The Dadu River coursed between the Great Snow Mountain and the Qionglai Mountains, its waters roaring like an angry dragon bursting forth between the peaks, churning white waves eastward with a thunderous howl.

Nature had carved out an impassable barrier across the land in its unique way.

The Nanzhao army, dragging along more than ten thousand captured Tang civilians and countless treasures, had finally reached the banks of the Dadu River.

A Nanzhao garrison guarded a wide pontoon bridge on the riverbank. Bamboo rafts and wooden planks were laid across boats, all bound together with ropes.

The Nanzhao soldiers ordered everyone to dismount their vehicles and gather at the riverbank. The carts loaded with treasures would cross the floating bridge first.

After Niu Wuniang’s betrayal, Nanzhao soldiers replaced the carriage drivers. Ji Yingying and her servants no longer had any chance to communicate with the men from Meizhou. Though they received word of Zhu Erlang’s safety from the women’s camp in Meizhou, they found no opportunity to escape along the way.

With over ten thousand people needing to cross a single floating bridge, it couldn’t be completed in one day. Strong wooden palisades were once again erected on the riverbank. The captured Tang people were herded like livestock into the enclosures by Nanzhao soldiers.

This time, they weren’t divided into small camps. The women were driven into three separate enclosures. Next to them were the areas where the men were held. Ji Yingying fortunately discovered that the adjacent enclosure held the captured men.

Almost instantly, all the women rushed to the fence, screaming the names of their loved ones at the top of their lungs, hoping to see them.

The Nanzhao soldiers standing in the alley between the two enclosures remained deaf to their cries.

Ji Yingying and her three maids fought their way to the edge with all their might. She anxiously looked across the one-zhang gap, trying to spot Zhu Erlang among the dense crowd.

“Young Master Zhu!” Sharp-eyed Xianger began calling out loudly.

Thanks to his many friends, Zhu Erlang easily made his way to the fence. The women’s faces across from him all looked the same – dirty and dark. Their waving hands and crying voices reached the heavens. He couldn’t hear Xianger’s voice at all, but in his urgency he thought of a solution, speaking loudly to his friends, and more than ten people began shouting together: “Second Lady Ji!”

Similar to Ji Yingying’s situation, there were over three hundred Zhao family members with Zhao Xiuyuan. He wasn’t far from Zhu Erlang. Hearing the voices, Zhao Xiuyuan’s eyes brightened, feeling the sunlight become particularly brilliant. Ji Yingying had actually been captured too. He looked across, searching carefully.

Xianger pulled Ji Yingying’s hand and fought their way toward Zhu Erlang’s direction. Finally, Ji Yingying appeared face to face before him.

Her face was clean, her clothes still looked relatively neat. Her tied-up hair had become slightly loose from the jostling, with a few strands falling. Her smile remained radiant, her black eyes gleaming with tears. Zhu Erlang felt a tightness in his throat, only able to smile at her foolishly.

“Brother Zhu!” Ji Yingying called out to him, and seeing the Nanzhao soldiers were still far away, she mouthed silently, “Destroy the bridge!”

Zhu Erlang suddenly awakened, laughing loudly: “Don’t worry!”

Once across the river, when the Nanzhao army withdrew, this floating bridge would be destroyed, making the chance of escape back to Tang even more remote. If they could destroy this bridge before the Nanzhao forces could retreat, perhaps the Tang army would arrive in time.

The Nanzhao people understood this as well. In the afternoon, after the treasure-laden carts had crossed the floating bridge, a unit of soldiers came across from the opposite bank. The soldiers formed two human walls along the floating bridge.

How could they destroy this bridge? Ji Yingying thought of setting it on fire. Zhu Erlang assured her they would be prepared. Hope rose in her heart again. Their eyes met, understanding each other’s intentions. Regardless of whether the other could escape, just trying their best to destroy the bridge would give those who hadn’t crossed a better chance of survival.

Suddenly, feeling as if pricked by thorns, Ji Yingying turned her face away. She saw Zhao Xiuyuan. Surrounded by Zhao’s family servants, he stood leisurely behind the fence, smiling at her. Ji Yingying’s gaze turned ice-cold.

Zhao Xiuyuan opened his mouth, silently telling her: “I’ve finally found you.”

He and Niu Wuniang were truly a match made in heaven! Ji Yingying couldn’t even be bothered to look at him again. She smiled at Zhu Erlang and pulled her maids away from the fence.

The Nanzhao people weren’t fools – they made the women cross first.

The gate of the front enclosure was opened, and the crying from that direction carried over on the river wind. This time, the Nanzhao soldiers showed no mercy to the women, their long whips falling mercilessly. They dragged out those who were unwilling to leave the enclosure.

“Look!”

“Someone jumped into the river!”

Among the women walking onto the floating bridge, someone broke through the soldiers’ blockade and jumped into the rushing waters of the Dadu River. Before the soldiers on the shore could lose their arrows, the small figure flickered briefly in the river before vanishing without a trace.

The current was rapid – even a skilled swimmer would have only one chance in ten of survival. Many who had been thinking of escaping by jumping into the river had their hopes dashed once again.

“It will probably be almost dark by the time it’s our turn,” Ji Yingying whispered to her three maids. “The Nanzhao soldiers will have been standing on the bridge all day and will be less alert. With our swimming ability, when we jump, hold our breath, and relax, letting the current carry us downstream is safest. We can find a place to come ashore when the current isn’t so strong.”

The three maids nodded solemnly.

As darkness fell, torches wound their way toward the opposite shore in the night. Women’s crying continued unabated as they supported each other, stumbling toward the other bank.

After this group of women crossed, the Nanzhao soldiers stopped sending people across the river.

Ji Yingying suddenly realized that the two enclosures hadn’t been completely emptied – some women had been left behind. Why had the Nanzhao soldiers kept them?

Niu Wuniang had somehow appeared beside her and said flatly, “The Nanzhao people aren’t stupid. These women who were kept behind all have family members serving in the military.”

Were they being kept as hostages in case the Tang army caught up?

Niu Wuniang smiled: “Don’t count on the Tang army catching up. The main Nanzhao force hasn’t even withdrawn yet.”

Ji Yingying looked at her: “Niu Wuniang, are you really willing to abandon your parents and family?”

“I heard that tribal women in Nanzhao deliberately tattoo their faces, considering it beautiful. The spots on my cheeks probably won’t stand out much in Nanzhao. What would I go back for? To continue living a life of contempt, to continue being that ugly woman everyone mocks?” Niu Wuniang sneered, “No one in Nanzhao knows me, I like that.”

She turned to look north: “I know you still want to escape. Growing up by the Huanhua Stream, you’re a good swimmer. I told you you wouldn’t have a chance. Yang Jingyuan killed the son of Nanzhao’s Qingping Official – they won’t even give you the chance to blend into the crowd.”

“It’s a pity you don’t even have that chance,” Ji Yingying sneered. But in her heart, she sighed, knowing that as Niu Wuniang said, she wouldn’t even have the chance to jump into the river.

The enclosure gate opened, and a deputy commander stood at the entrance with a squad of soldiers, holding a register: “Those whose names are called, come out!”

When “Yang Ji-shi” was called, the deputy commander was already looking at Ji Yingying.

Two soldiers walked toward her. Ji Yingying stepped forward: “Don’t touch me, I’ll walk myself.”

“Miss, we’ll go with you!” The three maids knelt on the ground, crying.

The Qingping Official of Nanzhao wanted revenge. Following her would only make their lives more difficult. Ji Yingying turned and said, “Live well for yourselves. You are no longer my servants.”

Xianger grabbed her clothes: “Let me follow you. No matter how hard it gets, I’m not afraid. Miss, please don’t leave me behind.”

Ji Yingying bent down and whispered in her ear: “You might be able to help me more by not being at my side.”

Xianger froze. Ji Yingying straightened up, smiled at her, and followed the Nanzhao soldiers.