Survive

At daybreak, the gray light of dawn had just penetrated the clouds, and Anji Bridge lay quietly in the cold fog. On the withered willows at the bridgehead, a few crows cawed twice and flew away.

Wang Dayong huddled in the shadow under the bridge pier, the cold stone hammer in his arms pressing against his skin, the chill penetrating into his bones.

The sound of horse hooves came from afar - the princess's procession was approaching.

The sight of a knife on Dou Miao's neck flashed before his eyes. He trembled as he fumbled for the stone hammer, his back hunched, his eyes only focused on the few blackened wedges at the bottom of the bridge pier that had been eaten by insects.

"Here it comes! Here it comes!" someone shouted at the bridgehead.

The sound of horse hooves suddenly became clear, breaking the silence of the early morning.

Ning Lingyi was dressed in neat riding clothes and rode her horse at the front of the team.

The princess's palace's halberd-bearing guards followed closely behind, with the guard commander Chen Ke keeping close to his side.

Just when the team reached the middle of the bridge.

"Bang!" A muffled sound came from under the bridge.

The bridge trembled violently, making a teeth-grinding groan, and shook violently, with gravel falling down!

"Protect the emperor! There are bad guys under the bridge!"

Several guards rushed towards Wang Dayong under the bridge pier!

Chaos suddenly broke out, with people shouting and horses neighing on the bridge. The victims waiting at the bridgehead to welcome the princess pushed and shoved in panic, and the situation got out of control in an instant.

I saw the dozen or so victims with flickering eyes tearing off their tattered coats, and a cold light flashed in their sleeves, revealing a sharp dagger.

They pushed aside the real victims and rushed straight towards Ning Lingyi!

"Protect the princess! There are bad guys among the victims!"

The guards were distracted by this sudden close-quarters attack. Everyone was protecting the princess, and suddenly there was no one around Shen Qingyan.

“Swoosh! Swoosh!”

Several crossbow arrows tore through the air and shot out from the reeds on the riverbank. Their target was not Ning Lingyi, but Shen Qingyan who was trying hard to maintain order beside her!

"Puff!" A crossbow arrow pierced into Shen Qingyan's left chest!

Shen Qingyan groaned as severe pain hit him. His vision went dark and warm blood instantly soaked his green official robe.

He stumbled and fell heavily onto the cold gravel on the riverbank.

It turns out their target is him!

Ning Lingyi had just avoided the assassin's attack when she saw Shen Qingyan lying on the riverbank and cried out in surprise, "Shen Qingyan!"

She kicked the horse's belly and rushed down to the riverbank to rescue!

Just as the assassin's blade was about to fall on her.

"Buzz!"

A heavy black wolf-fang arrow shot into the throat of the leading assassin with such force that it sent him flying backwards.

Immediately afterwards, several figures were caught up in the chaotic riverbank, with flashes of swords and knives. The remaining assassins rushed to fight, and the scene was full of swords and sabers.

It was Tuoba Hong and his people.

Ning Lingyi ignored Chen Ke's obstruction and rode down the riverbank.

In the chaos, a stray arrow hit her!

She dodged sideways, and the horse was startled and tilted sideways. Ning Lingyi was unstable and was about to fall.

A large, bony hand held her firmly, and due to inertia, her shoulder armor slammed heavily into a hard, broad chest.

"Your Highness, be careful of stray arrows." Tuoba Hong's voice was low and steady.

Ning Lingyi was stunned for only a moment, then quickly came to her senses and broke away from his arms: "Thank you!"

Then he rushed to the place where Shen Qingyan fell.

"Shen Qingyan, wake up!" She half-knelt beside a pool of blood.

Shen Qingyan closed his eyes tightly, his breath was weak, and blood was still pouring out of his chest.

Tuoba Hong rode his horse around the periphery, shooting black feather arrows from time to time to kill the assassins who tried to break through the defense line. As the guards fought hard, the last assassin was killed in less than an incense stick of time.

Tuoba Hong then dismounted, walked to Ning Lingyi, untied an inconspicuous leather bag from his waist, and took out a small bottle carved from animal bones.

"The secret medicine of the North, Xuepo, has miraculous effects in stopping bleeding and regenerating tissue. It may be able to temporarily save his life." He glanced at Shen Qingyan's pale face and the wound that was constantly bleeding. "But this medicine is precious. If you want it to save his life, Your Highness will need to exchange it for something."

Ning Lingyi looked up at him: "What is it?"

"Mingzhou's granaries are overflowing, but Beishuo is experiencing severe snowstorms, and the people are suffering from hunger and cold." Tuoba Hong looked directly at her, "If Your Highness will allow me to temporarily lend you food and fodder to help my tribe survive the cold winter, I will immediately present this medicine. Perhaps Shen Changshi's life can be saved."

Ning Lingyi looked at the dying Shen Qingyan, and then at the small bone bottle in Tuoba Hong's hand.

If she changed, she would be guilty of a heinous crime; if she didn't, Shen Qingyan would die for her.

She couldn't let Shen Qingyan die for her!

"Okay! Bring me the medicine! I'll give you the food and fodder."

A gleam flashed in Tuoba Hong's eyes, and he handed the bone bottle to Chen Ke.

Chen Ke took it immediately, carefully pried open Shen Qingyan's mouth, and poured some ice-blue powder from the bottle into it.

Ning Lingyi stared closely, praying in her heart that this medicine could really bring the dead back to life.

After a while, Shen Qingyan's breathing indeed became more stable, and Ning Lingyi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She forced herself to look away from Shen Qingyan and glanced at Tuoba Hong.

She stood up and slowly swept her eyes across the devastated riverbank and the victims whose faces were filled with fear and still in shock.

Crying, groaning, and suppressed discussions came one after another.

These people are her people. They live by her and die because of her.

"Is your highness all right?"

"It's really impossible to live like this..."

"Don't sleep, Gangzi, wake up, you won't wake up if you fall asleep..."

"The guy who was huddled next to me just now suddenly pulled out a knife! I was so scared!"

She pushed aside the guards who were blocking her way and walked up the small mound beside the riverbank step by step.

*

I was originally just a tenant farmer in Mingzhou. My whole family had died long ago. God didn't give me a way to survive. I became poorer and poorer. In the end, I couldn't even afford a bite of food. I could only beg for porridge as a refugee. I didn't know when I would die.

That early winter, I heard that the princess wanted to renovate the princess's mansion, and that the wages would be paid in advance and meals would be provided, so I went.

After a few days of repairs, the princess wanted to come and see us, which was a big deal.

I was waiting with some old friends to see the Emperor's daughter, but who could have imagined what would happen that day? After the chaos, many things became a blur. The shouting and the smell of blood mixed together, shaking my head and making me ache. My hands and feet were cold and I collapsed in the mud, wanting only to curl up into a ball.

But there is one scene that is engraved in my mind like a knife and I can't forget it.

I only remember that Princess Mingzhu was standing on the slope. She stood up from the pool of blood. The tears on her face were still wet, her body was covered with mud and blood, and her hair was messy.

She was standing there high up, taller than any of us.

The wind blew her scattered hair, and the morning light drew a vague golden edge on her body.

She looked at us, one by one, at those who were paralyzed on the ground with fear, at those who were crying while hugging their injured relatives. She had us in her eyes, I knew it.

Something was burning in her eyes, very bright, but underneath the light, there were tears - it turned out that she was crying!

The emperor's daughter actually cried for us, the untouchables.

She didn't speak immediately, but just looked at him. It made people feel sad, but also like a warm current that opened up the frozen bones.

Then she began to speak, her voice a little hoarse, a little choked, and intermittent. It felt like the sound was sometimes heavy and pounding on my heart, and sometimes like a flame, burning my throat and making it dry.

What are you talking about?

My head was buzzing and I couldn't hear clearly.

I only vaguely heard a few words popping into my ears: "You've suffered, blame me..." "Those who hurt others must pay with their lives..." "I will take revenge."

I was still confused, but the surroundings were like a pot of boiling water!

"Chitose!"

"God, please open your eyes!"

"Three years! No more grain! No more paying!"

"See a doctor! It's free!"

"We're saved! His Highness said he'll endure it with us!"

The crowd was like burning dry grass, passing the hot news to each other.

Boom boom boom!

A sea of ​​people knelt down at the foot of the slope! Some kowtowed desperately; some supported each other, crying and laughing; others stood there in a daze, repeating the words they had just heard: "Food, taxes, medical tents..."

It was only at this moment that my muddled brain was finally awakened a little.

So the princess said...

She's going to kill all those damn bastards?

We don’t have to pay so much grain tax anymore?

The government is going to open the granaries to release grain? Set up a medical tent?

Will she survive this disaster with us?

The figure on the slope swayed through her tear-blurred eyes. The tears on her face had not yet dried, but her back was straight. The sand that seemed to be about to disperse suddenly gathered again, her heart heading towards that high place.

I remember her, she was Princess Mingzhu.

I'm just a useless refugee, I have nothing, but she said she would take care of us, wouldn't let us go hungry, wouldn't let us go cold...

At this moment, Princess Mingzhu was like a burning charcoal that fell into the frozen mud. It burned people's hearts, hurting them, but also gave them life.

I can survive.

*

After comforting the victims and watching the guards begin to maintain order and treat the wounded, Ning Lingyi's tense nerves relaxed a little, and a strong feeling of fatigue came over her.

She turned around and cast her gaze at Tuoba Hong who was standing as still as a mountain not far away.

Chen Ke had carefully lifted Shen Qingyan onto the stretcher. The Snow Soul seemed to have taken effect, and Shen Qingyan's originally rapid and weak breathing had barely stabilized a little, but his face was still pale.

Tuoba Hong was also looking at her.

She stood in a mess of blood and mud, her hair disheveled, her clothes stained with dust and blood, and tears on her face, but her back was straight.

Just moments ago, he was beside a pool of blood, agonizing over the lives of his subordinates. In the blink of an eye, he was standing on a high vantage point, gathering scattered sand into a mountain with a few words. The gleam in his eyes hadn't faded, but the fire burning in them had already spread across the prairie.

Tuoba Hong was silent.

The Pearl of the Southern Dynasty?

The brilliance that bloomed in the mud, the courage to make decisions in times of crisis and win people's hearts, were far beyond the reach of ordinary girls. Even though she came from a humble background, her determination and ability were enough to make him reconsider his fiancée.

The grassland has always only respected the strong.

He nodded slightly, said no more, turned and walked towards his horse, a corner of his black cloak fluttering in the morning breeze.

The deal was done, he got the promise he wanted, and also saw the more dazzling side of this pearl. He thought that with her by his side in Beishuo in the future, it would not be boring.

Ning Lingyi looked at his departing back with mixed feelings. Shen Qingyan's life was temporarily saved, but the price was that the food and supplies fell into the hands of the enemy.

The road ahead seems even more thorny.

But right now, she has more important things to do.