Crossing the Bloody Wind
"He was hiding in that patch of grass, just as I expected!" Sarenmandula said smugly. "You did a great job! With him dead, I feel much better!"
"After sunrise tomorrow morning, all those in the tents, line up in a row. I'll swiftly execute the Han Chinese who delivered the secret message, and I'll give a generous reward to the rest who can recognize the handwriting!" Sarenmandula shouted.
After Usa and Char knelt in farewell, Usa relayed Sarenmandula's orders one by one. Sarenmandula then secretly pulled someone aside, whispered a few words to him, and pointed to the two figures that had departed.
"Handwriting? I've taken a look, and this jade-like brush with silver hooks clearly belongs to a woman."
"This kind of secret letter must have been written by someone else; even if we really investigate, we won't find anything out."
"What if it's not? If a secret letter of this caliber isn't written by hand, how can it gain the Khan's trust?"
As the rooster crowed for the first time, Liu Chunhua had just begun to do her hair when there was a knock at the door. Little Lamb went to open it and found that it was Chaolu, Sarenmandula's most trusted advisor. Little Lamb immediately pressed down on her dagger. Chaolu noticed her nervousness, stepped back, and opened his arms, saying, "I didn't bring any weapons! I'm so sorry for disturbing Princess Tian with this sudden visit! But only the princess knows a little about this matter, so I had no choice but to come."
The lamb didn't relax, but slightly stepped aside so that Liu Chunhua inside could see who it was. Liu Chunhua nodded: "Let him in."
"I'm a straightforward person, so I'll speak my mind. Princess, you've come from the Great Zhao Kingdom. I've heard that your brother is still the Emperor's new favorite! He's a newly promoted nobleman this year, isn't he? Haha, you must know who in the court most wants this 'Ten Thousand Gold Head' dead right now, right?" Chao Lu couldn't contain his excitement and, to show respect, spoke in broken Chinese.
After thinking it over carefully and looking Chao Lu over again, Liu Chunhua said, "There is one possibility. However, with your hands bare, I'm afraid I won't be able to remember."
Chao Lu laughed heartily, spreading his palms and saying, "The princess is indeed a princess, she's so different from us shepherds and horsemen, she smells of gold and silver! Good! Whatever the princess's request, I, Chao Lu, will certainly fulfill it if I can!"
"Chaolu is indeed a close friend of the Khan, a truly intelligent man. I have no demands, I only hope you can find a way to help me and my brother interact more. Wouldn't it be more beneficial for you if I knew more about our court affairs? Anyway, you've already knocked on this door once, so a second time won't make a difference." Liu Chunhua smiled, a rare occurrence for her. Her smile was different from that of the women of Shajie, possessing a more reserved and demure air, which was a novelty to Chaolu.
"Princess, you are so wise and intelligent. I have long heard that you brought farming methods to our border region and taught the women here to cultivate both agriculture and weaving. I, Chaolu, truly admire you. I will obey your orders without hesitation! I'll take care of delivering the message!" Chaolu said, patting his chest.
“Alright. Then please sit down,” Liu Chunhua gestured for the lamb to bring a stool, and Chao Lu sat down. “Based on my experience, the person who wrote the letter is very likely the Grand Master Shi Qinxiang of the Great Zhao.”
“This…it does sound like a woman.” Chaolu leaned forward, looking very interested.
“Fu Qinxiang is the only female official in the court, second only to the emperor. Several powerful families, including the Liu family, are under her control. She is only one army away from achieving great success,” Liu Chunhua said calmly.
“I’ve long heard that Zhao Peiming’s cavalry is the most valiant in the Great Zhao, so is she desperate because she couldn’t win them over?” Chao Lumo rubbed his chin.
"Smart." Liu Chunhua nodded.
Just then, the assembly whistle sounded outside the door, and Chao Lu immediately rushed out, then stopped and said, "Thank you, Princess!"
“Princess, do you really tell him?” the little lamb said as he combed Liu Chunhua’s hair. “If you really implicate Fu Qinxiang and the news gets out, I’m afraid it will be difficult for her.”
“Although my brother is devoted to Fu Qinxiang, I always feel that she doesn’t suit my taste. Or rather, I don’t think she’s a good match. Everyone tells my brother that he’s hit the jackpot, but I don’t see any benefit in following a madwoman who kills at the drop of a hat. It’s a disaster,” Liu Chunhua murmured.
"What? Your national advisor, how come he still..." The little lamb was shocked.
"Hmph, who among high-ranking officials isn't corrupt? Fu Qinxiang is only so brazen because she has no one in the court who can do anything to her. I think they're all equally corrupt," Liu Chunhua said disdainfully.
"Then your brother..."
“...It’s all the same,” Liu Chunhua looked at the lamb in the mirror, her eyes filled with regret, “That’s why I want to do more to make up for it.”
Killing animals while burning incense? The little lamb wondered.
—————
“Nobody knows? What a pity. I have another piece of land to the north, which is just sitting there, but nobody seems interested.” Sarenmandula said, feigning regret.
“Boss, this handwriting looks like it belongs to a woman. The only female official in their Great Zhao Dynasty is their Grand Preceptor, Fu Qinxiang.” Chao Lu suddenly stepped forward and said loudly.
Sarenmandula was very satisfied and raised his eyebrows to signal him to continue.
"This female official is no ordinary person. She entered the court as an observer seven or eight years ago, and later she took over her father's position. As soon as she took office, she immediately began to prepare for the army. But as we all know, the Great Zhao has a famous cavalry, the Sa Ta Cavalry. How could she not want to recruit them? I think that Zhao Peiming is no pushover. His heart is definitely with their emperor, which has made Fu Qinxiang unhappy. Last time, that kid escaped again. Fu Qinxiang must be anxious. Now that we know his whereabouts, she must be hoping that we can take his head and use him as a tool to kill him." Chao Lu spoke without hesitation, his expression calm.
Sarenmandula was skeptical: "...How do you know so much?"
“My mother was Han Chinese. When she was young, she worked as a musician in the palace. I heard her play the zither at their banquets a few times,” Chao Lu said, kneeling on one knee.
"Haha, look at my brain, I forgot that we Chaolu people are of mixed Han and non-Han descent. Come on, get up! I'll prepare a horse for you today and take you to see the beautiful scenery in the north!" Sarenmandula said cheerfully.
"Thank you, Khan!" Chaolu said, rising to his feet.
The two headed north, with Chaolu constantly observing the surroundings. Snow had begun to fall in the north, making it difficult for them to discern their direction. Suddenly, a strong wind howled, and Chaolu strained to open his eyes, only to see Sarenmandula turn his horse around, brandishing a large sword and slashing at him.
With lightning speed, Chaolu drew his broadsword from his waist, the two blades clashing with a sound like tearing silk. Sarenmandula cursed in Oirat and swung his sword again, attempting to kill Chaolu. Chaolu swiftly dodged, but found his horse staggering. He had to kick hard as the horse fell, landing safely. It turned out the horse had also been tampered with. In this vast expanse, he couldn't possibly return on foot; only a life-or-death struggle would suffice. Whoever could seize the best horse would live. Chaolu continued searching for an opportunity, but was kicked in the stomach by the horse, tumbling backward. He estimated that several of his internal organs were ruptured. Without time to think, he endured the excruciating pain and rolled downwards, Sarenmandula shouting after him, "You Han-Chinese bastard! I knew people with foreign blood like you were all no good!"
Even the best horse stumbles when going downhill. Sarenmandula simply abandoned the horse and went downhill alone to chase after Chaolu. He grabbed Chaolu by the collar, held the blade to the man's neck, and said, "You think you're so capable? Let's see where you can run to!" Seeing blood trickling from Chaolu's mouth, he was unusually excited. "Don't you plan to explain why you're fluent in Chinese before you die?"
"I...I don't speak Chinese."
"Still being stubborn! Don't force me to make you chew my knife!"
"The two people you sent might... be lying to you."
Sarinmandula instantly became alert—yes, they were incompetent fools who hadn't been keeping a close watch on things. It was unclear whether the information they brought back was true or false; blindly believing them would only make him vulnerable to being misled. Thinking this, he subconsciously loosened his grip. However, those two dimwits couldn't have come up with such a sophisticated plan; someone must be secretly guiding them. Regardless, an internal purge was imminent, Sarinmandula thought.
"I am completely loyal to you." After saying this, Chaolu completely lost consciousness.
—————
Zhao Peiming barely ate a few bites of food before picking up a pen and beginning to draft a secret letter:
I captured the assassin in a short time. His confession revealed that his actions were orchestrated by the Grand Preceptor and Sarenmandula! The Grand Preceptor not only leaked my whereabouts but also had ties with the enemy chieftain years ago, deliberately allowing me to return home to provoke border conflicts and profit from them. Now, seeing my meritorious service on the border, he fears his past deeds will be exposed and therefore seeks to use the enemy chieftain to eliminate me!
These treacherous villains who have colluded with the enemy, betrayed the country, framed border generals, and wreaked havoc on the court must be thoroughly investigated by Your Majesty! I have already used assassins to carry out a counter-espionage scheme, making the enemy chief suspicious, but I fear he may resort to desperate measures. I implore Your Majesty to make a wise decision as soon as possible!
After writing, Zhao Peiming put down his pen, wrapped the letter, and handed it, along with his waist token, to Zhou Ze, asking him to rush back to Tiansong and personally deliver it to the Emperor.
“Brother Zhao, isn’t this too risky? The only person in the court who knows your whereabouts and intends to harm you is probably Fu Qinxiang. She is the most likely one to inform Saren Mandula, which is indeed suspicious. Now that the Emperor has received another secret letter, he will definitely investigate Fu Qinxiang’s treason, but this will inevitably alarm Fu Qinxiang, and she will definitely suspect you first,” Xiaohan said anxiously.
"We need to curb her arrogance. What can she do even if she knows it's me? Right now, she should be worried about how to clear her name," Zhao Peiming glanced outside the tent. "Besides, the Emperor has been wanting to find fault with her for a long time. Isn't this just a stepping stone?"
Xiao Han then added, "Moreover, there's Lord Jiang in the court; he can take the helm."
Zhao Peiming's heart skipped a beat, and she nodded. What was Jiang Heng doing at this moment? She hadn't smelled his fragrance in so long, and she missed him terribly. Truly, only those who have entered the gates of unrequited love know its bitterness. Zhao Peiming thought. Xiao Han, seeing that his master had given no further instructions, was just about to step out of the tent when Zhao Peiming coughed, stopping him again.
"The chill of dawn has faded."
Zhao Peiming suddenly called him by his full name, and Xiao Hanjin's hair stood on end—since following Zhao Peiming, he had only ever been called by his nickname, and had never seen anything like this before. His legs went weak, he put down his sword, and saluted.
"You really have the heart to do that?" Zhao Peiming's eyes were filled with complex emotions.
Xiao Han was completely baffled. He raised his head slightly and continued listening.
"Hmph. Tell me, when did you two start dating?" Zhao Peiming said coldly.
Xiao Han suddenly realized: "I...I taught him Chinese, and...we ate and slept together, and then..."
"Come in!" Zhao Peiming called out to the tent entrance, and Gan Lin walked in and knelt beside Xiao Hanjin.
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