Chapter 51 I fell into the river because I was the wife of Huan Xun, the commander of the Dingbei Border Army...
The conversation outside reached Zhao Huayan and Nie Lanting through the open door.
Alarmed, the two blew out the candles and stood up abruptly.
Nie Lanting walked to the door frame first, and quietly peeked out from the side.
There weren't many people in the temple's backyard to begin with; apart from a few scattered monks, no one else was seen in the courtyard.
Seeing their extreme caution, Yu Nie quickly followed suit, moving to the window to observe the situation outside.
Nie Lanting glanced towards the back door, where two guards in white robes were just entering and stood on either side.
He immediately looked away and quietly closed the door to the room he was in.
Looking towards the courtyard, Yu Nie naturally saw the two imperial guards. Her brows furrowed, and her heart jumped into her throat.
She had thought that at least she could hide for a while and let them catch their breath before making further plans.
Unexpectedly, no sooner had he stepped inside than Bai Zhiwei, like a stray dog drawn by the smell of meat, chased after him.
She turned her gaze to Nie Lanting and Zhao Huayan, lowering her voice: "What should we do?"
Although Zhao Huayan didn't see the commotion in the courtyard, she could tell what had happened from the faces of the other two people.
Nie Lanting picked up the sword on the table: "This temple is very likely surrounded."
“There are guards at both the front and back doors, and we don’t know how many people are outside…” He looked up at Zhao Huayan and Yu Nie: “It seems… we have no choice but to force our way out.”
Forcing your way in is the worst possible option, but it's a last resort.
It's unclear how they managed to slip away and be tracked down here.
Yu Nie knew that this was not the time to investigate the cause. She had concerns about Nie Lanting's suggestion and did not think it was a good solution.
The temple is not large, so the front and back gates must be close to each other.
If they tried to force their way in, the Imperial Guards at the front would probably surround them before they even got out of the backyard.
While it takes courage to fight to the death, it benefits none of the three of them.
Hua Yan seemed to feel that this was not a good idea, and since she didn't have a better solution at the moment, she fell silent.
If she is caught this time, she and Nie Lanting will never be able to see each other again in this lifetime.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but steel herself again. If she rushed out, there would still be a glimmer of hope for survival; if she stayed, she would only be at the mercy of others.
"The young supervisor called all the monks to the front, he must have wanted to check them one by one. If the three of us keep waiting here, the chances of us dying are slim."
Her gaze turned grave as she looked between the other two people: "It seems that... our only chance of survival is to fight to the death."
Hearing her say this, Yu Nie, who had been pondering for a while, spoke up to stop her, saying, "We can't confront them head-on."
She spoke with certainty, looking at Zhao and Nie.
“If it were just Master Nie alone, he could at least walk on the edge of a knife, but he also has to take Princess Shunhe with him. Doing so is not only too risky, but you two are also very likely to be captured by those people.”
She said firmly, "I do have a plan that can ensure your safe escape."
Upon hearing that she was willing to sacrifice herself to ensure their safety, Zhao Huayan immediately went to her side and sternly refused, saying, "No! The young Taoist priest has already saved Lanting once during the day, and because of us, he had no choice but to flee east and west."
"We already feel bad about it, how can we let the young Taoist priest act as bait to ensure our safety?"
Nie Lanting, who hadn't spoken to her much these past few days, also disagreed with her doing so.
Zhao Huayan continued, "We appreciate the Taoist priest's kindness, but we will never accept such a despicable and shameless act as sacrificing others to save ourselves."
"Besides..." he didn't finish his sentence, "You don't know how the Imperial Horse Administration operates. If you fall into their hands, they won't let you go easily!"
The two people in front of her were adamant in their refusal, determined not to let her face the danger alone.
Yu Nie said, "But if you two get caught, it'll be all over. Princess Shunhe will be married off to that Jie tribesman, and she'll end up with a miserable and lonely life..."
Halfway through her speech, she realized she had said something she shouldn't have and abruptly stopped.
It's pointless for her to talk about what will happen in the future now.
Realizing they wouldn't leave easily, she thought and thought, and then a brilliant idea flashed into her mind—an "old friend" she knew very well.
She coughed lightly twice, took a step forward, looked at them carefully, and said, "There's something I haven't told you two yet..."
“You don’t need to worry. Even if I’m arrested by the Imperial Horse Administration, I’ll be fine. They don’t have the guts to touch me.”
Seeing her completely certain expression, without the slightest fear, Zhao Huayan asked hesitantly, "Why are you so sure, young Taoist priest?"
Thinking about what she was about to say, Yu Nie felt a pang of guilt, but she didn't want the tragedy of history to repeat itself so that the two of them could escape.
Her expression remained unchanged, her tone calm yet carrying an undeniable weight: "Because I am the wife of Huan Xun, the commander of the Dingbei Border Army, we are betrothed. Because of this relationship, the people of the Imperial Horse Administration would not dare to easily do anything to me."
She thought to herself that with Huan Xun's high official position, it should be no problem for him to intimidate someone from the Imperial Horse Administration.
Nie Lanting refused to believe her: "Taoist priest, there's no need for you to make up such a lie to save me and the princess."
“I am not lying.” She stepped in front of the two of them, and to make her words carry more weight, she searched her mind for the few scattered records about Huan Xun in historical books.
She recounted in detail: "He and I are both from Pingzhen in Bohai. We were childhood sweethearts. When he was eight years old, his family suffered a great tragedy and was separated from his family. He had no choice but to join the army. At that time, I was also sent by my family to Lingbao Temple to become a Taoist priest. Since then, we have lost contact and never had any contact again."
She spoke with conviction: "I thought he had long forgotten about this marriage, but I never expected that in the past few years he had his deputy general Xie Cheng search for me, which is how we were able to meet again."
She paused at this point, then continued, "We were originally supposed to get married this spring, but he was tied up with his post in Lingnan and was only recently transferred to Huaiyuan. But then, in Huaiyuan, he got involved in the case of Prefect Zhao Shuhuai and He Renzhi, and the wedding was postponed. Now it's been moved to the latter half of the month."
Her background, career history, and even the name of her deputy general were all perfectly accurate. Every detail she recounted was flawless.
Nie Lanting was at a loss for what to do. Unable to distinguish between truth and falsehood, he exchanged a glance with Zhao Huayan, both of them looking worried.
After a moment, he spoke slowly, "Speaking of which, two years ago when I was on duty in the Secretariat, I saw General Huan from afar. But at that time, I never imagined that the young Taoist priest would be General Huan's betrothed."
Huan Xun spent most of his time on the frontier, so it's understandable that scions of noble families like Nie Lanting weren't very familiar with these military generals.
Most people's impression of Huan Xun is limited to his outstanding military achievements at a young age and his status as the adopted son of Yan Yue, the current military commander-in-chief.
This reputation was already widely known throughout the court and the public. This was roughly all that Nie Lanting knew.
As for Zhao Huayan, who had long resided in the temple, there was no need to elaborate further. She knew nothing about who Huan Xun was or what he looked like.
Seeing how decisive and logical Yu Nie was speaking, their lingering doubts gradually dissipated, and they unconsciously began to believe him to some extent.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Yu Nie's face: "I didn't mean to hide it from you two, but marriage is a private matter, who would bring it up for no reason? Besides, I was afraid of causing trouble for my husband. But given the current situation, there's really no other way..."
After telling the lie, she didn't give them a chance to refuse again. She put away her awkwardness and pressed her advantage: "So don't worry about me. I'll go out and distract them while you slip away in the chaos. It will be completely dark by then. If you dress up as monks, they won't be able to tell you away for a while, and you'll be able to get away."
Zhao and Nie still disagreed with the method she proposed.
But she has already started making arrangements herself.
She was at a loss as to where to find a monk's robe to wear in such a short time, and paced anxiously around the room.
Just as she was wondering where to begin, the door creaked open.
The three immediately became alert, and Nie Lanting drew his sword halfway out of his hand.
Wu Xiang came in from outside carrying a rabbit cage. He noticed that there were no candles lit in the room and was about to ask what was wrong.
Unexpectedly, a hand suddenly covered his mouth and whispered in his ear, "Shh—don't make a sound, little master, it's me."
Upon hearing Yu Nie's voice, Wu Xiang whispered, "Why didn't you light any candles in the room, benefactor?"
Yu Nie glanced behind him, then quietly closed the door without delay: "The candles are gone. We'll light them again when we find them. What brings you here, little master?"
Wu Xiang was slow to react and spoke in a clumsy, childish voice: "I have fed your rabbit, benefactor, and have come to return it to you."
Yu Nie spoke cautiously, her voice low: "Didn't the Imperial Horse Administration's Junior Supervisor tell everyone in the temple to go to the front? Why are you still wandering around alone?"
Wu Xiang bowed with one hand, looking serious: "Amitabha, this humble monk was not wandering around, this humble monk was feeding rabbits."
"As for the question you raised, I am young. The people they are looking to capture are not as old as me, but they are as old as you."
Seemingly sensing something was amiss, the little monk scratched his shiny, round head, looked at the rabbit cage in his hand, and seemed to be deep in thought.
Yu Nie was afraid that he would remember it, so she quickly said, "Little Master, Little Master... don't think about it for now..."
She quickly pulled the person aside, bent down, and asked, "Um... could you do me a favor?"
Wu Xiang said, "Find me two sets of monk's robes. My friends' clothes are wet and they want to change into clean clothes."
Not wanting to put him in a difficult position, she added, "Don't worry, we'll pay for all the incense money."
Wu Xiang replied, "You misunderstand, benefactor. It's just two pieces of clothing. We monks are compassionate, how could we be so concerned? I'll go get them right away."
After saying that, Wu Xiang hurriedly went out.
After he left, Nie Lanting stared at Wuxiang's retreating figure, then turned back to Yu Nie as if worried: "Won't this little monk betray us?"
Yu Nie didn't have this concern: "Since he has already returned from the front yard, he must have been questioned. If he wanted to betray us, he wouldn't have waited until now."
"Besides, he didn't go to the front yard either." Through the window, by the light of the courtyard lamp, she saw Wuxiang enter the side room.
Without delay, Wuxiang, carrying two gray monk robes, tiptoed toward them.
The imperial guards standing at the back gate had their backs to him.
Just as he was only a few steps away from the door, a member of the Imperial Guard turned around upon hearing the voice and shouted sternly, "Hey little monk, stop right there!"
Wu Xiang stopped in his tracks and hugged the clothes in his arms tightly.
The people in the room, including Yu Nie, held their breath instantly, their hearts pounding in their throats.
The imperial guard stopped in front of Wuxiang and glanced at the robe he was holding: "Do you know that we are searching for traitors in the temple? Why aren't you in the front yard? What are you doing, sneaking around with these clothes?"
"Amitabha." Wu Xiang put his hands together, his eyes lowered but showing no sign of panic: "This humble monk was ordered by my master to tidy up the side rooms in the backyard. The Junior Supervisor in the front yard also knows about this. This humble monk just greeted the supervisor."
The Imperial Guard squinted at the little monk who was barely taller than his chest, then looked suspiciously at the dark room where Yu Nie and the others were hiding.
In the darkness, the group stared at each other silently, and Yu Nie's palms couldn't help but be damp with cold sweat.
Just as he was about to go forward to take a look, a colleague suddenly shouted from the stable, "Whose horses are these?"
Attracted by the sound coming from the direction of the stable, the imperial guard stared at the dark house in front of him for a long time before turning to Wuxiang and saying, "You're quite lazy, little monk, not lighting candles while cleaning the side rooms."
"You are wise, benefactor." Wuxiang bowed his head and clasped his hands in prayer. "The candles in the room have simply run out..."
"Enough with the nonsense!" The Imperial Guard waved his hand impatiently. "Go do your work and don't cause trouble!" With that, he strode back to his original position.
Wu Xiang lowered his head respectfully, not forgetting to bow, and then quickly entered the side room carrying his monk's robe.
Inside the room, Yu Nie and the others naturally heard the noise from the stable.
She figured it must have been their horses that had attracted attention.
Although the Imperial Horse Administration was nominally an office responsible for breeding fine horses for the court, it gradually took on the responsibility of protecting the imperial family and relatives starting from the previous emperor, and later cultivated elite forces such as the "White Straight Guards".
Although horse breeding is only a small part of the functions of the Imperial Horse Administration, when it comes to judging horses, no one understands the habits of horses better than them.
The horses in the temple are naturally familiar with the people in the temple, but their three horses will not obey commands like the horses in the temple.
The strange thing must have happened in the stable, or it must have heard a signal but didn't respond, or it must have smelled a stranger and neighed.
Such subtle details might go unnoticed by ordinary people, but they did not escape the notice of the Imperial Horse Administration.
Thinking of this, cold sweat broke out on her back. If the monk couldn't explain the origin of the three horses, it would surely attract the hounds of the Imperial Horse Administration, who might even turn the temple upside down.
It was of utmost urgency to send the two people away.
They didn't have time to waste any longer.
As Wuxiang pushed the door open and entered, Yu Nie closed the wooden door behind him, pulled him to a secluded spot, and asked with a hint of urgency, "Little Master, is there any place in the temple where we can avoid being seen? Something where people can leave without anyone noticing."
After thinking it over for a while, Wu Xiang said, "There is no secret passage, but Buddhist scriptures say that the deluded speak of it, while the wise act on it. Why don't you look at what's in front of you?"
"Look at what's in front of you?" Yu Nie asked, puzzled.
Not only was she confused, but even Zhao Huayan and Nie Lanting didn't understand.
"The path to survival is right beneath your feet," Wu Xiang replied.
"Underfoot?!" The other three looked shocked.
Wu Xiang said, "If I were the three of us, the Imperial Stables would surely lock up the temple once the horses have been discovered. But if someone were to launch a strong attack and break through, drawing the pursuers away from the temple, while the other two remain hidden here, at least the stalemate could be broken."
Now that the path is right in front of us, all we have to do is run.
Wu Xiang continued, "Master said that the most dangerous place is the safest. You all are like frightened birds right now, so it would be better to do the opposite and follow the way."
"Is reversal the way of things?" Nie Lanting said, "If you want to contract something, you must first expand it. Does Little Master mean that we should do the opposite?"
Wu Xiang said in a childish voice, "That is exactly the point."
This short sentence served as a reminder to Yu Nie.
Her gaze sharpened. If she wanted to help Nie Lanting and Zhao Huayan completely escape the pursuit of the Imperial Horse Administration, a simple escape plan would probably not be enough.
She lowered her eyes in deep thought, pacing back and forth in place.
After a while, an idea gradually formed in her mind.
It seems that only by simply disappearing or making the other party believe that they are dead can such a solution be feasible.
She stopped and asked Wuxiang, "If I stay in your temple, is there any chance I'll have to leave the city?"
“Reporting to you, benefactor, there is certainly a way,” Wuxiang replied. “In a few days, there will be a grand religious ceremony in Ganzhou, and all the monks in the temple will be going out of the city to chant sutras. At that time, there will be countless pilgrims accompanying them, and the merchants and servants in Jingyuan will be even more numerous. It is not surprising that one or two more people will be in the procession.”
"But, on the condition that everyone knows that you have escaped from the temple."
While it is said to refer to the general public, it actually refers to the Imperial Horse Administration.
Yu Nie pondered that as long as she could make these people mistakenly believe that Zhao and Nie had disappeared, the rest would be feasible.
Having found a way to leave the city, she immediately began to implement her plan.
She turned her gaze to the other two, her expression serious: "There's no time to lose, gentlemen. I have a way to shake off the Imperial Horse Administration's pursuers."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Huayan asked, "What method?"
*
Outside the stable, several White Guard soldiers, holding torches, surrounded two black horses and a reddish-brown horse, questioning the monk who had brought them to see the horses.
The monk did not know the names of the horses' owners, only replying that they were three young men with beards.
Three men appeared, but they clearly did not match the person they were investigating.
One of the imperial guards, with his high cheekbones, pondered whether or not to report this discovery to his junior supervisor.
The escape of a wanted criminal during the day is already a serious crime, and although these three strangers do not match the target of the manhunt, they cannot be let go easily.
However, if the report is submitted rashly, the Junior Supervisor is a man of gloomy temperament, and if there is any slight mistake, he will be whipped at best, and dismissed and investigated at worst.
He looked around and saw that his colleagues all looked hesitant, as if none of them dared to take the risk.
Just as they hesitated, a faint fragrance drifted in the air, and then they all collapsed to the ground.
Yu Nie and the others emerged from the shadows in the corner and, without a moment's delay, found their respective horses.
The guards at the gate were unaware of what was happening when three horses charged menacingly toward them.
Some tried to draw their swords to stop them, but they were all knocked down by Nie Lanting, who was running at the front.
One after another, three horses leaped out of the back door and headed towards the east street.
A white-clad guard shouted, "Guards! Princess Shunhe is here!"
As Yu Nie ran, she emptied the bottle of the modified sleeping potion, which she had specifically prepared for self-defense on the road, but she didn't expect to use it all up now.
The man who heard the noise in front of the main hall slowly opened his eyes.
On the deserted street, three horses walked side by side.
Yu Nie lowered his voice, speaking rapidly but clearly:
"When we reach Anning Ferry, you two will board the boat with me. When the pursuers get close, you will jump into the river when they are not paying attention. I will steer the boat ahead alone to distract them. After burning the boat, I will swim back. The pursuers will surely think that we have perished at the bottom of the river. Then we will meet at the temple. On the day of the grand ceremony, we will leave the city for Yongdeng."
He pretended to risk crossing the river to escape, creating the illusion of a shipwreck and drowning, while secretly returning to the temple to wait for the day he could leave the city.
This was her plan, and every step of it had to be flawless.
They have no better options at the moment.
Fortunately, the three of them were not afraid of water, so they could at least give it a shot.
The pursuing troops following them were numerous and powerful, clearly indicating that all the city's forces were heading this way.
With flames soaring behind them, Yu Nie and his companions didn't look back, moving swiftly like the wind, heading straight for the Anding Ferry.
Anning Ferry, guarding the strategic point of the Zuli River, was originally a shortcut to Ganzhou to the south. At this moment, the ferry must have been heavily guarded, but fortunately, she still had blister powder on her body, which could be used as a weapon.
With the ferry crossing just around the corner, the imperial guards, already in formation, charged toward them with their spears.
Seeing this, Yu Nie pulled out the stopper and poured out the powder inside.
This blister powder is different from the one I used on He Chenlao at Saibei Tower; it works extremely quickly.
The moment the powder drifted away in the wind, the Imperial Guards at the forefront suddenly froze.
They dropped their spears and frantically scratched their exposed skin, soon rolling around in a heap.
With fewer obstacles, the three of them rushed onto the dock and quickly untied the mooring ropes.
Yu Nie was the first to leap onto the deck, followed closely by Nie Lanting, who pulled Zhao Huayan up with him.
The firelight on the shore drew closer, and the shouts of the pursuers could be clearly heard.
Yu Nie and Nie Lanting rowed frantically, the sound of the water mingling with the increasingly close sound of horses' hooves in the distance, creating a thrilling scene in the night.
Seeing that the time was right, Yu Nie told them to jump ship first.
Zhao Huayan was still worried and asked anxiously, "Is it really possible for the young Taoist priest to do this alone?"
“That’s feasible, that’s feasible. I’m a great swimmer, but my wife can’t swim. You two shouldn’t stray too far from the shore, or it will be difficult to swim back.” She spoke very quickly: “Hurry up! If we delay any longer, no one will be able to leave!”
The situation was urgent, so they couldn't say much.
Nie Lanting held Zhao Huayan's arm tightly and said to her, "Daoist, please be careful. We will never forget this great kindness."
Yu Nie scanned the shore and saw a dark mass of government soldiers already arrayed to block the way.
She said in a deep voice, "Young Master Nie and your wife must be careful."
"Hmm." Nie Lanting responded softly, gripping Zhao Huayan's wrist tightly. Using the boat as cover, the two silently slid into the river.
The water rippled slightly, then vanished in an instant.
Watching them swim away into the distance, only Yu Nie remained on the deck. She picked up a long oar and rowed with all her might.
As the boat drifted further and further away from the shore, arrows were shot at her from time to time, piercing the hull with a dull thud.
While dodging, she took the opportunity to take out a bottle of water, ignite it, and pour it into the river water facing the bank.
Suddenly, fire broke out on the water, burning the boat along with it.
Everyone assumed that the lanterns on the boat had started the fire, and the leader sternly ordered the guards to steer the boat to put out the fire.
Flames soared into the sky above the dock, turning the water a crimson red.
The man who had just arrived on horseback stood at the forefront, squinting his eyes, his gaze sharp as a blade as he aimed at the figure on the boat.
"Bring me a bow." The man said coldly, taking the longbows handed to him from either side, nocking an arrow, and drawing the string in one fluid motion.
The sharp arrow flew out with a whistling sound, tearing through the raging flames.
Yu Nie stood on the burning ship, about to escape into the water.
Unexpectedly, a sharp arrow pierced through the air and pierced straight into her shoulder blade.
She trembled, staggered back half a step, and the scorching wind whipped up her clothes.
The next instant, she fell backward into the river, the blood gradually spreading in the water.
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Author's Note: The entire Huaiyuan arc is now complete. Thank you all for your support. See you in the Jian'an arc! [Laughing emoji][Owl emoji][Heart emoji][Starry emoji]
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