Chapter 425: Want to make her Yanshi?

When the Beirong man saw Chen Fenghe and Qin Mengyue, he curled his lips in amusement and said in Dayu dialect, "Empress, Crown Princess, it's been a long time since we last met. I hope you are well."

Qin Mengyue was stunned for a moment, then recognized the man and said in a lost voice, "Are you... the... Prince of Beirong?"

The Northern Rong people laughed and said, "The Queen has a very good memory."

Qin Mengyue didn't say anything else, but held Xiao Yunhao in her arms.

Chen Fenghe looked around. The yard was brightly lit and seemed to be surrounded by people holding torches. Of course, she was not naive enough to think that those were torches lit by the villagers of Shili Village.

She frowned slightly.

Those who followed Zhao Yecheng at night were probably the elite of Beirong. Even the people Xiao Yunshuo left behind to protect them would probably not be their match.

If she were alone, she could escape at any time through space.

But now Qin Mengyue, Yichuan Qingxing, Xiao Yunhao, and the villagers of Shili Village are also afraid that they have all been captured by the Beirong people. It is really difficult for them to escape unscathed.

However, we can only take one step at a time now.

She took a deep breath and said calmly, "Prince Zhao Ye, I heard that the Northern Rong army is approaching Yanmen Pass. Prince Zhao, if you are not accompanying your father to fight outside Yanmen Pass, how can you find the time to come to a small village like Shili Village?"

The person who came was Zhao Ye. Seeing that Chen Fenghe recognized him, he was even more cheerful and said with a smile, "It's rare that the Crown Princess still remembers me. I am so happy. As for the Crown Princess, that's natural... Ever since I met the Crown Princess, I have been attracted to her and can't forget her. I can't bear the pain of missing her, so I took the liberty to come here..."

Chen Fenghe didn't respond to his abrupt words, only sneered, "I heard that the Northern Rong Khan has appointed the Northern Rong Great Prince as the vanguard, to march with the Khan to Yanmen Pass. It seems that the Northern Rong Khan's best candidate for the next Great Khan is the Northern Rong Great Prince, and definitely not Prince Zhao. Prince Zhao is so patient, is he willing to be inferior to others?"

After Chen Fenghe finished speaking, she observed Zhao Ye's expression calmly.

Zhao Ye's originally nonchalant and cynical expression indeed cracked for a moment, and a cold look flashed in his eyes.

Chen Fenghe's eyelashes trembled slightly.

It seemed like her guess was right. Living in an imperial family, with the highest power within easy reach, who could possibly resist the temptation?

Especially Zhao Ye, it is known that his military talent and ability in governing a country are both better than those of the Great Prince of Beirong. How could he be willing to be inferior to others?

This matter...maybe I can use it for something in the future.

Zhao Ye quickly concealed the anger in his eyes and said calmly, "The Crown Princess is indeed clever. She tried to sow discord between me and my father and brother just after we met? It really is... something that makes one have to be wary of!"

Chen Fenghe smiled and said, "Since Prince Zhao has discovered my ill intentions, why not let us go? That way, wouldn't you not have to worry about someone plotting against you?"

Zhao Ye chuckled and said, "I've heard that vicious women have their own unique flavor. The Crown Princess is like this. Not only does she not disgust me, but she actually makes me feel even more delicious. If you want to release the Crown Princess, I absolutely cannot do that!"

Chen Fenghe's brows furrowed even more tightly. "Prince Zhao traveled thousands of miles, risking capture by our Dayu soldiers, to sneak into Dayu territory. Could it be that this was just to tease me?"

Zhao Ye said, "Not entirely. The main purpose is to invite the Queen of Dayu, the Crown Princess, His Royal Highness the Ninth Prince, and others to stay in Dayu for a few days. Don't worry, although our Beirong may not be as prosperous as Dayu, we will definitely do our best to be a good host and will not let the two ladies suffer."

Chen Fenghe's heart sank even more. "What if we don't want to go? Do you think... you can force us? This place is only a few dozen miles away from Youzhou City. The Youzhou garrison commander might already be on his way!"

Zhao Ye smiled and said, "Your Highness, there's no need to bluff. I dared to come to Shili Village because I had made all the necessary preparations and arrangements. I'm afraid the guards of Youzhou City are drunk right now! As for whether I can force you two, well... that's indeed a question. I respect women and never force them. However, if you two do not voluntarily accompany me to visit Beirong, I'm afraid the dozens of people in Shili Village will be beheaded in an instant. You two are kind-hearted and would not want to see such a tragedy happen, would you?"

After saying that, he clapped his hands.

Immediately, a group of Beirong soldiers pushed the villagers of Shili Village into the yard.

I saw Village Chief Wu, Madam Yang and others, all trembling and terrified as they were pushed in. Some of them even had weak legs and were supported by the people around them.

Seeing Qin Mengyue and Shen Fenghe, some villagers immediately cried out: "Mrs. Qin, Mrs. Shen, please be kind and save us, save the whole village!"

Chen Fenghe and Qin Mengyue felt sorry when they saw this.

The smile on Zhao Ye's lips turned cold. He raised his hand slightly, and immediately one of his men brought out an incense burner and lit a stick of incense. He said lightly, "This king has said that I will not force the two ladies. However, based on this stick of incense, if you send one-tenth of them, this king will order the killing of ten people. After the villagers are killed, it will be the turn of the Crown Princess and the... a pair of siblings. When this stick of incense is burned out, there will be no one else except the two ladies and His Royal Highness the Ninth Prince. If the two ladies still refuse to come with me by then, then this king will not force you anymore!"

After these words were spoken, the villagers of Shili Village burst into tears out of fear.

Shen Yichuan and Shen Qingxing also looked up at Shen Fenghe in fear and cried, "Sister, I'm scared..."

Chen Fenghe knew that although Zhao Ye appeared gentle and polite, he definitely did what he said.

A gust of wind blew, and a piece of ash from the newly lit incense fell down. A Northern Rong soldier reported, "Reporting to the Prince, one-tenth of the incense has been burned..."

There was a flash of coldness and cruelty in Zhao Ye's eyes, and ten Beirong soldiers had already dragged ten villagers out, with their swords against their necks.

"Wait a minute!" Chen Fenghe shouted crisply.

Zhao Ye raised his hand slightly to stop his men from killing him. He smiled and said, "The two ladies are indeed kind-hearted."

The Beirong cavalry was indeed worthy of its reputation. In the middle of the night, when the sky was just beginning to turn pale, Chen Fenghe and the others had already been abducted and taken through the branch trails of the distant mountains into the territory of Beirong.

All I saw was a snow-white field stretching out as far as the eye could see.

However, even in such a snowy field, the Beirong cavalry galloped steadily and quickly.

Based on the direction of the morning glow, Chen Fenghe judged that they should be being taken westward, towards Yanmen Pass.

This is also conceivable.

After all, Zhao Ye risked his life to kidnap her, Qin Mengyue and Xiao Yunhao, naturally to use them as hostages to threaten Xiao Yunshuo to surrender.

Now that the two armies are facing each other at Yanmen Pass, they will naturally have to be taken there to pose a threat.

Fortunately, Zhao Ye kept his promise and did not harm the people of Shili Village. After entering the territory of Beirong, he also specially prepared a carriage for them to ride. Apart from their hands and feet being tied with ropes, there was nothing too uncomfortable.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, the carriage finally stopped. They were let down from the carriage and saw that the Northern Rong soldiers were building a fire and roasting mutton.

After a while, the mutton began to sizzle with oil and emit a mouth-watering aroma.

Chen Fenghe couldn't help but feel her stomach growling.

commit a sin!

If it were her, how could she go hungry? There were always delicious food ready in the space.

Shen Yichuan, Shen Qingxing, and Xiao Yunhao also whispered, "Sister, mother, I'm so hungry..."

Zhao Ye was quite conscientious. Seeing them staring at the roasted leg of lamb, he took out a scimitar, cut off a large piece of meat from the roasted leg of lamb, and then considerately cut it into small pieces and handed it to them.

Zhao Ye stepped forward and loosened the ropes on the women's hands. He said with a smile, "Eat something. I will keep my word and will not let the two ladies be treated poorly."

Qin Mengyue looked at the roasted lamb in front of her and gave him a wary look. Shen Fenghe was calm. After glancing at Zhao Ye coldly, she picked up a piece of meat and took a bite. She then picked out some fat and lean meat and handed it to Shen Yichuan, Shen Qingxing and Xiao Yunhao.

Zhao Ye was a little surprised and said with a smile: "Isn't the Crown Princess afraid that I will poison you?"

Chen Fenghe said calmly, "How could you be willing to poison such important hostages like us? Wouldn't that be a waste of all the trouble?"

Zhao Ye smiled and said, "That's true. However, the Crown Princess's courage is truly admirable to me."

Shen Fenghe ignored him.

Zhao Ye touched his nose and walked away.

After eating, we continued our journey west.

It was soon evening, but the carriage did not stop. Instead, it continued to move forward until late at night.

At the same time, Xiao Yunshuo also received a letter from Youzhou via carrier pigeon, and learned that Qin Mengyue, Chen Fenghe and others were kidnapped by the second prince of Beirong and taken to Beirong.

"Zhao Ye led his elite followers in a surprise attack, and even those of us who were left behind to protect the two queens were all killed. This is why the two queens were abducted... Your Highness, what should we do?"

Xiao Yunshuo's face was cold, and the hostility emanating from his body almost made people breathless.

He was silent for a long time before speaking coldly, "Pass the order down. All soldiers, gather your strength and march out tonight at midnight to meet the Northern Rong army in a decisive battle! Anyone who can capture the Northern Rong Khan or the Great Prince will be handsomely rewarded!"

Originally, he planned to wait for a few more days to wear down Beirong's morale and supplies, so that they could live a few more days. But since Beirong refused to appreciate it and even dared to attack the most important person to him, then don't blame his men for being ruthless!

Yuan Xu couldn't help but feel a little worried: "Your Highness, if we do this, what will happen if Prince Zhao of Beirong gets angry and hurts the two ladies?"

Xiao Yunshuo shook his head and said, "If it were the Northern Rong Khan, the Northern Rong Grand Prince, or anyone else, they might act this way, but the Northern Rong Prince Zhao might not..."

This time, the Khan of the Northern Rong personally led his troops south. Prince Zhao, who had great military talent, did not accompany him, which he always found strange.

Now that I think about it, Prince Zhao must have disagreed from the beginning with his father Khan's idea of ​​exhausting the entire country's resources to move south, and was therefore excluded by the Khan in a fit of anger.

The reason why Zhao Ye took a different approach and kidnapped his mother, Feng He and others was probably because he knew that Beirong would be defeated if they delayed for too long, so he threatened them with hostages.

If the Khan of Beirong and the Grand Prince were as stubborn as him, he really wouldn't dare to take the risk.

But with Zhao Ye's personality, he must have known that only living hostages were valuable. Dead hostages would be counterproductive.

However, even though he firmly believed that Zhao Ye would not harm their lives, Xiao Yunshuo still broke out in cold sweat!

Or maybe he underestimated the enemy.

Knowing that Zhao Ye was not among the Beirong army this time, he should have been more cautious and should have sent someone to bring his mother, Feng He and others to his side earlier.

Because he hadn't revealed his true identity yet, he was afraid that Xiao Yuncong and Zhao Xin would harm them after he brought them here, so he waited until he revealed his true identity before sending someone to pick them up...

Who knew... that I was just one step too late...

*

Chen Fenghe felt the carriage stop and was slightly startled.

The military situation outside Yanmen Pass should be very intense at this moment. Zhao Ye wants to use them as hostages to force Xiao Yunshuo to surrender. Shouldn't he travel overnight?

However, she understood when she looked through the carriage window.

Even the best horses need to rest and eat. At this time, they were stopped by a river. The Beirong soldiers broke open the frozen river surface to let the horses drink water and feed them grass.

Zhao Ye looked towards the west thoughtfully, then suddenly turned around and looked towards the carriage.

Shen Fenghe's eyes just happened to meet his and she quickly looked away.

However, Zhao Ye suddenly strode over.

Chen Fenghe: “…”

She shouldn't have looked out of curiosity.

Sure enough, the carriage door soon opened, and Zhao Ye, with his usual nonchalant smile, said, "Your Highness, the breeze is gentle and the moon is bright, it's a magnificent sight. Would you be willing to accompany me to admire the moon?"

Chen Fenghe: “…”

Chen Fenghe sighed and said, "If I say I don't want to, will Prince Zhao be willing to not force me?"

Zhao Ye tilted his head and thought for a moment, a smile still lingering on the corner of his lips. He said, "I'm not in a good mood right now. If the Crown Princess refuses, I'm afraid I'll have to force her!"

As he spoke, without waiting for Chen Fenghe to speak, he suddenly took action, picked up Chen Fenghe from the carriage, and carried her away on his shoulders.

"What are you going to do to Feng He! Let her go!"

"Sister!"

"Sister-in-law!"

Qin Mengyue and the three little ones all exclaimed in surprise, and the three little ones even started crying out of fear.

However, Zhao Ye ignored it, and his men immediately drew their swords to threaten Qin Mengyue and others.

Chen Fenghe had no choice but to comfort her: "Mom, Yichuan, Qingxing, Hao'er, don't be afraid, I will be fine!"

If she wasn't afraid of provoking Zhao Ye's men to hurt Qin Mengyue and others, she would have kicked that bastard Zhao Ye away!

Zhao Ye put her on the horse, jumped on it himself, and galloped away into the distance.

It was not until they reached a place where they could only see Zhao Ye's men from afar that Zhao Ye stopped, dismounted, carried Chen Fenghe off the carriage, and threw her on a patch of thick snow.

Chen Fenghe: “…”

Even if there was snow, a fall would be painful! Especially since her hands and feet were tied.

However, she also took this opportunity to take out a dagger from the space and quickly cut the ropes tied to her hands.

Zhao Ye was somewhat abnormal. After throwing Chen Fenghe on the snow pile, he walked over, grabbed Chen Fenghe's collar with both hands, and was about to tear it open!

Chen Fenghe: “…”

She knew that this bastard man's gentlemanly manners were all fake.

It turns out that men are all beasts.

"Don't move!" Before he could rip open his collar, Shen Fenghe had already put the dagger in her hand close to Zhao Ye's throat, staring at him with cold eyes.

Zhao Ye's movements came to an abrupt halt, and a moment of surprise flashed in his eyes. He was obviously very surprised by the current situation.

He still remembered vividly the last time in the Yanshan forest, when she poisoned him and knocked him unconscious, allowing her to escape. It was a heavy lesson for him.

Therefore, this time he specially used the best cowhide rope to tie her hands and feet himself, and also searched for all the weapons on her body.

Where did she get the dagger?

However, he soon understood.

Isn't the dagger in her hand the same style as the one she had on her waist and used to cut meat for her earlier today?

It must have been stolen by her while I was riding a horse just now!

He really... underestimated this Dayu woman again!

But Shen Fenghe would not wait for him to figure it out. Taking advantage of the moment when he was stunned and confused, she suddenly made a move, stuffed a pill into his mouth, and then quickly inserted a silver needle into one of his acupoints!

Zhao Ye reacted and tried to dodge again, but the xuedao somehow forced him to swallow the pill involuntarily!

Zhao Ye's eyes suddenly filled with murderous intent, and he looked at Chen Fenghe coldly: "What kind of poison did you make me swallow?"

Chen Fenghe said, "Prince Zhao is indeed clever. This is a poison called Seven Days Powder. Without an antidote, Prince Zhao will die in seven days. If Prince Zhao is willing to release us now, I will offer the antidote, okay?"

The murderous intent in Zhao Ye's eyes grew stronger. He glanced at Chen Fenghe for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "The Crown Princess is indeed a femme fatale. However, a femme fatale should be more vicious and cold-blooded. The Crown Princess is still a few points short of that."

Chen Fenghe had a bad feeling in his heart.

This time, she was taking a risky move and did not really expect Zhao Ye to let them go.

However, so-called negotiations always start with a price that the other party cannot accept.

But this Zhao Ye seemed unwilling to play by the rules.

"What do you mean?"

Zhao Ye smiled faintly and said, "The hostages I need are only the Empress, the Crown Princess, and the Ninth Prince. The Crown Princess's siblings are not among them. Crown Princess, do you think that if you threaten me with poison, will I in turn threaten you with the lives of your siblings?"

Chen Fenghe remained silent for a moment, then said in a cold tone: "If Prince Zhao dares to hurt them, I will never let you go!"

With her spear skills, killing Prince Zhao and the Northern Rong cavalry, coupled with the aid of space, was somewhat difficult, but not impossible. The reason she didn't do so was simply because she was afraid of the consequences. With Qin Mengyue and the three little ones, she was not sure she could protect them unharmed.

After all, she roughly counted the people following Zhao Ye along the way and found that there were more than a hundred people following him.

Even for a modern sharpshooter, it would be extremely difficult to kill hundreds of fierce cavalrymen with a gun while protecting four helpless women and children.

Zhao Ye saw her eyebrows slightly raised, her bright face covered with a bit of frost, but she looked even more proud, like a snow lotus on a high mountain, so beautiful that it made people itch. His eyes darkened unconsciously, and he smiled, "Don't worry. I'm just assuming. You and I both have concerns. Why don't we both take a step back? Princess, give me the antidote, and I won't touch your brother or sister. How about that?"

Chen Fenghe looked at him coldly, sneering in his heart.

Then wouldn't she have poisoned him in vain?

"I want one more." Chen Fenghe bargained.

Zhao Ye looked at her and said, "You say."

Chen Fenghe said, "Don't touch me."

Although I can't guarantee that he will keep his promise, every time he attacks me, I have to resist. Who knows when I will lose my patience and kill him by mistake.

If things got to that point, the lives of Qin Mengyue and the three little ones might really be in jeopardy...

There was a flicker of hesitation in Zhao Ye's eyes.

He didn't agree, but said, "I heard that Crown Prince Dayu Xiao Yunshuo is not dead. The so-called death news before was just a trick he used to fake his death. The Crown Princess must have known this news."

Chen Fenghe glared at him, not knowing why he brought up this matter.

Seeing that her expression remained unchanged, Zhao Ye nodded without waiting for her to reply, saying, "It seems you already know. If you know, could it be that the Crown Princess still wishes to return to the Crown Prince's side and crown you Empress when Crown Prince Dayu ascends the throne?"

Chen Fenghe still didn't answer, but... she probably guessed Zhao Ye's intention of asking this question.

Seeing that she didn't answer, Zhao Ye continued, "I heard that the Crown Princess settled in a village outside Youzhou City and later remarried another man—the son of a merchant named Yun. I believe they were already married, right? Could it be that the Crown Princess still naively believes that Prince Dayu would tolerate a Crown Princess who has been touched by another man? Even if we put this matter aside, the Crown Princess was abducted by me to Beirong. Even if I let you return safely this time, how can Dayu believe that the Crown Princess has never been defiled by my Beirong men?"

As expected...I want to talk about this.

She couldn't help but lower her eyes.

Zhao Ye assumed she was ashamed of marrying another man, so he continued, "The customs of Dayu are such that once a woman serves two husbands, she will be criticized, insulted, and looked down upon. How could they tolerate a woman who has been married once before becoming the queen, the mother of the country? Madam Shen, why should you remain chaste for the crown prince, or for your current husband? Why not follow me? In the future, I will definitely marry you as my Da Yanshi and will never look down on you. How do you think?"

Chen Fenghe couldn't help but glance at Zhao Ye.

"Yanshi" is the name for the wives and concubines of the Khan or Chanyu of the Northern Rong, but "Da Yanshi" is generally the first wife and the legal wife, which is what Dayu called the queen.

She hadn't expected that Prince Zhao would be so fond of her? He actually promised to make her a foreign woman his queen?

Of course... she wasn't moved at all.

Chen Fenghe smiled faintly and said, "Prince Zhao, you just said that the people of Dayu wouldn't tolerate a remarried woman as their queen. What about you, the Northern Rong? Perhaps your subjects don't value a woman's chastity, but how can you tolerate a woman of a foreign race as their Great Consort? Wouldn't the offspring born in the future also be tainted with Dayu's bloodline? I'm afraid this matter is even more unacceptable to the people of Northern Rong than it is to Dayu to tolerate me?"

Zhao Ye was speechless for a moment.

He hadn't thought deeply about this. However, even if he couldn't make her the Great Yanshi, it wouldn't be a bad idea to make her an ordinary Yanshi.

Didn’t Emperor Dayu also want three palaces and six concubines, and countless concubines?

After all, he dotes on her the most!