Chapter 169: CH 111

Accompanied by the cold, the snow descended and blanketed the earth.

Hua Zhu Yu had left the camp and was currently settled on a rock near the riverbank. Due to the drop in temperature, the river surface had condensed into a thin stretch of ice. A few birds were currently perched on the ice, wandering about in search of food. A careless move had landed one of them in the frigid waters and it was presently struggling to get back on land.

Since the war had ended, the army camp was calm and peaceful. With the appearance of this unexpected snowstorm, the military training sessions were also temporarily cancelled.

It was decided that Wang Yu was going to stay in Yangguan. Nangong Jue was promoted to a Vice General and he too was to remain in Yangguan to assist Wang Yu in guarding the border along with the Hu Battalion. Wang Yu had wanted Hua Zhu Yu to stay as well but she had declined because she was set on returning to the capital. However, she felt it was quite odd that Wang Yu did not press her. He readily agreed and did not force her to stay behind.

Hua Zhu Yu was pondering over these things as she sat there absentmindedly watching the birds on the ice. As a gust of wind blew past, flickers of snow were swept up, landing on her uniform.  

Hua Zhu Yu brushed the snow off herself and slowly stood. She then made her way back to the army camp. Upon her return, she noticed a large carriage at the entrance but she couldn’t see who was inside.

Her gaze shifted and she saw Ji Feng Li’s tent being taken apart, in addition to Jin Se’s. It appears they were leaving the army camp. The army was about to depart in 5 days, were they thinking of having a head start?

Hua Zhu Yu then saw the carriage curtains lift and Jin Se was assisted by Xu’Er down the carriage. Her beautiful face was bathed in the evening sunlight, like a flower blossoming under the pressing spring breeze.

Hua Zhu Yu felt a slight tug at her heart but she ignored it and quickly returned to her tent. Inside, it was dark and bleak. Hua Zhu Yu lit the candle and watched as the faint flame wavered, resembling her heart.

Gentles steps could be heard approaching her tent. The tent curtain lifted and a warm fragrant scent mixed with the cold breeze entered.

Hua Zhu Yu looked up and saw Jin Se. She smiled and said, “I knew you would come bid farewell. Are you returning to the capital ahead of time?”

Jin Se lifted the hem of her skirt and took a seat. Her complexion was a tad pale. She opened her mouth to speak but instead sighed. “Miss… I….”

Hua Zhu Yu felt something was off and teasingly said, “When did you pick up the habit of humming and hawing? What exactly is wrong?”

Jin Se had her head hung down for a while before she looked up at Hua Zhu Yu. “Miss, it’s not that we want to go back to the capital ahead of time. We are heading to the city of Yangguan for a few days. Lord Chancellor just said…” suddenly Jin Se stopped and bit her lower lip. “He said he wants to marry me before we return to the capital.”

Hua Zhu Yu was shocked and her hands tightened around the candle involuntarily. The heat slightly burned her hand and she quickly placed it down on the table. With a calm smile she said, “So it’s like that. I thought you were returning to the capital but you’re heading to the city. What day did you decide on?”

Seeing Hua Zhu Yu’s placid reaction, Jin Se suddenly walked up to her and asked, “Miss, you don’t hate me?”

Hua Zhu Yu’s smile froze and she slightly lowered her gaze, concealing the sense of loss within them. She held Jin Se’s hand and placed it in hers. “These few days I’ve had some time to think. Perhaps, Ji Feng Li is a good person as you said. For you to find a husband that you desire, how could I hate you. Though I do feel that this marriage announcement is quite sudden, but as long as you are happy. If you have already made a decision, I will not stop you. As long as you live well, I’m happy for you.”

“Miss…I…I…” Jin Se’s lips quivered and her eyes teared up. It seemed like she wanted to say something else but couldn’t form the words.

“What is it?” Hua Zhu Yu calmly asked with a smile.

Someone had knocked on the post outside and Xu’Er’s voice could be heard. “Miss, it’s getting late. Lord Chancellor is asking for you.”

Jin Se looked at Hua Zhu Yu and said earnestly, “You must come that day.”

“Alright, I’ll be there,” Hua Zhu Yu said with a reassuring smile.

“Then I’ll get going first,” Jin Se withdrew feeling relief in her heart.  

Hua Zhu Yu watched as Jin Se left, her figure slowly disappearing from view. The last rays of sunlight had faded and the curtains of nightfall swept down.

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Though there was a fire in the tent, the surrounding was enveloped in cold air.

Hua Zhu Yu brought out the chess board and took a seat near the fire. She had bought this chess board at the night market of Yangguan. Whenever she felt bored she would bring it out and play a game by herself. There wasn’t anyone in the Hu Battalion who played chess well so she was better off playing by herself.

The fire faintly illuminated half of her face. Her eyes were concentrated on the chess board in front of her, as though beside this game of chess, there was nothing else worth taking note in this world.

Inside the peaceful tent, only the crisp sound of the chess pieces being placed could be heard.

Moments later, black and white pieces had filled the board.

Hua Zhu Yu lifted her hand but she didn’t know where to place the black chess piece.

To her surprise, she had unintentionally recreated the chess match that she had played with Ji Feng Li that day.

The corners of her lips faintly lifted in self-mockery and she lightly placed the black chess piece down. With the brush of her sleeve, the chess pieces on the board scattered and she began to clean up, slowly putting everything back in the box.  

She no longer had the heart to continue playing.

***

At the start of winter, the city of Yangguan was lively and bustling.

Left Chancellor daren was getting married. This was huge news to the people of Yangguan. To be more precise, this was a big deal for Southern Kingdom entirely. But what the people of Yangguan found puzzling was that the marriage was kept very low-key.

The people assumed that it was because Left Chancellor daren had declined a marriage from the Southern Emperor previously, stating that he would not marry before the age of 30. As a result, the marriage was not celebrated with great fanfare but discreetly.

Everyone held great admiration for the woman that was to wed the Left Chancellor today. What kind of woman could make the grand Left Chancellor go back on his promise!

Yangguan’s Magistrate intended to lend Ji Feng Li his residence to hold the wedding ceremony but Ji Feng Li had refused and bought a simple residence north of the city to hold the celebration. Today the residence was decorated in dazzling red colors, exuding joy and jubilation.

Hua Zhu Yu was not planning on attending the wedding. All the other commanders had received an invitation from Ji Feng Li except her. But even if she didn’t receive one she still must go.

There was no other reason other then for Jin Se’s sake.

Jin Se was her good sister. Because of her, Jin Se had to hide her identity. If Jin Se were to claim her identity as the Northern Kingdom’s princess, her marriage would be grand and magnificent. Her family would be present to celebrate the happy occasion with her  but today only Hua Zhu Yu had come.

As the sun was gradually setting, Hua Zhu Yu and the other commanders arrived at Ji Feng Li’s residence. Tang Yu was there to greet them with smiles. When he saw Hua Zhu Yu he was slightly surprised.

Today they were not in their military uniforms. On the battlefield, with everyone wearing identical uniforms, they all pretty much looked the same. Now without their uniforms, they all displayed their own unique temperament.

Hua Zhu Yu was dressed in a simple silver robe which she had bought for the occasion at a small shop in Yangguan. Since it was not tailored, it was a bit loose, making her appear tall and graceful. Beneath the faint glow of the candlelight, she appeared as elegant as the moon yet cold and solitary as the night frost.

Tang Yu was slightly in a daze witnessing the spear-brandishing Commander Bao change into a refined gentleman. He couldn’t help but stare blankly until Hua Zhu Yu had walked pass before he remembered that Lord Chancellor had specifically instructed him not to extend an invitation to Commander Bao. But the person had already arrived so what was he to do?

Hua Zhu Yu entered the courtyard with the rest of the people. Inside, the main hall was filled with guests, mostly high ranked military personnels.

“This general congratulates Lord Chancellor on your marriage!”

“Congratulations Lord Chancellor!”

People chimed in to give their congratulations.

Hua Zhu Yu looked around the hall and saw Left Chancellor Ji Feng Li standing there conspicuously.  

Under the warm light of the lanterns, his red robes were bright and splendid. Dazzling enough to sting her eyes. Amidst the lively crowd of guests, as though separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, their gaze met for a fleeting moment before they both quickly averted their gaze.

“Congratulations Lord Chancellor.” Hua Zhu Yu lowered her gaze and gave her greetings. Afterwards, she followed the rest of the commanders to their seats.

In that moment, the gentle smile on Ji Feng Li’s lips slightly stiffen.

The auspicious hour had yet to arrive. Everyone in the hall was conversing merrily with the beat of the drums and music in the background. Hua Zhu Yu felt a bit stuffy and uncomfortable.

“You, you… why are you here?” a stammering voice laced with fury sounded, accompanied by a strong smell of alcohol and a finger pointed in her direction way.

Hua Zhu Yu turned around and saw that it Lan Bing.

The ceremony had yet to begin yet Lan Bing was already drunk. His clothes were disoriented and his hair was a mess. His face was slightly red as he held a gourd full of wine in his hand.

“You… you, why did you come? You want to make a commotion? Leave, leave..” Lan Bing pointed at Hua Zhu Yu and exclaimed. He was unsteady as he tried to push her.

Perhaps because the hall was so noisy that no one paid attention to how much Lan Bing had drunk. The other commanders saw this and quickly stood up to assist.

“What’s wrong? Today is Lord Chancellor’s happy occasion, why did you drink so much?” a commander pulled Lan Bing aside and asked.

Lan Bing hit his head and cried out.

“Isn’t his tolerance very high?” a general asked. They had never seen him drunk before so everyone was quite surprised.

They intended to pull him out but he struggled in their grasp and threw the gourd at Hua Zhu Yu.

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Hua Zhu Yu twisted her body and the gourd flew past her, landing on the ground in pieces. The smell of alcohol enveloped the air as Lan Bing cried out, “If it wasn’t for you, Si’Er wouldn’t…”

“Lan Bing!” Ji Feng Li called out. Though his voice wasn’t loud it was able to overwhelm the room.

“Escort him out and sober him up!”  Ji Feng Li light voice was like the wind that carried a slight chill. Lan Bing’s complexion paled and his eyes seemed to have cleared up but he still allowed the people to take him out.

Standing there, Hua Zhu Yu sighed in her heart. If she guessed correctly, Lan Bing must have developed feelings for Jin Se.  

“Commander Bao, why don’t you leave first? Or take a stroll in the streets!” Tang Yu quietly suggested in Hua Zhu Yu’s ear.

That’s fine. In the end she did come.

She smiled and replied, “Alright.” She calmly left the hall, not bothering to look back at the man in the red robes.

Once outside, she took a deep breath. The fresh air dispersed the stuffy feeling in her chest.

It was already nighttime and the moon was clear and radiant. She walked past the rows of red lanterns and left the residence.

She was about to take a stroll through the streets when she suddenly heard the low whistle of a bird call coming from the roof of the opposing building. She furrowed her brows and went back to take her horse and rode down the streets.

After the war, Yangguan was still in the midst of recovery. Along the whole street there was only one tavern open. When she arrived, she hopped off the horse and left it to one of the tavern’s servant and quickly made her way to the second floor.

She ordered for pot of hot tea and waited. Soon after, a person quietly took a seat opposite of her. It was none other than Ping Lao Da.

“Why are you here?” Is something urgent?” Hua Zhu Yu asked. Unless there were pressing matters, he wouldn’t personally seek her out.

Ping Lao Da nodded solemnly and pulled out a letter from his sleeve, handing it to Hua Zhu Yu. “I just received this and rushed over as soon as I can. I’m afraid we can’t stay here much longer.”

Hua Zhu Yu took the letter and opened it. Under the dim candlelight of the tavern, she carefully read the letter. Her breathing slowly became heavier. The hand clutching the letter slightly quivered as her complexion turned dark.

She dared not believe what was written in the letter. But hadn’t she been thinking this all along? Now that there was evidence to confirm it, why didn’t she want to believe it?

Why?

Each word was like a dagger aimed at her heart. Her whole body felt numb and cold. “There hadn’t been any news in so long, how did you suddenly find this out?” Hua Zhu Yu calmed down and asked.

“It was Dan Hong who figured it out, she…..” Ping Lao Da suddenly paused. His brows knitted as a trace of sorrow fleeted across his eyes.

“What’s happened to Dang Hong?” Hua Zhu Yu asked coldly.

“She originally concealed her identity and entered the Palace during the selection. She became a palace maid. I thought she would remain as one but recently, in order to investigate, she got close to Huangfu Wu Shang and became his imperial concubine. She had followed Huangfu Wu Shang to the royal study of the previous emperor once and stole a secret letter. It was written obscurely and took time to decipher but she figured out it was from the Left Chancellor. “ Pin Lao Da said in a lowered voice.

Each sentence of Ping Lao Da was like a stroke of thunder striking against her heart.

Dan Hong became Huangfu Wu Shang’s imperial concubine. Dan Hong stole the secret letter… Dan Hong…

Hua Zhu Yu felt very cold. In her heart, waves of emotions surged and it took some time for her to settle down.

She didn’t think that Dan Hong would sacrifice herself for her. At the beginning when she knew that Dan Hong was participating in the Palace selection, she thought of letting Huangfu Wu Shuang select Dan Hong. That way, she could protect Dan Hong’s innocence. But Huangfu Wu Shuang was met with disaster and his life was hard to preserve. Yet, Dan Hong she….  

Hua Zhu Yu closed her eyes and the surrounding became deadly silent. In front of her was a scene of endless blood, dark, red and despairing.

After a long moment, she finally opened her eyes and lifted the letter to the flame. It was engulfed in fire as it slowly burnt to ashes.

The brilliance of the flame reflected in her eyes, a dark, red frosty chill. One couldn’t help but shudder from the sight.

She reached for the sword on Ping Lao Da’s waist. Tonight, she didn’t bring any weapons because she was attending the wedding banquet. She pulled the sword out from its sheath. The blade pierced through the air like the cries of a grieving ghost.  

“General, in the letter An asked about the war. It seems no one in the capital is aware we have defeated Northern Kingdom, Perhaps Ji Feng Li has suppressed this news.” Ping Lao Da said.

Hua Zhu Yu nodded and her eyes narrowed. “This proves that he doesn’t have complete control over the affairs of the capital yet. There are more than 100,000 troops in the capital and this military power is not in his hands.”  

“General, how about we send the news back to the capital,” Ping Lao Da said after contemplation.

“There’s no rush. Tonight, I want to bring another person along with us,” Hua Zhu Yu replied.

“Who?” Ping Lao Da asked puzzled.

“Jin Se,” Hua Zhu Yu answered.

“Who is she?” Ping Lao Da only knew she was Ying Shu Xie but was unaware that she was Hua Mu’s daughter, so naturally he didn’t know Jin Se.

“She’s Rong Si, the person who’s about to marry Ji Feng Li. She’s… an old friend of mine. If Ji Feng Li is that kind of person, I can’t let her marry him.”

Ping Lao Da nodded. He had complete trust in Hua Zhu Yu and always followed her orders without question.

“How do we rescue her? Today is the grand wedding. There are many military officials present. Even if the Orphan Army was present, it would be very difficult to take her away.” Ping Lao Da said with concern. He wasn’t the only one hiding in the army, there were also a few members of the Orphan Army.

Hua Zhu Yu thought for a moment before placing the sword back in its sheath. Then she stood and replied, “There’s only one way, abduct the bride.”

“Abduct the bride? How would we do that?” Ping Lao Da appallingly asked. Isn’t this is even more difficult than kidnapping ordinary people?

“You don’t have to worry. I’ll do it myself.” In order not to cause suspicion, she must do this alone. Only she could do this. On the battlefield, she had risked her life to save Jin Se. So many people in the army already had speculations that she had feelings for Jin Se.

If she were to show up and stop this wedding, it would not cause suspicion.

Of course, she did not expect to be able to take Jin Se from Ji Feng Li successfully. She could only hope that Jin Se understood her intentions for disrupting the wedding and refuse to marry Ji Feng Li.

That was the only way.

It was late in the night and the moon was shining brightly like a pearl in the night sky. In Ji Feng Li’s temporary residence, lively music and festivities could be heard.

With Ping’s sword at her waist, Hua Zhu Yu entered the residence, stepping on the vibrant red carpet. To her ears, the jovial melody was particularly harsh and those ‘happiness’ characters plastered on the wall were bloody-red to her eyes.

There were many guests present in the main hall, clapping merrily as the ceremony took place, presided by an official.

“The auspicious hour has arrived, may the bride and groom kowtow to the heaven and earth…”

“First kowtow to the heaven and earth then….”

“Wait!” a clear, cold voice sounded outside the hall, interrupting the official.

Everyone was caught by surprise. The music and chatter within the hall all instantly went quiet. Everyone turned around to see who it was. Beneath the vibrant lights of the main hall, Hua Zhu Yu was approaching step by step. She was dressed in a silver attire with her dark hair bounded by a band of the same color. Though the outfit was plain, it did not conceal her brilliant aura.

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As she approached, her robes billowed along with the night wind. Her body seemed to be covered in a layer of mist as she emerged from the shadows of the night and entered the hall. Her clear eyes flashed with a sharp radiance and the smile upon her lips was dangerous yet beautiful as a poppy flower.

“Commander Bao, what are you doing?” General Wang Yu hastily stepped forward and asked in confusion.

Hua Zhu Yu halted her step and swept her gaze across the hall. With a casual smile she said, “This old man1 came to snatch the bride!” The words were spoken carelessly yet held a covert charm and force.

Originally, the hall was already silent but it became deadly mute. It took a moment for the words to settle in before a reaction could be seen.

Commander Bao came to snatch the bride? And the bride was actually the Left Chancellor’s! What made people even more appalled was that Hua Zhu Yu was a eunuch. Even a eunuch had the audacity to snatch a bride!

How could people not be stunned!

“Commander Bao must be drunk, ha ha … if you’re drunk quickly go sober up. Someone, come escort Commander Bao out!” Wang Yu quickly gave the order.

Hua Zhu Yu silently flashd a cold smile. Beneath her wide sleeve, her hand rested upon the sword’s handle tightened and she quickly unsheathed the sword. She slowly moved it across her lips and lightly blew.  “General Wang, you should quickly tell everyone to leave. My sword isn’t keen on drawing blood!”

Wang Yu was dumbfounded. He had thought Hua Zhu Yu was jesting but seeing her current appearance he quickly realized he was wrong.

“Everyone can leave!” Ji Feng Li light voice sounded in the hall.

Seeing the current situation, everyone followed orders and left the main hall. Soon, a pair of bride and groom, in dazzling red wedding attires appeared in front of Hua Zhu Yu. 

t/n

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