Chapter 131 Yao Wen
Bei Liao is a vast region, and the weather becomes increasingly bitter and cold as one moves north. Perhaps because of this, Shangjing was not far from Nanfu, but was built on the Bei Liao grasslands, where fertile land suitable for farming and water and grass suitable for livestock, taking advantage of the three mountains.
The first thing Wen Yao did when he set out for Beijing was to sell himself.
A strong wind blew as a team of horses laden with tea and salt moved along the road. Wen Yao's shoulders were burdened by a bamboo basket half a man's height, packed tightly with bags. With her face covered by a veil, she walked with her head half-bent among the Tianshui slaves, looking inconspicuous. The team primarily transported goods, but also Tianshui slaves. Several Northern Liao men sat high on their horses, their whips cracking loudly.
The situation was tense, and a Tianshui man traveling alone to the capital would stand out, so blending in with the slaves was a natural progression. Furthermore, they provided food and lodging, along with a pass for the border crossing, making the offer extremely cost-effective. He did, however, occasionally receive a beating. The Liao people herded the Tianshui slaves they had purchased like cattle and sheep, their whips swinging wildly, threatening to strike Wen Yao on the back of his shoulder. As if with eyes in the back of his head, Wen Yao naturally stepped aside to avoid the whip. The Liao people paid no attention, nor did they suspect anything. The next whip lashed out, striking a thin girl beside Wen Yao.
Wen Yao tilted his head and heard the girl gasp in pain.
The caravan had been traveling for several days and was about to reach Shangjing. They stopped for a rest and a meal that night, and the Liao people dropped a bag of bean cakes. The slaves rushed forward to grab them. The girl who had been beaten was injured and couldn't join them. She sat down on the ground, empty-handed, swallowing her saliva.
Wen Yao walked over to her and sat down, breaking off half of a bean cake and handing it to her. The girl was startled, looking from Wen Yao to the bean cake, and immediately reached out to take it and stuffed it into her mouth in big mouthfuls.
Wen Yao followed and bit the pancake: "Can you speak Tianshui dialect?"
The girl nodded.
"Do you know why these people dragged us to the capital?"
"I know, as slaves." The girl's voice was as soft as a mosquito's: "The Liao people like Tianshui slaves."
"Where are your parents?"
"Killed by the Liao people."
"Hmm." Wen Yao swallowed the bean cake in his mouth and put the remaining bit in front of the little girl again: "I'm not hungry, you eat it."
The convoy arrived in the capital the next day. Shangjing was divided into North and South. The South was a mixed community of various ethnic groups, with markets galore. The North was solemn and austere, inhabited solely by Liao people. The Northern Liao, using the term "Wangting" (Wangting) for the imperial palace, sat in the center of North City, facing west and east. Wen Yao was lucky; the slave owner she followed had taken several women from Tianshui, including her, directly to North City. The reason was simple: they were good-looking and desirable, and were being sold as slaves to wealthy families in North City.
Wen Yao had no intention of actually working for a Liao family. She took a step back and leaned against the wall of the slave market, her fingers touching the chain, ready to tear it off to go find Yelu Duhan's men. Suddenly, she glanced and saw several people in bright clothes approaching. The slave owner saw that their eyes were wide open, and hurriedly stepped forward to answer them. Several people glanced at Wen Yao, lowered their heads and said a few words to the slave owner. The slave owner then turned around, pointed at Wen Yao and the girls, and said in his half-familiar Tianshui dialect: "Take off your veils."
Wen Yao's fingers subconsciously moved from the chain to her sleeve. She had a dagger in her sleeve. The Xingyi Sword was too large and conspicuous to carry with her because she had to hide her identity. After leaving the valley, she simply found a place to bury it, intending to dig it out when she returned.
After a pause, Wen Yao followed the people around her in pulling off the veil.
The men looked around, their gazes lingering on Wen Yao's face for a long time, so long that she began to suspect she had been recognized. Then someone nodded and said something haughtily to the slave owner. The slave owner responded quickly, hurriedly handing Wen Yao and the other girls' chains to the men.
Wen Yao understood that she was being sold again.
The person who bought her was unknown, but he must have been quite powerful, as even the servants who bought her were dressed in bright and beautiful clothes. Wen Yao was taken into a mansion, where a man who looked like a manager scolded her in Tianshui dialect, "Be smart. You are serving the Crown Prince of Northern Liao. Anyone who makes a mistake will be beheaded and fed to the wolves."
Oh, who did she think it was? It turned out to be the Northern Liao Emperor… Hmm? Who?
Wen Yao raised his eyebrows, and after a moment of surprise, he almost laughed out loud.
What great luck she had.
Empress Duoyueli of Northern Liao bore three sons. The eldest, Yelü Chongya, was the eldest son of the Northern Liao emperor and designated Crown Prince from birth. Though born of the same mother, this Northern Liao crown prince's reputation was the stark contrast to the cruel and tyrannical Yelü Anduan. He was said to be honest and gentle, a stark contrast to the fierce character of the Northern Liao people. Consequently, he disliked his mother, who constantly pressured him to cede the crown prince position to his younger brother, Yelü Anduan.
Wen Yao was quite curious about the prince of Northern Liao.
Just after noon, the residence was filled with visitors. Their horses halted outside, and a row of sturdy Liao warriors entered first. The last man, with shaved hair, was tall, with strong features. His appearance and clothing were the most authentic Liao Chinese. However, he was clutching a long roll of paper, staring intently at it as he walked. He only managed to avoid falling thanks to the careful guidance and care of those around him.
Wen Yao followed the others and walked forward. When he got closer, he heard the unique Crown Prince of Northern Liao shaking his head and reciting poetry in a low voice. It was Tianshui poetry, with a standard accent and rich emotions.
The scene before him was so abstract that Wen Yao curled the corners of his mouth and smiled.
Her smile was immediately noticed. The surrounding guards looked over with fierce expressions. Without a word, they twisted Wen Yao's wrist and threw her forward. Liao people's martial arts mostly rely on brute force. Wen Yao tried hard to suppress the urge to twist back and stood obediently in front of Yelu Chongya.
Yelu Chongya raised his head, first puzzled, then looked at Wen Yao with a little surprise: "What are you laughing at?"
He also spoke Tianshui dialect.
Wen Yao lowered his head and said in a harmless and obedient manner, "I'm not laughing at anything. I just think your Highness recites poetry well."
Yelu Chongya immediately became interested in Wen Yao: "Can you read?"
"My father used to be a teacher." Wen Yao said immediately: "I also love reading poetry."
"Okay." Yelu Chongya was surprisingly easy to talk to. He nodded and said casually, "Then next time I come, you can come and recite poetry with me."
Amidst the strange stares of the servants, Wen Yao, with her artistic persona, instantly transitioned from a lowly servant to a high-ranking maid in the mansion. With nothing to do on weekdays, she would tag along when Yelü Chongya came to the mansion, watching the Northern Liao prince read Tianshui poetry and prose, tears streaming down her face.
Wen Yao noticed that this guy truly loved reciting poetry. He believed his status as crown prince would constrain him outside, so he purposely built this mansion for reading and reciting poetry. To create a more ambiance, he even replaced the servants in the mansion with people from Tianshui. This significantly increased the demand for Tianshui slaves, and it was no wonder that his subordinates were buying them at the slave market.
Wen Yao studied science in her previous life, her connection to poetry ending with the college entrance exam. Yet, this was her first time enjoying the perks of a time traveler, captivating Yelü Chongya with her recollection of timeless verses. She deliberately tried to curry favor, and within a few days, Yelü Chongya's visits became increasingly frequent, requiring him to visit daily. Many dignitaries had heard that the Crown Prince's new slave girl, Tianshui, was incredibly talented and a favorite of the Crown Prince.
"Yao Wen, you are truly a prodigy." Yelu Ya, holding the paper in his hand, shook his head and recited the verse "I will climb to the summit, overlooking all the mountains" for the hundredth time. He sat on a wooden chair by the lake. Wen Yao, honored by his offer of a seat, sat beside him and offered to help him peel fruit. She figured it was almost time. As planned, the news of her serious injury had been circulating for the past few days, so she decided to sneak into the king's tent tonight to take a look.
Wen Yao pondered, her knife twirling rapidly in her hand. Soon, she had peeled a whole fruit and placed it in front of Yelu Chongya. Listening to the strange Crown Prince call her by her pseudonym, she said modestly, "Your Highness, your compliments are very kind."
"I remember you said your house was trampled by the Northern Liao cavalry when they raided the city. That's a good thing." Yelu Chong bit his teeth and said, "Tianshui women can't work in politics. I heard that many can't even leave their homes and have to kneel when they see their husbands. You Tianshui people are strange. You usually advocate benevolence and morality, but you treat your wives as slaves. But it's different in Northern Liao. We Northern Liao women have our own cattle, sheep, carriages and horses, and there are many female officials in the court. If you stay in Northern Liao peacefully, I can recommend you to serve as an official in the south."
Wen Yao barely came back to his senses, lowered his head and smiled, "Your Highness is right, thank you very much."
Yelu Chongya was promising her a lot, but in the afternoon someone gave Wen Yao a big surprise.
Of the Northern Liao emperor's sons, Yelü Chongya was the oldest and already married. The Crown Princess, the daughter of the Wushou King, came from a powerful family, having led troops in battle and possessing substantial military power. Yelü Chongya possessed a gentle disposition, a stark contrast to the Crown Princess. Presumably, word of Yao Wen's deeds had reached her, prompting her to send a warning.
The entire courtyard was filled with panic as they watched several Tianshui slaves being dragged into the courtyard. Wen Yao followed Yelu Chongya. They had just finished feeding the fish at the lake when they suddenly saw the cauldron boiling in the courtyard. Someone came up to Yelu Chongya and said something in Northern Liao dialect, which Wen Yao didn't understand. She only heard Yelu Chongya respond, then sit down and start eating fruit.
The skinny Tianshui people were pushed to the front of the cauldron. Looking at the boiling water in front of them, they realized what kind of treatment they were about to suffer and struggled desperately. Wen Yao's relaxed expression slowly disappeared. She watched as someone lifted these Tianshui people up and threw them into the boiling pot!
The boiling water instantly turned bloody, the cracked skin quickly cooked, and screams of agony suddenly broke through the air. Someone, holding a long bamboo pole, pressed down the struggling figures like a pot of meat paste. In a moment, the flesh melted away, revealing the bones, and the aroma of cooking suddenly wafted into the air. The courtyard was filled with servants. Most of the Liao people showed no reaction. Those who were killed by the Liao people were pale, clutching their throats, ready to vomit, were all from Tianshui.
These people who suddenly broke into the courtyard were just there to cook people. After finishing the cooking, they didn't delay. After bowing to Yelu Chongya, they left with a pot of messy broth. The people in the courtyard dispersed in twos and threes, and a gloomy atmosphere enveloped the entire courtyard.
"Everyone's gone. Sit down." Yelu Chongya picked up a fruit and threw it to Wen Yao: "This is a reward for you."
"Your Highness." Wen Yao caught the fruit and applied a little force with his fingers, and a tiny crack immediately appeared on the fruit: "What kind of drama is this?"
"I've been getting a little close to you lately. You're from Tianshui, and it wouldn't sound good if it got out." Yelu Chongya raised his head and looked at Wen Yao with interest. "The Crown Princess doesn't mind me having a few women, but she can't tolerate me getting involved with a woman from Tianshui."
Wen Yao said slowly: "Your Highness, I am really wronged. I was just reciting a poem. I have nothing to do with Your Highness."
"No problem, no problem!" Yelu Chongya laughed heartily: "Don't worry about her, just continue to recite poems to me!"
Well, they like the poetry and songs of Tianshui, and their morality, but they still don't treat the people of Tianshui as human beings, just like two-legged sheep. If all the nobles of Northern Liao have this attitude, it's no wonder that Northern Liao is always eyeing the fertile Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.
Wen Yao said nothing. When it got dark that night, she first contacted Yelu Duhan's men, and then went to the royal court in the dark.
The layout of the Northern Liao royal court differed markedly from that of the Western Court of Tianshui. Silverware and lacquer patterns graced the walls, and thick stone bricks dominated the walls. The palaces were not exquisitely beautiful, but rather majestic. The Northern Liao emperors rarely resided in Shangjing. There were five capitals, and the emperors rotated their residence annually, much like their ancestors who sought shelter in the wilds. In recent years, the Northern Liao emperor, Yelü Hao, had been in declining health, leaving most court duties to Empress Duoyueli, who subsequently began to reside permanently in Shangjing.
The Forty-Eight Tribes of Northern Liao collectively referred to the top warriors of Northern Liao. No one knew how many people were in this group. According to Yelu Duhan, the man she had defeated on Lone Star Terrace and the two people Zhongli He had killed a few days ago were not even considered worthy of mention among this group. They surrounded and attacked them, and even the old man Qianshan was defeated.
Time is running out and I can't reveal my identity. How can I kill him? How can I kill him?
The moon was buried deep in the thick clouds above. Wen Yao landed lightly in front of a row house with thick red brick walls. She looked around, her gaze settling on a crimson felt curtain. With the tip of her dagger gleaming, she gently lifted the curtain.
Wen Yao didn't slow down his footsteps. The person inside seemed to be puzzled and walked out of the compartment. As soon as she came out, she was face to face with Wen Yao. It was a woman. When she saw Wen Yao, her eyes widened and she picked up the bottle on the table and was about to smash it on the ground. But then Wen Yao easily cut her throat.
The fresh smell of blood filled the air, subtle and inconspicuous. From the moment she saw Wen Yao until her last breath, the woman never made a sound.
She was a favored lady-in-waiting by Duo Yueli's side. She had "coincidentally" injured her throat in recent days and was unable to speak, so she was transferred from the Empress's side to this place to recuperate and handle matters.
The people under Yelu Duhan were very efficient, and the people they chose were very similar in figure to Wen Yao. Wen Yao picked up the lamp and moved closer to the woman to look at her face carefully, then took out something to pinch his own face.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
