TMBM Chapter 140: A Narrow Road for Enemies
July 19, 2023mich
A dark-clad figure flashed over. A hand reached over and wrapped around her shoulder, helping her to stabilize her body. Through the thick fur coat, the arm wrapped around her was solid and strong, the embrace was cold and icy, without a bit of affection.
Yaoying held the bowl of soup with one hand, the rest of her body falling backward into Sultan Gu’s arms. Glancing back at the stairs under her feet, her heart palpitating, she gently exhaled a breath.
If she had fallen from the second floor and broken her arms and legs, how could she still go to Gaochang?
Thinking that she had stabilized herself on her feet, Sultan Gu briskly let go of his hand.
Yaoying was staring at the stairs under her feet. Not yet back to her senses, suddenly losing her support, her body swayed along with the inertia, and she couldn’t help but let out a soft whimper.
Sultan Gu’s entire body paused for a moment, and his arm reached over again.
Yaoying, afraid of dropping the soup bowl, fell back into his arms. Feeling his body tense up, a little embarrassed, she turned around, faced him, and stood up quickly, standing firmly this time, still holding the soup bowl in her hands.
Holding the bowl, she raised her head and blinked at Sultan Gu, her thick long eyelashes fluttering as she said with a smile, “General Su, have something to eat?”
Sultan Gu retracted his arm, his blue eyes under the mask flickered over the soup in her hand.
Yaoying had been protecting the bowl with her sleeves. The soup was still scalding hot, the steam rising in spirals and lingering. Snow white soup, with some torn-up flatbread floating on top. Soaked in the soup, the bread pieces were white and plump.
Sultan Gu did not make a sound, yet did not look as if he intended to take the bowl of soup.
Yaoying hands held the bowl forward: “This soup warms the stomach and drives away the cold. General, have some. Further ahead, we do not know when we will reach another guest house.”
Sultan Gu’s line of sight fell on her fingers. She was afraid that the goat soup would get cold. She brought it over while it was still hot, and her delicate fingers and palms were scalded red.
He accepted the bowl in silence.
Yaoying also pulled out a few round pastries and handed them to him. These pastries are what she had Xie Qing bring with her. After baking them briefly over the fire for a while, the outside was crispy and crunchy, and the inside was tender and fluffy. Just now, Yuanjue and the rest of them said they were delicious.
Sultan Gu took the soup bowl and the pastries, turned around, and walked away.
Yaoying couldn’t help but smile and looked to the side of the high platform. The goshawk stood with drooping wings being blown by the wind, its sharp eyes staring coldly at her.
It had scared her just now!
She softly asked Sultan Gu, “General Su, can I feed it some jerky?”
She had seen Yuanjue, Sultan Gu, and other soldiers feed the goshawk. Although the hawk was arrogant, it would not randomly injure anyone.
Sultan Gu glanced back at her. She did not know what his expression was under his mask.
Yaoying had already pulled out a small piece of dried meat from her sleeve and stood in front of the hawk with an expression of eagerness, her dark eyes shining.
It was as if this wasn’t the eagle that scared her just now.
Sultan Gu said, “He almost made the princess fall just now.”
Yaoying smiled, “It was alerting the general. I came here uninvited. It had scared me to alert the general.”
Sultan Gu looked at her for a long moment before he nodded.
Yaoying beamed with pleasure and took a few steps forward, spreading her palm towards the goshawk, asking softly, “Do you like this?”
The goshawk looked at her askance, appearing very disdainful.
Yaoying patiently and softly coaxed it, “I haven’t thanked you yet. You’re much more mighty than Haidu Aling’s Abu.”
The goshawk seemed to understand her words and fluttered its wings arrogantly. Its pointed beak pecking twice gently at her spread fingers, pricking a little.
Yaoying didn’t dodge and kept her palms spread out.
The goshawk took the dried meat in her palm.
Yaoying looked at the goshawk, and secretly pondered in her heart: the Northern Rong and the Royal Court had domesticated letter eagles. Here, the eagle was the king of the high sky. Letter pigeons would definitely be hunted by the latter when they encountered the letter eagle. If only she had a letter eagle as well.
She wondered if the powerful Hu merchants can help her buy a few eagles.
She leaned in front of the earthen platform, lost in her thoughts while teasing the hawk. The hawk was arrogant and didn’t pay much attention to her. Only after eating the dried meat in her palm did it impatiently pull her sleeve, urging her to bring out more dried meat.
Yaoying didn’t dare to feed it more, and stretched her hand towards it, signaling that there was no more.
The hawk lifted its claws and walked away.
Yaoying broke in smiles and turned back to look at Sultan Gu.
He was drinking soup with his back to her, not making a sound at all. The soup that the personal soldiers and close guards praised, he drank it ordinarily, as if he was drinking water.
Yaoying stared at his back for a long time until the sound of horses’ hooves suddenly came from the distance.
She followed the sound and looked over. Dust flew from their east. Hooves clattering, a dozen fast horses galloped coming their way to the guest house. The riders were all covered in thick fur coats, their faces masked. It was impossible to tell what kind of people they were.
Sultan Gu was very alert and immediately put down his bowl and stood in front of the earthen platform and surveyed for a beat.
“It’s the Northern Rong.”
Yaoying’s eyelids jumped: “How does the general know that they are Northern Rong people?”
Sultan Gu’s voice was hoarse and low as he said, “The strong horses they ride are horses from the Northern Rong stables.”
Yaoying’s heart sank slightly.
The Northern Rong occupied a large area with several grasslands with abundant water and plentiful vegetation. Several of them happened to be the largest horse farms in the Northern Desert, where the domesticated horses were well-fed and bred to provide war horses for the Northern Rong cavalry. Sultan Gu said it so surely; he would not be mistaken.
Sultan Gu made a gesture toward the guards downstairs. The close guards understood and quickly ran into the hall, reminding everyone to put on their scarves and prepare to depart.
The crowd had already eaten and drunk enough, and sharply got up to pack their things and leave the guest house.
The Northern Rong people were very fast. In a flash, they had already arrived at the front of the guest house.
The man in the lead took off his mask and spat out the dust and sand in his mouth. His body was muscular, strong like an ox. He had curly hair, a pair of light brown eyes, wearing a fur coat and leather boots. He turned over and dismounted from his horse while cursing and complaining about the weather.
There was no back door to the post station. Yaoying and Sultan Gu each had their heads down to organize their travel baggage. The Northern Rong thought they were ordinary merchants, only sizing them up for a few moments before walking past them. One of them impatiently urged the innkeeper: ”Is there anything to eat? As long as it’s hot, send it over quickly!”
The shopkeeper agreed repeatedly.
Yaoying stepped on the stirrup and mounted her horse. Gaze falling on that burly man, her face changed, and she immediately withdrew her sight.
Calm and collected, she drove her horse to Sultan Gu’s side and whispered, “General Su, that man is the young prince of the Northern Rong.”
Sultan Gu glanced at her.
Yaoying lowered her voice, “He is Wakhan Khan’s favorite youngest son, who always stays at the main tent. General may not have seen him before, but I can confirm that I’m not mistaken.”
Sultan Gu gave an ‘en’.
Everyone did not show any emotion. Leaving the guest house, their figures blended into the vast wind and snow.
Yaoying’s heart was heavy.
Why did the little prince appear here? Was there any connection between all of this and Haidu Arling?
…
While Yaoying and Sultan Gu set off from Sha City to Gaochang, thousands of miles away, in the vast and boundless Gobi Desert, another team was heading towards Yizhou.
The carriage was traveling on a rugged mountain road. The woman in the carriage could not bear the bumps and could not help but lift the curtain and said to the guards following, “How many more days will it take to reach Yizhou?”
The guards cupped their fists and said, “Princess, please endure for a few more days. You will soon arrive in Yizhou, and you will be able to see Grand Princess Yiqing in no time.”
Faint expectation appeared on the woman’s face as she let down the curtain and retreated back into the carriage.
She would soon be able to see her aunt.
The guard slowed down, deliberately lagging a few steps behind.
A guard behind him drove his horse forward to ride parallel to him.
The guard whispered in dialect, “You find an opportunity to send a message back. Princess Fukang is almost in Yizhou. We have already gained Princess Fukang’s trust, so when we arrive in Yizhou, we will find a way to inquire about Princess Wenzhao’s whereabouts.”
The other guard’s face showed difficulty: “Now that everywhere is blockaded, and many roads are guarded like iron barrels, how can we send the news that Princess Wenzhao might still be alive back to Chang’an?”
The guard snorted, “You are really a block of wood! How did the Northern Rong secretly communicate with Princess Fukang? We’ll just use their people to deliver the message!”
The other guard came to a realization and nodded in response.