Chasing Jade (Zhu Yu)

Dozens of riders scattered across the wilderness, their horses' hooves splashing through muddy waters as the Chongzhou Army closed in behind them.

To lure the enemy deep into the gorge, Xie Zheng had deliberately ordered his personal cavalry to feign retreat, baiting the Chongzhou forces into underestimating them.

Sui Yuanqing, bound tightly and slung over a cavalryman’s horse, had lost count of how many ribs were broken. His entire chest ached from the crushing pressure. He knew full well that the pursuing Chongzhou troops would never return alive—yet with him captured and the Yanzhou Army pretending to flee, there was no way he could turn the tide.

Suppressing the searing pain in his chest, he let out a cold laugh. "The Marquis took my Gilded Phoenix Wing Spear straight through the lungs and still managed to ride this long. Truly admirable."

His spear had pierced through the gap in Xie Zheng’s armor beneath the arm, but Xie Zheng had remained so composed that even the cavalryman who caught Changning assumed it was only a minor wound—let alone the others.

At Sui Yuanqing’s words, the men couldn’t help but glance at Xie Zheng.

His aim was to shake their morale. If Xie Zheng fell, leaderless and disorganized, tonight’s battle might still be overturned.

Thunder rumbled. Xie Zheng’s soaked cloak clung to his armor, draping over his horse’s back. He tilted his head slightly, posture unwavering, his profile as cold and flawless as jade under the stark lightning. His phoenix eyes lifted lazily as he drawled, "Seems the tip of Young Master Sui’s spear was made of wax. Next time you take the field, remember to use iron."

The mockery in his tone was unmistakable.

The cavalrymen burst into derisive laughter. Sui Yuanqing’s expression darkened. "Let’s see how long the Marquis lasts."

Xie Zheng cast him a cold glance before addressing the rider carrying him. "Young Master Sui seems lively. Let him walk for a while."

Sui Yuanqing’s face paled instantly. He knew this was far from a simple "walk."

The cavalrymen cheered as expected. Bound and helpless, he was thrown into the rain-soaked mud, filthy water splashing over him, some stinging his eyes. Before he could rise, the riders whooped and cracked their whips, urging their horses into a gallop.

Dragged through the mire by the rope, Sui Yuanqing’s back burned raw despite his armor. His fractured ribs shifted further, agony searing through him. Gritting his teeth, he glared into the black downpour, sweat and rain mingling on his brow, the taste of blood thick in his mouth.

Xie Zheng led the charge at the front. Under the lightning’s glow, he glanced down at his inner robe, now darkened with blood. His lips pressed into a pale line as he cracked the whip, urging his horse onward toward First Line Gorge.

His condition was far from ideal. Though Sui Yuanqing’s spear hadn’t pierced his organs, it had struck bone, leaving a sizable wound. The relentless rain prevented clotting, and blood loss left him faint.

But with the Chongzhou Army hot on their heels, stopping now was not an option.

Ahead, the mouth of First Line Gorge loomed like the gaping maw of a slumbering beast. The Chongzhou forces, sensing an ambush, slowed their advance.

As Xie Zheng listened to the scout’s report, his eyelids grew heavy. Suddenly, he toppled from his horse. Several riders yanked their reins and rushed to his side. "Marquis!"

Sui Yuanqing, dragged half-dead behind the galloping horse, was in too much pain to muster even a single taunt.The unusual activity was quickly detected by the scouts of the Chongzhou army, who swiftly carried the news back.

The Chongzhou general leading the pursuit was now in a dilemma. If he stopped at First Line Gorge and failed to bring back Sui Yuanqing, he would undoubtedly face the wrath of Changxin Wang upon his return.

Yet if he pursued into First Line Gorge and fell into an ambush, resulting in the annihilation of his entire force, not even several heads would suffice to atone for such a failure.

The scout’s report was the final straw. Coupled with the testimony of Sui Yuanqing’s personal guard who had returned to deliver the message—confirming that Xie Zheng had indeed been wounded by Sui Yuanqing—the Chongzhou general leading the troops quickly made his decision.

With the prospect of rescuing Sui Yuanqing and capturing the illustrious Wu'an Marquis as an unparalleled achievement before him, he ordered the cavalry to lead the way and commanded the army to advance at full speed.

It was only then that Xie Zheng’s personal guards noticed he was truly injured—a wound that grazed his right ribs, deepening toward the left, a sight that was nothing short of horrifying.

The rain was too heavy. Despite pouring two bottles of травма medicine over the wound and hastily bandaging it with torn fabric from a battle robe, blood continued to seep out.

A cavalryman who had been keeping watch on the movements of the Chongzhou army rode back and reported, “The Chongzhou cavalry is heading this way in full force.”

For a moment, the several dozen cavalrymen were thrown into panic. But Xie Zheng, who had been resting briefly in the rain to tend to his wound, suddenly opened his eyes. As if unharmed, he donned his outer armor, mounted his horse, and declared, “Now we can lure the rebels completely into First Line Gorge. Proceed into the gorge as planned!”

The stunned guards exchanged bewildered glances, unable to tell whether Xie Zheng had truly fallen earlier or if it had all been a ruse to deceive the Chongzhou rebels. Recovering quickly, they mounted their horses and followed.

With the need to move at full speed, they no longer had the leisure to toy with Sui Yuanqing.

As Sui Yuanqing was placed on horseback, he suddenly understood the purpose behind Xie Zheng’s earlier fall—it had been deliberate!

Injured as he was, not only would the Chongzhou general leading the troops seize this rare opportunity, but even Sui Yuanqing himself would have done the same if he were in command.

Jostled on the horse, Sui Yuanqing hung upside down until the whites of his eyes turned bloodshot. When he lifted his gaze to the rapidly receding cliffs, they too seemed tinged with a faint crimson hue.

Staring at Xie Zheng, who still rode ahead at full speed, Sui Yuanqing suddenly wondered—did Xie Zheng not feel pain?

He didn’t believe Xie Zheng’s injuries were any lighter than his own. Yet while he himself felt as though he had died several times over from the agony, Xie Zheng had shown no sign of distress except for the deliberate fall to bait the enemy.

As he pondered, the cavalry rounded a bend and fired a whistling arrow into the sky.

In an instant, the entire gorge echoed with the thunderous roar of boulders crashing down. The Chongzhou cavalry, mere moments away from catching up, found themselves in chaos on the narrow mountain path as falling rocks rained upon them.

Attempting to retreat, they were blocked by their own infantry, who had just entered the gorge, leaving no room to escape. In the end, more infantry were trampled to death by panicked horses than were crushed by the rocks.

Even the deafening thunderclaps could not drown out the screams in the gorge. As lightning split the sky, Sui Yuanqing lay over his horse, watching the carnage among the Chongzhou troops in the distance. He shut his eyes heavily, fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood between his fingers.

This was a debt he would repay.The Chongzhou cavalry, having trampled many infantrymen in their panic within the gorge, were quickly brought under control by their commanders who rode forward to restore order. The cavalry were commanded not to retreat but to charge forward en masse to reduce the chances of being crushed by the boulders rolling down from the mountains.

Meanwhile, the infantry who had not yet fully entered the gorge hastily turned back to retreat.

However, when the Chongzhou cavalry reached the gorge’s exit, they were met with rows of archers already poised with drawn bows.

From the rear of the infantry formation, which had not fully entered the gorge, a detachment of the Yanzhou Army suddenly attacked, throwing the rear ranks into disarray. The soldiers who had barely escaped the gorge alive were still shaken when they saw chaos erupting outside, and their morale plummeted, leading to a near-rout.

The Chongzhou commander leading the troops knew that the battle had already gone disastrously wrong and that he could not escape blame. His only thought now was to preserve as much of his forces as possible and retreat. But with the Yanzhou infantry blocking their path, he devised a plan—ordering his soldiers to shout, "The Wu'an Marquis is dead!"—to sow confusion among the Yanzhou troops.

The tactic worked. The Yanzhou Army, which had been pressing their advantage fiercely, began to falter at the cries of "The Wu'an Marquis is dead!"

On the mountain, Xie Zheng, upon hearing the scout’s report, ignored his injuries and struggled to rise, leaning on his halberd. The army doctor hesitated, not daring to stop him, but Gongsun Yin pushed him back down, saying, "That brat from the Sui family stabbed you with a viciously cunning spear thrust. Had it been even slightly off, it would have pierced your organs. Have some regard for your life—what could you even do in this state if you went down the mountain?"

They had taken shelter in a cave found by Xie Zheng’s personal guards. Though it kept them out of the rain, the cold wind howling through carried dampness that left everyone shivering.

The forest was soaked from the rain, and the soldiers below had been unable to find dry firewood.

Xie Zheng had removed his armor, wearing only an inner robe with his chest exposed. A fierce spear wound ran diagonally from his right chest to his left, leaving a deep gash. The army doctor had applied crushed medicinal herbs but had yet to bandage it.

His expression was cold and stern as he said, "Shi Yue is a seasoned general under Changxin Wang, with countless battles to his name. We must not underestimate him. If he regains his morale and counterattacks, our ten thousand troops below the mountain will be in grave danger."

The Chongzhou infantry still numbered twenty thousand below the mountain. If the enemy realized their predicament, their own ambushing force of ten thousand would be surrounded and annihilated.

Gongsun Yin glanced at the discarded armor piled nearby and said, "I have a plan. Find a personal guard who resembles you in build, dress him in your armor, and have him ride down the mountain to steady morale. In the darkness, who could tell if it’s really you? Shi Yue is cautious—he already fell for your earlier trap and charged recklessly into the gorge, learning his lesson. If he sees you appearing below, he won’t dare prolong the battle."

The deputy general standing nearby quickly agreed that the plan was feasible.

After weighing the risks, Xie Zheng finally nodded in approval.

As the army doctor continued bandaging his wound, Gongsun Yin turned his gaze to Changning, who was wrapped in a dry cloak and sleeping soundly against the cave wall. The child had delicate features, and even with his hair still tousled from being wiped dry after the rain, he looked endearing, like a ruffled chick.

But his face was unusually red. Gongsun Yin reached out to touch him and realized Changning wasn’t just asleep—he had fallen ill from being drenched in the rain all night.

Hurriedly, he told the army doctor, "After you finish with him, take a look at this child too."Xie Zheng turned his head and noticed the faint flush on Changning's face. He said to the Army Doctor who was wrapping bandages, "Go check on the child."

The Army Doctor had no choice but to let Xie Zheng press down on the already wrapped gauze himself while he went to take Changning's pulse.

Gongsun Yin had initially intended to help Xie Zheng, but he saw him lower his head and use his teeth to grip one end of the gauze, swiftly tying a knot—clearly no stranger to doing this before.

He was eager to inquire about Fan Changyu. Originally, he had assumed a woman who could butcher pigs would likely be broad-shouldered and stout. After Xie Zheng returned from rescuing someone in Qingping County, Gongsun Yin had privately asked the personal guard if he had seen the girl.

The guard's answer left Gongsun Yin puzzled: She’s very pretty, and she can lift a grown man with one hand and throw him several yards away.

Gongsun Yin couldn’t picture what kind of woman that might be.

For a while, he suspected Xie Zheng’s personal guard might share the same taste in women as Xie Zheng himself, which was why he found such a girl attractive.

But tonight, upon seeing Changning and learning she was Fan Changyu’s younger sister, Gongsun Yin began to doubt his earlier assumption. If the younger sister was this delicate and pretty, the elder sister probably wasn’t bad-looking either.

So was it true, then, what the guard had said about the pig-butchering girl being quite beautiful?

His curiosity about Fan Changyu’s appearance grew even stronger.

The Army Doctor’s medicine chest was stocked with wound medicine and remedies for colds. After taking Changning’s pulse, worried that such a young child might not endure the illness, he went to ask the personal guard to find a way to start a fire and brew some medicine.

With only Xie Zheng and Gongsun Yin left in the cave, Gongsun Yin cleared his throat and said, "You rescued this child unharmed, but if you go see her sister covered in injuries like this, that girl will probably shed quite a few tears of heartache!"

Xie Zheng gazed at the rain outside and didn’t respond.

Not wanting to seem too obvious, Gongsun Yin continued probing indirectly, "What do you plan to do with the child?"

Xie Zheng glanced at Changning, who now had a damp cloth on her forehead. "Her sister is in Jizhou. Once she recovers from her cold, I’ll send her back to Jizhou."

Gongsun Yin asked, "Aren’t you going with her?"

Xie Zheng suddenly turned to look at him. Realizing his ulterior motive had been exposed, Gongsun Yin quickly straightened up and fanned himself while staring at the rain outside the cave. "Ah, this rain is really heavy. If everything went smoothly at the dam, those fifty thousand Chongzhou troops besieging Lucheng should all be drowned by now."

Xie Zheng withdrew his gaze and ignored him, though his brows furrowed slightly—clearly also concerned about the battle situation in Lucheng.