HMHSE - 77

Shen Rong was pulled out of the door without a moment’s hesitation.

Shan Zong didn’t even let her ride her own horse. He directly pulled her to his horse, lifted her onto it, then swung himself up, and spurred the horse to leave.

Donglai, seeing this from the roadside, immediately mounted his horse and led his men to follow.

His movements were too quick. Shen Rong was held tightly against his chest, and as they left, she could still hear Pei Shaoyong’s shouts from behind, “A-Rong!”

Before she could turn her head, she heard Shan Zong’s cold voice from above, “Escort Imperial Secretary Pei out of Youzhou!”

With that, he shook his arm, and the horse galloped quickly.

On the road, a line of military post soldiers waited, each seated on horseback, holding weapons, as if they had just come from a battlefield. Their weapons still bore traces of blood, and they were all on high alert. Seeing him set off, they all turned their horses to clear the way forward.

Shan Zong spurred his horse extremely fast. He didn’t speak a word the entire way, only his breaths brushed against her nape. Shen Rong knew he had probably lowered his head slightly behind her.

She endured, saying nothing, because now was not the time to talk. One hand unconsciously tightened its grip on her garment, letting the cold wind howl past.

Near Youzhou city, they saw more soldiers.

Shen Rong’s cheeks were already cold from the wind. She turned her head and saw a continuous stream of soldiers coming from the direction of the military post, dividing into two groups in the distance: one heading towards Youzhou city, the other towards the mountains.

The sky grew darker. On the increasingly close city wall, the guards seemed to have increased significantly. A guard on top waved a signal flag, and only then did the city gate slowly open.

Shan Zong held Shen Rong tightly and charged in.

Inside the city, things were also different. The streets were much emptier; few commoners were visible. Some shops were closing, and instead, there were many more soldiers.

Shen Rong, riding rapidly, quickly surveyed the scene. She didn’t know what had happened during the time she went to see Pei Shaoyong, but it seemed the situation in Youzhou had completely changed.

________________________________________

At the official residence, Guangyuan heard the commotion and rushed out to greet them.

The fast horse galloped to a halt. Shan Zong dismounted swiftly, directly lifting Shen Rong down. He grabbed her hand and led her inside.

Guangyuan pretended not to notice, greeting them into the residence as usual. “My Lord and the noble lady entered the mountain early this morning. Why have you only returned now? It looks like you’ve been on a hurried journey. Please come in quickly and rest. Food has already been prepared.”

He was right. Their round trip to the Youzhou border had taken several hours, so it was indeed a hurried journey.

Shan Zong kept holding Shen Rong’s hand until they entered the room. By the low table beside the couch, there was indeed food, still steaming.

He finally let go. He had ridden too fast, his chest still heaving. He tossed his saber aside. “Rest first.”

Shen Rong, however, suddenly grabbed his arm guard, her own chest also rising and falling. “You heard it, didn’t you?”

Shan Zong stopped in front of her, his face composed. “Heard what?”

“My second eldest cousin’s words.”

“Which words?”

“You are...” She lightly pursed her lips. “You are a crim...”

Her voice was swallowed as Shan Zong suddenly lowered his head and covered her lips.

Shen Rong’s lips were heavily covered, her breath stolen inch by inch. Her hand clutching his arm guard tightened further.

Shan Zong released her, breathing in low, steady gasps. One hand, he didn’t know when, had firmly gripped her arm again, as if afraid she would disappear. “Yes, I heard it.”

Shen Rong’s breathing quickened instead, her voice very soft. “That secret decree... is it true?”

Shan Zong stared at her, his eyes deep. “If it’s true, will you regret it?”

Shen Rong’s heart instantly pounded like a drum. She looked at him in disbelief.

Shan Zong tightly gripped her arm. His other hand moved to her waist, pulling her closer with his arm, his voice deep and muffled. “Do you remember what I said when I sent you back to Chang’an, before I left?”

When he sent her back to Chang’an, what he said before leaving...

Shen Rong’s mind was in turmoil. It took her a long time to remember. He had said, “If you’re not a coward, then don’t ever go to Youzhou again, otherwise...”

“Otherwise, even if you truly regret it, it’ll be useless.”

He stared into her eyes and asked again, “I told you that even if you truly regret it, it would be useless. Even if that secret decree is true, I won’t let go. So, do you regret it now?”

Shen Rong remained silent for a long time. At that time, she only felt a hint of unspeakable danger in his tone. Only now did she realize what kind of secret was hidden within it.

It wasn’t until her arm was almost numb from his grip that she found her voice again, still not believing it. “Impossible... If it’s true, how can you still be the Youzhou Commandant? What crime did you commit?”

Shan Zong’s throat rippled. He pursed his thin lips. In the end, he pulled up the corners of his mouth. His face was smiling, but his eyes were as deep as a pool, and his voice only reached her ear. “You only need to remember that only that secret decree is true.”

Shen Rong gazed at him in a daze, her emotions surging. She saw his prominent brow low and pressed, his lips in her vision, pursing and then parting, as if words were on the tip of his tongue, but then swallowed back, his jaw clenched, the side of his face taut.

Only that secret decree is true, then his crime, is that true too?

“My Lord, a guest.” Guangyuan’s voice suddenly came from outside, seemingly urgent.

The stagnation in the room seemed to be torn open. Shan Zong released Shen Rong, his lips tightly sealed, and strode out.

Shen Rong’s fingers finally left his arm guard, stiff at the tips, realizing how tightly she had been gripping him.

________________________________________

In the corridor of the official residence, Pei Shaoyong stood, breathing heavily.

Shan Zong strode over. A soldier met him, whispering a few words in his ear: Imperial Secretary Pei refused to return, pressured them with his official authority, and insisted on pursuing him.

The soldier quickly retreated after speaking.

Shan Zong looked at him coldly. “I told you to leave; I gave you enough respect. How dare you pursue me?”

Pei Shaoyong, his face covered in sweat and pale, took a step closer. “You’re so reckless. Do you intend to detain A-Rong?”

Shan Zong suddenly strode forward, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him into the adjacent side room.

The door slammed shut. Only then did he release his hand. Pei Shaoyong stumbled two steps, steadying himself by leaning on a table, and said in a low voice, “What do you want to do? Are you starting to panic now that I’ve discovered your crime?”

Shan Zong stood in the shadows, his presence heavy, and unexpectedly let out a chilling laugh. “My crime, what crime? Have you personally witnessed it?”

Pei Shaoyong froze for a moment. No, he hadn’t seen him commit any crime. He only knew that he had been pardoned.

“Although I don’t know the crime, it’s a fact that you are confined to Youzhou!”

“Then you still dare to enter my hellish prison?”

Pei Shaoyong was horrified.

His collar tightened, and he was pulled up by Shan Zong with one hand.

“That was the late emperor’s secret decree, meant to forever remain hidden. Your reckless action has already violated the prohibition, and you still want to drag Shen Rong into it!” Shan Zong spoke each word, his voice suppressed in his throat, all his strength in his hand. Dressed in fierce clothing, with dark hair, he exuded an indescribable wickedness.

Pei Shaoyong was both startled and terrified. Although he had witnessed Shan Zong’s ruthlessness, he had never seen him like this, like a provoked beast. If not for restraining himself, he would have already laid hands on him. He took a few breaths, still unable to stop his anxious gasps. “I don’t want A-Rong to be deceived by you. She is the precious treasure of the Changsun family, so noble. How can she marry a criminal!”

“It’s not your place to convict me!” Shan Zong’s hand tightened, his knuckles cracking, his teeth gritting audibly. “Leave immediately, go back to your Chang’an. If you don’t want to be implicated, shut your mouth! This tolerance is for Shen Rong’s sake. As for my affairs, I advise you to stay out of them!”

Pei Shaoyong was pushed away, coughing several times and clutching his throat, his mind still reeling from Shan Zong’s words, unable to calm down for a long time.

He looked up again, but Shan Zong was no longer there, only the wide-open door.

Several soldiers filed in, weapons in hand, and clasped their fists in unison. “Imperial Secretary Pei, please embark on your journey back to the capital!”

Pei Shaoyong wanted to say he wanted to see Shen Rong, but before he could speak, still holding his neck, the leading soldier sternly repeated, “Youzhou is under martial law, and there may be danger. Imperial Secretary Pei, please set off for the capital immediately!”

After two pronouncements, several men stepped forward and, without further discussion, escorted him out.

As Pei Shaoyong was half-forced, half-escorted out of the official residence, he looked back inside but saw neither Shen Rong nor Shan Zong.

He didn’t know when, but the sky was almost dark. He rode his horse, surrounded by these soldiers on fast horses, being forcibly sent towards the Youzhou border to rendezvous with his own men.

Along the way, all he saw were military forces coming and going. The entire Youzhou city behind him became an airtight iron pot. In the distance, among the mountains, there were also shadows of galloping soldiers.

Pei Shaoyong’s last clear thought before being forced further away was the realization that Youzhou was indeed under martial law.

________________________________________

The next day, before dawn, Zirui had already entered the room, simply because she saw the lamp lit early in the room.

“Young Mistress is up so early.”

Shen Rong sat in front of her dressing table, facing the bronze mirror, silent.

Zirui whispered beside her, “Yesterday, I heard that Young Master Pei visited briefly, and then there was no more news. I don’t know why he came.”

Shen Rong then understood. When Shan Zong suddenly left midway, he must have gone to see him.

Zirui continued to quietly describe the situation outside. “Commander Shan also seems to be up extremely early. Last night, troops were being moved all over the city, and it was busy outside the city as well.”

Shen Rong knew Shan Zong was up early. Perhaps he hadn’t slept at all. In the middle of the night, she could still hear him moving outside the room, his riding boots echoing on the brick ground outside the door, step by step, but he never came in.

It wasn’t until the latter half of the night, when a soldier reported something, that his footsteps ceased.

What Pei Shaoyong had said could no longer be brought up. Shen Rong always remembered his expression before he left, as if he wanted to say something, but forcibly held it back.

Because it was a secret decree, not to be leaked.

She couldn’t press him. Sitting there since he left, she still couldn’t fathom why he would carry such a secret decree. The late emperor had clearly valued him greatly. It was said that many orders were personally dispatched by the late emperor. How could he have committed such a grave crime?

“...Later, I heard Donglai say that there was also commotion in the mountains, and I also heard that Prefect Zhao had gathered all the city officials at the official residence,” Zirui continued.

Shen Rong’s thoughts broke. She suddenly realized and turned to ask, “You just said there was commotion in the mountains?”

Zirui, who was about to comb her hair, stopped and said, “Yes, there’s a big commotion throughout the city and even in the mountains. I heard from Guangyuan that according to the military post’s news, scouts gave an early warning in the mountains yesterday morning, and it’s been like this ever since.”

Shen Rong had already left the mountain at that time, was intercepted halfway, and then went to the border to see Pei Shaoyong.

She remembered Shan Zong bringing a team of armed soldiers on horseback when he came for her, and encountering soldiers rushing everywhere when returning to the city. At that time, her mind was completely occupied by the sudden news. Only now did she realize that the enemy soldiers from outside the pass must have made some move. She stood up and said, “Where is he?”

________________________________________

Shan Zong, on horseback with saber in hand, stood below the city.

The city gate was wide open, and soldiers newly transferred from the military post outside the city were marching in orderly.

Hu Shiyi quickly walked out of the house with the medical sign, donning his soft armor as he went. He called out, “Boss, let Zhang Wei lead the men to guard the city! I’ll go into the mountains with you!”

Shan Zong turned his head and glanced at him. “Nurse your injury.”

“It’s fine, I’m healed!” Hu Shiyi patted his chest, standing ramrod straight. “I’m just about to go into the mountains to avenge that arrow!”

Shan Zong ignored him.

Hu Shiyi felt that he was particularly stern today, speaking much less than usual. He assumed Shan Zong had tacitly agreed and asked a nearby soldier to bring his own red horse. He mounted it and followed Shan Zong’s team.

The soldiers from outside the city successively entered the city. Shan Zong, leading the way, took his team out of the city.

Yesterday, there was an early warning in the mountains, and then an intrusion from outside the pass indeed occurred. Unlike usual, Shan Zong felt that they were well-prepared this time, which confirmed his earlier suspicion that the previous few times were merely probes.

This was their true moment to strike.

And precisely at such a critical juncture, Pei Shaoyong had appeared.

Shan Zong tightened his grip on the reins, thinking of Shen Rong’s expression yesterday. He quickly suppressed it, his eyes calmly fixed on the dusty road ahead, rolling in the pale morning light.

As they approached the mountain range, the sound of fast-galloping horses suddenly came from behind.

Shan Zong tilted his face back, only glancing once, then immediately stopped and turned his horse around.

Hu Shiyi, following behind, also looked back at the sound and clicked his tongue.

“You all go ahead,” Shan Zong ordered.

Hu Shiyi immediately waved to his left and right. The accompanying men and horses understood and followed him, avoiding the main path ahead.

Shen Rong galloped from the direction of the city. When she reached him, her slender figure sat on the horse, her face hidden in her hood. She looked at him and said softly, “A person confined to Youzhou still needs to guard Youzhou with such diligence?”

Shan Zong actually smiled, just a twitch at the corner of his mouth, the meaning unclear. He tugged at his horse’s reins, moving closer to her. “As long as I am the Youzhou Commandant, this is my duty.”

Shen Rong’s voice became even softer. “Since you cannot leave Youzhou, then your previous acts of leaving the pass to save me, and chasing me to Hedong, were all private actions, and should all be punished.”

“That’s right, since I did it, I considered the consequences,” Shan Zong said nonchalantly, his eyes fixed on her, even with a hint of wildness, as if now, he didn’t mind having a few more charges. “What do you want to say?”

Shen Rong’s heart churned. She couldn’t describe the feeling. She said faintly, “There’s nothing I want to say. I only believe what I see with my own eyes. If you truly are guilty, there must be a reason.”

Shan Zong watched as the wind lifted the hood from her head, revealing her cool face. Her long eyelashes were lowered, not looking at him, as if bearing some anger, though she didn’t know at whom.

He reached out a hand, pulling her horse’s reins closer. The horses were pressed together, their faces almost touching. A tightness formed in his chest, yet a smile played on his face. “You came to reassure me.”

Shen Rong turned her face away. “You’ll naturally be at ease against the enemy. You don’t need me to reassure you.”

Shan Zong stared at her profile and whispered, “If you act like this, aren’t you afraid I’ll never be able to leave you again?”

Shen Rong immediately turned her face back, glancing at him. She seemed even more irritated, but she didn’t see his usual mischievous smile on his face. This sentence didn’t seem like a joke. Her lips parted and closed lightly, but in the end, she said nothing.

Shan Zong loosened the reins, glanced at Donglai and the line of guards following her, then looked back at her. He felt it was time to go; this wasn’t the moment for such words. Her saying what she had was enough.

Suddenly, he heard drumming begin from the direction of the city wall, with faint drum sounds also reaching them from the distant pass city. He immediately grew stern, and decisively pulled the reins. “You won’t have time to return to the city. Come with me.”

Shen Rong’s expression changed when she heard the commotion. She even threw what she had just said to the back of her mind, digging her heels into the horse’s flanks to follow him.

________________________________________

A line of fast horses galloped into Wangji Mountain.

The situation here was no longer as it was yesterday. Everywhere were fully armored soldiers.

Teams of soldiers, personally led by the military’s hundred-captains, were moving continuously.

When Shan Zong strode up to the pass city in the mountain, there were no whistles from all sides, but rather rolling thunderous drumbeats, urgent and intense, stirring the soul.

Shen Rong followed his steps, instinctively feeling something was wrong. “Is it still like before?”

Shan Zong walked too fast. He turned back, grabbed her hand, pulled her along, and continued upwards, his voice deep. “No, this is the drum of war.”

Shen Rong looked up in surprise. The drum of war? Does that mean war is about to begin?

Her feet had already followed him onto the pass city.

On the city wall, soldiers moved quickly, transporting weapons.

Hu Shiyi arrived first, turned to look, his face shocked. “Boss, come quickly and see what those are! Am I seeing things?”

Shan Zong stood overlooking the city from afar. A fierce wind howled past. Beyond the continuous mountain ranges lay the vast, boundless land outside the pass. A dense mass of black dots clustered together, stretching across the horizon. Faintly, several raised flags fluttered, accompanied by a rumbling sound that only those in the army could recognize as the clashing of swords and shields.

He narrowed his eyes. “You’re not seeing things. Those are their troops.”

Hu Shiyi said, “How can that be? When did those scoundrels from outside the pass have so many troops!”

Before his words finished, an urgent shout came. A soldier quickly ascended the pass city, clasping his fists to report, “Boss, the scouts’ rough estimate is about 100,000 enemy troops! Their vanguard is heading directly towards the pass city in the direction of the city!”

“One hundred thousand!” Hu Shiyi’s eyes widened. He looked at Shan Zong. “Boss, our military post only has 20,000 troops. How can we cope?”

Shen Rong had been listening to this sudden drastic change from the side, silently clenching her fingers, not wanting to interrupt. Only when she heard his words did she look up and glance at Shan Zong.

“Why panic?” Shan Zong turned, his face grim. “Order all hundred-captain teams to wait inside Wangji Mountain.”

The soldier quickly went to report. Only then did Hu Shiyi calm down and go to command the soldiers on the city wall.

Shan Zong grabbed Shen Rong’s hand and quickly descended the pass city.

Shen Rong remained silent until they were below the city, walking into the forest, with no one else around. Only then did she忍不住 to ask, “What do you mean by ‘only 20,000 troops’?”

Shan Zong did not turn around, his voice deep as a bell. “You heard right. The Youzhou army indeed only has 20,000 men.”

“Then what about your Lulong Army?” Shen Rong found it strange. “I remember your Lulong Army alone had 30,000 men. No, not just 30,000, was it 50,000?”

He stopped abruptly. “50,000.”

She immediately interjected, “Then where are the 50,000 Lulong Army? How can there be only 20,000!”

There was no way there would only be 20,000 left. How could 20,000 troops defend such a large Youzhou?

In the distance of the forest, only the hurried footsteps of soldiers rushing before battle remained. Other than that, not even the wind could be heard. A strange stillness settled over the surroundings.

Shan Zong held her hand motionless. Shen Rong then noticed that the side of his face was taut, from his jaw to his neck like a stretched string. His nose bridge was high, bathed in the brightening sky, tracing a faint outline.

After a long time, his deep-set eyes turned towards her. He looked at her and, in a voice only she could hear, gave a soft laugh. “I no longer have the Lulong Army.”