The autumn sun hung high and distant, dust rising from the earth as galloping horses and soldiers seemed endless, blotting out the sky.
Pedestrians on the road scattered in panic.
"What's happening?"
"So many troops?"
"Has Western Liang invaded?"
Xiao Xun sat in the carriage, holding the curtain open with one hand while covering his nose and mouth against the dust. Like the passersby, he watched the troops with curiosity.
The soldiers soon passed.
Pedestrians resumed their journey on the main road, quickening their steps in lingering unease.
"Your Highness," the coachman Tie Ying called softly over his shoulder, "we should go."
Xiao Xun had insisted on waiting to confirm it was truly military movement before departing.
"Let's go," Xiao Xun said with some resignation. "Father will laugh at me again when we return."
Again and again—after so much laughter, it no longer felt amusing.
Why did things never go smoothly when dealing with that girl?
It was truly infuriating.
......
......
The sound of hoofbeats echoing through the valley and the tremors in the ground startled Chu Zhao and her companions who had just emerged.
Were their pursuers still not giving up? Was this now an open assassination attempt?
"They're government troops!" the scout shouted as he galloped ahead. "Government troops coming to reinforce us!"
Government troops. Chu Zhao breathed a sigh of relief, gazing into the distance where she could faintly see cloud-like banners and hear the clatter of armor.
"The troops arrived quite quickly," she remarked with some surprise.
Xiao Man snorted beside her. "Quick enough to collect our corpses."
Chu Zhao smiled. "Don't say that. I didn't inform them of my movements—they couldn't have known I'd encounter danger. For them to arrive at this moment is actually quite fast."
Xiao Man turned her head away without another word.
......
......
The army halted nearby, and an officer was brought forward, bowing deeply in formal greeting: "I pay respects—"
Chu Zhao quickly stopped him. "I'm traveling incognito, Commander. There's no need for formalities."
The officer stiffened to attention, acknowledging her words. Just as he was about to apologize for his tardiness, Chu Zhao spoke first again, saying she wouldn't blame him for being late since she had deliberately avoided detection, and their ignorance was no fault.
"Clear the mountain area," Chu Zhao instructed simply. "See if you can identify who was behind this."
If they could trace it back to Prince Zhongshan, that would be fortunate.
Of course, Chu Zhao thought it unlikely—if Prince Zhongshan dared to act, he would surely leave no traces.
The officer acknowledged the order. Unable to apologize or show proper respect, he thought for a moment before calling for someone.
A soldier hurried over and stood before Chu Zhao, looking somewhat constrained.
"This is the Chen County Courier," the officer said. "He reported that you might be in danger. He also possessed an emergency dispatch order, which allowed us to mobilize and search for you—"
Chu Zhao looked at the courier in surprise. "How did you know I was in danger?"
And how did he know she had reached this location?
Although she was supposed to inform courier stations of her movements—a requirement A Jiu had insisted on before her departure—to avoid detection while still leaving messages when passing through specific areas.
"So that child won't pester me with questions I can't answer," he had said.
Typically, she would send word only when leaving an area, signaling to A Jiu that she had passed through safely.
She hadn't yet sent any message from Chen County.
She had assumed the courier stations passively received information. Had they actually been tracking her movements all along?The courier took out a map and a handwritten order from his chest. "Orders came from above, stating you were expected to arrive within these few days. If there was no news of you immediately, we were to mobilize troops to search."
Expected to arrive within these few days? Chu Zhao was somewhat puzzled. She reached out to take the map—it was a common Western Xia relay station map, but what was unusual was—
Chu Zhao leaned closer. Under the sunlight, she noticed small characters written beside each station name on the map, indicating dates: from which month and day to which month and day.
...
...
Standing amidst the woods by the roadside, hidden behind several large trees and rocks, they remained unseen by passersby on the road, yet they could clearly observe the travelers.
Especially the girl.
"Look, she's smiling," a woman whispered, lifting her bamboo hat. "What good news has she seen? She looks so happy."
As she watched Chu Zhao smile, the woman’s lips also curved into a gentle smile.
The girl, surrounded by the crowd, was laughing, and the woman concealed behind the rocks was smiling too. However, the expressions of those around the woman were tinged with sorrow.
"Chief," a man beside her couldn’t help but murmur softly, "Go and see her."
"Am I not seeing her now?" the woman replied with a smile, pressing a hand to her chest. Even now, her heart was racing uncontrollably.
Though this was not a moment for joy—brutal and perilous—when she lifted her head in the darkness and saw the girl emerging amid the flames of battle, everything around her faded away, leaving only the girl shining brilliantly.
It had been so long since they last met. A Zhao had grown taller and thinner.
She couldn’t get enough of looking at her—
The woman’s reaction only deepened the man’s sorrow.
"Chief," he urged anxiously, "She doesn’t even know you. How can this count as seeing her? Take this chance to just—"
"Just what?" the woman interrupted him, her smile fading, her voice turning cold. "Use the debt of saving her life to make her acknowledge me as her mother?"
She gazed at the girl on the main road.
"Earlier, I used her life as a threat. Now that I’ve saved her, does that mean one life cancels out the other, and she should call me mother?"
She slowly shook her head.
"Didn’t you hear? She said her parents treasure her like a precious jewel."
"I am not worthy."
...
...
Sunlight bathed the Imperial City, but the duty room, shielded by layers of palaces, remained dimly lit.
On the desk lay a relay station map, where a pair of slender fingers now tapped on a specific point.
"She should have reached here by now," Xie Yanlai murmured under his breath, then added with a hint of disdain, "At her pace, she really can’t compare to me."
Xie Yanlai stared at the map for a long time without moving, the late autumn sunlight dancing over him through the window lattice.
It wasn’t until an imperial guard softly called out "Commandant" from outside the door that he finally stirred.
Xie Yanlai withdrew his gaze and turned, his phoenix eyes lowering as his expression cooled. "What is it?"
The guard handed him a courier dispatch.
Recognizing the insignia, Xie Yanlai immediately took it and opened it. Inside was just a short note, but the first two words that caught his eye made his vision blur slightly.
"Ambushed"
He took a deep breath before he could continue reading.
"But safe"
Xie Yanlai closed his eyes for a moment, bracing one hand on the desk as he gritted his teeth and cursed, "That damn girl."
The handwriting on the note was elegant and delicate, clearly written by her own hand.
"Didn’t want to worry you, so I won’t hide it. I’m injured too, but it’s only superficial and not serious. I’ve also gained thirty new guards. Will continue the journey. Don’t worry."After reading the brief letter, Xie Yanlai sat down and let out a sigh. Chu Zhao had been so eager to report her safety that she hadn't written all the details—where was she injured? Who were the attackers? Where did her newly acquired guards come from? Were they reliable?
Saying she didn't want him to worry, yet writing nothing at all! Was she doing it on purpose?
He turned to the imperial guard: "Tell Garrison General Zhang to come see me personally with the latest updates."
The imperial guard acknowledged the order and withdrew.
Xie Yanlai remained seated, reading and rereading the note. Afraid he'd worry? What did he have to worry about? Feel guilty? Because he had persuaded her to visit her father?
How ridiculous—he had suggested it, but wasn't it her own wish to go? Didn't she know the dangers?
Everyone must bear the risks of their own choices. He wouldn't worry, and he certainly wouldn't blame himself!
Xie Yanlai crumpled the note in his hand, stood up and paced a few steps, then sat back down and smoothed out the crumpled paper again.
OpenNovel