Pang Xiao’s heart melted into a puddle of water. He laid down beside her and cradled her in his warm embrace. “Alright, alright. I’ll stop. We’ll take a break today. I’ll hold you till you sleep.”
She pressed her face into the crook of his arm and nodded with exhaustion. Soon, her breathing slowed and evened out.
Pang Xiao looked down at long lashes that fluttered with sleep, slightly-parted cherry lips, and jet-black locks scattered atop a pillow. His heart burst with love and fondness, and he furtively planted a tender kiss on her forehead.
Seeing his wife in deep slumber, the prince decided to undo his hair from its topknot, letting it cascade down. He reached over the top of his head to entangle his hair with hers and settled in for a catnap.
Outside of the village was a scene of hustle and bustle. Three hundred Dragon Riders pitched tents and encamped, built fires and cooked. Yu Meng, on the other hand, fiercely interrogated the two decoys in the woods.
The small courtyard in the village where Pang Xiao and his wife rested remained unusually serene and quiet.
The two frauds were merely scapegoats. What kind of valuable information could be possibly pried out of them? Yu Meng unleashed every trick up his sleeve, but only managed to learn that the two performers were hired by a lad surnamed Lu. That was all.
It so happened that Yuchi Yan’s trusted bodyservant was called Little Lu.
The commandery prince’s escape was already an actuality. The discovery of his trusted eunuch hiring decoys was completely useless. If they informed His Majesty of Yuchi Yan’s flight, it was likely that he’d give them a harsh dressing-down and then demote their ranks by three grades!
Yu Meng felt anxiety settling in. But since he had an imperially commission himself, he had his own share of extraordinary capabilities. He was by no means someone who easily lost their cool.
Observing how things were developing, Pang Xiao waited until the next day before summoning Huzi for a quick whisper. In less than two hours, the searchers that Yu Meng had dispatched returned to camp.
“General! We are fortunate to not fail the mission! We have tracked down the whereabouts of the commandery prince.”
“Really!?” exclaimed Yu Meng, delighted.
“Indeed. Two of our brothers are following them secretly. General, do we set off ourselves?”
His position no longer dangled precariously in the void! Relieved, Yu Meng’s smile at Pang Xiao was much more sincere. “What do you think, Your Highness?”
“Mm. Let’s go then. The rest of our entourage trails far behind us. As for disaster relief, that’s on hold now that the imperial envoy in charge of everything has fled. Let’s wait for His Majesty’s orders.”
“Yes. Pass on my orders. We’re decamping and leaving!” Yu Meng did as he was told.
Pang Xiao wrote a note and released a messenger pigeon back to the palace.
Seeing the prince wait until now to send a report, the vice general asked in surprise, “Did Your Highness not send a message yesterday?”
“His Majesty attends to numerous state affairs everyday and oversees a myriad of court proceedings. Wouldn’t it proclaim our incompetence as subjects if we bother him with every little concern?
“We haven’t had updates on the commandery prince since his escape, so we would’ve only added to His Majesty’s troubles if we sent a message then. With a read on his location today, we can notify him without causing undue worry—though he might still be wrathful. Not to mention, this gives you and me a bit of a buffer.”
Yu Meng nodded with a smile, yet deep down he sighed with mixed emotions. No wonder Pang Xiao is a common-born prince at so young! How can he manage to be this self-assured and poised in everything he does? How come I wasn’t born with that extra wit?
His Majesty would naturally erupt in fury if they simply notified him of the commandery prince’s escape.
Yet it’d be a different story if their report said that they were secretly tracking Yuchi Yan and might even find the treasure, thanks to his disappearance! His Majesty would commend their pluck and wit instead. It would seem like they’d let the commandery prince go by design.
That was the true dao of being a subject!
Yu Meng’s thoughts inadvertently strayed, making Pang Xiao larger than life.
As usual, Qin Yining remained in the carriage. The party traced the direction of the commandery prince’s flight and tracked them from afar.
Chapter 435: Treasure
The group trailed far behind their quarry, often sending scouts ahead to make sure they were still on the right path. If they discovered Yuchi Yan pausing in the distance, so too did his three hundred pursuers, so as to avoid bumping into him.
Pang Xiao released a dozen pigeons over five days of halting progress.
You Meng inquired about the first couple, but was quickly scared off by a cold glare and “secret reports that His Majesty ordered”. Used to the sight in the end, the vice general didn’t bother with further questions.
“Report!” A scout made his way back from the front and scurried up to You Meng's horse with a slightly agitated expression. He murmured, “General, the target’s entered a hole in the ground.”
“Oh??” You Meng’s eyes widened with excitement as he leapt off his horse. “Did you see it clearly? You haven’t lost them, have you? Are you sure it’s not a tunnel for their escape?”
“In response to the general, we followed them from far behind and didn’t attract their attention. We've left some people on guard around the perimeter. They’re searching to see if there are other exits.”
“Good, very good!” You Meng laughed heartily and returned to a low voice. “You did very well. Remember to keep your lips sealed.”
“Understood!” The scout wiped the agitation off his face and bellowed a response.
The vice general whirled and sped to Pang Xiao’s carriage. “Your Highness, great news!”
“What kind of news is it to get you all worked up like this?” The prince alighted.
“We seem to have found the treasure!” Delight brimmed from You Meng’s voice as he whispered his response.
“What??”
“The scouts just came back with a report that they personally saw the commandery prince and others enter a hole in the ground. They left men on guard nearby and sent others to see if there are any other exits.”
A gleeful Pang Xiao clapped loudly. “This really does resolve His Majesty’s pressing worries! Wonderful! None of our efforts these days were wasted. Come, let’s continue our quiet chase.”
You Meng quietly noted that the prince’s first reaction was happiness over sorting out one of the emperor’s troubles.
Back in the carriage, Pang Xiao wrote another report and released a messenger pigeon. The vice general grinned when he saw the bird fly off and gave orders for the pursuit to continue.
Within the softly rocking carriage, Pang Xiao hugged Qin Yining as he leaned against a large cushion.
“My dear, do you think we’re really doing the right thing?” he whispered.
“There’s nothing bad about it,” dimpled the girl. “In the hands of a crooked person, the treasure will most likely become a murder weapon. We might as well give it all to the people. That would be a worthy use of treasure stained by the blood and tears of countless Great Yan citizens.”
“You’re right. But this way, don’t you worry that something might happen to Yuchi Yan?” He scanned her face closely when he asked this, wanting to glean any hint of a clue.
Given Qin Yining’s sharp mind, she was highly amused by the jealous notes in Pang Xiao’s question. What, did her man still care about the fact that she’d almost become Yuchi Yan’s empress?
“The commandery prince isn’t a thoroughly evil person, but two things separate us now. One, we’re on opposing sides. Two, he has no one but himself to blame now that he’s thrown his family away. It’s understandable that he wants to rebuild the nation and lay his hands on the tra
sh emperor's wealth. But he used a most immoral way to do so.”
Bleakness assailed her when she thought of the once upright and honest man with a strong scholarly air, study of the classics and philosophy the only thing on his mind.
Time and reality were sharp instruments that changed people.
She didn’t even know when he’d turned into this inflexible mule who cared nothing for family.
Pang Xiao hugged his wife tighter and kissed her several times on the cheek. “Everything my dear says is right.”
These words both angered and amused Qin Yining.
“I’m only speaking the truth, why do you sound so reluctant to accept it?”
“My wife is right in everything.” The prince’s hands roamed naughtily again.
Qin Yining sighed softly. It felt like a door to a new world had opened for Pang Xiao ever since their wedding. His insatiable hunger knew no bounds, and he loved clinging onto her. Sometimes, she felt he was the perfect personification of the black dog Pepper.
“Your Highness, reports from the front say that they’ve found the exit to the hole and have set a guard on it.” You Meng called from outside the carriage.
Setting aside his extraneous thoughts, Pang Xiao refocused. “Very good, let’s go take a look ourselves as well.”
Qin Yining lifted the window curtain to take a look around at the village and fields. She then tilted her head to gaze upon a very familiar-looking mountain. “Is this… Mount Mao’er?”
“Indeed it is. Good memory.”
They were very close to the old capital and Qin Yining used to frequently walk outside. Of course she would remember this patch of wilderness with no owner.
What surprised her wasn’t the sight of a Yan Dynasty mountain range, but that this mountain was precisely the one she’d scribbled on the bogus treasure map. Lu Heng had come in search of it after obtaining her artwork and might’ve even been buried for his troubles.
This is really too much of a coincidence!
She’d struck upon the correct mountain with some random strokes!
It would be very interesting if Lu Heng really did find the treasure with her map…
……
Lanterns in hand, Yuchi Yan and Gu Shixiong proceeded slowly over the uneven terrain.
Eagerness shot through Gu Shixiong’s wizened voice, which echoed loudly in the cave.
“Don’t worry, I haven’t set any traps or mechanisms here. We’re quite safe.”
“I feel at ease with your comfort.” Yuchi Yan patted his chest and scrounged up more energy to continue walking.
He’d grown up in the lap of luxury; his eunuch caretakers entreating him to take better care of himself if he so much as forwent a single grain of rice or walked an hour more.
It was the old master’s escape plan he was following, and they’d finally made it to the much coveted treasure after a long and arduous journey. If the elder wasn’t calling for a break, how could he possibly ask to sit down and rest?
The cave slowly widened, depositing them in a spacious area before long.
Lantern candles flickered in the wind from an unknown source, the red-orange of their flames alternately dimming and brightening. Though the light was extremely dim, both could see just how plentiful were the massive chests of gold, silver, and jewelry.
Flabbergasted, Yuchi Yan raised high his lantern and threaded his way through rows of open chests. He picked up a handful of pearl strings to glimpse neat rows of silver ingots beneath.
He scanned the area to count at least twenty chests, and some of them held jewels that were worth cities.
“Just how much did my royal father wring from the people?!” Yuchi Yan dropped dejectedly next to a chest, a lifeless look in his eyes. “No wonder they all said he was a trash emperor. Just look at the kind of lives they were living! He was holding onto such a large sum of wealth and refused to spend it on them. Great Yan didn’t perish for no reason, it really didn’t…”
Chapter 436: Imperial Wishes
Gu Shixiong’s nose burned as he fell to his knees, tears streaking down his aged face when he saw Yuchi Yan sag onto a chest of silver.
“Your Majesty, please don’t compromise your health over trivialities. We are free now and stand once again in Great Yan territory. With this fortune now available to you, you can reclaim the throne and quickly rise again. This old subject firmly believes that there are many like me who will join you in restoring the nation.”
Yuchi Yan sniffled and rose to his feet emotionally. He helped the old man up with both hands.
“Beloved subject Lu, We are most touched by your loyalty. How sad it is that We have let you down. In order to avoid arousing Li Qitian’s suspicions, We weren’t able to bring Chang’er with us on this excursion, or the remainder of the Gu clan.”
Yuchi Yan hadn’t known a day of peace since Gu Shixiong had sought him out and the two of them plotted this secret get away.
Every day was a renewed struggle with his choices. What would happen to the subjects who had once sworn loyalty to him? What about Li Yanyan and Gu Chang, they who had remained by his side with utter devotion?
However, Gu Shixiong’s “those who accomplish great things in life refuse to trip over trifles” ultimately persuaded him into action.
Yuchi Yan was well aware that he was lacking in smarts. He didn’t even have the courage of his royal uncle, the Prince of Ning.
Every day in Great Zhou passed by in shame and humiliation. The moniker that Li Qitian bestowed onto him was an ever-present taunt. But the opportunity to restore Great Yan was right in front of him, one he wanted to take advantage of. No matter how spineless he may come across, he was still a man!
He could no longer concern himself with the fates of those left behind in Great Zhou, those chosen to give Li Qitian some peace of mind…
He wasn’t certain how long it’d take to fight his way to the Zhou capital after rebuilding his administration. Perhaps he wouldn’t be able to, for the entirety of his life?
Or perhaps he would be able to, but those left behind would’ve long paid the price for his sins. Li Qitian’s fury would ensure that he wouldn’t even be able to locate the tombstones of his loved ones.
Guilt wracked the once Great Yan emperor, but he saw no way out.
He refused to spend the rest of his life as a worthless wretch in Great Zhou. He had known the prestige and trappings that came with being an emperor, so how would he allow himself to grovel and eke out a living at the feet of another emperor like a dog?
“Beloved subject, We…”
“Your Majesty.” Gu Shixiong wiped away snot and tears with his sleeve. In a trembling voice, he intoned, “Your Majesty need not feel guilty. As long as we can assist in accomplishing your great work, what loss is it if this old bag of bones is sacrificed and crushed along the way?
“The lives of your subjects do not matter! Even if death was in the stars for us, we would hope for a glimpse of the restoration of Great Yan! Your Majesty has always been benevolent, magnanimous, and gracious to the people. But your kindness is what makes you suffer!”
The iteration hammered upon Yuchi Yan’s heart, imprinting both gratitude and distress.
He could say with a clear mind that he’d never hurt anyone. Perhaps the two greatest stains on his record was one, the abduction of Qin Yining to claim her as his own; and two, deserting Li Yanyan and Guchang in the capital of Great Zhou, leaving them to their own devices.
Why couldn’t good-hearted people of the world be rewarded in kind? Why had someone like him, devoted to calligraphy and landscapes, been born into a royal family?
How wonderful it would’ve been to be an ordinary gentleman married to a charming wife, two beautiful concubines by his side, spending his days on reading and art while accompanied by the fairer sex!
Alas, there was no place for “what-ifs” in the world. It was the cruelest conjecture one could voice.
Yuchi Yan took in a deep breath and forced out a
smile. “We’ve taken it this far. For Us, there is no looking back. If we can pull off the restoration of Great Yan, We will make sure that historians record their deeds in great detail.”
“This old subject…”
“Hahahaha!” A loud rumble of hearty laughter interrupted what else Gu Shixiong was about to say.
Alarm and terror propelled head-turns to the source. A retinue of lamp-bearers following the uphill slope emerged out of the darkness. The man in lead was tall and brawny, an intimidating air wreathed about him. The lamp cast its light upwards, accentuating the plains and valleys of his handsome face, making the arrival of the group extraordinarily ominous.
“You, you! Pang Zhixi, You Meng, how did you…”
“Surprised?” Pang Xiao laughed sardonically and raked Yuchi Yan with a scornful look. “A man never treads on the body of his women, whether he finds great success or miserable failure in his undertakings! Can you call yourself a man, given that you lack any balls? Thank the stars my darling didn’t end up with you, or she’d also be left behind as collateral damage!”
Shaking all over, Yuchi Yan wavered unsteadily and stumbled backwards. A chest tripped his calf and he sprawled on top of it.
Hands trembling, Gu Shixiong accused the newcomers, “How dare you follow us!”
“What, are you permitted to run, but we aren’t allowed to follow?” Pang Xiao reached behind to wrap his wife in an embrace, rubbing her shoulder and upper arm briskly with his large hand. “Are you cold?”
“Just a tad.”
The woman’s voice was particularly soft and melodious amidst the throng of men. Yet to Yuchi Yan, it thundered forth as tolling bells, making his ears ring.
The most embarrassing moment of his life was being witnessed by Qin Yining!
What if she thought he was a traitorous sort who could abandon family? Will she be grateful that she didn’t choose me after all?
But… wasn’t the former exactly what he was doing?
Utterly defeated, Yuchi Yan hung his head, all words escaping him.
Return of the Swallow c1-644 Page 242