Empress Dowager Xiaoxuan

Chapter 2

It turns out that Han Derang is Xiao San's husband! Unable to bear the longing, she traveled from elsewhere to Beijing to meet her fiancé, and I inexplicably appeared here, becoming her substitute!

"Are we on good terms?" Xiaoxuan asked again.

She needed to know the level of intimacy between "herself" and Han Derang. Since she had come to meet her lover, "she" should be mentally prepared so that she would know how to speak and what attitude to have when she met Han Derang.

"Hehe," the two maids covered their mouths and chuckled, then said, "Miss has only met Han Derang a few times. But Miss respects him for his literary and martial talents, and often says that if our master had half of his abilities, he wouldn't be so idle."

Hearing what the maid said, Xiao Xuan thought to herself that this young lady was probably very good-tempered and would tell the maids anything, which was why the two maids were so unrestrained in saying such things.

"Father... how could he be such a high-ranking official in the Liao Dynasty? How could he be a high-ranking official if he didn't accomplish anything?" Xiao Xuan swallowed the word "father" that was on the tip of her tongue and voiced her doubts.

The maids lowered their voices and said with a smile, "Miss, didn't you often complain about Master, saying that he wasted all those years of studying and ended up being useless, a perpetual loser? He's not as good as Han Derang, who is both scholarly and martial, wise and brave!"

What! Miss Xiao, so your father is a perpetually defeated general, unable to go to the battlefield! I was just wondering if your father might be a hero! Xiao Xuan thought to herself, when she saw the maid laugh again: "Didn't you also say that if Emperor Chai Rong of the Zhou Dynasty hadn't fallen seriously ill and retreated during the war, our master wouldn't have gained any advantage. At least because of that battle, our master can be considered to have won one."

Empress of Khitan - Chapter 3: Lover

Updated: 2008-09-20 16:53:53 Word Count: 3354

Hahaha! Xiao Xuan was secretly laughing. So, the only battle that Xiao San's father won was because Emperor Shizong of Zhou, Chai Rong, fell ill and withdrew his troops, refusing to fight him. Oh my! I'm dying of laughter! Wait a minute, Emperor Shizong of Zhou, Chai Rong, wasn't that the Han Chinese emperor of the Later Zhou dynasty? I remember he once said that if he could rule for thirty years, he would spend ten years expanding the empire, ten years nurturing the people, and ten years bringing peace to the world. That would satisfy him! Although I don't know him well, just from those words, I can guess he was a decent emperor.

Xiao Siwen, you're a good person! You have such foresight, why fight a war? I, Zhong Xuan, know you're a pacifist, unable to bear the suffering of the world, so you'd rather suffer a long defeat than win a single battle. You're commendable! Thinking of Xiao San's father, whose opponents were Han Chinese, and who had repeatedly lost battles against them, Xiao Xuan immediately felt a sense of goodwill towards Xiao San's father.

Now I understand. It turns out that Miss Xiao San admires that Han Derang, which is why she came here to see him. Han Derang is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and possesses both wisdom and courage; she likes and admires that about him. As for Xiao Chuo, her elderly parents love her so much, yet she mocks her own father as a perpetually defeated general, and even makes a special trip to Beijing to see her future husband. She's so unfilial; she has no regard for her parents, only for her lover. Heaven must have been unable to bear it any longer, so it placed me in her body to teach her a lesson and to fulfill her filial duty in her place.

Xiao Chuo, who knows, maybe if I end your marriage with Han Derang and prevent you from getting married, Heaven will send me back to the modern world, Xiao Xuan thought to herself. Letting out a long breath, she began to ponder her next move when she heard a maid's voice beside her: "Miss, please get dressed and have dinner!"

Nodding, Xiao Xuan stood up. Although this body wasn't her own, she couldn't mistreat it. What if it starved to death? Wouldn't she become a wandering ghost? Before returning to the modern world, she couldn't neglect this body. Thinking of this, Xiao Xuan let the two maids handle "her" body and dress her.

"How old am I today, Miss?" Xiaoxuan asked weakly.

The two maids were taken aback when they heard this, and replied, "Miss is sixteen years old."

Two eights? How old is two eights in ancient times? Two eights equals sixteen, sixteen! I'm exactly sixteen this year! Amitabha Buddha, what a coincidence!

After getting dressed and all done, Xiaoxuan stood in front of the mirror and her eyes lit up. So beautiful! Two long white tails hung down from the white woolen hat on either side of her face. Hmm, very good, a beauty in the making! Fine, I accept it, I'll wear whatever I want. After all, this body isn't my own, and I don't have the right to stop someone from wearing their own ethnic clothing, do I?

Sitting at the table, looking at the food, Xiaoxuan felt a little dizzy. Being from an ethnic minority, things were different; the dishes were mostly meat. How could she eat? She had no appetite! "Oh well," she thought, "I'll go for a walk and scout out the area first."

"I'm going out for a walk. You two stay home and don't need to follow me," Xiao Xuan said to her two maids. After speaking, she walked to the door and opened it. Sunlight shone on her, making Xiao Xuan, who was wearing a white mink hat, a white dress, and a white fox tail, glow like a fairy descended from heaven.

Stepping outside and breathing in the fresh air, Xiaoxuan's mood darkened. What to do? Rely on herself? How could she survive? Although she had lofty ambitions and grand ideals, she was still young, only 16 years old. This job was too daunting. This wasn't the era she was familiar with. Forget it, she'd better think of a way to go back to Beijing; that's what really mattered!

God, I hate you! What did I ever do to you that you keep tormenting me all day long! Luckily, I have a strong will, otherwise I would have slit my own throat long ago.

Taking the reins from a servant, Xiao Xuan was helped onto a small red horse and led out of the mansion gate. "Horse, please walk slowly, I can't ride a horse." "Good girl!" Sitting on the horse's back, Xiao Xuan was pondering where to go when the horse, as if led by someone, took off galloping.

Seeing the pony gallop away, Xiao Xuan was terrified, fearing she would be thrown from its back. Just as she was about to administer some first aid, she realized her body was moving in perfect harmony with the horse, riding very steadily. She understood; this was a normal conditioned reflex. Xiao Chuo was probably a skilled rider, so even though his body was no longer the same, his original normal reactions were still present, now activated, causing this reaction. Reassured, Xiao Xuan opened her eyes wide to admire the scenery along the way.

The little horse was very intelligent; it ran incredibly fast, yet its gait was remarkably steady. After a brief gallop, Xiao Xuan was led to a patch of lush green grass. Only after the horse stopped did she begin to look around.

There wasn't a soul in sight! Where was this place? Xiao Xuan looked at her mount and wondered to herself, "Does your master often come here?" She sighed, worried that the horse might run away again and take her somewhere else, so she carefully dismounted.

Gently stroking the little red horse's neck, Xiao Xuan said, "Good boy, little horse, you're a good horse for not knocking me off. Giving you a random name would be too much of a disservice; from now on, I'll call you A-Chi." Xiao Xuan really couldn't think of any horse names, but then she vaguely remembered Red Hare, the famous horse from the Three Kingdoms period. It was said that the horse was so loyal to its master that it starved itself to death—truly a rare and excellent horse. Hmm, let's take the "Chi" from Red Hare.

The horse seemed to understand, and it excitedly reared up, neighing and frolicking all over the ground.

"Wow! Look how excited you are." Xiao Xuan murmured, "I never thought the name I gave the horse would be so popular." Shaking her head, Xiao Xuan called to the frolicking pony, "Achi, go find some grass to eat." The pony seemed to understand her words and went to the side to eat grass.

"Amazing!" Xiaoxuan exclaimed, staring blankly at the grazing pony. After looking around, she sat cross-legged on the grass.

"Hmph!" Clearing her throat, Xiao Xuan looked up at the cloudless sky.

"God, you're so cruel! Why did you put me in this weird place? In modern times, I'd be living the high life, what's the point of putting me here? I'm all alone and helpless, how can you bear to see me suffer like this? Please, God, have some mercy! Did you pick the wrong person? Please, have some compassion and send me back home!"

Looking up at the sky, there was no thunder, no lightning, just a clear, deep blue—no miracle had occurred. This was infuriating!

"God, say something!" Xiao Xuan shouted at the sky.

A horse's neighing came from behind; the little red horse must have been running wild again! Xiao Xuan turned around, but it wasn't the little red horse. A man was riding on it, looking at her with a puzzled expression, then glancing sideways at the sky.

The man on horseback had a handsome and fair complexion. Xiao Xuan looked at him and thought to herself: If this guy weren't a bit older, I could really consider getting married to him in this unfamiliar environment, so that Xiao Chuo and Han Derang's marriage would fall through.

"Who goes there? State your name." Xiao Xuan stood up from the ground, patted the dirt off her clothes, and asked the man on horseback.

The man on horseback was taken aback upon hearing this, and after a moment's thought, he said, "My name is Han Derang. May I ask your name, young lady?"

Oh ho! What a coincidence! Is he that Han Derang? I knew that little horse was bored and ran off somewhere else, only to come here; apparently, it's here to meet its lover! Oh well, Xiao Chuo, you're unlucky to have met me, Zhong Xuan. Even if you wanted this man, I wouldn't be happy. He's at least ten years older than me; I really don't know what you see in him. Men like that usually fall for every woman they see; they're never sincere. He's probably only marrying you because he's beautiful and wealthy. Xiao Chuo, I, Zhong Xuan, am doing this for your own good, to prevent you from being a unwanted flower. You should be thanking me.

Xiao Xuan pretended not to know who Han Derang was and replied, "Your full name is Xiao Chuo." After giving her name, feeling guilty, she simply left. Then she shouted at her little horse, "Achi, come here."

The pony grazing nearby seemed to understand her words and came running over.

Grabbing the reins, Xiao Xuan was about to mount her horse when she heard the man call out, "Yan Yan, where are you going?"

Oh no, he called me! I'd better keep pretending!

"Is there something you need?" Xiao Xuan turned around and looked at Han Derang with a smile, her face brighter and sweeter than any flower.

The man frowned, sighed, and said, "Didn't you ask me to come here?"

Xiao Chuo! This is truly the work of yours!

Looking at Han Derang, Xiao Xuan rolled her eyes and said, "I forgot why I invited you here. I'll tell you when I remember."

Han Derang felt a pang of loneliness. He looked at Xiao Xuan and was about to dismount and have a long talk with her when he suddenly heard a strange sound.

Empress of Khitan - Empress Dowager of Khitan Chapter 4 Hunting

Updated: 2008-09-20 16:53:53 Word Count: 3351

Han Derang's expression changed drastically, and he looked at Xiao Xuan and shouted, "Get on the horse quickly!"

Are you kidding me? We're not even married yet, and you dare to be so arrogant towards me! Xiao Chuo, look carefully, this is the man you chose! Xiao Xuan muttered to herself.

"Get on the horse quickly!" Han Derang shouted urgently.

Seeing his extremely serious expression, and how he was calling out while looking into the distance, Xiao Xuan didn't understand what he meant. Remembering that she had originally planned to leave anyway, she simply climbed onto her horse. Then she heard Han Derang shout, "Follow me, run!" With that, he spurred his horse forward, turning back to see Xiao Xuan and her horse still motionless. He cried out urgently, "Hurry up!"

Seeing how nervous he was, Xiao Xuan also became alarmed and hurriedly shouted to the little horse under her, "Achi, hurry, follow him." Hearing Xiao Xuan's words, the little horse ran after Han Derang's horse.

The wind whistled in my ears. Where was he taking me?

The horse galloped wildly for a while, until it reached a place where towering mountains stood. Han Derang looked around, found a narrow crevice to stop, dismounted, and called to Xiao Xuan who was following behind, "Quickly, dismount and come with me."

After Xiao Xuan saw Han Derang dismount, he led his horse to the narrow crevice and urged it inside. The crevice seemed very long, as the horse's entire body was hidden inside. Just as she was wondering about this, Han Derang ran over and angrily said to her, "What are you still standing here for?" Before he finished speaking, he pulled her off the horse and dragged her towards the crevice.

"What are you doing?" Xiaoxuan said angrily.

Releasing Xiaoxuan, Han Derang shouted, "Can't you hear the sound? It's such a strange sound, it sounds like a lot of people and horses are coming this way. Regardless of what that sound is, we're alone, so we should hide first."

Xiao Xuan was speechless; she couldn't hear anything. Seeing his serious and earnest expression, which suggested he wasn't joking, Xiao Xuan quickly led her pony into the narrow passage.

Although the slit appears long and narrow from the outside, it is as wide as a large hole from the inside.

Thinking of Han Derang's words, Xiao Xuan wondered, "Where did that voice come from? I can't hear it! What nonsense! It's probably Han Derang trying to trick me!" Just as Xiao Xuan was about to explode with anger, she heard a muffled rumbling sound, like thunder, approaching. The sound grew louder and louder as it drew nearer, and Xiao Xuan couldn't help but feel frightened.

After settling the two horses, Han Derang came over and said to Xiao Xuan with a serious expression, "Judging from this sound, it seems that His Majesty has come out to hunt. If His Majesty happens to see us and asks us anything, you must remember that we were betrothed since childhood and haven't seen each other for a long time, so we agreed to come here to play together."

After Han Derang finished speaking, he pulled Xiao Xuan into his arms and pressed her against the narrow wall.

Did I hear that right? He said "Your Majesty." Your Majesty is the Emperor, isn't he? The Emperor has arrived? Which Emperor is here?

"Your Majesty? What is he doing here? Why should we hide from him?" Xiao Xuan asked quietly in Han Derang's arms.

Han Derang frowned as he looked at the beauty in his arms, and quickly whispered in her ear, "With such a commotion, it must be His Majesty Yelü Jing out hunting. Although you have never met His Majesty, you must have heard of his temperament. He loves sleeping, drinking, and hunting. Moreover... he is very bloodthirsty."

Hearing Han Derang's last two words, and hearing the increasingly close rumbling sound, Xiao Xuan couldn't help but ask again, "He's bloodthirsty, but does he kill animals or...?"

"Kill them all. Anyone he doesn't like or doesn't want, no matter what they are, he'll kill them!" Han Derang's words carried a chill.

Upon hearing this, Xiaoxuan fell silent.

Screams of agony, "Ah!" "Ah!" gradually drifted into the cave.

The screams were so pitiful that Xiao Xuan shivered involuntarily upon hearing them.

Feeling her trembling in his arms, Han Derang felt a pang of heartache and quickly whispered in her ear, "Don't be afraid. Your father should be with the King. He values your father highly. Even if we are discovered by the King, he won't make things too difficult for us because of your father." Xiao Xuan nodded upon hearing this.

The sounds grew closer, and screams rose and fell. Xiao Xuan opened her eyes wide and looked out through the narrow gap. One by one, ragged men fell, struck by arrows. Those who didn't die immediately were trampled by the hooves of the approaching horses, their screams echoing. Xiao Xuan turned away, pressed her head against Han Derang's chest, trembling all over, unable to bear watching any longer.

"What crimes did they commit? Why were they killed?" Xiao Xuan looked up at Han Derang and asked.

The situation outside the narrow passage was dangerous, and he didn't want to continue arguing with the little woman in his arms, but Han Derang saw that her eyes, which were looking up at him, were filled with faint tears.

“They are not guilty; they are prey. When there are not enough animals, they take slaves to make up for it.”

Seeing her lower her head in his arms, her hands tightly gripping his arm, causing him pain, Han Derang frowned and endured the waves of pain in his arm as he carefully examined Xiao Xuan.

"Hahaha, take their gallbladders out for me!" A woman's voice came through.

Hearing a woman's voice, Xiao Xuan couldn't help but feel curious and quickly peeked outside. A woman with her face painted in bright colors was laughing loudly and swaying her hips. Feeling extremely terrified, Xiao Xuan turned around abruptly and buried her head in Han Derang's arms, not daring to look up.

"Is she His Majesty's wife?" Xiao Xuan asked softly, her voice trembling slightly with fear.

"No, it's the witch Xiao Gu."

What is she going to do?

"I'll extract the gallbladders of men to make a longevity elixir for the King," Han Derang replied softly, glancing at the two horses every now and then. He hoped that heaven would protect them and that nothing bad would happen to them.