Le ciel au-dessus des rivières et des lacs est dégagé

Chapitre 23

Treasure Scroll, Chapter Twelve: If You Are Lowly (Part Three)

Updated: 2008-10-04 15:09:12 Word Count: 4512

First update.

*****************

Shulu said in a trembling voice, "I...I only ask..." But she couldn't finish her sentence. She just gasped for breath. After a long while, she suddenly took out a brocade pouch from her bosom, poured the contents into her hand, spun it around, and found another pearl, even bigger than the three pearls in the beaded flower she had given Lianyi last time.

"Here...for you!" He reverently held the pearl and presented it to Zexiu. Looking up at his radiant face, he felt extremely beautiful and pure. He was actually ashamed of his own appearance and felt a sense of awe instead of love. He restrained most of his usual roguish and wicked manner, only regretting that he did not have thousands of gold coins to squander on him in order to make him smile.

Zexiu took the pearl, looked at it for a while, then suddenly raised an eyebrow, smiled, and whispered, "Why are you giving me this?"

Shulu murmured, "I...I only ask...my good brother to have pity on me, I dare not ask for anything more, just for this one night..."

Zexiu lowered his eyelashes and tilted his peach blossom eyes upwards, looking him up and down. Shulu felt numb all over from his gaze, feeling like he was being tossed into the clouds one moment and pulled down the next, not knowing what to do.

Zexiu suddenly put away the pearl and said, "Very well. Seeing how much you love and respect me, I will give in to you for one night."

Delighted, Shulu scratched his head and hurriedly led his horse to lead the way. The guards beside him didn't know whether to persuade him or stop him, and secretly shook their heads. Zexiu stopped him, saying, "Wait, I have something to do. I'll go to the inn first. You come with me. I'm afraid there are even more stunning beauties there. You'll regret it."

Shulu quickly shook his head and said, "I will never regret it! When I see my good brother, I get confused and can't look at anyone else."

Ze Xiu chuckled coldly, then turned to Xiao Man, who was watching the commotion, and asked, "Which inn are you staying at?"

Xiao Man guessed that he was looking for trouble with this person and was just asking the question on purpose, so she smiled and said, "It's far away, I can't say for sure, why don't I lead the way?"

Shulu knew that she was with Tianquan, and he was both surprised and delighted. He said in a trembling voice, "Good brother, you...you know them too?"

Zexiu hummed in agreement. "I know him, we're very familiar. I have a brother who only wears white and specializes in playing the xiao (vertical flute). I'll need you to come and give him your opinion."

Xiao Man didn't understand the vulgar language, but seeing that he had also brought up Tian Quan, she couldn't help but chuckle to herself.

Shulu was overjoyed and followed them without a second thought. Xiaoman deliberately took a roundabout route, choosing secluded paths. After walking for almost half an hour, Shulu finally couldn't help but ask, "Where exactly is the inn?"

His guards were loyal and followed him closely. Looking around, they saw high walls and no sign of human habitation. One of them whispered, "Your Highness, these people are very strange. They might really be spies. Your Highness should leave quickly."

Shulu wouldn't listen to reason and was about to ask Xiaoman again, but she and Lianyi had vanished without a trace. He froze, then suddenly felt a gust of wind behind his ear. He instinctively dodged, only to be kicked hard in the back of the neck. His vision went black, and he screamed.

The guards drew their swords and slashed at Zexiu. He dismounted, slapped his horse's rump hard, and the horse neighed and galloped away, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Zexiu landed on the ground, his body like a drawn bow, suddenly unfurling, and kicked a guard in the face, shattering his jaw. The guard screamed and fell to the ground.

Seeing him charging left and right with great bravery, and that even a dozen guards couldn't stop him and were gradually losing ground, the guards panicked. Some of them abandoned Shulu and turned to run away. The rest of the guards, seeing that some people were running away and knowing that Shulu had always been cruel and incompetent, and that most of them hated him, also scattered like birds and beasts, and soon they were all gone.

Zexiu laughed loudly, walked up to Shulu, lifted him off the ground, and said coldly, "It seems you are a prince, the kind who is incompetent, tyrannical, and bullies others with your power. Today I will seek justice for those who have been oppressed by you!"

Having said that, he threw a punch and beat him until he was like a rag doll. Shulu couldn't take it anymore, so he simply lay on the ground, hugged his leg, and said in a trembling voice, "Good brother, don't hit me... I only love you. I'm bewitched when I see you. I've never been like this to anyone else!"

Zexiu wanted to hit him again, but when he looked down at him, his face was bruised and swollen, and his eyes were full of tears. He didn't hate him, but was still looking at him with a mixture of love and fear. He kicked him away, took out the pearl from his pocket, crushed it with a snap, threw it in his face, and said indifferently, "Get lost."

To everyone's surprise, Shulu was determined. She grabbed his clothes and refused to leave, saying, "Good brother, I'd rather you beat me to death than leave you!"

Zexiu couldn't help but want to punch him again, but then he saw Xiaoman and Lianyi peeking out from a nearby alley. He could let Lianyi go, but Xiaoman was all smiles, his smile was so bright that he couldn't bring himself to throw his fist down. He could only let go of him, clap his hands, and say, "You're quite clever."

Xiao Man walked over with a grin, looked at Shu Lü, who was basically no different from a rag doll, and said, "You're really ruthless. What if you offend the Khitan royal family?"

Zexiu glared at her: "Stop talking nonsense, you won't escape responsibility either."

Seeing that he was about to leave again, Xiaoman quickly chased after him and said, "I helped you out of that predicament and let you vent your anger. How can you leave without even saying thank you? That's so rude!"

Zexiu looked at her with a half-smile and teased, "Then how do you want me to repay you? How about I offer myself to you?"

Xiao Man's smile faded, and she said seriously, "I don't care about your good looks, but you have to repay me. Here's what we'll do: you have to follow me and protect me all the way until you find all five corners. When I say protect me, I mean protect only me, not the Mountain of No Return. Don't mention the Mountain of No Return to me or anything like that. In short, I mean you have to stay... Hey, I know you don't agree, but I'll give you time to think about it. I'll count to five, and if you don't shake your head, I'll take that as your agreement. One, two, three, four, five."

Zexiu was both amused and exasperated. "You're cheating!" he spat, flicking her forehead lightly with his finger, but without any anger or blame. "This doesn't count. I have things to do and don't have time to hang out with you guys. I'll naturally come to help you when I have time in the future."

Xiao Man gently covered her forehead; the spot where she had been flicked felt numb but didn't hurt, and it didn't seem particularly unpleasant. Her lips moved slightly, as if her heart had stirred slightly as well. She couldn't help but follow him, grabbing his sleeve and looking up at him.

Zexiu looked down and rarely saw her with such an expression. It wasn't ingratiating, nor was it a fawning smile, and there was no pretense. Her eyes were wide open as she quietly looked at herself. Her small face was clean and delicate, a far cry from the sharp, fox-like look she had on that night.

He whispered, "I'll always come to your aid, but not now, I'm tied up with something important..."

Xiaoman slowly released her hand, and Zexiu's heart softened suddenly. He said gently, "I'll be right away..."

Before they could finish speaking, a commotion erupted outside. Many people stumbled and ran towards the scene. Both of them were startled, and then they saw a large number of heavily armored soldiers marching past, each exuding a murderous aura, as if they were in an empty field. Pedestrians on the street hurriedly scattered to avoid them. Zexiu grabbed Shulu, pulled Xiaoman by the arm, and slipped into a dark alley.

A large army rushed over, and the situation seemed rather strange. Xiao Man's mouth was covered by Ze Xiu, who was afraid that she would say something that would cause trouble. Her voice was barely audible: "So quickly you found out that we tricked this prince away and beat him up?"

Her lips brushed against his fingers and palm, and Zexiu's wrist trembled involuntarily. She quickly lowered her hand, peeked out, and made sure the army had passed before turning back and saying, "I'm afraid there has been a rebellion in the capital. The situation has been unstable lately. Yelü Chage is ambitious. Look at the weapons and banners of these soldiers; they don't belong to the emperor."

"Usurpation?" Xiaoman didn't quite understand these political struggles, but since that's what they said, it must have been a usurpation.

Zexiu didn't speak, but pulled her out of the alley and said, "You should go back to the inn quickly. It's always safe to stay with Tianquan. Leave the capital as soon as possible, otherwise the checkpoints will start to crack down, and it might not be easy to get out."

Left with no other choice, Xiaoman turned around and left with Lianyi. However, halfway down the alley, several people suddenly rushed in. Lianyi quickly stepped in front of Xiaoman, and upon closer inspection, they saw several men dressed as Khitan commoners. Upon seeing Xiaoman and Lianyi, they politely stepped aside to let them pass.

Lianyi pulled her along and they took a few quick steps when suddenly someone exclaimed, "Your Highness! How...how did you get here!"

Oh no! Someone knows that perverted lecher! Xiao Man turned around in alarm and saw several men surrounding Ze Xiu. One of them reached out to help the staggering Shu Lü, saying urgently, "Your Highness! I'm late! Fortunately, Yelü Cha didn't cut my hand! Did this hero save Your Highness?"

They looked at Zexiu with gratitude, clearly having misunderstood that Shulu was in such a sorry state because he was being chased by Yelü Chage's men, and that Zexiu was his savior.

Zexiu coughed but didn't speak. Shulu slowly raised his eyes, and when he saw these people, his eyes suddenly lit up. He said, "Tuixian! You escaped?"

The pale-faced man with a light beard at the head of the group was Yelü Tuixian. His eyes were filled with tears, and he said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, Emperor Shizong… Emperor Shizong has been placed under house arrest by Yelü Chage! I fear his life is in danger. The court is in chaos, leaderless, and Yelü Chage is about to usurp the throne!"

Shulu trembled slightly, but laughed and said, "He really did make a move, and he's quite bold!"

Yelü Tuixian said urgently, “Your Highness cannot stand aside! Yelü Chage is ambitious and determined to wipe us out. Even if Your Highness wanted to stand aside, it is impossible! Now, the capital is filled with suspicion and people are investigating dissidents. As the eldest son of Emperor Taizong, Your Highness will inevitably become the target of everyone's attacks. Your subject has already sworn never to submit to the traitors who plot to usurp the throne! The three armies are on high alert, awaiting Your Highness's order!”

Shulu chuckled and said, "Emperors always take turns. Today it's his family's empire, tomorrow it's mine. What's the difference? Yelü Chage wants to be emperor so badly, let him be emperor. Why do you all have to push me into the limelight? I might as well go with him. It'll be easier that way, and I'll avoid all the fighting and messy affairs!"

Yelü Tuixian said angrily, "Your Highness's words have placed me in the fires of hell! I will never forget the kindness of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Shizong! If I have any disloyal thoughts, may I be struck by lightning and die without a burial place!"

Without a word, he grabbed Shulu's hand and started to leave. Shulu was so anxious that his face turned pale. He tried to refuse, twisting and turning like a pretzel, and cried out, "Tuixian! I don't want to be emperor! Let whoever wants to be emperor be emperor! I'm going to refuse to the end anyway, so why bother!"

Yelü Tuixian said sternly, "Your Highness, you must be careful with your words! It's one thing if you don't cherish the empire that the late emperors fought so hard for, but how can you just hand it over to traitors! How can the men of the Yelü family be so spineless!"

Shulu simply lay on the ground and cried out, "I've never had any backbone! How could I possibly shoulder such a heavy responsibility! You're killing me! Whether you want to be emperor or quell a rebellion, don't come looking for me, go find someone else!"

Yelü Tuixian snatched the jade pendant from his waist and shoved it in front of him, saying, "Does Your Highness still recognize this?"

Shulu Kejin sat on the ground, lazily looking at the jade, and said, "The military tally, you can take it if you want. Don't bother me. The emperor's affairs have nothing to do with me. I have no ambition, I go with the flow, I'm law-abiding, and I'm a good citizen of the Liao Dynasty. Yelü Chage knows all this, and he won't come to kill me."

Yelü Tuixian sneered, "Your Highness is too naive! Just because you don't provoke him doesn't mean he won't come to kill you. Your identity is that of the eldest son of Emperor Taizong, the Prince of Shou'an of the Liao Dynasty. With Emperor Shizong dead, only you can rightfully ascend the throne. To Yelü Chage, you are the greatest threat. Even if you run to him now and confess your true feelings, he will not spare you. Your Highness, your head is hanging over there right now!"

Shulu was startled. He hadn't thought of these things before. After a long while, he muttered, "No way, is it that exaggerated?"

Yelü Tuixian continued to add fuel to the fire: "This humble general knows that Your Highness has no interest in the ways of power, but even if you are unwilling, you have a responsibility to take over the great empire of our ancestors. Now that Yelü Chage has rebelled, the various regions are leaderless and only lack a leader. With Your Highness's status, as long as you raise your voice, thousands will surely respond. As long as Your Highness agrees, this matter of quelling the rebellion will be handled by this humble general. Your Highness only needs to wait for your ascension to the throne."

Forced into a corner by him, Shulu could only nod haphazardly and say, "Alright, whatever you say. I'll leave it all to you. Don't bother me anymore!"

Yelü Tuixian was overjoyed and hurriedly kowtowed in agreement. He then stood up and said, "Please come with me, Your Highness. Take at least a few trusted men with you to avoid trouble for now, so that I can feel at ease."

Shulu saw that there were two young boys with him, namely Tuixian's eldest and youngest sons, Xianghua and Gengu, so he casually said, "Xianghua and Gengu are both quite skilled. Although they are young, I heard that they have defeated adults before, so let's send them."

Yelü Tuixian was taken aback for a moment, then hurriedly pushed the two men in front of Shulü: "From now on, you must serve the prince wholeheartedly and not be negligent!"

Yelü Xianghua and Yelü Gengu knelt down and kowtowed three times. When they raised their heads, both of them were handsome young men. Yelü Xianghua was about fifteen or sixteen years old and was imposing and fierce, while Yelü Gengu was only thirteen or fourteen years old, but he had a heroic air about him.

"Your Highness, you must disguise yourself and live in anonymity on this journey, so please be extremely careful. Three months from now, I will await Your Highness at Ci'er Mountain in Xijing. Do not forget our appointed time!"

Shulu just wanted him to leave quickly, so he nodded vigorously.

Yelü Tuixian hurriedly gave a few more instructions before reluctantly leaving.

Treasure Scroll, Chapter Thirteen: Scattering (Part One)

Updated: 2008-10-04 15:09:14 Word Count: 3322

Second update.

I had some errands to run and needed to leave early, so I'm updating earlier than usual. ^_^

*****************

Yelü Xianghua, though young, was very mature. He clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and said in an old-fashioned manner, "Your Highness, the capital is in chaos right now. We should leave as soon as possible."

Shulu Chaoze glanced at him, feeling very reluctant, and suddenly said, "Let's travel with this hero. He is highly skilled in martial arts, and I feel at ease with him by my side."

Zexiu was so angry she wanted to punch him in the face a couple more times, and coldly asked, "Are you Yelü Jing?"

Judging from Yelü Tuixian's tone, this man is Emperor Taizong's eldest son and the Prince of Shou'an of the Liao Dynasty, so he must be Yelü Jing. I've heard of his incompetent and tyrannical behavior before, and it's mostly been a laughing stock. I never thought he would offend me one day.

Yelü Xianghua glared and shouted, "How dare you! How dare you address the prince by his name!"

Seeing the boy's serious expression, Ze Xiu laughed instead, raising his hand to slap the boy on the head. Yelü Xianghua watched him warily, gripping the spear in his hand tightly, ready to strike if he dared to make a move.

Unexpectedly, he moved with lightning speed. The moment the weight lifted from his head, Yelü Xianghua's heart sank—his helmet had been removed. Then, a large hand, like petting a puppy, vigorously stroked his head, ruffling his hair. Yelü Xianghua froze for a moment, then something was suddenly shoved into his hand. Looking down, he saw it was his helmet. When he looked up again, Zexiu was already far away, waving and saying, "Goodbye! I wish you great success in your endeavors. Until we meet again."

Yelü Jing chased after him with great reluctance, pleading and grabbing his cloak, saying urgently, "Good brother! Good brother, don't go! With you here, what does the great cause matter!"

Zexiu kicked him in the head, making him stagger. Yelü Xianghua rushed forward with his spear to stab, but Zexiu laughed and dodged. Yelü Xianghua felt a light brush against his shoulder, and his upper body immediately became immobile, frozen in place.

"Just a brat." Zexiu ruffled his hair twice more, kicked Yelü Jing away as he tried to entangle him, then leaped onto the high wall and waved to Xiaoman: "You guys should leave too!"

"Good brother! Good brother!" Yelü Jing cried out like a pig being slaughtered, chasing after him for a few steps, but his whole body was covered in wounds and the pain was unbearable. His legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground.

A soft footstep sounded behind him. Yelü Jing tried to raise his chin, but could only see a pair of embroidered shoes and a crimson skirt standing in front of him.

"Hey, do you want to be the emperor?" a delicate voice asked him softly from above.

Yelü Jing struggled to turn over, lying on his back, panting heavily. The sky was too bright for him to see the girl's face clearly, but he could see that her eyes were brighter than the stars. He smiled softly and said, "Let whoever wants to be emperor be emperor, it has nothing to do with me."