Chapter 11: Galloping Through the Night

Fetch her? To where?

The sky stretched high and clear, where several eagles soared, scattering the white clouds in their wake.

Their piercing cries mingled with bursts of cheers from the ground, breathing boundless vitality into this barren land.

On the training ground, soldiers crowded in layers upon layers, all eager to witness General Xuan thoroughly thrash those veterans who had long “bullied” them.

Yuchi Meng bore the brunt of it, suffering the worst beating.

Though only twenty-one, he had already followed the general for five years, with both seniority and skills beyond reproach.

He never showed mercy when drilling new recruits, earning him the private nickname of “Living Yama.”

After being thrown flat on his back seven times in a row by the general—nearly knocking out his front teeth—he scrambled up, covered in dust, and waved his hands frantically. “General, why keep picking on me alone? There’s a whole line of others waiting over there!”

He pointed to the side, and the surrounding crowd instinctively stepped back, faces etched with terror.

Yuchi Meng spat out a mouthful of blood, trembling as he stared at his still-furious leader. In a rough voice, he pleaded, “Boss, have mercy! I need to keep my life to find a wife someday!”

Xuan Rui had barely slept last night, and after receiving that covert report, all drowsiness vanished. He tossed aside his spear and returned to his tent, his expression dark as a well.

Hanging directly above the strategy hall was an enormous map of Daliang.

It was dotted with various colors marking different vassal states.

The crimson represented Daliang itself, shaped like a jade belt. It originated from the Yan River in the southeast and, over centuries of expansion westward and northward, had formed the vast central plains it was today.

Marked in gold to the southwest was Li Zhen. Conquered by Duke Sima’s forces two decades prior, it had since become a vassal state of Daliang.

Though lacking in martial prowess, Li Zhen was immensely wealthy, hailed as the “Land of Gold.”

Daliang had established over a hundred gold mining sites there, dispatching tens of thousands of workers annually. Not only were they encouraged to settle and multiply locally, but the extracted gold was continuously shipped back to Daliang.

In the northwestern desert region, three colors dominated: white, crimson, and black.

Crimson dots denoted tribes that had submitted to Daliang; white dots indicated territories under King Bai’s rule; black represented neutral zones.

Despite the endless yellow sands of the northwest, it boasted inexhaustible spices and gemstones, serving as a gateway to an even broader continent.

Most critically, the northwestern peoples excelled in horseback archery. Their major tribes were well-armed and robust, with these “barbarians” towering over the central plainsfolk and possessing an inherently aggressive nature. Their constant raids plagued the border communities relentlessly.

If Daliang’s past campaign against Li Zhen was driven by greed for its golden treasures, the protracted struggle with the northwest was to safeguard border peace and protect their own lands from invasion.

Over the years, the rivalry between Zhenbei Wang and King Bai had never ceased. Each viewed the other as a natural enemy, striving to defeat their opponent within their lifetime.

And Xuan Rui was now the sharpest blade in Zhenbei Wang’s arsenal.

Just this morning, he had received a covert plea for help from the vassal state of Rou Lan.

Last night, with King Bai’s support, Prince Ka’er—the younger brother of the Rou Lan king—had murdered his elder brother, seized the throne, and imprisoned both the Daliang-appointed garrison commander and the family of the former Rou Lan king.

Along with this news came a letter from his adoptive father, explicitly forbidding him from sending aid to Rou Lan.

King Bai was cunning and treacherous. He knew his adoptive father’s concern was that the other party might deliberately lure him into a trap, then catch him like a turtle in a jar.

But Rou Lan was a territory he had led troops to conquer three years ago, and the garrison commander stationed there was also his trusted subordinate. Now that their lives were hanging in the balance, he had no choice but to rescue them.

The tiger tally was in his adoptive father’s hands, so he couldn’t mobilize more than three thousand troops, while the Rou Lan Kingdom had a hundred thousand cavalry.

Moreover, if King Bai were to join forces with Prince Ka’er in a pincer attack, they would find it difficult to escape alive.

Just then, Yuchi Meng lifted the tent flap and strode in, exclaiming loudly, “General, I just saw that fellow Xiao Ziqi gathering a team of elites and preparing supplies. Are we taking action today?”

Xuan Rui glanced at the burly man before him, his brow slightly furrowed.

He hadn’t planned to hide this from him anyway.

In a few casual words, he explained, “Rou Lan has rebelled. Without the prince’s military order, we cannot deploy troops. But Xiao Ziyan and the others are currently missing, and Xiao Ziqi is his biological brother. It’s only natural for him to go to their rescue.”

Upon hearing this, Yuchi Meng took a moment to process the meaning.

It meant that everyone was going to Rou Lan to rescue them—except him.

His face flushed bright red instantly, as if he had suffered the greatest injustice, and he shouted, “General, why didn’t you just beat me to death on the training ground? It’s not like I’m of any use anyway!”

Seeing him throw a fit, Xuan Rui said coldly, “If I beat you to death, I’d have to pay compensation to support your large family.”

Back when Yuchi Meng had enlisted, it was because he had no money to treat his father’s illness.

Xuan Rui, seeing his potential, had personally given him ten gold coins to settle his parents and younger siblings.

From then on, Yuchi Meng had followed him with unwavering loyalty.

Over the years, he had fought in battles and never retreated, no matter how perilous the situation.

“General, this mission is truly dangerous. I must go with you!” Yuchi Meng, worried that the general would leave him behind, was on the verge of tears.

Xuan Rui shook his head and walked straight out of the tent. As he passed Yuchi Meng, he coolly tossed out a remark, “Danger isn’t the issue. Go see how Ziqi and the others are preparing, and then think about whether you can go or not.”

Yuchi Meng had always felt that Xiao Ziqi, that scoundrel, was adept at using his silver tongue to win the general’s favor, while he himself lost out because he wasn’t good with words.

When he found their gathering spot and intended to confront Xiao Ziqi, he was taken aback to see a group of elegantly dressed, handsome young men.

The most striking among them was none other than the smooth-talking, cunning strategist Xiao Ziqi.

Usually, everyone wore iron armor, making it impossible to tell who was handsome and who was plain. Even with their helmets off, their faces were covered in yellow dust, and their skin was sallow.

Now, with their faces washed clean, they looked fresh and bright, a sight to behold.

Xiao Ziqi, at the head of the group, wore a dark blue robe and had just fastened the jade belt at his waist. A gold-inlaid jade pendant hung steadily at his side, and he held an elegant folding fan, embodying the image of a refined young nobleman.

But the moment he spoke, his thick northern accent snapped Yuchi Meng back to reality: “Brother Yuchi, for this mission, we’re disguising ourselves as a merchant convoy from the Central Plains. The general’s orders are clear—only fair-faced young men are allowed. If you try to sneak in, you might just get us all killed!”

The contrast was too stark for Yuchi Meng to bear. He returned to his tent, fetched a basin of water to look at his reflection, and felt his heart grow even colder.

By evening, the convoy was fully prepared. Having been assigned only guard duty for the camp, he could only watch wistfully as the General set out with thirty elite troops.

~

Before falling asleep last night, Li Youqing had deliberately tied her left wrist to the bedpost with a silk scarf, fastening it in a tight knot.

This way, when she woke, she would know whether she had truly been sleepwalking.

Perhaps due to the extreme fright Xuan Rui had caused her, leaving her utterly exhausted, she slept remarkably soundly. Not only did she have no dreams, but she didn’t even change her sleeping position.

The silk scarf around her wrist remained intact, with no signs of struggle.

As for the Love Gu and the claims of sleepwalking—who could say whether they were true or false? Perhaps it was just some twisted amusement of that perverse man.

Today, the fragrance wafting through the room was unusually strong. She had initially assumed it was ordinary sandalwood, but upon noticing Hua Ping adding something to the incense burner, she learned it was a unique spice from the northwest called qietan.

Suddenly, the feeling of being truly alone in a foreign land washed over her. Holding her breath, she buried her head deeply in the quilt.

Hua Ping glimpsed the smooth, dark hair spread across the pillow and the small feet peeking out from under the covers, and her heart softened.

Forgetting the cold treatment she had received the previous night, she volunteered that General Xuan had left early in the morning and would be spending the entire day at the military training camp.

Li Youqing silently breathed a sigh of relief. With this half-day of freedom, she needed to carefully consider her next steps.

This whole affair had begun when she learned from Zhang Heng that the Crown Prince intended to gift her to Zhenbei Wang. At the time, inexperienced and unaware of how complex the outside world could be, she had impulsively fled in a moment of panic.

Now, if she wished to return to the capital, she had to find someone capable of restraining the Crown Prince.

Years ago, her maternal grandfather had been honored by the late emperor as Marshal Sima for his achievements in pacifying the southwest. Both of her uncles now held high positions in the court.

If she sought refuge with her grandfather and informed him of the Crown Prince’s plans to collaborate with Zhenbei Wang, the Sima Family, in their efforts to bring down the Crown Prince, would surely do everything in their power to retrieve her and expose his crimes.

Yet Li Youqing simply couldn’t bring herself to do it—not because she retained any sibling affection for Li Jing, but because she loathed any connection to her mother.

The chasm between mother and daughter was one she could never cross.

To survive, she could humble herself before strange men, even sacrifice her own purity.

But when it came to matters involving her maternal family, Li Youqing found it impossible to act rationally.

Better to be a shattered vessel of jade than an unbroken tile.

Aside from her grandfather’s household, who else in the capital could she turn to?

Suddenly, a thought struck her—

The Crown Prince’s teacher, Jin Fengru.

The Jin family was one of the four great clans of Daliang, with accomplished descendants spread far and wide. In particular, Jin Cheng, the eldest legitimate grandson, stood out as a paragon of noble refinement.

For generations, this illustrious family had upheld the duty of protecting the imperial bloodline and upholding righteousness. They would never stand idly by while Li Jing committed such inhuman acts against a member of the royal family.

She would write a letter and find a way to have it delivered to Grand Tutor Jin.

After pondering for a long while, she grew drowsy following the evening meal and was about to take a short nap when Hua Ping rushed in, saying, “Miss, please change your clothes quickly. The General has sent someone to fetch you.”

Fetch her? To where?

Li Youqing’s brow furrowed. She wondered what new torment he had devised for her by summoning her from the residence at this hour.

This man was nothing but a madman, engaging in utterly inhuman deeds. Once she reclaimed her identity as a princess, she would not let him off lightly.

Though inwardly cursing him relentlessly, she obediently changed into a long-sleeved ruqun dress and followed the attendant outside.

A carriage, elegantly adorned, was already waiting at the entrance. After boarding, Li Youqing found herself quite pleased with its interior arrangement.

Within the space large enough to accommodate two or three people, there was a soft couch, a narrow table, and octagonal cabinets on both sides holding water pouches and dried provisions.

Scattered across the narrow table were two books. She glanced at them and was surprised to find one was the extremely renowned Tiangong Kaiwu from the previous dynasty.

She had just settled onto the soft couch when the carriage abruptly sped off.

The crisp, untouched scent in the carriage told her the man had not yet been inside. Relieved, she lay back comfortably and picked up a book to skim through.

Rocked by the carriage’s swaying motion, she soon began to feel drowsy.

As night fell, occasional horse neighs echoed from outside. She lifted the side curtain and peered out, greeted by a sky full of stars shimmering with a cold, distant glow.

On such a desolate night, the company of brilliant stars made loneliness feel less oppressive.

Besides, she had never been loved by anyone to begin with—what did it matter if she was lonely or not? Her mother had been this way, and so had her Imperial Brother.

Though exhaustion weighed heavily on her, she dared not sleep—nor could she.

The barren, cold place within her grew increasingly distinct. In that moment, she even began to empathize with the vast desert outside—as desolate and lifeless as her own heart.

Suddenly, without warning, a rough, large hand reached through the carriage curtain, accurately gripping a protruding part of the inner wall.

Xuan Rui’s tall figure leaped inside, abruptly crashing into her field of vision.

Li Youqing shrieked in terror, shrinking back on the soft couch with nowhere to retreat, only to have that same large hand clamp over her mouth.

The man’s dark, intense eyes were like a starry night sky. Her palm-sized face was now almost entirely obscured, leaving only her pleading eyes visible, fixed on him in a silent appeal for mercy.