Chapter 97. Empress, do you like it?
Almost immediately, three days later, Helan Yi set off from Luoyang. The group traveled light, without carrying much baggage, and headed northwest at an extremely fast pace.
The day after they set off, snowflakes began to fall from the sky, and a biting wind blew against their faces. Some people began to feel the chill and asked Helan Yi for permission to find an inn to rest for the day, so that they could return to the border a few days later.
Helan Yi, however, ordered the journey to continue, citing that it was not yet dark, and to stop at the next city.
Meanwhile, a question had been lingering in Helan Yi's mind.
How much did Xiao Zhuo actually know?
Did he know everything about Yuan Chaolu's past? Or was it merely a warning to him for stopping the Empress's actions?
During the battle at the beginning of the year, the emperor personally went to the front line to direct the battlefield. When his subordinates failed to perform their duties and delayed military operations, he mercilessly executed one of them, who was a member of his maternal clan, the Lu family.
Helan Yi is utterly loyal to Daqi. Unlike the young master from the Lu family who came to the border to gain experience, his achievements are too great. He is half of the wall of Daqi's border. Xiao Zhuo would never touch him.
But...would Xiao Zhuo do that?
Once again, Yuan Chaolu's face appeared before Helan Yi's eyes. He sat on a tall horse, raised his head, and looked at the snow falling from above. A hawk was soaring through the sky.
He whistled.
After several days of following, he and the eagle had become familiar with each other. It had been trained by the tamer to be extremely obedient, following the group from a distance each day, and would not escape even without being bound by chains. Whenever the group rested, it would obediently descend to the ground at the whistle of the tamer or Helan Yi.
very good.
The animal tamer followed behind.
But today, something seems off.
The eagle circled only above Helan Yi's head, and his keen senses, honed by years on the battlefield, stirred a strange feeling within him. He whistled, and the eagle flew towards him at the sound.
An eagle's wingspan is as long as a person's, and its dive speed is extremely fast, like a black meteor streaking across the sky.
In Helan Yi's amber eyes, the approaching eagle was reflected. As it drew nearer, he raised his arm, just as he had done before, waiting for it to fall.
Just then, a whistle blew from behind.
Almost instantly, Helan Yi saw the eagle raise its sharp claws towards his face. His pupils contracted, and he decisively made a move. With a clang, his longsword was drawn and blocked the eagle's beak.
The eagle was momentarily stopped, but showed no sign of slowing down; its wings swept out again.
This eagle is a very ominous creature, fierce and terrifying, and has injured and killed people before!
He Lanyi flicked his wrist, gripped his longsword tightly, and swung it out, severing half of the eagle's wing. Along with the spray of blood, there was also a sharp screech.
The crowd reacted quickly, nocked their bows, and were about to shoot the eagle when what happened next sent chills down their spines, causing them to freeze in their tracks.
Enraged, the eagle straightened its talons, raised its sharp beak, and aimed straight for his eye socket. There was a sticky sound of something being pecked out, and before he could see clearly, an eyeball had been ripped out.
It then went for the other right eye.
The longsword slipped from Helan Yi's hand with a clang and fell to the ground.
"General!" People from all directions were stunned and rushed towards him.
The soldiers in the ranks fired arrows at the eagle, which then flapped its wings and flew towards the sky.
In the snow, Helan Yi knelt on the ground, covering his eyes with his hands. Large amounts of blood seeped from between his fingers, smearing his cheeks.
He cried out in pain, his body trembling, and in a short while, his head was covered with large beads of sweat.
The guards were about to examine him when they saw a bloodied, mangled eyeball lying in the snow beside him, the crimson stain slowly spreading...
He Lanyi covered the empty eye socket, raised his face, and blood kept flowing from his other eye, which was filled with murderous aura.
**
The news that General Helan Yi, the General Who Guards the West, had his eyes pecked out by a falcon was the first to reach the ears of the Yuan Dynasty.
The braziers in Changqiu Palace were burning brightly, and the cold wind outside could not penetrate into the palace at all.
She was sitting in front of her dressing mirror when she heard the report. She smiled and said, "Well done. His reward will not be less than a penny."
Yuan Chaolu held the hairpin in her hand and turned it around, looking at the person in the mirror, and inserted the hairpin with beaded crabapple blossoms into her hair bun.
The reason why the animal trainer Fang Rong followed Helan Yi without any hesitation this time was because he had no worries. After her elder sister secretly examined her pulse, it was confirmed that her daughter could be treated and would be prescribed medicine to recuperate slowly. Fang Rong followed in the casual procession, while Yuan Chaolu sent people to follow behind the Helan family's group to observe the situation and provide support for Fang Rong. After the mission was accomplished, the father and daughter would reunite and head to Jiangnan. From then on, they would disappear without a trace, as if they had vanished from the face of the earth.
And now that she has received the news, the emperor will surely find out soon as well.
Yuan Chaolu entered the Xuande Hall in the afternoon and happened to run into Jia Li, who was still inside. He then used words like "Helan Yi" in his conversation.
The atmosphere inside the hall was not pleasant.
Jia Li bowed to her upon seeing her. Yuan Chaolu then took the opportunity to inquire about General Helan, whom he had mentioned.
Since it concerned a general on the frontier, Jia Li glanced at the emperor's expression before speaking and explaining the whole story.
She was utterly astonished: "How could this be?"
“That eagle was wild and untamed. There was a physician in the group at the time, and although he received timely treatment, General Helan lost complete blindness in one eye and has difficulty seeing in the other. I'm afraid he won't be able to go to the battlefield again. Not long after the incident, the animal trainer fled to avoid punishment.” Jia Li’s brows furrowed tightly, and he said, “I previously recommended Di Hu to Your Majesty. What does Your Majesty think?”
Yuan Chaolu looked at Xiao Zhuo.
His expression remained unchanged, but his lips were taut. "Let me think about it some more."
Jia Li said, “Your Majesty is aware of your concerns, but he is brave and skilled in battle. He once fought a pack of wolves alone and was surrounded by dozens of wild beasts, but he was able to break through the encirclement. He has also killed a tiger with his own hands. He is especially good at hunting. As his name suggests, he is an extremely fierce person.”
Xiao Zhuo became somewhat interested upon hearing this, "Is it really as you say?"
Jia Li said, "I have personally tested his skills, and they are not just empty words. If Your Majesty does not believe me, please invite him to Your Majesty's presence another day so that I can personally examine him."
Yuan Chaolu said, "Could someone be more skilled in horsemanship and archery than His Majesty?"
This was a difficult question to answer, as it was a trap set for Jia Li. He was stunned for a moment when he saw the emperor raise his hand to embrace the empress's waist, and the empress then sat on his lap.
Jia Li seemed out of place here.
Jia Li said, "Your Majesty is joking. How many people in the world can compare to His Majesty?"
Xiao Zhuo's expression softened: "My dear minister's archery and horsemanship are no less than mine, so there's no need to go along with the Empress's words like this."
Yuan Chaolu wrapped her arms around Xiao Zhuo's neck. "Kai Guogong said that Di Hu is so powerful, a warrior who can kill a tiger with his own hands. We must meet him. It would be best to go to the hunting grounds. But in the winter hunting forest, are all the wild animals hibernating?"
Xiao Zhuo said, "Most of them are, but some wild animals still roam around. Relatively speaking, the field of vision is also more open."
Jia Li said, "How about we have Di Hu accompany His Majesty to the hunting grounds another day?"
Yuan Chaolu said, "So many things have happened in the court. The end of the year is approaching, and Your Majesty should take a rest. I have heard that the winter spring in Hualin Garden is unique. I have never seen a hot spring before."
She looked at him with a hopeful look in her eyes.
Xiao Zhuo asked, "You want to go to the hot springs?"
Yuan Chaolu nodded and slowly took his hand. "You've been working so hard these past few days. Let's go to the forest garden together to relax."
A gentle voice drew closer, "You can't refuse me."
The Empress is so understanding… Xiao Zhuo squinted at her, and after a moment, said to Jia Li, “It’s up to you to make the arrangements.”
Jia Li's repeated advice finally moved the emperor, whose eyes lit up with pleasure. He then looked at Yuan Chaolu and bowed, saying, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will make arrangements for you and the Empress."
**
A few days ago, it snowed, and the entire Hualinyuan mountain range was covered in white snow. Under the moonlight, it looked like a palace in the sky.
There is a natural hot spring in the mountains. As early as when the craftsmen built the palace, they introduced the spring water into the palace halfway up the mountain, so that the entire Changxi Palace was enveloped in heat in winter.
In the center of the hall, steam was continuously rising from the bath.
Yuan Chaolu stood by the beaded curtain, hesitant to enter the inner palace. She had already changed out of her palace attire, her long hair cascading down her back, wearing only a white silk robe. She gazed into the inner room until she heard the footsteps of palace servants.
The man's voice was extremely soft: "Your Majesty, Di Hu says that everything is ready for tomorrow."
Yuan Chaolu nodded, his gaze returning to the figure leaning against the pool wall in the bath.
Di Hu is indeed an extraordinary man, but a few days of getting to know him is not enough for a monarch to immediately entrust him with important responsibilities.
In particular, her husband was extremely cautious and suspicious.
Because it was ultimately a recommendation from someone else, not something he actively trusted.
Time is running out for Yuan Chaolu. At this critical moment, the newly surrendered border towns urgently need capable administrators. Perhaps Xiao Zhuo will choose someone else to take office tomorrow, and then Di Hu will have no chance.
She had to get Xiao Zhuo to choose Di Hu on his own initiative in a short period of time.
I hope tomorrow's plan goes smoothly...
Lost in thought, she heard a voice from inside the hall: "Morning Dew".
His deep, clear voice pierced through the misty water vapor.
Yuan Chaolu parted the beaded curtain and saw that the tall, slender figure had already turned around. He said, "The Empress has been by the curtain for a long time without coming in. What is she looking at?"
Yuan Chaolu smiled and said, "Of course I'm looking at Your Majesty. Is Your Majesty finished preparing the tea?"
With a splash, he stepped out of the bath. Before Yuan Chaolu could react, the young man's strong and imposing body was already in front of her.
Yuan Chaolu's eyes flickered. Fortunately, he was still wearing a large towel around his waist, so some things didn't directly enter his eyes. However, even through the towel, he could still see the terrifying outlines.
Yuan Chaolu reached out and took the handkerchief, handing it to her, "Put your clothes on first."
Xiao Zhuo took it and saw that under the bright lights of the room, her gaze was evasive. After a while, she seemed to realize her loss of composure and looked up at him with a smile.
Xiao Zhuo suddenly stopped wiping his damp hair.
The heat climbed up her neck and swirled around the two of them.
Yuan Chaolu felt that his eyes were dazzlingly bright. After staring at each other for a long time, she was the first to look away and lower her eyes. However, in that glance, certain features caught her eye, and she didn't know where to look.
He said, "A few days ago I asked the Empress a question: 'He who steals a hook is punished, he who steals a country becomes a prince.' The Empress stole my heart, so did I steal the Empress's heart? The Empress did not answer."
Yuan Chaolu's chin was gently lifted by him. His long eyebrows twitched, and his eyes were charming. Yuan Chaolu's breathing became heavier, and her neck was covered with hot sweat from the surrounding heat.
Her throat moved slightly, and she was about to speak when he pulled her hand to the edge of the large towel.
The large towel fell to the ground, and the candlelight illuminated the young man's well-defined muscles, his skin glowing like jade, completely exposed before his eyes.
There are some burgeoning things that simply cannot be ignored.
Is it pretty?
Is it pretty...?
The current emperor is a famously handsome man, with outstanding looks and every aspect of him being extremely good-looking, and the person he mentioned is no exception.
Yuan Chao's face flushed crimson, and he reached out with his other hand to cover Yuan Chao's hand. The moment his fingertips touched Yuan Chao's lips, he began to tremble.
Those eyes were smiling, and his voice made her palms go weak and her body go limp.
"After watching for so long, is it good?"
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