She has arrived
Ye Youqing wiped the blood off her face: “What are your orders? To capture me and bring me back to the capital, or to take this opportunity to silently kill me?”
The man was at a loss for words for a moment. He sheathed his sword behind him and bowed his head, saying: “It was not specified, but I am also acting under orders. Please, miss, do not make this difficult.”
“Difficult?” Ye Youqing raised her chin and gestured with her eyes to the dozens of imperial guards following behind him. She suddenly chuckled lightly, “How could I make this difficult for you?”
The face under the man’s helmet flushed slightly. He averted his gaze and then waved his hand. The imperial guards behind him swarmed forward, pulling Ye Youqing’s hands behind her back, winding chains around them, and locking them with a padlock.
The chains were so heavy that she nearly fell backward. A guard grabbed her by the shoulder and pressed her down, helping her to stand firmly.
The chains were icy cold, chilling to the touch. They rubbed against her originally fair and slender wrists, causing pain within moments. The wound on her arm was still bleeding, and half of her body was already numb.
Ye Youqing closed her eyes and endured it.
“Report!” A voice came from the stairs. A man climbed up the city wall, cupped his hands, and bowed in front of the man, “General Dai, the Western Xia army is no match for our forces and has begun to retreat. Should we pursue them?”
“Drive them out of the borders of Weizhou. The army is exhausted from days of marching and cannot engage in a prolonged battle. We will stay in Weizhou to rest and recuperate, and attack Yuanzhou in a few days.” The man sternly commanded with his hands behind his back.
“Yes, General!” The man turned to leave but was called back by the man.
“The Iron Cavalry disappeared?” the man asked.
“Yes, they blended into the enemy forces, making them indistinguishable. Moreover, it was night, and they disappeared shortly after. Should we…”
The man fell silent, staring at Ye Youqing for a moment before shaking his head. “Forget it, first clean up the remnants.”
The subordinate received the order and left, while Ye Youqing also raised her head. Her face was bloodless and pale, but her eyes remained clear as she scrutinized the man. “It seems the Emperor not only wants my life but also intends to seize the opportunity to bring back the Iron Cavalry?”
The man’s lips moved slightly, but he did not speak.
“He callously discard the donkey after unloading the millstone, burn bridges after crossing the river. As the ruler of an empire, is he not afraid of being mocked by his subjects?” Ye Youqing’s voice deepened with contempt.
“You!” A guard behind her stepped forward and shoved her, nearly causing her to fall. The man reached out to support her, but she sidestepped and steadied herself with difficulty.
“Stop.” The man frowned and scolded. Only then did the guard behind Ye Youqing lower his head and cease moving.
“Although I do not serve him, I did protect his people. Is your Emperor now going to, just like seven years ago, randomly ascribe a crime to a hero who defended the border and then execute them in front of the people?” Ye Youqing’s voice was not loud, but it caused the man to break out in a sweat.
“Miss, please come back with us first. Your wounds still need dressing.” He lowered his head and spoke tremulously.
“The descendant of King Si Rong, who guarded the border, died in Weizhou due to excessive blood loss. That’s not bad either; it saves you the trouble of fabricating a crime for me, doesn’t it?” Ye Youqing laughed, then watched as the man’s head lowered further. “I’ve even thought of the headline for you.”
“Oh right, you don’t need to. But deceiving the people and distorting the facts must be a piece of cake for you, isn’t it?” Ye Youqing tilted her head and asked.
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“Miss, you are speaking nonsense.” The man almost didn’t dare to look at her, merely waved his hand, and several men behind him seized Ye Youqing, escorting her to the base of the city wall.
Her arm was injured, and the chains tore at her, causing such pain that her vision alternated between black and white. She couldn’t resist and allowed them to cover her wrists’ bindings as they escorted her to the long-abandoned government office under the cover of night.
Some bold citizens and newly recruited young warriors stood in the long street. Seeing the officials and soldiers, they hurriedly retreated, making way and watching as the frail woman, covered in blood, was escorted by the imperial guards.
The firelight and moonlight illuminated her cheeks, which were covered in sweat and stained with crimson blood. Her phoenix eyes were tightly shut as she allowed herself to be dragged by several people.
“Miss Ye…” someone in the crowd spoke, seemingly wanting to rush forward, but they were blocked by the imperial soldiers who forbade anyone from approaching.
The sounds of battle still echoed in her ears, the urgent thunder of hoofbeats indicating that the Western Xia were fleeing, while the army of Qi surrounded the city. The sound of horns resounded through the sky.
The constant cries of children reached her ears, and it seemed like someone was calling out, but in the end, it all turned into the buzzing of mosquitoes.
When she woke up again, her whole body was in such pain that she felt paralyzed. The ground beneath her was hard and cold, and something against her back left a mark on her skin, causing an unsettling discomfort.
She strained to move her neck, hearing several crisp cracking sounds. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she found herself sitting in a small room, full of dust. Behind her, the bed was made up, and her back was pressed against the edge of the bed.
This house was unfamiliar, neither the small courtyard nor the King Si Rong’s mansion. The floor tiles were made of accumulated gray dirt, and weak light squeezed in through the window cracks, barely illuminating Ye Youqing’s legs.
She felt that even twisting her neck made her tremble with pain, so she had to give up in the end. She lay back on the bedboard with her head up. The wound on her right arm had been bandaged but still couldn’t move.
The chains were still there, binding not only her wrists but also her ankles, as if she were some martial arts master who could break free from the chains at any moment; the precautions were extremely strict.
Ye Youqing suddenly felt like laughing; her current situation was no different from Lian’er’s before.
It was deathly quiet all around, as if she was the only person in this courtyard, but she could sense the presence of others, likely the guards stationed at the door.
The sun had risen, she thought, and then closed her eyes.
She didn’t know how long had passed, the light and shadow on her legs had already shifted to the base of the window when the door was suddenly knocked on and then pushed open. A man, now dressed in casual clothes, walked in, and the autumn wind swept fallen leaves into the room. Ye Youqing opened her eyes and slowly lifted her head.
“Miss Ye,” the man said, holding a tray which he placed on the table.
“I will find a woman to come and feed you later,” he said softly.
Seeing that Ye Youqing did not respond, he hesitated a bit, then continued speaking to himself: “The Western Xia has retreated to Yuanzhou. We will rest and recuperate for a day, and tonight we will launch an attack. We should be able to reclaim it in one night.”
“Why are you talking to a criminal like me?” Ye Youqing interrupted him, raising her eyes.
“How could Miss be a criminal…” the man’s voice was very soft.
“If I’m not a criminal, why are you detaining me?” Ye Youqing retorted sharply, leaving him speechless.
After a moment, he finally said, “Take care of yourself, Miss,” and then turned to leave. Ye Youqing looked at his back with disdain. As soon as the man stepped out, another person entered, this time a woman.
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Ye Youqing initially did not look at her. It wasn’t until the woman gracefully walked to the table and took down the bowl of porridge, then knelt beside her, revealing her wrist that still bore red marks like egg whites, that she looked up.
As expected, it was Lian’er. She pursed her red lips and blew on the porridge in the spoon to cool it down before bringing it to Ye Youqing’s lips.
Ye Youqing stared at her but did not move.
Lian’er lowered her eyes and placed the bowl on her knee. Her pointed face was a bit rosier than usual. She said softly, “You should eat something. You don’t realize how deep your wound is; you’ve lost quite a lot of blood. If you exert yourself any more, your bones might break.”
“Did you send the message to the imperial family? Saying that I am the one defending this city?” Ye Youqing asked.
“I did not.” Lian’er hurriedly shook her head, almost spilling the porridge in her hand. “That day when I sent the message, you were watching me. Other than the carrier pigeon that flies only for me, I had nothing else.”
“I’ve been in the city the entire time, never left. Last night, I heard you were imprisoned, so I…” She tightened her grip on the bowl in her hand. “General Dai, who just went out, is originally the head of the Imperial City Division and also a trusted shadow guard who never leaves the Emperor’s side.”
“And, he is my superior,” she added timidly.
Ye Youqing was half-believing, half-doubting, but she didn’t have the strength to ask more. She looked tiredly at the sunlight shining through the window and spoke, “Can you help me over there?”
Lian’er quickly nodded. She turned around to put down the porridge bowl, then supported Ye Youqing with one hand on her left hand and the other holding her clothing, pulling her up from the ground.
The woman, weakened by injury and fatigue, no longer held her once straight and upright posture; instead, she slumped softly, half-leaning on Lian’er.
Lian’er’s movements paused for a moment, but she eventually managed to drag her over and place her by the window. The warm sunlight enveloped her from above, turning her hair into a golden hue, and the fine hairs on her skin fluttered gently in the breeze.
The woman, who was always cold and resilient, now appeared utterly exhausted, like a swan with broken wings, leaning against the wall and gasping for breath.
Something flickered in Lian’er’s eyes, and she hurriedly picked up the porridge again, feeding Ye Youqing spoonful by spoonful. This time, Ye Youqing did not refuse and slowly drank it down.
Lian’er then fetched a basin of water and a cloth, wiping away the dried blood and dirt from Ye Youqing’s face, revealing her delicate features. She dared not look too closely.
Outside, the guards delivered a plain white garment, signaling for Lian’er to change Ye Youqing out of her torn clothes, which had been ripped due to the bandages.
However, when Lian’er reached out to untie Ye Youqing’s belt, she turned away to avoid her.
“Miss Ye, you need to change…” Lian’er said softly.
“No need, you can leave,” Ye Youqing replied calmly.
“But…” Lian’er wanted to say something more, but seeing Ye Youqing’s clean brow furrow slightly, she immediately fell silent.
Finally, she had no choice but to get up and open the door. She took one last look at Ye Youqing before stepping back. The wooden door was shut tight again, leaving only the warm sunlight overhead and a fallen leaf by the door.
Ye Youqing stared at that fallen leaf. Suddenly, her vision became blurry, and she could no longer see the leaf’s veins clearly. She then stretched out her bound hands and struggled to reach it.
It wasn’t until her wound tore open again that she managed to tilt her body, barely touching the fallen leaf. She grasped it in her hand and returned to her original position.
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She felt like a fish out of water, unable to move, and for the first time, she was uncertain about the road ahead.
“Ci Ke…” she murmured softly, clutching the fallen leaf in her hand and closing her eyes to hold back her tears.
Time passed very slowly while being locked in the room. At first, Ye Youqing remained conscious, but later, for some reason, she often fell into a state of confusion, surrounded by chaotic nightmares that occasionally swallowed her up.
Three days passed like this. Yuanzhou was recaptured, the Western Xia army retreated beyond the pass, entrenched at the border, quietly waiting for an opportunity. Their meticulously planned strategy was thwarted by a team of less than a hundred soldiers, leaving them furious.
The battle to defend the city, with the opening of Weizhou’s city gates, was exaggerated and spread to the Central Plains. Rumors, like a strong wind, quickly swept across the entire Qi. Everyone knew that a female general had appeared in Weizhou. Relying on her own strength, she turned the tide, defended Weizhou from the claws of Western Xia, and extinguished their invasion arrogance.
However, the subject of the rumors was unaware. Ye Youqing had not woken up for a day. Until dusk, she was awakened by the sound of the door opening. She opened her eyes but couldn’t see the person clearly, only feeling a figure with beautiful curves and a faint scent of cosmetics, dispelling the stale air in the room.
Ye Youqing could feel the warm hands carefully lifting her to sit up. She had no strength, weakly falling into the person’s embrace, resting her head on their shoulder.
“It must be a dream,” Ye Youqing thought. In dreams, there was no need to adhere to so many rules. Her eyes gradually reddened, and after a while, the woman who had seldom cried since childhood let a few clear tears slide down the corners of her eyes.
“Ci Ke, I miss you so much,” she said softly, curling her body into the soft embrace.
