Chapter 86
The marriage procession arrived at the Black Xuan Clan ten days later.
The black iron gate slowly opened in the middle, and a squad of black-armored guards rode out.
"The bride has arrived." The leading young man was burly, with deep-set eyes beneath thick eyebrows, exuding the ferocity and ruthlessness of a wolf. He squinted at the blurry figure in the distance and made his judgment.
The soldiers behind him laughed loudly, mixed with excited cheers and whistles.
"Brother Asu, while you're eating the meat, don't forget your brothers."
The young man wearing a leather hat behind him was restlessly reining in the horse, causing it to shake its head and kick, and puff out white mist from its nostrils.
Asuge gripped the reins tightly with his large hand, turned around and laughed heartily: "Of course not."
"Little Han didn't come?" Asuge's gaze swept over the faces of the soldiers behind him.
"You know perfectly well that Ahhan isn't interested in this. In his eyes, all he cares about is training and military exercises, which are incredibly boring."
As the convoy approached, Asuge made a gesture, and after a brief confirmation, both sides entered the city gate together.
The heavy, black door slowly closed behind us.
Ya'er was filled with anxiety throughout the journey.
The Black Xuan Clan members were strong and fierce, with eyes as ruthless and vicious as wolves; she didn't even dare to look up at them.
He spoke very loudly, making her ears ring.
Along the way, she attracted a lot of attention and could only whisper to the tall woman leading the way, "Excuse me, could you please walk a little faster?"
The woman wore a short leather vest, a black short leather skirt, and leather boots that reached her calves. Despite the not-so-warm weather, her arms and legs were exposed.
She stopped and turned to look at her, her brick-red braids swinging wildly, her brown eyes flashing coldly: "Hurry up, can you keep up?"
Ya'er thought for a moment: "It should be okay. If not, I can always jog."
She looked serious, and the woman's eyes held a hint of a smile: "You're so cute."
Ya'er: Huh?
The woman turned around and shouted at the group of curious men, "Get away from me! You're scaring the bride!"
The men seemed afraid of her and shrank back.
Someone, seemingly unafraid of death, retorted: "Anali, why are you being so fierce? You'll never be able to get married!"
Anali put her hands on her hips and said, "Whether I get married or not is none of your business, and I'm not marrying you!"
A group of men dragged the shouting man away, saying, "Why are you arguing with her? Be careful, she might come and beat you up later."
"But the bride is so cute, she's so petite and her voice is so sweet."
Bud: "..."
What kind of place is this? The people here are terrifying.
Finally back in her room safely, Ya'er was still shaken.
He glanced at the guards at the door and said, "You can all go down now. Just leave Leng Xiao here to protect me."
"yes."
Leng Xiao, or perhaps it should be called He Xiao, placed the sword in his hand on the table, sat down, and asked, "What are your plans?"
Ya'er pulled the silver hairpin that Zhu Qinghe had given her from her hair, and her resolute gaze sent a chill down one's spine.
"I will listen to the princess."
He Xiao paused, then said, "That might not be what she meant."
Ya'er smiled sadly: "Yes, this is the worst outcome. If everything is unavoidable, at least I still have this option."
He Xiao disagreed: "Seeking death is a cowardly act. Don't give up before hope is gone."
Although he wasn't very familiar with Zhu Qinghe, she didn't give up or try to kill herself during the life-or-death ordeal; she wasn't that kind of person.
Ya'er wiped away her tears: "Yes, I won't give up until the very last moment."
"The Black Xuan Clan will hold a wedding banquet tonight to celebrate Brother Asu's marriage."
"So I'm going to marry Brother Asu, right?" Ya'er asked hurriedly, "The man who came to fetch me today?"
He Xiao: "Yes, it's him, but..."
"But what?"
He Xiao sighed: "As far as I know, Brother Asu is a generous and open-minded person who loves to share. I'm afraid he might..."
He didn't say the rest aloud, but Ya'er understood.
No wonder Princess Fuyin didn't want to marry into the family; this situation was worse than death.
Seeing the despair in her eyes, He Xiao continued, "But we still have a chance for the wedding banquet tonight."
"What opportunities are there?" Ya'er asked.
"Escape."
“But the mission…” Ya’er hesitated.
He Xiao's face darkened: "Leave the task to me. There's no reason for you, a girl, to suffer."
It's not like all the men in their family are dead.
"Before the wedding banquet tonight, you will be under close surveillance. Just send away the people around you, walk to the end of the small road to the west, then turn right and walk three miles. I saw it when I came here. There is an abandoned side gate at the north gate. Wait for me at that side gate and I will take you out."
Ya'er was still worried: "Won't that implicate you?"
He Xiao: "It's alright. We soldiers will have a banquet in the outer city tonight. I'll find a chance to slip away and take you away from the side gate."
That's settled then.
Evening came quickly.
Asu put on his black and red wedding robe and looked at himself in the mirror from left to right.
A silent figure entered through the door.
"Ahan, you're finally back!" Asuge exclaimed joyfully, rushing over like a giant bat.
"Want to come with me tonight?"
The newcomer had a resolute expression, and his eyebrows and eyes were somewhat similar to those of Brother Asu. Compared to Brother Asu's burly and wiry appearance, he had a more refined and unrestrained air.
“I’m not interested,” Ahmad said calmly.
“You’re of marriageable age, and you haven’t even tasted the flavor of a woman. Your tribe will think there’s something wrong with you,” Asuge said.
Ahhan scoffed, "Is it normal to roam around like them?"
Looking at the dark circles under his eyes, Asu asked, "Having been sleeping poorly lately?"
“I told you, why don’t you try it? I sleep so soundly every time I’m done.”
Ahhan suffers from insomnia for many years, and his brother is very worried about him. However, the clan doctor can't find anything wrong with him, only saying that he is in good health and that he may be under too much stress.
Saying it is the same as not saying it at all.
Ahhan: "No interest. Besides, who's like you, able to fall asleep anytime?"
"I'm too lazy to talk to you." Asuge waved his hand. "You're not interested, but I am. Let me tell you, the little bride sent by the Silver Tenon Clan is very beautiful."
"Her voice is quite pleasant; it makes me want to..."
Ahhan said coldly, "Go over there and get into heat."
Asu wasn't angry; he was used to his clueless younger brother's lack of romantic understanding.
"Then you can come to the banquet later."
"Um."
Ahhan changed his clothes and came to the table.
He took a pot of wine.
For him, only strong liquor and killing could excite him.
With the wine, I should be able to get a good night's sleep tonight.
Ya'er was nearly killed by the Black Xuan Clan's maids.
"What is this? I won't wear it!" she said, her expression rejecting the idea, and shrank into a corner.
It wasn't that she was being pretentious; the clothes were simply awful.
The whole garment looked like a tattered fishing net, revealing everything.
"Young lady, you have to wear a wedding dress when you get married."
"This is your wedding attire?" Ya'er was utterly dumbfounded.
"Yes, it's so beautiful." The maid didn't understand why she was refusing.
Ya'er was on the verge of tears.
In the end, Ya'er was forced to change into that fishing net... wedding dress.
Standing in front of the mirror, the maid exclaimed in amazement, "Miss, look how beautiful you are in this dress! Your skin is so fair!"
Ya'er just wanted to laugh.
In the Li ethnic group, this kind of clothing is considered indecent.
Fortunately, the important parts were covered up, so we can just change them when we run away if necessary.
Thinking this, she said, "Now that you've changed your clothes, let me be alone for a while."
The maid looked troubled: "Miss, we cannot leave before the wedding banquet officially begins."
It wasn't that simple after all.
"I'm hungry, could you go and get me something to eat?"
The maid turned around and pointed to a girl by the door: "Go and get some food."
The young girl obeyed and soon brought back a plate of juicy roasted meat.
Looking at the remaining black hairs on the flesh, Ya'er lost her appetite completely.
Staring at each other with the group of maids, time ticked by.
Ya'er stood up, and the maids all turned to look at her.
"Young lady, what do you need?"
"I need to use the restroom," Ya'er said irritably.
"There's a convenient place outside; we'll go with you."
It was a bit dark at night, so a maid carried a lantern for her.
At the door, Ya'er took the lamp and turned around: "Alright, you guys wait outside. Do you want to come in and see if I need anything?"
The maid gave an awkward smile and turned her back.
Ya'er went inside, covered her nose and looked around, her gaze settling on the opposite wall.
"Miss, are you ready?" the maid asked from outside.
After waiting for a long time, there was still no response.
"Miss, I'm coming in," the maid said, and went inside.
After searching through all the cubicles without seeing a single person, the maid's expression changed, and her gaze fell on the window behind her.
The window was open.
"The bride has run away! Go after her!" The maids called out to the patrolling guards and briefly explained the situation to them.
The soldiers launched a small-scale search.
The news hadn't yet reached the banquet earlier. Ah Han finished three jugs of wine and then got bored.
He then got up and went back to his room.
He pushed open the door to the room, without turning on the light; this slightly tipsy state was perfect for sleeping.
Looks like I won't have insomnia tonight.
Ya'er hid under the bed, covering her mouth, afraid that she would make a sound.
She escaped through the back window, not daring to run directly forward, because soon the maid would realize she had run away and someone would come after her.
She could only hide in a nearby room and wait for them to search other places before running out.
Unexpectedly, someone came back just as I was about to leave.
The black leather boots approached her, and judging from the size of the boots, it was also a man.
Therefore, she absolutely, positively must not be discovered.
Ahhan walked to the bedside and lay down, pushing the things on the bed aside, causing them to tumble off the bed.
It fell to the ground with a "thud".
A skull appeared before Ya'er's eyes, with black eye sockets and blood-red mouth, more terrifying than a ghost.
She was so frightened that she closed her eyes tightly and involuntarily leaned back, her head hitting the bed board with a "thud".
It's over.
After pulling the person out from under the bed, Ah Han looked at Ya'er, who had a frightened expression, and asked with a puzzled look, "Who are you?"
The woman in front of them was petite with fair and delicate skin, clearly not a member of their Black Xuan Clan.
Wait, could she be...?
"I...I was a maid who accompanied the bride," Ya'er said, steeling her heart.
"How did you end up under my bed, a maidservant sent by the Silver Tenon Clan as part of my dowry?" Ahang stared at her.
Disturbed from his good mood for sleeping, Ahhan's expression became even more stern.
Ya'er stammered, "...I'm lost."
"You suddenly came in again, and I was scared, so I hid under the bed."
"It was still my fault." Ahhan released her. "Get out of here and don't disturb my sleep."
Ya'er felt as if she had been granted a pardon and immediately ran outside.
Before she even reached the door, she heard the soldiers' low, hoarse voices.
"Still haven't found a bride?"
Oops.
The search team has found their way here.
She turned and walked back to Ahhan's bedside. Ahhan looked up at her, his eyes cold: "Aren't you leaving?"
Ya'er forced a smile: "I want to discuss a deal with you."
There was a cautious knock on the door.
"Brother Ahan, the bride has run away, we've come to search."
The man's voice was exceptionally cold and filled with anger.
"roll!"
The soldiers all shuddered, but they couldn't explain things to Asu-ge, so the leader mustered his courage and tried to negotiate.
“Brother Ahan, we don’t want to bother you, but it’s our duty, so please bear with us.”
There was a moment of silence inside.
"Get out of here after you're done searching."
The soldiers filed in, and in the dim light, Ahhan lay on the bed, his cold eyes looking in their direction.
Ahhan has always gone to bed early, and they're all used to it.
The soldiers circled around but didn't see anyone, so they quickly went out.
They initially thought the bride couldn't possibly be here, but even if it was impossible, they still had to find her, otherwise they wouldn't be able to explain themselves.
After the soldiers left.
Ahhan lifted the blanket and said to the person huddled inside, "Come out, everyone's gone."
Ya'er lifted her head from her arms, still shaken.
The next second, her neck was grabbed.
Ah Han didn't use too much force, but Ya'er still felt the big hand on her neck like a vise, making it hard for her to breathe.
She patted his arm and uttered with difficulty, "Let...go."
Ahang loosened his grip: "You lied to me. You clearly said you were a maid."
"But they say it was the bride who was lost."
Ya'er: "If I had said from the beginning that I was the bride, you would have given me away long ago."
Ahhan sneered, "Weren't you afraid I would have handed you over just now?"
Ya'er glared at him: "Then you can hand it over. The bride sent by the Silver Tenon Clan crawled out of your bed in front of everyone. Let's see how many mouths you have to explain yourself."
Ahhan laughed in anger: "You schemed against me."
This was the first time he had ever been outmaneuvered by such a delicate girl, as fragile as a little rabbit.
Ya'er: "I'm just trying to survive."
"Then what you said earlier about being able to cure my insomnia was also a lie."
Sprout: "It's true."
"I'll help you as long as you don't hand me over to Brother Asu."
Ahhan: "Then I'll have to see what you're capable of."
Ahhan suddenly asked again, "How did you know I had insomnia?"
Ya'er stared at his face: "Your eyes are dark and bloodshot, it's very obvious."
Ahhan: "You know medicine?"
Ya'er: "I don't know, but I have a lot of experience with insomnia."
Ah Han: "Alright, as long as you can let me get a good night's sleep tonight, I'll ask Asu for you tomorrow, and you won't have to serve those men anymore."
Ya'er breathed a sigh of relief.
How long have you been having insomnia?
"It's been three years."
"What happened three years ago?" Ya'er asked casually, but she didn't expect him to explode again.
"Are you even capable? Why ask so many questions?"
Under the eaves, Ya'er explained gently, "I need to know the root cause of your insomnia in order to better help you."
"I can handle acupuncture and medication, so don't ask so many questions, just get treatment."
Ahhan squinted menacingly: "If you dare to fool me, I'll hand you over to Asu tomorrow."
“With your small frame,” Ahhan said, looking her over, “you probably won’t last more than a few days.”
After being snuggled in the quilt for so long, Ya'er's outer garment was rubbed open, revealing the fishnet wedding dress underneath.
Her fair skin was accentuated by the fine black silk, giving her a unique charm.
Seeing the mocking look in Ahham's brown eyes,
Ya'er looked down, her face flushed, and she slammed her coat collar shut, muttering, "You filthy scoundrel."
"What did you say?" Ahhan didn't hear clearly.
Ya'er: "It's nothing, you should lie down first. Since you don't want to talk about it, I'll just have to try massaging you."
I never imagined that her skills in serving her master would come in handy one day.
Ah Hange lay on the bed with his eyes closed, and Ya'er squatted at the head of the bed to massage the acupoints on his head.
This person is really bold, daring to let her touch his head so casually.
If she were a female assassin, he would already be dead.
Little did he know that Ah Han had already discovered that she knew absolutely no martial arts skills and was a truly harmless little rabbit.
Her slender fingers ran through his hair, gently massaging the acupoints on his head.
The gentle and soothing feeling was both unfamiliar and very comfortable to Ahhan.
He seemed to be lying on a floating white cloud, his body light and airy, as if he had returned to his carefree childhood.
He hadn't felt this way in a long time.
The feeling of being deliberately forgotten resurfaced, and he slowly frowned, as if sinking into a deep dream.
Ya'er felt the breathing of her subordinates become calmer, so she stopped what she was doing and shook her hands.
When the clock struck midnight, Ya'er realized that two hours had already passed.
No wonder she felt like her hand was about to break.
General He Xiao, Ya'er thought of their agreement before the banquet and smiled bitterly; she was afraid she wouldn't be able to leave.
The bride is missing, and Brother Asu will definitely hold them accountable. I hope General He Xiao will be alright.
Outer city.
He Xiao had just gotten several Silver Tenon Clan soldiers who were pestering him drunk, and waited at the corner gate for half an incense stick's time but still hadn't seen Ya'er.
Instead, they encountered soldiers walking through the inner wall.
"We've searched this area, but we haven't found the bride. Could she have run off to the outer city?"
"Impossible. How did she get out? Are you sure you've searched everywhere?"
"We've searched, except... at the Saintess's place."
Saintess? He Xiao's heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if he had been gently struck by something.
He thought for a moment, then quietly climbed over the wall and followed the group of soldiers.
The fact that the palaces in other places were so exquisite and beautiful clearly showed the king's preference for the occupant of the palace.
The maidservant at the gate frowned when she saw a troop of soldiers suddenly appear in front of the palace: "What's going on?"
"The bride sent by the Silver Tenon tribe for a marriage alliance has run away."
The maid lowered her voice: "Keep your voice down, the Holy Maiden has already retired for the night. If the bride ran away, go find her. Do you think she'll stay here with us?"
The soldier was also in a dilemma: "We brothers have searched everywhere, we even searched Ahhan's house, now the only place we haven't searched is here with the Holy Maiden."
"What do you mean?" The maid's face turned red with anger.
"Ah Zhi," a gentle female voice called out, "let them in."
Bai Zhi glared at them, annoyed that they had disturbed the Holy Maiden's rest, but since the Holy Maiden had already spoken, she had no choice but to reluctantly say, "Since the Holy Maiden has spoken, you may go in."
"Thank you, Holy Maiden." The leading soldier, along with his men, pushed open the palace door.
He Xiao, who was hiding in the shadows, was stunned after hearing that voice. It was A Ling's voice, and he could not possibly be mistaken.
Before the soldiers came out, He Xiao flew onto the roof and moved slowly on the glazed golden tiles.
The palace was indeed luxurious and magnificent, but Ah Ling didn't like such extravagant style at all.
Is the person inside really Ah Ling?
The note she left for him said she was going to the Black Xuan Clan to take care of something. Could this be what she meant?
He was somewhat excited. It had been a year, and he had finally finished dealing with the Silver Tenon Clan's affairs. He had faked his death and come to the Black Xuan Clan to find her.
I thought it would take some time, but I found her so quickly.
Ah Ling, this time, I won't let you leave again.
After the soldiers finished their search, they still couldn't find the bride and left the palace dejectedly.
Bai Zhi continued to stand guard at the door.
He Xiao moved the roof tiles aside and looked inside.
The room was brightly lit, and several large, bright luminous pearls could be seen on the opposite wall.
On the right is a dressing table, and a woman dressed in white, pure and holy, sits beside it.
Her long, glossy black hair cascaded smoothly over her shoulders, and she sat there motionless, seemingly lost in thought.
From his current angle, He Xiao could only see her back, and she did indeed look very similar. He hesitated for a moment.
The woman sitting quietly suddenly took off her white clothes, revealing her thin, snow-white shoulders and back.
He looked surprised and, before he could even look away, his gaze fell on the large red markings on her back.
The winding red stripes resembled a fiery red phoenix, perched so naturally on her back.
The woman picked up a packet of medicine powder and struggled to pour it onto her back.
A wisp of smoke rose from her skin, and she nearly collapsed in pain, letting out a low groan.
A miraculous thing happened: the color of the fiery red phoenix became even brighter, as if flames were spreading through every line. In that instant, he seemed to see the fiery red phoenix come to life.
It flaps its wings in the air and emits a clear cry.
He Xiao's gaze froze. On the woman's shoulder was a bright red mole.
She is A-Ling.
She is his wife.
He Xiao landed lightly in the room and approached the woman in front of the dressing table step by step.
He stopped a step behind her and said in a deep, hoarse voice, "A-Ling."
The woman's thin body trembled slightly. She quickly put on her clothes and then turned around in disbelief.
What came into view was a stubble-bearded, haggard yet still handsome face, which slowly overlapped with the face she had been longing for day and night.
"Brother Xiao," she said in a trembling voice, tears streaming down her face.
"Ah Ling, I've finally found you." He Xiao sighed and pulled her into his arms.
Do you know how much I've missed you this past year?
*
A gray falcon perched on the window frame, and Zhu Qinghe unfolded the note in her hand.
His expression turned somber after reading it.
Shen Wumei leaned against the window, stretching out his arm to tease the gray falcon. The falcon stared at him for a while, then turned its head away aloofly.
She has quite a temper.
"What's wrong?" He turned around and saw Zhu Qinghe's serious expression, and asked.
Zhu Qinghe: "He Xiao has found Han Ling, and she is now the Holy Maiden of the Black Xuan Clan."
"And Ya'er, who was taken from the eldest prince by the second prince, is not in any danger at the moment."
Zhu Qinghe frowned: "This girl is quite capable, but that Brother Ahan is no pushover either. Hopefully, she can handle it."
"It's good that you're alright. I think you should be more worried about tomorrow," Shen Wumei said.
“Gigali has been making frequent moves lately; I think he’s about to take action.”
"Then what are we waiting for?" Zhu Qinghe ran out the door. "Let's go find them and discuss it!"
The once-a-decade prayer day is tomorrow.
Gijali had been waiting for this day for a long time.
Unfortunately, he never expected that his years of planning would be ruined by a little girl.
After gaining Ahmad's trust, Ya'er, who was sent for the peace treaty, sent back valuable information that helped them win an important battle.
On the day he was about to die, he roared in despair, "Why?"
Zhu Qinghe threw the evidence of his crimes in his face and said coldly.
"This is all your own fault!"
Now that things have come to this, everything has settled.
The dynasty returned to its former peace and tranquility, and everyone embarked on their own path to freedom.
—The End—
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