Chapter Eighteen: Xiao Wu's Assassination Attempt
Three drumbeats sounded before the Prince of Jin stepped out of the courtyard. He mounted his horse in a daze, returned to the boat, and tossed and turned, his mind replaying only that kiss from moments before. He wasn't a novice in love, nor had he never kissed other women, yet this was entirely different.
Just now, their lips touched, and it felt as if time itself had vanished, leaving only the softness of her lips as real. All those past romances now seemed like mere scratching an itch through a boot, utterly laughable. Only this kiss was truly intoxicating, leaving a lingering, unforgettable aftertaste. He wasn't interested in women; his only passion was the thrill of battle and the thrill of conquest. He had initially been eager to go to the Kingdom of Jiaozhi to fight, but just now he regretted it—this journey would be long and arduous, and he wouldn't see her for at least a year.
One year—no, he was determined to finish this quickly.
A rooster crowed, probably from a nearby riverside house, its sound particularly clear. More roosters followed, some near, some far, rising and falling, shattering the morning's tranquility and dispelling the deep darkness of night. He put on his coat, went outside, and leaned on the railing on the deck, gazing at the shore.
She had said she would see him off this morning.
The eastern sky was tinged with the first light of dawn, the light still dim and half-lit. The dock was already filled with officials of all ranks who had come to see them off, as well as onlookers. Beside a clump of yellow-flowered trees, in an inconspicuous spot, there was indeed a carriage, with Yu Qing and his men standing beside it, leading the horses.
Although he couldn't see her, he could imagine her lifting the curtain and looking at him. A warm feeling slowly rose in his heart, and Prince Jin couldn't help but smile. Although he was handsome, his usual solemn expression and the aura of authority he possessed from a young age made people afraid to look him in the eye. So people usually only remembered his majesty, forgetting that he was only twenty-three years old and that he was a handsome man.
Suddenly, he smiled broadly, like a frozen river thawing or a spring mountain smiling. This immediately stunned the officials and commoners on the shore who were seeing him off. They stared at him in disbelief, unable to understand why he was smiling so brightly. This kind of high-ranking emperor and nobleman had always been indifferent to the common people, not even daring to utter a cold snort, let alone a smile.
Inside the carriage, Ruan Bi was also stunned. It took her a while to come to her senses and she reached out of the carriage window to wave.
So his smile grew even brighter. Even the dawn's light couldn't compare.
Years later, when the officials and common people in Sizhou recalled this expedition, what they remembered most vividly was his smile.
As dawn broke, the army set off.
Bugles sounded, messengers waved triangular flags, and sails were hoisted one by one. Officials bowed deeply, watching the fleet sail down the river. There were no roads along the riverbank, making it impossible for carriages to pass, and Ruan Bi could only watch regretfully as it gradually disappeared from sight.
Once the Prince of Jin's ship had completely disappeared, the dock became noisy. Officials, both high and low, yawned and boarded their carriages or sedan chairs, grumbling about going back to take a nap. The common people began loading and unloading goods, or rowing their small boats to the river to catch fish... Ruan Bi looked on with a sense of loss, then watched for a while before signaling Yu Qing to turn the carriage around and return to Haozhou.
The journey from Sizhou to Haozhou via the right road takes several days. After passing through the west gate of Sizhou and walking along the pipeline for two hours, it was nearly noon. Hanxing was covered in a light sweat and waved her handkerchief, saying, "Miss, don't you think the weather is very strange? It's sunny every day, but it doesn't rain at all."
Ruan Bi was still savoring the smile of the Prince of Jin when she heard her words, and it took her quite a while to respond.
Looking out the window, the sunlight was dazzling. Looking at the rice paddies on either side of the pipes, although the crops were still lush and green, the fields were already cracked and parched. The pipes, in particular, were covered in dust, clearly indicating a prolonged drought.
Thinking back carefully, it hadn't rained since mid-March. A thought suddenly struck him. If the weather continued like this, the rice harvest would likely be poor today. Lost in thought, the carriage suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know, Lord Yu gave a hand gesture."
Ruan Bi was surprised. She peeked out and saw Yu Qing, who was leading the way, turn his horse around and gallop over from about ten feet away. He whispered, "Fifth Miss, there is an ambush ahead."
Ruan Bi initially wanted to ask how they knew there was an ambush five miles away, but then she realized that Yu Qing must have sent people to scout ahead. This time, when she arrived in Sizhou, Yu Qing was ostensibly escorting her with ten guards, but she didn't know how many people were secretly following her. She guessed that not only were there people in plain clothes scouting ahead, but there were also people in plain clothes covering the rear. "Then what do we do?"
Yu Qing said, "Let's walk slowly, wait until those ahead have figured out the situation, and wait for those behind to catch up."
Ruan Bi frowned slightly and said, "If there is an ambush ahead, I'm afraid there will be pursuers behind us."
Yu Qing looked at her in surprise and said, "I didn't expect that Fifth Miss also knows about military strategy."
Ruan Bi smiled wryly, thinking to herself, "I don't really understand military strategy; I've just watched too many movies and TV shows."
After waiting in place for a while, Ruan Bi continued forward. She looked back and saw that there were many pedestrians dressed like ordinary people following behind her, some riding mules and some riding horses.
They hadn't walked far when they saw a carriage lying overturned in the middle of the road ahead, its wheels all off. Three women dressed in veils and hats stood by the roadside, while several attendants busily pretended to repair the carriage. Just then, the sound of galloping hooves came from behind, and judging from the sound, they were coming at a great speed.
Ruan Bi pulled Han Xing down to lie face down on the floor. Just as they lay down, they heard the sound of weapons being drawn, followed by cries of pain, then the whooshing of arrows through the air, and then the clash of swords against arrows. Amidst this cacophony, another clang swept overhead; turning around, she saw a crossbow arrow embedded in the carriage wall, wobbling precariously. If she hadn't fallen to the ground, she would probably be hit by an arrow by now.
Hanxing screamed in fright.
Outside, shouts of battle rose loudly, and the clanging of weapons clashing echoed everywhere.
Suddenly, a painful neighing of a horse rang out, and the carriage began to move, stumbling forward. The horse was most likely injured, its legs slumped and groaning in pain. The driver quickly tugged at Hanxing, pointed outside the carriage, and gestured for her to jump down. Hanxing's legs were already weak; she tried for a long time, but could only shake her head and weep.
Ruan Bi didn't have time to think. She kicked the woman off the car and rolled down herself. Her arm stung slightly, and her body slammed against the rice seedlings with a sizzling sound. When she finally managed to stand up, she heard the sound of wind approaching from afar. Turning her head, she saw a man wielding a large machete coming towards her.
Just then, the sharp whistling sound of air being forced through the air rang out again.
Just then, an arrow shot out from behind the man like a meteor, striking him in the back with a hiss. He staggered, fell from his horse, and collapsed to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Ruan Bi waved her hand to clear the dust, trying to see who had saved her, when a rider swiftly appeared before her in the rising dust. Suddenly, the reins tightened, and her feet dangled in the air. When she came to her senses, she was already back on horseback.
Then, Gu Xiaobai's loud cries rang in her ears: "Idiot, help me down!"
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