Chapter 116: Lord Han's rapid rise to prominence
Jinyun, mumbling something, was half-pushed, half-supported by the anxious maids as Wen Yao signaled him to leave. Wen Yao smiled at Yelu Duhan, then stepped past the Liao soldiers, swaying as she climbed onto the carriage, chains in hand.
Over the course of two days, brothers Li Fubai and Li Youqi wrestled with each other, finally establishing a clear bottom line and dividing up the spoils. The emperor's death wasn't announced to the world until today. Wen Yao felt their calm and indifferent attitude had long preoccupied them with killing their useless father and ascending to the throne, but simply hadn't had the time to act.
The death of a less than virtuous king left the people even less apprehensive. Aside from hanging white cloth everywhere, as per custom, everyone went about their daily lives. In the streets and alleys, white paper money swirled under the feet of hurried passersby, blew by the wind.
Wen Yao opened the window and surveyed the solemn funeral. The innkeepers must have been diligent, as she hadn't seen any paper money fluttering in the air these past two days. Yelu Duhan, holding the reins, ambled his steed to the side of the carriage. He bent slightly, turned, and met Wen Yao's gaze. His emerald green eyes were cold and profound, like a mountain spirit.
Wen Yao leaned on the carriage window and stepped back a little: "What are you doing?"
"I will lead my men back to Xijin Prefecture from another direction." Yelu Duhan said, "You will change carriages several times along the way. If you don't have internal energy, don't run around. Stay with the caravan. They will protect you and bring you safely to Xijin."
Wen Yao understood what he meant. He knew that the journey would not be safe and someone would ambush them if nothing unexpected happened.
"Why is Prince Yelu so cautious even when returning to his own home?" Wen Yao said, "It seems you're not popular. No one wants you to go back."
This was the truth, and Yelu Duhan was not angry. He raised his eyebrows, pointed under the seat in the carriage, and said, "There are some books in the drawer. Just spend your time there and you'll be there soon."
Time was of the essence, so he said, pulling the reins and immediately leaving the group with the Liao soldiers waiting behind him. With a lash of his whip, he quickly disappeared down a side road.
As Yelu Duhan had predicted, shortly after leaving Xingqing, Wen Yao boarded another carriage, continuing with the more disguised and low-key convoy. From this point on, she wasn't alone in the carriage. The door opened, and a Liao woman bent in. As if Wen Yao had some kind of infectious disease, she sat down against the door, a good distance away from Wen Yao.
She wore a sword at her waist, and her eyes were cold. Wen Yao heard her long and drawn-out breathing and knew she was a martial artist.
Wen Yao asked knowingly, and spoke to the girl: "Who are you?"
The Liao woman glanced at him coldly, her eyes quite unfriendly, her voice tight and harsh, the tone of a Tianshui official. She didn't say who she was, only saying, "The Lord of the Xianyin Division asked me to watch over you."
"Oh." Wen Yao smiled and nodded approvingly.
Every bite brings wisdom, quite right. Yelu Duhan, after his visit to Xingqing, was still worried about her being alone, even after giving her a double dose of Huagong Powder and shackled her with meteorite iron chains.
Less than half a day later, Wen Yao realized that the girl from Bei Liao who was guarding her seemed to dislike her. To say she disliked her was an understatement; she probably wanted to kill her.
The Liao girl sat across from him, her eyes darting over from time to time, her fingers stroking the sword at her waist. Her murderous intent was clear, a precursor to an attack.
Wen Yao sat calmly on the side, her eyes fixed on the storybook, wondering why the girl reacted like this. She had no impression of this girl, so she probably had never offended her.
During the journey, the convoy rested, and the Liao people scattered around in groups of three or four to make fires and cook. As soon as Wen Yao sat down on a rock, the Liao girl took a roasted chicken front wing and half a piece of naan bread and threw it into Wen Yao's hands, very rudely.
Wen Yao looked at the gray and charred front wings and the dry naan bread, and tentatively said to the girl, "How about a new leg?"
"Eat whatever you are given." The Liao girl stood condescendingly, glaring at Wen Yao coldly: "Don't talk too much."
Wen Yao was certain that this girl really didn't like her. Fine, whatever she wanted to eat, she said, no more words. She devoured the front wings and naan, gulped down a few gulps of water, and then dragged the chain back to the car and lay down.
After she climbed aboard, the tense convoy relaxed. The people around her began to laugh at the Liao girl, whispering to each other in groups of three or four. The Liao girl ignored them and sat down in front of the fire, eating her meat. Someone, eager to know the truth, came over and offered her some fried rice tea and asked, "Ah Si, that woman is someone the Xianyinsi official favors. Aren't you afraid that the Xianyinsi official will punish you when you treat her like this?"
Yelu Duhan's methods of punishment were always harsh and cruel. The interrogator recalled some of the tragic scenes and couldn't help shivering in broad daylight.
Ah Si also clenched the branch in his hand, and after a while, he said coldly, "It's already a great mercy to spare the life of the Tianshui woman who caused the master's injury. Do you still want to be fed and well-fed?"
"But the master would rather leave us here to protect her, and take a few people with him to deal with Anshi." The man continued, "She might become the master's concubine in the future, and even give birth to his children——"
Ah Mi couldn't stand it any longer and threw half a roasted chicken into the fire with a thud, sending up a shower of sparks. She stood up angrily, looked around, her eyes fixed on everyone who looked at her, her head held high, and shouted, "I'm not afraid she'll tell the adults!"
She wasn't afraid. She felt she had no reason to be afraid. Although she wasn't a noble, her father and brother both worked for the Lord of the Xianyin Division and were highly respected. Not to mention that Wen Yao wasn't even the Lord's concubine. Even if she were, would the Lord, with all his wisdom and might, punish her for a concubine's complaints?
The person asking the question was just joining in the fun, not really expressing his displeasure for Wen Yao. Seeing that Ah Si was unmoved, he teased her a few times and then dropped the matter.
After about six or seven days of rapid travel, the convoy finally reached Xijin Prefecture, a key city in the southern prefecture of Northern Liao. Wen Yao had spent her days idling in the carriage, her bones aching and swollen. Once she reached the destination, she breathed a sigh of relief along with the Liao people outside. She had come to understand the dire situation Yelu Duhan faced in Northern Liao, the perils lurking everywhere. From Xingqing to Xijin Prefecture, she had changed carriages four times and altered her route three times, yet even then, she encountered several assassination attempts.
I don't know the specific situation on Yelu Duhan's side, but he's definitely been greeted by many people. As expected, the child who returned home halfway was not welcome, and the honor of holding three positions was not so easy to bear.
Riding a horse is faster than riding a carriage. Yelu Duhan was said to have arrived at Xijin Prefecture two days ago. After Wen Yao got off the carriage, he was led to a luxurious mansion. However, the first person he saw was not Yelu Duhan, but an old friend he had met in Bianliang.
Wen Yao was a little surprised: "Han Zhao?"
"Miss Wen." Han Zhao was still dressed in his Tianshui attire, though he had changed his usual low profile. He wore a sleek, blue-gray robe, clutched a feather fan, and wore a jade pendant at his waist of exceptional quality. He looked as if he lived a life of luxury. Standing in the inner courtyard, surrounded by flowers, he ignored the eye-catching chain on Wen Yao's wrist. He saluted Wen Yao solemnly and said, "It's been a long time since we last met. I missed you so much."
Ah Si and two Northern Liao warriors followed Wen Yao, swords in their arms, standing aside as they watched Han Zhao. She knew this man: the advisor the lord had exchanged from Tianshui, a capable and capable officer by his side. He appeared good-tempered, but in reality, he was rather aloof and arrogant. Ah Si watched him salute Wen Yao, frowning, feeling a little uncomfortable.
She is just a woman from Tianshui. Why do all of them treat Wen Yao differently?
"It's been a long time." Hearing him say that, Wen Yao felt a strange sense of familiarity. She walked towards him and jokingly said, "Now that you've become rich, what's the point of being a high-ranking official here?"
"I'm fortunate to have been favored by the Lord of the Department of Religious Affairs and to have been appointed to the Metropolitan General's Office," Han Zhao said modestly. "The young lady never gave me any trouble in Bianliang. I'm deeply grateful and have come to visit you."
"You're so polite. You're here, but where's Yelu Duhan?" Wen Yao said, his eyes involuntarily looking behind him: "What's behind you?"
"Your Excellency has been away for a long time. Someone in the army has developed a rebellious mind. Your Excellency is dealing with it in the military tent and will be back for dinner in the evening." Han Zhao turned around and saw Wen Yao walking straight towards him, passing him to a long table, and leaning over to pick up the pastries on the plate.
The table behind him was particularly long, barely fitting within the spacious hall. Plates were densely packed on it, displaying a wide variety of sweet and savory pastries and fried foods, neatly stacked in a spectacular display.
"My Lord specifically told me that the young lady loves to eat, especially cakes." Han Zhaoyu fluttered his fan and pointed at the hundreds of cakes on the table. "Knowing that the young lady would come today, I specially prepared these cakes. All the cakes that can be found in Xijin Mansion are here."
"Yeah, okay, okay." Wen Yao nodded, already stuffing two pieces of dessert into her mouth and holding another in her hand. She turned around and gave Han Zhao a thumbs-up sincerely, saying, "It's really delicious. Come and eat too, why are you standing here?"
"Han won't eat." Han Zhao looked at Wen Yao's unrestrained eating and shook his head. "The famous people in the world are all romantic and suave. Since coming to Xijin Prefecture, Han has become fatter and his waistline has increased. Now he is restraining his diet."
This answer is also strange.
Wen Yao and he stared at each other, both thinking that the other was amazing.
Wen Yao swallowed the cake in her mouth and looked him up and down. Suddenly, she realized why she felt so familiar when she saw Han Zhao. At first glance, Han Zhao's clothing and appearance were surprisingly similar to Zhang Yun's. Both wore green clothes like bamboo, with blue pendants on their waists, and were elegant and graceful.
She recalled what Han Zhao had said in prison, when Han Zhao had specifically mentioned Zhang Yun.
What is this called? Zhang Yun fans?
Han Zhao watched Wen Yao grab two more dim sum and put them in her mouth. Unable to resist, he stepped forward and poured her a full cup of tea, handing it to her, saying softly, "Miss, please enjoy your meal...Are these dim sum really that delicious?"
Wen Yao touched her nose and glanced at Ah Si who was glaring at her: "Delicious."
Especially after a few days of starvation, it seemed even more delicious. After all, she was a martial artist and had always had a big appetite, and the sealing of her internal energy didn't affect her appetite. These past few days, she had only had a little meat and dry food, so she was indeed a little hungry.
Han Zhaocuo Wenyao got very close, staring at her for a while, then followed her gaze to glance at Ah Si, waving a feather fan in his hand, and said in an unclear tone: "Really?"
"Yes." Wen Yao: "You said Yelu Duhan is in the military camp, and there are troops stationed near Xijin Prefecture?"
Han Zhao turned his gaze back and nodded without hiding anything from Wen Yao, "Xijin is close to the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, and they have always had a heavy military presence there."
"Oh." Wen Yao said shamelessly: "How much does it weigh?"
"If you want to know, you can ask the Lord yourself." Han Zhao played Tai Chi and lied with his eyes open. "You've been traveling all the way here, and I'm relieved that you're all right. I'll also say that the Lord has the talent to govern the country and is very caring towards the people of Xijin. This year, the people of the two tribes in Xijin Prefecture are living in harmony and prosperity. You might as well visit Xijin Prefecture more often in the future and don't be prejudiced against the Lord. Apart from some minor details, the Lord is truly a great ruler."
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