Qin Yining pressed her lips together, her eyes red-rimmed as she shook her head, “No. We came together, so we must return together. I cannot abandon you. If I leave now, what kind of person would I be!”
“Princess Consort, don’t be stubborn. They want to capture you. If you leave, at most we’ll just be tied up and taken back to the Qiu family. You can leave Sword River later and find a way to rescue us,” Bingtang pleaded earnestly. Though she spoke seriously, she wasn’t certain in her heart whether the Qiu family would spare them.
But no matter what, they would not allow anything to happen to Qin Yining.
Having experienced Qin Yining being buried alive, going missing, and being kidnapped to Tatar territory before, Bingtang was filled with regret and had sounded alarm bells in her heart. She would never allow such things to happen again!
Mu Jinghu gripped Qin Yining’s wrist, no longer concerned about propriety between men and women, saying in a low voice: “Regardless of whether you agree or not, I will take you away first in a moment.”
“No, even if we leave first, we can’t get out of the city. We don’t have exit passes.”
“But if I take you and escape, we can wind around the city and they won’t be able to catch us!”
…
As Qin Yining argued quietly with Mu Jinghu and Bingtang, outside the battle circle, Qiu Yuanqing approached Qiu Guang and said in a low voice: “Father, how do you plan to deal with Prince Consort Zhongshun’s Princess after capturing her?”
Qiu Guang glanced at Qiu Yuanqing and answered irrelevantly: “Have you forgotten what you did?”
Qiu Yuanqing’s pupils suddenly contracted, his body stiffening.
He had thought the old man was letting bygones be bygones. After all, he was currently his only son – to whom else would he pass the position of family head?
Who would have thought that he wasn’t letting it slide – the old codger was still holding this grudge!
Qiu Yuanqing’s expression darkened as he lowered his eyes without speaking, but his heart was full of resentment toward Qiu Guang.
At such an advanced age, he always hoarded power and refused to let go. He had been waiting since his prime youth until now, nearly being humiliated by a mere girl, yet instead of planning for his son, his father actually encouraged that girl’s arrogance.
Today the old man had captured Qiu Feishan, but when she wanted to beat Qiu Feizhen to death and committed so many offenses, hadn’t the old man been reluctant to punish her severely, instead capturing her back with plans to marry her off?
His favoritism knew no bounds!
Under such harsh circumstances, how could he not plan for himself? Even though he had placed his own father under house arrest, he had never mistreated him while keeping him confined. Hadn’t the old man still escaped healthy and whole?
Truly, soft-hearted people were bound to suffer. If he had known it would come to this, he should have…
Qiu Yuanqing suppressed the anger in his heart, keeping his head down without speaking.
Qiu Guang looked straight ahead, focusing on the situation within the battle circle.
Just then, they suddenly felt the ground beneath their feet vibrating slightly.
Sword River City was a place where earthquakes occurred frequently. After such slight tremors, there was often the possibility of strong earthquakes following.
The attendants around Qiu Guang were all tense, and Qiu Yuanqing was also somewhat panicked. Everyone tacitly moved their feet, leaving the surrounding mountain walls to run toward open ground.
But just then, Qiu Guang faintly heard a rumbling sound – it seemed like the uniform sound of horse hooves striking the ground. The vibration underfoot seemed to become more obvious.
“Fa-father, you, quick, quick look!” Qiu Yuanqing’s eyes were fixed on the area behind Qiu Guang, his trembling finger pointing in that direction.
Qiu Guang, like everyone else, looked toward the source of the sound. They saw a dark mass of troops rapidly approaching. Those soldiers wore black armor with red plumes on their heads, sitting upright on horses, holding leather shields, arranged in neat formation. Their speed was fast, like a black flood surging into the valley with imposing momentum. Looking out, one couldn’t tell exactly how many troops there were – at least it had to be counted in tens of thousands, right?
However, the most terrifying thing was that this force of over ten thousand men, apart from the sounds of horses neighing, armor clanking, and footsteps, had no sound of human voices at all.
Those attacking Qin Yining had all stopped fighting. The pressure on Jingzhe and the Elite Tiger Guards suddenly decreased, and they hurriedly retreated to guard Qin Yining’s side.
Qin Yining gazed at the direction from which those imposing troops were approaching, her heart suddenly filled with some unrealistic speculations and fantasies.
The troops pressed close, suddenly dividing into a wild goose formation and flanking them.
Where had the Qiu family’s martial artists and death warriors ever seen such a scene? They were immediately so frightened their legs went weak, all gathering together to stand back-to-back, barely able to hold their clubs, knives, and swords. Who still had the energy to spare for capturing Qin Yining?
Qiu Yuanqing’s legs also went weak. If not for maintaining face by forcing himself to stand, he would have nearly collapsed to the ground.
Qiu Feishan also took advantage of everyone’s stunned moment to jump down from the carriage, looking in terror at the gradually closing encirclement around them.
The black tide parted to both sides, and a single general in dark armor came rapidly forward, holding a red-plumed long blade reversed, sitting on a black horse.
Upon seeing him, Qin Yining’s eyes widened with surprise and joy as she called out happily: “Zhixi!”
Pang Xiao’s face was grave as water, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic battlefield. Only when he clearly saw Qin Yining within the encirclement did he relax slightly.
He didn’t care how many people blocked his path. Immediately pulling the reins, he spurred his horse forward.
The black horse came with fierce momentum, the blade’s cold light flashing. His whole body radiated anger and killing intent that seemed tangible, stabbing at those blocking the way and frightening the Qiu family members into screaming and dodging in panic.
The distance wasn’t far to begin with. Pang Xiao, along with Huzi and several trusted subordinates, reached them in just a few steps on horseback, scooping up Qin Yining’s slender waist and properly settling her in front of him.
When his large hand gripped her waist and touched her ribs, Pang Xiao’s face darkened: “You’ve lost weight.”
The heart that Qin Yining had been holding up during her confrontation and flight from the Qiu family could finally return to its proper place. She stared blankly at Pang Xiao, momentarily not knowing what to say.
Every time she reached a dead end, Pang Xiao would always descend before her like a deity, rescuing her from the most dangerous and urgent situations.
Whether it was taking that arrow for her in Great Yan, or confronting the tyrant to save her mother, or when she was trapped in Crescent Moon and he would rather defy imperial orders than bring her back, or now.
It seemed he could always sense her danger and arrive at her side at the most appropriate time.
The emotion and excitement at this moment was something those who hadn’t experienced it could never understand. There was joy of surviving disaster, but even more was an almost overflowing fondness for this person.
“Zhixi…” Her voice trembled, hoarse and dim, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and obediently rested her face against his shoulder.
Hearing the near-crying tone in her voice, Pang Xiao felt even more heartache. His strong arms held her tightly, his large hand pressing her into his embrace: “I should never have let you come out.”
“I’m fine. Everything was just a false alarm.”
“But it was still an alarm. I won’t spare anyone who dares harm you.”
Pang Xiao raised his long blade with one arm, creating a “whoosh” of wind, the blade tip pointing directly at Qiu Yuanqing, Qiu Guang, and the others.
“What do you mean by kidnapping this Prince’s Princess Consort!”
Qiu Yuanqing’s eyes widened in terror. It wasn’t that he was cowardly, but Pang Xiao’s aura of a killing god truly wasn’t something ordinary people could withstand.
Qiu Guang still maintained his immortal bearing. The previously furrowed brows had also relaxed as he stepped forward and cupped his hands: “This must be Prince Zhongshun? Truly, reputation is not as good as meeting in person. What an honor, what an honor.”
Pang Xiao sat on his horse holding Qin Yining, saying nothing.
He didn’t move, and the ten thousand troops he brought also didn’t move, having arranged themselves in formation with imposing presence, as if with one command from Pang Xiao, they could surge forward and trample everyone into meat paste.
The people around Qiu Guang were almost instinctively about to kneel.
If not for two loyal followers supporting him on both sides, Qiu Yuanqing would have had to kneel as well.
Seeing that Pang Xiao remained silent, Qiu Guang couldn’t help but stroke his beard and laugh heartily, then called out loudly: “Good, truly imposing. But according to this old man’s knowledge, Prince Zhongshun should currently be guarding the Pingnan Army camp. There has been no news from the court about troop deployments. Without the tiger tally, the Prince has arbitrarily deployed troops – does the Prince harbor disloyal intentions toward His Majesty and wish to rebel!”
This enormous accusation was as heavy as Mount Tai, filling Qin Yining’s heart with worry.
Li Qitian was busy dealing with the Tatars, but he wouldn’t forget to constantly look for Pang Xiao’s faults.
Going to the old capital to maintain stability, Pang Xiao had always been guarding against Yuchi Yan causing trouble, which is why he was often constrained by multiple parties.
However, this time for Qin Yining’s sake, he had privately deployed troops.
No matter how Li Qitian learned of this matter, the final result would confirm Pang Xiao’s disloyal heart.
Moreover, war required money. Bringing ten thousand troops to Sword River, the expenses for feeding men and horses along the way was a huge expenditure. Furthermore, they didn’t know if troubles would arise from behind in the old capital…
The more Qin Yining thought about it, the more worried she became, her body unconsciously tensing.
Pang Xiao’s large hand soothingly patted Qin Yining’s shoulder as he chuckled and said: “The Qiu family head truly lives up to his reputation – your skill at malicious accusations and turning blame around is truly first-rate.
“This Prince’s Princess Consort was deceived and placed under house arrest by your family members, and was even assassinated and pursued. This Prince, as a minister appointed by the court to consolidate the southern situation, yet someone deliberately persecutes the Princess Consort – aren’t you plotting to drive a wedge between this Prince and his sworn brother?
“This Prince’s troops have been stationed outside the city for three days, but Sword River Pass not only refuses passage but doesn’t check travel documents or official government orders, instead going by entry and exit passes issued by the Qiu family.
“Dare I ask, is this realm the Great Zhou’s realm, or your Qiu family’s realm? Your Qiu family acts like local emperors here – even if this Prince exterminated you today, it would be suppressing rebellion for the court!”
Pang Xiao’s words stirred the blood of the Pingnan Army soldiers, who all raised their weapons and shouted in unison, their roars shaking the heavens.
Only then did the frightened Qiu family members recover and wonder in some amazement: how did these troops get in?
Qiu Yuanqing thought of the fact he was unwilling to acknowledge yet had to acknowledge, stammering: “Could it be that you entered through Sword River Pass?”
Huzi sat on horseback holding the awkward-faced Bingtang, and hearing this, laughed heartily: “Only you people treat that checkpoint like an insurmountable barrier – wasn’t it just like window paper, broken with one poke! Our Prince has known how to fight since he could eat – did you really think no one could get in before!”
An Elite Tiger Guard also laughed in agreement: “Exactly! Look at them acting like local emperors, even daring to appoint and dismiss court officials according to their preferences. Didn’t they think they were hiding safely in a jar?”