Chapter 31
After Hua Zhu Yu finished everything, she came to the room in the very back and collapsed on the comfortable silk blankets. She fell deep into sleep.
In her dream, she slowly walked toward many army tents until she arrived at her father’s. As the night darkened, her still sat in front of the table, looking at a map, deeply thinking about how defeat the enemy. The originally smooth forehead was now full of wrinkles carved through wind and frost, while his the hair around his two temples were now dyed with white frost. He lifted his head to look at her. Under the firelight, that smile was full of love and warmth. Suddenly, a cold light flitted past. Red blood – like a red plum flower – bloomed on his face. She felt her as though her heart was being hacked away. She wanted to shout, however no matter what she was unable to let out the slightest noise.
She abruptly awoke from her dream. She lifted her head to look outside the window. The crescent moon still hung in the sky. The clear moonlight shone the her window and sprinkled onto the ground in front of her bed. It seemed cold yet also lonely.
Hua Zhu Yu was breathing heavily. Her heart was pounding. She slowly walked next to the window. The night was still very dark. She frowned, her heart full of worry. Her dream tonight was not auspicious!
The light knocking sound followed along with Dan Hong’s low voice: “General, they arrived.”
“Got it!” Hua Zhu Yu quietly said.
She turned around and wore the clothes that Dan Hong had prepared for her. This was the wide robe that she lowed to wear on normal days. Because it was wide, it completely covered her slim figure. She lifted her hand to touch the mask on her face. There was nothing different. After that, she finally walked toward the door.
Originally, she had truly believed she would not have to wear this again. She thought that she could be like normal females – live a peaceful life with a husband. However, from now on, these days to her had become a wish that could never be fulfilled.
She bitterly smiled as she pushed open the door.
In the hall, the candle let off a faint yellow glow. Two people were currently sitting on chairs. When Hua Zhu Yu entered, one of them stood up suddenly and rapidly bounded over to Hua Zhu Yu. They reached out their hand to slap her shoulder as they said with disbelief: “General, it really is you?! I’m not dreaming?”
Hua Zhu Yu dodged. Right now, she couldn’t handle Kang the Third’s slap. Kang the Third was the third of her four personal bodyguards. He had strong features, and although he couldn’t be considered handsome, however he was hearty and charismatic. He had an lively personality. Normally she and him often competed, and he had become accustomed to doing so in front of her.
“General, what happened? How come you came alive again?” Kang the Third asked as he circled Hua Zhu Yu. He touched Hua Zhu Yu’s shoulder and then squeezed her arm, as though he was checking that she was not harmed. After a while, he stretched out his hand to viciously pinch his own arm. His lips twitched in pain, however only when he was sure that he wasn’t dreaming did he release his hand. That pair of tiger-like eyes suddenly filled with tears and they fell uncontrollably.
“I’m fine. Why are you crying?” Hua Zhu Yu said in a heavy voice.
“I…I can’t control it.” Kang the Third stuttered.
The other male who had been silent was extremely handsome. He had thin willowy eyes. Most especially her was exceedingly intelligent. He was currently holding back a smile as he stared at her. He was indeed Pin the First who had attempted to save her from the North Kingdom soldiers back at their camp.
“Where are the Second and the Fourth?” Hua Zhu Yu lightly asked as she sat down on the chair.
“Before houye had been punished, they were sent out to do some missions. They still haven’t returned yet.” Pin the First said in a heavy tone.
Hua Zhu Yu frowned slightly. Ever since she had ‘died’, the four had followed the orders of her father. However, what exactly had happened that made them unable to come book even after her father had been punished?
Hua Zhu Yu was silent for a moment before she said: “I don’t have a complete grasp on the event tomorrow and you two may not be able to return once you go. Think this through!”
“We had vowed to follow the general into death.” Pin the First and Kang the Third answered solidly.
Hua Zhu Yu nodded her head: “Since this is so, tomorrow morning, send someone to get an idea of the soldiers placed at the execution ground. That way, it will be easier for us. This time, which jianjun had the government sent?”
Kang the Third angrily said: “It’s the Left Chancellor Ji Feng Li. Once he’s mentioned I’m angry. He had caused the death of houye‘s daughter. The last time he had been a jianjun, I wanted to find an opportunity kill him. Who knew that this time, he had come to Liang Province. Tomorrow I will definitely take care of him!”
When Hua Zhu Yu heard, her eyes flashed with a cold light.
It was actually Ji Feng Li!
Not only that, but the white-robed jianjun she had saw on the battlefield was also him?!
As she thought of the hardships she had those days and Jin Se’s death, Hua Zhu Yu’s dark eyes deepened. Her jade-like hand tightly formed into a fist.
“Ah Pin, my internal force has been sealed. Help me to unseal it. Dan Hong, you and the Third guard the place. Don’t let anyone come inside to disturb me.” Hua Zhu Yu quietly ordered.
Pin the First agreed, while Dan Hong and Kang the Third retreated outside.
Hua Zhu Yu sat cross-legged on the carpet. Pin the First pressed his palms to her back, sending his internal force into her body. After a full shi-chen, he was finally able to unseal her internal force.
(shi-chen : two hours)
Outside the window, the dark sky had turned a clear white color. It was about to be morning.
The treason of the Marquis of Pin Xi, Hua Mu, had already spread over the whole Liang Province. Hua Mu had always guarded the Liang Province and their impression of him was a loyal person who loved the citizens like his own children. However, after hearing about his treason, that previous good impression had completely changed in a couple of days. Even his originally virtuous actions had become perceived as done only in order to gain control of the world.
The words of people are always fearful.
However, many peasants still believed that Hua Mu was not that type of person. They still remembered when Hua Mu had came, he was only a commander-in-chief and had defeated the West Liang Army countless times. Yet this type of person, due to the crime of treason, is going to be executed.
The execution ground had already been put up. All of the Liang Province civilians surrounded the execution ground with complicated expressions as they viewed the execution.
Directly across from the execution ground was Liang Province’s ‘A Courtyard Full of Spring’ Tea Shop. Their business today was exceedingly good. The seats on the second and the third floor had all been reserved a couple days before. By today, there were no seats left. However, there were also those who had enough money to buy a seat from another person.
For example, a room facing the execution ground on the second floor had just been bought over by another for 3 hundred silver.
Second floor room.
An extremely tall male was currently sitting on the chair as he sipped his tea. In the reflection of the tea was a pair of narrow and deep purple eyes.
“Hui Xue, do you think she will go to save Hua Mu?” He quietly asked as he sipped from his tea again.
“In answer to his highness, Hui Xue doesn’t know. Around the execution ground, there is an ambush of over 10 thousand soldiers. If she wanted to save Hua Mu, it will be exceedingly difficult. Dan Hong is only a servant girl. Even if she worked together with her friends, it would still be very difficult. And so, she probably won’t come.”
“You’re right. Only an idiot would try to save someone under this situation.” He coldly said as he lightly placed the tea cup on the table.
Unfortunately, the idiotic person he had sent to secretly follow her had lost her. And so, even if he wanted to stop her, it would be quite difficult.