The sudden sharp cry pierced through the heavy air like a needle. At the word “assassin,” the soldiers tensed immediately, drawing their swords and spears, surrounding the ox cart and Yu Yuan.
A lieutenant commander approached through the crowd, hand on his sword pommel. After surveying the scene, he asked, “Who shouted about an assassin? Where is the assassin?”
Ji Yingying’s finger pointed unerringly at Yu Yuan. “Sir, it’s her! She has exceptional martial arts skills. She’s infiltrated your camp to assassinate your general!”
“Nonsense! Sir, I am Yu Yuan, Second Madam Zhao’s maid!” Yu Yuan explained through gritted teeth.
The lieutenant commander looked her up and down. “Second Madam Zhao’s maid?”
Ji Yingying shouted again, “Sir, look at her attire. Does she look like a proper young lady? That’s the night-walking clothes favored by assassins! Better safe than sorry. You’re taking craftsmen to Nanzhao to dye silk and weave brocade – aren’t you worried about having someone with such powerful martial arts skills among them, pretending to be a maid, waiting for the chance to strike?”
“Second Lady Ji!” Yu Yuan was furious and reached out to grab her.
“She’s trying to silence me! She wants to kill General Chi Kuang and Prince Bai!” Ji Yingying cried out in feigned panic, nimbly jumping to the other side of the cart. She raised her eyebrows at Yu Yuan provocatively, as if challenging: dare you show off your martial arts to catch me?
The lieutenant commander glanced at Yu Yuan’s clothes – the tight-fitting black garments only lacked a black cloth covering her face. He shouted, “Seize her first, sort it out later!”
He reached for Yu Yuan’s arm.
Yu Yuan reflexively dodged and pushed him away with her palm.
“She’s shown her true colors! General, save this humble woman!” Ji Yingying seized the moment to cry out again.
Hearing the commotion behind her, Madam Niu Wu, who was about to board her carriage, turned back to see soldiers surrounding the ox cart. She walked back gracefully: “Stop, all of you!”
But the soldiers wouldn’t listen to her now. They rushed forward, their blades and spears all pointed at Yu Yuan. Yu Yuan had no choice but to dodge, which only enraged the lieutenant commander who drew his sword: “Kill her!”
Hearing this, Madam Niu Wu nearly fainted. She called from outside the circle: “Yu Yuan is my maid. She knows some martial arts only to protect me…”
Upon hearing these words, Yu Yuan instinctively hesitated. The soldiers couldn’t stop their momentum, and several spears thrust toward her. Yu Yuan had no choice but to snatch a soldier’s sword, execute a beautiful flourish, and find a gap to break through.
“General, look! She’s so skilled!” Ji Yingying added fuel to the fire. “She could fight a hundred men! She’s an assassin! Oh my, now that the general has exposed her, she’s trying to escape!”
Several maids joined in the chorus, “We heard it ourselves! She said she wanted to kill the Nanzhao general!”
“Stop! I have the Prince’s token! She’s my person!” Madam Niu Wu hadn’t wanted to invoke Sheng Fengze’s name yet, but by the time she mentioned him, it was too late.
The lieutenant commander shouted, “Don’t let the assassin escape!”
Yu Yuan floated to the roadside, cut a horse’s reins, and galloped away into the vast wilderness.
Madam Niu Wu closed her eyes briefly. Yu Yuan would follow and find them eventually, though it wouldn’t be as convenient as before. She opened her eyes and glared viciously at Ji Yingying.
“Loose arrows!”
Several volleys of arrows were either deflected or dodged. Horse and rider moved as one, quickly escaping beyond arrow range. Only then did several soldiers mount horses to give chase.
Ji Yingying jumped back onto the ox cart. Driving away Yu Yuan, the martial artist, was like cutting off Madam Niu Wu’s right arm. She felt utterly satisfied. Seeing the murderous intent in Madam Niu Wu’s eyes, Ji Yingying thought it would be a waste not to push her advantage while she had the chance. She pointed at Madam Niu Wu and said to the furious lieutenant commander, “General, they’re in league with each other! She claims to be Second Madam Zhao, but she keeps her face veiled – what if she’s an assassin impersonating Second Madam Zhao?”
With Yu Yuan’s escape, the lieutenant commander was already full of anger. Provoked, he strode to Madam Niu Wu, his gaze turning fierce: “You’re Second Madam Zhao? Remove your veil and let me see!”
Madam Niu Wu ignored him, her clear eyes reddening with anger as she stared unblinkingly at Ji Yingying: “If you want me to remove my veil, ask Sheng Fengze first.”
The lieutenant commander started, then grew angrier: “You dare speak Prince Bai’s name so casually! Such disrespect!”
Madam Niu Wu straightened her back and slowly raised her hand, revealing an object: “Look carefully!”
Being close enough, Ji Yingying saw it too. In Madam Niu Wu’s hand was a golden medallion, seemingly engraved with a lion.
Prince Bai’s token! The lieutenant commander’s expression changed drastically.
“She must have stolen it! When Prince Bai stayed at the Zhao residence, she stole it! If she’s close to Prince Bai, why hasn’t he sent troops to protect her? Isn’t she just another Nanzhao slave now?” Ji Yingying spoke recklessly, making things up as she went along. Her eyes fixed greedily on the golden medallion – if she had a chance to steal it, could she use it to escape?
Prince Bai had always opposed the uprising. Their commanding general was General Chi Kuang, who relied on Lord Du, whose political views differed from Prince Bai’s. Even the sovereign seemed to have some criticism of Prince Bai… The lieutenant commander didn’t dare offend Madam Niu Wu too severely. He said stiffly, “Second Madam Zhao, please board your carriage. When we meet Prince Bai, everything will become clear.”
Damn, Sheng Fengze for saying that bearing his token was like having him present! Madam Niu Wu gripped the medallion tightly, gave Ji Yingying a cold look, and turned toward her carriage.
The lieutenant commander turned to the soldiers and shouted, “Move them out!”
The young ladies in the enclosure wailed and refused to move. Nanzhao soldiers cracked their whips, driving them out in groups.
Those who came out first crowded onto various vehicles, while those behind had to walk alongside. Finally, the procession began to move slowly.
Yulan and the others were grateful they had followed Ji Yingying onto the cart. Yulan whispered, “Thanks to you, my lady.”
“Whether riding or walking, they’d drive us with whips anyway. Why make things harder for ourselves? Better to save our strength, isn’t it?” Ji Yingying looked toward the men appearing at the rear of the procession. All the carts had been given to the women; the men had to walk. The line was so long she couldn’t see where Second Young Master Zhu and Ji Ying were. She also couldn’t spot Uncle Ji Fu and the elderly maids.
The procession moved toward Three Dykes. Soldiers formed two lines along the streets. Several mounted soldiers brandished their swords while riding back and forth, shouting, “Military order! Those who delay the march will be killed!”
As soon as they entered Three Dykes, crying erupted.
Elderly residents appeared on both sides of the street. Some old people, heartbroken over their children being taken away, couldn’t help pushing against the soldiers trying to rush forward. Horses galloped past, swords flashing.
Screams rose from the procession as a daughter cried out and rushed toward her fallen parent. A sword flashed, and the soldier’s cold voice froze the civilians: “Those who disobey orders die!”
Despite the heart-wrenching cries, no one dared approach the procession again.
Ji Yingying craned her neck and suddenly spotted people standing at the Ji family shop entrance. She called out loudly, “Uncle Ji Fu! Madam Wu!”
“My lady!” Several elderly servants knelt, crying.
“Take care of the house, I will return!” Ji Yingying didn’t cry; she was only happy. She is no longer worried about her mother, brother, and Madam Ji having no one to prepare their bodies. Yang Jingyuan would know she had been taken to Nanzhao; he would surely come looking for her. She would return.
Three Dykes fell far behind as the procession traveled along the official road for a stretch before turning south, passing by Yizhou City.