Chapter 91 (1/2)
Chapter 91
Translator: Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
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 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 fled 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 find 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 fingers 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 first 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.
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 influence 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.