Qin Yining opened her eyes with a start and a frown. "What is the matter?"
Lu Heng's brows also pinched together in a grave expression.
"The khan has been assassinated," Mu Jinghu explained. "People are being told that the two of you worked together to murder her. Her consort has already called for a meeting with all the officials to discuss the matter. All of the city guards have been sent out. The entire city is searching for you as we speak!"
Lu Heng gaped at him, dumbstruck. "But we did no such thing! I only knocked her unconscious!"
"Everyone is saying how they saw her consort carrying a bloody khan. Rumor has it she was stabbed three times and completely bled out. The civilians are in a state of panic and anger."
Qin Yining pressed her lips into a thin line as she considered Siqin's treatment toward her, Anari's jealousy, and the Soothsayer's actions. Once she connected the dots, the answer became clear as could be.
"I'm afraid Siqin and the Soothsayer probably made a pact to drive Anari insane with jealousy of me. The priestess’ words to Anari that day were the final straw. Even if the two of you didn't come to my rescue today, Siqin most likely wouldn't have killed me off because his target was Anari all along!"
Lu Heng figured everything out as well. "Has he gone mad?!" he hissed angrily. "Anari is his childhood friend! They were fond of each other from a young age! Yet he murdered his own wife in his lust for power!"
Chapter 495: From Spark to Flame (II)
“He’s drunk on power, so what does he care about love and relationships? Maybe he never felt anything for me, and everything he’s done was to mislead Anari. He wanted Anari to misunderstand there was something between us so that she’d go crazy with jealousy. She’d then move in ways that would benefit his plan—he was using her love all along!
“No wait, he wanted her to die to begin with! We didn’t hurt her out of consideration for diplomatic relations between our two nations, but Siqin’s goal was to shift the blame to us to begin with!”
The more Qin Yining thought things through, the more horrified she grew. Siqin’s deep machinations reached unfathomable depths of incredulity. It was more than likely that he’d traveled to Yang County and kidnapped them during the earthquake so that he could set into motion the situation of today.
Lu Heng’s brow was knit tightly. “It’s not good if things progress down this path. Once Siqin ascends to the throne, it’s highly likely that his next move will be to make demands of Great Zhou, with Anari as an excuse.”
“What should the two of you do now?” Mu Jinghu’s expression grew increasingly uglier.
He was a pure-hearted man who valued loyalty and relationships. Not only could he not even fathom Siqin’s inhumane and perverse plan, but he could barely bring himself to harm others. He would never kill a woman who deeply loved him in order to pursue power and the throne! What kind of person did this?!
“We can’t stay here. If they search the city, they’ll find us soon enough,” Lu Heng worried.
Mu Jinghu nodded and placed the large bundle in his hands in front of Qin Yining. “Apply medicine to yourself first and change into these clothes. It’ll be more convenient for you when dressed as a man.” He turned to Lu Heng. “Let’s step outside.”
The Lu scion nodded and followed Mu Jinghu, hashing out their next steps in murmured conversation.
Qin Yining disrobed and wetted the old clothes to wipe off the majority of her bloodstains. She cleaned her wounds and quickly dressed them with medicine and fine cotton. Slipping into a male outfit, she swept her hair up in a neat hairstyle and slipped a leather, winter Tatar hat over her head.
She rolled up the discarded silks and brocade into a ball, intending to burn them later. After repacking the water pouches, dry rations, medicines, and others, she called the two back in.
“I went out scouting just now and found that soldiers are already searching this neighborhood,” Mu Jinghu said urgently. “Let’s leave, right now.”
Qin Yining bobbed her head and followed the taciturn man, Lu Heng at her side. When the three reached the mouth of the alley, they heard far-off sounds of soldiers yelling, people gasping, children crying, adults shouting as their abodes were searched. It was utter chaos.
Qin Yining could tell what was being said even with the language barrier. The soldiers must be asking if anyone had seen the Great Zhou visitors. Mu Jinghu tugged on her wrist and gestured at Lu Heng to follow.
The three quietly backed up and ran off in the other direction.
Through the twisting and turning streets, their panting and footsteps were the only sounds to be heard in the deep of the night, as well as the search conducted by the soldiers.
“We’ll be caught sooner or later,” Lu Heng whispered. “They’re searching the houses one by one. They’re even looking into the wells.”
“The city gates are closed now.” Mu Jinghu’s expression was very solemn. “Our pursuers are right in front of us. They really will find us sooner or later.”
“Do you have any other hiding places in the city?” asked Qin Yining.
Mu Jinghu shook his head with a trace of shame. “I usually live in the palace with my uncle-master. I’ve never thought about moving out, so I don’t actually have any real estate to my name.”
“With this situation, it wouldn’t matter if you did have any.”
Hunkering down in a corner, Mu Jinghu’s forehead was knitted together in a tight frown. Given the circumstances, he might not make it out unscathed even with two highly trained experts by his side. Lu Heng at best knew a bit of basic horse riding and shooting, and Qin Yining was a woman covered in injuries.
The three looked awkwardly at each other when Mu Jinghu suddenly rose to his feet. “I’ll go draw those men away.”
“No.” Qin Yining caught his robes in a vice grip. “I know you’re very skilled in martial arts and that none of them can put up a proper fight against you, but can you kill them all? Even if you’re a slab of hammered steel, how many nails can you suffer? We can’t be brash, we need to rely on our smarts.
“If we look at this from a holistic perspective, we don’t need to worry even if we’re recaptured. They won’t kill me or the Lu second master. With Siqin’s personality, he won’t rest until he’s squeezed every last drop of value from our bodies. They’ll use us to negotiate with Great Zhou.”
Mu Jinghu shook his head. “He’ll use you to negotiate, but with Pang Zhixi’s current standing in the nation, what ability does he have to persuade the emperor of Great Zhou? Won’t the two of you die if his emperor doesn’t allow it? It’s better for me to lure the men away and for you to think of a way out.”
Lu Heng also pulled Mu Jinghu back. “No, you’ll expose yourself if you go and you might even lose your life. If our lives are built upon the foundation of your sacrifice, then we won’t rest easy for the rest of our lives.”
“Sir Mu, you weren’t a part of this affair to begin with, and you’ve done everything called for by humanity and duty in saving us. Hurry on back before the soldiers catch up to us. The Soothsayer must’ve deduced that something is afoot with all the great disturbance. If she discovers you’re gone, she’ll absolutely suspect you. Wouldn’t you be a traitor to your sect then?”
Being a loyal person, Mu Jinghu frowned deeply when he heard the word ‘traitor’.
“Go now, and pass on a word onto Pang Zhixi if you’re able to. Tell him that the Lu second master and I are still alive. Don’t do anything else, lest you bring down trouble upon your head.”
Looking down, Mu Jinghu thought deeply for a while, but stubbornly shook his head in the end. “No, I’m keeping you company. With me present, I can force a way out if it comes down to that. If the two of you are captured, then there’s really nothing more to be done.”
They wove in and out of alleyways as they spoke, sometimes pausing to avoid soldiers. But based on the sounds around them, it was apparent that the distance between the two groups was narrowing.<
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“Go on, Sir Mu. The window is closing for you to leave,” Qin Yining urged.
Mu Jinghu clenched his teeth and shook his head again, pulling his two companions along in the continued chase of cat and mouse.
They were now in the most impoverished part of the neighborhood, home to the poor and slaves. The alleys were narrow and crisscrossed in a mad web, with many ending in dead-ends.
Mu Jinghu pulled them left and then right, panting as they advanced to the depths of an alley. When they found it was a dead-end, they quickly turned back, but the sounds of footsteps and conversation between soldiers had drawn near. In fact, torch light could be seen from where they’d come from!
Chapter 496: Turnabout
Lu Heng pulled Qin Yining behind him, his guard raised. Meanwhile, Mu Jinghu took a defensive stance before the two of them. As he observed the shadows cast by their pursuers and took in the footsteps and voices, he silently calculated his chances at winning in a fight against all of them.
Qin Yining subconsciously held her breath, eyes wide with fright. Her heart raced so fast that it felt as if it was about to leap out of her chest.
As the sound of footsteps drew near, the red-orange glow of the torches grew ever brighter. The princess consort clutched her bag of belongings, knuckles growing white as she tensed in apprehension.
When the soldiers were about to enter the alley, Mu Jinghu prepared himself for battle. Suddenly, a scrawny youngster quietly pushed open a wooden gate beside the three and frantically waved in their direction.
"Hurry, in here!" he whispered in the Tatar language. The three rushed in his direction. As they did, the soldiers turned and raised their torches to look into the alley. They didn't spare the unassuming wooden gate a second glance as they’d just searched those houses from the front doors. There was no point in entering again through a side door.
They walked to the end of the alley and reached a dead end. Convinced it was impossible for someone to conceal themselves here, the soldiers moved on to search elsewhere.
Only after they left did Qin Yining, Lu Heng, and Mu Jinghu finally heave sighs of relief. They turned around to express their gratitude at the young boy who’d let them in.
"Many thanks to you, young man. If not for your assistance, I fear we’d already be dead. Rest assured, we will not overstay our welcome. Once those people are far enough away, we will leave. We shan't cause you any trouble."
The young boy nodded. Features obscured by the darkness, all they could make out was his skinny body and two bright big black eyes. In a hushed voice, he whispered something that caused Lu Heng to tense and clamp his mouth shut.
Sensing that something was off, Qin Yining murmured, "What did he say?"
Lu Heng answered, "He asked if we were the brave warriors who killed the khan."
The little boy's excitement grew as he regarded Lu Heng. Speaking rapidly in the Tatar tongue, he tugged at Lu Heng's sleeve to pull him into the dwelling.
Qin Yining grew nervous. "What’s going on? Perhaps we should leave."
However, Lu Heng responded, "He says he’s from the Minuo tribe. He saw us with the hunting group that day when Anari was stopped in the streets. If we were the brave warriors who killed the khan, we are the heroes of the Minuo. That is why he allowed us to hide here."
"But we aren’t..."
"One moment." Lu Heng went along with the boy and entered the house, leaving Qin Yining and Mu Jinghu no choice but to follow.
Before they entered, Qin Yining pointed at the cloth hanging beneath Mu Jinghu's chin. Suddenly remembering he needed to conceal his identity, he quickly covered his face and flashed Qin Yining a grateful smile.
They entered a spacious brick house. The grand hall was lit by torches, where thirty odd weak and elderly tribespeople, thin as twigs, convened in ratty clothes.
Seeing the boy enter with Qin Yining and her two companions, the hall fell silent. All eyes looked toward them, and a teen slightly taller in stature came forward with scrunched brows. "Harbhara, what kind of people have you brought inside?"
Lu Heng turned his head back to murmur, "The child's name is Harbhara. That means 'black tiger' in the Tatar language."
Qin Yining nodded.
"They're the brave warriors who killed the khan," Harbhara replied. "I bumped into them as they were being pursued by her dogs, so I let them in."
"But we have the weak and elderly of our tribe here. If we’re discovered… and how do you know they were the ones who killed the khan?"
Harbhara's brows pinched together as he stuck his hands on his hips. "Caganbhara, don't tell me you're getting cold feet? You’re the one who said whoever can avenge our aav and eej will be the new chief of our tribe. Everyone heard you loud and clear! Was I supposed to turn a blind eye to our chief in their time of need?"
"That's right, but..." Caganbhara objected.
Harbhara clapped his hands. "Then it's settled. Those soldiers outside were saying a man and a woman killed the khan, and that they're from Great Zhou. Well, we happen to have seen them before, and they’re the same visitors from Great Zhou who were living in the palace. How can I be wrong?”
"But they’re from Great Zhou. How can they be the new chief of the Minuo tribe?"
"You didn't say people from other countries can't be chief. Anyway, whoever kills that monster is a warrior and a hero. They’re someone who has avenged the blood debt of the dead Minuo warriors and families. If we let them get caught by guards, how will we face our aav and eej in heaven?"
"Fine, my good brother, you're right." Caganbhara clapped Harbhara on the shoulder. "I'm just overthinking things. Since they're the ones who've avenged our aav, eej and the rest of our people, they can lead the Minuo tribe."
The conversation between the two boys was heard clearly by all, both young and old.
Qin Yining couldn't understand a word while Mu Jinghu was only able to grasp half of what had been said. Lu Heng understood everything; a calculating glint flashed through his eyes, but he didn't interrupt.
Just like that, the princess consort peered at the crowd of weak and elderly who followed the boys' lead, putting hand to chests as they bowed at the Great Zhou citizens. The crowd murmured something lowly.
Lu Heng turned and explained what the two brothers had said. "They already recognize us as the new chief of the Minuo tribe," he added.
Qin Yining's jaw dropped. "That… can’t be right."
"Strength in numbers. If we are to leave Tatar, perhaps they can help," Lu Heng replied. "Now that they’ve recognized us as their chief, they won’t change their minds. It will only sadden them further if we were to turn them down."
"But we don’t meet their requirements," Qin Yining objected.
"Since they think we have, it means Siqin has told the public the same thing."
The princess consort understood at once.
Once everyone was properly introduced, Harbhara and Caganbhara lead Qin Yining, Lu Heng, and Mu Jinghu to their seats, eagerly asking how they’d heroically defeat the khan. Unable to converse in their language, Qin Yining remained silent and listened on with a smile.
Though she was dressed as a man, anyone could tell she was a beautiful woman from her exquisite features. The tribesmen found themselves unable to tear their eyes away from her elegance.
Taking advantage of the commotion, Qin Yining addressed Mu Jinghu. "You should leave soon. We’re safe here and can find a way to leave by ourselves. Hurry back to your uncle-master, lest you get into any trouble. All I ask is that you do not forget to pass Pang Zhixi a message on my behalf."
Troubled, Mu Jinghu's brows knit together at that. A moment passed before he replied, "Very well, as you say."
Chapter 497: Turnabout (II)
Qin Yining naturally understood the difficult quandary that Mu Jinghu found himself in. Being a loyal man, he would never go back on his word to protect the Soothsayer. Defying her will to save them was already an agonizing decision, so the princess con
sort couldn’t very well keep him with them forever, could she now?
No, that wasn’t the proper course of action, even with how much they needed someone of his talents at the moment.
By now, Lu Heng had employed fluent Tatar and superb socialization skills to cement a favorable impression with the Minuo tribe. During a lull in the conversation, Qin Yining whispered her desire to allow Mu Jinghu to go back.
The Lu scion gave a lighthearted explanation, which was answered with understanding smiles from the crowd. Though she didn’t understand the language, Qin Yining found herself able to heave an enormous sigh of relief.
Lu Heng turned back to speak to Mu Jinghu in the language of Great Zhou, “Since your family elders need your care, hurry on back. Thank you for your help today,” he concluded with a bow.
Mu Jinghu returned the courtesy. “I feel quite guilty at not being able to continue to protect you.”
“You’ve already helped us so much, why feel guilty? If anyone’s to feel guilty, then it’s us for dragging you into this boundless quagmire of chaos and confusion.”
Unused to conversation, Mu Jinghu was even less equipped with pleasantries. He flashed a bashful smile and again bid his farewell.
Caganbhara rose and showed him out the side door, while Harbhara brought Lu Yun and Qin Yining to a room in the back of the large house.
“We have too many people here and have split the rooms up between the women and children. The rest of us bunk together in the front where the fire is. But I think the two of you aren’t used to sharing rooms with others, so sleep here for the night. I’ll figure out a way to contact the rest of the tribe and get out of here together.”
Lu Heng smiled. “Alright, we’ll follow your arrangements.”
Harbhara left with a smile.
Qin Yining was now burning with a fever. Whip marks of varying severity on her body had progressed past the stage of fiery pain to the depths of where even lifting a finger might tug on a wound. Pain kept her brow tightly knit together. She’d been able to gird her loins and put on a calm facade in front of others, but now left alone, there was no need to keep up the act.
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