The Road to Glory

Chapter 25: "So It Is Your Highness Here"

After Wen Yu spoke those words, the room fell so silent one could hear a pin drop.

The Provincial Governor's wife's expression shifted from stunned confusion to alarm, then to overwhelming joy.

Rumors had circulated that Pei Song had posted portraits of Princess Hanyang and was searching everywhere for women who resembled her. The purpose behind this suddenly became clear in that instant.

She hurriedly struggled to rise and bowed to Wen Yu: "So it is Your Highness here. Please accept this humble subject's bow."

Wen Yu supported the Governor's wife by the elbow, helping her up, and said, "Madam is unwell. There is no need for such formalities."

Daring to reveal her identity at this moment was something she had carefully considered before coming.

Previously, she hadn't dared seek help from the Governor's residence because of the chaotic situation, and she couldn't guarantee where the Yongzhou Governor's loyalties lay.

But the letter that Xiao Li unexpectedly obtained had already stirred up officials and soldiers to search overnight, sufficiently proving that the letter was indeed evidence of Huo Kun's treason. The Yongzhou Governor definitely had no intention of siding with Pei Song; otherwise, Huo Kun wouldn't have been so anxious about that letter.

If this were a trap to lure her out, it made even less sense. If the schemer had known she was hiding with the Xiao family from the beginning, they could have simply captured her directly. Why go through the trouble of having that letter fall into Xiao Li's hands and then draw her here?

Given the urgent situation, she and the Yongzhou Governor were now in the same boat. Rather than continuing to hide her identity and arousing suspicion, it was better to reveal who she was so they could quickly mobilize rescue forces for Xiao Li and Xiao Huiniang.

The Governor's wife assumed Wen Yu had come from Fengyang, and since she had also brought evidence of Huo Kun's crimes while maintaining remarkable composure throughout, the wife felt she had finally found someone to rely on. She steadied herself somewhat and said shamefacedly, "This is my husband's and my failure. Your Highness came to this place, yet we were completely unaware. That wolf-hearted Huo Kun's schemes were also revealed by Your Highness. We are truly ashamed..."

Just as Wen Yu was about to speak, a maid's voice suddenly came from outside the door: "My Lord."

This was followed by a middle-aged man's voice: "How is your mistress?"

The maid hesitated before answering: "The mistress... seems to have had a fright. She only has a maid brought by Madam Xu inside with her."

Moments later, the door opened, and Yongzhou Governor Zhou Jing'an entered the room wearing a crane-patterned Confucian robe.

In his early forties, with traces of white already visible at his temples, he was slender and sported the long beard favored by scholars. His sleeves billowed slightly, presenting quite an elegant and upright appearance. Upon entering, he called out: "My wife?"

Madam Zhou parted the bead curtain, signaled for the maid at the door to close it, then turned to Wen Yu and said: "Your Highness, my husband has arrived."

Zhou Jing'an had already sensed something amiss when he heard outside that his wife had only kept one of Madam Xu's maids with her. Now hearing his wife address the other person as "Your Highness," he immediately understood this was no ordinary person. Peering through the bead curtain, he caught only a glimpse of an exceptionally refined profile, wondering who this woman could be.

Then he heard his wife say: "Husband, quickly pay your respects to the Princess."

With the imperial family's lineage dwindling, before the late Emperor passed away, court officials and the Empress Dowager had scrutinized the royal genealogy repeatedly but couldn't find any legitimate descendants from the main line. Thus they selected Changlian Wang from a collateral branch to inherit the throne.

The only one who had been personally granted the title of Princess by the late Emperor was Changlian Wang's daughter - Princess Hanyang.Zhou Jing'an hastily bowed through the beaded curtain: "I did not know the Princess had graced us with your presence. This humble official failed to welcome you properly."

Wen Yu parted the beads and stepped out, saying: "Please rise quickly, Lord Zhou. I come today on a matter of utmost urgency."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jing'an's expression froze, and turbid tears immediately rolled down his weather-beaten eyes. He asked in a trembling voice: "Is Fengyang in peril?"

At the thought of the nation's fate and its mountains and rivers, grief appeared on his face. Choking up, he said: "Since learning that Luodu had fallen and the Prince retreated to Fengyang only to be besieged, I, hiding safely in this corner of Yongzhou, have never slept peacefully. Several times I wished to march north to rescue the royal family, but Yongzhou itself is surrounded by wolves on all sides. I fear that if I leave, I would plunge the people of Yongzhou into misery..."

Wen Yu said: "In these times of great chaos, the people suffer greatly. It is our Wen family's failure. You are the parent-official of Yongzhou; remaining here to protect its people is no fault. You need not blame yourself. My purpose in coming is not to ask you to reinforce Fengyang, but because I have learned that Huo Kun has surrendered to Pei Song and intends to kill you to take your place. I implore you to mobilize troops immediately and execute this traitor!"

Madam Zhou promptly presented her husband with Huo Kun's handwritten letter. Though somewhat calmer now, her fingertips still trembled: "This letter serves as proof."

After reading it, Zhou Jing'an felt shame, remorse, and anger: "Such a villain cannot be allowed to live!"

Wen Yu said: "Huo Kun already knows the letter is missing. A martyr is currently stalling him by falsely claiming to have the letter. If he realizes it's a trap, he will certainly become desperate. Lord Zhou, we have little time!"

Zhou Jing'an also recognized the urgency. He bowed to Wen Yu again and said: "Then I must trouble the Princess to rest in the residence for half a day. This official will immediately deploy troops. Once this traitor is executed, I shall return to apologize to the Princess!"

Clenching her fists, Wen Yu quickly added: "I have one more presumptuous request. Could you assign me several dozen men? That martyr's family has shown me kindness, and I wish to lead men to rescue him."

Zhou Jing'an hesitated slightly: "This... Huo Kun commands several battalions. If he counterattacks, I fear the Princess might come to harm outside. Perhaps the Princess could simply tell me the martyr's name and whereabouts, and I will send men to rescue him."

Wen Yu understood that in this critical situation, she should not further burden the Governor of Yongzhou. Yet she could not possibly abandon Xiao Li.

Since Zhou Jing'an's proposal was the safest course, she nodded and said: "The martyr's surname is Xiao, given name Li. His family is hiding in an abandoned house in the old alleys of the western city. He himself is likely serving as bait to lure Huo Kun's men at this moment. I beg you to send two groups quickly to rescue them."

Zhou Jing'an nodded: "I will give the orders immediately. Do not worry, Princess."

He then said to Madam Zhou: "Please manage affairs here, my lady. First, seal off all news and ensure no rumors spread."

Madam Zhou nodded: "I understand, husband. Please go."

Only then did Wen Yu feel the tension in her body ease slightly. But since the situation remained unresolved and that rogue's fate was unknown, her heart remained half-suspended.

After Zhou Jing'an left, Madam Zhou, seeing her still troubled, comforted her: "Do not worry, Princess. That martyr and his family are surely protected by fortune."

Wen Yu gazed at the fine snow that had begun falling outside the window and said: "May fortune indeed favor them."Han Tangzong, who had been dragged out in thin clothing and left to freeze for most of the night, was already suffering from a headache and fever by morning. But with such a crisis unfolding, his very life hung in the balance, and he dared not return home to rest.

All those in the gambling house who had been relatively close to Xiao Li, led by Zheng Hu and his crew, had been taken into custody by the authorities the previous night for questioning about Xiao Li's whereabouts. Only Hou Xiao'an remained unaccounted for.

The officials had demanded that he send people familiar with Xiao Li to assist in identifying him, so he dispatched all the remaining enforcers from the gambling house for their use.

Before the hour of Si had passed, the group that had been searching with the officials returned to the gambling house.

Han Tangzong, burning with fever and parched with thirst, lay in an armchair with a cloth draped over his forehead. He asked, "Well? Have they found the mother and son?"

The leader of the group replied, "No, we hadn't gotten far into the search of the old alleys in the western part of the city when the officials spotted Xiao Li at the southern city gate. Since they no longer needed us, we came back to report to you first."

He phrased it diplomatically, but Han Tangzong, preoccupied with saving his own skin, had no energy to question whether they had returned to avoid work or genuinely to report. His head throbbed painfully from the chill. Closing his eyes, he asked, "Did the officials retrieve what they needed from Xiao Li?"

The leader hesitated before answering, "I heard they haven't captured him yet—they've just trapped him in an alley near the southern city gate."

At this, Han Tangzong lifted his eyelids and asked, "Was his mother or his godmothers with him?"

The subordinate shook his head. "We didn't hear anything about seeing his mother."

Han Tangzong's shrewd, calculating eyes narrowed in thought. He muttered, "That doesn't make sense... The city gates were closed last night—they couldn't have escaped. And this morning, all four gates were heavily guarded. There's no way that mother and her brood could have left the city. If those whores aren't with him, where could they be hiding..."

Suddenly, as if grasping a thread of insight, he removed the cloth from his forehead and sat up slightly. "You just said—where had you searched when Xiao Li showed up?"

The head enforcer answered truthfully, "The old alleys in the western part of the city."

Han Tangzong immediately broke into a fit of coughing laughter, overjoyed. "Well, well! So it's a diversion tactic!"

The enforcers stayed silent. Realizing he had spoken carelessly, Han Tangzong coughed twice more and waved them away, signaling their dismissal.

The gambling house manager quickly caught on and said to the group, "You may leave now."

After everyone had exited, he fawned, "Are you saying... Xiao Li hid all his whore mothers in the old alleys of the western city?"

Han Tangzong squinted his aged eyes, certain. "No doubt about it. I watched that Xiao grow up. I've always wanted to use him precisely because his weaknesses are so easy to manipulate. He doesn't whore or gamble—every coin he earns with his fists either goes to medicine for his birth mother or into the hands of the madam at the Drunken Red Chamber, to make life easier for his godmothers there. A bunch of whores, and they've raised a filial son!"

His tone dripped with sarcasm. After a pause, he continued, "The authorities are searching the entire city for him. He doesn't show up early or late—only when they start searching the old alleys in the west. Isn't it obvious he's afraid they'll find his whore mothers?"

The gambling house manager then asked, "So, Proprietor, what do you suggest..."Han Tangzong covered the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief after coughing and said, "Go find those men who used to work under Wang Qing. Have them search the old alley in the west city for Xiao Li's prostitute mothers. If they can find my account book, I'll reward them heavily!"

Since Huo Kun hadn't captured Xiao Li yet, if he seized those women, he could force Xiao Li to surrender and also use this to curry favor with Huo Kun.

If he could directly obtain what Huo Kun wanted, then spending all the Han family's wealth to buy his own survival might not be a problem.

Where there is life, there is hope.

As long as he preserved his life, he could always earn back any amount of money.

The gambling house manager naturally understood why Han Tangzong wanted Wang Qing's former subordinates to handle this matter.

That bunch, like Wang Qing himself, never cared about morality - they'd commit any vile deed for money, be it murder or arson.

Han Tangzong had previously entrusted them with all his dirty work.

However, after Xiao Li split Wang Qing's skull that day and took power, he had gradually found excuses to drive these men out of the gambling house.

The enforcers remaining in the gambling house now, while not particularly loyal or virtuous, at least knew to leave some room in their actions.

Anyone could see that Xiao Li's situation resulted from Han Tangzong abandoning him. If Han Tangzong now ordered his current men to harass Xiao Li's mothers, it would be dishonorable, and they might hesitate to remain loyal to him afterward.

Therefore, for safety's sake, it was better to assign this task to Wang Qing's former subordinates.

Coincidentally, they all harbored some personal grudges against Xiao Li and would undoubtedly be more than willing to take the job.

The gambling house manager smiled flatteringly and said, "Proprietor, you are wise. If we find Xiao Li's mothers, even if the authorities can't capture him immediately, we'll have plenty of ways to force his compliance."

Blizzard fell thick as cotton floss, crow cries wept like mourning.

Xiao Li had taken an arrow to the shoulder and could barely stand, supporting himself on his sword while half-kneeling on the ground. Blood soaked through the cloth wrapped around the sword hilt in his hand, dripping continuously from the edges and quickly staining a small patch of mud red.

His sword-supporting hand trembled slightly - from complete exhaustion.

His eyes, silently fixed on the ground, were terrifyingly red, whether from blood trickling down from his forehead or truly bloodshot from killing.

From the wall at the alley's end to its entrance, blotchy bloodstains remained.

Some his, some others'.

The Huo family guards outside the alley put away their bows and told their companions, "He should be out of strength now. Drag him out."

The squad leader waved behind him, and immediately two officers entered the alley again.

The figure leaning against the wall at the far end was covered in blood, appearing like a trapped beast hunted down and drained of ferocity, ready for slaughter. Yet, perhaps provoked by the alley's thick blood smell, the two officers grew increasingly apprehensive the closer they advanced.

Author's Note: Need to make a thousand-word ranking list. The next chapter will be extra long and updated at 23:00 on the 10th. No need to keep refreshing for updates during this time, dear readers~

Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated nutrient solution from 2023-12-08 19:16:34 to 2023-12-09 02:13:42~

Thanks to the little angels who threw landmines: Jue Du Feng Zhou, Han Ye Ti Deng, 1 each;Thank you to the little angels who nourished me with nutrient solutions: Night 40 bottles; Cold Night Lantern Bearer 10 bottles; Cass is Wangzai 9 bottles; Yun Zhao 6 bottles; Seven Brocade Sunshine 5 bottles; Crying Pitifully, Linlang, Yun Dongya, Peppermint Scent, JenniferCA 1 bottle each;

Thank you all very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!