Xiao Du was unaware of the sudden turmoil at Pingdu Pass. His entire focus was on how to survive the current crisis. Without much hesitation, he began to move, as outside, the deafening roar continued. Xiao Du understood there was no time to waste; he grabbed A Yue’s sleeve and said, “Let’s go!”
As they ran out of the house, a huge boulder fell from the mountaintop and smashed onto the roof, causing the entire wooden structure to collapse. Xiao Du had no time to celebrate their escape; the landslide was ongoing. If they didn’t find a safe place to hide, they would inevitably be crushed by falling rocks.
Quickly tearing two pieces of cloth, Xiao Du handed them to A Yue, instructing her to cover her mouth and nose. Then, he led her through the flying sand and rolling boulders, desperately trying to avoid them. However, he was unfamiliar with the terrain of the mountain, and he soon found himself entangled in bushes and vines, having to constantly slash them away with his knife to make progress.
After only a short distance, Xiao Du was drenched in sweat, his hand gripping the short knife tightly, veins bulging. A Yue, already shocked by the turn of events, trailed behind him, barely able to keep up. She listened to the mountain roaring like an enraged giant, her legs trembling, until she tripped over some bushes and fell to the ground.
Seeing a massive boulder about to crush her, Xiao Du hastily exerted force to pull her up and away just in time. As she watched the boulder narrowly miss her body, A Yue’s face turned pale with fright. Finally regaining some composure, she looked up and said, “I remember now. I know of a safe place!”
Xiao Du’s heart skipped a beat as he followed her towards the mountainside. A Yue was familiar with the terrain, leading him swiftly to a hidden cave entrance. Pointing inside, she said, “Quick, go in. The landslide can’t reach here. It’s safe!” Xiao Du didn’t hesitate; he bent down and followed her into the cave. Rocks of various sizes continued to fall from the entrance, and the mountain shook violently for a while before gradually calming down. Xiao Du didn’t dare to let his guard down, keeping watch at the entrance until it was completely calm outside. Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief, ready to descend the mountain while there was still light.
However, at that moment, A Yue suddenly hugged his waist tightly, whispering, “Don’t go. I’m scared.” Her body was soft and alluring, causing Xiao Du to freeze momentarily. When he turned to look at her, he saw a delicate face filled with vulnerability, her watery eyes seemingly filled with allure.
Xiao Du snorted, ruthlessly prying her hands away from his waist, and said, “What game are you trying to play now, A Yue… or should I call you Cui Yuan?”
A moment of confusion flashed across “A Yue’s” face, followed by the disappearance of her vulnerability and fear, replaced by a playful smile. She let her disheveled black hair fall loose, playing with the ends, and said teasingly, “How boring, to be seen through so quickly.”
Xiao Du hummed and turned away. “You claimed to be Cui Yuan’s servant, yet when you entered the room, he didn’t dare to look at you too much, clearly afraid of you. The courtyard is filled with flowers and herbs, obviously tended to all year round. Plus, you smell of herbs that have been soaked for years. Since the ‘Divine Physician Cui’ is a fake, the real person living there can only be you. I just didn’t expect that the legendary divine physician on the mountain would turn out to be a young girl.”
Cui Yuan narrowed her eyes, clapping her hands happily. “Well said, well said! Indeed worthy of the renowned Marquis Xuan Yuan. Nothing escapes your notice.”
Although Xiao Du’s face showed no emotion, there was a chill in his gaze as he asked, “What is your relationship with the Wu people, and why did you help them harm me?”
Cui Yuan leaned in closer, her fingers secretly hooking onto Xiao Du’s belt, her eyes shimmering with confidence and seduction. “I helped them just for fun. But now I find you even more interesting than them.” Seeing Xiao Du turn away and no longer look at her, she hid her right hand behind her back and crushed something lightly. Then, she breathed gently into his ear, “Since we’re in this remote mountain with no one around, with such beautiful scenery, why rush to leave? Why not stay here with me and enjoy ourselves?”
She leaned in close, her fragrance enveloping Xiao Du’s senses, her beautiful eyes exuding confidence and allure. Xiao Du’s gaze softened for a moment, then he reached out towards her waist. Cui Yuan’s face showed a triumphant expression, but before she could rejoice, her wrist was suddenly gripped tightly, causing her to cry out in pain. Then, the flower she held, emitting a seductive scent, was thrown to the ground, as a cold voice sounded in her ear, “I told you not to play games with me. It would be best if you obediently followed me down the mountain and did your best to cure my wife. Otherwise, I’ll settle the score with you for colluding with the Wu people to harm the imperial generals.”
Cui Yuan gripped her bruised wrist, feeling jealous and resentful. She glared at him fiercely, but her eyes were filled with frustration. She had always been confident in her appearance, but today she had repeatedly been defeated by this man. The more she thought about it, the more unwilling she felt, stomping her foot and saying, “If you didn’t have any intentions towards me, why did you risk bringing me out?”
Xiao Du glanced at the darkening sky outside, feeling increasingly impatient. “If it wasn’t to take you to cure my wife, I wouldn’t have bothered with you. It’s getting late; hurry and follow me down the mountain.” He turned his head, his tone becoming more imposing. “If you refuse, I won’t mind tying you up and taking you down.”
Cui Yuan trembled at the coldness in his eyes, realizing she couldn’t manipulate this man. She sighed and resigned herself to her fate, following him down the mountain. Little did Xiao Du know, another huge crisis was awaiting him at Pingdu Pass.
“What! The Xiao Family Army has revolted!” Yue Kewei, the commander of the Pingdu Pass garrison, stood up excitedly upon hearing the scout’s report, feeling utterly disoriented.
At that moment, the noise and clamor outside grew louder, and the flickering of countless torches suddenly illuminated the night sky. Adjutant Zou Wu rushed in, his face filled with fear and urgency. “My lord, it’s bad! The Xiao Family Army has surrounded us and demands justice!”
Yue Kewei couldn’t contain his anger and kicked Zou Wu to the ground, shouting, “This is all your fault! His Majesty clearly instructed us not to act rashly and to wait until the situation was clear before dealing with Xiao Du. But you insisted that since Xiao Du took the main force out of the city, we should accuse him of treason while he and the Black Cavalry are weakened, threatening Zheng Long and the others. You assured me that this was a perfect plan, so how did it come to this!”
Zou Wu could only kneel, not daring to argue. “It’s my negligence. I thought Xiao Du was not in the city, and his capable generals were detained. I thought the Xiao Family Army wouldn’t dare to revolt…”
“You thought, you thought…” Yue Kewei’s anger intensified, his accusations relentless. “Now that such a mess has occurred, how do you propose to clean it up?”
Zou Wu bowed his head, a hint of fierceness flashing in his eyes. “Now that the Black Cavalry’s main force of fifty thousand has been wiped out, there won’t be any major threats outside the city for now. The Xiao Family Army only has a few tens of thousands left. In my opinion, we should gather the Yan and Youzhou armies to suppress them together. We won’t suffer any losses in terms of numbers. Those people are only making noise for now. If they truly act, it’s treason against the court. Now that Marquis Xuan Yuan’s life or death is uncertain, and Zheng Long and the others are imprisoned, who dares to take the risk!”
Yue Kewei pondered for a long time, then sighed. “Given the current situation, it seems we have no choice…”
Under the cover of night, messengers with military tokens hurriedly spread out, and the commanders of the Yan and Youzhou armies received a secret order: “Marquis Xuan Yuan Xiao Du has betrayed the country. The Xiao Family Army has revolted. Immediately dispatch troops to suppress them. Anyone who resists must be beheaded.”
On the other side, soldiers of the Xiao Family Army brandished countless torches, surrounding Yue Kewei’s camp, demanding the release of General Zheng from the Xiao Family Army, among others, and seeking justice for the unjust treatment.
Meanwhile, in the crude prison cell of the county magistrate’s mansion, Yuan Xi, along with Xiao Yunjing, Xiao Qing, and Wang Shiqin, anxiously awaited news from outside. Yuan Xi couldn’t sit still, hugging her knees and contemplating the events. After lunch today, a group of soldiers suddenly stormed into the mansion, accusing Marquis Xiao Du of treason and demanding that his family be detained and sent to the capital for trial. Despite their attempts to explain, they were directly sent to the prison cell. Yuan Xi, however, was taken to Yue Kewei’s tent, where she saw General Zheng and others, ready to break out of the camp. They were afraid of harming Marquis Xiao’s family, so they temporarily suppressed their anger and allowed Yue Kewei to order their arrest and imprisonment, awaiting transfer back to the capital.
Yuan Xi saw with her own eyes the imperial decree brought out by Yue Kewei, stating that in the event of any incident at Pingdu Pass, all military authority would be transferred to Yue Kewei. The intent behind this decree was clear. Although Zhao Yan was forced to hand over military authority to Xiao Du before leaving the capital, he secretly instructed Yue Kewei to make preparations, intending to regain military authority once the Black Cavalry withdrew and trap Xiao Du outside the city, preferably putting him in a life-threatening situation.
However, they were too impatient. The Black Cavalry was still watching outside. If there was internal strife in the city, it would be extremely dangerous once the enemy attacked. Yuan Xi couldn’t understand why Yue Kewei was so impatient. Somehow, she felt that things weren’t as simple as they seemed. And where was the crucial person now? Yuan Xi couldn’t help but clutch her clothes tightly, silently praying in her heart: “Ado, you must come back soon. When you return, there will surely be a solution!”
At that moment, there was suddenly a commotion outside. Yuanxi’s heart skipped a beat, and as she was about to get up, she saw a familiar figure leading Zheng Long and others rushing in. Yuanxi stood up in delight and rushed to the door, shouting, “Young Master!”
As Luo Yuan unlocked the cell door with the keys he found on the jailer, he said, “There’s no time to explain now. His Highness, Second Young Master, Madam, carriages have been arranged for you. Leave the city immediately and head to Qingzhou to hide for a while. General Zheng and the Xiao family troops will evacuate later. We’ll wait for His Highness to return in Qingzhou.”
It turned out that Luo Yuan had noticed something amiss a few days earlier. There were many unfamiliar faces outside the magistrate’s mansion, so he had been cautious. Fortunately, Yue Ke didn’t pay much attention to him, focusing the heavy forces on Zheng Long and others when they struck, allowing Luo Yuan to escape in the disguise of a common soldier.
In just one day, Yuanxi, Xiaoyun, and the others were thrown into the dungeon, indicating a significant upheaval. Before Luo Yuan could devise a plan, chaos erupted among the Xiao family troops. Seeing the city on the verge of collapse, Luo Yuan felt desperate. With no one else to rely on, he was at a loss.
Then he remembered the years the Xiao family troops had spent stationed at Pingdu Pass, earning the gratitude and trust of the people. The populace revered the Marquis of Xuanyuan as a hero of the city’s defense. Quietly, he rallied the townsfolk into a militia, utilizing their knowledge of the magistrate’s mansion’s layout to sneak into the dungeon and rescue Zheng Long and the others before swiftly rushing to rescue Yuanxi and the rest.
After sending Yuanxi and His Highness onto the carriages, Luo Yuan turned to Zheng Long, saying, “General Zheng, please hurry to the campsite. We must prevent a clash between the Xiao family troops and the Yanzhou army. We cannot afford internal strife at this critical moment. Otherwise, it will only provide an opportunity for the Black Cavalry. If Pingdu Pass falls, Qingzhou, Hongzhou, and other places will be in jeopardy.”
Understanding the urgency, Zheng Long quickly led the others toward the military camp. However, as they ran, flames erupted within the city, and the thunderous sound of hooves shattered the night. Amidst the chaos, someone shouted in despair, “The city is breached! The Black Cavalry is charging in!”