Disco de doble caja

Capítulo 34

Looking at Xiu Ge, Xiao Jixian shouted, "General Yelü, this person has been loitering around outside the Empress's residence, peeking into the courtyard every now and then. He must be in cahoots with those people, and he definitely doesn't have any good intentions!"

Upon hearing this, Brother Xiu released Xiao Yuanhai's hand and instructed Xiao Jixian, "Jixian, close the door first!" Upon hearing this, Jixian quickly ran to the gate and closed the gate of Xiao Yuanhai's residence tightly.

Yelü Xiuge looked at the man and asked, "Speak, what are you doing loitering outside the Empress's residence? What is your purpose?"

"No, I was just passing by and taking a look!" the man replied.

Empress of Khitan - Empress Dowager of Khitan Chapter Sixty-Two Arrangements

Updated: 2008-09-20 16:54:07 Word Count: 3376

Seeing his evasive words, Hugh didn't say anything more. He looked around, took a stick from one of the soldiers he had brought, walked over to the man, kicked him, and made him fall face down. He then raised the stick and hit the man's buttocks with it.

This Brother Xiu was a military general, and his skills were truly earned through fighting. In every battle, he was always at the forefront, a true warrior, not just a name without substance. When he struck the man with his staff, the man couldn't take it. He cried out in pain, his voice trembling as he pleaded, "Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me! I'll talk!"

"Tell me, why are you wandering around there?"

"I...I was checking to see if Her Majesty the Empress had returned with the princes."

Upon hearing this, Xiu frowned and said, "How do you know that the Empress and the princes are not in the mansion? You must be involved in this matter. Tell me everything right now, or I will not let you go until I break this stick in my hand today."

When the man saw Hugh's furrowed brows, he inwardly groaned. "This is going to kill me! How did I end up in his clutches?" he thought. "Looks like I won't get out of here today if I don't tell the truth." He decided to just tell the whole story. He immediately cried, "I have nothing to do with this! It was all...it was all the Prince's idea! He's the one who made us do it!"

"Your Highness? Which Your Highness?" Hugh asked, his eyes wide.

"King Zhao! We are from the King Zhao's residence!"

Hugh suddenly realized why they could freely enter and exit the city gates without being checked by the guards; they were Zhao King's men!

"Prince Zhao? How dare you spout such nonsense? Believe me or not, I'll give you a good spanking!" Xiu Ge wanted to confirm, so he deliberately shouted, "Prince Zhao is a relative of the Empress. Everyone knows that Princess Zhao and the current Empress are sisters. How dare you deceive me with lies? You're asking for a beating!"

"General Yelü, spare my life!" the man cried out. "How could I dare to lie to you! It's really true. I still have a letter from Princess Feng to Her Majesty in my arms."

Upon hearing this, Hugh turned him around, reached into his clothes and rummaged around, and sure enough, pulled out a letter.

The letter read: "To my dear sister, this is to say hello."

After thinking for a moment, Hugh opened the letter and saw that it read:

Yan Yan, my husband Xi Yin recently arrived near Xijing City. Hearing of unrest in the city, and fearing for your safety, I am writing this letter. Please bring your children to the city gates immediately upon receiving this letter to meet my husband. I will ensure your safety. Sister: Yan Gan

After reading it, Xiu Ge said to Xiao Yuanhai, "Lord Xiao, please wait here for a moment." He then moved the person lying on the ground to another spot and asked in a low voice, "This says that Princess Zhao wants to save the Empress. What does this mean?"

The man cried, "This was all planned by the Prince and Princess; it has nothing to do with me. I was only following orders and had no other choice. When the Prince and Princess learned that His Majesty had left the capital with the Empress and the princes, they assumed their defenses would be much weaker. So, the Prince and his soldiers followed them, originally intending to assassinate His Majesty. Later, they learned that His Majesty had gone hunting with his entourage, leaving the Empress vulnerable. So, they sent someone to infiltrate the residence and poison the Empress and the princes, intending to kidnap them and find the Imperial Seal. On the other hand, they planned to use the lives of the Empress and the princes to force His Majesty to abdicate." If His Majesty refuses, then we will use the Imperial Seal to mobilize a large army and rebel. Everything was planned perfectly, but unexpectedly, the men escorting the Empress's carriage all died not far from the city. The Empress, the princes, and the carriage have vanished without a trace. In the past few days, even the guards who went out to search for the Empress and her entourage have not returned. The Prince is anxious, so he wrote a letter to the Princess in the capital. The Princess wrote these two letters and sent them to the Prince. The Prince then told me to bring this letter and see if the Empress has returned to her residence. If she has, I will give the letter to the Empress so that she can be tricked into leaving the city.

"So what was written in the other letter?" Hugh asked.

The man said tremblingly, "I don't know what the princess wrote in her letter to the prince, but I think the gist of it was that the prince should seize the opportunity and act quickly. I saw the prince reading the letter in the tent and muttering, 'Opportunity knocks but once,' so that's probably what he meant."

After thinking for a moment, Xiu Ge asked again, "According to you, the Empress will listen to you and follow you out of the city?"

"Reporting to the General, when Her Majesty the Empress came to our Prince's residence to speak with the Princess, she saw me and knew that I was a guard by the Princess's side. That's why the Prince ordered me to bring this letter to Her Majesty and tell me to deliver it to her personally. He said that if she saw me and saw that it was her own sister's handwriting, she would definitely come with me."

Upon hearing this, Hugh pondered silently for a moment before speaking to the man again: "Do you know what the consequences will be if you lie?"

"I know, General Yelü, please spare me. I'm telling the truth, I didn't lie to you. I did this because my lord and princess forced me to," the man cried.

"You sent people to kidnap the Empress, so why are you carrying this letter back to the city to look for her now that she's disappeared?" Xiu asked again.

"It is because Her Highness is currently missing that my lord is completely baffled. He doesn't know if she has been rescued or if something else has happened. That's why he sent me with this letter, just in case. If Her Highness and the princes are rescued, then lure them out of the city again. If there is still no news of Her Highness and the princes, then I must find out any clues about them and rush back to report."

"happy Yin, Xiao Yangan!" Xiu Ge cursed inwardly. "I never thought that you two, who are so close to the Empress, would want to harm her."

"What about the Empress Dowager?" Xiu Ge suddenly remembered Xiao Hu Nian, whom Xiao Jixian had mentioned.

"This, I don't know either. My lord doesn't know how she suddenly appeared here either. My lord instructed his men that if the Imperial Concubine gets in the way, they should get rid of her first, so as not to cause any trouble."

Hearing this, Xiu Ge finally felt a little relieved. Fortunately, only Xi Yin's group wanted to harm her. If even her eldest sister, Xiao Hu Nian, had some ulterior motives, her situation would be dire.

Lifting the man by the hand, Xiu Ge returned to Xiao Yuanhai's side and said, "Lord Xiao, this criminal is very important. I'm afraid His Majesty will personally interrogate him. You should find a safe and secure place to lock him up for now."

"Okay, I'll take care of it right away."

"Lord Xiao, I will leave the city now and immediately strengthen the inspections at the city gates and the security measures within the city."

"General Yelü, should we close the city gates first?" Xiao Yuanhai asked.

After a moment's thought, Hugh said, "Send more men to the city gates to thoroughly check all suspicious persons. The Empress is missing and His Majesty has not yet returned, so do not close the city gates yet. We will make a decision after His Majesty returns."

We can't close the city gates. If we do, His Majesty will be even more alarmed. Let's leave it at that for now and decide what to do next after His Majesty returns.

“Alright, do everything as General Yelü instructs,” Xiao Yuanhai said.

Hugh sighed and said, "I will lead the troops out of the city to find the Empress. His Majesty should be back soon. If there is any news, I will send someone back to report to His Majesty in time. If you see His Majesty, please tell him what I have said."

“Yuanhai understands. Thank you for your help, General Yelü,” Xiao Yuanhai said.

Xiu Ge then walked over to Xiao Jixian, handed him the letter he had found, whispered something in Jixian's ear, and then strode away.

Watching Yelü Xiuge's departing figure, Xiao Yuanhai felt a surge of emotion. "Yelü Xiuge, you truly deserve to be called a fierce general of our Great Liao. You are calm and prudent in handling matters, and decisive and resolute in your character. I hope you can find the Empress and the princes, so as to lessen my guilt."

Xiu Ge rode his horse, leading some elite soldiers, towards the city gate. Upon reaching the gate, Xiu Ge dismounted and carefully questioned the soldiers guarding it. The answers he received were consistent with what the man in the Xiao residence had said. Indeed, a luxurious carriage had left the city a few days ago. Because the guards showed their Zhao Prince's Mansion badges, the city guards did not conduct a thorough check and allowed the carriage to leave.

After ascertaining the situation, Hugh immediately mounted his horse and led his men out of the city gate, searching everywhere for every single clue about the carriage.

One day after Xiuge left, Yelü Xiezhen escorted Yelü Xian back to Xijing City.

Yelü Xian, whose condition had just improved, insisted on returning to Xijing immediately. However, he was already unwell, and the sudden onset of his illness, coupled with the shock of the events, meant he couldn't even ride a horse and had to travel in a carriage, which delayed Xiu Ge considerably. Fortunately, Xiu Ge had made all the necessary arrangements, and after he and his soldiers returned to the city, Xiao Jixian explained everything to him clearly.

Empress of Khitan - Empress Dowager of Khitan Chapter Sixty-Three: Radiance

Updated: 2008-09-20 16:54:08 Word Count: 3168

happy Yin! If anything happens to Yan Yan and the child, I will chop you into mincemeat!

When Xiao Jixian told Yelü Xian in detail about the letter that lured Xiao Xuan out of the city, as well as the message that Xiu Ge had asked him to pass on, Yelü Xian felt both angry and resentful.

Why did he completely ignore Xi Yin! Xi Yin, you scoundrel! Yan Yan even spoke well of you, yet you dared to treat her like this! I will not forgive you this time!

Ever since Xiao Yangan pleaded for Xi Yin, out of consideration for Xiao Xuan, Yelü Xian would show him some concern each time he went to court. However, Xi Yin became increasingly demanding, and over time, even when Yelü Xian summoned him, he put on airs and only arrived after being urged several times. Yelü Xian, angered by his lack of progress, ordered him to be whipped. This sowed the seeds of resentment in Xi Yin's heart, causing him to harbor hatred and plot a rebellion.

I like to hide my feelings!

Yelü Xian slammed his fist on the desk and roared, "Xie Zhen!"

"Your Majesty!" Yelü Xiezhen, unaware of Yelü Xian's sudden outburst of anger, hurriedly knelt and cried out.

"I order you to quickly take your men and find Xi Yin, who is stationed near Xijing City, capture him alive, and bring him back to me!"

Xie Zhen let out a soft breath and replied loudly, "Yes!"

After dismissing everyone, Yelü Xian returned to Xiao Xuan's room, closed the door tightly, and sat on the bed, weeping alone.

Yan Yan, where are you? Are you and the child alright?

Tired and exhausted, he closed his eyes, lay on the bed, and breathed in the lingering scent of her in the room before falling into a deep sleep.

The next morning, after Yelü Xian got up and washed, he heard his attendant report: "Your Majesty, Xiao Jixian requests an audience."

"Liu Zhige?" Yelü Xian murmured, then asked, "When did he arrive?"

"I've been waiting here since last night."

"What!" Yelü Xian was shocked. He kicked the attendant and cursed, "He came last night? Why didn't you wake me last night? He's been waiting here for so long, there must be something important. You treacherous things!" After saying that, he strode towards the council hall and shouted, "Relay my message: Summon Xiao Jixian to the council hall to see me."

Upon hearing Yelü Xian's summons, Ji Xian woke up a dirty, still-sleepy fellow beside him who looked like a beggar: "Let's go, come with me to see His Majesty."

"Your Majesty, young man, you're just trying to fool me!" The man stretched and yawned, saying, "If your home weren't so magnificent, I wouldn't have stayed here with you for so long. If you invited me here, you should at least have given me something to play with."

“Alright, come with me to see someone, and I’ll give you this gold earring I’m wearing.” After saying that, Xiao Jixian pulled the man along and headed towards the council hall before he could say anything more.

Upon entering the council hall, Xiao Jixian shoved the man to the ground and said, "Kneel properly." He then knelt beside him and said, "Xiao Jixian greets Your Majesty."

Upon hearing this, the beggar-like man quickly glanced up and saw a handsome, cold-faced man sitting high above him, staring at him with a livid expression. Behind and beside him stood dozens of brightly dressed guards. Could this man really be the emperor of our Great Liao?

"Brother Liu, you've waited for me for so long, what do you have to report?" Yelü Xian ignored the beggar and asked Xiao Jixian urgently.

"Your Majesty, when General Yelü went out of the city to look for my third sister, he instructed Jixian to stay in the city to observe the situation. Yesterday, this person came to Jixian, saying that the general had sent him to ask Jixian for a meal. Jixian was puzzled, so he found some food for him and chatted with him. Only then did he understand the general's intention. This person had seen my third sister, my eldest sister, and Lord Han before."

Xiao Jixian kept referring to his sister without mentioning the Empress, and Yelü Xian understood his meaning. A faint smile appeared on his lips; this child was very promising, sensible and understanding.

Before this poor man, he refrained from mentioning the Empress's name, because it concerned the Empress and the princes. If word got out that the Empress and the princes were missing, who knew what kind of impact it would have on our Great Liao? Right now, the only option is to suppress any news about the Empress and the princes' disappearance and search secretly. This is probably what Xiu Ge meant. Xiu Ge didn't send this man directly to me, probably because he feared that if the man knew I was the Emperor, he wouldn't dare to meet me. That's why he sent him to beg for food from Liu Zhi Ge, and Liu Zhi Ge saw through his scheme. Thinking of this, Yelü Xian looked at the beggar-like man and asked, "Speak, who are you? When did you meet the General? Have you ever seen a woman with a jewel on her chest and two children beside her?"

"Your Majesty... I... I did encounter them." The beggar-like man was still somewhat dazed. Hearing Yelü Xian's question, he panicked and hurriedly stammered, "My name is Taihamu. I belong to a small tribe living on the grasslands outside Xijing City. A few days ago, the Dangxiang people invaded my tribe, looting and burning indiscriminately. They outnumbered us, and my tribe and I were caught off guard, so we had to flee in panic. On the way, I saw a large cart, along with two women and a strong man. The woman wearing a jeweled necklace was holding a baby in her arms, and a little girl was with her beside her."

"Oh?" Yelü Xian felt a surge of excitement and stood up, asking, "How are they? Where are they now? Tell me quickly."

"This...this humble man doesn't know where they are now, or whether they are alive or dead," Taihamu said. "I only met them once."

"What did you say?" Yelü Xian didn't believe it. He couldn't believe that the clue he had just learned was so little. He stared wide-eyed at Taihamu fiercely, as if he wanted to devour him whole.

Taihamu looked at Yelü Xian and said tremblingly, "At that time, the Tanguts were chasing us closely, and everyone was just trying to escape. I was the one who encountered the cart while we were running away. A man holding a long halberd grabbed me and asked why we were running. I told them that the Tanguts were coming and told them to run too. It seemed that their cart had a problem or something. After I ran far away, I looked back at them and saw that they were still standing there arguing about something. Then I saw the dust kicked up by the horses' hooves, so I quickly ran away on my own and never saw them again."

Yelü Xian stood there, muttering to himself: "Fool, why aren't you running away? The Tanguts, the Tanguts dare to cause trouble on the territory of my Great Liao! How outrageous!" He slammed his fist on the table, startling Xiao Jixian and Taihamu, who stared at him in fear, not daring to speak.

Xiuge galloped across the vast grasslands, wondering where she and the child were. He encountered Taihamu and, after asking him about the situation, tricked him into going to find Jixian so he could deliver the message to the Emperor. But following the direction Taihamu indicated, there was no one to be seen. Xiuge was frantic with worry, unable to eat or sleep, his only thought being to find her first.

A bird's cry rang out above Hugh's head. Hugh looked towards the source of the sound and saw a hawk circling overhead. He touched the bow and arrows on his horse but didn't take them. Looking at the soaring eagle, Hugh murmured, "I'll spare your life, take me to her."

After circling for a while, the eagle flew off in another direction. Hugh sighed. Searching aimlessly like this wouldn't yield any clues; he might as well just follow her. With that thought, he spurred his horse and galloped off in the direction the eagle had gone.