Chapter 106 Arrogantly, passionately, playfully…
After Xiao Zhuo left, Yuan Chaolu immediately began to coordinate—
First, he wrote to Di Hu, asking him to send a troop of soldiers to wait for him at the border, disguised as a merchant caravan, to escort him north. He also needed Di Hu to stall Xiao Zhuo for as long as possible. The emperor was coming to inspect the border, and there must be many matters to attend to, so he wanted to delay Xiao Zhuo as long as possible.
Next, Yuan Chaolu contacted the largest trading company in Longxi, Caitong Trading Company, and had them issue a clearance document. He then took on a business trip to transport silk and tea to Rongbei.
This trading company was quite famous and had long-term cooperation with various countries in the Western Regions and northern tribes. Yuan Chaolu's foster mother had worked for this trading company.
This time, Yuan Chaolu specially invited a very experienced old man to guide the way, who was very familiar with the terrain of Rongbei.
With everything arranged, Yuan Chaolu chose an opportune moment and set off, avoiding the officials of the prefectural governor's office.
At that time, a well-trained group of men was already waiting for Yuan Chaolu on the country road outside the city. They were sent by Di Hu to meet her.
However, shortly after meeting them, Yuan Chaolu learned of some unexpected news—
"His Majesty did not visit the Seven Garrisons of Shuofang?"
"Your Majesty, General Di was quite surprised to receive your letter, as they had not received any news that His Majesty was going to inspect the seven towns of Shuofang."
Yuan Chaolu frowned slightly, but this was what Xiao Zhuo had told her before he left.
Where else could he go if he didn't patrol the seven towns of Shuofang?
The soldier bowed and said, "General Di, having received your warning in writing, has already prepared the border defenses in advance for inspection, and is awaiting His Majesty's arrival."
It was common for emperors to travel incognito and conduct surprise inspections of military affairs. The reason for concealing the procession and ceremonial guards along the way was to better verify and assess their abilities.
This seems quite logical.
But Yuan Chaolu felt a vague, intense panic in a certain area of his heart.
Without further thought, she ordered the troops to set off, traveling day and night, and finally arrived at the border of Daqi, where they joined the remaining troops who were waiting.
The group had disguised themselves as a merchant caravan. They were all dressed in thick, warm, and tight-fitting clothes, with large swords at their waists. Behind them were several supply wagons piled high with wooden boxes containing silk, precious objects, and tea, covered with weeds, making them look like an ordinary caravan traveling on the border.
The soldiers were carefully selected by Di Hu after Yuan Chaolu specifically instructed him to do so; they were all of non-Han ethnicity.
The border regions are inherently diverse in ethnicities, so finding such capable men is not difficult. Moreover, Di Hu himself is of mixed Han and non-Han descent, and these are all his trusted subordinates who have received his favors and are utterly loyal.
Old Wang, who was leading the way, also arrived at the appointed time.
But before setting off, he frowned, looking particularly hesitant.
"Is the young lady truly preparing to go to the northern frontier?"
Yuan Chaolu said, "Our goods are all ready, old man, why do you need to say these things now?"
Old Man Wang sighed, "It's not that I'm trying to oppose you, young lady, or intentionally stop you. Look at the sky; dark clouds are rolling over the other side of the mountain. Once the blizzard starts, it won't stop anytime soon. Besides, lately—"
He leaned closer and lowered his voice: "The relationship between the two sides is getting worse and worse. The territory of Rongbei is really difficult to deal with. The people of the grassland tribes are domineering and extremely barbaric. They often make things difficult for passing caravans. If they are not in a good mood, they will detain the caravans and even detain people. Nowadays, most of our people are unwilling to do business with those barbarians. They are just too troublesome!"
Old Man Wang said, "So, young lady, the weather is so bad, why don't you find an inn to rest for the night before making any plans?"
Yuan Chaolu smiled and said, "Old man, just lead the way. I won't shortchange you a single penny."
Seeing that she had made up her mind, Old Man Wang said no more.
Yuan Chaolu raised his head and looked towards the distant mountains.
She naturally wouldn't set off unprepared, so she ordered Di Hu to find some soldiers with distinct Hu (non-Han) characteristics in order to deal with the Rongbei people's search.
Before she left, she specially asked her senior brother Cen to prepare a human skin mask for her, imitating the appearance of a woman from the grasslands.
Cen Xiu was a master craftsman, highly skilled in this craft. When Yuan Zhaobi came to Luoyang, it was thanks to the mask he made that she was able to conceal her identity for so long.
Due to the time constraints, Cen Xiu only had time to select one of the prepared masks and make slight modifications to match her appearance. However, it was still enough to fool people. The texture of the mask was almost indistinguishable from human skin, and it felt warm and smooth to the touch.
At this moment, Yuan Chaolu had already covered the face with the mask, applied ointment to the edges, and made it fit her skin perfectly. She breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the Rongbei people were hostile to Daqi, they were more merciful to a group that looked like Hu people.
In addition, she speaks the grassland language, so even if she encounters a patrol team from Rongbei, she is confident that she can get away with it.
With everything ready, Yuan Chaolu said, "Let's go."
Thick, dark clouds stretched to the horizon, with only occasional streaks of bright moonlight filtering down, casting a hazy outline over the mountains.
At the foot of the vast mountains, a caravan slowly set off, quietly departing.
**
The north wind howled, rattling the windows.
Inside an inn in Hurile City, the air was bustling with activity as guests came and went. The charcoal fire burned brightly, and the air was filled with the aroma of beef and mutton, as well as the sweet fragrance of milk.
A few people sat in the corner of the window seats. Unlike the other northern herders in the shop, these guests, who looked like they came from the Central Plains, were particularly quiet.
One of the young men was gazing out the window at the vast snow-covered plain, the rising steam from the teacup in front of him blurring his face.
The person accompanying him lowered his voice and spoke respectfully: "Your Majesty, the shopkeeper just said that the Rongbei official in charge of the inspection will arrive soon, and then we can continue our journey."
This group of people was the same one that had set off from the border of Daqi with the emperor a few days earlier.
They have been trapped here for three days—
Firstly, the severe snowstorm ahead forced them to stop temporarily. Secondly, the city they settled in, named "Hurile," was a crucial passageway northward. All caravans or groups heading north needed to rest here, undergo thorough inspections, and pay their goods and money before continuing their journey.
It's easier to get here than in the Central Plains. The tax officials only conduct a unified inspection every few days, and today it's finally their turn to be on duty.
"Our men have already taken care of it, and the permit should be approved later."
Xiao Zhuo didn't say much, his gaze fixed on the window.
The person beside him added, "As for Helan Yi, he's still in the city and hasn't left yet. He's being followed by an informant. He has an eye ailment and is seriously injured. He was on his way to find someone when he was barely alive. They're not moving fast, so we're slowly following behind."
Xiao Zhuo said, "Let's just take it slow, no rush."
General Han Peng responded, "Yes."
They simply let the mantis go out to find its prey, while they patiently wait for the final opportunity to ensnare it.
The emperor spoke calmly, but his entourage felt as if a sword of Damocles hung over their heads… After all, this was the heart of an enemy country.
Han Peng sighed and looked out the window. He saw a group of people arriving outside the inn downstairs. Several men were escorting two supply wagons, and they all looked like Hu people.
With a "whoosh," the curtain downstairs was lifted, and the people rushed in, all making a racket, shivering and saying they were cold and asking for some hot wine.
About an hour later, a subordinate came downstairs to report: "Your Majesty, the people from Rongbei have inspected us and said we can set off."
Xiao Zhuo nodded, got up and tidied his clothes. As he went down the stairs, he saw the group of Hu people coming up as well. The two groups met on the small staircase. A Hu woman was surrounded by people and chatting and laughing. She listened with a smile, then looked up and stared straight at his face.
Xiao Zhuo stepped aside and brushed past her.
The group left the inn, led their horses, and set off discreetly.
The snowstorm had stopped, and the world was desolate. Xiao Zhuo ordered that the horses' hooves be wrapped in hemp cloth to minimize any noise.
The northern frontier is vast and sparsely populated, making it particularly troublesome to encounter patrolling cavalry or bandit raiders.
Only the rustling sound of this group of people marching forward across the grass remained between heaven and earth.
However, this tranquility was soon broken when a sharp whistle pierced the open field from behind, accompanied by the rapid sound of horses' hooves.
The group turned around, drew their swords, and saw several figures suddenly appearing on the hillside they had just passed, rushing towards them with fierce momentum, like a pack of wolves released from their cage.
The guards immediately formed a defensive formation and rode forward, while Han Peng quickly scanned the surroundings, observing the situation.
The attackers shouted, "Hurry up and lay down your weapons and surrender! We have questions for you! This is Rongbei Frontier territory. Anyone who dares to act recklessly will be killed without mercy!"
Han Peng looked at Xiao Zhuo, "Your Majesty?"
Xiao Zhuo stared at the approaching figure and said, "Don't make any rash moves."
Hooves kicked up snow and mist, and more than ten riders formed an impenetrable wall, trapping Xiao Zhuo and his party in the center.
This group of Hu people were all burly and fierce-looking, with long swords gleaming coldly in their hands; their intentions were clearly hostile. They were the same group they had encountered on the inn's staircase.
They made way for a woman on horseback, the hooves clattering as she slowly approached.
She wore a mask, revealing only half of her high, straight nose. Her eyes were deep and she spoke in a foreign language with a hoarse voice.
The Hu man beside her spurred his horse forward, pointing his spear directly at Xiao Zhuo, and said, "We are ordered to thoroughly investigate cross-border spies. She is asking you, where did you come from?"
Xiao Zhuo stared at the spear that was so close at hand, his expression remaining completely unchanged.
Han Peng stepped forward: "We are here on the orders of Rongbei Khan's third brother, King Wumeng, to escort military reports! When we were in Hurile City, the officials checked us and let us pass. Who are you? Show us your identification badges."
“Our leader says he doesn’t believe it, because she is King Wumeng’s person.”
Upon hearing this, Han Peng and the rest of the generals all felt a jolt in their hearts.
“It’s alright,” she said. “She just happens to be going in the same direction as you. When the time comes, she’ll take you to confront King Wumeng and you’ll be ready to face him.”
The north wind rustled through the withered grass, making a soft, whistling sound, and caused the curls at her temples to flutter. She rode closer step by step, and just as she was about to reach Xiao Zhuo, Han Peng reached out and blocked her.
She slightly raised her chin, her gaze falling on Xiao Zhuo's face, haughty, fiery, and undisguised in her scrutiny of the man.
Her gaze slid from his tightly pursed thin lips, over his upright figure sitting firmly on horseback, and then to his straight calves gripping the horse's belly. Gradually, her expression changed.
Perhaps it was too straightforward, making the surrounding air seem a few degrees warmer.
Han Peng, standing beside him, was taken aback, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. The others present also understood the meaning in his eyes.
The woman had a wild and untamed look in her eyes, with the untamed nature unique to women from the north. Her gaze was open and arrogant, as if a wildfire was burning within her.
This time, she spoke in broken Central Plains dialect.
"Speak! Where did you come from? If you don't explain yourself properly, I won't let you off the hook!"
-----------------------
Author's note: This is how Chaolu teases her husband.
Red envelopes will be dropped in this chapter!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
