Chapter 28: Mei Xi (Twenty-Eight) Escape
The afterglow of the setting sun was like residual blood, painting the desolate valley with a layer of tragic orange-red.
The biting cold wind blew up the dust on the ground, whistling over the rugged rocks, making a whimpering sound. With Chun's support, Lin Jiaojiao slowly walked out of the shadow of the valley and walked towards the solemn and orderly army in front.
Every step felt like treading on the edge of a knife. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, threatening to burst forth. Fear washed over her like an icy tide. Ahead lay the Shang army! They were the enemy poised to destroy the Xia Dynasty. And she, King Jie of Xia's first wife, was considered a source of disaster by the world.
Shi Hu and his soldiers held their weapons tightly in the shadows of the valley, their eyes burning with anxiety, like tigers about to pounce.
Wanyan and the other girl covered their mouths tightly, tears silently falling down their eyes, filled with extreme fear and despair. Asan and others also held their breath, and the air seemed to solidify into a heavy block of lead.
Lin Jiaojiao forced herself to straighten her back, even though her body was trembling slightly from fatigue and fear.
She took a deep breath, the icy air scraping across her throat like a knife, bringing a cruel sense of clarity. She looked towards the core of the army, where a middle-aged man wearing a dark hemp robe and light leather armor, with a gaunt face and deep eyes, was sitting upright on a majestic warhorse. He had an elegant temperament, but also the calmness of a veteran in the battlefield and the wisdom of seeing through the world. He was Shang Tang's chief counselor - Yi Yin!
Yi Yin obviously also noticed this team that suddenly appeared like a lost dog, and... the figure walking alone, who looked particularly thin but extremely determined in the setting sun. He raised his hand slightly, and the Shang army soldiers standing solemnly behind him immediately stopped advancing, standing still like rocks, with only the battle flags fluttering in the cold wind.
When Lin Jiaojiao was about ten steps away from Yi Yin, she stopped. The cold wind blew up her plain sleeves and a few strands of scattered hair, outlining her slender yet straight figure.
The afterglow of the setting sun fell on her pale and beautiful face, and her long eyelashes cast thick shadows under her eyes. Her clear eyes were now filled with fatigue and fear, but also with a determination to burn her boats and... a heart-breaking calmness.
Yi Yin's gaze fell on Lin Jiaojiao like a searchlight. When he saw her face clearly, a trace of unconcealable astonishment flashed across his deep eyes. Then, that astonishment turned into an extremely complex emotion - surprise, inquiry, understanding, and... a trace of indescribable compassion?
He did not order an attack or capture as Lin Jiaojiao had expected. Instead, he gently squeezed the horse's belly, and the warhorse slowly stepped forward a few steps. Then, in front of everyone's shocked gaze, Yi Yin turned over and dismounted.
This action caused a slight commotion in the solemn and murderous Shang army formation. Obviously, the commander-in-chief's dismounting was beyond everyone's expectations.
Yi Yin walked steadily, stopping about five steps in front of Lin Jiaojiao. He didn't bow, but his posture held a strange sense of respect and... solemnity. His gaze, deep as an ancient well, gazed at Lin Jiaojiao quietly. His voice was calm and clear, carrying a sense of insight into the vicissitudes of life. It reached the ears of Lin Jiaojiao and everyone else in the shadows of the valley: "But... the first wife of King Xia, Lady Mo Xi?"
His voice was not loud, but it had a strange penetrating power, instantly breaking the oppressive silence in the valley.
He recognized me?! Lin Jiaojiao suppressed the turmoil in her heart and met Yi Yin's deep and complex gaze. She straightened her back and spoke in a clear voice with a calm and decisive tone: "It is my concubine, Mo Xi."
Without denying or making excuses, she frankly admitted her identity. This frankness, on the contrary, made Yi Yin's eyes flash with deeper surprise and...admiration?
Yi Yin nodded slightly, his gaze lingering for a moment on Lin Jiaojiao's pale yet stunning face. He then glanced at the looming, fearful figures in the shadows of the valley behind her, and finally returned to Lin Jiaojiao's clear and calm eyes. He sighed softly, his voice carrying a subtle hint of emotion and compassion: "Madam...you have suffered."
He paused, his voice becoming calmer, yet carrying an undeniable strength. "Cheng Tang was benevolent and virtuous, benefiting the world. He punished the unjust and tyrannical Jie, acting in accordance with Heaven and the people. The fault of Xia Wang lies solely with Jie. Your wife... is a weak woman in the deep palace, unable to control her own actions. How could she be guilty? Our Lord Cheng Tang is discerning and would never implicate an innocent person."
His words, clear and powerful, flowed like a spring, instantly dispelling the thick fear and despair in Lin Jiaojiao's heart. No innocent people would be implicated?! An indescribable ecstasy and hope, like the breaking light of dawn, instantly illuminated her heart, which was on the verge of collapse. Yi Yin's attitude was far better than her most optimistic expectations, but she couldn't possibly surrender to Cheng Tang. Her beauty... was not something that ordinary people could resist. Who knew what would happen to her if she fell into the Shang Dynasty?
In the shadow of the valley, Shi Hu's grip on the hilt of the sword loosened slightly, his eyes filled with incredible shock and a glimmer of hope. Wanyan and the other two girls also stopped crying and stared blankly ahead. A glimmer of light ignited in everyone's eyes.
But this was also an opportunity. Lin Jiaojiao suppressed her surging emotions. She knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She took a deep breath, her eyes swept over the Shang army soldiers standing solemnly behind Yi Yin, and finally fell back on Yi Yin's elegant and wise face. She did not say thank you, nor did she defend her "innocence", but made a bold decision.
She turned slightly and cast her eyes on the silent and calm figure in the shadow of the valley - Doctor Zhao.
"Lord Yi Yin," Lin Jiaojiao's voice was filled with just the right amount of solemnity and earnestness. "Your Excellency's words are so eloquent and benevolent. I... am deeply impressed. However, I have an unwelcome request, and I hope you will grant it."
Yi Yin's eyes narrowed slightly. "Madam, please speak."
Lin Jiaojiao pointed at the Zhao doctor and said in a clear and firm voice, "This is Zhao doctor, a man of superb medical skills and a benevolent heart. Xia's fault has nothing to do with him. He has treated countless patients in the royal court, regardless of status, as long as they are devoted to medical knowledge. I... beg you, sir, to take him back to Shangdi, so that he can practice medicine and save more people. This... is my last wish."
Her words were sincere, and every word pointed out Ming Zhao's medical skills and kindness, completely separating him from the sins of the Xia Dynasty. The last sentence "last wish" was full of moving sadness and entrustment.
Yi Yin's gaze instantly turned to Doctor Zhao. Doctor Zhao obviously did not expect Lin Jiaojiao to push him out at this moment. He was slightly startled, then regained his composure. He met Yi Yin's scrutinizing gaze, bowed slightly, and said nothing, but his calm demeanor and the benevolence of a doctor revealed in his eyes were enough to explain everything.
A gleam of light flashed in Yi Yin's eyes. He knew very well how precious a doctor was in troubled times. A doctor with a kind heart and superb medical skills was far more valuable than thousands of troops. The look he gave Lin Jiaojiao was filled with a bit more deep inquiry and... a hint of indescribable respect. This Princess Yuan... actually had such a broad mind and vision?
He pondered for a moment, then nodded solemnly to Lin Jiaojiao, "Madam, you have a kind heart and benefit all living beings! Yin... will definitely live up to your trust!" He turned to Doctor Zhao, his voice gentle but with unquestionable strength, "Doctor Zhao, are you willing to accompany Yin? To heal the world and benefit all living beings?"
Doctor Zhao raised his head and looked at Lin Jiaojiao with a complicated expression. His eyes contained so much—shock, gratitude, respect, worry, reluctance… and a hint of indescribable determination. He saw the unquestionable trust in Lin Jiaojiao's eyes and… a faint glimmer of hope, like a candle in the wind.
He was silent for a moment, then bowed deeply to Yi Yin and said in a calm and firm voice, "Zhao...I am willing to accompany you, my Lord."
Yi Yin nodded with satisfaction.
Doctor Zhao turned around and walked slowly towards Lin Jiaojiao. He stopped in front of her and looked at her deeply. The afterglow of the setting sun fell on his handsome face. His eyes, like deep pools, were filled with complex emotions. His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end it just turned into an almost inaudible sigh.
He bowed deeply to Lin Jiaojiao, his movements slow and solemn, with an unprecedented respect and... the heaviness of a farewell.
"Princess Yuan... take care." His voice was low and hoarse, with a barely perceptible tremor.
Lin Jiaojiao looked at him with mixed feelings in her heart.
Zhao's departure meant the loss of a potential ally and a guarantee of medical expertise for her, but for him, it was an opportunity to escape suffering and realize his ambitions. She nodded slightly, trying to pull up a faint but sincere smile at the corner of her lips. "Doctor Zhao... take care. Remember, as long as you're alive... there's hope."
Doctor Zhao's body trembled slightly. He took a last deep look at Lin Jiaojiao, as if he wanted to carve her current appearance into the depths of his soul. Then, he no longer hesitated, turned around, and strode towards Yi Yin. His back stretched out in the setting sun, carrying a kind of resolute loneliness and... the determination to move towards a new life.
Yi Yin nodded slightly to Lin Jiaojiao again, with a hint of deep meaning in his eyes: "Madam... please take care. The road ahead... is difficult." After that, he said no more and got on his horse.
"Let's go!" Yi Yin gave an order, and the Shang army formation started up again like a sophisticated machine. They did not make things difficult for Lin Jiaojiao and her group, but continued to move forward silently and quickly from the other side of the valley as if bypassing a reef. The heavy sound of horse hooves and footsteps receded like the tide, and finally disappeared at the end of the valley shrouded in twilight.
The oppressive silence in the valley was not broken until the last flag of the Shang army disappeared from sight.
"Huh..." Shi Hu breathed a long sigh of relief, his tense nerves finally relaxing. He walked out of the shadows with his soldiers, looking at Lin Jiaojiao with a look filled with unprecedented admiration and... gratitude for having survived a disaster! "Your Majesty...you..."
Wanyan and her two daughters also rushed over, hugged Lin Jiaojiao tightly, and cried inconsolably: "Sister... you scared us to death... wuwu..."
Chun collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath, as if he had just been pulled out of the water. Asan and others hugged each other and cried, their faces filled with ecstasy at having escaped death.
Lin Jiaojiao let Wanyan and the other girl hold her, but her body swayed slightly. The huge mental pressure and tension of life and death just now receded like the tide, bringing with her a strong feeling of exhaustion. She looked at the direction where the Shang army disappeared, and then looked at the people around her who were crying with joy, and her heart was filled with mixed feelings.
A slight sense of loss and blessing lingers in my heart, but more of it is a heavy sense of relief.
[External Threat: Eliminated (Yi Yin's tribe). Objective (Entrusted to Doctor Zhao) Achieved. Team Status: Exhausted (Survived). Emotion Simulation Unit: ...Redundant data (relief, loss, hope) surges... Analyzing...] The system's notification tone was strangely steady.
However, Lin Jiaojiao's gaze didn't linger on her relief. She looked towards Nanchao, her eyes instantly becoming sharp and cold. Nanchao?! No! That was the true place of death! Xia Jie had sent her to Nanchao simply to serve as bait and cannon fodder. Yi Yin's appearance and the Shang army's movements clearly indicated that Nanchao was about to become the next battlefield! It might even be Xia Jie's burial place.
Why should I go?! A thought flashed through her mind like lightning. Xia Jie's order? That tyrant couldn't protect himself! Yi Yin's promise? He promised not to implicate innocent people, but he didn't promise to protect me during the war in Nanchao.
[Logic Module: Objective Analysis (Survival) Priority: Highest. Path Selection: South Nest (High Risk) vs. Escape (Unknown Risk). Risk Assessment: South Nest Risk (Extremely High, Core of the Battlefield). Escape Risk (Medium-High, Unknown Environment). Recommendation: Choose the Lower-Risk Path. Emotional Simulation Unit: ...Redundant Data (Desire to Survive) Peak...] The system analyzed precisely and provided clear recommendations.
A strong desire to survive instantly dispelled all fatigue and hesitation. Lin Jiaojiao stood up straight, and her eyes burst with unprecedented determination. She could no longer be led by anyone. She had to fight for a real way to survive for herself and for those around her who trusted her.
"General Shi Hu!" Lin Jiaojiao's voice was clear and firm, instantly suppressing everyone's sobs and relief. "Chun! Asan! Everyone listen to my orders!"
Everyone was intimidated by her sudden momentum and immediately quieted down, all eyes focused on her.
"We... won't go to Nanchao!" Lin Jiaojiao said firmly.
"Not going to Nanchao?!" Shi Hu was stunned, then realized, yes! Nanchao is now a dead end.
Wanyan and the other daughter also stopped crying and looked at Lin Jiaojiao blankly.
Chun, Asan and others were even more stunned.
"The king's order..." Asan stammered subconsciously, his voice filled with fear.
"The king's order?" Lin Jiaojiao's lips curled up in an icy arc, her eyes sharp as a knife. "Xia Jie can't even protect himself. His king's order is to send us to our deaths. You all heard what Lord Yi Yin said just now. Cheng Tang is benevolent and doesn't implicate innocent people, but if we plunge into the fire pit of Nanchao ourselves, who can save us?!" Her words were like a revelation, instantly waking everyone up. Yes! Yi Yin promised not to actively harm them, but he didn't promise to protect them on the battlefield. Nanchao, that was Xia Jie's last stronghold, must be the target of the Shang army's full siege! Going there, there is no chance of survival.
"Then...then...where are we going?" Lady Yan asked timidly, her eyes filled with confusion and a hint of...hope?
Lin Jiaojiao swept her eyes over the crowd, her voice filled with undeniable power: "Run! Leave here! Leave the battlefield! Go somewhere...away from the conflict!"
"But... Your Majesty," Shi Hu frowned and spoke in a serious voice, "We are not familiar with the terrain outside the royal capital... and... the food is limited... I'm afraid..." He was worried about the unknown environment and survival pressure.
"I know!" Lin Jiaojiao interrupted him, her eyes calm. "But staying here or going to Nanchao will only lead to death. Fleeing at least offers a glimmer of hope. Lord Yi Yin's troops were heading in that direction just now, which means the main force of the Shang army has likely bypassed the capital and is encircling Nanchao. We should...do the opposite!"
She pointed in a direction roughly perpendicular to the direction the Shang army had left, deep into the barren mountains. "We're heading deep into the mountains, avoiding all possible battlefields. General Shi Hu, you're familiar with mountain warfare, so you'll lead the team in exploring the way. Chun, you'll be in charge of counting supplies and budgeting carefully. Asang, you'll lead the team in searching for water sources and edible plants along the way. Everyone, support each other and conserve your energy!"
Her instructions were clear and decisive, instantly pointing the way for the confused crowd. Her determination and confidence were like a beacon in the darkness, dispelling the fear and hesitation in everyone's hearts.
Shi Hu's eyes flashed with brilliance! He clasped his fists and said, "Yes! I obey your command! I will do my utmost to protect Concubine Yuan and everyone else!" A surge of pride surged in his heart. This was the kind of master he was willing to follow, a master with courage and determination.
Chunye struggled to get up and nodded vigorously: "Yes! I will take good care of every grain of food!"
Asan and those sturdy palace slaves also nodded vigorously, with the fire of survival burning in their eyes.
Wanyan and the other girl looked at Lin Jiaojiao's figure, who was like a female warrior, with their eyes filled with complete trust and admiration.
"Okay!" Lin Jiaojiao took a deep breath, feeling the breath of "freedom" in the cold wind. "We can't stay here for long! Pack up! Let's go now!"
"Yes!" Everyone responded in unison. Although their voices were low, they were full of unprecedented determination and hope.
The setting sun completely sank into the horizon, and darkness enveloped the valley. But this time, Lin Jiaojiao did not look towards the direction of Nanchao. She raised her head and looked at the deep night sky. The stars were like countless pairs of eyes, silently watching these souls struggling to survive in the troubled times.
She took the lead and walked firmly towards the unknown mountains, which were full of dangers but also held hope. Behind her were Shi Hu, Ku Ding, Asan, Chun, the two girls Wanyan, and the palace slaves who also longed to survive.
The horn of escape was truly sounded at this moment, not to carry out the tyrant's orders, but to pursue their own way of survival.
Core Objective: Survival. Path Choice: Autonomous Escape (Deviating from the Main Historical Thread). Threat Level: High (Unknown Environment). Team Status: Exhausted but Highly Motivated. Emotional Simulation Unit: ...Redundant Data (Hope, Sense of Freedom) Significantly Increased... Logic Module: Operation Accelerated...] The system's notification tone carried an unprecedented, almost "pleasant" smoothness.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
