart, Yan
Xun’s blade swung up. If Yan Xun slashed horizontally, he could easily rip Zhao Song’s
throat. But at that instant, memories of the past ooded his mind, and Yan Xun slanted his
wrist at the very last moment. The sharp blade sliced into Zhao Song’s blade wielding
shoulder, making a clean cut!

Cling! The dagger fell to the ground, along with a fountain of blood and a broken arm!

“Ah!” Zhao Song shrieked in pain as he dropped to the ground. Curling up in pain, he
grabbed his wound. Likewise, Yan Xun lied on the ground, with scary amounts of blood
gushing out from his chest. Panicking, the guards rushed forward. Lady Yu glumly opened
her mouth, but before any words could come out, she heard sounds of weeping from a
nearby food cart. A soldier who had been wearing an oversized uniform ran out, and upon
closer inspection, it was the Xia Princess—Zhao Chun’er!

fl
ff

fl
fl
Lady Yu called out harshly, “Quick, get the doctor here. And I want to see these two
beheaded!”

“Wait!” Yan Xun squeezed out in a hoarse voice lled with pain. His face was growing paler
by the second. “Let them go!”

The surrounding people were completely taken aback by his declaration. AhJing called out,
“Your Highness?”

“I said…let. Them. Go!”

AhJing was about to continue talking, but Lady Yu stopped him, and said to Yan Xun,
“Master, I will arrange for people to send them back to Zhen Huang City.”

Yan Xun painfully nodded, before his head slanted to one side and he fainted.

“Your Highness!” AhJing shouted in anguish. Turning around, he picked up his blade and
walked toward Zhao Song. Lady Yu held him back, and stared at him rmly in the eye. “Do
you want me to lose Master’s trust?”

AhJing was taken aback by her stern words, and innocently asked, “Lady?”

“I want a carriage prepared. Pick ten of the most obedient soldiers to send them back! Give
them medical treatment along the way, and do not let them die!”

The servants unwillingly complied, and went ahead with preparation. Zhao Chun’er held her
brother, who had fainted in his pool of blood, with an expression of hopelessness. This pure
and innocent girl had already been utterly overwhelmed by the fact that two people whom
she held closest to her heart had almost managed to kill each other.

The military doctor arrived shortly afterwards. The old doctor observed for a few seconds
before looking Lady Yu and solemnly saying, “His lungs are wounded. I cannot guarantee
his survival.”

Lady Yu looked at the old man and rmly declared, “Master must be safe. You must ensure
he survives.”

The old man frowned and sighed. “I will try my best.”

On the path leading to Liuhe County from Xi Ma Liang, an entourage was waiting patiently.
The moonlight dimly lit up this group of people who numbered in the ten thousands. Even
then, these men were dead silent, all looking at the path in the east, as if waiting for
something.

Just as Lady Yu entered the main tent, the men inside stood up. The woman’s brow was
locked, but her tone was calm as usual, “Has there been any news?”

“Not yet.” A man wearing a green out t and dressed like a scholar stood up. This graceful
man looked slightly thin, and his complexion was a dull yellow. He went on, “Lady, you need
not worry. Since Mister Wu asked that we wait here, I am sure nothing will go wrong.”

fi
fi
fi
fi
“I am not worried about ambushes.” The lady’s unnaturally pale complexion was in great
contrast to the black circles around her eyes. It was obvious that she had not gotten proper
rest for a while. While rubbing her temples, she sat down and elaborated, “We have scouts
covering up a 30 mile radius, so ambushes are near impossible. I am more worried about
Master’s injury! It was lucky that Daoya arrived in the nick of time. Otherwise, I really could
not imagine what those useless doctors could do!”

The other people’s expressions were similarly clouded with worry. With severe injuries, Yan
Xun insisted on not leaving Xi Ma Liang. Even though the army left the place while he had
fainted, he stubbornly snatched a horse and went back to Bie Ya Slope. It was the rst time
the crowd had seen such a stubborn and immature side of their Young Master. At this time,
everyone was stressed out, and they were not in the mood to talk.

Lady Yu sighed, and said to the man in green, “Kong Ru, how many men did Daoya bring to
fetch us? Have those soldiers been arranged orderly?”

“3000 soldiers came. Actually, you have already entered Yan Bei territory. The Liuhe County
up ahead is actually under the leadership of the Southwestern Logistic Chief of the Da Tong
Guild, Mister Meng.”

Lady Lu raised an eyebrow and asked, “Isn’t Mister Meng the private teacher within the
Major’s Residence? Since when did he become the Major himself?”

Kong Ru smiled in response. “Liuhe County is a small county, so it is no wonder that Lady
Yu did not know. The previous person sent to supervise Yan Bei was a greedy fellow, and
from the moment he assumed his position, he started to sell government positions for
money. Mister Meng spent a huge sum of money and bought all of the positions that govern
the cities along the route from the Capital to Yan Bei. It was all in preparation for today.”

“Lady!” There was an urry of footsteps from beyond the door. Lady Yu hurriedly walked
forward, and opened the veil. Biancang breathlessly jumped down from the horse and said,
“Mister Wu requested that we hold our positions here, and wait for him and His Highness to
return.”

Lady Yu frowned forlornly, but could not do anything about it. She said, “Bring 200 cavalry
there, and if anything happens, please immediately head back to report.”

“Yes!”

Lady Yu suddenly remembered something, and hurriedly shouted out, “Biancang, who did
AhJing arrange for to send the Thirteenth Prince back?”

Just as she said that, everyone’s expression soured. Even the soldiers on guard duty
outside the tent seemed to be teeming with rage. These guild members of Da Tong were all
recruited from the lowest ranks of society, and some were even originally from the ranks of
slaves. Under the oppressive rule of the Xia Empire, there had been huge rifts between the
ruling family and the common people, and the lowest caste bore a particularly strong grudge
against the ruling government. Right now, a prince of the Xia Empire had just severely
fl
fi
wounded their master, but was allowed to leave safely, moreover under their guard. The
soldiers no doubt bore a huge grudge.

Biancang obviously knew that now was not a good time to talk about this matter. He
intentionally replied ambiguously, “I am not too sure as well. It would be better if you could
check directly with AhJing after he comes back.”

Unexpectedly, Lady Yu lifted an eyebrow and sternly admonished him, “Nonsense! If I could
wait until he returned, why would I ask you?”

Biancang’s face ushed red, and he anxiously rubbed his hand. In front of the most
reputable leader in Da Tong Guild, he dared not be too careless. He muttered, “AhJing
seemed to have personally picked ten men from the 12th Camp.”

Lady Yu was not satis ed with this reply, as she continued to grill him, “Are you sure they
were personally picked by AhJing?”

“Huh?” Biancang was taken aback, and replied vaguely, “Um, yes, I think so.”

“So was it, or was it not?”

“Yes!” Biancang replied, “He personally picked them!”

Lady Yu heaved a long sigh of relief, as her remaining worry was nally cleared. “If so, then I
am relieved.”

“Lady, shall I take my leave?”

“Go.”

The sounds of horses galloping resounded as Biancang left the main tent and arrived at the
barrack tents. Picking out 200 men detachments, he headed toward Bie Ya Slope on Xi Ma
Liang.

The cold night went on in silence. Many times, what changed the entire course of history
was just a few lies. The one who said the lie did not care, and the one who was lied to did
not think about it seriously either. Those small matters were like grains of sand that dropped
into a gushing river where no one would mind, no one would know. But in that corner that
no one knew about, that small piece of sand would miraclely reach the oodgates, and
trigger the collapse of the oodgates, resulting in the torrent that would ood great swathes
of land. The population would then claim that heaven had been unfair, but who could have
known that the disaster had been born from within their own hands.

Biancang had not known that that night, AhJing had not personally picked the guard to
protect Zhao Song. He was panicking from the fact that Yan Xun had been injured in the
assassination attempt, and in his consternation, he delegated this task to his subordinate.
His subordinate was a man of great strength and martial arts prowess, and could easily
swing around swords that were over hundred kilograms. To him, being handed a task like
this made him feel like his abilities were being wasted. With a swing of his hands, he
shouted, “Whoever wants to go, just go!” And with that, the warriors who had an
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
 overwhelming hatred for the empire from all the oppression they had received, rushed forth
to take up this mission. Ultimately, ten of the men with the loudest shouts and the most
unyielding attitudes were selected for the special honor to protect Zhao Song and Zhao
Chun’er on their way back to the Royal Capital Zhen Huang City.

Everything took a twist here. That included dreams, love, and destiny.

“Master,” Wu Daoya slowly walked up the slope. Wearing a green cape, Daoya’s well
de ned eyebrows were lined with a streak of silver. Yet his footsteps were surprisingly rm
coming from a man of his age. With a hoarse voice, he continued, “The wind is strong here,
let’s go back to the tent to wait.”

“It is okay,” a deep voice replied coldly. It was a short sentence, but the intense fatigue and
grief was apparent. The weather was not cold, but Yan Xun wore a white overcoat. The
white fur of the coat embraced his neck, further emphasizing his unhealthy pale complexion.
He rested on a reclining chair that had been modi ed from a stretcher, and his leg was
covered with a thick layer of white silk. Lightly sighing, he muttered, “Let me feel the Yan Bei
wind. It has been so many years since I last felt this.”

Before Yan Xun nished, Wu Daoya already understood what he meant by “so many years”.
Daoya nodded his head in agreement. “Indeed, so many years.”

Yan Xun chuckled. “I still remember how back in the capital, I told Chu Qiao that the wind in
Yan Bei is sweet from the scent of the snow lotus growing in the Hui Hui Mountains. But
now, I can no longer smell it. If she came, she would think I was lying.”

Chapter 86
The wise military adviser of Da Tong sighed quietly. “The wind in young master’s memory is
indeed sweet, but the Yan Bei now is no longer the one from your memories.”

“Indeed, many familiar people are no longer around.” Yan Xun’s eyes stared deep into the
darkness of the night. He freely let his hair ow in the incoming night breeze.

“I vividly remember how I was just nine years old when I left Yan Bei. At that time, the royal
capital ordered that all noble families were to send a son to the Capital as proof of their
loyalty. However, the royal family received no response. Master Jing even openly challenged
that order. One day, the emperor sent a letter to our father. After reading that letter, father
remained silent for very long. Finally, he asked me and my brothers, ‘Who wants to go to the
royal capital? Just one year will do. Upon coming back, that person will be the heir apparent
of Yan Bei.’ None of us wanted to go, and none of us cared about taking over the rule of Yan
Bei. At that time, eldest brother was already quite mature, so he asked father, ‘Father, are
you not brothers with the Emperor? Why must the Emperor take precautions against you?’
Father sank into silence again, before looking at us in the eye, and solemnly saying,
‘Precisely because we are brothers. If I do not help him and follow his order, who will?’ And
on that day, I decided to head to the royal capital. He is my dad. If I did not help him, who
would?”

fi
fi

fl
fi
fi
Yan Xun smiled bitterly, but his gaze had an over owing gentleness that hid a tinge of wistful
longing. Judging from that expression alone, one might believe this expression came from
an elderly person.

“The trip to the royal capital is full of uncertainties, and wanting to help our father, eldest
brother and third brother volunteered themselves as well. However, considering how they
already had administrative responsibilities, father nally decided to send me. On the day of
farewell, they kept following me behind my carriage, all the way to Zhui Ma Ridge, Liuhe
County, Xi Ma Liang, and nally, to this very Bie Ya Slope. Father, eldest brother, second
sister, and third brother all stood on here, along with a huge army of Yan Bei warriors.
Father’s golden lion banner ew proudly in the sky. Looking back from afar, I could still see
second sister wiping her face secretly, while third brother was shouting at me to be careful.
Eldest brother told me that the royal capital was colder than Yan Bei, so he personally made
a hand warmer for me. I used that for ve years, until it was nally shattered by an o cial in
the royal capital on the very day that the news of the nightmare arrived.” Yan Xun smirked.
He continued in his emotionless voice, “This slope really marked the very day that our fates
diverged forever.” Then, Yan Xun turned around, and with a quiet laugh, he said, “Mister, you
had been sent here in fear that I would punish the soldiers from the Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison, right?”

Wu Daoya was taken aback by the sudden change in topic, as he donned a smile while
shaking his head. “Nope, it must be master’s imagination.”

“Haha, you are really not honest.” Yan Xun laughed. “You must have de nitely thought that
way. But after you came, you heard from me that the one leading those soldiers was AhChu.
With that you no longer have any worries, so you decided to not talk about it altogether,
right?”

Before Wu Daoya could reply, Yan Xun directly remarked, “I indeed wanted to kill all of them.
At that point of time, I left them at the capital, and while hoping for them to delay the
pursuing army by attracting attention, I was hoping that they could be wiped away from the
face of the earth as well. But AhChu saved them. Hmph, consider them lucky.”

Wu Daoya, hearing that, was instantly brimming with a hearty smile. He commented, “The
young master is so forgiving and mature. It is Yan Bei’s fortune to have you have a leader.”

“Stop with this attery, I know you do not truly feel this way. You knew very well my hatred
for the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison runs deep, and I am compromising purely due to
helplessness. If I decimated the forces that AhChu had painstakingly brought back, she
would kill me.”

Thinking of that frail yet stubborn young lady, Wu Daoya could not help but smile. He
continued, “Given her personality, that would be very possible.”

“But then, if that is the case, those deceased of Yan Bei could no longer rest in peace,” Yan
Xun said.

The tone was extremely casual, as if he was merely commenting on the good weather on
that night. But upon hearing that, Wu Daoya’s expression froze. This seemingly casual
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
ffi
sentence was clandestinely teeming with hatred and bloodlust. Wu Daoya immediately
urged, “Young master, although during those years the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison had
the suspicion of defection, by now most of the veteran back then were no longer in the
force, and…”

“Entering such a camp in itself is betrayal to Yan Bei!” The young king ruthlessly declared,
“During those years, the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison defected right before the battle
commenced, resulting in the devastating defeat of father. Although most of those
responsible already died from assassination from the Da Tong Guild, the fact that there are
still people who willingly enlisted into such a rotten army in itself is a humiliation to Yan Bei
and a betrayal to the Yan Family!”

The wind picked up in strength as the black eagle ag dance in the night sky against the
pale moonlight. Yan Xun’s face was still dead cold. He grimly declared, “Betrayal is the
worst crime, and can never be forgiven! Perhaps some of their choices had been forced due
to the ruthless administration of the Xia Empire, but I must make myself clear to the Yan Bei
civilians! Whatever your reason, betrayal will lead to certain death. If I pardon the Southwest
Emissary’s Garrison today, tomorrow, there will be a second one, a third one, and a
thousand and one same armies! Should that happen, Yan Bei will su er the same fate as
before! Now, even if they managed to escape from the death trap I laid for them, they must
still pay for their mistakes! Upon their return, send them to the Northwest borders, and put
them into the vanguard force.”

Wu Daoya already had a deep frown by the time Yan Xun had nished. The vanguards of the
northwestern front? That was essentially a death penalty in disguise. Due to the low
population, coupled with the fact that Yan Bei had constantly been under attack by the
Quan Rong army, many of those who had committed heavy crimes were conscripted into
the vanguard force to ght with the Quan Rong people. Without resupply, without
reinforcement, and sometimes even without weapons, death seemed to be the only way out
for them.

“Xiaoqiao will not agree to that.”

“She will never know,” the ruler of Yan Bei declared. “As much as AhChu puts up a strong
front, she is a kind person at heart. Even when ghting enemies, she will not kill excessively.
I do not want her to know about this type of bloody matter. I am sure those who know about
this will not want to disturb her as well.”

This sentence was obviously telling him to not say too much when talking to Chu Qiao. Wu
Daoya sighed, and gave up trying to convince him. Suddenly, footsteps sounded o from
afar. AhJing walked up, and with a bow, told Yan Xun, “Your highness, it is time for your
medicine.”

Yan Xun took the bowl, and with one gulp, swallowed the medicine whole. A streak of the
black medicine leaked out from the corner of his lips. Using a handkerchief, Yan Xun wiped
it away, before continuing his dialogue grimly, “Mister Wu, do not always think about how to
satisfy the population. If considering the reputation, even ten Xia Empires could not
compare to the reputation of the Da Tong Guild in the hearts of the common folks. But
fi
fi
fl
fi
ff
ff
 despite being present on the West Meng continent for several hundred years, Da Tong
remained an organization, and not a ruling country. Ultimately, the reason why the Xia
Empire was able to retain their rule on this land was not due to the will of the civilians, but
due to the blades that they hold in their hands.”

“I understand.”

Yan Xun smirked. “I wonder if you really understand?”

Wu Daoya did not want to continue, as he changed the topic, “Master, the night is getting
late. If Chu Qiao still does not arrive, we will…”

“I will head to Liuhe County to treat my wounds. You have already repeated that a hundred
times.” Irritated, Yan Xun frowned. He turned and stared at the empty path ahead. “She will
de nitely come!”

Just as Yan Xun had predicted, the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison was within a hundred
miles of Xi Ma Liang. The warriors whipped their horses as they rushed through the night!

Around midnight, just as the night was darkening, the army took a break at the bottom of
Bai Shi mountain. Still on high alert, Chu Qiao sent 30 scouts to check on Xi Ma Liang for
any traces of the Yan Bei army or the enemy. The more than 4000 soldiers sat on the
ground, set up a camp re, and munched on dry rations while waiting for their return.

The past few days had seen much rain, and the grass was very moist. He Xiao brought a
small carpet and clumsily passed it to Chu Qiao. “Missy, please sit on this, the oor is wet
and cold.”

“Thank you,” Chu Qiao replied, and smiled at him. “General He, have you eaten?”

He Xiao sat down, and with a tinge of melancholy, responded, “How could I have the mood
to?”

The young women raised an eyebrow, and asked, “What happened? Was there something
on your mind?”

He Xiao took a while to think, before nally gathering up courage to confess his worries,
“Missy, will his highness really forgive us? Will Yan Bei really allow the Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison to continue to exist?”

“General He, do you not believe in me?”

He Xiao awkwardly shook his head. “Our entire army is greatly indebted to you, Missy.
Without you, I am sure that we all would have died. How could I doubt you?”

“Then, please believe in me. I promised that I would ensure the survival of all soldiers of the
Southwest Emissary’s Garrison, so I will see to it that it is done. I am sure that Yan Xun will
not pursue past mistakes too much, and pardon those past crimes.” The young women
replied solemnly, and continued her monologue, “Yan Bei is in a period of great peril. Only
by uniting our hearts as one can we possibly pull through.”

fi
fi
fi
fl
 “Missy…”

“General He, everyone has some crazy and stubborn thoughts within them, and with those
one could occasionally do some really crazy things. During those years after the Southwest
Emissary’s Garrison betrayed Yan Bei, you lot were forced to become part of their camp and
ght under the same banner. That was your embarrassment. Back then, all those
misunderstandings came from the fact that you were not strong enough to win everyone’s
respect. But now things have changed. You broke out of the encirclement at Zhen Huang
City, and now can roam the entire Northwest continent freely with few who could a ord to
stand in your way. You have contributed blood, sweat, and lives for the independence of Yan
Bei. General He, as a human, you must rst respect yourself before others can respect you.
Regardless of the thoughts of o cials in Yan Bei, or generals in Da Tong, or even Yan Xun
himself, you must rst believe in the hope of your future! You are the leader of this army.
Only if you can stand up rst, the rest of your soldiers can follow suit!”

He Xiao’s face was already red in embarrassment. Once Chu Qiao nished her sentence, he
kneeled down, and loudly called out, “Missy, we have all discussed already! Only if you
become our leader, we dare to return to Yan Bei without worry!”

Stunned, Chu Qiao quickly stood up. “What are you doing? Quickly, get up!”

“Missy, please become our leader!” With that, many voices echoed out. Lifting her head,
Chu Qiao saw that the nearby warriors had all stood up. All these men who remained calm
even when facing the strongest of enemies suddenly tensed up when they were nally ready
to return home. With blackened faces, bloodstained clothes, and holding their blades, they
stared at the frail women. Those gazes spoke of over owing trust and hope.

Chapter 87
“Missy, you are talented, courageous, and compassionate. Without concern for your own
safety, you saved everyone. We are completely loyal to you, and only under your banner,
could we be spared. Please become our leader!”

“Please become our leader!” the entire army roared in unison, and all the proud warriors
knelt on the ground. The sound of their knee guards hitting the ground sounded like
rumbling thunder!

Standing on a boulder, Chu Qiao braved the raging night wind with her frail body, and
looking back at the passionate eyes lled with hope. She nally shook her head and replied,
“I am sorry, I cannot agree to that!”

“Missy!”

“Why?”

A cacophony arose. Holding up her palm, Chu Qiao signalled for the crowd to quiet. Finally
she declared, “But I can promise with my life that the soldiers of Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison will de nitely receive treatment be tting of the achievements you have
fi
fi
fi

fi
ffi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
ff
accomplished. To be a soldier means absolute obedience. Even if one day, Yan Bei is to
order my death, you must give the killing blow ruthlessly. Only then are you worthy to be
truly called a soldier.”

The heavens instantly went completely silent. The dim moonlight shone down from above,
illuminating the slowly billowing clothes of the young woman. She rmly rea rmed her
declaration, “I will not agree to become your leader, but I want to remind you of a fact. Yan
Bei only has one leader that you should be faithful to. And that person is Yan Xun.”

Under the bask of the silvery moon, along with her uttering clothes, Chu Qiao seemed like
a goddess for a split second. The soldiers could only stare at her in reverence as they were
all lost for words. She seemed to have embedded her speech with magic.

“Missy, what about you?”

“Me? I will ght alongside you. I have my own dreams and ambitions.”

“What is Missy’s ambition?”

The corners of Chu Qiao’s mouth curled upwards, as her serious expression was replaced
with one of happiness and hope. “While I am still alive, I want to see him reign supreme in
this world.”

As though it was all a coincidence, the moment she said those words, a strong gust of wind
suddenly blew, and carried these words toward the North, rustling the distant forests before
disappearing into the distance.

“Missy!” A voice resounded from the distance, and a scout returned with his shoulder
bleeding. “We have been ambushed at the front!”

“Ambushed?” He Xiao immediately stood up and loudly asked, “Who were they? What is
their strength?”

“Only seven men, and it was unclear who they were. Before we could ask, they already
brandished their blades, ready to ght.”

Chu Qiao stood up and grimly said, “Go, bring us there.”

The soldiers of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison all stood up as well, and following the
young women in front, rushed forth.

30 men against seven, the results was obvious before the combat had even begun. By the
time Chu Qiao arrived, the scouts had already apprehended the seven assailants. As it was
still unclear who sent these soldiers, they had not killed anyone, but almost everyone had
been injured, and it was an unsightly mess.

With a quick glance, Chu Qiao felt they were familiar, but before she could open her mouth,
one of those men shouted in joy, “It is Miss Chu!”

Chu Qiao frowned, and asked, “You recognize me?”

fi
fi
fl
fi
ffi
 “I am the subordinate of AhJing, Song Qian!”

“You were sent by AhJing!” Chu Qiao instantly understood, and told the others, “They are
friendlies. Seems like it was a misunderstanding.”

He Xiao was surprised as well. Having just arrived in Yan Bei, he was already anxious. But
the rst thing that happened was con ict with the local troops, how could he not be scared?
He quickly untied those men, and tried to make things up to them.

“What are you doing? Wearing these civilian uniform? Are you on a mission?” Chu Qiao
asked.

Upon hearing that, their faces turned pale. Song Qian thought for a second, and awkwardly
replied, “Missy, we are on a mission. Please hurry to Xi Ma Liang. His highness has been
waiting for you, and still has not left.”

The soldiers of Southwest Emissary’s Garrison all heaved a sigh of relief when they heard
that. Prince Yan had taken this huge risk of waiting for all of them. Could he really have not
wanted to abandon them back at the capital, and Miss Chu had been telling the truth all
along?

Chu Qiao did not have show any sign of happiness, and frowned instead. She asked, “What
mission are you on?”

“Missy, it is a secret mission.” Song Qian tried to cover it. “We do not even dare to wear our
uniforms. It is a bit di cult to say it with so many people around.”

“What is there that cannot be said?” The young women frowned even deeper, and sternly
warned them, “When the Prince does something, he will never lie to me. Right now, we are
starting a battle with the royal capital, only to see you trying to secretly head toward the
direction of the enemy. What exactly is your mission?”

Her fury completely stunned those men. Song Qian was trembling as he struggled to come
up with an excuse, but was unable to produce anything from his mouth.

“Confess! Are you spies by the Empire!”

“We are not!”

Whoosh! Chu Qiao drew her blade, and her eyes turned cold with ruthlessness. “Tell me, are
you, or are you not?”

Song Qian was already terri ed. He dropped on all fours and confessed, “Missy, we are not
spies. We are merely obeying the orders to protect Thirteenth Prince back to the capital!”

“Thirteenth Prince?” Chu Qiao’s look changed. “What did you say? Where is he?”

“He is…he is…”

“Where?” The cold steel of the blade pressed onto Song Qian’s neck. The young woman’s
face was already completely devoid of any sympathy, ready to kill anytime.

fi
ffi
fi
fl
“He is…over there!”

Chu Qiao’s expression remained frigid as she walked toward the direction Song Qian
pointed to, taking big strides. After brushing aside a thick layer of grass, a giant cave
appeared. Holding torches, the inside of the cave was clear as day. And upon seeing it,
everyone was completely pale.

Chu Qiao stood in front of the cave, and her hand gripped her sword tightly. Her brow was
completely locked together, and her chest violently heaved up and down, trying to suppress
the overwhelming bloodlust within her.

Three naked Yan Bei soldiers panickedly looked at Chu Qiao and were trembling non-stop.
Behind them was a woman, her clothes already torn to pieces, her body tied up and her
face swollen. Dried blood could be seen at the corner of her mouth, and her hair was ru ed
up like a bird nest. Her entire body showed signs of abuse, and her lower body was a soggy
mess. She laid there without any movement, and if not for the groans of despair that could
occasionally be heard coming from her throat, one would think that she was already dead.
Her tears had already been dried into two streaks down her cheeks.

At the end of the cave, a man who was left with only one arm, was unconscious in a corner.
The ropes that tied him up had already rubbed o one layer of skin, and his entire body was
a bloody wreck. With just one glance, one could tell how much he had struggled. Right now,
even fainted, one could see his face grimacing in overwhelming rage!

“You three, come out.” Chu Qiao’s voice was hoarse, like a broken recorder. The
surrounding soldiers were completely stunned by the tone of her voice, and turned their
gazes at her.

The young women very quietly repeated herself as she pointed at the three men inside the
cave. She said, “Yes, you three.”

The three men ran out holding their clothes. The soldiers of Southwest Emissary’s Garrison
avoided them like the plague.

Whoosh! With a quick strike, a head ew up in the sky. The blood from his neck spurted up
into the sky like a fountain. The other two soldiers were aghast, and prepared to ght back
with their weapons. Seeing that, Xiao He drew his blade as well, and walked up.

“Xiao He,” stepping on the corpse, Chu Qiao walked toward the cave after completing her
sentence, “give this two a painful death.”

“Yes!”

The sounds of ghting began, but Chu Qiao could no longer be bothered. She tried to
obscure the cave from the rest by using those tall grass, and walked into the cave that
reeked of lust. Standing beside Zhao Chun’er, she tried to piece back her clothes which
were in tatters.

fi
fl
ff
fi
ffl
“Lady! Pardon us! AHH!!” A shriek of anguish could be heard, and soon the two soldiers
were pleading desperately for their lives again. The threat of death made them lose their
composure. They shouted in desperation, “This was ordered by his highness! We are merely
following orders!”

“Lady! Forgive us!”

“Lady…”

A teardrop fell from Zhao Chun’er’s eyes. Trailing along her pristine white skin, it fell on her
body, and owed past those vulgar traces. Like a broken doll, her tears started owing
again. Right now, her brain was completely blank. Those pure and innocent days were like
the wind in the winter, leaving from her life forever. Memories of those good days had never
seemed so ironic, showing her how naively stupid she was. She tightly bit her lips as the
tears continued to ow, while she tried not to cry out loud.

Chu Qiao’s hand became sti as she listened to the noise outside. She lowered her head,
but no matter how she tried, she could not piece those torn clothes together. Chu Qiao’s
eyes reddened, and her face had never seemed so pale. Chu Qiao undid her own outer robe
and put it on Zhao Chun’er before moving to her back, and combing her hair.

“Can you still stand?” Chu Qiao stood in front of Zhao Chun’er and quietly asked.

Zhao Chun’er nally had a slight response. She lifted her head and looked toward Chu Qiao.
Chu Qiao stretched out her hand and continued, “I will bring you out. I will bring you home.”

Suddenly, an intense hatred ashed before Zhao Chun’er’s eyes. She grabbed her hands,
and she opened her mouth. Like a maddened beast, she bit her!

Flesh blood ow down Chu Qiao’s wrist, and drop by drop, dripped onto Zhao Chun’er
clothes. This deranged women continued to bite with all her strength, and refused to loosen
up. Chu Qiao clenched her teeth in pain, but slowly squatted down, and with her free hand,
she embraced Zhao Chun’er. At that moment, tears poured out from her eyes as well. With
her hoarse voice, she said, “I am sorry, I am sorry.”

“Uu… Wahh!” Loosening her jaws, Zhao Chun’er nally stopped trying to suppress her
sorrow. At the top of her lungs, she started to bawl. The prideful princess now seemed so
worthless, as her body had been completely ravaged by those barbarians. She hugged this
women whom she had hated for eight whole years, and howled in wretchedness, “Why?
Why was I treated like that? Die! Die!”

Chu Qiao motionlessly let herself be hit by Zhao Chun’er, as she turned her gaze to the man
who had fainted in a pool of blood. Looking at his grimacing face and tightly locked
eyebrows, she was unable to relate this man to the youth in her memories. So many bits
and pieces of memories ashed before her eyes like a thunderstorm. In one of which the
handsome young man stood before her grinning from ear to ear. “AhChu, I am nally of age
to build my own palace, and to marry!”

fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
ff
fl
fi
fi
fl
 Chapter 88
Chu Ciao could not contain her tears anymore. She covered her mouth, unable to suppress
her cries.

Zhao Song, Zhao Song, Zhao Song…

It started raining at about one in the morning. After Zhao Chun’er and Zhao Song got in their
carriage, Chu Qiao journeyed to the vast plains, accompanied by the erce troops from the
Southwest Emissary’s garrison. Song Qian and the others were shocked.

“Who cut o Zhao Song’s arm?”

“It was Your Highness.”

Chu Qiao frowned and hollered, “Lies!”

“Miss, I did not!” Song Qian was scared out of his wits. He continued, “It really was Your
Highness. He came to assassinate Your Highness, and had his arm chopped o . Lady Yu
wanted to kill them, but was stopped by Your Highness. Your Highness instructed us to
escort them back to the capital.”

Chu Qiao took a deep breath and said, “Why did Your Highness spare them?”

“Commander Jing said that he was scared you would get angry.” As Song Qian nished his
sentence, he was scared that Chu Qiao would mention that he had taken matters into his
own hands. He added frantically, “However, if we took action on the way, you would not
know anything, and you would not be angry.”

The raindrops landed on Chu Qiao’s hair. With a low voice, she said, “Was this what
Commander Jing said too?”

“This… Yes, yes!” Song Qian exclaimed.

He Xiao, seeing that Chu Qiao’s expression was not good, shouted, “If you dare to speak
nonsense, I’ll kill you!”

“No need to say anymore.” Chu Qiao looked up and spoke in a low voice, “Take them away
and kill them all!”

“I did not say anything wrong!” Song Qian cried, adding, “Miss, look at us. Which of us were
not tormented by the Xia troops? Our families, parents, and spouses, brothers and sisters,
who did not die at the hands of the Xia o cials? If the intention was not to let us take action,
why were we deployed here from the various camps?”

“Correct!” another soldier echoed. “What’s wrong with hitting him? So what if we raped the
Xia Princess? My sister was humiliated by the royal family from Xia! My parents went to
report the issue to the authorities, but they were beaten to death on the spot! What wrong
have I done?”

ff

ffi
fi
ff
fi
“That’s right! Miss, what have we done wrong? Why are you punishing us?”

“Let me tell you what wrong all of you have done!” A streak of lightning ashed across the
sky, illuminating the horizon. The young lady turned around, pointed at the carriage, and
slowly uttered, “The ones that killed your parents, humiliated your sister, and harmed all of
you were not these two!”

Cries of agony sounded out. Chu Qiao did not turn back. She stared at the carriage silently,
not daring to approach it. Her footsteps became heavy.

“Miss!” He Xiao took big steps forward towards her, wiping the water o his face. He said
boorishly, “We have executed those beasts.”

“He Xiao, head to Xi Ma Liang yourselves,” Chu Qiao said, her face pale. “I can’t follow you
there anymore.”

“Miss!” He Xiao was shocked and asked, “Why?”

The thunder rumbled on, and the torrential rain continued to pour, landing on Chu Qiao’s
face and inadvertently covering up her tears. “Because I have more important things to do.”

As the sun rose and the rain stopped, the weather was refreshing. All sins seemed to have
been washed away along with the storm.

On a high cli , a young man stood upright, wearing a white robe. His face was pale and his
eyes were jet black. He stared at the mountainous landscape in front of him.

“Master, we should leave.” Wu Daoya stood behind Yan Xun and whispered.

Yan Xun remained silent, staring into the distance. As the wind blew, he started to cough
intensely, appearing frail. His voice was heavy, and the smell of blood lingered in the air.

“Master?”

“Mmm.” Yan Xun waved his hand and turned around. He refused Wu Daoya’s gesture to
support him, making his way down the hill while coughing.

The mountain ridges varied in height, forming many ups and downs. On the bridge behind
them, out of their sight, a green horse carriage made its way along the road slowly. In the
skies above, white eagles circled about, following the horse carriage out of Yan Bei’s skies.

The vast plains were desolate. There were no traces of human beings within a hundred mile
radius. Due to the con icts and massacres over many years, this place had turned into a
barren land. Every time the troops made their way across the border, the civilians ed their
homes in search of a safer place. However, amidst this messy world, what place could be
considered a utopia?

The wind and rain continued relentlessly for three days. The horse carriage passed by a
rundown village, littered with piles of black debris everywhere. Chu Qiao found a house that
was still intact, and carried the unconscious Zhao Song into the house. She cleaned the
ff
fl
ff
fl
fl
 house up, found some clean, dry straw, and started a re. Within an hour, the house had
warmed up.

This place was a no man’s land known as the Chuanzhong Regions. Chu Qiao had initially
led the Southwest Emissary’s garrison through this place, and had engaged in battle with
Zhao Yang’s forces not far away. It could be seen that the civilians living here had been
scared away during that battle. As they were pressed for time, they had left everything
behind except for food and clothing. The kitchen utensils were still in good condition, and
there was still clean water on top of the rewood in the rewood room.

Chu Qiao carried a bowl of warm water and walked over to Zhao Chun’er, who was sitting
alone in a corner of the house. She squatted down, passing the water to her. The esteemed
princess of the past did not look up nor despise the living conditions. She took the water
and began sipping.

On the journey over, Zhao Chun’er had behaved like this. Surprisingly, she did not appear
hostile towards Chu Qiao, nor disobey her instructions. She was obedient and quiet,
choosing to eat and drink whatever she was given. When the path ahead was treacherous,
she would get down and push the carriage along with Chu Qiao. When they ran out of
rewood, she would eat cold, dry rations with Chu Qiao. When they passed by shallow
rivers, she would tread on the water with her. When they encountered bothersome civilians,
she would adopt Chu Qiao’s erce posture, carrying a knife to scare them o . However, she
spoke only a few words. Other than Zhao Song, she was uninterested in other a airs.

Chu Qiao knew that Zhao Chun’er did not regard her as her benefactor, and that she was
not behaving like this out of fright. Throughout her ordeal, this young lady had matured at a
frightening pace. She had changed into a di erent person overnight. Chu Qiao was worried
that she harbored suicidal thoughts.

Chu Qiao ground the rations and poured them into hot water, bringing them to Zhao Song’s
side. She stuck out two ngers to open his mouth, force feeding him. The man frowned. He
had started to grow a beard. Unlike Yan Xun and Zhuge Yue, the old Zhao Song had crystal
clear eyes, thick eyebrows, and appeared as cute as a small lion when he was angry. In just
a few days, his old radiant self had turned into a forlorn one. He was skinny and frail, and his
face as pale as a sheet of white paper. Looking at his empty right sleeve and blood stained
clothes, Chu Qiao quickly turned away, unable to look further.

“Hmm…” A low sneer suddenly sounded out. Zhao Chun’er, who had been silent the whole
time, suddenly jumped up like a beast and crawled towards her brother.

Zhao Song frowned, a painful expression on his face. Chu Qiao half-knelt by his side and
held his hand tightly. “Zhao Song? Zhao Song?”

“Fool, don’t go!” the man uttered in a low voice. His eyes were closed, his veins popping out
of his head. His expression was agonizing, like that of a trapped beast.

“Thirteenth Brother!” Zhao Chun’er threw herself on Zhao Song, exclaiming, “Thirteenth
Brother! Chun’er is here! I’m not going anywhere!”

fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
ff
ff
Chu Qiao was pushed aside by Zhao Chun’er. Unable to resist, she advised, “Princess, do
not aggravate the wound.”

“Out of my way!” The young lady stared ercely at her with disgust.

“Don’t…don’t follow him, you…you will die…”

“Thirteenth Brother,” Zhao Chun’er had a cold look on her face, “Chun’er knows, don’t
worry.”

Zhao Song’s face was unusually red, as if he was running a fever. Chu Qiao stood at the
side, unable to think of a way to approach the siblings. She wanted to prepare some water,
but as she turned back, she was stopped dead in her tracks by a hoarse voice.

“I…I can…protect you…too…AhChu…”

Zhao Chun’er was dumbfounded. Her expression turned pale, as if she had been
possessed. She turned around to look at Chu Qiao, and then at the unconscious Zhao
Song. Suddenly, she gave a bitter grin and walked back to her corner. She grabbed her
knees, and buried her head in them.

Zhao Song uttered nonsense the entire night. He berated Yan Xun for betraying his trust.
Other times, he was shouting for Chun’er to escape, and more often, he was pleading with
Chu Qiao to stay. This man, who had been so decisive in wanting to cut ties with her on that
long street, showed his weakness and soft side on this rainy night. His words were like
knives, stabbing Chu Qiao in the heart with every sentence.

When dawn broke, Zhao Song awoke. Chu Qiao stayed by his side the entire night to bring
his fever down, ensuring that he stayed hydrated. Chu Qiao exclaimed with joy, “You’re
awake?”

The noises woke Zhao Chun’er, who was sleeping. The young lady opened her eyes, but did
not walk over.

The look in Zhao Song’s eyes was complex. For a moment, he did not know where he was.
He looked at Chu Qiao with joy in his eyes, slowly turning to that of suspicion, then pain,
resentment, anger, and other various negative emotions. Finally, the look in his eyes turned
cold. It was unbelievably cold, colder than the freezing mountain peaks, enough to send
shivers down one’s spine. From the look in his eyes, Chu Qiao was brought back to their
friendship from over the years. From the time they got to know each other, to the time they
became good friends, and nally, the time when they severed their friendship under the
majestic city walls.

At this moment, reality hit Chu Qiao. However, she still held out for a glimmer of hope. She
and Zhao Song would never be friends again. The damage had been done. Just like his
severed arm, no amount of e ort could salvage the situation.

“Chun’er?” Zhao Song turned around and looked at the young lady in the corner, speaking
hoarsely. His voice sounded rusty. He used his solitary arm to gesture towards the frail girl.

fi
ff
fi
 Zhao Chun’er pouted and crawled over on her knees. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her lips
were quivering. However, she still forced out a smile that was worse than a sad expression.
She grabbed tightly onto Zhao Song’s hand.

The rain was pouring outside. The replace was burning in the house. The siblings, having
been through a life or death situation, remained silent, akin to a pair of statues. Thousands
of indescribable words, translated into two saddened expressions, met face to face in the
enclosed, narrow room.

Chapter 89
“Chun’er,” the prince whispered. He was no longer the handsome and radiant prince from
the past, but seemed more like an old man now. He held his sister’s hand tightly, continuing,
“Brother has let you down.”

Zhao Chun’er remained silent, shaking her head vigorously. The tears that she had
suppressed along the entire journey started to ow freely, falling to her left and right as she
shook her head.

Chu Qiao stood up slowly, no one noticing or looking at her. In such an environment, her
shadow appeared all the more insigni cant. She was undeniably responsible for the state of
things today, as she had overseen the execution of the ten men. The young lady turned
around and picked up her sword on the ground. She picked up a torn mat and walked out of
the door.

The front door closed with a creak. The rain poured down from above. Coupled with the
cold wind, the weather was unforgiving and relentless.

Using the mat as a shelter, she swiftly dashed into the horse stable. Upon seeing her, the
black warhorse neighed in delight, shaking its head back and forth. Chu Qiao shook the
rainwater o her body. She laughed and walked towards the horse, patted its neck and said,
“You still welcome me after all, don’t you?”

The horse was not able to comprehend her words. However, as its owner seemed friendly, it
shook its head in joy.

“I can only rely on you tonight.” Chu Qiao smiled and leaned on the horse, sitting down. The
horse stuck to her, using its neck to caress her arm.

At this instant, something fell out of the rucksack on the horse’s back, making a thud. Chu
Qiao picked it up to inspect it, realizing that it was actually a small jar of wine. She had not
drank in many years. However, when she split up from the forces of the Southwestern Envoy
that day, she subconsciously took a jar of wine from He Xiao.

The thunderstorm outside continued to rage on, increasing in intensity. The skies turned
increasingly grey, blocking the rising sun. The interior of the house was warm, with the
replace burning. The ames re ected the shadow of the two royal siblings onto the
window.

fi
ff

fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
The young lady sat in the horse stable. She extended a leg and leaned on the horse. She
held her sword in one hand, and the jar of wine in the other. She arched her head and
gulped the wine down. As the wine trickled down her throat, it caused her to feel a burning
sensation. She suddenly started to cough intensely, as if she would have coughed her lungs
out. The warhorse was startled and looked towards her direction. As she continued to
cough, she patted its neck, saying, “I’m ne…I’m ne…” As she laughed, tears trickled
down the corners of her eye. Like a stream, the tears owed down her face, its path altered
by the movements caused by her intense coughing. The torrential rain showed no signs of
subsiding. The young lady’s shadow appeared frail and slim, and ever so desolate.

As dawn broke, the pouring rain nally subsided. The sun rose over the layer of mist, before
disappearing from view again. Chu Qiao fed the horse and walked over to the door. She
knocked on the door lightly, and with a hoarse voice, she said, “Are both of you awake? We
should continue our journey.”

Rustling sounds came from inside the house. Chu Qiao stood to the side, waiting quietly.
After a while, the wooden door opened with a creak. Zhao Chun’er was standing by the
door, a cold look on her face. However, her words were calm. “Thirteenth Brother wants you
to go in.”

Chu Qiao nodded and followed behind Zhao Chun’er into the house. Zhao Song was sitting
amongst the heap of straw grass. His hair was combed neatly by Zhao Chun’er. He was
clean shaven and looked much more rejuvenated. If not for the empty sleeve that dangled in
the air, Chu Qiao would have thought that this was just a nightmare.

“Please leave.” Zhao Song stared coldly towards her direction. His words exuded calmness,
but gave o an aura of hostility. “I don’t ever want to see you again.”

Chu Qiao, having expected this outcome, was not surprised. Matching his calm tone, she
replied, “I will bring the both of you back. It’s a long journey back to Zhen Huang, I’m
worried to leave the both of you alone.”

Zhao Song raised his eyebrows and looked at Chu Qiao. “What does the fact that we’re
alive or dead have to do with you?”

Chu Qiao suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of sorrow. Taking a deep breath, she
continued, “This place has been wartorn. Bandits are everywhere. The various feudal lords
are monitoring the situation, expanding the power of their military. At this stage, the power
of the royal family cannot subdue them anymore. Before the both of you get back to Zhen
Huang, you cannot reveal your identities. Towards the west, bandits have gathered near the
river bank. You…”

“Enough,” Zhao Song interrupted her impatiently. “I said, what does the fact that we’re alive
or dead have to do with you?”

Chu Qiao’s heart felt heavy. She took another deep breath, only managing to whisper after a
long while, “Zhao Song, I know you hate me. I know that by doing this, I’ll never be able to
make amends. However, I cannot watch the both of you die just like that.”

ff
fi
fi
fi
fl
Zhao Song smiled coldly, raising his eyebrows to look at Chu Qiao. “AhChu, do you know
what I liked most about you back then?”

Chu Qiao was stunned. She looked up, hearing Zhao Song ramble on slowly, with clarity. “I
liked you as you are now. You were forever so self-con dent, regardless of your status,
identity, your predicament. You would not look down on yourself, nor wallow in self-pity. You
would never lose hope, forever maintaining that faith, forever trusting in your abilities.
However,” Zhao Song’s look turned black, continuing, “I really hate the present you—
arrogant and self-centred, always proclaiming that you are saving people. Who do you think
you are? What do you think you’re doing now? Being benevolent? Making amends? Or
wanting to do some good deeds before you can return to that beast in peace, to live your
life?”

Chu Qiao shook her head and bit her lower lip, trying to explain. “Zhao Song, I…”

“Scram! Don’t let me see you again!” Zhao Song raged. “I said to you before, we have
severed all ties. The next time we see each other, one of us will die. Betraying the royal
empire, killing the innocent, you cannot make amends even if you die a hundred times!”

“Zhao Song…”

“Scram!” Zhao Song was enraged.

Chu Qiao stood rooted to the spot, her limbs trembling uncontrollably. She straightened her
back, then continued, “Zhao Song, I’ll leave once the both of you have entered Zhen Huang.
Even if you don’t need me, there’s still the princess. It’s a treacherous journey. I’m sure you
don’t want the same thing to happen to the princess again.”

Upon hearing these words, Zhao Chun’er’s body sti ened. Zhao Song turned to look at
Zhao Chun’er, saying with the same stubbornness, “I’ll protect my sister. It’s none of your
concern.”

“Thirteenth Brother…”

“Don’t tell me that you are a coward, that you need an enemy to protect you?” Zhao Song
shouted as Zhao Chun’er was about to speak. She looked at Chu Qiao with complexity, bit
her lower lip, and remained silent.

An hour later, Chu Qiao watched the carriage of Zhao Song and Zhao Chun’er disappear
into the distance. At this moment, a surge of fatigue overwhelmed her. The stormy night had
caused her to become feverish; she could barely support herself as she stood up. However,
as the sun reappeared in the sky, she gritted her teeth and mounted on her warhorse,
chasing after the carriage.

From that day onwards, she carefully followed behind Zhao Song’s carriage. As she was
unable to navigate on their behalf, she could only clear the path ahead for them at night.
Whenever she encountered any wandering bandits, she would chase them away. As for
more brazen bandits, she would lure them away by exposing her cover. In the day, she
would follow behind them secretly. As her horse was agile, she was not discovered.
ff
fi
 However, after four days, due to extreme fatigue and surviving on no food, she developed
an illness.

When she woke up, it was still raining outside. She lay in a dilapidated hut, seeing Zhao
Chun’er dressed in plain clothes and holding a bowl with two pieces of dry rations.

“Eat up. If you’re dead, who will escort us back?” the princess of the Zhao family said
calmly, looking at her from above. She put the bowl on the ground and turned to leave.

A stream of muddy water splashed on Chu Qiao’s face, resembling a hardened scar. She
looked on as Zhao Chun’er’s shadow disappeared in the rain. Unknowingly, she felt a feeling
of warmth in her eyes.

Seven days later, the majestic city of Zhen Huang appeared amongst the morning fog. The
city, located in the northern part of West Meng, and having weathered 300 years of war and
con ict, stood tall amongst the plains of Hong Chuan. It very much resembled a lion in
slumber. Looking at the city that she had lived in for eight years, Chu Qiao suddenly felt tired
and emotional.

As she turned her horse around to face the northwest, preparing to leave, the sound of a
horse’s hooves suddenly echoed out from behind. Chu Qiao calmly looked back at the
person in front of her, remaining silent.

“You’re leaving?” Zhao Song asked.

“Yes.”

“You’re going back to look for him?”

“Yes.”

“Will you be back?”

“I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not.”

“Haha,” Zhao Song suddenly gave o a hearty laugh. The empty sleeve, where his arm used
to be, uttered in the wind. He seemed like a kite which was missing half of its wings. “Look,
I’m still a coward!”

“Zhao Song,” Chu Qiao said in a low voice, “thank you for seeing me for the last time.”

Zhao Song laughed bitterly. “You could escort me over such a long distance. Am I so petty
not to come and send my regards?” The wind scattered the yellow sand around. Zhao Song
was dressed in a plain, brown out t, but he still had the air of a royal prince. The man’s hair
was scattered around by the wind. In a cold tone, he uttered slowly, “However, this is really
the last time. The next time we see each other, there will be no sentiments between us. I will
not give you any mercy.”

Chu Qiao shook her head slowly, replying, “I will not kill you.”

fl
fl
fi
ff
 “That’s your problem,” Zhao Song said coldly. “Anyone who betrays the royal empire is
doomed to die.”

Upon hearing those words, Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows, frowned and slowly said, word
by word, “Zhao Song, what exactly is a royal empire?”

Chapter 90
Zhao Song frowned and continuing to listen to Chu Qiao ramble on in a low voice.

“What exactly is justice and governance? Is your royal family the only family that reigns
supreme? Do your words carry so much weight that no one is supposed to oppose them?
The battle at the capital should not be considered treachery! There is no right or wrong—
only winners and losers. Back then, your father deceived his friends, massacred the people
of Yan Bei, and killed Yan Xun’s family. How should we settle this score? Over these eight
years, how many murders and assassinations have you witnessed yourself? You still dare
proclaim that Zhao Zhengde cares for Yan Xun, and is his benefactor? All these things, the
marriage, was but a scam to deceive the masses. If we did not rebel that night, we would
have died in the hands of Ba Lei and Wei Shuye. Today, all you would see is two tombs, two
lumps of soil. Zhao Song, you have been lying to yourself. You really think that closing your
eyes will prevent you from seeing the Xia Empire’s oppressive rule, and that blocking your
ears will drown out the agonizing cries of the civilians? Why don’t you think about this? How
could a small rebellion like this have led to the disintegration of the Xia Empire? I don’t deny
that I have let your trust down, and disappointed you despite caring for me all these years.
However, I have no regrets betraying the royal empire and triggering this con ict. We were
destined to be opposed from the start, without any room to salvage the situation. If I could
do this all over again, I would make the same choice.”

The words of steel resonated in the air. Zhao Song sneered and shook his head. He said,
“AhChu, I perceived you wrongly.”

“You did not. It’s just that you did not know the real me,” Chu Qiao replied deeply. “Zhao
Song, being born in this era is our tragedy. Kindness should be repaid with kindness. Eight
years ago, Yan Xun helped me when I was driven to desperation. When I decided to follow
him into Sheng Jin Palace, our fates were destined to oppose each other. You are a prince
of the Xia Empire, but I am bent on ousting it. We were going to be enemies on the
battle eld sooner or later. Everyone in the Xia Empire knows that the Emperor is not going to
let Yan Xun o , except you who have been living your life in oblivion. During these eight
years, I have been trying to hint to you, and distance myself from you. You refused to
acknowledge the truth and naively believed that your father would spare Yan Xun. Zhao
Song, I never wanted to deceive you from the start, let alone betray you. However, I did hurt
you. I will remember the kindness and care that you have showered upon me all these years.
If I have a chance in future, I will de nitely repay you.”

“Looks like I deserve what has happened to me. I’ve been too naive.” Zhao Song laughed,
looking forlorn. He turned away decisively, saying, “I will not let you have the ability to repay
me. AhChu, please leave. I hope that I will never see you again.”

fi
ff

fi
fl
 “Zhao Song!” Chu Qiao hollered. Zhao Song stopped his horse, but did not turn back.

Chu Qiao thought for a long while. Taking a deep breath, she asked, “How is Yan Xun?”

Zhao Song’s back sti ened at this instant. As the cold wind blew, the look in his eyes turned
cold.

“If he wasn’t driven to desperation, he would not have hurt you! If he was not seriously
injured, he would never have allowed those people to escort you back! You critically injured
him, didn’t you?” Although it sounded like a question, it was more like a statement. Chu
Qiao uttered this sentence with conviction, making it seem like a conclusion instead of a
hypothesis.

“Yes!” Zhao Song uttered, his back facing Chu Qiao. “He won’t be able to live for long, but
you can get back in time to send him o .”

The voice behind him suddenly disappeared, leaving low, panting sounds. After a long while,
a hoarse voice echoed out from behind, “Thank you for telling me.” As she nished her
sentence, the crisp sound of horses’ hooves echoed out from behind. Before she had time
to say farewell, which she might have considered unnecessary, she turned her horse around
and dashed swiftly towards the northwest.

As the person behind him departed, Zhao Song remained in his original position. His horse
scraped at the ground with its hooves. As the wind blew, the man’s sleeve uttered in mid-
air, re ecting his melancholy and sadness.

AhChu, all that you said was true. How could I be naive enough not to understand? Over
these eight years, I have been worried about what would happen. However, I could not bear
to let you go. How could I not know? I just did not want to admit it. I thought that with more
hard work, I could keep you by my side. I deceived myself for so many years, to the point
where I believed my own lies. The Xia Empire is about to crumble. I maintain that Yan Xun
betrayed the empire. What I’m most sad about is, you gave up on me! Although, I guessed
that this would have happened.

You went to such lengths, not questioning anything. However, you knew everything, you
guessed everything, all due to your unwavering belief and trust! AhChu, I thought that I was
of equal standing to him in your heart. Even if I lost out to him, it would not be by much.
However, I now realize how wrong I am.

Zhao Song looked up and laughed bitterly, closing his eyes. His e orts over half of his life
had come to naught.

Intense sounds of horses’ hooves echoed out. Zhao Song looked up, seeing Zhao Chun’er
and Zhao Che dashing towards his direction. They were accompanied by an army of Xia
o cials, totalling 300 people.

“Where’s Chu Qiao?” Zhao Chun’er probed, her expression serious. She was positioned at
the front, devoid of her old weak self. Stopping her warhorse, she shouted, “Thirteenth
Brother, where is she?”

ffi
fl
ff
ff
ff
fl
fi
“She left.”

“Left? How could you let her go?” The Xia Princess frowned and shouted, “Where did she
go?” Seeing that Zhao Song remained silent, Zhao Chun’er was enraged. “Thirteenth
Brother! Have you forgotten what they did to us?”

“Thirteenth Brother, which way did she go?” Zhao Che was dressed in a suit of black body
armour, his gaze xated on where Zhao Song’s arm used to be. He did not question
anything, having been briefed by Zhao Chun’er.

At that instant, the scenes from eight years ago played across his mind, like a hurricane. He
remembered the details of that day. The girl was dressed in a pristine white dress, wearing a
pair of white boots. Her hair was decorated with two beautiful owers. She said to him, “My
name is Imaginary. I’m from Wu You Court. I’m a maidservant under Lady Dou. My job is to
make mud gures for the young masters and mistresses. Better remember it!”

Zhao Chun’er raised her eyebrows and berated, “Zhao Song! Are you a man of the Zhao
family?”

“Over there.” Zhao Song raised a nger and pointed at the direction where Chu Qiao had
departed. As he spoke, 300 troops followed in pursuit, leaving a trail of dust behind.

AhChu, in the end, between us, it came to nothing. We have di erent standpoints. It’s
impossible for us to stand on the same side. You took the risk to send me home, but I
cannot let you leave. Nothing. Nothing. The words uttered on that day had actually became
a self-ful lling prophecy.

As the wind blew, the landscape appeared desolate. Zhao Song advanced forward with his
horse towards Zhen Huang City. His lone shadow appeared slanted.

“Seventh Royal Highness, there’s no one in front,” O cial Chi reported.

Zhao Che’s expression was solemn. Before he managed to speak, Zhao Chun’er
interrupted, “Her horse is swift. Send the tenth team to chase her. However good she may
be, she has to stop to eat and drink. We will catch up with her sooner or later. Also, send a
letter to the various provinces along the way that Chu Qiao from Yan Bei, who massacred
their troops, is on her way, alone. I believe that I’m not the only one in the world that hates
her. Many people will kill her for us. I want to see how she will return to Yan Bei alone?”

Zhao Che raised his eyebrows. He turned around to look at his sister, asking, “Chun’er, have
you encountered anything along the way?”

Zhao Chun’er froze, nervously looking up. “Seventh Brother, why do you ask?”

“You’ve changed a lot.”

There was a deep look in Zhao Chun’er’s eyes. Those dirty scenes replayed across her mind
again. The young lady laughed coldly. “Seventh Brother, I did not change. I just grew up.”

fi
fi
fi
fi
ffi
fl
ff
“Giddyup!” Zhao Chun’er hollered, dashing forward on her horse. Zhao Che and the other
soldiers followed behind her.

After a long while, a small shadow popped out of a bush away from the main road. Looking
towards the direction where Zhao Chun’er disappeared, she felt a feeling of bitterness
within. As expected, Zhao Song had betrayed her. She had intentionally chosen a path
leading back to Yan Bei. If Zhao Song had not said so, Zhao Che and the rest would have
taken the other path.

Zhao Chun’er was silent along the journey back, not revealing her hostile intentions. She
intended to use her to get back to Zhen Huang safely, then kill her. This princess from the
Xia Empire had wanted to eliminate her all along!

Chu Qiao stood on the vast, empty plains. The eagles in the sky circled about, revealing
their white wings. She raised a nger and made a whistling sound. From afar, a black
warhorse made its way towards her, running around her in circles joyfully. Chu Qiao leapt
onto the horse’s back and laughed. “Brother, we’re going to take a long route. The path
ahead has been blocked.”

Zhen Huang and Yan Bei was separated by at grassland. In order to prevent the southwest
emissary’s garrison from escaping, a few counties which were part of the Xia Empire had
instructed people to cut the grass. In addition, they had carried out deforestation on the
grassland to eliminate any spots for cover. Every stream, every crossing, and every road was
heavily guarded. They had thought that Chu Qiao could only escape sneakily. They did not
expect that she brought the southwest emissary’s garrison to ght her way through. After a
few battles, they su ered heavy losses. All their e orts had came to naught.

However, their previous e orts were now useful. These o cials, who had su ered under her
hands, knowing that she was on her way back to Yan Bei alone, were now waiting in
anticipation for her to fall into the trap. At this moment, anyone that managed to capture her
would be able to threaten the new king of Yan Bei, and seriously hurt its political power.
After all, Chu Qiao had defeated them with an army of just 4000 people. This was enough to
strike terror into these noble families. If she followed her original route back to Yan Bei, she
would have certainly died without any chance of escape.

The only alternative for her was to exit via the southeast, entering the Tang Empire, going
towards the small passage at the Qing Tong Mountains. Next, she would follow along the
Wu Xun River along the southern borders, before nally arriving back in Yan Bei!

The horse forcefully used its neck to brush against her leg. Chu Qiao held the horse’s reins,
and galloped towards the east.

Chapter 91
Chu Qiao did not just underestimate the hate that Zhao Chun’er felt towards her. She had
underestimated Zhao Che’s wisdom, as well as her standing within the Xia Empire. After
Zhen Huang had published the poster, the Xia Empire, which had previously disintegrated,
suddenly had a cause to be united again. The various feudal lords answered the capital’s
ff

ff
fi
fl
ff
fi
ffi
fi
ff
call, preparing themselves for combat by conducting sparring sessions, telling war stories
with passion, holding rallies, and conducting spectacular parades. It was as if they were
preparing for battle with a gargantuan army, instead of a solitary female. The troops,
demoralized from their defeat by the Yan Bei troops, became revitalized. Singing their
wartime songs and hearing the war drums, they walked out of their city gates to much
fanfare, escorted by their commanders. They journeyed to the vast plains to begin their
arduous manhunt. Civilians who were not aware thought that the Yan Bei troops had
invaded, and ed their homes with their valuables.

Chu Qiao knew that it was not the fact that she was so well known. Rather, it was the fear of
the Xia troops. The reason was simple. When the capital had called for reinforcements
during the previous battle, no one lent a helping hand. Presently, the troops of Yan Bei did
not intend to return to the east. The Zhao family had stabilized in the vice capital, regaining
their standing. The various troops stationed in other territories within the Xia Empire had
also returned to be under the charge of Zhao Che. The tumultuous times caused by Yan
Xun’s rebellion had eased. The noble families wanted to nd an escape route for
themselves. In the last few days, the noble families such as the Mu family from Lingnan, the
Zhuge family from Huaxi, and the Wei family from Yinchuan had sent out envoys to transport
large amounts of rations from the vice capital and the capital. At this stage, their intentions
to set up an escape route for themselves were obvious.

Hence, all the feudal lords, who did not dare to invade Yan Bei, pointed their ngers at this
young lady, who had brazenly escaped from the Seventh Royal Prince and Eighth Royal
Princess. They believed that as long as she was killed, the troops of Yan Bei would
disintegrate. Even the feudal lords stationed in various counties, who were not informed by
the capital, expressed their loyalty by sending out large armies of troops to conduct
surveillance checks, hell bent on capturing the young lady.

This was a gesture from the various feudal lords to the Emperor. However, this brought big
trouble to Chu Qiao. At this instant, she was at the southeastern border separating the Xia
and Tang Empires. Her horse, fatigued, had started foaming at the mouth. Chu Qiao,
helpless, could only stop to let the horse rest and recuperate. She had no appetite, but in
order to conserve her strength, she stomached a piece of dry food and drank cold water,
causing extreme discomfort to her stomach.

Today was the sixth day of her travels. In two days, she would enter the territory of the Tang
Empire. However, before this, she would still have to pass through two more places
governed by the state, followed by an area of no man’s land, which was chaotic. Following
which, she would reach the rst pass at the northern part of the Tang Empire—Bai Zhi Pass.

For thousands of years, Bai Zhi Pass had acted as a leverage for the eastern mainland
forces to withstand the siege of the northern minorities. Many battles had taken place there,
and the place was heavily guarded, even more so than Yan Bei Pass. Chu Qiao had not
completely formulated a perfect plan.

As her mind wandered, the sounds of horses’ hooves echoed out from afar. Chu Qiao was
shocked and looked up into the distance. Her expression changed.

fl
fi
fi
fi
 Over a hundred horses approached from the distance. This was unlike the northwest, where
the forces waited for her to surrender herself. The forest was dense, with elevated ridges.
Without those contours, her cover would surely have been exposed. Chu Qiao gritted her
teeth and jumped on her horse, riding into the distance.

She followed the stream for over three li, losing the enemy. As she managed to catch her
breath, another round of hoof sounds echoed out. Chu Qiao frowned, then decisively
grabbed two giant stones and tied them to the horse’s back. Patting its rear end, she tried
to get the horse to leave.

This horse had followed her for many years. They had been through thick and thin, and had
developed a strong bond. The horse ran a few steps, before stopping in its tracks and
turning back to look at her, shaking its tail non-stop.

Chu Qiao picked up her rucksack and walked towards the forest. As she started to walk, the
horse started to follow behind her. The young lady frowned, using a knife to slice at the
horse’s throat. The warhorse was startled, gave a long neigh, and turned to run away! As the
horse’s hoof sounds ebbed, Chu Qiao tooked a deep breath, picked up her rucksack, and
walked into the dense forest.

“The ruler of the six seas, the in uence on Ande Bang. The Holy Ways of the royal empire,
epitomized through benevolence, its prosperity and downfall…”

It was morning in the springtime. The air was fresh. A voice of someone reading echoed
along the greenish mountain passage. From afar, a young scholar was sitting on a donkey,
holding a book stained by mildew, and reading while shaking his head. The weather was
good. The rain had just stopped, leaving a fresh aftertaste which lingered in the air. Liang
Shaoqing closed his book and looked up slowly, squinting a little. Kindness radiated from
his young, handsome face. He reached out his hand, opened his palm, revealing the tiny
grains of rice in his hand. A yellow skylark descended onto his palm and pecked at the
grains of rice while taking peeks at Liang Shaoqing’s harmless face.

“The heavens are kind. Leave, and do not be caught by bird hunters again.”

The bird circled around him, but did not leave. The bright rays of sunshine shone on the
young man’s face, illustrating his gentle demeanor.

At this instant, ghting sounds were heard from afar. The scholar froze, sticking out his ears
to listen. He frowned, saying to himself, “Safety rst. Don’t meddle in external a airs.”

As he nished his words, he nodded with conviction, seemingly trying to convince himself
that he was right. He turned around to go back along his original path, to avoid getting
involved in this unnecessary disaster. However, as he took two steps, he stopped in his
tracks. What if it was a case of the strong trying to bully the weak? He was a gentleman, but
it was against his principles to sit back and not do anything. As he weighed his next action,
the scholar sat on the horse’s back and fell into deep thought.

The ghting sounds continued; so did the con ict in Liang Shaoqing’s heart. He was scared
of trouble, but he did not feel good ignoring the situation. After a long while, the young
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
ff
scholar gritted his teeth. He thought to himself, it’s probably two farmers ghting with each
other. If he got up to stop the ght, they would make peace with each other. Even if the
situation spiralled out of control, he would be able to report it to the authorities without
getting into any trouble. Hence, with a mindset that he would take a peek at what was
happening, the man patted the donkey and said, “Xiaoqing, let’s take a peek.”

The heavens did not bless the kind people. At this moment, the little skylark, who had been
circling in wait of more grains of rice, had turned impatient. In a moment of madness, it
pecked at the donkey’s eyelid. Xiaoqing was startled, and let out a roar and dashed towards
the front!

“Ah! Xiaoqing! Xiaoqing! What are you doing? It’s the wrong way! Be gentle!”

The wind blew past his ear. Liang Shaoqing grabbed the donkey’s neck tightly, feeling
nauseated. The woods ashed past his eyes. Liang Shaoqing did not know that his donkey
could run so fast. As he sighed helplessly, the donkey let out a sharp cry and stopped in its
tracks.

Silence! Dead silence!

The smell of fresh metal lingered in the air, along with the aftertaste of a pig slaughter. Liang
Shaoqing let go of his hand slowly. He looked up and opened his eyes. With some
cautiousness and fear, he scanned his surroundings.

Everyone stopped what they were doing. Soldiers covered in fresh blood turned around to
look strangely at this unwelcome guest, including the girl that they had surrounded in the
center. After two days of pursuit, and over ten battles in between, these people were
overwhelmed with fatigue. At this moment, any movement would trigger their primal
instincts. The big reward was near. The issue was who could last till the end. Hence, any
indication of enemy reinforcements was treated with utmost importance.

“I’m…just passing by.” Liang Shaoqing grinned, looking at the bloodied swords in
everyone’s hands. Quivering, he explained, “I… My donkey got startled and it wandered
over here. Sorry to disturb you. I’ll leave right now, right now. Please carry on.”

Liang Shaoqing sat up straight, preparing to leave this ghastly place. As he turned around,
he saw the girl surrounded by the troops. His eyelid twitched and his body quivered. At that
moment, he did not have time to take note of the young lady’s appearance. He only saw a
pair of eyes, a pair of crystal clear eyes. She looked at him leave, giving him a cold gaze
which sent shivers down his entire body.

“Stupid lass, surrender yourself. If you carry on this way, even if you don’t die in our hands,
you will bleed to death,” the leader of the troops declared coldly. Chu Qiao took a few heavy
steps. The enemy was adept at tracking. She was slightly careless, and it was enough for
her to be bothered by the enemy. Over these two days, although she had killed over 30
enemies, she was exhausted as she had not eaten. She had no more strength left to battle.
At this instant, she was solely fueled by her bravery. Her hand slowly felt for her dagger. She
took a deep breath, awaiting a nal battle with the troops.

fl
fi
fi
fi
 “Looks like you don’t appreciate the easy way out!” the man declared coldly. “Brothers!
Let’s go! We are about to enjoy a good life! Let’s kill her right here!”

With the clashing of swords, another round of ghting began! At this instant, a shout echoed
out. The man, in a crisp tone, shouted, “Stop it!”

In a ash, everyone was stunned. They turned their heads to look in the direction of the
shout, but were rendered speechless.

The young scholar had returned on his donkey. Although he was pale and frightened, he
mustered some courage and retorted, “All of you, bullying a young lady. That’s absurd!”

Chapter 92
The leader of the troops frowned and said, “Who are you? Why are you interfering in the
authorities’ a airs?”

“You are the authorities?” Liang Shaoqing started to notice the uniforms they were wearing.
He frowned awkwardly and said, “I’m Liang Shaoqing. I was passing by and saw you
ghting, hence I decided to nd out more. I did not realize that all of you were o cials. I’m
sorry for the lack of respect.”

“Liang Shaoqing?” The leader of the troops tried to recall, but could not think of anyone with
the surname Liang, or anyone who would dare to meddle in the o cials’ a airs. He was
enraged and said, “Idlers, scram to the side! Beware of the swords, they have no eyes!”

“Yes, yes,” Liang Shaoqing hurriedly replied. As he turned to leave, he could not resist
saying another sentence, “Killing is an insult to being civilized. Are there any
misunderstandings between everyone that I could help to mediate?”

“You are looking for death!” the leader bellowed, raising his sword!

“Ah!” Liang Shaoqing panicked. He crouched on the ground and clutched his head.

“Idiot!” Chu Qiao shouted. She took out her dagger and threw it towards the leader,
stabbing his neck. The man’s eyes widened. He took two steps then collapsed on the
ground!

“Elder!” The troops panicked and rushed towards their leader. Chu Qiao, capitalizing on the
pandemonium, leapt onto the scholar’s donkey and grabbed ahold of the donkey’s reins.
“Let’s go!”

“Ah! Miss, why are you on my donkey? It’s not appropriate for a male and female to be this
close! Miss, why don’t you…?”

With a thud, Chu Qiao delivered a blow to the man’s chest. She kicked the donkey with both
her legs and said, “Giddyup!” The donkey was able-bodied. It was not much slower than a
normal warhorse.

fi
fl
ff

fi
fi
ffi
ff
ffi
After a short while, hoof sounds echoed from behind. Chu Qiao decisively took the rucksack
at the back and threw it on the ground.

“Ah! Miss! That’s my book, my luggage, my money, my work! Ah! Miss, that’s my documents
for passing the border!”

The donkey was agile. On the treacherous mountain road, it was faster than a warhorse.
Soon, the enemy was left far behind.

As they ventured south, the weather got warmer. The donkey had galloped non-stop for
over two hours in the scorching heat. Through the winding roads, followed by a bridge, the
donkey nally collapsed on the ground, unable to get up.

Chu Qiao and Liang Shaoqing were thrown o its back. Chu Qiao was agile and managed to
stabilize herself with a front ip. Liang Shaoqing rolled on the ground a few times before
stopping. Before he stood up, he vomited everywhere. The smell was pulsating. He
appeared messy.

“Are you alright?” Chu Qiao asked with concern.

The young scholar struggled to get to his feet. He panted while lurching over, stuttering,
“You…you unreasonable woman. I rescued you out of goodwill, but you threw away all of
my belongings away. Utterly…utterly ridiculous.”

“Here,” Chu Qiao gave him a white handkerchief and said, “wipe your mouth.”

“Consider…consider myself unlucky.” Liang Shaoqing panted and walked to his donkey. He
wanted to pull the donkey up, but it refused to cooperate due to its fatigue. The young
scholar was angered. He shouted, “Right. Now you are opposing me too?”

“It has run too much. It won’t be able to get up for a while,” Chu Qiao said. “What are you
doing?”

Liang Shaoqing was enraged. “What am I doing? I’m going back to get my stu !”

“Going back now is courting your own death.”

“If I don’t go back, I will really end up dead! With no papers, how will I go to Tang Jing?”
Liang Shaoqing was riled up. “Additionally, I don’t have any problems with them. I am a law-
abiding citizen. Why would they make things di cult for me?”

Chu Qiao picked up her sword and squatted beside the collapsed donkey without looking
him in the eye. Nonchalantly, she said, “If you don’t want to live, go back then. Let’s see if
you can make it to Tang Jing alive.

“Hey, you saved me just now and carried me so far. Thank you!” she said to the Donkey. The
young lady was all smiles, her eyes squinted. There were two small dimples on her face,
making her look adorable, unlike the serious look that was usually on her face.

fi
fl
ff
ffi
ff
The scholar was startled by Chu Qiao, not daring to turn back even after a long time. As she
spoke, he interrupted, “Madam, don’t you think you should thank me instead? I rescued
you, how could you thank a beast?”

“You saved me?” Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows, looking back at the nerdy scholar and
laughing. “When? How did I not know?”

“Ah? Why are you so unreasonable? Is this how you treat your savior? Not even a word of
thanks, but sarcasm instead?”

“Did you kill those o cials, or save me from danger? You didn’t do anything. Who are you to
say that you saved me?”

“You…you…” Liang Shaoqing stuttered for a long while, before slowly uttering, “I tried to
reason with them for the cause of justice, and then…”

“And then they reached nirvana? And let us go obediently?”

Liang Shaoqing was rooted to the spot, speechless. Chu Qiao shook her head and stood
up. She walked in front of him. Although she did not even reach his shoulder, she reached
out her hand to pat his shoulder. “Having a sense of justice is good, but you need some
brains. If you don’t have that, then don’t meddle in other people’s a airs. If not for this good
beast, we both would have died today.”

The young lady laughed sheepishly, reaching for her pocket and shing out two bank notes
that could be used universally within the Xia territory. She said, “Your stu is irretrievable. I’ll
compensate you with the silver I have. Sorry for delaying your errands. It’s not safe here. I
can escort you to the town below. How about that?”

“Hmph!” Liang Shaoqing knocked the bank notes out of Chu Qiao’s hands, raging, “I’m a
man, seven feet tall. I am standing and can walk, what do I need to be scared of? Being with
you is not safe! You are young, yet are already being hunted by the o cials. If you are not a
bandit, you are a repeat criminal.” The scholar walked to the donkey’s side and pulled it to
its feet with astonishing strength. He led the donkey down the mountain, step by step.

Chu Qiao stood in her original position, smiling at the scholar who was leaving. She picked
up the banknotes on the ground and shouted after him, “Bookworm! Don’t you want this
money?”

Liang Shaoqing waved his hand, not turning back. “Over my dead body!”

His words continued to ring in her ear. Four hours later, at Dong Guo Town’s market for
horses and slaves, she saw the man again, breaking out in uncontrollable laughter.

“Miss, do you want to purchase a slave? This one is good. He is well-built and capable, able
to do the tasks of four men. This one used to be a martial arts instructor, but was enslaved
due to his past mistakes. He is skilled and literate. Eh? Your judgement is good. This one is
handsome. Although he is skinnier, he is suitable to be a page boy. It be ts your status,
Miss.”

ffi
fi
ff
ffi
fi
ff
 The slave seller continued to recommend his choices to Chu Qiao. She smiled, and scanned
the other slaves before setting her sights on Liang Shaoqing, whose face had turned utterly
red. “Boss, how much for him?”

“That?” The boss was a smart person. His eyes turned and he pulled Chu Qiao to the side,
saying, “That man was just caught by the city guards. He has no papers, and still dared to
ght the city guards. He was just dragged here to be sold. He has no slavery documents
either. Miss, please quote a price. If I deem it to be reasonable, I’ll sell him to you.”

After some bargaining, Chu Qiao dragged Liang Shaoqing along the street. The woman was
demure; the man, albeit a little pathetic, looked cultured. They attracted stares as they
walked down the street. Seeing the mark on Liang Shaoqing’s back, and that he was tied
up, further sounds of discussion emerged.

“Hey! Untie me quickly!”

Chu Qiao turned back lazily, asking jovially, “Do you talk to your master like that?”

“What master? I’m a scholar, but you purchased me with money. It’s an insult to me! If not
for you, I wouldn’t have landed in this state…”

“Wrong!” Chu Qiao interrupted him. “Firstly, I did not ask you to meddle in others’ a airs.
Secondly, you are not my savior. It was me that saved you, bookworm. Thirdly, I o ered to
give you some money, but you refused outright. If you were able to pay the toll, you would
not have been captured and sold as a slave. Hence, you landed yourself in this plight. I had
nothing to do with it.”

“You, you ungrateful woman. I-I…”

With a slicing sound, the ropes fell onto the ground. Chu Qiao smiled and o ered the two
banknotes to him. “Let’s part ways here. Don’t get caught by others again.”

“A gentleman keeps his promises and has his own principles. I will not take your money,
even if I die!”

As Liang Shaoqing’s shadow vanished in the street, Chu Qiao shook her head and smiled. If
not for her tight schedule, she would have retrieved his belongings for him. However, the
circumstances did not allow it. He could only count his blessings now. She had made a
huge mistake by entering the city to buy a horse. She could not delay anymore.

She had blown her cover at Tang Ma Ridge, causing an in ux of spies over the entire
southeast region. Originally, she would have taken two days to reach her destination.
However, with the constant hiding, she took ve days to arrive instead. After ve days, Chu
Qiao arrived at the city of Xian Yang, less than 50 miles from Bai Zhi Pass.

There were only two ways to enter the Tang Empire from Bai Zhi Pass. The rst way was to
take the main path, and enter Bai Zhi City from the gates at Bai Zhi Pass. To take this route,
a document endorsed by both empires needed to be produced. Even if the person was a
spy, a large amount of money was needed to bribe themselves into the Tang Empire. Bai Zhi
fi
fi
fl
fi
ff
fi
ff
ff
Pass was the most heavily guarded entrance in the northern part of the Tang Empire. Chu
Qiao would not have the required documents. She did not intend to break through the gates
at the pass, hence ruling out this method.

Chapter 93
The second way was to journey by water. The war had ceased, and so did the precautions
along the water routes. Chu Qiao knew that there were lots of secret dealings which
involved smuggling people without papers through the border for high prices, by boat.
Hence, she had to take the risk and enter the city in search of such services.

She scouted the black market for two days, before nally agreeing on the time. She would
board the boat at Qian Shui Canal, 30 miles away, at 11 at night, in a day’s time. Nighttime
had fallen. Chu Qiao walked hurriedly across the long street. In order to hide her cover, she
was dressed like a male teenager, about 16 or 17. Her red lips and white teeth made her
look handsome. The city of Xian Yang was located near the border of the Xia Empire. It was
large in size, and any businessmen had to pass through when they were in Xia territory. Its
liveliness did not lose out to the city of Zhen Huang. Even though it was late at night, the
streets were bustling. The various shopkeepers advertising their products only served to
add to the liveliness.

Chu Qiao would be journeying on water in future. She sold the horse she had just bought at
a low price and bought some dry rations. As she prepared to leave, a slave seller with many
customers caught her eye. Chu Qiao frowned and stared in that direction, seeing a big metal
cage with 80 or 90 slaves. There was a mixture of men and women. One of the men,
dressed in a scholarly out t, stood out. He had many middle-aged women clamoring to buy
him as a slave, trying to bargain with the slave seller for a good price.

“Hi!” Chu Qiao leaned on the cage, body slanted. She held a few melon seeds in her hand
and called out to the man in the cage. She spit out a melon seed in his direction while
smiling. She resembled a wastrel belonging to a noble family.

The man looked up and stared her in the eye, frowning. His face was lled with disgust.
Without replying, he lowered his head to look down.

“It’s only been a little bit, and you’ve forgotten me already? You’re in luck. It’s only been a
few days, and you have a new owner already!”

Liang Shaoqing was stunned. He looked up and sized her up. After he recognized her, he
exclaimed in joy, “Ah! It’s you? Why are you dressed like this?”

“It’s not like you don’t know.” The young lady laughed. “I’m a bandit.”

“Oh, right.” As he spoke, he shook his head, correcting himself. “That’s not right. How can
you be a bandit? It must have been the misjudgment by the o cials, wronging a good
person.”

fi
fi
ffi
fi
 “Hehe,” Chu Qiao laughed and mocked him, “What are you saying? We are gentlemen. We
walk upright, are principled, and stand at seven feet tall. Why are we beating around the
bush? What’s up? You want to beg me for a favor?”

“Miss, please get me out of this place,” Liang Shaoqing pleaded. “You cannot watch me get
humiliated like a slave. They don’t believe anything I tell them. I’m not familiar with this
place, only you can get me out now.”

“Save you?” The young lady threw her melon seeds on the ground, eyes widened. “How do
I save you?”

“You buy me out?”

“How is that appropriate?”

“Why is that not appropriate?”

Chu Qiao shook her head, saying, “You’re a scholar. You’re about to get purchased by a
group of civilians. It’s an insult to your status. You’re my benefactor, how could I do such a
thing to humiliate you?”

Liang Shaoqing was abbergasted, his face turned red. After a long while, he stuttered,
“We’re out of time, and this is an emergency. Let’s…let’s put the matter of principle aside
rst.”

Chu Qiao laughed upon hearing his words. As she was about to speak, a chubby woman in
her fties, dressed to the nines with heavy makeup on her face, escorted by the crowd,
made her way over. She grabbed Liang Shaoqing by the collar, saying, “This one.”

The boss froze, laughing. “Lady, at the price that we just discussed?”

“As you wish!”

“All right! Please hold on!”

Liang Shaoqing’s face turned pale. He looked at Chu Qiao, pleading with her.

The lady was accompanied by over ten servants and 20 new slaves, each handsome and
well-built.

Chu Qiao bit her tongue. She walked up to the lady and smiled. Slowly, she said, “Lady,
you’re advanced in age. Purchasing so many well-built men, can you take it?”

The lady was not happy upon hearing those words. She stared Chu Qiao coldly in the eye,
saying, “Where did this idiot come from? Get out of my way.”

“I’m doing this for your own good! Why not give me one slave?”

“Dream on!” the lady raged. “If you continue to speak nonsense, I’ll break your legs!”

fi
fi
fl
 “Aiyo, how erce!” Chu Qiao dodged to the side, shouting at the boss, “Boss! How much
does this slave cost? I’ll pay double!”

As the boss, who was preparing to pull Liang Shaoqing out of his cage, heard this, he froze.
He stared at Chu Qiao, gleaming.

“Double?” The lady stated coldly and sharply, “I’ll pay four times! You want to ght with
me?”

Chu Qiao laughed, leaning on the cage. Nonchalantly, she replied, “I’ll pay ten times.”

“Twenty times.”

Chu Qiao shook her head, saying, “I’ll pay forty times.”

“I’ll pay a hundred times!”

“Two hundred times!”

“One thousand times!”

“Wow! One thousand times!” Chu Qiao smiled and said, “I’ll let you have him. I can’t beat
that.”

The boss was all smiles. He rushed forward, saying, “Lady Qian, we have a deal at one
thousand times your original price. That will be two thousand pieces of gold leaves.”

The lady had previously acted out of spite. Realizing that this slave was not worth two
thousand pieces of gold leaves, she turned to look at the shopkeeper and shouted, “Good!
Boss Mu, you conspired with others to cheat me!”

“It-it’s not like this! Even if I dared to cheat anyone, it wouldn’t be you!”

“Hmph! I’m not buying any more. We shall wait and see!” the lady hollered, storming o with
her servants.

Boss Mu stood in his original position, confused. He looked left and then right, before
seeing Chu Qiao standing by the cage. He rushed forward, saying with a smile, “Young
Master, that lady is gone. Since you fancy this slave, I’ll sell him to you at the price you
quoted. Two hundred times, that will be four hundred pieces of gold leaves.”

“Boss, you think that I’m young and inexperienced, so you can bully me?” Chu Qiao smiled,
continuing, “I did that to spite the lady just now. Now that she’s gone, you’re still asking me
for so much money? You’re selling slaves, not young princes.”

Boss Mu was dumbfounded. Laughing sheepishly, he said, “You quote a price then.”

“Two pieces of gold leaves, just as you initially agreed upon.”

“What?” Boss Mu was stunned. Frowning, he said, “I should have sold him to that lady. Why
did I o end her for you? You need to add a bit more money.”

ff
fi
fi
ff
Chu Qiao sneered and prepared to leave. “It’s up to you. If you don’t sell him to me, you can
go look for your old customer.”

“Hey! Wait up, wait up!” Boss Mu sighed and said, “Deal.”

Liang Shaoqing heaved a sigh of relief. However, before he managed to smile, Chu Qiao
made a shocking revelation. “But Boss, I did not bring any money with me today. How about
this? I’ll give you an IOU, and I’ll pay you back afterward.”

“What?” Everyone present at the scene froze. Boss Mu was enraged. He screamed, “Young
Master, stop playing pranks on me. I’m old. I’ve lived in this city for over 20 years, and I’ve
never seen a customer like you.”

“Hey! Hey!” Liang Shaoqing whispered, “What are you doing? Pay up!”

“I ran out of money.” Chu Qiao turned around and said, “If you don’t believe me, you can
check my belongings. I’ve spent every cent. Who told you to reject my money?”

Liang Shaoqing turned pale. In a pitiful tone, he whispered, “What do we do now?”

“There’s no other choice. I can only do this.”

Liang Shaoqing prepared to ask her what she was about to do. However, the young lady
drew her sharp dagger. Swiftly, she held it to Boss Mu’s neck, laughing, “I o ered you an
IOU, but you refused. Now, I have no choice but to rob you openly.”

Boss Mu’s teeth chattered. He stammered, “How…how audacious!”

“I don’t know how bold I am. However, Boss Mu, you are quite bold. At knifepoint, you are
still so eloquent.”

“Release our boss!” The crowd watching this spectacle increased in size. Chu Qiao smiled
and looked around, then whispered in Boss Mu’s ear, “Given your status, is it worth it to die
for two pieces of golden leaves?”

The dagger sliced at Boss Mu’s neck, in icting a wound which oozed blood. The slave
seller, who was over 60 years old, gave a chilling scream.

“Shut up!” Chu Qiao kicked the man in the calf. She frowned, saying in a cold tone,
“Release him!”

“Quick! Release him!” It was only a small wound, but Boss Mu was crying vehemently.

Chu Qiao noticed the herd of horses beside the cage, belonging to Boss Mu. In a ash, the
young lady leaped up, kicking Boss Mu in the chest. Grabbing Liang Shaoqing, she
mounted the horse’s back. With a cry, she rode away into the distance!

“Quick! After them!” Boss Mu shouted hysterically, but they were nowhere to be seen. In the
long, cold night, tranquility was restored.

fl
ff
fl
 In a dilapidated temple outside the city, Liang Shaoqing sat on dry straw. Chu Qiao o ered
him the dry rations in her rucksack and laughed. “Eat a little.”

Scholar Liang did not accept her gesture. Chu Qiao did not force him further, instead
o ering him a few banknotes and saying, “I’m leaving tomorrow. We’re going on di erent
paths, so I won’t be able to save you anymore if you get into trouble. Take these
banknotes.”

Liang Shaoqing frowned and said, “Didn’t you run out of money?”

“Who said I did?”

“You said it yourself at the market.”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows and replied, “I have money, but not much. I’m left with this. If
I gave it to him, what would happen to you?”

Chapter 94
Liang Shaoqing was slightly moved. After a long while in thought, he said, “You’re left with
this. If you give it all to me, what about you?”

“I’ll be ne,” Chu Qiao smiled and replied. “If not for me, you wouldn’t be in this state.
Although it was partly your fault, I can’t deny any responsibility. Keep it. Be careful in future,
and don’t meddle in other a airs.”

Liang Shaoqing did not talk back. He held the banknotes in his hands, remaining silent.

Chu Qiao took a deep breath and leaned on a pillar. She gazed at the moonlight outside, the
look in her eyes serene. Her normally erce look had been shed; what was left was a more
demure appearance.

Liang Shaoqing looked up and gave her a peculiar look. Suddenly, he blurted out, “Where
are you going?”

“Me? I’m going home.”

“You live in the Tang state?”

“No,” the young lady shook her head lightly. “My home is far away. I still have a long way to
go.”

“It’s not peaceful now. You’re a girl, you have to exercise extra caution.”

Chu Qiao smiled, remaining silent. Her look was gentle, her eyelashes were long, forming
small shadows on her face in the moonlight. Liang Shaoqing, seeing that she did not
answer, added, “I’m going to the Tang state.”

Chu Qiao responded softly, “Oh.”

ff
fi

ff
fi
ff
ff
 Liang Shaoqing’s voice suddenly sounded joyful, as if he was describing a big achievement.
“I’m going to Tang Jing to visit Old Mister, Cao Zhongmou.”

“Cao Zhongmou, the senior scholar in the Tang State’s ceremonial department?”

“Yes! You know him too?”

Chu Qiao nodded. “Mister Cao is unrivaled in poetry. His name is well-known everywhere.”

“You’re right,” Liang Shaoqing said. “I’ve journeyed a long distance just to visit him. I must
see him personally, face to face.”

“It’s good to have someone to idolize. However, it’s not necessary to be near him. It would
be a pity if you left empty-handed.”

“Why would that be?” Liang Shaoqing was annoyed. “Mister Cao is scholarly and well-
known. Why would I be disappointed?”

“Is he?” Chu Qiao laughed and said, “I wish you all the best then.”

The wind outside drifted into the temple, causing the torches on the ground to clatter. Liang
Shaoqing thought for a long while before probing, “Why are the o cials after you?”

Chu Qiao did not look up. “Don’t you know?”

Liang Shaoqing was stunned. “What do I know?”

The young lady was unimpressed. “Didn’t you say it? I’m a kleptomaniac. You’re right, I got
caught stealing, so they are after me.”

Liang Shaoqing was dumbfounded. Chu Qiao turned around and smiled. She said, “Correct.
The food you’re eating, the banknotes you’re holding, I stole them all. The money I used the
rst time I bailed you out, I stole it. You know your plight now. Do you still want to refuse the
money and food, like an upright, seven-foot-tall gentleman?”

“I…I…” Liang Shaoqing stuttered for a long while. Chu Qiao laughed, giving a radiant smile.
Her white teeth nearly blinded the scholar’s eyes.

In this instant, Chu Qiao suddenly frowned, the smile disappearing from her face. She
turned around ercely, her primal instincts taking over. She perked her ears up, detecting
countless footsteps approaching the temple from the distance.

At this moment, Liang Shaoqing sensed that there was something amiss. Nervously, he
leaned over and whispered, “Is it Boss Mu?”

Chu Qiao did not reply, discounting this possibility in her heart. Given Boss Mu’s
capabilities, he would never be able to mobilize such a large army. In addition, the footsteps
of the people approaching showed that they were well-trained in martial arts. She stood up
slowly, feeling for her sword. Slowly, she said, “You must follow behind me. Whether you live
or die is up to you.”

fi
fi
ffi
As she spoke, a silver gleam suddenly appeared in front of her. Danger! With great agility,
she moved her body to the side and dodged the sword ying towards her. With a thud, the
sword landed in the chest of the unknown assailant. A cry of agony erupted from outside.
The opposition was hell-bent on killing her. There was bound to be danger this night!

“Follow me!” Chu Qiao hissed. With a somersault, she made her way to the window,
brandishing her long sword to welcome the urry of arrows. Noisy footstep sounds echoed
by the door. A swarm of arrows, like hornets, ew towards the two of them. Countless
shadows dashed into the temple. Without a sound, they brandished their swords to begin
their assault!

The moonlight was bright. Two men, dressed in black, approached Chu Qiao. Before she
had time to react, one of them held his sword at her head.

Retaliation! A grab at the wrist! Chu Qiao’s moves were electrifying. With the sounds of
bones breaking and swords falling, the men in black fell on the ground, screaming in agony.

“Fool! Follow me!” Chu Qiao grabbed Liang Shaoqing, who had been scared out of his wits.
She leaped up and kicked another man ruthlessly in the chest. The sounds of bones
breaking were heard again. The man spit out a mouthful of blood, falling backward a great
distance. The young lady moved swiftly, drawing her sword again. With great survival
instincts, she rushed forward, dodging the enemy exquisitely and retaliating with precise
blows. In an instant, the remaining people were scared of the young lady, not daring to
approach her.

“Attack! Attack!” The leader ordered his subordinates, who were stepping back. Chu Qiao
turned her head to look at him coldly, giving a sinister smile. She took her last dagger out,
and threw it at the man, hitting him with precision. The man’s eyes widened, and he
collapsed on the oor.

The entrance of the temple was narrow. Not many people could enter the temple at one
time. Wherever Chu Qiao moved, there was a mess everywhere. She killed all of the men
with a single stroke each. What was important was that Chu Qiao did not have any weapons
with her; she depended on her limbs. However, it was enough to kill the enemy. At that
moment, she was invincible; it was a sight to behold.

Suddenly, Liang Shaoqing let out a cry behind her. Without thinking, Chu Qiao turned back,
feeling an acute pain in her left rib. Before she had time to check on her injury, she used the
Poyue Sword, which she held in her hand, to hack o the head of her assailant. Blood
splattered onto Liang Shaoqing’s face. The timid scholar, who had never even slaughtered a
chicken, let out a loud cry, louder than that of the guy whose head had been chopped o !

The young lady was unbelievably fast despite being injured. Her petite frame moved around
with agility in the narrow, con ned space. Shortly, the bodies of the enemy littered the oor.

“Hold me tight!” the young lady suddenly hissed. Before Liang Shaoqing had time to
respond, another big group of enemies approached from the distance. The man could not
comprehend why a slave seller would go to such great lengths to apprehend him. Chu Qiao
fl
fi
fl
fl
ff
fl
fl
ff
unfastened the harness around her waist, throwing it over the pillar on the roof. She leaped
onto the roof using the rope as a support. Liang Shaoqing could not grab onto her in time.

Another urry of arrows approached the both of them. Chu Qiao squatted on the pillar, using
the hook on the rope to grab onto Liang Shaoqing. She held the other side of the rope
tightly, jumping down onto the ground. In a ash, they had exchanged places!

“Quick! Release the arrows!”

“Hold the rope!” Chu Qiao ordered. She tugged at the rope, climbing onto the roof with a
few swift motions. An arrow embedded itself in her shoulder, causing blood to gush out.

“Ah! You’re injured!”

“Cut the crap!” Chu Qiao hissed. She dislodged a tile on the roof, climbing out while holding
Liang Shaoqing.

The arrows lodged themselves into the pillar. Another voice echoed, “The target has
escaped through the roof. After them!” However, Chu Qiao was nowhere to be seen when
they got onto the roof. The men in black stared at each other, removing their out ts after a
while. They said in fury, “She escaped despite this trap! We have lived in vain all these
years!” Under their black out ts was a layer of military out ts.

Another man shook his head, saying, “We have su ered many casualties at Tang Ma Ridge.
If she was a normal lady, the capital wouldn’t have promised us such luxuries.”

“In my opinion, it’s ne if we give up.”

“We shall continue.” The man shook his head and said, “It’s going to be even harder to
catch her in future.”

“How are you?” In the darkness, Liang Shaoqing carried Chu Qiao, walking along a narrow
alley. The injury on her shoulder was manageable, but the one on her left rib was serious.
Blood oozed non-stop out of her wound.

Chu Qiao grunted and gritted her teeth. “Put me down.”

“Ah?”

“Put me down!” The young lady said sternly. “They did not chase after us.”

“Who said we did not chase after you!” A low voice suddenly boomed out in the darkness.
The two of them were shocked to see Boss Mu walking out, accompanied by over 20 men.

Liang Shaoqing exclaimed, “It’s you all right!”

Boss Mu did not even stare at him in the eye. His gaze was xed on Chu Qiao instead.
Smiling, he said, “Rascal! You have many enemies, yes? I’ve been trying to nd you. I never
expected it to be this easy.”

fl
fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
 Liang Shaoqing stood up and reached out both his arms to defend Chu Qiao. With gusto, he
retorted, “Capture me if you want! Don’t hurt her!”

“Don’t hurt her?” Boss Mu sneered. “I won’t let anyone o !

“Men! Capture this rascal. He looks quite handsome. He will be able to fetch a good price.”

The men advanced forward, subduing the heavily injured Chu Qiao and the defenseless
Liang Shaoqing with ease.

Boss Mu waved his hand, gesturing. “Let’s go! Back to the market!”

Chapter 95
In the narrow, dark room, the young lady’s startling cries awoke Liang Shaoqing. The young
man crawled over to Chu Qiao’s side, asking nervously with concern, “Are you awake? Are
you alright?”

Chu Qiao frowned, opening her eyes with great willpower. Her trance lasted less than a
second, before she snapped, “Stupid bookworm. You’re pressing on my shoulder.”

“Ah!” Liang Shaoqing was shocked. He jumped back in an exaggerated motion. He had
reopened her wound, which started to bleed again.

“I’m sorry! Are you alright? Will you die?”

Chu Qiao stared at him impatiently, frowning heavily. She tried to resist the waves of pain
coming from her left rib. She had been through the vicissitudes of life but had fallen at the
hurdle which she least expected to. She was undoubtedly frustrated. Luckily, the wounds on
her left rib and shoulder were not deep enough to be fatal. However, if she stayed in this
dirty place for slaves without any treatment, she would be in big trouble. She looked around
the narrow prison cell, where a human could not even stand up properly. A narrow beam of
light shone in from the top. Chu Qiao knew that the both of them had been locked in an
underground prison, having been considered dangerous people.

At this moment, the sound of locks opening echoed. Two men dressed in brown made their
way down the narrow steps. They were carrying whips as thick as the width of a thumb. In a
hoarse voice, they said, “Useless creatures! Get up!”

Liang Shaoqing was scared out of his wits, his hands and legs trembling. The scholar, who
had lived in luxury all these years, had decided to leave his hometown and go to Tang Jing
in a t of passion. However, he had landed himself in this state. In the past, he would never
have comprehended the unimaginable evils of this world. Despite this, the timid bookworm
stood in front of Chu Qiao de antly, saying, “What, what are you trying to do? When I get
out, I’ll report you to the o cials for forcibly enslaving us, for assaulting the nobles, for
disregarding status, for rudeness, for…”

With a swoosh, a whip landed on Liang Shaoqing’s arm. The scholar had some backbone.
With a grunt, he maintained his de ant look, not moving an inch.

fi

ffi
fi
fi
ff
“Useless creature! You’re still trying to put on a front even though you’re here? If you
continue to spout nonsense, I’ll ll your mouth with shit, and see whether you still want to
talk! F*ck!” The man continued to rant, but his frustrations were not dispelled. He cracked
his whip again, but before it hit Liang Shaoqing, Chu Qiao reacted swiftly to intercept the
whip’s motion by grabbing its tip. The man was enraged, trying to thrash it twice, but to no
avail. Fueled with rage, he tried to wrestle the whip out of her hands. However, Chu Qiao let
go of the whip. The man fell back, hitting his head hard on the brick wall.

“Every person has his ups and downs. It’s best to have an escape route when you handle
things.” Chu Qiao’s face was pale, but she maintained her cold tone. The man, who had
landed pathetically on the ground, got back on his feet and dashed at Chu Qiao with a
warcry. He had barely taken two steps before he stopped in his tracks. Although Chu Qiao
was young, she exuded calmness beyond her years. It was way di erent compared to the
scholar, who had noisily threatened to report the matter to the authorities.

“Bookworm, hold me up.”

Liang Shaoqing was stunned. “Up? To where?”

Chu Qiao stared at him, frustrated. Coupled with the fact that she was injured, she did not
explain further. She tried to get to her feet with the help of the wall. Liang Shaoqing,
witnessing this, hurriedly helped her up by holding her hand.

“This little brother knows what’s best. Fifth Brother, let them change. We’re about to open
for business.” The out t meant for slaves was but a piece of cloth with a hole in the middle,
which acted as a collar. Ropes were fastened at the side, forming an out t. The front and
back had a large word imprinted on it, which read Slave.

The city of Xianyang bustled with life in the morning. Merchants from all lands walked along
the streets. Various accents from the south and north could be heard. The hawkers
advertised various commodities along the streets, ranging from perishable goods to material
items. The marketplace was crowded, adding to the liveliness of the city.

“Get in!” With a forceful push, the man pushed the both of them into the cage, containing 70
to 80 slaves. They were of both genders, of all ages. The older ones with white hair were
about 40 to 50 years old; the younger ones were barely seven or eight years old. They sat
timidly in the corner like frightened rabbits, scanning the surroundings around them.

Swoosh! A whip made contact with Chu Qiao’s back, causing a burning sensation, and
opening a bloody wound. Liang Shaoqing threw himself over her, shielding her from any
further blows. The whipping sounds echoed in his ear. The other slaves shouted in panic,
clustering together at the center of the cage and quivering.

“Better behave yourselves! There’s a big customer later. If any of you dare to make trouble,
I’ll deal with you!” The man waved his sts and sneered, before turning his back to walk
away with a swagger.

The crowd slowly dispersed. The slaves who had been whipped grunted softly and weakly.

fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
“Aye.” Chu Qiao felt hot all over. As she had lost excessive blood and felt dizzy. She nudged
the scholar softly on the shoulder, saying hoarsely, “Are you alright?”

Liang Shaoqing looked up. He was still sprawled over Chu Qiao’s body. Snapping out of his
trance, he stood up to get o her, exclaiming, “I’m alright.”

“Support me, I want to lean over there.”

Liang Shaoqing obliged, helping her to lean against a corner of the cage. Chu Qiao frowned,
trying to withstand the pain of her wounds. In a low voice, she said, “There will be someone
coming to buy slaves later. We need to be purchased so that we can get out of here
quickly.”

Liang Shaoqing was stunned. “Are we going to be slaves?”

“Given our situation, there’s no way we can escape.” Chu Qiao’s face burned bright red,
appearing feverish. There was no strength in her voice. She closed her eyes slowly, leaning
her head on the scholar’s shoulder and whispering, “I need to nd a place to recuperate.”

Liang Shaoqing’s body sti ened. The young lady breathed lightly onto his neck. The man
blushed, his face turning redder than Chu Qiao’s. He replied hastily, “Yes, yes. Right, this
makes sense.”

Chu Qiao did not reply. He looked down, realizing that she had fallen asleep. Her breath was
hot to the touch, indicating that she was running a fever. Liang Shaoqing was shocked. He
placed a hand on her burning forehead. He lowered her body and used his leg as a pillow
for her to sleep on. He was out of solutions to escape this ordeal.

The streets of Xianyang City was congested. At this moment, a group of troops passed by
the street. The leader rode a white horse. He was handsome, charming but sinister. His
eyebrows were well-de ned, his nose was pointier than other people’s. His lips were bright
red, and the look in his eyes was deep. He was accompanied by a big group of well-built
guards, slowly making their way across the long street.

“Master,” Zhu Cheng approached the man on his horse and whispered. “the water route is
ahead. Zhu Ting has made prior arrangements. The envoy from the Tang Empire will
welcome us there. As long as we get there, we can enter the border via the water route.”

Zhuge Yue nodded his head lightly. The civilians stared at his handsome face in awe, giving
way to his entourage. He attracted occasional seductive stares from bold teenage ladies.
The sun had risen and the fog had dispersed. Zhuge Yue was dressed in a dark blue robe,
appearing strikingly handsome. As he passed by another section of the market, the noble
young master suddenly frowned and stopped his horse. His entourage followed suit, looking
at where Zhuge Yue was staring at in confusion. They spotted numerous stalls selling
various cosmetic products and lanterns. A group of ladies were gathered in front, choosing
the products that they liked. Upon seeing a noble young master approaching, they stared at
him in surprise and joy, each hoping that the man was staring at them.

fi
ff
ff
fi
Zhuge Yue stared for a long while, an unpredictable look in his eyes. Suddenly, the man
turned his horse to leave, ignoring the sighs of disappointment from the ladies. His
entourage followed behind him, confused.

At this moment, a hawker tugged at the sleeve of a lady, who was about to leave in
disappointment. He asked, “Miss! Do you still want this rabbit lantern?”

“No, no!” the young lady retorted impatiently, leaving with her other female companions.

The sounds of drums reverberated across the street, signifying the opening of the slave
market. The market became even livelier. Boss Mu’s business was good on this day. He
closed a big deal which had been agreed upon previously. Additionally, there were many
other smaller customers. He grinned brightly while looking at his money pouch, revealing a
mouthful of yellow teeth.

“Miss! Miss!” Liang Shaoqing lowered his voice, holding a bowl of water which he had
painstakingly obtained. He crept to Chu Qiao’s side, whispering, “Wake up. Have some
water!”

The crowd was messy. Big groups of civilians gathered in front of Boss Mu’s stall, watching
the slaves being put on display. Some were well-built, and others were handsome. The
various buyers surrounded the cage, discussing the various traits of the slaves like they
were buying farm animals. They took a look at the appearances of the slaves and how their
teeth were shaped. For those men who bought female slaves, they requested a complete
inspection of their bodies on the spot. Boss Mu provided good service. On his right, a little
room was catered for the esteemed customers to carry out their inspections.

When Zhuge Yue passed by this place, an old man of about 60 had just purchased ten
female slaves aged 11 or 12, sparking discussions from the onlooking crowd. Boss Mu’s
business was prosperous. The front had been congested, blocking the way of the Zhuge
family’s entourage.

“Master, let me take a look in front.” Yue Qi had grown into a well-built man. His look was
peaceful. Evidently, he had become an accomplished swordsman.

Chapter 96
Zhuge Yue nodded, and Yue Qi brought several servants to clear the path in front. Swiftly
sweeping his gaze through the entire market, he could hear the weeping girl slaves. Turning
his head, he saw that these children are merely around eight to 12 years old, and wore
shabby clothing that could barely cover their body. The old man looked like he was over
sixty, and wore a luxurious set of bright red clothes with gold embroidered ingots. Right
now, he donned an evil smile, while perversely touching the girls’ tender faces.

Zhuge Yue’s brow knitted together, and his eyes were full of disapproval and disgust. He
waved his hand, and signaled Zhu Cheng over. Zhuge Yue instructed, “Go, buy those kids.”

“Master?” Zhu Cheng was stunned. “Why are we buying slaves? It would be inconvenient
along the way.”

“When I tell you to buy something, it means you do it. Why so much confusion?”

Having being admonished, Zhu Cheng shuddered, and immediately moved out. At this time,
he heard some loud sounds of scoldings. Zhuge Yue turned to observe, and saw that a neat
and graceful male slave was kicked to the side. He crawled up, looking excited, as if he was
trying to say something. That man was too far away from Zhuge Yue, so his words were
inaudible.

Zhuge Yue did not mind either, but unconsciously, he saw in the corner of the cage, there
was a frail teenager slumped in the corner. Their shoulder and the clothes were blocked by
other slaves, and only the hand and the lower half of the body could be seen.

All of a sudden, it was as if he had been struck by lightning! Zhuge Yue’s eyebrows locked
together, and his gaze sharply scanned the cage. Although it was just a hand, he felt a
strong sense of familiarity. It was as if his blood started boiling, and his heart sped up with
the boiling blood. Without much thought, a senseless recklessness sent him jumping o his
horse, and pushing into the crowd forcefully.

The crowd was overwhelming and messy, and his shovelling of people brought about
scoldings. Not caring about them, Zhuge Yue remained frowning, and after much e ort,
arrived at the front of the crowd. Holding the iron bars of the cage, he sought for the owner
of that hand.

The cage reeked of lth, and was full of cowering bodies and terri ed eyes. Many cautiously
looked at him, and upon noticing his piercing gaze, immediately avoided eye contact.

Not here, not here, still not here! Anger rose within him. Unsatis ed, Zhuge Yue looked again
and again, but was unable to spot any traces. Could he really have seen wrongly?
Exasperated, he stood in front of the cage, with his frown even deeper than before.

“Master!” Yue Qi joined him, and confused by his demeanor, cautiously said, “We can leave
now.”

“Master! Master!” Zhu Cheng trottered forward with almost a dozen young girls trailing
behind him. These young girls had suddenly been traded again, and all heaved a sigh of
relief knowing that they need not serve that infamous pervert. Frightened, they darted their
gazes at their new master, and quickly realized that they were in luck. The slaves in the
cages looked at them with jealousy, and desperately hoped that this rich young man would
be compassionate enough to purchase them as well.

“Master?” Zhu Cheng carefully called out. The young master had been staring intently at the
cage for a while. Could he have spotted another slave of interest?

“Let’s go.” Zhuge Yue turn around, and brought his servants away from this moral grey
zone. Just when he turned around, a blood curdling scream sounded. But alas, that scream
had been washed out by the combined cheers of the spectators as they spotted a batch of
fi
fi
fi
ff
ff
 female slaves going up on the stage! Because of that, Zhuge Yue had not noticed at all, and
took his men away from Boss Mu’s store and headed towards the Water Transport Yamen.

The sleeping lady let out a shriek of pain, and slumped into Liang Shaoqing’s bosom. The
old doctor waved the arrowhead at Boss Mu and stated, “Look, such a long segment stuck
in her shoulders. If it was left in the shoulders for even one more day, even the gods would
not be able to save her!”

In the tent behind the cage, Boss Mu impatiently snapped, “As long as this kid is alive, it’ll
be ne. Later, there will be rich people coming along. Mix him in and sell him. After he leaves
us, I do not care if he lives or dies.” With that said, he turned and left the tent.

Liang Shaoqing heaved a long sigh of relief, and thanked the doctor. “Doctor, I really
appreciate your help.”

The doctor seemed to be a man of compassion. He sighed. “This person just needs rest to
recover. On the other hand, in order for him to get treated, you got beaten up. I can tell you
are a scholar, how can you survive that? How unfortunate!”

“Doctor, do not fret, I am ne.”

“Come here, I will examine you too.”

The crowd was boisterous, and the sky was clear, devoid of clouds. Deep into June, the
climate of the southeastern region became very warm. Birds of all species ew in the air
above the crowds, painting a scenery of prosperity.

Zhuge Yue sat atop his horse in deep contemplation, without uttering a single word.

“Master? Master?” Zhu Cheng shouted at him several times before Zhuge Yue nally
noticed. The young master snapped back to reality and asked, “What happened?”

Zhu Cheng sighed, and answered, “Shall I buy a few horses and a carriage? There is no way
these children can follow us all the way on foot, right?”

Zhuge Yue turned back, only to see that the young slaves were sweating and panting
profusely from chasing after his horse with their short legs. The bunch looked at him with
eyes full of anticipation, although traces of fear still could be found.

“Alright,” Zhuge Yue approved, “while you are at it, buy some new clothes too.”

“Roger, I will go ahead now.” Zhu Cheng left, and the entourage moved on. Some of the
servants gossiped quietly. “The master is so kind to slaves.”

“You didn’t know? The master has always been kind to slaves.”

“Shut up!” Yue Qi turned around and admonished those gossipers.

The entourage moved slowly, and after an hour, had distanced itself from the marketplace.
The streets gradually quieted down, and the Water Transport Yamen was in sight.

fi
fi
fl
fi
“Master!” The sound of many horses galloping came from behind, as Zhu Cheng and a few
servants brought the horses and two carriages over. “Master, it has all been done.”

Zhuge Yue nodded, and glanced past the horses. Suddenly his brow knitted together, and
his eyes squinted, like a leopard who had just spotted its prey. He nudged his horse forward
and approached one of the pitch black horses. That horse was di erent from the other
horses, as it was on high alert as he approached. Although in reins, it still took a few steps
back, looking at him with suspicion. Anxiously, it was digging the ground with its hooves. Its
body was full of wounds. Clearly, it had been beaten up before being bought.

“Liu Xing?” His deep voice resounded. That horse instantly lifted its ears, and looked at him
in surprise. Zhuge Yue’s face changed, and he continued to speak, “Liu Xing, it is really
you?”

The horse cheered, and passionately moved up. It nuzzled against Zhuge Yue’s hands as if
it had met an old friend.

“Where did you buy this horse?”

“It was at the horse market in front.”

“Bring me.”

“Master, we are running late. Maybe we should not…” Zhu Cheng replied.

“Bring me!” Zhuge Yue bellowed, and his face was completely serious. Zhu Cheng was
startled, and dropped to his knees. Not skipping a beat, he responded, “I understand.”

Dashing to the horse market, the horsekeeper thought there was something wrong with his
horses, and quickly came out to enquire.

“This horse, where did you get it from?”

The horsekeeper’s face instantly changed, and he put on a huge smile. “Master, you must
be kidding. This horse is my own horse that I brought up since young.”

Zhuge Yue’s face turned black. He grimly asked, “Let me ask you again, where did you get
it?”

“I-I did not lie!”

“Are you going to answer?” Yue Qi pulled out his sword, and set it on the horsekeeper’s
neck.

“Forgive me and give me one more chance!” the horsekeeper dropped down on all fours
and pleaded. “This horse was spotted riderless at Tang Ma Ridge when I was travelling! I
never thought it was your horse! If I knew it was yours, even if I had ten times my courage, I
would dare not touch it!”

ff
 “Giddyup!” Zhuge Yue turned his horse around and sprinted down the original path. Zhu
Cheng was stunned yet again. As he caught up, he asked, “Master? Where are we
heading?”

Zhuge Yue’s frown had once again surfaced, and his face was completely devoid of any
expression. But in his gaze, one could vaguely feel a sense of passion that was hard to
conceal. He replied slowly, but rmly, “To the slave market.”

The streets were bustling, and as their horses raced past, the pedestrians tumbled and fell.
Zhuge Yue continued to nudge his horse to go even faster, as his deep blue clothes uttered
in the wind, much like a huge falcon spreading its wings.

Rewinding back to when Zhuge Yue had just left the slave market, another group of
personnel arrived shortly after. The butler jumped out of the carriage as Boss Mu entertained
and followed him.

Slowly, Boss Mu said, “You have nally arrived. The slaves were already prepared for you,
just waiting for your picking.”

The butler was easily over 60, and wore a neat and clean blouse. His hair was combed
impeccably, and he looked really competent. Walking in front of the slaves, he scrutinized
them for a short while, before starting to point at them. “This one, this one, that one, and
this one…”

Boss Mu followed him, and took out a notepad to write everything down. In a short while,
the butler had picked out 25 slaves. Turning around, he said, “Alright, that is all.”

“What?” Boss Mu was stunned. “Just these? Won’t you look around some more? There are
still a lot more strong slaves. Do you want to look at the back as well?”

“I said, that is all, didnt I?” The old man rmly asserted his decision.

Boss Mu was startled, and immediately nodded in agreement. “Yes, indeed. I had spoke too
much.”

Just when the old man was about to leave, a crisp voice sounded out. “This wise mister,
please give me a minute!”

Chapter 97
The old man was taken aback as he turned his head around, only to see a handsome young
man who emitted an obvious scholarly aura squeezing to the front of the slaves. His face
was ushed red, but his lips were pale. Anxiously licking his lips, he continued, “Old mister, I
have studied much of the historic archives, and examined scriptures like Songtao, Qilue,
Dashu, Shengyu, Lanzhijing, Daodewen. I am also skilled in art, multiple instruments, and
mastered the way of tea. Sir, can you purchase me as well?”

The old butler raised his brows, and he slowly replied, “I am procuring slaves for hard labor,
not a teacher.”

fl

fi
fi
fi
fl
 “I can do labor as well!” Liang Shaoqing replied, and racked his brains to think of what labor
he could possibly do. “For example, I can prepare the ink, cut the paper, arrange scripts,
Oh, and I can boil water, fetch water, split rewood…”

“Are you really well versed in the Lanzhijing?” a deep voice said. Although not loud, the tone
brought out a sense of peacefulness. A pale hand ipped up the curtains of the horse
carriage, and the owner of that voice revealed his pointy eyes. His gaze was serene like an
undisturbed lake, and his face looked ashened. Even though the weather was not cold, he
wore a satin robe with a silver nish. Wearing a mantle, it was hard to make out his half
obscured face.

“I know a little. Lanzhijing involved many complex philosophical concepts. Based on my

knowledge, it would be rude to you to claim that I am really well versed.”

The man nodded. He was still young, at most 25 years old, but his movements spoke of
inexplicable stoicism and grace. The man nodded and said, “Uncle Qing, let’s buy him.”

“Young mister! I have a younger brother, and he is really sick. No matter what, we cannot be
separated. Could you please buy him as well?”

The man followed the direction that Liang Shaoqing pointed in, and immediately spotted
Chu Qiao, who was weakly lying on the ground. He nodded, and agreed. Liang Shaoqing
was ecstatic, and with long strides, trotted over to Chu Qiao and picked her up. “We are
saved!”

With breathing di culties, Chu Qiao was still weak from the pain after the removal of the
stuck arrowhead. Her voice was almost inaudible as she replied, “Thank you very much.”

Liang Shaoqing only shook his head, and suddenly remembered something. “Right, what is
your name? How should I address you?”

Chu Qiao replied, “You said I am your brother, so I will just follow your surname. You can just
refer to me as Xiaoqiao.”

“Alright. My surname is Liang, name is Shaoqing, and have the courtesy name of Zhangyu.”

Chu Qiao nodded. “Nerd Liang”

Liang Shaoqing was stunned for a second, before he barked, “Oi! You have to call me ‘big
brother’!”

But Chu Qiao could hear no longer. Her head slumped to the side and she fainted. At this
time, the butler, who was referred to as Uncle Qing, walked up. Taking only a quick glance at
Chu Qiao, he instructed, “Quickly, in the carriage. We have a doctor.” The carriages rumbled
o into the distance, capturing the gaze of common folk, while leaving a trail of dust.

Boss Mu’s face turned black the moment he saw that the carriages had disappeared into
the distance. At this time, a servant came up and smiled. “Boss! We have struck the
jackpot!”

ff
ffi
fi
fi
fl
“What jackpot!” Boss Mu was furious. He barked back, “What kind of rich family is this?! So
petty! He bargained with me for so long just for those few slaves. F*ck!”

The servant was taken aback, and asked, “Considering their out ts, it did not seem like they
were poor. Master, who were they?”

“God knows. They were introduced to us by Mister Liu. He probably did not know how
some of those poor nobles like to pretend they are still rich and powerful! Son of a b*tch!”
Boss Mu threw his notebook aside and shouted angrily.

“Close shop!” Boss Mu was extremely annoyed as he continued on his rant. “Today was so
unlucky! I had barely earned anything. F*ck, such misfortune!”

On the bustling streets of Xian Yan City, there were huge crowds moving around and
examining goods that were being sold by foreign merchants. Occasionally, one could see
people making purchases when something caught their attention. The merchant who set up
shop in front of the slave shop had a heyday as he grinned from ear to ear. Suddenly, his
eyes lit up again. He saw that a young mister who had left earlier in the morning had come
back again with an ominously gloom over his face. Normal citizens lived a life of boredom,
so they were naturally drawn to such gossip-worthy incidents. Amused, he stretched his
neck out to observe.

Just when Zhuge Yue had reached the slave shop, Boss Mu had already packed up the
store and was ready to leave. Yue Qi caught up, and grimly said, “Please hold your step.”

Boss Mu had seen numerous customers, and had polished his senses to tell who was
loaded and who was poor by just one glance. Naturally, he recognized that this man had just
purchased many girl slaves without even asking for the price. Of course, he would not turn
away such a potential customer, so he immediately walked up and asked, “Young Master,
what can I do for you?”

Zhuge Yue ignored him, and with a long face, walked up to the bunch of slaves who had
been tied up at the back.

Boss Mu was surprised, and quickly followed behind him. “Oh, this young master, what…”

Whoosh! Yue Qi raised his sheath to Boss Mu’s neck, and without any sympathy, grimly
hissed, “Stop right here. Did we ask you to approach him?”

Boss Mu anxiously rubbed his palms. Being so cautious all these years, his experience told
him that these people, while loaded, were also people he could never a ord to o end.

After a while, the young man returned, and stood in front of Boss Mu. He inquired, “Are all of
your slaves here?”

“Yes, they were all here. I was about to close for today. Even those cages from the back
were just brought in. Young master, did any slave catch your interest?”

fi
ff
ff
 Zhuge Yue’s eyebrow gradually furrowed, and he remained quiet for quite a while. After
deeply contemplating, he rmly asked again, “Are you sure, everyone is here?”

Such a short sentence, but it made Boss Mu break out in cold sweat. He nodded in panic,
and replied, “Yes, young master, every one of them is here. I dare not lie to you.”

Zhu Cheng already understood what was going on. He slowly edged forward and said to
Zhuge Yue, “Master, could it be that you saw wrongly? Considering Miss Xing’er’s abilities,
how could they manage to catch her?”

Zhuge Yue remained speechless, and stood completely still in consideration. The midday
sun glazed the surrounding in a shade of yellow as Zhuge Yue stood so still and aloof in the
city, complete with a river in the background and boatmen casually rowing their small boats
along, forming a picturesque scene.

Zhuge Yue lifted his foot and headed out, with a frozen gaze. Just when he was about to
leave, a dark skinned man ran out from the back. In his rush, he had not seen Zhuge Yue
and his servants. He blurted out in excitement, “Master Mu! That kid had a good sword with
him! I think this is worth a lot!”

Everyone’s gaze gathered on him without exception, and of course Zhuge Yue’s too. His
eyes widened, and his frown returned to his face. With a few big strides, he snatched the
sword from the dark-skinned man, and with a swift motion, he pulled out the blade from the
sheath!

In that instant, a kaleidoscopic ash tore through the air. Everyone’s jaws dropped as the
sword of unparalleled sharpness was unveiled before their eyes. The blade had a greenish
tinge, and one could vaguely see stains of blood. But what stood out the most was the
words written in small seal scripts, Moon Shattering Sword!

Zhuge Yue’s expression fell below absolute zero, and he stomped forward, holding the blade
horizontally. He asked, “How did you get this sword?”

“This-this, I picked it up.”

Whoosh! The blade cut through the air, and Zhuge Yue’s blue blouse uttered in the breeze
from the slash. He pointed the blade squarely at Boss Mu’s neck. Slowly, but rmly, as if
suppressing his anger, Zhuge Yue asked again, “Are you going to tell me?”

“Pardon me! Please pardon me! This-this sword belonged to a slave!”

“Where is that slave?”

Boss Mu was already petri ed. He blurted out whatever he knew, “That slave has just been
bought!”

“Bought?” With a cold snort, Zhuge Yue sco ed, “Do you need me to show you your
co n?”

ffi
fi
fi
fl
ff
fl
fi
“Master! I have spoken the truth! If you don’t believe me, you can ask those surrounding
shops! There really was someone who bought a batch of slaves, and that person was
included!” Boss Mu was terror-stricken as he dropped on all fours to plead, utterly
incoherent.

Zhuge Yue swept his gaze on the surrounding people, and was convinced that Boss Mu had
spoken the truth. Swiftly, he interrogated, “Who was the customer? How long ago did they
leave?”

“They just left! It was not even a few minutes ago! As for who was the customer, I have no
idea! I really do not know!”

The comfortable breeze swept past the street, lifting up dust along the way. Zhuge Yue’s
sleeves waved in the afternoon wind, as he stood in the center of the crowd. In his eyes,
there was a rare tinge of indecisiveness. And along with that was a mixture of many other
emotions, like anger, regret, and most of all, a very intense disappointment.

“That person was injured, right? Was it serious?”

Given Boss Mu’s social astuteness, if he had not inferred that the slave had an impressive
background, he would have wasted his whole life’s worth of experience. He immediately
answered, “Yes, it was very serious. There was a blade wound on the left chest, and an
arrow wound in the shoulder. I found that slave in the suburbs of the city last night. After
seeking a famous doctor, I saved his life! Master, I am really so foolish! If only I knew that
young mister was your friend! I even dared to sell him as a slave! I deserve to die!”

“Young mister?” Zhuge Yue raised an eyebrow, but immediately understood the confusion.
He looked down at Boss Mu, who was still kneeling. Pausing after each word, Zhuge Yue
grimly stated, “Yes, indeed, you deserve to die.”

Chapter 98
Zhuge Yue’s voice was over owing with murderous intent, and Boss Mu was completely
shocked by the coldness of his tone. The man continued, “That person will only have one
master in this life, and that master is me. You dared to sell her to other people? Indeed, you
deserve to die.”

“Master, I-I…”

“Yue Qi, I’ll leave this issue for you to settle. I do not want to see him blocking my view the
next time I come to this city.”

Yue Qi stepped up, and acknowledged coldly, “Yes.” Ignoring the desperate pleas by Boss
Mu, Zhuge Yue rode away on his horse, disappearing into the sea of people.

Along with the galloping of the horses, the bustling street was suddenly pierced by a blood
curdling shriek. In this era, civilians’ lives were as worthless as the weed found on the
roadside, and even more so when it came to people like Boss Mu who had commited all

fl
 kinds of evil as a slave dealer. No one would give him any sympathy, as the city quickly
returned to their daily lives.

“Zhu Cheng, head to Water Transport Yamen, and inform them that we will be going by land
instead.”

Zhu Cheng was mentally prepared, but still could not help but be surprised. Thus he
advised, “Master, the old master told us we should reach the Tang Capital—Tang Jing—as
soon as possible. Going by land would waste time, plus most noble families are arriving via
waterway. If we choose to stand out by taking the land route, I am afraid there may be
rumors.”

Zhuge Yue did not reply, and only stared squarely at Zhu Cheng’s face coldly. His intention
was clear as day.

Zhu Cheng felt chills down his spine. How could he not know Zhuge Yue’s intentions? This
was an event of celebration for the Tang Empire, and the waterways were sealed with the
exceptions of the great noble families who were specially invited. Commoners could only
enter Tang Jing via land routes. Considering the fact that the family who bought Chu Qiao
had to buy slaves, they must not belong to those great families. Young master insisted on
walking by land, therefore his intention could not be any more obvious. But even if he found
her, given their current relationship, what meaning was there? At the end of the day, he was
no longer the teenager from nine years ago, and she was no longer the lowly slave who had
nothing.

Young Master, even if you found her, what could you do? She is a tiger. Even if she is
wounded and trapped, she is not someone who can be controlled. Zhu Cheng shook his
head, and sighed. Turning around, he headed toward the Water Transport Yamen, leaving
Zhuge Yue behind. The afternoon sun shone on Zhuge Yue’s deep blue blouse, re ecting an
incandescent glow, donning him in an otherworldly aura.

In the distance, a thick and tall elm tree is visible amidst the blooming greenery. A rough
estimate places the age of the tree at around 30 to 40 years old, and it was coiled with red
clothes and colorful paper cutouts. Those resulted from the superstition of the civilians.
They believed that within elm trees lived deities, and the thicker the elm tree, the more
powerful the deity. As a result, many people who had encountered di culties in their lives
would start coming to the tree to pray for peace and prosperity.

The wind started blowing again, and Zhuge Yue’s clothing ru ed in the breeze. Reaching
out for his jade accessory, he threw it at the tree. With a crisp sound of impact, the
invaluable accessory was hung atop the tree branches. Shaking from the impact, the jade
gave o a iridescent glow as sunlight shone through its body.

“Giddyup!” Zhuge Yue turned around, and with a whip of his horse, he stormed away with
the rest of his subordinates. The cicadas screamed in the sweltering summer heat, as the
warm blasts of air from the wind continued to shake the branches of the tree holding that
jade piece. From a distance, it was like a star twinkling. Who knew what wish that jade
carried?

ff
ffl
ffi
fl
Waking up, it was already dusk. The river surface was dotted with golden re ections of the
setting sun. Liang Shaoqing grinned from ear to ear as he saw that Chu Qiao had nally
awoken. Quickly picking up the medicine from the side, he carefully fed her. The medicine
was extremely bitter, and it was essentially a torture in disguise to be fed so slowly, spoon
by spoon. Chu Qiao frowned, and snatched the bowl before gulping it down. Following that,
she quickly swallowed a mouthful of concentrated tea to suppress the bitterness in her
mouth.

Having changed into clean clothes and her old wound dressings changed out, her sickness
was almost cured. Chu Qiao sat up and observed her surroundings, and inquired, “Where is
this? Where are we going?”

“We have been bought by someone.” Liang Shaoqing pretended to be mysterious, but he
continued to restate what Chu Qiao already knew. “We are on board a ship.” Looking at him,
Chu Qiao felt an urge to punch him. But being well mannered, Chu Qiao suppressed her
urge to beat him up. Calmly, she asked, “Nerd, can you tell me something that I don’t
already know?”

“Oh, alright.” Liang Shaoqing begin iterating his pathetic amount of information. Their new
master was the Zhan Family from Shui Xiu province, located along the Xia-Tang borders.
They were heading toward Tang Jing. The master was merely 27, and was the man they saw
at the slave market. His name was Zhan Ziyu. In addition, this family had ve young ladies
who were all Zhan Ziyu’s sisters. Among which, the three eldest sisters were already
married, and their husbands were onboard as well. There were a total of three big ships, and
there were hundreds of servants. That Uncle Qing from before could be considered as the
head of those servants.

They brought so many people on a simple trip. From that fact alone, it seemed like they
were a big family. But no matter how Chu Qiao cycled her memories, she could not recall
which big family in the Xia Empire had the surname of Zhan.

Since this group was headed to Tang Jing, the urgency for her to escape actually vanished.
With this, she could recuperate from her injuries, and hide from the search that the Xia
Empire had initiated. This essentially killed two birds with one stone.

She lifted her head and asked, “You said they were heading to Tang Jing, but do you know
what they are heading there for?”

“The Tang Prince is getting married. The entire Tang Empire, Xia Empire, and the Song
Empire will be sending people to the Tang Capital to take part in his wedding ceremony.”

“Wedding?” Chu Qiao was taken aback. Loudly she asked, “Who would marry him?”

Liang Shaoqing was just about to answer, but the large boat suddenly shuddered, and the
sounds of helmsman shouting echoed in the air. Gradually, the large boat nally started to
move.

fi
fi
fl
fi
 “We are nally moving. Apparently a Xia noble refused to board for all this time, and Mister
Zhan was unwilling to move rst, and waited the whole day. Seems like that person still has
un nished business here, and our ship left without him,” Liang Shaoqing replied.

“You said the Tang Prince is marrying. Who is he marrying? A Xia princess?”

“Yes, the Ninth Princess.”

Chu Qiao lowered her head, and remained quiet for a very long time. Liang Shaoqing was
alarmed, and called out, “Xiaoqiao? Xiaoqiao? What happened? Are you still feeling
unwell?”

“It is nothing,” Chu Qiao replied, while slowly lying down on the bed. “I am tired. I want to
rest for a while.”

“Alright, then you rest, while I head out to take a look.” The door to the cabin was opened,
as Liang Shaoqing stepped out.

Lying against the bed, Chu Qiao frowned, and mumbled to herself, “Ultimately, the Xia
Empire still chose to forge an alliance by marriage the Tang Empire. Yan Xun, what should
we do?”

The sky was a crystal clear deep blue. Standing aboard the ship’s deck, Liang Shaoqing
noted that the ship was humongous, with a width of over ten meters and four masts. There
were four layers—two above the deck, and two below the deck. By right, given their slave
status, Chu Qiao and Liang Shaoqing should have been living right at the lowest deck. But
as Uncle Qing saw that Chu Qiao was deeply wounded, he actually left a room on the
highest oor for them to rest in.

At this moment, from the bow of the ship, a loud and clear horn sound resounded, followed
by loud shouts from the shipmen. Smoothly, they opened up the sails. As the sails caught
wind, the giant ship swiftly started to accelerate. Watching the sceneries from the two side
of the ship pass by, with birds ying circles around the dock, Liang Shaoqing heaved a sigh
of relief as he smiled, as though all the stress from before had been taken o him. Finally, he
was heading to Tang Jing!

Meanwhile, at the dock, a group of people quietly watched the disappearing ships. Zhu
Cheng stepped forward, and reported, “Master, everything is in order. The ships that the
Tang Empire sent have left, and we have completed the procedures for land crossings. We
can enter the Tang Empire from the Bai Zhi Pass.”

“Okay.” Zhuge Yue nodded while his gaze was still xed on the river surface. Unhurriedly, he
replied, “There is no rush, we will wait here at this Xian Yang City for a few more days.”

Zhu Cheng heaved a soundless sigh. The master was worried it had been a local who
bought that girl. Zhu Cheng nodded, and replied, “Will do.”

The river breeze was comfortable and cooling, and blended well with the greenery that
donned the two riverbanks. Zhuge Yue stood along the riverbank, and watched the ships
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
ff
fade into the distance, before turning around and riding back in the direction of Xian Yang
City.

Destiny had really arranged many coincidences along the way. Zhuge Yue had not known
that the person he had been so desperately trying to nd was on the very ship that was
prepared for him originally. Just as he had logically predicted, to have enough in uence to
be invited to the wedding of Tang Prince Li Ce, those families should not have been
impoverished to the point that they needed to purchase slaves. Yet, that was what
happened. Such was the tyranny of destiny and fate. Just as he left on his horse, the young
woman lifted up the window of her cabin, only to notice the trail of dust along the docks.

That was the ninth of June. News of the Tang Prince Li Ce’s wedding had already spread
across the entire West Meng continent in the past seven days. Every faction was quietly
contemplating what kind of pros and cons would result from this alliance of marriage.

Apart from Yan Bei which had completely broken all ties with the Xia Empire, every power in
the whole continent was rushing toward Tang Jing. Every big noble family, aristocrat, and
tribe all sent out people of great in uence. This not only represented their intentions to
improve their relationship with the Tang Empire, but it was also an opportunity to nd out
what attitude this powerful Tang Empire had towards the currently devastated Xia Empire.
As a result, the banquet that had been unhappily dismissed in Zhen Huang was once again
staged in the Tang Capital. Within this ancient and mysterious Tang Empire, people crowded
around, and the city was bustling with activity.

Incidentally, on the same day, Yan Bei nally received the news of how many factions within
Xia Empire had been trying to capture Chu Qiao. The new rule, Prince Yan Xun was enraged,
and ordered an invasion of the Xia Empire. With his capable subordinates Wei Jing, Xirui,
Biancang, Lü Fang, Du Ci, and others, along with the leadership of adviser Wu Daoya, they
staged an invasion of the northwestern Batuha tribe. The Old Batu was completely unable to
hold back the invasion, as he had lost a third of his territory within three days. Even then, the
remaining two thirds of his territory was hanging by a thread amidst civil unrest and riots.
Numerous requests for reinforcement, tainted with blood of the Bahatu soldiers, were sent
towards Zhen Huang City and Yun City.

At that moment, the entire Xia Empire was lled with fear and restlessness. Every faction
feared that they would become the rst sacri ce to the enraged Yan Bei army. The Lion of
Yan Bei—Yan Xun—then spread a message, saying that whoever’s territory on which Chu
Qiao was hurt, he would have their entire family sent to hell. These factions prayed that Chu
Qiao would not be hurt even the slightest, or else. If the news of her getting hurt spread to
Yan Xun’s ears, they would face the entire merciless Yan Bei Army!

Chapter 99
The rumors were not false. The assassins from Da Tong Guild, hidden in Xia territory, set out
to chop o the heads of the county governors who had participated in the massacres. In
less than two days, the capital had received a list of over 30 senior o cials who had died.

ff

fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ffi
fl
fi
In that instant, the scouts and bounty hunters sent out by the various lands retreated back
to their own territories, intimidated by the sheer strength of the army from Yan Bei. Although
Yan Xun did not have the ability to wage war against the entire Xia Empire, he was de nitely
capable of eliminating the forces of one province, one territory, or one county at a time,
much less the individual bounty hunters. They were fearful that the capital would abandon
them in their time of need, much like what happened to Yan Xun. Also, who could guarantee
that the blind fortune teller by the door, the old lady running a roadside stall selling
pancakes, the new servant in the family or the new concubine in the residence was not an
assassin of the Da Tong Guild, sent to retrieve their heads?

The less trouble, the better. Although it was good to contribute to the empire, their lives
mattered more ultimately.

Chu Qiao was naturally unaware of the drastic change in the situation outside when the ship
set sail. She lay silently in the cabin to recuperate, worrying about how the alliance through
marriage between the Tang and Xia Empire would a ect Yan Bei politically. She hoped to
enter Tang Jing quickly, then head south along the water route back to Yan Bei to discuss
this matter with Yan Xun.

She did not know what storms lay in front of her. The bustling and prosperous capital was
like a giant sh net, enveloping the power of the world in itself. The violent winds along with
the aroma of the cosmetics from Tang approached from the south, carrying with it an almost
hypnotic feeling.

Two days later, Zhuge Yue assembled his forces and departed Xianyang City, entering Tang
territory via Bai Zhi Pass. Simultaneously, an army of troops left Yan Bei swiftly for the
southeastern continent of West Meng. The drama between Yan Bei and the fallen capital of
Zhen Huang was about to continue in the capital of the Tang Empire.

As night fell, lights illuminated the boat and the landscape in the distance. The mountains on
both shores were majestic. Occasionally, there were eagles circling in the sky, spreading
their gigantic wings and letting out loud cries.

In the pitch-dark, narrow cabin, the young lady’s breath could be heard in the silence. There
was only a narrow aisle in the middle of the cabin. Liang Shaoqing tossed and turned,
unable to get to sleep. Suddenly, his arm knocked against the cabin wall with a thud.

“Are you so agitated that you can’t sleep?” The young lady’s voice sounded beside his ear.
Liang Shaoqing rubbed his bruised arm and explained, “It’s so warm that I can’t sleep.”

Chu Qiao laughed softly, choosing not to expose his blunder. She leaned on the side of the
bed and said, “I can’t sleep either. Bookworm, open up the curtains. It’s stu y inside here.”

Liang Shaoqing sat up and opened the curtains. The silver moonlight shone on the young
lady’s face, showing her pale features. Chu Qiao turned her head and looked outside. Her
eyeballs were black; her eyebrows were long, just like a butter y’s wings. Liang Shaoqing
stared at her, momentarily dazed.

“Bookworm, what are you looking at?”

fi
ff
fl
ff
fi
Chu Qiao frowned and chided him. Liang Shaoqing blushed and stammered for a long while
before saying, “I’m thinking, thinking about where are you from.”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows and looked at him from the corner of her eye. “We’ve not
known each other for long but you’re asking me about my life story. Are we very close?”

Liang Shaoqing was stunned. He replied, “After all, we’ve been through life and death
together. What’s wrong with asking about your hometown?”

“Okay then.” Chu Qiao turned back and lay on the bed, closing her eyes and laughing softly.
“Tell me about your background rst.”

“I’m from Shangyu, located in Zhaoyang County, part of the Xia Empire.”

“Shangyu in Zhaoyang County?” Chu Qiao frowned and added, “Your surname is Liang.
How is Liang Zhongtang related to you?”

Liang Shaoqing replied in joy, “He’s my father. Have you heard of him before?”

Chu Qiao opened her eyes wide and turned around to size Liang Shaoqing up. Frowning,
she remarked, “Is he really your father?”

“Yes.” Liang Shaoqing was elated to nd a common topic for conversation. “What’s wrong?
Is there no resemblance?”

Chu Qiao shook her head and replied, “Nope.”

Liang Shaoqing rubbed his head and laughed. “Hehe, my mother said so too.”

“Your father is cautious and cunning in his methods. He has connections all over Shangyu.
It’s a small town, but it’s the hub for food and trade in the southern region. The Liang family
in Shangyu is also a noble family. Given his brains and wit, how did he produce a son like
you?”

“Each his own. My father and I have di erent interests. What’s wrong about that?” Liang
Shaoqing, having said that, stared at Chu Qiao suspiciously. “How come you know my
father so well? Xiaoqiao, who exactly are you? Where are you from? Why are the o cials
after your life?”

Chu Qiao replied with a natural expression, “It’s just something I heard and remembered
along the way. Although we do not know each other well, you know my character. I o ended
the government o cials and was forced to conceal my identity. I still need to trouble you to
help me cover up during our time on the boat.”

Liang Shaoqing was caught o guard by Chu Qiao’s formal words. Patting his chest, he
assured, “Don’t worry, I promise I won’t say anything.”

The midnight breeze drifted slowly across the ship, causing the curtains to utter in the air.
The boat glided slowly across the river surface, rocking gently from side to side. Chu Qiao
leaned by the side of the bed, her eyes half-closed. She stared at the outside of the cabin,
ffi
ff
fi
fi
ff
fl
ffi
ff
her mood visibly relaxed compared to many days ago. She had not experienced such peace
and tranquility for a long time, since leaving Zhen Huang City and that giant prison. She felt
that life had become brighter since she started her journey as a fugitive. Even the winds
gave her a feeling of warmth.

“Xiaoqiao?” Liang Shaoqing whispered. “Xiaoqiao?”

“Mmm? What’s up?”

“What are you singing?”

Chu Qiao was stunned. “What did I sing? Did I sing?”

“Yes, you did. You were humming a tune. It’s nice, I’ve never heard anything like this before.”

Chu Qiao blushed warmly. This young lady, who was emotionless when she killed her
enemies, could not suppress her emotions having been caught singing subconsciously.
Gently, she replied, “It’s a tune from my hometown.”

Liang Shaoqing moved his upper body joyfully and lay on the bed, asking, “Sing another
song for me, will you?”

Chu Qiao shook her head in rejection. “I suck at singing.”

“It’s nice,” Liang Shaoqing insisted stubbornly. “Just one song, alright?”

“It’s just some small tunes. You won’t like it.”

“How do you know I won’t like it?” Liang Shaoqing frowned, searching for an excuse to
make her sing. “Just take it as an apology to me. You caused me to lose my belongings and
become enslaved. Just sing a song to make it up to me?”

Chu Qiao frowned and replied, “You’re a big man, yet you can think of such reasons.”

“Xiaoqiao, just one song. After all, we can’t get to sleep.”

Chu Qiao took a deep breath nervously and whispered, “I’ll…I’ll sing then?”

“Go, go ahead,” Liang Shaoqing encouraged her.

Chu Qiao opened her mouth a few times but no words came out. Frustrated, she remarked,
“I have not sung in over ten years.”

Liang Shaoqing pouted and replied, “Over ten years? How old are you this year?”

Chu Qiao knew that her tongue had slipped. Angrily, she replied, “Are you listening or not?”

“I am. I’m waiting for you.”

“Then I’ll start.” The young lady cleared her throat. Her hoarse voice sounded out gently in
the night, like the fallen leaves in autumn.

“I know, I’ve always known you were there,

In the darkness, in the desolation, by the tall cli s at the shore.

We said that we would walk hand in hand, together, amidst the darkness,

Creating our own sunny world amidst the masses’ disdain.

There will be pigeons and horses on the green plains,

Mountains, rivers, lakes and vast blue skies.

The sunlight will not be blinding,

The night sky will be lled with stars.

I know, I’ve always known you were there,

At the tall mountains, the green plains, waiting for me to return to your side.

You once said to open your eyes bravely,

Staring at the radiant, sunny horizon in the distance.

I know that many obstacles lie ahead,

I understand that the adversities will be relentless.

No matter how big the storm, I’m not afraid of closing my eyes,

Knowing that you will be there for me.”

The night was heavy. Light winds blew across the cabin. Chu Qiao’s voice was like a stream
of warm spring water, warming up the ice-cold atmosphere in the cabin. Liang Shaoqing
remained silent for a long time, staring at Chu Qiao.

The sounds of wheels rolling across the deck echoed out. Chu Qiao stared outside, seeing a
shadow ash past from the corner of the cabin. The darkness enveloped the landscape from
all four directions. The river water owed with serenity, silence dominating the surroundings.

The physician under the Zhan family was skilled. In less than three days, Chu Qiao’s wound
had almost healed. The old man had discovered that she was a woman when he attended
to her, but had been understanding in not divulging her identity, even going as far to hand
her a bottle of ointment to remove her scars, instructing her how to use it.

That day, when the boat nally docked at Meicheng Pier, the sky had not darkened. The
boatmen disembarked to take a rest. Many local o cials had gathered on the shores on
both sides to welcome the Zhan family. The atmosphere was lively. Chu Qiao stared out the
window, frowning. Liang Shaoqing knelt on the bed, perplexed. “Xiaoqiao, what’s wrong?”

Chu Qiao pointed at the crowd, saying, “Look. The o cials here are of low rank, below the
eighth level. Other than that, there are only the elders of the various families present. After
fl
fi
fi
fl
ff
ffi
ffi
 all, Meicheng is an in uential town. Why does it look like they couldn’t even send over a
proper entourage? Looks like our master does not have a powerful background, not enough
to be accompanied by hundreds of servants on a casual voyage.”

Chapter 100
“Is it?” Liang Shaoqing crept to the front and staring outside. “Why can’t I see it?”

“If you could see it, a three-year-old kid could.” Chu Qiao rolled her eyes impatiently. She
thought for a while before frowning. She added, “It’s very strange though. If the Zhan family
did not have such power, those o cials would not need to welcome them. Why are the
senior gures from those counties here?”

“Maybe they were held up by other matters.”

Chu Qiao did not take his words into consideration. Mumbling to herself, she said, “They
don’t dare to appear here and they are careful not to appear overly warm. This means that
the Zhan family has a certain level of power, but due to some unknown reasons, they do not
dare to overdo it. This means…

“Oh, I know already,” Chu Qiao sat up and said to Liang Shaoqing. “The Zhan family lives in
Tang Jing. They must have a powerful enemy here. These o cials can o end neither party,
hence they have to put on this show. The Zhan family should have been a noble family in the
Tang Empire. However, they were exiled due to unknown reasons and defected over to the
Xia Empire. They are still recognized as a noble family in the Tang Empire. This explains why
they are unknown in the Xia Empire, but well-treated in the Tang Empire. Their journey this
time should not be just to congratulate the Tang Prince, but to return to their homeland
instead. That’s why they brought so many servants and slaves along with them. That’s why
the families of all the siblings’ spouses are here too. Also, although the Zhan family appears
to be prosperous, they are but an empty shell underneath. That’s why they purchased all
these slaves at low prices on the market.”

“Xiaoqiao, since you are so energetic, why don’t you go outside to enjoy the sun.” Liang
Shaoqing stood on the ground, straightening his clothes. He was wearing an out t meant for
a slave, but treated it as if it was a royal out t made of valuable silk. “You’re trying to analyze
others’ family background. People who were not aware might think you have ulterior
motives.”

“What motives do I have? I want to crack your head open and see if there’s grass or water
inside!” Chu Qiao frowned and got to her feet. Her wound was still painful, but her condition
had improved considerably from a few days ago.

“Are you alright? Is it very painful?”

Chu Qiao retorted impatiently, “Do you want me to stab you so you can try?”

“No need.” Liang Shaoqing chuckled. “It’s painful, I wouldn’t be able to take it.”

fi
fl

ffi
fi
ffi
ff
fi
The deck was windy. As Chu Qiao stepped out of the cabin door, she felt invigorated. At this
moment, the bell for lunch rang. She had taken her meals in the cabin for the past few days.
Now that she was able to walk, she followed Liang Shaoqing to the dining hall to dine with
the other slaves.

The dining hall was not really a dining hall. On the rear deck, the servants formed an orderly
queue, scooping their rations up. Chu Qiao leaned on the side of the ship and sat down,
looking at Liang Shaoqing in line behind a group of other slaves. Given his old luxurious
lifestyle, he demonstrated a great deal of adaptability. The people in front of him turned back
and greeted him with smiles. Chu Qiao smiled, nding this sight interesting. She had not
been so carefree for many years. She leaned behind and looked up, seeing a few white
birds circling in the sky. Their chirps were smooth to the ear.

At this instant, she felt an ice cold feeling on her head. Shocked, she stood up and saw a
few well-built men standing in front of her. One of the men was holding a bowl, staring
viciously at her. It was him who had just poured the bowl of water onto her head.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing?” the man replied nonchalantly. “I want to sit here and eat. Move.”

“Xiaoqiao! What’s wrong?” As Chu Qiao was about to speak, Liang Shaoqing ran back and
asked, “What happened?” Before he had reached her side, another of the men suddenly
outstretched his leg to block Liang Shaoqing’s path. Liang Shaoqing, who was holding three
bowls of food with two hands, lost his balance and fell on the ground with a cry of agony!

Chu Qiao rushed to help the scholar who was sprawled on the ground. “What are you
doing?” she berated.

“This lad has a big temper! What’s wrong? Your brother does not know how to walk
properly, yet wants to blame it on other people?”

“That’s right. Given their unkempt looks, they must be gigolos.” The group of men burst out
in laughter. Another one of the men added, “Given their boorish looks, they must be so
fragile. Adept in literature? To hell with that. They think that they are top scholars.”

Chu Qiao squinted, just like a civet cat. Liang Shaoqing cleaned himself up angrily. However,
the anger on his face dissipated upon seeing Chu Qiao’s expression. Hurriedly, he said,
“Xiaoqiao, I’m alright. Don’t be angry.”

“Little idiot! Learn from your elder brother and know your place. Don’t think that you are of
higher status even though you live in a better cabin.” The group of men gave her a parting
sentence and left, still cursing.

Chu Qiao helped Liang Shaoqing to his feet. He appeared messy. The broken bowl had cut
his hand and blood oozed out of the wound. Liang Shaoqing gritted his teeth in pain, but did
not say anything for fear of angering Chu Qiao.

fi
 “That’s Chen Shuang. He operates the carriage, and he’s under Big Missy. He rebuts Uncle
Qing even. You must be careful in future as you’ve o ended him,” Liang Shaoqing said.

“There’s a Big Missy in this family?”

Liang Shaoqing nodded in reply, “Yes. I’ve heard that she is beautiful. It’s just that she is
cold. She had a twin sister, but she is deceased now.”

Chu Qiao broke out in a smile, revealing her red lips and white teeth. The servant was
stunned. Chu Qiao helped Liang Shaoqing to his feet and said in a low voice, “Follow me
back.”

Liang Shaoqing gave an agonising look, saying cautiously, “Xiaoqiao, I have not eaten yet.”

Chu Qiao looked him in the eye and brought him back to their cabin. She took out the
medicine that the physician had given her a few days ago, and sat on the bed while giving
treating him.

Liang Shaoqing, searching for a topic to start a conversation, asked, “Xiaoqiao, are you
hungry?”

Chu Qiao frowned and said, “You’re Liang Zhongtang’s son after all. You’re the young
master of the Liang family. How are you so open-minded, able to stomach everything you’re
given?”

“What could I do if I didn’t eat?” Liang Shaoqing said with a long face. “I know that the food
sucks, but I’ll get hungry if I don’t eat.”

With a thud, Chu Qiao threw away the roll of bandages she held in her hand. She stood up
to walk towards the outside of the cabin. Liang Shaoqing was shocked, thinking that she
wanted to settle the score with the group of men earlier. He dashed in front of her, blocking
her path. “Xiaoqiao, a powerful dragon cannot crush a snake in its old haunts. It’s not worth
it to o end them over such a trivial matter. We won’t be spending much time here anyway.
Once we’re in Tang Jing, we can visit my father’s friends, and we can…”

“I’m going to get some food for you,” Chu Qiao said helplessly. “Didn’t you say you were
hungry?”

“Ah?” Liang Shaoqing widened his eyes, giving her a silly look. After a while, he nodded and
replied, “Oh. In this case, go, go on.”

The sky had darkened. Chu Qiao made her way from her cabin to the deck. Upon reaching
the deck, she saw that things there had been tidied up. There were no traces of food left. As
she was worrying, the man who had struck up a conversation with them earlier approached
her. He handed her two big bowls of food, smiled, and said, “I know that both of you have
not eaten. I left this specially for you guys.”

The two bowls were lled to the brim with white rice, topped with vegetables and small
slices of salted sh. Chu Qiao’s heart felt warm. With sincerity, she replied, “Thank you, Big
Brother.”

ff
fi
fi
ff
“Don’t mention it. We will be living together in future, it’s only natural for us to look after
each other. I noticed that both of you don’t seem like slaves though. What happened? Has
your family su ered di culties?”

Chu Qiao nodded and replied, “Nothing can escape your eyes, Big Brother.”

“Don’t worry,” the man patted his chest and said, “I can’t help with anything else, but if
you’re hungry, come nd me anytime. I work in the kitchen.”

“In that case, thank you, Big Brother.” As she and the man went their separate ways, she
made her way back to the cabin.

As she approached the corner of the deck, a familiar voice echoed out from the other side
of the deck. Chu Qiao stopped in her tracks and walked forward along the walls of the deck.

“What were you singing just now?” A clean, crisp voice echoed behind her. Chu Qiao looked
in the direction of the voice, seeing a man sitting on a wooden wheelchair, staring at her
silently.

Chu Qiao was stunned. She asked, “Who are you?”

The man found it funny and smiled. “Who are you then?” With a motion of his hand, the
wooden wheelchair made its way forward along the deck.

“I’m Xiaoqiao, a new servant.”

“Xiaoqiao?” the man whispered. After a long while, he smiled and said, “It’s easy to
remember.” His smile was soothing, just like the spring winds in the month of March. “I’m
Zhan Ziyu.”

Chu Qiao was stunned, not expecting that the master of this family was a cripple. She
stepped back hurriedly and bowed, “It’s First Master. I’m sorry for the impudence.”

Zhan Ziyu nodded lightly. He turned around, looking towards the river.

Chu Qiao stood at her original position, appearing slightly awkward. She was unsure
whether to stay or to leave. As she weighed up her decision, Zhan Ziyu interrupted her train
of thought. “This song is nice. What’s its name?”

Chu Qiao suddenly realized that she had subconsciously hummed a tune. She blushed and
said, “It’s a tune from my hometown. I sang it casually.”

“Hometown?” Zhan Ziyu whispered. “Where’s your hometown?”

“My hometown is far away. I might not be able to go back in my lifetime.”

“Oh.” Zhan Ziyu smiled slightly, not probing further.

“First Young Master, it’s windy out here. Shall I push you back?”

ff
fi
ffi
Zhan Ziyu looked up and laughed. “I spent so much e ort to get out here. I just got here,
and you want to push me back?”

The light from the rear end of the ship shone on Zhao Ziyu’s head. Chu Qiao realized in this
instant that his hair appeared white under the re ection of the light. She did not know how
to reply, and chose to stand silently at the side.

“Do you know how to ride a horse?” After a while, Zhan Ziyu suddenly turned around to ask
this question. Chu Qiao was confused. She nodded in reply and said, “Yes, I’m pretty good
at it.”

Zhan Ziyu laughed and said, “I had a ne horse when I was younger. It was a present to me
by my wife.”

Chu Qiao answered, “That must have been one ne horse.”

Chapter 101
Zhan Ziyu replied, “I guess so. It just had a rash temper.”

“Oh.” Chu Qiao nodded. “All ne horses are like that, they just need time to be tamed. Is
that horse obedient now?”

“It’s dead.”

Chu Qiao was dazed. Zhao Ziyu continued, “It was not willing to submit to a human. It hit
his head on a pillar and died.”

Chu Qiao stared at him dreamily, not knowing what to say.

Zhan Ziyu laughed and said, “You can take your leave. We will dock at Wupeng City
tomorrow. You can take the opportunity to leave.”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows and whispered, “Who exactly are you?”

Zhan Ziyu looked up silently. The pale moonlight shone on his face, forming a veil that
looked like the silvery-white sand on the beach. “I saw your portrait at the military barracks
in Xiushui Province. Also, I saw the order issued by the various armies recently. It’s not hard
to decipher your identity.”

“Why are you letting me go?”

“I live in Xiushui temporarily, but I’m not a citizen of the Xia Empire.” Zhan Ziyu turned his
wheelchair and made his way towards the cabin. “In addition, I don’t want to invite any
trouble.”

Chu Qiao ran after him and grabbed the back of his wheelchair, saying, “Why are you saving
me then?”

fi
fi
fl
fi
ff
 Zhan Ziyu turned around and looked at her plainly. After a long while, he uttered slowly, “The
Thirteenth Prince of Xia wrote me a letter, asking me to locate you. I owed him a favor
previously.”

Chu Qiao was stunned, letting go of her grip.

“I’m merely a fallen member of my clan. From tomorrow onwards, more people from Xia will
board this boat. I can no longer bring you anywhere. I’ve done what I can, the rest is up to
you.” The wheels of his wheelchair rolled over the deck, making small creaking sounds. Chu
Qiao stood in the windy night for a long while in silence, till the sky turned a milky white.

The waters of the river owed slowly with the eastern currents. The rain had started to fall
out of nowhere, connecting the sky with the river. Chu Qiao stretched out both of her arms
and stared at the sky in silence. In the distance, a at boat passed by slowly. On the river
bank located at the opposite shore, a few horses galloped rapidly.

She stood there in silence, feeling shivers crawl up her spine caused by the cold rainwater.
She closed her eyes slowly, seeing the man’s pale face and crimson red lips. She saw the
man’s empty sleeve uttering in the cold air. As she was lost in thought, the group of horses
on the river bank suddenly stopped. One of the men turned around and looked where she
was standing. As Chu Qiao had not slept the entire night, she no longer had any more
strength to think further. She turned around and retreated back to her cabin. At this moment,
the man on the opposite river bank was not anyone else, but Zhuge Yue.

“Master, Huashu County is right ahead. It’s a small town. We can take a short rest there
before continuing on our journey. Wupeng City is not far ahead.”

The raindrops trickled down Zhuge Yue’s face. He looked at the few big boats on the river
and asked, “Zhu Cheng, did those few boats depart with us from Xianyang City?”

Zhu Cheng gazed into the distance and nodded. ” Master, you have great eyes. Those were
the boats that were prepared for us by Xianyang County’s marine cargo transport
department. We probably gave our places to the Zhan family of Tang after choosing to
journey by land.”

“The Zhan family from Xizhi Ridge?”

“Yes.”

Zhuge Yue’s expression appeared complex. He remarked plainly, “Even those small,
insigni cant families have appeared. Looks like we will have a party in Tang Jing.”

Zhu Cheng added, “The entire Zhan family is heading back to Tang. It looks abnormal.”

Zhuge Yue replied, “They would naturally harbor this thought. However, actually
accomplishing their agenda is another separate issue.”

“However, I heard that the head of the Zhan family is a patient man. He is resourceful and
holds some in uence in the pugilistic world. He is friends with Thirteenth Royal Highness
too. He is not as simple as we think.”

fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
Zhuge Yue frowned and said, “Are you referring to Zhan Ziyu, who married his own sister?”

“That’s him,” Zhu Cheng replied. “Zhan Ziyu was sent to the Cang Mountains as a child to
learn the various arts. His teacher was Reverend Dian Cang, also known as Cang Xue.
When he was 17, he journeyed down the mountain and met the Zhan family’s Second Missy,
Zhan Zijin, who was also on the run after escaping from her arranged marriage. The both of
them were engaged to each other and had a kid. They only realized each other’s identities
after the Zhan family caught up with them. In a t of anger, Old Master Zhan broke Zhan
Ziyu’s legs, and burnt Zhan Zijin alive. It was precisely because of this that the Zhan family
lost their foothold amongst the other clans in the Tang Empire. They were forced to move
over to Xia territory, which was personally arranged by Thirteenth Royal Highness.”

“Burnt alive?” Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows and sneered. “This Zhan Ziyu is useless. He
did not nd out more about the situation before he acted, and did not dare to assume
responsibility once he acted. Breaking his legs is considered going easy on him.”

Zhu Cheng laughed. “That’s right, Master is wise.”

Zhuge Yue laughed and replied, “Stop your *sskissing. Let’s go, we have to get to Wupeng
before dawn in two days.”

His entourage agreed in unison. They whipped their horses, preparing to leave. At this
instant, the black warhorse, who had followed beside Zhuge Yue, looked towards the river
and started to neigh loudly. No matter how anyone dragged it along, it refused to stop, as if
it had gone berserk.

“Liu Xing!” Zhuge Yue said in a low voice. “What’s wrong?”

The warhorse stood on two hooves and gave out an ear-piercing neigh, facing the boats on
the river bank. Zhuge Yue frowned, whipping the horse on the neck and asked, “What are
you doing?”

“Master, I think that Liu Xing has been shocked.”

“Shocked?”

Zhuge Yue frowned, looking at the vast river ahead.

In the cabin, Chu Qiao suddenly sat up.

“Xiaoqiao, what happened?” Liang Shaoqing was startled.

Chu Qiao sat up, dazed. She replied, “I thought I heard Liu Xing calling out to me.”

“Who?” Liang Shaoqing asked. “Who called you?”

Chu Qiao answered, “Liu Xing, my horse.”

Liang Shaoqing replied, “How is that possible? We’re on water. Does your horse know how
to swim?”

fi
fi
Chu Qiao frowned and pulled open the window. The rain outside started to gush in. She
stuck her head out to take a good look, but could not see anything as the storm had started
to intensify, causing a layer of fog to form on the surface of the river. She frowned, listening
for a long while before jumping o her bed to get dressed, preparing to dash outside.

Liang Shaoqing was shocked and restrained her. He called out, “Where are you going?”

“I’m going outside to take a look. I really heard Liu Xing calling me.”

Liang Shaoqing shook his head. “It’s raining so hard outside. You’ll get sick if you go out.”

Chu Qiao frowned. She put on another layer of clothing before dashing outside.

The rain had become heavier. The surroundings were blanketed by fog, greatly reducing her
visibility. The big boat balanced precariously on the river, causing the boatmen to manually
stabilize the boat. They scooped up the water which had started to ood the deck, amidst
the fears of any further trouble.

Chu Qiao stood amongst the chaotic crowd, looking around in all directions but unable to
spot Liu Xing. She covered her mouth with her hands and hollered, “Liu Xing!” However, her
voice was drowned out by the rumbling sounds of thunder.

The captain of the boat ran towards the cabins, shouting to his assistant, “Tell Master that
we must dock now. The rain is getting heavier!”

The assistant replied, “Which side do we dock?”

“Although we are closer to the shore on the left, it’s shallow there. It will not be able to
support our boat. Dock at the right shore!”

At this moment, by the left shore, Zhuge Yue’s entourage had been forced to seek shelter in
a rundown pavilion due to the heavy rain. Liu Xing paced up and down in its original position
furiously, as if it was going to break the rope that was restraining him.

Zhuge Yue stood in the pavilion and looked at Liu Xing. His ears moved slightly, a frown
appearing on his face. “Zhu Cheng, did you hear that?”

Zhu Cheng froze. He asked, “Young Master, hear what?”

Zhuge Yue remained silent, continuing to listen out while frowning. Alas, the rain intensi ed.
Coupled with the sounds of rumbling thunder, the faint voice in the background
disappeared.

Zhuge Yue did not say a word. He stood still and looked in front, but could only see a layer
of white. The few boats had disappeared from sight, being shrouded by the torrential rain.

Chu Qiao put her hand down. The boat had docked at the right shore for stability. She was
drenched from head to toe, and her voice had turned hoarse. Liang Shaoqing, who had
somehow obtained an umbrella, placed it over her head and remarked, “Let’s go in. You’ll
get sick if you stay like this.”

ff
fl
fi
Chu Qiao remained silent, staring at the opposite side of the river. She maintained that she
had not misheard anything. On the second day after the boat docked, she sneaked back
towards the place where she had heard the horse. As expected, she found the bell on Liu
Xing’s neck, which she had placed personally.

Why was Liu Xing here? Didn’t it go back to Zhen Huang City?

That day, she had been forced to make a detour towards the Tang Empire while Zhao
Chun’er was after her. She intended to take the southwestern water route from Chengzhou
back to Yan Bei. She required the people from Yan Bei to be on the other side. However, she
was unable to pass on the message to Yan Xun. Out of desperation, she wrote a letter and
hid it in Liu Xing’s hoof. Liu Xing was gifted to her by Lady Yu. It had been raised in the
horse stable at Zhen Huang, owned by the Da Tong guild. This horse was bright and had
acted as the messenger between Lady Yu and herself all these years. Although Lady Yu was
no longer at Zhen Huang, it could still pass on the message as long as it located someone
from Da Tong.

However, it had appeared here today. Had her message been intercepted? Should she
continue her to journey towards Chengzhou? If she went there, would Xia troops be lying in
ambush, waiting for her to show up? If she did not go to Chengzhou, she would pass by half
of the Xia Empire on the way back to Yan Bei. Wouldn’t that be more dangerous?

Chu Qiao, after some serious consideration, decided not to head back to Yan Bei for now.
She followed the trail left behind by Zhuge Yue’s entourage and shed around for news.
Finally, she arrived at the o cials’ residence in Wupeng City. As she stared at the majestic
structure, she knew that she had to in ltrate it that night.

The moon in the sky was covered by dark clouds, causing the night sky to appear dark. In a
short time, Chu Qiao had snuck into the building. Like a loach, she descended swiftly from a
tree, hiding behind a rockery. Moving her ears slightly, she heard footsteps approaching her
from afar.

Chu Qiao squinted. With some strength in her legs, she ran towards a pillar on the right. As
she was about to make contact with the pillar, she raised her legs, scaling the pillar with
three steps. As she was about to lose her strength, she reached out both her hands,
grabbing onto the tiles on the rooftop. Wrapping her legs around the pillar, she made her
way up swiftly. As the light by the corner approached her, she crouched on the rooftop tiles!

“This way.” A thin voice suddenly echoed out. The voice was charming yet cautious,
resembling that of a slave. Subsequently, messy footsteps started to sound out. Chu Qiao
predicted that there were about 20 people. She frowned and remained still, lying in wait.

“I’ve heard that Master is handsome, intelligent, and stands out among the crowd. Today,
I’ve seen it for myself. The rumor about Master is an understatement.” The man suddenly
broke out in hearty laughter, clearly elated at the words of praise. The other young master
who praised him remained silent. The garden was lled with the sounds of the man’s
laughter, making the situation incredibly awkward.

ffi
fi
fi
fi
 Chapter 102
The man laughed for a short while. Seeing that no one responded, he laughed two more
times before stopping. The man suddenly thought of something and said, “This way. We’re
almost there…almost there. I just purchased a few female slaves from Xianyang City. They
are beautiful and dressed up already. Heh, they are waiting for you, Master.”

The footsteps stopped right beside where Chu Qiao was hiding. Her body sti ened. Holding
the dagger in her hand, she took a slow, deep breath and frowned.

A low voice drifted over. The man had seemingly caught a cold. His voice was hoarse and
nasal. “Xianyang City?”

“Yes,” the man laughed. “Heh, Master. You know that the Xia people have laxer restrictions
on slaves. As for the price, heh, it’s cheaper than in the Tang Empire. A while back, Cui Sima
from the Secretary O ce went to Xianyang City to run some errands. He picked these
slaves for me. Master, do you want them?” The master thought for a long while, before
saying, “Let’s take a look.”

The o cial felt a surge of joy. With a smile on his face, he departed, along with everyone
that was following him.

Chu Qiao heaved a sigh of relief. She knew that she had picked the right time to visit, given
that there was an important visitor in the house that night. However, she did not know who
exactly from Xia could enjoy such royal treatment. Not thinking further, she got to her feet
and ran in the opposite direction.

In the darkness, Chu Qiao’s movements were like that of a civet cat—light and agile.
However, as she prepared to walk through the cloister, she slipped. As she tried to stabilize
herself, she realized that she had stepped on some moss.

Did anyone hear me? Chu Qiao’s heart skipped a beat as she thought to herself.

Suddenly, a cold voice echoed out, “Who is that?” The voice was low. In a ash, he had
appeared at the other end of the cloister. It was the master of few words!

Chu Qiao held her dagger tightly. She took a deep breath, frowned, and remained silent. The
young master, seeing that she did not utter a word, gave a cold laugh. With a leap, he took
two steps upwards, scaling the pillar. He grabbed the pillar with one arm, and leapt onto the
rooftop with the other arm!

The night was pitch-black; the dark clouds shrouded the moon. In the darkness, the man
appeared tall and upright. His sleeves uttered in the air as the wind blew, giving o a
sinister and menacing aura.

Chu Qiao’s eyelids twitched, anger lling her heart. She knew that waiting would give time
for the enemy’s reinforcements to arrive. Without further ado, she jumped in the air, waving
her dagger. The enemy did not say anything, grabbing her arm with ferocity. His other arm
came ying towards Chu Qiao’s neck with unrivalled speed!

ffi
fl
ffi

fi
fl
fl
ff
ff
Chu Qiao, aware of the situation, arched her back to avoid the enemy’s blow. With a rear
somersault, she landed on the ground, away from the enemy. In a ash, the two of them
landed another blow on each other’s shoulder. With a thud, she felt pain in her shoulder. She
kicked towards the enemy with force, missing his vital points and making contact with his
leg instead. Their shins collided, causing a numbing sensation in both their legs. They took
steps back, staring coldly at the opposite party.

Sounds of footsteps approached from the other side. Evidently, the guards earlier on had
turned back. Chu Qiao cursed to herself in her heart. She did not expect to meet such an
exponent in this residence. If she was surrounded, she would die an inevitable death.

In the blink of an eye, she struck at her enemy again. Her actions were swift, ruthless, and
carried murderous intent! The enemy was not one to be merciful either. With another cold
laugh, he threw the thing he was holding in his hand towards her.

Chu Qiao was stopped in her tracks. Before she could call the enemy out for his
underhanded tactics, he dashed swiftly in front of her, grabbing hold of her wrists and
inching his body closer.

Chu Qiao replied with a cold look. With a bizarre twist of her body, she somersaulted, her
left leg landing on the man’s shoulder forcefully. The man grunted and pu ed, his alcoholic
breath landing on Chu Qiao’s face. The man was unfazed by this blow. With a stride, he
grabbed Chu Qiao’s waist. However, due to the moss on the rooftop, the both of them
slipped and fell towards the ground! The cloister was neither high nor low, about three
meters up. If they were to fall, even if they did not die, they would be heavily injured.

The two of them, with telepathic chemistry, let go of one hand to support themselves on the
rooftop. At this instant, the man kicked out, suppressing Chu Qiao’s legs. As she was about
to retaliate, the man inched forward with a somersault, aiming his sts at her chest!

Chu Qiao was shocked. She raised her other leg, staring at the man viciously. She swore
that if the man continued his assault, he would never raise his head up as a man in future!

As expected, the man guessed Chu Qiao’s intentions. He retreated, changing his posture!
Two thuds echoed out in the night. A wave of acute pain hit the both of them!

The man’s hand landed viciously on Chu Qiao’s shoulder, while Chu Qiao’s leg made forceful
contact with the man’s calf. The dagger ew out of her hand and landed on the slanted roof
of the cloister, slipping onto the ground with a crisp sound.

Chu Qiao got to her feet. Before she had steadied herself, a gust of wind blew onto her face.
Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows and kicked at her assailant, thinking that he would dodge her
blow. Unexpectedly, he actually absorbed the impact of the blow, without making a sound.
The man dashed forward, reached out a single hand, and grabbed at Chu Qiao’s chest!

At that instant, both of them were stunned! It felt soft. Although it was not big, but it felt
abnormally elastic and good to the touch! The man suddenly realized the gender of the
assassin in front of him. He was shocked, and suddenly forgot his movements, then
restrained his hand.

fl
fi
fl
ff
Chu Qiao sneered. With a swift motion, she grabbed the man’s waist. With an explosive
roundhouse kick, she struck the man’s waist. The man grunted, retreating while staggering.
Chu Qiao wanted to follow up with her actions, but realized that the footsteps were rapidly
approaching. She stared at the man coldly in the eye, turned around, and agiley jumped o
the cloister. Before the troops had arrived, she had disappeared into the darkness.

The guards scaled the cloister with their ladders. Tian Chengshou staggered forward, wiping
the cold sweat o his face. He asked cautiously, “Master? Who was that?”

The troops climbed up the cloister from all directions, holding their torches. The man was
handsome, with pitch-black eyes. He was dressed in a striking purple out t, with a piece of
cloth missing from his chest area. Evidently, Chu Qiao had pocketed that piece of cloth
while they were engaged in battle.

“Assassins,” the master slowly said. Tian Chengshou was shocked. He hollered, “Ah!
Assassins! Inform the entire residence to go after the assassins!”

Loud sounds of drums reverberated around the entire Chengshou Residence. Torches
shone around the place, illuminating the entire compound!

“Tian Chengshou,” the man turned around to look at him, “inform your subordinates to
capture the assassin alive. Do not use any arrows or weapons.”

Tian Chengshou was stunned. Hurriedly, he replied, “As Master wishes.”

The wind caused the man’s sleeve to y in the air. He looked in the direction where Chu
Qiao had escaped, thinking about her movements, frowning silently.

Chu Qiao was in a dilemma. The outside was illuminated. Coupled with the patrolling troops,
she could not escape however skilled she was. As she thought about the damned master,
she gritted her teeth with anger.

“Don’t let me see you again!” Chu Qiao muttered to herself. She held a jade pendant in her
hand, which she had obtained from the man while they fought. Although she had not seen
his face, she would be able to identify the man sooner or later with this pendant. Chu Qiao
seethed with rage, thinking about how he had grabbed her chest.

This meant war.

Chu Qiao hid behind a screen in a well-decorated room. Suddenly, she heard a demure
voice coming from inside. Evidently, the mistress of this room had awoken. The woman was
skimpily dressed. Half of her ample chest was popping out. She stretched lazily, walking
towards the screen.

Chu Qiao was agonizing over whether she would be discovered, but before she had the time
to dodge, both of them were staring each other in the eye.

The woman opened her mouth to shout, but before she managed to do so, Chu Qiao
grabbed her throat. The woman’s eyes rolled back in her head, before collapsing softly on
the ground.

ff
fl
fi
ff
Looked like she would be here for the entire night.

As she moved the woman up, sounds of footsteps came from outside the room. Chu Qiao
was stunned. Tian Chengshou’s repulsive voice echoed from outside. “Master, this is the
room of the new female slave. She’s a virgin and no one has touched her before. Enjoy.”

F*ck! Chu Qiao was dumbfounded.

The doors in the room were adorned with the aroma of pine. When the door opened, a
fragrant aroma drifted into the room along with the wind. The master had changed his out t,
and was now wearing a long golden robe with a pair of green boots underneath. His boots
were embroidered with dragon patterns, which looked exquisite. The patterns were hidden
with an outline of similar color, looking ordinary from the outside, but giving o a majestic
aura upon closer inspection.

The room was dimly lit, with only two light sources in the north and south sides of the room.
The light source was covered by pink cloth, giving the room an intimate ambience. A young
lady wearing a revealing peach-red dress knelt on the ground upon seeing someone enter
the room. She kowtowed with respect, head touching the oor. From above, the fair skin on
her neck could be seen.

Tian Chengshou’s expression was still pale. However, he still managed to say with a certain
degree of composure, “Master, please take a rest. I’ll take my leave.”

The master nodded and replied, “Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Tian.”

Tian Chengshou bowed and nodded. Before he left, he said to the kneeling young lady,
“Serve Master well. You get me?”

The young lady crouched low on the ground in caution. Gently, she replied, “Yes.” Her voice
was pleasant to the ear and soothing, but sounded nasally, as if she had just woken up. The
master did not mind and neither did Tian Chengshou. Waving farewell to the master, he
stepped out of the room and closed the door carefully.

The sound of footsteps became faint, but it could still be heard that at least 20 guards were
stationed outside the room. They were well-skilled and not ordinary people.

The lights in the room ickered. The vision in the room was blurry. An enormous bed lay in
the center of the room. It did not look like a bed, but looked like a giant mat above the
ground. Even if ve or six people occupied the bed, there would still be space. A red
bedsheet was pulled over the bed, along with thick pillows and soft blankets. A pearly
curtain was draped at the front of the bed. There was no wind in the room, but the curtains
seemed to be alive, moving by themselves. Under the dim lights, they gave o an aura of
majesty.

fi
fl
fl
ff
ff
fi
 Chapter 103
The young master in the golden robe raised the curtains and sat on the big bed. Leaning
back, he looked at the lady who was still kneeling on the ground. Calmly, he asked, “Still not
coming over?”

The lady obliged with a hum, and made her way towards the man, head lowered and
kneeling. She reached out her fair hands and put one of the man’s legs on the supporting
stand, removing his boots gently.

Suddenly, with a thud, the master kicked the lady’s shoulder. Although he did not use much
force, he managed to kick her hand away. The lady froze, trembling. She knelt on the
ground, not daring to look up.

The master sat on the bed and looked at the lady, frowning. His expression was solemn and
seemed to carry a tinge of anger, a tinge of disappointment, and an even more implicit hint
of relief. There was no need to look anymore. The man raised his head slowly and stared at
the roof.

He had worried too much. If it was her, how could she be captured so easily by others?
Even if she was injured, she would have escaped. How would she be serving another
person with such respect?

As for that female assassin earlier on, that last sound, and that agile exponent… At this
instant, he was eighty percent sure of that person’s identity!

Thinking of this, he felt frustrated. Had the rain caused him to become dumb? Even so, he
did not order his able subordinates and the residence guards to apprehend the assassin.
For a moment, he was not able to understand his real intentions. Was he afraid of inviting
more trouble? Was it because he was still 20 percent uncertain? Or was it that he did not
wish for her to be captured by others?

He did not think any further. He stood up and took big strides towards the pool behind the
screen, undressing himself and throwing his robe on the ground. He wore a white robe on
the inside, his hair scattered behind his back. His face was white, his lips were red, and he
gave o a charming look, radiating a handsome aura.

It was just a woman after all!

He thought to himself, I only want to get back what belonged to me.

Under the ickering lights, the master removed his inner robe, revealing his athletic
shoulders. He walked towards another room behind the screen and opened the door. The
steam surged out from the other room, making the ambience even more intimate.

Chu Qiao’s head was lowered, not daring to look the man in the eye. Yes, this woman in the
red robe was Chu Qiao. The guards from the residence had just assembled outside the
room. She was fully aware that she would not be able to break out of the room alive even if
she had an AK607 submachine gun.

ff
fl

Driven to desperation, she could only resort to disguising herself as the woman originally
inside the room by putting on her out t. She had prevailed in her gamble, managing to
deceive Tian Chengshou. Additionally, the well-skilled man in front of her evidently had no
interest in her.

Chu Qiao smiled, feeling proud of herself. She hoped that the man, who had repeatedly
ruined her plans, was not after lust. She hoped that she would be chased out of the room by
the man after a lecture, so that she would be able to walk out openly.

“You, come over.” Tragedy struck. As Chu Qiao was laughing to herself, a low voice echoed
out from the other room. “Help me rub my back.”

Chu Qiao’s expression become complex. Frowning, she considered whether to sneak into
the room and nish him o with one swift stab. However, what the man uttered after that
calmed her nerves down.

“You can leave after that.”

The lesser troubles, the better. Chu Qiao joyfully stood up and walked into the room with the
humility and grace of a slave.

As she opened the door of the steam room, a gush of warm air welcomed her. White steam
was everywhere, making it hard for her eyes to remain open, and to breathe. Chu Qiao
frowned. As she prepared to enter the room, the man said in a low voice, “Remove your
shoes.”

Chu Qiao felt a feeling of warmth from under her feet. Her shoes had been drenched. She
hurriedly retracted her legs and removed her shoes, entering the room barefooted.

The steam room was big—bigger than the bedroom outside. From outside, no one would
have imagined such a big room was hidden behind the screen. In the center of the steam
room, there was a hot spring comparable to a swimming pool. The three walls around the
spring were anked by four statues of beautiful women, carved out of white jade. They were
half naked and in seductive poses. The hot water owed out behind the twelve statues into
the pool, following the ow of water towards all corners of the room, and nally out of the
steam room through the drainage system.

Chu Qiao predicted that if the water was warmed manually, it was hard to maintain this
process. Additionally, the water temperature was high. Given the current technological
advancements of this time, the water would have cooled down even before entering the
room. Where was all the steam coming from? Evidently, this residence was built above an
underground hot spring. Whether it was a natural hot spring or a man-made one was
unknown.

A few lights were placed at the four corners of the steam room, adding to the intimate
mood. Carvings could be seen on the walls of the steam room. Upon taking a closer look,
Chu Qiao realised that the carvings were that of seductive naked demonesses. Their private
parts were tactfully covered up by their poses.

fl
fi
fl
ff
fi
fl
fi
Chu Qiao’s face turned red, probably due to the high temperatures in the room or for some
other reason. She lowered her head, not daring to take another look. There was a platform
high up on the upper side of the pool. Under the platform, a re burned brightly, warming
the platform itself. A mat made of bear skin lay on the platform. Some fruits, wine, and meat
were placed beside the mat. Chu Qiao took one look and realized what the setup was for.
With this re, the mat would not be wet even though the room was humid. This way, it was
convenient for the men to engage in their sexual escapades with the female slaves after
they had showered.

“Are you dead?” a low voice drifted towards Chu Qiao.

Chu Qiao rolled her eyes coldly. Rub your back? I’ll rub your skin o ! Subsequently, she
strode into the room. As she approached the pool, the steam became denser. Her visibility
decreased to the point that she could no longer see her ngers in front of her.

Chu Qiao inched forward, feeling her way using her feet. There was mist everywhere,
causing her to lose her sense of orientation. She was not sure if she had approached the
side of the pool. With a splash, she lost her balance, slipped and fell into the pool. She
could have stabilized herself given her skills, but considering that a well-skilled opponent
was in the pool, she had no choice but to fall at into the pool.

At this moment, a long hand reached out and grabbed Chu Qiao’s waist. With some force
and two pushes, he made Chu Qiao kneel by the side of the pool.

“I only told you to rub my back. Don’t be so nosy.” The low voice echoed out in the misty
steam room. The voice carried a slight tone of apathy and disdain. Evidently, he was aware
that Chu Qiao’s actions had been disguised.

Chu Qiao took a deep breath, suppressing the feelings of anger inside her. She knelt by the
side of the pool, looking around, but was unable to spot the towel used for rubbing the
man’s back. Sweat trickled down her forehead, causing her to frown.

With the sound of the water, Chu Qiao could feel that the man had turned back to look at
her even though she could not see him. Under the mist, she could feel his sharp, impatient
look.

She had spoken to him at the end of their battle. In order to conceal her identity, she
changed her voice. With a gentle and sharp tone, she said, “Master, shall I give you a
massage rst instead?”

The man in front remained silent and turned back, indicating his approval.

Chu Qiao rolled up her sleeves and reached out her fair hands to give him a massage. As a
distinguished agent, she was required to assume di erent identities in di erent
environments perfectly. This was especially true for female agents, where they had to make
sexual sacri ces sometimes, in order to nish their missions. As for her massage skills, she
had been professionally trained back in modern times. They were still there even though she
had not used them for many years. Swiftly, her professional massage techniques won the
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
ff
ff
man’s satisfaction. Chu Qiao knew that the man had calmed down as his muscles started to
relax.

Although she could not see his face, she had to admit that the man’s gure was good. Not
just good, but unbelievably good. He was muscular, but not like that of a martial arts
exponent. His lines were well-de ned, neither too big nor too small. It showed that he was
civilized yet masculine.

Chu Qiao scooped up the warm water by the side and rinsed the man’s back. The water
trickled down the man’s back muscles and back into the pool. Her ngers nipped at the
man’s back with adequate force. She was able to identify the correct acupoints, showcasing
her professionalism. The man slowly took a deep breath and arched his head back, almost
intending to lean on Chu Qiao’s thigh and fall asleep.

Chu Qiao frowned, feeling helpless. Deep inside, she knew that the man was well-skilled.
Even if she fought to the end, it was not guaranteed that she could escape. Even if she was
able to kill him, it would be hard to break out of the room with all the guards outside.
Suppressing her anger yet again, she pressed on the man’s shoulder and slowly massaged
it. After a short while, she was drenched with sweat. She actually felt more tired as
compared to engaging in a round of combat.

Plop! A drop of sweat dripped from her forehead onto the man’s nose. The young master
did not bat an eyelid, and said plainly, “Remove your clothes.”

“Ah?” Chu Qiao was stunned, but snapped out of her trance quickly. Steadying her
emotions, she replied hurriedly, “Master, what are you trying to do?”

“You must be dying to know what I’m going to do to you,” the master said with a laugh, his
voice carrying a slight tone of ridicule. “Too bad that I’m not interested in that now. I have
not seen anyone remain dressed in a steam room. I’m just reminding you out of goodwill,
lest you burn to death.”

“Thank you for the kind gesture, Master. I’m not hot.”

Although the man knew she was lying, thinking of what Tian Chengshou said, the man did
not care. He remained silent. After all, she was still a virgin. Although she had a few tricks up
her sleeve, she was not as thick-skinned.

Chu Qiao’s expression was hostile. The mist was dense, hence she did not have to pretend
anymore. The man was overbearing. Thinking about how the man had touched her back on
the roof of the cloister, she smiled coldly. With a raise of her eyebrows, she thought of a
plan. Her ngers traced the outline of his shoulder, making their way down. With the
intention to tease him, she brushed her ngers lightly across the man’s shoulder, neck, and
his chest muscles, drawing circles.

Chapter 104
The man smiled but remained silent. He welcomed this idea.

fi

fi
fi
fi
fi
Chu Qiao lowered her voice and said in a demure tone, “Master, this is the Qianyun
acupoint. It’s the acupoint for relieving fatigue.” Finishing her words, she clenched her sts
and gave him a punch in the chest.

As expected, the man let out a grunt, arching his back and shedding his lazy aura.

Chu Qiao pretended to panic and knelt down, lowering her head. Frantically, she said, “Did I
use too much force?”

The man grunted a few more times, breathing heavily. After a long while, he said hoarsely,
“None of your business.” He sat breathlessly by the side of the pool, muttering to himself,
“Darned lass, so ruthless in her strokes.”

“Are you referring to me, Master?”

“Not you.”

Chu Qiao naturally knew who he was referring to. That was the spot where she had hit him
during their battle earlier on. The way he said those words sounded strange, as if he had
been acquainted with her previously. She frowned slowly and squinted.

“Were you purchased from Xianyang City a few days ago by Lord Tian?” the man asked
joyfully, trying to start a conversation. It looked like the unconscious woman was purchased
from Xianyang City too. They had some a nity after all. Chu Qiao, still disguising her voice,
replied, “Yes, Master.”

“Mmm.” The man continued to ask, “from which stall?”

Out of the slave sellers in Xianyang City, Chu Qiao only knew one person. “Boss Mu from
the west market.”

“West market?” The man in the pool was intrigued. He turned around and asked in a low
voice, “Have you seen a lady as tall as you, but skilled in martial arts?”

Chu Qiao frowned and replied, “Skilled in martial arts? Would she be enslaved in this case?”

“She was seriously injured.”

Chu Qiao was shocked. She frowned and probed, “There are many such people. Do you
know that person’s name, Master?”

“Her name is…” the man froze and thought for a long while, before replying, “It’s alright. She
would have used a fake name.”

“Then I do not know anything,” Chu Qiao stated, pretending to be relaxed by adding a little
laugh at the end. With caution, she probed, “Are you looking for someone, Master? Given
your status, you would not have any friends who are slaves. Is that a slave under your
family?”

ffi
fi
 The man was de ated, turning around and not saying a word. The hot water entered the
pool from behind the statue of the beautiful women, making a swoosh as it entered the pool.
After a long while, Chu Qiao heard the man whispering, “I’m after her.”

Chu Qiao felt cold inside. She had anticipated that the Xia troops had caught up with her.
They were capable after all, managing to locate her despite the circumstances. They had
surrounded her in Wupeng City and located Boss Mu’s stall in advance. If she had not
blended in as a slave on the boat of the Zhan family, big trouble would have befallen her. If
she had known, instead of being chased by the Xia troops, she would have stayed on the
boat.

As she was in her trance, the man in front of her stood up suddenly. Chu Qiao was caught
o guard, losing control of her entire body. With a splash, she landed head rst into the pool,
landing on the oor of the pool forcefully. If not for the deep water, she would have easily
been killed by the impact.

Chu Qiao felt dizzy. Suddenly, feeling light headed, she was dragged to the surface by
someone.

“Cough…cough…cough…”

The water currents by the side intensi ed. The water splashed out ferociously, causing large
amounts of white mist to form in the air, spreading across the room. Chu Qiao was helped
up by the man and leaned against his arm, coughing uncontrollably. She was like a normal
human being after choking on water, face red and throat burning. Simply put, it was
miserable.

The man felt the lady in his embrace trembling, almost coughing her lungs out. She was tall
but skinny. There was little esh on her arms, but it felt good to the touch. Her skin carried a
certain degree of elasticity, appearing radiant and warm. Amidst the white mist, the young
lady had been thoroughly drenched. Her clothes stuck tightly to her skin, accentuating her
curves. Her long, toned legs were in contact with his body. It was evident that not even the
complexions of the noble daughters could compare with hers.

Unconsciously, the man suddenly demonstrated a gesture of warmth. He reached out his
hand gently and patted her back to alleviate her cough. However, as his hand landed on her
back, the thin robe fell o her body. His hand landed on her bare back, which was smooth
and good to the touch.

Chu Qiao’s body sti ened. Momentarily, she forgot that she was coughing.

A sinister look ashed across the man’s eyes. He grabbed Chu Qiao’s arms, lowered his
head, and ercely planted his lips on Chu Qiao’s. At that instant, Chu Qiao was stunned and
angered. The man’s strong arms held her in his embrace. Before she had time to grit her
lips, they were pried open by the man’s agile tongue. A wild ambience enveloped the room.
The man held her in his embrace with one arm, pressing the back of her head with his other
arm. His actions were overbearing, making her unable to escape.

ff
fi
fl
fl
fl
ff
ff
fl
fi
fi
 The surge of panic and fear caused Chu Qiao to blank out. However, in an instant, she
snapped out of her daydream and kicked out at the man forcefully. Tragically, she was in the
pool. Due to the resistance of the water, she did not land her kick on the man, falling
backwards instead.

The man gave another sinister laugh and fell into the water while holding her in his arms.
With a loud sound, the water droplets scattered in the air! The warm water gushed into their
ears from all directions. Their jet black hair scattered around in the water, blocking their
vision. The man pressed himself on Chu Qiao’s body. They both sank to the bottom of the
pool, over a meter deep. The ower petals in the water spread out. As they approached the
bottom of the pool, the man used one hand to press against the back of Chu Qiao’s head,
the other hand wrapping around her waist. He delivered another passionate kiss to her lips.

The techniques which he used to kiss were lled with passion. His tongue swam wildly in
her mouth, as if it was trying to suck out her beauty and her power. Chu Qiao frowned. She
did not care about concealing her identity anymore. She reached out her st to resist, but all
of her force was dissipated by the resistance of the water. The man grabbed her st and
restrained her arms behind her back, wrapping his legs around hers. With his other hand, he
started to feel her thin waist, her at tummy, and her perky breasts…

“Mmm…” Chu Qiao grunted and started to resist ercely. She opened her mouth and bit the
man’s lip ercely. She felt the scent of blood in her mouth. Her resistance did not cause the
man to retreat, igniting his passion instead. He reached out his hand and tore her clothes
o , revealing her fair skin.

Chu Qiao opened her eyes wide, grunting in anger. Without waiting, the man’s warm hand
had uninvitingly placed itself on her chest. Chu Qiao, inspired by her desperation, retaliated
with a technique of submission to break free of the man’s grip, elbowing the man ercely in
the chest. With a leap, she surfaced from under the water.

“Whew!” Having been under the water for a long time, Chu Qiao’s face turned red, panting
breathlessly. After a short while, the man’s head popped out from under the water.

“Come here!” the low, hoarse voice echoed. “Don’t play this kind of game with me!”

“Mmm, okay.” Chu Qiao gave a sinister smile and squinted, like a predator that spotted its
prey. She was determined to kill him.

Alas, the mist was too heavy for the man to see her expression. As she approached him, he
thought that she submitted to him. However, at this instant, Chu Qiao leapt up ercely, half a
meter above the water, and kicked at the man with her right leg!

Plop! The water droplets scattered high into the air once again. The man, amidst his trance,
had taken a blow to the chest. With the impact, he fell backwards forcefully. In a ash, the
angered lioness pounced on the man, falling into the water with him and started to rain
merciless punches on the man’s handsome face.

Everything happened in a matter of seconds. Even though the man’s martial arts prowess
was not beneath hers, he was defenceless due to the explosive nature of the assault. The
ff
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
sounds of her punches reverberated across the room. The man had taken a few punches to
the face. If not for the fact that he was submerged in the water, his nose would surely have
been broken.

The man was dazed. Helpless, he did something uncharacteristic of his status. Before he
had time to retaliate, he pushed Chu Qiao aside and crawled pathetically towards the side of
the pool.

“Running away?” Chu Qiao spit out the water in her mouth, leaping at him again! Speed,
unorthodox blows and an unrestrained anger combined together. The man no longer had
any chance to ght back. He was subdued again by the vicious woman. After a merciless
assault, he managed to make his way to the side of the pool, attempting to run out of the
steam room. She leapt at him again, grabbing at his waist. The both of them fell to the
ground with a thud.

As they were no longer in the water, the man’s movements were no longer hindered by the
water resistance. He started to ght back instead of retreating. In the strong mist, two
silhouettes danced around, executing their exquisite strokes. Their blows matched each
other with a force unparalleled in this world.

Chu Qiao’s cover had been blown. If the man managed to escape, she would be doomed.
Naturally, she fought with desperate survival instincts.

The man was no longer so naive as to treat her as a normal slave. He fought back with no
intention of mercy!

There were no weapons, no assassinations, no underhanded tactics. What was on display

was real, authentic martial arts, and a duel to showcase the survival of the ttest!

With the god of death staring the both of them in the face, their movements were
synchronized, grabbing at each other’s throats. As long as one person moved their hands,
the other party’s neck would be snapped.

Bizarrely, both of them stopped in their tracks. They raised their other hand in unison,
gesturing for a truce. Perishing together? That was silly on the part of both parties.
Subsequently, they loosened their grip on each other’s throats, backing o slowly.

At this moment, another gush of water rushed out from behind the statues. At this critical
moment, the hot spring water splashed into the pool. With the movement of the water, the
both of them dashed forward towards each other, grabbing at each other’s throats again.

Chapter 105
“Despicable!” both uttered in unison. They rolled their eyes at each other simultaneously,
loosening their grips on each other’s throats again. At this instant, the man kicked a wooden
bucket beside the pool, turning to escape from the steam room, disregarding Chu Qiao’s
presence.

fi

fi
ff
fi
 This woman was an exponent in close combat. There was no need to ght her. As long as
he made it out of the steam room, the sounds of ghting would be heard outside. He would
surely emerge victorious then!

Chu Qiao was unbelievably fast in her response. With a calculated jump, she leaped into the
air in pursuit of him! The look in their eyes was synchronized! Their steps were synchronized!
Their actions, their escape route, they were all synchronized!

With a thud, the door of the steam room was kicked open forcefully. The man had managed
to do it despite being on the receiving end of a kick from Chu Qiao.

Chu Qiao was pressed for time. She knew that this sound had certainly startled the guards
outside. Within three seconds, the guards would open the door and re arrows at her,
leaving no room for escape. Her only hope was to force this man into submission within
three seconds. She leaped onto the bed and pretended to be intimate!

Chu Qiao had no time to think about the loopholes in her plan. She leaped forward and
undressed, leaving only a thin pair of shorts on. She used the wall as her springboard,
leaping forward and throwing herself at the man. With two somersaults, she landed a blow
on the man’s back, causing the both of them to fall back onto the bed! At this moment, the
sounds of the footsteps outside were becoming louder. It was clear that she had to force
him into submission, to use him as a hostage.

Chu Qiao felt that she was crazy.

With agile movements of their wrists, the two of them exchanged another 20 odd blows.
Finally, as the footsteps approached the door, Chu Qiao accomplished what she had set out
to do. She managed to subdue the man, grabbing at his throat. However, her own throat
had been grabbed by the man too!

The situation was similar to the one previously. Perish together? Perish together!

Intense knocking sounds echoed from outside the door, followed by the frantic shouts of the
guards outside. The room was dimly lit. At this moment, both of them nally had the chance
to see each other’s faces after being entangled for half the night. Upon seeing each other’s
faces, they opened their mouths wide in unison, glaring at each other!

With a thud, the door of the room was broken down. The guards outside streamed into the
room. The leader of the guards remarked, “Fourth Master! Fourth Master! What happened?”

Everyone stared in horror at the two people on the bed. The room was a mess. There was
water everywhere, the carpet had been messed up. The blankets had been littered on the
oor, their clothes everywhere. On the majestic bed, a man and a woman were in an intimate
position, tangled together. They stared each other in the eye, then at the door.

“Who allowed you to come in?”

fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
 At that instant, Yue Qi and the rest felt as if they had been blown away by a typhoon. Yes,
this person was Zhuge Yue. Everyone’s faces were pale. Some of them fell back onto the
oor in fright. In less than three seconds, the door had been closed.

After a long while, the two people in the room looked each other and exclaimed, “You?”

A deadly silence enveloped the room. The lights illuminated the room quietly, occasionally
releasing a spark. The pale moonlight streamed through a window. Wupeng City, at this time
of night, was refreshingly windy.

Those who were skilled in martial arts were adept in their sense of hearing, especially in the
quiet night. The voices of the men outside drifted into the room slowly. It was the guards
carefully gossiping about their master.

“Master looks serious usually. I didn’t expect him to enjoy these kinds of games.”

“Obviously. It was so loud, their clothes were everywhere. How intense!”

“That woman is lucky to gain the a ection of our master.”

“That woman has a nice gure, two long and fair legs…”

“You’re crazy! That woman is Master’s! He will gouge your eyes out!”

“Ah, Brother Zhang. You mean that we should forget about all this, and pretend to be blind.”

“I’ve been in the residence for many years. Don’t think that although Master’s temper has
improved, he will let you o ! Back then, he was quite abusive and feared throughout the
residence! Listen to me, I’m not wrong! However, that female slave has a good gure. Why…
do I nd her a bit familiar though?”

“You’re familiar with every single beauty.”

The guards chuckled in a low voice and walked away from the room.

In the room, the two remained entangled in the same position, grabbing at each other’s
throats, their legs intertwined. As their eyes met, a range of complicated emotions ashed
across their mind.

The wind blew into the room from the window. The red satin curtains uttered in the air
across their line of sight, blurring their appearances. Time passed slowly. The drumming
sounds made by the clock reverberated across the giant room.

The look in their eyes cooled. From the initial shock, followed by shyness, then frustration
and hostility, came a feeling of calm. They released their grips on each other’s throats for
one nal time, backing o .

Chu Qiao raised a silk blanket, covering her exposed chest. She looked at the man opposite
her, not batting an eyelid. At this moment, she had suppressed all her emotions, leaving only
a tinge of cautiousness.

fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
ff
ff
fl
fi
fl
The enraged man also calmed down slowly. His look was cold, his eyebrows frowning but
had no hostile intentions. He reassumed his stoic expression, appearing lazy yet cold. After
a short while, the man got o the bed without caring. He walked openly to the center of the
room and put on the robe he had removed earlier on, revealing his tanned chest.
Unexpectedly, he demonstrated another gesture of kindness. He rummaged through the
mess on the ground and picked up Chu Qiao’s robe, which was soaking wet. He walked
over to her side, raising up her wet clothes with one hand. He reached out his other hand,
and said, “Hand it over.”

“What?” Chu Qiao frowned. “Hand over what?”

Zhuge Yue side eyed her, implicitly hinting at her not to pretend to be a fool.

“Since Yan Xun escaped back to his old nest with the beggars of Da Tong guild, have they
become so short of money? That they have to send you out to commit petty theft?”

“What did you say?” Chu Qiao berated. “Watch yourself!”

Zhuge Yue looked at her plainly, then with disdain. “You’re dead meat, yet you are still so
arrogant.”

Chu Qiao sat on the bed and remained silent, a cold look on her face. She had been utterly
defeated tonight. She felt undeniably frustrated, cursing her luck which had been down in
the dumps lately.

The instant she saw Zhuge Yue’s face, she felt an indescribable sense of relief, however
much she did not want to admit it. Perhaps, being apprehended by him was better than
other possibilities! At the very least, she would not be executed immediately. She knew that
the capital did not want her, just wanted her head.

“Hand it over,” Zhuge Yue said stubbornly.

“Hand what?”

“Quit pretending!” the man sneered, staring coldly at her. “Just now, at the cloister. It was
you. You stole something from me, do you need me to say it?”

It dawned on Chu Qiao. However, she replied stubbornly, “Who cares about your stu . I just
took it from you and threw it away. If you want it back, then send someone from this
damned residence to search the lake.”

Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows slowly. There was a depressed look in his eyes. Chu Qiao
stared at him stubbornly without an ounce of fear.

With a swoosh, Zhuge Yue threw the wet clothes at Chu Qiao’s face, turning to walk
towards the door. As he opened the door, a servant ran towards him. Zhuge Yue gave him a
few simple orders to search the lake for a jade pendant. The servant, upon hearing his
words, appeared perplexed. The lake was not big and could be circled with a boat in an
hour. However, it was over 40 feet deep. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack…

ff
ff
 One of the servants raised his head and objected, “Master, this…”

Before the servant had nished speaking, Zhuge Yue slapped the man ercely, causing him
to lower his head.

“Who allowed you to raise your head?”

The servant nodded in fear, not daring to raise his head.

Chu Qiao was stunned. The entrance of the room was facing the bed, and she was still
undressed.

Zhuge Yue turned back to look at Chu Qiao. She had put on her wet clothes. However, as it
was made of a thin material, it appeared transparent, adding a few seductive touches.

Zhuge Yue looked at Chu Qiao and frowned. Seeing that his expression was not right, she
felt awkward. He walked over to a row of wardrobes and opened one of them. Suddenly,
Chu Qiao’s expression changed. Before she had time to call out, a woman who was tied up
fell onto the oor with a thud, landing at Zhuge Yue’s feet.

Zhuge Yue responded quickly. He mistook the female hiding in the wardrobe as an assassin.
Without any mercy, before her body had touched the ground, he kicked her, causing her to
y out of the room like a football.

Chapter 106
Zhuge Yue did not use excessive force. As he looked at the seductive woman lying on the
oor half naked, he was stunned. He frowned heavily, appearing deep in thought. The
woman had become easily frightened by the happenings earlier on. She was knocked out
for no reason, nding that she had been imprisoned in the wardrobe after waking up. After a
long time, she was nally released, but before she had time to shout for help, she took a
heavy kick to the body. At this moment, facing the intimidating man, her eyes rolled to the
back of her head and she passed out.

“Hey! Don’t hurt her.”

Zhuge Yue turned around and saw the awkward look on Chu Qiao’s face. It dawned on him.
Since the slave in disguise was Chu Qiao, she must have been the initial slave prepared for
him by Tian Chengshou. After he sorted out his thoughts, Zhuge Yue did not even take a
look at the woman on the ground. He walked over to the wardrobe and took out a set of
clothes, then walked over to Chu Qiao’s side, throwing the clothes at her. Smiling slightly, he
said emotionlessly, “Xing’er, you are still so ruthless.”

“Don’t call me Xing’er!” Chu Qiao replied coldly. She did not remove her wet clothes but put
the clean set of clothes over her body instead. As she nished her sentence, she heard an
angry grunt beside her. Zhuge Yue pounced on Chu Qiao like a tiger, pinning her body
beneath his. He wrapped his legs around hers, using one hand to clasp her chin. With
ferocity and ruthlessness, he said, “What do I call you then? Jing Yue’er? Or what? Chu
Qiao?”

fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi

fi
fi
 Zhuge Yue’s expression was solemn. The look in his eyes signaled a storm that was about
to brew. The strength that he used to hold Chu Qiao’s chin increased. With a hoarse voice,
he added, “So? Now that you’ve sided with Yan Xun, you’re disregarding your ancestral
lineage? Changing your surname? Why don’t you change your surname to Yan?”

Chu Qiao stared Zhuge Yue coldly in the face and ordered, “Let go of me!”

“Let go of you?” Zhuge Yue sneered. “Where do you think you’re going? You’re here in Tang
for your old ame who’s getting married, or to make a detour to Yan Bei? Why didn’t I realize
back then that our little Xing’er was a smiling recipe for disaster?”

“Zhuge Yue. I’m warning you, let go of me!”

“Warning?” Zhuge Yue gave a sinister smile and squinted his eyes coldly. “Xing’er, is this the
rst time you’ve met me? When have I, Zhuge Yue, ever feared anyone’s warning?”

Chu Qiao did not think any further. She used her ngers to claw at Zhuge Yue’s neck!

Zhuge Yue was not slow to react, and leaned his body back. Chu Qiao’s hand grabbed his
collar instead, tearing his clothes apart. Zhuge Yue loosened his grip on Chu Qiao’s chin, his
ngers brushing across her fair skin and de ned collarbone. With another sinister laugh, he
remarked, “So? Can’t wait anymore?”

Chu Qiao’s expression remained unchanged. She squinted her eyes in anger, kicking at
Zhuge Yue’s underarm!

Zhuge Yue was no ordinary character. How would he be in a disadvantageous position in a

face-to-face battle? Using his hands to support himself, he executed a rear somersault in
the air. When he landed on the bed, he used his hands to support himself again, creeping up
to Chu Qiao’s side and subduing her again. Their faces stuck to each other, their breaths
blowing on the other’s face.

“Hmph!” Chu Qiao grunted in anger. With rage, she aimed a punch towards Zhuge Yue’s
shoulder. Zhuge Yue lowered his shoulder, his body jerking outwards. Chu Qiao’s body
rolled outwards with him. Zhuge Yue grabbed her waist and rolled back, causing the
blankets to wrap around them like a giant dumpling. Zhuge Yue took the opportunity to
subdue Chu Qiao’s hands and force her legs into submission.

Chu Qiao resisted forcefully, but as the blanket had tightly wrapped both of them up, she
was unable to break free. Coupled with the fact that Zhuge Yue was stronger than her, she
slumped back onto the bed after a short while, panting breathlessly. As she could not
overpower him, she arched her head up to bite him.

Chu Qiao’s clothes had been ripped apart during this ght, exposing large amounts of her
skin. Chu Qiao turned red with embarrassment, staring menacingly at Zhuge Yue, her chest
bouncing up and down with anger.

“Still not admitting defeat?”

Chu Qiao replied coldly, “Scoundrel!”

fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
 Zhuge Yue was sprawled atop Chu Qiao. Hearing her intense breathing, rapid heartbeat,
and smelling her natural fragrance, the look on his face suddenly became warmer. The man
laughed proudly and said slowly, “Still want to ght?”

Chu Qiao bit her lip. She had rarely lost a ght all these years. Suddenly, she felt a tinge of
indescribable panic. For some unknown reason, she just wanted to leave this place, never
to see the man in front of her again.

“Let go of me!”

“Xing’er, you keep saying this. Don’t you nd it bothersome?”

Chu Qiao’s out t was torn, revealing both her fair legs. Zhuge Yue’s legs were wrapped
tightly around hers. With skin to skin contact, the ambiance became more a ectionate.

Chu Qiao stared ruthlessly at Zhuge Yue and gritted her teeth, saying, “I want to stab you!”

Zhuge Yue burst out in laughter. His look was charming, his lips were crimson red. With an
unrestrained attitude, he replied, “Why not add a few punches on top of that?”

“Hmph!” Chu Qiao turned away angrily, not looking him in the eye. She could not defeat him
nor escape. They were evenly matched in terms of martial arts, but her strength was no
match for Zhuge Yue. Additionally, there were a big number of guards outside. Thinking of
this, she teared up. Angrily, she retorted, “Just kill me now!”

Zhuge Yue laughed and looked at her. “Xing’er, don’t tell me you’re crying just because you
can’t defeat me? This is unlike you.”

The tense atmosphere loosened up; the both of them were still in an intimate position. At
this instant, the unconscious woman under the bed let out a sound, as she prepared to
wake up.

Chu Qiao froze. Zhuge Yue’s expression changed. He let go of Chu Qiao’s hand, and picked
up a blanket and threw it over the woman’s face!

As he loosened his grip, Chu Qiao let out a warcry and crept out from under the blanket.
She was in a half kneeling position as she prepared to escape from the bed. Zhuge Yue
laughed coldly. He picked up another thin blanket and wrapped it around Chu Qiao’s ankle.
Chu Qiao cursed to herself. Subsequently, Zhuge Yue pulled the blanket backward with
force, causing Chu Qiao to fall on the ground, becoming entangled with the man again.

In a ash, the bed collapsed with a loud thud. The satin and pearl curtains, the red cloths,
and the bright pearls scattered on the ground, burying both of them underneath the mess!

The people outside the room heard the sound loud and clear. Only half of the guards
remained; the other half were at the lake to nd the jade pendant.

A young guard carefully asked the guard surnamed Zhang, “Brother Zhang, what’s that?”

fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
The guard surnamed Zhang was sticking out his ears to listen. He nodded and replied
mysteriously, “I think the bed has most likely collapsed.”

“The bed collapsed?” the young guard muttered. “My God, that’s so intense!”

Zhuge Yue was trapped under a heap of silk, expending much e ort to get out of the mess.
However, as his head popped out, his expression changed.

Chu Qiao was in a half kneeling position in front of him. Her look was cold, and she held a
broken wood fragment, which had dislodged from the bed frame, in her hand. One end of
the wood fragment was sharp and was pressed against Zhuge Yue’s neck.

“Don’t move!” Chu Qiao hollered.

Zhuge Yue laughed nonchalantly, staring at Chu Qiao’s chest. “Wear some clothes before
doing this to another person next time. If not, it’s not intimidating.”

“Cut the crap! Let me go immediately!”

Zhuge Yue laughed. “Xing’er, you must have gotten it wrong. You’re holding me hostage
now, why are you begging me to let you go?”

“Zhuge Yue, don’t think that I have no choice but to beg you. If I kill you, I could still escape.
I just don’t want to resort to that. Although we are enemies, I don’t wish to kill you this way.”

“That’s too bad.” Zhuge Yue shrugged his shoulders. “As long as I’m alive, I won’t let you
go.”

Chu Qiao squinted. “Don’t force me!”

“I want to force you.”

At this instant, a urry of footstep sounds came from outside. They froze, knowing that the
sounds were not from Zhuge Yue’s guards.

As Chu Qiao was momentarily distracted, Zhuge Yue suddenly twisted his body to avoid
Chu Qiao’s weapon. However, at the same time, Chu Qiao noticed what Zhuge Yue was
trying to do. Subconsciously, she thrust the wood fragment forward, in icting a wound on
Zhuge Yue with a loud sound. Blood started to ooze out from his wound. Chu Qiao was
shocked, her eyes widened. Simultaneously, Tian Chengshou’s voice could be heard from
outside. “Master, are you still awake?”

Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao sat at opposite corners of the bed. The wood fragment, as thick
as a thumb, had been completely embedded into Zhuge Yue’s shoulder, causing blood to
splatter over half the bed.

Everything happened in a ash. As Zhuge Yue was struck by the wood fragment, Chu Qiao
saw him open his mouth. Having experienced such intense pain, he was bound to open his
mouth to exclaim in agony. However, Tian Chengshou was standing outside the door!

fl
fl
ff
fl
 Tian Rucheng was born as an o cial. When he was young, he joined the Tang army along
with his father, killing his way into Xia territory. If not for the Lion of Yan Bei, Yan Shicheng,
the Xia Empire would have fallen to the Tang Empire. Tian Rucheng would have been the
ruler of the lands of Hongchuan. Additionally, Tian Rucheng’s father died in that battle.
Hence, Tian Chengshou’s hate for Yan Bei was well-known.

At this instant, as long as Zhuge Yue made any abnormal sounds, he would break the door
down. If Chu Qiao landed in his hands, the ending was inevitable!

The rst thought that ashed across Chu Qiao’s mind was to feel for her dagger hidden
under the calf. Given her skills, she would have no problem killing an injured man at such a
close distance. However, she forgot that she had lost her dagger while ghting on the
cloister earlier on.

At this critical moment, Zhuge Yue’s voice echoed out, sounding as calm as ever. “Is that
Lord Tian? It’s late, is anything the matter?”

Chu Qiao was stunned as she looked up.

“It’s like this. I heard that an important thing belonging to Master fell into the lake. The
guards could not locate it despite searching for half the night. I came to ask if it was
necessary to dig a ditch to empty the water, so as to make the search easier.”

Zhuge Yue took a deep breath and held his bloody shoulder tightly, remarking in a low voice,
“In that case, thank you for your good intentions, Lord Tian.”

Tian Chengshou laughed and replied, “It is an honor to share Master’s worries.”

“If there’s nothing else, Lord Tian, please head back to take a rest.”

“I’ll take my leave then. Master, have a good rest.”

As the sound of the footsteps faded, the tranquility outside the room was restored.

Chapter 107
Zhuge Yue took a deep breath, as he weakly leaned on the bed before grabbing hold of a
the piece of exposed wood. Clenching his teeth, he pulled the rod out in one yank!
Grimacing in pain, he tried to suppress his groan despite the intense pain. With the foreign
object removed, blood spurted out!

Chu Qiao was stunned, as she rushed to press on the gaping laceration to prevent
excessive bleeding! The intense pain from the pressure on his wound almost made Zhuge
Yue black out. Holding onto his shoulders, Chu Qiao anxiously asked, “How do you feel?”

Ghastly pale and still clenching his teeth, Zhuge Yue replied, “I am ne.”

fi
fl

ffi
fi
fi
“Do not move, I will dress your wound.” Chu Qiao stood up and dashed to the shower room,
and before long she returned with a wooden pail. With much agility, she darted on to the
bed and nimbly cleaned the wound.

“Inside, there are still a lot of splinters. I need to take them out.”

Stunned, Chu Qiao raised her head to look Zhuge Yue in his eyes, and grimly asked, “Are
you sure you can bear the pain?”

Zhuge Yue snorted. “Do not waste time!”

Chu Qiao found a dagger and using a ame that she lighted using some liquor, she heated
the dagger to disinfect it. Passing a cloth to Zhuge Yue, she advised, “Bite this when you
are in pain.” Zhuge Yue took it, but did not put it into his mouth and merely held onto it in his
uninjured hand.

Chu Qiao spoke no more, as she turned her focus to treating his wound. The wood rod
created a wound that was even more deadly than a normal dagger. Even discounting the
size of the wound, the laceration from the wood rod had hooked onto his esh, and the
countless splinter made it a future hazard for in ammation and sepsis if not properly picked
out. Facing an injury of this caliber, Chu Qiao’s hand eventually started to shake.

“Shall we call a doctor?” Chu Qiao bit her lower lip. She was completely aware of how once
the doctor arrived, her identity would be exposed, and it would be a miracle if she could
escape. The only way for her to survive would be to escape during the time when the doctor
just arrived.

Zhuge Yue snatched the dagger over, as he solemnly declared, “If you cannot handle this, I
will do this myself.” Before he had even nished the sentence, he already began to pick at
his own esh.

“Let me do it! I will do it!” Chu Ciao hurriedly snatched back the dagger. After which, she
stared at Zhuge Yue. Zhuge Yue’s eyes were half open, and he looked as though it was none
of his business. If his unnaturally white complexion did not give away his state of health, one
would think that the one injured was not him. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Chu
Qiao continued treating Zhuge Yue.

After six hours, the sun had already begun to rise. Soaked in cold sweat, Chu Qiao dug out
the healing medicine from the clothes she had changed out of back when she rst arrived at
this place. She applied it to Zhuge Yue’s wound. Using a clean handkerchief, she dressed
his wound, and with that, the treatment was nally completed.

During the entire process, Zhuge Yue did not make a single noise, and Chu Qiao had not
spared her attention to look at him either. Now that she was done, she found that he had
already fainted, and his forehead was dotted with sweat droplets. Even though fainted, his
brows remained locked in a “V” shape. The towel in his hand had already been soaked, and
his hair was drenched in sweat as if he had just been submerged in water.

fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
Chu Qiao adjusted him into a sleeping position, as she used a clean moist towel to clean up
blood stains and sweat on his body. When she was done, she found a piece of dry cotton
cloth which she used to dry his hair.

The sound of rooster’s crowing resounded from afar. Servants came to greet Zhuge Yue
from outside, but they chuckled and left after hearing Chu Qiao’s anxious voice claiming that
Zhuge Yue had not woken. Indeed, after that intense night, it was likely that Zhuge Yue
would need to rest for one whole day. Anyway, since they were going to remain in Wupeng
City for a few days, the guards informed the maidservants not to disturb master.

Returning to the bedside, Chu Qiao saw that Zhuge Yue was still in a deep slumber.
Lowering her head, Chu Qiao’s face spoke volume of her exhausting night. Observing the
sleeping man, her gaze slowly swept along his well-de ned eyebrows, his evil-looking eyes,
his crimson lips, and his mouth that she had always heard ruthlessly cruel words from.

“We are enemies,” Chu Qiao muttered. She herself did not know if these words were for
Zhuge Yue or just for herself. She continued, “O cially, I was a slave who betrayed the
empire, while you were a noble within the empire. Personally, you killed Linxi, Zhixiang,
Xiaoqi, Xiaoba, and many other of my relatives. You also forced me and Yan Xun into our
pathetic lives during the eight years in the Capital. I killed your grandfather, your servants,
and betrayed the Zhuge Family. Our con ict is one that can never be resolved unless one of
us dies. We should have no sympathy for each other, and killing each other is something to
be expected…”

Just like she said, it was morally, emotionally, and logically expected. And indeed, before
this incident, Chu Qiao had never wavered in her conviction. But for some reason, right now,
her voice became smaller and smaller, so much that she herself could no longer hear her
mumbling. Looking at the man still grimacing in his sleep, Chu Qiao caressed his wound.

“Regardless of what happened in the past, I owe you my life.” Chu Qiao quietly whispered,
“Zhuge Yue, I am sorry.”

The room was dead quiet, as the morning sun rose, casting the shadows of windows onto
the ground. Chu Qiao sat on the side of the bed and leaned over beside Zhuge Yue. An
overwhelming wave of exhaustion overtook her conscious, as she nodded o into
dreamland.

By the time Zhuge Yue nally drowsily opened his eyes, it was already dark outside. Chu
Qiao had already helped him change into a black silk long-sleeved indoor robe. With golden
embroideries of orchids, the robe was silky smooth to touch. Feeling hungry and aching all
over his body, Zhuge Yue frowned, and irately mumbled, “Tea!”

Chu Qiao poured him a cup of water and passed it to him.

Probably because he was really thirsty, Zhuge Yue gulped it down without even looking at it.
Following which, he licked his dried lips before smashing the teacup. He bellowed, “I want
tea!” Just as he nished his sentence, he froze, as he nally noticed that Chu Qiao was the
one who had passed him the cup. A split second later, he quickly processed the situation.

fi
fi
fl
ffi
fi
fi
ff
“Too drowsy?” Without minding him, Chu Qiao got o the bed and picked up the broken
pieces of the teacup. Casually, she pointed toward the food tray on the table, and said,
“There is food in there, help yourself.”

Having just lost his composure, Zhuge Yue took a deep breath to steel himself, only to feel
pain from his wound on his shoulder. Still frowning, he questioned, “Why have you not
escaped?”

“I want to escape,” Chu Qiao pouted, as she turned around. “Your servants surrounded this
room, observing you the whole day. How could I escape?”

Zhuge Yue said, “That was frank.”

Shrugging, Chu Qiao replied, “Do I really need to sugarcoat my words when speaking with
you?”

Cleaning up the mess on the oor, she sat cross-legged and glared at Zhuge Yue. Calmly,
she asked, “What do you want? Out with it.”

Zhuge Yue looked at her from the corner of his eyes, as he got o his bed and picked up the
food on the table. Just as he was about to start eating, the pain in his shoulder prevented
him from picking up the food properly. With that, he turned around, and extremely naturally,
he instructed, “Come here, feed me.”

Chu Qiao frowned but ignored him.

Zhuge Yue sat next to the table and unreasonably claimed, “I am usually in a bad mood
when hungry, and would refuse to interact with others. Whatever you want to ask, you
should wait until I am full.”

Jumping o the bed, Chu Qiao calmly took the bowl of soup. Suddenly, with a loud crash,
she smashed it onto the desk. The ceramic bowl shattered, and a large portion of the soup
splashed onto Zhuge Yue’s chest. With a yelp, Zhuge Yue jumped up, as he stared in horror
at the still-steaming wet patch, with food stuck on his clothes like some kind of abhorrent
decoration.

Zhuge Yue’s face turned black. His eyes looked like he would y into a rage anytime. He
turned to the shower room, as he ordered grimly, “Come here! Wipe my body!”

Shower room? Again?

Still wearing his silk trousers, Zhuge Yue bared his upper body and stood in the middle of
the shower room. Looking at Chu Qiao who was still standing by the door, he snorted. “Why
are you standing there? Come here!”

Chu Qiao’s chest heaved up and down violently. Taking a few deep breaths, she clenched
and released her sts a few times to prevent herself from descending into a complete fury.
Finally, she walked over while casually picking up a giant wooden pail along the way. She
ff
fi
fl
ff
fl
ff
 lled it up with steaming hot water and walked toward Zhuge Yue. With her eyes completely
cold with anger, even Zhuge Yue could not help but feel chills down his spine. He
immediately took a step back and entered a defensive posture, all while carefully asking,
“What are you doing?”

Lifting the pail with one hand while supporting the bottom of the pail with the other, Chu
Qiao casually replied, “Did you not ask me to wipe down your body for you? If I do not get it
wet, how can I start wiping?”

“I am injured!” the young man frowned and emphasized.

“Yes, I know.” Chu Qiao nodded earnestly. “That wound was in icted by me!”

“So you are going to just pour water on it?”

“If I do not wet it, how can I start wiping?”

The conversation started to repeat itself. “But I am injured!”

“Yes, I know. I was the one who injured you.”

“Enough!” Zhuge Yue was exasperated. “Get out.”

Chu Qiao looked at the wooden pail. “Really? You do not need me to wipe you anymore?”

Zhuge Yue could no longer hold in his anger, as he shouted, “Get out!”

With that, Chu Qiao turned around and while whistling, marched out casually.

Zhuge Yue’s body was really dirty, full of blood stains and sweat, and the latest addition was
the bowl of sweet soup. Miserably, Zhuge Yue stood beside the water while slowly removing
his pants. His only choice to clean himself was to go into the water. As long as he was
careful not to let water touch his wound, it would be ne. Else, the wound would risk
becoming in amed, and an in amed would leave an ugly scar.

“Oi! These are clean clothes that I just asked your servants to bring over.”

The shower room’s door had been kicked open. Out of re ex, Zhuge Yue jumped into the
water, and howled in exasperation, “Get the hell out!” Zhuge Yue had forgotten that due to
the steaming hot water, apart from seeing his silhouette jumping into the water in a splash,
Chu Qiao could barely see anything else.

Upon seeing the gure jumping into water, Chu Qiao giggled, and reminded him, “Be
careful! Do not drown!” Then she left.

Water had already completely soaked the wound. In frustration, Zhuge Yue tore out the
dressing, and punched the surface of the water in anger!

fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
 Chapter 108
Not having eating anything for the past day, Chu Qiao was starving. After cleaning up the
table, she laid out all the dishes. Tian Rucheng had indeed tried his best to prepare these
dishes. The food tray was split into three layers. The rst was a layer of hot charcoal,
followed by a layer of warm water, and lastly, the delicacies placed on the uppermost layer.
As a result, even though the food had been left out for a long time, it was still hot. Heaving a
sigh of relief, Chu Qiao sat down and started stu ng herself with food.

Upon walking out of the shower room, Zhuge Yue was enraged to see how Chu Qiao was so
casually eating away. With a scowl, he snorted. “Really? You are in such a good mood?”

Turning around, she smiled sweetly. “I am not sure about that. But I am pretty sure I am in a
better mood than you.”

Zhuge Yue stared at her from the corner of his eyes. “Death is the corner, yet you are still so
haughty.”

Not changing her smile, Chu Qiao replied, “Don’t you know? Even before a prisoner is
executed, he is allowed to casually feast.”

Zhuge Yue leaned forward, staring at her with a suspicious gaze. He continued, word by
word, “Are you that sure I will not do anything to you?”

“I’m not sure,” Chu Qiao smiled, “but since you are going to feign innocence, why should I
worry?”

Zhuge Yue rested on his seat and coldly smiled. “Seems like you had learned a lot from Yan
Xun all these years.”

“It was all thanks to you. Right now, I really have nothing except patience.”

In the ickering light that chased away the darkness of the night, the duo sat facing each
other, coldly observing while not showing a single sign of weakness.

The smile on Chu Qiao’s face eventually vanished, and her casual look faded away. Coldly
glaring at this man’s charming face, she slowly said, “Zhuge Yue, what exactly do you want?
Out with it!”

This fourth master of the Zhuge Family lightly smiled and blinked his eyes wickedly. “What
do you think?”

“Zhuge Yue, let me go, or else,” Chu Qiao squinted her eyes and continued, “kill me.”

Zhuge Yue raised the corner of his lips slowly and whispered, “Xing’er, not everything in this
world is black or white; somethings are gray. Likewise, choices are not limited to just two.”

“Between you and me there are only two possible outcomes.” Chu Qiao stared into his
eyes, and forlornly said, “I really am thankful for the countless times you assisted me and
fl

ffi
fi
 spared of my life, but that does not mean that we can peacefully coexist. Zhuge Yue, you
are the master of a great noble family and have great in uence over the empire. How can
you be so naive, so easily trusting others? Are you not scared that I will stab you in the
back?”

Zhuge Yue laughed out in response, before replying, “Xing’er, do you really think that I am so
compassionate, and could not bear to kill?” His face suddenly turned ruthless and cruel.
Devoid of emotions, his eyes were xed on her. He casually said, “I merely understood your
true colors. Yan Xun helped you very slightly, yet you were willing to stay with him in that
situation for 8 years. What about now? How can you bear to kill someone whom you are so
indebted to? Xing’er, I am not naive, I merely know you very well.”

The gloomy atmosphere was aggravated, as their clashing gazes seemed to almost create
sparks.

“Are you not afraid that you are wrong?”

“I trust you, and even more, I trust myself.”

Chu Qiao licked her dry lips before slowly replying, “So what do you want now?”

Zhuge Yue replied as if a matter of fact, “Catch you and bring you away.”

“You can’t control me.”

“I like challenges.” Zhuge Yue smiled and continued, “If I cannot control you, I can
manipulate you. If I cannot manipulate you, I can imprison you. And if I really could not even
imprison you, I still have one last option. And right now, it is not time yet for that last option.”

Chu Qiao raised her head and stared into his eyes. Grimly, she said, “Zhuge Yue, do you still
not understand the mistakes you made?”

Upon hearing that, Zhuge Yue raised an eyebrow and snorted. “Mistakes? It was just a few
slaves. So what if I killed them? What mistakes were there?”

“I’m not talking about that.” Chu Qiao frowned and nally heaved a long sigh. “Fine, I’ll
admit it, I do not want to kill you, nor do I want to become your enemy. There was indeed
hatred between us, but I was also indebted to you. When the Grand Old Master of Zhuge
Family died and there was a city-wide search for me, you did not tell on me despite knowing
where I was. From this point alone, I already owe you a huge favor. But you must be very
clear, right now you are a very important person within the Zhuge Family in the Xia Empire,
while I am a leader for the Yan Bei rebels. The war between Yan Bei and the Xia empire is
bound to happen. Given our positions, we are bound to face each other on the battle eld
one day. As such, we should not interact too much. Since I’ve fallen into your hands now,
whatever you do I can only accept it. But you must also understand, as long as we are
together, I have a chance to kill you, ensuring mutual defeat. I prefer to make everything
clear and not remain ambiguous. The war between Yan Bei and the Xia Empire will not
bene t the Zhuge Family at all. You should make a choice after weighing the bene ts for
your family. If you want to kill or to release me, make up your mind now.”

fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
 Upon hearing that, Zhuge Yue smirked. Softly, he responded, “Xing’er, you are really making
me more and more interested in you.”

Chu Qiao’s face turned even colder, as she warned him, “Zhuge Yue, I have not killed you
yet, but that does not mean that when I am forced to ght, I will be so kind to let you live!
Previously, you did not threaten my life, but if you forcefully intervene in my life, I do not
mind killing just another person!”

Zhuge Yue casually brushed the threat o . “Go ahead, try it.”

With a loud simultaneous clang, the duo stood up, their eyes locked onto each other. The
negotiation had already shattered. Both had a mutual understanding that there would only
be one ending to this conversation at this point in time!

It was then, footsteps resounded from beyond the room. Startled, Chu Qiao entered an
o ensive posture, ready to ght to the end.

“Master!” Yue Qi’s voice could be heard. “Mister Tian invited you to meet him at the Fang
room.”

Zhuge Yue questioned, “Now?”

“Indeed.”

“Do not go!” Chu Qiao’s dagger pressed onto Zhuge Yue’s neck as she warned. As long as
Zhuge Yue remained within these four walls, she would at least still have some room for
negotiation. The moment he headed out, she would sink into an encirclement. How could
she let that happen?

“If I do not go they will suspect something is amiss. Tian Rucheng will come down to
inspect.”

Chu Qiao insisted, “Find an excuse!”

Zhuge Yue sneered and pointed at the wardrobe before saying, “You used the excuse of me
messing around with women to delay this for one whole day. What other excuse do you
want me to give?”

“I don’t care!” Chu Qiao unreasonably stated. “If you refuse to go, I do not know if someone
will come to check on us. But I am sure that as long as you leave this room, I will be
completely disadvantaged! Zhuge Yue, I am not stupid!”

Zhuge Yue impatiently twitched his eyebrows. He suggested, “Why not come with me!”

Chu Qiao was taken aback. During her pause, Zhuge Yue continued, “You are roughly the
same height as that woman. Also, women of the Tang Empire always wear veils when
outside, so no one could see your face. And…” Zhuge Yue’s gaze swept around Chu Qiao’s
nearly non-existent bosom. He continued, “The woman’s clothing here is too loose, so no
one could see a di erence in your gure either.”

ff
ff
fi
fi
ff
fi
Chu Qiao’s face instantly brimmed with rage.

Zhuge Yue ignored her furious expression and yawned. Casually, he instructed,
“Considering your abilities, what is there to be scared about as long as you travel beside
me? Quickly, go and do your makeup and change your clothes.”

This was the rst time Chu Qiao had tried to properly apply makeup in many years.

This had nothing to do with herself being a tomboy. She really could not understand what
these ancient tools were for. After combing her hair for what seemed to be an eternity, her
hair was still like a birds nest.

Zhuge Yue was sitting on the side, sipping his tea while waiting. Turning his head around, he
noticed her sorry appearance and laughed. He walked over, and took the comb from her
hand while muttering, “Are you still a woman?”

To be fair, no matter how intelligent a woman is, she would not completely ignore her own
looks. This is the same logic as to how no matter how pretty a woman is, she could not
completely ignore the size of her chest.

Chu Qiao raise her head and bellowed, “Shut up!”

Zhuge Yue snorted unhappily as he forcibly yanked the comb down.

With a pained yelp, Chu Qiao grabbed her hair, and shouted, “Be gentle!”

“So noisy. Keep it up and I will pull out all of your hair!”

“You’d dare to do that?”

“Hmph!”

“Ahh! You b*stard, be gentler!”

A few minutes later, streams of jet black hair smoothly passed through his ngertips. After
grabbing them by the bundle, and curling it up, he rmly tied it up using silk bands. Picking
out an orchid from the accessory box, he pushed the ower into her bundled hair and held it
in place only revealing the beautiful ower. With a lock of smoothly owing side hair on each
side, and neatly shaped bangs in the front, her hair was complete. Then, pushing up her
bangs, he dotted a crimson point on her forehead before giving her eyebrows a thin layer of
liner. Powdering her cheeks slightly, he added a touch of blush. With that, a simple yet
appropriate makeup look was completed. Despite that, her entire aura changed, and even
Chu Qiao herself could hardly recognize the beauty in the mirror.

Zhuge Yue opened the wardrobe, and lazily mumbled, “Pick one.”

Chu Qiao did not even hesitate, and randomly took a set of white clothes out. Zhuge Yue
snatched it away, and chided, “White again? You only wore white and black before. Are you
going for some kind of funeral?” Brushing his nger along the clothes in the wardrobe, he
picked out a jade green dress with layers and layers of embroideries that centered around a
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
 mandarin duck. Loose and u y, the dress looked like oating clouds. With the belt around
her waist, her slender gure was heavily accentuated. Wearing an overcoat, her slender
gure suddenly became vague and ambiguous, which added a seductive touch.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Chu Qiao herself was lost for words. The girl in the mirror
was beautiful and elegant, with crystal clear eyes that had a touch of determination.

For a moment, Zhuge Yue was also taken aback, but he steadied himself quickly. Pouting,
he murmured, “After dressing properly, you really do look like a woman.”

Chu Qiao sarcastically commented, “You are really skilled at this.”

Zhuge Yue snorted in response and did not return the favor. He then threw aside the silk veil
that he had originally prepared. After another round of selection, he decided on a scarf that
seemed thick enough to be a pair of socks, and hung it on Chu Qiao’s head, covering her
entire face.

Chapter 109
Wearing the thick scarf, Chu Qiao was as good as blind. She complained, “What are you
doing? This is a scarf worn in desert storms to protect your face. If I wear this I will not be
able to see the way.”

Zhuge Yue ignored her complaints, and insisted, “If you cannot see, just follow me. I will
show you the way.”

Chu Qiao did not buy his nonsense, as she thought to herself if she had to wear such thick
scarf, why did she need to wear makeup?

Carefully walking a few steps, she nearly hit the table.

“So stupid!” Zhuge Yue stepped up and pulled on her hand. Angrily, he chided, “Follow me!”

Chu Qiao suddenly started struggling. “Let me go!”

Zhuge Yue turned around, swiftly grabbing her by her chin. Startled, Chu Qiao thought he
was going to attack her. In the blink of an eye, the dagger she hid in her sleeves was already
pressed against his neck. Zhuge Yue completely ignored the blade, as he stared coldly into
her eyes, and grimly warned, “If you continue to whine, I really do not mind a mutual death.”
With that said, he turned to the door and started walking while pulling on her.

“Watch the door! No one shall enter!”

“Roger!”

“Let’s go! What are you thinking about?” Impatiently, Zhuge Yue snapped, as he pulled Chu
Qiao out of the door.

With Yue Qi taking the lead, the team of bodyguards tailed behind them, only leaving a few
soldiers to guard the door. Watching the group leave, one of the soldiers left on guard duty
fi
fi

fl
ff
fl
uttered, “Seems like master really like this woman. He is bringing her along wherever he is
going.”

“It would be highly possible that once we return from the Tang Empire, we witness a
marriage. Even if she does not become his wife, it would be highly possible to become a
concubine. Master has long been of age to marry.”

The night wind was cooling and comfortable, and except the occasional rustling of leaves,
the surroundings were peacefully silent. Within the city, crowds bustled on the wide streets,
moving from shop to shop. Such scene was evidently the best indication of the prosperity of
the Tang Empire.

Xian Yang City. Again.

After many days of continuous traveling, a certain group of people nally entered the
grandiose gates of Xian Yang City. While a few of their guards submitted the entrance fees
for entering the city, over twenty cavalrymen escorted a cyan colored horse carriages into
the streets of Xian Yang slowly.

As much as Xian Yang City was a city in the outskirts far from the capital, the city still
boasted a prosperous economy. As such, with a quick glance, one would be impressed by
the splendid buildings in this city.

Within the city, it was further split into the inner city and outer city. The inner city was mainly
formed by Meng Red Palace and Luo Li palace which were South and East of the Chi Shui
River. The two palaces sprawled across the tributaries of Chi Shui river and were connected
by a stone bridge more than 400 meters in length. Thick and wide, the bridge could
accommodate over twenty carriages traveling in parallel. Although the Meng Ren Palace
and the Luo Li Palace were nominally called palaces, they were in fact formed by rows and
rows of mansions.

It was common knowledge that the prosperity of Xian Yang City was comparable to even
the major port cities of the Song Empire. This city, which was barely a fth of Zhen Huang
City, bene ted from the geographical advantages after free trade was declared between the
Xia, Tang, and Song Empire. In merely three decades, it was ranked among the most
prosperous cities within the West Meng Continent. The yearly taxes that Xian Yang
contribute to the empire was enough to pay for the upkeep of one-third of the entire imperial
army for that year. It was rumored that this small city had gathered all the richest people
within the entire West Meng Continent. Many a uent people would buy land and build
grand mansions within the city. As a result, glancing across the entire city, the grand city
exuded an aura of opulence.

The outer city was extremely large and was over ten time the size of the inner city. This was
the location where the common folks would carry out their daily activities. With well-
developed shops and industries, and well-constructed infrastructure, one could nd
anything one would want to go to: bars, money lenders, pawn shops, horse keepers, inns,
taverns, etc. Beside the Chi Shui river, a building painted bright pink and jade green could
be seen from afar. Even in the day, one could catch an occasional echo of ladies’ laughter
fi
ffl
fi
fi
fi
from within. As the entourage entered deep into the Xian Yang City, it gradually shed its
inconspicuous act. After all, this place was a place where all the richest and most powerful
congregated, so even have 20 guards would not be considered conspicuous.

This group of people was people from Yan Bei. The man in the carriage would obviously be
the man brought Yan Bei to independence, Yan Xun. Looking pale, his eyes still gleamed
with a certain sharpness. His eyebrows locked in a frown, he looked as though he was
considering something of great importance.

“Master, we have arrived.”

Yan Xun wore a simple green blouse. Loosening his frown, he calmly alighted and walked
toward a majestic mansion.

This mansion sat within Luo Li Palace and consisted of 18 separate houses. Although this
area could not match some of the grand mansions within Zhen Huang City, considering the
sky-high prices of the land in Xian Yang City due to the scarcity, it was obvious that the
owner of this mansion was of extremely high standing within Xian Yang City.

Along the way, Yan Xun saw not even a shadow. AhJing and other guards spread out and
positioned themselves around the entire mansion. After a few moments, Yan Xun, escorted
by over a dozen guards, entered the main courtyard, only to see a man dressed in a jade
colored robe kneeling along with hundreds of people behind him. Without lifting his head,
the man called out, “This servant welcome the prince. Long live the prince!”

Yan Xun let out a rare laugh, as he walked forward, putting his hand on the man’s shoulder,
he teased, “B*stard, just get up!”

That man was merely in his early twenties and had well-de ned features with snow white
skin. His thin eyebrows even looked a tad feminine, and his darting eyes revealed his
calculative personality.

“Haha.” The youth laughed. “Prince, you must be tired by the journey here. I have prepared
good food and wine. Please take a moment to rest.”

Nodding, Yan Xun walked over. While walking, he tugged at the other man’s clothes, before
joking, “Zhijin silk? You brat, seems like you had been living a good life!”

“Prince,” The young man bitterly smiled, as he pouted innocently and declared, “this is
already the most normal set. It was precisely because I was worried that you would say I
was too luxurious that I dug this out. Even now I feel itchy wearing this.”

“Haha!” Yan Xun laughed out loud, before turning to face AhJing, “You see this? People like
him would ridicule you the moment you give them a chance!”

Heartily smiling in response, AhJing teasingly punched the young man, and said, “Still so
arrogant. Watch out, master can take over your whole house!”

The crowd joked around while entering the room. Within the main hall, a sumptuous meal
had been prepared. Nothing discussing anything important, the crowd started eating while
fi
 talking about the interesting things they had seen along the way. Yan Xun seemed to be in a
great mood today, as he had not been annoyed even though AhJing made a joke out of how
Yan Xun saved the lady of Helian family.

After the meal, AhJing quietly stepped aside, as Yan Xun and the youth entered the study
room. Closing the door, the duo nally showed no signs of casualness as their faces were
dead serious. Brushing his clothes aside, the youth kneeled onto the ground, and with an
expression of excitation, he forlornly said, “Prince, you have nally come.”

Squatting down, Yan Xun helped him up. Right now Yan Xun’s face wore a rare expression
of gentleness, as he calmly proclaimed, “Feng Mian, how long have we not met?”

As expected, this youth was the page boy that had served as the messenger between Yan
Xun and Chu Qiao. On that day, most of Yan Xun’s servants had been killed out of Zhen
Huang City. Feng Mian was able to escape despite his severe wounds. Following that
incident, all of Yan Bei family was uprooted. With Yan Xun’s loss of in uence, Feng Mian
went through two horrible years. Only in the third year, after Yan Xun bribed the prison
guards, Feng Mian was able to escape from the endless darkness in the prison.

Being unable to stay in the royal capital, he headed south by himself. After coming to the
Xian Yang City, and with the assistance of Da Tong Guild and some Yan Bei powers, he had
become one of the greatest ma a bosses within Xian Yang in just six years. His in uence
spread far and wide, and he owned over 80 shops of various types. He also controlled over
twenty ship construction yards, and created the notorious Cao Gang that ruled the waters in
the region. Now, within the entire South-eastern region, the name Feng Mian, or more
respectably known as Lord Feng, was a household name that even three-year-olds would
know of.

“Prince, it has been already six years. This servant has nally met you again.” With reddened
eyes, one could see a drop of tears in Feng Mian’s eyes as he deeply proclaimed while
holding onto Yan Xun’s hand.

“Indeed, with just a blink of our eyes, you have already grown so much.” Yan Xun responded
cheerily, “As the famous Feng Lord, would it not be inappropriate for you to refer to yourself
as a servant? I heard even that elderly Master Jing and the Ling King frequented your
business. Last year when the song of Ling King, Zhao Zhongyen, owed you money, you
dared to even openly burn down his eet. In that re, Ling King lost several thousand rolls of
silk, and he almost had to borrow huge loans to cover his losses.”

Feng Mian shyly smiled, not having a tinge of the aura that a ma a boss would normally
have. In fact, right now he behaved more like a shy little girl. Embarrassed, he replied, “What
lord? Others just decided arbitrarily to address me as Lord Feng. Zhao Zhongyen used the
fact that he was a descendant of the Zhao Family to bully me, so naturally, I cannot let him
o easily. Additionally, back in the royal capital, we had often been sabotaged by Ling King,
this servant had long been annoyed by their attitude. Plus…” As he spoke, Feng Mian’s eyes
were tinged with fervor, as he continued, “In front of the prince, Feng Mian would always be
a servant. Without the prince, there would be no way I could succeed. Even my life belongs
to the prince. If I try to put on airs in front of the prince, can I still be called a human?”

ff
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
“Alright, enough, enough.” Yan Xun laughed, as he continued, “I was merely teasing you,
why take it so seriously?” With that said, he pulled Feng Mian, who was still kneeling, up.
The duo sat on opposite sides of a table as Feng Mian nimbly started prepared tea. Before
long, the refreshing scent of tea di used throughout the room.

“Prince,” With sparkling eyes, Feng Mian smiled and asked, “Where is the lady? Is she not
with you? I heard about the slaughter in Zhen Huang, along with the tales of how the Lady
brought the troops wrecking havoc even after the rebellion night. This servant was so
excited I almost mustered my men to return to Yan Bei. This time while you head to the Tang
Empire, is the lady not going to follow you?”

Calmly Yan Xun replied, “I separated from her. Did you not know that Zhao Che ordered a
nationwide search?”

“What?” Feng Mian was stunned. “But didn’t Yan Bei claim that she had already returned?”

“That was false information sent out by me to cloud their judgment, hopefully reducing the
number of pursuers behind AhChu when they think that she had already returned to safety.”
Drinking a sip of tea, he continued, “Although I had warned all the lords and nobles not to
give chase, I had to still play mind games with them to ensure the best outcome.”

Feng Mian nodded, as he frowned. “That means the lady is still out there trying to escape.
Prince, worry not, this servant will send people out to search for her. As long as she is still
within the Xia Empire, regardless if she is on land or in water, this servant has ways to nd
her.”

Yan Xun slowly shook his head. “My guess is that she has already entered the Tang Empire.”

“The Tang Empire?”

“Indeed. If my guess is correct, she wants to enter the Tang Empire, and head toward the
southern borders, before heading back to Yan Bei.”

“Is that why you are here in the Tang Empire?”

Nodding, Yan Xun replied, “Yes, that is one of the reasons.”

“Alright, this servant will order the Cao Gang to look for her within the Tang Empire. As long
as she is going by water, I will de nitely receive news of her.”

Chapter 110
Yan Xun snickered. “To nd her would not be so easy. If AhChu was determined to hide,
there would be no way those idiots from the Xia Empire could do anything to nd her. I
would be really relieved if you could help search for her outside. At the end of the day, I am
still worried about her being out there alone.”

“Roger.”

fi

fi
ff
fi
fi
“And one more thing.” Contemplating for a short while, Yan Xun inquired, “How have you
handled the things I requested for in the letter last month.”

Feng Mian’s expression became even more serious, as he walked over to the table and
picked up a thick stack of papers, before answering, “They are all here. All the intel has
been collected.”

Yan Xun received the papers, and glanced through them brie y, before smirking. “As
expected, they really could not hold their horses anymore.”

“Prince, the Da Tong Guild is our ally who had supported Yan Bei all along. If we were to do
that, wouldn’t others spread nasty rumors about us?”

Smirking, Yan Xun jolted his wrist, as the stack of paper ru ed in his hands. Calmly, he
declared, “Feng Mian, did you really think the Da Tong guild was still the same after
hundreds of years? Perhaps only respectable people like Mister Wu still held wonderful
ideals close to their hearts. Da Tong had long been rotten. Do you still not understand after
so many years of being in Xian Yang?”

Hesitating for a moment to construct his opinions, Feng Mian agreed, “Prince, you are
indeed right. This servant feels that there are serious structural problems within the Da Tong
guild. Although there are still groups of people, particularly those led by Lady Yu and Mister
Wu, who uphold righteousness within their heart and still work towards their ideals, most of
the elders had succumbed to vices. This had become common knowledge within the guild.
As the person in charge of so many gambling dens, taverns and brothels, this servant is
undoubtedly most clear with all these shady proceedings within the Da Tong guild.

Yan Xun patted Feng Mian’s shoulder, and laughed heartily. “Silly boy, could you still not
accept all these as the norm even after so many years of being here in Xian Yang City?
Perhaps hundreds of years ago, the Da Tong Guild was truly dedicated to bettering life for
the people. But now it was reduced to just a title that people use to congregate political
power. The elders within Da Tong had already gathered scary amounts of fortune, and they
only lack a suitable political representative to stand as the puppet gurehead of this
powerful organization. If they could achieve that, they would be able to gain even more
advantages.” As he continued his monologue, Yan Xun’s gaze was icy cold. “Equality for all.
Hmph, What an attractive slogan. It is a pity that where people are present, competition
exists. Likewise, where bene ts are present, war exists. Equality for all? Perhaps only
cowards and idiots would believe in such a thing. But I must acknowledge how this slogan
had really been attractive, particularly during this era of chaos. Many common folks had
placed their hopes on the Da Tong Guild. Right now, if we cooperate with them, we can
provide the military might, while they can provide the resources and nances. We can
provide for each other’s needs. This was a cooperation matched in heaven.”

Feng Mian was confused. “If that is so, why must the Prince ask this servant to search out
for that intel?”

“Regardless of the organization, there should only be one leader.” Yan Xun turned around
and watched the swaying willow branches. Subconsciously his ngers strummed on the
fi
ffl
fl
fi
fi
fi
 table, before he carried on his speech, “The Da Tong Guild had in ltrated too far. The Guild
leader dared to even in ltrate his loyal men into Yan Bei to hold key appointments. Right
now, regardless of military or administration, many of Yan Bei’s have close ties with Da Tong.
If we let this be, my position in Yan Bei would be very passive.”

Yan Xun continued his monologue, “Right now, Yan Bei is still not that stable, so I cannot
risk to change out too many o cials. But I can take this opportunity give the Guild Leader a
reminder. I am sure the Da Tong Guild Leader is a smart person, so he could understand this
indirect warning. In the rst place, these stubborn elders probably had already given the
Guild Leader a lot of headaches.”

Hearing that, Feng Mian got pumped up. The usually calm and elegant Feng Lord laughed
naughtily. “Indeed, I had since long been pretty pissed o by their antics. If I had not
considered your position, I would have xed them up good long ago!”

Yan Xun stood up, and with a chuckle, said, “Let us get ready. After we take a shower and
rest a bit, you shall follow me to meet these Elders of the Da Tong Guild.”

Feng Mian stood up, smiling as well. He was just about to exit from the room, before he
turned and asked Yan Xun, “Right, Prince, what will you be wearing tonight? Casual
clothes? Or the Da Tong Guild uniform?”

Yan Xun pondered for a second, before replying, “Let’s just wear the uniform.”

“But there are multiple ranks of uniforms. Although the younger faction refers to you as their
leader, you are still considered a low ranking guild member. I am worried they will nd fault
with you.”

“Find fault?” Yan Xun raised his eyebrow in amusement, before turning his lips into a smirk.
“Do you think I am scared of people nding faults with me?”

As the night fell, the Xian Yang City began bustling with night activities. The Chi Shui River
that owed across the city carried with it a wisp of fragrance, as the commotion of the
unceasing business on the riverbanks emphasized yet again the prosperity of Xian Yang
City. Particularly, the brothels are crowded with customers, just like any other normal
business day.

In front of Yan Xun was a titanic tavern. Squinting his eyes, Yan Xun observed that in front of
the main door were two gigantic red lanterns. Despite the plain design of the door, there was
an aura of nobility and majesty which remained una ected by the rowdy crowds of the
night. Above the main doors hung a huge wooden plate, with two beautiful calligraphic
words written on it—Zhao Xi.

This was merely a brothel but was given such a graceful name. Seeing that Yan Xun was
slightly taken aback, Feng Mian closed up and whispered, “Prince, this is my brother, but
the name was in fact named by the lady back in my starting years!”

Yan Xun nodded. As much as Feng Mian was a capable person, when he rst arrived in Xian
Yang he was pretty much a novice in businesses. Most of his plans and knowledge were
fl
fi
fi
ffi
fi
fi
ff
ff
fi
fi
fi
taught by Chu Qiao. This brothel probably cost a lot of Chu Qiao’s e ort as well. Thinking
about her, Yan Xun could not help but frown yet again. He then walked into the store.

The manager of the brothel had noticed Feng Mian from afar and was already in waiting
beside the door along with a group of beautiful ladies.

An extremely seductive lady walked forth. She was probably in her early 30s, but she did not
look that old at all. Curvaceous and tender, her eyes winked irtatiously as she greeted Feng
Mian, “Lord Feng, thank you for visiting us today. I was so happy to see you I could not
decide which leg to use rst to go welcome you!”

With Yan Xun beside him, Feng Mian could not help but feel slightly anxious. Immediately,
he continued, “Yu Niang, where are Elder Liu and his group? Quickly, bring us over.”

Yu Niang was experienced in handling people, so she could immediately tell that they were
here for serious business. She quickly let the way. Noticing that Feng Mian had reverently
trailed behind Yan Xun, she could not help but to secretly be surprised. Being well
accustomed to social situations, she remained quiet and did not voice out her curiosity.

Before long, the group passed through a long corridor into an intricately designed courtyard.
The boisterous main hall gradually faded into inaudibility. Within the courtyard, there were all
kinds of bonsai and owers. As the night breeze grazed past, one could catch a wisp of the
refreshing scent of owers.

Walking to a separate small tower, Yu Niang giggled. “They are here. I will proceed no more.
Please head up yourself, Lord Feng.” Following that, this seductive woman turned around
and laid her gentle hands on Yan Xun’s arms. Amorously, she whispered, “This is our rst
meeting, but I could immediately tell you are unlike those common folk. If you have time in
the future, please frequent Lord Feng’s businesses, and come here often.”

Feng Mian was stunned by that speech. He was just about to explain, but Yan Xun had
already pushed her hands away and smiled lightly, replying, “Sure, why not?”

Yu Niang then left, her curvaceous gure swaying as she walked.

Feng Mian panickedly explained, “Prince…”

“Feng Mian, you need not be so nervous. Also, do not address me as the prince anymore.
Let us go.” Yan Xun brushed his sleeves aside, as he headed in, “Let us go in and take a
look.”

The wide hall was brightly illuminated with a round table placed in the middle crowded full of
dishes. Yan Xun looked around and saw that around eight to nine men had already sat down
with a bodyguard standing behind them. Upon seeing Yan Xun and Feng Mian enter, their
voice instantly ceased and threw antagonistic gazes at Yan Xun and Feng Mian.

Feng Mian and Yan Xun removed their coats and passed them to AhJing, before greeting
the elders.

fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
Yan Xun and Feng Mian were just about to sit down, as a 60-year-old man caustically
remarked, “Lord Feng is really so in uential now! Not only did he arrive late, but he brought
two guards with him. Seems like the Cao Gang has seen good business to the point where
he does not need to care about all of us old fellows!” This acrimonious comment smelled of
gunpowder, not leaving a single chance of misinterpretation.

A tinge of coldness ash within Feng Mian’s eyes, but before he could speak, Yan Xun
already voiced out, “You are Elder Yu, right? The overall in charge of salt supply in the
Southeastern region.”

Looking at Yan Xun from the corner of his eyes, Elder Yu did not even reply and merely
snorted.

Not discouraged, Yan Xun greeted him with both hands clasped in front, and tried to
introduce himself, “I am…”

“No one is interested in your position!” Elder Yu coldly looked at Yan Xun, along with his
lowly ranked uniform, and sarcastically continued, “You should better recognize your own
position. There is no place for you to speak here. Since you came with Lord Feng, you
should just shut up and listen!”

Feng Mian frowned and stood up with great indignity. Yet Yan Xun held him back, and
casually looked at Elder Yu. He calmly replied, “Elder Yu, I think there is a need for you to
know my name. You might have heard of me before, and from now onward, you will have a
deeper impression of me.”

With that said, Yan Xun tapped the table with his hand. In a ash, AhJing suddenly jumped
out from behind Yan Xun. With a straight punch, he struck squarely into Elder Yu’s face! In
that split second, the sound of Elder Yu’s nose breaking could be clearly heard. With a
shriek, Elder Yu ew backward. AhJing agilely dashed forward, and grabbing Elder Yu by the
collar, he continued hammering the old man’s face into a bloody mess.

The bodyguard behind Elder Yu charged forth after that moment of hesitation. With a
whoosh, he drew his blade. Feng Mian dashed forward, and without dodging, he grabbed
the bodyguard’s wrist and with a quick yank, that man’s wrist was twisted at an unnatural
angle along with a loud snap! With a cry of anguish, his blade had been snatched away by
Feng Mian. Despite living in a bed of roses for all these years, Lord Feng swung the blade
with great skill and dexterity. With a quick slash, he amputated that man’s hand!

The crowd was completely astonished. Although Feng Mian was young, he usually acted
with a certain maturity and treated all these Da Tong Elders with respect. What happened
that he suddenly became so crazed? Was it really because his old master had gained
authority within Yan Bei that he did not care about Da Tong Guild anymore? In the rst
place, who was this young man that came with Feng Mian?

The crowd watched on in horror and confusion.

fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
Slowly raising his body, Yan Xun’s lowly ranked white colored uniform now seemed
strangely disturbing and fearsome as he walked to Elder Yu and slowly announced, “Didn’t
you know that interrupting others in their speech is very impolite?”

Following that, under the terri ed gazes of the surrounding people, he lifted his foot and
stomped down onto Elder Yu’s face! With a mu ed sound of impact, fresh blood splattered
all over!

Elder Yu fainted without even making a sound. One could no longer tell if he was alive.

“Drag him out.” Yan Xun instructed calmly, as though he had just stepped on an ant instead
of a Da Tong Elder. A few droplets of blood had landed on his hands. As he sat back into his
seat, he took out a white handkerchief and casually wiped his hand.

Chapter 111
AhJing dragged a man in each hand as he threw them out without hesitation!

The crowd was completely speechless. This was the second storey! Below the building was
a very deep pond, and without surprise, two giant splashes resounded.

Walking back, AhJing stood behind Yan Xun. Right now, even Feng Mian stood behind Yan
Xun, both showing deference to this young man.

Smiling innocently, Yan Xun was completely devoid of the bloodthirsty aura he had
previously exuded, as though everything that had just happened was completely none of his
business. Serenely, he said, “I apologize for getting too excited just now.”

Dead silence was the only response. These old men who usually willfully ordered others
around were completely unable to process what just happened. They could only stupidly
stare at Yan Xun as if he was a visitor from another world.

“Now, I wonder if any of your bodyguards can swim?” Smiling elegantly, Yan Xun quietly
pointed out as he donned his most pleasant expression. If this was any other day, one
would be warmed upon seeing this expression. But now to these Elders, his smile had a
devilish touch to it, petrifying even their thoughts.

“I asked that because I believe if no one were to go and save them, the two of them would
really drown.” Leaning on the chair, he helplessly shook his head. “It was really unfortunate, I
did not notice the pond when we arrived.”

After he enlightened them, the masses nally responded. The old men jumped out of their
seats as they scrambled for people to save the duo who had been thrown into the pond.
The hall was instantly overcome with a urry of activity. Finally, they managed to bring the
drowning Elder Yu back onto land. When they had nally wiped away the cold sweat on their
forehead and returned to their seats, Yan Xun had already nished his meal.

“Lord Feng, who is this friend of yours? Since he is a fellow comrade in the guild, how can
he not know the rules?” an elder in red commented. This old man’s surname is Liu, and he

fi
fi
fl
ffl
fi
fi
 was a key appointment holder in the Da Tong Guild branch within Xian Yang City. He held
his position in Xian Yang City for the past 40 years, and his in uence had spread far and
wide. Even Mister Wu and Lady Yu would not dare to ignore his opinion. When armies go to
war, they need nances and logistics. This Elder Liu was precisely the one who held control
over those within Da Tong guild.

Yan Xun calmly replied, completely unfazed, “Gentlemen, I was about to introduce myself
just now. Because Elder Yu was too impatient, I was unable to do so. I believe I should now
take the opportunity to introduce myself.” Illuminated by the ickering ames, Yan Xun
smiled, while slowly declaring, “I am Yan Xun, just having come over from Yan Bei. Nice to
meet you.”

“The King of Yan Bei?” Elder Liu jumped up, and in the process, he accidentally ipped the
teapot in front of him. The tea spilled over half his beautiful blouse, but he paid no attention
as he widened his eyes in disbelief staring into Yan Xun’s harmless, smiling face.

“More accurately, although Yan Bei declared its independence, I have yet to be formally
crowned as King. Then again, if Elder Liu insists, I do not mind being addressed as that.”

“How can that be?” another elder commented in disbelief. “How could people from Yan Bei
arrive here at Xian Yang?”

Yan Xun laughed it o . “Elder Xi, of course, you hoped that I could not come. That is
because you already planned to shift all of your assets to the Tang Empire. If I came, your
plan would have failed.”

With that declaration, everyone was stunned yet again! The Elders stared at Yan Xun in
horror, their faces drained of all color.

The smile on Yan Xun’s face faded, as his tone turned forlorn. “The Xia Empire is about to
rise from the ashes yet again, and will soon return to Zhen Huang City. Zhao Yang is
mustering his troops with Zhao Che guarding Zhen Huang City while reorganizing the
imperial forces. The war between Yan Bei and the Xia Empire is looming on the horizon.
Seems like the Da Tong Guild no longer feels that Yan Bei stands a chance, so you lot are
already planning your retreat to the Tang Empire, right?”

“Yan…Prince Yan,” Elder Liu squeezed out an excuse, “this is but a strategy from above! To
prevent complete annihilation of our forces, the Guild Leader ordered this! The Da Tong
Guild has been through life and death with Yan Bei all these years and has completely
aligned our interests with Yan Bei. To rescue you, we sacri ced countless men. Right now,
this is but a strategic relocation to preserve our strength!”

Yan Xun coldly stared at their fearful gazes, and somberly declared, “In these eight years, Da
Tong used my title to keep Yan Bei in order, and ensured that the civilian population did not
su er. I, Yan Xun, will never forget that gratitude! But!” Yan Xun’s face completely tensed up
as he squinted, and continued, “But it was precisely you lot who took control over the
nances and taxes of Yan Bei. Gaining control over the Baiyu Pass and the trade in the
west, you amassed a huge fortune. And half a year ago, right before I returned to Yan Bei,
you took the opportunity to collect ten years worth of taxes, robbing the Yan Bei civilians of
fi
ff
fi
ff
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
 their livelihood. Right now, seeing how Yan Bei is about to begin a war with the imperial
forces, you are planning to just leave Yan Bei behind? Where do you intend for Yan Bei to
go?” With that said, Yan Xun smiled again and continued mocking them, “The young and
courageous warriors of Da Tong risk their lives out in the battle eld, yet you are enjoying
such luxury here. Do you not feel your conscience su ering? I heard Feng Mian possess
some data. I wonder what would Lady Yu say if I publicized it?”

The crowd’s pale faces turned even paler upon hearing that blatant threat. Among the next
generation of young leaders, Wu Daoya had the greatest in uence, but when it came to
ability, Lady Yu would be de nitely the best. This young lady’s merciless tactics and extreme
hatred toward those she deemed evil was unparalleled. If that data was made known to her,
they could not imagine what wrath they would face.

“About this, Prince Yan, this old man believes that the data should still be kept away from
Daoya and AhYu.”

“Of course.” Yan Xun smile in agreement. “Elder Liu, we are on the same side. There is still
much work to do. Battles must be fought one by one, and the walls of the Xia Empire must
be demolished inch by inch. We need a strong army and a peaceful governing party on the
surface. As such, some things must not be made too clear. Else the populace might lose
con dence in Da Tong.”

“Yes, indeed.”

“If that is the case, I am sure all of you would know what to do.”

Elder Liu tested the waters by asking, “So we will just peacefully wait for the news of Yan
Bei’s success in Xian Yang?”

“You need not.” Yan Xun shook his head. “You can continue to transport your assets to the
Tang Empire.”

Stunned again, the Elders stared at this young man in disbelief for the umpteenth time today
only to see Yan Xun break out in a cunning smile. “Worry not. I just happen to be heading to
the Tang Empire as well. After that, I will head to the southern border before going back to
Yan Bei. These resources will be brought back when I am returning.”

Elder Liu and the others’ expressions instantly turned sour upon hearing that. Yan Xun stood
up and casually ended the conversation. “Right, dinner was good, and the conversation has
been wrapped up. It is time for me to take my leave. Elder Liu, this time, I will be using your
nephew’s name to head to the Tang Empire. I hope that by tomorrow, you can put
everything in order. Ultimately, the Tang Prince is getting married. As the number one
merchant in Xian Yang, you should bring some decent congratulatory gifts.” Saying that, Yan
Xun addressed the room full of Elders by clasping his hands, and declaring, “Farewell!”

The carriage traveled in the late night of Xian Yang, but even then, the streets were still
bustling with activities.

fi
fi
ff
fl
fi
Confused, Feng Mian inquired, “Prince, these people have great assets. Bringing all of them
to the Tang Empire is too dangerous. Why not directly return to Yan Bei?”

“Did you think that bringing these directly back to Yan Bei would be safe?” Yan Bei
countered with a question. “Given the Xia Empire’s political instability, it is di cult to ensure
that everything goes o without a hitch on the way back to Yan Bei.” Leaning on the
carriage, Yan Xun sighed, while continuing, “Since we do not want these resources to land
in the hands of the o cials of the Xia Empire, and neither do we want these to continue
being wasted by these Elders, we can only take the path to the Tang Empire. The security in
the Tang Empire is relatively good. And in the rst place, I am taking on the role of a rich
man trying to relocate to the Tang Empire from Xian Yang. To ensure the continued
development of their economy, the Tang Empire would send out troops to protect our assets
along the way to Tang Jing. And once we are within the Tang Capital, we have many ways to
sneak out and enter the southern borders to backtrack to Yan Bei.”

“But,” Still anxious, Feng Mian asked, “there must be a lot of nobles in Tang Jing, and many
of whom would recognize you. If you pretend to be the nephew of Elder Liu, won’t you be
recognized?”

“About that, you need not worry. I have my ways.” Yan Xun placated Feng Mian, “To prevent
this message from spreading, after I take my departure, please guard these Elders. Find a
way to let them remain quiet forever so that we will not have any worries.”

Feng Mian was taken aback by the ruthlessness and forgot to acknowledge Yan Xun.

Yan Xun continued speaking calmly, “With you around, I can feel easy. I think it is about time
the Southeastern logistics in-charge experience a change of hand. Feng Mian, although you
are still young, it is time for you to get some real experience.”

Feng Mian nally responded this time, “This servant understands!”

Yan Xun seemed to be sleepy, as his voice grew soft. “These Elders were probably
passionate Da Tong members when they were young too. But as they gained more and
more in both power and material wealth, they could not help but to get greedy. As a human,
you can dream big, but you should never lust for things that do not belong to you. Dreams
can bring you great success, but greed will sink you into hell. Feng Mian, as a person of
great power, you should think about the words I just said.”

Feng Mian’s face gradually turned pale. He lowered his head in deference and remained
quiet.

The wind blew into the carriage. Under the shadow of the ickering ames, Yan Xun’s
expression suddenly became unreadable.

Feng Mian felt chills go down his spine, as he suddenly recalled Chu Qiao’s words from two
years ago before she left, “You are loyal, caring, smart, brave. Everything about you is good,
except the fact that you are too capable.”

fi
ffi
ff
fi
fl
fl
ffi
He did not believe her and had not carefully considered those words. But at this moment,
looking at this master of his, he was suddenly enlightened. Carefully, he picked up a robe
and covered Yan Xun with it. Even though he knew Yan Xun had not slept, he took care not
to make a single noise. The carriage inched forward in the crowd. Feng Mian suddenly got
distracted. He sincerely hope that his master would stay safe this trip, and that the lady
could quick return to Yan Xun’s side. Perhaps, the only one his highness would trust, would
be that lady.

In that summer night, the Yan Bei soldiers in the entourage all changed into Xian Yang’s
clothes and used their horses. By the second day, under the escort of the great merchant
Liu Mingjun, this entourage left Xian Yang City, and headed to Tang Jing gallantly.

Chapter 112
Chu Qiao ended up following Zhuge Yue. If one year ago someone told her that she would
eventually sit harmoniously with Zhuge Yue in the same horse carriage, she would never
have believed that. But now, as she stared at that man who was leaning on his side reading
his book, she did not feel a single trace of bloodlust.

During the banquet at Wupeng City, she met several acquaintances, such as the Fourteenth
Prince Zhao Yang, Mu Yun from Ling Nan, Wei Qingchi from the Wei family, and Zhao
Zhongyen, son of the Ling King. That was really an out-of-this-world experience, as she
stood naturally amidst the crowds of nobles even though she was a criminal that was at the
top of the Empire’s wanted list. Not only did she have to face them, but she had to willingly
pour drinks for them and entertain them. That was a really uncomfortable experience.

Right now, these nobles’ carriages had completely surrounded her and were all together in
an entourage heading toward Tang Jing to celebrate the marriage of the Tang Prince. Under
such tight supervision, her chances of escape became near zero. She could only follow
Zhuge Yue wherever he went, holding him as “hostage”, as they began on this strange
travel. But this hostage did not seem to be aware that he was currently being taken hostage.

“Water,” Zhuge Yue did not even lift his eyes, as he spouted.

Chu Qiao stared at him angrily, and like a dead piece of log, she refused to budge.

After a while, this fourth master of Zhuge Family suddenly realized something. Lifting his
head, he looked at her with an expression of surprise. If eyes could talk, his eyes would be
saying, “Didn’t you hear what I said?”

Chu Qiao could not bear with it anymore, and bellowed, “I am not your servant.”

Zhuge Yue nodded as if indicating that he completely understood. Chu Qiao was astonished
at how he readily agreed, but immediately heard him shout, “Yue Qi!” With a whoosh, the
door to the carriage was swung open. With nimble movements, Chu Qiao pulled her thick
veil over her face, and sat next to Zhuge Yue, her blade already pressing against his back.
AIf he made any strange movements, she would stab him without hesitation.

“Pour tea for me.” Yue Qi was taken aback, as he looked at Chu Qiao in confusion. Zhuge
Yue innocently explained, “She is not my servant.”

While secretly thinking about how Zhuge Yue had taken such a liking to this girl, Yue Qi
suggested, “If that is the case, shall I look for a maidservant to serve master and this lady?”

Zhuge Yue nodded, as if in agreement. Then he turned around and seriously looked at Chu
Qiao. “Would you have any issues with that?”

Of course, she would! Chu Qiao’s eyes were burning with rage, as her blade pressed even
harder against his back. What is this guy thinking? Is he looking to die?

“Seems like she does not wish for that,” Zhuge Yue replied to Yue Qi. “Just help me pour a
cup of tea rst. If there are any other issues I will call for you again.”

Yue Qi nodded. As he was about to enter the carriage, Chu Qiao had no choice but to
interject in a low pitch, “Let me do it.” Yue Qi smiled, and turning around, he left the carriage
and shut the carriage doors behind him.

“What are you trying to do?” The moment Yue Qi left, Chu Qiao already started to question
Zhuge Yue furiously.

Zhuge Yue was extremely calm, as he casually observed the tea that had been kept warm
on the stove, before replying, “I am thirsty.”

“Do you not have water? Can’t you pour it yourself?”

Without wasting any breath, Zhuge Yue opened his mouth, intending to call for Yue Qi again.
Panicking, Chu Qiao nimbly dashed up and covered his mouth, as her brow deeply
furrowed.

Fine! Chu Qiao miserably admitted defeat in her heart. Without caring about the
temperature, she lifted the hottest pot of water and poured out a cup of tea. With a slam,
she thrust the cup onto the small table next to Zhuge Yue, and snapped, “Go drink! Hope
you get scalded!”

Without skipping a beat, Zhuge Yue casually took out a cotton handkerchief. Grabbing the
teacup with the handkerchief as insulation, he blew on it a few times to cool it down before
slowly sipping on the drink.

Seeing how he was so steady, Chu Qiao felt that her headache just got worse. Whatever. No
matter what is going on, I have to escape tonight. Even if that means I will expose my
tracks, I cannot stay here any longer.

An Bai County was a major industrial center for eastern regions of the Tang Empire. It was
located beside the Pinggui Highlands on one side, and the Cuiwei Mountain range on
another. At the foot of Cui Wei Mountain laid Nannie River, which was also known as the
Waterway of the Southern Border. This was a man-made waterway that the Tang Empire
had constructed, and would lead to Yan Bei all the way from Cheng Zhou. This waterway
accounted for much of the trade, especially in dealings for domestic animals like cows and
fi
sheep where this waterway alone would account for almost half of the trade volume in the
Tang Empire. Beyond the Cuiwei Mountains were the barren lands of Qinghai. Despite the
low population in those regions, there existed many powerful merchant envoys and will
frequently trade precious herbs and leathers with the Tang Empire. Due to the geographical
reasons, although An Bai County was a small city, it was rather prosperous.

The visit by this crowd of masters from the Xia Empire had instantly caused upheaval within
this small city. Before even entering the city, the o cials that had come to greet them had
already formed a welcoming formation half a mile out from the city. From afar, one could see
the colorful o cial caps bobbing up and down, as though a lot of activities had been taking
place. Chu Qiao couldn’t help but remark, “Since when did you and the Tang Empire lot
coexist so peacefully? Weren’t you ghting some wars even until last year?”

Zhuge Yue narrowed his eyes. He looked at Chu Qiao from the corner of his eyes. “In
politics, there is no such thing as permanent enemies in front of mutual bene ts.”

Chu Qiao turned around and stared at him, snorting, “It is but a gathering of cunning foxes.”

“More like those who are righteous would gain much assistance.” Picking up the teacup,
Zhuge Yue sipped on it, as he continued, “On the other hand, those who plot in the dark and
rebel, will be destined for a miserable ending.”

With the anger brewing in her heart, Chu Qiao was just about to retaliate with words when
she suddenly heard the sounds of footsteps from beyond the carriage doors. She quickly
put back her thick veil, and sat next to Zhuge Yue, her dagger brandished and ready to take
him hostage.

With a whoosh, the carriage had been opened. Mu Yun stood outside. Chu Ciao had not
seen him for years, and now that she saw him again, she noticed that with his pale blue
robe, snow white boots, and some basic makeup, he actually did not even look like a man
anymore. Smiling at Zhuge Yue, Mu Yun smiled, and said, “The biggest o cials of the An
Bai County have arrived. After some discussion, we decided that if we do not show up and
entertain them, we would be lacking in courtesy. What does the fourth master think?”

Zhuge Yue grinned, and casually replied, “Anything goes for me. You can decide and let me
know.”

Mu Yun nodded and concluded, “Then I shall not disturb your rest. We are about to enter
the city, please do toast us during the banquet tonight!”

The moment the doors were closed, Chu Qiao snapped, “Zhuge Yue, do not make
necessary moves!”

With a snort, Zhuge Yue replied, completely ignoring the blade that was pointing at his heart
from behind, “That should be my line.”

“Did you think I was stupid?” Chu Qiao coldly stated, “Considering your personality, how
would you travel with this bunch? And now, to mingle with those o cials, what are you
planning? Let me tell you, you will not get such a chance!”

ffi
fi
ffi
ffi
ffi
fi
 Zhuge Yue raised his head and looked at Chu Ciao casually while pointing to his chest. “If
you are scared, just stab here. If not, do not make so much noise.”

Chu Qiao raised an eyebrow, as asked, “Do you think I won’t?”

Amused, Zhuge Yue looked at her in anticipation, before snorting, “Oh, do you really?”

Suddenly, a rowdy fanfare could be heard from outside, immediately followed by sounds of
recrackers. Despite the many musical instruments, one could hear that they are all in
coordination. In any case, it was strange to hear such fanfare out in the open.

Both Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue were taken aback, as they heard Yue Qi’s voice from beyond
the carriage, “Master, I heard that some time ago, the Tang Prince just passed by this area.”

Even if separated by a window, one could imagine Yue Qi’s expression as he said that.
Despite their awkward situation, Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue could not help but look each
other in the eye, resonating each other’s thoughts about the unorthodox habits of the Tang
Prince.

“Such a waste of resources and manpower!” Chu Qiao exclaimed. Zhuge Yue, on the other
hand, decided not to respond at all, as he leaned on the soft cushions and closed his eyes,
completely oblivious to the chaos outside. Under the deafening fanfare, the entourage
slowly proceeded into the city.

Under the broad daylight, more so with such grandiose fanfare, Chu Qiao, a wanted terrorist
of the empire had so daringly marched into the gates of An Bai County.

After making sure that the carriages were in order, there was naturally another round of
welcoming by the local o cials. Without leaving Zhuge Yue’s side, Chu Qiao greeted the
many o cials that had came to welcome the entourage.

As night fell, the ickering ames illuminated the bustling crowds. Many majestic carriages
congregated in front of the dwellings of the An Bai Mayor, as the guards of the dwellings
shouted out auspicious words again and again in welcome of the guests. In the halls, bright
lights lit up the entire area as dancers uttered on the dance oor. The sweet smell of liquor
permeated the entirety of the hall.

Following behind Zhuge Yue, Chu Qiao donned a leaf green Chinese dress. Still wearing the
thick veil, the decorations on her head were even more numerous than before. With one
glance, she seemed like a rare beauty.

As the ensemble blasted the fanfare, Zhuge Yue noticed that Mu Yun and Zhao Yang had
already arrived at the location. Exchanging a few quick greetings, everyone took their
respective seats.

The Mayor of An Bai County was a scholarly person who seemed to be in his early 30s.
Although he looked innocent and naive, his oratorical skills were splendid. After toasting the
crowd, even Chu Qiao was rather impressed by his social capabilities. As he nished his
fi
ffi
fl
ffi
fl
fl
fl
fi
welcoming speech, the excitement within the hall rose by one whole notch, as everyone
started to socialize eagerly.

Sitting above Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao, Zhao Yang wore a dull gold robe, and drank cup
after cup of liquor without pause. Chu Qiao was not unfamiliar with this man. Although she
had not met him often within Zhen Huang City, she had almost been constantly ghting
against his troops over the past two months. In fact, the entire southwestern region was
now under his jurisdiction, so even though the order to chase her was made by Zhao Che,
the one carrying out the order was mostly this Fourteenth Prince.

“The Fourteenth prince is really such a hero. This humble lady is honored to meet you
today.”

The sister of the Mayor graciously walked up and toasted Zhao Yang. Smiling, Zhao Yang
stood up and returned the gesture. Surprised by the treatment, the woman bowed even
lower, and from Chu Qiao’s angle, she could even see her red undergarments.

From the side, someone stated, “The battle of Huai Yang was marvelous. With such talent
and achievement at such a young age, Your Highness will surely have an immeasurable
future!”

Zhao Yang smiled. “No matter how marvelous it seemed, I still could not capture Chu Qiao.
Gentlemen, I do not deserve such attery.” The crowd seemed to be taken aback by this
overwhelmingly humble comment. Just as the situation was starting to turn awkward, the
Mayor interjected, “To err is human. If the prince is to encounter her again, I am sure that
lady would not have such luck again.”

Hearing that, Zhao Yang said no more. He took a quick glance at everyone before sitting
back down. After successfully defusing the situation, the Mayor invited his sister to perform.
Without hesitation, the young lady removed her outer coat, revealing her u y crimson
dress, and uttered into a graceful dance. Completing the dance, she sat beside Zhao Yang
and started serving him attentively.

Chapter 113
Sitting beside Zhuge Yue, the young master Mu wore a rose red robe. Few men could look
so good in this feminine color. The color matched his feminine face and emphasized his
unorthodox beauty. Grinning from ear to ear, he remarked, “It is rare to see the fourth master
bringing ladies with him. Seems like fourth young master really like this lady.”

Someone else interjected, “To make fourth young master like her so much, she must be an
unparalleled beauty!”

Zhao Yang, amused, requested, “Since she is so beautiful, isn’t it a waste to wear such a
thick veil? Zhuge, why not let her take it o and show us her beauty?” Since the battle with
Chu Qiao, his status had raised drastically, and he was no longer just another prince who
had neither power nor in uence. The moment he made that request, the crowds instantly
started to cheer in agreement, asking Chu Qiao to unveil herself.

fl

fl
fl
ff
fl
ff
fi
Zhuge Yue calmly stated, “She is in fact really ugly. If she unveils herself, I am afraid you
might be horri ed.”

Muyun obviously did not believe him, but Zhuge Yue just smiled at his comment. Seeing his
insistence, others naturally understood that he was unwilling, and therefore the topic ended
there.

The night was no longer young, as Zhao Zhongyen and a few others were already drunk.
The mayor arranged for people to bring them back to their rooms. Just as Chu Qiao had
stood up, the sister of the mayor yelped and fell toward her. Given her skills, Chu Qiao
nimbly caught her and helped her regain her balance. The mayor’s sister was ushed red, as
she patted her chest in relief while thanking Chu Qiao, “Thank you so much.”

Chu Qiao shook her head. She looked down, only to see that her skirt had been stepped on
by Zhao Yang. Seeing that she glanced over, Zhao Yang courteously nodded at her as he
moved his foot away, and exited the hall.

Chu Qiao raised an eyebrow, but her thoughts were interrupted by Zhuge Yue, “Are you still
not going?”

Chu Qiao lowered her head and quickly followed him.

The night wind was more chilly than normal, as the horses trotted in the night. The Zhuge
family had properties in An Bai County, so they did not need to live in the arranged
accommodations. Pushing aside the carriage window, Chu Qiao stared at the pitch black
surroundings. Zhuge Yue, who was resting, suddenly asked, “You are leaving?”

Chu Qiao grimly warned, “If you are going to stop me, I will make sure we both die.”

Zhuge Yue did not even open his eyes, as he replied, “If you are leaving, just go. Remember
to close the window. Do not disturb my rest.”

Stunned, Chu Qiao jumped out. Yue Qi and the other guards seemed to have not noticed
her at all, letting her walk away freely. Only after walking two streets out, Chu Qiao nally
believed that her nemesis had actually let her walk away so simply!

Something was wrong! Chu Qiao frowned. Despite so many threats and ghting, he had not
let her go after so long. Why was it that this time he was so decisive in letting her go? But
now was not a good time to stop and think. Quickly orientating herself, she dashed toward
the city gates. But in just a few minutes, she suddenly heard a cacophony of people ghting
behind her.

Chu Qiao instantly stopped in her tracks and turned around. The enemies struck so
suddenly that they had crowded the entire street. Yue Qi guarded before Zhuge Yue’s
carriage, as he shouted, “Who are you? Do you not know who’s carriage is this?”

Those men did not answer, as they merely grimly stated, “Hand the person over.”

Zhuge Yue opened the carriage, as he calmly stated, “Let’s ght.”

fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
With a symphony of whooshes, a rain of arrows headed towards Zhuge Yue’s group. These
ambushers brought mini crossbows which they hid previously. By the time Yue Qi and the
guards had reached the enemies, they were already injured. The roars of warcries had
shattered the fragile silence in the entire street. One assailant tried to bust into the carriage,
only to see a ash of white, which evidently became the last scene he would ever see as
half of his head was sent ying into the air. The remaining assassins looked on in horror.
They crowded to the carriage in the very next moment. With a huge crash, the top of the
carriage had been destroyed as Zhuge Yue jumped into the air brandishing his blade like a
beautiful display of reworks. While landing, his long sleeves uttered in the air, as the two
dots of fresh blood on his forehead emphasized his lethality.

“Fourth Master Zhuge, we have no intentions of o ending you. As long as you hand that
person over. We will leave immediately.”

Zhuge Yue seemed as though he was deaf, as he stabbed his sword into the speaker’s
palm. Completely unexpecting the sudden attack, that man grabbed his injured palm as he
howled in anguish. The leader’s face sunk into seriousness, as he claimed, “If that is the
case, I will apologize in advance.”

The street suddenly brightened up as the assailants lit up their torches. Upon being properly
illuminated, one could see that there were many assassins crowded on the roofs of the
buildings along the two sides of the road. Each holding a full-sized longbow aimed directly
at Zhuge Yue. It was as though with just a simple signal, they would all open re. Aghast,
Yue Qi and the rest of the guards’ heart sank. They could tell at once that those were
military grade bows capable of ring arrows with deadly speed and power. That, coupled
with the fact that the shooters had the advantage of height, would contribute to some
serious disadvantages for them.

But at that instant, one suddenly heard a few soft whooshes in the air. The assassins who
were holding up the torches instantly fell, as the street sank again into darkness. Zhuge Yue
darted up and with a swift blow, he ended the leader’s life. But now, his face was devoid of
relieving and he looked more serious than before. He growled, “Who asked you to come
back?”

Chu Qiao’s body was sti , as though an entire colony of ants was chewing on her skin. As
she tried to get into position as quietly as possible, she could not kill the assassin in time
and was stabbed once. But alas, that blade was coated with an extremely fast-acting
poison. Within a few breaths, her movements already dulled to the point where she could
not react to the enemies who were closing in on her. For the rst time, her eyes were lled
with panic. She could clearly see the movements of her assailants, but could no longer
react.

The blade was almost going to strike her when a sword suddenly stabbed into that
assassin’s chest, sending him tumbling backward. Zhuge Yue stepped up and caught Chu
Qiao’s falling body, and asked, “You were poisoned?”

With that, Chu Qiao suddenly spit out a mouthful of blood.

fl
fi
ff
fl
fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
fi
 Frowning at the severity of the situation, Zhuge Yue quickly decided to retreat, as he
ordered, “Yue Qi! Cover me!”

Yue Qi’s ourishing blade kept multiple assassins at bay, as he and his men were locked in
combat with the assassins. Without breaking the ow of his sword, Yue Qi acknowledged,
“Roger! Master, leave rst!”

Carrying Chu Qiao, Zhuge Yue ipped onto a horse, and with a loud yell, he dashed out of
the encirclement.

“Do not let him escape! Give chase!” The ood of men-in-black swarmed behind.

Controlling the horse with just his two legs, Zhuge Yue held Chu Qiao with one hand, and
his sword in the other. It was then a few explosive claps of thunder suddenly struck,
followed by a torrential downpour. The rain was so heavy that it became di cult to see the
silhouettes. There was no way to open re accurately in this weather conditions, so the
assassins on the rooftop abandoned their positions, and jumped o in front of the escaping
horse. Zhuge Yue secured Chu Qiao on the horse, as he jumped o . As though he was
dancing in the rain, he quickly opened up a bloodied path. The horse carrying Chu Qiao
dashed down that path, and before long it had disappeared.

“Give chase! She went—Ah!” One assailant shouted out, attempting to notify the others. But
before he completed his sentence, a blood-soaked blade protruded out from the back of his
neck, as his body slumped down lifelessly. The rain continued to pour heavily as the
slaughter raged on.

Zhuge Yue stomped open the door to a temple and found that a few beggars were sitting
around in the corner. Grabbing hold of one, he grimly asked, “Have you seen a woman
wearing a green dress come into here?”

Zhuge Yue now looked extremely miserable, as he was soaked in a mixture of rain and
blood. The begger was petri ed by his demeanor, and could only shake his head as fast as
possible. Zhuge Yue turned to the others, only to nd that the other’s had already run away.
Looking outside the temple, the raging winds picked up the dead leaves, sending them
ying like paper money during the Ghost Festival.

Zhuge Yue furrowed his eyebrows, as his temples started to thump in protest. Fighting for
so long, he had already used up all his strength, as he started to feel dizzy. Searching high
and low for Chu Qiao, it was ultimately fruitless. At this moment, another group of assassins
had broken through Yue Qi’s blockade and caught up with him. Clenching his teeth, Zhuge
Yue swung his blade again. Despite his weakened state, his blade was still swift like the
wind, bring up streaks and streaks of crimson liquid each time it was swung. Zhuge Yue
jumped up, and with a quick stab to an assassin’s shoulder, he recoiled himself up onto the
roof. With a few more jumps, he disappeared toward the east.

Not only had the rain not subsided, it grew heavier with each passing second. The wide
main roads leading out of the city were now full of mud. Zhuge Yue sprinted on the muddy
road, his clothes already completely discolored from the blood and mud. His face pale, and
fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
ff
ff
ffi
 his lips blue; the two drops of blood that had rst landed on his forehead had already
solidi ed, adding a special touch of a devilish aura to his handsome face.

After sprinting for almost two hours, he still could not catch a single hint of Chu Qiao’s
shadow. A certain ominous thought surfaced in his head as he lashed out in frustration at a
banner of a lone abandoned teahouse beside the road. The banner crashed into the muddy
water with a huge crash as it splashed the mud everywhere. Charging into the tea house, he
was greeted by pitch black darkness, with spider webs layered upon each other. Obviously,
this was abandoned for a long time, as the wind he had swept up while charging in lifted a
wave of dust.

“Are you here?” Zhuge Yue shouted, but only the rumbling thunder along with whooshing of
the winds replied. Running to the back, he still could not see anyone, and as such, he
turned around and prepared to head further east. But suddenly, he heard the sound of a
horse neighing. Turning around, he found a maroon horse standing within the tall grasses
growing in what seemed to be the paddy elds behind the abandoned tea house. On the
horse, one could visibly see multiple stains of blood.

His eyes widened in surprise, as he charged forward. The rain was really too heavy; the
paddy eld had completely been submerged by almost water almost one meter in depth.
Struggling to advance, he had to use all his strength every step. Wiping away the rainwater
on his face, again and again, he tried his best to search for Chu Qiao.

Not here, not here, she was not anywhere to be found!

Just as he was about to reach the horse. He was suddenly tripped by something soft in the
water, and he almost fell. Stunned, he dropped into the water and felt around with his hand.
Before long, he emerged with another human. Obviously, that was Chu Qiao. Chu Qiao’s
eyes were shut tight, as her face looked purplish. Her mouth and nose were covered in mud,
as her hands were freezing cold, as though she was already dead.

Bringing her above the water, Zhuge Yue stumbled out of the paddy eld and placed her
onto the muddy main road. Deftly, he wiped away the mud covering her nose and mouth,
before patting her stomach and chest heavily.

“Wake up!” Clenching his teeth, he roared, and pressed again and again on her bloated
stomach, “I do not allow you to die! Wake up!”

Chu Qiao’s face was still purplish, and her body cold as ice. Her body trembled along with
his pumps to her chest.

Frowning, Zhuge Yue pinched her nose, and pressed his mouth to hers, giving her mouth-
to-mouth resuscitation. Even then, she showed no signs of waking up. His heart was
beating furiously, and just like this gloomy weather, he was confused and miserable, unable
to see a single ray of hope. A mysterious rage rose within his heart. Looking at this woman
who had stood against him time and time again, he loudly declared, “You are not allowed to
die! Do you hear me? I am telling you to wake up!”

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
 Chapter 114
He picked her up and allowed her to lean against his chest while using his st to hammer on
her back. Lightning ashed relentlessly in the heavens, as the thunder shook the earth.
Amidst the pitch black of the night, only those streaks of white occasionally lit up the
surroundings.

“Wake up! Wake up!”

“Cough cough…” A wave of light coughs replied to him, as Zhuge Yue quickly grabbed Chu
Qiao by her shoulders and stared into her eyes. He asked, “Are you awake? Are you
awake?”

Chu Qiao’s cough was initially very light, but it worsened, as became more and more
vigorous. Muddy water was expelled from her lungs, as her face was ushed an unnatural
red. Lying in Zhuge Yue’s embrace, she could not even talk, as she continued to cough.

Even though it was just sounds of coughing, it sounded like soothing music to Zhuge Yue’s
ears. He let out a sigh of relief and completely went limp. In this cold, freezing night with a
torrential downpour and raging wind, exacerbated by the threat of death, he did not want to
conceal his emotions anymore. His arms enveloped the woman in his chest and he tightly
hugged her

“Your…family…will punish you…” a quiet voice said. The whisper was so soft, it was
instantly swept away by the raging wind. “The Xia Empire… Zhao Yang….. Zhao Che…they
will not let you o .”

The downpour had not relented in the slightest, continuing to wash away the blood and mud
on the duo. Another ash of lightning streaked across the heavens above, illuminating their
pale faces.

“You will die! Do you know you will die?!” Chu Qiao’s hoarse voice was choking on tears as
she questioned. All this time, how could she not realize Zhuge Yue’s intention to protect
her? But now he had openly fought against the forces of Zhao Yang, could he have not
known what type of ending would await him?

ff
fl
fl

fl
fi
“Who did you think you were?” Chu Qiao clenched her teeth and glared at him. “You killed
my family and sacri ced Yan Xun and I. I really want to just kill you now. Our hatred runs so
deep, but why did you save me?”

Zhuge Yue did not reply as he stared quietly into her eyes, as if observing her soul. After the
escapade and multiple life and death encounters, Chu Qiao nally broke down, as her iron
heart was shattered by her con icting emotions.

“Zhuge Yue, I owed you so much, what do you want me to do?” She closed her red swollen
eyes, as she freely let her tears ow down her cheeks.

The path forward was straight and free of any obstacles. In the heavy rain, the occasional
lightning lit up the entire view. During the intense brawl on the streets of An Bai County,
there was not a single soldier that approached the combat zone. This was enough to infer
the mastermind behind this assassination. Di erent from others, Zhao Yang had been the
victim of intense bullying and ostracization in the palace since young. This nurtured his
ruthlessly cruel methods. Even if it was against Zhuge Yue, he had not shown any mercy.

Out of options, Zhuge Yue could only bring the injured Chu Qiao along while traversing in
the shadows without even contacting Yue Qi and the rest. They joined a merchant convoy
that was headed towards Tang Jing after paying some fees to join as travelers. Closing the
door, Zhuge Yue informed Chu Qiao, “I found out that the owner of this convoy is called Liu
Xi. Would you happen to know him?”

Chu Qiao lightly frowned, and replied, “I should have met him once before.”

“If so, we must leave immediately,” Zhuge Yue decisively declared.

“Wait!” Chu Qiao called out. “I had merely seen him from afar, and we had not even seen
each other’s face clearly. And that was many years ago.”

Zhuge Yue’s brow furrowed. Chu Qiao naturally knew what he was worried about, and tried
to pacify him. “Those people will think that we are common folks who had contracted some
kind of disease. We will not even get a chance to see them. As long as I remain careful, it
will surely be ne.”

“Isn’t he the nephew of Liu Mingjun?”

“Indeed.”

Zhuge Yue descended into contemplation, and he slowly remarked, “The Liu family is
considered a big family in Xian Yang City. I am unsure if he was in the welcoming fanfare
during my entrance to the city.”

fi
fi
fl
fl
ff
fi
 Upon hearing that, Chu Qiao frowned as well. Zhuge Yue continued, “I think it is better to err
on the side of caution. Tomorrow morning, I will head out to buy horses, and we will ride on
our own carriage to Tang Jing.”

Chu Qiao nodded in reply. Her current position now was relatively awkward. Since Liu Xi
was Liu Mingjun’s nephew and was a member of the Da Tong Guild, she would de nitely be
able to gain his assistance and be escorted back to Yan Bei if she so requested. But right
now, Zhuge Yue was alone without his bodyguards. If Liu Xi attempted anything funny…

“You rest rst.” Placing Chu Qiao on the bed, Zhuge Yue gently told her, “I will ask the waiter
to prepare some food. What do you want to eat?”

Chu Qiao shook her head, and answered, “Anything will do.”

Zhuge Yue turned around, and while walking away, commented, “Well, it was not as if we
have a choice. In this place, what options can we possibly have?”

Chu Qiao stared blankly as the silhouette disappeared beyond the door, before managing a
weak smile.

Given the Zhuge family’s in uence, one could probably nd their servants anywhere on the
West Meng continent. As one of the greatest noble families, they surely had way more than
just the meager political power that was on paper. In this world, how much hidden in uence
did each of the great families truly have? No one could de nitively answer that question.

Chu Qiao knew that behind each and every noble family, there were hundreds of years of
e orts contributed by their ancestors. Even if Zhao Zhengde had suddenly uprooted the
entire Muhe family, who could be sure that the Mute family had completely been eradicated
from the West Meng Continent?

The true in uence of the Zhuge Family would de nitely not lose, even to Yan Xun. And
furthermore, as one of the main ruling families in the Xia Empire, they had political gravitas
that even Yan Xun could not match. Protected by the ranks and les of their personal
legions, they held in uence over their kin, who had in ltrated into various positions of power
throughout the empire. Behind each and every one of those Zhuge o cials was a path
paved with money and in uence.

Yan Bei had rebelled, and as a result, all of Yan Bei and related factions stood against the
Empire. By extension, one could imagine the catastrophe that the Royal Zhao family would
face if one day the Zhuge Family decided to raise the banners of mutiny after
comprehensive preparations! Thus, considering the clout of the Zhuge Family, and Zhuge
Yue’s position within the family, no matter where, as long as Zhuge Yue decided to request
for assistance, a crowd of Zhuge family members would gather. Despite that, Zhuge Yue
had obviously rejected that option and chose to conceal his identity along the way,
personally taking care of her and not informing his family of his whereabouts. Perhaps, he
was worried that his reinforcements could not be trusted to conceal Chu Qiao’s identity as
well. The fact that he was helping her could become leverage for other factions within his
family to attack him with.

ff
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ffi
fi
fl
 Chu Qiao smiled mockingly at how she had been trying to deceive herself. She completely
understood the cause of the current situation, but she stubbornly refused to admit and face
the truth. With that, she chose to escape from reality by shutting her eyes and quietly bided.

Perhaps, he merely wanted to travel with me without much disturbance, where he is not the
Master of the Zhuge Family, and I do not need to act for the sake of Yan Bei either. Just like
common folk, interacting without hatred, without irreparable con icts, without
considerations of alignments, and de nitely without those realistic responsibilities.

This chance would probably be their only one.

Chu Qiao slowly closed her eyes, hoping that she could quickly fall into a slumber and
forget about all these considerations. She could understand every aspect, but she could not
nd a suitable response to all that he had done for her. Right from the start, they had been
on opposite sides of the con ict. After those eight years, they had only grew distant. One
should never lose their composure.

Chu Qiao relaxed, and after a short while, she entered a deep sleep. Right before sleeping,
she mocked herself yet again. What was the point of thinking so much if she could not go
on her separate way right now?

By the time Zhuge Yue returned, Chu Qiao had already fallen into a deep slumber. Holding
on to a large tray, Zhuge Yue brought back some food, and a bottle of liquor. After arranging
the food and utensils, he sat by the table and poured himself a cup of liquor. This shop was
not big, but the food was really delicious. Even though the dishes were covered, the intense
aroma still seeped out and entered his nostrils. The liquor was well brewed and avourful.
Just by drinking it, Zhuge Yue could feel his whole body warming up.

The setting sun glowed a deep crimson, casting his long shadow on the ground. Zhuge Yue
continued sitting quietly, enjoying the liquor as the sun sank below the horizon. As the
streets lights lit up, the streets began to bustle with activities, but before long, the crowds
dispersed, and the city sank into silence. The city was asleep, except for him, still quietly
sitting in the darkness like a statue, with only his hand moving back and forth between the
wine bottle and his cup.

Chu Qiao woke up deep into the night with an intense headache. Still sleepy, she felt thirsty
and wanted to look for water, but she noticed the shadow in the darkness. Her rst reaction
was to reach for the dagger on her thigh, and even in her weakened state, she jumped out
of bed like an agile beast.

But she quickly realized her mix-up, as she clumsily put away her dagger, and looked at the
man in the darkness. Confused, she asked, “Zhuge Yue?”

“Yep.” She received a quick reply. The man seemed to have drunk a lot, as the room was
lled with the smell of alcohol. “Thirsty?”

Chu Qiao nodded and realized that in the darkness, even if she nodded, she could not be
heard, so she opened her mouth, but by then a cup of water had already been passed to
her. She accepted the cup. The water was warm, and some would consider it hot. The cup
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
 was small, but Chu Qiao held it with both hands. After drinking a sip, she licked her dry lips.
Still sounding hoarse from just having woken up, she whispered, “Why did you not turn on
the lights?”

The room was so quiet that one could almost hear the man gulping. After a very long time, a
quiet sound replied, “Dark is better.”

Chu Qiao seriously asked, “Zhuge Yue, when will you start calling me Chu Qiao?”

The man snorted coldly. “Dream on.”

“You are way too stubborn.” But just as she said that, she laughed in self-mockery, and
went on, “Actually, I am like that too. When I decide on something, I will not change my
mind easily.”

Zhuge Yue did not reply. Chu Qiao seemed to be in a good mood today, as she resumed her
quiet monologue. “Actually, you are not really a bad person. Although you are a bit aloof, a
bit ruthless, a bit lacking in compassion, and, erm, when you have a long face you are a bit
annoying, other than that, you are pretty decent. Then again, in this world, who is not
ruthless? Whose hands are completely free of blood? The world is just like that, only the
ttest will survive. I cannot even count how many I have killed. Zhuge Yue what about you?”
Pausing shortly, Chu Qiao went on, “You should be clear about those you have killed, as you
only need to personally kill those servants who had o ended you. But I cannot remember
how many I have killed. The number of people I slaughtered is probably more than the
number of people I have ever talked to. Each time I swing my blade, a head would roll.
When their scorching blood splashes onto my face, it feels as hot as burning red coal.”

Chapter 115
“In the northwest, I was known as the Blood Rakshasa. In the county of Yao, the
commander known as Qi… sent people to erect a statue of me by the city gates, ordering
everyone that entered the city to spit on my statue before being allowed to enter. This
period, while I was on the run, I had to avoid not only the government troops but the
civilians as well. Since escaping from Zhen Huang, I was injured once. I was saved by a
benevolent and harmonious elderly couple over 80-years-old. They treated my injuries and
killed their only hen to brew soup for me, not asking me about my background. They
probably thought that I was robbed, and encouraged me to make a report to the
authorities.”

“However, on the second day, when the old man went to town to get me some medicine, his
expression changed upon coming back. I didn’t know what happened then. On the same
night, they snuck into the room carrying knives and tried to hack at me. I knew that their son
was enlisted into the Xia army which terrorized Yan Bei, dying in the highlands of Yan Bei in
the end.” Chu Qiao laughed, a cold look on her face. “I killed them as they were too
agitated. I could not escape, hence I killed them.”

“Hypocrite,” an icy-cold voice said. Zhuge Yue sat in his position, saying with sarcasm,
“Given your skills, it should have been easy to subdue two elderly folks. You would not have
fi

ff
 been scared if they reported it to the o cials. You’re just nding a disgusting excuse for
yourself.”

“I’m not nding excuses,” Chu Qiao replied calmly. “I was heavily injured. An arrow pierced
through my thigh. I was unable to walk. I had only two choices back then—to kill them, or let
them kill me.”

Zhuge Yue laughed in disapproval. “Xing’er, by doing this, how di erent are we?”

“You’re right, I thought this way initially too,” Chu Qiao replied in a low voice. “However, I
don’t think this way anymore. Back then, when General Meng waged war on Yan Bei, his
purpose was to invade, to massacre, to trample on innocent people. Their son enlisted in
the army to invade the hometown of other people. Are the victims not allowed to retaliate?
In the battle that year, Yan Bei su ered numerous casualties. From the civilians to the
armies, there was mass genocide everywhere. Yan Bei su ered heavier losses than the Xia
Empire. As for me, I did not let them down. I stayed in their house to recuperate, but also
o ered remuneration to them. It was them who wanted to harm me because of the hate that
had nothing to do with me. Was I supposed to just sit there and await death? I kill people,
but not the innocent. I sympathize with the civilians, but I’m not a saint.”

Chu Qiao’s voice contained an element of conviction. Word by word, she said, “The war
between Yan Bei and the Xia Empire is imminent, and will last for a long time. However, the
lives lost in this battle will not be in vain. They will be sacri cing themselves for the sake of
justice and freedom. There will be a day where the lands of Hongchuan will be run with a
di erent ideology, one that has freedom and equality, one that has order and peace. It won’t
be like the barbaric past. For this day, what I’m doing now is worth it.”

Zhuge Yue suddenly sneered. “Xing’er, I’ve always held you in high regard. I didn’t expect
you to say such absurd words. Freedom and equality? Order and peace? Have you become
a follower of Da Tong? Have you started to fantasize together with the people there?”

“No, I’m not. I’m fully aware that true equality can never be achieved as long as self-interest
exists. However, we can turn this situation for the better by advancing step by step.” Chu
Qiao stared at Zhuge Yue and said solemnly, “At the very least, there won’t be anything like
the killings, abuse, and torture in the Zhuge residence!”

“Do you really think that Yan Xun can achieve this?” Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows in
disdain. “Do you think that the old folks from Da Tong Guild will be so sel ess as they
claimed? Those that have tasted power will not let go of what they have so easily. Even if
Yan Xun ascends the throne one day, it will be but another change in dynasty, not the end of
an era. Xing’er, if you cannot accept the fact that Yan Xun is ambitious and power hungry,
admit that he is merely seeking revenge. It sounds better. Don’t make him out to be such a
noble character. It disgusts me.”

Chu Qiao’s expression changed silently. After a long while, she maintained her tone of
conviction. “I believe him.”

Zhuge Yue frowned and stared at her.

ff
ff
fi
ff
ffi
fi
ff
fi
ff
fl
“I believe that he will not let me down.” Chu Qiao laughed softly. “I will be by his side to help
him achieve this great mission. Zhuge Yue, watch and see.”

At that instant, it was like a light had illuminated the darkness. Zhuge Yue suddenly felt that
this woman in front of him was weak and silly, but he did not mock her stubbornness any
further. He only wanted to ask one question. “If, one day, he really let you down, what would
you do?” However, he did not. He felt that that was a little cruel… yes, very cruel.

This girl was barely 17-years-old. What were her sisters doing at home? What were the
princesses of Zhen Huang City doing? Putting on their makeup, enjoying their lives,
discussing the opposite gender, or fooling around with another man behind everyone’s
backs? As for her, she had weathered so many storms over the years just for this belief that
she held close to her heart. She had no power, no in uence, neither kith nor kin… This was
probably the only reason that she continued to live on.

Alright then, Xing’er. I’ll see. I’ll see if that man lives up to your expectations. If there is such
a day, I, Zhuge Yue, am willing to spend my entire family’s fortune on reworks, to celebrate
your success!

“Yan Bei…” Zhuge Yue looked up and swallowed a cup of wine, causing a burning
sensation to trickle down his throat. Plainly, he said, “I’m looking at you.”

On the morning of the second day, Zhuge Yue woke up early to scout the city streets for a
horse and a carriage. Although he had plenty of money, he was unable to purchase
anything. The entire marketplace, even the benches belonging to the horse sellers, had
disappeared overnight. In a t of rage, Zhuge Yue inquired about the availability of other
substitutes like donkeys or mules, even going beneath his status to ask about cows.
However, it was the same.

Simultaneously, Chu Qiao was sitting in her room on the second oor of the inn. Looking at
the armed bodyguards and their horses passing by, she frowned slightly, sensing that
something was amiss. When Zhuge Yue got back to their room, they looked at each other in
the eye, remaining silent.

When the entourage left the city, they were no longer the initial army of four to ve hundred
people. When the people stationed at the front had stepped out of the city, the people
behind had not mounted their horses. There were easily 2000 people. Big amounts of
baggage, rations, gold, jewelry and other valuables were stowed in over 300 carriages.
There were many women following behind, all of them dressed amboyantly. The sight of
carriage after carriage passing by was spectacular.

Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue were assigned to a rundown carriage at the back of the crowd.
Although the carriage had just been purchased, there was a foul odor inside.

Their worries were unfounded. Given their current status, they had no chance of
approaching the Liu family. In the morning, Chu Qiao followed behind a few servants who
were in charge of moving the baggage, seeing a man in a blue robe boarding a carriage in
front, assisted by a servant. Although it was hot in An Bai, the man had a cloak draped over
him. He was skinny, and a hat covered up his face. However, the semi-visible shadow in the
fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
morning fog caused Chu Qiao to be visibly shocked. She stopped in her tracks
subconsciously, looking at the shadow fade away in the distance before boarding a
majestically decorated carriage.

Chu Qiao stood rooted to the spot for a long time.

“What’s wrong?” Zhuge Yue walked in front of her, turning back to ask.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Chu Qiao laughed at herself and shook her head, trying to empty her
head of unrealistic thoughts. “Let’s go.”

The horse carriage slowly made its way out of An Bai City. Chu Qiao lay by the window,
opening the curtains and staring outside through the translucent veil on her face.

“Oh, right,” Chu Qiao remembered, taking out a small bag and handing it over to Zhuge Yue,
saying calmly, “I told the waiter to get this in the morning when he went out.”

Zhuge Yue took the bag and opened it, seeing a hat inside. Although it was not the right
time to wear it, the hat was exquisitely woven. The material was thin, which meant that
wearing the hat would not cause anyone to feel too hot.

“It’s good to be careful,” Chu Qiao added gently, and laughed. “Although there might not be
a chance to use it.”

The entourage of over 2000 people and a few hundred carriages streamlined across the
passageway. The front of the pack could not be seen from where they were.

Zhuge Yue placed the hat on the side but did not retract his hand. Pressing on the hat, he
remarked, “The merchants in Xianyang are about to escape.”

Chu Qiao smiled and turned around. “You saw it too.”

“The war between Yan Bei and the Xia Empire is imminent. These wily old foxes are about to
retreat into Tang territory. They do not dare to leave Xianyang so openly in big groups. They
can only assemble at An Bai, then head to Tang Jing together. Their life savings are stowed
in those carriages.”

Chu Qiao nodded in agreement, replying softly, “Yes, they want to absolve themselves of
any responsibility.”

Unlike Zhuge Yue, Chu Qiao suddenly felt a sense of panic in her heart. She was aware of
the identities of the merchants of Xianyang, and even more so on how they had distributed
their wealth all these years. However, today, they were about to make their escape.

Thinking of the shadow she saw earlier on, Chu Qiao suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to
see what was going on in front of her. However, in a split second, she changed her mind,
shaking her head helplessly and slumping onto the walls of the shaking horse carriage.

Chu Qiao, are you too tired? Since the rebellion at Zhen Huang, you have been hanging on
by a thread. Is this why you have developed such unrealistic thoughts?

Yan Xun, they are about to escape under my eyes. What should I do to stop this? What
should I do?

Chapter 116
It was already the peak of summer, and the daylight extended late into the evening. The
envoy traveled until the sun was already set before settling down in the middle of a valley.

Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue were assigned to a single tent. The tent was small and short, such
that one would hit his head just sitting upright.

With them, servants were also camping in the outer circle of the campsite. After asking
around, they found out that not only the Xian Yang Liu family were present, ut that there was
also the Wang, Jia, and Ouyang families.

After the entire day of traveling, Chu Qiao felt weaker than ever. Considering the poor
circulation within the tiny tent, Zhuge Yue brought her out and leaned her against a tree to
relax. He then bought a freshly hunted rabbit from the other servants and started a re to
cook. Before long, the scent of cooked meat wafted in the air.

He tore o a piece of the meat and held it close to Chu Qiao’s mouth. Upon seeing that,
Chu Qiao eagerly tried to bite into the meat, only to be icked on the forehead by Zhuge
Yue. Sternly, he warned, “It’s hot!”

“Oh.” Chu Qiao heartily smiled, before carefully blowing at it and picking it up from Zhuge
Yue’s hands. Putting the piece of meat into her mouth, she found it so tasty that she could
not help but to praise Zhuge Yue, “Wow, I never thought you’d be so good at this.”

“I had only learned it during those years in the woods,” Zhuge Yue casually replied, before
taking out a dagger and slicing the cooked rabbit into pieces. After which, he passed the
delicious meat to Chu Qiao piece by piece.

By now, the night had fallen, as the last vestiges of the sunlight were consumed by the
blanket of darkness. Under the sparkling starry night sky, one could hear the cicadas
singing, mixed with an occasional chirping of the cuckoos. The valley was peaceful and
serene, with only the rustling of clothes as the servants walked around hurriedly.

Sitting in a patch of green grass, Chu Qiao took a deep breath, before displaying an
enraptured smile, as though she was an innocent and naive child, and exclaimed, “How
nostalgic!”

Zhuge Yue coolly continued the conversation, “What is so nostalgic?”

“This feeling…” Chu Qiao leaned back on the tree trunk, as her tranquil expression was
tinged with a small smile. Quietly, she elaborated, “I miss the long grass, green trees,
camping, and cooking around the camp re with a group of friends. After cooking, we would
just sit around the camp re and chit-chat, maybe drink some alcohol. Most of all, I miss
those days when I didn’t need to worry about tomorrow, about survival.”

ff
fi

fi
fl
fi
 Observing her quietly, Zhuge Yue questioned, “Have you actually experienced such a life
before?”

“Of course.” Chu Qiao lifted her head, as she gracefully smiled. “It was from long ago. Three
good friends and I were in a valley just like this, and were eating roasted rabbits just like this.
Oh, but our skills were better than yours, and we had more seasoning.”

“Hmph!” Snorting in disdain, Zhuge Yue turned his face away.

“Xiao Shi learned from a famous chef from France, and her skills were top notch, particularly
when it comes to roasting meat.”

Raising an eyebrow, Zhuge Yue inquired, “France? Is that a restaurant somewhere?”

“Hmmm?” Chu Qiao nodded her head. “Indeed, that is a restaurant.”

Pouting in contempt, Zhuge Yue replied, “I’ve never even heard of it before. Certainly, it is
not a famous one.”

In the distance, another camp re sprouted up, as activities buzzed around it.

“Continue.”

“Hmm?” Chu Qiao was taken aback.

“Continue your story. We are bored anyway.” Zhuge Yue lowered his head and continued to
slice the rabbit. “Talk about your friend.”

“Oh, sure.” Chu Qiao nodded and consented. For some reason, her heart was particularly
heavy tonight. Perhaps the actions of the Da Tong’s Elders had hurt her feelings. She
wanted to do something to distract her.

As the grass swayed under the chilly night breeze, her quiet voice sounded out, “Their
martial skills were all better than mine.”

Raising an eyebrow again, Zhuge Yue was slightly taken aback. “They were all women,
right?”

“Indeed,” Chu Qiao took a glance at him as she teased, “Didn’t you look down on women?”

Zhuge Yue did not reply, as Chu Qiao resumed, “But that was back then. If I were to face
them again, I would estimate that I am at about the same level as them. Xiao Huang
excelled in precision shooting, ah, I mean archery. Xiao Shi was the most exceptional in
close quarter combat, and had once beaten 17 highly skilled men all at once. Mao’er’s
ghting skills were not as good as them, but when it comes to techniques to kill others, she
was the best.”

Zhuge Yue asked, “What about you?”

“Me?” Chu Qiao chuckled. “I was an all-around genius.”

fi
fi
 Irritated, the man rolled his eyes. “Such arrogance.”

Chu Qiao did not feel o ended, as she merely turned her head around and asked, “Zhuge
Yue, what wish do you have?”

Frowning, Zhuge Yue threw a glance at her direction, before coldly snorting, “I hope that you
can quickly scram back to Yan Bei, and not let me see you ever again. Better remain in Yan
Bei for the rest of your life.”

“That would be impossible.” Chu Qiao let out an amused chuckle, as she casually declared,
“Even if you do not invade Yan Bei, I will bring my troops down to the Xia Empire.”

“Is that so? Then my wish is for Yan Xun’s reputation to be in ruins, and thus Yan Bei gets
annexed by the Batuha family. You spend your life adrift, and nally end up begging at my
doorstep.”

Chu Qiao shot a glare at him. “Such a vicious man. Then again, that would be impossible
too.” Lightly laughing, Chu Qiao mused, “If such a day really were to come, I would probably
have already died in the con ict.”

Not expecting that reply, Zhuge Yue was stunned, as he could not nd any words suitable to
reply with.

“At that time, the four of us asked ourselves the same question.” Staring at the horizon, Chu
Qiao cycled through the distant memories in her mind, as she quietly described, “Xiao Shi
looked really cold and stoic on the surface, but she was probably the most fragile one
among us. She like collecting dolls, those really expensive dolls. She would burn through
her monthly salary. Her greatest wish was that upon leaving the organization, she would
receive a huge solatium. After which, she would get married to someone plain and normal
and play the role of a good wife. She had a childhood friend with whom she was on really
good terms. Perhaps, without what happened afterward, her wish would have been
granted.”

At this point, a dreary smile surfaced on Chu Qiao’s face. Chu Qiao continued her
monologue after a short pause, “Xiao Huang is the noisiest among us. Her family was really
well o and was very adventurous. At that time, she was planning to climb a mountain and
carve her name on the peak.”

Pausing again, Chu Qiao described the third friend in question with a smile, “Mao’er’s wish
was always simple—to earn money. She was the most greedy, and she was extremely
daring, so she to do all kinds of business. As a result, she was not that loyal to the
organization. To her, it was just another job to earn money.”

Zhuge Qiao inquired, “What about you?”

“Me?” Chu Qiao was taken aback. After pondering for quite a while, she slowly replied, “I do
not know. I was planning a mission. I only hoped that the mission went o without a hitch so
that I could complete the mission as soon as possible.”

ff
ff
fl
fi
fi
ff
Zhuge Yue snorted in disdain.

Chu Qiao turned and look at him while wearing a small smile. “Actually, I have always been
this way. I have few wishes of my own, and am extremely dogmatic and stubborn. I only
hope that my beliefs are correct, worthy of me to risk my entire life ghting for it.”

“For example,” Chu Qiao took her liberty to take a pause, before she elaborated, “whatever
you owe me, I will make sure to get it back. Likewise, whatever I owe you, I will make sure to
repay it.”

“I think I would admire Mao’er more,” Calmly, Zhuge Yue stated his opinion. “Was the
organization you spoke of Da Tong? Please introduce her to me if you get the chance.”

Calmly shaking her head, she bitterly smiled. “I am really weird to have told you all this.”

Zhuge Yue snorted. “It was not as if I forced you to tell me that.”

They suddenly caught wind of small footstep sounds from afar. Being alerted by the intruder,
the duo raised their heads only to see a young girl; at most ve or six years old. She wore a
bright red blouse and had two braids coming down from her head. She stared at the rabbit
meat in Zhuge Yue’s hands, as she bit on her ngers.

The duo knew that they were traveling with not just the members of the great families, but
their servants as well. Some of those servants had their own families. This kid was probably
some servent’s child.

Frowning, Zhuge Yue was about to say something, but Chu Qiao acted faster. Waving her
hand, Chu Qiao called out, “Come here!”

The girl’s face instantly brightened up, as she stretched her hands out and trotted over.

The young girl’s eyes were crystal clear. Looking into them, Chu Qiao smiled. “How old are
you?”

Nervously stealing a glance at Zhuge Yue, the girl anxiously replied, “I am six.”

“What is your name?”

Perhaps feeling that this young lady was really friendly, the girl promptly responded, “My
name is Xingxing.”

Irately, Zhuge Yue sternly lashed out at the kid with a long face, “Go back and tell your
parents to change your name!”

Stunned, and seeing how Zhuge Yue was staring so ercely at her, the girl blinked her eyes,
as tears seemed to form at the corner of her eyes.

“Why are you scaring such a young kid!” Frowning, Chu Qiao pulled the girl over and
whispered something to her. Shortly, the girl started giggling happily.

fi
fi
fi
fi
Sitting aside, Zhuge Yue watched, suddenly feeling strange. In his memories, Chu Qiao was
never like this. She was supposed to be calm, quiet, stoic, calculating, intelligent, and
devoid of any emotions that normal women should have. However, in this reunion, he saw
more sides of her that he had never seen before. Perhaps, he smiled in self-ridicule, the
previous her had always been putting on an act. She had always seen him as an enemy and
had never shown her true colors. Even now, she might not be her real self. Else, why would
she still bear arms even when so severely injured, as though she was guarding herself
against him?

Between the two of them, trust never existed. Perhaps, it was exactly as she had said:
whatever she owed him, she would surely return it someday.

Smiling bitterly, Zhuge Yue’s gaze turned melancholic.

Damn it, for some reason, I really enjoy this atmosphere.

At this time, the girl walked up to him and tugged on his sleeves. Pointing at the rabbit meat
in his hand, she asked in her child-like voice, “Are you still eating that?”

Zhuge Yue pushed it over to her impatiently.

Not sensing his impatience, the child’s face bloomed into a smile, as she smiled at Zhuge
Yue. “You are so nice!” She then returned to Chu Qiao’s side. Clumsily squatting down, she
sat on the ground next to Chu Qiao, and shared the rabbit meat with her.

After some time, someone came over, calling for that girl. The girl jumped up and dashed to
that person, not forgetting to wave goodbye to Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue as she ran o . Her
bright cheery voice reverberated in the night sky…

Shattering this serene atmosphere, sounds of panicked shrieks suddenly resounded. That
night, not just in this valley, within Xian Yang City, a wave of slaughter occurred as well!

A handsome man in a purplish gold coat leaned sideways on the bed, as two attractive
dancers cuddled with him. Jade white ngers picked up a grape, putting it into the man’s
mouth.

“Lord Feng!” Wearing black camou age for night operations, a servant entered. His face had
a few drops of red liquid, and even though his black shirt did not show anything, the scent
of fresh blood instantly lled the room the moment he entered. The servant kneeled on the
ground, and rmly declared, “The mission was successful.”

The famous Xian Yang City Lord Feng lightly raised an eyebrow, and calmly replied, “Since it
was successful, you may go home and sleep.”

That night, all of Xian Yang City encountered disaster. Blood poured into the tributaries of
Chi Shui river. Hearing the blood-curdling howls, the common folk of Xian Yang City were
awake the whole night. The guards suddenly turned a blind eye to those blood-soaked few
who had broken out of the encirclement and knelt before the main gates to Xian Yang
Military Yamen.

fi
fi
fl
fi
ff
Ultimately, those few created such a ruckus, the Yamen had to inform some local
“enforcement authorities”. Hearing that there were people who disturbed the honorable
mayor’s rest, Lord Feng sent out large numbers of soldiers to “reason it out” with them.

Chapter 117
On the morning of the second day, the radiant sunlight interrupted the nightfall. The civilians
of Xianyang City walked out of their houses only to see that the situation remained
unchanged. It was the status quo—the streets remained bustling with life. The third son of
the Zhang family went around collecting his protection fees from various households, the
fourth son of the Li family on the opposite street wandered around with seven or eight
concubines, and the bread stall belonging to the Wu family had long queues. Things had not
changed, causing the civilians to realize that whatever happened last night was none of their
business. They still had to live their lives as usual.

However, the observant people detected a few anomalies. The few ration shops outside the
Liu family had been taken over by new shopkeepers. Other than a few child servants, the
respective heads of accounts had disappeared.

Boss Jia’s vault, containing his supply of salt, had seemed to have caught re the previous
night. Even if the re had been extinguished in time, the stock of salt carried the scent of
smoke.

The currency exchange, run by the Ouyang family, opened two hours late to the absence of
the head shopkeeper. It was rumored that he had been taken sick…

As noon approached, Lord Feng received a letter from his subordinates. He took a quick
look before walking to his study and penning down a few sentences. After he sealed the
letter, he handed it to his most trustworthy subordinates. The young Lord Feng, with a rarely
seen solemn expression, uttered, “Hand it to Master. There is no room for mistake.”

The eastern winds blew across the town. The owers blossomed, leaving a colorful sight. It
was a good season. At this instant, thick smoke began to erupt from the silent valley. After
the large-scale massacre, the strength of the entourage had diminished, dipping below 700
people. The rest had lost their lives overnight.

Zhuge Yue held a bowl of white porridge in his hand and walked over to Chu Qiao’s side.
His expression was troubled, but he had calmed down. The tent was small, so he was
unable to stand upright. He squatted down and helped Chu Qiao up, saying in a low voice,
“Eat up.”

Chu Qiao’s face was pale. She became increasingly weaker by the day. However, she still
managed to ask, “How’s the situation outside?”

“What else?” Zhuge Yue replied with disdain. “Those that were supposed to die have died.
Those that were not supposed to die have died too. The Liu family has seized the assets of
the other families with little e ort.”

fi

ff
fl
fi
Chu Qiao frowned slightly and said slowly, “This means that Liu Xi has seized the other
merchants’ assets? Isn’t he afraid of the repercussions?”

Zhuge Yue shook his head and replied, “The other merchant leaders might have died
already.”

“You’re saying that…”

“Yes,” Zhuge Yue nodded in reply. “If it was me, I’d do it once and for all. Although the
wealth of the Ouyang, Jia, and Wang families cannot compare to the Liu family, once they
teamed up, it would be su cient to cause trouble for the Liu family. Since Liu Xi decided to
seize these assets and kill the people from these families, Xianyang City would not have had
any peace yesterday night.”

Chu Qiao frowned. “Would Liu Mingjun endorse Liu Xi’s actions? In this case, their foothold
in Xianyang City would be totally ruined.”

“You still think that the instigator is Liu Mingjun?” Zhuge Yue laughed. “Xing’er, you’re smart,
able-bodied, and respond quickly. It’s only that you don’t know how to read people’s minds.
Liu Xi has rebelled. If I’m not wrong, the rst person that died yesterday night was Liu
Mingjun.”

“Liu Xi has rebelled?” Chu Qiao was stunned, trying to recall the young man she saw back
then at Xianyang City. He revealed a mouthful of white teeth when he smiled. His
equestrianism was exquisite. Back then, when Liu Mingjun introduced his nephew to her, he
laughed heartily and patted the young man on the shoulder, proudly proclaiming that he was
considered half his son…

“Why would Liu Xi rebel? Perhaps, he was not satis ed with being a rich man. He had
political ambitions. However, the Xia political system was exclusive, only catering to the
noble families. He had no foothold in court, which meant it would be hard for him to climb
up the ladder even after ten years. Hence, he went all in and gathered the wealth of the
Xianyang merchants as a springboard for him to advance into the upper echelons of Tang.
With such wealth, no one would look down on Liu Xi on his journey to Tang.”

As Zhuge Yue provided his analysis, Chu Qiao did not agree with him as she knew the
identities of the people who had died. At this instant, she was most worried about Liu Xi
being allegiant to the Xia Empire, and deciding to eradicate the foundations of the Da Tong
Guild in Xianyang by swallowing their assets. As for why they were headed to Tang territory,
she was unable to think of a reason.

Zhuge Yue was a man of high intelligence. At this instant, the scouts from Tang provided the
exact news to the o cials, leading them to come to a similar consensus. By uprooting the
other families, Liu Xi was heading to Tang territory with an ulterior motive. However, no one
knew that Liu Xi, who was hated by the masses, had been thrown into a gunny sack and
dumped in the river.

As the situation unfolded, some parties retreated hurriedly. Some were ignorant, some
turned a cold eye to the events, and some were in control of the situation. Those who were
ffi
ffi
fi
fi
 ignorant thought that this was purely a robbery and an ongoing feud between families.
Those who were smart, like Zhuge Yue and Li Ce, were able to delve deeper and unearth the
reasons behind the situation. Only those who were in control was able to unmask the layers
and networks behind to unravel the mystery, waiting for the truth to be revealed one day.

In the big tent, a man wearing a white robe sat on a warmed mat. Outside the tent stood his
guards.

A young man, about 20-years-old, and wearing body armor, dashed into the tent and knelt
on the oor, saying, “Your Royal Highness.”

Yan Xun was wearing a white robe and sitting on the warmed mat. Sweat trickled down his
forehead and he remained pale. He sat there and did not bat an eyelid, but acknowledged
the man’s presence with an Mmm sound.

“The assets have been seized. The heads of the other families, along with their servants,
have been cleared. I’ve sent people to bury their corpses in the rear mountain.”

Yan Xun remained silent, as if he had fallen asleep. The young man licked his lips and
added, “It’s only… it’s only the little prince from the Ouyang family that has not been found.”

Yan Xun frowned but did not blink. “Then go nd him.”

“Yes, yes!” The young servant added hurriedly, “That child is just four-years-old. There are
trees everywhere. I don’t think he has run far.”

“Hold it.” A low voice boomed out. The young man was shocked and obliged.

Yan Xun nally opened his eyes. With a look of wisdom, he asked calmly, “Do you know why
the Xia empire is in this state today?”

The young servant was shocked. He opened his mouth twice, but no words came out of his
mouth.

“It’s because back then when they killed my family, they did not kill me along with them. Do
you understand now?”

The young servant was ustered. “I understand now, I understand.”

“Alright then, carry on.” Yan Xun waved his hand to dismiss him.

The young servant stood up carefully. As he prepared to leave, Yan Xun added, “After you’re
done, go and serve your punishment according to military law. Looks like you need a deep
impression to remember who I am now.”

“Yes, Master. I remember what you said.”

The tent turned silent. The young Yan Xun leaned on his mat, his cloak almost swallowing
him up. Slowly, he frowned and cursed in frustration, “Those darned southern barbarians…”

fl
fi
fl
fi
 The next day, there was no news that the camp intended to set o . Zhuge Yue went outside
to scan the surroundings. Other than the servants of the Liu family, the servants of the other
families had disappeared. He panicked, but given Chu Qiao’s condition, he was unable to
take her away from this place.

He walked to the side of the horse carriage to retrieve some dry rations. On his way back,
he saw the girl named Xingxing hiding beside a small tent, her small head popping out. She
looked as if she was sizing him up. She stared in all directions, appearing to look for the
harmonious Chu Qiao.

Seeing that Zhuge Yue had spotted her, the young child squinted in joy and dashed towards
him.

Zhuge Yue ignored the child and walked back towards the tent. After barely taking two
steps, he heard hurried footsteps behind him. He turned around, seeing the child treading
carefully behind him.

What does she want? More meat? Zhuge Yue frowned and uttered, “If you follow me again,
I’ll break your legs!”

“Waaaaa!” The child wailed loudly, scaring Zhuge Yue. She ran o in the opposite direction
while wailing. The other people looked at Zhuge Yue with scorn in their eyes, seemingly
saying: Look at him. Threatening a child like that.

Zhuge Yue felt frustrated. He had just intended to scare her.

When he got back to the tent, Chu Qiao was still sleeping. She had developed a tendency to
drift o to sleep recently even while talking. Zhuge Yue was slightly worried, but upon seeing
that she was able to walk while not asleep, he felt relieved. At the very least, after their
ordeal, he had somewhat gained her trust. Presently, even if he sat beside her, she would no
longer hold him at knifepoint.

The sky darkened slowly. Zhuge Yue sighed, feeling depressed. The times had changed.
Now, he was unable to even leave this rundown place.

“Umm…” a lazy sound echoed out. Chu Qiao opened her eyes slowly. Seeing Zhuge Yue
sitting beside her, she felt slightly awkward. She proceeded to tidy up her hair. With a nasal
voice, she remarked, “What time is it? Oh, I’ve been asleep for so long.”

Zhuge Yue remained silent, handing her a bottle of water.

Chu Qiao took the bottle and took a sip of water. Seeing that Zhuge Yue was still staring at
her, she choked on the water. “Cough, cough…”

“How clumsy.” Zhuge Yue rolled his eyes while patting her back.

After coughing for a long while, Chu Qiao was energized. Staring at Zhuge Yue ruthlessly in
the eye, she snatched the bottle of water from him, taking two big gulps of water and
declaring loudly, “I’m hungry.”

ff
ff
ff
 Zhuge Yue had gone out earlier on to retrieve some food. However, seeing that she was
being petty, he no longer wanted to give the food to her, sneering in retaliation, “Am I your
slave?”

“Slave?” Chu Qiao looked at him from the corner of her eye. “You? What are you capable
of? I bet that you wouldn’t even be worth a tael of gold.”

Zhuge Yue sneered. “You’re worth money?”

“More than you.”

Chapter 118
Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue were locked in their favorite hobby—argument—until they
suddenly heard footsteps coming from the outside. Stunned, they stood up with daggers in
their hands.

Just as they were about to exit the tent to explore, they suddenly heard a crash, as two
small shadows pounced into the tent, and in the process, almost tore the entrance curtain
o !

Taken aback, Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue looked at each other. Following which, Chu Qiao
opened her mouth, and asked, “Kid, what are you doing?”

Xingxing’s face was colored black, and her eyes were bloodshot. She held a kid who was
even smaller than her. Hearing Chu Qiao’s voice, tears started streaming down her cheeks.

Looking extremely furious, Zhuge Yue impatiently glared at the kids who seemed as though
they had just rolled in charcoal. Grimly, he admonished, “Who let you in? Get out!”

“Uwuuuu…” The other kid, seemingly four or ve-years-old, raised his head. His face was
black, and his eyes were big and round. Pouting, he looked at Zhuge Yue innocently. Like a
little beast wailing, he crawled towards Zhuge Yue with his plump hands.

Zhuge Yue had seen so much war and ghting and had never felt fear. But at this very
moment, he suddenly panicked, and pointed at the little kid while shouting, “You…you! Do
not come over. I am ordering you to get out!”

“Wah!!” A thunderous wail sounded as the kid pounced onto Zhuge Yue, hugging him. As he
soaked his tears and snot into Zhuge Yue’s clothes, he suddenly cried, “Daddy!”

At this instance, Zhuge Yue’s face turned bright right. His expression was so exaggerated
that one could only describe it as being “completely ustered”. With his mouth agape, he
looked at Chu Qiao, before hurriedly saying, “Who is your father? Let go! If not, I will give
you a good beating!”

“Daddy!” The kid did not even reach Zhuge Yue’s hip, but he grappled onto Zhuge Yue’s
thighs with all of his strength while wailing loudly, “Daddy! Daddy!”

ff

fi
fi
fl
The young kid could possibly be severely injured if Zhuge Yue decided to kick him away.
Fearing that the kid would be hurt, Zhuge Yue could not hit him, but as the kid was clinging
onto him so tightly, Zhuge Yue could not push him away either. In the end, he innocently
turned around and sought help from Chu Qiao. “I am really not his dad.”

He did not understand why he felt the need to explain this to Chu Qiao, but seeing that there
was an obvious tinge of amusement amidst Chu Qiao’s shocked expression, his anger rose
quickly within his heart.

As much as Chu Qiao was extremely amused, deep down she was pondering these strange
turn of events. Knowing that she probably could not get an answer from the crying kid who
was currently glued to Zhuge Yue, she turned around. She looked at Xingxing and asked,
“Xingxing, who is he? What is going on?”

Before Xingxing could reply, the dazed kid suddenly turned around, as though he had just
realized that Chu Qiao was also in the room. Stretching his hand out, he sobbed, “Mommy!”

“You are a kid from the Ouyang family?” Zhuge Yue interrogated after noticing the luxurious
set of clothes that the kid was wearing. Within the small tent, the four of them sat in a circle
to iron the matter out.

The kid was apparently scared sti , like a shocked rabbit. Cowering his head, he stole quick
glances at Zhuge Yue, before reaching out his hand and tugging on Zhuge Yue’s sleeves. He
sobbed, “Daddy…”

“I am not your dad!”

With a slap, the kid’s hand was pushed away. His mouth turned upside down, as though he
was about to cry again, but he endured and tried not to cry.

Frowning, Chu Qiao turned to the other kid, and forlornly asked, “Xingxing, are you the one
who brought him here?”

Although she was still young, Xingxing was smart. Hearing Chu Qiao’s question, she
lowered her head and remained silent.

“If you do not fess up, I will throw both of you outside now.”

Xingxing immediately raised her head. Blinking her big eyes, her child-like voice responded,
“Then, if I tell you the truth, can you only throw me out?”

Upon hearing that, Chu Qiao was taken aback, as her frown faded slightly. Chu Qiao quickly
recovered her composure, and questioned, “Xingxing, do you not know that bringing him
around will bring us trouble?”

“I…know.” Pouting, the girl frowned and miserably elaborated, “I cannot bring him to my
own tent. Daddy will inform Mister Lim.. ”

“So, you brought him to us?”

ff
 With a defeated sigh, the girl nodded.

“Do you know each other?”

“We are good friends!” Xingxing raised her head, and her face looked more serious than
ever. She pu ed her chest up, and as if she was about to give an important speech, she
rmly declared, “We had been playing on the trip!”

“Daddy…” The kid at the side attempted to tug on Zhuge Yue’s sleeves again. Pouting, he
continued sobbing, “Mo’er is hungry.”

After being glared at by Zhuge Yue, the kid turned his gaze at Xingxing. Within his gaze,
there was mostly helplessness from being hungry and being bullied, and without a single
vestige of the understanding of being a “friend”.

“Just wait a little more!” Patting the kid’s shoulder, Xingxing comforted him.

Both Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao were slightly taken aback by that gesture. This young girl had
risked so much to save someone she had just met to play along the way. The word “friend”
sounded so rm coming from her mouth that Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao started to have a
sense of respect for this little girl.

Such friendship was perhaps already extinct in the world of adults.

Chu Qiao’s face turned gentle, as she continued to inquire, “How did you nd him? Where
did you hide in the past day?”

Seeing how Chu Qiao’s face relaxed, Xingxing was no longer scared to speak up. Proudly,
she started describing her exploits, “Last night, a lot of soldiers came around. I was scared,
so I hid in the pile of grass at the back. Then, I saw an uncle that I could recognize. He was
from Mo’er’s family. With a big bird on his back, his entire body was covered in blood. He
was tightly hugging Mo’er, but he himself was already dead. Mo’er was scared sti , as he
did not dare to even cry, and his face was pale as a sheet. I dragged him out of that uncle’s
embrace. When the soldiers left, I brought him home.”

“Brought him home?”

“Yes, but Mommy refused to let us in. Upon seeing Mo’er, Daddy panickedly wanted to
report it. I knew that if those soldiers found out, Mo’er would be killed like the uncle. So I
dragged him out and ran away. The entire day, I was hiding in the pile of grass.”

Mo’er sat on the ground slouching, completely devoid of energy, as though he was oblivious
to the fact that the other three people were talking about him. He was really too tired. After
hiding for so long, and having being chased around by people who were trying to kill him, he
was hungry and thirsty. Even more, this new “daddy” was extremely erce. He had
completely lost interest in the conversation, as he was about to fall asleep.

“Then why did you bring him here?”

fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
 “I-I…” Frowning, Xingxing took a while to muster her courage, before whispering, “Elder
sister, you have been really friendly, and this…this uncle is very erce and strong.”

“Uncle?” Zhuge Yue’s eyes widened, as he lightly knocked on Xingxing’s small head. “Brat,
mind how you address others!”

Last night, the Wang, Jia, and Ouyang families had completely been slaughtered, and
perhaps this kid was the only survivor. It would be natural to think that Ouyang family had
risked their all to help him break out of the encirclement only to be intercepted and killed
along the way. It was coincidental that this girl had found him, and hid him. The Liu family
must have thought that the kid had been rescued, and as such, they started to search
outwards. They must have never thought that he had been inside the camp all along. It was
possible that, as Xingxing’s parents knew that the kid had been saved by their daughter,
they did not dare to report the incident.

Letting out a sigh, Chu Qiao looked at Xingxing and said, “Xingxing, do you know that what
you are doing is very dangerous?”

“Yes, I know,” The girl’s face looked melancholic. She still did not understand how her rich
friend suddenly fell like that in just one night. Scratching her head, she continued, “But what
else can I do?”

Indeed, what else could she have done? Betray her friend?

“So this is why you brought him to us, and taught him to call us ‘Daddy’ and ‘Mommy’, to
gain our sympathy, right?”

The girl’s head lowered even further, as though she knew that what she did was not very
honorable. Taking a deep breath, Chu Qiao pulled Xingxing into her embrace, and sighed,
“Such a good kid.”

At this time, with a small crash, the kid slumped down into Zhuge Yue’s chest, having fallen
asleep. Using Zhuge Yue’s leg as the cushion, his drool dripped down as he snored.

“Get up! Who allowed you to sleep here? Get up!”

Innocently, the kid opened his eyes, only to see Zhuge Yue’s face which was fuming with
rage. Rubbing his eyes, he quietly whispered, “I am so hungry….”

And then, a urry of footstep sounded from outside the tent. Like frightened rabbits, both of
the kids jumped up. Like a hen protecting her chicks, Xingxing grabbed Mo’er by the hands,
and upon seeing that there was nowhere to hide, she ducked behind Chu Qiao.

From their little hand pulling on her clothes, Chu Qiao could sense their uneasiness. The
urry of footsteps went past the tent without stopping, and headed right past. It was clear
that they were not looking for them.

“Sister, I will be going back,” Xingxing stated, her face still pale. “I am afraid that my might
spread the news. I will be going back to take a look.”

fl
fl
fi
Looking at Xingxing, Chu Qiao turned to look at the young descendant of Ouyang. She
made up her mind. Looking at Mo’er, she said, “If you want to eat, go and pester him.”

Taken aback, the kid looked at Zhuge Yue. Intimidated by the unhappy look on Zhuge Yue’s
face, he cowered forward, before suddenly kneeling on the oor. Muttering under his breath,
he started to kowtow. With the loud impact of his forehead hitting the oor reverberating in
the tent, his words started to become more and more audible as he wailed, “I am begging
you, I am begging you.”

Even for a four-year-old child, he probably knew what kind of situation awaited him. With the
destruction of his family, even with his tender age, he probably understood that his future
was not bright.

Chapter 119
Initially, Zhuge Yue frowned, ignoring the child. However, his expression relaxed swiftly. He
lifted the child up, staring angrily at him.

The child was startled and pouted. “Father…”

“Don’t call me Father again!” Zhuge Yue hollered. As he nished his sentence, the child
looked as if he was about to cry again. Zhuge Yue sighed helplessly and said, “Don’t call me
Father, and you…you can stay here.”

Xingxing was a smart child. Hearing this, she dashed up and said, “Mo’er, call him Uncle.
You can stay here after that!”

“Un-uncle…” the child probably did not know what that word meant but followed Xingxing’s
instructions. Seeing that Zhuge Yue’s expression slowly warmed up, he dashed forward,
grabbed Zhuge Yue’s neck and shouted, “Uncle, those adults…killed…parents…set re…
killed Mo’er…blood…cries…dead people…”

The young child, after calling Zhuge Yue his uncle, treated him like family and complained to
him loudly while crying. There was no desire for revenge in the child’s voice. Perhaps, he
had not been made aware of this idea. What the child felt was pure fear, sorrow, dislike, and
disgust. However, these seemingly simple emotions would de nitely manifest into an
insatiable desire for revenge and a thirst for blood in future. Just like Yan Xun presently.

The enemies that he remembered were just some adults. He did not know their identities,
backgrounds, status, or even their full names. He only knew that the people who killed his
parents were not children, but a group of adults, and that currently, they were after his life,
not allowing him to eat, sleep, nor go home.

This time, Zhuge Yue did not push the child aside. The child’s little body was trembling in
fear. He grabbed his neck forcefully, just like family.

Xingxing’s eyes teared up. She said, “Sister, I’m leaving. I’ll be back here tomorrow.”

fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
As the young girl turned to leave, Chu Qiao suddenly restrained her. She turned around to
pick up a small dagger, placing it in the young girl’s hand and saying seriously, “Xingxing, be
careful. If there’s any trouble, come and nd Sister.”

A wide smile appeared across the young girl’s face. She waved goodbye to Mo’er and took
another careful look at Zhuge Yue, before walking out of the tent.

The winds outside were cold. Chu Qiao stood by the door of the tent, looking at the child
walk into the distance, occasionally turning back to wave at her. In the darkness, she could
not make out the young girl’s face, only sensing that the young girl was trying to speak to
her. However, the young girl’s voice was drowned out by the strong winds. Everything was
like a cycle. She looked at the child’s shadow fading, which reminded her of herself and
triggering certain emotions within her heart. The onslaught of the strong winds made her feel
very cold.

“Find it familiar?” a plain voice sounded from behind her. Chu Qiao turned around, seeing
the child still in Zhuge Yue’s embrace, his shoulders still trembling from crying. Zhuge Yue
was staring at her. The years seemed to roll back, all the way to the start. Back then, they
were this small but had seemingly been through so much more.

Chu Qiao laughed. “What a strong, obedient child.”

With a swoosh, the wind scattered the soil into the air. The night was silent, with no birds in
the sky. A solitary dark cloud drifted across the sky.

“Uncle, I’m hungry,” the child said, tired from crying. Tears were still trickling down his face.
Without any reservations, he broke the silence in the tent, biting his nger in protest. “Mo’er
is starving.”

Alright, I shall let go of the sad past for now. Zhuge Yue looked at the child, who was no
taller than his leg. Frowning, he said, “What do you want to eat?”

“Umm…” the child frowned and thought hard for a moment. “Is there abalone soup?”

Zhuge Yue frowned, saying, “No!”

Not even this? The child probed, “Are there roasted pigeons?”

Zhuge Yue’s expression turned dark. With a low voice, he replied, “No.”

“How about steamed shark’s n?”

“No…”

“Not even that?” the child frowned in dissatisfaction, looking at the relative that he had just
acknowledged, questioning his economic status. “Then…then there should at least be a
suckling pig? Uncle, Mo’er does not eat vegetarian food…”

fi
fi
fi
Zhuge Yue’s expression slowly turned to that of thunder. The child, sensing this, sighed and
said, “Then…then…then…some braised meat would be ne too. I…I want deer meat, I
don’t like braised pork nor beef.”

Zhuge Yue lifted the child up in a t of rage. “Little idiot! Are you playing with me?”

“Wuuuu…” the child started to cry. “Okay, pork is ne too. Uncle, you’re so poor!”

This was probably the rst person in the world that said that Zhuge Yue was poor to his
face.

Chu Qiao looked at them, her mood brightened up. She released the curtains and bent over,
walking into the tent. She picked up a bowl of white porridge and said to the young child,
“You haven’t eaten for a day. Have some porridge rst.”

The child reluctantly picked up the bowl and stuck out his small tongue to taste the food, as
if it contained poison. However, as he took a mouthful, he was stunned. He started to take
big gulps of the porridge.

“Sister, this porridge is delicious!” the child squealed in joy.

Chu Qiao sighed. This porridge was prepared by Zhuge Yue. It was not delicious; the child
was merely hungry.

“Hey! Lad, don’t call her ‘Sister’,” Zhuge Yue said in a low voice, his face black.

“Um?” the child looked at him and ignored his words, continuing to eat his porridge. “Sister,
it’s delicious.”

“I told you not to call her Sister.”

The child frowned, nding the man who was interrupting his meal a nuisance. Frowning, he
retorted, “What do I call her then? Mother?”

“Mother?” Zhuge Yue was infuriated, continuing to bicker with the four-year-old child. “Don’t
call her that!”

“What do I call her then?”

“Call…call her Xing’er…”

“Xingxing?”

“Xing’er…”

“No way.” The child shook his head decisively. Stubbornly, he replied, “Mo’er can’t
remember that. I will get confused.”

“Stupid rascal!”

This child was very bright. The both of them suspected that they had been played…

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
When they were outside, whenever they ran into trouble, they had to improvise on the spot.
For example, in the night, when they laid a carpet on the oor to sleep, Chu Qiao laid on one
side while Zhuge Yue laid on the other. The child was sandwiched in the middle between
them. After the child laid down, he smiled with satisfaction and said, “Father said that he
had things to do with Mother in the night. They have not let Mo’er sleep with them for a long
time. It’s good that Uncle and Sister are not busy.”

“Cough, cough, cough, cough!” Zhuge Yue choked on his water and started to cough
loudly.

Chu Qiao blushed with embarrassment and smacked the boy lightly on the head, saying,
“You’re full of words. Get to sleep.”

The boy knew that she was not angry. He looked up and smiled sheepishly, snuggling into
his blanket and closing his eyes in joy.

The winds were strong, causing the roof of the tent to ap. Suddenly, a gust of cold wind
blew into the tent. Chu Qiao could not fall asleep. With the appearance of this wanted child,
she had to plan each move in detail.

Sensing that the child had kicked the blanket aside in his sleep, Chu Qiao stuck out her
hand to pull the blanket over the child. However, as she reached out her hand, she touched
another long hand. As if she had been shocked, she retracted her hand. Her ngertips were
cold, but she blushed.

Zhuge Yue was stunned. He had the same reaction. There was an air of awkwardness which
lingered in the tent for a while. No one uttered a word. Only the sounds of low breaths were
audible, interrupted occasionally by the child’s murmurings in his sleep.

“Still not asleep?” Zhuge Yue’s voice was low but conscious, evidently showing that he had
not slept all along.

“Mmm.” Chu Qiao nodded and replied, “I’m a bit worried.” The winds were becoming
heavier, letting out loud howls. Chu Qiao was worried about the impending storm the next
day.

“Go to sleep,” Zhuge Yue said slowly, turning around. Chu Qiao thought that he had fallen
asleep. After a while, his voice echoed out again, sounding gentle but rm, giving her a
sense of security. “I’m here.” Although the winds were strong, the air in the tent appeared
warm at that instant. As long as the tent was around, no wind could blow inwards.

Later that same night, a horse galloped into the camp, bringing news about Lord Feng’s
exploits in Xianyang. At that time, Yan Xun was asleep but was not at peace. Before the
horse entered the camp, he had been rudely awakened by a nightmare. The cold sweat
trickled down his forehead. He had actually dreamt about the young child from the Ouyang
family. Throughout this journey, he had seen that boy trying to get close to him many times,
a smile on his face. However, in his dream, he saw the boy looking at him, holding a blood-
stained knife. Then, the child raised his knife but did not stab him. He sunk his knife into
Chu Qiao’s heart. The child had blood all over his face, giving him a sinister look. His smile
fl
fl
fi
fi
looked as if he was a demon from hell. Ruthlessly, he hollered, “I’ll destroy you, and
whatever you have!”

“AhChu!” Yan Xun’s clothes were drenched with sweat. His breathing was frantic, the
scenes of his nightmare playing across his mind.

“To exterminate…to exterminate…” Yan Xun, seemingly possessed, uttered to himself.

Suddenly, he looked up and shouted, “Men!”

“Master!”

“Find the kid from the Ouyang family at any cost. I want to see his corpse before dawn!”

The servant froze then obliged in an instant. “Yes, sir!”

“Master!” At this instant, another servant dashed into his tent, kneeling on the ground. “Lord
Feng’s messenger is here.”

“Feng Mian?” Yan Xun raised his eyebrows and said in a low voice. “It’s about time.” He
took big strides o his bed, putting his cloak on. With a change of expression, he
transformed back into the calm and collected King of Yan Bei. He said, “Let’s go and see his
good news from Xianyang.”

Before dawn broke, the rain had started to pour outside. The dark clouds gathered across
the sky. The winds blew across the landscape, together with the torrential rain and the
sounds of rumbling thunder. The trees in the forests on both sides of the valley shook
violently, emitting a loud rustling sound. The soil on the ground turned muddy.

Chu Qiao frowned and opened her eyes, and covered her mouth with one hand. She looked
up and saw Zhuge Yue half-kneeling on the ground solemnly. He held a long sword in his
hand and stuck his ear towards the outside of the tent, as if he was eavesdropping on a
conversation.

Chapter 120
Under the cover of the thunderstorm, deep rumbling of horse hooves reverberated through
the ground, closing upon the small tent.

“Someone is here,” Zhuge Yue rmly declared before turning around and preparing his
getaway by packing some gold and food. Having done that, he turned around and asked
Chu Qiao, “How are you? Can you walk?”

Chu Qiao nodded, “Yes, I can.”

Taking out his dagger, Zhuge Yue cut the blanket up. Ignoring the fact that the kid was still
sleeping, he lifted the kid up and tied him to his back.

Drowsily waking up, the kid rubbed his eyes and curiously asked, “Uncle, where are we
going?”

ff

fi
“Kid, those people who are after you are here,” without skipping a beat, Zhuge Yue calmly
told him.

Under the roaring winds and rolling thunder outside, the kid trembled on Zhuge Yue’s back,
yet he tried his best to reduce his trembling.

“Kid, are you scared?”

Pale as a sheet, the child clenched his teeth and loudly proclaimed, “I am not scared!”

With a cold smirk surfacing on his face, Zhuge Yue chuckled. Within his laughter, one could
hear a clear sense of pride and con dence. Zhuge Yue replied to Mo’er, “Good boy.
Remember this, those people outside are not good enough to make us scared.”

In the darkness outside, torches that were drenched in pine oil were lit a ame. The ames
produced wavered in the rain and wind but remained glowing with intense brightness.
Someone shouted, “Hand the kid over, we will let you live.”

In the darkness, a man turned around. His clear eyes that decorated his handsome face
emitted a rm determination. With a serene gaze, he asked, “Can you do it?”

The ever so elusive entity known as time had seeped away from between their ngers. Chu
Qiao vividly recalled that night many years ago, when he was sitting high on his horse,
asking her the very same question: “Can you do it?”

Since then, their paths had been rough, lled with blood and death. They had stood on
opposite sides of the war, and had even crossed blades many times, to the point they had
almost killed each other multiple times. Even then, the over owing crimson blood had not
clouded each other’s judgment. In the end, they chose not to swing the nal blade that
could end each other’s lives. In this hesitation and indecisiveness, they even had days
where they questioned their beliefs, their conviction. But at the end of all that, they still
decided to pick up arms and ght back to back in this stormy night.

Without questioning each other’s past, without questioning each other’s future intents,
without questioning each other’s political views or alignment, they fought together.

There was only one reason for that—they must not die. Regardless if it was Chu Qiao or
Zhuge Yue, they knew this place was not one that could die in.

Drawing a short blade, Chu Qiao lightly smiled. “If you die here, I will light recrackers in
celebration that I no longer need to return your favor.”

A grin spread on Zhuge Yue’s face, and was deeply etched into Chu Qiao’s retina. This was
probably the rst time that Chu Qiao had seen him smile like that. It was so warm, so
serene, without contempt, without sarcasm, without bitterness.

“I am afraid you will not get such a chance.” Withdrawing that smile, Zhuge Yue’s gaze
suddenly turned complicated, as though it was as deep as an abyss, trying to conceal
something underneath. It felt so deep that Chu Qiao could not help but to avert her gaze for
a split second.

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
Spreading his arms open suddenly, Zhuge Yue gently embraced Chu Qiao, and whispered
to her, “Follow me.”

Chu Qiao sni ed as intense emotions rose within her heart. Solemnly, she nodded, and
replied, “Be careful.”

Suddenly, a few whooshing sounds resounded. Zhuge Yue frowned and jumped up. The kid,
sensing Zhuge Yue’s sudden movements, quickly covered his head to prevent being hit by
the tent.

With a loud crash, the raging winds battered the duo, as Chu Qiao’s hair scattered, uttering
in the night sky like a swarm of black butter ies.

As the kid opened his eyes, he realized that the tent had been dismantled by the crowd
outside. Standing on the empty eld, they faced thirty over cavalrymen who had completely
surrounded them. Each of the soldiers wore brown uniforms that were tailored not to hinder
their movements. Tall and big, they seemed overwhelming.

“Hand that kid over. Do not make any pointless e orts of resistance,” the leader declared.
Holding a sharp javelin, he coldly glared at Chu Qiao as though she was already defeated.
However, his was met with a mere glint of a blade as Chu Qiao lurched herself into battle.
He swiftly sidestepped to avoid the blow. His horse, however, was less composed than him,
as it raised its front hooves in shock. At that moment, Chu Qiao’s dagger had embedded
itself deeply into its neck. With a hoarse shriek, blood spurted out, creating a rain of hot
crimson liquid.

With that, that man had been ung o the horse, and he crashed into the ground. Before he
could stand up, the dying horse stomped on his abdomen.

Another dying shriek reverberated within the stormy night. Before his subordinates could
pull him to safety, the dying horse landed on him, dealing the nal blow to his life!

The loud cracking of breaking bones was loud enough to pierce through the noise of the
storm. One could almost imagine the state of the man under the horse right now. Then
again, they hardly had time to think about that, as the man they were surrounding had
dashed forth ercely, much like a striking leopard! With a ash, an audible humming sound
of the steel vibrating through air could be heard!

Coincidentally, at this very moment, a blinding lightning tore through the night sky, followed
by rumbling in the heavens, while blood dyed the grass plains a crimson red.

The swirling winds around Zhuge Yue seemed to embody the ourishing of his blade, as he
stormed forth on the o ense with an intense aura of intimidation.

Chu Qiao was in such a weakened state that she had di culty walking, but considering this
life-or-death situation, she had little choice but to muster all her strength to ght. Initially,
Chu Qiao thought that these people were from Xian Yang, and as such she could nd help
from Da Tong personnel, but she could not count on that anymore since Liu Xi had left Da
ffl
fi
ff
fl
fi
ff
fl
ff
ffi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
 Tong. In fact, she would only be faced with one possible ending if her identity was exposed.
Her only way out was to break out of the encirclement.

After a urry of clashing blades, Zhuge Yue forced back three enemies with a swing of his
blade, but both sides had been injured. The enemies saw two wounded and one dead, while
Zhuge Yue’s chest had been cut by the enemy and was bleeding profusely.

“Uncle! You are bleeding!” the kid cried out in pain.

Upon hearing that, Chu Qiao disengaged with her opponent and jumped over. In the
process, she kicked another enemy squarely in the chest. Losing his balance, that soldier
fell back sitting onto the ground with a loud thump.

“How are you feeling?” Chu Qiao supported Zhuge Yue and enquired anxiously.

The enemies could see that Zhuge Yue was a greater threat, and focused their attacks on
him. One could see that Zhuge Yue had already been injured on his chest, arm, and calf.

Spitting out some bloody saliva, Zhuge Yue shook his head wearily as his face sank deeper
into solemnity. His originally crimson lips now look extraordinarily demonic. Lightly licking
his bloodied lips, he forlornly replied, “I am ne.”

At this moment, the sound of blades cutting through air echoed from behind. With a swift
turn of his body, Zhuge Yue turned around and parried his blade.

As a bolt of lightning struck, the heavens turned a blinding veil of whiteness. Chu Qiao
twisted her petite body under Zhuge Yue’s arm, and with just one single strike, she pierced
the assailant’s heart. To make doubly sure that he would be down for good, she twisted the
blade up with a forceful yank!

Under the thunderous heavens, the crowd came to a standstill. Who knew these two were
so di cult to ght against? In just those few moments, they had already su ered over ten
casualties. But alas! At this time, reinforcements seemed to have arrived.

Outside the outer campground, the silhouette of rows and rows of soldiers could be seen.
They were certainly deployed to cut o Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue’s retreat.

“Xing’er, we can no longer escape.”

Lightly raising an eyebrow, Chu Qiao actually smiled. She replied calmly, “So? Are we going
to surrender?”

“HAHAHA!” Zhuge Yue laughed aloud. The soldiers who had been pacing around them in
wait for an opportunity to strike were scared out of their wits by Zhuge Yue’s sudden
outburst of laughter, and panicked in unison!

“What do you think?” Zhuge Yue’s delayed response followed his hearty outburst of
laughter.

ffi
fl
fi
ff
fi
ff
 With that, the duo turned their heads toward the main tent that was hidden by the darkness.
Situated there was the tent of Liu Family. Certainly, the mastermind behind the massacre,
Liu Xi, would be inside!

They both decided to neutralize the boss as their last hope of getting out!

The kid on Zhuge Yue’s back lost his initial fear, as though he had just been reminded of the
bloody slaughter last night when his own parents died in front of his eyes. His relatives who
would be smiling at him all became cold lifeless corpses. Uncle Meng had broken out of
encirclement with him, but boiling blood poured out from the countless wounds he had
sustained. The kid clenched his teeth, as his eyes turned bloodshot. Stretching out his
chubby white ngers, he pointed at the soldiers in front of him, and his voice was
over owing with hatred.

“Uncle! Those are the ones who killed Mo’er’s parents and relatives! It is them!”

Reaching into his chest, Zhuge Yue took out an intricately made rework. With a quick yank,
a brilliant ew into the sky and blossomed into a golden ower.

The men who were surrounding them were shocked, as their morale dropped further
thinking that they were calling for reinforcements.

Zhuge Yue turned to Chu Qiao and indi erently informed her, “Even if we die here today,
someone will get revenge for us.”

Chu Qiao gallantly shook her head while smiling. “We will not die here today.”

Taken aback ever so slightly, Zhuge Yue started to laugh yet again. Loudly, he exclaimed,
“Sure, let us break out of this encirclement together!”

“Xing’er, grab the horse!”

The duo turned on the o ense, and with agile movements, they easily snatched two horses!
As their horses started to gallop away, Zhuge Yue’s blade was still embedded in an enemy’s
neck when another one took this chance to attack the kid on his back! With a cold snort,
Zhuge Yue declared, “Despicable!” as he swung his scabbard right onto the assailant’s
head!

With an explosive crack of his skull, Zhuge Yue let out a warcry before kicking away another
attacking soldier, then he shouted, “Xing’er, follow me!” With a forceful kick on the horse’s
rear, the horse darted forward like a bloodthirsty beast.

The encirclement that had been painstakingly built up by the soldiers ripped apart like a
piece of paper as Zhuge Yue brandished his blade on the horseback. Leaving behind a trail
of death, Zhuge Yue brought footsteps of war wherever he went!

“Protect the main camp!”

With a cry of hysteria, soldiers scampered into action towards the center camp.

fl
fl
fi
ff
ff
fl
fi
 “Protect the young master!”

“They are aiming for the young master! Kill them! Take down their horses!”

“Archers! Get ready, fast!”

It was chaos, as orders were shouted everywhere. It almost seemed as though the forces
had been ambushed by one huge force.

In the downpour of blood and rain, Chu Qiao followed behind Zhuge Yue closely, protecting
the child on his back. Brandishing her weapon with great dexterity, she did not even have a
single scratch on her as Zhuge Yue had attracted the bulk of the attention. Even as the
ghting escalated yet again, the long night showed no signs of dawn.

Chapter 121
The violent winds were raging on. Both of them slowly approached the main tent, whose
curtains had been raised by the wind. She saw the white carpet in the tent and smelt the
hypnotic essence of the green nch.

Swoosh! Chu Qiao used her sword to slice through the arm of a guard, advancing towards
the tent without an ounce of fear.

Boom! A loud sound of thunder echoed out. The torches were illuminated, causing the smell
of pine oil to linger in the air.

At this instant, the child on Zhuge Yue’s back suddenly shouted. Chu Qiao looked up and
froze, remaining speechless. She clenched her sts tightly, holding her sword. Mo’er’s voice
had become hoarse. In a frenzy, he repeatedly hammered Zhuge Yue’s back. The child, who
had lost his entire family, had shed the layer of naivety he used to have. He was like a beast
forced to desperation; bloodshot eyes, howling in despair.

“Xingxing! Xingxing!” The child hollered with all his might, tears streaming down his face. He
sounded like a small wolf who had been abandoned by its mother. He reached out his hand
towards the small girl lying on the ground, his chest heaving, panting heavily. The torrential
rain smacked his face, his eyes, his body. Everything was red; the blood on the ground
formed a crimson lake. The smell of blood lingered in the air, blending in with the cold wind.

At that instant, Chu Qiao held the sword in her hand tightly. Another stroke of lightning
ashed across the sky. She breathed heavily, shivering uncontrollably. Her face was pale,
her lips devoid of any color, but her eyes were black and bright. She thought of the child’s
timid look as she departed. Her innocent smile carried a likable feeling.

Sister, I’m leaving, I’ll be back tomorrow.

I’ll be back tomorrow… I’ll be back tomorrow… I’ll be back tomorrow…

fi
fl

fi
fi
 A t of rage welled up within her. She looked up slowly, jumped o the horse’s back,
discarded her sheath and raised her sword high up above her head. She held the sword
tight with a cold look in her eyes and stared squarely at the golden tent in front.

“Bad guy! Bad guy!” The child was still crying. Zhuge Yue jumped o the horse’s back
calmly and patted the child’s back. With a low voice, he remarked, “Lad, save some
strength. Letting the enemy see your tears is a cowardly thing.”

Ouyang Mo reached out his hand and wiped the tears from his face. The look in his eyes
was no longer that of an innocent and naive child.

Xingxing’s body had been casually dumped in a drain in front of the tent. Her body only had
the solitary fatal wound, and had turned white due to the rain. Her eyes were wide open but
did not contain any hate, only that of panic, fear, and terror. Her body was small and she did
not have any shoes on. Her bare feet popped out of her dress. It was a heartbreaking sight.
She was still holding a dagger in her hand. It was the dagger that Chu Qiao had given her as
she left. Two middle-aged people—a man and a woman—lay by her side. They were
presumably her parents.

The cold wind continued to blow, lifting Chu Qiao’s green robe. It was soaking wet and
stuck to her body tightly. She looked up, took a deep breath and stepped forward, her eyes
no longer re ecting any hesitation or sorrow, only that of courage and stubbornness.

At that moment, a terrifying murderous aura emanated from the blinding re ection of her
sword. Chu Qiao leaped up in the air and stuck her sword into the ground, burying any
suspicion into the ground.

“Ah!!!” Sounds of ear-piercing howls made by the wounded soldiers broke the silence of the
night.

Chu Qiao shed o any layers of weakness. Presently, she was a warrior, a cold-blooded
killing machine. Her sword pierced through the soldier’s chests. With strength in her legs,
she surged forward, killing any soldier in her sight.

“Surround them! Protect the master!” In the pandemonium, loud shouts could be heard.
Everyone’s eyes brightened up with passion. The three of them were trapped. As long as
they were killed, it would be considered a meritorious deed.

However, the passion in their eyes was short-lived. In the next second, the soldiers found
out how comical their thoughts were. As they assembled their formations to defend, the
opposition started their massacre! From start to nish, they did not intend to escape!

Another blinding ash of a sword ew across the air. Two soldiers in the frontline yelped in
agony and retreated, one of them having one leg mutilated. Blood splattered everywhere.
Another soldier approached from behind, trying to backstab. Chu Qiao did not turn back,
and plunged her sword into the heart of that soldier with a swift strike. She bent her back
slightly, standing amongst the rain. She retracted her sword, causing blood to splatter all
over her body. She did not even frown. She scanned the crowd with her eyes, seeing terror
everywhere. She straightened her back and walked forward, dragging her sword along.

fi
fl
ff
fl
fl
fi
ff
ff
fl
 “Get her!” another soldier hollered.

Zhuge Yue sneered and raised his arm. With a swoosh, he ung the sheath of the Poyue
Sword away, and pierced through the soldier’s stomach with a terrifying posture!

“Uncle, kill them!” the child shouted at Zhuge Yue without an ounce of fear. The cruel killings
had caused a child of a tender age to lose his benevolent and kind side. He waved his small
sts, crying out loud like a seasoned war veteran.

“Master has made his orders clear: anyone that can bring him the heads of these three
people will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold!” a soldier walked out of the tent and
barked at his comrades.

Before he nished his sentence, Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue dashed forward, blending into the
crowd. In that instant, large groups of troops approached them from all directions, pointing
their swords towards them. However, a series of agonizing cries reverberated around the air
simultaneously. Mutilated limbs and fresh blood splattered everywhere. The crowd retreated
in all directions, no longer caring about any monetary rewards. Many soldiers crawled on the
ground, trying to escape.

The compound was quickly vacated. Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao stood side by side, looking
at the crowd in disdain. The man was covered in blood, but asked calmly, “Are you still
alive?”

“I’m not dead.” Chu Qiao stared coldly at the approaching crowd, saying slowly, “You
control these people. I’ll enter the tent.”

Zhuge Yue frowned. Just as he was about to protest, Chu Qiao dashed towards the tent
swiftly, her shadow rapid like an arrow released from a crossbow.

Another massacre was imminent. Zhuge Yue cursed to himself, taking a few steps forward
to buy some time for her. In the tent, Yan Xun leaned on the warm carpet, frowning. AhJing
held his sword and stood at the side. Hearing the noises outside, he said, “Master, let the
guards of Yan intervene. These two people are highly skilled.”

Yan Xun rubbed his temples lightly with his hand, saying calmly, “It’s not necessary. It’s
good to leave the people of the Liu family here.”

“But,” AhJing frowned, “we need someone from the Liu family. If not, we will nd it hard to
take action in Tang.”

Yan Xun waved his hand and replied emotionlessly, “Wait a while more.”

Chu Qiao had made her way to the front door of the tent. Only ve guards of the Liu family
stood in her way. She stared at them coldly in the eye, licking the blood o her face. Her
casual demeanor and ruthless aura destroyed the guard’s con dence instantly.
Subsequently, she raised her sword without any mercy. Yes, she was the perfect killing
machine of this era.

fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
 It was silent inside the tent. Only the sounds of killings could be heard from outside. AhJing
broke out in a sweat. Unable to resist, he called out, “Master…”

Yan Xun frowned, feeling an indescribable ounce of frustration within him, as if he had
forgotten something. A voice was calling out frantically in his mind, but he was unable to
make out what the voice was saying. The loud sounds of the killings outside reminded him
of many forgettable memories. Finally, he waved his hand and said, “Go ahead.”

AhJing heaved a sigh of relief. As he was about to speak, a cold voice echoed through the
night.

“Liu Xi! Come out!”

From the moment he escaped Zhen Huang City, standing under the night sky, Yan Xun had
said to himself that he would no longer fear anything. He swore to eradicate anything that
stood in his way. He would use his sword, his sts, his power to announce to the entire
world. The King of Yan Bei was back. All the humiliation and su erings would be
reciprocated tenfold.

However, at this instant, he felt afraid. He jumped up from the carpet without even putting
his shoes on. Without any concern, he dashed towards the entrance like a lunatic.

“Master!” the guards in the tent panicked and dashed forward. AhJing restrained Yan Xun
with an arm. He did not hear the voice clearly, innocently thinking that his master had been
angered and wanted to battle it out with the enemy.

“Master! Don’t be rash! Those people are not worth your e ort!”

The sounds of weapons clanking could be heard. Chu Qiao’s voice, loud and clear, echoed
out again. “Liu Xi! Come out!”

This time, AhJing froze, rooted to the spot.

The wind was blowing. With a swoosh, the curtains of the tent were sliced open. Lightning
ashed across the sky behind the lady’s back, causing the sky to appear white. Her posture
appeared so tall and straight at that instant. She stood at the door with disdain in her eyes.
She raised her sword proudly, pointed it at Yan Xun and sneered, “Liu Xi, you did not expect
that I would be here, right?”

Yes, I did not expect it. How would I expect it? Ya Xun wondered.

The lights in the tent were extinguished by the rain outside. The moonlight shone on the
lady’s pale face. At this moment, Yan Xun was lost for words. Like a block of wood, he
stood at his original position, unable to say a word. He frowned and looked at her, remaining
speechless.

Chu Qiao stared at him coldly, her tone emotionless. Pointing her sword at him, she said,
“You betrayed Yan Bei, Da Tong, and killed the people related to you. Tell me, don’t you
deserve to die?”

fl
fi
ff
ff
 At this moment, the guards of Yan hiding outside the tent sprung into action. These soldiers,
who had been through countless battles, were more skilled than the guards of Liu. They
were dressed in black, their faces covered by veils. They carried their weapons and dashed
out from the two tents at the side, surrounding Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao tightly and swiftly.
The archers were prepared, but upon seeing the lady standing in the center, they were
shocked, forgetting to strike out momentarily.

Chapter 122
Of course, Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao would not be able to see all the soldiers hiding in the
darkness. By now, the guards of the Liu Family had all fallen back. The main tent was lled
with a deafening silence.

“Xing’er!” Zhuge Yue charged forward. Raising his sword, he guarded Chu Qiao. With his
free arm, he blocked Chu Qiao in case she decided to charge forward.

Looking at “Liu Xi” hidden in the darkness, she spoke rmly without skipping a beat, “Liu Xi,
I am going to represent Da Tong and claim your life. Even if I cannot kill you today, Yan Xun
will someday take revenge for me. All betrayers will be slain!”

With a deafening boom, a streak of lightning pierced through the heavens. The man dressed
in white inside the main tent chuckled as he raised his head to observe the torrential
downpour that was drenching the countless silhouettes outside of the tent. His smile was
full of bitterness. Should he feel fortunate? The person he had been seeking for so long was
nally standing in front of him, safe and sound, and still complete con dence in him. On the
other hand, how should he handle this situation?

The heavens had truly dealt him some tricky cards!

Chu Qiao was slightly taken aback. That man’s expression and demeanor was so familiar.
But after the slaughter she had just experienced, her thought process had already stalled.
There were certain things that she would simply not consider at this point in time.

Continuing to frown at the man in the darkness, she picked up her blade and slowly stepped
forward. With a whoosh, the Yan Guards stepped forward. But at this moment, the man in
white raised a hand and waved it left and right slowly. Seeing that, the crowd lost their
minds. That signal was an order to let these people go!

“Master!” The butler of the Liu Family was completely aghast at this turn of event, as he
stepped up and rmly declared, “How can we…”

The man’s gaze dropped to sub-zero temperatures as he glared at the butler in rage and
annoyance, tinged with a hint of murderous desire.

Feeling chills go down his back, Butler Lin complied with his orders and faced Chu Qiao and
Zhuge Yue, saying, “The Master has agreed to let you go.”

Now it was Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue’s turn to be stunned. Their eyes were devoid of any
form of relief as they stared at that man with eyes full of suspicion.

fi
fi

fi
fi
fi
 Irate, Butler Lin snapped, “Scram! Do you need us to send you o ?”

“Xing’er, let us go.”

Frowning, Chu Qiao continued to stare with disbelief at the pitch black tent. Zhuge Yue
pulled on her arm and rmly declared, “Follow me!”

Previously, the only reason that they attacked the main tent was due to strategic concerns.
But now the enemy had agreed to let them go, so regardless of whatever else, they had no
reason to hesitate.

Jumping onto two horses, Zhuge Yue turned around. Looking into that pitch dark tent, he
rmly declared, “Liu Xi, if you become my captive one day, I will give you two chances to live
as well.”

No response could be heard from the darkness, but just as Chu Qiao was about to gallop
o , a tired sigh could be heard. The sigh sounded so helpless, as though it carried all the
remaining strength of that mysterious man. Following the sigh, the man whispered, “Be
careful.”

The voice was so low, so quiet, but Chu Qiao still heard it. Her body trembled, and she
turned around forcefully. However, with all the soldiers blocking her line of sight, she could
no longer see the man’s gure.

The raging wind sent her bloodied hair uttering. The pungent scent of iron on her hair lled
her nostrils.

“Giddyup!” Zhuge Yue signaled his horse to gallop away.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Chu Qiao ultimately turned around and closely followed behind
Zhuge Yue. With the horse galloping on the muddied ground, they raced out of the
encampment.

The storm seemed to have worsened, as intense panting could be heard from the aftermath
of the bloodbath. The soldiers looked at each other in disbelief as they saw their enemy
leaving just like that.

“Master!” AhJing turned around and anxiously shouted, “That is the lady! How can we just
let her leave just like that with Zhuge Yue?”

“What else can we do?” Yan Xun turned at him, frowning bitterly. “Can I just take o my
mask and tell Chu Qiao that all this was done by me?”

Clouds layered on each other as the incessant rain continued. But even if the rain did not
stop, it was about time this seemingly eternal night ended.

Within a cave, the three of them picked up some relatively dry rewood after much
searching, and after lighting up a re, they nally felt some relief from the cold. They
removed their outer clothes to dry beside the replace. After the endless ghting, they were
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
ff
fi
 completely worn out both physically and mentally. Even that normally restless kid sat on the
ground hugging his knees, not saying a word.

Chu Qiao looked very calmly as the kid leaned his tiny back onto her. She seemed as
though she was thinking about something, but also seemed as if she was staring into empty
space mindlessly, just wanting to rest.

Unable to stand the awkward silence, Zhuge Yue frowned and stood up as he informed,
“The rewood is running out. I will go and pick up more.” With that, he went to leave the
cave.

“Zhuge Yue!” Chu Qiao shrieked as if startled.

Taken aback, Zhuge Yue turned around and stared her bewildered, and asked, “What’s
wrong?”

“No…it’s nothing.” Looking a bit panicky, Chu Qiao quickly shook her head in quickly. “It is
nothing.”

Raising an eyebrow, Zhuge Yue inquired suspiciously, “Are you sure? I thought you were not
wounded.”

Putting up a weak smile, Chu Qiao replied, “I am really ne.”

Nodding, Zhuge Yue replied, “Alright, just wait here.” Just as he was about to leave, it
seemed he suddenly remembered something. He turned around and reminded her, “Watch
the brat. Don’t…don’t run o .”

“Alright!” Chu Qiao nodded and chuckled. “Just go!”

Zhuge Yue turned around, but just as he walked another few steps, Chu Qiao called out to
him again, “Wait!”

Zhuge Yue stopped in his tracks, only to see Chu Qiao running up with the Sword of Moon
Shatterer. Passing the sword to him, Chu Qiao examined his wounds, before looking into his
eyes earnestly and whispering, “Be careful.”

Taken aback by this strange behavior, Zhuge Yue gazed at Chu Qiao in suspicion. But he
dismissed his thoughts and stoically nodded before heading out of the cave. But just as he
exited the cave, a grin immediately surfaced on his face as though he could no longer hold it
in. Childishly rubbing his nose, his expression softened.

As Zhuge Yue walked into the distance, Chu Qiao stood still in the same spot, as her face
turned into a strange expression that seemed to express both tiredness and guilt. She sat
back next to the re, and while patting the kid’s head, she whispered, “Your name is Mo’er,
right?”

Nodding, the kid did not speak.

“Are you feeling very sad?”

fi
fi
ff
fi
The kid chose to remain quiet.

Sighing lightly, Chu Qiao lightly cuddled the tiny gure, while cooing, “I know, you feel
horrible.”

A teardrop suddenly fell onto Chu Qiao’s hand, as the kid started to sob uncontrollably,
“Xingxing…Xingxing….” These pained sobs stabbed Chu Qiao’s heart as she was reminded
of that girl who was like the embodiment of sunshine.

“Mo’er, do you hate those people?”

Perhaps the kid did not clearly understand the meaning behind the word “hate”, but he
suddenly grasped his small st, and ercely proclaimed, “Mo’er will quickly grow up, and
master martial arts just like Uncle so that I can kill those bad people!”

Chu Qiao suddenly found herself lost for words. What could she say? Such was the circle of
revenge that could never end. Was she supposed to say that violence would never solve
anything? She could not even dare to look into the kid’s eyes. Her hand was trembling
uncontrollably, and she felt even worse. She could only muster up the strength to caress the
kid’s trembling back, and almost choking on her over owing emotions, she whispered,
“Then you must work hard. Even if you cannot kill the enemies, you can at least protect
yourself.”

“Mo’er will de nitely kill them!” The child forcefully raised up his hand, as he turned around
and looked naively at Chu Qiao, asking, “Will Elder Sister teach Mo’er those skills?”

Bitterly smiling, Chu Qiao replied, “From now on, you must follow that uncle, and listen to
whatever he says. Be a good boy. He will take care of you, and will teach you martial arts.”

Blinking, the kid asked her the most crucial question, “What about Elder Sister?”

Taken aback, Chu Qiao took a deep breath, before replying with a feigned casualness, “If
the opportunity arises, I will come and see you.”

The kid was smart and sensitive, as he instantly understood the meaning behind that
sentence. He panickedly tugged on Chu Qiao’s sleeves, as he questioned loudly, “Are you
leaving?”

Chu Qiao shook her head as she hugged the kid again. It was no longer clear if she was
speaking to the kid or speaking to herself, as she began a monologue. “Mo’er, you are really
unfortunate, but you are also very fortunate. Your parents were killed by others, and your
enemy has great in uence and power. You really have no chance of standing up to the
enemy. You were originally destined to die, but there were people who were willing to save
you and protect you even though your family had already perished. From that point alone,
you can be considered lucky. But in this world, there are people who are even more unlucky
than you. His hatred was even stronger than yours, and his enemy was even more powerful
than yours. He withstood humiliation for many years without anyone willing to help him. He
could only rely on himself even when bullied by others. As such, his hatred was even more
intense than yours.” Taking a pause here, Chu Qiao smiled gently and caressed the kid’s
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
head before continuing, “As such, no matter what you do, Elder Sister will forgive you,
because I have seen what you went through, and I know why you became the way you are
today. But if you do something wrong, Elder Sister will think of ways to stop you.”

“Elder Sister!” the kid called out. “Mo’er will not do anything wrong! I will listen to Elder
Sister no matter what!”

“Good boy, I hope you will remember what you said today.” Chu Qiao sighed.

With the crackling of the twigs in the ame, the conversation died out and the kid started
getting drowsy. Using some dried grass as bedding, Chu Qiao placed Mo’er on the
makeshift bed. Before long, the light snoring of the kid could be heard.

Forlornly looking at the kid’s sleeping face, Chu Qiao sank into reminiscence. On that fateful
day after the massacre, in that dilapidated hut with a leaky roof, with that pale youth whose
frown was deeply etched into his forehead, they hoarsely growled out with all their
determination, “Live on, even if we have to live like a dog.”

In the blink of an eye, so many years had passed.

Picking up a twig, she wrote a few words on the ground. Pressing so hard onto the twig, it
was as though she was pouring all her emotions out into the few words. Finally, she glanced
at this cave for one last time and looked at that kid. Finally, she took a deep breath as she
left the cave without looking back!

With a loud neigh, the sound of hooves resounded and was quickly washed out by the
torrential downpour.

Zhuge Yue returned shortly after. He had even caught a rabbit. Smiling as he entered the
cave, he was just about to speak when he was completely stunned.

“Brat! Brat!” Zhuge Yue shook the kid awake.

Rubbing his eyes, Mo’er drowsily replied, “Uncle..”

His face clouded with worry, Zhuge Yue hurriedly asked, “Where is Xing’er? Where did she
go?”

“Elder Sister?” The kid frowned, confused. Pointing at the place Chu Qiao was sitting before
he fell asleep, he said, “Elder sister was there? Eh? Where is Elder Sister?”

Zhuge Yue let go of him quickly, as he dashed out of the cave. Just as he thought, one of
the horses was missing.

Chapter 123
“Uncle! There’s words here!”

fl
Zhuge Yue dashed to the side of the replace, seeing a few words carved on the wall. The
strokes were forceful, showing that the person who wrote it had many complicated
emotions.

I’m leaving, no need to nd me. I will not go back for revenge. Take good care of Mo’er.

Under these words, there was another row of words that had been hastily scrawled.

Thank you, Zhuge Yue.

Thank me? For what? For not killing you? for the help along the way? or for taking care of
this child?

Zhuge Yue suddenly bellowed in anger, kicking the pile of rewood aside. Mo’er froze,
cowardly retreating to the side, not daring to approach him.

Zhuge Yue took a few big steps forward, wanting to dash out of the cave.

“Uncle!” The child, afraid that he would be abandoned, called out, “Where are you going?”

That’s right, where was he going? To chase after her? What right did he have?

Zhuge Yue suddenly laughed, throwing away the things he held in his hand. He stood in the
empty cave, looked up, took a deep breath, and muttered to himself, “Zhuge Yue, you fool!”

The rain was heavy outside, su cient enough to cause ooding in the rivers. Chu Qiao’s
horse galloped in the heavy rain. Her mind was blank. All the events started to connect in
her mind. She scolded herself for being so stupid, that she had to witness what was going
on to understand it all. Her blood was boiling. The look in her eyes was bright, and her
breath was rapid. The horse galloped along the mountain ranges.

The sky was dark and cold. After a long time, the valley appeared in Chu Qiao’s sights
again. She felt weak, sitting on the horse’s back. Looking at the now empty valley, she
started to calm down. She jumped o the horse’s back, treading through the muddy water
step by step. As expected, she saw Xingxing’s small corpse at the original place where she
had found her.

Four hours later, a new grave was built on that place. Beneath the grave, lay three innocent
lives who had been lost. Chu Qiao stood in front of the grave, sticking her sword into the
ground at the side. She knelt on the ground, disregarding the dirty mess.

“Xingxing, I’m sorry,” Chu Qiao muttered softly with sorrow in her voice. “Sister can’t avenge
your death anymore.” She kowtowed on the ground heavily, causing the muddy water to
splash around.

She knelt on the ground silently. She wanted to say a lot of things, but all of them would
sound unbelievably ironic. She grabbed at the dry straw on the ground. Her look was
determined, but tears were streaming down her face. She did not know whether she was
sad over the child’s death or something else.

fi
ffi
ff
fi
fl
fi
 “I’m sorry! I can’t do it!” Her voice was choked. She stood up, climbed on the horse’s back,
and galloped swiftly towards the direction of Tang Jing.

It was afternoon, but the sky was dark. The dark clouds hovered above the sky, giving o a
su ocating feeling. The wind blew towards the forest, causing rustling sounds to emerge.
Everything was focused on the shadow fading into the distance, including the newly erected
grave. The storm was heavy, causing the leaves to fall to the ground. When would this
gloomy weather end?

Simultaneously, over a hundred miles away, the city gates of Tang Jing opened. A majestic
horse carriage dashed out quickly. The carriage operator was about 18 or 19-years-old. He
looked depressed, saying to the man in the carriage, “Your Royal Highness, I can’t go any
faster. The horse is almost out of breath!”

“Faster, faster!” the man in the carriage chided, revealing his demonic face. He was dressed
in a red robe, similar to a wedding out t. He widened his eyes and ordered, “If I’m still
caught this time, I’ll order your two sisters to be sent to the palace to become concubines.”

The young man was shocked upon hearing his words. With a surge of energy, he whipped
the horse’s buttocks. The horse let out a long neigh, galloping even faster towards the front.

Yuping Peak, Ponan Lake.

After the storm, the lotus owers on the surface had sunk to the bed of the lake, leaving the
black branches oating on the surface. The occasional bird landed on the surface, causing
ripples to form. The cold wind blew across the surface of the lake. There was a long wooden
bridge constructed across the lake, secured by ropes and wooden boards. Although it
looked to be hastily designed, it looked natural, giving o a poem-like feel.

The winds were light; the white owers by the side of the lake were blossoming. The shes
swam in the water, their tails wagging slightly, curious about what was happening above the
water surface. The sky was azure blue, without any clouds after the storm. The sun shone
brightly in the sky, to the point that it was almost blinding. It was approaching dusk, but the
landscape was still bright.

The wooden bridge led to a pavilion built on the surface of the lake, via the center of the
lake. A young man dressed in red stood alone at the center of the pavilion. The wind blew,
causing his sleeves to utter in the air along with his long, black hair. Big roses were
embroidered on his clothes, like real roses blossoming in the wind.

The man’s facial features were portrait-like. The ridge of his nose was high, his eyebrows
were slightly parted and his posture was cultured. His eyes scanned the crowd standing
outside the pavilion, carrying a look that was thirty percent cultured, thirty percent noble,
thirty percent cold, and ten percent deep.

“Get out of my way, if not I’ll kill myself!” a sharp voice sounded out, spoiling the portrait-like
setting. The man in red held a knife to his neck, trembling in fear. However, he was unable
to. His hands trembled for a long while, but he did not manage to raise the knife.

ff
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
ff
fi
ff
“Your Highness, we are not in the mood to care about whether you’re alive or dead. Your
Majesty has spoken. He wants to see you either dead or alive. If you don’t go back with us,
we will answer to Hades in the netherworld,” a young servant dressed in green blabbered
while leaning on a pillar outside the pavilion. His face was pained.

The man in red turned around and said ruthlessly, “All right, Lu Yunxi. I’ve looked after you in
vain all this while. You dare to attack a man in trouble. When I’m back in the capital, I’ll
capture your sisters and send them to the palace.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Lu Yunxi said, dejected. “When I was unluckily tasked with this
mission, my eldest sister brought my three unmarried sisters to Nian An Nunnery. As long as
you step into Tang Jing alive, they will become nuns. The knife to shave their heads has
been prepared already.”

“What?” The man froze, a look of anger appearing on his face. “They would rather become
nuns than spend time with me? Ridiculous!” the man bellowed. As he nished his sentence,
the man turned around and said to a man dressed in brown, “Tie You, do you want to
oppose me too?”

“Your Highness…” The big man squatted on the wooden bridge lifelessly. He clasped his
head with his hands, about to drift o to sleep. With a blurry tone, he replied, “I don’t have
any sisters.”

“I know!” the man said ruthlessly. “But you have a daughter!”

Tie You sighed again, his look remained lifeless. Helplessly, he said, “Your Highness, my
daughter just turned one month old yesterday. Isn’t it too early to threaten me?” Finishing
his sentence, Tie You shook his head, adding, “I haven’t even celebrated Nannan’s rst
month, and she’s going to be captured by you.”

“All right, I see that the lot of you want to rebel already!” The man started to feel around in
desperation. He looked at another handsome young man, and sulked, “Sun Di! Do you want
to oppose me too?”

Sun Di gave a sinister smile and replied, a bright look in his eyes, “Your Highness, although I
don’t have any sisters, my mother gifted me four concubines. I look forward to bringing
them into the palace for your pleasure. It will be the greatest honor of my life.”

“Your Highness,” a fatigued voice sounded out. A muscular young man, about 17 or 18
years old, yawned and said, “Are you done? If we travel down the mountain now, we will
make it back to the city before the gates close. There’ll be space at the brothel too when we
get there.”

“What brothel?” the man replied in anger. “I’m telling you all, I’m determined to escape this
time.”

Everyone looked at him helplessly. The mockery in their eyes was su cient to send the Xia
Emperor to kowtow in front of Yan Shicheng’s grave in shame. The message was evident:
Which time were you not determined?

ff
ffi
fi
fi
However, the man did not demonstrate any guilt. He frowned and proclaimed, “I will not
submit to Father’s despicable threats!”

Tie You sighed. Assuming the position of an elder, he advised, “Your Highness, the princess
of Xia has entered the city already. The diplomatic envoys from various lands have arrived. If
the Xia Emperor knows that you have escaped, he will be so angry.”

“Exactly. Look at the big picture. At most, once you’ve married her, you can just ignore her.”

“That’s right! Tolerate it for a while. It’s better if you compromise. Your Highness, don’t be so
narrow-minded.”

“Shut up!” the man hollered, looking up towards the sky. “I already have someone I like. I
must reserve the place in my heart for her, to await her arrival.”

The other four people pouted in disdain. He has someone he likes? Unless Xia willingly
obliges.

Lu Yunxi looked up at the sun and sighed. “Your Highness, it’s getting late. Let’s not waste
any more time.”

The man in red took a step back cautiously and said, “What are you doing? I tell you, I’m a
man of my words. Don’t be so overbearing.”

Tie You clapped his hands twice and stood up. He walked forward lazily and added, “Let’s
get to work. Once we nish, we can enjoy an early dinner.”

Sun Di took out a long rope, shook his head and said helplessly, “Looks like we can only
resort to this.”

“What are all of you doing? Don’t forget who took all of you in. Little Lu, when you lost
money in that gambling den, I bailed you out! Alright, although I admit I framed you, I did not
tell anyone to chop o your hand!”

“And you, Sun Di! Did you forget the time when you were disowned by your mother? You
were in debt to a brothel! The entire city of ladies looked down on you! If not for me, you
would still be locked up in Yihong Building’s underground chamber… Although the reason
why you were disowned was because I forced you to admit to fathering Qiu Tao’s child…but
you pro ted too! Qiu Tao is a beauty, and she’s your wife now…”

A cry of agony suddenly echoed out, piercing through the sky. All the birds and creatures
within a 20-mile radius escaped in shock. Li Ce, the beloved Crown Prince of Tang, let out a
cry of agony on top of Yuping Mountain. “Bunch of ingrates! Scoundrels! I’ve treated all of
you so well, yet you’re striking me down in my moment of trouble! Wait and see! Sooner or
later, I’ll capture all the women in your families!”

With a few motions, Li Ce had been subdued and tied up. As the rest of the people heaved
a long sigh of relief, a horse walked along the trail up the mountain. The horse walked on but
stopped upon seeing the few of them. The horse looked strangely at the group of people,
fi
ff
fi
seeming curious to nd out more about them. The main thing was that there was a person
on top of the horse’s back. Everyone was shocked and stared at that person.

Chapter 124
On the horse, there was a woman. Although her clothes were a dirty mess, one could still
see that the clothes were made of very high-quality material. The long green dress was
folded into multiple layers with simple ower patterns embroidered onto it. Those simple
decoration made the dress fancy but not extravagant. With luxurious black hair scattered
behind her, the lady was lean and thin, with long legs and a narrow waist. From just one
glance, one could tell she had the potential to be extremely beautiful. But this beauty
seemed to be in a weakened state, as she was sprawled on top of the horse as though she
had already fainted.

“Eh? Looks like a sleeping beauty!” A certain person, although completely tied up, already
noticed the woman. Immediately he cried to the rest, “With a lady around, do not embarrass
me! Quickly, untie me!”

Looking at him, Tie You casually remarked, “No way!”

A breeze swept past, sweeping up the lady’s long hair. With his sharp eyes, Li Ce
recognized Chu Qiao. Mouth agape, he quickly reacted. “Qiao Qiao! Come help me! It’s me,
Li Ce!”

His piercing voice came so suddenly that the crowd surrounding him all jumped in surprise.
Particularly, the horse was scared out of its wits. After roaming in the quiet mountains for so
long, it was suddenly screamed at and mistook the voice for a wolf. Raising its front hooves
in shock, it neighed loudly. The lady on its back was thrown o , and with a crash, she
landed heavily on the ground. Before she stopped rolling, the heartless horse had already
galloped o into the distance.

“Ah!” Shocked, Li Ce’s face turned pale before quickly shouting, “What are you standing
there for? Go and save her, quickly!”

Before long, the carriages of the Royal Tang family rolled out away from Yu Ping mountain.
From the woods, a few middle-aged men left their hiding spots. They were all dressed like
woodcutters. One opened his mouth and addressed the rest, “Go and report back to King
Luo. The prince has attempted to escape his marriage six times, and is even more crazy and
childish than the rumors suggest. Everything will proceed according to plan.”

“Roger!” one of the men replied and then left. A short while later, a pitch black warhorse
galloped out from within the woods. The woodcutter man ipped onto the horse and quickly
disappeared into the distance.

The two sides of the mountain road were decorated with greenery. The downpour over the
past few days seemed to breath new life into this place. And along this road, Chu Qiao
entered Tang Jin, the center of commerce in the entire continent. Originally intending to
ff
fi

fl
fl
ff
 search for Yan Xun in Tang Jing, her poison had acted up again causing her to faint on her
horse. By pure chance, she still reached her destination through this fateful turn of events.

It was already the peak of summer. With a cooling breeze, the scent of blossoming lotuses
was blown into the towers surrounding the beautiful lake. One could see two maidservants
waving huge fans while half kneeling on the ground. Within some square trays placed in the
room, newly frozen ice cubes sent out wisps of cold air that lowered the temperature from
the searing summer heat. Behind a translucent red curtain, which was decorated with
sparkling crystals, a woman dressed in a simple yellow dress could be seen limply lying on
the bed. Her hair was spread out on the bed. One could see how her eyebrows were slightly
furrowed. Although her complexion looked unnaturally pale, it did not reduce her beauty. A
thin silk blanket with huge embroideries of roses covered her body. The roses were a dull
white color, although, amidst the stitches, one could see some silvery strands interwoven
within the white. Under the glow of the setting sun, the silvery strands looked like owing
water.

The lady on the bed frowned ever so slightly as her white slender hand started to move. Like
the apping wings of a butter y, her eyes blinked. Opening her eyes, her crystal clear iris
darted around. This lady was none other than Chu Qiao. In that split second, she was
overwhelmed with confusion as she observed her surroundings, trying to make sense of her
location.

“Oh! You are awake!” The maidservant was only about 13 to 14 years old. Upon seeing that
Chu Qiao had woken up, she seemed really happy. Jumping up, she ran out and shouted to
the people outside, “She woke up!”

“Madam, please lie down rst. The imperial doctor is coming to check your pulse.” While
saying that, the other maidservant stood up and started to unroll a thick curtain to cover the
bed so that Chu Qiao could rest undisturbed.

With her sharp eyes, Chu Qiao immediately noticed that despite the fact that the room was
so cool, and that even the oor matting was made out of expensive material that felt cool to
the touch, the girl who was talking was drenched in sweat, with a few strands of hair stuck
to the sweat on her forehead. Frowning, Chu Qiao asked, “Who is the Madam you are
referring to?”

“You!” the maidservant replied, confused by the question.

Chu Qiao’s face turned gloomy by this strange turn of events. Carefully examining her
surroundings, she questioned solemnly, “Where is this? Who are you? Why am I here?”

The young maidservant was completely shocked by the string of questions, as she
mumbled incoherent words before nally murmuring, “This is the Imperial Palace. This…this
servant is called Qiu Sui. Madam, you were brought back by his highness.”

“Imperial Palace?” Raising an eyebrow, Chu Qiao suddenly recalled a dream where she
dreamt of a certain annoying person who was grinning so widely she wanted to hit him.

It couldn’t be….

fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
 Pushing the girl aside, she jumped down from the bed. Brushing the curtains aside, she ran
out.

“Madam! Madam! Your shoes!” The maidservant was so confused by this strange turn of
events she almost started crying as she picked up the shoes and chased after Chu Qiao.

The crimson red sun illuminated the peaceful green water of the lake. Lifting up the hem of
her skirt, Chu Qiao sprinted barefooted on the polished corridors. From her angle, one could
see that in the aquamarine water, there lay a curtain of lotus leaves, and within the forest of
lotus leaves, there was an intricately built structure that exuded an aura of antiquity.
Completely made out of unpainted redwood, one could even see the tree rings. The small
pavilion was open on all sides, providing for excellent ventilation. Thin veils hung on the
sides, uttering like dancing butter ies as the evening breeze swept by.

In the middle of the pavilion, a young man leaned on one of the redwood pillars. Sitting with
his legs slightly bent, an intricate silver wine bottle was beside his hand. There were no cups
present, although there were some freshly peeled lotus seeds that were scattered on the
ground like pearls. In his hand was a jade green ute. He did not play the ute and merely
spun it around so quickly and nimbly that it was almost mesmerizing to watch. The thin mist
from the lake obscured his face, and one could only see his bright red clothes waving in the
breeze.

“Madam! Madam!” A dozen maidservants trailed behind Chu Qiao, each of them holding
di erent things. From just one glance, one could identify shoes, a robe, hairpins, etc.. Their
soft voices called out one after another, sounding like a bunch of birdlings chirping.

As Chu Qiao approached, the man’s mouth suddenly broke into a wide smile. Smiling, he
looked really handsome, much like a delicate painting. Putting down the long ute, he
opened his arms, before smiling in ful llment and declaring, “Come here, Qiao Qiao, let us
embrace passionately in celebration of our reunion!”

With a loud crash, Chu Qiao punched him in the chest. At that very moment, a blood-
curdling scream resounded. Grabbing the man’s collar, she bellowed, “Li Ce! What are you
trying to do?”

“Ah! Protect his highness!”

“Assassin! Protect his highness!”

A cacophony stirred up. While coughing, Li Ce waved at the crowd, who was rushing to
protect him, to dismiss the situation. “Worry not! I am ne! Stand down!”

Still suspicious, the soldiers had no choice but to comply. After the crowd left, Li Ce bitterly
glanced at Chu Qiao, before pitiably complaining, “Qiao Qiao, can you please stop
expressing your feelings for me this way? It is very painful.”

“What are you plotting? Why did you hold me captive?”

ff
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
Helplessly, Li Ce sighed, before blinking and replying, “Qiao Qiao, are you really going to
give this attitude to someone who saved your life?”

Completely unmoved, Chu Qiao rmly stated, “Speak the truth!”

“That is the truth.” Li Ce sighed once again. “On my escapade from my wedding, I saw that
you fainted. If I had not stopped to save you, I would not have been tied up and brought
back to the palace by my father. Qiao Qiao, I sacri ced so much for you, yet you treat me
like this, I am really hurt.”

Still looking at him with suspicion, Chu Qiao’s expression softened up. “Are you for real?”

Li Ce immediately raised his hand up and swore, “De nitely!”

Frowning, Chu Qiao thought about it some more, before loosening her grip and softly
apologizing, “I am sorry.”

“It is okay!” Casually, Li Ce smiled and shrugged it o . Grinning, he continued, “I am used to

beauties being touchy with me.” Just as he said that, he suddenly jumped up and nimbly
pushed Chu Qiao to the back of the pillar where he was sitting previously. Following that, he
sat down in the same position as before, and his face suddenly turned melancholy. While
moving, he quickly informed Chu Qiao, “Don’t leave, it will be over in just a moment.”

In the breeze, and over the ripples of the lake, Li Ce lifted up the ute and placed it beside
his lips. Just as Chu Qiao thought he was about to start playing the ute, she heard some
unskilled ute noises. Yet, behind her, a serene melody started to play out.

Curious, Chu Qiao turned around, only to see a white-haired elderly squatting on the oor,
playing the ute in an extremely awkward posture.

Just as Chu Qiao was utterly confused by the scene in front of her eyes, sounds of high
pitched chuckling could be heard. Turning her head, she saw a crowd of beautiful ladies
who were walking by. It seemed that upon hearing the sudden sound of the ute, they all
turned around, only to be captivated by Li Ce’s elegant demeanor.

Completely unmoved, Li Ce calmly continued to maintain his act. His gaze was a xed into
the distance. It was unclear what he was actually looking at. As the thin veils around the
pavilion uttered in the breeze, it added yet another mysterious touch to this prince.

After a few minutes, the ladies walked away. Seeing a servant waving a red ag from afar, Li
Ce heaved a sigh of relief, before turning to the old man hiding behind the pillar, and saying,
“That is enough, you can stop.”

After squatting for so long, the old man’s legs were already numb. Trembling, he stood up.
Ignoring the sweat dripping from his head, he started to say, “Your highness…”

“Alright, Master Yu, you may leave. I can guarantee that your son will not be sent to the
Southern Border to guard the borders. I will replace him with…with…right, I will send Master
Lu’s son as a replacement. You were not on good terms with him anyways. He can only
blame himself that he cannot play any instruments and that his daughter is so ugly.”

fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
ffi
fl
“Yes, yes, thank you, Your Highness, for helping me!” The old man thanked Li Ce profusely,
before leaving while supported by servants.

Chu Qiao strangely looked at Li Ce, before frowning. “What are you trying to achieve?”

“Didn’t you see?” Li Ce’s eyes sparkled happily as he continued, “Within the group of ladies
who passed by just now, there was one wearing a green skirt. Did you see her?”

Frowning, Chu Qiao replied, “I was too busy watching your amazing performance, how
could I notice someone like that?”

“Oh, such a pity…” Li Ce shook his head slowly. “She is the daughter of Mister He, who was
just transferred back to the capital. She is great with the ute, and looks beautiful too! But
the problem is that she did not look at me despite meeting me twice!”

“Is it rare for someone to not look at you directly?”

“Of course!” Li Ce replied instantly as if it was a fact. “Alright, enough of that. Regardless of
the reason, you coming to the Tang Empire must not have been easy. I must act as a proper
host. Come, I will bring you out to play today!”

Taken aback by this sudden proposition, Chu Qiao asked, “Play?”

Stretching out his hand, Li Ce grabbed Chu Qiao by her shoulder and coolly smiled. “Qiao
Qiao, one must not be so sti . Besides revenge, besides Da Tong, besides killing others,
there is a lot of fun in living!”

Chapter 125
The light winds blew across the wooden bridge. One man and one woman were on the
bridge, entangled with each other.

“No way, I have something going on, I need to leave right away!”

The man impatiently said, “You’re heavily injured. You’re going nowhere for the next half a
month!”

Chu Qiao frowned and said in a low voice, “It’s none of your business.”

“Qiaoqiao, can you bear it? In order to save you, I abandoned my escape plan and threw
myself into the scary world of political marriages. As compensation, shouldn’t you spend the
last days of my freedom with me?”

“Li Ce, I’m looking for someone. Are you going to help me?”

Li Ce sneered. “Man or woman?”

“Man…”

“No.”

ff
fl
 “No need to be so frank!”

“Everything else is okay but this! I cannot allow a woman to be by my side while she’s
thinking of another man!”

“Are you kidding me? How am I related to you?”

“I don’t care how we are related. This is an insult to my masculinity and charisma.”

Chu Qiao sneered weakly. “Li Ce, can you think of something else other than women and
your masculinity?”

Li Ce retorted in a serious tone, “Yes, I can express concern for the country and academic
a airs. For example, the number of women in the Tang Empire and their distribution. The
female anatomy and structure. Also, I strive to elevate the status of women in my country.”

Chu Qiao, hearing that last sentence, wanted to beat him up again but resisted. Gritting her
teeth, she asked, “Oh? How will you do that?”

“This…this is what I think,” Li Ce looked around timidly and whispered, “if all the women
became relatives of the royal family, their status would naturally be elevated.”

“Relatives of the royal family?”

“Yes, for example, sleeping with people of the royal family, or asking their daughters or
sisters to. Or, they could play matchmaker and introduce pretty ladies to members of the
royal family. Or… Ah! Qiaoqiao! This is my territory, how can you strike as you wish?”

Night had fallen. The lights were bright. The prosperous Tang Jing bustled with life.

The crescent moon was pale white. The moonlight shone over the entire Jinwu Palace,
making it appear even more majestic. Li Ce was like a mad child, running about and
dragging Chu Qiao through the pavilions of the palace. The winds were strong, scattering
Chu Qiao’s long hair behind her back.

The moonlight looked watery. The majestic ancient walls of the palace were like the
re ections of the stars in the water. Li Ce’s red out t uttered in the wind like a kite. The
palace maids, servants, and o cials that they met along the way knelt by the two sides of
the pavement in fear, letting them pass by. They were followed by a large group of palace
maids and servants, holding swords and lifting their skirts. They were like butter ies chasing
after the wind.

“Hang…hang on…” Chu Qiao, not having eaten solid food for days, felt weak from the
poison in her body. Having taken a few steps, she felt her breathing get heavy. “Hang on.”
As she stopped, she pressed a hand against her waist, pointed one nger at Li Ce, and
asked breathlessly, “Crazy Li, what are you doing?” Chu Qiao’s face had turned red from
this exercise session. Her long hair scattered behind her back, looking messy. The wind
blew past her hair, spreading its natural fragrance.

ff
fl
ffi
fi
fl
fi
fl
 Li Ce bent his back, remaining close to her. He looked at her, remaining silent. Suddenly, his
eyes brightened. He stood up swiftly, looked around, rubbed his palms, and laughed. He
walked straight to a palace maid who was following behind him. He reached out his hand
and took out something which resembled a ower from her hair.

It was a very normal butter y hairpin; an accessory commonly worn by the servants of the
palace. However, the hairpin was made of purple jade, which looked exquisite. Li Ce took
out a jade necklace of his own, which looked valuable upon sight. He handed it over to the
palace maid, and said, while smiling, “I’ll exchange this for your item.”

The palace maid was dumbfounded and knelt on the ground, her face pale. She replied, “I
do not dare.”

Li Ce was not angered. He threw the necklace at her and said, “No is not an answer. I like
this.” Subsequently, he turned around and walked towards Chu Qiao, tugging at the two
butter ies on the hairpin. The hairpin was durable, as Li Ce was unable to yank out one of
the butter ies. He used his teeth to bite at the butter y, dislodging it and spitting it out. He
said to the palace maid, “Don’t use jasmine in future. I don’t like the smell.”

The magnolia owers on both sides of the courtyard had just blossomed, appearing
strikingly beautiful. The rain had just subsided. Mudwater accumulated in the garden,
causing the soil to be soft. Li Ce, disregarding the fact that his shoes were expensive,
walked into the garden, causing the eunuchs and palace maids behind him to cry out loud.
He rummaged around and plucked out a purple magnolia ower which had blossomed, and
looked like a small lotus ower. He tied the ower to the hairpin and brought it in front of his
eye. Revealing a mouthful of white teeth, he smiled happily.

“Your Highness…”

“Your Royal Highness…”

Chu Qiao looked at the horri ed palace servants who were kneeling. Li Ce did not take
notice of them, only looking at the magnolia ower as he smiled. His eyes were squinted to
the point they were almost closed, just like…just like…yes, a fox.

“Pretty!” Li Ce took a few steps, making his way towards Chu Qiao. With a few strokes, he
tied Chu Qiao’s hair up with the hairpin. The magnolia ower was positioned beside her ear,
causing a fragrant aroma to emanate from her hair.

Chu Qiao was stunned. The next moment, she heard the gasps of approval from the palace
servants.

“Li Ce, what are you doing?” Chu Qiao was slightly distressed. She had not been looked at
like this in her life. She reached out her hand to remove the magnolia ower on the hairpin.

“What are you doing?” Li Ce swatted Chu Qiao’s hand away and frowned while saying
seriously, “Qiaoqiao, you’re a girl. Can’t you look like one?”

fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
 Chu Qiao was stunned, nding these words familiar. She remembered the day while she was
at Tian Chengshou’s residence in Wupeng, Zhuge Yue had done up her hair and chided her.
“You wear black or white every day. Like you’re going to a funeral,” he had said.

She blushed, appearing dazed. Li Ce laughed and said, “Let’s go. I’ll bring you out to play.”
Finishing his sentence, Li Ce turned his head around and said sternly, “No one is to follow. If
I see a man, I’ll jump into the river. If I see a woman, she can forget about sleeping with me,
ever.”

Chu Qiao, hearing such an absurd threat, was stunned. However, she was surprised to see
the change in expression from the group of people. They knelt on the ground, not daring to
take a step. A few people at the back stood up quietly and departed, seemingly to inform
other people of his actions.

“Let’s go!” Li Ce grinned, saying to Chu Qiao. He grabbed her and ran to the city gates, then
mounted a horse. He sat in front, while Chu Qiao sat behind. In an ecstatic mood, he said,
“Qiaoqiao, quick! Don’t let them catch up!”

Chu Qiao recalled that this man did not really know how to ride a horse. She grabbed the
reins and shouted crisply, causing the horse to sprint along the passageway.

“Oh!” Li Ce opened up his arms and shouted joyfully. The wind was strong, causing his robe
to utter and stick tightly to his body. “Qiaoqiao, quick!” he shouted again.

“Giddyup!” Chu Qiao shook the reins again. The horse accelerated along Tai Qing Road. The
guards knelt by both sides of the road. The lights were bright and the winds were cold,
carrying with it a fragrance resembling a lotus ower. The sound of the horse’s hooves
reverberated around the square.

Chu Qiao’s mood brightened up at this instant. The petals of the magnolia ower brushed
lightly against her ear, causing it to itch. She shrugged and took a deep breath, her fatigue
over the days dissipating. Her entire body felt refreshed.

The horse swiftly made its way out of the inner city. Chu Qiao looked back, seeing the
palace lights shine even brighter. Sounds of horses’ hooves could be heard from behind, as
if they were being chased by a crowd. Li Ce was unfazed, showing that he was experienced
at this. He gestured at Chu Qiao, directing their escape route. They made their way through
countless streets and alleys, successfully losing the people in pursuit in a while.

The air was fresh. There was a serene lake ahead, with ower boats visible. Soothing
sounds of people singing and the melodious tones of musical instruments echoed around
the lake. Chu Qiao got o the horse and tied its reins to a tree.

“Qiaoqiao, help me o . Hold me,” Li Ce called out, his voice relaxed.

Chu Qiao held his hand. Li Ce got o the horse clumsily and ran to the side of the lake,
scooping up some water with his hand and saying, “How cool!”

fl
ff
fi
ff
ff
fl
fl
fl
Chu Qiao walked over and squatted by the side of the lake, using her ngers to feel the
water.

It was lively by the shore of the lake. There were storytellers, acrobats, singers, and vendors
who sold various merchandise, and a few brothels. The cosmetic smell, which came from
the ladies, drifted across the lake along with the singing voices.

Chu Qiao did not feel like saying a word. In this kind of environment, she often found herself
at a loss for words. Many years had passed. This kind of life seemed distant so from her to
the point that she would never be able to reintegrate.

Li Ce looked towards her, smiling. He stood up and grabbed her wrist, saying, “Follow me,
follow me, I’ll bring you to a good place!”

This place was not the main street of Tang Jing. The restaurants here did not appear as
fancy as the ones on the main street, seeming more rural instead. Li Ce was seemingly
familiar with this place, navigating his way around while dragging her. He did not care about
the fact that he would dirty his out t.

The two of them were amboyantly dressed and looked strikingly handsome and beautiful,
attracting the attention of many people. A few vendors came forward to sell some cosmetic
products, casually remarking that Li Ce was buying them for his beautiful wife.

Down the street, they saw a big elm tree ahead. Under the tree was a small stall, whose
owner was a young lady. She was not very pretty but looked clean. She had big and watery
eyes and was dressed in blue. Beside her stood a young man who was of similar age.

“Lady Boss!” Li Ce shouted before he had ran into the stall.

The lady turned around upon hearing his voice. Smiling, she said, “It’s First Master. You’re
here again?”

“Yes!” Li Ce dragged Chu Qiao along, taking his seat at a corner of the stall. He continued,
“I brought a friend here. Two bowls of noodles, one plate of beef, half a plate of shrimps with
more vinegar, please.”

“Okay,” the young lady boss obliged with a smile. The young man beside her smiled at Chu
Qiao and Li Ce, remaining silent. The lady boss remarked, “This is the rst time you brought
a friend here.”

Chu Qiao looked at Li Ce with a strange look and frowned. “You know each other?”

“Yes.” Li Ce smiled. “I’ve come here often since young. I sneaked out of the palace often.
One time, I was ruthlessly pursued by the guards. I took o my clothes and gave them to a
small kid, asking him to lure the guards away. However, I left all my money in that out t.
After a whole day, I was hungry. I ran into the lady boss. Oh, she was not too old then. She
set up a stall here with her parents. She saw that I was hungry and o ered me a bowl of
noodles. Since then, I’ve been a regular customer.”

“Oh!” Chu Qiao nodded.

fl
fi
ff
ff
fi
fi
fi
 “Qiaoqiao, are you touched? Do you feel that I’m not just beautiful on the outside, but on
the inside too?”

Chu Qiao rolled her eyes and supported her chin with both hands, not replying to him.

Chapter 126
The fragrance of food was brought around by a young man. Making some unrecognizable
sounds, the man seemed to be telling them to eat up. It seemed like this man was dumb.
The young owner of the restaurant followed behind the man and looked strangely at Chu
Qiao and Li Ce. Taken aback, Chu Qiao looked back at her. As if she felt her gaze, the owner
smiled, and said, “Miss, you are not mistaken, I am blind.”

The moment the noodles reached the table, Li Ce started devouring the food.

Chu Qiao was overwhelmed with awkwardness as she replied, “Oh, excuse me.”

“It is okay,” the owner replied, before whispering, “I’ve been blind since I was young, but it
hasn’t been that inconvenient beyond having trouble shopping for food.”

Chu Qiao started to eat her bowl of noodles, but she suddenly recalled something. “If you
cannot see, how did you know to call me ‘miss’?”

“I smelled magnolia. Freshly picked magnolia, in fact.”

“Oh, I see.” Chu Qiao nodded, and marveled, “Your sense of smell is so keen.”

“I am blind, so I have to compensate for it with my other senses.”

At this time, a drum roll could be heard. It seemed that a drama troupe had set up a stage
around the corner of the street. The moment the actor started to sing, a crowd of kids
swarmed around, instantly ooding the area.

The child from this noodle store was no exception, as she ran out of the shop to look for the
performance. Before Chu Qiao could get a good look at her, she had already plunged into
the crowd. But alas, it was a pity that she was so young, as her tiny frame was quickly
squeezed back out of the crowd. Falling down, she started to wail uncontrollably.

Upon hearing the crying, the owner patted her husband’s back. Noticing the crying child,
the man strode up and carried the kid back. Using his sleeves, he wiped her tears o . Then
he stu ed a fruit into her hand, before returning to work. The kid continued to cry, as though
she had been wronged by the heavens. Observing the kid, Chu Qiao inquired, “Li Ce, do
you have kids?”

“Of course! How could I not have any when I am so popular with so many ladies?” Li Ce
replied while still eating.

ff

fl
ff
As though she had not heard him, Chu Qiao continued to talk, “Being a child is great. When
she is sad, she can just cry. When she is happy, she can just laugh. Everything is so simple
and direct.”

“You can do that too.” Li Ce took a sip of his soup and lifted his head to meet Chu Qiao’s
eyes, before commenting, “Oi, Qiao Qiao, we are eating, shall we not re ect about life in the
meantime? Even the soup does not taste good anymore.”

Chu Qiao gave him a glare and went back to eating her noodles. Amidst the banging of
cymbals and drums of the performance, one could hear a performer starting to sing. The
tune was great, and the voice was rm, the only issue was that it is was in a dialect from the
Tang Empire, so Chu Qiao could not understand it at all. Li Ce, on the other hand, paid full
attention. But just before one segment even ended, he suddenly turned away and spit out a
mouthful of tea!

As Li Ce turned away, Chu Qiao was lucky to have not been spat on. But the same could
not be said for the kid who was sitting behind Li Ce. Her face was now covered in tea. She
was so confused she stopped crying.

Li Ce immediately hurried over to wipe her face. While wiping, he did not forget to drop
some compliments. “Just by looking at your mother I knew you would be a beauty. Please
excuse me.”

Chu Qiao stared at him with interest. “What happened to you?”

Li Ce waved it o and said, “It was nothing.”

The kid, however, trotted over and sat next to Chu Qiao. Stretching out her white chubby
hand, she said, “Give me money.”

Stunned, Chu Qiao asked, “Money?”

The kid nodded, and elaborated, “He dirtied my clothes. It cost two coins to wash it.”

Interested, Li Ce leaned over and asked, “What do you need the money for?”

Looking extremely serious, the kid replied, “I want to go watch the performance!”

“Qian’er, no such nonsense!” Frowning, the owner of the shop called the kid back, “Come
over here, do not disturb the guests!”

“It is okay, we are not hungry anyway.” Waving his hand, Li Ce shrugged it o .

Chu Qiao had not eaten for ages, so she was naturally famished. Hearing Li Ce declare that
they were not hungry, she de antly ate one big mouthful of noodles.

Holding her chin, the young girl had clearly taken an interest in Chu Qiao as she asked, “Do
you know how to sing?”

ff
fi
fi
fl
ff
Chu Qiao shook her head and replied, “I don’t. What about you?”

Disappointed, the kid sulked. “I don’t know either.”

“But do you understand the singing?”

“Of course I can understand.” The kid looked at Chu Qiao strangely. “You don’t?”

Chu Qiao nodded.

The girl brightened up with interest. “Then, let me tell you the story.” Without even waiting
for Chu Qiao’s response, she started telling the story that was had just been sung at the
performance a moment ago.

“This part was the story about a prince and a beauty.”

Pouting slightly, Li Ce countered, “The prince part is true, but the beauty part is not
necessarily true.”

“You lack insight!” the little girl replied. “The prince would naturally be surrounded by
beauties! Take, for example, our crown prince. His palace was surrounded by beauties.
When I am older and become a beauty, I will live in his palace as well.”

Hearing that, Li Ce chuckled and gave her a thumbs up. “Yeah, you are indeed insightful!
Keep it up, I will be cheering for you.”

Hearing that, Chu Qiao gave Li Ce a stare.

The little girl resumed the story, “One day, the prince’s home country was destroyed by
someone. His parents and siblings were all killed, and he was left homeless and powerless.
He met the pretty lady who saved him, and they fell in love.”

Staring intently at Chu Qiao, the little girl seriously continued, “He loved her, and she loved
him. They swore to be together forever and ever, never to abandon each other.”

Within her intense gaze, one could see overwhelming innocence and purity. Looking back at
the little girl, Chu Qiao felt as though her heart had been pricked by a needle, hurting ever
so slightly.

The voice of the singer became deeper and got hoarse. It was as though one’s hands were
dipped into icy cold water, giving the listeners a vague sense of melancholy.

The girl then said, “But the prince was not happy. His revenge had yet to be carried out.
Therefore, the beautiful lady decided to help the prince get his power back.”

Li Ce interjected again, “She was just a woman who had neither money nor power, how
could she help?”

“We already said she was a very beautiful lady!” The girl impatiently explained, “Beauty is
money, beauty is power, beauty is a weapon. How could you not understand such a simple
concept?”

Hearing that, Li Ce laughed out heartily. It was then the music intensi ed, and the singing
voice became loud and clear, giving an impression of a rising sun breaking out from beyond
the horizon!

“After that, the beauty met the general. The general was the prince’s archenemy, but he had
also fallen in love with the beautiful lady. Seeing how the lady was sad, he felt sad as well.
Around the same time, a young prince from another country also met the lady. He also fell in
love with her. But unfortunately, the lady did not like him.”

While seriously telling the story, the girl dipped her chubby ngers into the tea and drew four
stickmen on the table, and said, “Filled with hatred, the prince sent people to set up an
ambush, and asked the lady to ask the general to come to negotiate. The lady did not know
about this, but the general knew, yet he still came, and in the end, he was killed by the
prince.”

“What?” Chu Qiao was shocked by this turn of events as her mounting anticipation was
crushed.

Wiping away a stickman on the table, the kid resumed. “With the general dead, the prince
was able to regain his power and become a great emperor. The beautiful lady was sad that
she had been deceived, so she left this emperor and went with the young prince from the
other country. Angered by this, the emperor invaded the young prince’s land. After an
intense battle, the young prince’s weaker forces were defeated, and the younger prince died
in battle.”

The girl wiped away another stickman, representing one more person had died.

“The lady was very sad, so she walked o into the distance. She eventually fell sick from
exhaustion, and before long, she died as well.”

The lady was also wiped away from the table, and only one stickman was left on the table.
The girl then declared, “With that, there was only the emperor left in this world.”

Li Ce gave a stupid looking smile as he asked, “The end?”

The girl replied naturally, “Yes, the end.”

“What kind of play is this even?”

The girl replied, “It is a tragedy.”

Right now, Chu Qiao was not in the mood to watch Li Ce squabble with the girl. Looking at
the stickman left on the table, she was a bit stunned. As the night breeze swept past, the
performance was over. The boss stepped out from backstage and requested tips. But most
of the audience were kids. How would they have money to tip the performers? Before long,
the crowd had dispersed, only leaving behind an empty stage. On the screen, a puppet’s
shadow could be seen. Holding a sword, it looked erce and strong. But at a glance, the
stage was completely empty, and even the soldiers were no longer around him.

ff
fi
fi
fi
 After eating, Chu Qiao and Li Ce continued roaming the streets. The story that the girl had
told made Chu Qiao felt a bit upset. She was a bit confused by her own feelings, and even
though she felt a tinge of sadness, she did not know why.

Along this road, there were many people and temples. The Tang empire was a rather open
country, and had a multitude of religion and denominations. There existed the chubby
buddha, the beautiful water god, and even fallen gods who had talisman scrolls taped over
their forehead. It was great that the locals were rather open-minded, and they would never
ght over each other’s beliefs. Walking down this street, Chu Qiao received multiple wooden
plaques, much alike brochures back in the modern day.

Along the road, there was a crabapple tree that was in full bloom. Just as Chu Qiao and Li
Ce walked past, the wind blew, and the petals fell like rain onto the duo.

Li Ce joyously admired the tree and exclaimed, “This tree looks great. I should get someone
to bring it back.”

A passer-by overheard him and gave him a strange look. He was probably wondering how
this person could be so arrogant as to move a community tree away.

“Look, there is someone juggling up ahead!” Li Ce exclaimed yet again. Pulling on Chu
Qiao, he ran toward the performer. But alas, the performer was surrounded by masses of
people, and the two of them could not see.

Quick-witted, Li Ce grabbed a bunch of silver currencies and exchanged it for a bunch of

coins at a nearby store. Clumsily climbing onto some steps near the performance, he
shouted, “Free money! Come and get it!” before scattering the coins.

The crowd was stunned initially, but seeing how there really was someone throwing money
around, they immediately crowded around.

Seeing this, Li Ce scattered the remaining coins and pulled Chu Qiao toward the performers.
But upon reaching the center of the crowd, they were lost for words. It turned out that the
performers themselves also went to pick up the coins! Now, in the entire area, only the two
of them were standing around like idiots who didn’t want free money.

Chapter 127
“Li Ce, the land of Tang is nice.” The people were picking up the money on the ground but
did not ght over it. Chu Qiao stood there, dazed.

Li Ce laughed and shook his head, replying, “It’s okay. What you saw was the good side.
However, it’s better than what you see in Xia.”

As the both of them were no longer able to see the acrobatic performances, they idled
around on the street, chatting casually.

fi
fi

Li Ce bought some snacks, consisting of honey sweets, dates, osmanthus cakes, and
chestnuts. They were separated into two bags. The both of them took one each and ate
them while walking around.

Chu Qiao’s mood had visibly relaxed, her fatigue from the previous days dissipated. She
asked, “Li Ce, do you know? I am wanted by Xia. I’m probably the most wanted fugitive in
the world now.”

“Fugitive?” Li Ce was dazed. Laughing, he replied, “That’s a new way of putting it.”

“Are you not handing me over to Xia?”

Li Ce frowned strangely and asked, “Hand you over to Xia? What good is that for me? A
thousand taels of gold? Haha, I’d rather keep you by my side.”

“But,” Chu Qiao shook her head, “I’ll go back to Yan Bei eventually.”

“Sigh, Qiaoqiao, you’re hurting me intentionally.” Li Ce shook his head and said, “Forget it. I
know that you’re not in Tang to see me.”

Chu Qiao thought for a long while before saying with embarrassment, “Li Ce, by forming an
alliance with Xia through marriage, are you opposing Yan Bei?”

Li Ce turned around and sized Chu Qiao up. With a sigh, he said, “Qiaoqiao, on a night like
this, can you forget Yan Bei and Yan Xun temporarily? Can you be more relaxed?” Chu Qiao
remained speechless. Li Ce continued, “The war between Yan Bei and Xia is your own
business. In addition, why would I make the long journey to trample on Yan Xun’s home?
He’s so erce. What if he beats me up? I heard that the highlands of Yan Bei are very cold
with strong winds too. The complexion of the women there won’t be fair. I would not do
something without any bene ts.”

The winds blew at her sleeve, landing on her wrist. It felt like a butter y’s light touch upon
landing on her skin. Chu Qiao smiled lightly and looked at Li Ce, remarking, “Li Ce, although
I always can’t read your mind, I feel like you’re not a bad guy.”

Li Ce sneered, raised his chin and said, “I’m of high status, beautiful on the inside and
outside. If I let you see through me that easily, would I have any face?” As he nished his
sentence, he dashed forward and said, “Qiaoqiao, I’ll let you have a chance to see through
me. Do you want it?”

Chu Qiao pouted. “Save it for yourself.”

“Hai,” the man sighed. “What an unappreciative woman.”

The both of them passed by a stall selling sh along the way. Chu Qiao, struck by curiosity,
walked over to take a look. She saw a big group of red-tailed gold sh in a big water tank.
They looked colorful and adorable.

Chu Qiao was adept in raising sh. She had liked animals all along, wanting to adopt a dog.
However, due to her commitments in the army, she had no time for that. In addition, her
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
 hostel did not allow it either. She had to resort to keeping a few sh secretly. Thereafter,
although her captain discovered it, he did not care. Hence, she kept her habit of raising sh
as her pets. However, many years had passed and her life was di cult. She did not have the
luxury to do so. Li Ce, seeing that she liked it, bought all the sh over. The stall owner,
seeing the rare generous customer, gifted them an additional porcelain container to store
the sh.

It was late in the night. As Chu Qiao had not fully recovered from her injuries, she felt tired.
The both of them decided to head back. By the time they got back to the lake, the horse
was still snacking on the grass. A few children squatted by the side, pulling at the reins.
They wanted to steal the horse but were scared of the horse kicking them. They were
hesitant and refused to back o , but upon seeing the master of the horse, they ran away.

Chu Qiao and Li Ce got on the horse. As they had an additional load of sh, they let the
horse walk slowly on the street.

Chu Qiao suddenly felt strange as she thought about the times they met back in Xia. They
were neither friends nor enemies. Those times seemed long ago. As expected, Yan Xun’s
words held true. Zhen Huang City was like a big prison cage, devoid of liveliness. Anything
there would undoubtedly be tainted.

She was unaware of Yan Xun’s whereabouts. He was disguised as Liu Xi and swallowed the
wealth of the Da Tong guild in Xianyang. Undoubtedly, he wanted to advance to the
southern borders and transport the goods back to Yan Bei. Presently, as Da Tong wanted to
betray Xia and defect towards Tang, it was not hard to understand why Yan Xun wanted to
disguise himself as Liu Xi. Judging by this, Yan Xun would de nitely head to Tang. As for the
underlying reasons and motives, she was not sure.

The sounds of the drums to signal the time drifted closer. Chu Qiao felt increasingly
fatigued. Ever since she had been poisoned by the group of assassins, she felt an increased
tendency to drift o to sleep. She sat on the horse, feeling soft inside. She leaned on Li Ce
and drifted o to sleep. The man in front was dazed and turned back, seeing Chu Qiao’s
forehead resting on his shoulder. She was breathing lightly and had drifted o to sleep.

The winds continued to blow. The magnolia ower on her hairpin let out a fragrant aroma. Li
Ce’s face was devoid of his usual cynicism. He looked at Chu Qiao silently, letting the horse
wander forward without controlling its reins.

The land of Tang was known as the “Country of Flowers”. Numerous owers and trees
decorated the two sides of the road. As the wind blew past, ower petals drifted in the air
and onto the ground like butter ies. Chu Qiao’s yellow robe uttered in the air, giving her a
fairy-like look amongst the owers.

The horse bucked lightly. Chu Qiao’s eyebrows were pressed together. With a jerk, her body
fell backward.

Li Ce was quick to notice, grabbing her waist swiftly. Subsequently, the man who was not
skilled in martial arts turned his body around and used one hand to hold the saddle. His
fi
ff
ff
fl
ff
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
ffi
fl
fi
ff
fi
 body ew up in the air. The next second, he had leaped from the front to the back. His
hands wrapped around Chu Qiao’s waist, letting her sleep in his embrace.

The winds blew at the leaves, causing residual water droplets to fall from the leaves onto the
ground, along with the myriad of ower petals.

“The peace in Tang is about to be disrupted.” Li Ce sighed and smiled. His smile neither
re ected the fact that he was relaxed nor happy, but rather showed that this had become his
habit while in conversation. “After you recover, I’ll send you to see your old ame. There’s no
enjoyment in this world. You’re a fool.”

The moonlight was like a thin layer of frost and fog. The majestic Jinwu Palace appeared
slowly in front of his eyes.

When Chu Qiao woke up, it was late in the day. The young maidservant, Qiu Sui, was sitting
on the bench, waiting for her. Seeing that she had woken up, Qiu Sui smiled and brought a
cup of tea over, saying, “You’re awake. Do you want some water?”

Chu Qiao shook her head. The young maidservant continued, “The physician is outside,
waiting to take your pulse. Your Highness has instructed them to enter when you’re awake.”

Chu Qiao washed up casually, refusing the maidservant’s intention to do up her hair
properly. She inserted a hairpin behind her hair. She was not a noble and had not lived a
good life. However, in this instant, over ten people were paying attention to her even as she
washed her face. Visibly not used to it, she was dazed. She rejected their intentions, but
over 20 physicians entered her room and o ered to take her pulse.

The maidservant had prepared a sumptuous feast consisting of over 30 kinds of soups and
various desserts. One maidservant knelt at either side of the table. Chu Qiao did not have to
do anything. As the physicians attended to her, the maidservants fed her. Before she took
each mouthful of food, the maidservants looked at her. If she nodded, the food would be
sent to her mouth. If she shook her head, the next spoonful of food would be delivered to
her. Chu Qiao was embarrassed to shake her head, accepting every single mouthful of food.
Her stomach was miserably bloated thereafter.

After the physicians had nished their job, the 20 of them went to the main hall to discuss
the method of treatment.

Suddenly, clanking sounds came from outside. Chu Qiao asked, “What is going on
outside?”

Qiu Sui was clearly the leader of the maidservants. She said, “They are xing the pond.”

The pond was located directly under Chu Qiao’s window. Strangely, she asked, “Fixing the
pond? What happened to the original one?”

“The pond was too shallow. Your Highness instructed us to build a waterwheel here to
elevate the pond so that the gold sh you brought back can be properly raised.”

fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
ff
fi
fl
Chu Qiao was stunned. She walked over to the window, seeing over 200 men at work,
sweating buckets, but did not dare to make too much noise. All the things had been
assembled elsewhere and dragged here. She was shocked at the fact that so much e ort
was required just to raise a few worthless gold sh. She had heard of the Tang Empire’s
wealth but did not expect them to demonstrate such extravagance.

After all, she would only be spending a few days here. With such a gesture from Li Ce, she
felt embarrassed.

She turned around and asked, “Where’s Your Royal Highness?”

“After the morning, Your Highness has not come back.”

Chu Qiao nodded. She was unaware how she got back last night. It looked like her health
had been greatly a ected. She thought to herself: I’m waiting for Yan Xun to appear in Tang.
I’ll recuperate here rst. She sat on the cool mat slowly while sorting out her thoughts.

“Miss, are you from Xia?”

Chu Qiao looked up and said, “Where did you hear that from?”

“I heard it from Commander Tie. He was the one who brought you into the palace, together
with Your Highness. He said that you were a noble of Xia, and asked us to serve you well.”

“Oh.”

“I thought you were another concubine! However, Your Highness said last night that you
were his friend. Thinking about it, you’re his rst female friend.” The maidservant found Chu
Qiao easy to talk to. As she fanned her, she said, “Your Highness treats Missy well. I’ve not
seen him treat any of his concubines so well.”

“Does Your Highness have a lot of concubines?”

Qiu Sui replied, “Yes. With the palaces of Qiuhua, Zhangqing and Qiushui Pavilion
combined, there are about… Aye, I’m not clear either. In short, there are a lot.”

“Oh,” Chu Qiao nodded. “The rumors are true.”

The maidservant smiled and said, “Your Highness likes to play around. All of us like him very
much. Although he’s a prince, he treats us harmoniously without any airs.”

At this instant, another maidservant walked into the room and said, “Miss, Lady Hongluan is
here. She is waiting outside and wants to see you.”

Chu Qiao was dazed. Qiu Sui explained, “Lady Hongluan is a new concubine. She’s a
dancer. She was gifted to the prince by the Song Empire.”

Chu Qiao nodded, aware of the visitor’s intentions. She said in a low voice, “Can I not see
her?”

Qiu Sui said, “Of course. The prince said that you can refuse visitors at will before he left.”

ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
 “Oh,” Chu Qiao said. “Help me inform Lady Hongluan that I’m gravely ill. I’m not in the state
to attend to visitors. Help me to thank her for visiting.”

The maidservant took her leave.

In less than half a day, over ten concubines visited Chu Qiao. A few of them were nobles. It
was evident that Li Ce’s reputation was not made up. He had so many women. She
suspected if he actually remembered their names.

As afternoon approached, the weather warmed up. Chu Qiao drifted in and out of her sleep.
Qiu Sui prepared a bowl of ice, adding some slices of peach and honeydew to it. As she
prepared to feed it to Chu Qiao, another person entered the room and said that the Lady of
Tang wanted to see Chu Qiao.

Chapter 128
Chu Qiao was just about to turn down the invitation when Qiu Sui noticed her intention and
anxiously stammered, “Lady, the Lady of Tang is the Queen of Tang Empire!”

The Feng Yuan Palace was where the Queen dwelled. Having waited in there for a whole
hour, Chu Qiao was still not summoned by the Queen. She was already feeling extremely
tired, and could barely keep her eyes open. Struggling to x her slouching posture, she was
extremely annoyed by the poison. So far, the poison had not actually given her many issues
except making her extremely tired and drowsy. Right now, she could only hope that Li Ce
could nd a cure for her once and for all.

After another unknown duration that seemed like an eternity, a servant walked out and
informed her that the Queen was feeling unwell today and that Chu Qiao could return.
Although Chu Qiao was infuriated, she still controlled her temper and bowed politely before
dragging her feet out of the Queen’s residence.

She knew the Queen had probably been observing her all this while, but after all, she was in
the Tang Empire, and her body was still in a weakened state. This was not a good time for
her to be embroiled in con ict.

Right after she exited the room, she yawned, only to see a shadow ash in front of her.
Jumping back, she realized that it was just Li Ce, who looked as though he had just woke
up.

Chu Qiao’s sleepiness immediately went away, and she asked in bemusement, “You were
lying in waiting at the door all along?”

Yawning, Li Ce replied, “Upon hearing that mother called you out for a talk, I came over to
observe.”

Chu Qiao was taken aback by that response. “Why didn’t you come in?”

fi

fl
fi
fl
“It was hot inside.” Li Ce gave an obviously nonsensical excuse, before raising an eyebrow
and elaborating, “I was scared that you two would start ghting in the middle of the
conversation, so I stayed around to stop the ght if it happened.”

Chu Qiao was a tad surprised by Li Ce’s reasoning, and inquired, “Your mother’s temper is
that volatile?”

“It is more or less normal for older women to act strangely here and there.” Li Ce sloppily
replied. “Plus, she always harbored some grudge against me. I cannot guarantee that she
would not try to make life di cult for you.”

Not wasting time on his antics, Chu Qiao walked o , saying, “I am tired. I want to go and
sleep”

Li Ce sounded o in agreement, “Okay, I am also tired. Shall we sleep together?”

Turing back and waving her st at Li Ce, Chu Qiao smiled. “If you aren’t scared of dying, you
can come and try.”

Li Ce chuckled in response. “Women’s threats were never a problem for me.”

At this point in time, a young servant ran up, and called out to Li Ce, “Prince, Mister He’s
daughter is entering the palace. She is visiting the fourth princess.”

Li Ce’s mood was instantly lifted. He bid farewell to Chu Qiao, “Qiaoqiao, I have some
urgent matters to attend to, see you some other time!” With that said, before Chu Qiao
could even respond, he had already left with the servant.

Urgent matters? Chu Qiao chuckled in amusement. In any case, interacting with such types
of people was good for her, as she would never be too emotionally tied to him.

After boarding the carriage, Chu Qiao drifted o to sleep the moment she sat down.

Deep into the night, Chu Qiao was rudely awakened by sounds of someone wailing.
Fumbling down the bed, Chu Qiao called for Qiu Sui. Apparently, Sui was still awake and
was just outside when Chu Qiao called, so she swiftly entered the room, and informed her,
“Lady, don’t worry, it was just Lady Hongluan. I already sent men to chase her away.”

Feeling strange, Chu Qiao asked, “What happened?”

“In the evening when we were returning, we crossed paths with Lady Hongluan and her
sister, Lady Qiuhe. Lady Qiuhe then ordered her men to push our carriage, and your carriage
was almost pushed into the lake. By chance, some Iron Guards saw the incident, and it was
reported to His Highness. His Highness then sent his guards to throw Lady Qiuhe into the
torture room. Lady Hongluan is now crying for your forgiveness. But Lady, these messy
politics are not something you have to get involved with. With that in mind, this servant
chased her away.”

It seemed like these ladies had thought of her as their potential enemy. It was merely ladies
of the harem struggling for attention, so Chu Qiao was not too bothered. But deep down,
ff
ffi
fi
fi
ff
ff
fi
 she still felt shocked at the extent of the poison that was spreading within her. Even though
someone had been pushing her carriage, she had not realized. That was really too careless
of her.

Upon waking up the next morning, the temporary pond had already been completed. The
few gold sh were swimming gracefully inside. Chu Qiao leaned on the window next to the
pond, and stretched out her hand, stirring the water in the pond. Suddenly, her sharp ears
picked up some voices. It seemed like it was a conversation between Qiu Sui and another
maidservant called Zi Chan.

Qiu Sui commented, “That was so brash of them! There are so many ladies within the
palace. Even if she had not made this mistake, there would eventually come the day that
she would die here.”

Zi Chan sighed in response. “Perhaps she thought that His Highness would be easy to fool.
But look what happened. The ladies from the Song empire all died or su ered injuries, and
not a single one was left.”

“Didn’t you hear what the nanny said? The fact that our Tang Prince and the Xia Empire
entered an alliance by marriage was for the very purpose of distancing our country from the
Song Empire, so those ladies from Song empire would not be around for much longer. Now
we can all see her predictions coming true!”

“What? Will we be going to war with the Song Empire?” Zi Chan asked.

“I don’t know, but didn’t we just have a skirmish over at the Laohu Mountains? Although it
was supposedly a small skirmish, I heard there were great casualties. With the end of the
battle there, Master Luo will be coming back to the capital soon,” Qui Sui said.

“His Highness seemed really angry this time around. I have never seen him so infuriated
before! Lady Hongluan is in really deep in trouble now. Sigh, it was clear as day that His
Highness favors this lady, yet she was unable to understand that.

The Tang Empire fought with the Song Empires previously? Chu Qiao frowned. She started
to understand why the Tang Empire had suddenly formed an alliance with the Xia Empire.
Although Li Ce seemed as though he was very thoughtless and nonsensical, he was
ultimately still the heir to the throne of an empire. She realized that it was better if she did
underestimate him too much.

Night Fell. As the bright silvery moon hung in the sky, the pristine white moonlight
illuminated the room through the gaps in the windows. Wearing a pearl colored dress, her jet
black hair loosely spread out on the bed. Frowning, Chu Qiao woke up. Seeing the waves
re ect the gentle moonlight outside of her windows, she was once again taken aback by the
grandiosity of this palace. Having slept too much in the day, she did not feel that tired now.

Sitting up, Chu Qiao took care not to wake the maidservants who were resting outside.
Walking up to the window, she opened one side of the window, only to see a crabapple tree
in full blossom right outside. The twigs lightly swayed in the wind. With just a delicate touch,
the petals uttered down onto Chu Qiao’s dress.

fl
fi
fl
ff
 On the lake, there was someone pedaling lightly on a small boat, with the soft melody of a
ute echoing in the air. A bit taken aback by this phantasmagoric view, Chu Qiao stood
awkwardly, lost for words, as though she had accidentally intruded into the realms of gods.
Not wanting to disturb the maidservants, she lifted her skirt, and with a light jump, she
stepped onto the tree branch, and along the newly installed watermill, she descended from
the second oor. With a ip of her body, she landed stably on the soft soil.

The fresh soil on the ground was evident of the fact that the tree had just been transplanted
from elsewhere. Chu Qiao remembered how Li Ce joked about moving that crabapple tree
into the palace, and was quite surprised at how he really did that.

For some reason, Chu Qiao’s heart trembled slightly as she forced herself to turn away from
the tree, as though she was scared that she would evoke more of a certain emotion. Now it
was already nearing the end of summer, and the night was no longer reminiscent of the
searing heat of a summer day, and had begun to turn chilly. Lifting her dress, Chu Qiao
slowly dragged her feet, which were clad in the uncomfortable embroidered shoes, as she
strolled on the wooden bridge. The chilly breeze rustled her u y dress as she basked in the
sparse starlight that shone from the cloudless night sky. The waning moon faintly
shimmered as an occasional parade of thin clouds happened to pass by, but otherwise
provided a uniform illumination of the ground.

Chu Qiao was feeling extremely serene, an emotion that she had long lost touch with. As the
night breeze caressed her cheeks, she felt as though this was all just a fantastic realm from
a dream. As she walked on the bridge, a koi sh suddenly splashed at the water, sending
concentric ripples out on the otherwise calm water surface. Spreading out evenly, it actually
made the scenery seem even more peaceful.

There was no one around, so Chu Qiao simply decided to sit on the bridge. Holding the
wooden handrails for support, she observed the slowly dissipating ripples on the lake, as
she leaned her head on the wooden rail.

She had already forgotten when she had last been so at peace with herself. This trip to the
Tang Empire seemed to have washed away all the fatigue and bloodthirst within her. Finally,
she could heave a sigh of relief, knowing that this is no longer Zhen Huang City, no longer
the Xia Empire, and she was distanced away from the killings and ghtings. She was nally
safe and could catch her breath.

During those eight years, even if she had not complained about the stress, she would
naturally still be tired.

I wonder if the winds in Yan Bei are as warm as they are here? Thinking about that, Chu
Qiao broke into a smile.

That would be impossible. Yan Bei’s lands were be covered in snow all year round, with
raging winds carrying bone piercing frigidness. The only place with greenery would be the
grass valley around Hui Hui Mountains where one could rear horses. According to Yan Xun,
Yan Bei’s Goddess resided on the Min Xi Mountain where she protected the descendants of
Yan Bei. Her whole life, she stood atop the peak of the coldest mountain, gazing on the
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
 countless living things that bustled with life below the mountains. Constantly competing
with the heavens for light and warmth, she then bestowed it upon Yan Bei.

Speaking of Yan Bei, even Yan Bei’s goddess, although compassionate and nurturing, was a
warrior in her own right. Likewise, every inch of Yan Bei’s lands was the fruit of civilians’
struggles against natural disasters and endless wars. Yan Bei was truly a race that rose from
piles and piles of skeletons and corpses. At the root of every plant, every ower, was soil
that, at some point in time, had been soaked in a Yan Bei warrior’s blood. Within every
breeze, there existed the spirits of Yan Bei soldiers who had given their lives for Yan Bei’s
continued survival. Such was Yan Bei, a land lled with hardships, yet no one bowed down
to such di culties.

Chu Qiao had yet to see the highlands of Yan Bei for herself and had only heard
descriptions from others. During those dark times, those torturous days, those miserable
periods, discussing Yan Bei and those mountains and grass plains were her and Yan Xun’s
greatest joy. They would cower in one corner, but they would set their imagination free,
constructing a world in their minds where groups of wild horses ran free, with a meandering
river owing into the horizon. In that cold and dark winter of their lives, such pictures were
the glimmer of hope they grasped onto. People who had never experienced such days
would never truly understand the feeling of relying on someone so much.

Within that su ocating, nauseating, maddening royal capital, they were two young wolf
pups, leaning on each other back to back, brandishing their tiny claws. There was nothing
they could use as cover, nor anyone they could seek assistance from. With no one to rely
on, they could only stick to each other and seek the courage to keep living from each
other’s gazes.

They were inseparable comrades in arms, intimate allies, and inalienable family. This
complicated emotion had long broken through simple love between a man and a woman,
and had already fused into their souls, becoming a part of themselves.

Most of the time, Chu Qiao did not have time to think about what normal girls would worry
about. In her short life so far, she had been occupied with running around, ghting,
strategizing, and as a result, she had buried her own instinctual thoughts. She had always
been a logical person and knew what she wanted, what she should not come into contact
with, and what the future held for her. As such, she threaded carefully without mistakes.
Although such a person was rather boring and uninteresting, she had accepted herself for
who she was.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, thinking about his impending arrival. She could
feel the wind carrying his desire to reunite with her.

“How long do you intend to sit there alone?”

Shocked by the sudden question, Chu Qiao spun her head around, only to see Li Ce
wearing a pine green blouse. With his cloth belt loosely tied together, and his collar wide
open. His hair was loosely tied up with silk lace. His well-de ned eyes seemed to be
squinting under the moonlight, and he looked like a fox that had just woke up, still drowsy
fl
ffi
ff
fi
fi
fl
fi
 from a deep slumber. Grinning ear to ear at Chu Qiao, he stretched out his lean hand and
yawned.

Chapter 129
Chu Qiao frowned slowly. “How long have you been standing here?”

“Just a little while.” Li Ce stumbled over and took his seat beside her. He held a silver wine
bottle in his hand and said, “Any for you?”

Chu Qiao shook her head and replied, “I don’t drink.”

Li Ce shrugged. “Your life is boring.”

“Instead of sleeping, are you here just to tease me?”

Li Ce took a mouthful of wine. His liquor tolerance was not very good. With a few mouthfuls,
his face had turned slightly red. He looked at Chu Qiao, then pointed at a small island at the
center of the lake, saying, “Do you know how long that tree has lived?”

Chu Qiao was stunned, not expecting him to talk about this suddenly.

Li Ce answered his own question and said, “Over 400 years. Bet you didn’t expect it. It has
lived longer than the Xia Empire.” Thereafter, he pointed at a small ower beside the wooden
bridge and said, “Do you know what ower this is?”

The ower was pale purple in color and small in stature. It uttered about in the wind,
looking like it could be dislodged anytime.

“This is the Youyan. It blooms in the night and wilts at dawn. It only blooms once in its
lifetime for a few hours, but has to wait one year for this.”

There were ower patterns on the silver wine ask, similar to that of the Youyan. Li Ce took
another mouthful of wine and turned around, saying, “Qiaoqiao, life is short and hard. Before
you know it, time will pass and we will turn old. When you can enjoy it, enjoy it. Don’t waste
the youthful times.”

Chu Qiao shook her head slowly, saying in a low voice, “If I was given a choice, I would
rather be like the Youyan ower, instead of that tree, busy its entire life.”

“Hurhur.” Li Ce smiled radiantly. “Every living thing has its own way of survival. The Youyan
ower mocks the tree for being busy all its life, and for being dull. However, it does not know
that existing for a long time amidst the di culties is an attractive virtue in itself. Being
resilient all these years and coming out unscathed is a capability in itself. How can living a
short life prove the beauty of time?”

Chu Qiao turned around and saw the bright look in Li Ce’s eyes. His smile remained radiant.
She asked, “How about you? Would you rather be like the ower or the tree?”

fl
fl
fl

fl
fl
ffi
fl
fl
fl
fl
“Me?” Li Ce turned around and smiled. “I’m an ambitious person. I aspire to live for a long
time like the tree, but with the excitement of the ower, haha.”

Chu Qiao shook her head slightly and replied, “One must enjoy the good times, instead of
just sitting back to appreciate the moment.”

“Good poetry!” Li Ce laughed, looking up to take another mouthful of wine and saying,
“Qiaoqiao, I did not expect you to be well-versed in literature.”

Chu Qiao smiled, choosing not to rebut him.

“Qiaoqiao, I have something to say, but I don’t know if I should.”

Chu Qiao smiled and replied, “If you treat me as a friend, go ahead.”

The Li Ce tonight was di erent from his usual self. Although they were in conversation, he
was not cheerful. Instead, he appeared solemn while sitting under the moonlight, shrouded
by the trees. His tone sounded more serious than usual with more clarity. The wind blew
lightly across both of their sleeves, causing the pearl and green colors to entangle. It added
a tinge of warmth to the situation.

Chu Qiao tidied up her hair which had been messed up. Li Ce looked at her, the look in his
eyes becoming more serious.

“Although the Xia Empire is in a mess with the various dukes and civilians stirring up
rebellions, it is like the tree. Its foundation is stable. Although there is a storm now, as long
as the boat is stabilized, it is easy for them to retaliate. However, looking at the situation in
Yan Bei, although it is powerful enough to force the Xia Empire into submission, it is
politically unstable. The power is unevenly distributed. The Quanrong people are waiting for
a chance in the north while the Xia Empire is waiting in the south. Also, it is not
acknowledged by the various political powers in the world. It is an uphill task. With a slight
mistake, the entire country could collapse.” Finishing his sentence, Li Ce smiled and
plucked out the Youyan ower, continuing, “Yan Bei is like the Youyan ower while Xia is like
the ancient tree. The night is temporary. When dusk breaks, the winner will be revealed.”

A gust of wind blew past, carrying the purple ower with it. After a while, it landed in the
lake.

Chu Qiao looked at Li Ce. Suddenly, she felt like a layer of fog appeared in front of her eyes.
She could not make out what was happening in front of her.

A long time later, she would say to Yan Xun what Li Ce said to her. The man would sit on his
horse. The winds of Yan Bei would blow across his eyes, while the snow landed on his hair.
The man, hearing what she said, would not react the same way as she did, choosing to
remain silent. After a long while, he would reply to her in a low voice, “If that’s the case, then
let’s make this night last forever.”

She did not understand what Yan Xun said. She thought quietly to herself that Li Ce did not
understand Yan Xun. The Xia Empire was indeed an ancient tree with strong roots, which
fl
ff
fl
fl
fl
stretched across the entire Hongchuan Plains. However, although it reaped the bene ts of
the tree, the tree had too many branches which needed nutrients, water and sunlight to
survive. They were like vampires, sucking the life out of the tree.

As for Yan Bei, although it was weak, it demonstrated a stubborn willpower to live, just like
the Youyan ower. As long as there was an inch of soil, it was able to bloom. Regardless of
the cold winter or the hot summer, it would lie in wait for an opportunity to bloom. As for Yan
Xun, how would he just sit back and wait for his own death, watching his empire crumble to
dust?

However, this was a long time later. Presently, Chu Qiao stared at Li Ce quietly, feeling that
she had not seen through him at all. Under his jovial look and unorthodox actions, there was
too much hidden underneath. It was like an endless abyss where no one knew what exactly
was underneath. It was also just now that this man opened his heart and soul to her ever so
slightly, allowing her shadow to creep in and explore.

She whispered, “Li Ce, are you my friend?”

Li Ce smiled lightly and gave a seemingly unrelated reply, “I am the Crown Prince of Tang.”

Chu Qiao was unmoved and continued to probe, “Will you help us attack the Xia Empire?”

Li Ce shook his head and replied gently, “No.”

“Will you help Xia attack us?”

Li Ce was momentarily dazed. Laughing, he replied, “Pei Luo of Zhen Huang took the 18
states of Hongchuan from the Tang Empire that year. Over the next hundreds of years, the
two empires have been at war. No matter how shameless or unreasonable I am, I won’t
become a sinner of my family.”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows. “In this case?”

“I will not interfere in the war between Xia and Yan Bei. Even if Zhao Zhengde betroths his
daughter, no, even his mother to me, it will be useless! Haha!” Li Ce droned on, breaking out
in a hearty laugh.

Chu Qiao smiled and said, “In that case, you are my friend.” She reached out her hand
slowly, a bright look in her eyes and a wide smile on her lips.

Li Ce was laughing heartily. Upon seeing her posture, he was dazed. However, in the next
instant, the man laughed and mimicked her posture, reaching his hand out slowly and
shaking her hand!

Chu Qiao smiled lightly, looking brightly at Li Ce. Her smile was radiant. She looked up
slightly, the silky moonlight shining on her face, making it appear mesmerizing.

Smiling, she continued, “Li Ce, Yan Bei is not like the Youyan nor the epherema. Although
the tree of the Xia Empire is big enough, its roots have started to decay. A few ambitious
fl
fi
princes cannot support the tree. Have you heard before? Those that have the hearts of the
civilians have the entire world at their feet.”

At that instant, Li Ce felt confused. He frowned lightly and muttered to himself, “Those that
have the hearts of the civilians have the entire world at their feet?”

Chu Qiao laughed gently. In this era, topics like this would appear overly incredible and far-
fetched. She nodded and looked towards the front, saying slowly, “The country’s ruler
presides over his people. The people hold unlimited power. The country’s armies, armory,
wealth and food comes from the slaves and civilians which have been trampled upon by the
nobles. They are the most magnanimous people. They just need a mouthful of rice and a
piece of land to be able to give up most of their food, to feed other people. However, what if
they can no longer survive this way?” Chu Qiao turned around and looked at Li Ce with
conviction, saying, “No one will sit there and await their own death. Li Ce, if all the civilians
were to rebel against you, would you be able to hold on to your throne?”

Li Ce was stunned. Frowning, he replied, “How is that possible?”

Chu Qiao laughed. “Why not? Just because some things have not happened doesn’t mean
they won’t happen. 300 years ago, would all of you have imagined that a minority tribe
would have risen? Did you think that they would trample on Yinshan and colonize the 18
states of Hongchuan, waging war on the Tang Empire in the process? Did you think that the
leader of the Nalan family would rebel against the royal empire and declare the
independence of the Song Empire?”

Li Ce was rendered speechless and frowned tightly.

Chu Qiao laughed gently. The royal empires currently were probably categorized under the
Xia Dynasty in modern Chinese history. As their power had not been questioned by the
civilians, they thought that they were invincible. Did they think that the civilians would
continue to submit to them over thousands of years?

“Li Ce, wait and see. Everything has changed. Harping on past glory is not the way to go.
Sooner or later, you will witness how powerful the civilians can be when they are angry. The
power they possess will be able to cause chaos. They can move mountains and control the
storms. The Xia Empire, Yan Bei, the Tang Empire, the Song Empire, even the minority
Quanrong tribe outside the border, all of us will collapse weakly like ants in the face of this
power. The party that is able to harness this power will be the ultimate victor.”

The smile on Li Ce’s face had been wiped o . He frowned and looked at Chu Qiao,
remaining silent.

Chu Qiao turned around and looked at Li Ce while smiling. “Li Ce, you’re my friend. I hope
that when the day of the big storm arrives, you’re not the rst to get involved.”

The cold wind raged on. The look in the man’s eyes suddenly turned cold and sharp, like an
arrow. He looked on at Chu Qiao, not batting an eyelid nor saying a word. The wind blew
across the space separating them, making the atmosphere even colder. After a long while,
ff
fi
 he warmed up and laughed gently, saying, “Qiaoqiao, I have not heard these words before,
but I nd it meaningful. I’ll think about it in detail.”

Chu Qiao knew that Li Ce harbored murderous intentions towards her at that instant.
However, he did not strike. Although they represented di erent powers and had di erent
stands, as she described, they were friends, or maybe something more. They were unable
to discern their relationship clearly. Suddenly, Chu Qiao understood one thing that had been
bothering her for many years. Out of all the feudal lords, why did the Xia Emperor attack Yan
Bei? Why did he kill Yan Shicheng, who had been the most loyal subject under him? If the
Emperor wanted to regulate the balance of power, shouldn’t he have started from the other
feudal lords? The King of Ling? The King of Jing? The reckless, untamed, barbaric lords?
However, she understood all these now. The reason was simple. As Yan Bei had formed an
alliance with the Da Tong Guild, Yan Shicheng had adopted a new ideology. A di erent type
of ower had bloomed on the icy highlands of Yan Bei, causing a di erent type of fruit to
bloom. From a neutral standpoint, Yan Bei no longer thought the same way as the royal
capital. This was similar to a situation where a country ran on the idea of capitalism, but a
political party from within advocated the idea of communism. It was simply unacceptable.
This was a clear intention to oppose the main state, which was an unforgivable action of
betrayal.

Chapter 130
Although that said, at that point of time perhaps even the then King of Yan Bei had not
expected such drastic reactions from the empire, that perhaps he had not realized his
mistake up till his death.

Sighing ever so lightly, Chu Qiao’s gentle voice gradually faded into the distance. What she
did not know, however, was how her whimsical speech just now had forever changed the
lives of some people. Sometimes, her existence was like a farmer who had casually laid
down some seeds, and these seeds remain under a layer of snow, quietly waiting for spring
to come when the snow melts and it could sprout.

“Qiaoqiao,” Li Ce turned to her, slightly frowning, as though he was in deep thought, and
asked, “can you please tell me, why do you seem so con dent in that outcome? You are
di erent from those brainwashed Da Tong guild members. What made you think that way?
Is it because of…Yan Xun?”

“That is not it.” Chu Qiao shook her head slightly and replied, “Because I have seen it with
my very own eyes.”

Taken aback by this response, Li Ce uttered, “You what?”

“You will never understand.” Staring o into the aquamarine lake, Chu Qiao suddenly
smiled.

No one will ever understand, indeed, she had seen that with her very own eyes. She knew
the future of this world, as the old rule would gradually, but surely, die out. Along with that, a
ff
fl
fi

ff
ff
fi
ff
ff
ff
 new order would rise from the ashes of the ancient empires. And all it took for that to
happen was someone to give a slight push in the right direction.

“Li Ce, will you ever understand? This is my faith, my belief.”

A slight drizzle started, as the silvery corners of the waning moon shimmered in the faint
layers of clouds, illuminating her serene face.

The crowd of imperial doctors left from Mihe residence, as rows of green umbrellas could be
seen, with their loose robes dragging across the roads, and their pale blue footwear
stepping into puddles of rainwater, creating a series of small splashes. Their medical
apprentices trailed behind them, carrying their large boxes of medicine. The light green
uttered in the rain, like leaves rustling in the wind.

The remaining lotus owers nally scattered in this rain, as the maidservants rushed around
in the corridors. A young girl entered the outer room, her fringe sticking to her forehead from
the rain. Qiu Sui called out for her, and the two young girls started whispering in the
corridors. Although their voices were soft, it could in fact, still be heard from the inner room.

“The remaining lotus has been scattered by the rain. Aunt Xia said that the Crown Prince
loves the lotus, and wants us to hold up umbrellas for the lotus.”

Qiu Sui sighed. “What can we achieve even if we hold up the umbrellas? What is to wither
will wither regardless. The people from Jinse palace are trying too hard to please the Crown
Prince.”

“Indeed, it is already September, we are already entering autumn.”

Chatting, the maidservants left, and their voices turned inaudible. Outside the window, the
cold moonlight remained bright and pristine.

This room had been vacant for ages, and the emptiness gave it an illusion of spaciousness.
In the north side of the room, a sandalwood bed was covered in layers of a pale green veil
that was embroidered with a golden phoenix. As the wind swept past, the green veils
swayed like the lotus leaves that were seen on the lake. The window facing the south was
wide open, and beyond the railings, one could see the lake brimming with lotuses. With the
raging wind and heavy downpour, the lotus leaves were blown around like a ragdoll; a clear
indication that they were about to wither. The servants who wanted to please their master
rowed their small boats out into the rain and held up row after row of umbrellas to protect
the last patches of lotus that were still holding up in the rain.

Li Ce sat on the chair forlornly, as his nger rubbed on the chair’s arms. The red paint of the
chair was already dropping. This chair had been hurriedly brought from the storeroom into
this room, so the servants probably had no time to repaint it or bring a nicer looking one.
Rubbing the uneven surface of the chair arm, Li Ce paid those minor details no heed. His
eyes seemed to be closed, but they were still open, as he squinted them into a thin line,
focusing only on the woman who lied on the bed.

fl
fl
fi
fi
 Chu Qiao’s condition had deteriorated again. The imperial doctor had just given a long
lecture on the technical aspects of the sickness, which completely ticked Li Ce o , as he
was initially already irate. The usually calm and peaceful prince had tackled the imperial
doctor to the ground before the crowd of doctors started to explain in a simpler manner.

It seemed that during this period of time, the much-needed rest had helped Chu Qiao’s
body remove most of the poison already, and her injuries were also mostly healed. The
reason why she was still so frail and sickly was because of the prolonged periods of
overexertion from which stress had built up deep within her. All that could be eventually
cured with rest, but for Chu Qiao, time was her most lacking commodity.

Wearing a cyan robe, with a white undershirt, the patches of chrysanthemum embroidery
bloomed beautifully on Chu Qiao’s clothes. But her expression did not show the same
blossoming feelings, as her deeply frowning eyebrows decorated her unnaturally pale skin,
emitting an aura of desolation and misery.

The imperial doctors had already left, and even though their words of reassurance still
echoed within these four walls, the anxious ambiance still loomed.

The silvery moonlight lit up the entire room, making it appear even more spacious than it
already seemed. Without any furniture or decorations, the room only had a big bed and a
chair. The ebony wood oor felt sturdy when stepped on, despite the age of the building.
Such a place was bound to have echoes whenever someone spoke in this room. This made
the place seem all the more lonely; tidy, yet desolated.

This was, however, the closest to Li Ce’s Crown Prince Palace. Many years ago, Li Ce grew
up here. The Mihe Residence had once seen its glory days, but for some reason, at some
point in time, this place was sealed and locked up. The red tape with the royal rose
plastered all over the doors. Since then, no one had been in here.

Fast forward to today, in the blink of an eye, six years had passed. Chu Qiao shu ed her
posture very slightly. With the night breeze, she was starting to feel cold. Li Ce stood up. His
silk shoes stepped on the damp oor. Closing the window, he returned to her bedside.
Stretching out his lanky ngers, he swept away the layer of veils, revealing the lady inside.
He could see her long eyelashes, her small yet well-de ned nose, her crimson lips, her
adorable ears, her thin neck….

He stretched his hand in front of the lady, as though he wanted to lift up her blanket for her,
but the rainstorm outside suddenly got heavier, as the rain pitter-pattered on the window
sills noisily. The moonlight, shining faintly through the windows, lit up Chu Qiao’s silky hair,
giving o an illustrious yet frigid re ection. It vaguely exuded an aura of loneliness. His
ngers stopped one inch before her body before they gradually slowed down, and
eventually froze. The moonlight created a long shadow of him on the empty oor, looking
ever so lanky, with a tinge of solitude.

A drum roll could be heard, indicating the progression of time. Within this picturesque Tang
Capital, even the clock chimes were in the form of a beautiful melody, sounding so crisp,
easily blending into the wind.

fi
ff
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
ffl
ff
After an unknown duration, the moon rose and eventually fell again. The man nally
withdrew his frozen gaze and slowly turned around, stepping out of that forbidden door.
Opening the door, he saw Sun Di leaning on a pillar along the corridor. Seeing that he came
out, Sun Di lifted his head and smiled brightly.

Li Ce pretended as though he could not see him, and only walked straight ahead.

“Your Highness, Lady Yushu from Yu Shang Pavillion has come twice upon hearing that Your
Highness had been soaked by the rain. She specially prepared ginger soup and is waiting
for you in the palace.”

Still silent, Li Ce continued to walk, as though he had not heard those words.

Sun Di’s tempo increased, as he smiled and said, “Lady Liuliu from the Liu Fu Pavillion also
sent her servant to bring us many precious medicines for Miss Chu to use for her treatment.
Lady Bai from Tang Ran palace supposedly went to the Temple of the Northern Buddha to
pray for the well being of Your Highness and Miss Chu. Ladies from a few other palaces
joined her as well. Now those elder monks in the temples are probably at a loss as the
temple is now ooded by all the ladies. And what’s more…”

As the night breeze caressed the two men, the drizzle nally came to a standstill. Far behind
the two of them, a crowd of maidservants followed, taking extra care not to be so close that
they would get involved in the conversation.

As though he had just forgotten something, Sun Di slapped his forehead while exclaiming,
“Oh right, Master He’s daughter is also in the palace now. After hearing about what
happened, she insisted on remaining in the residences of the fourth princess, and insisted
that she would wait for Your Highness to visit when you are free.”

“What exactly do you want to say?” the forlorn voice nally replied, lacking the usual laze
and carefreeness.

Slightly taken aback, Sun Di immediately smiled, and replied, “This servant is trying to say,
there are so many interesting things going on. Is Your Highness not interested in taking a
look?”

Li Ce did not reply. Sun Di icked an eyebrow in response. “Your Highness, you are di erent
from your normal self.”

“My normal self?” Li Ce chuckled in self-mockery, without a single tinge of happiness. “I

myself could hardly remember what I was like.”

Sun Di laughed, as though he had just heard the most hilarious joke of the century, “Such
defeatism, is de nitely not something Your Highness would say. To have criticized even
Buddhas, and living frivolously all your life, Your Highness, since when had you been so
absent-minded and abject?”

In the light wind, the patches of fallen crabapple owers swayed very slightly on the ground.
Standing under the tree, Li Ce gazed into the distance. There were occasionally tinges of
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
ff
struggling in his eyes, and occasional moments of peace. Finally, he turned around, the
feeling of abjection was completely devoid from his face, and he had returned to being the
frivolous Tang Prince he was known for. With a hearty laugh, he declared, “Indeed, while
living, one must fully enjoy his life without regret. Sun Di, inform all the ladies to head to the
Crown Prince Palace in waiting to serve me. Those who went to pray are to be there as well!
Some other day, we are going to demolish that temple, and rebuild one in tribute for…for a
of enjoyment! Hahaha!”

“Living one’s life fully without hesitation, the Prince is truly wise,” Sun Di repeated a part of
Li Ce’s monologue before singing his praises.

Casually smiling in response, Li Ce took the praise completely unabashed.

Before long, the Crown Prince Palace showed signs of life as sounds of music and dancing,
along with shy laughter of women was heard. The aroma of wine and food could also be
smelled from the inside.

It seemed like another night of celebration and enjoyment.

Within a small room in the Mihe Residence, two elder imperial doctors were on their standby
shift. One of them stood by the window as he stared in the direction of the Crown Prince
Palace. He sighed. “I originally thought that the Prince must have truly cared for this Miss
Chu, seeing how he reopened the Mihe Residence and summoned the entire team of
imperial doctor to care for her. But now it seems like it was just a whim!”

The other elder was holding a hand warmer, and could be seen wearing thick layers of
clothes. With his eyes closed, he did not even lift his head upon hearing the remark from his
companion. He calmly replied, “Are you still hoping that he will do that? Stop dreaming. Ever
since Princess Fu passed away, sigh..”

The doctor at the side of the window seemed to sigh as well upon hearing the other doctor’s
comment.

The night winds ru ed layers upon layers of silk and u y decorations. But in this beautiful
and prosperous palace, how many people’s deep worries and troubles had been buried?

The rain resumed, and Chu Qiao’s plan to move out had been hindered yet again by her
sickness. On this day, Chu Qiao had been lifted out to the backyard to get some sun. Her
injuries had long been healed, but she was still frail and weak, unable to muster strength in
her muscles. Her servants, like Qiu Sui, were partly to blame, as they made a big fuss
whenever she seemed to exert herself, and they did not allow her to even walk by herself.
As a result, she felt sleepy the entire day and had put on a lot of weight as well.

Chapter 131
The sunlight outside was strong. Chu Qiao lay on her armchair, drifting in and out of sleep. A
majority of the cicadas on the tree had perished, leaving a few who continued to make
inaudible sounds. She batted her eyelids, drifting o to sleep.

ffl

ff
fl
ff
After an unknown amount of time, the surroundings quietened down.

Chu Qiao was startled, opening her eyes ercely. She was stunned as she saw a lady, about
50-years-old, standing in front of her. The look in her eyes was calm, but her face was pale,
as if she had not been under the sun for a long time. The lady was using her eyes to size her
up with a great deal of concentration.

Seeing that Chu Qiao had awoken, the lady nodded her head as a greeting, and asked, “Do
you want some water?”

Chu Qiao looked at her, frowning. The person in front of her was dressed in a seemingly
plain out t, but upon closer inspection, the material used to make the out t was valuable.
She looked like a grandma with re ned taste. She seemed like a person of high status but
did not have the stern aura of someone in power. She wore an old wooden bracelet around
her wrist, which did not re ect her status.

Seeing that Chu Qiao remained silent, the lady walked to a tree at the side and retrieved a
teapot from one of the servants. She poured a cup of tea and walked back slowly. Handing
it to her, she said, “Drink up. It’s easy to get thirsty at the start of autumn. Young people like
you must be mindful of your health.”

Chu Qiao took a sip of tea, feeling much more rejuvenated. She looked awkwardly at the
lady and cautiously said, “I’m sorry. I just entered the palace and don’t really know much.
How do I address you?”

“Me? My surname is Yao.”

Yao was a common surname in Tang. From Empress Dowager to the palace maids, about
20 percent of them had this surname. In the past few days, Chu Qiao had become
acquainted with no less than seven or eight elders with this surname.

“Can I sit down?” the lady pointed to a chair at the side and asked courteously.

Chu Qiao nodded hurriedly and replied, “Please sit.”

Seeing Chu Qiao looking around, the lady opened her mouth and said, “The Empress
Dowager is here. Your maidservants went out to welcome her.”

Chu Qiao looked at her suspiciously. Her message was evident: who exactly are you? Since
the Empress Dowager is here, why aren’t you outside?

The lady laughed. She looked like a person who barely laughed, as she appeared to be old-
fashioned. There were no wrinkles on the corners of her eyes. She looked at Chu Qiao and
said, “I’m alright. I just wanted to visit you.”

There was no semblance of organization to her speech. Chu Qiao did not know how to reply
to her. There were many rules within this palace, coupled with the complex characters who
were restrained in their words. As Chu Qiao pondered over this lady’s identity, the lady
remarked, “You’re very good.”

fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
 Chu Qiao smiled bleakly and replied, “Thank you for the compliment.”

“I’m not complimenting you. You’re good indeed, but I don’t think that you are suitable to
live in the palace.”

It dawned on Chu Qiao. Was this lady another character who was jealous of Li Ce’s a ection
towards her?

“Don’t worry, I won’t be here for long.”

“No, I don’t mean it that way.” The lady shook her head and continued, “Everyone is not
suited for this at the start, but will get used to it eventually. This palace functions this way. It
will compensate for your shortcomings. I think that you are not bad. If you live here, I think
that the palace will change for the better.”

Chu Qiao frowned and looked at the lady in suspicion, unable to decipher the meaning
behind her words.

“The prince wants to demolish the worshipping altar in the palace. Are you aware of that?”

The lady jumped between topics. Chu Qiao was stunned and shook her head. “I don’t
know.”

“He wants to worship the God of Pleasure. Sigh, I’m really…” The lady frowned, clearly
bothered. She looked at Chu Qiao and slowly said, “If you have time, do talk with him. After
all, he’s the Crown Prince of Tang. He can’t fool around like this.

“I’ll take my leave rst.” The lady stood up and said to Chu Qiao, “You’re injured, don’t send
me o .” Subsequently, she walked out of Mihe Residence through the rear door.

This person came uninvited, spoke a load of gibberish, and then departed. Chu Qiao felt
perplexed.

After a short while, Qiu Sui and the other palace maids came back. The expressions on their
faces were strange and carried a tinge of unease.

“Qiu Sui, what happened? Was the Empress Dowager here? Why didn’t you call me?”

Qiu Sui replied, “Aunt Xi spread the word that the Empress Dowager had arrived at the
palace gates. Seeing that you were asleep, I said that you were ill and were un t to welcome
her. We went there after that.”

“What about the Empress Dowager?”

“We waited for a long while, but the Empress Dowager did not get o her carriage. After
that, she said that she was unwell, and went back.”

“Oh.” Chu Qiao nodded, seemingly understanding something. “Help me inside.”

The maidservants obliged and raised Chu Qiao’s mat back into the palace doors.

ff
fi
ff
fi
ff
 Thinking about it, Chu Qiao had not seen Li Ce for two whole days. She did not feel
anything, but Qiu Sui and the rest felt depressed. After all, when Chu Qiao was gravely ill the
other day, Li Ce opened the Mihe Residence, which he had lived in when he was young, for
her to reside temporarily. Who in the court did not understand his intentions?

However, what happened after that caused the servants in the Mihe Residence to feel
depressed. The Crown Prince, who had just revealed some dedication, recklessly invited all
his concubines to his palace that same night to party and drink. It was rumored that he had
slept with as many as eight women that night. These few days, he did not step into Mihe
Residence, choosing to host banquets in his palace instead. Additionally, the news spread
that he intended to build a residence for a new palace maid who had gained his a ection.

Qiu Sui and the other palace maids sighed all day as if they had been given the cold
shoulder. They talked less frequently. All of Mihe Residence was dominated by silence; only
the breaths of people could be heard in the surroundings.

As dusk broke, the sky darkened. Chu Qiao stood in front of the window, suddenly hearing a
soothing sound of a ute from the lake opposite. In the distance, the sound was barely
audible but intriguing.

Chu Qiao listened on and asked, “Do you know who is playing the ute?”

The maidservants shook their heads. Chu Qiao stood up, wanting to go outside to take a
look. Qiu Sui and the palace maids were shocked, restraining her for fear of her getting hurt
just by moving around.

Chu Qiao had no choice but to oblige. She lay down on the mat quietly until the people in
the house departed. She walked over to the window and somersaulted outside. As she
landed on the ground, her legs buckled, causing her to nearly fall over.

She was only wearing a pair of indoor shoes. As she stepped on the stone pavement, she
felt cold. There were no traces of human beings outside. Her white dress dragged along the
pavement, becoming drenched by the puddles of water but remaining free of dust. She
slowly walked further away from the Mihe Residence.

She walked to the lake again. The wind blew from all directions onto the surface of the lake.
The man wore a white robe and held a purple ute in his hand. The wind caused his sleeve
to utter in the air. The desolate shadow formed under the pale moonlight, adding a tinge of
warmth and serenity in the night.

Chu Qiao stepped onto the wooden bridge slowly. The man turned around, the sounds of
the ute stopped. He was not panicked when he saw Chu Qiao, giving her a sinister smile
instead. He playfully ipped the ute in his hand, saying, “Not asleep at this hour? No
wonder. I heard that you slept your ll in the day. I see you like to wander around at night
while sleeping in the day.”

Chu Qiao smiled and bantered, “I’m still alright. I’ve heard about your exploits these past
few nights. After all that fun, you still have the strength to play the ute?”

fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
ff
“Haha,” Li Ce laughed and replied, “I’m still t. If you don’t believe it, you can see it for
yourself.”

Chu Qiao blushed and chided, “Indecent.”

Li Ce rolled his eyes and said, “Yeah, only Yan Xun is decent with that stoic face. He acts as
if the whole world owes him money all day. Qiaoqiao, do you really want to follow him all
your life? I assure you that this man’s life is boring. It concerns your life’s happiness. You
need to think clearly.”

“How boring.” Chu Qiao looked at him. “Only you are interesting.”

“That’s right.” Li Ce smiled proudly. “I’m handsome and smart. I’m the most coveted
bachelor in the entire continent of West Meng. Wherever I’ve been, I’ve swept unmarried
women o their feet. Married women fantasize about me all day. From three-year-old girls to
80-year-old women, all of them are crazy over me.”

Chu Qiao covered her mouth and laughed. “Yes, you are more handsome than Song Yu,
more godlike than Pan An, and more charming than Long Yang.”

“Who’s Song Yu? Who’s Pan An? Is Long Yang a name?

Chu Qiao laughed. “They are all handsome men. Haven’t you heard of them before?”

“Handsome men?” Li Ce sneered in disdain. “If I have a chance, I must see for myself.”

The moonlight was pale as it shone on the ground. The wind was heavy. Li Ce stood up and
said, “I’ll see you back inside. It’s windy here and you’re injured.”

“Okay,” Chu Qiao responded.

Li Ce saw that she was wearing indoor shoes. The soft material had been drenched by the
water. He frowned and commented, “Why did you wear these outside?”

Chu Qiao casually replied, “It’s alright, I won’t die. I walked barefooted before, unlike you,
born with a silver spoon.”

“Qiaoqiao, you must remember that you’re a woman, not a warrior.” Li Ce’s face turned
stern, his voice turning slightly angry. “What’s up with Yan Xun? Can’t he do some things
himself? You’re a woman, but instead of staying at home, you just wander about? Not
caring about your health? Not speaking out even when you’re injured? With all these scars,
how will you marry someone in future? I want to see who wants to marry you.”

Chu Qiao retorted, “You’re the one who won’t get married. None of your business.”

“Hmph, none of my business? I want to make it my business!”

Chu Qiao frowned. “Hey, Li Ce, you really look down on women!”

“So what if I look down on them? So what?” The man looked at her from the corner of his
eye, his posture similar to that of a ru an.

ff
ffi
fi
Chu Qiao walked in front, ignoring him and saying, “I’m not talking to you anymore. I’m
going back.” As she nished her sentence, she felt herself spinning around. When she
regained her consciousness, she was held tightly in Li Ce’s embrace. “Hey! What are you
doing? Put me down!” Chu Qiao shouted in shock.

Li Ce’s eyes were half-squinted. He looked at her and sneered. “No.”

Sparks of re were burning in Chu Qiao’s eyes. With a crisp voice, she said, “Are you going
to put me down? If not, I’m not going to be nice anymore.”

Li Ce stretched his neck nonchalantly and said, “You have a knife hidden under your neck
and your leg. I know about it. Stab me here. If you don’t, I’ll look down on you.”

Chu Qiao replied angrily, “Li Ce, why are you so shameless?!”

Li Ce looked at her impatiently in the eye, as if to say: Don’t tell me you realized this only
today? The wind blew at their sleeves, causing it to utter in the air again like butter ies.

The night was cold. The lake surrounded the both of them. Li Ce carried the young lady over
his back and walked slowly along the wooden bridge. The willow branches stooped low on
both shores. The occasional koi sh leaped out of the water surface, causing it to ripple.

Li Ce walked while he whistled to a fast-tempo tune. The tune was joyous, just like the usual
smile on his face.

Chapter 132
Chu Qiao had not asked him why, even though he was really good in martial arts, he had not
revealed his abilities during the battle in the jungle. She also had not asked about why even
though he was able to play the ute so well, he had asked the old man to help him conceal
his talent when he was trying to attract the attention of those girls. She also had not asked
him why he had not come to visit her these past few days, and instead indulged in worldly
pleasures back at his own residence.

Everyone had their own secrets that they would not want to speak of, especially when it
came to the aristocrats and royal families. Under the glorious and majestic facade, they all
had secrets and burdens that they carried themselves. Those reasons might be too heavy
and complicated, so she did not try to reveal them. Even if she did, she might not have
understood.

Along with the night breeze, and the bright silvery moon shining above in the sky, the duo
walked silently. This night was bound to be a restless night. That night, Chu Qiao dreamt
another dream. She saw once again, on that snowy night, the alleyways of Sheng Jin Palace
seemed so long, so quiet, as the music from the front palace could be heard, seemingly so
full of life and melody. As if telling every one of the prosperity of the empire, the music lled
the entire palace.

The man in her dreams stood in front of her, as fresh crimson blood poured out from the
severed nger. Yet, that man clumsily comforted her and said, “Don’t worry, this does not
fi
fi
fi

fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
hurt at all.” The smile was like a blooming ower, encapsulating her heart in a warm
embrace, giving her the sense of comfort which she had long forgotten.

By the time she woke up, her pillow was soaked with her tears. The light stains of tears
looked signi cantly darker in color than the rest of the pillow, making the crimson pillow look
as though it had been stained with blood.

Sitting there motionlessly, Chu Qiao’s thoughts sped in deep thought. She realized that she
could no longer continue to wait for something to happen.

Even as the servants tried to shelter the lotus from the rain, with another downpour, and as
the temperature dropped another notch with the arrival of autumn, all of the lotuses
eventually withered, leaving behind a mess of blackened leaves and branches. Even the lake
water seemed to have polluted.

On the other hand, the golden chrysanthemum had entered full bloom too early. With the
constant rainfall and the sudden drop in temperature, many had fallen, coloring the ground a
messy yellow.

During breakfast, Chu Qiao heard that the new lady that had gained Li Ce’s attention had
broken some rules, and had been thrown into the prison. As much as Li Ce had not declared
any form of punishment, due to how this lady had acted arrogantly after gaining Li Ce’s
attention and had o ended many other ladies, it would be natural that others would act
against her. In this frigid weather, and considering how the room would be without any
warmth, it was almost certain that it was the end of her.

The servants only brie y discussed that, and did not pay that incident much heed. It
seemed as though such incidents were taken for granted in this palace. Yet, Chu Qiao felt
slightly dejected, as she was once again reminded of how she did not actually know Li Ce
very well. What she usually saw, was merely how he always shrugged everything o , and
even though she knew that he was not so simple, she could not help but lower her guard.
No matter how one put it, he was ultimately still the heir apparent of an empire.

After eating breakfast, Chu Qiao wanted to send someone to request a meeting with Li Ce.
But before Qiu Sui could leave, Chan’er dashed into the room. Still panting heavily, she
dropped a shocker, “The Xia Princess has come!”

Taken aback, Chu Qiao was lost for words. Qiu Sui had already started shouting questions
in the meanwhile, “Wasn’t she supposed to come near the wedding? The wedding is still
one month away.”

“Exactly!” Chan’er replied in agreement. “But apparently, she came without the army. Riding
a horse alone, the princess is already in the Qin An Palace meeting the Emperor and the
Prince.”

“This ninth Princess is really brave. I heard she’s only 13 this year. How could she be so
daring?”

fi
ff
fl
fl
ff
 “It was not the ninth Princess, it was the eighth Princess, the daughter of Queen Muhe.
According to them, the ninth Princess had recently died of illness, and the eighth princess
was sent as a replacement.”

Hearing that, it was as though something broke within Chu Qiao’s heart, and she started to
tremble uncontrollably. The weak and helpless girl of the past had already become so brave
and courageous now? Pain and disaster was indeed the best fertilizer for growth and
change.

The soft-spoken and childish girl of the past had already grown to become such a beautiful
lady. Her rm and noble expression seemed to exude a radiance that was dazzling to gaze
upon.

Yet, who remembered, how many years ago, she was once a pure and innocent young girl,
whose smile was pristine and untainted. With a pure white dress, and holding a rabbit tail,
she coyly smiled and said, “Brother Xun, thank you. Chun’er is so happy.”

In eeting time, there will only be fading past. Some things will ultimately only become
history, some a ections will ultimately only be buried by bones, some blood will ultimately
still spill, and some emotions will ultimately be immortalized upon death.

For two entire days, Li Ce had not visited his harem. Due to the early arrival of Zhao Chun’er,
the marriage had been jump-started and pushed forward.

Just as Chu Qiao had expected, the bodyguards and emissaries of Xia Empire arrived soon
after, being later than Zhao Chun’er by one day. Although the Xia Empire had suddenly
changed their mind and sent Zhao Chun’er instead, this princess’ lineage had helped her
avoid any hassle. Ultimately, to the Tang Empire, who placed a huge emphasis on blue
blood, Zhao Chun’er was given huge attention as she was the only princess born by Queen
Muhe.

The o cials were surprised by her arrival. The usually cowardly administrative o cials
started singing huge praises of the historical signi cance of this alliance by marriage, while
completely forgetting the culprit who had destroyed the Tang Empire’s forces and snatched
the 18 provinces of Hongchuan from the Tang control, forcing the entire Royal Tang
escaping, and losing the entire Northwestern region.

But there was one thing, that other people did not know. Chu Qiao frowned, with her jade-
like ngers lightly clenching the curtain. With the golden decoration between her brows, this
frown added a tinge of beauty. After being humiliated by those soldiers, Chun’er was no
longer a virgin. As the Xia Princess, she may not be tested for her purity, but once she slept
with Li Ce, given his experience, he would be able to tell immediately.

Of course, even if Li Ce did realize it, he could not possibly look for the Xia Empire.
Ultimately, as long as the Xia Princess slept atop his bed, even if he went out claiming that
she was not a virgin, no one would believe such a frivolous prince. In the rst place, Li Ce
had fully been against this marriage, so any attempts to unveil the truth by him would be
seen as a nonsensical e ort to ruin this marriage. Given his intelligence, Li Ce would not
embarrass himself by claiming such a thing anyway.

fl
fi
ffi
fi
ff
ff
fi
fi
ffi
 Perhaps with that, Zhao Chun’er would successfully be married. But as a princess who was
no longer deemed pure, her future was clear as day. Considering her personality, could she
really withstand such humiliation?

Chu Qiao noted that in the bottom of her heart, but ultimately, this worry was something she
could never speak out.

The inner workings of the Tang Empire were beginning to turn messy. On the contrary, Chu
Qiao began to take even more care, as she decided to delay her leave from the palace. With
that, Chu Qiao stayed another two more days within the Tang Palace. With her body
recovering, her mental acuity also returned to its peak.

Li Ce had found a lot of good herbs for her, and Chu Qiao’s wounds were completely
healed. Even the old injuries had been mostly healed. With those days of conditioning, her
complexion looked a lot better than before and was no longer so frail and weak.

In the night, Chu Qiao, wearing a soft robe, leaned on the window. The night wind gently
billowed on the corners of her clothes. From the corridors, footsteps could be heard. It was
one person. As expected, Li Ce appeared shortly after. Wearing a green blouse. His face
was ushed slightly red, and smelled like alcohol. Standing at the door, he merely looked at
her and did not come in.

Looking at him, Chu Qiao saw that his footsteps were clumsy and heavy, and he was on the
verge of tipping over. Quickly, she rushed over, wanting to support him. But the moment she
stretched out her hands to help, Li Ce suddenly pulled on her and with that, the two of them
sat on the door sill. Lowering his head, he leaned his forehead onto Chu Qiao’s shoulder,
while muttering tiredly, “Qiaoqiao, I am so tired.”

Chu Qiao was lost for words. With her hand stretched out in the air, she actually had no idea
what to do.

The night breeze carried the smell of owers. Upon closer inspection, one could see that Li
Ce’s blouse had golden threads embroidered within the silk with such complexity that could
only be done by a master. Chu Qiao sighed. She whispered, “Li Ce, what happened?”

Li Ce shook his head and did not reply.

Chu Qiao tested the waters and asked, “Is it because of the marriage? Do you not like
Chun’er?”

Li Ce still did not speak. Chu Qiao sighed helplessly and let him rest his head however long
he wanted without further conversation.

The new moon shone faintly through the window and dyed the ground silver. The lights were
violet in color, ickering; the brightness was uneven. Molten candle wax dripped down the
silver candle holder, slowly owing down. The cries of insects made it obvious how this
place was desolate. After all, this palace had been vacated for years.

fl
fl
fl
fl
 “Qiaoqiao, you sent people to look for me?” Li Ce suddenly asked. His voice was deep, but
lacking the tiredness he had exuded just now. Sitting upright, his eyes were dark, as though
the weak man just now was another man. Chu Qiao knew his gentle side was gone, and
now he was once again that infallible Prince of Tang.

“Yes,” Chu Qiao nodded her head, “I want to leave.”

“Sure. I will immediately get people to send you to Yan Bei.” Li Ce did not even hesitate.

“No, I do not want to return to Yan Bei now. I still have something I want to do here.”

Li Ce frowned upon hearing that. He stared at Chu Qiao. His gaze had traces of questioning
and thinking.

Chu Qiao elaborated without him asking, “You do not need to guess. I am waiting for
someone. As for who this person is, you need not ask.”

Smiling cunningly, Li Ce teased, “Are you going to cheat on Yan Xun? Zhuge Yue is arriving
soon. You are going to nd him?”

Chu Qiao irately rolled her eyes. “You can keep guessing.”

“You should still take care.” Leaning on the door, Li Ce cautioned, “When within my
in uence, I can still protect you. But once you step out, I cannot do much. The Xia Empire
heard about your existence here. How much they hate you is something that you should
know more than I do.”

Chu Qiao nodded, and suddenly remembered Zhao Song’s broken arm. Her face sank even
deeper, and she lightly replied, “I understand.”

Looking at her from the corner of his eyes, Li Ce saw that she intended to talk no more.
Suddenly, he stood up, and pulled on her hand, loudly declaring, “Come, let me show you a
place!”

With the night fog, the dim lights of the palace seemed like bon res in the distance. With
nothing more than his blouse, Li Ce dragged Chu Qiao behind him and ran with great
strides. In the night wind, their hair uttered like top quality silk.

The duo came to a courtyard that Chu Qiao had never seen before. Stepping onto the dewy
grass, and passing through a few small doors, a clear, green lake appeared in front of them.
The lake was brimming with lotuses, completely laying out a carpet of owers. The pristine
owers, under the silvery moonlight, seemed like snow statues. With their faint fragrance, it
was like a scene straight out of a dream.

Chapter 133
Chu Qiao was stunned upon seeing the sight in front of her. She turned around and asked,
“How did you do it?”

fl
fl
fi

fl
fi
fl
 Li Ce laughed. He pulled on her hand and squatted, submerging it in the water. Chu Qiao
exclaimed lightly in surprise.

Li Ce smiled proudly. “Aren’t I smart? I told the people to bury the lotus roots underneath.
With the water from the hot spring, the owers bloomed overnight.”

Chu Qiao covered her mouth and laughed. “Impressive indeed. With money and power, you
can do anything you like. Even the ower gods have to listen to you.”

“With money, I can do anything I like? That’s a new phrase,” Li Ce replied with laughter.
“Come, follow me.”

The two of them walked by the stone pavement on the side of the lake. Li Ce was evidently
familiar with this place. He used the pale moonlight to navigate around, taking Chu Qiao
onto a small boat. He stood at the front of the boat and picked up a paddle. The boat drifted
away from the shore, sliding gracefully into the pristine lake. The winds blew lightly, carrying
with it the aroma of lotus owers. The lake appeared vast and mighty. With the moonlight,
the setting appeared like a portrait.

The small boat made its way through lotus leaves, causing them to be ung aside. Chu Qiao
reached out her hand, felt the touch of a few white lotus owers and smiled lightly. Li Ce let
go of his paddle, sat at the front and looked at her while remaining silent. The re ection of
the palace lights in the distance appeared on the surface of the water, causing it to appear
red and yellow, just like a rainbow after a storm.

Chu Qiao turned around, smiled at Li Ce, and said, “Thank you, Li Ce.”

“Thank me? For what?” The man’s eyes were squinted; his eyeballs looked upwards and
carried a unique aura of solemnity and slyness. His half-squinted eyes seemed to hide a lot
of things underneath.

“Thank you for taking care of me during this time. If not for you, I would have died.”

Li Ce smiled and replied, “In this case, you should thank me properly. Saving your life is no
ordinary favor. How about you stay here in Tang and marry me as a form of thanks?”

The water owed smoothly, making faint sounds as it passed by them, and burying their
voices in the lotus owers. Chu Qiao looked up brightly and said, “The beauty of the lotus
owers lies in the fact that it is surrounded by mud, but not tainted. I’ve been with you for so
long, but I’m still able to think and speak like a normal person. I think that’s the spirit of the
lotus ower.”

Li Ce held his hands to his heart and sighed. “Qiaoqiao, you are such a poet. I’m becoming
more smitten with you.”

Chu Qiao looked up at the moonlight. “You are smitten with too many things. Greed is not a
good thing.”

fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
 Li Ce stood up, his sleeves uttering with the wind. In a casual tone, he retorted, “Some
things, no matter how much you want them, cannot be attained. I have to work harder and
take an extra few looks at them.”

Chu Qiao was shocked, but her expression remained unchanged. “The lotus owers can
bloom again after they wilt. You managed to get them to bloom an extra time in such a short
while. It’s a rare feat.”

Li Ce nodded and sighed. “Yes, they will bloom again next year.”

The boat rocked from side to side, making its way along the river slowly, along with the
current.

“Yan Bei is a cold place?” Li Ce suddenly remarked. “I heard there’s snow all year round.
Flowers are rarely seen.”

Chu Qiao looked at his long shadow and replied joyfully, “Each season has its own qualities.
The snowy plains of Yan Bei are a rare sight too. If you get tired of seeing the scenery in
Tang one day, you can travel towards the border to Huihui Mountains. The beauty of the
highlands of Yan Bei will surpass your expectations and captivate you.”

Li Ce was stunned, losing his concentration momentarily. He gave a hearty laugh and said,
“You understand me the best. You spare a thought for me all the time.”

Suddenly, with a thud, the boat bumped against the shore. The pond was not big; they had
managed to get to the other side in such a short period of time.

Both of them got o the boat and walked slowly towards the Mihe residence. The moonlight
shone on their bodies, appearing ever so pure, desolate, and bleak. Both of their shadows
were re ected onto the ground, coming together, separating, fusing together again, and
separating again for good. After all, those were two shadows who were never destined to be
together.

In the blink of an eye, they had reached the entrance of the Mihe residence. The two of them
stood there, sharing a moment of awkwardness. Li Ce leaned lazily on a pomegranate tree,
causing its ower petals to fall and scatter all over him.

Li Ce yawned lazily and said, “It’s too late. I don’t think I can wake up in time tomorrow.”

Chu Qiao nodded and replied, “You’re lazy. I heard from Qiu Sui that during the morning
court session today, you did not even put on your boots. That incurred the Tang Emperor’s
wrath.”

“What use is there in saying that?” Li Ce waved his hand and remarked. “I don’t want to
wake up so early. Can’t they shift the morning court session to the afternoon? Troublesome.
How about this? I’ll send someone to escort you out of the palace tomorrow. You can go
and fend for yourself then. I won’t be there.”

Chu Qiao nodded and replied, “There’s no need to trouble you.”

fl
fl
ff
fl
fl
Li Ce laughed and said, “Okay then. It’s a long journey, take care. If…” He suddenly found
himself at a loss for words. Li Ce laughed at himself and turned around, his lips forming a
smile. “If one day, you nd the weather of Yan Bei unbearable, you can consider returning
here to recuperate. Although there are no deserts or grasslands here, it’s still a warm place
suitable for you to reside.”

Chu Qiao smiled bitterly. “There are ups and downs in life, along with hellos and goodbyes.
Everything in the world depends on a nity.”

Li Ce shook his head and said lightly, “I hope that that day never arrives for you. Take care
of yourself.”

Her heart suddenly felt a tinge of sadness. As Li Ce’s shadow faded into the distance, Chu
Qiao turned away slowly. The moonlight shone in the increasing space between the two of
them, enveloping the entire palace eventually.

It was a cold autumn night. Li Ce’s shadow disappeared into the dense row of pomegranate
trees, leaving remnants of the fragrant herb aromas on the pavement. The lotus owers had
stopped blooming in front of the Mihe residence, making the night appear pitch-black and
desolate.

Chu Qiao was dressed in a thin robe. She made her way back slowly. The wind scattered
her hair about, causing it to utter around like butter ies.

Mihe Residence was a big place. There were over 30 buildings of varying heights. The
scenery was good. It could be imagined how majestic it looked before it had been vacated.
Chu Qiao walked quietly along the passageway. The branches with owers at the side fell
downwards, making contact with her forehead. The soles of her shoes were thin, causing
her to feel cold when she stepped on the pavement. She smelt a faint wine aroma with a
passing gust of wind. Chu Qiao looked up at the waterside pavilion on the second oor,
seeing a man dressed in green standing beneath a sycamore tree. He was looking at her
room.

“Who’s there?” the lady’s crisp voice broke the silence of the night, startling the row of
egrets by the lake. The man turned his head around and gave her a strange look. Chu Qiao
looked at him, shocked. She was rendered speechless for a moment.

This man looked like Li Ce. In the darkness, they were almost the same person. However, in
the next second, Chu Qiao banished this thought from her head as their auras di ered
greatly.

The man used the sycamore tree as support, standing quietly in the night. The moonlight
shone on his handsome face, showing his depressed expression which was just like the
frost on the rooftops during autumn. The man stared quietly at her and frowned slowly.

“Who are you?” the man’s voice sounded out in the faint light. His voice was cold and
emotionless.

fi
fl
ffi
fl
fl
fl
ff
fl
Chu Qiao sensed that this was no ordinary human being. Courteously, she took a step
forward and replied, “I’m living here. Who are you?”

The man was stunned; his eyes showed a tinge of ignorance. He sighed, muttering to
himself, “Oh, someone’s living here already.”

The moonlight shone on the man’s out t, causing it to appear crystal white. Chu Qiao knew
that she should have said goodbye and taken her leave, avoiding further trouble in the
process. However, some words were trapped in her throat, causing her to interrupt the
man’s thoughts.

The man took slow steps from the sycamore tree to the pavement. The clear winds swept
the sycamore leaves into the air, causing dust to form. Chu Qiao squinted her eyes and
covered them with her hands.

“This place faces Taiqing Pond. The winds are always big here. Remember to put on a hat
when you’re out here.”

Chu Qiao was stunned as she looked at the man. However, she only saw peace and calm in
the man’s eyes.

“Thank you. I’ve been out here for too long. The maidservants must be searching for me
already. I’ll take my leave rst. It’s windy out here. Please go back early, Mister.”

Chu Qiao knew not to probe further regarding the man’s identity as he might not have
revealed it. She said goodbye courteously and prepared to leave.

The man seemingly did not hear her words, standing at his original position and looking at
her. His voice sounded foggy, saying, “The Prince must like you a lot?”

Chu Qiao knew that the man was like other people who had mistaken her for Li Ce’s favored
concubine. She did not argue further, bowed silently, and said, “Farewell.”

“But you have not answered my question.”

Chu Qiao frowned slightly. She turned around but saw that he was not coltish in his actions.
He was just determined in waiting for her to reply.

“Do you know that if I really was the prince’s favored concubine, your actions right now
would be very inappropriate?”

The man froze and said, “I have not been back for a long while. I did not know that someone
resided here. Sorry.”

Chu Qiao remarked, “It’s okay, you didn’t know. Since you know now, shouldn’t you go
back?”

The man nodded and laughed. “There’s some resemblance indeed.”

Chu Qiao frowned and retorted, “Mister, you come here in the middle of the night and say all
these vague words, yet you don’t want to reveal your identity. If not for the fact that you are
fi
fi
cultured and gentlemanly, I would have taken you for an intruder and tied you up. You’re still
wandering around here at this hour, are you not scared of trouble?”

The man froze for a long while before replying, “Sorry. I got carried away while reminiscing
about a deceased relative.”

“It’s okay to get carried away, but remember to snap out in time. After all, this is the royal
palace. The Tang Empire places a strong emphasis on etiquette. It’s better to be careful.”

The man smiled and nodded. With a wave, he walked away from the Mihe residence. Before
he took two steps, he turned around and pointed at the rooftop, saying, “There’s a row of
chimes there which have been covered with dust. Miss, if you have the time, you can get the
servants to clean it up. The sounds are soothing.”

“Thank you for the reminder.”

The man smiled. With a warm look, he nodded and said, “I’m the King of Luo.”

Chapter 134
The moon inched to the west as the night passed. Seeing that mysterious man o , Chu
Qiao’s heart froze.

King Luo?

King Luo….

By the time she returned to the palace, Qiu Sui was waiting for her. Still struggling to keep
her eyes open, it was apparent that Qiu Sui knew of Li Ce’s visit.

“Miss, you are back!” Seeing that Chu Qiao had returned, this maidservant jumped up and
said, “This servant had prepared some lotus soup for you. Miss, would you like to drink
some before you sleep?”

Holding the warm bowl of soup, Chu Qiao suddenly lost all interest to taste the soup. Lifting
her head, Chu Qiao inquired, “Qiu Sui, do you know anything about King Luo?”

Taken aback, Qiu Sui frowned and asked, “Lady, why did you suddenly mention this?”

“Nothing, just casually asking. If it is inconvenient, you need not tell me.”

“Sigh, it is nothing inconvenient, just that…” Even though it was clear that the palace had no
eavesdroppers, Qiu Sui quickly scanned the surroundings for any other people in sight,
before whispering to Chu Qiao, “That was a scandal that occurred within the palace.
Generally, no one would dare speak about it.”

Chu Qiao’s eyebrow twitched. “Scandal?”

“Indeed. Master Luo’s Father King Lushan was our Emperor’s uncle. When our Emperor
ascended to the throne, for some unknown reason, King Lushan passed away from

ff
 sickness. I heard that when our Emperor was young, he was even more nonsensical than
our Crown Prince. Going against the advice of the entire court, and ignoring any morals
prevalent in the world, he married his aunt. Two years later, she gave birth to our Prince, and
the Emperor made her the Empress. Supposedly, on the day of her ascension to Queenship,
eight of the elder o cials protested by killing themselves on the Feng Ming Pavillion. But
despite that, the Emperor stubbornly went ahead. Over these 20 years, the Emperor only
doted on the Queen, and her position in the palace has since then been completely
consolidated.”

“That is to say….”

“Yes, that is to say, that King Luo is both the Crown Prince’s uncle and his half-brother. King
Lushan died early, so when the Queen had just been married to the Emperor, King Luo was
merely three-months-old, and before he turned 20 he had grown up with the Crown Prince.”

“Oh gosh!” Chu Qiao lightly exclaimed, while remembering the noble lady whom she had
met.

“Did the Crown Prince and King Luo grow up together in this Palace?”

“That is not true either.” Qiu Sui bit her lower lip while saying, “The Prince and King Luo
were both living with the Queen in the Qianhua Palace. This Mihe Residence was actually
Princess Fu’s dwellings.”

Chu Qiao asked, “Princess Fu?”

“Yes. Princess Fu was not a real Princess. She was the granddaughter of Archduke Mu
Rong. The Mu Rong family was one of the greatest military families in the Tang Empire. And
being ercely loyal, General Mu Rong, along with all of his four sons, sacri ced their lives for
the Empire. In his last battle, the Xia forces broke through the Bai Zhi Pass, and the Xia
commander Meng Tian ordered the massacre of 30,000 of our prisoners of war. To protect
the civilians, the old general Mu Rong, who was already in his sixties, along with his four
daughters-in-law, lead the entire Mu Rong family in resistance of the enemy to delay them
so that reinforcements could arrive. Finally, help came, but the entire Mu Rong family had
been decimated, leaving behind only Princess Fu who was merely four-years-old at that
time. Praising the bravery of the Mu Rong family, the Emperor posthumously promoted
General Mu Rong to Archduke, along with peerage of various ranks to his family. It was then
Princess Fu was given the title of Zhangyi Princess, and since then, she lived in the Royal
Palace, enjoying the same treatment as Crown Prince and King Luo.”

This story was short, but Chu Qiao had been deeply shaken. This Mu Rong family must
have been an existence that was similar to the Yang Family during the Song Dynasty back in
her world. She was completely immersed in the story, so she asked for more, “What
happened later?”

“In the end…” Qiu Sui bit her lower lip, hesitating before nally whispering, “And then
Princess Fu died.”

Chu Qiao was completely taken aback by this development, as she exclaimed, “Died?”

fi
ffi
fi
fi
Princess Fu and the Crown Prince were of the same age and had grown up playing together,
so despite her family being in shambles, the Emperor and the Queen doted on her. When
she and the Prince both turned 17, they decreed their marriage, and Princess Fu was to
become the wife of the Crown Prince, and her name would be entered into the royal family
tree.”

Chu Qiao listened quietly, but deep down she did not feel much. Considering the in uence
that the Mu Rong family had in the military, this marriage would certainly help the royal
family to consolidate power. That was only to be expected.

“But in the end, on the day of the marriage, Princess Fu hung herself.”

“What?” Chu Qiao could not believe the story. “She committed suicide?”

“Indeed.” Qiu Sui’s face turned pale, and she continued to elaborate, “The Emperor’s
statement said that Princess Fu passed away from sickness, but this servant had been in
the Palace since young, and personally witnessed everything. At that time, when the Crown
Prince had reached the Mihe Residence, he was wearing a crimson red robe that exuded
overwhelming auspiciousness, and happily followed after the o cials. After reaching her
bedroom, they still had not found the Princess. Panicking, everyone rushed around to look
for her. In the end, the Crown Princes was, in fact, the rst to have found her. Running to the
back, they could only see how Princess Fu, in her wedding dress, was hanging on that
parasol tree.”

The frigid night wind blew, as though driving the point of the tragedy home.

“The Crown Prince cried out and fainted. I was with my mother, and was one of the servants
who was supposed to accompany the bride. My mother and the other servants rushed over
to release Princess Fu. I was scared, so I took a step back, and was tripped by a stone.
Falling down, I cried, but I also noticed that King Luo, who was at the pomegranate tree not
far away, was wearing a purple robe, his face was pale like a ghost. With his eyes
completely red, he stood quietly amongst the masses, and his hand was clenched so tightly
I thought it might burst.” Qiu Sui’s eyes teared up, as she almost choked on her tears.
“Later, all the people involved were killed by the Emperor to keep the incident a secret. As I
was just nine, I was pardoned. After my mother died, I had remained in the Palace as a
servant. Since then, I have never seen the Luo King. Only once a year during the Queen’s
birthday he returns. I heard that he went to the Mei Mountains to guard the royal tombs. In
just the blink of an eye, it has been over six years.”

Chu Qiao nodded solemnly. This was yet another secret that had been buried in the royal
courts. She had seen these too much.

“Actually, the Prince was not like this before. It was all after Princess Fu’s death that he
became like this. Miss, you did not see Princess Fu before, but she was really like a deity.
Even though she was highly ranked in peerage and in uence, she did not mistreat us
servants in the slightest, and was extremely gentle to us. All of us servants were treated well
by her. But none of us expected that such a gentle person would have the courage to walk
down this path.”

fl
fi
ffi
fl
Chu Qiao shook her head. “Being born to such a courageous family, that would only be
expected. Perhaps even the blood coursing through her blood was boiling. She would rather
take her own life than to accommodate her life into the plans of some other people. Such a
pity that she did not have the strength nor power to protect herself, and neither had she
found someone that could protect her.”

Qiu Sui only seemed to vaguely understand Chu Qiao’s deep words.

Chu Qiao patted Qiu Sui on the shoulder and asked, “Qiu Sui, do you like the Palace?”

The young maidservant seemed to be confused, and after a short hesitation, muttered, “I do
not know either. My mother was an o cial in the palace, and was appointed into marriage
by the Queen to my father. I was born here, and have never left this place. I have seen all the
darkness that lurked in the palace, and am clear about all the secret ploys that all the ladies
use to gain the Prince’s attention. The only mistresses I met in my life that were di erent
from those were Princess Fu and you, Miss. This servant cannot judge if I like my life here.
But regardless of my feelings, life goes on.”

Slightly surprised by the response, Chu Qiao chuckled lightly and agreed, “You are right
indeed. Regardless of your emotions, your life goes on. Since you have not seen the outside
world, you can only be content with your current state of life.”

Lowering her head, Chu Qiao petted the maidservant’s head, and continued her monologue,
“Qiu Sui, the outside world is very di erent. You can talk loudly and walk with large strides.
Wherever you want to go, you can go, and as long as you work, you can receive payment
for your e orts. You can then live the life you want. Outside the palace, even the wind smells
of freedom.”

The maidservant was confused by that description, and mumbled, “Then…if I do not want
to wake up early in the morning and want to sleep in, will no one care?”

Chu Qiao chuckled in amusement. “Of course, but your pay will be deducted.”

“Wah!” Qiu Sui suddenly became excited. She grabbed Chu Qiao’s hand and asked, “Miss,
is Yan Bei like that? Is it?”

Chu Qiao looked at her, but her gaze was a xed to something far away, completely unlike a
girl of 17 or 18-years-old. Through Qiu Sui, she seemed to be gazing somewhere far away,
and she seemed to have seen the green grass plains of Yan Bei, the ocks and ocks of
white sheep, and the pristine snow caps atop the mountains in the distance….

“I do not know if it is still that way now, because I have not been there myself, but I can
guarantee you, that one day, it will become true. That is why you must make sure you
remain alive for that day to come.”

Chu Qiao stood up and stared at the parasol tree outside her window, and was reminded of
a certain lonely gure.

ff
fi
ff
ffi
ffi
fl
fl
ff
 “The parasols bloomed across thousands of miles, still blossoming after countless days. I
pray that your soul will be freed from royal birth.”

The next day, the sound of the horse carriage broke the silence of the morning. Chu Qiao
did not alert anyone as she did some simple packing before boarding that carriage.

Tie You smiled at Chu Qiao, and greeted her, “Miss Chu, the weather is cold. There are
some rations on the carriage. I am sure you are hungry.”

Chu Qiao nodded and replied, “Thank you.”

It was obvious that Tie You was one who was privy to her identity, as he earnestly smiled.
“Miss Chu, your exploits in the Xia Empire have become case studies for our young o cer
cadets. My son like you a lot, and always talks about you.”

Staring at the man, Chu Qiao was slightly taken aback, and asked, “You son? How old are
you now?”

Tie You laughed. “I am 25 this year. My son is 12. I was married when I was 13, and just had
another daughter.”

Chu Qiao clicked her tongue in secrecy. 13 years old…

Li Ce was right. The wind here was indeed quite strong. Wearing a hoodie, Chu Qiao swept
the carriage window open, only to feel the raging wind greeting her ferociously. The morning
sun brought with it the warmth of its golden rays, pouring it all over the Jinwu Palace. The
lake, the pavilions, the owers, and the palaces, slowly inched away, fading like waking up
from a prosperous dream. On the marble tiled square, the only source of motion was this
one lone carriage, inching forward in the morning bask, revealing a long and distorted
shadow.

Lifting her head, Chu Qiao gazed into the clouds far in the distance, and once again thought
about how Li Ce leaned on the crabapple tree. Her eyes started to cloud with doubt.

“The sun rises and sets naturally each day as destined. I hope you too can fully let yourself
oat freely in the river of fate.”

The carriage slowly distanced from the palaces of grandiosity. Li Ce, who could never seem
to wake up early, was now standing atop an ornamental mountain in Lan Que Palace. That
mountain, despite the fact that it was manmade, was extremely big and tall, and had been
planted with countless bamboo shoots which swayed in the morning breeze. At the peak of
this mountain, there was a small bamboo pavilion. Wearing a long green blouse, Li Ce was
wearing a gold crown, and holding a violet ute. Despite wanting to play something multiple
times, he was ultimately unable to create any melody.

Chapter 135
The clouds drifted across the sky, shadowing the buildings below it. A carriage moved in the
distance, leaving behind trails of dust.

fl
fl

fl
ffi
 “Your Highness,” a man dressed in blue walked up the hill with a heavy expression. In a low
voice, he said, “Something happened during the court session in the morning. Please go
and take a look.”

Li Ce turned around, his expression no longer calm and warm. He frowned and replied,
“What happened?”

Sun Di’s expression was serious too. Frowning tightly, he said, “Something happened to the
princess of Xia.”

Many years later, there was a revelation in the historical records of West Meng. On the third
day of the ninth month, the eighth princess of Xia, Zhao Chun, was raped outside the palace
of Tang. The culprit, before he died, swore allegiance to Yan Bei’s Da Tong Guild, causing an
uproar in the countries of Xia and Tang. In that instant, they were united for one cause—to
destroy Yan Bei.

The Tang o cials stood in the grand palace. The Tang Emperor, Li Yizhou, sat atop his
golden throne. His actual age was about 50-years-old, but he appeared much older. His hair
was white and he was full of wrinkles. His eyes no longer carried the aura of sharpness of
hostility that it possessed during his younger days. Now, it was like a deep well, like a blank
stare, re ecting the stares that ew toward him.

An o cial of over 70 years old knelt on the ground and declared, “How audacious of Yan
Bei. They do not respect the Tang Empire and try to sow discord between us and the
eastern regions. If we do not punish them harshly, where will our national pride be? How are
we going to deter others with our military? How will we maintain our foothold over West
Meng, over the three main empires?”

Upon hearing these words, the other o cials agreed, except one young o cial who stepped
up and said with sincerity, “The war between Xia and Yan Bei is imminent. I think that we
should not interfere rashly.”

The elder o cial was enraged and said, “Xue Changling! You claim that it is not in our
bene t! What motives do you have? Our empire has not su ered such great humiliation in
thousands of years! Once the news circulates within the mainland, how will we maintain our
foothold? You are favored towards Yan Bei. Do you have any illegal dealings with Yan Bei
that you cannot reveal?”

“Your Majesty!” a loud cry echoed. Another white-bearded o cial shouted, “This is an
unprecedented humiliation! When our ancestors built the empire thousands of years ago,
they placed their emphasis on the values of law and order! Towards justice and equality!
This has been the basis of leadership since we claimed to be the leader of the three
countries! We have not been humiliated like this before! Once the news gets out, our dignity
will be lost! It’s a disgrace to our empire!”

Xue Changling took a step forward and said with conviction, “Your Majesty, this issue
regarding the princess of Xia is dubious. We cannot depend solely on the stories of the Xia
o cials and interfere in their internal con icts!”

ffi
ffi
fi
fl
ffi
ffi
fl
ffi
fl
ff
ffi
ffi
 “How audacious! Traitor! How dare you spout nonsense in the royal palace! Do you know
how important the status of a princess is? She has already been examined by the palace!
The eighth princess of Xia has just formed a union of marriage with us! However, she has
been humiliated on our territory, within the royal capital! We cannot deny these facts! If we
do not answer to Xia properly, how will we resolve this issue? Based on your darned words?
That the issue is dubious?”

“Elder Luo! I did not say that we should not look into this issue seriously. I’m just afraid that
we will fall into a trap if we are too rash!”

“Trap?” General Qi sneered. “What trap? The trap is that Yan Bei fears the alliance between
us and Xia! They want to break it up!”

“I don’t rule out this possibility, but we can’t discount other possibilities too. If it was really
done by Yan Bei, why would he reveal their identity before he died? How would Yan Bei
bene t from this by using such a tactic?”

Elder Luo sneered and retorted, “The people from Da Tong are lunatics. How could we treat
them as rational?”

Another junior general beside General Qi echoed, “They want to deceive us and make us
think that they are using a scapegoat. See, Elder Xue, aren’t you thinking too much?”

Xue Changling bellowed, “These are matters involving the state! We have to consider it
thoroughly! How can we jump to conclusions based on irrational statements? I’m an o cial
and I represent the court. I have to consider all matters thoroughly!”

“Is it? I feel that you have considered it thoroughly already. Any more and the troops of Xia
will be invading us!”

“General Xu, you…”

“Your Majesty! 30,000 troops from the North Camp are waiting! We are willing to ght for our
country!”

“Your Majesty! We need to kill them! Please give the order! My knife has become rusty from
not ghting all these years!”

“Your Majesty! Please grant us permission to start this battle!”

The Tang o cials knelt on the ground, leaving only Xue Changling standing alone. The
young o cial was enraged but did not say anything.

At this instant, a sound of laughter erupted from outside the palace, causing everyone to
turn back and look. Li Ce was dressed in a green out t, wearing a crown on his head and a
jade belt around his waist. His eyes looked like a fox. He laughed and walked up the palace,
saying nonchalantly, “It’s crowded today. Even Elder Liu is here. Are there any new
happenings? Did the western regions deliver a precious horse, or did the southern regions
deliver a new beauty?”

fi
fi
ffi
ffi
fi
fi
ffi
 The crowd parted into two like a body of water. Li Ce, escorted by Sun Di, made his way
across the crowd and knelt on the ground. “I woke up late. My respects to Father.”

“Mmm,” the old voice boomed out. The Tang Emperor said, “Do you know what has
happened here?”

“Here? Oh!” Li Ce realized the situation, becoming enraged. He stood up and shouted,
“They are bullies! I’m here for this matter!”

The o cials were initially fearful of the prince’s antics. However, hearing his words, they felt
a surge of joy and added, “Yes! They are bullies! Crown Prince is right!”

Li Ce nodded his head in anger, saying, “The Xia Empire has delivered two princesses. Both
are not faithful, making me a big cuckold! Ridiculous! Father, I think that Xia is not sincere
towards the union by marriage. I think we should chase their princess away. I think the
eldest princess of the Song Empire is not bad. I hear she has a sister, who is a beauty
too…”

The crowd of o cials were shocked. Elder Liu took a few steps forward, knelt on the ground
and pleaded, “Your Highness, this is not feasible!”

Li Ce turned back and frowned, saying, “Oh? Why not?”

“The Xia Empire sent two princesses over, which shows their sincerity. However, the second
one has been humiliated in our territory. If we do not hold Yan Bei responsible, ngers will be
pointed at us. We will be scolded and despised. The real fault lies with the rebels of Yan Bei,
not the princess of Xia. Your Highness, please look into this.”

Li Ce frowned lightly and replied, “Oh, you make sense too.”

Elder Liu wiped the cold sweat o his face, heaving a sigh of relief. “Your Highness is wise.”

Li Ce said, “Father, my future bride has been humiliated by the people of Yan Bei. Although I
am incapable, I cannot sit back and watch my woman get bullied. Father, please dispatch
troops towards Yan Bei. I am willing to lead them personally to exterminate Yan Bei!”

The entire court cheered upon hearing these words. The o cials looked at each other in joy,
unable to suppress their emotions. Although the prince had been playful all these years, he
demonstrated the judgment of a leader at the critical moment. The Tang Empire should have
been run this way!

“Also, Father, I have another small request.”

The Tang Emperor frowned, not saying a word, hinting for him to carry on.

Li Ce stood on the palace oor in his grand out t. With a loud voice, he declared, “Since the
eighth princess has been betrothed to me, she will be part of our empire. I hope that you
can reject the Xia Empire’s gesture to deploy their troops jointly. Yan Bei is but a small,
insigni cant place. I just need 100,000 elite troops to capture Yan Xun alive and exterminate
the entire Yan Bei!”

ffi
fi
ffi
fl
ff
fi
ffi
fi
Everyone was shocked upon hearing Li Ce’s words. Before they had time to react, Li Ce
continued his barrage of words.

“Also, we have to pass by Xia territory during our journey to Yan Bei. It is a long journey. I
remember that the furthest our troops have been was to Zhen Huang. We mobilized 300,000
troops and 2,000,000 conscripts back then. However, the strength of our troops presently is
less than half of what we had back then, but the journey is longer. Hence, I need the Military
Department to gather an additional 3,000,000 conscripts, 200,000 warhorses, 200,000 sets
of armor for them, and also winter wear, physicians, medicines and straw for the horses. As
for the Rations Department, I need 15,000,000 kilograms to be distributed amongst the
troops.”

The head scholar of the Military Department, Qiu Shihai, was dumbfounded. He jumped up
and explained, “Your Highness, this is my opinion. Yan Bei is a traitor of the Xia Empire. The
reason behind the war is the Xia princess. The Xia Empire should provide their own troops to
help us, and they should form the main force. Although we are sending out troops too, we
should only be their supporting force. The Xia Empire should provide us with rations and
other military equipment.”

Li Ce smiled and turned around, saying, “Oh? Elder Qiu, didn’t you call out loud for national
pride and the country’s harmony just now? I am the crown prince of Tang. I have been made
a cuckold, but despite this, I still have to depend on other people to seek justice? Elder Liu
is right. We have not been humiliated like this for thousands of years. Who cares about the
past times where Xia defeated us and took our lands? Even the time when they took
Hongchuan from us? The bandits in the north are too much. If we don’t teach them a
lesson, they will not know who’s boss. I believe that the generals here think the same way I
do, wanting to conquer Yan Bei but hiding behind the Xia troops like cowards. Also, the Xia
Empire has just been through a period of con ict. It can barely support itself, having to buy
rations from us. How would they provide us with rations then?”

Li Ce stood on the platform, smiling. The generals, who had been so boisterous earlier on,
were dumbfounded. They looked at each other, not daring to speak up.

“I heard that Yan Bei has a big army. Yan Xun has experience too. Back then, he managed
to win over the Southwest Emissary’s garrison all alone, claiming victory over Zhen Huang
City, which we have not managed to do over hundreds of years, with 300,000 troops. He
forced the Xia royals to ee the capital for the rst time in 300 years and rampaged his way
back to Yan Bei. The border troops in the northwest and the various feudal lords could not
stop him, earning him the title of Yan Bei’s Lion King.

“We have not experienced war in many years, other than the troops at the border in the
south. Majority of those troops who have seen blood are already over sixty years old. The
army is in shambles right now. Many of their weapons are rusty. However, I believe that as
long as we are united, we will traverse over the entire territory of Xia, killing anyone that gets
in our way,” Li Ce said while walking along the platform, his mood becoming more joyful as
he spoke. “After all, everybody has witnessed it. Our soldiers march in sync during our
annual parades, giving o sharp war cries. Even though they have not killed anyone before,
most of them have slaughtered chickens. Also, they are adept at starting ghts out of
fl
ff
fl
fi
fi
jealousy in the brothel. Their combat experience is su cient. The troops in Shang Wu Hall
are mostly young and handsome. Most of the o cials’ sons and grandsons are in there.
These people are the assets of our empire!

“Although these lads have not been on the battle eld; they probably have not even killed a
chicken before, but I feel that they are ready for battle. Their war cries are sharp. I feel that I
can have them by my side. With some training on the battle eld, they will turn into an elite
army! Also, we have a lot of treasures that Yan Bei doesn’t. Although I know that Bian Cang,
Xi Rui and Wu Daoya from Yan Bei are adept in military warfare, often able to defeat larger
armies while remaining unscathed. However, we, the Tang Empire, will not be scared of
them. They are young. We have older generals like Old General Dou and Old General Bai,
who are experienced. They have life experiences and strategic brains which are unrivaled.
As long as they helm our troops, I guarantee that the enemy will be defeated in no time.

“Oh right, Old General Dou, I saw your dentures at the door when I came just now. I heard
that you su ered a stroke a few days ago. Are your teeth okay? No worries, I will get
someone to make you a new set.”

Chapter 136
The faces of the entire court turned pale, and they were unable to squeeze out anything to
counter Li Ce’s words. Yet, Li Ce became even more talkative as he strolled around while
continuing his monologue, “In addition, considering the barren lands of Yan Bei, they must
be an uncultured bunch who do not follow basic morals like lial piety. The civilians there
must be a bunch of dumb people who need to be enlightened. In our Tang Empire, we have
thousands of brilliant scholars, and if the Yan Bei people dare to oppose us, we would send
out our knowledgeable scholars to enlighten their barbaric minds. I am very sure they will
bend before the words of our saints, and will feel shame for their actions. That said, I have
heard that the Xia Empire spent eight years trying to convert the Yan Bei citizens’ loyalty to
the empire without much success. Even with their e orts, the civilians of Yan Bei would
crazily attack the armies of Xia Empire without hesitation. But do not worry, I am sure we are
way better than the Xia Empire! After all, when our forefathers were being educated by the
saints, the Xia people were probably still not wearing any clothes! Hahaha! And nally, I have
one last request, and this is also the most important one!” Li Ce turned around, smiling
happily while kneeling solemnly before the Emperor, and loudly declaring, “Father, this one
last request is extremely important, and will be closely tied to our nation’s prosperity. We
must make doubly sure this is carried out fully!”

With a tinge of amusement, the Tang Emperor allowed his son to continue, “Go ahead.”

Li Ce lifted up his head and solemnly declared, “This child wishes to request the relocation
of our capital”

“What?” The moment this statement was said, the entire court could no longer hold in their
shock and utter confusion, and started to panic.

ff

ffi
fi
ff
ffi
fi
fi
fi
 “Sigh…” Li Ce heaved a long sigh, before helplessly stating, “This is also not something that
we can help. To protect our Tang Empire’s honor, this is a battle that must be fought. But
what after? Although I am certain of our victory, I am sure that we will su er great losses in
manpower, nances, food stockpiles, weaponry, civilians, and et cetera. What is most
important is that when this war continues to rage on, our soldiers will be deep within the Xia
territory. What if the Xia Empire decides to take this opportunity to strike our capital? Even if
the Xia Empire chooses not to backstab us, given our weakened state, the Song Empire will
certainly take this chance to go on the o ensive! Please do not forget, we are in the middle
of a war with the Song Empire! We must prepare ourselves. The Tang Empire will be facing a
historical period where we are going to ght wars on both fronts! Our victory will be
uncertain, and as such, I recommend burning down the capital after relocating to the barren
lands of the southern borders! With that, even if we lose the war, the Song Empire and Xia
Empire will not nd anything. Hiding in the jungles of the Southern Borders, no one will nd
us! They will be so furious then! Haha!”

At this time, the looks on the o cials had completely turned black. Li Ce still had not
nished his talk, as he continued to ramble on excitedly, “Oh, I have just thought of a great
plan! If we could live to see the end of the war, and defended the much-revered glory and
honor of the Tang Empire, then at the end of the war, we can send a royal princess to marry
into the Xia royal family, along with countless o cials who are good at convincing others.
When we reach the Xia Empire, we can use the same tactic! We can say that the princess
had been humiliated by the spies of the Song Empire, and while their whole court was in
dishevel, we can send out our o cials to bribe the o cials of the Xia Empire. Haha! With
that, the Xia Empire will start a war with the Song Empire. We can then watch the two of
them ght, and swoop in at the end to have the nal laugh! What says everyone?”

The crowd turned dead silent. Suddenly, one lone voice burst out laughing. The crowd
turned and stared at that man in fury.

With the shake of his robe, Xue Changling walked up and kneeled on the ground. Loudly, he
declared, “The Crown Prince is truly brilliant. This humble servant is completely blown away
by your brilliance. If you insist on the war, I am willing to follow you to battle, and serve you
along the way.”

“Sure. I will remember you.” Li Ce laughed, and turned to the Emperor again, kneeling, and
solemnly pleaded, “Father, please give the order! This child has made up my mind. If I do
not annihilate Yan Bei, I do not have the honor to call myself a human any longer. Even if this
journey is lled with danger, I swear to ensure at the very least, a mutual death with Yan Bei,
to ensure that the Tang Empire’s honor and reputation will be upheld. Just now, all the
o cials have fervently supported the war that my blood is now completely boiling in
anticipation of the war. This child also requests that those who spoke the loudest are to
follow me in this campaign to give them a chance to achieve great victories and leave their
names in history! Please give us the approval, Father!” With that said, he pressed his head
hard into the ground with a crisp knock!

The Tang Emperor groaned very slightly, and was just about to say something, when
someone shrieked, “Your Majesty!” and kneeled onto the ground.

fi
ffi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ffi
ffi
fi
ff
ffi
fi
ffi
ff
fi
 Elder Liu solemnly stated, “Your Majesty, this servant suddenly feels that Master Xue’s
words make a lot of sense. Starting an entire war only because of the biased words of the
Xia Princess alone is too reckless. We should nd out more before making any decisions!”

“Oh?” The Emperor raised his voice. “But didn’t you just claim that Master Xue was a
scheming person who should not be trusted?”

Elder Liu’s head was full of cold sweat as he forced out an excuse, “That, that was due to
my lack of consideration just now. What Master Xue had said just now…was indeed
reasonable and should be considered.”

The Tang Emperor turned and looked at General Qi, and asked, “General Qi, what do you
think?”

“This servant also agrees. Such a huge campaign should not be so hastily decided…and we
need to be more careful.”

The head of the Military Department also interjected, “This servant also believes that if we
were to send out our soldiers now, we would not have enough food stockpiles to sustain a
prolonged o ense. We should think about this carefully.”

“Yes, yes, indeed. It would not be easy to muster our forces all the way to the Northern
borders. Plus our country had not seen much war for many years, even if we were to ght a
war, we should prepare more adequately.”

Li Ce frowned and snapped, “What are you trying to say? We have been bullied so much?
Are we not going to retaliate? What about our reputation? Even if we are to die, we must
make sure we bring Yan Bei to hell with us!”

“Crown Prince!” Master Luo quickly interjected, “What is Yan Bei even? How are they worth
us dying with them? We should let this go.”

“That cannot do.” Li Ce stubbornly refused. “My wife has been humiliated by someone. This
is something of great importance. As the crown prince, how can I allow anyone to humiliate
this country? As a man, how can I allow others to bully my woman? If I keep quiet, I am
afraid the entire world will know about this embarrassment!”

Elder Liu quickly tried to pacify him, saying, “Prince, Your Highness, please calm down.
Enduring your current anger is a form of sacri ce for our citizens, preventing thousands of
our citizens who could possibly die on the battle eld from war. No one will say anything
about Your Highness. They will only feel gratitude for your graciousness.”

“Exactly! In the rst place, the Xia Princess has not formally been married into the Tang
Empire yet. Although this matter involves us, their own guards are to blame as well! In the
rst place, Yan Bei, being the archenemy of the Xia Empire, is completely irrelevant to the
Tang Empire. At most, we request that the Xia Empire send a di erent princess. They have
so many princesses anyway.”

fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
“Indeed, they brought such scandal to our capital. We had not even pursued their
responsibility, how dare they make any noise?”

Li Ce frowned, as though he was in a dilemma. Slowly, he said, “But, gentlemen, can you
really withstand such humiliation? You are all great o cials of this nation, aren’t you scared
that the historic archives will remember this day?”

“That much is okay! For the Tang Empire, this little sacri ce is nothing!” The crowds all
shook their head in unison.

“Sigh.” Li Ce shook his head and emotionally sighed. “Seeing how everyone is so morally
upright and self-sacri cial, I, Li Ce, feel that I have been truly inadequate as the Crown
Prince. Since everyone can endure this, what can I say? Please, send a letter to console the
Xia Princess about her misfortune, and send her back.”

Before long, the morning court hearing was over, and the hundreds of o cials left the court.
After a short private conversation with Li Ce, the Emperor left.

Sun Di followed behind Li Ce, and quietly gave him a thumbs up, saying, “Your Highness
has truly improved in your speech!”

Li Ce snorted, as though it was no big deal. “Just a bunch of rotting old o cials. That much
was nothing.”

“But there are times those old o cials can be very useful.”

Li Ce continued to belittle those elders, and instructed, “That Xue Changling seems okay.
Take note of him more. We cannot use him until we observe him more.”

“Ok.” Sun Di nodded, and inquired, “Your Highness, what are we to do next?”

Stretching out his nger, Li Ce rubbed his temples, and said, “I am still thinking. Zhao
Chun’er truly caught me o guard. I never thought that she was so daring as to use her
chastity to fan the ames of war between the Tang Empire and Yan Bei. Have you talked to
the nanny who checked on her chastity? Is she really no longer a virgin? Also, who saw that
suicide warrior of Da Tong?”

“There were three nannies who checked, and were all elders within the palace. They
provided the same statement. I feel that this should be the truth. As for that Da Tong Warrior,
from what I heard, the moment that the palace guards rushed in, he jumped o her bed, and
right after shouting ‘Yan Bei Da Tong’, he committed suicide.”

Li Ce sighed while shaking his head. “The Xia Empire dares to use this as a wager to push
the Tang Empire into war with Yan Bei, they are really sacri cing a lot.”

“Your Highness, are we really sending Zhao Chun’er back to the Xia Empire?”

“If not what else can we do? Feed her here?” Snorting, Li Ce continued, “The moment I
send her back, the Xia Empire will know that his plot has been broken. He still needs to rely
fi
fl
fi
ff
ffi
ffi
fi
fi
ffi
ffi
ff
on us Tang Empire at the moment, so he dare not to oppose us immediately. As long as we
can control our own o cials from trying anything, the Xia Empire cannot do anything to us.”

Sun Di nodded in agreement. “Indeed. Regardless of how anxious the Xia Empire is, it
should not be our matter.”

At this moment, a servant rushed up, stumbling and panicking, completely soaked in sweat,
while loudly shouting along the way, “Your Highness! Bad news!”

Frowning, Li Ce sallied forth and asked, “What happened?”

The person, with a loud bang, kneeled onto the ground. “The Xia Princess has attempted
suicide at Rose Square!”

“What?” Sun Di instantly turned pale, only to hear the servant elaborate, “But she failed, and
merely got some cuts on her head. It was only because there were a lot of civilians in the
vicinity, so there was some chaos.”

Coldly dismissing the news, Li Ce was unmoved. “That much is nothing. She was merely
trying to gain the sympathy of the crowd.”

Sun Di frowned as well, apparently displeased at the servant for blowing the matter out of
proportion. “Such a small matter, yet you panicked so much. Who is your superior?”

“Your Highness, the main issue is not that!” The servant continued to panic, and
breathlessly, he continued, “The problem is that the North Camp was training in Central
Training Grounds located beside Rose Square. Those soldiers, who were mostly children of
noble descent, witnessed the entire incident. Sympathizing for the fallen princess, 30,000 of
them are now gathered in the main street, protesting to invade Yan Bei, and are headed to
the palace now! The junior o cers could not contain the situation!”

“What did you say?” Even Li Ce’s face twisted in shock at the severity of the situation.

At this very moment, another servant rode his horse over hurriedly, while shouting, “Urgent
matters! Urgent matters!”

“What happened?” Li Ce’s face was completely serious, without a single tinge of his usual
carefree attitude.

“Your Highness…” That man, with a op, dropped down from the horse, kneeling. His
clothes were stained with blood in many places.

Chapter 137
Sun Di raged, “Has the North Camp gone nuts? Attacking their own comrades for a foreign
princess?”

The person knelt on the ground and said loudly, “Your Highness, the North Camp did not
attack the imperial guards from the royal capital. However, they surrounded General Tie
ffi

ffi
fl
 You’s carriage. The 30,000 troops from the North Camp have gone berserk. According to the
Xia o cials, the person in the carriage, a rebel from Yan Bei, is the mastermind behind this
ploy. We have lost over 20 brothers at the frontline to the Xia troops. The troops from the
North Camp, having seen blood, have become harder to control.”

Li Ce had a solemn and angry expression on his face. His eyes squinted like a fox. Coldly,
he replied, “Zhao Chun’er cannot do so much by herself. There’s something amiss
underneath.”

The morning fog had dissipated slightly, causing the sunlight to reappear and shine onto
Rose Square. The silver body armor of the troops re ected the sunlight, appearing majestic.
30,000 troops from the North Camp stood on the stone steps of the square. They were all
young, their faces carrying the fearlessness derived from ignorance and inexperience. The
noble soldiers, who had grown up in the peaceful Tang Jing, stared at the horse carriage
which had been forced atop the platform. The way they held their weapons in their hands
caused it to give out clanking sounds.

Standing atop the tall Rose Square, staring at the spectacular Tang Jing… Those majestic
walls, ashy palaces, rows upon rows of residential areas and shophouses… The soldiers
carrying weapons and the onlooking civilians standing at the foot of the square… Chu Qiao
suddenly felt peaceful. The wind was heavy, blowing at her cloak. The lower part of her
out t uttered in the air, like a bird spreading its wings. She reached out her hand and
removed the hat from her head, revealing a beautiful, determined face and a pair of
peaceful-looking eyes!

In that instant, loud noises of discussion erupted from all directions. One month ago, Chu
Qiao’s portrait entered Tang territory from Xia, being pasted all over the streets. The
students from Shang Wu Hall had repeatedly studied her ninja-like warfare tactics. However,
at this instant, they were stunned when they saw the young lady who was not even 18-
years-old.

Was this the rebel from Yan Bei that had in ltrated the Xia capital alone to rescue the
Southwest Emissary’s garrison?

Was this the renowned general who had led 4,000 fallen troops through a long journey,
without losing a battle?

Was this the leader of Yan Bei who had escaped from the clutches of the Xia Empire tens of
times over the long journey?

Was this the mastermind who had in ltrated Tang secretly to plan a terrifying plot?

“I am the Crown Prince’s bodyguard, Tie You! Tell your captain to come out and see me!” Tie
You had been heavily wounded but stood upright in front of Chu Qiao. The young man was
like a majestic mountain, with his determined look, thick eyebrows, and upright posture. He
pointed his sword at the troops from the North Camp, bellowing, “Tell Lu Fangshan to come
out and see me!”

fi
ffi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
He was not aware that the higher-ups from the North Camp had entered Jinwu Palace to
plead with the majesty to attack Yan Bei. The army was left with a few junior commanders.

His sword was sharp and heavy, carrying a bloodthirsty aura. A group of about ten soldiers
attempted to rush towards him. They were wearing the uniforms of the North Camp, but
their strokes resembled those of the Xia soldiers. However, it was too late already. Tie You
shouted in rage, “Are you trying to rebel by assembling here?”

200 troops protected Chu Qiao. The majority of them had been injured. One of them had an
arrow pierced through his chest but did not collapse. He wielded his spear and stood
upright, using his body to shield Chu Qiao from the arrow.

“The Crown Prince was deceived by this evil end, causing him to shield and protect Yan
Bei. We are soldiers of Tang, the ghting force of the country! We cannot sit back and see
our country su er such humiliation while letting the end walk free!”

An unknown voice erupted from within the crowd. The soldiers, who had calmed down
slightly, felt a rush of adrenaline again. They shouted, “Right! We cannot let her go!”

“The prince is lustful. He must have been deceived by this demoness!”

“Rebel of Yan Bei! You dare to o end the Tang Empire! You must die!”

“Kill her!”

As the wind blew past, the look in the people’s eyes was sinister. Chu Qiao knew that at this
instant, whatever she said would be useless. The rage of the soldiers was su cient to burn
everything in its path. She had seen it for herself in the battles at the northwest and Zhen
Huang City. She called out to Tie You loudly, but he did not turn back. Her voice was
booming but appeared weak amongst the loud chants.

“Go! Find Li Ce, only he can reverse the situation!” Tie You did not turn back, but his voice
carried the determination of a soldier. At this moment, he was no longer the young father
who smiled when he mentioned his daughter—he was a determined soldier. Word by word,
he replied, “The Crown Prince ordered me to protect you.”

“Brothers, charge! We are not rebels! We are only protecting our country’s pride! History will
remember us! Our descendants will judge us fairly. Our actions today are historic! We will
use our blood to demonstrate the loyalty of a soldier!”

A sharp swoosh echoed out, together with an ear-piercing roar in mid-air. Tie You’s hair
stood up on its ends, and he let out a lion-like roar! He waved his sword, becoming a black
shadow with his swift motions. In the blink of an eye, he leaped into the crowd of soldiers
from the North Camp and started to hack at them, causing blood to splatter and form a
semicircle. Resembling a beast howling in the rain, Tie You held his sword with one hand
and lifted up a young soldier from the North Camp with his other hand above his head!

“If you wanted to speak, why did you not do it openly? Why did you hide behind other
people!”

ff
ff
fi
fi
fi
ffi
 With a thud, Tie You threw the man onto the ground, causing dust to y everywhere. Tie You
took a few steps forward, staring at the man’s timid eyes with a death glare. “Who are you?
Are you a soldier of the North Camp? I’m from the North Camp. Why have I not seen you
before?”

The man retreated in fear, saying hurriedly, “Commander, what are you trying to do? You can
shut me up, but can you shut the entire world up?”

“I’m only asking you this. Who are you?”

“Haha,” the man suddenly laughed. “Commander, you are a soldier of Tang. Instead of
capturing the rebels who plot against us, you are asking who I am instead. Don’t you know
your priorities? I’m a normal soldier. I don’t have any rewards, your great skills, nor your
status! However, I have the characteristics of a soldier, a patriotic heart!”

Tie You grabbed the man’s collar in rage. “You’re not from Tang! You’re from Xia! What
motives do you have, sowing discord here?”

“General Tie You!” the man raised his voice and said. Eyes bloodshot, he bellowed, “You
used to be the pride of the North Camp! You used to be our idol! What has happened to you
now? You follow the Crown Prince, condoning his misdeeds, allowing him to disregard the
country’s interests, humiliating the entire Tang Empire! Where’s your inner soldier? Has your
conscience been eaten by a dog?”

The winds blew violently, causing even the sun to appear cold. The crowd was stirred up,
with many shouts and noises echoing around. Tie You’s eyes were red with rage. He
bellowed, “I’ll kill you if you say any more!”

“Kill me then!” The man was unmoved. He raised his arms towards the soldiers of the North
Camp, saying, “If my blood is able to excite the souls of Tang, I will die with no regrets! The
ancestors, Emperor Wu, Saint Xuan, General Gao Lie, the King of Ling, they are looking at
us! Long live the Tang Empire!” Finishing his sentence, the man tilted his body, embedding
himself into Tie You’s sword!

In an instant, gasps echoed out from the crowd. The cold sword severed the man’s throat.
Blood oozed out onto the ground. Tie You was shocked, taking a few steps back and letting
the corpse collapse onto the ground of Rose Square.

The man’s body did not touch the oor, as the sword’s sheath supported his body. He was
unable to speak despite attempting to. Large mouthfuls of blood oozed out from his mouth,
staining his silver body armor in front of his chest. The silver rose seemingly bloomed, giving
o a sinister aura!

Behind the crowd, Chu Qiao closed her eyes slowly. She knew that it was too late.

“Kill her!” an unknown voice echoed. The enraged crowd, like water owing out of a
collapsed dam, streamed towards her!

“Tie You! Go! Find Li Ce!”

ff
fl
fl
fl
 Tie You held his sword upright and spit a mouthful of blood out. He said in a low voice,
“Crown Prince told me to protect you.”

With a swoosh, Chu Qiao took out a sword from a deceased imperial guard and stared
coldly at the soldiers who were approaching her. Slowly, she said, “Okay then. Let’s ght
this battle together!”

“Haha! To ght alongside the renowned general of Xia, I have no regrets even if I die!”

The footsteps were deafening. The young soldiers let out loud war cries. Although the
strength of the enemies opposite them were only about two hundred, they acted as if they
were on the battle elds in the northwest, or in Liaodong. Their silver body armors were like
avalanches, enveloping the entire Rose Square. They raised their swords, inching their way
forward. The ground shook beneath their feet. The army was like a tall mountain, swallowing
everything in its way.

Tie You was muscular, standing upright. He joined the army at fourteen, participating in the
battles to defend Liaodong and to exterminate the rebels at Nanqiu. He acted as a
reconnaissance soldier, traveling thousands of miles to convey news on military warfare,
becoming known as a role model and an idol to the soldiers of Tang. This moment, he was
standing there alone. Resembling a sharp knife, everyone believed that anything which got
in its way would be annihilated!

“For the glory of the royal empire!” the North Camp let out a synchronized cry. The soldiers
charged forward like streaming water!

Suddenly, a spurt of blood ew up in mid-air! With a swing of his arm, three heads ew up in
the air and dropped onto the ground like cabbage, becoming squashed amidst the
stampede! Both armies clashed together, resembling two erce tsunamis meeting each
other head-to-head. Waves of blood ew in the air. The deafening sounds of weapons
clanking together reverberated in the air. 200 bodyguards stood in a single le to defend,
their postures upright.

Although the North Camp was superior in terms of numbers, they stood on the stone steps.
Less than ten percent of them were on the platform located high up. They dashed towards
the platform but were powerless to stop the army led by Tie You.

The rst row, the second row, the third row, the fourth row… The soldiers collapsed row by
row. Their youthful eyes were passionate, along with their blood. Tie You’s soldiers, facing
their own comrades, started to feel the despair. Some of them no longer wanted to kill,
some of them hesitated, and others were shouting, “Don’t come up! Don’t come up
already!” However, in their split second of hesitation, the swords were held to their throats.
The next second, their throats were severed by their own comrades.

Chapter 138
The North Camp had completely lost it. These soldiers of noble descent probably had not
even killed even a chicken in their lives before, yet they brandished their blades and charged
fi
fi
fi

fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
like a swarm of locusts. Stepping on the bodies and blood of their fallen comrades, they
fearlessly charged forth!

The eagles soaring in the skies shrieked, and the sunny morning had at some point turned
cloudy and shady, as though it was about to rain anytime. The civilians were scared and
tried to scramble to safety, but the entire street was already swarmed with soldiers, how
could they leave?

The men could only scream in despair, trampling on each other, looking for their family
members, calling out for each other’s names. In just a short time, the entire prosperous
street had been turned into a hellish massacre!

And right now, Li Ce had just charged out of the Jinwu Palace with his imperial army. The
Tang Prince, who was known to be unable to ride a horse, was now gallantly riding on a
horse, charging on the roads, with his robes uttering behind him. His gaze was so sharp, as
though it would pierce all obstacles before him.

“Crown Prince,” some scouts returned and called out, “the central street has been
completely blocked by the civilians. The Imperial Army cannot move into position.”

“Blocked?” Li Ce raised an eyebrow, before coldly ordering, “If we cannot charge through,
we will step over their corpses. Those who do not give way are to be killed!”

“Your Highness?” The scout was taken aback by this ruthless order, and muttered, “Those
are all our citizens…”

“Citizens…” Li Ce squinted his eyes and replied to this hesitant soldier, “The later we charge
in, the greater the casualties caused by the ghting between the Imperial army and the
North Camp will be. Those soldiers are the real treasure of the Tang Empire!”

The scout was enlightened by the Prince, and rmly acknowledged the order, “I understand!
Please wait a moment. This servant will lead our comrades and open a path for Your
Highness.”

Li Ce responded, “Thank you! Sun Di, quickly go to the Military Department and direct
50,000 of the Wolf Army into the city to suppress the riots. Also, light up the smoke signal,
and inform the northern garrison to constantly monitor any movements of the Xia Army!
And…” he hesitated for a few seconds, before struggling to say the following words, “send
out scouts to the southern borders! For the next 24 hours, monitor the Waterway of
Southern Border for any Yan Bei incursions!”

Sun Di was taken aback by the last order and inquired, “Yan Bei? Yan Bei will start a war
with the Tang Empire?”

“You think they won’t?” Snorting, Li Ce’s tone was colder than winter snow as he snapped,
“If she accidentally dies in the territory of Tang Empire, we will need to prepare ourselves for
the wrath of Yan Xun. And…” Li Ce slowly closed his eyes. The pristine, angelic face of a
certain lady, with blooming lotuses in the background under that night sky, surfaced in his
mind again. His voice softened to a whisper, and his brows locked into a deep frown.
fi
fl
fi
Although barely audible, one could still hear his rm words, “I would not forgive the
perpetrator either.”

“Yes, this servant will go and carry it out now.”

“One more thing! Check this out clearly for me after relaying the message!” Li Ce opened his
eyes, and his momentary gentleness and fatigue were blown away by the rage in this eyes.
“I want all the data of this entire training exercise of the North Camp! I want all the
information, even con dential ones! Regardless of rank, secrecy, or importance! I want to
know who they met in the past few days, where they went, or even if they had diarrhea and
went to the toilet more frequently. I want to know everything!”

Sun Di’s sharp mind instantly grasped the logic behind this action. His face turned utterly
pale, and he questioned in disbelief, “Does Your Highness think that this entire upheaval
was not a coincidence?”

“Chance?” Li Ce’s turned around and glared at Sun Di, while coldly declaring, “Zhao
Chun’er was been assaulted in her own bedroom, and the entire court wanted to help the
Xia Empire instead of considering the Tang Empire. When attempting suicide to gain
sympathy, the North Camp just happened to be next to her. It got out of control as the
higher ranking o cer just happened to not be around. How can the children of the noble
families be so easily swayed by stray rumors? And they also knew the exact schedule of Tie
You, and that Chu Qiao was in the carriage. So many coincidences happening all at once,
do you not see something unnatural?”

Sun Di’s mouth was left agape, as he could not seem to counter that impeccable logic. Li
Ce’s expression froze another notch as he continued to analyze, “From start to nish, I did
not receive any information. Even that old man Dou Mingde, who had already started to
isolate himself from politics, also knew something. We are still clutching at straws! Such a
well-planned strategy, such careful deployment, such cut-throat development, do you really
think it was all just coincidence?”

As the wind raged on, the screams from the front intensi ed. The Imperial Forces started to
chase the civilians away and shot out barrages of arrows at the civilians. Rushing about
aimlessly, the scene presented by the civilians was as though this entire thing was a farce.
Staring into each other’s eyes, Sun Di and Li Ce became increasingly unable to suppress the
rising uneasiness within their hearts.

Li Ce nodded. “Indeed, the footsteps of death have never been so close to us before.
Someone has already prepared the net when we weren’t looking, and they in ltrated the
North Camp, the Capital, and even our Palace!”

“Could it be the Xia Empire? Or the Song Empire?”

“Nalan Hongye was not within those o cials. Such a huge move, she would never miss the
action. As for Zhao Chun’er, at most, she could stir up something within the palace. But
such a precise calculative move would certainly be beyond her.”

“Then who could it be?” Sun Di inquired when frowning.

ffi
fi
ffi
fi
fi
fi
fi
“Who?” Li Ce coldly smiled and lifted his head up. Observing the black clouds, he slowly
shook his head, and whispered, “I hope I am wrong.”

An arrow pierced the battle eld, like a sharp talon, striking at the most opportune moment.
The entire army halted for that split second, only to see that a young woman, wearing a
bright yellow gown, stood atop a new carriage that had just stopped in Rose Square.
Holding a golden yellow bow, she pointed it toward the middle of the bloody mess within
Rose Square. Her forehead was wrapped in bandages, and one could faintly see the blood
seeping from beneath it. With a whoosh, the arrow ew straight at Chu Qiao’s chest!

At this very moment, Tie You stumbled over and shielded Chu Qiao. With a ghastly piercing
sound, the arrow penetrated his arm.

“Tie You!” Chu Qiao roared. She was just about to move forward to help him when a barrage
of arrows shot forth, rmly separating her from Tie You.

The woman atop the carriage slowly walked down and did not mind how her clean shoes
were stained by the bloody mess. She smiled and walked up to the platform where Chu
Qiao had been. With a mountain of corpse between her and Chu Qiao, she said in a volume
that only Chu Qiao and her guards could hear, “Are you upset? But that was not enough!”
With that said, she took the blade from her guard and stabbed Tie You’s stomach, who was
already weakened, and out of strength.

Tie You’s spurted blood out of his mouth! His knees buckled, and with a loud thump, he fell
to the ground.

“Do you not have a strong sense of justice? Do you not hate when people su er for you?
Then why don’t you die now? Once you die, I will let him go.”

Biting her lower lip, Chu Qiao frowned, facing that woman with an expression that was like
the frigid oceans, completely not responding to her.

With a cold smile, the crazed woman swung her blade and called out, “I really cannot stand
how hypocritical you are!”

Chu Qiao’s eyes were clouded with bloodlust. Holding her blade, she was trembling. She
was not scared, but she was weak and could not muster her strength. But in the very next
moment, she was like an agile leopard. With one single swing of her blade, she forces that
woman back, stabbing at her chest!

But it seemed like Chu Qiao’s opponent had not even intended to swing down her blade, as
her guards rushed forward. Pretending to have tripped, her bright yellow robe was stained
with blood. Raising her head, she let out a blood-curdling shriek, “As a woman married into
the Tang Empire, I am no longer pure! Let me sacri ce myself for the nation! Kill me!”

The soldiers who had quietened down were lit up with rage yet again. Seeing the countless
blades in front of her, Chu Qiao could no longer hold as she fell to the ground, fainted.

fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
If she was given another chance, would she do the same thing? To let those two return
safely? But unfortunately, there are never such hypothetical situations in the real world.

Right before she fainted, she saw Tie You rise yet again, and heard the words he had
muttered, “The Crown Prince ordered me to protect you.”

You are such an idiot… A single teardrop owed out from the corner of Chu Qiao’s eye.
Falling helplessly in the Rose Square, she was once again reminded of the girl who was
crying her heart out in that cave.

“Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!” Her cries of despair were still ringing in her ears. Today, she
really did it.

After sleeping for an unknown duration, a bucket of cold water was splashed onto Chu
Qiao’s face. Drowsily waking up, Zhao Chun’er’s smiling face lled her vision.

“Where is Tie You?” Chu Qiao’s low voice was hoarse and seemed as though she was ready
to explode.

Zhao Chun’er giggled, and casually answered, “He’s probably dead. Seems like he was cut
into many pieces by the furious North Camp soldiers. That was strange. I heard rumors in
Zhen Huang City that the Tang soldiers were weak and easily defeated, but it seems like the
truth is rather di erent from the rumors.”

Chu Qiao slowly closed her eyes, and forced down the sadness that was rising from within
her chest. Lightly nodding her head, Chu Qiao slowly declared, “You will pay the price for
your actions today.”

“Is that so?” Zhao Chun’er brushed that remark o . “But you will certainly not live to see
that day.”

Opening her eyes, Chu Qiao stared at Zhao Chun’er dead in the eye, and without skipping a
beat, told her, “Yan Xun will get revenge for me.”

“Do not remind me of him!” Zhao Chun’er stood up, sending her chair tumbling in the
process. With her eyes spewing re, she glared at Chu Qiao, who was tied up to a pillar. She
bellowed, “If you say another word about him, I will kill him!”

Without giving her any mind, Chu Qiao’s frigid face revealed a tinge of amusement. “You are
scared?”

Facing Zhao Chun’er’s gaze which was brimming with hatred, Chu Qiao squinted her eyes,
as though she was a cat. With a deep voice, Chu Qiao inquired, “What are you planning to
do after killing me?”

Coldly smiling, Zhao Chun’er replied, “That is not your concern. I am more than happy to let
you know what is about to happen since you will most de nitely not be able to witness it. If
whatever I did is not witnessed by you, that would be a waste.

ff
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
“Do you know, the Tang Empire will split, and Li Ce will die. The entire court will be rebuilt,
and the old guards will be vanquished. The Xia forces have cornered Yan Bei. With winter
coming, you have neither money nor food, how will you survive this winter? While your
soldiers are hungry, and horses are weak from the winter, the combined forces of the Xia
Empire and the Tang Empire will invade Yan Bei together.

When that happens, the civilians of Yan Bei will be buried alive in the masses, and the
armies of Yan Bei will be annihilated. The soil of Yan Bei will be soaked in blood. Anyone
who opposes, regardless if it’s the Da Tong Guild, or the Iron Eagle army of Yan Bei, will all
bow down to the might of the empire!

“We will tell you with the blades in our hands what is the outcome for betraying the empire!”
Zhao Chun’er’s eyes were bloodshot, and she seemed almost deranged as she continued
her monologue, “When that time comes, I will grab Yan Xun and make him kneel by my feet,
begging for my mercy. I will dig out his eyes, break his legs, and torture him in whichever
way I can! I will destroy whatever you created! How’s that? Are you scared now?”

Chapter 139
Chu Qiao looked at her and said, “Do you think you can do it?”

“Of course.” Zhao Chun’er laughed proudly. “Of course I can! Do you know where we are?
Let me tell you, we are in an underground chamber beneath Rose Square. Soon, there will
be a pile of rewood on the square. You will be tied to a pillar and burnt to death alive. What
can you do about it? Do you think Li Ce can save you? Dream on. He won’t be coming here,
someone will contain him. If Yan Xun knows that you were burnt to death by the North
Camp in Tang, how will he react? He loves you so much. Will he seek revenge on Tang with
his army? Will he travel down the northern border along the river to wage war on Tang? Will
he pit himself against the entire world despite knowing that it’s suicidal?

“Haha!” Zhao Chun’er’s eyes let out a maniacal gleam. Dreamily, she said, “I will resort to
everything to deal with all of you. For that day, I will tolerate everything, even humiliation and
torture. This is just so I can see the day that all of you collapse! All of you ruined my life. I will
make it 1,000 times, 10,000 times worse for all of you! Do you hate me? Did you regret
saving me the other day? Do you want to bang your head against the wall? What can you
do about it now? You can be kind, you can make all the men in the world fall for you, but so
what? You’re going to die in my hands anyway. What’s going on? Why are you breaking out
in cold sweat? Are you scared? Do you know what is fear? Why aren’t you crying? Why
aren’t you shouting for help? Maybe Yan Xun would be able to hear your last words on the
highlands of Yan Bei! Haha…”

Suddenly, her voice stopped and her pupils dilated. One hand grabbed her face with
frightening speed, dislocating her jaw with a twist!

Chu Qiao threw away the ropes which had bound her. Given the way she was tied up, she
could have escaped from 20 ropes in three minutes. She stood up and looked at Zhao
Chun’er who had fallen on the ground. She squatted down slowly, saying, “You’re right. I
fi

 regret it. I regret why I saved you out of kindness back then. However, I don’t hold
meaningless grudges. If I know that I have made a mistake, I will rectify it immediately.”

The woman’s face was cold, but the look in her eyes was calm. She tore Zhao Chun’er’s
clothes apart, saying coldly, “You have judged me wrong. I do not kill the innocent, but I am
not a kind person either. If you threaten me, I will not hold back. Do you think you scared
me? Do you think that you have succeeded? Do you think that with these little tricks, you
can scheme against Yan Xun and I? Destroy us? You’re too naive and you overestimate
yourself. In this world, there are numerous people who are after our heads. We don’t care if
you want it too. I don’t know if the person who will take my life has been born yet, but what I
know is, that person will not be you.”

Zhao Chun’er opened her mouth to shout for help but was unable to do so.

Chu Qiao stripped Zhao Chun’er of her clothes, swapped their out ts, and messed up her
hair. She took out the white cloth on her forehead, looked at her, and uttered word by word,
“Zhao Chun’er, admit it. You are a piece of trash! You are no match for me. It was like this
back then, and will remain like this now, and forever. You shouldn’t have provoked me.
That’s because you are too delicate. You don’t have the right to!” Finishing her sentence,
Chu Qiao clenched her sts, and punched Zhao Chun’er in the face!

Grunting sounds erupted from Zhao Chun’er’s throat. Chu Qiao struck out slowly but with
force. In an instant, blood oozed out from Zhao Chun’er’s nose and mouth, causing her face
to be indistinguishable. Zhao Chun’er was no longer able to speak. Only panting sounds
could be heard from her, like a chicken who had lost in a ght. She collapsed weakly on the
ground, her hair covering her bloodied face like a sh out of water.

She saw Chu Qiao stand up, cleaning the blood stains o her hands. She put on her yellow
out t, messed up her hair, and wiped her face with her hands. She knelt on the oor, face
full of blood. Posing as the princess, she shouted, “Men! Prepare the carriage!”

Big groups of soldiers dashed into the chamber. Chu Qiao covered her face with her
bloodied hands and pointed at Zhao Chun’er, shouting, “She dared to attack me! Kill her!
Burn her to death!”

Zhao Chun’er was lying on the ground, unable to move. She was dressed in Chu Qiao’s
bloodied clothes. Her face was indistinguishable, and her jaw had been dislocated. The
boorish soldiers picked her up. As she passed by Chu Qiao, she looked back and saw the
sharp look in her eyes.

Chu Qiao smiled and whispered, “I will not send you o .”

A group of people took Zhao Chun’er away. Chu Qiao ordered, “I’m injured. Take me back to
the palace!”

The winds continued its assault on the lands. Dark clouds began to form while the branches
and leaves ew in the air. A gigantic pile of rewood had been erected on the vast Rose
Square. The winds blew onto her face. Chu Qiao covered her face and sat on the carriage,
which swiftly departed from the scene. She turned back and looked at her enemy fading
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
ff
ff
fi
fi
fl
 away. The sky was dark and the clouds hovered low above the sky. The air was stale. The
winds scattered the trees and stones about, zooming past the carriage and letting out a low
howl along the way. The trees shook vigorously, about to cave in from the winds. It was
noon, but the sun was nowhere to be seen. All of Tang Jing was shrouded in a blanket of
grey. A bout of torrential rain was imminent.

The carriage was fast, aided by its operator. The soldiers rode their horses and followed the
carriage as it made its way swiftly along the track near to the city gates.

The wind caused some sand and stone to slap against the carriage, making rustling sounds.
Chu Qiao’s hands were stained with blood. She used the white cloth to cover up her face.
She scanned her surroundings, waiting for the best opportunity to escape. She had to nd
Yan Xun immediately. She estimated that he had not entered the city, but would do so later
in the day. Perhaps, he was already waiting outside the city. If the news reached him, there
would be unimaginable consequences. Although Zhao Chun’er was foolish and stupid, she
made a point. She and Yan Xun were dependent on each other; they were each other’s
Achilles heels.

As for Li Ce, she did not believe that he would fall into anyone’s trap easily. After all, he was
a cunning fox. Even if something happened, she trusted that he was able to turn the tables
around.

The sounds of horses’ hooves broke the silence in the long street. With the winds, sand and
stone, the street appeared even colder.

As the horse carriage was about to make its way into the main street that led to the inner
city, Chu Qiao decisively thought that this was the best moment to escape. She gritted her
teeth and felt for her dagger which was hidden under her calf, awaiting her chance.

However, at this instant, a swoosh disrupted the synchronized horse hoof sounds. Sharp
arrows struck the horses! The warhorses’ cries of agony sounded out. In that instant, the Xia
troops were ung o their horses, adding to the chaos. Assassins from both sides leaped
from the trees and walls onto the ground, carrying their daggers and crossbows. They were
unstoppable. The Xia troops had no time to resist. Half of them were injured as they fell o
their horses. The army of 300 instantly disintegrated.

“Heaven is helping me!” Chu Qiao thought to herself in joy. It looked like Zhao Chun’er had
many enemies too. She would be foolish not to grab such a good opportunity.

She leapt o the horse carriage swiftly to make her escape. As she prepared to sneak o ,
two men in black appeared from both sides. Chu Qiao gritted her teeth. It looked like their
target was Zhao Chun’er, the doomed princess. She twisted her body and dashed forward
to ght them.

Chu Qiao leapt in the air and kicked out at the lower bodies of the two men with both her
legs. With a thud, ear-piercing cries of agony sounded out around the long street. Chu Qiao
did not have any time to turn back and appreciate her mini victory. Taking into account that
they were Zhao Chun’er’s enemies too, she gave them mercy. However, having taken a kick
to the nuts, she was not sure if they would still be able to function like normal men.

fi
ff
fl
ff
fi
ff
ff
There was a murderous aura everywhere. The men in black were ruthless, not intending to
leave anyone alive. They held axes in their hands, chopping at any living souls. Bloodstains
and white brain juices splattered everywhere. Ruthless indeed!

Chu Qiao squinted her eyes. Summoning all her strength, she ran towards the main street.
She did not believe that these people would openly commit these crimes on the main street.

The opponent seemed to recognize her intention. Suddenly, a black shadow appeared
behind her. It was fast. The unknown assailant’s agility rivaled that of Chu Qiao’s. The
assailant inched forward, dashing to within ve or six steps of her, running beside her. As the
assailant ran, he drew his crossbow and shot an arrow towards her!

At this instant, Chu Qiao’s face was covered by the white cloth, her face stained with blood.
Her hair was messily scattered in front of her forehead, like a lunatic. However, this did not
disrupt her movements and sight. Seeing the arrow ying towards her calf, she grabbed a
section of the wall, leaping into the air.

With a snap, the arrow broke into two upon hitting the wall. The person’s strength was
evident.

Good skills! Chu Qiao looked at the man from the side of her eye. The man was undeterred,
taking out another arrow.

Chu Qiao sneered and reached towards her pocket, shouting, “Hidden weapon!”

Chu Qiao was drained after the battle with the North Camp. At the critical moment, she
summoned her last bit of strength. Her voice was hoarse and indistinguishable. However, in
that moment of life and death, the man heard her. The black shadow reacted quickly,
twisting his body to avoid any threats despite there being no hidden weapons.

Chu Qiao gained some distance between them. The man grunted indignantly, continuing his
pursuit.

This place was remote, full of small streets and alleyways. Chu Qiao ignored the shadow
that was following her, navigating her way through the small alleys. However, in an instant,
she sensed that something was amiss. The opponent’s reactions were too fast. He matched
her speed. As she turned, the man behaved like a robot, not requiring any reaction time to
detect her change in direction. Their movements were synchronized. What mattered most
was that this man did not let out a sound!

Who exactly had this idiot, Zhao Chun’er, o ended?

Chu Qiao was enraged. A big tree blocked o the center of the road. Chu Qiao squinted her
eyes and dashed towards the tree, stopping in her tracks suddenly and hiding behind it.
Based on logical deductions, no one would stop in this unprepared manner. However agile
the other person was, when he stopped, it would be in front of Chu Qiao. Anticipating this
outcome, Chu Qiao held a dagger in her hand, ready to strike.

ff
fi
ff
fl
 Chapter 140
But it was at that precise moment another sharp sense of danger assaulted her mind! Chu
Qiao, without any hesitation, stooped down, and could only feel that from the other side of
the tree a blade had ashed past. The blade skimmed past her head, and a few strands of
her hair ew in the air!

Chu Qiao almost wanted to swear at her opponent. She had been completely seen through!
As though the opponent had known exactly what speed she would have, what strategy she
would use, when she would lie in wait to ambush the opponent… Instead, she was
ambushed!

That was so frustrating!

In that split second, Chu Qiao activated her entire brain to formulate a follow-up strategy.
Adjusting her posture, she readied herself for another round of con ict. If she was unable to
defeat this adversary, she felt sorry for her instructor back in the modern world.

But then, a whooshing sound came from above. Chu Qiao was taken by surprise, and
before she had even realized what happened, her back was dealt a heavy blow. Something
hammered onto her back, and the intense pain almost caused her to vomit blood! But what
happened next would have really caused her to vomit blood out of anger.

A loud wailing sound came from behind her. A young child, around seven to eight-years-old,
was riding on Chu Qiao’s back. He wiped his face and cried as he wailed loudly.

It seemed that before they came, there was already a kid who was playing in this tree. The
joke was on her as she had been a top agent! She had not even noticed a kid hiding in the
tree. Seeing the entire process of their ghting, the kid’s grip loosened from fear, and he fell
right onto Chu Qiao! Was there anything that was more frustrating than that?

Pushing away the kid, Chu Qiao was hoping that she still had room for retaliation, but a
blade had already been pressed onto her neck. A urry of footsteps approached, and
instantly, a crowd surrounded her. A few more blades were then placed next to her neck.
Chu Qiao lifted her head and glared ercely at the kid who was still crying. She overheard
people gossiping quietly behind her, “I didn’t know that our Princess was so good at martial
arts.”

Another person replied, “The Zhao family was originally a family that rose due to their
prowess in the martial arts. Knowing a little here and there would be natural. It’s just
surprising that the Princess is so good.”

What did they just call Zhao Chun’er? Their princess? Are they from the Xia Empire?

A war horse galloped from the distance. The man jumped o the back of the horse. Wearing
a black veil over his face, he dashed up and proclaimed, “Our men are still delaying the
scene. We still have time.”

The man in black nodded, and told the man beside him, “Take her and go to the square.”

fl
fl

fi
fi
fl
ff
fl
 Another man-in-black ordered Chu Qiao, “Put down your weapon.”

Unable to resist, Chu Qiao complied. With a clank, she dropped the knife, and considered
whether or not she should reveal her identity in front of the crowd and tell them that she was
actually not Zhao Chun’er. But it was just then that the highly skilled man, whom she was
ghting with, walked up, and stretched out his lanky hand, and held Chu Qiao’s chin. Coldly
snorting, Chu Qiao shook her head, and with all her strength, bit down on that man’s hand!

As though she could hear the sound of her teeth breaking through esh, blood immediately
started owing down from the wound. Chu Qiao stared back at that man, a trail of blood on
her chin. Her gaze was like a wounded wolf, still with plenty of ghting spirit left within her,
not willing to give up.

“Ah!” A loud and clear groan resounded, but no one moved. No one reacted to Chu Qiao’s
action.

That man stared at Chu Qiao, at a loss for words, and just allowed her to continue biting his
hand. Without words, without motion, the only reaction he gave was his gaze which peeked
out from beneath the black mask. Right now, that gaze even had a trace of amusement!

Chu Qiao was taken aback as well. That pair of eyes was all too familiar to her. As though
she had become retarded, she slowly unclenched her jaw. With her mouth still agape, she
looked up at him.

“Haha!” That man suddenly started laughing. Tearing o his mask, he pulled Chu Qiao up,
and with one swift motion, he swept her into his embrace.

“I knew you would not die so easily!” Like a kid who had just received a new toy, Zhuge Yue
chuckled. He was so ecstatic, yet one could tell from his pale complexion how worried he
was. Hugging her tightly, it was almost as though he wanted to morph their bodies together!

Chu Qiao’s head was pressed into his chest. Through his rm and strong chest muscles,
she could hear his heart thumping away vigorously. Remembering what had just happened
to her, her vision clouded. After just escaping death, certain emotions raged on beyond her
control within her heart. She could not contain herself. Burying her head in his chest, she
freely let her tears ow out.

The entire parade was silent, as the only sound that could be heard was the uttering of the
ag in the wind. Looking up at Qiang Wei Square, people once again were reminded of its
history. 300 years ago, atop that bronze platform, the rst great traitor of the Tang Empire—
He Lanye—was burnt alive in an execution.

At that time, he was appointed the highest commander of the Hongchuan Highlands by the
Tang Empire. Yet, he merely watched as the Zhao Family invaded the highlands, without
putting up any form of meaningful struggle. And when the Zhao Family’s forces seized Zhen
Huang City, he merely escaped the city with his entire family. He threw away the northern
bu er of the Great Tang Empire, and relinquished swathes of Tang Territory for no good
reason. He was the only reason that the ruler of the entire continent became history.
Ultimately, he was the reason why the Great Tang Empire had to remove the “great” from its
fi
fl
ff
fl
fl
fi
ff
fi
fi
fl
fl
name; the Song Empire and the Xia Empire threatened them, claiming that the Tang Empire
was no longer deserving of such a name. That became the humiliation of the Tang Empire
even until today.

From that point onward, the platform in Qiang Wei Square became the location for
executing criminals. At this very moment, a lady who was coated in bloodstains was tied up
high on the bronze platform. With her clothes tattered, no one could see her face clearly. At
her feet, a huge pile of rewood had been stacked. Soldiers holding the burning torch were
already standing at one side, ready to light the bon re. A group tried to rush in to save the
lady. Although they seemed like normal civilians, those who were sharp would have noticed
that they were all hiding weapons and were nothing like common folk.

The ruckus grew louder. Countless men waved their hands, cheering the execution on. Zhao
Chun’er opened her frail eyes. Her cries of anguish and roars of anger only received a few
loud and crisp slaps to her face in exchange. The rugged soldiers all had rough skin with
thick callouses, and their slaps were extremely painful.

With her jaw dislocated, she could not say anything that resembled human speech. All she
could do was peek through the dried blood that glued her eyes shut and observe the
crowds of overly excited people. There were all unfamiliar faces wearing infuriated
expressions. Suddenly, she started to feel scared. She started to tremble uncontrollably.

Was she going to die?

At this very moment, a name ashed into her mind. A certain woman’s sharp gaze,
emotionless attitude, and her look of belittlement suddenly lled Zhao Chun’er’s heart.

Chu Qiao! Chu Qiao! Chu Qiao!

Her expression twisted into a grimace. Her hatred for Chu Qiao was so overwhelming, as if it
could not be cleansed even through death.

It was that woman who snatched her beloved, her happiness, her reputation. It was that
woman who rocked her country, humiliated her, and caused her to su er at the hands of
those despicable, nauseating, and worthless common folks! From the start to the end, her
misery had all originated from Chu Qiao!

I will not let her go! Even if I become a ghost, even if I head to the deepest corner of hell,
even if my soul is vanquished, I will not let her go!

Trying to clench her teeth in fury, Zhao Chun’er was like a maddened ghost, as thoughts of
bloodlust lled her head.

“Begin the execution!” a loud bellow sounded. But then, another ruckus brewed in the
crowds. It was the same bunch as before!

Within her heart, Zhao Chun’er an overwhelming sense of desire to live on started to grow.
With her fervent gaze, she stared in the direction of the ruckus. But at the same time, a
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
ff
strange thought surfaced in her mind. At this point in time, anyone who was here to disrupt
the execution must be here to help Chu Qiao!

Suddenly a twisted desire rose from within her. She suddenly hoped that no one would
actually come to help her. Unable to contain that thought, she started to snicker, her voice
full of self-mockery. So, if she was rescued today, it would be thanks to Chu Qiao?

Seeing how she started to snicker hysterically, the men below the platform started
gossiping, thinking that she had gone crazy. By now, the entire central street had been
crowded with people. It was as though someone had intentionally set up this chaos to
prevent others from coming into the center.

Observing the mess, Situ Yu frowned as a dozen Yan Bei warriors returned to him for further
instructions. Zuo Tingling solemnly reported, “General Situ, there are too many people of the
North Camp. We can barely even charge in, let alone save the lady.”

Baihe frowned, and added to that grim report, “I already sent messenger eagles to inform
the Master.”

“Even if we inform the Master now, he won’t make it in time,” Situ Yu declared forlornly.
“Have you found out who tried to delay the execution just now?”

Zuo Tingling replied, “No, we had no intel on that as they were well disciplined and left no
traces. From what I could tell, considering the lady’s friends, they should be either the
Fourth Master of Zhuge Family, or the Crown Prince of Tang, Li Ce.”

“Then they should be from the Zhuge Family.” Situ Yu nodded. “The Tang Prince is still
outside the central street.”

“Then what should we do now? Since the Zhuge Family stalled for time just now, they will
certainly take further action.”

“We cannot rely just on them. ” Situ Yu shook his head and gazed at the central street
behind them. “We will head over there!”

“The main street?”

“Yes!” Situ nodded. “We will help the Tang Prince open up a path!”

But just as the Yan Bei warriors plunged into the crowds to open a path, the crowds
shrieked in a mix of fear and surprise. Following that, everyone looked up with eyes full of
disbelief!

Under the looming black clouds, a pure white horse jumped onto the roof and started
galloping past the crowd. Wearing a pine green robe, the rider’s face seemed so handsome
that the scene seemed to have come straight out of a painting! That horse was naturally an
excellent breed, and with a few quick jumps, it covered much distance, leaving behind a trail
of dust and damaged roofs. With a long neigh, the horse landed in Qiang Wei Square,
inducing cries of surprise!

 The spear infantry, who were on standby at the outer edges of the crowd within the Square,
quickly took up positions. With a urry of whooshes, a wall of spearheads appeared before
the man!

“Who dares to obstruct me?” The man’s brow twitched very slightly, as he glanced at the
crowd of soldiers.

“He…he is the Crown Prince…” Within the crowd, someone, with a trembling voice,
recognized the intruder. With that voice as the trigger, the panic spread within the crowd like
a wild re. The front row of soldiers, in particular, were trembling so hard that they could
barely maintain a grip on their weapon. Suddenly, one of them threw down the spear, and
with a loud knock, prostrated himself on the ground!

“Your Highness!”

“The Crown Prince is here!”

“His Highness is here”

With his identity out in the open, no matter how courageous the soldiers of the North Camp
were, they would not dare to confront the Crown Prince directly. With their mentality
breaking down, the masses of soldier bowed in deference. Like a ock of sheep, they lied
low, trembling, and unable to muster the strength to carry out any further actions!

Chapter 141
Li Ce was dressed in a amboyant out t. His eyes were calm, not even looking at these
people in the eye. He looked up towards the bronze platform, raised his leg, and took a
steady step forward.

Zhao Chun’er’s aides could not bear to see their e orts go up in smoke. They dashed
forward to stop him. However, before they had even spoken, before the crowd had time to
see Li Ce’s actions, the man’s throat was slit apart during his brief exchange with Li Ce. The
man’s eyes widened and he collapsed on the oor. A loud thud was heard and dust
scattered in the air.

Li Ce took out a pure white handkerchief, wiped the bloodstains o his wrist, and threw it on
the ground. The blood-stained white handkerchief ew in the wind, somersaulting in mid-air.

No one dared to speak, look up, whisper, or even breathe.

Li Ce, who was unruly and lecherous usually, suddenly transformed into another person. The
malicious aura and rage on his body was enough to scare the beasts away in a hundred
mile radius. The untamed troops of the North Camp did not dare to resist upon seeing such
a person.

“Get out of the way!” The pathway in the central street was vacated. Li Ce’s erce-looking
subordinates dashed over from afar, wielding knives. Taking one look at them was enough to
send shivers up the people’s spines.

fi
fl

fl
fi
fl
ff
fl
fl
ff
fi
These people were known as the number one “ru an troops” in the mainland. Their title was
purely for show, as they had previously lost ghts to the troops of the North Camp in the
brothels. These were Li Ce’s private bodyguards. At this moment, their expressions were
serious. Their rows were neat, they had knives in their hands. Determined, they dashed into
the crowd.

Li Ce stood on the bronze platform, looking at the soldier from the North Camp that was
carrying a torch. He raised the corners of his lips and said in a cold tone, “Scram!”

The man was shocked and his knees buckled. Obliging, he made his way down from the
platform.

“Sorry, I’m late.” As the wind blew, Li Ce’s expression was apologetic. He frowned and
stared at the young lady, whose face had been bashed up, in front of him. He felt countless
stabs to his heart. He untied the woman and embraced her.

Zhao Chun’er, through her messy hair and blood-stained face, stared at Li Ce. A surge of joy
rushed through her heart, having escaped death.

Was this person the one she was going to marry?

She was dazed, her brain unable to process things. She only knew that she was going to
die, but had been saved by the one she was going to marry. Tears trickled down her face,
and she started to wail loudly.

Li Ce frowned, carrying her by the waist and walking down the platform.

Zhao Chun’er had been freed. She held on to Li Ce’s waist tightly like an injured animal, her
body trembling. However, the next second, the man experienced with love a airs, stopped
in his tracks. He looked at her, dazed. He squatted down, half-carrying her in his embrace.
He reached out his nger and swept aside her hair covering her face. There was still a lot of
blood on her face.

His expression was gentle, seemingly scared of startling anyone. Gently, he asked, “You?
Who are you?”

Zhao Chun’er let out inaudible sounds, unable to speak.

Li Ce realized that her jaw had been dislocated. With a peculiar method, he snapped Zhao
Chun’er’s jaw back into place. The woman’s tears streamed out like a fountain, her sorrow
erupting. Crying, she said, “I’m the eighth princess of Xia, Zhao Chun’er.”

Li Ce was stunned. He looked up and then . His troops were almost about to ght with the
North Camp. The civilians knelt on the ground, trembling, and looked towards him. The sky
was dark and the winds blew everywhere.

Li Ce gave a heartwarming laugh. He looked down at Zhao Chun’er, and said something
that she did not understand. “I knew it. Who would be able to bully her?”

fi
fi
ffi
ff
fi
Subsequently, the Crown Prince of Tang stood up, disregarding the fact that he had a
beautiful princess in his embrace. With a thud, Zhao Chun’er fell to the ground and rolled
around like a ball.

He stepped over Zhao Chun’er, sprinting towards the two armies at loggerheads. He waved
his arms in exaggerated motions, shouting towards the troops from the North Camp, “Relax,
relax. All of you, calm down.” In the blink of an eye, he had reverted back to his original,
unrestrained self. He stood in front of the troops, laughed, and said, “I heard that there was
trouble here, so I came to take a look along with them. Don’t mind me, carry on! Carry on!”

The mood of the 50,000 troops behind him visibly relaxed, seeing their master’s change in
expression. They put their arms around their comrades’ shoulders, shedding o their
orderliness. It was as if what happened just now was a dream.

They walked over joyfully to the troops from the North Camp, patting their shoulders and
saying, “How was it, brothers? Was that intimidating? We practiced for a few months. Haha,
isn’t that good?”

The liveliness resumed. A group of soldiers ran towards Zhao Chun’er, who had fallen on her
head.

The woman looked up and exclaimed in anger, “I’m the princess of Xia!”

The Xia o cials heard the princess’s voice. They were stunned and ran towards her, adding
to the chaotic situation.

Zhao Chun’er was helped to her feet by the Xia o cials. Through the crowd, she saw Li Ce
chatting heartily with the soldiers, which was unbecoming of a prince. Thinking about his
actions and the words he said just now, everything felt like an arrow that had been stabbed
into her heart. She allowed her subordinates to cover her up with a carpet. She bit her lower
lip hard, almost causing blood to spurt out.

Chu Qiao, Chu Qiao, how can I not hate you?

The sorrow in her chest sapped all the strength out of her. Her tears had dried up. She
looked up slowly at the dark clouds in the sky. She had no strength to shout.

“Today, at this place, I swear that in this life, I will witness your isolation from the world. I will
watch you lose everything you have, watch you die pathetically. If not, I am not a human
being!”

As the winds blew, the curtains closed. The dramatic events had come to an end.

As Li Ce searched the entire city, Chu Qiao was not far away from him. She was less than
300 steps from Sun Di’s residence.

In the courtyard used to welcome guests, there was serenity. The moonlight was pale. The
exquisitely designed building blended itself amongst the dense rows of crabapple owers.
The bamboo windows of the building were slightly open. Zhuge Yue sat in front of his study,
seemingly in deep thought. He sealed an envelope and handed it to Yue Qi, who was
ffi
ffi
ff
fl
standing by the side. He looked at him from the side of his eye, uttering calmly, “Who dares
to question the orders? Tell him to come in and let me see.”

Yue Qi’s expression turned pale. He looked down and remained silent. He got the message:
If anyone came in, he would be courting his own death.

Zhuge Yue lowered his head. Emotionlessly, he said, “Go.”

Yue Qi opened the door hurriedly and left the room.

A short while later, rustling sounds came from outside. Zhuge Yue put down his brush and
turned around, seeing Chu Qiao standing by the crescent-shaped door of the inner study.
She was dressed in white, and held on to the door. Her frame was small and her face was
pale. She stood there silently, her hair scattered all over her face.

“You’re awake,” Zhuge Yue remarked. He pointed towards the inner study and continued,
“There’s warm food there, go have some.” Seeing that Chu Qiao did not move, he frowned
and continued, “You have not recovered. Go back, lie down and rest.”

Chu Qiao did not move. The green silk curtains appeared cold in the autumn weather. The
wind blew past the trees, causing rustling sounds to be heard, just like a drizzle. Chu Qiao
stared at him silently, not speaking a word.

Zhuge Yue stood up and walked towards the inner study. As he passed by her, he grabbed
her wrist, feeling the thin circumference. He frowned and dragged her into the room.

“Zhuge Yue,” Chu Qiao whispered, her voice carrying a pleading tone.

Zhuge Yue stopped in his tracks but did not turn back. Chu Qiao’s voice sounded out from
behind his back, “I need to go.”

The wind blew, causing Chu Qiao’s out t to y in the air. Although she was quite tall, Zhuge
Yue’s out t appeared oversized on her. Zhuge Yue ignored her and said, “It’s dangerous
outside. I don’t have any female out ts currently. You can wear this out t rst.”

“Zhuge Yue, I really need to go.”

Zhuge Yue turned around, ignoring her again. “Have you drank the medicine that the
physician advised you to drink? If your fever has not subsided, rest some more.”

“Zhuge Yue, I really…”

“If you’re not willing to eat this, I’ll tell someone to prepare other food.”

“Listen to me…”

“You’ve been here for quite some time. Have you been outside before? There are a few
restaurants which serve good food. I’ll tell someone to get something for you.”

fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
 “Zhuge Yue, listen to me,” Chu Qiao grabbed him and said desperately, “I’m thankful that
you saved me, but I need to leave now. I need to nd Yan Xun. Yan Bei is unstable, I need to
go back right away, I…”

As she spoke, Huge Yue hit her hand away, turning around to leave.

Chu Qiao was shocked and held him back, saying loudly, “Zhuge Yue, I…”

“Zhuge Yue, Zhuge Yue! Are you done? Do I owe you money? Must you call me by my full
name?” the man turned back and raised his eyebrows. His lips were red; the look in his eyes
was like a shining star. Enraged, he continued, “Yan Xun and yourself. Yan Bei. Your brain is
lled with other people. Have you thought of yourself before? Of me?”

Chu Qiao was stunned. Zhuge Yue stared ercely at her, his eyes spurting re. Just like this,
they exchanged stares for a long while, allowing their carefully hidden thoughts to express
themselves bit by bit. The atmosphere was cold. Their breathing was low, but no one was
able to speak a word.

After a long while, Chu Qiao avoided the topic that made her feel uncomfortable. She
whispered, “What do I call you then? Fourth Master Zhuge? Zhuge? Yue?” As she nished
her words, she felt a chill up her spine. She felt the goosebumps on her arm and said,
“Don’t tell me you want me to call you Fourth Brother?”

Zhuge Yue did not even look at her, turning around to leave the room, hell-bent on leaving
this place.

Chu Qiao, seeing that he was leaving, chased after him. Clumsily, she stepped on the
tablecloth, causing the soup to spill over her body.

Chu Qiao grunted and fell on the carpet. Zhuge Yue turned back and put the boiling bowls
aside, seeing that Chu Qiao’s arm had turned swollen from the burn. Despite this, she did
not say a word.

Zhuge Yue’s expression was as if he wanted to kill someone. He carried Chu Qiao and took
big strides out of the room. He sprinted past two corridors and into the shower room. Not
caring about whether his clothes got wet, he scooped up some cold water and poured it
over Chu Qiao’s arm.

“Does it hurt?”

Chu Qiao bit her lip and shook her head, remaining silent.

Chapter 142
Her tender white skin was now swollen red. Zhuge Yue bellowed, “How can you still tell me
it is not in pain?” Despite pouring scoop after scoop of cold water, the swelling had not
reduced even slightly. Just as Zhuge Yue was about to call his servant to bring medicine, he
lifted his head up, only to see how Chu Qiao’s upper body was soaked, her curves showing
fi

fi
fi
fi
fi
through the thick clothes. That, along with her messily scattered hair, was surprisingly
seductive.

Noticing Zhugu Yue’s gaze, Chu Qiao leaned away with her hands covering her chest, while
bellowing, “What are you looking at?”

Feeling awkward in his heart, Zhuge Yue stubbornly retaliated, “Such an androgynous gure
could not rouse me even if I looked.”

Chu Qiao frowned, and was obviously angry at his humiliating comment. Seeing that Zhuge
Yue was about to stand up, she sabotaged him by pulling on a corner of his clothes, and
yanked hard on it while he was still unaware! The room was originally very slippy. With a
loud crash, Zhuge Yue landed on the ground in an exaggerated manner, without any
elegance or grace.

Seeing his state, Chu Qiao started laughing out loud, but little did she expect that Zhuge
Yue countered her in the same way. Grabbing onto her calves, and taking advantage of how
she was still in a relatively weak state, Zhuge Yue yanked with all his strength. And
coincidentally, she crashed right into his bosom!

This shower room was constructed out of bamboo. With the roof open, one could see the
stars at night while taking a warm bath that was connected to a natural hot spring. The light
from the two sides was not particularly bright, faintly illuminating the entire room. The moon
was especially bright and white on that night, as it hung high in the cloudless night sky. The
fragrance of the blossoming crabapples was brought along by the night breeze. The veils of
the door drooped down with its thin green ends lightly swaying in the wind. The night was
dead quiet.

After what seemed like an eternity, the water clock sounded o , breaking this silent dream.
Zhuge Yue’s warm hand were pressed on Chu Qiao’s shoulders, and his sleeves brushed
ticklishly on her nape. The background was painted a crimson red by the crabapple trees.
Swaying hypnotically in the wind, it seemed as though the entire scene was merely just a
dream. In the foreground, one could Zhuge Yue’s jet black irises. Firmly locking his gaze
onto Chu Qiao’s eyes, Zhuge Yue inched forward.

Startled by his advance, Chu Qiao struggled, wanting to break free, but suddenly she felt
something hard pressing on her lower body. The burning sensation was so alien she froze
up completely, and her eyes were wide open in surprise. Once she came to her senses
again, she righted herself, and quickly shifted away from Zhuge Yue. The awkwardness
translated into a deafening silence, covering the entirety of the room.

Chu Qiao squeezed out a retort to break this awkward silence, although her voice was
brimming with anger, “Didn’t you say that I was so androgynous? Why did you still react like
that?” The moment she said that, Chu Qiao turned bright red from embarrassment. The
situation just took a strange turn from her words.

Zhuge Yue’s expression was also rather sti , but nonetheless, he still kept his cool, and
replied with his usual sarcasm, “Whether you are a man or a woman is unknown, but it
seems like I am obviously a man.”

ff
ff
fi
Chu Qiao nally reached her boiling point, as she roared, “You are so shameless!”

Looking at her from the corner of his eyes, Zhuge Yue shrugged her comment o . “You have
yet to seen worse.”

After arguing like they usually did, the atmosphere somewhat normalized. With the
awkwardness vanishing between them, they suddenly started to feel the chill of the night
wind that had been blowing all along. This open-air bath would have really been chilly for
anyone not in the water.

Zhuge Yum stood up, and asked, “Can you walk?”

Chu Qiao could walk, but with her clothes almost completely soaked, it would be rather
awkward to walk around like that.

Cursing under his breath, Zhuge Yue walked up. Removing his outer robe, he walked o
coolly. After walking a few steps, he realized that Chu Qiao had not followed behind as he
expected her to. Frustrated, he bellowed, “Are you coming or not?”

Chu Qiao was still wearing the robe, and given her burn, her movements would naturally be
rather sluggish. Hearing him chiding her, she naturally felt upset as well, as she snapped
back, “Why are you so loud?”

Seeing how she was struggling to wear the clothes, Zhuge Yue walked over with a huge
frown plastered on his face. With just a few quick moves Zhuge Yue helped her don the robe
properly, and pulling on her sleeves, he dragged Chu Qiao towards the bedroom.

Being pulled along by him, Chu Qiao stumbled and almost fell. Annoyed, Chu Qiao retorted,
“Can’t you take it slower? Have you been eating gunpowder?”

“You dare to talk about me one more time?”

“What can you do, huh?”

After the servant brought the medicine for the burns, Zhuge Yue picked up Chu Qiao’s
injured hand and deftly applied the layers of the cream onto her still red and swollen skin
with a brush.

“Rub the cream twice every day; once in the morning and once at night. It will heal in just a
few days. Do not let it touch water, and avoid spicy food.”

The brush was made using thin animal fur, and was particularly ticklish when in contact with
the skin. Zhuge Yue was sitting on a chair that was slightly higher than the bed. With his
clothes giving o a soft gleam from the candlelight, his handsome face seemed rather
absent-minded, but he carefully dipped the brush in the cream, and applied it evenly over
the swollen area.

“Zhuge Yue, I need to go, I really need to go.”

fi
ff
ff
ff
Lifting up his head, Zhuge Yue xed his gaze on Chu Qiao. With her face completely
serious, Chu Qiao looked at him rmly, her eyes crystal clear with resolve.

“I know that just saying thanks does not mean anything. You helped me so many times and
endured so much risk and stress just to help me out. All the sacri ces you made for me, I
will remember them well.”

While listening to her, Zhuge Yue did not speak, as he put down the brush, and slowly
replaced the lid of the medical cream.

“But I have no way of repaying you, and I could not even repay you in the rst place. So I
can only say thanks. Do you understand?”

Still not responding to Chu Qiao’s monologue, Zhuge Yue stood up, and got ready to leave
the room. Chu Qiao grabbed his hand, and loudly pleaded, “Zhuge Yue, please, let me go! I
suspect that this incident is not so simple, and Zhao Chun’er could not have created such a
scene just by herself. There must have someone else behind the scenes manipulating this
incident. They intentionally used the hatred between the Xia Empire and Yan Bei to create
such a ruckus, and used me as the trigger. If Yan Xun knew that I am in Tang Jing, he would
very likely step into someone’s trap. The mastermind of this incident could also drive a
wedge between the Xia Empire and the Tang Empire, creating a huge war. The mastermind
was truly calculative, as he made Zhao Chun’er the dummy target for people’s suspicion.
Having lost much face for the Xia Empire, if the Xia Emperor entered a rage, he would
certainly invade Yan Bei with all the strength he could muster. With winter coming, Yan Bei
still lacks food and clothing, and this could be fatal with the instability of the Da Tong Guild.
Without me around, the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison may revolt. There are so many
things that need…”

“Are you nuts?” Zhuge Yue suddenly turned his head around. His eyes were bloodshot.
Tightly gripping Chu Qiao’s chin, he snapped, “Look at your situation now. You were just
surrounded by enemies and almost died a few times. With wounds all over your body, you
are still sick. There are so many people looking to capture you outside. With the exception
of Li Ce, there are Tang o cials who want to capture you for their own agendas, and there
are also spies of the Kia Empire, along with Zhao Chun’er’s guards. There are even some
who are just after the reward of capturing you! At this very moment, you are still planning to
head out? Do you really believe that with his entire court’s protests, Li Ce could still protect
you? Do you believe that Yan Xun would really give up everything for you? Don’t you know
that the moment you are placed on the negotiation table, even the Tang Emperor has to
start considering the Xia Empire’s opinions? The moment you land in someone else’s hands,
you have absolutely no chance of survival. Are you nuts?”

“I am not!” Chu Qiao loudly protested. “I know what I am doing!” With her chest heaving up
and down vigorously from her over owing emotions, Chu Qiao’s eyes brimmed with an
indescribable determination. “I have always been this way. The entire world is my enemy.
From the start, when I entered the Sheng Jin Palace with Yan Xun, I expected such a day to
come. But so what? There are so many people who want to kill me, but what do you expect
me to do? Hide forever? Hiding will only make me even weaker, and they would nd it even
ffi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
easier to chase after me! At least heading out now will give me a chance to eventually
protect myself one day. Zhuge Yue, I told you before, I have my own faith!”

“To hell with your faith!” Zhuge Yue roared, his voice was lled with pure rage and
oppressed feelings. With his eyes pitch black, he gazed into Chu Qiao’s eyes, and with a
tone that bordered on madness, he bellowed, “Faith? Is that important? Even more so than
your life?”

“Yes!” Chu Qiao replied without even skipping a beat, “You do not understand! This is my
only reason for living. There are people in need of me. I have to go!” At that moment, it was
as though a raging wind blew across his otherwise messy mind, clearing away his last bit of
restraint. Zhuge Yue was like a repressed beast as he suddenly closed in and pushed Chu
Qiao down. With a complicated mixture of feelings consisting of intense rage and passion,
he pressed his lips against hers!

With the intense kiss igniting some kind of re within her heart, Chu Qiao was completely
stunned. The familiar smell lled her nostrils, as his scent wrapped around her in a gentle
embrace. It was no longer a simple kiss. There were so many emotions being transmitted in
that short moment, over owing, and overwhelming Chu Qiao’s ability to process
information.

Chu Qiao mustered all her strength to resist, and before long, his grip on her loosened, and
his gaze spoke of helplessness, desperation, and sadness. Self mockingly, Zhuge Yue
laughed, “Haven’t you realized it yet? I also need you!”

Chu Qiao was once again stunned. The heavy atmosphere circulated within the room. The
candle on the stand had already been burning for almost half the night, with trail after trail of
candle wax silently owing down, like a sculpture. Her throat felt as though it was blocked
by something, and even her breath was no longer smooth, as Chu Qiao struggled to nd the
words to speak.

Zhuge Yue gazed at her, his eyes were deeply sorrowful. Not speaking any further, he
seemed to have been immersed in the memories of a distant past. Those childish emotions
that he did not know how to express, those days that would never return, and that arrow
that shot out and caused them to forever be separated.

Taking a deep breath, Chu Qiao started to conceal the surprise, the weakness, and other
emotions that had surfaced in her eyes. Finally, she swallowed her last remaining hesitation,
and pleaded once again, “Please…”

The candlelight remained bright as ever, but the entire room seemed to have dimmed.
Concealed by layers of thin veils, the man’s face could barely be seen as the light was
shining from behind him, but one could still tell that his well-de ned features made for a
handsome face. Even then, his expression was more solemn than ever.

Deftly getting up, he sco ed, “At the end of the day, it was just me thinking too much. The
door is wide open for you to leave anytime you wish. I will take my leave.” With that said, he
hesitated no more, and walked o .

fl
fl
ff
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
 Looking at the gentle moonlight and the sparkling stars, Chu Qiao sat atop the bed.
Suddenly, she was overcome with exhaustion. Heaving a heavy sigh, she was full of
bitterness and uncertainty.

“I must be strong!” in the silence, the lady quietly whispered to herself. In the loneliness of
the night, that voice seemed ever so forlorn and desolate, as she spoke out yet again, “Time
will wash away all these feelings. Hang on, and everything will pass.” Nodding as though
she was trying to convince herself, Chu Qiao stood up and looked to the northwest. Firmly,
she nodded, “I am going to Yan Bei.”

Just as she stepped out of the door, she saw Yue Qi standing there in wait for her. Seeing
that she came out, Yue Qi informed, “Master has already found the trails of Yan Xun, and
instructed me to bring you to him.”

Hearing that, Chu Qiao was taken aback. Subconsciously, she looked into the distance, only
to see a vague silhouette in a pavilion concealed behind vegetation and mist. The gure was
holding an umbrella, gradually walking into the layers of ornamental mountains decorating
the compound. The gure seemed so close yet so out of reach.

“Miss Chu, please follow me.”

The wind on the open elds was quite strong, continuously battering against their faces.
After roughly two hours of traveling, Yue Qi, along with a few of the guards, stopped in a
barren eld. The young guard dismounted his horse, and noti ed Chu Qiao, “Miss Chu, I
sent men to inform Prince Yan. It seems that Crown Prince Li Ce is also in his tent. Please
wait here for a moment, they will arrive here shortly.”

Chu Qiao nodded in appreciation, “Thank you so much.”

Yue Qi replied, “You do not need to thank me. I was merely following the orders of Master.”

Chu Qiao lowered her head, and hesitated for a short while, before lifting her head up and
saying, “Please go back, and thank him on behalf of me.”

“Alright.” Yue Qi nodded. “We can only take you here. Prince Yan is about to arrive. We will
leave rst.”

“Ok, please take care.”

Clenching his two hands together, Yue Qi saluted his farewell. “May we meet again.” With
that, he ipped back onto his horse, and left quickly.

The winds of the barren elds caressed Chu Qiao’s clothes. The rumbling of horses could be
heard from afar, with a cloud of dust informing her of their arrival. Yet when this warm wind
blew upon Chu Qiao’s eyes, she only felt her tear glands being stimulated, as she lowered
her head and whispered in a voice that even she could not hear.

“Please take care…” Then, taking a deep breath, and slowly exhaling, it was as though she
wanted to expel all those emotions out along with the breath. With that, she strode towards
the incoming group of people, leaving behind this exciting capital of Tang.

fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
 Far away, on the peak of a mountain, a man gazed at her departing gure. Gulping down
one last cup of wine, he descended the mountain on his horse. The mountainous breeze
pelted his violet robe, as the sunlight shone on his charming face stretching out an
elongated shadow.

With the setting of the sun, the birds returned to their nests. Everything was reset to the
beginning, to the point where it all began.

Chapter 143
It was the eighth day of the ninth month in the year 775. The strong winds blew across the
Nanqiu Plains in Chengzhou. The countless blades of wilted grass uttered with the wind,
appearing like a golden ocean. Over the horizon, only an old, wilted tree was visible. The
tallest peak in Chengzhou, Heqi Peak, was a blurry line in the distance. It was like an
elephant that was asleep, covered by the fog.

Li Ce was wearing a yellow cloak. Imperial guards followed behind him. His expression was
unusually stern. He sat on his horse’s back, his hair slightly messed up by the wind and
sweeping across his face, causing some itching sensations. The man swept aside his hair
impatiently, pointed at the guards behind him and said, “The few of you, go. Go there and
help me block the wind.”

Lu Yunxi frowned and replied, “Your Highness, Yan Bei’s troops are in front watching us.”

“So what?” Li Ce raised his eyebrows and said lazily, “What does that have to do with me
asking you to go there?”

Tie You had not fully recovered from his injuries. Although his shoulder was still bandaged, it
did not a ect his personality or thinking. He rolled his eyes impatiently and retorted, “Your
Highness, Prince Yan is in front. Be careful.”

Lu Yunxi continued, “We snuck here with so few people. When they eat us up, they won’t
even get a mouthful each.”

“It’s strange. What are you guys trying to say? I just told you to stand at the side, to not let
the wind damage my skin. What does that have to do with Prince Yan?”

Sun Di sneered, killing the atmosphere, “You don’t want us to disturb your love confession,
right?”

“Ah? What? All of you actually thought this way? Do I look like one that does not look at the
big picture?”

The few of them stared at Li Ce, the look in their eyes saying only one thing: Yes.

“Your Highness, Miss Chu is here,” one imperial guard reached out his hand and said.

Li Ce turned around and ordered, “Go! If not, I’ll dock half a year’s wages from all of you.”
As he nished his sentence, all the shadows disappeared from his sight. Chu Qiao galloped
fi
ff

fl
fi
 over on her horse and stopped it with the reins. Suspiciously, she said, “Where have they
gone? They are in such a rush.”

“They ate something bad. They are searching for a lavatory.”

Chu Qiao laughed and said, “Li Ce, thank you.”

Li Ce raised his eyebrows. His eyes, which looked like a fox, gleamed. “For what?”

“Thank you for the help you have given me all this while. Thank you for not taking advantage
of the situation. Thank you for remaining neutral at this time and not attacking Yan Bei.”

Li Ce stuck out his nger, shook it, and said, “Zhao Chun’er’s problem is not yours. I did not
intend to marry her. Although she’s beautiful and has a good gure, she has a rash temper,
no brains, and a tendency to be overcome by jealousy. If I marry her, there won’t be peace
among my concubines. As for the war with Yan Bei, you don’t need to worry about that.
There are no bene ts for the Tang Empire. Even without you, I won’t be so stupid as to strike
out on Xia’s behalf. Haha, I’m one that advocates the idea of peace too. The blood on the
battle eld will dirty my out t.”

Chu Qiao laughed. Not mincing her words, she replied, “Alright then. We don’t owe each
other anything. Next time, on the battle eld, you don’t need to show any mercy.”

“That’s not right,” the man’s expression changed. Shaking his nger, he continued, “You
lived at my place for such a long time. You ate my food, wore my clothes, and freeloaded of
me in so many ways. You chased away two of my prospective brides and caused
disharmony between my concubines and myself. The nancial damages are countless. It
includes economic damage, compensation for emotional trauma, compensation for marital
disharmony and loss of family. We have to settle these scores one by one. We are both
adults. I see that your conscience is clear, and that you will not deny any of these scores. In
the future, I will send someone to Yan Bei with the bill. Hmm, you guys are not rich either.
How about this? In the next ve years, if you see my ensign on the battle eld, your forces
need to retreat. Yan Xun is so erce. I don’t dare to clash with him. What if he bites me?”

With a thud, Chu Qiao landed a punch on Li Ce’s shoulder. The man shouted, “Ah! Qiaoqiao,
can you change your method of expressing your a ection?”

Chu Qiao smiled warmly. She knew that with Li Ce’s words, Tang would not submit to Xia’s
pressure and attack Yan Bei within the next ve years. Five years later, Yan Bei would be
su ciently powerful to withstand the attacks of Xia.

She felt a sourish feeling at her nose. Her voice was mu ed, but she still managed a laugh
and said, “Alright. Why don’t you prepare a bill and see how much I owe you?”

“Sigh…” Li Ce sighed and looked down slightly, his eyebrows raised. He looked at her
quietly and said, “The things I said earlier on was trivial. The main thing is, you leave an
indelible impression on me. Yet, you can’t stay by my side so that I can see you often. I still
have a long future ahead. How can I use money to judge how much I will miss you?”

ffi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
ffl
fi
fi
fi
A gust of wind blew past the both of them, sweeping up large amounts of wilted grass. The
man’s sleeve uttered in the air. The look on his face showed a tinge of depression and
loneliness. He smiled bitterly and shook his head, as if he was mocking himself.

Chu Qiao froze, the look in her eyes turning cold. She wanted to say something but was
unable to.

“Haha!” Li Ce pointed at Chu Qiao with one arm, covering his stomach with the other arm.
He laughed to the point where he almost fell o his horse. “Look at your expression,
Qiaoqiao. Do you think I’ve been bewitched like that fellow, Zhuge Yue?”

Chu Qiao, having been made a fool of by him, thrust out her st to beat him up. Li Ce
dodged her attack with agility, exclaiming proudly, “If I let you have your way every time,
would I still have any face?”

“Scoundrel!”

Li Ce laughed and continued, “Don’t be too cocky. Yan Xun is an unlucky fellow to be
associated with you since young. Maybe he feels that there are no other women in the world
except for you. As for Zhuge Yue, he is even more silly. I think that he has grown sick of all
the beautiful women in the world. I think he regards you as a treasure, seeing a frail one pop
up. Do you think I would be at their level?”

Chu Qiao raged and hollered, “Still want to say something?”

“No, no, Qiaoqiao, let me ask you something. It’s important, you have to answer me
honestly.” Li Ce’s expression changed faster than a book having its pages ipped.

Seeing that he suddenly appeared serious, Chu Qiao replied, “Go ahead. As long as it does
not involve Yan Bei’s military secrets, I will answer you.”

“You said that for yourself.”

“I said it, go ahead and ask.”

“That, that, I want to ask…” Li Ce looked around mysteriously and frowned, continuing, “I
want to ask…”

“What do you want to ask?” Seeing that he looked over, Chu Qiao started to wonder to
herself. Li Ce did not behave like this before. What was he going to ask about? Did he want
to ask about Yan Bei’s military plans? Or their next actions?

“I want to ask…” Li Ce smiled and bellowed, “I want to ask if Yan Xun is still a virgin!”

“Li Ce! You’re asking for your own death!”

“It’s alright if you don’t want to say! Do you need to fall out with me?”

“Looks like you’re asking for a beating today!”

fl
ff
fi
fl
 “Ah! Qiaoqiao, calm down, I don’t have any bad intentions! Ah! Sun Di! Tie You! Help me!
Help me!”

An ear-splitting cry of agony sounded out. The most valuable voice of Tang echoed around
the plains. Alas, none of his subordinates helped him. Led by Sun Di, a group of elite guards
crouched by a slope, engaged in illegal dealings intensely.

“Place your bets, I bet ten taels that Your Highness will not retaliate.”

A young man, aged about 20, said, “Your Highness is not like this. It’s shameful to be beaten
up by a woman. I bet ten taels that Your Highness will retaliate.”

Everyone stared at him in pity. Lu Yunxi asked, “Are you new? You’re not from the capital?”

“Yes,” the young soldier said with loyalty written all over his face, showing that he was a
patriotic soldier. “I am from the North Camp. I’m the section commander of the seventh
section in the fth platoon belonging to the 30th battalion. As I did not participate in the
rebellion, reporting the matter to the higher-ups instead, I was groomed by Your Highness. I
look forward to all of your guidance.”

“No problem, since we’re all wearing the same uniforms, we will be brothers in future,” Tie
You said jovially. “In order to support you, I will bet on Your Highness not daring to retaliate.
If you win, you will win more.”

“That’s right, the expenditure in the capital is high. Brother, we will support you.”

The soldiers gathered their silver and gave it to Sun Di, implying the following: we are gifting
our money to you. Lad, put in your best e orts for this united team!

The winds were strong; the landscape appeared golden. Li Ce’s and Chu Qiao’s cloaks
uttered in the air.

“Alright then. I will not send you any further. Bon voyage.”

Chu Qiao nodded and replied, “Take care too. I think that this matter is not that simple. Do
take extra precautions.”

“Don’t worry, if anyone dares to o end me, I’ll kill their families and snatch away their
wives.”

Chu Qiao laughed and replied, “You don’t have any decent words.”

Li Ce rubbed his bruised lips and laughed, “There are too many troubles in life. If we are
decent all the time, won’t it be too boring? Qiaoqiao, let me advise you too. There’s no need
to be too stubborn about some things. It’s okay to just drift along and close one eye. You
must learn to adapt and console yourself. You’re so tired because you shoulder all the
burdens. You must remember that you are a woman. There are a lot of more important
things in the world, other than your beliefs.”

fl
fi
ff
ff
 Chapter 144
Li Ce would rarely talk about serious matters like that. Following the ow of the
conversation, Chu Qiao inquired, “What kind of important things?”

Counting his nger, Li Ce listed, “For example, window shopping, buying some clothes,
trying out some makeup, and maybe listening to some music, wearing some pretty clothes.
Maybe you can nd some entertainment for these long nights, and maybe spanw some
o spring to enrich your current life… Wait, what are you doing? I am very serious about
what I am saying!”

“Why did I expect you to actually say something sensible!” Chu Qiao retorted.

Li Ce chuckled. “Isn’t it still your fault? We had already bit farewell over a dozen times, yet
you insist on staying here to listen to me blabber on. Why? You can’t bear to bid me adieu?”

“Bullsh*t! I…I just want to stand here a while more, to take a better look at the mountains of
the Tang Empire. What’s wrong with that?”

“Fine, nothing is wrong with that. You can stay here and slowly look all you want. Go
ahead.” Li Ce grinned happily, as though trying to taunt Chu Qiao. With that, he actually
stopped talking.

Chu Qiao bit her lower lips, and her frown furrowed deeper instead of going away.

“The air in the Tang Empire is so clean.”

“Is it? I heard that in Yan Bei, with the snow around for all seasons, the air is even cleaner
than here.”

“Have you decided to marry the Xia Princess?”

“Anything goes for me. The two countries are still discussing. I delegated this matter to my
servants. Considering how there have been repeated incidents stemming from this marriage,
I hired two famous Feng Shui experts to examine the geomancy, and predict the future of
the two countries. Beginning from the ancestors of the Xia Princess, all the way to all the
living relatives between the two royal families, we will end the decision with a vote from all
the o cials in the Tang Empire. I estimate that we will need a good three to ve years for all
that to be completed. By the time all that is over, the princess will likely be past the prime
age of marriage.”

“Your plot is too evil. You are delaying her marriage.”

“How can you say it that way? I am considering the prosperity of the two nations.”

“Where did Zhao Chun’er go?”

“I don’t know. The Xia envoy fetched her away, but she was not sent back to Zhen Huang.
She might have been sent to watch over some other province.”

ff
ffi
fi
fi

fl
fi
 “What about your wounds? Have you recovered?”

“It was no big deal. If you had not given me a good beating just now, I would have
recovered even faster.”

“Sure. Your hairstyle looks pretty good today.”

“Is it? It’s been messed up by the wind. I would not say there is any hairstyle left.”

“Your clothes also look pretty good. What material are they made of?”

“Shennan Silk. You should have worn it before.”

“Actually, your belt looks pretty good too. Is that jade a type of Heluo Jade?”

“No, you’re wrong. It’s not even jade, I merely picked it up from the riverside. I had lost a bet
to Tie You, and had no money to pay up. He took the jade from me as compensation.”

“What about your perfume? Is it a special aromatic oil?”

“No, actually, before I came here, I was drinking with the others. Sun Di drank too much and
vomited on me, and I did not have time to change before coming.”

“Oh, I see. Are you planning to go back to Tang Jing later?”

“I have no intentions of following you back to Yan Bei.”

“What happened to him?”

“He is ne. I believe he went back.”

The wind suddenly became stronger, as Chu Qiao’s expression dulled. Silently sitting on the
back of her horse, she stopped talking. Li Ce stared on at her, and maintained his gentle
smile, as though from the beginning they had always been talking about clothes,
accessories, and various unimportant matters.

“Li Ce, do you think I am very shameless?” Chu Qiao suddenly broke the silence.

Li Ce lightly smiled. “I have over 3,000 beauties in my harem, and have slept with countless
women. If you are shameless, then wouldn’t I be even worse?”

Chu Qiao shook her head, “This is not the same.”

“Qiaoqiao, do not think too much.” Li Ce stretched out his hand, and lightly patted her
shoulder, “You need not feel guilty. He is a smart person, he will be ne.”

“I hope so too.” Chu Qiao bitterly smiled. “When did he leave?”

“Last night, he left with his men shortly after you left. He did not even inform me.”

“Are you two very familiar with each other?”

fi
fi
“We are not exactly familiar. We have known each other since a long time ago, but we only
truly interacted with each other during this period of time.”

Chu Qiao lowered her head, and stopped the conversation there. Li Ce, however, started to
ask, “Qiaoqiao, were you touched by his actions?”

Chu Qiao lifted her head, with a slight smile on her face, she said, “If I said I was not, would
you believe me?”

“I would.” Without skipping a beat, Li Ce nodded.

Chu Qiao’s volume dropped one whole notch as she solemnly described, “I really owe him
too much. Perhaps I will not get the opportunity to pay him back in this entire life. I am afraid
that his family will make things di cult for him.”

“If you really do not want to owe him anything, you should not bother with him even if you
know that he is in trouble. I am sure that even without your assistance, he will be able to
pass through the problems without much trouble. Some debts are impossible to clear, and
the more you try to return the favor, the messier the situation becomes.”

Slightly taken aback by this profound analysis, Chu Qiao lifted up her head, only to see Li
Ce’s gentle smile that seemed like a light shining through the mist. She nodded and said,
“You are right.”

“Qiaoqiao, the situation in Yan Bei is becoming increasingly complicated. Be careful there.”

Chu Qiao graciously smiled. “Thank you very much. Worry not. I am not going to be alone.
Yan Xun will be with me too.”

Li Ce was slightly taken aback, and following that he broke into a smile. “I am so stupid. You
are already going to marry, why am I still saying so much nonsense to you?” Shaking his
head, he seriously stated, “Alright, when you are getting married, inform me. I will make sure
I bring some presents for you.”

“Haha! That would be expected! Since you are so rich, I expect an extra large red envelope
from you! Don’t even think about nding an excuse not to give it me!”

“Oi! Don’t give me that. I am a poor man. The allowance that Father gives me each month is
not even enough for me to spend a night at the brothel.”

Chu Qiao was lost for words.

With the wind starting again, the sun gradually rose from beyond the horizon. The mist on
the grass plains started to vanish, as Li Ce pointed to Yan Bei’s forces, claiming, “You
should take your leave soon. If Prince Yan gets impatient, he will come after me.”

The sunlight of the morning shone onto Chu Qiao, giving her face a soft glow. Lightly licking
her lips, she smiled sincerely, “Li Ce, thank you. I am leaving.”

ffi
fi
Chu Qiao was just about to turn her horse around when a hand suddenly stretched out and
blocked her. The man’s expression looked a bit di erent from usual, as he gazed at her. Chu
Qiao raised an eyebrow, and asked, “Is there anything else that you need?”

“Oh, it is nothing much.” Li Ce absentmindedly shook his head while smiling. “If there
comes a day when Yan Xun suddenly becomes enlightened, and takes multiple wives and
concubine while ignoring you, you can come here and look for me for a place to live.”

Chu Qiao laughed. “Such a day will not come.” Lifting up her hand, she gestured a cutting
motion across her neck, while continuing, “If he dares to do that, I will rst get rid of that
bunch of women before killing him. Then I will declare myself king, and take over his
property.”

Li Ce clicked his tongue, and patted his chest while pretending to be very scared, “Wow,
such a scary woman.”

“I am leaving!”

“Go! Go! If you still do not go, the sky will turn dark already.”

Chu Qiao laughed, and with a yank on the horse, she rode away.

“Qiaoqiao! Remember to always be careful! Do not be too trusting!”

Chu Qiao waved her hand back, calling out, “Yes yes! You are saying too much!”

“This brat! Eat more meat! Your gure is too at. It is nauseating!”

On the Nanqiu Grass Plains, the wind intensi ed as the birds soared in the sky, welcoming a
new day. The sun had completely emerged from the horizon. Looking at the black crowd in
the distance, a young lady rushed forth.

The army of Yan Bei quietly lined up in their columns in wait of instructions from their
master. A man in black sat upright on his horse. Although he was still far away, one could
feel his cold aura, as though he was the embodiment of a sharp sword.

“The women now really have bad taste. Why would she chase after someone who is so
pretentious and forever seems so serious? On the other hand, someone as handsome as
me does not have anyone pursuing him. What kind of logic is that?” a certain man muttered,
before turning around. With the wind brushing back his hair, his robes uttered in the wind.
“I hope you can nd a path that is suitable for you!” With that said, Li Ce whipped his horse,
and quickly disappeared into the distance.

Sun Di and the gang were surprised by their Crown Prince’s sudden departure. Hurriedly,
they picked up the silver that was lying around and chased after him.

“Your Highness! Wait for us!”

“Why did his highness run o alone? And he is running so fast!”

fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
ff
fl
fi
Lu Yunxi scolded, “Idiot! Did you not hear what his highness said at the end? If we do not
run, we will be torn up by the Yan Bei army!”

“What? Right! Everyone, run for your lives!”

“Faster!”

….

Rushing back to Yan Xun’s side, she halted her horse. Wearing a black robe, his features
had not changed in the slightest, with his sharp brows that were always frowning. His
expression, however, was extremely complicated, as he stared at Li Ce’s vanishing gure
from the corner of his eye. Grimly, he asked, “What did he shout at the end?”

Chu Qiao was instantly lost for words, as her face blushed red. Trying to feign innocence,
she blurted, “What? I cannot remember. I did hear it clearly.”

Knowing that she was trying to sidestep the question, Yan Xun continued, “Why did you
speak for so long? Were you very close to him?”

After being with a certain person for so long, Chu Qiao naturally learned a thing or two about
talking her way out, as she responded, “We were not exactly close. We were just discussing
future cooperation between our countries, and imagining the blueprints for tomorrow.”

Unfortunately, Yan Xun was not so easily fooled, as he snorted and walked o . Waving to
the group of soldiers, the army started moving o . Then, he turned around and told Chu
Qiao, “Tell me everything that happened during this trip. Everything. Do not hide anything
from me.”

“What?” Chu Qiao’s guilty conscience acted up, as she quickly countered, “But there will be
so much to talk about!”

“It is alright, we have plenty of time since it will be a long journey back to Yan Bei from
here.” Yan Xun turned around with a gentle smile. But that smile was no longer the innocent
smile that he had donned back in Zhen Huang City. In fact, there were some traces of
cunningness and mystery hidden within his expression.

“Yan Xun,” Chu Qiao lost her con dence to lie, and asked instead, “why do I feel that you
have changed?”

“Is it?” Yan Xun casually responded, “That is because I realized that some people are trying
to snatch something away from me. And in fact, that thing seems rather popular. If I do not
watch over it, there is a good chance I will lose everything.

Chapter 145
“Ah? Is it? Who is so brazen to snatch things from you? That’s too much!” Chu Qiao
pretended to be angry.

fi
ff
ff
fi
“Hurhur, you feel this way too,” Yan Xun laughed and nodded. “Yes, it’s too much. I have
been standing by a tree for over ten years. Now that it’s nally bloomed, how can I allow
someone to step on it? Although the owers are not that beautiful nor graceful, they have
followed me for so long. Even a toilet bowl that has been used for a long time carries some
sentimental value. I value loyalty. Don’t they think they have gone too far?”

Chu Qiao’s face turned red. She shouted, “Hey! Yan Xun, you’re too much! Comparing me
to a toilet bowl!”

“Haha!” Yan Xun reached out his arms and lifted Chu Qiao up, putting her in front of him
onto his horse. He wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled, muttering, “I will ght
anyone that dares to take from me.” His voice was light. His breath landed on Chu Qiao’s
fair neck, causing her hair to stand on end.

“Don’t worry, no one will take from you. Your ower knows where exactly to bloom.”

The winds were strong. The army’s golden ag ew over their heads. Chu Qiao leaned in
Yan Xun’s embrace, her concerns and worries dissipating in an instant. Li Ce was right in
saying that one person only had one pair of legs. Since she had decided to head west, the
sceneries and weather in the northern route was none of her concern.

She was elated. When they reunited, she saw a di erent Yan Xun. He was no longer the
depressed prince in Zhen Huang City, no longer the imprisoned man full of hatred, nor the
lunatic that rampaged his way out of Zhen Huang City. He was full of warmth, appearing
relaxed. He resembled the eloquent, bubbly teenager by the lake many years ago. Having
escaped from the prison in Zhen Huang, they were no longer their old selves.

The sunlight was blinding, making the landscape appear yellow. Two eagles belonging to
them circled around their entourage. Their wings were big, and they danced in the air.

“Giddyup!” Yan Xun whipped the horse. The horse raised its hooves and accelerated. The
yellow dust was stirred high up behind their tracks.

“AhChu!”

The winds were strong. Even if they were near to each other, they needed to shout before
they could be heard.

Chu Qiao tried hard to turn back and shouted, “What did you say?”

“I’m bringing you home!” The man held his whip and raised his hand, pointing to the horizon
towards the northwest. With a sharp look in his eyes, he said, “Back to our own kingdom!”

The sky was azure blue. The winds drifted freely in the air. The white eagles spread their
wings and circled in the sky. In the distance, the artemisia blanketed the entire landscape.
The winds were cold and blew towards their direction, ipping the soldiers’ cloaks into the
air. Their heavy body armors clattered against the sheaths of their swords, making a crisp,
clanking sound. In the distance, Beishuo Pass—Yan Bei’s rst important line of defense—
fl
fl
fl
fl
ff
fl
fi
fi
fi
 could be seen. This was the passageway from the eastern mainland into Yan Bei. The tall
city gates were like a dragon in slumber, lying along the end of the horizon.

In front of Beishuo Pass was the well-known Huolei Plains. It was back then, right on this
piece of land, that Yan Bei’s Lion King, Yan Shicheng, swore to ght against the Xia troops
along with his sons, losing their lives in the process. Red Huoyun owers bloomed around
the vast piece of land. It was known that these owers used decomposing human esh as
their source of nutrients, and could only be spotted near graveyards and mass burial sites.
The owers bloomed brighter if there was more esh. After the big battle that year, the
Huoyun owers on Huolei Plains bloomed for nine years, appearing bright red all along
regardless of the season.

In that instant, Chu Qiao seemed to witness that tragic, passionate battle many years ago.

The horses galloped across the vast land. The clouds were red. The ensigns ew high up in
the air. The fully-equipped soldiers and their bloodthirsty cries were everywhere, from the
dense forests, to the isolated snowy mountain peaks, to the vast deserts. The warriors, with
their body armors on, fought to the death at every corner of Yan Bei. The women wielded
weapons to defend their country too. Tragic musical tunes echoed everywhere, along with
the local folk songs. A generation of people had died, but their eyes did not close with the
passing of their souls. Their heartbeats, which had advocated the idea of freedom, did not
stop. Their blood was still owing in the form of these red owers, blooming over every inch
of land. This was their way of reminding the next generation of children from Yan Bei to put
their passion and loyalty to good use. This piece of sacred land was a living depiction of
past events!

This was a noble piece of land! No words could describe its majesty. Every blade of grass,
every tree, every stone, every grain of sand had witnessed the tragic events that had
unfolded upon this place. At the same time, after each tragedy, its inhabitants stood up in
the face of stubbornness!

Yan Bei! Yan Bei!

Over these nine years, she had repeated these two words countless times. Yan Xun, along
with herself, had bore the brunt of humiliation, surviving countless life and death situations.
This was all in the hope that they would go back to Yan Bei one day. Presently, she stood on
the soil of Yan Bei, inhaling its cold, dry air. Seeing the herds of cows, sheep, and horses,
she started to cry.

She had been strong all along, regardless of her environment. However, at this instant, her
tears trickled uncontrollably down her face. Chu Qiao sat on the horse’s back, a white cloak
draped over her back. She looked up and straightened her back. She was not sad nor
disappointed, but felt a urry of complex emotions within her chest instead. It was the
mixed feelings she felt, a combination of excitement at nally having her wish come true,
together with the fatigue of having been through many battles. She knew that from this day
onwards, they would no longer have to live their lives on tenterhooks, no longer have to
worry about getting killed, no longer have to predict the motives of other people. No one
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
could kill or threaten them anymore. They no longer had to submit to anyone. They had
stood up for themselves!

Yan Bei, I’m nally here!

The horse took a step forward. The man wore a black cloak. His eyebrows were raised and
tilted, like two sharp swords. He remained silent, following behind her. He led the entire
army, staring at her quietly, staring at her solemn face, staring at her as she trembled,
staring at her as she quietly teared up.

In this world, only he could understand her. Only he could understand how she felt
presently. They were the same. The day when he saw Beishuo Pass, he was unable to
control himself. He did not cry in front of the civilians and soldiers of Yan Bei. However,
when he got back to his tent and closed its curtains, he started to cry silently. His tears were
hot, trickling uncontrollably down his determined face, which he had maintained all these
years. That day was the rst time in nine years that he allowed himself to get dead drunk. In
his drunken stupor, he seemingly saw his own father patting him on the shoulder, laughing
while saying, “Rascal, you have grown up. You’re as tall as me now!”

“This is Beishuo,” the man said calmly, pointing to the grey city under the sunset.

Chu Qiao turned back and stared at Yan Xun with liveliness in her eyes.

As the sun set and released its golden glory, the man sat on the horse’s back, his eyes calm
and voice steady. He wore a simple black military out t, similar to that of the soldiers. He
was about 20 years old, young, lean, upright, and handsome. His eyes were lled with glory,
like a well of unknown depth.

Age did not de ne how old a person was, only experiences could.

Looking at him, Chu Qiao suddenly thought of the young man who deliberately missed his
shot many years ago on the royal hunting ground. She thought of the warm, young prince
on the streets of Zhen Huang and the glowing waters of the lake. The young man looked at
her while laughing. His head was gleaming. She thought of the dark prison cell in the royal
capital, the cold snow akes that drifted into their cell, the raging northern winds, their hands
intertwined through the thick wall…

At that instant, looking at the contours of Yan Xun’s face, Chu Qiao seemingly relived the
ups and downs of these eight years. One young man got back to his feet from the mud and
pools of blood, making slow and di cult steps on his journey to recovery.

The northern winds were cold. The ag with an eagle symbol ew over her head. The
highlands of Yan Bei welcomed its new master. Chu Qiao’s blood started to boil. She was
able to predict: An era has ended. A new generation will arise here!

She was elated to be the direct witness of all these changes. After all, she had stood by the
man’s side with unwavering determination!

fi
fi
fl
fi
ffi
fl
fi
fl
fi
 Yan Xun turned around, taking a step forward with his horse. He said calmly to Chu Qiao,
“AhChu, welcome home.”

The cries of the eagles reverberated in the sky. Neat sounds of horses’ hooves echoed from
the front. The city gates of Beishuo City slowly opened up. Yan Xun looked up slowly, the
sunlight radiating on his face.

As they entered the city, someone approached them. Yan Xun pointed to the person in front,
saying, “AhChu, this is Huanhuan, the most unreasonable person in Yan Bei.”

The young lady was dressed in a smart-looking set of horse riding equipment. Her chin was
covered in a cloth made of camel hairs. Her eyes were like two shiny grapes. Hearing Chu
Qiao’s name, she was shocked. She sized up the tall girl with her eyes, before exclaiming,
“You’re Chu Qiao?”

“Princess Huan, the sharpest knife in the highlands of Yan Bei. It is Chu Qiao’s honor to be
able to see you.”

The wind blew into the door, messing up the young lady’s hair. Huanhuan looked at Chu
Qiao closely, her eyebrows resembling that of Yan Xun’s. She was 18 or 19-years-old and
had inherited the tall gures of previous Yan ancestors. Her skin was fair, and the contours
of her face were de ned, carrying with it an element of beauty. She laughed and said,
“You’re here. No wonder.”

Yan Xun frowned and chided, “Huanhuan, don’t be so rude.”

“Alright, Brother,” Huanhuan laughed. She patted Yan Xun on the shoulder, laughed, and
said, “Zhen Huang City is a damned place. They have led you astray. It’s either rules or
etiquette.

“I’ve heard about you,” Huanhuan turned around, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. With a
friendly tone, she said, “You accompanied my brother for eight years in the royal capital,
su ering a lot. In order to rescue the army, you fought with the Xia troops. Bravo!”

“Princess, you led the Huoyun Army to defeat the Batuo barbarians in Yan Bei. It has
become a legend,” Chu Qiao said.

“Hurhur, I am a descendant of the Yan family. If I don’t kill them, they will kill me. I can’t
compare to you. You are a living legend of Yan Bei,” Huanhuan laughed. “I heard that my
brother has brought a woman back. I was worried for a while that he let you down. Since it’s
you, I don’t need to worry anymore!” the young lady smiled sheepishly, made a face towards
Yan Xun, and dashed out of the door.

Chapter 146
Hearing the neighing of a horse, it was followed by the sounds of a horse galloping away.
The servants chased behind while shouting, “Master! That is His Highness’ horse!”

ff
fi
fi

 “Since young, she was alone. It is only natural that she is not very well mannered.” Yan Xun
gazed in the direction which Huanhuan disappeared, and gently smiled.

Looking at him from his side, Chu Qiao saw a gentle expression which she had never seen
before on his face. She knew that was his expression of familial love, something she had not
seen on his face for a long time.

The last of the sun’s rays vanished as the land sunk into darkness. The starlight shone from
above, like eyes glowing in the dark, observing all of the Yan Bei Highlands. Taking a deep
breath of the cold air, Chu Qiao felt like as though she had just breathed in a chunk of ice.

“But actually, I am a lot luckier than her!” the man suddenly declared. He did not turn around
to face Chu Qiao, but instead kept his gaze on the distant horizon. Yet, his left hand gently
grabbed Chu Qiao’s palm.

After eating dinner, Chu Qiao sat in the temporary study room while ipping through the
recent war reports of Yan Bei. She knew that Yan Bei was still not in an optimistic situation.
Timing the uprising in Zhen Huang City, Yan Bei had carried out a rebellion on the same day.
The Da Tong Guild and the men who followed the late Yan Bei King commenced attacks on
the key cities in the East and West. However, Yan Bei forces had been unable to crack the
tough nut of the Meilin Pass in the North. As a strategic location, that city usually stationed
over 10,000 troops, and would not easily be sieged, even normally. Moreover, the news of
the uprising had reached this pass from the east, so by the time the rebel army arrived, they
were already ready for combat.

Although the Da Tong Guild was famed to be full of talents, they were still lacking in master
strategists. Their strategies were mostly still at the most elementary level and relied on the
morale of their troops to win. Chu Qiao understood that when facing the elites of the Xia
Empire, that morale would be insu cient for them to last until the end. War is a form of art,
yet, within Da Tong, few could fully understand this art.

Quickly tidying up the reports, Chu Qiao marked important points using a red brush. By the
time she had sorted through everything, night had completely fallen.

A urry of knocks sounded from beyond the door. Chu Qiao acknowledged it, and the door
was pushed open very slightly. Huanhuan stuck her head in, and like a thief, looked around
anxiously, before whispering, “Where is my brother? Is he around?”

“He is not around.” Chu Qiao stood up to welcome her. “He is currently in the front hall
meeting guests. Princess, were you looking for him?”

“Ah, then that is good.” Hearing that Yan Xun was not around, Huanhuan suddenly
brightened up and walked in. With large strides, she walked up to Chu Qiao and said, “I was
actually looking for you. Come, let us go for a walk.” Having said that, she did not even wait
for Chu Qiao to agree before pulling her. In the rush, Chu Qiao was only able to grab her
coat before getting pulled out.

“Princess, so what did you look for me for?”

fl
ffi
fl
Passing through the streets, they reached the west of Lü Yi. The city was situated on high
grounds, and there was a slope in the west where most of the army was garrisoned. Before
dusk set, there were many camp res lit up. The warriors did not recognize Chu Qiao, but
seeing Huanhuan approaching from afar, they happily greeted, “Yo! It is the master! Have
you eaten! Do you want to sit down and eat with us?”

Huanhuan cheerily joked, “Go away! I have eaten abalone, lobster, and pettitoes back there!
Who would want to eat this plain noodle soup?”

The soldiers laughed heartily, and made way for the two ladies. They paid a bit more
attention to Chu Qiao out of curiosity.

“Erm. That one is my present to you!” Huanhuan laughed, pushing Chu Qiao forward. Chu
Qiao’s eyes lit up when she saw the scene in front of her. There was a deep maroon horse
tied to a big tree. With an entire body of dark red fur, its hooves were even shiny. With a u
of white fur in front of its nose, it was in its prime, as it was healthy and strong. With crystal
clear eyes, it was obvious that it was a good horse.

Chu Qiao stretched out her hand to lightly caress its nose. With a gentle neigh, the horse
blew warm air onto Chu Qiao’s hands. Chu Qiao smiled at that gesture, as Huanhuan
cheerily said, “AhTu likes you.”

“AhTu?”

“Yes. That is the name that I gave it.” Huanhuan patted the horse while proudly smiling and
elaborating on its origins, “This was the leader of the drove of horses at the base of Hui Hui
Mountains. I was only able to capture it after seven days, and trained it for over a year. Now,
it is yours.”

Since she had lost Liu Xing, Chu Qiao had yet to nd a good horse. Seeing how this horse
was indeed an excellent one, Chu Qiao was particularly grateful, and quickly thanked
Huanhuan, “Thank you, Princess.”

“Can you stop addressing me as ‘princess’?” Huanhuan requested. “I was born to the main
family. Even when my father was still alive, I was never addressed as such. Even more so
now.”

“Sure, then what should I call you?”

“Huanhuan will do. I will call you AhChu, the same as Brother. With that, we will be fair!”

Chu Qiao smiled. “Sure, Huanhuan.”

Hearing that, Huanhuan grinned from ear to ear, as her eyes turned into two thin lines.
Seeing that, Chu Qiao was suddenly overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions. This lady in
front of her had not even been 20 years old when the entire Yan family had been
slaughtered. She was the only daughter of Yan Shicheng’s brother Yan Shifeng. But as she
was born to a mere mistress, she was spared. When she was about to be arrested and
brought to Zhen Huang City as a slave, she was rescued by the Da Tong warriors. All these
fi
fi
fl
ff
years, she remained the spiritual leader of the Yan Bei people in place of Yan Xun. As the
only bloodline of Yan family in Yan Bei, she had gathered the talents of the old followers of
Yan family and those who were acting against the Xia empire. As she grew up, she had even
thrown herself onto the frontlines, experience real war. Slowly, she had become a great
general. In this messy world, almost anyone’s story would be written into a legend.

“AhChu, is Zhen Huang City fun?” Ultimately Huanhuan was still a child, and after chatting
with Chu Qiao for a short while, the topic eventually headed that way. “I heard from rumors
that it was extremely grandiose over there, and even the Fu Luo people who lived beside the
sea head there for business. Fu Luo people all have red hair and blue eyes, have you seen
them before?”

Chu Qiao smiled in reply. “I have seen them, but they were rather rare. Speaking of
grandiosity and foreigners, I think the Tang Empire would be more well known for that.”

“The Tang Empire?”

“Indeed.” The duo, while leading the horse around, had sat down on the top of a slope.
Sitting next to each other, the moonlight shone brightly upon the duo.

Chu Qiao elaborated, “That is a beautiful country. They don’t have snow throughout the
year, nor winter. They spend the entire year basking in the warmth of spring, and their
commerce is extremely well o too. Just their capital, Tang Jing, alone already has a
population of over three million. That is almost a fth of the entire Yan Bei population.”

“Wow!” This girl who had never left the soil of Yan Bei marveled, “That is so cool!”

“Indeed.” Chu Qiao laughed while the image of Li Ce brimming with pride surfaced in her
mind. “They are indeed pretty cool.”

“When I get the chance, I must go and take a look.” Huanhuan waved her st up in the air.
“After we win the war, we will go!”

Chu Qiao nodded in agreement, “Sure. After we win the war, we can go there together.”

“Alright! That’s a promise! Do not back down when the day comes!” Huanhuan loudly
proclaimed, before pointing to the horse that was quietly eating grass beside them. “AhTu,
did you hear her? You are my witness!”

That horse was very smart. Hearing that its name was called, it lifted up its head and looked
over.

Chu Qiao smiled. “Sure, AhTu will be the witness.”

It was then some noise came from below. Huanhuan jumped up, and her face brightened
immediately. Waving her hands frantically, she called out, “Xiaohe! Xiaohe! Come here!”

Before long, a horse trotted over. A handsome young man jumped down from the horse, and
ran up toward the two ladies. Somewhat out of breath, he asked, “What happened? Why
did you urgently send someone to look for me?”

ff
fi
fi
 “I want to introduce a friend to you!” Pointing at Chu Qiao, Huanhuan proudly declared, “Do
you know who is this? You might be shocked to death if you knew! Hahaha! This is Chu
Qiao, the one who led the Southwestern Emissary’s Garrison to victory against that whole
bunch from Northwest.”

“Wha—?” Xiaohe’s mind took a moment too long to process that information. He was
extremely surprised, with his eyes wide open in disbelief. He muttered, “She is so young?”

Rolling her eyes at him, it was as though Huanhuan was making fun of his lack of
knowledge. Then, she turned to Chu Qiao, and introduced the man, “AhChu, this is Xiaohe.
His full name is… Right, Xiaohe, what was your full name again?”

Xiaohe was instantly overwhelmed with speechlessness, as he depressingly asked, “You

even forgot my full name?”

“Who bothers to remember this sort of stu ?” Huanhuan frowned, saying it as though it was
a fact. “No one ever uses your full name, so it would be pointless.”

Xiaohe rolled his eyes before turning around and introducing himself to Chu Qiao, “Lady
Chu, My surname is Ye, full name is Ye Tinghe. I am the administrative o cer of the First
Army. They all call me Xiaohe, you may do the same.”

Chu Qiao smiled. “General Xiaohe, nice to meet you.”

“Bleh! Him? General? Maybe only in his next life!”

“Oi! Huanhuan, saying such mean things before a new acquaintance is not nice!”

With her hands on her hips, Huanhuan replied, “So what if I am not nice? Bet you were too
amazed by her beauty. Let me tell you, AhChu is my brother’s ance. As for you, do not
think too much.”

Xiaohe was completely embarrassed, as he refuted, “Since when did I think that way? You
are tainting my image!”

Huanhuan poked his chest, while overbearingly saying, “So what if I am tainting your
image?”

Xiaohe’s face grimaced in anger, as he snapped, “This unreasonable woman! It’s impossible
to reason with you. Lady Chu, I still have other matters to attend to. Let me take my leave.”

“What do you possibly have to do? Administrative o cer, hmph, I do not even know what
type of o cer that is! Mister Wu merely gave you a title for doing simple stu .”

“You…”

Seeing how the duo started heating up in their argument, Chu Qiao quickly interjected to
de-escalate the situation, “Now, with the reorganization of our troops, the administrative
o cer would naturally be busier with so many responsibilities.”

“AhChu, do not speak so highly of him.”

ffi
ffi
ff
ffi
fi
ffi
ff
 Chu Qiao shrugged it o . “That is not true! With the beginning of the war, administrative
o cers are extremely important in the backline. They are in charge of a wide variety of
matters, from recruitment to training, from enforcing military law to organizing the limited
strength of the militias. They even organize reinforcements and arrange for the policing of
the newly occupied areas in order to calm the population. There are a lot of details involved,
and it is not something anyone could do.”

With her description complete, the two listeners just stared at her mindlessly, completely
ending their previous bickering. Seeing that, Chu Qiao felt strange, and asked, “What’s
wrong? Did I say something wrong?”

“N-nothing is wrong?” Huanhuan turned around and asked Xiaohe, “You are doing that
now?”

“No.” Xiaohe shook his head. “I was merely in charge of recording the battles, and
sometimes I help the soldier write letters to their family.”

Chu Qiao was lost for words. How was this an administrative o cer? This was clearly just a
normal clerk.

“Xiaohe, seems like you will need to visit AhChu more often. She will teach you a lot,”
Huanhuan blinked her eyes as she said.

Xiaohe quickly agreed, “It’sno wonder that you can win battles. You are so insightful.”

Chu Qiao could not help but sigh. It seemed like Yan Bei’s army really needed a lot of
reorganization.

After chatting a while more, they parted. Looking back at them, Chu Qiao could see them
resuming their bickering as they poked and pushed each other back and forth. Seeing that,
she actually felt a bit amused.

Chapter 147
Xiaohe was the son of a gardener in Yan Shifeng’s residence. When Yan Bei was defeated
that year, he was captured along with Huanhuan. According to Huanhuan, she had valiantly
rescued Xiaohe, who was crying and had peed his pants, from the clutches of Xia. However,
Chu Qiao heard that a small kid had saved Huanhuan instead, carrying her while walking for
over 50 kilometers in the snow before nding the rescue team from Da Tong Guild. It looked
like this child was Xiaohe.

In the vast snow were two kids who had lost their families. One of them, about ten-years-
old, carried the other and walked for over 50 kilometers. It was unimaginable.

As she went back to the study, she did not see Yan Xun inside. Chu Qiao went to his house
and looked around, but did not see anyone there. She asked the guards, who said that the
prince had gone to the back mountain.

ffi
ff

fi
ffi
Lü Yi was high above the ground, its residence perched at the highest point in the city. A hill
was situated behind the place. Chu Qiao, wearing a cloak made out of a fox’s skin, made
her way up the mountain step by step. She gazed into the distance, seeing an isolated tree
on the peak surrounded by stones at both sides without a trace of grass. Yan Xun was
sitting on a stone. In the night, the wilted tree appeared ferocious. Chu Qiao’s footsteps
startled him, causing him to turn around. He reached out his hand towards Chu Qiao and
said, “You’re back.”

“Yup,” Chu Qiao took a few steps forward, caught her breath, grabbed onto Yan Xun’s hand
and sat beside him. Beaming with joy, she said, “Huanhuan gave me a horse. She said that
it was the king of horses in Huihui Mountains. It’s pretty.”

“Don’t believe her,” Yan Xun replied. “She gave away a lot of horses these few days, telling
them that they were the king of horses in Huihui Mountains. She gave me two horses
yesterday, claiming that they were the king and queen. Based on her logic, the horses in
Huihui Mountains each have their own herd. They are the individual kings.”

Chu Qiao was stunned. She shook her head and laughed, recalling Huanhuan’s mysterious
look. “What a kid.”

Yan Xun looked at her from the side of his eye. “You’re younger than her?”

Chu Qiao replied, unsure, “I’m more mature.”

Yan Xun turned around. The moonlight shone on his face. The fog caused his face to appear
pale. Chu Qiao asked, “Are you feeling better? It’s cold here. Let’s go back.”

“It’s nothing, I want to sit here for a while,” Yan Xun shook his head, looking down at the city
beneath him, and said calmly, “When you were not around a while ago, I could never feel at
peace. Now that you’re back, I can nally relax and take a good look at Yan Bei.”

The houses beneath the mountain were lit. Peace reigned everywhere in the land. In the
distance, the sounds of the military songs drifted over, carrying a few elements of desolation
and solemnity. Yan Xun sighed and remarked, “AhChu, Yan Bei is poor. Coupled with the
internal con ict, it is no longer the old Yan Bei. Have you been disappointed these two
days?”

Chu Qiao turned around, but Yan Xun did not stare at her. She whispered, “If Yan Bei was
still the old Yan Bei, we would not need to risk our lives for it.”

Yan Xun’s body jerked slightly, but he remained silent.

Chu Qiao held Yan Xun’s left hand. His hand was icy-cold and missing a pinky. The
remaining four ngers were long and rough and had developed old calluses. The calluses
formed from his practice of martial arts coupled with manual labor, which was unlike a
noble. Chu Qiao held his hand tightly and put it to the front of her mouth, exhaling warm air
onto his palm and rubbing it. She looked up and laughed, saying, “Speaking of poor, was
anyone poorer than us back then?”

fl
fi
fi
 Yan Xun turned around, seeing the young lady’s mouthful of white teeth. Her smile was like
a blooming ower in the night. Thinking of the past, he felt a tinge of sadness. How could he
have forgotten the rst year that they spent together in Zhen Huang City? Fireworks were
being set o everywhere in the city. There was a joyous mood. In the northwestern, remote
part of Sheng Jin Palace, two children crouched together in a dilapidated hut, nding
everything they could to keep warm. The torn out ts, blankets, curtains… They were like
two little beggars back then.

There was a small pot in the center of the room. As they started a re, they continued to add
in rewood. The girl’s cheeks were red. She held a ladle and continuously stirred the
contents in the pot.

They shared half a bowl of porridge each, topped with a few cold pieces of salted radish.
That was the meal that they had for the new year. Yan Xun felt sad inside, refusing to eat.
Chu Qiao held his bowl and coaxed him to eat while preaching about life. After Chu Qiao fell
asleep on Yan Xun’s shoulder, he looked down at her frostbitten hands. She had eaten, but
her stomach continued to rumble. Her face looked yellow and frail. She looked like she
would never grow up. At that time, he swore to himself in his heart that he would provide her
with a good life one day. However, many years had passed since that day. She was still on
the run together with him, living a dangerous life.

“Aiya!” Chu Qiao exclaimed in panic.

Yan Xun was stunned. “What happened?”

“We forgot to drink the wine that we buried in the palace before we left.”

Yan Xun laughed. A cold, sharp look ashed across his eyes. Calmly, he said, “Don’t worry,
we will have a chance to.” It was a simple sentence, but it carried the sharp edges of a
sword. The man stared ahead, the wind blowing across his head and across the vast land of
Yan Bei.

“Yan Xun, you said that the issue regarding rations and weapons would be solved soon. Are
you con dent of that? Although Li Ce promised that he would allow us to use the black
market of Tang, if we need too many resources, the higher ups will be alerted.” Chu Qiao
nally voiced out her concerns which she had been hiding for two days.

Yan Xun raised his eyebrows. After a long while, he replied in a low voice, “The Song
Empire.”

“The Song Empire? Why would they help us?”

“I saw the eldest princess of Song.”

“Nalan Hongye!” Chu Qiao was stunned, her eyes widening. She looked at Yan Xun and
thought for a long while before saying, “In this case, when you requested Li Ce to grant you
access to the black market back then, was it just a decoy? Your real motive was to borrow
the waterway of the northern borders to enter Song at will?”

fi
fi
fi
ff
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
 Yan Xun nodded and replied, “You’re right.”

Chu Qiao frowned and said, “Tang and Song are at war. If we do this, we are supporting
Song’s supply of iron ore and gold. Would we be considered to be siding with Song,
opposing Li Ce in the process?”

“What do we do then?” Yan Xun turned around, a sharp look on his face. “Tang does not
want to oppose Xia openly. They don’t dare to supply us with rations and military
equipment. I have no choice but to search for a third party. Don’t tell me that I have to buy
rations from Xia?”

Despite her reluctance, she had to admit that Yan Xun was right. She should have rejoiced
at the Song Empire’s bold actions. If not, they would probably have to do business with the
Quanrong people at Meilin Pass.

“AhChu, do you think Li Ce doesn’t know my motives?” Yan Xun sighed and said slowly.
“No matter how careful we are, how perfect our plan is, tons of rations will pass through
Tang territory and circulate around the black market no matter what. Do you really think Li
Ce will not know anything?”

Chu Qiao looked up, her eyes brightening up.

“He is only pretending to not know. From Tang’s perspective, they want a major, long-lasting
con ict between Xia and Yan Bei, so that the two sides will perish together. Song will
provide us with rations, which suits their interests. That’s why they allowed this to happen.
Since the establishment of the three empires, Tang’s enemy is not Song alone. The biggest
threat resides in Hongchuan. Regarding this matter, Li Ce understands this better than you.”

Yan Xun sighed and looked into the distance at the numerous lighted houses.

“In addition, we can’t last for much longer. Our war with Xia is a long-term con ict. We have
to look far into the future, instead of focusing on short-term interests. Yan Bei has
experienced con icts over all these years. There is still the threat of Quanrong at the
northern border. Every year, from autumn to winter, the civilians would be robbed. There are
too many casualties and losses. They all look forward to my return, but they are not aware
that as long as I am back, a con ict of a larger scale would erupt. It only adds to their
misery. You were right in the meeting previously. The civilians form the foundation of Yan
Bei’s army. I know that many families do not have food for the winter. If we do not feed them
this year, they will freeze and starve to death, worsening our situation. I have to give them a
signal, a belief, that as long as I am back, their lives will change for the better. Only through
this will they be loyal to me.”

Chu Qiao nodded, feeling slightly melancholy. Gently, she replied, “It’s like this.”

“AhChu, don’t think too much. Everything will pass.” Yan Xun patted Chu Qiao on the
shoulder and smiled with determination. “We have been through so much together. Are we
worse o now or back then?”

fl
ff
fl
fl
fl
The wind was cold, blowing onto Chu Qiao’s face. Her lashes were long and dense, like two
little fans. Smiling, she said, “Yan Xun, I trust you.”

Yan Xun’s eyebrows moved slightly. A thought ashed across his eyes, but he did not say
anything. He embraced her and kissed her lightly on the forehead. His lips were cold and
wet. Chu Qiao leaned in his embrace, on his hard and broad chest. She could feel his
heartbeat through his thick robe. Beat by beat, the determination was there. Their actions
were natural, just like how it had been these eight years. Both of them remained silent, but
their chemistry was like an old wine, releasing its fragrant aroma from time to time.

They had depended on each other when times were di cult. Many times, the favors they
did for each other were ordinary and did not seem to be t their age. However, their painful
experiences had allowed them to mature. Although the excitement and passion was still
there, it had been masterfully concealed.

“Yan Xun, who will Xia send to attack Yan Bei? Meng Tian? Zhao Che? Or anyone else?”

“Meng Tian is old,” Yan Xun’s voice carried a tinge of seriousness. Amidst the winds, it
sounded hoarse. “As for Zhao Che, big trouble will befall him soon.”

“Oh? Why?”

Yan Xun smiled and icked Chu Qiao’s forehead. Frowning purposely, he said, “AhChu, are
you doing this on purpose? Asking me about this kind of thing?”

Chu Qiao grumbled, rubbed her forehead, her nose, and said, “I’m with you. I don’t want to
use my brain.”

Yan Xun chuckled. It looked like however wise a woman was, she had her feminine side
after all.

“During the rebellion back then, the various lands took their opportunity. Some governors
took their chances to test how strong the Zhao family was. In addition, there was a plague
spreading about in Zhen Huang. The Zhao family was forced to migrate from the capital.
This was the rst time in hundreds of years that the Zhao family exhibited weaknesses,
making them a laughing stock of the entire world. Only Zhao Che stayed behind to defend
the capital, protecting his citizens. He was heroic, and gained his foothold over the army
and political systems. Thinking about it, given the character of the Xia Emperor and his
power-hungry royal siblings, coupled with the bunch of old fellows from the Elders’ Clan,
would they still allow him to ex his muscles?”

Chu Qiao nodded and replied, “Right.”

Chapter 148
Seeing how Chu Qiao could barely open keep her eyes open, Yan Xun burst out in laughter.
“What are you agreeing for? You are so tired.”

“I…am not. I’ve been listening carefully,” with a yawn, Chu Qiao replied.

fi
fl

fl
fl
ffi
fi
Yan Xun stood up, and with one swift action he scooped her up into his arms like a bride,
and whispered gently, “There is no point in worrying about him. Either way, what will come,
will come. Let us wait and see who will be the rst to act up.”

Cowering in Yan Xun’s embrace, Chu Qiao muttered a reply. With her arms around Yan Xun’s
neck, she fell into a deep slumber.

Under the moonlight, the horn for lights out sounded o in the distant army encampment.
With thousands of lights going out almost all at once, it was truly a spectacular sight to
behold. Looking at the lady in his arms, Yan Xun was suddenly lled with energy and
motivation.

Within a side courtyard of the Zhuge Family, the Fourth Master of the Zhuge Family was
relaxing and drinking tea. He had always been someone who would go to great lengths to
take care of himself. Although he had just fallen out of favor within the family, he had not
given up on himself as the outside world had expected him to. Instead, he began to relax, as
he started on all kinds of hobbies, such as grooming plants, tasting tea, writing calligraphy,
and reading. From time to time, he would even head to the stable to ride horses.

Seeing his current state, no one would think that he had just been defeated in a power
struggle within his family, with him committing a serious mistake that caused him to end up
in a state where it would be highly impossible for him to bounce back into power. Now, he
could not even freely walk out of the doors of the Zhuge family, and was essentially under
house arrest.

Yue Qi walked into the room, and quietly informed him, “Master, I am back.”

“Sure.” Zhuge Yue lazily turned his eyes and acknowledged him. He then continued to
carefully examine the tea leaves in his cup.

“The Seventh Prince returned to the capital, and is heading toward Sheng Jin Palace. The
soldiers of Shang Lü Court are by his side. Yet, the Southwestern Army O cers were no
longer following him. I heard that army has already been taken over by the Third Prince.”

Zhuge Yue’s movements slowed down for a split second before he gave a slight smile. It
was impossible to tell his thoughts.

“The various provinces of the northwest regions have already made necessary preparations
for logistic supply. The Batuha family will be sending 10,000 of their elites, and the 14th
Prince will be following the army as well. This time, the Empire will muster a total of 300
thousand troops, and consist entirely of elite cavalry and heavy infantry. This is an extremely
strong lineup.”

While drinking his tea, Zhuge Yue snorted lightly, while casually replying, “Even if a pack of
dogs attacks together, they cannot best a lion. The Xia Empire must be on its last legs if we
are sending out such a bunch of useless people now.”

Yue Qi was a bit stunned by his master’s acrimonious words, and asked, “Master, the Third
Prince graduated from the Shang Wu Hall, and the 14th Prince also returned from the
fi
ff
fi
ffi
 Northwest after several victorious skirmishes against the Yan Bei army. The Batuha family’s
troops are extremely strong and vicious. How would they be considered useless?”

Slowly lifting up his head, Zhuge Yue looked at Yue Qi with his jet-black pupils, and slowly
explained, “On paper, they seem great. But in reality, things are vastly di erent. If this battle
was commanded by Zhao Qi, or Zhao Yang, or in fact anyone, there would be a 50 percent
chance of victory. However, this time, the army is a coalition of three forces all led by a
commander who thinks too highly of themselves. What kind of result do you think that will
cause?”

Hearing that, Yue Qi was dumbfounded.

Zhuge Yue frowned very slightly as he continued his monologue, “In an army, only one
commanding voice is needed. That will ensure the e ective communication of strategies
and orders. Now, with three di erent voices hindering each other, if Yan Xun could not take
advantage of our weakness, he would really be an idiot.”

Slowly standing up, Zhuge Yue walked towards the inner room of the building. While
walking, he instructed, “Inform Zhu Cheng to withdraw all our business and assets from the
west. This battle will be long and tough. We no longer stand to pro t from the west.”

With the sunlight brightly shining, the loose clothes of the man disappeared in the layers
upon layers of plants. Gazing at the silhouette of his young master, Yue Qi pondered a
question he would never dare ask. He was really curious. Master, so who do you hope will
win?

Sixth of October, it was a windy day.

The coalition consisting of the Northwest Army led by the 14th Prince, Southwest Army led
by the Third Prince, and the Jinri Regiment led by the eldest son of the Batuha family, Tuba
Guli, along with the forces sent out by the various provinces of the Northwestern region set
o towards the Northwest. The Southwest Army and the Jinri Regiment were tasked with full
frontal assault, while the Northwest Army was to ank the enemy. The spearpoint of war was
sharper than ever before as combatants totaled over 500 thousand. When including the
manpower handling logistics and transport, the total manpower involved exceeded one
million. Such a gargantuan force loomed over Yan Bei’s future like rainstorms.

The main paths of the Xia Empire heading toward the Northwest regions were ooded with
troops and carriages carrying war supplies. A seemingly unending supply of rations, troops,
horses, and other supplies continuously owed toward the encampments. After mustering
troops for so many months, the fury of the Xia Empire would nally be unleashed upon the
rebels. In the face of the ames of war, there was no retreat. The army of Yan Bei gathered
at the border city of Beishuo, solemnly awaiting the siege of their fated enemies. A historical
battle would soon occur.

October 13th, the rst snow of this winter fell on the Yan Bei highlands. The ferocious
snowing lasted for three days and three nights, creating a blanket of snow that was at least
a foot deep. The cold front engulfed the entire northwestern region as the temperature
ff
fi
fl
ff
fl
fl
ff
fi
fi
ff
fl
 plummeted. Even though it was high noon on a clear day, one could barely see the sun
apart from the faint blot of yellow that seemed brighter than the rest of the sky.

Such snow was rare and few in the history of Yan Bei, and caught many unprepared. Many
livestock froze to death, and many buildings collapsed from the heavy snow and strong
winds. Countless Yan Bei civilians lost their homes. On the bright side, the rapidly advancing
Xia Army had been halted in their tracks, as they set up camp in the Bailin Province to wait
for the storm to subside. As a result, the two armies that were poised for an earth shattering
battle sank into silence, merely waiting for each other to act.

Within the endless snowy plains, a group of men rapidly advanced along the main path
heading toward Beishuo City. Their horses were big and muscular, and despite being
covered by only leather armor, they were not in the least bit hindered by the cold as they
galloped over the thick snow. Soon, the group approached the city, and a group of scouts
sallied forth, questioning their intent, “Who are you?”

The quickly advancing group gave no verbal reply, but the leading cavalryman raised a small
red ag. The group of scouts were taken aback by the ag, and backed o . Without any
further questions, they let the group pass. The group continued rushing toward their
destination, quickly disappearing into the vast snow plains.

“Brother Xun, who were they? Why did everyone just let them pass?” one of the younger
scouts in the team asked. Wearing a cap made out of bearskin, his face was red from the
cold.

“Do not question too much!” The leader chided him before looking around carefully, as if he
was scared that those men would quickly return if this conversation was to be overheard.
Then, he whispered, “That is the ag of massacre, symbolizing the second army.” The
leader had kept his volume very low, but the whole team could still hear him loud and clear.
At that instance, the team felt chills go down their spines, as they turned in unison, looking
at the gures that were already vanishing into the vast whiteness.

Considering the fact that the Xia Empire had sent a formidable force, the new Yan King had
sent out assembly orders to muster troops from all over the country. Just then, the last
troops that were from the distant Meilin Pass had arrived.

Despite the looming battle, there were crowds of refugees in the front of the city gates of Bei
Shuo. In the snow storm, many civilians’ houses had collapsed, and their livestock froze to
death. In a mere three days, hundreds of civilians had died from the freezing temperature or
hunger. Now, they gathered before the city gates, hoping to enter the city to escape from
this disaster. Yet, Beishuo city had long ago entered top alert. Despite the mounting
numbers of refugees that were gathered at the city gates, Yan Xun had ordered the gates to
be shut to prevent any possible in ltration of spies, with thousands of soldiers remaining on
guard at any time. In front of the massive city walls of Bei Shuo, the moaning and wailing of
civilians could be heard everywhere.

“Give way!” A urry of horse galloping sounds could be heard. Amidst the sound, one could
hear even hear sounds of the whip slapping on the civilians forcing them to move. The
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
ff
 vanguards of the second army rapidly arrived in front of the city gates of Beishuo. A general
wearing a maroon robe waved the crimson red ag at the guards while shouting, “We are
the vanguards of the second army! I am Xue Zhiyuan. Open the gates!”

Before long, a line of torches appeared on the city wall. One of them loudly questioned,
“Does General Xue have General Cao’s letters?”

Xue Zhiyuan replied, “The letter is here!”

A bamboo basket was let down from the city walls. One of the cavalrymen beside Xue
Zhiyuan strode up and placed the letters in the basket. Before long, the torches in the city
gates lit up, and with a creak, the gates opened without any prior indications.

“Ah! The gates are open!” A wave of cheering resounded as the thousands of refugees
cheered all at once, and moving their frozen hands, they charged toward the city gate. Like
ood water bursting the bank, the crowd of refugees instantly disrupted the formation of the
second army’s vanguards.

“Idiot!” The general who was clad in a maroon coat swore, before he dismounted the horse.

“Quickly! Stop them!” It was only then Commander Cui, who was in charge of guarding the
gates, realized his folly. His soldier dashed out, and stood in front of the gates while
shouting, “Whoever dares to stir trouble will be shot dead! Go back! Go back!”

In the howling winds, their voices were tiny like a mosquito buzz. Staying beyond the city
wall would mean certain death, and the refugees charged at their only chance of survival
with bloodshot eyes. While charging, they shouted, “Let us in? We are the citizens of Yan
Bei! Let us in!”

“General Xue! General Xue!” Commander Cui was worried that the allied forces would be
injured in the mess, as he panickedly shouted.

At this time, a streak of blood shot up into the sky, as a young o cer drew out his blade and
struck at one of the refugees. The sharp blade coupled with the strength of the blow
immediately knocked the man away, as his blood spilled all over the pristine white ground,
creating a pool of red. These bunch of refugees, although desperate, were all humble
civilians who had never seen such gore and killing. Upon seeing the bloodied blade of the
soldier, they shrieked in fear and immediately distanced themselves from the young o cer.

Commander Cui was taken aback as he had never thought that anyone would really dare to
use lethal power. Just as he was about to speak, that young o cer walked over, and calmly
said, “I am Xue Zhiyuan.”

Just as Commander Cui was about to greet this o cer, he suddenly heard a heart-breaking
cry. A woman was crying with all her strength, “Dear! Dear! Wake up!”

“Someone died! The army killed someone!”

The woman’s cries were like a stone thrown at the surface of water, as the ripples of angst
spread amongst the refugee. An elderly man who seemed to be in his seventies stood in the
fl
fl
ffi
ffi
ffi
ffi
 front of the crowd. “What right do you have to kill us? What gives you the right to? My three
sons are all in the army, and followed you o to ght the Xia dogs. Now, why would you not
let me enter? Let us enter the city!”

Despite the cold weather, Commander Cui’s forehead was full of cold sweat, as he was at a
loss as to what he should do next.

The young general Xue Zhiyuan frowned and rmly stated, “We do not have much time.
Please decide on what to do, with haste.”

“What?” Commander Cui asked, dumbfounded. He was born to a blacksmith, and was
promoted only because he displayed extraordinary valor during combat. After killing roughly
a dozen enemies, he had been promoted to a small commander. Tonight he just happened
to be on guard duty, and was completely confused by the ow of events. He merely looked
at this young and collected man in front of him and asked, “What did you say?”

In that short moment, the refugees had already charged up. The city guards must have been
insanely incompetent as over a dozen soldiers had been so easily suppressed by the
refugees. Seeing how the guards were losing control of the city gates, a tinge of seriousness
ashed across Xue Zhiyuan’s eyes as he bellowed out, “Archers! Get ready!”

Chapter 149
Upon command, over 20 soldiers from the Second Army jumped o their horses and
equipped their crossbows in neat motions. Before Commander Cui had time to blink, the
arrows ew out swiftly towards the civilians’ legs. In an instant, the stricken civilians let out
panicked cries of agony.

“Get them!” The young man’s voice sounded like a panther letting out a low howl.

The warriors startled the civilians who were far out. They discarded their crossbows, taking
their knives and charging in front. They were ruthless. Despite only using their sheaths, they
were bloodthirsty. With each stroke, they smashed the civilians’ heads with their sheaths. In
a short while, over ten civilians lay dead on the oor.

“Get out of the way!”

The warriors and refugees clustered together. The troops of Yan Bei witnessed what was
going on inside the city, letting out an emergency signal. Big groups of troops rushed over
from the inner part of the city, but were stopped by the chaotic crowd at the gates, unable to
get out of the city.

At this instant, the sounds of horses’ hooves echoed out from the distance in the snowy
plains. A large crowd approached the scene rapidly. A small warrior, dressed in black,
presumably the leader of the crowd, jumped from the horse’s back. The voice sounded
feminine, but carried an intimidating aura. “Who’s creating trouble?”

Over 100 soldiers jumped o their horses subsequently. The warrior dashed in front,
scanned the crowd, and took out a sword, saying, “Go! Pummel the soldiers!”

fl
fl

ff
ff
fi
fl
fi
fl
ff
 The warrior’s army was highly skilled. With a few neat, agile motions, they dashed into the
crowd and surrounded the soldiers from the Second Army. Outnumbering them, they
subdued them promptly. The civilians, seeing that someone stood up for them, cheered in
joy. The pandemonium was stabilized.

About 30 to 40 civilians lay on the ground, injured. A few of them had stopped moving. It
was hard to tell if they were dead or alive. The small warrior frowned, covered by his body
armor. He turned around and said, “Call the doctors to treat the injured people.”

“Who are you? How dare you…” Xue Zhiyuan raged, dashing in front. The warrior did not
wait for him to nish his words, before slapping him crisply on the face. Before he had time
to react, the warrior slapped him again on the other side of the face!

“You are a warrior of Yan Bei! Your swords should be pointing at the Xia soldiers instead of
the civilians of Yan Bei!” the crisp voice of the warrior echoed out.

Xue Zhiyuan was enraged, his eyes almost spitting out re. He let out a loud roar, clenched
his sts and dashed towards the warrior. However, the warrior was agile, leaping up into the
air and smashing his sword sheath into Xue Zhiyuan’s shoulder. With another kick, he sent
Xue Zhiyuan sprawling to the ground.

“Tie him up! Turn him in to Your Highness for punishment!” the warrior said. The civilians
cheered again in joy.

The warrior turned around and shouted towards the civilians, “People, Beishuo is about to
go to war. It’s too dangerous here. Your Highness is in the western region near Luori
Mountain. He has built some shelters for all of you to avoid the snowstorm. There are food
and clothes there. Please follow my subordinates there immediately.”

The crowd started to move. The warrior’s subordinates blended into the crowd to organize
them. In a short while, a few doctors ran out from inside the city. The warrior walked to the
front to take a look. Upon closer inspection, 13 civilians had died in the chaos earlier on. He
frowned, his expression troubled.

An hour later, the remaining civilians headed west under the leadership of the soldiers. The
warrior walked into the city, while the city gates closed behind him. The noises outside were
drowned out, making the snowstorm seem less severe.

The warrior exchanged a few words with the panic-stricken Commander Cui, before walking
towards the carriage which imprisoned Xue Zhiyuan and his men.

“General Xue, I’m sorry I o ended you just now,” the warrior removed his hat, revealing a
thin face, de ned eyebrows and bright eyes. The warrior was actually a pretty, young girl.

“Who are you?” Xue Zhiyuan’s face was still swollen, his wound hurting from where she had
kicked him. He did not want to speak to her, but upon seeing her face, he was shocked.

“This is General Chu,” Commander Cui introduced. “General, this is the leader of the
Second Army, Xue Zhiyuan. He has come here to aid the troops of Beishuo.”

fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
Chu Qiao’s face had turned red from the cold. Her lips had started to crack. She nodded
and said in a friendly tone, “General Xue, it’s been hard on you. You traveled in such bad
weather conditions for thousands of miles.”

Xue Zhiyuan frowned, not knowing where this General Chu came from. He stared at Chu
Qiao ruthlessly and sneered in a low voice, “I will not let today’s incident slide.”

“Of course. Over ten people died in front of the city gates, with over 40 injured. It is natural
not to let the incident slide,” Chu Qiao smiled, but her look was stern. She continued calmly,
“However, General Xue wanted to protect the city. With the war imminent, I will not report
this matter to the military command center.”

“You…”

“General Xue, you came here in such a hurry. Don’t you have something important to do?
Although you’re free, I need to leave.”

Xue Zhiyuan took a deep breath, looked at Chu Qiao ferociously in the eye, sneered, and
stormed o with his subordinates.

Commander Cui wiped the cold sweat o his face and said to Chu Qiao, “General, are you
alright?”

Chu Qiao frowned and sighed helplessly, saying, “If only I knew he was from the Second
Army. I wouldn’t have slapped him. Now, there’s going to be trouble.”

“Ah?” Commander Cui was stunned.

“Ah? For what?” Chu Qiao turned around and raged, “If not for the Second Army, the city
gates would have been breached just now! Do you know the consequences of letting spies
into the city at this time? The entire army of Yan Bei would be exterminated! Beishuo is an
important city of Yan Bei, but you were so careless. Although Xue Zhiyuan was wrong to kill
the civilians just now, you were taking the entire fate of Yan Bei into your own hands!”

Commander Cui was scared out of his wits. His legs went soft and his eyes sparked. He
looked left and right, like a thief who had been apprehended. He knelt on the ground with a
loud thud and pleaded loudly, “General, I deserve to die. Please spare my life.”

Chu Qiao frowned slowly, wondering how this incompetent fool had been appointed as the
leader to defend the city. She did not know who to blame. At this point of time, she felt
powerless.

“Go and report yourself to the military command center!” Chu Qiao ordered and turned
around to leave. The storm was heavy, showing no signs of subsiding.

Chu Qiao opened the room door, greeted by a gush of warm air. She removed her cloak,
looked left and right, but did not see Yan Xun. She turned around and walked to the study,
bumping into AhJing along the way, who was in a rush. AhJing panted and said, “Miss, Your
Highness tells you to nd him.”

ff
fi
ff
Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows. “Where is he? What happened?”

“The representative from the Second Army is here. Your Highness is waiting for you to start
the meeting.”

Before she entered the house, she heard a voice exclaiming loudly, “We have over a million
troops. Why should we be scared of Xia? We can ght them head-on at the grasslands!”

Chu Qiao frowned upon hearing these words. During this period of time, this was probably
her most expressed emotion.

“Yes! Yan Bei is upright! We are not scared of the dogs from Xia!”

“Report!” the soldier outside the room shouted. “General Chu is here.”

“Come in.”

Chu Qiao walked into the room and greeted everyone who was present. The attendance
was more than that of the previous meeting. Besides the ones who were present back then,
the representatives of the First and Second Armies were present, along with the vice-
commander of the Third Army, the elders of Da Tong Guild, the border troops, the provincial
troops, the voluntary troops, and the tribal leaders of the highlands of Yan Bei. The meeting
hall was packed to the brim.

Chu Qiao knew that almost all of Yan Bei’s military might was present. She walked into the
room with an upright posture, taking her seat beside Yan Xun. Smiling, she addressed the
crowd. “Sorry, I’m late.”

“How is it?” Yan Xun’s expression was frustrated. Evidently, he had been angered by the
crowd. He looked at Chu Qiao and asked in a low voice.

“All is well. The shelters have been built. It is enough to tide them over for now.”

“Objection!” a sharp voice suddenly echoed out. Beishuo’s Vice Chief of Military, Liu Ou,
stood up and said, his expression troubled. “Why should we use our resources to build
houses for the refugees? These resources can be used to reinforce our city walls by adding
ten feet to its height. It is useful in repelling the Xia troops. Also, why are we giving our
rations to the refugees? Does General Chu not know the situation we are in now? The Xia
troops are nearing. The war is about to begin. We are not even sure if we have enough
rations for ourselves, yet you want to give them to the refugees!”

“Vice Chief Liu Ou, if I remember correctly, when I repaired the city gates ten days ago, you
did not give me an ounce of support. No one from the Beishuo Army contributed. Instead, it
was the civilians who helped out enthusiastically. If not, your city walls would not be 20 feet
taller. Also, I need to remind you that the height of the city walls need to follow certain
standards. Our city walls are su ciently high already. If it is any taller, the archers’ accuracy
will be a ected. Our ability to defend will be restricted. Hence, I implore the people who
don’t know military warfare to speak with caution.”

ff
ffi
fi
The look on Chu Qiao’s face was cold, unlike her warm demeanor a few days ago. She
looked at this vice chief coldly, saying, “Also, I want to say something. We are ghting for
the civilians of Yan Bei, for their freedom. If all of them die, this war will be meaningless.”

Liu Ou’s face turned green. In his defense, he said, “It has always been like this. The
snowstorm is heavy every year. The Xia Empire does not support the civilians with rations,
but none of them have died over thousands of years.”

“You’re right. That’s why Xia has been expelled from Yan Bei.” The young lady folded her
arms and shrugged, continuing, “The troops that are coming here to invade us are from the
capital. They receive their pay from their capital. Vice Chief Liu Ou, did you ever pay your
soldiers? Why do your subordinates follow you unconditionally? Don’t tell me that you want
your subordinates to risk their lives for you, then let their families starve and freeze to
death?”

The meeting room was thrown into an awkward silence. No one spoke. Only the sounds of
the strong winds outside could be heard.

Yan Xun’s voice was cold. Slowly, he said, “Back to the topic. Who spoke up just now?”

“It was me,” the leader of the Third Army, Lu Jie, replied in a low voice. He was not old,
about 30-years-old. He was heavily bearded, appearing like a man from the highlands. His
face was red. With a heavy tone, he said, “I don’t understand. Why are we hiding? Why are
we hiding in Beishuo City? We have an army of 500,000, while Xia only has a frontline army
of 100,000. We outnumber them ve to one. Would we lose?”

Chapter 150
The commander of the Second Cavalry regiment of Beishuo City, Chen Xi, spoke out in
agreement, “Whoever made this plan is humiliating us Yan Bei warriors! We need war! We
want to ght the enemy fair and square!”

“Indeed!” The various tribe leader shouted excitedly, “Yan Bei men are all brave souls! We
will not hide from the enemy!”

Chu Qiao was overwhelmed with a sense of nausea from their attitudes. She had just seen
the mess beyond the city gates, and with them blabbering their ill-informed decisions non-
stop, she felt nothing but annoyance. Lifting up her head, her sharp gaze glanced at the
various commanders, and she solemnly informed, “The plan was made by me. What issues
do you have with it?”

The crowd instantly quietened down. After the last ten days, no one dared to question this
young lady anymore. In just a few days, she had reorganized the entire military structure and
revolutionized the administration behind the entire headquarters. Through that, the e ciency
of the management had been greatly increased. Moreover, she created this magical red
color stone which she named “brick”. Although it was not as sturdy as stone, it would allow
for the construction of forts at an unprecedented speed. To increase the strength of the city
walls, she brought over large amounts of ice from the nearby Chishui river, and with that she
fi

fi
fi
ffi
built a second city wall that was over 30 feet in height With that, not only had the city had
been forti ed, but it became almost impossible for the enemy to scale the city walls. Using
her extraordinary military prowess, she had created large amounts of traps and ditches
outside of the city. As of now, the entire city of Beishuo had been turned into an
impregnable fort, completely unlike how weakly defended it had been originally.

Indeed, even if anyone was unsatis ed with her, no one would dare to speak out directly.
Especially when she had accomplished yet another task of settling the refugee problem.

“I have some issues,” a deep voice suddenly boomed. Everyone turned their gazes at the
source of the voice—the representative of the vanguard of the Second Army.

Xue Zhiyuan coldly stared at Chu Qiao, while grimly stating, “For this one battle, we
prepared for eight years. In these eight years, we worked nonstop, recruiting men and
talent, stockpiling weapons, training soldiers in secret. We will never forget the humiliation of
Huolei Plains. The Huoyun owers that grew atop our predecessor are still blooming; they
are waiting for us to take revenge and wash away our humiliation. Yet, we have quietly
waited for eight years and only ended up becoming cowards?” His melancholic and frigid
gaze even turned to Yan Xun, who was sitting in the center seat. With a freezing tone, he
questioned, “What happened to the fearless attitude of the Yan family? Has the grandiosity
of the royal capital scorched Your Highness’ bones?”

The moment he nished his sentence, the entire meeting room sank into a deafening
silence. Wearing a jet-black robe, with his expression calm and collected, Yan Xun raised an
eyebrow upon hearing that speech. His gaze swept past Xue Zhiyuan, and the corners of his
lips curled upwards slightly. Softly, he chuckled, except the sound he made was absolutely
devoid of humor, and sent chills down everyone’s spine.

Sitting near him, the Vice Commander of the Second Army, Yu Xin, abruptly stood up, and
anxiously said, “Zhiyuan’s personality has always been brash, but I beseech Your Highness
to pardon his words, as he always thinks of the country.”

The mayor of Beishuo, Xia An, also stood up, and pleaded for Xue Zhiyuan, “General Xue’s
words may not have been phrased appropriately. He has good intentions for Yan Bei’s
current war. Your Highness, please let him o this time in consideration of his loyalty and
achievements for Yan Bei.”

With that, the other generals all stood up and pleaded for Xue Zhiyuan, the only exception
being the representative of the First Army. His expression was a mix of feelings, as though
he could not decide what he should do.

“General Xue is straightforward with his words, and that is something I like.” Yan Xun’s eyes
curled into a smile, and calmly paci ed everyone, “Gentlemen, please take your seat.
Everyone here has contributed greatly to Yan Bei, being able to gain your assistance, I, Yan
Xun, should feel honored. How can I punish someone? In the rst place, General Xue was
merely describing his thoughts and was not being disrespectful to me. What mistake was
there in the rst place? General Xue, am I right?”

fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
Yan Xun’s tone was at, and his eyes were frigid, hiding the sharp gaze underneath. Hearing
this question, General Xue had no choice but to stand up and reply with deference, “Your
Highness is truly wise. This warrior is clumsy with words and did not know how to express
myself. I had no intentions of being disrespectful to your highness. I beseech your
understanding.”

With that, the group sang praises to Yan Xun’s wisdom before anxiously returning to their
seats. But General Xue had not sat down. Instead, he turned around and faced Chu Qiao.
Grimly, he inquired, “As for my question just now, may I implore Master Chu to enlighten
me?”

With that said, even Yu Xin, who was from the Second Army, started frowning. Just now,
General Xue had shown contempt to Yan Xun. Despite Yan Xun not minding, General Xue
still persisted. Ultimately, Yan Xun was still the spiritual leader of Yan Bei. If this asco
continued, it might turn out rather badly for the Second Army.

But before he could stand up to speak, Chu Qiao had already stood up. With a frosty
expression, Chu Qiao gazed at General Xue indi erently, and calmly replied, “General Xue, I
did not think that the one who would end up asking this childish question would be you. It is
truly regretful.”

Xue Zhiyuan’s gaze froze. Just as he was about to counter, Chu Qiao’s expression turned
rigid, and she solemnly declared, “War is not simple arithmetic! In a regular battle, the
strength of the two armies will not simply be determined by the di erence in manpower!
There are many decisive factors, and manpower is merely one of them! Other factors include
the morale of soldiers, individual strength, the overall capability of the army, the quality of
weapons, the accuracy of their intel, the speed at which messages can be delivered, the
capabilities of the general commanding the battle, the experience of the soldiers ghting a
battle, and even the terrain, and reinforcements and logistics. All these are enough to create
decisive impacts on a battle. Purely using manpower to discuss victory, and merely
discussing prospects of victory using the ratio of elded manpower is something that only
the uninitiated strategist would do!”

The disdainful chiding was like a bucket of cold water poured over everyone’s heads. Her
speech just now had clearly included almost everyone that was present. Vice-General Chen
Xi snorted and stood up. “So all of us are novices at strategy, and only Master Chu is a
master strategist, right? Having fought in Yan Bei for over ten years, you are the rst I have
seen to be so arrogant.”

“History has already told us, those who always speak about their past achievements never
have any future. What’s more, some people’s past achievements may not be worth
remembering in the rst place.” Mercilessly Chu Qiao shot down his acrid remark, and
continued, “I implore that everyone here is to objectively understand our situation here! We
are not facing one battle. Victory in one battle would be of little impact to the entire stage. To
the Xia Empire, we are but a breakaway province. They have control over the entire
Hongchuan plains. They could always send hundreds of thousands, or even millions of
troops at us. If Zhen Huang City gives the mobilization order, they could muster a hundred
thousand troops in two days. As for us? We are going toe to toe with such an empire while
fi
fl
ff
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
 putting the survival of our entire country on the line! Victory means continued survival, while
defeat meant total annihilation. We do not fear death, but we cannot die without any value.
A localized victory has absolutely no impact on the entire war. This victory here in Beishuo,
what we must achieve is not just a strategic victory, but to grab an opportunity to tilt the
scales of war to our favor!”

Clenching her st, Chu Qiao swung it in front of herself. With an unwavering gaze, she
declared, “What we need is not merely to defeat the Xia army in one or two battles. What we
need is to drag them to our pace, exhaust them, and strike them deep in their heart, and
bestow upon them utter destruction!”

At this point, Yan Xun stood up and grimly stated, “Gentlemen, AhChu is right. In this battle
of Beishuo, what we must achieve is not just one simple victory, but to maximize the
destruction of the enemy while preserving our strength. This is a battle of life and death. The
survival of Yan Bei will be within everyone’s hands.”

Calmly looking at everyone, Yan Xun’s iris seemed deep like the sea, with waves of passion
and ghting spirit roaring within. Facing everyone, Yan Xun bowed, to the shock of everyone
present.

Following that, Yan Honghuan kneeled onto the ground, while declaring, “I will follow Your
Highness!”

With that, the entire meeting room followed suit and kneeled down, proclaiming “I will follow
Your Highness!”

The winds were still strong, as though bringing news of the arrival of the Xia army. Standing
in front of the gates of Beishuo, Chu Qiao faced the 3,000 vanguards of the First Guangfu
army along with the 20,000 soldiers from Black Eagle Army. Yan Xun stood in front of the
massive columns, fully armored, and wearing a black overcoat. The cold air brushed against
his hair, further bringing out his well-de ned features. Looking at him, Chu Qiao suddenly
felt slightly cold, as she lightly pursed her lips as though she wanted to speak. Her throat
tightened, and ultimately, no voice came out. It was as though all words that were supposed
to be spoken had already been said, and only an intense worry and reluctance to part
remained.

“Let me go with you.” She still said this sentence out after much hesitation. Even though she
knew it would not happen, she still tugged at Yan Xun’s sleeves.

“AhChu, be obedient.” Yan Xun held her hand, and blew in her palms to warm her up, before
gently caressing her hand. “The Meilin Pass is located over a thousand miles away, and with
the uncertain weather and your poor health, how can I allow you to travel for so long? In the
rst place, I need someone I can trust to manage the situation here, and transmit any news
to me as soon as anything happens. The Xia Empire will not head over here quickly, and
Beishuo will not become the main battle eld anytime soon. Later, I will send someone to
escort you to Lan City in the backlines. Lady Yu is stationed there. You will be safe there,
and only then will I feel at ease.”

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
This conversation had been repeated countless times the night before, and Chu Qiao also
knew that requesting to follow him would not change his mind. Yet, she still felt
disappointed, as she pouted and lowered her head in silence.

“Your Highness, it is time to set o ,” AhJing walked up and quietly informed them.

“Wait a while.” Yan Xun lifted his head up with an extremely unhappy expression. “Can’t you
see that I am currently discussing important military matters with Master Chu?”

AhJing had clearly stepped on a landmine there, as he quickly apologized and skulked away
from the “important military discussion” that the Yan King and Master Chu were having.

“AhChu, do not be stubborn. I will be back in at most one month.” Yan Xun bent his back
and lowered his head to a level lower than Chu Qiao. Gently, he pinched her cheeks. With a
gentle smile, he was like a mouse that had just stolen some honey. “I know that AhChu is
really amazing. With you around, it would be equivalent to having a dozen regiments,
hundreds of strategists. As long as you stand before Meilin Pass, those people would
immediately surrender because of your reputation, as all form of defense would be
immediately nulli ed, and those brutes from the Xia Empire would immediately abandon
their weapons and bow to your strength. But what can I do? We need you here as well!
Without you guarding this front, I cannot sleep well. I hope Master Chu can shed some
sympathy for this weak person, and help me to oversee the development of the situation
here at Beishuo.”

Chu Qiao burst into laughter. She punched onto Yan Xun’s shoulder as she pouted, “Such
smooth words.”

Yan Xun exaggeratedly heaved a sigh of relief and wiped his forehead before inging his
hand, as though there would really be a huge amount of sweat coming o from his hand. He
then said, “Finally, I see the sun after the storm. This was even tougher than ghting a war.”

Chapter 151
Chu Qiao widened her eyes and said, “You still want to rebut!”

“No, no,” Yan Xun replied apologetically. “I was speaking nonsense. I talk too much. General
Chu, please don’t hold it against me.”

Chu Qiao sneered, indicating that she spared him.

Yan Xun laughed heartily. The soldiers looked at them, not knowing why the both of them
could discuss military a airs so intensely. They nodded in agreement one instant while
gesturing articulately the other. Did General Chu decide to assassinate the Xia Emperor at
Zhen Huang City?

“Be careful. Swords have no eyes on the battle eld. Don’t put yourself in danger.” No matter
how strong a woman was, when faced with certain situations, she would worry endlessly.
Just like presently, knowing that she would not be following him, she started to nag
incessantly again.

fi
ff

ff
fi
ff
fi
fl
 “Yes, I know.” Yan Xun nodded honestly, with a good attitude.

“Although Mister Wu is in charge of the First Army, relations are complicated inside. The Da
Tong Guild has considerable in uence there. You must be careful and guard against internal
politics.”

“Don’t worry, I remember this.”

“Meilin Pass is near the north. It’s cold. You’re sick. Keep warm, wear more clothes, cover
yourself with more blankets at night. Remember to take your medicine.”

“Alright, I’ll take note of that.”

“When you sleep, put a basin of water beside your bed. You cough a lot. The smoke from
the replace is not healthy for you.”

“Yes, I’ll remember that.”

“Regarding the deal with the Quanrong people, let other people handle it for you. Don’t do it
yourself. We don’t understand them well. Take precautions against them.”

“Don’t worry.”

“Remember to write to me every day. If I don’t hear from you for three days, I will head to
Meilin Pass to nd you.”

The man replied weakly, “Even if I die, I will write to inform you rst.”

The woman panicked. “Die? If you say any more, I will pack up and follow you!”

Yan Xun retorted hurriedly, “I’m speaking nonsense. I’m a sinner. AhChu, if you drone on, the
sky will turn dark.”

“What’s wrong with that? You can leave tomorrow if the sky is dark now.”

Yan Xun was on the verge of tears, but he could only oblige helplessly, not daring to object.

“How many coats did you bring?”

“Five.”

“Boots? There’s snow everywhere. It will melt with the re. Don’t wear boots that are wet.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Heat packs? How many? Is it enough?”

“AhChu.” Yan Xun was vexed. “You packed for me.”

“Oh? Really? I forgot.” Chu Qiao’s attitude was frank. “Let me see, did you bring your knee
guards? Check. Enough socks? Oh, you brought 80 pairs. Hats? Alright. It’s made of bear
skin. I sewed on a layer of fox skin in front.”

fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
Chu Qiao took out the luggage on the carriage and put it on the ground. She squatted on
the ground and ipped through its contents. After a while, she seemingly thought of
something. She jumped up and asked loudly, “Is there enough charcoal? I’ll load a full
carriage for you.”

Yan Xun replied weakly, “It’s enough. AhChu, it’s enough. Don’t worry. Our troops are lined
up along the way. Even if it’s not enough, I can get some from them.”

“How is that alright?” Chu Qiao frowned. “We use charcoal made from white sandalwood. It
produces the least smoke. The troops use charcoal made from soil. It produces a lot of
smoke. It hurts your respiratory system.”

Before Yan Xun had time to stop her, Chu Qiao ordered the servant behind them, “You. Yes,
you. Come here. Go to the Military Supplies Department and ll two carriages with charcoal.
Remember, it’s the charcoal made from white sandalwood. Be quick. This concerns the life
and death of our army. Your Highness trusts you, that’s why he told you to do the job. You’d
better complete it in the fastest time possible, understand? Yan Bei will remember you for
your loyalty.”

The soldier’s face turned red with excitement. He suppressed his emotions for a long while,
before bowing forcefully and shouting, “All for Yan Bei!” Finishing his words, he sprinted
away. Although he did not know what lling two carriages with charcoal had to do with the
life and death of Yan Bei’s army, he knew that General Chu was a shrewd tactician, a genius.
Any instructions given by her carried a deep motive within. The soldier believed that in future
battles, the two carriages of charcoal would be decisive as to whether the army experienced
victory or defeat. Hence, he set out to his task with passion, getting so excited to the point
where he forgot to ride on his horse.

The sun was high up in the sky. On the snowy plains, the two of them reluctantly said their
goodbyes.

“Yan Xun, be careful. It’s going to be dangerous. You must guard everyone beside you.”

Yan Xun nodded and replied, “I know. You too. When I’m not here, people might bully you.
Just remember their name and don’t clash with them. When I’m back, I’ll deal with them one
by one.”

“Okay. At that time, we will kill their families and usurp their assets.”

“Alright, we will tie them up too. You can beat them up freely.”

“It’s decided then.” Chu Qiao nodded and continued, “I assigned 4,000 archers to you. Take
them as your closest bodyguards. Don’t leap into the battle eld so easily. Their weapons
were modi ed by me. It’s unusually powerful. We will keep them as secret weapons.”

“Alright, I remember.”

“Don’t eat cold food, it’s not healthy for you. Get more rest, don’t tire yourself out.”

“Okay, don’t worry.”

fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
“Ride less often. Stay in your carriage more. The winds are strong, it’s useless no matter
how thick your clothes are.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t drink cold water. I prepared honey for you, drink more. You’ve lost a lot of weight
lately.”

“Okay…”

“If anyone dares to fool around with women, execute him. Those women are probably sick.
Don’t take an extra look at them, understand?”

“Yes…yes…”

“If any o cials dare to gift you any beauties, take down their names and tell me when you
get back. Those women are probably spies sent to keep you under surveillance. Don’t keep
any of them. This is for your own good.”

“…”

“After you breach Meilin Pass, don’t kill the families of the rebels. You can assign them to do
manual labor at the mines. Don’t keep the women in the army, chase them out of the border
instead. Women will only disrupt the morale of the army. None of them are good.” As Chu
Qiao rambled on, her words only showed her disdain towards the women who disrupted the
morale of the army. However, she forgot that she herself was a female in the army.
Furthermore, she held a high ranking position, holding a lot of power too…

“Yan Xun,” Chu Qiao stared at him with sincerity and said, “the purity of an army and a
political party depends on the leadership of the gure with the highest authority. You are the
king of Yan Bei. Your quality of life and moral standards will in uence the direction of Yan
Bei’s politics, and the destiny of the country, even that of West Meng. The playboy princes in
Zhen Huang City are impractical and unruly. They live their lives in debauchery. They are
irresponsible. Don’t be tainted by them. Although you are of high status now, with power,
you must think of the dangers even if you are in a peaceful environment. Remember this!
These are the sincerest words of advice from me to you as a friend, as someone who grew
up together, fought together, and lived together with you from young.”

Yan Xun was rendered utterly speechless.

Chu Qiao was unhappy with his attitude. She frowned and chided, “Are you listening to me
seriously?”

Yan Xun was on the verge of tears, his expression painful. “AhChu, I’m listening.”

Chu Qiao’s anger subsided slightly. She stared at him and continued, “When you reach
Luoan City tonight, send a pigeon to convey the message to me. Don’t let me worry.”

Yan Xun’s heart bled internally. It was so late already. Even if his horse had an extra four
legs, he would be unable to reach Luoan City that night.

ffi
fi
fl
As the soldier returned happily with the charcoal, Chu Qiao had no choice but to end her
long speech. She felt sad, her eyes tearing up. She tugged at Yan Xun’s sleeves, reluctant to
let go. This was unlike her. She knew that Yan Xun was laughing at her inside, probably even
AhJing and the rest. However, she refused to let go. The last time they parted, it was for a
long time. They had not been apart for so long in so many years. Regarding their separation
this time, she tried to resist it. An indescribable sense of worry brewed in her heart, causing
her to feel fearful. She tried to nd other topics for conversation. She lowered her head,
feeling embarrassed like a wife who had been bullied. She muttered to herself. Yan Xun
could not hear what she was saying clearly.

“Why don’t…” Yan Xun probed softly, “you follow me along for part of my journey? However,
you need to turn back when we reach Luori Mountain.”

Swoosh! A white shadow ashed across Yan Xun, causing him to think that he had seen a
ghost. In a split second, Chu Qiao was no longer standing at her original position. The king
of Yan Bei was stunned. Before he had time to react, Chu Qiao had run over to his team and
mounted a horse. She gestured to Yan Xun and shouted, “Come here! What time is it
already? You’re so slow!”

The other soldiers stared at Yan Xun, almost as if to say, Your Highness probably has not
been on the battle eld too, he’s reluctant to leave! That moment, Yan Xun did not know
whether to laugh or to cry.

The team nally set o on their journey. “Miss! Are you following us?” the soldiers of the
Black Eagle Army, who were on good terms with her, asked cheerfully.

“No, I’m only following you to Luori Mountains.”

“If only you followed us. Miss, you’re good at ghting!” a soldier, who had followed Yan Xun
since his days at Zhen Huang, said with conviction.

“That’s right, I saw it for myself. Miss can ght against over 100 men alone. Those men were
tall, their eyes were so big. Those sts could break heads. I couldn’t even ght against one
of them. Miss is good. With a bit of e ort, they were all defeated. She was not even stained
with a drop of blood.”

“Ah? That impressive?!” the soldiers’ eyes widened.

“That’s right, you did not see it for yourself. I did not exaggerate.”

Chu Qiao remarked humbly, embarrassed, “Hurhur, I’m not that good. Just normal. Normal.”

“If only Miss followed us.” The soldiers sighed collectively.

Chu Qiao turned around and looked at Yan Xun with an expression that said, Heard that?
Heard that? That’s what the soldiers think too!

“Cut the crap and walk properly!” Yan Xun chided, his face black. He ignored Chu Qiao’s
look and pretended that what the soldiers said just now were merely topics of the present
day’s food and weather.

fi
fi
ff
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
 In less than two hours, the entourage had reached Luori Mountains. Yan Xun led the way at
the front, along with his personal guards. Chu Qiao’s eyes had turned red. She lowered her
head, twiddling her thumbs. Yan Xun sighed and jumped o his horse, walking towards her
and holding her in his embrace. Gently, he said, “I promise you, I will take care of my own
health. I’ll be careful. Once the situation is disadvantageous to me, I’ll turn back
immediately. I will not overdo it. I’ll make it back to you in one piece. If I breach any one rule,
I’ll be at your mercy when I get back. Don’t be like this. How will I continue my journey in
peace? AhChu, you’re the strongest person I know. You need to support me. You’re my
closest comrade in battle, and the most trustworthy lover I have. Am I right?”

Chapter 152
“Yes.” The girl leaned her head onto Yan Xun’s chest, her voice sounding mu ed. She
seemed as though she had been wronged somehow.”Make sure you keep your word.”

“De nitely! I promise,” Yan Xun swore rmly. “A real man will always keep his word. May the
heavens break my legs if I don’t.”

“Fine. You can go.”

“Wait, there is still one more thing.” Yan Xun straightened his face, as he seriously declared,
“This is very important, you have to know this by heart.”

“Hmm?” Chu Qiao lifted up her head while blinking her big watery eyes. “What is it?”

“Remember this! These are the sincerest words of advice from me to you as a friend, as
someone who grew up, fought, and lived with you since we were young.”

Chu Qiao frowned. Her intelligence had alerted her that something was not right.
Suspiciously, she asked, “What do you want to say?”

“You gotta be more candid with yourself!” Yan Xun shouted, before suddenly pressing his
head onto Chu Qiao. Overpowering Chu Qiao, he held her head, as their lips were rmly
pressed onto each other. In the process, his tongue fervently pushed into her mouth,
instantly breaking any form of defense the young woman had put up, completely catching
her o guard. Her breath was instantly thrown out of order, as her chest heaved up and
down violently. In the snowy plains, in front of 500 bodyguards, the King of Yan Bei french
kissed Master Chu from the Military Sta O ce…

Only when Chu Qiao was about to pass out from lack of oxygen did Yan Xun let her go.
Seeing how she turned beet red as she stole glances left and right, as though she was a
thief who had been caught red-handed, Yan Xun gave a hearty laugh. “What are you worried
about? All of Yan Bei is mine!”

Chu Qiao exploded into a fury, and even her ears turned red from the mix of anger and
embarrassment. “Ah! You b*stard! My purity has been tainted by you!”

fi
ff

fi
ff
ffi
ff
ffl
fi
 Yan Xun grabbed her by her waist, and with a ick of his eyebrow, he retorted, “AhChu, did
you not know? From the moment you walked into Sheng Jin Palace, the word ‘pure’ waved
you goodbye.”

“B*stard!” Chu Qiao’s vocabulary was insu cient for this occasion, and seeing how the
surrounding men all looked on with amusement, she was even more angry, as she pointed
at AhJing and others and shouted, “Do not laugh! Do not tell others! I will ght you! And you!
You! Who are you? You are laughing so hard I can see your gum! What is your name? Which
troop do you belong to? Are you still laughing? Yes, you!”

“AhChu! Do not care about what other people say!” Yan Xun suddenly stated. Pulling her
over, he continued, “You need to be more candid with yourself. You merely do not want me
to go outside and irt with other women, why are you bringing up so much about morals
and righteousness? I think you are the one who needs a beating.”

“Oi, oi!” Chu Qiao jumped in embarrassment. “Has it been too long since I xed you up? Do
you want to give me a beating? Can you even beat me?”

Yan Xun was taken slightly aback, before making his counter, “That was because I was
giving you a chance! Do you really think that you are the best in the world?”

“Very well! I see you are burning bridges now. If you want, we can have a matchup right
here, right now!”

Yan Xun immediately started laughing. “AhChu, is it that you are too reluctant to let me go?
Intentionally, you drag things out for so long, delaying my progress.”

Chu Qiao glared at him, and angrily shouted, “Who would be reluctant? Get lost! Seeing you
for even one more second will get on my nerves!”

“Then, can I really leave now?”

“Get lost! No one wants to see you.”

“Don’t regret it!”

“I won’t!”

“After I leave, do not cry secretly!”

“Are you leaving or not? So much nonsense!”

“Haha!” Yan Xun ipped onto his horse, as he chuckled, “AhChu, I am leaving. Wait for my
victorious return! Giddyup!” The hundreds of war horses rumbled into the distance. The
pristine white snow kicked up by the horses formed a thin mist on the ground. With the
hawks soaring in the sky, and the sound of wind raging in the distance, the golden sun
illuminated the silhouette of the leaving soldiers, much like a huge painting. But before long,
the gures had disappeared into the distance, leaving behind only a vague patch of
shadows.

fi
fl
fl
ffi
fl
fi
fi
 Chu Qiao stood in the same spot without moving, watching Yan Xun leave. Her heart was
over owing with emotions as she quietly brought her palms together in a prayer. With a
gentle voice, she prayed with the purest of sincerity, “The omnipotent God, please hear me
out, protect my lover, and make his journey smooth, ensuring his victorious and safe return.”

While Yan Bei was the embodiment of a frozen hell with snowstorms brewing frequently, the
Song Empire had continuous days of rain, with the heavy rain clouds looming over their
heavens. In a palace, no torch was lit, and only weak candlelight ickered in the darkness. In
the empty Mo Ji Palace, green silk lace oated in the slight breeze, and the corridors were
all lined with rosewood. The ooring seemed classic, and in fact, it was almost as expensive
as lining the entire ground with gold. Every step resulted in a unique echo, as though the
sound had traveled through space and time from the ancient past, like a ritualistic song
sung at the ends of the world.

Each building had hung up pure white lanterns. This day was the anniversary of the passing
of the late emperor Nalan Lie, and for that purpose, everyone wore ceremonial white
clothes. Even the red chrysanthemums that were in full bloom in front of the palace had
while laces tied to them. The endless rain made the scene seem even more miserable.

With the jingling of the bells, a lady who was wearing a majestic headdress strolled in the
massive palace. With well de ned facial features, her eyes gleamed with strength and
con dence. Although she would not be considered as an extraordinary beauty, she would
still be considered a fair lady given her decent looks and elegant demeanor.

At the end of the big palace was a small carpet with a small table. Beside the table, there
were a few servants shouting and cheering loudly. Everyone was deeply engrossed in
whatever they were doing. A teenager wearing a dragon robe was also crowded within the
group. Despite looking like he was almost 20 years old, he was dancing around, behaving
like a kid of six to seven years.

The aunt at the side frowned and approached them. “The rst princess has arrived, are you
not going to greet her?”

Hearing her, the crowd, who was playing, quickly turned around. Seeing the lady who was
standing in the middle, they panickedly rushed over. Kneeling, the crowd shouted, “We pay
our respects to the First Princess. Long live the Princess.”

“Please rise.” The plainly dressed lady nodded quietly, as she carried with her a deity-like
aura. Looking at the teenager in a bright golden yellow, she waved her hand at him. “Yu’er,
come here.”

The teenager scratched his head and reluctantly walked over. The servants beside the lady
quickly greeted the teenager, “We pay our respect to the Emperor.”

The young emperor had not spared them a glance, as he clumsily waved his hands before
lifting his head. Saliva dripped from the corner of his lips. Like a kid who was scared of their
teacher, he spoke to the lady, “Sister, I did not make any mistakes.”

fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
 Illuminated by the weak candlelight in the palace, the lady took out her handkerchief that
was embroidered with orchids, and wiped away the saliva for the young emperor, before
replying, “I know.”

The Emperor lowered his head and muttered inaudibly under his breath. The lady sighed,
“Today was the anniversary of our father’s passing, why doesn’t Yu’er want to go to the
temple to burn some incense for him? In addition to that, you asked people to beat Lu Gong
Gong.”

The Emperor’s reply was extremely soft, as he lowered his head “I….I do not want to go.”

The lady lowered her head and patiently asked, “Why is that? Can you tell sister?”

“Because…because…” The emperor lifted his head, with his usually white complexion
completely ushed red, as he tried to explain, “Because the Chang Ling King always makes
fun of me… I do not like playing with them.”

The pitter-patter of the rain resounded outside, as the wind carried the moist air into the
corridor. After a while of thinking, the lady nodded and told him, “If you do not want to go,
then you need not go.” Turning to the servants who were still kneeling on the ground, she
instructed, “Make sure you keep the emperor company!”

“Yes!” The crowd of kids, all around 12 and 13-years-old, replied in unison. The lady then
turned, and with her entourage, headed out of the palace. Before long, the sounds of
cheering resumed. If one carefully listened to the voice, one could hear that they were
overwhelmed with the purest form of joy and enjoyment.

Who could imagine that the Song Empire, which was in control of the most resource-rich
lands in the entire continent, had an emperor that was literally an idiot? His mental maturity
would forever remain at ten years old, and his mental age would never any more than it was
now. This is the most closely guarded secret of the Song Empire. The Song Princess had
hid this from the public eye for all these years. But as Nalan Hongyu gradually grew up, the
days that he was to personally oversee the various court matters were once again
postponed, and the voices of doubt against the princess grew stronger in recent years. She
had nally started to feel the strain.

That year, before Nalan Lie died, this Emperor, who had conquered large swathes of the
coastline, gazed at his young daughter and idiot son, and loudly proclaimed, “It is all
karma!” before passing away. The responsibility of the massive territory then landed on the
shoulders of the girl who was barely 15 then. With the blink of an eye, ve years had
passed.

Looking at the frail gure who was strolling in front, Aunt Yun’s heart was a mixing bowl of
emotions. She could hardly imagine how that young girl had already become over 20 years
old, spending her most beautiful years working so hard behind the scenes in the palace.
Although the others knew how the First Princess was so capable and wise, in recent years
there were voices of dissent, as some suspected that she had been usurping power from
the younger emperor. Some even went as far as to believe that she had kept the emperor
under house arrest. Seeing how this young lady had grown up, perhaps only Aunt Yue
fi
fl
fi
fi
 would know how much e ort this young girl had been putting in. Five years. In a woman’s
life, how many ve years could there be?

“Princess, it is already night time, shall we go back to palace and rest?”

Nalan Hong Ye shook her head. “There are still some documents that require approval in Yu
He Palace.”

Aunt Yun quickly suggested, “Then shall we bring it back to your own residence to read
them?”

Seeing how the aunt who had taken care of her since young was so anxious, Nalan Hongye
smile gently, and consented, “Sure.”

Aunt Yun happily instructed other servants to quickly head to Yu He Palace to fetch the
documents. Before long, the light in Rou Fu palace was fully lit up, and the entire area was
brightly illuminated. Although Nalan Hongye had been a humble person, the servants in the
palace all knew who had the real say within the palace, and would serve her with extra
caution.

It was already near midnight, and Aunt Yue had sneakily came in multiple times. Finally, she
saw that the remaining documents on the table had nally reduced. However, in the end,
she saw that the Princess indecisively held a letter from the borders for a long while. She
could not help but to walk over. Frowning, she asked, “Princess, what is it that is so di cult
to decide? It is already midnight. Tomorrow, you still have to attend the morning court.”

“Hmm? This is a report from the borders.” Being disturbed by someone, Nalan Hongye
replied in a daze, apparently too immersed in her deep thoughts. Sweeping aside a few
loose strands of hair before her, she did not hide her considerations from her closest
con dante. “The Xia Empire sent their army to Yan Bei. Yan Bei is in urgent need of medical
supplies and food. In addition, they want to trade their ores and minerals for weapons.”

Aunt Yue was clearly not a normal woman who knew nothing about politics, as she frowned
and asked, “Didn’t we just send a batch over?”

“The amount we sent was hardly enough to make an impact. With Changle Count and
Jinjiang King obstructing, especially with their excuse that the war in the East Sea is about
to begin, our supplies have been greatly reduced. In view of the war in the North, the cost of
day to day supplies has increased greatly. The money we took from the Yan Prince has
mostly been expended.”

Nalan lightly frowned, when she suddenly noticed that there was a lot of noise in the
direction of Qin An Palace. She stood up and asked, “What happened outside?”

Aunt Yue dashed out before she returned with a smile. “It is no big deal. The Young
Highness was crying. The Queen was worried that he might be sick, so she informed the
imperial doctors to come.”

Nalan raised an eyebrow and inquired, “What did the doctor say?”

fi
fi
ff
fi
ffi
 “The doctor said that all was ne. The kid was just hungry.”

Nalan smiled lightly. From her bright eyes, one could see a tinge of wisdom. “That kid is the
hope of the Song Empire. It was no wonder that the Queen was so anxious. Aunt Yun, you
are rather experienced, so it would be great if you could be on a lookout for the kid as well.”

“Yes.” Nalan slowly sank back into her seat. It was lucky that Yu’er had such a kid. Since it
was impossible for him to be throned as emperor, she could only place her hopes on the
kid.

Chapter 153
How many more years would she have to wait for that to happen? She shook her head
lightly, not wanting to think about this matter anymore. She put a to be read stamp on the
documents, and chucked them to one side.

Aunt Yun frowned. She wanted to speak up but did not. The princess had paid attention to
Yan Bei’s a airs all these years, particularly to the ones after its independence. The Song
Empire had changed its stance, taking a big risk to involve themselves in the con ict. She
thought that the princess, given her wisdom, had her own intentions behind her actions. She
would never be able to understand the princess. As described by the countless citizens of
Song, the princess was like a shining star in the sky, an unbelievably wise gure.

Nalan walked to the front of the window and raised the curtains. The raindrops landed on
the bananas, making splattering sounds. The lotus pond was visible in the distance.
Occasionally, some koi sh leaped above the water surface, revealing their white bellies.
Nalan felt cold on the inside. She stood there for a long time. Her servants took their leave.
Aunt Yun made the bed and stepped out of the room. In that instant, the entire world
seemed to quieten down, leaving only the splattering sounds of the raindrops and croaking
sounds of the frogs. She suddenly reminisced the events many years ago. She was a small
child standing under the banana tree in the rain. The young man was like a star. Their palms
high- ved each other…

The alliance between sworn siblings was everlasting.

That year, her father was alive. The members of the royal family were precious to him. He
sent his most beloved daughter away to Xia, along with his brother, the King of Anling. He
disguised her as Xuan Mo, the young son of the king of Anling. They bumped into the Prince
of Yan Bei, who was a hostage prince in Zhen Huang back then. In the one month that they
interacted with each other, they got along and became sworn siblings. From then on, they
wrote to each other, their letters traveling between the north and south. This carried on for
many years.

Back then, her character was weird. Yan Xun was lively and handsome. The children of the
Muhe family were proud, playful and arrogant, but did not harbor any bad intentions. Zhuge
Huai was grown up, while Zhuge Yue was withdrawn and hard to interact with. Although
Zhao Che was arrogant, he was often pranked by herself, Yan Xun, Muhe Xifeng, and the
others. He reacted angrily, even chasing after Muhe Xifeng with a sword over 30 palace
fi
ff
fi

fi
fi
fl
 gates one time, swearing to ght to the death. As for the young Zhao Song, he was a
crybaby, wanting to play with the rest of them all day. However, they thought that he was too
young. None of them wanted to bring him along.

In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed. Presently, everything had changed. The people
back then had changed. Some of them held absolute power in their hands. Some of them
went through intense su ering and hardships. Some of them were ambitious. Some of them
were wounded. Some of them had turned to dust and ashes, scattered about in the
landscape.

She took out the letter that had been delivered to the palace earlier in the morning. In just
one day, the letter had been slightly crumpled and felt warm to the touch. The paper carried
the bodily fragrance of the young lady. The words on the paper read:

Brother Xuan Mo, the war in Yan Bei is imminent. I will be ghting on the battle eld in a few
days. Before I left, I thought for a long while. I still need your help to settle the issue
regarding the army rations. Half a month ago, I went to Song and met with the eldest
princess. Princess Nalan is benevolent, promising to supply rations to Yan Bei. As the war in
the eastern part of your country is about to begin also, I am fearful that the o cials in the
court will object. If the princess changes her mind, please help me to manage the situation
and appease the o cials. This matter concerns the life and death of Yan Bei, hence I have
no choice but to request this favor. I hope that on the account of our many years of
brotherhood, you will help me out. I will be eternally grateful to you from the mountains far
away.

I heard that you got married one month ago, welcoming a beautiful bride. As I could not be
there, I can only give you this hairpin. I wish you and your wife eternal happiness and love.

Also, I nally managed to see the beautiful elder princess, as described by you. However,
she was covered in a veil which was as thick as half a nger. Her voice sounded old and
reserved, while she was not bubbly enough. Also, she felt that your judgment of beauties
was abnormal. If I see you again, you have to drink a full cup of wine for me as punishment
for your misjudgment.

Nalan frowned, looking at the letter a few times, speci cally the sentence, “However, she
was covered in a veil which was as thick as half a nger. Her voice sounded old and
reserved, while she was not bubbly enough.” Her face started to appear visibly enraged.

As the wind blew at her lower out t, the aroma of the owers lingered in the air. She picked
up a piece of paper and a brush. After a long while, she wrote:

Having received your letter and knowing that you are going to battle, I am worried. The
battle eld is dangerous. The swords have no eyes. Please take care of yourself. I will wait
for our promise to gather 15 years later at Pengxian Restaurant and get dead drunk. We will
admire the waters of the lake, while playing musical tunes and singing. You have to honor
your promise and not abandon me.

The eldest princess is tall, cultured and virtuous. She is the role model of all females, the
treasure of Song. How could she be seen by ordinary people? I have been in battle all year
fi
fi
ffi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
ffi
fi
 long, hence my judgment has been heavily a ected. Hearing your words, I am deeply
saddened. I am worried about what you will experience tomorrow.

Regarding the rations, you do not need to worry. Since the eldest princess has promised to
help, she will follow through with her promise. If there are any changes, I will do my best to
facilitate the situation for you. The war in Yan Bei is imminent. I will sit in my chair every
night and stare at the northwest, waiting for your news.

After she nished the letter, the rain outside had stopped. She held the hairpin in her hand. It
was white and warm to the touch. A plum ower was attached to its end, its petals visible. It
was pure and plain, but exquisite. A gift to the couple? Did he really want to gift this to Xuan
Mo’s bride?

First Princess Nalan gave o a rare smile. She picked up the documents that she was
reading and wrote, Read.

The rst rays of sunlight had shone on the land. The night was about to end. Nalan stood
up, walked to the window and stared at the northwest, standing at her position for a long
while. The clouds appeared on the horizon. The air was fresh after the storm. The sounds of
the drums were loud and clear. The sounds of the watchman’s rattle echoed far from the
back palace.

Nalan took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she awoke, the sky was bright. She
still had to think of a way to appease the o cials who were not in favor of interfering in the
battle between Xia and Yan Bei. She rubbed her eyes slowly. It looked like she had to resort
to using her reputation as a shrewd tactician who had reasons for everything she did. She
smiled lightly, her face appearing playful. Humans, after all, had their moments of willfulness.

Some people and some things were impossible to predict. She did not think any further. She
knew that her main aim was to protect Song, the emperor, her brother’s children, and the
entire Nalan family.

The weather was sunny. First Princess Nalan calmly opened the curtains and called out,
“Help me to wash up and prepare for the court session.”

“It’s not Beishuo! The next target of the Xia troops is Chiyuan Crossing!” the lady frowned
and remarked. “It’s been three whole days. The Xia troops were not organized in their
attacks. They only carried out small-scale disturbances and minor skirmishes. This is
abnormal, very abnormal. Given their strength, if they gathered all their troops together, they
would have carried out a full frontal assault on Beishuo. Based on what happened so far, it
means that there is no one absolute leader. Their forces here are not the main force…”

“Is there any new intel yet?” General Cao Mengtong yawned and said to his other
subordinates, seemingly pretending not to hear her words. “Has Zhao Qi and his brother
been scared out of their wits by our forces? Have they forgotten what their father sent them
here for?”

Everyone broke out in joyful laughter. Over these three days, the troops of Yan Bei claimed
victory after victory. The Xia troops were decimated with ease. The armies led by Zhao Qi
fi
fi
ff
fl
ffi
ff
and Zhao Yang seemed disunited. The Northwestern Army leaned towards the fourteenth
prince, Zhao Yang, while the troops of the Batuha family sided towards Zhao Qi. During
every battle, their troops interfered with each other, messing up the opposite party’s
formations. They had no semblance of organization and were seemingly only here for show.
No one wanted to act as the attacking force and deplete their resources rst.

Before the troops of Yan Bei had shot out their rst round of arrows, the Xia troops shouted,
“No way! We can’t carry on!” Finishing their words, they promptly retreated. Even ten-year-
old untrained soldiers could be more capable than them.

Over 300,000 troops gathered in Beishuo City, along with over 300,000 conscripts. This was
enough to form a reputable army. Initially, when faced with the prospect of ghting the elite
Xia troops, they were apprehensive and fearful. However, after the past few battles, the
conscripts had become brazen to the point where they walked around openly with their
axes.

“It looks like the dogs from Xia will retreat back to Zhen Huang even before Your Highness is
back.”

Everyone broke out in laughter again. Cao Mengtong added, “In my opinion, we should
dispatch half the troops here towards Meilin Pass, for Your Highness to conquer that place.”

“There’s no need for that. We can follow the troops from Xia and ght all the way to Zhen
Huang.”

“That’s right!” As those words were uttered, the rest agreed unanimously, as if they had
already won the battle.

“General Cao!” Chu Qiao stood up, a spark ashing across her eyes. With a low voice, she
said, “Generals, if I did not make my word clear just now, I don’t mind saying it again!
Presently, we have not determined where the enemy’s main force is. The assaults they have
carried out are merely small scale, below 10,000 people. Even if the ensign of their army is
visible, we have not seen where their main cavalry is. The heavy snowstorm has blocked o
our means of communications. We don’t know where the main camp of the enemy is. This is
just a show! I don’t know much about the Batuha family and the Northwest Army, but I know
the third prince, Zhao Qi. I have also faced the fourteenth prince, Zhao Yang, personally on
the battle eld. Zhao Qi is a cautious man. He will not attack recklessly with a large army.
Even if he attacks, his methods will not be so simplistic. As for Zhao Yang, despite his
young age, he is already a senior gure in Xia’s Shangwu Hall. He is adept in warfare and
soldiering skills. His methods are unpredictable. His specialty lies in infantry warfare and
taking down cities. He is experienced. This man is tough and likes to carry out ambushes.
He is known as the “Snake” within the Xia army. He will not resort to these seemingly
suicidal methods!

“I implore all of you to think carefully. The Xia Empire has maintained its stronghold over the
world for hundreds of years. How could they only be this capable? They are trying to blu us
and make us complacent. If I’m not wrong, Zhao Qi and Zhao Yang are not in the opposite
camp. There is more than one route into Yan Bei. If I was a commander of the Xia army, I
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
ff
would travel through Helan Mountains and use Changying Mountains as my breaching point
into Chiyuan Crossing. As long as I can stabilize the situation there and carry out a two-
pronged assault, Beishuo will fall even without a direct invasion! Luckily for us, although we
have wasted three days, we can still send 100,000 troops to defend Chiyuan. The war is
imminent. Please think carefully!”

Silence, dead silence.

Everyone looked up at the lady dressed in body armor. She stood alone in the big meeting
room, upright. Her eyes were bright, her body leaned forward slightly. She frowned and
looked sternly at the crowd, her eyes carrying a tinge of anticipation and anger.

The wrinkles on Cao Mengtong’s face twitched slightly. He stood up and left the room
without saying a word.

This was a perfect way of summarising the commander’s mood. In an instant, everyone left
the room, leaving Chu Qiao alone. She sighed and slumped back in the chair weakly,
covering her forehead with her hand. Her eyelids twitched in anger.

Chapter 154
To put nearly a million lives in such incompetent hands would be literally destroying their
own army. The fact that the quality of Yan Bei soldiers had fallen so low as to let a bunch of
inexperienced generals command such an important battle was unimaginable. If Yan Xun
had been around, he could still suppress this folly with his in uence. But just with Chu Qiao
alone, how could she reverse everything? Did Yan Xun know about all these problems? If he
did, how could he still hand over command to that idiot named Cao? And if he didn’t…

Chu Qiao helplessly frowned. How could he not know? It was Yan Xun! But why had he
gone to Meilin without so much as to brief her on the situation? Furthermore, he had
instructed her to look for Lady Yu. If she were to leave Beishuo, over half of the Yan Bei
territory would be lost! Yan Xun, what exactly were you thinking?

These elders of the Da Tong guild were better than anyone when it came to arguing, stirring
trouble, and picking ghts, and they were also unparalleled when it came to cheering people
on and creating seeding discord amongst civilians against the enemies. But making them
lead armies, create strategies, and to see through the enemy’s plans would be an
inappropriate task for them!

The rage within Chu Qiao had been rising uncontrollably, and she could no longer suppress
it. She had already sent seven groups of people to inform Lady Yu, and none had returned.
If someone who could control the situation did not come, Yan Bei would lose this battle,
without any doubt!

The sunlight of the dusk shone down like blood, as the sounds of the soldiers cheering
could be heard in the distance. Amidst the cheering, one could even hear the sounds of
children’s laughter. Chu Qiao did not know how much longer this laughter could last, and
neither could she predict how much longer they could live for. If she had any forces, even if
fi

fl
 she had only a hundred, she could tie up those corrupted generals up. But she did not have
any. All the bodyguards that Yan Xun had given her had been sent to nd Lady Yu. Now she
did not even have a messenger with her. Should she secretly in ltrate tonight and get rid of
all those old idiots? This thought ashed through her mind, but she immediately rejected it,
frowning. If she had an assault ri e, that plan might actually be feasible.

The sky darkened as Chu Qiao stood up gradually. The pristine white moonlight shone on
the ground. In the dark, her silhouette was frail and lonely, and exuded an intense
helplessness and loneliness.

Just as she left the Mayor’s o ce, she saw a few soldiers running in her direction clumsily.
The leading one bumped into her, and seeing how she was wearing high-class clothes, he
suddenly realized his folly, as he kneeled to apologize. They were all farmers, and they had
yet to get used to the changes made in Yan Bei. When they meet o cer along the way, they
would habitually kneel down to greet them. Chu Qiao realized that these were all child
soldiers, and the eldest was at most 14 years old, with the youngest possibly not even 10.
Each was holding a wooden stick, with a metal stick attached to the tip acting as a spear
point. Such a weapon would not be able to last even one round against the enemies on the
battle eld. The blades of the Xia Empire were of the best quality and greatest sharpness,
and could easily cut through all armor, much less break those sticks which these kids called
“spears”.

Rather than calling them soldiers, it would be more appropriate to merely label them as
paupers. Yet, they were the backbone of the million-strong Beishuo army. Chu Qiao was
once again overwhelmed by an intense sense of helplessness, as though she had been
dropped into a sea, and the seaweed wrapped around her feet. No matter how she
struggled, she could not swim back to land.

Chu Qiao frowned, as though her heart had been gripped tightly by the hands of a devil.
After Yan Xun left, Cao Mengtong had authorized mass conscription. Within a hundred
miles, all the refugees were gathered. The women were brought in as comfort women, and
the men were conscripted as soldiers. Even the elders were assigned tasks in backline
support. At that moment, the entire Beishuo turned into a monstrous hell. These o cers of
Da Tong behaved like beggars who went from having nothing to suddenly becoming
emperor. Such greed and violence were beyond that of even the Xia Nobles. Chu Qiao had
sent multiple requests for a meeting, but she had been rejected and ignored. After killing a
few soldiers who had been bullying the civilians, those who refused to be enslaved would
either escape the city or hide in the Military Sta O ce. By now, that o ce had already
been brimming with people. Such was the democracy of Yan Bei! Such was the leadership
that Yan Bei had struggled for! Such was the future and hope that Yan Bei civilians had faith
in!

Chu Qiao took a deep breath. These people were truly unfortunate. They had welcomed and
supported those who would ultimately lead them to their demise! Her st clenched tightly,
as though she wanted to crush something. When Yan Xun came back…when he came
back, she must…

fi
ffi
fl
fl
ff
ffi
fi
ffi
fi
fi
ffi
ffi
 “Master,” the leader of the group of kids asked timidly, “are you Master Chu from the Military
Sta O ce?”

Lowering her head, Chu Qiao saw that the kid was merely 11-12 years old. His arms looked
as though they would break with just a slight twist. With a pale complexion, it was obvious
that he was undernourished. Yet his black round eyes still sparkled with the shine that was
unique to kids. He only wore a rag with an oversized coat that already started falling apart.

“How did you recognize me?”

“There is only one female master in the army!” the kid happily responded. “Master, we’ve all
heard that you were a kind person!”

The kids behind all crowded over and started talking. “My elder sister is in the Military Sta
O ce. She was saved by you, Master. Do you know her?”

“My mother was also there!”

“Master, we saw you beheading that big soldier a few days ago. You are really so strong!”

“Indeed, Master, can you please teach us some moves? We are about to head to the
battle eld!”

“Yes, Master, teach us how to kill the enemies!”

Looking at these kids, Chu Qiao suddenly felt as though her heart had stopped. She started
to question her own beliefs, her value, the justi cation for whatever she had done. The
thought of completing that ludicrous plan that she had formulated just now resurfaced in her
head. But ultimately, logic won over, as she stood still. Without any movement, she watched
on as the crimson light from the torches shone brightly onto the innocent young faces. She
lowered her voice, and with a melancholic tone, she replied without skipping a beat, “When
charging, do not stay at the front.” After that, as though she could no longer stand talking
with them, she turned around and walked away, leaving behind a bunch of kids who
watched as she left, dumbfounded by her advice. The kids scratched their heads in
confusion. Why did Master Chu tell them things that were di erent from what their instructor
said?

After going around a corner, Chu Qiao stopped in her tracks. She no longer had the courage
to face those bright, anticipating gazes of those innocent children, much less encourage
them to do their best to contribute to the country. She thought she had already been
toughened by war, but realized that her experiences were still lacking.

“Master Cao nally won a battle, yet you said that it was due to the Xia Empire purposely
losing to numb everyone’s senses. Naturally, he would not believe you.” An emotionless
voice sounded o beside her. Turning around, Chu Qiao saw that Xue Zhiyuan was leaning
on a wall with his arms folded while looking at her from the corner of his eyes. That
expression exuded a tinge of amusement.

ffi
ff
fi
ffi
fi
ff
fi
ff
ff
Chu Qiao was completely done with the local o cers of Da Tong. With a cold snort, she
turned and wanted to leave.

“Did his highness decide to abandon us?” after just one step, Xue Zhiyuan suddenly asked.

That question was so shocking, that Chu Qiao immediately stopped in her tracks. With a
piercing glare, she snapped, “What did you say?”

“His Highness and Mister Wu are both rare military talents in Yan Bei. Yet they both left,
leading the elites of the First Army to attack the Meilin Pass without leaving anyone to guard
Beishuo. With that, the Second Army had to ght head-on with the Xia Army. Lady Yu, a
similarly skilled strategist, was left guarding Lan City and did not send reinforcements to
Beishuo. Likewise, Master Chu, you are also a competent strategist, yet he did not give you
any real power. The entire Beishuo was handed over to a group of incompetent fools who
barely understand the art of war. Hurhur, if not for the fact that Master Chu had not left
Beishuo yet, I would have con rmed that suspicion.”

In that instant, it was as though lightning had struck Chu Qiao’s head. It was not that she
had not thought of that yet, it was that she chose not to believe it was true.

Would Yan Xun really not know the incompetence of Cao Mengtong, the Second Army, and
the Da Tong Guild? What was his intention in picking this very moment to attack the Meilin
Pass? Was it really to strike them when they least expected an attack to remove the
possibility of ghting on two fronts simultaneously, and to ank the bulk of the Xia forces?
Or was his real intention to let the Xia Army and the Second Army wear each other out? Why
else would he grant control to Cao Mengtong? Why else did he not leave Mister Wu to
guard Beishuo? Why else did he inform her to look for Lady Yu at Lan City? Why else did
her seven waves of soldiers who were sent to look for Lady Yu not return? What reasons
were there beneath all that? Or was it really as Xue Zhiyuan had stated, everything was Yan
Xun’s deliberate arrangement such that the strength of the Second Army could be
weakened, and he could stabilize his own position within Yan Bei by making use of the Xia
empire? But for such a purpose, he would throw away over a million civilians, and to place
Yan Bei in a precarious spot, would it be worth it? Would he really do something like that?

“But even if his highness truly intended it that way, Master Cao is not an idiot either. In one
month’s time, even if we use a human wave tactic, the hundreds of thousands of conscripts
would surely be able to withstand the assault. By the time His Highness returns, only the
civilians will be exhausted. The bulk of the Second Army would not even be touched. His
Highness would not stand to gain much from this plan.”

“In our hometown, guessing our superior’s intentions could be punishable by death!” The
young woman icked an eyebrow, while coldly snapping at the young general.

Xue Zhiyuan was taken aback by her erce retort. Before he could reply, Chu Qiao
continued, “You need not sew doubts between us. Even if Yan Bei su ers from internal
instability, and the power struggle within Da Tong was deplorable, His Highness has not
reached a point where he would wager all of Beishuo City! Even if everything was as you
said, I still believe that he’s not someone who would resort to any means necessary to gain
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
ffi
fl
ff
 more power! Tactically speaking, His Highness attacking Meilin Pass would be a de nite
surprise attack. Lady Yu not being able to reply to us may be due to some unforeseen
circumstances! This battle will a ect the survival of Yan Bei, and only myopic fools will still
be struggling for power in this situation. If Yan Bei were to be decimated, all will be lost. If
you are so free, why not go and train some of the new conscripts so that they will not die
such a horrible death?”

Xue Zhiyuan’s eyebrow twitched, as he coldly countered her, “Since you are brimming with
con dence, why did you send so many waves of men to look for Lady Yu? If it was really
like what Master Chu had said, three days would be more than su cient for a round trip to
Lan City. Why is Lady Yu still nowhere to be seen? If Lady Yu had not received orders from
above, do you think she would really just observe this asco?”

Chu Qiao’s heart sank. Just as she was about to debate, a horse quickly approached at top
speed, causing the crowds in the streets to disperse to avoid the charging horse. The rider
shouted at the top of his voice, “Master Chu! Where is Master Chu?”

“I am here!” Seeing the man, Chu Qiao’s face shone, as she got on her tippytoes and called
out.

Chapter 155
The warhorse sprinted towards the two people. The man on the horse jumped down and
rushed towards the front, calling out, “General!”

“What’s going on? Why are you back only now? Where are the rest? Have you seen Lady
Yu?”

“General, we ran into bandits along the way. All our brothers have been robbed!”

“What?” Chu Qiao and Xue Zhiyuan exclaimed in unison. Subsequently, Chu Qiao
exclaimed in disbelief, “Who is so arrogant? You have over 500 people. How could all of you
be robbed?”

“General, although we have many people, they outnumber us. They have over 7,000
people.”

“Nonsense!” Xue Zhiyuan hollered. “All of you were careless, yet you blamed the bandits.
There are only allied troops in Yan Bei. Where did 7,000 bandits pop out from? You’re
shirking responsibility!”

The soldier frowned and replied sternly, “General Xue, although we are not talented, we
have followed Your Highness through countless battles. Even if we die, we will not frown. If
what I said today is false, I will die a horrifying death!”

Chu Qiao took a deep breath and asked in a low voice, “How are our people now? Do those
bandits have any requests? Did they kill any one of us?”

fi

ff
fi
ffi
fi
The soldier suddenly appeared energized, replying, “No, not one of us died. They ambushed
us with minimal casualties. They were erce at the start, threatening us to help them convey
a message. After that, when they heard that we were under you, their attitude towards us
improved.”

Chu Qiao was stunned. “What?”

“General, they don’t know who we are. They held us hostage in order to pass the message
that they wanted to see you.”

“They want to see me?”

“Yes.”

Chu Qiao frowned and asked, “Who is their leader?”

“The man is about 30-years-old. He is brave and valiant. He is not an ordinary bandit but
looks like a trained soldier instead. Their army is organized, and they excel in one-on-one
combat. They are well equipped with weapons, but they are not wearing military uniforms.
They refused to reveal their identity, only saying that they had no bad intentions. As long as
you see them, you would know who they are.”

Chu Qiao frowned and thought for a long while, before saying, “Prepare the horse. We will
go and see him.”

“You’re crazy!” Xue Zhiyuan said, grabbing her hand. Although the two of them had been at
loggerheads, they ultimately stood on the same side. The man said, “Do you not want to live
anymore, leaving the city at this time?”

Chu Qiao looked at him and replied sternly, “My subordinates are in the enemy’s hands.”

“So what? Can you save them all alone?”

“Don’t tell me that you want to give me some troops? I don’t need many people, just 5,000.”

Xue Zhiyuan was speechless. He was merely a frontline commander. Cao Mengtong
intended to preserve the forces of the Second Army. He was unable to mobilise even 500
troops, let alone 5,000.

Chu Qiao sneered and climbed on her horse, following behind the soldier. “Giddyup!” The
warhorse raised its hooves and sprinted towards the outside of the city.

Xue Zhiyuan raised his eyebrows. Coincidentally, another soldier was headed his way while
leading a horse. He snatched the horse over and galloped after Chu Qiao.

The northern winds were strong. The snow was heavy, causing the landscape to be
blanketed in a layer of white. It was impossible to distinguish between the directions.
However, on this chilly night, a long line of people moved in the snow. The winds blew on
their faces, making them unable to open their eyes, but their passion was not extinguished.
The civilians of Yan Bei, upon receiving the Second Army’s signal for conscripts to defend
fi
their land, equipped themselves with their knives, their strongest horses and headed to
Beishuo City. They intended to ght for Da Tong, which they had envisioned in their dreams.

This was a resilient tribe. The people who had lived here were adept in horse-riding since
young. With additional training, they would no doubt become an elite army. However,
looking at these people who were full of con dence, willing to withstand the harsh weather,
and breaking out in song, she was lled with sorrow. She wanted to stop them, but only
received looks of disdain. As some of them saw the three of them sprint towards the west,
they spat at them, scolding, “Deserters!”

“General, let’s go,” the soldier left behind by Yan Xun turned around and remarked hurriedly.

At this moment, Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows and restrained the horse’s reins. The soldier
stopped after 20 steps, turned around and asked, “General, what’s wrong?”

Chu Qiao frowned and perked her ears. She turned around and said to Xue Zhiyuan, who
was at the side, “Do you hear that?”

Boom! Boom! Boom! A thunderous sound approached from the distance, increasing in
volume. The sound echoed across the ground, creeping up into their spines. Xue Zhiyuan
raised his eyebrows and jumped o his horse. The young general sprinted up a slope and
gazed into the distance. In that instant, he froze, staring at the west, not daring to move. A
few civilians who had heard the sound climbed up and stood on the snowy plains.

Silence, dead silence. Someone turned around and looked around, reached out his hands,
pointed towards the west, and asked, “Is that an army? Is that our army?”

Loud sounds of horses’ hooves echoed from the west. A black shadow, shaped like a line,
appeared on the horizon. Thousands of soldiers emerged, advancing towards their direction
from Luori Mountains!

“Run!” the lady’s voice echoed.

Everyone was shocked, and turned around to see a lady sitting on her horse, dressed in
body armor. She had a sword in her hand, pointed towards the west and shouted, “It’s the
army from Xia! Run! Quickly! Towards Beishuo!” Panic erupted amongst the crowd, but
someone questioned quickly, “Why would the Xia troops be in the mainland of Yan Bei?”

“That’s right,” another person echoed. “They are all outside Beishuo Pass!”

However, it was too late. Their equestrian methods, their sword- ghting techniques… They
were evidently the trained border troops from Xia.

Chu Qiao’s face turned pale. Her palm, which she used to hold her sword, broke out in
sweat. Who were these people? How had they managed to breach Beishuo Pass and
appear in the mainland of Yan Bei? There was no proper army here. If they fought into the
inner part of Yan Bei, what would be the consequences?

In that instant, countless thoughts ashed across her mind. Chu Qiao raised her sword and
exclaimed loudly, “I’m Chu Qiao, a senior general from Yan Bei’s Military Strategy
fi
ff
fl
fi
fi
fi
Department. Everyone, listen to my orders!” The strong winds drowned out her voice.
Thousands of soldiers dashed towards her direction in intimidating fashion!

“How could this be possible?”

Cries of agony suddenly erupted from within the crowd. The men of Yan Bei, who had
answered their country’s calling, suddenly panicked as the enemies descended upon them.

“Run!”

It was too late to run. Those that ran would only be killed. Chu Qiao turned around and
hollered, “Don’t run! Stop them!”

No one paid attention to what she said. The soldier following her rushed forward, grabbing
at the reins of her horse. “General, run!”

“Inform the main camp of Beishuo immediately!”

“General! Time is running out!”

The warcry to kill the enemies sounded out from the opposing army. It was undoubtedly the
warcry of the main troops of Xia. The messy sounds of horses’ hooves caught up with the
civilians who were eeing for their lives. The troops brandished their swords and hacked at
the civilians of Yan Bei, causing blood to splatter everywhere. Human heads dislodged from
their bodies and ew into mid-air, staining the ground!

The enemy’s horses were fast, and they possessed exquisite swordsmanship. The civilians
of Yan Bei could not and did not know how to retaliate. Their cries of agony were drowned
out amongst the footsteps of the horses. They fell o their horses, being trampled on by the
soldiers’ horses.

Chu Qiao was caught o -guard by the sudden attack. Faced with such a ferocious assault,
she was powerless to control the situation. A young man dashed in front with his horse. An
enemy caught up with him, hacking his neck o and causing blood to splatter onto Chu
Qiao’s cloak. She stabbed the Xia soldier in the chest, causing blood to splatter again.

“Xue Zhiyuan! Go back and inform the main camp immediately!”

The army was about 1,000 strong. Each of them wore military uniforms belonging to the Xia
army. They chased after the eeing civilians, neglecting the fact that there were a few troops
capable of putting up a ght. Xue Zhiyuan was surrounded by three Xia troops. Chu Qiao
dashed forward with her sword, helping him out of the tight situation. She hollered after him,
“Run!”

“A woman protecting me? I can’t do it!” Xue Zhiyuan was a seasoned veteran. With agility,
he severed the head of a Xia soldier swiftly.

Chu Qiao frowned and tossed her cloak onto the ground, hollering, “Despicable! Killing the
civilians! You deserve to die!” Finishing her words, she raised her sword high in the air and
dashed towards the Xia army.

fl
fl
ff
fi
fl
ff
ff
“General!” The soldier, having witnessed what just happened, dashed after Chu Qiao. The
two of them dashed towards the army of over 1,000 soldiers. The sight appeared comical,
but no one laughed. The soldiers realized the presence of Chu Qiao. Upon seeing her out t,
someone echoed, “There’s an o cial here!” In that instant, the Xia troops surrounded her. As
compared to the civilians, an army o cial from Yan Bei carried more signi cance.

Xue Zhiyuan was stunned. Seeing the soldiers who had surrounded him turn their attentions
to Chu Qiao, he felt a surge of warm blood up his chest. He knew that Chu Qiao was buying
him time to escape, not for the sake of friendship, but for the safety of the million civilians in
Beishuo City!

In the strong northern winds, his eyes turned red. He let out a loud cry, before sprinting back
to Beishuo City on his horse.

However, he ran too fast. If he had waited a second more, he would have noticed a di erent
sight. Destiny was always so bizarre. Another black shadow, shaped in a line, appeared over
the same horizon. The ground was shaking; the winds were howling. An intense murderous
aura lingered in the air, enveloping every inch of the snowy plains. In the pale moonlight, the
plain-clothed army stormed their way towards the battle eld!

Chapter 156
“Which army are you from? Report your identity and the name of your general!” A strong
voice pierced through the frigid winds, resounding in everyone’s eardrums. In the massacre,
Chu Qiao slashed down a Xia soldier before lifting her head up. That voice sounded really
familiar.

The approaching group was at least 5,000 strong, and just by observing the formation, one
could tell that they were well trained. The Xia soldiers had no choice but to stop their
massacre of the civilians and respond. An o cer shouted back, “We are the Xia Garrison in
Yan Bei Area 18, 21st Detachment. Who are you?”

They were the Xia Garrison within Yan Bei? In that one moment, Chu Qiao had already
understood everything. The independence of Yan Bei was something that was declared
overnight. Within only half a month, the original garrisons had been decimated from within
the Yan Bei territory. However, due to the short duration of independence, and considering
how the Xia Empire had already mustered troops to conquer Yan Bei, they had no time to
completely search and destroy all remaining troops within the borders. As a result, there
would still be small groups of leftover Xia troops within the borders.

These men were probably the Xia Army that had been routed during the rebellion but had
yet to be hunted down. As they caught wind of the Xia invasion, they banded together in
hopes of aiding the invading force. Yet they had encountered the civilians who were
responding to the conscription order along the way. To prevent the Yan Bei forces from
being noti ed of their existence, they began a massacre. Since these people’s origins were
known, what about the approaching group of people?

fi

ffi
ffi
ffi
fi
fi
ff
fi
 Hearing how the Xia troops reported their origins, the approaching troops sank into a deadly
silence. With the wind raging between them, the snow that was on the ground was blown up
into the air, creating an illusion that it was snowing again.

“Attack!” A loud and clear charge call was blown by the military bugle. It was a bugle call
exactly the same as the standard used in the Xia military. It was precisely the same as the
one that had just been used by the Xia troops just now. Yet, ashing their bright swords, the
unknown force had revealed nothing other than hostility. The soldiers of the Xia empire
panicked. The commander dashed up and shouted, “We are imperial troops that were
stationed in Yan Bei! Who are you? Are you imperial forces as well? Please stop your attack!
Please stop!”

With a whoosh, a strong arrow ew over, piercing that man’s chest. With a crimson trail of
blood ying through the sky, he fell to the ground.

“Brace! Brace!” The Xia troops came to their senses and hurriedly changed their formation
to brace themselves against the incoming charge. But it was too late. Given this short
distance, such ferocity of the charge, and the huge disparity in strength, the Xia troops had
sunk into a complete disadvantage. The vengeance came quick and hard, as the massacre
just now was once again resumed, only that the victim had changed. The sounds of blades
clashing resounded throughout the entire battleground. Although the attacker was dressed
in all kinds of clothes, their skills with the blade were exceptional. Well equipped, obviously
experienced, and well trained, every swing of the blade was targeted at the vitals of their
enemies.

In the urry of slashes, the Xia troops fell like leaves in the powerful assault. In mere
minutes, they had been divided into small pockets without any sense of order or formation
remaining.

The wind grew stronger and brushed against everybody’s skin like blades. Under the cover
of the darkness, the snow seemed to start yet again, as the seemingly messy attacking
force tore through the remnants of the Xia troops. The sounds of ghting could be heard
everywhere. On the snowy plains that were not even 50 miles away from Beishuo City, such
intense ghting occurred.

“Report!” a soldier reported in. In the small tent that was hurriedly pitched up, a general was
pacing up and down, as though he was waiting for someone.

The messenger walked in and loudly informed, “Reporting in. There is an enemy that
surrendered and wishes to see you.”

The man was still young and looked rather handsome. He had long eyes, and his lips were
thin. With just one glance, one could tell he was a courageous man who would not hesitate,
even in danger. Yet, that man seemed to be rather irritated. He frowned. “A Xia captive?
What matter does he have? Has that Yan Bei soldier returned?”

“Not yet, Master. As for that captive, she refuses to say anything apart from rmly
requesting to see you, Master.”

fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
The commander casually waved his hand. “Bring her in.”

As Chu Qiao just entered the tent, she saw that the General was speaking to the few Yan
Bei soldiers whom he had captured earlier. “How is the Lady? Is she still healthy?”

“She is pretty healthy, though the same could not be said for her luck. By accident, she has
become a captive.”

With that, the big gure of the man trembled, and he twisted his head back with all his
strength. The man who was nearly 30 was speechless as he ran over, his mouth left agape,
unable to form any sentence.

“Xiao He, did you call me out here just to stand together for a while?”

“Lady! How could it be you?” Xiao He’s face was full of grime and dust, but he could not
conceal his happiness.

Removing her hood, Chu Qiao smiled. “I also have questions for you. What happened to
you? Why did you stop being a soldier, and brought your men to become bandits instead? If
I had not seen this, I would not have believed it myself.”

“Lady, if you are not around, how could we return with peace of mind?” Xiao He sighed. Chu
Qiao knew that the issue about Yan Xun abandoning the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison
back in Zhen Huang City was still bothering this man. She did not mind. Patting his back,
she reassured him, “Now, I am back. Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, indeed. Else we would not have chosen such an indirect method to nd you. We dared
not approach Beishuo City as we were scared to create a misunderstanding. I could only
use this method to meet you, Lady. Please pardon us,” Xiao He explained in deference.

Chu Qiao laughed. “Xiao He, since when were you so formal with me? We were comrades in
arms that fought in the same trenches before. You coming back right now is something that
I am really thankful for.”

Xiao He laughed heartily. “If that is the case, Lady, you need not thank us either.”

Chu Qiao stretched out her hand and st bumped Xiao He, as they both smiled in the joyous
reunion.

By midnight, under the leadership of Chu Qiao, this army that consisted of entirely light
cavalry set o from the snow plains toward Beishuo City, into the area that would soon turn
into a battle eld. Around nine pm, the city gates of Beishuo suddenly sounded o in a urry
of war drums, as the entire meeting room sank into silence. The o cers of all the armies
were all speechless. The scouts had just reported in that the Xia army had arrived and would
soon begin an assault on Beishuo. A middle-aged man who had just been promoted from a
farmer claimed to have seen the enemy with over 20 rallying ags, along with countless
heavy infantry. Their torches stretched for over ten miles, and their vanguards were already
before their city gates, with the subsequent reinforcement trailing about ten miles behind on
the Huolei Plains. If Chu Qiao were there, she would immediately see the inconsistencies
fi
ff
fi
fi
fl
ffi
fi
ff
fl
 with this intel. If Xue Zhiyuan was here, he would daringly point out the fallacies in the
information. But unfortunately, both of them were not present. Cao Mengtong rubbed his
chin as he looked at Xia An from the corner of his eyes, and asked, “General Xia, what do
you think?”

With his eyes half closed, Xia An looked as though he had dementia. He muttered, “General,
you are so wise and brilliant. Your wish is my wish. I am willing to rally behind you and follow
your orders.”

Cao Mengtong’s eyes twitched as he swore under his breath, “This cunning old fox” before
smirking. They were nally here. That was even better!

Cao Mengtong was no longer young. Given his abilities and family background, being able
to rise to the position of a general was not mere coincidence. Those who were familiar with
him would know that in the past ten years, he was the only undefeated general in the Yan
Bei Highlands, and in his service history of over a hundred battles, he had not tasted defeat.
From that point alone, even Wu Daoya would pale in comparison. But being undefeated was
a di erent matter from being victorious. On the contrary, their victories were few and rare. In
Lady Yu’s words, the second army was the best at reasonable strategic relocation. As their
entire lives revolved around such a concept, it would be a joke to order them to ght head-
on with the enemies. The great Marshal Cao wanted to preserve the essence of Yan Bei
army.

If this was still in the past, and Cao Mengtong was tasked with guarding Beishuo city from a
Xia incursion of over a million strong, Cao Mengtong would have probably started his
escape long ago. But right now he could a ord to take it easy. Ultimately, no one would
want to bear the reputation of being the master of retreating for his entire life. In the past,
the Yan Bei army was a group of beggars, as they had neither strength nor resources. But
now, nanced by Yan Xun, the army was how issued with top quality weapons and strong
armor, along with countless horses and near a million soldiers. In addition, that lady who
always followed behind Yan Xun had made a bunch of contraptions that were meant for
castle defense. Although he had not gured out how to use many of them, those that he
already learned to use were already powerful enough. Under her guidance, the castle had
been strengthened, and the surroundings were full of ice. This was truly an impregnable
fortress.

This incursion by the Xia army would leave them open on the battle eld. Having come
thousands of miles to here, General Cao merely needed to wait and harvest an astounding
achievement. With a million troops, strengthened defense, quality weapons, and adequate
supply, how else would the result of the war be apart from a victory? The blood in Cao
Mengtong started boiling. With this victory, his reputation in Yan Bei would truly be
groundbreaking. Those noisy old men in the Da Tong would bow to him, and that small kid
Yan Xun would no longer dare to comment anything about him. As the Yan Bei government
strengthen from this battle, the Xia Empire would be exhausted. At the end of the campaign,
even invading into the Xia Empire and sieging the Zhen Huang City would not be a dream.
The imagery repeating 300 years ago when the Peiluo Family had overrun Hongchuan and
redrawn maps to create their own empire surfaced in his mind. For him, a common civilian
ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
 who had eventually walked onto the apex of the path of victory and power, that would be
such a fascinating future. This battle of Beishuo would be the rst step for his rise!

Chao Mengtong was excited by those thoughts, as his eyes turned bloodshot and his veins
throbbed on his temples. Finally, he stood up, and facing the dozens of Yan Bei generals, he
solemnly declared, “The Xia empire has been sel sh and cruel in their rule. This battle of
Beishuo will be a holy war of self-defense for Yan Bei. The survival of Yan Bei lies in this one
battle. This battle cannot be avoided. I implore everyone here to lend me your assistance!”

“We ght for freedom!” The cheer resounded in the meeting room in unison. When the
guards at the door turned around to see what was going on, he could only see a see sts
that had been punched into the air! see sts of Beishuo had nally opened the curtains to
the opening scene!

The signal indicating that war was approaching quickly spread out throughout Beishuo City.
The sounds of the war drums resounded through the entire encampment. At this very
moment, the Vice-general of the vanguard forces of the Second army, Xue Zhiyuan charged
into the city gates and informed about the several thousand strong Xia army that was in
hiding beyond the city gates. With that, the west gate that was initially completely open was
shut, preventing anyone from coming through. Xue Zhiyuan was gravely wounded and
fainted right after brie y explaining the situation. But after his arrival, large batches of
civilians who had ed from the massacre arrived. Despite their calls that they were
responding to the conscription order, the heavy gates would no longer open for them.

Chapter 157
In less than two hours, over 3,000 civilians had gathered at the city gates in the freezing
weather. Some of them cursed and swore at the gate guards, while some were crying and
pleading for them to be let into the city. However, all of these was to no avail.

Four hours later, the sun had risen. Over the horizon to the west, a black shadow shaped in
a line started to appear. The shadow, which was made up of 7,000 warhorses and blocked
by the layer of fog, approached the city gates rapidly without adopting any defense
formations. In an instant, they had descended upon the city gates. The troops guarding the
gates of Beishuo City went to alert the commanders about the arrival of their enemies.
Before the Xia troops at the eastern part had attacked, the western troops had already
brandished their swords, ready for a ght. Vice General Cheng Yuan, who was in charge of
the defense of the western gates, felt a feeling of apprehension. If not for Xue Zhiyuan’s
intel, the consequences would have been dire.

The civilians let out cries of panic, running towards the city gates in a disorganized manner.
However, at this time, who would open the city gates to let them in?

Creaking sounds echoed out from above the city walls. Those were sounds of the giant
crossbows opening. Vice General Cheng Yuan stood on the top of the city walls. He was
dressed in a big, green cloak. He held a sword in his knife, looked at the sight in front of him
and sneered in disdain. He thought to himself, It’s just an army of less than 10,000, yet they
fi
fl
fl

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
 dream of breaching Beishuo City. Dream on! He remarked casually to his subordinates
beside him, “No need to show any mercy. Exterminate all of them. The rst credit of the
battle at Beishuo will belong to us!”

Sun He, one of his subordinates, frowned. Facing this dilemma, he questioned, “However,
there are still a lot of civilians outside the gates.”

Cheng Yuan raised his eyebrows and replied coldly, “Civilians? I didn’t see them.”
Subsequently, he departed from the city gates, going back to his room to rest.

The weather was freezing. It was not worth his e ort to continue staying at the city walls,
given the small numbers of the opposition.

Sun He instantly read Cheng Yuan’s intentions. He turned around and ordered the middle-
ranked commanders beside him, “The civilians below are Xia troops in disguise. They are
using this method to deceive us, to force us into not shooting arrows at them. Once we
open the city gates, these people will turn against us and kill us all! We will be massacred,
along with Beishuo City!”

Everyone present started to engage in discussion. “The dogs from Xia are so cunning. They
are bullies. If we don’t kill them all, we won’t have any dignity to face the world.”

The noise levels increased at the city gates. At this instant, the entire army stopped in its
tracks not far out. A soldier dressed in a black cloak, presumably the commander of the
army, surged to the front. The soldier removed the hat on his head, revealing a beautiful face
of a lady. The lady declared loudly, “I am Chu Qiao, an o cial from the Military Strategy
Department. Behind me is my army, the Southwest Emissary’s garrison. We have killed the
Xia troops previously. Please open the city gates and let us in!”

Although her voice was not loud, everyone present at the city walls heard her voice clearly.
As she nished her words, sounds of laughter erupted from the city walls. If not for General
Xue, they would really have been deceived. Based on what he said, General Chu had died in
the course of protecting her country. Yet, this army still dared to use her army’s ensign to
carry out this act of deception? Southwest Emissary’s garrison? What team was that? Was
it a rebel army?

Sun He had not seen Chu Qiao’s face before, only seeing her shadow brie y for a few times.
At this instant, the army was too far away. Coupled with the fog, he could not make out any
faces. Emboldened by Cheng Yuan’s instructions, he laughed coldly and waved his hand.
“For freedom! Kill them all!”

A loud warcry sounded out instantly! Over 300 arrows shot out into the sky as a response to
Chu Qiao’s words. They were like a giant dark cloud that covered the sky. The urry of
arrows descended upon Chu Qiao’s army!

“Protect General!” The troops of the Southwest Emissary’s garrison dashed forward to the
front. Over ten young soldiers used themselves as a human wall to shield Chu Qiao.

fi
ff
ffi
fi
fl
fl
 Those crossbows had been modi ed personally by Chu Qiao. They were potent and able to
re 38 arrows at once. The arrows, propelled by gigantic forces, were able to travel
unbelievably fast. It was easily the best weapon in the world to defend cities. The arrows
embedded themselves into the bodies of the ten soldiers. In that instant, they collapsed on
the ground, looking like porcupines.

“Protect the General!” He Xiao dashed to the front, de ecting one arrow away using his
sword. Hundreds of soldiers followed behind him to shield Chu Qiao, not caring about their
lives. They were lightly equipped, with no shields nor body armor. They had followed Chu
Qiao with the intention of passing into Yan Bei safely. They had no time to put up a proper
defense formation. As the rst urry of arrows descended upon them, bodies ew
everywhere.

One young soldier grabbed Chu Qiao and dashed backward. An arrow pierced through his
chest, causing large amounts of blood to splatter over Chu Qiao’s face. The soldier did not
let go, continuing to gallop on his horse while shouting, “Protect the General! Cover me!”
However, the warhorse was promptly shot down, collapsing on the ground in a heap. The
soldier rolled on the ground and got to his feet, continuing to help Chu Qiao to retreat.

“Enemies! Protect the General!” More and more people dashed forward. The sight was like a
series of black-colored waves. As one row of soldiers was shot down, another row of
soldiers dashed forward without showing any signs of weakness, fear nor any intention to
retreat. By the time they got out of the ring range of the arrows, many corpses lay on the
ground.

“Hahaha!” the deafening laughter of the troops of Yan Bei erupted from the city walls.

Chu Qiao fell heavily to the ground. He Xiao dashed forward, shouting anxiously, “General!
Are you alright?” The soldiers dispersed, forming a passageway for He Xiao. As he dashed
to her side, his eyes widened and he hollered, “How audacious! How dare you disrespect
the general!”

“General He, say no more,” Chu Qiao’s head popped out from underneath the soldier’s
embrace. Her tone was sad, while her face was pale. Tears welled up in her eyes but did not
fall. “He’s already dead. He saved me.” Chu Qiao loosened the soldier’s grip on her,
standing up slowly. Gasps started to sound out from the other soldiers. The soldier’s back
had been struck with over ten arrows, like a porcupine. Three or four of them had landed in
his heart. Most of them had been broken. It could be seen how many times he fell while he
ran. His expression was ferocious and crazy. It was as if before he died, he was still running.
Perhaps he had already died, but he still maintained the posture when he was running. No
one knew what kind of strength this was. Chu Qiao removed her cloak and draped it over
the soldier. She squatted down and slowly covered the soldier’s eyes.

Swoosh! The lady stood up and walked towards the city gates of Beishuo.

“General!” the soldiers echoed in unison.

He Xiao was the rst to block her way, shouting, “General! No way!”

fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
fl
 Chu Qiao’s eyes were cold. Anger burned from within her heart. In just that short while, over
100 of them had died, while over 300 of them were injured. These people had followed her
over long distances, from the rebellion at Zhen Huang back to Yan Bei. Because of her, they
had been forced into banditry in the mountains, and nearly started a war with the Tang
Empire. Presently, they had resolved to return to Yan Bei because of her. In the country’s
dire times, they wielded their swords without hesitation, willing to protect their homeland.

They were recognized as traitors in the past. Unforgivable, unpardonable traitors. They were
lackeys that had been ignored back in Xia. Useless good-for-nothings that had been
despised by all! However, it was them who were the rst to ignite the rebellion at Xia, the
rst to help Yan Xun oppose Xia. The renowned rebellion at Zhen Huang had started in their
hands. The extermination of tens of provincial armies in the northwest was their doing too.
Even after they were abandoned, they did not forget their responsibilities and who they were
supposed to be loyal to. They trusted her wholeheartedly, relying on her as their source of
motivation. However, at this instant, all she brought upon them was a merciless massacre!

She pushed He Xiao aside angrily, walking in front stubbornly. He Xiao got to his feet
quickly, took a few steps forward, knelt on the ground in front of her, and shouted, “General!
We are not sure if they are friends or enemies. Beishuo City has misunderstandings towards
our army. If you go forward at this time, you might not live! Do not do that!”

Swoosh! Chu Qiao took out her sword, saying coldly, “Get out of the way!”

“General! Don’t do it!” As he nished his words, tens of soldiers dashed forward, kneeling on
the ground.

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows, intent on stepping forward. Suddenly, the entire army knelt
on the ground. All 7,000 voices echoed in unison, “General! Don’t do it! If you want to go
over, then please step over our dead bodies!”

Chu Qiao stood rooted the spot. She turned around, looked at the soldier who had died a
horri c death, and slowly shut her eyes. Anger burned from within her once again. She took
slow breaths as if to suppress everything to the bottom of her heart, bit by bit.

“Prepare the horses. Get into the assault formation!”

Swoosh! The soldiers at the city walls of Beishuo were taken aback. An arrow had pierced
through the ensign of its central army. The distance that the arrow had traveled had far
exceeded what a giant crossbow could have achieved. However, the opposition had
managed to achieve this feat with a normal crossbow. The strength of his forearm was
frightening!

He Xiao put down his crossbow. The scene turned dead silent. Even the civilians who had
come forward to answer their nation’s call were dumbfounded.

Chu Qiao rode on her horse’s back and made her way to the front slowly, the white and red
ag hovering over her head. She stood about 100 steps outside the ring range of the
arrows, staring at the opposition coldly. Loudly, she declared, “I am Chu Qiao, an o cial
from the Military Strategy Department. I want to see your highest ranked leader!”

fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
ffi
Cheng Yuan had just walked out of his room. Before he had fastened the belt of his cloak,
he heard Chu Qiao’s voice and froze. The white and red ag outside ew high up in the air,
appearing like a reball in the morning fog. The soldier’s expression was stoic and
intimidating. The passive feelings of anger were like a giant cloak which threatened to
envelop them. He took one look at the forces outside and knew that this army was not one
that he could subdue with his incompetent troops. Other than outnumbering the opposition,
they had no other advantages.

“I am Chu Qiao, an o cial from the Military Strategy Department. I want to see your highest
ranked leader!” Chu Qiao repeated her words. Cheng Yuan’s face turned pale. Sun He, who
stood at the side, felt a fearsome chill in his heart upon seeing his superior’s expression. If it
was true… Thinking about the relationship between her and Yan Xun, his hand trembled.

“General, she… Don’t tell me she…”

“Idiot!” Cheng Yuan squinted slowly. “You messed up big time.”

“Prepare the horses! Tell the entire army to follow me out of the city to ght them. If we
spare even one of them, we don’t need to come back alive anymore!” Cheng Yuan hollered
and walked down the steps in big strides.

Sun He followed behind him swiftly, asking hurriedly, “General! If it’s true, then let’s…”

Chapter 158
With a crisp sound, Vice-General Cheng’s palm landed on Sun He’s face. He grabbed him
by the collar and coldly bellowed, “Are you an idiot? Do you not know her relationship with
His Highness? If we have already reached this stage, if she did not die, we can only wait for
his highness to come back and sacri ce us to the nation!”

Since it had already escalated to such a state, if they wanted to survive, they could only
carry through with the initial plan. Since they had already identi ed her as the fake, they
could only stick through with that judgment!

With his heart set, Cheng Yuan coldly declared, “The western garrison troops, assemble!”

Xue Zhiyuan had been rudely awakened by the war drums that had sounded throughout the
entire city. Bearing the intense pain that spread throughout his body, he walked up to the
city wall and was utterly confused. His eyes wide with surprise, he heard the familiar voice
beyond the walls, and the moment he saw the formations that were in place below the city,
he instantly understood what was going on. He quickly went down, and pushing aside the
guards, he asked, “What are you doing? Quickly, open the gates! That is Master Chu from
Military Sta O ce!”

Cheng Yuan coldly walked up and pressed on Xue Zhiyuan’s mouth. In his grievous injury,
Xue Zhiyuan could not struggle at all, as Cheng Yuan bellowed at his ears, “If this were to be
informed to the entire world, you would be the rst to die! Bringing back the wrong intel, and
ff
ffi
fi
ffi

fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
 creating panic within the armies, do you think His Highness will forgive you? If you want to
live, quickly shut up! If not, I can send you to your maker now!”

Cheng Yuan’s eyes froze up, as he strode o with murderous intent while dishing out further
instructions, “Listen to my orders later. We will pretend to be friendly at rst. Sun He will
ank them, and Li Lu will attack them from the back. We will surround them and destroy
them under the city, and we must not allow even a single one of them to leave!”

Xue Zhiyuan was stunned as he stood rooted to the ground. His boiling blood froze up as he
entered a daze. He was suddenly reminded of how many years ago, he had such passion
and excitement when he was starving and was rst educated about the mindset of Da Tong.
All along, he had faced such pain and di culties, yet he refused to yield to his weakness
and fatigue. But at this moment, his faith, his dreams, and his world collapsed upon him! His
face turned pale, as he suddenly stumbled back. He turned and raced to the city walls. His
agile gure quickly scaled the stairs like a beast!

Cheng Yuan was quick to respond as he shouted, “Stop him!”

Yet, that split second was all Xue Zhiyuan needed to reach the top of the city wall, as he
shouted down, “Chu Qiao, run!”

With a few sharp whooshes, a rain of arrows pierced through that man’s gure, as the arrow
revealed themselves on the other side of the man, poking out from his body. The blood
spilled all over the city wall, as his hot blood dripped down like seeds, landing on the ground
from the majestic city walls, creating crimson little holes in the snow below!

Everyone who witnessed that was utterly shocked. The cold wind blew past his robes and
brushed against his young gure that once harbored great ambitions. His eyes were still
crystal clear, full of awe-inspiring indomitability. His pledge many years ago echoed by his
ears, “I am willing to sacri ce my entire life to Yan Bei Da Tong. There is no self, no personal
gains, and I would ght my entire life for freedom!” All noise ceased, as his gure swayed
slightly in the wind, before falling with the wind onto the frigid land of Yan Bei! The civilians
shrieked in fear as they fell into chaos and quickly evacuated the vicinity of the city gates.

Chu Qiao sat on her horse, her eyes completely red. She steeled her gaze and rekindled the
passion and rage within her heart. Finally, she lifted her palm up, and sent out a short and
simple order, “Retreat!”

Before leaving, Chu Qiao turned back to look at the Yan Bei ag that was still oating in the
air, the soldiers crowded on the walls, the bodies that littered the battle eld, and the young
soldier that she had once slapped twice. She heaved a sigh, and her heart felt heavier than
ever.

“I will make sure this revenge will be carried out. I swear! On my life!”

The sun nally emerged from the horizon, painting the entire landscape golden. It was as
though even the gods would like to bless the Earth on that particular day. With such speed
of retreat, even if he were to be in full pursuit, he would have lost all chances of complete
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ffi
ff
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
 annihilation. Cheng Yuan’s heart had sunk completely, as Sun He stared at the disappearing
cavalries, asking, “Master, what should we do?”

Taking a glance at Sun He, Cheng Yuan’s gaze was cold and frigid, as he turned around,
and without speaking a single word, he left.

“What should I do?” Cheng Yuan asked himself the same question. He will nd a way out.
Surely! De nitely!

With the sun blazing in the sky, a new day had arrived! But merely two hours later, a huge
patch of clouds oated over from the North, as deep rumbling sounds could be heard rolling
from afar. Before one even nished their breakfast, one could see that in the horizons, a sea
of grey rose in the East. It was seemed endless as it covered the entire land. Thousands and
thousands of horses galloped over the snowy plains, with the wind sending their clothes
uttering like a swarm of ying eagles!

The Yan Bei soldiers of the second army, who had only fought with local garrisons, had
never seen such majestic formations before. Armed with excellent horses, durable armor,
polished blades, and neat columns, the incoming formations had sent even some of the
veteran soldiers fumbling, while mumbling in despair, “The devils have come!”

With huge banners waving in the winds like waves in the sea, and blades lined up like
forests, the entire horizon was dominated by a metallic grey. Gradually, the color lled up the
entire plains as their formations were tightly packed and orderly. The middle formation
looked solid and rm, with the anks stretching out like wings of an eagle. In the rear, one
could see their reserves getting ready to ll any gaps. The entire formation spanned over ve
miles, and apparently, there were still more formations that had yet to enter the Huo Lei
Plains.

Those who had not personally experienced this would never understand the majesty of that
scene, as the men of Yan Bei seemed to have been overwhelmed by fear and anxiety. In the
past hundred years, the Xia Empire had never really reacted seriously to the repeated
taunting that Da Tong had sent. Even when the Xia Empire sieged Yan Shicheng, they had
merely sent out Meng Family’s army symbolically. But this time around, there were four
regular armies that numbered over a hundred thousand each, not counting the
reinforcements that had yet to enter formation.

The Xia Empire had really been enraged this time. Facing the rst attempt of rebellion that
challenged the Empire’s authority, the Xia Army had decided to ght back with all they’ve
got to defend the empire’s dignity!

The strong wind blew across the heavens above Yan Bei. Just when Beishuo trembled in
front of the might of the Empire, no far away at the foot of the Luori Mountains, the ag of
Southwest Emissary’s Garrison uttered under the dark looming clouds. Sitting on a horse,
Chu Qiao faced the seven thousand pairs of eyes that stared straight back at her, while
giving the following orders:

fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
“Beishuo will fall. The only choice we have left is to snatch the Chiyuan Crossings and
occupy Chidu City. With that, we can fortify the second line of defense! This is an order and
will take e ect now. All troops, move out!”

Just as the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison started to act and rush toward the Chiyuan
Crossings, within the main tent of the Xia army encampment, Zhao Qi frowned while making
a mark on the map and mumbling, “Fourteenth Brother should have reached.”

At the destination, three tributaries convened into one. The Li River, the Zan Xi River, and the
Wu River combined there to form the Chi Shui River that ow through the entire West Meng
Continent. A small city was located at that point and was named Chidu City.

The shrieking of the eagles in the sky marked the beginning of the rst Northern Campaign.
The footsteps of the reaper were about to visit this frigid land. As the water had already
frozen, with the river covered in a blanket of snow, the two opposing forces raced toward
the small city, wanting to occupy the strategic location.

Two famous commanders were about to meet each other on the battle eld, culminating into
what would later be known as the Battle for Chidu. The bugles of war resonated in the cold
winds, as the tides of history roared. Cao Mengtong stood in front of the Yan Bei army, and
with a swing of his holy ag indicating the beginning of the war, he roared in a volume that
was surprisingly loud for his old age, “May the heaven protect Yan Bei! Protect that we
could win in this battle! Warriors! Fight! For Yan Bei! For freedom!”

In the afternoon, the snow started yet again. With the strong winds blowing the snow akes
onto the skin, it felt like knife cuts. A massive army appeared from within the storm, as the
tightly packed formations sparkled with an occasional glint of the blades. With the horses
galloping at top speed, Chu Qiao’s face was already numbed by the freezing wind that was
blowing at her face. After nine hours of continuous battering by the wind, everyone was
already frozen sti , their eyes bloodshot from the dryness. This 7,000 strong force stood on
the empty plains like a building that did not have a main pillar, as though it could get
embroiled and devoured by the approaching storms of war any time.

A scout rushed back. The rider on the horse looked really young, with his face looking as
though he was at most 18-years-old. His horse was extremely fast, as he approached Chu
Qiao, with his hands pointing towards Helan Mountains in the East. His lips trembling, he did
not speak.

“Did the Xia Army approach even closer?”

The scout did not reply and merely nodded his head. Rigid from the cold, the way he
nodded was rather strange, much like a puppet with broken strings.

“How far are they? Twenty- ve kilometers?”

The scout did not respond, as Chu Qiao continued, “Fifteen?”

Still no response, Chu Qiao’s heart sank, as her voice was tainted with a tinge of worry
before she asked again, “Ten km?”

ff
ff
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
 The scout silently nodded. Chu Qiao took o her hood and bowed to him on her horse.
“Thank you.”

With a op, that warrior fell o the horse after hearing Chu Qiao’s acknowledgment. The
soldiers around immediately got o to help him. But upon touching them, they could only
feel coldness, with his breath already stopped. In this freezing weather, the scouts need to
camou age themselves within snow to recce the enemy intel before returning. By the time
he returned, he would be on his last legs. Although the ten kilometers would be narrow
mountainous paths, considering the quality of the Xia soldiers, it would probably take them
less than ten minutes to reach. Yet, within that time, can she enter Chidu City?

Chu Qiao’s gaze was like a sharp blade. Staring into the distance, she observed the city that
was not far away. She had already sent two waves of men to negotiate with the guards, and
a few minutes had already passed since then with no news.

Cold sweat started to form on her palms, as the hand grasping her sword was freezing to
touch. There was not much hope in them being let into the city. They did not have Yan Xun’s
letters, and did not have any documents from the main headquarters. And due to the rush in
leaving the city, she had not brought anything that could prove her identity. That was to say,
they had no way to gain the city’s trust to convince them that they were part of the Yan Bei
army to strengthen the defense of this city.

If the Chidu City Garrison did not believe them and refused to let them into the city, any
open skirmish between her tiny force of 7,000 light cavalries against the tens of thousands
of Xia soldiers would only mean certain death! This point was something that Chu Qiao was
clearer about, more so than anyone!

Chapter 159
“General.” He Xiao’s vice general, Ge Qi, was a young man of about 20 years old. Like the
majority of the soldiers, his father was a soldier that had defected towards the royal capital.
He had grown up in Yan Bei since young. Presently, he returned to this place, determined
and brave, with the hope of restoring the disgraced name of his father. “General, the Xia
troops are nearing.”

Chu Qiao remained silent. Ge Qi remarked, “Chidu City won’t be opened. Let’s go.”

Chu Qiao was unfazed. She stared at the city gates of Chidu and replied calmly, “Let’s wait
a while more.”

Time passed ever so slowly. The wind roared like a savage beast. The surroundings were
silent but appeared noisy. The eagles circled in the sky, spreading their giant, white wings
which were seemingly su cient to cover half the sky.

Ge Qi frowned, seemingly hearing the warhorses of the Xia Army in the distance. He
stepped up and said, “General, if we go now, we can still make it.”

“Let’s wait a while more.”

fl
fl

ffi
ff
ff
ff
 “General, the forces from Xia are too strong. If we clash head-on with them on the plains, we
won’t be able to resist them.”

“Let’s wait a while more.”

Chu Qiao was calm. The wind lifted her hat slightly, revealing her beautiful face. Her horse
stamped its feet on the ground, making crisp sounds. Time passed so slowly while waiting.
The wind blew across the land, scattering the loose blades of grass beneath the snowy
ground. Her heart felt warm; she could feel the intense beats of her pulse. One, two, three
times…

“General!” a voice suddenly echoed out. A scout, dressed in yellow, sprinted towards her
while continuing, “The Xia troops have bypassed Helan Mountains and are advancing
towards Chiyuan Crossing at full steam! They have 20,000 light cavalry soldiers at the
frontline, followed by large amounts of heavy cavalry soldiers and many infantry battalions.
Their numbers are unclear. General, they have killed tens of armies guarding Chiyuan
Crossing and discovered our scout. They have picked up their pace and advanced over the
rst strait!”

Cries of panic echoed amongst the crowd. Was the enemy really that fast? 20,000 light
cavalry soldiers, countless heavy cavalry soldiers, close to 100,000 soldiers on foot… The
numbers were intimidating. If they were to clash here, the Southwest Emissary’s garrison
would de nitely be wiped out without a sound.

“General,” Ge Qi frowned and said, “where there is life…”

“General! Take a look!” a section leader suddenly exclaimed, pointing his nger towards the
city gates of Chidu. Everyone turned their heads around. A white and red ag ew in the air,
above the high city walls. The reinforced city gates of Chidu were slowly let down to the
surprise of everyone.

The gates of Chidu City had opened!

“Yes!” the soldiers exclaimed together in joy.

Chu Qiao heaved a sigh of relief. She whipped her horse and galloped forward, saying
loudly, “Into the city!”

As the city gates closed, a black line appeared on the horizon. From the Chishui River,
which was located far out, a low rumbling sound echoed out, drifting to their ears slowly.

“Who are you? Cough, cough… I am the soldier in charge of protecting Chidu City of Yan
Bei. Prince Yan… cough, cough… personally issued a hand-written statement to grant me
the rank of a third level o cial. I am a top scholar from the batch in year 748. My title has
been recognized in front of the palace. How could you be so brazen in broad daylight, and
so uncultured? Cough, cough, cough…” A man of about 60 to 70 years old droned on
loudly, his clothes wrinkled by being forcibly held down by the soldiers. His hat had slanted
to one direction, while he had only one boot on. The other boot was dragged along by his
other foot. Two soldiers from the Southwest Emissary’s garrison held him down to prevent
fi
fi
ffi
fi
fl
fl
him from making any rash movements. What was disappointing was that the man had tens
of soldiers guarding the city, but they did not move all along. They crept in one corner,
wanting to remove the uniforms that they wore. Evidently, they did not intend to participate
in any combat.

Chu Qiao felt angry, knowing that a city that held such strategic importance was handed
over to these good-for-nothings. However, ironically, she knew that if not for this, she would
not have been able to enter Chidu City.

“General, luckily there are no casualties!” He Xiao walked over and knelt on the ground in
front of Chu Qiao. There were bloodstains on the man’s navy blue uniform, showing that
they had met with some resistance.

Chu Qiao’s throat was slightly blocked. She reached out her hand and helped He Xiao up,
saying in a low voice, “Commander He, if Yan Bei averts this disaster, you will be the front-
runner for the credit.”

“I…I occupy the 48th seat of the elders’ section in Da Tong Guild. Cough, cough… I form
the backbone of Yan Bei. I have over 30 years of experience. Most of the soldiers here are
my students. Cough, cough… You’re treating me like this, I will…”

“Shut up!” a cold female voice sounded out. Chu Qiao stepped forward slowly, looking at
this old guard of Chidu City coldly. She was young, but the look in her eyes was full of
seriousness and hostility.

The old guard’s voice slowly faded away under her stare. He felt that it was disgraceful for
this to happen. He gathered his courage and retorted, “The guild will hold you to trial,
traitors!”

The sight of 7,000 ferocious looking troops entering the city startled its inhabitants. People
from all walks of life stepped out of their doors and stood on the snowy ground, gazing
towards them.

Chu Qiao laughed coldly and grabbed the old fellow by the collar. She turned around and
walked towards the top of the city walls.

“Ah! What are you doing?” the old guard was almost dragged o his feet, losing his balance
and nearly falling on the ground. Loudly, he hollered, “How audacious! How dare you be so
rude to me! I occupy the 48th seat of the elder’s section! I have been in the guild for 33
years! The commanders in the army are my students! Cough, cough… I am a top scholar,
holding 12 votes in the Da Tong Court. You monopolize the troops for yourself, deceiving
your comrades… I will prosecute you on behalf of Da Tong Guild! I will exile you and strip
you of your military authority! I will seize all your properties, I will…” The voice suddenly
stopped, like a suona horn which had been blocked.

The shadows of the young lady and the old guard stood atop the tall city walls. The wind
blew at their clothes, showing their military uniforms from Yan Bei. It scattered their black
and white colored hairs, respectively, in the air. None of them uttered a word. They stood on
the top of the city gates, looking into the distance.

ff
 The soldiers and civilians of Chidu City felt perplexed. Some of them gathered their courage
and climbed up the city walls, only to be rendered speechless at the sight. More people
climbed up slowly, one, two, three, ten, one hundred, one thousand… The people clustered
on top of the city walls. Their faces were panicked. An air of despair lingered in the air; the
smell of death had never been so near before.

The sun shone brightly in the sky, its rays shining on everyone’s heads. Those
indistinguishable shadows were like the Huoyun owers on Huolei Plains, populating the
entire landscape. The wind blew, causing snow akes to scatter about in the air. Amongst
the layer of white fog, the silver-grey army was like a wave of ood water, enveloping the
entirety of the snowy plains. They were equipped with long spears and shiny silver swords.
There were human heads everywhere, together with healthy and well-built warhorses. Their
ensign ew high up in the air. The rear of the army could not be seen. It stretched over ve
kilometers. There were light and heavy cavalry soldiers, experienced archers, tough shielded
soldiers, and countless battalions consisting of backup forces, rear support forces, and
carriage forces…

Like a large-scale military drill, almost all of Xia’s forces gathered at this spot. The o cials
and soldiers of Chidu City, along with the civilians, were stunned. Even the Southwest
Emissary’s garrison, who had been prepared for this all along, were stunned. At this instant,
they realized how terrifying the enemy who stood in front of them was. The Xia Empire had
colonized the mainlands of Hongchuan for over 300 years, maintaining its tyranny over West
Meng for this period. It had suppressed the empires of Tang, Song and the eastern seas of
Nanqiu for over 300 years. How could their core have been shaken by just a mere rebellion
at Zhen Huang? Presently, they had awoken. They exed their limbs, preparing to
exterminate those who had threatened their power!

“After this battle, if you’re still alive,” Chu Qiao turned her head and looked at the old man,
saying calmly, “I will be willing to face your prosecution.” With a thud, the old man slumped
to the ground. Chu Qiao did not look him in the eye, turning to walk towards the square
located in the city. On her way there, the people automatically gave way to her. The wind
blew at her hair and cloak, making her look like an eagle. Chu Qiao’s posture was upright,
her heroic spirit giving o an intimidating aura. She walked towards the center of the square,
scanning the crowd that had gathered below it.

Their expressions were panicked, like rabbits who had experienced some sort of shock. Chu
Qiao was all too familiar with the expressions on their faces, having seen them in the Middle
East, Africa, and the chaotic borders along the Golden Triangle of Myanmar, Laos, and
Thailand. In those war-torn countries, she saw too many people who had lost their homes
amidst the con ict. Presently, as she stood there, she did not know what to call herself. Was
she a saint that would bring about freedom for the people? Or a destroyer who brought
about disasters? She was at the point of no return. The only way out was war!

The enemy was nearing. Their warcries became louder, piercing the people’s eardrums. Chu
Qiao looked up, her eyes clear and determined. She managed a bitter smile. She knew that
after tomorrow, countless tragedies would have happened on this land. Countless families
were about to fall apart, while countless people would never see their families again.
fl
fl
ff
fl
fl
fl
fl
ffi
fi
 However, she had no choice. She looked up slowly, not willing to see those faces full of
hope.

Yan Xun, where are you? When will you be back? Even if you’re at the ends of the world, I’d
still ght alongside with you!

In the eyes of Xia, it was an e ortless task for an army of 200,000 to siege a city that had
less than 3,000 soldiers. However, after Zhao Yang’s troops reached Chidu City, he did not
order them to siege the city immediately. Seeing that Chidu City had been prepared to
defend to the death, he laughed in disdain, rejoicing silently in his heart. Since they were
prepared to defend, he had another reason to prolong the battle. It was in his interests to
get to Beishuo City a little later, as Zhao Qi’s troops, along with the troops from the Batuha
family, could ght head-on with the forces of Yan Bei rst.

Hence, Zhao Yang ordered his subordinates to start carrying out forti cations like digging
ditches, setting up ropes to trip the horses and placing spikes on the ground to pierce into
the horses’ hooves. They put up a show as if they were busy with preparing for the battle.

The o cials representing the third prince, Zhao Qi, rushed over to Zhao Yang’s camp a few
times to prompt him to attack the enemy immediately and ank the route to Beishuo.
However, Zhao Yang always answered them with a strange expression, questioning, “Am I
not attacking now?”

“What I mean is that you should attack more aggressively.” Facing the Xia Empire’s
fourteenth prince, whose power was on the rise, the o cial broke out in cold sweat and
stammered. “Third Royal Highness’s army has fought head-on with the troops of Yan Bei
already. Fourteenth Royal Highness, if your army gets to Beishuo faster, the casualties from
the Southwestern Army will be reduced.”

“How would you account for the casualties of the Northwestern Army then?” Zhao Yang
raised his eyebrows coldly and declared, “As a commander of an army, my biggest
responsibility is to achieve the biggest victory while paying the smallest price. I need to
treasure every soldier’s life. Hence, I feel that my army’s strategy is very suitable for the
current situation. If I attack recklessly and fall into the enemy’s ambush, the Northwestern
Army will experience heavy casualties. This will a ect the overall performance and strategy
of the Xia Army. Who will assume this responsibility? Is it you, General?”

Chapter 160
That o cial almost broke into tears as he miserably mounted his horse again. Whipping his
horse, he rushed back to inform Zhao Qi. Zhao broke into a cold smile as he leaned on his
chair while looking at the lines drawn out on the map. The young prince closed his eyes as
he slowed recited out, “Beishuo, Chidu, Lan City, Chunyu Region, Yaoshui, Meilin Pass…”

Although no one knew why Zhao Yang had hesitated in attacking, to Chu Qiao, every
moment would be a godsent. She actively walked around as she organized the defense of
the city while arranging for the retreat of civilians. Drafting volunteers into her ranks, she
determined the order of battle. She had no time to rejoice over the brief respite.

fi
ffi
ffi
fi

ff
ff
fi
ffi
fl
fi
 As night fell on the city, the wailing sounds in the city had gradually weakened. Walking on
the empty streets, Chu Qiao suddenly felt a bit cold. Ge Qi stepped up and draped a robe
over her. With the thick robe blocking out the raging winds, Chu Qiao nodded in thanks.

The doors to the shops along the streets were all wide open, completely devoid of life. With
a creak, a wooden pail was blown down by the wind. With a rumble, it rolled around. It was
nothing but silence and emptiness, with an overwhelming taste of desolation.

“Master, we would not win, right?” Chu Qiao was taken aback by both the suddenness and
the content of this question, as she turned around, only to see Ge Qi looking at her in her
eyes while calmly smiling. “If Master was truly con dent of victory, you would not have
arranged for the retreat of the civilians.”

Chu Qiao did not reply and merely turned back around. She was a high ranking o cer that
had received top-notch modern military education. She knew clearly what exactly it meant
to go to war. Miracles do happen, but that required at least a somewhat equal footing. Even
if the stakes were not completely on par, there must be some form of strength that they
could utilize to at least be able to withstand the opponent. With a force of barely ten
thousand, she needed to guard against an ill-forti ed city against a massive force of 200
thousand well trained elite soldiers. In addition, there would be reinforcement incoming for
the enemy. Facing such a battle, hardly anyone would be con dent of victory. But there was
no way she could reveal such emotions. She was their leader, their hope. If even she lost
con dence, how could the other ght on?

Chu Qiao quietly sighed. Suddenly, she saw a tiny gure in front. She frowned, while Ge Qi
had already stepped up cautiously while shielding her. Loudly, he bellowed, “Who are you?”

In the dim ickering lights, the guards walked up only to nd a child who looked like he was
at most 12 to 13 years old. Wearing a thin coat, he was holding onto a small package. His
face had turned bright red from the frigid temperatures, and rmly holding his head up high,
he exuded a stubborn de ance.

Chu Qiao frowned and asked, “Which family are you from? Why didn’t you leave with the
other civilians?”

The kid did not speak and merely lowered his head. Looking at him, Chu Qiao guessed that
most likely he had escaped from the west gate. Not questioning him any further, Chu Qiao
turned and left.

“Oi! You are not bothering with me?” Seeing how Chu Qiao did not care about him anymore,
the kid curiously stepped up and asked, “You are not going to chase me out of the city?”

Chu Qiao calmly replied, “Whether if you want to live or die is none of my business. I have
enough things on my hands, and have no time to spare for you.”

That kid was instantly stunned, and as though he had just been humiliated, he loudly
declared, “I am 15 this year! I am already old enough to be a soldier!”

fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ffi
Chu Qiao ashed a glance at him emotionlessly. The kid probably also knew that his lie was
too obvious, as he continued to explain, “I may be tiny, but I am really strong!”

Chu Qiao still did not bother with him, as the kid hurriedly ran over, only to be blocked by Ge
Qi. Having no choice, that kid could only jump up and down in front of the blockade, and
even rolled up his sleeves to show Chu Qiao his muscular arms.

“Why did you not go?” Chu Qiao suddenly asked.

The kid was slightly surprised, as he stopped trying to aunt his strength. Only after
hesitating a while he replied, “My little sister is sick, she could not leave.”

Chu Qiao’s heart tightened. She had seen too many similar things all these years. She felt
that no matter how many people she had to kill, it would probably all be worth it at the end.
Only with the destruction of the status quo can the rise of a new order take place. When a
nation wishes for independence, certain prices must be paid. Perhaps, many years later, the
world would change because of the actions she had done today. Hopefully, the kids then
would not need to be homeless, and the civilians need not worry about survival day in day
out. If even something as simple as that could happen, Chu Qiao felt that it would be
enough.

“What is your name?”

“I am called Du Gouzi.”

Chu Qiao frowned. Such an adorable kid, why did they give him such a name?

“That name doesn’t sound nice. Let me give you a new name.”

The kid thought for a while before agreeing. “Sure, but my surname must still be Du.”

Chu Qiao stood up, with her gaze xed into the distance, “Then, you shall be called Pingan.”
With her sincerest thoughts, she wished for the peace within Yan Bei highlands.

An hour after that small episode, in a small square within the west of the city, the entire
contingent of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison assembled. With the bright moon hanging
overhead, Chu Qiao, donning military garb, stood atop a temporary wooden stage. With a
forlorn gaze, she observed soldiers who had fought with her through life and death.
Solemnly, she addressed the soldiers, “Gentlemen, I am thankful for your trust in me through
all this. Whether it was in the Imperial capital of Zhen Huang, or in the Hongchuan Plains, or
outside the gates of Beishuo. We fought together, and went through the same pain. I am
thankful to you, that you had kept your faith in me, and followed me. Today, you even
followed me into this deadly situation. For this, I am extremely sorry.” Chu Qiao gradually
bowed, before straightening herself again. She continued, “I do not want to continue lying to
you, so before our decisive battle, I want to tell you, we will not have any reinforcements.
Chidu City will not get any assistance. We are alone in this, and no one will provide us with
any help.”

fl
fi
fl
 Panic suddenly arose within the ranks of the army, but it was quickly quenched. The soldiers
stared at Chu Qiao in anticipation for her explanation.

“The Xia army split their forces into two groups. They began their main attack in the East of
Beishuo, with their main forces amounting to as much as 400 thousand strong, and that is
still without counting their reserves and their logistics personnel. The other groups would be
the 200 thousand soldiers that we are about to face. They scaled the Helan Mountains and
were about to spring a surprise attack on Chidu City. Their objective is to breakthrough from
here! Once this city is taken, the millions of soldiers and civilians in Beishuo will have
nowhere to escape to. They will de nitely fall to the slaughter of the Xia army! With that, Yan
Bei’s elite forces will take a huge blow, and the entire eastern region of Yan Bei will sink into
the Xia Empire’s control! As the secondary defense line, Lan City could not a ord to spare
us any troops as well. They merely have 100 thousand troops that guard the smoke signal
stations that span across the Louri Mountains. The army that his highness led is also far
away at Meilin pass. None of them could possibly help us.”

The ame shone onto the small yet determined face of the young lady. With her gure
standing upright, and her eyes bright with conviction, she declared, “As such, this will be a
bitter battle. You enemies outnumber you 20 times, and in the future, their numbers will
increase further. But we cannot retreat. Once we retreat, the people of Beishuo will be
isolated, and they cannot even escape. Furthermore, standing behind us are the civilians of
Luo Ri mountains. Without us standing in the way, the armies of the Xia Empire will
mercilessly step over their bodies. Regardless of elderly, women, kids, everyone will face
certain death. Yan Bei will face a disaster!”

Chu Qiao’s eyes were bloodshot as her expression turned excited. “The soldiers of
Southwest Emissary’s Garrison, you have always been called traitors. Your predecessors
betrayed Yan Bei and betrayed their history, and in those eight years, everyone looked down
upon you. You have been on the receiving end of countless rumors and scoldings. Even
though you helped Prince Yan Xun to escape from Zhen Huang City, even though you were
instrumental in the earth-shattering rebellion of Zhen Huang, even though you beat the
Northwestern coalition that outnumbered you over ten times, you still bear the title of a
betrayer. No one trusted you, no one wanted to accept you. But today, everything will
change. A chance is placed before you. As long as you weather this through, you are the
Heroes of Yan Bei! The hero of all Yan civilians!”

The warriors’ eyes started to brim with passion. In the raging winds, the snow continued to
fall. In the darkness of the night, Chu Qiao’s gure stood tall and upright, much like a rallying
ag, showing the soldiers the way forward. With a voice of passion, she claimed, “Warriors,
pick up your weapons and follow after me! We will protect Yan Bei, protect those
defenseless civilians. Using our blood, we will wash away the humiliation of the past. Defend
our honor, and let the name of Southwest Emissary’s Garrison shine once more! Some of us
will die, and some of us will no longer live to see the winter next year, but the civilians will
thank you for your actions, Yan Bei will remember you for your deeds. Your name will be
recorded in the archives of Yan Bei’s military achievements, and will be forever looked up to
by our descendants! Warriors. I will be together with you, through life and death, and leave
no man behind!”

fl
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
 “Through life and death! Leave no man behind!” the warriors cheered in unison. Raising both
hands, their eyes were also bloodshot, some even crying. The years of humiliation erupted
into strength as they hollered, “Protect Yan Bei!” With their voices echoing out, the raging
winds brought their cheers high into the heavens!

Their cheers, fueled by their determination, were loud enough that it was audible even in the
plains beyond the city. Zhao Yang, wearing a white robe, snorted at their determination. The
time was about right. If he were to delay any further, perhaps Zhao Qi would ip out.

Setting his eyes on the low walls surrounding the cities, he icked o the snow akes that
landed on his coat. In his eyes, that was not even a city! He merely took a glance at Chidu
that was consumed in darkness, before casually instructing his generals, “Go, push that wall
down.”

“Roger!” the generals acknowledged his orders and walked away. Having received the order
to attack, the warriors brandished their weapons in neat formations, and rapidly advanced.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The earth shook under their feet, as the soldiers roared, “Advance!”
The crisp charge call of the military bugle sounded o . As though complementing the
impending battle, the winds howled in excitement, sending the snow akes tumbling ever so
rapidly.

The night had nally descended!

“Feng Ting, gather 1,000 scouts into ve groups and carry out independent assault. Make
use of familiar terrain to carry out guerrilla warfare with the enemy. Do your utmost to disrupt
the resupply of the enemy troops, and to trap the enemy supply troops on the other side of
the Helan Mountains for at least two days.”

A young commander nodded, “Understood!”

“Mu Rong, you are to bring 2,000 newly recruited conscripts as an ambush at Bai Zhang
cli . Stock up on boulders and big trunks. Two days later when the enemy supply troops
break through the obstruction of Feng Ting, Lao Mu will nd you to inform you of the next
step.”

The two men acknowledged at once, “Roger!”

With a whoosh, Chu Qiao opened up the map, her lanky nger pointed in the South-Eastern
region, and rmly, she ordered, “Wu Danyu, you will bring 500 archers. Conceal yourself
within these woods and ank the enemies. Once the enemies start to attack, you are to
retreat. Never ght head on, understand?”

Chapter 161
The young, handsome Wu Danyu obliged. He was not an original member of the Southwest
Emissary’s Garrison. Rather, he was drafted into the army afterward by He Xiao and the rest.
He was once a renowned bandit in Helan Mountains.

ff
fi
fi
fi

fl
fi
ff
fi
fi
fl
ff
fl
fl
fl
“General, if you are alright with this, I can think of a way to lure the enemy to Thousand Ice
Lake. I’m familiar with the terrain there. Once they step in there, you won’t see them again!”

Chu Qiao thought for a while before saying, “Let’s play by ear. If things permit, I authorize
you to take charge of the situation.”

Wu Danyu laughed and replied, “Thank you, General!”

“He Qi, bring the third team to guard the northern city walls. Cooperate with the rst team to
defend Chidu. Commander He Xiao, I will leave the city gates of Chidu in your hands. The
entire of Yan Bei will be watching you from behind.”

The look in He Xiao’s eyes brightened. He bowed with respect, and echoed in unison with
his brother, “We will not let you down!”

“The objective of this battle is not to wipe out the enemy’s forces. We will carry out small-
scale assaults to disrupt the enemy’s morale while cutting o their supply of rations. This will
cause them to retreat due to fatigue, delaying the assault on Chidu. Everyone, time and
patience are our only weapons. As long as we last seven days, the reinforcements from Your
Highness will arrive!” Chu Qiao looked up. The lights shone on her face, giving it an
otherworldly feel. The young soldiers looked at the lady younger than them, with
determination in their eyes.

The room was small and the lights inside were bright. Chu Qiao reached out her hand slowly
and put it on her chest. Solemnly, she said, “Everyone, the battle is nearing. There is no
room for hesitation. The country is in danger. As loyal soldiers, it is our responsibility to
defend the civilians. Regardless of whether we win or lose, we did not let Yan Bei down. We
did not let our conscience down. We did not let the ensign above our heads down! This
battle will determine whether we live or die. Everyone, please take care!”

“General, take care!” Over ten pairs of hands mimicked Chu Qiao’s gesture.

The northern winds raged on outside. The room inside was brightly lit. Not far out from the
city walls, the enemies had sharpened their knives. Chu Qiao gave her orders, and the
warriors slowly departed from the room, assuming their positions in the battle eld. She was
unsure if anyone would live from the aftermath of this battle.

The battle began that very night. The original guards of Chidu City were scared out of their
wits. However, the start of the battle was not as intense as they expected. The enemy’s rear
backup forces seemed to be restrained, causing them to dispatch the frontline troops to the
back for defense. The formation at the back had been disrupted with the occasional small-
scale disturbances.

Chu Qiao knew that Feng Ting had succeeded with his assaults near the Helan Mountains.
The Xia army was in an unfamiliar environment. Up till now, they had not heard from Yan Xun
and the Second Army. Given Zhao Yang’s cautiousness, he would be reserved in his
actions. Her motive in sending out small groups of troops was to make sure that the
enemy’s worries were valid, and that their movements would be restrained.

ff
fi
fi
 As expected, Zhao Yang was an outstanding commander. Although Feng Ting had issued
an o cial decree, Chu Qiao changed her strategies here and there, formulating a concrete
and complex plan. However, the assault on Helan Mountains was declared to be a failure on
the dawn of the second day. The original plan was to defend the region for two days, but her
troops did not last even one day. 1,000 soldiers from the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison
were wiped out overnight, none of them making it back alive.

Because of Feng Ting’s defeat, Mu Rong and AhMu faced the assault of the Xia troops
ahead of time. The battle began from the time of breakfast, all the way until noon when it
concluded. AhMu’s brother escaped back to the city from the shortcut and declared the
failure of the mission. Over 2,000 soldiers perished in the battle, while the rest were
dispersed and never to be heard of again.

The Xia army was on a rampage. They advanced at full throttle towards the city gates of
Chidu, but met an ambush at the pine forests along the way. A team of about 500 people
sliced into the rear core of the Xia Army in no man’s land, managing to carry out three
rounds of massacres. They also managed to burn the army’s central ag and central tent.
The leader of the team used a retractable arrow to pierce through the vice commander’s
Taiyang Acupoint. With a tug, he dislodged half the brain of the Xia commander.

The Xia Army fell into shambles. The leader of the team chased after them. Zhao Yang was
too late to prevent this from happening. Hence, that day, the Xia Army lost 8,000 elite
troops. All of them were drowned and frozen to death in the freezing waters of Thousand Ice
Lake.

The Xia army was enraged. They sent 200,000 troops, but su ered such a humiliating
defeat. Even Zhao Yang was unable to control the cries for revenge within the army. Driven
to desperation, he had no choice but to pick up the pace of his assault, focusing his sights
on wiping out this team of 500 people. Although Wu Danyu’s team was outnumbered, they
outwitted the enemy as they were more familiar with the terrain and environment. Despite
the Xia army’s e orts to locate them, the team of 500 managed to evade their sights for two
days without losing any willpower to ght. They managed to buy precious time for the
defense of Chidu.

After two days, Zhao Yang suddenly ordered all his forces to retreat. Amidst the confusion of
the troops of Yan Bei, the Xia army suddenly focused its entire strength of 200,000 on
clearing the entire forest. In less than half a day, the pine forest was entirely deforested. Wu
Danyu’s team of 500 was entirely exposed to the enemy.

Chu Qiao stood on the tall city walls, looking on as Wu Danyu’s team of 500 were swallowed
up by the Xia army without any resistance. They were but a small ripple in the lake, fading
away quickly.

“For freedom!” A loud cry drifted over from the distance. There was dead silence in the city
of Chidu. The soldiers removed their helmets. Having witnessed their comrades die in the
battle outside the city, many seasoned soldiers teared up silently. The sun shone brightly in
the sky. After three entire days, the Xia army nally surrounded the city of Chidu completely.
Situ Jing stood beside Zhao Yang, saying with respect, “Fourteenth Royal Highness, I have
ffi
ff
fi
fi
ff
fl
 heard some news from the conscripts that we captured. The army in charge of guarding the
city is the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison, traitors of Xia. Their commander is a female. Her
name is Chu Qiao. She is also a rebel of Xia.”

“Chu Qiao?” Zhao Yang uttered the two words calmly. He closed his eyes slowly. Barely one
year had passed, yet he felt that it was an eternity. He remembered the night that Yan Xun
escaped out of Zhen Huang and Zhao Che’s words while he pointed at that shadow. His
seventh brother was talented, but he did not know how to be adaptable. He was not adept
at scheming for power. In these chaotic times, although he had the ability to succeed, he
would not be able to have a stronghold in court. However, Zhao Yang had to admit that
Zhao Che’s judgment was good. Based on his words back then, it had led to the current
situation.

“Your Highness, Your Highness?” Situ Jing said in a low voice. “Please issue the order.” His
journey had been an arduous one. Having lived in the palace for many years, no one had
ever o ered him a helping hand, even for a short while. The world was uncompassionate.
He had seen and experienced too much.

The images in his memories faded away. With a solemn look, Zhao Yang said slowly, “Let’s
carry on at full speed. After we breach Chidu, kill everyone in the city and burn its ag.”

Swoosh! The wind blew, causing the Xia army’s ag to y high up in the air. Everything that
obstructed them was to be wiped out! Chidu City, its army, the enemies, kinship, weakness,
hesitation, and…conscience!

Under the bright sunlight, the Xia army carried out the rst head-on assault on Chidu City.
Thousands of soldiers rode forward on their horses, galloping across the plains. The sounds
of the horses’ hooves were deafening. The cavalry army was dressed in neat military out ts.
The spikes were shiny, while their swords were brandished. Their body armor re ected the
sunlight shining on it, giving them a crimson red, bloody appearance. The eagles of Yan Bei
circled in the sky. The cold winds scattered the snow into the air, shrouding the army in a
layer of white. The sight appeared even more intimidating!

“Kill the enemies!” a loud, deafening warcry echoed out. The soldiers of Xia activated the
signal for the battle to commence. The rst cavalry army wielded their swords and waved it
over their heads, sprinting towards the city gates. The heavy cavalry soldiers followed
closely behind, while the infantry battalions anked them on both sides. The archers, under
the protection of the shielded troops, surged forward and camped at the ditch, ready to
strike. The enemy was everywhere. Their swords, recognized as one of the most fearsome
weapons in the world, were everywhere. The soldiers let out loud cries, causing the ground
to shake uncontrollably. In comparison to the noises of the Xia army, there was dead silence
in the city walls of Chidu. The soldiers of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison waited quietly
at the top of the city gates with their weapons, awaiting the order to strike.

Commander He Xiao held a crossbow in his hand. He loaded a sharp arrow, closed one eye
and released the arrow!

ff
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
 Swoosh! The soldier at the very front of the Xia army was shot o his horse. The strength of
the arrow caused him to fall to the ground, only stopping after rolling four or ve times.

The Xia army froze for a short while, startled by He Xiao’s frightening strength. However,
they snapped out of their trance swiftly, discounting this incident as a one-o . They picked
up their courage, and continued to charge towards the city gates.

“On my mark!” He Xiao hollered and raised his hand. “Fire!”

The sky suddenly turned dark. The sun seemed to be covered. A dense urry of arrows ew
forward in mid-air like hornets, at frightening speed. They ew towards the troops of the
royal capital, who were proclaimed to be invincible. The nightmare descended upon them.
The soldiers at the front were struck by the arrows, falling o their horses and knocking over
three or four soldiers behind them. The warhorses collapsed on the ground; cries of agony
started to sound out. The soldiers became real-life targets with arrows embedded in them,
making them appear like porcupines. Blood stained the snowy ground a bright red.

Zhao Yang frowned tightly, issuing emergency orders for the heavy cavalry and soldiers
carrying shields to reinforce the frontline. However, before they approached, another urry of
arrows ew towards them. The soldiers of Xia broke out in hearty laughter; the heavy cavalry
soldiers aunted their armor and mocked the Yan Bei troops for overestimating themselves.
However, before their laughter ended, the arrows pierced through their armor with terrifying
force. They did not even have any time to call for help before a stampede ensued. Death,
cries of agony, fresh blood, corpses. Faced with this frightening assault, no one dared to
advance forward. The frontline troops were instantly wiped out. The o cials of Xia took out
their swords and killed over ten of their troops, forcibly curbing the situation where soldiers
attempted to ee towards the back.

“Charge! After me!” a commander rode on his horse while shouting and using his sword to
beat against the armor covering his chest. Before he had nished his speech of passion, a
sharp arrow pierced through his brain, causing blood to ooze out and down his body armor
like a stream.

“Those who retreat will die! Those who retreat will die! The opposition has barely 10,000
people. Once you breach the hillock in front, you will be recognized as war heroes!” The
o cials chanted loudly, igniting the passion in their soldiers. After all, they were the main
forces of the royal capital. In the face of adversity, they refused to back down, advancing
forward on their horses. Another big group of troops streamed forward, like an unstoppable
ash ood.

Chapter 162
He Xiao waved his hands again and again in command of archers, “Fire! Fire! Kill those
b*stards!”

“General! General!” A messenger rushed up while shouting, “Master’s orders! Prepare the
catapults?”

fl
ffi
fl
fl
fl
fl

fi
fl
ff
ff
ffi
fl
ff
fi
fl
fl
 A row of catapults each more than three meters in height was brought up to the city wall.
These were not normal catapults. They were bigger, thicker, and more powerful than
common catapults. With three additional axles as support, with a massive spring for
propulsion, the range would be further than 400 feet. This range would be twice of a normal
catapult’s.

A soldier stood atop the city walls with his forehead full of sweat. His eyes brimmed with
maddening anticipation. Holding a dagger, he roared, and cut into the rope that was holding
back the arms of the catapult! The creaking of the springs sounded o , as the catapult
lurched into action. With the onlookers staring on with mouths agape, a boulder that was as
big as a millstone was sent ying in the air. With a huge boom, it smashed into two charging
knights. With loud shrieks, the enemies turned around, only to see that not only the soldiers
but even their horses had been smashed into a bloody mush.

“Long live the master! Woooo!” On the city walls of Chidu, the crowds erupted into cheers.
Since being trapped by the Xia army, this was probably the only time that they felt that they
might actually win the battle.

Before such powerful machinery of war, no one would still keep their wits together. The
soldiers looked left and right at each other, and even forgot to continue their charge. Yet,
this was when the real nightmare began. The entire row of catapults launched all at once, as
a rain of massive boulders rained down from above.

That scene was so hellish. What those catapults shot out were not just normal boulders.
There were millstones from households, thick wooden pillars of houses, or even thousands
of roof les. A dozen of soldiers were struck down by a massive object, and upon closer
inspection, one would realize it was a lion statue that would usually be placed in front of big
households! No armor or shields could defend against such weapons. Blades were
smashed into pieces, as spears were reduced to mere rewood. The Xiao army fell to these
projectiles as the soldiers turned into a bloody mush of blood and esh!

Seeing that, Zhao Yang’s eyes turned red, as he grabbed the weapon logistics o cer by the
collar and screamed at his face, “What weapon is that? Why can it shoot so far? Why is it so
fast? Tell me?”

That o cial was an aging man whose hair had already started turning white. With much
breathing di culty, he struggled to explain, “Pardon me! Pardon me, Your Highness! I really
do not know!”

“Useless!”

“Your Highness, let the soldiers retreat! At this rate, we cannot even approach!” Situ Jing
walked over with a grimace.

“No! No retreat!” Zhao Yang’s eyes were full of conviction, as he coldly ordered, “Anyone
who dares to retreat even one step shall be punished by death!”

“Advance!” the Xia Army desperately shouted.

ffi
fi
ffi
fl
fi
fl
ff
ffi
 Near to the castle, the rain of arrows pierced through their prided shields. Further away, the
rumbling of rocks could be heard. Under this patch of sky, shrieks of death were the only
voices that could be heard. This one con ict lasted for three days and three nights. At the
dawn of the fourth day, the soldiers of Chidu city could barely believe their eyes as the Xia
Army broke into a full rout. The Chidu conscripts and the soldiers of Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison cried joyous tears as they cheered in unison.

“The Xia army has retreated! They are gone!” The waves of ecstasy spread from the walls.

Chu Qiao sat within the headquarters and was still drafting orders. Suddenly, hearing the
news from the frontlines, this lady who had not had any shut-eye for the past three days and
three nights froze up. Sitting upright, the blazing sun that illuminated the earth made it seem
almost like a dream.

“Master! Master! The Xia soldiers are gone! We are victorious!” Donned in messenger’s
attire, Pingan rushed in while happily brandishing the blade that was half his height. But at
the entrance, he was stunned. The rst thing he saw was Chu Qiao sitting quietly before the
table with an exceedingly calm expression, except that a crystal clear trail of tears owed
down from her eyes.

“Master! Master!” The soldiers of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison soon charged in as
well. Wiping away her tears, Chu Qiao stood up, once again turning back to the decisive
leader she was known as. Striding out from the doors, a wave of cheers erupted.
Regardless of civilians of soldiers, they crowded around her as they happily reported the
situation.

She could understand their excitement because such a feat was enough for anyone to be
proud of. Facing 200 thousand elites with a measly ten thousand troops that were less well
equipped, they had lost less than 200 men apart from the initial 3,500 men that were sent
out. With that measly loss, they had killed over 50 thousand enemies and broke o 17
charges. With that, the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison would be listed as one of the elite
units of this continent. The battle of Chidu would forever be recorded into history as one of
the turning points of the Northern Campaigns!

That night, as the two armies rested, Chu Qiao had not shared the excitement of those
o cers. She knew that Zhao Yang’s loss against her was merely attributed to his
unfamiliarity with her tactics and advanced machinery. From the next day onwards, he
would adjust his tactics accordingly, and it would be impossible to achieve such easy
victory henceforth.

In addition, the Weapon logistic o cer had just reported in. In the intense battle, over 300
sets of the Paitian Crossbows had been damaged. That was over three-quarters of the
entire arsenal. More than half of the arrows had been exhausted. As for the catapults, while
the damaged catapults could be repaired, the entire city was already barren. Except for
some incendiary re-pots that were leftover, there was little ammunition left in the city. In the
rst place, most of the weapons here were made and stockpiled in a rush as Chu Qiao
anticipated that Chidu would become a strategic location. As expected, these weapons
were indeed useful.

fi
ffi
fi
ffi
fi
fl
ff
fl
Chu Qiao rubbed her temples as she frowned at the map. She repeatedly considered
several methods of defense. Pingan quietly entered the room and swapped the pot of tea.
Seeing that the charcoal in the replace had already been exhausted, he quickly went to
replace it with a new batch.

“Pingan, what time is it now?”

The child lifted up his head and replied, “Master, it is already nine pm. You should rest a
while if you can, as you have not slept for many days.”

Struggling to keep her bloodshot eyes open, Chu Qiao laid on the desk and said, “Call me
up when it is 11 pm.”

“Understood.”

Not long after she fell into a slumber, an urgent call for her attention came. Pingan irritatedly
whispered, “Master has just fallen asleep. What matters do you have? Can’t you wait until
dawn?”

“Pingan, let them in.”

“Master Chu!” Four young soldiers entered the room, as the leader walked up and
explained, “We are subordinates of Lady Yu. Lady Yu received the message from you, and
sent us.”

“Lady Yu received my letters?” Chu Qiao was ecstatic as she stood up. “What did she say?
When can she send us reinforcements? Are there any details about deployment?”

“Master, Lady did not mention anything. She merely said that you have to immediately head
to Lan City, and she has something urgent to discuss with you.”

Chu Qiao frowned, as she slowly asked, “What did you say?”

“Master, the Lady informed that you are to immediately head to Lan City to discuss matters
of importance with her.” the soldier carefully repeated his words.

Chu Qiao nodded, “Did she say anything else?”

The soldier replied, “No, master.”

“Oh, sure. Please wait a moment. I will pack my belongings.” Chu Qiao nodded. “Pingan,
come here, bring my coat over from my room.”

Pingan frowned, but he was surprisingly sharp as he said nothing and turned into the inner
room. At this time, one of the soldiers grabbed the child’s hand as he lifted his head and
said, “Master, there is no need for that. We have already prepared everything. We can leave
now.”

But in the blink of an eye. Chu Qiao’s hand stretched out. In a quick ash, an inkstone ew
out and struck that soldier squarely on his arm. With a loud crack, that soldier’s bones had
fi
fl
fl
 de nitely snapped, but despite the immense pain, that soldier did not even cry out. Pingan
was sharp. With a roll to dodge the other soldiers, he jumped out of the window.

“Capture her!” The leader saw that they had already been exposed, so he decided to just
throw away their pretense. The group pounced on Chu Qiao, and it was obvious that they
were all masterful at martial arts.

Chu Qiao’s movements were exceedingly fast. With a shake of her arm, the dagger that was
hidden on her arm dropped to the ground. In a ash, the blade stuck onto the assailant. But
that man merely groaned as he managed to avoid injuries to his vitals, and the blow merely
struck on his shoulders. Chu Qiao pushed onto the desk, and with a roundhouse kick, she
stomped onto the stomach of another assassin. That man ew back and slammed onto the
bookshelves. The two vases that were placed on the shelves fell and shattered into a million
pieces. At this instant, the door suddenly openly. Over 30 guards dashed in, and with a few
quick moves, they suppressed the assassins. These men were all appointed by Yan Xun as
her personal guards. Song Qifeng, the leader of the bodyguards, walked over and anxiously
asked, “Master, are you alright? Were you injured?”

“I am ne.” Chu Qiao shook her head and solemnly said, “They did not try to kill me.”
Walking over, Chu Qiao looked at the leader of the assassins and interrogated, “Who sent
you?”

That man smiled bitterly. “I had heard that Lady Chu was really skillful in martial arts. Today,
after experiencing it personally, I can nally tell it’s not just rumors.”

“Tell me the truth, and I will consider letting you go.”

“Master, all my words are true. If you do not believe me, I have no choice either.”

Chu Qiao frowned in confusion as countless thoughts ashed past her mind. Turning back,
she asked Song Qifeng, and asked, “Who let them into the city?”

Song Qifeng’s expression was unnatural, as he quietly replied, “This servant does not
know.”

Chu Qiao looked left and right, and suddenly asked, “Where is Pingan?”

“Pingan?” Song Qifeng asked. “I have not seen him.”

“You did not see him?” Chu Qiao’s eyes were shimmering with doubt as she stared as Song
Qifeng. Suddenly, she gently smiled and said, “Oh, he might have gone to call for help. He
probably headed for the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison and missed you. Shall we go and
take a look?”

With a whoosh, a dozen shiny blades were set up against her neck. Song Qifeng bitterly
smiled and said, “Since you have already guessed it, I need not act anymore.”

Chu Qiao’s expression turned frigid as Song Qifeng untied the four men. If only gazes could
kill!

fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
fl
“Master, I am sorry. Qifeng is merely following orders. If there was anything that upset you,
please forgive me.”

Chu Qiao calmly and coldly asked, “Who are you working for? The Da Tong guild? Or the
Xia empire?”

Song Qifeng bowed with deference. “When we reach our destination, you will naturally
understand.”

The man walked up. “This servant understands that Master is really skilled. I have really no
choice, so I seek your cooperation.” Having said that, he blindfolded Chu Qiao’s eyes and
gagged her before tying her up, restricting all movements.

“Move out!” Song Qifeng ordered. The crowd walked out. Before long, a carriage appeared.
Chu Qiao was lifted up onto the carriage, as they rapidly headed North.

“Halt! Who are you?”

Song Qifeng sat atop his horse and replied, “I am the head of the bodyguards for Master
Chu, and this is the messenger from Lan City. We are heading towards Lan City. This is
proof from Master Chu.”

Seeing it was Song Qifeng, the soldiers immediately changed their attitude, “So it is Master
Song. Please wait a minute, I will immediately open the gates!”

Chapter 163
The northern gates were not a battle eld. The personnel guarding the gates were the original
guards. Song Qifeng asked, “Are you not checking for the orders on the ag?”

“General Song, you are the living orders. Why would I check for that thing?”

“Haha, thank you so much, Brother.”

The last icker of hope in Chu Qiao’s heart extinguished. The warhorse galloped on in the
cold weather. Chu Qiao felt cold on the inside. Without her, what would happen to Chidu
City? Would the soldiers of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison feel that they had been
abandoned again? As for the civilians who had trusted her so much… Where would they
go?

The sky started to brighten up, signaling the end of the night. It was dawn the next day. Chu
Qiao was helped o the carriage by someone and brought into a tent. After she was untied,
she unfastened the black cloth used to blindfold her. She was shocked to see Lady Yu
standing in front of her, a gentle look on her face. She handed a warm towel over to Chu
Qiao and said calmly, “Do wipe your face. It’s been hard on you, traveling overnight.”

“Lady Yu?”

fl
ff

fi
fl
Lady Yu was dressed in a white robe made of cotton. Her face was thin; her eyelids had
caved in slightly. There were a few wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. “It’s me.”

The look in Chu Qiao’s eyes turned from shock to that of disbelief. Frowning, she asked in a
low voice, “Why?”

“This place is not safe. Beishuo will not last much longer. Without you, Chidu City may not
last past today. Follow me out of here rst. I will explain to you along the way.”

“Tell me rst. Why?” The look in Chu Qiao’s eyes was cold. She stared coldly at one of Yan
Bei’s most important military gures, saying word by word, “You knew the situation in Yan
Bei all along? You knew how unrestrained the people there were behaving?”

Lady Yu nodded and replied calmly, “Yes, I know.”

“The Xia army split into two directions, occupied Helan Mountains and attacked Chidu City.
Do you know?”

“I know,” Lady Yu replied calmly.

“Cao Mengtong drafted civilians into the army at Beishuo, using them as meat shields. He
killed those innocent people.”

“I know.”

The civilians of Chidu left their homes for the city of Lan. Many of them froze and starved to
death along the way.”

” I know.”

“Once the Xia army breaches Chidu, they can surround Beishuo in both directions. A million
civilians of Beishuo will perish. The entire eastern part of Yan Bei will fall into the hands of
the Xia army. Once they reach the inner mainlands of Yan Bei, the civilians living to the east
of Luori Mountains will be massacred!”

“I know.” From the start, Lady Yu remained calm. She listened silently as if they were talking
about day-to-day matters.

Chu Qiao’s chest was heaving. She clenched her sts, frowned, and asked in a low voice,
“Why? Since you knew everything, why didn’t you stop it? Why did you let a favorable
situation deteriorate into this state?”

Lady Yu looked at Chu Qiao silently with a warm and wise look. Calmly, she answered,
“AhChu, at this juncture, do you still not understand what is going on?”

Chu Qiao froze; a terrifying thought brewed from within her mind like a sharp sword piercing
through her nerves.

Lady Yu smiled plainly. “There are no soldiers in the city of Lan. The forces at Luori
Mountains have been withdrawn too. Not just the city of Lan, but the entire inner mainland
of Yan Bei. There are no soldiers. The mainland is like a race course presently. If one Xia
fi
fi
fi
fi
troop enters that place, they will be considered to have won. I am powerless to stop General
Cao, nor have I been authorized to. My sole reason for staying here is to bring you away
from this place. Other than this, I have no other orders.”

Chu Qiao felt like she had been thrown into the snowy ground. She lost her balance, nearly
falling to the ground. Her heart felt tight, as if it had been frozen by ice. Every movement
hurt. She took a deep breath but felt like her chest had been blocked. She opened her
mouth and frowned. The dots started to connect in her head, forming a terrifying sequence
of events.

“Yan Xun…”

“Your Highness is not at Meilin Pass either.”

With just one sentence, Chu Qiao’s beliefs were totally extinguished. All her thoughts
behaved like sharp arrows which pierced into her skin, causing excruciating pain. However,
she was unable to let out a word. Her body jerked backward. She supported herself against
a pillar. Her chest heaved up and down as she took large breaths. She wanted to say
something but was unable to.

Lady Yu continued calmly, “Your Highness ordered me to bring you away. I waited in Lan
City for a long time but did not see you. Then, I knew that you had run into trouble on the
way. Also, the Beishuo army was unruly. I had no choice but to bring you her forcibly. Please
forgive me.”

“You’re crazy!” a low voice sounded out, carrying a tinge of breathlessness. Chu Qiao bent
her back and looked up, her eyes bloodshot. She looked at Lady Yu coldly, shook her head
and exclaimed, “This is too crazy!”

“Although it’s crazy, it works. Your Highness’s army has breached Changting Province. We
have conquered over 30 provinces in the northwest, wiping out the entire Batuha family in
the process. Presently, the main forces of Xia are gathered in Yan Bei. Their border troops
are stationed at the borders separating Tang and Song. The forces in their mainland have
been depleted. Song is cooperating with us by conducting a few large-scale military drills
along the borders of Xia, in order to divert their attention. At this time, we just need to lure
the main forces of Xia into Yan Bei, cut o their communication routes by eliminating their
scouts and using the snow to our advantage. Our forces are in full throttle. In less than half a
month, we can siege Zhen Huang City! Even if their troops in the north are able to respond,
we will have conquered majority of Xia. Even if they fought back, they would be blocked
outside Yanming Pass!” Lady Yu walked to the front, helping Chu Qiao to tidy up her hair.
Calmly, she continued, “AhChu, Your Highness knew that you would never agree with this
idea, hence he hid it from you. However, this doesn’t mean that he doesn’t trust you. We can
withstand one invasion from Xia, but not two. Yan Bei’s geographical features are not
favorable, which has greatly a ected our development. No matter how hard we work, we are
unable to compare to the inner mainland of Xia. Furthermore, we have inherent weaknesses
in the form of the Quanrong people, which have threatened our sovereignty. Hence, carrying
out a surprise counter-attack and switching the places where we establish our empire is the
ff
ff
only way to be able to reverse the situation and attain invincibility. You are the person
closest to him. You should be able to understand him.”

“Because of this complete shift in strategy, you want to use millions of civilians in Yan Bei as
bait?” Chu Qiao responded in a fatigued voice. She looked up, her eyes bloodshot. The
many days of hardships and hope dissipated into the atmosphere. She had suspected that
Yan Xun’s motive in attacking Meilin Pass was to curb the power of the Second Army, in
order to stabilize his position in Yan Bei. However, she had not realized that Yan Xun’s
ambition did not lie in Yan Bei. He had laid a giant trap in Beishuo City, using millions of
civilians as bait to lure the Xia troops over. Then, he executed his strategy, which was
recognized universally as ethically incorrect, bringing the First Army and the elite troops from
Luori Mountains to attack the core of the Xia Empire. Banking on his military might and
cutting o Xia’s communication routes, he would force his way into the mainland of Xia with
frightening speed, colonizing it.

Chu Qiao chuckled bitterly. This was such a powerful, unconstrained and unexplored style
of warfare. This was such a crazy plan. It was equivalent to the modern-day United States
invading Iraq, while the Iraqis gave up their land and dashed to the United States instead,
colonizing it. When the United States declared their victory over Iraq from afar, they would
then realize that their land had been annihilated. This opportunity was indeed, once in a
lifetime.

It was no wonder that he insisted on splitting up his forces to attack Meilin Pass before the
war began. It was no wonder that he did not bring her to his side. It was no wonder that he
appointed idiots like Cao Mengtong to defend Beishuo, authorizing him to dispatch his
forces at will. He had intended to create an image of Yan Bei preparing for a full-on
retaliation, in order to divert Xia’s attention towards there. It was no wonder that her signal
for help fell on deaf ears, that her bodyguards were Yan Xun’s trusted aides, and that the
city of Lan did not object to Beishuo’s unruliness! He was terrifyingly scheming, managing to
formulate such a frightening and secretive plan. Even she, who had been educated with
modern-day military warfare, would not have been able to think of this. Yan Xun was simply
too brilliant.

“Lady Yu, do you remember what you said to me the rst time we met?”

Lady Yu was dazed; her face appeared pale. However, she still managed to utter slowly, “I
said that I hoped, one day, Yan Bei would not have any more orphans like you.”

“That’s right.” Chu Qiao laughed bitterly. “You guys did a good job. Once you win this battle,
Yan Bei will not have any more orphans like me. All the people in Yan Bei would have died.”

The look in Lady Yu’s eyes sank. After a long while, she replied in a low voice, “If one desires
freedom, there is always a price to pay.”

Chu Qiao looked at her in disgust. “Very good. All the people in Yan Bei will die, while you
enjoy endless luxuries in life, ascending upon the throne of the highest order. This is the
price that the civilians of Yan Bei will pay for freedom!”

ff
fi
“AhChu!” Lady Yu held Chu Qiao by the arm, continuing her words in a hurried manner.
“Don’t be so extreme. This is strategically correct! This is a feat, a great achievement! Don’t
you see it? The gates of Xia will be opened. Sheng Jin Palace will shake under the might of
the troops of Yan Bei!”

“Don’t touch me!” Chu Qiao retorted with a forlorn look in her eyes. “I know that this is
strategically correct, but you abandoned your people! The people who supported you
through thick and thin, through your most di cult times! You let them down! You deceived
millions of them and pushed them into the deep end of the pit! You did this for your own
luxuries, for your own power struggles, while sacri cing the lives of millions of people! Lady
Yu!” Chu Qiao’s eyes were bloodshot. Tears started to stream down her face. She bit her
lower lip tightly and continued, “Why? What’s wrong with all of you? Have you forgotten
what you said previously? These days, no matter how di cult it was, no matter my
predicament, I always held out hope that all of you would come to rescue me. Even traitors
like the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison knew how to come back and protect the civilians!
Why did you choose to abandon them? Do you know? The people in Chidu City idolise
Mister Wu and yourself. They worship the both of you on their altars, burning three joss
sticks in the morning, afternoon, and night. This is so that they wish the both of you can live
to a ripe old age. They claim that the both of you are the guardians of Yan Bei. As long as
the both of you are around, Yan Bei will still have hope. They left their homes and ed
towards Lan City. They had no time to bring along their rations, but still remembered to bring
along your tablets on their altar. See for yourself, countless joss sticks were burnt along the
way just for you. How can you face them?”

Lady Yu took a deep breath and frowned. With great di culty, she said, “I’m doing this for
Da Tong, to realize everyone’s dreams.”

Chapter 164
“Hahaha!” Chu Qiao smirked as she turned around. Her gured looked ever so tired and
frail, “You cannot even protect the people of one region, yet you justify these actions by
saying it was for everyone’s dreams? What a joke.” Chu Qiao ipped open the curtains of
the tent and left.

Lady Yu frowned and chased behind her, asking, “Chu Qiao, you are leaving?”

“Yan Bei is not my home, but it has always been what I believed in. Even if you no longer
want it, I do. Even if you abandon it, I will still protect it. Tell Yan Xun, if I die, he need not
take revenge for me for I was killed by none other than himself.”

“Halt!” Lady Yu solemnly warned, “I will not let you go!”

Chu Qiao turned around and smirked. “You can kill me. But only over my dead body will I
abandon Yan Bei!” Drawing out a hidden blade from within her shoes, Chu Qiao miserably
laughed as she held herself hostage. Slowly backing o to a horse, Chu Qiao mounted it.

ffi
fi
ff
ffi
ffi
fi
fl
fl
 “The great mistakes have yet to be made, and turning back now is still possible. Tell him, I
will be waiting for him at Beishuo city! Giddyup!” The young lady turned around and quickly
vanished into the vast whiteness, her robes uttering in the wind.

Song Qifeng anxiously walked up and exclaimed, “Lady, how could you let Master Chu go?
His Highness had repeatedly instructed you that you must not inform Master Chu about the
plan…”

Lady Yu smiled quietly as she slowly raised her head. The sunlight of dawn shone brightly
onto her face. With her face pale as a sheet, she was almost like a ghost.

My beloved Yan Bei, I am truly useless. That was all that I could do for you.

“Inform his highness that Beishuo is about to fall. Master Chu insisted on stubbornly
defending Chidu to assist Beishuo. They could last for at most ve more days. After that,
Yan Bei will be decimated.”

At this very moment, Chidu City sank into a depressing silence, as Master Chu was nowhere
to be found. Finally, they found out that the night before, her bodyguards escorted a
carriage out of the city. Despair ooded into everyone’s minds. The soldiers, dressed in
tattered clothes, stood trembling in the snow while guessing, “Did Master abandon us?”

Before he even nished his sentence, he had been kicked to the ground by soldiers of
Southwest Emissary’s Garrison. He Qi, brother of He Xiao, coldly snapped, “Master Chu will
never abandon us! Even in Zhen Huang City, in such a situation, she did not abandon us.
Now it will be the same!”

“Then where did she go?” One of the original Chidu guards shouted with despair, “Those
o cials are all the same!”

The conscripts of Chidu also started to become rowdy as some echoed in agreement, “That
must be it! Seeing that we were about to lose, she escaped!”

“Like I’ve said, those o cials cannot be trusted! furthermore, she’s a woman!”

“Alas! We were really abandoned? What should we do?”

The noise escalated, as some started to cry. In the horizon, dark clouds were brewing, as
the snow that was blown a oat by the raging winds seemed like the paper money that was
o ered to the deceased.

“What are you standing here for? The enemy is about to attack!” He Xiao strode over and
solemnly reprimanded.

“Commander He! Master abandoned us and ran away!”

“That is impossible!” He Xiao coldly replied. “I will not believe that, and neither will all the
soldiers of Southwest Emissary’s Garrison. Master is not someone like that!”

“But…”

ffi
ff
fi
ffi
fl
fl
fl
fi
“I would only allow such words to be said once! If anyone is heard defaming Master Chu, he
will be the enemy of the entire Southwest Emissary’s Garrison!” The man drew out his blade
in one swift motion. The gleam of his blade shone brightly as he ordered, “What are you
waiting for? Get up the wall!”

After the reorganization in the night, the Xia Army nally stopped their reckless advance. Yet,
the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison had too lost their edge in the defense as their
ammunition had run out quickly, and even the incendiary re-pots had run out by that
evening. At mid-noon, the Xia soldiers had started to breakthrough. Xia soldiers fearlessly
attacked using ladders, and the archers endlessly red upon the defenders in cover of the
advancing troops. With waves after waves of arrows ying at the city, it was like a massive
rainstorm. The wall could only be described as gruesome as soldiers were constantly
collapsing after being struck by arrows.

A young soldier had been hit by over ten arrows, with most of them striking his vitals.
Another fellow soldier o ered to take his place such that he get treatment, but he merely
leaned on the wall and smiled innocently, showing his white teeth. Waving back, he said,
“After Master Chu is back, help me tell her something. Tell her that our entire camp of
soldiers all had a crush on her.” With that said, he jumped down the city wall, using his own
body as ammunition, crushing the Xia troops. With that, a whole wave of pained shrieks
arose from beneath, as though the Xia troops were singing a song of despair for the soldier
who just fell.

Hand-to-hand combat nally ensued as huge batches of enemies boarded onto the city
walls. The entire rst line of defense was crushed, as random arrows ew about,
complementing the omnipresent sounds of killing and blood-curdling screams. The Xia
Army on the wall increased, as crimson blood dyed the ground red. At this moment, even
the conscripts charged onto the walls to ght the Xia soldiers. They no longer cowered in
fear in the face of death. They knew that their deaths were certain, regardless of their
resistance, but at the very least, resisting the enemy would give their family more time to
escape from the merciless Xia army. They used everything they had at their disposal,
slashing with blades, piercing with spears, smashing with bricks, or even biting with their
teeth. The cruelty of war was on full display.

Situ Jing stood afar observing the battle, and with eyes of shock, he asked his subordinates,
“Are you sure that those soldiers on top are really just conscripts?”

That day, the river of Chidu actually melted for a while. Layers after layers of hot blood piled
upon the freezing layer, melting the surface layer. Although, before long, the surface froze
back up. The entire scene was dyed red, with bodies lying around everywhere. One soldier’s
legs had been chopped o , but without hesitation, he threw his own legs at the Xia soldiers.
One Xia soldier scaling the wall was so shocked that he lost his grip and fell o the ladder,
straight onto the cold hard ground.

The entire seventh squad of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison had been wiped out except
for one lone messenger. He stood courageously atop the city wall, using his own comrade’s
body as weapons to smash the Xia soldiers who were attempting to climb up. In the end,
there were no more bodies left, and he himself had also been hit several times. This young
fi
fi
ff
ff
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
ff
 warrior then shouted, “Long live the Master!” before grabbing a Xia soldier and jumping o
the city wall.

The control of the wall exchanged several times between the two forces. Even He Xiao had
several wounds on him, yet he stubbornly continued to resist. He stood on the wall and
shouted, “Brothers! Do not lose face for the Master! Even if we die here, she will take
revenge for us! Kill them!”

Hearing that, the warriors were once again lled with ghting spirit. As though they were all
suddenly lled with strength, they stood up, and their wounded bodies once again
brandished the blades, clashing with the enemies.

The raging winds resumed, and the snow started again. The smell of blood permeated the
entire battleground. The Xia troops were still owing in endlessly. The two forces that had
been locked in combat since morning, were still ghting even into dusk.

Zhao Yang stood on a slope nearby as he observed, and could not help but to sigh, “The
Southwest Emissary’s Garrison is really a beast to ght against!”

After the city wall had once again fallen under the control of the enemy, Chidu City nally
sank into despair. A young soldier weakly brandished his blades at an incoming Xia soldier,
and he was merely looking to die in a nal exchange. But just as the Xia soldier closed in, a
gure dashed in, and a blade ashed past. Along with the afterimage of the blade, that
soldier’s head ew up into the air, spewing blood all around.

The soldier stared on with mouth agape, completely stunned before that gure turned back
and bellowed, “What are you standing there for? Charge with me!”

“Master?” The soldier shouted in disbelief, “The Master is back!”

Those dog-tired soldiers of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison turned back, only to see a
lone lady standing upright while holding a blade in the masses. If that was not Chu Qiao,
who could that be?

“The Master did not abandon us!” An unknown person started cheering rst, followed by
explosive waves of cheers that spread throughout the entire army. The originally exhausted
soldiers suddenly stood up in excitement, as though they were suddenly rejuvenated.

As long as Master is around, we will not lose! Such thoughts ooded the minds of all the
defenders. The Xia army stared on in horror as their adversaries who were moments ago
tipping on the edge of defeat suddenly regained all strength, and charged back at them like
a bunch of starving beasts. It was as though all that fatigue was just for show.

“Brothers! Charge with me!” He Xiao exclaimed. With one blow, he beheaded a Xia soldier,
and he cheered, “Long live the master!”

“Long live the master!”

“Long live the master!”

fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
ff
 The deafening roars once again resounded. Seeing how the troops suddenly started routing
like a ood, Zhao Yang nally had to face this fearsome reality of defeat.

“Your Highness, if we still cannot occupy this city, it will be di cult to explain to the Third
Prince.”

“Who said I do not also wish for such a victory?” Zhao Yang sighed, as he looked at the
small city of Chidu.

The night has come as the Xia army once again retreated. Chu Qiao found Pingan in the
food store tied up in a bundle. He had actually fallen asleep. Waking up and seeing that Chu
Qiao was safe and sound, he cheered in surprise and happiness.

With the battle today, Chidu City had su ered huge losses. The main forces of the
Southwest Emissary’s Garrison had lost over 2,000 soldiers. Together with the initial loss of
1,500, the entire Garrison had less than 3,000 soldiers, with barely 2,000 still t for combat.
The conscripts su ered the greatest losses with almost 20 thousand deaths. The city walls
had been severely damaged, and if the enemy had had weapons such as catapults, they
could destroy the entire wall within a day.

The smell of blood permeated everywhere, and corpses littered the entire city. The medicine
within the city had run out, and the warriors could only be treated with clean water and
cloth. At night, the entire area was lled with moaning and groaning of the casualties. A few
streets down, motionless bodies laid in neat lines. These bodies were arranged in neat rows
as pieces of yellow clothes were laid over their faces.

Walking through all this, Chu Qiao’s footsteps gradually became heavier. In the dark sky, the
ravens squawked overhead, sending chills down her spine. In her entire life, this was the
rst time Chu Qiao felt such loneliness and helplessness. Her hopes and dreams had
completely been destroyed, yet she must still stand upright and put on a show for the
warriors. She needed to show them that she was still con dent and that she would continue
and lead everyone out of this place alive.

The cold wind brushed against her frail gure as she heard a humming a distance. The song
was full of sadness, and Chu Qiao walked to the source. Turning around a corner, she saw a
soldier. He was a handsome young man, and he had not even grown any mustache. His
delicate face looked as though he was a scholar who was better suited to studying than
ghting. One of his legs was already missing from the knee down. He just sat there. Instead
of groaning in pain, he merely smiled, with his eyes innocent and clear, as though he was
mesmerized by some happy memory of the distant past, as he kept singing, “Farewell, my
pretty lady. I will pick up arms to defend our lands. The enemy is ready, and I have to protect
our wonderland. Perhaps, I will never again see your beautiful eyes. Perhaps, I will never
again hear you sing by my ears. But please, believe me, I will forever remember that place
where you bid me adieu, with the setting sun painting the landscape red, as you smiled,
whispering to me to come back soon…”

fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
ffi
fi
 Chapter 165
Chu Qiao stood there quietly for a long time until the soldier’s voice faded away. The snow
accumulated on his face but did not melt. The wind tugged at her sleeves as if to remind her
of her old dreams. The sky was desolate and vast. Although the world was big, they had
seemingly been abandoned by it. A massive amount of thoughts ashed across Chu Qiao’s
mind. She thought of the visions they had since young, their determination to make it
happen, those passionate moments of anticipation and hope. She thought of the cold, dark
prison cell they were locked in many years ago when the young man grabbed her hands and
warmed it. Yan Xun had told her many things about Yan Bei with a bright look in his eyes.
He painted a rosy picture of the snow, grass, and horses there, along with the Huolei Plains
and Huihui Mountains. He said that the civilians there were diligent and kind-hearted, and
that there were no con icts. There was only peace and tranquility, akin to a utopia.

Yan Bei, Yan Bei… Chu Qiao looked up slowly, a stream of tears trickling down her face.
She stood upright, her body shaped like a javelin. The snow akes landed on her shoulder.
No one will protect you anymore. Let me do the job instead. We will wait for them to come
back.

No one expected Beishuo City to fall this quickly. In barely ve days, under the relentless
waves of attacks by Zhao Qi, Beishuo City had been utterly annihilated. If not for the tools of
defense that Chu Qiao had left behind, Yan Bei would de nitely have been colonized by Xia.

At this moment, Cao Mengtong stood on the city walls looking at the Xia troops who were
approaching. He felt the ground trembling beneath his feet. There was one thing that he did
not manage to comprehend: where had his army of over a million gone to? How had he lost
so completely, despite his valiant e orts? However, he had no time to think about this
anymore. Lu Zhi dashed to his side and shouted, “General, time to run! The Xia troops are
catching up with us!”

“Run?” Cao Mengtong turned around and asked in a dazed manner. “Run?”

“Yes!” Lu Zhi exclaimed. “Xia An has ed with the Beishuo Army already. I heard that Chidu
City has not fallen yet. That girl, Chu Qiao, has defended the city with her soldiers. We can
escape to Lan City via there. General, be quick. There’s no time left!”

“Run?” Cao Mengtong was slow to respond. In just a few days, his hair had turned white.
Mumbling to himself, he remarked, “No way. I can’t run.”

“General! That old coward, Xia An, has ed already. He’s the general in charge of defending
Beishuo. He’s gone already. What are we staying here for?”

Cao Mengtong sighed with sadness. He used his old pair of eyes to look at Lu Zhi, replying,
“He can run, but I can’t. Lu Zhi, I am the overall commander in charge of resisting the Xia
troops. If I run, Beishuo City is nished.”

“Beishuo is nished even if you don’t run! General, don’t be stubborn anymore!”

fi
fl

fi
ff
fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
fl
Cao Mengtong shook his head. “No way. Lu Zhi, if you want to run, go ahead.”

Lu Zhi was stunned. “General, are you really not leaving?”

Cao Mengtong replied with conviction, “No.”

“Neither am I then!” the boorish man exclaimed. “It’s just death. General, you have groomed
me and taken care of me just like my birth father. If I die, I will die with you!”

Cao Mengtong was touched and started to tear. He gave Lu Zhi a pat on the shoulder and
remarked, “You only see the kindness in people when you’re in danger. Lu Zhi, I did not
groom you in vain.”

“General, please give me 20 thousand troops. I will dash out of the city and ght the enemy
to the death!”

“Alright!” Cao Mengtong said. “I’ll give my personal army to you. They are the most loyal
soldiers to Yan Bei, and also the most elite troops of the Second Army. Lu Zhi, don’t let me
down!”

“I will not disappoint you, General!”

An hour later, the northern gates of Beishuo City opened. Lu Zhi, along with Cao
Mengtong’s personal army, swept the city of all its valuable items and ed. Cao Mengtong
stood on the city walls and looked on as his trusted aide left him. He spit out a mouthful of
blood, collapsing on the ground.

The Xia army carried out another wave of attacks, causing chaos everywhere within the city.
All its civilians ran around in panic. The northern gates were sealed shut by the o cials of
the Military Law Department under Cao Mengtong’s orders, to prevent anyone else from
escaping.

Pandemonium, along with the smell of blood and shouts to kill, descended upon the entire
city. The Xia army had made their way to within 200 paces of the city. They took out their
ladders and began to scale the city gates. As the sun set, the landscape was stained bright
red. This was the last assault of the day. The enemy troops let out the signal to charge. They
were intent on conquering Beishuo City that very day!

“Surrender! Those who surrender will live!” The Xia army sent about 300 soldiers with loud
voices to go beneath the city gates and shout. Some of the civilians in Beishuo City had
wanted to open the gates up and surrender but were swiftly killed by the o cials. The cries
of agony neared. The blood scent of the Xia soldiers was detectable.

“General! General! The third platoon needs reinforcements!” a blood-stained soldier crawled
on the ground towards him and exclaimed.

Cao Mengtong looked at him and shook his head slowly. The old general brandished his
sword and took two steps forward with a murderous aura around him. How many years had
it been since he stepped onto the battle eld? Over these years, he had been mocked and
known as a general who was a deserter. The only time in his life where he was courageous,
fi
fl
ffi
fi
ffi
it led to an unbelievably big mistake. From the start, if he had listened to that girl, Chu
Qiao… At this instant, thoughts like this ashed across his mind. He shook his head again,
laughing at himself. What use was there, thinking about this now? He smiled bitterly and
replied, “I am the last reinforcement.”

“General!” the o cial was stunned, tears streaming down his face. “You’re over 60 years old
already. It is my incompetence that has led to you having to ght on the battle eld.”

The old general waved his arm and said slowly, “Let’s ght to the death together!”

“Yes!”

Suddenly, a loud sound erupted from outside the city. The Xia troops activated their
emergency signals. The Xia troops froze upon hearing the sound, turning their heads around
in panic.

Cao Mengtong and the o cial from the third platoon were also stunned. They looked up and
gazed at the horizon in the distance, spotting a long, black shadow approaching.
Subsequently, the black shadow slowly become larger. Eventually, an army dressed in black
emerged from the horizon, approaching the city at frightening speed. A red and white
colored ag ew over their heads, like a burning reball in mid-air!

“The reinforcements are here!” the soldiers cheered in tears of joy, their cheers drowning out
all other noises.

“It’s our team! Our reinforcements are here!”

“The Southwest Emissary’s Garrison! It’s General Chu!”

“General Chu is here! We’re saved!”

At that moment, the soldiers in black let out a loud war cry. “For freedom!”

They were neatly organized, charging forward rapidly with a rumbling noise following behind
them. The team became larger and larger, revealing an army of 20 to 30 thousand elite
troops. They raised their swords in the air, using their legs to control their horses. In the
sunset, the warriors began their rampage of the Xia troops in an intimidating fashion, riding
their horses and anking the enemy!

“Southwest Emisssary’s Garrison! It’s the traitors!” As compared to the cheers erupting from
Beishuo City, the Xia army was thrown into disarray. Although they had more people, they
had no time to alter their formations, having been attacked suddenly from the back. In
addition, Zhao Qi’s Southwestern Army was less competent compared to Zhao Yang’s
Northwestern Army. Also, the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison was well-known. In no time,
the troops at the back were defeated.

“Long live General Chu!” the soldiers standing atop the city walls of Beishuo cheered,
hugging each other in joy.

fl
fl
ffi
fl
ffi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
 “General!” He Xiao dashed in front and shouted, “They outnumber us. We should not clash
with them head on!”

Chu Qiao shook her head coldly and replied in a low voice, “Our army has strong survival
instincts. We pull o miraculous victories which boost our morale. The Xia troops cannot
verify our identity currently. If we do not take this opportunity now, we won’t have any
chance in the future!”

The army surged forward at rapid speeds. Before the orders from the Xia army’s central tent
had reached the back, the army of 100,000 people behind had been defeated under the rst
wave of attacks. Chu Qiao ordered the army to ignore any stray troops and dash straight
towards the central tent!

The nightmare of the Xia troops had started. The opposition was but an army of a few ten
thousand people, but they were all elite troops and experienced in combat. Their reactions
were unbelievably fast and agile, causing pandemonium within the battle eld.

“All of you, maintain your formations! Charge!” He Xiao stood at the front, followed by the
agbearer who raised the ag in the air. Chu Qiao was positioned at the center of the army,
riding forward on her horse. The warriors, disregarding their own lives, unleashed their
frustrations at having been suppressed for a long time, swallowing up the Xia army easily.

“Attack! Reorganize all the formations!” Zhao Qi rode on his horse, shouting loudly. He
intended to stabilize the army. He disregarded his aides’ instructions and dashed to the
edge of the battle eld. However, at this instant, an arrow homed in on his body. One of his
aides dashed forward and blocked the arrow for him as it pierced through his chest. Zhao Qi
fell o his horse in panic, avoiding the disaster.

The army was still advancing forward swiftly. Chu Qiao recognized Zhao Qi’s face. With a
sharp look in her eyes, she jumped o her horse and stepped on the man’s back. Slash!
Before Zhao Qi had time to cry out, his head had been severed by Chu Qiao!

“Zhao Qi is dead! Surrender quickly!”

Boom! Like thunder which had erupted from the ground, the Xia army of 400,000 retreated.
Chu Qiao stood tall upon her horse, raising Zhao Qi’s head in the air. She had a stern look in
her eyes while her posture was upright.

The Xia army was thrown into chaos. Cao Mengtong, who was standing on top of the city
walls, reacted immediately and ordered, “Open the city gates! Open the city gates! Kill them
all!”

The gates of Beishuo City nally opened. The soldiers, who had not intended to ght,
dashed out of the gates, condemning the Xia army to defeat!

On the 27th day of the tenth month, Chu Qiao abandoned the city of Chidu, setting it on re.
The re stopped Zhao Yang in his tracks; he could only watch on as Chu Qiao escaped with
her army of less than 10,000. On their way to Beishuo, they encountered Lu Zhi and his
army of 20,000, which had escaped from there towards Chidu. Once she heard that Lu Zhi
fl
fi
ff
fi
ff
fl
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
 had betrayed Beishuo, General Cao Mengtong’s personal troops changed their attitude,
killing him and pledging their loyalty to Chu Qiao and the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison.
Subsequently, under Chu Qiao’s leadership, they made their way to the back of the enemy
and carried out their sudden attack, in icting a heavy defeat on the Xia army on Huolei
Plains, in front of the gates of Beishuo City.

In that battle, about 70,000 enemies were exterminated. The majority of them were trampled
to death by the warhorses as they escaped. About 30,000 enemies were captured as
prisoners of war, while the commander of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison, Chu Qiao,
personally killed the marshal of the opposition army, Zhao Qi. He was the third prince of Xia,
the most competent heir to the emperor’s throne. These events were an unbelievably big
blow to the Xia army.

Chapter 166
At this time, it was exactly eight years from the Battle of Huolei Plains. Witnessed by all of
Yan Bei, the Xia Empire nally paid a devastating price for those actions. On the evening of
the same day, the fourteenth prince, Zhao Yang, rushed to Beishuo. Integrating the
remnants of the Southwest Army, he sent half a million soldiers to encircle Beishuo City
again.

In the meantime, in Menglai province deep within Xia territory, Yan Xun nally received Lady
Yu’s messenger eagle. After reading the letter, he gazed at the ancient capital of Zhen
Huang, which was no longer far away. He stood alone for a long time. Finally, he returned to
the main tent and issued an order that shocked everyone, “We will rush back through the
night to assist Beishuo!”

After returning to Beishuo City, Chu Qiao was treated like a hero. With the exception of
those on guard duty, the entire military and civilian population in Beishuo City gathered at
the city gates. For a moment, the massive crowds erupted into a wave of jubilation that was
as if the battle of Beishuo had been won. When Chu Qiao marched into the city gates along
with the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison, the welcoming crowd almost overran the troops. Lu
Zhi, the deputy commander of the second army, had already died, so the newly appointed
deputy commander Yin Liangyu led the troops in an attempt to maintain order. Despite his
best e orts, the troops were quickly overwhelmed by the excited crowds.

Chu Chuo looked around calmly. Although the soldiers of the Second Army had been
reorganized, it was clear that the army had been exhausted. The remaining soldiers were
injured, their clothes were tattered, and they were covered with blood and dirt. Fear, timidity,
confusion, uncertainty, and all kinds of uneasy emotions clearly ashed through their eyes.
The dirt and grim concealed their pale faces, and many of them had also lost their
scabbards. They had merely randomly attached their weapons by their waists. For that
reason, one could hear crisp collisions between them as they move. It was clear as day that
they had no ght left in them.

Compared to soldiers of the Second Army who seemed to be panicking like rabbits, the
o cers and men of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison were of a sharp contrast. Although
ffi
ff
fi
fi

fl
fl
fi
 they were also bloodied and dirty, they were con dent, calm, and maintained a neat
formation. They were strict and disciplined, riding steadily along. They followed Chu Qiao
and quickly paced down the long street. The winds blew over their robes, sending the smell
of blood that was dyed onto their dark coats into the masses. They seemed merciless and
desolate. Yet, upon seeing them, thunderous cheers erupted in the crowds. Even when a
million strong army was defeated, even when the Yan Bei o cers had ed, only they threw
themselves into the fray, and resolutely took up the responsibility of defending the country.

Yin Liangyu dashed forward. The chaotic crowd had even caused his helmet to slant.
Without having time to adjust his headdress, the young o cer quickly greeted, “Master Chu,
your arrival here at this juncture saved Beishuo from destruction. The entire Second Army
will forever be indebted to you!”

Chu Qiao jumped o the horse and smiled quietly. She replied, “General Yin, your words are
too much. Both the Second Army and the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison are in this
together, as we both serve Yan Bei.” Then, the young lady took o her hood. Even though
she had gone through such a erce battle, she was still tidy and clean. Dressed in a military
uniform, her gure was upright, exuding overwhelming beauty. Not only was she a gallant
soldier, but her attractiveness as a woman was also exceptional, with her beautiful face,
white complexion, and crystal clear eyes which were further complemented by her
con dence and compassion.

There were exclamations of disbelief within the crowd. Soldiers and civilians alike, those
who had not seen her started to comment as the songs of praises came like a tide. Starting
from the rebellion of Zhen Huang to the battles of the Northwest, from the upheaval in the
Tang Empire to the battle of Chidu, she had created so many glorious achievements that
people had forgotten about her age and appearance.

But at this moment, on this tattered battle eld, the beauty of the young girl shined like a
bright light above of people’s heads. Everyone could not help but exclaim, “So this is Master
Chu? She is so young?”

“Indeed! This is unbelievable! She is so beautiful!”

Although she had defeated the forces led by Zhao Qi, Chu Qiao understood that this battle
had barely a ected anything. The only reason why the Xia Army had been routed was due to
the fact that Zhao Qi had sent all reserves to the frontline in order to rush the siege. After all,
that would be a logical strategy, as the Xia Army had already encircled all enemies, and they
wanted to complete the siege by nightfall. With the backlines empty, there were only supply
troops. Even the closest cavalry was blocked from Zhao Qi by two supply formations. The
Southwest Emissary’s Garrison was entirely cavalry, so their movements were extremely
fast. Like a leopard charging into the back of a swarm of sheep, along with the misfortune of
Zhao Qi’s sudden death, the Xiao Army was left without an e ective leader, reducing the
entire army to just a mob of soldiers. With that, Chu Qiao was able to secure an easy victory.
Even then, the hundreds of thousands of troops were not something that would vanish
overnight. Along with the arrival of Zhao Yang later in the day, Chu Qiao was worried at the
state of the war. She hid her worries, and merely asked Yin Liangyu, “Where is General Cao?
I have urgent military intel to inform him.”

fi
ff
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
ffi
ffi
ff
ff
fl
 Yin Liangyu grimly replied, “The general is in the conference room. Master, please follow
me.”

The general’s quarters looked the same, as the pitch black obsidian tiles were arranged in
neat rows. The torches shone brightly as the heavy footsteps echoed along the empty
corridor.

Finally arriving before the conference room, the two young guards saluted Yin Liangyu
before greeting him, “General Yin!”

Yin Liangyu nodded, as he leaned back and introduced Chu Qiao, “This is Master Chu from
the Military Sta O ce.”

The two guards had obviously seen her before, as they greeted, “Good day, Master Chu.”

Chu Qiao nodded back, “Good work.”

“Is the General inside?” General Yin asked.

“He is. The General has waited for the two of you for quite a while.”

Yin Liangyu nodded and requested, “Please help us to inform him that we have arrived.”

One of the guards acknowledged and lightly knocked on the door, before calling out,
“Reporting in! General, General Yin and Master Chu wish to look for you!”

The wind blew quietly through the corridor, as silence ensued. With no one else talking, the
only sound that could be heard was the echoes of that servant.

Yin Liangyu frowned. Stepping up, he loudly declared, “General Cao, Master Chu of the
Military Sta o ce requests to meet you!”

There was still no response. Yin Liangyu frowned deeper as he continued to ask, “General,
are you in?”

Chu Qiao raised an eyebrow and said, “That is bad.” With that, she pushed open the doors
to the conference room.

With a creak, the door opened slowly. The strong wind within the room greeted them, as the
paper uttered around in the breeze like butter ies. The conference room was empty, as the
chairs were neatly arranged in the original spots. Back facing the door, Cao Mengtont was
motionlessly sitting in his usual seat, as though he was examining the big map in front of
him.

Yin Liangyu heaved a sigh of relief as he stepped up, and reported in deference, “General,
Master Chu is here. She said she has some important matters to discuss with you.”

Cao Mengtong seemed like he had not heard anything, and did not even change his
posture. Chu Qiao frowned and walked up. One of the guards chased after her, and
anxiously called out, “Master Chu…” But before he could nish his sentence, his voice
fl
ff
ffi
ff
ffi
fl
fi
 came to an abrupt stop. His eyes widened in terror, and even though his mouth was wide
agape, no words came.

Wearing a brand new uniform, Cao Mengtong’s sleeves were slightly rolled up, revealing half
of his forearms. On his left arm, there was an obvious scar that was made long ago; it had
already started to blur. His clothes were neat without a single wrinkle. A neatly folded white
handkerchief dangled out from his left pocket, and at the sides of his uniform, there was a
large golden embroidery of a war eagle that indicated his rank as the highest in command of
such a large army. He was no longer young given his age, as wrinkles decorated his entire
face. With his muscles loosening with his age, the corners of his eyes and mouth were
starting to droop. His hair was completely silver, and despite being neatly combed, it could
not conceal his age.

A dagger was stabbed in his chest. The meandering blood had already solidi ed. The room
was extremely cold and as such the dark red blood had frozen into strips of ice. Life had
long left this bold body, only leaving behind a lonely gure that seemed ever so old and frail
under the shining moonlight.

The huge map of Yan Bei hung before him. Amidst the winding terrain, a thin line joined up
many of the names on the maps. From the most northern Meilin Pass, through Hui Hui
mountains, Shangshen Highlands, Siqiulan Hills, Luori Mountains, Lan City, Chidu, Beishuo,
and nally, with a crimson pain, there was a huge arrow that pointed straight into the
resource-rich eastern region.

Yin Liangyu and the guards were stunned at the sudden death of their highest commander.
Completely lost, they did not know what to do.

Chu Qiao walked up. Stretching out her hand, she brushed over Cao Mengtong’s still
restless eyes and closed his eyelids. Within her heart, she felt only dreariness. He had
sel essly disregarded the lives of a million soldiers and civilians. Employing incompetent
o cers and lacking in military foresight, he had been reckless and arrogant. Precisely due to
this man’s incompetence and arrogance, he had completely destroyed the originally
advantageous situation and caused the army to pay a devastating price. His crimes were
impossible to be recorded in full details, and no amounts of torture could pardon his
mistakes. Before coming here, Chu Qiao had thought of so many methods, that she must
take him down no matter what, and regain the military command over Beishuo. She had
even prepared to take him down in a debate to quench the anger in her heart. But now,
looking at this old man who was sitting quietly in the cold wind, all her anger vanished like
mist.

This was a cruel war. Everyone would pay a terrible price for participation. That would be
true for both the living or the dead.

“General, look here!” One of the guards was sharp-eyed, as he picked up a piece of paper
from the table and passed it to Yin Liangyu.

ffi
fl
fi
fi
fi
 Yin Liangyu quickly took it. With a quick glance, he lifted his head and handed the paper to
Chu Qiao. “Master Chu, you are now the highest in command of the Second Army. I, Yin
Liangyu, am reporting in for duty!”

Chu Qiao took over that piece of paper, only to see that the letter was written in a
completely formal tone. General Cao had brie y described the command structure of the
Second Army, and at the end, he wrote some general words of encouragement, such as him
hoping that Chu Qiao would ght bravely and accomplish great things for Yan Bei. It was
like a normal change of command letter.

Chu Qiao removed her sword before stepping back. Standing upright, she gave a clean and
standard salute, “General Cao fought for our nation. In the defense against the Xia army, he
had fought until the last moments of his life. He is exemplary of our army. I will not betray
General’s expectations, and will remain loyal, never retreating!”

That night, the records stated as such: In the battle of Beishuo, General Cao Mengtong led
by example, and despite his old age, he fought alongside the troops on the city walls of
Beishuo. Stubbornly repelling the Xia Army, he received fatal wounds and died in the
conference room on the night of October 27th. Before he died, he handed over the duties of
leadership to Master Chu Qiao, the Military Advisor of Military Sta O ce, also the leader of
the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison. General Cao had been brave and loyal, and had
sacri ced everything for Yan Bei. He is an exemplar of all Yan Bei soldiers.

Chapter 167
Six hours later, Zhao Yang, who had been delayed by the re at Chidu, anked the city along
with 500 thousand troops, made up from the Northwestern Army and stray troops from the
Southwestern Army!

In the meeting hall, Chu Qiao had assumed Cao Mengtong’s position. She was dressed in
black, sitting upright in his chair while staring at the people in front of her. The familiar faces
previously had disappeared. Over ten commanders, who sensed that the situation was not
in their favor, ed with their personal armies. The Second Army’s commanders were
nowhere to be seen, while the leader of the Third Army had surrendered himself to Xia,
along with his army of 50,000. The general of Beishuo, Xia An, seeing that defeat was
imminent, ed towards the inner mainland of Yan Bei with the defense troops of Beishuo,
claiming to chase after the deserters.

The people sitting in this meeting hall were now commanders of middle to low rank. In the
seat meant for the leader of the seventh section belonging to the eighth platoon of the
Second Army sat a fat chef. Their leader had ed the battle eld along with 5,000 people. He
refused to leave, trying to persuade his other comrades to defend Beishuo alongside him.
However, he was nearly beaten up to death in return. Presently, all his other comrades had
died, leaving him alone. When Chu Qiao informed the representatives of the various military
departments to attend this meeting, there was no one else from this section other than this
chef. Hence, without even removing his apron, he dashed to attending this meeting.

fi
fl
fl

fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
ff
ffi
fl
In the country’s turbulent times, where its existence was threatened, the most loyal subjects
were not those high-ranked o cials who lived their lives in luxury. They were occupied with
trying to escape and surrender, trying to betray their compatriots in order to nd their own
escape route. At this time, it was the small gures who were deemed as insigni cant that
stepped up to shoulder the responsibility of protecting their countries with their own
shoulders and brains. The happenings of this world was a mockery indeed.

“General, what should we do?” Yin Liangyu was a scholar in the Military Supplies
Department previously. His task was to record the movement of rations. When his superior
escaped, he threw his job to him, saying that he would be promoted upon assuming his
post. Before Yin Liangyu had time to object, the man had vanished into thin air.
Subsequently, Yin Liangyu had been promoted by over 20 ranks in two days, becoming the
vice-commander of the Second Army and the second highest gure of authority in Beishuo
City.

Chu Qiao turned around and said calmly, “Everyone can express their own views.”

The crowd remained silent, looking at each other carefully. They were unknown gures that
fought at the frontline previously. How would they have any ideas? After a short while, an
honest-looking conscript stood up. He was dressed in plain clothes that had been stained
with blood, while the others were not sure if the clothes actually belonged to him.

Seeing that the crowd’s gaze had been xated on himself, the man turned shy. He hesitated
for a long while before gathering his courage to whisper, “I am a soldier from Xitao Village.
My village elders have been injured, hence they told me to come. They wanted me to ask if
General will retreat? Will you abandon us?”

“That’s right!” someone echoed out. “General, will you be like General Xia An? He claimed
to chase the deserters, but did not come back.”

Chu Qiao replied calmly, “Rest assured. Even if we retreat, I’ll be the last one to step out of
the gates of Beishuo.”

“That’s good!” Everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

A man with a full beard on his face suddenly exclaimed, “I don’t know any tactics. Whatever
General wants me to do, I will do.”

“Yes!”

“Yes, we will listen to General!”

Chu Qiao thought for a long while before she stood up and said, “In this case, please go
back immediately to gather some troops. When dawn breaks, we will ght the Xia army to
the death!”

Everyone in the hall obliged, seemingly more willing to follow orders than to express their
opinions. In a short while, the meeting hall had quietened down. Yin Liangyu sat in his seat
as if he had a question to ask.

ffi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
“General Yi, feel free to speak your mind.”

Yin Liangyu thought for a long while before saying, “General, I do not know much about
military warfare. However, three days ago, when General Yu Zeqi from the Third Army
escaped, he burnt the majority of the ration vault. Currently, there are less than 40,000
combat-trained troops in the city. Even with the 30,000 people you brought back, there are
less than 70,000 people altogether. The majority of them are conscripts. The forces from Xia
are strong. Would we be able to beat them if we clashed with them head on?”

Chu Qiao frowned. As she was about to speak, Yin Liangyu explained hurriedly, “I don’t
intend to escape. I’m…I’m just a little worried.”

Chu Qiao smiled and replied, “General Yi, I know that you don’t intend to escape, but you
don’t need to be so pessimistic. If I am willing to stay here, I would have the con dence of
winning the battle.”

Yin Liangyu stood up and said excitedly, “Does General have a sure- re way of winning?”

“I don’t have a way to guarantee victory, but I have a piece of news that you might want to
listen.”

“What news?”

“The First Army led by Your Highness, together with the Luori troops led by Lady Yu, are on
the way back to reinforce us. As long as we last ten days, they will arrive.”

Yin Liangyu could not contain his joy and asked, “Is that true? Is that true, General?”

“Yes,” Chu Qiao smiled. “Go and spread the good news to everyone!”

Yin Liangyu dashed out of the door in excitement. Looking at his shadow fading into the
distance, the smile on Chu Qiao’s face disappeared; her stoic expression taking over. No
one knew that Yan Xun had gathered the First Army and the Luori troops to attack the inner
mainland of Xia. Firstly, she was wary of traitors in the army. Once these words spread to
Zhao Yang, although the crisis of Beishuo could be averted, Yan Xun’s route would be
blocked o , throwing him into a precarious situation. This was her main worry.

Secondly, once the news leaked out, everyone would know that Yan Xun had betrayed Yan
Bei. With the morale of the troops a ected, it was meaningless to continue ghting. She had
defended Chidu previously in order to protect the inner mainland of Yan Bei. If the troops of
Beishuo were defeated, there would still be an escape route. However, presently, the forces
in the inner mainland were non-existent, while no one defended the stretch along Luori
Mountains. It was meaningless to escape inwards, because it would only lure the enemy
into the mainland, allowing them to discover the absence of troops there. In other words, the
entire military might of Yan Bei was gathered at Beishuo City currently. If Beishuo fell, Yan
Bei would fall. Hence, she gave up Chidu and made her way to Beishuo.

As for Yan Xun, would he come back? Would he give up his opportunity to conquer the
entire empire and exact his revenge?

ff
ff
fi
fi
fi
 The snow raged on outside. Chu Qiao sat on her chair as the candlelight re ected onto her
shiny forehead. A belief suddenly brewed from within her heart, burning brightly inside like a
re.

“Yes, he will come back.”

As dawn broke, the Xia army approached from the horizon in endless, neat rows. Many
corpses, along with the weapons they carried, lay on the battle eld as a result of the
previous battles. Despite a night of heavy snowfall, the land in front of Beishuo City was still
stained a bright red. The owers, not fearing the harsh weather conditions, continued to
bloom. The sunlight re ected onto the grounds of the battle eld, accentuating its reddish
appearance.

The war had advanced at a rapid pace. Zhao Yang, having experienced defeat in the past
days, lost his patience. He was no longer willing to organize his army properly nor
strategize. His army of 500 thousand surged forward with gusto.

The 500,000 troops started to arrange themselves on the battle eld, letting out their
warcries. The soldiers standing atop the city walls of Beishuo trembled in fear, feeling the
ground shaking beneath them.

The soldiers of Beishuo turned pale with fright. As compared to Zhao Qi’s Southwestern
Army which depended on outnumbering the opposition, Zhao Yang’s Northwestern Army
was more seasoned and savage. They could not imagine how Chu Qiao, together with less
than 10,000 troops from the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison, had managed to resist them for
so long. However, they had no time to think about this anymore. The Xia troops dashed
towards the city, like a surge of oodwater.

“Kill the enemy!” the Xia troops echoed, appearing like a volcano that had just erupted.

“On my mark!” He Xiao stood on the city walls. The young man had grown a lot with the
numerous battles he had fought. Holding his sword in his hand, he ordered in a low voice,
“Get set!”

“Section 1, prepare to attack!”

“Section 2, prepare to attack!”

“Section 3, prepare to attack!”

“Section 4, prepare to attack!”

“Section 17, prepare to attack!”

The warcries sounded again and again. Presently, the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison was
left with less than 3,000 people. The other 7,000 people were drafted from the conscripts of
Chidu to reinforce the army. After Cao Mengtong’s death, the elite troops of the Second
Army had become Chu Qiao’s personal soldiers. There were a total of 30,000 people which
fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
formed the main forces of this battle. At this moment, in front of them were big crossbows
that reached up to the height of half a human being. Chu Qiao had designed them and
tasked the Military Supplies Department to construct these weapons. However, after she
left, no one knew how to assemble and use the weapons. Hence, all 3,000 weapons were
preserved and in good condition.

The crossbows were squeezed into their boxes. These weapons had transcended time and
were designed with the concepts of modern technology. They were able to re 28 arrows at
once for three times, and had been calibrated in a four-dimensional sense. Within a single
breath, these crossbows were able to re 84 arrows in four di erent directions with great
force. They could be compared to a submachine gun.

The noisy crossbow sounds continued to echo out. As the enemies neared, their cavalry
troops overtook the troops on foot and dashed to the front. Their commander shouted, “Kill
the northern barbarians!” The soldiers dashed forward, shouting out to kill the enemies.

He Xiao was unfazed. After a while, he said rmly, “Attack!”

Swoosh! The sky was turned pitch-black as if a large piece of black cloth had covered it up.
Arrows red out from all 3,000 crossbows. No living thing could withstand such an assault.
There was no escaping nor retreating. The scenes at Chidu City replayed itself as the giant
cavalry army collapsed under the urry of arrows. After the urry of arrows had subsided, no
one stood alive within its ring radius of 400 paces.

In that instant, everyone’s eyes widened. The jaws of the Xia troops dropped; no one dared
to step forward, especially those from the Southwestern Army who had never witnessed
such a sight. Zhao Yang, overwhelmed with rage, almost wanted to dash forward with his
sword. He made his way here overnight and organized his troops in a hurried manner to
begin his assault, for fear of Chu Qiao being able to construct weapons of such terrifying
power before the battle started. He would never have expected himself to have fallen one
step short. He was unaware that these weapons had been in Beishuo City all along. Of
course, it was not just him alone, but many people would have shared his sentiment. After
all, if the weapons had been there all along, how had Cao Mengtong su ered such complete
defeat?

“Charge! Those who retreat will die!” The warcry echoed out from the Xia camp again. The
heavily armored and shielded soldiers assumed their positions at the frontline, resuming
their siege on the city.

Chapter 168
Chu Qiao stood high in the watchtower as she looked over the jubilant Beishuo. Seeing that
there was some hope of victory, everyone rushed up onto the city walls. Lifting up some
simple yet crude stone catapults, they stubbornly defended the city.

The black masses of arrows red out in batches as the enemies fell like grass under a
lawnmower. Wearing a white overcoat, Chu Qiao was expressionless. Hundreds of
thousands of lives were being lost every second, and it would be all commanded by a
fi

fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
ff
ff
fi
simple gesture from her. The blood owed like a river, and in some places, it started to form
huge puddles. All of a sudden, on this battle eld, it seemed as though human lives were no
longer valuable, as they were like mere ants, as the demon of war opened its mouth and
swallowed them whole.

Chu Qiao gradually lost her senses, and no longer felt scared, or disgusted. In fact, she did
not even feel tired anymore. Was had numbed her senses, and now she only felt sti from
the cold.

Ultimately, war was still merciless. Two days later, the arrows in the city had been
exhausted. Another day later, the boulders and rolling trunks were too depleted. For this,
Xiao army had sacri ced nearly seven thousand lives. In this barren battle eld, bloodied
bodies formed a crimson carpet, as numerous weapons and arrows lay wasted. The
defenders of Beishuo were extremely tired, but before they could even grab a bite, the black
swarm once again crowded over.

Chu Qiao miserably sighed. Even though they had thrown out their last piece of boulder, and
shot out every single arrow, and had in icted such heavy losses onto the enemies, they still
reorganized so quickly and charged up again. Both she and Zhao Yang knew sometimes
war was merely a competition of attrition. Whoever lasted longer would be the nal winner.
Facing such heavy losses, Zhao Yang was planning to give it his all to resuscitate his
otherwise serious defeat.

“Master, what should we do?” A subordinate rushed in. With eyes of anticipation, he looked
at her. After all, this female general had always managed to bring out some secret weapon
to save the day, so the entire second army had overwhelming support for her. Yet, Chu Qiao
shook her head and calmly replied, “We have no other method. Let’s ght.”

Hand-to-hand combat nally ensued. In the bloodcurdling howls, even the earth seemed to
tremble. The Xia formations seemed like an endless ocean that repeatedly crashed into the
city walls of Beishuo wave after wave. The numeric disadvantage was ultimately
devastating. As the battle progressed, the city wall had repeatedly been lost to the enemy,
and each time, with a bloody counterattack, they regained control over the walls. The
Southwest Emissary’s Garrison displayed an overwhelming combat prowess. With barely
3,000 troops, they guarded half the wall. The other half was guarded by over 60,000
soldiers, but the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison still had to frequently assist the other half to
repel the enemies.

Two days later, Zhao Yang sent men to dig a trench near the East side of the wall. That
caused the collapse of a small segment of the wall. Although Chu Qiao responded quickly,
2,000 of the Xia forces still managed to breach into the city. Those 2,000 were the elites of
Xia forces, and it took over four hours to clear them out, creating a mountain of corpses in
the process.

“General! The third battalion has completely been decimated! The archer camp and the
Fourth Group of the conscripts charged out of the city under the leadership of General Yu.
They forced back the Xia soldiers who were digging under our walls, but we had lost all of
fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
them! The Xiaolin Camp and the 11th Group have been completely annihilated by the East
city walls…”

“General, we can no longer fend o the enemy. We could only hold on for four hours at
most. We should retreat!”

He Xiao walked over. There were countless wounds on this young man, as he was drenched
in blood. With a hoarse voice, he pleaded, “Master, the entire Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison implores you to retreat. We can be the vanguard to make a breakthrough for you in
the South gate.”

Yin Liangyu’s face was pale. This man who was an administrative o cer mere days ago was
now wearing a battle uniform for generals. Frowning, he walked up, “General, the
reinforcements will not arrive in time. We do not have time. Please lead the Southwest
Emissary’s Garrison, along with the ladies and children, out of this encirclement. Head to
Lan City, and as long as you could nd Lady Yu, we still have a chance of revival. This
subordinate is willing to stay here in Beishuo to keep fending o the enemy.”

Chu Qiao slowly shook her head. Only she knew that there would not be a single person in
Yan City. Even if she escaped there, she would merely be attracting the Xia forces to
advance inland. Firmly she replied, “I will not retreat.”

“Please! General, you have to think to the bigger picture! Now is not a time for you to be
stubborn!”

Chu Qiao lifted her head up and stared into the distance, before con dently declaring, “The
reinforcements will de nitely arrive.”

“Master!” By now, Xiao He had already become a bit hysterical, as he outright refuted,
“Even if the reinforcements are on the way, we may not be able last that long! If we do not
leave, we may not get an opportunity to do so anymore.”

Chu Qiao repeated her sentence, still brimming with con dence that bordered on
maddening faith, “The reinforcements will arrive.”

The crowds helplessly backed o , as they relayed the order to ght down to the last man.
With that instruction, the entire city blew up in a maddened roar. Chu Qiao could not even
tell what emotion that was. Was it anger? Sadness? Fear? Bloodthirst? Terror? Hatred?
Despair? Or perhaps, it was merely a death cry?

As the day proceeded into the dusk, and the sun turned into a blood crimson, the battle had
entered its nal stages. The commander of the eighth division, seventh battalion, who was
also the cook, held his butcher knife as he dismembered the Xia soldiers who were scaling
the wall. A dozen Xia soldiers rushed at him together, but the fat cook merely pounced on
them and fell into a re pit together with them. As the ames burnt them, the Xia soldiers
rolled around in panic, trying to extinguish the ames that were burning them, but the cook
merely dashed to other Xia soldiers. The burning ames on his body merely added to his
seemingly unstoppable aura, as the Xia soldiers panicked and avoided him like the plague.
In the end, without so much as giving out a groan, he grabbed the ladder that the Xia army
fi
fi
fi
ff
ff
fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
ff
fi
ffi
fi
was using to climb up the wall, and with his oversized body, he rolled down, bringing with
him the lives of over 20 Xia soldiers. He crashed into the boulders beneath the city.

On that day, hundreds of soldiers witnessed the loyalty and bravery of a mere cook.

“Master! The Eight Group has been decimated!”

“Reinforcements will come.”

“Master! The East wall sector two collapsed! Over 300 enemies had charged in. The Ninth
and Tenth Battalion are heading over to intercept them!”

“Reinforcements will come.”

“Master! Quickly leave! The last few formations of the Xia army have entered battle!”

“Reinforcements will come.”

“Master! It would be too late if you do not leave now! The reinforcements will not come!
Please give us the order to retreat!”

“Reinforcements will come.”

“Master…”

….

Everyone fell into despair. They thought that Chu Qiao had made up her mind to really
defend this city to the last man. As the battle intensi ed further, the cries of anguish lled the
city. As though they were madmen, the Yan Bei soldiers gave their all, as they charged to
the enemy while brandishing their blades.

By right, the highest in command must not participate in the battle, but at this moment, Chu
Qiao drew her blade. Even at this moment, a certain faith crazily screamed in her mind.
Every moment counts. Walking out from the main tent, she arrived at the highest point on
the city wall. With her blade drawn out, the light of the setting sun re ected o the cold steel
in a faint glimmer.

Xiao He suddenly charged up to her, with his expression in shock. It was hard to tell if he
was happy or sad as he anxiously called out, “Master!”

“Do not say anymore!” Chu Qiao interrupted him as she rmly informed him, “I will not
retreat. Reinforcements will de nitely arrive.”

“Master,” Xiao He licked his pale lips as his continued slowly, “the reinforcements have
already arrived.”

Chu Qiao’s frail gure froze up as she turned in the direction of Xiao He’s nger. On the
horizon of Huolei plains, a jet black line appeared, with a cloud of dust ying in the air. At
this moment, the Xia Army sounded o waves after waves of bugle calls, but the sound was
clearly di erent from one that declared victory. The Xia messengers rushed around the
ff
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
ff
fi
 battle eld desperately, as their o cers kept shouting at each other. It was panic, absolute
panic. The Xia army retreated like a ood, with the Xia soldiers retreating back following the
bugle call, but completely confused by the turn of events.

The Earth trembled! Boom! Boom! Boom! All motions ceased in Beishuo city. Those guards
who already prepared themselves for death lifted up their heads and stared into the distant
East. The thin black line gradually turned into a stream, then a river. And then, like a black
eagle poking its head out from the clouds, all of a sudden, the anks appeared. Like two
broad wings of the eagle, the black river turned into an ocean!

In an orderly formation, the intruders seemed unstoppable! Black ags uttered in the air
above the ocean of black, as the war eagle on those ags stared mercilessly at their
enemies. Controlling the horse with just their legs, those warriors drew their blades and held
it vertically before their face. With a thunderous roar, they shouted, “For Freedom!”

The charge call of the bugle reverberated throughout the heavens, and along with it,
Beishuo city gave out a wave of jubilant cheers!

“The black eagle ag! It is His Highness! His Highness came!”

“Our reinforcements are here!”

The cheers of the soldiers mixed in with their tears of joy. In the mere days prior to this, this
city had seen much deaths of allies and enemies alike, and with the light of hope suddenly
shining before them, they were overwhelmed with ecstasy.

In stark contrast to their cheering was the roars of panic within the Xia army. Zhao Yang
found it unbelievable, as he shouted, “How can this be? How did they circle around us!”

“Your Highness! Your Highness!” A messenger rushed up. Strangely, this soldiers was
wearing a uniform that would only be seen in Zhen Huang City. Grim and covered in dust, he
shouted, “Orders from the imperial capital! You are to immediately turn back to reinforce the
capital! The rebel Yan Xun has led 500 thousand troops deep into Imperial territory. The
entire Northwestern region has been reduced to rubble. Now, he has turned back to encircle
your troops!”

With a bam, Zhao Yang kicked the soldier o his horse, as he snapped in rage, “Why not
wait until they have already killed all of us before reporting?”

“This servant has already been traveling day and night. All my comrades have been killed by
the Yan Bei army. I had no choice but to be more careful…” That soldiers quickly tried to
defend his delay, but before he nished, he got kicked by Zhao Yang again. The Fourteenth
Prince quickly ordered, “All forces are to brace! No one is to retreat. Only by steadying our
formations can we a ord to face the enemies!”

Yet, before his words were even nished, the Southwestern Army, the Northern coalition,
and the Batuha troops already broke into a full chaotic rout. Only the Northwestern force
remained rmly before the rapidly approaching Yan Bei forces.

fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
ffi
fl
ff
fl
fl
fl
fl
Zhao Yang closed his eyes in despair. Did the heavens really wish for the demise of the Xia
Empire?

The defeat of the Xia army happened in an instant, as all forms of defense had been torn
apart by the elite Yan Bei forces. Now, with advantages in numbers, ghting prowess,
morale, and the element of surprise, the Yan Bei army was almost guaranteed a crushing
victory. In mere four hours, the Xia army completely vanished from the Huolei plains, routing
into the Helan mountains. To chase down the escaping enemies, 100 thousand troops were
sent out in pursuit!

That day was November the First, year 775 of the Bai Cang Calendar. The Black Eagle Army
that had deeply penetrated into Xia territory had suddenly turned back. With blazing speed,
they rushed through the nights, and even ate and slept on the horse backs. Without any
rest, they entered combat, catching the Xia army completely o -guard, sending them into a
full rout!

Chapter 169
Zhao Yang was caught o -guard by the two-pronged assault from Yan Xun and Chu Qiao.
The Southwestern Army, the Northern Alliance, and the Batuha Army were utterly defeated.
Zhao Yang, now isolated, retreated towards Helan Mountains. Yan Xun followed tightly on
his tail, killing over 200,000 enemies in the process, eliminating the main forces of all the
armies except Zhao Yang’s Southwestern Army. Yan Xun had led his forces all the way into
the northwestern mainland of Xia, to Yanming Pass. Subsequently, the Black Eagle Army set
up camp at Beian Camp, located near Yanming Pass. Zhao Yang looked across the river,
seeing that the northwestern part of the royal capital had been occupied by the troops of
Yan Bei, while the nobles and o cials there had surrendered. In a t of anger, he spit out a
mouthful of blood onto the frozen river.

With this, the rst northern war was brought to an end. The army of Yan Bei had lost more
than 400,000 people in the two battles at Beishuo and Chidu. The city of Chidu was turned
into a piece of barren land; countless refugees died in the process of migration. Yan Bei,
which was not a nancially well-o place, fell into even harder times.

As compared to Yan Bei, the Xia Empire su ered unimaginable losses. Not only did they
lose the majority of their northern army, but a prince was killed in the con ict. In addition,
half of their empire in the northwest was conquered by the enemy. If Yan Xun did not turn
back to save Beishuo, the royal capital would surely have fallen.

The attention of the entire continent of West Meng was xated on these events. As the sun
set in the northwestern skies, the dreams and glory of the Xia Empire over the past 300
years fell into an irreconcilable decline.

After Zhao Yang arrived back in the royal capital, he incurred the wrath of the royal family.
The Elders’ Clan voted unanimously to throw him into prison. Three days later, the royal
capital gathered 300,000 troops from the Southeastern Army, Northeastern Army, and the
fi
fi

ff
ffi
ff
ff
fi
ff
fi
fi
fl
various noble households to head back to the northwestern battle eld, led by the seventh
prince of Xia, Zhao Che.

Zhuge Huai, the eldest young master of the Zhuge family, was originally appointed as the
person in charge of dispatching backup forces to the battle eld. However, with this defeat,
the Zhuge family was shunned by the Elders’ Clan. Driven by desperation, Zhuge Muqing
had no choice but to appoint his fourth son, Zhuge Yue, to assume Zhuge Huai’s position
and follow Zhao Che to the northwest.

It could be seen that another major war was imminent.

The house was silent, with the occasional sound of crows ying past the window. The wind
raged on, making sandy noises along with the snow. The moonlight shone on the ground
through the window. Coupled with the candlelight, it seemed like a faint yellow speck of
light. When Yan Xun arrived at the house, it was late at night. The sparse footsteps sounded
like a de ated drum whose sounds drifted over from the distance. The maidservants in front
of the house knelt down together, their knees bumping against the snowy ground as they
crushed the snow akes beneath them.

“Your Highness, Miss has already fallen asleep,” the maidservants said, their voices carrying
a tinge of respect and timidness.

The wind seemed to get even stronger, hiding the layer of silence and awkwardness. The
trees shook, while the moonlight was dim, forming a grey shadow when it shone through the
window. The grey shadow stood in front of the window, not saying a word but not leaving
either.

“Is Miss sleeping soundly?” After a while, a calm, rich voice sounded out. It was devoid of
joy, nor any anger from being stopped outside. “Has the physician attended to her?”

“Miss is slightly injured. It’s all right,” the maidservant replied.

“Okay,” Yan Xun remarked and continued to ask, “What did she eat for dinner?”

“Only half a bowl of porridge.”

Yan Xun nodded lightly. “She might be hungry at night. Prepare some food for her. Be alert,
don’t sleep all the way.”

“Alright, I understand.”

Yan Xun stood beneath the corridor, cutting a desolate gure. The weather outside was
cold. The wind scattered the snow about in mid-air, while the moonlight shone on the
ground, coloring it a pale white. He stood in the center, lowering his head slightly. He faced
the closed window and whispered, “AhChu, I’m leaving.”

A small gust of wind blew past the man’s hair. Yan Xun turned around and walked down the
steps slowly. He raised his feet lightly but landed quite heavily. The people outside slowly
walked away. Chu Qiao lay on her bed. The weather was cold, like the scene in Sheng Jin
Palace many years ago. In the lonely Yingge Court, blood trickled out of their hands and
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
 owed into the spaces between their nails. The child’s eyes sparkled brightly like stars in the
sky, while she frowned. A sense of despair brewed within her. Although many years had
passed, they were still with each other. However, was he the only one that had changed?

She suddenly became ustered, throwing her blanket aside. Without putting on her winter
clothes, she dashed out of her room barefooted, pulling the door open with a thud.

“Miss!” the maidservants chased after her, shouting loudly. This alerted the man who was
walking in front. As he turned back, a small shadow suddenly fell into his embrace forcefully.
Yan Xun lost his footing slightly, but his face was full of surprise. He felt a thin layer of
clothes. Yan Xun frowned and chided lightly, “AhChu, why are you outside with so little
clothes on?”

Chu Qiao remained silent, reaching out both of her hands to wrap around the man’s waist.
She leaned her forehead on the man’s chest. A familiar warm scent lingered around her
nose, which almost caused her to fall asleep. Her eyes were wet, as tears streamed down
her face, drenching his clothes. She looked up towards him, her eyes red. The man was
dressed in plain clothes and had long eyebrows. He still had the same familiar face but
looked more fatigued from his arduous journey previously. He had retreated, committing a
mistake which was regarded as a taboo in military terms. The e ort that he had spent
returning back to Yan Bei in one piece was unimaginable. As for her, she did not know all
this.

“You’re back?”

Yan Xun smiled, his lips warm. He suppressed all his fatigue and nodded, “As long as you’re
here, I will come back.”

In that instant, it seemed like they had gone back to the snowy night eight years ago. The
young boy, who was being chased by killers, led his troops back to save the small young
female slave. As she questioned him back then, he said with a laugh, “What would you do if
I didn’t come back?”

Time had passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, eight years had passed. So many things
had changed in this world, but they still stood together hand-in-hand.

Chu Qiao felt herself being lifted o her feet. Yan Xun frowned and lowered his head, looking
at Chu Qiao who was being held by him. “AhChu, how have you lost so much weight?”

Chu Qiao looked up, her ngers grabbing lightly at Yan Xun’s clothes. She whispered, “It’s
because I miss you.”

Yan Xun was a little slow to respond as he felt surprised. All these years, although they had
stood by each other, they had hardly said such things to each other. The feelings of warmth
started to surface in that instant, layer by layer, like boiling water. He covered Chu Qiao up
with his cloak and laughed. “I’ve lost weight too.”

The servants let out a sigh of relief. The wind had stopped. Yan Xun carried Chu Qiao back
to her room. He had traveled on his horse through day and night, and had to attend to
fl
fl
fi
ff
ff
military matters when he got back. As he was busy, even if he missed her, he could only visit
at this hour. He removed his cloak, releasing a layer of dust that had accumulated on his
clothes. He ordered the servants to prepare hot water. The two of them sat in the room,
facing each other, not knowing what to say.

“AhChu…”

“No need to say anything!” Chu Qiao interrupted him, seemingly not willing to talk about the
past events. With a slightly bitter voice, she remarked, “It’s enough, as long as you’re willing
to come back.”

The light shone on the young lady’s pale face. Yan Xun suddenly felt cold on the inside. How
much had she su ered in this period of time?

“After all, I lied to you. I’m sorry.”

“I’ve threatened you too.” Chu Qiao smiled. “I was really prepared to stay here all the way
without leaving, to see if you would come back.”

Yan Xun nodded and smiled. “It’s been like this always. I’ve never won an argument with
you.”

The Xia Empire attacked Beishuo with its army, while Yan Xun led his troops to attack its
inner mainland. During this period, countless people died in the war. Countless warriors
were separated from their families forever. Blood stained the land, while the bones of the
corpses piled up. These events were enough to change the destiny of the entire continent,
but in their words, it seemed like a trivial matter.

“AhChu, I have something for you.”

The hot water was poured, bucket by bucket, into the giant pool. Chu Qiao stood by the
side of the pool to test the water temperature. Upon hearing Yan Xun, she turned around
and asked, “What?”

It was a ring with a plain design. It was made of white jade, with exquisite patterns carved
on it. Upon closer inspection, they resembled crepe owers.

“When did you buy it?”

“I can’t remember.” Perhaps, it was many years ago. After hearing her mention her
hometown’s traditions and customs brie y, he started to make this ring personally. Five
years had passed. The ring had been prepared, but he did not have the courage to give it to
her. He had nothing back then, except his feelings of hate. He waited and waited for an
appropriate moment and venue. Just like this, many years had passed.

Chu Qiao put the ring on the ring nger of her left hand. She raised it up and looked at it.
She smiled and said, “It’s nice.”

The curtains were pulled down. Yan Xun took his shower in the shower room, while Chu
Qiao waited outside. Just like many years ago, they used to keep watch for each other while
ff
fi
fl
fl
 they showered, as they were most vulnerable when they showered. With time, they had
developed this habit.

A fragrant aroma drifted outwards from the shower room. There was no wind inside, but the
curtains moved slightly. Yan Xun’s voice drifted out from the room. “AhChu, pass me the
towel.”

Chu Qiao picked up a white towel and reached her hand through the curtains. Their
ngertips touched; she felt a feeling of warmth. She retracted her hand and asked
awkwardly, “Is the water warm enough?”

“It’s good.”

The sounds of water splashing could be heard from inside. Chu Qiao blushed and sat
outside, as they tried to make conversation.

“Yan Xun, were you injured this time?”

“No. I didn’t go to the frontline.”

The water vapor drifted out from the room, warming it up.

“Why did Song cooperate with us by conducting their military drills at the border? Do you
know their eldest princess?”

The man replied, “I’ve only seen her a few times. She’s an acquaintance. However, I have a
friend in Song. He pulled the strings this time.”

“Oh, I see.”

“AhChu, are you heavily injured? Where’re your injuries?”

“It’s alright, it’s just a few super cial wounds.”

The atmosphere in the room quietened down. After a long while, Chu Qiao said, “Yan Xun,
don’t hide anything from me anymore.”

The man inside remained silent. After a long while, seeing that he had not responded, she
called out again. “Yan Xun?”

There was still no response. Chu Qiao felt panicked. She pulled open the curtains and
dashed inside barefooted. Yan Xun was sitting in the pool, his head leaning against the wall
as he fell into deep sleep. He was frowning tightly, his face full of fatigue.

Chapter 170
After ve and days ve nights of continuous traveling, he was dog tired, and perhaps now
he could nally rest.

fi
fi
fi
fi

fi
 Suddenly, all of her pent-up frustrations vanished. How could merely one sentence be able
to explain if something was right or wrong? The crimson blood that owed on the Jiu You
platform was still etched deeply in their minds, and she had accompanied him through all
the dangers that lurked within the palace. Such hatred, such enmity. “Live on! Kill all of
them!” His pledge still echoed in her ears. The countless mocking laughter, the countless
plots against them, and the countless humiliation had all been planted within their hearts like
seeds long ago. To him, the desire to destroy the gates to the Sheng Jin palace and to
collapse the city walls of Zhen Huang was stronger than anyone’s. Yet, for just her words, he
turned back. How could she not know his emotions?

The beliefs that had let her endure created a struggle within her heart. There was
resentment, regret, joy, sadness. There was both pain and happiness, as she became torn
between the two con icting emotions. Only until now, when he gently expressed his worries
about her, did she truly realize the con ict within her heart.

War had swallowed everything—the dusk, war horses, the weapons, the roars of the
warriors, the shrieks of the civilians, and all faith and morals. But ultimately, it could not take
away their feelings for each other.

She did not gain the trust of the man she pledged loyalty to, and had given her all to defend
the city. In the process, countless warriors died, as their blood convened into a river, and
their bones scattered across the lands. As their commander, she should bear resentment
and anger, but as a woman, she received his overwhelming feelings. Between the territory
and her, between his ambitions and her heart, he had given her an answer without
hesitation. What right did she have to feel rage?

When he woke up, he saw that Chu Qiao was sleeping beside him, her small body huddled
into a ball as her hands tightly grasped his hand. It was still dark outside the window.
Wearing a loose blouse, Yan Xun stood in front of the window staring out at the snowy
mountain range. Such was the state of the Yan Bei land. The entire land lacked resources
and was frigid. It seemed like this land had always faced such problems. Even during the
wise rule of his father, this land had been this way. But why did he have a certain stubborn
misconception that Yan Bei had always been a beautiful place with constantly blooming
owers?

Perhaps, it was really as Lady Yu had said. He had changed, and he grew up and saw more
things in the world. Along with this, his ambition had also grown. Apart from revenge, there
were some deep-rooted beliefs within his heart, and he had not realized the problem until
now. His experience over the years made him fully aware of the importance of power and
strength. Without those, nothing could be achieved. Much like how a bird with clipped wings
would nd it impossible to y. But now, he suddenly felt scared of that belief. His actions
had almost caused her to die. Whenever he thought of that, he felt chills down his spine.

Gazing into the pitch black window, he was once again reminded of the green pastures of
the lands to the east of Chi Shui. He still vividly remembered how he led his troops towards
Yanming Pass, his heart had been full of ambition and his blood was boiling with passion. It
was a pity that he did not capture the capital in the end. Ultimately, the Xia Empire would
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
 always be there for him to conquer, but if he had returned even one day later, what would
have happened to AhChu? He heaved a sigh of relief. Luckily, all was well.

Feeling that her hands were chilly, Chu Qiao woke up. Seeing Yan Xun’s gure standing
before the window, she thought that his silhouette seemed ever so distant.

“Yan Xun?” she called out, her voice sounding as though she was still sleepy.

The man turned back and asked, “You’re awake?”

“Yes. What were you thinking about?”

Yan Xun walked over and cuddled with her, before quietly saying, “Nothing much.”

Chu Qiao’s leaned on his chest. Through his thin pajamas, she could hear his powerful
heartbeats. It seemed as though, only at this moment, she nally con rmed that he had
come back.

“Yan Xun, do you regret it?”

Firmly looking at her, he squeezed her slightly. “No.”

“But will you regret it in the future?”

Yan Xun fell into silence. Seeing that, Chu Qiao’s heart sank as she tensed up. After a long
while, she nally heard his reply, “I regret that I came back late.”

Chu Qiao suddenly felt her vision cloud up. Pushing her face into his chest, she closed her
eyes and bit her lip. What else could she have hoped for? She knew that she could not
a ord to be too self-centered. Even if she was to accompany him all the time, how much of
his troubles could she help him with? How much of his sadness of losing his entire family
could she understand? As long as he still remembered her, thought about her, and cared
about her, that would be enough.

“Yan Xun, you must not hide anything from me next time.”

“Yea. Sure,” Yan Xun replied.

Chu Qiao sank into slumber again. The dream was so warm and sweet. Someone was
holding her by her hand rmly as though he would never let go for all eternity. Drowsily, she
thought of where else had she seen this dream before. Right, it was in the Tang Empire, a
beautiful place full of sunshine and warmth. Yet, Chu Qiao felt that that place was not as
warm as Yan Bei. Standing in this land, her heart was overwhelmed with warmth and
gentleness despite the countless mountains and endless snow.

The snow nally cleared up as the faint sunlight shone down through the barren tree
branches. After Yan Xun had come back, it was as though even the weather had taken a
turn for the better. With clear blue skies and bright warm sun, the vast snowy plains looked
ever so iridescent.

ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
The past few battles had not only left Yan Bei in a wreck, it also completely pushed Chu
Qiao past her physical limit. After she relaxed, she immediately fell seriously ill. Having
caught a serious cold, she burned up with a high fever, with incessant coughing at night.
Despite drinking a seemingly endless amount of medicine, her illness did not take a turn for
the better. The doctors came in one after another like a merry-go-round. Even though her
doors were always closed, she could still hear Yan Xun harshly scolding the doctors. Yet,
each time they met, he was completely calm, as though nothing had happened.
Occasionally, he would comfort her, “Don’t worry, it is merely a cold. You will recover after
some rest.”

She seemed to have never been this sick in such a long time. In her memory, the only other
time was when they were both much younger. Yan Xun had fallen sick, and she went to steal
medicine for him. After being caught, she was punished with a serious beating.
Unfortunately, the medicine that she had painstakingly stolen was ine ective at curing Yan
Xun. Not only that, but in order to save her from the beating, Yan Xun was exposed to the
cold again, and started burning up with a high fever in the middle of the night, to the point
he started to speak gibberish. It was not feasible to pour cold water directly on him as that
would certainly aggravate his condition, so she resorted to using her own body. Running out
to the cold, she let herself freeze up before running back to hug him with her frozen body.
After an entire night of doing that repeatedly, Yan Xun nally got better. Yet, she had fallen
seriously sick. From then on, she had always been bad at handling the cold. Even if she was
in front of a re, her limbs would still feel cold. Yet, the pressure of life and survival, along
with the endless ghting and war kept her going. Forcing herself to endure the pain, she had
always tolerated her discomfort with mere willpower. It was no surprise that when she nally
fell sick, the problems erupted all at once.

Recalling those cautious and painful years, it seemed like they were so far away. The pain
and hatred back then was so vivid that they swore they would one day get out of such
desperate situations and make sure those who had bullied them would pay the price. Yet,
she would miss those years of simplicity, where it seemed as though only the two of them
existed in the world. She missed those days when they had no one to rely on but each other.

When Lady Yu came, it was already in the afternoon. The light shone in through the paper
windows, creating blotched shadows on the ground. Lady Yu looked the same as usual,
with her light eyebrows and dark eyes, her thin neck and sharp chin. Her face was slightly
pale as usual. Wearing a white blouse, she entered quietly and merely leaned on the door.
Without making a sound, she merely observed.

Seeing her suddenly, Chu Qiao was rather surprised. Grabbing the edge of the bed as
support, she sat up. With a hoarse voice, she asked, “Lady Yu, when did you come? Why
didn’t you tell me?”

Lady Yu walked up and smiled. “I just came. I just wanted to pay you a visit.”

“Have a seat, please.”

fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
 Lady Yu sat opposite her, and carefully observed Chu Qiao for a while before frowning and
asking, “Why did you suddenly fall so sick?” Picking up a robe, Lady Yu draped it over Chu
Qiao.

Chu Qiao leaned back on a cushion, and with an unnaturally pale complexion, she smiled. “I
guess I was exposed to the cold for a little too long.”

Lady Yu looked at her, heaving a sigh. Gently, she said, “You have always been a stubborn
child. At such a young age, have you already gained a chronic illness?”

Lady Yu was only 26 or 27, and that would de nitely not be considered old. Yet, her
mannerisms always gave people a sense of maturity, and it was as though Chu Qiao was
really a child to her.

“It is ne. I just need to rest.”

“That is true. Illness comes like a tsunami, but leaves like a stream. You should rest, and do
not think of anything. Thinking too much will damage your health as well.”

Chu Qiao nodded. Suddenly, she was reminded of something. “Lady, have you seen the
o cers of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison?”

Lady Yu’s gaze ashed very slightly, before calmly retorting, “Didn’t I just say that you
should not think too much? Have you already forgotten?”

Chu Qiao shook her head and replied, “I am just slightly worried.”

“If His Highness was willing to withdraw from Yanming Pass for you, did you think that he
could not forgive a troop like that?”

With all her thoughts being suddenly exposed, Chu Qiao could not help but feel awkward.
After sinking into a long silence, she quietly refuted, “I was just worried that they would be
brash and rude, and if he got angry from their rudeness…”

Lady Yu smiled and comforted her, “Rest easy. Everyone knows their boundaries.”

Chu Qiao felt relieved. Lifting her head, she asked, “Will you be staying here in Beishuo?”

The abundant sunlight shone into their eyes through the windows. Lightly, Lady Yu replied,
“War is about to break out in the East. I will not stay here for too long. Perhaps in just a few
days, I will head to Yanming Pass.”

Chu Qiao turned serious, and inquired “The Xia empire is going to retaliate so soon?”

“His Highness has occupied the entire northwestern region. How could the Xia Empire be
willing to just accept defeat? I heard they have already started to gather troops.”

“So quickly? Who will be leading? Zhao Che?”

ffi
fi
fl
fi
Lady Yu smiled. “Apart from him, there will not be any other candidates. Meng Tian is old,
and that man in Sheng Jin Palace would certainly not trust any other person to lead. He
probably even has reservations about sending this son of his out.”

Chu Qiao nodded. Right now, the room was warm, and the smell of the incense began to
make Chu Qiao drowsy. She cautioned Lady Yu, “Missy, you have to be careful. Zhao Che
will be di erent from Zhao Qi, and will not be easy for you to handle.”

“Worry not. Daoya will be accompanying me.” Lady Yu smiled. Her eyes looked somewhat
cheery as her expression seemed free of worry.

Deep down, Chu Qiao could tell how Lady Yu felt, but she did not say much. “Since Mister
Wu will be going as well, it will be a lot more steady.”

“You should go back to resting. I have some matters to attend to. I will take my leave rst.”

Chu Qiao nodded, before thanking her, “Lady, about the thing before, thank you very much.”

Lady Yu’s footsteps froze ever so slightly. Turning back, her gaze was calm although it was
tinged with cheeriness. “AhChu, you are really an intelligent person.”

Inconvenienced by her sickness, Chu Qiao merely nodded back, sending her o . “Missy,
see you later.”

After Lady Yu left, the servants walked in to serve Chu Qiao medicine. Picking up the bowl,
she downed the bitter and puckery medicine in one gulp.

Actually, it was not too di cult to guess. Given Yan Xun’s intelligence, how could he not
have a solution to every problem he anticipated? The only reason he left Lady Yu behind
was to ensure that Chu Qiao would stay away from the main battle eld. Yet, in Beishuo,
Lady Yu had not actively tried to bring Chu Qiao to Lan City. Later on, she had repeatedly let
Chu Qiao do whatever she wanted. In the end, she had been candid with Yan Xun’s plan to
invade the Xia Empire. All this made her real intentions clear. Yan Xun had trusted her and
assigned her this task. But it was a pity that although Zhong Yu was absolutely loyal, when
Yan Bei and Yan Xun’s positions con icted, her loyalty to Yan Xun would be greatly
discounted. This was a point that both she and Yan Xun would understand. As such, even
with Yan Bei facing a two-sided war on both the Eastern front and Meiling Pass, Yan Xun
still sent Wu Daoya with Lady Yu. As such, she would not have all the power to herself. Lady
Yu probably also understood that, and merely did not bring it out into the open. Perhaps she
really did not mind. Compared to power and authority, perhaps she would be happier just by
being with Mister Wu.

Chapter 171
Lady Yu was a smart person indeed. Mister Wu and herself were guided by Mister Wolong
personally. Mister Wolong was a person who lived as a recluse, rumored to be over 100
years old. His in uence spread far and wide, all the way from the royals and nobles of high
status to the slaves and merchants of lower status. This man was widely educated; he
ff
fl

ffi
fl
fi
ff
fi
 accepted disciples regardless of their status. He then imparted di erent realms of
knowledge to them based on their quali cations. His students consisted of renowned
scholars, nobles, wartime commanders, agile assassins, and even wealthy merchants…

Mister Wolong had many disciples, some of them good and some bad. Some of his
disciples included Cheng Wenjing, the current prime minister of Tang, who was over 70
years old. In addition, Yue Shaocong, the traitor who let the Quanrong people into Xia, was
under him too. The young leaders of the world-leading Da Tong rebel guild, Wu Daoya and
Zhong Yu, served under him too. Most notably, the fourth young master of the Zhuge family,
Zhuge Yue, was his disciple too. His name was stuck in Chu Qiao’s memories.

Zhao Che was about to attack. Would he be here? Chu Qiao sighed lightly, drinking the bowl
of medicine in one gulp. The battle eld was a dangerous place. The swords had no eyes.
No, I hope not, Chu Qiao thought to herself.

Chu Qiao felt rejuvenated from her afternoon nap earlier on. Having been cooped up in the
house for a few days, she wanted to step outside. She wore a blue cotton dress. There were
magnolia ower patterns embroidered on her coat, which stuck to her skin tightly. They
formed a shape of a lantern, showing o her petite frame. The maidservants put on a hairpin
for her, along with some scarlet colored accessories. The jade hairpin was colored slightly
blue. The rows of tassel uttered about, brushing against her fair earlobe. Chu Qiao rarely
wore such feminine clothes. She looked in the mirror for a long while to appreciate her new
look, feeling a tinge of happiness inside.

The wind was wild outside. The maidservants wanted to follow her, but she rejected their
intentions. She held a small lantern, shaped like a sheep, and walked out alone.

It was wintertime in Yan Bei. There was beauty in the desolation, in the form of the
snow akes ying about. The weather was cold; luckily she had worn many layers of clothes
with a cloak on the outside. The crescent moon hung in the sky. The moonlight colored the
ground a pale white. All she had smelt was the scent of medicine and smoke the past few
days that she had not stepped out of the house, which gave her headaches. As she stepped
outside, she felt energized; her illness seemed to fade away slightly. The moonlight was
beautiful. Like a ray of candlelight passing through a translucent cloth, it appeared foggy.
The wind brushed against the trees, making rustling sounds. Chu Qiao walked slowly. She
stood below the window of Yan Xun’s study and looked into the distance. Yan Xun had just
come back from the military camp. He had not fallen asleep as his study was still brightly lit,
revealing his shadow. There was someone else in his study. They seemed to be engaged in
deep discussion, but Chu Qiao could not hear it due to the heavy winds.

She suddenly felt peace in her heart. It was like waking up in the morning and opening the
window to see the clean environment outside. The sunlight shone warmly on her face. In the
azure blue sky, white eagles ew about, spreading their wings. There was a cup of warm tea
on her table, while the water vapor rose from the cup, emerging like a dragon.

She had been unable to ascertain her feelings for Yan Xun for a long time. Initially, when she
came to this era, she viewed the unfairness of this world from a modern-day perspective.
Subsequently, she was dragged into this world, feeling various emotions like sorrow, anger,
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
ff
fi
ff
resentment, gratefulness, and gratitude… She was no longer able to maintain a neutral
standpoint and not involve herself in worldly matters. As for Yan Xun, she hated him initially.
It changed slowly to that of thankfulness, to pity, to depending on each other. As they grew
up, their feelings for each other changed. The things that they had been unable to say to
each other previously surfaced subconsciously, forming a new, stronger bond between
them. Having been through hard times, countless bloody battles, and situations of life and
death, their bond had become even more complex. It was like a giant tree which was stable
in its foundation, but upon looking up, the lush leaves were dense and she was unable to
see through it. She had always been this silent and stubborn. It had never changed.

The doors of the study opened. Someone walked out from the door. AhJing observantly
spotted Chu Qiao, who was standing under a palm tree. He shouted out, startling Yan Xun
who dashed out from the door. Seeing her, he exclaimed, “Why are you standing there
alone? Don’t you know you are sick?”

Chu Qiao smiled, allowing Yan Xun to hold her hand. The man looked at her with a nasty
expression, holding her hand tight. “It’s so cold here. How long have you been here?”

“Just a while.”

As they stepped into the house, a fragrant aroma greeted them. Chu Qiao sni ed around
and asked, “What is that fragrant smell?”

As Yan Xun heard her words, his expression changed. He hurriedly pushed Chu Qiao
outside, took a teapot and poured its contents into the incense pot. White fumes emerged
from the pot as he clumsily opened the window.

Chu Qiao frowned and asked, “Yan Xun, what are you doing?”

Yan Xun brushed his hands and walked out. In a low voice, he said, “We can’t stay here
anymore. Let’s go.” As he nished his words, he dragged Chu Qiao into his study.

Yan Xun’s room had no traces of smoke, making her feel refreshed. Chu Qiao was still
perplexed as she saw the maidservant, Lanxiang, handing him a towel to wipe his face. She
asked, “Yan Xun, what’s wrong with the study?”

“It’s the new storesin herb. I lighted half a piece up. It contains traces of musk.”

“Musk?” Chu Qiao was not well-versed in the eld of herbs. Frowning, she asked, “What’s
wrong with musk?”

The maidservant chuckled and said with a laugh, “Miss, women cannot smell the scent of
musk. It prevents pregnancy. Naturally, Your Highness would be nervous.”

As Lanxiang nished her words, Chu Qiao blushed heavily. The other maidservants broke
out in laughter. Yan Xun was not angry. He pretended to be indi erent, but secretly took note
of Chu Qiao’s expression from the corner of his eyes.

fi
fi
fi
ff
ff
Chu Qiao was stunned. She was a girl after all. She started to blush, her face turning red like
the petals of a crabapple ower. The candlelight shone on her pale blue dress, making it
seem like water was owing through it.

A low sound of laughter sounded close to her ear. The man’s breath was warm, like
seawater. “AhChu, it’s beautiful tonight.”

Chu Qiao looked up in joy. The room was big. A soft carpet was laid out on the ground.
Layers of silk curtains separated the di erent sections of the room, giving it a majestic
ambiance. The bed was embroidered with purple silk, while a green frame surrounded it.
The blanket looked warm enough for people to feel the warmth before even covering
themselves with it. Yan Xun reached his hands out for the maidservants to help him to
change his clothes. Chu Qiao was slightly stunned and turned around. Yan Xun laughed in a
low voice as her face turned redder.

Adding the years that she had lived in both her lives, she was not young anymore. She had
been through a fair share of similar incidents. Having been with Yan Xun for so many years,
they had not exactly adhered to traditions strictly. However, today, she was at a loss as to
what to do.

The maidservants stepped out of the room. The layers of curtains were drawn. Yan Xun’s
warm breath approached her from behind. With a hoarse voice, he said with a laugh, “My
AhChu has grown up. She knows how to be coy.”

Her day-to-day eloquence had suddenly deserted her. Yan Xun reached out his hand from
behind and wrapped it around her stomach. His lips pressed lightly against her ear. He
sighed lightly and said, “I haven’t seen you for a day.”

Chu Qiao was a little afraid. In that instant, she did not know how to reply. Panicking, she
said, “Is the war at the eastern side about to begin? How are your preparations?”

“Sigh…” Yan Xun sighed helplessly. “AhChu, must you kill the mood like that? You don’t get
my intentions, do you?”

The sand in the timekeeping pot slowly trickled downwards grain by grain, making
intermittent sounds. The wind outside blew quietly. Occasionally, the snow that had
accumulated on the rooftop fell to the ground, causing snow akes to utter in the air. Yan
Xun held her silently, his body scent lingering in the air. With a warm, soothing voice, he
asked, “Did you cough today?”

Chu Qiao shook her head. “It’s much better already.”

“That’s good. Did you take your medicine on time?”

“Yes, it’s so bitter. It’s hard to stomach.”

Yan Xun replied, “Of course. What medicine is not bitter? Did you pour it away secretly?”

“By my conscience.” Chu Qiao raised three of her ngers and said, “I even swallowed the
residue.”

fl
fl
ff
fi
fl
fl
“What’s wrong?” Yan Xun raised his eyebrows. “Is it stu y in here?”

“I’m worried. The war is about to erupt on the eastern side. I’m sick all the time. How can I
help you?”

A feeling of warmth brewed inside Yan Xun’s heart. His lips grazed against Chu Qiao’s neck.
Softly, he said, “As long as you get well, you will be helping me.”

Yan Xun was wearing thin clothes. She could almost feel the contours of his muscles. Chu
Qiao lay in his embrace, slanting her head. Her body started to warm up slowly. She
whispered, “I hope that I can be more useful.”

“You’re already useful,” Yan Xun replied warmly. “These years, you have followed me
wholeheartedly. You have not thought for yourself. Presently, Yan Bei has stabilized. You
should make plans for yourself.”

“For myself?” Chu Qiao was intrigued. This was indeed a new question. Deep inside, she
knew that she was not as strong as she appeared on the outside. She had become
accustomed to depending on others, accustomed to following orders, and become
accustomed to work towards one target. Back in the modern times, it was like this. After she
followed Yan Xun, it remained the same. She did not know how to plan for herself. For
herself? For herself? What could she do herself?

“Yes.” Yan Xun’s voice was low. With some laughter, he continued, “When a girl grows up,
she has to plan for herself. For example, nding a good man to marry, raising her children
and living her life happily ever after in peace…”

Chu Qiao chided him slightly and replied, “Where do I nd a good man in this chaotic
world?”

“You’re right,” Yan Xun said with a laugh. “You can know a person, but not his character. It
takes a long time to get to entirely know someone. If you make the wrong judgment,
wouldn’t you delay your lifelong happiness?”

Chu Qiao turned around and replied with a laugh, “Then, what do you think I should do?”

“I’ll have to take a loss then.” Yan Xun chuckled. His eyes were squinted, making it narrow
and long. His lips managed a little smile.

Chu Qiao looked at him from the corner of her eye. “It looks like you’re being forced to take
a loss!”

“Not really.” Yan Xun’s voice echoed warmly around the room. “However, it’s still a slight
loss.” As he saw her expression starting to change, he embraced her tightly while he
laughed. “Other royals have many wives and concubines, but I’ll have to be faithful to one.
Didn’t I get the short end of the stick?”

Chu Qiao sneered and replied, “Go and get concubines then. No one’s stopping you.”

fi
fi
ff
Yan Xun held her tightly. Leaning towards her ear, he remarked, “I don’t have the energy, nor
do I want to let you su er.”

The red candles shone brightly high up in the room, illuminating it. Chu Qiao felt weak
throughout her body. Yan Xun added with a warm voice, “AhChu, marry me.”

Her body felt warm. Tears started to well up in her eyes. This journey had been an arduous
one. Thinking about the scenes at the royal hunting ground eight years ago, she suddenly
realized that such a long time had passed.

Chapter 172
Sure,” Chu Qiao quietly responded. Leaning her head on his shoulders, she felt as though
the heavens had favored her so much.

Yan Xun’s chest heaved lightly as he replied, “I will always be good to you.”

Chu Qiao lightly smiled and nodded so slightly that one could hardly notice. “I will always
trust you.”

Within this room, all noise ceased to be. Beyond the thin silk veils that owed down from the
ceilings, one could occasionally hear the sound of the hourglass. The falling of the sand
sounded much like the rustling of the silkworms munching on the Mulberry leaves in spring.

“AhChu, let’s get married after the war in the east is done.”

Chu Qiao lifted her head, and the two looked at each other. Gazing intently into each other,
their gazes were pure and warm. It was as though they suddenly traveled back in time,
when the young boy looked into the young girl and swore, “I will de nitely kill whoever dares
to hurt you!”

Right now, Yan Xun held her in his embrace and lightly cooed, “AhChu, all the ruckus is over.
We are still together.”

Yes, anyone will change, except us two.

“Sure.” A bright smile erupted on her face. Hugging the young man’s body, it was as though
even merely breathing was satisfying. I will always trust you. Forever, ever, and ever. The
breeze caressed the two intertwined gures, as the veils rustled, and the candle ickered. It
was a scene of complete serenity and peace.

Yan Xun came back, and the while the two of them were eating, Chu Qiao saw that Feng Zhi
was hurriedly packing something for Yan Xun. She casually asked, “Are you leaving soon?”

Yan Xun chewed on his food while opening up a letter from the east. He calmly nodded,
“Yes, soon.”

“Let me go with you.”

ff

fi
fi
fl
fl
Yan Xun put down the letter and lifted his head up. Firmly, he stated, “The East will see
endless war and ghting, especially now that the Xia Army is stronger than ever. Your body
is also not feeling very well, I really cannot bear to bring you long distances with me.
Considering the peace we enjoy here in Yan Bei, I think you should just stay here.”

Chu Qiao frowned, and anxiously retorted, “I have mostly recovered, just let me go with you.
I can help you, I can…”

“AhChu, I have never doubted your ability, but it is about time you take a rest.” When Yan
Xun said this, his tone was especially rm. With a scalding gaze, he looked intently at her
and said, “AhChu, you have already been through so much. Leave the rest to me. Do you
doubt me?”

At that time, Chu Qiao froze up from the mix of emotions that swirled within her heart, her
hand holding the chopsticks shook slightly, and she almost lost her grip. Taking a deep
breath, she slowly replied, “I am merely worried about you.”

Yan Xun’s expression loosened up, and he stretched out his hand across the table. Gently
smiling, he held her hand. “Don’t worry.”

Chu Qiao smiled gently, but she did not know how to reply. Suddenly, she remembered, ever
since Yan Xun came back, she had not asked about the military a airs. Right now, she did
not even know the rough location of the Xia troops.

With the chilly wind blowing coldly outside, even if there was a warm replace in the room, it
still felt cold. Yan Xun liked to eat chestnuts, so when she had nothing to do, she would peel
chestnuts for him. Now, the entire room was lled with the sweet smell of chestnuts. On the
bedside, the desk, the table, and in fact anywhere in the room that was easily accessible
had bowls of peeled chestnuts.

The blankets were thick and soft, with embroideries of a golden dragon. The bed was huge
enough for even seven to eight people to sleep on. Chu Qiao stretched out her hand and
helped him to make his bed, her heart being completely at peace. Perhaps only when she
was doing something for him would she feel completely at ease.

Footsteps resounded from behind. Chu Qiao did not turn around, and merely casually
informed, “The water is already boiled. You can…” Suddenly, she was embraced from the
back. The man’s gentle breathing could be felt on her pristine white nape. Chu Qiao stood
up straight and chuckled while lightly pushing him away. “Don’t play. I am making the bed.”

“Who would think that the heroic Master Chu Qiao would also tend to such simple stu .”

Knowing that he was teasing her, Chu Qiao poked fun at him, “That was so mean of you. I
had taken care of you for almost ten years. Yet according to you, I am like a valkyrie of war,
not knowing anything except war.”

Yan Xun laughed. “No way. I am merely exclaiming my good fortune.”

fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
ff
 Chu Qiao turned around and joked, “Then let me follow you! That way I could keep taking
care of you.”

Looking at her, Yan Xun’s face turned dead serious again. Looking at Chu Qiao for a long
while, he asked, “AhChu, do you know what my greatest wish is?”

Chu Qiao raised an eyebrow but did not reply.

Yan Xun did not seemed to have wanted her to reply, as he continued in a monologue, “All
these years, whenever I see how you have run about for me, I swear deep down in my heart
that one day when I rise to power, I will make sure you will not be wronged or hurt ever
again. I will ensure that you get the best treatment, and live happily ever after, and enjoy all
that a woman would want to enjoy. AhChu, I am a man. Rather than letting you go to the
battle eld with me, I wish to see you make the bed, and cook food for me.”

Yan Xun’s expression was extremely calm, but his gaze was particularly serious. Looking at
him, Chu Qiao found it di cult to describe her feelings at that moment. Lowering her head,
a mix of emotions surfaced in her heart. Finally, she stretched out her hand and hugged Yan
Xun by the waist, and whispered, “I know. I will wait here for you. You must quickly come
back safe and sound.”

Chu Qiao’s voice was gentle as ever, and Yan Xun was immediately moved, as he could not
help but stretch out his nger. Grabbing her chin, he lifted her head up as stared into her
eyes. Following that, they slowly inched together into a kiss. His arms hugged her tightly,
locking her by her waist, and amidst the passionate kiss, one could hear occasional soft
moaning. It was so seductive, as though attempting to tear apart his reasoning.

Yan Xun’s breathing started to become irregular as he felt blood pooling towards his lower
body. His large hands forcefully caressed her back, yet he still desired for more. The touch
of the lips was no longer enough to satisfy him, as though he desired for even more, even
more. The gigantic bed could be seen through the layers of silk veils and exuded an unusual
attraction for him. Yan Xun ipped Chu Qiao up into a bridal carry and laid her down on the
bed.

Upon touching the bed, Chu Qiao was panicking as she suddenly felt a sense of coldness.
Helplessly she widened her eyes, but her weak defense was instantly overwhelmed by his
rising passion and scalding breath. He was on top of her, and their bodies rubbed against
each other. Their body heat easily transmitted through the thin fabrics.

“Yan…Xun…” A breathless voice sounded. One could not tell if she was happy or upset, or
if she was consenting or rejecting.

The hand that had held blades all year round opened up her blouse and slid in. When he
contacted the silky smooth skin, Chu Qiao yelped in surprise. By this time, it was impossible
for him to stop. Her breath became more panted. Such a wonderful feeling, his last vestige
of reasoning began to burn up. With a hoarse voice, he whispered beside Chu Qiao’s ears,
“AhChu, I think I can no longer endure anymore.”

fi
fi
ffi
fl
 Chu Qiao had already lost her ability to speak. Her slightly open mouth was completely
covered, and could only give out sti ed moans. The dull sensation of her teeth being licked
by his tongue sent electric shocks down her spine, giving her wave after wave of
goosebumps. The weight atop her body seemed so heavy, yet she felt so at ease. Her
clothes slid o her shoulder, revealing her smooth and white shoulder. Illuminated by the
candle, she seemed like porcelain.

At this moment, she suddenly had a thought ashing through her mind. Chu Qiao struggled
her mouth free, before uttering, “Yan Xun, how old is Jing Yue’er?”

Yan Xun was taken aback. She just asked how old is Jing Yue’er, and not Chu Qiao. What
di erence was there anyways? This man who did not know anything seemed to feel
resentment, as he chided, “AhChu, you are seducing me!”

Chu Qiao shook her head desperately, “Since when?”

“Each time you appear before me so beautifully is a form of seduction!” Yan Xun took a
deep breath as he kissed her pure white earlobe, before continuing to blame her, “What’s
more, every time after you seduce me, you do not take responsibility.”

Another wave of goosebumps appeared. Chu Qiao could not help but arch her back, yet her
mouth continued to speak in broken sentences, “You…are being…unreasonable.”

“Precisely because I was too reasonable, that was why I could not do anything to you.” Yan
Xun sighed. “AhChu, how I wish to marry you now.”

“Why not just do it?” a certain person spoke without thinking.

After the words came out from her mouth, Chu Qiao’s face turned beet red as she buried
her head in the blanket. Yan Xun was slightly taken aback, followed by loud laughter. Chu
Qiao felt as though she must have been crazy, how could she seem to be more eager than
him?

“That cannot do.” Yan Xun pulled her out from the blanket and cuddled her on his legs. “The
Yan Xun now is still a rebel in Yan Bei which is merely a breakaway province. The entire Yan
Bei is barren and still awaiting much rejuvenation. How could I welcome my wife with such a
miserable room? Once the war in the east is settled and the internal of Yan Bei is stabilized,
I will build a golden palace for you, and use the entire Northwestern Food stockpiles as the
bride price. I must make sure that my AhChu is the most revered bride in the entire
continent to show that you are my one and only love for eternity.”

Despite knowing his emotion since long ago, Chu Qiao could not help but feel her heart
shake at his words. With her vision turning cloudy, her tears almost fell. Slowly lowering her
head, she leaned onto his body and lightly said, “I do not want any of those. I only want you
to be safe and sound.”

“You may not want, but I must make sure I give you.” Yan Xun gently smiled and kissed her
forehead. “I know how you had struggled through these years. Such is my wish, one that I
ff
ff
fl
fl
had for many years. I had really owed you too much, and could only use my remaining life to
repay you.”

As though her heart had been placed in warm water, Chu Qiao lightly sighed. “Between us,
are there still such things as debts and repayment?”

Yan Xun’s voice softened one notch. He replied, “I know how much you had gone through
for me.”

The candles continued to icker, as the layers of layers of silk swayed. The vague shadow of
the duo could be seen.

After showering, Yan Xun did not wear his pajamas, and put on clothes to go out. Chu Qiao
asked, “What are you going out for?”

Yan Xun casually picked up a robe and draped it over her. Smiling, he said, “I am bringing
you back to your room.”

“Back to my room?” Chu Qiao was a tad stunned. In the past few days, she had been
sleeping with Yan Xun. Actually, that was no big deal. When they were young, they had
always slept together. In fact, in the past few days when she was sick, Yan Xun had guarded
beside her day and night, and they had also been sleeping together. What happened how
that he must send her back?

“What? Are you missing me?” Yan Fun teased but immediately donned a frown. “AhChu, we
are no longer kids. In the past few days, I could not sleep at all, and it was even worse than
in Zhen Huang City.”

Chapter 173
Chu Qiao’s face turned bright red. Seeing the maidservants at the side laughing quietly to
themselves, she pouted and exclaimed, “What are you saying?”

“Don’t laugh! Can’t you see that General Chu is shy?” Yan Xun turned around and
pretended to chide the maidservants, but they laughed even louder instead. He turned
around towards Chu Qiao and shrugged, reaching out his hands. “It’s over. They are not
listening to me anymore.”

“Nonsense. I won’t talk to you anymore.” Chu Qiao turned around to walk back to her own
room. Yan Xun laughed heartily and lifted her up from behind. “I said I’d send you back. You
deserve to be beaten up, defying the military order!”

After Yan Xun left, the room quietened down. Chu Qiao stayed in her own room, no longer
feeling tired. Thinking of the events that happened just now, she blushed. She tossed and
turned, unable to fall asleep. She had no choice but to sit up, leaning against the table in a
daze. After Yan Xun came back, things had seemingly become di erent. Their relationship
had become more intimate, but other things had changed.

fl
ff
 Thinking of what Yan Xun had said just now, Chu Qiao smiled. Perhaps, she had been overly
paranoid. Men were all like that. They did not like their women to be on the battle eld,
ghting at the frontline. Now that he was more powerful, he wished to protect her. She
should have understood him and his intentions for her to live a peaceful life. Just like an
ordinary lady, she would sip tea while admiring the owers. She would wear silk and satin
dresses while being attended to by her servants. She would live a luxurious life, in order to
make amends for the hardships that she had su ered. Although this kind of life was not
what she wanted, she felt obliged to grant his wish and understand his reasons. He did not
deliberately intend to exclude her; he just wanted to protect her.

Chu Qiao felt better after thinking from this perspective. As she was about to drift to sleep,
she heard footsteps outside her door. She pushed open her window, causing the cold air to
drift in. Rows of lanterns drifted towards Yan Xun’s door swiftly; it was evident that the mood
of the people was tense.

“Lü Liu!” Chu Qiao called out. The maidservant ran over, still looking sleepy. “Miss, what’s
the matter?”

“What’s going on outside? It’s so late already. Why are there so many people?”

“Oh, Miss. You don’t know yet? Your Highness will be discussing military matters with the
generals overnight. I think they are going to discuss the strategy for the war at the east.
Those generals have waited outside the door for quite a while already.”

Chu Qiao was stunned upon hearing these words. The wind outside was strong, blowing on
her clothes around her shoulder and messing up her long hair.

“Aiya, Miss! You just recovered! How can you be exposed to the wind?” the maidservant ran
over and closed the window, calling out to her. “Miss? Miss?”

“Ah?” Chu Qiao snapped out of her trance and replied, “Oh, it’s nothing. You can take your
leave.”

Lü Liu looked at her suspiciously and remarked, “Miss, are you really alright?”

“I’m alright. Go and sleep.”

“Oh.” Lü Liu obliged and added, “Miss, sleep early too.”

Yan Xun’s study was brightly lit. Chu Qiao looked there for a while, before snuggling into her
blanket to sleep. Before she slept, she thought to herself: Did Yan Xun send me back to the
room tonight so that he could discuss military matters? As she thought about it, she felt that
being back in her own room was better. It would be noisy there, such that she could not
sleep.

As she drifted in and out of sleep, an indescribable sense of panic and fear surged up her
heart. Her heart felt unstable, like a oating boat being rocked about by the waves.
However, after a while, the feeling slowly calmed down.

fi
fl
ff
fl
fi
Chu Qiao woke up early the next day. She was troubled, and could not get back to sleep. In
three days, Yan Xun would be leaving. She felt uneasy inside. Without even washing up, she
ran to Yan Xun’s room the rst thing in the morning. However, she was told that he had gone
to Luori Camp last night, and had not been back since.

After she nished her meal, Yan Xun was still not back. Having nothing to do, she sat in front
of her study table in a daze. Her mind subconsciously started to visualize the Xia Empire’s
military distribution after the rst northern con ict, as well as the comparisons between the
intel, logistics, and weapons of both parties. An imaginary military map started to appear in
her head.

As she was in deep thought, Lü Liu and Feng Zhi were laughing as they walked in. Lü Liu
was holding a tablet in her hand. When she saw Chu Qiao, she chuckled and said, “Miss,
what do you think this is?”

Chu Qiao looked up and was stunned. It was a longevity tablet with her name and military
position carved on it. Below that, small words, of congratulatory nature, were engraved on it.

“My longevity tablet?” Chu Qiao laughed and continued, “Which of you did this? Is it to
make me happy?”

Lü Liu remarked with joy, “What are you saying? Feng Zhi bought this.”

“Bought this? Why would anyone be selling this?”

“I bet you didn’t know this,” Feng Zhi said. He was a young man who Yan Xun had accepted
as a page boy after Feng Mian had left him that year. With laughter, he continued, “Miss, you
are Beishuo City’s benefactor. The civilians hold you in high regard and have your tablet in
the altars of their homes. They worship you day and night. When the Loyalty Hall in the
southern part of the city collapsed, a rich family o ered to pay for the rebuilding costs. They
erected a statue of Miss along with it, beside the statue of Old Lord Yan. It’s the rst time
that a living person has been inducted into the Loyalty Hall. The vendors and businessmen,
seeing an opportunity for pro t, started to produce Miss’s longevity tablets and jade
pendants for peace. They are circulating widely outside now. Even some soldiers in the army
bought the jade pendant to bring it around with them!”

Chu Qiao was stunned upon hearing Feng Zhi’s words. However, she was not as happy as
Feng Zhi and Lü Liu had expected her to be. Instead, she started to frown. After a long
while, she asked in a low voice, “Other than my tablet, are they selling anyone else’s?”

Feng Zhi saw her stern expression and started to panic. He whispered, “Yes. However, they
are selling clay gures of Lu Zhi, the general from the Second Army. The civilians took them
home and either burnt it in their stoves or dumped it into their lavatory pits.”

“Miss, are you alright?” Lü Liu asked softly.

Chu Qiao shook her head. “I’m alright. Take your leave rst. As for that thing, burn it or
throw it away. Don’t put it in the house.”

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
 “Mmm.” The two of them anxiously obliged, walking out of the door.

Chu Qiao felt uneasy inside. That battle, Yan Xun had anked and surrounded the enemy by
surprise, averting the crisis of Beishuo. No one knew of his intention to give Yan Bei up. By
logical deduction, the civilians should have been thankful to him. Why did they not
appreciate his e orts? There was something amiss which needed further investigation.

Chu Qiao frowned. Her reputation had soared to such heights. Yan Xun might not have been
paranoid about this, but she could not say the same about other people. It looked like she
needed to do more things for Yan Xun. It looked right for her not to intervene in military
matters. As she thought further, she felt a chill. Did Yan Xun know about all these? If he
knew, would he have second thoughts about distancing her from military matters? However,
as her thoughts wandered, she banished this thought and shook her head, laughing at
herself. It was impossible. This was such a crazy idea.

She opened her window, seeing that the snow had stopped. The tall, empty Qingyuan
Palace sat atop the vast lotus pond. It was made up of high-grade Phoebe Zhennan wood.
The water from all four directions was clear and pristine. The adjoining bamboo curtains
were half open, appearing clean. There were no more lotus owers in this season, but the
capable palace maids used cut-outs with a bluish-green cloth to make replicas of the
owers. They then put it on the surface of the pond for it to drift. In the distance, the wind
blew at the trees, causing them to shake. The replica lotus leaves appeared bluish-green,
just like the real ones. The royal palace of Song was beautiful, even more than that of Tang’s
Jinwu Palace.

As Qinyuan Palace was still under renovation, Nalan Hongye shifted the court over to
Qingyuan Palace. After the morning court session, she opened the curtains and walked
outside. Nalan Hongyu was leaning against his golden throne. He was sitting upright, but a
trail of saliva was streaming down his chin. He was snoring; it was evident that he had been
sleeping for a long time.

Thinking of the o cial’s looks as they left, the rst princess started to frown. The little
eunuch saw her expression and pushed Nalan Hongyu on the shoulder lightly, carefully
calling out, “Your Majesty? Your Majesty?”

The young emperor woke up in a daze. He frowned and was about to react in anger, but
suddenly saw his elder sister in front of him. His anger turned to fear as he stood up. He
rubbed his eyes and whispered, “Sister.”

The people in the palace had left, leaving only Nalan Hongye, her young brother, and a
personal eunuch which attended to them. Nalan Hongye frowned. She said calmly but
rmly, “Did I tell you not to sleep in court before?”

The emperor lowered his head, like a kid who had been caught in his mischief. He mumbled,
“Y-yes.”

“Why did you do it again?”

The young emperor lowered his head and admitted his mistake. “Sister, I was wrong.”

fl
fi
ff
ffi
fi
fl
fl
 Nalan Hongye raised her eyebrows. “Didn’t I teach you how to address yourself?”

“Um?” Nalan Hongyu was stunned, not being able to comprehend his sister’s words.

The little eunuch whispered something in his ear. The emperor nodded and replied, “Sister,
I…no…Your Majesty was wrong. Your Majesty was wrong.”

“Since you know your mistake, go back and copy ‘The Record of Morals’ ten times. No
eating until you’re nished.”

“Ah?” The emperor’s face sagged. Nalan Hongye did not pay any further attention and
walked out. It was empty in the palace. The sunlight was radiant; the winds blew from all
directions onto the bamboo curtains. It swept over the golden bells, causing them to ring.
Nalan Hongye was dressed in a dark blue uniform meant for court sessions. Her out t
dragged across the thick oorboards, revealing the patterns of various birds embroidered on
it. They glowed a bright golden, showing o their exquisite design. It was be tting of a
royal’s status and poise indeed.

“Princess.” Aunt Yun was waiting outside for her. Seeing that she had stepped outside, she
dashed to her side and draped a soft cloak over her. It was in the 11th month of the year
already. Despite the warm climate of Song, the winds were cold enough. “Princess, are you
going back to the palace?”

Nalan Hongye shook her head. The kings of Changling and Pujiang were careful in their
words, avoiding the topic on the disaster at the eastern seas. With a low voice, she replied,
“Summon Xuan Mo into the palace. I have something important to discuss with him.”

“Yes,” Aunt Yun obliged and continued to ask, “Princess, do you want to meet him at
Qingyuan Palace? Regarding this, the emperor is still…” Aunt Yun stopped speaking. Nalan
Hongye turned around upon hearing her words. The big palace was silent and appeared
desolate. The pitch-black wooden boards inside only added to that feeling.

The young emperor sat on the steps all alone, scratching his head. The pearls on his crown
slanted to both sides, re ecting bright light. The sunlight shone on the pearls through the
pearl curtains, adding to its majesty. Through the ray of light, the specks of dust could be
seen oating in mid-air. His yellow robe only served to further illustrate his sorrow, like a
child who had been ignored.

However, his sorrow was purely because he had to copy “The Record of Morals” ten times.
It was not because of the oods at Qiubei, the bandits at the eastern seas, the complaints
led by the chief prosecutors, nor the internal con icts in court. As long as he nished
copying the book ten times, he would be free of any further burdens. He could then eat,
sleep and play in peace, continuing to live his days in peace without any worries, even if he
held the responsibility of his entire country on his shoulders.

fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
ff
fl
fi
fi
fi
 Chapter 174
One could not tell if Nalan Hongye was happy or sad. Her gure seemed so lonely as her
eyes gazed into the distance. Far in the distance, the Yi Le Palace stood, with music coming
out from inside. The dances and musicals seemed like a metaphor for the weakening of the
glorious empire.

“Let us head to Qing Zhi Palace,” Nalan Hongye instructed.

In the dusk, Xuan Mo had left the palace. Aunt Yun, along with the servants, brought up the
dishes that had already been prepared. Nalan Hongye did not have a good appetite and
merely ate a few mouthfuls. Suddenly, she heard a urry of panicking footsteps beyond the
door. A person was running while shouting breathlessly, “Princess! Princess! Disaster!
Disaster!”

“What happened?” Nalan Hongye raised an eyebrow.

Aunt Yun quickly rushed out to inquire, but before she had even opened her mouth, the
eunuch ignored her and dashed in with his eyes full of tears. Pouncing onto the ground, he
wailed, “Your Highness! It was disastrous! His Majesty climbed onto the rooftop of Yi Le
Palace and accidentally fell o !”

The setting sun draped the palace with a layer of crimson. The security of the palace was
tighter than usual, with patrolmen and guards everywhere. The doors to the palace were
completely shut tight, and no one was allowed to enter or exit. Most of the o cials had
arrived and were all kneeling in waiting. Those lowered head lifted up at the moment she
entered. Mixed in with the crimson sunlight, their gazes spoke of di ering emotions. There
was respect, fear, jealousy, disdain, anger. All kinds of emotions could be felt in that one
glance, before they lowered their head again, returning to the prior peace.

Wearing a dark violet silk gown, there were giant embroideries of roses stitched on her
collar, contrasting with her pristine white neck. Her face looked solemn and forlorn. Walking
up the Mo Ji Palace, the entire atmosphere was frigid. Standing at the front of all the o cials
was Jinjiang King. Seeing that she had arrived, he quickly stepped up, only to be pushed by
a man dressed in a dark blue blouse, and he almost tripped.

Xuan Mo’s eyes were lled with worry. Completely ignoring the rage in Jinjiang King’s eyes,
he stepped up. Despite wanting to speak, he ultimately decided to remain silent.

“How is the emperor?” Nalan Hongye solemnly asked. Her expression was calm, and one
could not see any signs of fatigue or emotions. The crowds threw at her gazes of curiosity
which was quickly replaced by disappointment. Xuan Mo shook his head and informed,
“The imperial doctors said there was no way to save him. Princess, please head in to take a
look.”

In that instance, her heart sank. But unfortunately, many pairs of eyes were staring at her,
judging her every move. Nalan Hongye suddenly recalled how many years ago, on the night
when her father passed away, also in this Palace, she was also gazed at in the same
fi

ff
fl
fi
ff
ffi
ffi
manner, and it was also raining like it was now. It was freezing cold, and she found it di cult
to breathe, yet she forced herself to calm her breathing. Slowly, she forced it back. She
forced all of her raging emotions back down with her logic which was already bordering on
breaking down.

She slowly walked over, through the crowds. The two maidservants lifted up the veils, and
she walked into the bedroom alone. The golden sunlight pierced her eyes. Biting her lips,
she walked through layers and layers of curtains. The inside of the palace was so hot that
she could barely breathe. Her brother laid on the gigantic bed with a complexion that was
completely pale, yet his eyes shone with light. Lying there motionlessly, his eyes seemed to
have sunk back into the sockets, and his lips were cracked in dryness. On his head, one
could see a patch of crimson red blood.

Her vision suddenly clouded up, but Nalan Hongye forced her tears back. Right now, she
was surrounded by judging gazes. Her hands trembled very slightly. She wanted to stretch
out her hands, but she did not know where to place them. She could only lightly call out,
“Yu’er?”

Hearing her voice, the Emperor turned around ever so slightly. His rst response was fear, as
with his hoarse voice, he tried to explain, “Sister…I still have not nished writing…”

Tears surged and almost fell from her eyes yet again. Nalan Hongye sat by the bed and held
his shoulder with her hands. “You do not need to write it anymore. I will never punish you
again…”

“Really?” The young emperor’s eyes shone with anticipation. He continued to ask, and
seemed more like a healthy person, “Are you serious?”

Suddenly, Nalan Hongye was reminded of that moment when father passed away. Her heart
was likewise frozen up completely. Biting her lips, she nodded, “Yes, I promise.”

“That would be great!” The Emperor laid back and stared emptily at the veils that hung from
the ceilings. The dragon embroideries on it seemed so ferocious, as though it would eat
people up.

“That would be great. I could nally… nally…” He ultimately could not continue his speech.
His eyes sparkled with anticipation, as though he was about to achieve his lifelong dream.
He straightened his neck, and his face looked excited, yet with an unhealthy blush. He
pulled on Nalan Hongye’s hand, as though he wanted to say something, but it was as
though his throat had been blocked, and could only produce incoherent wheezing.

The imperial doctors rushed up, and the crowd gathered. The young eunuch that had been
with the emperor since young wailed out, “Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

“What did His Majesty want to say?” Nalan Hongye turned around. With her eyes bloodshot,
she inquired, “Do you know?”

“Princess…” The young eunuch kneeled on the ground as though he had been scared
dumb, and did not answer the question properly, “His Majesty climbed onto Yi Le Palace as
fi
fi
fi
fi
ffi
he wanted to see how it looked like outside. He said that he had never been outside the
palace before. His Majesty…His Majesty…”

Sadness over owed from her heart, and freezing coldness encapsulated her entire body.
With the imperial doctors rushing all around her, Nalan Hongye’s face was bright red. She
repeated hoarsely, “Sure…sure…”

Nalan Hongye grabbed the Emperor’s hand and said, “Yu’er, once you get better, I will bring
you outside!”

A tinge of joy ashed before the Emperor’s eyes. He closed his eyes, and with his bright
eyes, he looked at his sister. His eyes were so pure and innocent; he seemed like a young
child. Suddenly, his hand let go of Nalan Hongye’s sleeves, as his breath abruptly came to a
stop. With a dull impact, his head fell sideways onto the bed.

“His Majesty!”

“His Majesty!”

Loud wails of sadness erupted in the palace, as the sounds of sadness spread throughout
the entire palace. The setting sun had nally sunk below the horizon, as the last ray of light
disappeared from sight. The land sank into darkness, as the white lanterns were raised up
once again. Wailing sounds could be heard everywhere. However, one could never tell how
many of these crying sounds really came from the bottom of their hearts.

“His Majesty has passed on…” the sharp voice of the servants pierced the heavens.
Standing in the middle of the crowd, Nalan Hongye faced so many wailing o cials. They
were divided into many parties and wailed in their respective camps. There were so many
people present, yet she still felt that the entire palace was so empty. As the sun set, the
bright moon rose. The pale white light illuminated her lonely gure. The white light looked
like snow, so cold, so bone piercing.

With the death of the emperor, the entire Song empire had to mourn. Within the month, no
marriages were to take place, and everyone was to wear solemn clothing outside. Just as
the war was about to begin in the Northwest, the Song empire was faced with such a
disaster. The original military exercise that was held to help Yan Bei distract the Xia Empire
was also called o . Within the Song Empire, dark clouds loomed over everyone’s hearts.

With the passing of the Mingren Emperor, Nalan Hongye announced his will. The emperor’s
oldest son Nalan Heqing would take the throne, and that marked the beginning of the
Mingde period. Yet, on the night of the passing of the Emperor, Nalan Hongye fell gravely ill.
The fatigue that had accumulated over the years was like a barrel of gunpowder that was
ignited. The moment she stepped out of Mo Ji Palace, a mouthful of blood surged in her
throat. Yet, she suppressed it. Tumbling, she almost fell, as Aunt Yun rushed up to support
her. In front of all of the o cials, she knew she could not a ord to vomit that mouthful of
blood. Therefore, she swallowed it back as she pushed away Aunt Yun’s hands.

The Nalan Family was already empty. Other than her mother who was sick, her young sister,
and her nephew who was barely one-year-old, she was the only one left. The gargantuan
fl
fl
ff
ffi
fi
ff
fi
ffi
territory of the Nalan Royal family had once again fallen onto her shoulders alone. That was
why she could not a ord to fall, or even show weakness. The moment she fell would mark
the moment that the e orts of her ancestors over the past thousands of years went to
waste.

Straightening her back, she calmly read the will and arranged the funeral. With that, she
managed to calm the hearts of the o cials. After all was done, she returned to her bedroom
and sat quietly for an entire night. With the candle wax dripping like tears, her eyes were
hollow and cold, but no tears emerged.

The funeral of the Emperor was left to King of Anling and Xuan Mo and his father. By the
next day, the various o cials all around the empire sent men to take part in the funeral.
Sitting in the central palace, Nalan Hongye took charge of everything. Although the Emperor
was deceased, the heir apparent had long ago been declared, and the Eldest Princess
Nalan was still around, so there were no drastic changes.

On the second day, Nalan Hongye brought men to the Queen’s palace in order to bring the
new Emperor to the ancestral temple. Yet, before she had even stepped into the bedroom,
she saw a blade piercing towards her.

With a whoosh, Xuan Mo drew his blade. De ecting the incoming blade, he shielded Nalan
Hongye. The guards around panicked, with someone shouting, “Assassin! Assassin!”

Just as they were about to charge into the bedroom, one could hear the Queen shouting
frantically, “I will kill you! Kill you!”

Cui Wanru dashed out, her hair in a mess. With one hand holding the child, the other hand
was holding scissors. With bloodshot eyes, she screamed with her hoarse voice, “You
despicable woman! You killed the Emperor. Now you are plotting to kill my child! I will kill
you, I will kill you!”

Nalan Hongye’s face turned pale as she bit her lip. Seeing that, Aunt Yun interjected, “Your
Highness! What nonsense are you saying?”

“I am not speaking nonsense! I know everything!” Cui Wanru smirked. “You are such an
ambitious woman. You wanted to be the ruler, so you killed the Emperor, and now you have
come for my child. I will not let your plot come to fruition!”

Nalan Hongye suddenly felt very tired. The sun felt so piercing, as though everywhere it
shone was lled with acrimony. Coldly, she turned around and calmly said, “The Queen is
not feeling very well, and can no longer raise the Emperor. Bring the Emperor away.”

Xuan Mo said in deference, “Roger. What about the Queen?” With the death of the Emperor,
the entire court was a ruckus. Cui Wanru’s father was the Grand Commandant of Song
Empire. If she were to continue as the mother of the Emperor, the strength of the Cui family
would instantly skyrocket. What’s more, Grand Commandant Cui was Jinjiang King’s
teacher…

fi
ff
ff
ffi
ffi
fl
“The Queen was wise and upright, and swore to be with the Emperor. Reward her with
poisonous wine and send her on her way!”

Despite the shining sun, dark patches of rain clouds drifted in from the northwest. Raising
her head, Nalan Hongye wondered if it would rain. Forcing herself to complete the
paperwork, it was already deep into the night. Following behind her, Xuan Mo seemed like
he wanted to say something multiple times, but ultimately he decided not to. Before he left,
he advised, “The dead cannot return to the living. My condolences go out to you, Princess.
Please do not be too sad, as it will hurt your health.”

Nalan Hongye nodded, and very formally she replied, “I appreciate your assistance, Xuan
King.”

Xuan Mo did not reply, and merely looked at her. Lifting her head, Nalan Hongye saw that
his face looked really serious and lonely, and was no longer lled with youth and liberty. With
the passing of time, ultimately, everyone had changed.

Chapter 175
“Princess, please take care. Leave everything to me.” Finishing his words, he turned to
leave; his shadow appearing lonely and pale under the moonlight.

When she got back to the palace, she heard the loud cries of the baby. The nanny was
carrying Qing’er in an attempt to pacify him, but he continued to cry, his face turning red. In
the space of two days, he had lost both of his parents. Furthermore, his mother was
personally killed at the hands of his own aunt. Would the child grow up to hate her once he
knew of everything that had happened?

Nalan Hongye sat under the long window, thinking to herself. The moonlight was bright, like
a jade plate. It shone on the ground, illuminating it.

Aunt Yun carried Qing’er over, laughed, and said carefully, “Princess, Your Majesty is
smiling.”

Nalan Hongye carried the child in her arms. He looked at her with his black eyes and let out
a joyful smile. In an instant, the frustration in her heart dissipated. She looked at his familiar
pair of eyes, remembering her own brother. When he was alive, she felt resentment towards
him for their fates. He was male, but mentally handicapped. He did not know how to
experience hardships and handle the country’s a airs, a ecting the Song Empire’s hard
work over hundreds of years. As for herself, she was talented but female. She had slogged
her guts out for years, but had been labeled as a power-hungry character. However, it was
only after he passed away that she realized that they were one, destined to su er through
thick and thin together. Only when he was around, she could stabilize the Song Empire and
preserve the lineage of the Nalan family. Luckily, she still had Qing’er.

She looked down at the small child wrapped up in the swaddle, feeling tears in her eyes.
Luckily, he was still alive. They were the only two members of the Nalan family left.

ff
ff
fi
ff
“Princess, look at His Majesty. He’s so cute!” Aunt Yun caressed the small emperor’s cheeks
as she laughed. Qing’er seemed to be happy, waving his small, fair and fat hands around
while laughing in reciprocation. He looked at Nalan Hongye with his pitch-black eyes,
seemingly understanding her thoughts.

Smash! Nalan Hongye and Aunt Yun were startled and turned back, seeing that a palace
maid had broken a teapot.

Aunt Yun raged, “Useless creature! You scared Your Majesty and the princess! Watch out for
your life!”

Nalan Hongye frowned slightly and patted Qing’er’s swaddle, fearing that he had been
shocked. However, his expression did not change. He was still laughing, as if he had not
been scared.

Aunt Yun smiled and remarked, “Princess, look at how brave Your Majesty is. When he
grows up, he will be a good emperor who is smart and valiant.”

Nalan Hongye smiled slightly. However, in that instant, she froze and her face turned pale.

Aunt Yun was perplexed. “Princess, what’s wrong?”

Nalan Hongye’s hands and feet turned cold as she tried to console herself from within. She
handed the child over to Aunt Yun swiftly and stood at the side, clapping loudly with her
hands.

Smack! A loud sound echoed out beside the child’s ears, but he did not seem to hear
anything. He reached out his small, fat hands and grabbed onto Aunt Yun’s shirt button.

Nalan Hongye was getting more desperate. She clapped a few more times, her eyes turning
red. As she clapped, she exclaimed, “Qing’er! Qing’er! Look here! Aunt is here!”

However, the child did not turn around. He yawned and leaned on Aunt Yun, drifting back to
sleep.

“Qing’er, don’t sleep! Qing’er, Aunt is here!”

“Princess!” Tears were streaming down Aunt Yun’s face. She knelt on the ground, pleading,
“Don’t call out anymore. Don’t call out anymore.”

Nalan Hongye was agitated. She grabbed Aunt Yun’s shoulders and shouted, “What’s going
on? What’s going on here?”

Aunt Yun was crying. She replied, “As the child was brought back here, I realized this. I
summoned the physician from the empress’s palace and only managed to get the answer
from him after beating him up. The empress has known about this all along, but kept it a
secret. She was scared that once she revealed this, this child would not be able to become
the Crown Prince. All these years, they tried to treat the child, but it did not work. This illness
is hereditary.”

 That instant, Nalan Hongye felt the entire world spinning. Qing’er was deaf. Qing’er was
deaf! The news shattered her completely. The sorrow in her heart over a long time erupted
like a big ash ood. She felt a sweet sensation in her throat as she spat out a large
mouthful of blood all over her clothes!

“Princess! Princess!” Aunt Yun was shocked. She put the emperor down and went over to
support her.

Having been put on the ground suddenly, Qing’er opened his eyes and scanned his
surroundings suspiciously. Subsequently, he started to cry out loud. The maidservants
streamed into the house in neat rows, causing the house to break out in chaos. Aunt Yun
shouted, “Call the physician! Call the physician!”

Nalan Hongye was dazed. She repeated the same sentence in her mind: You reap what you
sow.

Yes, she had killed Cui Wanru, but this empress had left her with a mega disaster. If she had
known, she would have disregarded Hongyu’s objections and the fact that his condition
would have been revealed. She would have arranged for him to get more concubines, in
order for him to give birth to more o spring. However, it was all too late.

The tears started to stream down her face uncontrollably. Loudly, she cried and exclaimed,
“Father, Father, I deserve to die!”

Nalan Hongye woke up a few times to people by her side, but her eyes remained closed. In
ve years, this was the rst time that she had been so willful. She wished that she could
have just slept, not caring about the things around her. Her surroundings quietened down,
but one shadow stood in front of her, remaining there for a long time.

When she opened her eyes, the moonlight shone through the window which was decorated
with owers, onto the study table. The chants from the temple drifted over to her ear along
with the cold winds, through the tall palace walls. It was a stark reminder of the time and her
current predicament.

“I have hidden the fact that the emperor is deaf. Other than the people in this palace, no one
else will know,” Xuan Mo stood in front of the bed and whispered softly. His voice was
soothing, like the winds passing through a ute. The candlelight shone on his face, which
was de ned with contours and had a few sharp edges.

“Before the emperor comes of age and takes charge of the country’s a airs, we have over
ten years left to plan. Although he is deaf, once he marries at 15 years old and has children,
there is still hope for Song. Princess, you are the pillar of Song. If you collapse, the emperor
will not live. Once the royal family withers, outsiders will take the chance to seize power,
dividing the empire. War will arise; the civilians will no longer have good lives. The e orts by
the ancestors will go down the drain. Princess, you are resourceful and smart. I believe that
you will not sit back and watch Song collapse.”

fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
ff
fl
ff
ff
Nalan Hongye looked up at the man who had grown up with her together. A feeling of
sorrow erupted from within her heart again. Yes, she had thought about what he had said.
However, this was going to be an arduous journey!

“Thank you, Xuan Mo.” She had not called him by his name for a long time. Xuan Mo was
stunned and appeared to be moved. However, he replied respectfully, “It’s my duty.”

Nalan Hongye sat up and coughed lightly twice, her face pale. She smiled lightly and
remarked, “You’ve become more mature. You have the airs of your father already.”

The king of Anling was Xuan Mo’s father. He used to serve as a general under the Nalan
family. In the war at the southern borders, he had saved Nalan Lie’s life. Hence, he was
inducted into the royal family, assuming the surname of Nalan.

Xuan Mo bowed and replied, “Thank you for your compliment, Princess.”

“I heard that Yushu is pregnant. Is it true?”

Xuan Mo’s face was dazed. He frowned tightly. After a while, he replied in a low voice, “Yes.”

Nalan laughed. “Yushu is morally upright and intellectually capable. You must treat her well.”

Xuan Mo replied emotionlessly, “I have to thank Princess for your benevolence.”

The palace was empty; the chants from the temple became louder along with the weeping
sounds of the o cials. They looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Xuan Mo took
out a letter from his pocket which was in good condition. Without opening it, he handed it
over to Nalan Hongye and said, “There’s a letter from Yan Bei.”

Nalan Hongye’s eyes brightened up instantly. With a sense of urgency, she grabbed the
letter. Xuan Mo started to frown, the look in his eyes becoming rm. He took half a step
back and said, “I’ll take my leave.”

“Mmm,” Nalan Hongye answered. Although she was smiling, the tone of her voice sounded
casual.

The lights were pale. Only a thin shadow was visible.

When Aunt Yun came in, Nalan Hongye had snapped back to her original self. After the
physician had attended to her, she took her medicine as the palace maids took their leave.
She sat in front of her table and caressed the letter repeatedly. The sorrow in her heart
started to surface again; she did not dare to open the letter to read it. There was dead
silence everywhere. The room was brightly lit by the ickering candlelights and puri ed with
a fragrant incense.

The letter read: Brother Xuan Mo, the war in Yan Bei has concluded. I am ne, please do not
worry. Thanks to you, the issues regarding the rations were solved, and the Xia troops were
contained. However, there is no clear victor in the war yet. I do not have full con dence in
winning. I advise you not to side with Yan Bei too much, in fear that people will use this
ffi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
reason to attack you in court. Politics are dangerous. Please be careful. If you are implicated
because of me, I will never forgive myself even if I die.

Your wedding happened to coincide with the day that the Xia troops retreated. If you can
come to Yan Bei, I will give you a warm welcome. We have not seen each other for ten
years. I miss you.

The tears streamed down her face again, onto the white paper. They exempli ed the sorrow
that she felt from within. She had tolerated for too long. She had suppressed her feelings
and pressed on for too long. There were only the feelings of fatigue and desolation that had
accumulated in her heart. The country’s a airs, her internal a airs… Presently, coupled with
the sentence he wrote: Your wedding happened to coincide with the day that the Xia troops
retreated… Her vision started to blur. The storm was raging on outside, just like how she
felt: bleak. She prepared a pot of ink and a brush and started to write with bittersweet
feelings in her heart: “I have planned all my life, but did not get what I wanted…

As she penned the last words, her writing had become scrawled. She suddenly slumped on
her table with tears in her eyes. Just like this, she drifted o to sleep.

When Aunt Yun stepped in, she nearly cried. The princess had managed the country for so
many years, but this was the rst time that she had seen her this pitiful. She helped her over
to the bed to rest and walked back to her table. Seeing that the letter had been completed,
and that it was addressed to the king of Yan Bei, Aunt Yun felt a feeling of displeasure. She
did not read the contents of the letter, putting it into an envelope and sealing it with wax.
She handed the letter over to a palace maid and ordered, “Deliver this to the Xuan
residence, and tell him to deliver the letter according to the old rules.”

“I understand.”

In the rain and pitch-black darkness, a black eagle ew from the Xuan residence towards
the northwest at full speed.

When Yan Xun received Nalan Hongye’s letter one day before he departed, Feng Zhi stood
by his side. Yan Xun frowned for a long time as he stared at the letter, before he chuckled
loudly and said, “He’s so muddle-headed. I don’t know which lady’s words of complaint he
copied, but he actually sent it to me.”

Chapter 176
Feng Zhi read the letter as well and broke into a smile. “Your Highness, Master Xuan’s
handwriting is a mess. It seemed like he was drunk.”

Yan Xun shook his head. He really had been appreciative of this sworn brother. After all, it
was an exceptional ten years of friendship. Happily, he mused, “Such high spirits!” Saying
that, a tinge of childishness emerged from within his heart. He wondered if this sworn
brother would be maddened with rage upon seeing such a reply? Deftly, he wrote a
response:

fi
ff
fl
ff
ff
fi
 This brother had not known that you were infatuated with me, and that was oblivious of this
brother. Upon the day of Xia retreat, this brother will personally head to Song to request your
hand in marriage. Would you dare to answer?

Feng Zhi laughed out loud, “Your Highness, when Master Xuan sees this, he will be
completely enraged.”

“Then I will watch him rage.” Yan Xun placed the letter into an envelope and placed it on the
table neatly. With a hearty laugh, he brought Feng Zhi and AhJing out.

Chu Qiao was still feeling unwell, so she was still lying on the bed to rest. Feeling better
today, she put on her clothes. With the chestnuts that she had just peeled, she headed to
Yan Xun’s study room. Lü Liu was taking an afternoon nap and had not heard her wake up.

Pushing open Yan Xun’s door, an empty room greeted her. Putting the chestnuts onto the
desk, she could see that the candle by his table was only a stump. He must have stayed up
late again. She could not help but feel a tinge of worry. Just as she was about to head to the
kitchen to ensure that they prepare some good food, her sleeves brushed onto a letter on
the desk. The letter was particularly beautiful, and a faint aroma di used from within. The
letter fell from the table. The letter opened up, and Chu Qiao caught a glimpse of the rst
two rows of the letter. Upon seeing it, Chu Qiao froze up, and could not help but to stoop
down and take the letter out.

Upon suddenly seeing the line “The mountain nurtured trees, yet the trees nourished their
branches; My heart sought your happiness, yet you had not known” her heart ached. It was
not Chu Qiao’s handwriting, and in the rst place, she was not good at making such poems.
Her ngertips felt cold, as she quickly ipped around and saw that it was from the Xuan
King’s Residence of Song Empire. In that instance, something had suddenly become clear
to her in her head. Taking a deep breath before slowing exhaling, it was as though she
wanted to expel all the raging emotions out of her body. Yet, she felt as though her emotions
had become heavier.

Continuing to read, she saw Yan Xun’s personal response. Her head suddenly felt something
snap. Almost falling, her brows were deeply furrowed together. Hundreds of possibilities
emerged in her head, and with an equally numerous number of excuses, she dismissed
those thoughts. Yet, all that scenarios she conjured in her heart could not dismiss the black
and white words that were written before her eyes.

A tinge of coldness seeped into her skin, as though countless frigid tentacles had started to
crawl out from her heart, completely wrapping her entire body. Her heart sank, as though
into a bottomless abyss, as her iris turned hollow, without life. A certain thought rose from
the bottom of her heart, and gradually strung itself into a full sentence. I see, so ultimately to
him, eternal companionship is merely as such.

“No!” Chu Qiao suddenly stood and light returned to her eyes. She would not believe such a
matter would unless he told her that himself. She would not be deceived otherwise! With her
newfound determination, the pain and discomfort from her sickness suddenly vanished, as
she ran back to the room. Quickly donning her overcoat, she walked out. Lü Liu chased
fi
fl
fi
ff
fi
 behind her anxiously, and frantically shouted, “Lady! You are still not feeling well! Where are
you heading to?”

Ignoring her, Chu Qiao ipped onto a horse and rushed toward the camp of the First Army.
Yet, upon reaching the camp, she was not allowed to enter. The soldiers of the First Army
did not recognize her and did not believe her words. They rmly stood in her way blocking
her access. At this very moment, someone called her name. Chu Qiao turned around and
saw a familiar face. Upon closer inspection, she found that he was actually Du Pingan.

Upon seeing her, Pingan was ecstatic. Rushing up, he shouted, “Master! I nally found you. I
had loitered around your residence for days, but they did not allow me to enter. You are
nally back!”

Chu Qiao was slightly taken aback and asked, “You were looking for me?”

Pingan was taken aback by the lack of information on Chu Qiao’s part, and he asked,
“Master, did you not know?”

“Know what?”

In that instance, Du Pingan’s expression turned forlorn, as he exclaimed, “Master, it was a

disaster!”

Under the cloudy sky, the wind raged on, carrying with it some snow akes that it picked up
on the ground. In the middle of the encampment of the Second Army, two forces faced o
each other. The soft leather armor encapsulated the bodies of the men who had been
through countless battles, while they clenched their st tightly. Yan Xun was wearing a black
battle suit, as he sat on a chair made from the skin of a white tiger in the main tent. With a
cold gaze, he calmly questioned, “So, you lot are planning to revolt again?”

The merciless aura crashed towards the listeners. Hearing his acrimonious words, the men
of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison were pale with anger, and looked like they were trying
their best to control their emotions. He Xiao stood before everyone. Although he could not
be described as handsome, his well-de ned features and his aura as a soldier had exuded a
piercing aura. At this moment, he stretched out his hand to block his excited soldiers.
Frowning, he stated, “Your Highness, you had once promised us that you would not pursue
us for what had happened in the past.”

“I kept that promise.” Yan Xun lightly smiled with a ick of his eyebrow, with his eyes
sparkling with disdain as he continued, “Those kneeling outside were not traitors—they
were deserters!”

“We are not deserters!” An enraged roar came. In the middle of the parade square, over 30
soldiers were kneeling in a row. Behind them were the blades of the rst army. One young
soldier bellowed in rage, “No matter who, they are not allowed to burn our ag!” A tattered
ag with a white background and red clouds was thrown onto the ground, with a corner
burnt, it was in a complete mess.

fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
ff
 Yan Xun glanced at him without much thought, and snorted with disdain, “The Southwest
Emissary’s Garrison disappeared from the world three days, what need is there to keep the
ag? You had ambushed allied forces and left the city right before such a huge battle. That
is a betrayal, and if I let you o without punishment, what military law is there left of Yan
Bei?” Yan Xun’s tone suddenly became serious, as his gaze swept past those eyes. He
swung his hand and coldly declared, “Betrayal is the greatest crime! I could forgive you
once, but I will not forgive you a second time. Come! Punish these men in accordance to
military law! Anyone who is not convinced by this judgment will be accorded the same
punishment!”

“Your Highness!” Xiao He’s face turned into a grimace as he stepped up. Yet, with a loud
whoosh and a ash of a blade, two of the guards already placed their blade by Xiao He’s
neck. With that, no one made any sound. The soldiers of the rst army all took a step
forward, with the archer readying their arrows. With the entire formation armed, the situation
seemed volatile and ready to explode into action with any trigger.

The soldiers of the Second Army were too shocked. In the past few days, they had been
ghting with the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison. On the city walls of Beishuo, they had been
comrades in arms. As such, they appeared today to support the Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison. Yet, the rm attitude from Yan Xun and the First Army was something they had
never expected.

The Southwest Emissary’s Garrison was merely left with barely 1,500 men. Standing in the
middle of the armies of tens of thousands of men, they were completely unarmed. Every
single one of them was clenching their sts, with their face completely ushed red in anger.
Facing the armed enemies, their rage seemed to be aming from their eyes. He Xiao looked
around, and took a deep breath, he asked, “Your Highness, are you planning to kill all of
us?”

Yan Xun mysteriously chuckled as his gaze turned emotionless, and like the deepest ocean,
he claimed, “Commander He Xiao is a man of great achievements. I could de nitely treat
you the same way as those traitors.”

“Your Highness!” With bloodshot eyes, He Xiao stepped up. 20 guards stepped up, and all
placed their blades on his neck in unison. Yet, He Xiao was not in the least bit scared.
Without skipping any words, he stated, “In the Battle of Zhen Huang, the Southwest
Emissary’s Garrison su ered 6,000 losses. In the Battle of Chidu, Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison su ered 4,000 losses. General Feng Ting had been hit with over ten arrows, yet he
continued to ght. General Mu Rong had led men to ambush the enemy at Bai Zhang Cli .
When their arrows and boulders were exhausted, he lit up the entire forest to stop the
enemy’s advance, and sacri ced himself in the process. General Wu Danyu led merely 500
men and had delayed the enemy’s advance by an entire three days with guerilla warfare. In
the end, he was vastly outnumbered and died in the combat. In the Defense of Beishuo, we
headed to aid despite our lacking numbers and refused to retreat even a single step. The
loyalty of Southwest Emissary’s Garrison was something that was witnessed by even
heaven and earth. The hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Beishuo had all
fl
fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
ff
fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
ff
witness our loyalty. Yet, seeing the way Your Highness is treating such loyal men as such, I,
He Xiao, am not convinced!”

“How dare you!” General Qiu Yi of the First Army, Third Guard Squad walked up and
bellowed. Now he was one of the vice commanders of the bodyguards of Yan Xun. He was
someone who was recently promoted by Yan Xun recently. He rmly declared, “You are
merely a commander. How dare you be so rude to his highness? You had not disciplined
your men, and His Highness had not made things di cult for you. Yet you are talking back
to His . Have you heard of what is called military law?”

“Your Highness!” He Xiao kneeled down. With a rm gaze, he loudly proclaimed, “The 2,000
soldiers of Southwest Emissary’s Garrison all sincerely pledged allegiance to Yan Bei. By
doing this, Your Highness, are you not afraid that you will stir up the resentment of the
citizens?”

“You are getting even more out of line!” The vice commander of the First Army, Feng Lu
bellowed, “Get him out!”

The bodyguards immediately swarmed around He Xiao and twisted his arms. The
Southwest Emissary’s Garrison soldiers who were behind He Xiao noticed, and immediately
rushed up to help their commander. The situation had turned into a mess. He Xiao loudly
shouted, “Your Highness! Even those who surrendered from the Batuha family were given a
chance to survive, why do you wish for us Southwest Emissary’s Garrison to be completely
annihilated? Xiao He is not convinced! Xiao He is not!”

“Stop!” Yan Xun’s voice was not loud, but it was full of authority. Coldly looking at Xiao He,
he coldly declared, “Commander Xiao, the ones that I am punishing are merely the traitors
who tried to escape from Beishuo last night, and were completely irrelevant to the rest of
you. I hope you can stay away from this mess. Else, I will judge you to be stirring unrest
within the troops.”

“Your Highness, they are not traitors. They were merely attempting to protect the ag! Only
because they were chased down did they escape beyond the city…”

“An order is an order! I do not want to listen to your explanation, I only wish to see the result!
If everyone has excuses, how can I rule the military?” Yan Xun questioned ercely.

He Xiao’s eyes were bloodshot as he shrieked yet again, “Your Highness!”

“Begin the execution!”

“Your Highness!” He Xiao charged. The 2,000 soldiers of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison
charged up behind him. Upon seeing that, the bodyguards drew their blades and started to
attack them. Outnumbering the Southwest Emissary’s Garrisons, they began a slaughter, as
fresh blood rained down. The First Army stood outside to cut o external interventions.
Meanwhile, the soldiers of the Second Army stood outside, completely dumbfounded by the
turn of events.

Qiu Yi shouted at the executioner, “What are you doing? Execute them!”

fi
ffi
fi
ff
fi
fl
 “To cook the hounds when all the hares were caught, and to cast aside the bow when all the
birds were killed. Yan Xun, you are so ungrateful and untrustworthy. We had indeed been
wrong about you all along!” The administrative o cer of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison,
Wen Yang, was kneeling on the ground. Last night, he was the rst to notice that the First
Army had taken away over 20 of their ags and had been burning them within the First Army
encampment. As the situation was sudden, he did not have time to inform He Xiao. Wen
Yang led his 30 over administrative soldiers under his command to charge into the camp of
the First Army, and escaped to beyond the city. At this moment, his head was being pressed
onto the cold snow as he shouted at the top of his voice.

Chapter 177
Qiu Yi was furious and kicked Wen Yang in the mouth, causing blood to splatter all over.
Wen Yang’s lips were split open. Although his lips were stained with blood, he continued to
shout. Qiu Yi raged, “Kill him! Quick!”

“You b*stard! I’ll kill you!” One of the bloodied soldiers from the Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison burst through the crowd and dashed towards Qiu Yi. Qiu Yi was shocked and
turned around to look at Yan Xun, only to see that he was calm. He tapped his right hand on
the table and remained quiet. Qiu Yi, seeing that he did not respond, felt joy inside and
exclaimed, “The Southwest Emissary’s Garrison has rebelled! Kill them all!”

The guards, who had only intended to attack with their sword sheaths, brandished their
swords upon hearing the order. They put their swords at the necks of the soldiers. One of
the o cials in charge of executing the punishment walked up to the platform holding his
sword in his hand. He made his way to Wen Yang, and prepared to deliver one fatal stab to
him without even batting an eyelid.

The soldiers of the Second Army who were standing at the outside perimeters were
shocked, not expecting the situation to escalate to this state. As the swords of the First
Army were about to take more lives, a sharp, female voice echoed out from outside the
gate. “Stop it!” The voice pierced through the air and the storm, right into the hearts of the
people in the crowd. The lady dashed forward on her horse, wearing a white cloak. Before
she got to the scene, she jumped o the horse’s back and delivered a blow to the face of
one soldier from the First Army who tried to block her way. She dashed into the crowd and
shouted, “What are you doing?”

“General!”

“It’s General!”

The soldiers from the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison echoed in unison, the hope in their
eyes reignited. Chu Qiao separated a few soldiers who were embroiled in a brawl, and took
a few large strides to where He Xiao was standing. Before he had spoken, she took out her
whip and lashed at his back, shouting, “Do you lead your soldiers this way?”

In that instant, everyone was stunned. He Xiao’s face turned red; the soldiers behind him did
not dare to move. Even the soldiers from the First Army were stunned. Chu Qiao continued
ffi

ff
fl
ffi
fi
in anger, “I told all of you to preserve the integrity of the army, the unit designation, and the
ensign, but did I tell all of you to attack the First Army’s camp? Now, you even dare to ght
in front of Your Highness. What are you trying to do? Are you causing mutiny?” Finishing her
words, she turned around towards Yan Xun and said, “Your Highness, it is my fault for what
has happened today. All of the orders came from me. He Xiao and the rest were merely
following orders. I have been sick lately, neglecting my responsibilities to keep them in hand,
which resulted in such a big mistake. I am willing to be punished according to military law!”

Seeing that Chu Qiao had appeared, Yan Xun’s face become cold. He sat on the seat of the
chief marshal in the Central Army’s tent, his eyes squinted. He stared intently at her, but did
not say anything.

Qiu Yi frowned, stepped forward and said, “If I remember correctly, General Chu, I don’t
think you are the direct superior of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison? You are one of the
strategists from the Military Strategy Department, not a frontline commander. Why should
the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison obey your orders?”

Chu Qiao turned around coldly, frowned and stared at Qiu Yi in the eye. “I’m talking to Your
Highness. Who are you to interrupt?”

“I…”

“AhChu!” Yan Xun said in a serious tone. “Don’t make trouble here. Go back.”

“Your Highness, the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison is unruly in their actions and should be
punished. That day, I was the overall commander in charge of defending Beishuo City,
taking charge of the Second Army and the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison. Presently, they
have erred, and it is my fault. Your Highness, please punish me for not taking them in hand
properly. On account of their valiant e orts in defending Chidu and Beishuo, please spare
them from heavy punishment. As for the losses that the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison have
caused, I am willing to take full responsibility.” Chu Qiao stood on the vast square and made
a formal salutation. Tens of thousands of eyes were xated on her, but she did not feel
anything. Without batting an eyelid, she stared at Yan Xun and frowned, her expression
serious.

Qiu Yi responded angrily, “Southwest Emissary’s Garrison? Their unit designation has been
canceled three days ago. How can the army of Yan Bei accept the ensigns of traitors?”

As he spoke, the soldiers of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison were enraged. Eight years
ago, they betrayed Yan Bei during the battle at Huolei Plains, defecting to the Xia Empire
and causing Yan Shicheng to lose completely. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers from Yan
Bei lost their lives; their blood stained the city gates of Beishuo red. The mountains of
corpses were still a source of nutrients for the Huoyun owers there, causing them to blood
bright red year by year without fail. Eight years later, in the royal capital of Zhen Huang, the
Southwest Emissary’s Garrison rebelled again, defecting back to Yan Bei by helping the
Prince of Yan Bei, Yan Xun, escape from Zhen Huang back to his homeland. The “Rebellion
of Zhen Huang” was single-handedly born in their hands. With this, the Southwest
Emissary’s Garrison was recognized as traitors. Despite their strength, they were still
ff
fi
fl
fi
shunned and rejected by all the armies in the entire continent. However, their names had still
not been cleared, despite having paid such a huge price to defend Yan Bei. How could they
not be angered at Qiu Yi’s accusations?

Chu Qiao turned around coldly and raised her eyebrows. With anger in her voice, she
retorted, “Nonsense! Your Highness promised personally that the Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison could return to Yan Bei. Your Highness is the king of Yan Bei; he is a man of his
words. The past scores have been settled, yet you still call them traitors. Are you trying to
undermine Your Highness’s credibility? You harbor ill intentions in your words. You look
more like a spy from Xia!”

Qiu Yi was enraged, his veins popping out of his head. “Say that again!”

Chu Qiao sneered in disdain and continued, “The ensign of an army is its greatest honor.
The Southwest Emissary’s Garrison was established by the rst emperor of Yan personally
hundreds of years ago. It has a long-running history. How could it be disbanded just like
this? Commander He has followed Your Highness all the way from the day of the rebellion at
Zhen Huang, helping him to tide through countless disasters and battles. He is a meritorious
subject. His army of 7,000 defeated the Xia army of 200,000 at Chidu, while his army of
2,000 at Beishuo were comparable in strength to 40,000 normal soldiers! How could an
army of this caliber have its unit designation canceled, and its ensign destroyed? Your
Highness is busy. I bet that you ignorant idiots must have sown discord within the army of
Yan Bei. You are evil and shameless!”

Qiu Yi was infuriated as he took out his sword. “You’re making baseless accusations!”

He Xiao and the rest sprinted in front of her and shielded her. “You dare to take a step
forward?”

“Shut up, all of you!” Yan Xun stood up slowly. The young man was smartly dressed in a
military out t, a black cloak draped over his shoulders. He took a few small steps forward.
Wherever he stepped, people gave way to him. Finally, he made his way to Chu Qiao and
stared at her clean forehead and fair face, before saying, “Who told you to come here?”

Chu Qiao shook her head in reply, “No one. I came here myself.”

“Go back to the house. It’s none of your business here.”

“Yan Bei’s issues are my issues. I am a member of the army, and I used to be the general of
the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison. I ought to be responsible for the mistakes of my
subordinates.”

Yan Xun frowned slowly, his face expressing his displeasure. With a low voice, he replied,
“AhChu, do you know what you’re doing?”

Chu Qiao lowered her head and responded, “I am fully aware.”

“You want to oppose me?”

“Your Highness, you are too harsh. I am merely admitting my own mistakes.”

fi
fi
There were people gathered everywhere. Most of the soldiers from the First and Second
Armies were present. Everyone held their breaths in anticipation, staring at the man and
woman in the center of the square. The snow was falling, coloring the landscape a pale
white. Yan Xun stared coldly at Chu Qiao, anger and disappointment emanating from within
him. After a long while, he turned around and took big steps towards the big tent. As he
walked, he ordered, “General Chu is to be stripped of her title due to her illness. She is no
longer the chief marshal of Beishuo City. The mistakes of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison
have nothing to do with her. Carry out the punishment!”

“Your Highness!” Chu Qiao looked up and exclaimed loudly, staring at him with her eyes
wide open.

“General, there’s no need to waste any more e ort on us. Please go back!” Wen Yang
shouted stubbornly, his mouth full of blood.

The other soldiers maintained an upright posture and shouted tragically, “General! Please go
back!”

Chu Qiao ignored their pleas, taking a few steps forward. However, she was stopped
outside by the guards. Panicked, she said, “Your Highness, although the Southwest
Emissary’s Garrison has erred, they do not deserve to die. They have been loyal to you since
the rebellion at Zhen Huang. Everyone can witness that!”

Yan Xun’s back was facing her. Hearing her words, he turned around slowly and whispered
to her in disdain, “AhChu, be my judge. The person that they are loyal to, is it really me?”

In that instant, Chu Qiao was stunned. She felt like a big stick had been smashed on her
head. She frowned and stared at Yan Xun in disbelief. She wanted to say something, but felt
that her throat had been blocked. The wind was cold, in icting pain as it blew onto her face.
However, she did not feel anything but her heart turning cold and numb, as it fell onto the
snowy grounds.

A pin-drop silence dominated the atmosphere as the snow continued to fall. After a long
while, with a thud, Chu Qiao knelt on the ground, her eyes and sickly face turning red. With
a low, hoarse voice, she said, “Your Highness, I swear with my life that the Southwest
Emissary’s Garrison is wholeheartedly loyal to you. If my words carry a degree of
inauthenticity, I am willing to be shot to death by arrows.”

“Oh?” Yan Xun remarked. “You’re willing to swear with your life?”

“I’m willing.”

“Other than you, who else believes them?”

Chu Qiao turned around and scanned the surroundings. The commanders of the First Army
stood there with no emotions on their faces. This was not surprising as they were Yan Xun’s
trusted aides. However, when Chu Qiao looked towards the Second Army, towards the
soldiers who had fought alongside the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison, they had become
hesitant and timid. They lowered their heads, not daring to look the young lady in the eye.
ff
fl
They had evidently forgotten who had saved their lives back then when they were driven to
desperation. The Second Army, local conscripts, the voluntary forces, the various leaders of
the tribal troops, even Cao Mengtong’s personal aides… These 20,000 people had fought
together with the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison. They had followed Chu Qiao and slain
Zhao Qi, and had even repelled countless attacks by Zhao Yang. However, at this instant,
they acted as if they had not known her all along. They stood far away, with no emotions on
their faces.

Chu Qiao was losing hope by the minute. The cold wind blew across her frail body; the
snowy ground was a piece of white. She stared at Yan Xun, the man who had stood
together with her for eight years. Word by word, she uttered, “I choose to believe them. I
swear by my loyalty to Your Highness.” Finishing her words, she kowtowed heavily on the
ground, her forehead landing heavily on the snowy ground, her usually upright back bending
towards the ground. The wind blew at her cloak, further illustrating her petite, frail frame.

“General!” the soldiers cried out from atop the platform. They were not afraid of death, but
at this instant, a more solemn emotion surged from within their hearts. Together, they
echoed loudly, “General! Get up! We are accountable for our own mistakes. We are willing to
accept death!”

Chu Qiao did not move as she remained kneeling on the ground. The noises in the
background became more indistinct as the storm became more intense. The crowd was
scattered; many noises echoed out from all directions. However, she did not hear anything,
choosing to wait for the voice above her head to sound out.

Chapter 178
Finally, a soft sigh came from that man. At that moment, she trembled as she thought she
had succeeded. But in the very next moment, he continued with a freezing voice, “Proceed
with the execution!” With a whoosh, a row of orderly sounds resounded, and following that,
a dull impact rang out throughout the crowd. The entire proceeding was so fast that no one
had the chance to cry out in pain. Blood spurted out into the sky and tainted the pristine
white snow into a deep crimson.

Quiet. It was so quiet. Chu Qiao’s blood froze up, as though her entire limbs were
completely stu ed with ice. She grasped into the snow, and the snow that she grabbed was
as cold as her heart, completely devoid of temperature.

“Commander He Xiao was inadequate in disciplining his men, as the other soldiers followed
his lead in ignoring the military law. Bring them down, and give each of them eighty ogs.
After which, they will be brought under detention by the rst army.” The calm voice of Yan
Xun echoed quietly in the open ground. No one made any sounds, as people merely begun
to act in accordance with his orders. Their boots made creaking sounds as they rushed
around in the snow.

“Master.” He Xiao’s voice came from behind. He was almost kneeling on the ground, and his
voice was exceedingly calm. Yet, one could hear the intense sadness that lled her voice.
ff

fi
fi
fl
He told Chu Qiao, “We have lost face for the Master. Please, Master, you have to take care
of yourself.”

With the footsteps walking far into the distance, the crowds dispersed. In the intensifying
wind, Chu Qiao’s knees turned numb from her kneeling posture, as her limbs were frozen,
unable to musters strength. Yet, she remained in that position and knelt there as the snow
slowly piled up on her, creating one thick layer. A pair of white fur boots came closer, as Yan
Xun stretched out his hand to support her shoulder. Upon sensing his touch, Chu Qiao
jumped up, and stumbled back, as though she had been scalded by re.

The bodyguards stood far away, back facing them. Yan Xun stood before her and did not
speak. He merely remained in the posture that he intended to support her in, as his hand
stretched out awkwardly. “AhChu.” Yan Xun lightly called out to her. Yet, she seemed like
she had already turned deaf. After seeking out her horse, she got onto it.

Today is so cold. Chu Qiao suddenly remembered how she actually felt that Yan Bei was
warmer than the Tang Empire. Yet, she suddenly realized that Yan Bei was actually so cold,
that her blood could freeze over, as though she had fallen into an icy abyss.

That night, Chu Qiao’s sickness took a drastic turn for the worse. Before she had even left
the army camp, she had already fallen from the horse. After being sent back to her
residence, Lü Liu got so worried she started crying out loud. Guarding Chu Qiao’s bed, Lü
Liu cried her name out again and again. Drowsily, Chu Qiao opened her eyes and wanted to
comfort Lü Liu that she would be ne and that she still had a lot of things she had not
completed. Yet, when she opened her mouth, she could not say anything.

By the time she woke up, the maidservant was still at her side. Seeing that Chu Qiao had
woken up, the maidservant was overwhelmed with happiness as she cried tears of joy. After
eating her medicine, Lü Liu told Chu Qiao that Yan Xun had come a long time ago, and had
been standing before her door for almost 14 hours.

“It is still snowing outside,” Lü Liu quietly informed Chu Qiao, while stealing a few quick
glances to judge her master’s reaction.

Chu Qiao lied on the bed, as many things ooded her mind. All those memories ashed past
her mind like a owing river, as the bits and pieces of the memories over that last eight years
convened into one entire river. She realized that she had understood everything, and bore
no resentment or anger. What she felt was merely intense disappointment.

In Zhen Huang City, in the Northwestern region, on the city walls of Chidu, on the battle eld
of Beishuo, the soldiers of Southwest Emissary’s Garrison had proven their loyalty with their
lives. There was the young and handsome Feng Ting, the calm and mature Mu Rong, the
smart and quick-witted Wu Danyu, and the righteous and stubborn Wen Yang, and many
others. All these men were not saints; they were warriors who used their bodies as boulders
and shields for others. They had de nitely made mistakes before, and their ancestors had
once betrayed Yan Bei and committed an unforgivable crime. Yet, from the moment they
followed her in Zhen Huang City, they had already put their lives in her hands. Yan Xun was
right. They were not loyal to him, but her, Chu Qiao. Yet, she did not have the ability to
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
 protect them. She carried with her the anticipation of this army. She had promised that she
would make sure that their past mistakes were forgiven. She had once shouted atop the
Chidu city walls that as long as they fought courageously to stop the Xia advance, they
would become the heroes of Yan Bei, and that their names would be engraved in the history
of military achievements of Yan Bei! Because of that, they followed her and protected the
very Yan Bei lands that had ostracized them, and repelled enemies who were many times
their number. Yet, her statue was erected into the hall of fame and became a well-known
hero. Yet, they had been killed by their very allies.

What had she done? What had she exchanged for those young lives that were entrusted to
her?

As though her chest had been weighed down by a huge stone, she felt the sweet taste of
blood coming up her throat. Those soldiers had fallen behind her, yet she did not even have
the courage to look back at them. When she left in such a hurry, she could only see a patch
of red behind her.

“Lady! Lady!” Lü Liu forced open Chu Qiao’s hands, only to see that her palms were already
bloodied. Her nails had dug into her palms from her clenching her sts.

“Please go out for a moment. Let me rest alone for a while,” a quiet, yet exceedingly hoarse
voice sounded out.

Lü Liu hesitated for a few seconds before she complied and vacated the room. The room
immediately quietened down.

With the moon hanging in the sky, the wind intensi ed. She knew that that man was still
outside. As long as she did not head out, he would still be around. He had always been
such a stubborn person. When they were young, he had learned how to use the blade from
her. Such a complicated system of moves took him merely one month to master. He had
practiced day and night, and did not stop even when his hands and feet were covered with
blisters. Until today, she could still remember how in that courtyard, he stood before the
pillar practicing each and every move, while his gaze was rm like a tiger. He had always
held too many things within his heart. Chu Qiao thought she had already understood him,
but now she began to doubt her if she truly did understand him.

With her gaze starting to freeze up, tinges of determination ashed in her eyes. She
suddenly got o the bed, and took two deep breaths. Merely wearing her pajamas, she ran
o to the door, and rushed into his rm embrace. Upon feeling her warmth, Yan Xun was
stunned. He had not thought that she would come out, or at least not that fast. Only until he
felt her thin arms embracing his waist could he react, as he returned her embrace with an
even tighter hug.

“AhChu! I hurt you.” He sighed.

Chu Qiao cowered in his chest and merely hugged tightly him without responding. Yan Xun
elaborated quietly, “I am not doubting you, not hating on the Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison. They are now barely 2,000 men strong, and with such weak manpower, I could
ff
ff
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
 only dismiss their formation. Yet, they are ill-disciplined and attacked the First Army’s
encampment. If I did not punish them, it would create problems in the future.”

Chu Qiao was mourning. “I understand. I completely understand. Yan Xun, I have made
things di cult for you.”

Yan Xun lifted her chin and looked into her eyes, and cooed, “It’s okay, I was merely worried
that I hurt you. As long as you are still willing to come out to see me, I can rest easy.”

Chu Qiao, with her eyes turning red, bit her lip and said, “They repeatedly saved me, and I
am heavily indebted to them. Yan Xun, I cannot bare to see that happen to them.”

Yan Xun frowned, and nally helplessly said, “Fine, I will let He Xiao go. But if they commit
any o ense again, I will not go easy on them.”

Chu Qiao nodded. “Yan Xun, thank you.”

The pale moonlight shone brightly in the sky as the winds bellowed. The two were locked in
a tight embrace, yet it felt as though they were so distant from each other.

After Yan Xun left for his room, Chu Qiao also returned to her own room. Upon closing the
door, her expression returned to absolute zero. Quietly, she walked back to her bed and
gingerly sat down while holding onto the bed frame.

Not enough manpower? Dismissing the formation? Snatching their ag? Ill-disciplined? Yan
Xun, how could you say such things to me?

To a soldier, their formation being dismissed would be an unimaginable humiliation. To a

soldier, their ag was something that they would defend to their very last man. As long as
the ag stood, the army still existed. What’s more, the recruitment of new soldiers was such
a simple thing to do. Wen Yang and his more than 30 men were all administrative soldiers.
Could they really charge into the camp of the First Army that had over 300,000 soldiers,
snatch back their ag, and escape beyond the city? When the Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison’s men were about to be executed, why had He Xiao and the rest not been
restricted and were allowed to enter the execution grounds to raise a ruckus?

Even if you had said you hated the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison for once betraying Yan
Bei, it would have been better than lying to me like that.

A column of clear tears fell. With the moonlight shining into the room, the entire vicinity was
painted a silvery white. Silently leaning against the bed, thousands of di erent thoughts
ooded her mind, yet she could not gure out where things had gone wrong. At this
moment, a cold jade piece fell from the bed. Picking it up, she realized it was a jade piece
that prayed for her longevity. It had probably been left here just now by Lü Liu.
Remembering how Feng Zhi and Lü Liu had brought back the plaque of longevity,
something had connected in her mind, as her heart froze as though someone had just
plunged her into an icy lake. Regardless, He Xiao and the rest would be safe for now.

fl
fl
ff
ffi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
ff
 Chu Qiao smiled bitterly. She would have never imagined that one day she had to resort to
such means. Her tears owed endlessly in the darkness.

Yan Xun, Yan Xun, that had happened to you? In the dark night, she could nally hold it in
no more, as she started to cry out loud.

It was already deep into the night, as wild birds ew from above her head. The hooves of the
horses knocked onto the layers of ice that had accumulated over God knows how many
millenniums. The dry and frigid wind blew from afar as the temperature dropped yet again.
The northern winds seemed like a crazed wolf, as it howled endlessly day and night. Sitting
atop the horseback, Chu Qiao shrunk her neck into her clothes as she licked her dry lips,
quietly in pursuit of the light in front without closing in.

After a long while, the group in front had nally stopped. Chu Qiao ipped o the back of
her horse. She rubbed her face that had turned numb from the frigid wind, before beginning
to take down her luggage, then picked up rewood to start a re.

At this very moment, in the huge army in the distance, smoke from their camp re rose up
into the air as well. With the leather veil ru ing, AhJing walked in with his head full of
snow akes. Seeing that a young general was standing beside Yan Xun while quietly
reporting on something, his expression became upset.

Yan Xun lightly glanced at him casually, unable to tell his emotion. Yet, Yan Xun continued to
listen to the other man’s report, and occasionally nodded his head. AhJing stood by the
door with his face slightly turning red. After a long while, he cleared his throat, and loudly
informed, “Your Highness, this subordinate has something to report.”

As if he had only noticed AhJing’s existence now, Yan Xun lifted his head up and
emotionlessly looked at him before quietly saying, “Go and wait outside.”

AhJing’s face turned redder. Angrily, he looked at the man beside Yan Xun, only to see that
he was bowing, and showing deference in every way possible. When AhJing had entered,
that man had not even lifted his eyes. AhJing was immediately consumed with rage, as he
bellowed out an acknowledgment before stomping out.

Chapter 179
The outside was unusually cold. The northern winds scooped up the snow, blowing at the
torches lighted up with pine oil. AhJing stood by the door of the tent. The servants to his left
and right remained quiet upon seeing him, choosing to perform a simple salutation. A sense
of discomfort brewed within AhJing’s heart. He no longer recognized any of Yan Xun’s
guards presently; his title, the leader of the guards, was quickly becoming a blank title. After
an unknown amount of time, AhJing could no longer stand the cold. He jumped about,
trying to shake the cold o , and rubbed his hands continuously. Suddenly, he saw the
curtains move. The young general was dressed in blue, and he walked out of the tent slowly.

“Cough… spit!” AhJing coughed deliberately and spat a mouthful of phlegm out, which
landed on the general’s boots.

fl
fl

ff
fi
ffl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
ff
fi
The general stopped in his tracks and turned around slowly, meeting AhJing’s ferocious
look. The general was emotionless; his eyes were sparkling. Acting as if nothing had
happened, he walked away and disappeared into the darkness.

“Scaredy cat! Useless creature!” AhJing cursed. “No wonder you want to be a deserter!”
The night was pitch-black. As the man’s shadow disappeared, AhJing sneered twice before
walking into the tent.

Yan Xun was inspecting his map under the light. Hearing his entrance, he did not even look
up. With a low voice, he said, “What’s the matter?”

AhJing steadied himself before replying, “Your Highness, Miss is still following behind. In
this cold weather, without a tent to spend the night, this…”

“What?” Yan Xun slowly raised his neat eyebrows and looked up. His voice was low and
deliberately dragged, showing his frustrations. “Didn’t you say she turned back?”

AhJing scratched his head and whispered, “Yes, I saw Miss turn back towards Beishuo, but
she caught up with us through the night again.”

“Useless people!” Yan Xun slammed the map on his table and exclaimed. “You men can’t
even contain a woman.”

AhJing lowered his head and remained silent, feeling aggrieved. He thought to himself,
She’s the person you love. We did not dare to touch her, be rough with her, or tie her up and
send her back! She promised to turn back after a bit. Who knew that she would catch up
again!

Yan Xun turned around and grabbed his cloak on the clothes hanger. He draped it around
his shoulder and walked towards the outside. AhJing saw this and started to feel happy,
dashing to his side and saying, “Your Highness, I’ve prepared the horse for you already.
Let’s leave quickly. If we’re too late, Miss will freeze to death. Like I said, how would Your
Highness leave Miss in the lurch? Other than you, Miss is the second most important gure
in Yan Bei. She has su ered with you all the way from Zhen Huang. How could those traitors
compare to her? I knew it…” However, before he had nished his words, he realized that the
man behind did not follow him. He turned around and saw Yan Xun standing in the center of
the tent. The candlelight shone on his face, brightening it. A greyish shadow shone on his
face, like a layer of fog.

“Your…Your Highness?” AhJing whispered, trying to test the waters.

Yan Xun stood there silently. Finally, he lowered his hand which was fastening his cloak and
said calmly, “Bring 20 guards with you to fetch her back here.”

“Ah?” AhJing’s jaw dropped as he was stunned. “Your Highness, you’re not going
anymore?”

ff
fi
fi
Yan Xun did not say anything, turning around and removing his cloak. Then, he made his
way to his study table, rubbing his nger against the giant map of Yan Bei, remaining silent
for a long time.

Yan Xun’s shadow was noticeable amidst the brightly lit candlelights. Suddenly, AhJing felt
like his vision had been blurred. He looked at Yan Xun’s shadow, thinking about that bright
morning at Sheng Jin Palace many years ago. The Xia Emperor walked out slowly from his
palace, while he knelt in the center of the crowd. He looked up sneakily but was blinded by
the shiny gold robe.

“Yes, Your Highness.” AhJing obliged. As he turned to leave, Yan Xun’s voice echoed out,
“Without proper approval, you are not to enter the tent at will from now.” The young warrior
from Yan Bei nodded, his liveliness gone. “Yes, Your Highness.”

When Chu Qiao followed AhJing into the camp, Yan Xun had slept. She looked at Yan Xun’s
tent, where the candlelights had been extinguished, and felt a bit dazed. Feng Zhi dashed
over and remarked, “Your Highness has traveled the whole day. I think he’s tired.”

“Okay.” Chu Qiao nodded without any emotion and replied quietly, “I’ll head back rst.”

When she got back to the tent, her limbs had turned numb from the cold. AhJing and some
servants gave her a warm welcome by delivering some hot water to her. Although the
majority of the warriors did not recognize her, they had heard of her name and her past
contributions. They gathered outside her tent to see what was going on and only left after
being chided by AhJing. After a while, the curtains of her tent moved. A small head popped
out from outside and shouted in joy, “General Chu!”

“Pingan?” Chu Qiao was shocked. Pingan was dressed in a small-sized military uniform.
They had not seen each other for a few days, but he had seemed to grow up even more.
That day, after the battle at Beishuo had ended, she had fallen sick and was not able to pay
attention to him. She had not expected to meet him here. She remarked, “Why are you
here?”

“I’m a soldier.”

“You? Soldier?” Chu Qiao was stunned. “How old are you?”

“General, don’t look down on people. General AhJing gave the orders just now. From now
on, Pingan will be Miss’s personal bodyguard. If you have any errands to run, you can give
them to me.”

Personal bodyguard? This is good as well. At least I don’t need to go onto the battle eld
anymore. Chu Qiao smiled and rubbed the child’s head before saying, “Convey my thanks
to AhJing.”

“General is not on duty tonight. It’s General Cheng who’s on duty.”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows. AhJing was Yan Xun’s most loyal personal bodyguard. How
could he not be on night duty? She asked softly, “General Cheng? Which General Cheng?”

fi
fi
fi
 “I don’t know either.” Pingan was still a small kid after all, as he replied childishly, “I only
know his surname is Cheng.”

“Oh,” Chu Qiao nodded and continued, “it’s late already. Go back and rest rst.”

Pingan obliged joyfully and left the tent, jumping in his strides. Chu Qiao looked at his
shadow and felt a sense of sorrow inside. Back in the modern day, a child of his age would
be preparing to go to school every day. When he got into trouble, he would be complaining
to his parents while being locked in their embrace! However, here, he had to assume the
responsibility of taking care of his sister prematurely, involving himself in the life of
bloodshed.

The water had turned lukewarm after she washed her face. She removed her boots with
some e ort and put it into the water. Her feet had turned swollen from the cold; the bruises
made her feet appear purplish-red. She felt itchy upon immersing it in the water, and took a
deep breath. After she was done washing her feet, she ate a mouthful of dry rations which
were brought to her just now. She lay on the warm blanket in a daze. That day’s events had
ultimately driven a wedge in between them. Despite her hiding it and Yan Xun’s e orts to
salvage the situation, some things were like porcelain – once it was broken, it could not be
salvaged no matter how much e ort was put in.

Because of her illness, Yan Xun delayed his departure for two whole days. During that time,
he stayed by her side, feeding her and brewing her medicine personally. His diligence
frightened the people around him. However, when Chu Qiao raised the idea of her following
the army, he rejected it with reasons that were comprehensive enough. Despite how
reasonable his words were, or how he claimed to be sparing a thought for her, Chu Qiao’s
head replayed what he said the other day: If they breach military law again, I will not show
any more mercy.

This was a warning, but how could she be sure that this was not a signal? Chu Qiao felt bad
as she thought this way. When had she started to be wary of him? Apart from the other day
when Yan Xun treated her extra nicely, to the point that she felt it was a dream. However, on
the day that the army departed, when she stood in front of the city gates and pleaded for
herself to join the battle, Yan Xun had ared up at her.

This was the rst time that he had ared up at her. He did not scold her, but stared at her for
a long time. It seemed like he saw a lot of things as he looked through her shoulder. Finally,
he asked, “AhChu, what are you worried about?” After that, before she had time to reply, he
rode past her without even turning back.

The soldiers surrounded her and demanded that she return to her residence. She looked on
quietly as Yan Xun departed, feeling a sense of disappointment.

He knew everything, everything. He was scheming. He asked her: what are you worried
about? But, Yan Xun, what about you? What are you worried about?

Ultimately, she decided to follow his entourage. He was right—she was worried. She was
worried about him, she was afraid that he would kill the entire army of the Southwest
Emissary’s Garrison. On the battle eld, it was easy to eliminate an entire army without
ff
fi
ff
fi
fl
fl
fi
ff
 leaving any traces of evidence. There were too many ways. The soldiers of the Southwest
Emissary’s Garrison had placed their lives in her hands.

She could not allow them to die in vain.

Perhaps, she was paranoid. But, Yan Xun, since you knew what I was afraid of, why didn’t
you make me a promise? Or was it that you did not dare to? Was what I was afraid of
already a part of your plans?

The re on the ground burnt on quietly. This was high-grade white charcoal, as it only
released a thin layer of smoke. Chu Qiao looked at the replace, feeling her eyes dry up in
pain. She had not fully recovered. Coupled with the fact that she had traveled for an entire
day in the cold weather, her fatigue had started to surface. She wore a thin, white out t and
lay on the bed. She extinguished the candlelights, and drifted o to sleep.

The moon outside was bright. The moonlight shone on the snowy ground, making the
landscape appear a vast piece of white. However, in the tent, it was pitch-dark. The winds
raged on. There was not a sight of a single tree around. Only the cries of eagles could be
heard, as they pierced through the silent night sky. After an unknown amount of time, in the
pitch-dark tent, Chu Qiao felt a cold sensation at her feet. She frowned, her eyes still closed.
She sat up swiftly and hissed, “Who is that?”

In the darkness, a long silhouette was sitting by her bed. The man was dressed in an out t
made of soft cloth. With the help of the faint light, she could somewhat make out his face.
He was sitting there, his hands grabbing at her feet. He put a bowl at the side of her bed, as
the smell of medicine drifted outwards from the bowl.

“You’re awake?” Yan Xun asked quietly. He stood up and lit up a candle. The yellow light
shone on his face, giving it a feeling of peace and calmness. He made his way back to her
bed, reached out his long ngers, scooped up some medicine, and applied it over her
wounds. The touch of his ngers was warm, like a warm wind, as they brushed over her
toes and sole of her feet. Yan Xun did not look up as he continued to say, “You need to
apply medicine to your feet every day. In the army, there are no maidservants to serve you
as compared to back in the house. It’s busy here. Don’t neglect your health when you get
busy.”

Chapter 180
The medicine was chilly and soothing, and felt extremely comfortable when applied. Chu
Qiao’s feet were small and adorable, and a small segment of her calves were also exposed.
Yan Xun held her ankle with one hand, and applied medicine with the other. His voice was
like a passing breeze, emphasizing the awkwardness between the duo.

“Yep, I know.” Chu Qiao nodded, and lightly bit her lip. Yet, she did not know what to say.
She suddenly remembered those years in the palace, whenever winter came, her feet would
su er from frostbite and turn red and swollen, sometimes even oozing pus. At her worst,
she could not even get out of bed. In those days, they did not have medicine, so Yan Xun
would rub her wounds with alcohol. Seeing her squirm in pain, he even joked that he would
ff
fi

fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
 make her drunk so that she would no longer feel pain. At that time, Yan Xun’s eyes were
crystal clear. Even now in her dreams, she could still remember his eyes back then. His eyes
were so pure that just thinking about them would cause her to forget how he had become
now.

“Rest well.” After applying the medicine, Yan Xun stood up. Carrying the bowl with him, he
said, “I will be going rst.”

“Yan Xun…” Just as he turned around, he realized that the corner of his shirt had been
grabbed by a small white hand. The hand was so thin, and hearing her voice, his heart
softened. He turned around, and looking into Chu Qiao’s eyes, he calmly asked, “What’s
wrong?”

“Are you still angry at me?”

Looking back at her, Yan Xun calmly retorted, “Am I supposed to be?”

Chu Qiao was a tad breathless from the lack of circulation in the tent. Biting her lips, she
replied, “I don’t know.”

The entire atmosphere froze up as the two of them sank into silence. The smell of
awkwardness once again lingered in the tent. Yan Xun, standing up straight, with his jet
black hair and obsidian-like irises, merely gazed at her. Chu Qiao’s cheeks were pale, and
nally, she slowly lifted up her head, and looking into Yan Xun’s eyes, she tugged at his
sleeves, before whispering, “Just let me follow you, please?”

Yan Xun stood there quietly for very long, as he gazed at Chu Qiao’s face. A multitude of
emotions ashed before his mind, causing him to unable to discern his own feelings. The
rise of Yan Bei had happened too quickly, and now they were going against the current.
Every step they took must be careful and calculated. Frowning, he thought about his future
plans and strategies, before nally opening his mouth, “AhChu, do you know what is the
greatest threat Yan Bei is facing right now?”

Chu Qiao lifted her head but did not answer. She knew this was a rhetorical question.

As expected, Yan Xun continued, “With the multiple factions within the military, everyone
has their own leaders. With the in ltration of Da Tong forces, the military is unstable, as
everyone has their own leaders that they follow. This will be the achilles heel of the Yan Bei
army.” Yan Xun stretched out his hand, and lightly caressed Chu Qiao’s hair, before
continuing, “All of these are matters that remain to be sorted out. It would no doubt be a
bloody process, but this is a path that must be taken for a new government to be
established. There is no right or wrong in this, and I am merely taking this path due to the
circumstances that I had been faced with. I do not wish for you to get involved in this ruckus
as well. Do you understand?”

Chu Qiao nodded. “I understand. Yan Xun, I do not want control over any forces. I merely
want to be by your side.”

fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
Hearing Chu Qiao, Yan Xun was mildly taken aback. He thought that Chu Qiao pursued his
forces merely to take back her position as the leader of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison.
At that moment, he started to doubt his initial judgment of her intentions. Yet, with the
warmth spreading throughout his heart, he nodded, and gently said, “That’s good.”

Yan Xun put down her hand and was about to leave. Putting on his blue robe, it seemed as
though his gure had slimmed down. Seeing his silhouette, Chu Qiao suddenly felt her heart
ache. She bit her lips and asked, “Yan Xun, do you trust me?”

Yan Xun’s footsteps stopped, but he did not turn around. Yet, his quiet voice echoed back,
like the soft sounds of waves crashing into the sand.

“AhChu, I have never doubted you. I merely hope that before the storm hits, I can protect
you from the ghting.”

With a sway of the veil, the gure vanished. Sitting on the bed, Chu Qiao was completely
devoid of her previous drowsiness. With the sound of the hourglass in the background,
everything was at peace. She was suddenly reminded of the promise that the two of them
had made long ago. There would be no secrets, and they would forever be honest with each
other. They must not let misunderstandings or any obstacles stand between the two of
them! Yet, that was merely a fantasy. There were a lot of things that one must keep secret
from others, and particularly, someone that one loves.

She should believe in him.

Chu Qiao silently bit her lip again. If she did not believe in him, who else could she believe
in? She tried her best to convince herself before lying back down. Before she closed her
eyes, the scene of those beheaded men on that square suddenly ashed before her eyes
again.

After traveling for seven straight days, the army had nally reached the Xuekui River in the
Yuyao province. Setting up the main camp by the mountain, the 200,000 soldiers settled
down. From afar, one could only see an entire patch of metallic white.

Chu Qiao had given up her command of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison for good
reason. After the battle of Beishuo, Chu Qiao’s reputation in Beishuo was on par with Yan
Xun, with many singing praises for her in the army. Plus, due to the fact that she had
followed Yan Xun all these years, along with her outstanding achievements, she had
become the de facto number two gure in Yan Bei. Yet, as the forces that had directly
caused the defeat of Yan Shicheng, Southwest Emissary’s Garrison had evoked mixed
feelings from the crowds. There were some who hated them for the past betrayal, and some
who appreciated them for defending Yan Bei. Such con icting emotions could be easily
made use of by anyone trying to plot something.

The loyalty of Southwest Emissary’s Garrison to Chu Qiao was well known to all. As long as
she maintained her command over these troops, Yan Xun would lose complete control over
this army. These troops would literally become her private army. Such a thing would be
intolerable to any ruler. As such, she must give up her authority and stand beside Yan Xun.
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
As such, if anything were to happen, she would be in a position of neutrality, and it would be
helpful for both her and the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison.

This idea was originally a very well thought out one. Yet, when she saw the new commander
that was appointed to lead the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison, she was lost for words. Her
frown deepened as her gaze became piercing with antagonism. The young commander who
donned a uniform of blue quietly gave his salutations before emotionlessly greeting her, “It
has been a while, Master Chu.”

“General Cheng.” Chu Qiao’s gaze froze, as she smirked. Quietly, she stated, “With the
parting at Beishuo, General Xue Zhiyuan died a horrible death. As you left with General Xia
An, I had thought that I would never see your face again. I had not expected that we would
meet again. This was really such a joyous reunion.”

Cheng Yuan lightly smiled. “The world is a small place. I believe we are fated to meet again.”

Chu Qiao snorted and walked toward Yan Xun’s tent. Before leaving, she coldly instructed,
“He Xiao, watch your men. Before I come back, no one is to do anything to the Southwest
Emissary’s Garrison!”

“Yes!” He Xiao loudly acknowledged.

With the cold wind blowing on her face, she thought, General Xue, I can nally take revenge
for you!

Yan Xun had the same dream again. With his forehead full of cold sweat, his eyes were
hollow like a bottomless abyss. Lying on his desk, his entire inner shirt was soaked.
Stretching out his lanky nger to reach for the teacup, one could see his neatly clipped nails,
along with the thick layer of callouses that resulted from his years of practicing martial arts.
Despite holding the cup with all his strength, his ngers trembled. After all these years, his
memory was no longer vivid, and everything had turned into a blur. He had always thought
that the years of tolerance in the Royal Capital had allowed him to forget. Yet, all it took was
an occasional dream for all his e orts in forgetting the past to be wasted. Those emotions
and memories that he had suppressed overwhelmed him again and again, wrapping him like
a blanket of blades, digging into his esh, scratching into his bones.

In the dream, blood owed endlessly. His parents’ eyes were wide open as blood started to
spill out from their eyes, looking like top quality red wine. After all these years, he thought
that he had already gotten used to those raging emotions. Yet, at the very moment that he
stepped into the lands of Yan Bei, those hidden emotions that had remained dormant for all
those years erupted yet again. Those emotions hibernated like snake until disturbed. Even
with its eyes closed, it instinctively knew where to bite. At this very moment, he nally
understood that merely returning to Yan Bei was not his salvation but was merely a drug to
subdue his emotions.

Staring out, his eyes were out of focus as his breathing steadily calmed down. Yet, an
intense hatred rose from within his heart. A desire for bloodthirst started to grow within his
heart. He had an insatiable desire to grab his blade, to swing it, and to feel the joy of
slashing into esh and bones.

fl
fl
fi
ff
fl
fi
fi
fi
At this moment, there was a ruckus in front of the door. The enraged sounds of a woman
seemed particularly piercing. His thoughts came to a standstill. Without thinking, he would
know who was his visitor. With a loud shout, he noticed the guards, and immediately, she
was allowed to enter.

Chu Qiao still wore that snow-white robe. In this period, she seemed to have grown quite a
bit taller. Standing there, it was apparent that she was no longer a child.

Yan Xun composed himself as he hid his emotions. Gently, he explained, “Those guards are
new, so they do now know you yet.”

“Why is Cheng Yuan in the army?” Chu Qiao wasted no time and was completely
unbothered by the fact that she had been stopped outside the tent.

Yan Xun, upon seeing how she seemed so serious, sat upright as well, and with a serious
face, he replied, “He contributed greatly. He killed the escaping General Xia An, and
returned with the Beishuo Garrison. That was deserving of a reward.”

Chu Qiao’s eyes sparkled, and she stared into Yan Xun, as though she wanted to nd some
kind of loophole in his expression. The man merely sat at the side, completely emotionless,
completely carefree.

“I want to kill him,” Chu Qiao slowly said. Her voice was especially calm, yet a tinge of
bloodthirst ashed in her eyes.

Yan Xun’s eyebrow raised very slightly, as he observed Chu Qiao very quietly without
replying. The atmosphere turned heavy, and one could almost hear the sound of the wind
blowing past the tents.

“I have informed you. I will take my leave now,” Chu Qiao quietly said, as she turned around
to leave.

“Wait a moment.” Yan Xun squinted, and seemingly unhappy, he looked at her frowning. He
slowly warned, “As of now, Cheng Yuan is the General for Southwest Emissary’s Garrison. If
something happens to him, the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison will not escape from the
crime of not protecting their commander properly.”

Turning around, Chu Qiao raised her eyebrow. “Are you threatening me?”

“I merely hope that you do not do something wrong.”

“He killed Xue Zhiyuan and the soldiers of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison. He almost
killed me. It not for him, the war of Yan Bei would not have su ered such heavy losses. This
person is despicable and cruel, and was a coward who merely sucked up to those in power.
You wish to protect such a person?”

Looking at the agitated Chu Qiao, Yan Xun’s expression did not change. He calmly stated,
“There are too many people in Yan Bei who have no fear of death, or bow to authority. I do
not think such qualities are very praiseworthy.”

fl
ff
fi
 Chu Qiao bellowed back, “So being ungrateful and being a coward is something that is
praiseworthy?”

“One person must have their own desires and fears in order for them to be easy to control.
AhChu, I hope that you can calm down and think about it carefully.”

Chu Qiao stared at Yan Xun. The scene of the warriors who had died under the Beishuo city
walls, along with the death of Xue Zhiyuan, replayed in her mind. She suddenly felt her
blood boiling, as her gaze turned sharp like a blade. Firmly, she asked, “What if I insist that I
wish to kill him. What will you do to me?”

Chapter 181
“You know that, no matter what you do, I will not do anything to you.” Yan Xun stared at her
and continued, “If this happened, other people will pay the price on your behalf.”

The lights outside were blinding. Chu Qiao felt pain in her eyes. The ames in the re basin
ickered on, warming the room, but she felt her blood turn cold to the point that it was
almost freezing. Her gaze was not xed; she seemed to stare at Yan Xun, but also seemed
to stare through him into the distance. His eyes and gaze were no longer that clear; he was
no longer that lively young man at the riverside back then, nor the fallen prince that su ered
together with her in Sheng Jin Palace. Time had driven a huge wedge between them – she
could not cross over, while he no longer attempted to cross over. However, as she thought
about this, she realized that less than a year had passed. She fully felt what exactly the idea
of power was.

“I understand,” Chu Qiao nodded plainly and waved her hands. “I will take my leave.”

“AhChu,” Seeing that she was this fallen, Yan Xun was moved. His heart ached. “Don’t be
like this.”

Chu Qiao lowered her head and replied emotionlessly, “Although I am stupid, I am not one
to betray others for fear of death. Your Highness, please search for others with this virtue.
The fate of Yan Bei lies in their hands. I still have something on, I will take my leave rst.”
Finishing her words, she did not even look at Yan Xun and stepped out of the tent. The
curtains moved slightly as the winds outside became bigger. Yan Xun sat behind his table,
staring at the door in a daze, as if he was expecting something.

This was the rst time that Chu Qiao had ared up at him. Throughout all these years, no
matter what he did, what mistakes he committed, she would forgive everything. Even when
he gave up on the people of Yan Bei a while ago, she did not feel angry.

The Southwest Emissary’s Garrison, the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison. Yan Xun recited
this name twice as unpleasant memories ashed across his mind again. “This name is such
an eyesore.” The young king of Yan Bei frowned and went deep in thought, his ngers
tapping against the table subconsciously.

fl
fi

fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
ff
 Yan Bei was windy all year round. Even as they had exited the territory of Yan Bei, the
weather did not seem to warm up. As she had just walked out of the tent, a man dressed in
blue stood not far away. His posture was upright, but he deliberately hunched his back
slightly, looking humble and respectful and not in the slightest bit despicable. He had the
airs and culture that an ordinary person did not possess. Seeing Chu Qiao walk over, he
looked up slowly and squinted. Smiling at her, he said softly, “General Chu, it’s been hard on
you.”

Chu Qiao did not even look him in the eye, walking towards her tent in a straight line. The
man laughed and continued in a mocking tone, “Looks like General’s trip was not that
successful!”

Chu Qiao stopped in her tracks, frowned, turned around and said in a low voice, “Cheng
Yuan, do you really think I won’t dare to kill you?”

“Why is General saying this? General has spent eight years with Your Highness in the
capital. You have won many battles and accumulated countless merits, even going as far as
to sever the head of Xia’s third prince personally. Who am I to be compared to you?”

Chu Qiao remained silent. She stared coldly at the handsome man, feeling a sense of
disgust in her stomach.

Cheng Yuan smiled and looked at her as he remarked, “However, the outstanding people
are the ones who receive the most criticism and jealousy. General, don’t you think that your
pro le is overly exaggerated now? After all, Your Highness is still the king of Yan Bei!”

Chu Qiao sneered and looked at the man in disdain. Plainly, she retorted, “General Cheng,
you are not t to sow discord between Yan Xun and I. By addressing you as General, I am
respecting his decision, but this does not mean that you can behave in such an unrestrained
manner in front of me. You better pray that my mood is good these days, or I cannot
guarantee that I won’t sneak into your tent at night and kill you. Even if you die, do you think
that he will fall out with me over you? You’re too naive and too full of yourself.”

Cheng Yuan’s eyes squinted. He stared at Chu Qiao silently but did not say anything. Chu
Qiao turned around and disappeared into the snow, without even looking him in the eye.

When Cheng Yuan walked into Yan Xun’s tent, Yan Xun was still sitting at his table in a daze.
Cheng Yuan remained silent but intrigued as he folded his arms and stood by the side
quietly. After a while, a low voice sounded out from the table. Without even turning around,
Yan Xun remarked, “Stay away from her.”

Cheng Yuan nodded in agreement and replied, “I will follow Your Highness’s orders.”

“If you agitate her, even I can’t help you.”

“Noted.”

The sound signal for dinner echoed out. Large groups of soldiers walked along in the snow,
making brushing sounds with their footsteps. Feng Zhi shouted a few times outside Yan
fi
fi
Xun’s door, asking him when he wanted to eat. Yan Xun did not reply as he looked quietly at
his map, his gaze shifting across the various territories of Xia sharply, like an eagle.

After Cheng Yuan got back to his tent, the look on his face turned cold. He slammed his
cloak onto the bed and frowned heavily. Jiang Teng was his loyal bodyguard who had
followed him around for a few years. Seeing Cheng Yuan in this state, he asked, “General,
what happened?”

“We need to eliminate her.” He seemed to spit out these words through the gaps between
his teeth. Without even revealing the person’s identity, the look on Jiang Teng’s face
changed. He advised, “General, you need to think twice. She is not to be underestimated.
Even if you succeed, Your Highness will not let this slide.”

“I know,” Cheng Yuan’s stare was vicious as he continued, “but if we leave her alive, once
she reconciles with Your Highness, I will die in her hands sooner or later.”

“But, Your Highness…”

“Don’t worry, I will not take her life now.” Cheng Yuan slowly sat down on his chair and
picked up a white jade tablet. It was not one of high quality, but it had Chu Qiao’s name
carved on it. It was her longevity tablet. “I will cut o her wings rst. I believe that Your
Highness will be happy to see this.”

Smash! Cheng Yuan let go of the tablet in his hand, causing it to break into smithereens
upon hitting the oor. It gave out a clear sound as it broke, like a musical tune.

“Furthermore, how can he achieve big things if he is restrained by a woman? My future and
hopes lie in Your Highness’s hands!”

Xuekui River was a tributary river located upwards and opposite of Yanming Pass. Due to
the snow, the surface of the river had been frozen solid. It took less than 14 minutes to travel
by horse from Yan Xun’s camp to Yanming Pass. However, regardless of Yan Xun or Zhao
Che, neither of them dared to attack recklessly like back in the rst con ict. For ve days,
other than small groups of reconnaissance scouts, no major battles broke out. They seemed
to test out each other’s capabilities, awaiting an opportune moment to strike.

As the snow became heavier throughout the days, the scouts traversed across the solid
surface of the lake, bringing back bits of information about the enemy to their respective
camps. The military strategy departments of both sides worked round the clock, analyzing
any relevant pieces of intel that were of interest. Chu Qiao labored continuously for a few
days, visibly losing weight. However, her military knowledge awed the leaders of Yan Bei’s
First, Second and Black Eagle armies. In less than three days, she had become the overall
commander of the Military Strategy Department.

That afternoon, Huanhuan and Xiaohe delivered another round of rations from Song. There
were su cient rations to go around, alleviating the demand for necessities such as cabbage
and bacon. Yan Xun was thrilled, and ordered AhJing and his people to deliver a batch of
gold back to Song on that very day.

ffi
fl
ff
fi
fi
fl
fi
As the war was approaching, AhJing was naturally unwilling to leave. An ordinary
commander could be tasked with running an errand of this nature, but Yan Xun claimed that
he could not trust anyone else. Hence, AhJing had no choice but to carry it out, his heart full
of worry. Before he left, he went to visit Chu Qiao. Along the way, the people he saw were no
longer young, familiar faces. They were no longer around as they had gone to recruit more
troops, or they had stayed in the cities to help the civilians rebuild their lives and agricultural
processes. AhJing felt unhappy inside his heart. Chu Qiao did not see him; Pingan, who
kept watch outside her door, told him that she had gone to the scouts’ camp to share her
intel. He did not know when she would be back. AhJing lamented his fate, and left a
depressed man.

As he left, Pingan entered the room, intrigued. He asked Chu Qiao why she did not go and
meet General AhJing. After a long while in thought, she answered, “This is for his own
good.”

The next day after AhJing departed, a battle broke out on Xiongxi Slope, located 40
kilometers away. The battle was not a major one, and had inadvertently broke out. 200
hundred scouts bumped into 100 Xia troops carrying rations coincidentally, neither party
wanting to meet each other. They stared at each other for a long time, before being forced
to brandish their weapons and ght each other.

By right, the scouts should have been the elite troops. They were known to be experts at
amassing intel, and adept at horse-riding. They had exquisite horsemanship and
swordsmanship, and were well-versed in long-range archery. As compared to the personnel
which delivered rations, they were unbelievably weak. When 200 scouts met 100 ration-
carrying troops, there would only be one clear, undisputed victor. However, the scouts from
Yan Bei were utterly defeated; only 10 to 20 of them managed to escape alive. When Chu
Qiao saw them, she was shocked and frightened to hear their descriptions. She ran back to
the Military Strategy Department and grabbed one of the personnel, asking, “Who is the
person in charge of logistics for this battle?”

The white-bearded o cial was obviously unaware of such a top-secret matter. He looked at
Chu Qiao, unable to speak a word.

Chu Qiao probed angrily, “Say it!”

“It’s our old friend, the fourth young master of the Zhuge family, Zhuge Yue,” a low voice
sounded out from behind her. Chu Qiao turned around and saw Yan Xun standing by the
door, his hat covered with snow. He was calm, but the look in his eyes was cold. He stared
sharply at Chu Qiao, trying to detect any change of emotion in her face, but to no avail. Her
expression remained the same as she stared at him while frowning, seemingly to ask: Why
are you here? These few days, they had been engaging in a cold war with each other.

“Tell me, how long more do you still want to ignore me for?” Yan Xun sighed and walked up
to her, grabbing her hand. Chu Qiao struggled to break free, but failed. She frowned tightly
and tried to execute her special techniques, but Yan Xun matched her movements and
maintained his grip on her hand.

ffi
fi
 “AhChu, don’t be angry anymore.”

Chu Qiao replied coldly, “How would I dare to be angry with Your Highness?”

Yan Xun’s face sunk as he chided, “Don’t make trouble.”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows and remarked, “Yan Xun, do you think that I’m throwing a
childish tantrum at you?”

Chapter 182
Yan Xun’s face turned black. He had already put his head down to apologize, yet she merely
brushed it aside with such passive aggression. Frustrated, he stated, “AhChu, did I spoil you
too much in the past? You were never like this before.”

Chu Qiao only felt like laughing. Spoiled her? For her entire life, and even in her past life,
never had she ever thought that she would ever be related to this word. Smirking, she was
not even sure if she was laughing at Yan Xun or herself. I wasn’t like this usually? Were you
always like this? Who is the one that actually changed?

“With war coming, this is the time when Yan Bei desperately needs men. Such a time is of
great signi cance, and we should be thinking of a counterattack for the Xia Army, not about
your personal grudges. You should take a moment to re ect on yourself!” With a ip of his
robe, Yan Xun left the tent. Chu Qiao stood rooted to the ground, as her gaze froze up. All of
the rage within her heart over the past few days turned into an icy ocean.

Was this really a period when Yan Bei desperately needed men? If that was the case, why
had the original generals of the First Army all been changed? Those o cers that Mister Wu
had groomed all these years had been reassigned to the backlines, and some even were
dismissed. Why had Lady Yu been assigned such a carefree job? Why had AhJing been
transferred away? As for Chu Qiao herself, why had she only been given intel that was
barely important, yet she did not even know that Zhuge Yue was the main o cer in charge
of logistics?

Yan Bei army has nally been united under one ag. But Yan Xun, why did you start to doubt
me?

Chu Qiao felt a heartache of such intensity, one she had never felt before. The fact that she
had been ostracized was something that left her rather depressed. Sitting on the chair, wave
after wave of coldness assaulted her body. Had Zhuge Yue followed the enemy troops? If
that was the case, it would really be disastrous news for the Yan Bei army. His military
expertise was in no way weaker that Zhao Che, and he had been one of the closest
disciples of Mister Wolong, the same teacher as Mister Wu and Lady Yu. Supported by the
nancial capabilities of the Zhuge Family, the entire tribe of Zhuge stood behind Zhuge Yue.
His presence also sent a signal about the attitude of the various Xia families about this war.
Would his arrival on the battle eld be a premonition of the intervention by the great families
in this battle?

fi
fi
fi

fi
fl
fl
ffi
ffi
fl
 On the bright side, that would mean that he was no longer ostracized by his family. Although
Yan Bei and the Xia Empire were at war, some news from the Zhen Huang City would still
occasionally reach her ears. Zhuge Yue had lost a lot of in uence in the Zhuge Family due to
the incident in the Tang Empire, and had been suppressed greatly by the Elder Council and
the Royal Family. Not only had he been stripped of his rank and position, he had been under
house arrest, unable to even leave Zhen Huang City. Zhuge Muqing had further ordered him
to never even step out of the Zhuge residence, and for a moment, he became the joke of the
Xia aristocrats.

Chu Qiao had tried her best not to think about these matters, as she knew that no matter
what she did, it would be of no consequence. She could never make up with him in any way,
or show her gratitude. She had always been such a person who would stubbornly walk the
path that she had decided upon, even if it turned out to be rife with di culty and danger.
Yet, occasionally, she would still remember that pair of determined eyes, along with his
hoarse voice. “Didn’t you realize it yet? I also need you!” It would be great if his only task in
this war was to oversee logistics, and that they would never meet. Hopefully, that would be
the case.

Chu Qiao was already dog tired, and had no mood to read that useless information.
Dragging her tired body back to her tent, she merely wanted to fall asleep. Just as she
walked to the West Camp, two guards’ voices reached her ears.

“I bet His Highness wanted them dead. Even General Liu who had merely spoken out
against His Highness in the meeting mysteriously disappeared on the battle eld. The area
that General Liu was in charge of was the backlines, and there were no enemies at all. I am
guessing, most likely he had been killed for good.”

“Exactly. They had stirred up such a ruckus. If not for Master Chu from the Military Sta
o ce protecting them, I bet they would have all been sent to their makers.”

An old soldier sighed. “His Highness has a di erent personality from our old Master.
hindsight, it seems that days were better when Mister Wu was in charge, and even Master
Chu would be more reasonable.”

“Exactly,” someone agreed. “Not only is she pretty, but her voice is also sweet. In addition,
she is reasonable and fair. It is no surprise that they would be so loyal to her.”

Frowning, Chu Qiao cleared her throat and walked out slowly. Those men were all guards
who were on guard duty for the night. Hearing her footsteps, they were surprised, as they
fumbled for their weapons before looking at her in shock.

“To discuss His Highness privately is a capital o ense.”

“Master, Master, we know our mistakes. Please pardon us, and let us live.” The men
dropped kneeling to the ground as they begged for her pardon.

Chu Qiao looked at them and slowly declared, “There can only be one commander in the
army, and Yan Bei can only have one leader. His Highness is Old Master Yan’s son, and is
the Master of Yan Bei. You should understand who you should pledge loyalty to. This is the
ffi
ff
ff
fl
ffi
fi
ff
 army, not a charity organization. Mistakes must be punished, and people will die on the
battle eld. This is nothing but the norm. If I catch you lot gossiping about His Highness
behind his back again, I will make sure to punish you by military law!”

Those men kneeled on the ground and quickly answered, “Yes, yes, we understand.”

“After tonight, head to the military punishment department, and request 30 ogs for each of
you. Just say that I instructed you lot to. ”

“Yes, yes.”

Without changing her face, Chu Qiao turned and left. Yet, she did not rush back to her own
tent, but instead headed straight to the camp of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison.

What happened? What were those guards talking about? What kind of mission had that
Cheng Yuan sent them on? All this could be found out if she headed to their camp.

“Master?” The young soldier lit up with delight upon seeing Chu Qiao, and happily trotted
over while asking, “Master, how did you have time to visit us?”

“Where is He Xiao? Tell him to see me,” Chu Qiao hurriedly instructed.

That soldier was taken aback, and replied, “Commander He brought our comrades out for a
mission.”

“Out for mission? What were they doing?”

“The scout camp was short on people, so we were reassigned under the Scout camp.”

Frowning, Chu Qiao quietly asked, “Who was the one who gave the order?”

That soldier’s face was full of disdain, as he answered, “Who else would, apart from that
General Cheng who was so desperate for results?”

“Where did they head to tonight?”

“I heard they had headed to Xiongxi Slope.”

As expected! Chu Qiao’s gaze turned sharp. Cheng Yuan, if you dare to act recklessly, I will
guarantee that you will not see the sun of tomorrow.

Taking a horse out of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison, Chu Qiao mounted it, and quietly
instructed, “Bring the rest of the men, and follow me.”

In the bone-piercing winds, the group of horses galloped through the snow in the pitch
black darkness. Yet, at this very moment, on Xiongxi slope that was 40 kilometers away, the
entire scene was overcome with chaos.

“Enemy attack!” The guards raised the torches in a rush and scurried through the horses
while loudly announcing, “Alert! Alert!”

fi
fl
“Who? Who are the attackers?” with bloodshot eyes, He Xiao asked. Although they had set
up a camp here, they were merely a small group of 1,000 cavalrymen. They had just
received orders to rest here, how could the enemies catch wind of their position so quickly?

“I do not know, General,” the soldiers loudly answered, “The enemy came from the
Northwest direction, and it is di cult to judge whether they are allies or enemies. What
should we do?”

That sentence held way more information than it seemed. Northwest direction? That would
make it even more di cult to di erentiate if the incoming enemies were Xia troops or if they
were Yan Bei soldiers. Considering the awkward situation that the Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison was in right now, both situations could be possible, and in fact, the latter might be
even more likely. Such irony this was! He Xiao frowned, and with a deep voice, he
instructed, “Regroup and tighten our formation. We shall not ght with the enemies until we
are clear about their identity.”

“Master, O cer Gu had charged out with the vanguards!”

He Xiao charged up the slope, only to see that ames were everywhere, as the sounds of
battle and alert lled the entire scene. The soldiers were all ghting alone, without any sense
of formation. If not for the fact that the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison was made up of
extremely experienced troops, they would certainly have already allowed the enemies to
break through.

There is still a chance, there is still a chance. He Xiao frowned, as he contemplated, and
asked, “Where are General Cheng and his men?”

“He left two hours ago.”

“F*ck!” He Xiao swore. He bellowed, “Prepare a horse for me! Quick!” Yet, at this very
moment, an arrow pierced through the air. Like a bloodthirsty beast, it ew straight toward
He Xiao’s head! He had no time to react, and he could neither parry nor dodge. It was too
fast, along with an overwhelming aura of bloodlust, it headed straight at him. It was as
though the entire area had dimmed, and there was only that arrow ying through the air. The
pitch black night was lled with rowdy sounds of metal clashing, much like a fearsome
banquet of gore.

He Xiao’s iris expanded, as his gaze sharpened. His skin tingled as though he had already
been cut. He himself was a master of the bow, and had rarely found a worthy opponent in
terms of archery skills. Yet, facing this arrow, he felt like he was merely a child, without a
single way of countering. It was like a farmer facing a skillful swordsman. The farmer could
swing his sts with all his strength, but would merely strike into empty air. Yet all the
swordsman needed was a simple yet intricate swing to bring the farmer down.

Too fast. Before he could react, the arrow was already before his face. He could feel the
shrieks of his subordinates, and the screams of the men around. Opening his eyes wide he
could not speak anything. Yet, he was still thinking, who exactly shot this arrow that could
rival even Master’s archery skills? To die at the hands of such an archery master, he would
have no regrets.

fi
ffi
fi
ffi
fi
ffi
ff
fl
fi
fi
fl
fl
Ping! A sharp collision resonated in the entire area. Following which, there was dead silence.
Chu Qiao had arrived on her horse, and with a ip, she stood before He Xiao, with her bow
by her side. At the ground before her horse, there was a pair of arrows with their tips
intersecting, looking like two owers facing each other.

“Master!” The men of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison cheered, “Master is here!”

Unexpectedly, the enemies stopped their attack. The two sides both started to tighten their
formations, and stood facing each other in the dark, with ames illuminating the entire
battleground.

Chu Qiao frowned. The way that arrow ew was so familiar. Her heart started pumping with
anticipation, yet her brows were locked together in both worry and fear, along with a tinge of
delight. If she had guessed correctly, if she was right, then tonight there was a chance…to
retreat without further combat…

The enemy split into two, as a white horse walked out from behind the soldiers. The man
atop the white horse wore a violet robe, along with silky clothes, and did not have the
slightest look of a soldier. His gaze was serene like an undisturbed lake, and he glanced
past Chu Qiao and the others. With overwhelming arrogance on his face, he waited a while
before opening his mouth. “They are but a group of refugees. Retreat.”

“Master!” An o cer darted out, and quickly asked, “How could they be refugees? They are
extremely skilled in combat, and it is de nitely an elite force of the Yan Bei army.”

Hearing that, the man slightly lifted an eyebrow. Looking down from his horse, the man
looked at that o cer from the corner of his eyes before questioning, “Do you have any
issues with my judgment?”

Chapter 183
The man froze and knelt on the ground. “I do not dare.”

“So you think that I’m colluding with the enemy to betray my country? Or that my brain has
a problem?”

Sweat trickled down the o cial’s forehead. Nervously, he said, “I am muddle-headed. I do

not dare.”

The man looked up without even staring at him. “Since you do not dare, then you know
what to do.”

“Yes, yes, I know,” the man stood up and ordered his soldiers, “Retreat, retreat! The troops
at the back, retreat rst. The others, follow behind in order.”

The man in purple turned around. Before he left, his look met Chu Qiao’s. The young lady
was dressed in white and appeared frail. Her eyes were big. She grabbed the reins of her
horse and remained silent. The wind brushed past her hair and created a perfect radian
pattern, just like a drop of ink which had made contact with water.

ffi
ffi
fi

ffi
fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
The enemy forces, made up of over 3,000 people, retreated right in front of them, sparing
the group of 1,000 “refugees”. The battle began by surprise and ended by surprise.
Someone nally stepped up and asked softly, “Are they just leaving like that?” Everyone
stared on in awe. After a long time, someone replied, “Didn’t you see that General is here?
They were scared away by her.”

“He Xiao, reorganize the army rst. I’ll be right back.” As Chu Qiao prepared to chase after
the enemy, He Xiao was shocked and pulled Chu Qiao’s reins back. Loudly, he exclaimed,
“General, please don’t! If you fall into the enemy’s hands, we can never atone for our sins,
even if we die.”

“Don’t worry,” Chu Qiao smiled. “Nothing will happen. That person…” Her words suddenly
stopped. Which word would she use to describe the relationship between them? Enemies?
Opponents? Or…”Is my friend.”

Even if Chu Qiao did not witness this personally, she could probably guess the identity of
the opposition. No one, other than Yan Xun, was able to match the force given out by her
arrow. Her horse had sprinted for less than half an hour before she saw two people standing
under a giant tree. One of the people approached her and laughed and said, “Miss Xing’er is
here. Young Master said you would be here. I was just worrying about this.”

The moonlight was pale. The giant tree was like a big umbrella, standing tall against the
snowy plains. Although its branches and leaves had wilted, it still remained upright. Zhuge
Yue stood under the tree and looked at her without saying a word. The white horse strolled
casually around him and neighed happily upon seeing Chu Qiao, as if it had met someone
familiar.

Yue Qi droned on as he led the reins of her horse. Chu Qiao jumped o her horse and
smiled at Yue Qi, saying, “I didn’t expect to see you all here. Are you all doing well?”

“Miss, who are you asking? Are you asking if I’m doing well? Yes, I am. I can eat and sleep. I
married my wife not long ago too,” Yue Qi smiled and answered.

Chu Qiao was slightly distressed but managed a laugh. “Congratulations then.”

“Yue Qi, go to the front and tell Yu Cao to slow down, lest he drops into the crevasse.”

Yue Qi turned around and replied to the man standing under the tree, “Young Master, Yu
Cao is a commander from the northwest. Instead of worrying about him, you should worry
more about whether I will drop into the crevasse on my way to deliver the message to him.”

Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows upon hearing his words, as anger ashed across his eyes.

Yue Qi raised his hands hurriedly and answered, “Alright, I’ll go now. I’ll take this as a
gesture of your concern towards your subordinates.” Finishing his words, he got onto his
horse and rode into the distance with a ing of his reins.

Barely two months had passed, but it felt like an eternity to Chu Qiao. Too many things had
happened within this timeframe. After the war with Xia had begun, problems had happened
fi
fi
fl
fl
ff
in great abundance, especially between Yan Xun and herself. Zhuge Yue’s words had come
true, sentence by sentence. She spent great e ort to walk towards him as countless
emotions started to well up from within her. At that moment, she was unable to comprehend
all of them. Their relationship was excessively awkward, causing her to be able to nd a
topic for conversation. She stood there, dazed, like a wilted tree on the vast plains.

“Did problems surface internally on your side?” Zhuge Yue opened his mouth and asked,
seemingly inquiring about top-secret intel.

Chu Qiao froze and looked at him, perplexed. What was he trying to say? Was he trying to
probe into the Yan Bei army’s intel?

“Your people led me here,” Zhuge Yue remarked slowly. “I guess that someone wanted to
use my hand to eliminate this army. I didn’t expect it to be your troops.”

Despite guessing the intentions behind this episode, Chu Qiao felt angered upon hearing his
words. She bit her lower lip and clenched her sts tightly, looking down on the ground and
remaining silent.

“Be careful. You met me this time. It might be Zhao Che the next time,” Zhuge Yue uttered
as he prepared to leave with his horse.

Chu Qiao was shocked. She took two steps forward and called out, “Zhuge Yue!”

Zhuge Yue turned around and looked at her as he frowned with his head slanted. Chu Qiao
thought for a long while before asking, “Will this implicate you?”

Zhuge Yue answered, “As long as you do not write to the Elders’ Clan, nothing will happen.”

Chu Qiao took a deep breath as her eyes sparkled. She looked at him before saying in a low
voice, “Thank you.”

Zhuge Yue prepared to leave on his horse. He waved his hand casually and remarked, “If
you cannot bear to strike yourself, tell Yan Xun when you get back. Internal con icts will
make this battle hard for your side.”

The snowy ground re ected the moonlight, causing the landscape to appear bright. Zhuge
Yue was wearing a purple robe and appeared handsome. His shadow grew longer as he
stepped away from her with his horse.

Chu Qiao stood rooted to the spot as his shadow faded into the distance, before nally
disappearing beneath the snowy slope entirely. Her throat felt blocked. Countless words
were stuck in her throat, while she was unable to express them. The surge of complicated
emotions nearly caused her to lose her rationality. She stood there for a long time and did
not move, until He Xiao, who was worried about her, caught up with his troops. Only then
did she snap out of her trance.

“General, let’s go back.”

fl
fi
ff
fl
fi
fi
Chu Qiao nodded and answered, “Go back and tell the other comrades to never mention
anything about tonight to other people.”

He Xiao nodded and replied, “Yes, General. Rest assured.” As he thought further, he
questioned, “Do we just forget about this?”

The look on Chu Qiao’s face turned cold. She sneered and remarked in a low voice, “Of
course we can’t.” She got onto her horse neatly. The warhorse neighed loudly, breaking the
tranquility of the silent night. The winds raged on, scattering the snow akes about, making
the environment appear even more desolate. Chu Qiao turned around and looked at the vast
plains behind her. It was a piece of white, like a vast, endless ocean. The big tree stood
there quietly; she did not know how long it had lived on its own, nor did she know how
many people had passed by it. The look in her eyes seemed to transcend time.

“Back to the camp!”

The winds were howling; the snow akes were scattered about. The pitch-black darkness
resembled a thick layer of ink. The soldiers from the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison stood in
front of the camp’s gates, reporting to its guards. After a while, the gates opened; its gaps
appeared as ferocious as a savage beast’s bloodthirsty mouth. He Xiao rode on his horse
beside Chu Qiao with his sword hanging by his waist, giving o a pale green re ection
which appeared striking under the moonlight.

“General, do we report this to Your Highness now?” He Xiao asked in a low voice.

Chu Qiao shook her head. The wind brushed against the loose strands of hair in front of her
forehead, like the touch of a dragon y. She frowned slightly and looked at the brightly lit
camp deeply. Firmly, she whispered, “There’s no need to. Complicating matters will lead to
more repercussions. We can execute the plan rst.”

He Xiao was hesitant. He frowned and asked, “If we do this, won’t Your Highness be
angry?”

“I don’t know,” Chu Qiao answered plainly. “Let’s do this rst.” As she nished her sentence,
she rode forward on her horse. The soldiers on sentry duty saluted her with synchronized
movements. However, she did not notice them, and rode into the central camp with more
than 1,000 soldiers from the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison that had escaped death. Her
team was like a tornado, sweeping past the grounds of the camp. The sounds of the horses’
hooves were like rumbling thunder as they scattered the snow akes about yet again.

A lot of soldiers were awakened from their sleep. Thinking that the enemy had attacked their
camp, they dressed up quickly and dashed out of their tents with their weapons. As they
stepped out, they were hit with the snow that had been scattered about. Seeing the soldiers
of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison approaching the east camp in an intimidating fashion,
they were shocked. There was a 40-year-old soldier who was not fully dressed; his belt had
been fastened halfway. His wrinkled face twitched as he managed a frown, remarking, “Why
are these fellas so ery? Something is about to happen. We should inform Your Highness
immediately.”

fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
ff
fl
fl
fi
fl
 “Strike!” Chu Qiao shouted. Over 20 hooks were thrown out as they fastened themselves
onto the tent. The soldiers whipped their horses, causing them to give out a long neigh
before they sprinted in all directions. The next second, the tent was torn to shreds. Cheng
Yuan was not fully dressed, but stood upright in the center of the tent, holding his sword.
Upon seeing Chu Qiao, he shouted angrily, “General Chu? What is the meaning of this?”

“General Cheng, you falsi ed military orders and colluded with the enemy to kill our own
people. How vicious!” He Xiao raged, his hands clanking against his sword.

Cheng Yuan frowned and pretended not to know anything, replying, “What are you saying? I
don’t understand.”

He Xiao wanted to speak, but Chu Qiao stopped him. She said, “Cut the crap with him.”

“General Chu, I think this is a misunderstanding. We can talk…” Before he had nished his
sentence, Chu Qiao took out the sword hanging by her waist and hollered, “Kill him!”

The soldiers from the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison swarmed forward. Cheng Yuan’s
personal bodyguards shielded him. They stood in the cold, their faces and lips pale, as they
had put on their armor. They raised their swords, but could only manage to stab the horses.
Before blood had splattered out, their heads had been severed. Shouts for help broke the
silence in the camp. Cheng Yuan hollered, “I need reinforcements! Reinforcements! The
Southwest Emissary’s Garrison has rebelled again!”

The nearest section was approaching at full speed. Their footsteps were like oodwaters
hammering at everyone’s hearts.

The leader of the third squad of the Second Army, Jiang Chong, approached with his troops.
As he dashed into the battle eld, he saw Chu Qiao standing tall amidst the chaos. She
shouted, “Warriors of the Second Army, do you intend to oppose me?”

Jiang Chong was stunned. How would he not know who Chu Qiao was? After the battle at
Beishuo, Chu Qiao had become a household name. Furthermore, he had the lifelong honor
of ghting alongside her in battle. At this instant, seeing her stand in front of the Southwest
Emissary’s Garrison, he was stunned. He reorganized his squad before shouting, “General
Chu, what’s going on?”

“I’m dealing with traitors. Don’t be rash now. Once this thing ends, I’ll answer to everyone.”

On one side stood the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison, who had been labeled as betrayers.
On the other stood Cheng Yuan, who had run away before the battle at Beishuo. Both were
sensitive issues within the army. Jiang Chong thought for a moment before ordering,
“Cordon o the area. If anyone dares to escape or spread the news, he is to be killed on the
spot!”

Chapter 184
Seeing how Jiang Chong no longer attempted to intervene, Chu Qiao felt at ease as she
raised her blade and told He Xiao, “Let us go. If we cannot settle this in a few minutes, we
fi
ff

fi
fi
fl
fi
 will never get such a good opportunity in the future.” With that said, the last of the
Southwest Emissary’s Garrison had entered the battle. In that split second, the roars of
ghting and the rumbling of horse hooves resounded. The bodyguards of General Cheng
gave out cried of despair, yet they had nowhere to hide. With his blade, Jiang Teng
protected General Cheng, and loudly cried, “Protect the General! Defend him!” Just as he
nished his sentence, an arrow pierced through the air and penetrated his chest.

The measly hundred bodyguards quickly dropped dead one after another, and their bodies
were trampled into a bloody mess by the horses. In the cacophony, the sound of weapons
clashing could be heard everywhere. The men of Southwest Emissary’s Garrison had
completely surrounded Cheng Yuan and his remaining guards. With wave after wave of
arrows being launched toward Cheng Yuan and his guards, his men dropped by the droves.

No matter how he shouted, there was no point. Cheng Yuan, with bloodshot eyes, felt like
he was about to go crazy. In his plan, by now the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison would
have ceased to exist, and no matter how angry Chu Qiao got, she would merely be a
defanged beast, and could do nothing against him and his hundred bodyguards. Yet, he had
not expected that not only had the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison not died, but they dared
to attack his main tent directly. This woman was really crazy beyond his imagination. Would
he really die here today?

“Orders from His Highness! Everyone is to immediately stop! Anyone who continues to ght
will be punished by military law!” With the messenger shouting from beyond the
encirclement, Cheng Yuan was immediately overwhelmed by relief. Yet, Chu Qiao pretended
as though she had not heard the soldier, as she stabbed her sword into yet another soldier
to display her determination to get rid of Cheng Yuan.

The snow-covered campground became a huge meat grinder, as the corpses turned into a
pile of bloody organic mass. With the sounds of ghting echoing into the sky, it seemed as
though the days of suppression and anger had nally erupted, as the Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison had quickly cleared all obstacles.

“Orders from His Highness! Everyone is to stop now!”

The messenger continued to shout. With a kick, Chu Qiao tackled Cheng Yuan to the
ground. With crimson blood streaming down her blade, and dripping onto the ground, many
faces ashed before her eyes—the handsome face of Xue Zhiyuan, the young faces of those
soldiers who had sacri ced themselves to save her, the face of the many soldiers who died
because the Beishuo Garrison had deserted the city, and the face which looked at her, full of
doubt…

Lifting up her blade, she wasted no time. Without saying anything, bloodlust ashed past
her eyes as she swung her sword down towards the man!

Cheng Yuan’s eyes widened in terror, yet he could not shout out at all. Before such a sword,
he could not escape. In the rst place, he had been struck with several arrows and had
completely lost his ability to ght.

fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
 Just as the sword was about to pierce his throat, an arrow pierced through the air. The
speed of the arrow was so fast, that it seemed like it would create sparks in the air. A loud
collision resounded as Chu Qiao’s wrist was numbed by the impact. The blade missed its
mark and stabbed into the snow, lightly grazing Cheng Yuan’s skin, leaving a trail of
crimson.

“Your Highness! Save me!”

In her rage, Chu Qiao’s eyes seemed as though they would spew ames. Pulling out the
blade, she swung it again, yet before she could even swing it, another arrow came. This
time, it was not targeted at her blade, but at He Xiao,, who was standing behind her. He Xiao
parried with his blade, yet he stumbled with the great force of that arrow. Stumbling back,
before he could ready himself, another arrow headed straight at his face!

Chu Qiao swung her blade to parry the arrow for him. Seeing how the arrow was shot with
such vigor, speed, and power, she had to use all her strength to parry the projectile. In that
instance, it was as though she had returned to many years ago in a certain palace, when
there were two children. One shot out arrows and the other parried. Back then, the arrows
they used all did not have tips, Unlike this time, where the gleam of the arrow tip shone with
a lethal shine.

When she had nally stopped the arrow, Cheng Yuan had already escaped. Wearing a black
blouse, Yan Xun rode tall on his horse. With one hand holding his golden bow, his other
hand had already grabbed another arrow. Behind him stood his bodyguards from the Black
Eagle Army. Standing behind him coldly, they emotionlessly watched over this mess of a
battle eld

The wind blew between them. Lifting up waves after waves of snow akes, one could hear it
howling.

“AhChu, what are you doing?” Yan Xun’s voice was exceedingly calm. So calm, that one
could not fathom his thoughts at all. His expression was extremely cold, as though he was
not speaking to his childhood friend who had accompanied him through his most di cult
eight years, but a stranger. A drop of blood rolled down Chu Qiao’s face, onto her neck.
Lifting her head, she saw Cheng Yuan standing beside Yan Xun in deference, loudly putting
the blame onto her and twisting all the facts. Yet, Yan Xun did not say anything. Seeing such
a scene, Chu Qiao merely felt that her heart had been covered by a thick layer of snow. Her
lips moved very slightly, yet she could not speak at all

She had always thought they would never have misunderstandings, and would never need
to explain anything to each other. Yet, she suddenly realized, that if she did not quickly go
and explain herself, she would really become the side who had tried to seed discord within
Yan Bei. Such irony that was.

Stepping up, He Xiao explained the entire incident. Of course, he hid the fact that the Xia
army had intentionally let them go, and instead claimed that they had discovered that
something was wrong, and had made a breakthrough.

fi
fi
fl
fl
ffi
 Without speaking, Yan Xun merely listened to He Xiao and Cheng Yuan shouting at each
other, with the soldiers of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison roaring in rage. The soldiers
around had gathered, and the night wind became stronger. Chu Qiao stood rooted to the
ground as her limbs turned numb with coldness. She seemed to have became deaf to the
sounds around her, and her vision was lled with Yan Xun’s eyes. It was so black, so clear,
but, why were his eyes covered by a layer of frost?

“AhChu,” Yan Xun bellowed. His voice was not particularly lou, yYe, the ruckus around him
immediately died down. He stared at Chu Qiao, and calmly asked, “Is it true?”

Chu Qiao quietly looked back at him. Her gaze pierced through the ages, as she was
mesmerized by their past. It was as if everything ceased to be, and there was nothing
except their eyes. From their rst glance at each other in the hunting ground in the Xia
empire, this turbulent age had connected the two of them who should have had no
connection. Many times Chu Qiao had wondered, had she came here after crossing through
thousands of years, piercing through an unimaginable distance on the fabric of space and
time, just for him? As such, no matter how tough it had become, how di cult it was, she
had stood beside him, tumbling, falling, and getting back up together with him. By the
hands of fate, they would never abandon each other and would trust in each other
completely.

Deeply nodding, her eyes were still calm, yet, her heart warmed up. Like a gambler who had
placed all her stakes on a single bet, she said, “Yes, it is true.”

The surroundings turned silent, as Yan Xun narrowed his eyes. His lips moved, and he said
something, yet, Chu Qiao seemed like she did not hear anything. That sound was so loud
and echoed in her ears. She could hear it loud and clear, yet that sentence became a bunch
of meaningless sounds, undecipherable to her.

Yan Xun asked, “If that is so, why did the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison not su er so little
losses? According to you, the enemy had over 3000 troops, and if they had previously
received General Cheng’s intel and had completed their preparation, how could you keep
your losses so low?”

“Your Highness, this subordinate feels that this could be a misunderstanding. I o ended
Master Chu in Beishuo. After being deceived by some evil men, I had accidentally killed
some of Master Chu’s subordinates. General Xue had been Master Chu’s good friend, yet
his death was also partly this subordinate’s responsibility. The fact that Master Chu would
be biased against me is only natural.”

The young generals that were recently promoted also started voicing their doubts. Why had
the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison nished their battle so quickly? If the enemy numbered
3000, even if their commander was incompetent, one would not be so complacent as to not
complete the encirclement and let her escape so easily?

The ruckus became louder, as though her ears had gathered a bunch of ies. Chu Qiao
would nd it impossible to explain. Could she really say that Zhuge Yue had let her go? With
so many people around, if this was spread out, would Zhuge Yue be punished by the Xia
fi
fi
fi
fi
ffi
fl
ff
ff
 Empire? In addition, she had lost her will to explain. Looking at Yan Xun, her gaze froze up.
As though a vanishing mist, she smirked in self-mockery, “You do not believe me?”

Yan Xun said, “Give me a reasonable explanation.”

Reasonable explanation? The orders from Cheng Yuan, the fact that Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison had lost eight men and had over 20 casualties, was this not su cient evidence?
Must the entire force be wiped out for the incident to be logical? Chu Qiao laughed out loud.
The intense disappointment and pain were akin to blades of unparalleled sharpness, slicing
into her heart. Biting her lips, it was as though her heart would start bleeding. She retorted,
“Yan Xun, after knowing me for so many years, have I ever done anything that was
disadvantageous for you?”

Yan Xun frowned, yet he did not reply.

Chu Qiao continued to laugh as the frigid wind continued to blow on her face. Her lips were
numb, and her eyes were like a lake that was slowly freezing up, eventually withering like a
ower in autumn. Glancing past everyone, her eyes were like the wind caressing past them.
A seed of suspicion and doubt had already been planted, and everything would change. Yan
Xun was already the King of Yan Bei, and was no longer that powerless prince. There were
so many people who would stand beside him, and she was no longer the only one for him.

“I swear by the heavens and earth that whatever I said was true. If you do not believe me,
you can kill me as a traitor!” With that said, she stopped looking at everyone, and merely
dragged her body. Stumbling, she almost fell. He Xiao and the others tried to reach out for
her in support, yet they were pushed away. The frail body of the young lady seemed so
weak, and her unnaturally pale complexion seemed so transparent that one could see her
blood vessels underneath her skin. With the ravens ying overhead, crowing, everyone
seemed to be left behind by her. Quietly walking, it was as though she was forcing him into
a decision. Would he shout for her to halt? Or would he kill her? Or would he rush up, hug
her, and tell her that she thought wrong, and that how could he ever doubt her?

Yet, he did not do anything. He merely stood there, surrounded by his thousands of loyal
subordinates. The light of the torches illuminated his face, so bright, so piercing. Staring at
her, his eyes were still emotionless. He had not run up to her but spoke no more. He had not
killed anyone either. Time owed between the two of them, as the snow started to fall. Their
distance grew larger, as though mountains and oceans had suddenly appeared between
them on this tiny camp. In a blink of an eye, it was as though tens of years had passed.
From the beginning when they rst met each other, to the time that they stood beside each
other and fought beside each other. The words they told each other still reverberated by her
ears, as the promises were still vivid in her mind. Yet, all those treasured words of promise
seemed so cheap and worthless now.

Yan Xun, we have been through thick and thin, and life and death. We survived the toughest
days of our lives. We promised that we would return to our homeland together, and rebuild
Yan Bei together. We also promised that we will take revenge together. We promised that we
will trust each other forever, and never abandon each other for all of eternity.

fl
fl
fi
fl
ffi
 Yet, the world never turns out as simple as what one imagines. You had said that I was the
only one that you would ever trust in this world. Yet, you did not know that after all your
experiences you had long forgotten how to trust. That includes yourself. You could not trust
anything that you could not control. That includes the Da Tong guild, Mister Wu who was
well-liked by the populace, Lady Yu, who was talented and skilled, and AhJing, who loyally
stayed by your side all these years. It also included the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison who
had sworn loyalty to me, and of course, me, Chu Qiao, who contributed so much for Yan
Bei, and had countless ties with you.

Chapter 185
Tears streamed down Chu Qiao’s eyes in a neat line. She removed her heavy cloak and let it
fall to the ground. At this moment, the general who had taken West Meng by storm and
terrorized Xia had disappeared. She was merely a fallen young lady. Her face was pale and
frail, her eyes were deep. Her hands, which she used to wave around passionately when
commanding, slumped to both sides weakly. The look in her eyes was blank. Tears
streamed down her skinny face, causing a sensation of pain as it was dried by the winds.

Only now did she realize that her love for Yan Xun had been deeply etched. As it
accumulated over all these years, those feelings had seemingly blended into her
bloodstream and become part of her body. Previously, she did not realize it when he was
engaged to Zhao Chun’er; she did not realize it when she was forced to be separated from
him by traveling to Tang herself; she did not realize it when she was staring in the face of
death while defending Beishuo. It was because at that time, no matter how far apart they
were, their hearts were joined. She knew that he loved her deeply, regardless of whether he
was forced to stay by someone else’s side, regardless of how far they were separated, and
regardless of whether they lived or died. However, at this moment, he stood behind her,
watching her fallen shadow depart. It dawned on her that all this did not compare to his
suspicions!

Her loyalty and love for him was as sturdy as the mountains; it would not be moved even if
there was a catastrophe. If the trust was still there, she would not even blink an eyelid even
if she died. Hence, when he abandoned the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison at Zhen Huang
City, she was not angry. When he gave up Yan Bei again, she forgave him in the blink of an
eye. Subsequently, when he killed the soldiers of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison and
protected Cheng Yuan, whose fault was it that he continued to take the path of no return?
Was it the trauma that he had experienced? The feuds that ran deep in his heart? The many
years of suppression and craziness? Or was it she that did not manage to hold him back?

In a ash, she walked into a pitch-dark tent. The outside of the tent was colored white and
stood tall like tombstones. Chu Qiao’s legs buckled, causing her to fall on the snowy
ground. She reached out her hand to support herself up, but did not manage to do so. The
cries which she had suppressed nally surfaced. She knelt on the ground, her hands
clutching the snow. It felt so painful, like she was holding an icy cold knife. Her shoulders
were quivering, unable to suppress the sorrow inside her. Tears started to stream down her
face.

fl

fi
 Yan Xun, how could you doubt me? How could you suspect me?

The snow became heavier. Chu Qiao was dressed in white and slumped on the snowy
ground. She covered her mouth and cried in silence as the snow accumulated on her
shoulders.

The next day, Chu Qiao made a request to Yan Xun personally, for her to leave the eastern
war zone and head back to Yan Bei with the soldiers of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison.
She was to head back to Huihui Mountains along the district of Shangshen to carry out
irrigation and agricultural works, in order to help the civilians repair their lives after the war.

Yan Xun looked at her request for a long time, before approving it quietly with a “Yes”. There
were not many letters in the word, but he took a long time to write it. When he penned the
nal strokes, the sky had brightened. The sunlight shone on the snowy ground, making the
surroundings appear even more desolate.

The sky was clear on the day of Chu Qiao’s departure; the fog, which was still present a few
days ago, had dissipated. None of the soldiers came to send her o , not even Yan Xun. She
rode on her horse and looked up at the azure blue sky, seeing white eagles circling in the air.
Their cries reverberated for a long time around the landscape.

Yan Xun, I’m leaving. Take care of yourself.

On the day that she left Shangshen, the sky was similarly clear. Although the new year was
approaching, the weather was still cold but the skies were sunny, blue and clear. The
sunlight was warm, appearing like golden strands of silk. A row of well-built, t warhorses
galloped along the snowy plains. The row of horses stretched over a long distance; it was
estimated that there were about 2,000 people.

Presently, it was the tail end of the year 776 of the Bai Cang calendar. In half a month’s time,
the new year would arrive. On the way, Chu Qiao met a lot of merchants who were on their
way from the inner mainland to carry out their trades. Yan Bei’s economy had become
prosperous. Although the war at the border had not ceased, a lot of merchants from the
inner mainland made their way to Yan Bei along the water routes of the southern borders to
carry out their trading.

Chu Qiao removed the hat on her head and looked up towards the azure blue sky. The look
in her eyes was clear. In a ash, a year had passed. The young lady had grown taller; her
face and contours appeared more mature. Her hair was neatly tied up. She wore a green
cloak as she rode on top of her red warhorse.

Ge Qi approached her from the front on his horse and remarked, “General, Commander He
Xiao wants me to pass the message to you, that we will be setting up camp at the foot of
Minxi Mountains tonight. He has made preparations beforehand together with the advance
party.”

Chu Qiao nodded; suddenly, she heard the cries of the eagles above her. She raised her
head and gazed into the distance. Once they had passed Minxi Mountains, they would
reach Huolei Plains. Further on, they would reach the newly conquered Northwest Territories
fi
fl
ff
fi
 of Yan Bei. That piece of land used to belong to Xia, but had been integrated into the map of
Yan Bei. The war at Yanming Pass had dragged on for an entire year.

That year was an eventful one. The year 775 was known as the most chaotic and turbulent
year in the history of West Meng; it deserved its place in the history books. After the war
between Xia and Yan Bei broke out halfway, a series of mishaps happened in the territory of
Xia. The civilians at the northern region stirred up trouble, along with their seven rulers. This
severely depleted the resources available to supply the battle at the northwest, including the
number of conscripts available to be drafted into the army. Driven to desperation, Zhao Che
had to change his strategy from attack to defense, guarding Yanming Pass to the death, in
order to buy time to settle the internal con icts. As the storm had subsided, the Tang
Emperor abruptly passed away. Amidst the chaos, the Crown Prince of Tang, Li Ce,
ascended the throne. Due to internal discord within the Tang Empire, small skirmishes
erupted at the borders separating Xia and Tang. If not for Zhao Yang, who was sent to the
border to stop the ghting, Xia would have faced the prospect of ghting a three-pronged
war. Everyone witnessed this sight. The Xia Empire, in just a short year, was obviously on the
path of decline. In the west, they were powerless to conquer Yan Bei; in the north, they were
unable to appease their civilians; in the south, they were unable to scare Song into
submission; in the east, they were subjected to Song’s economic embargoes. Presently, the
continent of West Meng no longer had one dominant superpower.

Half a year ago, Yan Xun o cially ascended the throne at Luori Mountains, declaring Yan Bei
as an independent state. They were known as the state of Yan, naming their calendar as the
calendar of Chuyuan. With the exception of Xia, the other empires of Tang and Song did not
object to this motion. With this, he o cially became the legitimate ruler of Yan Bei,
stabilizing his position within the country.

That day, Chu Qiao was not present. She told her subordinates to leave, as she scaled
Huihui Mountains alone. Nada Palace was situated atop the peak of Huihui Mountains – it
was the palace that Yan Shicheng had built for his wife, Bai Sheng. It was made up of white
stone and submerged within vast plantations of red and yellow owers. It appeared like a
scene in an ink portrait—peaceful and tranquil, without any trace of human disruption. The
eaves of the rooftops were upturned, making the sight look like a paradise. The water
owed and made sounds, as if it was describing the love showered upon the king’s wife.

She sat on the peak of Huihui Mountains, hearing the carefree singing of the shepherds in
their farms below. The sound was soothing, and had the power to calm anyone who heard
the voice. She gazed towards the horizon, saw the grey shadow of Luori Mountains, and
smiled. Despite being far away from each other, she seemingly saw the man dressed in a
majestic robe, basking in his glory. Her lips curled upwards as she smiled and looked up.
The wind brushed past her face and caused her green colored clothes to sway slightly,
appearing like a blossoming green lotus.

The present-day Yan Bei was no longer like the past. With Song providing economic
support, Yan Xun obtaining the advantage in the war, and Chu Qiao’s e orts in the
reconstruction and revamping of the mainland, it signaled the rise of this new royal capital.
Yan Bei’s weapon technology was miles ahead of the other three empires. Under Chu Qiao’s
fl
fi
ffi
ffi
fl
fl
fi
ff
 leadership, they built a series of munition factories in succession, constructed over 30 large
mining areas, carried out irrigation works, made Yan Bei’s land suitable for agricultural
works, and established large food production areas in the vicinity of Huihui Mountains along
the district of Shangshen. That autumn, Yan Bei produced twice as much food as compared
to previous years, making their supply of food self-su cient. They invested heavily in
medical developments, built military schools, and improved trade relations between
themselves and the empires of Song and Tang. Although Chu Qiao’s motions to abolish
slavery were not passed through, slaves were rarely seen on the streets which were under
her jurisdiction. The liberal government policies, coupled with the law and order of the
society, attracted large hordes of civilians and merchants. In less than a year, Huihui
Mountains had been transformed into a large residential area. Its rural elements were
replaced with elements of a business district, much like in the northwest.

The unit designation of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison was ultimately canceled, as they
were no longer part of Yan Bei’s ghting forces. As they set up their camp around the vicinity
of Xiuli River, they were renamed as the Xiuli Army. Chu Qiao also came to be known as the
General of Xiuli by the civilians. Presently, the Xiuli Army was made up of 9,000 people. As
the new year approached, it was the last time that they delivered rations to the frontline
troops before taking a well-deserved break.

Before dusk, Chu Qiao and her party had reached Minxi Mountains. There were many vast
plains in Yan Bei. Although Minxi Mountains was known as a mountain, in reality, it was just
a small hill which was less than 100 meters tall. When Chu Qiao and her party arrived, He
Xiao and his troops had set up the tents and prepared a feast. Chu Qiao guzzled down a
mouthful of warm, meaty soup, the day’s fatigue subsiding as she drank up.

The most beautiful time of Yan Bei was nighttime. It was the 15th day of the lunar calendar,
as the full moon shone brightly in the sky, illuminating the snowy white plains. Along the
mountains were tributary rivers which had been frozen solid. The previous day, when she
passed by Mawei City, its mayor had insisted on giving her a present. As she could not
refuse his o er, she had to choose a box from the big carriage. When she opened it, it
revealed a green cloak inside. It was exquisitely woven with sable fur, causing it to shine. It
was smooth to the touch; it was evident that this was a priceless, high-grade treasure.

Four replaces were lit within the tent, su ocating the atmosphere. Chu Qiao put on her
cloak and walked out of the tent, all the way to the foot of the mountains. Her shadow was
desolate; the moonlight was pale as it shrouded her shadow lightly. The guide who led the
way told her that this was the temple belonging to the Goddess of Yan Bei. It was
constructed by the ancestors of Yan Bei hundreds of years ago. Through the years, it had
always watched over the land of Yan Bei.

Chu Qiao lifted her foot as she walked along the rugged mountain paths. Heavy snowfall
had accumulated along the pavements, causing her to walk knee-deep in the snow. For two
hours, she walked and walked, until she nally reached the peak. This was a palace made
entirely of stone. It was not big; its height was equivalent to four humans stacked together.
There was one gate each at the eastern and western parts of the building. Chu Qiao stood
at the western door, gazing at a statue which was almost touching the roof. It seemed to
fi
ff
fi
fi
ff
ffi
 occupy a majority of the space in the temple. The temple was dilapidated; snow seeped
through the cracks on the rooftops. Cobwebs and dust were ever present around the
temple. However, that solitary statue had not a speck of dust on it, as it stood tall in the
temple. The goddess’s face was serene. Looking at her, Chu Qiao seemed to visualize Yan
Xun’s mother at Jiu You Platform many years ago. Her eyes were calm and gentle. The
contours of the stone revealed a dress which was uttering in the air. Her stomach was
bulging; it was evident that she was pregnant.

When she was young, Yan Xun had told her that the goddess of Yan Bei was female. The
goddess had two sides: one was a valiant warrior with an ax in her hands, which
represented subjugation and massacres. The other side was a warm, gentle motherly gure
who was pregnant, which represented watchfulness and prosperity. Presently, as she stood
in front of the statue, she realized that his words held true.

Chapter 186
Just as she was about to observe the other side, she heard another set of footsteps from
the other side. The palace was well ventilated, with the wind blowing in from the west door
and out the east. Yet, Chu Qiao froze up. With a slight frown, she reached for her Sword of
Moon Shatterer. Yet, before she could draw her blade, she had the illusion that the sword
started to vibrate, as though resonating with something. With that, a strange urge rushed
through her mind. Before she could help it, she had quietly shu ed over to the left side of
the goddess’ statue, and lightly, she poked her head out.

With the snow drifting down in the distance, and the winter plums in full bloom, a certain
gure came into her view. Under the battle ax of the other side of the goddess, he wore a
silvery grey fox fur cape with a pristine white undershirt. Just as elegant as before, his eyes
were still like a frozen lake, with his lips in a crimson shade of red. He was still the same
person that stood out from the crowds as before. With a gust of wind, the red plums were
brought into the palace from the outside and landed on his shoulders. This instance was
illuminated by the pale moonlight that shone through the layers of clouds. He was also taken
aback and seemed to have not expected to meet her here. For once, he was actually lost for
words.

A young yellow bird ew into the palace to hide from the snow. After circling the area once,
it landed on the shoulder of the goddess. Its pea-sized jet black eyes observed the duo
before it started chirping crisply.

The man looked at her, as his gaze pierced through the misty palace. Frowning, he looked
as if he wanted to say something. His gentle gaze swept past her frail shoulders, her slender
neck, her skinny face, and nally landed on her surprised eyes. After a long while, he looked
away and turned around. His lonesome silhouette walked o towards the exit in rm steps,
with his cape sweeping up dust on the ground.

“The next few days will have some heavy snow storms. You must watch out.” Just as Zhuge
Yue reached the door, Chu Qiao’s voice echoed out calmly. Her voice was like premium tea
that could only be found in the Tang Empire; soothing, with a tinge of sweetness.

fi
fl

fi
fl
ff
ffl
fi
fi
Zhuge Yue stopped in his tracks and turned around. With a light ick of his eyebrow, he
asked, “You are not worried?”

Chu Qiao earnestly replied, “I am, but I have no choice.” She shrugged helplessly and
pretended to be very worried. Yet, her voice seemed ever so gentle.

A tinge of gentleness ashed pass Zhuge Yue’s eyes. With a calm voice, he replied, “Rest at
ease. My in ltration of Yan Bei has nothing to do with the war.”

“That would be great.” Chu Qiao smiled. “Is there anything that requires my assistance?”

“Yes,” Zhuge Yue gave an unexpectedly honest reply.

Chu Qiao was taken aback, as she had not expected him to really say anything. She quickly
asked, “What help do you need?”

“Do not expose me.”

Chu Qiao was left with her mouth agape. She had completely not expected that Zhuge Yue
actually was capable of casual banter. After taking a few seconds to process those words,
she replied, “How could I?”

The bird suddenly chirped with joy, and darted to a replace at the corner. One then noticed
the smell of cooked meat lling the entire room. Chu Qiao walked past the goddess statue,
and saw that there was a small table carpet in the corner, with a copper basin placed on the
table top. In the copper basin, there was a small ame cooking a pot of food. With the thick
soup boiling and the meat tumbling in the pot, the smell was so good it could induce
hunger. Beside the pot, a few plates of fresh meat and vegetables were placed at the side,
with a silver octagonal wine bottle placed at the very side.

Chu Qiao smiled. Pointing at Zhuge Yue, she asked, “Are you leaving? These will be mine.”

Taking a moment to think, Zhuge Yue walked over to the short table and sat down. Stoically,
he said, “Dream on.” As expected of someone born with a silver spoon, having grown up
with the best resources, even as Zhuge Yue was deep in enemy territory with such a huge
snow storm brewing, he continued his lifestyle. His food was prepared with such intricacy,
as the thinly sliced pieces of mutton were rolled and stacked up on the plates, and the fresh
vegetables still had water droplets on them. Even his chopsticks were made of pure silver
with beautiful engravings. Picking up a slice of the mutton, he put it into the boiling soup.
The meat quickly turned in color, and as it cooked in the boiling water that released clouds
of steam. Eating hotpot in the winter was indeed a great enjoyment.

There was an entire set of cups. Chu Qiao still vividly remembered his habits. Long ago,
even in Qing Shan Court, he would put entire sets of utensils on the table even if he was
eating alone. It was as though there were many people eating with him.

Chu Qiao picked up the wine bottle, and poured a cup for him before pouring one for
herself. Seeing that, Zhuge Yue frowned and asked, “Since when did you start drinking?”
Her hand that was holding the cup trembled very slightly. Indeed, she had never drunk much
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
 alcohol. Since when did she start to consume this thing that served only to cloud her mind?
Slowly lifting up her head, she calmly looked at him. Raising her cup, she said, “Although
the wine is not mine, toasts to you.”

Zhuge Yue’s seemed to be deep in thought, as he did not even lift up his cup, but merely
observed her.

Chu Qiao drank the cup in one gulp, and calmly said, “This cup is to thank you for all these
years of help and letting me o .”

In the past year, it was as though Chu Qiao had grown taller again. Her delicate face was
decorated by two thin, ne brows. Her eyes were big, yet it seemed like they were covered
by a thin veil to conceal her true thoughts. Even with the cup of wine before him, Zhuge Yue
did not drink it, as he merely continued to add meat into the boiling pot. Without lifting his
eyes from the food, he retorted, “Are we singing some kind of opera? We are eating, do not
talk so much nonsense.”

Chu Qiao frowned. “Even when eating, there is usually an opening speech.”

Zhuge Yue remarked, “Handling those old men in the royal capital were tiring enough. I have
no energy to handle you here.”

Chu Qiao quietly muttered some complaints before picking up the chopsticks to eat. Seeing
how she was too fast, Zhuge Yue cautioned, “Careful, it is hot.” Before he even nished his
sentence, Chu Qiao yelped. She had obviously been scalded. Seeing that, Zhuge Yue rolled
his eyes, and commented, “Good for you.”

Although she had been scalded, the taste was good. Sitting there, the duo initially were
chatting nonstop, but before long they were fully immersed in the food. The entire plate of
mutton was quickly devoured. Chu Qiao seemed to be still unsatis ed, as she continued to
sh for food in the pot, and ate up all the vegetable as well.

“I heard you were promoted? Congratulations.”

Zhuge Yue calmly replied, “It was alright. After killing a good 10,000 Yan Bei soldiers, they
promoted me. I heard you had also been promoted?”

“Same here. I plucked out the remaining Xia soldiers in Meilin Pass, and was promoted too.”
Chu Qiao glanced at him, and asked, “I heard you were appointed as the Chief
Commandant of the Western Front, and are no longer subservient to Zhao Che?”

“That was merely thanks to His Majesty’s generosity. I would not dare to aunt that. On the
other hand, I’ve heard that the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison had been dismissed, and
expelled from the regular troops of Yan Bei army. Even their weapons were limited,” Zhuge
Yue casually remarked.

“Xiuli Army is in charge of policing the region, and it would only be natural for our weapons
to be limited. However, I heard that the Wei Family had sent Wei Shuye to Yanming Pass.
Isn’t that an attempt to reduce your authority?” Chu Qiao smiled as she said.

fi
fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
 “Hope may not always translate into results. Right, I have heard that Wu Daoya from Da
Tong had restricted his presence to Luori City, and could not even attend the parade this
winter.”

“Any organization will have friction between the members. Have you not experienced much
of that yourself? In the rst place, what you hear may not necessarily be the truth. For
example, I heard that Zhao Yang had been gathering troops in the Southern Front, and, as a
result, hindered progress in the West. I wonder how true that is.”

“There is a saying that if you repeat a lie enough times it will become the truth. I totally
agree. I heard that you had been rebuilding Yan Bei, and had focused on trade. Even the Xia
merchants secretly started to trade with you. That seemed amazing.”

“I was merely playing the fool. Compared to you, that was nothing. I caught wind of the fact
that you had an overwhelming victory in the battles of Caoqiu and Jinhui, capturing over
10,000 men from the Eighth Battalion of the Second Army. If not for that, we could have
taken advantage of the incidents in the North of Xia Empire to breakthrough into Xia
Territory.”

“The Xia Empire has existed for over 300 years. It is not something that will disappear
overnight. Right, I have heard that the Quan Rong people had a serious case of famine this
winter, with civilians dying by the thousands. Are you not worried that they will take this
chance to start a war for resources with Yan Bei?”

“What will come will come. There is no point in worrying. We could only prepare for any
possible situation. Plus, I heard that in the northeastern region of the Xia Empire, the Li Zhen
People were trying to copy Yan Bei and ght for independence. What do you think about
their chances of success?”

“I heard Lady Yu of the Da Tong Guild was also given a useless role.”

“I heard last month the Xia Elders Council gave an empty position to the Murong family.
How quickly power could change hand is truly surprising.”

“I heard Yan Bei created a new type of material that could create weapons that are even
more durable than iron and steel. Was it made by you?”

“I head the Zhen Huang City endorsed the 46th order to close the borders to restrict the
ow of military resources in the market, and may be starting a war with the Song Empire.
Was this all caused by you?”

“I heard you will be bringing the rations to the Yan Bei main camp soon. If the rations do not
arrive, they will run out of food.”

“I heard you came here to check on the commerce of Yan Bei, and to nd out the factions
that are trading with Yan Bei. If proven true, those forces will be decimated by the Xia
Empire.”

fl
fi
fi
fi
 Their conversation was interrupted by a loud buzz. The two swords that were placed on the
carpet were buzzing, trembling, as though they could sense the tension in the air. That small
bird was long gone, and only the two of them remained sitting, facing each other. The coal
crackled as the soup continued to boil. In the bubbling soup, the crimson chilies looked like
the fresh blood of the warriors.

Ultimately, they were on di erent sides. It was as though they had intentionally released
such a ferocious atmosphere to remind each other that they were enemies, not friends, and
that each of them had their own responsibilities.

“I heard, after the new year, you and Yan Xun will be marrying,” Zhuge Yue nally picked up
his wine cup, and casually mentioned.

Chu Qiao also lifted her head up. Calming her breath, she replied softly, “I heard too your
ance is the daughter of General Le Xing.”

Zhuge Yue nodded, “Yes, our marriage will be soon.”

“General Meng is already aging. With General Le Xing’s growing authority, your future will be
bright. ”

Zhuge Yue lightly smiled. “Perhaps the next time I see you, I have to address you as Lady of
Yan”

Chu Qiao shook her head, and seriously rebutted, “Since Yan Bei has already declared our
independence, I should be addressed as the Queen of Yan.”

Chapter 187
Zhuge Yue remained silent as he drank his cup of wine. The wind blew between the gap
separating them, bringing with it an icy chill. Chu Qiao looked at him as the past memories
ashed across her mind. She was slightly dazed as she held her wine cup in her hand, not
knowing what to say.

“I saw him.”

“Who?” Chu Qiao asked.

“The man who lured me to kill the soldiers from the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison.” Zhuge
Yue looked up and continued, “His name is Cheng Yuan. Presently, he is the chief marshal
of the First Army of Yan Bei. He has assumed Wu Daoya’s position. Other than Yan Xun, he
is the next most powerful gure in Yan Bei.”

Chu Qiao lowered her head, not speaking a word. Zhuge Yue looked at her and thought for
a long while before nodding and saying, “You made the right decision to head back to the
inner mainland of Yan Bei. The power struggle within the Yan Bei army is complicated. You
should not stay at that place.”

Chu Qiao smiled. “Yes, this year has been good for me.”

fi
fl

fi
ff
fi
 “That’s good then.” Zhuge Yue smiled heartily. “If you had a position, you would naturally
care about matters relating to that position. The Da Tong Guild has considerable and deep
in uence. If not for the threat of my troops, Yan Xun would have been ousted. Having one or
two smart and experienced people is useless. A power struggle would be inevitable. It’s
good that you understand the reasons behind it. It’s bene cial to you.”

Chu Qiao nodded and replied, “I understand. In order to achieve something, a price has to
be paid. These small setbacks will not defeat me.”

Zhuge Yue smiled. The cloak made of fox skin brushed against his chin. Zhuge Yue was
handsome; additionally, there was a sinister feeling in his charisma. This instant, he was
sitting in front of Chu Qiao, talking about matters that only the two of them would
understand. Chu Qiao suddenly felt that this man understood her deeply. There were some
things which Yan Xun did not know, and that she was not willing to face it either. However,
he could get ahold of her thoughts through the various clues dropped to him. For example,
her dreams, beliefs, hopes, joyful and sorrowful memories…

This was a man to be feared. He had a sharp military brain, possessed extraordinary martial
arts skills, and was outstandingly scheming. Furthermore, he had the backing of his
powerful family. However, Chu Qiao was not able to read through him. Over these years,
what exactly had he wanted?

Yan Xun wanted to take revenge by annihilating Xia and conquering the world; Zhao Che
wanted the royal throne, power, and riches; Li Ce also wanted Xia to claim his land back and
rebuild Tang’s reputation. As for Zhuge Yue, what did he want? No one knew or was able to
guess. Looking at his pitch-black eyes, Chu Qiao felt that she was slowly sinking in. His
gaze was like a whirlpool as he looked at her. It looked gentle on the outside, but a
passionate re was brewing from inside. Perhaps he had stated what he wanted. Back in
Tang, he held her in his embrace and suppressed his arrogance and anger. He said in a low
voice, “I need you too.” How could a person like him speak like that? However, those words
became her torture, marked the start of her lifelong nightmare, and turned into the words
that she could not nd an answer for.

“Zhuge Yue, the swords have no eyes on the battle eld. The court is unpredictable too. Take
care of yourself.”

Zhuge Yue gave a warm smile, showing the occasional warm expression. He looked at the
statue of the female goddess in the palace and said slowly, “Those things have nothing on
me.”

Everyone had an achilles’ heel. As for his, it was about to disappear as the person he loved
was about to marry someone else.

Zhuge Yue stood up, his enlarging shadow appearing handsome under the moonlight. He
was like a stone statue, radiance emerging from his face. He looked up quietly towards the
tall statue. The woman’s beautiful face showcased her intimidating heroic spirit. Her dark
red body armor was visible as time had carved its mark on the statue. It looked like trails of
blood were trickling over her body armor. Her war axe was in her hands; she was standing
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
 back-to-back with the motherly-looking statue. The look in her eyes was ferocious, like a
burning ame.

Zhuge Yue was slightly dazed. He was unable to describe how he felt when he rst saw this
statue. In that instant, he seemingly saw someone through this statue. The person was
similar to this statue, holding rm beliefs and noble aspirations. His past self would have
disregarded all this. From young, he was born into a noble family. He had seen his fair share
of scheming and people plotting against each other. He believed that human nature was
evil, and that being calculative was necessary in order to survive. However, later on, he
slowly understood the idea that people did not have to just live for themselves. People could
have noble aspirations. When they worked towards these aspirations, they showcased their
most beautiful side. Previously, he did not know what kind of force was holding her up. He
did not know why she was so rm in her beliefs. He did not believe in destiny; sometimes,
he even thought that heaven’s will stood on her side, and that the heavens could not bear to
let her down!

Some things, which led to him becoming resentful and shameless, had been planted in his
heart. He hated himself for his timidness and devotion, but was not able to resist the
burning thoughts which became increasingly passionate by the day. He was not sure when
it had begun. They were still young back then; she had not been taller than a horse’s leg.
How did he develop such absurd feelings for her? However, in the days and years that
passed, he often dreamt of the look in the child’s eyes as she left. It was determined and
stubborn, like an agitated little panther who would never submit to a hunter’s whip even if it
died. He was sure that he had been bewitched for many years. He was bewitched by her
rm beliefs, by the sharp look in her eyes, and the parting sentence that she gave him:
Zhuge Yue, wait and see!

Hence, he watched and watched as she broke out of her cocoon and emerged as a
beautiful butter y. He watched her ascend to the top, watched her su er from immeasurable
fatigue, and watched her fall and pick herself up again and again. Despite su ering many
hardships and injuries, her determination never wavered.

In this world, who would stay by your side even when you fell into the depths of hell? Who
would stick by you even when you had nothing to your name? Who would disregard their
lives and follow you wholeheartedly? Most importantly, who would still stick by your side
unconditionally even after being shunned and given the cold shoulder? Yan Xun, you do not
know how lucky you are.

Zhuge Yue laughed and turned to walk outside. The strong winds blew at his cloak, causing
it to utter in the air. Those things that he could not have, he would let it go. The phrase
“request” did not exist in his dictionary.

“Zhuge Yue!” Chu Qiao shouted after him. His body jerked and he stopped. The young lady
sprinted to his side. Her feet sunk in the snow as she stepped in it.

Zhuge Yue turned around and raised his eyebrows slightly. “Is there anything else?”

fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
ff
ff
fi
Chu Qiao unfastened the Moon Shatterer Sword which hung at her waist. She raised it up
and handed it over to him, saying with a stern expression, “Take care.”

Zhuge Yue looked at the sword on her hand, but did not receive it. He did not have the
intention of returning the Canhong Sword which was hanging around his waist either.

Chu Qiao felt a little awkward, but stubbornly raised her sword and looked at him,
determined. She resembled a little kid which refused to eat her meals as she could not get
any candy.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Chu Qiao bit her lip and thought for a short while, before saying, “The full-blown war
between Yan Bei and Xia is about to break out. We will meet on the battle eld then. I will not
give any mercy, and you do not need to care about me anymore. We…”

The look on Zhuge Yue’s face turned cold. He lowered his head and raised his eyebrows,
causing Chu Qiao to feel a little uneasy. Her voice slowly trailed o .

“Xing’er, ask yourself this truthfully. If we meet on the battle eld, would you really sever my
head?” Zhuge Yue’s voice was low and soothing. His words were seemingly not spoken
from his throat, but from within his heart. Chu Qiao’s palms were cold, but sweat trickled
down her palms. Her mouth was dry as she took a deep breath, suppressing her feelings of
unease. Slowly, she replied, “I will not kill you, but I will do my best to defeat you.”

A low laugh drifted over. Zhuge Yue lowered his head and shook it, remaining silent. He took
the sword from Chu Qiao and turned around to walk away from her, taking slow steps along
the snowy ground.

“It’s a pity. I can’t do it.” It was not that he couldn’t do it. He was unwilling to. He knew that
failure would be akin to death. Furthermore, how could he take away her only method of
survival?

Chu Qiao bit her lip, seemingly troubled by some matters within the heart. Her chest started
to hurt. She looked at his upright shadow and felt a chill up her spine. She lowered her head
and uttered word by word, “Life is a bed of thorns. If one’s heart and physical self is not
moved, one will not be injured. If one’s heart and physical self is moved, one will su er
immense pain and be exposed to life’s hardships.”

Zhuge Yue stopped in his tracks. He remembered this sentence vividly. It was so long ago,
when he was still a moody, cold young man while she was a child with nothing to her name.
In the brightly lit night, he attempted to get her to recite this phrase.

How ridiculous! Zhuge Yue smiled coldly. If one did not move, did that mean that one would
not necessarily get hurt?

“I have been pierced by the thorns already,” the hoarse voice echoed across the peak. The
wind blew past, drowning out the voice.

fi
ff
fi
ff
 The snow started to fall again. To the east of Minxi Mountains, a crowd of merchants set up
camp. They were probably Zhuge Yue’s men. Chu Qiao stood in front of the doors of the
temple, looking at the man’s shadow disappear slowly into the snow. She felt another chill
up her spine. She walked into the temple, picked up the wine pot on the ground, raised her
head, and gulped down a mouthful of wine. The warm liquid trickled down her throat, giving
o a spicy aftertaste. As she looked up, she saw the warrior staring at her with ferocity,
seemingly berating her for her recklessness and disregarding the big picture. However, the
motherly-looking statue looked at her with a warm, gentle look in her eyes, seemingly
understanding her predicament and empathizing with her. She slowly squatted on the
ground, feeling aggrieved. She sat down and leaned against a tall pillar, huddling in a corner
while grabbing her knees. She appeared frail, like a kid who had not grown up.

The next day, when she prepared to set o , a hurried sound of horses’ hooves echoed out
behind her. In the vast, snowy plains behind her, a group of horses sprinted towards her
direction. The lady on the horse was dressed in a silver cloak made of fox skin, which
appeared big over her body. She approached from the east, not stopping even when she
saw Chu Qiao’s party.

He Xiao raised his eyebrows and rode his way to the front. With a low voice, he exclaimed,
“Who is that? Reveal your identity?”

The lady turned to look at him as she raised her eyebrows. She laughed, and actually
whipped her horse twice with even more force, accelerating towards them. He Xiao frowned
and attempted to stop her, but saw the lady raise her eyebrows again. With a crisp voice,
she hollered, “Ji Xiang, kick him!”

The warhorse under her seemed to understand what she was saying. It stopped and let out
a long neigh. As He Xiao approached, it stood up on both back feet, and used its front feet
to deliver a kick to the stomach of He Xiao’s horse. He Xiao’s horse let out a cry of agony,
and collapsed on the ground.

He Xiao was agile; he managed to get to his feet after rolling on the ground once. His helmet
had fallen from his head while the snow covered his head, making him look pathetic.

Chapter 188
“Who are you?” Humiliated, He Xiao shouted.

The woman did not even look at him, and merely smiled at the other lady who was
approaching her, asking, “You are Chu Qiao?”

Chu Qiao nodded. She saw that the intruder was a lady with beautiful eyes and tender skin.
Her eyes were warm and her expression was gentle. At rst glance, one could mistake her
pristine white skin for snow, and her pitch black eyes as the night sky. On her face, there
was a tinge of handsomeness as she observed Chu Qiao with impunity. Yet, what attracted
Chu Qiao the most was not her looks, but the cape that she wore. If she remembered
correctly, this cape was worn by Zhuge Yue the day before. Seeing that, Chu Qiao frowned.

ff

ff
fi
“My master requested me to hand this to you.” It was the Canhong Sword. Chu Qiao took it
and thanked her. “Thank you. May I ask for your name?”

“My surname is Meng. I believe we will meet again soon. Farewell.” Having said that, the
lady pulled on the reins of her horse, and the horse quickly turned around and galloped o ,
leaving the enraged Commander He Xiao rooted to the ground.

“Master, who was that woman?”

Those guarding Chu Qiao were all elites of Southwest Emissary’s Garrison, and were all
trustworthy soldiers. Chu Qiao did not hide anything, and answered him calmly, “I believe
she is General Meng Feng, who has become famous in recent battles.”

“Meng Feng? Meng Tian’s granddaughter?”

Chu Qiao did not speak, and merely pulled out the Canhong Sword from the scabbard. She
could almost see a re ection of her iris on the polished blade. It had already been two years
since she last saw this sword, and she had already gotten used to the touch of the Moon
Shatterer Sword in the past two years.

Ge Qi quietly asked, “She is the granddaughter of Meng Tian? But she did not look like it. To
be frank, I think she looks like Lady Baisheng.”

“Do not let her hear that!” He Xiao quickly explained, “She was adopted by General Meng
Tian, and had been groomed as a man since young. She even studied at Shang Wu Hall
along with the other boys of the Meng Family. After Zhuge Yue was promoted to Chief
Commandant, she was assigned as his subordinate. In the last half year, she was
particularly active on the frontlines. Why did she suddenly appear here? Master, should we
head up to nd out more? There may be some conspiracy here.”

Chu Qiao did not reply, and merely continued to observe the sword. Only after He Xiao had
called out a few times did she nally respond. Calmly, she instructed, “It would be best if
everyone pretended that nothing had happened today.” Upon hearing that, people all
understood something, and they continued on their journey.

At this time, Meng Feng had already caught up to Zhuge Yue and the others who were in
disguise. Removing her cape discreetly, she handed it to Zhuge Yue’s servant. After
changing back to her usual attire, she casually walked over to Zhuge Yue, and informed him,
“The item has been delivered.”

Zhuge Yue acted as though he had not heard anything, and merely walked o . Meng Feng
smiled as she looked on at his gure. In her mind, she started to analyze his thoughts.
Usually, there would be two cases when a person walked away before waiting for the other
person to nish talking. The rst would be when he was not in the least bit interested; the
second would be when he was afraid that his thoughts could be discerned by others.
Looking at this classmate of her’s from Shang Wu Hall, she started to whistle casually in
amusement. What Chief Commandant Zhuge was thinking was something that everyone
could tell!

fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
ff
ff
 “This trip was totally worth it,” she mused to herself.

After three days, Chu Qiao nally reached the Yan Bei camp that was set up along the
Xuekui River. By the time the rations had been unloaded, the sun had already set. After
eating dinner, Chu Qiao chatted with her comrades, and returned to her tent.

After one year, Pingan had grown much taller, and was already a big boy. Smiling, he started
to boil water for her, and kept talking about his experiences. He was full of hospitality.

Yan Xun was not in the army. By now, there was a fort that was built along the Xuekui River.
Named Longyin Pass, it was merely separated by a river from the Yanming Pass. The bulk of
the Yan Bei forces were gathered at the Longyin Pass, and Yan Xun had already settled the
bulk of his camp into the fort. Only occasionally would he visit the nearby camps.

After travelling on the snowy plains for many days, it had been a long time since she last
took a bath. Lying in the bathtub, Chu Qiao felt like she could fall asleep. Unfortunately, she
still had paperwork to settle, and could only take a quick bath before dragging her tired
body in front of the desk to start reading.

The night dragged on, and even the air smelled like the army. With the ames shining onto
Chu Qiao’s face, the contours of her delicate face were projected onto the side of the tent
as a shadow. From the outside, one could see a clear and beautiful outline. It had been over
a year since she had last seen Yan Xun. In the past year, apart from formal communication,
they had barely talked to each other. Even their occasional letters were written in a formal
tone.

Sometime back, an old lady suddenly headed to Hui Hui Mountains and looked for Chu
Qiao. Upon seeing her, the old lady gave her a ton of things from Yan Xun, and kept singing
praises about Chu Qiao. Only after speaking to the old lady for a long while did Chu Qiao
nally understand that the old lady was there to act as a therapist for her and Yan Xun. To
require someone to act as a therapist was such an amusing development. After living
together all their lives and depending on each other, they needed a third party to act as a
therapist. Their relationship had reached a point where they needed a therapist.

That old lady came in the name of matchmaking, but actually her job was merely to inform
her. A stream of bridal gifts lled Chu Qiao’s room, and running out of space to place them,
Chu Qiao eventually had to ll the corridor and the courtyard. Everything was rare goods,
ranging from pearls that were as large as a child’s st, to a coral reef that was as tall as an
adult. From silk clothes that where so thin and light that one could send them ying with a
soft blow, to shoes carved out of premium jade. There were also ruby earrings, rainbow
colored porcelain, and even luxury goods from the far West, etc. It was as though all of the
rare goods of the world had been brought before her eyes. In addition, Yan Xun had
announced that he would build a palace atop Luori Mountain called Nada Palace as her
residence. At that time, Chu Qiao found out in the northern dialects, “Nada” meant “true
love”.

With all the luxury that one could imagine of placed before her eyes, she should have felt
touched, or even cried tears of joy and appreciation. Yet, she was not jubilant in even the
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
 slightest. She sat on a vine chair. Her ngertips were pale and cold. If it had been a year
ago, perhaps she would jump in joy. She kept feeling that all these presents was merely Yan
Xun’s e orts to reconcile and make up with her.

Yan Xun had changed so much that she could no longer recognize him. Many times she
questioned the meaning of her actions. Even if Yan Xun won, it was merely the replacement
of the Zhao Family by the Yan Family, which was the normal shifting of dynasties like any
other nation. Whatever she had envisioned was now headed in a path that she had not
desired. Yet she kept lying to those kind civilians, convincing them to enter the army,
encouraging them to rebuild their homes, inspiring them to ght with courage. These
civilians gave their all, and many even sacri ced their lives, ghting on the battle eld while
wholeheartedly believing that they would leave behind a better era for their children. But
ultimately, they would merely die in vain. These naive civilians were unknowingly ghting a
war that was irrelevant to them. Everytime she started thinking about this, Chu Qiao felt that
she was a complete assh*le. She had been a liar through and through.

Leaning on her desk, she placed her forehead on the pages. She felt a bit tired. The
candlelight ickered in the darkness, occasionally lighting up brightly for a short moment
before returning to its usual brightness. Everything was so quiet, and she almost fell asleep.

Yan Xun stood before her tent for quite a while. Upon knowing that Chu Qiao would be
arriving, he rode his horse, and with merely 20 bodyguards, he returned to this main
encampment. In the current circumstances, such an act was irrational as there were too
many people who wanted him dead—the Xia Empire, the Quan Rong people, and even
some Yan Bei people who merely appeared to be loyal to him. Yet, his desire to meet her
was too strong, so strong that he threw all cautions to the wind. But standing before her
tent, he dared not enter.

The King of Yan Bei that had shocked the world. One who dared to bring the elites of his
troops deep into the Xia Empire when Yan Bei itself was at risk of being conquered, turned
into a coward who dared not even enter a small tent.

According to Grandma Yin, AhChu had cried out in joy upon hearing the news of their
marriage, and kneeled down on the ground crying words of thanks. He knew that Grandma
Yin was merely trying to make him happy. How could AhChu cry in front of others? How
could AhChu kneel on the ground to show thanks? Yan Xun could almost imagine what
AhChu would be like when she heard everything. She must have sat there emotionlessly,
quietly, while the old lady kept talking. And at the end of the old lady’s monologue, she
would just say, “Alright.”

That was what most likely happened.

In Yan Xun’s imagination, while Chu Qiao listened to the old lady blabbering, beside her
there were be documents laid out in the open, and a cup of tea that had already turned cold.
She would be wearing a casual cotton shirt with her long hair loosely hanging by her side.
She would be completely unfazed, as though everything was none of her business. Even
though that was their marriage, it was their marriage that they had fantasized about, even
back in Zhen Huang.

ff
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
Yan Xun did not know what went wrong. Perhaps he did, but he did not want to face it. He
thought that he still believed in AhChu. He knew that even if everyone were to betray him in
the world, AhChu would not. But precisely because of that, he did not want her to remain in
the army, and did not want her to be overly attached to the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison.
The world was constantly changing. Even if one did not intend to, there would always be
people and things that would push one onto a certain path. Yan Xun was afraid that there
would be a day that he would stand on the opposing sides of her. When each of them had
their own group of supporters, they would have no choice but to ght each other.

AhChu was an excellent strategist, but she was not an excellent politician. She would never
know the dark side of politics. What he desired would result in rivers of blood and
mountains of corpses. He did not regret doing all that, as everything was voluntary. No one
had forced him to do as such, and in fact, he had actually enjoyed the process of killing. The
hatred and resentment that had built up over the years had been gnawing at his heart, and
the humiliation he had faced those years haunted him in his sleep. Yet, he only wished that
as he did all this, she would not be there to see him rear his ugly side. He wished that she
would not judge him with her eyes, and eventually hate him. Perhaps she would feel angry
now, but time would heal all wounds. He would use his entire life to make up with her, to
explain to her.

Yan Xun con dently smiled. When he held the whole world in his hands, she would
understand what he had done today was right.

The frail shadow that had been projected onto the tent was so clear that he could tell which
part was her eyes, which part was her hand. With the silvery moonlight bathing his gure,
his black overcoat seemed ever so depressing. The man’s gure seemed so solemn in the
barren white background, along with the singing of Yan Bei folk songs by some warriors in
the distance.

Slowly, Yan Xun stretched out his hand. Illuminated by the moonlight, a grey shadow
appeared on the tent. Yan Xun’s hand was raised up, as his shadow drew near. Finally, the
grey shadow touched the black shadow. It touched the nose, the face, and the forehead.
The shadows showed the contours of the lady’s gure, and a her lover’s hands.

Chapter 189
He wanted to touch her hand. As he was about to do so, a dark cloud drifted over and
blocked the moon, causing darkness to envelope the landscape. Yan Xun stood there
awkwardly with his hand outstretched. The snow on the ground was scattered about by the
wind, onto his cloak. He appeared like a statue in the snow.

She had not met Yan Xun despite staying in the military camp for three days. Only on the
fourth day did he travel down from the pass. When she saw him, she was in the midst of
packing her baggage. Yan Xun walked in uninvited, without a soldier alerting her. The
blinding ray of light shone from his back. Chu Qiao turned around and was momentarily
blinded. Yan Xun was wearing a long, black robe, with golden dragon patterns embroidered
on it. He stared at her deeply, remaining silent for a long time.

fi

fi
fi
fi
fi
The light was blinding. The specks of dust could be seen oating around under the light.
Chu Qiao looked at Yan Xun. In that instant, it felt like they were in Yingge Court many years
ago. The young man had just come back from his martial arts training, all sweaty. He liked to
stand behind her without making any noise, waiting for her to discover him. Back then, they
were lonely. Other than each other, they had no one else. Unlike now, when they were
surrounded by many people, they seemed to drift even further apart. Chu Qiao stood up and
wanted to kneel down to salute him, but could not manage to call him “Your Majesty”. Yan
Xun walked up to her and held her hand. She did not resist nor look up. Her body was held
in the man’s embrace, while her forehead leaned on his chest. She could hear his lively
heartbeat, which reminded her of the war drums at Beishuo City. The sky was bright; the
landscape was colored a bright golden. The curtains of the tent uttered in the air due to the
winds. Chu Qiao widened her eyes, seemingly able to visualize the green grasses in the
season of harvest. Her heart had drifted far away, and was no longer with him.

“AhChu, are you leaving?” Yan Xun asked in a low voice, but she did not reply. He let go of
his hand, seeing her half-hearted gaze. “AhChu?”

Chu Qiao raised her head and nodded. “Yes, I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“The new year is coming. Stay with me.”

“There’s no need to. I have some things to settle, I need to go back.”

Yan Xun replied stubbornly, “Leave it to other people. I want to spend the new year with
you.”

“The Quanrong people are coveting Meilin Pass. I’m worried.”

“They need to celebrate the new year too,” Yan Xun looked at her and said. As if nothing
had happened between them, he continued, “No need to settle this personally. I will send
someone else to settle this matter.”

Chu Qiao remained silent and lowered her head, looking at the little circles of light forming
on the ground, like a lattice. Yan Xun’s mood brightened up as he said that he wanted to
bring Chu Qiao to Xiling City to spend the new year. That was a new city that he had
established. It was prosperous and lively. He had prepared a comfortable mansion and a
personal room for her. He repeatedly emphasized that he had eaten a delicious snack while
he was young. After he had recovered Yan Bei, he looked around for the chef who had
prepared it for him. When he tracked him down, he realized that the chef had died amidst
the con ict. Luckily, his son was still alive and had inherited his father’s culinary skills.
Presently, he was housed in the courtyard of Xiling City. He droned on and on, and started
to appear naggy.

Chu Qiao listened for a long time before she looked up and said quietly, “Yan Xun, I don’t
wish to stay here.”

Yan Xun was stunned as he appeared tongue-tied. His endless stream of words stopped.
He looked at Chu Qiao and answered after a long while, “You’re still blaming me?”

fl
fl
fl
 Chu Qiao shook her head and replied calmly, “It’s just that I don’t wish to stay here and
pretend to be at peace with you, acting as if nothing has happened. When you have sorted
out your thoughts and let go of everything, including your suspicions, I’ll come again.”

Yan Xun stood there as the look on his face turned cold. He stared at Chu Qiao deeply, and
then turned around to walk out. He took big strides; his shadow disappeared in a ash.

Chu Qiao sat on her bed, suddenly feeling fatigued. She felt that cold wars like this were
meaningless, but she could not nd another escape route for herself. The Quanrong people
were still making trouble outside the pass. Furthermore, after the new year, spring would
have arrived. She needed to make precautions in advance. Also, she had the trade
exchange session coming up in spring. There were many things lying in wait for her, but she
revelled in having errands to run. She smiled bitterly and helplessly as she continued to
pack her baggage. This military camp was too su ocating; she did not wish to remain here
any longer.

Yan Xun sat in the central tent, anked by his generals on both sides. The atmosphere in the
tent was su ocating as the generals were moody. It did not have the happy mood of the
new year.

“If we go to battle, based on our abilities at hand, the Second Army can deal with 100,000
to 150,000 Xia troops. With a bit of luck, we can withstand the attacks of about half the Xia
army’s forces for two days. However, their frontline commander cannot be Zhuge Yue. A
while back, at Queshu Valley, he killed over 2,000 of our people. The soldiers fear him. I’m
fearful that the low morale of the soldiers will a ect the outcome of the battle,” a general
delivered his analysis.

Another person spoke up, “Based on our scouts’ reports, Zhuge Yue is not currently in the
camp. It looks like he has headed back to Zhen Huang as the Xia Emperor is gravely ill. As
Zhao Che’s ally, he should support him in ascending the throne. However, there are rumors
circulating that the Xia Emperor has decided his successor to the throne, and it is not Zhao
Che.”

“The new year is coming. The Xia army is unstable in terms of morale. Zhuge Yue is not
around too. If we take this opportunity to barge into Yanming Pass, it is a feasible idea. Your
Highness, this is the military strategy map that the Military Strategy Department has come
up with.”

Yan Xun scanned the map coldly, seeing all sorts of fancy writing scrawled on the paper.
Cavalry troops at the frontline, shielded troops behind… It was but a strategy of frontal
attack, anked by backup forces at the sides. They were but ordinary military strategies. He
frowned and looked at the commander, who was about 30 years old. Coldly, he questioned,
“Is this the strategy that you guys have come up with after working around the clock for
over 10 days?”

The man was shocked, cold sweat trickled down his face. “We have analyzed the strengths
and weaknesses of the opposition and ourselves, we have analyzed…”

fl
ff
fl
fi
ff
ff
fl
“That’s enough.” Yan Xun interrupted him brashly and continued, “Are there any more
practical things to report?”

No one dared to raise any more suggestions, seeing that Yan Xun was in a foul mood. In a
short moment, everyone in the big tent took their leave, leaving Yan Xun alone as he sat
there, frowning, in a foul mood.

In a short while, another shadow walked in and knelt on the ground. He lowered his voice
and remarked, “I did not let you down. I have something to report to Your Highness.”

The daylight was blinding as it shone on a badge of a red cloud on the man’s collar. The
symbol used to be on the ensign of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison. Presently, it was
representative of the Xiuli Army.

That day, Yan Xun did not eat his dinner. He gathered his trusted aides over the night, and
left the camp together with an army of 5,000 guards without even saying goodbye to Chu
Qiao. As his troops stepped out of the military camp, the Canhong sword which she had
placed on the table gave o a thud. Chu Qiao turned around suspiciously, only seeing the
fumes from the incense pot. She felt her heart beat rapidly. She took a sip of tea; the icy
cold liquid trickled down her throat, but was unable to cool o the feeling of panic she felt in
her heart.

What was going on? She frowned slightly. The snow raged on outside, making the
surroundings appear desolate.

When Yan Xun received the news and arrived at Daping, the battle had ceased. Zhuge Yue’s
forces had departed, leaving a heap of bodies and swords behind. The group of 500
assassins which Yan Xun had valued highly had been wiped out; none of them were left
alive. Looking at the mountain of bodies, Yan Xun felt his temples throbbing.

“Your Highness,” Cheng Yuan bowed and stood by his side, saying respectfully, “do you
want me to go back and gather some people? He is in our territory. Would he be able to
escape?”

The look in Yan Xun’s eyes was deep as he looked at the corpses again, their eyes still wide
open.

Cheng Yuan stood at the side and asked hurriedly, “Your Highness?”

“Gather some people immediately.”

Seeing that Yan Xun had adopted his suggestion, he nodded happily and asked, “How
many people does Your Highness want?”

“Bring the entire Black Eagle Army over.”

“Ah?” Cheng Yuan, who was a master schemer, was shocked upon hearing Yan Xun’s
words. He asked in surprise, “Your Highness, the recruitment drive for the Black Eagle Army
has just ended. There are over 100,000 people, while Zhuge Yue has barely 300. Are so
many people needed?”

ff
ff
 Yan Xun sneered lightly as his gaze shifted towards the invisible enemy, hidden amongst the
vast, snowy plains. His eyes were squinted. Coldly, he replied, “If we kill him, it is akin to
severing half of Zhao Che’s brains and one of Xia’s limbs. It is more impactful than killing
200,000 Xia troops. Tell the soldiers to kill Zhuge Yue once they see him. The person that
chops o his head will be conferred the title of a general.”

“Yes!” Cheng Yuan obliged loudly, turning around to leave on his horse.

The horse’s hoofs stepped in the snow, causing it to scatter about. Yan Xun stood there
silently for a long time, before he whispered, “This time, I want you to die.”

That day, on the eastern battle elds of Yan Bei, troops were being actively mobilized. The
newly-assembled Black Eagle Army was brought out by Cheng Yuan, in the name of
participating in a guerrilla warfare exercise. The Xia o cials in charge of keeping surveillance
on the Yan Bei troops were perplexed, and reported the matter to the military strategists of
Xia. After a long period of analysis, they concluded that a heavy snowstorm had broken out
in Yan Bei, causing large amounts of civilian casualties. Hence, Yan Bei had no choice but to
mobilize the troops to aid in the disaster relief e orts. This conclusion was warmly appraised
by the o cials as they rejoiced at Yan Xun’s misfortune. In addition, there was one less
threat in the form of that huge army. They heaved a sigh of relief, and immediately conveyed
the news to the central camp of Xia’s frontline troops. However, Zhao Che’s military o cer
felt that this was an insigni cant matter. Even in the absence of the Black Eagle Army, the
frontline troops of Xia would not be a match for the First and Second Armies. The strategy of
Xia had been decided beforehand. They would wait until the spring of next year, after the
war between themselves and Tang had ceased. Hence, he withheld this piece of
“insigni cant” news, intending not to disturb Zhao Che, who was already occupied with
other matters.

More often than not, the course of history was changed in the hands of insigni cant people,
as they conjured up insigni cant thoughts which would ultimately snowball into something
larger. For example, presently, Zhao Che, the only person who knew of Zhuge Yue’s secret
travels to Yan Bei, was unaware of this piece of important intel. This meant that he would
not be able to send out reinforcements in time to aid Zhuge Yue. However, despite this, Yan
Xun’s plans did not proceed smoothly. A day later, news from the battle eld spread back to
the central tent, causing massive headaches to the generals.

The third detachment of the Black Eagle Army’s rst light cavalry battalion, consisting of 500
people, had been wiped out. None of them returned alive.

The fourth detachment of the Black Eagle Army’s rst light cavalry battalion, consisting of
500 people, were shot to death by arrows in a sneak attack; their corpses appeared like
human sieves.

The 17th scout team of the light cavalry troops vanished into thin air. The consensus
reached by the Military Strategy Department was that this army of 700 had lost their way in
the snowstorm.

fi
ff
ffi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
ffi
fi
fi
ffi
 Six small scout sections of 20 people each vanished into thin air subsequently; none of
them issued any distress signals, nor made it back to report the news.

Chapter 190
The archery team headed into the Songlu Ridge. No one knew why they headed in, but at
the same time, no one knew why was it that after they entered, they did not come out. That
was because the two groups of infantry that were sent in to look for them vanished as well.

Route, defeat, annihilation, disappearance… The news came back one after another as Yan
Xun’s expression turned darker. Those generals who were sitting around the table were also
sitting on pins and needles. It was then that an old general cautiously asked, “Just
wondering…should we concentrate our troops into one single place? Splitting them into so
many groups seems too risky.”

“What a joke!” AhJing was present as well, although his position was obviously not as high
as Cheng Yuan’s. Sitting far o in the crowd, he coldly retorted, “The enemy was only 300
strong. We have gathered 100,000 to fend them o . With such a huge di erence in strength,
why should we concentrate our forces?”

That old general tried to explain, “But the enemy has extremely strong ghting abilities, and
each of them could match a hundred men…”

“I do not agree with gathering our forces into one spot either.” Cheng Yuan asserted his
opinion, before elaborating, “The area is wide and deserted, along with the current
snowstorm, the 300 men just need to hide somewhere and we will no longer able to nd
them. Grouping all 100,000 men together makes us easier to spot and avoid. Your Highness,
this subordinate suggests an encirclement. As long as we block all paths out, I believe they
will de nitely appear.”

“Great General Cheng, I am afraid you have forgotten about the battle of Caoqiu? You said
the same thing back then.” AnJing coldly glanced at Cheng Yuan coldly and mocked, “To
set up a blockade at all roads, and to mobilize all our troops, guarding even the smallest of
dirt roads. At that time, General, you had sworn that even a mouse would not be able to
escape from the barricade, yet after merely one month, Zhuge Yue happily ate and slept in
luxury in the Yanming Pass while we were thoroughly exhausted.”

Hearing that, Cheng Yuan’s face turned black, but he did not speak much. He merely turned
to look at Yan Xun. Everyone knew that the Battle of Cao Qiu was a forbidden topic for Yan
Xun. Although Cheng Yuan was to be blamed, as the main commander whose main base
had even been ambushed, Yan Xun would be the main party responsible. Yet, Yan Xun did
not show any expression on his face, and pretended as though he had not heard anything,
his eyes frigid as usual, no sign of emotion.

With a whoosh, with his body that was clad in heavy armor, AhJing pushed the small table
before him and walked up slightly. With a deep voice, he spoke to Yan Xun, “Your Highness,
Zhuge Yue only has around 300 men, yet he managed to in ict over 3,000 casualties on us.
He could not have escaped without any casualties. In that case, the fact that we had not
fi

ff
ff
fl
fi
ff
fi
 seen any Xia soldiers’ bodies was due to the fact that he had brought them with him. That
would further hinder the combat ability of their originally small number of soldiers. This
subordinate wishes to bring 1,000 men to pursue him. I will certainly accomplish the
mission.”

Yan Xun’s eyes were like the depths of the ocean, cold and calm, as he observed AhJing’s
face. Beyond the tent, the raging wind swept up layers of layers of fallen snow, yet that was
still nothing compared to the coldness in Yan Xun’s eyes. Carefully, he weighed the pros and
cons, as though he was a cunning lead wolf of a pack.

AhJing? AhJing’s capabilities were not to be doubted, and his previous suppression of
AhJing had trained his temper well. Right now, AhJing’s request to ght was no doubt in an
attempt to prove himself again. Yet, he still could not be fully trusted. After all, he was
particularly close to Chu Qiao. What could happen if this incident was made known to Chu
Qiao?

The tent sank into silence, as all looked upon Yan Xun for further instructions. Time passed
as the hourglass slowly emptied itself. Suddenly, the neighing of a warhorse could be heard.
AhJing ran up, only to see that two hundred horses were running towards the main tent,
with the leading commander bathed in blood, shouting, “We captured the enemy leader!”

At that moment, the entire tent shook. With his brows furrowed deeply, Yan Xun’s cold eyes
nally seemed to glimmer with something that seemed like anticipation.

The entire heavens were lled with whiteness, as the heavy snow continued to fall. The light
cavalry group that had headed out to locate the enemies had set o with 500 men, but by
the time they returned, they did not even have 300. From that point alone, the intensity of
the battle could be seen. The commander of the group, Lu He, was drenched in fresh blood,
his shoulder pierced by an arrow. Jumping o his horse, he kneeled before Yan Xun and
reported, “Reporting to Your Highness, this subordinate has completed the mission that was
given to us, and has captured the marshal of the Northwest Xia forces, Zhuge Yue.”

The crowd erupted into a wave of cheers upon hearing that. In the past year, the Yan Bei
army had su ered greatly because of Zhuge Yue. That man seemed to be undefeatable
when it came to strategy, and had never fought conventionally before. With countless
excellent generals under his command, he was daring and courageous, and commanded
the erce loyalty of his soldiers. Zhuge Yue was the main cause for the fact that Yan Bei had
lost most of their battles. In addition, Zhuge Yue represented the support of the Xia Noble
families in this war, and his presence in the battle had greatly a ected the outcome.
Compared to other people, Yan Xun did not seem to be too happy. Looking at Lu He, he
rmly instructed, “Bring him up.”

“Bring him up!” Lu He shouted, and immediately someone brought a man up. This man
wore a purple robe, and was dressed in an overwhelming splendor. Covered in wounds, this
man’s leg had been impaled by six arrows, and he could no longer stand. Upon seeing Yan
Xun, he gradually lifted his head up, and with a cold glance, he smirked, “Prince Yan, it has
been long.”

fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
ff
ff
ff
fi
Yan Xun frowned and growled slowly, “Yue Qi?”

“Prince Yan, your memory is pretty good. No wonder you could come up with so many
kinds of underhanded methods to ght against my master.” Yue Qi chuckled. The wound on
his face was wide open. Coupled with his smile, he had already lost his past handsomeness
and now seemed more like a devil.

Yan Xun was not moved by his remark, and asked coldly, “Where is Zhuge Yue?”

Yue Qi chuckled out loud, as though he had just heard the funniest joke. He asked, “Could
Prince Yan be actually crazy? How could you ask such a stupid question?”

“Bring him out and behead him.” Yan Xun coldly turned around and instructed. His
bodyguards immediately crowded around Yue Qi and dragged him out. Yue Qi’s carefree
voice sounded o from behind, as though he was completely not bothered, “Yan Xun, you
are not a soldier! You are merely a despicable man who is used to playing dirty! You will not
be my master’s opponent! I will go ahead rst, and wait for you in the afterlife!”

“Is it?” Yan Xun’s voice was cold and frigid, like an ancient clock that had rust. Yan Xun
turned back, and with a sharp gaze, he replied, “Go and wait, and see who comes rst.”
Standing in the middle of the snowstorm, Yan Xun’s expression was completely dark.

“Your Highness,” Lu He anxiously asked, “this subordinate is to be blamed, as I was

deceived by him. But I already know where the Zhuge Dog has escaped to. I will go in
pursuit now.”

With a glance, Yan Xun saw his sword, and asked, “Give me that.”

Lu He was even more surprised, and quickly removed the sword and passed it to Yan Xun.
With his forehead full of sweat, he explained, “This was the sword that that man wore. This
subordinate…this subordinate was just about to give it to Your Highness.”

The blade was four feet long, and was imbued in a pale green with faint red patterns looking
like blood. That was the blade of Zhuge Yueဧ—Moon Shatterer. As for this sword, Yan Xun
could not be any more familiar with it.

“Sun Cai, bring this sword and chase after Master Chu. She should be along the way back
to Shangshen. Tell her that Zhuge Yue assaulted the food stockpile at Yuegong. I was
coincidentally at Yuegong, and my bodyguards had almost been annihilated, with me being
struck a few times too. Right now, I have been encircled. Request that she immediately
head to Yuegong City for reinforcements. Remember, you must take a detour through the
Nanhe Mountain to show that you just escaped from Yuegong city, understand?”

The young general kneeled on the ground, and rmly acknowledged, “This subordinate
understands.”

“Nian Qing, you are to head to Yuegong City, and bring my orders to the garrison that they
are mobilizing within one day, and create an illusion that they have been encircled.”

ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
“Roger, I will head o now.”

“Cheng Yuan, gather the Black Eagle Army, and in ve waves, head to Yuegong. Follow
behind Master Chu, pretend to attack, but do not make contact with her forces. Make it
seem like you are in pursuit of her. Understand?”

“Understand.”

“Qi Zhi, you are to follow Nian Qing and head to Yuegong. Along the way, you are to inform
all the cities along the way to shut their city gates, mobilize, and prepare for a potential
siege.”

“Yes!”

“Huo An!”

“This subordinate is here.” A soldier wearing Xiuli Army uniform stood at one side. With his
head lowered, one could not see his facial details. In deference, the soldier replied, “Please
give me an order.”

“You are to follow Lu He. After meeting Zhuge Yue, I believe you know what to do.”

Huo An knelt on the ground, and rmly answered, “This subordinate understands. I will not
betray your expectations.”

As the various forces moved out, Yan Xun stood in his original spot, and slowly, he informed,
“AhJing.”

AhJing quickly took a step up, and in anticipation, he asked, “This subordinate is here.
Please give your instructions.”

“Head to the Song Empire, and check on our next shipment of food for our army that is due
next Spring.”

AhJing was stunned, and asked in disbelief, “Now?”

“Yes.” Yan Xun turned around, and with his sharp gaze, he slowly replied, “Now.”

With wave after wave of wind passing by, Yan Xun stood in the cold wind in his black robes,
completely unmoved by the entire incident. With the sun covered by the dark clouds, the
surroundings were a gloomy darkness. It was as though even the heavens were anticipating
a great battle ahead.

Anticipating a huge snowstorm, Chu Qiao had just settled down her troops for the night
when she heard that the hurried sound of horses coming from the north. He Xiao went to
intercept that man, and before long, he brought back a young general. That man was
completely covered in grime and blood, and his hair was a mess. Upon seeing Chu Qiao, he
seemed happy, as though he had just met a long-lost relative. He pounced to the ground
while crying out loud, “Master Chu! I nally found you! Please, quickly, bring your forces to
reinforce His Highness before it is too late!”

ff
fi
fi
fi
 With a clang, Chu Qiao’s Can Hong sword dropped to the ground. With her eyes wide open,
she stepped up and asked, “What have you said? Repeat yourself!”

“Zhuge Dog brought his men secretly into the Yan Bei territory, and burnt the entire food
stockpile in Yuegong city. His Highness was nearby, and not knowing the situation, he
brought merely 200,000 men to aid in the situation. But now he is trapped by Zhuge Yue,
and has been wounded so grievously he can no longer ride a horse. As of now, a 50,000
strong Xia army has trapped His Highness in the city. This subordinate brought 300 men out
to report on the situation. In the process, all of them died except for me.”

Chu Qiao frowned and asked, “How could 50,000 Xia troops suddenly appear in the middle
of Yan Bei? Explain yourself!”

The man’s grim face turned into a grimace, as he cried, “This subordinate does not know
either! They seemed to have dropped down from the heavens! That Zhuge Yue is so skilled
with the sword, and slashed His Highness’ chest with just one strike. If not for AhJing’s
desperate defense, His Highness would have already died. A general called Yue Qi attacked
the city gates three times. All the soldiers have died…” Sun Cai started to tear as he
depicted the bloody scene. Picking up the blade on his waist, he presented it to Chu Qiao.
“Right, this was Zhuge Yue’s sword. He struck his highness with this blade. Stuck in His
Highness’ shoulder bone, Zhuge Yue was unable to draw it out.”

Chu Qiao was instantly stunned. Picking up the sword, she instantly recognized the sword.
Tightly grabbing it, she tried her best to control her trembling desires. Her gaze was cold, as
though her pupil was full of snow.

Zhuge Yue, how could he? He had said that he had not come here for war this time. If that
was the case, how could he burn the food stockpiles of Yuegong and assassinate Yan Xun?
Yet, what exactly was this? Whose blood was it on the Sword of the Moon Shatterer?

“Master! With haste! If you do not hurry, it may be too late!” Sun Cai prostrated himself, and
pleaded.

Taking a deep breath, Chu Qiao felt like her entire blood had started to freeze. If anything
were to happen to Yan Xun, wouldn’t it be her fault? Deftly ipping onto her horse, she
informed the subordinate, “Set o ! We are heading to Yuegong!”

Chapter 191
The army moved o swiftly, disappearing into the vast, snowy plains in a ash. In the blink
of an eye, another army followed suit in their tracks. This night was not to be a night where
people could sleep in peace.

It was late in the night when Huo An saw Zhuge Yue. In Mingxi Valley, only 200 of the 300
people remained, but they maintained the same standard of vigilance and willpower to ght.
The entrance to Mingxi Valley was narrow; it was easy to defend but hard to attack. There
was su cient livestock in the valley; there was no need to worry about rations running out.
As long as they managed to last three days, Zhao Che would realize that the amount of Yan
ffi
ff

ff
fl
fl
fi
Bei troops stationed at Yanming Pass had diminished. He would then take the opportunity
to strike, forcing Yan Xun to head back. At that time, Zhuge Yue anticipated that he would
have the golden opportunity to escape.

With just the slightest look, Huo An understood the intricacies of Yan Xun’s plan. Given the
terrain and formation of Zhuge Yue’s army, even if they barged into this place by brute force,
they would have to pay a huge price.

“General Zhuge, I am General Chu’s subordinate, the commander of the Xiuli Army, Huo An.
I have something important to tell you.”

Zhuge Yue was dressed in a neat out t and maintained his cold look. Despite the fact that
he was a fugitive on the run, he was unfazed. He looked at Huo An plainly in the eye and
questioned slowly, “If I remember correctly, the commander of the Xiuli Army should be He
Xiao.”

“General He Xiao has died in battle. Presently, I have been tasked to replace him,” Huo An
answered emotionlessly, with a calm look on his face.

Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows upon hearing his words but did not probe further. He looked
at him plainly, his sharp look piercing right through him. Huo An gathered his emotions and
replied calmly, “General Chu has said that your whereabouts have been revealed.
Regardless of any pressing issues, please leave immediately. She has prepared a secret
passageway for you at Helan Mountains. If you believe her, you can travel towards Tang and
escape from Yan Bei. If you have other routes out, please leave quickly. Your Highness has
dispatched large armies to surround you. If you don’t leave now, you won’t have the chance
to.”

“What happened to General Chu? Why did Commander He Xiao die in the battle eld?”

The look on Huo An’s face changed. He thought for a long while before replying, “General
Chu only instructed me to tell you these words. As for other matters, forgive me for not
being able to say more.” As he nished his words, he turned around and prepared to leave.

Zhuge Yue called after him, “Stop there.”

Huo An did not stop. Swoosh! A young soldier whipped out his sword and placed it against
his neck. Coldly, he hissed, “Didn’t you hear Young Master calling after you?”

Huo An turned around to see a young man of about 18 to 19 years old. The look in his eyes
was only possessed by that of a swordsman.

“Yue Jiu, don’t be rash.” Zhuge Yue instructed in a low voice. The young swordsman
retreated as he lowered his head. Huo An turned around and looked at Zhuge Yue, who had
a calm look in his eyes. Slowly, he said, “General, traitors have surfaced within my
department. They have harmed you and General Chu. Your Highness ordered General Chu
to kill you, but she refused. She even dispatched troops to stop Your Highness’s troops,
falling out with the army. Presently, I have no dignity to go back and face General, or beg for
her forgiveness. I only hope that you will listen to General Chu’s words and leave quickly. If
fi
fi
fi
 not, the 9,000 people of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison, along with General Chu, will
have sacri ced themselves in vain.”

As he nished his words, Huo An whipped out his sword and sliced it across his neck.
Zhuge Yue was quick to react, de ecting his sword away. However, he was still too late. A
trail of blood smeared across the man’s neck and started to stream out non-stop.

Meng Feng squatted down and took a closer look at Huo An, who lay on the ground. She
looked up and said, “Don’t worry. He won’t die.”

Zhuge Yue’s expression was solemn. He looked at the barren, snowy plains and remained
silent for a long time. His subordinates were all looking at him. One of them said, “General,
we cannot trust this man’s words fully.”

Zhuge Yue nodded and said, “Let’s search for information.”

“Yes!”

As dawn broke, one scout sprinted back and said, “General, we have checked. Some
civilians said that General Chu’s army is on their way to Yuegong City at full speed. They
passed by here two hours ago. I have checked the horses’ footprints. They were messy,
which showed that they were hurried. However, there is no o cial notice from Yan Bei for
the capture of General Chu.”

Zhuge Yue nodded and remained silent, his mind deep in thought.

In a short while, another scout came back and said, “General, we have checked. The Black
Eagle Army is led by Cheng Yuan. They have split into ve directions and are following
behind Miss Chu, in order to capture her. They have over 100,000 people.”

“Master, the counties along Yuegong are providing reinforcements and setting up
roadblocks. The conscripts are on vigilant patrolling duties. Yuegong City is preparing for a
large-scale mobilization of troops. It does not look good.”

“General, Yan Xun is on his way to Yuegong too.”

The winds raged on; the landscape was desolate. Zhuge Yue was dressed in a grey cloak as
he stood upright. He walked over to his warhorse and said in a low but rm voice, “Let’s go
to Yuegong.”

“General!” Meng Feng held the reins of Zhuge Yue’s horse. She stood in front of him and
replied in a low voice, “You cannot go.”

Zhuge Yue looked up slightly but remained silent. Meng Feng understood the message that
the look in his eyes conveyed. Sternly, she advised, “There are many loopholes in this story.
Even if it is true, given our current capabilities, we shouldn’t be rash.”

“That’s right, General.” Zhuge Yue’s vice-general was named Chen Ru. He used to be a
slave in charge of feeding horses in his household. Due to his outstanding talent, he was
stripped of his status as a slave, and groomed as the vice-commander of his entourage.

fi
fi
fl
fi
ffi
fi
 Chen Ru said in a low voice, “I also feel that there’s something amiss. If this is a secret
operation, why would we be able to get hold of the news easily, at such a coincidental
time?”

Yue Jiu frowned and added, ” Master, I also feel that there’s something amiss.”

“General, these occurrences are too coincidental. If it’s true, how did Huo An manage to nd
us? Doesn’t this mean that Chu Qiao has been following us all along? We need to be wary. I
feel that we should proceed along with our original plans. Retreating immediately is the best
solution.”

“You’re all correct,” Zhuge Yue nodded and said slowly. The others rejoiced at the fact that
he had nally listened to them. However, swiftly, he frowned and looked towards them as he
said, “But, what if his words are true? What should we do?”

Everyone was dumbfounded and thought to themselves: Yes, if it was true, looking at Yan
Xun’s actions, wouldn’t Chu Qiao surely die? What was to be done if this thing happened?

Zhuge Yue did not wait for anyone to reply as he jumped on his horse’s back himself.
Everyone surged forward to stop him, in shock. Meng Feng advised again, “General, I think
that this information is 80 to 90 percent false. Yan Xun is deliberately setting up a trap for
you…”

“It’s 80 to 90 percent false. But what about the other 10 to 20 percent?”

Meng Feng was rendered speechless. “Is it worth risking your life for this 10 to 20 percent?”
he asked.

Zhuge Yue remained silent and shook his head quietly. He whispered, “We cannot fully
con rm this…” He did not carry on speaking, nor was he sure about anything else. The
man’s expression suddenly became a little uncertain. He looked up, gazing at the snow in
the distance. He smiled and gave a cold laugh as he said, “Furthermore, it won’t be so easy
for Yan Xun to take my life.”

“Yue Jiu,” Zhuge Yue ordered coldly, a determined viciousness ashing across his eyes,
“inform Yue Da that we can start to use our pawns in Yan Bei already.”

Pawns? A look of hesitation ashed across Yue Jiu’s eyes, but in an instant, he snapped out
of his trance. He obliged, and departed on his horse. The sound of his horse’s hoofs faded
into the distance.

Zhuge Yue sat on his horse’s back and squinted his eyes. His expression was unfazed, but
an undercurrent ashed across his eyes. He weighed his options and considered the worst
case scenario. Suddenly, he seemingly saw a human gure standing on the vast, snowy
plains, waving to him from afar. If this was true, would it be…would it be that he had a
glimmer of hope? She was willing to fall out with Yan Xun over him. Would this prove that he
held a place in her heart? Zhuge Yue thought to himself and shook his head as he laughed.
His weakness was being exploited by someone else again.

fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
The horses galloped towards Yuegong City. The sun rose, but was blocked o by the dark
clouds. The earth was shrouded in darkness. Yuegong, the city of rations in Yan Bei,
welcomed another record in the history books that day.

That day, the entire Yan Bei was blanketed in snow. The winds were like a lunatic, howling
as it traveled through the plains. The snow was three feet deep, and landed on people’s
faces like small stones. The warhorses’ stomachs and eyes were covered by leather, but
they still looked around in panic. The warriors wore their cloaks and hats. The wind blew at
their eyes, causing them to be unable to be opened. They could only struggle their way
through the snowy plains.

When Chu Qiao reached Moli River, she ordered the entire army to stop in its tracks. Sun
Cai rushed forward to take a look, but only saw a cold back shadow. The young female
general stood on a snowy slope facing away from the wind and looked at the seas far away.
The birds ying were startled as the snow and fog raged on.

As he walked downwards, Sun Cai pushed some troops aside in anger and shouted at Chu
Qiao, “General Chu, what are you doing? Your Highness is in danger, yet you have the mood
to stop here and admire the scenery?”

Chu Qiao’s gaze ashed across his eyes coldly. The lady was still young, but everyone who
knew her and stood in front of her seemed to neglect her age, trembling and quivering with
fear. Despite the cold weather, beads of sweat trickled down Sun Cai’s forehead. As he
sensed that something was amiss, Chu Qiao had ordered, “Tie him up.”

In a split second, the warriors of the Xiuli army surged forward and tied Sun Cai up. The
young o cial shouted as he struggled, “What are you doing? General Chu, are you
rebelling?”

Chu Qiao stared at him coldly; her look pierced through him. Through his surprise and anger
on the outside, she was able to sense his panic and fear inside e ortlessly. Her heart started
to turn cold.

“He Xiao, take out all the explosives you have. Blow a hole through the river and leave 300
people to defend this place. Before tomorrow morning, if anyone dashes through from the
opposite side, you do not need to come back and see me anymore.”

“Yes!” He Xiao obliged.

Chu Qiao got onto her horse’s back and ordered her subordinates, “Let’s go.”

“General Chu! Do you know what you are doing?”

Chu Qiao turned around slowly and looked at Sun Cai coldly. Calmly, she retorted, “Of
course I know.”

“You’re preventing our people from rescuing Your Highness! This is committing treason!”

Chu Qiao laughed in a mocking tone. “General Sun, are you too naive or am I such a stupid
person in your eyes? You claimed that you were the only one that escaped out of Yuegong
ffi
fl
fl
ff
ff
City. Why are there troops chasing us from ve directions now? I took the main route back
to Shangshen and left one day in advance. It took me this amount of time to get here. How
did the Black Eagle Army get here so swiftly then? You said that Zhuge Yue led 50,000
troops to disrupt the supply of rations in Yuegong without being detected, surrounding Your
Highness. Tell me then, as the new year is approaching, instead of staying put in his
headquarters, what is he doing outside here?”

Chapter 192
Sun Cai was lost for words. He opened his eyes wide in shock, unable to make any noise.

Chu Qiao smirked, as her eyes turned cold. With a cold tone, she warned, “Master Sun, if I
misunderstood you today, I will prostrate before you and apologize. Yet, if you intentionally
deceived me, be careful about your head.

“Let’s go!” Chu Qiao ordered.

As the army charged past, the hooves of their horses rumbled on the snowy plains like the
rolling of a war drum. Before long, a thunderous roar came from behind. Although the
explosives were in its most crude forms, as long as enough amounts of it were placed
together, it would still be su cient to break through the layers of ice.

The Moli River was a tributary of the Chi Shui, and would ow extremely fast. Without a day
or two, it would be impossible for it to freeze back up. With 300 archers guarding the shore,
it would be impossible for the Black Eagle army to quickly get past the river. Regardless of
the situation in front, it would still be necessary to head up to take a look.

Chu Qiao set her mind as she squinted. With her gaze sharp and erce, she was like a
leopard that had spotted its prey.

“Master!” He Xiao caught up and rode beside Chu Qiao. After all the years of ghting and
working together, their relationship was both that of master and servant, and that of close
friends. The handsome general asked, “What happened in front?” With the bellowing wind
blowing between them, it was painful when snow akes hit their bare faces. After remaining
quiet for a while, Chu Qiao solemnly replied, “Perhaps Chen Yuan revolted.”

He Xiao took a while to think, and nally connected all the dots together. It was truly
something that seemed possible. He Xiao scowled, “I knew that guy was not honorable!”

Chu Qiao did not reply and kept her eyes in the front. With a strong thrash of her, the horse
sped up. She hoped again and again that her guess was correct, as she really did not wish
to think about the other possibility.

That cannot be. It would be impossible. Yan Xun wouldn’t deceive me like this.

“Giddyup!” Chu Qiao snapped, as she suppressed those dark thoughts deep in her heart.
The crowd of horses charging on the snowy plains was like a storm, as the sun was
gradually covered by the clouds, turning the earth a gloomy grey.

ffi
fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
 The appearance of Zhuge Yue went completely unnoticed. According to the original plan,
they would lead Chu Qiao here, creating the illusion that she was under pursuit. The
mobilization at Yuegong was nothing more than an illusion to confuse Zhuge Yue, with the
nal objective to lure him out of the Mingxi valley and kill him with the 20,000 archers that
were stationed before the entrance of the valley. The battle was expected to end before
noon, and would not a ect the inner territories of Yan Bei, and obviously not Yuegong, such
an important city. Yet, when Zhuge Yue suddenly appeared at Yuegong City, the rst
response that the city gave was to panic. Yan Xun had brought away the last of the Yuegong
troops for the ambush at the valley.

Ultimately, Yuegong was still burnt down by Zhuge Yue. When Yan Xun received news of the
incident, Zhuge Yue wore his green robe and stood at the Xiema Slope right outside the city.
Right before Yan Xun, Zhuge Yue shot the rst aming arrow towards the city walls.
Following that, a barrage of over 300 aming arrows shot towards the city that had been
pre-soaked with oil. Even the heavens seemed to favor Zhuge Yue, as the raging wind had
ensured that apart from the food stockpiles, even the entire city was caught in the blazing
inferno.

The 20,000 strong army witnessing this was in a complete rage. Among them, about half
were had been mobilized from Yuegong. Upon seeing that their home had been destroyed,
and their families possibly all dead, their sadness turned into rage. Before Yan Xun could
give any orders, they roared in sadness and charged up. They headed up in a rush. Without
formation, without strategies, they rushed up in a maddened frenzy. Yet, before they could
approach, the hundreds of Guards of Yue had already pierced their chests with hundreds of
arrows. No esh and blood could withstand such an assault. In about 15 minutes, there was
no one left between the two forces.

The winds bellowed past the bloodbath, as one could still hear the last breaths of some of
the dying soldiers. Yan Xun stood there observing the entire scene. When the Yuegong
troops charged up, he did not try to stop them. No, it was more like he could not stop them
even if he tried. So he merely looked on as the 10,000 men died to the arrows like weed
being mowed down, like a sickle of death. At this moment, his own bodyguards of 10,000
stood quietly behind him like a silent jungle.

This was the rst time that Yan Xun and Zhuge Yue had met since the incident in the Tang
Empire. Although the war had continued for an entire year, with countless battles between
them, and even though Zhuge Yue had led an assault on Yan Xun’s main tent, they had yet
to meet each other in this battle eld. Now, their gazes met, and the tension made it seem as
though sparks could be created between the two of them. Even though everything was
silent, it seemed like there were strong undercurrents below the facade of serenity. In fact,
an onlooker would not be able to see the tension, and only someone who was deeply aware
of the entire incident could feel the atmosphere.

Since Zhen Huang City, when they were both young, until now, when they were both grown
up, they had so many con icts. Both of them were people of extreme talent. In terms of
authority, they were on di erent sides, but both held great power. In terms of military
prowess, they were master strategists and rivaled each other in terms of military tactics. In
fi
fl
fi
ff
ff
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
terms of politics, they were rivals, and could never come to an agreement. Yet, with a
strange twist of fate, they fell in love with the same woman. With such a destiny, they could
never settle down to admire each other’s talent and abilities. As long as they met, it would
result in certain con ict until one had been defeated and killed.

Upon seeing Yan Xun, his heart was at ease. The moment he walked out of Mingxi Valley, he
had known that he had been lied to. But what made the di erence was whether this incident
had been single-handedly plotted by Yan Xun or if Chu Qiao had also been involved.
Considering the ruthlessness of the battle eld, such matters were perhaps of no importance
to other people. But to Zhuge Yue, he could not ignore the nuance. He could almost be sure
that Chu Qiao was not such a person, and could con dently say that to her, he was not
merely a passerby. But he was not able to judge what was his position in her heart, and was
not able to say for sure who she would worry about if there was a con ict between him and
Yan Xun.

Zhuge Yue smirked in self-mockery. Even if she would not betray Yan Xun for him, she
would also not kill him for Yan Xun. This alone was enough for him.

Upon seeing Zhuge Yue, Yan Xun was de nitely not as calm as Zhuge Yue. The hatred and
distaste spread throughout his heart. This man had caused Yan Xun his rst opportunity to
escape from Zhen Huang City, and caused him to endure eight years of su erings. While
Yan Xun was su ering from a life that was worse than a livestock, Zhuge Yue was enjoying
the luxuries of the upper class. While Yan Xun was humiliated and embarrassed, Zhuge Yue
merely looked on. While Yan Xun’s family had been decimated and killed, the Zhuge Family
rose to power. While Yan Xun had nally risen to power in Yan Bei, Zhuge Yue was the one
who had put a thorough stop to his advance into Xia Empire. Not only that, there was also
the case about AhChu…

Upon thinking of this, the raging re started burning in Yan Xun’s heart. The prolonged
hatred and rage that had been suppressed within his heart were like a tall volcano. Once it
erupted, it would be impossible to control.

Upon dusk, the sun started to set. In the eastern horizon, one could see a black outline
drawing nearer. Those were the horses of Yan Bei. Even though they were still far away, one
could feel the impending footsteps of war. The incoming troops easily numbered 30,000 to
40,000. Zhuge Yue was silent, without movement. Yan Xun did not talk either. When it came
to war, swearing and cursing were too childish for them.

A soldier dashed out from Yan Xun’s formation, and stood before Zhuge Yue, shouting, “Do
not shoot!”

The guards of Yue quietly looked on emotionlessly at this courageous soldier. The soldiers
licked his lips, and started to talk in a monologue. The contents were plain and banal, and
was largely about the ruthlessness of the Xia Empire, and that Yan Bei was a force of
righteousness. He continued to talk about how Zhuge Yue’s incursion into Yan Bei territory
was taunting his authority, and would not be tolerated. If Zhuge Yue wished to live, he was
to immediately lay down his weapons and surrender.

ff
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fl
fi
ff
 The soldier spoke with all his heart, but was unable to elicit any response. Seeing that he
had nished his monologue, Zhuge Yue lightly waved his hand, and mercilessly instructed,
“Get rid of him.”

With that, countless arrows were shot out, and the courageous speaker was shot up like a
pin cushion. His body crashed straight to the ground, but his foot was still stuck to the
saddle. Being shocked by the arrows, his horse dashed away, dragging his corpse all the
way, leaving behind a trail of crimson.

The Yan Bei warriors were enraged, as they roared in rage. Tens of thousands of soldiers
drew their blades at one. The gleaming blades were like a sea of blades, creating a majestic
sight. Staring at each other, the bugle calls of war was nally sounded o . Dust ew up, as
cavalries started to charge up in neat formations. The war had nally begun without any
prior indication.

With the sun setting, the sky darkened. Although the Zhuge Yue’s troops were few in
numbers, they were like a well-polished sword. Their skills with the bow were unparalleled,
and no arrows were wasted. They could even re while charging. After they were done
shooting, they could follow up with a slash. All of them were masters in martial arts, and
there was not a single one of them who was a normal soldier. The 300 seemed invincible, as
they charged through the battle eld unhindered by the masses of enemies.

On the other hand, Yan Xun’s troops were not too shabby either. His army was composed of
elites that were handpicked, and was issued top quality equipment. All of them were
veterans of war, full of experience and courage.

Right at the start of the battle, it was already bloody and gory, with blood splattering
everywhere, and broken limbs ying through the air. With the warhorses ramming each
other, and their hooves trying to trip up each other, the entire battle eld erupted into a
thunderous battle that would send chills down one’s spine.

Dark clouds amassed in the sky, the rain clouds were extremely low, almost as though the
clouds could touch their heads. In a makeshift tent, Yan Xun quietly sat in waiting. The re
crackled, and the soldiers around Yan Xun were all restless. The atmosphere was heavy,
lled with fear and anxiety.

It had already been one hour. For 10,000 troops to ght against 300 men, such a battle was
unfair to begin with. No matter how talented Zhuge Yue was, he should not be able to hold
his ground. The arrows of the Guards of Yue should have already been exhausted, with their
blades chipped away. Many of them should be grievously injured and their horses dead.
They could no longer display the agility they had at the beginning, and could only tighten
their formation to fend o the thousands of blades that were pointing at them.

Chapter 193
The troops from Yan Bei had surrounded them; the close combat between the two armies
was unbelievably intense. Blood stained the snowy plains a bright red; the frontline troops
from Yan Bei fought ercely with Zhuge Yue’s troops, akin to two waves colliding head to
fi
fi
fi
ff

fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fl
fi
 head. Their swords were shiny. Amidst the ghting, blood splattered everywhere, like molten
lava mixing with the snowy ground.

The sounds of the wind and shouts to kill were deafening. The warhorses’ cries of agony
blended together with the soldiers’ as they fell o their horses. The battle eld was chaotic,
like a pot of boiling water – any strategy was no longer useful. Having clashed head-on, it
was down to a battle of survival of the ttest. At this moment, everybody behaved as if they
were crazy, swinging their swords at their enemies, their eyes bloodshot. Severed limbs,
blood, severed brains… the soldiers collapsed row by row like the wilted grass during
autumn. The victors in one-to-one combat were immediately killed by other people. Before
they died, they grabbed onto the enemy’s legs, in the hope of buying some valuable time for
their comrades to attack.

Although the army from Yan Bei outnumbered the opposition, they could not break through
the formation adopted by the Guards of Yue. When the outer layer of soldiers collapsed, the
empty spots were reinforced by the soldiers inside. They stood there, resolute, as they
waved their swords. Their horses, seemingly about to collapse from the repeated waves of
attacks, stood tall. They were as sticky as a medicine patch; although they were on the
verge of defeat, they did not give up. Despite seeing the comrades around them collapse,
they fought on alone for themselves, killing the enemies non-stop. They were not afraid of
blood, nor having their limbs severed. Even till their last breath, they resolved to continue
ghting; even if they took a stab, they would bite o a piece of esh from their enemy!

These people had followed Zhuge Yue since young. As he was the eldest son of the rst
family, the senior gures of the family had attached tens of martial arts experts to his side,
along with over 500 personal bodyguards. Over ten years, they had fought with Zhuge Yue
from south to north, experiencing countless battles without retreating. Presently, they
demonstrated this passion again, in front of the soldiers of Yan Bei.

Yan Xun’s newly appointed guard commander, Nie Gu, hollered as he waved his sword, “Kill!
Kill them all!”

Yue Jiu had blood splattered all over him as he stabbed an enemy in the neck. He no longer
had any calm airs. He wiped o the blood on his face and shouted, “Brothers! Let’s create a
trail of blood!” Corpses and swords littered the ground everywhere; there was seemingly no
space. The warriors waved their swords and kicked the corpses to the side. The shouts to
kill and cries of agony were deafening as blood, together with human esh, splattered
everywhere.

One soldier from Yan Bei severed the leg of one guard of Yue. The young soldier did not
make a sound and instead, stabbed the soldier from Yan Bei in the chest. Before the soldier
from Yan Bei collapsed, he grabbed onto the waist of the guard of Yue. Both of them rolled
on the ground, on the verge of death, like two wild dogs biting at each other. It seemed like
they had a deep feud with each other. However, before they had bitten each other to death,
over ten warhorses sprinted to their side. The soldiers on the warhorses were still engaged
in combat as the two people below were trampled to death. Their bones were crushed as
their brain juice splattered onto the horses’ hoofs.

fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
ff
ff
fl
fl
fi
fi
The battle eld transformed into a crimson red whirlpool, centered around the 300 guards of
Yue. The formations of both parties were disorganized. The troops of Yan Bei outside could
not break through, and stood outside as their horses let out loud neighs. Whenever their
comrades were killed, other soldiers took their places at the frontline. At this moment, the
northwest portion of the Yue guards’ formation was breached. Nie Gu let out a cry of joy as
the warriors raised their swords to follow behind him, letting out a deafening warcry.

“Protect the general!” Yue Jiu hollered. His young face had been stained red by blood,
causing his looks to be indistinguishable. The guards of Yue, with bloodshot eyes, turned
around to patch the hole, but were delayed by the enemies at the side.

Nie Gu echoed loudly, “Charge! Kill the traitor named Zhuge!”

Swoosh! As he nished his words, a sword slashed across his neck, creating a trail of blood.
The next second, the young commander’s head ew high up in the air. His body arched
backward and he collapsed in a pool of blood. Zhuge Yue stood upright holding his sword.
His green cloak enhanced the fair complexion of his face. The look in his eyes was deep as
he stared at the chaotic battle eld with re in his eyes. A drop of blood trickled down his
forehead, across the contours of his face. Behind him lay a mountain of corpses; further
back, the city burnt up in smoke. Even further back, it was the main battle eld between Yan
Bei and Xia.

The war was raging on; the civilians were crying for help. The continent of West Meng was
shaking; the heavens and earth were bleeding. He stood ferociously in the pool of blood as
the massacre continued around him, standing tall like a mountain.

“General!”

“Nicely done!” Thunderous cheers followed subsequently. Zhuge Yue stood in the center of
the pool of blood, echoing out in a loud voice, “None of you are to die! Charge!”

“Yes!” the warriors echoed in unison. Zhuge Yue stood at the front and led his troops
personally. His agility blurred the vision of other people. He appeared like a white wave;
wherever he went, people ew into the air. It was a messy sight.

There were only 100 guards of Yue left. Their morale was boosted as the shouts to kill
increased in volume. The self-proclaimed invincible troops of Yan Bei, faced with this
intimidating sight, were forced to retreat. The battle eld turned into a stalemate. The o cials
at the back cursed and swore, but no matter how much they did, they were unable to
conquer the piece of land high up. No matter how many troops they threw to the frontline,
they were unable to overcome the dense army of 100 people.

Yan Xun’s expression was unchanged, but his eyes squinted. Zhuge Yue had nally come
out. He stood at the frontline, wearing his green cloak and holding his knife, slashing with
agility. In that instant, Yan Xun seemingly saw the radiance emanating from him. It was
blindingly bright; no one could look at him straight in the eye. A cold look ashed across his
eyes. Yan Xun ordered with a low voice, “Bring my crossbow.”

fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
ffi
 His servants retrieved his golden crossbow for him. It was unbelievably shiny. Yan Xun was
wearing a black cloak; the look on his face devoid of the warmth that it used to have.
Presently, he was a killing machine amidst the chaos; his black cloak was stained with
blood. His ngertips brushed against his crossbow slowly as he tightened his grip around it.
He felt for his arrow and loaded it into the crossbow, pulling it back along with the strings of
destiny. The memories of the past ashed across his eyes again as he gathered his strength
to re the crossbow.

The wind was raging on, brushing past the battle eld and cooling down the corpses. Dark
clouds hovered over the sky; snow akes oated around in the air. A group of warhorses
approached from behind. The look in Yan Xun’s eyes was cold. He stood upright,
surrounded by 10,000 troops. He steadied himself; with an upright posture and perfect
precision, he loosened his nger which was holding back the arrow! The shiny arrow left his
crossbow and ew at full speed towards the body on the battle eld!

Thousands of eyes were xated on the ying arrow. In the blinding, bright sunlight, the arrow
of destiny ew out towards Zhuge Yue’s chest, thirsty for blood.

Zhuge Yue hacked at one Yan Bei soldier, causing blood to splatter all over the back of his
palm like burning oil. There was no need to see what was coming towards him. He used his
sense of hearing to detect the arrow ying towards him. With unparalleled agility, he dodged
to the side to avoid the arrow. The arrow brushed past his arm, taking away with it a part of
his clothes and a big lump of esh. Before he had time to get back to his feet, another arrow
came ying towards him.

Successive attacks! A technique renowned and perfected by Chu Qiao of Yan Bei! In the
banquet on that snowy night way back, and on the northwestern battle elds, he had seen
Chu Qiao use this technique. He was no longer a stranger to it. However, at this moment,
this arrow was red by Yan Xun. The technique was not as exquisite, but his strength far
exceeded hers.

Yan Xun red a succession of seven arrows, all aimed at Zhuge Yue’s vital organs. Zhuge
Yue dodged all of them, managing to get to his feet amidst the urry of arrows, with a jerk of
his body. They looked at each other for merely a split second, but it seemed to encapsulate
their lifelong rivalry.

In that instant, Zhuge Yue twisted his body and dashed towards Yan Xun. His shiny sword
was like a ash of thunder as he retaliated with moves of his own. Short gasps sounded out
from not far out. The man who was about to be struck by the sword smiled lightly. He did
not dodge it, nor did he seem fazed. Instead, he took out his last golden arrow, pulled the
crossbow back, and let it leave his hand.

Time seemed to stand still at this instant. The two of them looked at each other in silence,
separated by thousands of troops. They mustered all their strength for one nal blow, not
avoiding each other’s attacks, leaving it to destiny to decide who lived or died.

“Your Highness, be careful!”

“General!”

fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
 Before the shouts had reached their ears, a warhorse let out a long neigh. The shiny sword
was like a shining star in the darkness. The sharp sword pierced through the air, towards
Yan Xun’s back. In the instant where Zhuge Yue’s sword was about to pierce through Yan
Xun’s heart, it hit the back of Yan Xun’s sword! That was but an ordinary sword used for
combat. How could it compare to the precious sword Yan Xun had? The force of the impact
caused Zhuge Yue’s sword to shatter, while Yan Xun’s sword advanced towards him,
seemingly not a ected by the impact. Yan Xun’s arrow ew towards his chest; his sword
followed tightly behind and landed in the rear end of the arrow. It ew vertically downwards,
landing in Zhuge Yue’s chest. Blood oozed out from his chest onto the sword, all the way to
the end. The word “Poyue” could be faintly seen.

Blood splattered out of Zhuge Yue’s mouth as he fell backward, losing his balance.
However, he did not collapse on the ground. The guards of Yue dashed forward and
defended him. Yue Jiu’s eyes were bloodshot as tears streamed down his face. The young
swordsman turned back, his eyes full of madness and rage, as he looked at the army in
black standing amidst the snow.

Chu Qiao sat on her horse’s back, with 2,000 troops from the Xiuli Army beside her. The
horses’ hooves made a deafening impact with the snowy ground. Her eyes widened as she
nally saw the familiar face in the snow. Her heart sank as her limbs became numb; her
heart had seemingly been gouged out and thrown onto the snowy ground.

Yan Xun smiled plainly as he reached out his hands to ick a stray snow ake away. He
walked to her side and reached out his hand as he said gently, “You’re here.”

Zhuge Yue was stained with blood as the wound at his chest bled profusely. The look in his
eyes was dark. The truth totally dissipated his airs of arrogance and pride. He raised his
eyebrows and stared at that person, suppressing the blood that was gushing up his throat.

“Zhuge Yue, how much more do you want to trample on yourself?” The man laughed coldly,
his voice low and hoarse as he mumbled, “It was one-sided after all.”

He stared coldly at Chu Qiao, causing her to feel breathing di culties. She was unable to
move nor speak as she slumped on her horse’s back. She could no longer see Yan Xun’s
hypocritical smile, the heaps of corpses, the city of Yuegong which was burning up in
smoke, or the snowy winds in front of her. She only saw Zhuge Yue and the crimson-red
blood which stained his green cloak; the sight in front of her was like a sharp arrow which
had pierced through her chest.

Chapter 194
It was as though time had gone back nine years. Nine years ago, on the vast snow plains
outside Zhen Huang City, she had chosen to stand beside Yan Xun without hesitation. And
with eyes of hatred, she looked at that arrogant child. On this day, nine years later, fate had
again presented them with the same situation, and she chose the same choice again.
People changed, and the only thing that remained the same was the frigid weather that
fi
ff

fl
fl
ffi
fl
fl
 covered this entire country. All noise ceased as snow fell on the face that she was all too
familiar with.

Chu Qiao’s ngers dug into her skin as she clenched her st. Despite the fact that her nails
were already buried in her skin, Chu Qiao did not feel any pain.

Yue Jiu recognized her, and with bloodshot eyes, he scolded, “You ungrateful woman! Our
master came here for you, yet you ambushed him! After today, as long as the Guards of Yue
still exist, we swear to make you pay for what you have done today!”

“Such arrogance,” Yan Xun casually stated. He ordered, “Go, trample them.”

“Roger!” His bodyguards acknowledged his order and were about to charge over. But a
thunderous wave of horses galloping sounded from beyond the plains. Those on the horses
wore all kinds of clothes. There were merchants, farmers, storekeepers, scholars, and even
Yan Bei o cials! Whipping their horses, they brandished all kinds of swords and blades.
They quickly gathered around Zhuge Yue.

“Master!” A middle age man around 40-years-old charged up. He was wearing a Rank 5
Standard Class administrative o cial’s uniform, and carried a huge blade with him. Jumping
o his horse, he charged in while shouting, “Yue Da has arrived late! AhJiu, bring Master to
safety! Brothers! Charge with me!”

Nine years ago, when Yan Shicheng had died and Yan Xun was trapped in the royal capital,
Zhuge Yue had carefully set up his men in Yan Bei. Obviously, he had not expected such a
situation to occur. Initially, he had merely arranged for them to in ltrate Yan Bei should a day
come when he struggled for control over Yan Bei with the other noble families of the Xia
Empire. Then he could gain the upper hand. Yet, when Yan Xun escaped and rebelled, these
men became sources of intel. In the battle of Cao Qiu, it was thanks to them that he was
able to escape safely.

A thunderous battle began, and sounds of blades clashing rose once again, with the gleam
of swords shimmering across the entire battle eld.

He Xiao cautiously approached and asked, “Master, shall we ght for His Highness?”

Chu Qiao stared absentmindedly at the battle eld, a myriad of emotions and thoughts
rushing through her mind. Zhuge Yue’s face, Yan Xun’s face, among many others, ashed
before her eyes. She did not know where she had gone wrong. An overwhelming sense of
weakness lled her entire body. Anger, heartache, regret, guilt, and many other emotions
that were impossible to describe lled her heart, blocking her eyes, nose, and mouth. She
felt so tired—so tired that she could just fall into a coma and die.

“Master? Master?” He Xiao’s voice resounded in her ears and jolted her back to reality.

With a tremble, Chu Qiao returned to reality as she drew out He Xiao’s blade and jumped o
her horse. She shouted, “Follow me!”

ff
ffi
fi
fi
ffi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
The Xiuli army followed behind her, as their lust for battle boiled. Yet, just as they were about
to head to the Xia forces, Chu Qiao’s blade slashed a Yan Bei soldier’s chest. With the blood
splattering onto her face, her upright gure seemed like a rm and tall tree.

One, two, ve, ten…

The entire scene quietened down as Chu Qiao attacked whichever Yan Bei soldier tried to
approach her. Zhuge Yue’s guards stared at her although they kept their distance. Yan Bei’s
soldiers looked at her in surprise as well, then started to back o . Even the soldiers of the
Xiuli Army were utterly stunned, as they stood rooted to the ground, not knowing what to
do.

“AhChu, what are you doing?” Yan Xun walked over. With eyes that seemed to be teeming
with displeasure, he stared at her and questioned.

Chu Qiao did not speak, and merely held her blade and glared back at him. She looked at
the man that she had spent all of her e orts to assist and follow, and suddenly felt that her
entire life seemed like such a eeting dream, like she was a puppet merely acting on other
people’s instructions.

A few Yan Bei soldiers cautiously tried to test the waters by closing in on her slowly. Yet,
Chu Qiao’s blade ourished, and a line of blood ew up into the sky. In the stunned eyes of
all onlookers, those soldiers dropped to the grounds, convulsing like a mad dog that was
about to die. With no amboyant moves, she calmly pointed her blade at her supposed
allies. Standing atop the vast snowy plains, her gure stood alone.

“Chu Qiao! What are you doing?” Yan Xun bellowed through the snowy plains. Having seen
the stando between them, Yue Da quickly started to inform his subordinates to initiate
retreat. Seeing that, Yan Xun coldly ordered his subordinates to cut o their retreat. With
that, Yan Bei forces started to give chase. Yet, Chu Qiao deftly moved up and blocked them
from pursuit. The soldiers of Yan Bei had long been fully concentrated in the battle, and
seeing that Chu Qiao stood in their way, they started to attack her as well. Seeing that, He
Xiao picked up a sword in rage, and bellowed, “Brothers! Protect Master!”

The battle had fallen into chaos, and it was impossible to di erentiate between friend and
foe. Chu Qiao was overwhelmed with bloodlust as blood soaked into her clothes. Her hands
trembled violently, yet she refused to retreat. With the sounds of the horses galloping away,
and Zhuge Yue carried away by his guards, the noise started to settle, and one could hear
the sounds of the black eagles screeching overhead and the sound of the wind roaring
beside their ears. In the vast plains, bloodied corpses littered the entire scene. Fighting
continued in small pockets, and the atmosphere was full of despair and death.

After God knows how long, everything turned to silence. Clutching her blade like a walking
stick, there was nothing but the smell of iron on her. Standing before her, Yan Xun stared at
her with a pair of frigid eyes. She suddenly felt that the man before her seemed ever so
unfamiliar, as though he had always been a stranger. She did not want to say anything, and
did not want to ask anything either. Dragging her fatigued body, she tumbled back, and only
wanted to leave.

fi
ff
fl
fl
fl
fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
ff
ff
ff
“Stop there,” a deep voice resounded. Yan Xun slowly walked up, as soldiers parted to
make way for him. Only He Xiao stood before Chu Qiao, and glared at the King of Yan Bei.

“Get lost,” Yan Xun coldly instructed. The young general lifted his head, and without fear,
glared at him. With silence, He Xiao replied to Yan Xun.

Suddenly, Yan Xun drew his blade. At the same time, Chu Qiao swung her blade. The years
they had spent training together meant that she did not even need to look to know how he
had swung his blade. A violent clash of blades sent sparks ying, searing into the eyes of
any onlookers.

Yan Xun smirked. “So you would swing your blade at me for this servant? I thought that you
would only do such a thing for Zhuge Yue.”

Chu Qiao lifted her head, and with her dark eyes, she looked at those familiar eyes. Yet, she
had no way of relating those eyes with the gentle and handsome kid that she once knew. At
this moment, Yan Xun had nally escaped from her memories and stood before her. Reality
was so merciless, as the utopia in her mind nally shattered and collapsed, unable to be
pieced back together.

“Yan Xun, you lied to me.”

Yan Xun did not show a single tinge of remorse, as he calmly stated, “If I did not lie to you,
how could I lay a trap for him?”

She felt as though a thousand arrows pierced her heart at once. Chu Qiao bitterly smiled,
yet no tears came out. With unimaginable fatigue and despair, she looked at him in
confusion and shook her head. “Yan Xun, since when did you change so much?” Her voice
was like the screech of a bird that had just lost its nest. She was no longer that undefeated
general on the battle eld, no longer that talented strategist, and no longer the wise and
decisive Master Xiuli. At this moment, she was merely a woman who got her feelings played,
and the years of her e orts and emotions seemed to be all for naught.

Yan Xun replied rmly, “AhChu, you said that I changed. But in reality, you also changed.
The Xia general secretly entered Yan Bei, yet you did not inform me, and turned against me
at this very moment. As the King of Yan Bei, what is wrong with killing a Xia soldier? If I had
not predicted your reaction, why would I bother to waste so much e ort to deceive you?
Could it be that Yan Bei and I do not match up to Zhuge Yue in your heart?”

Trembling, Chu Qiao stared at him. After a long time, a maddened laugh came out from her
mouth. “Yan Xun, if there’s a day when Yan Bei starts a war with the Song Empire, would
you trick your friend in the Song Empire here and then kill her?”

Yan Xun was taken aback by this question and frowned. “What are you saying?”

“Yan Xun, you said I had not been honest with you, but tell me, do you trust me?”

Yan Xun frowned deeper, and rmly replied, “It was for your sake that I made you return to
backlines and not participate in the war.”

fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
“Massacre of my comrades and army, forcing me to leave behind the things that I struggled
for all these years, chasing me away from power and authority, and away from the battle eld
that I single-handedly held on to. Suspecting me, keeping me under surveillance, and
making use of me. All this was for my sake?” Chu Qiao’s eyes were crystal clear despite the
raging winds. Her words were like sharp daggers, piercing into the darkness that
surrounded her. The sadness that had been building up within her had all been released at
that very moment.

“AhChu, you are my woman. Why couldn’t you just stay in the backlines like the other
women and wait for my victorious return?”

It was Chu Qiao’s turn to be surprised, and she fell into laughter. Her body trembling from
the intense bout of laughter, she laughed until tears started falling out. With her hand
grabbing her chest, bitterness lled her words as she shook her head and replied, “I see, so
the woman that you wanted is someone like that.”

With her crystal clear eyes looking straight at Yan Xun’s eyes, her hoarse voice resounded in
the battle eld, “If that’s the case, why did you have to come looking for me? Yan Xun, you
can kill Zhuge Yue, but you should not make use of me, and even worse, you should not
have made use of my friendship with Zhuge Yue to lay this trap.”

Intense disappointment ashed before Yan Xun’s eyes. With a deep voice, he stated,
“Cheng Yuan told me long before that you had connections with Zhuge Yue. Yet, I was
always too trusting. Today, you nally admitted it yourself.”

Chu Qiao almost burst out in laughter yet again when she heard that. Cheng Yuan? He
would rather believe that despicable man than her? She had gone through life and death
with him, and gave her all to return him to power, and had followed behind him all these
years. At the end of the day, in his mind, she could not even be compared to a despicable
man who merely sang praises to him all day? She thought that he had merely been
temporarily deceived, and was overwhelmed by hatred, but now, she started to despair. He
had already become a mere politician. Whatever dreams, whatever beliefs he once held on
to, whatever promises that he had made to let her be happy forever, all paled in comparison
to his ambitions for greater power. To achieve his objective, he could nd all kinds of
excuses, and would believe in all things that would be bene cial to himself, and remove all
the people that stood in his way, even if that person was his teacher, friend, comrade in
arms, subordinate, and lover…

Chapter 195
It was meaningless to say anything more. Chu Qiao turned around coldly to leave, only for
Yan Xun to grab her arm. The cold, emperor-like look on the man’s face disappeared as he
raged, “What do you want? Are you going to nd him? Have you fallen in love with him?”

Chu Qiao turned around and looked at Yan Xun’s familiar face. In that instant, the young
man by the riverside seemed to appear in front of her again. She shook her head slowly and
replied in a low voice, “Yan Xun, I don’t know if this counts as love. I only know that I care
fi
fl

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
about you. I can’t bear to see you get hurt by other people. Your dreams are my dreams. I
follow in your footsteps. Whatever I do, I put you rst. If you’re happy, I’m happy. If you’re
sad, I’m sad. I can forgive your mistakes, your failures, I can even help you to atone for
those mistakes. My biggest wish is to see you get what you want. I am a nomad with no kith
or kin. Over these years, you were the reason that I continued to live on. You’re the most
important person in my life.”

Yan Fun was moved as he heard those words; his hands become warm. He grabbed Chu
Qiao’s arm tightly, quivering and appearing slightly agitated.

Subsequently, Chu Qiao continued, “However, I question myself now. Is what I’m doing now
worth it? Did I misjudge you? Yan Xun, you have become a slave of power. From the
moment you came back to Yan Bei, you started to doubt everyone around you. Myself,
Mister Wu, Lady Yu, the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison, Da Tong Guild, everyone who could
possibly threaten your power. I don’t believe that you are not aware of my loyalty towards
you, how Mister Wu protects you. You’re just scared that our existence will threaten your
position. Hence, you nd tons of excuses to exclude us. Your resentment and your worries
are but a product of your sel sh interest, and a reason to cover up what you have done.
Even if Zhuge Yue did not exist today, you would still try to nd faults with me. Yan Xun, I
don’t blame you for killing Zhuge Yue. I only hate the fact that your methods are too
despicable. You shouldn’t have trampled on my loyalty for you, and our relationship. You
shouldn’t have used these despicable tactics on me.” Chu Qiao climbed on her warhorse.
As she departed, she looked at Yan Xun deeply in the eye and said sternly, “Now, as per
your wishes, I am going to nd him. This is my last warning. If he dies in Yan Bei, I will not
forgive you for the rest of my life.”

The winds raged on and lifted Chu Qiao’s cloak into the air. The young lady shouted, and the
warhorse started to gallop. The warriors of the Xiuli Army followed behind her and blended
into the heavy snow.

Yan Xun stood rooted to the spot with a cold expression. For a long while, he could not
move, just like a stone statue. He suddenly felt a part of his heart shatter; he could
seemingly hear it break into pieces. That moment, an unrestrained murderous aura erupted
within him, staining his eyes red.

Someone crept behind him and whispered, “Your Highness, General Cheng has sent a
scout. He says that he is stuck at the opposite shore of Moli River, and that General Chu is
responsible for that. What should we do now?”

The cold winds blew across Yan Xun’s sleeves. In that instant, he seemingly saw his
parents’ faces, and the noble aristocrats standing in front of Jiu You Platform…

“Inform Cheng Yuan to lead the troops to Minxi Mountains. We have to trap Zhuge Yue at
the ice lake.”

The man hesitated and probed, “What if General Chu manages to rush there?”

A sharp look ashed across Yan Xun’s eyes. After a long while, he spat out a few cold
words, “We must kill Zhuge Yue, regardless of the price.”

fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
 The war eagles let out a long cry. Under the dark skies, a bloodthirsty ray of light started to
glow. Tragic sounds of ghting and killing came from the front. He Xiao, with his eyes red,
rushed back and shouted, “General, Cheng Yuan’s army is stationed in front of Minxi
Mountains. Your Highness’s army is rushing over. General Zhuge is on the surface of
Qianzhang Lake.”

Gushes of cold wind drifted past in succession; its savage howls could be heard repeatedly.
Chu Qiao sti ened her lips and lowered her head to look at He Xiao, who was covered in
blood. Slowly, she said, “He Xiao, can you make a path for me?”

“General,” He Xiao knelt down with a determined look and said sternly, “our lives are yours.
Go ahead. The 2,000 soldiers of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison will not let you down.”

Chu Qiao felt immeasurably moved. Looking at the determined faces of the soldiers behind
He Xiao, she felt as if her heart had been scalded by burning oil. She had only saved them
once because she feared that Yan Xun would lose the faith of his people. Subsequently, they
had followed her without any complaints or regrets, saving her a few times. As long as she
issued instructions, they would execute it regardless if it was right or wrong. They were her
subordinates, her weapons, her closest family. Regardless of what she did, they would not
abandon her, standing by her side with everlasting loyalty, pointing their swords at anyone
who threatened her. This favor was too heavy a burden for her to bear, causing her to be
squashed under its weight. Chu Qiao jumped o her horse’s back and grabbed He Xiao’s
hand. Restraining her tears, she blurted out a few heartfelt words, “He Xiao, thank you.”

“General, your safety is more important than the entire continent of West Meng in our eyes.
The heavens and earth can be annihilated; the empires can collapse. If General is still here,
we will have the con dence to persevere on. Hence, for our sake, take care of yourself.”

Chu Qiao nodded silently and looked towards the faces of the soldiers, who had never been
eloquent or expressive in their words. Finally, she looked in the direction of Minxi Mountains
with a determined look. A sacred temple stood on its peak, with two statues of goddesses
erected beside each other, standing back to back. They watched over the entire land of Yan
Bei, like two beacons of light in the darkness.

Chu Qiao climbed on her warhorse and said sternly, “Everyone! I’m counting on you!”

The soldiers echoed in unison, “Take care, General!”

The cold winds lifted their cloaks up. Chu Qiao hollered, causing the warhorse to gallop
away into the distance, while He Xiao led his troops towards the piece of snowy ground.

The sounds of the horn reverberated across the landscape. Cheng Yuan, together with the
troops of the Black Eagle Army, stood at a dam outside of Qianzhang Lake, surrounding
Zhuge Yue’s army of less than 10,000. Dense urries of arrows, like erupting volcanoes,
landed on the frozen solid surface of the icy lake. Those arrows had been personally
modi ed and improved by Chu Qiao herself. Their prowess was terrifying. Yue Da led his
guards and shielded his chief marshal. The person in front became a human sieve as
numerous arrows pierced through his body, creating many holes. Cries of agony
fi
ff
fi
fi
fl
ff
 reverberated across the land. Yue Jiu surged forward with his sword and let out a warcry.
Cheng Yuan ignored him with disdain and continued to issue orders to re arrows.

The guards of Yue collapsed like wilted straw, row by row. Faced with such a powerful force,
they had no room for retaliation. However, despite this, the warriors surged forward without
carrying any shields or protection, using their bodies as human shields to buy valuable time
for their chief marshal to survive.

Blood stained the surface of the lake a bright red as it spread across the icy plains. Due to
Huo An’s information, the Black Eagle Army, consisting of 200,000 people, lay in wait way
beforehand for an ambush. This was no longer a war, it was a bloodthirsty massacre. The
arrows ew towards Zhuge Yue’s army like hornets; the sounds of them slicing through the
air could be heard. The guards of Yue were at a disadvantage in terms of their prowess and
where they were trapped at, causing them to lose their ability to retaliate. The aura of death
descended upon them as mountains of corpses piled up. Those that were alive but
wounded let out painful cries of agony as their existence was made known to the enemy
forces once again.

Cheng Yuan licked his lips slightly and turned back to look at Yan Xun, who was standing
amongst the crowd. He was about to achieve an impossible feat. The marshal of Xia’s army,
which had taken West Meng by storm, was about to die in his hands. Thinking of this, his
palms started to break out in sweat.

Suddenly, a loud sound of warhorses neighing broke out from the southeast direction. Their
formation had been breached; soldiers dashed in as they wielded their swords. They were
dressed in black. Yes, they were the soldiers from the Xiuli Army.

“The Southwest Emissary’s Garrison!”

Gasps sounded out from within the army. The look on Cheng Yuan’s eyes cooled as he
exclaimed, “It’s them again!”

As Cheng Yuan was about to issue the orders for the archers to deal with the Xiuli Army, a
low voice sounded out beside his ear. Yan Xun, who had unknowingly walked to his side,
ordered slowly, “Surround them, but don’t kill them.”

Cheng Yuan obliged and replied, “Yes, Your Highness.”

“Stop it!” a sharp voice echoed out. Everyone raised their heads in surprise, only to see a
solitary warhorse approaching from the southeast. It leaped high up in the air, ying over the
heads of the soldiers who were engaged in combat. As it landed on the ground, the young
lady jumped o the horse’s back and ran to the space separating the two armies, shouting,
“Stop it!”

The soldiers from the Black Eagle Army recognized her. They stopped in their tracks for fear
of hurting her, then looked at Yan Xun in a state of panic.

“Yan Xun! Stop it!” Chu Qiao stood at the center and shouted, as she looked at him with a
determined expression.

fl
ff
fi
fl
 Yan Xun’s expression was solemn. After a long while, he said calmly, “AhChu, get out of the
way!”

Chu Qiao reached out both of her arms and stared at him as she retorted, “Kill me rst.”

“Xing’er, get out of the way.” A low voice boomed out from behind her. Chu Qiao turned
around, seeing Zhuge Yue standing in a pool of blood. The wound at his chest was
bandaged, but blood continued to ooze out non-stop. He looked at her ever so calmly; his
face was devoid of any generosity before death, of any anger from being ambushed. He
stood proudly amidst his wounded entourage, looking at the troops from Yan Bei without
any fear in his eyes.

Her eyes turned red as she shook her head stubbornly while saying softly, “I’ve let you
down.”

The snow blanketed the entire landscape, with bright elements of red coloring the
landscape. It appeared like owers in full bloom, disregarding the icy climate. The wind
howled close to her ear. An arrow ew through the layers of fog. As she turned back, she
saw Yan Xun release it. The golden arrow ew towards her at full speed; the sound of it
slicing through the air could be heard clearly. She had nowhere to hide, nor was she able to
stop it. The cold wind blew across her sleeves, turning her heart icy cold. She watched on
as he released the arrow which condemned his destiny to the path of no return; the hand of
fate had exed its muscle amidst the snowstorm.

The scene seemed to play itself out in front of her eyes in slow motion, scalding her eyes
with each movement. The arrow brushed across her neck and left a trail of blood on it,
before embedding itself in the wound on Zhuge Yue’s chest, which had just been bandaged.
Another gush of blood spurted out into the air in spectacular fashion; her cold cheeks felt
warm even without the blood touching her. Her breath stopped in that instant. She stood
there, dazed, as her gaze xated onto Zhuge Yue’s lonely, isolated shadow. Her eyes started
to turn red, and so did the scene in front of her.

Chapter 196
A thunderous boom of the ballista echoed from behind. She pivoted her head, only to meet
the angry eyes of Yan Xun. His hand hovered in front of his chest menacingly, like a glaring
saber ready to draw blood, ready to swing down at any time to signal the ring of the
arrows.

Chu Qiao was awash with fear. It overwhelmed her entire being, and her previous notions of
pride, self-worth, and dignity were thrown out the window. She collapsed to the oor in a
urry of kowtows, and soon her forehead seeped red as her tender skin gave way to esh
and bone. Tears owing and arms apping, she pleaded aloud, “No! Please, Yan Xun, no…”

Yan Xun peered at her forlorn gure with an aching heart. This woman was the only person
who stayed by his side in when he was desperate and had nothing. She stayed through
those eight years of agony with him in the jails of the Imperial Royal Capital. He once swore
to provide for her; to protect her; but alas he was the oathbreaker. He was the one who
fl
fl
fl

fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
 broke all these promises made to her. A faint smile touched his lips. That expression wasn’t
too dissimilar to the one on his face all those years ago, when she came back to nd him at
his desk, writing. His face ickered with the same warmth under the candlelight in those
days.

AhChu, I never actually changed. It’s just that you never knew what I truly wanted. Today will
be the day that I will share with you my beliefs, my ambitions, and my everything. One by
one.

“Fire!” The world descended into a muted silence, and the wind died down. The only
discernible sound was the buzzing of a diminutive y, seemingly the only living creature not
trapped in this hateful con ict.

The 20,000 strong cavalry of the Black Eagle Army released their deadly barrage. A titanic
swarm of arrows blotted the sky, obscuring the very sun that would usually dominate the
heavens. Day turned to night as a waterfall of metal cascaded from above. The arrows came
replete with scintillating hooks and long ropes attached to their tails ying toward Zhuge
Yue.

“Protect the General!” Yue Da, riddled with arrows and missing a leg, leaped in front of
Zhuge Yue. The remaining Yue persisted stubbornly, despite being bloody, battered, and
losing parts of their bodies. The arrows did not hit the troops but instead embedded
themselves rmly in the unforgiving ice of the frozen river like metal gauntlets.

Yan Xun gave an order, and the 20,000 horses turned around abruptly and galloped o into
the distance. The ropes attached to the arrows pulled taut, and in a series of cracks, the ice
sheet covering the frozen river collapsed, giving way to the frigid waters beneath. Chu Qiao
turned her head in desperation, and through the blood and dirt covering her eyes, she
caught sight of Zhuge Yue falling into the deadly current. Sharp icicles penetrated his body
and drew blood. His face, however, was stoic and expressionless, which belied the turmoil
of the battle eld. His eyes met hers, and at that moment she saw only calmness: no hatred,
no animosity, no joy, and no desperation. It was just like all those years ago, when he gazed
at her with those expressionless eyes from afar, seeing her abandon him, seeing her
brandishing her weaponry and swinging her sword towards his forehead.

Alas, how fast the time rushed past. Chu Qiao widened her eyes, she knelt on the ground as
tears owed once more. She took two steps forward, like a confused doll, helplessly
watching the tragedy unfold before her eyes. Their eyes met, and slowly, he sank. The wind
bellowed, as though it was the war cry of a ferocious beast, as it swept up a storm of snow
between the two of them, obscuring any vision. The frigid water swept up his gure, as his
emotionless eyes disappeared from vision. One could no longer see his face that he always
held high in arrogance and his jet black hair too disappeared into the depths of the water.
Chu Qiao opened her mouth, wanting to shout, yet no voice came out, and the freezing
wind poured into her mouth. She started to cough, and struggling to stand up, she tumbled
over. With a loud splash, she jumped into the icy water.

It was so cold. The chills pierced deep into her bones, as her entire body quickly turned
numb. With all her strength, she swam about as she opened her eyes wide in a search. With
fl
fi
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
ff
 the sunlight shining in from above, she could see countless struggling shadows passing
before her eyes, with the taste of iron lling her mouth. t was not him, still not him, and still
not him. She started to cry in despair as her tears mixed into the icy water and fresh blood
around her. Her lips started to turn blue, as her body started to freeze up and was no longer
so agile. She felt as though something was tugging at her waist trying to pull her up.

No, she didn’t want to go up yet. She drew her dagger and was about to cut away
whichever hindrance that was pulling her up against her will. Yet, at this moment a pair of icy
hands pressed on her wrist. So strong, yet so cold, the hands stopped her in her tracks.

s though through telepathy, Chu Qiao knew that it must be him. Twisting around, a
handsome face entered her eyes. His pitch black eyes, his pale lips, and his tall nose. His
eyes looked at her while shining with fervor, and grabbed her hands. Blood seeped out from
his wound, entering Chu Qiao’s mouth. Overwhelmed with joy, Chu Qiao tried to embrace
him, and pulled on him with all her strength, wanting to pull him up. Zhuge Yue snatched her
dagger, and pulled her hand over. With his ngertip, he wrote on her palm again and again:
Live on….Live on….Live on….”Together!” She opened her mouth and tried to scream, but
could only blow out a mouthful of bubbles.

He slowly shook his head as he continued to write the same thing again, and again.

Her tears started falling like crazy, as she shook her head and tried to pull on him again.

Come with me! Live on with me!

do not want to head up alone. I do not want to live forever knowing that I will be indebted to
you. I do not want you to die! No!

She felt that the force on her waist started to push her up bit by bit. Strength had already left
her, and only her hands continued to pull onto him. She had never known that his death
would make her so anxious; that he had already had such an important place in her heart;
that all that hatred and revenge were merely excuses to face away from her feelings; that
she would feel so pained seeing him go.

Zhuge Yue, Zhuge Yue, please, do not be so cruel to me. Do not let me live with this pain
forever. If I have no way to repay you, let me die with you.

ATe sunlight became brighter as she drew nearer to the surface,.sSe continued to weep, and
her vision started to be blurred by her tears, with only his gentle eyes etched in her retinas.
Her ngers pulled on his arms desperately, as all those unspeakable emotions were
transmitted through her tight grip to him. She was still struggling and shaking her head,
pleading him to stop pushing her up. Suddenly, she felt such remorse. If only she had not
told Yan Xun what she had felt in the past year. If only she had not angered him. If only she
had pleaded to Yan Xun earlier. If that was the case, perhaps Zhuge Yue would not need to
die.

ain and fear was like a bottomless abyss, swallowing her, as she continued to grab onto
him, refusing to let go.

fi
fi
fi
 Zhuge Yue seemed ever so handsome, as he so gently gazed at someone for the rst time
in his life. After all these years, his dream seemed to nally receive some form of reply. With
all his strength, he swam, and lightly embraced her. Onto the corner of her mouth he
pressed his frigid lips.

t that instance, tears over owed from her eyes, mixing into the water around them. It was as
though despair pierced a hole in her heart and the surrounding water had started to violently
gush into that hole to ll the void within.

Losing all her remaining strength, she started to oat upwards, propelled by the force on her
waist. Her arm, still grabbing onto his sleeve, straightened as she distanced herself away
from him. Zhuge Yue pulled open her grip, one nger at a time, and before long their hands
nally parted, and the distance between them grew larger. Chu Qiao stretched out her hand,
only to see how he started to sink, deeper, and deeper. His eyes were still crystal clear even
as he gradually swallowed up by the darkness of the depths.

Her heart was torn apart, her vision faded out. His gentle yet determined eyes remained
seared into her mind, as though still repeating those few words: Live on….Live on….Live on,
you still have many unaccomplished dreams.

Long ago, she said that to someone. But little did she know someone else was quietly
praying for her safety behind her.

The moment she broke out from the water, she felt as though she had died. Feeling the
sunlight shine on her skin, she entered a daze. Even as Yan Xun loudly called out to her, she
could no longer hear anything. It was as though she had died in that lake, and only her body
came out of the water.

The wind slowed to a breeze, as white birds soared in the sky above. The sun was setting,
and the snow had stopped. The setting sun shone a dazzling radiance that basked the
entire world in a gentle crimson glow. It was so beautiful.

et, he would never see this ever again.

She suddenly started to panic, as she magically gained strength, and pushed aside Yan
Xun,. I staggering , shesteps dashed toward the hole in the layer of ice. Taken aback initially,
Yan Xun gave chase,and grabbed her in a tight embrace. She was merely ve meters away
from that gaping hole, yet she could no longer get any closer. Despair overcame her heart
like a ood as she could no longer control herself. Kneeling onto the ground, she screamed,
“Get out! Get out from there!”

mouthful of blood spurted out from her mouth onto Yan Xun’s hand, as she fell onto the
snowy grounds in despair, as she trembled like a falling leave.

“arch!” Yan Xun shouted her name by her ear, yet his voice seemed ever so piercing.

Twisting her head around at him, she stopped weeping, and looked at him witha mix of
feelings.

fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
hat kind of emotions were there in her gaze?

age, hatred, disappointment, sand adness ashed by ne by one,before blending into a

lifeless sense of despair. Looking at him, the tears started to ow again. All her hopes she
had vanished like mist in the midday sun, and all their shared dreams and aspirations
disintegrated like ashes in a raging wind.

ll of Yan Xun’s previous worries, fear, and heartache, started to freeze up in her chilly gaze.
Loosening his grip on her, he stood up and looked down on her.

The wind started blowing again, as bits of white stu were attached to her eyelashes
obstructing her vision. Her conscious started to drift, and in her daze she seemed to see
that pair of eyes again.

Live on, live on, live on…. t was as though a voice started to sound o beside her ears.
Closing her eyes in despair, she fell onto the ground and fainted. She could only wish that it
was all but a nightmare.

With the raging wind continuing, the snow akes fell into the river, and the exposed area
slowly started to freeze back up. In the silence and lifelessness, it was as though the river
was the embodiment of the mythological Yellow Springs.

Chapter 197
Chu Qiao was actually awake all along. She was just not willing to open her eyes. She knew
that people were moving around her; some of them were calling out to her, crying their eyes
out. Some of them fed her medicine while others looked at her silently, not approaching her.

She was aware of the things happening around her, but she was unwilling to wake up. She
drifted in and out of her sleep; her heart felt cold and devoid of any nutrients. She
experienced the same nightmare repeatedly; in her dreams, it was icy cold. She oated
aimlessly in that pitch-black icy lake as fragments of shattered ice brushed against her skin.
Zhuge Yue was facing her as he sank to the bottom of the lake slowly. A glimmer of light
shone behind him, illustrating the paleness of his face. His eyes glowed with a degree of
brightness, like stars in the sky. His expression was neither joyful or angry, but calm. He
looked at her silently as he sank slowly…

It was the rst time in her life that Chu Qiao felt so vulnerable. She felt unbelievably fatigued
as she wanted to sleep for the rest of eternity. There was no longer any meaning in life.
Those dreams and beliefs, which she had held so stubbornly close to her heart, were
mercilessly shattered. She did not want to think about them anymore, nor did she have the
strength to. She no longer had the courage to open her eyes and face the reality in front of
her. She wanted to escape; she had become so weak to the point that she thought closing
her eyes would allow her to pretend as if nothing had happened. At this instant, she nally
realized that she was a woman. She was able to feel pain, sadness, sorrow, and
desperation. She refused to eat or drink, and swatted aside any attempts by others to feed
her medicine.

fi

fl
fl
ff
fl
ff
fl
fi
 It remained like this until one particular day, where it was unusually noisy outside her door.
Someone was cursing at her loudly; countless vile words spewed out of his mouth, stabbing
at her heart word by word. That voice was familiar, which caused her to open her eyes wide.
She climbed out of her bed only to see that Zhu Cheng’s body had been pierced by an
arrow.

The young butler, who was not versed in martial arts, was heavily wounded. His clothes
were torn, tattered and bloodstained. He was like a lunatic. Despite having one hand sliced
o , he attempted to dash into her room in ts of madness. Fresh blood splattered across the
stone steps of the courtyard. His eyes were bloodshot as he cursed non-stop, while he used
his remaining solitary hand to attack the servants beside him. The servants did not attack
him as they only tried to prevent him from getting close to the house. They knocked him to
the ground and watched on coldly as he picked himself up repeatedly.

“You vicious, ungrateful woman!” Zhu Cheng hollered. His body was heavily wounded and
frostbitten, as pus accumulated on many parts of his body. It was evident that his bare skin
had been exposed to the cold snow for long periods of time, resulting in his injuries.

Lü Liu held onto Chu Qiao, as she struggled to cover her eyes with her quivering hands.
However, Chu Qiao stood upright and still, like a sharp spear. She did not move as she saw
Zhu Cheng being struck to the ground and getting to his feet repeatedly, dashing towards
her.

“Stop it,” Chu Qiao said in a low voice. “Stop it!” she suddenly hollered again, pushing Lü
Liu aside and running outwards. The winds outside was cold. She ran towards Zhu Cheng in
a t of madness, pushed aside the servants who attempted to stop her, and shouted, “Stop
it, all of you!”

“I’ll kill you!” Zhu Cheng exclaimed and stumbled towards her clumsily with his sword. Chu
Qiao stood rooted to the spot. In that instant, she was no longer the agile modern-day
agent. She did not dodge as she saw the sword ying towards her head.

However, as the sword sliced through her clothes, a sharp arrow ew through the air and
pierced through Zhu Cheng’s heart with precision. Blood spurted out of the young butler’s
mouth, onto Chu Qiao’s face. The man’s body jerked as his pupils dilated. His knees
buckled as he collapsed onto the ground. Chu Qiao held on to him as she saw the hateful
look in the man’s eyes. With his last breath, he spat out a mouthful of blood-stained phlegm
onto her face and cursed, “Sl*t!”

Thud! Zhu Cheng collapsed on the ground, causing dust to y in the air. Like small winged
insects, they stuck onto Chu Qiao’s face. She looked up slowly, seeing Yan Xun’s cold face
in front of her. As Yan Xun put down his bow and arrow, he walked over to her solemnly.
Looking down at her, he said in a low voice, “I have informed the world that you laid this trap
for Zhuge Yue and killed him. This man accompanied Zhuge Yue to Yan Bei, hence he
arrived here quickly. I estimate that in a few days’ time, the assassins belonging to the
Zhuge family will swarm this place. However, I have assigned many people to protect you.
You do not need to worry.”

ff
fi
fi
fl
fl
fl
Chu Qiao looked at Yan Xun. In that instant, she felt as if she did not know who he was. She
tried to recall, and opened her eyes wide to look at him. However, she felt a blinding
headache. The sunlight shone on his body; the radiance caused her to be unable to open
her eyes.

The servants dragged Zhu Cheng’s corpse away, leaving a trail of blood behind. The hateful
look in his eyes was still there, as his eyes were still wide open; he seemingly wanted to
devour her.

Yan Xun promptly left with his men. The courtyard started to quieten down. The servants
fetched many pails of water and poured them all over the oor, trying to scrub away the
bloodstains on the oor. Chu Qiao stood rooted to the spot. No one dared to disturb her. Lü
Liu approached her carefully and tugged at her sleeve, calling out, “Miss? Miss?” The wind
blew across her body as she felt its coldness. Lü Liu shook her arm slightly as her voice
appeared slightly choked from crying.

Suddenly, the sounds of an angry, young man came from outside the door. AhJing cursed at
the servants who attempted to stop him as he walked in, taking big strides. When he saw
Chu Qiao, he felt a sour feeling in his nose. Disregarding everything around him, he picked
Chu Qiao up and walked into the house. It was cold outside, while Chu Qiao only wore one
solitary layer. The maidservants rushed to her side in a state of panic as they tried to warm
her up, while she allowed them to do anything to her, as if she was a dead person.

“Miss, don’t be like this,” AhJing said to her with bloodshot eyes. “It’s not Your Highness’s
fault. It’s all Cheng Yuan, that evil person, trying to sow discord. Miss, you must be
stronger.”

AhJing’s voice sounded distant. Chu Qiao turned around and looked at him suspiciously.
After a long while, she said slowly, “What about He Xiao?”

Her voice was hoarse, like a shattered wind box. AhJing was dazed as he did not
understand what she meant. He answered in a silly manner, “Ah? What?”

“What about He Xiao? The soldiers from the Xiuli Army? How are they? Did anything happen
to them?”

“Nothing happened,” AhJing answered hurriedly. “Nothing happened to them. They are in
the martial arts hall now. They wanted to visit you, but Your Highness stopped any visitors
from doing so as you are still recuperating.”

“Oh,” Chu Qiao nodded silently. Calmly, she asked, “Are all of Zhuge Yue’s men dead?”

“They’re all dead. The majority of their bodies have been shed out of the water. Some have
sunk too deep, so we did not manage to retrieve them. Thinking about it, I don’t think they
survived either.”

“What about Zhuge Yue? Has his body been retrieved?”

fl
fi
fl
AhJing licked his lips as he saw Chu Qiao’s calm expression. With a low voice, he replied,
“Yes. General Yue has been tasked with returning his body to Xia. Zhao Che will pick it up
personally. In addition, the Zhuge family have given us a million taels of gold for preserving
his body.”

Chu Qiao’s expression remained unchanged as she nodded repeatedly. AhJing continued
nervously, “Miss, don’t worry. No one destroyed his body. It was in good condition when we
escorted it back. Your Highness prepared a high-grade co n too…”

“He’s dead already. What use is a co n for?” Chu Qiao retorted plainly as she stood up.
She had not eaten anything for the past six to seven days, save for a bit of medicine at the
start. She felt light-headed as she walked, nearly falling over to her side. Lü Liu walked over
to support her, but she brushed her aside. She stumbled over to the study table and picked
up a brush as she prepared to write something.

“I’ll prepare some ink for you,” Lü Liu ran over to her side and remarked.

The door was still ajar. As the wind blew inside, it messed up the papers on the table. Lü Liu
ordered the maidservants at the side in a hurried manner, “Close the door!”

When she lowered her head again, Chu Qiao had nished penning her letter. She put it in an
envelope and handed it over to AhJing as she said calmly, “Please pass this letter to He
Xiao and tell him to follow the instructions written on it. Tell him to prevent the assassins
from the Zhuge family from entering Yan Bei.”

AhJing was dazed as he received the letter from her. Chu Qiao promptly wrote another letter
and handed it over to him as she continued, “Please pass this letter to Mister Wu and tell
him that there is only so much that I can do, but that there are a lot of other ways to achieve
his beliefs. I have already planted some pawns in Shangshen. I’m handing that place over to
him now.”

Subsequently, Chu Qiao started to write a third letter. “Pass this to Huanhuan and tell her
that I’m counting on her.”

An unpleasant premonition started to brew in AhJing’s heart. The man asked frankly, “Miss,
are you going to commit suicide?”

Chu Qiao looked up at him. The look in her eyes was still as bright as ever, but AhJing felt
that it was no longer the same.

Yes, it was no longer the same. Back then, Miss was calm and composed, but when she
looked at you, you would feel her sincere emotions. Now, even if she looked at you, you
would not be in her line of sight. Although she looked at you, it seemed to penetrate through
you, through your body, through the house, through the walls of the courtyard, into the
clouds and the sky far away…

“No,” Chu Qiao replied calmly. She turned back and gestured towards Lü Liu, “I’m hungry,
bring me something to eat.”

ffi
fi
ffi
 Lü Liu was stunned. After a long while, she obliged happily and ran out of the room.

The dishes had been prepared beforehand and were still warm. Lü Liu and the other
maidservants spread them out across a big table beside Chu Qiao while she exclaimed
excitedly, “Your Highness ordered someone to prepare these dishes. Miss, you’re still
recovering, it’s best to eat this. This is the medicine prepared by Physician Yu, it’s good for
the stomach. Miss, you have not eaten for a few days, you can’t eat too much meat. This is
the chicken soup that I brewed personally. I put it over the re for 22 hours. Take a sip…” Lü
Liu’s voice slowly faded away. She looked on helplessly as Chu Qiao picked up a bowl and
started to eat with robot-like movements. She gorged herself with rice as she chewed and
swallowed in large mouthfuls. In no time, she had devoured an entire bowl of rice. She stood
up and re lled her bowl, sat down, and continued to eat.

The sight of her eating was frightening. She behaved like a beggar who had been deprived
of food for a long time. She stu ed the food into her mouth non-stop, which scared Lü Liu
out of her wits. She wanted to restrain Chu Qiao, but Chu Qiao ignored her. Lü Liu bit her lip
as tears streamed down her face. She tugged at Chu Qiao’s arm and cried out, “Miss, if
you’re sad, just cry it out. Don’t suppress your emotions, it’s not good for your health. If
you’re sad, just cry it out!”

Chu Qiao remained silent as she continued to eat in that robot-like manner. It was as if she
wanted to swallow her pain along with the rice.

The house was silent, save for Lü Liu’s sobs. AhJing held the three letters in his hands as he
felt his ngertips turn cold. He wanted to say something as his gaze met Chu Qiao’s cold
gaze. The young lady looked up and remarked, “Please leave.”

Chapter 198
By the time AhJing had left, Chu Qiao was already eating medicine. Batch after batch the
doctors walked in carrying large boxes of medicine and medical equipment, and the
courtyard seemed to be bustling with life and activity. Yet, AhJing felt as though the place
was colder. Just as he left the house, he saw Yan Xun standing under a poplar tree. Yunbi
had a nice name, but it was, in fact, a very poor city. With heavy snow every year, the people
here would starve in winter, and eventually, the younger people had migrated out of this city,
leaving behind only the elderly and the poplar trees.

Even though AhJing had walked out, Yan Xun did not turn around. In deference, AhJing
passed the letters to Yan Xun. Opening them up one by one, Yan Xun scrutinized the letters.
Even though all three letters were short, Yan Xun spent a good hour reading through them.
In the end, he returned the letters to their envelopes, and passed it back to AhJing while
instructing, “Follow her instructions.”

With his face completely red, as though he was caught red-handed, AhJing hesitated for a
moment, before replying, “Your Highness, will the lady think too much and take her own life?
She sounded as though she was writing her will.”

fi
fi

ff
fi
Without changing his expression, Yan Xun rmly replied AnJing the same answer as Chu
Qiao, “No, she will not.”

“Then,” AhJing asked, “why did we let her carry the blame for the murder of Zhuge Yue?
Not only will the assassins go crazy and take revenge, but the lady will hate you.”

“Hate me?” Yan Xun’s tone raised a pitch as he said that. Quietly chuckling, he calmly
explained, “That would still be better than her being dead.”

Taken aback, AhJing seemed to understand something, but he was still not completely sure
about his guess, so he continued to ask, “Your Highness, will there be any problems with
using a random corpse to deceive the Xia Empire and the Zhuge Family? After all, we
accepted their money.”

Yan Xun did not answer that question, but merely stretched out his hand, pointing to the
snow plains in front. Slowly, he asked, “AhJing, do you know why maps of Yan Bei not mark
this city of Yunbi?”

AhJing did not know why Yan Xun suddenly asked that, but he still answered properly as he
shook his head and said, “I do not know.”

“That is because this place is useless.” With a deep tone, Yan Xun coldly elaborated, “This
location is too small, desolate, barren, and without resources. It could not be used as a
farm, nor as a rearing ground. Chi Shui does not pass by here, and Qianzhang Lake is too
very far away from here. Not only that, but every year, the snow here is heavy and causes
disasters every year. Even when the Quan Rong people invade Yan Bei, they will not raid this
area. Regardless if it’s militarily or economically, this land is a burden to Yan Bei, and
therefore even maps do not mark this location. Coldly laughing, Yan Xun continued his
explanation, “To the Zhuge Family, Zhuge Yue’s existence is like Yunbi’s existence to Yan
Bei. His existence was a humiliation. What do you think will happen to a general who was
reckless and arrogant, having died not on the battle eld but due to his love for a woman?
The Zhuge Family could not wait to break all ties with him. Who would bother to check his
body?”

AhJing suddenly understood. “Ah, I see. No wonder Your Highness needed to use the Lady
for disguise. It seemed like you intend to weaken the Zhuge Family.”

Emotionlessly, Yan Xun stared into the distance, as he slowly replied, “The death of Zhuge
Yue is merely the beginning. The Zhuge Family, Zhao Che, General Le Xing, and even Meng
Tian, who was the initial one to recommend him, will all be a ected. The Xia empire is in a
state of chaos now. Zhao Qi has died, and Zhao Song is useless. The Wei Family and Zhao
Yang’s power are too weak. Why not give them some help and further weaken the con ict?
Only when the Xia Empire is in turmoil can I safeguard my lands.”

AhJing stood there with his mouth agape, completely stunned.

“AhJing, do not always ght with Chen Yuan.” Looking at AhJing, Yan Xun lightly frowned as
he continued, “You are no longer just an assassin of an underground organization. With Yan
Bei’s invasion to the east impending, you will be my arms. If you want to dabble in politics,
fi
fi
fi
ff
fl
 you must rst be capable of doing so. There are many people who need to be sacri ced for
a greater cause. If you are unable to understand that, you would forever be like those
idealists in the Da Tong Guild, forever living in their dreams and never tasting real power.”

Yan Xun turned around and did not pay much heed to AhJing’s shocked expression. There
was a sentence that he did not mention: Although a lion is ferocious and powerful, it is hard
to control. Sometimes he preferred using a pack of dogs.

As for AhChu, she would eventually understand that the death of Zhuge Yue was
exceedingly important, and using her name for the incident was the best option for Yan Bei.
Firstly, unless by taking such drastic measures, Zhuge Yue would be impossible to lure into
a trap. Secondly, he needed the e ects caused by Zhuge Yue’s death to force a chain e ect
in the Xia Empire. By the time Xia Empire started to crumble under the internal chaos, she
would surely understand. In regards to her feelings for Zhuge Yue, Yan Xun had not thought
much about it. While Zhuge Yue was still alive, Yan Xun had not worried much. What more
when Zhuge Yue had already died? She was just like in olden days, merely throwing a
tantrum. Time would heal all wounds, and she would be back to normal after a few days. He
could a ord to wait.

AhJing sank into silence for a while, before suddenly asking, “Your Highness, the lady is
really upset. Are you not going in to take a look at her?”

“There is no time. I have to head back to the pass tonight. Zhao Che has been getting ready
to attack for a while, I need to go back to control the situation.”

After Yan Xun nished his sentence, AhJing stood rooted to the ground. Watching Yan Xun
mount his horse, and gradually walked far away with the escort of his guards. In that
instance, AhJing suddenly recalled what Yan Xun told him back in Sheng Jin Palace. At that
time, AhJing had been cautioning Yan Xun to think about the whole situation, yet Yan Xun
retorted, “If AhChu is not around, what use do I have for Yan Bei?”

That sentence was deeply engraved in AhJing’s mind, and still echoed in his ears today. Yet,
had His Highness forgotten these words? Or perhaps, he had not forgotten, but Yan Bei was
too small, and he was too ambitious; too intelligent. What he wished to obtain was the entire
world.

Lowering his head, AhJing knew not what was right or wrong. Perhaps from the moment he
started following Yan Xun, the situation would have been destined to occur. Turning around
and walking o , AhJing’s usually straight back seemed to be slouching for some reason. It
was as though something heavy was weighing down on his back, causing him to be unable
to walk upright.

Chu Qiao rested for ve whole days before she nally returned to normal. In the past few
days, she was perfectly normal, as she ate her meals properly, and had taken her medicine
on time. When she was not sleeping, she would do some stretches in the courtyard. Her
unhealthily thin face that resulted from the disease from before the incident had returned to
normal, but her complexion still showed an unhealthy paleness. Lü Liu felt that it was
ff
fi
ff
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
ff
 strange that she would still seem so sickly, so she secretly took at look at Chu Qiao at night,
only to discover that Chu Qiao’s eyes remained wide open at night, unable to sleep.

It was the New Year. The battle at the pass had ended three days ago. After eight rounds of
urgent orders from Sheng Jin Palace, Zhao Che had no choice but to return back to the
capital. At that moment, Yan Xun took the opportunity to attack the Yanming Pass. Although
the siege was unsuccessful, he had in icted over 50,000 casualties on the Xia troops. That
would be considered a magni cent present for Yan Bei.

Yan Xun returned back one day before the New Year’s day. With that, Yunbi city had
suddenly turned into the location for the Yan Bei Emperor to stay for the New Year. The local
o cials were all excited, and decorated the entire place to make it a tting location to
celebrate the occasion. In the morning, Lü Liu had brought the new clothes for Chu Qiao.
They were bright crimson with a hundred lotuses embroidered onto it. It looked auspicious
and beautiful, yet Chu Qiao felt uncomfortable looking at it, as she felt that the red color
resembled blood. She was so distraught by it that she refused to even touch the clothes.

Everything had been arranged properly. The messages should have been sent out.
Shangshen was now in Mister Wu’s competent hands. As for the Xiuli Army, they would
have no future following her. As important members of the Da Tong Guild, Yan Xun would be
on guard when it came to Mister Wu and Lady Yu, so Chu Qiao handed the command of the
army to Huanhuan. Not only was she the princess of Yan Bei, but she was also already in
command of the Huoyun Army. She should be able to give the Xiuli Army a good destiny. It
seemed like there was no need for her to stay here any longer.

By the time Yan Xun came into the room, the place was already vacated. Everything seemed
as per normal—neat and tidy. Suddenly, he was reminded of that night when he was given
Zhao Chun’er’s hand in marriage, and his heart sank. It was not that he had not thought of
such a situation where she disappeared, but he still held on to a single trace of hope.
Perhaps she had already understood everything? Perhaps she had already forgiven him?
After all, in the decade that they had been together, she had always been so forgiving. No
matter what he had done, she would forgive him. He had once abandoned the Southwest
Emissary’s Garrison, and abandoned Yan Bei. He had once killed her subordinates, and had
once doubted her, ostracized her, yet she had not left him. Merely Zhuge Yue, and merely
just Zhuge Yue… No matter how much gratitude AhChu had for him, how could those
feelings match up to their ten years together?

Perhaps all they needed was a proper conversation. As long as he was perfectly honest with
his thoughts and his plans, she should be able to understand him. Even if she was still
angry, she would sooner or later no longer be angry. At most he would give her control, of
her army again. With the momentum of the Xia Empire’s defeat, there was little to worry
anymore.

He did not know why he was so sure about it. He had probably comforted himself hundreds
of times in the past few days, yet, when he witnessed this neat and tidy room, his started to
panic. He quickly headed out in a hurry, and in this process, his sleeves hit something on
the desk. With a crash, a shattering sound was heard. Lowering his head, Yan Xun saw that
ffi
fi
fl
fi
a pristine white jade ring had fallen onto the ground, and was shattered into many pieces. It
dimly glimmered, re ecting the weakly glowing candlelight, yet it was so piercing.

Looking at that ring, Yan Xun stood rooted to the ground. Suddenly, he was reminded of the
words AhChu had rmly told him, “If he dies in Yan Bei, I will not forgive you for the rest of
my life.”

I will not forgive you…

For the rest of my life…

“Lady?” Lü Liu happily exclaimed, “Let us head out to look at the lanterns! They are really
pretty!” Suddenly, she saw Yan Xun who was still rooted to the ground. In her panic, Lü Liu
dropped to the ground, kneeling. After a long while, the man did not say anything. Carefully
lifting her head up, she saw that the man merely stood there with his face full of loneliness.
Like a dense fog that drew a blanket over his face, the loneliness seemed impossible to be
dispersed.

Chu Qiao was walking on the street as she led her horse around. Wearing a casual green
cape, she was surrounded by crowds wearing brightly colored clothes, jubilantly celebrating
the festival. The kids ran around carrying lanterns of all shapes and sizes. The lanterns were
intricately crafted. They were made in the shapes of dragons, phoenixes, tigers, koi sh,
trees, stars, dogs, birds, cats, rabbits…

With the reworks in the sky, the entire street was lled with the aroma of wine.
Shopkeepers shouted along the roadside in hopes of selling their goods, and the streets
were lined with colorful lanterns that had riddles written on them. On the snow patch in the
distance, there were civilians who danced festive dances in their land boat props, with some
blowing horns for musical accompaniment.

Many walked past Chu Qiao, yet none stopped to look at her. Holding each other’s hands,
there was the husband that held the hand of the wife, the wife leading the child, the child
turning back and waking at his grandmother, and the grandmother would be holding onto
the elderly grandfather. Everyone had their families around. In the auspicious occasion, they
walked out of their impoverished homes onto this bustling street to celebrate this rare
occasion.

“AhChu, I have never told you this before. I will only say this once, so listen carefully. I want
to thank you for accompanying me all these years in hell. Thank you for not abandoning me
during the darkest days of my life. Thank you for standing by my side. If not for you, Yan Xun
wouls be nothing, and would have probably died in the snowy night eight years ago. AhChu,
this will be the only time I say these words. I speak with actions, and will make it up to you
for the rest of my life. There is something between us that we need not say to understand.
AhChu, you are mine alone, and I will protect you. I will leave with you. From the moment I
held your hand eight years ago, I never planned to let go.”

“Yan Xun, I have no hometown. It was because you were here with me, that I think of your
hometown as mine.”

fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
 “AhChu, trust me.”

Trust me, I will protect you, take care of you. I will make sure you will not get hurt, and you
will not get bullied. Trust me, I will make you happy, trust me…

Tears owed in a stream down Chu Qiao’s eyes. Quietly, the droplets rolled o her face, o
her chin. With the wind blowing past, the cold wind was like a freezing blade grazing her
skin again and again. Leading her horse, she walked alone, slowly.

Chapter 199
Every single memory from the past ashed before her eyes. Finally, her soul had crumbled
under all the pressure, being smashed into many pieces and uttering in the air, fragment by
fragment, like goose feathers.

Suddenly, the midnight clock struck. A group of kids ran towards her and collided with her.
A young girl was knocked to the ground; the somewhat sh-shaped lantern in her hand was
squashed by the impact. It was white colored and had red eyes; it looked more like a rabbit
instead. It had a symbol of a gold coin carved on its stomach. The young girl picked up her
squashed lantern and started to cry loudly, as Chu Qiao stopped in her tracks. She squatted
down and wiped the tears o the girl’s eyes, as she took out a lump of silver to give it to her.

At that moment, a deafening sound of reworks echoed out. As the nation welcomed the
new year, the various households released reworks into the sky as a gesture of celebration.
The child froze and stopped crying as she covered her ears and shouted in excitement.
However, Chu Qiao was seemingly struck hard by an invisible giant, as the color on her face
drained away.

“If you died, I would release 100 rows of reworks to celebrate the fact that I would no
longer need to return the favor,” she had previously said to the man. The man smiled without
hiding his airs of arrogance and replied, “I don’t think you will have the chance to.”

As the sounds of reworks became louder and more synchronized, Chu Qiao started to cry
aloud. Those memories which she had tried so hard to forget and suppress started to replay
themselves again, causing an indescribable feeling of pain to surge within her heart, totally
erasing her outer layer of calmness and composure.

“What…what’s wrong?” /the child was startled. As the reworks continued to boom, she
said, “Don’t cry. You don’t need to pay me anymore…”

The sounds of the reworks became even louder. Chu Qiao could no longer hide her inner
feelings as she sat in the middle of the bustling street, bawling her eyes out as she covered
her face.

Splash! A ripple formed as something fell into the pond outside. The wind blew open
another window in Chu Qiao’s house. She stood up to close the window, seeing that the
plum plants under her house had grown to be as tall as the building itself. She froze as her
hand hung in mid-air. The moonlight shone on her hand, forming a mottled shadow.

fl
fi
fi

ff
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
ff
 In a ash, two years had passed. The plum seeds that she had planted back then had
grown into plum trees which were as tall as her rooftop. Time was the most callous thing to
grace the surface of the world. It never stopped due to any joy or sorrow; any intense
emotions would be cooled down along with its passing.

That night, she departed Yunbi City. After journeying for half a month, she reached Beishuo
City. On another particular morning, she walked along the deserted streets of Beishuo, all
the way to the city gates. When she stepped out of the city gates, she saw numerous
citizens of Yan Bei.

The contingent was made up of the city’s inhabitants, as well as other civilians which had
made the long trip down from the inner mainland. They included citizens from the cities of
Shangshen, Luori Mountains, Lan, Chidu, Huihui Mountains and Meilin. When the citizens
caught wind of the news of her departure, they gathered at Beishuo without saying another
word. On her journey here, she had met many such parties. She did not know them, nor did
they disturb her. They had followed her all the way here, till the city gates of Beishuo. They
looked at her quietly as they prepared to send her o on her nal journey.

People from all walks of life were present, from the elderly to the children, from the
foreigners outside the pass to the merchants from the eastern lands. The conscripts of
Chidu, who had fought alongside her in battle against the Xia troops; the civilians of
Beishuo, whom she had protected from certain death; the citizens of Shangshen, who had
participated in the city’s reconstruction process; the shepherds under Huihui Mountains…
they were all present. These people had gathered outside the city gates from early in the
morning, forming a passageway on both sides for her to pass through. As she walked out,
all of them gazed at her.

Chu Qiao could never forget the look in their eyes. Some of them displayed unwillingness,
sadness, worry, and fear. However, these emotions combined together to form an awkward
feeling of dead silence which lingered in the air. Even the young children did not speak a
word, as they gazed at her quietly, ever so quietly. In that instant, she felt overwhelmingly
sad.

She was aware of the responsibilities that she had to shoulder. Over the past year, she had
traveled the land of Yan Bei, spreading her beliefs of peace to every nook and cranny of the
country. She led them in rebuilding their homeland, to revive the economy’s productivity
after the war, as they gave her their wholehearted support. The citizens of this country,
which had been oppressed for hundreds of years, had placed their hopes of freedom and a
beautiful life on her entirely. However, today, she was about to leave, breaking her promise
to them. She was about to leave them and abandon her dreams which she had worked so
hard for.

He Xiao led the way, along with 9,000 soldiers from the Xiuli Army. They were dressed in full
combat gear and had packed up their belongings, as if they were following her on her long
journey. There was nothing else to be said. She stood there in a daze, like a stone statue.

Suddenly, a small, soft hand grabbed at her waist. She looked down and saw a young girl,
who was about ten years old. She remained silent as she stared at her, looking up at her
fl
ff
fi
stubbornly. Tears welled up in the girl’s eyes, but they did not fall. Pingan ran towards them
from behind and tried to separate his young sister from her, but to no avail.

Pingan was a soldier in the army back then. When he was dispatched to the inner mainland
by Yan Xun for the rst time, his young sister, Jingjing, had followed her for over a year.

“Sister,” Jingjing nally cried out as tears streamed down her face. “You don’t want me
anymore? Do you not want me anymore?”

The child started to cry. The civilians stood in neat rows as someone amongst the crowd
knelt on the ground. Slowly, the entire crowd started to follow suit; the elderly folks started
to cry out and ask, “General, don’t you want us anymore?”

“General, without you around, I will be re-captured as a slave again.”

“General, where are you going? Can I follow you?”

The cold winds blew on the snow on the ground. Chu Qiao let go of her horse’s reins and
looked up towards the sun. Tears streamed down her face, onto her hair below. The heavy
responsibilities exerted its weight on her shoulders, rendering her breathless. She knew the
mastermind behind this ploy, but she could not do anything about it. He knew her too well.
With this small trick, she would be trapped within his clutches.

That day, her tears dried up. As she stood on the snowy ground, she felt like a kite with no
thread that had been restrained. Even if she wanted to escape, she would not know where
to go. Just like this, she stayed in Yan Bei and resided in the area of Huihui Mountains for
two years. During these years, she watched on as he strengthened his position as the ruler
of Yan Bei, as he drafted conscripts into the armies, imposed taxes on the cities, attacked
various lands, eliminated his subjects, and imposed his iron st onto his military forces.
From time to time, she felt that life was an intriguing thing. At times of desperation, the light
at the end of the tunnel would appear, enabling one to persevere on. At times where one
neared towards a lifeline, it would extinguish their hopes with a basin of cold water.

Ultimately, Yan Xun succeeded in his motives. Under his purview, the Xia Empire was
oppressed by him. After Zhuge Yue’s death, the Zhuge family tried to clear their names by
disowning him. They did not bury his body in the family’s mausoleum. However, despite this,
they were still implicated. Their status in the Elders’ Clan was heavily diminished, as Zhuge
Huai was shunned repeatedly. Zhuge Muqing’s e orts to salvage the situation by supporting
the other side families proved fruitless as well.

As Zhuge Yue’s direct superior, Zhao Che was not spared either. The prince, who had gone
through a series of ups and downs, was once again exiled to the remote northeastern
borders to supervise a totally unnecessary military reconstruction project, ending his
involvement in the Xia Empire’s political scene.

What was most unexpected was that the 14th prince, Zhao Yang, formed an alliance with
the Wei family. Under Wei Guang’s support, Zhao Yang became the inherent heir to the royal
fi
fi
ff
fi
throne, earning the title as the king of Zhou. Wei Shuye was promoted as well, as he
assumed full control of the forces at Yanming Pass.

Although the Xia Empire underwent a full political reshu e, it was easy to spot that they no
longer had the domineering airs they once had. Faced with the strong forces of Yan Bei,
they were unsettled. Although Wei Shuye was well-versed in the art of warfare, he was no
match for Yan Xun. Coupled with the internal political disturbances in Xia, he had to adopt a
more defensive stance towards the war. Over the past year, they had started to show signs
of fatigue.

Presently, the continent of West Meng was divided into four parts. In Tang, Li Ce had
assumed the position of emperor; in Song, the eldest princess, Nalan Hongye, took charge
of the country’s a airs; in Yan Bei, Yan Xun assumed total control. There was no longer any
dominant superpower in West Meng.

However, despite this, Yan Xun did not dare to attack Xia recklessly. Towards the southwest
of Helan Mountains, a new political force appeared under everyone’s eyes. No one knew the
origin of the political force, nor the number of people they had. The only thing they knew
was that the leader of this force named himself the “King of Qinghai”, from the merchants
that passed by and the scouts sent out to sh out information.

Qinghai was a piece of land situated south of Helan Mountains, and to the west of Cuiwei
Mountains. It was rumored to be a barren, no man’s land, with a harsh climate. Wild beasts
roamed the land devoid of any grass. Over 2,000 years ago, prisoners from various empires
were exiled to this piece of land; it was known that none of the people who were dumped
over there survived. They were either eaten alive by the beasts or killed by mysterious
illnesses. The phrase, “exiled to Qinghai”, became an indirect slang that assumed the
meaning of certain death. It was extreme to the point where people would rather die in West
Meng than step foot in Qinghai. Over the years, countless prisoners at Cuiwei Pass had
committed suicide.

However, a new political force was born out of the blue in this piece of land, which was ruled
by venomous insects and wild beasts, without a trace of human life.

It was the 17th day of the seventh month in the year 778. 70,000 troops, personally led by
Yan Xun, attacked the southern gates of Yanming Pass. As they were about to succeed, the
enemy appeared out of the blue at the southwestern part of their rear forces. They were
agile and seasoned in combat; their movements were fast and ruthless. They sliced into the
left side of Yan Bei’s forces e ortlessly, disrupting their formation. However, when Yan Xun
made his way to the back to retaliate, they had vanished into thin air. It wasn’t until a long
time later that the scouts discovered that they were at Cuiwei Pass, and that this man,
known as the King of Qinghai, had taken control of that place.

This was a horrid nightmare for Yan Bei. As Cuiwei Pass was situated near Helan Mountains,
west of the rivers, this meant that Yan Bei had another enemy to deal with, other than the
Quanrong people outside of Meilin Pass. What was even worse was that Meilin Pass was in
Yan Bei’s hands, while Cuiwei Pass belonged to the king of Qinghai.

ff
ff
fi
ffl
 Chapter 200
That would mean that whenever the King of Qinghai wished, he could take a stroll within
Yan Bei, and no one could do anything about it. Not only that, but the Cuiwei Pass was
situated in the middle of the Helan Mountain and the Cuiwei Mountain. To the East of the
Pass was a vast grassland with no natural obstacles in sight. The only way to obstruct the
enemies in the Qinghai would be to build a great wall that would be thousands of miles in
length. That sounded like a joke, yet that was the precise reality that Yan Bei was faced with.

Fortunately, since that one incident, that Qinghai King had never appeared again. It was
almost as though he just felt bored one day and came out for a stroll to inform Yan Xun that
he was Yan Bei’s new neighbor. Of course, Yan Xun did not dare to let down his guard.
While sending out men to nd out information from the King of Qinghai, he had headed
down to Cuiwei Pass multiple times in hopes of negotiation with the King of Qinghai. In
addition, he had also started to set up defense lines in the Southwest and arranged for a
garrison. With that, the Xia Empire nally had a chance to take a breather. All this intel were
from He Xiao. In those two years, Chu Qiao had barely headed down the mountain.

The nights were very silent. So silent, one could hear the sounds of dogs barking at the foot
of the mountain. Yet, when everyone was asleep, Chu Qiao stared at the stars above, and
sat alone until daybreak.

Yet, tragedy struck without any premonition. The news of Da Tong’s rebellion was like
sizzling hot oil that had just been added to water, creating a huge uproar in the gloom of the
Huihui mountains. Looking at the messenger who was colored by blood, Chu Qiao frowned
as she listened to his words.

“Master, please head down. If you do not go, Da Tong will cease to exist!”

Quietly looking at him, Chu Qiao took a long time to reply. The news of Da Tong’s rebellion
was just received by her from the garrison of Qiulan City. Yet, this man immediately
appeared and informed her that Yan Xun was planning to completely uproot the Da Tong
Guild, and had already completely relieved Lady Yu and Mister Wu of military duties, and
had held Xia Zhi, Xirui, and other Da Tong generals captive. The headquarters of the Da
Tong Guild, Wang City, was turned into rubble, and he was intending to recall the Huoyun
army, along with Princess Huanhuan, intending to completely remove any possible future
rebellions by eliminating her…

As for such words, Chu Qiao refused to believe the messenger. Logic also told her that she
should not fall for such words. As much as she had experienced the mercilessness of Yan
Xun rst hand, she knew that Yan Xun was not brainless. Getting rid of the Da Tong Guild
was somewhat logical, and the removal of Mister Wu and Lady Yu’s military position was
acceptable, but why would he want the death of Huanhuan? Huanhuan was his blood sister.
Although she was a believer of Da Tong, and had been groomed by Da Tong, she would not
necessarily turn against her own brother for Da Tong.

fi

fi
fi
 “You may head down.”

“Master!” The man dropped to the ground, his head slamming down onto the ground with a
crisp impact as he prostrated to Chu Qiao, pleading, “I implore Master to save Da Tong!
Only you can save us now.” The sound of his kowtow was so loud, and before long his head
was covered with blood. Frowning, Chu Qiao nally turned around and walked back into her
room. As the door closed, the man gaze was lled with nothing but despair and sadness.

As for the Da Tong Guild, Chu Qiao had never had a good impression of them. Apart from
Mister Wu and Lady Yu, she had not worked much with the rest. She had originally thought
that they were all a bunch of evil men plotting for power and wealth, but she gradually
realized that not all of them were such people. Most of the Da Tong Guild members were
rm believers and loyal warriors, and were like Mohism in ancient China. They were erce
warriors, educated scholars, and most of them were compassionate and kind. Such people
would be a great resource for a nation if they could be put to good use. She was sure that
Yan Xun would not kill o such a talented group of people. So as Chu Qiao thought, as she
suppressed the discomfort in her heart.

Yet, everything went completely beyond Chu Qiao’s wildest imagination. Without even two
days since then, the war had spread throughout all of Yan Bei. Countless Da Tong Guild
groups had been surrounded and massacred, and the Da Tong Leadership su ered a
catastrophe. Death came so fast that no one even caught wind of any news before they had
already been surrounded. Everything seemed like a ood that had just broken the banks,
instantly sweeping through Yan Bei, with no one being able to muster any forms of
countermeasure.

On the second night, the messengers started scaling Huihui mountains again. There were 20
men, yet, only one was able to reach the peak. The rider of the horse was bathed in blood,
and one of his arms was attached to his body by only a thin piece of esh, as though it
could fall o anytime. Looking at Chu Qiao, he was already incapable of words. Using his
other hand, he painstakingly unbuttoned his shirt and passed a letter to Chu Qiao. Even
though the letter had been soaked with blood and sweat, one could still see the neat words
written on it: AhChu, help us. Zhong Yu.

After hesitating for a while, Chu Qiao slowly stood up. The cold mountain wind blew on her
frail body, as she took a deep breath and rmly instructed, “He Xiao, prepare my horse, I will
be heading down!”

A ash of relief ashed across that messenger’s eyes. Following which, he fell towards the
ground, head rst. Only then did Chu Qiao notice that there was an arrow that was deeply
embedded in his back, straight through his heart. No one knew how he was able to hold on
and climb to the top of the mountain in such condition.

With merely 20 guards, Chu Qiao donned her cape, as she charged into the darkness of the
night. With the chilly rain washing on her face, the growing unease enveloped her. She grew
reluctant to think further, as she pushed her horse to go even faster. In the darkness of the
night, the journey seemed like an unending distance.

fi
fl
ff
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
ff
fi
Lady Yu’s 3,000 strong group of bodyguards now only had 100 men. Everyone was
wounded, yet they stood alert the moment they saw Chu Qiao approach. In that heavy
thunderstorm, Lady Yu lied down in a straw hut. When Chu Qiao entered, Lady Yu was
sleeping. Hearing sounds, Lady Yu woke up, and slowly opened her eyes. Her pale face
broke into a light smile upon seeing Chu Qiao appear, as though she was completely
expecting her arrival, as she greeted Chu Qiao, “You have come.” An arrow had struck her
chest, and even though the wound had been bandaged, no one dared to pull the arrow out
without medicine to treat her.

Seeing that, Pingan’s eyes turned red as he sni ed and informed, “I will go and look for
Uncle Dalie.” With that said, he opened the door and walked out. The room quietened down
with only the two ladies presence. Incidentally, both of them were dressed in white. Kneeling
beside Lady Yu’s bed, Chu Qiao could immediately tell how serious Lady Yu’s injury was.
Swallowing the sadness, Chu Qiao quietly asked, “Lady Yu, what happened?”

Taking a deep breath, Lady Yu coughed, as an unhealthy blush surfaced on her face. “The
taxes in Changqing were raised, and the locals there revolted. Some of the leaders of the
Guild participated as well. Now, there is no way to salvage the situation.”

“You also participated?” Chu Qiao’s brow furrowed deeply as she quietly asked, “How could
you be so reckless? To participate in the civilians’ revolt is equivalent to rebellion. Yan Xun
initially did not trust the Da Tong Guild, how could you be so careless?”

“Hurhur,” Lady Yu lightly chuckled, as her chest heaved up and down. The focus of her eyes
seemed to be eeting. She glanced past Chu Qiao, and seemed to be looking far away into
the distance. Quietly, she replied, “Have you seen how Changqing su ered a snowy disaster
the previous winter, and this year, it was a victim of poor harvests, and their livestock dyed
by the dozens. At this crucial moment, Yan Xun had decided to force them to give up their
food, which was already insu cient to last them through winter. That would be equivalent to
asking them to die.” Looking at Chu Qiao, Lady Yu continued, “His Highness is preparing for
war, and wishes to conquer the Cuiwei Pass before winter. As such, he had already recruited
many soldiers and gathered food from civilians. There were already many who starved to
death. Even if I knew my eventual outcome, I had no choice but to do this.”

Biting her lips, Chu Qiao felt a rising sense of sadness, as she held on tightly onto Lady Yu’s
hands, unable to speak any words of consolation.

“AhChu, you are a good child, but you have led such a di cult life. I hope that you
understand that not everything in this world can follow your will. Many a time we may have
tried our best, but we may not achieve our desired outcome. You are still young, there is still
a bright future ahead of you.” Gently smiling, the light wrinkles that decorated her eyes gave
her an aura of wisdom, as her soft voice seemed to be eeting. Kneeling by Lady Yu’s
bedside, Chu Qiao pressed on Lady Yu’s wound, in hopes of stopping the blood that was
still seeping out. With the fresh blood tainting Chu Qiao’s pristine white dress, Chu Qiao bit
her lips and struggled to keep the tears in her eyes.

“Lady Yu, you need to hang in there. Pingan has gone to look for a doctor.”

fl
ffi
ff
fl
ffi
ff
 “I can’t be saved.” Lady Yu lightly shook her head. Her face was already so pale that it could
be compared to fresh snow atop a mountain. Her frail shoulders and hands were cold like
ice, as she lifted her gaze at the dilapidated rooftop. With the winds bellowing outside the
hut, a ood of memories ashed before Lady Yu’s eyes.

In the last moments of her life, all her memories raced across her eyes as though she was
watching a movie. She felt as though time had been turned back to 15 years ago on the
Wolong Mountain, her heart skipping a beat as she looked on at the gure donned in green
standing amidst the crimson leaves of autumn. She could almost remember how the gentle
sunlight fell on her, caressing her like a mother’s hand. She would see the sunlight, casting a
blotted shadow through the layers of foliage on the guqin that was on the stone table beside
her. That man turned back towards her, and with a soft smile, he gazed into her eyes
tenderly, as he stretched out his hand towards her, “AhYu, why did you wake up so early?”

No one knew that she had never liked the art of politics, military, or leadership. From
childhood, she merely hoped that she could have a family, and like a normal lady, learn
about makeup and poems, and eventually marry a responsible husband. Living a peaceful
life, it was never her dream to save the world or to hold great power.

Yet, he was ambitious, and he placed his eyes above the rest as he witnessed all kinds of
unfairness in the world. He had headed up the mountain in hopes of learning skills that
could grant him the ability to do so. In the end, when he studied the art of war, she would
learn about politics; when he enriched his knowledge about business and nance, she
would read up on economics; when he would observe social habits, she would contemplate
about psychology. She had always tried to complement his abilities, such that she could
always be at the same heights as him.

Their master was so wise and all knowing. All it took was one glance for the master to
understand her feelings for that man. Not only had he not prevented her from learning, the
master taught her all that he could. However, in the end, before she headed down from the
mountain, the master quietly stu ed a letter in her luggage. Only after a long while did she
realize. Within the letter only wrote one word: Devotion.

In a ash, 15 years had passed. She had been through thick and thin as she went through
life and death. It was fortunate that he had always been by her side. Regardless of the winds
and storms that they had been through, they always stood together. In the passage of time,
the world had changed drastically. For power, even father and son would become
archnemesis, even blood relatives would ght each other, and even lovers would abandon
each other. Only the two of them had stayed the same and continued to have faith in their
cause unwaveringly.

Yet, there were some words that were always kept at the bottom of their hearts. After their
repeated reunions and farewells over the past ten years, she always thought that there
would be another time. With that, time slipped out from between their ngers as they were
kept busy by their dreams, completely unaware of the fact that there might come a day
when they would never meet again. Finally, she would forever lose the opportunity to convey
those feelings that she had kept secret for almost two decades, those gentle emotions she
had always harbored

fl
fl
fl
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
 Chapter 201
“I know that my time is up.” She exhaled lightly and continued in a low voice, “I knew that
this day would come. I didn’t expect it to arrive so soon.” A warm and gentle face appeared
in front of Lady Yu, but she could not make out the person as her vision blurred. Lady Yu
smiled as blood oozed non-stop out of her wound and seeped through the bandage. She
reached out her hand with great di culty to caress the face, as she thought of their rst
meeting many years ago. They were young back then; she had been brought to the streets
to be punished for trying to escape. She was beaten to a pulp but did not cry out. He
passed by the bridge along with his teacher, and squatted down to hand her a bottle of
ointment. He said as he frowned, “Apply it once during the day, and once at night.
Remember to recover well.”

As Lady Yu maintained her smile, she said in a tired voice, “AhChu, I’m going to sleep for a
while. Remember to wake me up when Daoya arrives.”

Chu Qiao bit her lower lip and nodded forcefully. Lady Yu closed her eyes as she felt
assured. Her expression was fatigued. Softly, she whispered, “I’m going to sleep for just a
while. I’m too tired. Just a while.” Her long eyelashes formed a light shadow on her beautiful
face as her heartbeat gradually slowed and stopped. Her hands slumped lifelessly onto the
ground, landing between the crook of Chu Qiao’s arm.

The winds outside became stronger as the rain blew into the small straw hut. Chu Qiao’s
body sti ened. She looked down as she shed a tear onto Lady Yu’s icy cold face. The
droplet of water owed down and blended into the pool of blood below.

“General!” He Xiao dashed into the hut. As he saw Lady Yu’s lifeless body, the man was
suddenly stunned.

Chu Qiao looked up at him silently, replying in a hoarse voice, “What’s the matter?”

He Xiao thought for a long while before saying slowly, “Mister Wu is here.”

It was still raining when they saw Mister Wu. Chu Qiao wore a raincoat as she was escorted
by He Xiao and the rest to the border of Qiulan Plains. The soldiers lit up the torches with
pine oil, brightening up the pitch-dark piece of land. Corpses which had turned white from
the storm littered the ground everywhere. He Xiao was standing under a desert poplar tree,
holding a big umbrella. Mister Wu was kneeling there, facing Chu Qiao and her people.
There were three arrows embedded in his back; one of them was buried in his heart. His
face was pale as a trail of blood owed down his mouth. He was lifeless, but his eyes were
open; he was seemingly looking out for something as he did not collapse onto the ground.
His eyebrows were deeply locked together as he maintained his determined gaze.

“When we got here, Mister had already died.” He Xiao’s voice echoed out from beside her
ear. The night was pitch-dark, without any traces of light. Chu Qiao straightened her back
and sat on her horse. Her eyes were dry; she could not muster up any tears.

ff
fl

fl
ffi
fi
“Each person has his own wishes. As for mine, I wish to be closer to my own beliefs. For
this, I am willing to give up my freedom and love, because I feel that it is worth it.”

In that instant, Chu Qiao seemingly heard the words that Mister Wu had told her one year
ago on Huihui Mountains. The night winds howled on as the rain continued to fall. Chu Qiao
closed her eyes as she looked up, causing the rain to splatter on her face like sharp knives.

Lady Yu, you must wait on. The person you were waiting for is nally here. This life, the both
of you have tired yourselves out. In your next life, don’t take on too many responsibilities.
You guys must remain together and live happily ever after. Don’t think about anything else.

The heavens and earth were desolate as the wind ravaged its way across the landscape.
The long night had just begun…

The dark clouds hovered low above the night sky. The wind raged on, letting out low-
pitched sounds.

“Fire!” a low voice issued the orders repeatedly. The soldiers dressed in red, who were
surrounded in the valley, were shot down one by one as blood splattered everywhere and
cries of agony sounded out. The sounds of the clock echoed out loudly, as over 20 distress
signals were red out. This was at the southern slopes of Huolei Plains, which was less than
half an hour’s journey from Beishuo City by horse. They did not understand why the troops
from Beishuo did not save them. Had they been surrounded? Who were the enemies that
were attacking them?

“Who is this?” An arrow was embedded in Xiaohe’s shoulder, causing blood to stream out
from his body. His comrades, who were ghting alongside him, collapsed one by one like
maize ready to be harvested. His eyes were bloodshot as he struggled to comprehend the
situation in front of him. He did not understand. He had received Yan Xun’s orders to head
back to Beishuo for an award to be conferred upon him. Why had he been ambushed by
unknown enemies?

Xiaohe looked at the madness which was unfolding in front of him, which was akin to a
living nightmare. The situation was like a giant boulder which had fallen down a slope. No
one was able to stop it from escalating. Those who tried to resist were crushed e ortlessly.

They had not exchanged direct blows with the enemy. As they were in the territory of Yan
Bei, and that they were on the way to an award ceremony, they did not bring any weapons
capable of long-distance assaults. They had no shields nor arrows. The army of 5,000 was
trapped in this valley, surrounded by enemies everywhere. The arrows homed in on them,
leaving no room for them to retaliate. The soldiers who were courageous enough to try and
break through were mercilessly shot down, as blood stained the ground. Mountains of
corpses littered the ground as the surviving soldiers shouted out, “Who’s at the opposite
side? Why are you attacking us?”

“Why is no one coming to rescue us? Where are the guards from Beishuo?”

“They are using the successive ring technique! It’s our own forces!”

fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
“Who exactly are they? Who wants to kill us?”

Xiaohe’s eyes were bloodshot. His vice-general wielded his sword and shielded him as he
shouted, “Protect the general! Protect the general!” As he nished his words, a sharp arrow
pierced through his throat, causing his voice to fade away like a de ated wind box. Blood
spurted out onto Xiaohe’s face.

Xiaohe held his vice-general’s body in his hands. The well-built man, who was about 30
years old, opened his eyes wide and grabbed at Xiaohe’s cloak. Blood streamed non-stop
out of his mouth as he managed some words with great di culty and intermittent pauses,
“Who…who…who wants to kill us?”

Corpses with missing body parts were strewn on top of each other, forming a small
mountain under the feet of Xiaohe. He no longer felt any pain in his wound. The time was
between 11:00 PM and 1:00 AM of the next day. The rain started to pour on the corpses.
The warriors defended valiantly as they stepped amongst the sea of their comrades’ bodies,
using them as human shields to block the incoming arrows. Cries of agony, cursing, and
swearing dominated the air. After a long while, the waves of attacks subsided. The urry of
arrows stopped, but the enemy forces lay in wait quietly, continuing to surround them.

The second squad of the Huoyun Army had almost been wiped out. The people who still
stood alive were as good as dead. They no longer had any more strength to resist the
attacks of the enemy, as they panted loudly like wild dogs.

Silence. Dead silence.

Suddenly, the low sounds of machinery being operated echoed out. The warriors widened
their eyes in fear and looked up to see another urry of arrows ying towards them. Swoosh!
They were unbelievably sharp and penetrated through the lifeless human shields with ease.

“Ah!”

“B*tches, I’ll…”

Intense sounds of cursing echoed out once again. However, before they nished their
sentences, they were cut short by the arrows. Three or four arrows had implanted
themselves in Xiaohe’s body, as blood oozed non-stop. His face was indistinguishable from
the blood stains. He continued to lash out with his sword, as one sharp arrow pierced
through his shoulder, causing him to become stuck with the ensign of the Huoyun Army.

“General!” a soldier shouted out and dashed to his side. As he neared, another arrow
pierced through the back of his heart, causing the soldier’s pupils to dilate. He lowered his
head, seemingly confused. He reached out his hand to feel for the arrow and frowned. Like
an innocent child, he knelt on the ground, being supported to his feet by his bow and arrow.
Just like this, he died right in front of Xiaohe’s eyes.

The young general teared up as he let out a savage roar. “Protect the general!”

fl
fi
ffi
fl
fl
fi
fl
 The warriors swarmed forward. The enemy, detecting their movements, switched their line
of re towards the big group of people. A soldier who Xiaohe had not seen before turned
back to look at him, a bright look in his eyes. With a laugh, he said, “Save General. I’ll be
leaving all of you rst.” Subsequently, he turned around and rushed towards the urry of
arrows. Countless arrows pierced through his chest and brain. He stood there lifelessly, at
his original position, as he turned into a human target.

A heartbreaking pain surged through his body. Xiaohe dashed forward, roaring loudly as his
body withstood the impact of countless arrows. The young general surged forward with his
sword, as more arrows pierced through him. The enemies hidden in the darkness were
shocked; some of them stopped ring as they saw the blood-stained soldier rushing
towards them.

Suddenly, at this instant, a sword ew out and struck Xiaohe’s leg. Xiaohe lost his balance
and knelt down on the ground with one knee. He looked at the enemy’s camp not far out,
his eyes red. The look in his eyes became a living embodiment of indignity and rage driven
by desperation and madness. His eyes looked towards the enemy forces dressed in black
as he spat out a mouthful of blood. The young general stood up yet again, fueled with
frightening willpower. He bellowed loudly, “Who is this? Who’s trying to kill us?”

Another dense urry of arrows ew towards Xiaohe, siphoning the life out of him and
dis guring his face. The ground shook with the thunder as the torrential rain poured down
onto the land, onto the cold, lifeless corpses. Blood streamed down the trails of water as the
entire army was exterminated.

“Burn them,” a low voice sounded out. The warriors dashed forward with their wooden
buckets which contained pine oil on the inside. They poured it over the dead bodies of the
soldiers; a nauseating smell emanated from the scene as it blended with the pungent aroma
of blood. The bodies were promptly torched and set ablaze; even the rain was unable to
extinguish the ames. The warriors in black stood there and watched as the re swallowed
up all the indignity in front of them.

Yes, massacres were not able to eradicate dreams, but they could eradicate the carriers of
the dreams.

The night was still dark and chilly. The warriors turned their sights on to Beishuo City, as
they lost interest in what was going on behind them. The sky started to brighten up as
messenger troops approached the warriors with the following news, “Princess Huanhuan
has arrived at the city gates along with her troops. Your Highness orders General to lead
your troops there.”

The massacre had not ended after all.

It was about to continue.

“General, there are about 300 people in front. It might be the scouts from Beishuo. Their
warhorses are fast. Do we avoid them?”

fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
 Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows. The rain had just stopped; the dark clouds slowly dispersed,
leaving a thin, white layer of fog lingering in the air. She frowned and looked sharply towards
the group of people.

“General! It’s the Huoyun Army. They are being pursued by large groups of troops. It looks
like there are 5,000 people!” The messenger hurriedly sprinted back and said. Chu Qiao
raised her eyebrows and ordered decisively, “He Xiao, bring some people with you to save
Princess Huanhuan. Stop the troops that are pursuing them.”

“Yes!” He Xiao obliged and organized his army of 4,000, before advancing towards the
battle eld.

Chu Qiao followed closely behind with her troops. The horses’ hooves stepped on the
muddy ground, revealing slight traces of reddish liquid amongst the muddy waters.

Chapter 202
The two army quickly intersected. The Huoyun Army that had already been routed was
quickly surrounded by the Xiuli Army. Even from afar Chu Qiao could instantly recognize the
crimson warhorse that belonged to Huanhuan. Quickly, Chu Qiao rushed over on her horse,
only to be utterly stunned by what she had seen. Huanhuan’s clothes were tattered, and her
crimson cape was drenched in blood. There was an arrow lodged deeply in her chest,
clearly having already pierced her lungs, along with multiple wounds on her body. With weak
breath, she was being carried by a female general who seemed to be in her thirties.

“What happened?” Chu Qiao jumped o her horse and knelt in the mud. Frowning, she
stared at the severe injuries Huanhuan had sustained, before shouting, “Medic! Where is the
medic?”

“Master Chu!” Upon seeing her, the female general started crying and explained, “His
Majesty wants to kill our Princess. General Xiaohe was killed in combat, and our princess
was also ambushed…”

“Xiaohe…” a weak voice sounded. Following the movements of her lungs, a mouthful of
blood was vomited out from Huanhuan’s mouth. Seeing that, the female general lost her
composure and quickly tried to apply pressure on Huanhuan’s wounds to stop the bleeding.
Yet, the blood could no longer be stopped.

“Xiaohe…” Huanhuan frowned in pain, her face looked ever so pale. She was apparently
already in a state of confusion. She seemed to have entered a dream. Xiaohe’s carefree
laughter ashed before her eyes, and she was once again reminded of the day when she
was being carried by Xiaohe on the vast snowy plains. Even in that situation, Xiaohe did not
stop telling her jokes, and kept on comforting her, “Huanhuan, you will not die, you will not
die. I will bite whoever dares to try to kill you.”

“Xiaohe, Xiaohe…” Tears owed out from Huanhuan’s bloody eyes. Along with her heavy
breathing, blood owed out like a fountain. Even in her semi-conscious state, she was
crying. Xiaohe was dead; he had been killed by that man!

fi
fl
fl

fl
ff
“Princess! Princess!” The female general held Huanhuan in her arms and cried along, as
though she was a pup that had just lost her mother.

“Huanhuan, what should we do after the war ends?”

“After the war ends? By then, my brother will be the Emperor, then I will be the Princess! I
can pick my husband from the entire world! I will nd the most talented man to be my
husband! Haha!”

“So dumb! Fine, you ungrateful girl, go look for your man!”

A sharp pain assaulted her, as though her heart had been clenched by someone. As the
blood blocked her air passage; she would only vomit more blood when she opened her
mouth. In a daze, she opened her eyes and looked around in confusion. Seeing the vast sky,
the crimson owers, and the pristine white eagle soaring in the sky.

Yan Bei, Yan Bei…I gave my entire life for you, but why have you abandoned me so?

In her confusion, the young girl frowned and slowly turned around before she nally noticed
Chu Qiao. Her face changed, and with all her strength, she stretched out as though she
wanted to grab hold of something. Trying to suppress her tears, Chu Qiao quickly grabbed
her hand, and while holding back her tears, Chu Qiao comforted her, “Huanhuan, hang in
there. The doctor will save you.”

Huanhuan grabbed Chu Qiao’s hand with all her strength, and suddenly, she lowered her
hand, and bit into Chu Qiao’s hand. Blood instantly started to ow from Chu Qiao’s hands,
as the onlooking subordinates cried in horror. Chu Qiao looked on, only to see an
overwhelming sense of hatred in Huanhuan’s eyes.

“Why? Why?” Huanhuan desperately shouted at Chu Qiao, her mouth still full of blood and
her eyes bloodshot. “Why must you kill us? Why must you kill us?”

“Princess! Princess! Is that Master Chu?” The female general embraced Huanhuan and tried
to pacify her, but Huanhuan could no longer hear anything. In a maddened state, Huanhuan
continued to scream, “What have we done wrong? Why must you kill us? You are so
ungrateful! You are so despicable!”

Stunned, Chi Qiao looked on. The intense pain from her hand suddenly brought back
memories of when they rst met. Standing before her, Huanhuan generously gave her an
amazing horse, and waving her st, Huanhuan insisted that after the war was over Chu Qiao
must bring her to the Tang Empire. She even pointed to the horse AhTu to act as a witness.
She was so adorable and naive, like a refreshing breeze that could always be found in Yan
Bei.

“I hate you!” A mouthful of blood spurted out again. Huanhuan cried out loud, as her voice
turned softer and softer, “Xiaohe, Xiaohe…”

Xiaohe, Huanhuan wants to marry you, but where have you gone?

fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
Xiaohe, I have come to nd you. You should slow down, my leg was injured. You need to
carry me.

Xiaohe, I have not eaten breakfast, can you roast a lamb leg for me?

Xiaohe, Xiaohe, Xiaohe…

Huanhuan’s voice nally vanished. Lying on the chilly ground, her red skirt seemed like a
blooming ower. She was so young, merely 20, and her eyes seemed ever so clear, her skin
seemed ever so white, yet she had fallen asleep forever on the land that she had given her
life to.

Chu Qiao’s heart had completely crumbled. Wave after wave of shock had torn her apart.
Biting her lips, she stood there and quietly gazed upon Huanhuan’s body. It was as though
she had just been thrown into an endless abyss.

Yan Xun, what on earth have you done?

“Master!” He Xiao rmly walked up, and emotionlessly he informed Chu Qiao, “He had
arrived.”

He Xiao was already unwilling to refer to him as ‘His Majesty’. Chu Qiao slowly turned
around, only to see how the army split apart like the sea before Moses. The sunlight of dawn
shone on the grandiose army that seemed like a black ocean. The young emperor was
surrounded by the army, and with a black robe that was lined with golden dragons, his jet
black hair was tied up. With an exceedingly cold gaze, he squinted his eyes, and quietly
looked over. It had been two years, and she had met him again. Yet, Chu Qiao felt as though
she had never met him before. This man before her seemed so unfamiliar. His appearance,
his identity, his behavior, his aura, none of which were familiar to her. At that very moment,
she suddenly understood that this man before her was the Emperor of Yan Bei, and no
longer the youth that had nothing, depending on her in Zhen Huang City.

“AhChu,” a deep voice resounded in the quiet plains accompanied by the frigid winds
entered Chu Qiao’s ears.

Looking at her from afar, one could no longer tell the emotions that Yan Xun had within his
eyes. The two years had passed between the two of them, and ultimately, they met in such
a circumstance. Perhaps, this had nothing to do with destiny. The attitude they had toward
life, and the beliefs that they had harbored, had long ago set this outcome in stone. Yan
Xun’s heart seemed like a vast barren plain, with wind bellowing. Looking at Chu Qiao, he
seemed as though he wanted to say something, but ultimately, he swallowed his words.
With the aura of an emperor, he asked, “Are you going to be my enemy because of the
unrelated people?”

Chu Qiao smirked.

Without Mister Wu, how could you be able to access the entire wealth of Yan Bei while you
were still being held in Zhen Huang City, and groom your own force?

fl
fi
fi
fi
 Without Lady Yu, how could you have escaped Zhen Huang City and became the King of
Yan Bei, eventually ruling over a huge part of the world?

And Huanhuan was your last blood relative in the world. She had trusted you all these years,
and followed you loyally, and is your only sister.

Is it that someday, I will stand before you as another unrelated person?

Apart from a cold smirk, she did not know what other reaction she could give. She felt like
she turned into a doll whose heart had already been torn to shreds, and coldly looked at this
man whom she had spent all her energy to love and protect. She merely felt that all the past
memories seemed like a dream, an illusion, a gment of her fantastical imagination.

She had traded her loyalty and love for such a situation today. That man who had sworn to
her that he would love her, protect her all his life, was now raising the blade against her.
Surveillance, doubt, making use of her, ostracizing her—that was his repayment to her. He
had thrown so-called wealth and luxury at her, baiting her like how one would bait a dog, but
he had not known that all that material wealth was no more valuable than animal waste or
weeds on a farm. The faith that she had held on to was merely an illusion to him, and
became the lie that he had told all the civilians. So what if he was the Emperor? So what if
he was revered by all? In her eyes, he would forever be a man who had been so close to her
that she was like an extension of him, but still betrayed her in the end.

He blamed her for falling for other men, but without him forcing her and repeatedly making
use of her, she would have loved him forever and ever. It was he himself who had pushed
her away and forced her to recognize his true colors. How was this her fault that she
betrayed him?

Yan Xun, it took me ten years to nally see the true you, as well as my true feelings. The
previous memories are nothing more than memories, and I no longer have any sense of
longing for you. There is only an unending sense of sadness and regret.

“AhChu, have you forgotten of your previous promises?” The cold voice of Yan Xun sounded
o in her ear. Chu Qiao coldly smirked, as she lifted an eyebrow in disdain and casually
replied, “Since you already abandoned our dreams, why should I continued to abide by our
promise?”

Those words stabbed into Yan Xun’s heart like a barbed arrow, inducing much pain.

Finally, she had said those words. In the past, even if she was hurt, or felt resentment, she
permanently sealed it within her heart, and silently faced everything. Yet, under this heaven,
she said it to him, nally.

“Yan Xun, from today onwards, we will part ways, and will no longer have any relationship.
Regardless of what happens to you, whether you succeed in your battles and become an
Emperor, or get defeated and thrown out of power, there will not be a single strand of a
relationship with me. And at the same time, my matters will not require your approval.” With
the winds raging on, Chu Qiao’s clothes uttered. With a cold face, she was completely
emotionless as she said that. Her gaze was as cold as the tip of a snow-capped mountain,
ff
fi
fi
fl
fi
coldly rejecting any emotions in this world, and had expelled all those feelings away from
her heart.

At that moment, Yan Xun suddenly realized, perhaps he would forever lose her. The very
thought of that made him panic, yet he held onto his composure, and with a deep voice, he
questioned, “AhChu, how could you forget about our past relationship?”

“Yan Xun, do not ever mention the word ‘relationship’ again.” With much indi erence, Chu
Qiao stared at him, and calmly continued, “You do not deserve to speak about it.”

In the rapid passage of time, their gazes created sparks of destiny. In 11 years, a seedling
could grow to become huge, and an era could pass, allowing for the rise of a new empire.
Time was so indi erent to emotions, and like a hot knife, it sliced through all of their bonds
as though it was butter, making their pasts merely a part of their memories.

At this moment, the war eagle that soared in the sky covered the sun, temporarily setting the
world into darkness. With that, the 20000 strong imperial army unsheathed their blades. The
9,000 Xiuli army stood in neat formation, and emotionlessly stared at them. The wind started
howling, as though singing an ancient ritualistic song. With bloodlust lingering in the air,
even the avians could no longer endure the atmosphere any longer and started to evacuate
the surroundings. Only the vultures peered on gleefully, waiting for a feast after the killings.

Yan Bei, you are ultimately not destined to be my home. I had fought for you the most I
could, but I merely saved you from a disaster by bringing another disaster.

With the wind blowing on her, it felt as though everything was turning into a blur. The world
was so vast, why must she focus her attention on merely one place? When her heart had
frozen up, who else could hurt her?

AhChu, I will protect you…

Once upon a time, there was someone who would whisper by her ear.

AhChu, trust me…

She closed her eyes, and held back her last drop of tears. By the time she reopened her
eyes, her vision had already been elucidated. Under this vast sky where eagles soared, a
decade had passed by so quickly. In this time, who was the one struggling? And who was
the one who merely looked on?

Yan Xun, farewell.

Chapter 203
The clouds covered up the sunlight, causing it to slowly fade across the windy battle eld.
Time passed ever so slowly; the autumn winds carried a chill special only to Yan Bei as it
swept across the vast plains. From midnight to noon, from noon to dusk, fresh blood
stained the entire Huolei Plains as the crimson-red Huoyun owers were in full bloom,
ff

fl
ff
fi
revealing its deep red petals. Living human beings, who were still in abundance in the
morning, now lay dead on the icy, cold ground, like uprooted maize.

The land had lost its original color. The vultures circled around in the sky, awaiting the
opportunity to enjoy the rare feast in front of their eyes. Corpses and bones littered the
plains; the wounded soldiers were piled on top of them, crying in agony like wolves that had
just been orphaned. The soldiers who were more heavily wounded could not even muster
any shouts of agony, lying down on the ground like a dead dog. They were occasionally
found by the combat medics, who discovered that they were alive when they let out a sound
after being kicked by them. A slight drizzle occurred in the evening. The thin, cold raindrops
landed on the piles of corpses which were being incinerated, forming a thin layer of white
fog on top.

Cheng Yuan walked over as he stumbled across the piles of corpses. The seasoned war
veteran had grown hardened throughout his years of battle; his sinister-looking face had a
determined glow on it. His leg had been wounded by an arrow, and was bandaged with a
white cloth as he walked with a limp.

On a low slope not far out, the man stood under a poplar tree. The ensign of the Black Eagle
Army hovered lightly above his head. The wilted grass uttered in the air under his feet,
circling around him. The look in his eyes was blank, as if he was xated on something
further than the battle eld, further than the bloodshed, and further than the clouds across
the horizon…

Cheng Yuan stood rooted to the spot in a daze, not walking in front.

“Is that Cheng Yuan? Come over here.” Yan Xun did not turn around as he muttered those
words in a calm, soothing and composed voice. Cheng Yuan walked over, his back slightly
arched. He knelt down on the ground with a single knee and said in a low voice, “Your
Majesty, the Xiuli Army has breached through our formation through the Xuanyu Army at the
southeast. The Xuanyu Armyust reached the battle eld to reinforce our troops. As they
organized their formation hastily, they could not withstand General Chu’s assault. The troops
of the Xiuli Army hvoided a direct confrontation with our troops, choosing to attack the
Xuanyu Army instead. When we tried to stop them, it was too late already. They escaped
from the left side and are headed towards the northwest.”

Yan Xun nodded silently, not saying a word.

Cheng Yuan licked his lips w, ich were starting to turn dry a,nd continued, “I have already
ordered General Gao and General Lu to stop them. The First Army will dispatch 30,000
troops to attack them in the northwest regions. Longyin Pass is prepared for battle too. We
have sealed the route at the southern waterways which leads to Tang. Even if the Xiuli Army
has wings, we will be able to shoot them down.”

Yan Xun remained silent, seemingly remaining oblivious to what he had just heard. Cheng
Yuan started to feel a little nervous as he probed softly, “Your Majesty?”

“Carry on.”

fi
fi
fl
fi
“We have su ered heavy casualties. The Third and Seventh armies have been completely
wiped out. The leaders of the Fourth, Eighth a,nd Eleventh Armies have died in combat; over
half of their forces have died along with them too. General Du Ruolin of the Thirteenth Army
has refused to participate in the battle. We have taken him into custody, but his
subordinates are still refusing to comply. They are useless to us, yet we still have to dispatch
forces to keep them under surveillance…”

Yan Xun turned around slightly and raised his eyebrows. With a low voice, he questioned,
“Refuse to participate in battle?”

“Y… -s,”.Cheng Yuan swallowed his words. Adopting a gentler tone, he continued, “The
troops from the Thirteenth Army are all from Shangshen Highlands.”

The cold wind blew past Yan Xun, causing the raindrops to splatter on his face. He nodded
slowly, not saying another word.

“Your Majesty, stopping the Xiuli Army is just a matter of time. I have another concern, but I
don’t know if I should say it.”

Yan Xun replied emotionlessly, “Say it.”

“Yes. Your Majesty, if our troops succeed in surrounding General Chu, how should we
attack? Do we attack at full force, or just surround them? Do we kill them, or capture them
alive? Your Majesty, please enlighten me.”

The wind around Yan Xun’s ears started to howl loudly. He stood there quietly as it blew
across his body and across his sleeves. In the battle eld not far out, small sparks of ames
lingered. After the battle w,hich had lasted an entire day, the soldiers’ sharpness had been
heavily a ected. Presently, they were fatigued and slow to respond; their clothes had
become torn and tattered. The entire army of 20,000, combined with 30,000 reinforcement
troops, had lost to the Xiuli Army, albeit having retreated from the battle halfway. Chu Qiao
and her army of 9,000 troops sliced through their formation e ortlessly, achieving something
that Huanhuan’s 30,000-strong Huoyun Army did not manage to. Yan Xun had to admit that
AhChu was an undisputed genius in military warfare. Even he himself could not compare to
the way she handled situations with con dence and her standing in the army.

He exhaled slowly; the heavy feeling in his heart starting to surface from within. At this
moment, he was not sure whether to feel happy for her, that she had nally managed to
escape and beat him without any emotions involved. He was not sure whether to feel sad or
not, that she had left him for good.

A feeling of irony surged from within his heart, causing him to laugh coldly. He looked at
Cheng Yuan and spoke, “Cheng Yuan, do you know why I value you highly, despite other
people telling me not to?”

Cheng Yuan was shocked as he knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and replied, “I can never
repay Your Majesty’s benevolence even if I die many times over.”

“Because you’re like the old me.”

ff
ff
fi
fi
ff
fi
fl
 Cheng Yuan looked up at Yan Xun in shock, but did not say anything.

“I know that your family was wiped out inothe battle eld. Your wife and sister was captured
by the Xia troops to become prostitutes. Your elder brother was a commander in Da Tong,
but he was assassinated by someone internally.”

Cheng Yuan’s eyes turned red slowly. He knelt on the ground without saying a word, as his
lips turned pale.

“I know what you are going to say. Just like myself, I know what I’m thinking about.”

Yan Xun looked up at the dark clouds, which appeared red due to the sunset. He smiled and
continued in a low voice, “A person can have a lot of wishes. However, he must survive rst.
If he dies, none of his wishes can be attained.”

Warm tears started to well up in Cheng Yuan’s eyes. The man, who had been despised and
called a rat by the people of Yan Bei, clenched his sts tightly and lowered his head.

Big, white birds ew across the sky, across Yan Xun’s line of sight. Yan Xun looked at them
as the focal point in front of him slowly disappeared. He remained silent for a long while
before saying, “The Xiuli Army is an accomplished army. It will be hard to confront them
head-on. Open up the borders and leak the news to Zhao Yang and Wei Shuye. Winter is
coming. Let us use AhChu to break through this stalemate of a battle.”

Even a normally composed character like Cheng Yuan could not hide the shock on his face.
After a while, he nally whispered, “The Xia troops at Yanming Pass are all heavy cavalry
troops. General Chu’s army are all light cavalry troops. I’m worried that the Xia troops will
not be able to stop General Chu.”

“Delay her footsteps then,” Yan Xun turned around and walked towards the direction of
Beishuo City with his black warhorse by his side. The setting sun shone on him, forming a
long shadow. A low voice echoed out slowly, drifting over to Cheng Yuan’s ear like the
moving winds on the plains. “Inform the civilians near the districts of Beishuo, Shangshen
a,nd Huihui Mountains that their General of Xiuli will be leaving Yan Bei.”

T e wind caused his sleeves to utter in the air as the sword by his waist gave o a bright
red re ection. The man’s footsteps were heavy as he walked slowly towards the majestic
pitch-dark city. Figuratively, he had seemingly been bound with golden chains. Thick, black
smoke rose slowly from far out as cries of agony echoed out and reverberated across the
skies of Huolei Plains.

AhChu, I said this before. Anyone can betray me, except you. You are my only source of
light. You are the sun which brightens up my dark sky.

Presently, my source of light is gone.

Will you think of me when you are surrounded on all four sides by enemies, isolated and not
able to escape?

AhChu, I’ll be watching you from behind.

fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
 The war descended upon the land out of the blue. The various armies of Yan Bei remained
stationary upon hearing the news of their arrival. Initially, Chu Qiao naively thought that Yan
Xun could not bear to attack her, choosing to let her go instead. However, outside Longyin
Pass, when she saw the civilians with their children and belongings, her heart sank as her
hopes were completely extinguished.

In the daylight, a crowd had started to form. Some people pushed their heavy carriages
along, with all their belongings clattering against each other in there. Some people waved
their whips, directing their herds of livestock. Some women held their crying children in their
arms as they breastfed them. Other people held their gunny sacks which contained sweet
potatoes and corn, stopping to eat after walking for a certain distance.

T ey felt fatigued, hard done by, and panicked. However, when they saw the ensign of the
Xiuli Army, the entire crowd broke out in cheers. The civilians swarmed forward and shouted
in unison, “General is here! General is here!”

A white-haired elderly man dragged his young grandson along to the front, the child’s face
red from the cold. They shouted towards Chu Qiao and asked, “General, where are we
heading to?”

“That’s right. General, where are we heading to?”

“No matter what, I’m following General. I can’t let General wander alone.”

“General, why didn’t you inform us earlier? I haven’t packed my stu yet. Luckily I acted
fast, or I wouldn’t be able to catch up.”

The warriors of the Xiuli Army stood on the empty, vast plains. They did not say a word as
they looked at Chu Qiao. She was dressed in a green cloak as she sat upright on her horse,
like a javelin. Her expression was solemn, devoid of any shock or panic, which calmed the
soldiers down as they thought that she had a plan prepared beforehand.

“General,” He Xiao rode forward on his horse and called out to her softly.

Chu Qiao turned around. He Xiao was close to her, to the point where he was seemingly
able to detect her state of trance. He felt his heart ache as he felt for her. As they interacted
with each other over all these years, he no longer believed the young lady’s abilities blindly.
Over these two years, he had seen a lot. He had seen her when her spirits were down in the
doldrums; he had seen her tears, her moments of weakness, and when she felt lost. She
was not the living legend whicoad not tasted defeat in battle; she seemed more like an
ordinary young lady who had stubbornly taken the responsibilities of the entire world ontoer
shoulders. Even when she cried, she had to hide in a corner where nobody was able to see
her. However, despite this, his loyalty towards her did not waver. They had bonded in a more
complex way; he was more like a family member, an elder brother, a subordinate, and a
con dant.

fi
ff
He reached out his hand and patted her shoulder as he said in a low voice, “General, He
Xiao is here.”

Chapter 204
Indeed, He Xiao was still with her. The Xiuli Army was still with her. She was not without
help. But before long, from the direction of the Yanming Pass came a large cloud of dust.
Scouts rushed back, reporting, “Master, about 10 kilometers away, Zhao Yang has led a
force of 100,000 strong, and is heading our way! As long as we leave Longyin Pass, we will
surely be ambushed.”

At this moment, Chu Qiao almost wanted to laugh out loud.

Yan Xun, Yan Xun, what an amazing move you just pulled on me!

To open the pass and let her through, he had not wasted a single soldier. Using civilians to
slow her down, he completely destroyed her advantage of speed. Using Xia forces, he
blocked o her path. Even if the Xia Empire suspected that something was amiss, they
could not a ord to risk letting a Yan Bei military leader like Chu Qiao enter their borders.
Even if they knew that Yan Xun might be plotting something, this battle could not be
avoided.

Perhaps, in small battles, Chu Qiao could make use of tactics and strategy to defeat Yan
Xun, but when it came to calculating other people, and to play forces against each other,
she would never match up to Yan Xun.

The citizens had also noticed the ying dust in the distance, and fear started to spread in
the crowd. Although many were full of con dence—after all, Master Chu was around—yet,
when they logically thought about the humongous army of the Xia Empire ghting with the
Xiuli Army of barely 5,000, they shuddered and started to hesitate.

He Xiao returned to the foot of Longyin Pass, and some of his soldiers shouted, “Garrison,
please open the gates for the civilians to enter!”

Only after shouting three times, a carefree voice replied to them, “Orders from the Emperor,
if they wish to enter the city, Xiuli Army must enter rst.”

“The Xia Army is arriving soon! Please let the civilians in!”

“Orders from the Emperor, the Xiuli Army must enter rst.” Echoes resounded in the winds,
with dust being carried up by the winds. Lifting up her head, Chu Qiao clenched her st as
she glanced at the Black Eagle Flag that decorated the city walls.

“Master?” There were some soldiers that asked for her instructions.

“Master!” The voices of people increased in volume as they all crowded around Chu Qiao
for instructions.

ff
ff

fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
“Master, what should we do?” There were civilians who started to utter in panic. Terri ed by
the atmosphere, children started to cry, as the scene descended into a cacophonic chaos.

“Master, what should we do?”

“Master, the enemy is coming.”

“Master, return to the city. It will be good to avoid con ict.”

“Master, return and apologize to His Majesty. I am sure he will forgive you.”

“Master, we will ght to the end! Just give us the order!”

“Master, Master, Master…”

Yan Xun, so this is what you desired? Looking up at the sky, even the last bit of hope she
had for him was crushed.

What do you hope to see? That I am alone without help? That I am surrounded by enemies?
That I would helplessly escape, miserably to return to you for help?

Yan Xun, you underestimate me.

“Warriors, you have already witnessed all that has happened in recent days.” Sitting atop
her horse, Chu Qiao started her speech, as she stretched out her hand to mute the bustling.
With a deep, serious tone, she continued, “Our King, the Emperor of Yan Bei, abandoned his
past promises, and betrayed the words we had sworn before the Yan Bei lands and Hui Hui
Mountain. Civilians in Changqing became nothing more than skeletons and food for the
vultures, and Da Tong is being massacred by a force that was only loyal to His Majesty.
Mister Wu is dead, Lady Yu is dead, Princess Huanhuan is dead, General Xiaohe is dead,
General Biancang is dead, General Xirui is dead, General AhDu is dead. All of them were
killed by an ambitious man who merely wishes to expand his empire and consolidate his
power. Right now, a guillotine hangs over our heads. Warriors, before you, is a 100,000
strong Xia Army, waiting for us, ready to nish us. Behind us is the Yan Bei Army that have
already started to rot. They have readied themselves to spit on us the moment we head
back and tell us that we are cowards. Beside us, there are civilians who have been
abandoned by their country. Warriors, what should we do?” Her cold, emotionless voice
was the only sound that could be heard in the vast plains. No one spoke, and all merely
gazed upon her gure with fanatical fervor.

Chu Qiao jumped o her horse. Pointing at the soldiers, she shouted, “Are we going to head
back and become a slave to a dictator, and be ridiculed by those betrayers who turned back
on their promises? Or are we going to abandon these civilians, and try to escape? Are we
going to face o with an enemy that numbers more than 20 times us, and display the pride
and honor that a soldier should have?” Chu Qiao roared, “Warriors, do you want to live?

“Yes!” Voices of soldiers and civilians alike replied to her in a bellow, piercing through the
clouds, sending the birds scurrying o .

“Do you wish to become betrayers?”

ff
fi
fi
ff
ff
fi
fl
fi
 “No!”

“Between death and betrayal, what is your choice?”

The crowds screamed back in a maddened roar, “Loyalty to Da Tong, even in death!”

Facing the wind, Chu Qiao yelled, “Warriors, comrades. Follow me, obey me. Even if we are
to die, we will use our blood to give o the nal spark of glory for Da Tong! Our heads can
roll, our blood can ow, but our faith must never be unhallowed! Long Live Yan Bei! Long
Live Da Tong! Long Live our freedom!”

A thunderous earth splitting roar reverberated in response, as thousands of pairs of hands

raised up in the air in a cheer, “Long Live Master!”

This winter came early. It was merely September, yet snow had already started falling. The
light layer of snow was like a blanket of small white owers that had just bloomed in spring.

The Xia Army retreated yet again. This was the third day of their encirclement, and the large-
scale assault that they had imagined had never happened. Zhao Yang had carefully
surrounded the Pass to prevent Chu Qiao from escaping. His thought processes now were
extremely complex. He feared that it was a trap that Yan Bei had laid, yet he was worried
that he would miss this golden opportunity in which Yan Bei and Chu Qiao had really turned
against each other, such that he would rid the Empire of Chu Qiao who was one of the most
potent enemy Generals. After all, the news of how Yan Xun and Chu Qiao had fallen out in
the past two years had already reached his ears; it was impossible that he was completely
not privy to all the happenings.

In the night, as the wind swept past, Chu Qiao stood atop a tall hill overlooking the entire
battle eld. The night winds sent her voluminous hair uttering gracefully, akin to a swarm of
black swallowtails. The war had lasted for an entire three years. The Longyin Pass had been
constructed to be a few feet higher than Yanming Pass, towering above the two armies that
were lying in wait. In between the two formations that solemnly waited for combat, there
were large swathes of grass patches that were easily waist height. With the autumn breeze
sweeping past, there was much rustling, as though waves in a white ocean, re ecting the
silvery moonlight in a beautiful spectacle. A ock of ravens ew past, lifting up a cloud of
snow dust. One of them lightly darted into the tall grass, and with one swift motion picked
up something white and ew o .

With only one glance, Chu Qiao could already tell what the bird had picked up from the
ground. Throwing her glance at the waves of white before her, a tinge of sadness and
abomination emerged from her heart. Under these peacefully swaying grass, how many lives
had been lost?

Like a man-eating titan, war had gruesomely devoured countless men and women alike. The
winds of this disturbed era would then blew past dilapidated houses which had lost their
owners, howling endlessly as though singing a song that had transcended through space-
time from the underworld. Yet, could Chu Qiao be also considered as one of the
masterminds behind such death and destruction?

fi
fl
fl
ff
ff
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
 “AhChu…” A voice still echoed out within the darkness, as though calling her soul, “Ah
Chu…”

It was a voice she had heard daily for the past 2,000 nights. The youth cowered by her, and
pulled up her blanket, before carefully asking, “AhChu, are you still feeling cold?”

Those were the years when it was the coldest, and the strong winds easily brought the frigid
coldness through their thin windows, freezing everything within the room. Yet it was like the
eeting ock of birds, vanishing into the endless whiteness that stretched to beyond the
horizon.

Perhaps, life was but a chess game that one could never seem to master. With the future
clouded in doubt, and having no good moves left to make, one would not know when to
strike or defend. Yet, the game would always be progressing, and one could only try their
best to continue. Sometimes, one would realize that despite their e orts, he would merely
be further away from victory.

Gradually closing her eyes, countless recollections surfaced before her vision. She seemed
to have seen so many people again. She saw the gentle yet righteous Mister Wu, the calm
and intelligent Lady Yu, the adorable and energetic Huanhuan, the kind and humble Xiaohe.
She also saw Xue Zhiyuan, who had died in order to alert her, Wen Yang, who had died to
protect their ag, and also Feng Ting, Mu Rong, and the Wu Danyu who had charged into
the enemy alone and died to countless arrows. She even saw the faces of the soldiers of
Xiuli Army, and countless Shangshen, Hui Hui mountains, and Beishuo civilians. Not
stopping there, she even saw Cao Mengtong, who had committed suicide, apologize for his
mistake, and those rotten Da Tong elders…

With no reinforcement, no food, in this freezing temperature, while protecting thousands of

civilians who were completely unarmed, the Xiuli Army stood on guard as time passed. Yet,
the enemy was running out of patience, as the winter was about to come, and heavy snow
was about to cover the entire land.

Chu Qiao looked up at the sky, and felt as though she saw a certain pair of eyes staring
back at her. Those eyes had long ago sank into an abyss of coldness, silently watching her
with no anger, no mockery, with only peace left in him as he repeated again and again: Live
on…

I know. Chu Qiao smiled at the empty skies, and quietly said, “I will de nitely hang on.”

Turning back, she saw the tents that were pitched in a neat formation, calmly, she quietly
declared, “I will de nitely protect you.”

Baicang Calendar Year 778, Autumn, before Longyin Pass, the Xia Army had achieved the
rst full encirclement in history. With nearly 130,000 soldiers, Longyin Pass had been
completely surrounded with no way to escape. All kinds of long-distance weapons were
transported, and it was obvious that an unfair battle would begin.

Although Zhao Yang was facing Chu Qiao, who had defeated him twice in the battle of
Chidu and Beishuo, he was not worried. Firstly, Longyin Pass and Yanming Pass were
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
ff
fi
 relatively close, and he had su cient reinforcements ready. Even if he discovered that he
had fallen into a trap, he could easily head back to his fort. Secondly, Chu Qiao did not have
any city that she would garrison, and neither did she have her powerful weapons. With
merely 5,000 light cavalry, and a bunch of civilians, she could never stand up to his 100,000
strong heavily armored soldiers. Thirdly, the spies he had sent into Yan Bei had nally sent
intel. About a week ago, Yan Xun had an intense battle with Chu Qiao outside Beishuo,
resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers. Not only that, but the Da Tong
o cials had all been killed or imprisoned, with only Chu Qiao left. If even that was still a
trap, he could only say that Yan Xun was too merciless, and was not someone he would
handle anyway.

In the dawn of September 18th, just as the sky started to light up, a wave of drums and
military bugles sounded out. It was like a lightning that struck from the sky, piercing into the
hearts of the Xiuli Army and the civilians.

With the sunlight of dawn penetrating through the morning fog, the grey army of Xia soldiers
looked like an ocean of metal, spreading to beyond the ends of the grass plain. With their
heavy footsteps advancing in unison, the thunderous booms sent chills up their spine as the
trembling of the earth could be felt. The civilians let out a wave of shrieks in fear as the
hugged together, cowering in the face of the vastness of the enemy, which made them
further pale in comparison in terms size, as though they were a speck of dust facing a
waterfall.

“Oh my gosh!” Someone exclaimed, “What is that? Had there been an avalanche?”

“Get ready!”

Chapter 205
A sharp cry echoed out from the opposite camp. Subsequently, rows of infantry soldiers
dashed to the front of the cavalry troops and half-knelt on the ground, ready to strike.

“Fire!”

Swoosh! The long spears pierced through the sky, taking down a group of birds which were
ying by. Blood splattered in mid-air as feathers ew everywhere. Before the civilians had
time to open their mouths to shout, the urry of spears dashed towards their direction. Ear-
piercing screams reverberated in the air, like a tragic song of despair. The warhorses
neighed madly as if they had been possessed.

“Organize your formations! Charge!” Chu Qiao sat on her horse as she stood amidst the
battle eld. She raised the silver sword in her hands and dashed out. 5,000 troops from the
Xiuli Army followed neatly behind her; none of them hesitated or retreated even though
some of them felt fearful.

He Xiao defended Chu Qiao as he stood beside her. Loudly, he shouted, “Brothers, don’t let
them get close to the civilians!”

fl
ffi
fi

ffi
fl
fl
fi
 “Charge!” a shout to kill sounded out, stirring up the passion in the soldiers’ bloodstreams.

The opposite side was like a vast ocean. As the 5,000 of them dashed over, they were like a
small wave, dashing towards their deaths.

Everyone present was stunned, including the civilians of Yan Bei who were pleading for their
lives in despair, the troops of Yan Bei watching on from the top of Longyin Pass, the elite
troops of Xia, including Zhao Yang himself. No one expected Chu Qiao, who was thoroughly
outnumbered, to clash head-on with Zhao Yang’s army of 100,000. The opposite side was
like a living hell, with the weapons the Xia troops possessed. In that instant, everyone
realized Chu Qiao’s intentions. This piece of land was a at, unsheltered piece of land; Chu
Qiao did not have any tools to defend. If the Xia troops reached the pass, the civilians would
be dragged into the battle. By doing this, she wanted to protect the innocent people behind
her.

Zhao Yang was shocked as he went into a daze. Looking at Chu Qiao and the soldiers of the
Xiuli Army, who were approaching fast with their swords, his blood started to boil.

“Soldiers! Are you less courageous than a woman?” the Xia marshal shouted loudly,
triggering a loud, synchronized warcry from the army of black.

“All forces, prepare to charge!”

“Kill the enemy!” another warcry sounded out swiftly. The sea of grey body armors started to
move as the soldiers steadied their warhorses for battle. They streamed towards Chu Qiao’s
forces like an unstoppable ash ood.

“Split up! Prepare the formations!” Chu Qiao ordered. However, the entire Xiuli Army formed
up in one long line to welcome the Xia troops. 5,000 soldiers stood side by side, defending
Longyin Pass which was behind them. The warriors were dressed in black body armors, as
their red ensign hovered over their heads majestically under the sunlight. They raised their
swords with both hands and put it in front of them, using both legs to control their horses.
As they saw the large army advancing towards them, their expressions were calm, like
stones. This was the craziest way possible to commit suicide!

As the dust ew up into the air, the Xia army advanced closer step by step; the breaths of
their warhorses could almost be felt. Boom! Finally, the two armies clashed as a storm broke
out. Swords started to make contact with human esh and other swords, as the battle
commenced. The bloodshed had nally begun.

Every soldier experienced a living nightmare as they engaged in close combat with the
enemy forces. Their eyes were bloodshot as mountains of corpses piled up on the ground.
The atmosphere was deafening. Sounds of horses’ hooves, screams, cries of agony,
cursing, shouts to kill – together, they composed a whole new tune. As the swords clashed,
sparks ew in the air. The wounded did not scream as the battle caused their senses of pain
to be numbed.

The ground was a messy sight. As the snow last night had melted, a river of red started to
form. Swords were broken; spears were snapped. Eyes were glued shut by the bloodstains,
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
 causing soldiers to lose their sense of orientation. Despite this, they only thought of one
thing—to kill! To kill everyone in their way, to slash at everything, until every last bit of
strength was used up!

The young lady’s words before they departed echoed in the warriors’ ears once again: The
soldier that allows their formation to be breached will become a sinner of the Xiuli Army!
Hence, even with no weapons, they leaped onto the enemy, ripping apart their necks with
their mouths; even with no horses, they held onto the enemy’s horses by their legs, dragging
them down.

The battle was intense, sending chills up the people’s spines. He Xiao removed his body
armor, which proved cumbersome. His eyes were bloodshot as they scanned for his next
target. The Xia troops were scared o by his fearless looks, retreating and scampering out of
his sight.

The ability of the Xiuli Army to engage in one-to-one combat was unrivaled. The soldiers
stood there resolutely like machines that were indefatigable. Despite having an arm and a
leg wounded, they were still able to carry on ghting and killing the enemy. The Xia troops
were shocked. They were not human. Yes, they were no longer human. They were a group
of lunatics, a group of devils.

Zhao Yang gritted his teeth in anger. It had been like this every time. He did not understand
the supernatural powers that that woman seemingly possessed, to make the soldiers pledge
their undying loyalty to her. Having an army of this caliber was every general’s dream. No
amount of money, power or threats could be exchanged for this. However, she seemed to
be able to achieve this with minimal e ort.

The war drums echoed out beat by beat as army after army dashed towards the bloody
battle eld. The Xia o cials were perplexed. Even if the walls on the opposite side were
made of steel, they would have made a hole in it by now. Why did the defensive line at the
opposite side not collapse, despite appearing like that could happen anytime?

Three frontline heavy cavalry squads had been wiped out, along with ve battalions.
Mountains of corpses piled up three feet high in front of the defense line, forming a low wall
in front of them. From dawn till noon, the battle had shown no signs of subsiding. The
defense line, which appeared weak in the earlier parts of the battle, slowly became more
and more resolute. Zhao Yang knew that it was his troops that had become timid. Faced
with this suicidal assault, he felt his temples acupoint throbbing.

The sky was overcast; the sun was slowly swallowed up by the dark clouds, seemingly not
wanting to witness this massacre any further.

Zhao Yang thought to himself, Is this a ploy by Yan Bei? Sending their elite forces to divert
his attention away from the pass, then destroy his heavy cavalry forces? If this was the
case, why did they not send reinforcements from inside the pass yet?

Zhao Yang could not comprehend the situation as his troops slowly started to lose the
willpower to ght on. Faced with the Xiuli Army, who were unbelievably determined, Zhao
Yang started to fear for the worst. Even if he won this battle, what would he get? 5,000
fi
fi
ffi
ff
ff
fi
fi
corpses from the Xiuli Army? This was not going to be an easy battle. The thought of killing
Chu Qiao, the chief threat of Yan Bei’s forces, did not appear so enticing to him anymore.

As the last remnants of sunlight faded away, the signal to retreat was issued by the Xia
army. The Xia troops cheered, and then faded away like the receding tides. The troops of the
Xiuli Army no longer had any strength to pursue them. As soon as the Xia troops departed,
they collapsed to the ground, every bit of strength in their bodies used up.

When Zhao Yang saw this, he turned around decisively and ordered the messenger to re-
issue the signal to charge. With his back facing the Xia troops, he shouted loudly, “Soldiers,
charge!”

The Xia troops turned around in a panicked state, only to see that the forti ed defense line
was no longer there. Some soldiers, who were brighter, understood the situation at that
moment. The Xiuli Army, outnumbered by over 20 soldiers to one, had reached their limits.
At this moment, as the Xia troops retreated, they nally collapsed. Hence, the Xia army
turned around and charged forward with Zhao Yang leading the line.

“All troops, assemble!” a cold, calm voice sounded out in the cold northern winds. It was
not loud, but it was clearly heard by everyone.

Thereafter, a miraculous sight happened. As the Xia troops rubbed their eyes in disbelief, the
shadows of the Xiuli troops behind the wall of corpses started to rise again, one by one.
Their clothes were torn and tattered, their expressions were pale. They were messy in their
organization, and their swords had been dented. They dragged their bodies along and
walked to the front slowly, assuming their original positions. They stood shoulder to
shoulder. One, two, three, ten, one hundred, one thousand…

The scenes earlier on at dawn seemed to replay again. The blood-stained warriors stood up
again and stumbled to assemble their formations, while looking like they could collapse
anytime. However, when they stood together, their postures became upright—they were like
a forest made of stone. The defense line once again appeared more forti ed than ever. He
Xiao stood in front, wielding his sword as thousands of voices echoed out in unison, “For
freedom!” Their shouts rumbled like thunder as everyone was shocked. There was no need
for further orders or the beating of war drums. The Xia troops stopped subconsciously in
their tracks as a notion of despair started to creep up their hearts—they would never win
this battle.

It was not known where this notion originated from, as it slowly spread across the entire
army through the looks in the soldiers’ eyes. As they looked at their forlorn enemies
standing in front of them, the Xia army started to feel fearful, developing a sense of respect
for them in the process.

Zhao Yang stood at the forefront of the army with a solemn expression. As he looked
towards the blood-stained young lady who was still standing ever so upright, he felt a sense
of respect surge up his heart. Finally, he jumped o his horse’s back and removed his
helmet. Facing his army of 100,000, the 5,000 soldiers of the Xiuli Army, dead and alive, the
fi
ff
fi
fi
countless citizens of Yan Bei, and the numerous pairs of eyes inside Longyin Pass, he
proceeded to bow deeply.

The Xia troops followed his actions, bowing towards the army which they had once
despised so greatly. Following which, they repeated their enemy’s warcry, “For freedom!”
Thereafter, the Xia army started to retreat as the landscape turned desolate. As the autumn
winds swept across the blood-stained grass plains, it was as if what had just happened was
just a dream.

The warriors stood at their positions; none of them collapsed for fear that the Xia troops
would turn back and kill them.

Chu Qiao dragged her sword along and advanced forward as she stood upright. Her
footsteps were heavy; her expression was pale as fresh blood belonging to unknown people
stained her green cloak. The soldiers stared at her in disbelief as they tried to absorb the
fact that the Xia army had just retreated. She stood there as the wind messed up the hair in
front of her forehead and brushed across her eyebrows and face. Her voice had turned
hoarse as tears welled up in her eyes. Like Zhao Yang, she bowed towards her army and
uttered word by word, “Warriors, we have won.”

A fragmented sobbing sound echoed out from behind, slowly increasing in volume. Those
sounds were from the civilians which they had so valiantly protected earlier on, as they ran
towards the soldiers.

The Xiuli Army, led by He Xiao, saluted and bowed towards her as they chanted, “General,
it’s been hard on you.”

“It’s been hard on all of you.” The sky was overcast. Chu Qiao stood up as two rows of tears
streamed down quietly from her eyes.

Chapter 206
The Xia army ceased their attack but did not make way to let them leave. The merciless
siege had truly begun. At this moment, Zhao Yang fully understood the accuracy of the intel
that he had received. Chu Qiao had truly fallen out with Yan Xun, and wished to leave Yan
Bei. The gates of Longyin would no longer open for them, and apart from heading to the
Tang Empire through the Waterway of the Southern Borders which Yan Xun had already
sealed up, they could only pass through by the Xia defense line. With increasing certainty,
he was sure about her escape.

September 20th, it snowed. At this juncture, snow would not be too heavy yet, but it
continuously snowed for two days. Xiuli Army’s rations had been almost depleted, and if not
for the fact that some of the civilians had brought some food, they may have started
starving long ago. All the tents were allocated to the civilians, yet every night, there were
elderly and children who froze to death. Medicine had run out as well, and injured soldiers
could not even get a sip of warm water. Chu Qiao could only helplessly watch as the
coldness and injuries robbed the lives of those soldiers who could withstand even the
tremendous might of the Xia Army.

Each time she saw that a soldier had died, or a child was trembling in the wind, she felt an
urge to rush back to the Longyin Pass to apologize to Yan Xun, and plead for him to save
those innocent people. Helplessly, she smiled, and could only feel that strength had left her
body. Yan Xun was really the one who understood her the most. Perhaps, he had knew long
ago that this would happen. She was never scared of war, killings, or even death, but her
Achilles heel was that she would never allow people who loved and supported her to die
meaninglessly. In the past two days, she attempted to break through the encirclement four
times, and she had been unsuccessful. Zhao Yang adopted a full defense formation. Not
only did Zhao Yang not face them in front combat, he did not bother with their attacks either.
Each time the Xiuli Army charged up, they were merely welcomed by a barrage of arrows,
resulting in dozens of bodies being left behind.

On the night of September 22nd, a snowstorm begun. The temperature dropped drastically.
In just half a night, there were over 50 deaths among the injured soldiers, and over 80
deaths among the civilians. The civilians nally reached their limit, as a middle age woman
left the camp and rushed to Longyin Pass to request entry. Following which, more and more
civilians left, as they tumbled in the frigid winds towards the fort.

In this life and death situation, the fear of death had nally won their conscience. The
civilians abandoned this army that had fought to the end to defend, and charged back to
their homeland. The soldiers of Xiuli Army silently watched as everything unfolded. No one
said anything, and no one tried to stop them. They merely watched these people who were
crying, and emotionlessly let them go.

A sobbing elderly walked over to Chu Qiao. In his embrace was a child whose breathing had
already weakened to the point that one could barely hear it. With his face full of humiliation,
he tried to say something, but all that came out were weeping sounds. The child was
already completely pale. Chu Qiao could tell that if he did not quickly go someplace warm,
he would die very soon. Chu Qiao felt as though her throat was being choked by something.
She was not angry, neither did she feel sad. Of course, she did not blame them for
abandoning her. As a soldier, she had no excuse when all she could do was watch her
countrymen die one by one, unable to protect them. She could no longer bear to see that
guilty gaze of the old man, because she felt even more guilt ridden deep down. She could
only lower her head in silence, expressing her emotions.

Sorry.

Atop Longyin Pass, torches gradually started to light up. Under the pass, there were
countless elderly, children, women, tumbling forth. People shouted, “Open the gates! Open
the gates!” in unison, with a sense of despair and fear in their voices. At the end of the day,
they were normal civilians. Their only wish was to survive, and sometimes they merely
wished to live a better life.

In the intensifying snowstorm, the entire landscape turned white. The o cer atop the city
walls shouted, “Do not approach! Back o ! Back o !” Yet, no one bothered. His voice had
been drowned out by the rowdy civilians. While crying, the civilians pounced onto the gates,
and with all their strength, they knocked on it while roaring, “Open the gates! We are the
citizens of Yan Bei, why do you refuse to open the gates?” The sound pierced through the
fi
ff
ff
fi
ffi
heavens. The warriors of Longyin Pass were dumbfounded. They had all witnessed the
battle that had taken place two days ago. At this very moment, none of them hoped to point
their weapons at their past comrades. In addition, the ones knocking at their gates were
mere civilians. They stood rooted to the ground, con icted between their morals and duty.

“Open the gates!” The civilians bashed themselves against the city gate. Some lost their
balance and fell down, only to be trampled into a bloody mush by the ones who impatiently
charged up. The sounds of wailing and shrieking echoed on the plains as the heavy snow
continued to drift down, seeming endless.

“Back o ! If not, we will shoot you!”

“Do not shoot us! We are mere civilians!”

“Please! Please, save my child!” The women who ran o rst knelt on the ground, holding
up her child who no longer had the energy to complain, as she wailed, “You can refuse to
save me, but please, save my child!”

“Open the gate! Open the gate! Let us in!”

….

“Master Chu!” The o cer in charge of the garrison shouted, “Come back! If you do not
return, we cannot open the gates! His Majesty’s orders! As long as you come back, your
past mistakes will be forgotten!”

“Your past mistakes will be forgotten!” With the hundreds of guards on the city walls
shouting in unison, their voices were like thunder rumbling across the plains. The civilians
looked as though they had found their savior. Suddenly, everyone turned in the direction of
Xiuli Army, and started crying.

“Master! Let’s go back!”

“Master! Save us! Go back with us!”

“Master! Go back and apologize to His Majesty!”

“Master!” The woman rushed out from the back of the crowd. In her hurry, she tripped and
fell. The child in her arms was hurt, and suddenly started to cry with all its strength, with a
pitch that seemed to be sharper than even the blades of the Xia Army. That woman
shrieked, “Master! I beg you! Save my child! Master, please! Save my child!”

In that chilly darkness, the Xiuli Army stood frozen as they looked to their leader. Chu Qiao’s
heart seemed to have been torn into a million pieces. Biting into her lips, the taste of iron
suddenly spread throughout her mouth. With her hands icy cold, even her ngertips were
trembling.

Yan Xun, Yan Xun, you expected all this to happen, right? You expected all this to happen.
Right now, are you waiting on the plains outside Beishuo, quietly waiting for me to go back
to apologize to you?

ff
ffi
fl
ff
fi
fi
 With the shrieks sounding wave after wave, thousands of civilians knelt before her. With their
heads on the ground, they cried. Just a few days ago, they swore unwavering loyalty to her,
and had shouted “Long live freedom” with her. Yet, they were now kneeling and pleading for
her to apologize to Yan Xun.

Reality was so cruel, yet she could do nothing about it.

With her eyes dry, she could no longer cry. The bitter taste of defeat lingered in her chest.
Fate had pushed her into the abyss of despair. No matter what she did, every step she took
led to a dead end.

“Master.” He Xiao walked over and stood rmly behind her while gazing at her in worry. In
his gaze, one could see worry and sympathy. “Master…” He wanted to comfort her, but he
did not know what to say. The entire incident was so ludicrous and bizarre. The world was
so vast, yet they had no place to go?

“He Xiao.” Chu Qiao sighed. At that moment, she felt as though all of her blood had frozen
up. She was in such despair that she wanted to die, yet she held on and ordered, “Order for
the entire army, we will…” It was then, at this very moment, the sound of a urry of horses
galloping resounded from behind. The warriors of Xiuli Army spun their heads around, only
to see the Xia Flags waving behind, closing in on them. Zhao Yang had attacked again!

“Orders for the entire army! Intercept the Xia Army!” For the rst time in her life, Chu Qiao
felt that the Xia Army was so adorable. She did not know if thinking that way was morally
correct, but she felt a desperate urge to leave this dilemma. After all, if the Xia Army was
attacking, the top priority was to ght! She thanked the heavens in her heart that she did not
have to make such a decision at that very moment, even though she may have to pay a
hefty price later on.

“Your Highness! The enemy is ready to ght!”

“Call o the attack!” Zhao Yang calmly instructed, “We will leave after closing in.”

“Huh?” His subordinate was taken aback, and could not help but to ask, “Why?”

Zhao Yang had not spoken for a long while, as he gazed into the darkness, and quietly said,
“We cannot let her return to Yan Bei.”

Back and forth, the chase continued through the entire night. The Xia Army seemed to treat
Longyin Pass as a playground. After a while, they would pretend to attack. Only when the
sunlight pierced through the thick morning fog did they nally sound the horn of retreat and
went back to their camp.

Bringing back her exhausted army, Chu Qiao only saw countless pairs of eyes that merely
looked on in silence, along with rows of bodies that were neatly arranged before the army.
Those that were still alive and breathing the day before were now lifelessly lying before them
on the ground. The snow had started to pile up on their faces, covering their features.

ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
 Seeing how the battle had stopped, people started to leave. The stream of people increased
and eventually turned into a river, then an entire ocean. They did not walk toward Longyin
Pass. Instead, they headed towards the Yanming Pass of the Xia Army.

“Come back!” Pingan stood beside Chu Qiao and called out. He attempted to pull those
people back, only to be brushed aside and pushed into the snow. On the ground, he
shouted, “Come back! Do not go!”

Yet, no one bothered. The crowd faded into the distance and walked to Zhao Yang’s army.
Raising their hands up high, they surrendered, and repeatedly emphasized that they were
merely civilians.

From Zhao Yang’s formation, a troop of soldiers came out. The thousands of civilians knelt
down, and while raising their hands, they kowtowed to them. In the distance, their weeping
and the sound of the Xia soldiers’ laughter could be heard. The warriors of Xiuli stood rooted
to the ground, some crying silently. Yet, they could not say anything. What could they say?
Could they possibly encourage these unarmed people to ght the enemy? Could they
possibly promise that they would de nitely save them? The snow resumed, and Chu Qiao’s
heart seemed to have become the permafrost that had not seen the warmth of the sun for
centuries, as she looked on at everything with hollow eyes. In the uttering of the war ags,
the heavens were completely silent as the winter of Year 778 nally started.

September 25th, there were big winds. Snow fell like cotton as they oated down with the
air currents. The dungeon exit had been covered by snow, and the ancestral graves had
long readied the white lanterns. The walking maidservants all donned plain white clothes,
with white silk oating in the breeze, and dust drifting through the air. In the hall, there were
no torches that were lit, and the only source of light was a lone candle. In the darkness, it
shone alone, casting long, ickering shadows of the surroundings.

In the ancestral hall, a lone gure that sat in the darkness. It was as though light could not
ever illuminate the gloom on his face. He back faced the candle, his appearances obscured
by the darkness. There were many bottles of wine, some already empty and lying on its side,
placed on the small desk before him. The smell of alcohol wafted in the entire hall. He had
never liked alcohol, yet he had drunk continuously and alone in this hall for three whole
days.

In the past three days, even though the smell of alcohol had already permeated this entire
place, why did he not feel the slightest bit of intoxication?

Despite the huge winds that were bellowing outside the doors, blasting waves and waves of
snow akes that battered the walls, the palace was quiet and dark, with only the lone candle
ickering. Silently sitting alone, he felt as though he could hear the rumbling of the drums,
the sounds of blades clashing as the warriors lifted their blades and charged at each other,
and the pained cries of the civilians calling for their homeland. As blood owed and
convened into a river, it stained the majestic walls of Longyin Pass, colored the grass of Yan
Bei, and washed away the last bits of emotions between him and her.

fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
 Chapter 207
Yes, he had not been drunk. He had been sober all along, as he visualized his thoughts.
Time had passed by in a ash; it was like a cruel hand that had submerged the memories
and promises that they had made to each other. He looked up and saw the out ts that his
family used to wear, that was hung up at the tall altar in the tomb towards the front. The
tomb was majestic and encompassed a large area, but all that was buried inside was a few
out ts and their belongings they had when they were alive. Their heads were still on display
in the temple meant for sinners in Xia, while their bodies had probably been devoured by
wild wolves, amidst the chaos.

He lifted his wine cup as the strong wine caused an intense burning sensation in his throat,
which felt like burning charcoal. The wind blew into the big palace, causing the curtains to
sway from side to side like the sleeves worn by dancers. Yan Xun’s line of sight was still
clear. His thin, handsome face was slightly red; the look in his eyes was foggy, having been
through the various vicissitudes of life. In just two years, he had been driven to the point of
extreme fatigue. His entire life seemed to be lled with obstacles along the way. Gradually,
the people in his life left, one by one, towards di erent directions, although they had set o
together on their journeys.

“Father,” he uttered, breaking the silence, as he felt a sense of calm, “father, you lied to me.”
Yan Xun looked up at the portrait on the altar. His father’s image was vivid. He looked at the
man whom he had idolized as a child and said quietly, “You said that Yan Bei was a utopia,
the freest and most prosperous place in the world. You said that all you did was for the
continuity of future generations, but you were wrong. You were utterly wrong. You destroyed
Yan Bei and yourself, along with the Yan family. During my eight years in Zhen Huang, I
survived all because of my trust in you, and the dreams that I harbored. However, when I got
back to Yan Bei after going through so much, you didn’t know how disappointed I was.”

Yan Xun was emotionless; the palace was enveloped in silence. He looked quietly at the
portrait of his father as he continued, “There are walls everywhere. It’s cold. However, you
isolated yourself and built your own utopia amongst the cracks. Do you know how naive this
was? Hence, the emperor could not tolerate you anymore. The world could not tolerate you
anymore. Even your subordinates betrayed you, because you were not powerful enough to
complete even what the emperor could not.

“Father, I killed Mister Wu and Lady Yu because they were still carrying out your last wishes.
They became obstacles towards my progress. I gave them chances, but they did not
treasure it. I killed Huanhuan because Da Tong wanted to appoint her as its new leader. As
long as she was around, Da Tong would not die out. I killed your old subordinates because
they were myopic, yet they still held such high positions. I killed many people. I’m nearer to
my dreams now.” Yan Xun looked up and downed another cup of wine. He re lled his cup
and poured its contents out onto the oor as he muttered word by word, “Father, I will not
be like you.”

Yan Xun stood upright as he turned to leave; the bottom of his out t brushed against the
oor, sweeping the dust up in the air. He was calm as he took small strides, each of them
fl
fi

fl
fl
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
 re ecting his determination. The candlelight shone on his body, forming a long shadow. The
shrines of the warriors of Yan Bei stood behind him, consisting of his parents, his brothers,
his ancestors, the nation’s loyal subjects, Mister Wu, Lady Yu, Xiaohe, Huanhuan, Biancang,
Xirui, AhDu, the leaders of the Xiuli Army who had sacri ced themselves while defending
Beishuo, like Wu Danyu and Feng Ting… Many pairs of eyes seemed to stare at him as he
walked out of the palace step by step, as he left the place where all the dead souls resided.

His steps were steady and did not carry any hint of remorse or hesitation. His eyes were
pitch-black as the cold winds welcomed him. He remembered the night when he left Zhen
Huang, when AhChu sel essly went back to rescue the soldiers of the Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison who were trapped in the capital. Perhaps, from that moment, he had predicted that
things would have turned out this way. Their aspirations and beliefs were di erent and
irreconcilable, which meant that they were bound to become more distant from each other
as they walked on di erent paths. Ultimately, there was a price to pay for achieving one’s
dreams.

The price that he had paid was that he was no longer the man which she had envisioned
him to be.

He started to feel weak all over, but he suppressed these feelings ruthlessly without thinking
any further.

AhChu, when you turned to leave, I knew that you were destined not to follow me in this life.
You were destined to walk on the morally upright path, while I would not be able to distance
myself from the life of bloodshed. I was unable to y with you, hence I wanted to break your
wings to keep you by my side. However, I still failed.

“AhChu…” the low voice echoed out in the big palace. The man stood by the entrance as
the cold, pale moonlight shone on his face, coloring it a shade of white. He closed his eyes
slowly and calmly, frowning as he re ected solemnly.

“AhChu… Will you still come back?”

The moon was half-covered by the layer of clouds, making it hard for birds to y by. He
stood on the peak of the mountain as his eyes swept across the entire land of Yan Bei. He
thought to himself quietly, Perhaps, she will never come back again.

“Your Majesty!” AhJing pushed the guards aside as they attempted to stop him. He
stumbled to Yan Xun’s side as he knelt on the ground, shouting in an agitated manner, “Your
Majesty, save Missy. It’s snowing heavily at Longyin, and the gates are closed. The Xia
troops have surrounded them for many days. She will not be able to tolerate it any further.”

Yan Xun remained silent as he looked at the majestic mountains in front of him, falling into
deep thought.

“Your Majesty, Miss has followed you for many years, risking her life for you. We all know
what contributions she has made. Your Majesty, can you really bear to kill her? Have you
forgotten what you said previously?” AhJing kowtowed repeatedly as he pleaded, his eyes
bloodshot. “Your Majesty, please have mercy. I beg you…”

fl
ff
fl
fl
fl
fi
ff
fl
“AhJing…” Yan Xun opened his mouth as he seemingly realized his existence. Frowning, he
questioned, “In what way can I save her?”

AhJing replied with joy, “Open the gates of Longyin and send the troops out to reinforce
them…”

Before he had nished, Yan Xun countered, “Do you think she will come back even if I
opened up Longyin Pass?”

AhJing froze as he thought for a long while before mumbling, “Then…we can open up the
waterways along the southern borders leading to Tang. We can let her leave by that route,
through Tangshui Pass.”

“By the south?” Yan Xun replied with a calm voice as he continued to question, “Does that
mean she won’t come back anymore?”

AhJing was completely rendered speechless.

Yan Xun smiled and asked, “Does that mean that I will lose her forever?”

In the cold night, AhJing felt cold sweat all over his body. After a long while, he jumped up
and turned to run as he shouted, “I’ll persuade Miss to come back!”

Yan Xun did not stop him, nor even look at him, choosing to stand at his original position
silently instead. The dark clouds covered the moon. It was about to snow again. Was AhChu
not able to take it anymore? Silly lass, why don’t you come back then? He frowned and
thought like an innocent child, seemingly deceiving himself by eliminating all the political
reasons that had led to today’s events. It was like the way they fought when they were
young. When one of them wandered o , the other would think: why don’t you come back?
It’s cold outside.

If time could tell, AhChu, would you still choose to be entangled with me? Did you predict
that you would land in this state today? How deep was your hatred towards me?

“Your Majesty,” a low, respectful voice sounded out from behind Yan Xun’s back, “please
open the pass by the borders and let General Chu go.”

Yan Xun froze and turned around, looking towards Cheng Yuan. “What’s the matter? Are you
interceding on her behalf too?”

“I’m not interceding on behalf of General Chu,” Cheng Yuan replied calmly and continued,
“I’m interceding on behalf of Your Majesty.” Cheng Yuan kowtowed heavily on the ground
and continued slowly in his low voice, “Your Majesty, give yourself a lifeline.”

At that moment, Yan Xun’s heart felt like it had been stabbed, as waves of acute pain surged
from within.

“If General Chu dies at the hands of Your Majesty, Your Majesty will never be happy. You
said this before too. No matter what your dreams are, you have to be alive in order to have
hope. If you are dead, it’s too late for anything.”

fi
ff
Yan Xun remained silent for a long time as the winds tugged at his robe. He stood atop the
mountain peak, appearing like an eagle which had spread out its wings.

“Cheng Yuan, why are you saying all this? Don’t you have a grudge against AhChu?”

“I don’t bear any grudges against General Chu. I o ended her previously, but it was
unintentional. When I wanted her dead, it was purely to ensure that I would survive. Now
that she is no longer a threat to Your Majesty, I don’t want to see her die either. Most
importantly,” Cheng Yuan raised his head, looked at Yan Xun with energy with his eyes and
continued, “I don’t wish for Your Majesty’s heart to be held back. In this world, only Your
Majesty can make my wishes come true, and only Your Majesty is worthy of me to follow.
My loyalty for Your Majesty is undying, even if Your Majesty turns evil and is despised by the
world. I will follow Your Majesty all the way till I die. If Your Majesty wants to kill everyone in
the world, I will be the rst one to raise my sword; if Your Majesty wants to use human
corpses to ll the Eastern Sea, I will be the rst one to chop my own head o . I have
wandered around for half my life and have been despised by many, because I have not
found a thing worthy for me to believe in. Presently, I have found it. Your Majesty’s hopes are
my beliefs. Hence, I don’t wish for Your Majesty to live a life of remorse and regret. Your
Majesty, let her go.”

Yan Xun’s range of emotions suddenly widened. In that instant, he remembered everything
that had happened these ten years, as scene by scene ashed in front of him. The young
child rose from the pool of blood and stared at him, eyes full of hatred. His heart ached and
he used his nger to caress the child’s neck. The wind blew at the hair in front of the child’s
head and with this, he forever remembered the look in that pair of eyes, which was full of
unyielding spirit.

Ultimately…

He closed his eyes and started to distance himself from those memories. All those emotions
of love were snapped by him at that moment, causing him to feel immense pain inside.
“Convey my orders to General Qiu and tell him to open the waterways at the southern
borders. Let them…”

“Your Majesty!” A loud cry echoed out. The messenger troop stumbled across the stone
steps as he climbed up the mountain. As he ran, he shouted, “Emergency news from the
border! Emergency news from the border!”

Yan Xun and Cheng Yuan turned around to see the horri ed look on the soldier’s face. He
knelt on the ground and opened the document, reading aloud,

“From the vice general of Tangshui Pass at the southern borders, Qi Shaoqian:

On the 16th day of the ninth month, an unknown enemy attacked Tangshui Pass at the
southern borders. They appeared in the territory of Yan Bei out of the blue and cut o our
communication lines, conquering 13 counties in the process. The chief marshal of Tangshui
Pass, General Qiu, died in battle. All o cials with the rank of Major General and above all
died in battle too. We have lost about 30,000 people in total. Yesterday afternoon, Tangshui
Pass was breached. Our forces engaged in battle with the enemy. This is my last messenger
fi
fi
fi
ffi
fi
ff
fl
fi
ff
ff
 and my last warhorse, and I hope that the news can reach Your Majesty. I will defend my
position to the death, and I will not let the Yan Bei Army’s reputation down. The 50,000
warriors at Tangshui Pass have let Your Majesty down, and I acknowledge my mistakes in
this letter.”

Chapter 208
“What happened? Why did we not hear of anything until now, even though the Tangshui
Pass was attacked on September 16th?” Standing up, Cheng Yuan bellowed.

The messenger replied while panicking, “The entire force was trapped in the pass, as the
enemy came without any signs. Not only that, but the enemy took all of the surrounding
provinces. We did not have any chance to report.”

“Then why were the provinces near the region unaware of anything? How could they allow
the war to drag on to such an extent?”

The messenger cautiously lifted his head up and stole a glance at Yan Xun. After a moment
of hesitation, he quietly explained, “That region was Shangshen Highlands. Not only did
most of the o cials leave with Master Chu, but those who had remained heard that those
enemies were there to rescue Master Chu. If they had not tried to conceal the enemies, that
would already be praiseworthy. None would come to report. Even the local o cials were tied
up by the civilians.”

“What?” Cheng Yuan exploded in rage. “What do they want to do? Rebel? Where is the
army? Where are the soldiers? Are they all dead? How could they not bother when they saw
their o cials tied up?”

“About that, this subordinate heard some rumors. The local forces helped the enemy to
attack. Not only that, but they provided a detailed defense layout of the Tangshui Pass. If
not for that, such a forti ed city could not be so easily sieged.”

“How ridiculous!”

“So what is going on now?” a deep voice suddenly resounded.

Cheng Yuan spun his head around only to see Yan Xun questioning emotionlessly, “So the
Tangshui Pass has been conquered. What is happening now?”

The messenger’s head was full of sweat. He trembled and delivered another shocking
statement, “By the time this subordinate had been ordered to deliver the message, the Tang
Navy had somehow received news about the siege, and was already lying in wait beyond
the Pass. The moment the gates were opened, the Tang forces landed, and is now heading
to Longyin Pass.”

“Who is their commander?”

“He was…the Emperor of Tang.”

ffi
ffi
fi

ffi
“How big are their forces?”

“At least 100,000.”

Yan Xun could hear Cheng Yuan taking a deep breath in shock. Yan Xun narrowed his eyes,
and instantly recovered his aura of an emperor, as though he was looking upon all life from
above.

Li Ce? Had he come himself? “Gather the troops? The First Army and Second Army are to
gather at once! We will head to Longyin Pass!” Yan Xun declared

After merely six hours, the entire formation gathered at the foot of Huihui Mountain. Situated
at the border of the Shangshen Highlands, they were not too far from both Tangshui Pass
and Longyin Pass. Riding on his war horse, Yan Xun’s black robes uttered in the winds.
Following slightly behind him, Cheng Yuan quietly asked, “Your Majesty, are those who
attacked on September 16th also from the Tang Empire?”

“No. That could not be.” Yan Xun shook his head. With his gaze staring into the distance, he
quietly stated, “The Tang Empire is far from Yan Bei. If the fact that AhChu and I had fallen
out reached Li Ce’s ears on the day itself, he could not have possibly rushed to Tangshui
Pass by 16th. I believe it was another power who had received the information rst before
passing it to Li Ce, and attacked Tangshui Pass to open a path for the Tang Empire.”

Cheng Yuan frowned and asked, “Then who could it be? The Xia Empire? That would be
impossible.”

“Who?” With his gaze frozen up, Yan Xun slowly replied, “Who else could so easily enter
and leave Yan Bei territory?”

Cheng Yuan was stunned at Yan Xun’s hypothesis, as he cried, “The King of Qinghai?”

“The King of Qinghai.” Yan Xun slowly spat out those words. “Finally, we will be meeting
soon.”

As the stars gave way to the light of the sun, a new day arrived.

“Your Majesty!” A scout shouted from afar and loudly reported, “About ve kilometers away,
we discovered unknown forces!”

“How many people are there?”

“The enemy stretched from south to north over a formation of over ve kilometers, and had
sealed the advance of our forces. We estimate that they have 13 infantry divisions, eight
cavalry divisions, at least another 17 formations of heavily armored melee infantry, and
including archers, shield bearers, and other support forces. They are at least 150,000
strong.”

At that moment, everyone took a deep breath in disbelief. Such a powerful force had
appeared within the Yan Bei borders. If they did not encounter this foe today, who knew
what kind of disaster it could lead to?

fl
fi
fi
fi
 Yan Xun did not have the same worries as the rest. Yan Xun knew that the only reason that
this entire army showed up was to intercept the Yan Bei army, so that Li Ce could make a
retreat.

Somehow, Yan Xun had already guessed his enemy’s identity. Although he was rather
surprised, he also felt a sense of joy. Yan Xun admitted that he had been taken aback, but
as an enemy, he expected the other party to stand out and ght face-to-face. After all, he
could release his own woman, but he would never allow someone else to save her from the
dilemma he created for her!

The morning fog covered the entire land. In the mist, the gargantuan army nally appeared,
and slowly spread out like an ocean. Wearing his black robe, Yan Xun’s eyes were
emotionless and rm as he walked out of his formation. Almost simultaneously, a gure
appeared from within the opposing force. Even though they were far away from each other,
Yan Xun could immediately tell who the other party was. Their gazes met, and Yan Xun
lightly chuckled. He said, “Long time no see.”

Chu Qiao was rudely awoken in the chaos. The sound of horses galloping had come and
gone like the thunder, appearing before she could even react. After three days of starvation
and enduring of the coldness, Chu Qiao was already on her last leg. In her hurry, she
grabbed her sword and dashed out of the tent. Lightheaded and feeling hot, she could only
see a blurred mess of torches. With the rumbling of the horse hooves growing louder, it was
as though enemies were drawing nearer.

She heard someone shouting at her, so she turned around, only to see He Xiao and his
bloodshot eyes. His mouth opened and closed. He was ghting with someone. He was
covered in blood, and she could only pray that he was not injured. Chu Qiao’s head was
buzzing, and she could not even tell what she herself was thinking. She wanted to carefully
listen to He Xiao’s words, but she could never seem to hear clearly.

This was the fourth time that Zhao Yang had raided the camp. The Xia Army had gradually
lost their patience. Surrounding her, she could only hear the sounds of death as her guards
fell one after another. More and more enemies charged up, as the enemies broke the
formation, and each soldier began ghting by themselves. The Xiao army was like a ood,
washing away their shaking defense. As an arrow ew over, a guard jumped over to shield
her. The arrow pierced through his skull, appearing on the other side. The tip was pointing
straight at Chu Qiao’s nose, as blood dripped down.

“Protect Master!” someone shouted. Yet, the soldiers from afar could no longer get close.
Surrounded by bodies, Chu Qiao’s entire view seemed to be painted a bright crimson. With
the winds blowing, the snowstorm continued. Facing this desperate situation, Chu Qiao
thought, It seems like this is the end. This is ne. She lightly nodded, and quietly, hoarsely
said, “This is ne, this is ne.”

A row of ballistas was red, as countless arrows ew, howling as it cut through the air.
Lifting her head, Chu Qiao looked at the lethal rain heading her way, a million thoughts
ashed through her head. She thought that perhaps she would die, as time seemed to come
to a standstill. Her entire life ashed before her eyes. In her orphanage, she had been
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
 selected by her country, and after going through over a decade of training, she was selected
to go to a prestigious military academy. Upon graduation, she was posted to Military
Intelligence, and after countless assassination and in ltration missions, she gave her life for
the country. Following that, she came to this era of chaos, and once again, she lived a life
that very much resembled her rst. Suddenly, an intense sense of fatigue overwhelmed her.
As the wind blew towards her, she had this faint wish that she merely wished to give up all
of her determination and struggles. All these years, no matter what kind of desperate
situation she was faced with, she had never given up hope on life. Yet, she suddenly felt like
she did not want to continue ghting. She was really too tired. This would do, and she would
nally get some rest this way.

“Master!” He Xiao shrieked in despair as he saw Chu Qiao merely standing, facing the hail of
arrows, like a frozen statue. He felt as though his heart had been torn apart. Maddened, he
swung his blade again and again. Lightning fast, his blade left a shining afterimage in the air
as two heads ew up into the air, with fresh blood tainting He Xiao’s body. Yet, the ood of
enemies quickly took the position of their fallen comrades. He Xiao was trapped in combat
as he saw the arrows approach Chu Qiao.

The Yan Bei soldiers atop of Longyin Pass had also witnessed this scene with their very
eyes. A young soldier’s face was completely pale, as his knees weakened. He looked at the
pale face of that lady in the re as he cried out in sadness, “Master Chu!” He was a soldier
who grew up in Shangshen. His entire family had been released from slavery by Chu Qiao,
and not only that, but his family had been given land. Yet, he was a coward. When Xiuli
Army was ghting outside, he dared not speak out. When the Xia Army repeatedly raided
the Xiuli Army, he dared not speak out. When the snowstorms ravaged the Xiuli Army’s
tents, he dared not speak out. Even when the civilians cried under the walls, he dared no
speak out. Yet, at this moment, his mother’s words suddenly echoed in his mind, as he
witnessed his mother, whose hair had already turned white, kneeling on the lands that had
been given to his family, telling him, “We must never forget our gratitude to Master Chu.”

Even on the city walls, a chaotic wave of crying could be heard, complemented by the
rustling of the tall grass in the highlands and the falling of the massive snow storm. In the
past half a month, Yan Bei witnessed the loyalty of an army, and at this moment, the entire
heavens witnessed the sadness of a lady.

As the arrows ew up, it reached the highest point in a parabolic trajectory, before curving
down and falling with the utmost momentum. Before everyone’s widened eyes, Chu Qiao’s
clothes uttered along with the air as she squinted her eyes, her messy hair waving in the
freezing winds. Her mind was blank, yet she seemed to see a certain pair of eyes yet again,
looking at her, telling her: Live on, live on.

She gently smiled, her lips curling up very lightly.

I am ultimately unable to hang on anymore. Can I go and look for you?

All of a sudden, the sounds of things cutting through the air could be heard. It was then they
saw a patch of black shadows jumping o the mountain situated to the west of Longyin
Pass. Holding onto ropes, they swung down, and with impeccable accuracy, their countless
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fl
 blades struck the ying arrows. In that moment, the entire battle quietened down, taken
aback by surprise. All of the intruders wore dark green leather armor, and were extremely
fast and agile, much like the beasts one could see in a jungle. With their face illuminated by
the re, each of them had a dark maroon tattoo on their face. With their sharp gazes, they
pounced towards the Xia Army who was still recovering from their surprise attack.

Before the Xia Army could react, a cacophony resounded from the Southwest. Kicking up a
cloud mixed with dust and snow, thousands of horses trampled on the tundra, sounding like
a rumbling war drum. The elite shock cavalries charged into the Xia Army anks. Such spirit
and organization could only be seen in a well trained army. Upon closer inspection, it
appeared that they were all Tang Empire’s soldiers.

Wearing silvery armor, the young Emperor charged into the main camp and grabbed her. He
used so much strength that it seemed as though he wanted to squeeze her to a pulp. His
chilly armor felt like knives to the touch, and his heavy breath made huge patches of white
clouds in the air. The sounds of killing gradually faded into the distance, and the surrounding
sounds fated to mute. With thousands of torches around, she felt as though she was
basking in the warmth of the summer sun.

As they distanced from the battles, Li Ce’s deep and calm voice could be heard. There was
a slight tinge of panic within his words, as he lightly repeated, “All is well, all is well, all is
well…”

Chu Qiao did not want to cry, as she still felt rather confused, as though everything around
her was merely a gment of her imagination. Yet, her tears fell beyond her control, dripping
down onto Li Ce’s armor and owing down the outlines of the metal. Closing her eyes, she
seemed to see a scene where the apocalypse had arrived, where ground gave way to
magma, stars fell from above, and the ocean was covered in an unending con agration
while owing into a bottomless abyss.

Chapter 209
She wanted to speak. There were many things she wanted to say, yet she could only utter
incomprehensibly, as though she was a mute.

Li Ce, did you know? Mister Wu is dead, Lady Yu is dead. Many others are dead. Yan Xun
killed many people. Do you think he will kill me too?

Li Ce, Zhuge Yue is dead too, I caused his death. Did you know? It was my fault that he
died.

Li Ce, you were right. Yan Xun is really cold-hearted. His heart, even his promises, has been
frozen over.

The world felt vast and hollow as Chu Qiao leaned into Li Ce’s embrace and fell asleep, an
exhausted look on her face. Li Ce gazed down at her, seeing that she was so pale and
gaunt. Even he himself thought that he had gone crazy, thinking about what would have
happened had he arrived even a single moment later. Even a single moment later…

fi
fl
fi
fl

fl
fl
fl
The wind blew upon them and he took o his overcoat, wrapping Chu Qiao in his embrace.
She appeared ever so skinny and was curled up into a tiny ball, as though she were still a
small child. Li Ce lifted his head and looked at the sky lled with snow akes. He looked at
the opposing army emanating an intense bloodthirstiness, then gazed at the towering
Longyin Pass. As he looked at the surroundings in front of him, his heart was lled with an
anger that could not be suppressed.

Yan Xun, how could you have the heart to do this? How could you be this stone-hearted?

“Your Majesty, Xia has sent messengers to question if Tang intends on interfering in their
domestic a airs. How should we reply?” The imperial bodyguard dismounted his horse and
rushed forward.

Li Ce carried Chu Qiao and said with a frosty voice, “Tell Zhao Yang that I have taken her
away. If he wants her back, I will be waiting for him in Tang Jing.”

“Your Majesty, I’ve brought the person here.” Tie You said as he walked up; a middle-aged
man covered with tattoos followed behind him. The man was the leader of the group of men
that had jumped down from the snowy mountain peak to save Chu Qiao earlier on.

Li Ce’s countenance softened a little as he nodded towards the man and said, “My thanks
to you.”

The tattooed man lowered his head and replied, “Our numbers are limited. If it wasn’t for
Your Majesty, General Chu would have been in critical danger.”

“Regardless, it was you who delivered help in time. I will remember this debt of gratitude
and repay it in the future should the opportunity arrive.”

“I do not dare. I was only acting upon orders.”

Li Ce’s eyebrow twitched as he asked probingly, “Who is your master?”

“My master has already stopped the Yan Bei troops and has arranged for reinforcements at
each pass on your way out. Your Majesty, please make haste and be on your way, we will be
the rear guard.”

Li Ce slowly nodded his head. With a deep look in his eyes, he spoke with a heavy tone,
“Words can’t express my gratitude for the favor you have done. Take care.” As he nished
his words, he swiftly departed with the Tang army and the troops from the Xiuli Army.

There were not more than 60,000 soldiers at Longyin Pass. Upon seeing Li Ce and his army
of 200,000, they did not know whether to pursue them. The garrison general took some time
to think before saying, “Quick, hurry and ask for instructions from His Majesty.”

The soldiers let out a long breath as they thought: This is a good sign. Once instructions
from His Majesty comes, there should be no trace left of this ill omen.

ff
ff
fi
fl
fi
fi
In less than an hour, the contingent made its way to Shichuan Junction. A group of around
2,000 people was waiting quietly for them. Li Ce’s men rode up and negotiated with them,
whereupon they left behind a horse carriage and left.

Tie You came back and said, “It’s still that same group. They’ve prepared horses and rations
for us ten kilometers ahead. They also left behind a horse carriage and advised Your Majesty
to travel inside it, as Yan Bei is cold.”

Li Ce brushed aside the carriage curtain and looked inside. The inside was rather large,
furnished with soft bedding made from brocade. There was a metal plate across the large
bed, with two charcoal braziers on it. The inside of the carriage was as warm as spring.
There was even a small stove in the middle, emitting steam that smelled richly of a medicinal
fragrance. When he opened it, a pot of piping hot and nourishing ginseng chicken soup had
been placed inside.

“Your Majesty, where exactly did this King of Qinghai come from? He has been so
enthusiastic in helping us this time. Does it only stem from a pure desire to do Tang a
favor?”

Li Ce stared quietly at that pot of chicken soup for a long time and remained silent.

Chu Qiao laid in the carriage, her complexion pale and wan. As though she felt the warmth
from the charcoal braziers, she let out a breath, before shrinking into the embrace of the
bed, looking like a rabbit that had fallen sound asleep.

“Tie You, if it was you, who would do these things for you?”

Tie You was stunned and thought for a while before replying, “I’m afraid only my mother
would be able to do it. Not even my wife could do it.”

The corners of Li Ce’s mouth rose as he chuckled, “Indeed, there are not many people who
would do such a thing.”

“Your Majesty, have you gured out his identity?”

“I now know.” Li Ce nodded his head, and turned towards the distant mountain ranges
hidden beneath the white storm of snow. With a tinge of uncertainty in his voice, he mused,
“If it was just a suspicion previously, I’m certain of it now.”

No matter how contradictory fate was, no matter the doubts, everyone was a puppet
moving along a predetermined path. Since one was not able to escape from it, why would
he spoil the show that was to come?

Li Ce let out a slight smile as the gentle expression on his face let out a hint of vicissitude
and calmness.

Zhuge Yue, I’m not as good as you.

The blizzard nally stopped before daybreak. Before the sun had come out, the earth was
still shrouded in the murky darkness. A man dressed in a green robe stood on the summit of
fi
fi
 the mountain. A snowy owl apped its wings as it ew from afar; the vicious apex predator
of the mountains landed meekly on his outstretched hand. Its body was pure white, with
only three red feathers on its tail, glistening like the crimson of fresh blood. Opening up the
letter case attached to the owl, the handwritten words caught his attention: The Tang
emperor has brought his troops and returned to the Tang border. I am well. No need to miss
me.

The man’s countenance was calm as his eyes maintained their cool demeanor. He could
naturally see that his subordinate was teasing him. Who was the one who had been doing
well, and who exactly missed who? Hence, he replied: Don’t bother dispersing, just die over
there.

The young general laughed heartily when he received the reply, revealing the whites of his
teeth. He waved his hands and said to his men, “Let’s scatter, it’s time to go home.”

“Seventh General, you must be missing your wife right now.” A man in his forties said as he
gu awed. His shoulder had been pierced by an arrow and had just been bandaged up, yet
he was laughing as though he was perfectly ne. The tattoos on his face moved about like a
small snake.

“Shoo! You old bachelor, I hope that you never have to experience such yearning for the rest
of your life.”

“These Yan Bei whelps are too savage!” A general in his thirties exclaimed as he walked in
half-naked, despite the cold weather. There was a bandage wrapped around his chest. It
could be seen that he too had recently sustained that injury.

“It’s not like I stole their wives, yet they tried to kill me.”

The seventh general laughed and replied, “You didn’t steal his wife, but Master did. Let’s go,
it’s not like we came to ght a war. Give instructions to Qi Lang to arrange for the retreat
path. Let’s all prepare to get out of this place.”

The commander who the seventh general had termed “Old Bachelor” grumbled as he stood
up, saying as he walked out, “I feel that this battle fought by Master wasn’t appropriate. He
didn’t even lay eyes upon his wife before she got taken away by another person. It’s not like
we can’t win against them. We’ve really lost this time.”

The number of people in the tent thinned as they left. The seventh general stood in his
original position, stunned for a moment from what he just heard. After ruminating, he said to
himself, “Master truly cannot a ord to take such a risk!”

Indeed, once the ghting reached a stalemate and dragged on, if anything untoward
happened on the other side, it would be meaningless even if they won eventually.

The seventh general thought of the person he saw on the battle eld a while back as his eyes
squinted with hatred. Back then, if not for the help that Yue Da’s aides rendered, he would
have been killed in that massacre two years ago. This score was to be settled sooner or
later.

ff
fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
fl
fi
 It was three days later when Li Ce took Chu Qiao onto a boat at Tangshui Pass. The sun had
risen from beneath the horizon, covering the land below with its golden radiance. The sky
was clear; no clouds could be seen for miles. Tangshui Pass was near to the southwest; the
climate was warm, rivers were gushing, and the land was a rich aquamarine. The large boat
led the eet of thousands of boats as it set o with a thunderous sound. Waves surrounded
them in all directions like an avalanche; the horizon glowed a bright green. The huge masts
of the boats pointed up towards the heavens, unfurling their massive sails one by one.

“Set sail!” Tie You shouted, his voice carrying a few hints of elation.

Li Ce stood on the ship’s stern, wearing a loose green robe. He had a devilish glint in his
eyes as he appeared strikingly handsome. He looked up ever so slightly, staring at Cuiwei
Mountain which stood in the distance. He vaguely made out the lonesome gure standing at
the summit.

The humans and the tides intertwined; the climates changed repeatedly. The wind blew
towards them from the direction of the mountain summit. It brought with it a light fragrance,
lightly numbing the people’s arms all the way to their bone marrow. In that instant, their
thoughts cleared up at once.

Li Ce suddenly laughed, sounding as cunning as a fox. He was grinning from ear to ear. To
the shock of his subordinates, he blew a passionate kiss towards the peak of the mountain.
Everyone who saw it was embarrassed at this sudden action. Tie You asked despondently,
“Your Majesty, did you see the village girl collecting rewood?”

Li Ce looked back with an expression of surprise and replied, “Ah! How did you know?”

The audience sighed helplessly as they thought to themselves: Your Majesty, who wouldn’t
know?

The river was as smooth as silk; the ships meandered on into the distance towards the
rising sun. Everything was satisfactory. The man silently stood on the summit. He had clearly
witnessed Li Ce’s provocative actions. He wrinkled his eyebrows slightly, but did not turn to
leave.

The ships gradually disappeared into the distance, yet he still remained standing there for a
long time after. His heart was silently calm. There was no sorrow nor exhaustion. The wind
blew against his back wistfully; his shadow cast against the ground had a faint glow to it.
The mountain was lled with the smell of dust mixed with fog. As the wind swept across his
face, his expression remained gentle, as though nothing had happened. He absentmindedly
reminisced about her gaze, feeling as though he had been transported back to the barren,
weed-infested grasslands in his memories. Abruptly, he saw a lone tree standing tall. It
looked gentle and accepting, which caused him to lose his coldness.

That was the 29th day of the ninth month in the year 778. It was the season for
chrysanthemum owers to bloom in Tang Jing. The wind whistled as it blew through the
capital city, while the sun sprinkled golden light over the ground. The ships sailed towards
the south, slowly making their way back towards that area of sweet extravagance. Autumn
had passed; it was now winter. Only in the warm lands of Tang did the di erence between
fl
fl
fi
ff
fi
ff
fi
autumn and winter not seem signi cant. The chrysanthemum owers had fallen; the
blossoms withered black on their branches. When the strong night wind blew, the ground
was covered in yellow blossoms, lightly swirling with the wind.

Chu Qiao was dreaming again. At that moment, both her feet were once again on that
barren wasteland. The sun was a rosy red as strong winds gushed towards her, scooping up
the loose weeds covering the landscape, causing them to look like a withered yellow wave
as they billowed in the wind. The young man was galloping happily on his horse, giving o
his usual laughter and appearing like his initial self in her impressions. The Huoyun owers
bloomed brightly on the blood-stained soil, swaying extravagantly as they were trampled
beneath the hooves of the snow white horse. Suddenly, she heard the hearty laughter of the
young man. He laughed and said, “AhChu, hurry and catch up!”

She took o , chasing behind him, the sun beating down upon her body, the wind screeching
as it blew past her ears. The bright yellow landscape in front of her was her hope, just like
the fantasy she had been endlessly dreaming of over the past eight years. However, just as
she was about to catch his hand, heaven and earth suddenly became a ghastly white, and a
blizzard buried all her hopes and dreams. The jovial young man had grown up in the blink of
an eye, his face now cold and unfeeling as he stood before her. Countless Yan Bei soldiers
dressed in black body armors stood behind him. The soldiers held ice cold arrows which
were aimed in the direction behind her. She turned around hastily, only to see blood
blossoming out from his body. As the icy plains disintegrated, the cold water started to
spread. She followed and jumped into the deep lake as she nally saw that pair of lonely
eyes. He kissed her gently beside her lips, the icy corners of his mouth nuzzling at her
temples. His hands were so big and strong as he dragged her bit by bit, passing on the
hope to live into her hands.

Chapter 210
In the piercing sunlight, her palm felt as though it had been burnt by re, as if words had
been engraved on her hand. Blood had lled her vision, as the mountains and lands
collapsed before her eyes. She seemed to be witnessing some sort of surreal catastrophe,
with weed overgrowing, the grounds split to give way to an ocean beneath. She had been
abandoned alone, standing on a plain with re burning all around her as the vast avalanche
and the tsunami shadowed over her and buried her beneath. She was so tired, as she
closed her eyes and sank towards that catacomb of darkness.

When Chu Qiao woke up, the rain had just stopped. The moonlight poked out from behind
the clouds, spilling its gentle glow onto the bedroom of Mihe Residence. If felt as though it
was in the peak of autumn, as the dewdrops fell on the sycamore leaves with crisp echoes.
The palace was empty and deserted, and it was as though the entire world had died, with
only her left. Slowly moving her body, the dry and cold wind pierced her body, reminding
that she was still alive.

From the Rou Fu Palace, there were loud sounds of musical instruments playing. That was
the nightly party that Li Ce held with his harem. Every night at this time, there will be some
form of celebration that decorates this grandiose palace.

ff

fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
ff
 When Chu Qiao was rst rescued, the court had a strong wave of opposition. The hundreds
of o cials endlessly expressed their disdain for Emperor Li Ce’s actions. After debating with
them for over ten days, Li Ce nally ipped, and kicking down the throne, he bellowed that
he did not want to be the Emperor anymore, and that whoever wanted to could take the
throne from him. The o cials lost their composure. Only after kneeling outside the Chang
Xin Palace for two whole days did they manage to convince this Emperor who had skipped
over 70 days of work in merely two years after being throned. Since then, no one dared to
mention Chu Qiao again.

On the other hand, Li Ce’s behavior was comforting to the o cials. Apart from how he had
paid particular attention to Chu Qiao in the rst few days, he had mostly returned to the
playboy he was. With him returning to normal, the o cials nally heaved a sigh of relief.
Deep down, many thought that this Yan Bei woman must not have that much attractiveness
anyways. The very fact that Li Ce even went ahead to save her was probably on a whim
anyway.

When Li Ce entered, Chu Qiao had not made any noise, so he thought that he was still
sleeping. Carefully tiptoeing, he acted like a burglar, resulting in the amusement of the
maidservants who were watching. Covering their mouths, they did not dare to laugh out
loud. After lifting up the veil and seeing Chu Qiao, who was sitting on the bed, Li Ce was
slightly taken aback as he smiled and walked over. Holding an intricately made basket, he
acted as though he was presenting some kind of treasure as he said, “Someone brought
fresh pomegranates, do you want to eat?”

Chu Qiao did not reply. She still seemed drowsy, as though she had not fully woke up. Li Ce
sat beside her and looked at her still pale and skinny face. His brows furrowed up very
slightly before relaxing again. Picking up a pomegranate, he peeled it open, revealing the
crimson pearls inside. Looking over, he smiled and brought it over to Chu Qiao’s mouth, and
opened his mouth, as though telling her to open up and eat, before saying, “Qiao Qiao,
open up, like me. Ahhh…”

“Li Ce, I have fully recovered.” Like a pool of undisturbed water, her voice was exceedingly
calm.

Looking at her, Li Ce would often get the misconception that it was three years ago when
she lived in his palace, and nothing had changed. Yet, he started to realize that things were
already di erent. She would no longer con dently tell him about her dreams and ambitions,
and would no longer talk about that man with a sparkle in her eyes, and had no longer had
hopes and wishes for the future. Even her pair of eyes lost the shine she used to have, as
though her crystal clear irises had been covered by a blanket of mist, completely muddled.

“Yes, you are recovering already.”

“I want to leave.”

Li Ce was completely unsurprised that she would say that. With much curiosity, he inquired,
“Where will you go?”

ffi
ff
fi
ffi
fi
fl
fi
fi
ffi
fi
ffi
 Chu Qiao shook her head, seemingly still undecided, and honestly admitted, “I still do not
know. But the world is so big. I am sure there will be a place I can stay. If I really cannot nd
anywhere, I will head to the barren lands beyond the borders.”

“Is there any di erence between heading beyond the borders and staying here?”

“Li Ce, the Xia Empire will not let me o . As long as you let me remain here, it will eventually
lead to disaster for you. I killed countless Xia soldiers and caused the failure of two of their
northern campaigns. What’s more, I personally killed the Third Prince, Zhao Qi. Even though
there is no war between the Xia Empire and the Tang Empire, the moment they free up their
troops will mean trouble for you.”

Li Ce did not speak but merely looked at her. The playfulness in his eyes faded away and
had turned to serenity and peace. After a long hesitation, he started to ask her, “For the Jing
Family, you became the enemy of the Zhuge Family. For repaying your gratitude to Yan Xun,
you followed him for eight years in Sheng Jin Palace living as a slave. For the Yan Bei
civilians, you went through life and death countless times. For the Southwest Emissary’s
Garrison, you got angry with Yan Xun. For Zhuge Yue, you hid from worldly matters for two
years. For the Da Tong Guild, you completely fell out with Yan Xun. Now, for not dragging
me into the fray, you are going to head beyond the borders into the barren lands?” The
man’s voice turned deep with a tinge of fatigue that he could not seem to hide anymore.
Quietly, he asked, “Qiao Qiao, in your life, will you ever start to do things for yourself?”

Chu Qiao was utterly stunned by that question. With the night wind blowing past, lifting up
her fringe and clothes. Li Ce lightly held onto her shoulder, and with his other hand, gently
clasped her head. So naturally, he pulled her into an embrace without any sense of lust.
Lightly, he heaved a sigh, and whispered, “Qiao Qiao, there are many ways to live in the
world. You can live your life in poverty, but that is still one life. You can live your life enjoying
all of the worldly pleasures, and that is still one life. You can live your life aimlessly without
doing much, yet that is still one life. You can also live your life accomplishing great things
that will leave your name in history forever, and even then, that is still one life. But despite so
many ways, why do you forever choose the way that makes life the hardest for you? Look at
you, even the normal civilians probably lead a better life than you.”

Li Ce’s voice slowly entered her ears and crept into her mind. Chu Qiao leaned on his chest,
and even her entire thought process froze up. She suddenly felt that his words were so true.
If she really lead a simple life like a normal civilian, she would certainly not have gone
through so many ups and downs, without so many killings and sadness, without betrayals
and backstabbing, lying and abandonment, and she would de nitely not be so heartbroken,
with no place to go.

The moonlight gently shone onto their shoulders. Chu Qiao suddenly felt extremely tired.
But Li Ce, it took me ten years to climb to the top of a mountain because someone told me
that there was a rare ower at the top of that mountain. Yet, after I had spent all my time and
e ort to get up there, I discovered that the mountain was completely bare, with nothing
growing there. I had risked my all to get up there, and after my intense disappointment, how
am I supposed to get down?

ff
ff
fl
ff
fi
fi
 “Qiao Qiao, hope is always in your hands. If you do not give yourself a break, no one could
possibly save you.”

As the days passed, winter began. That said, in the Tang Empire, even in winter it would not
feel chilly, as Chu Qiao ultimately still stayed in the Jinwu Palace. Although she had no rank
nor appointment, women like her were commonplace in this palace. Coupled with her
previous reputation, no one dared to nd any trouble with her.

The revenge from Xia Empire had not come, as though they had determined that she was
already completely useless, and would forget all of their past hatred. The Xia Empire had not
even sent a missionary to question about her. Chu Qiao felt that this situation was rather
strange, as her current situation was akin to the Japanese Prisoners of war in the past.
Considering the anger of the populace and the anti-war sentiments in Xia Empire, why did
they not grab this opportunity to make certain her death?

She had gone to ask Mei Xiang, yet Mei Xiang arrogantly replied, “If they dare to come, we
will tell General He Xiao to behead every one of them!” Mei Xiang had been her maidservant
back in Hui Hui Mountains. Mei Xiang’s parents had both died in the war, and she was a
discounted slave before Chu Qiao’s encounter with her. After Chu Qiao arrived at the Tang
Empire, this maid servant rode a horse alone all the way to chase after her.

Qiu Sui, the maidservant that Li Ce had sent to Chu Qiao, smiled as she placed down a cup
of freshly chilled pears, while arrogantly adding on, “Exactly, Sister Mei Xiang is right. In the
rst place, His Majesty has been so good to Lady, who would come to nd trouble with
you?”

Chu Qiao shook her head with a tinge of worry in her heart. Things should not have been so
simple. Was Li Ce forced to make concessions for the Xia Empire?

Chan’er timidly said, “I heard that some Grand Marshal from the Xia empire would like to
establish a friendly relationship with the Tang Empire, and as a result, the Xia Empire had not
come to seek trouble with Lady.”

Grand Marshal? Chu Qiao frowned, the Grand Marshall of the Xia Empire was the Head of
the Grand Elders’ Council, could it be that Wei Guang had let her o the hook?

Chu Qiao had not asked about worldly matters for a long time, and crawled through life. In
the Mihe Residence, visitors were not allowed, so she really ended up living “aimlessly” like
Li Ce had said.

Over half of this life was closely tied to Yan Xun, and she had gone through all kinds of
situations, including darkness and abandonment, life and death, ghting and killing, with
him. Ultimately, there was no path left for them, as their paths together only lead to a dead
end.

After that, she had asked Li Ce as for why the Xia Empire had not found any trouble with her.
At that moment, Li Ce was happily browsing the paintings of the new ladies that were
selected into his harem. Hearing her question, Li Ce gave her a lustful glance, and while
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
 smiling, he laughed, “Perhaps the Xia Emperor still has some kind of wishful thoughts about
me.”

Even though her current state of mind was completely not in the mood for his antics, Chu
Qiao still chuckled in amusement and accompanied him as he browsed through the three-
foot tall scrolls depicting ladies. Looking at those young women whose eyes were lled with
elegance and innocence, they seemed to be gazing at her from a di erent world.

Before leaving, Li Ce stood by the door and suddenly turned back, smiling at her and telling
her, “Qiao Qiao, I want you to think about this very carefully. In this world, who would treat
you so well? For you, he had given up so much. For you, he went through life and death. For
you, he gave up all his material wealth and abandoned his status. Not only that, but he
saved you, and did not even tell you. Such people are rare to begin with. You have to think
about it carefully. After you have made up your mind, you have to tell me, and I will make
arrangements to send you o gloriously for your marriage.”

With the Sycamore leaves in a mix of red and yellow, it covered the sky, only allowing a few
strands of sunlight to seep through, shining onto the land beneath.

Standing in the desolated palace, she thought about the words that Li Ce had spoken
before he left as she carefully thought about the last battle she had in Yan Bei. The timing of
the attack, defense, retreat, cover, along with the number of forces that were involved in
o ense, interception, along with the speedy relay of information, and the capability of the
people who could suddenly appear within Yan Bei territory. Just like Li Ce had said, who
could actually be so good to her?

A certain thought seeped out, and grew like a creeper plant, wrapping around her. As the
moon rose up and eventually sank into the horizon, the sun rose up yet again, bringing
unending light to the world. She merely stood there the entire night, as she repeatedly
thought about the question again and again, while seeking evidence for her shocking
hypothesis. A light gradually started to shine in her eyes, as a pearl-like teardrop dripped
onto her chest, one after another. Yet she was not the least bit sad or in anguish. She had
been overwhelmed by surprise and hope, as she trembled.

At that moment, the golden sunlight had peeked into the room through the window, shining
onto her pale white face. She laughed like a carefree child as tears owed freely down her
cheeks.

On the day that Chu Qiao left, the weather was still raining. She had not said anything to Li
Ce, and with a simple set of luggage, she rode her horse out of Zheng Yang Gate. Even as
the drizzle wet her shoulder, it seemed to brim with life and con dence.

Li Ce was still that loose cannon of an Emperor. At this moment, he happily sat on the roof
of the palace, wearing a maroon silk shirt. Before the palace, there was a crowd of o cials
crying in worry and anxiety, yet he seemed as though he could not see her. The breeze that
carried the fragrance of aromatic oils caressed his clothes, revealing the embroideries in his
inner sleeves. Gazing into the distance at the Rose Royal Road, he could see the cotton
ff
ff
fi
fl
ff
fi
ffi
 cloth of the young woman as she rode atop her white horse, with the endless Sycamore
trees on the sides of the path. The entire scene seemed to be perfectly suited for a painting.

Chapter 211
It had been four months. It was enough.

He smiled slightly, taking up his ute to play a joyful farewell song for her. The tune was clear
and echoed across the extravagant palace, following her shadow as it stepped out of the
rows of palace doors, over the golden door sills, the tall corridors, the red palace walls, and
nally into the vast lands.

The Tang Empire had helped him out as he was rejected by his family, almost ruining the
bright future he had ahead of him. Since the battle at Yuegong, he had de ed all odds to
live. He had been driven to desperation, to the extremes where he had nearly lost his life. He
had been despised and shunned by his family and country, turning into a public enemy and
being spit on thousands of civilians. Even if he died, he was not able to enter the ancestral
records of his family. He became the number one rebel of the royal capital. As he rose from
the ashes of the dead, he single-handedly rebuilt his reputation as he came to be known as
the King of Qinghai, taking West Meng by storm. The time had not come, but he used his
troops to carry out an assault in the east, providing a lifeline for her.

The Xia Empire coveted the Tang Empire; Yan Bei dispatched troops towards the east in
order to avenge the theft of the emperor’s wife. They were willing to give up their empire,
which they had painstakingly built, in order to return to the land of their ex-tormentors in
chief. They used their million troops as a wager, managing to achieve some of their wishes.

Zhuge Yue, I thought that I was the craziest person alive. However, when I compared to you,
I am insigni cant. Li Ce mocked himself in his thoughts. How could he compete with a
lunatic?

We have all been assigned to wander on a predetermined path by the heavens. I cannot
break free, and neither can Yan Xun. Only you are brave enough to break free repeatedly
and jump into the whirlpool again. Ultimately, I lose out to you, and I accept this defeat with
grace.

The tune was lively and fast, appearing comical as compared to the o cials bawling their
eyes out below.

Sun Di stood on the steps of the palace and gazed towards that de ant shadow. As the
joyous tune permeated his ears, he felt a sense of loneliness instead. The paths of the
palace were long and cold, as it was surrounded by tall palace walls on both sides. The
fragrance outside was faintly detectable.

On such a bright, warm day, the ripples emerged from within his heart, slicing through the
lonely fog in his heart and sweeping up the thin layers of dust in the lonely palace. He had
always been like this, viewing the happenings of the world through the slightly drunken look
in his eyes.

fi
fi

fl
fi
ffi
fi
 As night fell, the o cials had cried their throats hoarse. Some of the elderly ones were
stricken with illness, and had been taken away in stretchers.

An extravagant layer of lights blanketed the entire Jinwu Palace as it seeped through the
thousands of doors. His memories were blurry. Just like a thin thread that had dislodged
itself from a piece of cloth, a slight jolt was su cient was able to cause the piece of cloth to
disintegrate.

Li Ce walked down the steps of the ladder as the o cials crawled towards him, crying for
him to mind his health and not to fool around. “All of you are indeed loyal to me. I have
sorted my thoughts out. Please rise quickly,” he said.

The audience cried out in joy, appreciating the fact that the emperor had come to his
senses.

“In order to re ect on my actions, I have decided to adjourn the court sessions for three
days. All of you should go back, think hard, and research on ways to make our country
prosperous.” As he nished his words, he walked into the distance while the o cials were
dazed. Before he walked out of the palace, he ordered his inner servants, “Host banquets
for the next three days. Bring all the ladies to Roufu Palace.”

The audience was once again rendered speechless as the emperor gallivanted away into the
distance.

Once one stepped out of Baizhi Pass, one would have reached the territory of Xia. Although
it was wintertime, the climate was still warm towards the southwest of Xianyang. When Chu
Qiao stepped out of the pass, it was actually raining. As she stood on the passageway
leading into Xianyang City, she felt hesitant, not knowing if she should have walked in. The
past 11 years of her life had been eventful. The rst eight years of her life had been lled
with dark times, while the last three years had been doused with bloodshed. Now that she
had nally broken out of the chains of her fate, she did not know where to wander to.

Her initial sense of excitement had subsided; calmness and rationality had taken over. If it
was really true, what kind of person would he be now? How could he mix around with a
person of her status? She had caused him to nearly die a few times. Was she going to
destroy whatever he had now, yet again? If her thoughts proved to be wrong, Li Ce’s words
would have meant that Yan Xun had let her go out of mercy. How would she view this matter
then? Presently, she no longer had any more courage to ask about anything else. Hence,
she resided in Xianyang City. She rented a small house with one door and one courtyard in a
remote place. Two willow branches hung in front of her door, but had wilted.

Seven or eight days passed in a ash. As Xianyang City welcomed the new year,
decorations were placed everywhere. The festive mood in the city was joyous. The landlord
opposite, seeing that she lived alone, invited her over repeatedly to spend the new year.
However, she rejected the landlord’s gestures.

Another few days had passed. As the annual Lantern Festival neared, a bout of snow fell at
dawn. However, before the snow akes touched the ground, they had melted. The remnants
of the snow accumulated on the tree branches. Into the distance, the snowy white
fi
fl
ffi
fi
fl
fl
ffi
fi
ffi
ffi
fi
 mountains were visible; streams owed at its feet. The city was covered in sycamores,
giving o a spectacular sight.

The landlord was a chubby lady in her thirties. She looked friendly and had two children; a
boy and a girl. Her husband was a teacher in a private school within the city; their household
was considered well-o . The girl seemed to like Chu Qiao a lot. As she passed by her door,
she would often gaze into her house. Her brother, seeing her curiosity, supported her on his
shoulders and allowed her to sneak a peek inside her house.

In the evening, Chu Qiao went out herself as she did not want another invitation from the
landlady. The sky had not darkened; the light markets had not opened either, but the streets
were bustling with life. There were crowds everywhere; roadside stalls were set up in neat
rows along the main street. Merchants selling various commodities like wine, food, and
cosmetics littered the streets. Chu Qiao, nding the atmosphere overly crowded, avoided
this street.

Due to the festive occasion, the women of the well-o households, who did not usually
leave their houses, wandered out into the streets. There were sedans and horse carriages
everywhere, as they passed by Chu Qiao. Sounds of laughter drifted out from the carriages
occasionally as they blended together with the warm winds. It was a peaceful and
harmonious sight.

As compared to the people who were dressed amboyantly, Chu Qiao was dressed in
relatively plain clothes. However, as they belonged to the imperial palace of Tang, it
appeared more majestic and exquisite as compared to normal plain civilian clothes. The
cloth was pale pinkish grey in color; the dress was pale blue and white in color. Magnolia
owers were embroidered on the sides of the dress, looking like freshly bloomed lotus
owers from afar. Coupled with her gentle and calm demeanor, she attracted countless
stares from scholars and noble young masters as she walked along the long street alone.
Some of them tried to approach her to strike up a conversation, but were rendered
speechless as they got closer to her. They felt that her calmness was unlike an ordinary
lady; she gave o an aura that looked like she was ignoring them. As they hesitated, she
had already wandered away.

As night fell, the full moon rose up into the sky. The stars were far and few, as the moonlight
shone onto her shoulder. This was not her rst visit to Xianyang City. Three years ago, when
she led her troops out of Zhen Huang City, she bumped into Zhao Chun’er and her brother
who were in trouble. After she escorted them back home, Zhao Chun’er sent troops after
her. As she escaped from there, she set foot in this city.

Time had passed by in a ash. No one had heard from Zhao Song all these years. The
in uential and powerful prince back then had probably been ousted from the political scene
of Xia, due to his disability. As for Zhao Chun’er, she had seemingly vanished into thin air. No
one knew of her whereabouts.

The corners of Chu Qiao’s mouth rose. The smile was ever so slight, disappearing even
before it reached the sides of her face. It was like a layer of thin fog which had been
fl
fl
fl
ff
ff
ff
fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
ff
 dispersed by the cold winds. Perhaps, Li Ce was right. In this world, the overly intelligent
would never be happy.

A large patch of lights lit up in the distance. They were multi-colored and appeared majestic.
The sounds of reworks echoed out, along with the laughter of the children and the shouts
of the vendors advertising their products. They drifted with the wind across the lake and to
her ear. To her, it seemed like a bright re had been lit up, but did not give o any warmth.
The sounds seemed to be originating from another world.

It had been a long time since she had celebrated the Lantern Festival.

She looked up, seemingly being transported back in time to that day. There was a little red
pony, and a child wearing a white robe holding a white rabbit lantern. As the child followed
the young man, he turned back and gave o a cold look. She had always thought that that
look emphasized cruelty, and that he looked down on the lifeforms below him with disdain.

Presently, as she reminisced about the past, she was seemingly able to see the bottom of
his eyes clearly. If they had not navigated through the lights that day… if the reworks from
the children had not startled her horse and caused her to sprint out of the city, spending the
night together with Yan Xun, would things have panned out in a di erent way?

Perhaps not. Perhaps things would have still remained the same. The swords that were to
be raised would still have been raised. The words of betrayal would still have been uttered.
Everything would have been pre-planned, according to the heavens. No one would have
been able to break out of the wheel of fate. However, at the very least, if not for that
separation, she would not be imagining that he was alive presently, as she associated her
memories of past Lantern Festivals with him.

She had subconsciously walked a long distance now. A thick, tall elm tree, estimated to be
about 30 to 40 years old in tree years, stood by the side of the lake. Pieces of red cloth were
strewn everywhere, together with colored paper. It was a superstition that the villagers held
close to their hearts, as they believed that a deity resided in the elm tree. They believed that
the thicker the tree, the higher probability that supernatural forces resided within it. Over
time, villagers which had fallen on hard times would visit the tree to pray for peace, in the
hope of nding light at the end of the tunnel

Chu Qiao stood under the tree as an unknown emotion surged from within her heart. She
did not know what was on the tree. She looked up quietly and half-squinted her eyes,
xating on the same spot for a long while emotionlessly. Her gaze seemed to transcend
through time like clear water.

She did not know what had happened here three years ago. When she was purchased by
the Zhan family, one person had rode past this place. That day, the sunlight was bright. He
stood desolate under the tree as they missed out on seeing each other by mere inches.

Chu Qiao reached into her pocket and felt a jade pendant inside. As she held it in her hand,
she went into a trance.

fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
ff
ff
fi
 This pendant was the one that she had nicked from Zhuge Yue when they fought at Tian
Chengshou’s residence back in Wupeng City. Thereafter, she disguised herself as a dancer
and was discovered by him. He demanded the jade pendant from her, but she was still
spiteful back then. In a t, she had said that she had dumped it into the lake, causing the
servants in Tian Chengshou’s residence to dig up the lake to no avail.

On the day that she left Yan Bei, she did not bring anything else but this pendant along with
her.

As time passed, the memories stuck by close to her heart, exempli ed by the jade pendant.
She looked up, feeling a sense of bitterness in her eyes.

After many twists and turns, they had still been destined to part ways. Circumstances were
di erent now that time had passed. They had been separated and placed far apart, but the
feuds concerning their countries still lingered in the space between them. Furthermore,
given her current state, what right had she to approach him? Where would she get the
courage from?

Chu Qiao closed her eyes and tossed the jade pendant upwards. In that split second,
thousands of complex emotions played themselves out in her mind. The heavens had made
a fool of them. They were not to be after all.

Plonk! As she turned to leave, a crisp sound echoed out from behind her. It sounded like a
nger which had brushed against a guqin string. The sound was smooth to the ear, and
pierced through her spine. Chu Qiao turned back in panic, only to see that two jade
pendants had fallen from the tree, landing perfectly in each of her hands.

The pendants were white and shiny. They were similar in design; they were actually an
identical pair.

Chapter 212
Chu Qiao was completely stunned. In that split second, her mind reconstructed the gure of
that certain man. With his sleeves uttering in the wind, what kind of emotions must he have
had to throw out the other half of the jade, before turning back on his horse, leaving this tree
to which people prayed peace and serenity to?

Her tear glands started to hurt again, yet no tears dropped down. Standing there silently for
a long time, rows of festival lights started to light up, yet she did not realize it. Only when a
businessman selling colorful lanterns walked past did she nally return to reality.

The lanterns still had the same designs as in the past, looking exactly like the one she had.
Silently looking on, she could not avert her gaze. The seller was impatient, and frowned
while asking, “This Missy, are you done choosing?” Hurriedly, she paid up, and lifting that
lantern, she stood on the road. With her lonesome silhouette, she seemed like a lost child.

The crowds gradually closed in, and she was swept along with the torrent of people. She
was surrounded by warm laughter and friendly banter, with the sounds of drums and
fi
ff
fi

fl
fi
fi
fi
 cymbals in the background, adding to the mood. There were some rich landlords shooting
reworks into the sky, and the fragrance of roast meat, wine, and the perfume of the ladies
wafted in the air. There were some playing with their lanterns, some guessing lantern riddles,
some drinking alcohol, some eating, some watching a play, and some performing various
forms of arts. In this night, everything seemed more lively than normal. Happiness seemed
to be found in every corner. Looking directly ahead, she walked in a straight line alone.
Carefully holding the lantern, it was as though she was worried that someone would knock
into it and damage it.

The bright light shone brightly on her face, making her seem ever so lonely. She was so
lonesome, as though completely at odds with the hustle and bustle of the surroundings.
There were people who saw her, but none paid her any heed. She just kept on walking so
silently, passing through the gazes of so many, yet only her shadow walked beside her, and
even she knew not of her destination.

Finally, as the candle depleted, there was only a weak ame. Carefully walking to the edge
of the lake, she lifted the lantern up as the green water wet the corner of her skirt, yet she
was completely unbothered by that. As layers of leaves swept onto her face and caressed
her shoulders. It felt itchy, as though those branches were tickling her heart like the layers of
fate that intertwined her with the others.

Zhuge Yue, it seems like in this life, I will be indebted to you. If possible, let us meet again
earlier in a better time and location.

With her pale ngers pushing very slightly, the lantern oated into the distance. In the
undisturbed lake waters, the lantern was like a small boat, creating light ripples, and along
with the waves faded into the darkness of the night, as it drifted over the surface of the lake
that was lled with re ections of the festival lights.

Standing up, Chu Qiao looked on. With the night breeze blowing onto her face, the chills felt
like an arrow that grazed past her heart. With the myriad of colors that illuminated the night
sky, her heart felt like the gradually distancing lantern. With the light ickering, it was as
though it could be extinguished any time. That was then she made the decision to tear apart
her last bit of hopes with her own hands. Her world collapsed by her own hands, as the
pillars holding up her beliefs crumbled to dust and the silk curtains bleached to white. Her
inner world had long ago lost any signs of life, as the indications of life had long ago
disappeared, leaving behind only an endless grey void with no end in sight.

Suddenly, a small wave assaulted the small lantern. A small boat had passed by, with its
oars creating a tsunami for the small lantern. With the ickering of the lights, it was apparent
that the light almost went out. With the lantern now slanted, it seemed to be sinking. For
some reason, the numb heart of Chu Qiao suddenly tensed up. She subconsciously
stepped up, frowning, as though worrying for that small light.

It was just then, a bigger lantern oated by. The string atop the lantern had gotten tangled
with Chu Qiao’s lantern. Spinning on the spot for one round, it so happened that it righted
Chu Qiao’s lantern as well, while blocking another wave coming from an even bigger ship.
With Chu Qiao’s smaller lantern, the two lanterns coiled around each other, oating o into
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
ff
the deeper end of the lake. They had the same design of a rabbit; one big, one small. And
as they leaned on each other, it seemed particularly heartwarming. With the bigger lantern
shielding the waves for the small lantern, the light stopped ickering, and brightened up.
The warmth of the two lights shone onto the surrounding water.

Chu Qiao heaved a sigh of relief. Even though she knew that the light would eventually still
go out, it would always be better if it could last a bit longer. Loosening up her tightly knitted
brows, she casually lifted her eyes up. Yet, on the other end of the lake, a certain gure
suddenly appeared! She felt as though she had been struck by lightning, as she stood
rooted to the ground, completely dumbfounded. She seemed to have seen him again. In a
white overcoat, he stood upright in the wind. His black hair covered part of his eyes as his
eyes seemed undisturbed like a frozen lake.

The dragon boats passed by, their silhouettes blocking Chu Qiao’s vision, with bright red
curtains and jubilant crowds decorating this sky. Staring at her, he was also holding a stick
that was used to hold a lantern up. His vision pierced through space and seemed to be
stunned as well, with complex feelings lling his face, and nally, he stopped in his tracks.

Suddenly, a multitude of reworks resounded behind them. The sparkling lights illuminated
their crisscrossing gaze. Looking at him, Chu Qiao’s gaze was something that he had never
seen before. In fact, he barely knew how to describe that. Her gaze was like a child who had
been abandoned, looking at her home in a dream, unable to divert her eyes away. There
contained the hopes and dreams that had been bottled up for over 600 nights, yet each
dawn, she would be betrayed again by her dreams.

Opening her mouth, she seemed as though she wanted to say something, yet no words
came out. With her lips trembling, she had not even broken into a smile before two long
streaks of tears owed down on her face. As the dragon boats left, she broke into a sprint.
All her life she had been avoiding, backing o , distancing herself, and nding excuses to
stay away from him. Yet, after experience life and death, her nal resistance in her mind
broke down. Did she just see an illusion that would disappear upon her touching?

She ran ever so hurriedly, that the passers-by gave her weird stares. Yet, she could not be
bothered. Like a plain lotus fading into the fog, her dress uttered along as she dashed.
Even as her legs buckled, and her ears were lled with the thunderous protests from her
heart, she continued on, past the bridge, past the park, past the trees, and nally, out of
breath, she felt as though everything was so eeting, as though it would all just disappear.

Zhuge Yue looked on at her, with his gaze completely calm. Yet, when their eyes met again,
one could see a sense of worry.

The crowds closed in and bustled towards them.

Chu Qiao suddenly felt so scared. It was di erent from the fear of death, fear of
abandonment. She had been so strong all her life, with incredible mental fortitude, and there
were only twice in her life that she had felt so scared. The rst time was when he had sunk
into the freezing lake, and now, it was her second time.

fl
fi
fi
ff
ff
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
 Disregarding the surrounding, she stretched out her hands and pulled on his clothes with all
her strength. Regardless of how crowded it was, she refused to let go. On the back of her
hand, suddenly, she felt warmth. A hand had gently clasped hers in return.

In the bright lights, she approached him. With his two arms, he created a space just for the
two of them. With the shadows of people passing by, and the ripples of the water waves
drifting in the background, she seemed so close to him that she could smell his breath. With
her pitch black iris, she seemed like she wanted to stare two holes out from his face.

With tears starting to form in her eyes, she tried her best to remain calm, yet she could not
help but stretch out her hand to touch his gure. She touched his eyebrow, slender and
curving upwards arrogantly, yet he had never been overly complacent. She touched his
eyes, calm and emotionless, yet he had never been left her alone in times of need. She
touched his lips, he was rarely talkative, yet he had lost the touch of a lone wolf.

The answer she had been looking for was standing before her now, yet she suddenly felt as
though her knees grew weak. With a suppressed sob coming out from her throat, she
weakened and fell to one side. With the utmost reaction speed, he quickly grabbed her by
her waist. The moment their gures touched, it seemed as though the stopped clock had
nally started moving. Her suppressed crying was nally let loose, as her emotions
over owed. Embracing her, her tears fell freely on his chest, wetting his clothes, seeping into
his heart.

“Why did you lie to me? Why didn’t you come to see me? I thought that you had died.”
Weeping, even her body was trembling, as she repeated again and again, “I thought that
you had died…”

Biting his lips, Zhuge Yue did not speak. After coming so far, he had actually not intended to
look for her, and merely wished to be closer to her without actually disturbing her. The
ancient city of Xian Yang was the city within the Xia Empire that was the closest to the Tang
Empire.

After opening his mouth several times, he did not know what to say to her, as he was lost for
words. After calming the roaring tides of emotions in his heart, he caressed her back, as he
spoke in his usual calm tone, as though he was impatient, “Stop crying, I have not died yet.”

“Why didn’t you come to nd me if you weren’t dead?” Pushing aside him, Chu Qiao’s eyes
were red as she continued to weep, “Do you not know how to even send a letter?”

Before him, she had never cried so hard that she was already struggling to stand upright.
Suddenly, the pain of going through life and death seemed so minuscule, and the despair of
being chased after and all her tiredness in the past two years seemed to pale in comparison
to the emotions she was feeling at this moment.

He stretched his hands out as he ordered, “Come here.”

Wiping away her tears, this was the rst time in her life that she did not want to oppose him,
as she jumped into his embrace, crying while scolding him, “You are such a madman!”

fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
 After scaling countless mountains and crossing numerous rivers, and going through hatred
and power struggles between multiple countries with so many encounters with death, she
turned around only to nd the person she was looking for waiting for her behind her. This
night, she slept ever so soundly, as though she had been soaked in a comfortable warm
bath.

She seemed to have returned to her days in the Military Intelligence Department when she
was with Xiao Shi, Mao’er, and her other sisters in arms. When it snowed, she would feel
lazy and want to sleep in. Xiao Shi would stretch out her chilly hand to pat on Chu Qiao’s
cheeks to tell her to wake up. Chu Qiao would then frown and duck into the blanket. The evil
Mao’er will then suddenly pull o Chu Qiao’s blanket, and then start laughing at one side.
Ming Rui will be by the dressing table, as she called for breakfast delivery while putting on
makeup.

The sky then was so blue, and they were so young. Their youth seemed to be like the shes
that had just been caught from the sea, so full of life. As her tiredness nally started to fade,
her face felt chilly as she opened her eyes, only to see that he was standing before her with
a long face as he frowned. “Do you know what time is it now?”

At that moment, she had the illusion that she was myopic, as her head seemed to be no
longer functioning. She stared at him while burrowing her brows together ever so slightly,
looking ever so serious. Her serious face made Zhuge Yue swallow his words. As he was
about to turn and leave, he felt as though his clothes had been dragged by something.
Looking down, he saw a small porcelain-like hand tugged at his clothes, with so much
strength that it seemed as though one could see the veins.

The memories of last night resurfaced as her face turned red, as she let loose her hand and
looked outside the window, only to be stunned. “Why is the sky dark?”

Rather frustrated, Zhuge Yue glared at her, before turning around and lighting another
candle. She still had the cheek to ask?

After they had parted the day before, he returned to his lodging. As this trip was secret, he
had not stayed in o cial lodgings. Instead, he opted for a private inn. After he returned, he
was unable to sleep the entire night all the way until the next morning. Yet, after waiting for
so long, no one came to nd him. He was rather frustrated, as he thought, “I will not go and
look for her. I’ll see if she will come.” Yet, even as the sun started to set, he still had no
visitors. His patience nally ran out as he headed to her lodging alone. After entering
unannounced, he was greeted by a scene of her sleeping ever so soundly. How could he,
having struggled to sleep for the past one day and one night, not feel frustrated?

Chapter 213
Chu Qiao, obviously unaware of his intentions, sat up, rubbed her eyes, and swept the loose
strands of hair by her ear to the side. Although she felt a little embarrassed, she said in a
rm voice, “What are you doing here?” As she spoke, the house fell into a short silence. Chu
Qiao knew that she had said something wrong, and did not say another word. Both of them
fi
ffi
fi
fi

fi
ff
fi
fi
 seemed to not know how to adapt to the shift in their relationship. They did not know how to
talk to each other.

The moonlight was bright outside the window as it shone onto the ground, appearing like a
layer of frost.

“What are you doing in Xianyang?” Zhuge Yue asked the question suddenly. Chu Qiao was
stunned as she felt a sense of panic surge from within. She had rarely felt anything that
made her panic all these years. Even when faced with the terrifying Xia army, she was able
to remain calm. Only towards him did her sense of calmness seem to evaporate; her heart
constantly felt uneasy.

“I…” Chu Qiao coughed and pretended to remain calm. “I’m here to run some errands.”

“Is it done yet?”

“Al-almost.”

“When are you leaving?”

Chu Qiao had no choice but to continue the conversation, “In one or two days.”

“In one or two days? Is it tomorrow or the day after?”

Chu Qiao felt slightly angered and replied in a cross voice, “Tomorrow.”

“Oh,” Zhuge Yue nodded as he sat by the table, pouring a cup of tea for himself. He did not
drink it, as he shook the cup lightly in his hand.

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows and questioned him, “What about you?”

“Me? What about me?”

“What are you doing here in Xianyang? When are you leaving?”

Zhuge Yue smiled plainly. In the two years that they had not met, he felt that she had
become more eloquent and cunning. He remained emotionless and nodded as he said, “I’m
here for a vacation. I’m staying here for a while more.”

As he nished his words, he stood up to leave. As he walked out, he added, “Since you’re
leaving tomorrow, I won’t disturb you anymore. Have a good rest.”

“Hey!” Chu Qiao stood up and shouted after him, subconsciously uttering, “Stop there.”

Zhuge Yue turned around and replied calmly, “Anything else’s the matter?”

He must be doing this on purpose! Chu Qiao stared at him as she thought. After a long
while, she lowered her head and whispered, “Actually, I’m not in a rush to leave too.”

Seemingly afraid that Zhuge Yue would get the wrong idea, she added hurriedly, “I have
nothing to do when I get back anyway.”

fi
 “Oh,” Zhuge Yue nodded. He handed a bag by his side to her. With a smile on his face, he
remarked, “Wash up quickly. It’s the Ghost Festival today. It’s even more crowded than
yesterday.”

Not knowing if that was really the case, or that her mental state had changed, she really felt
the di erence in excitement as compared to yesterday.

The petals of di erent owers uttered in the air, along with the wind. The plants and trees
thrived in the environment; the cool winds on both sides of the lake brought with it a
refreshing aroma, causing one to feel rejuvenated. The acrobats on the street seemed to
perform better as compared to yesterday. As they walked along the streets, they saw a
small child begging for food. Chu Qiao, out of benevolence, gave the child ten taels of gold.
As the child held the money in his hand, he was abbergasted. This amount of money would
be enough to provide for a normal household for ten years.

Zhuge Yue stood the side and casually remarked, “How generous.”

Chu Qiao turned back and stared him in the eye as she mocked, “The richer a person is, the
stingier he is. I’m in a good mood today.”

Although he knew that she was mocking him, he felt good upon hearing those words. A
good mood? Why did she feel this way? He joyfully walked up and shed for a banknote in
his pocket, which had the words printed in black and white, “200 taels of gold.”

“Don’t be a beggar anymore. Get a manor and be a ministry councilor.” As he nished his
words, he walked away to the shocked looks on Chu Qiao’s and the child’s face.

Chu Qiao chased after him from behind as she looked at him with suspicion.

Zhuge Yue looked at her and said, “What are you looking at?”

“I didn’t know you had a conscience. What’s the matter, are you too rich?”

Zhuge Yue sneered as he retorted, “There are many other things which you did not expect.”

As they took a few steps forward, Chu Qiao’s tummy started to rumble, as she had not
eaten for an entire day. Zhuge Yue was seemingly familiar with this city as he recited the
names of a few food places e ortlessly. However, Chu Qiao stood rooted to the spot as the
fragrant food aromas from the roadside stalls sapped all the strength out of her body.

Zhuge Yue was naturally unwilling to comply with her actions, but before he could object,
Chu Qiao had sat down. The waiter ran towards her with zest, as she ordered two bowls of
scallion noodles, half a catty of beef, a saucer of peanuts, and a bottle of wine as
recommended by the waiter. The bottle of wine even had a fancy, cultured name: “The
Western Frost of the Sixth Month.”

Zhuge Yue looked at her with a queer expression as he questioned, “I thought you didn’t
drink wine?”

ff
ff
fl
ff
fl
fl
fi
fi
 The hand which Chu Qiao used to hold her chopsticks jerked slightly as she replied with a
calm smile, “I didn’t drink last time because I thought it would get in the way of matters.
Now that I’m an idle person, I don’t really care anymore.”

Zhuge Yue frowned as he reached out his hand to snatch her cup away. With a heavy tone,
he said, “Don’t drink anymore.”

Chu Qiao did not object any further as she shrugged. Softly, she chided, “Stop pretending
to be decent.”

The waiter swiftly came back with their food. As expected, the wine was nothing fancy—it
was just yellow wine that had been mixed with water. This was but a ploy to trick those
gullible foreigners. The food was ordinary, but the portions of the noodles were big. Despite
Chu Qiao’s hunger, she could only eat about half a bowl of noodles before she felt full.

As they stood up to leave, they saw a group of small child beggars salivating as they
coveted their leftovers, which included that half-eaten bowl of noodles. Zhuge Yue tossed a
tael of silver over to the shopkeeper as he remarked, “Give them a bowl of noodles each.”

The shopkeeper obliged joyfully. Chu Qiao stared at him suspiciously and remarked, “Are
you addicted to pretending to be benevolent?”

A small child, of about 12 to 13-years-old, seeing that they were generous and nice to talk
to, walked over to them and said to Zhuge Yue, “Old Master, please grant me some wine.”

Zhuge Yue looked at the child, intrigued. He turned around to hand the shopkeeper some
more money as he said, “Give him a jar of wine, without mixing any water. If he can’t nish
it, they have to pay for the meal themselves. You can beat him up before handing him over
to the authorities.”

The child broke out in a joyful grin as he proceeded to enjoy his meal.

Chu Qiao probed, “How can such a small kid down an entire jar of wine?”

“If he doesn’t try, he will never know what that is,” Zhuge Yue said and continued, “only
when he su ers once, will he remember this lesson.”

Chu Qiao was stunned as she slowed down, falling behind him. Zhuge Yue took a few steps
forward before he realized that Chu Qiao was not following behind him. Frowning, he called
after her, “Let’s go. What are you thinking about?”

Chu Qiao snapped out of her trance and walked over to catch up with him.

Only after su ering would one remember a lesson. Zhuge Yue, how many times have you
su ered then? Why have you still not learned your lesson? She thought to herself.

As she wandered in her thoughts, she suddenly felt an acute pain in her face. After which,
the sounds of recrackers begin to echo out right above Chu Qiao’s head. Chu Qiao was
shocked as she turned around, but she suddenly felt a large burst of strength pulling her
ff
ff
ff
fi
fi
 away. Zhuge Yue pulled her hand, causing her to fall back into his embrace. He took a few
steps back as he raised his eyebrows, illustrating the anger on his face.

“Are you alright? Are you injured?”

Chu Qiao looked up to see someone standing on the second oor of a restaurant. The
person had just released some recrackers without paying attention to whether anyone was
walking below. Besides herself, a few others had su ered due to his carelessness. At this
moment, quite a number of people cursed and swore on the ground below, but their insults
were drowned out by the recrackers.

Zhuge Yue pulled Chu Qiao’s hand which was covering her face away. Her face had turned
slightly red, with two spots noticeably redder.

“It’s nothing. It doesn’t hurt,” Chu Qiao replied. She was not used to his attentiveness as
she tried to push his hand away to no avail. His hand was warm to the touch; she could feel
its ruggedness and the calluses on it. “I’m really alright,” she said, a little embarrassed. “I’m
not dis gured either.”

“A woman’s face is very important. Why don’t you care?” Zhuge Yue chided emotionlessly
with good intentions. Chu Qiao did not hold it to heart, but it all changed when he added the
following sentence, “However, with your looks, it doesn’t matter whether you are dis gured
or not.”

Chu Qiao was stunned; he had reverted back to his old ways in less than three sentences.
She retorted, “You watch out.”

Zhuge Yue’s expression was de ant as he turned to walk towards that restaurant. Chu Qiao
was afraid that he would pick a ght with someone else over such a trivial matter. As she
worried about this, he turned back and walked towards her. She met him halfway and
asked, “Why are you going over there?”

“Remembering the restaurant’s name.”

Chu Qiao pouted. “You’re so resentful!”

Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows as he replied, “What are you thinking? I smelt the fragrance
of the wine there. I’m intending to dine there tomorrow.”

Chu Qiao felt slightly depressed. It was not like this before. Why was she at a disadvantage
whenever she talked to him now? She frowned and followed behind him, as the man carried
a proud look on his face which she had never seen before.

The night winds were cooling. The merchants at both sides of the road came up to them
occasionally to advertise their products. Some ower girls came up to Chu Qiao, ravishing
about her beauty, and asked Zhuge Yue to buy some owers for his wife. Zhuge Yue
accepted and welcomed the idea that the crowd misunderstood him, buying three ower
baskets and making Chu Qiao carry all of them while he walked in front in a relaxed manner.
Chu Qiao appeared like a maidservant as she followed behind, carrying all his stu . This
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
fl
fl
ff
fl
fi
captivated the attention of many passers-by; slowly, the ower girls no longer approached
them, having thought that her status was not as high up as they expected. Sounds of
discussion oated around Chu Qiao’s ears:

“Look at that handsome young master! Even his maidservant is so beautiful!”

Chu Qiao frowned, feeling a little depressed. Did she look like a maidservant? Over ten
years had passed. Why was she still his maidservant?

The winds by the side of the lake were strong. They walked along the shore of the lake,
which was quiet and deserted. Their footsteps slowed down; none of them opened their
mouths to speak, not wanting to break the rare moment of tranquility between them. From
last night up till now, neither of them spoke about how they had lived their lives the past two
years. Destiny had allowed their paths to cross at this place, far away from Xia, far away
from Yan Bei, far away from all the power struggles and scheming. Life was calm here. With
the beautiful sceneries and refreshing air, their moods had visibly lightened. Naturally, they
were not willing to discuss anything that would ruin the moment they were currently in.

The winds swayed across the surface of the lake. The soothing moonlight shone onto the
ground, making it appear like the time of dawn. Subconsciously, they had walked over to the
big elm tree again. Zhuge Yue stopped in his tracks as he looked up towards the tree which
towered above the ground. The memories of the past few years ashed across his mind
again. He had nally arrived back at this place.

Chu Qiao looked at the man standing upright. He was still handsome, but he no longer had
that cold look in his eyes. Instead, it had been replaced by a look of calmness and a
gentlemanly gaze. The look in his eyes was evident that he had experienced the vicissitudes
of life, evoking sad emotions in those who stared into his gaze. He had clung on to life
despite all that had happened. He had been despised and abandoned by his family and
country, but he had managed to get back to his feet in these two years. How could it be as
relaxed as a simple sentence which he had described his predicament—”I’m not dead yet”?

These days, she had slowly heard about what happened back then.

After she followed Li Ce back to Tang, Xia wrote seven letters to Tang, requesting that Li Ce
handed Chu Qiao over to them. Yan Xun mobilized troops towards Tang, engaging in a few
battles with them at the western borders. Thereafter, Wei Guang, the head of the Wei family,
intervened personally and led the newly-established Southwestern Army towards Tang, in
order to apply extra pressure on Li Ce. Although the entire world knew that Xia did not dare
to engage in full-on con ict with Tang at this time, some people within Tang were hugely
dissatis ed with Li Ce’s actions, even going as far as to barge into the palace to turn Chu
Qiao, which they considered to be a jinx, in.

Chapter 214
At that time, even if Li Ce could protect Chu Qiao, it would have been impossible for him to
protect the Xiuli Army unless he desired to completely fall out with the Xia empire. At that
time, the Qinghai King suddenly raised the ag of the Xia Empire. Sending out missionaries,
fi
fl
fi
fl

fl
fl
fl
 he had traveled over 4000 kilometers to defect to the Empire. It was only then that the world
nally knew that the famous King of Qinghai was actually the fourth Master who was
supposed to have died in Yan Bei two years ago.

The things that resulted were very natural. After returning to the royal capital, with his
immense military power and the support from the Zhuge Family, he was able to replace Wei
Guang as the head of the Grand Elder’s Council, and became the Grand Marshal of the Xia
Empire. With that, it was only natural that he was able to veto the military plans that were
made against the Tang Empire.

Chu Qiao refused to think about how much blood underlaid such political upheaval. After
dabbling in the road of politics, she knew very well how deep the water could be. Even if it
seemed to be calm on the surface, there would be countless undercurrents sweeping
beneath.

With countless lanterns oating on the lake, it seemed like a sea of golden lights. Lifting up
her head, Chu Qiao’s gaze was lled with a tinge of sadness. Looking at Zhuge Yue, she
quietly asked, “I heard that the Elm tree is divine, and the older the tree, the more strong its
divinity. As long as you give it your treasured belongings as a sacri ce, it will be able to
provide protection for your friends and family. I wonder if it is true.”

Zhuge Yue did not speak, and merely stood there silently.

“Do you believe?” Chu Qiao asked, quietly.

Zhuge Yue’s long eyes narrowed. He lightly answered, “No, I don’t.”

Chu Qiao looked on at him, gently smiling. It was impossible to tell if she was happy or sad
from his response. She slowly stretched out her hand, as her porcelain-like ngers opened
up with her eyes shining like the stars. Yet, her heart ached a little as she softly asked, “Do
you really not believe?”

Lowering his head, Zhuge Yue immediately saw the pair of jade ornaments that shimmered
in the light. Instantly, he was dumbfounded.

“Zhuge Yue, I thought that I no longer had the chance to see you.” Chu Qiao gently smiled,
yet it felt as though one could see a gleam of a teardrop in her eyes. With her lips trembling,
she continued, “I thought that I could never repay you in this life.”

In the intense darkness of the night, Zhuge Yue’s gure seemed ever so heavy, as though he
was giving an overwhelming aura that squeezed the breath out of Chu Qiao. With his jet
black eyes staring straight into hers, he did not speak, and merely gazed on, as though he
wanted to see through her. Suddenly, Zhuge Yue heaved a heavy sigh, before stretching out
his arms to hold her in an embrace, before calmly replying to her, “Who asked you to
repay?”

Just like that, Chu Qiao’s tears fell. Obediently, she cowered in his embrace, with a myriad
of emotions swirling around in her heart. Leaning on his chest, she could smell the familiar
scent from his body, as warmth lled her entire body. Silently, she closed her eyes, as the
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
night wind caressed their bodies. For the rst time in her life, she felt that the joyous
atmosphere was ever so close to her, as though she could feel the jubilance just by
breathing.

Lifting up her head, Chu Qiao tenderly smiled, “Zhuge Yue, it feels good to be alive.”

After hearing that, Zhuge Yue felt an ache in his heart. Yet, none other than him could
understand the meaning behind that phrase other than him. Gently lowering his head, he
kissed her forehead, and repeatedly muttered, “Indeed, it feels good to be alive.”

With the lanterns shining everywhere, the new year was imminent. In this new year,
everything seemed to be new. It was almost as though that the days they lived were stolen
from the heavens.

When alone, Chu Qiao would occasionally drift o , as she quietly looked at the sun rise in
the east and set in the west. With the darkness setting upon this land, again and again, the
new year arrived, and soon past. Time seeped out from between her ngers, like a river
water passing through her clasped hand. The initial excitement fated, as a new life begun.
Looking at the birds that were ying back from the North, she saw them dashing across the
sky, leaving behind a trail in the sky. She thought, “Perhaps they are going home.”

She moved into Zhuge Yue’s property in Xian Yang City. There were no reasons or excuses.
Zhuge Yue merely asked if she wanted to spend the new year with him. After thinking about
it, she agreed.

It was a rather mundane new year. There were no luxurious dancers, no melodic musicals,
no sumptuous feast, yet there was a rare peace, serenity that came from the bottom of
one’s heart.

In the past few days, she had been to a lot of places with Zhuge Yue. They had passed by
quiet alleyways, dilapidated mosques, and had eaten from roadside stores, shopped
together in the crowded carnival, and even played with recrackers on the day of the new
years.

In the cracking of the recrackers, it was as though time had turned back to two years ago,
as she stood in the crowded streets, facing the multitude of lights before her. A longing
sense of peaceful satisfaction lled her as she was surrounded by light. Standing before her,
he shielded her from the incoming tra c, although occasionally he would turn around to
chide her like a kid. With the beautiful reworks blooming above their heads, the re ected
lights illuminated his adorable face. Indeed, the reworks were beautiful.

Chu Qiao’s limited vocabulary could not nd any other words to describe the view she was
having. She seemed to be carried away by a gust from the battle eld into this surreal world.
She saw gentle sunlight caressing the civilians, warm water of the lake, happy crowds, and
Zhuge Yue, who had nally dropped his guard before her. This was a man who had been
angry with her countless times, someone whom she viewed as her arch nemesis for a long
time, yet he had helped her so many times she had lost count, and had even made a trip to
hell and back for her. Right now, he was standing before her, admonishing her for her lack of
common sense. Suddenly, she felt as though these moments were all stolen from the
fi
fi
fi
fl
ffi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fl
heavens. Every second suddenly seemed ever so precious. Even with all the luxuries of the
world, her eyes seemed to be lled with an obsession for only him alone.

Like a massive amount of seawater had nally escaped from within her heart after the ice
blockade melted, she felt such intense warmth that it was as though her frozen limbs were
being nourished. At the end of her despair, she found a beautiful ower that blossomed on
the rotting logs of the forests in her heart. Staring on the bank of the river of the afterlife, she
contemplated, “Perhaps, this would be considered a new life.” Even though she was looking
at that scenery, it felt as though despair was already mere memories of the distant past.

With the door half open, he stood in the courtyard, with his bluish purple clothes that were
full of embroideries of golden owers. The silvery moon shone on his body, ickering from
the clouds, it was almost dazzling. Looking at her, it seemed like he wanted to say
something, but he did not talk even after a long while.

The moonlight seemed rather faint. Yet, one could hear the sounds of the festivals from afar,
raising an auspicious cacophony. Even though she could not see the scene, Chu Qiao could
already feel the happiness of the civilians as they dance ecstatically.

After a long while that seemed like a mere instant, Zhuge Yue nally spoke, “Go and sleep.”

Chu Qiao nodded as she calmly smiled. “You too.”

As the door closed slowly, it blocked out the moonlight as well. The sea of moonlight turned
into a white belt, before turning into a strand of white hair, and eventually gave way to
darkness. Standing at the door, she held down on the door. She could tell that the person
outside the door had not left. The frigid wind howled, as the trees outside of the window
swayed, casting a ferocious shadow on the window. As the hourglass ticked away, nally,
there was a sound of footstep sounding resound. Very slowly, it faded into the distance.

The wind suddenly got stronger. So strong that even the door could no longer hold it back,
as the wind seeped through the crevices of the door bringing a bone-chilling coldness. Chu
Qiao leaned her head on the door, and closed her eyes in the darkness.

By the time Zhuge Yue returned to his residence, Yue Qi had just received a letter from
Xiaofei. This young servant who had already become a general was all smiles as he kept the
letter in his sleeves while greeting Zhuge Yue.

Yue Qi stood out at the door with an exceedingly good mood, and even as he saw Zhuge
Yue, he could not hide his joy.

“Xiaofei sent letters?”

“Yes,” Yue Qi said. “Hai’er is one month old already.”

After the years that they had fought together with each other, even though that nominally
they were master and servant, they were more like brothers already. Reminded of how
Xiaofei had just given birth to another son. Seeing Yue Qi beaming in joy, Zhuge Yue could
not help but to smile. “When we head back, I will prepare a gift for your son.”

fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
 Yue Qi smiled and replied, “Thank you, master.”

“How is Mo’er?”

“He is good.” Yue Qi crisply replied. Ouyang Mo who had been brought back by Zhuge Yue
was currently being brought up by Xiaofei. To this kid who had lost all of his family
members, perhaps this would be the best option.

“He has been learning acupuncture from Mister Bai. He seems to be extremely talented.”

“Master,” Fang Chu came in and informed, “letter from General Feng.” Ever since Yue Qi
was made a general, Fang Chu has become the bodyguard for Zhuge Yue. He was born in
Qinghai, and his ancestors were criminals who had been banished. After swearing loyalty to
Zhuge Yue, he had followed along to Xia Empire. Silent and untalkative, Fang Chu was a
determined person, and was de nitely not any normal person. Even Yue Qi had been
impressed by him.

The seal was untouched. Zhuge Yue opened the letter and read it, before passing it to Yue
Qi, before asking, “What do you think?”

“Zhao Yang will not so easily give up. Once the seventh highness returns to the country and
forms an alliance with Master, all of Zhao Yang’s e orts from the past two years will be
wasted. Even as Wei Guang is old, Wei Shuye is full of ambition. He must be guarded
against.”

Zhuge Yue nodded, as he replied, “This person is brilliant, and knows what to do at the right
time. Yet his judgment has been clouded as of late, and he still has such plans even at this
moment.”

“What should we do?”

“We would follow through with the original plan. Inform Xu Yang to be more careful. At this
moment, Wei Shuye cannot achieve much. We should be more worried about Yan Bei’s
movements.”

Yue Qi nodded. Zhuge Yue asked, “What about the issues about the transfer?”

“Master, rest easy. All of Chen Yue businesses are currently in emergency operations. Lord
Zhao Ming and Mister Liang have discreetly recruited large numbers of talents from all
elds. The Tang Emperor is particularly concerned by the matters we suggested, and had
personally sent Master Sun to assist us. In the rst place, the food production had been
great this year, and we no longer need to rely on the inner lands.”

Zhuge Yue nodded, and turned around and asked, “How was it back at home?”

The person overseeing matters in Qinghai now was Fang Guangqian, Fang Chu’s uncle, also
Zhuge Yue’s subordinate back in Qinghai. Fang Chu emotionlessly replied, “Uncle just sent
a letter yesterday informing that everything is well, and everyone is waiting for your return.”

fi
fi
fi
ff
 “Ok.” Zhuge Yue calmly nodded. “Inform everyone to hasten their pace. Once we have
settled the matters here, we will head over.”

Fang Chu nodded, and with his head lowered, he backed o . Seeing how Fang Chu had left
earshot, Yue Qi frowned, and asked, “Master, this subordinate does not understand.”

“I know what you are thinking about.” In the clear moonlight, the pristine moonlight gently
soaked into his clothes. With a tinge of mercilessness, the man’s eyes were narrow. He lost
the touch of the arrogance of his youth, and seemed calm like water in a well full of wisdom.

“You want to ask, when I was presented with this golden opportunity that the Empire is in
such a weakened state, with factions wrestling power with each other, along with such a
major enemy at its border, why had I not taken this chance to take over the family, and
following which, I replace the Zhao Family as the ruler?”

Yue Qi was stunned, and immediately knelt to the ground, yet he did not mince his words.
“This subordinate is insolent, but I really do think that way. The Xia Empire has not been kind
to us, and our family abandoned us the moment we seemed to become a burden. Master
had endured such hardships over the past two years. Why must we extend our helping hand
to them now? Even if we need to, we can just return to Qinghai. The Lady is here with us
anyways, and we do not need to worry about their advances. Qinghai is so big, and even if
the West Meng Continent is united under one rule, we may not necessarily be scared of
them.” After Yue Qi nished, yet he did not hear a response from Zhuge Yue for a long time.
He daringly lifted his head to look at Zhuge Yue, only to see Zhuge Yue staring into the sky,
with his originally handsome face shrouded by a thin veil of fatigue. Frowning, his
expression was lled with vicissitudes of the passing times.

Chapter 215
“Yue Qi, even if our family is in a disadvantageous position, they have provided for us since
we were young. However bad Xia is, it is the land we used to live on. Now that they are in
trouble, how could we spark another con ict in that already ravaged land?” Yue Qi was
completely stunned as Zhuge Yue continued to speak, “Furthermore, I am heavily indebted
to Zhao Che.”

Zhuge Yue turned to leave as he nished speaking, leaving Yue Qi standing there and
re ecting over what he had just said. He did not know what to feel. Subconsciously, he
knew that Master was right. However, as he thought about his ordeals over the past two
years, he felt a strong sense of indignity which he was unable to suppress. Was Master
really indi erent towards this matter?

Of course, it mattered to Zhuge Yue.

A short laugh sounded out in the pitch-dark room. How could he not care? How could he
not care about his childhood days, in which he had fought so hard to survive in rugged
conditions? How could he not care about the times where he had journeyed so far away,
only to be restrained? How could he not care about the time where he painstakingly broke
out of hell, only to be spat on, humiliated and despised?

fl
ff
fi
fi

fi
fl
ff
He could never forget, even if he died.

He was no longer willing to think about what he had just felt, and what emotions Yue Qi’s
words had managed to stir within him. His heart was made of steel. Having wandered about
all his life, what exactly had he wanted? To accumulate credit and be meritorious? To stand
out amongst the crowd? To become a saint of power, able to command the people below
him with just one word? That was a fatal temptation. To any man, it was like a drug which
they would never be able to wean their addiction for.

He was not welcomed warmly despite having managed to survive the impossible. His name
was universally hated; he had been abandoned by his family and country, becoming the
number one public enemy of Xia. He was not a saint. How could he not feel resentful?
Perhaps, what Chu Qiao said was true. He might have felt a sense of elation at the fact that
Xia was crumbling in the hands of Yan Bei. He was tempted to capitalize on the fact that the
political scene of Xia was unstable and chaotic, which would have allowed him the
opportunity to strike out with his troops and conquer the place. He would have been able to
terrorize the entire place and exact his revenge on the people who despised him. However,
as he was about to make that thought a reality, he backed out at the last moment.

The impoverished civilians on the plains of Qinghai were staring fervently at him. Those were
the people who had kindheartedly adopted him when he had nowhere else to go. They were
all waiting for him in the hope that their lives would change for the better, that no one would
succumb to the harsh conditions of wintertime.

Yes, he was unable to tell this to Yue Qi and his other subordinates who had loyally followed
him. He anticipated that they would look at him with their eyes widened and ask that all-
important question, “Master, are you really going to give up the chance to conquer West
Meng for the ordinary civilians of Qinghai?”

Yes, they were but the descendants of prisoners who had been exiled to that land. They
were but ordinary, uneducated people who did not know the meaning of life. In the past, he
would have thought the same way as his subordinates, choosing to ignore these people
with disdain. As a noble aristocrat himself, he was expected to aim high, instead of being
hesitant and cowardly. However, along the course of life, his way of thinking had been
altered. When he was looked down and shunned by the entire world, someone opened a
door of warmth and let him in. Even if that door was rundown, and that the hut was
dilapidated, he sat there and drank that mouthful of porridge, which he considered the
warmest mouthful of porridge that he had stomached his entire life.

At that moment, it nally dawned on him. He nally understood Chu Qiao, that young lady
who had always told him to wait and see with an unwavering determined look on her face.

He thanked the heavens profusely for this chance. If not for this, he would never have been
able to understand her. He would never have been able to understand the intricacies of
creating and defending one’s beliefs. To his surprise, he realized that that sense of
accomplishment did not actually lose out to the feeling he felt when he conquered or
destroyed.

fi
fi
 As for Xia, as for reciprocity, as for conquering West Meng… He closed his eyes and told
himself silently: I know what is most important.

Yes, he needed to continue ghting, to continue dealing with situations, to continue

defending and snatching, all based on his own abilities. He still needed to scheme against
his politically ambitious rivals, and to clash against enemies with di erent ideologies on the
battle eld. Ultimately, his ambitions did not lie in the land of Xia, but he was not willing to
see it decline in the hands of anyone else. Furthermore, he was driven to the point of no
return. When he led his troops out of Cuiwei Pass, when he assumed the position of the Xia
army’s Grand Marshal, when he stopped the war between Xia and Tang, the stage had been
set.

He thought of the time that year when he had been driven to desperation when he made a
pact with Zhao Che on the frosty lands of Donghu. Then, his eyes evoked a cold sharpness.

Suddenly, a calm pair of eyes looked at him from over the darkness. That gaze was gentle,
but its sorrow was evidently visible. He closed his eyes quietly as his ngers brushed
against the walls of his white cup. He smiled bitterly and coldly, like icy snow.

This was only the beginning of the end. They had always been like this, bumping into each
other and being separated at inopportune times. Destiny bestowed upon them a dark path
full of obstacles, as they stumbled and got back to their feet repeatedly.

The house was pitch-dark; a ray of moonlight shone into the room via the window and onto
his body. Ultimately, he was still a young man in his twenties. Although he had been through
so many setbacks and hardships, he still had the occasional dream where he returned
victorious as a hero who had accumulated countless merits. He presented whatever he had
to his beloved as he proclaimed proudly, “Here, it’s all for you!”

Alas, it was all but a dream.

He leaned back on his chair as the corners of his lips rose, his smile as gentle as a big
child’s.

The weather after the snowstorm was usually the coldest and most intolerable. The winds
swept across the blades of grass, revealing the crimson red ground. The skies were
overcast as the winds scattered the snow akes into the air, causing them to rest on the
surface of Shuofang Palace, which had just been constructed. The war at the eastern region
had entered a temporary state of cease re, while the Quanrong people at the northern
region had been defeated. The warriors retreated back into the pass as they prepared to
celebrate the new year, which was a rare occasion for them.

As dusk broke, the shophouses by the two sides of Wuxuan Street closed for the new year.
Thin grains of yellow sand were strewn across the street to prevent the horses pulling the
carriages from slipping. From afar, the street glowed a shiny, bright yellow, like a land full of
treasures. Tall, golden curtains lined the sides of the road, as the civilians retreated into their
homes. O cials knelt by both sides of the road as various guards of honor advanced
forward, their formations neat and synchronized. In no time, the street was packed with
carriages, as amboyant clothes were visible everywhere.

fi
ffi
fl
fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
This day was the day where Yan Bei conducted its annual winter hunt. The elderly with good
memory reminisced about the last winter hunt, which had occurred 12 years ago. The
traditional hunting ground was situated at the Western Wall which stood atop the Central
Hills, near the heart of Luori Mountains. Its back was faced towards the southern peak of
Huihui Mountains. It was a vast, snowy ground which had been colored with a tinge of red.
It was unknown as to whether this was a natural phenomenon, or that human blood had
been responsible for this sight.

Yan Xun sat on the tall throne with a heavy cloak draped over his shoulders. Many people
stood in front of him. From afar, the human crowd looked like two black wings. The o cials
knelt in front of their ruler, their hearts in tenterhooks. Their knees ached due to the cold, but
they did not dare to look up with the exception of AhJing, who could not make out Yan
Xun’s face clearly.

“General Zhuang.” A cold voice boomed out from above. A man in his fties trembled in fear
as the muscles on his face twitched. He stood up slowly and made his way to the center,
kneeling down. With a respectful voice, he replied, “What can I do for Your Majesty?”

“Nothing much. I wanted to share something fun with you, which I acquired recently.” Yan
Xun’s voice carried a tinge of joyfulness, like a playful child anticipating the results of his
prank.

General Zhuang knelt on the ground and frowned as his ngertips turned white, but he
lowered his head and replied emotionlessly, “Thank you for thinking of me, Your Majesty.”

Yan Xun smiled, his eyes carrying a tinge of playfulness. He waved his hand lazily and
remarked, “Bring it over here.” A series of rumbling sounds started to break out as a horse
carriage entered the scene. A thick piece of black cloth was draped over it; the sounds
inside resembled that of indistinct chatter. Everyone turned around and looked at the
carriage, intrigued. A su ocating silence blanketed the atmosphere.

Smack! Everyone was shocked as Yan Xun sat on his throne, using his whip to strike against
his golden seat.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

No one dared to speak a word. An imperial bodyguard in his thirties walked over to the rst
carriage and reached out his hand to remove the cloth that was covering the carriage.

Gasping sounds started to emanate from the audience, as every single one of them looked
shocked. Despite that, no one dared to question anything.

The horse carriage was lled with a group of pretty young ladies who were about 16 or 17-
years-old. Due to the cold weather, they huddled together, their faces pale. They were also
bound by their hands and feet.

General Zhuang took one look at the sight in front of him and was stunned. In the cold
weather, beads of sweat trickled down his forehead.

ff
fi
fi
fi
ffi
fi
 Yan Xun’s laughter echoed out from behind him. With a tone that assumed the normalcy of
things around him, he commented, “General Zhuang, you are one of the pillars of Yan Bei.
You have done quite a few favors for me over these years. You have the honor of ring the
rst arrow today.”

As the cage inside the horse carriage was opened, some soldiers walked up in a boorish
manner and assaulted the girls, coercing them to get down from the horse carriage. They
were all barefooted; their feet turned intensely red as it made contact with the ground.

“Run! Faster!” the soldiers brandished their whips and lashed out at the ladies, in icting
bloody wounds on their bare backs, following which cries of agony started to ll the air.

They had been untied. They started to stumble clumsily as they made some resemblance of
an attempt to escape, while covering the wounds on their bodies.

As an imperial bodyguard handed over a bow and arrow to General Zhuang, Yan Xun stood
behind him and coaxed, “General Zhuang, hurry up.”

General Zhuang’s face turned pale as the color drained away from his lips. He adopted a
ring posture as he slanted his crossbow to the side, his ngers trembling uncontrollably.

As the young ladies ran across the snowy ground, light re ected onto their bodies. They
seemingly sensed the impending danger that was about to befall them, turning their heads
behind in a panicked state. As they saw General Zhuang holding his crossbow, they were all
stunned as they stood rooted to the spot.

Swoosh! A sharp arrow ew out, but it was devoid of strength. It followed along a short
trajectory in the air, before landing on the ground meekly.

“General Zhuang, this is unlike you,” Yan Xun uttered slowly as he raised his eyebrows,
looking at General Zhuang coldly with the intention of seeing through his inner self.

General Zhuang stood at his original position. He wanted to speak out, but was unable to.
As his body quivered non-stop, some o cials below him started to discuss amongst
themselves, “I heard a group of palace maids tried to assassinate Your Majesty a few days
ago. Are these the ones?”

“Cheng Yuan, since General Zhuang is getting on in years, you have the honor.”

“Thank you for your love, Your Majesty.” A general dressed in a green robe walked up and
decisively assumed a ring posture. Swoosh! Another arrow, like a homing missile,
embedded itself into the back of a young lady who had run the furthest distance. A short
yelp echoed out from across the vast plains as she spat out a mouthful of blood onto the
ground below. As the blood splattered out, it was a blinding sight.

Upon seeing what had happened, the other ladies panicked. One of them, who had sat on
the ground and cried all along, broke down as she crawled pathetically towards the throne,
pleading, “Sir, save me! Save me! Mister Zhuang, I am… Ah!”

fi
fi
fi
fl
ffi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
 An ear-piercing scream reverberated across the plains. Another young lady not far out
suddenly pounced on her, grabbed her by the neck and snapped it with one swift and
decisive motion.

Chapter 216
“So what if we were to die? How could we plead to the enemy? You useless trash!” The
young girl stood upright, and despite her pale complexion, her eyes were crystal clear.
Coldly looking on at Yan Xun, she was stark naked, yet she did not show any fear as she
continued on with a frigid gaze, “We are believers of Da Tong. To have betrayed Da Tong,
you despicable man will die a horrible death!” With that said, she slammed her head on the
stone steps. With that, her body halted all motion.

That was so sudden that none were able to react. Seeing how she had committed suicide,
the soldiers rushed up. Stretched out his hand to her nose, one of the soldiers reported,
“Your majesty, this girl is still alive.”

Yan Xun acknowledged him, but he did not say what to do with that girl. For some reason,
the gaze that girl gave him was all too familiar. Many memories ooded his mind. Frowning,
he observed the bloodied eld and suddenly lost his interest. With the swing of his hand, his
bodyguards swarmed up. At that moment, one could only hear the screaming, but the
sounds soon died down along with those girls.

“We will continue the hunt for more Da Tong associates. Bring these bodies to feed the
dogs,” Yan Xun calmly instructed. The bodyguard was slightly taken aback, before he
clari ed, “What about the one who is still alive?”

Alive? Yan Xun’s eyes gleamed. That scene ashed before his eyes. The stubborn eyes of
that girl ashed past his memory, as though still looking at him from somewhere, sending his
chills.

“Your Majesty?” Cheng Yuan lightly called out.

Yan Xun lifted his head, only to see that the entire crowd was looking at him, awaiting his
orders. He could not help but frown, and coldly declared, “Drag her along.” With that said,
he seemed disinterested and was about to leave.

“Stop!” General Zhuang bellowed. Striding over, he knelt beside the young girl who had
slammed herself onto the stone stairs. He broke down and cried, “Oh, daughter! This father
has caused you such misfortune!”

Back facing him, Yan Xun revealed a tinge of a cold smile. His bodyguards rushed over and
held down General Zhuang, with the remaining people dragging the girls o towards the dog
houses. In the pristine snow, a trail of crimson could be seen.

“Yan Xun! You heartless dog! Even if I became a ghost, I would not let you go! You will die a
horrible death!” A heartrending shriek sounded from behind. Hearing that, the bodyguards
swiftly kicked General Zhuang’s mouth, sending his teeth ying.

fi
fl

fi
fl
fl
fl
ff
 Yan Xun was completely undisturbed, as he continued to walk. Behind him, there were
countless o cials who were trembling in fear. Yan Xun carefreely broke into a cold smile that
seemed to be colder than absolute zero. If even living was such pain that he would rather
die, why would he even bother about how horribly he would die?

As the winds bellowed onto his coat, his coat opened up like a pair of heavy wings. With a
whoosh, it spread out like a humongous bird, shocking even the eagles which had own
past.

The lands of Yan Bei were still mostly barren, and this winter seemed to be particularly long.
The weather turned cold again, as freezing winds swept past the lands, bringing about the
clanking of the armor of the messengers. Along the Jinzi Gate, the sounds traveled deep
into the Shuofang Palace. In the empty Shuiyao Palace, there was only silence. With the
pillars standing still, and the veils slightly swaying in the wind, the candle lights ickered in
the wind, with some already burnt out, yet none dared to step up to relight them.

A man sat in the shadow, with one hand holding his forehead as though he had already
fallen asleep. He looked so lonely, even as his well de ned featured looked ever so
handsome. Yet, under the light, one could see that in his sideburns, there were already
strands of white hair. With the backlight, one could catch an occasional ash of silver.

The gigantic kitchen table that was comparable to a normal civilian’s bedroom was
decorated with a sumptuous feast. There was a braised wild duck with scallion, anchovies
n soup, diced wild rabbit, stir-fried frog, sautéed sliced pigeon with coriander, and a
multitude of other dishes. Yet, this entire table lled with so many sumptuous dishes was
completely untouched, and even oil in the the warm soup seemed to start to solidifying and
formed a thin layer, with only coldness left.

Two dancers who were wearing peach-colored silk clothes and silver bells tied to their
hands and wrists had been kneeling on the ground for over six hours. Even with the
outstanding beauty of their blue eyes and white skin, they dared not lift up their heads,
merely trembling.

This day was the new year celebration. Unlike the bustling of the Xia Palace, Shuofang
Palace was immersed in a deadly silence. The dishes that the chefs spent all their heart
cooking were left alone, with only the night breeze occasionally bringing away a waft of the
smell of the delicacies.

When AhJing entered, his footsteps were a tad heavy, and woke the sleeping man. With a
light ick of his eyebrow, Yan Xun gradually opened his eyes. Illuminated by the ickering of
the light, his face seemed rather pale.

“Your Majesty,” AhJing knelt on the ground, and quietly declared, “Lord Feng sent a letter.”

Yan Xun seemed to have been drinking. The cup tipped over, spilling its content over his
clothes, with the aroma of the alcohol quickly di using through the air. He took the letter and
calmly read it. His brows were slightly furrowed as always, with his eyes completely calm.

fi
fl
ffi
fi
ff
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
Before Yan Xun, there was an extra chair with an extra set of utensils prepared. AhJing knew
who he was waiting for, yet that person might never come back.

As the hourglass started to drain out, Yan Xun gradually lifted his head. It was merely a
dozen words, yet it took forever for Yan Xun to read nish. It was as though Yan Xun was
trying to forever engrave those words into his heart. After a long while, he placed the latter
on the table, and used the wine bottle to hold it down. He then picked up the silver
chopsticks, and slowly started to eat.

“Your Majesty,” AhJing frowned, before suggesting, “the food is already cold. Should this
subordinate request them to cook more?”

Yan Xun did not speak, but merely waved his hand indicating for AhJing to step back.
AhJing continued to anxiously caution Yan Xun, “Your Majesty, you have been feeling unwell
recently. The doctors said that we should avoid eating such cold food.”

Yan Xun completely ignored him, as he continued to eat, carefully savoring every single bite.
The dancers who were kneeling on the ground quickly stood up. Numb from kneeling on the
ground for so long, she almost fell down, yet she still hurriedly started to pass the dishes
that were out of reach to Yan Xun. The candle ames dripped down one by one, like a
dripping blood. The wind bells gave out crisp sounds from outside, melodic and serene.

He merely sat there and quietly ate. What was rare was that he had been able to eat all the
food that the dancers had passed over to him. With the candlelight shining on him, a long
shadow was cast on the obsidian oor. AhJing felt a sense of sadness, as he suddenly
recalled how Chu Qiao’s rst meal after waking up

was eaten in an equally peaceful and calm manner, so slowly as well. It was as though
every movement was lled with pain.

AhJing’s eyes started to tear up. He did not understand. How could they be able to
withstand such tough days, along with such sadness and pain, yet when they had already
reached their goal, they fall out? How could they reach the state they are today? Yet he did
not dare to ask, as he merely stood there like an idiot.

“Cough cough… The man sitting before the feast started to cough. At rst ,it was a rather
light cough, but it grew louder, and echoed in the vacant palace, lled with fatigue.

he dancer was shocked sti as she quickly whipped out her handkerchief and passed it
over to Yan Xun. The other dancer started to pour a cup of wine for him with her hand
trembling.

After receiving the handkerchief, Yan Xun covered his mouth, and arched over like a lobster.

ne of the dancers shrieked out in fear. Yan Xun turned over his head and looked at her with
an exceedingly cold gaze. She immediately froze in her tracks, and lowered her head,
unable to look up at him any longer.

“Your Majesty, have you caught a cold? This subordinate will call a doctor now.”

fi
fi
ff
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
“That would be unnecessary.” Yan Xun’s voice was lled with a tinge of fatigue, yet he acted
in his usual manner, cold and not wasting a single word.

Pour the wine., Hh calmly ordered.

The dancerr,who was slightly further away from him ,cautiously lifted her head, and even
though even her voice was trembling, she gathered her courage to talk back, “Your Majesty,
you are not feeling well….Please do not drink.”

Yan Xun slightly tilted his head, and in his eyes ,one could see the frozen world within him.

he other dancer stared at her in fear of being also faulted by Yan Xun.

ven though all eyes were on her, she still courageously continued, “Your Majesty, drinking is
bad for your health.”

ausing, she continued, “Not only is drinking bad for health, it woillalso create problems. Only
incompetent people wrink to avoid their problems.”

A crisp sound rang out in Yan Xun’s head. Slightly taken aback, Yan Xun’s thoughts sped up,
and ttraveledback in time. After a slight deliberation, Yan Xun ultimately nodded, and
ordered, “Alright, go and make some tea for me.”

That dancer was 16 to 17 years old, and happily, she nodded. With her white waist revealed
in her clothing, she seemed like a smooth and exible little sh as she cantered o to make
some tea.

The palace sank into silence yet again. Yan Xun turned to AhJing and calmly said, “You may
leave.”

AhJing hesitated out of worry, as he lightly asked again, “Your Majesty, do you really not
need the doctor?”

“There is no need.” Yan Xun calmly shook his head, completely calm as though nothing had
happened.

AhJing’s eyes swept past the letter that was addressed for Yan Xun, and a few words
jumped into his eyes. He was slightly shocked, and quickly bowed, before lightly greeting
Yan Xun, “Your Majesty, rest early.”

Without any further reply, AhJing turned around and walked o in the empty palace. There
were swaying of the silk veils hanging in the palace, with carvings of a colorful bird on the
pillars. On the bird there were two women, one was dressed in a feminine silk gown, with
her stomach bulging, clearly being pregnant, and the other one was wn a battle dress
holding a battle axe. Those were the twin goddess of Yan Bei.

“Your Majesty, drink some tea. Kya!” The shriek of the dancer suddenly resounded. It
sounded as though she was about to cry, as she continued, “This servant deserves to die. I
wet the letter!”

fl
fi
fi
ff
ff
“It is nothing.” A deep voice replied hto er, with further instructions, “Throw it away.”

….

Moved into Zhuge Yue’s residence in Xian Yang…. an no longer carry out surveillance,
hadvebeen discovered…. AhJing thought about those words that he had coincidentally
saw,as a bitter feeling seemed to come from the direction of Xian Yang, dominating the
Shuofang Palace in Yan Bei.

As the heavy palace doors were opened by the servants, he stepped out. In the quietness of
the dark night, the civilians had lost all their interest to celebrate the occasion. War,
excessive taxes, forced labour, death, blood. All these loomed over the entire highlands.
Mister Wu had died. General Xiuli had ran away. That only made this iron sted rule seem
even more cold. The fear of death had numbed the people’s senses, as they could only live
on carefully after abandoning their previous hopes and dreams.

Only after walking past ninegates was AhJing nally able to retrieve his sword.

Before the gates, there was a scene of gore. A few bodies were casually placed at the
corner of the palace. The corpses were lled with stabs of the spear, and had been stabbed
into mush.

The servants were currently loading a few bodies onto a small cart, as they rushed the
driver, “Quickly, bring them away. By the time the sky is bright, the o cials will come.”

“What had happened?” AhJing asked.

“They are the remnants of Da Tong.” One soldier who had originally been trained in Da Tong
did not have any reservations in speaking so bluntly, as he continued to elaborate, “This was
the second wave today. After Master Zhuang had died, they became even more crazy. They
dare to even attack us so openly.”

AhJing gradually frowned. He was pretty con dent that they were not crazy, and this was
probably more of a suicide in despair. The main leader of Da Tong had all been killed by His
Majesty. Such a long lasting organization that could not be wiped out for so many years had
fallen to their ally.

“Be careful. Stay on guard.”

“Do not worry, General.”

One of the guards smiled and said, “We were trained by Master Chu herself. As long as we
guard this gates, we will not even let a mosquito in.”

Chapter 217
As he spoke, the man realized that he had uttered the wrong words. How could Chu Qiao
still be addressed as General, given that she had betrayed Yan Bei?

fi
fi
fi
ffi
fi
 “General, I… I…” AhJing did not say another word as he turned to leave. The moonlight
shone on his body, appearing as a pale shade of white.

Yan Bei missed her presence; it was not just that man alone. Fate was often so irreversible,
just like an arrow which had been shot out from a crossbow.

AhJing shook his head slightly as he draped his heavy cloak over his shoulder for some
warmth.

Hongye was woken up by the sounds of rain at dusk. She sat on the mat in the big lonely
palace, as her greenish-blue robe was slightly tainted with sweat. As the cold wind blew
towards her, chills traveled up her spine through the cold beads of sweat, causing some
goosebumps to appear on her skin. She rubbed her skin gently, only to discover that her
ngertips were colder.

On the other side of the mat, a clear, white letterhead lay there quietly. It had been slightly
damaged, showing that it had been used many times. The look in her eyes was cold as the
rain droplets fell to the ground, drop by drop. The chimes by the window started to resonate
with a clear, pristine sound as the palace curtains swayed slightly and elegantly like a
dancer swaying her waist.

The contents of the letter read:

“The situation is critical. Brother, you have three options. Firstly, you can eliminate the Nalan
family and its young emperor, then imprison the eldest princess and kill the King of Pujiang.
This way, you can assume full control of the political power in Song. Secondly, you can
marry the eldest princess and give yourself the title of ‘King of Shezheng’. This way, you can
deal with the King of Pujiang, abandon the provinces along the eastern regions, and
preserve the land by the capital. Thirdly, you can ask Xia for a union through marriage, but
you cannot a ord to rile up the royals of Xia, in case they are ousted and replaced. This
person needs to have considerable military power, needs to be of an appropriate age, needs
to be one of the noble aristocrats there with considerable backing and power. Most
importantly, this person needs to be ambitious enough politically to covet after the Xia
Empire. Once the wedding invitations are sent out, the King of Pujiang would not dare to
dispatch troops towards the capital. Once spring is over, when Jiang Yong sends his army
over to the eastern regions, the crisis will be averted.”

There was no need to study the letter further under the lights; everything had been
internalized. Hongye leaned by the side of her bed quietly, a deep look in her eyes. There
was actually another way, which was for Yan Bei and Song to form a union through
marriage. Not only would the crisis regarding the King of Pujiang’s rebellion be averted, Yan
Bei’s forces would be further strengthened. They would be able to sandwich Xia from the
east and the west, reinforcing each other. However, he was naturally reluctant to do so. He
had never thought about this before.

A man of appropriate age with considerable military power, born in the noble families of Xia
and power-hungry. How many people like this existed in this world?

Hongye raised the corners of her lips, revealing a bleak smile.

fi
ff
 Brother, you will not be able to let go after all.

Presently, Xia and Yan Bei were engaged in battle. The ethnic minorities causing
disturbances in the northeast. Within the country, there was an internal power struggle;
evidently, the royal family was on the verge of being destabilized. Song and Xia had not
been in con ict for many years; their diplomatic ties were stronger than that as compared to
Song and Tang. Furthermore, Song was an important trading hub which was prosperous.
Xia would not give up the chance to form a union with Song at this time. However, this man
that held military power, who was also the Chief Marshal of the Xia army, was the King of
Qinghai. He had the backing of his powerful family too. How would he be so easily
manipulated by others?

After the two major con icts at Yan Bei, who wouldn’t know of Zhuge Yue’s devotion
towards the General of Xiuli? Perhaps, in the eyes of an ordinary person, a dilemma
between power and love beckoned for him. Which side would Zhuge Yue choose, when
faced with this decision? However, she knew that this union by marriage was destined to
fail, not because she knew Zhuge Yue well, but because she knew Yan Xun too well instead.

How would you sit back and watch your love rival form an alliance with Song, becoming the
King of Shezheng? By making this suggestion, you would have been sure that this person
was not easy to deal with.

By doing this, the con ict of Song would be temporarily averted. Zhuge Yue would be
alienated from the political scene of Xia as well, having o ended the o cials of both Xia and
Song. Furthermore, if he dared to reject the o er of marriage, the Zhuge family’s economic
in uence in Song would be shot down by the royal family of Song. This way, Zhuge Yue’s
position in his family would be a ected. Even if he was the absolute gure of power in Xia,
he would be heavily implicated.

The resulting con ict between Qinghai and Xia would be the perfect opportunity for Yan Bei
to strike, in icting heavy damage on both armies.

She had thought of the various scenarios way beforehand, but did not verbalize her
response for a long time.

Yan Xun was indeed formidable. His words were su cient enough to brew up a torrential
downpour in Xia. However, he did not expect one thing – his brother, Xuan Mo, was actually
the eldest princess of Song, Nalan Hongye.

In the darkness, she squinted her eyes as she anticipated the storms ahead. All of her
emotions and notions surfaced in her mind. He did not know that Xuan Mo was actually
Hongye. She thought to herself repeatedly: If he knew, he de nitely would not use me as a
pawn for his ploy.

However, there was an underlying sense of bitterness and sorrow that she felt. After all, he
was requesting that she marry another person.

Brother, you are a master schemer. We’ve known each other for 12 years, yet you are so
careless. Xuan Mo is not actually Xuan Mo. Have you not realized this yet?

fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
ff
ff
ffi
ff
fi
fi
ffi
 She gathered some strength at her ngertips to hold the white letterhead tightly. With a low
voice, she muttered to herself, “Brother, since you have this intention, what’s wrong with me
lending you a helping hand?”

Zhen Huang City then swiftly descended into chaos. Beneath the pot of boiling water, one
could no longer make out what was bubbling within.

After the declaration of marriage was made by Song, a big hooha erupted within the royal
capital. It was not the rst time in history that a princess married another man beneath her
status. However, it was only due to the fact that there was no prince of an appropriate age.
Presently, there were many princes who were of eligible age, including Zhao Che and Zhao
Yang, especially Zhao Yang, whose position was stable. With power in his hands, he was
evidently the leading choice for Xia.

Song’s power was less stable as compared to the past as well. As Nalan Heqing was still
young, Nalan Hongye had assumed power of the state for many years. Although she was a
princess by name, she was technically the female emperor of Song. Her partner would not
just be an ordinary partner—he was likely to be Song’s King of Shezheng. Under these
circumstances, it was not advisable for them to merge the power of their royal family with
another empire’s. However, they were internally shaky, and needed an external source of
power to take control of Shezheng to stabilize the situation. With this perspective,
everything would seem more reasonable. However, when the envoy of Song read out Zhuge
Yue’s name on the court of Xia, the whole political scene was shaken once again.

Two years ago, news of Zhuge Yue’s death spread back to Xia. As the Xia troops at Yanming
Pass had also su ered a heavy defeat, his reputation was utterly ruined. No one expected
him to mastermind such a resurgence in Qinghai two years later, leading his troops back to
his past country of residence with glory, much less become the most powerful man in the
court of Xia. Even Zhao Yang had to respect him. Presently, the princess of Song had
o ered her hand to him. Once Zhuge Yue had married her, with the land of Xia in their
hands, along with the military forces of Qinghai and the backing of Song, his family’s
in uence would jump up another notch. Zhuge Yue would undisputedly become the most
powerful o cial in Xia. Despite these potentially terrifying consequences, the Zhao family
was unable to resist this risky opportunity.

Putting their current economic situation and the con ict at the northwest aside, it was
evident that there were some unknown relations between Yan Bei, Song and Tang, based on
the previous wars in the north. Presently, with the departure of the General of Xiuli, Chu
Qiao, from Yan Bei, their relations with Tang had broken down. What about Song? If Xia
declared war on Yan Bei, what attitude would Song adopt towards this situation?
Furthermore, if the eldest princess of Song married Zhuge Yue, would the situation be
reversed?

Despite so many uncertainties ahead, Xia had no choice but to embroil themselves in this
situation. After all, their worries were nothing compared to the con ict at the northwest. In a
month’s time, when the ice had melted, the troops of Yan Bei would knock on the doors of
their pass again.

ff
fl
ffi
ff
fi
fi
fl
fl
That afternoon, three messengers carrying the emperor’s imperial edict, secret letter
exchanges between families, as well as private intelligence from Zhuge Yue’s men
respectively departed Zhen Huang for Nuanshui Ridge.

Zhao Yang sat in the big hall as he sipped his tea. The sunlight shone into the hall from
outside and onto his handsome face. The 16th prince, Zhao Xiang, sat beside him, as he
entertained a talking parrot. The parrot bobbed up and down, pecking at the paddy grains
on Zhao Xiang’s palm while it uttered many words of gibberish. This angered Zhao Xiang, as
he swore at the parrot periodically.

“16th Brother, what are your views towards this matter?” Zhao Yang opened his mouth and
asked. The interior of the big hall was warm; a thick carpet was laid out on the ground.
Fragrant spices were placed in the incense pot. Without turning his head back, Zhao Xiang
replied lazily, “Which matter?”

“The one regarding the marriage of Song’s princess.”

Zhao Xiang’s attention was captivated as he turned his head around, replying in anger, “That
Zhuge fellow is so lucky. Having died once, he brought back a loyal army of hundreds of
thousands. Now, he seems to have struck the jackpot again. It’s so infuriating.”

Zhao Yang probed emotionlessly, “Is it really because he’s lucky?”

Zhao Xiang did not understand the intention behind his elder brother’s words. With a low
voice, he replied, “By deduction, the princess of Song should have chosen you, 14th
Brother, to be her husband. If it’s not you, 7th Brother should have been chosen. Why would
Zhuge Yue be in the picture? I heard that the people of Qinghai addressed him as their ruler.
In my opinion, he will be Song’s King of Shezheng in no time. The future emperors of Song
will change their surnames to Zhuge as well. 14th Brother, do you think that Xia has uni ed
Song?”

Zhao Yang chuckled as he remarked, “What a way to do so. I think that the Zhuge family will
be a bigger problem in future as compared to the Nalan family.”

Zhao Xiang thought for a while before saying, “However, although Zhuge Yue is eccentric,
his character is not evil. He is loyal and loves his country.”

“Loyal and loves his country?” Zhao Yang looked at Zhao Xiang from the side of his eyes as
he mused in a heavy tone, “You really think of him this way?”

“I was in the same class as him for a while back in Shang Wu Hall. He is determined in his
thoughts, unlike the other noble aristocrats. He is also rational. I think that he is t to assist
in the coronation of the next emperor.”

“Fit to assist?” Zhao Yang shook his head in disbelief as he continued, “How is he one to
submit to another? Even if he loves his country, he won’t be loyal to you or me.”

Zhao Xiang looked at Zhao Yang, perplexed.

fi
fi
 Zhao Yang did not o er further explanations, choosing to ramble on, “Things are not as
simple as it seems. There is de nitely some powerful gure pulling the strings behind the
scenes. However…” He suddenly laughed coldly as he continued, “Everyone thinks that this
opportunity was presented to him on a silver plate, but Zhuge Yue does not think so. Finally,
someone is exposing his true colors. I want to see how this King of Qinghai reacts to this
situation.”

This was the calm before the impending storm—a heavy one to say the least.

That night, Zhuge Yue slept late. As the sky turned bright, he leaned on the side of his bed,
fatigued, as his thoughts wandered far away. He was seemingly back in his nightmare,
reliving memories that had been forgotten. He saw countless shadows circling around him,
as he felt his entire body turning frozen solid. A greenish hand grabbed him and pushed him
forward along with the currents. Crimson red blood oozed out, dispersing across the icy
water.

Yue Jiu’s eyes were bloodshot as he exerted all his strength to pull him forward. The sun
shone through the cracks on the icy surface of the lake, as faint glimmers of light appeared
under the water. He heard the sounds of human dialogue on the water surface. It was loud
and clear, as it traveled across the water and into his eardrums.

“Long live the Emperor!”

He knew what was going on. The people of Yan Bei thought that he had died. Those chants
were made by the warriors of Yan Bei, who were paying respects to their ruler.

Those chants slowly increased in volume. Other than that sound, he was no longer able to
hear anything else. He had been utterly defeated by his opponent. Since young, he had
never lost in this manner. However, now that he had lost, he would be paying the price of
defeat with his life.

Chapter 218
The voice seemed to fade into the distance as his body had long lost all temperature. It was
as though all his blood had been drained as well, as his limbs were completely sapped of
energy. Suddenly, a boom resounded. Lifting his head up, he saw that Yue Jiu was using all
his strength to tackle the ice layer above with his head.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The sounds were like thunder, assaulting Zhuge Yue’s heart. The blood
owed down from the young guard, quickly di using into the water around.

Right now, Yue Jiu’s face was paler than snow, with not a tinge of color left in his lips. He
was like a ghost that had just crawled out from the grave. With his remaining strength, Yue
Jiu continued to swim. Even as his limbs started to go numb, he continued to repeat that
motion. Once, twice, again… Suddenly, it was like a ray of light suddenly pierced through
the clouds above into Zhuge Yue’s heart. This man before him was his subordinate, and had
followed him since he was four. All along, Zhuge Yue thought that it was only natural that
they follow him. Yet, at this very moment, he was suddenly reminded of words that a certain
fl
ff

fi
ff
fi
girl had told him. In her cold beauty, she rmly declared without skipping a beat, “No one
was born a slave.”

No one was born a slave…

With another boom, another spurt of blood splashed in the water. Even in the frigid water, he
could feel the boiling blood. His body was suddenly lled with energy again as he swam up.
Pushing aside Yue Jiu’s bloodied body, he started to dig at the ice layer with Chu Qiao’s
dagger.

“I must not die!” he told himself. “I must not die yet! I still have lots of wishes that I want to
accomplish.” Even as his lungs felt as though they were about to explode from the lack of
oxygen, and even as his body was frozen sti , along with his wounds stinging with pain, he
continued to ght to survival like a robot.

I cannot die! I cannot die! I cannot die!

Boom! The ice layer broke, as he oated up. The sunlight pierced his eyes, as the fresh air
welcomed him. Breathing in big gasps, he desperately lled his lungs with air.

“Yue Jiu! We are safe!” he shouted. Staring around, he could not nd Yue Jiu’s gure any
longer. Diving back down, he nally found Yue Jiu’s body in the depths of the lake. The
young swordsman was covered in wounds, with his face completely pale. Eyes staring wide
open, his hair was in a mess lled with bloodstains.

With all his strength, Zhuge Yue pulled Yue Jiu up, and forcefully performed chest
compression on this servant, and rubbed on Yue Jiu’s hand and face hoping to warm him
up. Loudly, Zhuge Yue shouted, “Wake up! I order you! Wake up!” In all his life, Zhuge Yue
had never cried so hard. On that day, he cried for a slave. In the vast plains, he cried like a
wolf howling to the moon.

Three days later, he found Yue Qi who had fortunately escaped death. This servant had
gathered the remnants of the Yue Guards and had searched for Zhuge Yue for three full
days. There were over twenty guards who had frozen to death because they had repeatedly
dived into the frigid water to look for him. After which, they had brought him to the Wolong
Mountain. Only after half a year later did he make a full recovery, yet he was faced with a
broken future. On that fateful day, he stared at the intel that Yue Qi and the other Yue
Guards had brought back, from sunrise to sunset.

His teacher walked in, and looked at the map of the West Meng Continent that was hung
before Zhuge Yue, before calmly asking, “To where do you intend to go?”

Zhuge Yue felt a sense of lostness that he had never felt for years. Lifting up his head, he
replied, “Teacher, I have nowhere to go.”

The old man, whose hair had already turned into a beautiful silver, gently smiled before he
stretched out his lanky palm. With one quick strike, he shattered the West Meng Continent
that was on the map, turning that part of the map into a gigantic hole, leaving behind only
the Quan Rong territory, the sea to the South East, and the barren lands to the West.

fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
“My child, there is always someone better than you, and there will always be a world that
lies beyond our own. Who said that the world is only as big as the map?”

The next day, he received more news. Meng Feng had been sentenced by the council, and
had been released into exile to Qinghai. By now, she would have probably reached Cuiwei
Pass by now.

In the passing time, the mist of the future seemed to turn bright. In those dark days, the
blade in his hand swung out repeatedly, giving out gleaming re ections slashing into the
jugular of an entity called fate as he struggled. With the boiling blood covering his eyes, he
sensed the meaning of life in that thick hot liquid.

One day later, there was a messenger from Zhen Huang charging into the residence of
Zhuge Yue in Xian Yang. That soldier’s face looked dry from the dust that had continuously
battered his skin for a few days, and his lips had cracked. Dusting his cape, one could see
that it was lled with dust.

Everyone’s face did not appear to be joyous, and Chu Qiao suddenly understood something
as she quietly disappeared from the scene.

After one hour, Zhuge Yue seemed to be leaving. Chu Qiao followed him all the way until the
main road leading out from the North Gates. The weather was rather cold, as Chu Qiao
donned a thick blue cape. A round of white fur wrapped around her neat face that was free
from makeup. In the simplicity, she exuded a plain sense of beauty. As they reached the
pavilion that indicated that they were ve kilometers away from the city already, Yue Qi and
the other guards moved aside to give them some alone time. Zhuge Yue quietly dismounted
his horse, as Chu Qiao obediently followed behind him. Around the pavilion, there was a
huge patch of weeds, and the paint from the pillars of the structure had started to peel. It
seemed like the entire scene was overwhelmingly desolate.

“I am going.” Zhuge Yue turned around and quietly looked at her.

“Oh, be careful on your way.” Chu Qiao nodded.

Zhuge Yue lightly frowned. This had seemed to become some kind of repetition, as their
reunions always seemed to be so full of excitement, yet they distanced themselves the
longer they stayed with each other. It was as though eventually they did not even know how
to interact with each other, and could only exchange some trivial greetings.

“After I leave, where will you head to?”

“Me? Perhaps I will head to the Tang Empire rst.”

“After that?”

“After that?” Chu Qiao frowned and sank into contemplation. She chuckled. “I do not know
either. Perhaps I will walk around and travel. Enjoy the food all over the world, marvel at the
scenery, drift around. Who knows?”

fi
fi
fi
fl
With a breeze sweeping past, there was a crisp chime. The duo looked up at the same time,
only to see that there was a bell hanging at this dilapidated pavilion. Even though the color
had faded from the weathering, the sound was still crisp and clear, sounding o each time
the wind blew past.

“Will you head to Yan Bei?”

With a silent smile, Chu Qiao replied, “I lived there for many years. What scenery there is, I
have seen enough. In the rst place, my health is not exactly good, and I could not stand
the coldness in the North. Perhaps, I will not be able to head to Zhen Huang City at this
rate.”

Zhuge Yue nodded as though he understood something. With his emotions a little numb,
words that had been stuck in his heart were ultimately still suppressed within his mind.
Those days of happiness were ultimately a mere mirage. After time had passed, the dream
would be destined to shatter. Things must take place with the right people at the right time,
yet even standing here was them trying to bend fate to their whims. Many things in life are
already predetermined, and like the ne sand that one grabs at the beach, the harder one
wishes to hold onto something, the quicker it slips from one’s ngers.

As he lifted his foot up, ready to head out, his face was cold and seemed arrogant as usual.
In the same old fashion, he seemed as though he did not want to speak a single extra word.

“Zhuge Yue!” A hurried voice resounded from behind him. Her hand was so small, so cold,
yet she pulled on his clothes with all her strength, revealing her innate stubbornness.

“Thank you,” quietly, she whispered. In her voice, one could tell that she was suppressing a
sob, as she continued, “I thought that I would never be able to tell that to you personally in
this life. Yet, with the blessings from heaven, you are safe and sound.” With a light smile on
her face, she kept talking, “Zhuge Yue, I have been tied down by all kinds of bonds in my
life, and have not led an easy life. I have done a lot of things, and gone through many ups
and downs. Some things I did were right, some were wrong, yet I never regret anything. I am
fully aware of my thoughts and emotions, and will never be indebted to anyone. Yet, to you
alone, I owe too much that I can never repay. With your safe return, it would only be right for
me to follow behind you and repay you with the rest of my life. Yet, I am already not the
same person as before. After going through so much, I no longer have the courage to step
into this mess. After the battle in Yan Bei, the General of Xiuli died. What remained was
merely a normal woman who had lost her ambitions and dreams. I no longer have the
capability to stand beside you.”

The wind bell continued to chime, yet time seemed to come to a standstill at this very
moment. Karma seemed to ash a mocking smile at them as it looked upon the
helplessness of the people.

Chu Qiao spread open her arms, and approached him from behind. With her hands passing
through between his arm and waist, her pristine white skin brushed against the soft silk on
his body as the golden embroideries rubbed against her white wrist. In the quiet breeze, her
hands clasped together and tightened before his body, before walking up in small steps and
fi
fl
fi
fi
ff
 burying her face into his back. A teardrop fell from the corner of her eye. Dripping onto his
green clothes, it made a pattern.

“Zhuge Yue, I am sorry.” Her voice seemed so sad, like a child left out alone in a raging
snowstorm.

Snow started falling. It was very light, and in fact, before it landed on the ground, the
snow akes had already melted. Yet they piled up and formed a small layer on their
shoulders. With their skin against each other, they would even feel each other’s breath. This
was the rst time that she had voluntarily embraced him. The river of time seemed to ow
before their minds, as the scenes from their memories ashed past and quickly vanished. It
seemed like fate had made a fool of them right from the start. After so many twists and
turns, they nally arrived at this stage, yet even as the dust settled and they distanced
themselves from the battle eld, they were still weighed down heavily by fate.

A row of birds ew past them in the sky above. Lining up in one straight line, they soared to
the South. Gradually, they got further, and slowly vanished from sight. She nally let go of
the embrace. Chu Qiao withdrew her hands. His shirt was exceedingly cold, such that her
ngers were numbed by the frigidness. His back was still upright, as though nothing in this
world could ever defeat him. He was ever so handsome, with the freezing aura exuding from
his gure, as though he wanted to freeze up all of his surroundings.

With nothing except empty air between her arms, Chu Qiao bit her lip before forcing a smile.
“Take care.”

With a whoosh, there was a wave of wind from afar. The wind bell erupted into a urry of
ringing that suddenly seemed to imbue the atmosphere with life.

Zhuge Yue walked out of the pavilion. With his expensive boots stepping onto the weed that
had already wilted, the plant was bent and lied on the ground lifelessly. With another blow of
the wind, it broke from its roots and was blown far into the

Mounting his horse, along with the Guards of Yue, they whipped their horses and the sound
of warhorses galloping could be heard in the distance. With the urry of galloping, the
quietness of the main road was shattered as the capes uttered in the wind, and the war
ags waved towards the north. Ultimately, he did not turn around to even steal one more
glance at her. He was still the same handsome and proud person he was, with his
unbending back that sat on the horse, along with his high-class coat and jet black hair,
dashing o in the cold winds and gradually disappearing into the distance among the ying
dust. Before long, even his gure vanished.

The morning fog had still not dispersed as the road ahead seemed to be clouded with a veil.
As the weed was blown up by the wind around, it spun circles, not knowing where to go.
Chu Qiao was suddenly reminded of the Yan Bei Highlands when she had been sabotaged
by Cheng Yuan and sunk into a trap by the Xia army. That night, she had quietly looked
upon his gure in the same way as he vanished into the vast snowy plains. That time, he
had too not turned back, yet he was exceedingly fast as he walked while leading his horse
in his thick coat. That day, there was heavy snow oating down from the heavens, and as
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
 the snow akes landed on her eyelashes, she felt so cold that she wanted to cry. Yet, with
just a blink of her eye, so many years had passed.

Chapter 219
As the sun rose above the morning fog, journeymen and merchants from the countryside
passed by as they sang their tunes out loud while selling their merchandise. Gradually, the
sun approached its zenith. Groups of horse riders passed by slowly, consisting of o cials’
daughters on their way to the temple, armed escorts, and vigilante swordsmen often
depicted in wuxia novels. Some of these people came up to greet her as they saw her
standing in the pavilion. However, she did not see anything. She stood there quietly as her
surroundings became noisier, then quietened down. As the sun rose and set, the moon took
over as the main distinct object in the sky. It was crescent-shaped and silver in color, and
resembled a mother’s benevolent complexion.

The landscape was desolate and deserted. She stood alone; her limbs had turned numb. As
the sky gradually darkened, she could not see anything else but the pale moonlight shining
on the weeds. Her journey, her future… everything had disappeared. She took a deep breath
and lowered her head, shaking her neck which had turned sti . She released her pent-up
frustrations by sighing to herself from within, and then burying it deep in her heart.

The light breeze swept across the vast plains, causing the blades of grass to rustle. Her
heart was empty as many past memories ashed across her mind. Everything had become
distant; only a piece of barren white ground remained. Everything that she had experienced
the past ten years went up in smoke, all that was left was a bleak, desolate outlook.

She turned around and grabbed the horse’s reins. The horse turned around gently and
brushed its head against Chu Qiao’s face, looking at her in worry.

“Hurhur,” Chu Qiao laughed as she felt a little itchy. This was Liu Xing, her horse which
Zhuge Yue had returned to her after raising it for many years. They remained as close as
ever. She reached out her hand to push him away and chided in a hoarse voice, “Liu Xing,
stop it.” Her hand brushed across her cheeks accidentally, as she realized that the winds
had in icted some wounds on it. She was stunned as she turned towards Liu Xing. The
horse turned forcefully towards the north and snorted at her, wanting to bring her after a
certain someone.

“Good boy,” she stroked its head gently as she leaned on its neck. The horse had aged, just
like her heart, which had been scarred by countless experiences. “Let’s go,” she stood
upright and pulled her horse along as she walked towards the south.

The moonlight shone on her body, casting a long shadow on the white ground. The
nocturnal crows were alarmed as they ew across the path. The young lady’s shadow slowly
faded into the distance, nally disappearing after some time. Perhaps, calmness and
tranquility traditionally preceded the storm.

It was the seventh day of the new year. The city of Zhen Huang was still submerged in a
joyous mood. A bout of heavy snowfall had enveloped the city in white. A group of soldiers
fl
fl
fi

fl
fl
ff
ffi
 entered the city gates to the salutation of the sentries, until they disappeared at the end of
the long street.

Zhuge Yue entered his residence by the rear gate. Outsiders who harbored the hope of
shing out any intel had their dreams dashed, as the servants of Qingshan Court had made
preparatory works many days in advance. Zhuge Yue stepped into the courtyard
emotionlessly as he threw his cloak into Huan’er’s hands. With a heavy tone, he questioned,
“Where’s the person?”

“He’s inside. He has been waiting for a long time.”

As the room doors were pushed open, a fragrant sandalwood smell drifted out from inside.
A man dressed in a black robe stood up; he was handsome, the contours of his face were
de ned. The look in his eyes was sharp and intimidating, yet graceful. The two of them
exchanged stares for a while. Finally, the cold look on Zhuge Yue’s face thawed away as he
broke out in a smile. He took a step forward as both parties patted each other on the
shoulder forcefully, then embraced each other.

“Did everything go well along the way?” Zhuge Yue dislodged his sword hanging by his
waist, sat on the chair, drank a mouthful of tea from Zhao Che’s cup, and asked.

Zhao Che laughed in response. He had matured, having gone through many of life’s ups and
downs in his years at the border. Evidently, he was no longer that arrogant, unrestrained
prince that he once was.

“It was good, just that I couldn’t get used to the smell of the cosmetics here. On my way
here, I sneezed quite a few times.”

Zhuge Yue replied humorously, “Luckily you’re talking to me. If it was any other person, you
would have received a beating.”

Zhao Che snatched his teacup back and looked at him from the side of his eyes. “At this
juncture, you can still banter like that. Looks like you don’t hold the man from Yan Bei in high
regard.”

Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows and asked, “You think they’re responsible for this too?”

“It’s obvious.” Zhao Che laughed coldly as he continued, “During the rst northern con ict,
Song was secretly supplying rations to Yan Bei through the southern waterways of Tang and
along the northwest. During the second northern con ict, Song cooperated with Yan Bei as
they conducted military drills near the eastern borders of Xia to capture our attention. There
is de nitely some unknown relations between Yan Bei and Song. It’s only that I’m not clear
who exactly is able to persuade Princess Nalan to cooperate with Yan Bei.”

“There’s no need to know this person. Knowing their real motives will be su cient,” Zhuge
Yue replied calmly, not wishing to waste further time on this topic. He turned around and
asked, “How are things at the northeast? How are your preparations?”

fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
ffi
fl
 As they delved into this topic, a proud expression slowly appeared on Zhao Che’s face. He
declared con dently, “You don’t need to worry. The northeast is stable under my
supervision. The trade routes at Roulan have been opened up. The land along Hu’e in the
western regions have been made fertile. The civilians there are leading comfortable lives. We
have been carrying out secret reconstruction works for two years. Presently, the land of
Donghu is under my rule. With your economic support, it has become a prosperous place. In
three to ve years, the vibrancy of Donghu will not lose out to that of Xia.”

“You shifted the civilians secretly. Did the higher-ups discover it?”

“It’s all thanks to Wei Shuye, who has been pulling the strings for me in court. Also, Donghu
is too far away. It has Baicang Mountains as a screen too. The civilians there are ethnically
diverse as well. The higher-ups have not taken notice of this.”

Zhuge Yue nodded and replied in a heavy tone, “That’s good.”

Zhao Che let out a long sigh as he patted Zhuge Yue’s shoulder, a curious look in his eyes.
He smiled slightly as he remarked, “You have put in your best e orts towards Donghu. If you
have time, you can visit the place. You haven’t seen AhRou in a long time too.”

As the ames at the replace ickered, its warmth spread across the entire room. Time had
passed fast; in the blink of an eye, it had been another two years. The two of them, who had
been despised, who had nothing to their name, stood at this place face to face, looking at
each other as if it was a dream.

That year, when Zhao Yang failed in his conquest at the north, when Zhao Qi died tragically,
Zhuge Yue and Zhao Che stepped up to the forefront by leading the Xia troops, who were
coming o a heavy defeat, back to Yanming Pass, sparking the start of the second northern
con ict. In the year that they worked together, they turned from political enemies at
loggerheads with each other to wartime comrades who looked out for each other. As they
went through countless bloodshed together, a bond of steel was forged between them,
hence forming the most stable partnership in the continent of West Meng. The men, who
had both su ered many hardships, easily become acquainted with each other. From their
initial wariness against each other, a sense of appreciation, respect, and trust between each
other slowly developed, through the times of life and death they had experienced in
common.

Their communication with each other was temporarily cut o as Zhuge Yue lost at the battle
of Yuegong, while Zhao Che was stripped of his military power and brought back to Zhen
Huang. After Zhao Che arrived back in Zhen Huang, he did not cut o ties with Zhuge Yue.
Instead, he mobilized his troops to conduct numerous rescue operations in Yan Bei, while
he tried to salvage his name and reputation in court. Ultimately, the o cials were angered by
his actions. Zhao Che was implicated as well, as he was exiled to the harsh impoverished
northeast regions to watch over the borders there.

The treatment that Zhao Che experienced allowed him to see the despicable characters at
the helm of this dynasty in decline, once again. His family only did this as they could not kill
him. Disappointed, he left that place, journeying towards his destination. However, as he
fl
fl
fi
ff
ff
fi
fi
fl
ff
ff
ff
ffi
was about to reach the place, he bumped into Zhuge Yue, who had tracked him down from
afar.

The two noble aristocrats, who had lost everything, then made a blood pact to rescue their
country, under the icy cold land ravaged by the northern winds. With this, they wandered o
in opposite directions towards their respective corners where nobody disturbed them,
knowing that they had each other’s backs as they fought for their country patriotically.
However, Zhao Che knew the real reason behind Zhuge Yue supporting Xia in this manner,
helping them to avoid countless crises. It was mainly to repay the debt of gratitude owed to
him. He was cold on the outside, but warm on the inside. He remembered every single favor
that he owed, regardless of how trivial it was.

“How is the emperor’s illness?”

Zhao Che’s eyebrows raised as he replied calmly, “He’s severely ill. Looks like he doesn’t
have much time left.”

Zhuge Yue frowned as he stated in a heavy tone, “We still need some time.”

Zhao Che nodded as he laughed, “However, this might not be the case too. Many years
ago, the physicians said the same thing as well. He’s still alive today. He’s an ambitious
person, he won’t die that easily.”

Zhuge Yue turned around, frowned, and chided, “He’s your father after all.”

“Forget that. We are only father and son by name. If Wei Shuye did not intercede on my
behalf, I might not even have been assigned to the borders. I would have had my head
chopped o at Jiu You Platform. Everyone knows this. Hypocrites like him make me feel
disgusted.”

Zhao Che looked more like a soldier, having spent the past two years in hardened
conditions. He looked at Zhuge Yue and said in a heavy tone, “What about you? How will
you deal with this matter?”

Zhuge Yue looked up towards him and asked, “What do you think?”

“In my opinion, why don’t you just agree with the marriage and see how they react? I think
they’re expecting you to reject the marriage o er. Why don’t we surprise them?”

Zhuge Yue frowned slightly. This was indeed the best way that they could improvise.
However, he smiled, not uttering another word as his expression remained stoic.

“Matters of love are the downfall of a hero. I’m afraid that you are the perfect t for this
phrase. Up till now, have you not given up?”

Zhuge Yue avoided his question and retorted, “There is another way out as well. If they want
to play this game, I will happily oblige. I can divert their attention and carve out another
opportunity for you.”

ff
ff
fi
ff
Zhao Che replied in a heavy tone, “They are aggressive this time around. Do you have any
escape routes?”

“No escape routes?” Zhuge Yue smiled as he replied coldly, “I’ll make one myself then.”

Zhao Che nodded as he stood up, holding his sword in his hand. His black robe
accentuated his already intimidating posture. With a stern tone, he said slowly, “It’s
meaningless to plot endlessly against other people. Ultimately, our swords will do the
talking. Fourth Brother, it’s no longer like the past. If things are not to our liking, there’s no
need to tolerate anymore. With your power, no one can force you.”

Zhuge Yue laughed in an appreciative manner as he said, “You make me seem like a weak
lady being forced to do things I don’t like. I appreciate your intentions though. You must hide
yourself carefully, since you sneaked into the city.”

Zhao Che declared, “No matter what, I still had to visit you.”

Chapter 220
here was someone carefully knocking on the door. Yue Qi said, “Master, the Master knows
that you are back, and the palace has also sent men to inform you to enter.”

Picking up a coat, Zhao Che donned a giant robe, and with a giant black hat, one could
barely see his face. Quietly, he said, “It is time for me to leave. You should take care.”

“You too. Leave from the secret passage. Be careful.”

The two men nodded. Zhao Che pulled open the door, and with Huan’er and a few others,
he walked into the heavy snow outside.

“Master.” Yue Qi walked in only to see Zhuge Yue standing in the room with his lanky gure
standing upright, along with a face that seemed ever so glum. One could not tell what he
was thinking.

The feeling of having a true friend was really so good.

Zhuge Yue was not very socially active, and even among his family and siblings, he did not
have a particularly good relationship with any of them. Yet, with the security of Zhen Huang
City, Zhao Che still took the risk to meet him. This was a deed that really touched his heart.

“Master? It is about time,” Yue Qi reminded.

Zhuge Yue ashed a carefree smile, before ordering, “Prepare the carriage.”

Yue Qi was taken aback. “Where do you intend to head to?”

“To court.”

fl

fi
 “To court?” Yue Qi was still stunned. “Doesn’t Master need to shower and change? In the
rst place, you are the grand marshal. A general must not report to the court in a carriage,
and needs to ride a horse.”

Zhuge Yue lowered his head, and a cold, sharp gaze shone from within his eyes. Without
giving it much heed, he coldly explained, “I am not only the grand marshal of the Xia Empire,
I am also the King of Qinghai who commands over 500,000 soldiers. As for the latter point, I
am afraid they have already forgotten.”

The sun pierced through the layers of clouds in the sky. Zhuge Yue strode out from his
room, as Fang Chu put a dull gold cape onto Zhuge Yue’s shoulders. The 18 doors of the
Zhuge Residence opened at once. Light seemed to shine out from behind as Zhuge Yue
revealed his immaculate face. His lips were crimson red, with his back completely upright.
Coldly, with big steps, he walked out. As he walked out, a swarm of o cials crowded over,
only to be blocked by the Yue Guards one meter away from him. Without looking to the side,
Zhuge Yue boarded the majestic carriage pulled by eight horses, and dictated, “Set o .”

“Where does Master wish to head to?” the chau eur questioned.

Fang Chu was equally emotionless as he calmly answered on Zhuge Yue’s behalf, “Sheng
Jin Palace.”

Even with the cold wind seeping into the carriage, Zhuge Yue’s face remained calm as he
slowly settled himself on the soft chair in the carriage. He had never lacked the ability to stir
up a fuss. Since that was the case, he would make the situation even more confusing, such
that none could possibly take away anything from this situation, and nobody would be able
to stay out of this mess.

With the darkness setting in, the banquet outdoors was still not stopped, yet a new banquet
had already started indoors. Even if the Tang Empire was warmer, during the peak of winter,
it would still feel colder than usual. With the night wind bellowing, even if one wore a
windbreaker, the coldness would still seep through the fabric and up from the soles of the
shoes, sending shivers through one’s body.

At mid-noon, a small downpour continued until dusk. This made the dark night even colder
than usual. Yet, the ladies who were dressed in beautiful clothes were not shy in revealing
their pristine white chests. With their eyes full of lust, and their delicate porcelain like limbs
crossing in their seductive movements, occasionally, a daring lady would head up to pour
wine for him, and “accidentally” reveal her legs.

Li Ce drank a lot, as he squinted and leaned on the soft chair. With the door to the Roufu
palace wide open, the luxury of the palace was in full view. Musicians who were playing their
music were playing in the center of the lake, as the melodies could be heard all the way
deep into the giant palace.

Like a snake slithering, the thin waists wriggled before his eyes, as their slender legs moved
in tandem. With droplets of sweat dripping onto their peach colored skin, a daring dancer
fell into Li Ce’s chest in one continuous motion. With her eyebrow slightly raised, a cloud
pattern that was drawn out using golden dust. Her lips were full, and her neck was long and
fi
ff
ffi
ff
 slender. Her curvaceous bosom was covered by a thin layer of fabric, and through that thin
layer, one could almost see the pink color of her skin.

Raising a cup of red wine, the dancer’s backside was protruding out in a seductive curve.
Her arm raised up high, and with a ick of her arm, the liquor spilt, and along her swan-like
neck, it owed into her cleavage that seemed like two snowy mountains.

“Your Majesty, are you drunk?” She was indeed a rare beauty. Not only she was pretty, but
her voice was bewitching. Her exible body twisted, and she rubbed her bare shoulder on Li
Ce’s chest, and with that, her tender hand slid into his shirt. Moving all the way down, she
stopped short of reaching the end.

This lady was Lady Zi Ming, a woman that had gained Li Ce’s favor over the past year. Li Ce
was a playboy and rarely paid much heed to a lady for too long. Yet, this Lady Zi Ming, who
was born to a fallen noble, had captivated him for so long. This was evidence of her extreme
seductiveness.

Li Ce, with his slightly drunk eyes, looked down. Wearing a robe that was blue and purple,
he had a scarf that was made out of wolf fur. With his collar slightly open, one could see his
t body under the swaying torches. Habitually, he squinted, and his brows irtatiously
furrowed together. In the depths of his eyes, there was light ashing, making him look like a
cunning fox that was deep in thought.

The dancers in the palace continued to dance. They were dancing a folk dance of the
Donghu people. Daring and revealing, they only wore a few thin clothes that barely covered
their private parts. With their soft bodies waving around, one could see that they were
covered with perspiration.

“Your Majesty, you have not entered Roufu palace for half a month. Have you so quickly
forgotten about this lady?” Lady Zi Ming lightly leaned over. With her eyes tearing, she
gently looked at Li Ce, like a seductive succubus.

Li Ce’s eyes were drunk, and it seemed that his limbs were drunk as well. Yet, between his
eyes, he was ever so sober. The crimson nails of the lady oated up from his abdomen and
reached out for his brows. Whispering in his ear, she lightly asked, “Whose fault is it that
Your Majesty is unhappy?”

The corner of Li Ce’s mouth curled up, and he calmly smiled. He forcefully grabbed her thin
waist, and his palm rubbed her smooth skin. Lightly chuckling, he said, “You little devil.”

“Will Your Majesty be still so cruel as to make Ming’er stay in her room alone?”

Li Ce was taken aback as a gure suddenly surfaced in his mind. He frowned in regret, and
his mind almost lost his usual peace. He had already gone mad the past half a month. Was
still going to continue?

Turning around and looking at the seductive face of Lady Zi Ming, a miasma seemed to rise
from his heart, suppressing something that seemed like both bitterness and desire. In his
heart, there was no more anger nor happiness, and he seemed no longer so carefree. He
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
 merely smiled, and recovered his composure, before chuckling, “Since when was I not a
man who cared about beauties like you?”

“Your Majesty,” a calm voice spoke from beyond the palace.

Li Ce lifted his head up only to see Tie You standing outside of the door. Li Ce waved, and
with that, this commander, still fully armed, walked into the palace. Disregarding the
expression of the surrounding ladies, he knelt on the ground, and rmly reported, “Your
Majesty, Miss Chu is back.”

Li Ce was stunned. Although he looked calm, the wine in the cup that he was holding
seemed to have almost spilled. There was a singing voice that seemed to resound from in
the distance. The song was slow, like one that was supposed to soothe one’s heart. On the
lake, the wind was cold, and carried a fragrance. With his lanky build and dense black hair,
Li Ce’s gure seemed ever so handsome.

“When did that happen?”

“Just now.”

“Where is she now?”

“She returned to Mihe Residence.”

“Let’s go.” Li Ce stood up and headed out.

Tie You was taken aback, and quickly asked, “Your Majesty, where are you going?”

“Mihe Residence.” From afar, Li Ce’s voice oated into this grandiose night. Tie You quickly
followed after with the other guards.

Lady Zi Ming slowly stood up, her silk clothes slowly swaying in the incoming night wind.
Yet, not a single trace of the seductiveness that she displayed just now was left. Calmly
looking at Li Ce leaving, her gaze was calm, without any emotion.

“Lady.” A maidservant carefully approached her. Taking the overcoat from the servant, Lady
Zi Ming waved her hand. “Dismiss the banquet.” The ladies dispersed like the wind. In the
aroma of the wine, the only sound left was by the singer from afar. The owers in the lotus
pond had long ago withered, and even the sycamore tree that was in front of the gate was
completely empty. The moon was a simple hook, shining its clouded light onto the pristine
white stone steps.

With the bead veils hitting each other, giving out crisp sounds of collision, Qiu Sui, who was
guarding the outer room, was awakened. Li Ce made a hand signal to indicate for her to
stay quiet. The maidservant lowered her head and knelt on the oor, not daring to make any
noise.

In the cold weather, the window was tightly shut, yet there was still dim moonlight shining
through the pure white windows. Chu Qiao was sleeping as the white moon colored blanket
covered her body, leaving only her tiny head exposed. Looking clean and neat, her face had
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
a rare look of peace. Leaning on the door, Li Ce tilted his head, and for moment he merely
stood there without any motion.

Certainly, that would have been the best choice for her. Without many responsibilities and
burdens, without many strong feelings and intense hatred, she could leave whenever she so
wished to.

Focusing his vision on her, his gaze was so gentle. The gentle light shone onto her, giving o
a light glow that seemed ever so lonesome. The wind passed by from the outside, the
shadow of the trees swaying like a lady trying reach out for them, gently caressing this
palace that seemed to be in permanent solitude.

“The lady slept upon returning. She seemed very tired,” Qiu Sui whispered to Tie You. As
quiet as she was, her voice still reached Li Ce’s ears.

Standing there, Li Ce seemed to have understood something. The charcoal in the corner of
the room still gave o a warm glow. The birds which lived in the trees gave o a light
melodic chirp that was extremely pleasant to the ear.

“Whatever happened, if she is tired, she should rest.” With that said, the man turned around
and walked out of the main bedroom. In the empty palace, his footsteps echoed, re ecting
the emptiness of the room.

As the night grew colder, Chu Qiao slowly opened her eyes. In the darkness, her eyes
seemed like obsidian. In stark contrast, her pale white ngers grabbed onto the cotton
blanket with all her strength. Before long, the sound of music resumed from Rou Fu Palace,
and it sounded even more boisterous than before. She slowly closed her eyes. She was
really very tired.

Three days later, she decided to leave the Tang Capital. She did not alert anyone but merely
brought along Mei Xiang. This time, she went to greet Li Ce before she left. Li Ce did not
mention anything about seeing her o , only that before her carriage exited the city gates of
the Tang Capital, under the Sycamore tree in the distance, Li Ce, along with Tie You, Sun Di,
and a few others, greeted her upon her arrival. The crowd quickly dispersed, with only Li Ce
and Chu Qiao left. They nally had their rst conversation since her return.

“Where are you going?”

“I don’t know.” Seeing how Li Ce showed a gaze of suspicion, Chu Qiao smiled. “Don’t look
at me like that. I am not kidding you. I really do not know where I will be going.”

“Then why are you leaving?”

“I just want to travel and see the world.” Chu Qiao took a deep breath. Smiling, she
observed the surroundings. With a crisp voice, she elaborated, “Look, the weather is getting
warmer. The West Meng Continent is so big, yet I never had the chance to head out to relax
and enjoy the scenery. This time around, I will take it as if I am on vacation.”

Li Ce deftly prepared the tea as he continued to ask, “How long do you intend to rest?”

ff
fi
ff
fi
fi
ff
fl
ff
“I don’t know, depends on my mood. Perhaps one day when I am broke, I will come back to
get some food from you. That is why you must make sure you keep your throne properly. Do
not end up losing all your money before I can come back.”

Hearing that, Li Ce quickly picked up an envelope from the table and took out the thick
stack of silver notes from within. He removed a good half of the notes and stu ed it into his
shirt while muttering, “You will only return after you are broke? Then I must not give you too
much money. If not, by the time you come back, you might have already become an old
woman who does not even have any teeth left.”

Chapter 221
Chu Qiao could not contain her laughter as she said, “Look at you. How are you like an
emperor?”

“Who says that emperors can’t behave like this? You don’t know how much I have su ered.
I want to spend a little more money, but those old fellows keep complaining about the
drought at the eastern regions and the famine at the western regions. They want me to eat
plain vegetables every day. They are all no good. I saved up for this myself. Instead of
repaying my gratitude, you’re making fun of me now?”

The skies in Tang were sunny, with no clouds visible. As the sunlight shone on Li Ce’s foxy
eyes, it made his look appear even more cunning. Chu Qiao sighed on behalf of the o cials
and scholars of Tang as she muttered, “It’s their misfortune to have met such an emperor.”

Li Ce shook his head and sighed in reply, “Qiaoqiao, you are ruthless. By leaving just like
that, He Xiao and the rest will ght me to the death.”

As He Xiao’s name was mentioned, Chu Qiao was stunned. She thought for a long while
before replying, “Li Ce, I’m entrusting the warriors of the Xiuli Army to you.”

“They are all men. Why are you entrusting them to me?”

Chu Qiao ignored his nonsensical remarks as she continued, “I have been thinking to myself
these few months. Was it my fault after all? I was too naive, thinking that I would be able to
reform this society into a more cultured and organized one. It’s not like the picture that Da
Tong painted. I just wanted the poor to be able to a ord some food, to abolish slavery, to
ensure that the people in power would be able to put rules in place for the people below
them, and to ensure that there would be no indiscriminate killings. I know that these reforms
would not happen overnight, but someone has to start by taking a small step forward. The
results would naturally show. When I rst started o , I did not have such noble aspirations. I
only wanted to escape and live a good life. However, I met Yan Xun and heard his stories
about Yan Bei. It was then that my heart slowly came back to life. I think that my entry into
this world was perhaps of value, and that it was destined. However, my dreams were
dashed. I was too overcon dent. I thought that I was powerful enough to change a lot of
things and protect a lot of people. In the end, I realized that my power was limited. My
family, friends… all of them left me. I could not protect them. I caused a lot of people to die
in the process.”

fi
fi
fi
ff
ff
ff
ff
ffi
Li Ce frowned and wanted to speak out, but was stopped by Chu Qiao. She looked at him
as she rambled on with a heavy tone, “Li Ce, I am not a good leader. The warriors of the
Xiuli Army have no beliefs. They only believe in me. However, my existence has caused
them to be embroiled in crises after crises, in war after war. They bled, they died. I could not
give them the organized life that I had promised them. I only saved them once, and I should
not have been so sel sh as to let them ght alongside me, injuring themselves heavily.
Thinking back, if I listened to Yan Xun and disbanded the Xiuli Army, a lot of them would not
have died. They would have gotten married and lived happily ever after.” Chu Qiao’s voice
started to sound choked. She pouted as her eyes turned slightly red, but managed a smile
as she continued, “One does not have to achieve big things in life. Getting married, having
children, and living a happy life is also another way of living it. Alas, I realized this too late.
They’re dead. They can’t be brought back to life. I can’t wash my hands clean of these
bloodstains.”

“Qiaoqiao?” Li Ce frowned as he interrupted in a heavy tone, “All this is not your fault.”

“I have responsibilities that I can’t shirk.” Chu Qiao said in a low voice, “They believed me
and followed me, yet I couldn’t protect them. They died one by one, yet I could not give their
bodies a proper burial. Do you know? Every night, I hear their cries along with the winds.
They yearn to return to their hometown to see their aging parents. They are still so young.
Some of them are still 15 or 16-years-old. At that age, they should have been throwing
tantrums in front of their parents. However, they died on the icy plains for me.”

Li Ce’s jovial demeanor had evaporated away by now. He looked at her, worried, as his heart
ached.

“Li Ce, please help me and take care of them. If you’re worried about them, you can disband
them and task them with errands to run. They can live a good life, get married and have
children in your country. I hope that they would not ght on the battle eld again. To a soldier,
there is no such thing as a victory there. The victories belong to the generals. The soldiers
are only massacred and killed.”

Li Ce nodded with great di culty as he looked at the pale, frail young lady. With a gentle
voice, he asked, “What about you? Do you still hate Yan Xun? Will you go back to his side?”

“I don’t hate him anymore,” Chu Qiao shook her head slightly and answered in a tone that
was as gentle as the spring winds by the lake. “Actually, all of you do not know this. He’s the
one that has su ered the most. I witnessed his resentment and pain, and all the humiliation
that he has been through. Onlookers do not understand these things. The resentment in his
heart is immeasurable to me. Presently, he has landed in this state. Even if he’s wrong, he
has been forced by fate. Everyone has the right to choose his or her own path. That was the
path he chose. Although I disapprove, I respect his choice. In this world, who is entirely
correct? And who is entirely wrong? We all have our own things to ght for and our
boundaries. Although we are unable to remain on the same path, we do not need to be
enemies.”

“What about Zhuge Yue? Why don’t you be with him? He has done so much for you. Don’t
you love him?”

ff
fi
ffi
fi
fi
fi
fi
“Love? Perhaps,” Chu Qiao smiled as she continued, “actually, I don’t really know what is
considered real love, but love does not mean that both parties have to stick together all the
time. Sometimes, letting go is a form of love too.” Chu Qiao looked up slightly as the wind
blew across her forehead. That instant, Li Ce seemingly saw a charismatic ash of light
appear in her calm eyes. It was captivating and ever so mesmerizing.

“After all, he’s the Grand Marshal of the Xia army. It’s equal to the nation’s defense minister.
How could he be with a person like me?” she mumbled slowly as she continued, “I know
that, as long as I am willing, he will give up whatever he has for me. However, Li Ce, is that
really good? He has been through so many hardships. He has nally staved o the
humiliation that has plagued him all along, getting to where he is today. We are di erent.
Even if his country falls and his family shuns him, he has a place of belonging ultimately. I
understand the sense of responsibility he has, choosing between love and freedom.
However, if he gives up everything purely for the sake of loving me, following me to the ends
of the world, do you really think that he will feel happy? No. He’s a man. A man should have
his own desires. When he matures and ages, he will understand all these. In time, he will
come to rejoice over the choices that he has made.”

“Furthermore, I am tired already,” Chu Qiao lowered her head, looking at Li Ce with a warm
smile. “I have labored for over ten years. I no longer have any more courage to wander
down an uncertain path anymore. I’m a woman too. I want some time to myself so I can
take a rest.”

“Qiaoqiao,” Li Ce sighed and said helplessly, “will I not be able to stop you? Are you really
planning on leaving?”

“Yes,” Chu Qiao answered seriously. “You don’t need to worry about me, I can manage on
my own. In this world, it’s not true that only the royal nobles can live a good life. I will be an
ordinary civilian, without any burdens or responsibilities. I will live a lot of carefree days,
being able to do whatever I want. I can go wherever I want as well. I have desired this life for
many years.”

“Will you come back? To visit me?”

“Of course,” Chu Qiao laughed and added, “you’re my most important friend.”

Li Ce reached out his hand and messed up her hair as he spoke bitterly, “You’ve hurt my
feelings.”

Chu Qiao stood up and walked to Li Ce’s side, as he stood up too. She reached out her
arms and hugged him as she said gently, “Li Ce, I’m leaving. The situation in West Meng is
becoming increasingly chaotic. You must take care. Don’t make me worry about you.”

Li Ce felt frustrated inside, but put up a happy front as he said, “What will happen to me? I
am the emperor of Tang. Who can do anything to me? In addition, I’m so handsome and
talented. The only person that dares to bully me is you.”

Chu Qiao snickered subconsciously. “All right, you’re handsome and talented. Even
Leonardo will jump o a building in shame when he sees you.”

ff
fi
fl
ff
ff
 “Who’s Leonardo? What a strange name. Is he a foreigner?” Li Ce frowned and asked.

Chu Qiao laughed as she replied, “It’s a foreigner. He’s incredibly handsome.”

“How rude of you to compare me to a foreigner.”

Chu Qiao laughed out loud again. “It’s getting dark. I’m leaving.” Chu Qiao did not ride on
her horse, choosing to rent a horse carriage along with Meixiang.

Li Ce stood under the sycamore tree, all smiles. He was wearing a red robe. From afar, he
really appeared like how he described himself—handsome and talented.

“Qiaoqiao, take care. If you’re not married before you’re 30, you can always come back to
nd me.”

Chu Qiao got onto the horse carriage, opened the curtains, waved to him and said, “Thanks
to you, I will make sure I get married by 30.” As the horse carriage wandered into the
distance, the green curtains nally sealed shut. Slowly, its shadow disappeared into the end
of the street.

“Your Majesty, do we need to send people to protect Miss Chu?” Sun Di thought for a long
while before asking.

“No need,” Li Ce shook his head and turned back to walk towards the city gates.

Everyone has the right to choose his or her life. Qiaoqiao, go ahead and follow your
instincts.

The curtains of the tent were opened, causing the rays of sunlight and the aroma of meat to
drift inside. Jingjing frowned as she tossed and turned, opening her eyes slowly. Evidently,
she had not woken up fully. The breeze at dawn brought along a refreshing scent with it,
dispersing the smell of the medicinal herbs in the tent.

Chu Qiao did not look up as she placed one hand on her forehead while holding a black
chess piece in between the second and third ngers of her other hand. She knocked it
repeatedly against the jade chess board as it let out crisp sounds in rhythm, showcasing her
pent-up frustrations. She acted as if nothing had happened. The victory was there for the
taking as her opponent had made many wrong, fatal moves, but she stalled there, unable to
make her next move.

“Miss, everyone’s ready,” Meixiang stood at the entrance, saying as she laughed.

Chu Qiao frowned as Meixiang’s voice echoed in the air. For a long time, she did not
respond. As Meixiang was about to repeat her words, Chu Qiao ipped the chess board,
turned around, and declared in a low voice, “Tell everyone that from today onwards, we will
journey day and night, non-stop. Prepare yourselves.” Chu Qiao and her entourage had
departed Xuefu City yesterday. Presently, they were on the way to Tang Jing.

In the blink of an eye, two years had passed. On the day that they left Tang Jing, Du Pingan
and her sister, Du Jingjing, had caught up with them. Left with no choice, she allowed the
fi
fi
fi
fl
 two of them to follow her. Because of the children that were following her, Chu Qiao
abandoned her hopes of wandering around like a nomad. She settled down in a small, quiet
city in the southern regions of Tang instead. The climate was warm; life was laid-back and
peaceful. As the place was situated near Meishan, where the Tang Empire’s imperial
mausoleum was located, there was little crime.

This place was the home of Tang’s famous scholar, Shen Mobai. His ancestors resided here
as well. Young scholars who were about to take their exams often passed by this place to
visit Mister Shen, touring this small city while on their journeys. As time passed, this city
came to be known as Xuefu City.

Chapter 222
After Chu Qiao brought the few of them along, they bought an inn along a nearby lake and
started to manage it. Firstly, it was to cover their identities. After all, it was weird for a
solitary lady to travel together with a maidservant and two children. Secondly, she wanted to
nd something to do for herself. Idling around was not an option.

Initially, they did not do this for the purpose of making money. However, due to Chu Qiao’s
unique management style, the way that she maintained exemplary hygiene standards, and
the favorable geographical location of the place, this inn came to be one of the most
reputable places in the city. Scholars who came to attend the examinations held in spring
and autumn would earmark this place as their foremost choice to stay in. Hence, this place
earned the title of “Scholars’ Inn”. During the peak periods, business was booming as the
rooms were often full.

Time ew by rapidly; each day owed on to the next quietly. She lived in this remote city,
away from the happenings of the world, concealing her past glory and abandoning her past
memories. She lived like an ordinary woman, characterized by the peaceful days she had.

Nothing had changed, except for her health which had started to decline. Even though she
was only 21, the long periods of physical exertion, being engaged in combat, and the
hardships she had experienced since young had caused her body to be plagued with
ailments. The injuries would cause her to feel pain whenever the weather was bad; her joints
had also started to turn rheumatic. Thin wrinkles started to appear on her eyelids, while her
vigor had also been a ected. Whenever she felt a little bit tired, she would tend to drift o to
sleep.

Illnesses had seemed to become her best friend. Nearly every part of her body had been
ravaged by problems; while the u bug visited her almost every month. As she lay on her
bed, ghting the diseases, she often wondered if this body even belonged to her in the rst
place. She felt like a puppet at risk of being torn to shreds anytime.

On the bright side, peace had nally returned to her life. There was no longer any
bloodshed, cruel deaths, and incessant scheming and plotting against other parties. Her
heart started to enter a state of calm, like the water on the surface of a lake.

fi
fi
fl
ff

fi
fl
fl
fi
ff
These two years, she rarely kept up to date about the situation in the outside world.
However, as she managed the inn, many passers-by often shared the information with her
and the children, who were also particularly interested. For example, she was informed
about Zhuge Yue and Princess Nalan’s marriage. From what she heard, when Zhuge Yue got
back to the Xia Empire, he readily accepted the o er. As the Xia o cials clapped in
celebration, Zhuge Yue dropped another bombshell that he already had a legitimate wife
back in Qinghai. Claiming that he did not want to abandon her as she had stood by him, he
declared that Princess Nalan could only be his concubine if they were to marry. Even if she
were to give birth, she could only be his second wife.

The envoy of Song was greatly angered by this. This issue, which had been predicted to stir
up a big hoo-ha in West Meng, was e ortlessly di used by Zhuge Yue’s casual attitude
towards this matter. There were no other consequences as the matter slowly became
forgotten.

Thereafter, with the backing of Chief Marshal Zhuge, the seventh prince, Zhao Che, returned
to the capital from the northern borders with more than 500,000 elite troops. They had
crushed the rebellion and liberated large swathes of territories in the borders. As they
supported each other, they shattered Zhao Yang’s monopoly of power in the political scene
of Xia.

Yan Bei was no longer as well o as before; the Tang Empire shut o the waterways along
the southern borders while economic relations with Song were cut o . Faced with a two-
pronged assault by Xia and Qinghai, Yan Bei temporarily lost the ability to wage another war
with Tang.

Luckily for Yan Bei, Zhao Yang was embroiled in a struggle for power with Zhao Che,
causing his attention to be diverted away from reinforcing Yanming Pass. Additionally, over
the past one and a half years, only one large-scale attack threatened to break out, which
occurred at Longyin Pass. However, the battle did not even take place—the troops stood o
against each other there for two days before retreating back to their respective locations.

The situation was unpredictable, with many plot twists along the way.

Evidently, Zhao Yang understood that Zhuge Yue’s Qinghai army would have massacred
their way into the capital of Xia, if not for the presence of Yan Bei. Then, his Southwestern
Army would not have been a match for Zhao Che and Zhuge Yue. Hence, indirectly, he
stood on the same side as Yan Xun.

The unpredictabilities of this world were simply amazing.

However, the news that garnered the most positive responses from the travelers was the
news of Yan Xun’s extravagant wedding. A year ago, during the period of the new year, Yan
Xun hosted a largely publicized series of wedding banquets outside Shuofang Palace, taking
18 of his o cials’ daughters in as his concubines. He housed them in his harem that was
built behind Shuofang Palace. The banquets lasted for a total of 18 days as the civilians of
Yan Bei gathered at Shuofang to pay their respects. It was a spectacular sight.

ffi
ff
ff
ff
ff
ffi
ff
ff
ff
 On the second day of the banquets, the construction of Nada Palace, atop Luori Mountains,
was nished. People who were lucky enough to see the palace in Yan Bei repeatedly
described the miraculous sight that they had witnessed. Some scholars and the more
educated people even composed gurative poems and lyrics, to signal their awe for the
beautiful palace.

It was rumored that Nada Palace was built in mid-air, embedded into a cli . Streams of
water owed upwards; colorful gardens oated in the air, along with rivers made of wine,
whose aroma spread far and wide. Additionally, there were also golden statues and silver
walls, which glowed as bright as the sun. It was almost a magical marvel—even Tang’s
Jinwu Palace, which dated back thousands of years, could not compare to it.

Everyone knew that this palace was built by the king of Yan Bei for his lover, the General of
Xiuli. However, since their high pro le fallout at Huolei Plains two years ago, this woman that
had been born as a slave, that had sparked con icts between the kings of Yan Bei, Tang,
and the Chief Marshal of Xia, completely disappeared from the political scene of West
Meng, never to be heard of again.

Some said that she had married into the royal family of Tang, changing her surname to
remain by the emperor’s side. Others had said that she was the wife of Zhuge Yue, staying
on in Qinghai to lead the troops there. Also, people had claimed that she had returned to
Yan Bei, taking Nada Palace as her home. However, those were merely speculative rumors.
No one knew that the woman, who was a living legend, was currently situated in a small city
in the southern regions of Tang, running a small inn. She led a normal life, taking strolls at
Jialing Lake every day, and playing chess with the elderly folks to kill time.

The sudden introduction of the element of simplicity into her life had caused her to forget
about many things. However, from time to time, she recalled the story that she had told the
young man in that dilapidated courtyard many years ago.

“The king built a paradise for the woman he loved. There were many wonderful things there.
Streams of water owed upwards; colorful gardens oated in the air, along with rivers made
of wine, whose aroma spread far and wide. Golden statues and silver walls, which glowed
as bright as the sun, enhanced the splendor of the palace. That paradise ultimately became
a wonder of the world, recognized by many, as it signaled the undying love between the king
and his lover.”

Half of her life had passed. Some people stayed; some people left. Some people lost their
way, while some people were unable to nd their way. Even if she remembered some of
these memories, how would she be able to salvage the relationships that had been lost?
After all, everything had passed.

Her group arrived at Xiu Ridge the next day. The streams owed down from above; the trees
and owers were dense, their leaves appearing a lush green. If not for the hurried state they
were in, it would have been a great place to relax. However, on the evening of the third day,
a torrential downpour delayed their journey. The mountain roads were muddy and
treacherous. On the afternoon of the fourth day, they arrived at Qingheng River with great
e ort, only to discover that the only bridge there had been destroyed due to the rain.
ff
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
ff
 Another group of people who seemingly wanted to cross the river were giving their best
e orts to repair the bridge, but were limited in their progress due to manpower constraints.

There were only two options to choose from. They could either turn back and travel towards
Song, which would add over ten days to their journey. The second option was to wait for the
bridge to be repaired before they crossed the river.

Chu Qiao gave her hired bodyguards and horsemen ten taels of silver each. The honest
men, who could not hide their elation, instantly sought to join in the reconstruction e orts of
the bridge. A short while later, Pingan walked to the side of the horse carriage and said,
“Sister, someone from the opposite side was sent here to thank us.”

Chu Qiao, seeing that the other party had no intention to speak to her personally, answered
in reply, “Go and tell them that since we’re on the same way, there’s no need to thank us.”

The sky swiftly darkened; the thunder rumbled on by the horizon. The weather was
unusually humid. Chu Qiao raised the curtains of the carriage slightly. Seeing the dark
clouds at the west, she anticipated another downpour in a short while.

Meixiang, along with a few servants, prepared some porridge with meat. Chu Qiao saw that
the people near the river crossing were quiet in their movements. The servants were busy
repairing the bridge, while a simple horse carriage, covered in green cloth, stood under a
tree. Under the evening light, the horse carriage glowed a bright red. As the winds blew
against the carriage, raising the curtains slightly, a golden-white pair of boots could be seen.
Evidently, the person in the carriage was a noble of high status.

Meixiang brought along some guards and called out to each porridge together. Seeing that,
Chu Qiao instructed her to give the extra porridge to the other party. Yet, when Mei Xiang
returned, she was holding on a paper package. After opening up, one could see that it was
lled with luxurious snacks and even two big pieces of beef jerky.

“That person knows how to repay favors,” Meixiang smiled as she picked up a piece of
pastry. As she sni ed it, she said, “It smells like the millefeuille from Yufu Place at Baishui
Pass. Miss, smell this. Does it resemble the goods that we imported from Baishui?”

Chu Qiao frowned as she grabbed the piece of pastry. She looked at it for a while before she
replied quietly, “It’s not the same. The pastries we buy is of a middle grade. It’s not so
crispy. These pastries will not be able to last a long journey. I think the other party bought it
to eat along the way.”

Meixiang was slightly awed. Although she did not have to worry about life’s basic
necessities all these years, she had been born into an impoverished family after all. She
muttered, “It’s such an expensive snack. How generous of them.”

Jingjing had been ill the past few days, as she drifted in and out of her sleep. As she smelt
the fragrance of the pastry, without even looking at it, she called out towards Meixiang and
pleaded, “Sister Mei, I want to eat.”

fi
ff
ff
ff
 “It’s better to be cautious. We don’t know who these people are. Meixiang, nd a place to
dispose of this thing. Don’t eat it.”

Meixiang nodded in agreement as she replied, “Miss, you are right.”

After a long period where the thunder rumbled and the wind howled, the night descended
back into silence. As the sky completely darkened, the bridge was nally repaired. The
group of people seemed to be rushing o . They sent someone over to greet Pingan, as they
packed up and left. Chu Qiao was not willing to waste any more time. As the group of
people crossed the river, she followed behind them. However, as they approached the river
crossing, she saw the porcelain basin, which Meixiang had used to prepare the porridge,
standing amongst a patch of weeds. The porridge inside was untouched, as a few wild rats
enjoyed their slice of good fortune.

Chu Qiao let the curtains of the carriage down. She leaned quietly against a soft cushion as
she started to frown.

Who were these people? Were they related to that matter?

As Chu Qiao thought of the recent unusual movements along the imperial mausoleum at Mei
Mountain, she started to worry for Li Ce.

Hopefully, I’m just thinking too much.

Chapter 223
As midnight loomed, the mountainous ranges gave way to a at piece of grass plains. The
guide mentioned that this place was Youyou Plains, and that the Sunset Mountains lay
ahead. After the Sunset Mountains, they would arrive at the biggest city in the southwest,
Qiufeng City. Using Qiufeng City as a reference point, Tang Jing was situated to its east,
while Baishui Pass was located to the north. The territory of Xia laid outside Baishui Pass.

These few days, the party had traversed along the mountain ranges. When they nally saw
the at plains, everyone’s mood brightened up. The sight of the at plains was always the
same—a tree could be seen from afar. Although its distance was often perceived to be not
too far away, it often required a day’s journey by horse to arrive there. After wandering along
Youyou Plains for two whole days, they nally arrived at Sunset Mountains.

The name of this mountain was glorious, along with its sceneries. A few peaks stood tall
beside each other, decorated with lush green trees and dense clusters of owers. A waterfall
owed downwards from the top of the peaks, forming a white stream. As the water vapor
lingered in the air, it gave o the aura that the place was a utopia. As Qiufeng City was
nearby, the mountain roads were wide enough to accommodate two horse carriages side by
side. As the sun set, the landscape glowed a bright red along with the forests and owers.
The sceneries remained as beautiful as ever; the mountain deserved its name after all.

That night, Chu Qiao ordered her party to set up camp at the foot of a valley. When the
servants heard the orders, they cheered in joy. Evidently, they were fatigued, having traveled
fl
fl

ff
fi
ff
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
non-stop for a few nights without any sleep. Before they managed to fall asleep, the howls
of wild wolves drifted from not far out into their ears, sending chills up their spines.

Jingjing’s face turned pale in fear as she curled up against Meixiang in the tent. She closed
her eyes as she tried to drift o to sleep, but to no avail. Chu Qiao felt a little worried. The
hungry wolves in the southwest were renowned for their savagery. Presently, Chu Qiao did
not have a large group of people with her. The majority of them were hired bodyguards and
carriage operators. Also, there were women in the group. If they bumped into the wolves,
there would be dire consequences. Hence, she summoned Pingan and gave him a few
orders. Then, she told everyone to prepare themselves, before she dared to let her guard
down a little.

As the latter part of the night approached, the howls of the wolves became louder, along
with the shouts of some men. Chu Qiao put on her coat and went outside. She ordered a
few people to guard the camp, and wandered towards the source of the sound with Pingan
and over ten other bodyguards. As they had just navigated through the rst slope, a
pungent smell of blood lingered in the air. All of them took a careful look in front, only to see
a group of over 100 wolves attacking a group of men on their horses in another valley below
them. Although they were outnumbered by the wolves, they were agile and organized in
their movements. Evidently, they were people that were not to be tri ed with. However, the
wolves were equally savage as they ashed their sharp, white teeth. As they ocked
together, they seemed to be emboldened by their strength in numbers, fearlessly engaging
in combat against the humans.

As blood splattered everywhere, the pungent smell became more intense. Cries of agony
reverberated in the air, sending chills up everyone’s spines once again.

“Sister?” Pingan frowned as he continued in a heavy tone, “There are too many wolves. If
these people cannot beat them, neither can we.”

Chu Qiao nodded as she ordered, “Everyone, prepare yourselves.” Her entourage was made
up of people who were experienced pugilists. Although they were not as capable as an
army, they were brave and courageous. They prepared their bows and arrows as they
assumed their posture, waiting for Pingan’s orders to strike.

“Fire!” A neat row of ery arrows, doused with pine oil, ew out from their bows. In an
instant, over ten wolves collapsed on the oor as they yelped in agony, having been
attacked suddenly from behind.

This enraged the other wolves as they turned around and charged towards them. With
frightening speed, a few of the wolves had dashed right in front of them.

Pingan was quick to react as he picked up a bucket of tung oil, splashing its contents onto
the ground in front of him. He threw a torch onto the moist ground, causing a wall of re 30
feet tall to form in front of the mountain. The few hungry wolves, unable to stop in time,
crashed head-on into the ames, letting out ear-splitting howls.

fi
fl
ff
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
As the wolves were scared of the ames, their semblance of organization evaporated away.
The group of men on horses, seeing that an unknown ally had come to their aid, dashed
forward de antly, using their swords to seal the victory by hacking at any wolf they saw.

The wolves were indeed savage; they only retreated after an intense battle lasting more than
two hours. Before they scampered away, they let out a few howls in anger, signaling their
intention for revenge.

A man shouted from below the valley, “Which friend of ours is that? Our master thanks you
for lending a helping hand!”

Pingan was slightly stunned upon hearing those words. He turned to look around, but his
view was blocked by the trees. In addition, he could not see well in the darkness. Hence, he
had no choice but to shout, “Is that Brother Cao? We met at Qingheng River before.”

The other party remained silent for a while before he laughed in reply, “Oh, it’s Brother Du.
It’s a bit inconvenient for me right now, but I will repay the favor in time.”

Pingan remarked, “Please dispense on ceremonies, Brother Cao. Are you injured? Do you
have any ointment?”

“It’s just some super cial wounds. It’s nothing. Thanks for your concern.”

Chu Qiao was able to hear the guarded tone in the other party’s voice. She tugged at
Pingan’s sleeve lightly and pointed towards the direction of their own camp.

Pingan, realizing her intentions, added on, “I’ll take my leave rst. Brother Cao, take care.”

When they got back to the camp, Jingjing was jumping around anxiously. When she saw
Chu Qiao, she dashed forward hurriedly and probed, “Sister, are you injured?”

“No.” Chu Qiao shook her head as she continued to address Pingan and the rest, “Maintain
your guard when you sleep tonight. Keep the torches lighted. Prepare the re arrows, the
sulfur, and the tung oil. The wolves will not let this go. Be careful of them.”

Everyone nodded as Chu Qiao headed back to her tent. Meixiang removed her cloak as she
said gently, “You could have let Pingan go himself. Why did you follow along?”

Chu Qiao shook her head, frowned, and gently replied, “I haven’t been at ease these few
days. I don’t know if something will happen.”

“Miss, you must be worried for the Tang Emperor. Don’t worry. He’s so smart. Those villains
will not be able to take advantage of him.”

Chu Qiao sighed and received a cup of warm, piping ginseng tea from Meixiang. However, it
was unable to warm her hands up.

“I certainly hope so.”

fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
As she thought of the group of men on horses earlier on, she suddenly felt another bad
premonition. Subconsciously, she uttered, “Meixiang, do you still have the ointment we
bought from Xinglin Hall last time around?”

Meixiang was stunned as she asked in a panicked manner, “Who’s injured? Miss, are you
injured?”

“No.” Chu Qiao shook her head hurriedly. “No one’s injured.” She laid on the mat, feeling
frustrated. Meixiang looked at her with some reservations, wondering if she had been lied
to. What was going on? Chu Qiao frowned as she thought.

On the morning of the next day, Chu Qiao and the rest resumed their journey. They had
barely made up any ground before they saw a group of men on their horses lying in wait
ahead of them. They were the people which had fought with the wolves last night.

A middle-aged man in his thirties walked over and engaged in a brief, formality- lled
conversation with Pingan. Then, he walked over to Chu Qiao’s horse carriage, bowed, and
said, “My master thanks Miss for your helping hand. I should not have bothered you, but I
have been taught to remember others’ favors. May I ask for your name? Please forgive me
for my boldness.”

Chu Qiao frowned as she replied in a heavy tone, “It was what I should have done. No need
to thank me further.”

The man was slightly stunned as he continued to direct the conversation towards his
motives. “I still don’t know your name.”

“You’re weird. Your master sent you here, which means that he does not want to reveal his
identity. Why are you trying to inquire about my background? We’re just strangers who have
helped each other. It’s normal to guard against each other. Since we don’t trust each other
and have our own matters to attend to, why are we still standing here engaging in this
meaningless conversation, instead of rushing o towards our own paths?”

The man was utterly dumbfounded, not expecting Chu Qiao to be so frank. Following which,
he took his leave quietly. The group in front then vanished after a short while.

Jingjing gasped in admiration, “Sister, you’re so capable!”

Chu Qiao sighed as she leaned on the cushion. She was not capable, she was just not
willing to waste time on them. As day by day passed, she felt increasingly worried. The
group of people made her feel uneasy and gave her a sense of danger; she evidently felt
that this was no ordinary group of people. At this moment, it was better to tread carefully—
the lesser troubles, the better.

However, barely half a day had passed before they encountered their next obstacle. At this
moment, even Jingjing, who was dense, was able to feel that something was amiss. A few
trees and a heap of mud and stones were strewn across the narrow stone path in the
mountains. They were as tall as half a human being, blocking o the path for them to
continue their journey. Everything was obvious. Although the primary instinct was to
ff
ff
fi
 attribute this sight to a landslide caused by a torrential downpour a few days ago, no one
believed in this possibility due to the coincidental occurrences they had witnessed many
times along their journey.

As expected, the group of men waited in front of their horses, greeting Chu Qiao’s party with
an aura of hostility. Pingan and the rest responded by frowning; their hands subconsciously
drifted to the side as they prepared to withdraw their swords.

Anticlimactically, the sky was a bright azure blue. The birds circled in the sky as the warm
sun shone on the ground below. It was almost oxymoronic as a dark atmosphere emanated
from the brightness. The two parties, instead of clearing up the mess on the road, stared at
each other in anticipation of a ght.

“How coincidental,” the man surnamed Cao laughed coldly as he spoke.

Pingan raised his eyebrows as he matched the man’s tone. “It is coincidental indeed, having
been through life and death situations with Brother Cao these few days. Even though I don’t
believe in fate, I have no choice but to acknowledge fate this time.”

“In my opinion, fate is rubbish. I’m afraid that someone has bad intentions.”

Pingan answered angrily, “Who are you talking about?”

The man surnamed Cao snarled coldly, “Who are you? Reveal yourselves!”

“You look more like the bad guy!” Pingan hollered in anger as he withdrew his sword which
sparkled amongst the brightness. He took a step forward, as he prepared to strike.

The opposition, threatened, withdrew his sword as well. Suddenly, a glimmer of silver
ashed across Pingan’s face, as another sword knocked Pingan’s sword o his hand and
onto the ground. A sharp, female voice echoed out, “Pingan, don’t be rash.”

The tense atmosphere was almost instantly di used. There was dead silence everywhere;
even the sounds of breathing was faintly audible. The winds swept across everyone’s eyes
and caused the leaves in the distance to rustle. The birds chirped as they ew across the
sky, restoring the bright atmosphere that was be tting of the weather.

Swoosh! A soft sound suddenly echoed out, which resembled a boot treading on the stone
path. As the wind lifted the curtains of the horse carriage, the man surnamed Cao and the
rest of his party exclaimed in shock, “Master?” The man remained silent as he walked
towards Chu Qiao’s horse carriage.

Pingan raised his eyebrows as he shouted, “Stop there!”

The man ignored him. Pingan held his sword in his hand as he prepared to strike out again.

Clank! The sword was only halfway out of his sheath before the man knocked it out of his
grip onto the ground, with great agility.

fl
fi
ff
fi
fl
ff
 Pingan’s face turned red from anger, as he charged towards the man. However, the man did
not show an ounce of fear as he quickened his steps, walked towards Chu Qiao’s carriage,
and lifted the curtains.

Whoosh! The refreshing winds blew into the carriage. The sunlight at noontime was blinding.
Chu Qiao held a mini crossbow in her hand, pointing it towards the door of her carriage.
However, she froze as the sunlight entered the pupils of her eyes.

Pingan charged towards them from behind, his hands shaped like a claw and aimed
towards the man’s neck. He was easily able to kill his enemy at this instant, having been
under Chu Qiao’s tutelage for three years. However, the man did not dodge. He was wearing
a white out t as he stood at his original position, staring at her with his handsome face. In
that instant, he did not know whether to feel happy or sad. A urry of emotions surged
within him, causing him to feel overwhelmed.

Swoosh! The arrow left the crossbow, brushed past the man’s ear, then brushed past
Pingan’s arm with frightening velocity. It carried with it a heavy murderous aura, which
stopped everyone in their tracks.

“Pingan, step away,” Chu Qiao ordered quietly without any anger, but her tone was
su ciently threatening.

Pingan answered in confusion, “Sister?”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows and looked at him, without speaking a word.

Pingan stepped back slowly, giving a nal look of indignity towards the man in front of the
carriage.

The winds were mesmerizing; the weather was good. A group of orioles landed on the tree
branches not far out, chirping happily. The trees were branched out. Many owers bloomed
on the trees of the dense forest at the sides, giving o a beautiful sight.

Chapter 224
As the wind passed by, the man’s shirt was lightly blown up. He did not carry the usual
perfume of a normal young noble, and instead had a unique waft of a refreshing smell. Along
with his aura, he seemed like a pure scoop of snow.

“Ya!” Jingjing suddenly stretched out her hand pointing at the man’s waist and shouted, “His
jade accessory is the same as sister’s!” Crystal clear, round and smooth, the jade accessory
of that man gleamed with a soft glow re ecting light. Standing back facing the wind, the
jade swayed.

Chu Qiao’s expression calmed down. As everyone looked on quietly without making a single
noise, Chu Qiao stretched out her hand and placed it on the man’s shoulders. With one
ffi
fi

fi
fl
ff
fl
fl
 quick ip, she jumped o from the carriage, and gently informed Pingan and the others, “Do
not be so stunned. Quickly clear the path in front.”

“Ah?” Pingan’s eyes widened, as he looked at Chu Qiao before looking at the man, and
turning back to ask, “Sister, you know him?”

“Yes.” Chu Qiao carefreely nodded and seemed to even seem rather happy.

Pingan was rather curious about the identity of the man, yet before he could even open his
mouth the man’s gaze had oated to him. He did not seem very stern and merely looked
exceedingly cold, as though he was really reluctant to hear this clumsy teenager continue to
talk.

Seeing as such, Brother Cao immediately lowered his head and backed o . Picking up their
tools, they started to clear the path. Chu Qiao turned around to the man and told him,
“Follow me.” With that, he turned around and walked o .

That day, the weather was particularly good, with the sky as clear as a lake of crystal clear
water. The two of them walked on one after another, and before long they had walked to a
hill. In there one could see a waterfall sweeping down falling into a deep pool below,
splashing up huge amounts of water. The water droplets, refracting the sunlight, gleamed
with an extraordinary brilliance.

Chu Qiao turned around. Looking at the man before her, she realized that even though they
had not met for an entire year, he had not really changed, and was still the same as usual.
She opened the mouth, wanting to say something, yet she knew not where to begin, and
she only smiled. Only that she did not know if she was mocking herself or merely expressing
a heartfelt emotion.

“What are you smiling about?” Zhuge Yue seemed to be as usual; his brows were slightly
furrowed together, and seemed to be rather impatient as he stood there with her.

“Nothing.” Chu Qiao shook her head, yet she continued smiling. “It occurred to me that
each time we met, we would always be in a rather special circumstance.”

Zhuge Yue turned his head around to look at elsewhere. Still so socially awkward as usual.

“What did you come here to do?”

Zhuge Yue gave her an ever so vague answer, “Settle some business.”

“Oh.” Chu Qiao nodded, and replied, “You are heading back now?”

“Yep.”

And with that, the duo sank into silence, as they stood rooted to their spots. In the blink of
an eye, two years had passed. In the past two years, he had been in control of vast power
and authority in the courts, and became one of the most powerful people in the world. Even
as Chu Qiao stayed far away and occasionally heard some rumors, she would suspect if the
man that she knew was really the same ruthless and decisive man in those rumors?

fl
ff
fl
ff
ff
 She had also heard some rumors coming from Qinghai. Although that territory belonged to
the Xia Empire, it was under an independent rule, and the governors were selected not by
blood relation but from a standardized examination that even civilians had a chance of
participating in. She had heard that there were many new laws that encouraged farming,
construction, and even protection of commerce, and with that new legislation, some of the
more daring businessmen headed to Qinghai to do business. She also heard rumors that
they had abolished slavery. Even though the rich could still purchase slaves, the slaves were
allowed to free themselves using money. In addition, even for slaves, they were not to be
killed freely, else the owner would be punished heavily by law. There were also rumors that it
was nothing like the barren lands that it was supposed to be, and was a vast land that
boasted a huge population and is full of resources.

….

There were also rumors that the King of Qinghai was infamous and notorious, and was
uno cially called the bandit marshall. Every year he would use his power and make excuses
to snatch all kinds of resources to be transported to Qinghai. Every month it seemed like
there was some kind of disaster like ood or avalanche that result in the civilians being
unable to feed themselves, and with those excuses, the court had little choice but to send
aid.

Yet, those resources that were sent for aid would immediately be sold o after leaving Zhen
Huang City. The huge amount of gold and silver will be openly sent to Qinghai. At this
juncture, over half of the Xia forces were under King of Qinghai’s control, and the Xia Empire
dare not to anger him, and could only watch as he chipped away at their resources.

It was also rumored that this man was referred to as the lord and savior by the Qinghai
civilians, was called the bandit by the civilians in the West Continent, and was named the
bloodsucker by the o cials of the Xia Empire. Even his good friend and ally, seventh prince
Zhao Che, had tactfully advised him not to be too overboard. Even as he got all the meat, he
should at least leave behind some soup for the rest.

Even though it was rumored that the civilians of the West Meng Continent hated him to the
core, they had already started to move to Qinghai. Every day, the Cuiwei Pass would be full
of people trying to sneak out.

The Grand Elder Council had chided that Zhuge Yue had intentionally instructed the guards
of Cuiwei pass to let down their guard and let the civilians drain out from the Xia mainlands
into Qinghai. Yet Zhuge Yue merely innocently shrugged. The Yan Bei army was too strong,
and we do not have any extra forces. If we wish to e ectively limit this issue, we need urgent
resources to improve on our equipment. We request 100,000 pounds of gold…

There were so many rumors, yet at this moment, when he was placed before Chu Qiao
herself, all those rumors vanished like mist. He was still the same; not the King of Qinghai,
not the Grand Marshal, not the talented Savior of Qinghai, not the cunning and shameless
Bloodsucker of Xia Empire. He was still the lonesome and arrogant man, along with his
socially awkward tendencies, he was still the same young master of Zhuge who had gone
ffi
ffi
fl
ff
ff
 through countless life or death experiences with her, and had saved her on multiple
occasions.

Some deep thought emerged, suppressing the initial excitement and joy of their reunion.
Looking at him, although he was still so handsome, he was still cold like a block of ice, yet
there were wrinkles by his eyes. Looking carefully, one could even see a tinge of fatigue in
his gaze.

She bit her lips, and lightly exclaimed, “We merely parted for one year, yet you have grown
old.”

Hearing that, Zhuge Yue was rather stunned. The coldness in his eyes faded away, as he
lowered his head and looked at her, seeing how she was still the same, only that she
seemed somewhat thinner.

He was merely 26 this year. No matter by what standards, he was not deserving of being
called old. Yet, the tiredness that he had gone through all these years, along with the ups
and downs he had faced whether in politics or battle, and the killings and ghtings, along
with the word “old” ashed before his eyes like a boiling river.

What was concealed behind the facade of glory was staying up all night, and frequently
re ecting alone without anyone understanding him, and there were also nights when he
tossed around on the bed unable to enter dreamland. Even though he was still the same
person, his heart had aged. With such experiences, how could he not be old?

Looking at her, all the anger in the past year, along with even that trace of childishness, had
faded with age in that simple sentence.

“In the past one year, have you been alright?”

“Hard to say. In any case, I am still alive.” Zhuge Yue replied without showing many
emotions. Although his words seemed harsh, he had lost the coldness in his tone. Chu Qiao
knew that at this moment he was not arguing with her, and was merely re ecting on his life.
Perhaps for geniuses like them, they would really understand that even merely living was
good enough.

“My life has been pretty good.” Even though Zhuge Yue had not asked, Chu Qiao started to
describe her own life, “I opened an inn, and am living quite comfortably.”

“I know.” The man lightly replied, yet Chu Qiao was taken aback as she lifted her head and
looked at him. “You know?” she asked.

“I stayed in your inn three times.”

Chu Qiao was completely stunned, yet Zhuge Yue continued, “It has been one year, have
you thought it through already?”

“Thought…thought what through?”

fl
fl
fl
fi
 Frowning, with a face that said “You are really good at acting dumb”, Zhuge Yue continued
to ask, “You really decided to run an inn for the rest of your life?”

Staring at him, Chu Qiao was lost for words. In reality, she really did have such plans.

“Or did you decide to nd a random person to marry o to before you reach 30?”

Chu Qiao was rather embarrassed, and asked, “Who told you?”

“Who else?” Zhuge Yue replied. “Obviously it was Li Ce. Did you not know? The Chunyu Inn
was opened by Li Ce, and the Sihai Inn that is diagonally behind you was opened by me.”

Chu Qiao was dumbfounded, and suddenly remember that those two inns were always so
empty. Initially, she was rather proud and thought that it was because of her inn that the
other two inns were out of business. Little did she realize that it was due to these two rich
people.

In that case, the incident about Mei Mountain would be something that Li Ce knew very well
of, and he should have prepared against those people. She suddenly remembered
something, and asked, “Then you must have known of my identity right from the start?”

“I didn’t.” Zhuge Yue replied. Seeing that she did not believe him, he impatiently continued,
“Although I had gone there before, I had not seen you.”

Indeed in the past one year, she had not gone out much.

“What did you come out for?”

Chu Qiao did not know what to say, as it was about Li Ce’s country, so she vaguely
answered, “To go to Tang Jing.”

“Hmph!” Zhuge Yue snorted. Beside them, there was an ivy plant coiling on a tree. The
breeze came like a waft of a cloud.

“Master,” The man whose surname was Cao shouted from afar, “The roads are open! We
can go.”

Zhuge Yue did not say anything, and after standing there for a long time, it was as though
he could not stand the suppressive atmosphere, as he turned around and wanted to walk
o .

“Zhuge Yue!” Chu Qiao suddenly shouted, “Next time you come, you should come and nd
me.”

“I have no time,” Zhuge Yue coldly replied, before slowly turning around. With a black face,
he proclaimed, “I am about to return to Qinghai, do you want to head there with me?” So
casually, he said it. It was like a conversation between two friends asking each other if they
had eaten. With that, Chu Qiao was completely taken aback. Even though there were few
things that would cause her to be stunned, she would always be lost for words when it
ff
fi
ff
fi
 came to him. Staring at him, it was as though she wanted evidence from his face to prove
that those words were not spoken by him.

“Li Ce said that you cannot adapt to change, and advised me to give you more time.”
Calmly, he said, “Have you thought it through, will you come along with me?”

“You, aren’t you the Grand Marshal of the Xia empire? You have a family too…”

“That is none of your business.” Frowning, Zhuge Yue rmly declared, “You merely need to
tell me if you are coming.”

One ock of birds ew past. Another ock of birds ew past. Countless ocks of birds ew
past. Chu Qiao still did not give any response.

Zhuge Yue erupted into anger and bellowed, “Are you coming or not?”

“Okay! Okay! I will go!” Chu Qiao shouted back.

Shouting at each other with all their strength, their echoes could be heard in the
surroundings, contrasting with the dead silence in the vicinity.

“Meeting you here was fortunate. It saved me the time to make another trip to inform you.”
Pretending to be something that did not bother him, it was as though everything was within
his grasp, yet it completely did not occur to him that he was so much more talkative than
usual. “Do not run o , just wait in your courtyard. Once I am done with my matters, I will
send someone to fetch you.” With that said, Zhuge Yue walked o , looking as cool as ever.

“Anyways, I am still opening another inn in Qinghai.”

A voice suddenly sounded from behind him. Zhuge Yue ercely turned back and glared at
her.

With the u y white clouds drifting overhead, even the birds would poke their heads out, as
though also curious about how the worldly matter could never seem to be depicted with
normal logic.

Chapter 225
When she got back to the horse carriage, Meixiang was waiting for her happily. Chu Qiao
sat down quietly, her heart still palpitating from earlier on. Had she been too rash?

“Miss,” Meixiang laughed as she spoke, “some things cannot be dealt with rationally in this
world. I feel that you were too calm previously. Being impulsive for once is not a bad thing
too.”

Chu Qiao turned around and looked at Meixiang in awe, clearly surprised by her intricate
observation skills.

fl
fl
ff
fl
ff

fl
fl
fi
fi
ff
fl
fl
Meixiang continued to laugh as she said, “Miss, don’t you know? You give away everything
through the expression on your face now. Compared to your past self, I feel that you are
more likable now.”

As the horse carriage started to move o , Pingan walked over and asked, “Sister, are we
going to follow those people?”

“Of course we’re going with them!” Jingjing opened the curtains and butted in. “We’re not
just following them. We’ll be living together in the future! Haha!”

Meixiang poured a cup of ginseng tea for Chu Qiao as she sighed softly. “Miss, not
everyone will wait for another person year after year. For some things, if you don’t grab the
chance now, you will regret it if things change in the future.”

The warm winds blew into the carriage as it lifted the curtains slightly, appearing like the
touch of a mother’s warm nger. The sky was blue; the eagles circled in the sky above the
clouds, far away from the happenings of the human world.

Chu Qiao sat on the stone steps as she gazed at the sky over the horizon. The owers in the
courtyard were in full bloom, appearing a crimson red and a bright yellow, which was
soothing to the eye.

The waiter at the inn, a young boy of about 13 to 14-years-old, sat on his small bench as he
diligently prepared some tea. Jingjing and Pingan sat at the side as they chatted along with
him. Chu Qiao overheard them talking about various topics, from the sceneries of the at
plains, to the ancient streets of Qiuling along the southern borders, to Xia’s swordhouses, to
Tang’s Wuya Mountains, and nally to Yan Bei’s Huihui Mountains. As the conversation
started to heat up, Jingjing took out a packet of candied fruit and started to chew on it as
she talked.

Meixiang sat under a camphor tree at the side as she tried to make a wreath. Her hands
weaved around expertly and with agility, captivating the attention of anyone who looked
towards her.

As the sky darkened, the courtyard was shrouded in a blanket of lights as the daytime heat
slowly dissipated. Jingjing requested a few bowls of cold fruit from the kitchen, which
looked deliciously palatable.

The torrential downpour earlier on had damaged the bridge in front of Qiufeng City. Chu
Qiao and her party’s schedule was delayed, forcing them to remain in Qiufeng City for two
more days before continuing their journey up north. Presently, they were housed in a small
inn by a hill and a lake. The inn was built on top of the hill. As the contours of the hill bobbed
up and down, it looked like a forested area due to the high concentration of trees.

Chu Qiao’s room was on top of a stone cli high up, facing the west. The innkeeper was
presumably a man of culture as well; this place was next to Sunset Mountains, hence it
assumed the name of “Sunset Courtyard”. Every evening, the view of the sunset was
beautiful.

fi
fi
ff
ff
fl
fl
Zhuge Yue stayed in Guicang Inn, located next door. On the afternoon of the previous day,
he sent some people to aid in the reconstruction works of the bridge and the crossing, along
with the o cials. He had urgent matters to attend to, hence he initiated the gesture of
goodwill.

It rained all the way from morning to afternoon. The trees were lush; the ower petals
hovered in the sky as they fell to the ground. The sight was charming.

Chu Qiao wore a plain white dress, with a wooden hairpin on top of her head. Her long,
black hair was loosely braided, giving her a refreshing look. It was a full moon that night.
Chu Qiao looked at it silently as she realized that the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching.
However, this occasion did not exist in this era yet. The period around the Mid-Autumn
Festival was called the “Festival of the White Moon”. The name was coined from a song
which Chu Qiao had heard before when she was in the army. The song painted a picture of
a man who went to ght a war for many years, being promoted from an ordinary soldier to a
general. Finally, when he returned home after the war, he realized that his house had
collapsed; his wife had eloped with another man, his parents and children had starved to
death, their remains scattered to unknown locations without a proper grave as a resting
place. She remembered the last line of the song vividly: The moonlight shines on my soul,
asking you to return to our hometown earlier… From then on, this festival advocated the
idea of a closely-knitted family – it advised people to treasure their families, and not to
neglect kinship in the face of their achievements, only to regret when the situation was no
longer salvageable.

The moonlight shines on my soul, asking you to return to our hometown earlier…

“It’s a nice song.” Meixiang put down the wreath that she held in her hands. She turned
around and looked at Chu Qiao, laughed, and said, “I haven’t heard you sing before.”

Chu Qiao was stunned as it dawned on her that she had started to hum out the tune
subconsciously.

“This is a really nice song. Miss, do you understand the meaning behind this song now?”

Chu Qiao tilted her head to the side slightly and remarked, “Meixiang, looks like you’ve been
into educating people on the principles of life lately.”

“I’m not educated. I only know the simplest principles of life. How can I compare to you,
Miss?” Meixiang chuckled as she continued to say, “However, sometimes, the more you
know, the more you are confused by those seemingly simple principles.”

“Day by day, year by year, I sit on the rooftop, looking at the village roads in search of my
husband.

While he defends the borders, others steal from us, leaving the children with no clothes to
wear, and the parents with no food to eat.

The emperor is far away; the warriors are not here. The evil village elder rules over the land.

ffi
fi
fl
 As the storm and snow ravages my house, the moonlight shines on my soul, asking you to
return to our hometown earlier…”

Meixiang’s expression was calm as she leaned on the tree, blurting out the lyrics to the
songs as some ower petals landed on the wreath in her hands. The white rays of moonlight
shone on her ngers, making it appear like the wings of a butter y. Suddenly, the sounds of
a ute started to resonate from afar. It was barely audible as it was too far out, but it lingered
in the air high up for a long while, not losing its charm. It sounded carefree and broad; a
sense of magnanimousness could be detected in the melodies of the ute. Pingan and the
rest were still engaged in conversation. However, upon hearing the sounds of the ute, all of
them stopped talking. Even Jingjing, who was not well-versed in music, stuck her ears out
earnestly to listen quietly.

Meixiang stood up and returned to her room to retrieve a white cloak, then draped it over
Chu Qiao’s shoulder. She was laughing as she said, “Miss, you have been busy living your
life on tenterhooks these few days. It’s time to take a rest. The backyard of this courtyard
has good sceneries. The moonlight is good tonight. Why don’t you take a walk there?”

Chu Qiao turned around to see Meixiang staring at her with a smile, encouraging her to do
what she had just said.

“Meixiang…” Chu Qiao wanted to say something, but no words came out of her mouth.

Meixiang continued to speak, “Miss, I don’t understand anything about the principles of
loyalty. Those beliefs…I don’t understand anything. I only wish for Miss to live a happy life.
You’re a good person. That song was not meant for you to listen to.”

The moonlight shone on Chu Qiao’s face as she went into a daze. The lyrics of the second
half of the song ashed across her mind:

“As years pass, the snow continues to fall. My husband does not know his way back; it is a
bleak future ahead.

As the children succumb to the plague and the parents starve, I am forced to sell my body
for food to keep us alive.

He is ambitious and despises the poor life. My hair has turned white after waiting ten years
for his return.

Life is di cult. As time passes, I no longer yearn for riches, but a proper place to sleep in
instead…”

“Meixiang, pass me the light green cloak.” Meixiang looked at her suspiciously as she was
slightly surprised. However, Chu Qiao started to laugh as she stood up and said, “You wear
nothing but white and black all day. It looks like you’re going to a funeral.”

As the moonlight continued to shine, she walked along the path quietly, as her mind
wandered down the memory lane as well. The memories were like eagles, as they ew
across the portrait-like background with a beautiful lake as a setting. All of her emotions
fl
ffi
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
 blended together as it submerged itself to the bottom of her heart, turning into a puddle of
water as it slowly froze into ice.

Enmity, restraint, resentment, entanglement, kindness, unity, life and death, reunion,
struggles, elation, farewells, and disconsolation…

With every step she took, a new scene ashed across her mind, which was often too much
for her to bear. It reminded her of family and domestic feuds, the personal feuds, the
mistreatment, the disappointment, her stubborn devotion, and the many years of
suppression and tolerance that she had to endure. Many a time, it had caused her to feel
overwhelmed.

She had buried these emotions at the bottom of her heart for so long. However, this
controversial song struck a chord with her, shing these emotions out through her ngertips,
lyric by lyric. She was the lake in the picture, using her rationality and calmness to freeze
herself over and bury her emotions.

One year, two years, many years at a time.

Near the back of the mountains, a small pavilion was built atop a small pond. The wood
used in its construction had been slightly damaged, but the boss had thoughtfully planted
some pollia japonica and wisteria owers below the pavilion to preserve its aesthetic appeal.
The owers clung onto the wooden pillars and grew their way up slowly, adding an element
of class and tranquility to the setting.

The moonlight shone on the green pond. The crescent moon imprinted its re ection onto the
water surface, appearing a pale white. Zhuge Yue wore a purple out t as he sat on the steps
leading up to the pavilion. He bent one leg as he straightened the other, leaning his back
against the worn-out pillars. A few loose strands of hair stuck out from his hairline, resting
against his forehead. He was still as handsome as ever, as he held a green ute in his hand
while playing his melodious tune. Without any resentment, devotion, and ambition being
expressed through his music, it sounded like an ordinary young man playing a folk song in
his repertoire—relaxed and soothing. The aroma of the owers lingered playfully around his
nose.

Chu Qiao stood there quietly, not speaking a word. The wind blew across her green cloak as
it uttered in the air, appearing like a willow branch in the early morning. She had not seen
him in this way before. Through the vicissitudes of many years, she had lamented her fate
repeatedly. As she stood here presently, she started to appreciate the fact that she was
much better o than the general in that heart-rending song. Her house had not collapsed;
her family had not died. As for the person she loved, he stood right there in front of her,
waiting to hold her hand whenever she decided to turn back.

Despite being forcibly separated geographically and due to circumstances, he staggered

along this di cult path, step by step, all the way up to this day. With a sense of wilfulness
and stubbornness, which was few and far between in this world, he had managed to defy all
expectations as he watched over her, helping her to navigate through the complexities of
life.

fl
fl
ffi
ff
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
That layer of ice on the lake in her mind thawed in an instant. She seemingly heard the
collapse of the rational Xia Empire with a resounding thud, as she told herself: Perhaps, I
can be willful for once too. After all, she had not been wilful for many years.

As the sounds of the ute stopped, the man tilted his head to the side, looking at the
woman dressed in green standing under the tree. In that instant, he was temporarily dazed.

“Why are you here?”

“Are you the only one that’s allowed to come here?” Chu Qiao laughed as she kicked out at
Zhuge Yue’s leg. “Get out of the way.” She naturally sat down after the man retracted his
leg. The white moonlight shone on her face, making it appear like a broken piece of jade
that was still in a relatively good condition.

“Zhuge Yue, are you heading back to Xia once the bridge is repaired tomorrow?”

Zhuge Yue nodded and looked at her with a queer look on his face. “What’s the matter?”

“When are you going to nd me then?”

A tinge of surprise ashed across the man’s eyes. Perplexed, he looked at her, seemingly
trying to detect any ulterior motives she harbored.

“Are you going to wait till the Xia Emperor dies? Or when Zhao Che ascends the throne? At
that time, would you be able to escape fully?” Chu Qiao quizzed as she bent her knees,
sitting on the steps. She wore the hat on top of her cloak, covering up her fair neck. She
leaned her chin on her knee, gazing towards the pond in front. Turning around suddenly, she
remarked, “Zhuge Yue, let me sing a song for you.”

The look in the woman’s face was bright—a complete opposite to her old, easily depressed
self. She looked at him quietly as she smiled, the recurrent scene in her dreams nally
becoming a reality. Her eyes ltered out other background distractions and shadows,
leaving him as the only thing in her line of sight.

Chapter 226
He had forgotten how he had nodded, and could only remember how she happily supported
her cheeks with her two hands. The moonlight illuminated the beautiful line that surrounded
her face. Her voice was ever so gentle, like the endless waves hitting on sand on a beach, it
pierced the peace in the night and entered his heart.

Once upon a time, I was yours, and you were mine.

Once upon a time, you left me to soar in the skies.

The world outside was colorful; The world outside was ruthless.

As you felt that the world outside was so interesting, I will be here praying for your
blessings.

fl
fl
fi

fi
fi
Whenever the sunsets, I will be here hoping for your return.

Even as the rain falls, I will be right here waiting for you.

Along with wind, the singing lled the courtyard along with oral fragrance. Turning around,
Chu Qiao’s gaze was ever so clear. She stretched out her hand, and very carefully
approached Zhuge Yue. It was unlike any other time, and it was almost like a girl falling in
love for the rst time, she was so nervous that even her ngertips were trembling. Little by
little, she rst touched the back of the man’s palm, before pinching his ngers. Her ngers
were so cold, like the water from an icy lake.

Zhuge Yue looked at her, with his expression completely stunned. With the night wind
blowing around them, the aroma of the ower buds wafted. For a moment, they seemed like
two kids who were standing on the same step of a staircase, holding each other’s hands,
neither of them speaking. They had always been on opposing sides, yet suddenly they were
allies. At that moment, it all seemed confusing.

Zhuge Yue felt like laughing at the irony, yet he felt that laughing at this occasion would be
rather inappropriate. Sternly, he frowned, and his expression was rather amusing. After
leaving behind her mental burdens, Chu Qiao was now natural. Pulling on his hand, and with
her eyes wide open, she asked, “Zhuge Yue, is Qinghai a good place?”

“Hmm?” The man hesitated before replying, “It was not bad.”

“Is it pretty there?”

A certain unromantic man bluntly replied, “There are some places that were not bad.”

“Is Qinghai cold?”

“Not cold in summer, but it will be cold in winter.”

Chu Qiao seemed to be brimming with hope. “The civilians there must be honest and
simple.”

“You must be dumb. How could there be no evil people? Who would have no sel shness
whatsoever?”

“Ah?” Chu Qiao frowned. “Even then, isn’t Qinghai pretty good?”

“Since when did I say it was a utopia?”

Chu Qiao was left speechless. She was pretty sure these were not supposed to be the
words that a man would tell a woman before they eloped together.

“There was one thing that is pretty good there.”

Chu Qiao asked, “What?”

fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
 Zhuge Yue proudly smiled. “There, I am the law.” Zhuge Yue laughed a bit, but seeing how
no one was amused, he stopped laughing miserably, before asking, “Xing’er, when did it
start?”

Chu Qiao was a tad stunned, as she clari ed, “What did you say?”

Zhuge Yue paused a moment, as though he was rather embarrassed. With his brows
frowning, it took him a while to continue, “When did you stop hating me?”

“Who said I don’t anymore?” Chu Qiao pretended to be rather angry, as she waved her st
and pointed at her head. “I will always remember everything in here.”

Zhuge Yue glanced at her in disdain. “Lies”

The moon peacefully lighted up this entire scene. Actually, many a time, certain issues
would only need a few sentences or a few actions. Yet, it may take many years before
something could happen.

With the swaying of the trees, the man’s nger naturally reached over, pulling the woman’s
nger into his palms. After so many years of hard work, holding onto such deep emotions, it
was as though she was waiting for this one action. Turning his head back, at an angle that
none could see, Zhuge Yue happily smiled.

By the next day, the bridge had nally been xed. They exited Qiufeng City, and crossed the
Muling River. As they reached Qiusha Province, they had to part. The day was sunny, as the
sky extended into an unending blue. The two groups stopped in the tracks as Zhuge Yue
and Chu Qiao stood at the front of the group.

Looking cool, Zhuge Yue looked to the north. He said, “I will be leaving.”

“Oh.” Chu Qiao nodded, “See you.”

“Don’t always fool around with Li Ce. Go back to your inn if you are bored.”

“Who was fooling around?” Chu Qiao frowned.

“Hmph!”

“Zhuge Yue, we are about to part, couldn’t you leave a better impression?”

Zhuge Yue stubbornly snorted. “I never had any good impression of you.”

Chu Qiao went up and pinched him. “Are you even a human? Who was the one who cried
for me to go with you?”

Probably pained from Chu Qiao’s pinch, Zhuge Yue was rather enraged, and bellowed, “Chu
Qiao! Since when did I come to you crying for you to follow me?”

Did he not? After thinking of it, it really did not seem like that had happened. But what he
had done was essentially about the same as that, was it not? Why did he always act like he
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
 did not care after he achieved his goal? In the rst place, he had not even completely gotten
what he had wanted.

Glaring at him, she snapped, “Continue to act.”

They carried on glaring at each other, and the sadness of parting had suddenly vanished.
After all, they were closer than before, right? At the very least, they could joke with each
other.

“I am very serious.” Zhuge Yue solemnly started to talk, “Do not fool around so much with Li
Ce. Do not interfere with the Tang Empire’s matters. I realized that you are really a
busybody.”

Busybody? Chu Qiao stared at him, and unhappily countered, “I merely wanted to remind
him.”

“What about now? Why are you heading there again?”

Chu Qiao bellowed, “Am I not leaving? I want to nd him to bid my farewell.”

Leaving? Where to? Zhuge Yue’s mood was suddenly lifted. In a rather unnatural, manner,
he cleared his throat and said, “In any case, you should be more careful. That assh*le, Li Ce,
is not a good in uence.”

Chu Qiao shook her head and exclaimed, “I guess when they were talking about burning
bridges, they were referring to people like you.”

“What did you say?” Zhuge Yue was really about to erupt with rage. Lifting her hand, Chu
Qiao signaled that she did not want to be angry like him, and innocently said, “Are you not
leaving? The sky will be dark soon. If you are not leaving, I will leave.”

After dgeting for a while, Zhuge Yue took out a jade bell from his clothes. It seemed
normal, yet he raised it beside her mouth, and instructed, “Sing the song that you sang last
night.”

A little taken aback, Chu Qiao asked, “Why?”

Zhuge Yue’s face turned red with embarrassment, and he looked adorable. Frowning, he
declared, “Why do you have so many questions? Just sing.”

“Singing needs to t my mood. My mood is bad, I don’t want to sing.”

Zhuge Yue used his killer gaze on her without averting his eyes. Slightly intimidated, Chu
Qiao whispered, “There are so many people here. Once I sing, they will all listen to me. How
could I live with such embarrassment?”

Zhuge Yue accepted this poor excuse of an excuse and instructed, “Then just say
something.”

“What should I say?”

fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
The man was on the verge of erupting. “Anything!”

Chu Qiao immediately shouted, “Zhuge Yue is a b*stard!” in such a loud voice that even
many of the bodyguards could not help but to turn around and look at them.

Zhuge Yue was completely enraged and wanted to leave. Seeing how her joke was a bit
overboard, Chu Qiao quickly chased after him and pulled on his hand. She said to the small
bell, “Remember, I will be waiting for you.” With just one sentence, the man was no longer
teeming with rage. In reality, he was really easy to please.

“What exactly is this?” Chu Qiao was confused, and found that it was like a rock, but it was
not a rock. It was like a jade, but it was not a jade. With extremely intricate craftsmanship, it
had the appearance of a bell, but the inside was lled with twists and turns, like a human
ear.

Zhuge Yue did not bother to answer her, but merely said, “Leave. Do not be so slow.”

He still seems to be so entitled?

Walking to the head of the two convoys, as they were about to part, Chu Qiao could not
help but give a serious blessing, “Take care.”

Zhuge Yue pretended to be very rm as he lightly waved his hand before calmly mounting
his horse. He seemed so arrogant and cold, as though he was above all. He replied,
“Remember what I’ve said.” Having said that, he left like a boss surrounded by his guards.

As the crowd gradually faded into the distance, Chu Qiao still stood rooted to the ground.
Jingjing approached, rather dazed, and muttered, “Sister, the brother-in-law seems so
ruthless.”

Chu Qiao’s face turned red, and she turned around and asked Mei Xiang, “Mei Xiang, do
you know what was that thing?” She then described the bell’s shape.

Before Mei Xiang could reply, Pingan snatched the opportunity to talk, “Sister, if you did not
see wrongly, that should be the Xiangzhi Bell from legend. I heard that it was one of the
three treasures of the Windtalkers people. The Windtalkers were skilled with crafts, and were
masters of the secret art of mechanics. This Xiangzhi Bell was made by the eighth chief of
their tribe. As long as one talks loudly to the bell, the sound will be saved by the bell. When
the wind blows onto it, the voice will eliminate from it in the exact same tone. The only issue
was that the Windtalkers were hard to trace, and few have heard of their existence in recent
years. Even that Xiangzhi Bell had been rumored to be lost. Where did Sister see that bell?
Did you hear the bell talk?”

Chu Qiao was slightly taken aback. The sounds of the horse galloping had all but vanished,
leaving behind only a trail of dust on the road.

“Xiangzhi Bell?”

Zhuge Yue had left his carriage and opted to ride on his horse. Right now, he was already
near the Xia Border, and his men who were to meet him were close by. As such, the
fi
fi
entourage need not carefully cover their traces any longer. The day was rather warm without
a single trace of wind. Yet, while on the horse, there was still incoming headwind brushing
against the bell hanging before his neck.

“Remember, I am waiting for you,” a lady’s voice gently resounded by his ear. It was crystal
clear like an undisturbed lake, exuding serenity. His lips could not help but curl upwards.
Yet, before he could even ash a complete smile, another piercing voice resounded, “Zhuge
Yue is a b*stard!” The sound was so loud that all the guards were stunned. They stopped
and looked at him. At that instance, Zhuge Yue’s face turned completely black.

On the path leading to the east, in a certain carriage, Chu Qiao was still trying her best to
think while saying to herself, “Then would it not be similar to a recorder? Xiangzhi Bell? How
is it made?”

“Sister? What is a recorder?” Jingjing approached and curiously inquired.

Hearing that, Chu Qiao helpfully explained, “The recorder is…” Sitting on the other side of
the carriage, Mei Xiang looked at Chu Qiao who was explaining the concept of the recorder
to Jingjing, and could not help but to smile.

Many times life was as such. When one was faced with a situation himself, he would be
confused. Yet it was never so complicated in the eyes of the bystander, and one merely
stubbornly refused to see the matter clearly due to something deep inside one’s heart. Even
for the most ingenious of people, they could still be lost when something happened to them.
Sometimes, one only needed to step out once, and the following incidents would change
drastically.

“There is still much left to do. There may be other incidents happening. Are you scared?”

With the wind sweeping past, ripples appeared on the surface of the undisturbed waters.
Leaning her head on his shoulders, there was a light fragrance. Her voice was almost
inaudible, yet it pierced through all the remaining reservations he had left in his heart as he
heard the short phrase, “I am not scared.”

Lightly smiling, he stretched out his hand and wrapped it around her waist. Sitting like that,
they waited until dawn came.

Chapter 227
Chu Qiao’s suspicions were nally con rmed. The chaos in Tang nally broke out at the
imperial mausoleum in Meishan after ten peaceful years. It came out of the blue, like a pot of
cold water. Before the people inside could react in time, the pot of water was heated to its
boiling point, implicating everyone within.

At Hanshui, the con ict had escalated. After a few groups of cavalry troops trampled on the
land, the city was destroyed. Homes were torched; the fertile land was instantly turned to a
barren wasteland. The prosperity of the city went up in smokes. On both sides of the roads,
fl

fl
fi
fi
fi
 corpses of the civilians littered the ground. A pungent smell of blood could be detected
amongst the decomposing bodies.

The king of Luo had started a rebellion in Meishan. The residents, who did not want to be
branded as rebels, brought their families and migrated towards Hanshui, only to realize that
Xu Su, one of his brothers-in-law, had taken over command of Hanshui Pass. The water
crossing leading towards the east had been duly sealed o . The Tang troops located west of
Hanshui Pass were disorganized and were heavily defeated by the king of Luo at the city of
Hong. The life of the Tang Empire hung by a thread.

Chu Qiao and her party’s journey was delayed as a result. Along the district of Hanshui, the
civilians gathered in large numbers. As it was in the middle of summer, diseases were
rampant within the city. In less than half a month, an epidemic broke out there. The noble
aristocrats stayed in their houses, sending their servants to keep watch and patrol the areas.
The inns and restaurants closed for business, causing rations to be in short supply. Chu
Qiao and her party had no choice but to head towards the outskirts of the city. Luckily, they
had prepared themselves for the long journey ahead; their rations and tents were su cient
to tide them over.

As the days passed, they heard all kinds of di erent rumors. When Pingan and the rest went
into the city to gather intel, their e orts did not come to fruition.

The rumors were diverse in nature. Some people claimed that Li Ce had gathered an army
of 800,000 elite cavalry troops in the east, and that he was headed towards Hanshui for a
rampage. Some people claimed that the king of Luo had massacred the Nanhuai Army at
Junshan a few days ago. The areas around Jiangzhe, the city of Fei, Nanwang, Anxi County
and the Sunset Mountains had been heavily a ected. The army of the royal capital had
su ered heavy casualties, while the survivors had surrendered. In less than ve days, the
army of the king of Luo was to conquer Hanshui. Others claimed that the big households in
the southwest rendered support towards the Luo King’s rebellion in the form of donating
money and rations towards the cause, due to their displeasure with the current fatuous ruler.
They sent out their private troops to join the Meishan Army, causing the king of Luo’s army
to be almost 1,000,000 strong. More absurd theories claimed that Li Ce was no longer in
Tang Jing, and that he had ed to Xia with his concubines. The Song Empire had
constructed a boat for him, for him to escape to the seas.

The people along Hanshui waited with bated breath. Although the rumors were not entirely
valid, the army of the Luo King slowly approached Hanshui as each day passed. As the
number of refugees entering the city decreased, it meant that the Luo King’s army was
starting to surround Hanshui. A major battle was about to ensue.

After seven days, the Luo King’s army nally arrived at Qibai Slope, less than 40 kilometers
away from Hanshui. However, they stopped there, showing no signs of a head-on
confrontation with General Xu Su. On the other side, Hanshui did not show any signs of
defecting towards the Luo King either. The war suddenly entered a stalemate.

ff
fl
ff
fi
ff
ff
ff
fi
ffi
 Suddenly, the Xishuo Army of the royal capital detected that something was amiss. General
Xu Su was a general of the royal army, who had followed Old General Murong in his early
years. If he stood on Li Ce’s side, their hopes of victory would have been greatly boosted.

After four days, the commander of the Xishuo Army, Lu Bingkuan, led 30,000 troops
towards Qibai Slope, engaging in a erce battle with the Luo King’s army. Although they
su ered heavy casualties, they managed to breach the defense line of their enemy to
advance towards Hanshui. Evidently, they sided with the Hanshui troops—they wanted to
protect the royal capital of Tang.

However, another twist in the tale occurred that night. Out of the blue, a massacre, which
shook the entire continent of West Meng, broke out in Hanshui. All of Lu Bingkuan’s 13,000
soldiers were slaughtered by Xu Su that night, their blood staining Hanshui River red.
Bloodstains were even visible at the undercurrents of the river, located more than 15
kilometers away. The mountain of corpses was su cient to form a tall dam.

Vultures congregated in the districts of Hanshui. In the middle of the night, they let out their
sharp cries as they feasted on the decomposing corpses. It was a nightmarish sight.

Three days later, the king of Luo, seemingly convinced by Xu Su’s loyalty towards him,
entered Hanshui with his army of 150,000. The day after, with the support of his troops, the
king of Luo proclaimed himself as the ruler of the place as he conducted his rituals to
ascend the throne. He became known as the king of Jingheng.

Two days later, the Meishan Army, consisting of 200,000 troops, arrived at Hanshui to side
with the king of Luo. Together with Xu Su’s army of 180,000 troops, the military forces of the
king of Luo approached 600,000 people. With this, the Tang Empire had been split into two,
with each part colonized by a di erent ruler.

Ten days later, the Tang Emperor, Li Ce, could no longer stand such an unprecedented
humiliation. He nally issued a declaration of war, with many scathing statements written
within. He would be leading his troops personally to ght the war. His army consisted of the
Central Army (90,000 people), the Southeastern Army (110,000 people), and local provincial
troops (200,000 people). After gathering them in one place, he headed swiftly towards
Hanshui. A big battle loomed on the horizon.

On the ninth day of the eighth month, the king of Luo stood atop Zhaoyang Platform and
paid his respects to the ancestors. Thereafter, he led his troops and 150,000 other troops
from the Meishan Army across the river, leaving 50,000 troops from the Meishan Army and
Xu Su behind to guard Hanshui. Li Ce’s army stayed in their own camp, not daring to ght
head-on. For ve days, only small skirmishes broke out, resembling more like a minor riot
compared to a battle of armies. In that instant, Li Ce became a laughing stock in Tang. The
Tang Emperor was scared of the king of Luo, as he did not dare to ght head-on. This news
became known to the whole world.

As everyone thought that Li Ce was about to lose his empire, Chu Qiao instructed Meixiang
to pack up and enter Tang Jing. Meixiang was perplexed as she questioned her motives.

ff
fi
fi
ff
fi
ffi
fi
fi
fi
 Chu Qiao looked at Xu Su’s camp towards the east, her sight suddenly becoming a little
blurry as she thought of the massacre that had descended upon the Xishuo Army the other
night. She remembered the non-stop cries of agony vividly.

“This war is about to end.”

On the 17th day of the eighth month, the Tang army brushed o all their cowardice, nally
engaging in combat with the Luo King’s army at Hulin Plains. The battle lasted one day and
one night, with both parties showing no intentions to compromise. Both parties knew that
this was a battle for supremacy over the empire; a bright future awaited the winner. As for
the loser, his entire family would be exterminated.

As the battle entered its critical moment, General Xu Su suddenly appeared on the
battle eld. The army of the Luo King cheered as they savored the taste of victory. However,
before their celebrations had ended, General Xu Su turned on the Luo King’s army, carrying
out a sneak attack from the back!

On the 20th day of the eighth month, the Luo King’s army was defeated. Over 40,000 of his
troops died, while the survivors surrendered. Under the escort of 2,000 elite troops, the King
of Luo escaped to Hanshui, only to nd that the 50,000 troops he had left behind had
already been killed. In addition, there was no longer any water route out of Hanshui. Driven
to desperation, he committed suicide by the bank of Hanshui River.

With this, the king of Jingheng, who had ascended the throne for a mere 11 days,
disappeared from the political scene of Tang. His disappearance was sudden, as if he had
never appeared before.

On the 21st day of the eighth month, the royal army tracked down the remnants of the Luo
King’s family, wiping out more than 300 families in the southwest. The women were
captured as prostitutes, while the men were executed. In one night, the entirety of his family
along the southwest was uprooted; the region became a desolate, no man’s land.

On the 27th day of the eighth month, the Tang Emperor returned to court, victorious. He
allowed General Xu Su, who had accumulated major credit in neutralizing the rebellion, to
continue leading the e orts to weed out any more rebels that remained. The bloodshed
continued to spread across the land of Tang, outwards from Meishan.

On the fourth day of the ninth month, the Tang Emperor declared that half of the assets
seized from the southwest was to be donated equally to the various provinces and counties
that had su ered from the war. In addition, he lowered taxes on the southwest for ve years,
for them to rebuild after the war. At that moment, Li Ce’s reputation soared to even greater
heights. The people, who had lost their homes and families, thanked him for his grace in
giving them a lifeline.

On the ninth day of the ninth month, Chu Qiao and her party took a boat across Hanshui
towards Tang Jing. A state of normalcy had been restored in Tang. The skies were still blue;
the winds were still mesmerizing. The only thing that di ered was that the deceased warriors
could never be brought back to life again.

fi
ff
ff
fi
ff
ff
fi
fi
The full moon shone brightly in the sky like re ned jade on the 15th day of the ninth month.
Large crowds of re ies clustered around the sycamore trees outside the palace, giving o a
blue glow as they circled around. The imperial palace was cold and deserted. White curtains
were hung all over the place, while pale white candles replaced the bright palace lights.

She followed behind the servants as she walked slowly. Jinwu Palace was still as big as
ever, but it was now devoid of the melodious tunes that lasted into the night and the
dancers with good gures. This majestic palace had suddenly become more spacious.

The arrow pattern on her sleeve brushed against the two layers of clothes that she was
wearing, causing a rustling sound. The night was peaceful; only the crows that ew over the
sky could be seen nestling on the tall rooftops. The color of twilight spread across the land;
a heavy incense smell drifted out from the dense clusters of pine and cypress trees. Chu
Qiao looked far away, hearing the sounds of reverends chanting their sutras from the
distance. A sense of emptiness lled her heart.

Mihe Residences was still the same. Sycamore trees decorated the background along with
lotus ponds, as the cicadas chirped time after time. The pale moonlight shone through the
windows. A few windows were left ajar in the western part of the place, causing the humid
winds to enter the building. The greenish-white curtains ew about in the air as an antiqued
wine chime in front of the windows rang out. Its sounds were still crisp, sounding like
someone that was hammering at a layer of ice.

Li Ce sat at a table in between the curtains, with two mats by his side. A green jade teapot
and two white wine cups were placed on the table.

The green curtains danced along with the winds as it swept across the big, empty palace. Li
Ce’s hair was let down and hung by his sides. He was dressed in a dark shade of purple,
with layer upon layer of green clouds embroidered on his out t, with a sense of
exquisiteness exclusive to the royals. His face glowed a pale white as he sat there under the
moonlight, appearing like a still gure in a portrait.

Chu Qiao stood at the door as she supported herself against the green pillar, not knowing
how to approach him.

The night winds lifted the curtains gently. Li Ce turned around, the moonlight still shining on
his face. He was still handsome; as his eyes squinted, he gave o his usual fox-like
appearance. Gently, he said, “You’re here.” His voice was calm, but it evoked sadness in
Chu Qiao’s heart as she looked at him. He was still the same old person when she left—
cheeky and playful, but wise beyond his years.

Time had passed in a ash. Many things had happened, which had overwhelmed her. At this
moment, as she looked at him, she felt a sense of distance as her heart ached a little.

Chu Qiao walked in front and squatted in front of Li Ce. Her eyes teared up as she pouted.
Li Ce smiled and caressed her hair, deliberately messing it up just like he had done before.
Laughing, he said, “Why the depressed face? I’m still alive.” He was always so cheerful. Chu
Qiao felt even more saddened. Forcing out a smile, she nodded and replied, “It’s good
you’re alright.”

fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
ff
fl
ff
The window was half-opened; the last lotus ower could be seen as it bloomed.

Li Ce lowered his head as he brushed his nger against the ower patterns of the cup. “He’s
a rebel. He can’t be buried in the imperial mausoleum. I buried his body in Luofu
Mountains.”

A gust of wind blew into the palace, causing the wind chime to let out a series of sounds. As
they looked up, they saw the exquisite patterns carved onto the wind chime. At its edges,
beautiful art patterns of owers could be seen, adorned with a layer of golden powder on
top. Its color was still fresh despite having weathered the tides of time.

Li Ce gulped down one cup of wine. With a calm look on his face, he said plainly, “Fu’er is
buried there too.” He looked up, a deep look in his eyes. With a philosophical look in his
eyes, he continued, “They were not born on the same day, but they are buried together. His
death was not in vain.”

The palace quietened down. Chu Qiao sat beside Li Ce, accompanying him as he downed
cup after cup of wine. She did not sit opposite him, for she knew that the seat was not
reserved for her. Under the lonely moonlight, he was waiting for a person whom he would
never be able to see again.

Chapter 228
“I knew that he would rebel”

Li Ce talked by himself. Chu Qiao did not reply. She knew that at this moment he did not
need any replies, and only wanted her to listen on quietly. “I waited for him many years, and
I held onto the hope that he would decide not to rebel in the end.”

Smiling in self-mockery, Li Ce downed a cup of wine, before looking at Chu Qiao. “Did you
know? Since young, Li Luo was not as smart as me. He was inferior to me both in terms of
strategic planning and military strategy. The only thing he was better at than me was poetry.
He said that when he grew up, he wanted to become a scholar whose name would be
recognized all over the world, and would nd a scenic spot to open a school. He dreamed to
pen a book about the entire West Meng Continent.”

Frowning, Li Ce was illuminated by the moonlight that poured into the room through the
curtains. Quietly he continued, “Little did he know, the moment I became the crown prince, I
already started to create a library at Anqing for him. Yet, due to Fu’er’s death, I lost the
opportunity to tell him about it.” His brows suddenly furrowed together, and in the tone of
his voice, one could hear immense hatred. He squeezed out the following words, “Why must
he rebel?”

The wine cup broke into two. The sharp jade piece pierced into his palm, and the crimson
red blood spurted out looking like crabapple blossoms. Chu Qiao suddenly remembered
how years ago, in this precise palace, with the backdrop of sycamore trees, a man wearing
green was standing there peacefully and gently. He introduced himself, “I am King Luo.”

fl

fi
fi
fl
fl
 At that moment, in the dust-covered corner of one’s memory, time had reversed, as three
young kids ran in this quiet and big palace. Their laughter was like the summer breeze,
shattering the thick fog that covered this forbidden palace, and chasing away the darkness
of politics in the palace…

“Fu’er, didn’t we agree that today you would be my wife? Yesterday, and the day before, it
was always him. Today, it is my turn.”

“I don’t want to!”

“Why? You must keep your promise!”

“I don’t want to!”

“Hmph! I will tell my father, and marry you now!”

“I don’t want to! I don’t want to!”

“Ah! You! How can you bite others!”

“Enough, the two of you should stop making a fuss. You should head to the study room for
lessons.”

“Brother Luo, the Crown Prince bullied me.”

“What brother? You should address him as the Uncle! Uncle, Fu’er is sick and was biting
other people. I am going to look for a doctor, and cannot go for lessons today.”

….

In the darkness of the night, the glory of the past faded into the deep creases of one’s
memories, leaving behind only a soft afterglow. In the cold rays of the moonlight, even with
the sweltering heat of summer, one would get goosebumps as chills headed up through the
spine, o ering relief from the uncomfortable heat.

Li Ce had drunk too much, and his frail gure shakily walked out of the main door of the
Mihe residence, slowly disappearing into the background of sycamore trees and moonlight.
Standing by the window, Chu Qiao looked on at him leaving, with only emptiness in her
heart, feeling like an icy lake that had been cracked open. When it came to the struggle for
power, history had always been so cruel. If the other party did not die, one would never be
at ease. It was akin to the relation between Yan Bei and the Xia empire; it was impossible to
reconcile.

She suddenly thought about Yan Xun, and was reminded of how she felt when he killed
Mister Wu and the others. Perhaps the circumstances were di erent, but ultimately, both
con icts arose out of a struggle for power. If Li Ce felt sad about King Luo’s death, would
Yan Xun feel regret over his actions that day?

The roar of despair that Huanhuan gave before her death blended in with the death cries of
the Xishuo Army. The piercing sound wreaked havoc in her mind. As the skyscraper of
fl
ff
fi
ff
power was constructed, ultimately only one would reach its pinnacle. Before that happened,
thousands upon thousands would fall, becoming the stepping stones to that person’s
ascension.

Beside the desk, there were a few droplets of clear liquid that did not give o any aroma of
alcohol. It sparkled in the moon rays.

“There was a wind bell that had been covered by the sand and dust. If you are free, lady,
you can request for the servants to clean it up. In the autumn wind, the bell sounds crisp
and melodic,” a calm voice echoed at the back of her head.

Chu Qiao walked over and stretched out her hand to touch the bell, only to hear a whoosh
as the line that held the bell up snapped, and the ornament fell into the pond below, creating
a splash, followed by waves of ripples.

Year 780, August 20th, Mei Mountain’s Li Luo was defeated and died by Hanshui River. In
the same year, on the rst of September, the three sons and two daughters of Li Luo were
decapitated in Mei Mountain, and Li Luo’s 21 generals were killed. General Xu Su personally
supervised the execution, and with his order, dozens of lives were lost in an instant.

On that day, Mei Xiang entered, and on her clothes, there were a few pristine white ower
petals. Qiu Sui called out to her several times before she responded, and muttered, “I heard
that King Luo’s concubine Lady Xu has been found.”

Lady Xu? Xu Su’s sister, Xu Peining?

Qiu Sui patted her own chest in relief. “They nally found her. I heard that General Xu Su lost
both of his parents when young, and was extremely doting on this sister of his. Now, after
achieving such a great accomplishment for His Majesty, it would be such a pity if Lady Xu
was to be embroiled within as well.”

Mei Xiang frowned very slightly, and her gaze was like a lantern covered by a thick layer of
fog. Light from the candle about as thick as one’s forearm shone on her face, revealing her
pale complexion. Lowering her volume, her voice was tiny, “I heard, she was found in Luofu
Mountain. She was hanging by a dead tree, and both of her legs had already been eaten by
wild wolves.” Hearing that, Qiu Sui shrieked and turned white as a sheet.

Chu Qiao’s heart also sank, as a coldness rose within her heart. Like smoke rising from
incense, the strands of coldness coiled around, lingering.

In the coldness of the night, the dance began yet again in Rou Fu Palace. Lady Zi Ming was
already named the Rou Concubine, and became the most powerful woman in Li Ce’s harem.
A few days ago, she had been con rmed by the doctor to be pregnant, and in a few days
time, she would head to the imperial villa for an environment best suited for the baby.

In such a long night, the bustling was lled with a certain dread that seemed to be never-
ending.

fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fl
With that, another half a month passed as autumn came. After some rain, the atmosphere
became cold and clammy. The lotuses started to wither. The lake was full of blackened lotus
leaves. Now, in Jinwu Palace, there was no one left who had the mood to especially channel
water a hot spring just to make the lotus blossoms last longer.

After the upheaval, as the Xuefu City was rather close to Mei Mountain, Chu Qiao’s inn was
also destroyed in the ames of war. Mei Xiang, Jingjing, and the others could not help but
feel disappointed. Li Ce said that it was possible to rebuild everything, but Chu Qiao had
already lost her interest. After all, she would not stay in West Meng for too long.

Just like that, Chu Qiao stayed in Jinwu Palace. Looking at the sun setting on the other side
of the window, she patiently waited for the arrival of every new day. She had rarely seen Li
Ce. Since the incident involving King Luo, although the Tang Empire had su ered many
losses in terms of military strength, with the destruction of opposition, and after adsorbing
the Southwestern tribes’ wealth, the treasury was richer than ever. Li Ce suddenly seemed
to have changed his personality, and became busy. He became a rare sight in the banquets
in the harem.

In the autumn wind, time passed quickly. Two months later, Chu Qiao woke up and opened
the windows, only to see a thin layer of snow, and the sycamore tree outside seemed to
have turned white. It had been long since they had seen any snow; Mei Xiang and the others
were rather happy, and Jingjing even brought a few maidservants to play outside. Wearing a
crimson cape, they looked so adorable.

Zhuge Yue’s letter had arrived. In the past few months, due to the civil war in the Tang
Empire, the pressure that the Tang Empire had applied to the Xia Empire had been greatly
reduced, and allowed Zhao Yang to take a breather. Just last month, Zhao Yang took the
opportunity, and under the excuse of having a military exercise, brought the South Army to
garrison the Western encampment that was only 15 kilometers away from Zhen Huang City.
Zhao Che had been out, and was not in the capital. Zhuge Yue quickly responded by
bringing 5,000 of his bodyguards from Qinghai, and stood before Zhao Yang. The stalemate
lasted for six hours as the two camps stared down at each other. If Wei Shuye had not
arrived, it would have been likely that a battle would happen.

Yet, in his letter, this skirmish was not in the least bit mentioned. Chu Qiao only heard of this
incident from the guards that followed around Tie You. Thinking about the risk of facing
30,000 troops with merely 5,000, she could only feel chills go down her spine.

The Xia Emperor did not have much time left, and for two whole months, he had been
absent from the court. The struggle for power in the Xia Empire had started to reach a
climax. Once one was not careful, one would face a risk of total destruction. In Chu Qiao’s
free time, she started to head to the temple, and started to copy Pinganjing and Lanzhijing.
Firstly, she could kill time, secondly, by copying these scriptures, she could calm her heart,
and thirdly, she had someone in her heart that she wished to be blessed with protection.

With the smoke from the incense rising and dissipating into the air as a thin veil of fog, Chu
Qiao suddenly remembered the Empress of Tang that she only had one encounter with.
fl
ff
 After waking up from her nap that day, she could see the gentle lady looking at her, and
peacefully, Chu Qiao was instructed to advise Li Ce not to tear down the temple.

That time, the Tang Princes was still the Crown Prince who did things based on his whims,
yet now he was the Emperor of Tang who could order the deaths of many or start an entire
war with his casual comments. Qui Sui was now also appointed the supervisor of the Mihe
residence, and this young girl who had grown up in the palace and seen all of its glory and
darkness, looked on at Chu Qiao in puzzlement, as she frowned and asked, “After seeing
Lady Chu this time, I feel that you feel di erent from last time, as if you have something
more.”

Chu Qiao lifted an eyebrow and asked, “Oh? What do I have now?”

Qui Sui smiled, and with the comb that was made using cow horn, she tidied up Chu Qiao’s
hair, and quietly explained, “The last time when Lady came back from Yan Bei, you were like
a withered lotus at the end of summer. Now, you seem like the lotus that has just passed
through winter.”

“Really?” Chu Qiao tilted her head, and her porcelain ngers passed through her dense hair.
Her expression was like trees that stood alongside the river after winter had just passed. The
sharpness in her eyes had been lost, as though the decade of soldiers had just been a
dream. Living in Jinwu Palace, she was merely waiting patiently, and the owing time had
nally given her a chance to be at peace.

Near the end of the year, she met He Xiao. In the coldness of the winter, she donned a
silvery white fur cape, and just as she was strolling at Baizhe Pavilion with Mei Xiang, she
chanced upon He Xiao who had just exited from Yixin Palace.

He was already an appointed major in the South Camp of the Tang Empire, and was a rank
three o cial that had been especially noted by Li Ce. Even though this was the harem, He
Xiao could still enter and leave freely.

Since parting with Chu Qiao in that battle, this was the rst time that they had met. The duo
was de nitely quite awkward. He Xiao’s lips were trembling, as he wished to address her as
“Master”, but the words eventually halted at his mouth, and he called out, “Lady Chu.”
Waving, Chu Qiao dismissed the servants, and with only Mei Xiang, she headed up the
Baizhe Pavilion.

Wearing a green o cial uniform, He Xiao was rm and handsome, and had a certain aura
that could only be developed after going through many ups and downs in life. Mei Xiang
stood outside the pavilion, and as the wind blew, Chu Qiao’s cape swayed, like a waft of
smoke. She did not speak much, and merely stood to face the wind. The pavilion was tall,
and beneath it was water owing out from the Tai Qing Pond. The water owed down,
producing sounds of splashes. He Xiao’s calm and rm voice resounded from behind,
quietly and calmly.

“The wind is rather wild here, it may be rather bad for Lady’s health. It would be good to
head back to rest.”

fi
ffi
fi
ffi
fl
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
 “Weren’t the winds in Yan Bei even bigger?” Chu Qiao turned back with a perfectly calm
face, yet her eyes seemed to be veiled by something, causing others to be unable to read
her emotions. She continued to ask, “He Xiao, are you blaming me?”

Chapter 229
He Xiao lowered his head and replied, “I do not dare.”

“By saying this, you’re blaming me.” Chu Qiao smiled bitterly, her smile disappearing in an
instant as she continued, “No matter whether you believe me or not, we have been through
many battles together all these years. I have always regarded you as my best friend. By
leaving, I did not mean to abandon all of you.”

“I understand.” He Xiao suddenly looked up, reverting to a state of calmness and shedding
his aura of glory which he had demonstrated on the battle eld. Quietly, he added, “I have
never blamed you. You were looking out for us, giving us the best escape route. I
understand all this.”

This was the rst time that they addressed each other by name. He looked at her quietly as
he spoke slowly, “All these years, I witnessed as you soldiered on. I understand the
di culties that you faced. Perhaps, sometimes, I thought that I had been sel sh back then.
If I had sorted out my thoughts, I would not have let circumstances drive you to desperation.
Even if the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison had become bandits, or if every one of us died,
we should not have let you shoulder this responsibility, opposing the king of Yan Bei,
resulting in this state today.”

Chu Qiao shook her head as she thought to herself. There had already been irreconcilable
di erences between Yan Xun and herself. Even without the existence of the Southwest
Emissary’s Garrison, other reasons would have culminated in their fallout. It was but a
matter of time.

He Xiao did not wait for her to speak as he spoke frankly, “After all, you’re just a young girl.
Back then, we failed to see this clearly.” He looked up and smiled gently, like an elder
watching over his descendants. “Your Majesty had said before, ‘Only if you abandon the
past entirely, can you attain inner peace’. By not calling you ‘General’, it doesn’t mean that
I’m distancing myself from you. It just means that I hope you will be able to put the past
behind you and live a life for yourself.”

The water droplets, which had accumulated on the branches and leaves on the trees, fell to
the ground, landing on Chu Qiao’s white shoes. She raised her eyebrows as she felt
touched.

“Although Tang is a warm place, it’s cold now. Miss, you should go back earlier.” As he
nished his sentence, he stepped aside for Chu Qiao to leave. However, she suddenly called
out, “Brother He.”

He Xiao was utterly stunned as he jerked his head up vigorously to look at her.

fi
ffi
ff
fi

fi
fi
 Chu Qiao said in a heavy tone, “We have known each other for many years, going through
life and death together. We are comrades on the battle eld, and family outside the
battle eld.”

The desolate winds streamlined across the forest. He Xiao’s gaze became momentarily
distracted. After a long while, he maintained his posture and took a small step back. With a
heavy tone, he declared, “I’m going to the southwest to assume a new appointment. We
might not have the chance to meet again.” As expected, he had already known.

Chu Qiao’s ngertips turned slightly cold. As she looked at He Xiao’s lonely shadow, she
began to feel a little choked. She nodded quietly and said, “Take care.”

Following which, she turned around and exited the pavilion. She had barely taken a few
steps outwards when a voice rang out from behind her, “Xiaoqiao, take care.” She turned
around to see He Xiao standing there quietly, as he maintained his posture. The wind blew
across his clothes; revealing patterns of greenish-brown clouds that had been embroidered
on his uniform. A shade of green could be seen around his waist; he was still wearing the
belt when he was still part of the Xiuli Army back then. He stood there quietly, his head
lowered; it was hard to comprehend that he had uttered those words which had
acknowledged their now di erent relationship status.

Chu Qiao froze for a while before she nally turned around and walked in a di erent
direction. After a few turns, Shanglin Garden was no longer in sight. She looked up, realizing
that she had inadvertently wandered to the foot of Fulan Mountains, outside Roufu Palace.
The aforementioned mountain was but a landscape with piled-up rocks. The exterior layer
looked as if it had been adorned with white jade, appearing crystal clear. It had earned itself
the title of one of the wonders in Jinwu Palace. However, as Chu Qiao stared at this white
pile of rocks, she felt a sense of coldness emanating from her heart, enveloping her slowly.

“Miss?” Meixiang called out to her, worried.

Chu Qiao remained silent as her gaze xated slightly on the few plum blossom owers and
the things beyond them.

“Miss, everyone thinks di erently in this world, but you only have one heart. You won’t be
able to look out for so many people.” Meixiang’s words rang out beside her ear, but Chu
Qiao seemingly did not hear them. The winds were big. She suddenly felt a tinge of
sadness.

“Commander He Xiao has followed you for so many years. In time, he will come to
understand. Nothing lasts forever. Don’t be too sad.”

Chu Qiao turned around and embraced Meixiang gently as she said, “Meixiang, if you want
to leave with him, go ahead.”

Chu Qiao felt Meixiang’s body quiver like a frightened rabbit as she straightened her back.
After a long while, Chu Qiao felt a pair of hands wrapped around her waist as Meixiang’s
voice lingered around her ear. “I can’t bear to leave Commander He, but I can’t bear to leave
you more.”

fi
fi
ff
ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
fl
 The sunlight shone a bright white at its zenith. No clouds were visible in the skies high up.

“Miss, don’t worry about others anymore. Master Zhuge may not be a complete saint, but
he’s the only person in this world who is wholeheartedly devoted to you. For you, he can kill
and become demonic, but he is willing to change for the better as well. You won’t be able to
nd another person in this world that is like this.” Meixiang smiled as she spoke, “As for
Commander He, he will come to terms with this eventually just like me. Things like this
cannot be forced. Each individual has his own a nities.”

A sense of unrestrained freedom had been Chu Qiao’s wish for many years. She looked up
and seemingly saw the man’s eyes. Amidst the harsh conditions and turmoil within the court
of Xia, was he still doing well?

In the blink of an eye, another new year had arrived. The Tang Empire had experienced its
most turbulent year in recent history. In a gesture to liven up the mood, Li Ce gave his
orders to host a spring banquet which was unprecedented in extravagance.

On the 27th day of the 12th month, Li Ce hosted a banquet for his o cials in the imperial
palace, to review the year that had just passed. For the people who had performed well, he
rewarded them duly, allowing o cials with a third-level rank or higher to dine with him in the
same hall. Additionally, he composed a poem by himself, ordered his servants to copy it and
distribute them to each o cial.

The back palace was decorated with bright lights as well. The banquet stretched all the way
from Yixin Palace to Shangqing Palace; the path was adorned with numerous bright lights
and lanterns, exemplifying an auspicious portrait. Coupled with the dancers, it was a
majestic sight.

Li Ce invited Chu Qiao to the banquets a few times, but Chu Qiao rejected them as she did
not like the setting. She stayed in her own palace along with her maidservants, hosting her
own banquet and buying her own decorations to welcome the new year.

On the 28th day of the 12th month, carriage after carriage, covered in green cloth, entered
the main gates of Jinwu Palace, towards the direction of Mihe Residences. When the
carriages arrived there, the boxes were unloaded and opened. The contents inside shook
the entire palace, causing everyone to rush towards Mihe Residences to get a hold of what
was going on. Even some of Li Ce’s concubines rushed there, unable to contain their anger.

There were 20 carriages in total, containing 200 wooden boxes of various sizes. After the
boxes were opened, everyone’s eyes sparkled. The boxes were full of shimmering objects.
Emeralds, ancient stones, red rubies, opal stones, white jade, pearls, soft silk, valuable
animal furs, antiques, and artwork… all of life’s extravagance congregated in front of their
eyes. Not only that, but there were also women’s accessories like wreaths, robes, jade
shoes, and bracelets in abundance. There were plants there as well, ranging from high-
grade owers to full coral plants over 30 feet tall to rare medicinal herbs. There was also a
screen made out of pearls, which glowed in the dark, along with some rare artifacts from
foreign lands, like matchsticks, binoculars, glass accessories, alarm clocks, dresses and a
whole myriad of valuable items.

fi
fl
ffi
ffi
ffi
ffi
 What was even more ridiculous was that there were a few boxes of local produce which
were not eye-catching. The objects appeared like sweet potatoes. Chu Qiao picked up one
of the objects and examined it for a long while before realizing that it was a sweet potato
from Qinghai, which the man had described to her in his letters. She held it to her nose as it
gave o a fragrant aroma, causing her to feel sweet on the inside. She thought that all of the
other valuable items could not compare to these few ordinary sweet potatoes.

The locals there had heard that the king of Qinghai had spent considerable e ort in
acquiring these items. The potatoes were big and had red strings and cloth wrapped around
them. They looked nondescript.

A small letterhead was put inside one of the sweet potatoes. She took it out as her ngers
removed the golden thread around it, revealing a long letter with neat words.

He was always like this. Even when he wrote, he beat around the bush, bringing up
unimportant topics like the weather, politics, economics. He acted as if he was in
conversation with another world leader, before adding a sentence at the end: Be careful,
don’t leave the door open. Before you sleep, close the doors and windows, in case any bad
people break into the house.

One time, Li Ce was greatly angered as he secretly stumbled upon Zhuge Yue’s letter,
branding him to be the backstabbing villain instead.

As Chu Qiao looked at the self-proclaimed righteous man who invaded her privacy, she felt
that both their words were true. However, today’s letter was not as long. After a short
opening, his handwriting seemed to become more forceful. Evidently, he had thought for a
long while before writing as the ink had dried up. The words read: I’m occupied. Wait for me.

Amidst the gasps of surprise, Chu Qiao held the small letterhead in her hand. She felt a
sense of peace. She could not hear anything, not even the sounds of the wind, the cries of
the birds, the rustling of the leaves. Although it was wintertime, she felt warm inside like the
spring weather.

That night, Chu Qiao, Meixiang, Jingjing, Qiu Sui and a group of maidservants gathered in
Mihe Residence. Chu Qiao cooked for her party personally. Although her culinary skills were
ordinary, her cooking techniques were su cient to wow the other people. Their initial
reservations towards her cooking were swiftly dispelled.

As nighttime loomed, reworks were released into the sky outside. Chu Qiao and the others
ran to the courtyard, standing under an osmanthus tree as they were greeted by the sight of
ower patterns in the sky. As the colored lights re ected onto their faces, they basked in the
joyous mood of this festive occasion.

Jingjing, Pingan and a few other maidservants set o some recrackers. Chu Qiao covered
her ears as she was surrounded by the other people in the center. Her face glowed slightly
red as she was dressed in a brand new furry cotton padded coat, appearing like a kid who
had not grown up. This was the happiest new year that she had celebrated since coming to
this world. Although the person she loved was not by her side, life was still blissful.

fl
ff
fi
ffi
fl
ff
fi
ff
fi
 There were sounds of laughter outside everywhere. Chu Qiao sat in front of her study table,
drawing out two cartoon gures who looked as real as the original. They had small bodies
and big heads; one was bubbly while the other was stern and serious. The two gures stood
atop a slope, shoulder to shoulder, staring into the distance as they appeared likable. In
front of them was a piece of vast grassland, with herds of cows and sheep ocking together.
A big water body lay further in front.

She diligently concluded her letter by signing o with two words: I’m waiting.

There was no longer any need to be advised or to inquire. She gured that she would be
sel sh for once, maintaining her wilfulness all the way, and trusting the decision that she
would be about to make.

As she put down the letterhead, she retrieved her cloak and went out to search for Meixiang
and the rest. As she walked out of the palace, a cluster of white ower petals descended
upon her. Like the snow, it was scattered all over her body.

Everyone broke out in unanimous laughter. Their noises slowly spread out across every nook
and cranny of Jinwu Palace.

Chapter 230
The short winters in Tang Empire meant that three months passed by in a ash. A few days
earlier, news spread from the Song Empire that King of Jinjiang, having suspected issues
with the Emperor’s health, led some of his supporting o cials to the imperial doctors for a
public announcement of the Emperor’s health. His proposition was rejected by Nalan
Hongye, almost culminating into a ght. Rumors spread around in the Song Empire that the
Princess sought to claim the throne, and that the previous Emperor’s death was her doing.
Unease spread in the region with rumors the King of Jinjiang secretly amassing forces, with
some of the nobles already responding to his call for arms.

As Li Ce spoke about this, he frowned as he casually remarked, “If everything’s ne, why
didn’t they shut these people up?”

Also silent was Chu Qiao, as she had guessed some things. They probably were not the
only one with all the attention on the Song Empire. Chu Qiao wondered how the lady who
had single-handedly supported Nalan empire for so many years would deal with this
schemings? She couldn’t help but recall the letter she saw at Yan Bei years ago, where it
read: ‘The mountain nurtured trees, yet the trees nourished their branches; My heart sought
your happiness, yet you had not known.’

Who could remain forever rm? For as much as one could maintain a tough appearance,
eventually comes a day of grief and sadness.

On the 9th of March, Li Ce’s second son, Li Qiaoan, succumbed to typhoid fever at the age
of three. Li Ce was at Xiang Lake inspecting a dam when he was rst informed. Even though
Li Ce immediately rushed home, by the time he arrived his son had already passed on.

fi

fi
fi
fi
ff
ffi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
At present, Li Ce had two sons and a daughter, his eldest son being six-years-old, his
daughter four. The son that had just died was born to Lady Nanyun. The death of the child
devastated her into an illness that led to her death merely three days after. Being too small
to be buried in a co n, his second son was cremated in Nantian Temple and was left to rest
there.

In the past, Li Ce was always sober and could face various challenges with a clear mind.
But that night, Chu Qiao saw him drunk for the very rst time.

Squinting his eyes, Li Ce donned a light smile as he grabbed Chu Qiao’s hand, murmuring
as he drank, “Have I been killing too much?” He grabbed with such force that Chu Qiao’s
wrist hurt. The halls were quiet, and as the cold wind blew in it kicked up some dust,
carrying with it the croaking of the frogs in the distant willows. Those soft distant noises
made the destitute in this room stand out even more. On top, the copper crane candle
stand, the candle’s red molten wax dripped down like a lady’s tears silently rolling down her
cheeks.

The next day, Li Ce posthumously bestowed the title of Concubine Yun to Lady Nanyun at
the entrance of the Imperial Tomb, giving closure and solace to her family.

Two months ashed by, and it was May. Lady Ziming safely delivered a son and had
returned to the palace where a celebration. Li Ce named the child Qingrong, and bestow
upon him the title of King of Rong. In an instant, Lady Ziming had become the most
powerful of the lady in the harem.

In private, the ladies in the palace discussed how she had in such a short period, conceived
a child and ascended to power. Considering that, her time at the top would not be far away.
Nevertheless, there were some who said she was born as nobody, with her family as fallen
nobles and her father a criminal. And while her brother was climbing the ranks in the courts,
their identities represented a barrier towards higher positions. Without family heritage and
support, it would be di cult to establish a foothold.

It was only then Chu Qiao realized that she was not wholly unrelated to this lady. When Zhao
Yun’er was hunting her, Zhao Song entrusted Chu Qiao to Zhan Ziyi. And Zhan Ziyu was the
brother of this Lady.

Chu Qiao had never paid much attention to Li Ce’s harem, neither did she enquire about
those issues. But right now she suddenly realized something and asked Qiu Sui, “Why was
the Emperor’s mother not there during the celebrations?”

Qiu Sui replied, “Since the passing of the Emperor, the Empress left for Anyin Temple and
had not returned in the years since.”

Chu Qiao hearing this, couldn’t help but feel sympathy of the ups and downs of the life of
this Empress.

Just a few days earlier, Zhuge Yue had sent a pair of beautiful, brightly colored birds unique
to the lands of Hu. It was said that this species of birds live in pairs, whereby one would not
live on alone if its partner were to pass on. Chu Qiao liked them so much that she would
fl
ffi
ffi
fi
feed them personally, and had renamed them as lovebirds with further a ection. The female
grew closer to Chu Qiao; even when let out of the cage, she would y around the hall,
occasionally landing on Chu Qiao’s shoulders and rubbing Chu Qiao’s cheek with her neck.
The male would be enraged seeing this, leading him to y around the house and make lots
of strange noises, giving everyonea laugh in doing so. Li Ce seemed to like the pair of birds
as well, teasing them occasionally.

One night as she was sleeping, Chu Qiao suddenly felt that she was being watched. As she
opened her eyes and sat up in the darkness, she was caught by surprise in a hard embrace.
The familiarity of a grown man’s low and deep breath brushed against her neck with the
scent of alcohol. He grabbed her so tightly as if he was using all his strength that he was
nearly hurting her. She did not struggle, and through his clothes were freezing, she could
almost feel his loneliness and agony, before gently reaching her hand out to pat his back.

As the moonlight shined on them, one could see the red embroideries on the man’s clothes,
resembling that of a dragon. In the moonlight, the thin red silk threads seemed to melt into
the bright yellow, like a bloodied wrist with a vague pulse.

Gently, Li Ce let her go.

Chu Qiao carefully asked “Li Ce, did you think that I was her?”

Stunned, Li Ce turned his head and looked at her, raising his eyebrows ever so slightly. At
that moment, Chu Qiao cramped up, having realized she might have unintentionally
exposed secrets. She quietly explained, “I’ve heard from others that this was where
Princess Fu once lived.”

Li Ce looked straight at her, his eyes far-reaching like an abandoned ancient well with a
precise meaning in it.

Chu Qiao, unable to comprehend his gaze, only thought his gaze was slightly
uncomfortable.

“Haha…” Li Ce chuckled, before cheekily remarking, “Princess Fu’s gure was much better.”

That night, Li Ce left the Mihe Residence and headed towards Rou Fu Palace. As he
stepped out of the hall, Chu Qiao spotted a bright and smooth object on the table. It was Li
Ce’s jade thumb ring. She ran towards the window, exclaiming “Hey Li! Your thumb ring!”

Li Ce turned around and smiled at her, the moonlight dazzling his expression. “Every
moment with the ladies is priceless. I will be back tomorrow to retrieve it!” resuming his
journey as he nished his sentence.

Holding the jade ring, Chu Qiao stared at the messy Emperor. As she turned around, she
stubbed her toes on a protruding surface on the oor, causing her great pain… She sat
down frowning, only to see her toes bleeding profusely, staining her white nightgown.

At that instant, a trace of bad premonition loomed in her heart. A sudden rush of footsteps
came a few hours past midnight. Chu Qiao had been feeling uneasy and had not been
fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
ff
 sleeping well. And as she got up, Mei Xiang and Qiu Sui hurriedly entered the compound,
everyone’s faces pale as if they’ve seen the dead.

“His Majesty has been assassinated!”

Boom! In the darkness of the night, the white jade ring had dropped onto the oor, but
instead of shattering, it was merely chipped and rolled down the smooth oor.

By the time she reached the Yixin Palace, the sounds of crying and wailing lled the air, as
the entire contingent of imperial doctors waited outside the hall. A few seasoned and well-
quali ed doctors were in the room, where basins of blood and water were constantly
brought out. The scene stabbed deep straight painfully into the bone marrow of Chu Qiao,
cutting her heart like a sharp knife.

Qiu Sui said Li Ce was stabbed at night as he stayed with Lady Zi Ming. The perpetrator,
being an elderly eunuch that claimed King Luo was his benefactor, did not wait for the
guards the capture him before biting his tongue and taking his own life.

Chu Qiao clenched her st. She was not allowed to grieve outside, much less enter the inner
hall. She wrinkled her eyebrows in doubt. Not only was the compound heavily guarded, but
Li Ce was a top tier ghter himself. How could an elderly eunuch sneak in and attempt such
a crime? Even Li Ce himself would not allow strangers to get up close unguarded.

As she stared into the distance, a lady wearing thin clothing knelt alone on the small
courtyard in front of the palace facing away from Chu Qiao, her hair in a mess. Qiu Sui said
that was Lady Zi Ming, now also known as Concubine Ming. She had been kneeling there
since the beginning of the ordeal.

At that very moment, the doors of the palace swung open. Sun Di led a crowd of loyal
ministers and asked nervously, “How is His Majesty?”

The senior doctor wiped the sweat o his forehead and replied, “His Majesty’s life is no
longer in danger, but he will need to rest” As he nished his sentence, the crowd let out
tears and cries of relief while at the nearby courtyard, Concubine Ming collapsed onto the
oor.

“Master Sun, His Majesty wants to see you,” the senior doctor said. As he turned, he caught
a glimpse of Chu Qiao and added, “You too, miss.”

In an instant, she was the focus of the crowd’s puzzled expression. Chu Qiao took a deep
breath, calmly walked forward, greeted Sun Di before stepping into the room under the gaze
of everyone.

The smell of medicine hung in the air of the theater due to its poor ventilation. Sun Di went
in rst, and after what seemed like an eternity, came out and told Chu Qiao, “His Majesty
isn’t in a good state of mind, keep it brief.”

“Got it.” Chu Qiao nodded as she stepped into the inner palace through the layers of veils,
in which Li Ce laid on a giant dragon bed. She had never seen him in such a state before.
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
fl
 His face pale, eyes yellow, and his lips looked as if they had been sucked dry of blood. He
looked at her dazed. Just as Chu Qiao began to panic, Li Ce let out a strange smile, his
voice hoarse but soft, “Did I scare all of you?”

Time ashed back to the day they rst met, where she dragged the young prince roughly
down from his horse and beat him up, leaving him with a swollen face. He gave her a
strange expression as he winced in discomfort.

“Li Ce,” Chu Qiao stammered, as she saw a gaping knife wound across his chest, a mere
inch away from piercing his heart. She looked at him in fear, her hair numb, wanting to hold
his hand but not daring to, repeatedly saying, “It’s alright, take it easy and rest.”

“Actually,” Li Ce stammered, “actually, I’ve wanted to prepare a dowry for you for the past
few days. I guess Sun Di got lucky. I don’t know…I don’t know if he will secretly keep some
for himself.”

Chu Qiao forced a hearty smile and gently replied, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep a lookout on him.”

“Umm,” Li Ce weakly responded, those few sentences appearing to drain the little energy
left in him.

“Go get some sleep, no more talking,” Chu Qiao hurriedly said.

“C’mon, Qiao Qiao, keep me company here.”

“Alright,” she nodded. “I’m going nowhere, I’ll be right here beside you.”

Li Ce soon fell into deep sleep, and after a while, imperial doctors came in to change the
medication. As Chu Qiao looked at the wound on Li Ce’s chest, her suspicions only
intensi ed, but now was not the time to pursue such matters.

Three days later, Li Ce was making good progress in his recovery. He looked to be in better
health as well.

That morning, as Chu Qiao was fanning Li Ce, outside came a bustle. As she turned to look,
Qiu Sui rushed in and whispered into her ear, “The Emperor’s mother is back.”

Stunned, Chu Qiao hurried out, only to see the convoy transporting the Emperor’s mother
arriving. After exchanging their formalities, they both walked together into Yixin Hall. As the
maid lifted the curtain, showing the Emperor’s mother’s plain coat, Chu Qiao looked up was
taken aback by what she saw. Despite only being away for a few years, the Emperor’s
mother seemed to have aged much more, her hair all grey and her skin wrinkled.

As she got out, tears streamed down her face. She asked in distress, “Emperor? What’s
happened to him?”

Chapter 231
“Empress Dowager, Your Majesty is alright. He needs to recuperate.”

fl
fi

fi
 The Empress Dowager chided as tears streamed down her face. “All of you! How do you do
your jobs? If something happens to Your Majesty, all of you will die with him!” As she
nished her sentence, she walked towards Yixin Palace.

The servants kneeled on the ground in fear, not daring to raise their heads. No one dared to
block her way. Chu Qiao followed behind her, all the way to Yixin Palace. Li Ce was sound
asleep; as the Empress Dowager saw him, tears streamed down her face. She leaned
forward as she tried to touch his face.

One of the Empress Dowager’s palaces maids walked in front of Chu Qiao, frowned, and
asked, “Who are you? Why are you here? The Empress Dowager is visiting Your Majesty.
Outsiders are not welcome.”

Meixiang frowned. As she prepared to argue, Chu Qiao tugged at her sleeve, nodded, and
said, “Got it.” As she nished her sentence, she stepped out of Yixin Palace with Meixiang
and the others.

“Miss? Your Majesty asked you to keep him company.”

Chu Qiao sighed in reply. “His mother is back. What right do we have to stay inside?”

Qiu Sui added on from the side, “The Empress Dowager dotes on Your Majesty a lot.”

Suddenly, General Sun Di approached them from the front. As he saw them, he froze and
asked, “Miss, why are you not inside?”

Meixiang cut in and said, “The Empress Dowager is back. She chased Miss out!”

“Empress Dowager?” Sun Di was stunned as he heard the news, taking huge strides
towards Yixin Palace as he shouted in a low voice, “Who fetched the Empress Dowager
back? No one knew of the assassination attempt on Your Majesty. Why is she back?”

Suddenly, an ear-splitting cry of agony echoed out from Yixin Palace. Sun Di and Chu Qiao
were stunned as they pushed open the doors of Yixin Palace forcefully!

The Empress Dowager was holding a dagger in her hands, her sorrowful face stained with
blood. She no longer looked like the warm, gentle lady. She appeared like a demoness as
she stood in front of the window, shouting incessantly, “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! I’ll take
revenge for Luo’er!”

Chu Qiao’s mind blanked out.

The sunlight entered the palace from the gates. It was bright and blinding. The surroundings
were chaotic; some people were shouting in panic, screaming for help, while others rushed
to summon the imperial physician. The imperial bodyguards rushed in front as they wielded
their swords, which gave o an intense silver glow, casting white shadows on the ground.

She stood there, rooted to the spot, her eyes feeling irritated by the excessive light. In that
instant, the sun seemed to turn cold. As it shone on her, she felt chills at her ngertips,
slowly enveloping her entire body. Her heart started to palpitate; it seemed like it could jump
fi
fi
ff
fi
 out of her mouth anytime. She began to feel choked, as breathing slowly became more and
more di cult.

The Empress Dowager’s clothes had been stained red by blood. Her sickly, pale face
showcased the state of madness that she was in. Her eyes were bright; her expression was
savage. Despite being restrained, she did not struggle. With immense hatred in her voice,
she declared coldly, “You beasts. All of you deserve to die. I killed him. Now, I will kill all of
you to avenge my husband and son.”

That instant, Chu Qiao saw the look in his eyes.

For the rst time in her life, she felt that she saw his heart through his eyes, unlike the past
times where his expression had been so unpredictable. That instant, she saw the urry of
emotions in his eyes clearly – the feelings of suppression and the sense of disappointment.

He lay there, blood oozing out of his wound, staining his green robe red. He looked at his
mother quietly without any shock or resentment in his eyes. All that he felt was a sense of
overwhelming fatigue.

The winds blew past, causing the thin curtains to sway. The fresh blood on the ground
continued to ow and branch out as clusters of people dashed forward to stop the blood.
The panicked shouts of the servants sounded out once again outside the palace. Everything
appeared mimed to Chu Qiao – she could not see nor hear anything. Her gaze was solely
xated on his eyes, as chills traveled along the ridges of her skin, inch by inch, all the way to
the bottom of her heart.

She suddenly thought of a hunting session in the highlands of Yan Bei many years ago. A
mother wolf was starving as the heavy snowfall ravaged the mountains. She had
painstakingly managed to capture an elk. She was savoring its meat in large mouthfuls when
its child sneaked to the side and took a small bite. The mother wolf was enraged as it raised
its claws to strike out at its child, injuring it. The little wolf retreated to the tree branches far
away, cowering in fear and crying out while it looked at its mother, not daring to take another
step forward. The look in its eyes was sorrowful, like a child that had been abandoned.

Some people tried to pull her away, but she refused to leave.

She suddenly felt so afraid as her blood turned cold. Her ngers quivered uncontrollably.
She did not want to go out. The blood had pierced her eyes. She feared that she would not
be able to step in here again once she had stepped out.

More and more people clustered around her, shouting beside her ear. Her thin clothes could
not stand the force which she felt as she was pulled, as it began to rip apart. Suddenly, she
exclaimed loudly and ran towards the direction of the inner palace, breaking free of
everyone’s grasp.

“Get her!” a bodyguard shouted out as more and more servants rushed towards her. She
stepped backward, as more and more chills went up her spine.

fi
ffi
fi
fl
fi
fl
“Let go of her!” a low, hoarse voice suddenly boomed out. Li Ce staggered to sit up, the
wound on his chest still bleeding, as he pointed his nger at her.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Don’t move about!”

A series of shouts suddenly echoed out. His body collapsed on the bed as a large mouthful
of blood splattered out of his mouth.

The sunlight formed some striped shadows on the walls as her mood plummeted down into
the depths of the abyss. She stood outside of the crowd, unable to see his facial features.
There was only a pale white hand, devoid of any color, hanging outwards from the bed.

As the sun rose and set, the moon climbed over the trees in the sky, forming a layer of white
glimmer outside Yixin Palace. The sand in the timekeeping pot drained out grain by grain,
resembling the life getting sucked out of that body.

The choked voice of an elderly, white-haired physician suddenly sounded out. The lady’s
shadow appeared translucent behind the thinly-veiled curtains. Her eyes were not visible
behind the layers of curtains. There was only the faint sight of the red candlelights ickering
in the room.

When she woke up, there was silence everywhere. In that instant, she thought that she was
in a dream. However, when she saw Meixiang’s look of surprise, her heart started to ache.
Even before she put on her shoes, she threw her blanket aside and jumped o her bed.

“Where’s Miss Chu?”

A man’s hurried voice sounded out from outside. She ran outside, her face pale.

Sun Di was looking at her as his expression became sorrowful. He lowered his head and
whispered, “Your Majesty wants to see you.”

It was silent in Yixin Palace. She walked inside as she pushed aside the curtains, layer by
layer, all the way to his bed. In that instant, she felt that he and the palace were about to
become one.

She knelt down by his bed, reaching out her icy-cold ngertips. As she touched his arm, she
retracted her hand as his body was even colder than her ngers. It felt like the snow that fell
all year in the highlands of Yan Bei.

Her breath and voice were light as it resonated around the palace.

“Li Ce, I’m here to see you.”

His eyebrows twitched slightly as he opened his eyes to look at her. His look was calm and
peaceful, yet it showed the many thoughts and words that he had wanted to say. He
reached out his hand with great di culty and waved at her as he laughed and whispered,
“Qiaoqiao…”

ffi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fl
Tears started to stream down Chu Qiao’s face as she grabbed his hand. It had only been a
few days, but he had lost a considerable amount of weight to the point that the ridges of his
bones were visible. She started to choke as her voice became inaudible.

He frowned slightly and reached out his ngertips to caress her face. “Don’t cry…”

“It’s all my fault,” she said as her tears continued to ow. Her ngertips were cold.

“I promised that I would stay by your side. I shouldn’t have gone out.”

Li Ce laughed as he lay at on the bed, looking at the complicated ower patterns on the
roof of the bed and the calligraphic words. His voice was calm and did not carry a tinge of
resentment as he said, “How can you be blamed for this? She’s my mother. Who…”

He started to pant breathlessly as his voice became weak. Chu Qiao tried to dash outside to
summon a physician in shock but was restrained by him forcefully. It was hard to imagine
that he had been heavily injured.

“Who… who could have thought of that?”

Yes, who could have thought of that?

The winds blew into the room through the windows, making a howling sound. From afar, the
suppressed voices of the palace maids oated over.

“I wanted to marry you o personally. Now… I’m afraid I can’t anymore.”

“No,” Chu Qiao said loudly and stubbornly as her voice reverberated around the empty
palace. She held his hand with strength, seemingly as if to snatch him from someone else.
“Nothing will happen to you!”

Li Ce looked at her and smiled weakly; his smile seemed to pierce through Chu Qiao’s heart
like a sharp knife. She had never been so fearful before. As her tears streamed down her
face and into her mouth, the bitter taste was hard to bear.

“Li Ce, don’t go. Don’t go, please?” she shook his arm lightly, behaving as if she was a
lonely child.

“What will happen to me when you’re not around? Who will help me when I’m in trouble? I
won’t have a place to live in anymore. Who will let me live o them?”

A bizarre cheekiness ashed across Li Ce’s eyes. Pretending to be angry, he chided

playfully, “Oh. So I bought a pig in a poke again.”

Many years had passed in a ash. She looked at him helplessly as her heart ached. His
voice was as calm as spring water as he muttered, “I have sent someone to inform Zhuge
Yue. Someone will escort you to him. Just leave with him and live a good life.”

As she bit her lower lip, he continued to stutter with intermittent pauses, “Don’t… don’t put
on a strong front and be willful in future.”

fl
fl
ff
fl
fl
fi
fl
ff
fi
fl
The night was cold. He frowned and stared intently at her. Suddenly, he requested,
“Qiaoqiao, help me up.”

Chu Qiao was shocked as she shook her head. However, before she managed to speak, she
saw the stubborn look in his eyes that carried an unbelievable amount of determination in it.

Her heart ached again as she helped him up carefully, letting him lean against the chair by
the window. He had a bright red out t on, embroidered with dragon patterns. His
appearance was desolate, just like the rst time when they met.

“Qiaoqiao, my hair is messy.”

Chu Qiao acknowledged his statement as she picked up a white jade comb, unraveling his
hair. The teeth of the comb brushed against his hair as her pale white hands caressed his
temple, strand by strand. In that instant, they seemed to relive the memories and
experiences that they had gone through together all these years. Her hand started to quiver,
but he did not seem to know as he did not turn his head around.

Chapter 232
After combing his hair, he turned around, and while grinning from ear to ear, asked, “How do
I look?” His eyes were dark and hollow, as the moonlight illuminated his face with a thin veil
of whiteness. He seemed ever so handsome with his long and narrow eyes and tall nose,
along with his porcelain-like face. He exuded the aura of royalty, yet a glimpse of death
spread from within the center of his eyes, as his complexion turned an unnatural white, like
white jade covered with dust.

Chu Qiao forced a smile. “You are exceedingly handsome.”

Li Ce frowned and asked, “Are you praising me?”

Seeing Chu Qiao nod, he then smiled happily, like how he had when he rst met her.

“Li Ce,” Chu Qiao tried to suppress the sadness in her heart as she asked softly, “do you
have any wishes in your heart?”

“Wishes?” Li Ce frowned and thought for a while before lightly laughing, “I have none.” His
breath suddenly started to grow light and hurried. Stretching out at her, Li Ce lightly asked,
“Qiaoqiao, let me hug you.”

The wind outside suddenly got stronger and blew open the small window. The moon
colored the huge hall a milky white, and the surroundings were all polished; white like snow.
Wind blew from the Tai Qing pond from afar, bringing with it a waft of a lotus aroma. Chu
Qiao’s throat seemed to have been bitten by someone and hurt signi cantly. Kneeling on the
ground, she leaned into his bosom, as tears rolled down her face, wetting his clothes. The
breathing on the top of her head gradually vanished, like the sakura blossom that had fallen,
without any sound left. With the moon shining from the side, it was as though time had
reversed, as the attractive man in crimson clothes, with his jet black hair, landed behind her,
asking her, “Are you not stopping?”

fi
fi
fi
fi
 Time was like a dream, and as the grandiosity faded away, only a vast emptiness was left.

Chu Qiao’s eyes were like a piece of amber that shimmered alone, glimmering with a dying
light. With her hollow eyes, she sat up and look over. He merely sat there silently with his
head slanted as though he had sunk into a deep dream.

The fragments of memories started to fall apart, as the man who had been covered with a
facade of royalty and wealth had shed his disguise layer by layer. Whether it the beautiful
women he had courted, or the luxuries he had enjoyed, all but loneliness had vanished like
the dying lights of a setting sun, dissolving into the darkness of the night.

The doors to the room suddenly opened, and the pale moonlight illuminated her gure. One
could see a crowd of o cials and ladies kneeling in the distance.

Sun Di stared at her, with a question in his trembling eyes. She stared back at him,
completely without a soul in her eyes, and her entire body felt numb. Ultimately, she still
slowly nodded.

“The Emperor has passed on––”

A cacophony of crying pierced the skies and rocked the palace. The horns of grieving
pierced through the night fog.

Lifting up her head, Chu Qiao’s thin clothes uttered in the wind. In the empty sky, she
seemed to see a clean face with a pair of long eyes smiling slyly at her like a fox.

A servant rushed over from an alleyway and quietly reported to Sun Di. They were too far,
but the wind still blew traces of their words into Chu Qiao’s ears.

“When the grieving horns sounded… Smashed head onto a table corner… Full of blood,
can’t be saved… Ultimately…is the mother to the emperor….”

In the frosty moonlight, Chu Qiao’s blood seemed to have frozen, as a stream of clear tears
rolled down her cheeks yet again, dripping onto the ground of this palace that had seen too
many lives and deaths.

The street of the Tang Capital seemed ever so beautiful, as a refreshing aroma of lotuses
di used into the atmosphere carried by the wind. The trees swayed in the wind like the torso
of dancers. With the arrival of dusk, the birds ew back to their nests, and the crimson-
colored world seemed like it had been colored in blood.

With the tragic passing of the Tang Empire, everyone wore simple mourning clothes, and
even the lanterns were hung up with white cloth covering them. Walking on the streets, one
could even smell the desolation. As the sky dimmed and light gave way to the darkness, the
round moon rose in the distant sky.

It had already been one month since Li Ce’s passing, and it was now a festival known as the
White Moon festival. Zhuge Yue had sent his men countless times to fetch her away, yet she
stubbornly remained. A lingering thought remained in her mind, causing her to be unable to
leave freely. Occasionally, she would wake up in the middle of the night covered in cold
ff
ffi
fl
fl
fi
sweat. With Li Ce leaving, he brought along with him the music and parties in the palace, as
the vast palace sank into a destitute silence. Walking in the long and narrow pathways in the
palace, one could even hear one’s heartbeat. The rhythmic beating would continuously
remind her of the fact that some people had left, and that there are still some who are alive,
and that there are still some things that she had yet to do.

She had walked this path with Li Ce before. That night, as she woke from her coma, he was
like a big boy as he held her hand, and passing through nine layers of gates, many gardens,
and even passing through layers of ornamental mountains, they exited the palace. Sharing
one horse, he sat before her, chuckling while pointing out the direction. Not only that, he
would occasionally turn back to laugh at the guards who were worried like ants on a hot
plate.

In the blink of an eye, things had changed, and some things, some people, had vanished
into the river of time. The streets of today were nowhere as busy as that day, and was silent
everywhere; only a few shops remained open. In the middle of national mourning, all
festivities were canceled, and civilians no longer headed out of their house. Without
customers, naturally, the shops would not open. The usually bustling street turned into a
ghost town, with only the withered leaves falling through air, occasionally falling onto her
pure white clothes.

After walking for very long, she reached the noodle shop that Li Ce had ate with her in.
Surprisingly, they were still open, but there were no customers. The man was sitting on the
chair and seemed like he was almost going to fall asleep. Seeing that she had entered the
shop, he jumped up, and after carefully inspecting her, he wiped a table clean and signaled
for her to sit down. His wife still looked the same, and the passage of time seemed to have
left no trace on her face. She always exuded the same diligent aura. Walking before Chu
Qiao, her eyes remain unfocused, yet she smiled and greeted her, “Missy, it has been a long
time.”

Chu Qiao was taken aback, and asked, “You remember me?”

“He could recognize, and had called me out.” The lady sincerely smiled and pointed to her
husband standing behind her. Blushing lightly, the man smiled, revealing a row of neat, white
teeth.

“Where is that Mister? It has been long since he last came here.”

That woman suddenly asked, still smiling with her eyes looking like two new moons. Wind
had blown from the other side of the street. The man immediately took a step up, blocking
the dust from his wife. That stream of motion seemed ever so natural.

Chu Qiao was a bit surprised by the man’s actions, and for a moment she forgot to reply to
the female owner. The woman continued to ask, “Missy? Missy?”

Chu Qiao turned to her, and lightly smiled. “Oh, he headed to a distant place.”

“Oh.” The woman nodded. “Then, when will he come back?”

As the autumn wind continued to blow, and the leaves piled up in corners, Chu Qiao’s heart
froze up bit by bit. Her complexion turned pale, and she felt a choking sensation in her
throat. After thinking for a moment, she softly replied, “He moved away, and perhaps he will
never come back.”

The woman could not see Chu Qiao’s expression and wanted to continue to ask, yet she
was tugged on by her husband. This intelligent lady immediately understood, and turned
around and left. Before long, a bowl of steaming noodles was served, along with a plate of
beef and half a plate of prawn dumplings. Even from afar, one could smell the vinegar.

Chu Qiao picked up her chopsticks, and after wiping it with her handkerchief, she started to
eat. The noodles were boiling hot with diced spring onions sprinkled over the top, giving o
a pleasant aroma. Chu Qiao ate slowly. It had been too long since she had eaten a proper
meal, and her stomach was ipping with acid, as though she was about to vomit.

“The dumplings will get cold quickly,” a crisp voice sounded out. Chu Qiao turned around
and saw a girl who was about ten-years-old, she looked extremely familiar. Looking at the
female owner, Chu Qiao could instantly remember this girl, and she called out, “Qian’er?”

The kid frowned, and completely serious, she asked Chu Qiao, “You know me?”

Chu Qiao smiled and did not speak much. The child sat on the chair next to her and asked,
“You came here to eat before?”

“Yes.” Chu Qiao nodded.

A familiar sound of aninstrument resounded. Chu Qiao lifted her head, only to see that the
shadow puppet play at the corner of the street started performing again.

“Do you like to listen to those plays?” the kid asked.

Chu Qiao could not help but smile gently as she caressed the kid’s hair while asking, “You
are still interested in those plays?”

“I am here with my parents every day, and there was nothing I could do anyways. Hearing
your accent, you must not be a local. Can you understand what they are saying?”

Chu Qiao shook her head.

The kid quickly suggested, “Then let me explain the story to you.”

“I heard you tell me the story before.”

“It is a new show!” The kid explained, “It is a show from last, last, last, last, last month, a
new show!”

Seeing her enthusiasm, Chu Qiao had no choice. “Go ahead, tell me the story.”

The singing began, and it certainly sounded like it was di erent from the past. Not only that,
but there were more singers and more instruments, yet their business seemed like they were
failing. The surroundings were empty, with only two toddlers rolling around before the stage
fl
ff
ff
 without a single proper audience. They still carried on the performance with the utmost
professionalism. The shadow of a lively shadow appeared on the screen. Even from afar,
one could see the intricate designs of the facial features.

“He is the Prince.” It was the same introduction, only that the prince now was di erent from
in the past, as the intricate craftsmanship could suggest, along with much more detailed
instruments. No matter how one look at it, one could tell that it was no longer a poor group.

At this time, another shadow appeared.

“That is a lady,” the kid explained seriously. “There was a time that the prince headed out of
his country and encountered this lady. The lady knew martial arts and beat up the prince.
The prince was rather angry and wanted to take revenge, but later, something happened,
and the prince fell in love with her.”

In these years, the kid had clearly improved in her storytelling abilities. Lifting her head up at
Chu Qiao, the kid asked, “Do you want to know what had happened?”

Chu Qiao’s hand that was holding her chopsticks froze, and she sti y nodded.

Proudly, the kid smiled and continued, “There was a time that they met an evil person, and
the kind lady saved the prince a few times. The prince thought that this lady was so
honorable, he wanted to bring her back to be his wife. Unfortunately, the lady did not like
this prince but liked someone else. Later on, she left with that person.”

At this time, another person appeared on the stage. This gure was di erent from the other
two, and the puppet was poorly made, as it did not even wear clothes, and in its hand, there
was a wooden stick.

“But that man was a bad man. Not only was he unreasonable, but he was also ugly and
poor, and liked to bully others. In the end, the lady suddenly came to her senses, so she left
this man.”

At this time, another character appeared on the stage.

“The lady fell in love with another person. But this man was not good either. Not only was he
arrogant, but he was also a bully, and very ugly. He might even have some special interests
as he had been particularly close with another prince in the country. In any case, this new
man could very well be a crazy person.”

And with that, the young girl heaved a long sigh and continued, “Finally, the lady grew up,
and nally realized her mistake again, and with all her determination, she left the second
person as well and came back to look for the prince. The prince had already risen to power
and became the Emperor. Not only was he handsome, but he was also rich and well
disciplined. He was kind and sincere. The lady was regretful and cried and knelt before the
house of the Emperor, pleading to marry him. In the end, the Emperor reluctantly agreed.”

fi
fi
ffl
ff
ff
 Chapter 233
The two characters on the stage disappeared, leaving two shadows on the table. The child
said with a glancing smile, “After that, they got married and lived happily ever after. They
had many children together. The boys were as handsome as the big Emperor, and the girls
were as pretty as the Emperor too. They lived in bliss to a ripe old age, till their teeth all
dropped o . Finally, when the deity in the sky learned about this, he made them deities,
promising to let them spend the rest of eternity together, never to be apart.”

She started to feel another bout of sadness surging up her heart. Her eyes started to ache
slightly; the pitch of her voice changed a little as she asked, “I didn’t hear you say this story
the last time round.”

“That play was bought by a young master who was a wastrel. He came here often to eat
noodles. He let them perform this play here daily, till everyone got sick of it. The boss of the
play, Granny Qin, was very sad. You’re a foreigner. Did you enjoy hearing that story for the
rst time? Do you like this story? Do you want to go to Granny Qin’s house to hear it again?
She’ll be very happy.”

As the wind blew, Chu Qiao used her sleeve to cover her face and turned around. The child
asked in a warm tone, “Did something get in your eye?”

As Chu Qiao remained silent, the child thought that she had really got something in her eye.
The child said hurriedly, “Wait here. I’ll get some vegetable oil for you.”

As the child nished her words, she jumped o the table to retrieve the item. When she
came back, the seat was empty. A full bag of silver was left on the table.

The streets were cold; there were no pedestrians, acrobats, merchants, nor dancers. The
surface of the lake was tranquil; no boats could be seen. She was the only person on the
street, like a wandering spirit oating around in solitude. As she passed by a candy shop,
she stopped in her tracks for a while before heading in to buy some snacks. Those were
what Li Ce had bought for her last time. There were candied fruit, dates, osmanthus cakes,
and chestnuts, all packaged in one bag. As she walked, she ate slowly. She chewed the
snacks in a robotic motion. As she thought of the child’s story earlier on, her eyes started to
tear again as the tears owed into her mouth. The salty smell of the tears, along with the
scent of the candy, made the taste in her mouth very bitter. Her memories were like
fragments, oating around in her head.

“You should thank me properly then. Saving your life is no ordinary favor. Why not you stay
here in Tang and marry me to repay the favor?” Back then, he stood in front of her as he
mentioned these words to her jovially.

As she was surrounded by Zhao Yang, he intervened at the critical moment. With a certain
type of swagger and ruggedness, he embraced her as he said repeatedly: It’s alright. It’s
alright.

fi
ff
fl
fi
fl

fl
ff
 As she wandered in the depths of the abyss, he appeared in front of her and consoled her
by saying: Qiaoqiao, why don’t you let yourself o ?

In that cold night at the palace, he appeared in a drunken state and hugged her
unknowingly. After that, he said with a smile: Fu’er’s gure is much better than yours.

She had not known all along. The bottom of her heart was like a forbidden zone—she had
never explored it. She did not know whether she really felt indi erent, or if she had just been
deceiving herself. She did not want to know anymore.

The clear, pale moonlight shone on the ground, illustrating the beauty of the crabapple
owers by the roadside. They glowed a bright red, like the color of high-grade cosmetics. As
the wind blew across them, the ower petals uttered in mid-air before landing on Chu
Qiao’s hair and clothes.

“Foxy Li, did you like anyone else before?” In the radiant courtyard of Mihe Residences,
they sat shoulder to shoulder under the crabapple tree that they had shifted from the street
back to the palace. As she frowned, she questioned and looked at Li Ce suspiciously, who
was diligently trying to pick the portrait of the most beautiful woman.

“Of course!” Li Ce raised his eyebrows and replied in a serious tone, “Yesterday night, I
loved Yu’er from Ranli Palace. Her skin was smooth as silk, her legs were so long.
Compared to…”

“Shut up, shut up!” Chu Qiao interrupted him as she frowned. “I’m talking about…about…
that kind of ‘like’. It’s like… It’s like…”

Li Ce looked at her from the side of his eyes and added in disdain, “Like how that Zhuge
fellow likes you, right?”

Chu Qiao blushed and replied nonchalantly, “Yes! You’re right! So what?”

“What can I do to you?” Li Ce sneered as he lowered his head to continue picking his
portrait. After a while, he suddenly nodded and exclaimed.

Chu Qiao was stunned as she asked, “What was that for?”

Li Ce replied impatiently, “Didn’t you ask me whether I liked someone else like that Zhuge
fellow? I’m answering your question.”

“Ah? You liked someone else before? Why didn’t I know?”

Li Ce laughed heartily as he looked up towards the sky, saying with a glimmer in his voice,
“If you could guess my thoughts that easily, wouldn’t I lose all my face?”

Chu Qiao continued to probe with the intention to gossip, “What does your crush look like?”

fl
fl
fl
ff
fi
ff
 “Nothing special,” Li Ce mentioned casually. “Her gure is ordinary, she has a short temper,
she likes to split hairs. Most importantly, she has someone else in her heart already. She
doesn’t like me.”

“Ah?” Chu Qiao was shocked as she asked subconsciously, “Why don’t you tell her then?”

Li Ce smiled chicly and replied, “It’s better to keep that sort of stu in your heart. Why say it
out? Furthermore…” His voice droned out as he paused slightly. The wind blew from the
direction of Taiqing Lake, lifting up a loose strand of hair on his temple. He looked up and
gazed afar at the surface of the lake, appearing lost in the moment for an instant.
“Furthermore, I may never have the chance to tell her that in my life anymore.”

Chu Qiao looked at him silently back then, seemingly visualizing the landscape in the
distance through his eyes. She had thought of Princess Fu, who had hung herself on the
sycamore tree. She had thought of Murong Fu’er, who killed herself on the day of her
wedding for the king of Luo. She sympathized with him as she thought to herself: If not for
that, this lad might have been a decent person.

Her eyes started to water up again as the tears owed down her face. The cold winds blew
as the red petals of the crabapple ower scattered around in mid-air, making the sight seem
like a ower storm.

The desolate winds swept through the city, leaving behind it a trail of red. The black curtains
in the palace were replaced with white ones. In one night, the emperor had passed away,
while the empress dowager had killed herself. For the next 49 days, the funeral bells rang
out as the nation grieved.

On the day Li Ce was buried in the imperial mausoleum, Chu Qiao moved out of Jinwu
Palace. As the autumn leaves became a rarity, the landscape looked bleak. She was
dressed in a cotton white dress as she stood atop Xilan Gates, looking at the party sending
him o on his nal journey as they disappeared at the end of the street.

The sunset painted the landscape a golden yellow. Tall patches of weeds had grown on the
wastelands outside Tang Jing as they swayed around with the desolate autumn winds.
Amidst the twilight, the birds ew southwards. A bright red color appeared in the sky. As her
shadow became longer and thinner, it re ected onto the city walls of Tang Jing, which had
gone through hundreds of years of storms.

Li Ce, forgive me for not being able to send you o . Take care.

As the sun set, the moon soared above the mountain peaks, projecting its rays of light onto
her clothes and pale face. As she inhaled the airs of autumn, a sour feeling suddenly started
to brew within her heart, spreading across her body. Her heart was cold.

Meixiang walked towards her and whispered, “Miss, let’s go.”

She stared at the street for one last time, before turning around and stepping away inch by
inch. The city walls were dark and looked ferocious, like a dormant beast waiting to eat
away at her last bits of determination.

ff
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
ff
fi
ff
 The dust was swept up as she stepped on the ground. The big birds spread their black
wings as they circled in the sky. She walked down, step by step, as if she was wandering
into a deep swamp. Behind her was a barren wasteland. Further on, the majestic mountains
of Tang, prosperous cities awaited her. Finally, the pass was stationed at the end of those
places. After that, the territory of Xia lay in wait.

Having traversed through countless lands, she did not manage to escape the river of fate as
she was swept along by its currents.

A carriage stopped under the city gates. Sun Di was dressed in a green out t and appeared
handsome as he stood at the side to welcome her respectfully. Softly, he said, “Miss, please
get in the carriage.”

“I want to walk alone,” Chu Qiao replied softly with a calm expression on her face.

As Meixiang wanted to butt in, Sun Di handed a lantern over to Chu Qiao and said, “The
journey at night is di cult. Miss, please head back early.” The nely cultivated paper lantern
was wrapped around the light, as it gave o a pale white glow. Chu Qiao nodded as she
turned around to leave with the lantern. Meixiang followed behind her in a hurried manner,
but was held back by Sun Di as the young man shook his head slightly. The crescent moon
shone on the young lady as she wandered o into the distance.

Today was Li Ce’s funeral. There was not a single soul on the streets, only the crabapple
owers swaying by the roadside and scattering its petals about.

“Qiaoqiao, Qiaoqiao…” In that instant, she seemed to hear him calling out again. The man
frowned with a cunning look in his eyes, as he looked at her with a smile.

The landscape looked utopian as the lights sparkled. The fog clouded the man’s eyes,
making them appear pale and lonely. Finally, he leaned on the chair as he smiled at her
weakly, reached out his arms, and called out, “Qiaoqiao, let me hug you.”

A teardrop owed out of the young lady’s eyes. She did not wipe it o as she continued to
walk along. The lantern let out a faint ray of white light, similar to the moonlight.

She had been through a lot for the past ten or so years. Half her life, she had wandered
along a di cult path. She had fallen and picked herself up many times, but she had
ultimately ended up on an uncertain path. Her past self had been trapped by love. She had
experienced it all, from being touched, to being helpless, to being stubborn, weak and to
being sad. Presently, that incompetent woman had died along with her unfortunate plight.

“Life is a bed of thorns. If one’s self and heart remain unmoved, one will not get hurt. If one’s
self and heart are moved, the pain will pierce all the way through to the bones, making one’s
life a living hell.”

Zhuge Yue, you were right. I’m like you, having been thrown into that bed of thorns. Instead
of shutting my heart o , why not I open up and cut o the thorns around me?

fl
ffi
fl
ffi
ff
ff
ff
ff
fi
ff
fi
 As her tears dropped into the lantern, a gust of wind blew towards it as well, extinguishing
the ame inside the lantern. All that was visible was a foggy road that led upwards. She took
a deep breath and threw the lantern to the ground. She straightened her back and walked
forward. She swore to herself that this would be the last teardrop that she shed in her life.
From then on, she would not cry again even if she bled herself dry.

There were bright rows of lights ahead. From afar, a amboyant residence sat amongst the
colorful owers. The majestic lights shone everywhere, making the sight a spectacular one.

Sun Di was dressed in a clean out t as he stood in front of the door holding a palace light,
awaiting her return. “Miss, have you sorted your thoughts out?”

Chu Qiao looked at him as the silvery-white moonlight shone on her face. She nodded
silently and said in a heavy tone, “I’ve never been so clear.”

Sun Di laughed and handed his paper lantern to her. With that, he said with a smile, “The
journey at night is di cult. Let this lantern light the way for you then.”

“The candlelights can be extinguished by the wind, but the ames of passion in the heart
cannot.” Chu Qiao walked in front of him towards the amboyant residence and added in a
heavy tone, “From now, my eyes will be my lantern while my heart will be the ame in the
lantern.”

When she stepped into the gates of the residence, an intense array of lights greeted her,
blinding her for an instant. A white jade passageway led all the way from the entrance to the
front hall. The water in the pools by the sides of the room was pristine clear. There were
countless rooms in the building, adorned by portraits and statues. A fragrance lingered
around the walls of the building. Curtains that were made of brocade and pearls hung
everywhere. The pillars were made of gold. The setting was like the spring winds in the third
month of the year, mesmerizing anyone who got in contact with it.

Chapter 234
Qiu Sui stepped up, and with deference, she rmly declared, “Lady, after you left, His
Majesty began to build this place, and after over two years, it was nally done.”

Many servants knelt on the ground and kowtowed upon seeing Chu Qiao arrive.

Chu Qiao walked along, only to see that the palace was constructed using sandalwood, and
lighting was encapsulated in crystals, with fragrance exuding from the walls. The waves of
the veils looked like a sea, and large crystals were embedded in the walls, emitting a weak
light as though they were the moon in the night. There was a multicolored bird carved on the
central pillar, decorated by golden powder, gleaming in the shine of the candlelight. At the
side, there were drawings of Yulan owers. The display had probably been aptly soaked with
the Yulan aroma oils, as the fragrance of the ower wafted in the area. She was suddenly
reminded of that night when he had childishly snatched the headdress of the maidservants
and stuck it along with a ower into her head.

fl
fl
ffi

fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
 I hereby specially decree that, you, Lady Chu, for your diligence, wisdom, honorable
conduct, along with your kindness and generosity, I will bestow upon you the title of (____).
May you be blessed forever.

Below those scripts, there was the sign of Li Ce’s stamp, and only the title was not lled up.

Sun Di walked up, and rmly informed, “On that day, His Majesty had not decided on the
title. Even after discussing with others multiple times, and even the Ceremonial Department
sent some suggestions, His Majesty was still displeased, and as a result, it was left blank.
Who knew, after delaying, he had lost the chance forever.”

Chu Qiao quietly stood there, and the light gently shone on her pale face. Biting her lips, her
nger held the piece of paper with all her force that even her knuckle turned white.

Within the room, there were all kinds of rare treasures dowries that he had prepared for her.
It was apparent that those items had been stored here for a long time.

Her tear glands started to warm up, as her brows furrowed up. Her voice was deep, with a
slight tremble, as she calmly said, “Since I had not been given a title, that matter shall be left
to rest. Do not bring it up again.”

Sun Di nodded, “Lady, you are indeed wise. It is pretty late already. Please rest, this
subordinate will leave rst.” As he nished his sentence, he left.

The maroon door slammed shut. The boom seemed like a distant thunder rolling past the
oor of the mansion.

Mei Xiang walked over with a letter in her hand while frowning, “Miss, Master Zhuge sent
letters again.”

Chu Qiao’s expression softened. Receiving the letter, she clenched it in her st but did not
open up to read its contents. The cold sweat in her palm soaked into the letter, turning it
slightly moist.

Mei Xiang frowned, and reminded her, “Miss, this is the ninth letter. If you do not reply,
Master Zhuge will get worried.”

Quietly sitting there, Chu Qiao did not respond. Her eyes stared at the candlelight by the
window, as though her mind was lost in thought.

Yan Bei and the Xia Empires resumed their battles. Below Yanming Pass, there had already
been four battles. The frontlines stretched all the way to the south side of Batuha lands.

Along with the Mu family in Ling Nan, and the young master of Jing, Jing Han, Zhao Yang
had commanded the entire strength of the Southwest forces. They stood opposing Zhuge
Yue and Zhao Che’s Northern forces at the Phoenix Tower. The situation in Xia was
extremely volatile, as though things could fall apart anytime.

The Emperor had been sick for too long, and had already not appeared in court for over one
year. Wei Guang had claimed that he was sick too, and had stepped away from the limelight
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
of politics. Who knows what this cunning old fox was plotting. At this time moment, the
entire scene in the Xia Empire was like a can of gunpowder. The moment anyone struck
even a single match, it would explode into a reball of chaos.

This point was something that even she could understand, how could he not?

Mei Xiang could not help but ask, “Miss, what are we doing now?”

Chu Qiao’s vision turned to her, with frost in her gaze. Slowly, and coldly, Chu Qiao spat out
only one word, “Wait.”

The succession ceremony of the new Emperor was to be held the next day.

In the gigantic palace, a young kid was sitting on the huge dragon throne. Behind the veils
that were situated at the back of the throne, there were two neatly dress women. They were
the mother of the Emperor, Empress Yuan, and Noble Consort Zhan.

In the spacious palace, Zhan Ziyu, as the King of Shezheng, sat quietly, with his gure along
causing pressure. His jet black clothes were embroidered with six dragons, and his lips were
curled up in an almost undetectable smile, utterly con dent in himself.

As Li Ce had never declared his Empress, and he had no siblings, along with the fact that
his death was all too sudden and even the previous Empress had passed on, there was no
other choice but to instate the eldest son Li Xiuyi as the Emperor. The mother of the eldest
son, Lady Yuan, was from the lowest class and was not judged to have the blue royal blood
that fully quali ed her to listen to the morning court. As such, Lady Ming became the
stepmother to the young Emperor, and would supervise the morning court.

The Emperor was merely six years out. With the two ladies listening on the national matters,
it became clear as day that others had grasped the actual authority. Empress Yuan had no
family, so the entire power was in the hands of the Zhan siblings who had been exiled to
beyond the Tang Empire prior.

The changes in the politics were so quick and furious, much like the deep undercurrents of
the oceans. One could never see them coming, yet they were swift and deadly.

The loyal subordinates of the previous emperor were undoubtedly suppressed. Most of
them were locked up by the court and investigated based on suspicion of assisting the Luo
King during the rebellion. All the servants that were by Li Ce’s side on the day of his passing
were beheaded, and all the ladies of the harem were chased out of the palace and were
forced to convert to nuns.

The new rulers had created a stir, sweeping through the Tang Empire like a typhoon. The
cold sword of death hung by a hair above the entire Tang Empire, and anyone who dared
oppose the new rule would be awarded death.

Under this ruthless rule, many hesitating old o cials changed their sides, and even after the
morning court, they would crowd at the Residence of the King of Shezheng like a pack of
wolves.

fi
fi
ffi
fi
fi
 What surprised Chu Qiao was that under such a situation, the rst person to stand out and
oppose this was Elder Liu who had repeatedly gone against Li Ce.

On the rst of September, before the gates of Jinwu Palace, Elder Liu scolded that the Zhan
siblings were the people who had staged everything, and the rst assassination was full of
suspicious points. Zhan Ziyu, Zhan Ziming were traitors who deserved to die. After saying
that, he slammed himself onto the blades of their guards while shouting the name of
Emperor Li Ce. With that, he died on the spot.

Zhan Ziyu was sitting in the carriage and had not even appeared even once. Only when
EIder Liu’s body had already been taken away did he walked out. He threw out some money
and told the relatives of Elder Liu to use the money for his funeral.

Chu Qiao was eating when she heard that notice. Pingan had told her this information
cautiously, and even then, hearing that, Chu Qiao’s hand trembled so hard that half her soup
spilled out from her spoon. After that, she thought over that incident for a long time.

After the incident about Elder Liu was spread throughout the entire Tang Empire, there was a
huge upheaval. All kinds of scholars gathered at Tang Jing. The enraged academics wrote
long essays and those had spread to within the palace requesting for the law enforcement
departments to properly investigate the incident.

Two days later, Zhan Ziyu had begun his ruthless suppression of those scholars. For a
moment the prison was lled with people shouting angrily. The supervisor of the jail frowned
as he asked Zhan Ziyu as to what to do. The young King of Shezheng casually left behind a
sentence, “Isn’t there still place at the Huangquan hill outside of the city?”

The supervisor felt chills down his spine. The Huangquan hill was a mass grave, so he
naturally understood what this young King of Shezheng meant.

In the afternoon of the same day, the jail accidentally caught re, and the prisoners in it were
mostly injured or killed, turning into bodies that had been burnt to a crisp. Those bodies
were thrown messily into the mass grave without any cover from the elements, turning into
the food of beasts. The jail ended the incident by handing over two jail guards who had
been drunk while on duty.

27th of September, it was deep into autumn, and it was a windy day.

The morning court on this day was a tad di erent from usual, and was handled entirely by
the King of Shezheng, Zhan Ziyu. There was only Zhan Ziming behind the blinds listening in
as well. The imperial doctors said that the Emperor caught a cold, and his mother was
taking care of the Emperor, and would be absent as well.

Before the crowds had time to react, there was a golden throne that was lifted out from the
back of the main palace. There was a dragon carved onto the seat, and with nine tails
uttering with majesty, it was as grandiose as the Emperor’s throne.

The messenger who usually read the royal decree praised Zhan Ziyu without any sense of
shame, before reaching for the royal decree and announcing that that seat was ordered by
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
 the Emperor himself, and that considering Zhan Ziyu’s weak constitution, the Emperor
wishes that Zhan Ziyu could seat on the seat. Not only that, the Lingxiao Palace that was
situated within the Jinwu Palace would be given to the King of Shezheng to reduce the
travel time every day.

Zhan Ziyu seemed to be reluctant at receiving this honor, but after the crowd convincing him
for a while, he sat down on the new throne. At one glance, it was hard to tell which seat was
the actual throne.

On that night, after Chu Qiao put down a letter she had just read, she heaved a sigh before
telling Tie You, “Go back and look after the Emperor. The time is near.”

In the middle of the night three days later, a loud cacophony erupted in Jinwu Palace. Those
who were deep in their slumber were rudely awoken, as the o cials and civilians rushed out
of their home and looked at the origin of the noise. All that they could see was that in the
direction of Jinwu Palace, even the sky was colored by the bright crimson of ames, with
sounds of ghting breaking out almost everywhere, with groaning and shrieking sounding o
everywhere.

At that moment, everyone was all stunned. Some cowardly men quickly brought their family
into their house and shut all their doors and windows tight in fear of being caught up in the
con ict. The only ones left spectating were some o cials who stared at the palace and
murmuring, “Seems like power will be changing hands again.”

At midnight, the palace gate had been opened up. In a gown of blood, Lu Yunxi rushed out
with his 3,000 elite soldiers, and informed Chu Qiao who was standing before the Tai’an
Gate, “Lady, we had already taken over the Lingxiao Palace.”

Under the pitch black backdrop of the sky, Chu Qiao’s dark maroon clothes seemed to
merge into the night. On her clothes, there was a golden embroidery of the mandarin duck,
and her jaded like complexion stood out in the jet darkness, her beautiful feature shining
through the fog of the night like a lighthouse. Behind her, there were the 10,000 strong Xiuli
soldiers. Completely calm, He Xiao sat on his war horse and guarded by her side. The white
ag that had a red cloud on it uttered high above everyone’s head. The rainclouds loomed
over everyone’s head, covering any other light from the moon and the stars. Even as the
warm light from the torches shone onto Chu Qiao’s face, she seemed like an emotionless
sword, ready to strike.

“Enter.” Her cold voice softly sounded o , yet, it was rm, and pierced into everyone’s ears.

As the wind raged passed, it sent Chu Qiao’s clothes uttering. Lifting up her sharp chin,
Chu Qiao squinted as she lightly tapped the stomach of her horse with her feet, signaling for
the horse to enter the majesty palace.

As the last guard of Xiaoling Palace fell, the inferno in the west palace had been
extinguished. Du Pingan led a group of soldiers up, with a gleam of determination shining in
his eyes. It was as though in this one night he had matured as a man.

fl
fl
fi
fl
ff
ffi
fi
fl
ffi
fl
ff
With all her forces consolidated, more than 10,000 soldiers stood behind Chu Qiao, with
their bright torches illuminating the entire sky, along with the countless bodies that litter the
marvelous palace.

Chu Qiao’s horse trotted up the white marble stairs. The banner that indicated that this was
the residence of the King of Shezheng, something that normal people would not even dare
to look up at, was smashed onto the ground and with the horses’ trampling, there were
crisp sounds of it shattering into a million pieces.

A servant who was good at observing stepped up and loudly hailed her and welcomed this
great marshal. Seeing him, Chu Qiao stepped on his back without reservation, using him as
a step to get o the horse as she paced toward the palace.

The palace door suddenly opened as she was welcomed with a wave of cold wind that was
infused with incense, sending her maroon cape uttering in the wind. Her sword that hung at
the waist gleamed with a lethal coldness that seemed to pierce deep into her enemy’s
hearts. In the empty hall, Zhan Ziyu sat alone, and it was like the two of them had returned
to those days when the man in a green blouse sat on a wooden wheelchair while facing the
crashing waves of the rivers. She could still vividly remember his crystal clear eyes and his
deep voice as he asked, “Who was there?”

Chapter 235
As the wind blew into the room, a piece of yellow paper was scattered on the ground. It was
the paper in which emperors wrote their imperial decrees. Chu Qiao walked into the palace,
stepping over that piece of paper. She looked at the shadow hiding behind the curtains
calmly, saying in a heavy tone, “I’m here to take your life.”

Zhan Ziyu laughed and replied in a calm voice, “I didn’t expect it to be you.”

“I never thought that our next meeting would be like this. You were a fallen man back then.
To get to where you were in ve years, it must have not been easy.”

Chu Qiao continued calmly with an expressionless look.

Zhan Ziyu laughed again and retorted, “Are you trying to console me? It’s not bad either. It’s
not easy to get praised by the famous General of Xiuli either.”

Chu Qiao maintained her calm demeanor and asked, “Do you have any last wishes?”

A look of sadness ashed across Zhan Ziyu’s face. He frowned and said indignantly, “I do
not feel ful lled if I don’t kill these hypocritical nobles of Tang.” He continued, “General Chu,
why can the Li family rule over this country, but not me? Didn’t the Li family obtain this
empire from the previous ruling family too? Why are they the righteous rulers of this country,
while I am the rebel?” A proud look started to appear on Zhan Ziyu’s face. He looked up
towards the rooftop slightly, a look of ambition appearing on his face. “Furthermore, I’m just
taking back what the Li family owes me. What’s wrong with that?”

fi
ff
fl

fi
fl
Chu Qiao was unmoved as she continued to say calmly, “That’s your personal feud. It’s
none of my business.” She stepped forward slowly; the sound of her footsteps resembled
the midnight drums striking as it reverberated around the walls of the palace.

“You killed someone that I treasure. I will kill you to avenge him.” As she withdrew her sword
out of its sheath, it gave out a blinding silver glimmer which shone on Zhan Ziyu, projecting
a white ray of light onto his face.

“What else do you have to say?”

“Let my sister go. She’s just a woman. She did everything for my sake.”

Chu Qiao looked at him and remained silent for a long while as she started to feel a tinge of
sorrow within her heart. The winds blew towards them from afar, tugging at their sleeves.

“Sorry, I can’t do it.”

A gush of crimson-red blood splattered out onto Chu Qiao’s black colored clothes, losing its
red color as it seeped into the cloth.

Chu Qiao bent down and picked up the man’s head on the ground. His jet-black hair was
neatly combed; his complexion was fair. His expression was gentle, as if he had drifted o
to sleep. Blood was everywhere near his neck, where his head had been severed. It was a
gruesome sight.

Swoosh! Chu Qiao threw the head into the hands of another bodyguard and declared with a
heavy tone, “Hang the head onto the palace gates and let those soldiers from the Central
Army see it.” As she nished her sentence, she walked out of Lingxiao Palace, got onto her
horse, and ordered to the people on her left and right, “To Roufu Palace.”

The moon had crept over the layer of clouds unknowingly, giving the landscape a desolate
appearance. As Lingxiao Palace started to quiet down, the soldiers dressed in their body
armor departed the palace, leaving only a heap of bodies behind. The crows in the sky let
out their cries; their black wings appeared like the ensign of death. In that empty palace, the
headless corpse sat upright on that golden chair, adding to the creepiness of the
atmosphere.

The battle at Roufu Palace had ended by then. Tie You and Sun Di arrived together,
bloodstains visible on their bodies, which showed the intensity of the battle earlier on. Chu
Qiao jumped o her horse and said to Sun Di, “It’s been hard on you.”

Sun Di brushed it o with a laugh and replied, “It’s alright. It’s just that the food in the palace
sucked. I lost quite a lot of weight.”

“Miss, we have captured Concubine Zhan,” Tie You declared in a heavy tone.

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows and questioned, “Is the emperor alright?”

Tie You mimicked her expression and replied, “Just a few shocks here and there.”

ff
ff
fi
ff
 “That’s good.” Chu Qiao heaved a sigh of relief and continued, “Why are you so glum then?”

“Empress Yuan has killed herself. When we barged in, she thought that we were Concubine
Zhan’s people. Before we spoke, she banged her head against the wall and died.”

Chu Qiao frowned tightly, not expecting the Yuan family to show such levels of cowardice.
She had painstakingly paved an escape route for mother and son, but the mother had died
just like that, without making a sound.

“Miss,” Sun Di stepped forward and declared with a heavy tone, “the Zhan siblings
assassinated the late emperor and colluded with other syndicates to plot against him as
they coveted the throne. The evidence against them is here. We can reveal this to the world
tomorrow and expose them for their crimes.”

Chu Qiao received the papers from him. It was just a few pieces of paper, but it felt
unbelievably heavy as she held it in her hands.

“Let me out! Bunch of slaves! Let me out!” A heart-rending series of cries suddenly echoed
out from the palace not far out. The majestic Roufu Palace had been reduced to ruins as the
re continued to ravage the building, leaving dust and debris everywhere in its trail. Zhan
Ziming was wearing a bright red out t as she struggled to ght her way out of the palace,
with two servants blocking her way. Her eyes were bloodshot; her royal demeanor had
evaporated.

When she saw Chu Qiao, Sun Di and the rest, she froze. Looking at Chu Qiao, she asked,
“Where’s my big brother?”

Chu Qiao replied emotionlessly, “Dead.”

It was almost as if Zhan Ziming had expected the arrival of this day. After a long while, she
started to laugh bitterly. Her voice was resigned as the bright look in her eyes faded. She
looked at Chu Qiao and asked calmly, “You killed him?”

“Yes.”

“Good, good. The person he liked is indeed capable. No wonder he’s only true to you.”

Chu Qiao looked at the beautiful lady who had been consumed by madness, with a
sympathetic expression. Through her pretty face, she seemingly read the thoughts at the
bottom of her heart.

“How do you intend to deal with Rong’er?”

“He’s not just your child. He is Li Ce’s child. I will treat him well.”

Zhan Ziming nodded and laughed bitterly. “Good. My hands are stained with blood. I killed
him. If not for Big Brother, I wouldn’t have lived on either. Kill me.”

In that instant, Chu Qiao saw her fragmented heart through her resigned smile. Having
admired her elder brother since her childhood, she listened to Zhan Ziyu and followed all of
fi
fi
fi
his arrangements. However, when she entered the palace, she could not help falling for Li
Ce. Perhaps, she had not realized this, up until she carried out the plan to assassinate him.
It was only then that she understood what she actually thought towards him. That day,
outside Yixin Palace, the sorrow that she felt did not seem to be fake. Alas, out of the two
men that she loved, one did not love her, while the other was unable to love her. Ultimately,
she was made to be a fool by fate.

“Give Concubine Zhan the poisoned wine.” Chu Qiao turned around decisively and took big
steps towards the outside of the palace. The winds blew as the darkness engulfed the
landscape. It was brightly lit at the gates of Jinwu Palace, as the shouting became softer
and softer. Sounds of a war siren pierced through the air. The smell of debris, blood and
deceased souls welcomed her, and surrounded her from all directions.

She held her sword in her hand as she wore her blood-stained out t. She stood upright,
with the soldiers in black to her left and right, as the palace burnt to the ground behind her.
Her gaze was cold as she looked towards the horizon. Over the horizon, the lonely regions
of the north beckoned. She did not blink, as if she was looking at someone. However, the
look in her eyes was empty.

“The demise of Concubine Zhan…” the eunuch declared loudly.

The sun rose, signalling the end to the long night. However, what did it take to dispel the
darkness in her heart? Fate was like an unrestrained wild re, burning her beyond
recognition. Those wishes and expectations for the future were utterly destroyed by this re,
along with all her emotions of weakness, sorrow, benevolence, kindness, and her
perceptions towards idealism. She would stand up and protect everything she treasured. If
anyone dared to step across her boundaries, she would ensure that they paid a heavy price
for it.

“Aunt!” the voice of a child sounded out as he leapt into Chu Qiao’s embrace. The emperor
bawled his eyes out as his cheeks appeared red from all the crying.

“Mother is dead! Aunt, Yi’er’s mother is dead!” The child was still young, but he had
inherited his handsome features from Li Ce.

She squatted down and embraced the child tightly. Her body was cold, but her heart felt
warm. This was Li Ce’s child, his empire, his home. He had watched over her for so many
years; it was time for her to reciprocate.

“Yi’er, don’t be scared. You still have Auntie.”

“Miss.” Meixiang stood at the side, holding another child in her arms.

Chu Qiao stood up and walked over slowly, realizing that the child was Zhan Ziming’s son, Li
Qingrong. This child, who had been born as the king of Rong, was sleeping soundly,
completely oblivious to the storm that his birth had caused. His parents had passed away in
succession, leaving this piece of scarred land and a destabilized empire in his hands.

fi
fi
fi
“Miss, look at how soundly Third Prince is sleeping.” Meixiang had taken an adoration to the
child as she handed the child over to Chu Qiao, laughing.

Chu Qiao held him in her arms, waking him up. He yawned impatiently, squinting as he
looked at Chu Qiao. He was like a carbon copy of Li Ce.

Tears started to well up in Chu Qiao’s eyes. She embraced the child tightly, pressing her
cheeks against the child’s. A feeling of emptiness started to brew in her heart again.

“General, Elder Liu’s son, Liu Yuanzong, is standing outside Qinan Gates with a group of
scholars and o cials. They are asking about what happened. Is the emperor alright?”

Chu Qiao looked up as she reverted back to her cold expression. She said to He Xiao,
“Inform all the elders that the king of Shezheng, Zhan Ziyu, colluded with Concubine Zhan
to usurp the throne of the late emperor. Empress Yuan died amongst the chaos, while the
emperor is alright. The evil people have been eliminated. Tell the elders not to worry as well.”

He Xiao went about his task swiftly. In a short while, shouts of “Long live!” started to
resonate outside the palace gates.

A bodyguard returned with the following news, “Liu Yuanzong pledges allegiance to General
Chu, along with the entire court of Tang. The con icts at the southern, northern and
Ganguang Gates have stopped. The rebels of the Central Army have been captured. We are
awaiting General Chu to deal with them.”

As the palace gates opened, the entire court of Tang stood beneath the jade steps of the
palace. As the sun rose high up in the sky, exemplifying Tang’s return to a bright future
ahead, Chu Qiao held the emperor’s hand as they walked up the jade steps slowly.

“Long live the Emperor!”

The golden rays of the sun shone on her black out t. The word “Xiuli” was faintly visible on a
reddish-white ensign. As the winds blew, the landscape appeared desolate once again.

“Aunt,” the emperor called out crisply as he pointed to the golden chair, cowering in fear.
Frowning, he continued, “I don’t want to sit there.”

Chu Qiao squatted and caressed his face gently. “Yi’er, that seat was made by the esh and
blood of thousands of people. You belong there. Your parents died for it. The Tang Empire
lies in your hands now. Everyone here, including your ancestors above in the sky, is looking
at you. You cannot refuse this responsibility.”

The emperor was visibly startled by her words. He tugged at her and asked, “What about
Auntie. Don’t you want me anymore?”

Chu Qiao helped him up the throne as she said quietly, “Auntie will help you, but you have to
shoulder some things yourself ultimately.”

Chu Qiao turned around as everyone present kowtowed to pay their respects, startling the
birds who were circling above the sky. They did not know who they were paying their
ffi
fl
fi
fl
respects to. Was it the young prince on the throne, or the young lady who had command of
the Wolf and Xiuli Armies? There was not a single moment of peace and calm, just like it had
been all this while, amidst the mind games that were playing out on this joyous occasion.

As the dust behind this debacle settled, the next move of this game of chess had been
made. There was no longer any more room to back out.

Li Ce, rest assured.

Chapter 236
The days turned colder as the seasons progressed deeper into autumn, and even the
passing winds were tinged with the smell of chrysanthemum. The lotuses in the Tai Qing
Pond had long ago withered, with the wilted sycamore leaves ooding the entire pond. The
whole hall seemed quiet, like an undisturbed late, as Sun Di’s voice rang out in the
deafening silence, and like the smell of incense, his voice lingered beside everyone’s ears.

“Princess Yunkang, Rank one Lady Huayang, Lady of Runan, Lady of Duanqing, Lady of
Jingan, had all indicated their willingness to take care of the Emperor. In addition, King of
Runan, King of Duanqing, King of Jingan, Master An, Master Yun, had all indicated their
loyalty. The court is now split into two, with the generals mostly supportive of the King of
Jingan, whereas the administrative o cers were mostly in favor of the idea that the three
ladies are to groom the Emperor together, and likewise the three Kings are to supervise the
ruling together.”

As the breeze blow past, the plants outside the windows were swaying. Sitting on the soft
mat, Chu Qiao donned a white robe for indoors. As she leaned one hand on the window,
she lifted her chin as she looked on at the night sky that was decorated with Sycamores.
The broad sleeves were drooping down, revealing a segment of her snowy white arm. In her
dark eyes, one could not tell what she was thinking.

“The cavalry general Xie Xu led 70,000 of the Southern army and has already reached
Sunset Mountains. They will be reaching the capital soon. This Xie Xu was a slave of the
King of Jingan, and with him bringing his troops over, this man must be guarded against. I
ordered General Xu Su to guard at Hanshui, and even if Xie Xu recognizes the new Emperor,
he was to cross the Hanshui River alone without all of his soldiers.”

“Xie Xu?” Leaning on the window, Chu Qiao did not even turn her head around as she rmly
continued, “During the rebellion by the King of Luo, we had not heard anything from him. He
suddenly became so patriotic?”

Sun Di’s voice did not waver, as he replied rmly, “If we did not have a righteous cause, they
would not be fully loyal, such is only logical.”

Chu Qiao’s eyes nally turned, as she looked upon Sun Di from the corner of her eyes. She
had already guessed what he wanted to say, yet she did not give a de nite reply, and merely
turned around and observed the waves outside. For a long time, she did not speak.

fi

ffi
fi
fl
fi
fi
“In addition, the son of Elder Liu, Liu Yuanzong, had contacted me. He indicated that when
the time is right, he would like to contact some of the old allies of the Liu Family to assist
you. Right now, all that they need is a good reason and an opportunity.”

Suddenly, there was a wave of hurried footsteps from beyond the palace. The duo turned
around suddenly, only to see the Emperor wearing a golden dragon blouse running barefoot,
tears covering his face. He pounced into Chu Qiao’s embrace and started to cry. Two
nannies followed behind, and upon seeing Chu Qiao and Sun Di, they knelt on the ground.

The kid was small, and could only reach Chu Qiao’s waist. He cried while shouting, “Aunt!
Mother had come to nd me! Mother had come.”

Chu Qiao pulled the young emperor up and wiped away his tears with her handkerchief,
before asking softly, “Did the Emperor have a dream again?”

The kid pouted, and continued to cry, “My Mother’s head was full of blood, and it all rubbed
onto me.”

Chu Qiao soothed him, “Emperor, do not be scared, that is merely a dream, and it is not
real. Your mother loves you so, why would she try to scare you?”

“Aunt–” Li Xiuyi continued to hug Chu Qiao in a tight embrace, refusing to let go.

Looking upon the Emperor, Sun Di showed pity. “The Emperor is still so young. If he lands in
the hands of someone who wants to manipulate him, who knows how much pain he would
go through.”

Chu Qiao suddenly started to feel annoyance at this man before her. She instructed, “The
night is no longer young, and Master, it would be inappropriate for you to stay much longer.
Meixiang, please send him o .”

Sun Di did not seem very upset, and after saying some formalities, he turned and left.

Meixiang seemed somewhat annoyed as she glared at Sun Di’s gure. Seeing that he had
left, she said, “Miss, do not listen to this man’s nonsense! At most when the Fourth Young
Master came, we would bring the young Emperor along.”

Before Chu Qiao could even reply, Li Xiuyi lifted his head up and asked, “Aunt is going to
leave?”

Chu Qiao lowered her head and looked into the pitch black eyes of the kid, as though she
could see the silhouette of a certain someone through his eyes. She seemed to be able to
see that scene again, when snow lled the whole scenery with razor-like cold winds
bellowing, as that man ignored the questions of doubt from the entire country and sent his
army to Longyin Pass. Through that, he saved her. She could still feel his freezing cold
armor that she leaned on as they left the scene, as he shielded her from the ghtings and
war, like an infallible wall that would never fall.

Withdrawing her arms, Chu Qiao tightly hugged the kid.

fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
 As the candles continued to burn, the nights of the palace seemed ever so long. Sun Ti
walked out casually from the side door of the Tai’an Gate, his loose robes uttering in the
wind. In the corner, Tie You squatted as he waited for Sun Di to come out. Seeing that Sun
Di had nally come out, Tie You walked over calmly. Sun Di calmly looked at Tie You with a
slight smile hanging by his mouth, and casually asked, “Is General Tie going to invite me for
a drink?”

“Did you kill the Emperor’s Mother?” Tie You’s voice was rm and deep, and his gaze was
undisturbed as he suddenly questioned.

Sun Di’s composure was utterly undisturbed as a light smile hung by his lips and con dently
replied, “What do you mean, General Tie? Empress Yuan committed suicide by smashing
her head on a wall. The entire scene was witnessed by many, and even you were present.
How was that in any way related to me?”

Deeply furrowing his brows, Tie You remain unfazed as he continued, “I was told that on the
night before the incident, you sent out a letter while still in prison to Lady Yuan. After reading
your letter, she went to the Emperor’s residence until the incident occurred. The servants
who were serving her said that she cried the entire night, and did not even eat her meals.
What exactly did you tell her in the letter?”

“What can I say? Obviously, I cautioned her to be careful of the Zhan siblings.”

Tie You suddenly stepped up, and glaring at Sun Di, he bellowed, “If that was so simple,
why did you execute the two eunuchs who had delivered the letters to her? And searched
the entire Yixin Palace last night?”

Sun Di’s face nally froze up. Turning around, he coldly declared, “I don’t know what you are
talking about.” As he said that, he lifted his feet and went to leave.

“Sun Di!” Tie You suddenly bellowed, alerting some guards even from afar. With his chest
heaving up and down, Tie You quietly continued, “If you do not want other people to know,
why did you even do it? There are thousands of eyes observing you. Do you think it would
be possible to make it perfect?”

The cold moonlight spilled onto the straight back of Sun Di. With his green clothes uttering,
a certain type of aura was emitted from this young man.

Slowly turning around, he looked deep into Tie You’s soul as he replied without skipping a
beat, “Tie You, do you not remember how lowly you were born?”

Tie You was slightly taken aback, and following which a sense of unpleasantness ashed
past his eyes as he coldly stated, “Tie You was born as a normal civilian, and would
naturally be unable to compare to Master Sun Di’s noble birth.”

“I am not comparing my bloodline with you.” Sun Di casually brushed aside that remark. In
the pale moonlight, his handsome features seemed even a little cunning. Upright and
unwavering, his clothes uttered in the passing winds, as he continued, “I wanted to say,
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
 could it be that you have already forgotten what His Majesty had done such that we both
could rise to such power?”

Tie You was taken aback once again, but he immediately turned cold again. “So your
method of repaying His Majesty is by killing our young Emperor’s mother before inciting a
rebellion?”

“What else can I do? Let our young Majesty be throned with his mother assisting? Hmph, if
that is the case, without even three years, the entire Tang Empire would be in control of the
Jingan King, Zhou Yun.”

The corner of Sun Di’s mouth curled up as his eyes sparkled with cunningness that seemed
be tting of a fox. In a moment he seemed like he was not from this world.

“Indeed, His Majesty had already predicted that such a thing might happen and that the
Zhan Siblings might try to usurp power, and made countermeasures for such things. I am
afraid I cannot follow those orders, and I must stir up a mess in the Tang Empire. With Zhan
Ziyu dying on the hands of General Xiuli, even if Empress Yuan had not committed suicide
that day, I would make sure that she died after that. She was pretty smart, and made the
right choice, saving me much trouble. Only when the entire matter turns into an utter mess,
Master Chu will follow my plans, and not follow Zhuge Yue and leave the Tang Empire.”

Tie You was completely stunned by this plan. At that instance, the tall walls of the castle
seemed ever so suppressing. As the nocturnal birds ew past the palace, they let out
shrieks that jolted everyone back to their senses. With his brows tightly frowning, Tie You’s
mouth was agape, and only after a long while did he nally muster a reply, “You must be
crazy.”

“No, I am not.” Sun Di lifted his head, his gure seemed upright as he pointed into the skies
in the North, and with a sharp gaze, he spoke to Tie You, “Haven’t you heard? The calls of
war begun in the North, and there were millions of bodies that were left to rot by the gates of
Yanming Pass. The Xia Empire is about to disintegrate, and the talented and ruthless Yan
Xun rules over Yan Bei. The only reason that the Xia Empire had not fallen was because, as
the King of Qinghai, Zhuge Yue opened up another front. The instant that Zhuge Yue leaves,
how could Zhao Che alone face the onslaught of Yan Bei? In the rst place, Xia was plagued
by an internal power struggle, and each power is trying to grab the most power for
themselves. Zhao Yang is not someone satis ed to remain someone else’s command. The
instant that the Xia Empire is conquered, we have lost our Northern bu er. By then, we will
face Yan Bei from the west through the waterway of the Southern Borders, and the land
forces of Yan Bei from the North. Also, to our East, there is Nalan Hongye who is a long-
standing ally of Yan Bei. Not only that, with internal forces like The King of Jingan, Zhou Yun,
trying to usurp power, how could the Tang Empire survive?”

Tie You was completely stunned. Sun Di continued, “In the battle with the King of Luo, the
Tang Empire had lost much. After His Majesty left, there was a multitude of powers within
the country wishing to take the throne. If the West Meng continent remained in such a
divided state, we would still be safe. However, once Yan Bei manages to defeat the Xia
Empire, that will be the doomsday for Tang. We owe much gratitude to His Majesty, and now
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
ff
that he is no longer around, do you think I can sit and watch the entire Tang Empire be
destroyed?”

“Even…even then, you should not have killed Empress Yuan. Ultimately, she was the
concubine of His Majesty, and was the young Emperor’s mother!” Tie You’s face was
completely red as he bellowed.

“She is but a useless woman.” Sun Di snorted in disdain, as he bellowed, “As of now, the
only way for us to survive is to ensure somehow that the Xia Empire can survive. If we are
unable to annihilate the Song Empire before Yan Bei defeats the Xia Empire, we will certainly
fall into a deadly trapt.” As he said that, a trace of passion and zeal could be seen in his
eyes.

Turning around, Sun Di glared deep into Tie You’s eyes as he bellowed with a low voice, “As
long as Master Chu stays even one more day in the Tang Empire, Zhuge Yue will delay his
return to Qinghai. As long as he does not leave, Yan Xun cannot a ord to send all his forces
to attack Yanming Pass in fear of in ltration from Cuiwei Pass. As long as the Xia Empire
remains, the Tang Empire will have time to revitalize, and considering Master Chu and her
relationships with Zhuge Yue and Yan Xun, we will obtain some form of support from those
two powers. And in the future, if any internal powers wish to seize power, they must
consider how Zhuge Yue and Yan Xun would respond. With that, the young Emperor’s
power could be consolidated, and even if King of Jingan wishes to bend things to his will,
he needs to consider the potential repercussions. In the rst place, the Xiuli Army possesses
extraordinary ghting prowess and loyalty, and is in no way inferior to His Majesty’s elite
Wolf Army, and would be the prime choice for the bodyguard of the Emperor. In addition,
Master Chu herself is a person of exceptional military and political talent, and as a woman,
she has little to none of those passion or desire for power. We can get such a suitable
person like her to assist our Emperor. Can you ever nd a second person like her?”

Tie You was utterly dumbfounded by his colleague, as he looked on as though they were
strangers.

Chapter 237
Sun Di looked at him and said calmly, “If you want to see the entire Tang Empire crumble to
dust, if you want to be an eternal sinner of Tang, you can tell others what I just said to you.
We are comrades after all. I won’t blame you for your narrow-mindedness. It’s my fault that
my thoughts can’t be understood by everyone.”

“But, do you want General Chu… Aren’t you ruining her happiness?”

Sun Di shook his head and laughed as he patted Tie You’s shoulder. “Although I believe that
General Chu has no ambition, I have to guard against her. If Zhuge Yue marries her in future,
do I expect the wife of the king of Qinghai to supervise the country’s issues?” The moonlight
shone bright in the sky as the man turned around to leave. His resigned voice drifted from
afar, carrying a few hints of dreariness. “How can the empire be ruled by a woman who is
benevolent? The abyss is deep, no one wants to go there. Let me wander there myself…”

fi

fi
fi
fi
ff
 The crescent moon hung high up in the sky as the autumn winds swept across the land,
scattering sycamore leaves onto the ground—it was a lonely sight.

Mihe Residence was still as cold as ever. However, it had become the most lively part of all
of Jinwu Palace. There were still people walking about. It was rumored that even birds did
not want to stop at other places in Jinwu Palace. Jinwu Palace had become a quiet place.
There was no longer any festivities, banquets, blue-eyed Donghu dancers, or singing
through the night. The palace fell into a state of isolation; even the nightingales deserted the
palace. Sounds of one’s own breath could even be heard as one walked across the palace.

Everyone carried on with their lives quietly, seemingly trying not to startle the lingering souls
with any loud movements. Pieces of white cloth were draped around the entire palace,
covering up the glamor and extravagance that this place used to possess. Every single thing
in this place was crying out for that person, including the sycamore trees, clear waters,
every single building, courtyard, and man-made mountain.

The emperor had just fallen asleep on Chu Qiao’s bed. That day, he had witnessed his
mother, Empress Yuan, commit suicide. From then on, he had not had a good night’s sleep.
He frowned tightly as he slept, seemingly in a fearful state, even in his dreams. The king of
Rong lay in another crib as he slept soundly, a smile on the edges of his lips. He resembled
his father.

Chu Qiao sat in front of the window as she did not feel tired. A white candle burned in the
background, providing a dim source of light. A tinge of red was visible under the candlelight.
She held a thick pile of unopened letters in her hands. Just like that, she sat there for over
four hours.

Sun Di’s words ashed across her mind once again. She turned around and looked at the
two familiar faces of the young children, as she felt stunned. “What a cunning fellow,” Chu
Qiao mumbled to herself as she smiled. She thought of the man’s expression the last time
that he said those words. This person was undeniably intelligent and was able to read
anyone’s mind. However, how could he have been unable to read her mind? Was Zhuge Yue
going to be angry at her? What was written in those letters? Would he scold her? Resent
her? Or nag her? Perhaps, he was going to do all of that. Suddenly, she recalled the words
he told her that night. Under the moonlight, as the trees swayed, he turned around, looked
at her with his handsome face and asked slowly, “The journey has not ended. There might
be changes along the way. Are you afraid?”

Back then, the winds were gentle while the weather was warm. Her sleeves appeared like
butter ies ying in the air as it was swept by the winds. She put aside all her feelings of
apprehension, laughed at him, and said that she was not afraid. Then, he gave a gentle
smile. It was a gesture rarely seen of him—it had no awkwardness, no spitefulness, and no
intention of bickering. It was a heartfelt smile. Under the moonlight, he lowered his head and
planted a kiss on the side of her lips as he placed his hand on her back, absorbing every
ounce of her fragrance and living in this beautiful moment that he had dreamt of for many
years.

fl
fl
fl
 Time had been an everlasting obstacle that had gotten in their way. However, their
relationship withstood the test of time as it remained strong all these years.

She reached out her hand and crumpled the letters, placing them on top of the candlelight.
The sparks of re engulfed the letters as they turned to a pile of ash. There were still too
many pairs of eyes in this deserted palace.

When Sun Di arrived the next day, Chu Qiao had dolled herself up. She was dressed in red
and gold, adorned by accessories of the same color. She was a picture of radiance. Sun Di
looked at Chu Qiao, stunned. After a while, he managed a smile as he said, “Miss, looks like
you have sorted out your thoughts.”

The lady was sitting on the main seat of the main hall. The sunlight was blinding as it shone
on her body. Despite being dressed in such a amboyant out t, the serious look in her eyes
did not diminish. She looked at Sun Di rmly, and uttered in a cold tone, “It’s alright. I think I
did not disappoint you.”

Sun Di was a little shaken, but maintained his calmness as he lowered his head. “I’m
attered by your remarks, Miss.”

Chu Qiao did not say anything else as she waved her hand. “I think that you already know
how to handle the situation. It’s up to you to decide.”

“Yes, I will not disappoint you.”

In an instant, her salutation had changed. She turned around, nding it hard to even give a
cold smile.

Sun Di hesitated for a while before he probed, “The ceremony will be in three days.”

“Three days?” Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows. “Will it be too rushed?”

“It’s alright. I will hurry the ceremonial and rites departments.”

“What about the imperial edict and o cial letter of declaration?”

Sun Di smiled and replied naturally, “Miss, have you forgotten? The letter given by the late
emperor to grant you the title of princess has not been lled with a name. With a few edits,
everything will be settled. The timeframes are correct too. After all, it’s a letter written
personally by the late emperor. The o cials will believe its contents. Furthermore, with your
current in uence, I think that no one will object to this too.”

“Hmm, you have an elaborate plan after all,” Chu Qiao said emotionlessly.

Sun Di felt a chill up his spine as he said with a heavy tone, “I’ll go and prepare for this
now.”

“Okay,” Chu Qiao nodded with a fatigued expression on her face.

Sun Di hurriedly turned around to leave. As he stepped out of the door, the lady’s voice
echoed after him. “This will be the last time.”

fl
fl
fi
ffi
ffi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
 Sun Di stopped in his tracks and turned around, but Chu Qiao had already stepped into the
inner palace. Was it a hallucination? He frowned tightly. Sun Di laughed heartily and looked
up towards the azure blue sky. In that instant, he seemingly saw the late emperor, who was
a friend to him, looking at him with a large grin on his face.

“By doing this, I think you will feel happy. Even if you don’t appear so, I think you must be
exploding with joy inside,” Sun Di took a deep breath and shut his eyes quietly.

It’s alright if you hate me. As long as I preserve the lineage of the Li family and the Tang
Empire, everything will be worth it.

On the fth day of the tenth month, according to the late emperor’s imperial decree, the
General of Xiuli was announced as the royal imperial concubine of Tang. She swore under
the royal seal that if she had any children in future, she would become the empress of Tang.

As the decree had been made three months ago while Li Ce was still alive, Chu Qiao
became the only woman who was given the title of imperial concubine despite just being
recruited. The entire world knew what kind of marriage this was. This concubine of Xiuli was
unable to become pregnant with Li Ce’s child, hence she could only stay as an imperial
concubine all her life.

The coronation ceremony was scheduled for three days later. Black curtains were draped all
over the city of Tang Jing, while the Department of Rites prepared the rst black-colored
royal robe in its thousand-year history. O cials of various places scrambled to prepare their
gifts; the sight of horses galloping along the passageways of the city towards the capital
was prevalent.

Everyone was waiting in anticipation for this posthumous wedding that would occur in three
days. The attention of the various empires were xated on this event as the world was
shook by this woman once again. Everyone knew that she would not just be a concubine,
but the person who ruled over Tang for the next ten years, at least. This woman, who was
born as a slave in Xia, had ascended to the peak of power, becoming known as a living
legend with her experiences.

When Yan Xun learnt of the news, he was in the midst of entertaining some important guests
in his palace. Feng Zhi walked over to his side and muttered a few sentences in his ear. His
expression changed drastically as he spilt his cup of wine onto his black robe.

The boorish guest smiled and asked, “Your Majesty, what’s wrong?”

Yan Xun laughed apologetically, shook his head, and replied, “An eagle which I have kept for
many years has just own away. Sorry to disturb you.”

“Oh, it’s a bird,” the guest laughed heartily and continued, “Yan Bei is a vast place. If Your
Majesty conquers Xia in future, you will have the world, and everything else in your hands.
However, since you love eagles, I will send someone to capture one for you. Wishing you all
the best in your conquest!”

fi
fl
ffi
fi
fi
 Another round of hearty laughter echoed out from Shuofang Palace, reverberating across
the vast plains of the highlands of Yan Bei. The world was big. Fate was really like an arrow.
Once it was released, there would be no point of return.

That night, Yan Xun ascended Luori Mountains and reached Nada Palace, along with some
subordinates. The palace was still as spectacular as ever. He sat in there for a long time, as
the sun set, coloring the landscape a bright red like the Huoyun owers on Huolei Plains.

As the wine trickled down his throat, his vision became blurry. The look in his eyes was no
longer stern, as he started to appear lost. As there was no one by his side, he had the room
to allow his mind to take a break.

“AhChu, marry me.”

“Okay…”

“I will always treat you well.”

“I will always believe you.”

“AhChu, once the con ict at the east ends, let’s get married.”

“AhChu, all the storms have passed, but we’re still together.”

Everything will change, but us.

We will not change…

A low laughter echoed out from the palace, startling Feng Zhi. He turned around as he
detected the fragrance of wine.

Your Majesty did not use to drink wine. Ever since that person left, wine has become a
necessity to him.

As Feng Zhi thought of that person, he started to feel sad. Ultimately, they were two sad
souls who had been separated from each other. They lived their lives in pain, neither side
able to nd peace.

The winds of Yan Bei started to feel colder as winter approached once again.

Chapter 238
At this very moment, there was coincidentally a group of people who were about to
disembark from Xian Yang Port. A few weary men led a few horses and quietly reported,
“Message from home. No one knew that the Young Master is absent. The Seventh Master
informed that Young Master could proceed with his own business, and as long as you return
within the next ten days, all will be well.”

fi
fl

fl
 The man in a violet out t frowned ever so slightly, and with his crimson red lips, his eyes
were like a bottomless well that no one could see through. Mounting a horse in a swift
motion, his features vaguely showed some signs of being weathered by the elements.

“This trip to Tang Jing is merely three days if we take the shortcut. The problem is that there
will be no major cities along the way, and it will be disastrous if anything goes wrong.”

“We have no time. Let us take the shortcut.”

A servant turned around, and looking at the man in violet, he suggested, “Master, shall we
prepare a carriage? You have not slept well for a few days.”

“That would be unnecessary.” The man shook his head, before solemnly asking, “Is there
any news from Tang Jing?”

“After Lady Chu defeated Zhan Ziyu, the entire court was brought to peace. There were
merely some minor disagreements over who should watch over the young emperor. This
subordinate feels that Lady Chu might end up following through the plot of one of them.”

“She dares to?!” The man snorted, his expression looking rather gloomy. “I’d like to see who
dares to do that!”

The crowd followed this man’s lead and all mounted their horses. In the swift galloping of
the horses, they quickly disappeared on the ancient roads of Xian Yang. Before long, they
were out of the city, and through the West gate, they took a small path. After such a long
parting, everything had changed, and even the people were no more.

Time ies. In the blink of an eye, tens of years had passed. Suddenly, she was no longer that
young girl who radiated childishness, and he was no longer that stubborn young man. Time
had once again drew countless boundaries between them originating from family, country,
love, war, separation. But ultimately, their relationship was like an endless thread. No matter
how hard destiny tried to pull, they remain tied together by that red string.

Wind bellowed from the distant Yan Bei, caressing the vast territories of the Xia Empire,
passing by the still-warm Tang Empire, before turning into the blossoming owers in the
Song Empire, and nally reaching the unending waves of the ocean in the east, vanishing
into the waves.

“The road is still long, and we may face with even more change. Are you afraid?”

“I am not.”

“Remember, I am waiting for you.”

The night was so cold, with only moonlight as illumination, the long stretch of the ancient
dirt road was dimly lit up. The fragments of memories from the past had ultimately still been
ltered by the blood and war, washing away the initial sense of happiness and hope.
Calmness remained to logically divide the past emotions and the best course of action for
the current situation.

fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
 “It is a pity. Ultimately, I do not believe in destiny!”

As the horse hooves rumbled, the night seemed to be everlasting. The Tang capital that he
had not seen for so long was now right before his eyes. The news that General Xiuli was
about to be bestowed the title of a consort was spread throughout the entire Tang Empire in
merely one night. Shennan, Dianxi, Yuelin, Yunmo, and other areas sounded out protests in
unity. Particularly strong was the resistance from the Southern regions. King of Jingan, King
of Duanqing, and Duke Huayang had raised ags of rebellion in quick succession.

All these forces who had been lying low during the rebellion of the King of Luo, and absent
during the rule of the Zhan siblings, had suddenly all jumped out, and with the slogan
“remove the witch”, they led a total of over 180,000 soldiers, and headed o to the Tang
Capital. Along the way, o cials had all granted instant access to their forces.

Sun Di seemed to have predicted this situation long ago, and had already situated 200,000
soldiers from the Eastern regions. Led by Xu Su, they guarded Hanshui river. 100,000
soldiers from the Wolf army rmly garrisoned the capital, and guards were raised on all
checkpoints. The capital was now armed to the teeth, and the neat rows of blades and
spearheads formed an ocean that seemed ready to devour the imminent enemies from the
South.

All was ready, with only the ceremony left to take place three days later.

In the autumn wind, as there was the need to prepare for the ceremony at the phoenix
stand, the entire city fell into martial law, and the usually bustling roads were now
completely devoid of life. The only thing that still resembled life was the autumn leaves that
uttered down from the sycamore trees that seemed like butter ies frolicking in the owers.

In the residence of Sun Di, an eunuch wearing the clothes of a servant knelt on the oor, as
he reported in with the sharp voice that was unique to eunuchs, “Master Chu had an
argument with Meixiang, and alarmed the Emperor and Princess Xiao. At the end, this
servant heard that Master Chu made a promise not to leave the Tang Empire.”

Sun Di icked an eyebrow and asked, “Are you sure?”

“I am very sure. Meixiang was crying loudly, and the young emperor had drawn the sword.
Master Chu had even burned the letter from the Xia Marshal.”

“When did Meixiang leave?”

“Before the sky was bright, she had already left, and that young man called Pingan escorted
her out. Master Chu said that she was returning to Xuefu City.”

Sun Di nodded. After a long while, he stated, “Her departure is a good thing. She would only
obstruct things by staying here.” The man’s feature remained emotionless. He took out two
gold ingots and informed, “Go and continue, I will treat you well.”

“It is my honor, Master Sun.”

fl
fl
ffi
fi
fl
fl
ff
fl
fl
 After the servant left, Sun Di called in one of his bodyguards. After thinking for a while, he
slowly said, “Leave immediately and search for Master Chu’s maidservant Meixiang. If she is
returning to Xuefu City, help escort her. If she decides to go anywhere else, you know what
to do.”

The man immediately said, “This subordinate understands.” Just like that, he turned and
walked out. Before long, there was a horse crying, and it galloped o into the distance.

Pushing open the window, Sun Di could only see the corner of the crescent moon. At rst
glance, it looked like the brow of a lady.

“May all…be well.”

Peace continued for the next two days.The entire court sank into silence. With the exception
of a few archivists, none had any comments. The o cials were either pressured by Sun Di
or held a fear for Chu Qiao, who still commanded a huge fore. As for those few who resisted
the strongest, Sun Di originally intended to handle them himself, but before he could act, the
Xiuli Army had already thrown them into jail.

Upon nding out, Sun Di felt a tad worried. Although these people were stubborn, they were
ultimately those who were the most loyal to the Tang Empire. Considering the loyalty of Xiuli
Army to Chu Qiao, who knew if they would be mistreated.

He had personally headed into the palace to speak to this Lady who would supposedly
watch over this empire. He knew that his little ploys had been detected to some extent by
Chu Qiao, and now did not dare to enrage her too much. With that, he could only discreetly
inform the jail guards to take care of those old o cials.

This night was destined to be a sleepless night as the next day was the o cial ceremony for
Chu Qiao to be given the title, and this was the rst time since the beginning of the Tang
Empire that they had to marry someone to a deceased Emperor. The ceremonial department
had rushed day and night to ensure that all the decorations were suitable and that the
Phoenix stand could be completed. At this moment, countless o cials sat around plotting
for themselves. No one knew where the Tang Empire would head to, and all noble families
were focused on the direction that this woman, who had close ties with so many people of
power, would direct this empire toward. Would she ultimately be a loyal subordinate, or a
greedy tyrant? Would she leave society as it was, or would she set up a dictatorship like Yan
Bei? No one could tell. After the next day, would the Tang Empire still be led by the Li
Family? That was the exact question that most people had that night.

The entire Xiuli army was ever so quiet. The soldiers had not wavered in the slightest about
the rumors. As the cold moonlight bask the entire encampment in a silvery glow, one could
see that the grounds for practice were completely devoid of people.

The veil to He Xiao’s main tent shook, and a person who wore a black robe covering the
entire face walked in. He Xiao happened to be drinking on his desk, wearing common brown
clothes. With his hair unkempt and his collar unbuttoned, one could see his bronze colored
chest muscles. This was a rare sight of roughness from this general. Seeing the visitor, he
frowned ever so slightly, but did not speak.

fi
fi
ffi
ffi
ffi
ff
ffi
fi
 The visitor took o the cap, revealing a beautiful face, and lightly smiling, she said, “Drinking
in the middle of the night, as far as I know, is a breach of military law.”

Seeing her, He Xiao did not talk, and merely continued to drink.

Chu Qiao walked up and sat down before him. Lifting her head up slightly, she asked, “Are
you not going to invite me to drink?”

With a clank, He Xiao casually threw a wine cup over. He did not bother pouring for Chu
Qiao. Chu Qiao was unfazed as she earnestly poured a cup and downed it in one gulp, only
to feel the full brunt of the alcohol. It was as though she had just swallowed a chunk of red
hot coal. Frowning, she said, “Such strong liquor.”

Seeing that He Xiao was still not speaking, she got a tad serious and asked, “If I had not
come to nd you, would you never have come to look for me?”

He Xiao lightly lifted up a brow, and gazed at her before quietly asking, “I am feeling quite
strange. How could you still be smiling and laughing?”

“Why not? This situation is so much better than that time we had to defend Beishuo.”

Looking at her, He Xiao suddenly turned away and chuckled. “Indeed, it is so much better.
With so much power, it would be much better.”

Chu Qiao leaned forward, and her eyes gleamed like stars shining in midnight, as she coldly
asked, “He Xiao, do you think I am such a person?”

Although he knew the situation, there was a certain anger and frustration that he could not
suppress no matter what. He Xiao stared right into Chu Qiao’s eyes. In the cold expression,
there was rage, but there was also sympathy.

Chu Qiao got into a half kneel as she leaned over and whispered some words by the man’s
ears. He Xiao did not mind too much initially, but suddenly, his expression changed
drastically. Lifting his head in a jerk, he glared at this daring woman.

“He Xiao.” Chu Qiao smiled at him, and in a calmness that was never seen before. She
asked, “Are you willing to help me?”

This young general thought for a long time before nally revealing a smile. Stretching out his
hand, they high- ved and gave each other a rm handshake, just like the old days.

As night descended once again, there was a group rushing on the path. Suddenly another
group appeared before them. The leading man pulled on the horse reins. As the incoming
horse dashed past, the men on the incoming group suddenly halted and dropped down
from the horse, and loudly hailed, “Fourth Young Master!”

That night was really destined to be a sleepless night. Countless forces clashed in the
camou age of darkness, quietly waiting for the ceremony.

The night seemed like an eternity.

fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
 As the rooster welcomed the next day, the sun rose, immediately basking the entire world in
the glory of the golden rays. In the palace, the King of Runan, whose hair had almost entirely
turned white, read out the will of the deceased emperor. After which, trembling, he knelt
down.

Wearing an auspicious dress that was donned with embroideries of the phoenix and clouds,
Chu Qiao donned a head dress that was made from 18 pieces of ruby jade. On her waist,
there was a golden belt that was tinged with a royal purple. As this was a marriage with the
deceased emperor, even this auspicious dress was mainly black in color, and the
multicolored phoenix was also embroidered with darker colors, with gold threads used only
scarcely for the clouds, and much of the chosen jewels were those dark in color. With that
dress, Chu Qiao seemed neat and proper, yet there was a sense of gloom that made people
avert their eyes.

As the phoenix carriage started the journey from the main palace, it passed by Zhangyu
Square, Rose Street, Anhua Gate, Taiqing Gate, Tai’an Gate, and even headed out of the
Jinwu Palace and entered the Qingyun Road where only the richest dwelled, before turning
round Tianqi Street and heading to the phoenix stand at the Ancestral Temple.

Along the entire route, the civilians all knelt down, calling out words of deference, with their
heads deeply buried in the ground. As the entourage passed by, it kicked up a cloud of dust
that at rst glance seemed like a sandstorm.

In the falling autumn leaves, black clothes covered the entire Tang Capital. The sky seemed
ever so blue and tall, and the Sun seemed ever so far away. Everything looked so scenic
that it seemed like a masterpiece from an expert artist. The glory of the empire seemed to
cover and conceal the layers of blood that owed on the path to ascension.

As the carriage stopped, one could see that the phoenix stand, with the 366 steps of jade
staircase, was almost 100 feet tall. Standing on it, one could see all of Tang Jing. Even the
majesty Jinwu Palace seemed to pale in comparison.

Chapter 239
“The Chu family is blessed to have produced such an outstanding heir to the family. They
are benevolent, well-learned, and respectful. They are virtuous and kind people who are
harmonious and cultured. With this, Chu Qiao is given the title of Royal Imperial Concubine.
She will supervise the country’s a airs, to ensure its prosperity.”

A loud, stern voice reverberated across the brightly lit landscape. A crown, made of pure
gold, was placed in front of the ancestral temple’s altar. Objects like the imperial jade seal,
brushes were placed alongside the crown; those were objects that anybody would die to
own, for it signi ed the holder’s wealth and power. Upon taking another step forward, she
would hold those items in her hands―no one in the world would be able to hurt her easily
anymore.

She stood atop the Phoenix Stand, looking at the numerous shadows kneeling under her.
She saw jealousy, resentment, fright, fear, hesitation, and a tinge of expectation amongst
fi
fi

ff
fl
those shadows, but nothing made her feel warm inside. The jade steps below her feet were
cold, and so was the sunlight.

The scholar from the Department of Rites knelt in front of her, with a letter seal in his hands.
The man, who was about 70-years-old, lowered his head as his aging knees trembled.

The wind blew past the eagles circling in the sky. She looked up at the majestic, red city
gates of the Tang Capital. The gates, which had experienced countless storms over the past
hundreds of years, seemed to stare back at her, in anticipation of this historic moment. As
long as she received that item, she would hold absolute power over a quarter of this world.

That instant, she seemingly saw that pair of eyes again, with its trademark cold look on the
outside, but with passion on the inside. His face was handsome as he gestured: Remember
to wait for me! Remember! Wait for me!

The siren to signal the start of the coronation ceremony suddenly blared out. Outside the
Tang Capital, a solitary warhorse stood at the entrance of a bridge. The wilted, yellow
autumn grass swayed with the wind as the sunlight projected its golden rays onto the barren
wasteland.

He was dressed in purple with his hair neatly combed. He was handsome and had a deep
look in his eyes. A gust of wind blew past him, with some air entering into a bell he hung by
his neck, causing it to let out some soft words.

“Remember, I’m waiting for you.”

I’m waiting for you… I’m waiting for you…

The majesty of the landscape was once again illustrated as the sun rose above the layers of
clouds.

Boom! A sound suddenly echoed out from the southern city gates, causing even the
ancestral temple to shake.

A huge cloud of dust started to form on the horizon to the south. More sirens started to
blare as many horses started to gallop towards the ancestral temple. The soldiers on the
horse shouted, “The king of Jingan is here with his troops! General Xu Su has defected to
the enemy! The king of Jingan is here with his troops! General Xu Su has defected to the
enemy!”

In that instant, the city fell into chaos. Everyone’s faces started to turn grim. Sun Di stood
below the platform as his face started to turn pale. The 70-year-old man fell to the ground as
the seal in his hands fell onto the white jade steps, giving o its golden glow.

Chu Qiao walked down the steps slowly and stood in front of Sun Di. He looked up at her
with a cold and fearful look in his eyes.

“General Sun,” Chu Qiao took out a letterhead with many o cials’ names written on it. “This
is the list of o cials who have secretly colluded with the king of Jingan to rebel. Please
attend to this immediately.”

ffi
ff
ffi
As Chu Qiao spoke her words, the faces of a few o cials present on the scene started to
turn pale. Sun Di received the list and looked at her suspiciously. Only now did he
understand the woman who was standing in front of him.

“I’ll be leading troops to welcome the king of Jingan. I’ll leave the safety of this city and the
emperor in your hands.”

“We have less than 150,000 soldiers in the city. The numbers of the enemy…”

Chu Qiao interrupted him and said, “We still have General Xu.”

“General Xu is not…”

“It’s not the rst time he has done this.”

Sun Di was utterly stunned. He looked at Chu Qiao, who took o her amboyant royal out t,
revealing a silver layer of body armor underneath. She took o the accessories on her head,
covered her head with a green cloth, and mounted a horse brought to her by He Xiao. Then,
she departed towards the outside of the city with the Xiuli Army.

The 150,000 troops stationed both outside and inside the city were already waiting for her.
The young lady no longer had a cold, indi erent expression on her face. She gave o an
uplifting vibe, like a phoenix that had been reborn from the ashes. She held her sword in the
air as she made her way to the foot of the city gates, before she hollered, “Open the gates!”
At that instant, she was like the beautiful sunrise that evoked tears in people’s eyes.

Sun Di watched on as the city gates opened up slowly. The thousands of troops galloped
towards the battle eld ve kilometers out at frightening speed, leaving behind a massive
trail of dust.

Heroes were born amidst the most chaotic times. She was the sword that everybody
coveted.

As the winds blew past her ears, she recalled Li Ce’s last words. “After I die, the court will
be thrown into chaos. The Zhan siblings are but paper tigers. The real wolves are the ones in
the royal family. Sun Di is a radical person. If he does anything suspicious, act according to
plan and take the thing I gave you to Hanshui. After Xu Su sees that, he will follow your
orders. Tie You’s Wolf Army will also listen to you. If you can take the chance to exterminate
the spies that the feudal lords have planted in the court, it will be killing two birds with one
stone. As for that Zhuge fellow, don’t think that he’s so smart all the time. Once you are
involved, he will become an idiot. You don’t need to remind him then. Let him lead his troops
to rescue you. Tang’s casualties will be minimized, and I can make him angry. Qiaoqiao, you
have led a rugged life. If you are held back once again because of my death, I will never rest
in peace even if I die.”

“Don’t let me down.”

fi
fi
fi
ff
ffi
ff
ff
fl
ff
fi
 Chu Qiao’s eyes started to tear. She sti ened her lips and whipped the horse once again.
The two armies had started to brawl on the battle eld. Xu Su led the frontline as the valiant
warrior held a giant sword in his hand. A ag was hung behind him, saying the words: Kill
the rebels, exterminate the corrupt o cials.

“Kill!” The Wolf Army let out a deafening shout. Under the golden-colored landscape, the
rst full-scale con ict since the coronation of the Yongjun Emperor broke out.

On the eighth day of the tenth month of the Yongjun Calendar, the fake coronation ceremony
caused the kings of Jingan, Duanqing, Huayang and Dagong to rebel. They dispatched
180,000 troops towards Hanshui Pass, where their allies joined them. Some of them
included Fang Huaihai who was the vice-general of Shennan’s Jinji Camp, Tian Rujia, the
admiral of Dianxi’s Western Army, Liu Mubai, the deputy commander of Xizhao, Zhu Jiong, a
general of the city of Huai, and Xu Su, the general of Hanshui. Together, their forces totalled
above 400,000 as they rampaged their way towards the capital. As the capital’s ruler learnt
of the news, she opened up the southern gates and welcomed the enemy.

When Fang Huaihai, Tian Rujia, Liu Mubai, Zhu Jiong and Xu Su saw the symbol she
carried, they rushed towards her side. Together, along with Chu Qiao, they killed 30,000
enemies and captured the rest alive. The king of Jingan, Zhou Yun, died under the sword of
General Xu, aged 57.

Two days later, Chu Qiao hung the royal seal by the gates of the palace and knelt under the
ancestral temple, begging for the late emperor to retract his orders on the grounds that she
was a woman and could not hold absolute power. The next day, the emperor of Yongjun
approved the order and stripped Chu Qiao’s title of Imperial Royal Concubine. He made her
an honorary feudal lord of Tang, giving her the alias of Xiuli, and bestowed many valuable
gifts upon her.

Chu Qiao wore a white cloak as she stood in front of the palace gates. As the sun set, it
projected its rays onto her, giving her a peaceful and calm aura that was largely di erent
from her aura earlier on the battle eld.

Sun Di’s carriage had just left the palace. When he saw Chu Qiao, his carriage stopped. He
made his way towards her slowly, not knowing how to speak. After a long while, seeing that
she maintained her cheerful demeanor, he lowered his head and said, “General Chu.”

“The Xiuli Army has settled down in Tang. They are no longer my personal army. By
entrusting them to you, I am no longer the commander of the Xiuli Army. Don’t call me
‘general’ anymore,” Chu Qiao said in a gentle voice.

Sun Di, who had witnessed her prowess, did not dare to underestimate her anymore. He
nodded and replied, “You are right, General.”

Chu Qiao smiled as she continued, “You can release those people that objected to my
coronation that day. The emperor is still young. It’s a good time to buy people’s hearts now. I
will not issue this decree on his behalf. After I leave, don’t forget those loyal o cials in
prison.”

fi
fl
fi
ffi
ff
fl
fi
ffi
ff
 Sun Di answered, “I will remember General’s wise words.”

“General Sun, those words were spoken to you by Tang’s king of Xiuli. Now, I, Chu Qiao,
have a few words to tell you too.”

Sun Di froze as he looked up at the woman’s beautiful face. He nodded and replied, “Please
speak.”

“You know that a woman can never ascend the throne. No matter what, even if I am the
Imperial Concubine or the ruler of Tang, it will not have any impact on the political scenes of
Yan Bei and Xia. Once the time is ripe, the war will not be avoided. No private, underhand
dealings will in uence this outcome. Presently, the resistance forces of Tang have been
eliminated, but you cannot be complacent. No one can predict how this game will play out.
We can only do our best to turn the tides in our favor, to protect Li Ce’s lineage and the Tang
Empire.”

Sun Di looked at Chu Qiao as he frowned. With a heavy tone, he said, “General Chu, why
are you handing such important matters to me, even though I plotted against you?”

Chu Qiao smiled and replied nonchalantly. “There are three reasons. Firstly, Tie You is in
charge of the Wolf and Jingji Armies, while General Xu Su in charge of the armies outside
the capital. They are all loyal o cials. You are a scholarly o cial. Even if you have the
political power, you are not authorized to mobilize armies. You are not a liated with the
royal family too. Even if you want to rebel, you do not have the necessary power to.”

As the setting sun shone on Chu Qiao’s face, she continued, “Secondly, the capital of Tang
has just gone through countless battles. The civilians need time to rest and rebuild. With the
downfalls of the kings of Luo and Jingan, the royal family’s reputation has gone up several
notches. You are not revered by the civilians, hence they will not listen to you.”

“Thirdly,” Chu Qiao smiled as a sly expression ashed across her face, “I trust you.”

Sun Di’s heart skipped a beat. He looked at Chu Qiao in disbelief of what he had just heard.

“I trust you. Li Ce trusts you too. Although you are extreme in your actions, you are the most
loyal o cial in Tang. Before Li Ce died, he said that you were the man most suitable for this
job. I agree wholeheartedly with him.”

She took out two letters and handed them to Sun Di. “These are letters written personally by
Xia’s seventh prince, Zhao Che, and the king of Qinghai, Zhuge Yue. They are willing to form
an alliance with Tang. Your position will be reinforced by these two external forces. You don’t
need to worry about any internal resistance. I will do my utmost to support you. I trust that
you will raise the emperor into someone capable.”

Sun Di’s ngers started to tremble as he received those two letters, along with the heavy
responsibilities that came with them. He knelt in front of Chu Qiao and declared, “General,
rest assured. I, Sun Di, swear to be loyal to Tang. If anything bad happens to Tang, I will die
to atone for my sins.”

ffi
fi
fl
ffi
fl
ffi
ffi
“General Sun, stop with the formalities.” Chu Qiao helped him up and looked at him
sincerely. “Since you’re Li Ce’s friend, you’re my friend too. If he trusts you, I trust you too.”

As the sun set, Sun Di stood atop the majestic city walls as Chu Qiao was escorted out of
the city by He Xiao, Pingan, and the rest. A long shadow formed on the golden wastelands
as the young lady galloped forward on her horse, like an eagle which had been freed of its
imprisonment. Her white cloak spread out behind her as she rode on her horse.

That was an eagle. No one could break her wings. Other than herself, no one else could
force her to stay.

At this instant, Sun Di understood why his friend had been so devoted to her all these years.
It was indeed eye-opening that such a character existed in this world. He looked up and
took a deep breath, seemingly seeing his friend’s jovial expression while he muttered to him
with a chuckle, “Guess if there’s any makeup on the face of General Hu’s third daughter?”

The autumn winds continued to blow. This was a chilly month, but also a season of plentiful
harvest.

Chapter 240
Fang Chu informed him quietly, “Master, Lady Chu has arrived.” Just as he nished his
sentence, a group of people appeared on the horizon. The leading lady wore a white cape,
and donned a bright smile while rushing towards Zhuge Yue.

“Lady!” Meixiang was originally sitting on a stone, and seeing Chu Qiao, she immediately
jumped up in happiness.

Chu Qiao quickly reached the rst group. As she stopped her horse, she jumped down and
was locked in an embrace with Meixiang. Crying, Mei Xiang wept, “Lady, I thought you were
lying and would not come.”

Jingjing, Pingan, and the others all happily rushed over as Chu Qiao asked about their
experiences. Pingan even elaborated on the battle that time with many details, seemingly
rather satis ed with his own performance. He Xiao did not have any family, and as a result
he did not wish to stay in the Tang Empire and followed Chu Qiao. Although he had never
met Yue Qi before, they both had heard of each other’s reputation, and before long, they
were chatting away.

The only exception in this scene was Zhuge Yue. With a face of steel, he coldly looked at
Chu Qiao, who was fawning over Meixiang, while clenching his teeth until they seemed like
they would break.

Finally, that killer gaze disrupted this jubilant reunion. Smiling, Chu Qiao walked over. Just as
Zhuge Yue moved, she immediately raised her hands and shouted, “I surrender! This will be
the last time! I promise!”

Zhuge Yue wanted to give her a beating to make sure she remembered this lesson. But after
lifting his hand for a while, he was at a lost where to hit her. Seeing how she merely cowered
fi

fi
fi
and waited for him to hit her, he felt rather frustrated and bellowed, “Why didn’t you try to
block me?”

Chu Qiao opened her eyes, and pouting, she looked rather pitiful as she explained, “I am
really trying to apologize.”

“You knew that you should apologize?” Zhuge Yue looked at her from the corner of his eyes.
Ignoring the amused looked from the subordinates around, he stretched out and pinched
Chu Qiao’s skinny face as he rmly asked, “Did you suddenly become so forgetful that you
did not reply to all my letters?”

“I did not have time!” Chu Qiao frowned as she tried to explain.

“You had no time to reply, but you had time to burn my letter?”

Chu Qiao continued to try to nd excuses. “If I did not pretend I was so determined, Sun Di
would never have believed me. If he did not believe me, the others, like the King of Jingan,
would be even less trusting of me.”

Zhuge Yue stared at her and continued to question, “Then why did you not inform me earlier,
resulting in me running so far to come here?”

Chu Qiao cowered, and as she blinked, she seemed like she nally had no more excuses.

“Quickly, own up!”

“I merely followed what Li Ce wanted me to do. If you are so courageous, you can look for
him.”

Zhuge Yue seemed exceedingly frustrated, and nally he uttered, “Fine. If there is one more
time, I will go and take over all of Li Ce’s territory. By then you can’t even be a consort!”

Keep pretending. Chu Qiao quietly giggled in her mind, yet she pretended to be obedient
and said, “Of course, how could I? I will keep my promise. This will be the last time.”

Zhuge Yue pretentiously shook his head, as though his ego had been greatly ful lled.

“Wah!” A loud cry of a baby came from the carriage that Chu Qiao brought. That sound
stunned everyone. Chu Qiao quickly lifted up the veil of the carriage, only to see that two
nannies were carrying a baby that seemed only four to ve months old. The baby had just
woken up, and was currently practicing its only skill―crying.

Chu Qiao quickly lifted the kid up and started to soothe it.

“What is this?” Zhuge Yue seemed rather gloomy as he coldly asked.

Chu Qiao gave his a weird look as she honestly replied, “A baby.”

“I know!” Zhuge Yue was getting impatient and bellowed, “Whose kid is this?”

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
Chu Qiao suddenly remembered that she had not yet explained the entire situation. She
started to elaborate, “This is the third son of Li Ce―Li Qingrong. Although we may need to
give him a di erent name from now on. His mother was named Zhan Ziming. Before death,
Li Ce handed this kid to me and informed me to bring this kid out from the palace in fear
that this young child would be hurt if he remained in the palace.”

“Li Ce’s son?” Zhuge Yue frowned, only so see the child’s crimson lips and pure white teeth
with the pair of pitch black eyes looking ad him. At this moment he was playing with the
decoration that was hanging on Chu Qiao’s clothes, his eyes rolling around. At one glance,
his demeanor seemed exactly like a certain friend who had passed away.

His heart suddenly felt a certain gloom. Just as he was about to speak, the kid suddenly
turned to him. With his eyes rolling around, the kid started to cry with all its strength again,
seemingly disturbed by something.

“What happened? Why is he crying?” Chu Qiao seemed rather perplexed.

Meixiang rushed up as well, and asked the nannies, “Could the kid be hungry?”

The nanny immediately shook her head, and explained that he had just drank milk a while
ago. Meixiang dug out the kid’s underwear; it was clear that he had not wet himself either.

Chu Qiao suddenly thought of something as she turned and spoke to Zhuge Yue, “The kid
might not like you.”

Zhuge Yue’s face paled, and he bellowed, “Why would he dislike me?”

“Try to distance yourself to see if it is true.”

A certain person felt unable to accept that suggestion as he frowned and countered, “Why?
I did not even beat him up.”

“Some people are simply not good with others. Perhaps you are of this category.”

“Indeed, brother-in-law, try walking further away. Perhaps Rong’er will not be so afraid after
seeing that you are walking away.” Jingjing continued to fan the ames at the side.

“What are you talking about?” Yue Qi weakly retorted at the side in an attempt to help his
master. “Actually Master is actually rather kind and friendly…” And with that, his voice
trailed o into, turning inaudible.

Finally, Zhuge Yue walked o . Li Qingrong suddenly stopped crying. Although he was crying
loudly previously, he seemed to be still weeping, but one could already see the grin on his
cheeks. Before long the entire crowd exploded into laughter. It seemed like the kid had
accidentally hurt his head while playing with Yue Qi’s sword, and ended up angrily biting Yue
Qi’s shoulder in return.

Zhuge Yue sat on a rock far away, and looking at the crowd smiling in the distance, he
muttered in his heart, “This young kid is really just like his dad.”

ff
ff
ff
fl
Chu Qiao rushed over and sat beside him.

Even the all powerful Yue Qi and the others were at a loss as to how to handle this kid. Soon
after they handed the kid to the stunned Fang Chu and called out, “Oh gosh! The kid
seemed so surprised. Come, you shall hug him rst. Oh gosh! I told you to hug him, just
take him!”

Chu Qiao hugged Zhuge Yue’s arm and leaned her face onto his shoulder. She looked at
him from the side while heaving a sigh of relief and saying, “The incident nally ended.”

“Are you tired?”

“Somewhat.” Chu Qiao closed her eyes as the golden light of the sun washed onto her face.
“I am worried that you may have been worried, so I tried to rush everything.”

Zhuge Yue still felt rather upset, and continued to ask, “Why did you not read my letters?”

“I did not know if I could succeed.” Chu Qiao lifted her head up and smiled to Zhuge Yue. “I
was not certain if I could succeed, that I could die. I was worried that after reading your
letters, I may not have had enough courage to continue.”

Chu Qiao smiled like a ower in a manner that Zhuge Yue seemed to have never seen
before. She smile without any worries. She continued, “You are my achilles’ heel. You make
me unwilling to stay strong.”

Looking at her, Zhuge Yue’s face turned gentle. Pulling her over, he told her in a calm, deep
voice, “When you are by my side, you need not be strong.” As he nished, he kissed her
forehead.

“Ah! That is so embarrassing!” Jingjing shouted.

The sky was so vast, as the landscape red with autumn leaves stretch in to the horizon.

Chu Qiao had never seen Zhuge Yue sleep so much in one go before. The moment he
boarded the ship at Cangzhou, he slept and did not open his eyes for an entire day, and was
not even aware when Chu Qiao entered his room. Yue Qi said that he had not slept properly
since setting o from Zhen Huang City. He was probably dog tired by now.

Zhuge Yue’s condition did not seem all that well. In the past few days, she had seen him
discreetly eat some black medicine. She had went to ask Yue Qi about it, yet he tried to hide
it from her. Meixiang knew a little about medicines, and later informed Chu Qiao that Zhuge
Yue probably was too tired and had caught a cold.

Being too tired and caught a cold…

Chu Qiao sat on the chair while cupping her chin. The boat proceeded rather smoothly as
there was no wind nor waves. Even though the windows were shut tight, one could still see
the vague silhouette of the distancing scenery.

ff
fl
fi
fi
fi
She was once again reminded of that time when she had been forced into an escapade by
Zhao Chun’er. At that time, Zhan Ziyu and Zhan Ziming were merely exiled nobles, and Li Ce
was still well and alive as the carefree Prince of the Tang Empire. Mister Wu, Lady Yu, and
others were all still well and alive, ghting for their dreams. Yan Xun―her closest friend and
her beloved. As for her herself, she was full of con dence that she could contribute
something to this battered world by herself, aided by friends of similar faith.

Yet, the most cruel killer in the world is time. Now, Li Ce was gone, Mister Wu was
murdered, Lady Yu died in her embrace, Zhan Ziyu dragged his family along with his
ambitions. Her closest friends were never so loyal to the cause, and most left her. Even Yan
Xun eventually turned into a stranger.

With the passage of time, even the vast achievements were covered in dust as dreams
vanished like mist, and like the tall grass at the end of autumn, swaying in the wind with the
withered leaves, mocking others in laughter at their past promises.

Indeed, no one could not change. Even herself, could she say that she was the same
person?

Turning her head back slowly, Zhuge Yue seemed to be still asleep. He had always been a
stubborn and awkward person. Even as he slept, his brows were rmly furrowed together.
With his usually cold eyes covered by his eyelids, his handsome, well de ned features
seemed more obvious than ever. It was rumored that people who looked like him were cold
and emotionless. Yet, only he was so rm in his emotions, and clung onto his feelings for so
long that even she felt pity for him.

The Tang Empire was darker than expected as the undercurrent swept about without
forewarned danger. That was rather di erent from the con ict that the Xia Empire displayed,
and was mostly in the form of an unseen arrow. Wrapped with layers of frills and
decorations, the hidden arrows could kill people before one could even grow aware of the
murderer. In the end, she was able to nd out that even the death of Li Ce’s father was due
to Li Ce’s mother.

She had repeatedly tried to kill the Emperor in a variety of methods ranging from poison to
assassination. In the process, she almost succeeded a few times, yet the old emperor
always let her o and did not publicize those incidents. The old emperor was also rather
furious, and had threatened hurt to the King of Luo and her family. He had also tried to
evoke her jealousy by giving all his attention to the other ladies in the harem, and had held
her under house arrest countless times. Yet, he still could not win his over own conscience.
As he grew older, he dismissed his entire harem and gave all his attention to her alone. She
seemed to have been touched by him, and nally gave him a few years of peace.

Chapter 241
Ultimately, he still died in her hands. As he fed her medicine, he took a mouthful by mistake
and was poisoned to death.

ff

fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
It was only that he knew that she had a death wish. All these years, every single meal that
she had ate had been poisoned. She had consumed the antidote beforehand. However, her
body had been ravaged by the countless types of queer poisons. She awaited his moment
of carelessness, such that he would die.

The Tang Emperor died in the hands of the woman he loved most. Despite having guarded
against her all his life, he was no match for her persistence and patience. However, he could
not bear to kill her, leaving a nal decree to chase her out of the palace, never to step in
again.

The outsiders only knew about the deep love between the king and his queen. They did not
know that the emperor had just wanted to protect his only son before he died. Alas, this
secret was still made known to Zhan Ziyu by his sister. After Zhan Ziming’s failed
assassination attempt on Li Ce, he brought Empress Dowager out of the temple and
sneaked her into the palace, using her to kill Li Ce and the Tang Empire’s moment of
prosperity.

Empress Dowager Yao had also committed suicide after hearing of Li Ce’s death. Chu Qiao
did not know how she felt back then. Was it a feeling of elation and closure, having nally
exacted her revenge? Or was it a feeling of helplessness and remorse, having made a huge
mistake? She was a stubborn and extreme woman. Because of the events that happened
back then, she killed the two men that loved her most in the world. Up until her last breath,
would she still laugh at having nally attained some closure?

Perhaps not. After all, when she avenged her husband and son, she killed another husband
and son. For a feud, she ruined another woman’s life.

After the death of Empress Dowager Yao, she was buried with the Xizong Emperor on
Meishan. Back then, when they were alive, they constantly despised each other. They
fought, plotted, and tried to assassinate each other, becoming entangled in a web of
resentment all their lives. Ultimately, they were reunited in the cold imperial mausoleum with
only each other as company for the rest of eternity, never to be separated again.

Chu Qiao did not know what happened back then, not did she understand why one’s
feelings of hate could cause someone to be so scary. However, she thought to herself that
sometimes, Empress Dowager Yao still had some feelings of motherly love for Li Ce. She
still remembered that sunny afternoon when that old lady said to her as she frowned, “He
fools around in the palace all day. Sigh, I’m… If you’re free, please dissuade him. After all,
he’s the crown prince of Tang. He cannot be so playful anymore.”

Ultimately, with the death of the king of Luo, the last remnants of love were extinguished.
She had been consumed by the demons in her heart, paying the price by losing her life.

The sound of something rustling started to echo out. The window was pushed open slightly
by the wind, causing the curtains to sway, and waking Chu Qiao up from her state of deep
thought. She turned around to see that Zhuge Yue had woken up and was leaning by the
side of the bed. He was dressed in white and looked rejuvenated, the usual cold expression
on his face replaced by that of peace and warmth.

fi
fi
fi
As he saw her turn around, he waved his hand to signal her to come towards him. She
walked over and poured a cup of tea for him as she asked, “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes,” he replied as he took a sip of tea. “If someone didn’t sneak into my room to sigh, I
would have slept better.”

Chu Qiao blushed as she looked up at him. “Are you hungry?”

He nodded and said, “A little just now. I’m much better now.”

Chu Qiao stood up and remarked, “You’ve been asleep for one day and one night. Of
course you’re hungry. I told the kitchen to prepare some food for you.”

“No need.” Zhuge Yue reached out his hand to hold her hand, guiding her to sit down
beside him on the bed. “Keep me company for a little while.”

Chu Qiao smiled as she obliged.

“You’ve been in a daze for a long time. What were you thinking about just now?” Zhuge Yue
held her hand and said naturally.

Chu Qiao shook her head and replied, “Some old things that are not important.”

Zhuge Yue smiled as he leaned by the front of the bed and looked at her from the side of his
eye. “I have nothing to do anyway. Let’s listen to your thoughts.”

Chu Qiao blushed once again and tried to avoid the topic. “I told you it’s nothing important.
There’s nothing much to say.”

“Oh?” Zhuge Yue replied with an exaggerated tone. “Is there really nothing much to say?”

As Chu Qiao was about to speak, Zhuge Yue suddenly leaned forward and planted his lips
onto her lips. She started to feel a hot sensation as the hand around her waist tightened its
grip on her. Her cold lips started to warm up as his tongue slid into her mouth. He squinted
his eyes and looked at her with a deep look in his eyes. Zhuge Yue suddenly carried her up
and pushed her on the bed with him on top. Chu Qiao exclaimed in surprise, but her voice
was drowned out.

“That’s your lesson for not being obedient.”

Chu Qiao looked at him and brushed her hand against her slightly swollen lips. “That’s your
way of punishment?”

“Not entirely.” Zhuge Yue laughed as his voice carried a tinge of arrogance. He looked up
and continued, “There’s something else that’s more intense. Do you want to try?”

Chu Qiao squinted her eyes and looked at the cocky man in front of her. She leaned forward
and looked at him seductively. Zhuge Yue was stunned. Before he had time to respond, she
bit the area around his chin forcefully.

Zhuge Yue let out a grunt and used his hand to feel the area around his chin. Although there
was no blood, a row of teeth marks had been left there.

“Hm, don’t think I’m scared of you!” Chu Qiao waved her sts in de ance as she proclaimed
arrogantly.

Zhuge Yue icked his wrists and replied, “Darned girl. You’ve become more wild these past
few years. Looks like I’ll have to teach you a lesson then.”

Just as he was about to strike, Chu Qiao jumped out of his grasp and ran towards the door.
“Am I a fool?” She proceeded to open the door.

“Aiyo!” Jingjing and the rest fell backwards into the room. As they scrambled to their feet,
they blushed and waved awkwardly to the two of them.

Chu Qiao blushed as she looked at Jingjing and Pingan with a frown on her face. Yue Qi
was also behind them. She hollered, “Yue Qi, you’re following their nonsense!”

“Hurhur, that’s… I was just passing by. I wanted to ask the both of you to eat, hurhur…” Yue
Qi stood up and tried to proclaim his innocence, nodding as he walked towards the outside
of the room. “Carry on, carry on.” He ran out of the room after nishing his words, leaving a
parting message, “Master! Go for it!”

Jingjing ran over with a cheeky look and called out sweetly, “Brother-in-law!”

Zhuge Yue’s mood brightened up. He took out an exquisitely carved small dagger with a few
red rubies carved onto it, and rewarded Jingjing for her e orts.

As Pingan saw the sight in front of him, he followed suit. As Zhuge Yue had nothing to gift
him, he promised to give him a ne horse once they got back to Zhen Huang.

The two of them then chanted three times, “Long live Brother-in-law!”

Chu Qiao’s eyes were seething in anger as she realized that Zhuge Yue’s tactics of bribery
were well-practised, which was unlike his usual character.

Dinner was prepared in a short time. As they were outdoors, and there were young children
present, a casual feast was prepared. Everyone sat at the table together. Yue Qi and the
others were a little reserved, while Jingjing, Pingan, and Meixiang were lively. He Xiao,
having acquainted himself with Yue Qi and the rest over the last few days, was lively too.
The atmosphere was joyful.

The sun set as they nished their meal. Yue Qi explained that they were at Cang Ridge, and
they would reach Hu County in two days. Chu Qiao realized that they were nearing Zhen
Huang. The evening winds were strong. Chu Qiao sat at the tail of the boat as she watched
the sunset stain the river red.

Time had passed by in a ash. She had spent 14 years here. Her past life ashed in front of
her just like a dream. She thought of the fact that she had been reborn into this life after she
had died in her previous one. Would Li Ce continue his life in another world? What about
fl
fi
fl
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fl
 Mister Wu and Lady Yu? Huanhuan and Xiaohe? Would they still meet each other and
remember each other even after they had died?

She sat there as she wandered into deep thought. She looked up towards the sun,
seemingly seeing Li Ce staring at her with his squinted eyes and saying, “Eat more meat.
Your gure is undesirable.”

“What are you thinking about?” Zhuge Yue’s voice suddenly sounded out from behind her.

Chu Qiao turned back and looked at him. He was dressed in purple, with some words and
patterns on his out t. The seemingly normal clothes looked di erent on him, projecting a
unique aura that only he could pull o . Chu Qiao looked at him with her eyes widened.

Zhuge Yue frowned and said with some uneasiness, “What are you looking at? You’re like a
fool.” As he nished his sentence, he took his seat beside her.

As the waves formed around the boat, the birds ew across the red sky. The winds blew at
their sleeves, causing them to utter in the air like butter ies.

“Xing’er, why did you change your name to Chu Qiao?” Zhuge Yue asked.

Chu Qiao turned around and replied, “Because I’m not Jing Yue’er. My original name was
Chu Qiao. I died before. After that… how do I put it… as all of you claim, my spirit took its
place in Jing Yue’er’s body. After I escaped, I changed my name back.”

Zhuge Yue did not expect her to answer in this way as he was stunned. After a long while,
he muttered, “What about the rst time I saw you then?”

“I had just possessed her for a few days. I was about to escape.”

Zhuge Yue nodded and lowered his head, seemingly using all his e ort to think about the
credibility of her claims.

“Hey, don’t tell me you really believe this?” Chu Qiao was stunned as she had thought that
her words were absurd. She remembered that she had told Yan Xun this once when they
were young. He had thought that her brain had been damaged by a fever. Then, he
proceeded to feed her a bowl of medicine. From then on, she had not mentioned this ever
again.

“I believe you.”

“Ah?”

Zhuge Yue looked at her with a bizarre expression on his face as he frowned. “Why not? I
investigated your background before. The servants had said that your character had
changed after you returned from the human hunting session. I thought that you had been
shocked then. Now that I see it, your explanation makes more sense.” Zhuge Yue nodded
and accepted her explanation as he continued, “No wonder. I didn’t have your wit nor your
ruthlessness when I was seven or eight years old. That’s because you weren’t seven or
eight. Don’t tell me you were 70 or 80 when you died?”

fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
fl
fl
ff
ff
 Chu Qiao was unable to comprehend his logic as she remarked in disbelief, “I…I was 27.”

“27?” Zhuge Yue frowned and remarked unhappily, “That’s quite old already. Were you
married? Did you have any children?”

Chapter 242
“Not really,” Chu Qiao honestly replied, “27 would not be considered old in my time. In my
culture people generally marry very late.”

“Where is your hometown? The Tang Empire? The Xia Empire? Since you had such strong
feelings for Yan Bei, could you be have actually been born in Yan Bei?” As he talked about
it, Zhuge Yue’s face suddenly changed as he anxiously asked, “Could you be Yan Xun’s
mother? Considering the timing, she should be older.”

Chu Qiao was lost as to what reaction she should have. She explained, “I am from a
di erent world, and am not in the same space-time continuum as you. My world is in a
parallel world. Not only we were initially separated by space, we are also separated by time.
It would be impossible for us to go over. Do you understand?” She tried her best to explain
to Zhuge Yue, and hoped that she was able to convey the meaning to him in a manner he
could understand. As she tried to gesture, she wanted to give him a good analogy, but was
unable to come up with a good one.

But she had underestimated Zhuge Yue’s comprehension ability. The man frowned lightly,
and asked, “So it is like an apple tree; I am the leaves in spring, and you are the leaves in
autumn?”

Chu Qiao was stunned. She had never thought that he would able to come with such an apt
analogy, and quickly agreed, “You are half right. There is not just time, there is also space.
Do you understand? That is…”

“Oh.” Zhuge Yue nodded, and casually said, “So I am apple leaves in spring, and you are
oranges in autumn?”

Chu Qiao completely was stunned, as she stayed dumbfounded for a long time, and nally
nodded, “Indeed.”

And then Zhuge Yue turned around and continued to look at the waves in river. The setting
sun shone on his face, bathing him in a golden glow. Chu Qiao could not help but to feel a
sense of amazement. Seeing how calm he could be even after hearing this story, she was
utterly impressed by his mental fortitude and wisdom, remaining so rm. He did not seemed
too interested and did not ask questions like “What do people in your world look like?”or
“How many eyes your people have?” or “Do the people in your world look like beasts and
grow hair all over their bodies?” as though only people of this world were worthy of being so
beautiful, having a perfect face, while other world was comprised of beasts. This was true
calmness; unwavering even when faced with a catastrophe…

“So, what do the people in your world look like?”

ff

fi
fi
“…”

“How many eyes do your people have?”

After the silence, a certain man who was thought to be full of wisdom seemed ever so
interested as he asked, “Could it be that you people are like beasts and are covered in fur? I
have seen some people in the Southern border like that, could they be your distant
relatives?”

Chu Qiao took in a deep breath and started to educate Zhuge Yue about the knowledge of
her world.

The sun had already set. A round moon climbed to the top of the mountain, spraying the
world in ripples of silver. In the gentle breeze of the lake, Chu Qiao suddenly felt like writing
some poetry. She heaved a deep sigh and said, “As the moon rises from the sea, we share
this moment no matter the distance between us.”

Zhuge Yue coldly retorted, “We are not on the sea, this is a river.”

Chu Qiao frowned. “Then, as the moon hangs over the river.”

Zhuge Yue frowned and asked, “Let me guess, that is not your own song. You merely
reused the ones back from your world, right?”

Chu Qiao was completely lost for words and was completely embarrassed. As she
expected, she shouldn’t have started this…

“Xing’er.” The duo fell into silence, Zhuge Yue suddenly called out her names, and just she
acknowledged him, only to hear his say, “I don’t care who you were originally.”

Chu Qiao initially didn’t understand what he meant, and as she stopped a moment to think.
As she smiled, she nodded, “I know, I will always be your Xing’er.”

Zhuge Yue shook as he lowered his head and looked at her with eyes of passion. After that,
Chu Qiao immediately felt regret, as a tinge of redness crept up her face. Just as she was
about to lower her face in embarrassment, Zhuge Yue stretched out two ngers and deftly
lifted her chin while smiling, and said, “Say that again.”

Chu Qiao tried to dodge his eyes, and completely embarrassed she tried to avoid the topic.
“What did I say?”

“The sentence you just said,” Zhuge Yue rmly ordered, two infernos in his eyes. He was not
overwhelmingly passionate, but his gaze was warm.

“I am yours and you are mine.” Chu Qiao gathered her courage, and rmed stated, “In all my
life, there are only two things that I cannot wager on no matter the circumstance. One is my
faith and beliefs, the second is be my body and marriage. If you want all of me, you have to
give me all of you too.”

fi
fi
fi
 Zhuge Yue icked an eyebrow, and looked at her with a strange gaze while casually asking,
“Everything?”

“Screw o .” Chu Qiao pushed him lightly and turned her head away. “Not serious at all.”

“Xing’er.” Zhuge Yue suddenly opened his arms and locked her into a tight embrace as his
warmth enveloped her.

“I am happy.” He quietly said, “I am really happy.”

Chu Qiao leaned into his embrace, and felt a sense of peace that she had never felt in many
years. Turning around, she embraced him and quietly replied, “We should never be
separated again.”

Zhuge Yue asked, “Are you not afraid to follow me to Zhen Huang?”

“I am more scared that we will be separated. Each time we were separated, many things
happened. I am worried that I will never see you again, just like this time around.”

On that day, the situation in the Tang Empire was a complete mess. She had risked her all in
that battle, and if she had been careless even in the slightest, she would have fallen into the
hands of the enemies. During the period when Zhan Ziyu had exerted almost full control
over the empire, there were many killings that resulted in a chaotic political situation. After
she was appointed as empress, countless assassins attempted to enter the palace. Not only
that, but she had to go through that nal battle that involved hundreds of thousands of
soldiers. Although she did not feel much about the entire incident back when she was
engrossed in it, she suddenly felt aghast at the risk that she had taken.

Zhuge Yue held her in his embrace, and with a deep voice assured her, “You need not worry
about this in the future.” Basking in the moonlight, the duo sat quietly for a long time.

After returning to his room, Zhuge Yue sat on the bed. Frowning, he entered a deep
contemplation. He was thinking of a good time that they could fully hand over themselves
over to each other. Yes, that idea would be good. Who knew what could happen if things
kept dragging on. One must ensure that things were perfect and complete, and it was time
to confess his feelings—completely…

In the middle of the night, he suddenly stood up. He felt that today would be a good time.
Zhuge Yue had always been a rather meticulous person. Once he decided on something, he
would patiently and rmly carry out his plan one step at a time. No matter what happened,
he would not change his mind. As such, in the time that followed, he took a shower. After
changing, he looked in the mirror. Looking at the mirror, he looked on in admiration at the
handsomeness and righteousness of the person in the re ection. After basking in self-
satisfaction, he felt a slight nervousness, and as such, he sat down and started to drink
some tea. The tea was already cold, as the white porcelain cup was held in his long lanky
ngers.

Leaning on the chair, he carefully deliberated the words he would say, and what actions he
would take. He thought through every single word, and imagined all kinds of possible
fi
ff
fl
fi
fi
fl
responses that could arise. He continued to think of how he should slowly create the mood,
while retaining the control of the conversation as though everything was natural.

Alright. All is well.

After putting down the cup, he stood up and headed to the door. But alas, the moment he
was about the push the door open, the door was pushed open by someone.

There stood Chu Qiao in her white dress. The orange light from the ames illuminated her
petite face in a warm glow. She was holding on a bowl, with warm vapor emanating from the
bowl. Looking up at him, her clear eyes observed him and she felt rather strange as she
asked, “It is so late, where are you planning to go dressed like this?”

What kind of situation was this? Zhuge Yue was slightly taken aback. It seemed like this was
completely beyond his expectations. Then again, Zhuge Yue’s brain was no slob. He quickly
responded seriously, “I slept too much during the day, and now wish to head out for a
stroll.”

“The closer we are to the North, the colder it will get. You are wearing so little, it would be
best not to run outside too much,” Chu Qiao replied to him seriously as she entered the
room and placed the bowl on the table while waving to him to come over. “I saw that you
did not eat much earlier. Come, eat this porridge.”

Zhuge Yue walked over, and saw that it was a bowl of normal porridge. He looked over and
said, “You are planning to impress me with such things?”

Chu Qiao glared at him. “Having something to eat would be good enough. Don’t be so
picky.” After saying that, she walked over and patted his head as though he was a puppy,
and with a serious face, she said, “After eating, don’t run around outside, and sleep early.”
After saying that, she turned around and walked away.

Zhuge Yue was stunned. What had just happened? His plan had been disrupted, and yet his
target had came up to him, yet he was about to let her go without any action? What
porridge? He stood up and walked out of the door.

As this trip was supposed to be a secret, the ship was quite small. As a result, the corridors
were rather small and could only allow one person to walk at a time. As the torches shone
on his lanky gure, his white shirt seemed so pure and extraordinary under the weak light.
He walked really slowly, as the ship rocked in the waves. It reminded him of how he stood
on the pier by the river in the spring rain, watching as the ship sailed away. It was as though
the entire heavens were being shaded, with only the small ember burning beside him, never
being extinguished as it caught all his attention, since he had been young until now.

The sound of singing could be heard as his steps halted at her door. The door was not shut
tight, and warm light could be seen coming out. Standing by the door, he could hear the
sound of a woman singing and a baby’s voice making some form of noise. With two orange
lights illuminating the entire scene, one could see that Chu Qiao’s white dress was now
spread on the oor as she rolled up her sleeves and squatted beside a wooden pail as she
was bathing the young son of Li Ce.

fi
fl
fl
 Rong’er was really plump, and even though he was rather young, his eyes seemed exactly
like his dad’s. With his eyes curved slightly upwards, his fox-like eyes could hardly be seen
as he laughed. At this moment, he sat in the wooden pail as he played with some bells in his
hands, creating crisp sounds. The baby splashed water in accordance to the rhythm,
splashing water onto Chu Qiao. Each time Chu Qiao tried to dodge the water, he would
chuckle happily.

“Rong’er, be good. Be obedient.” Chu Qiao attempted to converse with the kid, yet the kid
completely ignored her and started to wriggle in the bathtub. More than half the water
splashed out like a tsunami.

“Do not be so naughty. Even your dad was not so annoying.” Chu Qiao’s upper half body
was completely drenched. Rong’er lifted his head up as he continued to make noise. His
plump hands grabbed onto Chu Qiao’s clothes and struggled to get out of the tub. His
action clearly showed his distaste for bathing.

Chapter 243
Chu Qiao, as if she did not see anything, patted the child’s head and said, “I’m going to sing
a song for you. Listen up.

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

“You make me happy when skies are grey.

“You’ll never know how much I love you.

“Please don’t take my sunshine away.”

Her gentle voice was like a hypnotic incense as it drifted in the air. The lights in the room
gave o a feeling of warmth. The woman dressed in white squatted on the ground, her hair
hung over her shoulder. The child was placed in a black wooden basin.

The woman was very emotionally invested in her song, but the child did not seem to pay
attention to her. They grabbed at each other’s limbs, as the child in the basin tried to break
free while the woman outside was trying to restrain him. Despite this, she managed to keep
the tone of her song gentle. No one understood what she was singing as her voice started
to sound like Rong’er. Their words were bizarre, but through her gentle voice, the emotions
in her songs could be felt. She seemed like a caring mother, but resembled more of a
devoted lover.

Thud! The basin fell to the ground. Rong’er crawled out of the basin, naked, as he laughed.
He squinted his eyes, causing his to appear much like his father.

The room was a mess. Chu Qiao’s clothes had been drenched. She looked at the child in a
daze, as she was reminded of Li Ce. She opened her eyes wide and said angrily, “You’re
gone, yet you left this calamity for me.”

ff

 Rong’er chuckled as he crawled towards the outside of the door, pinching his buttcheeks.
Chu Qiao was about to hold him back, but she noticed the man standing by the door. He
had seemingly been standing there for a long time. The lights from the corridor shone on his
handsome face. He had a deep look in his eyes, while his skin was fair. However, he did not
appear as a weakly scholar, but more of an aristocrat. He leaned by the side of the door and
looked at her with interest. His expression was lazy; he did not smile, yet his eyes signalled
his pleasure.

At that instant, she was stunned. Perhaps, she had been bewitched by a handsome guy.

Rong’er crawled to the door as he continued to pinch his butt. As he saw the unwelcome
guest in front of him, he looked up and prepared to scream. However, he subconsciously
realized that his height did not even exceed the opposition’s boots. Hence, he chose to
remain silent.

He sat there and thought to himself for a while. He looked back at Chu Qiao, then at Zhuge
Yue, and then at the crib beside the bed. Finally, after seemingly engaging in an internal
con ict in his heart, he sighed and tugged at Zhuge Yue’s sleeve. Zhuge Yue lowered his
head and looked at him, realizing that he was pointing at a bunch of small swords, carved
out of jade, hanging by his waist. This accessory was specially put on by Zhuge Yue himself
to go with his clothes. It appeared shiny and bright under the lights. Zhuge Yue unfastened it
and handed it over to the child.

Rong’er put it in his mouth and bit it twice, but was unable to taste anything. He held the
object tightly in his hands and crawled out of the door. The chubby kid crawled over to the
room beside Chu Qiao’s and sat on the ground, using his legs to kick the door.

Meixiang opened the door sleepily. Upon seeing him, she squealed in delight and carried
the child in her arms. She walked out and looked towards Chu Qiao’s room and saw Zhuge
Yue. She blushed in joy and nodded at Zhuge Yue, before retreating back to her room with
the child. The troublesome fellow was out of the picture.

Zhuge Yue thought to himself, Although this lad is troublesome, he’s as skilled as his dad
when it comes to these types of things. He closed the doors of Chu Qiao’s room and walked
to her. He looked down on her and reached out his hand. “Still not getting up?”

Chu Qiao felt a little embarrassed as she frowned. What had gotten into her? Had she been
bewitched by lust? She did not reach out her hand, choosing to get to her feet herself. As
she moved, her legs buckled as she slipped, falling towards the ground again. However,
before she fell to the ground, Zhuge Yue grabbed her waist to break her fall as his warm
hand made contact with her skin. Her drenched clothes were unable to hide her wholesome
gure, making it appear more seductive instead.

She had squatted for too long, causing her legs to become numb. Zhuge Yue carried her
onto the bed. Her hair had been drenched, with water dripping out. Her clothes had been
drenched—it seemed more like she had been put into the basin instead.

Zhuge Yue draped a blanket over her and stood by the side of the bed as he said, “Don’t
catch a cold.”

fi
fl
The lights in the room gave o an intimate ambience as it shone on his face. He took a piece
of dry cotton cloth and wrapped it around her hair. He stood in front of her and dried her hair
meticulously, but remained silent. She felt the room heat up in an instant as beads of sweat
trickled down her face and into her clothes. A few strands of hair fell in front of her forehead
and blurred her line of vision. Through her hair, she saw a few patterns of clouds
embroidered onto his white out t, causing her to feel dizzy.

“What were you singing just now?” Zhuge Yue asked with a gentle, hoarse tone which was
alluring for a man.

She looked up and saw his handsome face. She smelt the fragrance of his body, which was
almost hypnotizing. Zhuge Yue, seeing that she did not answer his question, frowned
slightly and asked again, “Xing’er?”

“You are my sunshine.”

Zhuge Yue was stunned and asked, “Is that your hometown language?”

“Yes,” Chu Qiao nodded honestly.

“Sing it again for me.”

His voice seemingly carried a special force within it tonight, causing her to not want to
bicker with him, which was unlike the usual. She took two deep breaths as she started to
sing out in a soothing tone.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

You make me happy when skies are grey.

The song took them down the memory lane once again as they revisited the past times.
From the rst time that they met, to the times they were after each other’s lives, life was like
a piece of barren wasteland. The location of the traps and lifelines within were unknown. He
stood in front of her, drying her hair. His long ngers caressed her jet-black hair, as if he was
trying to stir up the tides of time. The material of his clothes were soft as she leaned her
head on his waist, singing her favorite song from her previous life.

You’ll never know how much I love you.

Please don’t take my sunshine away.

The room was warm, which reminded her of the days that she spent in St. Lorn’s Orphanage
many years ago. The principal of the orphanage was a war veteran who had fought
resistance battles for eight years, and had been on the battle elds of North Korea. He had
lost a leg while ghting, but he had managed to bomb an American plane in the process.
After he retired, he took his pension money back to his hometown and opened an
orphanage, to take in those children who had lost their parents. She was di erent from the
other orphans, fortunate enough to have a good grandfather. After that, he provided for her
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
education, used his connections to get her into military school. From then on, she enlisted
into the army, becoming a valiant soldier who protected her country.

She did not let her grandfather down as she continued to grow and mature. Her results were
outstanding. Coupled with the fact that her brain was lively, and that she had a kind
character, she made it into the command center and became a part of the Secret Service.
Her life had been predestined, as she followed down a standard path without many
setbacks.

When she was young, her grandfather had told her that the utmost priority of a soldier was
to love his country and to protect its people, especially the weaker ones. He told her many
stories about the military, taught her the principles of honesty and personal integrity, the
meaning of life and its principles. She was like a small tree, being nurtured into a big one
under the care of her grandfather. She remembered the happy look on her grandfather’s
face at the time where she was conferred an award upon the completion of her rst mission.
His wrinkles twitched under the sunlight; as he laughed, his chest heaved up and down. Her
grandfather embraced her as he exclaimed in joy, “My good granddaughter!”

Those were the happiest times of her life, where she had a family member that loved her
more than anyone else in the world, where she received the warmest hug of her life.

Her grandfather had studied abroad in England when he was younger. As a result, he had a
good command of the language there. He taught her English, the western cultures, and how
to dance the waltz.

Left, right, left, right, horizontal across, take three steps, twirl…

And the song that her grandfather taught her to sing…

The other night dear as I lay sleeping.

I dreamed I held you in my arms.

But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken.

And I hung my head and cried.

She suddenly reached out her hand and wrapped it around Zhuge Yue’s waist. The shadows
of the candlelights in the room seemed to break out in a dance, as they ashed across the
window. The boat swayed from side to side on the surface on the water. The mountains by
the shores on both sides disappeared into the distance as the sounds of the winds blowing
past could be heard.

“Xing’er,” Zhuge Yue lowered his head and asked, “What’s the meaning of this song?”

Unknowingly, Chu Qiao’s face started to turn red. She lowered her head as well, and
remained silent.

A warm breath landed on her as his chest jerked slightly. Chu Qiao knew that he was
laughing although there was no sound.

fl
fi
 “It’s nice,” Zhuge Yue stopped and looked at her. He held her hand as he continued to say
while smiling, “I like it very much.”

His hand was big and warm as he wrapped it around her st. She had never known that he
possessed such strength, as she was unable to move.

He leaned forward with a deep look in his eyes. His voice was low and hoarse as he
whispered by her ear, “This is your punishment for behaving so badly in the day.” As he
nished his sentence, he lowered his head and planted a kiss on her lips. She suddenly felt
incredibly tense. Although she had been through two di erent lives and had kissed someone
before, she still felt irrationally nervous whenever she was faced with him. She did not know
where to put her limbs. However, after a long while of closing her eyes, nothing happened.
She opened her eyes carefully and saw the man looking at her with a smile under the lights.
Upon seeing her peek at him, the man leaned forward as his warm breath landed on her
face. With a smile, he said, “Are you waiting for me to kiss you?”

Chapter 244
“Zhuge Yue!” Chu Qiao pushed him angrily, “You are bullying me!” He then proceeded to
hug her. So suddenly and with such strength, the blanket and towel on her head were
completely pushed aside by the sudden momentum. He twisted her face and kissed her
with all his strength, and completely held her down, as though he wanted to merge their
bodies together. With deep breathing, his hands held her waist, as their touching bodies
seemed to be able to feel each other’s heart beating with vigor.

Once, twice, thrice….

“Chu Qiao.” Looking at her, he suddenly called her name. In his eyes, there seemed to be an
inferno. Without blinking, he rmly declared, “Marry me.”

Chu Qiao was stunned. As the ames shone on his face from one side, one could only see
half of his face, with the other half hidden in the shadows, looking almost like a dream. She
felt like she was hallucinating, and was rather lost as to what to do. Opening her mouth, no
sound came out as she did not know how to reply.

“Xing’er,” Looking at her quietly, he continued.

She was already rather dazed, as she replied, “Yes?”

“I love you.”

As he dropped the bombshell, Chu Qiao felt as though her entire face was burning up, with
her body temperature rising rapidly, along with her mind which was quickly freezing up.
Looking at him in a daze, there was a sense of happiness rising in her heart, along with
confusion. Chu Qiao cupped her chest with her hands, as though if she did not hold her
heart down, it would jump out and escape.

fi

fi
fl
ff
fi
“I have loved you for a very long time. Did you know?” he asked her casually as though they
were discussing something else that was irrelevant to them, without a single tinge of
hurriedness.

Chu Qiao nodded, “I know.”

“What about you?” His eyes seemed so clear that focused that Chu Qiao felt as though she
was about to su ocate.

After gathering her courage, Chu Qiao replied softly, “It is the same for me.”

Yet he refused to accept such a vague answer, and pestered her while smiling, “What is the
same?”

Suddenly, Chu Qiao felt that the boat was too small. Why was the room so small, so hot that
she could barely breathe now?

“Speak.” He leaned over and lifted her chin deftly. “What is the same for you?”

“I also…” Chu Qiao gripped her st in resolve, as countless scenes ashed past her mind. “I
also love you.”

I also love you…

Her voice was rather soft, yet it pierced through the night and lighted up his face. He lightly
kissed on her forehead and asked, “When did that start?”

When? She did not know. Perhaps it was from their reunion at Sunset Mountains. Perhaps it
was that moment when they met each other at the lantern festival in Xian Yang. Perhaps it
was when she heard the voice from the icy lake, telling her to live on.

Or perhaps, it was long ago, from that hug in the Imperial Tomb in Mei Mountain, or the
chance encounter in Wupeng City, along with their cooperation and ghting together.
Perhaps, it was when he saved her from Zhao Chun’er’s pursuit.

Or even perhaps, it was in that room, when the stubborn teenager wiped away her tears
again and again with his pure white handkerchief without even asking for permission. Just
like that, he had rudely, stubbornly, and forcefully barged into her heart. Without asking for
her permission, and without questioning if she liked it.

“I don’t know.” Chu Qiao stretched out her hand and caressed his brow which had furrowed
together, before continuing, “Perhaps it was from long ago. So long ago that even I cannot
remember, and it is di cult to pinpoint the exact moment.” Leaning in his embrace, she
lightly whispered, “Or perhaps everything accumulated bit by bit, such that I can no longer
remember.”

“You are so dumb.” Hugging her, he suddenly smiled. “Actually, I do not remember either.”

ff
ffi
fi
fl
fi
Yes, perhaps life was really like this. No one could tell when, but love seemed to suddenly
appear and follow in your shadow. By the time you noticed it, it already became deep-
rooted within you.

He lowered his head and kissed her lips, face, ears, neck, and slowly, he crept onto her
collarbone. Chu Qiao’s body turned soft as she gave up all resistance, and collapsed on
him. Zhuge Yue’s body turned warmer than usual, as the hand on her waist started to move
up. His temperature was like a burning inferno, engul ng what was left of Chu Qiao’s
senses.

“Kya!” Chu Qiao suddenly yelped as she felt as though the heavens had suddenly ipped.
She was lifted up by someone and pressed down on the bed. Even though she was still
wearing clothes, her clothes were mostly wet and were as good as being stark naked.

He looked on at her, with his brow slightly furrowed, as though he was thinking of
something. Yet, his gaze was overwhelmed with passion. A deep voice sounded from the
side of her ear, and a pair of wet lips kissed her earlobes, sending waves of numbness down
her spine. The cloth belt was deftly taken o by someone, revealing the white colored inner
clothes that were embroidered with a yellow canary.

Her tender shoulders were exposed, and as his lanky ngers caressed her skin, one could
see goosebumps as she trembled in a paralyzing numbness. As his hand moved to her
neck, with a quick ick of his ngers, the knot on her neck was undone as the clothes
dropped. Chu Qiao was slightly taken aback, as she quickly grabbed her clothes in an
attempt to cover her body, only to be faced with a wave of laughter.

“Embarrassed?”

Chu Qiao struggled to leave his embrace, as she pointed at the candle by the bed, and
squeezed out the words, “Blow out the lights…”

Zhuge Yue suddenly started to smile happily, and he was his usual self as he turned around
without making any sounds. Yet, one could see his lips curling upwards. There were no
sounds except the occasion apping of the birds that ew past the ship.

Grabbing her waist, he paci ed her lips, “Don’t be scared.” The moment his lips touched
hers, she felt as though she was about to su ocate. Her body turned warm. With her clothes
being peeled o layer by layer, she was left in her most natural state. Tender, pristine white,
she was like a jade statue that was made by a master craftsman. This was a territory that no
one had set foot upon, lled with life and vigor. He softly leaned over. With their skins
touching, it was as though an inferno was burning.

Her breath was completely stopped. As her face was so close to his shoulder, she could see
the vivid scar, as she suddenly shivered. He felt her sudden change and quickly covered her
eyes. He told her, “Don’t look.” Yet, she pulled aside his hand as she stretched out her
trembling hand and hugged him, with her tender skin touching his wound, tears came out,
wetting that maroon wound.

Zhuge Yue quietly returned the soft embrace, and merely looked on as she cried.

ff
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
ff
ff
fi
fi
fl
fl
 On the day Li Ce had been buried, she swore not to cry ever again. Yet, after looking at his
wound, at the places that she had stabbed, she could not help but cry. She hugged him
tightly in fear that he would disappear. Just like in that icy lake, after she released her hand,
he disappeared.

“Zhuge Yue, I am sorry,” she spoke as she cried.

“Idiot.” Zhuge Yue kissed her silky hair and softly laughed. “I have been made ugly by you.
You must take responsibility.”

Chu Qiao knew that he was joking. She retorted while sobbing, “The wound is on the
shoulder, it doesn’t count.”

Zhuge Yue chuckled, and his dark eyes seemed so deep as he focused on her shadow.
Gently, he kissed her tear-stained face and muttered, “I don’t care. I will still make you take
responsibility.”

His arms were so forceful that she felt a bit of pain. Yet in the pain, she felt such joy, as
though she was overwhelmed by a sea of euphoria. It was great to be alive. She had once
thought that all would be lost as he was buried in the icy cold lake with no chance to redo
anything.

As their bodies grew more entangled, sweat started to seep out from their forehead. They
were surrounded by the soft splashing of the river, without any one’s sound. Even time
seemed to have stopped, with only them still indulging in each other…

Chu Qiao could not help but to give a sti ed yelp, her body arching in pain as a bright
crimson liquid owed out from between her legs. His motion suddenly stopped as his eyes
were lled with disbelief. Yet, he looked deep into her, as though asking her what to do. Her
face was so red, and even her lips seemed to be swollen. She stretched out for her clothes
to cover her chest, as she was lost for words knowing that he had seen.

He suddenly laughed. Chu Qiao had never seen him laugh like such before. Initially, he was
merely smiled, but eventually, he started laughing out loud, so loud that Chu Qiao attempted
to shut him up by stretching out her hand. Yet he suddenly buried his face next to her, and
quietly, he said, “Xing’er, I am so happy.” Her tender limbs embraced his body. His gure
was so good that it rivaled even models on TVs.

In the darkness, she smiled. The pair of red candles had gradually burnt out. As she smiled,
she thought, I guess this will be my rst time…

After being separated by so many people, so many incidents, so much time, they still
walked together even though they were originally from di erent worlds and di erent
countries. Leaning on his shoulder, she freely let her tears ow.

In the middle of the night, rain started to fall. One could hear the pitter-patter of the
raindrops on the boat. As the boat sailed on the river, one could vaguely hear the sounds of
the wind mixing into the silence of the night.

fi
fl
fi
fl
ff
fl
ff
fi
In the night, Chu Qiao wakes up, her hair scattered by her side. Her face was still red even
though she was still in a daze, and her pristine white skin was like white silk hidden in the
layers of blanket. She stretched out her hand to the side to feel to him, yet she only felt
coldness. She was utterly stunned as her sleepiness vanished and sat up, only to see that
the entire room was empty. It was then she noticed the rain outside.

She suddenly felt a sense of fear. She ipped o the bed. Yet, the moment she touched the
ground, her knees buckled as the pain in her lower half reminded her of how last night was
not a dream, and that everything had changed.

Chu Qiao put on an aqua blue one piece dress, and along with a u y cape, she picked up
a bamboo umbrella and walked out.

It was rather chilly outside as the drizzle was fueled by the winds. Even as she held an
umbrella, raindrops fell on her dress. She hurriedly rushed across the deck as darkness
seemed to consume everything. She could still hear the occasional sound of apes crying in
the mountains.

There he was, standing at the front of the deck, and it seemed like he had been standing
there for quite a long time. In his white shirt, he seemed ever so cool. There was a tinge of
gloom as he stood in the shadow. Hearing her footsteps, he turned around. Even as he saw
her, he did not feel surprised, and merely stretched out his hand and called out, “Come
here.”

Chu Qiao went over and lifted the umbrella to cover him as well. The rain might have been
just a drizzle, but even then he would still get wet if he stood in it for too long. His clothes
had already been drenched, and Chu Qiao could not help but comment, “Couldn’t you tell
that it was raining?”

The wind blew on them. Their sleeves waved along with the passing winds. Grabbing her
hand, his ngers were lanky yet strengthful. He suddenly pulled her into an embrace without
making any sound. Just like that, he hugged her. He had not used much strength, but there
seemed to be a mysterious force that petri ed her, causing her to not want to make any
movement.

Chapter 245
“Zhuge Yue?” she whispered as time passed slowly. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he replied with a calm voice. In the few years that they had not seen each other,
the arrogant man had seemed to grow up. An occasional cold look ashed across his eyes,
which resembled the vicissitudes of life that he had been through. His voice was peaceful,
yet sounded cold. His emotions were indiscernible to other people.

“Xing’er, you have su ered,” the man suddenly said.

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows in suspicion as she replied, “What are you saying?”

fi
ff

fl
fi
ff
fl
fl
ff
“Whatever I owe you,” Zhuge Yue smiled, patted her face, and continued, “I will make it up
to you in future.”

“Zhuge Yue, what’s wrong with you?”

Chu Qiao was a little nervous as she tugged at Zhuge Yue’s sleeve. She looked up and
remarked, “I didn’t su er. I was willing to.”

Zhuge Yue smiled again. He reached out his hand and held her in his embrace, leaning his
chin onto her head. He held her without using any strength, as if he was holding a porcelain
object. There were some things that he did not say, as he let those thoughts dissipate along
with the winds that blew past. He had always thought that he was better than Yan Xun. Only
when Chu Qiao was by his side, could she attain real happiness. However, on matters like
these, he was no match for Yan Xun. Yan Xun had been a real gentleman over the ten years
that they had spent together, yet he only had his sel sh desires.

However, what could he do about it? When faced with her, his con dence often evaporated.
As his happiness neared, he started to fear more and more. Hence, he wanted it all to
himself.

However, after that, he worried even more about his personal gains and losses. He was a
decisive man. For matters regarding conquests and riches, he was able to decide and
gamble swiftly. Only when faced with her was he unable to do so. Sometimes, he mocked
himself for landing himself into this state.

Chu Qiao leaned into his embrace as she continued to repeat, “It’s nothing. I did it willingly.”

He covered her mouth and carried her up as he started to walk towards the cabin.

Chu Qiao exclaimed as the umbrella fell to the ground. The thin raindrops fell onto her face,
giving o a cold sensation. She protested with a low, soft voice, “Put me down! It’ll be bad if
Meixiang and the rest sees this!”

Zhuge Yue looked down and said in a domineering tone, “Shut up.”

Chu Qiao frowned and retorted, “I don’t want to!”

Zhuge Yue laughed as he maintained his expression. He smiled but did not make a sound,
as he lowered his head and kissed her forcefully. He stood in front of the cabin door and
kissed her under the night sky, in the open, all the way until Chu Qiao was panting and felt
weak all over her body. He laughed as he looked at her. With a slight arrogance in his voice,
he said, “I have ways to make you shut up.”

Chu Qiao reached out both of her hands to cover her slightly swollen mouth. She looked at
him angrily as she continued to protest in silence.

Zhuge Yue laughed again and carried her back to her room. Luckily, it was late in the night.
Everyone had slept, and they did not encounter anyone on their way back.

ff
ff
fi
fi
 As they reached her room, Chu Qiao jumped o swiftly and adopted a defensive posture as
she stared at him. As he unfastened his clothes, she started to blush.

Zhuge Yue smiled and leaned forward as his breath landed on her ear. He whispered, “Does
it still hurt?”

Chu Qiao’s face turned even redder. She was always like this. Despite being able to
command many troops and kill many enemies, she was helpless when faced with such
matters. She behaved like an innocent lady whenever topics like these were mentioned.

Zhuge Yue embraced her from behind as his hand slipped down her stomach. Chu Qiao
was shocked as she restrained his hand, putting it back on her warm stomach.

“Oh?” Zhuge Yue asked. “I’m asking you something. Does it still hurt?”

Chu Qiao was caught o guard again as she shook her head like a frightened rabbit.

Zhuge Yue chuckled as a sinister look ashed across his face. He leaned by her ear and
whispered, “It really doesn’t hurt anymore?”

She nodded frantically once again.

“Let’s carry on then.”

“Ah?” Chu Qiao exclaimed with her mouth wide open.

Zhuge Yue burst out in laughter as he carried her and put her onto the bed. Chu Qiao did
not know what had come over her. What had happened to her martial arts? Her agility? Why
was it that whenever he neared, she felt weak all over? She watched on, dazed, as his face
became larger in front of her. His pointed nose, thin lips, sinister eyes, fair skin, his smile…
all of these features were charming.

She remained motionless as she allowed him to dominate her lips. She started to feel
goosebumps that felt like electric shocks. Her teeth were pried open as his tongue entered
the gap within. Their kiss turned from gentle to intense in a short period of time. From her
initial dreamy state, she tried to welcome his gesture by reciprocating. Her body quivered
slightly as her breathing became irregular and faster. She had ultimately succumbed to the
other party’s seduction as she leaned in his embrace. Her clothes had unknowingly come
o , leaving only her undergarments, exposing her long legs and fair arms.

He laughed and wrapped her in a blanket, then kissed her face. He reached out his hand
and embraced her, saying in a hoarse voice, “Alright, get some sleep.”

Chu Qiao was stunned. She asked in a dazed manner, “Sleep?”

“What’s wrong?” Zhuge Yue put a hand to his head and turned around to look at her as she
blushed. “Don’t you want to sleep!”

“Yes!” Chu Qiao proclaimed in an exaggerated tone, even going as far as to yawn to signal
her unbearable fatigue.

ff
ff
fl
ff
Zhuge Yue lay down on the bed, holding her. He had no intention to take it any further. After
all, it was Chu Qiao’s rst time. She needed more time before she was able to go at it again.
However, he was almost unable to restrain himself. He forced himself to close his eyes and
say, “Get some sleep then.”

However, she moved around restlessly in his embrace. One moment, she shifted her arms.
The next moment, she changed her posture

Zhuge Yue frowned as he started to boil with anger. He tried to control it but was unable to
do so. He asked, “What are you doing?”

“Are you not going back to your room?” Chu Qiao looked up at him pitifully, blushing. “What
if Meixiang and the rest sees this tomorrow? Pingan and Jingjing are still young. They are
still children.”

Zhuge Yue frowned and retorted, “How old are they? Are they still children? Don’t forget,
when you were their age, you nearly raped me at Wupeng City.”

“Did I?” Chu Qiao tried to defend her reputation as she retaliated, “You’re accusing me
wrongly!”

“No?” Zhuge Yue sneered and continued, “You disguised yourself as a prostitute that was
gifted to me by Lord Tian and tried to seduce me. Tell me, isn’t that trying to take advantage
of me?”

“Zhuge Yue, you…”

“You can speak louder. Everyone else will know about this. No need to wait until tomorrow
morning.”

Chu Qiao lowered her voice and stared at him ercely. As she gritted her teeth, she snarled,
“I… who knew that you would be there! You knew how the entire story was going to unfold.
Don’t pretend.”

“Hmph!” Zhuge Yue rolled his eyes at her impatiently, seemingly anticipating her reaction.

Chu Qiao, seeing that he remained silent, panted for a while before she pushed him and
chided, “Hey! Go back to your own room. I can’t sleep when the bed is so small.”

The bed was small? It could t four people and still have space! Zhuge Yue pretended not to
hear what she said as he closed his eyes and continued to sleep.

“Hey! Go back to your own room! What’s with you staying here?”

As she saw that Zhuge Yue refused to move, she sat up angrily, grabbed her own clothes,
and prepared to leave. As she climbed over his body, he pulled her back, causing her to
land on his chest.

Some sparks burned in his eyes as he looked at her coldly. “I see that you’re still jumping
and kicking about. Don’t you want to sleep?”

fi
fi
fi
“No! There’s no such thing!”

Even Li Qingrong knew how to react to the situation earlier on. Chu Qiao, being able to think
more rationally, knew that she had thrown herself into a dead end.

As expected, she snuggled back into her original position, with her back facing Zhuge Yue.
She remained silent and breathed steadily, as if she had really fallen asleep.

Darkness was everywhere. The rain seemed to get heavier, as it splattered onto the deck of
the boat, making crisp sounds.

A hand suddenly grabbed her waist from behind. The man’s breath caressed her ear gently,
causing goosebumps to form on her neck. He embraced her as he kissed her earlobe gently
while saying in a low voice, “Xing’er, I want to hold you like this every night in the future.
Don’t keep chasing me away.”

Her heart instantly melted. It was hard to imagine that a person like this would speak to her
in such a manner. She felt a little sad as she reached out her hand to hold his hand. She
held it up to her lips and kissed it lightly.

The night was still long. Just like this, she drifted o to sleep in his embrace. In her dreams,
she seemingly saw the clear sky, clear waters, the green grasslands, and a group of kids
wearing clear white out ts as they danced and sang in the middle of nowhere. She knew
that she was bound to wake up late the next day.

She was eventually woken up to loud knocks on her door. She opened her eyes in a
panicked state and saw Zhuge Yue fully dressed, standing in front of the window, holding a
pale bluish-white dress in his hand. He laughed as he said, “Meixiang came calling a few
times. If you still don’t get up, she’s going to barge in.”

Chu Qiao put on her clothes in a fearful state. She crept to the door and opened up a slight
gap. She popped her head out and said in a silly manner, “Hurhur, Meixiang. Good
morning.”

“Miss, it’s noon already. We will reach land in a short while,” Meixiang chided as she stood
by the door, putting her hands on her hips. Jingjing was carrying Li Ce’s son as she looked
towards Chu Qiao’s room, full of interest. Rong’er reached out his chubby hand and pinched
Jingjing’s cheeks as he broke out in another t of gibberish.

“Ah? Is it?” Chu Qiao continued, “Aiya, I’ve been too tired lately. How did I oversleep? That’s
weird. Haha.”

“Yes, that’s indeed weird,” Jingjing chuckled mischievously as she stood by the side.

“Miss, what are you standing here for? I fetched a bucket of water. Are you not going to
wash up?”

Chu Qiao picked up the bucket of water on the ground and proclaimed loudly, “I’ll do it
myself.”

fi
fi
ff
 Meixiang frowned and asked, “Miss, what’s come into you?”

“I’m alright. It’s just that I think you’re too tired. Go and rest for a while.”

Chapter 246
Meixiang responsibly said, “I still have to pack up your room for you.”

“There is no need. I am feeling rather good today, so I will pack it up myself.” Chu Qiao did
not wait for Meixiang to make any response before taking the water and heading back to the
room. Following which, she leaned her ear on the door. Only after Meixiang and Jingjing had
left did Chu Qiao nally heave a sigh of relief.

Zhuge Yue leaned on the bed and casually stated, “Look at you, like you just stole
something.”

Chu Qiao stared at him. Walking over, she pulled on his arm. “While there is no one here,
quickly head back to your own room.”

“I don’t want to,” Zhuge Yue crisply refused. “Only if you wash my face for me.”

Chu Qiao was confused, as she asked, “Why?”

“If you do not do it, I will not head back.”

“Zhuge Yue…you are such a…” Chu Qiao was in a dilemma for a long time before nally
walking to the basin and preparing the towel to help wash his face. She rolled up her
sleeves. Her posture did not look like she was not trying to wash someone’s face, but more
like she was going to start a ght.

Squatting before him, she rubbed on his face with all her strength. He frowned very slightly
but did not say anything while keeping up his smile. Chu Qiao suddenly felt bad and started
to gently wipe down his face after sighing.

As the sun peeped through the open window, it shone on the duo. Time seemed to have
gone back over ten years, as she needed to wake up very early each morning to help him
wash up, wear clothes, and eat breakfast.

“See, even after spending so much energy, in the end, I am still doing what I was doing at
the beginning.” Chu Qiao pouted as she hung her head, defeated.

Zhuge Yue smiled, and replied, “It is merely that justice has long arms. You are born to be
mine. No matter how you try to escape, you will not be able to.”

Chu Qiao gave him a glare and chided, “What kind of rubbish analogy is that?”

After he brushed his teeth and washed up, and tidied up his appearance, Chu Qiao pushed
him o to the door, and rushed him, “Quickly, leave!”

ff
fi

fi
fi
Zhuge Yue turned around and stared at her. “What kind of woman are you? Even couples
who were merely married one day will remember each other forever, yet you change your
attitude so quickly.”

“Leave! Leave! Go back to your own room.”

“Young master!” A crisp and joyous voice sounded, causing Chu Qiao to be utterly stunned.
She turned around only to see Yue Qi standing outside the window. Seeing her, Yue Qi
happily greeted her, “I had gone to Young Master’s room this morning, but seeing that he
was not around, I guessed that he had spent the night with you, Miss.”

Pingan stood behind Yue Qi, and behind him, there seemed to be many people. As they
were far away, one could not make out what they were talking about. Suddenly, one could
vaguely hear a cheeky cheer from afar, “Sister has nally married. I will not need to hear her
rambling anymore!”

At that instant, the door opened with a creak. Meixiang walked in with Jingjing and some
other servants. Seeing Zhuge Yue, they greeted him respectfully, before heading to Chu
Qiao’s bed, wanting to tidy things up.

Chu Qiao suddenly remembered how there were still bloodstains on the bed. Just as she
was about to prevent them from cleaning up, Jingjing walked up with a bowl of soup, and
whispered in Chu Qiao’s ear, “Sister Meixiang specially instructed this herbal soup to be
brewed. It is good for replenishing any blood loss. Sister, please drink up.”

Chu Qiao’s eyes were seeing black, as her cheeks turned crimson red.

Zhuge Yue walked up and picked up that bowl. Passing it to Chu Qiao, he smiled, “This is
indeed good for you. Xing’er, drink up.”

On the same day, the boat stopped by at Lanling Province for food supplies before
continuing on the journey. Two days later, they nally arrived at Hu Province.

The group landed. Although they had arrived within the Xia territory, it was clear that Zhuge
Yue’s bodyguards seemed to tense up even more. Just as they reached the port, there was
a team of 500 soldiers waiting for their arrival, and all females accompanying the entourage
were disguised as men as they mixed in with the group. The entire situation was rather
secretive.

Seeing how most of the soldiers had some form of a tattoo on their face, she realized that
they were all from Qinghai, and she suddenly felt at ease.

Reaching the Baolin Province, there were 3,000 Qinghai soldiers guarding at there. Amongst
which, there were 1,000 of them wearing green leather armor. They exude overwhelming
bloodlust and killing aura. One could instantly tell that they were masters of martial arts.

Yue Qi proudly informed her that those were all his subordinates, and were from the elite
seventh division from back in Qinghai. This was merely a small detachment as the remaining
were all guarding at Cuiwei Pass and in Zhen Huang City.

fi
fi
 After resting in Baolin Province for one day, they began on the journey to Zhen Huang on the
next day. At dusk, they nally saw that majesty castle.

In this vastness, everything was so silent as the winds stirred up waves of grass in the plains
carrying the withered leaves along. This was truly the weather of the Xia Empire, with the
unique taste of the wind and chill. Chu Qiao lifted the curtains to the carriage, revealing the
scenery of the massive city gates towering over them, basked in the crimson shade of the
setting sun. She was suddenly reminded of how back in the day, she and Yan Xun relied
solely on each other to survive in this gigantic prison while hating everything around them,
hoping that catastrophe would befall this city and wash all these glories away. After
spending all of their e ort planning, they were nally able to carve a bloody path through
this prison that had held them for over eight years. Yet today, she had willingly stepped foot
into this city again, as she entered this su ocating city again.

Six years ago, she had left this place for a man. Six years later, she returned to this place for
another man.

The changes in fate are ever so amazing. Even movement by a single step results in an
unknown that one could never fathom. Despite that, one must keep walking on.

As the wind blew past one’s ear, it gave o a small whimper. A hand suddenly stretched out
from behind, bringing her into an embrace. Zhuge Yue’s voice resounded from behind,
extremely peaceful he was, his very tone seemed to calm people down. “Don’t worry, I am
here.”

Chu Qiao gently smiled. He always seemed to be saying that. She leaned back, as she
inhaled deeply, as though trying to remember his scent forever, before closing her eyes.
Tightly, she grasped his hand, as though she would never ever let go.

Zhen Huang City was no longer as prosperous as it once was. Even though it was not night
time yet, the pedestrians had already slowed to a trickle. Upon seeing Zhuge Yue’s carriage,
all avoided the entourage like the plague. It was apparent that this city was merely a shadow
of its former self, as it no longer had the crowds and bustle that it once boasted.

As the carriage turned around Xuanhua Street and entered Baiwei Road heading towards
the west of the city, Chu Qiao was slightly taken aback and asked, “Are we not heading
back to Zhuge Residence?”

Zhuge Yue smiled. “I am the Grand Marshall of the Xia Empire. Naturally, I live in my own
o cial residence.”

Upon hearing that, Chu Qiao felt that all her tension loosen up. She could not help but smile.

Zhuge Yue teased her, “How could you let your emotions show so easily on your face? How
are you worthy of the title of the King of Xiuli?”

“What is there to hide before you?” Chu Qiao naturally responded, taking Zhuge Yue by
surprise. After which, he hugged her and praised, “Well said.”

ffi
ff
fi
ff
ff
fi
There were not many people on the street, and naturally, the carriage was able to travel
faster. Before long, they had reached the o cial residence situated beside Biliu Lake in the
west of the city.

Chu Qiao had seen this residence before, as this was one of the side palaces of the imperial
palace, and was constructed with such grandeur. The carriage did not stop and walked all
the way into the gates. Only upon reaching the inner gates and after the servants had all
entered into the compound did Zhuge Yue leave the carriage with Chu Qiao following
behind.

Chu Qiao had immediately spotted Huan’er standing at the side, her eyes completely red.
Seeing Chu Qiao, Huan’er’s tears started to fall. Even though this was no longer the same
residence, they were old friends. Chu Qiao felt a sense of nostalgia as well as she stretched
out her hand. Huan’er instantly galloped over on her horse, and immediately tried to kowtow
to Chu Qiao. Chu Qiao quickly tried to stop Huan’er, yet Zhuge Yue held her back and said,
“From now you are the mistress of this residence. It is only natural that they greet you.”

Just as he said that, all the maidservants and servants had knelt down and prostrated
themselves to her while saying, “Greetings to the Mistress.”

Chu Qiao helped Huan’er up. After so many years, her appearance had changed slightly,
and had turned rather elegant and graceful. She had already become a supervisor for
dozens of maidservants in the Zhuge Residence.

Huan’er informed Chu Qiao while crying, “This servant knew that you would de nitely return,
lady. Your room has already been tidied up, and has always been reserved for you, lady.”

Chu Qiao felt rather embarrassed how she was being referred to as “Lady” all the time. Yet
Zhuge Yue felt it was completely normal, as he informed, “Her room can be emptied. Bring
all her belongings to my room.”

The crowd immediately understood the meaning behind that instruction. Huan’er
immediately started to command her maidservants to assist Chu Qiao in moving luggage,
and Meixiang and Jingjing also helped out. The residence was suddenly busy with life.

“Let’s go,” Zhuge Yue said in her ear, and without waiting for her response, he pulled her
hand and started to walk.

As night descended, the crescent moon hung in the sky giving o a dim light. With torches
being lit up on the sides, the warm lights illuminated the duo. Without speaking, Zhuge Yue
kept walking. The night winds brought along chills, yet it was uniquely refreshing. Zhuge
Yue’s sleeves were full of embroideries, and occasionally brushing past Chu Qiao’s sleeves,
it gave o a rustling sound.

A very light aroma could be smelled. It was not particularly strong, yet it seemed to be
everywhere. This was a special breed of orchid, giving o a unique fragrance.

Zhuge Yue was always one who knew how to enjoy life. Perhaps this was due to his noble
upbringing. Backed by centuries of the prosperity of the Zhuge Family, he was di erent from
ff
ffi
ff
ff
fi
ff
the normal nobles who ascended to wealth quickly. It was as though every single plant here
exuded a noble aura.

Pushing aside the gate that was made out of Phoebe Zhennan wood, one could see a
bedroom that was extremely elegant in design. It was not particularly majestic, yet it exuded
a serene aura that one could barely comment on. Stepping on the thick and soft carpet, it
felt like one was walking on clouds. The design of the decorations and furniture made the
house rather elegant to live in, with a sense of overwhelming classicism. With 18 layers of
veils lining the corridor, it headed straight to the inner bedroom.

“Are you tired?” standing before her, he asked.

Chu Qiao shook her head, and cupped her stomach. “I merely feel really hungry.”

A maidservant dressed in red quickly addressed her, “Food will be ready soon. Will Master
and Mistress head to the dining room now?”

Zhuge Yue shook his head, and told Chu Qiao, “I have some urgent matters and cannot eat
now.”

Chu Qiao nodded. “Alright, go and settle your business rst.”

“The servants are still preparing the horses. I can still wait a while.” After saying that, he
hugged Chu Qiao. The embroideries on his chest tickled Chu Qiao’s face. She could hear
the vibrations coming from his chest saying, “Xing’er, you are nally back.”

Chu Qiao smiled and returned the embrace. In her heart, there was an overwhelming sense
of elation that she found impossible to describe with mere words. In the room there was
incense, inciting one’s sleepiness.

“Tonight, wait for me here.”

Chu Qiao’s face turned slightly red, as she lifted her head up and smiled sweetly to Zhuge
Yue, “Then, make sure you return early.”

Zhuge Yue nodded. At this moment, the horses were ready. Zhuge Yue told Chu Qiao, “I will
head to nd the Seventh Highness. Eat up rst, and rest early.”

“Alright.” Chu Qiao tiptoed and lightly pecked on his lips. With a red tint on her face, she
cooed into his ears, “Be careful on your way.”

A tinge of jubilance ooded Zhuge Yue’s eyes, as he forcefully hugged Chu Qiao before
heading out.

Chapter 247
Chu Qiao walked with him to the door. The winds were slightly strong as they blew at her
white cloak. As she watched Zhuge Yue disappear in the darkness, she leaned on the door
as she broke into a smile. Actually, Zhen Huang did not seem as scary as she had thought.

fi
fl

fi
fi
fi
From afar, Jingjing’s and Pingan’s voices could be heard as they broke out in laughter. Chu
Qiao could not help but smile as well, as she appreciated this moment. After she had dinner,
she showered with the help of her maidservants.

Meixiang and the rest had been exhausted from the journey. As Rong’er needed someone to
be by his side, Meixiang and two other nannies attended to him. The servants who were not
aware of his identity thought that he was the son of Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao. Hence, they
treated him with extra care.

The shower room in Zhuge Yue’s house was big and made entirely of white jade, with
hundreds of pearls embedded into the walls. With one candle, the room was able to be
brightly lit. The water came from the underground hot springs in the Cang Mountains and
contained elements of dewdrops and medicinal herbs, giving o a pleasant fragrance. Large
roses were placed at the bottom of the pool, in order to prevent anyone from slipping. This
was an extravagant sight.

Huan’er had mentioned that when the emperor gifted Zhuge Yue this mansion, Zhuge Yue
had personally inspected it beforehand. After he was done, he had said, “After he dies, this
place can fetch a good price.”

Chu Qiao smiled gently as she thought to herself Looks like you’re really a bloodsucker.
After she was done with her shower, she put on a white out t and made her way back to her
room barefooted.

Huan’er was initially reserved at the start. However, when she saw that Chu Qiao was an
amiable person, she started to open up and call her by her name, Xing’er. She told her
about Zhuge Yue’s life these few years repeatedly, only mentioning the good things. She
seemed to convey this message to Chu Qiao: Xing’er, luckily you knew how to turn back to
our Young Master. That was a wise decision. Everyone will be jealous of you.

Chu Qiao smiled as she listened to Huan’er’s stories, about how Zhuge Yue did not involve
himself with other women these few years, how he had broken other women’s hearts. She
listened to the stories of how Zhuge Yue missed her every day, how happy he was whenever
he heard news about her, how he could not fall asleep at night and drank more soup as a
result. She also listened to the stories about how Zhuge Yue spent the past few years in a
pathetic state, how he was trampled upon by others, how he was ravaged by sickness, and
how he was treated by his family…

Slowly, the maidservant started to cry as she continued to say more good things about
Zhuge Yue. “Xing’er, don’t leave Young Master anymore. He really loves you.”

The scent of a ne incense drifted around the room. Chu Qiao sat on a soft mat as she took
a trip down memory lane, listening to numerous stories about what had happened in the
past. Even a maidservant was aware of the love he had towards her. Only she required so
many years to realize this fact.

A servant knocked on the door, saying that General Yue Qi’s wife had come to visit her.
Huan’er jumped out and ran outside immediately. In a short while, a beautiful lady walked in,
dressed in a plain but classy yellow dress, holding the hand of a ten-year-old child. She had
fi
fi
ff
two dimples on her face when she smiled. As she saw Chu Qiao, she wanted to kneel down
and greet her.

Chu Qiao stopped her as she laughed and said, “I didn’t think that Yue Qi was so lucky. His
wife is so pretty.”

Xiaofei smiled as she revealed two teeth. She said to the child, “Mo’er, call her Mother.”

The child looked up at Chu Qiao and was stunned for a while. Suddenly, he opened up his
arms and grabbed Chu Qiao’s legs, shouting, “Sister, you’re here to see me!”

Chu Qiao was stunned as well as she lowered her head to take a good look. The child was
adorable, had bright eyes, and was dressed in green as he looked at her joyfully.

“Sister, don’t you recognize me anymore? I am Mo’er.”

Chu Qiao suddenly recalled that this was Ouyang Mo, the child that they had adopted while
they were traveling to the Tang Capital together. It had been six years; the small boy back
then had grown up.

She embraced the child and replied in surprise, “Mo’er, you’re so tall already! I almost
couldn’t recognize you.”

Mo’er held her in an intimate embrace as he continued to say, “Sister, where have you
been? Why haven’t you visited me in so many years? If Father didn’t mention you, I would
have forgotten you.”

“Father?” Chu Qiao frowned and looked at the two people on the side in suspicion.

Xiaofei corrected the child, “Don’t say the wrong thing. Call her Mother.”

Mo’er looked at Chu Qiao and asked, “Sister, have you married my father yet?”

“Who’s your father?”

“He’s the Chief Marshal of Xia. Sister, don’t you know him?”

Huan’er explained as she stood by the side, “After Young Master came back, he adopted
Mo’er as his foster son.”

It dawned on Chu Qiao that Xiaofei had already had two children with Yue Qi, after chatting
with them for a while. The woman was shy but likable, as she blushed after barely speaking
a few sentences.

As Chu Qiao had just gotten back to the house today, Xiaofei and Mo’er left after a short
while. Before they left, Mo’er made Chu Qiao promise to visit him whenever she had time,
as he was fearful of her leaving him again.

As Zhuge Yue was not back yet, Chu Qiao told the servants to take their leave so she could
rest. She had not been in good health these few years. After traveling for the past few days,
she felt immeasurably fatigued.

 The bed was soft and warm. Chu Qiao lay there for not long before she drifted o into deep
sleep. After an unknown period of time, she felt someone kiss her in a dreamy state, but she
refused to wake up. She acknowledged it lazily and turned to the side of the bed.

A cold arm suddenly embraced her as a warm breath landed on her ear. She felt her neck
itch. She frowned and opened her eyes to see Zhuge Yue lying next to her, dressed in a
purple robe. He stared at her with his bright, black eyes, laughing as he said, “Are you still
the Xing’er I know? Allowing people to take advantage of you so easily.”

Chu Qiao laughed as she wrapped her hand around his neck. “Someone’s too agile, able to
disappear at will. I can’t nd that person.”

Zhuge Yue smiled as he lowered his head to kiss her. “Did you sleep well?”

“Moderately well,” Chu Qiao leaned into his embrace as she continued in a playful tone, “If
you didn’t come back, I’d sleep better.”

Zhuge Yue smiled as he pretended to chide, “You’re asking for it. Looks like I have to punish
you.” As he nished his sentence, he lifted his arm. Chu Qiao closed her eyes in shock.
However, after a while, she realized that he had not punished her. She opened her eyes and
saw Zhuge Yue looking at her as per normal. She could not help but ask, “Aren’t you going
to punish me? Why didn’t you strike out?”

Zhuge Yue held her once again, lowering his head to kiss her neck. With a slight movement
of his arm, her robe was unfastened, exposing her fair skin. Zhuge Yue leaned forward as he
used more strength in his arm. With a low voice, he said slowly, “How could I bear to?”

The ames of a pair of red candles ickered on quietly. The red lanterns covered up the
ames slightly, causing a dim red glow to spread across the room. This was how Chu Qiao
spent her rst night back in Zhen Huang City, amidst a feeling of warmth.

She continued to experience many such days that autumn. Although the leaves had fallen
from the trees, the golden chrysanthemum owers were in full bloom, adding to the majesty
of the mansion. The days were like the spring water in the third month, leaving behind
pleasant, everlasting memories as they owed by.

On the day of the autumn festival, Chu Qiao followed Zhuge Yue out of the mansion to
Xiangzhi Mountains, located 15 kilometers away. They took the chance to visit Anyuan
Temple, located atop the mountains.

Although Chu Qiao had spent seven to eight years in Zhen Huang City, she had not visited
the various tourist attractions. Previously, her social status did not allow her to do so, nor
did she have the mood to. However, presently, the tides had turned. Everything was di erent
from before, hence she started to let loose.

The weather was good that day due to the refreshing winds. Chu Qiao was dressed in a
crescent white long dress, adorned with a cloak. She brought a few attendants with her and
set o on her journey.

fl
fl
ff
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
fl
ff
ff
Xiangzhi Mountains was located in the southern tip of Zhen Huang, standing tall over a
patch of at land. The peak of the mountain was snowy all year, making it appear desolate.
Dense forests were visible at the mountainside. As today was the day of the autumn festival,
the rich families in Zhen Huang ventured out of their houses. The mountain was packed with
people as it bustled with life.

As they made their way up Xiangzhi Mountains, they were awed at the amazing sight of the
beautiful forest. Jingjing and Pingan led the way in front as they chased after each other,
with He Xiao and the guards of Yue by the left and right. Yue Qi brought Xiaofei along as
well, allowing the virtuous lady to take a break.

Zhuge Yue held Chu Qiao’s hand as they made their way up while chatting with the others.
When he was happy, the others were happy as well. The passers-by who passed their party
all stared at them.

Zhuge Yue had always been busy. He was the chief marshal of the Xia army, and the ruler of
Qinghai. Now, he had indirectly become the leader of the Zhuge family as well. With
countless responsibilities on his shoulder, he had to defend against the internal threat of
Zhao Yang and the external threat of Yan Bei. These days, although he made it back to the
mansion on time to spend time with Chu Qiao, he often disappeared when Chu Qiao got to
sleep. When she woke up, she realized that he was not by his side, but in the study instead.

She pretended not to know this as she continued to sleep. On the morning of the next day,
she would often ask him if he had slept well. He would often say that he had slept well, with
a smile on his face. However, he could not hide his ailing health. That year, he had su ered a
heavy injury and was forced to spend prolonged periods of time in the water. He had been
fortunate to survive. Presently, as the weather cooled, his ailments started to surface.

With every bout of bad weather, he started to turn pale and sickly. Sometimes, when she
woke up in the middle of the night, she heard his suppressed breathing and saw the beads
of cold sweat behind his neck, trickling down into his already drenched clothes. However,
she was unable to voice out any of her thoughts. She opened her eyes wide in the darkness
and looked at the dimly lit pearl ceiling as she clenched her sts tightly. She kept track of
the time via the sand in the timekeeping pot as she awaited daybreak. The next day, she
would carry numerous braziers into the room. She even ordered the artisans to make the
bedroom permanently warm, over a period of ten days.

When they had breakfast the previous day, Jingjing and Pingan had talked about the
liveliness of the autumn festival. She agreed with them casually, yet he took her remarks
seriously. He did not say anything then. However, the next day, he shelved all his tasks aside
and brought her out, on the grounds that they were going to worship the gods on top of the
mountains.

All these years, he had always been a stubborn and arrogant atheist. Chu Qiao, knowing
this, purposely mocked him for his change in religious views. However, he brushed it o with
a laugh, insisting that there was one god that they had to worship regardless.

fl
fi
ff
ff
 Chapter 248
As Chu Qiao and the others entered the side chamber of the Anyuan Temple, Chu Qiao’s
face turned red with embarrassment, resulting in Jingjing and the others chuckling in
amusement. Only Xiaofei seriously kowtowed to the statue with reverence, before turning
around and glaring at the group making a ruckus behind.

With the smoke from the incense coiling around in the air, the entire hall was deeply
consumed by a serious silence. The Guanyin statue that wore a peaceful smile sat on the
altar, overlooking the peaceful worship hall that was illuminated by the sunlight that pierced
through the incense ashes that oated in the air.

Zhuge Yue’s voice was right by her ear. With an overwhelming gentleness, he quietly stated,
“Praying needs to be done sincerely.”

Chu Qiao turned her head around, looking at his crystal clear eyes, before smiling at him. In
her smile, one could see a sense of seriousness, and at the same time, there was a tinge of
childish playfulness. She turned around and knelt down. Her hands were placed together,
and in her heart, she spoke the words that countless women had prayed before.

First bow, please protect him, ensuring that he is always healthy and safe.

Second bow, please help us to always be together, never separating.

Third bow, please grant our wishes to have a healthy child.

Bowing again, she was ever so sincere. On her face, there was a serenity that one had never
seen before.

Buddha, you have protected so many people before. Today, please protect me as well.

Jingjing, Pingan, and some others were smiling at her demeanor, with Xiaofei beside them
warning them to respect the deities. Yue Qi and He Xiao were outside chatting and
gossiping. As they started to talk about how one of their o cers had been caught by his
wife when visiting the brothel, the crowd of guards burst out in laughter.

Deep into autumn, the weather was beginning to turn cold. Under the vast skies, she knelt
there before the deity, only feeling that life was so peaceful and serene, and her past
memories of blood and war were ever so far away. Her mind had never been so peaceful
before.

Zhuge Yue helped her up, and embracing her, his lips lightly pecked her forehead as they
smiled at each other.

Jingjing, with her sharp eyes, immediately grabbed Xiaofei, and started to rant, “Look look!
Sister and sister-in-law are being disrespectful to the deity!”

fl
ffi
 Hearing that, sti ed laughter started sounding out. Even though Zhuge Yue did not mind,
Chu Qiao’s face was light red as she escaped from his embrace. Yet, her hands clasped
Zhuge Yue’s arm, refusing to let go.

“Are we going to stay on the mountain and eat the vegetarian meals?” Zhuge Yue asked.

Before Chu Qiao could even reply, she saw that Pingan was making a weird face at her. She
understood him and said, “Let’s descend the mountains. We are all carnivores, let’s not
pretend that we are elegant”

Hearing that, Pingan quickly rushed up, and started telling Zhuge Yue about how some
restaurants tastes amazing, with Jingjing agreeing at his side. Zhuge Yue icked Pingan
while jokingly scolding him, “This brat!”, before leading everyone out of the temple.

After giving a huge amount of donations, the temple prepared a quiet corner of the garden
for them. As Yue Qi and the others went ahead to prepare the horses for them to return, only
Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao, along with a few others were remaining in the garden surrounded
by autumn leaves while chatting.

Before sitting for long, Xiaofei suddenly began to dget. Chu Qiao initially thought that she
wanted to pee, so Chu Qiao pulled her aside, onto to see that Xiaofei was extremely
ustered, and only after hesitating for a while did Xiaofei reveal that there was a fortune teller
in the temple. His fortune telling was extremely accurate, and his medicines were all miracle
medicines. The fact that she could have two kids was also thanks to his medicines. Yet, Yue
Qi and Young Master did not believe her. This time around she could only come to purchase
it secretly.

Naturally, Chu Qiao did not believe her. Deep down, Chu Qiao thought the fact that you
could have a child was thanks to Yue Qi. How is that even remotely related to a fortune
teller? Yet, seeing how she was so sincere in her words, Chu Qiao could not bear to reject
her, so she accompanied Xiaofei after telling Zhuge Yue they would be away for a while.

The fortune teller donned a head of white hair, looking lonesome and mysterious. At rst
glance, one really felt as though he was somehow deity-like. Upon seeing Chu Qiao, he
immediately said how she must be a person of great wealth, yet she was tied down by all
kinds of bonds in her life. As long as she remained faithful to the Buddha, there would
naturally be ways to resolve everything. Hearing that, Xiaofei keep nodding, as though telling
Chu Qiao, “Look, this mister is so accurate.”

Yet, Chu Qiao could immediately tell that this was what this fortune teller would tell
everyone. Who would not be tied down by bonds for their entire life? As for wealth, anyone
could tell by looking at the quality of the clothes that they wore.

Xiaofei sat before the store and started her fortune telling, completely engrossed. Chu Qiao,
on the other hand, felt extremely bored and suddenly noticed a familiar gure. Seeing that,
she was completely stunned. After a while, she lowered her head and informed Xiaofei that
she would be leaving shortly, before she quietly followed over.

It had been six years.

fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
 In the oating red leaves, he wore a set of white clothes, looking ever so normal, without the
energy and spirit that he once possessed. With the autumn wind blowing past, his sleeves
lightly uttered, waving in the air.

“Your Highness, do you want to drink water?” A servant who seemed to be 18 to 19 walked
up. Although dressed like a male, the voice gave away the fact that she was a young
woman. Her back was facing Chu Qiao, so Chu Qiao could not see her face.

Zhao Song turned around. One could see how his face, which once was plump and childish,
completely carefree, had completely slimmed down. Even though his body still stood
upright, it was obvious that he was tinged with a sense of fatigue and lonesomeness. His
eyes lost the spirit that he used to have, with only calmness and maturity remaining. Even
though he was only slightly over 20, his two sides were already beginning to turn white.

He shook his head and calmly instructed, “I wish to walk around alone.”

The young girl did not move at all, and lifted her head up slightly. Holding the water, the
breeze caressed her face, bringing a sense of familiarity to Chu Qiao. The servant suddenly
lifted her head, and rmly asked, “Your Highness, are you waiting for someone?”

Zhao Song’s face seemed somewhat unhappy. He frowned and asked, “What did you say?”

“Your Highness, you have not left the palace for long, but why do you suddenly feel so
interested today?”

It was obvious from Zhao Song’s gaze that he was even more unhappy, as he ashed a
meaningful glare at the girl before walking o . The servant was taken aback, as she chased
up, and tugged on his sleeves and advised, “Your Highness, have you forgotten about 14th
Highness’ words?”

Being pulled by her, Zhao Song turned around slowly, his eyes deep like a lake, not
revealing his emotions. He deeply stared into that young girl who was dressed like a man,
and rmly declared, “Wuxin, not everyone in the world owes you something. Is your hate too
strong?” Having said that, he turned and walked o into the autumn forest.

That young girl stood back facing Chu Qiao. Her gure seemed so frail in the swaying
branches, as though wind could just come by and blow her away. There was a sense of
loneliness that could never seem to be erased, over owing from her ngertips, wave after
wave. She stood so still, and after hesitating for a long time, she nally made up her mind as
she wiped her face with her sleeves, as though wiping away something, before chasing after
Zhao Song’s footsteps.

With her departure, the forest returned to the peace it usually had, with birds chirping in the
wind. A scene ashed before Chu Qiao’s eyes, as she was once again reminded of how so
many years ago, he wore a set of sapphire blue that was embroidered with colorful birds
and beautiful clouds. In his hand, there was a golden horse whip, as he told her proudly, “I
think you are the prettiest of all the maidservants. How would it sound if I made you my
general in charge of watching over the gates?”

fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
ff
fi
ff
fl
fi
fi
fl
 With the wind passing by, she suddenly felt cold. Xiaofei’s voice drew nearer in search of
Chu Qiao, snapping Chu Qiao back into reality. Chu Qiao then went back while holding the
hands of this mother of two.

The crowd seemed to be rather tired from roaming the entire area. As they went down, they
took the carriage. In the shaking carriage, Zhuge Yue saw that Chu Qiao did not seem to be
in very high spirits, and asked if she was tired. Chu Qiao said that she was indeed tired,
before leaning on Zhuge Yue’s shoulder and falling asleep.

Zhuge Yue held her hand, and felt that she was extremely cold. He suddenly felt a tad
worried as he instructed Yue Qi to rush.

“Zhao Che will be marrying soon.” Chu Qiao was rather taken aback as she lifted her head
at Zhuge Yue. He replied, “He has not had very good fortune these years. He was almost
going be a bachelor for life. You do not know the bride, but I guess you would like her. She
is the young daughter of the leader of Donghu. Her name is Wan Yanrou. Although her name
sounds gentle, she had always been a crazy woman. Despite that, she is known to be
sincere and kind. When she comes to the capital, I will bring you to meet her.”

Chu Qiao nodded, and suddenly remembered something, but did not say anything.

After the autumn festival, the weather started to turn colder, with the entire lake froze over. A
huge snow came, coloring the entire heavens white, with only the interior of the rooms
feeling comfortably warm, causing everyone to feel an urge to slack o .

In these days, there were a lot of people rushing around in the Grand Marshal’s Residence,
and Zhuge Yue seemed to be rather busy too. Even Yue Qi could not be found. According to
Xiaofei, he was sent on a mission by Zhuge Yue and had already left for a week.

On that night, Chu Qiao casually asked Zhuge Yue, yet he tried to be mysterious, and said
that he was going to give her a surprise. The surprise came earlier than expected. Three
days later, Sun Di sent his men and brought to her personal letters and o cial documents. It
turned out that the Grand Marshal of the Xia Empire had sought Chu Qiao’s hand in
marriage from Tang Empire, as Chu Qiao was now o cially a liated with the Tang Empire.
The rst dowry had already reached the Tang Empire.

Upon hearing the news, Zhuge Yue was still in bed. Wearing silky white pajamas, he
supported his hand with one hand, with an expression that seemed like he was smiling,
laziness written all over his face.

Chu Qiao walked over and threw the letter to him, and asked, “What is this?”

Zhuge Yue earnestly replied, “What is wrong? I was preparing for our wedding. Isn’t it only
natural?”

Chu Qiao frowned. “My identity was rather sensitive in the Empire. Are you not afraid that
there will be gossip?”

fi
ffi
ffi
ff
ffi
 Zhuge Yue smiled and dismissed that concern. “I am going to get married, how is that
gossip related to me?”

It was as though a hole had been poked into the hot water bag, as the warmth seeped out
and lled her entire heart. Chu Qiao’s smile over owed as she squatted down and leaned
her head on his leg, and stayed there.

Zhuge Yue sat up and hugged her, as he bent down and rubbed her hair with his forehead,
and whispered, “I thought about it for so many years. How could I allow you to marry me so
silently? I would de nitely inform the entire world, and tell everyone that you are mine.”

Following that day, the entire place suddenly became super busy. Chu Qiao did not know
what kind of methods Zhuge Yue had used, but all of Zhen Huang City had seemingly had
some kind of memory loss as no one remembered that she had once helped Yan Xun
escape from Zhen Huang City, and no one talked about how she had resulted in two
fruitless Northern Campaigns. Even more, no one mentioned how she had personally killed
the Third Prince, Zhao Qi.

In the next few days, the ladies of the various big families visited the residence one by one,
with all kinds of rare gifts. Even some o cials who were not particularly close to Zhuge Yue
and Zhao Che had given their share of gifts out of courtesy.

On the third of December, news came from Sheng Jin Palace that the Emperor was on his
last legs from the illness, and summoned Zhuge Yue into the palace. By right, when the
Emperor was sickly, apart from the Princes or his royal siblings, he was not supposed to
summon any o cials. Yet, as the Emperor’s life hung by a string, no one would know when
he would breathe his last breath. As such, Lord Mu from Lingnan along with the kings from
noble families all requested to meet the Emperor. At this moment, letting Zhao Che face the
crowd alone in the palace was not a good move. As such, Zhuge Yue applied to enter the
palace as well. Being so sick, what could the Emperor say? In fact, to Zhao Yang and
others, they would also be rather uncomfortable with letting Zhuge Yue be on the loose
while everything was happening in the palace. With that, Sheng Jin Palace became busy as
the greatest powers in the Empire were gathered in such a small place.

Yet, on the night that the various leaders all entered the palace, the Donghu army situated in
the West of the city started to ght with the personal army of the Mu family. No one knew
the precise reason for the ght, but by the time Chu Qiao was rudely awoken by the ruckus,
the entire sky had been colored red, with messengers being blocked from entering the
palace. It was obvious that someone had intentionally done so.

Chapter 249
An hour later, the con ict started to escalate in scale. The troops of the King of Ling involved
themselves in the con ict, while the local pickets watched on. Regardless of how the
civilians in the western part of the city cried out for help, they remained indi erent, claiming
that they were waiting for orders from the higher-ups. They stood at the outside of the
circumference, refusing to budge, as the people within started to clash with each other.

fi
ffi
fi
fl
fl

fi
fi
ffi
fl
ff
At this time, the big and small gangs, coupled with the stray hooligans, started to create
chaos. After a few small skirmishes with each other, they realized that no one was keeping
them in check, causing them to become more emboldened. Zhen Huang City was a mess
as the civilians cowered in fear within their homes, not wanting to be implicated.

Chu Qiao ordered the troops to step up their security within the mansion as they sealed the
doors, not allowing anyone to step outside. He Xiao and Zhuge Yue’s bodyguard, Yue Liu,
was tasked with ensuring the internal security of the mansion. A short while later, the outside
of the mansion was brightly lit; they had seemingly been surrounded by large groups of
troops.

Yue Liu and the rest of his bodyguards gritted their teeth and whipped out their swords,
ready to ght to the death. However, Chu Qiao was puzzled and ordered He Xiao to get a
hold of the situation outside.

He Xiao came back quickly with the news that the inspector from the magistrate’s o ce had
sent troops to protect the Chief Marshal’s residence, acting upon orders from the higher-
ups. Swiftly, the noises around the mansion quietened down. Chu Qiao asked Yue Liu about
what was going on, but he scratched his head and said that he had not heard of any such
inspector before.

At around 9 to 11 pm, some noises started to echo outside the door. Chu Qiao had just
stepped out of her room, as Zhuge Yue walked towards her hurriedly, dressed in purple.
Upon seeing her, he asked, “Were you scared?”

Chu Qiao laughed in reply, “Do you think that I’m made of glue? When I was killing other
people outside, your existence was still unknown.”

Zhuge Yue picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea. He smiled forcibly, before sitting
down.

Chu Qiao asked, “What’s going on exactly?” She had not asked much about his matters.
Firstly, given her identity and status, she was ineligible to know too much. Secondly, she no
longer had any more energy to involve herself in these matters. However, she was
particularly worried about tonight’s matters.

Zhuge Yue looked up and felt guilty upon seeing her worried expression. He held her cold
hands and said, “Mu Yun and the rest are creating trouble. The southern gate has been
taken over by Zhao Yang’s people. I came from the northern gates, hence I was slightly
late.”

“How will they bene t from creating trouble? If it goes overboard, the Elders’ Clan will expel
everyone back to their original locations. No one will get a share of the pie.”

Zhuge Yue laughed coldly and replied, “That’s the exact idea that they have.”

Chu Qiao frowned as she started to link the sequence of events together in her mind. She
let out a long sigh and remarked, “That was close. Luckily you came out fast.”

fi
fi
ffi
 Zhuge Yue patted her face and added, “Don’t be worried. I won’t be framed by these
tactics.”

Presently, the con ict between Zhao Che and Zhao Yang was akin to the Southwestern
Army pitting themselves against the Donghu Army. Zhao Yang had the backing of the king of
Ling and Young Master Mu, while Zhao Che had the backing of Zhuge Yue’s Qinghai Army.
Now that the Xia Emperor was severely ill, the various border troops stayed to guard the
capital with their leader. This was against the rules; once anyone created any trouble, the
border troops would be expelled to their respective locations. Zhao Che, Zhuge Yue, and
Jinghan’s subordinates all belonged to the borders, with only Zhao Yang holding the power
over Xiaoqi Camp, which belonged to the capital. Although that army of 30,000 was
insigni cant when on the battle eld, once the border troops were chased away, they would
instantly become the dominant force of the capital. At that time, if Zhao Che did not return
to the north with the Donghu Army, he would inevitably fall into Zhao Yang’s hands. With the
departure of Zhao Che, the heir to the emperor’s throne would be all but con rmed.

Over the past year when the Xia Emperor had been ill, the politics within Xia had started to
play out. As Chu Qiao had experience of being a military leader, she naturally understood
the bene ts and consequences of these matters. She consoled Zhuge Yue as she said, “Be
careful. No need to worry about me. There are su cient troops in the mansion. Even if
10,000 people attack this place, we can defend it for four hours. There’s no need to allocate
troops here.”

Zhuge Yue was stunned as he asked, “When did I do that?”

Chu Qiao replied, “The inspector from the magistrate’s o ce was here just now. They
defended us for over four hours.”

Zhuge Yue frowned tightly and thought for a long while before shaking his head and adding,
“Those were not my troops.”

Chu Qiao looked at him in suspicion, a grave look appearing on her face.

Zhuge Yue laughed and held her hand. “It’s alright. I don’t think they have any bad
intentions.”

“Are those Wei Shuye’s people?”

“If my guess is correct, they are Zhao Song’s people.”

Chu Qiao started to feel her heart turning cold. Zhuge Yue continued on in a low voice, “The
emperor is ill. Every gure of authority in Zhen Huang is in the palace. The only person not in
the palace that has the power to mobilize troops like that is him.” A heavy look ashed
across Zhuge Yue’s eyes as he said slowly, “It’s been so long. I have forgotten him.”

It was warm in the palace as the joss sticks burned on. However, Chu Qiao stood there as
she continued to feel a chilly sensation crawl all the way up her body.

fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
ffi
ffi
fi
fl
The 13th prince, Zhao Song, who had one arm cut o by Yan Xun, whose brother had been
killed by her personally, whose mother’s family had been ruined by Yan Xun and herself.

He held her in his embrace, feeling his heart ache upon seeing her pale expression. He
whispered, “Xing’er, how about I send you back to Qinghai rst?”

Chu Qiao was still in a daze as she did not register his words. He repeated them again,
causing her to shake her head vigorously. She tugged at his sleeve nervously as she
exclaimed repeatedly, “I don’t want to!” She raised her head and looked up at him
stubbornly like an untamed lion cub. Zhuge Yue sighed helplessly and hugged her while he
said in a low voice, “It’ll be over soon.”

Yes, it will be over soon. Whenever the o cials and princes saw the state that the emperor
was in, they would repeat this sentence to their subordinates and families whenever they
got home.

Yes, it will be over soon. The emperor’s days are numbered. The days of living life in fear will
be over soon…

As the days passed, more and more rumors started to surface. The emperor’s mouth had
contorted, the emperor was no longer conscious, the emperor could no longer recognize
anyone, the emperor could no longer eat…

It looked like the emperor was hanging on to his life by his last breath, and that he was
about to die anytime. However, as winter and the new year approached, the emperor was
still alive. It was speculated that he could occasionally speak a few coherent sentences and
open his eyes to drink some ginseng soup.

No one knew what he was hanging on for. He seemed to have some unful lled wishes, or
that he was waiting for someone. As day by day passed, he refused to shut his eyes.

The atmosphere in the capital remained tense as a result. No one had full con dence to stir
up a revolt. Zhen Huang City was thrown into a state whereby a con ict could break out
even with the slightest trigger. Even the newborn infants did not dare to cry out loud in the
night.

This morning, Zhuge Yue had gone out of the mansion to attend the morning court session,
when there was a visitor. A young lady was dressed in a white cloak as she stood on the
snowy ground. She had jet-black pupils, crimson red lips, and appeared like a beautiful
drawing in a portrait.

The rays of light were cold and distant in wintertime. Chu Qiao stood at the door, braving the
wind, dressed in a green cloak. Upon seeing the lady, she was stunned. She stared at her,
not moving for a long time.

The young lady gave a slight smile and walked forward to Chu Qiao.

“Sixth Sister, don’t you recognize me? I am Xiaoba.”

ffi
ff
fi
fl
fi
fi
Time had indeed passed by in a ash. Her younger self had knelt beside her body back
then. She was frail and malnourished. She kowtowed under the moonlight, swearing to
avenge her siblings’ deaths. In the blink of an eye, 14 years had passed.

Chu Qiao remembered the day of the execution, where she hid in the crowd, hearing the
child cry her name out loud in a plea for help. Ultimately, Chu Qiao did not walk out. She
could only retrieve her body from the mouths of the wild dogs. Without covering her body
up, she could only let her body sink to the bottom of the lake like that.

It had been 14 years. Chu Qiao had always thought that she had died. She had seen her
stubborn, teary face in her dreams countless times. She had always reproached herself over
these 14 years, and had hated Zhuge Yue for so long because of this.

Her eyes started to tear. She stood by the door, reaching out her hands as she managed a
bittersweet smile.

Xiaoba held her hand and smiled plainly as she said, “I’m good, right? I’m still alive. Bet you
didn’t expect it.” Her voice was ever so familiar, sounding light and distant.

They walked into the room together. Xiaoba circled the room and took a seat on a soft mat.
She took a deep breath as she said with a smile, “That Zhuge fellow still has the same habit
of burning incense in the room like this.” She looked around with a posture of familiarity,
blurting out the habits of how Zhuge Yue lived his life. She picked up a pomegranate with
her hands and started to play with it.

Chu Qiao looked at her. She wanted to say a lot of things, but did not know where to start
from.

Xiaoba laughed at her as she disrupted the awkward silence, “Sixth Sister, no need to feel
shocked. The person who died that day wasn’t me. At the last minute, your husband
swapped me with someone else, and provided for me for many years. I feel gratitude and
resentment towards him, but I’m not here to force you to honor your promise of avenging
our family’s death. Even I have given up my thoughts of revenge.”

A gust of wind suddenly swept across the room, lifting up the curtains. Through the sunlight,
some specks of dust could be seen oating about in mid-air. The blinding sunlight caused
Chu Qiao to squint, but she still could not make out Xiaoba’s face properly.

Chu Qiao looked at her, feeling slightly distanced. She thought for a long while before she
said in a gentle tone, “Xiaoba, have you been well all these years?”

“I’ve been alright,” Xiaoba replied casually. “Zhuge Yue treated me quite well. Maybe some
of your luck rubbed o on me. He brought me along to Mister Wolong’s to learn. I learned
how to read. However, he often restricted my freedom, not allowing me to leave. I tried to
escape a few times, but he always caught me. Just like this, many years passed, until…”
She paused here and looked up at Chu Qiao. She chuckled before continuing, “Until the
news spread that he had died in Yan Bei, and that he had been expelled from the Zhuge
family. The people of the Qingshan Courtyard were chased out as well, handing me back my
freedom. After that, I languished in the streets. After all, I’m a girl who does not know how to
ff
fl
fl
 fend for herself. I ended up in a brothel for about a year, until I met 13th Royal Highness. I
have to attribute my fortune to you. As I looked like you, I caught his eye. Now, I’m his
personal servant. Hurhur, despite so many years, I’m still a slave. It’s just that I’m treated
better now.”

Chu Qiao listened on as she spoke about Zhao Song in a casual tone. She remembered the
time when she saw Zhao Song on Xiangzhi Mountains, along with the girl dressed like a
man. She frowned and asked in a low voice, “You knew that I came to Zhen Huang. Why
didn’t you come to nd me?”

Chapter 250
“Why should I look for you?” Xiaoba’s cold gaze swept over. Coldly, she smiled, disdain and
coldness covering her face as she slowly stated, “Sixth sister is of such high social standing
now. Not only are you the General Xiuli of Yan Bei, you are also the Xiuli King of Tang
Empire. Soon, you will become the Lady of the Grand Marshal. I, as a small slave, if I head
over, wouldn’t I cause you to lose face?” Xiaoba’s eyes were cold, and as she said ‘Lady of
the Grand Marshal’, it seemed as though she was consumed with rage, her eyes spewing
re.

The incense slowly lighted up, sending coiling smoke up into the air. The golden light was
like a layer of water, painting a spotted pattern on the oor. The room was lled with nothing
but silence as Chu Qiao observed Xiaoba, her initially excited heart slowly freezing up. The
words that she was about to say were ultimately pressed down deep into her heart as she
felt lost and disappointed.

Then, Chu Qiao heard herself speaking with an exceedingly cold tone, “If that was the case,
why did you show today?”

“His Highness is going to leave. I hope you can nd a way to exempt my status as a slave
so that I can follow him.”

Chu Qiao was slightly taken aback and asked, “Where is he heading to?”

“Where else can he go? He was sent to Yansai to guard the horse stables. A prince of royal
blood was actually dispatched to guard horses,” Xiaoba’s expression turned melancholic as
she coldly declared. The immense anger in her voice could barely be contained.

“Why?”

“Why else? Wasn’t it because of you?” Xiaoba turned her head around and coldly stated,
“Ever since His Highness lost his arm to Yan Xun, he hid away from politics. No one paid
him much attention. Yet, he had suddenly mobilized forces for your sake and was obviously
showing his friendliness to you. Do you think that people like the 14th Prince would allow
him to remain in the royal capital?”

Chu Qiao’s hand was unnaturally cold, only to hear Xiaoba’s piercing voice resound again, “I
will not beg you to nd a way to let His Highness remain in the royal capital, and merely
fi
fi
fi

fi
fl
fi
 hope to seek your help to nd a document. His Highness refused to let me follow him, so I
will nd a way to follow him. At the very least, I can serve him with his daily activities and act
as a companion. I am grateful to His Highness, and will certainly not repay gratitude with
hatred like certain people.”

After a long while of contemplation, Chu Qiao lifted her head and rmly looked into Xiaoba’s
face. She calmly asked, “Xiaoba, must you really draw the line between us so clearly?”

“What are you saying? Sixth sister, look at the di erence in our social status. How could I
dare to do that? In the rst place….”

“If you continue to talk like that, get out now, and do not come to look for me. I will pretend
that I do not have a sister!” Chu Qiao’s voice, although cold, was teeming with rage.

Xiaoba was utterly stunned by her outburst, and for a moment she could not muster any
response.

“What are you angry about? Are you angry that I could not protect you, that I could not bring
you away? Or are you angry that I could not take revenge for our family, and ended up
marrying our past enemy?” Chu Qiao bellowed, “All these years, no matter how much pain
you shouldered, I did not live in happiness either. I thought that you died, and felt guilty for
the past 14 years. Yet, when I nally found you alive, all you did was to come up to me and
coldly chide me with sarcasm. Is this the sibling relationship that you were talking about?”

The midday sunlight continued to paint the dynamic artwork of spotted shadows on the
oor, as Chu Qiao stood up and coldly looked at Xiaoba, before continuing, “It has been 14
years. How many things have happened? You are full of yourself and your su erings, but
blamed everything on others. I really suspect if you really are the same brave and
determined sister that I knew. You named yourself ‘Wuxin’, but are you sure you are
detached from your emotions?”

Xiaoba stood rooted to the ground, with her face completely pale. Chu Qiao suddenly felt
exceedingly fatigued, as though every single ber of muscle was screaming. Chu Qiao
turned around slowly and calmly said, “Leave. I will settle the matter regarding Zhao Song.”
After saying that, she did not pay any heed to Xiaoba any longer.

After a long while, Xiaoba nally left. Chu Qiao watched her be escorted out by Mei Xiang.
She felt as though Xiaoba’s frail gure dressed in white would immediately disappear into
the vast snowy landscape. Chu Qiao looked on, and thought about Xiaoba’s words: Was
held under house arrest, and became homeless…

Chu Qiao bit her lips, and her heart started to ache. Sitting there alone, she remained
motionless even as the golden rays of dusk colored the room crimson.

Zhuge Yue hugged her from behind as his deep voice resounded from behind her,
questioning, “Why have you not eaten dinner?”

fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
ff
Chu Qiao leaned in his embrace. Like a sh that was released into the pond, she seemed
ever so relaxed. Holding his hand tight, she seemed rather gloomy as she did not speak,
and merely played with his hand, counting the number of callouses.

“Xiaoba had come?”

“Yes. Why did you not tell me even though you knew about this long ago?” Chu Qiao asked
back.

“I intended to tell you, but did not have the chance.” Zhuge Yue smiled, as though he was
rather helpless. “I don’t know if you believe me, this entire issue still haunts me. After all, I
had not treated her very well in those years. There were a few occasions that she tried to
escape, and I beat her up. I had a really strange personality back then. Even after saving her
I did not want to release her. When I felt good, I would teach her. When I was in a bad mood,
I would show her a bad attitude as she looked like you. All those years in the mountains, I
had no servants around, and she served me all alone. Her strange personality might be due
to me.”

“How long did she serve Zhao Song?”

“I think for around two to three years.” Zhuge Yue elaborated, “I heard that Zhao Song really
likes her. Even though she accidentally caused the deaths of one of his favorite concubines,
Zhao Song did not pursue the matter.”

Chu Qiao remained in silence for a while, before slowly saying, “Perhaps she was infatuated
with Zhao Song.”

Zhuge Yue smiled and said, “I don’t care who she likes. As long as you are not angry with
me, all is well.”

“What about the matter with Zhao Song?”

“Rest easy. It would be impossible for Zhao Yang to decide everything single-handedly. That
said I think there is nothing bad about Zhao Song leaving the capital. Zhen Huang City will
soon be faced with a huge disaster, and for him, it would be much safer to leave rather than
to stay.”

Chu Qiao had actually thought about this dilemma too. She frowned. “Then what should we
do?”

“I actually intended for him to head to Qianghu. Firstly, that is near the Northern lands and is
within Zhao Che’s in uence. Secondly, that is the gathering place for the Qiang people, and
the weather is temperate there.”

Chu Qiao nodded in agreement and said, “Sure then. Let’s do it that way.”

“Alright. I will arrange for that tomorrow. Do you want to meet him and send him o ?”

Chu Qiao thought about it for quite long, but still shook her head in the end, “He may not
want to see me. I shall just mind my own business.”

fl
fi
ff
Zhuge Yue said, “But I think you should meet him.”

Chu Qiao lifted her head and looked at him, frowning. Zhuge Yue calmly smiled. “Do not
look at me like that. I have no deeper meaning, and merely did not want you to always be so
deep in self-blame. After all, those matters that happened back then were not your fault.”

Back then? Chu Qiao’s vision fogged up. In her mind, she was once again reminded of that
day on the Rixiangzhi mountain, the man stood upright with his clothes lightly waving, one
of his sleeves dangling emptily in the breeze.

Those memories had long ago been sealed in the bottom of her mind. Now that the seal had
been torn apart, she nally realized how everything had changed, the only constant being
the cycling seasons.

After a snow that lasted the entire night, all of Zhen Huang City was encapsulated in a vast
whiteness. In the morning, as one pushed open the door, one could see that the snow was
over one foot thick, almost as tall as one’s knees. The wind that carried snow along was so
strong that one could barely open one’s eyes. It was before the sun rose, and as the guards
of the castle gate opened the gates while yawning, one could see a vague shadow in the
dim light of dawn. Just as they tried to squint to take a better look, the crowd of civilians
had swarmed up.

A simple green carriage that had was out tted with ebony wheels slowly inched along on
the snow, leaving behind two deep tracks. The carriage seemed ever so simple, and even as
it followed behind the civilians, there were no attempts to show o . The guards naturally
thought that the carriage belonged to a normal civilian, as they received the expensive tax
for the carriage while cheering and showing o their authority.

Only after about two hours did the carriage nally manage to exit Zhen Huang City. The sun
had already climbed up, shining light through the morning fog. The migratory birds that ew
away long ago, leaving behind only the eagles who were could better endure the cold.
Basking in the morning light, they extended their wings and soared in the sky, with their
wingtips in a snow white shade. Occasionally they would disappear into the clouds, with
only their shrieks still audible on the snow plains.

As the carriage reached Xiema ridge outside the city, one could see a young girl standing at
Yangguan Bridge. She wore a pristine white coat with green horse boots. Her face was
pretty, as though she was from a drawing. Her face seemed rather red, probably from the
fact that she had stood out in the snow for quite long. The red blush made her look rather
gentle and beautiful, shedding away her usual coldness. Seeing that the carriage had
arrived, she smile and walked up, her horse following behind her.

The carriage was driven by a rather young man as well, and was at most 16 to 17 years old.
Seeing her, he was rather surprised, and immediately turned into the carriage and spoke to
the man in the carriage. A lanky hand appeared, lifting up the veils of the carriage, revealing
the man’s attractive eyes, along with a pair of tightly furrowed brows.

“Why did you come?” Zhao Song’s voice had lost the childish spirit that he once had plenty
of, and was now deep and rm. After all these years, his voice became more like an
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
ff
fl
 undisturbed lake, completely emotionless. Then again, that meant nothing to this girl. After
all, he had been like this since before they had met. Peaceful, gentle, uninterested in
anything. That was exactly how he vanished from the politics in the Xia Empire. He turned
from a royal prince into someone who was essentially an exile, with no one sending him o .
Perhaps with the exception of this girl, no one would still remember him in this entire Zhen
Huang City.

Xiaoba smiled, her lips having a certain sense of playfulness, seemingly appearing out of
habit. She stepped up, and casually handed the reins to the driver, and said, “AhJiang, put
this on the horse.”

Zhao Song frowned again as he asked with a deep voice, “What are you doing?”

Xiaoba smiled at him, her eyes crystal clear, and replied as though it was a matter of fact, “I
will de nitely follow you.”

Zhao Song continued to frown, and his expression seemed rather gloomy with a rare tinge
of impatience as he said, “Wuxin, do not fool around.”

Xiaoba was now named Wuxin. This name meant that she had no emotions. In her life, she
had countless names. She had already forgotten her name back in Jing family. In her
impression, her relatives were just Zhixiang, Linxi, and a few others. Due to her young age,
and the fact that she was not born to the o cial wife of Jing family, her name had been
forgotten even by her siblings. In the end, they were arranged by order of age and were
called Xiaoqi, Xiaoba, Xiaojiu, as though they were merely livestock. They seemed even
worse than some warhorses.

After that, she was saved by Zhuge Yue and lived with him under the guidance of Mister
Wolong for nearly seven years. In those years, she had another name. Only that this name
was given to her by Zhuge Yue to prevent others from knowing of her identity. The main
purpose was ultimately to protect her sister, who at that time, was in Sheng Jin Palace.
Hearing that Zhuge Yue had died, she cried. That was the one single reaction that she could
never forgive herself for.

Chapter 251
She actually cried for a man who had caused the deaths of her siblings, and who had
imprisoned her for many years.

She remembered that morning when the bad news spread into the Zhuge residence. Yue
Shisan barged into the doors of Qingshan Courtyard, with dust all over his body, followed by
the servants of the courtyard. Before they had time to react, they ransacked the entire place.
Thereafter, the o cials from Shang Lü Court, the yamen from the Great Temple Dwellings,
the inspectors from the Elders’ Clan slapped various charges on the man’s head, which
included malfeasance, collusion with enemies, obstruction of military orders, ruining the
military’s reputation through insubordination, and even treason.

fi
ffi

ffi
ff
The reputation of the Qingshan Courtyard was torn to shreds. The guards of Yue ran around
and visited Zhuge Yue’s friends from other families, begging them to clear his name,
mobilize troops towards Yan Bei to continue their rescue operations and nd him. However,
no one was willing to help them, other than Zhao Che, who had su ered from a similar fate
of losing the war and being despised by everyone. Even the head of the Wei family, Wei
Shuye, shunned them and refused to see them.

Ultimately, even Zhao Che was exiled to the north while Zhuge Yue’s corpse was returned to
Xia by Yan Bei. Although the Zhuge family had paid a huge ransom to claim his body, they
expelled him from the family registry. Zhuge Muqing stood in front of the city gates as he
accepted the verdict of the Elders’ Clan, whipping his son’s corpse personally, signaling his
intent to sever ties with him. After Zhuge Yue’s death, he was unable to buried in the
ancestral temple. His body was thrown into a mass burial site to be despised by many. His
name in the military was erased as well. The female slaves of the Qingshan Courtyard were
chased out as well, to be captured and sold by other slave owners. Their lives descended
into turmoil as a result.

It had been a long time, but she remembered the times back then when she had gone
through all this. Due to her utmost refusal to cooperate, the boss of the brothel hired two
men to take her virginity forcefully. They leaned in close to her; she could remember their
yellow teeth, and the pungent scent of alcohol emanating from their mouths. They were
strong, with black calluses on their palms. Once they stepped into the room, they took o
their pants, unable to wait further. Their pants dangled by their feet, exposing that sickly
thing between their legs.

All her struggling and cries for help were to no avail. Although she had learned some martial
arts from Zhuge Yue, she did it half-heartedly due to her mental state back then.
Additionally, those strokes were of no use as she had been sedated. She could only look on
in a daze as they ripped apart her clothes and inched closer.

To the opposite room was Lan’er from the Qingshan Courtyard; to the room behind that was
the daughter of Zhuge Yue’s nanny, Zhixiao. All of their cries for help and the men’s laughter
echoed around her ears. She had thought that she was numb and strong enough from all
these experiences; she had thought that she had enough courage and backbone not to beg
these shameless scoundrels. However, the moment when she was violated by the men,
when the pain spread all over her body, she started to cry in humiliation. Like the other
slaves in Qingshan Courtyard, she cried out for that man’s name.

“Zhuge Yue, save me!” She cursed at the two men, shouting repeatedly, “Young Master will
avenge me! All of you will die terrible deaths!”

However, the men brushed it o casually and delivered another harsh truth to her: Zhuge
Yue has died in Yan Bei. His body has been eaten by wild dogs.

That instant, she cried out, having been driven to despair. She suddenly remembered the
past times, where he taught her to be literate, how to ride a horse, how to be a military
strategist, and how to self-defend. Sometimes, he ordered her to sit by his side without
ff
ff
fi
ff
doing anything. Regardless of her insults, he remained indi erent as he continued to sip at
his wine, giving her the occasional irritated stare.

He had killed Linxi, Xiaoqi, and had imprisoned her for ten years. He had hit and scolded
her; they had an ongoing irreconcilable feud. However, he did not humiliate her like that. He
had saved her from the verge of death a few times by providing her with a safe haven to live.
Despite her awkward social status, and despite knowing who this treatment was meant for,
he was indeed protecting her. When she was young and living amongst these turbulent
times, when she had nothing to her name, he protected her for so many years.

Through the most humiliating ordeal of her life, she called out for his name helplessly,
hoping for him to save her. However, ultimately, he was unable to. He had died in the snowy
lands of Yan Bei for her elder sister, in the hands of the Yan Bei army.

That night, she cried out loud in despair, like a young cub who had lost its mother. It was a
heartbreaking sight. However, her sorrow only lasted for one night. Unlike Zhixiao and
Lan’er, who killed themselves after that, she seemed to be enlightened. She started to learn
how to play musical instruments, play chess, read, draw, and seduce men. She started to
learn the necessary things in order to ensure her survival in this place. Since she could not
count on anyone else, she could only rely on herself. Since she was destined to spend the
rest of her life here, she was determined to make her life better. Since she was thrown into
the life of prostitution, she was determined to become the most popular and in-demand
lady.

With this, she managed to single-handedly plot against and kill the men who had humiliated
her, two months later. As she watched the men die in front of her eyes, she felt an
indescribable sense of elation and madness. She thought that she would continue to live her
life in debauchery, up until she met him.

On the day that she met Zhao Song, she was touring together with a wealthy merchant on a
lake. The fat man, aged over 50, was a pervert. Under the sight of everyone, he ripped her
clothes apart. In a state of panic, she accidentally scratched his face. In a t of rage, he
threw her into the lake.

The weather in Zhen Huang was still cold in the fth month. The surface of the lake had just
thawed; the temperatures were still icy. She was wrapped in thick clothes; her limbs started
to become numb. She did not know how to swim, as she started to sink towards the bottom
of the lake after a few attempts of futile struggling. As the sunlight, sky, and clouds started
to fade away, being replaced by desolate darkness and an endless surge of icy cold water,
her breath started to slow down. As she was on the verge of death, she thought of Zhuge
Yue when he died. Did he feel the same way, cold and lonely, with only a slight feeling of
warmth in his heart? Were the last remnants of warmth about to disappear too?

However, as she prepared to take her last breath, someone grabbed on to her waist. She
was pulled up to the surface of the water by someone else. As the sunlight reappeared and
shone on her, she coughed and panted for her life, unable to contain her elation at having
been rescued from the brink of death.

fi
ff
fi
 Zhao Song was standing beside her, talking to the page boy who had been drenched all
over. As she looked at him, he turned around and looked back calmly. A feeling of shock
consumed him as he frowned. Bizarrely, he laughed and remarked, “What a coincidence.
You look like one of the people I knew in the past.”

Back then, he said those words with a smile, but she felt the sorrow in his voice. His
expression was calm but cold.

Just like this, she was adopted by him. He was a fallen prince, but he was part of the royal
family after all. She had nally been stripped of her status as a slave, obtaining a sense of
freedom which she had desired for over ten years. However, ultimately, she willingly became
a slave under him. After he knew this, he did not stop her, choosing to respect her decision
instead.

In a ash, many years had passed.

She was unable to describe her feelings towards Zhuge Yue. Through time and tide, through
the resentment and reliance towards him, their relationship had developed into something
that was too complex. She was unable to comprehend it, nor was she willing to. However,
she was fully aware of her feelings for Zhao Song. There was no such thing as gratitude nor
thankfulness. All she wanted was to be with him, hoping that he would notice and remember
her. However, her wish did not come to fruition.

She had loved only two men in her life, but both of them were in love with another woman.
This woman was her sister, whom she was largely indebted to.

Fate was cruel and liked to make a mockery of people indeed.

Hence, she felt all these complex emotions towards her sister, who she had always
remembered to be brave and determined. The moment that she saw her, she was almost
unable to contain her emotions.

However, all this did not matter anymore. Everything was over; she was about to leave with
him. All other worries were gone. So what if there was a disparity in their statuses? So what
if he was fallen? So what if his heart already had another person in mind? She was
determined to follow him. Anything could stop her, but not extinguish her e orts and
determination.

She looked up at him. It was the rst time in four years that she dressed up like a woman in
front of him, applying make-up to face this noble but fallen prince. Her eyes were bright; her
face was beautiful. Her smile was radiant under the sunlight, as she laughed and said, “I’m
not making trouble. I just want to follow you.”

Zhao Song rejected her coldly and retorted, “What are you following me for? Go back.”

Xiaoba did not even look him in the eye as she handed a knife over to him.

“Kill me then.”

Zhao Song frowned and ordered his page boy, “AhJiang, get her o the carriage.”

fl
fi
fi
ff
ff
 “Whatever,” Xiaoba turned around decisively and replied. She tidied the documents in her
hand and continued in a lively voice, “I already have the full set of documents. I have a
document for myself to travel about legally. I’m no longer a slave whose freedom is
restricted. I have money and food with me. You can chase me away, but you cannot stop
me from following behind you. I will follow you all the way to Qianghu. If you don’t want me,
I will nd a place to live around you. Although you are a prince of Xia, you cannot stop a law-
abiding civilian from going out to tour.”

She looked at him calmly, with a carefree expression, devoid of any panic or unease. The
clear but stubborn look on her face contained a few elements of spitefulness, as she
resembled a wilful gambler.

Zhao Song suddenly felt his heart ache as he looked at her, remembering the rst time that
he had waved that person away, but seeing this similarly stubborn girl in front of him. His
voice was low and cold as he stated calmly, “Do you know that once I leave this place, I will
no longer be a prince of Xia?”

Xiaoba’s heart started to ache. She looked at Zhao Song’s fallen face as she felt the passion
burning within her heart. However, she did not show it, choosing to sneer coldly instead.
“Your identity is none of my business. Forget it if you won’t let me follow you. I’ll leave now.
At most, I’ll follow behind alone.”

As she nished her sentence, she turned around and prepared to jump o the carriage.

Suddenly, a long hand grabbed at her fair waist. His hand was bony but strong; his skin was
fair while there were a lot of calluses on his palm. Although it was his left hand, it was
unusually agile.

Chapter 252 
“Fine,” a deep voice said, as Zhao Song did not have much choice but to let her be.
“AhJiang, move out.”

AhJiang was rather stunned, as Xiaoba walked up and knocked her head while chiding,
“Quickly move out! Are you waiting for our master to change his mind and chase me away?”

AhJiang earnestly smiled, as he raised his whip and whipped the horse. The carriage started
to advance slowly in the morning sun that lit the world up a golden yellow.

After exiting Zhen Huang City, he would no longer be an aristocrat, and she would no longer
be the famous dancer in the capital. They were thankful that the world gave them the
chance to begin anew.

In the dense forest, a lady dressed in dull green appeared on her horse, with He Xiao looking
on from behind. A few teams of guards on patrol walked past, but she seemed as though
she had not seen them, as she stared at the carriage that was quickly distancing away from
her, remaining silent.

Farewell, friend.

fi
fi

ff
fi
 Farewell, sister.

Farewell, the two persons that she had been deeply indebted to in her life.

As the sun rose higher into the sky, the northern winds continued to rage on. Chu Qiao
gathered her thoughts and lifted her head up, reminding herself once again that this was Xia.
This land was lled with the smell of Xia, the wind of Xia, and the Xia history, and her friends.
Those who were supposed to leave had already left, and the remaining ones must be
prepared to face the future here. Regardless of di culty and disaster, they all had their own
responsibilities and had people that they were waiting for or protecting.

She turned around and looked at the majesty city walls that could be seen from afar. There
were countless palaces and buildings, and seemingly endless plots and traps. She had once
hated everything about here, yet now she had willingly entered this large prison. Just like
how her sister had willingly continued being a servant, these were all choices that she had
made. This was her own personal battle, but she was not alone, because in that huge
majestic prison there was one more person waiting for her.

After all, things were completely di erent, and just like life and death, it was impossible to
reverse to the past.

“Giddyup!” Chu Qiao coldly bellowed as she raced back on her horse, with the cold winds
slicing past her ears. It was as though everything turned to dust, disappearing into the past.

Within the blink of an eye, it was already the turn of the year. Even though this was not a
particularly joyous year, Zhen Huang City had put up a jubilant display as usual. There was
still half a month to the Spring festival, but the imperial palace loosened up the curfews at
night, and with approval from the Elder’s Council, the tax on the businessmen was reduced
to encourage trade. In addition, in the Emperor’s name, they started to summon some of the
o cials who had performed well in the past year back to the Capital for awards and
recognition.

Just so simple, in merely three days, Zhen Huang City had been restored to its old
prosperous self. Partially manipulated by the o cials, the new year ceremony this year was
particularly grandiose, as various wealthy families started to enter the capital. Within Zhen
Huang City, decorations had already been set up, with performances held often. Regardless
of how much of a mess the world was in at that moment, or how urgent the war was at the
borders, the people in the capital were still captivated by the scene before their eyes.

As the cold wind blew past the city walls, it was as though it picked up a scent of the
festivity, before heading to the north. Yet, the war with Yan Bei seemed to become
increasingly urgent. Zhuge Yue seemed to be sleeping later each night, and sometimes he
did not even sleep. The candle wax rolled down endlessly, piling up on the candle stand as
the dim light illuminated his face that seemed ever so pale, yet his back seemed straight.

Three days ago, Chu Qiao had nally met Zhao Che.

ffi
fi
fi
ff
ffi
ffi
 On that day, it was snowing. The snow that had piled up after a four-day-long snowstorm
was almost two feet deep, and one would sink up to his thighs while walking. Chu Qiao had
always been sickly in this recent year, and ended up just staying in the house.

That night she suddenly heard Zhuge Yue’s laughter from afar as she leaned on her soft
bed, frowning. Suddenly, she opened her eyes only to feel a wave of cold air coming from
the door. She could not help but to shiver and pull her blanket up, as she straightened her
body. Zhuge Yue raised the curtain and spoke to her, “Xing’er, look who’s here?” After
saying that, he brought the person behind into the room.

Zhao Che walked in back facing the light. His black blouse had no owery embroideries and
looked rather dull, with no other pompous decorations. He seemed to be the same as usual,
although he seemed to be taller and thinner. Yet his face did not seem to have changed
much from the past. The only major di erence was that his eyes no longer had the
haughtiness that he used to have, and he looked rather calm and mature. Even as he
smiled, there was a tinge of unfamiliarity and seemed to be always on guard. He casually
greeted her as he nodded very slightly, before calmly saying, “We meet, nally.”

Food streamed in from the kitchen. Zhao Che had brought some Qianghu wine. It seemed
rather strong as the smell of alcohol lled the entire room the moment he opened it. He
chatted with Zhuge Yue and discussed in detail about the war and their future plans.
Occasionally they would laugh and poke fun at each other. Zhuge Yue never had many
friends. Perhaps apart from this man, there would be nobody who could chat so casually
with him.

Chu Qiao calmly sat at one side and listened to them speak. Eventually, they started to
reminisce about their past as they used to be rivals back in the military school. Only when
the war began, as the corrupt powers started to usurp power from the Imperial rule did they
nally come together as friends.

Both of them had a noble birth, with amazing dreams for the future and talent to back their
dreams. They did not succumb to rules and their worldviews were not contained by their
countries, holding stubborn, extreme views about the world. In the eyes of their families,
they were the betrayer who strayed from the normal path. They had faced many ups and
downs, eventually dominating the center of politics. Even as their hearts were rm like steel,
they exuded burning passion. Many a time, the friendships between men were needless of
any explanation.

Chu Qiao sat aside and observed how Zhuge Yue discussed with such a rare vigor, along
with Zhao Che being so unrestrained. At that moment, she felt as though the two men
before her were trees that had grown to tower over the world with the storms they had been
through.

Another gure suddenly appeared in her mind. She was reminded of how there was too,
someone who she had partnered with in the dark past. When Zhao Che and Zhuge Yue
were still enjoying the prosperity of the world, she had been ghting endlessly alongside that
person. Yet, they had ultimately become a mere passer-by.

fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
fi
That night, Zhuge Yue was drunk. His tolerance for alcohol had never been too good, yet he
was able to control himself very well. Yet, seeing his friend for the rst time in such a long
duration, it seemed as though he decided to remove all restraints. Yet, Chu Qiao knew that
he was merely too tired.

In recent days, there was a huge snowstorm in the Northwest, and there was a poor harvest
in the Southwest. A third of the empire was full of problems, as corruption was rife in the
royal capital, causing food and necessities to be unable to reach the hands of the civilians.
Zhao Yang held control over the western part of the Empire, but he turned a blind eye to all
corruption to gain support from the other noble families. Within half a year, over 200,000
civilians in the West had died, and millions of civilians turned into refugees. Some headed
South, some headed East, some even headed to the snowy Northwest. There were
countless starving civilians crowded at Yanming Pass, Tanghu Pass, Yao Pass. Thousands
starved or froze to death daily, yet the royal capital continued to spend a huge amount of
money on building extravagant palaces and preparing huge banquets instead of helping the
civilians.

Zhuge Yue had already reported the current state of a airs dozens of times, yet in the entire
court, nobody was willing to support him, as his letters were ignored in the midst of
enjoyment in the courts. The Elder Council was like a group of rotten maggots and refused
to see through the facade of prosperity that was displayed only in the royal capital, allowing
various local o cials to remain corrupt as they wished.

Zhuge Yue reported that the natural catastrophes had led to over 200,000 deaths, yet the
Elders stubbornly believed that there was no such thing as weather, and that all civilians
lived in peace and harmony, satis ed by the Empire’s wealth, and that Zhuge Yue was
merely speaking nonsense.

Zhuge Yue informed them that there were almost a million refugees crowded around
Yanming Pass, Tanghu Pass, and Yao Pass, and that if no action was taken, there could be
a civilian uprising. Yet, the Elders were convinced that the three passes were completely well
defended, and that there was not even a single criminal in sight.

Zhuge Yue warned that the Xia Empire was at a turning point where it may soon cease to
exist, yet those Elders merely closed their eyes at the current state of a airs, continuing to
turn a blind eye to everything. Not only that, but they had accused Zhuge Yue of being
overly self-important just because he had control over much of the Xia Empire’s armies.

While they argued in the courts, countless civilians were dying. The Elders used letters of
praise supposedly written by the civilians as evidence, and claimed the unrivaled wisdom of
the reigning Emperor, and then accused Zhuge Yue of claiming facts without proper
evidence.

Evidence? Chu Qiao heard how he had furiously scolded some of the Generals in his room.
He was so enraged to the point that his face turned green, and his eyes seemed to be
spewing re.

fi
ffi
fi
ff
fi
ff
 The Elders had ignored the sight of the crowds of civilians, and chose to forget about the
countless corpses that littered the Western region while shutting their ears to the deafening
cries for help. And then, they dared to cite the single incident in which the corrupted o cials
had planned to make fun of him?

That night before he fell asleep he remained quiet for a long time before whispering into her
ear, telling her how he really wished that he could really kill all the maggots of the empire. He
said it so coldly that even Chu Qiao felt chills go down her spine. She stretched out her
hand and circled his waist, and lightly touched his arms. She could clearly feel his tightened
muscles and cold skin, it was as though there was a layer of frosty determination.

Chu Qiao knew he was merely saying it. Even though he held great power, even though he
held control over great armies, even though he was already alienated by his family, there
would always be things that he had to care about, and that he could not merely ignore.

The Xia Emperor, whose life was previously hanging by a thread, suddenly took a turn for
the better. His state of mind was much better and he could occasionally appear at the court.

As for this Emperor, nobody dared to underestimate him. All these years he had always
seemed to be this way. He had seemed to give not much care to politics, yet whenever
someone crossed him even slightly, he could dish out a devastating attack. The incident
involving Yan Bei was a bloody example.

Yet, everyone also thought that the Emperor was a human and would ultimately die. With
Zhao Che and Zhao Yang competing for his favor, whoever could make him happier would
have a better chance at winning. As of now, the Emperor seemed to be more satis ed with
Zhao Yang who always reported how civilians were ecstatic of his rule. In such a situation,
who would dare to start reporting all the disasters to ruin his mood? Even for Zhao Che, he
had to think twice if he wanted to report any related information.

Initially, Zhao Che was not in Zhen Huang City, so Zhuge Yue held on alone by forcing out
the pathetic amount of resources from the other departments to send to the three passes as
disaster relief. Yet his e orts were ultimately limited.

A slight mistake was made in the distribution of food at the Yao Pass. Due to the lack of
food, the porridge issued for rations turned more and more watery. Triggered by a mildly
o ensive statement made by a single soldier to a civilian, a riot formed. In the small brawl,
there were over 30 soldier deaths, and over 50 deaths amongst the civilians with over a
hundred injured.

Chapter 253
Zhuge Yue was in the study with Chu Qiao when Yue Qi arrived with the news. She never
probed into Zhuge Yue’s a airs, but he never hid it from her whenever she was around. She
heard the verbal attacks launched on him by both the o cials and the civilians outside Yao
Pass.

ff
ff

ff
ffi
fi
ffi
Yue Qi revealed the accusation made against Zhuge Yue with a grim expression. Those
people had accused him of monopolizing the rations meant to alleviate the crisis, of being
an evil, cold-hearted o cial that oppressed the civilians. They cursed him as well, even
going as far as to say that he would not have any descendants.

He listened on with an indi erent expression on his face, all the way until Yue Qi was no
longer willing to continue. He hinted at him to continue with a stern look in his eyes.

After Yue Qi left, she did not dare to walk over to him. It was a cold afternoon that day, as
the sunlight shone on his increasingly skinny face. He slumped in his chair and drank his tea
quietly as if nothing had happened just now. However, Chu Qiao saw some water leaking
out of that white jade cup, through a crack that had recently been formed as he held the cup
in his hand.

Yes, they were dying and starving. As the calamities descended upon the civilians, driving
them to despair, the other o cials were carrying out their corrupt deeds. They deserved to
die. However, the civilians did not know that the court had allowed this to happen knowingly.
No one cared about the o cials’ corruption, as the news of the crisis was purposely
censored, on the grounds that other errands were to be attended to, only after the spring
banquets.

Every meal that the civilians were currently having was due to Zhuge Yue’s e orts, as he
sold his various assets to raise money for the food. No one imagined an arrogant person like
him would lower his status and plead with the merchants in the capital in order to help the
civilians survive this year of famine.

He was over-exhausted and driven to desperation, hence he resorted to binge drinking in

front of the dining table, claiming that the emperor was a fatuous ruler and that the court
was unruly. In addition, he branded Zhao Yang to be a fool, swearing to cut o his head that
very night. He was really drunk, to the point that he had become muddle-headed.

That night, Chu Qiao personally escorted the half-drunk Zhao Che out of the mansion.
However, as they stepped out of the door, the seemingly drunk seventh prince straightened
his posture, his eyes no longer appearing drunk. With a sober tone, he said to her, “Go back
and take care of him properly.”

Chu Qiao looked at him and remained silent. Zhao Che’s expression was cold as he
continued, “Since the situation has come to this, I am powerless to do anything. If this goes
on, I’ll be pitting myself against the entire upper class of Xia. We still don’t have the power to
do so.” Zhao Che was calm as he spoke in a low tone.

Chu Qiao did not look at him anymore as she turned to walk away. Suddenly, Zhao Che
called her name out from behind her. She turned around as he told her in a serious tone,
“He’s a good man. Don’t let him down.”

Chu Qiao squinted as she opened her mouth to speak, “You too.” Her words were
ambiguous. You too? What did that mean? You’re a good person too?

ffi
ffi
ff
ffi
ff
ff
No. Zhao Che was fully aware of what she meant. However, she did not await his answer as
she turned around, her frail gure disappearing into the distance slowly.

He’s a good man, don’t let him down.

The sky was dark, with meteors ying about. As the wind blew, he took a deep breath and
seemingly smelt the scent of famine from the west.

When Chu Qiao got back to the room, the table of food had disappeared. The drunk Zhuge
Yue was no longer on the bed. She walked over to the study and pushed open the door,
realizing that he was sober and sitting behind his table, studying the pile of work in front of
him.

She stood there for a long time, waiting for him to write and seal his letter before she walked
over. She squatted in front of him and held his hand, then sat on his lap and remained quiet.
As the candlelight in the room ickered on, letting out occasional sparks, the fragrance of
the incense in the incense pot drifted in the air in the form of smoke. His hand was dry as it
caressed her hair.

“Xing’er,” he called out to her in a low, fatigued voice, not saying anything afterward. She
leaned her face on his leg, as she smelt the fragrance of his body. With a warm, gentle
voice, she replied, “I understand it all.” His knee jerked slightly as he tightened his grip on
her hand.

Yes, she understood it all. She understood his e orts, why he was so tired, why he was so
disappointed with this country, and why he loathed everything around him.

The emperor was gravely ill, while his sons were embroiled in an internal struggle for power.
In addition, every organization in the capital was on the path to corruption. As for himself,
having been through the hardships of war, witnessed the su erings of the lower class
citizens, and survived against all odds, how could he bear to see this country walk down the
path of decline? How could he tolerate the repulsive faces of the o cials?

He still played a major part in this struggle for power, but without the naive thought that
everything would change, once Zhao Che had ascended the throne. However, before he
was able to get what he wanted, he had to go through all these again. He did not know what
would be left of this world once they had eliminated all their enemies.

Civilizations would be destroyed. The civilians would be massacred; the armies would be
slaughtered, while the country would cease to exist. Perhaps, they would be the only ones
left standing on this wounded land, where countless people had sacri ced their lives for this
war.

What exactly was power? After the war, everything would be destroyed. Could they a ord to
pay such a price?

“Xing’er, I’m not a good person,” he said that night before dawn broke.

fi
fl
fl
ff
ff
ffi
fi
ff
 The ve days that followed thereafter was another dark period for the continent of West
Meng. The civilians outside the three passes nally revolted. They attacked the various
mansions of the rich families in the west, robbing them of their food and money. As they
were hungry, they resorted to begging for food. When that did not work, they resorted to
stealing, and then robbing, and then nally revolting.

As the civilians were driven to desperation by the corrupt o cials, they had no choice but to
revolt. Hundreds of thousands of civilians armed themselves with wooden sticks and stones
as they broke into the mansions of the rich families, committing acts of arson on the lands
of Longxi. Countless people died in the pandemonium; the soldiers defending the territory
were like paper dolls, crumbling when faced with the onslaught of the angry civilians.
Despite their pleas for help, claiming that the civilians could not be contained and that they
had a mastermind, no one believed them. The o cials refuted their claims, saying that they
were just nding excuses.

The local o cials and noble aristocrats were stunned as they continued to push for help,
but no o cial in the capital was willing to slap himself in the face and report the matter to
the court. They could only mobilize their own troops secretly to stabilize the situation.

However, their hopes were dashed by Zhuge Yue as he asked, “The capital is peaceful. The
civilians of Longxi has just bestowed a gift on the emperor. Why would they rebel at this
juncture? That’s ridiculous.”

Hence, they were unable to mobilize their troops as the con ict descended into an
emergency state. On the 24th day of the 12th month, a solitary soldier entered the city with
intel from Cao Weichi, the inspector of Longxi, collapsing on the ground once he arrived.

Zhen Huang City was shaken. The emperor was so angered on the spot that his headache
started to act up again. He severely reprimanded the scholars and o cials, and stripped
Zhao Yang of his dukeship. However, Zhao Che did not bene t from this con ict. Instead, it
was the unknown 17th Prince, Zhao Yi, who took command of the Southwestern Army to
curb the rebellion outside. As for Zhuge Yue, due to his unwillingness to mobilize troops, he
was placed under house arrest by the emperor to re ect on his mistake. Zhao Che entered
the palace a few times to intercede on his behalf, but he was dismissed promptly.

However, Chu Qiao knew the origins of this con ict. When Zhao Che arrived at his house
and saw Zhuge Yue, he ew into a rage and chided him for being a lunatic. Zhuge Yue
laughed it o and said that he wanted to keep more people alive so that Zhao Che could
have people to rule over once he had ascended the throne.

From the con ict at Longxi, about 70-80 percent of the upper class was massacred, along
with about 80,000 civilians. However, as Zhuge Yue described, millions of people would
have starved to death if the rebellion had not happened. He deemed this trade-o to be
worthy.

Yes, it was worthy indeed. With the aristocrats in the southwest eliminated, the in uence of
Young Master Mu from Lingnan waned. The king of Ling was implicated as well, while Zhao
Yang was stripped of his military power. Although Zhao Che did not bene t, he did not
fi
ffi
fi
ffi
ff
fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
ffi
fl
ffi
fl
fi
ffi
fi
fl
ff
fl
 become worse o either. Only Zhuge Yue was placed under house arrest, as he stepped out
of Xia’s political scene temporarily.

Everything seemed to be heading according to his plan. However, in those few days, Chu
Qiao remembered how he was worried to the point where he was unable to sleep at night
whenever any large group of people, be it civilians, rich families, or armies was killed, or
when any civilian resorted to banditry. If any slightest deviation from his plan had happened
that day, or if the troops he had sent out secretly did not manage to stabilize the situation, a
bloodbath with dire consequences would have occurred.

They were all right—he was a crazy person indeed.

She was worried that he would wallow in despair, having had his power taken away from
him, but he managed to see the bright side of things by saying that he nally had time to
spend the new year with her.

As the season of the spring banquets arrived, the residences of the army marshals looked
cold on the outside, but was warm and bustling with life on the inside. Although the news of
the rebellion at the southwest had entered the capital, the mood within the capital had not
been dampened. The streets were bustling with life; the government organizations organized
rework shows at Rose Square. The laughter of the children echoed behind the city gates,
drifting into the Zhuge residence along with the winds.

Three days ago, Zhuge Yue had ordered the mansion to be revamped. Huge red lanterns
were hung atop the ceiling. The windows were decorated with red; the maidservants
prepared various cut-outs and patterns and stuck them onto the windows. They included
the gods of longevity, deer, immortal deities, the Guanyin Deity, and portraits resembling
prosperity. As pots of red and purple owers were arranged, an air of extravagance lingered
about in the mansion. The servants dressed in new red out ts, contributing to the already
joyous atmosphere.

Zhuge Yue had resumed his living habits many years ago when he lived in the Qingshan
Courtyard. He was a man of self-discipline, without the airs of a rich, spoilt brat. Now that he
had more time on his hands, he focused intently on recuperating and nursing himself back
to health. In his free time, he would study and carry out some gardening, while Chu Qiao
would force him to wake up early to work out. As the both of them exchanged martial arts
pointers using weapons like knives, spears, and sticks, the entire population of servants
within the mansion would look on secretly. With time, seeing that Zhuge Yue did not object
to this, they looked at them openly, even cheering them on when things got exciting.

They lived their days in peace, like the calm before the storm.

The new year passed just like this. Chu Qiao put on her new clothes. They were red and
bright, causing her face to appear radiant and endlessly joyful. Zhuge Yue stood behind her,
wearing a long, green robe. He was strikingly handsome. He picked up a golden hairpin and
did her hair, putting the hairpin on her head.

Chu Qiao looked at herself in the mirror, feeling stunned. She had not seen herself in this
light before. From young, she felt that it was cheesy for a woman to be dressed in colorful
fi
ff
fl
fi
fi
 out ts. Thereafter, due to many years of wandering about, she had no time nor energy to
dress up. However, as she looked at herself, she felt a feeling of warmth surge up her heart.
Her face appeared rejuvenated and beautiful. She could not contain her excitement as the
corners of her lips rose to form a smile.

Chapter 254 
She nally realized that her past distaste for makeup was mainly due to her state of mind.
Meixiang looked at her while smiling happily. Zhuge Yue walked over and grinned at the
mirror. “Such a beauty.”

Chu Qiao was rather embarrassed, as even her ears seemed to turn a bit red. She said,
“Since when am I that pretty? Stop your nonsense.”

Zhuge Yue continued grinning from ear to ear, and countered, “I was talking about myself.
You are merely thinking too much.”

Chu Qiao pretended to be enraged as she stretched her hand out to grab him. Zhuge Yue
immediately dodged while teasing Meixiang, “Look at your mistress, if I don’t praise her, she
will be so angry.”

Meixiang was all smiles as she looked on without interjecting. The sunlight was warm, and
there were already sounds of recrackers sounding o in the distance. This was the rst
time in a long while that Chu Qiao had seen such a heartwarming new year. She had even
personally cooked, teaching the servants how to make dumplings. She even wanted to drag
Zhuge Yue to do it with her, but due to his strong belief in the patriarchy, he refused.

As the crowds ate the new year’s dinner together, there was a myriad of lanterns as
decoration. Incidentally, Zhuge Yue ate the single unique dumpling that was lled with a
Chinese date, and as the servants crowded up to say that his fortune for the coming year
would be great, he was in a good mood as he passed out all kinds of rewards to the
servants. The entire residence was lled with praise and gratitude. The Zhuge Residence
was shut tight, and all visitors were refused entry apart from Zhao Che’s men who came at
midnight with two pots of premium wine. Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue drank them together.
Chu Qiao seemed to be intoxicated, leaning into Zhuge Yue’s embrace.

The servants started to light recrackers. The sounds of the crackling could be heard, as the
surroundings brimmed with an auspicious aura. Chu Qiao felt as though she had just seen Li
Ce’s fox-like smile in the sky. But when she stretched out her hand to grab it, she touched
only air.

She was indeed drunk, but her head seemed ever so clear. At that moment she seemed to
have suddenly remembered all her past memories. She remembered Xiao Shi, Mao’er, Ming
Rui, Li Yang, her comrades in the Military Intelligence Department, and her aged
grandfather. She suddenly remembered her pain and hard work all those years. She had
vividly recalled how she had been walking on the thread between the border of life and
death as Mister Wu, Lady Yu, Huanhuan, and so many other people’s faces surfaced in her
mind. She too thought about Li Ce and Yan Xun.

fi
fi

fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
 Happiness had come all so suddenly, she still felt that everything was a dream.

She pushed her head into Zhuge Yue’s chest, with his smell lling her nostrils. Her eyes
were slightly moist as she lifted her head and looked at his handsome face, and with her
crystal clear eyes, she said, “Zhuge Yue, I love you.”

Zhuge Yue was taken aback as he looked down at her. They were surrounded by servants,
and her voice was so loud and was audible even over the sound of the recrackers. The
surrounding people all looked at her in shock, yet she did not mind their gazes and merely
said it loudly again, “Zhuge Yue, I have fallen in love with you!”

The smell of incense drifted past. People snickered quietly. Sounds of Jingjing and Pingan
bantering could be heard from afar. Chu Qiao’s face was beet red as her eyes looked
straight at him. It was as though she had turned back time and turned back to her 17 orf 18-
year-old self. She smiled at him, happiness written on her face.

With a whoosh, the wind blew past her ears, as she was suddenly carried up by someone.
Then, in full view of everyone, Zhuge Yue put down the food that he had just started to eat,
before turning back to the bedroom. The bedsheets were new and fresh, all red, with layers
of silk and embroideries of all kinds of mythical characters, exuding a sense of warmth and
sweetness. His eyes were pitch black with a tinge of burning lust. With one swift motion, he
jerked o her collar, as he stared right at her. With a slightly hoarse voice, he said, “You little,
I will never give you alcohol again.” Saying that, he kissed her forehead with all his force. His
breath was rushed and warm, like a burning ame. Where ever he touched seemed to burn
with a tingling sensation. She smiled as she hugged his waist in return.

With the curtains covering them, they could still hear the sounds of the people chattering
outside, with waves and waves of laughter.

In life, there were too many changes, and one would never be able to tell when a storm
would come, and if the incoming wave would turn everything upside down or not. All those
painfully repressed emotions and hidden words ultimately still found a place to exit. Nothing
is for sure, and the only thing that one could do was to treasure whatever one presently had.

Covered by the layers of silk and curtains, she lied in the layers of sheets on his body. Sweat
covered her body as she was lled with a sense satis ed fatigue. She leaned on his body
and looked out the window. Through the layer of the paper window, she could almost see
the reworks in the distant sky, illuminating the land.

No matter what happened in the future, she would no longer be afraid.

After the banquet for the new year, the weakness of the Xia Empire seemed obvious. There
were countless refugees along the Longxi region. Walking on the main roads, one could see
people selling their children as slaves so as to feed themselves. Even though the court had
already ordered disaster relief and tried their best to draw money to help those refugees, the
Xia Empire did not manage to reverse the situation in its weakened state caused by the war.
In mere years, the war had already weakened this glorious empire into poverty.

fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
 Yan Bei was in no better position. Before the massive snow in the Longxi region, Yan Bei
had already sunk into a massive catastrophe. Snowstorms impacted the Lan City area
particularly bad, as civilians completely starved. For a moment, it seemed as though Yan Bei
was in a dangerous spot.

Yet, just as the Xia O cials were celebrating their enemy’s misfortune, Yan Bei had secretly
mobilized 100,000 soldiers and crossed over the Lanhe Highlands, and after scaling the
Mulang Peak that was over 6,000 meters in height, they had managed to bypass the Tanghu
Pass and went deep into the Tang territory. They managed to snatch over 1,000 tons of rice.
The entire operation only took four days, and by the time this news had been transmitted
back to Tang Jing, the Yan Bei army had already returned to the Longyin Pass and had
already engaged with the Xia Army a few times. After this incident, it was like a drop of
water falling into a pot of boiling oil, erupting huge waves across the continent.

The Xia Empire and the Tang Empire were both engulfed in rage, yet they could not do
anything about Yan Xun. Even as the Xia Historians scolded Yan Bei for their acts of robbery,
and as the Tang Scholars insulted all of the Yan Xun’s ancestors, they were ultimately all
talk. After all, that was all that they could do. The Longyin Pass was so rm and steady, and
the Yan Bei forces were so strong and ferocious. The very fact that the Yan Bei army still
remained behind their walls was something that was worthy of celebration by the Tang and
Xia Empires.

Hearing this, Chu Qiao could not help but smirk. Who could match Yan Xun’s appetite for
risk?

Zhuge Yue still seemed like he was not concerned at all, as he completely ignored how the
court dictated that they should begin another o ensive. Everyone knew how the Xia Empire
was in a state where it could barely stand by itself. The struggle for the throne between the
various heirs had just begun to reach a climax. Who would have the time to continue an
o ensive to external enemies? If Zhuge Yue really began to force an invasion, perhaps that
would be when these cunning o cials would begin to cry for a change in decision.

When he heard that news, he was merely a little surprised. He had not expected that Yan
Xun would do that. In fact, it was not just him. Perhaps in the entire West Meng continent,
no one would think about him. After all, he had wagered all of Yan Bei to lure the Xia army
into Yan Bei while invading the Xia Empire. Soon after that, to remove dissidents, he had
completely annihilated the Datong Guild that had helped him to power. Even his very own
teacher was killed. As for such a person, perhaps none would think that he would take such
a risk for the civilians of Yan Bei. Even Chu Qiao had not thought of the details of this.

Luckily, the general who oversaw the Tanghu Pass was a stepson of Jingan King. Although
after Jingan King had been crushed, he had defected to the Tang Empire quickly, he held
command over troops and guarded over the Tanghu Pass, the most important customs to
the Tang territory. Even then, it was di cult for the court to have full trust in him. As such, it
was not exactly a big loss for the Tang Empire.

ff
ffi
ffi
ffi
ff
fi
 As for the loss of all that food… Chu Qiao’s eyebrows started to frown. She was once again
reminded of the places that she had lived in for such a long time, the Shangshen Highlands,
the Hui Hui Mountains, and those naive and helpful civilians.

Yan Xun became more and more skillful in the art of war. He was able to hide the tracks of
his army for thousands of miles, acting swiftly without letting anyone know. With that, he
was able to ambush and achieve his goal in one attempt. With sharp judgment and
exceptional courage, he would be easily considered one of the most talented generals of
this world. As long as he existed, the Xia Empire would nd it impossible to breach Longyin
Pass. Even if Zhao Che headed out personally, it would have been impossible. Zhao Che
might be able to beat Yan Xun in terms of strategy, manpower, information, weapons, and
supply. But when it came to how ferocious and ruthless one could be, Yan Xun would
always take the upper hand.

The fearsome part about Yan Xun was mainly about how he could perfectly make use
anything around him to assist him in victory. Not only that, but his ability to read other
peoples’ hearts had already reached new heights.

In this world, perhaps the only person still capable of going head to head with him would be
Zhuge Yue. Yan Xun had the advantage of being ruthless, whereas Zhuge Yue had the
advantage of being enigmatic. Should the two of them be able to encounter each other on a
battle eld and ght with all their strength, it would undoubtedly be recorded as a battle of
legend.

Chu Qiao lightly shook her head. Even though she had grown sick and tired of that sort of
life, when she rested, she would still start to think about those matters. She would compare
her thoughts with the information that she had received, and slowly gure out the greater
picture. After which, she would start to contemplate the next step, as she calculated and
considered the following steps to take. She was like a chess master who absolutely adored
the chessboard, and even if she stopped playing chess, she would still make up all kinds of
situations in her mind.

Only that this was the one single time that she did not know which side she was rooting for.

Even if she and Yan Xun were enemies, she hoped that he would not be defeated. As such,
after the sneak attack on Tanghu Pass, she had even felt a slight sense of elation,
completely unbe tting of her position as the King of Xiuli of the Tang Empire.

To that, she smiled in self-mockery. It seemed like even for her herself, it would be
impossible to completely remove all of her emotions. In the river of time, all that was left of
him was a blurring silhouette and a pair of bold black eyes, along with a pair of forceful
hands. In the end, who was really indebted to who? Would it really be possible to clearly
return all favors?

Even though it was impossible to ght together, it was also not necessary for the two of
them to ght to the bitter end.

Then again, despite the fact that Yan Bei had been able to temporarily avoid death from the
winter disaster due to the food they had snatched from the Tang Empire, Yan Bei was still in
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
 a horrible spot. There were no major con icts at the borders this New Years. Regardless of
Yan Bei or the Xia Empire, the advance of the military had been halted by this snowy winter.

On the rst of March, the Xia Emperor formally awarded the region of Northern Hu to Zhao
Che as his own territory. Although by now Zhao Che was already the de facto leader of the
Northern regions, prior to this he had never been formally given the titles. The fact that the
Xia Emperor had chosen such a timing to award him with authority over the Hu people who
had not su ered losses from the winter was something that the entire court spent much time
contemplating about.

On the seventh of March, the Grand Marshal Zhuge Yue nally returned from his re ection at
home and went to the Grand Elders Council. The 17th Prince had also indicated his friendly
attitude to Zhao Che. For that moment, the status of Zhao Che suddenly increased. On the
other hand, Zhao Yang had claimed that he was sick and had not appeared in court for two
whole days. Yet, the news that came from the Yan Bei incited Chu Qiao’s worry and
concern.

In reality, the content of that message was nothing much. It was merely that Yan Xun was
willing to resume trade with the Xia Empire, to exchange horses and iron with the Xia
Empire’s food, tea, salt, and silk.

Chapter 255
This matter was casually laughed o by the court of Xia, as the o cials thought that Yan Bei
had been driven nuts by poverty to actually o er to carry out trade with Xia. Although Xia
lacked warhorses and iron ore too, they could still trade with Tang and Song. As for Yan Bei,
as long as Tang shut o their trade routes, they could only turn to Xia for help.

Xia would naturally ignore Yan Bei regarding matters of this nature. Instead, Xia’s Central
Surveillance Organization and the head of the secretariat joined forces for the rst time,
drafting out a long essay to mock Yan Bei’s actions.

This matter was regarded as insigni cant to both empires, but it evidently highlighted Yan
Bei’s gradual decline towards poverty. Although Xia was not better o , the morale of their
o cials was boosted upon seeing their enemy struggling along with them. They began to
verbally advocate the idea of eliminating Yan Bei as if it had become an easy task. Even
some relatives of the royal family, stationed outside the capital, wrote to Zhuge Yue,
requesting that he invaded Yan Bei immediately, to eliminate all the beggars there.

Zhuge Yue looked on coldly in court, at the o cials whose emotions had been stirred up. He
thought to himself Yan Xun’s tactics are not clever, but it addresses his problem directly. He
has managed to unsettle the entire court with just a few sentences.

When he spoke these words, Chu Qiao felt unsettled. Zhuge Yue had a thought process that
extended deeper as compared to a normal person. He knew that Yan Xun pretended to be
vulnerable, in order to bait the Xia army towards him. She had lived with Yan Xun for many
years and knew him well. Given his character, even if he fought to the death, it was unlike
him to do this. Was it really worth this sacri ce for him to unsettle the enemy?

ffi
fi
ff
ff

ff
fi
fl
fi
ffi
ff
fi
ffi
ff
fi
fl
 As springtime arrived, the owers started to bloom. However, the cold winds refused to
dissipate. When one pushed open their windows, icicles could still be seen. This winter
seemed to last longer than usual. However, Chu Qiao subconsciously knew that some
things were not far away from happening.

Zhuge Yue had been away on a business trip to the City of Ye for half a month. Three days
ago, Chu Qiao received the news that a con ict had arisen outside of Yanming Pass.
However, it was just an army of about 30 drunken soldiers who ventured to the gates of
Longyin Pass, letting out a urry of arrows. As a result, one soldier from the Yan Bei army
lost his life, while three others were injured. Despite this, Yan Bei did not retaliate.

It took ten days before the news managed to reach Zhen Huang City. On the paper
containing the message, the general by the border requested the court to dispatch troops
towards Yan Bei, claiming that Yan Bei lacked manpower and was su ering from a bout of
famine. Their military resources had been depleted, while con icts broke out internally.
Furthermore, he went on to claim that the news was reliable and that this was the best time
to start another con ict up north. Once the opportunity was missed, it would be hard to
invade Yan Bei again.

Even before this message, there were noises within the court to invade Yan Bei. This
message only served to add fuel to the re, stirring up Xia’s intentions to start another war.
From the court to the civilians, everyone’s passion was ignited. The lieges of Xia were from
outside the pass; they were a race that liked to ght it out. At this time, under the instigation
of another party, they became even more enthusiastic to the idea of another con ict. As
night fell, sounds of knives being sharpened could be heard throughout the city; o cials
from the Central Surveillance Organization set up booths on Rose Square to draft conscripts
into the army. A long list of names were scrawled onto the noticeboard and hung up in front
of Rose Square, with each person having taken a blood oath before that. This was
intimidating enough to send chills up one’s spine.

Despite the passion of the public to go to war, Sheng Jin Palace delayed the issuance of the
o cial decree. The emperor’s ailments had resurfaced, as he had not been to court for
seven to eight days. Under the deliberate instigation of the Elders’ Clan, the pre-con ict
preparations for the civilians commenced. Even self-formed armies from various territories
started to congregate at the capital with their swords in their hands.

Chu Qiao wrote to Zhuge Yue four times, but before she received a reply, she received a
visit from Zhuge Huai, who had disappeared for a long time. This caught her o -guard
momentarily.

Zhuge Huai had arrived back at the capital from the Zhuge family’s self-governed land.
Although Zhuge Muqing had chased him out of the family after misfortune befell Zhuge Yue,
he was reinstated into the family registry once Zhuge Yue returned in glory, as if nothing had
happened. He had left the capital for three years. The reason why he came back was to
attend the wedding of Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue.

ffi
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
ff
ff
fl
ffi
fl
One month ago, Chu Qiao’s dowry entered the gates of Zhen Huang. It was estimated that
there were over 400 carriages of material goods, escorted by 50,000 people. The o cials of
Tang were dressed amboyantly, resembling that of a royal wedding.

It was a joyous sight as the city was painted red. Flower petals were strewn everywhere as
3,000 palace servants led the way, anked by 20,000 soldiers in full body armor from the
Xiuli Army, and 20,000 soldiers from the Wolf Army. It was an intimidating sight; even the
royals themselves did not hold such an extravagant ritual.

The civilians of Zhen Huang, along with the o cials of Xia, were dumbfounded. This was the
dowry that Li Ce had spent two years preparing for her. This was the ultimate gesture of
extravagance, honor, and prestige. Even when he had passed away, he watched after her
dutifully through such gestures, ensuring that she was not looked down upon by others.

The status of the Zhuge family was instantly elevated due to their union with the Tang
Empire, through Chu Qiao. Zhuge Muqing, who had been plagued with illness, returned from
his self-governed land, engaging in formalities with the Tang o cials. Zhuge Yue, with his
resourcefulness, managed to gather many distant relatives from the Jing family, many of
whom Chu Qiao had not even seen before. However, these white-haired, elderly people
cried out upon seeing her, expressing how much they missed her, having not seen her for
many years.

Some of the elderly people from the Jing family were given a place in the chief marshal’s
residence to live in. Although Chu Qiao did not have a good impression of them, Zhuge Yue
ordered his servants to treat them well. Over the next few days, all Chu Qiao did was to sit
in her room, as she listened to these people teach her the customs of marriage, the
responsibilities of being a wife, including the dos and don’ts.

As her wedding day approached, she felt more and more uneasy. As the eyes of the whole
world focused on her, she was not able to feel at peace, often feeling the hidden danger
behind this extravagance. As a result, she was not able to eat or sleep well. Zhuge Yue tried
to console her by saying that she had been overwhelmed by joy, while she consoled herself
by agreeing with him. She hoped that it was just a bout of pre-wedding blues, instead of a
bad premonition caused by her sixth sense.

However, after Zhuge Yue left, her unease started to become more obvious. Thereafter,
bizarre pieces of intel from Yan Bei and matters in court only served to exacerbate her
current emotional state. She could only sit and watch on as she took her necessary
precautions, while she awaited Zhuge Yue to return for the wedding.

The rays of sunlight shone through the canopy, coloring the landscape a slight golden.
Shadows of the owers were projected into the room and her eyes through the willow
branches. She held a letterhead between her ngers, which smelt of body armor and
gunpowder. The words had been written forcefully and in abundance.

Chu Qiao was dressed in a pale white dress as she leaned on a soft mat. A birdcage hung
by the window, with its gates open. A white bird with three red feathers on its tail slept inside
the cage lazily, devoid of its usual imposing stance. Yue Qi had said that this was Zhuge
fl
fl
fl
ffi
fi
ffi
ffi
 Yue’s personal pet, a snowy owl. This was the ercest ying beast in Qinghai; it was fast,
agile, smart and had sharp claws and teeth.

Chu Qiao used her chopsticks to pick up a piece of braised meat with sauce on it. The bird,
without even batting an eyelid, snatched the piece of meat from her with one swift motion
and swallowed it after chewing on it twice. Then, it continued to sleep with its head tilted to
one side.

This was a lazy bird indeed. It did not even make a single sound all day.

Chu Qiao looked up at it as her ngers brushed against the letterhead. A tinge of joy brewed
from within her heart. Although it was lazy, it was still useful.

Letters of this nature used to be known as a conversation between two unrelated people.
Presently, it had turned into a conversation between two family members.

The day of the wedding inched closer. In two days, he would be back. Thereafter, she would
put on her crown and cloak and board an exquisite sedan. Under the deafening sounds of
the drums and musical instruments, she would o cially become a part of his family,
becoming legitimately known as his wife. The golden piece of paper with her birth
characters written on it was still placed under her pillow. It was decorated with drawings of
mandarin ducks, birds, and blooming owers, with their names written on it.

Chu Qiao thought to herself that perhaps, she was the snowy owl from Qinghai who had
shed o its ferociousness and its desire to kill, choosing to live its life happily after in peace
in a house made of gold, never wanting to venture out again.

There were countless doors in this world. Those that obstructed the progress of people
often tended to be invisible. He was the chief marshal of the Xia army, and a feudal lord with
a dukeship. She was to marry into his family like how a princess did; her dowry was
gathered entirely in a courtyard, appearing like a treasure ground. The people who were in
charge of palace out ts picked out her wedding attire. She received many gifts from the
royal families as well, as the palace was lled to the brim.

She also behaved more excitedly, which was rare. Occasionally, she would ip through the
gifts with Jingjing, Meixiang and Huan’er. As they had not seen much of the world before,
upon seeing a rare gift, they would exclaim in joy, behaving like country bumpkins.

This night, she would move into the mansion of the Zhuge family, as the female head of the
Zhuge household helped her to work on the wedding preparations. As she had no family,
she could only live in the Zhuge residence before her wedding, where she had lived when
she was young. From there, she would o cially enter the chief marshal’s residence,
becoming his wife.

Time passed by in a ash; in no time, dawn broke, signaling the start of the next day.

After she moved into the Zhuge residence, she did not see the female head of the
household. Instead, she was accompanied by people from the Jing family. Chu Qiao kept a
little girl named Yu Xiaohe by her side to be her personal attendant. Whenever she fell into a
ff
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
ffi
fi
ffi
fl
fl
daze, this little girl of lowly social status would light up some incense. This incense had a
familiar smell, which reminded her of a recipe that she had learned when she was young.

Although the assortment of mixed medicinal herbs were not valuable, the smell it gave o
was calming for the soul, allowing people who had been su ering from nightmares to get a
good night’s sleep.

Two days later, a servant came with the news that Zhuge Yue had arrived back in the city,
and that he had visited his parents in the residence of the eldest family. However, due to
tradition, he was not allowed to visit her. When she heard the news, she was taking a warm
shower. A maidservant handed her a letter as she opened it with her wet hands. The letter
had only one sentence written on it.

“I’m back, I’ll fetch you in ve days.”

Their wedding day was in ve days.

That night, Chu Qiao brushed aside a dried vine, causing some white powder to rub o on
her hands. As she washed it o in a basin of water, she felt some emotions surge up from
the bottom of her heart.

The basin of water glowed a slight golden as the letterhead was submerged beneath its
surface. Faint traces of words in small, neat rows started to appear; that was the real
message that he intended to convey, which was hidden beneath the surface of the letter.

Chapter 256
Chu Qiao’s ngertips were turned pale as the sounds of armor clashing resurfaced in her
mind as though she had always been listening to a symphony.

“Master, will you follow me?”

Chu Qiao shook her head and lightly smiled. “I will stay here.”

He Xiao nodded as he bowed. “Take care, Master.”

There were some dew drops on the outside of the window, as the moon hung brightly in the
night sky. Chu Qiao looked at the white moon hanging in the sky as she murmured, “A storm
is brewing.”

Zhuge family sent three di erent servants to take care of Chu Qiao before her wedding but
all had been sent back. The Jing family had also sent a few people, but Chu Qiao had
ignored their o ers. At the end of the day, it was Meixiang who accompanied Chu Qiao on
the night before the wedding.

Meixiang, who was usually strong and steady, was trembling for once as she donned Chu
Qiao with the red silk dress that was covered almost entirely with embroideries. The
mandarin ducks embroidered symbolized eternal delity; peony owers ourished in the
fi
ff

ff
fi
fi
ff
fi
ff
fl
fl
ff
ff
 background. Illuminated by the ood of lights, the entire scene seemed as if it were
ourishing.

Tears began to over ow from the corner of Meixiang’s eyes as the corners of her mouth
curled upwards. Chu Qiao stretched out her hand to wipe away the tears on Meixiang’s face
before embracing this woman who had followed her for so many years. Right now, Chu Qiao
seemed more beautiful than ever with the freshly applied makeup on her face.

“Missy.” Meixiang returned the embrace as she sobbed. “Missy… Missy…” She could no
longer formulate proper sentences as she remained in that position and kept calling Chu
Qiao as she freely let her tears ow.

The next day, Chu Qiao nally welcomed her marriage.

With the ceremonial o cials from the Tang Empire guarding her side, the ceremony followed
the precise procedure of a noble marriage. The carriage set o from Zhuge residence before
reaching the Tang’s Embassy. First, the decree from the late Tang Emperor, Li Ce, was read
aloud, before the words of gratitude from the current Tang Emperor, Li Shuyi, were
announced, after which, she headed out, welcomed by a symphony of instruments with
fanfare following her wherever she went. It was such a spectacle.

Civilians crowded like a sea of bobbing heads. 80 bridesmaids sat in a series of smaller
carriages following behind her, and at the end of the convoy, there was a group of Zhuge
Family’s relatives along with other nobility. Chu Qiao’s palm was sweating, as the bright
crimson veil covered her vision, and she could only hear the sound of the fanfare.

At this juncture, Chu Qiao started to feel nervous as the convoy approached the Grand
Marshal residence. Chu Qiao already knew the routes and procedure by heart, and she
understood that if all went according to plan, the Tang o cials would hand her carriage over
to the ceremonial o cials of the Xia Empire at the Peacock Bridge up ahead. Zhuge Yue
would be there to welcome her.

Yet, although they were still far from the destination, her carriage suddenly came to a halt.
Chu Qiao’s heart skipped a beat, as she heard a chime that from Sheng Jin Palace.

14 desolated chimes rung out in the heavens. There were ve long chimes with nine short
ones, starkly di erent from the usual nine long, ve short chimes that symbolized the
authority of the Emperor. At this moment, the sound seemed ever so forlorn and serious, as
the wind carried the sound along, spreading the mood all over the prosperous lands.

All those who were walking, standing, watching, scurrying around, all stopped dead in their
tracks as even the heavens faded into silence. Even the birds in the skies seemed to halt.
Someone reacted rst. Others followed suit as the masses of people suddenly prostrated in
the direction of Sheng Jin Palace. Wailing sounds could be heard all over the city,
particularly from Zi Wei Square where crowds had gathered.

Chu Qiao pulled o her veil and lifted the curtains to the carriage. The winds caressed her,
causing her hair to sway in the wind. Only at this moment did she nally understand what
had happened.

fl
ff
ff
fi
ffi
fl
ffi
fi
fl
fl
fi
ffi
fi
ff
fi
The Xia Emperor had nally passed on….

The ceremonial o cials of the Xia Empire all prostrated themselves on the ground as they
cried out loud. The accompanying o cials of the Tang Empire were all caught o guard as
they were stunned, their mouths agape, not knowing what to do in this sudden situation.

Zhuge Huai rode over on his horse. With an exceedingly serious expression, he started to
give orders for the convoy to head back.

With the breeze blowing on the curtains of the carriage, Chu Qiao gazed at the Peacock
Bridge, which was already visible from where she was. Her feelings seemed so convoluted,
and the mix of emotions assaulted her wave after wave. As the convoy returned, the
Peacock Bridge seemed like a part of a distant dream, as it was gradually covered by layers
and layers of owers and leaves.

Chu Qiao suddenly felt anxious, as though she was completely lost. She seemed to have
been transported to that snowy day again. As the hand of fate kept pushing them apart,
they were ultimately separated by huge swathes of tundras, unable to meet. Lifting her
dress, she pushed open the door to the carriage.

“Your Highness!” A pair of lanky hands suddenly held her. Yu Xiaohe stared in disbelief at
Chu Qiao who seemed like she wanted to jump o the carriage. Yu Xiaohe cried out, “Your
Highness, where are you going?”

At this moment, there was someone turning around at the front of the entourage. His eyes
were long and thin, somewhat similar to Zhuge Yue. He was Zhuge Yue’s brother, Zhuge
Huai.

Chu Qiao froze as she saw thousands of soldiers before her. She gradually closed the
carriage doors as she sat back down on the seat, sinking into silence.

She was brought back to the Tang Embassy. For the entire day, she sat in the room without
taking even a single step outside. At dusk, Pingan returned with news that there was active
mobilization beyond the city walls, and that the Sheng Jin Palace still had not disclosed the
cause of death for the Emperor. Civilians hid in their houses, cowering in fear.

After the darkness had completely fallen, the Tang Embassy had been completely
surrounded. Even Pingan was unable to exit to nd out further information.

In the silvery moonlight, there was suddenly a urry of footsteps. Crowds surrounded the
entire embassy, and as Pingan stepped forth to negotiate, a tall lanky man appeared. Zhuge
Huai stood before the door, still smiling like he always was. The only di erence being that
the aura that he emitted was greatly di erent from before.

“The city is a mess. I beseech the Xiuli King to stay in here to wait and not move around.”

Chu Qiao nodded and gently replied, “I understand. Brother, you can rest.”

Zhuge Huai lightly smiled. Without replying, he walked out.

fl
ffi
fi
ffi
ff
fl
fi
ff
ff
ff
 Midnight came as a cacophony of ghting noises erupted in the direction of Sheng Jin
Palace. Sounds of ghting, arrows ying, moaning from various casualties, along with the
rolling of the war drums could be heard everywhere, blending into a deafening requiem.

Pingan anxiously rushed in and loudly informed, “Sister! We have been surrounded!”

Chu Qiao was still wearing her wedding dress as she sat holding a cup of tea. Hearing that,
she did not even inch, and her only reaction was to slightly frown at that news.

“Sister, we will make sure you get to leave!”

Jingjing already had on her warrior attire as she carried a small crossbow. A few elderly Tang
o cials stood at a corner as they watched on, their faces completely pale.

Chu Qiao shook her head as she stared at the door with her st clenched, her auspicious
dress looking as though it had been drenched in blood under the ickering candlelight.

“Missy, that Zhuge Huai must not be a good man. He is trying to place us under house
arrest.” Meixiang stepped up as well.

By 1 am in the morning, the sounds of ghting had mostly died down. Zhuge Huai walked
up, this time without any further pretense, and directly instructed, “Please follow me.”

“What happened to Rong’er?”

“You can rest. I have no prior problems with Li Ce. As long as you cooperate with us, that
kid will be safe.”

Chu Qiao stood up and casually informed him, “Sure. I will follow you.”

Zhuge Huai looked at her with respect and praised her, “Seems like my fourth brother does
have a good eye for people.”

“Are you not afraid of betraying your family?”

Zhuge Huai chuckled. All these years of su ering had nally come to an end on this night.
He lightly laughed. “Betraying the family? How are you sure that we did not abandon him?”

Chu Qiao’s gaze drew back, and after thinking about the incident for a short while, she
nally nodded and said, “I understand.”

“As expected of such an intelligent person.”

Chu Qiao asked, “What could Zhao Yang give the Zhuge Family that made it worth it to take
such a huge risk?”

“There was nothing much.” Zhuge Huai lightly responded, “The only concern is that should
Zhao Yang ascend to the throne, the Xia Empire will still be the Xia Empire, as with the noble
families. Yet, should Zhao Che be crowned, the Xia Empire will turn into Qinghai or East Hu.
In that case, it would be di cult to tell what would happen to the noble families.”

fi
ffi
fl
fi
ffi
fi
fl
fi
ff
fi
fi
fl
 As expected. Chu Qiao nodded and did not reply.

“The fourth brother has already been surrounded at Zi Wei square. He only has 3,000 men at
his disposal. The other soldiers are all beyond the city. The Jingji Army, the Cavalry Army,
and the Green Army are all on our side. As of now, Zhao Che’s Eastern Hu army is routing
out of the capital to the East, and he can no longer in uence the situation anymore.
Continuing to ght will merely be delaying the inevitable defeat. If you could help to
convince him to surrender, I can still let him o alive.”

Chu Qiao icked an eyebrow as she stared at him and asked, “Are you for real?”

Zhuge Huai smiled, “I promise.”

“Alright, the winner sets the rules, and I have nothing to say. Please lead the way.”

Zhuge Huai continued, “Please bear with us for a while.”

Chu Qiao stretched out her hands and said, “Sure. Come on.”

Two armed servants walked up holding ropes, as they were prepared to tie Chu Qiao up.

The room was well lit, and the sounds of killing outside had subsided. Chu Qiao wore the
auspicious clothes as she looked perfectly collected and con dent as two huge soldiers
stood beside her, each person holding onto one of her arms. Zhuge Huai stood before her
with four other guards standing behind him.

In the crackling of the candles, the winds howled. At that moment Chu Qiao seemed to hear
the teachings of her instructor back in the army again: Strike fast, aim accurately, remain
calm, and be forceful.

At that very moment when the knot was about to be tied over her hands, Chu Qiao’s gure
ashed. She squatted down and slid out between the two guard’s hands. With movements
like lightning, she pulled out the weapons of the two burly soldiers, and with a swift slash,
blood splattered out in the room!

Before the two cries of death could ring out, the two blades had already left her hands and
embedded themselves into the chests of two other guards who had dashed up. Chu Qiao
charged forth, and grabbing one other guard by the wrist, she strangled his neck. With a
quick throw over her shoulder, one could hear a distinct crack as that man lay dead on the
ground in a strange position.

Seeing how Zhuge Huai was about to run to the last guard, Chu Qiao pulled out her hairpin
and threw it. While doing that, she jumped up and pulled on the guard’s hair. With a quick
twist, she pulled o a large patch of skin, and with a quick twist of his neck, that man fell
and stopped moving after convulsing for a short while.

Everything seemed to have happened in an instant. After settling that last guard, Chu Qiao
slowly walked over to Zhuge Huai who had the hairpin embedded in his neck. Pulling out a
dagger that was hidden in her shoes, she calmly said, “Winners set the rules. Do you have
anything more to say?”

fl
fl
fi
ff
ff
fl
fi
fi
 Zhuge Huai’s eyes opened wide as he attempted to struggle. With a forceful strike, a streak
of blood ew.

The door was kicked open, as the wind accompanied the ruckus and blew up a wave of
fallen leaves. The soldiers in the courtyard all raised their heads only to see a lady wearing a
crimson dress holding onto the head of Zhuge Huai. With absolute calmness in her eyes,
she casually threw the head onto the ground.

With the horses galloping over, large patches of torches appeared. The guards all turned in
surprise. The war ag with red clouds stitched onto a white background uttered in the sky,
with the words Xiuli stitched below. He Xiao walked into the gate holding onto a kid that was
merely one-year-old as he loudly proclaimed, “Master, at your service!”

Chu Qiao fearlessly walked into the crowd. Only then did the courtyard of guards respond,
as an o cer in blue yelled, “Brothers! Take revenge for Master Huai! Kill this…” Before he
could nish his sentence, an arrow had accurately pierced his throat. In the darkness, a
crimson ower bloomed.

He Xiao expressionlessly stood there with the countless soldiers in black armor behind him.
Each and every one of them held crossbows and seemed like a swarm of terracotta warriors
looking upon the mortal soldiers.

The heavy atmosphere lingered as Chu Qiao continued walking in her auspicious crimson
dress. Casually picking up a blade, she ipped onto the horse that He Xiao had brought.
With her cold gaze, she swept through the crowd. Everywhere she looked the temperature
seemed to drop, as though her eyes could turn the surroundings into a sea of ice.

Chapter 257
“General, where are we headed to?”

Chu Qiao held the horse’s reins back and turned around. “To attack the northern gates,
where Xiaoqi Camp is.”

He Xiao was stunned as he asked, “Aren’t we going to Rose Square to save Fourth Young
Master?”

Chu Qiao smiled and declared con dently, “Don’t worry, he will meet us there.” Once she
nished her words, she rode out of the building on her horse.

There were about 40,000 troops from Xiaoqi Camp in full body armor stationed at the
northern gates. This army, previously led by Zhao Che, had become Zhao Yang’s, after
ghting many battles under his leadership. Their loyalty to him did not lose out to that of
Chu Qiao’s Xiuli army.

Presently, they looked on at the enemy forces of less than 1,000 people. The commander,
He Qian, stood atop the city gates and laughed in disdain. “Kill them all.”

fi
fi
fi
ffi
fl
fl
fl

fi
fl
fl
 The city gates were tall and thick, reinforced with many tools of defense. In order to attack
gates of this type successfully, enemy forces had to outnumber the defense forces by three
to ve times. However, Chu Qiao had less than 1,000 people with her, yet she dared to pit
herself against tens of thousands of people at the city gates. It was akin to a suicide
mission.

The Xia army sent out someone with a loud voice, advising Chu Qiao to surrender. After a
long while, seeing that she did not respond, the person started to insult Zhuge Yue, saying
that he was a rebel who colluded with Zhao Che to murder the Xia Emperor. Now that he
was surrounded, he would surely meet his doom.

Chu Qiao continued to listen on in silence. However, after a while, seeing that the soldier
started to go overboard, she felt a surge of anger. She reached out her hand and said to He
Xiao, “Bow.”

He Xiao remained silent as he handed over a bow to Chu Qiao.

Chu Qiao loaded an arrow in the crossbow, releasing it with frightening speed. That soldier
was alert as well due to his experience in carrying out tasks of a similar nature. He jumped
o his horse as he saw Chu Qiao’s arrow approaching, but before he landed on the ground,
the arrow appeared out of the blue and pierced through his mouth, protruding out of the
back of his head.

He Qian ew into a rage as he gave the orders to attack. In that instant, the sky was lled
with a urry of arrows as the Xia troops let out their warcry.

The Xiuli army was relatively quiet compared to the Xia army, as they did not stand in the
ring range of the arrows. The only arrows that in ltrated their territory were red by a few
stronger soldiers from the other side, but they had slowed down to the point where the
soldiers of the Xiuli army were able to de ect the arrows aside with ease.

He Qian’s only task was to defend the city gates. However, Chu Qiao’s forces only
surrounded them as they did not strike out. With this, the battle entered a stalemate. Were
his soldiers supposed to take the initiative to attack instead? He saw his other comrades
ghting at the frontline, helping Zhao Yang to attain victory. His enemies had nally
approached, but he could only stay at his position, unable to attack. He felt angered by this
fact. At this instant, a soldier from the opposite side rushed forward, holding a shield in his
hand, and shouted out something that he did not manage to catch.

He Qian was stunned as he ordered his army to quieten down. As he was advanced in
years, his hearing had deteriorated. He asked his bodyguard beside him, “What did that
person say?”

The bodyguard answered him softly after a long while, with a troubled expression on his
face. “General, that person is asking you if you’re willing to surrender. He says that if you
continue to be stubborn, they will eliminate us.”

He Qian ew into a rage. Eliminate him? He had 40,000 soldiers, while the enemy had less
than 1,000. Although he had heard of the Xiuli king’s prowess in warfare, able to attain
fi
fi
ff
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
 victory despite being outnumbered, she had only achieved what she had when she had
appropriate measures to defend a city. Now that she was about to attack a gate with less
than 1,000 people, he started to write o her chances.

As He Qian raged on, a bright yellow rework streaked across the sky, exploding with a
boom, giving o a majestic sight. Chu Qiao looked up towards the east. After a long while,
she said calmly, “All right. Open the city gates.”

Pingan stood at the side, stunned. As he was about to speak, He Xiao asked, “Are we going
to kill them all?”

Chu Qiao frowned and replied, “That depends on whether they dare to resist.”

Pingan was dumbfounded as he struggled to comprehend the madness of this plan.

Suddenly, He Xiao let out a loud cry, as one group of 40 soldiers dressed in full body armor
rode forward on their horses, forming two rows. Each soldier held a bow and arrows in their
hands. The front row of soldiers had their arrows coated with oiled paper balls, while the
back row of soldiers doused their arrows in re.

“Target the northern gates. Team 1, re at the upper left corner. Team 2, re at the lower left
corner. Team 3, re at the upper right corner. Team 4, re at the lower right corner. Team 5,
re at the center. Ready, one, two, re!”

In that instant, the rst wave of arrows ew towards the city gates, followed closely by the
second wave of re arrows. As the rst wave of arrows landed on the city gates, each re
arrow landed on each ball of oiled paper. With the winds, the re started to burn.

He Qian was initially stunned, but laughed in reply, “Is the king of Xiuli trying to burn my
gates? Haha, that’s not enough!”

Boom! As he spoke, a loud explosion sounded out from the city gates, causing it to shake
violently, as if it had experienced an earthquake. Black smoke started to rise up into the sky.
He Qian could only watch on in amazement as the city gates, which he had defended for
over 20 years, crumbled to dust along with half of the city walls.

The gates had been described as the pride of Xia, having been branded as an impenetrable
fortress for over 300 years. However, at this moment, that record crumbled to dust as the
city gates disintegrated.

“Team 6 to 10, prepare yourselves! Target, the eastern part of the city walls! Team 6, …” He
Xiao’s voice sounded out yet again, followed by a series of intense explosions which
destroyed the eastern part of the city walls. After three rounds of attacks, much of the
northern gates had been bombed to smithereens; the Xiuli army could see at land in front
of their eyes.

“People on the opposite side, listen up!” Ten messenger troops rode forward on their
horses, holding a sound ampli er in their hands as they continued to shout, “Put your
weapons down! Put your weapons down! Put your hands on your head and squat on the
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
 ground! We will accept that you have surrendered, and we will spare your lives. People on
the opposite side, listen up! Put your weapons down…”

He Qian was unbelievably frustrated. He could never comprehend how his army of 40,000
had lost with such minimal e ort, without even engaging in close combat with the enemy.
How had the enemy breached through their defense with a few explosives? Why did such
terrifying explosives exist in this world? How had he not heard of it before?

Chu Qiao rode forward on her horse and looked at He Qian from above, who had fallen from
the top of the city gates. She nodded plainly and muttered calmly, “General He, thanks for
letting me win.”

That moment, He Qian vomited blood out of frustration.

Suddenly, a trail of dust appeared along the horizon to the east. Zhuge Yue, along with
3,000 soldiers, galloped towards them swiftly on their horses. As he saw the sight unfolding
in front of him, he felt shocked as well. Only until he saw Chu Qiao did he heave a sigh of
relief.

The two of them were separated by the mess on the battle eld, sitting on the backs of their
horses as they looked at each other through the crowd.

Chu Qiao gave out a smile. She was still dressed in her exquisitely embroidered, red
wedding out t, with her crown and wreath still intact. Her hair had been pinned up; she
looked as classy as a royal under the night sky.

Zhuge Yue rode forward on his horse and asked, “Are you alright?”

Chu Qiao laughed in reply, “I’m alright.”

Yes, I’m alright. Luckily, I received your hidden message, so I knew that someone would try
something funny on this day. I just didn’t expect them to be so bold. There were no
mistakes. I was just worried about you, but I had to restrain myself from doing anything. I
was just a little worried. I’m not injured nor humiliated. Everything’s alright.

Zhuge Yue turned around and addressed He Qian and the 40,000 soldiers of the Green
Army, “Your Majesty was not harmed by me nor Seventh Royal Highness. The real
mastermind is the person that all of you are loyal to. Presently, the enemy is waiting outside
the border, while we are internally unstable. We don’t want to worsen the situation. Go back
and tell Zhao Yang that we don’t care about this city. We will give this city to him.” As he
nished his words, he reached out his arm and helped Chu Qiao onto his horse, galloping
outside the fallen city gates and away into the darkness along with his subordinates.

Zhuge Yue was not boasting. This city had indeed been gifted to Zhao Yang by Zhao Che
and himself.

Before the wedding, they had anticipated that Zhao Yang would try something shy. He
bribed the troops at Yanming Pass and sent his troops to tri e Yan Xun in private. Then, he
spread the rumors that Yan Bei was incapable of ghting a war, fanning the emotions of the
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fl
fi
people in the Elders’ Clan and the court of Xia. Thereafter, using the impending con ict with
Yan Bei as an excuse, he used the Elders’ Clan to mobilize Zhuge Yue’s troops. Under the
support of the Wei, Zhuge and other noble families, Zhao Che’s and Zhuge Yue’s military
forces were redistributed to other areas for the purpose of training. This overlapped with the
day of the wedding, which weakened their power.

Zhuge Yue had to return to the capital for his wedding. As the troops had not completed
their training in the city of Ye, Zhao Che had to stay behind and watch over them. Zhao
Yang’s plan was to capitalize on this opportunity to kill Zhuge Yue, then make Zhao Che a
scapegoat. Then, Zhao Che would be powerless, and he would fall into the mercy of Zhao
Yang.

However, Zhao Yang did not expect Zhuge Yue to ruin his plan, given that he had the
backing of the Green Army, Xiaoqi Camp, the capital troops, and Zhuge Huai, who played
his part in holding Chu Qiao as a hostage.

When Zhuge Yue and his people arrived in Dongyu City, the 110,000-strong Qinghai army
stationed in Zhen Huang had arrived there. Combined with other armies who were loyal to
Zhuge Yue and Zhao Che, their strength neared 250,000.

Presently, Zhao Che led the 170,000-strong Donghu Army, stationing himself in the city of
Ye. With one party in the north and the other in the west, they held the city of Zhen Huang
tightly in their clutches.

In less than three days, the rulers of various cities like Xuan, Xuanhua, Daliao, and Qing
mobilized their troops and headed to the capital to ght Zhao Yang, proclaiming themselves
to be the righteous who killed the rebels. These people were not loyal to Zhao Che nor
Zhuge Yue; they had just wanted a share of the pie amidst the chaos. Naturally, Zhao Yang
became the target of these people.

Some of the feudal lords, who possessed brawn but lacked brains, coveted after the throne
as well. This was precisely the reason why Zhuge Yue gave up on Zhen Huang previously.
He knew that the chaos within Xia was inevitable, hence he intended for all the greedy
subjects to ght it out amongst each other until the most capable party prevailed.

The entire Xia Empire was thrown into disarray.

Zhuge Yue and Zhao Che took the chance to open up the borders leading to Qinghai and
Donghu, sending out large groups of troops to step up the security along these places. The
civilians who were embroiled in the chaos ed to the west and north upon hearing the news.
In barely three days, an estimated 400,000 civilians had sought refuge at Qinghai Pass
alone. Although the o cials of Qinghai had spent more than three months preparing for this,
they were still caught o -guard by this sudden in ux of people.

The various feudal lords had ventured to the capital for the sole purpose of bene ting from
the chaos. However, they realized that it was not going to happen. As they fought amongst
each other for over ten days in the capital city, Zhao Yang took the chance to divert their
attention to Zhao Che. The feudal lords turned on Zhao Che, hoping for a chance to impress
their new ruler.

fi
ffi
ff
fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
 Chapter 258 
On the third of April, Zhao Che nally o cially announced his plan to seize the traitor, Zhao
Yang. On the evening of the same day, Zhuge Yue followed suit, and with his enormous
army of over 200,000, he headed towards Zhen Huang City.

On the same day, Zhao Yang’s personal army, the South West army, under the leadership of
some high ranking o cers, rushed back to Zhen Huang City via the South West Waterway.
He managed to usurp power from the 17th prince, Zhao Yi. Therefore, another 150,000
strong army fell under the control of Zhao Yang.

With that, the struggle of the two dragons that had been brewing for a long time had nally
sounded the drums of war.

Even at the very start, the cruelty of war had been put on full display. To avoid facing the
same method that Chu Qiao had used to destroy the castle walls before, Zhao Yang gave
up on defending castles. Instead, he sent out large forces over 15 kilometers away from the
castle. He initiated direct battles with Zhao Che and Zhuge Yue, who, at this moment,
outnumbered him. In reality, Chu Qiao had merely created a small number of explosives
these past few years by herself without telling anyone else. This was to prevent the
knowledge of modern weaponry from spreading and causing massive casualties.

In war, people fell like leaves, as swarm after swarm fell on the crisp green grass plains. The
miserable bugle of war echoed in the heavens above the skies, and the soil reeked of a
distinct iron smell. Every day after the crossing blades, the medical teams of each party
would carry around stretchers to save the injured, but ultimately what they did the most of
was not to save lives, but to give those grievously wounded one nal lethal strike to put
them out of their misery.

Even for Chu Qiao who had seen so much war, it was still a heart-shattering scene. She had
privately asked Zhuge Yue before if it was really necessary to carry out such a bloody power
struggle. Was it really necessary for the Xia soldiers to start killing each other?

Zhuge Yue looked at her with his rm and steady eyes, exuding attraction. He replied saying
that it was impossible to avoid a civil war. After all, Zhao Yang had been in power for too
long. He had groomed his own power in the court and had even gained control over so
much of the army. With that, it was impossible for him to be subservient to Zhao Che. Not
only that, but as Zhao Che and Zhuge Yue had only recently returned to the scene, it would
be hardly feasible to slowly usurp power from Zhao Yang. The civil war was impossible to
avoid, and at this juncture, with the death of the Xia Emperor blamed on Zhao Yang and the
various nobles starting to chip away at his army, this was prime time for civil war.

Chu Qiao had been curious if the Xia Emperor had truly died. If so, who did it? Was it Zhao
Yang, Zhao Che, or even Zhuge Yue? In the end, she did not have to ask, and instead, she
was told the answer herself.

It was truly destiny. One of the junior doctors in the imperial pharmacy was bribed and
brought in a batch of spoiled ingredients. Coincidentally, the few days the Emperor’s
ffi

fi
fi
ffi
fi
fi
 condition worsened, he had secretly informed his trusted doctors to change the formula for
his medicine. In addition, fearing that the court would know of his worsening condition, he
instructed that no one was to know of his ailing health. What was even more coincidental
was that one of the ingredients needed was in the batch of spoiled ingredients. This incident
was rst made known by Zhao Yang as he had long ago arranged some spies within the
pharmacy. Yet, he had not known that there were some spies of Zhao Che’s around him, so
his intel was in turn made known to Zhao Che as well.

With that, the Xia Emperor started to eat the new medication, and his trusted doctor was the
only one in charge of making the medicine. In addition, the eunuch in charge of trying the
medicine was una ected as he was healthy to begin with. As for the Emperor who was
already in a weakened state, he nally left the world on the day of Zhuge Yue’s marriage.

The Xia Emperor had been cautious all his life, but never would he have thought that he
would die at the hands of a greedy junior doctor. Yet, even though two of his sons knew of
this incident, none of them considered saving him.

As Chu Qiao listened to the entire story, she sunk into silence. At that moment she suddenly
thought of Yan Xun and felt a sense of misery. All his life, Yan Xun’s greatest wish was to kill
the Xia Emperor to take revenge for his parents. Yet, when he nally gained huge authority,
and with massive armies under his command, his archenemy had died quietly from the
corrosion of the river of time. What would he think when he received this news? Would he
laugh happily or would he cry out of frustration? Perhaps neither, perhaps he would merely
sit quietly and suppress all his emotions in his heart. On the second day, he would continue
to do what he was supposed to do.

The sounds of the war bugle had sounded o again. Zhao Yang had ordered three cavalry
regiments to charge up the anks. Zhuge Yue reacted by arranging four auxiliary regiments
to intercept his forces. This battle had already lasted for over two days without any break in
between. All kinds of tactics had been shown. As Zhao Yang and Zhuge Yue were both top-
tier strategists, in this direct confrontation, neither side had a particular advantage.

Xiuli army had also taken part in the battle three times in a coordinated attack on the right
ank of Zhao Yang’s formation. He Xiao had twice torn apart the enemy formation, but both
times the hole was quickly lled up by enemy reinforcements. All of the soldiers knew that
this was a battle for ascension. The victor would rule over the world whereas the defeated
would certainly die without a proper burial. As the followers of these leaders, they would
face the same consequence. As such, no one would take any steps back. Even if they
would bleed themselves dry, they would insist to ght to their last breath.

On the morning of the third day, Zhuge Yue sat on the platform facing the soldiers. He did
not make any inspirational speech and merely pulled out his blade. With a loud voice, he
shouted to his subordinates, “This will be the last day. After this day, our names will be
recorded in history!”

“Fight! Fight!” Tens of thousands of voices resounded out across the entire grass plains.
Standing behind the crowd, Chu Qiao smiled as she looked at this man who was
surrounded by this massive crowd, revealing a neat row of pristine white teeth.

fl
fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
ff
fi
fi
 Following the thunderous rolls of the marching, a light shadow appeared on the ends of the
grass plains. In the seemingly endless grass plains, Zhuge Yue’s forces had nally
encountered the main bulk of Zhao Yang’s forces. After the two days of battle, both sides
had su ered great casualties, yet both parties stood there without any sign of retreating.

The shadow grew larger, like a patch of looming thunderclouds growing in the vast
expanses of the heavens stretching into the horizon. Under the illumination of the rays of
sunlight, one could see the large clouds of dust that followed behind the neat rows of
formations of soldiers, looking into Zhuge Yue’s armies.

600 meters, 400 meters, 200 meters… As the two armies inched closer to each other, the
soldiers could almost feel the warm breath of the war horses. The scent of the reaper drew
closer as vultures soared in the skies above in waiting for a feast.

As the rolling of the war drums sounded, so did the rumbling of the ground from the
thousands upon thousands of horses charging into each other. The vibrations could be felt
traveling up from one’s feet into their legs, into their spines, making them feel chills.

As the fearsome battle seemed imminent, everyone held their breath as they clenched their
respective weapons, as though they were trying to wring their weapons dry of water.

“Attack.” Zhuge Yue looked up as he casually gave the order. Just as he gave that order, it
was apparent that the same order was given from their foe’s leader. Cavalry from the front
row drew their blades in unison, as the whooshing sounds of the blade coming out from the
scabbard could be heard over the entire grass plain. It was as though some deity had just
sneezed. The winds seemed to be embedded with murderous intent as it swept past the
land before disappearing into the distance, as though anticipating a battle to the end.

And just when it was about to happen, the sound of a string of horses galloping could be
heard from the main road.

“Urgent intel! General Zhu is seeking assistance from the Southwest! Urgent intel! General
Zhu is seeking assistance!” The young messenger was covered in dust, evident from his
continuous days of traveling. In the shocked gazes of everyone, he jumped o his horse. He
threw himself down on his knees and shouted, “General! Your Highness! Stop ghting! There
is urgent intel from the South West!”

The hundreds of thousands of soldiers turned silent. None dared to be the one to respond
to this daring messenger.

“What are you talking about?” a low voice said. As the commander of the South Western
region, Zhao Yang’s men were mostly from there too. He naturally had to inquire about this
matter, and as such, he stepped up and questioned this messenger.

“Your Highness! Save us, Your Highness!” That soldier was overjoyed to have nally seen
Zhao Yang, as he continued, “Yan Xun has led over 400,000 soldiers to invade, and they
have already entered our territory. In merely two days, he has conquered 19 provinces. The
entire region in the Southwest had already been razed to the ground!”

ff
fi
ff
fi
fi
 “B*llshit!” Yue Qi held his blade as he looked down at the messenger from atop his horse.
Yue Qi smirked as he said, “There were over 300,000 soldiers garrisoned at Yanming Pass.
How could Yan Xun quietly enter the Xia territory?”

Hearing that, the crowd all awoke from the shock in agreement. Chu Qiao suppressed the
shock that was in her heart as well. Even if the Xia Empire was in the midst of a civil war, all
the participants knew of the importance of the Yanming Pass and the threat from Yan Bei.
Whether it was Zhao Yang or Zhao Che, they did not dare to move a single soldier from
Yanming Pass. With the forti cation as usual, how was it possible that Yan Xun broke
through from Yanming Pass and entered the heartlands of the Xia Empire?

“General! What Yan Bei broke through was not the Yanming Pass, it was the Baizhi Pass!”
the messenger cried out in sorrow. “The Tang Empire is a mess. The Lady of Jingan
declared a coup as she contacted the old followers of King of Jingan. She then unilaterally
opened the Tanghu Pass and let the Yan Bei forces into the Tang Empire. With that, the
entire garrison of the Tang Empire in the Southeastern region has been decimated. In fact,
the survival of the Tang Empire was already at stake as their capital was left exposed.
Through the Tang Empire, Yan Bei, along with the Song forces, attacked the Baizhi Pass.
The garrison of the Baizhi Pass has all been mobilized, with less than 10,000 soldiers left. In
addition, the beacons have been destroyed by spies sent by Lord Feng. Because of that, in
merely two days, the entire Southwestern region has been conquered!”

At that moment, all noise disappeared as the battle eld sunk into a dreadful silence. The
wind continued to blow, sweeping past the quiet grass plains.

Baicang Calender, Year 882, 6th of April, a message that sounded more like a bad joke
swept everyone o their feet:

“Third of April, Yan Xun led 400,000 Yan Bei soldiers into the Xia Empire through the Tang
Empire. The entire Southwestern region was raided, and an estimated four million civilians
turned into slaves.”

Wei Shuye lifted his head up, the crimson sun searing into his retina. The rising sun was red
like fresh blood, as the grass in the desolate plains swayed quietly in unison as though
hiding the creeping reaper that was about to descend. The rumbling of the war drums
seemed to be roaring by his ear as thousands upon thousands of swarmed to him. Their
cold unfeeling armor was like a blanket drawn over the lands, slowly covering the entire
battle eld.

He was already covered in blood. His handsome and delicate face was covered in blood, his
hair in knots, full of dried blood. His blade had already started to chip as his war horse
started to tremble as though it was about to fall over any time from the injuries it had
sustained.

With the powerful enemy invasion, the entire Southwestern region of the Empire had fallen
into enemy hands. The arch nemesis of the Xia Empire had successfully opened the gates to
their territory, yet out of all the noble families, only he alone summoned his forces to defend
their territory.

fi
ff
fi
fi
 Along the way to meet the enemy, he had seen all too many noble families leading their
families and personal armies to escape to the north. The endless stream of refugees
seemed like a long dragon eeing to the north. Those nobles wore amboyant clothes, and
brought along large amounts of jewelry, along with their whole families escorted by their
private armies. Some local magistrates even ed north with their local garrisons. Swinging
their horse whips and their spears, they chased aside the civilians who were blocking the
way, as their faces were lled with anxiety, completely devoid of their usual pride.

Wei Shuye had tried to organize these forces to fend o the enemies. In fact, he had even
attempted to seal o the paths, forcing those eeing o cials to assist him in his endeavor.
Yet, those people had managed to provide him with a somewhat su cient explanation: To
protect the royal capital, or a strategic retreat, or to head to the capital to prevent a civil war,
or even to preserve the elites of the empire for a decisive battle with the enemy, and so on.
All in all, they would rather ght with Wei Shuye than to turn back and ght the Yan Bei
forces.

Some even rowdily shouted that the regular Southwestern Garrison had already been
mobilized by the two princes to ght the civil war. Even the royal families seemed like they
were going to abandon this country, why should they bother? Faced with this symphony of
dissidence, Wei Shuye had no counter argument.

Chapter 259
In less than two days, over 200,000 refugees had gathered at the roads along Songjiang,
engaging in a stando with the soldiers who were in their way. They included nobles,
families, soldiers, and civilians who had escaped from the ravaged southwest regions.

As the roadblocks had been destroyed, the army of 20,000 soldiers could not stop the
crowd from surging forward. A vice-general stood in front of the team, shouting hoarsely in a
loud voice as he ordered the people to turn back and ght. However, no one paid attention
to him. Wei Shuye rode on his horse as he looked on at the people passing by him.

After everyone had left, only a group of about ten boys remained. Some of them looked 14
or 15 years old, while some of them looked 11 or 12. They approached the vice-general
timidly as they raised their hands, saying that they were willing to join the army. The vice-
general was shocked as he realized that his words had proved not to be useless. He asked
the boys for their reasons in joining the army. Was it that they knew how to defend their
country in times of need? However, the children stated that their rations had been stolen by
the eeing soldiers in front of them. They had been forced into a dead end.

The army of 20,000 soldiers fell into silence in front of this group of children.

Wei Shuye ordered his troops to give them dry rations and clean water, as he watched them
run o in joy.

It was even more chaotic after he had entered the southwestern borders. There were no
traces of human beings as they passed by a ghost town; only the sounds of their own heavy
footsteps were audible. When they reached a small square in that town, they were stunned.
fl
ff
ff
ff

fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
ffi
ff
fl
ffi
fi
 Tens of male corpses were hung on a big elm tree; mountains of burnt corpses over two
human beings tall were piled up on the ground. In addition, lots of female corpses were
found as well; it was evident how cruelly they had been tortured to death.

The entire army fell into silence once again. they were seasoned war veterans who had killed
many people in their lives. However, at this moment, some of them started to weep quietly.
As soldiers, if they were not able to defend their own country and their own people, what
was the meaning in their existence?

Their homes had been destroyed. Their houses had been attened, while the fertile lands
had been turned to wastelands. A picture of prosperity had crumbled to dust as the ghost
town lay in front of them. The vibrant life that once populated this town had been turned into
lifeless corpses, whose pungent scents attracted hordes of vultures. This was a
catastrophic, nightmarish sight.

Wei Shuye was unable to understand why the Yan Bei troops were so brutal. At that
moment, he felt immense anger boiling within him as he held his sword tightly in his grasp.
As they met with further con icts subsequently, he began to solve the mystery of his
question.

It turned out that the Yan Bei troops were not the rst group of soldiers to enter Xia territory.
Yan Xun had opened up Baizhi Pass by eliminating a few military camps along the way.
Then, he stepped out of Xia territory and occupied the pass. He did not let a single troop
into Xia territory but chose to publish a notice to the bandits along the highlands of Yan Bei,
the southern wastelands, Helan Mountains, and the deserts along the northwest, telling
them to attack Xia as they pleased.

Hence, group after group of bandits in ltrated Xia territory, carrying out their brutal
rampages. As they did not hold any sentiments towards this piece of land, only believing
passionately in robbing and killing, they carried out every single vile act that could be
described without even batting an eyelid. The merciless bloodshed had alarmed the soldiers
and noble families there, as they prepared to strike back. However, as they heard of the
rumors of the enemy’s prowess along the southwest, they gave up their resistance e orts,
eeing together with the civilians. In a few days, the southwest had fallen into Yan Bei’s
hands, without them even participating in an o cial battle!

He was a lunatic! Wei Shuye thought to himself as the pungent smell of decomposing
corpses wafted into his nostrils. He had opened up the gates of Xia for those demons to
enter, turning the southwest into a human hunting ground. His purpose was not to conquer
but to sacri ce the lives in Xia to his ancestors back in Yan Bei.

The angered Xia troops nally bumped into a group of troops from Yan Bei in Yangkang City.
It was an uphill battle for the Xia troops as 20,000 of them encountered 30,000 heavy
cavalry troops. However, Wei Shuye’s army emerged victorious as they mustered their
willpower to ght, from the brink of death. As the Xia troops killed their enemies who had
been captured alive, Wei Shuye did not stop them. He had also been looking forward to this
in his heart.

fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
ffi
fi
fl
ff
He hated those in ltrators. He hated Yan Bei, Yan Xun, and those savage bandits.

However, he hated the royal family more, along with those noble aristocrats who lived their
lives in luxury. He hated those higher-ranked soldiers who ed from battle. He hated Zhao
Yang, who mobilized the entire Southwestern Army for his own internal con ict. He hated
everyone, including himself and his family.

As he tore the letter from his uncle to shreds, his elders had berated him for being crazy. By
leading the troops of his household into the southwest, he had been branded a sinner and
rebel of the family. However, this time, nothing could stop him, no matter how severely he
was reprimanded.

The enemies were threatening the sovereignty of the royal capital. The country was in a
state of internal con ict. The nobles were eeing, while the civilians were crying out for help.

He was a warrior of the royal capital. He would not retreat, no matter what.

After the battle at Yangkang City, his army had nally caught the attention of Yan Bei. In less
than two days, close to 70,000 troops had surrounded them. After ghting non-stop for one
day and one night, they were on the brink of exhaustion.

They had run out of arrows, medicine, and rations, while their swords and spears had been
dented. The soldiers had not had a good night’s sleep in a long time. Many a time, they had
managed to actually fall asleep while ghting, only to be brought back to reality as they were
awakened by ts of acute pain.

As the sun rose again, Wei Shuye looked up towards the sky and squinted. He told himself:
This might be the last sunrise that I see in my life.

As his vice-general, whose face had been scarred, approached him, he shouted in a loud,
hoarse voice, “General! We can’t hold on anymore! The enemy has sent in three
reinforcement squads! Let’s retreat quickly!”

Wei Shuye remained silent as he looked at the older man in front of him. He was a comrade
who had fought with him all the way from the south to the north. The man had fought more
battles than himself, was more well-versed in warfare, was more ferocious in the battle eld,
and won over people’s hearts easily. This was precisely because he was once an ordinary
civilian, unable to be promoted regardless of how much credit he earned. If not for his
grooming, the man might have remained as a small section leader.

Perhaps, due to him valuing the man highly, the man remained loyal to him. He fought at the
frontline every battle, blocking the arrows and swords for him. However, the man did not
know that many a time, he had looked down on people of such status. He had taken them
for granted, taking credit for their hard work as he stood behind, waiting for each battle to
conclude. How was he di erent from those aristocrats who ed from battle in cowardice?
They had ed for the sake of their own lives, while he, in order to enhance his reputation,
ruined the lives of other people.

A complex urry of emotions suddenly brewed within his heart.

fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
Wei Shuye knew that today was his last battle. There were not going to be any
reinforcements, nor any room for victory. Zhao Yang was still engaged in battle with Zhuge
Yue; this meant that he would not appear to save him. Wei Shuye also knew that even if
Zhao Yang was not at war, he would not have saved him either. They were destined to be
abandoned and killed in the chaotic battle elds.

Wei Shuye whipped out his sword, a determined look on his face. He rode forward on his
horse and positioned himself in front of his wounded soldiers. He declared, “Warriors, today
will be our last battle.” As his low voice reverberated around the battle eld, countless
bloodied faces looked up towards their commander.

“Soldiers, the enemy has ravaged our land. While everyone is retreating, only all of you are
bravely going forward. In less than ten days, all of you have participated in 13 defense
battles, 11 guerrilla warfare battles, two head-on battles, and traveled across half the land of
Xia. All of you ful lled your responsibilities as soldiers. The future generations of Xia will
honor all of you proudly! Perhaps, we will all die here today. Perhaps, we will all fail, but we
will use the swords in our hands to tell those invaders that Xia will not submit. Our passion
will continue to burn on. Those that trample on our dignity will pay a heavy price!” As the
general delivered his rousing speech, he pointed towards the rapidly approaching enemy
forces and hollered, “Long live the royal capital! Long live Xia!”

Thousands of broken swords pointed towards the sky as the soldiers cheered passionately.
Wei Shuye rode out of the camp on his horse, shouting as he charged towards the enemy
troops with his army of soldiers behind him.

As the cold winds blew past his ear, his eyes ached. He was unable to see anything else as
he whipped out his sword. He suddenly found life enlightening. He reminisced his past
experiences, all the way back to when he was a young boy growing up under his uncle’s
guidance, to the times he fought on the battle eld.

“I don’t want to be a coward. I don’t want to be bound to the rigid ways of life in the royal
capital, growing up, aging, and then dying. Someday, I will break free of that cage. I will
leave everything behind and use my only life to achieve something big. I don’t care if they
brand it insigni cant. I can tell myself before I die, that I was nally brave for once.” He
smiled coldly as he whipped out his sword to hack at his enemies, causing blood to splatter
around the battle eld.

Along the banks of the Hang river not far out, another general dressed in black watched on
coldly as the battle unfolded in front of him. Suddenly, the general ordered, “All of you, get
ready.”

“Your Highness!” Mu Liao frowned and said, “that’s Wei Shuye’s household troops. They are
loyal to 14th Royal Highness.”

The general frowned, turned around, and muttered in a deep voice, “I don’t care who they
are. I only know that they are our comrades who are defending our country.”

Mu Liao was stunned as he replied, “I understand.”

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
The general whipped out his sword and raised it high up in the air. “All of you, listen to my
orders! Charge!”

“Kill the enemy!”

The army suddenly let out a loud warcry!

“A large group of troops is approaching from the north!”

“They are heading towards us at full speed!”

“We can’t tell whether they are friend or foe! It looks like they have over 100,000 people!”

Swiftly, everyone’s attention turned towards the bizarre sight at the northeast.

The leader of the pack was dressed in a green cloak as he galloped forward on his
warhorse. As a large cloud of dust had been stirred up, the opposition’s numbers were not
known. The horses surged forward like waves, coloring the sky yellow with the dust that
they stirred up.

Chapter 260
“Look at that ag! The Eastern Hu Forces!” A wave of cheers resounded. At that moment,
everyone was taken aback. They stared as they were so excited; their faces were ushed
red.

“The Eastern Hu Forces! It’s them!”

“They are armies of the Seventh Prince! Our allies!”

“Long live the Seventh Highness! Long Live the Xia Empire!”

….

Wei Shuye sat atop his horse. Never in his life did he ever expect that at this very critical
juncture, Zhao Che, who was supposed to be seizing Zhen Huang City, would appear here.
After he had abandoned this friendship in accordance with his family’s instructions to
support Zhao Yang, it was ironic that at this very moment when his family had abandoned
him, when Zhao Yang had abandoned him, when the Empire had abandoned him, it was this
man whom he had abandoned that turned back to save him. Biting his teeth, Wei Shuye
slashed into another enemy’s skull.

“Kill the enemies!” The bugle call to charge was sounded o once again. Along with the hot
blood of passion, the burning will to ght was ignited once again. In the completely
devastated battle eld, dusk set in as the sounds of killing nally reduced to silence. The
evening breeze brought along with it the musky smell of iron.

In his battle dress, Zhao Che stood atop a dam as he overlooked this battle eld that was
soaked in blood. Wei Shuye stood not far behind him as he looked at Zhao Che’s gure. At
that moment, it was as though they had gone back in time, as Wei Shuye recalled that time
fl
fi

fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fl
when this defeated prince had just returned to the capital. As Zhao Che knelt in Zi Wei
Square pleading guilty, Wei Shuye had stood just like that, watching his back which was
always straight, and his sts which seemed to always be clenched.

After so many years, after having gone through life and death, ups and downs, dangers and
risks, loyalty and betrayal, everyone’s eyes seemed to have aged.

Zhao Yang had turned into an ambitious man, Zhao Song gave up any form of ambitions,
Zhao Qi died in Yan Bei, Yan Xun turned ruthless and decisive, Zhuge Yue nally awoke to
his own stubbornness. Yet, amidst all these changes, only Zhao Che had stayed the same
as he had always been. He had always been rm and decisive. He had never seemed to be
weak, never even once showing any signs of weakness. This man was a born soldier, a born
defender.

Walking over slowly, standing behind Zhao Che, Wei Shuye opened his mouth, and said,
“Thank you for rescuing me.”

Zhao Che did not turn around, as though he had long known that this man was standing
behind him. A low voice could be heard, “I just did not want to let down my family name.”
Indeed, he was the descendent of Emperor Peiluo, with the purest of blue blood running
through his veins. He was merely defending his territory and people. This had nothing to do
with their respective factions, or even to save anyone.

“Look, how beautiful.” Zhao Che suddenly stretched out his hands, and using his sheath, he
pointed to the grass plains that were below him. Under the setting sun, the crimson rays
illuminated the barren plains that waved with the wind. It was like blood was running through
a sea of gold. Truly a sight to behold.

“The worldly people had not seen the true vastness of the world, because such a world had
not yet been created. There will be a day, from the Shangshen Highlands of Yan Bei to the
East Coast of the Song Empire, from the Ahdu Wastelands of the Western Deserts to the
Jiuwai Mountain Ranges of the Southern Borders, everyone will bow to the feet of the
Empire. And that story will have its opening act written by my blade.” Turning around, with
eyes glimmering in resolution, he stared into Wei Shuye as he smiled con dently before
holding his st out and rmly saying, “The Xia Empire will not cease to exist.”

Wei Shuye looked back at him. Staying silent for a long while, Wei Shuye nally revealed a
trace of a smile. The smile spread on his face, showing his eyes that were full of life. “The
Xia Empire will not cease to exist!” He stretched out his st too, bumping Zhao Che’s st.

Under the skies of the Northwestern Region, the beautiful sun gradually set below the
horizon. The army that had been rushing for the entire day nally got to rest as the entire
force started to cook dinner and catch some sleep. They merely had four hours of rest.
Once the time was up, they would need to continue to rush to the Southwest.

After having checked on the entire army, Zhuge Yue had just returned to his main camp
when he saw that Chu Qiao had gotten ready to leave, as though she was waiting for him to
come back before she set o on her journey.

fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
Zhuge Yue stood at the door and observed her in silence without saying a single word. The
spring wind was a little stronger than usual, as it lifted the veils of the entrance, letting rays
of light from outside into the tent, covering them with a thin glow.

“You have made up your mind?” a low voice nally resounded. One could not tell the
emotion of the voice as the tone was exceedingly calm.

Chu Qiao nodded, and she replied seriously, “Yes, I have made up my mind.”

Hearing that, Zhuge Yue turned around and headed o , saying, “I will prepare a war horse
for you.”

“Zhuge Yue!” Chu Qiao stepped up, grabbing Zhuge Yue’s hand, seeming to be in a
dilemma. The atmosphere in the tent was rather heavy. Chu Qiao lowered her head,
frowning. Her palms were cold like a block of ice. Finally, the man before her turned around
and looked at her seriously. Pausing for a long while, he heaved a helpless sigh of relief, as
he removed her sword and put his own sword by her waist. He then turned around and tied
a concealed dagger to her calves. After which, he stepped out of the tent and brought in a
set of soft armor which he slowly put on her. He removed his own cape and put it over her.
Without speaking, he continued to help her prepare her equipment, sharpening her blade,
checking her luggage, packing medicine. Chu Qiao’s eyes watered up as she bit her lips,
watching how he continued to buzz around.

“Alright.” After settling everything, the man stood before her and said, “Prepare to eat. After
two more hours, we will be separated. I can only see you o to here.”

Chu Qiao nodded, feeling a tinge of sadness and helplessness, along with guilt and even
with a bit of fear. It had been so long since she had been so scared. As expected, one must
not have too much. Once one feels too much happiness, one will fear loss.

“Xing’er, promise me, you must return in perfect shape to see me.”

Chu Qiao quickly nodded and lifted her head to look at him, asking, “Are you not angry at
me?”

Zhuge Yue smiled bitterly. “If I were angry, would you not go?”

Chu Qiao lowered her head. Over this matter, they had already argued a few times, yet at
this moment right before their departure, she did not wish to continue this dangerous topic.

“Since there is no way for me to stop you from leaving, I want to send you o properly.”
Zhuge Yue suddenly opened his arms to hold her in his embrace. His chin sat on her
forehead as he quietly said, “Xing’er, Zhao Che brought his forces into the Southwestern
Regions. Considering the urgency of the situation, I must rush to his assistance. Due to the
Yan Bei’s occupation of the Southwestern Region, the pathways to the Tang Empire from
the Xia Empire will be cut o . No matter what happens, I will not be able to come to your
assistance. The situation in the Tang Empire was something we could guess without
knowing the details, and you must be careful. Once you realize that things are heading
south, you must retreat. ”

ff
fi
ff
ff
ff
Chu Qiao cowered in his embrace, nodding, but not making any sounds.

Zhuge Yue sighed as he continued to speak, “If the situation in the Tang Empire gets worse,
and defeat becomes inevitable, you should bring the people to head to Qinghai. I already
ordered Yue Qi to head back to Cuiwei Pass. He will be there waiting for your return.”

Chu Qiao’s eyes turned moist as she sobbed and nodded.

“Alright. Since you have already made up your mind to go, do not appear so indecisive.
Leading forces into battle, the most important thing is to stay rm. If you are going to leave
like this, how can I be at ease?”

Chu Qiao lifted her head up and smiled at him, still sobbing very slightly as she replied, “Be
at ease, nothing will happen to me.”

Holding her face, Zhuge Yue lightly kissed her lips before smiling. “This is the con dence
that my woman should have.”

Chu Qiao was amused by his words as she looked up at him and said, “You must be careful
too. This time the situation is rather grave. Not only must you be on guard of the forces of
Yan Bei, you must also take care against Zhao Yang and the various nobles. The Xia Empire
has been split, and the enemies are invading us. In this unstable world, you must be extra
cautious.”

“I understand.” Zhuge Yue nodded. “I have led forces into combat for so long, it is rare for
me to be disadvantaged. You ought to trust your husband more.”

In her battle dress, Chu Qiao seemed adorable. Hearing that, her face blushed as she
scolded, “Whose husband are you? Have I formally married you?”

Zhuge Yue brushed o that remark in disdain. “You have long been married to me in your
heart, just that you still refuse to admit it.” With that, his gaze suddenly turned gentle as he
said, “Xing’er, I still owe you an amazing wedding.”

Chu Qiao’s eyes were lled with love as she whispered, “I do not need a grandiose
marriage. As long as you are around, that will be enough.”

A bright and crisp military bugle sounded from outside, piercing into the vast grass plains.
The surroundings suddenly seemed so empty as the echoes resounded. Chu Qiao closed
her eyes as she tipped-toed and kissed Zhuge Yue. “Zhuge Yue, both of us must stay safe.”

“Alright.” Zhuge Yue hugged her with all his strength.

In the barren pathway, Chu Qiao led Xiao He as she sat on the horse. She gazed into the
distance at the handsome gure that stood below the Qinghai ag.

“Zhuge Yue! I am leaving!” The winds raised a wave of dust along with Chu Qiao’s cape,
revealing the pristine white under armor she was wearing.

ff
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
 Zhuge Yue’s eyes were sharp and rm, his expression calm and unmoved as he shouted,
“May success follow you!”

Chu Qiao raised her horse whip as she replied with the same words, “May success follow
you!”

The rumbling of the war drums resounded as Chu Qiao whipped her horse and turned it
around before loudly shouting, “Giddyup!” With the galloping of the horse, the red u on
the top of her helmet seemed like a bouncing ame, so eye-catching in this world.

With their departure, there were no more words of caution or hesitation. They merely called
out for each other’s success. They both knew what the other wanted. In this unstable world,
life was so easily lost. The only thing that would never die was their rm beliefs.

“Master,” Yue Liu frowned as he asked, “why didn’t you stop the lady from leaving? The
Tang Empire is so dangerous. Why did Master not stop her?”

Zhuge Yue turned around and lightly smiled. “If she did not go, is she really Chu Qiao?”

The sounds of the horses galloping vanished into the distance. Looking into the distance,
Zhuge Yue’s heart was lled with words that he had not managed to say before their
departure.

The person I love is precisely this person. How could I imprison her at my side after I had
managed to win her heart, and slowly destroy her original personality?

Zhuge Yue chuckled as he instructed his subordinates, “Depart!”

In the rst half of the Year 882, Yan Bei initiated a full-on assault on the Xia Empire. They
cooperated with the Lady of Jingan, who opened the gates of Tanghu Pass to allow entry
before defeating all the Tang Garrison to the west of Mei Mountain, essentially clearing the
path to the capital for the forces of the King of Jingan. Before the Tang Empire fully erupted
into civil war, Yan Bei forces removed themselves from the situation and surrounded the
Baizhi Pass of the Xia Empire.

Due to the climax of the civil war in the Xia Empire, the 14th Prince Zhao Yang had relocated
over 80 percent of the Southwestern Garrisons to counter the Qinghai Armies and Eastern
Hu forces that Zhuge Yue and Zhao Che respectively commanded. In addition, due to the
lack of war in the Baizhi Pass in the past years, the garrison was extremely lax. The entire
gate was only guarded by a few hundred old soldiers. Before the elites of the Yan Bei forces,
the Baizhi Pass was as good as a paper window.

After slaughtering a group of forces who resisted the invasion, Yan Xun opened the pass
and allowed entry of the ruthless bandits, bringing upon a disaster for the civilians of the
Southwestern regions.

Given the vastness of the West Meng Continent, there were huge pockets of regions that
were not ruled by anyone. In those places, there were countless organizations of bandits.
Some of the bigger groups could even withstand smaller groups of imperial armies. With
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
ff
their inhumane methods and ruthless reputation, the countless noble families of the
Southwestern Region all tried to avoid coming into contact with them. With that, a huge
refugee crisis emerged, and the armies refused to attack and retreat without contest, giving
up huge swathes of territory to the soldiers of Yan Bei. With that, Yan Xun managed to
capture the greatest bene ts with the smallest price.

Chapter 261 
By the middle of the fourth month, Zhao Che had led his army into the southwest regions to
meet up with Wei Shuye, who was the rst to enter the area. It was Xia’s rst large-scale
resistance army since the outbreak of the con ict. The army stood 200,000 strong,
consisting of 50,000 cavalry troops, 60,000 infantry troops, 80,000 heavily armored infantry
troops and 10,000 of Wei Shuye’s light cavalry troops. Three days later, a supply line cutting
through the southwest regions from the inner mainland was established under Zhuge Yue’s
coordination. At the same time, Zhuge Yue and some of his troops rushed to Shengjing to
take charge of Shengjing Camp, located in the southwest. Aside from having control over
the country’s food supplies, he could assist Zhao Che in the south, watch over Zhao Yang
and Yanming Pass in the north and west respectively. In an instant, Shengjing had e ectively
become the country’s capital.

It was on the 15th day of the fourth month that Yan Bei gathered its rst large-scale army at
the Hang River, consisting of the Second, Sixth, Ninth, Thirteenth and Black Eagle Armies.
Under the command of Cheng Yuan, the forces were rapidly mobilized into action while
reserve troops continued to stream in. In all, over 200,000 troops were deployed.

Yet, as Zhao Che rallied his forces for an all-out battle, Yan Bei’s army did not ght them
straight on. Instead, after the various armies received orders from Yan Xun to disperse, they
followed the tracks left behind by the bandits and ventured into the land of Xia separately.

As Yan Bei’s army carried out their attacks from their dispersed positions, military leaders
and planners in Xia were ooded with reports of attacks, heavy casualties and even some
locations being completely overrun, throwing the entire leadership into disarray.

Zhuge Yue’s top general, Meng Feng, returned from Qinghai to her old hometown,
witnessing the carnage from the battle elds along the way. The young female general was
stunned and could only ask dumbfounded, “Has Yan Xun lost it? Does he want to perish
with us?”

Zhuge Yue was in deep thought for quite some time as he looked at the various colors
etched on his map. He eventually went to the Military Strategy Department and put his map
on the table as he said, “I think I know what they’re up to.”

In a thick forest along the Xia-Tang border, Chu Qiao and He Xiao had been reunited with
the group of Tang diplomats that had married her o . Luckily, their journey had been
delayed by the con ict; they had not headed back to Tang, which allowed them to preserve
their power amidst these turbulent times.

fl
fl

fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
 With 20,000 troops from the Wolf Army and 20,000 troops from the Xiuli Army, her forces
stood 40,000-strong. 40,000 troops, all of them elites. With the right tactics, Chu Qiao was
con dent that her forces could take on an army three times the size of hers.

In the candle-lit command tent, laid in her suit of armor, Chu Qiao held her helmet in one
hand as her other hand pointed on a map lying on the table.

“He’s going to attack Yanming Pass.”

“An attack on Yanming Pass?”

He Xiao’s younger brother, He Qi, questioned as he frowned, “General, why would they
spend all that e ort to attack Yanming Pass when they’ve occupied Baizhi Pass already?”

“You both don’t understand him,” Chu Qiao replied as she shook her head.

“How would Yan Xun allow himself to be bounded by the will of others? Right now, he is just
using Tang to advance towards Xia, while the path behind him is under the control of Jingan.
Once she falls out with him, or if the royal family of Tang ghts back, it will only be a matter
of time before Yan Bei’s army comes under attack. Without a path to retreat, the siege will
place enormous strain on their forces. Therefore, Yan Xun has to attack Yanming Pass within
a speci c timeframe to open up an escape route towards the north. Only then will the
armies of Yan Bei and Xia face o .”

Chu Qiao frowned, took a deep breath and sat on the oor, frustrated that she did not think
of this earlier when she should have. Yan Xun had not attacked previously, even going as far
as to feign his vulnerability on multiple occasions, causing the court of Xia to become
complacent. Thereafter, he took a major risk by robbing the rations of Tang, but it turned out
that no such thing had happened. He had actually captured the general in charge of
defending Tanghu Pass, using him to contact Princess Jingan, who had an intention to stir
up a rebellion. Then, he would capitalize on Xia’s internal con ict to in ltrate the southwest
secretly. It was a plan that he had planned for ages to execute.

“There is always more to Yan Bei than what appears to be. Their true power is hidden
somewhere just outside Yanming Pass.”

“General, should we inform General Zhuge about this?”

Chu Qiao shook her head. “Whatever I’ve thought of, he’ll have the same ideas.”

Instead, she rolled up the map and unwrapped Tang’s territorial map as she explained in a
low voice, “We can’t do anything to stop the inevitable battle between Yan Bei and Xia. Our
mission now would be to head back to Tang as fast as possible to obtain the latest situation
report concerning the con ict there. From there, we will decide how to assist His Majesty.”

The vice-commander of the Wolf Army, Guan Song, nodded and agreed, “General, our
scouts have been out for two days. I estimate that they’ll be back by tomorrow morning
latest.”

fi
fi
ff
fl
ff
fl
fi
fl
fi
Just as Chu Qiao was about to reply, there was commotion from the soldiers outside.
“General, the scouts are back.”

He Xiao opened the curtain beside him to be greeted by three soldiers soaked in both mud
and blood jumping o their horses. One of them reported, “General, the situation in Tang is
critical. The rebels have breached Hanshui Pass, and have taken a few key personnel
captive. They include Fang Huaihai, the vice-commander of Jinji Camp in Shennan, and Tian
Rujia, the general of the Dianxi Army. General Xu Su has been betrayed by traitors, dying
together with Cang Muling in battle. The Hanshui Army has been utterly defeated. The
rebels have now surrounded the city and are in a strong position, with as many as 200,000
of them.”

In an instant, the entire camp stood still, stunned at what they just heard. Chu Qiao frowned
as she clenched and loosened her sts for a few times.

“Who’s leading the enemy?”

“Princess Jingan.”

“Is the background of this person known?”

“Yes. She was tra cked into the king of Jingan’s residence as a dancer four years ago.
However, he grew closer to her, and they had a son together. From then on, he became even
more attached to her and made her his concubine, only to have another child together a
year after. In a t of elation, he decided to make her his rst wife.”

He Xiao asked, “Can a slave become a rst wife?”

“This, I don’t know. However, many things happened at his residence. His old wife and two
other sons passed away in succession. From then on, she became the mistress of the
residence. After his rebellion failed and his entire family had been executed, she escaped
with the help of guards loyal to him, ending up in Tanghu Pass, where she survived under
the watchful eye of the general defending that place. Apparently, she had an a air with this
person.”

Gloomily, Chu Qiao asked, “What’s her name?”

“We don’t know her name, but we know that her rst name is Chou.”

“Chou?” Chu Qiao muttered, deep in thought.

Anxious about the situation in the capital, Guan Song exclaimed, “General, with the Tang
Capital under siege, we should head back to save His Majesty!”

Chu Qiao’s eyes looked towards Baizhi Pass, which had been occupied by Yan Bei. The
land of Tang beckoned beyond that.

She nodded and replied plainly, “Yes, it’s time to head back.”

fi
ffi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
 She had not once seen real snow throughout her life. The moonlight appeared especially
bright under the night sky devoid of stars. It appeared like a moving stream of water and
snow akes at the same time.

Wearing a wide robe, she stood atop the white tower, the chilly wind blowing at her sleeve.
Her hair was scattered about by the wind as it danced behind her head. In the distance, a
big palace stood tall amongst the darkness. A shadow stood in front of the gate, which was
made of black stone. From her position, she could not make out any faces, but she could
tell it was a tall, young gure, and very likely a soldier. She stood rooted to the spot for what
seemed to be an eternity.

Xuan Mo looked at her as he remained silent. The night was quiet as the wind blew past her
robe, the smell of her perfume slowly wrapping around Xuan Mo.

For a moment, Xuan Mo was brought back in time in a ashback, to when he was just a
child going hunting with his father after winning an archery competition, catching the
attention of the royal family. Wearing her bright yellow gown, she stormed onto the range
and shot three arrows on the bullseye in quick succession, before boasting, “Let’s go head
to head if you’re up for it!”

That day, the emperor sat on his throne as he proclaimed, “My daughter does not lose out
to boys!”

As the other members of the royal family poured in praise of the young princess, Xuan Mo
stood in silence and looked at her riding on her horse, the gentle rays of the sun glistening
o her face. He recalled her look that day, as her eyes shone brightly. He did not say
anything, as he seemed to turn into a mute in front of her. Throughout these years as he
watched her grow and ascend the peak of power, he had gotten used to looking up to her.

As time ew past, so did their youth. The chance of making his feelings known to her started
to slip away.

“Xuan Mo,” Nalan Hongye suddenly whispered, her voice sounding even softer due to the
sheer height of the tower. Still looking at the lights below, she asked, “Did I really do
anything wrong?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

She smiled gently and shook her head indi erently, “I’m afraid not. Advisor Duan may be
right after all. Once I open the oodgates to bandits, the Song Empire will be ruined.”

“With the emperor in such a critical condition, the Nalan family no longer has any
successors in line. Looks like the lineage of Song will not be able to continue.”

“Who says so?” Nalan Hongye replied calmly.

“The kings of Jinjiang, Anli, and Jianghuai… they are all in the line of succession.” What she
said was the truth. In the event that any of the emperor’s family members was unable to
ff
fl
fl
fi
fl
ff
fl
 inherit the throne, the other branches of the royal family were entitled to nominate potential
heirs as well. It was only that…

Xuan Mo did not say anything else. The humid wind blew atop the white tower, which gave
o chills at night despite being in the middle of summer.

“Ultimately, I’m too sel sh. In my heart, I would always place my family ahead of my
country.” Nalan Hongye wandered deep into thought. Her years of reign in power had
numbed her sense of kindness. Any remnants of her impulse or wilfulness were no match for
her inner persona, which was determined and stubborn.

Recalling the recent behaviors of the royal family, Nalan Hongye could not help but show a
ash of ruthlessness in her eyes. In the centuries that the Nalan family stood rm, many
generations had shed endless blood across various battle elds to defend the country. This
empire was built upon the blood, sweat, and tears of the Nalan family, which she had taken
upon to task to defend for many years. There was no way she would let those pests take
away the empire from her.

“The Nalan family built this country from scratch, which my ancestors defended with their
blood. If it’s going to end, it will only end on terms of the Nalan family.”

Nalan Hongye looked down, as the moonlight cast an icy tone on her coat.

In her low voice, she ordered, “Go through proper channels and inform Yan Xun that I
support his proposal. I also want him to keep his promise that he will protect and treat the
people of Song well. Whoever inherits the throne in future must be one of my sons. Also, I
want the head of the king of Taiping.”

Chapter 262
The clouds gently breezed over the moon, engul ng all but the brightest of moonlight. The
veil of darkness was broken by the shattering of an object, accompanied by gusts of wind
blowing towards the distant horizon.

“Understood,” Xuan Mo nodded.

Nalan Hongye momentarily paused in silence, before ordering, “Inform General Yang to
prepare the army for a coordinated operation with Yan Bei. Be prepared to be deployed
against the Xia Empire.”

The man in the darkness looked up immediately, glaring at her in both shock and disbelief.
Nalan Hongye, seemingly unaware of his shock, breathed and continued calmly, “Xuan Mo,
rogue elements have invaded the East Sea. This time, I’ll need to rely on you again to
defend the Eastern Borders for me.”

For a moment, there was nothing except absolute silence on the white tower as Xuan Mo
stood rooted on the ground like a tree. He stared at her as decades of memories ashed by
in an instant, only further highlighting his speechlessness.

fl
ff
fi

fi
fi
fi
fl
 They had played together during their younger years as Xuan Mo was the child of a noble
family. Xuan Mo had the honor of being her personal bodyguard and witnessed her youthful
beauty. When news broke of the Emperor’s passing, he spent three days and nights
painstakingly convincing his father to abandon his ambitions of plotting a coup d’état, and
instead assisted Nalan Hongye’s younger brother to the throne and have her be princess.

Since then, Xuan Mo had backed her throughout the years, establishing himself as her most
loyal courtier and most trustworthy subordinate by obeying every single order of hers, even
if it meant marrying the daughter of a powerful minister.

At present, the Song Empire’s survival was at stake, especially with Yan Bei marching their
troops towards the Song Empire. Yet she assigned him to resolve a small skirmish in the
East China Sea at such a critical juncture. At that instant, he realized what this meant.
Gradually, he calmed down and went back to his usual steady and con dent self, before
kneeling and replying, “Yes, this subordinate understands.”

Throughout this, Nalan Hongye was nervous and lled with apprehension, her st tightly
clenched. Only after Xuan Mo replied in his calm and collected manner did she loosen her
grip. She turned around, with unparalleled clarity in her expression, the golden powder at
the corner of her eyes only exemplifying her intent. She felt that an explanation was only
necessary. “A erce battle will certainly occur between Yan Bei and the Xia Empire, with
absolute carnage on the battle eld. You are the only person I trust. I do not wish for you to
take any risks.”

Still bowing, Xuan Mo calmly replied, “Yes, I understand.”

Nalan Hongye took a deep breath and smiled. “Alright. Come on up, there’s no need for
formalities between us.”

Instead of getting up, Xuan Mo stayed knelt, his hair re ecting the silver moonlight, the
crows uttering across the silent sky. The night wind blew across his robes, and the
embroideries that signi ed his rank uttered. For that moment, the pattern seemed like a
double-edged sword that could easily hurt anyone who touched it. From there, he took out a
few objects, placing them one by one on the white jade steps.

Puzzled, Nalan Hongye wanted to speak out, only for Xuan Mo to softly say, “As this
subordinate will not know when I return from this assignment, I shall return command of the
Jingji and Xuanzi armies back to Your Highness.”

Her rst instinct was to reject his request, yet as she looked at the two tokens, she had a
sudden realization. The Jingji Army was originally under the control of the Military
Department. After she and Xuan Mo joined forces to defeat the department, the Jingji Army
was absorbed and transferred to Xuan Mo’s leadership. As for the Xuanzi Army, it was Xuan
Mo’s personal forces, its strong combat capabilities meant that it was the one of the Song
Empire’s elite military unit.

She smiled as she walked over and helped him up, then said, “Sure, I will keep this for you.
When you return I will return it to you.”

fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
 Xuan Mo stood up, prideful but still maintaining respect for Nalan Hongye as he looked at
her calmly. She lifted her head and smiled lightly, the surrounding light further highlighting
the soft curvature of her chin while also re ecting o the dazzle in the eyes.

“Though the Taiping King has already started a rebellion, the others such as King of
Jingjiang may stir things as well. Once I’m gone, Your Highness must know how to protect
yourself.”

Nalan Hongye gently smiled. “Xuan Mo, after all these years we’ve known each other, you
still worry about my capabilities?”

Xuan Mo lowered his head. “Your Highness is greatly talented, I take back my words.”

“Alright, there’s no need for the formalities. We’ve known each other for so long and
supported each other as friends. I promised you before, that regardless of the direction that
the Song Dynasty takes under this leadership, as long as I am in charge, I will make sure
that your family will be honored.”

As dew started to form on their clothes, the embroideries on their clothes turned moist.
Xuan Mo replied, “Thank you, Your Highness. It’s late, if there is nothing else, I shall take my
leave now.”

Nalan Hongye had initially wanted to caution him further, but she could not nd many words
to say. Instead, she nodded, “It’s dark out there, get the guys to light a lantern.”

“Yes, I will do so.” As soon as he nished, Xuan Mo bid her farewell before heading down an
alleyway. The moonlight, ltered through the grid pattern at the ceiling, casting a pattern
down, to which Xuan Mo walked steadily along. It was a while later before Xuan Mo nally
exited the white tower onto the parade square. As the darkness of the night enshrouded
him, all Nalan Hongye could see from the tower was an increasingly blurry shadow.

The night wind gusted, blowing up her hair as she stood rooted to the ground like a statue,
barely moving an inch. She was then reminded of events when she was a child, when piracy
was rampant in the East China Sea and her father as Emperor personally led missions
against them. The Empire then was mighty powerful, ruling the seas with its vast troops and
resources. She could not understand why her father would, as Emperor, with the might of
his forces, would still voluntarily lead missions in the eld. Her younger self tugged her
father’s robe, asking with confusion, “Father, why do you voluntarily lead missions in the
eld?”

That moment, her father gently tapped her head, replying calmly, “There is no reason. These
are matters that I should resolve and be responsible for, else there would not be anyone to
shoulder these burdens.”

While her younger self did not understand the meaning behind her father’s words, her
current self fully understood the signi cance of his reply, that there were responsibilities and
duties one would have to shoulder in their lives, whether or not they were willing to.

fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
fi
Her momentary lapse had given King Taiping’s allies an opportunity to poison the young,
deaf Emperor, who had su ered not just the loss of his hearing but now also slow death
from the poison. His death was certain to plunge Song Empire into chaos, to which King of
Jingjiang and Huai’an were certain to pounce on such an opportunity. At that moment, the
Nalan Family would cease to exist.

She was especially upset that after all these years of being involved in family and state
politics to protect and assist the young Emperor, all that the noble family hoped for was the
day of her death. Were the e orts of her ancestors on the battle eld for merely giving others
an opportunity to ascend to power? After all her years of hard work, there was no way she
would let the Empire fall into the hands of those people.

Yan Bei’s dominant position was only made more apparent with the Tang Empire and Song
Empire in civil chaos, while the Xia Empire was in no better position. Rather than waiting for
Qing’er to die and the Empire falling into the hands of the noble families that she despised, it
made sense to surrender the entire lands in exchange for peace for the people of Song Huai
and the continuation of the Nalan family. After all, Yu’er still had three young daughters and
she had a gravely ill mother to care for. In addition, there were still countless ministers who
had been deeply loyal to the old Emperor….

Agreeing to his o er would not only allow Nalan to maintain her image, but it would also
unite the two regions into a strong partnership that would have the capabilities to achieve
greater accomplishments, something that she had desired for years.

The gates of the palace opened, as Xuan Mo’s silhouette slowly disappeared into the
endless night. A sense of loss hit her, as if it was disappearing into the night.

With the military strongly opposing ghting the battle, she was e ectively forced into
sending Xuan Mo to the Eastern Borders. His widespread command of military elements
meant that he would have interfered with General Yang, preventing full control of the military
and possibly cooperation with Yan Bei. Furthermore, King Taiping’s defection had made her
realize the importance of raw military prowess and in uence, at which she would never
match Xuan Mo’s capabilities. During peacetime, she could utilize her power and other small
skirmishes to keep him in control, but with the situation escalating and becoming more
chaotic by the second, she was forced to guard against his very might.

She could only hope that he would understand the spot she was in.

Xuan Mo strolled down the expansive royal road, accompanied by his personal assistant
Jiang Wu and his carriage, creaking as it followed behind them.

The princess’s trust of King Xuan meant that his residence was not far from the palace. It
wasn’t long before the warm radiant rays of lanterns at the front door were visible.

“Master, you are back, though why were you carrying an unlit lantern?” Lady Yu, also known
as Yushu asked, puzzled, her white dress glistening under the moonlight.

Xuan Mo glimpsed down in surprise, and indeed his palace lantern was yet to be lit, the thin
layer of jade looking ever so fragile under the light of the other lanterns.

ff
ff
ff
fi
fl
fi
ff
 Gently, he replied, “I must have forgotten,” before heading into the compound.

Yushu took a coat, and she placed it on his shoulder. She brushed his hands, asking in
surprise, “Why are your hands so cold, Master?”

“It’s nothing.” Xuan Mo shrugged, before heading towards the study room.

Yushu stood as watched as his shadow faded into the garden, the white coat in her hand
uttering gently like a kite in a breeze.

“Ma’am?” the assistant’s servant asked awkwardly. “The wind at night here is strong, you
should head back indoors.”

Yushu nodded her head, before gently saying, “Go to the kitchen and prepare some food.
Master must be hungry having arrived back at this hour.”

The female servants nodded obediently. “Yes, this servant will head out. You should rest
soon, lady, after all, you’re still recovering.”

Yushu urged, “Just go.”

As the servants took their leave, Yushu turned around, only to see a candle lit in the study
room next door, from it a thin silhouette stood and ickered on the window. Yushu smiled
before taking a few of the servants into the tea room, where a few fresh boxes of tea had
just arrived that could be later brewed for Xuan Mo to try.

Back in the study room, Xuan Mo unwrapped a fresh piece of Lanling paper and dipped his
brush tip in ink. Yet for the longest time, he sat there deep in thought, without writing
anything.

Ink from the brush dripped onto the paper, forming a large dark spot, yet Xuan Mo remained
deep in thought, completely unaware.

Standing in a corner, Jiang Wu asked cautiously, “Sir, shall I change the paper for you?”

Xuan Mo glanced down, before crushing and throwing the paper onto the oor, his
expression unchanged.

Jiang Wu couldn’t help but be taken aback. After all, having known Xuan Mo for over seven
years, it was obvious to him that he was in a very foul mood.

Xuan Mo grabbed another piece of paper, and stared at the blank sheet before starting his
writing. In a short while, he had written an entire paragraph, before which he passed the
paper to Jiang Wu, instructing, “First thing tomorrow morning, I want this sent to over to the
Department of Ceremonies and handed over to the Master there. From there I want this
letter to be sent, escorted, and personally handed to Yan Xun at Baizhi Pass.”

fl
fl
fl
 Chapter 263
Taken aback, Jiang Wu replied, “Yes, Sir!”, before excusing himself quietly, as if nothing had
happened.

With the letter sealed rmly, there was no way he dared peek at its contents. As he walked
down the corridor, he wondered if there was any truth towards rumors that the royal family
had intentions to form a union with Yan Bei through marriage. If it was true, would the future
lineage of Song have the surname of Nalan or Yan? Was the assassination of the king of
Taiping a success after all?

There was no point in guessing the thoughts of the upper brass. It wasn’t long before Jiang
Wu was tempted by the fragrance coming out from the kitchen, deciding to skive o .

In the study, Xuan Mo leaned against a chair with dragon patterns engraved on it, shutting
his eyes slowly. News of the agreement between Yan Bei and Song soon spread around
West Meng. It was no surprise that in such troubled times, the two countries would form an
alliance. It was not long before the Song navy occupied the Huangfu Sea, lurking over Xia,
ready to commence military action alongside Yan Bei.

That night, a deafening silence enshrouded Baizhi Pass. Since its occupation by Yan Bei’s
forces, the place had long lost its luster.

In the early hours of the night, a formation of troops wearing black with oil markings on their
faces as camou age approached the gate in the darkness. Chu Qiao stood in the middle of
the formation, where she reiterated the rules of engagement for the upcoming operation.

“Firstly, do not hesitate to kill anyone that presents themselves as a potential threat or could
warn the others about our presence.

“Secondly, team one shall cause as much chaos as possible inside the city. Team two will
head northeast and rile up the pack of horses there, creating the illusion of an impending
massive Xia attack to cause panic among the guards in the city.

“Thirdly, the others are to standby outside the city, ready to receive their comrades for a
quick response, for everyone to pass through safely.”

The seconds ticked by. As soon as the drums to signal the 11th hour of the night were
struck, the rst group led by He Qi raced towards Baizhi Pass. Simultaneously, the second
group began their journey towards the northeast where the pack of horses had already been
prepared.

Leading some of his most elite troops, it did not take long for He Qi and his group to
disappear into the darkness. Accompanied by a few of her personal guards, Chu Qiao
stepped into the dense forest and sat quietly, going through her elaborate plans repeatedly
in her head, looking for any possible shortfalls and weaknesses.

Once, twice, thrice.

fi
fl
fi

ff
“Alright, it should be ne.” She took a deep breath as she waited for the next signal silently.

It was an hour later when the deafening, thunderous sounds of horse steps, mixed with the
cries of soldiers, reverberated through the air. The enormous amounts of dust, kicked up by
the horses tied against the trees attempting to ee, soon blocked out the moonlight, giving
the illusion that a massive army riding on horseback was approaching. The city of Baizhi
Pass came to a standstill, their attention all focused towards the northeast.

It wasn’t long before the northeastern gates of the city opened. Two groups of scouts
rushed out, only to be swiftly taken out by the elite soldiers of the Xiuli army that were
waiting for them outside.

It only took another hour before ames engulfed the city. Chu Qiao stood up and ordered,
“It’s time! Let’s go!”

Pre-positioned pontoons were pushed to the banks of the Chishui River, where Chu Qiao
and her troops took o towards the direction of Tang.

The Yan Bei army was made up entirely of light cavalry troops and heavy armored units, with
no naval or amphibious forces. As they had hastily taken over Baizhi Pass, it was impossible
to fully control such a vast expanse of water. With enemies attacking from both inside and
outside, the Chishui River represented the ideal passage towards Tang at this moment.

They had wandered for less than half an hour before they heard some noises ahead in the
river. Picking up an arrow and unleashing it from her bow at maximum tension, a curdling
scream in the darkness ensued. Almost immediately, the night sky was lit up by several
hundred torches, revealing over 500 warships that were concealed in the darkness, from
which dozens of long spears were aimed straight at them.

Standing on board the bow of the agship, an o cial from Yan Bei raised his knife as he
ordered, “Death to the traitors!” With their arrows locked onto the chambers of their
crossbows, as the o cer swung his sword, his soldiers pressed their triggers, unleashing a
swarm of arrows towards Chu Qiao and her soldiers.

“Jump!” He Xiao suddenly exclaimed. In an instant, the soldiers of the Xiuli army jumped
into the river, as thousands of arrows struck their pontoon without leaving a trace of blood in
their wake.

“Commander, all of them jumped into the river!” a voice shouted out.

Almost immediately, another soldier frantically exclaimed, “General! Our ship is leaking!”

It was not long before many ships had their hull smashed, as the water poured in. In an
instant, three warships had been sunk as their crew capsized into the river. The Yan Bei
soldiers who were unable to swim frantically grabbed the oating debris; their curdling pleas
for help echoed across the river, which further added to the chaos.

“They’re beneath us!”

ffi
fi
ff
fl
fl
fl
ffi
fl
The general, seething with rage, ordered at the top of his lungs, “Use the stone catapults!
Use the spears! Crush them! Stab them to their deaths!”

“General! There are some of our soldiers in the river! We can’t do that!”

“Scram!”

Furious, the soldier thought of shouting back, only to pulled aside by his comrade. The
soldier stated angrily, “But our orders from His Majesty were to capture the enemy alive!”

The others replied hurriedly, “Alive? We don’t even know if we can catch those dead, much
less those alive!”

The stone boulders soon emerged, re ecting the light o the lit torches. Furious, the general
ordered his troops to hurry up with the assembly of the stone catapults, Rows of soldiers
armed with spears took their positions. The next second, boulders began landing into the
water while spear after spear swarmed the skies, cutting into the water. The river water
started to turn red.

After the endless waves of attacks, the river surface began to calm down, showing the
complete destruction of the pontoons that Chu Qiao’s forces used. The debris of nearly
1,000 destroyed pontoons soon clustered around the Yan Bei warships, stacking up to form
a bridge between the vessels.

As the chaos ceased, the Yan Bei soldiers looked at each other in confusion as they asked,
“Aren’t they all dead? Why aren’t their bodies oating to the surface?”

“Look!”

Everyone turned around in the direction of the voice, only to see countless heads popping
out from the river behind them. As soon as they were on the surface, they all took o their
shirts and bunched together, using the rapid river currents to swiftly travel downstream.

Stunned yet still furious, the general asked, “What is that?”

A veteran replied with a hint of doubt in his voice, “It appears to be pontoons made up of
sheep’s skin.”

“After them!”

“General, the debris is too thick for us to move. We will be stuck here for a while.”

The general stood rooted to the spot, stunned. Despite his side’s advantage, the enemy had
somehow escaped from his clutches. Almost 60,000 Yan Bei soldiers on the ships watched
on in a daze as the gures in the river slowly disappeared into the darkness.

After joining up with He Qi and his forces, Chu Qiao immediately began a head count of her
remaining forces, where she learned that over 3,000 soldiers had perished in the battle, of
which 2,000 were killed by the boulders and spears used by the Yan Bei soldiers.

fi
fl
fl
ff
ff
 Yet, this was a small price to pay as a majority of her entourage had managed to pass
through Baizhi Pass, which was by itself a huge accomplishment. Though they had moved
on from Baizhi Pass, the battle was far from over. For one, they had caught the attention of
the entire Yan Bei military, and the huge swath of land behind Baizhi Pass was still under the
control of Yan Bei’s army.

Decisively, Chu Qiao led her troops into the forest, where they fought their rst battle with
the enemy two days later. The two sides would ght over 20 battles in the next three days
afterward, most of the victories claimed by Chu Qiao’s Xiuli army. After all, they were more
adept at close combat and guerrilla warfare, whereas Yan Bei’s army was more pro cient in
cavalry battles. Under her leadership, Chu Qiao and her forces fought while racing towards
the region under the control of Tang’s royal family.

Yet, as they were about to exit the forest to enter the Hanshui border, Yan Bei unexpectedly
set it on re. The re would blaze on for four continuous days, engul ng the entire mountain
ranges of Qiutang, killing and injuring scores of civilians who were trapped in the area.

Helpless, Chu Qiao was forced to bring her army out of the mountains in advance. As the
re had caused them to lose their sense of direction, they deviated from their original path
by 150 kilometers. Even with the guidance of the veterans of the Wolf Army who were
familiar with the terrain, they were still engaged by the Yan Bei army the very next morning.

Both sides would su er heavy casualties in the battle at Likang Plains. Chu Qiao led a force
of 3,000 elite soldiers to in ltrate the enemy’s base as the general of the enemy forces was
severely wounded by a stray arrow. Yet, Yan Bei’s forces remained calm and organized,
putting up sti resistance, for they were not an army that would capitulate without their
highest ranking general.

The poor mobility and little exibility as a combined force, along with a large number of
horses captured in battle, led Chu Qiao to devise a new eld tactic after the battle at Likang
Plains. She reorganized the army into ten smaller groups with 4,000 soldiers each. Each
group was stationed less than a kilometer apart from each other as they converged towards
Hanshui Pass in the shape of a fan.

Yet, as they entered Nanli County, Chu Qiao was suddenly taken sick. She had been feeling
physical discomfort in the past ve days when a sharp pain ripped through her abdomen.
She felt dizzy and weak in her limbs, as she ran a fever. It was in the heat and urgency of
battle that she pushed on with pure perseverance and sheer willpower. Presently, with the
respite from con ict against Yan Bei, her body had begun to buckle, deteriorating both
physically and mentally. Despite her objections, He Xiao stationed troops outside the gates
of Nanli City, as they ventured inside for her to recuperate. There, despite the civil chaos
across Tang and Yan Bei’s past presence, the damage and devastation in the city were
nowhere close to what was in Xia. Most cities managed to maintain their vibrancy, the only
e ect of con ict being the in ation of some products.

As He Xiao sent his people to look for a physician, the originally sleepy and exhausted Chu
Qiao found herself unable to fall asleep. She laid back on a clean bed and stared aimlessly
towards the sky, as she felt her focus drifting away like the clouds above.

fi
ff
fi
fl
ff
fl
fi
ff
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
When Yan Bei’s forces were pursuing them, they had repeatedly branded them as traitors.
This meant that her identity was known towards the soldiers. Evidently, with his intellect, Yan
Xun had guessed that she was the only person capable of launching such an audacious
rescue operation to breach Baizhi Pass.

It also meant that Yan Xun was out to kill her.

It did make sense after all. Yan Xun and Princess Jingan had formed an alliance, while her
aim was to help out Li Xiuyi. As the leader of Baizhi Pass, it was only reasonable that he
helped out his ally to prevent her from breaching Baizhi Pass. There was no such thing as
family ties on the battle eld, much less their relationship.

She understood all this.

Yan Xun was no longer the child that used to huddle timidly in a corner of Sheng Jin Palace.
No longer having to su er under the hands of others, he became more daring and ruthless
in his decisions as he consolidated his position of power.

It wasn’t long before the physician arrived and checked her pulse, with He Xiao anxiously
watching from behind. The old, white-bearded physician remained silent for a long while
before he smiled and said to He Xiao, “Congratulations, your wife is pregnant.”

He Xiao was ustered as he hurriedly corrected the physician, “Nonsense. I’m not her
spouse, I’m just one of her bodyguards.”

Hearing this, the physician apologized repeatedly and sought forgiveness from He Xiao,
explaining that he had mistaken him to be the father of the child because he had seen his
state of nervousness.

The conversation continued between He Xiao and the old doctor, while Chu Qiao was
rendered speechless with her mouth slightly open.

What did he say? Congratulations? I’m pregnant?

Chapter 264
“Lady, you’re really reckless. How could you be clueless that you’re pregnant after almost
three months? Besides, you are not in good physical shape, and your pulse is weak. If you
can’t rest, your baby will be at risk.”

Three months? Chu Qiao wondered as she looked down on her still at belly. How was it
possible that she was pregnant? After all this time waiting for the marriage, ghting a war,
soaking in the river, riding a horse and ghting in the battle eld, she was actually carrying a
child in her stomach?

“I’m going to give you some supplements for re-nourishment. Consume them properly, then
rest well. Don’t go traveling long distances and tire yourself out.” The old doctor comforted
her before going out with He Xiao.

fl
ff
fi

fi
fi
fl
fi
Chu Qiao sat on the bed, still in a daze. In the past few days, she had been ooded with all
sorts of news, particularly bad, from all over the region due to the war. The massive waves
of bad news reached her like many waves in a tsunami. The last thing she expected from
such a situation was to be pregnant. She reached out her trembling hands and gently
touched her abdomen. For a moment, she thought that she felt the faint heartbeat of the
growing fetus inside her.

A stream of tears rolled down from her eyes, as she gently bit her lower lip and choked up,
silent.

Zhuge Yue, I’m expecting your child. We are going to be parents.

As the night settled in, He Xiao lit a candle in the room, bringing in supplements, rice,
vegetables, and soup. Next to Chu Qiao resting on the bed, he asked softly, “Master, do we
still proceed towards Tang Jing? Isn’t it better to turn around and head back to Qinghai?”
Chu Qiao lifted her head and looked straight at him without speaking.

“Master, you are not physically suitable to continue leading troops. Even if you disregard
your own well-being, you have to think for Master Zhuge and the child that is growing inside
you.”

Chu Qiao maintained her silence and looked at looked at her stomach. After what seemed
like an eternity, she looked up and gently replied, “I’ve already let him down once, He Xiao.”

Not knowing who she was referring to, He Xiao stunned, asked, “What are you talking
about, Master?”

“I’ve let him down once.” Chu Qiao’s gaze gently shifted towards the candle. “I promised
him once that I would stand by him and protect him against bullies, but I failed him. He
already lost his parents. If I care for my child, who will care for him?”

Upon realizing she was talking about the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Xiuyi, He Xiao
frowned. “Master, as things are, you can’t change everything alone. Even if you had stayed
in Tang from the very beginning, you may not have been able to change how things
eventually turned out. You’re not in good shape, and you are at risk of overthinking. You
can’t blame everything on yourself.”

Chu Qiao lifted her head up, taking a deep breath. “He Xiao, there some responsibilities in
this world that we can’t run away from,” Chu Qiao replied calmly. “It is, after all, time to
repay what both Li Ce and the Tang Empire have given me. My descendants will not
appreciate my legacy if they learn that I abandoned that child who was in need of help.” She
stood up, wearing her shoes, and walked towards the dining table to consume her food
before steadily taking her supplements. Her ragged and weakened gure in the candlelight
looked nothing like a lady that was three months pregnant.

“Relax, everything will be alright.”

He Xiao looked at her, unsure of who she was referring to. Herself? Her unborn child? Or the
current Tang Emperor?

fi
fl
 The night breeze ru ed the tree branches outside the window. The landscape of Tang
looked the same, yet the footsteps of war loomed ever closer. At the same time, in the large
tents of Baizhi Pass, Yan Xun was wearing his black robe, sitting on the couch. Below him
were a dozen girls that were sent in by the rich businessmen of the region. All the young
ladies were wearing seductive dresses that made them look ever so delicate and elegant.
On occasion, some of the more daring ladies would look up to sneak a peek of Yan Xun who
towered over them, yet his attention was always elsewhere.

“Your Majesty, we have prepared our troops and are ready to trap the Xiuli Army in Hanshui
Pass.”

“One of you, come here!” Yan Xuan suddenly ordered, with one of his guards coming over.
“Drag him down here, and give him 20 lashes!” Immediately, the guard grabbed the
strategist and headed out. The man, unaware of how he had o ended Yan Xun, immediately
pleaded guilty but did not dare to beg for mercy. It wasn’t long before screams of pain
echoed across the courtyard, shocking the young girls that had obediently knelt on the oor
all this while.

“To surround and trap them all,” Yan Xun muttered. His words were neutral, and one could
not hear any emotions within. He lazily laid back on the porch couch, dozing o , with all the
beautiful young ladies still kneeling before him. Despite being thousands of miles apart, both
of them would utter the exact same sentence, “Hopefully, we won’t meet on the battle eld.”

It was as though Yan Xun was brought back in time. In his ragged house, a young girl,
dressed in her light pink gown, sat under the candlelight and as she sewed her clothes and
said, “On the battle eld, familial ties no longer matters. Even if you all were to ght with your
family, you can’t retreat from the war. This is the actual history of the Tang Dynasty, not
some theatrical play. Listen carefully.”

“History? Why haven’t I hear of it?”

“Doesn’t matter. What is important is that you’ve learned and studied it.”

“If you were Li Shiming, would you have killed your elder brother as well?”

“Of course I would have, else what? Wait for him to kill me instead? Didn’t I tell you that
their relationship eventually fell apart? What about you? Would you have killed him?”

The young boy paused for a moment before replying, “If it was me, I would have killed him
when ghting against Liu Wuzhou.”

Taken aback, all the girl could do was give a thumbs up. “You are really something.”

….

Silently but surely, the darkness of the night began to envelop the land as even the waves
that carried emotions and memories moved silently into the distance…

The next day, a secret task force was dispatched from Baizhi Pass, riding on horseback
towards Hanshui. There, Yan Bei had assembled over 100 thousand of her elite troops in
fi
ffl
fi
ff
fi
ff
fi
fl
 Han Shui, where they could both backup Lady of Jingan and guard their own rear for any
possible retreat.

That same day, Chu Qiao would lead her Xiu Li and Wolf armies out of Nanli county. Over
40,000 troops would gather on the plains, their swords raised in unison like a forest of steel.

“Anyone heading northwest of the Tang capital must bypass Hanshui. If we are to provide
any assistance to the capital, we must take Hanshui.” Her pale nger pointed to the map,
Chu Qiao circled the region around Hanshui Pass, explaining, “The battle that decides it all
looms upon us.”

The dark clouds would open the heavens, unleashing what seemed to be an endless period
of heavy rain. The grass elds around Hanshui were tall enough to conceal a person. The
stormy weather would unleash a torrent of rapid currents in the river heading from west to
east, toppling hundred-year-old trees inside Hanshui, injuring two patrolling Yan Bei guards.
An entire family of seven was crushed and killed by their fallen roof in the eastern part of the
city.

The rst loss of life in the Battle of Hanshui Pass, occurring without a single ght between
the two sides, was already enough to severely dampen the mood of the soldiers. The
citizens would huddle all day in their homes. The only moving things that the raindrops
would hammer were the dead leaves that were blown o the trees.

11 days of continuous rain had dramatically increased the water levels in the Hanshui river.
The freak weather along with the howling of wolves at night and the migration of birds to the
north seemed to foretell the impending doom that was to occur. The experience reminded
everyone that it was also under this weather that Emperor Xiaozong’s seven-year reign on
the throne ended. That year, General Xue Li lead a Tang army of 40,000 troops and passed
Hanshui in similar conditions and headed north, breaching Baizhi Pass and ghting deep
into Xia territory. Yet just as the leaders of the Tang Dynasty thought they were on the brink
of reclaiming the Xia Empire, the Lion King of Yan Bei unleashed his forces, overwhelming
the Tang army. He personally killed General Xue Li, once again shattering the ambitions of
the Tang Empire.

Blood stained the Chishui River that year; the sight of bodies oating on the river surface
stretching for dozens of miles into Hanshui, to the extent that wild dogs could be seen
walking near the river surface eating the deceased. Though the Lion King had long been
dead, and weed had covered up the grave of General Xue Li, the memories of that horri c
battle were seared into the minds of the people that witnessed it. With the weakness of the
Tang Empire and the endless unrest in Xia Empire, Yan Bei’s ag would rise above the Baizhi
Pass, towering over the citizens of the city yet again.

On May 7th, under the request of Lady of Jingan, Yan Xun would personally lead his troops
into holding Hanshui Pass to preserve their advantage and fend o the incoming Xiuli Army.
As the days passed, Chu Qiao’s Xiuli Army began streaming into Weiliao county, a region on
the western ank of Baizhi Pass. The small town immediately turned into the center of
attention, capturing the attention of the entire Tang region and beyond. The white battle ag
decorated with the red cloud was raised on top of the town’s small tower, while Chu Qiao
fi
fl
fi
ff
fl
fl
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fl
personally inspected the parades of soldiers. The disbanded units of the Tang Army west of
Weiliao county rallied towards her as reinforcements, while parties loyal to the Emperor sent
in food and supplies as support. Within three days, the Xiuli army had grown its troop count
to over 90,000, a number that increased day after day.

This was the rst battle ag raised ever since the unexpected defection of the Lady of
Jingan. Before the newly raised ag was the ally of Lady of Jingan, the military of Yan Bei. A
massive battle loomed, with everyone holding their breath for the incoming and inevitable
bloodshed.

By May 14th, the pouring rain had ceased, with the water level of the Hanshui River
reaching an alarming level. The six continuous days of stando had pushed both side’s
patience to a critical tipping point, both sides aware of the necessity of such a
confrontation. Having hundreds of thousands of troops in such close proximity without any
movement was an extremely dangerous tactical maneuver. The atmosphere was lled with
tension, everyone acutely waiting for any possible change or action.

Even though both Chu Qiao and Yan Xun’s preparation, the ood of information from their
scouts meant ever-changing battle plans and tactics, to which they would keep changing.
Yet they were both too aware that the outbreak of ghting would bring along an inevitable
sense of anxiety.

On the afternoon of the 14th, Mo Xu, a guard from Wu Ling county, headed towards Chu
Qiao’s Wei Liao Base, guarding a transport of 50 tons of grain and food supplies across the
river plains, careful to not cross into any line of re if ghting were to occur.

A Tang native, Mo Xu’s ancestors once fought alongside the Emperor’s ancestors, elevating
their status in the region. Yet, as the generations passed, so did the power and glory of the
Mo family. Yet with the kingdom in crisis, Mo Xu, who was over 70-years-old, would
personally lead a transport of food and supplies, seeking to contribute and assist Chu
Qiao’s war e ort.

Yet as they approached the Tiexian river, they bumped into a small group of Yan Bei
engineers. The dam that was built on Tiexian river had become unstable from the weather
and vast amounts of water pouring into the river. Yan Bei had dispatched 3,000 troops to
commence quick repairs on the dam, as a collapse would have led to a surge that was sure
to destroy the Yan Bei base downstream. Con ict soon broke out, alerting the scouts and
sentries nearby. In less than half an hour, the region spiraled into absolute chaos, both sides
pouring their forces into battle.

Chapter 265
As news of the outbreak of ghting reached the command tent, even the usually calm and
collected Chu Qiao, who was planning her army’s tactics, could not help but feel a little
panicked.

ff
fi
fl

fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
 Frowning, a Tang general suggested, “Your Highness, we should provide assistance for
them to retreat. We did not make any preparations, and Tiexian River is close to the Yan Bei
command base. We have to take precautions.”

Instead, Chu Qiao shook her head, replying sternly, “Are we the only ones unprepared?
Based on eld intelligence, this battle was completely spontaneous. Neither side was
prepared to engage.”

“But…”

“He Qi, I want you to immediately lead 20,000 infantry troops towards Tiexian River. I’m
counting on you to lead our army’s rst battle.”

Stunned, He Qi asked, “20,000 infantry troops?”

Chu Qiao nodded. “Correct.”

“But, General, the bulk of our forces are made of light cavalry and heavy armored units. We
have less than 8,000 infantry troops.”

“Leave the horses behind then. Remember, I want each soldier to have a battle sword with
at least three blades. Ditch the heavy gear, and ght with the light but mobile armor.”

He Qi frowned, but as he realized her serious intent, he nodded before walking out with his
battle sword.

As He Qi stepped out, the Tang general could not help but ask, “Your Highness, is 20,000
people enough? Why don’t we deploy more troops? After all, the command base of Yan Bei
is near Tiexian River. The enemy will be able to reinforce at a faster rate than us.”

Chu Qiao shook her head and replied calmly, “No need. 20,000 will su ce.”

As the thunderous sounds of horses’ hooves rumbled across the land, a giant formation of
troops assembled, whipping out their battle swords for their impending battle.

Several days of continuous torrential rain had turned what was once rock-solid soil into a
huge sticky pool of mud, greatly hindering the mobility and agility of the warhorses.
Regardless, both sides clashed in the heavy mud and exchanged blows with each other as
the sounds of battle roared across the land.

At over 70 years old, with only white hair on his head, Mo Xu rode on his horse and wielded
a battle sword, his face red with rage. As his guards dragged the reins of his horse, they
screamed, “Sir! Run!”, before being knocked onto the oor by him. The senior yet veteran
guardian raised his sword and charged forward on his horse as he shouted, “Kill the enemy
for my country!”, leading the attack even after having been struck by ten arrows. Behind him
were his troops, including his son, his grandson who was just over 30 years old, and his
great-grandson who could not have been more than 16.

By the time He Qi and his troops arrived, the battle was already reaching its conclusion. The
o cials and soldiers of Wuling County, inspired by the bravery of their military leaders, had
ffi
fi
fi
fi
fl
ffi
resisted valiantly against the tens of thousands of cavalry troops. Presently, they were
approaching their limits. He Qi did not say anything, dashing straight into the battle eld with
his troops. The previous battle had all but turned the area around Tiexian River into a mud
pool, hindering the movements of the horses of the cavalry troops. The heavily armored Yan
Bei soldiers on horseback were forced to jump down and engage in close combat. The
specialty of cavalry troops was the complete opposite, as they excelled in ghting over long
distances on massive plains. The heavy armor combined with the thick mud meant that the
soldiers’ movements were heavily restricted.

The widespread killings and sound of screams swarmed the skies, as blood seeped the
earth, the land turning red slowly.

Having realized their disadvantage, some of the Yan Bei soldiers attempted to remove their
heavy armor. Yet, such attempts wasted precious seconds in the heat of battle, as He Qi’s
troops were able to slaughter them without resistance.

The close proximity to Tiexian River meant that any updates on the battle would be rst
given to Yan Xun and his subordinates, who were in the command tent. Yet, this also meant
that as the base guards heard the clashes and cries of the ghting, they mistook the sounds
heard as an attempt to attack the base, leading them to send more troops out as
reinforcements.

By the time Yan Xun ordered the cavalry back, it was too late, for they were already engulfed
in the chaos of the battle eld.

The generals in the base had initially mocked the Xiuli Army for being over-ambitious. Yet, as
updates on the battle streamed in, their expressions became more and more troubled. A
request to reinforce with light infantry was denied by Yan Xun as he shook his head. He
realized that it was already too late, as the narrow terrain along Tiexian River meant that over
50,000 troops and horses were concentrated on a small piece of land that acted as a choke
point. Any more reinforcements or attempts would lead to further bloodshed and losses that
would only end in vain.

Yet, he refused to let the matter slide. The rst battle at Hanshui was of utmost importance,
as defeat would severely a ect troop morale, which would then further a ect the outcome of
future battles.

Immediately, Yan Xun ordered a full deployment of his forces towards Weiliao for an all-out
attack.

As the moon began to rise along with the darkness of night that enshrouded the land, a
young Yan Bei o cer once again stressed his opinion that being the defensive side meant
that Yan Bei forces should hold concentrate around Hanshui Pass to preserve their forces.

Initially ignoring him, Yan Xun would become so frustrated with him that he ordered him to
be thrown into a cell. Without his annoying reminders, Yan Xun was nally able to calm
down and think about this inglorious option.

ffi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
 The military strategist, the soldiers and even the generals that had stood by him through
numerous battles were all perplexed at his present intentions.

Indeed, the purpose of the Xiuli Army was to reach the Tang capital to assist the emperor
against Princess Jingan’s siege. In order to do so, them passing through Hanshui Pass was
an absolute certainty. This meant that as long as they concentrated their forces in Hanshui
Pass, a showdown with the Xiuli Army was a certainty. Being on the defensive also meant
that they were guaranteed to su er much fewer casualties and losses against their enemy.

The sudden decision to lead his forces for an attack and lose such a critical advantage
puzzled many in his army.

Yet, only he himself understood the situation that he was currently facing. Being the largest
and most populous city in Tang with over a million people, Hanshui Pass was Tang’s most
important city. The only reasons that allowed Yan Bei to occupy the city without any
resistance were the chaos caused by the bandits raiding the city beforehand and the shock
and awe factor of Yan Xun personally leading his undefeated army, as he marched into the
city.

He knew that even with the combined strength of himself and Princess Jingan’s, he would
never be able to overwhelm the entire military might of the Tang Empire. Even the king of
Luo had failed with his coup, losing to Li Ce, despite having plotted it for over ten years.
How was it possible to wipe out a thousand-year-old empire on his own? He was all too
aware that in the region west of Hanshui Pass, several other armies were watching and
waiting for the showdown between Yan Bei and Xiuli Army, ready to capitalize on any signs
of fatigue.

All these only served to highlight the signi cance of the battle at Tiexian River. Even though
it was only a small skirmish, it was a battle that Yan Bei could not a ord to lose. Leading an
attack would mean that he was able to cover up this fact while giving him the strategic
initiative and show the true capabilities of the Yan Bei Army.

“AhChu, the battle at Tiexian River may have been unintentional, but your thought process is
on another level.” In the darkness, Yan Xun sat in his royal carriage, dressed in his black
robe as he looked at the distant city lights. In front of him, a convoy of eight battle horses
marched on.

A dancer half-squatted on his carriage rut, her skin smooth as silk, a gure as thin as that of
a ower. Raising her head and toasting with a glass of wine, she said, “I wish Your Majesty a
stunning victory, may the deplorables in the city be decimated, glory to Yan Bei!”

Yan Xun looked at her in silence as he smirked, “Are you from Yan Bei?”

The dancer, taken aback, immediately replied, “I am from Hanshui. But, I have revered Your
Majesty for a long time. Now that I’m beside you, I am now yours. Naturally, I belong to Yan
Bei!”

Yan Xun smiled ever deeper. “I have invaded your land and murdered your citizens. To say
you are mine speaks highly of your loyalty to me.”

fl
ff
fi
ff
fi
Excited at him being impressed, the dancer hurriedly replied, “Of course I belong to you,
Your Majesty. So long as you request, I will do anything for you.”

“Anything?” Yan Xun raised his eyebrows slightly and replied.

“Yes,” the dancer answered seductively as she rested her chest on his lap, before biting her
lower lip and whispering, “Anything.”

Yan Xun erupted in laughter before he turned to his servants beside him and said, “She says
she’ll do anything for me. When we attack the city of Weiliao later, put her on the frontline.”

Almost immediately, his bodyguards grabbed the dancer. Her face turned pale as if she had
been drained of blood. Frantically, she screamed in panic, “Your Majesty! Please have
mercy! I’m just a normal lady! I can’t ght a battle! Please have mercy!”

She was dragged away while she struggled. Yan Xun leaned back on his seat as he silently
shook the glass of wine in his hand, muttering as he did so, “Anything?” Then, he gave out a
cold, mocking laugh.

Meanwhile, another frail lady stood in Weiliao City. She was covered in armor as she stood
on the towering city blocks, looking down at the military formations below. Thousands of lit
torches seemed to turn night into day, as streaks of light ashed across the horizon. She
was all too aware that Yan Xun was somewhere amongst the thousands of torches. Having
not seen each other for a long time, this day was the day that they would be reunited with
each other. Perhaps, the arrival of this day had been expected. After all, like a stubborn
child, fate would always nd its way to catch up.

Standing on the towering city blocks, Chu Qiao raised her head ever so slightly, the wind
rustling her hair as the res below lit the night sky red. Many years ago, they stood shoulder
to shoulder, whipping their knives to break the prison locks, leaving a trail of blood behind
them as they rampaged their way out. Would they have done the same thing then, had they
known what was awaiting them today?

She closed her eyes as she maintained her resolute expression, her mind in ux. No one
knew when the next waves of attacks would occur. As she held her sword tightly, a man
descended from the heavens towards her, silently looking at her. In that instant, she was
seemingly brought back to that season, where the crabapple owers were in full bloom.

Li Ce, I will guard this place for you.

A thunderous boom suddenly erupted, a shirtless man stood under the red light on the
towering platform, banging his drums. The echoes of the drums drilled into everyone’s
chest, as if the earth itself was moving.

He Xiao then raised his bow, pulling it to its maximum tension. As he released it, a ery
arrow shot out, lighting up the sky like a meteor shower. Yet almost immediately, the enemy
responded with their own ery arrow, its faster speed smashing He Xiao’s arrow into
smithereens before relentlessly continuing its journey.

fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
Seeing this, Chu Qiao whipped out her battle sword and de ected the arrow away, causing
both objects to fall onto the ground.

Both armies then simultaneously cheered, before a sudden wave of warcries were heard
approaching. As everybody looked down, the Yan Bei army had commenced with their rst
wave of attacks. To everyone’s surprise, a group of infantry troops, instead of cavalry troops,
led the attack.

Chapter 266 
As the smell of roses silently dispersed into the air, Chu Qiao stood on the city walls, her
gaze wandering between the columns of armor below. The ood of the ages swept past her
ears, howling like a tornado that swept past through the skies.

As the pitch-black battle ag ew over Yan Xun’s head, the darkness of the starless night
enveloped all but the soldier’s faces, illuminated by tens of thousands of lit torches.
Standing in his black robe atop his golden carriage while holding onto his golden bow, Yan
Xun gently lifted his head, staring silently at an all too familiar silhouette.

Silence engulfed the battle eld as everyone held their breath. The light rumbling of war
drums felt as though the earth were pulsating, inciting the soldier’s ghting spirit. For a
moment, time seemed to stand still, as warriors of both sides stared into each other’s eyes.
In the next moment, the two formations started storming towards each other for the ght of
their lives. In an instant, a torrent of arrows was unleashed by the charging cavalry,
showering onto the soldiers, as countless men charged onto the battle eld. The monster of
war began unleashing its brutal, bone-chilling savagery.

Clouds covered the moon, it was as though even heaven did not wish to see the gore of war
as the battle unfolded into chaos, with the sounds of men screaming and groaning, and
horses charging engul ng the battle eld.

It was after an entire day and night ghting when the Xiuli Army used the downtime of Yan
Bei Army adjusting their formation to suddenly open the east city gate and storm out on
horseback down a narrow path that led to the riverbanks of Tiexian River. This made it
impossible for large armies to charge, and as such, the Yan Bei Army pursued them on
horseback. Yet as they arrived on the river banks, all they saw was the Xiuli Army using their
sheepskin rafts to travel downstream in the strongest of river currents.

“Watch out Master!”

“Be careful Your Highness!”

Almost simultaneously, both Chu Qiao and Yan Xun picked up and released their arrows.
They collided in the air with a ding, drawing the cheers of the surrounding soldiers. On the
canal, standing atop her raft, Chu Qiao looked at Yan Xun from afar. She was all too aware
that this battle was for theatrical purposes as there was no chance Yan Xun would stop her.

fi
fl

fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
Being allies with Lady of Jingan meant that Yan Xun had to defend Hanshui for her. Yet the
moment she would conquer Tang Jing was also the time she would lead King Jing An’s
successor onto the throne. Then, Yan Bei’s fate would be in the hands of others. Hence, this
was a battle that he shouldn’t win, yet one that he could not give up too easily. He still
needed Chu Qiao to drag on the civil con ict within Tang to reserve for himself the path
through Tanghu Pass.

As rows upon rows of lit torches lit up the river, the pre-dawn darkness lurked on the river
along with the wind, only further highlighting the red glow of re re ected on the water
surface.

Yan Xun continued to ride his horse while it dug into the ground repeatedly with its hooves
in discomfort. As he rode, he stared at that gure that rapidly disappeared into the vast
open river, while the wind ru ed the hair of the horse.

That moment, a crevasse opened in the icy memories of Yan Xun, taking him to a time that
he could barely remember, just enough that the faint sounds and sights were beginning to
appear just before him. Yet, he could not recall how long ago those memories were from. It
was also then that he silently stared into the vast open river in the darkness after the
massacre that night. As the res in Zhen Huang City burned, and endless sounds of killing
spread across the plains, their younger selves decided to go down their own individual
paths, to do what they felt was right.

Perhaps fate had been set in stone a long time ago. As meteors streaking in opposite
directions, their brief encounters would eventually end as both sides set their own paths
away from each other.

Standing on the river banks welding her sword, Chu Qiao watched as the last of her troops
crossed Hanshui. The wide river splitting east and west seemed to carry with it millions of
lives and souls. She looked into the distance, beyond the settling dust and across the elds
towards Yan Xun, where a 100,000 armored troops around him seemed to just disappear.
Left proudly standing was a man in his dark robe, his eyes as if he had just come out from
hell, able to destroy anything in his path alone.

“Ma’am!” Pingan ran up. With his eyes red, he lifted his head and said, “We lost over 6,000
of our men ghting this battle.”

Chu Qiao looked down, only see blood that had yet to dry on his face, the bloodshed he
had just witnessed destroying any form of innocence from his time growing up during
peacetime.

“Pingan, everything comes at a price,” the Xiuli Army general on horseback replied. She
looked at the rows of lit torches for what seemed to be an eternity before softly continuing,
“True peace is always attained through war.”

Pingan looked up puzzled, muttering, “True peace?”

“Yes. I won’t live to see it, you may not either. But someday, someone will.” Chu Qiao looked
up towards the river bank closer to Hanshui where the raging res had died out, their
fi
ffl
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
billowing smoke seemingly containing tints of gold. In his ink black armor, a man appeared
to wander in the night wind. Though the details looked fuzzy, Chu Qiao could very well see
his expression and silhouette. Just as he did many years ago, he shot out an arrow from his
horseback. With that, he saved her life, and then she accompanied him for a decade.

She held her right shoulder, where she wore black cast iron armor that not even the
strongest or fastest arrow could penetrate. It was a gift from Zhao Song that came in a pair,
one of which she gave to Yan Xun. She turned back to her army, whipping her horse, and
rode along, not once looking back.

Somewhere west of Hanshui, Yan Xun and his horse turned around, as his general
approached him. “Your Majesty, do we pursue them?”

Without a word, Yan Xun walked past him for a distance before softly replying, “Retreat.”
Like a tide receding back into the ocean, the army retreated. As dawn broke and rays of
light spread across the land, the two army’s distance grew further and further apart.

In the vast space inside a tent, a general clad in his armor knelt for what seemed to be an
eternity. As the sun set and night fell, darkness enshrouded the tent, save for the faint light
of a golden pearl necklace casting the general’s silhouette like a mountain on the inside of
the tent.

Since returning from the Tiexian River, he had remained silently sitting in the tent, as if
oblivious to everything around him. Outside the tent, the wind gently uttered the grass,
spreading its scent across the night landscape. The month of May in Tang meant it was
summer. The crisp sounds of birds chirping reverberated through the darkness. From the tall
grass in the plains came re ies, illuminating the surroundings like the stars in the night sky.

Absolute silence enveloped the tent as the general, fully clad in armor, stood absolutely still,
not daring to light a candle or even take a deep breath. He wasn’t one of the rst few
generals of the Yan Bei Army, much less from the old guard of the Yan royals. In fact, since
the rise of the royal family, few from that old guard remained, as those in the military had
carved their way to the top by ghting each other. Despite being unpredictable, His Majesty
was very clear on the rewards and punishments in serving him. A huge focus on military
prowess meant that so long as one was willing to ght, he/she would have the opportunity
to show his abilities.

Going by the last name of Mu, the general’s ancestors were well-known scholars in the
region. Though his generation had not matched the same heights as their predecessors,
they did know and study literature as well as military tactics. This knowledge and insight
enabled him to rise up the ranks and become one of the leading generals of the Yan Bei
army in just a few years.

Unlike the others, General Mu did not believe that Yan Xun was as violent as the rumors
made him out to be. So what if he had killed his own teacher, his own sister, and the many
others that stood by him throughout the years? While the average person saw him as over-
ambitious and ungrateful, they wouldn’t understand the internal politics and power struggles
inside the government, neither would they be able to comprehend the military a airs that he
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
ff
 faced. Despite occupying Yan Bei for so many years, they had nothing to show for it, yet
they sought to dictate the politics of region despite the incursions from the northern bandits
and the east being ruled by Xia that left the Yan Bei populace vulnerable. Another chaotic
ruler and regime would only rise if Yan Xun did not immediately unleash a crackdown. A few
lives meant nothing in the quest for bigger accomplishments. In the pursuit of power, there
was always going to be bloodshed. The di erence between a successful ruler and the
average person was the di erent perspective they each adopted towards the same problem.
Would one see and think about the big picture, or would he/she put his personal interests
beforehand? Hence, General Mu did not have any favorable impressions towards the Xiuli
general as he felt women were never destined to achieve great things.

“Mu Lang”, a low voice suddenly crackled, echoing slightly in the large tent. Hearing this,
Mu Tang immediately stood up, as the person above continued, “Pass on the message to
Cheng Yuan. Tell him to spread his forces along the Song plains and guard the area. Since
the Xiuli Army wants to go in, let them do so. Queen Jingan’s forces are still waiting for them
inside.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Also, inform him to not attack Zhao Yang’s army. Instead, launch a full-on assault on Zhao
Che, and do whatever it takes to destroy Zhao Che’s food supplies.”

“Yes”, Mu Lang hurriedly replied. “I will send someone to Baizhi Pass to pass on the
message.”

Yan Xun shook his head, his expression unseen in the darkness. “We are not in a hurry, send
the guys tomorrow morning.”

Mu Lang was stunned at hearing this. How could military instructions be not urgent? Yet he
did not dare to refute Yan Xun, and instead continued to kneel quietly.

“Here, have a drink with me.” Yan Xun bent forwards ever so lightly, pouring wine into the
glass, re ecting the faint light glittering o the pearls. Stunned by the sudden warmth that
Yan Xun had shown, Mu Lang hurriedly reached forward to take the glass of wine while
remaining kneeling.

Yan Xun casually pointed to a nearby seat. “Don’t stay there, have a seat.”

Mu Lang sat carefully before toasting, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for the wine.”

Yan Xun toasted in return. As Mu Lang poured wine into his glass, he was told lightly, “It has
been a while since someone accompanied me to drink. Initially the circumstances meant
that we had no time for this, yet now that we have time, those who could accompany me to
drink are gone.”

Mu Tang twitched his wrist, his instincts and deep knowledge telling him that something
was o ever since Yan Xun gave the order to cease the pursuit of the Xueli Army. The more
he thought, the more he felt he had just heard things that he shouldn’t have been told to
begin with.

ff
fl
ff
ff
ff
“Here.” Yan Xun said casually, before again gently toasting Mu Tang’s glass wine, not the
caring about the red wine that dripped on his hand. Even with an entire barrel of wine, he
drank glass after glass. It didn’t take long for the barrel to be half empty.

Chapter 267 
Yan Xun talked a lot that evening, more than he ever did in the past month. He asked Mu
Lang about the food in the military, how many family members he had, how were his
parents’ health, how many children he had and if they were educated. He even asked
jokingly how many wives Mu Lang were married to and whether the prostitutes in his military
base were pretty.

Mu Lang was nervous. Having never met Yan Xun in person, everything he knew about him
was from rumors or word of mouth. Yet, as he personally saw his approachable personality,
it only served to further reinforce his views that he had made the right decision from the very
beginning to believe in Yan Xun. As for the lady that defected to Tang, she had made the
wrong choice to dare betray His Majesty.

Both of them would chat on well into the night. By the time the drums to signal the 11th
hour of the night struck, Yan Xun was already seemingly drunk, half-slouched on his seat.
His words of gossip turned ever softer by the minute before he eventually fell into silence.
Thinking that he had fallen asleep, Mu Lang used a quilt as a makeshift blanket for Yan Xun
before cautiously exiting the tent.

The tent was now quiet again, so quiet that the sounds of troops far away singing the folk
songs of Yan Bei could be heard in the chilly night. In the darkness, the man opened his
eyes, his vision no longer blurred by the e ects of alcohol.

Yet again, he was left all alone.

The land around him was as cold as it was empty, without a single person in sight. The
warm winds blew along, yet it seemed chilly as it entered the tent. Alone, he laid on his wide
couch, his head on his pearl laced pillows, the smell of the incense burning swirling above
and into his nose, seemingly calming him.

But even with the lush comfort of his couch and the absolute serenity of the night, he was
after all, still alone. Just like that night many years ago, she was taken away towards the
south via a canoe. Standing atop the city tower in Beishuo Pass, he looked into the
distance, where snow piled up across the plains and the mountains afar resembled that of
iron. Ultimately, she broke free of his clutches and left him.

In truth, he had long expected this outcome ever since he was just a little child.

She had always retained her kind and righteous personality, never giving up hope for the
future regardless of the struggles she faced. At rst, it was him that encouraged her on. Yet,
as time passed, their roles reversed. She would describe their future together, along with her
hopes, dreams and political views. No crisis would stop her from nding a solution to their

ff
fi
fi
 problems, as she taught him archery and military tactics. Although Wu Daoya was his
teacher by name, he had learned far more from her than from any other person.

Not only was she a mentor, a friend, and a person he relied on, she was the only woman
that he had ever loved in his life.

Yet, the more these feelings built up, the more insecure and afraid he became. It wasn’t
clear exactly when, but a sudden realization hit him one day that their paths were likely
going to be divergent. One day, she would eventually leave him.

When did this begin?

He couldn’t recall. Perhaps, it was when she began to show sympathy for the slaves, or
when she grew closer to Zhao Song. It could have been when she explained to him how
society would settle down in the future to prosper, or even sooner than that. Deep inside, he
knew very clearly that someday in the future, he would eventually disappoint and hurt her,
forever destroying the bridge of trust and dependence they had built over the years.

Therefore, he devised a plan to alienate and exclude her from military a airs, in order to
prevent her from seeing the bloodshed and cruelty that he would unleash in his quest to
accomplish his goals.

He wasn’t a hunter that would snap the wings of a white eagle; he was a night owl that
cruised in the night sky instead. As the long night passed and rays of sunlight began to rise
over the horizon, a tinge of fear began to strike him.

A snide, deep laughter began to echo in the darkness, as a tinge of drunkenness remained
in his eyes. He suddenly recalled the times in his childhood when he was an insecure
teenager, as he asked repeatedly, “Will you stay with me forever?”

The girl smiled brightly, lowering her head towards him.

“Will you bully me?”

Will you bully me? Will you bully me? Will you…

He closed his eyes as that crisp voice continued to reverberate around his head.

I only want to give you the very best. Yet, what I deem to be the very best may not be what
you want at all.

In the darkness, a crisp sound suddenly echoed out. Yan Xun undid the buckle over his right
arm as a piece of silver tinted armor fell towards the ground, faintly re ecting the light
above. It was a gift that Zhao Song had given to her. It came in a pair, to which she had
given Yan Xun a set that he then wore for the decades since.

“When I embarked on this journey, I knew very well that there was no way your life could
ever t into mine. You stand for hope and peace, while I dream of bloodshed. Hence, I
wanted you to listen to me and obey me. Yet, in the end, I failed.” He laughed to himself
silently in the darkness.

fi
fl
ff
A price had to be paid in order to achieve any goal. Evidently, he had already paid his price.

“No one dreams of a mediocre, stale life. Yet, when an opportunity presents itself, the key is
whether one has the courage to take it.”

His voice was both low and hoarse in the darkness, as if he had been through a few cycles
of reincarnation as an old man. He laid back on his golden couch; the exquisite wine spilled
all over the table, giving o an intoxicating aroma. Dressed in his amboyant robe, he smiled
ever so widely in the darkness, giving o the vibes of an innocent child.

“Zhuge Yue, do you have the courage to take it?”

“I can’t,” Zhuge Yue said lowly, looking sharply at the man before him.

Zhuge Muqing’s hair was all white. His skin was all wrinkled; the past few years had drained
whatever remnants of energy left in him. He appeared as lifeless as still water. All he had left
was his last bout of madness, as he looked towards his son with his bloodshot eyes.

“Zhao Che has already been defeated, and Zhao Yang won’t hold on for much longer. Within
the entire Xia territory, the only person that can change the situation is you. If we were to
abandon Zhao Yang, he will be doomed to collapse. By then, you would be the most
powerful person in Xia, able to command anyone within. In ten years, the Zhuge family will
be able to topple Yan Bei and ascend the pinnacle of power!”

Like a wild beast, Zhuge Muqing looked at his son with his bloodshot eyes and grabbed
both of his shoulders. Loudly, he exclaimed, “Yue’er, the destiny of Xia and the future of the
Zhuge family hinges on your decision now!”

Zhuge Yue looked at his father quietly, remaining silent for what seemed to be an eternity.
His father had aged, which meant that he was no longer the revered and forward-thinking
leader of the family. Instead, he had become senile, silly, vain and borderline insane.

Throughout his life, he had never been this close to his father. He had lost his mother when
he was just a toddler, while he spent his childhood days wandering alone in the massive
mansion of the Zhuge family. It was only as he grew up and worked harder, that he started
to stand out among his brothers, nally catching the eye of his father that had way too many
women and sons.

But, as he fell and got injured later on, he survived against the odds, only to be ruthlessly
disowned by his family.

Even as he regained power and restored glory to his family, they still chose his elder brother
over him as they continued to attempt to suppress him. This was what his family was like.

Yet, he still could not bear to resent them utterly.

As what Wei Shuye had said, even in the face of all these ugliness and rejection, they were
ultimately his family who had provided for him since he was young. Hence, he was obliged
to assume the responsibility of upholding his family’s reputation.

ff
fi
ff
fl
After all, he was his father, a vital gure who had raised and taught him, who had been
excited over his results and improvements. Despite the fact that his father had been ruthless
towards him, it did not erase the fact that he provided him with a rich and happy childhood.
Back then, when he was still a small child that could not defend himself, his father had
stood up for both him and his family.

“Father, I can’t.” Zhuge Yue stepped back, lowered his head, bowed deeply, and replied,
“One person can only do so much. I can’t do everything.”

The candle crackled, its light re ecting o Zhuge Yue’s face with a tinge of gold. He looked
calmly at his father as he continued in a gentle manner, “Thank you, Father, for raising me
up. However, I can’t do this. Even without me, Xia still has other generals. Even without me,
Father, you still have other sons. However, if Xing’er were to lose me, she would lose all
hope in life.”

He bent forward and bowed, looking at his father, who had raised, abandoned, and tried to
kill him. Calmly, he declared, “Father, take care.”

Zhuge Yue turned around, the candlelight still re ecting o him, only further highlighting his
tall and strong gure. Zhuge Muqing could only watch on with his mouth half-opened,
stunned, as his hands maintained its posture of grabbing at the space where his son’s
shoulders had been moments ago.

It was at that moment that he realized that this was the day he could forever lose this son of
his. A son that he had looked after and had so much hope on, yet also one that he had
beaten, gone against his wishes, abandoned, exiled out of the home, and even tried to
assassinate.

Years of their relationship ew past, as the wind blew into the tent, uttering his white hair
and across his scrawny back. He had suddenly aged that bit more and could only
laboriously reach out his hand to retrieve those lost years in vain.

Zhuge Yue walked out slowly. He knew since a long time ago that this day would come. This
day was going to be the day that he expressed what exactly he truly cared about, through
his actions.

It was not about conquering the world or leaving his mark on history, nor ruling over the
lifeforms below him as he took his seat on the pinnacle of power, all alone.

All he sought was her to be alive, living her life well in a place that he could watch over her.

The only reason one would tell themselves to rebuild their might was to have something or
someone to protect and defend. Yet, if that very thing was lost, so did the meaning behind
becoming all mighty and powerful.

He would never do things that he would eventually regret.

As the tent’s curtains were opened, he stepped inside under the moonlight, the chilly wind
blowing on his face. It was then he had a sudden moment of clarity.

fi
fl
fl
fi
ff
fl
ff
fl
 Lost territories could be reclaimed. A disbanded or defeated army could be rebuilt. But,
humans could never be resurrected from the dead.

Zhao Che’s words before his departure once again came to mind.

“Know what you truly want, and live life once for yourself.”

This friend of his had been betrayed by his brother and pursued by his enemies relentlessly
thereafter. However, despite this, he made the long trip to see him, just to tell him these
words, which seemingly had no e ect on the outcome of the big picture.

The troops outside the base had nished their preparations and were ready to be deployed.
Zhuge Yue took a deep breath, stepped forward and leaped onto his horse, shouting, “Let’s
go!”

The sounds of horses reverberated through the air as they charged towards the distant land
of Tang.

The land and throne all stood before him. But it was his unwillingness rather than a lack of
courage that caused him to ignore this opportunity.

Chapter 268
Before the nal wall gates in the Northern Region, the lands had already been covered by
snow even though it was only May. The frigid winds of the north bellowed wave after wave,
grazing painfully on everyone’s face.

“Let’s go.” Zhao Che smiled to Wei Shuye. Even in such a desperate situation, he was still
lled with con dence. Wei Shuye’s lanky gure looked at the con dent Zhao Che, as he
couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

Yan Xun had crazily assaulted their food supply, and using a human wave tactic, Zhao Che’s
forces had been under heavy attack. At this time, Zhao Yang, crazed for power, suddenly
attacked Zhao Che’s reinforcements and blocked o Zhuge Yue’s resupply train. That forced
Zhao Che into a corner as he lost huge amounts of soldiers, and resulted in the loss of 13
provinces in the central area.

The moment that they recruited more soldiers and readied their counter-attack, they realized
that they had already sunk into a desperate situation where they could no longer do
anything to reverse their inevitable defeat.

On that day, Zhao Che stood on the rubble, quietly pondering for a long time. This Prince
who had gone through so much nally put down his blade as he turned to Wei Shuye and
said, “We lost.”

On that day, all the o cers that were around cried. Even Wei Shuye, a prideful young master
of an entire noble family, cried. It was not that they had no chance of victory, or that they
had no power to return everything to normal. They had fought their best on this land of an
fi
fi
fi
ffi

fi
fi
ff
fi
ff
fi
 Empire that was heading towards dissolution. They had the courage and resolution to face
death.

Yet, they lost.

They did not lose to the enemy on the battle eld but were instead betrayed by their own
allies. They faced the strongest adversaries the Xia Empire had ever faced at a time when
the Empire was in its worst state.

The young prince lifted his head as the war horse dug its hooves into the ground in
discomfort. The heavens were covered by snow. After exiting from this gate, they would no
longer be on Xia soil. In the vast eld beyond, there would no longer be any Xia ags
uttering in the wind.

Zhao Che stared at the sky and quietly said, “The Zhao Family will not cease to exist. Where
the sun shines, there will no doubt be descendants of the Zhao Family.” He drew his whip,
and as he swung, his horse bolted forward along with the massive military behind him as
they passed through the gates into the vast whiteness and mountains.

Zhao Che’s sts were like iron as his gaze pierced into the distance. His lips lightly drawn as
his determined voice sounded out, “We will come back…”

“Master!” He Xiao suddenly bellowed, his eyes were completely red. “This subordinate is
unwilling to do so!”

“Commander He, this is an order!” Above the massive walls of Tang Jing, Chu Qiao was in
her armor as she observed this subordinate that she had trusted the most. She articulated
each word.

“Master, you should go and escort the Tang Emperor out. Let this subordinate stay here to
defend.”

The sounds of ghting had already reached below her. The thunderous sounds of the
horses’ hooves could be heard quickly closing upon them. The forces that the Lady of
Jingan led outnumbered them ten to one. The massive cavalries charged as they initiated
wave after wave of attack on the Tang capital, as though they were a massive human
tsunami that none could block.

Chu Qiao coldly asked, “Can you really defend this place?”

He Xiao frowned, and without hesitation, he replied, “Even if this subordinate dies…”

“Even if you die, you would be unable to,” Chu Qiao sternly remarked.

Hearing that, He Xiao’s face froze, and just as he was about to reply, Chu Qiao continued,
“As of now, the Tang Capital is surrounded, and beyond this seige, there is still Yan Xun’s
huge force that numbers in the hundreds of thousands. The Tang forces are already
cowering in fear from past battles. In this entire country, we are the only forces that are still
capable of battle, and the enemies will undoubtedly focus on us. As long as I stand on this
castle, they will not split their forces. The moment they see me leave, they will give up attack
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
on Tang Jing and will chase after me with all they have. At that moment, we will not even
have the walls of the castle to defend with. Before us will be the Yan Bei army, and behind
us, there will be the Jingan Army. We will die a more horrendous death!”

This level of thinking was obvious to the likes of He Xiao. He frowned as he listened and
clenched his teeth, without uttering a single word.

“He Xiao, I beseech you, bring them out and escape. I received Li Ce’s gratitude all my life, I
need to repay him somehow. I cannot defend his country, but the least I can do is protect
his children.”

He Xiao’s expression bordered on depression as he stared at Chu Qiao, suddenly saying,

“Master, let others go. Let me stay beside you to protect you.”

Chu Qiao shook her head and lightly replied, “I can’t trust others enough.”

He Xiao looked on at Chu Qiao, his gaze burning like fresh magma that had just been
spewed from a volcano. After so many years of ghting together, going through life and
death together, the time they had spent together was more than they had spent with anyone
else. Their relationship had too changed with time, from merely subordinates to a familial
love.

This woman before him was strong, brave, kind, and sincere. At the same time, she would
sometimes be afraid, she would be lost, and she would cry out loud. They were comrades in
arms, friends, family. She was his master as much as his sister.

Light from the burning torches illuminated their faces as He Xiao stretched out his hand and
embraced her. With a low and distorted voice, as though his mouth was full of blood, he
said, “Take care!”

“You too!”

The warrior ipped onto the horse, while Li Shuyi shouted at Chu Qiao, “Aunt! Aunt!” He
Xiao took the child into his embrace, and without any further hesitation, he led a group of
elites and charged out from the south gate. At the same time, the east and west gates were
opened, as two groups of soldiers charged out at the same time, mixing in with the enemies.

“Archers! Ready!” He Qi shouted, “Fire!” The broad plains instantly turned into a meat
grinder as it sucked the lives of the warriors without hesitation. The spears and the blades
shone the color of blood, as the thousands of horses galloping sounded like thunder rolling
across the heavens.

Standing on the castle, Chu Qiao observed the battle as the memories of the past ashed in
her mind. She had lived two lives, had achieved a lot, and met a lot a people. Some things
she did right, and others she erred. She had not lost the chance to meet some people, and
had been unfair to some. Regardless, no matter what the situation was, she had never once
betrayed her own beliefs.

fl
fi
fl
 At this moment, life seemed elucidated. She closed her eyes and let the shadows of the
gures walk past her eyes. She saw those she loved, those she hated, those she had let
down, those she had hurt, and nally, the shadows morphed into one clear gure. As she
turned around, her eyes were full of love.

“I love you,” she lightly called out. The wind was so big as it caressed her hair. The entire
heavens were colored red. The swarm of enemies closed in as they smashed on the ancient
gates, again and again, letting out a thunderous sound of destruction.

She placed her hand on her stomach which had nally started to bulge, carrying with it the
hope of life. That was her only hope that had supported her along the way, that gave her the
courage to stand without being scared and weak. They were so far apart, he would no
doubt be unable to hear her.

Smiling gently, she lifted up her head and stared at the clear skies. “I love you…”

But ultimately, I was unable to accompany you.

The sky was so blue that her eyes were dazzled by the brightness. A stream of tears owed
down the corner of her eyes, disappearing in her helmet, soaking into her hair. She drew her
blade as the enemies nally closed in on her. He Xiao had already managed to break
through the enemy force from the side. The thunderous sounds of battle seemed like a wave
of thunder as the white ag adorned with a red cloud uttered overhead. The red cloud was
obvious, standing out like a symbol of hope.

Chu Qiao turned around and her gaze swept past those young warriors. This was the Xiuli
Army that was renown in the world. Yet it was already di cult to recognize many of the
original faces. All these years, this hot-blooded army had followed her and battled all over
the continent. They had followed behind her without any fear or cowardice.

The Battle of Zhen Huang, the Battle of Northwestern Regions, the Defense of Chidu, the
Defense of Beishuo, the Battle of Qianzhang Lake, the Battle of Huolei Plains, the Battle of
Longyin Pass, the Battle of Tang Jing, the Battle of Baizhi Pass, the Battle of Tiexian River…

In the past seven years, this army had proved their loyalty with their glorious record. They
had battled for many countries, many factions, yet they battled only for her, for their own
conscience.

Batches of batches of people fell, yet others charged forward to ll their place. Even if they
did not hold any feelings for the country they were defending, even if their homeland was
miles away, even if they did not know the fate that awaited them, one reason was enough,
one order from that person was enough. As long as Chu Qiao stood before them, their
loyalty and obedience was like the meteoric iron in the bottom of an icy lake. Even if the
apocalypse were to occur, their loyalty did not waver.

There was no speech for encouragement, and there was no need to boost the morale. The
young woman took o her helmet as her hair uttered. Her eyes were crystal clear as she
looked at the soldiers, and swung her blade up.

fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
ffi
fi
fi
fl
 “We ght for freedom!” the 2,000 remaining Xiuli soldiers shouted out!

With a dull crash, the Tang Jing gates that had not fallen for centuries nally dropped.

The enemies swarmed in like a ood.

With the wind bellowing past, the sounds of ghting were right beside them. Chu Qiao
shouted loudly, “Everyone, you may go rst. I will follow behind you.”

“Master! This general will take my leave rst!” A general ipped onto his horse while
chuckling. Swing his blade, he shouted, “We ght for freedom!” Raising his blade up, he
charged forth. The soldiers followed behind him as they charged towards the enormous
formations of the enemy. It was as though a toddler were challenging a titan.

“Battle!” The piercing sounds of battle lled the entire heavens.

It was dusk as the cavalries made yet another charge in this sea of blades. With the cold
and desolate wind blowing past, the unyielding warriors raised their blades and charged into
the enemies. Tang Jing sank into the endless ames of war. Hundreds of years ago, the
Rose Flag of the Great Tang Empire had once covered all the lands of this continent. The will
of the Tang Empire was the will of the world. Yet, today, on the rowdy battle eld, the grand
palace was covered in a layer of ash and dust. The scent of death engulfed the beautiful
roads as one could hear the dying neighing of the war horses, along with the sobbing of the
civilians…

She lifted her head as she observed the sun setting in the west. All these warriors heading
for death, their boiling blood seemed to never clot, and even if they died, their name would
never appear on the historic archive, they would forever sleep in this land. Even if they used
all their strength, they would be unable to stop the footsteps of the Empire’s fall.

Chapter 269 
In its thousand-year history, the empire had enjoyed unparalleled prosperity and glory,. Yet,
today was the very day she would witness this great empire fall to its knees towards
complete collapse.

As the sun shone on her pale face, Chu Qiao took a deep breath and closed her eyes gently,
as that pair of fox-like eyes ashed right by her again.

I’ve done all I can, Li Ce.

Not everything that you did in life may be correct, but you didn’t have a choice then.

Farewell, Zhuge Yue.

Like a swarm of locusts, countless enemy troops climbed up another rope ladder that had
been set up. Throwing aside her sheath, Chu Qiao wielded her sword and charged forward.

fi

fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
“Protect her!” The soldiers of the Xiuli Army rushed forward, shielding Chu Qiao.

Donned in their black armor, the Xiuli Army arranged themselves in their attack formation,
before bravely charging towards the enemy. As the sun set and darkness enveloped the sky,
a red mist began to spread across the land, re ecting o the faces of soldiers. Blood began
to seep the soil as the sounds of killing dominated the skies, everyone below killing with all
their might.

The iron-clad cavalry spread across the city, the footsteps of their horses shaking the earth.
Their eyes bloodshot red, these soldiers were part of an army that was nothing short of a
miracle. In the past, at Beishuo City, they had resisted against the Xia Army that vastly
outnumbered them. At the battle of Longyin Pass, they stood shoulder to shoulder and
managed to successfully hold o Zhao Yang’s iron clad cavalry forces.

“Kill!” A thundering command drowned out every other sound, as the soldiers picked up
their weapons and charged towards their enemy like a rogue wave, unleashing a bloodbath.
The land was covered with the metal of armor, while swords ew across everywhere as
smoke billowed from the landscape. Blood and human remains were strewn across the
earth. The bodies of young, ghting men tumbled one after another, while armor on the
ground was crushed into a mangled mess by the stampede that was countless horses and
warriors ghting on it.

As the last rays of daylight were covered by the unleashed urry of arrows, the enemy
soldiers at the very front were all shot dead even before they could let out a war cry. The
screams of wounded horses lled the air while panicked soldiers trampled on each other,
yet there was no hiding from the cold tip of weapons that ranged from arrows to swords to
spears. Death was everywhere as the swords of soldiers turned red from the blood of their
enemies. The soldiers had forgotten everything except one principle, which was to kill as
many as they could. Killing one would even things out while killing two was a bonus.

It was a horri c nightmare that no one could escape from.

Even with the city gates breached, the enemy was not ooding in as expected. A ferocious,
gruesome battle erupted in front of the city gates, forming a wall of rotting human remains
as ever more bodies piled up. Chu Qiao stood amongst the crowd wielding her sword, as
her armor was stained red with fresh blood. Her breathing was heavy, but her
swordsmanship was still exquisite.

The longer she held on, the more time she would buy for He Xiao to ee further.

As night eventually fell and darkness fully enveloped the sky, the screams of killing
dominated the area. Suddenly, Chu Qiao was hit by a wave of weakness, her movements no
longer agile. Even her will to ght became heavily a ected. Despite knowing today was the
day she would die, she knew that, as a mother, it was her duty to protect the unborn child in
her stomach.

Seeing her fatigued self, an enemy soldier sneaked up the anks to ambush her, only to
have the light from the torches reveal her face and unique armor. The soldier immediately
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fl
ff
fl
ff
fl
fl
fl
fl
recognized her, and was stunned with his mouth wide open, as if he was about to scream
for help.

“Ah!” A long blood-curdling scream was unleashed even before he could react to dodge.
The sword was swung with unparalleled speed and strength as blood splattered
everywhere. The next moment, a loud thud was heard as a body fell onto the ground, its
right shoulder almost split entirely, adding to the wall of bodies at the city gate.

For an instant, the enemy troops outside couldn’t help but look at Chu Qiao, stunned at her
ferociousness. With one hand wielding her sword, Chu Qiao could only stand there as her
senses went into overdrive. That moment, every gust of wind, every sound of blood
bleeding from the soldiers, the sounds of fear in the soldiers and the earth moving were all
picked up by her ears.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The overwhelming darkness began pouring in from all sides as her
eyes began to close uncontrollably from extreme fatigue.

Just drop, don’t hold on any further.

He Xiao should have run far enough with the Tang Emperor to rendezvous with Sun Di,
protecting Li Ce’s descendants.

There’s no point holding on anymore. Get some sleep, you’ve had enough.

Her legs became to turn soft as her mind began to drift. Yet at that very moment, the enemy
troops retreated like a receding tide back into the ocean. An urgent siren was sounded
among their formations, their commanders screaming at the top of their lungs. Yet, the long
distances between them meant that they could only hear incoherent fragments of their
message. Torches were lit and waved, seemingly transmitting a message.

Chaos! Utter chaos!

“General?” a puzzled surviving soldier looked at Chu Qiao and asked.

Chu Qiao paused for a moment, before turning around and darting up the city tower, as if
she had made a sudden realization.

“General! We have reinforcements!” Even before she reached the top of the city wall, a
messenger stormed down and knelt before her, his face ushed red with emotion as he
shouted, “We have reinforcements!”

Chu Qiao did not even respond as she stormed up to the top of the city walls. Everyone in
the tower was in a celebratory mood, embracing each other and letting out thunderous
cheers.

A thin, iron-clad line soon appeared over the horizon. It did not take long for this stream to
grow ever wider into a sea of metal that covered the land, as countless troops clad in their
heavy armor stormed in, bringing with them a thunderous atmosphere.

“Kill them!”

fl
 “It’s the Qinghai Army!”

It wasn’t clear who gave the rst shout as everyone huddled together, cheering and crying in
disbelief. The soldiers that had just been rescued from the brink of death cheered wildly at
the advancing army coming from afar. The Qinghai Army soldiers returned the favor,
unleashing their own thunderous cheer.

“General! We’re saved! Tang is saved!”

Soaked in blood, the commander of the Wolf Army excitedly came up to Chu Qiao and
exclaimed, “The king of Qinghai has brought reinforcements!”

Yet, Chu Qiao remained silent. The lady stood still in the light from the ames around her, as
she lowered her sword to her side. Tears quietly streamed down her cheeks.

Hanshui River.

Even though they were far away from the battle raging in in the east, the Yan Bei soldiers in
the Hanshui area could still hear the sounds of ghting and killing reverberating across the
land.

Mu Lang ran forward to Yan Xun, who was sitting on his horse, reporting, “Your Majesty, we
should go.”

Yan Xun nodded ever so slightly, yet otherwise remained still, as he gazed into the rising
ames in the east.

He did arrive after all.

Yet that instant, a sudden wave of tension and anxiety ripped through him, echoing ever so
silently within his soul. Perhaps, deep inside, he had hoped she would not die. However, he
had hoped that that man would not have appeared here.

It had always been a tough choice to choose between the empire or the beauty. The things
that he had not been able to let go of, others managed to.

“Your Majesty, ever since Zhuge Yue left, our troops have launched an assault on Yanming
Pass. General Lu has just breached the pass.”

“Your Majesty, Zhao Che has led the remnants of his troops towards the northern pass.
General Cheng Yuan has already taken over 18 provinces in the northeast and is on the
brink of victory.”

“Your Majesty, only Zhao Yang’s army remains in Xia territory, they are near the Fangcun
Mountains.”

“Your Majesty…”

Suddenly, Yan Xun was no longer hearing anything around him. Instead, he was brought
back to many years ago, as a crisp voice echoed in his ears. Smiling ever so brightly, a girl
reached out with her pale white ngers and tapped on his chest.

fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
“Will you bully me?”

Will you bully me?

Will you?

As the wind blew, two eagles circled over him, letting out their sharp howls. He turned
around, his mind xated. The others had long made their decisions, while he should have
followed the plan that he set out a long time ago. After all, the end result was always going
to be one dictated by himself. Life was short. There was no room for placing on over-
emphasis on love, hesitation, indecisiveness, nor regrets…

In his mind, Yan Xun repeated the principles of his heritage and ancestry, thinking of how his
parents had been exiled from home, and how his fathers and brothers were ruthlessly killed
on the highlands of Yan Bei.

From then, the lands of Xia will be ruled under the ag of Yan Bei. The people will submit to
me and the land would be under my will. I would be the new supreme ruler of this territory.
How would a woman ever compare to my achievements? I will have absolutely no regrets.

Yan Xun rushed towards the front of his troops, his army and the thousands of horses in it
following him like a turbulent sea.

Mu Lang could only stand and watch as the king of Yan Bei rode away. In an instant, the
young general felt that his ruler was ever so lonely.

Thunderous cheers and celebration reverberated inside the Tang capital.

Chu Qiao stood in front of the city gates, with countless civilians and soldiers behind her.

Covered in dust with blood-stained clothes, Zhuge Yue jumped o his horse. “What are you
doing here?”

“To take back what belongs to me.” Chu Qiao’s eyes grew even redder as she resisted her
urge to bawl out in tears. Then, she stepped forward, reached out her st, and punched him
lightly on the chest.

“Fool.”

Zhuge Yue reached out his hands and hugged her ever so tightly. As he smiled, he said,
“Xing’er, follow me back to Qinghai.”

Huddled in his arms, tears began to stream down Chu Qiao’s eyes, soaking his shirt drop by
drop.

Under the hot morning sun, Zhuge Yue held her hand tightly, as he felt warmth inside
himself.

With tears streaming down her face, Chu Qiao nodded with the little energy she had left.

She tip-toed and whispered softly yet excitedly into his ear.

fi
fl
ff
fi
“Zhuge Yue, I’m pregnant.”

Under the vast lands and as time ew by, what should have ended had nally ended. The
future was bright. Although there were still many uncertainties, one thing that was sure was
that they had each other to rely on presently.

Chapter 270
Even if the sky collapsed, he would not leave. That was because on his shoulders he carried
her love.

The cold wind caressed his eyebrows as he saw the young scout return on horseback. The
scout’s back was bent as a dozen arrows were embedded in his back. Even with that, he
did not fall, and instead, he tied the spear to his horse. Piercing the spear into his chest, he
forced his dead body to return. Before his chest, the armor had been torn apart. On the
white clothes, there were a few words written in blood: Southeast, 15km, light cavalry, 10
thousand.

Zhuge Yue looked at this young warrior and lowered his head. After a long pause, he lightly
said, “You have done well.”

With that, the spear that had been under stress for a long time had nally penetrated
through the body of the soldier. The dark red blood spurted out from the back as the young
soldier fell o the horse. The horse neighed in sorrow as it licked the soldier’s face, pacing
up and down.

“King!” A bodyguard ran over. Holding onto a thin old man, he shouted, “We found him!”

The man was already over 60-years-old. In this era, that was considered a rarity. He was
really thin, but it was apparent that his mind was clear. Despite his disorderly appearance,
his eyes shone with intelligence. Zhuge Yue observed him, before slowly nodding. “This
teacher seems really healthy, and should be able to handle the harsh conditions of traveling
long distances with ease.”

“You… Qinghai is a land of the barbarians. They are all uncultured and uncivilized. This old
man is a scholar, how can…”

Zhuge Yue’s eyes rolled as his stared straight into the old man’s eyes. With a voice that was
slow and steady, he radiated pressure, “I traveled thousands of miles personally and
brought huge forces with me. Seems like this doctor thinks that I did not express enough
sincerity.” This statement was so casual, yet it was lled with murderous intent. This made
the old man, Gao Qingzhu, freeze in his tracks.

From Qinghai to Cuiwei, they had passed through countless provinces. With that, they had
left behind so many soldiers. Such authentic sincerity, who dared to claim otherwise?

“Invite Mister Qingzhu onto the carriage.”

“Understood, Your Highness!”

ff

fl
fi
fi
fi
 Even though Maoling City was completely untouched by the battles, the o cials did not
hesitate to let the Qinghai army into the castle. With the upheaval of the West Meng
Continent, the Xia Imperial family retreated to the Northern lands, along with the conquering
of the Empire by Yan Bei. Yet, even though all the garrisons had surrendered to Yan Bei,
many of the garrisons were still unchanged. As such, to them, Zhuge Yue, as the former
Grand Marshal of the Xia Empire, was like an old friend to them.

As the Qinghai army entered Maoling City, the civilians thought that the Imperial forces had
begun their counterattack. Countless men carried axes and blades in hopes of joining the
army, and civilians even gave them food. The streets were full of happiness, completely
unlike a city that had just fallen.

“King.” Guo Huai carried with him a huge, heavy blade as he ran over. Wiping away the dust
on his face, he loudly asked, “The Yan Army is here. What should we do?”

Zhuge Yue looked to the southeast, and without changing his expression, he calmly stated,
“We ght.”

At that moment, the entire army erupted into a wave of jubilance. This group of soldiers was
the elites of Qinghai. From the moment they set o from Cuiwei Pass, they had been
cowering and covering their tracks, retreating from every battle. This resulted in their pent-
up frustration. At this moment when they nally heard that they could ght, everyone
cheered.

It was dusk when the Yan Army nally arrived, yet they did not initiate an assault but merely
surrounded the city in a siege. Zhuge Yue immediately could tell that they were waiting for
reinforcements. The moment that the reinforcements arrived would be extremely
disadvantageous to him. On the same night, before the Yan Army had completely nalized
their formations, the Qinghai army charged out of Maoling, and after three waves of assault,
the Qinghai army managed to tear open a gap in the rock solid encirclement of the Yan
Army and escape from the siege. These 10,000 soldiers were not regular forces but were
merely reserves that were immediately summoned due to the fall of Maoling. Such a force
would naturally be defeated by the elites of Qinghai.

At that moment, the entire line of beacons along the Great Yan Empire was set ablaze one
by one as the various elites forces were sent out. Yet, Qinghai’s war horses were extremely
fast. Those elite forces arrived only to see the wave of dust left behind by the Qinghai army.

Soon they were faced with the nal line of defense—the Cangming Mountain Pass. After
crossing this mountain, they would arrive at the Qinghai Cuiwei Pass. The night before, the
warriors of Qinghai had all polished their weapons in preparation for the di cult ght ahead.

Wearing his cold armor, Zhuge Yue raised his arm as a snow white eagle landed on his wrist
and stretched out the leg that carried a letter. He carefully read the contents of the letter
twice before putting it in his chest, as though he was personally experiencing the warmth of
the words. It was as though he was holding a warmer in the frigid winter.

Everyone had things that were extremely precious to them. To some, it was wealth, to some,
it was authority. To him, it was just one person.

fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
ffi
ffi
fi
fi
 He was never a kind person. It was only because of her that he willingly withdrew his
devilish side. Yet, that did not mean that he had already forgotten how to kill.

He slowly raised his head. The dark skies seemed so low that even the stars were about to
fall out, as though he could grab them if he reached his hands out. The wind blew from far
away, as though carrying with it the scents unique to Qinghai. His heart was like the tall
grass in Qinghai, lightly swaying in the winds.

On the second day, they could see formations of enemies that numbered 8,000. Di erent
from the previous encounters with the Xia forces that were forced to defect, and the
reserves of the Yan Empire that were newly recruited, they were native to Yan Bei, born in
the seas of blades and rains of blood.

The winds at the borders were always cold, as it swept across the vast lands, lifting up a
wave of grass. The Qinghai soldiers tightened the black bands around their wrists as they
rmly gripped their blades and coldly looked at the enemies facing them. An intense will of
battle arose in the battle eld. It was as though even the winds that lightly blew past
resounded with the rolling of the war drums.

Yet, at this critical juncture, there seemed to be some kind of panic in the formations of the
garrison of the Cangming Mountain. Zhuge Yue, who was still atop his horse, frowned as he
noticed that the garrison slowly parted and opened a path in the middle. The heavy doors
opened. It was as though they had laid a red carpet before the Qinghai army.

“What are they doing?” there were soldiers who asked quietly.

“It must be a trap! The Yan Bei dogs are playing a trick on us.” The crowd entered a
commotion like a drop of oil had just dripped into a pot of boiling water.

Zhuge Yue looked at the Yan Army that was in dead silence as he frowned. Time passed
slowly in this strange circumstance. The Yan Army was quiet, not taking any action. The
Qinghai army had not made any movement either. The ocean of grass that was knee-high
lightly swayed in the light wind.

Zhuge Yue’s horse stepped forward. Guo Huai immediately stood before him and anxiously
cautioned, “King, beware that it might be a trap.”

“They dare to open the gates before me, how could I not have the courage to walk over?”
Zhuge Yue’s voice was soft and his tone was at, but the contents of his words ignited the
desire to ght in the entire army. Zhuge Yue lifted his head and lightly chuckled as he
pointed his sheath at his soldiers and asked aloud, “Who dares to follow this King to head
over?”

“This man is willing!” At that moment, the entire Qinghai army erupted into cheers. Their
voices were like thunder rolling across the entire land, creating a small tremor in its path.
The 3,000 strong Qinghai force followed behind Zhuge Yue as they charged to the grand
gates.

fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
 300 meters, 150 meters, 100 meters… They were close, so close they could see the faces
of each Yan Bei soldier and their will to ght. Yet, none drew their blades, and no sounds of
war sounded out. Just like that, they passed through the Cangming Mountain Pass, through
the doors that they expected to only pass through after losing many of their brethren.

As they entered the vast plains, the heavy gates closed behind them. The pitch black war
ag hung high above the castle gates. It was like someone was watching them as they left.
Zhuge Yue quietly looked one for a while before turning around and instructing Guo Huai, a
native Qinghai general who rose through the ranks, “Inform Yue Qi to bring his men back.”

Guo Huai was slightly taken aback. To cooperate with this operation, General Yue Qi and
General He Xiao had led 30,000 troops and hid in the vicinity of Zhen Huang City. Should
something go wrong, they would immediately attack Zhen Huang. With the cooperation of
the remaining troops of Xia Empire, they would disperse Yan Bei’s attention such that they
could return with ease. Yet, informing them to return just like that would be a waste of their
previous e ort for them to in ltrate. Yet, Guo Huai did not comment and merely followed the
instructions. Before long, Qinghai appeared before them.

Just as the doctor stepped back, Zhuge Yue had walked in. The huge palace was lled with
the scent of a relaxing incense. He waved the maidservants away and walked to the side of
the bed and sat at the side of the bed.

She had become much thinner, as though she was a completely di erent person. At this
moment, she was sleeping, and her breathing was rather stable. As she had just taken the
medication, her complexion seemed in the pink of health. It could have just been a pseudo
e ect, but Zhuge Yue felt like after the old doctor had seen her, she seemed much healthier
than before.

He had fought all along the way and had laid out a carpet that was red from blood, and was
dead worried along the way. At this very moment, all that was converted to a sense of
happiness and satisfaction.

Luckily… He silently sighed in his heart, admitting to the thoughts that he would usually
never admit to.

Luckily she was ne.

On the baby’s cot beside the bed, there was a small sound. Turning around, Zhuge Yue saw
a small kid looking at him with a pair of round, big eyes. The kid’s eyes were pitch black. He
was still too young, and even his neck was still soft and could not be lifted up. Yet his sts
seemed so strong as he looked at this guy who was suspiciously hanging around his
mother’s bedside. Frowning, the kid looked at Zhuge Yue seriously.

Zhuge Yue looked at his son and felt surreal. He was lost for a moment as to what
expression to face his child with. He lifted a nger and placed it by the side of his lips,
indicating to him to be quiet in order not to disturb Chu Qiao’s sleep. The kid obvious did
not understand his gesture. Perhaps he was hungry, as he picked up his feet and
exceedingly naturally, he placed it into his mouth.

fl
ff
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
 Zhuge Yue frowned as he thought What kind of habit is this? It’s so unhygienic. His long arm
stretched over and pulled the feet out of the kid’s mouth, and following that, he glared at the
baby.

Even though the baby was still young, he was capable of telling the attitude of the other. As
such, without any suspense, in the very next moment, this young child of Qinghai started to
howl with all his strength. At that moment, the maidservants, nannies, servants, doctors,
and everyone jumped to attention and appeared from all corners of the palace. Chu Qiao
who was in a deep slumber woke up and sat upright.

“What happened?”

“Did the young child wet himself?”

“Call the doctor!”

“Your Young Highness, don’t cry. Look here, what is this?”

A group of servants rudely pushed a certain man out. The kid’s eyes swept past the crowd
before nally stopping on his mother’s face. Looking extremely upset, he stretched out his
chubby hands and sobbed. Chu Qiao hugged the baby in her arms and looked around. It
was only then she noticed her husband that she had been separated from for a long time.
Yet she frowned and snapped, “You bullied our son!”

“I did not,” Zhuge Yue immediately denied it and wanted to walk over. Yet, as though trying
to counter Zhuge Yue’s words, the baby started wailing with an even higher intensity as
Zhuge Yue approached.

“You still say you didn’t?” Chu Qiao stared at Zhuge Yue. “You are so old, yet you still bully
kids!”

Zhuge Yue was enraged. Was this kid really his? Seeing how the baby rubbed even his snot
on Chu Qiao’s clothes, his ames of rage burned. What is this? After he had gone through
life and death to bring back the doctor, this was the attitude that he received?

“Your Highness? You are covered in dust from travel. The doctor recommended that you
leave rst.”

Zhuge Yue glared at the maidservant, and the young girl almost fainted. Yet, even though he
glared for quite a while, he was ultimately chased out of his own door by the doctor he had
forcefully abducted.

“Ah! The young prince has wet himself!”

“Bring the diapers! Nannies, please come over, the young prince might be hungry.” The
palace was in a mess as the servants rushed in and out without paying any attention to him.

This King of Qinghai was particularly miserable as he sat there with a long face. Somehow
the situation was completely di erent from what he had imagined.

fi
fi
fl
ff
 It should have been like this: A lial son, a gentle wide, a group of subordinates lled with
reverence that looked up at him with tears praising his achievements. Yet this was
completely di erent from his imagination. This son only knew how to cry and nibble on his
feet, and his wife was in love with the kid.

He sighed and continued to sit there miserably.

“Meixiang, should the Young Highness wear these blue clothes or these beige-colored
ones?”

“Missy, the Young Highness is vomiting, did he eat too much?”

“Ah, Your Highness, can you stand up? You are sitting on the Young Highness’ toy.”

Everyone had things that were extremely precious to them. To some, it was wealth, to some,
it was authority. To him, it was just two people

Chapter 271
Qinghai was such a vast territory. One who had never set foot in the region before would
have never guessed that a beautiful paradise was situated behind the forest stained with the
blood of fallen soldiers.

About 140 kilometers to the east of Chifeng was Cuiwei Pass. It stood majestically tall
above the landscape, like a mountain.

Zhuge Yue was on horseback, with over a hundred horses following behind him. His
personal bodyguard, Guo Huai, led around 20 to 30 soldiers at the back, guarding the royal
carriages. The wind was blowing from the east, bringing with it the scent of the earth, whose
soil had laid the foundations for another blossoming summer in the vast land that was
Qinghai.

By the time they had reached the pass, the guard on patrol was already expecting his
arrival. Upon seeing Zhuge Yue, he saluted and greeted him before opening the heavy city
gates.

Zhuge Yue calmly faced the carriage and said, “Third Uncle, forgive me for not sending you
o .”

The curtains of the carriage were rolled up, revealing a face whose old age was as apparent
as his clarity of mind. His expression was of that of confusion and despair. Raising his head,
he pleaded for a nal time, “Your Majesty, it was a moment of folly from me. Please forgive
me for once.”

Zhuge Yue remained silent, his eyes as if encased with a layer of ice, coldly re ecting the
elderly man’s desperate pleas.

The elderly man continued to plead in sorrow, “Xia has ceased to exist. The brothers have
all accompanied Seventh Royal Highness to the northern regions. With the territory of
ff
ff
fi

fi
fl
fi
Hongchuan under the role of that little scum, Yan Xun, how will I manage if you send me
back there?”

“That is your problem, not mine.”

Tears began to well up in the elderly man’s eyes, as he kneeled on the oor of the carriage,
begging in sorrow, “Your Highness, Third Uncle has let you down. But, I did it for the sake of
your lineage, hence I wanted to betroth Chou’er to you. I didn’t have any ill intentions
towards her, I just…” The elderly man had not nished his statement when Zhuge Yue
turned around without hesitation, his resolve rm as steel.

Stunned, the old man exclaimed, “I didn’t do anything! It was just a thought!”

“Even those thoughts are too much,” Zhuge Yue calmly replied, his voice echoing across the
wind like a leaf drifting aimlessly across a pond.

“It is my wife and children that we are talking about here. Those ideas being oated about in
your head and found out by me is also too much.” As he nished, a white bird ew over
from the plains of Qinghai, in its mouth a tree branch. It was a bird that had just nished
building his nest.

“Guo Huai, send them out.”

The gates were opened, before closing not long after. Without uttering a single word, he led
his team back, as the footsteps of horses and sounds of eagles ying overhead were heard.
It was serene and peaceful again.

Qinghai was his home, one that he would rule and protect at all means necessary. Anything
that represented a threat to that peace would be ruthlessly eliminated, even if it was just an
idea or thought.

Suddenly, the crisp sounds of horse steps were heard. Zhuge Yue looked up, only to see her
approaching on horseback, dressed in her yellow shirt.

“Yu…” Chu Qiao stopped the horse and looked afar puzzled, asking, “Has your third uncle
left?”

Zhuge Yue nodded, “Yes.”

“Why didn’t you ask me over to send him o ?”

Zhuge Yue smiled, “He is reluctant to leave his old home. He wants to go back there. There
wouldn’t be any point in troubling you.”

Chu Qiao frowned, “He is your elder, after all, it wouldn’t be nice for me to not send him o .”

“What’s there to be nice about?” Zhuge Yue casually shrugged, before getting onto his
horse, “I wasn’t close to him to begin with.”

With him already gone, Chu Qiao could only reluctantly sigh in reply, “But, you didn’t give
me a choice. Don’t say I embarrassed you if this ever comes up again.”

ff
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
ff
 The couple began walking back towards their home, chatting about daily matters. Flowers
blossomed on both sides of the road, bringing along their fragrant scent. The road was the
only way to regions outside the pass. The situation in Hongchuan had been resolved and
Yan Bei had entered the eastern regions. The civil con ict in Tang had subsided, which
meant that Song was now a part of the Yan empire. The stable political scene meant trade
was beginning to ourish once again. As Qinghai began to open its doors, trade relations
were established with Tang. The bustling trade activities meant that the road was heavily
used, with over ten merchant carriages traveling over it in a short period of time.

Both Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao were dressed in ordinary civilian attire, while their guards
behind accompanied them without their plated armor. From far, the pair looked like any
other couple touring and visiting the area.

Not long after, the sounds of drums lled the air. As they looked up, a bride in her red
carriage and white horse rode down the road. Seeing this, Zhuge Yue smiled, “Today is a
joyous day. Fancy bumping into civilians holding a wedding the moment we stepped out.”

As he nished, Guo Huai was also told by him to let a path through, as everyone walked to
the side of the road. As the celebratory entourage walked down from afar, the groom atop
on his horse gestured to thank him, with Zhuge Yue nodding in acknowledgment.

As Chu Qiao looked at the celebratory entourage, she couldn’t help but feel slightly dazed
as she vaguely recalled how what seemed to be an eternity before, she once sat on a
carriage going down a freshly completed road in a similar festive atmosphere.

She was pregnant then, to the point where it was beyond doubt from an outsider’s point of
view. Knowing the culture there, a pregnant woman getting married was bound to cause
rumors spreading around the community. Yet, he was insistent that she would receive a
formal ceremony even before the child was to be born. Hence, Chu Qiao had become
potentially the most discussed bride in history yet again, as she rode in the royal carriage
wearing her wide robe into the majestic palace gates.

It was weird how things in life sometimes panned out. One could muster all his or her e ort
into something and come up short, yet in other times try something casually and have an
inseparable bond for life.

That day, Zhuge Yue would document his marriage atop the sycamore platform, in full view
of the Qinghai region. He had used all his e ort into organizing such a grand wedding on
land that he had so bitterly fought for, to give her a haven and a home.

Chu Qiao was full of gratitude. After all, through the countless battles and escapes from the
jaws of death, a man like him was what any woman would have wanted. A man like him was
worthy of any woman in the world to love for a lifetime. Yet among all of them, she would be
the chosen and lucky one.

That night, as he put on her makeup in the candlelight, they both realized that this was the
day they were looking forward to. Like the winds that circled across the land and seas but
would eventually return to the mountains, they had found the place they would call home.

fi
fl
fi
ff
fl
ff
“Xing’er?” Puzzled, Zhuge Yue asked, “What are you daydreaming about?”

Chu Qiao was suddenly brought back to reality, and smiled. “I was thinking, when we had
our wedding, you weren’t riding a horse when you received me.”

Zhuge Yue looked thoughtfully at the departing celebratory entourage and nodded, “Yes,
shall we do it one more time?”

“Alright, I’m okay with that.”

The couple joked with each other as they walked into Qiuye City, entering Xingyue Palace
from the back door.

Yet, as they walked into Taihe Palace, they could hear commotion coming from within.
Zhuge Yue raised his hand, frowning at what was going on just as the servant was about to
report. As expected, the servants were all standing at the side of the courtyard, stunned at
what they saw. Zhuge Yue’s son was dragging his items towards the palace door, whereas
his father’s pillow had been thrown outside, as if he had been evicted.

“Zhou’er, what are you up to?”

The young child, who had just turned three and a half years old, was stunned upon hearing
his father’s voice, as he immediately sat on the oor. Gingerly, he turned his head around,
covering his eyes with his hands, only to see his father’s furious expression through the silts
between his ngers.

What’s done has been done. I’ve been caught red-handed, what’s left to say?

Zhuge Yunzhou stood up and exclaimed proudly, “I’m moving house!”

“What house?”

His son retorted bullishly, “Father and I have ve days each. Today is the fth day!”

Zhuge Yue had indeed agreed to such terms. Though both he and Chu Qiao were elites and
were well endowed, when it came to their child, they were entirely di erent from their normal
selves. Therefore, until the child turned two, the family had all lived together. Yet, this
arrangement brought certain inconveniences. One example was when they wanted to
engage in physical intimacy at night, the child would stare at them.

In the end, Zhuge Yue could no longer tolerate it. Instead, he struck a deal with his son,
where they would each live in separate quarters and have Chu Qiao’s attention for ve days
each, so that the couple would have time to enjoy each other’s company during the night.

Alas, Zhuge Yunzhou’s trust towards his father had dropped massively. Every few days or
so, Zhuge Yue would nd several excuses not to hand his wife over to his son. Eventually,
thinking that no one respected his opinion due to his tender age, the child followed his
mother’s words and took matters into his own hands, moving in all by himself.

fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
With Zhuge Yue out of the home due to work matters today, the determined Zhuge Yunzhou
used all his might to move all his items into his mother’s room, while throwing his father’s
pillow out as a sign of his resolve.

“Ahem…” Zhuge Yue cleared his throat as he thoughtfully said to his young son, “Zhou’er,
you’ve grown up. It’s time to be a true man and learn to be independent of your mother.”

The younger Zhuge scratched his head, looking attentively at his father. Thinking he had
talked some sense into his child, Zhuge Yue shamelessly bragged on, “When I was your
age, I was already shooting arrows, riding horses and studying poetry. Put your energy onto
more useful and productive matters rather than these mundane issues, alright?”

The junior Zhuge nodded his head, obediently replying, “Understood.”

Zhuge Yue was thrilled. His child had nally matured and opened up.

“But, it sucks.” The young Zhuge pouted and reached his small tiny palms towards Chu
Qiao as he said sheepishly, “Mother, my hands hurt. I’m tired.”

Seeing her beloved child in such a state, Chu Qiao’s usual steel nerve instantly became soft.
She immediately rushed forward, ordering her servants to help the child carry his items. As
Zhuge Yue stood in the courtyard, seeing his wife transform in an instant, this only made his
heart ever colder.

As darkness fell, a person got up dressed and stepped out into the hall. Satis ed, the
person outside asked, “Is he asleep?”

“Yes”, Chu Qiao nodded, “Hurry along, I have to wake up early tomorrow.”

“You little rascal. You dare oppose me?!”

“Keep your volume down. The child may hear you.”

As darkness further enshrouded the sky, a child peeked over the window, looking at the
couple walking shoulder to shoulder, before sighing with sadness, “My mother has turned
her back on me.”

The land that was now named Qinghai didn’t always have a name. It was a piece of
unnamed territory, which when someone stepped onto and saw the vast landscape with
greenery stretching beyond the landscape, that he/she decided to name the region Qinghai
accordingly.

Zhuge Yunzhou was once named Zhuge Kongming. It was after his mother had a nightmare
of an elderly man wielding a fan to strike her that made her change his name to what it was
at present.

Xingyue Palace was once nothing but a barren piece of land. It was only after the arrival of a
family that decided to settle upon this land and build a large compound for a peaceful did
the palace take shape.

fi
fi
 As the war heroes stepped out of the chaos of the battle eld into the mundane tribulations
of daily life, happiness slowly but surely began to return back into their lives, undisturbed by
the tribulations and uncertainty con ict.

After all, living was meaningless without enjoying daily life.

Chapter 272 
I merely want to be a clam. With time and my own esh, I will care for my pearl.

In the middle of the night, snow suddenly began to fall. There was no wind, and as such, the
snow fell like cotton drifting down from the heavens. The entire garden of plum trees
blossomed in the night; the red owers were like blood, dying the branches with drops of
crimson.

Meixiang entered in the middle of the night to replenish the coal, only to see Chu Qiao
sitting on the bed. Slightly taken aback, Meixiang stepped forward and lightly called out,
“Missy, what happened?”

Chu Qiao donned her white cotton pajamas as her hair was like black silk, yet she seemed
like a stone. Her complexion was rather pale as she lightly shook her head and said, “I am
merely feeling a bit uncomfortable.”

Meixiang heard that and lightly smiled as she teased, “The fourth master just left for two
days, yet Missy is already missing him so much that you cannot sleep?”

Even though Zhuge Yue occupied Qinghai, he was still holding the position of a subordinate
of the Xia Empire, and regarded Zhao Che, who currently governed the northern lands, as
the master. As such, he was still a King, and Chu Qiao the Lady. Meixiang did not change
how she addressed the two of them. Chu Qiao laughed, and Meixiang left her alone.

In the quiet night, without him around, the room seemed so empty. She thought about the
dream that she just had. The woman in her dream had a rather blurred gure, along with a
pale complexion. Yet the smile that the woman donned was gentle and calm. Wearing a
robe of pure white, she quietly stood in the beautiful garden and looked at her quietly. The
white owers blossomed behind her, falling with the wind.

In this dark night, for some reason the wind suddenly began to blow. The plum blossoms fell
with the winds, pitter-pattering on the windows in a soft rhythm. Chu Qiao quietly looked out
of the window, suddenly feeling a sense of pain. She knew not why nor for whom.

It was the 4th of December, two days ago, when Zhuge Yue had left for Gongyue to settle
some military matters. In the Qianhua Palace within Xingyue Palace, Chu Qiao had a dream
of an unfamiliar woman standing outside her window, standing for a long while before
leaving.

Half a month later, Zhuge Yue nally returned from Gong Yue.

fl

fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
Zhuge Yunzhou frowned his small brows and started complaining to his mother before he
even got o his carriage. “Zhou’er will never head out with father again. He kept rushing the
journey. It was not fun at all.”

Li Qingrong was already eight-years-old, and looked exceeding like his father, especially
how he loved colorful clothing. In his actions, he exuded the aura of that person. As he lazily
leaned on the stone pillar before the palace, Li Qingrong yawned and muttered, “I told you
long ago. You did not believe me and insisted on going.”

Chu Qiao ignored them both and walked straight to Zhuge Yue, brushing o the dust on his
clothes, and asked, “Was it tough on the journey?”

Zhuge Yue embraced her and pecked her on the cheek. “It was ne.”

“Ah!” Zhuge Zhouyun sighed as he noticed that nobody replied to him. He got o the horse
by himself. As he got o , he sighed while shaking his head. “In this era, it is ever so di cult
to predict peoples’ hearts. Even though we are all family, the treatment is so di erent.”

On the other hand, Li Qingrong pretended that he could not bear to look on anymore as he
covered his eyes with one hand and used his other hand to feel the way back to the palace.

On that night, the Xingyue Palace held a huge banquet. All kinds of food were presented in
turn, as dances and music lled the palace. The palace was lled with people and laughter.
Yet, all this prosperity was nothing compared to the gaze of the person beside him. With the
piling of the snow outside the doors, the plum trees swayed with the uttering snow akes.

After drinking some alcohol, he was in a particularly good mood. Even though his
subordinates teased him about how he was worried about his family and rushed back
through the nights, he merely childishly glared and put on a show that he was angry.

That night, as the banquet was dismissed, the palace doors were closed shut. In the lightly
swaying silk veils, their ushed skin brushed against each other as their bodies were
entangled. After their merrymaking was over, he lightly kissed her earlobe and whispered in
her ear, “Xing’er, the Nalan Empress has left.”

Left? Where to? For a moment Chu Qiao was still caught in a daze as her heart had yet to
recover from the intense lovemaking. Leaning in his embrace, she thought in a daze Nalan
Empress? Which Nalan Empress?

“It was rumored that she died from a sudden illness, and it has been almost two weeks
since. After hearing that, I was particularly afraid as I recalled how you were so sickly. Since
then I had an intense desire to rush back.” Zhuge Yue lightly spoke as his arms embraced
her from behind, his chest tightly pressed on her silky smooth back. He hugged her so tight
that she felt as though she was about to pass out.

Chu Qiao’s body gradually froze up as coldness emerged from her ngertips like the
coldness of the Yan Bei highlands, capable of freezing boiling water in a ash. As the wind
blew past beyond the windows, one could hear them howl. The branches of the plum trees
swayed before the window like a lady shaking her body.

ff
ff
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
ff
ff
ff
fl
ffi
 She suddenly remembered how she woke suddenly from her sleep covered in cold sweat
that stuck to her body. After so many days she had already forgotten what that person
looked like, and the clothes that that person wore. But Chu Qiao could always vividly recall
how that pair of eyes were so calm, so eeting, like the clouds in the sky. That gaze landed
on Chu Qiao and passed through her into the distance.

The wind swept up the corner of her clothes and the ower petals ew past her pale face.
They had never met before, and the only time they crossed paths in this entire life was
merely that one instance when she caught a glimpse of the letter. In the messy words that
were written on the scented letter, the poems were a mess as the tears of that lady dripped
down and seeped through the paper, dissolving the ink into messy blotches.

In this strange twist of fate, only Chu Qiao managed to see the deep pains of this lady who
stood at the pinnacle of power.

The mountain nurtured trees, yet the trees nourished their branches; My heart sought your
happiness, yet you had not known…

Whoosh, a dark shadow swept past the window. She suddenly froze up, and even her
ngers turned frigid. Zhuge Yue noticed her frigidity and hugged her as he propped his body
up and called out, “What was that?”

A wave of rushed footsteps sounded out as servants replied, “My King, it was a raven that
was ying in the night.”

“Inform the archery units. Shoot all of them in the area.”

“Understood, Your Highness. This servant will leave now.”

The winds were still blowing as Zhuge Yue embraced her and comforted her, “Don’t be
afraid. It was but a bird.”

Her eyes suddenly teared up, and she tightly held his waist. With one hand around her and
another lightly patting her back, Zhuge Yue seemed to sense something and asked softly,
“Xing’er, what’s wrong?”

She buried her head in his gentle embrace and quietly replied, “Nothing much. I merely feel
that the world is so unpredictable.”

He gently replied, “The world is unpredictable, but that does not include us.”

Chu Qiao lifted her head up, and the pair of dark irises seemed to exude confusion in the
darkness. She lightly frowned and said, “There are some things that we humans ultimately
cannot achieve. It is impossible to predict fate.”

“I never believed in gods or deities.” He lightly smiled, his eyes lled with light as he closed
in for a light peck on her lips and muttered, “I will never do something that I regret.”

Her heart seemed to fall into a boiling fountain as her limbs all seemed to be sapped of
strength. She hugged him and replied to his kiss with all her heart. Their skin brushed
fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
against each other again, savoring every inch of each other’s body as her ngertips swept
around his muscular back then circled to the front of his chest. Pressing her ears on her
hand, even though her palm she could hear his strong beating heart.

Her tears fell drop by drop. There was no reason to stop, nor did she want to.

Snow bellowed outside the window as she leaned into her husband’s embrace in her warm
bedroom. In the bedroom opposite them, there slept her son. In the vast heavens, her
personal world was tightly in her grasp. Regardless of how the world was turned around or
upside down, she would have the courage to face it.

The winter in Qinghai was short and quickly ended. The spring wind was precious as it
drizzled on the lands. This day was the best day for seeding the lands. Zhuge Yue brought
his entire court to the altar of the earth god, Pingan following alongside him. Jingjing was so
bored that she pestered Chu Qiao to head out of the palace to get some air. Chu Qiao felt
rather tired lately, but was still convinced by Jingjing and brought Yunzhou and Rong’er out.
Even though Li Qingrong was still young, he loved sleeping. Even after heading out of the
palace, he was still in a daze. Chu Qiao had no choice but to prepare a separate carriage
just for him, whereas she shared another carriage with Yunzhou and Jingjing.

After heading up the mountain, everyone abandoned their horses to walk up. Li Qingrong
sighed and followed behind, complaining about how he had come to Qinghai precisely to
rest, yet he was still exhausted. Jingjing started to argue with him, but was quickly defeated
in a verbal battle, and could only look to Chu Qiao for help. Chu Qiao smiled and asked if
the Tang Emperor still forced him to study politics every day.

He immediately nodded and helplessly replied, “My brother said that after a few years, he
will let me take over for a few years and let him take a break.”

Chu Qiao knew that these siblings were extremely close, and was not surprised at that
suggestion. “Your brother is indeed big-hearted.”

Li Qingrong clicked his tongue and remarked, “Being the emperor is the most di cult job in
the world. I will never be tricked by him to become one.”

As the crowd nally reached the mountaintop, the clouds just happened to clear up as the
sunlight pierced through, revealing a huge rainbow that looked like the silk belt that had
descended from the skies.

Jingjing was extremely happy as she danced around. Seeing that, Zhuge Yunzhou stared at
her and asked, “Mother, when will Aunt Jingjing be married o ?”

That remark was clearly a sensitive question as Jingjing sharply turned around and
snapped, “Who needs you to care?”

Zhuge Yunzhou frowned. “Who said I cared? I merely want less noise in my life.”

Just as the duo was arguing, Chu Qiao turned around only to see Li Qingrong donned in his
red blouse with his ornaments neatly placed all over his body as he casually leaned on a
fi
ff
fi
ffi
 pine tree by the side. Even though he was still young, his eyes were the same as Li Ce’s. His
long eyes were like a fox as he kept them half closed as he looked over at her. He suddenly
smiled. “If aunt managed to give birth to a sister, when she grows up, just marry her to me.”

Chu Qiao was slightly taken aback as she laughed, “You are so young, why would you
suddenly think about this?”

“I didn’t suddenly think of that.” Li Qingrong lifted an eyebrow. Even though he was still a
kid, there was a layer of something covering his eyes, preventing anyone from completely
reading him.

“If Rong’er had these kind of thoughts since so young, I am sure I was born for that.”

As the light breeze blew past, Li Qingrong’s hair uttered. Looking into the distance, he
quietly said, “Aunt, there are too many partners who were upset with each other. Just like
my Father and Mother, Grandfather and Grandmother, they had hated each other for their
entire lives until death. Aunt and the King are a rare couple.”

Suddenly, the winds started again. Seeing how Chu Qiao was lightly dressed, Li Qingrong
quickly took out a robe. Even though he was small, he managed to put the robe onto her
shoulder in a rather mature manner.

The young boy smiled. “Aunt, I want a sister to be my wife. Therefore, you and the King
need to try your best.” Seeing how even such a young kid started to tease her, Chu Qiao
was rather at a loss. She scolded him lightly though he kept his smiling face.

After the drizzle stopped, the rainbow bloomed even brighter as the sunlight pierced through
the clouds, bathing the lands in a golden yellow.

After half a month, the imperial doctor informed that the Qinghai Lady was pregnant again.
At the end of the year, a daughter was added to Xingyue Palace. She was named Zhuge
Yunsheng with a pet name of Zhenzhu, and known as Princess Zhenzhu.

The Tang Empire’s request for her hand in marriage was sent merely one month after her
birth, yet Li Qingrong intercepted them enroute and sent them all back. The Tang Emperor Li
Xiuyi said that he was crazy, yet he merely brushed o the remark and sent a reply, “What
need was there for the shell sh to worry about the clam’s pearl?”

Another child entered the bedroom of Qianhua Palace. The poor King of Qinghai, who had
nally nished his half year streak of abstinence, needed to begin his quest to compete for
his wife with his child again.

As the wind blew from the borders, there was a mild scent of grass. With the passage of
time, on the Eastern Sea in the Song Empire, the shermen managed to capture the clams
for the year. There were some that carried with them a radiant pearl, yet some had lost their
pearls. All were merely sand in the beginning, and only after being loved by someone did
they truly become something valuable.

After the passage of time, the sand could nally become pearls.

fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
ff
 Chapter 273
The ames rose into the air as if blood was boiling o the earth. The heavens opened up,
unleashing a shower of blood, unearthing the landscape and tumbling the oceans as if it had
been shot in the heart by a golden arrow. The land turned into a molting furnace consuming
every living thing within, as if hell itself had risen from the depths.

In the unending darkness, his eyes twitched rapidly. As blood began to envelop him, all he
could see were the pitch-black armor of soldiers, the sharp blades of swords, the moon in
the darkness and the desolate landscape covered in snow. As the dead began to fall like
dominoes and pile up across the landscape, vultures began to circle the sky, their claws
waiting to grab the bodies. The wind blew across the landscape, the sand in it hitting
everyone as sharp as a knife, while the sounds of killing lled the landscape.

The sounds of the war drums grew ever louder, and as the enemy began to pour in from all
directions, the earth shook from the stampede of cavalry, the clouds covering the sky like an
angry dragon rising over the earth.

“Kill!”

“Kill! Kill!”

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”

His eyes suddenly opened as his dream was cut abruptly. Alone, he laid on his bed whose
size was bigger than an ordinary room. The dark black satin was accented with patterns of
dragons in gold, whose glittery bers re ected light even in the dark room of his. Even with
sweat dripping down his neck from his damp forehead, he remained both motionless and
silent.

The silence that night was absolutely deafening. There wasn’t any speech, any crickets
chirping, not even the occasional gusts of wind. All that could be heard were his steady but
heavy breaths as he remained laid on the bed. Yet, even through the longest of nights,
daybreak would eventually arrive. His forte was the virtue of tolerance. It was the same in
the past, the present, and the future.

Suddenly, there was a tint of red light shining through the windows. Yan Xun frowned and
looked over, only to hear the sounds of urgent footsteps coming from outside the
compound.

“What going on outside?” His voice was a little dry but still calm nonetheless.

“Your Highness, a re has broken out over at Changle Palace. The re department has
entered the compound and is trying to put it out.” The night only made his soft but sharp
tone ever more chilling.

Yan Xun sat on his bed, silently looking at the silhouettes of the trees outside the window,
before spontaneously walking out of his room barefooted. Over ten palace maids
immediately rushed towards him in a panicked manner, helping him to don his bright yellow
fl
fi

fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
robe and boots. As Yan Xun walked straight towards Changle Palace, his head servant
hurriedly called for many more guards to accompany him. As they each held a lantern and
followed him, a bright trail was formed as the crowd inched ever closer to Changle Palace.

“Hit them! Hit them till they’re dead!” The voices of the guards could be heard long before
they reached Changle Palace.

Unfazed, Yan Xun followed a canal towards the compound, only to see a few palace o cials
surrounding a couple of young children under the moonlight. The children were all pressed
against the railings and hit repeatedly by the guards, their trousers already torn as raw esh
was exposed. Their initial screams soon fell silent, as blood began to drip onto the concrete
below.

“I set this place ablaze! Kill me if you dare!” a scrawny child suddenly screamed, her limbs
already horri cally beaten beyond recognition. Yet, despite the gruesome state her body
was in, she calmly but stubbornly shouted, “My only regret is that I did not get to burn all of
you scum from Yan Bei!”

These were the children from the previous dynasty. After the Yan Bei army occupied the
region, the Xia families and tribes who did not manage to escape were all slaughtered. The
children were the only survivors of the massacre. After all, they were only between ve to six
years old, and even the most vicious soldier began to feel soft-hearted after killing a few.
The soldiers then simply could not bear themselves to kill all of them. Yet, who would have
thought that these children would return for vengeance?

Changle Palace was home to a beauty from Xinjiang, surnamed Yu. He had canceled his
plans with her at the last minute, citing the fact that he was tired.

Hatred was indeed the most lasting object in the world. Metal could be re-molded by re
while ice could be melted by the sun, yet there seemed to be no way to erase hatred.

“Your Highness,” the head servant knelt on the oor, his back shivering. He was unsure of
the fear he felt, only that it was consuming him and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

“Back to the palace,” Yan Xun said as he glanced at the commotion before turning around.

The night was still as dark as ink from their brushes. As his shadow disappeared into the
darkness, a gentle chilly breeze blew by, highlighting the silence bar the feeble screams and
curses from the children reverberating through the air.

“I will avenge my mother!”

“Evil Yan Bei scum!”

“You will all die for this!”

“Our king will return! You will regret this!”

fi
fl
fi
fi
ffi
fl
 As the night dragged on, a layer of frost began to cover the soldier’s gear in the armory,
while blood began to seep through the palace gates. The mutilated bodies of the children
were soon thrown into the mass burial sites and left to the mercy of the wild dogs.

There were few miracles in this world. The hardships of reality meant that many lived and
passed on in an abyss of hatred, while those who were able to look on the right side of
things did not always manage to attain happiness. However, being alive was always better
than being dead.

He sat quietly in front of the window, wearing a jade nger around his severed nger, their
size di erence leading to a sizable air gap between them. Even with stitching made of gold
wire, the broken jade and its ragged appearance meant it was e ectively worthless; no one
would pick it up if it was tossed on a sidewalk.

Using his palm, Yan Xun rubbed gently on the rugged surface of the jade, its tough surface
making the slightest of sounds as both surfaces rubbed against each other. As he looked
down onto the engraved patterns, a faint re ection of him soon appeared on the glistening
surface.

“Any regrets?” Yan Xun coldly laughed.

The emotions of weakness, fear, or as what those children said, regret, were emotions Yan
Xun did not allow himself to succumb to, as they served no purpose other than to disgust
him. Those emotions only served to make him feel disgusted, and nothing else. His goals
had been achieved, while revenge had been served. Now, all he wanted was to give and
receive benevolence.

Were there any regrets?

As he closed his eyes, a distant ray of daylight broke across the tree line and into his hall,
shining onto his face. The palace, made of ebony and obsidian wood, looked breathtakingly
stunning under the rays of dawn.

The blood of Yan Bei and its heritage was in his veins, whereas he had long dreamt of
leading his forces through Zhen Huang. How could he regret this?

He lifted his head and looked onto the vast landscape, with birds circling overhead, a stark
contrast to the tiny piece of land he had as a child.

Regrets? He sco ed.

On the 16th day of the third month, an urgent report was sent by the scouts from the
Eastern counties, claiming that they had intercepted a squad of rebel soldiers, with one of
them looking suspicious. An order from the criminal department was sent to immediately
bring that person to the capital.

After half a month, he was brought forward, tied at his hands and legs. Yet, despite the
grave circumstances, his facial features, such as his high nose, thin lips and eyebrows only
further highlighted his elegance.

ff
ff
fl
fi
ff
fi
 Yan Xun sat on his throne, looking at him for what seemed to be an eternity. Instead, the
man raised his head, with a bloody print on his face, and smiled lightly at Yan Xun, as if they
were old friends casually greeting each other. “Prince Yan, it has been a while.”

Prince Yan… It was a salutation that he had not heard for a long time. Very calmly, Yan Xun
replied, “Young Master Mu.”

“It has been a while since we last met. You’ve built a reputation, Prince Yan.”

“Have I?” Yan Xun coldly replied, “But you haven’t.”

Mu Yun laughed in reply, “The tides have turned. Things have changed, and I have followed
the ow.”

“Young Master is optimistic indeed. You’re an upright hero indeed.”

Mu Yun suddenly chuckled, shaking his head. “The heroes have long died. Those that
survived, are merely seeking a life full of indignity and shame. Thank you for putting me out
of this embarrassing and humiliating misery.”

“Looks like Young Master cannot wait anymore.”

Mu Yun bowed respectfully and answered, “Please grant me my wish, Prince Yan.”

Yan Xun’s gaze suddenly turned sharp. This gaze had been acquired by being in the military
for long periods of time. However, he did not see anything in this man’s eyes.

While his conquests had brought with him rule over the land, one thing it would never rule
over were the hearts of everyone. Stubborn souls persisted on the piece of soil which he
conquered.

Casually, he gestured, “Then I won’t send you o .”

Mu Yun laughed. Although he was injured all over, the classy airs of aristocracy still lingered
around him.

“Prince Yan is a busy man. No need to follow me.”

The sunlight shone through the window grills, casting a shadow upon everyone in it.

Sparring against each other during their younger days, both continued their battle against
each other for their di ering interests as they grew up. Ultimately, in the end, he stood here
as he watched his rival walk up the execution platform, step by step.

As he raised his chin slightly, a gentle gust of wind blew past his ear. For what seemed to be
forever, Yan Xun remained silent, as a wave of fatigue hit him. Even from such a distance, he
could hear the blades of the execution table at Jiu You Platform slicing down, the t body
laying on it no longer able to stand ever again, his dauntless eyes closing forever.

Dignity? Pride? Royalty? Lineage? Resolve? Faith? In the grand scheme of things, what
importance did they carry?

fl
ff
ff
fi
One that had never fallen from grace and fought their way back up from the jaws of defeat
would never understand what was most important to them.

The precondition in everything in life was that one must be alive for it to mean anything.
Therefore, staying alive was of utmost importance.

As he opened his eyes, he was greeted by over a hundred o cials kneeling before him, the
atmosphere in the hall was almost su ocating. He could see that some of them were
shivering, all of them from fear, perhaps some from hatred, yet there was nothing they could
do. After all, he was the supreme ruler of the land, to whom everyone had to obey to. That
fact alone, was enough to satisfy him.

Chapter 274
In the wind, the grass swayed as the young general clad in light green armor opened the
letter in his hand while sitting atop his horse. A horse trotted over from the back. It was Wei
Shuye. Seeing how Zhao Che’s expression seemed to reveal that he was in a dilemma, Wei
Shuye lifted an eyebrow and asked, “Did Zhuge Yue send another letter?”

“Yes.” Only after waiting a while did Zhao Che lift his head and chuckle, saying, “He has a
daughter now and is seeking me to bestow her with a title.”

“Oh?” Wei Shuye chuckled sincerely. “He is pretty lucky to have both a son and daughter.
We should send some gifts over.”

“Think no more. He personally requested a list of presents.”

Wei Shuye was slightly taken aback upon hearing that before laughing yet again. “He is
already the father of two and he is still so awkward.”

Zhao Che’s gaze was gentle as though he had remembered some things from the past. He
smiled and said, “Since young, he has always been like this. Do you remember back when
we were in Shangwu Hall, everyone would hold a banquet and others would prepare
presents, yet he was the strange one as he never told us anything. Once he treated the 13th
brother to a meal, and it just so happened that it was his birthday. After that, the 13th
brother boasted about how he was treated by Zhuge Yue. But in the end on the very second
day, over 20 shops went to the 13th Brother’s butler to collect a debt. Apparently, Zhuge
Yue bought a bunch of things using the 13th brother’s name.”

Wei Shuye laughed. “Yes, I de nitely remember that. That time the 13th Prince really spent a
lot. He spent half a year worth of allowance on one meal and had to borrow money from me
three months in a row. Even now he still has not returned it to me.”

“Haha, they all say the 13th brother was the most earnest person, but he is actually the
most cunning. Since young, he was always the one who would not return money that he
borrowed.”

As they chatted, they walked back. Zhao Che’s main palace was situated at Shuanghan
City, next to Beiluosi. The area covered was huge, on the scale of Zhen Huang City. In the

fi
ff
ffi
 past few years of developments, the population was increasing rapidly and was quickly
becoming the number one commercial hub in the north.

Before they even entered the city, they could hear a wave of horses trotting over. The lady
that was at the very front donned a large red cape as she wore boots made of fox fur. Her
face was slightly red, and her beautiful features were like the gods painted her themselves.
Looking at her carefully, one could tell that her stomach was slightly bulging, indicating that
she was pregnant. Seeing Zhao Che, her eyes lit up as she whipped her horse, dashing to
him. Zhao Che could not help but frown, yet Wei Shuye was hiding his sti ed laughter on the
side.

“You did not tell me anything even though you have come back. Hmph, in the end, weren’t
you still discovered by me?” The woman was already the mother of two, and even the third
kid was about to be born, yet she still did not have a single tinge of maturity as she thrashed
the whip around as she raised her chin and looked at Zhao Che with her narrowed eyes full
of pride and happiness.

“You are pregnant, why do you still ride a horse? Do you not remember my words?”

“Tch!” Wan Yanrou clicked her tongue and brushed o his comment. “I was born to my
mother on a horse. We women of the East Hu are not as weak as the Xia woman.” Just as
she said that, she jumped o the horse and ran over to Zhao Che’s side and tried to mount
his horse. It was apparent that she wanted to share the ride with Zhao Che.

“Pull me! Pull me up!” Wan Yanrou went on her tippytoes and wailed. Having a big stomach
would indeed hinder her movement.

Seeing her stubborn face, Zhao Che nally gave in and with a sigh, he pulled her onto the
horse. He didn’t dare to dash anymore and merely controlled the horse in a brisk walk.

Wan Yanrou who said that the Xia women were weak and gentle ultimately obediently
cowered in the embrace of her husband, smiling like a cat who had just eaten a sh.

Just as they returned to the palace, servants immediately crowded over reporting about the
latest intelligence from inland. Wan Yanrou was so furious, she went back to the back
palace, supposedly to play ball with her son.

Zhao Che informed the servants to take good care of her as he walked to the main palace.
The afternoon sun was bright as it shone on the ground, turning everything a golden hue.

The news that was sent was from Zhao Yang. The content was roughly the same as the
information given by Zhuge Yue but was more detailed. Zhao Yang had been rather active in
the northern borders, and being able to provide more details was only natural. In the rst
place, Zhuge Yue’s letter was sent out half a month ago. At that moment the battle had not
intensi ed. Being able to identify the situation in advance was already a feat on its own.

Wei Shuye knew that Zhuge Yue would not write a letter to merely report on his family
issues. It was that he had just returned from a campaign in the Tuyuhun and that Zhao Che
did not want to worry him too much. As such, Wei Shuye went home and gave his greetings
fi
ff
fi
ff
fl
fi
fi
before heading back to the palace. The moment he entered the palace, he saw that Zhao
Che had gathered a group of military advisors and was discussing military matters.

The discussion lasted for four entire hours until dinner time. Wan Yanrou had sent servants
to hurry them for dinner multiple times. In fact, she was about to personally barge into the
meeting to argue with the ministers. It was then that the ministers nally relented and
dismissed the meeting. Zhao Che invited Wei Shuye for dinner, and Wei Shuye accepted.
The only problem he faced was that he was stared down furiously by Wan Yanrou, who
hoped to nally have her husband to herself.

After eating, they entered the study room. Zhao Che got straight to the point and asked,
“What says you about this matter?”

Wei Shuye smiled gently and said, “Your Highness should have already had an idea long
ago, why ask me?”

Zhao Che frowned. “I had not made up my mind yet.”

“Your Highness, when you are hesitating, you have essentially made up your mind.”

Zhao Che slowly sat down and rubbed the teacup in his hand, deep in contemplation.

“The Lady of Jingan was willing to betray the whole world and attack Meilin Pass, allowing
the Quan Rong people to enter. This is blasphemy in itself. Your Highness, this time around,
even if she is a blood relative of the Xia Empire, this is not something that we can ignore.”

Seeing how Zhao Che did not speak, Wei Shuye continued, “Back then she had tried to
sabotage Chu Qiao multiple times. If not for you, Zhuge Yue would have taken action long
ago. These past years, the Tang Empire did not touch her, Qinghai did not nd trouble with
her, Yan Xun for some reason did not do anything about her even though he had the chance
to do so several times. In addition, due to our secret protection, she never had to risk her
life. Yet, this time around, she went really overboard.”

Zhao Che sank into silence for a moment before replying, “The Quan Rong people have
already reached Beishuo.”

“The Great Yan Empire merely existed for six short years. The powers within the empire
were still unstable, and there are still small forces of Xia forces within their borders. With the
slogan of the revival of the Xia Imperial family, Princess Chun will gain the upper hand for a
short while. However, once the civilians witness the cruelty of the Quan Rong people, they
will immediately come to their senses. By then, Princess Chun will sink into a complete
disadvantage. The title of the betrayer of this entire continent will follow her into history.” Wei
Shuye continued his reasoning. The years of battle was his baptism in blood as he was no
longer that gentleman of a prince but a fearsome general.

Zhao Che frowned and slowly inquired, “Do you think what Master Zhang said is feasible?”

Wei Shuye let out a chuckle. “Your Highness, you know the answer yourself. Why ask me?”

fi
fi
fi
 Zhao Che looked at him and broke into a laugh as well. “Indeed. No wonder AhRou said
that I was becoming indecisive. I am really just overthinking.”

“All rulers are the same. Before you were merely a king, but now you are the Emperor of Xia.
You are responsible for more people. It would be impossible not to consider more carefully.”

“I understand. The rule of Yan Bei has roughly stabilized, and with the mess in the North, we
will be unable to ght a two-sided war, and it would be impossible to gain anything in doing
so.”

Wei Shuye asked, “What about Zhuge Yue’s suggestion?”

“We will see.” Zhao Che frowned. “We are in a di erent situation from him. Qinghai was
always removed from the situation without much hatred with the inland. Yet, our warriors,
particularly the upper commanders, hate the Yan Bei people to the core. It would be more
di cult to motivate them to ght for Yan Bei than to convince them to commit suicide.”

Wei Shuye helplessly sighed and shook his head. “Sigh, how is this ghting for others?”

Zhao Che, too, helplessly smiled bitterly, “Words can’t get through to these people.”

“Right, the ceremonial o cials just sent out an urgent team. What happened that was so
urgent?”

Speaking of this, Zhao Che nally revealed a relaxed smile and said, “I was nding a wife for
Xian’er. Zhuge Yue’s daughter was a godsend. I must make sure to snatch the opportunity
before the Tang Empire.”

“The Tang Emperor Li Xiuyi? Didn’t he already have his empress?” Wei Shuye remarked in
surprise.

“Did you forget that Li Ce had another son? The son of Lady Zhan who always lived in
Qinghai.”

“Right, now I remember.” Wei Shuye nodded. “I even saw that kid once. He looked exactly
like his father, especially that pair of eyes.”

Zhao Che leaned on the chair and pridefully said, “After taking so much from me, I will make
sure he returns the debt by marrying his daughter to my son.”

With the wind bellowing. Even though the grass had just begun to germinate, all of Qinghai
was already in lush greenery.

It was deep into the night as Chu Qiao slowly closed the windows while wearing her pristine
white pajamas. The sounds of the rain were instantly blocked out as the room was
completely illuminated by a pair of candles in dead silence. A pair of hands embraced her
from behind, with warm breath tickling her back. Zhuge Yue was completely fatigued as he
leaned on her soft body, whispering, “You still have not slept.”

ffi
fi
ffi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
 “If you do not come back, how could I dare to sleep rst?” Chu Qiao smiled as she turned
around, lightly pecking him on the lips, asking, “Are you hungry? Should we inform the
kitchen to prepare dinner? I asked the servants to wait for your return.”

Zhuge Yue smiled as though he was not too satis ed with her light kiss just now. He lowered
his head and buried his lips into Chu Qiao’s. His tongue deftly pushed into her mouth. Their
tongues were interlocked in a passionate dance.

Chu Qiao gently hugged his waist as she returned the gesture fervently. Before long, the
temperature in the room seemed to have raised by a few degrees. The hoarse voice of
Zhuge Yue sounded by her ears, his tone lled with lust, giving his words a particular sense
of seduction, “How many days has it been? Did you not miss me?”

Chu Qiao’s face was ushed red as she panted shallowly, before leaning her head into his
chest. Lifting her head up, her watery eyes were ever so attractive and beautiful.

“I really missed you. If you continue to mistreat me like this, I will start to nd concubines.”

Chapter 275
Chu Qiao frowned and hit his chest lightly, “You dare?”

“You should work harder before I get another concubine.” Zhuge Yue instinctively undid her
hair, as his hands brushed across her neck. As kisses trailed down the side of her neck, he
used his ngers to unfasten her clothes. Under the dim lights, her clothes fell to her feet,
revealing her fair skin.

Zhuge Yue turned around and picked her up, and walked towards the big bed.

The e ects of skipping dinner were not pleasant. As the night passed on, Chu Qiao stood
up, her back aching and sore, and went to sneak some food to eat. It only took two steps
before she stumbled, as she frowned and rubbed her back, taking every bit of e ort to
remain standing, looking at the person lying on the bed.

It hurt a lot. Even standing required a lot of e ort. She widened her eyes, looking at the man
on the bed. Was this necessary every time? How was she going to teach Zhou’er to use the
sword tomorrow? Was seeing her being mocked by her son satisfying to him?

Even though the tea had turned cold, her hungry stomach meant that the snacks were still
as delicious as before. Suddenly, a quiet laughter rang out from the bed. Sitting on the
couch, Chu Qiao instinctively stood up and wiped her mouth, asking, “You’re still awake?”

As the moonlight shone through the compound’s windows, the man lying on his side on the
bed signaled towards her, “Come over here.”

Chu Qiao grunted and replied, “No.”

Zhuge Yue smiled. “It’s for your own good. You aren’t wearing anything, I was afraid that you
would catch a cold.”

ff
fi
fl

fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
Chu Qiao’s face immediately turned red as she hurriedly tried to nd her clothes, only to feel
someone grip her waist and pull her into his arms.

“Tired?” Zhuge Yue asked as he wrapped a blanket around her chest. As her shoulders
were still exposed to the air, he could not resist lowering his head to kiss them.

Chu Qiao replied sheepishly, “A little.”

“Hungry? I’ll get someone to bring some food over.”

“No, no,” Chu Qiao hurriedly declined. Eating at this time of the night would lead to her
being laughed at by Li Qingrong and the other children.

Hugging each other, the couple sat on the mat, Zhuge Yue feeding Chu Qiao a couple of
small cakes. Time ew by as the pair chatted about their daily lives; the silent compound
only highlighting each other’s company.

“Xing’er, Quanrong has fought its way to Beishuo Pass. What do you think of it?”

Chu Qiao sighed and took a long while to gather her thoughts before she asked, “Zhuge
Yue, do you trust me?”

Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows and chuckled. “You want me to send troops to help Yan
Xun?”

“Not to help him, but to help ourselves.” Chu Qiao shook her head. “We both know
Quanrong has nothing to gain from this con ict. Perhaps, initially, they used the element of
surprise to their advantage, but that will come to an end once Yan Bei snaps out of its daze.
As to when will that happen, that topic is up for discussion. The di erence in this war is how
much damage Quanrong can wreck on Yan Bei. After all, they are savage on the battle eld.
But, without a complete military strategy, their e orts would mean nothing. They operate
more like a meat grinder rather than a complete army.” Zhuge Yue hugged her, quietly
listening to her every word.

Chu Qiao continued, “Quanrong once broke through Meilin Pass during the 13th year of
Emperor Tangming’s rule. Within a month, the entire Western region was reduced into a
wasteland, the historical buildings within all destroyed, and nearly a million people were
killed. That alone set the country back by decades. If it wasn’t for that, Tang would not have
allowed Xia to seize the opportunity to destroy them.”

“If the wars have weakened Yan Bei, doesn’t that mean we have a greater chance of
reclaiming our lost territory?”

Chu Qiao smiled gently and looked at him. “You yourself know what’s about to happen, yet
you still choose to ask me. May I ask why is our king of Qinghai questioning himself?”

Zhuge Yue chuckled, before kissing her. “I know, there is no way Yan Xun would let me o
that easily. If he sees that I won’t budge, who knows, he may even ask Quanrong to attack
Qinghai.”

fl
fl
ff
fi
ff
fi
ff
“That is a good point. After all, it ts his style.”

“Never mind,” Zhuge Yue replied and continued, “Instead of leaving the door open for the
others to enter Qinghai, why not send troops to assist him in keeping them outside
Beishuo? That way, there won’t be any trouble here. The civilians here are just beginning to
adjust back to their normal lives. If they were to come here and cause trouble, how will the
civilians be motivated to work harder?”

Chu Qiao asked, “When do you intend to send the troops?”

“Within the next few days. I’m waiting for news from Zhao Che. By now, he should be in the
northern regions causing trouble. Yan Xun will delegate troops against Quanrong. We can let
him claim a share of the pie. I will only move once he has played his hand, while seeking
some military funds from the emperor of Yan.”

Chu Qiao replied, “You both really aren’t afraid of circumstances, aren’t you? Never mind the
talks potentially collapsing, won’t it be embarrassing when you both send your troops?”

Zhuge Yue chuckled. “After ghting each other for so many years, we’ve begun to
understand each other’s thoughts and tactics, to the point that one can’t discern a winner
among us. With the political situation stabilizing on both sides, neither side would risk an all-
out war. After all, war isn’t the antidote to all problems. There will come to a point where
peace negotiations are required. West Meng has been ghting for over a decade, perhaps
it’s time for peace.”

Chu Qiao sighed and leaned into the arms of Zhuge Yue, lightly replying, “Let’s hope so.”

The men of Quanrong rushed in from the outskirts of Meilin Pass to the anguish of the
civilians in West Meng. Little did they know, despite the bloodshed and killing brought
about, they had also o ered a glimmer of hope and a real chance towards true, lasting
peace.

Beishuo…. Beishuo…. How many years had it been since she left that place? It never
occurred to her that she would return one day.

If there was any one period that could be called the apocalypse that brought about the
genocide of an entire population, then the year 788 of the Baicang calendar was probably
the closest to it.

That spring, as per usual, Yan Xun fought a ferocious battle with the northern region’s leader,
Zhao Che, and Qinghai’s Zhuge Yue. The territory of Song, under the rule of Yan, clashed
many times with Tang. This threw the entire continent of West Meng into chaos. With
everyone involved in their own internal con icts, little did they realize that a powerful and evil
force was emerging from within the Yan empire.

That year, on the ninth day of the fourth month, an earth-shattering piece of news stunned
the citizens of West Meng on the sixth anniversary of peace. Princess Jingan, the rebel of
Tang, had led a force of 3,000 cavalry troops to secretly in ltrate Meilin Pass. After a
rendezvous with Quanrong the previous night, an assault on the pass was initiated. The
ff
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
 entire army at Meilin Pass, consisting of over 28,000 troops, were all killed in defense of
their empire.

At the same time, another piece of news spread around the region like wild re—the real
Princess Jingan had publicly declared her identity as the Princess of Xia, under the
protection of Quanrong. Using Quanrong’s troops, she would mobilize troops towards the
east, in the name of reviving the Xia Empire and avenging its late emperor.

At the same time, Quanrong’s Khan, surnamed Nayan, would head east in high morale,
proclaiming to “preserve the bloodline of its ally’s royal family and eliminate all other rebels”.

This was the third time that Zhao Chun’er had made her mark on history.

The rst was on the 20th day of the fth month, in the year 775, at the bloodshed wedding
in Zhen Huang. She became the laughing stock of everyone as she became famous for
being the ancée of Yan Xun. She was only 16 that year.

The second time was on the rst day of the ninth month, of the same year. After Yan Xun’s
defection and Yan Bei’s declaration of independence, Xia, in their urgent political push,
sought to use marriage to bind themselves with Tang. After Li Ce’s expulsion of the ninth
princess of Xia, Zhao Chun’er was left to travel to Tang alone, to marry into the royal family
of Tang. Thereafter, due to her attempts to sow discord and incite the Central Army, she was
deported out of Tang. Unwilling to give up, she would attempt a coup with the king of Luo
near the region of Meishan, with the help of Zhong Peng, a key general of Tang. However,
their ploy was exposed by Li Ce. Since then, no news of her was ever heard.

It was only till now, after 13 years, that she would reappear as Princess Jingan once again to
open up Meilin Pass. As she personally led 80,000 men from the tribes, she allowed the
Quanrong people to rampage across the plains.

The war would always be remembered as a horrible disaster, no matter how long ago it was.
Even the nest leaders in the region such as Zhuge Yue, Yan Xun, and Zhao Che would have
never expected how the situation would deteriorate so rapidly and drastically.

After all, Zhuge Yue’s rst thoughts when this news rst broke were: Instead of letting these
people come up to our doorstep, why not handle them right now. We might even be able to
claim some bene ts from Yan Xun.

No one would have known how costly and devastating the war would turn out to be.

The Quanrong people were thought by everyone to be barbarians, with brawn but no brains.
For thousands of years, the tribe had wandered outside Meilin Pass. They roamed on their
horses with no xed living region, no city to settle in, no uni ed political system, no
advanced warfare technology and were certainly without an elite leader. Combat to them
was essentially leading a charge of horses towards the frontline, where they would only ght
sides that were weaker while eeing from stronger opponents.

Hence, every mention of them would result in the military leaders of the eastern region
disdainfully terming them as barbarians.

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
Yet, no one had seriously thought it through. Since Yan Bei’s independence in the year 775
till Xia’s demise in 782, coupled with the six years of small internal skirmishes since, West
Meng had been through 13 chaotic years. Contrary to the people of Quanrong, they had
quietly lived for 13 years without a single major con ict, aside from a few skirmishes.

Chapter 276
13 years had passed. The grass had withered and grown over and over as the young kids
learned to swing their blades again. The blood of battle had remained stagnant for 13 years,
yet it was about to be revived again.

The Meilin Pass was crowded as the Quan Rong cavalry swarmed over. With a sea of army
and an ocean of blades, their horses stomped over the lands of the Yan Empire. The
formidable army and the massive sandstorm that trailed behind instilled such fear in the
defenders that countless cities ran without putting up a ght, abandoning the very city they
were supposed to protect.

On the 13th of April, six big tribes of Quan Rong people—Hongdi Tribe, Huangmang Tribe,
Lanxiang Tribe, Hexue Tribe, Baishang Tribe, Heishui Tribe—arrived at Meilin Pass, meeting
with the four tribes that had rst set o . On the 15th of April, the Great Khan of the Quan
Rong people arrived with his own tribe, the Nayan Tribe. The 11 tribes of the Quan Rong
people had all arrived, and the total forces amounted to over 1.5 million.

While the blood stains of the Yan soldiers had yet to be wiped clean, the Quan Rong army
had already entered the center of the city. The civilians hid in their houses, trembling, fearing
that they would be antagonized by these ruthless enemies. Yet, due to the massive size of
the army, it was impossible to hold all the soldiers in the city. The third prince of the Quan
Rong people, Tuoha, then gave the order to kill o some of the civilians to obtain housing for
his people.

It was precisely this order that marked the start of the nightmare of Meilin Pass. Following
that, the other tribes all followed suit. By the moment that Nayan Minglie had heard of this, it
was too late. The entire Meilin Pass was left with no civilians alive. For an entire ten days,
Zhao Chun’er and her subordinates stayed in the Meilin Pass’ military residence. The
sounds of killing, moaning, scolding, burning, and cries of the women being raped pierced
through the darkness of the night, spreading throughout the entire city.

Her subordinate approached her, her face completely pale. “Lady, these barbarians are
crazy. They are massacring the civilians.”

Zhao Chun’er expressionlessly sat in the darkness, as though she had not heard what she
had said. Yet, Zhao Chun’er did not know that not far from her, the Quan Rong leaders had
already opened the map and started planning the division of the territory of the entire West
Meng Continent. After breaking through the Meilin Pass, the entire continent was before
them. The 11 leaders were locked in a ferocious debate, and only with the peacemaking of
the Nayan Great Khan did they reach a di cult consensus. The moment day broke, each
tribe led their forces out, speeding to the utopia they had envisioned for centuries.

fi
ff
ffi
ff
fl
fi
 Including the autonomous regions like Song territory, Qinghai was the rst ag that stood
out to express that they were willing to mobilize huge forces to fend o the Quan Rong
people for the Great Yan Empire.,

Just as everyone was waiting and thinking. The two kings of Qinghai assembled forces
before Cuiwei Pass and withdrew all forces that were ghting with the Great Yan Empire.
They also opened their borders and sent their forces to northern regions, providing
assistance to the Beishuo Pass.

At the same time, Qinghai split their forces into three. Qinghai King, Zhuge Yue, led the main
forces to reinforce Beishuo, whereas his trusted Marshal Yue Qi headed to the northern
lands. The Xiuli King, Chu Qiao, secretly headed to the Tang Empire to discuss military
matters.

On the third of May, Zhao Che agreed to Zhuge Yue’s suggestion to send military assistance
to the Yan Bei Highlands. Surprisingly, the Emperor of the Great Yan Empire opened the
gates to his territory without must hesitation, allowing this arch enemy to step foot in Yan
territory. Not only that, but the Tang Emperor Li Xiuyi had already delegated authority to Sun
Di, who was to lead 200,000 Tang soldiers to assist Xiuli King Chu Qiao, departing from
Tanghu Pass.

What a hilarious occurrence. If not for this invasion, the whole world would hardly believe
that a day in which they would join hands would come. In the past six years, the four forces
had fought non-stop, and their hatred ran deep. Who would expect they could cooperate to
fend o a greater enemy? Regardless of the present era or the eras to come, none could
write o the e ect of Xiuli King in this whole coalition.

She was the master of Shangshen, the valkyrie of the Yan Bei Highlands, and was at one
point the most trusted person by the Emperor of Yan. She was also the one who protected
the Beishuo Pass from a million strong Xia force. Right now, she was the wife of the Qinghai
King, as well as a signi cant gure in the growth of the Tang Emperor. In addition, her
husband was the sworn brother of the leader of the northern regions—Zhao Che—and the
generals under her command were mostly from Shangshen Highlands as well.

In addition, with the Quan Rong people attacking, the Xia Empire could a ord to stand and
look in the northern regions with the Tang Empire completely una ected, and the
autonomous Song Empire could take this opportunity to become independent again. The
Great Yan Empire would need to split its attention to fend o the invasion while being on
guard of all this. Only this woman could accurately foresee how the choices made now
could a ect the entire battle, and calmly recognize the threat that the Quan Rong people
posed. She had completely thrown away her previous grudges and actively started to
contact various forces to come together.

Everything had destined that she would be the best coordinator of this coalition. Perhaps
only she could eliminate all sources of unhappiness in the coalition, to suppress all kinds of
distrust and suspicion, to form a somewhat sensible alliance.

ff
ff
ff
ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
ff
ff
fi
ff
fl
 This chain of events was enough to give any smart person a huge headache, yet, she was
able to achieve this.

After obtaining the intel that the entire West Meng Continent had joined together, the Quan
Rong Khan was enraged. They had considered such a situation before their assault on the
Meilin Pass. Yet, all the tribe leaders merely laughed it o . Who didn’t know the frozen
relationship the three parties had with Yan Xun? If they had not backstabbed Yan Xun while
the war was ongoing they would already be helping Yan Xun. Yet reality was so cruel and
crushed the dreams of these barbarians to blitzkrieg the entire West Meng Continent. In
their frustration, the Quan Rong people began an even more ruthless massacre, piercing
deep into the Yan Bei heartlands.

On the 23rd of May, the Pass of Beishuo once again took the limelight of the entire West
Meng Continent, as the total soldiers amassed there exceeded 1.2 million.

Before the battle, the coalition needed to elect a main commander to oversee all operations.
The Great Yan Empire no doubt pushed for Yan Xun, whereas Qinghai forces elected for
Zhuge Yue. The Northern region was split between Zhao Che, who was conquering the
various small countries in the North, and Zhao Yang, who was constantly at war with Yan
Bei. The Tang Empire Li Xiuyi was absent, yet Sun Di still suggested that he be the
supervising commander. According to Sun Di, it was possible to use pigeons to transmit
information daily.

With all kinds of opinions arising in this coalition, the various strategist almost destroyed the
central tent arguing. For two whole days, there was no consensus. Finally, Sun Di
recommended Xiuli King Chu Qiao out of despair at the stalemate. With that, the argument
nally subsided.

Even though Chu Qiao was the wife of the Qinghai King, she was one of the mother gures
in the Tang Empire. And considering her relationship with Li Xiuyi, and her achievements in
defending the Tang Capital years ago, the Tang forces agreed in unison. Qinghai forces
considered for a short while before agreeing due to pressure from Zhuge Yue, who too
supported his wife. Zhao Che followed suit, agreeing with Zhuge Yue. Zhao Yang, who
merely did not want Zhao Che and Yan Xun to gain the upper hand, jumped at the idea of a
relatively neutral commander. The last party, the Great Yan Empire, nally consented after
one day, expressing the opinion of the Yan Emperor: No objection.

With that, this grandiose force that was completely composed of elites was under Chu
Qiao’s command.

This formation of 1.2 million men was led by a single woman…

On the 25th of May, the Defense of Beishuo o cially began. Mobilizing 600,000 soldiers and
500,000 civilians, Chu Qiao began building a long wall of defenses from Luori Mountain
ranges to Beishuo City. Her defense came in all forms and was engineered to perfection as
it littered the entire region.

When the Quan Rong vanguards arrived, the Third Prince Tuoha was so shocked that his
mouth was left agape. Seeing this massive line of defense, his rst response was that the
fi
ffi
ff
fi
fi
fi
enemy was crazy. No one would dare to attack such an impregnable fortress, and therefore,
Prince Tuoha’s natural response was to bypass this defense by taking another path—Chidu.

Tuoha was not stupid, after all, facing this level of defense, no strategist would opt to attack.
What Tuoha did not know was that behind this fortress was merely 500,000 civilians. They
did not have any weapons, and their only job was to hold the ag. When enemies arrived,
they were to stamp their feet to create a cloud of dust.

Just that.

Yet, at Chidu City, there was an ambush of 800,000 strong, awaiting Tuoha’s arrival.

To be encircled was only natural. After three days of ferocious battle, Tuoha’s 100,000
soldiers were quickly exhausted to a mere 40,000. Blood owed into the Chidu river. The
river was completely colored red, turned undrinkable. Without food, Tuoha was stuck at a
dead-end. The various forces of the coalition took a turn to attack, dragging the soldiers of
Tuoha into a deadly struggle.

Finally, on the fth day, Tuoha’s messenger came, indicating their will to surrender. Yet, the
order from the central tent was shocking to all. Chu Qiao ordered that they would not accept
the surrender of Prince Tuoha unless they presented Tuoha’s head to pacify the 200,000
souls in the heavens.

Tuoha was enraged, yet he was still unable to break out of the encirclement.

Two days later, he was murdered by his own bodyguards at night. His troops routed and
were completely captured. This was the rst victory over the Quan Rong forces since this
invasion begun.

With a daring strategy and a supreme tactic, she managed to completely annihilate the
100,000 strong army. With an overwhelming advantage and minimal losses, she managed to
kill 70,000 and capture 30,000, and with the death of the enemy’s commander, she obtained
perfect victory.

When the information was transmitted back to the populace, regardless of which country,
they clapped in joy. That very night, as Zhao Che visited Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao, Zhao
Che toasted Chu Qiao and praised, “You are truly the most talented general in the
continent.”

On the very second day, Chu Qiao immediately organized the entire army and retreated
back to Beishuo city. Before that formidable defense formation, she hung Tuoha’s head
before the formation, quietly waiting for the Great Khan of the Quan Rong people—Nayan
Minglie.

Suddenly, there was an urgent wave of war drums as ags started to wave back and forth.
The messengers seemed to be in a hurry as chaos erupted in the Quan Rong formation.

The entire situation was extremely chaotic.

fi
fi
fl
fl
fl
 Chapter 277
Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows and kicked the horse’s stomach lightly. His army split into
two sides to create a pathway for him to pass through. The man rode on his horse, dressed
in green, with the giant mountain peaks behind him. The wind blew from afar and brushed
against a few strands of hair on his temple, as he stared deeply into the distance.

He rode forward and frowned slightly. The war had only just begun. What exactly could have
caused the savage Quanrong people to panic to this extent?

“Your Majesty! There is a massive army from Yan Bei approaching from the direction west of
Luori Mountains,” the scout sprinted towards Zhuge Yue, knelt down on the icy ground, and
reported loudly.

Zhuge Yue frowned and thought for a little while before replying, “How many people do they
have? Who is leading them?”

“We don’t know yet.”

“Continue to nd out more.”

“Yes.”

Two scouts rode o on their horse, with letters that had the seal of Qinghai imprinted on
them. The pale red sun hung over the skies towards the west, painting the landscape red.
Sounds of war could be heard everywhere; after eight days of continuous ghting, today
was the day of the last battle.

People from Yan Bei? Who exactly were they? Did the battle at Shangshen nish already?

Zhuge Yue turned back and walked towards his tent, spreading out his map to strategize.
Evening had arrived; as the lighting was too dim, he lit two candles and sat in front of his
study.

The Quanrong people had carried out a brutal rampage since they breached the pass.
Luckily for the people of Yan Bei, Yan Xun had reacted fast enough to transfer them away.
However, the people at Meilin Pass were not able to escape misfortune. The people that
lived along the three territories of Wuting, Guiyu, and Dangrong were all massacred,
including any newborn infants. A scout, who had sneaked deep into the enemy’s territory,
reported that there were no traces of human beings in the 28 cities near Meilin Pass. The
people in Jiaxi City had all been hung to death by the Quanrong people, in forests located
within ten kilometers of the city.

The generals from Qinghai were present when they heard these words. Despite being
seasoned war veterans themselves, they were rendered speechless as their faces turned
pale. Du Pingan, who had been by Zhuge Yue’s side for a long time, added, “Are those
people still human?”

fi
ff

fi
fi
 Of course they were human. They were going to appear in front of them soon, waving their
swords.

Zhuge Yue suddenly thought of Chu Qiao’s words before he left Qinghai. She had said that
this was not a normal war between the Quanrong people and Yan Bei. This was a war
between the barbaric and the civilized, a battle between di erent cultures. No one stood to
gain from this. Once the Quanrong people had obtained the upper hand, they would have
paid a much heavier price than expected, even if they managed to obtain some land and
bene ts from Yan Bei. That instant, he nally understood what she meant.

When calamity descended, any internal con ict would not help the situation. Faced with the
ferocious troops from Quanrong, no one would be able to take all the credit, nor enjoy any
bene ts by just sitting back. They had unexpectedly obtained victory at the battle of
Beishuo through Chu Qiao’s re cannons that were invented when she defended Chidu City
that year.

After half a month, the Quanrong people had su ered heavy casualties. The Heishui Army
was the rst to fall; their leader, Xiao Da, ed with all of his troops, exposing the entire left
side of their formation to the uni ed army. Chu Qiao seized the chance to disrupt their
formation, breaching the entire defensive line on the left side and separating them from the
central army, leaving them essentially paralyzed. After another half a month, the Quanrong
people were utterly defeated. The remaining 700,000 troops ed in di erent directions,
under the leadership of their respective commanders.

Chu Qiao issued another set of orders for the uni ed army to split into seven sections, led
by Qinghai, Tang, Zhao Che, Zhao Yang, Song, Yan Bei, and the provincial troops of Yan Bei
respectively. Their task was to pursue and eliminate the Quanrong troops who had ed.

The area which Zhuge Yue was assigned to was the Luori Mountains, which was one of the
vital territories belonging to the highlands of Yan Bei.

“Reporting!” A scout jumped o from his horse, holding an object in his hand. Loudly, he
recited, “Your Majesty, the battle at Shangshen has not ended. There are only 3,000 troops
from Yan Bei. Their leader is the emperor of Yan Bei.”

“Yan Xun?” Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows and looked down, where he saw Yan Xun’s
golden arrow in the scout’s hands. He looked at the arrow and frowned slightly, not saying a
further word.

“Order General Yue Qi to deploy another two detachments of cavalry troops to attack the
central tent of Quanrong. No matter what, we must nd out the overall commander of the
Quanrong army this time.”

“Yes!”

As the sky darkened, marking the arrival of nighttime, the moon rose high up in the sky. For
an entire night, Zhuge Yue sat in his tent, not resting for a single minute. Before dawn broke,
Yue Qi’s war intel reached his ears. The overall commander sitting in the central tent of
Quanrong was indeed its current Khan.

fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fl
fl
ff
fi
fi
ff
fl
ff
fl
Zhuge Yue smiled slyly. He thought to himself: The Khan himself is here. No wonder Yan Xun
wants to attack personally.

“Prepare the armor!” Zhuge Yue stood up as his aides dressed him in his body armor.

The king of Qinghai mounted his warhorse as he held his sword in his hands. He was
dressed in green, with a steely-grey cloak draped over his back. As the war sirens sounded,
Pingan dashed out from his tent and restrained the reins of Zhuge Yue’s horse, shouting,
“Your Majesty, don’t do anything silly! Sister has instructed me not to let you ght at the
frontline!”

Zhuge Yue looked at him helplessly as he gestured to the people beside him. In no time,
they dragged Pingan away and back towards the big tent.

“Your Majesty, you broke your promise! Sister will scold me to death!” Pingan shouted in a
panicked and frantic manner, stunning even the soldiers who were ghting on the battle eld.

Zhuge Yue turned and looked at the battle eld in front of him. With a low voice, he ordered,
“Let’s set o .”

The massive army set o on their tracks. Simultaneously, not far out, someone dashed to
Yan Xun’s side and said in a low voice, “Your Majesty, the king of Qinghai is approaching
with his army.”

“Is that so?” Yan Xun raised his eyebrows and answered plainly. With a competitive instinct
that resembled a teenager, he ordered with determination, “We must capture the Khan of
Quanrong before the Qinghai army does.”

“Yes, Sir!”

The massive army set o on its tracks, leaving behind a large trail of dust.

I love you, forever and ever.

“Is the king of Qinghai in front?” AhJing rode on his horse and probed, but did not get a
response. All he saw was a man dressed in green, hacking wildly at the formation of the
Quanrong people. As he was too far away, he could not get a good look at the man’s face.
However, he noticed that the man’s swordsmanship was exquisite, while his martial arts
prowess stood out from the crowd as he shredded his way through the Quanrong army.

“Your Majesty, Zhuge Yue’s army might be opposite us.”

Yan Xun raised his eyebrows as he looked at the man who he had been butting heads with
all his life. A sense of pride started to brew from within him as he laughed loudly. He rode
forward on his horse and declared loudly, “Let’s meet him then.”

The battle eld was a picture of pandemonium by now. The Quanrong people, having been
driven to desperation, behaved like lunatics as they fought in a disorganized manner. The
generals of Qinghai and Yan Bei, witnessing their respective rulers dashing forward, were
stunned, as they stood rooted to the spot on their horses.

fi
ff
ff
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
What…what…what exactly was going on?

Your Majesty has not behaved like this before! Disregarding their safety, the big picture, and
attacking so recklessly… These people could no longer think of anything else as they
followed behind the both of them, unable to catch up.

The both of them were arrogant martial arts exponents who thought that they were
invincible. Having pitted themselves against each other all their lives, they could not a ord
to lose to the other party at this time.

Corpses and blood continued to litter the battle eld, staining the grassland red. Zhuge Yue
and Yan Xun rampaged their way through, leaving a mess behind wherever they went. The
Quanrong people were scared out of their wits by the sight of them. Initially, they laughed at
the idea of these two people courting their own death, but they slowly came to realize the
sight that was unfolding in front of them. Gradually, thousands of Quanrong troops could be
seen running away from the two gures.

As time continued to pass, the reinforcement troops surrounded the Quanrong army,
causing them to ee towards the north. Upon seeing this, Zhuge Yue and Yan Xun continued
to ride forward on their horses, neither of them willing to pass up on this opportunity to
capture the Khan of Quanrong.

The battle continued all the way for an entire day. The two men continued to pursue the
Quanrong troops, without any sign of retreating. Finally, the Quanrong people were trapped
in a narrow mountain slope. There were less than 20 people by Yan Xun’s side, with the rest
of his army having followed Zhuge Yue’s to surround the mountain slope. Yan Xun, having
fought for an entire day, had su ered many injuries to his arms and legs, and was bleeding
profusely. He had no choice but to take a rest.

Zhuge Yue was no better o . However, he was extremely stubborn and refused to seek
treatment, choosing to remain on his horse as he panted heavily.

After a short while, Yan Xun’s face appeared in front of him.

Zhuge Yue looked at him from the side of his eye. Then, he unfastened the jar of wine
hanging by his waist and handed it over to him.

Yan Xun frowned slightly without receiving the jar of wine. He looked at Zhuge Yue, not
saying a single word.

Zhuge Yue laughed coldly and asked, “What’s the matter? Afraid that I’ll poison you?”

Yan Xun nodded honestly and replied, “Yes.”

“Hmph.” Zhuge Yue sneered in reply as he prepared to take a mouthful from the jar.
However, Yan Xun snatched the jar over from him, removed the wooden cork and took a
mouthful of wine from the jar. He wiped his mouth and made a few mocking remarks in
disdain, “Qinghai is a poor town indeed. Even the wine tastes horrible.”

fl
ff
ff
fi
fi
ff
 Zhuge Yue retorted, “Do you know how to taste wine? To you, the best wine is probably the
wine from Yan Bei too.”

With this, the two most powerful men in the world started to bicker like little children. The
both of them looked at each other, nding each and every aspect of each other an eyesore.

Chapter 278
AhJing stood behind Yan Xun, his heart about to leap out from his chest as he muttered in
his soul, Your Majesty, we are in their territory, could you speak one or two sentences less?

The battle raged on. By midnight, the Quan Rong army broke through from the northwest.
Zhuge Yue and Yan Xun began their crazed chase again. After chasing for a good four
hours, Yan Xun’s left shoulder was shot by an arrow again, while Zhuge Yue was hurt on his
shoulder too. At this very moment, there was a rolling of horses’ hooves from the
southwestern. Before they could send scouts out, the intruding group had already begun
ghting with the Quan Rong people.

With this encirclement, the Quan Rong force was nally annihilated. The central
encampment was ultimately captured by the intruding group of people. Zhuge Yue raged as
he left behind Yan Xun and charged over to see who was the one who stole his prey. Yet, he
unexpectedly saw a certain familiar female o cer checking the spoils of war before the
formations. Upon seeing Zhuge Yue, she naturally said, “This was the Khan of the Quan
Rong people. By the time I arrived, he had already committed suicide.”

Zhuge Yue was utterly stunned. In his bloodied out t he looked at his wife as he asked
unnaturally, “Why did you come?”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrow as she looked at him as though this was a matter of fact.
“Pingan had come to nd me at midnight to tell me that you had gone out to ght. How
could I not come?”

At this very moment, the sounds of the horse trotting could be heard from the back. Yan
Xun’s gure gradually appeared from the darkness. In his ink-like armor, there were
countless places of damage, and he appeared ever so pale, yet he still stood upright.
Standing beside Zhuge Yue, he was illuminated by many torches. Yet, it seemed like all the
res were unable to light up the darkness shrouding him. He merely looked at Chu Qiao with
a perfectly calm face, devoid of any emotion. Yet, the eyes that seemed like the night ocean
were brimming with invisible undercurrents.

As opposed to Zhuge Yue who led a huge army, Yan Xun’s wounds were more serious than
Zhuge Yue’s as he only led a 3,000-man elite cavalry. As of now, there were countless
injuries, big and small, on his body. On his shoulder there was a broken arrow, still bleeding.
Yet, he seemed as though he could not feel it at all.

With the cacophony in the background, there were soldiers scolding the Quan Rong bodies,
and the moaning of the wounded. There was also the crackling of the torches. With the
howling of the wind, they were surrounded by all kinds of noise, but they seemed
fi
fi
fi
fi

fi
ffi
fi
fi
fi
completely oblivious to everything around them as they stared into each other’s eyes. Their
gazes met and sparks were sent out, eventually turning into an inferno.

“Xing’er,” Zhuge Yue suddenly said as he jumped o his horseback calmly, “I will go and
check on the casualty status. The Yan Emperor is injured, you should go nd someone to
treat him.” With that said, he turned around and allow his wife to stand alone in the dark
tundra with this man she had too many ties with.

For a very long time, Chu Qiao did not know what to say. This was the rst time she had met
Yan Xun after the Battle at Huolei. This time they were not separated by huge military
formations nor a sea of blades; they were merely facing each other just like that. Face to
face, eye to eye. As long as one lifted up their head, they could see each other’s features,
and even hear the thumping of the other’s heart.

At that moment, it was like the world in their minds was overturned completely. Any word
seemed to pale in meaning compared to what they were feeling. The feeling of desolation
overwhelmed them as they were no longer the people they once were, no longer the person
that the other was most familiar with. It seemed like time was really the cruelest form of
change.

Yan Xun sat atop his horse, looking down at her, his gaze completely unfazed. Countless
people walked around. The ames from the torches ickered, giving those walking by a
wavering glow.

It was still that same pair of eyebrows and eyes. It was still that same face. Yet, the person
was no longer the one that they had sworn to be with for all eternity.

Was it even possible for anyone to understand the sorrow within them?

Perhaps it was possible, perhaps it was impossible. Words were completely meaningless.
Just like the crimson leaves in autumn, no matter how beautiful, it was impossible to prevent
them from withering. The sky was black, the ground was white. It was this same land, same
sky, the same place they had dreamed about. But for some reason, they found it di cult to
even hold a simple conversation.

Yan Xun looked at Chu Qiao. There was a huge ame that started to burn behind her. She
was like a deity at the altar with a holiness that he could never seem to reach. He was
suddenly reminded of how many years ago, on that snowing night, in that pitch black
prison, they stretched out their hands through the crack in the wall and tightly held onto
each other.

Perhaps they were like two seeds that had survived through the winter together by relying
on each other for warmth, waiting for the arrival of spring. Yet, when spring nally came, as
they helped each other out from the soil, they nally realized that the land was incapable of
nourishing the both of them. As such, they drifted into their respective paths.

Yan Xun suddenly felt tired. His heart was frozen like the permafrost atop the mountains in
Yan Bei. After all these years, no matter what situation he was faced with, he had never felt
fl
fi
fl
ff
fl
fi
fi
fi
ffi
 so tired. He told himself, it is time to leave. With that, he really turned around and started
walking o .

Yet, at this very moment, a warm voice sounded from behind him, “Yan Xun!” Indeed, it was
a warm voice, carrying with it a feeling that had been lost for many years. Like a boiling
fountain, the moment he stretched his frigid hands into the fountain, he felt such warmth
that he started trembling.

“Yan Xun!” She called out again, “Cheng Yuan was behind me, and I estimate that he will
arrive soon.”

Yan Xun did not nod and did not speak, but merely held the reins of his horse, unmoving like
a statue.

“You are injured, let’s treat your wounds, alright?” She slowly walked over to his side until
she was before him, stretching out her hand and pulling on the reins to his horse. She
stubbornly asked, “Alright?”

Yan Xun suddenly felt a little bitter. It seemed as though since young, she was always the
one who had more courage. A few doctors carrying their medicine kits ran up, standing
behind her with their heads bowed down.

He did not speak, and freely let those doctors treat his wounds. When the arrow was pulled
out, he did not even inch. After roughly an hour, the doctors nally left, covered in sweat.
Yet she walked over, and passed him the bloody arrow.

At this moment, Yan Xun’s heart seemed to be in pain as he frowned. Ultimately, he did not
stretch out his hand to take it. He casually said, “The enemy is dead. There was no need to
keep this.”

Indeed, this entire team of Quan Rong people was annihilated. Even their Khan was dead.
What enemy was there left? That was his habit for many years. He would keep all the
weapons that managed to hurt him. Only until he managed to take revenge did he nally
destroy those weapons.

It seemed like it had not been forgotten. Even if one tried not to think about it, ultimately
time would carve certain experiences into one’s very soul.

After standing there for an undetermined amount of time, the wind blew from afar, bringing
with it the unique smell of the Yan Bei highlands. Yan Xun quietly lifted his head and looked
at Chu Qiao who was before him. They were so close, yet he would never be able to cross
that distance ever again. He could make the whole world prostrate before him, and his
blades could conquer any land in this world. As long as he willed it, he could destroy
anything. Yet only when faced with her was he unable to do anything.

A certain emotion, going by the name of self-mockery, emerged from his heart. Yan Xun
wanted to laugh, yet his lips only produced a cold smile. He suddenly turned his back. His
gure seemed like towering pine, proud and lonesome, yet it seemed as though he was able
fi
ff
fl
fi
fi
to push the heavens apart. Just like that, he stepped away. With heavy steps, yet he walked
faster and faster away.

“Yan Xun! Take care!” Someone was calling behind him. Who was talking? Who was she
calling out to?

Yan Xun, Yan Xun, Yan Xun…

At that moment, it felt as though he was reliving that night when his pinky nger was cut o
by Wei Jing, and she cried his name out again and again in sorrow in the darkness of the
night.

Yan Xun, Yan Xun, Yan Xun…

No one called him like that any longer. He became ‘Your Majesty’, the ‘Emperor’, the
‘Imperial Highness’, the ‘Lord of these lands’, yet he had lost his own name.

Yan Xun, Yan Xun, are you still around? You gained everything, but what have you lost? Are
you really happy now?

I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. Being happy is not everything there is to life. There
are some things that even if you do, you may not be happy, yet there are some things that if
you do not do, you will de nitely not be happy. At the very least, I got what I wanted, did I
not?

His pace grew faster, more determined. His spine was straighter than ever as he held onto
the reins and jumped on the horse deftly.

Say nothing, see nothing. His iron-clad heart was nally breached so he must leave now!
Immediately! Must! This instant!

The weight of the memories swarmed down on him. Those memories that had been sealed
in his head for so many years crept up in his heart like rotten trees. He wanted to suppress,
to escape, and to run away from all these emotions that disgusted him!

Weakness, sorrow, regret, hesitation…

There were many emotions that should not have had a place in his heart.

Yet, when he left everything behind in the dust, a word appeared in his heart, his lungs, his
throat, his mouth. The words knocked on his vocal cords, and he almost let the sound out
multiple times. He tightly frowned as he clenched his teeth like a wolf, his eyes completely
red. Yet, his inner voice spoke uncontrollably in his chest as the echoes and reverberations
in his chest all turned into that word:

AhChu, AhChu, AhChu, AhChu, AhChu!

No one could understand, and no one would know. Only he, only he alone would.

He took a deep breath, as though sealing the words back into the depths of his heart.

fi
fi
fi
ff
Right, everything has ended. Stop thinking, stop seeing, stop feeling nostalgic.

Go. Leave.

Everything has ended. Everything has vanished with your determination. All memories will
eventually vanish into dust. Everything in the past will be forgotten by you, and turn to
meaningless ashes.

All is well. I am the Emperor of the Great Yan. I am their ruler. I command all these lands. I
obtained what I wanted.

With the horse hooves stepping on the cold tundra, there was a crisp pitter-patter as many
small snow akes ew down, disappearing with the gure that slowly vanished into the
darkness of the night. With the light shimmering, the golden-yellow ag uttered high in the
sky with the pitch black eagle spreading its wings ferociously. That was his army, his men,
his world. Like a gold chain, he was chained to that position where he was forbidden from
any hesitation or indecisiveness.

Ultimately, he was the Emperor of the Great Yan Empire. Sitting on his throne that was built
upon his conscience, and blood, and bones, he did not have the right to turn back. As such,
he straightened his back and continued walking down this path without turning back. He
remained determined and rm in his footsteps. His gaze was sharp like a blade, just like his
entire personality— rm and unyielding to any challenge.

At that moment, Chu Qiao stood in the snow and wind, watching Yan Xun’s vanishing gure.
She suddenly understood something. Beside him, there were countless torches, countless
subordinates, and servants, yet he seemed so terribly lonely. Perhaps she was truly unable
to understand him.

Such hatred, the humiliation of falling from heaven to hell. The pain that nibbled at his heart
for the entire eight years. Even though she was by his side, she was unable to get rid of
such pain for him. Now that she thought about it, for two people who had helped each other
along the way, swearing to never part, to reach such a state like today, was she not at fault?

She had said to never hide from each other, never to lie to each other, to treat each other
with sincerity, and to never doubt one another. But had she truly achieved that?

No, she had not.

Her patience and her avoidance of the issues ultimately resulted in him walking down that
path further and further. Was personality what determined everything? This was his destiny?

Those were just excuses.

While he was changing and drifting, had she tried her best to stop him or reverse the
situation? Had she formally complained to him, expressing her feelings?

She had not. She merely waited for all to be nalized before blaming everything on him
without making any e ort to prevent it. She came from a di erent world, and as a result, she
fl
fl
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
fl
fl
fi
took her beliefs for granted. Yet she did not know that some things in the world required
constant maintenance.

Ultimately, they were too young and did not understand what love was, and did not know
how to express their emotions. They did not know how to protect that love. They stubbornly
and naively believed that they knew what was best for each other and quietly went ahead to
do it. Yet, they did not understand that no matter what challenges they faced, what truly
destroyed their love was the fact that they forgot to communicate.

Chapter 279
A long time had passed. Chu Qiao, who was now a wife and a mother, suddenly understood
what Yan Xun did back then, as she stood there. In her previous life, she had no kith nor kin.
She had not witnessed the people that she loved die in front of her eyes. Hence, she was
unable to comprehend what kind of hatred he felt at that point. However, if anyone harmed
Zhuge Yue, Yunzhou, or Zhenzhu now, her thirst for revenge would not lose out to Yan Xun.

She was unable to empathize with him back then as his family was not the people that she
loved.

This moment, she nally understood him.

As night fell, Yan Xun’s shadow disappeared over the horizon. Chu Qiao looked towards
him, suddenly feeling that she had been brought back in time to that afternoon many years
ago. The young man’s eyes glowed brightly as he smiled proudly with the determination of a
teenager. He released an arrow from his bow as it brushed past her neck, giving her a
lifeline. Then, he raised his eyebrows and looked at her with curiosity.

It seemed like an eternity since that had happened. Suddenly, she saw the young man’s
innocent face in front of her again.

Then, another scene ashed in front of her eyes. This time, the young man sat on a tree,
picked up a pine fruit, and knocked it lightly against the girl’s hairpin. The girl looked up
angrily and raised her middle nger. However, the young man interpreted it as a gesture of
apology.

Time had forced them to go on their separate ways. In her occasional dream, she would
remember the young man whose face was no longer distinguishable. She only remembered
the words which rang in her ear clearly, “If I help you one more time, my surname is not
Yan!”

Ultimately, he forgot his promise which was made in spite. Just like subsequent promises,
they were not honored either.

She remembered his messy hair and de ned eyebrows. The scene was old but vivid. She
suddenly realized that a long time had passed. The memories had been tossed to the back
of her head. Everything was no longer reversible.

fi
fl

fi
fi
A big gust of wind hit her, but she did not feel cold. Compared to this cold world, she had
attained much more than she had expected. The times of sorrow when she was younger
started to fade away into the abyss of time, never to return.

Sounds of horse steps echoed from behind her, but she did not turn around. Thereafter, an
arm forcefully wrapped itself around her waist. A man’s jealous voice sounded out, “What’s
the matter? Finished reminiscing with your old ame?”

Chu Qiao turned around and looked at Zhuge Yue’s face, which had visibly thinned. She
reached out her hand and hugged Zhuge Yue, leaning against his chest and remaining
silent. Zhuge Yue was caught o guard as he started to panic. Normally, Chu Qiao would
have bickered with him. However, the way she reacted was too bizarre.

“What’s wrong?” Zhuge Yue nudged her shoulder and frowned, saying in a deep tone, “Did
that Yan fellow bully you?”

Chu Qiao did not say anything as she leaned in his embrace. The cold wind made her
already frail gure appear even frailer.

The man ew into a t of rage as he thought to himself Yan Xun, how audacious of you. I
lent my wife to you for a while, yet you dared to bully her?

Zhuge Yue pushed Chu Qiao aside and took large strides towards his horse as he shouted,
“I’ll teach him a lesson right away!”

“Don’t go.” Chu Qiao pulled him back and hugged him from behind, planting her face onto
his cold body armor.

The wind blew from afar, scattering the snow about. Zhuge Yue turned around helplessly
and hugged his wife as he said softly, “Xing’er, what’s wrong?”

“I’m alright.” Chu Qiao shook her head as she continued, “I just miss you.”

Under the dim moonlight, the man broke out in a large grin. Zhuge Yue tried hard to contain
his joy, not wanting to show it too obviously. He cleared his throat and replied, “I’ve only
been gone for a few days. Why are you behaving more like a child?”

“A few days?” Chu Qiao leaned in his embrace and continued in a frustrated manner, “Why
do I feel like a long time has passed?”

Zhuge Yue was on cloud nine by now. He lowered his head and kissed Chu Qiao’s forehead
as he remarked, “Alright, it’s cold here. Let’s head back.”

“Okay.” Chu Qiao obediently got onto his horse. They wandered towards the camp slowly,
not controlling the reins of the horse. “Yue, don’t ght at the frontline recklessly next time. I’ll
be worried.”

Having heard this salutation for the rst time, Zhuge Yue was overwhelmed with joy. He
nodded and agreed, “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
fl
fi
 “If something happens to you, what will Yunzhou, Zhenzhu and I do? Without you, how will I
live on?”

Words like this were scarce from a thick-skinned person like Chu Qiao. The manner in which
she behaved caused Zhuge Yue to forget everything else and live in this moment.

“Okay, I understand.”

“You are more important to me, compared to 10,000 Yan Beis, 10,000 Qinghais or 10,000
West Mengs. No matter what you do in the future, you must think of me rst. If something
happens to you, I won’t be able to live alone.” Chu Qiao continued to chip at his line of
defense with her mushy words.

Finally, her words touched him as he apologized for the rst time in his life. “Xing’er, I know I
was wrong to cause you to worry.”

“Glad that you know it.”

“I’ll remember this.”

“Okay. Let’s go back, I’m hungry.”

“Okay.”

Since they loved each other, it was only right of them to express it boldly. Chu Qiao, who
had just understood this point, demonstrated it to perfection. Furthermore, these words
could allow him to forget about some unpleasant topics. Why not?

The solo travelers wandered around in solitude, while those that traveled together relied on
each other. In this world, power, status, and wealth were coveted by those who were willing
to entangle themselves in an endless struggle. However, as for love, only the sincerest of
people were able to obtain it.

Under Luori Mountains, Zhao Che and Zhao Yang stood under the ag of Xia as they looked
at the ags of Yan Bei and Qinghai, who had just returned in unity. Momentarily, they were
stunned.

After a long while, Zhao Che smiled. The established leader of the northern regions said to
Zhao Yang, “There are many miracles in this world. Even the three of them can join forces.
Why are the two of us still ghting each other?”

Zhao Yang turned around in disdain. “I didn’t ght with you. You chased after me all along.”

Zhao Che frowned. “If you didn’t attack me during the civil war, would I have been expelled
from West Meng by Yan Xun? Attacking you would only be letting you o .”

Zhao Yang retorted, “I was tricked by Yan Xun. If you were in my shoes, having the chance
to eliminate me, wouldn’t you take it?”

fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
fi
 Zhao Che said in a t of rage, “Rascal. You’ve been like that since young. We’re brothers,
what would I kill you for?”

Zhao Yang pouted. “Brothers? Hmph.”

“I can’t stand this expression of yours!”

“Likewise, I can’t stand your hypocrisy!”

“Say that again? I’ll beat you up!”

“Bring it on! Who’s afraid of who?”

Wei Shuye stood behind the two men and sighed helplessly.

“Sigh, they are no longer young. Yet, they still can’t let go of their egos. Who was the one
that disguised themselves as a bandit from the eastern regions to help Zhao Che back
then? Who was the one that purposely allowed 200 carriages of rations to be robbed when
Zhao Yang’s ration supply was running low? Although they don’t have the same mother,
they have the same temper.”

The eagles cried out loud as they circled the sky above. Finally, the war with Quanrong was
about to come to a close. Although the Quanrong people put up a strong ght, they did not
last half a year under the siege of the various powers. Three months later, they exited the
political scene of West Meng. The small groups of bandits who did not manage to escape
hid in the mountains, to be devoured by beasts or killed by the anguished civilians of Yan
Bei. It was unknown what had happened to Zhao Chun’er, also known as Princess Jingan.

Although what happened to her was met with indignity by the civilians, they could not help
but feel relieved too. After all, the Xia army was part of the uni ed force in this war. If they
were to capture her, they would not know how to deal with her.

Yan Xun, along with Zhuge Yue, chased the Quanrong people out of Meilin Pass,
condemning them to start a rebuilding process that would last for many decades.

In the tenth month of that year, the armies in charge of pursuing the Quanrong people
returned with over 100,000 captives. Their glory days had indeed passed.

On the third day of the 11th month, the highlands of Yan Bei were blanketed by snow; it was
a picture of desolation everywhere.

O cials from all territories gathered at Minxi Mountains’ Goddess Peak. The various armies
formed a trail that stretched across countless kilometers.

The double-faced goddess stood on a stone platform in a tall temple near the peak,
watching over the mortals below. Her tummy was round on one side, while she held a sharp
ax on her other side. This symbolized the coexistence of guardianship and massacre.

ffi
fi
fi
fi
 Yan Xun, Zhuge Yue, Zhao Che, Zhao Yang, Chu Qiao, and Sun Di—key political gures in
their respective empires—signed the famous “Goddess Peak Treaty” here. The treaty
consisted of 28 conditions, which discussed the areas pertaining to the military, business,
political rule and diplomatic relations. Tang, Xia, and Qinghai also publicly acknowledged
Yan’s rule over the 18 states of Hongchuan and Song for the rst time. Furthermore, all of
them agreed not to go to war for the next 30 years, in order to grant the civilians of West
Meng an extended period of peace.

This treaty held true for 70 odd years after that, all the way till the year 852 of the Baicang
calendar, when Nalan Tianhe of Song rebelled and was exterminated by the second
emperor of Yan, Emperor Zhaowu. Tang took the opportunity to attack Xia, which signaled
the start of the battle of Tanghu along the borders. This was the rst major con ict since the
Goddess Peak Treaty was established.

In these 70 years, West Meng made rapid improvements economically. With a more liberal
approach, trade ourished and political leaders were met with general approval. Under the
leadership of Qinghai and the queen of Xiuli, in the year 796, Tang made a major reform to
its society by abolishing slavery, adopting a feudal system instead.

Five years later, Yan shocked the world by following suit. According to the wishes of its
civilians, the emperor of Yan abolished slavery and adopted a feudal system. Yan Xun, as a
result, was held in high regard by his people, earning himself the nickname of “The Great,
Benevolent Emperor of the North”. He diminished the in uence of the noble aristocrats,
opting to place more emphasis on nurturing o cials who were relatively uneducated. He
assumed full control of the military, consolidating his political position rmly. The cavalry
forces of Yan Bei would continue to be an unstoppable force for the next 300 years.

Xia, under the leadership of Zhao Che, conquered the royal capitals of Beiros and Maluo,
extending its sphere of in uence by tens of thousands of kilometers, establishing a new
dynasty. Even the territory of Yan could not compare to that of Xia in terms of size. However,
100 years after Zhao Che’s rule, his descendants were not able to maintain their rule over
such a vast empire, leading to the collapse of Xia once again. Luckily, due to Zhao Yang’s
e orts at the northern borders over tens of years, they managed to take over Zhao Che’s
assets and preserve the Zhao family’s rule over the northern regions.

Qinghai declared its independence in the year 791, becoming known as the state of Qing.
The ag was made up of stars and a moon, while its capital was recognized as Haiqing.
Zhuge Yue was declared as the Baiyuan Emperor, with that year becoming known as the
rst year of the Baiyuan calendar in Qinghai. After he ascended the throne, he abolished the
system of concubines, introducing a “one wife policy”. The ruler of Xiuli, Chu Qiao, was
recognized as the mother of Qinghai, participating and assisting the king of Qinghai in state
matters, and playing a part in the establishment of every political order.

Due to the similarities of the one wife policy in Qinghai and the system in the western
regions, the ruler of Xiuli was also known as the queen of Qinghai.

As they were politically liberal, Qinghai became the continent’s wealthiest state in 30 years,
with a prosperous economy and world-leading technology. In the year 321 of the Baiyuan
fi
ff
fl
fl
fl
ffi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
 calendar, Qinghai pioneered the Industrial Revolution, making groundbreaking scienti c
advancements in West Meng.

50 years later, under the vehement protests of democratic parties in Qinghai, the monarchy
had no choice but to refer to the document that Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao had left behind
400 years ago. After the document was revealed, the political system in Qinghai was
revamped, signaling its transformation towards a democratic society. They had achieved
this almost 1,800 years earlier than the western countries.

Time ew past. In the third year after the con ict of West Meng ceased, Chu Qiao gave birth
to her third child, Zhuge Yunye. Qinghai held a nationwide celebration to commemorate this
event. The atmosphere was particularly joyous in Xingyue Palace.

Within the inner palace, Chu Qiao’s hair had been messed up as she panted heavily. Her
nails brushed against Zhuge Yue’s back muscles as her sweat trickled down her shoulders,
and onto the red satin cloth below.

“Yue… Didn’t Mister Gao say… my… my body…”

“Whoosh… He said it was okay…”

The bed creaked and the room heated up. It wasn’t until the banquet at the front palace had
ended that Zhuge Yue was nally able to unleash his desires, which he had accumulated for
a long time. After everything was done, the two of them collapsed on the bed and embraced
each other. Chu Qiao leaned in his embrace and shut her eyes slowly, subconsciously
drawing circles on his chest.

Suddenly, she looked up seductively, bit her red lips, and asked, “Zhuge Yue, I’ve given birth
three times. Am I old yet? Will you despise me?”

Zhuge Yue looked at her from the side of his eyes. As he saw her messed up hair, sweat,
and her enlarged breasts due to childbirth, he could not help but reignite his feelings of lust.

“I can tell you through my actions right now, whether I will despise you or not.” As his
sinister voice sounded out, the second round commenced.

After two major romps, Chu Qiao could no longer open her eyes due to fatigue. She leaned
in Zhuge Yue’s embrace and drifted o to sleep.

Zhuge Yue wiped the sweat o her forehead, draped a blanket over her, hugged her and
asked softly, “Xing’er?”

“Umm…” Chu Qiao answered dreamily with her eyes shut.

The look in Zhuge Yue’s eyes was calm. He lowered his head and kissed her eyebrows.
Breaking out in a smile which lingered around for a long time, he whispered softly, “I’ll love
you forever.”

fl
fi
ff
ff
fl
fi
The woman in her sleep was probably unaware of the words her husband had just said.
They had been through countless storms all their lives, but they had a lifetime ahead of them
to experience nights like this, drifting o to sleep in each other’s embrace.

“Rest well.”

Chapter 280
With the drizzle continuing, combined with the fact that it was deep into autumn, the
carriage was wet by the rain as it rolled out from the alleyway. The light rain was like a trail of
cold tears. The palace gates were grandiose. Looking at it from afar, it seemed like a piece
of painting, strikingly beautiful.

The carriage veils were opened, revealing a lanky hand. The lanky hand was white and
tender, the nails painted crimson. A violet-gold bracelet was on the wrist, further contrasting
with the jade-like complexion.

“Lady,” an old servant knelt by the road as he whispered into the carriage door that was
slightly open, “Imperial Doctor Sun is inside taking her pulse.”

With a sway of the carriage, a lady walked out of the carriage. With a beautiful face and
gentle smile, she was a beauty. Two maidservants appeared by her side as they opened
umbrellas for her. This 30-year-old lady was holding the hand of a child who was six to
seven years of age. Even though that child was still young, it was apparent that he was
extremely handsome. Seeing her, he smiled. “Mother, I have nished school.”

Yushu smiled gently as she caressed the child’s forehead. “Come, follow mother and visit
the Empress.”

The child frowned as though he was reluctant. He pouted and said, “Could Yong’er just wait
here for mother?”

“No.” Yushu put on a serious face and shook her head while saying, “Yong’er is a lial child.
The Empress is currently not feeling well, you ought to be obedient.”

The child considered this for a while, and nally helplessly nodded. “Fine then.” Even then,
he still seemed rather reluctant.

Four years ago, faced with the 800,000 strong Yan Bei army, the Princess surrendered the
entire Song Empire to Yan Bei, gaining the position of a noble for the entire Song Territory.
With that, she left her own homeland and headed north. These family members of the
imperial family also headed to Zhen Huang with the Princess, permanently migrating there.

The Xia Empire’s demise was years ago, and the ruling dynasty had changed to “Yan”. The
new Yan Emperor had expanded the palace, making it even more grandiose. In addition, he
built an entirely new palace just for the Song Princess, and named it the Dongnan Palace.
He allowed the Empress to participate in politics, ruling over various matters in the Song
Territories, including any re-appointment of Song o cials that were of rank three and below.
The main court referred to the Dongnan Palace as the minor Song Court.

ff
fi
ffi
fi
fi
Yet, with the decline of the Princess’ health, the palace started to turn quiet. Yushu’s father
was amongst the old guards of the Song Empire. In the initial stages of being annexed,
Yushu’s father was an important o cial, but as time passed, the Song o cials were
increasingly integrated into the main court. With the wise rule of the Emperor, the initial
resistance to occupation had vanished. This Dongnan Palace had fallen into disuse.

“Lady Xuan has come.” Aunt Yun was already 60 this year. In the past few years, she had
begun to increasingly show her age. With her hair now silver, and wrinkles surfacing, she
walked over, smiling, as she bent down to tease the young boy, “Your Highness is becoming
so handsome. You will surely become a handsome man like King Xuan.”

Having followed the Empress for a long time, Aunt Yun was held in extremely high regard in
the palace. Even for Yushu, she would treat Aunt Yun with the utmost respect. She smiled
and asked, “Aunt, how is your health?”

“I am great, thanks to you.”

“How is the Empress?”

“Sigh, she is still the same.” Aunt Yun sighed. As people age, it is only natural to become
somewhat talkative. She continued to ramble, “She still eats very little, and does not like to
drink medicine. She is so old, yet she still behaves like a child.”

“Yong’er is not afraid of drinking medicine!” Yongwang, who was listening in, suddenly
interrupted.

Hearing that, Aunt Yun was ecstatic, and said, “Your Highness, you are really a wonderful
man. After going in, you ought to really tell Empress to drink her medicine. Okay?”

“The Empress is awake, and is asking who is here?” A servant suddenly walked over. Yushu
nodded at Aunt Yun and went into the palace with Yongwang.

The palace was still the same. Despite the beauty, Yushu always thought that it was too
empty here. She could even hear the echo of her footsteps walking in this hall. The Empress
liked the quietness, and there were usually very few people by her side. Even in this palace
where she lived, there were only a small amount of servants serving her.

Two servants lifted the curtains for Yushu. The shiny crystals knocked against each other,
giving out crisp sounds of a collision. Yushu brought Yongwang in and knelt outside the
main bedroom while softly speaking.

After a while, a peaceful voice sounded out, and upon closer inspection, one could even
hear that there was a bit of strain in breathing. “Yushu? Come in.”

The main palace was rather cold. A decoration by the side was carved with mountains and
rivers, giving a particular sense of nature in this empty room. The Empress was dressed in a
yellow dress as she sat diagonally on the bed with her hair neatly tied up. There was only
one hairpin, with a red ruby stuck onto her forehead.

“Wenyuan, bring them seats.”

ffi
ffi
A high-class servant walked over, and pulled out a chair for Yushu. Thanking her, Yushu sat
down and heard the Empress ask, “How is your family?”

Yushu respectfully replied, “All is well, Your Highness.”

“I heard there was a new teacher. How is Yong’er’s homework?”

“Yong’er is rather young, and is not as smart as the various princes. But this subordinate
has hired two private teachers for him so he can somewhat follow along.”

The Empress then lightly coughed, revealing a pale complexion, before replying, “You were
educated since young, and naturally know how to bring up your children. Do not be too
anxious. After all, Yong’er is still young, there is no need to force him too much.”

( )

With that, they started to chit-chat. Yushu had a rather strange relationship with this
Empress. Even though it seemed as though the Empress particularly favored this family, in
reality, they were not really related at all. Even though she frequently came to visit the queen,
there was ultimately only a few matters to talk about.

After chatting for a good 30 minutes, there was a particular chime from outside. Hearing
that, Yushu immediately pulled her son up. Almost immediately, the curtain was lifted up as
the Emperor walked in briskly.

“This subordinate greets the Emperor. Long live His Majesty.”

“Yong’er greets the Emperor. Long live His Majesty.”

The Emperor lifted his hand, and with a low voice, he instructed, “Please rise.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor casually sat on the bed. As the Empress was currently sick, she greeted him
on the bed, before casually asking, “How come the Emperor is so free today?” To which he
replied, “I heard from Imperial Doctor Sun that you were not feeling well, so I came over to
take a look.”

“Emperor, you take care of so many things daily, I am honored that you still remembered my
sickness.”

Yushu lowered her head and felt awkward listening to this formality between the Emperor
and Empress. It was inappropriate for her to speak, so she pulled her child next to her while
pretending that she was extremely interested.

After speaking with the Empress for a bit, the Emperor turned and asked, “How is your
family?”

“Thanks to Your Majesty, all is well.”

“There is a new teacher. Yong’er is still young, how is he keeping up with the homework?”

 Yushu was rather taken aback and thought that they were indeed a couple. She hurriedly
bowed. “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. He can barely keep up.”

The Emperor nodded, and asked about some other matters. Suddenly, he spoke to Cao Qiu
who was serving him, “Bring the bow that was just given to us as a tribute. Yong’er will be
eight-years-old soon, and it is about time he learns some martial arts. Xuan Mo was adept
at martial arts, particularly with the bow and arrow. Like father, like son. I believe Yong’er will
not disappoint me.”

Cao Qiu quickly walked over with a case. Yushu got up and thanked him profusely. The
Emperor was here to visit the Empress, but why would he bring a bow and arrow? Did he
know that Yushu would bring Yong’er into Palace?

All these years the Emperor had indeed treated their family well. No matter what kind of
bene ts, he had never forgotten about them. The Emperor had not treated them with any
carelessness despite the fact that their family did not have a male at the head of their
household. This point alone was enough for many in the court to start gossiping. In addition,
the Emperor had always talked about Xuan Mo in a very familiar manner, yet according to
Yushu’s knowledge, they had never met before.

At that moment, there were countless thoughts ashing through her head. Yushu took the
case, and Yong’er, who was beside her, was particularly happy, as he bowed while smiling,
“The Emperor really treats Yong’er nicely.”

The Emperor revealed a rare glimpse of a smile as he stood up and said, “I still have some
court matters to attend to. You should accompany the Empress some more.” With that said,
he left.

The moment the Emperor left, the Empress started coughing more vigorously, seemingly
rather fatigued.

Wenyuan asked something quietly, before helping the Empress to change into pajamas.
Seeing how the conversation slowed to a trickle, and that the Empress was tired, Yushu
stood up and bid her farewell. The Empress did not try to hold them back, and merely
informed the servants to give them some presents that were already prepared.

In the narrow alleyway, Yushu sat in the carriage as she hugged Yong’er. As the carriage
moved, the rain fell on the carriage with a pitter-patter sound. Yushu’s emotions were in an
upheaval. After thinking about it carefully, she realized that it seemed as though every time
she entered the palace, she would chance upon the Emperor. It was as though each time
she visited the Empress, the Emperor would just be there visiting the Empress. In fact,
someone of her status should usually not see the Emperor.

She suddenly felt uneasy, as she thought about how the Emperor talked about her husband,
and she could not help but feel suspicious.

She suddenly opened the carriage doors and spoke to Jiang Wu, “Jiang Wu, is His
Highness really good at bow and arrows?”

fi
fl
Jiang Wu was slightly taken aback, and did not expect that she would suddenly mention
this. He quickly replied, “His Highness was naturally familiar with all weapons, but his skills
with the sword were the most well known. Speaking about bow and arrows, the Empress
was also rather skilled with those.”

Yushu frowned, and a thought ashed in her mind. Yet it was but a ash, and she did not
catch hold of that train of thought. She nodded, and closed the carriage doors.

Chapter 281
As Yushu left, Nalan started to cough. A few physicians on duty ran into Zhaoyang Palace
hurriedly to take her pulse and concoct medicine, remaining busy for over four hours. An
intense scent of medicinal herbs lingered around the palace. Nalan Hongye laid on her bed
as she continued to pant non-stop which had been the case since the morning. The color
on her face had been drained.

“Madam Empress, I’ve heard that Your Majesty is staying at Qinglu Palace tonight. There’s
no one by his side to serve him.”

Nalan held her hand close to her chest. Weakly, she asked, “Isn’t Lady Cheng at Qinglu
Palace?”

“No. Lady Cheng’s period is here. She’s recuperating in Hongfang.”

Nalan nodded and thought for a while before replying, “The weather is getting colder. Go
and instruct Cao Qiu and the rest of the slaves to be more vigilant. Don’t let Your Majesty
catch a cold.”

“Yes.”

As Wen Yuan prepared to leave, Nalan opened her mouth and said, “Forget it. No need to
go.” Then, she turned around to face the inner side of the room. Her soft voice drifted over
lightly, “No need to wake me up for dinner. I want to sleep.”

“Yes, Madam.”

It had been ve years since Yan Xun established his empire. Just like many emperors
before, the back palace had started to liven up. Countless beauties streamed into the
palace; some were petite, some appeared cold, some were educated, and some were
adorable. It seemed like all the beauties in the world congregated in this palace as the mood
remained lively.

Alas, Nalan Hongye had been unable to conceive, despite being in the palace for four years.
Instead, it was the other concubines that did so; Cheng Yuan’s sister, Lady Cheng, had
given birth to a pair of twins. Her status had been elevated to the point where it was enough
to pose a threat to her. ( )

As for him, he had not entered Zhaoyang Palace for a long time. If not for Yushu, who
brought Yong’er here, he would not have visited today.

fi

fl
fl
 As the sun set and the moon rose, a pair of red candles burned brightly in the room. Nalan
Hongye, who had been reduced to sticks and bones, snuggled in her blanket as she
coughed non-stop. Perhaps, she had stopped thinking about that long ago.

Six years ago, on the day where the various empires met under the pass, the news of the
birth of Qinghai’s little prince spread around West Meng. As the health of the little prince had
been a ected while he was still in his mother’s womb, it was almost a stillborn birth. Chu
Qiao’s life hung by a string as well, due to her poor health. The king of Qinghai’s love for his
wife was well-known, from the fact that he gave up the chance to ght it out with Yan Xun to
conquer the world, for her.

Qinghai issued a notice, promising a huge reward for any physician that managed to save
them. It was heard that Mister Qingzhu from Maoling had exemplary medical skills, but he
refused to enter Qinghai on the grounds that it was a barbaric territory. The king of Qinghai,
in the middle of the alliance between Yan Bei and Song, led 3,000 elite troops out of Cuiwei
Pass personally towards Maoling to abduct Mister Qingzhu. Ultimately, Chu Qiao and her
son’s lives were saved.

The day that this news spread was the day of their marriage, which was according to her
wishes, which she had kept in her heart for many years. She opened the invitation to see
their names on top, which he had personally written.

Yan Xun, Nalan Hongye.

Their names were side by side, with each stroke carefully written. Her ngertips brushed
across the invitation letter, stopping at the phrase, “Wishing the couple eternal
companionship and unity”. It was a simple congratulatory phrase, but it caused her to tear.

That evening, the both of them hosted a banquet at Hehuan Palace. The almond trees in the
courtyard outside were in full bloom; as the wind blew past, red and pink petals were
scattered everywhere. He sat in front of her, a calm look on his face. He was full of words,
but he did not speak much. He did not appear rude, but not overly close either.

Nalan Hongye wanted to reveal her past, which she had hidden for a long time but hesitated
due to the cold look on his face. As night fell, he prepared to leave. Desperate, she opened
her mouth to speak but was interrupted by his personal bodyguard, who told him about
some urgent military matters that he had to attend to.

The king of Qinghai was about to approach Maoling.

Yan Xun’s cold expression changed instantly as he ordered the troops to congregate around
the area of Maoling. The aim was to block the king of Qinghai out for one day. However,
before his bodyguard walked out of the room, he stopped him. As the setting sun shone on
his face, he outstretched his hand halfway, assuming a posture where he wanted to speak,
but did not. The almond ower petals lingered in mid-air for a while, before falling to the
ground.

“Forget it,” he put down his hand and reverted to his calm posture.

ff
fl
fi
fi
“Forget it?” the bodyguard was stunned and replied subconsciously.

Yan Xun raised his eyebrows slowly, not speaking a word. His gaze circled around coldly on
the bodyguard’s face. The bodyguard knelt on the ground, scared out of his wits. Then, he
exited the room swiftly.

As the sky darkened, Yan Xun turned around and smiled at Nalan Hongye, giving her a piece
of bamboo shoot. Then, he said, “Have more of these, it’s good for your body.”

Having been through numerous ups and downs all her life, she had cultivated her vital spirit
to the point of perfection. She nodded in reply, “Thank you, Your Majesty.” Although this
encounter was trivial and quickly forgotten by other people, she remembered it vividly.

That evening, under the sunset, a realization dawned upon her. However, it was only that
she had refused to acknowledge it for many years.

A low coughing sound echoed out from inside the palace. Wen Yuan, who was in the outer
palace, put some spices in the incense pot and frowned lightly.

The moonlight was beautiful outside. The winter in Zhen Huang was about to approach
again.

As Yushu had taken a nap in the day, she did not feel tired at night. She wore a cloak and
picked up a lantern, walking to Yong’er’s room. He was an obedient child as he remained
sound asleep, not kicking his blanket aside. His mouth moved slightly as if he was eating
something in his dream.

Yushu sat beside his bed. The winds were quiet; the smoke from the incense pot drifted up
in circles. She reached out her hand to touch her son’s face but hesitated as she did not
want to cause him to catch a cold. She traced her ngers on his forehead and smiled.

The drums to signal the middle of the night struck. She felt at peace.

She stood up and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. As she turned back,
she saw the candlelight in the room.

That moment, she was stunned.

Just like thousands of time before, she stood there quietly and watched on.

It had been ve years. The dust had settled; the o cials in court had somewhat forgotten
about him. Even the civilians who lived by the sea, who had used to pray for him, had
swapped his tablet on their altars away for that of their own families.

Everyone had forgotten about him, his achievements, his contributions, what he looked like,
and the heavy price he paid for his country. She was the only person who burned a candle
every night in his study, in remembrance of him.

She did not dare to approach him, just like when he was alive. She had even handed the
soup that she had personally prepared to the maidservants.

fi
ffi
fi
He said that he had state matters to attend to, requesting not to be disturbed. She believed
him.

He said that he had urgent military matters to attend to, requesting not to be disturbed. She
believed him.

He said that he would be busy till late in the night, so he would sleep in his study. He told
her not to wait up for him. She believed him.

She was a silly woman. No matter what her man said, she believed him. However, she
wanted to speak up sometimes, complaining about her treatment, which was no di erent
from that of a servant. She wanted to tell him that she was his wife and not an outsider. She
wanted to tell him that she slept late every night; he did not need to worry about waking her
up. However, she did not speak up. Perhaps, she was shy.

Hence, she sat by the window and looked at his brightly-lit study, all the way until the lights
were extinguished. Only then was she able to sleep in peace. Sometimes, she thought to
herself Does this count as sleeping together too? However, as she thought of these matters,
her face turned red in embarrassment.

Every time she went back to her home, her sister would tell her that her husband was having
an extramarital a air outside. She would react angrily in his defense, not allowing anyone to
defame her husband. However, due to her ineloquence, she was unable to convince her
sisters. Slowly, she returned to her home less and less.

She knew that she had the best husband in the world. He was upright, kind, talented,
revered, educated, and poetic. He did not drink at home, nor did he get drunk outside while
socializing. He did not marry a second wife nor engage in vices. He was the most well-
known commander in the military. He neglected her due to his busy schedule sometimes,
but so what? Compared to her mother, her sisters, and the concubines who engaged in their
internal politics, she was much better o than them.

He was her husband, her sky, and her world.

Wasn’t she supposed to trust him, take care of him, and wait for him? How could she
suspect, defame, or harbor unhappiness towards him?

Furthermore, despite his demise, she continued to revel in his legacy. Most importantly, he
left behind their child, which was the most precious thing to her.

There was nothing to be unhappy about.

She smiled innocently. She tugged at her cloak and spoke to herself, “I’ll buy some paper
for the windows tomorrow. The weather is getting cold. I should change the papers in the
study.”

Chapter 282
In the faint light of the heavens, she seemed to see that man’s gure again.

ff

ff
fi
ff
 It was already deep into spring as the owers fell like snow. That young man stood below a
tree wearing his bright blue robe with a violet cloth belt. From afar, he casually asked aloud,
“Aye! Which palace did you come from?”

Suddenly, the recollection was shattered. In her blurred vision, she could make out
Wenyuan’s worried face. Wenyuan’s mouth was opening and closing profusely, but she
could not make out what she was speaking.

She knew that she had probably fallen sick again. She was surrounded by others. There
were some who were tugging on her limbs and shaking her anxiously. They shook her limbs
so hard that she felt pain. Frowning, she was rather angry as she wanted to scold these
people who did not seem to know how painful it was, yet she was unable to make any
sounds. Even as she opened her mouth with all her strength, she seemed like a sh in the
bottom of the ocean, unable to make any sound, much less breath.

Wenyuan was panicking as she snapped at the eunuch beside her, “Why did the Emperor
not come? Have you gone to inform him?”

The young Eunuch’s face was completely pale, and his voice was on the verge of crying as
he knelt on the ground and replied, “This servant almost broke my legs running, and the
message has been transmitted. Yet, Lady Cheng said that the Emperor is taking a nap.
Whatever will wait until after he wakes.”

“How ridiculous!” Wenyuan bellowed. “How dare she? Is this something that she could
a ord to take responsibility for?”

Seeing how she was enraged, the whole room sank into silence as they knelt on the ground.
Yet, at this moment, Nalan Hongye thought that Wenyuan was getting out of hand, daring to
speak such words. If such words reached the ears of Lady Cheng, it would undoubtedly be
another turbulent incident.

Since she was unable to speak, she decided to continue closing her eyes and relax, letting
the people around her continue to run around like ants on a hot plate.

Deep down, she agreed that Lady Cheng was indeed going overboard. Just because Lady
Cheng had already given birth to two sons and the fact that her family background was
strong, she had started to become lawless in her actions. Her sel sh moves would prove to
be fatal for the empire. It seemed like once Nalan Hongye got better, she would need to pay
particular attention to suppress this Lady, else the entire court would be negatively
in uenced by her.

Nalan sighed in fatigue as she entered her pitch black dreamland yet again.

Lady Cheng’s original name was Cheng Rongrong, cousin to General Cheng Yuan. After the
Great Yan Empire had designated Zhen Huang as the capital, some of the women of the
noble families of Yan entered the harem. Due to General Cheng’s in uence in the court,
along with her own beauty, she had risen through the ranks quickly. In addition, she had
successfully given birth to two sons, instantly turning into one of the most in uential women,
ff
fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
second to only the Empress. She was originally an intelligent woman, yet her mind had been
clouded by the privileges she had enjoyed.

It was only when dusk came did Yan Xun nally wake up. Due to the urgent military
intelligence that had just arrived last night, Yan Xun had not had the chance to sleep at all
last night. Even as he woke up now, he still felt groggy.

Lady Cheng knelt on the oor, a layer of thin yellow silk cape draped over her gure.
Seductively, she served him tea and started informing him of various matters. Yan Xun
listened on, although mostly disinterested. Suddenly, one single sentence oated into his
ear. He was slightly stunned, as he looked straight at Lady Cheng and asked, “What did you
say?”

Lady Cheng was slightly shocked inside, yet she tried her best to remain calm, and without
changing her smiling face, she elaborated, “Around noon, the eunuch from Dongnan Palace
came to inform that the Empress was not feeling well. Seeing how Your Majesty was
sleeping so well, I did not dare to wake you up. I believe it was de nitely due to a
miscommunication. The Empress has been such a considerate person, and she has always
struggled with health problems. If she had known, she might have scolded that servant, and
would de nitely not disturb the Emperor.”

Sitting on the bed, Yan Xun did not speak. His gaze was so deep, devoid of any hints of his
emotions.

Lady Cheng sniggered happily deep inside. She started to wash up for Yan Xun. Yet she had
not expected that the moment Yan Xun put on his clothes properly he started to leave. Lady
Cheng asked in a rush, “Would Your Majesty not stay to eat dinner?”

Yan Xun slowly turned around. The setting sun shone on his face, giving o a light golden
glow. He quietly looked at Lady Cheng and did not show many emotions. Yet, it was enough
to send shivers down other’s back, freezing their owing blood.

Lady Cheng immediately knelt down. The ending of Lady Yuan Shilan oated up in her
memory, causing her to be so afraid she almost cried.

After an unknown duration, a maidservant walked up to her and whispered, “The Emperor
has left.”

She slowly lifted her head up, only to feel that her forehead was full of cold sweat. She had
lost all strength and almost fell down. Shrieking, the maidservants supported her to the bed.
She grasped her chest with her hand, as her face remained pale as ever, without speaking a
single word. She knew very clearly that even though the Emperor had not said anything, she
was so close to being killed just now.

The night started to turn dark as she started to contemplate. Finally, she heaved a sigh, and
instructed the servants, “Give the guard 30 lashes, and prepare a huge present for the
Empress tomorrow to apologize. Explain that the guard was being lazy and gave the wrong
information.”

fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
ff
fl
fi
The maidservant acknowledged this. Despite being scared, the maidservant dared not to
question. Before long, the sound of the guard howling from the beating could be heard.

At the end of the day, being able to reach this position, she was de nitely not a naive and
innocent girl. She knew when to advance and when to retreat. Even if she could not help but
be prideful, she knew how to tell it was too much. The warning today was enough for her to
be jolted back to reality.

“Liu Xu, prepare the incense and the scriptures. Tomorrow, I will head to the temple to copy
the religious scriptures in prayer of our Empire’s prosperity.”

“Understood, my lady.”

This round of testing was enough.

Cheng Rongrong heaved a sigh as she touched the blanket that Yan Xun had just slept on,
only to feel that it was completely cold.

By the time Yan Xun reached the Dongnan Palace, darkness had enveloped the lands. There
were only a few torches lit in Dongnan Palace, as most of the imperial doctors had left.
Seeing how he had come, the servants immediately knelt down. Just as they were about to
announce his presence, he stopped them. He walked into a room full of prostrated
maidservants that continued all the way to that cold doors.

She had already slept. Lying in those layers of silk, her face was so pale, as her hair was a
mess. She looked so frail and weak.

Wenyuan was extremely happy. She began to lay out a pillow on the bed for him to sit. Yet,
Yan Xun pulled a chair over and sat right facing Nalan Hongye. The servants had all left,
leaving only the two of them. He sat there quietly while she slept deeply.

It seemed that he had never seen her like this before. In his memory, Nalan Hongye had
always been dressed impeccably, with just enough make-up and accessories. She would
always be smiling, exuding the aura of royalty. She was never so weak, so wrecked, so frail
like now. She had really slimmed down. Looking at her now, it was rather di cult for him to
connect that she was that Princess of Song.

Time was indeed the quietest assassin. With just a blink of an eye, so many years had
passed. He did not say anything and left after a while of sitting. Yet, this moment of quiet
sitting was enough to turn the mood jubilant. Wenyuan ecstatically ran up and down at the
outer place, settling all kinds of issues. That was because as the Emperor left, he said that
he would return the next day.

Just as the gates to the Dongnan Palace closed, Nalan Hongye opened her eyes. She was
so thin, and her eyes were sunken in. Yet her gaze was always so sharp and calm, lled with
the intelligence that was honed from all these years.

That chair was still by her bed, empty. There was a carving of two dragons on the chair,
coiling around.

fi
ffi
fi
 It has been so many years. Nalan Hongye, have you ever felt regret?

In the weak candlelight, she asked herself.

Finally, she smiled weakly as she closed her eyes.

Life in the palace went on as usual, as the weather started to get colder and the usage of
the replaces started to become ubiquitous. Yet, Nalan Hongye’s condition did not turn any
better. Almost half of the imperial doctors had took up residence within the Dongnan Palace
to look over the Empress.

On this day it was another school day. Yushu brought along Yong’er to visit Nalan Hongye,
bringing along some supplements along. Sitting in the warm bedroom, they chatted with
Nalan Hongye.

After some small talk, and seeing that Nalan Hongye was rather tired, Yushu was just about
to bid farewell as she suddenly asked, “Tomorrow is the anniversay of King Xuan’s death,
right?” / update by

Yushu was slightly taken aback. For some reason, she was suddenly put on alert, as she
quietly replied, “Yes.”

Nalan Hongye nodded, as Wenyuan presented a small box. Nalan Hongye calmly said,
“Your husband was a great man, having contributed greatly to the society. I am not in the
best shape, so I would be impossible for me to go anywhere. Please help me to bring my
wishes over.”

The warm bedroom suddenly felt a tinge of coldness. Starting from Yushu’s nger, the
coldness trickled to her nger tips. Sti y she received the box while biting her lower lips,
before bowing her head down in reverence, “This servant thanks Your Highness on behalf of
my deceased husband.”

Nalan Hongye shook her head, and was just about to speak when servants entered from the
outside. Whispering to Wenyuan, even Wenyuan was taken aback as she turned to look at
Nalan Hongye.

Yushu immediately informed her of their departure. Seeing that, Nalan Hongye did not
attempt to hold them back either.

The sun was so bright, and Yushu’s palms were completely wet. With all her strength, she
clenched on her shirt. It was as though she was trying to grip some thoughts to death.

Suddenly, a group of eunuchs rushed to the west side, distracting Yushu who casually
asked her servants, “What happened? What are those people doing?”

The maidservant had lived in the palace for a long time, and with her social abilities she
walked over and asked about the incident. As she returned, her face was too in a panic as
she said, “Lady, Lady Yuan of the West Cold Palace commited suicide.”

“Lady Yuan?” Yushu was stunned, as she asked in surprise.

fi
fi
ffl
fi
 The maidservant licked her lips and said, “She was originally Lady Chu.”

“Yuan Shilan?” It was Yushu’s turn to be astonished.

Lady Chu, her original name was Yuan Shilan, and was the most legendary lady in the short
history of the Great Yan Empire.

She was initially just a clothes washing girl. Once she committed a mistake was about to be
sent for eternal imprisonment, yet she knew some basic martial arts. She injured the old
maidservant who was watching over her at night and escaped the jail. As she ran away, she
had no way to run, and crashed into the Emperor’s carriage. After being hurt by an arrow,
she smashed her head on a palace gate, rather dying than to be captured.

She was then successfully revived. The Emperor liked her attitude, and quickly promoted
her. In half a year, she was the only love of the Emperor, and was eventually titled Lady Chu.
This had undoubtedly raised doubts in the court, but the Emperor did not care at all.

Yet three months ago in a rainy night, there was a huge turbulence. Lady Chu was suddenly
demoted. In three days, she was demoted to no better than how she was initially.

No one knew what happened that night. Rumors had it that Lady Chu argued with the
Emperor, and in her rage she destroyed her own face, turning herself into a hideous mess.
Seeing that, the Emperor was enraged.

As the other ladies spoke of this, they were naturally caustic. Firstly due to her popularity
with the emperor, she was particularly prideful and had not talked much to the other ladies.
In addition, traditionally the ladies had always been entertaining the Emperor by their looks.
Ruining her looks herself was something unthinkable and would not win anyone’s pity.

“Lady? Lady?” The maidservant was rather scared as she asked a few times.

After snapping back to reality Yushu immediately instructed, “Let us head out of palace.”

After exiting from two gates, the carriage slowly inched forward as it was accompanied by
the crows. A wave of cold wind swept up the veils, as several black feathers fell. Waving,
uttering, these feathers landed in this lonesome palace.

Chapter 283
After hearing the news that Yuan Shilan had passed, Nalan Hongye remained silent for a
long while. Wen Yuan left the room, along with her servants.

She recalled the last time she saw the cold lady. Her face was bandaged. Even if her
wounds were not visible, it was easy to imagine how badly her face had been dis gured
through the bloodstains on the bandage.

She looked at Nalan Hongye calmly and said, “Even if it’s not me, it won’t be you.”

fl

fi
Nalan smiled plainly. Given her status, it was inadequate of her to visit a concubine who had
been alienated. However, she still visited her in the end. This instant, faced with her
disparaging remarks, she did not react much. She looked at her quietly and blurted out a
sentence which she had hidden for a long time, “Even if it’s not you, you don’t need to do
this. Don’t you know that the entire palace has been waiting for this day?”

“Who has time to ght with them?” Yuan Shilan laughed coldly as she managed a terrifying
smile. “I don’t want to waste time waiting for a man who doesn’t love me.”

Nalan Hongye continued, “What about Your Majesty? Do you feel nothing towards him?”

Yuan Shilan, with a ferocious expression on her face, answered in a low voice, “I don’t want
anything that’s not mine.”

In Dongnan Palace, Nalan Hongye leaned on her chair and smiled.

Was that really true? Did she feel nothing towards him? If that was really the case, why
would she dis gure herself over a person she did not care about? Why would she lament
her fate, in the face of loneliness? Why would she want to die then?

Ultimately, she was young, naive and willful. It was only because of these reasons that she
could act in this manner. She had not thought of how her family would su er if she killed
herself just like that.

The back palace was a terrifying place. It caused people to lose their minds, including the
young lady who dis gured herself by slashing her face time and again, then committing
suicide thereafter.

She thought that her death would cause him to reproach himself out of guilt and remember
her forever. However, she did not realize that it would just create a small, temporary ripple.
The topic would be brought up casually when the concubines had meals with each other,
and nothing thereafter. U.p..dated by

This palace had no shortage of souls that had lost their lives in vain. With the passage of
time, through months and years, who would remember her?

“How stupid!” Nalan Hongye sighed lightly. With her status, she could have enjoyed a life of
luxury. Alas, she did not have the brains nor the tolerance.

“Madam?” Wen Yuan stood by the door and called out, holding a bowl of medicine in her
hands.

Nalan Hongye gestured casually for her to come in, taking the bowl of medicine from her.
Although the medicine was very bitter, she did not even inch as she swallowed it mouthful
by mouthful.

Wen Yuan watched on as she looked at another small bowl with sugar in it. She wanted to
say something but did not.

fi
fi
fi
fl
ff
“These are my instructions. Concubine Yuan was virtuous, generous, and kind. Having
passed away of severe illness, she is to be promoted to a sixth-level concubine and buried
in the mausoleum in the west. Her family is to be bestowed with 1,000 taels of gold, while
her brother is to be promoted to an o cial.”

Wen Yuan was stunned as she looked at Nalan in confusion. Yes, she had the power to
intervene in political matters and oversee anything in Song involving fourth-ranked o cials
and below. However, since she fell ill, she had given up her power for over two years. Was it
worth it to do this for a concubine who had sinned?

Nalan Hongye did not explain further as she continued, “Your Majesty is busy with matters
in court. Don’t tell him of Concubine Yuan’s passing. Order the o cials to watch their
mouths.”

Wen Yuan nodded and obliged.

The palace fell into silence. Nalan Hongye, having spent great e ort to utter those words,
felt tired. She lay down and frowned, as she used her ngers to rub her Taiyang acupoint.

Even if he alienated her, he still felt something for her. After all, he had loved and doted on
her. He would undoubtedly feel sad upon learning of her passing. Now that there was unrest
at the northwestern borders, coupled with the internal politics in court, he had enough
matters on his hands to worry about.

After she took her medicine, she tried to sleep. Dreamily, she thought to herself about
Concubine Yuan’s fate. Perhaps, in a few years, he would forget about her too. Even if he
recalled, he would not feel much towards a woman who had seemingly passed away “due
to illness”.

As the candlelight ickered, it was another cold, lonely night. As the decree from Dongnan
Palace spread to the other palaces, the various palace heads gained awareness of the
empress’s intentions. Even if they felt displeasure towards Yuan Shilan and her family, no
one dared to speak up. A few days ago, Lady Cheng had turned up personally to apologize.
This signaled a big thing: the empress still held her power and was not to be
underestimated.

The back palace was still seemingly peaceful. There was still dancing and singing every
night, supplemented with the sounds of musical instruments. Amidst the joy, all of the
plotting was overshadowed by the snow. In the vast palace, the lady was forgotten just like
a wilted ower.

“More courage is needed to live on than to die.” Nalan Hongye’s smile was always so plain.
She looked at the sky outside the window, as she seemingly saw the green shadow.

He stood there and looked at her, with his heavy sword by his side. He stood straight, with
the darkness above him. On the day of her father’s burial, he stood behind the grieving
princess and said this sentence.

“But…”

fl
fl
ffi
fi
ff
ffi
ffi
 The winds started to blow outside. The snow from last night had not stopped yet. With the
winds, the snow was scattered about as they ew in mid-air.

“Why did you suddenly lose the courage then?”

Yushu remembered the day of Xuan Mo’s passing. It was raining heavily. The physicians
were all drenched; their foreheads were especially wet.

That morning, the weather was sunny. She led the servants to dry his books in the
courtyard. However, in the evening, the troops from the Dongnan Sea suddenly escorted a
carriage into the city, all the way to Xuan Mo’s residence.

His expression was pale as he was helped out of his carriage by other people. He walked
into his study and got changed, as he prepared to enter the palace. However, before he
stepped out of the door, he collapsed in a pool of his own blood. She stood beside him and
cried helplessly, as the servants swarmed towards him in a panicked manner, carrying him
into the house and rushing out to get a physician.

It was then that the rain started to pour. It continued for seven days without stopping. The
civilians all said that the heavens were crying for Lord Xuan, as a gesture to send a hero o .

The physicians swarmed in, batch by batch, all uttering the same thing to her in the end.

He was too heavily wounded, he had lost too much blood, his body was too weak from
prolonged periods of combat, he had forced his body to make long journeys without
recovering properly, his organs had been damaged… However, she no longer heard
anything else. She watched on as the elderly men departed with grim looks on their faces.

She wondered to herself What were they saying? Why didn’t they go in to treat him? He was
able-bodied, enough to lift up swords that weighed more than 40 kilograms and spears that
weighed more than 50 kilograms. He had been slightly wounded, what was the big deal?
Why was he lying there and not getting up? The eldest princess’s document of marriage had
been approved; the Yan Emperor was departing tomorrow… He was an important o cial of
Song, why wasn’t he going to send them o ?

She ltered all the noises outside and ran to his side. She nudged his arm lightly, just like
many years ago, as she called out to him, “My lord, get up… My lord, get up…”

However, he remained motionless as his eyes remained shut. He frowned tightly as if he was
not able to let go of something. His arms were icy cold. She felt more and more fearful but
did not use more strength to tug at his arm. She continued to shout again and again, “My
lord, get up… My lord, get up…”

Sounds of crying started to echo out. Some maidservants took out their handkerchiefs and
wiped their tears discreetly. However, she felt angry suddenly. She turned around and
chased them all out.

The rain outside was heavy. As the doors opened, the cold winds blew at her thin clothes.

fi
ff
fl
ffi
ff
 A physician walked forward and whispered, “Madam, Lord Xuan won’t be able to make it.
You must take it easy on yourself.”

She had been a gentle, courteous woman all her life, remaining lial to her parents, following
her siblings’ wishes, and listening to her husband. She did not object to anything. However,
at that instant, in a t of anger, she slapped the physician in the face and hollered,
“Nonsense!”

The elderly physician remained silent and looked at her calmly, yet sympathetically.

She nally broke down. Her knees buckled as she fainted.

When she woke up, Xuan Mo had woken up as well. His aides stood in the courtyard
outside, going in batch by batch to hear his nal words. As she carried her child into the
room, those people formed a passageway for her. She stood by the tree in front of the room,
looking quietly at the candlelight by the window. It was just like many years ago when they
met for the rst time.

She was still young back then, as she followed obediently behind her father with her siblings
by her side. Amidst all the aristocrats, her plain white dress made her appear out of place.
He stood by the corridor as he appeared strikingly handsome. His smile was warm and
gentle, like the spring winds.

The servants followed behind her, carrying the umbrella for her. Yong’er was still young; his
face was chubby. He lay in her embrace, yawning from time to time, looking fatigued.

Those people talked for a long time. As she was Xuan Mo’s wife, no one shunned her. She
heard the other people whisper softly to each other, mainly about the marriage of the eldest
princess. They also discussed other various issues such as how they would continue to run
the country, how to consolidate their positions in the new court, how to avoid con ict with
the o cials of Yan, and how to integrate into the court of Yan to help the princess out. In
addition, some of Xuan Mo’s aides claimed that they wanted to pass some letters to Yan
Xun.

Finally, the crowd dispersed bit by bit. The courtyard quietened down; only the sounds of
the raindrops could be heard.

Chapter 284
He merely sat there, leaning on the bed, wearing a set of clean clothes. Seeing her, he
began smiling as usual as he stretched out his hand and pointed toward a chair by the side
and signaled, “Sit.”

She sat down, still in a daze, as she looked at him with tears rolling in her eyes, yet she
dared not to cry. Biting her lips, she tried her best not to cry out loud.

“Yushu, from now on, it will be tough on you,” he calmly said this as he looked at her. He
said it ever so slowly, yet his words were clear. On the small desk, there were two old pieces
fi
ffi
fi
fi

fi
fi
fl
 of ginseng that had already been mostly consumed. He lightly sighed, and glanced at
Yong’er and said, “I am not a responsible father.”

Yushu was really afraid. All her life, she had never felt so scared before. She suddenly
gathered her courage and grabbed hold of her husband’s arm and said, “Master, please, no.
You can’t do this.”

Xuan Mo smiled. His complexion turned even more pale, his eyes sunken in. He no longer
looked the same as he once was.

“Master, you can’t do this.” This naive woman knew not what else she could say, and merely
kept shaking her head as she grasped her husband’s arm, repeating the same line over and
over again.

The nightly breeze slowly pushed open the windows. The lone candle was almost
extinguished several times. The air from outside was cold, bringing with it the sweet scent of
chrysanthemum from the north.

She could still vaguely remember the conversation she had with her sisters. They were
together, trying to imagine their future husbands. Some wanted to marry an intelligent
scholar, some wanted to marry a powerful general, some wanted to marry the prince of a
noble family. Only she could not make up her mind, and after being forced by her sisters did
she nally say, “As long as he treats me well, it will be alright.”

As long as he treats me well, it will be alright.

She had always been such a person, even her sisters had felt that she had little ambition.
But so what? At the very least, she would not feel upset due to greed, she would not feel
lonely by being alone, she would not blame everything around her. Her wishes were simple
but easily satis ed. Her life was simple, but it was peaceful and joyous. Yet, she gave up on
hoping for even that small wish of hers at this very moment.

She held onto Xuan Mo’s hand, and while trembling, she said, “Master, the old Master has
already passed on. Just divorce me. I know, Master, you did not like me and have someone
else in your heart. But now I do not want anything. As long as Master is still alive, even if you
divorce me, it will be alright.”

At that moment, all wind and rain seemed to stop. This general who had seen so much in
life was suddenly taken aback by this woman’s stubbornness. A pain suddenly started
nibbling at his heart, as his years of stubbornness and determination disintegrated as the
river of time suddenly engulfed his thoughts, forming into a sea of regret. At this nal
moment of his life, it transformed into a sigh.

After being married for so many years, this was the rst time that he stretched out his hand
and embraced his wife properly, as he apologized, “Yushu, I have disappointed you.”

Yushu was completely taken aback, as she was caught in this unfamiliar embrace. All these
years of endurance, all these years of self-control, all these years of self-comfort, and all
these years of lying to herself, she had always felt that she was a good wife, and thought
fi
fi
fi
fi
 that she was not hurt, not sad. Yet, everything crumbled in that simple sentence, in that
simple embrace. It seemed like she had not been free from sadness, free from
disappointment, free from dreams and hopes. Only that she had always suppressed
everything.

She suddenly let loose her voice, crying her lungs out, unable to form coherent sentences.
This was the rst time in her life, also the last, that Yushu cried out loud in the arms of her
husband.

After saying that sentence, Xuan Mo passed on. He was so peaceful as he left this world, his
expression made him see like he was merely a painting.

On the second day, hearing of King Xuan’s passing, the Emperor of Yan, who was initially
planning to leave the city suddenly changed his path, coming straight to King Xuan’s
residence. This ruthless and cold Emperor was dressed in his usual black clothing, and
stood before Xuan Mo’s grave for a long time. All those who came for the funeral were
beyond astonished as they cowered in silence. Yet, he was like a stone statue.

After that, there was a string of posthumously awarded titles and rewards, but all that
ultimately had nothing to do with her. Her heart had died, and all the super cial glory in the
world meant nothing to her.

The carriage inched forward slowly on the main path, passing through the prosperous city,
passing through the bustling crowds as it exited the city heading to the southwest. The
cacophony of the crowd gradually distanced. The scenery was replaced by that of
mountains and snow plains. The sky was grey and gloomy, with an occasional lone bird
ying past, clearly separated from the ock as it let out calls of sadness.

Yong’er leaned in the embrace of Yushu, almost falling asleep from the warmth and comfort
of the inside of the carriage. The blankets were extremely thick, blocking the external
coldness. Yushu held the child as she patted his back rhythmically while humming some
tune she had heard long ago. Time seemed to be passing ever so slowly, and the journey
seemed ever so long.

“My lady, there is a tea shop up ahead, shall we take a break?” Jiang Wu, who was leading
the escort team, closed in and asked.

The veils lightly opened, with the cold wind gushing into the carriage. Yushu frowned, and
looking up at the sky, she replied, “Let us hurry. I think the weather is about to turn bad.
Let’s not be blocked on the way by snow.”

“Understood.” Jiang Wu continued, “Hongchuan is really cold. If this was still in the Song
territory, at this time of the year, the lotus would still be blossoming.”

“Mother?” Yong’er rubbed his eyes, his face was ushed red. After being exposed to the
cold wind, he seemed more energetic. Frowning, he asked, “Are we there yet?”

Yushu looked at the surroundings and replied while nodding, “Soon.”

fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
Yushu had not been to many places in her life. The rst time she left the family was when
she migrated from the Song Empire to the Zhen Huang City. Traveling thousands of miles,
she came along with tens of thousands of Song nobles, arriving at this cold and unfamiliar
land.

At that moment, the nicer way of putting it was that the Song Empire had followed the will of
heaven, and was peacefully annexed by the Yan Empire. Yet everyone knew that in the
Nalan Family, apart from Princess Nalan Hongye, there was only a few daughters and a
dying son. It was impossible to continue the bloodline. Even though they were still
autonomous, it would be certain that eventually, they would become a main part of the Yan
Empire.

Yet, having such an outcome was perhaps for the best. In those years, Song empire had the
smallest territory of the three and was not even a tenth of the Xia Empire. Even though they
were by the sea and their commerce was prosperous, they were ultimately hindered by the
lack of iron, war horses, and other critical military resources. The military might of the Song
Empire had always been the bottom of the hierarchy, and the only reason why they had not
been conquered was due to the checks and balances system made by the Xia and Tang
Empire. Should either the Xia or Tang Empire crumble, the victor would certainly invade the
Song Empire rst.

In those warring years, the internal situation of the Song Empire was unstable, the Tang
Empire had been split into two as the empire fell into disarray. The Xia Empire had been
fragmented by an intense civil war. In such a case, rstly, it was impossible for the Song
Empire to continue relying on the precarious tension to keep herself safe from con ict.
Secondly, the Song Empire did not have the military might to take this opportunity to invade
the other lands. Thirdly, the Song Empire was itself at risk of crumbling. In such a situation,
apart from being peacefully annexed by the Yan Empire, there was little choice. The truth
had proven that the Princess’ decision had been right. Even though the Song Empire
became annexed, the civilians had been virtually untouched by the ames of war, and the
royalty and nobility of the Song Empire had lost nothing. The Song o cials gained important
posts in the new Court, and were completely di erent from the Xia people who were viewed
as second-class citizens.

The civilians did not care who was the emperor. As long as they did not go hungry and did
not lose their land, no one would care if their ruler was from Nalan. Yet, there were some
who could not seem to accept that. Yushu still remember how on the day that she left the
Song Empire, there were many who tried to block the royalty from leaving, and after being
scolded by the soldiers, some even poured oil on themselves then set themselves on re.

Until today, Yushu still remembered that scene. As the inferno blazed, that man shouted
King Xuan’s name while still burning, and others followed while prostrating on the ground,
saying that should King Xuan still be around, he would certainly not allow the territory to be
freely given up to the enemies.

In the blink of an eye, so many years had passed. Under the leadership of the Great Yan
Empire, such voices of dissent had gradually faded, and that man who was viewed as the
savior of the Song Empire had too faded out from people’s memories. Now, on the
fi
ff
fi
fi
fl
ffi
fl
fi
 anniversary of his death, perhaps only she and their son would head out of the city to pray
for him.

After half a day of travel, they had nally reached the Yanxi Mountain. This place had a
di cult terrain, and the carriage could no longer head up. Wearing a plain white cape, she
got out of the carriage with Yong’er. The servants carried the carriage, allowing her to sit
before beginning the ascent.

Due to the thickness of the snow, the servants walked really slowly. At this moment, Yong’er
suddenly became energetic. He lifted the carriage veils and looked out of the window
excitedly. There was a temple at the midpoint of the mountain, looking extremely run down.
Yushu had once rested here. In this temple there were only about a dozen monks, most of
them old. Due to the fact that this place was extremely deserted, there were little visitors, so
it was in a permanent state of disrepair.

She looked out from the window, only to see that despite the white world around, there were
still pine trees that were healthily green, yet she felt desolated.

Another year passed.

“Lady, we have arrived. The road ahead is narrow, and the carriage can no longer travel like
so.”

Yushu nodded and brought Yong’er out the carriage. Informing the other guards to stay, she
went up with only Jiang Wu and incense.

As they headed up, the wind got heavier. She protected Yong’er behind her, walking up.
Suddenly, a shadow appeared from the bushes at the side. Jiang Qu reacted immediately,
protecting Yushu. Yet before he could draw his blade, two blades had already been placed
on his neck.

“Who are you?” the intruder bellowed.

Yushu was pale with fear and quickly covered Yong’er eyes. Yet she had not expected that
Yong’er would bed so courageous. He pulled o her hand and called out, “I am the child of
King Xuan, and this is my mother. We are here to pray for my father. What people are you?
Bandits? Are you not afraid of being hunted down?” The child’s voice was crystal clear,
echoing with the howling winds. Yushu immediately pulled Yong’er back and held him tightly
in her embrace.

Those ‘bandits’ looked at each other and immediately withdrew their weapons. The leader
walked up and with utmost respect greeted, “Good day, Lady Xuan and Young Master. That
was rude of us. Please wait here for short while.” After that, he swiftly dashed o . Before
long, he returned and extended an invitation, “Lady, please.”

Yushu looked at them with suspicion, and it was Jiang Wu who seemed to have understood
the situation. He dared not to speak too much, and merely nodded to Yushu, indicating to
her that there was no need to fear.

ffi
fi
ff
ff
 The jade tiles were extremely neat and well polished. Looking from afar, it seemed like a
huge mirror. The sky seemed so near, as though she could touch the clouds by reaching out
her hands. Wind blew from all around her, sending her clothes uttering in the snow around.
In the all-surrounding whiteness, it was as though she was surrounded by a fog of milk.

Yushu squinted, only to see a gure in the snowstorm ahead. Wearing a black cape, the
cape covered even his face. As the wind howled, it seemed as though the snow was trying
to isolate him from the world itself. This lonely gure was like the Yggdrasil of the myths;
rm and strong, supporting the heavens by himself.

Even though she could not see his features, Yushu immediately knelt down, and pulled
Yong’er along. With her quiet voice, she said, “Good day, Your Majesty.”

Yan Xun turned around. His frigid gaze seemed to warm up after seeing her. He lightly
smiled, although his smile was sti . It was unclear if the sti ness originated from the frigid
weather or the fact that he had already forgotten how to smile. He quietly nodded, “You
have come.”

Yan Xun did not tell her to rise, so Yushu dared not to move, as her heart thumped rapidly,
as she nervously replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Please rise. I do not wish to be seen by him as bullying his wife.” His words were rather
casual, yet Yushu’s leg seemed to be weak from fear. She sti y stood up, and walked up
with Yong’er. Standing about ten steps behind Yan Xun, she could see that the incense
before Xuan Mo’s grave was already lit, with the blackened hell money uttering in the wind
like a swarm of butter ies.

Yan Xun spoke no more. He casually moved aside, vacating the space before the grave.
Yushu walked up with the kid and begun their own round of o erings. They lit the incense
and started burning the hell money. The white paper was quickly engulfed by the ames,
turning into jet black ashes. Her pale face seemed to be stained with blood under the glow
of the ames, as her frozen ngers bathed in the warmth of the ames. Yet, her ngers were
still as sti as ever as she slowly enriched the ames with more hell money.

“Father, Yong’er is here to visit you.” Yong’er obediently knelt on the ground and knocked
his head on the ground thrice before speaking seriously, “This year I did really well for my
school work, and Mister Lu had praised me three times. I learned a lot of words, and learned
how to ride horses. Uncle Jiang gave me a small horse. Black in color, it has a tuft of white
on its nose. It looks really handsome.” The child talked quite a bit, and even though
childishness exuded from his words, his words were lled with a sense of mature
seriousness. Furrowing his eyebrows, he seemed really adorable as he continued, “Father,
the weather is cold. You should remember to wear more. Mother and I will burn some winter
clothes for you. Being here alone, you need to take better care of yourself, and do not fall
sick. I will take care of Mother for you, so you need not worry.”

fi
fl
ff
fl
fi
fi
ff
fl
fi
fi
ff
ffl
ff
fl
fl
fl
fi
fl
 Chapter 285
As the winds blew strongly, Yong’er turned around with tears in her eyes. “Mother? What’s
wrong?”

Yushu forced a smile and replied, “Nothing much. It’s just the wind.”

The wind suddenly subsided. Yushu looked up in suspicion, seeing an upright gure
standing above her, blocking the wind o . A cli was situated in front. The man stood there
as his sleeves were lifted by the wind. The snow akes uttered about. Although he stood
near her, he seemed ever so distant.

“Mother? Mother? What’s wrong?” Yong’er called out to her desperately, seeing that she
was in a daze.

Yushu, knowing that she had wandered o emotionally, turned around and said, “It’s
nothing. Yong’er, pay your respects to your father.”

The child opened his eyes wide and said, “I already did.”

Yushu nodded and threw the last bunch of hell bank notes into the furnace. She bowed
three times and stood up.

“Are you done?” a low voice boomed out from the front. Yushu looked down and nodded.
Yan Xun continued, “Let’s go together then.”

Yushu, not daring to object, nodded honestly and obliged.

Yan Xun walked up and held Yong’er’s hand as he smiled and asked, “You know how to ride
a horse already?” Over ten guards rushed forward to clear up the sacri cial o erings, while
others anked and guarded both sides.

Yong’er entered and exited the palace frequently. As Yan Xun treated him well, he was not
daunted by the fact that he was the most powerful man in the world. He held his hand and
looked up, answering with a smile, “Yes, Uncle Jiang taught me. However, I’m still too
young. I can’t ride big horses, but only small ponies.”

Yan Xun laughed and replied, “When your father was your age, he didn’t know how to ride a
horse. You’re better than him.”

“Ah? Is that true?” Yong’er was stunned as his eyes widened. “Was Father that stupid?”

Yan Xun continued joyfully, “Your father could do everything else from poetry to reading. It’s
just that he didn’t know how to ride a horse. He got his skills from me.”

“Wow, doesn’t that make Your Majesty my father’s teacher? Your Majesty, can you teach
me? I want to ride a big horse. I don’t want to ride a small pony anymore. That small horse
that Uncle Jiang used to teach me is too lousy. It doesn’t know how to run. It can only
walk.”

fl

ff
ff
ff
fl
fl
fi
ff
fi
 “You’re still too young for that. However, I can teach you something else.”

“Your Majesty, what else do you know? Cricket ghts?”

“I know a lot more.”

“Your Majesty, you’re blu ng. My cricket is invincible. Even the second prince’s cricket had
its leg bitten o by mine.”

On the narrow stone pavement, the two of them walked together side by side, as they
chatted joyfully in the snowy weather. Yushu followed behind as she looked at the two of
them. Dreamily, she thought of her husband. If he was still alive, this would have probably
been him in Yan Xun’s place right now. Perhaps, in his free time, he would have brought
Yong’er out for a stroll, telling him about stories of how his friends messed up when they
were young, then bragging about his smartness when he was young. Perhaps, it would have
been like this.

She suddenly felt sad. Although she was an innocent lady who only knew how to take care
of her husband and child, she was not oblivious to what was happening outside.

These years, in particular, the most recent period of two years, many other princes were
born, but the emperor did not particularly dote on one son. Subconsciously, she understood
that as the Yan empire had been recently established, the political scene within had not
stabilized. There were still small-scale con icts in the north. Furthermore, Yan had promised
that its future ruler would be the son of the Empress. Hence, even if the empress had not
given birth yet, the emperor could not get too close to any of his other sons, for fear of
gossip. After all, the o cials of Song still held some power in court.

His biological sons had probably not seen him speaking in such a gentle manner. Although
his biological sons were right in front of him, he could not get close to them. Perhaps, his
heart was sad as well.

Yushu sighed to herself. A group of birds ew over from the forests, their wings making
rustling sounds. She looked up as the icy wind blew onto her face. Sounds of laughter
drifted from the front.

In a palace far away, Nalan Hongye threw a ower letterhead into the re, watching it turn to
ashes. Suddenly, she seemingly heard the winds from the southeastern directions. She was
dressed in a striking out t as she stood upright. However, her shoulders started to sag as
she felt increasingly fatigued. The sunlight shone on her body, revealing the specks of dust
ying about in mid-air.

Everything was changing, but her lonely shadow remained as lonely even after all these
years.

“Xuan Mo, it’s been another year.” She managed a quick, silent smile.

fl
ff
ffi
fi
ffi
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
It was windy outside. The physician which took her pulse had just left when Aunt Yun visited
her. She bowed to Nalan Hongye, but did not get up.

Nalan Hongye smiled bitterly and asked, “Aunt, what’s wrong?”

Aunt Yun was getting on in years. Her hair had turned white, while her face had turned
wrinkly. Her eyes looked lifeless usually, but at this moment, they brightened up. She looked
sharply at Nalan Hongye and said in a low voice, “Your Majesty has visited Yanxi Mountains
again.”

Nalan Hongye smiled quietly, nodded, and answered, “Xuan Mo has contributed greatly to
the empire. Your Majesty is showing appreciation to his o cials. Isn’t this a good thing?”

It was quiet in the palace. Aunt Yun knelt at her original position as she looked at her quietly,
without saying a word. Her look was not stern, but it managed to wipe the facade that Nalan
Hongye had put up.

She sighed helplessly and answered with a bitter smile, “Aunt, what do you want? I’m doing
well now. Your Majesty has not gone back on his word. Why are you inviting extra trouble?”

“But, Your Majesty hates you!” Aunt Yun suddenly exclaimed, agitated. “He hates you for
monopolizing Lord Xuan’s military power, for mobilizing his personal troops, for dispatching
him to the Eastern seas, for intercepting Lord Xuan’s last letter to him. He thinks that Lord
Xuan is his real buddy that has helped him all these years. He has hated you all this while.
Don’t you realize?”

“Yes, he hates me to the core.” Nalan Hongye smiled with joy as she continued, “Aunt, look.
He’s not a heartless person. He still treats me, his sworn brother, well.”

“Princess!” Aunt Yun could no longer contain her anger as she got to her feet, supporting
herself with her crutch.

Nalan Hongye coughed lightly twice, sighed helplessly, and replied, “Aunt, you’re getting
old. Why is your temper still so ery?”

Aunt Yun remained silent and looked at her rmly.

Nalan Hongye maintained her smile, which was bittersweet.

“Aunt, what do you want me to do? Use this as a bargaining chip and get some favors from
Your Majesty? Aunt, what do you take me for? A person that loses her dignity when the
country falls?”

Aunt Yun was stunned. The candlelight shone on her old face, revealing a helpless
vicissitude.

“I am not living for myself, but for the thousands of people associated with the royal family.
With the title of empress, and Your Majesty’s a ection towards Xuan Mo, our o cials will not
have an overly hard time.”

fi
fi
ff
ffi
ffi
Aunt Yun frowned and argued, “If Your Majesty knows the truth, he will treat you well.
There’s no di erence.”

“There’s a di erence.” Nalan Hongye turned around and smiled.

“You know it too.”

The smoke from the incense circled around in the air. As night fell, the palace appeared
desolate and cold. She turned around and walked, step by step, into the palace, not turning
back.

“Xuan Mo and he are good friends, and only so. Once the relationship changes from
brotherly love to romantic love, it ceases to exist.”

The golden palace gates opened with a creak. Nalan Hongye stood upright in the lonely
palace as she looked at the scenery in front of her. She clenched and unclenched her sts,
seemingly letting go and acknowledging some things.

She told herself, What if you told him? He wouldn’t love you, but feel like he owes you only.

It turned out that admitting this truth was such a simple thing to do.

She was a kind and classy lady, talented as always. All her life, she had embroiled herself in
the political scene, manipulating other people. She knew that everything she did for her self-
interests and then hiding it thereafter was because even if she revealed everything, she
would not be able to get his concern and care.

Rather than receive his feelings of gratefulness and guilt and continuing to ght for his
attention, she chose to let him, and herself, o .

She understood long ago that some things in this world could not be forced. She knew that
the human heart was the strongest shackle in this world. Just like Xuan Mo towards her and
her towards Yan Xun, the feelings were all the same. Once they were trapped, they would be
unable to break free.

“Princess! If you want to protect the o cials of Song, the best way is to give birth to a child!
Five years! It’s been ve years!”

As the palace doors closed, Aunt Yun’s agitated voice was drowned out. Wen Yuan took her
leave with the other servants, leaving her all alone once again. She walked calmly to one
side, taking her seat as she used her hand to support herself against a golden pillar, pouring
out some liquid for herself. As the black colored medicine owed out, she swallowed it
mouthful by mouthful, disregarding the fact that it was bitter. The medicine was still warm,
as rings of smoke rose from the cup. She brushed her ngertips against the ower patterns
on the cup, which was warm to the touch, just like her wedding night, where she touched
his skin.

“I only have buddies on an equal footing, not a husband who has his heart full of other
women. I am the eldest princess of Song, Nalan Hongye.”

ff
ff
fi
ffi
ff
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
 In the silence, a low voice boomed out. She opened up her eyes as tears streamed down
her face onto her wrists. There were only two drops. She sat there like this for an entire
night.

The next day, Aunt Yun passed away due to illness. Yan Xun decreed personally that Aunt
Yun was to be posthumously promoted from a second level o cial to a third level o cial. As
she was unmarried, her mother’s family was rewarded with riches, enough for her
descendants to live their lives in luxury.

On the day of Aunt Yun’s funeral, Nalan Hongye stood on the top of the western city gates
of Zhen Huang. She was dressed in a dark-colored out t, complemented with a golden
crown on her head. She looked at the entourage making its way out of the city, towards the
south.

The deceased returned to their hometown, marking a closure to their lives. Five years ago,
Aunt Yun left her hometown, together with Nalan Hongye, for this snowy land. Presently, her
princess had grown up. She was no longer the young child who would cry in her embrace.
She could nally let go of everything and leave in peace.

That evening, it snowed again. Her maidservants draped a thick cloak over her, but she still
felt cold. Her face appeared pale and frail as she stood alone on top of the city gates, like a
frozen statue.

Chapter 286
Father had left, Hongyu had left, Xuan Mo had left, and now, Aunt Yun had left.

Finally, all those who loved her had left, leaving her alone thousands of miles away from
home. Perhaps she would never feel the warmth of the sun again, and never smell the
slightly salty smell of the sea.

She felt an intense urge to cry, but her eyes were completely dry. An intense heartache
overwhelmed her as her throat suddenly tasted a sweet liquid coming out from within. Yet,
she continued to stand there just like that. It was only when the entire front of her clothes
turned red did Wenyuan take notice and started shrieking in horror, and only when the crows
ew far away did she fall limply to the ground. In the vast snow, she felt like she saw the
younger Aunt Yun again, looking at her gently as she cooed her name.

After Aunt Yun had passed on, Nalan Hongye was like a withering lotus as she got weaker
with every passing day.

The weather turned colder, the wind ruthlessly swept across the entire continent. The
imperial doctors would make countless trips to her residence daily, as all kinds of rare
medicine started to stream into Dongnan Palace, yet nothing seemed to work.

That noon, the snow nally subsided. It was a radiant afternoon as Wenyuan organized a
snow ght for the younger servants in the courtyard as Nalan Hongye nally caught a breath
of fresh air outside of her room. Wearing a thick robe made out of wolf fur, she sat on the
fl
fi
fi
fi

fi
ffi
fi
ffi
soft chair. With the joyous cheers spreading throughout the palace, even the gloomy mood
seemed to have been lifted a bit.

Suddenly, a light voice could be heard. Nalan Hongye turned her attention away, only to see
Doctor Wang and Doctor Lu discussing something. It seemed like they did not see her, and
spoke rather loudly.

Doctor Wang was an o cial from Song and now was already over 70. She could see that his
brows were interlocked in a deep frown. Even though they were louder than usual, she could
only catch a few words due to the distance between them. Something along the lines of
‘completely exhausted’, ‘overthinking’, ‘completely worn out’, ‘medicine ine ective’…

“What are you discussing, Doctors?”

With the soft questions, the two doctors nally raised their heads as they nally saw
Wenyuan glaring at them through the door, with Nalan Hongye sitting at the side looking
calm, as though she had been listening on for a while.

The two of them immediately jumped to the ground and started to apologize.

Nalan Hongye did not speak much, and merely turned around and continue to watch the
servants’ snowball ght. It was as though she had not heard the conversation just now.

During dinner, Wenyuan chatted with her and realized that she was in a rather good mood,
and took the opportunity to comfort her by telling her not to take those doctors too
seriously. Scolding them, Wenyuan said that they were already old and had started to
become senile. Nalan Hongye listened to her while smiling, before drinking the medicine,
then went to sleep early.

The very next day, there was a new batch of doctors. Nalan Hongye did not oppose the
change, and obediently listened to the doctors to take care of her health. Even though she
did not seem to have recovered, her situation did not get worse. The doctors were all rather
happy and claimed that once the winter was over, her situation would de nitely improve.

Hearing that, the servants were overjoyed, and it so happened that the lantern festival was
soon. Wenyuan led the other subordinates in the palace to decorate the entire Dongnan
Palace. With all kinds of decorations hanging, it was like preparing for marriage. Nalan
Hongye naturally knew what they were up to, but she did not prevent them from doing so,
and merely watched on from her bed, rarely speaking.

Yet, just a few days later the weather suddenly turned cold. With the cold wind howling,
water would freeze before hitting the ground. With that, Nalan Hongye’s sickness took a turn
for the worse.

With the snowstorm continuing, Nalan Hongye leaned on the bed as she listened for the
sounds outside. As though she was in deep thought, she asked, “Perhaps it will be
impossible to carry on with the lantern festival this year.”

fi
ffi
fi
fi
fi
ff
Her voice was exceedingly hoarse, carrying with it the sense of defeat. Wenyuan was
completely worried, yet she dared not to let Nalan Hongye see her concern, and as such
Wenyuan quickly replied with a smile, “With such a heavy rain, any lantern would
immediately be blown away. I doubt it will be still celebrated.”

Nalan Hongye nodded as Wenyuan continued to speak, “Lady, you should take a nap. Do
you still taste the bitterness from the medicine? Do you desire something sweet?”

Nalan Hongye shook her head, and just as Wenyuan was about to continue with something,
they were suddenly greeted with three sounds of whips. With that, Wenyuan’s face lit up as
she turned and said, “My Lady, it is the Emperor!” As she said that, she brought people out
to welcome the Emperor.

Before long, the doors to the palace opened layer by layer. Wearing a dull gold blouse, Yan
Xun walked in. As he walked, he took o his black robe and handed it to the servant beside
him.

He looked the same always, with his handsome eyebrows, straight nose, thin lips, and his
deep eyes that could never be properly interpreted. Sitting by Nalan Hongye’s bed, he took
the warm towel from Wenyuan and wiped his face and hands before asking, “How are you
feeling?”

Leaning on the bed, Nalan Hongye lightly nodded, wearing her usual peaceful smile. “Sorry
to have bothered you, Your Majesty. I am feeling much better.”

He nodded, and continued asking, “Have you been eating the medicine prescribed by the
doctors regularly?”

Nalan Hongye said, “I have.”

He sank into contemplation for a short while, and asked again, “I remembered that you are
afraid of the cold. Do you nd that this palace is warm enough?”

Nalan Hongye’s eyes had a glint of emotion but were eeting enough to be impossible to
sense. Lifting her thin face, she replied, “Your Majesty, you need not worry. Everything is well
here.”

With that, the palace sank into silence, as quiet as the lake in a windless autumn. With the
howling wind outside, the two of them just sat there, both of them not knowing how to break
this awkward silence.

“Alright, Empress, please rest well. I will…”

“Emperor, have you consumed lunch?” a crisp voice interjected.

Both Nalan and Yan Xun were stunned as they turned to look, only to see that it was
Wenyuan. This young lady had been scared sti as her complexion was completely pale.
Beads of cold sweat started to form on her forehead. It was clear that her clenched sts
under her sleeves were trembling.

fi
ff
ff
fl
fi
Yan Xun was rather surprised as he stole a glance at Nalan Hongye, before turning around.
Rather than being angry, he nodded and replied, “No, I have not.”

“Then, why not have a meal with us, Your Majesty? Our cook is really skilled, and Empress
enjoys the meals too. Emperor, you have never eaten here with us before.”

Yan Xun smiled and nodded. “Sure.”

Wenyuan was elated, so much so that she was rather lost as to what to do as she quickly
said, “Then, this servant shall go and prepare.” With that said, she escaped.

Seeing that she had left, Nalan Hongye sighed helplessly. “This subordinate was unable to
educate my servants. Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”

Yan Xun shook his head. “It’s alright. She is really loyal.”

How could Nalan Hongye not know Wenyuan’s thoughts? Wenyuan hoped that Yan Xun
could spend more time with Nalan Hongye, and as such, she did not dwell on that topic any
longer.

Yan Xun stood up and walked around casually in the large palace. Walking to the bookshelf,
he casually took out a book. After ipping a bit, he put it back before taking one more book
more. Nalan Hongye leaned on the bed as she ddled with an accessory. With the sunlight
shone in from the window outside, it drew a checkerboard of shadows. Even with the wind
blowing ferociously outside, this room was in complete serenity.

“You really like the art of trade?” Yan Xun suddenly asked, holding in his hand a classic text
of merchants

Lifting up her head, Nalan Hongye said, “This subordinate’s ancestors were once merchants
too. With the developing commerce in the Song Empire, I like to examine this art when I am
free.”

Yan Xun smiled and said, “That was so unexpected.”

“What was?”

Yan Xun shook his head, and replied, “Nothing. Only that I knew someone who likes this art
too.”

Nalan Hongye smiled. “It must be King Xuan, right?”

Yan Xun was slightly surprised and asked, “How did Empress know?”

Nalan Hongye naturally replied, “I would naturally know, as he was my childhood friend. I
may know more about him than I know about you, Your Majesty.”

Yan Xun smiled lightly, as though it was only natural. Not speaking much, he turned around
to continue ipping through the books. Nalan Hongye seemed to be a tad happy, like a kid
who managed to pull a prank. She smiled as she continued to play with the accessory.

fl
fl
fi
 Time slowly passed. After their marriage, this was the rst time Yan Xun had a close
inspection of Nalan Hongye’s bedroom. He nally realized that this Empress of his was not a
normal person. Not only did she have good taste, she was learned and collected lots of
books. Not only that, most of the books seemed to have been read before, unlike other
ladies who merely collected books as decorations.

“Emperor, Empress, the meal is ready.”

Food was rapidly served. Due to the fact that Nalan was on medication, she needed to
control her diet, so she was only served four small dishes. As for Yan Xun, there were over
60 dishes, completely lling up the entire table.

Seeing that, Yan Xun was slightly awkward, and could not help but to take a look at Nalan
Hongye.

Nalan Hongye smiled and said, “Your Majesty rarely comes here, so the servants did not
know which ones you prefer. They could only prepare more. Please do not blame them as
they were really trying to please you.” This sentence was something that only Nalan Hongye
could say without losing its meaning. If someone else said it, one would imagine it to be
blaming Yan Xun for his absence.

Wenyuan stood at the side watching. Seeing how Yan Xun did not say much and started to
eat, she felt as though she had accomplished a lot today. Normally, how could the Empress
be so happy? As expected, an emotional problem needed an emotional cure. Who knew, if
Emperor could come here more frequently, perhaps the Empress could be cured!

This meal was ever so slow. After eating, it was time to sleep. Yan Xun and Nalan Hongye
made some small talk, and they were much more natural than before. After informing the
servants to take better care of her, Yan Xun was about to leave when a loud tearing sound
could be heard. Apparently, Yan Xun’s sleeves had caught on the corner of the table,
resulting in a huge tear.

Yan Xun lifted his arm up, and casually inspected the damage. It did not bother him as he
started to put on his robe.

Nalan Hongye interrupted, “Your Majesty, your clothes are torn.”

Yan Xun answered casually, “It’s alright”

“Wait.” Tugging on Yan Xun’s shirt, she looked carefully and said, “This is the silk of Tianci
Province. With the rarity, Tianci province can only make a few clothes like this every year.
This year there was only one. Now that it is torn, even if you bring to the embroidery
department, no one would dare to patch this up.”

Yan Xun had never thought that mere clothes would have so much backstory, and could not
help but to look at the clothes again, before saying, “It’s alright, even if it is damaged, it is
ne.”

fi
fi
fi
fi
Nalan Hongye insisted, “Even if Emperor is not concerned, this subordinate still feels it is a
waste. How many young girls will lose their eyesight from sewing this every year? Look, not
only is this cloth embroidered on both sides, even on the inside of the material one can see
those tiny words of blessings.”

Yan Xun looked carefully, and it was apparently so. He could not help but to exclaim, “What
a spectacle indeed.”

“Wenyuan, bring the needle and thread.”

Yan Xun was taken aback as he asked, “Empress, what are you doing?”

“Since the embroidery department will most likely not dare to patch this up, this will likely be
thrown away. Why not let me try? If I accidentally fail to patch this up, please do not blame
me.”

Yan Xun was even more surprised. He asked, “Empress, you know how to do embroidery?”

Nalan Hongye raised her eyebrow. A faint glimpse of emotions could be seen in her eyes.
Taking over the needle and thread, she began sewing. As she worked on the clothes, she
said, “Take a seat, please. It will be over soon.”

Chapter 287
Suddenly, Yan Xun felt a little nervous. He took his seat beside Nalan Hongye, but had the
intention of avoiding her. Frowning, he said, “Don’t poke me.”

Nalan Hongye raised her eyebrows in reply. “You’ve been on the battle eld before. Are you
scared of such a small needle?”

Yan Xun remained silent and skeptical towards her craftsmanship as he continued to frown.
However, he realized that she was actually good at embroidery as she used her ngers to
seemingly bring the needle to life.

She was frail. From Yan Xun’s point of view, he could only see a fair, white neck. As the
sunlight shone on her body, giving o a serene aura, the smell of medicinal herbs lingered
around the room. The sand in the timekeeping pot slid to the base, grain by grain. The
rustling sounds of the needle brushing through the clothes could seemingly be heard.

Suddenly, Nalan Hongye’s hands trembled as she began to cough lightly. Initially, she tried
to suppress her cough. However, it soon spiraled out of control as her coughing grew
louder. Yan Xun frowned and reach out his other hand to pat her back lightly as he called
out, “Bring some water here, quick.”

Wen Yuan rushed forward. Yan Xun received the cup of water and fed her one mouthful. As
her breathing stabilized, her face remained red as the look in her eyes grew increasingly
fatigued.

“Are you alright? Do you need a physician?”

ff
fi
fi
 Nalan Hongye shook her head weakly and replied, “No need, it’s just an ailment. I’ll be ne
after a little rest.”

“Don’t x this out t anymore. Wait until you’re feeling better.”

Nalan Hongye nodded as she felt tired.

Yan Xun removed his outer coat and handed it to Wen Yuan as he ordered, “Wait till she’s
better. Don’t give this to her in the next few days.”

Wen Yuan nodded her head in joy as she thought to herself Five years. Finally, the heavens
have opened their eyes. His Majesty nally knows how to dote on his wife.

Yan Xun put on another cloak and said to Nalan Hongye, “I’ll take my leave. Rest well.”

Nalan Hongye nodded. Yan Xun turned to walk out of the room, lifting the curtains in the
palace. As his shadow faded, Nalan Hongye suddenly began to feel anxious out of the blue.
Loudly, she exclaimed, “Your Majesty?”

Yan Xun froze as he turned his head back.

From afar, they looked at each other just like that. Time seemed to ash across them. One
year, two years, three years, ve years… All that he did not know, tens of years, many, many
years.

“I’ll tell the kitchen to prepare more delicious food tonight. Your Majesty, will you come?”

Yan Xun stood at the center of the palace and continued to look at the woman on the bed,
from afar. That was his wife, a person that he had never acknowledged or paid attention to,
but had helped him practically in many ways.

He stood there, looking at her, as he tried to recall what she looked like in the past.
However, other than the sight of her sporting expensive jewelry and amboyant out ts, he
was unable to recall anything else. Presently, she was dressed in a plain, white out t without
any accessories on her head, no makeup on her face. Her lips were pale, her gure
appeared frail, and it was uncertain how long she would continue to live for.

Forget it… Yan Xun sighed to himself. Although she had monopolized Xuan Mo’s military
power, although she might have found out about his relationship with Xuan Mo, although
she might have destroyed Xuan Mo’s last letter to him while he was still alive…

Forget it. From afar, Yan Xun nodded and said, “Rest well rst. I’ll visit you later.”

The refreshing wind blew into the palace as the doors were opened.

Nalan Hongye sat on her bed as she watched his shadow fade. Her expression was gentle
and calm.

“Madam…” Wen Yuan smiled in joy, not knowing what to say. Finally, she said, “I’ll go and
prepare the necessary.”

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
 Nalan Hongye took a deep breath as she leaned into her soft blanket. Suddenly, she
reminisced about that evening many years ago. He was on his horse, catching up with her.
Finally, he stood on the other side of the bridge and faced her as he shouted, “I’ve buried a
jar of ne wine under the pear tree. Will you come next year?”

Will you come next year?

Will you come next year?

Will you come?

It had been many years, but she could still hear his voice whenever she closed her eyes. It
seemed like only yesterday that this had happened.

“Yes! Wait for me!” she poked her head out of the horse carriage and shouted back in
response as his shadow slowly faded into a small black dot.

Yes! Wait for me!

However, she never went back.

Upon the demise of her father, she was left with only her sickly mother, intellectually
disabled brother, and the other relatives of the royal family who coveted her power. The
responsibility of upholding her empire fell solely on her shoulders.

As for him, he lost his family and home. The pampered child who lived his life in luxury
turned into a prisoner overnight.

After ten years, they nally returned to the place where they had initially met. Alas,
everything had changed; they no longer recognized each other.

She closed her eyes and smiled.

Before dusk, Wen Yuan had been busy with choosing an out t for her, and helping her wash
up. The servants in the kitchen, knowing that the emperor was visiting, went about their
tasks with renewed vigor. Although she was unwilling to make them work like this, she did
not object as she saw how happy they were.

However, as the sky slowly darkened, the dinner hours passed. He was still nowhere in
sight. All the servants felt increasingly panicked. Wen Yuan dispatched a few of them to
gather news outside as she consoled Nalan Hongye repeatedly.

Nalan Hongye came to a state of realization. She did not feel sad, but hollow instead. Yushu
was right—Dongnan Palace was too big, hence it always appeared cold and lonely.

A short while later, Yan Xun’s personal eunuch arrived with the news that an emergency had
occurred near Meilin Pass. The emperor would be occupied with military matters, hence he
would be unable to make it.

fi
fi
fi
 That instant, Nalan Hongye seemingly heard the sighs coming from the entire palace of
servants. She rewarded the eunuch, turned to Wen Yuan, and ordered, “Alright. Lay out the
table.”

Wen Yuan froze. “Ah?”

Nalan Hongye laughed. “I’m going to eat. Don’t tell me I won’t need to eat if His Majesty is
not here?” This point dawned on Wen Yuan as she led the rest of the servants to prepare
dinner.

Nalan Hongye ate over 20 dishes herself. Her appetite was unusually good. After eating for a
long time, she told the servants to bring the soup.

In the subsequent three days, Yan Xun was preoccupied with military matters. After losing
the war that year, the Princess of Jingan, Zhao Chun’er, retreated to the southern borders.
Despite being surrounded by Zhuge Yue a few times, she escaped with a bit of luck. Zhuge
Yue, on account of Zhao Che and seeing that she no longer attacked Tang, did not pursue
her further. However, recent news reports from the northwest claimed that her troops, along
with the Quanrong people, had been unusually active outside the pass. In no time, many
con icting reports circulated around the capital. The court of Yan fell into a state of tension.

These three days, Nalan Hongye’s condition relapsed a few times. Dongnan Palace
appeared cold and desolate.

That night, Nalan Hongye, who had been bedridden for three days, suddenly sat up and told
Wen Yuan to retrieve a cotton box which she kept in a cabinet. Wen Yuan had initially
wanted to advise her not to worry so much, but did not, due to the determined look on her
face.

It was a cotton box with the color of sandalwood. It looked old, but not heavy. It was locked
with three padlocks as if something valuable had been placed inside.

Wen Yuan used her handkerchief to wipe o the dust on the surface and coughed. It was
not known how long the dust had been allowed to accumulate there. Nalan Hongye took the
box and looked at it for a little while, before picking up three keys hidden under her pillow to
open the box.

Wen Yuan reached out her neck and saw a thick pile of letters in the box. Many pieces of
paper had turned yellow; it looked like they had been kept for a long time. Disappointed, she
frowned in frustration.

“Wen Yuan, go and get a brazier and bring it in here.”

“Madam, what do you need a brazier for?”

Nalan Hongye pointed to the letters and said, “To burn these.”

“Ah? Burn them?” Wen Yuan froze as she exclaimed. Although she did not know who wrote
those letters, she guessed that it held some signi cance to her, based on the manner in
fl
ff
fi
 which she stored those letters. Puzzled, she asked, “Why, Madam? Why do you want to
burn these?”

Nalan Hongye thought for a while before she replied gently, “Instead of burning them, do I
leave them here so that someone will feel sad and guilty?”

Although Wen Yuan did not get what she said, she obliged and walked out of the room to
retrieve a brazier. In a short while, the re was lit.

“Wen Yuan, go out rst.”

Wen Yuan nodded and replied, “Yes, Madam. If you need anything, remember to call me.”

Silence resumed as the palace doors were closed. Nalan Hongye picked up the pile of
letters, which she had read for countless times, as her pale ngers brushed against them.
The look in her eyes turned gentle gradually.

Yes, Aunt was right. She was a scaredy cat.

The dignity of the eldest princess, the empire of Song, the Nalan family… all was fake. All of
them were lies that she had concocted to deceive herself. She was merely afraid to make
the rst move.

He did not know anything. When she saw how he missed Xuan Mo, how he took care of
Yushu and Yong’er, she would feel sweet inside, knowing that he still placed Xuan Mo in
high regard. She knew that she still held some sort of place in his heart. However, what was
she to do if he did not fall in love with her, after learning everything?

She was scared. She had no courage. She feared that he would only be slightly shocked
after learning about everything, not reciprocating her feelings as she had expected.

She feared that she would be unable to displace that certain someone in his heart even after
going all out. She feared that she would be destined to fail, even after the truth had been
made known. Then, she would not even have the right to dream; presently, she could still
convince herself that she was as equally important to him, compared to that certain
someone.

She was actually such a timid person. Despite knowing that she was deceiving herself, she
still persisted in her beliefs.

What else could she do? Her feelings were like a tree whose fruit never bloomed. She feared
the arrival of autumn, hence she stubbornly remained in spring and summer. This way, she
would never face that tragic ending which she dreaded.

She picked up a piece of yellow paper and raised it high up. The piece of paper, having
been around for a long time, was now thin and fragile as it let out a crisp sound. Suddenly,
Nalan Hongye loosened her grip, causing the piece of paper to fall to the ground. The
ames in the brazier engulfed the paper which she valued highly, turning it to ashes in no
time.

fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
 Chapter 288
Back when she sent Xuan Mo to the Southeast, she did not want to kill him, and neither did
she want to take away his command of the army.

At that time, the Song Empire was at its weakest as various military factions were secretly
beginning to act against the royal family. She had intended to borrow Yan Bei’s power to
save the Nalan Family and to protect the civilians from the ames of war. Yet, those
stubborn old guards refused to accept such a solution. At that time, whoever gave the
country away, whoever would become the eternal traitor of the nation and forever
remembered as the betrayer. She did not want the loyal Xuan Mo to be the one, and as
such, she shifted him far away from the center. She was also worried that his soldiers would
make more trouble. Should his subordinates agree in unison to stir up trouble, even if Xuan
Mo did not agree, with Yan Xun as the ruler, the o cials of Yan Bei would undoubtedly try to
push the blame onto him. As such, she took away his subordinates and pushed him to lead
the navy, who was completely irrelevant.

Yet, no matter how she had calculated, she had not expected that the bandits would attack
the military installations while Song sank into civil unrest. And in addition, she had not
expected that with such high appointment, Xuan Mo would personally head into the
battle eld.

Thinking about it, her current situation now was really just karma. Being involved in politics
for so long, her hands were stained with blood. With one order, thousands of heads would
roll. She had never regretted her choices, so she understood her situation. She completely
understood that she deserved it.

As such, when she realized that Yan Xun had been visiting her every month during her safe
days, she suddenly understood that he had not truly wanted her to be his wife, to give birth
to his kids. Even though she had promised the Song Court that she would maintain the
position of the Song Empire, but she did not enforce it. She did not want everything
between her and Yan Xun to be branded as political.

That was probably the rst time that she was stubborn and sel sh in her life.

Afterward, each time they spent the night, she would eat contraceptive herbs and kill o any
worries he had. Later, he came even more rarely. As of now, he had not spent the night with
her for nearly two years.

All her life, whatever she craved was like sand that escaped her grasp through the gaps in
her ngers. The more she tried to grab hold of them tightly, the faster they slipped away. In
the end, nothing was left.

With the ames burning, each letter was eventually burnt up. The ames burnt away the last
correspondence and evidence of their past. Bit by bit, along with her broken life, it was
completely burnt up.

fi
fi
fl
fi

ffi
fl
fi
fl
ff
 Some love was sweet. Some love was all about being burdened. She had let Xuan Mo down
and felt an eternal sense of regret. Now that she was about to die, why should she let him
know everything and feel bad about it all?

This life of his was tough enough. Why would she sprinkle salt on his wounds?

Burn, Burn it all.

All people could see his prosperity and wealth, power and authority, yet only she could see
that under all that layers of the facade, his heart was completely worn out. It was not that he
did not want to love, it was just that he could not a ord to love.

She was the same as him, and carried on her too many responsibilities. She could not a ord
to be sel sh, rash, passionate, much less naive.

Burn, burn it all…

The immense smoke rose up as she started to cough violently again. A warm liquid started
to ow down again. At that moment, memories ashed before her eyes. It was spring again,
as the white ower petals oated down as he stood in the garden. Looking back, his eyes
were crystal clear. Wearing a smile, he looked at her with interest as he teased, “Are you
lost? Which palace did you come from?”

She was dressed like a boy, and her face was completely red. She gathered enough
courage to speak, yet she was exceedingly soft. “I…I am the son of Anling King of the Song
Empire… I am Xuan Mo…”

Perhaps, the very rst move was already wrong.

No matter how beautiful the memory was, it was ultimately covered by a thick layer of dust
from the passage of time. Even though the sky looked the same, it was no longer the same
clouds, and one could no longer see the naivety and purity. What was remaining was merely
the broken walls and eeting shadows. The amusing thing was, those simple days were
precisely the days that she could never seem to forget.

In his life, there were two people who were held extremely dear to him. One he had chased
away, the other became his dearest brother, forever living in his heart.

Yet, unfortunately, she would never be one of them.

Even though the entire room was bright, she felt like there was a veil of redness obscuring
her vision, causing everything to seem so miserable and dark.

All her life she had endured, but ultimately, all still turned to null, disappearing into the
stream of history. After being in control of thousands of thousands of lives, she merely felt
fatigue in the eeting memories.

The letter in her hand suddenly fell to the ground like snow. The black ashes in the repot
ew up, spewing the tongues of the ames. Smiling bitterly to the end, her wrist fell weakly.

fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
ff
fi
ff
Five years after the Grand Ancestor of Yan established the dynasty, 4th of December, in the
snowing night, Empress Nalan passed away in Dongnan Palace.

“Your Majesty, we found it.”

Yan Xun turned around. By now, the Dongnan Palace had completely quietened down with
no one in the great palace. The mourning period of the Empress had long been over, and the
servants in the Dongnan palace had been reassigned to various other palaces. The only
ones who stayed were two old servants who were in charge of cleaning the building day and
night in shifts.

Opening the case, he could see that it was a dull golden robe lled with embroideries, with
words of blessings by the two collars. It looked so simple, yet elegant. The only matter was
that the sleeves were torn and patched up. If one did not pay much attention, they would
not know it was once torn.

Yan Xun stood there and looked at it for a long time. Finally, he lifted his head up and
handed the clothes to the servant, saying, “Return to the palace.”

“Understood.”

The servants followed behind him. The palace gates opened, allowing the cold wind to
enter, stirring up the dust in the palace. The sunlight was rather piercing as he squinted.
Standing by the door, he suddenly turned around and looked at that bed that was behind
layers and layers of curtains. It was as though everything was still one month ago when she
sat there and asked, “Tonight, I will inform the servants to prepare more dishes. Emperor,
won’t you come again?”

Emperor, won’t you come again?

The sunlight pierced into his heart as he suddenly felt the onset of desolation. It was but a
small delay, but hardly did he expect that it became an eternal farewell. His brows lightly
frowned then relaxed. Slowly, he pushed aside that feeling of desolation.

Just as he was about to step out, he suddenly smelled something burning. Turning around,
he saw that there was a maidservant squatting, burning something. He was slightly taken
aback as he brought people over.

Seeing him, that lady was stunned. Immediately she jumped up and knelt on the ground,
greeting him. Watching her, Yan Xun asked, “You are Wenyuan. You previously serving the
Empress?”

“Indeed, this servant is Wenyuan.”

“Why are you here?”

“These were Empress’ belonging. Before passing on, the Empress informed me to burn
these things up. After being sent to Lady Anpin, I did not have the time to come back.
Finally, I managed to nd some time, so I am here to take care of it.”

fi
fi
Seeing how Wenyuan was wearing clothes that showed she was a lowly servant, and the
fact that her neck had a faint red mark, Yan Xun could immediately tell that after the
Empress had passed on, Wenyuan had certainly been bullied. After thinking for a while, he
asked, “Where is your family?”

Wenyuan was taken aback as she had not expected that the emperor would ask about that.
She immediately replied, “This servant came here with the Empress. My family is in Song.”

“Do you have any relatives?”

“Your Majesty, I have my elderly parents, three elder brothers, two elder sisters, and one
younger sister.”

Yan Xun nodded. He instructed the servant beside him, “Inform the department of servants.
Bestow upon her the honorary rank of Rank Four O cial, and give her a permanent
allowance equivalent to a Rank Five O cial. In addition, give her a hundred pounds of gold.
She may return to her hometown today.”

“Understood, this servant remembers.”

Wenyuan was completely stunned into silence as she merely knelt there and did not speak.

Interestingly it was that servant that teased her, “Honorary O cial, are you so happy that
you forgot how to speak? Are you not going to thank His Majesty?”

Tears raced out from her eyes as she knocked her head on the ground, prostrating and
calling out, “Thank you for your kindness! Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness!”

Yan Xun spoke no more. His gaze stopped momentarily on the ground full of white paper
before turning around and leaving.

The snow had already stopped, the sky was so blue, like a puddle of water. The wind blew a
certain letter up; the piece of paper chased after that man.

Many years ago, under a single candle, a dying general used all his strength to write this
letter. This letter had passed through many people’s hands, yet none felt any strangeness
while reading it. It was but a letter addressed to the Emperor of Yan, as it detailed the
information about Song’s military strength and reserves, and information about each and
every unit.

Yet, in the world, there were only three people who could understand the true meaning
hidden in the letter. Two of them were around no longer.

With powerful strokes, the words seemed to exude strength as it was stamped with Xuan
Mo’s name stamp. Yet, the words were de nitely not the same handwriting as the one who
had communicated with Yan Xun for so many years.

The wind continued to blow as the letter chased after Yan Xun, uttering as the ames
started to engulf the letter. The ames scorched the letterhead, burnt past the greetings,
devoured the formalities, gobbled up the middle portion…

fl
ffi
fi
ffi
ffi
fl
fl
 The wind suddenly got stronger as the letter ew up ever higher, almost catching up with the
person in front, yet a pear tree suddenly appeared before it. The letter hung high up on the
tree. It missed the man in front by merely a few meters.

Yan Xun was stunned as he stared at that tree. He was suddenly reminded of the fact that
the very rst time he had met Xuan Mo was at this very location. Back then, Xuan Mo was
lost, and had accidentally come here. His face was ushed red and looked more like a shy
little girl.

“Your Majesty?” The servant asked, “Your Majesty?”

Yan Xun returned to his senses as he lightly acknowledged the servant before resuming his
journey back to the palace.

The ames slowly burnt upwards. Under the blockage of the pear tree, that letter which had
not been sent out for over ve years was slowly smothered by the red snakes of re. Finally,
all that was left was a pile of black ashes. As the winds blew past, the ashes scattered into
oblivion.

Far away, the maidservant had picked up all the other letters and poured them all into the
repot. The ames shot up from the sudden in ux of fuel, and radiated with a newfound
warmth.

Such deep emotions, yet such a shallow fate.

It had always been like that, since forever.

According to the historical archives:

Six years after the establishment of the Empire, Empress Nalan’s tomb was completed. It is
situated South of the Yan Bei Luori Mountain.

23 years later, the Grand Ancestor Yan passed away and was buried in the Taichi Tomb. It is
situated North of Luori Mountain, and overlooks the tomb of Empress Nalan.

The tributary of Chishui, the Qianhua river passed by this area, and owed through the two
tombs. As the snow that frequently fell on the river resembled the white owers of the pear
tree, this river was also known as the Pear Flower River.

Chapter 289
The horse carriage made its way through the twisted alley and stopped outside Jingxiang
Gates. All that could be seen outside was a dense, forested area which seemingly covered
half the sky, along with the sunlight. There was only a tall, red brick wall, which appeared
mottled as time passed. With a slight touch of a nger, sections of the wall would peel o .

A pale hand grabbed at a cloak and pulled the doors of the horse carriage open. The
sunlight shone on her forehead as the wind blew across her hair. She raised her eyebrows
slowly as she covered her face with an umbrella made of bamboo, leaving only her frail chin
fi
fl
fi
fl

fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
fi
ff
 visible. Bei’er followed behind, holding a medicine box in her hand. Seeing the eunuch
exchange words with the sentry guards, she lowered her voice and exclaimed excitedly,
“Master, this is the palace!”

She did not answer as she continued to look down towards the stone pavement.

After a day of rainfall, the sun had not appeared. The raindrops ew with the wind. The rays
of light appeared red, forming dim circles on her snowy-white out t. Seeing that she
remained silent, Bei’er stuck out her tongue and stood at the side obediently. The eunuch
walked over and laughed, saying, “Master Shuixiang, follow me.”

Shuixiang nodded and replied, “Thanks for the trouble.” Her voice was low and hoarse,
which startled even the wheeler. He did not expect the woman to possess such an eerie
voice. The old eunuch could not resist discreetly sizing her up again. Her clothes were thin
and her hair was jet black, while she wore a veil, which covered large parts of her face,
except her eyes. The look in her eyes was deep. Although she looked downwards, a classy
aura emanated from her eyes, making her appear sharp and stern.

“Eunuch?” she raised her eyebrows and called out.

The old eunuch snapped out of his trance and said, “This way.”

Despite the comprehensive drainage system that this palace had adopted, it was unable to
prevent big puddles of water from accumulating as it had rained non-stop for a few days.
The old eunuch, now aware of Shuixiang’s identity, did not dare to look her in the eye. He
stooped his back and o ered to carry her umbrella for her. Shuixiang did not object,
lowering her head to walk at the side. Upon reaching a corridor, she turned left to the
surprise of the old eunuch.

“Master Shuixiang, you’ve only entered the palace for the third time. You remember your
way already? Back then, when I entered the palace, I couldn’t nd my way around for two to
three years.”

Shuixiang answered with a smile, “My memory is relatively better.”

The old eunuch smiled. “You’re indeed a divine healer. When Lady Yang took the medicine
you prescribed, she recovered the very next day.”

Shuixiang laughed, “You’re too kind.” She then took half a step backward and followed
behind the eunuch, lowering her head and continuing to walk.

When she arrived at the internal supervising o ce, routine checks were conducted on her.
The head eunuch gave her a few instructions and handed her over to Ganan Temple’s head
eunuch. Bei’er could not follow anymore. She handed the medicine box over to Shuixiang
and said as she laughed, “I’ll wait for Master here.”

As she nished her words, she saw Shuixiang turn around to look at her deeply and quietly.
Bei’er had followed Shuixiang for three years since the epidemic in the capital claimed her
father’s life. Luckily, she was adopted by Shuixiang. Although she appeared cold and did not
fi
ff
ffi
fi
fl
fi
 speak much, she treated Bei’er well. Faced with Shuixiang’s cold gaze, Bei’er whispered in
fear, “Master?”

Shuixiang broke eye contact and raised her hand to tidy up her hair. Gently, she remarked,
“Are you hungry?”

Bei’er replied, “No.”

“Didn’t we bring some snacks? If you’re hungry, eat some rst.” This was unlike Shuixiang.
Bei’er was pleasantly surprised. Unable to contain her joy, she smiled and said, “I’m not
hungry. I’ll wait for Master to eat together.”

Shuixiang did not say anything else and left with the eunuch. When she stepped into the
courtyard, she turned around to see Bei’er standing by the gate, all smiles. Her face
appeared red as if she had put on some makeup.

How old is Bei’er this year? 15? A small thought ashed across her mind, causing her to
frown. The rain had stopped, but the air turned colder. The head eunuch briefed her on the
formalities upon seeing the emperor as she took note of his words. After walking for an hour,
they reached the entrance of Ganan Palace. The servant went in to report as she waited
outside the palace. She felt a little nervous as her heart beat fast. She took a few deep
breaths but was unable to suppress the emotions she felt. She clenched her lips tightly
behind her veil, adopting a stern expression. In truth, since she entered the palace for the
rst time three months ago, even when she re-entered the city again ve years ago, these
emotions had bugged her. She felt nervous, agitated, passionate, and even a few elements
of expectancy. Shuixiang knew that she was not supposed to feel this way; even a slight
distraction would cause her plan to fail. However, she was still unable to suppress her
feelings, especially today and at this moment!

As the palace doors opened slowly, a person stepped out, but it was not the head eunuch.
Instead, it was a seductive beauty wearing a bluish-purple palace out t, which looked
amboyant. She looked upwards slightly towards Shuixiang and asked, “Who are you?”

“This is Master Shuixiang, recommended by Lady Yang to attend to His Majesty’s illness.”
The head eunuch happened to step outside. As he nished his sentence, he turned to
Shuixiang and said, “Master Shuixiang, pay your respects to Lady Cheng.”

Shuixiang looked at Lady Cheng’s face, bowed and said, “Greetings, Madam.” Her voice
was calm; the action in which she bowed was well-rehearsed. She did not look like a person
who had just entered the palace. Lady Cheng, unable to nd fault with anything, appeared
even more frustrated as she remarked in a low voice, “She looks like a thoughtful person,
but why is she still wearing a veil? Who allowed her to wear such a thing in the palace?”

The head eunuch replied, “Madam, Master Shuixiang is a non-secular person. It is

inappropriate for her to see outsiders. Hence, she covers her face with a veil whenever she
enters the palace.”

fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
Lady Cheng sneered. “Are the people from the physicians’ center all dead? Lady Yang is too
muddle-headed as well. Why would she recommend an outsider to enter the palace? If
something happens, who is accountable?”

The con ict between Lady Cheng and Lady Yang was well-known; it was no longer a secret.
Lady Cheng’s elder brother, Cheng Yuan, was a key military gure who had followed the
emperor through countless con icts. Lady Yang was from Song; her family was well-o and
she had the backing of the old Song o cials. In particular, after Empress Nalan’s demise,
the emperor had not announced a new empress yet. Hence, the two of them had even more
reasons to dislike each other.

The head eunuch, sensing that Lady Cheng wanted to spoil the party, gathered his courage
and spoke out, “Madam, Master Shuixiang is from Taiji Convent. She is the disciple of
Grand-teacher Jingyue. She is skilled in medicine. His Majesty himself has agreed to today’s
consultation.”

Lady Cheng turned around and stared at the head eunuch coldly. She gave a cold laugh and
said, “In this case, bring her in.” After nishing her words, she left hurriedly with her men.

The head eunuch wiped the cold sweat o his face and said to Shuixiang, “Master
Shuixiang, follow me.”

The palace doors opened with a creak as tiny specks of dust ew in the air. Shuixiang stood
outside the door, feeling like she was in a dream. She thought that as long as she walked in,
she would be brought back in time to that day in her memories. Then, her father was still
around; she would still be that naive, innocent kid.

However, that was just a dream. Although the layout of the palace was familiar, everything
else appeared foreign to her. There were no longer extravagant spices, ashy sleeves, nor
any women that paid compliments to him as they served drinks. The palace was empty;
only the palace lights hung high up in the air, with a few plainly-dressed servants standing
below. The black curtains hung low, with golden koi patterns and large roses embroidered
over them. The sight was slightly blinding as the curtains re ected the light. Beyond the
thick curtains, a shadow sat there, with his head lowered. The shadow was seemingly
reading something; upon hearing the sounds, it did not look up. Shuixiang could not make
out the shadow’s face.

Shuixiang followed behind the head eunuch and bowed to that person, as the head eunuch
said, “Your Majesty, Master Shuixiang is here.”

“Please rise.” A low voice boomed out from the inner reaches of the palace. It was not
gentle nor cold but sounded calm instead. Although it was just a few simple words, it
caused Shuixiang’s back to tighten and goosebumps to appear. She lowered her head and
stood behind the head eunuch, putting her hands to the side. However, her thumbnail
pressed tightly against her index nger, causing sensations of acute pain to her hand.

“Your Majesty, this is Master Shuixiang from Taiji Convent.”

fl
fl
fi
fi
ffi
ff
fl
fi
fl
fl
ff
 Yan Xun looked up slowly, visibly fatigued from toiling through the day. He put down his
brush and pressed his left thumb against his temple, rubbing it with his eyes half-squinted.
His gaze swept across Shuixiang’s shadow as he nodded and remarked, “Come over here.”

Chapter 290
Shuixiang followed behind the Eunuch. Yan Xun stretched out his right hand and put it at
on the desk. Shuixiang knelt down, the veil covering much of the face, and with the fringe
being swept down, even her eyes could not be seen. With her head lowered, her gaze was
like owing water sweeping past everything like a snow storm. It was that same familiar
hand, lanky and pale. There were countless callouses that were formed from years of
holding blades, and his little nger was cut o . Even the new skin had been weathered
through the years, forming an ugly scar.

She was merely stunned for a short while before returning to her duty. She pressed her hand
to feel the Emperor’s pulse. Yan Xun could not help but be surprised by how quickly she had
adjusted. Too many doctors would be stunned when looking at his hand, yet this lady did
not nd anything wrong.

After measuring his pulse, Shuixiang took one step back and said, “Your Majesty, your
sickness is not serious. It is merely due to excessive fatigue and a lack of sleep. Later, this
nun will prescribe medicine for you. Your Majesty just needs to drink it and rest more, and
you will be ne.” Her voice was hoarse, making her words seem as if they did not actually
come from her mouth. Hearing that, Yan Xun raised an eyebrow, and lightly observed her,
asking, “Has your voice been like this since birth?”

Shuixiang replied, “Your Majesty, this nun was in a re when young. My voice has been
damaged by the smoke since then.”

Yan Xun stopped talking as his gaze spun across on her face before lowering again. Right
now, there were servants who were about to deliver some important information. The cold
wind started to blow as Yan Xun frowned, his ngers on his temple clearly exerting more
strength than before.

Seeing that, Shuixian said, “This nun has learned massage techniques that can relieve
headaches. Does the emperor wish to try?”

The candles in the palace seemed to brighten as the dusk befall this palace. As the night
slowly passed, as Yan Xun’s gaze fell on this nun again. Looking at Shuixiang, his gaze
seemed to be exceedingly meaningful. After remaining quiet for a short while, he nodded,
“Sure.”

Shuixiang steadily walked behind him as she stretched out a pair of pristine white hands
and pressed on his forehead. Her ngers were icy cold and felt like a chip o the snowy
mountains. Yet Yan Xun was casual and felt his headache subside with her ngers pressing
deftly on his head. Closing his eyes, he casually asked, “Your Master is Master Jingyue?”

Shuixiang replied softly, “Indeed, Your Majesty.”

fi
fl
fi

fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
ff
fl
“How many years have you been in the capital?”

Shuixiang, “Since ve years ago.”

Lifting the corners of his mouth, his eyes had no trace of a smile as he lightly asked, “Where
are you from?”

Calmly, Shuixiang replied, with her head lowered, “From Minzhou.”

Yan Xun frowned very slightly as he clenched his st and coughed. He commented, “You
sound like someone from here.”

Shuixiang lightly acknowledged but said no more. The hall was so big it was ridiculous. A
wind came from God knows where blew in; so light, bringing with it a light scent.
Shuixiang’s gaze was silent as she continued looking at this man before her. Even though
she was merely looking at his back, even though she had never lifted her head once since
entering the palace, she could still imagine the features of this man. Indeed, he must be still
the same. With narrow eyes, deep gaze, a high nose, and thin lips, even his lips were almost
the same color as his skin. He would always purse his lips together as though he did not
hold anyone in high regard. That was so many years ago, yet Shuixiang’s memory seemed
to go back to that time when she cowered behind her brothers, tightly held by her nanny.
She could see that young boy walking over with the other children. While the other children
were crying or holding back their tears, only he had a bright smile and clear eyes,
completely devoid of fear of being held hostage. Looking at her who was gazing at him from
the crowds, he even winked at her.

From then, it was a string of happiness. Even though the palace was so big and there were
so many people, her eyes could only hold him. She was still young, and the palace was
huge to a small girl like her, yet she would always run o and hide by the Shangwu Hall to
look for him…

Yet, such days were ultimately over.

Shuixiang quietly, slowly, and deeply inhaled. In her mind, the images of cities being
conquered, civilians being massacred, cavalry charging, and the days of struggle and
humiliation ashed. Finally, all that was left was this gure who had always stood up straight
facing all these di culties.

Shuixiang’s right hand pressed on his forehead, his neck, his shoulder, his spine, as though
she had relived her wretched life yet again. She looked at this man whom she had chased
for over half her life, loved for half her life, hated for half her life, who was also the one who
had destroyed her entire life. Her heart was pulsating furiously as though it was about to
pop out from her chest. Let it be, what else can happen? Is this not for the best? She
endured the struggle, went through such humiliation, endured such di culties, and wasn’t
this moment she wanted?

At that moment, a sharp gaze entered her eyes as her wrist icked, and a silvery ash
appeared out from her sleeves and fell into her palm. Yan Xun’s eyes suddenly lit up. In his
deep eyes, he seemed to have understood something.

fl
ffi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fl
ffi
fl
 A maidservant happened to be carrying coal into the room, intending to feed the re in the
replace behind. Yan Xun applied strength to his feet and pulled hard on the carpet. With
that, the maidservant fell, and the basket of white-hot coal fell right in between Yan Xun and
Shuixiang!

At that moment, the people in the palace screamed in fear, and even Shuixiang had been
completely taken aback by this sudden turn of events. Yan Xun took this chance to distance
himself.

“Come! Someone come!” The eunuch was extremely distraught as he ran to Yan Xun and
patted on Yan Xun, worried that he was burned. That maidservant was already so scared
that she fainted. The guard charged in and pressed her down in fear of this “assassin” trying
something else.

Even as the Empire was gradually headed for peace, there had always been assassins who
did not care about their own lives in the Palace of Yan. Regardless of whether it was the
loyalist of the Xia Empire or the secret members of Da Tong who had covered their tracks,
they had all attempted all kinds of assassinations.

The palace was a mess. Everyone was pale as though they were facing a formidable enemy.
They feared that the Emperor would start to blame people for this matter. Yet, Yan Xun did
not say anything at all. He merely frowned. He seemed rather confused, as though he
wished to ask a lot of questions. At the same time, he seemed like he did not know what to
do. Yet this did not reduce his erceness as his eyes continued to look at that person, as
though he wanted to break her down and look through her heart, understanding everything
about her.

Following his gaze, the eunuch nally saw Shuixiang.

While the servants were busy protecting the emperor, she merely stood there with her pale
complexion. She seemed so lost, like a roaming ghost, completely devoid of any blood. She
was scalded by the white hot coal, and that was not important. What was really important
was that she held her hands up completely straight. The clothes on her hands caught re
and started to burn in an intense ball of re.

“Ah! Quickly, save her!” the eunuch panicked and ordered.

A bucket of water was splashed onto her, and that was su cient to put out the ames. Her
arm was scalded. A few people headed up to support her, only to hear the senior eunuch
instructing, “Quickly, bring Master Shuixiang to the side palace and bring the doctor here.”
The maidservants acknowledge and started to head out.

“Hold up.” He suddenly opened his mouth, his voice exceedingly cold like the re that had
been exhausted. There was an impending gloom in his voice. Through the layers of veils, the
sound went into her ears. With the cold rain falling outside, there was the distinct sound of
water crashing onto the tiles resonating in the entire building, echoing on the empty walls
along with his words.

“You…turn around.”

fi
fi
fi
fi
ffi
fi
fl
fi
fi
 The room was dimly lit, and there seemed to be a tinge of red in there. The yellow candle
continued to burn, bathing Yan Xun in light. The golden dragon on his clothes seemed ever
so ferocious, as though it was about to break out of the dark clothes and y into the
heavens. Frowning, he would only hear the rolling thunder from afar. So close, yet so far.

On the other hand, Shuixiang seemed to be unable to hear anything. The world was so
empty, so vast. Everything seemed so meaningless now. All these years of endurance,
danger, escapades, planning, and the loneliness she faced every night suddenly turned into
a pool of ashes that was devoid of any warmth. She lowered her head and looked at the
embroideries on the silk veil that hid her face. With the light wind blowing past, the veil
uttered softly without support. That seemed so much like her life, never being in control.

This is ne. She tried to smile, yet she could not even let out a bitter smile.

This is ne. What else can I do? Ultimately, I am useless, still so dumb, and still so
despicable.

She bit her lips with all her strength. She knew not what she was thinking at that moment.
Why did she not stab him? Why did she end up blocking him? Was she crazy? Was she
going senile? Was she cursed?

Or, or…were there still other emotions in her heart that had not been forgotten even after
over a decade?

She really wanted to cry, to cry out loud without caring about anything. She wanted to cry
for all the pain, tiredness, and humiliation she had su ered all these years. She did not want
to cower in fear of nightmares every night. Yet, since when had this pair of eyes completely
dried up? Was it when she was defeated and had to run? When she had to please that old
man? Or was it when her clothes were torn apart by that group of pigs?

Or, was it many years ago when she wore her red bridal dress, kneeling under the blood-
colored night sky, watching the two people who held hands and charged out of Zhen Huang
City together?

Chapter 291
The rain got heavier, and even blew open a window. The icy cold wind blew at her sleeve,
causing the scent of wisteria owers to waft around her nose, just like when she sat on the
swing full of wisteria owers when she was young. The winds blew past her ear and lifted
the ends of her skirt and hair. As the palace maid gave a push, she ew high up in the air.
The sky appeared so close; it seemed like she could touch it if she reached out her hand.
The clouds were white, just like the cows outside the pass which her mother had described
to her. The shouts coming from her brothers in the martial arts hall reverberated around her
ear.

The sunlight was warm then. The atmosphere was continually joyous. She was still so
young, with a clear look in her eyes. She straightened her legs and followed the motion of
the swing, xating her gaze past the tall city walls and the palace gates, onto a black door
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl

fl
ff
fl
fl
further ahead. She saw him standing in the middle of the courtyard, a cold look in his eyes.
The wind, as it blew across his sleeves, almost threatened to sweep him away. His face
turned indistinguishable, up till the point where it slowly started to disappear.

“Master Shuixiang, Your Majesty is calling you. Master Shuixiang?” The head eunuch called
out to her in a panicked manner, but she did not react. Yan Xun’s face was buried in the
smoke from the incense. He looked at her, suddenly understanding everything.

Yan Xun looked at her for a long while before he asked quietly, “Your name is Shuixiang?”

She did not answer nor turn around, still standing at her original position.

Yan Xun asked again, “You live in Taiji Convent?”

She still did not answer. The silence at this point became terrifying. The candlelight shone
on her body, forming a long shadow on the ground, looking frail.

Yan Xun’s eyebrows slowly relaxed. He looked at her solemnly, devoid of any enmity. Plainly,
he said, “Leave.”

Shuixiang started to feel her larynx tighten. Her hands, which were by her side, trembled
slowly. Despite a few attempts, she was unable to clench her sts. The stubbornness,
humiliation, the hatred which had gnawed at her heart like parasites… Those feelings
instantly dissipated with that sentence. Her heart, which she had held together by hatred,
shattered into smithereens in that instant. She felt so hollow, painful, and cold.

“Master Shuixiang, Your Majesty is telling you to leave. Leave, quickly!” The experienced
head eunuch began to sense that something was amiss as he coaxed her from the side.
Shuixiang let out a sigh, and began to walk out of the room slowly.

The candlelights ickered brightly in the palace. Yan Xun, seemingly frustrated, dismissed
his servants and sat down in front of his study table which he had just tidied. He lowered his
head and read the few documents that remained. His brush brushed across the paper,
letting out gentle sounds. The wind blew past, lifting Shuixiang’s sleeves and revealing a pair
of shoes from within. Her steps were quiet, even concubines that had entered the palace for
many years could not match the way she walked.

As the servant opened the door, the wind and rain welcomed her. She lifted one leg and
stepped out of the palace doors, half her shoulders exposed. It was time for her to leave,
and she should have left. However, unknowingly, she stopped right there, standing rooted to
the spot, unable to move.

The head eunuch raised his eyebrows and stepped forward to support her arm. “I’ll walk
you out.” As he nished his words, he helped her out of the door.

The junior eunuch in the palace stepped forward to close the doors. Shuixiang obliged and
allowed the head eunuch to lead her along as she lowered her head. As the wind blew past
once again, her veil was blown away. The head eunuch exclaimed, and bent his head to
pick it up, loosening his grip on her. She turned around and peeped into the door, which had
fi
fl
fi
 not closed entirely. In the darkness and dim lights, he sat there alone. He did not look up,
but he had stopped writing.

As the palace doors closed slowly, she recalled so many things that she had forgotten. Back
then, when they were young, innocent and naive, time owed by fast as they immersed
themselves in joy. It had been so long…so long since she recalled these memories. She
thought that she had forgotten them entirely. However, at this moment, she stood there as
those memories ooded her mind, unrestrained.

Back then, Xia was in the peak of its prosperity. Her father was in good health and her
brothers were still young. They fought with each other with the vigor and mentality of young
children. She was overly innocent and naive back then, unable to see the atrocities that
were carried out behind the scenes. She did not see the blood-stained swords behind the
colorful blankets; even the sounds of the wardrums were drowned out by the sounds of the
musical instruments. She lived in her own world as she deceived herself, convinced that she
would marry him one day, then following and taking care of him her entire life, believing and
listening to him.

If things stayed this way forever, would there not be the drama that ensued in future?

Who exactly was wrong?

“Master Shuixiang, your veil.” Shuixiang turned around, to the shock of the head eunuch.
Although he had not seen her face before, he had seen her eyes. However, now, she looked
more than 20 years older. The corners of her eyes were wrinkled, while her hair was white.
The look in her eyes were no longer calm, it looked dead and fallen.

“Thank you,” Shuixiang received the veil from the head eunuch, but did not put it back on.
She turned around and walked towards the exit of the palace, not requiring anyone to lead
the way for her due to her familiarity with the place.

Boom! The palace gates nally closed completely. The winds raged on as junior eunuchs
rushed forward with umbrellas. The head eunuch chased after her, but only saw her shadow
wandering about in the loneliness, along the long street blanketed by fog. The raindrops
splattered onto her shoulders, accentuating her lonely appearance.

This day was the fourth day of the ninth month, in the 14th year of the Kaiyuan era. On the
12th month in the same year, Taiji Convent, located east of the capital, experienced a large
re, which burned the entire compound to the ground.

That night, AhJing, the commander of the capital’s elite troops, entered the palace. When he
saw Yan Xun, Yan Xun was having dinner. After saluting, he declared in a low voice, “Master
Shuixiang from Taiji Convent has departed.”

Yan Xun raised his eyebrows and asked, “Dead?”

“No, she left.”

“Oh.”

fi
fl
fi
fl
Yan Xun lowered his head to continue drinking his porridge and asked, “You haven’t eaten?”

AhJing wanted to say that he had eaten, but felt obliged not to deceive his king. Honestly,
he answered, “I just arrived from Peidu. I haven’t eaten.”

Yan Xun remarked casually, “Sit down and let’s eat together.”

AhJing replied, “I do not dare.”

Yan Xun did not force him as he turned around to order the palace maids to lay out a
separate table for him. AhJing sat on a stool at the side and ate half a bowl of porridge.
After he nished, Yan Xun ordered him to take his leave. AhJing, puzzled, asked softly, “Your
Majesty, don’t you want to know where she went?”

Yan Xun replied calmly, “No need.”

“Do we still send people to watch over her?” A palace maid wearing green walked forward,
grabbed a handful of golden spices, and deposited them into a golden incense pot, adding
to the scent of incense already lingering around the palace.

Yan Xun hesitated for a moment before replying emotionlessly, “No need.”

AhJing instantly regretted speaking too much. After he knelt down to greet Yan Xun, he took
his leave.

The outside of the palace was a snowy white, unlike the inside which was shrouded with
darkness. The bright moonlight shone on the ground, coloring the earth white. However,
there was still darkness lingering around the corners.

The lights in the palace went out. The head eunuch of the internal supervising o ce, with his
back bent, walked out. The eunuch of Tongshi House, who was beside him, asked, “Which
lady does Your Majesty want to summon tonight?”

“None,” the head eunuch used his thumb and index nger to signal that the emperor was
not in a good mood as he continued, “Your Majesty is asleep.”

The palace was silent. Yan Xun lay on his bed and closed his eyes.

The night was endlessly long.

Chapter 292 (END)

The day she entered the city was a beautiful day with a seemingly endless blue sky that was
devoid of clouds. The majestic castle ourished under the golden rays of the sun as though
it was a giant beast that sat in the midst of countless owers. Even with the immense aura,
there was a owery feel to this city. Tang Jing had been lled with signs of prosperity.

Yunsheng sat on her horse and galloped along rapidly. The peach blossoms had already
withered into a land full of red petals that uttered with the horse’s galloping feet.

fi
fl

fl
fl
fi
fl
fi
ffi
 “Wooo,” she cooed to the horse and stabilized it before jumping o . A worker at the inn was
sharp as he had noticed that even though this girl was not old, she exuded a sense of
royalty that made it impossible for people to ignore her. He quickly headed out to welcome
her and smiled, “Lady, are you going to have a meal or stay here for a few days? This inn
has the quietest rooms and the tastiest dishes.”

Yunsheng did not reply and directly walked in. The worker had been ignored and ended up
just miserably leading the horse to the stable. Throwing a bit of silver onto the table before
the boss, she said, “I want a quiet room.”

Seeing that she was not in a good mood, the boss did not waste any words and merely led
her to the room. The room was naturally not as majestic as her home but was really clean.
The moment the boss left the room, Yunsheng’s face had collapsed into one of sadness as
she was almost going to cry.

Such a heartless father! Such a heartless mother! Such a heartless brother Rong! She left for
so long, yet no one had come to chase after her. Did they really want her to survive by
herself? Ouch, she complained in her heart as her back was sore and her leg was in pain.
She rode the horse for so long that her thighs were cha ng. She rubbed her eyes and
sni ed, forcing back the tears that were about to fall.

I cannot be so useless, she told herself. She did not believe that she couldn’t walk this world
by herself. She wanted to show those people that even without them she would still be ne!

By evening, the business of the Yunhai Inn improved drastically. All of the rooms were
suddenly rented out. Not only that, but all these customers were rich and generous, giving
out huge tips. The boss was so happy that he could barely stop his laughter, and quickly
made an o ering to the god of wealth. With the smoke from the incense oating around, the
serenity of the inn seemed even more legitimate.

Yunsheng walked out of her room. Standing on the stairs of the second oor, she was at a
loss. This was the rst time she headed out alone. Originally she had merely wanted to see
what Tang Jing was like, but as she really came down, she realized that she did not know
what to do. Seeing that she was standing there, the worker approached her and asked while
smiling, “Lady, will you eat?”

Yunsheng shook her head and asked, “Is there anything fun in this area?”

The worker was very savvy and asked, “Lady, you are not a local?”

Yunsheng nodded, and he smiled before eagerly recommending some of the scenic
locations in Tang Jing to her. Quietly listening for a while, Yunsheng’s eyes lit up and she
asked, “There will be reworks at night?”

The sta replied matter-of-factly, “That is for sure. The Luhua alley will be busiest. It will be
such a pity if you do not go.” Before he could nish his sentence, Yunsheng had ed,
leaving the inn. Looking in the direction that she went in, the boss asked the sta , “Where
has this lady gone o to?”

ffl
ff
ff
fi
ff
fi
fi
ffi
ff
fl
fl
ff
fl
fi
 “Luhua Alley.”

“You told her there would be reworks tonight?”

The worker earnestly nodded and replied, “Isn’t there a festival tonight?”

Hearing that, the boss icked an eyebrow and snapped, “You idiot. The o cials banned all
reworks for one month.”

Only then did the worker realize his mistake. Throwing the towel on his shoulder aside, he
immediately ran out. Yet, Yunsheng had already disappeared. Considering her foul mood
early, the boss could only pray that she would not take it out on them.

By the time Yunsheng had arrived at Luhua alley, the sky was already dark. This street was
almost completely empty, completely di erent from what the worker had told her. Squatting
by the river, she felt more and more upset. She wondered what Brother Rong was doing.
Would he miss her? Or did he nally feel happy that he managed to get rid of her?

The more she thought about it, the sadder she became. Hugging her face and pouting, she
teared up again as she suddenly felt regret.

It was then she heard a loud boom from the sky. The entire sky was brightened as a golden
rework was set o , looking like a huge chrysanthemum. After that, a few more reworks
exploded in quick succession, huge and beautiful like a multicolored embroidery. The
beautiful lights tore apart the darkness and decorated the sky with a myriad of colors.

Hearing the sounds, the people along the river all came out. Children clapped in happiness
as they pointed to the sky. The previously quiet river suddenly became boisterous.

Yunsheng was, after all, a young girl who was still rather childish. She was deeply captivated
by the scenery. The previous melancholy vanished like mist as she grinned from ear to ear,
looking at the beautiful owers in the air.

The reworks lasted for an hour. Even after the reworks subsided, the civilians refused to
leave as they crowded around the river bank, discussing the spectacle.

Yunsheng’s mood was exceptional, and along with the recovery of her mood, her appetite
came back. She found a noodle shop, and after eating, she went back to the inn.

During the next morning, the civilians were still discussing the spectacle last night. After all,
for a usual temple festival, they would only see normal reworks that paled in comparison to
the magni cent ones that were on display the night before. They heard that it was from a
rich merchant who donated a huge sum of money to Minghua Temple.

Having slept late, along with the fact that she had not slept properly for the past few days
due to the journey, Yunsheng slept well past noon. By the time she headed out, the sun was
setting. Only a few customers were in the inn. A man and a woman were on the street. The
man was playing the Erhu, while the woman was singing some kind of melody. The two
were both young, looked as though they were 17 to 18.

fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fl
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
ffi
fi
 Yunsheng felt that the scene was rather rare, and as such, ordered some snacks and started
listening to them after nding a table. She could hear the woman singing:

“21st from the East, 99th from the West. Brother’s house is in the East, with a dog tied to the
gate.

The god would bark from the front, the dog would growl from the back. Take a rock and
throw it at their window as you take a look.”

Even though the lyrics were really rough, there was a strange feeling to the song in general.
Particularly, whenever the girl sang, she would smile at the man, and the man would squint
and look at her. They were completely in sync as their smiles were just as warm as the
spring sun after a long winter.

Yunsheng was deeply engrossed in the music. Suddenly, there was a cacophony. A few
burly guys barged in an kicked the man’s stool over. They grabbed the girl and said, “This
girl, how is she? Isn’t she pretty?”

The man immediately wanted to charge out. He shouted, “Who are you? Let her go!”

The big burly man kicked him aside and laughed. “Look at your state? The fact that I like her
is her lucky day! She’ll de nitely starve if she follows you!”

The girl was scared and kept calling out the man’s name. She started crying profusely and
looked so pitiful. Yet the inn was oblivious to this. Nobody spoke or decided to inform the
authorities.

Yunsheng was extremely upset as she had not expected something to happen in broad
daylight. Coldly she asked, “What kind of people are you? Snatching woman in broad
daylight! Do you really view the royal family as a joke?”

The man turned around and smiled happily. “What family do you come from? I did not know
that the Tang Capital has such a pretty lady.”

Yunsheng said, “I am not from Tang Jing. Oi! Let her go. If not, I will not go easy on you.”

The man laughed. “What if I don’t?”

Yunsheng thought, I have learned a few tricks from Mother, but I don’t know how e ective
they are. Although I boasted that none can beat me… By now, she had lost most of her
con dence. Yet, before she could ready herself, the man had already closed in. A huge hand
extended towards her shoulder. In that mess, Yunsheng had forgotten the moves she
learned. She messily extended her st. Yet, the moment she hit that man, he shrieked and
fell to the ground holding his elbow. “How powerful! My shoulder’s broken!”

Hearing that, the other gangsters all closed in. Yunsheng was rather taken aback by this, yet
her con dence grew inde nitely. She recalled all that she had learned before. She suddenly
managed to defeat all of the enemies in quick succession. The onlookers were utterly
impressed as the gangsters pleaded for mercy. Yunsheng scolded them, telling them to
never harm others before letting them go. The couple who were singing were indebted to
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
 her and kept calling her their female guardian. Even the other customers were impressed.
Who knew that this small girl was so talented in martial arts and could defeat all those burly
men in mere seconds.

After coming out for so long, Yunsheng was nally given the treatment tting of a hero;
something she had envisioned herself to be since long ago. She was in an extremely good
mood and even ate extra food that night.

By the next morning, there were rumors of her being a beautiful woman who fought for
justice. The Tang Capital that had always boasted its peace was suddenly ooded with
activities. Many tried to squeeze in just to catch a glimpse of this female hero.

Just like that, Yunsheng settled down in Tang Jing. Initially, she was very happy. After
settling many chaotic situations, chasing away bullies for others, she really started to act her
part. Yet, she still felt like going home after one month. Even though she wished to continue
helping the less fortunate, she was no longer so passionate.

That afternoon, just as she began to head out, she noticed that there was a store that sold
crabs, and she was immediately reminded of how her mother was really good at cooking
crabs. Brother Rong liked to eat them too, and she was suddenly reminded that here in the
Tang Empire the climate was much warmer than in Qinghai. She wondered if there were
crabs back at home right now.

She then suddenly heard the sound of a child crying. A lady was pulling an eight to nine-
year-old kid as she hit him while scolding him, “Where did you go to play? I looked
everywhere for you! Did you want to make me so angry I died?” Her words were so erce,
but her beatings softened, and nally, she stopped hitting him and started crying as well.

Seeing this, Yunsheng felt a choking sensation in her chest. She was extremely
uncomfortable.

Mother was so worried. Father was normally cold, but he had also really loved her. Would
Brother Rong look for her? She had sel shly run outside. How worried would he get?

“Lady? Lady?” Yunsheng nally snapped back to reality as she heard the storekeeper ask,
“Are you buying crabs?”

Yunsheng frowned and asked, “How long can this crab survive?”

The storekeeper explained, “If you take out just like this, it will die very quickly. If you keep it
in salt water it might be able to live for a few days.”

Hearing that, Yunsheng smiled. “Give me two pots lled with water. I would like to keep it as
a pet.”

The storekeeper was stunned. He had seen all kinds of pets but keeping crabs as a pet was
a rst. He nodded and deftly started packing the crab for her. Lifting the two crabs,
Yunsheng started on her way back to the inn.

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
In the Yunhai Inn’s third room, that was merely on the other side of the corridor from
Yunsheng’s room, it was extremely scenic as the view was surrounded by trees and owers
with a lake right below the room. With the window open, one could see Li Qingrong leaning
on a chair. Before him, there was a shing rod which he used to sh from the lake below.
Who knew if he could actually catch anything.

Mingxi walked over beside him and softly said, “Princess has just bought some crabs home.
She used pots to hold them and has returned to her room.”

Hearing that, Li Qingrong icked an eyebrow and smiled. “This girl, she is nally done being
crazy.” Yawning, he stretched his back before standing up. “Go, go, go. Pack up. Get ready
to go back.”

Mingxi nodded and asked, “Master, are you not meeting the Emperor? If his Majesty nds
out that you did not visit him even though you came back, he will be unhappy.”

“Idiot. Then don’t let him nd out.”

“Understood,” Mingxi replied before heading out.

Li Qingrong called and said, “Right, buy more crabs and keep them alive in the carriage.
Every now and then, swap the ones in her pot secretly. If not, by the time she gets home,
the crabs will be all dead and she will cry again.”

Mingxi smiled happily. “Master, you are so smart.”

Li Qingrong knew that Mingxi was a bit sarcastic, but he did not get angry. He said, “Head
out and look out for her.”

Mingxi left smiling. When he reached the backyard, he saw that the man who had been
beaten up by Yunsheng was standing there. Behind him was another group of gangsters.
Seeing that Mingxi came out, the man was so ecstatic as he sallied forth and asked, “Boss,
these are also my brothers. They are de nitely unfamiliar here! We have thought of a new
method that will de nitely satisfy…”

Mingxi cut him o and said, “Our Lady is going back soon, and we don’t need you to
continue this act. This is the reward money. Please go back.”

That man was utterly disappointed. “What? Your Lady does not want to play anymore?”

Mingxi approached him and kicked him lightly. “Scram! Control your mouth and do not
come out until tomorrow when Lady has already left!”

Acknowledging, the burly man left.

Another servant came over and spoke with Mingxi. “Boss, that Mr. Liu came to ask if we still
want the reworks?”

Mingxi replied, “Yes, tell him to let the rest loose tonight. We would pay as planned.”

fi
ff
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
That night, Tang Jing was full of life yet again. In the distant Cuiwei Pass, there were two
who could not sleep. Holding onto the letter that had just arrived, Chu Qiao reread it multiple
times before snapping at Zhuge Yu, “Oi! How could you help Rong’er bully Yunsheng?”

Zhuge Yue raised an eyebrow and looked at Chu Qiao from the corner of his eye. “What can
we do? You were afraid that martial arts were too di cult. She dreams of traveling the world.
Do you really want her to head out alone?”

Chu Qiao gave a snort before lying on the bed and complained, “My daughter is so stupid.”

Zhuge Yue lifted a strand of her hair up. The night sky brought a certain scent over to him.
Zhuge Yue pulled on Chu Qiao’s waist, and with a low voice, he said, “Do we really need our
daughter to be so smart?”

By the next day, Yunsheng woke up early. The worker was rather reluctant to let her go. He
asked, “Lady, you are leaving?”

Yunsheng replied while smiling, “Indeed, I am going back home!”

Seeing how Zhuge Yunsheng had slowly disappeared, the boss of the inn was sad and said,
“When she came here, the inn quickly lled up, and when she left, the inn went back to
being empty. That girl was certainly fated to make me lucky in money.”

The sun was warm. Wearing a bright yellow skirt, Yunsheng rode on her horse as she
headed out of the city gates. Before long, hundreds of war horses came out of the castle as
well. Li Qingrong opened his window veil and informed Mingxi, “Get a few deft ones to the
front and arrange for tea and co ee. She’s bad with directions, so it will be bad if she takes
a wrong turn.”

Mingxi smiled. “Master, be at ease.”

The horse swung its tail and snorted happily. The birds chirped joyously. It was yet again a
good day with fabulous weather.

ff
fi
ffi