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The personal soldiers had not eaten for several days, so they grabbed handfuls of snow and stuffed them into their mouths. Fearing that Yaoying would see them, they turned their backs to her one by one.
Yaoying touched the animal skin pouch on her waist. Xie Qing had not eaten anything these day, and all the dry food that could be eaten was given to her.
They were starving and freezing, and so were the horses. Trekking for days, quite a few horses have died in the past few days, and the soldiers had to share a horse.
Her favorite colt, the Wusun horse, could not hold up much longer.
It was the horse Li Zhongqian had given her.
Yaoying untied the animal skin pouch and handed it to Xie Qing: “Take it and give it to them to share.”
Xie Qing refused to take it.
Yaoying’s voice was serious and said, “They have been working hard for days, and must eat something to keep up their strength. I have some flat cakes saved. Ah Qing, if something happens to you guys, I cannot go far on my own.”
Xie Qing took the animal skin pouch and gave it to the personal soldiers to divide up.
The soldiers said they did not want it, they could carry on.
Xie Qing said expressionlessly, “Eat it. If you don’t eat, the princess won’t eat it either.”
The soldiers had to take it.
Xie Qing returned to Yaoying’s side empty-handed.
Yaoying leaned on his shoulder and handed him a piece of dry and hard flat cake: “Ah Qing, I saved this for you.”
Xie Qing did not say anything. He took the flat cake, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed in silence.
Yaoying looked at the dark night sky overhead and asked softly, “Ah Qing, do you think Xie Liang and the others are still alive?”
Xie Liang was one of those in the first group of personal soldiers sent to deliver letters.
Xie Qing said in a deep voice: “Judging from the strength of the Northern Rong pursuers these days, they are more than likely to have had bad luck.”
The corner of Yaoying’s mouth curled up, “You really don’t know how to comfort people.”
Xie Liang and the others had probably died at the hands of the Northern Rong. They had come thousands of miles away in order to protect her in the Yelu tribe, risking their lives in order to carry out her orders through layers of blockades. They were merely her personal soldiers while living, and after their deaths, the people of the Central Plains would not know about their deeds.
Yaoying was shivering with cold and curled up into a ball.
Xie Qing bowed his head and secured the blanket around her. His dark eyes looked at her: “Princess, even if Xie Liang and the others died, they died for loyalty and righteousness. They died with no regrets.”
Yaoying thought back to when Xie Liang first came to her side. He was a docile young man. As soon as he looked up at her, his face was red, and he didn’t know where to put his hands and feet.
When they laid out the escape plan at the Yelu tribe, Xie Liang accepted the command without asking a single question.
Yaoying asked him if he was afraid of death.
He scratched his head: “Afraid.”
Then why do you follow my orders?
Xie Liang continued to scratch his head: “Because you are the Seventh Princess! When I was chosen by Qin wang, I made a vow to heaven, earth, and my ancestors!”
He didn’t fully understand devotion to the family and the country. He only knew that he had to protect the princess and obey her orders. If the princess wanted him to do the right thing, then he should try to fulfill her command.
No matter how dangerous the command was.
His loyalty was this simple, this strong.
Yaoying was so cold, so hungry, aching from the cold and stiffness. All the bones in her body felt like they had been crushed once and then put together at random, with pain in her joints.
She wanted to live, wanted to return to the Central Plains, and wanted to take these soldiers who had suffered alongside her back.
Yaoying clenched her fingers tightly and fell into a deep sleep in the midst of her strong desire to live.
When she woke up, the sky was already approaching dawn. Today may still be a sunny day. The red sun has not yet peeked out its head, the wind has swept away all the floating clouds, the blue dome of heaven an azure shade.
Someone lowered his voice and shouted in surprise: “The falcon did not come after us!”
Everyone rejoiced. Xie Qing picked up Yaoying and sent her onto the horse.
Yaoying was slightly relieved. After traveling a short distance, she glanced back at her personal soldiers behind her and found that Lu Heng was gone.
She stopped her horse and took a headcount.
Not only was Lu Heng missing, but a total of four men were gone.
Yaoying looked at Xie Qing.
Xie Qing tugged on the reins and slowed down, “Princess, this is the only way.”
Yaoying was silent for half a day, closing her eyes.
In order to get rid of the pursuers and the falcon’s tracking, splitting the soldiers to draw away attention was indeed the best way. The falcon could quickly spot their trail, but the falcon could not identify them.
Lu Heng may not really be able to distract the white falcon, but he could buy a little time for her.
Just for this little bit of time, they did so without a second thought.
Yaoying closed her eyes, holding back the tears that were on the verge of slipping out of her eyes, and waved her whip to urge her horse to continue galloping.
She could not let Lu Heng and the others sacrifice themselves in vain.
They continued to run eastward.
Suddenly, the Wusun horse let out a high-pitched neigh and its front hooves fell softly, smashing into the snow with a thump.
“Princess!”
Xie Qing and his own soldiers were frightened and stopped their horses, dashed forward.
Yaoying rolled several times after falling to the ground. Luckily, the Wusun horse tried to hold on for a while before it finally fell. The layer of snow on the ground was also thick so she didn’t get hurt, only bruised some skin.
Xie Qing helped her to stand up. She was dizzy and swayed several times before she could stand.
The Wusun horse was still struggling violently, continuing to let out desperate cries of grief.
The personal soldiers stood in front of Yaoying: “This horse is startled!”
Yaoying’s eyes were red and she pushed the soldiers away, choking back a sob, “No, it is too tired.”
She knelt in front of the Wusun horse and trembled as she extended her hand.
This was the horse that elder brother had given her, a beloved horse that had been with her for several years. Tame and tenacious, very understanding, it was most fond of the sweet appleseed fruit1, and never got angry with her.
When the horse saw its master, it gradually quieted down and looked at her with its moist eyes, panting in huge breaths and trying to raise its head and rub against her palm like it usually did when asking her for food.
Yaoying’s trembling hands rummaging through the animal skin pouch. Her Wusun horse loved sweet fruits, it loved sweet fruits!
The animal skin pouch was empty.
The Wusun horse looked at Yaoying motionlessly. Not waiting for its favorite fruit, its eyes remaining docile, wagged its tail at her for the last time, and stopped breathing.
The tears that Yaoying had held back for many days fell down.
I’m sorry. I’m not a good master. I didn’t let you eat your favorite fruit.
Xie Qing picked up Yaoying in silence and brought her onto his saddle.
In the afternoon, they lost two more horses.
Horse flesh could allow them to eat their fill, but none of the personal soldiers butchered their beloved horses. When the last one fell, they crossed the wasteland on foot.
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The personal soldiers had not eaten for several days, so they grabbed handfuls of snow and stuffed them into their mouths. Fearing that Yaoying would see them, they turned their backs to her one by one.
Yaoying touched the animal skin pouch on her waist. Xie Qing had not eaten anything these day, and all the dry food that could be eaten was given to her.
They were starving and freezing, and so were the horses. Trekking for days, quite a few horses have died in the past few days, and the soldiers had to share a horse.
Her favorite colt, the Wusun horse, could not hold up much longer.
It was the horse Li Zhongqian had given her.
Yaoying untied the animal skin pouch and handed it to Xie Qing: “Take it and give it to them to share.”
Xie Qing refused to take it.
Yaoying’s voice was serious and said, “They have been working hard for days, and must eat something to keep up their strength. I have some flat cakes saved. Ah Qing, if something happens to you guys, I cannot go far on my own.”
Xie Qing took the animal skin pouch and gave it to the personal soldiers to divide up.
The soldiers said they did not want it, they could carry on.
Xie Qing said expressionlessly, “Eat it. If you don’t eat, the princess won’t eat it either.”
The soldiers had to take it.
Xie Qing returned to Yaoying’s side empty-handed.
Yaoying leaned on his shoulder and handed him a piece of dry and hard flat cake: “Ah Qing, I saved this for you.”
Xie Qing did not say anything. He took the flat cake, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed in silence.
Yaoying looked at the dark night sky overhead and asked softly, “Ah Qing, do you think Xie Liang and the others are still alive?”
Xie Liang was one of those in the first group of personal soldiers sent to deliver letters.
Xie Qing said in a deep voice: “Judging from the strength of the Northern Rong pursuers these days, they are more than likely to have had bad luck.”
The corner of Yaoying’s mouth curled up, “You really don’t know how to comfort people.”
Xie Liang and the others had probably died at the hands of the Northern Rong. They had come thousands of miles away in order to protect her in the Yelu tribe, risking their lives in order to carry out her orders through layers of blockades. They were merely her personal soldiers while living, and after their deaths, the people of the Central Plains would not know about their deeds.
Yaoying was shivering with cold and curled up into a ball.
Xie Qing bowed his head and secured the blanket around her. His dark eyes looked at her: “Princess, even if Xie Liang and the others died, they died for loyalty and righteousness. They died with no regrets.”
Yaoying thought back to when Xie Liang first came to her side. He was a docile young man. As soon as he looked up at her, his face was red, and he didn’t know where to put his hands and feet.
When they laid out the escape plan at the Yelu tribe, Xie Liang accepted the command without asking a single question.
Yaoying asked him if he was afraid of death.
He scratched his head: “Afraid.”
Then why do you follow my orders?
Xie Liang continued to scratch his head: “Because you are the Seventh Princess! When I was chosen by Qin wang, I made a vow to heaven, earth, and my ancestors!”
He didn’t fully understand devotion to the family and the country. He only knew that he had to protect the princess and obey her orders. If the princess wanted him to do the right thing, then he should try to fulfill her command.
No matter how dangerous the command was.
His loyalty was this simple, this strong.
Yaoying was so cold, so hungry, aching from the cold and stiffness. All the bones in her body felt like they had been crushed once and then put together at random, with pain in her joints.
She wanted to live, wanted to return to the Central Plains, and wanted to take these soldiers who had suffered alongside her back.
Yaoying clenched her fingers tightly and fell into a deep sleep in the midst of her strong desire to live.
When she woke up, the sky was already approaching dawn. Today may still be a sunny day. The red sun has not yet peeked out its head, the wind has swept away all the floating clouds, the blue dome of heaven an azure shade.
Someone lowered his voice and shouted in surprise: “The falcon did not come after us!”
Everyone rejoiced. Xie Qing picked up Yaoying and sent her onto the horse.
Yaoying was slightly relieved. After traveling a short distance, she glanced back at her personal soldiers behind her and found that Lu Heng was gone.
She stopped her horse and took a headcount.
Not only was Lu Heng missing, but a total of four men were gone.
Yaoying looked at Xie Qing.
Xie Qing tugged on the reins and slowed down, “Princess, this is the only way.”
Yaoying was silent for half a day, closing her eyes.
In order to get rid of the pursuers and the falcon’s tracking, splitting the soldiers to draw away attention was indeed the best way. The falcon could quickly spot their trail, but the falcon could not identify them.
Lu Heng may not really be able to distract the white falcon, but he could buy a little time for her.
Just for this little bit of time, they did so without a second thought.
Yaoying closed her eyes, holding back the tears that were on the verge of slipping out of her eyes, and waved her whip to urge her horse to continue galloping.
She could not let Lu Heng and the others sacrifice themselves in vain.
They continued to run eastward.
Suddenly, the Wusun horse let out a high-pitched neigh and its front hooves fell softly, smashing into the snow with a thump.
“Princess!”
Xie Qing and his own soldiers were frightened and stopped their horses, dashed forward.
Yaoying rolled several times after falling to the ground. Luckily, the Wusun horse tried to hold on for a while before it finally fell. The layer of snow on the ground was also thick so she didn’t get hurt, only bruised some skin.
Xie Qing helped her to stand up. She was dizzy and swayed several times before she could stand.
The Wusun horse was still struggling violently, continuing to let out desperate cries of grief.
The personal soldiers stood in front of Yaoying: “This horse is startled!”
Yaoying’s eyes were red and she pushed the soldiers away, choking back a sob, “No, it is too tired.”
She knelt in front of the Wusun horse and trembled as she extended her hand.
This was the horse that elder brother had given her, a beloved horse that had been with her for several years. Tame and tenacious, very understanding, it was most fond of the sweet appleseed fruit1, and never got angry with her.
When the horse saw its master, it gradually quieted down and looked at her with its moist eyes, panting in huge breaths and trying to raise its head and rub against her palm like it usually did when asking her for food.
Yaoying’s trembling hands rummaging through the animal skin pouch. Her Wusun horse loved sweet fruits, it loved sweet fruits!
The animal skin pouch was empty.
The Wusun horse looked at Yaoying motionlessly. Not waiting for its favorite fruit, its eyes remaining docile, wagged its tail at her for the last time, and stopped breathing.
The tears that Yaoying had held back for many days fell down.
I’m sorry. I’m not a good master. I didn’t let you eat your favorite fruit.
Xie Qing picked up Yaoying in silence and brought her onto his saddle.
In the afternoon, they lost two more horses.
Horse flesh could allow them to eat their fill, but none of the personal soldiers butchered their beloved horses. When the last one fell, they crossed the wasteland on foot.
