LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 44: Are you all just idling?
Xiao Cuiyan had woken up crying when her mother fell, and now, stimulated by the smell of blood, she cried even louder. Miss Chi, however, was so frightened that she sat on the ground, seemingly deaf to her daughter's cries.
In the moonlight, she saw a tall man standing in front of her, wearing a headscarf typical of the ethnic minorities from beyond the Great Wall. His face was indistinct, but his green eyes stared at her coldly like those of a wolf.
The man's curved sword was still dripping blood. He tossed the headless coachman aside and began to take off his coat.
Miss Chi was startled again and crawled backward on all fours. Before she could crawl far, a warm robe fell over her head. The man said in a cold voice, "Get up, follow me."
So that wasn't what he meant... Miss Chi sighed in relief, feeling weak all over.
The man urged impatiently, "Hurry up."
If this tone came from someone else, Miss Chi would have said he didn't know how to cherish beauty, but after narrowly escaping r*p*, his lack of tenderness made her feel fortunate. He must have known she didn't want to be touched by strangers right now and therefore didn't reach out to help her.
"Thank you, Sir, for saving my life." Miss Chi stood up shakily, wrapped in his robe, and followed him toward the carriage.
The man wiped his curved sword with his sleeve and put it back in its sheath, then lifted his chin: "Get in the carriage."
He was even more concise than a certain prince. Miss Chi dared not say much and obediently climbed back into the carriage. The man sat on the driver's seat, flicked the reins, and the horse continued forward.
Where was he taking her? After finally calming down Xiao Cuiyan, Miss Chi worriedly lifted the curtain and looked outside. She saw dozens of half-circle tents gathered on the open and flat land ahead, with orange-yellow lights shining. She understood—this was a nomadic tribe of the northern steppe people.
The appearance of the carriage caused a commotion among the young nomads patrolling the perimeter. The man who saved Miss Chi shouted something to them, and they all quieted down, placing their right hands on their chests and bowing to him.
The man lifted the curtain, and Miss Chi hesitantly stuck her head out, feeling countless curious gazes examining her, as if she were on a stage.
A girl in a red robe ran out from the tent cluster, chattering away. The man answered her, and the girl ran up to Miss Chi, switching to Mandarin: "My brother asked me to take you to rest. Where are you from? What's your name?"
"I..." Miss Chi didn't know how to answer. Were they Northern Di people or another nomadic tribe? If they knew her true identity, would they have ulterior motives?
The girl named Sangduo was very enthusiastic and attentive. Seeing Miss Chi's hesitation, she thought it was due to the crowd of young men watching, so she turned and shouted something to them. The young men laughed and dispersed. Sangduo then said, "I'm Sangduo. The one who saved you is my brother, Bomuer. He's the chief of our Buxia tribe. Don't be afraid; we won't hurt you—oh, your clothes are torn. Let me get you a new set! Come, follow me."
Miss Chi had heard about the Buxia tribe from Cui Jie. They were a nomadic tribe migrating on the Borjik Steppe northwest of Yanzhou, near the border with the Northern Di, numbering no more than three thousand. They neither relied on the Central Plains nor entangled with the Northern Di, living self-sufficiently between two giants. Occasionally, they traded food with the Han people, mostly following water and grass. The Great Chu had extended olive branches several times to recruit them, but they always refused.
Since it was such a tribe, they probably wouldn't do anything excessive to her. Miss Chi felt slightly relieved and followed Sangduo to her family's tent. Inside, colorful decorations adorned the walls, and the warm fire awakened her survival instinct. Embarrassingly, she heard her stomach growl.
Sangduo ran to the table and poured her a bowl of goat milk. Miss Chi took a sip—it was very strong—but she forced herself to drink it. After all, she might have to live with them, and she had to adapt to the minority's diet.
"This is a new dress I just made. You can borrow it first," Sangduo ran into a room and then ran back out, handing her a lake-blue woman's robe. "Do you want to take a bath? I'll ask my brother to fetch some water from the river."
Miss Chi wanted to say no, but thinking of the blood splattered all over her, she nodded gratefully: "Thank you for the trouble."
Sangduo smiled cheerfully and said it was no trouble. She went out of the tent and spoke to Bomuer, then called inside: "My brother is fetching water for your bath. Sit down and rest for a bit, have some bread!"
After eating and bathing, Miss Chi felt a sense of rebirth, washing her daughter clean as well. The bloody swaddling cloth had to be thrown away, but luckily, Sangduo helped her borrow a new one from another family.
Mother and daughter both wore Buxia clothes, looking perfectly natural. Miss Chi couldn't help smiling. This feeling of acceptance was truly wonderful, giving her a sense of renewal.
That night, Bomuer didn't return to his own tent. Sangduo gave her bed to Miss Chi and slept in her brother's bed. Miss Chi thought she would be unable to sleep, but she was so tired that she fell into a deep sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, not waking until dawn.
In her dream, she saw the coachman's flying head and the blood splattering onto her face. When the noise outside woke her up, she was drenched in sweat, too weak to get up, lying on the bed covered with thick wool blankets, gasping for breath.
The Xie family indeed hadn't given up on her. Although she expected it, it still filled her with lingering fear. If Bomuer hadn't appeared last night, what would have happened? Would she have been r*p*d? Killed? Or both? And what about Xiao Cuiyan? It was unbearable to think about. All her thoughts boiled down to one idea—thank goodness she was saved.
The weather was unusually clear today. Bomuer was airing out salted meat outside the tent, glancing sideways at Miss Chi as she walked out: "Did you sleep well?"
Miss Chi bowed deeply to him with gratitude: "Thank you so much for last night. I don't know how to repay you."
Sangduo, squatting in the sheep pen milking goats, turned around and smiled: "Our tribal rule is that to repay kindness, you must offer yourself in marriage. If you marry my brother, it counts as repayment."
Miss Chi didn't know whether to laugh or cry, about to say something, but Bomuer interrupted: "Don't talk nonsense. Milk later. First, prepare something for her to eat."
Sangduo stuck out her tongue at him, wiped her hands with a cloth, and invited Miss Chi back into the tent. She heated a bowl of goat milk and served dried mutton, white flour steamed buns, and other specialties of the frontier on a copper plate with exquisite patterns. Miss Chi ate heartily and then asked, "Is there anything I can help with?"
"Not really. If you feel uncomfortable doing nothing, you can sweep the floor," Sangduo casually pointed to the broom and dustpan in the corner.
The tent was already quite clean, with little need for sweeping. Besides, Miss Chi wasn't good at sweeping, clumsily sweeping left and right without making much progress. Bomuer saw her when he came in to find something.
"...," Bomuer watched her for a moment and asked, "Were you a lady before?"
Miss Chi felt embarrassed and replied awkwardly, "I'll learn slowly."
Bomuer said indifferently, "No need. Where is your home? In a few days, we will go south to trade with the Han people. We'll send you back then."
Home? The word suddenly made Miss Chi feel lost. In this vast world, where was home? Was it the capital where her parents, who gave birth to her and ultimately abandoned her, lived? Or was it with her husband who loved her but couldn't protect her... Thinking of this, Miss Chi felt a pang of sadness. She realized she had nowhere to call home.
Bomuer stared at her face and finally said, "If you have difficulties you can't speak of, don't force yourself. Our tribe has never been exclusive. If you have nowhere to go, you can stay."
Miss Chi lowered her eyes and whispered, "Thank you."
In December of the 40th year of Jianyuan, the Buxia tribe settled in the southernmost sunny slope of the Borjik Steppe, preparing for winter. Meanwhile, in Xuanzhou, Cui Yi led his army northward, soon to arrive in Gan Prefecture.
"Why haven't we received any news yet! Are you all just idling?"
Inside the camp, Cui Yi angrily overturned the desk, spilling wine all over the scout, who hurriedly knelt and begged for mercy. Baili Zan tried to calm him: "Your Highness, please calm down. The Xie family intends to expel Lady Chi. They certainly won't make it easy for us to find her. We need to plan carefully. Right now, the most important thing is..." Before he could finish, Cui Yi kicked the desk into pieces.
The group heading north was still the same as when they left the capital. Of course, Lady Xie and her brother, Xie Yong, were included. Baili Zan persuaded Cui Yi to temporarily assign Nüeyue and Xiaqiu to help the cooks to avoid conflicts with the temperamental Lady Xie. With Cao Qian's care, they should be safe.
To ensure Cui Yi wouldn't "fall for someone new," the Xie family almost provided all the maidservants needed for the future Wu王府 in Gan Prefecture. Some had freckles or pimples, others were so fat their flesh jiggled as they walked, and some had buckteeth. This only highlighted Xie Yuchan's ethereal beauty.
But even so, Cui Yi used his poor health as an excuse, refusing to touch her. Xie Yuchan, however, showed remarkable patience, smiling and approaching him no matter how many times he pushed her away.
Wanting to see someone but being unable to, while having someone unwanted constantly hovering around, was enough to drive anyone mad. Baili Zan sympathized, thinking that if it were him, he'd rather hang himself.
However, to find Miss Chi, they couldn't afford to antagonize the Xie family. Otherwise, if something happened, Miss Chi and her daughter would surely die. Moreover, the scouts' paychecks also came from the Xie family. There was nothing more exhausting.
"Well... Your Highness, I'll take my leave." Seeing no hope of persuasion, Baili Zan bowed and withdrew.
After sending the scout to collect his reward, Baili Zan wandered through the camp alone. A few days ago, Zhai Rang wrote a secret letter from the capital, saying the emperor hadn't attended court for several days, nor seen officials or concubines. An eerie gloom enveloped the Purple Chapter Palace, indicating impending change. Upon reading the letter, Baili Zan was shocked and rushed barefoot to find Cui Yi.
Cui Yi remained surprisingly calm, unperturbed: "What's there to worry about? Even if he takes the throne, can he hold it? Once I find my wife, I'll turn around and crush him, reclaiming the throne!"
Baili Zan fell over. How could such blind optimism exist?
Cui Yi glanced at him indifferently: "You don't believe I can do it?"
Wasn't this a matter of belief? Baili Zan wiped his sweat and could only seek solutions elsewhere.