Someone had been spotted sneaking across the mountains in the northwestern forest?
The moment the words left the guard’s mouth, Ziqing and Situ Haonan abandoned all else, rushing out the door in perfect unison, leaping onto their horses and racing toward the northwest!
Da Zhou’s Western Border frontier was different from the Southern Frontier. The Southern Frontier had only certain fixed points where one could cross, but in the Western Border, there was a mountain range to the northwest—densely forested and treacherous—the perfect place to slip across unseen.
At a time like this, who in Da Zhou would dare risk crossing into Western Jing? Everyone knew Western Jing was in chaos—countless people were trying to sneak across into Da Zhou to seek refuge!
Both Ziqing and Situ Haonan immediately thought of Yelu Qianqian. There was no one else it could be.
Neither spoke a word the entire way, riding as if possessed, and it still took them a good while to reach the border.
“Where is she?”
The moment she dismounted, Ziqing demanded sharply.
The guard who had been tracking them flinched. “Reporting… Your Highness… this subordinate… this subordinate—”
“Speak! Stop stammering!” Situ Haonan roared in frustration.
“We lost them! We tracked them the whole way—we only know they headed northwest. We lost the trail half an hour ago and are still searching!” the guard could only answer honestly.
At those words, Situ Haonan snapped his whip and made to mount up again, but Ziqing remained composed. “Did you get a clear look at who they were? How many?”
Was it Yelu Qianqian alone, or had someone from Western Jing come to meet her?
“A group, all dressed in black. There was an old nanny among them—her martial arts were extraordinary. It was because of her that we couldn’t catch up,” the guard said, then hesitated before adding, “They seemed to be escorting someone away. They kept guarding a carriage the whole time.”
Hearing this, Situ Haonan and Ziqing exchanged a glance and immediately turned to leave.
So that meant she’d been taken away by people from Western Jing!
Situ Haonan raced west in pursuit, while Ziqing mobilized troops to search the mountains thoroughly.
If it really was Western Jing’s people who had come to receive her, if they’d truly crossed this mountain range into Western Jing territory, then things would become troublesome indeed!
Even if Yelu Qianqian was willing to see them, Western Jing wouldn’t allow it.
The full search of the mountains turned up no trace of anyone. By then, Ziqing and Situ Haonan had already reached the border line, close enough to see the towering gates of the Western Border pass in the distance.
Though Western Jing was in the midst of internal chaos and war, this border was still being guarded.
“Half an hour, and with a carriage in tow—could they really have made it that fast?” Situ Haonan muttered, staring toward the border.
“Hard to say,” Ziqing said flatly, offering no comfort.
“So are you still going after them or not?” Situ Haonan asked.
“Of course I am. Even if I have to chase her all the way to the Western Jing Emperor’s throne, I will,” Ziqing said seriously. “And more than that—we need to reach the Western Jing Emperor before they do.”
The reason they were so desperate to find Yelu Qianqian was twofold. First, if she returned to Western Jing, they’d need to meet her, to persuade her—and that would bring no end of trouble. Second, they feared that if the Western Jing Emperor agreed to hand her over to Western Liang, then no matter how they tried to persuade him afterward, no matter what terms they offered, it would be too late.
The Western Jing Emperor could never afford to go back on his word to Western Liang a second time.
And there was one more reason, of course—if Yelu Qianqian were in their hands, they wouldn’t be negotiating from such a weak position with the Western Jing Emperor.
As things stood, Da Zhou’s Western Border had no troops, Yelu Qianqian was no longer in their custody, and a great war had just erupted on the Northern Frontier. Ziqing had no leverage at all to bargain with the Western Jing Emperor.
But now, having chased them this far—
There was only one option left: go directly to see the Western Jing Emperor.
Ziqing thought it over carefully for a long moment, then said quietly, “Haonan, you go on ahead. I need to make arrangements for the Western Border before I can leave.”
Situ Haonan understood everything this implied. He looked at Ziqing, his gaze complicated, and said, “There’s still a garrison force left in the Western Border. I have the strength of three mountain manors at my disposal—their combined forces could form an army of their own. They’re all martial artists; their strength should at least match two regular armies.”
Situ Haonan spoke earnestly, then added, “I’ll write to my maternal grandfather right away, lay out the stakes for him, and see if I can borrow some troops from him. Then we’ll have real leverage to negotiate with—”
Before he could finish, Ziqing cut him off with a smile. “Aren’t you being unusually proactive.”
“I! I—”
Situ Haonan found himself at a loss for words. Though somewhat annoyed, he knew Han Ziqing wasn’t wrong. With his status as young master of Situ Cheng, and as the grandson of the Nangong Manor of the Northern Desert, if he truly put in the effort to stop someone from leaving Da Zhou’s Western Border, there was a great deal he could actually do.
It was just that he had never really tried his hardest before.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to find Yelu Qianqian—it was that he was plagued by endless hesitation. Without absolute certainty, he seemed incapable of acting.
Like calling on the strength of Nangong Manor to search for her, for instance.
In truth, even if Yelu Qianqian had already crossed the border, with Nangong Manor’s standing among the martial world of the Western Border, intercepting a single person within Western Jing territory wouldn’t have been difficult at all.
Situ Haonan didn’t argue. He said at once, “I’ll write the letter right now!”
But Ziqing stopped him, saying flatly, “Haonan, Nangong Manor holds a special position. This is a matter of state—it’s better not to stir them into it. Go on ahead and chase them. I’ll catch up on my own; we’ll meet at Sha Qiuzi’s place.”
As she spoke, she turned her horse to leave. Situ Haonan panicked, still trying to explain himself. “Ziqing! You—don’t be disappointed in me! I’m not, I just—it’s because—I—”
Seeing him so flustered, Ziqing actually smiled. In truth, she wasn’t disappointed at all—she was glad, seeing a man gradually growing more decisive.
If this had happened before, Situ Haonan would never have been so resolute about charging into Western Jing.
After all, the Western Jing Emperor and his people hated him even more bitterly than they hated Jun Beiyue.
“I’m not disappointed. I’m happy for Qianqian’s sake. Be careful, take care of yourself!” Ziqing called out loudly, then rode off without a backward glance.
Now that she’d chosen to face the Western Jing Emperor directly, even if she could add little to her leverage, she still had to think of some way to gain more.
Otherwise, this wouldn’t be a negotiation anymore—it would turn into begging the Western Jing Emperor for mercy.
Jun Beiyue was out on the Northern Frontier, throwing his entire military strength into battle—that alone was meant as a severe warning to the Xiongnu.
This time, though they weren’t standing shoulder to shoulder, this was, in every true sense, fighting side by side.
She would guard his rear without fail. She would make certain Da Zhou’s Western Border remained secure.
Situ Haonan watched from a distance as Ziqing rode away, unable to quite grasp the meaning behind her last words. He didn’t dwell on it—he covered his face and rode off toward Western Jing.
All the guards they left behind remained stationed along the border, and reinforcements were even sent to bolster their numbers.
Not far to the northwest, Nanny Qin stood high atop a hilltop, gazing down at the soldiers along the border, her aged eyes filled with complicated thought.