Chapter 74 Aren't you afraid of dying?
The next morning, Pei Yu left Chi Yan and Fang Mu to protect Huiyin, while he and two others quietly sneaked into the Left Wise King's army.
Huiyin and the other two were in a relatively safe area. The terrain here was high, and they could see the surrounding area at a glance. If they encountered danger, they could quickly detect it and leave.
Pei Yu returned with his men at noon, when the sun was high in the sky. The three of them were covered in mud and looked disheveled, but fortunately, there were no pursuers behind them.
As she drew closer, Huiyin saw the long-lost relaxed smile on Pei Yu's face, and she unconsciously raised the corners of her mouth as she quietly waited for him to approach.
Pei Yu dismounted and waved the leather scroll in his hand, saying, "This expedition has thoroughly investigated the Xiongnu's internal military strength and yielded fruitful results."
Huiyin breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but feel happy for him when she saw his radiant appearance.
Pei Yu looked down at her and said, "Next, we'll go to Dayuan and find your brother."
Huiyin felt a lump in her throat. Reason told her that evacuation was the best option. The Left Wise King might not find them for a while, but the further they went, the greater the danger would be. She couldn't let everyone risk their lives because of her personal matters.
But she really couldn't bring herself to refuse; he was her only younger brother, and she wanted to take him home.
After leaving the residence of the Left Wise King, they traveled for two more days towards Dayuan. The weather was clear that day, and the blue sky and white clouds seemed so close that they could almost touch them. Huiyin was full of anticipation. In three more days at most, they would be able to pass through the Xiongnu and reach Dayuan.
Unexpected changes often happen when everyone is most hopeful. Pei Yu suddenly tightened the reins, looked up with an extremely grim expression, and Huiyin followed his gaze. A huge eagle appeared in the previously unobstructed sky, circling around the group and occasionally crying out loudly.
Before Huiyin could even ask, Pei Yu shoved a roll of cowhide into her hand and sternly ordered Chi Yan and Fang Mu to turn their horses around and escort her away.
In the chaos, she only had time to glance back at Pei Yu. She saw his lips move slightly as if he were saying something, and then he led the other two away in the opposite direction, with the eagle circling overhead following them.
Huiyin's blood surged, and Chi Yan gripped the reins tightly in his hand, pulling her horse away at high speed. In the end, she only had time to see Pei Yu's back disappear from her sight.
Chi Yan and Fang Mu led Huiyin back to the mountain hollow where they had rested earlier. The two, unlike their usual lively and talkative selves, remained silent. Having traveled all day, Huiyin hadn't eaten or drunk anything; her lips were as pale as paper. She forced herself to drink a few sips from the water bottle in her bundle, placing it in front of the two silent men. She then took out some dry rations and swallowed a few mouthfuls, finally feeling a little better and regaining some strength.
After resting for a while, Huiyin placed the dry rations in front of Chiyan and Fangmu. She couldn't offer any words of comfort; even her own mind was a complete mess at that moment.
The eagle only followed Pei Yu and the others away. Since entering the grassland, she and Pei Yu had only separated two days ago before he infiltrated the Left Wise King's camp. In other words, the eagle must belong to the Left Wise King. Somehow, it discovered Pei Yu's whereabouts and followed them all the way. Perhaps the Left Wise King's army has already gone to pursue Pei Yu.
Huiyin hugged herself, trembling slightly. If they had returned to their original location after Pei Yu left the Left Wise King's residence that day instead of going to Dayuan, the current situation would not have occurred. It was she who had implicated Pei Yu.
She hugged her knees, bowed her head, and quietly shed tears. She remembered what Pei Yu had said when they parted: he told her to take good care of herself and not to worry him.
Through her teary eyes, Huiyin seemed to feel his body temperature. During this time, every time she cried, Pei Yu would sigh helplessly and then reach out to wipe away her tears.
A dull pain shot through her chest. She gritted her teeth, clutching the wolf fang pendant tightly to her chest, her heart aching as if it were being torn apart. Only now did she have to admit that she loved Pei Yu, loved him hopelessly.
Her face was streaked with cold tears, Huiyin's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her voice was hoarse. She looked up at the sky; it was already midnight, and almost a day had passed since she and Pei Yu parted ways.
"I remember there was more than just the Xiongnu on the grasslands; there was also the Jieluo tribe, wasn't there?"
Chi Yan glanced at Huiyin's red-rimmed eyes, held back his words of reproach, and nodded stiffly.
Huiyin then asked, "Can we ask them for help in sending troops?"
Chi Yan remained silent for a long time, but Fang Mu picked up the conversation, saying, "If this method were feasible, the young general would have already led us to them. The Jieluo tribe is extremely hostile to the Han people and will not help us."
Huiyin refused to give up. She stood up and started looking for the map. In recent days, Pei Yu would teach her how to read it whenever he had free time. Even without Fang Mu and Chi Yan's help, she could understand this military map.
The Jieluo tribe's encampment was not far from them, only a two-hour journey away. If they could persuade the Jieluo tribe to send troops, Pei Yu and his men would be saved.
She got up to pack her bags, took out the piece of parchment containing important military intelligence that Pei Yu had given her, handed it to Chi Yan, and turned to lead the horses, saying to the two of them, "Whether we can move or not, we'll only know by trying. It's better than sitting here doing nothing. You take the military intelligence back to Dai County, and I'll go find the Jieluo tribe."
Chi Yan and Fang Mu quickly stopped Huiyin, disagreeing with her leaving alone. "Before the young general left, he instructed us to escort you back. You cannot leave alone."
Huiyin ignored the two of them, nimbly mounted her horse, looked down at them, and said coldly, "You only have two choices now: turn around and leave or come with me to the Jieluo tribe."
Chi Yan and Fang Mu exchanged a glance, their faces showing struggle. They absolutely could not let Huiyin leave alone. The young general's last order to them was to protect Huiyin well.
Finally, after a brief discussion, the two decided that Fang Mu would accompany Huiyin to find the Jieluo tribe, while Chi Yan would rush back to Dai County overnight with military intelligence, splitting into two groups.
Fortunately, the moonlight was still bright tonight, and she could still discern the direction even while traveling through the night. Huiyin did not dare to relax for a moment along the way. Even though her body was already so frozen that she could hardly sit upright, she did not let the horse stop.
If she could hurry, even faster, Pei Yu and the other two could be rescued. She couldn't let them die here, die in obscurity, or even bear the blame and bring disaster upon their families.
The two rode swiftly to a water source. Fang Mu quickly called out to Huiyin, pulled her off the horse to hide, and quietly introduced her to the Jieluo tribe.
The Jieluo people, as the nomadic people living closest to the Xiongnu, suffered from bullying and plunder because their population was smaller than that of the Xiongnu.
Ten years ago, the old chieftain of the Jieluo tribe, for the sake of his descendants and to get rid of the Xiongnu, sought help from the Southern Dynasty, hoping to join forces with the Southern Dynasty to fight against the Xiongnu.
Everything was progressing according to plan, but for some reason, the Southern Dynasty's commander failed to arrive at the ambush site at the agreed time, resulting in the tragic deaths of a large number of elite Jieluo troops at the hands of the Xiongnu.
Since then, the Kalaka tribe has suffered a severe blow and was forced to relinquish its fertile pastures and retreat to the border of the grasslands.
Because of this battle, he hated the Xiongnu people, but even more so the untrustworthy Southern Dynasty people, and from then on, he lived in a corner of the country. After that battle, although His Majesty executed the commander, he still could not get forgiveness from the Jieluo people.
After hearing the whole story, Huiyin fell silent. She had never imagined that there was such a connection between the Southern Dynasty and the Jieluo people. It was only natural that they hated the Han people.
Fang Mu pointed to the dark, indistinct shadows of trees ahead and showed them to Huiyin, "That's the territory of the Jieluo tribe. If we rashly barge in and they discover we're Han Chinese, we'll be executed on the spot."
Huiyin's heart sank to the bottom. The Jieluo tribe and the Southern Dynasty had such a deep hatred for each other, how could she possibly persuade them to send troops to rescue people?
Fang Mu couldn't bear to look at Huiyin's pale face, so he took off his water pouch and handed it to her, "Have some water."
Huiyin took the kettle like a puppet on a string, clutching it tightly in her hand. After a long while, Fang Mu heard her say in a hoarse voice, "Do you think the Jieluo people hate the Xiongnu more or the Southern Dynasty more?"
Fang Mu paused upon hearing this, then replied after careful consideration, "In my opinion, they hate the Xiongnu even more."
Huiyin slowly smiled, her eyes upturned, and her eyes sparkled like stars, brighter than the stars in the night sky. Fang Mu was dazzled by her smile and quickly lowered his head to hide his unease.
Huiyin opened her water pouch and took a sip to soothe her dry throat. She turned to look at the dark shadows, her gaze resolute. "If you hate the Xiongnu even more, then there's still a chance to be persuaded."
Fang Mu stared blankly at her, and suddenly understood why the young general couldn't live without her.
Huiyin stood up, supporting her numb knees. She looked up at the sky, which was gradually turning white; dawn was approaching.
She struggled to mount her horse, then turned back to Fang Mu and said, "Wait for me here. If I haven't appeared in an hour, you can leave."
Fang Mu refused, holding tightly to the reins and trying to find something to say: "The young general will be angry when he finds out."
Huiyin dodged Fang Mu's hand and snatched back the reins. Her eyes dimmed upon hearing this, but she quickly regained her composure and even joked with Fang Mu, "If I can't get out, he won't survive either. Why would I be angry if he dies?"
Fang Mu's eloquent mouth was momentarily shut down, and he couldn't utter a rebuttal.
Huiyin sat up straight, looking at the golden light emerging in the east. This scene reminded her of the dazzling sunset at Ganquan Palace. Suddenly, boundless courage rose within her.
She spurred her horse forward, her voice light and cheerful, echoing in Fang Mu's ears, "He's still waiting for me. I won't let him down."
Fang Mu's eyes welled up with tears. He raised his hand to cover his eyes and squatted down, sobbing uncontrollably.
Before Huiyin could even get close to the cluster of tents, she was stopped by the Jieluo soldiers guarding the area. They were wary, holding knives as they watched Huiyin as she intruded, and slowly surrounded her.
Huiyin tightened the reins and shouted at the group of soldiers, "I am a princess from the Southern Dynasty sent to marry a foreign ruler. The newly appointed Chanyu of Yule has been assassinated and is seriously wounded. I know where he is hiding now. Quickly take me to see your chieftain."
She believed that her words would surely ignite the Jieluo people's desire for revenge against the Xiongnu, but she overlooked the most important point: the Jieluo people hated the Han people and naturally did not speak Chinese, so what she said was like bird language to them.
Even the soldiers seemed to be enraged by her loud shouting, and the sharp knives in her hands were already raised, their bright blades gleaming silver.
Huiyin's palms were already sweating. She estimated that only the clan leader and some elders in the Jieluo tribe could understand Chinese. She would have to meet those people before she would have a chance to speak.
She gritted her teeth, gripped the reins tightly, spurred the horse, closed her eyes, and charged out of the encirclement, galloping wildly towards the cluster of tents. Huiyin lay prone on the horse, a move Pei Yu had taught her to reduce wind resistance and increase speed.
She heard the angry shouts of the Jieluo soldiers chasing after her, and felt arrows whizzing past her ear. Huiyin raised her hand to touch her ear; her fingers were covered in bright red blood, but she felt no pain.
Huiyin heard Pei Yu's teasing voice at an inopportune moment, "You ride very well, don't you?"
She blinked, clearing the tears from her eyes, and stared intently ahead. The guards outside the tents had noticed her unusual movement, and several of them were positioned on either side with tripwires, trying to trip her off her horse.
Huiyin took a deep breath, recalling the man's teachings. Just as she was about to trip, she yanked the reins sharply. The horse, in pain, leaped up, and with Huiyin's nimble movements, she actually jumped over the high tripwire. As they charged into the heart of the Jieluo tribe's territory, a group of people emerged from the massive tent in the center to investigate the unusual activity.
She quickly shouted, "I am a princess from the Southern Dynasty sent to marry a foreign ruler. I know where Jules is."
Before she could get close, a feathered arrow pierced the belly of the horse beneath her. The horse that had followed her east and west could no longer support itself and collapsed to the ground, along with Huiyin, who fell to the ground with abrasions on her left arm and was in excruciating pain.
The soldiers of the Jieluo tribe quickly subdued and bound her, forcefully pressing her in front of the old man outside the middle tent. The blade lay across Huiyin's neck, cutting her skin.
Huiyin, the ninja, struggled to lift her head as the frail old man with the white beard approached and asked her, "Say what you just said again?"
Huiyin breathed a sigh of relief, realizing she had won her gamble. In the past few days, she had followed Pei Yu to investigate everywhere, gaining a clear understanding of the current situation of the Xiongnu.
Although Yule killed the old Chanyu Hudan, she did not completely subdue Hudan's confidants, and the steppe was fragmented and in chaos. She was betting on the hatred of the Jieluo people for the generations of oppression of the Xiongnu.
Huiyin repeated what she had just said, even emphasizing the words "Princess of the Southern Dynasty." Everyone knew that Yu Le had killed his father and taken away the Princess of the Southern Dynasty.
The old man was Hachi, the leader of the Jieluo tribe, who had been betrayed by the Southern Dynasty ten years ago. His eyes were cloudy, but Huiyin dared not underestimate him.
After an unknown amount of time, Hachi finally withdrew his scrutinizing gaze from Huiyin, waved for the people restraining her to release her, and stared at Huiyin with a gloomy expression, his voice hoarse, "Where is Jules?"
Huiyin frowned; her arm seemed to have dislocated when she fell from the horse, and it was throbbing with pain. She straightened up with difficulty, looked directly at Hachi, and said calmly, "He is accompanied by an army. If you want to kill him, you'll need quite a few men."
Hachi squinted and remained silent for a long time, seemingly judging whether the statement was true. Several other elders beside him also gathered around him, chattering amongst themselves in the language of the Kelung people, which Huiyin could not understand.
She remained outwardly calm, but inwardly she felt anxious, worried that they might see through her disguise, and even more concerned that the Left Wise King's army had already caught up with Pei Yu. They had no water or food and wouldn't last long.
If she can persuade the Jieluo tribe to send troops and successfully stop the Left Wise King's army, Pei Yu can take advantage of this respite to escape.
Thinking of this, Huiyin subtly observed their expressions and noticed that Hachi hesitated. She quickly said, "The Xiongnu are now fragmented, which is the best time for you to take revenge."
Hachi countered, "And you, princess of the Southern Dynasty, what is your purpose?"
Huiyin turned her head and gazed eastward, tears welling in her eyes. "I want to go home. You have to take me home."
Whether it was because her expression was too sorrowful or because the Jieluo people harbored a deeper hatred for the Xiongnu, Hachi believed her and ordered his men to muster the troops.
Huiyin couldn't understand what he was saying at first, but when he saw the Jieluo soldiers pouring out of the tents with swords in hand, his straight spine finally relaxed.
Perhaps when the Jieluo people find out she was lying to them, they will tear her to pieces to vent their hatred. But she is not afraid. She just doesn't want to owe Pei Yu anything more, especially since she and Jingchuan cannot bear the loss of those three innocent lives.
Unexpectedly, just as she relaxed for a moment, a female voice suddenly came from her right: "I've seen her before. She's not a princess from the Southern Dynasty; she's from Dai County!"
Huiyin's breathing became weak. She turned her head with difficulty and saw a woman dressed in the style of the Jieluo tribe, with a long white woolen scarf tied around her neck and waist.
The face looked somewhat familiar, but Huiyin couldn't recall where she had seen her before.
After the woman exposed her identity, Hachi's expressionless face suddenly widened in fury, his turbid eyes seemingly filled with tears of blood. He commanded like the King of Hell demanding a life: "You dare to deceive me! You Southern Dynasty people are all equally cunning and despicable! Guards, kill her! Cut her in half at the waist and leave her body exposed for seven days!"
Huiyin felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. She sat stiffly on the spot, her limbs weak. Having just experienced such a dramatic turn of events, she was completely unable to think of how to break out of the predicament.
Or rather, in the current situation, even if she had extraordinary abilities, it would be of no use.
Huiyin gave up struggling and let the Jieluo people drag her to the execution platform. When she was pressed down on the blood-soaked wooden stake, she seemed to feel no fear at all. She leaned there quietly, thinking of Yanniang's endless tears before she left, Jingchuan's cheerful smile, and Pei Yu...
It is said that people think of the things they care about most in their lives before they die, and it turns out that this is true.
She smiled through her tears, slowly closed her eyes, and silently said in her heart, "Pei Yu, I don't owe you anything anymore."
"Wait!" It was still the same female voice, but besides the female voice, there was also a clear voice somewhere between a boy and a young man.
Huiyin opened her eyes and saw a man and a woman running towards her from afar. The boy's eyes were bright and unforgettable. She remembered them; they were the brother and sister she had saved on the day she left Suiyang. They were actually from the Jieluo tribe.
The two men glanced anxiously at Huiyin, then rushed to Hachi's side, knelt down, grabbed Hachi's clothes, and pointed at Huiyin excitedly, saying something loudly.
It was the language of the Kalpa people, and she couldn't understand a single word of it. But judging from the worried looks the two men gave her, they were probably pleading for her.
Huiyin's mind immediately became active. She changed her previous resigned attitude, struggled to get up and rushed over. She knew this was the last chance and dared not lie again. She sincerely explained her purpose.
"Chief Hachi, I am indeed not a princess from the Southern Dynasty who was sent to marry a foreign ruler. What I said just now was all a lie. I came here with General Pei Yu of the Southern Dynasty. Three days ago, General Pei accidentally encountered the army of the Left Wise King of the Xiongnu. He secretly sneaked in to spy on the military situation, but he was discovered by the falcon raised by the Left Wise King and was in imminent danger. I have come to beg you to send troops to save me."
Hachi's gloomy expression softened somewhat. He glanced at his kneeling grandchildren pleading for his life, closed his eyes, and waved his hand. "You saved my grandchildren's lives, so I won't hold your deception against you, but I won't send troops to help you either. You can leave now."
Huiyin refused to give up and staggered forward, "I know you still hold a grudge about the betrayal ten years ago, but you should also have heard of the reputation of General Pei Qing and Pei Yu. Now that the Xiongnu are in disarray, it is a golden opportunity. As long as you join forces with the Southern Dynasty again, you can drive out the Xiongnu and take back the lost territory!"
Hachi burst into laughter, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes unusually deep. "The Xiongnu are hateful, and the Han people are hateful too! You Han people are the least trustworthy!"
Seeing that he was about to turn and leave, Huiyin quickly stopped him, "Don't you believe me, or are you too scared!"
She stood before Hachi, disheveled and frail, staring directly at him.
Hachi narrowed his eyes. "What did you say?"
Huiyin laughed lightly, fearless. "Chief Hachi, are you afraid? Back then, your poor decisions led to the tragic deaths of young people in the tribe, forcing you to give up your territory and lead your people to migrate to this dark and remote place. These ten years of hiding have worn away your courage."
"Stop talking, please stop talking." Hachi's granddaughter turned to Huiyin pleadingly, "You'll die."
"Did I say something wrong?" Huiyin frowned slightly. Her left hand was badly injured and she was barely able to hold on. She took a deep breath and continued despite the advice not to:
"Do you think you can live a peaceful life by hiding here with your people? In recent years, only the Pei family in the Southern Dynasty has been determined to fight and eliminate the Xiongnu. The Pei family army has been stationed on the border to relieve the pressure on you. But if Pei Yu dies, the Pei family army will be a disorganized mess. Without the Southern Dynasty's suppression, the Xiongnu will completely become the masters of the grasslands. Do you think you can still survive?"
Hachi's white beard was already bristling with anger. He pushed aside the two people who came forward to support him, and staggered toward Huiyin, slowly drawing his crescent-shaped silver knife from behind his waist with his right hand.
Huiyin still had a smile on her lips. She seemed not to see the murderous intent on Hachi's face. She continued, "You are old and won't live much longer, but what about the people behind you? The men will become slaves of the Xiongnu, worse than their cattle, sheep, pigs and dogs. The women will suffer even more."
Before she could finish speaking, Hachi was already standing in front of her with a grim expression, his curved blade pressed against Huiyin's neck, his voice extremely low, "Are you really not afraid of death?"
Huiyin trembled uncontrollably: "I'm afraid of dying, so afraid."
Hachi looked incredulous. How could a cowardly, frail woman dare to venture deep into the heart of the grasslands, stand here all alone, and speak so arrogantly to him?
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