Night crossing, sunrise
"Hahaha, this time we won't fight unless we fight, but we'll win in one battle! Come, fill it up!" said the man sitting crookedly in the center of the tent, raising his cup.
Several men beside him poured him drinks and chimed in with their own words.
The rapid sound of horses' hooves swept in from afar, and everyone stopped drinking and looked out of the tent.
The man in light armor dismounted from his horse, quickly stepped forward, knelt down, and said, "That person has escaped!"
Everyone was instantly enraged, and several people rushed forward to attack.
"Wait! Take all thirty men from my border camp and go after them!"
"Hmph, I should have chopped off his legs first to prevent future trouble. I was foolish enough to think of using him as a bargaining chip to negotiate with the Han traitor." The man threw the cup aside, his brows furrowed in annoyance.
"Khan, please calm your anger. Although this man has escaped, with the vastness of the world and the grass covering the fields, how could he possibly have escaped?"
This Khan was born in the morning and was named Sarenmandula. His son has been in power for twelve years.
Sarenmandula stroked his leg and said, "You're so thoughtful. We should be able to find it soon."
Meanwhile, Zhao Peiming was covered in starlight, crawling on the ground. All he could hear was the rustling of grass and the chirping of insects, along with his own rapid heartbeat and heavy breathing.
He was nearing exhaustion. But he understood even more clearly that life and death were decided tonight.
Having suffered numerous defeats, this was the first time he had been captured. He had had enough of the infamy and humiliation, and his weariness was growing stronger.
He stopped, pressed his right ear to the ground to listen, and was stunned—there were at least three or four pursuers, but the sound of the horses' hooves was unusually uniform.
"This horse is too fast," he thought. He had no way to hide and was prepared to fight to the death. He was panting heavily, like a ferocious beast.
The sound grew closer, and he crouched down to leap up, only to find that the horse was unmanned.
Zhao Peiming squinted his bloodshot eyes, catching a glimpse of white in the dim light. It was—it was that lost horse.
He didn't know how to react to this sudden shock. For a moment, he felt as if he had descended to the underworld to meet his comrade-in-arms. The horse nudged him, lowering its head to sniff him. This sharp, tingling pain jolted him awake from the dream. Zhao Peiming's wounds began to reopen.
The horse fell to its side, and he instinctively moved his body to the horse's back, fumbled for the rope on the saddle, barely managed to tie himself up, and then reached out to wrap his arms around the horse's neck.
The horse slowly knelt down, and Zhao Peiming was jolted along with it. But he managed to grab hold.
Zhao Peiming felt as if he were standing in a sea of fire, with a warm river flowing beneath him. He could hear his wet nurse's lullaby again, and felt tiny insects nibbling at his fingers. Then the earth truly began to tremble; only then did the pursuers arrive.
The horses galloped on, and the distant voices became indistinct again.
In the end, the horse was the better one, dodging all the poisoned arrows and disappearing into the dense forest without a trace.
—————
"I've only been here a day, and someone's already in a hurry to send me away." Jiang Heng took out three gleaming iron blades from his pouch, arranged them neatly on the table with his hand, pressed them down with his fingertips, and pushed them toward Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen suddenly flew into a rage, slammed down his bowl and chopsticks, and said, "Who dares to be so audacious!" After saying that, he looked around.
Jiang Heng smiled and said, “My lord, don’t be anxious.” He showed a slight sadness in his eyes. “I am nothing but a nobody. It is only natural that others are jealous of me for being able to meet the aide.”
"Those who have served Young Master Jiang's meals these past few days, regardless of whether they harbor any disloyal intentions, shall be executed immediately," Zhao Chen declared sternly.
"Please show mercy, sir," Jiang Heng said, leaning forward slightly. He had never expected Zhao Chen to be so ruthless, and upon hearing the word "execution," the words "please show mercy" almost came out of his mouth.
Zhao Chen was puzzled. The guard showed him the razor blade, then put on a sorrowful expression. Wasn't this just a way to make an example of him? Just then, Zhao Chen raised his hand to stop the guard and gave Jiang Heng a meaningful look.
Jiang Heng stood up, lifting his robe, and said, "The servants who served the meal did nothing wrong, why execute them all?"
"What does this mean?" Zhao Chen asked, thinking that since Jiang Heng did not choose to settle the matter privately, he must want Zhao Chen to take charge and kill these people to eliminate future troubles. But now he was pleading for mercy, which was really abnormal.
Jiang Heng pointed to the three iron blades and said, "Jealousy is something everyone experiences, it's just that some people show it more obviously. Now, indiscriminate killing without distinguishing between good and evil will only cause more panic among the people."
Zhao Chen laughed and said, "I have never heard of that. I have always governed my family with strict discipline, supplemented by moral influence, and I have been doing so for more than ten years without interruption. They fear the law and punishment, but not leniency."
Jiang Heng cupped his hands in greeting: "The world is not entirely at peace now, and we need benevolence and virtue to soothe people's hearts even more."
Zhao Chen shook his head: "No, it is precisely because things are not peaceful that we should enforce strict laws."
“Sir, have you ever seen the people struggling to survive? The land is barren and yet taxes are heavy. Why don’t the people rebel? Is it because they fear severe punishments? It’s simply because the army is weak and the times are unfavorable,” Jiang Heng said, still bowing. “If they had weapons and armor, I fear there might be a change of dynasty.”
At this moment, someone stepped forward and handed Zhao Chen new chopsticks, taking the opportunity to whisper in his ear, "Attendant, do not believe this person's sweet talk."
Zhao Chen naturally didn't believe Jiang Heng; this man's words had solidified his own decision. Just as he was about to speak, several maids carrying jade trays rushed into the hall, stumbling and kneeling, pleading with Zhao Chen to spare them. Several cooks, seemingly arriving at the sound, also knelt, saying they served Jiang Heng as they would Zhao Chen, daring not to neglect him. The hall immediately became noisy. The guards were eager to drive them out, but the thought of being executed without being able to plead for them made them hesitate. They pushed and shoved, but didn't actually force them to leave.
With a huge pile of food in front of Zhao Chen, it was difficult for him to swallow his food, and he put down his jade chopsticks.
Jiang Heng slowly walked up to the group of people, looking down at them. The guards, who had been feigning to drive them away, stopped when they saw Jiang Heng approaching and knelt on one knee to the side. After they stepped aside, the maidservant in the middle timidly looked up, meeting Jiang Heng's gaze. They miraculously stopped sobbing and instead bowed their heads to the ground. Only then did Jiang Heng turn around, lift his robe, and kneel gracefully before the group, once again bowing and pleading for mercy. Although his physique and demeanor still revealed the characteristics of a young master, his arrogant and upright air had already faded.
Zhao Chen found it amusing. Jiang Heng's method was commonly used by the older generation, and he acted convincingly, proving himself to be a good actor. However, it still appeared somewhat clumsy in front of Zhao Chen. But Zhao Chen was a man who wore his heart on his sleeve, and his words were equally direct and quick.
“Young Master Jiang, you’ve finished your performance, so get up. If you kneel and ruin your health, I’m afraid I’ll have a hard time explaining it to the Jiang Kingdom.”
“If I only wanted to gain support, why would I resort to such tricks? Firstly, gaining the trust and respect of those with whom I have no further relationship is of no benefit to me. Secondly, in the eyes of my advisors, this action would mostly be seen as rebellious and unbenevolent, and to think that I could win the favor of the lord through this is simply wishful thinking.”
Zhao Chen beckoned his guards to his side, casually drawing a sword from one of their waists, the blade pointing directly at Jiang Heng's chin. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Fine, now I'll pay for the lives of those behind you with your own. How about it?" The guards were terrified that Zhao Chen would actually kill Jiang Heng and tried to stop him, but the guards, knowing Zhao Chen's temperament, only gave him warning glances, telling the others not to get up. His glare calmed the restlessness once more.
Jiang Heng turned his head to reveal more of his neck and said in detail: "My lowly life, whether it is to appease the jealousy of those who want to harm me or to allow the good to live in peace, will not be wasted. Therefore, I can be killed."
"What kind of lowly life is this?" Zhao Chen asked, puzzled. He knew that Jiang Heng was indeed a righteous man, and he had naturally found out his background before meeting him. Now he admired him very much, and this action was just to help him get rid of the jealousy of others.
Jiang Heng said in a muffled voice, "I failed the imperial examination for three years, was framed, and have been living a life of hardship, working as a commoner and tilling the land."
Hearing this, the crowd knelt behind him and exchanged knowing glances. Seeing this, Zhao Chen tossed his sword to his guards and said, "Those with lofty ambitions will not be reduced to lowly lives!" With that, he rose and personally helped them up.
Everyone in the hall, realizing these words were clearly directed at them, fell into deep thought. The guard looked at Jiang Heng, thinking that this man, with his ambiguous appearance, truly possessed a shrewd and calculating mind.
At this moment, a man stepped forward and whispered something to Zhao Chen. Zhao Chen's pupils suddenly contracted, and he said, "Investigate again." Watching the man leave, Zhao Chen felt somewhat exhausted. He slowly sat down and then looked up at the crowd, saying, "You may all leave now. Today, Young Master Jiang pleaded for you. You should treat him well in the future and not let him down." The people listened attentively and silently withdrew.
Jiang Heng was about to leave when Zhao Chen stopped him, saying, "My son Zhao Peiming once sent a message saying he owes you a horse and hasn't repaid it yet. Has he repaid it now?"
Jiang Heng paused for a moment, then shook his head. He continued, "Young Master Zhao is a man of his word; he has already offered his horse as payment." Upon hearing this, Zhao Chen sighed, "Is it Chi Xiao?" Jiang Heng nodded. Zhao Chen said, "Enough, enough. My son is always impulsive. Offering a fine horse as payment is inevitable this time. Alas, it is truly... a great disgrace."
Jiang Heng deduced that Zhao Chen's concerns were related to Zhao Peiming, and slowly said, "Young Master Zhao possesses the qualities of a hero; he will surely turn danger into safety." Even as he said this, Jiang Heng was also worried. The Great Zhao Dynasty absolutely could not lose this great general.
At this moment, another messenger arrived with news. Upon hearing this, Zhao Chen cursed, "You bastard! Quickly send men to the border to provide support!" His eyes widened in fury, making him look like a ferocious demon. The messenger, who had never seen such arrogance before, was so frightened that he stumbled and ran out of the hall.
Seeing that Zhao Chen had no intention of sending him away, Jiang Heng bowed and said, "My lord, please don't be in such a hurry. Tell me what's going on, so that one more person can share the burden."
Zhao Chen glanced at Jiang Heng, meeting his firm gaze, and wavered slightly, but out of consideration for their relationship, he still said, "It's nothing to mention." Jiang Heng heard this and left without saying anything more.
Walking along the connecting corridor, Jiang Heng was in turmoil. He had nowhere to turn—going back to the past was absolutely impossible, but climbing upwards only made him realize he was merely being chased and lingering before a dead end. Suddenly, someone shouted in the distance. Jiang Heng looked in the direction of the sound and saw that his black-backed carrier pigeon had disturbed the crowd. Jiang Heng took the letter and casually took out some fish feed for the pigeon. He unfolded the letter and saw a line of words written crookedly on it:
The village has urgent business, young master, please return immediately.
Jiang Heng felt a vague sense of unease. He had reassured the people before his departure; if they were merely missing him or lacked manpower, they certainly wouldn't have sent a message rashly given Jin Tao's opposition. But since a letter had arrived, it must be something important that required his decision. Thinking this, Jiang Heng quickened his pace, moved to his side room, and began packing his belongings. Seeing the change in situation, the maidservant outside the door hurriedly stood at the door and said, "The Attendant has ordered that the young master must not leave without permission."
Jiang Heng was prepared and smiled, "Don't worry, young lady, I will definitely inform my attendant." He really didn't intend to leave secretly; once trust was earned, he would stick to it until the very end.
Jiang Heng remembered that Chi Xiao was still in Guo Zheng's government, so he asked someone to inform Guo Zheng and bribed him with some silver before he was able to bring the horse back.
Jiang Heng, dressed neatly and having eaten his fill, came to Zhao Chen's palace to say goodbye. Seeing his preparations, Zhao Chen knew he was determined and said, "Half-Day Flower has delivered the message, hasn't she?"
“I know that my influence extends far and wide, so I will only take a look and then return without lingering,” Jiang Heng said. Zhao Chen then pointed to a man to protect him on the road—both to prevent him from betraying his cause and to prevent him from being abducted by Fu Qinxiang.
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