Chapter 109 One Night.
A bright moon hangs high in the sky, its clear light shining on the grassland.
The only sound in the world seemed to be the wind whistling through the rocky hollow. In this silence, Yuan Chaolu gradually drifted off to sleep.
She was utterly exhausted from the journey. She had originally planned to rest at an inn for a day, but due to a change in plans, she hadn't been able to stop. Now, fatigue overwhelmed her, and her consciousness completely sank.
She didn't know how much time had passed when a sound seemed to break the stillness of the night. She opened her sleepy eyes and immediately saw the man's profile; Xiao Zhuo was still beside her.
Her eyelids drooped again, and she subconsciously leaned towards the warm source beside her. She shifted her body, but her consciousness suddenly snapped back to reality as if branded with a hot iron.
She even leaned on his shoulder as she fell asleep.
It was at this moment that she came to her senses and finally heard the sound that had woken her from her dream. It was the sound of horses' hooves, coming from afar and approaching, like the sound of drums, which was particularly clear in the silent world.
The soldiers inside the stone cave were also alerted, and they all came out from behind the curtain, groping for their swords in the darkness, and stood guard.
Why would anyone come here at night?
The sound of horses' hooves stopped at the entrance of the rocky pass. Someone said, "We are passing through this place. The night was cold and we couldn't find a place to rest. We've finally come this far. Could you please do us a favor and let us in for the night?"
The speaker was a man, asking in a foreign language, his voice hoarse and low, like the rustling sound of gravel grinding against a stone wall.
But as soon as this voice came out, Yuan Chaolu froze, his hands and feet still.
Her face was pale as she looked up. In the dark, rocky pass, she could vaguely make out four or five figures on horseback. The night guards had stopped them outside the pass, and the shadows cast by the darkness made their figures extremely indistinct.
The campfire in front of us burned out completely with a "pop".
An endless darkness surged toward her.
It was him! I can't believe I saw him here...
His voice and figure were so familiar to her; even if Yuan Chaolu were reduced to ashes, she would still recognize him.
She felt a chill seep from her very bones, sweeping through her limbs and causing her to tremble uncontrollably. She gritted her teeth and stared at the entrance to the stone cave. Just then, a hand reached out from the side and tightly grasped her hand.
Yuan Chaolu looked up, but he covered her lips with his hand, signaling her to be quiet.
Xiao Zhuo lowered his cheeks, his voice low but steady: "Come with me into the tent, and don't make a sound or show your face. I'll have my men handle things."
Yuan Chaolu nodded stiffly, but as she was about to enter the tent, she grabbed his hand instead, saying, "He recognizes you, so you can't show yourself."
After saying this, she poked her head out of the tent, called over one of her Hu subordinates and gave him a few instructions, then pulled Xiao Zhuo into the tent with her.
The tent was lined with felt and blankets, and once they entered, it felt like another world. Although it wasn't large, it kept out the cold wind and noise.
Yuan Chaolu lowered her head, looking at their clasped hands, then looked up at him.
It was obvious that he recognized her. However, this was not the time to discuss it, and the two listened to the sounds outside the tent.
The visitors were Helan Yi and his entourage, who were passing through and requested to stay for the night.
In fact, Xiao Zhuo had already sent scouts to explore and follow along the way, always keeping a distance behind Helan Yi, not in a hurry, letting Helan Yi go deep into the heart of the territory.
Perhaps it was because the north wind was blowing so hard that people couldn't open their eyes tonight, or perhaps it was because the terrain here made it impossible to find a suitable place to set up camp, so Helan Yi and his group turned back to this place and met them here.
After checking them, the guards let them in.
Helan Yi said, "Thank you all. We are also in a hurry to get going despite the wind. We will leave first thing tomorrow morning."
The wind and snow lashed against the tent, the sound lingering outside. The men, leading their horses, stopped in the rocky hollow.
Yuan Chaolu lay on his side, and could even see the shadows cast on the tent.
She was struggling to find her brother's location, and Helan Yi just happened to run into her. How could that not be a coincidence? Letting Helan Yi stay here was to make it easier for them to track him down.
It was only one night.
But she kept trembling.
Yuan Chaolu lay curled up on her side, like an infant curled up in the womb.
Xiao Zhuo sensed her emotions, propped himself up, and saw that her face was deathly pale.
He reached out his arm and embraced her from behind.
Yuan Chaolu felt a warm chest press against her back. She was stunned for a moment. He put his other hand on her back and gently massaged the back of her neck as if to comfort her.
Gently, again and again.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
The familiar scent of him wafted to her nose, the downy fur of his collar brushed against her neck, and he used his body and arms to create a small space that completely enveloped her.
The wind howled outside the tent, but inside the cramped tent, she was held protectively in his arms.
He called to her, his voice extremely low, "Don't be afraid."
When he took her hand in his, she was surprised to realize how cold her hands and feet were.
Yuan Chaolu's eyelids trembled slightly as he looked out the curtain. The commotion outside gradually subsided; the group of people must have wanted to rest as well.
"Xiao Zhuo." She knew she shouldn't speak at this moment, but she couldn't help calling him.
In response, he tightened his warm, strong arms, completely enveloping her in his embrace. "I'm here."
Her tense body finally relaxed a little.
His breath brushed against the crook of her neck, his voice low, "I'm here with you. Don't be afraid, go to sleep. When you wake up tomorrow morning, Helan Yi will be gone."
Yuan Chaolu turned to look at him, and a rustling sound came from behind her.
He brought his face closer, "I will take you to your younger brother."
The weak moonlight filtered through the tent, illuminating her eyes, which looked incredibly vulnerable.
"good."
Xiao Zhuo said, "We've been following Helan Yi all this way. He only has four people with him, so there's nothing to fear. Now you should get some sleep."
She nodded slightly.
"As for the matter of you lying to me," he lowered his voice, "we'll talk about it tomorrow."
He hugged her again, and Yuan Chaolu buried her face in his chest, her fingers gripping his clothes tightly.
His tall and strong body completely shielded her, as if he could completely isolate her from the wind and danger outside. Warmth spread from his chest little by little, finally warming Yuan Chaolu's hands and feet, and calming her wildly beating heart.
She silently repeated that name in her heart, her eyes shining brightly in the darkness.
Helan Yi, Helan Yi.
She would use a dagger to kill him with her own hands.
The tent was completely dark. His hand, which was on her body, gently patted her. A gust of wind parted a crack, letting in light that shone on the embracing couple.
Yuan Chaolu was awakened the next day by the neighing of horses. She waited for a while, then heard voices outside. Soon after, the group left, and she immediately sat up.
Helan Yi's men made no further moves and, just as he had said, left at dawn.
Her movements startled those around her. Xiao Zhuo opened his eyes, and Yuan Chaolu noticed that there were faint blood vessels in his eyes, indicating that he had not slept well last night.
The group waited until Helan Yi had been gone for a while before packing up and setting off again.
Yuan Chaolu mounted the horse, but before she could even settle in, the reins were pulled, causing her to sway slightly.
She was pulled to Xiao Zhuo's side, and when she looked up, she saw him raising an eyebrow at her.
His hand touched her cheek, and Yuan Chaolu felt a sharp pain on her cheek. Her mask was then ripped off with a "whoosh," exposing her face to the sunlight. Yuan Chaolu's eyes were stung by the light.
He stroked the mask with his fingertips: "Is it fun to tease me, to dress up as another woman?"
Yuan Chaolu pulled her scarf tighter, burying her chin in the soft fur. Her face was slightly flushed from the prickly fur. She didn't reply, but only asked, "How did you find out?"
"If I couldn't notice this, would I still be your husband?"
Yuan Chaolu puffed out her cheeks, remaining silent, staring only at the collar around his neck. She then raised her eyes, and their eyes met. Xiao Zhuo knew her well and immediately realized that she was reminding him. He had been wearing the collar she had given him the whole way, and he had only joked about it a few times yesterday, yet he reacted so strongly.
She asked, "How exactly did you figure that out? Was it because I brought up the matter of the Buddhist cave?"
Under her repeated questioning, Xiao Zhuofang said, "I noticed a scar below your right ear before."
He saw Yuan Chaolu raise her hand to touch her earlobe. Because she was wearing a hood and a furry earmuff, the fur around her neck moved in the wind, making her look incredibly pretty.
He said, "No need for that. I recognized you just by your tone of voice and your mannerisms."
At this moment, both sides' subordinates were all ready to set off. They were surprised to see the two talking like this. It wasn't until Yuan Chaolu whispered his identity that both sides suddenly realized what was going on.
The empress ordered them to disembark, while her subordinates exchanged glances and signals.
Everyone looked at one of them, whose expression was the most unnatural, as he stared at the emperor's figure in front of him.
Initially, he held a spear and pointed it at the emperor, loudly rebuking Xiao Zhuo and telling him to show more respect to the empress.
Who could have imagined that the person the Empress ordered to be besieged was none other than the current Emperor himself? Had they known, they wouldn't have dared to do such a thing as besieging the Emperor even if they had a hundred lives!
**
In the heart of northern Rong, grasslands stretch to the horizon.
The grassland of "Shuoyu City" is nestled at the foot of Yinshan Mountain. It is an excellent pasture. In spring, one can see the wind blowing across the grass and herds of fine, fat horses like Wuzhui. However, it is winter now, and the place is desolate, with only withered yellow grass remaining, devoid of any of its former bustle.
On the hillside, a group of four cavalrymen slowly brought their horses to a stop.
The leader had a black eyepatch over one eye, indicating he was missing an eye, but his features remained sharp as an eagle's as he looked down at the distant grassland.
Suddenly he started coughing heavily, "cough cough."
A few streaks of bright red blood seeped from the crevices of his palm, catching everyone's eye.
Jiang Zhao, who was standing beside him, was startled: "General, you have been traveling day and night and your body is really not up to par. Now that you are in this area, you can't run away. Why don't you rest for a while today?"
Helan Yi said, "I always feel like someone is following me like a shadow, urging me forward without rest. Only by capturing Ji An can I get out of this predicament."
Jiang Zhao sighed. In just a few days, the Helan family's prosperity had vanished like smoke, and the once-commanding General Helan had fallen to such a state as a stray dog. He had also become stubborn and suspicious, to the point that no one could persuade him.
The wilderness along the way was clearly boundless and empty; there was no one else around.
"General, we have been very lucky on this trip. We have not encountered any bandits, nor have we been followed by anyone. You must be tired. Why don't you rest for a while?"
The breath that escaped Helan Yi's throat was breathy and slightly hoarse, yet its ruthlessness remained undiminished.
“That brat is hiding in this city. Once I find him, I will personally present him to the Khan of Rongbei.”
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