Xiao Qiao was waiting for news from Jia Si. As days passed, she grew increasingly worried that his pursuit might not be going well.
One night, as the weather was getting warmer, she woke up in the middle of the night after a nap. Feeling slightly sweaty and uncomfortable, she got up and lit a lamp without calling for Chun Niang, who was sleeping in the adjacent room. She entered the bathroom, took some prepared clean water, wrung out a sweat towel, and wiped her neck.
The coolness made her skin feel much better. She lowered her head to loosen her robe, intending to wipe down her body when suddenly she heard an unusual breathing sound from behind. Her hand froze.
She slowly turned her head and, by the candlelight, saw a man standing at the bathroom door.
The man was soaking wet from head to toe, looking as if he had just crawled out of a water vat. His face was pale, his features delicate, and his eyes fixed on her. His breathing was coarse, and his expression extremely strange.
Chen Rui!
Xiao Qiao recognized him instantly, utterly shocked.
She had always believed that Chen Rui, having gravely offended Wei Shao, had been killed when Wei Shao took Bing Province last year. Never did she imagine that not only was he alive, but he would suddenly appear like this!
At that moment, she had no time to wonder how he had passed through the numerous guards of the yamen to appear before her. Her heart began to race, and just as she was about to cry out, Chen Rui darted forward, clamping his hand tightly over her mouth. His other hand held a dagger, its tip pressed against her as he whispered in her ear, “Don’t make a sound! Or I’ll kill you!”
As his wet body drew near, a chill rapidly spread through Xiao Qiao’s entire body.
She shuddered, her skin quickly breaking out in goosebumps.
She opened her eyes wide, staring at Chen Rui’s gloomy face as it loomed closer. She stopped struggling and slowly nodded.
Chen Rui stared at her for a moment, his gaze gradually falling to her loosened collar, revealing a glimpse of her shapely chest. He continued to stare for a while, then suddenly closed his eyes.
Then, Xiao Qiao heard him swallow hard, his face showing a strange expression she couldn’t quite understand.
He suddenly opened his eyes, scooped up Xiao Qiao in one motion, and quickly carried her out, placing her on the bed. Then, he stood before the bed, still holding the knife, continuing to stare at her.
At first, Xiao Qiao was so frightened that her hands and feet went weak, her heart pounding, thinking this scoundrel was about to forcibly violate her.
Chun Niang was sleeping in the nearby room. Outside this inner courtyard where her bedroom was located, not even a hundred meters away, there should be night guards patrolling.
If she screamed, the guards would surely come quickly.
But in that case, the dagger in his hand posed the greatest threat to her.
Even without that gleaming dagger, Xiao Qiao knew that despite his feminine appearance, he was a cold-blooded killer.
If he wanted to snap her neck, it would be an easy task for him.
Not to mention the most likely scenario she could imagine next: cornered like a desperate dog, he might use her as a hostage, forcing everyone to clear a path, and finally abducting her.
She quickly made a decision.
If she could keep him calm, it would be best to do so first, and then act as the situation allowed.
Xiao Qiao struggled to steady her nerves. Lowering her head, she saw that her collar was still loose and adjusted it. Then she raised her eyes to meet Chen Rui’s gaze and said softly, “How did you get in?”
She glanced at the half-open south window.
Chen Rui continued to stare at her intently. The candlelight from the side cast shadows on his face, making it appear slightly distorted, his expression terrifying.
Xiao Qiao shifted slightly.
“Don’t move!” he barked.
Xiao Qiao slowly changed to a seemingly relaxed sitting position and said gently, “I won’t move. Don’t worry. Although there are guards just outside the courtyard, and they would come quickly if I called, I absolutely won’t call out as long as you don’t touch me! It’s been quite a while since we last met, and you’ve suddenly come to find me like this, so you must have something on your mind. Tell me what’s troubling you. I’m willing to listen.”
Her posture was relaxed, her tone gentle, and her face even bore a smile. Chen Rui stared at her for a long while, and his previously tense expression gradually softened. He said bitterly, “What is there left for us to talk about!”
Xiao Qiao glanced at the dagger in his hand and gently pointed at it. “You can say whatever you want. I’m willing to listen. But could you put away that knife? It frightens me.”
Chen Rui snorted but slowly put away the dagger.
“Is that bastard Wei Shao still in Xi He Commandery?” he asked with a grim face.
Xiao Qiao nodded.
Chen Rui looked back, surveying the room, and suddenly said, “My sister used to live in this room!” As if remembering something, he gnashed his teeth. “Poor thing, a frail woman, even on her wedding journey she fell victim to that bastard Wei’s cruelty…”
Xiao Qiao quickly said, “Don’t worry. Your sister was later sent to your uncle’s place. She should be living well now.”
Last year, Chen Xiang had arranged for his daughter to marry Xue Tai’s son to ally with the two families. Unfortunately, they were ambushed by Wei Liang on the way, and Chen’s daughter was captured.
Xiao Qiao’s words were not a lie, but the truth. At that time, after the siege of Yan Province was lifted, Wei Liang had asked how to deal with Chen’s daughter. Gong Sun Yang suggested sending her to Chen Pang, who had already surrendered. Wei Shao agreed, so Chen’s daughter was now in Shi Yi.
Chen Rui was stunned for a moment, then said hatefully, “That bastard Wei Shao is always putting on an act! Does he think I’ll be grateful to him for this? I wish I could tear that bastard into a thousand pieces to quell the hatred in my heart!”
If Chen’s daughter hadn’t been captured and had successfully married Xue Tai’s son, her fate might have been even worse now.
But Xiao Qiao didn’t say much, allowing Chen Rui to pace back and forth in front of the bed, spewing all sorts of profanities about Wei Shao like falling jujubes.
She remained silent, wondering if the sound of their conversation in the room might wake Chun Niang.
After cursing his enemy’s wife for a while, Chen Rui finally felt somewhat better. He snorted, “I’m cursing that bastard Wei Shao, why aren’t you saying anything?”
Xiao Qiao said, “Curse him if you want. You know that my family has a long-standing feud with him. He has always despised me. This time when he came to Bing Province, he originally didn’t want to bring me along. It was only because his grandmother strongly insisted that he had no choice but to bring me with him.”
Chen Rui felt even better hearing this and nodded, “You’re pitiful too, born with such beauty, yet like a fresh flower stuck in cow dung, married to an insensitive bastard like Wei Shao!”
Xiao Qiao sighed, frowning slightly, “As a woman, I’m like a rootless duckweed, helpless and drifting with the current.”
She was already incomparably beautiful, and now with her hair disheveled and a worried frown, Chen Rui couldn’t take his eyes off her. The initial anger in his belly had completely dissipated. He thought blankly that since this beauty had no affection for that Wei fellow, after abducting her, there would be no need to use her to threaten Wei Shao. Instead, he could use the Qiang youth to coerce the Bei He tribe, borrow their troops, and attack Wei Shao again.
Just as he was indulging in this pleasant thought, he suddenly remembered his mutilated state. Even if he obtained this beauty, he could only look but not touch. A piercing pain struck his heart, and his expression gradually became strange again.
Xiao Qiao had been observing his expressions all along, and seeing him suddenly become agitated again…
Xiao Qiao was unaware of what Wei Shao had done to Chen Rui. No matter how clever she was, how could she know what Chen Rui was thinking at that moment? Sensing the situation might be turning unfavorable, she quickly tried to calm him, asking, “There are guards here. How did you get in?”
Chen Rui took a long breath and snorted, “What does it matter how many guards there are? Jinyang used to be my Chen family’s domain! No matter how clever Wei Shao is, he wouldn’t have thought about the pool in the back connecting to an underground waterway outside, would he? Say no more! Just come with me!”
He couldn’t help but feel extremely smug imagining Wei Shao’s reaction when he learned that not only was he not dead, but he had also taken Lady Qiao from under the nose of the heavy guard.
Xiao Qiao finally understood. No wonder he was soaking wet when he came in as if he’d been pulled from the water. It turned out he had sneaked in through an underwater secret passage, thus avoiding the numerous guards.
When Chen Rui first snuck back, he planned to use the young Qiang man in his possession to lure Xiao Qiao out. When he arrived in Jinyang and saw the heavy security, being alone, he feared he couldn’t succeed if he acted openly.
However, having come this far with Lady Qiao right before his eyes, he was reluctant to give up. After much thought, he suddenly remembered the secret waterway dug under the yamen’s rear courtyard pool years ago. He changed his plan, deciding to sneak in at night and take Lady Qiao away.
As long as he had Lady Qiao as a hostage, he wasn’t afraid of not being able to leave the city.
Worried that further delay would be disadvantageous, he went to grab Xiao Qiao’s arm and pull her off the bed, saying, “I’ll be frank with you, that Bei He Qiang’s youth is now in my hands! Come with me, and once I borrow troops from the Bei He Qiang, you’ll see how I attack Wei Shao and get my revenge!”
Xiao Qiao was greatly shocked. Judging by his manner of speaking, it didn’t seem like he was bluffing. Her mind raced as she wrenched her arm free and shook her head, saying, “General Chen, stop boasting in front of me! General Jia is exceptionally brave. I ordered him to lead a hundred men to pursue Diao Mo. How could the Qiang youth possibly have fallen into your hands?”
Hearing her tone seemingly tinged with contempt for him, how could Chen Rui tolerate it? He snorted, “I might as well tell you. He’s now hidden by me in Longshan, west of the city! Jinyang was originally Chen’s family territory. Who could stop me from coming and going as I please? Stop talking and come with me now!”
Xiao Qiao was forcibly pulled off the bed and dragged to the door. Seeing him opening the door latch while turning back to threaten her not to make a sound, she paused and said, “My shoes aren’t on properly. General Chen, allow me to adjust my shoes.”
Chen Rui gently opened the room door and poked his head out, looking carefully left and right. Seeing it was still quiet with no one around, he finally relaxed and turned back, about to pull Xiao Qiao out with him. Unexpectedly, he was suddenly pushed hard in the lower back. Caught off guard, his upper body leaned forward, but his foot caught on the threshold, causing him to lose balance and fall heavily to the ground. Then came the loud “bang” of the door being slammed shut behind him, with the latch immediately being secured.
Chen Rui finally reacted, furious. He jumped up and violently rammed the door.
But this door was made of thick boxwood, and the latch was a solid wooden bar two feet long and ten inches thick. How could it be kicked open so easily? In his panic, he quickly ran towards the south window he had climbed through earlier.
Xiao Qiao’s actions were even faster. As soon as she secured the door latch, she immediately dashed to that window, slammed it shut with a “clack,” locked the window latch, and then began to scream.
Before Chen Rui could ram the window, he heard a commotion behind him. Turning his head, he saw more than ten figures wielding fire sticks pouring in through the inner gate of the courtyard, all night guards. Terrified, knowing he’d be too late if he didn’t run now, he turned and sprinted towards the rear garden where he had originally come from. But after running just a few steps, figures appeared at the end of the side corridor. In no time at all, all his escape routes were blocked from all directions, leaving him with nowhere to run.
Chen Rui regretted this deeply. He regretted being lured by Lady Qiao at the start, engaging in such a lengthy conversation with her. If he had just knocked her out and carried her away immediately, he would surely have been out of the yamen by now. How could he have ended up in such a predicament, like a turtle in a jar? Red-eyed with rage, he let out a roar, drawing a soft whip coiled at his waist, ready to fight to the death to break through. Suddenly, arrows rained down from all around with a flurry of whooshing sounds. In the blink of an eye, over a dozen arrowheads were embedded in his chest and back.
Chen Rui was born with his internal organs in reversed positions. That’s why when Wei Shao had ordered him mutilated and stabbed in the heart, the executioner, believing he must be dead, dragged him to the corpse pile and left him there. Yet he had struggled back to life and eventually escaped.
He had thought that surviving such a great calamity must mean good fortune awaited him. Never did he imagine that today he would die at the hands of a woman.
Chen Rui let out a wild cry, pulled out a blood-stained arrow from his right chest, and fell backward.
Only then did Chun Niang rush towards Xiao Qiao’s room door, pounding on it forcefully and calling out loudly for her mistress.
It was only at this moment that Xiao Qiao felt her whole body go weak as if she no longer had the strength to stand. She slid down the wall, curling up into a ball and trembling slightly. Suddenly hearing Chun Niang’s familiar and anxious calls, she forced herself to stand up, but her hand was so weak she couldn’t even pull open the door latch. After several attempts, she finally managed to remove the wooden bar.
Chun Niang pushed the door open in one motion. Seeing Xiao Qiao standing behind the door, eyes wide open and face deathly pale, and hearing her call out “Chun Niang” in a tearful voice, she felt heartbroken. She embraced Xiao Qiao’s ice-cold body tightly in her arms, continuously patting her back and comforting her.
Xiao Qiao sat down, supported by Chun Niang.
Closing her eyes and resting for a moment, her wet nurse’s warm embrace and gentle comforting words finally helped her regain some composure. Suddenly remembering something, she opened her eyes and asked, “What about that Chen Rui?”
Chun Niang said hatefully, “That scoundrel has been shot dead! Don’t be afraid, my lady! I was awakened early by the sound of his voice in your room. I even eavesdropped at the door for a while. I wanted to call for help right away, but I feared that cornered rats might harm me, so I quietly called for people to come and lie in wait nearby, ready to act when the time was right. Fortunately, my lady also managed to keep him calm and then blocked him outside. Otherwise, it’s unthinkable what might have happened!”
Recalling that scene, her heart was still pounding, and her back was covered in cold sweat.
Xiao Qiao remembered that Chen Rui had only revealed half a sentence to her, saying that the Qiang youth was hidden by him in Longshan, west of the city.
Longshan was vast, and without a precise location, it would be difficult to find someone quickly. If too much time was wasted, the youth’s life might be in danger. Disregarding her weak legs, she hastily put on some clothes and immediately stood up, opening the door to go out. She saw Jia Si’s deputy, Lin Huben, ordering people to carry Chen Rui away, and quickly called for them to stop.
Lin Huben hurriedly ran over to beg her forgiveness.
Xiao Qiao shook her head and rushed to Chen Rui’s side. Seeing several arrows protruding from his chest, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes tightly shut, it was clear he was already dead with no breath left. There was no possibility of questioning him further.
Seeing his gruesome state, a strange feeling welled up in her heart. She couldn’t bear to look any longer.
Steadying herself, she turned to Lin Huben and said, “That Qiang youth should now be hidden somewhere in Longshan. Take men immediately to search the mountain. You may borrow troops from the four cities, the more men the better! You must find him as quickly as possible!”
Lin Huben complied.
“As for this man…” she hesitated, “Dig a hole and bury him whole.”
Lin Huben was startled for a moment but then agreed.
Xiao Qiao was still weak and powerless. Having given her orders, Chun Niang supported her. As she turned to go back to her room, Chen Rui on the ground suddenly opened his eyes as if coming back to life. With a muffled sound, he lunged forward, his hands tightly gripping one of Xiao Qiao’s feet with unusual strength.
This scene was so sudden that everyone was stunned, no one had expected it.
Xiao Qiao was already weak and powerless. How could she withstand this grab? She cried out in shock and fell sitting on the ground. Terrified, she watched as Chen Rui opened his mouth and bit down hard on one of her feet, his eyes fixed on her as he mumbled, “You… are… truly… beautiful. Dying… beneath… you… I have… no… regrets…”
With these words, he breathed his last.
Xiao Qiao let out a shrill scream, “Ah—!”