But then, someone who shouldn't have been there appeared.
So for a long time afterward, Ah Hao still didn't understand how she had met Zhang Yu at that time, nor did she understand why Zhang Yu had risked his life to protect her. She also never understood what she felt when Zhang Yu led her to the edge of the cliff and whispered in her ear, "Jump together," and she actually jumped with him.
But Song Shuhao always remembered that at that moment, the three words Zhang Yu said to her contained a bewitching power that made her fearless.
Chapter 26 A Glimmer of Hope
Before encountering the utterly disheveled Song Shuhao, everything was proceeding according to Zhang Yu's plan. He had only two guards with him, but they were unharmed, and there were still people chasing after him. On the surface, his situation wasn't optimistic, but he himself knew it wasn't a big deal. Little did he know that Song Shuhao was the one truly in danger.
Zhang Yu didn't know why Song Shuhao was alone, nor what situation she had encountered, but he couldn't abandon her. The unexpected collapse of Song Shuhao, coupled with their overwhelming numbers, forced him to make a decisive move. Although the initial plan hadn't required this.
Zhang Yu lifted Ahao from the ground and held her protectively in his arms. He supported her weight with one hand while wielding his longsword with the other, desperately fighting against the approaching men in black. His expression was calm and solemn, and his arrogant demeanor seemed to grow stronger with each movement, showing no sign of defeat.
The men in black were all formidable. Although the two groups had different targets, they were killing the same people, so there was no need for hesitation, and neither did they. As a result, the two remaining guards beside Zhang Yu couldn't hold out for long.
During the exchange, Zhang Yu realized that the group chasing Song Shuhao seemed to have a familiar fighting style. But before he could think further, he found that he and Ahao had retreated to the edge of a cliff.
For the first time, Zhang Yu felt a sense of relief, despite the less-than-ideal circumstances. Yesterday, he took the opportunity to test the waters again with An Qiutong, and learned that Zhao Liang and Prosecutor Zhao had most likely not changed their minds, so his arrangements did not need much adjustment.
If he were Prosecutor Zhao, he wouldn't change the plan either. Knowing it's feasible, why waste unnecessary effort? Besides, it might cause trouble—by raising objections, Prosecutor Zhao would have to give his father, Zhao Liang, an explanation. Zhao Liang is a suspicious man and not easy to deal with.
Based on this, when he made the plan, he wanted to create more confusion for Zhao Liang and Zhao Jian, and also have another way out. So he pretended to have escaped to the place where he jumped off the cliff to survive, and it eventually came in very useful. Meeting Song Shuhao somewhat disrupted his plan, but it didn't matter.
Watching the approaching man in black, recalling that familiar feeling, Zhang Yu chuckled inwardly. He was actually quite looking forward to seeing Zhao Jian's expression when he learned that he was the one who had orchestrated today's events, nearly causing Song Shuhao's death. It was truly a pity there was no way to see him.
·
Pulled off the cliff by Zhang Yu, Ahao snapped out of her daze and wondered if she or the emperor had gone mad. Her body plummeted downwards, the wind howling in her ears. She didn't scream, but felt her heart pounding as if it would stop.
Just then, Zhang Yu's voice rang out again, saying, "Hold your breath." Ah Hao, held tightly in his arms, kept her eyes tightly shut, not daring to look at anything. She seemed to be clutching his outer robe, but in reality, her grip was weak. Zhang Yu's words left her speechless, but she did as he said.
The next instant, she was caught off guard and plunged heavily into the water. Amidst the surging water, splashing water, and a tremendous sound, the realization that she had escaped unscathed made Ah Hao instinctively relax, yet also feel a sense of strangeness. However, already exhausted and with the impact being too strong, she had already passed out in an instant.
Although Zhang Yu was also impacted, his different physical condition prevented him from collapsing completely like A Hao. Their bodies sank and receded, eventually stopping in the water. Zhang Yu checked on A Hao again and found her seemingly unconscious; he could only try his best to swim upwards with her.
In winter, people wear a lot of clothes, and when they get wet, the clothes become even heavier, not to mention the combined weight of the two of them. In addition, there was the physical and mental exhaustion from the previous episodes; even the strongest person would be exhausted under such continuous exertion. Zhang Yu almost used all his strength to pull Ahao out of the water and barely managed to reach the shore.
When he jumped off the cliff, covered in wounds and struck by a poisoned arrow, he wasn't prepared to die, but he also didn't think he had any hope of survival. As it turned out, he was destined to live. At that time, who could have known that beneath that remote abyss lay a vast hot spring?
Even though he felt completely exhausted, Zhang Yu still wanted to get ashore first before pulling Song Shuhao out of the water. This time, he didn't have time to put this idea into practice before everything went black, and like Ahao, he completely passed out.
·
Ah Hao didn't know how long she had been unconscious. When she woke up, she was lying on the shore. She knew without a doubt that His Majesty the Emperor hadn't abandoned her. Half of her feelings were relief at escaping death, and the other half were gratitude that Zhang Yu seemed to have known all along that there was a lake here…
Contrary to her subconscious expectation of the icy chill of a winter lake, the water there was a warm sensation, and Ah Hao realized it was hot spring water. She sighed inwardly, even more incredulous at Zhang Yu's precognition, because the words he had spoken to her and his confident tone clearly indicated that he knew there would be no danger.
At the same moment she regained consciousness, Ah Hao felt something pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe. Turning her head slightly, she could see Zhang Yu still sleeping peacefully. He was less violent and more serene, but his dignified demeanor as a superior remained unchanged.
Recalling the soldier's words that something must have happened to His Majesty, and remembering how he protected her... After a moment of stunned silence, Ahao quickly snapped out of it, pushed away Zhang Yu's heavy arm that was pressing on her back, and struggled to climb ashore. She knew in her heart that even under these circumstances, she still dared not let her guard down around this person.
With great effort, she dragged the tall Zhang Yu ashore, pulled the longsword from his grip, and collapsed to the ground, panting, having recovered only a little strength before almost completely exhausting herself. But this finally gave her the leisure and time to properly assess her surroundings. Whether waiting for rescue or trying to save herself, understanding her environment was undoubtedly crucial.
That's roughly the cliff they jumped from; looking up from below, you can't see the end. A huge hot spring lake occupies a considerable area, its banks lush with green grass and steaming vapor, and there's a thatched hut that seems to be currently uninhabited. The hut is surrounded by a fenced courtyard, and beyond that courtyard, there's an endless forest.
Seeing this scene clearly, Ah Hao almost thought he had stumbled upon the secluded abode of a peerless martial arts master from a folk tale. Perhaps at any moment, an eccentric old man would appear to rescue them and teach them a unique set of martial arts techniques.
Looking back at the hot spring water, Ah Hao noticed something floating on the surface near the shore. Upon closer inspection, she reached into her clothes and realized it must be the food Ling Xiao had given her earlier. It was practically the only food she and Zhang Yu had… Ah Hao got up from the ground and went to retrieve it from the water.
Thank you, Ling Xiao, for wrapping it in three layers of oil paper and even tying it with thin hemp rope—this was the first thought that came to A-Hao's mind when she opened the package and found that the three small cakes inside were completely dry. There wasn't much food, but it was better than nothing.
Ah Hao rewrapped the small cake in oil paper and stuffed it into Zhang Yu's arms before going to check the thatched hut herself. There was indeed no one there, and no sign of anyone living there anymore. The hut was sparsely furnished, with nothing usable; the only thing—the stove, which couldn't be taken away or dismantled—was covered in a thick layer of dust.
After checking the situation inside the hut, Ahao returned to Zhang Yu's side and called out several times, but there was no response. It was only then that she noticed that Zhang Yu seemed to be injured. After being soaked in water, the bloodstains on his clothes had faded considerably and were not so easily noticeable.
The clothes, which had initially retained a slight warmth from the hot spring water, gradually lost their temperature, becoming bulky and heavy, clinging to the body and stealing warmth from it, causing Ah Hao to shiver involuntarily. This couldn't continue, and they couldn't wait for Zhang Yu to wake up. Ah Hao quickly decided to move Zhang Yu into the thatched hut first, and then find some dry firewood to start a fire for warmth.
·
Zhang Xin never expected that her pursuit of a snow fox would lead to an encounter with two white tigers. Xia Mingzhe even injured his arm protecting her. After barely escaping the tigers' jaws, she realized she had heard a signal earlier and, fearing something had happened to the emperor, the stern-faced general suggested taking a shortcut to investigate.
Zhang Xin, who still remembered Ah Hao, was just as worried, but since Ah Hao hadn't come looking for her for so long, she was also concerned that something might have happened to Ah Hao. She begged Xia Mingzhe to agree to go back and look for Ah Hao first before making any further plans. However, they didn't find Ah Hao as they had hoped. They only found a soldier who was barely alive and several unidentified corpses.
Upon learning that Ah Hao had been hunted down and his whereabouts were unknown, Zhang Xin, who had already cried because of Bai Hu and Xia Mingzhe, stood there stunned, tears streaming down her face. They had likely fled in such haste that they hadn't had time to leave any marks; they could only follow the few remaining traces in the mountains and forests.
Fearing potential dangers along the way, and with Xia Mingzhe insisting his injuries were minor, the remaining group stayed together. The dark-faced general led the way, and after much hardship, they finally reached the cliff where Ah Hao had last stayed.
Just then, Princess Zhang Jin and Prince Ning arrived with a large entourage. Upon seeing her elder sister and tenth brother, Zhang Xin wanted to rush to them and weep, but before she could speak, she learned that Zhang Yu was also in trouble. One piece of bad news after another; even her imperial brother was in danger. Zhang Xin felt this was a nightmare.
Zhao Jian arrived a little later than them. He wasn't surprised to see Zhang Xin there, but his gaze swept across the crowd without finding Song Shuhao. He vaguely heard the young princess Zhang Xin, who was being comforted in the arms of the eldest princess, seeming to be worried about Ahao's safety. Zhao Jian, who was usually calm, instantly lost his composure.
Prince Ning noticed Zhao Jian's arrival and began to observe his expression. He saw Zhao Jian's gaze sweep over everyone present, seemingly searching for someone, a fleeting look of anxiety crossing his face. Given the current situation, the only person who could possibly have stirred such emotions in Zhao Jian was A-Hao. Prince Ning, deep in thought, frowned and walked over.
Zhao Jian suppressed the urge to grab Zhang Xin and demand an explanation, just as Prince Ning approached. Concealing his anxiety, he frowned slightly, feigning concern for Zhang Yu's condition, and greeted Zhang Ye, saying first, "Your Majesty..."
Seeing Prince Ning shake his head, he said, "Your Majesty is probably..." He glanced at the edge of the cliff and continued, "There are no more clues here. Your Majesty may have fallen off the cliff with Aunt Song."
Chapter 27 Differences
The distance from the shore to the hut wasn't far, but it was too difficult for Ah Hao to support Zhang Yu on her own, let alone drag him. In the end, Ah Hao half-carried, half-supported, and dragged him a few steps before finally getting him into the hut.
Even with such a commotion, Zhang Yu didn't react at all. If it weren't for the fact that she could still feel his breathing and pulse, Ah Hao would have found it hard not to think the worst. The conditions were too limited, forcing the esteemed Emperor Zhang Yu to condescend to lie on the ground.
After helping Zhang Yu lie down, A-Hao sat beside him and rested for a while, not caring about her appearance. Her stomach was already empty, so she ate half a small pancake, comforting herself that even a little bit would help her regain her strength faster. After resting for a short while, A-Hao went out again to pick up Zhang Yu's longsword and gather some dry firewood.
Not daring to stray too far, Ah Hao, despite feeling offended, still targeted the bamboo and wooden stake fence near the hut. Aside from some readily available food, perhaps the only saving grace was that her tinderbox was usually kept in a small bamboo tube. She had fallen into the water, but the tinderbox remained unharmed.
Carrying the still relatively dry bamboo and wooden stakes back to the thatched hut, Ah Hao successfully started a fire and soon felt warm. After cautiously calling his name a few times without any response, she dared to help Zhang Yu treat his wounds.