The leading general saw that Lu Heng looked like a weak scholar, and moreover, he was the cousin of their Xiyue’s future princess consort, so he dared not slight him. He smiled and said, “Today isn’t any festival – there must be some good news.”

Good news?

What other good news could there be?

Lu Heng felt like fire was burning in his heart, but his face showed a surprised smile. “Could it be that my cousin’s marriage with the Prince has been settled?”

The soldiers looked at each other upon hearing this.

Seeing this man’s joyful expression, he must also hope for his cousin to marry the Prince.

In the future, this person would be the Prince’s brother-in-law.

With this thought, the soldiers lowered their swords and sabers a bit, and the atmosphere was no longer so tense.

“From now on, we’ll all be one people,” a soldier said with a smile.

Lu Heng also nodded happily. “Yes, yes. Thank you all. Could one of you go check the situation? If my cousin’s marriage with the Prince is really settled, I should also prepare a dowry!”

Dowry?

The soldiers couldn’t help but crane their necks to look at the baggage train in the distance.

So many seeds and grain they lacked – who wouldn’t want them?

If they handled this matter well, they might even hope to receive some rewards!

The leading general immediately sent a soldier to inquire.

Soon that soldier returned, grinning from ear to ear. “Oh my, it really is great news! The Prince is having his grand wedding with Miss Pang at noon today. The square is getting lively.”

Lu Heng’s hand hidden in his sleeve immediately clenched tight, his palm bleeding from his nails without feeling any pain.

It really was true. Qin Yining had ultimately sacrificed herself for the Minuo tribe’s people.

Once this was confirmed, Lu Heng could even guess how Qin Yining had arranged things.

That foolish girl probably wouldn’t survive tonight.

For a moment, Lu Heng felt as if ten thousand arrows had pierced his heart.

At this moment, he truly wished he had supreme martial arts skills to break through the encirclement, rescue Qin Yining, and escape with her!

But this place was surrounded by desert. Even if they entered, they couldn’t distinguish the direction back to Great Zhou. And heaven wouldn’t mercifully grant him excellent martial arts.

Their group was destined to die in a foreign land.

Yet Qin Yining had chosen such a tragic and resolute method to sacrifice herself and preserve the tribe.

Lu Heng felt intense pain in his chest, something salty and sweet in his throat. A violent coughing fit surged up, and he couldn’t control his violent coughing, immediately spitting up fresh blood.

“Oh my! Young Master, what’s wrong?”

The Minuo tribe people also rushed up to support Lu Heng.

Ha’er Bala asked anxiously in Tatar, “What’s wrong with you? Let’s quickly find that Imperial Physician!”

Lu Heng waved his hand. His pale face showed calm as he pulled out a handkerchief from his sleeve, calmly wiped the blood from his lips, and smiled at the general. “It’s nothing, an old ailment.”

The general looked at Lu Heng suspiciously, but couldn’t discern anything else from Lu Heng’s expression. Though he dared not anger the future princess consort’s cousin, he also dared not relax his vigilance, so he stopped talking with Lu Heng.

Lu Heng looked toward the square, his expression already deathly still.

When Qin Yining, surrounded by maids, walked out through the wide palace gates and stepped onto the square step by step, the watching Xiyue people burst into ocean-like cheers.

“Goddess! Princess Consort! Goddess! Princess Consort!”

Standing on the high platform in red robes, Xiyue Prince Zhou Meng wore a golden crown and said spiritedly, “Our Xiyue is blessed by heaven, favored by the goddess. I am the king chosen by heaven! Combined with our people’s pure and kind hearts and century-long sincere prayers, the goddess has finally brought grain to Xiyue’s land and is now to become my principal consort!”

“Good! Good!”

The people excitedly shouted approval.

Many people in the front rows looked at the woman supported by maids and covered with a red veil, discussing in low voices:

“Have you seen the goddess? I’ve seen the goddess!”

“She’s really particularly beautiful! Just as I imagined, even more beautiful than the holy book says!”

…

Zhou Meng’s joy could no longer be suppressed. He smiled and turned to look at Qin Yining.

Xiyue’s officials also stood on both sides, smiling as they watched Qin Yining walking step by step toward the high platform.

At this moment, the people’s cheers had reached an extreme height.

Qin Yining’s eardrums vibrated from such intense cheering, but her heart remained calm and cold.

When she married Pang Xiao, there had been ten li of red dowry, extremely grand. Was she now to marry another man?

No, she would not allow herself to serve two men.

Her red lips couldn’t help but press tightly together.

Qin Yining’s vision was blocked by the red veil, showing a bright red, so her hearing was particularly acute. She suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves amid the huge cheers.

That sound came suddenly and seemed to be getting closer.

Was it an illusion?

Because she thought of Pang Xiao, she unconsciously thought of Pang Xiao’s army.

Qin Yining smiled bitterly as she was about to step up the stairs with the maids’ support.

Just then, unexpected change occurred!

Qin Yining suddenly heard the people’s cries of alarm and shouts. Before she could react, a slender arm grabbed her arm and threw her out.

Qin Yining’s body was suspended in air, thrown like a bundle. Her red veil fell away, her red dress flying. Her eyes didn’t immediately adapt to the bright, glaring sunlight, but she vaguely saw a familiar figure sitting upright on a black horse, arms open toward her.

Qin Yining felt somewhat dazed. The time of her body’s fall seemed particularly long, as if she were about to fall into an abyss.

However, she fell into a warm embrace. That embrace was solid and powerful, and the breathing carried her familiar fresh scent.

“Yining, I finally found you!” Warm lips fell on her forehead, then she was encircled by strong arms around her waist, held tightly in the embrace.

“You…” Qin Yining sat sideways in front of Pang Xiao, one hand gripping his upper arm, looking up at him.

He had lost much weight, his features appearing more three-dimensional and deep. Under his flying sword-like eyebrows, his phoenix eyes were full of bloodshot veins, and his chin was covered with stubble, obviously extremely tired.

But his gaze was particularly bright, his black pupils reflecting her image.

Their eyes met, and Qin Yining’s vision blurred with tears.

It really was him!

He had actually found his way into the desert!

Cao Yuqing had just been lurking in the crowd, snatched Qin Yining out and threw her to Pang Xiao. Now she had drawn her soft sword and, leading Liao Zhibing and the Elite Tiger Guards, charged toward Zhou Meng and his ministers with whips and horses.

Zhou Meng, born on Xiyue’s land, had never experienced hardship or war in his life. How could he have seen such fierce cavalry? Each of these people was like a fierce tiger descending from mountains, wielding blade edges and whistling forward like man-eating beasts.

Zhou Meng was immediately scared out of his wits, retreating in panic and falling from the platform.

Fortunately, there were still many of his guards below the platform who quickly reached out to catch him, dragging him in panic toward the open palace gates.

“Protect the Prince! Protect the Prince!”

Guards who had never experienced real combat fled in disorder with Zhou Meng and the ministers.

The watching Xiyue people also scattered like birds and beasts, disappearing in a whoosh. Many people fell and were trampled, and many lost their shoes running…

Cao Yuqing sat upright on her horse, looking at the tightly closed palace gates in the panic, then at the scattered Xiyue people, and couldn’t help but sneer coldly as she sheathed her soft sword.

“I thought it was some hero trying to forcibly marry our Yining – what a waste!”

“Exactly! Wanting to have designs on the Princess Consort – he should piss and look at his own reflection!” A young man beside Cao Yuqing pulled down his black face covering, shaking off the sand and dust. It was clearly Huzi.

Qin Yining sat sideways in front of Pang Xiao, still somewhat unable to come to her senses.

Pang Xiao had come to save her?

He had crossed the no-man’s land desert to save her?

Pang Xiao held her with one arm, cherishing another kiss on her forehead, his stubble making the skin on her forehead tingle.

“Yining, I’m here.”

Only then did Qin Yining gradually come to her senses. She leaned tiredly against his shoulder, like a weary traveler finally returning to family’s embrace, or like a small animal that had been bullied outside finding its master.

Qin Yining slowly raised her hand, gripping the clothes on Pang Xiao’s shoulder, burying her face in his chest, finally sobbing and crying out.

Pang Xiao held her tightly, listening to her crying like a small beast venting its emotions. His eyes also reddened, and he quickly buried his face against her shoulder, his large hand patting her back repeatedly. “There, there, don’t cry anymore. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have let you get lost. Don’t cry anymore. Look how much weight you’ve lost – you must have suffered so much outside. It’s all my fault…”

When there was no one to rely on, Qin Yining could be stronger than anyone, even facing death without the slightest retreat.

Because she knew clearly what she should do, when it was time to take a certain step, even if it meant walking toward an abyss, she would rationally make the choice and walk the path she should take.

But now this man had come before her. She had family again, had someone to rely on. She no longer had to support and bear everything alone. Qin Yining felt the taut heartstring suddenly relax, and all her fatigue seemed to sprout like buds from soil in spring, making her instantly lose strength. She could only desperately grip his clothes, bury herself in his embrace, and cry out her grievances.

As if all the hardships she had experienced over the days were just waiting for such an embrace where she could cry with peace of mind.

The fifty-odd men of the Elite Tiger Guards were all covered in dust and sand, their lips dry and cracked, but now they all sat upright on horses that had grown much thinner, watching with smiling eyes as their respected Prince tightly held their sobbing Princess Consort.

Huzi’s eyes brimmed with tears, and he quickly wiped them away with his sleeve.

Cao Yuqing was also very relieved. She smiled lightly and said to Liao Zhibing beside her, “Brother Liao, we really must thank you this time. Without your tracking gu, we wouldn’t have known what to do.”

Liao Zhibing smiled and waved his hand. “As long as I could help the Alliance Leader. However, this place isn’t suitable for staying long. Those people on the city walls are all watching us. Shouldn’t we find a place where we can camp?”