Empress Dowager Xiaoxuan

Chapter 33

Looking at Xiao Xuan, Han Derang didn't take Longxu. He glared at Xiao Xuan and asked, "What do you want to do? If we're going to leave, we'll leave together! What do you mean by doing this?"

"Yan Yan!" Xiao Hu Nian looked at the dust rising in the distance and said urgently, "What are you doing? Get on your horse and let's go right now!"

"I can't leave!" Xiaoxuan exhaled slowly and said, "I can't leave. You take my child and leave quickly, don't delay any longer!"

"Why?" Han Derang was also very anxious as he saw the dust getting closer and closer, and shouted at Xiao Xuan.

"I'm pregnant, I can't ride a horse!" Xiao Xuan said, looking down. Then she looked up at the two stunned people in front of her and said, "Quickly, take Guan Ge'er and Xu Ge'er and go!"

"Yan Yan, what did you say?" Xiao Hulian asked, his voice trembling.

Looking at Xiao Hu Nian, Xiao Xuan revealed a smile, a smile that was bittersweet, yet still beautiful.

"I'm pregnant. I can't ride a horse, it will... ruin the baby..." Xiaoxuan said, biting her lip in confusion.

"Get on the train! Take the child with you and stay inside. Don't come out! Unless... I'm dead!"

Seeing Xiao Xuan standing there stunned by Han Derang's words, Xiao Hulian frowned and shouted, "What are you still standing there for? Now is not the time for you to hesitate. Get in the carriage!"

Xiao Xuan glanced at Han Derang and then at Xiao Hulian. She knew that no matter how much she tried to persuade them, they wouldn't leave. She hadn't originally wanted to tell them that she was pregnant again.

Holding Longxu in her arms and holding Guanyin's little hand, Xiaoxuan and the children returned to the carriage.

"You get in the car too," Han Derang said sharply, looking at Xiao Hulian.

“I, Xiao Hulian, grew up playing with knives. I don’t even consider the mere Dangxiang people a threat.” Xiao Hulian rolled her eyes at Han Derang and continued, “Lord Han, don’t forget, I am now the Empress Dowager! Even the Emperor treats me with utmost respect. Do you dare order me around?” After saying that, she glanced at the carriage behind her and seemed to be talking to herself, “The people in the carriage are members of my Xiao family. They have the blood of my Great Liao. If I, Xiao Hulian, do not save them, I would be unworthy of being a member of the Xiao family and unworthy of being the Empress Dowager.”

As they spoke, dust billowed up, and the faint sound of horses' hooves could already be heard.

Han Derang, holding a long halberd, and Xiao Hulian, gripping a waist knife, both stared solemnly at the dust-filled area.

Xiao Xuan and her two children huddled together in the carriage. The little girl, Guanyin, seemed to know something terrible was about to happen; she and her brother shrank into Xiao Xuan's arms, too afraid to move. Xiao Xuan felt a pang of sadness, looking at her terrified children in her arms, but she didn't shed a tear. She had only one hope: that everyone inside and outside the carriage could survive safely.

The sounds of fighting filled his ears, and the Guanyin nun in his arms cried out, "I'm scared!" Longxu was also awakened by the sounds of fighting and kept wailing.

"There's someone in the carriage..." someone shouted from outside the carriage, but before they could finish, their voice was cut off.

"Boss, they're too tough, we can't eat them!" someone shouted.

"Even if you can't eat it, you still have to give it to me. Didn't you see how luxurious the carriage behind them is? There must be a lot of good stuff in it, that's why they're guarding it. Get it!"

The fighting intensified, and the carriage curtain was lifted and lowered several times.

"Boss, there are only women and children in the car."

"A person who saw what was happening inside the carriage when the curtain was lifted shouted."

"Retreat! Retreat!" the man known as the leader commanded.

He had expected some treasure in the cart, but instead found only women and children. Watching his men being slaughtered by these two, leaving only a small fraction, he cursed in frustration. Thinking of the loot still on the horses, he decided to return it to the tribe first, rather than end up losing both his people and his wealth. The chief gave the order, and the group mounted their horses and quickly left, leaving behind the corpses of their tribesmen.

The Tanguts were terrified by Han Derang and Xiao Hulian's reckless fighting, so when the curtain was lifted, they only glanced at Xiao Xuan and didn't notice the gold chain around her neck. Guanyin, nestled in Xiao Xuan's arms, conveniently blocked the light from the pearl. In their rampant looting, they were only concerned with robbing and killing, paying no attention to Xiao Hulian and Han Derang's attire, nor pondering the origin of the luxurious carriage. A piece of meat that was almost within their grasp was easily let go before their eyes. This plundering, however, would later lead to the Khitan's invasion of the Tanguts.

Watching the Tanguts leave, Han Derang quickly got into the carriage and shouted to Xiao Hulian, "Let's go before they change their minds and come back!"

Xiao Hu Nian nodded and leaped onto his horse.

As Han Derang drove the carriage, he called out, "Lie down with the child. The carriage might be bumpy, so please bear with it. I will slow down when we reach a safer place."

Knowing that he was talking to her, Xiao Xuan said to the Guanyin nun in her arms, "Guan-ge'er, be good, don't be afraid, the bad guys are gone. Come, lie down and sleep with your mother."

Seeing Guanyin lying obediently beside her legs, hugging her legs and closing her eyes, Xiaoxuan felt a pang of sadness. She gently touched Guanyin's face and said, "Good girl." Then she began to coax Longxu, who had just been awakened, back to sleep.

With the creaking and groaning of the wheels, they embarked once again on a journey with an uncertain future.

After bidding farewell to Xiao Hu Nian, Xiao Jixian rode his third sister Xiao Chuo's little red horse "Achi" and hurried towards Yelü Xian's hunting grounds. He didn't rest as long as Achi wasn't tired, ignoring his hunger and exhaustion, only wanting to see Yelü Xian as soon as possible.

A spirited Yelü Xian led his group away from Xijing City. They weren't in a hurry to travel, hunting as they went. Although their catch consisted mostly of small game, they were in high spirits. However, when they arrived at the hunting forest, the situation changed somewhat.

Upon entering the deep forest, Yelü Xian ordered the camp to be set up, intending to eat, drink, and rest well before beginning the hunt. Just as they were lighting a fire to cook, the mournful cries of animals echoed throughout the mountains and fields. Like waves of sound, one after another, the howls were utterly pitiful. The sound sent a chill down everyone's spine, but since they were already there, they decided to ignore it. Just as they were about to eat, another incident occurred.

A tigress appeared outside the camp with three cubs. Everyone was overjoyed and quickly gave this rare hunting opportunity to King Yelü Xian of Liao. Yelü Xian held a bow and arrow and looked at the tiger. The tiger and its cubs were not afraid and did not leave. Instead, they howled in pain at Yelü Xian.

This was the first time he had encountered something like this. After thinking for a moment, Yelü Xian put down his bow and arrow, ordered his men to fetch some game meat from the camp, and threw it to the tigress.

The tigress roared to the sky, snatched the meat, and led her three cubs away from the camp.

The tiger's appearance dampened Yelü Xian's hunting enthusiasm. He ordered that only camp be set up that night, and no one be allowed to hunt animals in the mountains.

That night, Yelü Xian went to bed early. The tiger and its cub outside the tent were affecting his mind; he felt uneasy and decided to sleep to stop thinking about it.

Hugh yawned. His Majesty had forbidden hunting, and he had nothing to do. Just as he was about to go into his tent to rest, a soldier ran over, knelt down, and reported, "Reporting to General Yelü, someone requests an audience with His Majesty. It's extremely urgent."

"Who is it?" Upon hearing the words "extremely urgent," Hugh couldn't help but sneer inwardly. There must be something urgent at this time.

"It was the Empress's younger brother, Xiao Jixian. He rushed here on horseback to report that someone in Xijing City was plotting a rebellion."

"What?" Upon hearing this, Hugh realized the urgency of the matter and hurriedly said, "Bring him here immediately, and I will go and report to His Majesty right away."

Xiuge hurriedly ran to Yelü Xian's tent and shouted to the attendants outside, "Quickly, wake His Majesty immediately and tell him that someone in Xijing City is plotting a rebellion."

The attendant rushed into the tent, calling out to Yelü Xian and telling him what Xiuge had said.

A moment later, Yelü Xiuge, Yelü Xiezhen, Xiao Jixian, and others were summoned into Yelü Xian's tent.

Looking at Xiao Jixian, Yelü Xian said, "Brother Liuzhi, tell me quickly, what exactly happened?"

"Not long after His Majesty's departure, trouble broke out in Xijing City. It seems someone had been following His Majesty, gathering intelligence, and upon learning he was far from the capital, targeted the princes. First, taking advantage of the Empress's absence, they sent men into the residence, falsely claiming to be acting on her behalf, to abduct the princess and princes. Fortunately, the Empress returned in time and rescued them. The group then threatened the Empress to hand over His Majesty's imperial seal. Although the Empress deceived them, she and the princes were taken away in a carriage and sent out of the city. Later, unaware that the carriage was carrying the Empress and the princess..." They then turned on the prince halfway through the journey, killing the guards and rerouted the carriage elsewhere, intending to hide the Empress, princess, and prince in a safe place. However, the Empress was worried about the Dowager Empress and refused to leave her behind. Ji Xian had no choice but to leave the Empress and the others there and rush back to the city to rescue the Dowager Empress. Before entering the city, he happened to meet Lord Han Derang, who asked about the matter. Ji Xian told him everything. Lord Han was shocked and immediately went to the place I had mentioned where the Empress was hiding to rescue her. After returning to the city and rescuing the Dowager Empress, I hurriedly came to the Emperor to report the news.

Empress of Khitan - Chapter Sixty-One: The Spy

Updated: 2008-09-20 16:54:07 Word Count: 3258

"The Prince's mansion is heavily guarded. Who could possibly break in and do whatever they want? Is the garrison commander of Xijing a good-for-nothing? When trouble breaks out in the Prince's mansion, how dare he ignore it and let the rebels run rampant?" Yelü Xian shouted.

"Your Majesty, someone impersonated the Empress Dowager and brought poisoned wine into the Prince's residence, claiming it was a gift from the Empress Dowager. The guards believed it and were all poisoned to death. They were replaced by guards sent by the rebels, so outsiders have not noticed until now."

"What?" Yelü Xian's voice trembled as he asked, "Are the Empress and the princes alright now?"

"Your Majesty, when Ji Xian left, he was safe and sound."

"Why is Han Derang there?" Yelü Xian suddenly frowned and asked, then added, "And what about the Empress Dowager? Isn't she in the capital?"

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine misses the princess and prince, so she traveled a long way to Xijing City. Lord Han came to Xijing to collect species," Xiao Jixian replied.

"Collect species?" Yelü Xian asked, puzzled.

"Lord Han said that His Majesty has ordered an incentive for farming, and he came all the way from Nanjing to Xijing to see if there are any crops that are not available in Nanjing and are suitable for planting."

Yelü Xian remained silent upon hearing this, pondered for a moment, and then asked Xiu Ge and the others, "What are your thoughts, my dear ministers?"

Upon hearing this, Brother Xiu asked, "Jixian, do you know who is plotting a rebellion? And how many people are on the other side?"

Xiao Jixian shook his head and said, "I don't know who the other party is. I only know that it is very convenient for them to leave the city. They even let the carriages that robbed the Empress, princes and princesses leave the city without inspection."

Upon hearing this, Yelü Xian could no longer sit still. He stood up, gritting his teeth, and paced back and forth.

Xiao Jixian continued, "I originally intended to bring the Empress closer to the city, but the Empress Dowager said it was not advisable to enter. The Empress Dowager said we don't know who the enemy is or how many troops they have. The Prince's residence is heavily guarded, and if they could infiltrate and poison the enemy, other places would be even more difficult to manage. In order not to alert the enemy, we only killed those who were still in the Prince's residence, and then split into two groups. The Empress Dowager went to search for the Empress's whereabouts, and I came to report to His Majesty."

Yelü Xian touched his head; it hurt, it hurt terribly. Was he about to have another attack?

Yelü Xian clutched his head in anguish, looking at Xiu Ge, Xie Zhen, and the others. "Xiu Ge..." he uttered these two words before beginning to convulse.

Xiuge and his ministers rushed forward to support Yelü Xian. Seeing saliva slowly dribbling from the corner of his mouth, Xiuge felt a surge of anxiety. He feared the news had triggered the Emperor's sudden illness. The situation was extremely critical; if they waited until the Emperor regained consciousness before making any plans, the Empress and the children would be in danger. Xiuge acted decisively, saying to Yelü Xiezhen, "Xiezhen, His Majesty is in your hands. You and the others must ensure His Majesty's safety. I will take some men and rush back to Xijing City to assess the situation. I will send someone to see His Majesty and maintain constant contact with him."

Xie Zhen nodded, and then heard a childish voice behind him say, "General Yelü, I'll help you contact His Majesty. I'm riding my third sister's horse. Although it's small, it's fast and won't delay you."

Seeing Xiao Jixian's determined gaze and hearing his words, Xiu Ge didn't want to argue with him anymore. He simply nodded, glanced at Yelü Xian who was still convulsing, and walked out of the tent.

Where are you? Are you alright? Wait for me, I'm coming to save you! Hugh silently prayed to himself.

For Yelü Xian's safety, Xiuge selected a small group of men who had come with him and they ran out of the military camp overnight, rushing towards Xijing City.

He didn't know why his heart had become so heavy. From the first moment he saw her, his life goals seemed to have changed. He no longer worried about the emperor's life, but instead was concerned about her safety. Although he didn't want to admit it, his heart would race every time he heard news about her. His heart couldn't lie to him; he had to admit that he cared about her, and about everything concerning that young empress.

The soldiers following Hugh finally understood why this young general always won battles. He was taciturn and stern-faced, galloping tirelessly towards Xijing. The soldiers ran as fast as they could to keep up with his pace. In their eyes, this general seemed to never tire.

In Xijing City, people were still going about their business as usual, completely unaware of the changes that had occurred.

Xiao Yuanhai, the garrison commander of Xijing, was in his study, pondering what kind of memorial to write for His Majesty and the Empress, when the door was pushed open and Yelü Xiuge rushed in with his men. Before he could even figure out what was going on, a steel knife in Yelü Xiuge's hand was already at his neck.

"Yelü Xiuge, what are you trying to do?" Xiao Yuanhai asked angrily.

Hugh snorted coldly and said, "Lord Xiao, tell me, who is plotting a rebellion?"

"Yelü Xiuge, what do you mean? I don't understand!"

"Don't understand? Someone in your Xijing City attempted to kidnap the Empress and the prince, and you didn't know? When the carriage carrying the Empress was kidnapped, it wasn't even checked when it left the city gate. Do you dare say you have nothing to do with this?" Xiu Ge asked angrily.

"What?" Xiao Yuanhai, the garrison commander of Xijing, trembled, staring at Brother Xiu in disbelief and asking, "Are you telling the truth?"

"Xiao Yuanhai, even now you still dare to hide things from me? Do you believe I'll kill you?"

"Yelü Xiuge! If I were to do such a thing, would I be sitting here waiting for you to arrest me? I was just thinking about how to write a memorial to His Majesty and the Empress, informing them of the current situation in Xijing. If I had committed such a treasonous act, why would I need to go through all this trouble!"

Staring at Xiao Yuanhai, Xiuge glanced sideways at the documents on his desk; indeed, he was writing a memorial. He then sheathed his sword and said, “Right now, the best thing you can do is immediately cooperate with me, Yelü Xiuge, to investigate this matter. The Empress is missing, and His Majesty will return soon. If His Majesty doesn't find the Empress upon his return, how do you plan to explain this to him?”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuanhai's body went limp, and he slumped into a chair, muttering to himself, "The Empress is missing, what are we going to do? What are we going to do..."

"Lord Xiao, what time is it? You're just sitting here wasting time! Quickly bring over the soldiers who have been guarding the city gates these past few days and get a clear answer to this!"

Yelü Xiuge's words startled Xiao Yuanhai from his daze. Xiao Yuanhai hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes!" and then shouted towards the door, "Someone come here!"

"Someone come here!"

He called out twice but received no response. Then he heard Brother Xiu say, "Come with me to the city gate!" It turned out that Brother Xiu was afraid that he was colluding with the rebels, or that he was one of the rebels. So when he broke into his mansion, he had already knocked down and tied up all the guards in the mansion. At this moment, who could Xiao Yuanhai call for help?

Yelü Xiuge was unwilling to waste time and didn't waste any more time talking to Xiao Yuanhai. He pulled Xiao Yuanhai out of the mansion and said as they walked, "Lord Xiao, we all know what the situation is like right now. If you are innocent, cooperate with me and we will find out the truth as soon as possible. If you try to play any tricks, I will send you to accompany the late emperor!"

“Brother Xiu, we are both officials in the same court. How could I, Xiao Yuanhai, be the kind of person who plots rebellion? I really didn’t know anything about this matter. I even went to the Empress’s residence in person, but the guards at the gate said that the Empress was exhausted from her journey and would not see anyone. Without her summons, no one was allowed to come to see her. How could I have known that such a thing had happened?”

Upon reaching the front courtyard, before even leaving the mansion, they saw Xiao Jixian dragging someone into the mansion.

When Xiu Ge and Xiao Yuanhai looked over, they saw that the man had a bruised and swollen face, which must have been a good beating from Xiao Jixian.