Chapter 74 Drinking Snow (XIV) The Fourth Sister has returned. ...
Zhi Rou had been walking beside the Khan's first wife since early morning. Most people in the royal court knew that the woman from Yan did not serve her master well, but instead tried to curry favor with Urentuya.
Although Huai Xian was displeased, he did not break off relations with Zhi Rou, always thinking of saving face for her, hoping that things would not develop in the worst possible way.
Until ten days ago, Zhi Rou resigned from her post and resolutely chose the other race.
Huai Xian was indignant for a long time because of this, and she couldn't understand why Song Zhirou naively thought that these grassland people would treat her well. She thought that she and Song Zhirou were the same kind of people.
The anger subsided, and the horse race was approaching. The man Huai Xian had sent to keep an eye on Zhi Rou returned and reported that she would appear at the horse race.
If something goes wrong while tampering with the horses, it will harm the people of Beili, and if things get out of hand, it will be difficult to handle.
Huai Xian pondered for a moment and remembered that there were many herbs in her luggage brought from the capital, which her mother had prepared for her in case she was not used to the local climate.
One of its ingredients is warm in nature and can attract snakes.
Qingtang understood the meaning and, after the horse race, discussed with Alamusu's men about putting a green snake into Zhirou's tent.
Feeling deeply uneasy about what she had done, Qing Tang ran back after walking a short distance and stood guard outside Zhi Rou's tent, becoming the first person to call the witch doctor after the incident.
Later, she turned the tables and used poisoning as a cover to lower Enhe's guard, thus giving her the opportunity to infiltrate the army.
The morning breeze rustled, and Zhi Rou sat firmly on the horse's back, no longer tilting to one side. Her life on the grasslands had taught her to control her horse daily, and combined with her natural talent, her horsemanship now far surpassed that of many men from the Central Plains.
The march was fast, with a new warhorse every forty li. At first, Zhi Rou was able to keep up, but after crossing the sacred lake, her strength was clearly failing. If the army hadn't stopped due to a rainstorm, she would probably have been left far behind.
The army rested temporarily at Deer Mountain, where the dense forests and thick, oppressive darkness enveloped the land. The soldiers lit torches and sat in small groups, their eyes warily scanning their surroundings.
Wolf packs often roam this area, and even the most famous caravans try to avoid it. Su Du's order to rest and recuperate here inevitably drew criticism.
Under the waxing and waning moonlight, a soldier with a narrow face chewed on dried meat, his gaze fixed ahead, as if he could see through the dense crowd and fixate on Su Du behind him.
The wind had stopped at some point, and the narrow-faced soldier snorted, "Sudu was only loyal to General Bayan. Now that the general is gone, does the Khan still trust him..."
There was another meaning behind his words. The person beside him turned to look at him for a moment, then defended him, saying, "If it weren't for General Sudu, the Tar tribe would have already joined forces with the Kun Kingdom. How could Beili be where it is today?"
He stood up and raised his voice slightly, "General Sudu is a warrior of our grasslands. Don't try to sow discord among the troops here."
As soon as he shouted, people around turned to look. Zhi Rou was taking a break to daydream when she heard the commotion and turned her head.
“I did not instigate anything,” the narrow-faced soldier retorted.
Seeing his companion frowning and staring at him as if he had made a mistake, he felt resentful and raised his voice two decibels without backing down: "Have you forgotten where General Boyan picked him up from?"
At this point, his tone suddenly lowered, and he cautiously glanced ahead.
Upon hearing the words "Chang Yu," Zhi Rou perked up, shifted her body to this side, and straightened her back exceptionally.
His name was known to all on the grasslands. In life, he was feared by the Northern Li; after his death, some, like General Boyan, admired his heroism, while others secretly celebrated the death of their formidable enemy and drank heavily through the night.
"So...the Khan knew too?"
The narrow-faced soldier spoke logically and persuasively, like listening to a story, which easily led people to believe him.
The man who initially accused him looked around and, seeing the hesitant expressions on everyone's faces, gritted his teeth and said, "Even if it's true, General Su has lived in Beili for so many years and has been on countless campaigns. He wouldn't harm us!"
“The son of a traitor will also be a traitor,” the narrow-faced soldier said in a flat voice.
As the silence that suddenly fell around her, Zhi Rou couldn't help but furrow her brows.
Those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts. In their eyes, Sudu was probably just like that.
Last time she asked Su Du if he was from the Central Plains, his tone was cold and even somewhat hostile, quite different from Bei Li's attitude towards the Yan Dynasty.
If what they say is true, and Su Du is indeed the son of Chang Yu, then this can be explained.
Zhi Rou never expected that, after leaving the capital, she would be able to learn about people from other ethnic groups whom she could not find out about in the capital.
"Chang Yu." She repeated it to herself.
“Prince…” someone exclaimed in surprise from the silence. After a moment’s pause, they all stood up and bowed to Enhe.
Zhi Rou lowered her head slightly in a panic.
To avoid attracting attention, she didn't utter a single word on this trip. People assumed she was born with a disability, and seeing the streaks of ash on her face, they quickly overlooked her.
Enhe, dressed in military uniform, completely concealed his usual youthful naiveté. His eyes were deep and bright, like a Khan's, carrying an imposing aura that commanded submission: "What are you talking about?"
Su Du was at the very front and didn't come over.
The soldiers slightly shook their chins as a sign of military discipline.
On Deer Mountain, apart from the low crackling of torches, there was not a sound.
Enhe scanned them, his gaze lingering briefly on a boy with downcast eyes at the end of the group.
He quickly doubted himself and looked away, then said loudly, "Let's go down the mountain."
Bei Li's southward march is aimed at Lan City.
Before the marriage alliance was finalized, the Khan had already expressed his intention to seize Lancheng.
The Yan Emperor refused to cede an inch of land, but the Northern Khan could not let go of the prize of Lancheng. Only because of the autumn defenses with Kunlun, which resulted in a shortage of troops, did he enjoy half a year of peace.
Su Du led his troops, taking a longer route.
Enhe was unfamiliar with Yan, but he trusted Sudu completely.
Therefore, when the scouts returned and reported that Lancheng had detected our army's movements and the city gates were locked, and Su Du suggested that we split up, Enhe agreed without hesitation.
Unable to uncover their plans, Zhi Rou felt that traveling with En He would make it difficult to conceal her identity, so she secretly joined Su Du's camp when no one was paying attention.
As spring arrives, the grassland sprouts new green leaves, and birds flutter their wings as they fly over the thorns. Zhi Rou almost couldn't suppress the restlessness in her heart.
Having been away for so long, she suddenly felt closer and closer to her homeland. Even if it wasn't the capital, as long as she entered Yan, she would consider herself home.
With Huai Xian, Zhi Rou is no longer bound by any ties; if the Bei Li people discover she is not within their borders, Wu Ren Tu Ya will help her. But Jing Yao… she doesn't want to go with her.
Zhi Rou gripped the reins tightly, shook her head slightly, and said she didn't want to think about it anymore.
Seven days after leaving Lushan, Su Du and his party arrived near Suyuan.
Suyuan City is adjacent to Yuyang, and there are many Yan border troops stationed there. In order to cover up the whereabouts of the Beili army, Su Du ordered the main force to pretend to be merchants, while sending a small team to ambush the Yan scouts on the road they would definitely pass through. The purpose was twofold: to ambush and kill them, and to confuse the Yan army so that they would misjudge the location of the Beili troops.
Because they were near the border of Yan, it was forbidden to light fires during night marches. However, the spring air was still chilly, and Zhi Rou hugged her arms to her chest, feeling shivering from the cold.
Seeing that she looked frail, one of the soldiers asked with a smile, "Whose family are you?"
Zhi Rou looked back, her eyes cold and devoid of any warmth, as if she was displeased by his mockery.
Then someone said, "Don't ask, he's mute."
“Rare indeed, General Su Du was also ‘mute’ before.”
It was originally just a joke, something that would have been forgotten. But no sooner had the words left her lips than everyone around her turned to look at Zhi Rou with suspicion.
If it weren't for the narrow-faced soldier's comments a few days ago, they wouldn't have had much doubt about the word "mute." But after hearing it tonight, they couldn't help but scrutinize him.
Many eyes scrutinized Zhi Rou. She swallowed hard, but her breathing remained steady. With a flick of her little finger in her sleeve, the short knife slid out and was firmly grasped in her hand.
The air around them seemed to freeze, and someone unconsciously stood up and pressed their boots forward.
Just then, a young male voice sounded behind Zhirou: "He's from Doria's family over by the rice paddies. He can't speak, but he's incredibly strong. He can throw a saber into the woods with one hand. Don't mess with him."
Having come from somewhere, the group smiled casually and turned their backs.
At the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), they attacked Suyuan.
The east wind fluttered the "Gao" banner on the parapet, the thunderous sound of drums pounded in our ears, warhorses galloped past, and arrows rained down like silk.
Zhi Rou lagged behind the rest of the group, listening to the shouts of "Kill!" and watching the figures charging forward all around her. Suddenly, she smelled a pungent odor in the sand—the smell of blood.
For a long, long time, Zhi Rou didn't come to her senses until a scream rang out in front of her. Someone had been shot by an arrow from the city wall, piercing through the chest, and immediately fell from the horse's back, lying among the corpses of their comrades.
Zhi Rou seemed to wake from a dream, her body swaying slightly before she quickly regained her composure and drew the knife from behind the saddle.
Her attire was identical to that of the Northern Li army. The Yan Dynasty soldiers were indiscriminate with their swords and spears, so she only dodged and did not attack, making her way with great difficulty to the center of the battlefield.
This is nothing more than the Asura Hell. Zhi Rou is still not used to the intense smell of blood and the ear-piercing sounds of battle.
She parried with her sword, her face dotted with blood. They were all in a killing frenzy. Someone slashed her arm, and she gritted her teeth, her eyes fixed on the city gate.
She must get in alive.
Before she could look away, Zhi Rou suddenly saw a familiar face.
Firelight and the glint of blades flashed in the field of vision. Armored men fought fiercely with spears, their clothes soaked with blood, yet they still struggled to hold onto their spears, not retreating an inch.
Who else could that person be but Chang Huai?
If Changhuai were here, then Wei Yuanzhan...
Zhi Rou squeezed the horse's flanks with both legs and spurred it toward Chang Huai.
The scene was a bloody mess, with corpses strewn everywhere.
Bei Li slashed down at Chang Huai with his saber, about to strike his face, when suddenly a bone arrow shot out and pierced the man's hand. Chang Huai immediately drew his spear and severed his throat.
When he looked up again, he saw the Fourth Sister sitting on a warhorse, holding a bow. The horse's hooves kicked up dust from the ground, which swirled up with thick blood.
Zhi Rou pulled on the reins and stopped the horse. A beam of sunlight shone through the thick clouds, illuminating her blood-stained face. Chang Huai was stunned and horrified.
Fourth Sister...she's back?
Before Chang Huai could speak, Zhi Rou had already looked around, her tone urgent and fierce: "Where is he?!"
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