Chapter 36: CH 36

Posted on February 4, 2017 by therealaphye

Hua Zhu Yu dreamed. In her dream there were many faces, so familiar that they couldn’t possibly be more familiar. They floated around her, before finally combining into a scarlet red scene filled with misery and sorrow.

When Hua Zhu Yu awoke, she already arrived at Xiao Yin’s taizi residence and was currently at the manor she had lived in as a siqin.

In this type of unfamiliar place, she couldn’t even be sad. She could only place her past in the past and deeply hide all her pain and sorrows in the depths of her heart. Only when it was the dead of the night and in a place with no one around could she taste that lingchi-like pain alone.

（linchi is a type of ancient punishment in China in which someone is slowly killed and tortured by being cut off pieces of flesh one by one)

The wounds on her body weren’t serious, but because she caught a cold, and the blood around her heart had frozen slightly, she was sick for a number of days. When she finally recovered, it was already in the middle of the fourth month. The originally lush and rich plants now suddenly carried the wild feeling of late spring.

The hurricane of the north wind carried a thick layer of sand as it unrestrainedly blew past with coldness like frozen blades. It blew for two days straight. When it was the third day, snow began falling. At first, it was bead-like snow, however it slowly turned into sky of snow that fluttered like the falling of flower petals, like the dance of butterflies. After snowing like this for two days, everywhere was covered with white and messy snow. It was no different from winter.

The people in taizi residence all began to wear fox fur coats, while their rooms were all heated with braziers.

Ancient Chinese Brazier

Hua Zhu Yu couldn’t help but sigh. The North Kingdom’s weather was really like an imponderable human heart – the originally warm and pleasant weather had suddenly become an a world of ice and snow.

Back when Xiao Yin had gone to the the South Kingdom to select a concubine, the North Kingdom commoners had all said that the North Kingdom’s atmosphere was unfit for South Kingdom people to live in. That sentence was indeed correct. With this type of suddenly cold suddenly warm weather, how would a secluded rich miss that lived in the comfortable weather of North Kingdom’s Yu City be able to stand it? No wonder they all rejected going to the North.

Ever since Hua Zhu Yu awoke, she hadn’t seen Xiao Yin. Although when it snowed, he had Hui Xue come and give her a fox skin dachang. Now, Hui Xue always accompanied her – almost like she had become her personal maid. Hui Xue still addressed her as Dan Hong. As for her trip to Liang Province, Hui Xue never asked about it.。

This sudden blizzard had quite a big impact on the North Kingdom. Many domestic animals of the nomadic tribes had frozen and starved to death. These days, Xiao Yin had not been in the residence at all and it was rumored that he was busy with the matters of the victims of the blizzard.

This day in the afternoon, when Hua Zhu Yu and Hui Xue were lighting up the fire, Hua Zhu Yu heard from Hui Xue that Xiao Yin was not only busy with such matters, but battles were beginning.

The three grassland tribes unwilling to acknowledge allegiance to the North Kingdom, He Qiang Tribe, Keerku Tribe, and Duo Lin Tribe, had formed an alliance. Making use of the sudden arrival of the blizzard, they had attacked the herdsman in many of the North Kingdom’s tribes. Xiao Yin had personally led 20 thousand soldiers to go on a punitive expedition.

“This time, His Highness has decided to recapture those three tribes.” Hui Xue softly said as she sat in front of the brazier, weaving.

Hua Zhu Yu – who was still on the bed – couldn’t help but smiled self-deprecatingly.

So it turns out that Xiao Yin had indeed not placed any importance her promise. For a person as arrogant as him, he indeed was not willing to rely on a woman’s help, or maybe, he had never trusted her at all. Since this is so, why did he let her go to the South Kingdom that day?

Hua Zhu Yu was unable to understand.

“Then, how have the battles gone?” Hua Zhu Yu asked.

“Those three tribes can be considered rather large tribes on the grassland, and so, their soldiers and cavalry are all very valiant. According the scout’s report, even though our strength has been decreased slightly by the recent battle with the South Kingdom, however, with His Highness’s prowess, he already reached Ku Er River and both armies are in the middle of a confrontation on opposing sides of the river. Although, I think that His Highness will definitely be able to win and take over their land. This time, His Highness’s will to recapture the three tribes is very strong.” Hue Xue said in a low voice.

Hue Xue nodded. These three tribes were all Xiao Yin’s main concerns. He was probably thinking about recapturing them all the time. Only, since the North Kingdom hasn’t been able to recapture them all these years, these three tribes are probably not easy to deal with. This time, how can it be easy?

Hua Zhu Yu knit her eyebrows. There was a river between the two armies, how would he pursue and attack? Although, with this type of weather, the river was probably frozen with a thick layer of ice, and so, going past the river would be possible.

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Hua Zhu Yu got up and wore the fox skin dachang, saying to Hui Xue: “I’ve been indoors for too long, let’s go outside to walk a little.”

The courtyard was filled with the snowflakes, like the petals of viburnum macrocephalum, that swayed and glittered under the sun. The thick snow turned the house eaves and tree branches white. The flower trees that had already bloomed with flowers was now being ruined by the vicious wind and snow. One of the tree’s sporadic appearance was a spectacle too horrible to endure.

Viburnum macrocephalum f. keteleeri

There were maids currently sweeping away the snow in the courtyard. Their brooms were soft, and so when they swept at the thick snow, it was quite tiring.

As Hua Zhu Yu watched, she suddenly thought of a time in her childhood when she lived in Yu City. That year was extremely cold, and in the winter, it had snowed greatly. Yu City rarely ever snowed in the winter. That snowfall was extremely new to the citizens of Yu City, especially the children. The children would throw away their fear of the cold as that ran outside to play snowball wars. However, that snowfall was very large. It had continuously snowed for 3 days, leaving behind thick snow that was very hard to sweep away.

In the end, the servants of some aristocratic families had sprinkled salt on the snow, causing the snow to melt very quickly.

As she though of this, Hua Zhu Yu was suddenly struck by an idea.

“Hui Xue, are there places that produce salt in the territories of the three tribes?”

“There are. One of the regions in the He Qiang tribe’s territory is Qing Long. That place produces white lake salt, bright and translucent. On the grassland, there is name of “Qing Long Salt”. With this type of weather, if you look into the depths of the salt lake and beneath the pure white snow, there was be layers of translucent and sparkling white salt. It’s extremely pretty.

When Hua Zhu Yu heard, her eyebrows were knit tighter.

“Dan Hong, are you uncomfortable?”Hui Xue frowned with concern.

Hua Zhu Yu stroked the white fox fur coat and said: “I hope the matter will not turn out to be what I think it is. Hui Xue, do you think the crown prince will cross the river to seize their camp tonight?”

Hui Xue thought for a bit and then said: “Probably!”

“Hui Xue, I want to go to the battlefield. If I go late, there may be mishaps!” The depths of Hua Zhu Yu’s clear eyes shone with the ripple of waves.

She had promised Xiao Yin that she would help him recapture the tribes that were unwilling to submit to the North Kingdom. Even though he looked down upon her help, however, she still wanted to abide by her promise.

“Okay. I’ll order people to prepare a horse!” Hui Xue agreed and left to prepare the horse.

Right before His Highness the crown prince left, he had ordered her to listen to all of Dan Hong’s orders. And so, since she (Hua Zhu Yu) suddenly wanted to go to the battlefield, she (Hui Xue) can only comply.

That afternoon, Hua Zhu Yu and Hui Xue led ten or so bodyguards and galloped towards the battlefield, continuously running from the afternoon to night.

The north wind was still blowing by and wrecking havoc, the night sky was black and oppressive, the dense black clouds lowered the sky, the moon and stars all hid behind the clouds. Not one sliver of light passed through. This type of night is indeed the best time to lay a surprise attack and seize an enemy’s camp.

However, if Xiao Yin is tricked into the enemy’s plan, it will be over.

Hua Zhu Yu urged her horse to go faster as she asked: “Hui Xue, is there any other ways to quickly inform the crown prince?”

Hui Xue’s voice fretfully came from the darkness: “His Highness’s gyrfalcon and some trained eagles. However, today, they are all on the battlefield.”

That’s right. Right now, only the battlefield needs to transmit messages. What use could the females in the residence possibly have for information?

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