Published at 11th of April 2019 12:05 pm

Chapter 178

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Finally, a soft sigh came from that man. At that moment, she trembled as she thought she had succeeded. But in the very next moment, he continued with a freezing voice, “Proceed with the execution!” With a whoosh, a row of orderly sounds resounded, and following that, a dull impact rang out throughout the crowd. The entire proceeding was so fast that no one had the chance to cry out in pain. Blood spurted out into the sky and tainted the pristine white snow into a deep crimson.

Quiet. It was so quiet. Chu Qiao’s blood froze up, as though her entire limbs were completely stuffed with ice. She grasped into the snow, and the snow that she grabbed was as cold as her heart, completely devoid of temperature.

“Commander He Xiao was inadequate in disciplining his men, as the other soldiers followed his lead in ignoring the military law. Bring them down, and give each of them eighty flogs. After which, they will be brought under detention by the first army.” The calm voice of Yan Xun echoed quietly in the open ground. No one made any sounds, as people merely begun to act in accordance with his orders. Their boots made creaking sounds as they rushed around in the snow.

“Master.” He Xiao’s voice came from behind. He was almost kneeling on the ground, and his voice was exceedingly calm. Yet, one could hear the intense sadness that filled her voice. He told Chu Qiao, “We have lost face for the Master. Please, Master, you have to take care of yourself.”

With the footsteps walking far into the distance, the crowds dispersed. In the intensifying wind, Chu Qiao’s knees turned numb from her kneeling posture, as her limbs were frozen, unable to musters strength. Yet, she remained in that position and knelt there as the snow slowly piled up on her, creating one thick layer. A pair of white fur boots came closer, as Yan Xun stretched out his hand to support her shoulder. Upon sensing his touch, Chu Qiao jumped up, and stumbled back, as though she had been scalded by fire.

The bodyguards stood far away, back facing them. Yan Xun stood before her and did not speak. He merely remained in the posture that he intended to support her in, as his hand stretched out awkwardly. “AhChu.” Yan Xun lightly called out to her. Yet, she seemed like she had already turned deaf. After seeking out her horse, she got onto it.

Today is so cold. Chu Qiao suddenly remembered how she actually felt that Yan Bei was warmer than the Tang Empire. Yet, she suddenly realized that Yan Bei was actually so cold, that her blood could freeze over, as though she had fallen into an icy abyss.

That night, Chu Qiao’s sickness took a drastic turn for the worse. Before she had even left the army camp, she had already fallen from the horse. After being sent back to her residence, Lü Liu got so worried she started crying out loud. Guarding Chu Qiao’s bed, Lü Liu cried her name out again and again. Drowsily, Chu Qiao opened her eyes and wanted to comfort Lü Liu that she would be fine and that she still had a lot of things she had not completed. Yet, when she opened her mouth, she could not say anything.

By the time she woke up, the maidservant was still at her side. Seeing that Chu Qiao had woken up, the maidservant was overwhelmed with happiness as she cried tears of joy. After eating her medicine, Lü Liu told Chu Qiao that Yan Xun had come a long time ago, and had been standing before her door for almost 14 hours.

“It is still snowing outside,” Lü Liu quietly informed Chu Qiao, while stealing a few quick glances to judge her master’s reaction.

Chu Qiao lied on the bed, as many things flooded her mind. All those memories flashed past her mind like a flowing river, as the bits and pieces of the memories over that last eight years convened into one entire river. She realized that she had understood everything, and bore no resentment or anger. What she felt was merely intense disappointment.

In Zhen Huang City, in the Northwestern region, on the city walls of Chidu, on the battlefield of Beishuo, the soldiers of Southwest Emissary’s Garrison had proven their loyalty with their lives. There was the young and handsome Feng Ting, the calm and mature Mu Rong, the smart and quick-witted Wu Danyu, and the righteous and stubborn Wen Yang, and many others. All these men were not saints; they were warriors who used their bodies as boulders and shields for others. They had definitely made mistakes before, and their ancestors had once betrayed Yan Bei and committed an unforgivable crime. Yet, from the moment they followed her in Zhen Huang City, they had already put their lives in her hands. Yan Xun was right. They were not loyal to him, but her, Chu Qiao. Yet, she did not have the ability to protect them. She carried with her the anticipation of this army. She had promised that she would make sure that their past mistakes were forgiven. She had once shouted atop the Chidu city walls that as long as they fought courageously to stop the Xia advance, they would become the heroes of Yan Bei, and that their names would be engraved in the history of military achievements of Yan Bei! Because of that, they followed her and protected the very Yan Bei lands that had ostracized them, and repelled enemies who were many times their number. Yet, her statue was erected into the hall of fame and became a well-known hero. Yet, they had been killed by their very allies.

What had she done? What had she exchanged for those young lives that were entrusted to her?

As though her chest had been weighed down by a huge stone, she felt the sweet taste of blood coming up her throat. Those soldiers had fallen behind her, yet she did not even have the courage to look back at them. When she left in such a hurry, she could only see a patch of red behind her.

“Lady! Lady!” Lü Liu forced open Chu Qiao’s hands, only to see that her palms were already bloodied. Her nails had dug into her palms from her clenching her fists.

“Please go out for a moment. Let me rest alone for a while,” a quiet, yet exceedingly hoarse voice sounded out.

Lü Liu hesitated for a few seconds before she complied and vacated the room. The room immediately quietened down.

With the moon hanging in the sky, the wind intensified. She knew that that man was still outside. As long as she did not head out, he would still be around. He had always been such a stubborn person. When they were young, he had learned how to use the blade from her. Such a complicated system of moves took him merely one month to master. He had practiced day and night, and did not stop even when his hands and feet were covered with blisters. Until today, she could still remember how in that courtyard, he stood before the pillar practicing each and every move, while his gaze was firm like a tiger. He had always held too many things within his heart. Chu Qiao thought she had already understood him, but now she began to doubt her if she truly did understand him.

With her gaze starting to freeze up, tinges of determination flashed in her eyes. She suddenly got off the bed, and took two deep breaths. Merely wearing her pajamas, she ran off to the door, and rushed into his firm embrace. Upon feeling her warmth, Yan Xun was stunned. He had not thought that she would come out, or at least not that fast. Only until he felt her thin arms embracing his waist could he react, as he returned her embrace with an even tighter hug.

“AhChu! I hurt you.” He sighed.

Chu Qiao cowered in his chest and merely hugged tightly him without responding. Yan Xun elaborated quietly, “I am not doubting you, not hating on the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison. They are now barely 2,000 men strong, and with such weak manpower, I could only dismiss their formation. Yet, they are ill-disciplined and attacked the First Army’s encampment. If I did not punish them, it would create problems in the future.”

Chu Qiao was mourning. “I understand. I completely understand. Yan Xun, I have made things difficult for you.”

Yan Xun lifted her chin and looked into her eyes, and cooed, “It’s okay, I was merely worried that I hurt you. As long as you are still willing to come out to see me, I can rest easy.”

Chu Qiao, with her eyes turning red, bit her lip and said, “They repeatedly saved me, and I am heavily indebted to them. Yan Xun, I cannot bare to see that happen to them.”

Yan Xun frowned, and finally helplessly said, “Fine, I will let He Xiao go. But if they commit any offense again, I will not go easy on them.”

Chu Qiao nodded. “Yan Xun, thank you.”

The pale moonlight shone brightly in the sky as the winds bellowed. The two were locked in a tight embrace, yet it felt as though they were so distant from each other.

After Yan Xun left for his room, Chu Qiao also returned to her own room. Upon closing the door, her expression returned to absolute zero. Quietly, she walked back to her bed and gingerly sat down while holding onto the bed frame.

Not enough manpower? Dismissing the formation? Snatching their flag? Ill-disciplined? Yan Xun, how could you say such things to me?

To a soldier, their formation being dismissed would be an unimaginable humiliation. To a soldier, their flag was something that they would defend to their very last man. As long as the flag stood, the army still existed. What’s more, the recruitment of new soldiers was such a simple thing to do. Wen Yang and his more than 30 men were all administrative soldiers. Could they really charge into the camp of the First Army that had over 300,000 soldiers, snatch back their flag, and escape beyond the city? When the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison’s men were about to be executed, why had He Xiao and the rest not been restricted and were allowed to enter the execution grounds to raise a ruckus?

Even if you had said you hated the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison for once betraying Yan Bei, it would have been better than lying to me like that.

A column of clear tears fell. With the moonlight shining into the room, the entire vicinity was painted a silvery white. Silently leaning against the bed, thousands of different thoughts flooded her mind, yet she could not figure out where things had gone wrong. At this moment, a cold jade piece fell from the bed. Picking it up, she realized it was a jade piece that prayed for her longevity. It had probably been left here just now by Lü Liu. Remembering how Feng Zhi and Lü Liu had brought back the plaque of longevity, something had connected in her mind, as her heart froze as though someone had just plunged her into an icy lake. Regardless, He Xiao and the rest would be safe for now.

Chu Qiao smiled bitterly. She would have never imagined that one day she had to resort to such means. Her tears flowed endlessly in the darkness.

Yan Xun, Yan Xun, that had happened to you? In the dark night, she could finally hold it in no more, as she started to cry out loud.

It was already deep into the night, as wild birds flew from above her head. The hooves of the horses knocked onto the layers of ice that had accumulated over God knows how many millenniums. The dry and frigid wind blew from afar as the temperature dropped yet again. The northern winds seemed like a crazed wolf, as it howled endlessly day and night. Sitting atop the horseback, Chu Qiao shrunk her neck into her clothes as she licked her dry lips, quietly in pursuit of the light in front without closing in.

After a long while, the group in front had finally stopped. Chu Qiao flipped off the back of her horse. She rubbed her face that had turned numb from the frigid wind, before beginning to take down her luggage, then picked up firewood to start a fire.

At this very moment, in the huge army in the distance, smoke from their campfire rose up into the air as well. With the leather veil ruffling, AhJing walked in with his head full of snowflakes. Seeing that a young general was standing beside Yan Xun while quietly reporting on something, his expression became upset.

Yan Xun lightly glanced at him casually, unable to tell his emotion. Yet, Yan Xun continued to listen to the other man’s report, and occasionally nodded his head. AhJing stood by the door with his face slightly turning red. After a long while, he cleared his throat, and loudly informed, “Your Highness, this subordinate has something to report.”

As if he had only noticed AhJing’s existence now, Yan Xun lifted his head up and emotionlessly looked at him before quietly saying, “Go and wait outside.”

AhJing’s face turned redder. Angrily, he looked at the man beside Yan Xun, only to see that he was bowing, and showing deference in every way possible. When AhJing had entered, that man had not even lifted his eyes. AhJing was immediately consumed with rage, as he bellowed out an acknowledgment before stomping out.

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