Chapter 297 - 84: Courting Death

Chapter 297: Chapter 84: Courting Death

The carriage sped through An Ye. Unable to see the road, the ride grew even more bumpy.

Chu Tang sat inside the carriage, her mother’s choked sobs filling her ears.

"Ah Tang, where are they taking us? To the academy where your brothers are?" Mrs. Jiang asked. "It’s not a good time to be traveling, is it? Didn’t they say a war has broken out? It would be safer to keep hiding at the Zhou family’s home."

’It’s more than just "not good" right now,’ Chu Tang thought. ’Where we’re going is much, much worse.’

She pressed a hand to her chest to keep her heart from leaping out with every jolt. She thought back to the message from Little Rabbit. She had been woken in the middle of the night, and after hearing what Little Rabbit said, she had to slap herself to believe she wasn’t dreaming.

"Is she insane?" she had asked. "This is a suicide mission! How can I possibly do it? I’m just a helpless woman!"

Little Rabbit had grinned. "Sister Ah Zhao says you can do it, so you can." She pulled at her, urging, "Let’s go, let’s go."

’But what choice did I have? Whether I went, or where I went, was never up to me. It was up to the loyal servants—the old, the weak, the women, and the children—around me.’

Chu Tang had always been one to go with the flow. Though she was screaming in shock internally, she still obediently packed her things at once and even found the words to calm her parents.

But once in the carriage, thinking about what she had to do next, Chu Tang decided not to hide the truth from her parents any longer.

"The court and the King of Zhongshan are at war, and the court has put a bounty on our heads."

"It’s not because of what happened with Chu Zhao and Uncle. It’s because of what you did all those years ago, Father. It’s been exposed."

Mrs. Jiang stared blankly. Chu Lan, who had been feigning ignorance, could no longer keep up the act. He let out a wail. "I was forced! And besides, I didn’t even do anything—"

’I’ve been wronged!’

Panicked and confused, Mrs. Jiang pressed for details. Only then did she learn what had happened, and she nearly fainted. "Heavens, we’re doomed."

Now she finally understood why Chu Zhao, after becoming the Empress, never mentioned them or even saw them. For more than half a year, they had been under house arrest, not ’biding their time in obscurity’ as they were told.

At this thought, her resentment flared again.

"She escaped to the Border Army all by herself, so why didn’t she take us with her? Leaving us in the Capital City to die."

Chu Tang covered her mother’s mouth to stop her from saying anything else. The servants outside were all formidable individuals.

"We’re not relying on her, either," she said decisively. "My sisters are helping me. I will take you somewhere safe."

Mrs. Jiang hugged her daughter. "Ah Tang, you’ve suffered so much. Making you go through all this fear and hardship."

Chu Tang hugged her mother back and looked at Chu Lan. "What I’m doing isn’t hard. From here on, we’ll have to rely on you, Father."

Rely on Father?

Both Mrs. Jiang and Chu Lan froze.

"Ah Tang, I’ve only managed to survive by pretending to be a crazy, muddle-headed fool." Chu Lan covered his face, sobbing. "What is there to rely on? Your uncle and the Heir of Zhongshan King have utterly ruined me."

The rest of the family had no idea what Chu Ling was doing, as he wasn’t even in the Capital City. But his actions led to his older brother, Chu Lan, being targeted and coerced by the Heir of Zhongshan King. He hadn’t done anything, yet this disaster befell him.

"No, Father," Chu Tang said. "It is precisely because you’ve been so wronged that you must go and demand justice."

Chu Lan looked at her. "And who am I supposed to demand justice from?"

Chu Tang moved closer and grabbed his arm, her eyes gleaming in the dim carriage. "From the Heir of Zhongshan King, Xiao Xun, of course."

Chu Lan was aghast. "Ah Tang, that’s not demanding justice! You’re sending me to my death!"

...

...

The morning light spilled over the horizon. The early spring earth showed no signs of green grass; the turf had been trampled to ruin by countless feet. Fleeing people were everywhere—old and young, men and women. Adults shouted and children cried as carts and horses collided in the chaos.

Behind them, squadrons of iron-clad cavalry advanced like a dark cloud, gradually swallowing the morning light.

Ahead of the fleeing masses, another troop of soldiers appeared, standing motionless and dense as a forest.

Seeing these soldiers, the people reacted as if they had seen their saviors, running desperately toward them—

"Advance no further without orders! Retreat at once!" the black wall of soldiers roared in unison. "Or you will be killed without mercy!"

Retreat? Retreat where? The shouts came one after another, each more urgent than the last. The people looked back.

From the rear came a unified chant as well: "The King of Zhongshan protects the court and proceeds to the Capital City for an audience! All who block the path, make way at once! Make way at once!"

Make way? Make way where? The thundering hooves rolled toward them like a great wave, its gaping maw ready to devour them all.

Amidst that roiling wave was Xiao Xun. Dressed in the ceremonial robes of a Princely Heir, as white as jade, he raised a hand and gave a gentle wave. He said, "Kill."

At this command, the soldiers raised their shields. They thrust their long spears forward, their tips glinting with a cold light.

As a horn blast sounded from the front, the black wall of soldiers also formed a shield wall. Crossbowmen knelt, and a volley of ten thousand arrows was unleashed.

In an instant, a rain of blades and arrows devoured the world, turning everything bloodred.

...

...

The spring wind of the second month cut like a knife.

The scent carried on the air was also like a blade.

The rust of iron.

The stench of blood.

Chu Zhao didn’t wrap her scarf to block the cold wind and the smell of blood. She even reined in her horse to look at the bodies lying by the roadside. They were two elderly people, their bundles scattered beside them, the bloodstains beneath them already dried.

"Perhaps they were robbed. It might not have been soldiers," Ding Dachui couldn’t help but say.

The bundles had clearly been rummaged through, and the bodies of the two elders had been searched as well. Even their shoes were gone. Their socks were clean, suggesting the shoes weren’t lost while running, but were taken off them afterward.

"That is also because of the soldiers," Chu Zhao said. If not for the war, why would these old people have left their homes with bundles, only to meet their end on the road?

Chu Zhao looked around. A village was faintly visible ahead, but there was no smoke from kitchen chimneys, no sound of crowing roosters or barking dogs. Nor were there any villagers working in the fields.

A Scout galloped back from the front. "There are no—living people in the village."

’Then there are dead people,’ Chu Zhao thought, tightening her grip on the reins. She had seen all sorts of horrific scenes on the battlefields of the Border County. But there, because they had been prepared for war, the "scorched earth" tactic was employed at a moment’s notice, and the civilians were evacuated and resettled in time. Unless an entire city fell, there would be no mass civilian casualties.

But now, with a prince from the heartlands suddenly waging war against the court, the common people were caught completely off guard, with no way to protect themselves—both sides were soldiers of Great Xia.

A single clash between the two armies could destroy a village.

If the soldiers within a city suddenly split into factions and started fighting, half the city could be destroyed in an instant.

"Forward, at once," Chu Zhao ordered. She couldn’t stop to bury these villagers; she had to go and prevent more slaughter.

She galloped ahead, with Ding Dachui and his troops following closely behind, holding the Empress’s phoenix flag high. They now formed a massive contingent, with Scouts and vanguards racing back and forth at the front, and cavalry and infantry arrayed in the rear.

After marching for half a day, a group of soldiers galloped toward them, led by a young girl.

"Xiao Man is here!" Ah Le said happily, urging her horse forward to greet them.

But Xiao Man turned her head, ignoring her. She went straight to Chu Zhao and said, "We have surrounded Zhongshan County. Their forces are about equal to ours."

Old Bai arrived right behind her. "We have a fifty percent chance of success if we attack the County seat."

Even if they couldn’t take the city, it should force the King of Zhongshan to dispatch reinforcements, which in turn would relieve the pressure on the Capital City.

Chu Zhao shook her head. "A fifty percent chance isn’t enough to shake the King of Zhongshan."

’Then what should we do?’ Just as Old Bai was about to suggest mobilizing more troops, Chu Zhao rode past them and announced loudly, "I will go to the front lines."

’The Empress is going to attack the city personally? Does she think she’s worth ten men?’

Xiao Man pouted but followed her.

...

...

In the streets of the Zhongshan County seat, soldiers ran past continuously, shouting that the court’s army had surrounded the city and ordering the citizens to bar their doors.

The people hiding in their homes were terrified but helpless. They no longer cared who was fighting whom, or who was right and who was ruthless. Once the fighting began, they would be the ones to suffer.

A war that had seemed so distant was now happening right on their doorstep.

Of course, there were some astute individuals who sighed, "Today’s disaster is because of that distant war. The King of Zhongshan, from the very day he arrived here, has been waiting for his chance to return to the Capital City."

He finally got his chance. The late Emperor passed away, Western Liang invaded—with troubles both at home and abroad, who could stop him from fighting his way back to the Capital City?

The King of Zhongshan might have a lame leg, but he didn’t have a lame heart.

But others complained, "It’s the late Emperor’s fault, too. How could he let a little child inherit the throne? The King of Zhongshan should have been the Emperor. He’s the late Emperor’s own brother; in terms of qualifications and age, he was the most suitable."

If it had been done that way from the start, this war wouldn’t be happening now.

Some went even further, saying that the King of Western Liang would never have attacked in the first place. With a man like the King of Zhongshan as Emperor, the country would be stable. How would the King of Western Liang dare to attack?

But no matter what was said now, the battle was inevitable. And with the city under siege, they could not avoid becoming collateral damage.

The King of Zhongshan cared little for the atmosphere in the city or the discussions of the common folk.

Now that the war had begun, everything could be smoothed over after it was finished. Once he became Emperor, his word would be law, and the people would be grateful for whatever he did.

As for the court’s army surrounding the city and the Empress herself coming to the front lines, he paid it no mind. He even joked with the official generals beside him, "To be able to fight a battle against the Empress... I wonder how envious Xun is back in the Capital City."

The official generals were all his confidants and knew about Xiao Xun’s past with the Chu Family’s Daughter. Some laughed, while one sneered, "That Chu Family’s Daughter went to great lengths to become Empress. This time, I will teach her a lesson."

The King of Zhongshan laughed heartily. Just as he was about to voice his approval, someone strode in from outside to report, "Your Highness, Empress Chu says she wishes to speak with you."

Speak?

’So she’s not attacking directly?’

"She knows her place. She understands she has nothing to gain by fighting."

"How ridiculous. At a time like this, what good will talking do?"

"Perhaps she’s come to surrender."

"Then there’s no need to talk. She can just turn around and help the Princely Heir take the Capital City. Then we can talk."

"There would still be nothing to talk about! What’s there to discuss? Does she still want to be the Princely Heir’s wife? It’s too late for that!"

The hall filled with discussion, cold sneers, and sarcastic remarks.

The King of Zhongshan listened with a smile, then raised a hand to silence them. "Since Empress Chu wishes to talk, what do we have to fear?" He looked at the messenger. "Go tell the Empress that I have a bad leg and cannot go out. However, the gates of Prince Zhongshan Mansion are wide open for Her Majesty the Empress. She may come at any time."

The King of Zhongshan’s gates were open for the Empress. But would the Empress dare to walk through them to her death?