La vie des gens de la campagne en ville sous la dynastie Song

Chapitre 41

"No, no, this won't do! You are a subject of my Great Song Dynasty... how can you become a princess of the Liao Kingdom!"

In his haste, Zhao Gou almost said something wrong. He was extremely anxious, his mind racing with unreadable thoughts, until he heard Qin Zhen say, "Being a princess of Liao doesn't mean I can't return to Song. I've already agreed with my sixth senior brother that this identity shouldn't restrict my freedom. I am still me, nothing has changed."

These words at least put Zhao Gou at ease, but he regretted in his heart that he should have listened to her about this matter first and shouldn't have gotten emotional.

"Since things have come to this, we have no choice but to leave it at that for now. But you must promise me that when I return to the capital, you must come back with me!"

Qin Zhen nodded and said, "Of course I'm going back. My parents are waiting for me."

A knock came at the door. It was Yue Fei. Qin Zhen got up to open the door. Seeing that it was getting late, she guessed that Yelü Huan should be returning home by now, so she took her leave of Zhao Gou. Before leaving, she turned back and reminded him with concern, "Be careful of assassins."

Zhao Gou smiled and nodded.

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 075 - Sounding the Bugle Call to Battle

When Qin Zhen returned to the mansion, Yelü Huan was already back and was discussing matters with Yelü Chun in the hall. Upon seeing Qin Zhen, he beckoned her to his side.

Yelü Chun, like a loving grandfather, pulled Qin Zhen close and said, "Mingzhen, your investiture ceremony is in two days. You will need to go to the palace to learn etiquette these next few days. The palace will send a carriage to pick you up this afternoon, so you need to prepare in advance."

Qin Zhen nodded obediently and asked, "Father and Father, you two didn't come back last night. Did something happen in the palace?"

Yelü Huan said, "Some trouble has arisen in Tokyo. After your investiture ceremony, I will lead the troops into battle."

"You're personally leading the troops?" Qin Zhen asked in surprise.

Yelü Huan nodded: "It is truly tragic that there is no one capable in the court."

Suddenly, Yue Fei, who was usually not very talkative in front of the Yelü family, spoke up: "General, please take me to the battlefield!"

"elder brother!"

Qin Zhen exclaimed in surprise, "War is not child's play, why would Yue Fei have this intention?"

Yue Fei's expression was resolute as he said to Qin Zhen and Yelü Huan, "I have been studying martial arts diligently for over ten years, always hoping to serve my country with utmost loyalty. Although the Liao Kingdom is not part of my Great Song Dynasty, it is an allied nation of the Song. My master told me that if the Liao Kingdom were to perish, the Song Dynasty would be in grave danger. Therefore, I want to contribute my strength and also test my abilities."

Yelü Huan, seeing his strong and resonant voice, praised him, "Good lad!"

Since Yue Fei had made up his mind, Qin Zhen stopped trying to persuade him. He only repeatedly reminded Yue Fei to be careful after he went to the battlefield as he boarded the carriage to the palace.

Three days later, Yelü Yanxi, who had recovered well, got out of bed and personally went to the ancestral temple to preside over Qin Zhen's investiture ceremony. Yelü Huan, who was about to embark on a campaign, also took time to come, as did the others.

When Qin Zhen appeared in formal attire, the crowd almost gasped in astonishment. Every move of this girl, not even ten years old, exuded royal majesty, and her proud yet approachable demeanor commanded respect.

Those Liao officials who had secretly worried that Princess Dingguo was just a country bumpkin were all thankful they had only spoken about it in private and hadn't submitted a memorial to stop it; otherwise, they wouldn't know how they would be doing today!

"Peerless in beauty and talent"—these four words were used by later Liao dynasty historians to describe their Princess Dingguo.

Qin Zhen calmly accepted the bestowed title, and at the banquet held in her honor afterward, she specially raised her glass to pray for General Chenglie's successful campaign to quell the rebellion.

Although Zhao Gou did not attend the daytime ancestral temple investiture ceremony, he was invited to the evening banquet. He gazed at Qin Zhen from afar, feeling only jealousy, as if the Liao Kingdom had stolen his treasure!

The day after Qin Zhen became a princess, she refused to move into the palace and returned to her residence as usual. Upon returning, she received a letter from Zhao Gou, which, when unfolded, detailed the affairs of the traitorous general Gao Yongchang.

After reading it, Qin Zhen was secretly astonished. He hadn't expected that Gao Yongchang was a descendant of the Balhae Kingdom, and that most of the people who rebelled in Tokyo were also from Balhae. The Balhae Kingdom was a small country located on the Bohai Bay, which was destroyed by the Liao Dynasty many years ago and incorporated into its territory. Unexpectedly, this time, taking advantage of the Jin Dynasty's attack on the Liao Dynasty, the remaining people of Balhae also rebelled.

Qin Zhen gently burned the note, propped himself up on his arm and thought for a while in the room, then went to the backyard and found Ji Wuhuan.

Since arriving in Zhongjing, Ji Wuhuan has kept a low profile. Apart from treating Yelü Yanxi and Zhao Yong, he has remained as reclusive as he was in the deep mountains, doing whatever he needed to do.

Qin Zhen used to visit him every day, but he told her that she didn't need to go every day. He was used to quiet days and felt uncomfortable with more people around.

The two siblings, Qiu Shui and Shui Hen, were separated. Qiu Shui was left with Zhao Yong, while Shui Hen stayed with Ji Wuhuan closely.

Shuihen was practicing martial arts in the courtyard when he saw Qin Zhen walking towards him. He stopped and said, "It's been quite a while since I've seen you. The sect leader doesn't allow anyone to disturb us. What brings you here today?"

"I need to speak with my senior brother. Please inform him immediately."

Shuihen had been lonely for many days, and today he finally found someone he could talk to. He wasn't about to let her go easily, so he said in a cheeky manner, "I already told you that the leader doesn't see people."

"What's wrong with you today?" Qin Zhen asked curiously. "Can my senior brother not see me? I really have something to say, please inform him quickly."

"No, no, if you don't want to see me, then you don't want to see me. You just wait here for the leader to come out. Before that, I can barely keep you company."

"You!" Qin Zhen hated this kind of entanglement and took out the Beacon Token, saying, "Get out of my way!"

Upon seeing the beacon, Shuihen became deflated and had no choice but to step back, allowing Qin Zhen to enter.

Ji Wuhuan had already heard the argument outside, but he continued to slowly fiddle with the herbs in his hands, not even looking up when Qin Zhen entered.

"Fifth Senior Brother, I have something to tell you today."

Ji Wuhuan responded with a faint "yes," which was taken as agreement.

Qin Zhen said, "A few days ago, something happened in Liaoyang Prefecture. A man named Gao Yongchang led troops and occupied Liaoyang Prefecture. The Liao army received the news and is about to send men to attack. Are you aware of this?"

Ji Wuhuan stopped what he was doing, put down the herbs he was holding, and walked to the window in silence for a while.

“You have Qiushui bring Wushuang here to me. She must have done this.”

Qin Zhen said somewhat awkwardly, "Is this a good idea? Sister Wushuang won't agree, will she?"

"Having indulged her for so many years, she's become increasingly unaware of the consequences. Tell her to carefully consider what the doctrines of the Beacon Fire Sect truly mean!"

Ji Wuhuan's voice was flat and even, but Qin Zhen could already sense his anger. At this moment, all she could do was pray for Wushuang.

Two days later, the bugle call to march sounded, and Yelü Huan led a full 50,000 troops, who had always been stationed in Zhongjing and remained inactive, towards Dongjing (Kaifeng) and Liaoyang. Among the ranks, besides Yue Fei who followed Yelü Huan, were the Qiu Shui siblings and Zhao Yong!

Qin Zhen was puzzled as to why Zhao Yong was in the group, but Zhao Gou gave her a wink, and Qin Zhen realized that there must be some inside story, so she had no choice but to ask him later.

Like a long dragon, the iron cavalry stretched across the plains towards the horizon, but Qin Zhen felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on his chest. War was never something to be proud of; it had nothing to do with victory or defeat, only the suffering of the people already in dire straits. Qin Zhen dared not even think about the calamity that would befall the people of Tokyo once the army reached its borders!

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 076 The Purple-Clad, Cold-Blooded Saintess

Fei, as Yelü Huan's personal guard, followed closely behind on horseback.

Yelü Huan stood at the front of the column, clad in black armor and a red cloak, his newly forged silver spear gleaming. Yue Fei thought to himself, "Only when you're in the army can you understand why the gentle-natured Yelü Huan is revered as a war god by the Liao army!"

“When he is in a particular group setting, he is no longer himself.”

A sentence Qin Zhen once said suddenly popped into Yue Fei's mind, and experiencing it firsthand this time made it feel much more real.

The vanguard of the army had reached the outskirts of Tokyo and sent back the first wave of messages. After consideration, Yelü Huan ordered the troops to set up camp and rest temporarily in the woods 60 kilometers away from Tokyo.

That night, the general's main tent was brightly lit, but it wasn't the adjutants and strategists discussing the battle situation. Instead, Qiu Shui and her brother, Yue Fei, Zhao Yong, and several others were sitting around a table with Yelü Huan.

“Maple Leaf Girl, Watermark Brother,” Yelü Huan said, “I’m entrusting to you the matter tonight. It would be best if the chaos in Tokyo could be resolved peacefully, otherwise things would be too bad if the enemy were at the gates.”

Maple Leaf's expression was unusually serious, completely devoid of the mischievousness he displayed when playing around with his younger brother. He solemnly declared, "Everyone, please wait patiently for my message. I will certainly not let down the leader and everyone's expectations!"

Watermark looked at Maple Leaf with some concern, her lips moved a few times but she couldn't say anything.

After discussing some matters in the tent, everyone dispersed. Around midnight, Maple Leaf, dressed in a black outfit, walked out of his tent and saw his younger brother who had been waiting outside for a long time.

When Shuihen saw her sister come out, she went up to her and said, "Sister, let me go with you."

"What are you going to do? I'm just going to deliver a message, I'll be back in a bit," Maple Leaf said nonchalantly.

Watermark insisted, "Please let me come with you!"

Maple Leaf said with a hint of anger, "Is this the time for you to be willful? Go back and stay there obediently. I'm leaving." With that, Maple Leaf flicked Watermark's forehead hard with her finger.

"You tyrant!" Watermark exclaimed, her face full of displeasure, but Maple ignored her, glanced at the heavy night, and turned to leave. Watermark chased after her, calling out, "Tyrant, come back soon!"

Maple Leaf's faint reply echoed from the darkness, but it only deepened Watermark's unease. He and Maple Leaf were both orphans, having relied on each other for over a decade. Though they often bickered, their bond was exceptionally strong. Thinking about the task Maple Leaf was to complete tonight, Watermark felt inexplicably anxious.

Maple Leaf slipped out of the camp silently, but after only a few steps, she noticed someone following her. Thinking it was Watermark being disobedient, she was about to turn around and scold it when she was surprised to find that the person chasing her was Zhao Yong.

"Brother Zhao?"

Zhao Yong walked up to Feng Ye and said, "I'll go with you."

Maple Leaf smiled and said, "I appreciate Brother Zhao's kindness, but the Holy Maiden never sees outsiders, so it might be inconvenient for you to go."

Zhao Yong was slightly disappointed, but he could only nod and say, "Then take good care of yourself."

"Okay. I will, Brother Zhao. I'll be going now." Maple Leaf smiled shyly at Zhao Yong, then turned and walked away.

Meanwhile, in the Song envoy's post station a hundred miles away, a loud crash came from Zhao Gou's room, the sound of a porcelain bowl breaking. It was Qin Zhen who had accidentally dropped and shattered the cup.

Qin Zhen stared wide-eyed and asked Zhao Gou, "Brother Zhao and Feng Ye? When...when did they...?"

Seeing her surprised expression, Zhao Gou smiled and said, "Is it that strange? For the past month or so, it's been Fengye taking care of Zhao Yong's injuries. It's perfectly normal for two people to develop feelings for each other after spending so much time together."

Qin Zhen nodded and said, "No wonder you sent Zhao Yong to the Tokyo front. I found that strange at the time."

A strange glint flashed in Zhao Gou's eyes. He picked up his teacup, lowered his eyes, took a sip of tea, and replied in a low voice, "They are deeply in love, and I don't want to separate them, so I asked your senior brother to take Zhao Yong with him."

Qin Zhen didn't notice the unusual look in Zhao Gou's eyes, and only said, "Why didn't you tell me about such a fun thing sooner? Let me imagine what the two of them would look like together... Haha, I wonder what Brother Zhao would look like when he blushes!"

Zhao Gou looked at Qin Zhen, who was amusing himself, and smiled.

The darkest of nights is the perfect time for an assassin to kill, but Maple Leaf's mission tonight is not to assassinate anyone, but to infiltrate the headquarters of the Beacon Fire Sect in Liaoyang City.

Ironically, she had lived in the main altar for nearly six years after being taken in by the cult leader, until she left three years ago when she followed the cult leader to Yiwulü Mountain. But now, she wanted to go "home," yet she had to act like a thief.

She stealthily made her way along the secret passage outside the city, walking for nearly half an hour before finally finding its exit. Activating the mechanism on the stone wall, the stone door slowly opened, and as Maple Leaf emerged from the passage, she was greeted by more than ten cult members holding torches and guarding the exit.

The long swords in the hands of these followers were particularly dazzling in the firelight. Maple Leaf took a deep breath as she looked at the approaching crowd and said, "Maple Leaf has joined the sect and requests an audience with the Holy Maiden. I hope you will inform her!"

Her words echoed in the stone chamber, but before they could finish, they were drowned out by a seductive chuckle. After the chuckle, a soft, charming female voice came from behind: "Who do we have here? It's the Left Deputy Envoy."