Chapter 69 He Enters My Dream with a Thousand Lamps (Part 5) First published on Jinjiang Literature City...
The morning mist, like a veil, shrouded the precipitous Lintong Pass.
The gate wall was built along the mountainside, winding like a giant dragon, and looked particularly imposing in the dim morning light.
After a night of riding, Chu Huaili and his remaining troops finally arrived at the mountain pass outside Lintong City before dawn.
Lintong is situated on high ground, nestled against mountains and beside water, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is indeed an excellent place to temporarily avoid the enemy's sharp edge and plan for the future.
However, the tightly closed city gates and the doubled garrison made everyone's hearts sink.
The guards sent to scout returned covered in dew.
“Your Majesty,” he said in a low voice, barely containing his anger, “the garrison is unusually vigilant. I managed to get close and overheard the soldiers on the city wall discussing…”
"An urgent report arrived from Chang'an last night, along with a handwritten letter from Nie Huaizhang, the Vice Minister of the Chancellery, stating that His Majesty unfortunately fell into the water while pursuing the murderer... and has passed away. His Highness Prince Ke will temporarily assume the administration of the state. The letter strictly orders all prefectures to keep their gates tightly closed to prevent any rebels 'using His Majesty's name' from approaching... The garrison commander, Ming Ge, seems to be skeptical, but dares not act on his own initiative. For now, he would rather believe it than not, and the city gates will definitely not be opened easily."
“Nie Huaizhang!” Pei Hong spat out the name through gritted teeth, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. “That ungrateful wretch! How has His Majesty treated him all this time? He’s considered him a pillar of the state, someone he’s trusted implicitly! He promoted him from Liangzhou to Chang’an! And yet… he changed allegiance so quickly, even becoming an accomplice to the wicked, issuing this chaotic decree!”
Chu Huaili stood quietly on his horse, the morning breeze ruffling his robes, stained with dust and blood. His face revealed little expression, but his deep eyes appeared exceptionally serene in the dawn's light. He gazed for a long time at the indistinct figures of the defenders moving atop Lintong city walls, and after a long while, let out a barely audible sigh:
“He has relatives and family members still in Chang’an, his grandmother and younger sister, all under the control of others. Even if… even if he truly betrays me, it is probably out of a desire to protect his relatives.” He paused, his voice carrying a hint of undisguised bitterness, “I… do not blame him.”
These words made Pei Hong's throat tighten, as if a wad of waterlogged cotton was stuck there, both suffocating and astringent. He wanted to say "Your Majesty is benevolent," and "Why should we show leniency to such a traitorous minister?" But looking at the genuine sadness and understanding in Chu Huaili's eyes, all the words stuck in his throat.
"Your Majesty!" Lin Feng said urgently, his voice hoarse with anxiety, "If Lintong doesn't open up, what should we do? If we retreat elsewhere, not to mention whether there are still assassins sent by Prince Ke to ambush and kill us along the way, the troops that various prefectures have now received the news and sent out to 'serve the emperor' or 'suppress the rebellion' are far beyond what we, with only a few dozen people, can handle! Being trapped here is just waiting to die!"
Caught between a rock and a hard place, with no end in sight, a somber atmosphere of near despair permeated the air.
A slightly cool female voice broke the silence from the back of the group:
"Your Majesty...this servant is willing to give it a try!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a thin maidservant emerge. Her face was as pale as paper, her eyes were red and swollen, and her hair was somewhat disheveled.
The woman walked a few steps in front of Chu Huaili, then knelt down respectfully, her forehead touching the ground.
Although Ye Yixiang was carefully protected by Chu Huaili, her eyesight was impaired, but her hearing became exceptionally sharp. That voice… it was Wuluozhu! How could she be here? Could it be… that Wuluozhu informed Chu Huaili, allowing them to find Luming Mountain Residence? But if it really was her, why would she bring her to be handed over to Xiao Mo? Countless questions instantly flooded her mind, leaving her in a state of confusion.
"You?" Pei Hong frowned. "How can you, a woman, test this? Mingge has the city gates tightly shut, and he even doubts His Majesty's name. How could he possibly listen to your side of the story?"
Uluzhu raised her head, her eyes clear, and looked directly at Pei Hong: "Precisely because I am a woman, perhaps... there is a sliver of hope." Her voice still trembled slightly, but it was exceptionally clear. "My lord just said that Mingge is cautious and suspicious. With a large army at the city gates, he will surely defend it to the death. But if I am just a seemingly desperate woman who has come to seek refuge with relatives or friends, or who has been separated from her family by war, perhaps... it might make him lower his guard a little and allow me to come forward and tell him the truth."
"Do you know that Ming Ge..." Pei Hong hesitated, the words caught in his throat, but the matter was of utmost importance. He lowered his voice, almost whispering, "His reputation on the border wasn't very good. He had a womanizing habit, which wasn't a secret in the army. For a young woman like you to go alone is tantamount to walking into a trap! Like a lamb entering a tiger's den!"
Uluzhu's body trembled almost imperceptibly, her face paling instantly, all color drained from her. She bit her lower lip and said resolutely, "Only with a weakness can there be an opportunity. This servant... is willing to use herself as bait in exchange for a chance to meet the guard general and present His Majesty's token."
"If he still harbors a shred of loyalty to the emperor, one might be able to reason with him about the greater good and explain the consequences. But if... he has truly become a complete traitor, or harbors malicious intentions,"
She paused, her voice suddenly dropping to a chilling low, "This servant... has her own way of dealing with this, and will certainly not harm His Majesty's reputation or dishonor herself!"
"No!" Ye Yixiang blurted out, her voice sharp with urgency. She couldn't see Wuluozhu's expression, but no matter what Wuluozhu had done before, Ye Yixiang couldn't accept being asked to take such a dangerous risk. "You can't go!"
Urozhu turned towards the direction of Ye Yixiang's voice, her voice choked and trembling: "Your Majesty... do you feel that this servant has betrayed you before, and you don't trust this servant, and you are worried that this servant will... betray you again and put His Majesty in danger?" Her words were filled with self-pity.
Ye Yixiang was speechless for a moment. Did she doubt him? Yes, after experiencing Xiao Mo's utter deception and imprisonment, she found it difficult to trust anyone easily, especially this maid who had personally sent her to this cage. But Pei Hong's words just now left her in a state of turmoil.
Pei Hong glanced at Ye Yixiang, took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, please allow me to say something."
"Your Majesty's ability to find Deer Cry Mountain Residence so quickly and rescue the Empress is largely thanks to Miss Wu. It was she who went to great lengths to avoid the Prime Minister's meticulous surveillance, risking her life to find me and deliver the exact location of the Empress's imprisonment and the approximate location of the mountain residence."
"Otherwise, even if His Majesty is extremely anxious, finding the Empress in this vast wilderness would be like searching for a needle in a haystack, taking an unknown amount of time, and the variables involved are unimaginable."
Ye Yixiang shuddered!
So that's the truth!
No wonder Chu Huaili arrived so quickly! She had initially thought it was the bloodstains she left on Xiao Mo's official robes, or some other clue, that guided him, but she never expected that the real key was Uluozhu, whom she had once believed to have betrayed her! She had actually found a loophole in the transmission of messages amidst Xiao Mo's layers of surveillance…
In an instant, guilt surged into her heart like a tidal wave. She opened her mouth, but her throat felt blocked, and she couldn't make a sound.
Wuluozhu kowtowed deeply to Chu Huaili once more, her forehead pressing heavily against the ground covered with decaying leaves: "Your Majesty! This servant knows that her sins are grave, and even death could not atone for them. I dare not ask Your Majesty for forgiveness. But as a citizen of the Great Chu, I also have the blood of the Central Plains flowing in my veins!"
"Though I am a woman, I know loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness, and I also have the ambition to protect the country and the nation! Now that a traitor has usurped the throne, Your Majesty is in disgrace, and the country is in turmoil, I am willing to use my humble body to fight for a glimmer of hope for this world! I beg Your Majesty to grant my request! This... can be considered as giving me a... chance to atone for my sins!"
Her voice was initially choked with sobs, but as she spoke, it became clearer and more resolute.
Chu Huaili gazed intently at the girl kneeling in the dust, a complex mix of admiration flashing in his eyes. He had hastily left the palace after receiving news of A'Rao; what seal or personal item could he possibly possess as a token of his trust?
After a moment's hesitation, he suddenly raised his hand and, with a "rip," tore off a piece of the inner garment he was wearing, embroidered with a dark gold dragon pattern. In the dim morning light, he used his finger to dab on a few stains he had gotten from somewhere and hurriedly wrote a few words on the cloth. After folding it, he solemnly placed it in Wuluozhu's hand.
"Take this as proof." Chu Huaili looked at her, his eyes sharp as knives, yet carrying a barely perceptible hint of entrustment. "But remember my words: if things are impossible, do not act rashly. Protect yourself and find a way to escape immediately!"
Ye Yixiang, turning towards the direction of Wuluozhu's voice, said urgently, "If things turn out badly, don't worry about anything, come back immediately! Or... find a chance to escape! Whether this succeeds or not," she paused, then promised clearly and solemnly, "you will be free. The world is vast, go wherever you want, live a peaceful and tranquil life, and never again... be driven or bound by anyone!"
Uroju clutched the soft yet seemingly heavy piece of cloth tightly in her hands, her fingertips drained of color from the excessive force. She kowtowed deeply once more, this time pressing her forehead to the cold earth for a long time, her thin shoulders trembling slightly.
"This servant...will certainly not fail His Majesty and Her Majesty's trust!"
Suddenly, she called softly:
"elder sister……"
Ye Yixiang felt a sudden pang of sadness.
"If I... bury my brother," Uroju's voice was as soft as a sigh, drifting in the morning breeze, yet clearly penetrating everyone's ears, "can I... return to your side?"
Ye Yixiang was completely stunned. She hadn't expected that at this point, Wuluozhu would ask this question.
Before she could even process her shock and regain her composure...
That slender yet resolute figure turned around without hesitation, like a nimble fish, silently gliding into the dense morning mist of the forest.
Waiting became the most agonizing form of torture.
Chu Huaili ordered everyone to retreat into a dense forest outside the city and hide there.
As the sun rose higher, its scorching rays pierced through the leaves, casting shimmering patches of light.
Apart from the guards changing shifts routinely, there was nothing unusual at the city gate.
Hope, like quicksand, slips away little by little as the sun sets in the west.
As dusk settled, the outlines of the distant mountains and passes were tinged with a deep indigo. Torches lit up one after another atop Lintong City, their orange lights forming a winding ribbon of light in the deepening night.
“Your Majesty,” Lin Feng’s voice was hoarse and dry, filled with barely concealed anxiety and despair, “It’s completely dark now. Miss Wu has been gone for a whole day without a word… I’m afraid… she’s probably in grave danger.”
Pei Hong leaned closer, lowered his voice, and said in a heavy tone, "Your Majesty, if Ming Ge is trying to curry favor with Prince Ke or clear himself of suspicion, he might very well send men out of the pass to search for him tonight. We have so few men, and we are a weary army. If we are discovered..."
Chu Huaili gazed at the flickering flames atop the distant city wall.
Just as everyone was almost consumed by despair and preparing to accept the worst, they quietly evacuated the already unsafe woodland.
"Creak—rumble—!"
A heavy, seemingly earth-shattering sound, like the turning of a giant winch, suddenly shattered the silence of the wilderness!
That tightly closed city gate... slowly opened inwards in the deep night!
Are they enemies or friends?
Chu Huaili instinctively shielded Ye Yixiang behind him, his other hand subtly tightening its grip on the hilt of the sword at his waist. Behind him, the Xuanjia Guards instantly entered battle mode, the forest echoing with the faint scraping sound of blades being drawn, a palpable undercurrent of killing intent.
A series of synchronized hoofbeats thundered down, like muffled thunder rolling across the earth!
Cavalrymen with swords at their waists filed out of the city gate!
"Prepare to meet the enemy!" Pei Hong's pupils shrank sharply, and he roared. The remaining Xuanjia Guards instantly bent over, their hands gripping the hilts of their swords tightly, their eyes flashing with a cold light of desperation.
The cavalry unit reined in their horses in the open space outside the city. The leading general rode forward a few steps alone, then nimbly dismounted and knelt on one knee in a salute towards the woods where Chu Huaili and the others were hiding. His deep voice pierced the morning air, carrying clearly:
"Your subject! Ming Ge, the garrison commander of Lintong Pass—"
"Welcome, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"
The sound echoed through the mountain pass.
Chu Huaili's tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly, and his grip on the knife hilt slowly loosened. He took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows of the woods. The torchlight fell on his dust-covered yet still upright figure, illuminating the fleeting glimmer in his eyes.
"Your humble servant has arrived too late to rescue Your Majesty, causing you to be in grave danger. I deserve to die a thousand deaths! The pass has been cleared; Your Majesty, please enter! The thirty thousand soldiers of Lintong are willing to die for Your Majesty!"
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