Chapter 73 He despicably obtained Song Jingchuan's whereabouts...
Pei Yu seemed to know that Huiyin wanted to say goodbye to him, and he didn't return to the prefect's mansion until nightfall, looking travel-worn.
When he returned, Huiyin was sitting by the window eating a hot pot. The small stove was bubbling with the rich and fragrant bone broth, and fresh raw meat and vegetables were placed next to her. The rising steam obscured Huiyin's face.
Through the misty curtain, she saw Pei Yu looking utterly dejected, his usually upturned brows drooping, his figure lonely as he stood at the courtyard gate. This was the first time the two had met since the lantern festival.
In the past few days, Pei Yu has not appeared in front of her. Huiyin knows that he was hurt by the incident when she accepted Wang Huan's lantern.
She lowered her head, took a sip of hot bone broth, and calmly instructed Yan Niang to invite the person in.
Normally, she would never have dined at the same table as Pei Yu, but today, with Suiyang leaving the pass, the two were in a bad mood, and besides, this might be the last meal she would have with Pei Yu.
After Pei Yu sat down, Huiyin dismissed all the servants and personally served him a bowl of soup, saying, "Drink a bowl of hot soup to ward off the chill."
The two finished their meal in silence. Seeing that it was getting late, Huiyin didn't want to delay any longer. "I'll be leaving tomorrow. There's no need for you to send someone to see me off. I'll be setting off with Wang Huan and the others."
Wang Huan, Wang Huan. Pei Yu felt uncomfortable just hearing this name. He silently gripped his chopsticks tightly, trying to suppress the jealousy in his heart.
The bubbling pot steamed with white vapor, and the chill between Pei Yu's brows melted away. He took out a silk scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Huiyin.
Huiyin was somewhat surprised. She took the silk scroll, opened it, and her gaze froze. She looked up at Pei Yu in disbelief, her voice trembling, "Is what's written here true?"
Pei Yu's gaze was deep and unfathomable, like a predator locking onto its prey. "It's true. Your younger brother, Song Jingchuan, was rescued by merchants from Dai County after falling off a cliff and followed the caravan here."
"Where is he now?" Huiyin stood up excitedly, clutching the silk scroll in her hand into a ball.
Pei Yu stood up and pressed Huiyin down to sit. He squatted down beside her and hugged her, speaking gently, "Calm down first. Your brother is currently missing."
Huiyin gripped Pei Yu's arms tightly with both hands, her brows furrowed. "What do you mean by 'missing'?"
Pei Yu sighed and reached out to comfort her by stroking the back of her hand. "In August, Dai County was plundered by the Xiongnu, and his village was among them. His body was not found among the corpses, so he must have been taken to the Xiongnu."
Huiyin clutched her chest in unbearable pain. She had just experienced extreme joy and sorrow, and the agonizing pain in her heart made it almost impossible for her to breathe.
Pei Yu held Huiyin in his arms to comfort her. He had found out about this news a month ago, but he didn't dare tell Huiyin for fear of disappointing her again.
After all, the fate of the Han people who were captured by the Xiongnu was far worse than that of those who died. To the Xiongnu, the captured Han people were treated like cattle and sheep, as slaves, and being beaten, scolded, and humiliated was commonplace.
Huiyin gritted her teeth and remained silent. She had imagined many possibilities for Jingchuan's whereabouts and was prepared for the fact that he was no longer alive. But she could not accept that he had been captured by the Xiongnu and was living a life worse than death.
Pei Yu rested his head on Huiyin's forehead, stroking her repeatedly to comfort her. "My spies in the Xiongnu sent me a message saying that most of the Han people captured back then are still alive. I also specifically instructed the officials who saw us off to negotiate with the Xiongnu Chanyu and exchange them for us."
Huiyin looked up through teary eyes, her lips trembling uncontrollably, "Really? Can it really be changed back?"
Pei Yu covered her tearful eyes and sighed inwardly, "Really, please wait a little longer, just a little longer."
Huiyin hugged Pei Yu tightly, unable to hold back her sobs. Did she really have another chance to see Jingchuan?
Pei Yu remained silent, quietly holding her and staying with her. He knew he was being despicable, using what she cared about most to bind her and force her to stay.
Pei Yu closed his eyes, his jaw clenched. He was at his wit's end. If Song Jingchuan didn't entice Huiyin to leave with Wang Huan, he would never have another chance.
He gently embraced Huiyin, inhaling her delicate fragrance, and his heart, which had been restless for half a year, finally calmed down.
Huiyin asked in a hoarse voice, "Why didn't he come to find me?"
Pei Yu: "When I inquired about him, I learned that he had fallen off a cliff and was seriously injured in the head, so he didn't remember who he was."
Huiyin choked up for a moment, looked up at the bright moon hanging high in the sky, and prayed incessantly in her heart, praying that God would not take away her last hope, and praying that Jingchuan could return to her side.
She choked up and said, "I'll stay. I'll wait for him to come back."
——
He waited in Dai County for a month. As spring arrived and the earth warmed up, the snow-covered ground and rooftops all disappeared. During this time, several urgent imperial edicts came from Chang'an summoning Pei Yu back to the capital, but he ignored them all, determined to stay with Huiyin until the marriage procession returned.
On this day, the marriage procession, which had been eagerly awaited by everyone, brought back bad news—bad news that shocked the entire nation.
The marriage procession escorted Princess Suiyang all the way to the heart of the grasslands, arriving at Kaqiu, the sacred land of the Xiongnu. They waited there for five days before the wedding of the princess and the Xiongnu Chanyu Hudan took place. However, no one expected that Hudan's youngest son, Yule, would launch a rebellion on the night of the wedding.
This wolf-like cub from the grasslands stormed into the royal tent of the Great Chanyu Hudan with lightning speed, personally killing his father. Then, his forces quickly subdued the other princes. After two days and one night of dynastic change, the nineteen-year-old Yule Chanyu ascended the throne and became the new leader of the Xiongnu.
He murdered his father, brothers, and nephews, and used his decisive and ruthless methods to subdue the rebellious forces on the grasslands, and forcibly took the princess he was sent to marry as his chief consort.
After pacifying the grasslands, he ordered the release of the imprisoned Han envoys. The news was sent to Chang'an by express courier, and the people of Dai County were in an uproar. No one expected that such a change would occur in just one month.
Since the news of the Xiongnu arrived, Pei Yu, accompanied by the prefect, went to the military camp to discuss military matters and awaited instructions from Chang'an.
Huiyin climbed the city gate and looked towards the heart of the grasslands, her face showing worry. She was worried about her younger brother, and also about the little princess who was alone and trapped by the Xiongnu. She wondered if they were alright.
Three days after the news arrived, an envoy finally came from Chang'an with the message: "Hold your troops still."
This outcome was not unexpected. For His Majesty and his court officials, marrying a princess was a way to avoid war. If the new Chanyu was also willing to maintain good relations with the Southern Dynasty, then marrying the princess to him would be the same. Moreover, the Xiongnu tradition was that the throne passed from father to son.
On this day, Huiyin once again climbed the city wall and gazed at the boundless grassland, where the person she cared about was.
The Xiongnu underwent a major upheaval, and the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial, who had been assigned to the task, died in the chaos. Naturally, the captured slaves also did not return.
Huiyin's hopeful heart sank to the bottom once again. If it were before, she would have fooled herself and believed that she could find Jingchuan.
But he wandered to the Xiongnu, and perhaps he is still alive, but the brother and sister never had the chance to meet again.
Yan Niang helped Huiyin tighten her collar. The wind on the city wall was unusually strong, making it hard to open one's eyes. "Young lady, it's getting late, let's go down."
Huiyin dejectedly withdrew her gaze, turned around and went down the city wall with Yanniang. On the way back, they ran into Pei Yu, whom they hadn't seen for many days.
These days are filled with war and chaos, and although they are in the same city, they have few opportunities to meet.
He looked somewhat tired, his brow furrowed. Several military officers behind him were excitedly talking to him. Huiyin vaguely heard a few sentences; they were arguing about why they couldn't send troops to attack the Xiongnu.
Upon seeing Huiyin, Pei Yu quickly dismissed the military officers and walked up to her, asking, "Did you just come down from the city wall?"
Huiyin nodded and looked behind him. "What did they say to you?"
Pei Yu walked side by side with Huiyin, and upon hearing this, he smirked, "They're making a fuss about sending troops."
Huiyin paused, turning her head to scrutinize his expression. Pei Yu raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways at her. "You think I also advocate sending troops?"
Huiyin remained silent. It would be strange if he didn't want to send troops after such an incident.
"His Majesty has decreed that any troops that dare to make any unusual movements will be executed without mercy." He uttered these words casually, as if he were chatting with someone.
Huiyin felt a chill in her heart, but after thinking about it, she felt that this was in line with that person's decision. He sent his daughter to marry a foreign ruler in order to maintain peace, so naturally there would be no more war.
"Are you disappointed?" Pei Yu asked softly.
Huiyin sighed, "Of course there is disappointment, but some things really can't be forced."
Pei Yu neither agreed nor disagreed, raising an eyebrow and saying, "It depends on human effort."
Huiyin sighed, "I used to think so too, but I don't have that ability."
This was the first time the two had stood together calmly and discussed this topic since their falling out.
Pei Yu stopped and stared intently into Huiyin's eyes. "Tell me, do you want your brother to come back?"
Huiyin's body trembled uncontrollably. Of course she wanted to see him, she missed him constantly, but Jingchuan was with the Xiongnu, and she really had no way to help him. "Of course I want to see him, but given the current situation, what other options are there?"
Pei Yu: "I will help you find your younger brother. I promised you."
Huiyin shook her head, her face showing reluctance. "He's with the Xiongnu. How are you going to find him?"
Pei Yu didn't speak, and Huiyin's heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly looked up at him, "What do you want to do? Don't tell me you're going to leave seclusion?"
Pei Yu pursed his lips slightly and said solemnly, "Wait for me in Dai County. When I return, I will bring your younger brother back."
"You're not allowed to go! Are you crazy?!" Huiyin grabbed Pei Yu's arm, her brows furrowed. Pei Yu's words stirred up a storm in her heart. At first, she was indeed happy, but upon closer inspection, it was simply impossible.
The Xiongnu cavalry were everywhere on the grasslands. If he led his men out of the pass and was discovered, there was no way he would come back alive. She couldn't let Pei Yu take such a risk for her.
"Don't go, please don't." Huiyin looked up, trembling, tears streaming down her face.
Huiyin had only one thought in her mind: to stop Pei Yu. He couldn't go. He owed her nothing anymore; there was no need for him to risk his life for her. The area beyond the Great Wall was extremely dangerous; she couldn't be so selfish as to let Pei Yu go on such a perilous journey.
Pei Yu watched as he half-embraced and half-carried Huiyin into the carriage, patting her back to comfort her, "Don't be afraid, I know what I'm doing."
"What do you know!" Huiyin yelled at him, her eyes red. "Do I need to tell you how dangerous it is outside the Great Wall?"
"You are not allowed to go. If you dare to leave the pass, I will immediately tell His Majesty and the Empress, and they will punish you and have you dealt with!"
Pei Yu helped Huiyin sit down, pressing down on her trembling arm, feeling a pang of sadness in his heart. She was still worried about him; she still cared.
His eyes were slightly lowered, and his expression was so gentle, so unlike himself. "Huiyin, I am not going there just for your brother. I have more important things to do. I must go on this trip."
Huiyin closed her eyes in pain, slapping him wildly, "Don't lie to me, what important thing could be worth risking your life for!"
Pei Yu held Huiyin tightly and whispered a few words in her ear. Huiyin frowned more and more deeply, clutching his sleeve without saying a word.
Pei Yu: "I inquired with those who returned. On the day the Xiongnu were in great chaos, your brother and his men took advantage of the chaos to escape to Dayuan. When the Xiongnu changed masters, internal turmoil was bound to occur. My departure from the pass was also to investigate the situation on the grasslands, not on a whim."
“But…” Huiyin was at a loss, not knowing how to dissuade Pei Yu. His words made a lot of sense, but the area outside the pass was too dangerous, and she was worried about it.
"There are no buts. The Xiongnu have repeatedly invaded our borders. If we cannot drive them away, this situation will continue." He chuckled at the end, "We can't just send the remaining two princesses away."
Pei Yu tightened his grip on Huiyin's shoulder, his eyes resolute. "I'm only telling you this. In three days, I'll lead a group to secretly leave the pass and travel along the outer perimeter to Dayuan to gather intelligence. I'll be back in a month at most. I'm leaving my personal guards with you. If something happens to me and I don't return, they'll be under your command. I've already arranged everything for the officials in Wan County; they will protect you."
After saying this, he chuckled self-deprecatingly, "With Wang Huan around, it might not be my turn to take care of you. He... is very good. If you and he can be together, I can rest assured."
"Don't say things like that."
Huiyin's nose stung with tears, and she could no longer hold back her sobs. She threw herself into Pei Yu's arms, hugging him tightly and refusing to look up, choking out, "There must be other ways. I don't want you to take the risk."
Pei Yu gently stroked her hair, his heart filled with reluctance. He took the wolf fang pendant from his chest and hung it around Huiyin's neck. He held her hand and kissed it lightly. "Don't worry, I can't bear to leave you. I will definitely come back alive."
——
At night, the howling wind could be heard from inside the room. There was a faint knocking sound from outside the window. Huiyin thought that Yanniang had forgotten something, so she went to open the window barefoot on the felt blanket while wearing only a pale yellow nightgown.
She had barely opened the window a crack when the cold wind rushed in, making her hands and feet icy. Shivering, Huiyin asked, "Mother Fu, what's wrong?"
The next moment, the window was pushed open forcefully, and a figure dressed in a black cloak leaped nimbly into the room through the window, then quickly turned around to close the window, cutting off the cold air.
Huiyin looked at the uninvited guest. When he jumped in, he kicked up a cloud of snowflakes, which all fell on her felt carpet. The warmth of the carpet turned the snowflakes into tiny water droplets, wetting the carpet. The light-colored carpet was now covered with scattered dark spots.
She looked at him sadly, "Did you come to say goodbye?"
The man didn't speak, but stood quietly by the window, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
Huiyin asked again, "How confident are you that you can escape unscathed?"
"Ninety percent."
fraud.
She turned and walked into the inner room, forcing back the tears that were about to fall.
Pei Yu: "Don't cry. It's not safe in Dai County after I leave. I've already made arrangements, and I'll send someone to take you back to Jingzhou in a couple of days."
Huiyin responded softly. She waited for a while, but Pei Yu still didn't make a move to leave. She looked up and asked, "Is there anything else you want to say?"
Her words abruptly ceased when she met Pei Yu's deep eyes. Pei Yu lowered his eyes slightly, his eyelashes casting a small, dark light on his face, and Huiyin's face was reflected in his eyes with unparalleled clarity.
Pei Yu walked up, squatted down, lowered his head, and gently rubbed Huiyin's cheek, pleading, "Huiyin, I want a kiss, is that okay?"
"Pei Yu, please don't do this." Huiyin couldn't hold back her tears. She avoided Pei Yu's touch and lowered her head.
Pei Yu cupped Huiyin's face in his hands, gently pecking at her tears, tracing them down from the corner of her eye to the lips he had longed for, where he lightly touched them.
He noticed the person in his arms tremble and slide down unsteadily. Pei Yu picked up Huiyin and carried her into the inner room, gently placing her on the bed. Their eyes met, and he couldn't help but kiss her, their breaths mingling.
Huiyin closed her eyes, only feeling her body getting hotter and hotter; this kiss was very different from any she had ever experienced before.
Pei Yu moved very gently, seemingly worried about hurting her. Huiyin opened her watery eyes and unconsciously clung to Pei Yu, wanting more.
Pei Yu raised his head and looked into Huiyin's eyes, which were full of affection. He leaned on Huiyin's shoulder, took a deep breath to calm himself, and said in a low, hoarse voice, "It's late, I should go."
Huiyin lay on her back on the bed, and when Pei Yu got up to leave, she grabbed him. She bit her lower lip lightly, her eyes filled with tears, and said nothing.
Pei Yu shuddered, his Adam's apple bobbing as he reached out to untie Huiyin's belt.
Huiyin's vision blurred. She had no intention of reconciling with Pei Yu at all; how could she have been so bewitched and ended up like this? She quickly raised her hand to stop Pei Yu, her face flushed, "Pei Yu... wait a moment."
Pei Yu paused in his action of unbuckling his belt, and looked over upon hearing this. Huiyin had her arms crossed over her chest, revealing her exposed body. He felt a rush of heat to his nose, quickly turned his head away, grabbed the blanket from the foot of the bed, and covered Huiyin with it. His voice was extremely hoarse as he asked, "Are you cold?"
Huiyin tugged at the blanket. "Why don't you go back first?"
Pei Yu's body stiffened, his feverish body cooling rapidly at those words, and his throat tightened. "Did I hurt you?"
Huiyin avoided his unrestrained gaze and stammered, "No... I haven't thought about it yet. I didn't bring any contraceptives, so I could get pregnant."
Pei Yu kissed her again, leaned forward, and gently sucked on Huiyin's neck, whispering, "I took a contraceptive."
"What?" Huiyin let go of her hand in a daze.
"After discovering that you were secretly taking the medicine, I had someone replace your contraceptive with a tonic, and then I got a prescription from a physician for male contraception, which is effective for a year."
Huiyin: "Why?" She didn't know how to explain. Pei Yu had actually taken a contraceptive without her knowledge.
"You don't want to hurt yourself."
Pei Yu quickly pulled down the curtain and leaned forward to kiss Huiyin. During their separation, he had missed her every moment.
Huiyin didn't know when Pei Yu left. The bed beside her slowly turned from warm to cool. She curled up and hugged herself tightly under the covers, her tears wetting the soft pillow.
She couldn't stay in Suiyang, nor could she keep Pei Yu. She lay quietly on the bed, listening to the howling north wind outside the window, and made up her mind. Huiyin calmly got up and called Yan Niang, explaining things one by one. She got out of bed, dressed, and resolutely went out, ignoring Yan Niang's cries and pleas behind her.
Just as midnight was approaching, a cavalry guard that had been galloping towards the city gate suddenly pulled on their reins and stopped. The general leading the guard dismounted and walked toward the figures waiting below the city gate.
As they got closer, Pei Yu noticed that something was wrong with Huiyin. She was wearing a windproof and warm cloak, leading a black horse with her packed luggage hanging on the saddle, looking like she was about to go on a long journey.
Pei Yu felt a bad premonition. "What are you doing here?"
Huiyin patted the horse's back, mounted it, and looked down at him, saying, "I want to go with you."
"Nonsense!" Pei Yu lowered his voice and reached out to put his arm around Huiyin's waist to lift her down.
Huiyin dodged his arm and said firmly, "If you don't want to be discovered, then just leave me behind."
Pei Yu's eyes flashed with anger as he forcefully pulled his horse around and drove away. "Don't threaten me. This is no joke. Go back now!"
Huiyin let him lead the horse into the city without much argument, only saying, "If you don't take me, I'll find someone else to take me out of the pass."
"Are you crazy? Do you know how dangerous it is outside the Great Wall?!" Pei Yu turned around and shouted angrily.
Huiyin leaned down, her voice soft yet firm, "I won't be a burden to you, let me go with you."
Pei Yu gripped the reins so tightly they creaked, the veins on the back of his hands bulging. He simply couldn't do anything about the person behind him. He knew Huiyin well; she was never one to compromise, and once she made a decision, nothing could change her mind.
"If we encounter danger, I can't guarantee I can protect you."
Huiyin slowly took his hand in hers. Even though it was the darkest night, her beautiful eyes shone brightly. "I'm not afraid. With you by my side, I'm not afraid of anything."
Pei Yu felt a lump in his throat, wanting to say something but unable to utter a word. He abruptly turned his head away, taking a deep breath to calm himself. After a long while, he led Huiyin's horse towards the group. The group silently left the city gate, their figures disappearing into the dark night.
Although winter had passed, the cold winds of late spring could still be deadly. Huiyin rode on her horse, wrapped up tightly from head to toe, with only her eyes showing. She could feel that her fingers were completely frozen and she was too weak to grip the reins. She relied entirely on the horse to carry her.
Pei Yu only brought Chi Yanfangmu and two other guards. The six of them left the pass overnight, deliberately choosing secluded and deserted paths, not seeing a single person along the way. Even though Huiyin didn't understand military matters, she could tell that something was wrong.
Before Huiyin could turn around to check, she saw Pei Yu and the other three dart out like arrows, and in the blink of an eye, they tackled the dark figure not far away and brought it back.
Huiyin looked closely and saw a Xiongnu soldier who was alone in the area for some reason. His horse was carrying bundles of various sizes. Clearly, he was a deserter.
Pei Yu gestured behind him, and the few who lagged behind silently moved closer. They cooperated very well, and didn't even need to communicate. They could understand each other with just gestures and eye contact. Soon, they led the Xiongnu deserter away from the place.
As night fell, the group found a clean mountain hollow to set up camp. Huiyin sat by the fire, boiling water and making soup, while also massaging her thighs to relieve the soreness.
This was their fifth day deep in the grasslands. The rations and water they had brought had long since disappeared. Fortunately, they ran into a fleeing Xiongnu soldier on the road. He had a lot of rations and water with him, enough to last them for three days.
However, encountering Xiongnu soldiers here means that there must be a Xiongnu army stationed nearby, and they must leave this place quickly before the Xiongnu discover their presence.
The stove in the hanging pot was bubbling loudly. Huiyin took out a few dry, hard baked cakes, tore them into pieces, and soaked them in the soup. In this situation, it was not easy to have a hot meal.
Soon, Pei Yu and the others gathered around the fire to warm themselves. Huiyin took out earthenware bowls and shared the hot soup from the pot with those around her. She glanced at the Xiongnu soldiers bound like dumplings not far behind her and asked, "Did he say anything?"
The firelight on Pei Yu's face was clearly visible, and his expression was rather grim. "We're unlucky. We've run into the army of the Xiongnu Left Wise King, and they're not far from us."
"Should we change course?" Pei Yu was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "The Xiongnu are in deep turmoil, and many soldiers have deserted from their various camps. The further we go, the more dangerous it becomes. However, ascertaining the strength of the Left Wise King's forces is one of the important objectives of this trip, and it is worth the risk."
Huiyin gently blew away the rising steam, sipped the hot soup, and said nothing more. She quickly finished her meal, then covered Pei Yu's already reddened ears with her hands. "Are you warm?"
Pei Yu's eyes were filled with a deep smile, his dark, ink-like eyes fixed on Huiyin. "Your palms are very warm."
Seeing that people were looking over, Huiyin withdrew her hand somewhat embarrassedly, took out the felt towel from her waist, gently wrapped it around Pei Yu's head, patted his head, and laughed, "It's a bit ugly, but it's better than having your ear piercings frozen."
Pei Yu raised his hand and touched a handful of soft fur. This scene made him feel as if he had returned to the time when Huiyin was teasing him in Ganquan Palace. His heart warmed up and his frozen body gradually warmed up.
After the fire died down, the vast world returned to tranquility. Huiyin leaned against Pei Yu's chest, and the exhaustion of the past few days caused her to quickly lose consciousness and fall into a deep sleep.
Pei Yu stroked her soft face, then hugged her tightly, his mind heavy as he gazed at the extinguished fire. For some reason, the further he went, the stronger his unease became.
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