Chu Xiao walked to the window, picked up a small piece of shattered tile from the ground, and spoke in a voice that sent chills down one’s spine, “Search.”
He raised his eyes, looking toward the empty rooftop.
The Next Day
Chu Xiao and Lao Wei Wang had important matters to discuss. Rong Ci had someone prepare a carriage, as she intended to leave the palace and go to nearby Weiguo Yushan to pray for blessings.
After much gentle and patient discussion with Chu Xiao, and with that nightmare still fresh in mind, Chu Xiao reluctantly agreed to her request.
However, he set conditions: she must bring five hundred Chu soldiers and return before sunset.
Rong Ci agreed, but she requested that the young man accompany her.
Chu Xiao asked her with an ambiguous tone at the time, “Why is Madam so concerned about that boy?”
“He is the same age as my younger brother and bears some resemblance to him. Seeing him brings me peace.”
Seeing her insistence, Chu Xiao lowered his gaze and agreed, though in his heart he thought, once Madam returns from her prayers, that boy must die.
For now, it was best not to dampen A Ci’s spirits.
Zhao Shaoyou, whose identity was unclear, was bound and thrown to sit beside the coachman.
He was carefree and unconcerned, because inside the carriage sat a gentle lady who reminded him of his mother.
Zhao Shaoyou had no intention of running away either; he wanted to spend more time with this lady.
After all, he had run away from home, and his father probably couldn’t be bothered to look for him anyway.
Zhao Shaoyou chatted idly with Rong Ci through the carriage compartment.
Rong Ci had her maid open the carriage door and handed him a plate of exquisite milk pastries.
Zhao Shaoyou grinned, holding the plate with both hands as he ate.
Rong Ci watched him with a gentle smile, her expression soft.
The palace was not far from Yushan—just an hour’s journey, allowing for a round trip before sunset.
However, as they approached Yushan, the sky took on an unusual hue, with dark clouds rolling in and thunder rumbling in the distance.
A heavy rainstorm was about to break.
Whenever such weather occurred, something significant was bound to happen.
Rong Ci was almost accustomed to it. She merely thought to herself, since returning to these eight years of chaos, she had followed the identity given to her by the System, living day by day as a married woman, patiently waiting for her mission to arrive.
But eight years had passed, and sometimes she almost forgot that Zhao Chu began his path to unifying the Six Kingdoms at the age of thirty-five, and Han State had already fallen.
The Qin Kingdom’s hundred-thousand-strong army was stationed at Yijun in the Hexi Highlands. He was finally close to her.
Gazing at this sudden rainstorm, she had an almost prophetic feeling in her heart—she would likely meet Zhao Chu soon.
Only, she didn’t know in what manner they would meet.
“Bandits! They’re bandits! Quick, protect Madam!” The Chu soldiers were alarmed, and Bai Jian immediately drew his sword to guard the front of the carriage.
“Madam, do not come out under any circumstances!”
How could there be bandits in Yushan? Why hadn’t Lao Wei Wang informed them beforehand? Bai Jian’s expression was grave, his mind filled with doubts.
Zhao Shaoyou instantly broke free from the rope binding his hands, snatched the reins from the coachman, and declared in a clear, earnest young voice, “Madam, I will protect you!”
Rong Ci immediately looked at the tightly closed carriage door, feeling the young man’s heroic spirit even through the barrier.
Despite being in a perilous situation, she couldn’t help but smile.
Her son had grown into an exceptional young man.
Through the carriage, Rong Ci could clearly hear the sounds of fighting and shouting outside. The five hundred Chu soldiers were not few, but the bandits seemed even more numerous.
Amidst the sound of the rainstorm, the carriage jolted and moved. Rong Ci reached out to steady herself, gripping tightly.
Suddenly, an arrow pierced through the carriage. Rong Ci pursed her lips. Her maid, who knew martial arts, drew a knife and thrust it out through the carriage window.
“Madam, this servant will go out first to deal with the archers.”
The maid broke through the window and leaped out. Rong Ci felt the rainstorm instantly pour in through the window, soon soaking the hem of her skirt.
She lowered her gaze and almost instantly sprang into action, tossing her obviously luxurious outer garment, embroidered shoes, and hair ornaments out of the carriage window, scattering them across the ground.
Immediately after, she opened the carriage door and said to the young man who was still driving the carriage, "Shao You, we’re abandoning the carriage."
"Huh?"
Before Zhao Shaoyou could react, he was pulled by Rong Ci as they jumped from the carriage and tumbled down a muddy slope.
Zhao Shaoyou straightened up at once, trying to grab hold of Rong Ci as she rolled downward.
But the slope was steep. Rong Ci rolled to the bottom and struck the back of her head against a crooked tree. Her vision nearly went dark, and she was barely spared from being knocked unconscious.
"Madam!" Zhao Shaoyou rushed over anxiously to support her.
Then he saw Rong Ci propping herself up and looking toward the top of the slope. Their carriage had been pierced by countless arrows before tumbling down the high slope.
Zhao Shaoyou: …
For a moment, a chill ran down his spine.
He asked curiously, "How did Madam know we needed to abandon the carriage quickly?"
Rong Ci replied calmly, "Just a classic trope."
Zhao Shaoyou: Doesn’t understand.
But that didn’t stop him from thinking how impressive Madam was.
However, after a quick glance around, he grew serious and said solemnly, "That was definitely not bandits."
So well-trained, with archers too. Zhao Shaoyou wondered who would be willing to harm such a gentle lady.
The next moment, he heard Rong Ci say, "I saw the arrows shot into the carriage were engraved with the character 'Qin.'"
"Impossible!"
"Absolutely! Not! Possible!"
Zhao Shaoyou was furious. The Qin Kingdom would never stoop to such despicable acts—surrounding and attacking a defenseless woman.
Never mind his father, even a dog in Qin wouldn’t do something so disgraceful.
Rong Ci wasn’t surprised by his anger. Instead, she patted his shoulder soothingly, "I know, it wasn’t Qin."
Zhao Shaoyou was taken aback.
He heard Madam analyze calmly and rationally, "Such a clumsy attempt at framing must be meant to provoke Chu Xiao into acting against Qin. Only someone like the son of Han Xiangong, whose kingdom was destroyed, would be so impatient."
Zhao Shaoyou’s eyes sparkled.
Madam is so clever, figuring out right away that this was a frame-up against their Qin Kingdom.
Rong Ci wiped the rain from her face. Both she and Zhao Shaoyou were in a sorry state, but they needed to move quickly.
"The son of Han Xiangong wants to kill me to provoke Chu Xiao. He’ll definitely come after us. We must hurry."
"Alright!!"
Zhao Shaoyou stood up and without a word, hoisted Rong Ci onto his back. He was strong and could run fast.
Rong Ci was momentarily stunned, then felt a warm glow in her heart.
"My lord, look!"
Zhao Chu glanced indifferently at the arrow presented by his subordinate, engraved with the character "Qin."
"Well, isn’t this arrow finely made, and even specially engraved with 'Qin'? Our Qin Kingdom’s treasury isn’t that generous," Pu Xi remarked with a smile as he looked at his lord.
They had followed their lord to settle temporarily in Yushan. The heavy rain had come suddenly, and now this suicidal attempt had arrived just as quickly.
How dare they try to frame Qin.
"My lord, there’s also these…" The subordinate presented an embroidered shoe and a gold hairpin.
"Tsk, tsk! Such a large pearl!" Pu Xi admired the pearl on the exquisite embroidered shoe, though it was a pity it was stained with mud.
It resembled its owner, who had fallen into misfortune, and it was unclear whether she was now alive or dead.
"My lord, if inviting the Consort of the King of Chu as a guest seemed somewhat improper before, then now, a heroic rescue would be…" He left the sentence unfinished, smiling as he awaited his lord’s decision.
Whether to save her or not, someone's anxiousness has already caused them to lose composure—they attacked the Consort of the King of Chu and tried to frame the Qin Kingdom. There's plenty of room to maneuver with this.
But if she is saved, the King of Chu will find it difficult to repay kindness with ingratitude and immediately join Lao Wei Wang and others in their plan to attack Qin.
In short, delaying Chu State for even a moment is a gain.
Zhao Chu’s dark, heavy gaze fell upon the delicate embroidered shoe, smaller than his palm, and the golden hairpin.
He recalled the fragmented, wanton sounds he had heard on the rooftop that night.
To save, or not to save.
Chu Xiao’s woman—he did not want to save her.
After a while, Zhao Chu stood up, flexed his wrist, and said in a low voice, "Let’s go."
Pu Xi immediately broke into a radiant smile.
The entire mountainside of Jade Mountain was stained with blood washed down by the heavy rain, mingling with the rainwater, clinging to the soles of passersby, and splattering everywhere.
In the forest,
Zhao Shaoyou carried Rong Ci on his back, weaving through the trees to evade pursuers while struggling to find his way in the torrential rain.
The breathing of the person on his back grew increasingly labored. He could sense that the Consort’s condition was deteriorating.
Having been drenched in the downpour for so long and having rolled down a muddy slope earlier, he didn’t know if she had been injured anywhere.
Zhao Shaoyou grew anxious.
The more anxious he became, the more he felt like a headless fly.
Finally, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps, and his heart tightened.
He was about to break into a run.
But before long, someone grabbed his shoulder from behind.
Zhao Shaoyou had already freed one hand to counterattack when he suddenly heard an impatient, cold shout.
"Where do you think you’re running?"
The voice was all too familiar, like a nightmare etched into his bones.
Zhao Shaoyou turned back in disbelief, staring wide-eyed at the group that had suddenly appeared in the forest.
Fa-fa-fa… Father.
Zhao Chu couldn’t be bothered to look at his foolish expression. He stretched out his hand and said coldly, "Give her to Gu."