QYT - 10

Qing Wei had prepared a horse beforehand. Upon reaching the hidden stable, she dared not delay for a moment, immediately retrieved the horse, and galloped towards the outskirts of the city.

Xue Changxing’s whereabouts had been exposed, and the Black Eagle Division was already alerted. Although they had temporarily evaded the city gate guards, the hoofprints on the road meant the Black Eagle Division would soon track them down.

Getting out of the city was just the first step; to completely shake off the Black Eagle Division, they had to escape the capital’s territory.

Now it was a race against time—to get out of the city quickly, to evade pursuit quickly, and to reach the rendezvous point quickly.

The two urged their horses onward. Due to the urgency, they couldn’t even avoid the mountains and wilderness, forced to travel along the official road.

Their original meeting point with Cao Kunda was in Jipu Town on the outskirts of the capital. However, with the sudden change in circumstances, they had to temporarily alter their plans. The falcon delivered a message to Changhua, eighty li away, where Cao Kunda had arranged for additional personnel.

Changhua County was in Ningzhou territory. The two traveled for nearly three hours straight. By the time they saw the Ningzhou Prefecture boundary marker, the sky had already begun to lighten.

Ningzhou had many mountains. This place was still a desolate wilderness. Looking around, one could only see continuous mountain ranges and lush greenery.

The official road wound around the mountains. If they took the main road, it would take more than half a day to reach Changhua. Fortunately, there was a shortcut through the mountains. When Qing Wei arrived there, she immediately urged her horse up the mountain.

They rode for another half an hour until they reached a fork in the road halfway up the mountain. Qing Wei “whoa”ed and reined in her horse.

She raised her whip and pointed forward, saying to Xue Changxing, “After this section of mountain road, you should see a teahouse. The people waiting to meet you will be in the shed, and they will cover your escape then.”

After she finished speaking, she squeezed her horse’s belly with her legs, preparing to continue her journey, when Xue Changxing suddenly called out to her from behind:

“Little girl, the person who hired you to save me, it’s Cao Kunda, isn’t it?”

“Someone in the palace keeps falcons specifically for delivering messages. When the Xijintai incident happened, I escaped pursuit and ran into a young eunuch. When he saw me, he used three bird whistles to summon a falcon. But a falcon like that surely isn’t something an ordinary eunuch could afford to keep. Thinking carefully, it could only be a high-ranking eunuch like Cao Kunda.”

As Xue Changxing spoke, he asked, “Have you been working for Cao Kunda all these years?”

Qing Wei reined in her horse and turned to look at Xue Changxing.

The morning wind in the mountains grew stronger, and a long gust blew through, lifting Qing Wei’s hood.

Her expression was very calm, her gaze almost unwavering. If one could overlook the large scar on her eye, her features were actually very beautiful, a naturally elegant and clean beauty, as if painted by a renowned artist, where an extra stroke would be too much, and one less too little.

Xue Changxing suddenly smiled: “Never mind, thinking about it, it’s impossible. How could the daughter of Wen Qian and a descendant of the Yue clan be manipulated by an eunuch faction? He must have done you a favor, or made a deal with you using some important information, right?”

Xue Changxing asked, “Are you looking for Yue Qiqi?”

In fact, the moment she used the soft jade sword, Xue Changxing should have recognized her.

He was a soldier from the Battle of Changdu River, and General Yue Chong, who died in that battle, was precisely Qing Wei’s maternal grandfather and Yue Qiqi’s adoptive father.

Qing Wei was silent for a moment, then hummed a response.

Xue Changxing said, “After Yue Qiqi was apprehended by the court, there was no news of him. I tried looking for him before, but to no avail.” He looked around, smiled, and said, “For the past few years, I’ve been traveling north and south, always trying to get to the capital. Leaving other things aside, just these few mountains around the capital, I’ve been to every single one and explored all the terrain. If one day I finish what I need to do and end up in these mountains, I could become a local warlord.”

He dismounted and patted the horse. The horse lifted a hoof and galloped along the fork towards the main road leading to Changhua. “Alright, little girl, this is as far as you need to go. I know the rest of the way. Before the Black Eagle Division arrives, you should leave quickly.”

After speaking, he did not take the path Qing Wei had just pointed out to him, but instead took a mountain path at the fork in the road.

Qing Wei froze, immediately dismounted, and in a few steps caught up, “This small path is a dead end, it leads to the top of the mountain—”

“I know,” Xue Changxing said without turning back, his voice tinged with a smile, “Did you forget? I’ve been here before. I can be the warlord of this mountain.”

The path was not long, but it was steep. After a few steps up, the dense forest gradually opened up, revealing a wide, open cliff face.

The mountains and wilderness were vast and empty. In the morning, birds chirped in the stillness. Listening closely, one could distinguish the faint sound of horse hooves from afar amidst the birdsong.

Qing Wei didn’t know what Xue Changxing was going to do. She only knew they couldn’t delay any longer. She strode forward a few steps, curled her fingers into a claw, and reached directly for Xue Changxing’s left shoulder. Xue Changxing seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. Sensing the forceful strike, he dodged sideways, his left hand instantly gripping Qing Wei’s wrist. Then, his expression instantly changed—he hadn’t expected Qing Wei’s attack to be merely a feint. In the blink of an eye, her feet had gained leverage, trapping his forward leg and rendering him momentarily unable to move.

Qing Wei said, “Come back with me!”

“Not bad, little girl’s martial arts are impressive, not in vain of your Yue clan blood. What a pity, if my leg wasn’t lame, I might even be able to exchange ten more blows with you,” Xue Changxing said with a laugh.

He quickly suppressed his smile and asked, “Go back for what? Little girl, do you really not understand what kind of person Cao Kunda is?”

Qing Wei said, “He is not trustworthy, but today, no matter who you fall into the hands of, you will surely die. He can at least save your life.”

“Save my life, and then what? If I am saved by him today, I will be controlled by him tomorrow, becoming a black-and-white pawn in his hands, used by him and them to attack, slaughter, and eliminate dissidents?”

Xue Changxing said, “Currently, in the imperial court, Zhang Heshua is using the pretext of rebuilding Xijintai to form factions and suppress the Empress Dowager and the He family faction, causing Xijintai to stir up waves again, and people are in a state of panic. He Shiqing’s faction is arresting people everywhere, wishing they could find all the scapegoats in the world to silence Zhang’s faction. Why was Cui Hongyi convicted? Isn’t it precisely because of this? Ordinary people fear getting into trouble and wish they could hide as far away as possible, yet this Cao fellow saves me at this very moment. What kind of role do you think he plays? Is he genuinely intent on saving me?!”

Qing Wei said, “Cao Kunda is naturally insidious, but if you are caught by those of the He faction, you will surely face disaster! You are different from Cui Hongyi; he is merely a scapegoat. You are already a prime suspect on the wanted list; the imperial forces will not let you go. If you follow Cao Kunda, and save your life under him, and if you can break free from your shackles in the future, the world is vast, where can’t you go?”

“You’re right, a true man knows when to yield and when to stand firm. Following Cao Kunda is indeed a choice. But if such a huge case as Xijintai can go wrong, can I truly escape easily by following him? Moreover, I have a deep-seated, irreconcilable hatred with these people! Wen Qingwei, I ask you, in this current situation, if it were your master, Yu Qi, or your mother, Yue Hongying, how would you choose? Would you still stop them and force them to live a humiliating life with an eunuch faction?”

Qing Wei paused slightly, the strength in her feet gradually loosening.

Xue Changxing broke free and walked towards the mountaintop without looking back: “General Yue Chong, born from the common people, was originally a bandit. However, during the Xianhe era, when the populace was in chaos and foreign enemies invaded, he led his bandits to join the army, thus establishing the Yue Family Army.”

“In the seventeenth year of Xianhe, the court was weak, and the Thirteen Tribes of Cangnu pressed down upon them. Scholar Zhang Yuchu and a group of scholars drowned themselves in the river as a remonstrance, but only Yue Chong volunteered for battle. Among us, how many valiant and righteous men served under the Yue clan? The river waters washed their robes white, and their bones were buried on the battlefield. Ever since I joined the army, the bravery of our predecessors has been our belief, their unwavering resolve our backbone, yet it was all ruined by a collapsed Xijintai! Ordinary people don’t understand why I risked my life to come to the capital, but I have always had only this one path to take. To submit to the Black Eagle Division, to surrender to Cao Kunda, whether dead or alive, I choose neither. I want to gamble for myself!”

He glanced at the cliff behind him, then suddenly smiled and asked Qing Wei, “Little girl, you are so capable, and you carry the soft jade sword Yu Qi left for you. If you jump from here, you should be fine, right?”

Qing Wei was slightly startled, a bad premonition suddenly rising in her heart. She said, “If you truly don’t want to go with Cao Kunda, then we won’t meet with his people. We’ll go west, and I’ll protect you.”

“No need, little girl. I’ve already burdened you enough with this journey. Let’s end it here. If you truly give your life for me, how will I face your father in the afterlife?” Xue Changxing said with a smile, “During the days of Xijintai’s construction, your father often spoke of you to me, saying he had a daughter at his old residence in Chenyang. Though her surname was Wen, Yue clan blood flowed in her veins, and she had a stubborn temper. Your mother passed away, and you were still angry with him, ran away from home, and he hadn’t seen you for many days. At that time, I didn’t know your name was Qing Wei; I always heard your father call you by your childhood name, Xiao Ye.”

“At that time, I always wanted to meet you. I never expected that after all these years, we would meet under such circumstances. Actually, I know you’re so smart. How could a single letter from Cao Kunda, a vague message, persuade you to come to the capital to save me? You’ve gone to such great lengths, risking your life to protect me, simply because you know that I am your Uncle Xue.” Xue Changxing said, pointing to his left eye, “Xiao Ye, is that scar on your eye something you deliberately put there to prevent people from recognizing your identity?”

So many years had passed. Since the collapse of Xijintai, this was the first time someone had called her Xiao Ye.

Qing Wei opened her mouth, about to answer, when she suddenly heard the sound of hooves approaching from afar. Her brow furrowed deeply. She stepped forward a few paces, intending to grab Xue Changxing’s hand, “The Black Eagle Division is almost here. Let’s go quickly, you must trust me, I will surely protect you—”

Xue Changxing, however, suddenly stepped back, his voice abruptly impassioned: “Wen Xiaoye, I ask you, when Xijintai collapsed back then, the court repeatedly said it was due to your father’s poor supervision, do you believe that?! Before Xijintai was completed, it rained heavily for three days and three nights, and your father called for a halt more than once, but did anyone in the court pay him any heed?! They treated this pavilion as a stepping stone, caring only for personal gain! Why were the blueprints for Xijintai changed three times during its construction? Why was your father not present on the day Xijintai was completed? Why was it ultimately Prince Xiao Zhao who ordered the dismantling of the wooden pillar supporting Xijintai? Have you never deeply investigated these doubts in your heart? Such a monumental case concluded so hastily, have you ever truly accepted it in your heart?!

“Right now, wolves and tigers run rampant in the court. Trying to uncover the truth is like striking a stone with an egg, but even if I have to cut through thorns and brambles, I am willing to shake the tree with the strength of a mere mayfly! You are the daughter of Wen Qian, a descendant of the Yue clan. Are you also willing to carve out a clear path in this chaotic, thorny situation?”

At this point, Xue Changxing’s tone suddenly became mournful: “Over the years, old friends have scattered, relatives have been separated. Those of us who remain are also considered family. If Uncle Xue knew you were still alive, he should have found you long ago, but alas...”

The sound of hooves was already at their ears. Someone called from outside the forest, “There are hoofprints here—”

Xue Changxing looked up at the clouds: “My heroic ancestors above, though I, Xue, have reached the end of my road today, I will never break my bones and surrender to the enemy. The oath I made before the cenotaph at Xijintai all those years ago, I have not forgotten for a single day. For five years, I have been ready for battle day and night, without shame in my heart. If I can fortunately survive this time, I will certainly put forth my utmost effort and press onward in the future; if I am buried here, seeing our descendants grow up, already capable of bearing great responsibilities, my heart will be greatly comforted, and upon reaching the Yellow Springs, I hope to drink heartily with all of you!”

After speaking, he turned and faced the cliff, then leaped down resolutely.

Sunlight broke through the clouds. Mountain mist brushed her face. The cliff was overgrown with lush weeds, and footprints still remained, but the person who had just been there was gone.

Qing Wei stood dazed for a long while before finally opening her mouth and calling, “Uncle Xue...”

But no one answered her.

Qing Wei reacted, stumbling a few steps to the edge of the cliff, leaning over. The autumn mist below the cliff had not yet dispersed, and nothing could be seen.

The wind swirled powerfully, as if the person had simply vanished into this world.

Qing Wei murmured, then opened her mouth again: “Uncle Xue?”

Her voice shattered in the residual wind.

“Uncle Xue—”