Chapter 124 Recognizing that I am not her, I am myself
That morning, the two didn't have time to talk about anything. Shen Yujiao was dazed in the bright morning light, and her originally drowsy mind instantly cleared up. As the confusion disappeared, a splitting headache took its place.
“We’ll talk on the way. I’ll go arrange military affairs first and then call the doctor to come and give you a check-up. Get some rest, and we’ll set off tomorrow morning.”
Shen Yujiao left the room almost as if she were fleeing in panic. Instead of going to the army, she grabbed a horse while passing by the outer courtyard and galloped out of the city while there were few people around in the morning. She rode freely across the vast grasslands of the northern frontier.
Listening to the whistling wind in her ears and feeling the unbridled freedom, Shen Yujiao felt that if she wanted to fly, all she needed to do was loosen the reins in her hands; she was holding onto the last shred of reason.
The spirited horses of the North are incomparable to those of the Jiangnan or Beijing regions, and the vastness of the grasslands is unmatched by water towns. As she felt the speed increasing, Shen Yujiao's mind finally went blank. The emotions that once filled her eyes were gradually erased, and the unbearable weight she had left behind was also left behind.
I am not her, I am not her, I am not her!
As the horses neighed and the endless, radiant sunrise stretched into the distance, Shen Yujiao finally stopped. She stood atop a small hill, gazing at the magnificent sunrise in the east, its blazing heat intense and boundless.
She rode her horse to the top of the mountain and watched the rising sun for a long time. As the sunlight shone on the earth, her rationality gradually returned. By the time she returned to Hancheng, she was clear-headed enough. She then summoned the city's officials and garrison soldiers and managed to take care of the entire city in just one day.
From the time Shen Yujiao arrived in Hancheng to the time she left Hancheng, less than thirty hours had passed. As night changed again that day, the carriage carrying Shen Yujiao and Jiang Yu also departed from the northern frontier.
This wasn't the first time they'd traveled back to Beijing, but perhaps because they were taking a side road this time, the journey was somewhat bumpy and rugged. Shen Yujiao slept restlessly against the carriage wall, her delicate eyebrows tightly furrowed. Jiang Yu sat opposite her, also against the carriage wall, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far between them. He wasn't asleep; he was simply watching her quietly.
It wasn't until the carriage ran over something while it was moving that a jolt threw her up heavily, and then she fell back down. Almost instinctively, Jiang Yu quickly put the back of her hand on the carriage wall to cushion the impact, preventing Shen Yujiao from getting a concussion.
She groggily awoke and heard the driver apologizing softly. After a moment, before she could speak, the person sitting opposite her replied gently, "It's alright, just be careful on the road ahead."
The coachman seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, responded with a "yes," and then fell silent. Shen Yujiao stretched her stiff neck from sleeping, then opened the kettle to moisten her throat: "At this rate, we should be able to leave Beiding Prefecture tomorrow, right?"
Their plan was to travel without stopping, changing horses at post stations, with two drivers taking turns driving, and guards riding alongside from a distance. They would rest in the carriage, eating dry rations when thirsty or hungry, and making their way back at a rapid marching pace.
"Pretty much. At the current speed, we should be able to reach the northern border of Anqing Prefecture by tomorrow night."
The two of them were calculating the time in their minds, estimating that they would arrive in the capital region in another six or seven days. According to the plan they had set before Jiang Lin left, control of the city gates would be transferred to Jiang Yan in the next few days. At that time, they would be able to sneak into the capital without any other concerns.
Shen Yujiao lowered her eyes and pondered. She was not only calculating their time, but also Jiang Chen's time.
How confident are you in persuading the King of Zhao?
They persuaded him to give up all his efforts for King Huan, to confront all the crimes he had committed, and to pay the price for regicide and patricide.
Even Jiang Yu and Shen Yujiao were skeptical of this possibility.
"I......"
For the first time, Jiang Yu avoided Shen Yujiao's gaze. He turned his head to the side, and even though he couldn't see her eyes, he could still read a hint of loneliness in her expression.
“I will not persuade him. When we return to the capital, I will summon him to the Prince Huan’s residence. As soon as he shows his face, I will have my guards seize him. I will lock A-Jin up properly until my fifth brother returns and succeeds to the throne.”
Shen Yujiao was unaware that a royal assassination squad was loyal to him, and subconsciously asked, "He has now colluded with Consort Yao and high-ranking officials to control the entire capital. Even if he trusts you, the capital is full of his people. Is it really feasible for you to trap him?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and a faint smile appeared on her lips: "It's alright. Since I promised you, I won't go back on my word."
Shen Yujiao fell silent after hearing this. She wanted to accept Jiang Yu's efforts without a care in the world, but she also had a sincere heart, and Jiang Yu's words were undoubtedly a burden that she could not get rid of.
"Thank you very much. If needed, the Shen family will be happy to assist you."
"good."
If she hadn't known him before, Shen Yujiao would have thought he was a gentle and refined nobleman. His thoughtfulness and responsiveness made her feel guilty every time she talked to Jiang Yu. After reluctantly agreeing on their plans after arriving in the capital, Shen Yujiao silently leaned against the carriage wall and closed her eyes.
If you can't afford to mess with her, you can at least avoid her.
Shen Yujiao hid from him for eight days. The carriage traveled south, with four teams of people following and protecting them, both openly and secretly. They traveled at high speed without encountering any major dangers. However, when they passed through Liaodong Prefecture, they encountered what appeared to be people sent by the Prince of Zhao. Fortunately, both sides were traveling at high speed, and since the Prince of Zhao's people were headed for the northern frontier, and Shen Yujiao and her companions were deliberately avoiding them, they managed to escape unscathed.
On the eve of the arrival of midsummer, Shen Yujiao and Jiang Yu finally entered the capital region. They did not immediately enter Xiajing, but instead rested temporarily at an abandoned farm near the outskirts of the capital. The next day, at the crack of dawn, the two disguised themselves and went to the city gate to investigate the situation.
When things were still peaceful in the capital, Shen Yujiao and Jiang Chen had secretly run away on their days off. On a summer morning like Mao Shi (5-7 AM), the morning market at the city gate was already very lively. Merchants, vegetable farmers carrying loads on shoulder poles, travelers hurrying along, and patrolling yamen runners were all there. The area around the North Gate was never short of the bustling atmosphere of the city.
But things are different now.
"You only have a travel permit, but no registration book. You can't go in. Next one."
At the city gate, where there used to be four guards, there are now ten. In addition to the soldiers checking personal belongings, there is a small team patrolling the area. The two leading men are checking the documents of people entering the city. The leader is a burly man, whose veins bulge and face turns red after being refused entry.
"I left home for Beijing ten days ago. I had never heard of needing any proof to enter the capital before. You said I needed a travel permit, and that I couldn't enter the city without one, so I went back to get one. Now I'm coming back from my hometown again, and you're telling me I need a household registration certificate? What else will I need next time? Will you need our family genealogy? Why don't you just tell me all the requirements at once?"
The soldier seemed unfazed by his reaction, waving his hand and saying, "This is a new order from above, issued five days ago. Now, anyone entering or leaving Xiajing needs to have their travel permit checked. You can either go back and get it, or don't come in."
"You! All of you! I came to the capital to deliver tuition fees to my son! He's studying at the Imperial Academy! If you delay his studies, can you take responsibility for my family?!"
"That's your son, not mine. Do you understand?"
The other man in the lead seemed quite impatient. Seeing that the man was enraged, he waved his hand, and a moment later, patrol guards came up and pulled the man away. The man was well-mannered, and as they dragged him away, he could only feel anger.
"Stop looking, stop looking! Do we still want to enter the city?"
Behind the man in line was a woman holding a child. Upon seeing this scene, she immediately knelt down before the soldiers, handed over her travel permit, and pleaded with them, "Sirs, I had not received any news that a travel permit was needed. Please, have mercy! My child has had a high fever for several days. If we cannot get to Huichuntang in the capital for treatment today, my child may die!"
Seeing her like this, one of the soldiers looked somewhat reluctant and gestured to the person next to him, asking if they should show leniency. But before the two could discuss it, the soldier who had just made a move to hit her stepped forward:
"No, no, if we make an exception for you, what about all those people ahead of us? Rules are rules. This is the capital city, not a place for you to cause trouble."
Those who had previously been refused entry to the capital did not leave immediately, but gathered here to see if there was any room for negotiation. Seeing this scene, they all spoke up to defend the woman:
"Fine, we can't go in, but didn't you see she was holding a child? The child's face was flushed red from the fever. If you don't let her in, aren't you trying to kill the child?"
“That’s right. Precisely because it’s under the emperor’s nose, we should let people in. His Majesty and the Crown Prince both love their people like their own children. Even if martial law is in effect in the city, there should still be exceptions to the law, right?”
"Yes, that famous case in the capital last month was handled fairly by the Crown Princess. Back then, even people like us were politely invited into the Eastern Palace. Now, we're being stopped just by entering the capital. I, this old man, would like to ask if there is any law left?"
"All you do is block us from entering, without telling us what's going on in the capital. With martial law in place for so long, even a fool would know something's wrong. Aren't we still citizens of Great Xia? Even if there's a change of dynasty tomorrow, there's no need to be this wary of people, is there?"
"How dare you!"
While they were discussing this, the leading soldier, though his face was also pale, hadn't said anything. But now, those words seemed to have touched a nerve. He pointed at the man who had spoken and shouted, "How dare you speak ill of the nation! Guards, seize this treacherous commoner who is spreading rumors!"
"I dare you to touch me! Who's the troublemaker? You're the troublemaker! I passed the imperial examination last year and now I have official rank. I'm a legitimate student of the emperor, and I don't even need to kneel before the county magistrate. These days, the capital is under martial law, and I was thinking it would be better to avoid trouble. But today you dare to exaggerate and even arrest me? Then let's settle this here and now!"
Having said that, he forcefully broke free from the soldiers who were holding him: "What wrong have I done? What right do you have to arrest me!"
When they heard that he was a scholar, the soldiers had lost their tough attitude. However, they dared not disobey orders from their superiors. Now that he questioned them again, they were in a dilemma.
Just as things were getting tense ahead, Shen Yujiao was pulled back behind a tree by someone behind her. She asked, somewhat puzzled, "What are you doing?"
"What are you going to do?" Jiang Yu asked her in return. "You should have anticipated the situation at the city gate before you came. Going out now will only be like a lamb entering a tiger's den."
Shen Yujiao, her thoughts exposed, was momentarily speechless. Of course, she had imagined such a scene; she had long been aware of the King of Zhao's vigilance. But... she stared blankly at the chaotic scene at the city gate, her gaze passing through the crowd to the woman holding the child.
Everyone was arguing and making a scene, but the mother holding her child looked utterly helpless.
"If you didn't see it, fine. But now that you did, how can you just stand by and do nothing?" Shen Yujiao finally broke free from his arm and asked very seriously, "Didn't we come back for them?"
After saying that, she shook off her hand and was about to go around, but before she could take a step, she was grabbed by the person behind her again.
She took a deep breath, remembering the special relationship between Jiang Yu and Shen Yujiao, and also considering the only remaining bond they had formed during their escape, and suppressed her anger as she looked at the person behind her: "Military and political intrigues are matters for the court; what have the common people done to deserve being dragged into them?"
Shen Yujiao witnessed the changes in Yong'an, Jiang Lin, Chu Rou, and Jiang Chen, all her close friends. Although she didn't observe herself from an outsider's perspective, she knew that she was also being subtly changed by this identity.
She remembered that she was Shen Yujiao, but now she knew even more clearly that she was still the legitimate daughter of the Shen family and the Crown Princess of Great Xia. Protecting the people of Great Xia was her mission!
Jiang Yu was taken aback by the suppressed anger in her eyes, then lowered his gaze and quickly said, "Go and bring the horse over. If things get chaotic at the city gate, I can run faster than you. If something happens, it's better for me to be caught than for you to be caught."
In just a moment, before Shen Yujiao could react, she saw Jiang Yu's afterimage darting away. She instinctively reached out to grab him, but only touched the hem of his clothes. Watching his back recede further and further away, Shen Yujiao stomped her foot angrily and then ran off in the opposite direction to find her horse.
Damn it! Jiang Yu always makes her feel guilty.
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