Empress Dowager Xiaoxuan

Chapter 12

Xiao Xuan's words warmed Yan Yu's heart. He was also a soldier, and had honed his skills since childhood. Hearing the people in Xiao Xuan's stories, who were chivalrous and righteous, warmed his heart. He wished he could become that hero and escort the beauty home.

"The hero wielded his staff with such ferocity that even heaven and earth seemed to tremble. He fought off every thug he encountered, making them run and crawl back. The woman watched with delight, and along the way, she grew to love the hero. Finally, the hero safely delivered the woman home. Her family, who had thought she had been kidnapped and feared they would never see her again, wept bitterly upon seeing their daughter. In the end, the elderly couple decided to marry their daughter to this hero."

Upon hearing this, Yan Yu's expression softened even more.

"This was supposed to be a good thing. But that man was a blockhead and refused no matter what. He flatly rejected the old couple's proposal, saying that if he married their daughter, he would be no different from those bandits who robbed her. After saying that, he turned and left to continue his wandering life." Xiaoxuan sighed as she finished speaking.

Liu Yanyu looked at her and suddenly said, "So you want to go find him because you can't forget him? He traveled all that way to take you home, so you've already fallen for him, haven't you?"

Xiao Xuan was taken aback, then lowered her head and said, "No! I'm not that woman. I wish I were that woman, but unfortunately I'm not. I'm already betrothed, and I don't know when I'll get married. I just hope that before I get married, I can see what that hero looks like."

"You haven't seen that person before?" Yan Yu asked in surprise.

"No. I've only heard about it," Xiaoxuan replied earnestly, looking into Yanyu's eyes.

Yan Yu was extremely angry and said, "Woman, how can you be so stupid? How can you believe what you've heard? You're going to find him just because you heard such a legend. What if you can't find him? Or what if you do find him and he's completely different from what you imagined, and he's not some great hero at all?"

Xiao Xuan gritted her teeth and said, "I don't care what others say about him. He's a great hero in my heart. I'm going there just to see what my hero looks like. I'll be content with that. As for what others say about him, that's their business."

Upon hearing Xiao Xuan's words, Yan Yu's anger subsided considerably. He muttered to himself, "You're right. Once you've decided who a hero is, that's who they are. Heroes are ultimately only in your own heart."

Xiao Xuan smiled at Yan Yu, thinking he must have understood her thoughts. Then she heard Yan Yu mutter to himself, "He knows martial arts, and so do I, it's a pity we can't have a match. He uses a staff, I use a spear, I wonder which is stronger, the staff or the spear."

"A gun? Like the Yang family generals, you also use a gun?" Xiaoxuan asked.

"The Yang family generals?" Yan Yu asked, puzzled.

Xiao Xuan nodded and said, "That was a family surnamed Yang. From the master to the servants, everyone in that family knew martial arts and was loyal to their country."

"Oh? Really? Such a famous family, I've never heard of them before," Yan Yu said, then looked at Xiao Xuan and said softly, "Wait for me here."

Not knowing what he was going to do, Xiaoxuan watched as he quietly walked back to where he had just slept, picked up a weapon that looked like a stick but wasn't, with its end tightly wrapped in cloth, and crept towards her. Then he pointed to a spot in the distance, and the two of them tiptoed away.

Reaching a secluded spot, Liu Yanyu glanced at where Liu Jiye and Zhou Yunqing were resting. Seeing no movement, he removed the thick cloth wrapped around his weapon. Under the moonlight, the silvery spearhead gleamed, its bright tip dazzlingly bright. Looking at the fluttering red tassel and the gleaming spearhead, Xiao Xuan felt a sense of mesmerization.

Seeing Xiaoxuan's infatuated expression, Yanyu secretly chuckled, then held the gun in both hands and began to brandish it in the moonlight.

A blur of motion, the whistling of gunfire—Liu Yanyu, bathed in moonlight, had transformed into a small, shimmering silver dragon, soaring and coiling, his silver spear piercing, thrusting, and parrying, each strike carrying the sound of wind, both steady and sharp. Xiao Xuan watched, her eyes dazzled, mouth agape, completely absorbed in the flurry of spear movements. Even after Yanyu stopped, Xiao Xuan remained stunned, still reeling from the dazzling display of skill.

"Hey! How's it going?" Yan Yu chuckled to himself as he asked Xiao Xuan.

"That's amazing, that's fantastic! Can I get your autograph?" Xiaoxuan blurted out.

"Huh? What's an autograph?" Liu Yanyu asked.

"This is how I write your name on my clothes," Xiaoxuan said, grabbing the corner of her clothes.

Hearing this, Liu Yanyu frowned. "Why did you write my name on your clothes?"

After racking her brains for a while, Xiaoxuan replied, "The reason I wrote your name on my clothes is because I think you are a hero! It is a very honorable thing to leave the name of the hero in your heart on your clothes."

"Oh, I see!" Yan Yu's face lit up with joy, but then she frowned and said, "It's a pity there's no pen or ink."

Xiao Xuan frowned upon hearing this, and then Yan Yu pondered for a moment before putting his little finger in his mouth and biting it down.

"Hey!" Xiao Xuan hurriedly called out to stop him. Looking again, Yan Yu had already taken his hand out of his mouth, and there was still a trace of blood on his lips.

Liu Yanyu smiled gently, walked up to Xiao Xuan, and said, "Hey, where should I write it?"

Seeing the blood streaming down his little finger, Xiao Xuan felt a pang of pity and said, "If you don't have ink and brush, don't write. Why hurt yourself?"

"It's alright, it doesn't hurt. Quickly, tell me, where do you write my name, the name of this great hero?"

Xiao Xuan looked at herself, thought for a moment, and unbuckled her belt. Just then, Liu Yanyu suddenly turned his head and shouted, "Hey, what are you doing?"

Xiao Xuan was taken aback, her face flushed, and she said weakly, "It's written inside my belt, so it won't get smudged easily, and it can also serve as a symbolic talisman to protect myself." She thought he would understand this time, but he still twisted his neck, closed his eyes, and held out his hand, saying, "Put it in my hand." She thought to herself: Are you kidding me? Did people in ancient times do this? Did you do this when you entered the bridal chamber? Thinking this, she didn't stop, and quickly handed the belt to Liu Yanyu.

Having obtained the belt, Liu Yanyu turned around completely, opened his eyes, and used his blood-stained little finger to write the three characters "Liu Yanyu" inside the belt. After writing it, he blew on it, then closed his eyes again and handed the belt back to Xiaoxuan, saying, "Here you go, keep it safe."

Xiao Xuan took the belt, looked at the three bright red characters on it, and blurted out, "Hey, what's your name?"

Liu Yanyu opened her left eye and looked at Xiaoxuan with extreme frustration. Sigh, so many women are illiterate. She then said, "Liu Yanyu!"

"Oh, you're Liu Yanyu, haha, I didn't even recognize your handwriting, hahaha," Xiaoxuan laughed.

"Yes, my family's original surname was Yang. When the late emperor was alive, he adopted my father and bestowed upon my family the surname Liu," Liu Yanyu said.

"Wow, your family is so powerful? Your father is the emperor's adopted son, so is he some kind of prince or something?"

"No, that's not true! My father was just a general who led troops into battle and defended the country." Liu Yanyu answered with his eyes still closed, then suddenly said, "By the way, now that you have my autograph, shouldn't you ask that hero for his autograph when you meet him?"

"That's right! You're so smart!" Xiaoxuan said. "If it works out, I'd like to become sworn brothers with him."

Upon hearing Xiaoxuan's words, Liu Yanyu seemed to remember something. He said calmly, "It's getting late, let's go back to sleep. You should rest early too, we still have a long journey ahead tomorrow."

Empress of Khitan - Empress Dowager of Khitan Chapter Twenty-Two: Encounter on the Road

Updated: 2008-09-20 16:53:58 Word Count: 3657

Before Xiaoxuan could answer, Liu Yanyu walked back to her resting place alone and lay down on her back. Gazing at the dark blue night sky, Yanyu's mind wandered far, far away: If only she weren't a Khitan. Then I could become sworn siblings with her, how wonderful that would be. Perhaps she didn't even like the man she was betrothed to, which was why she had left the Liao Kingdom so far away to find that great hero she had heard so much about. If I told my mother to take her in, I wondered if she would agree. Hmm, never mind, my mother would definitely be angry; after all, she's a Khitan. Sigh, go find your great hero. With that thought, Yanyu closed her eyes.

Like Yan Yu, Xiao Xuan also couldn't fall asleep while gazing at the sky.

It's easier said than done; boasting is always so easy. Xiao Xuan looked at the starlit night sky, her heart churning: Who are you? You're just an unknown, insignificant nobody, yet he's the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, a great man who conquered a vast empire. Sworn brotherhood, sworn brotherhood—you think it's so simple? Zhong Xuan, you know yourself it's just an excuse to deceive yourself, don't you? You just want to escape the Liao Kingdom, to get as far away from Yelü Jing as possible; you just want to escape the control of the Khitans. What Zhao Kuangyin, what great hero—do you think you can just meet him by talking? What kind of daydream are you having? All you want is to return to the land of the Song Dynasty, to survive on Han Chinese soil. Thinking about it, her heart ached more and more. Xiao Xuan closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep before she felt homesick or shed tears.

The breakup happened a few days later.

Upon arriving in Taiyuan, they found that the Song army had indeed retreated; they had been nowhere to be seen for days, and scouts had reported that the entire Song army had indeed withdrawn back into Song territory. It seemed they knew the Liao army was approaching and retreated to avoid their advance. Hearing this, Liu Jiye felt relieved. He had intended to arrange accommodation for Xiaoxuan, but she was determined to leave. Left with no other option, he prepared some dry rations and water for her and had Yanyu escort her out of the city.

Liu Yanyu led Xiaoxuan to the city gate. Looking at the endless road outside the city, Yu asked, "Where does the hero you're looking for live?"

Xiao Xuan thought for a moment and replied, "I'm not sure. I've only heard people say that they've seen him in Song territory."

Liu Yanyu frowned and slowly said, "The Song people's territory is so vast, how are you going to find them?"

"Take your time looking, there's no rush," Xiaoxuan said with a slight smile. Yes, what was there to rush? Having left the borders of the Liao Dynasty, she was now all alone, drifting aimlessly, going wherever the wind took her.

Liu Yanyu took a package from his saddle and handed it to Xiao Xuan, saying, "Here, take this!"

Xiaoxuan took the package and asked, "What is it?"

"I hope the food and supplies you need will be of some help. The journey to the Song Dynasty is long and fraught with danger. You are alone, and being a girl, you must be especially careful. If... if you are lucky enough to return to my Han Dynasty, I will become sworn brothers with you!"

Hearing Yan Yu's words, Xiao Xuan felt a surge of warmth in her heart. Although their time together had been short, she knew he disliked the Khitans. His words, however, were a clear expression of his wish for her safe journey. Thinking of his agile figure in the moonlight, Xiao Xuan smiled and said, "Just for those words, I'll come back alive."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yanyu smiled slightly.

"Why are you a Khitan? If you weren't a Khitan, I think we would definitely become very good friends," Liu Yanyu muttered softly.

Xiao Xuan felt a pang of sadness at his words. "I'm leaving!" Xiao Xuan tied up her bundle and said to Liu Yanyu, "Until we meet again."

"Take care on your journey, and make sure you come back alive!"

Hearing Liu Yanyu's words of advice, Xiao Xuan smiled sweetly at him, waved, and rode off at breakneck speed towards the land she longed for. Behind her, Liu Yanyu watched her departing figure with reluctance. Would this girl, who was so good at telling stories, meet her great hero and return safely? She definitely would. Xiao Xuan'er, you must come back. When you come back, I'll secretly become sworn siblings with you, without telling our parents. Oh, I forgot to tell you, the beggar's chicken you cooked was really delicious. When you come back, we'll go hunt pheasants and cook beggar's chicken for you.

Watching that figure completely disappear from sight, leaving no trace, Yan Yu dejectedly turned his horse around and headed back into the city. "Alas," he thought, "I wonder who will still appreciate a hero like me."

After leaving Taiyuan, Xiaoxuan finally understood the hardships of life.

Knowing that the capital of the Song Dynasty was called Tokyo, and that Tokyo is now Kaifeng, Xiaoxuan traveled tirelessly towards Kaifeng, enduring wind and rain.

It was truly a time of war. Throughout Han territory, crumbling walls and ruins were a common sight, and homeless people could be seen frequently, their clothes tattered, shivering in the cold wind, utterly helpless. Looking at them, Xiao Xuan felt a surge of inexplicable pain. She hated herself, hated that she couldn't help those people. Her rations were barely enough for herself; even if she shared them, she couldn't save many. She could only watch helplessly as those people starved and froze. "I'm sorry, I'm not an angel, I'm not a savior. I want to live too, I want to survive." Remembering the gold she still possessed, Xiao Xuan wanted to take some out to help these impoverished people, but looking at the desolate scene around her, her heart ached even more. Even if she gave them gold, what could they do? There was no food to buy, no houses to live in; gold couldn't be turned into food, nothing at all. She could only lower her head, pretending not to see them, and run past the hungry, cold refugees. If it weren't for the little red horse's fast pace and the fact that the wanderers were too exhausted to chase after her, how could they have let Xiao Xuan, laden with food, run past them? She has made it this far without any major incidents and is still safe and sound. She is indeed extremely lucky.

When she couldn't find her way, Xiaoxuan would take out her dry rations and find some pitiful people, especially those wandering with children, giving them food in exchange for directions. She thought that once she reached Song territory, this desolate scene would disappear. However, what she saw before her was still a desolate wasteland.

This is ancient times, this is fate. Those living on the border suffered the most. They had no choice; before they were even ready to leave this barren land, iron cavalry from who-knows-where would take their lives and their food. The food they painstakingly accumulated, which they thought would fill their stomachs, was snatched away in an instant. Even if they were lucky enough to survive, they could only hold on for a few more days before starving to death in the days to come.

At first, Xiao Xuan would dismount and do her best to bury the corpses exposed under the blue sky and white clouds. But as more and more bodies appeared before her eyes, she no longer had the energy to deal with them. Several days after leaving Taiyuan, Xiao Xuan changed. No amount of history lessons could compare to seeing so many corpses with her own eyes; it was far more jarring and unforgettable. Walking past the dead, a deep hatred burned in Xiao Xuan's heart. Who took their lives? What wrong had they done? Some of these corpses didn't even have the right to be born.

The checkpoint was much easier for Xiao Xuan, thanks in large part to her gold. She successfully entered the territory of the Song Dynasty.

If the Han Dynasty was a small country, then the Song Dynasty was indeed far more prosperous. Aside from the desolation of the border regions, the further south one traveled, the more prosperous the land became. A smile gradually appeared on Xiaoxuan's face; finally, they had arrived in the Song Dynasty, finally standing on its soil.

That night, as usual, Xiaoxuan found a sheltered spot in the wild and was about to rest and recharge before continuing her journey when she heard groans coming from beside her.

Quietly walking towards the source of the groans, Xiao Xuan saw an elderly monk lying on the ground. Nearby was a dirty child, and Xiao Xuan quickly went to their side. The old monk was trembling slightly, groaning incessantly, his long beard fluttering wildly in the wind, while the child shivered from the cold.

Xiao Xuan took out a bundle from her saddle, pulled out a garment and draped it over the child, then gave him some dry rations. Watching the child wolf down the rations, Xiao Xuan knelt down and touched the old monk's forehead. It was burning hot; he had a fever!

Looking around, Xiaoxuan said to the child eating dry rations, "Stay here and don't wander around. I'll go find some branches and light a campfire so we won't be cold."

Riding on Ah Chi, Xiao Xuan searched around for branches and scraps that could be used to start a fire. She then had the pony carry them back, took out a tinderbox from her person, lit the dry branches, and started a small fire not far from the old monk.

The child hadn't felt this warmth in a long time, and immediately went to sit down by the fire, staring wide-eyed at the campfire.

Xiao Xuan glanced at the poorly clothed man, then at the elderly monk, and after a moment's thought, opened the monk's bundle. She took out a small bowl, poured in some dry rations, added some water, and placed it on a rack over the campfire to heat it. After a while, the water slowly simmered. Xiao Xuan carefully took the bowl down and stirred it with some old chopsticks from the monk's bundle. Once the rations had dissolved into the hot water and cooled, Xiao Xuan brought it to the monk, lifted his head, and slowly fed him. Watching the weak monk finish the food in the bowl, Xiao Xuan found a tattered cloth, folded it, poured water on it, and placed it on his forehead.

It was the dead of winter, and the damp cloth placed on the old monk's forehead quickly froze. Xiao Xuan pondered for a moment. She knew that people with fevers needed to be cooled down, but if this large block of ice remained on his forehead in such cold weather, he wouldn't be able to bear it. Thinking of this, she timed it carefully, removing the ice every now and then to let the old monk warm up. Remembering that she would be spending the night there, Xiao Xuan took the opportunity to go out and gather more twigs.

Empress Dowager of Khitan - Chapter Twenty-Three: Admonition

Updated: 2008-09-20 16:53:58 Word Count: 3532

The cold wind made her face flushed red, and her hands ached from the cold, but she couldn't just leave the old man and the young boy to freeze to death. She repeatedly gathered many branches, estimating that she had enough before sitting back down by the campfire to rest. Little did she know that this delay would waste several days. Fortunately, the monk was lucky; with food in his stomach, warmth from the campfire, and the ice on his forehead, his fever slowly subsided. Seeing him gradually recover, Xiao Xuan took her leave.

"Where is the female benefactor going?" The old monk asked softly when he heard Xiaoxuan say she was leaving.

“I’m going to Tokyo,” Xiaoxuan replied.

"Oh?" the old monk asked again, "Does the female benefactor have any relatives in Tokyo?"