No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t picture it – he kept automatically substituting her male appearance.
Zhao San was also worriedly pondering, saying: “Master, what if her female dress looks the same as her male dress? That would be, that would be…”
“Would be what?” Feiyu said lazily. “Doesn’t she look good in men’s clothing? Stylish with a tilted cap, so handsome that fruit-throwing admirers fill the streets. Look, we two are so well-matched – we can even exchange clothes.”
He suddenly remembered something and sat up abruptly, then cried out and fell back down, still muttering: “…Where are the people I sent to investigate the Imperial Princess’s whereabouts? Why is there still no news? Hurry up and find her to resolve this matter so everyone can get on with business.”
“Master, we brought limited people to begin with, and they were scattered around the capital earlier. Now they need to withdraw from the capital and investigate along the way back – it takes time,” Zhao San said. “Moreover, our people also investigated the identity that Ye Shiba was impersonating – that son of the Imperial Stud Director. Truly impressive – the Imperial Stud Director indeed has a youngest son, sixteen years old, who indeed has records of leaving the capital for training. Everything matches up, which means either it’s true, or the other party has special status with thorough preparation. Oh right, I just received a carrier pigeon message – the group investigating the Imperial Stud Director was discovered and pursued all the way out of the capital. They’re still busy shaking off their pursuers.”
Feiyu muttered to himself: “This identity… unusual indeed. Continue investigating.”
Zhao San laughed: “Could it be the Imperial Princess? If it were the Imperial Princess, that would be perfect – you wouldn’t have to struggle and suffer anymore, Young Master.”
Feiyu pondered for a while, then shook his head.
“A precious child doesn’t sit near a collapsing hall. If she were truly the Imperial Princess – the dignified heir apparent, precious as gold and jade – when traveling for training, wouldn’t she have escorts front and back, a crowd of devoted guards protecting her? Daily life above the dust, superior to others – that’s what befits nobility. How could she be like that – without any airs, caring about everyone, constantly risking her life, covered in wounds, more like a devoted guard herself, or perhaps a military general.”
“Are you referring to that female commander, Young Master? But the age doesn’t match.”
“It can’t be her. With the recent unrest in Western Rong, that one is guarding Yongping and dares not leave for a single step.”
Zhao San thought for a moment: “Your saying about precious children not sitting near collapsing halls isn’t quite right either. Aren’t you also a precious child? How often have you risked your life? I heard the Imperial Princess’s situation isn’t actually very good either – perhaps she’s also a hero emerging from adversity?”
“Her poor situation is because she lacks innate abilities, isn’t it? But Ye Shiba has several innate abilities. I actually think the Xiao family’s speculation is quite possible – she might be an heir from one of those legendary reclusive noble families.”
Both fell into contemplation when Mu Si approached, handing over several letters: “Our people following those who transport infants from the orphanage have already captured the other party’s routes, contacts, receiving residences, and related witnesses. The evidence is here. The people are all detained at one of our estates outside the capital.”
Feiyu didn’t take them, saying: “Find an opportunity to send these to Ye Shiba’s side.”
Zhao San said in surprise: “You had us investigate this matter to gain leverage against the Xiao family for negotiations and benefits, didn’t you? Why are you giving it to her?”
Mu Si said: “Blinded by beauty, obviously.”
Feiyu said: “If I were a foolish ruler, I’d castrate you first to serve me. Stop talking nonsense and go handle it.”
Mu Si snorted coldly and left.
Feiyu lay there with his elbow covering his head, suddenly starting to sing leisurely: “I am like King You of Zhou who lit the beacon fires from his watchtower, only waiting for that enchantress in the wilderness to turn back and glance…”
Mu Si turned back to look at that person – his loose crimson sleeves scattered in the morning light, his profile white as thin porcelain.
Who is the enchantress?
You are!
…
Tie Ci didn’t rest long before ordering them to continue their journey. She wanted to leave Dongming and even Haiyou Province quickly, before the Xiao family could free their hands.
Her next destination was Yongping Prefecture.
To reach Yongping Prefecture, one could take either land or water routes. The land route required exiting Haiyou, crossing through Beining Provincial Administration and traveling north – a path that grew increasingly desolate with sand storms filling the sky. The water route involved departing from Dengzhou Harbor in Haiyou, crossing the bay, and arriving after two days of sailing.
So Yongping had both the notoriously fierce Scorpion Camp and a complete naval force, controlling Liaodong and Western Rong from both land and sea.
Both military forces had originally been under Commander Di Yiwei’s control, but there was a change of command two years ago. The Xiao family seized control of the navy, sending their own proteges, who reportedly didn’t get along well with Di Yiwei.
If Tie Ci wanted to leave Haiyou quickly, the sea route was certainly more convenient, but the sea route ultimately led to the military harbor dock, still Xiao family territory.
According to Xiahou Chun’s thinking, the land route would be safer and easier to conceal. Once they entered Beining territory, they would be safe – the Xiao family’s reach couldn’t extend that far.
But Tie Ci disagreed. Having captured so much evidence against the Xiao family and openly torn off all pretense, the other party would definitely try to keep her permanently outside the capital.
Though Yongping’s navy was under the Xiao family, Yongping Prefecture was still Di Yiwei’s domain. If she could contact Di Yiwei, she would have protection.
After dawn, the group first traveled, stopping at a town to buy horses and carriages for easier travel. Naturally, the Nine Guards didn’t come in grand procession. According to regulations, when the Imperial Prince toured, three thousand escorts accompanied him. Last time at the academy, the full Nine Guards had been mobilized under the banner of protecting the academy, secretly deployed by Xiahou. To avoid impeachment afterward, most of the Nine Guards returned to palace duty. Later, when the Empress Dowager heard about the academy incident, she declared that training differed from touring and shouldn’t be ostentatious or disturb locals. She ordered the Cabinet to urgently command Xiahou to return all Nine Guards to the capital. Xiahou received the order and split the Nine Guards into separate units, stretching them into a long formation slowly returning to the capital, claiming some soldiers suffered from acclimatization and could only travel slowly. As a result, the vanguard had reached the capital while the last batch hadn’t even departed, stubbornly remaining locally to await Tie Ci.
Now roughly a thousand men remained – enough to protect one person, but if the Xiao family mobilized local garrison troops, it would be difficult to say.
At Tie Ci’s insistence, the remaining Nine Guards split again, with more than half protecting Gu Xiaoxiao’s return to the capital.
Xiahou divided the remaining personnel into small units scattered around the area. He and a dozen others entered town with Tie Ci. Xiahou entered a carriage company to buy vehicles, but after saying just a few words, he came back out and said to Tie Ci: “Something’s wrong. We should leave quickly.”
“What is it?”
“I approached the town’s largest carriage company. The manager was very enthusiastic, they had plenty of vehicles, reasonable prices, and when I said I wanted ten carriages, he immediately agreed and offered a discount.” Xiahou chuckled, his round face squinting with narrowed eyes. “What ordinary small-town carriage company has so many vehicles suitable for long-distance travel that are relatively new? Seeing such a big customer and fat sheep, instead of taking the opportunity to fleece them, he proactively offered discounts, as if afraid we wouldn’t take his carriages… Really, I could tell something was wrong the moment I walked in.”
Dan Shuang couldn’t help saying: “Since the Commander could tell something was wrong at first glance, why did you stay in there so long, wasting Master’s time?”
Xiahou said without shame: “That was because there was an extremely fat cat in the shop, and the shopkeeper was too stingy to let me pet it. If I didn’t take advantage of discussing business to give it a few more strokes, when would I get another chance?”
Tie Ci: “…”
She felt that if she gave Commander Xiahou command of an army of ten thousand cats, he would be much happier.
Though they bantered, their feet moved quickly, rapidly mounting horses and leaving town.
The carriage company manager waited for Xiahou Chun to return with money to rent carriages, but after waiting a long time with no one returning, he rushed out to look – not a soul in sight. He couldn’t help stamping his foot and saying: “You don’t want the good fortune delivered to your door! Fool!”
Having left town, they saw a checkpoint ahead with masses of soldiers arranged in rows, examining each passerby individually. From the numbers and scale, they appeared to be Battalion soldiers.
Tie Ci couldn’t help marveling at the Xiao family’s swift action and strong influence – this was already beyond Dongming’s boundaries.
Xiahou Chun rode closer to her, asking: “Master, what do you plan?”
Tie Ci squinted at the slowly moving crowd. The checkpoint blocked the main thoroughfare, conducting extremely slow inspections, causing the flow of people to pile up longer and longer. Obviously, the other party had deliberately arranged long lines of common people to block the road. If she charged through on horseback, civilians would inevitably be injured. If she waited in line properly, she would quickly be discovered.
Then she said: “Charge through.”
Xiahou Chun nodded. Moments later, two Nine Guards escorts spurred their horses in a wild charge, shouting as they went: “Xiao Manor business! Make way quickly! Xiao Manor business! Make way quickly!”
Hearing this, the common people turned back in alarm, seeing the fierce horses approaching, and scattered with a crash.
The checkpoint soldiers conducting inspections were also stunned. Before they could see clearly, they saw dozens of riders approaching. When they reached the narrow checkpoint entrance, their formation changed, passing through one after another like lightning.
As the first horse passed, a long whip cracked, snatching away his spear, with a laugh: “Insolent! How dare you brandish weapons before us Xiao family members?”
As the second horse passed, the whip swept aside several people blocking the checkpoint: “Scoundrel! How dare you stand on Xiao family territory blocking Xiao family members?”
When the third group of horses passed, they simply caught the flying spear and swept it horizontally, shattering the checkpoint’s crossbeam with a crack, which was then trampled to pieces by the following wind-like riders.
Though the guarding soldiers were numerous, most were on the other side, and all were shocked by such arrogant bearing. For a moment, they really thought these were Xiao family members – after all, who would imagine fugitives could be so brazen? They all stood stunned, some even hurriedly stepping back several paces.
Only after the last horse had passed the checkpoint did someone at the front laugh loudly: “Look at our Xiao family – wherever we go, all flee at our approach! How arrogant!”
The soldiers looked at each other, instinctively sensing something strange about these words. Watching that group of riders gallop away like a gust of wind, never even seeing their faces clearly, they wondered whether to pursue when someone said: “This… this doesn’t seem like Xiao family behavior. Didn’t the Xiao family just send people to order us to set up checkpoints to catch someone? How could they be breaking through checkpoints themselves…”
A squad leader said coldly: “Send a century to pursue and investigate! Reset the checkpoint – no one else is allowed to break through!”
Everyone was busy lifting wood to reset the checkpoint when they saw a luxurious carriage approaching urgently. The driver had already raised a token high, shouting: “Xiao Manor business! Open the checkpoint quickly!”
“Another one!” The squad leader said angrily. “Quickly, block it!”
The carriage hadn’t expected anyone would dare stop Xiao family carriages and nearly crashed into the blocking wood. Immediately furious, the driver lashed his whip at the checkpoint soldier: “Make way!”
That soldier had been inexplicably whipped earlier, and now was struck again. Rage rising from his heart, he grabbed the driver’s whip and dragged him down from the carriage, then jumped up and violently pulled open the carriage curtain: “Come out, let me see what kind of thing… you… are…”
The last few words grew slower and softer as he stood speechless on the carriage shaft.
Inside the carriage sat a young lady holding a handkerchief, covering her red, swollen eyes, crying with snot and tears flowing.
“…just ran away like that… even used me… didn’t even say goodbye… wouldn’t accept the gift I wanted to give… didn’t give me the gift promised… I’m about to get married… and she still deceived me…”
Crying while muttering, muttering while crying, she raised her long eyelashes full of tears, looking at the person opposite like a puppy, and let out a long hiccup.
The soldier stood there, made hot all over yet shivering by her crying. When those tearful eyes looked at him, he felt like he wasn’t human. But hearing her complaints, he felt the inhuman one wasn’t himself – he didn’t know which bastard had made her angry, really making people… envious.
The young lady cried to herself for a while, then suddenly raised her foot.
Bang! The soldier was kicked off the carriage shaft.
Then a token hit the squad leader’s face as he rushed forward. The person in the carriage showed none of her previous crying, soft demeanor, her voice sharp and thin: “Move aside! I am Xiao family! I’m going to catch someone!”