Chapter 107 Nearing the Border
Mobei has its rainy season, bringing abundant grass and abundant water, and fat cattle and sheep. Now, with the rain just ending, lamb is at its peak of deliciousness. The owner of Heichengzi specially selected the toughest lamb spine for Wen Yao, grilling it to a glistening, sizzling finish.
Yue Changtuan especially loved this dish. Every time the moon rose from the depths of the desert, he would cut a plate of mutton and sit in the courtyard where the temperature dropped sharply to drink hot wine.
Wen Yao pried open the mud seal on the wine jar with a snap, tilted the jar mouth close to the mound and circled it, saying with a smile, "This is a famous and fine wine from Bianliang City. I guess you haven't tasted it before. Try it."
The mellow, sharp aroma of the wine sank into the sand, swallowed up completely in an instant. Wen Yao pointed at Zhao Xuanxu and said, "This is the person I like. I've decided to marry him and bring him back to meet you."
Zhao Xuanxu listened to her, his eyes fixed on the unremarkable mound before him. He introduced himself modestly, "I'm from Bianliang. I own real estate and land all over Tianshui, and I'll also set up shop in southern Sichuan in the future. I've admired Ayao for a long time, and I'll be with you for the rest of my life. You don't have to worry about me."
"The date for the priest's wedding hasn't been set yet." Wen Yao murmured, "Oh, I'm busy. I'm working on something big right now, and there's a lot to do, you know. I'm thinking... we'll have one here and one back in Bianliang. Heichengzi is really too remote, and it's not convenient to come from the Central Plains, and the travel expenses will be quite a bit."
When Zhao Xuanxu heard Wen Yao mention the two marriages, his throat welled up, his eyebrows trembling with joy. He was incredibly perceptive, quickly pouring wine and saying softly, "It doesn't matter how many times you do it. I'll cover the travel expenses for my friend from Jianghu."
Wen Yao laughed out loud: "Okay, okay, I'll give it to you."
A piece of mutton, two jars of yellow wine, half of which went down Wen Yao's throat. The wine was good, not intoxicating. Wen Yao's face flushed, and her mind became clearer. She sat down by the lake, propped up with her hands, staring blankly at the scorching sun sinking across the desert in the distance. Its huge, crimson hue shone a crimson hue across the poplar forest.
Zhao Xuanxu was standing aside, tall and with long legs, carrying a felt blanket and preparing to set up the tent.
"Why is it always this color?" Wen Yao suddenly narrowed his eyes and said, "Like blood."
As soon as she finished speaking, the reddish light shining on her face vanished. Zhao Xuanxu stood behind her, spreading the felt blanket in his hand and wrapping it around her, covering her tightly. He then raised his leg and kicked the anchor nail in the ground, and the tent suddenly stood up.
"Ayao, it doesn't taste like blood. It has no smell." Zhao Xuanxu walked around to the front, leaned over with his hair down, and kissed Wen Yao on the eye: "Don't stare at the sun, it hurts your eyes."
Wen Yao suddenly came to his senses from his depressed mood, patted his face, got up, went to the lake to wash up, and then returned to the tent to sleep refreshed.
The temperature dropped rapidly in the desert at night, but it remained relatively warm in the woods. The fire burned all night, and Wen Yao slept comfortably. The next day, he rose early to pack up and return to Heichengzi. Yue Changtuan's old house was uninhabitable, so Wen Yao and Zhao Xuanxu checked into the only inn in Heichengzi, under the eager gaze of everyone.
The innkeeper accepted Zhao Xuanxu's generous sum of silver, his face ablaze with smiles. Wen Yao told Zhao Xuanxu to stay inside, then closed the door and led the innkeeper out, shielding them from the eager gazes outside. The people of Heichengzi, filled with curiosity and delight, surrounded Wen Yao with questions.
Zhao Xuanxu was standing behind a door, and it was rare that he was not disgusted by the noise. His brows were relaxed, and he listened carefully to the sound of footsteps getting farther and farther away. Wen Yao coaxed and persuaded a group of people to go out.
Suddenly, the faint smile on his lips froze. He turned his head, his eyes fixed on the window, a fierce look gathering between his brows once again. Zhao Xuanxu said nothing, like a large, ferocious beast whose territory had been invaded, his boots silently stomping towards the window. After a brief silence, he suddenly stretched out his arms, pushed the window open, and reached up, grabbing the man who had turned to flee with an iron grip. His shoulder muscles tensed suddenly, and he dragged the man in, throwing him to the ground and stamping on his head.
The man who was dragged in groaned and tried to struggle, but the force pressing on the back of his head became stronger and stronger, almost crushing his skull.
Zhao Xuanxu bent his legs and pressed his arms on his knees, his murderous intent obvious and unconcealed.
"Liao people." He leaned down condescendingly, his eyes drooping. "Lou Chengyi asked you to come here and seek death?"
He was a Liao man with shaved hair and well-dressed, looking quite respectable. He broke out in a cold sweat, having never expected the Prince of Yan to be so skilled in martial arts. He had been hiding in the distance, waiting until Wen Yao left before sneaking into the house. He had intended to kill the Prince of Yan as ordered, but was restrained instead.
The Liao man's face was distorted. He endured the severe pain in his head and said, "You can't kill me. The envoy sent me to deliver a message to Lord Wen. If you kill me now and leak the news, aren't you afraid that Lord Wen will blame you?"
Zhao Xuanxu's expression suddenly became fierce. He increased the force of his foot and crushed the head without hesitation.
The sound of bones breaking was clearly heard, and the person who was struggling desperately bled profusely from his ears, nose, and mouth, and died with his eyes open.
At that moment, brisk footsteps approached from outside the door. Wen Yao returned, carrying a large pile of dried fruits and humming a tune as he pushed the door open. He was startled when he saw Zhao Xuanxu standing by the window and the body beside him. He pushed the door open as it was about to close. "Killed him? Then don't leave it in the house. It smells bad and the boss will be angry."
She stuffed the pile of freshly baked fragrant dried fruit snacks into Zhao Xuanxu's hands and said proudly, "This is a specialty of Heichengzi, you can't eat it outside. Try it and pack a few for Jinyun and the others."
He then grabbed the body, wiped the large pool of blood off the floor with a rag, opened the window, and called down. There was a noise in the hallway, and two nimble men came up, greeting Zhao Xuanxu as they cheerfully carried the body out. They were as calm and composed as if they were carrying a spotted pig, their expressions indifferent, as if they were used to it.
Wen Yao explained, "There are many people coming and going in Heichengzi, as well as many merchant caravans, and there's no government overseeing it. Murders are quite common there, and no one is afraid of corpses."
She didn't mention the Liao man. She didn't ask why he was there, nor did she mention Lou Chengyi. This made Zhao Xuanxu feel relaxed and happy, and the pastry in his hand, which he hadn't been particularly interested in, suddenly became fragrant. He began to follow Wen Yao closely again, feeding her pastries and nodding obediently: "Have those people left?"
"We all have work to do this afternoon, and we're here to watch the fun." Wen Yao spread out his luggage and instructed, "We'll have a banquet here tonight so they can get to know you. Don't drink too much, the wine from Heichengzi is like Shaodao. They force people to drink without restraint, and if you're drunk, you won't be able to get up and travel the next day."
Zhao Xuanxu agreed immediately.
The result was a brightly lit inn at night, whole roasted lambs served up, and the entire room cheered and jeered. Wen Yao pushed aside seven or eight hands still waiting to toast, and amidst the laughter and noise, he lifted Zhao Xuanxu's arm and pulled the drunken man to his feet.
Zhao Xuanxu was much taller than her, and he leaned on top of her, completely enveloping Wen Yao from behind. He wasn't sweating, but he was hot.
"Alright, alright, we have to leave tomorrow morning. Do you think you lazy bastards are going to sleep until the sun comes up?" The shop owner scolded loudly, pushing through the crowd and walking to Wen Yao with a teapot in hand. She said, "I'll take you upstairs. I made some sobering medicine for your husband. You two should drink it before going to sleep!"
Wen Yao was in a much better situation than Zhao Xuanxu. The old neighbors in Heichengzi were deliberately trying to make things difficult for the husband Wen Yao had brought back with her, and their focus was entirely on Zhao Xuanxu, so she wasn't forced to drink much.
Wen Yao nodded, helped Zhao Xuanxu into the house, and let him fall onto the bed. The shop owner smiled at the two of them, put down the teapot, closed the door, and left.
"Do you want to vomit?" Wen Yao lifted Zhao Xuanxu's face and said, "Didn't I tell you not to listen to them and drink?"
Zhao Xuanxu's face was as red as a peach, like white jade stained with blood. His dark pupils kept looking at Wen Yao who was so close to him. He groped his arms and put them around Wen Yao's waist, hugging her tightly, and said in a muffled voice, "They call me Wen Yao's husband."
Wen Yao was almost laughing out of anger at him, and gently pulled his ear: "You are useless, get up, take a shower, and drink the medicine."
Zhao Xuanxu had indeed drunk too much. Luckily, the hangover remedy was effective, and Zhao Xuanxu, a martial artist with inner strength, was strong and robust. So, the next day, he emerged from his bed and approached Qin Wenyao as if nothing had happened, showing no signs of a headache or discomfort.
After breakfast, Wen Yao, carrying a bag full of snacks, and with Zhao Xuanxu, rode away from this barbaric and desolate city, as the people of Heichengzi lined the streets to see her off. She left the wine jar and roasted lamb with Yue Changtuan, showing no reluctance, and galloped back to catch up with the Lingyu Army.
Less than two days after they left, the carriage team deliberately slowed down their pace, and when the sun set, Wen Yao caught up. Jinyun was bored and grabbed Hao Chunhe to play mahjong. When he saw Wen Yao get off his horse, he threw away his cards and stood up, running over happily: "You're back!"
Wen Yao stuffed the bag into her hands: "Food."
When Jinyun opened it and saw the snacks with strange shapes, his attention was immediately diverted. He tried the flavors one by one and stopped bothering Hao Chunhe.
Hao Chunhe was no match for a girl of Jinyun's age, and in just two days, he'd been utterly miserable. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Wen Yao, "You're back! We'll be arriving at the border with the Western Dynasty tomorrow. Scouts from the Western Dynasty just left and reported that the Second Prince, Li Youqi, is waiting at the border with 2,000 soldiers to capture the princess."
The Western Dynasty was not a Central Plains clan, but it welcomed Confucian scholars and secretly established official residences, gradually resembling the style of Tianshui. Its official system also resembled that of Tianshui. The Western Dynasty emperor, now a gray-haired man, had lost an eye years earlier in an assassination attempt by a leaf-throwing assassin, and he no longer cared much about state affairs. Crown Prince Li Fubai and Second Prince Li Youqi each formed their own factions, and the struggle between them rivaled that of Zhao Xuanfeng and Zhao Xuanshuo.
"Why is it the prince who is bringing people to welcome the bride?" Wen Yao was shocked when he heard this: "Where is the Ministry of Rites?"
Jinyun entered the harem of the old emperor of the Western Dynasty. In name, she was the elder of the two princes. The second prince, Li Youqi, had to respectfully call Jinyun "mother concubine." It sounded strange that a son was helping his father to pick up the bride.
"I don't know." Hao Chunhe shook his head: "After all, if His Highness is sent to the border tomorrow, the Feathered Army will not be able to move forward. If they want to enter Xingqing, they need to change their appearance."
Back then, Zuo Fengjiang, evading his duties, concealed the existence of two assassins who attacked the imperial palace. After years of not seeing each other, Zuo Fengjiang and the Red Guards couldn't guarantee they wouldn't recognize the Flying Leaf Operators, Hao Chunhe and Wen Yao. Revealing their identities would be a capital offense. If the Western Dynasty demanded the assassins, and Tianshui refused, it would damage diplomatic relations between the two countries.
"The Burning Heart Remnant is still in Zuo Fengjiang's possession. We must go to Xingqing. Hide within Song Qing's ranks and don't show up. Once you get to Xingqing, be patient and don't act rashly." Wen Yao looked up at Hao Chunhe. She saw him sharpen his dagger all the way and knew exactly what he was going to Xingqing for. She didn't try to stop him, but she also didn't want to see Hao Chunhe get into an accident with his bloody hatred.
Wen Yao took out a plaque from his arms. It was engraved with cloud patterns in gold and looked hazy.
"This time when you go back, you have to thank Chu Yutang in person." She waved her badge, "He has prepared identity passes for us. Tomorrow, Qianying will return to Bianliang with her substitute, and we will follow the caravan all the way to Xingqing Prefecture."
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