A group of dozens of soldiers and horses galloped out of the city, and the people on the road gave way to the roadside.
"Why are there so many soldiers and horses running around recently?" A passerby asked in confusion, "I heard that the emperor is ill——"
Is something going to happen?
Other passers-by immediately laughed and retorted: "No, it's because the Crown Prince of Xiliang is here to meet our princess here."
As he spoke, he pointed at a few pedestrians on the other side who were avoiding him. They were obviously not dressed as people from Fengcheng.
"Look, these are Xiliang merchants, and there are many of them here."
The Xiliang merchants smiled and nodded: "Yes, thanks to the crown prince and princess, we will also come here to sell some goods."
Princess! The passers-by who asked questions were no longer afraid for a moment, and kept asking when the princess came, where she came from, and can we go and see her.
The Xiliang merchants looked at the soldiers and horses going away, looked at each other, and made innocent expressions.
"I'm going to the east of the city to have a look." One said, leading his horse, "I heard there is a fur market there."
"Then let's go into the city." Several other businessmen said, pointing to the cart they were pulling. "We are spices, and people in the city want more of them."
The road returned to normal, bustling with people coming and going. He didn't pay attention to the soldiers and horses going away, and he didn't see anyone in the group of soldiers looking back. This guard was thin and thin, and his face was gray under his hat.
But if you look closely, you can't hide how delicate it is.
"Everyone, everyone doesn't know yet -" she couldn't help but say.
"Princess." A guard beside her whispered, "We can't be discovered yet. There may be spies from Xiliang people everywhere. Once they notice any changes, everyone will have no chance."
Princess Jin Yao knew it and knew the truth, but her heart felt like a knife when she saw it.
Encountering a fort ahead, the leading guard took out his command flag and waved it. The guards got out of the way and watched them galloping past.
Princess Jin Yao looked back at the soldiers and guards again: "They don't know yet -"
The guard on the other side said in a deep voice: "So Princess, please leave quickly. The sooner you leave, the faster everyone can take precautions."
Princess Jin Yao understood, but tears still flowed down her face. She gritted her teeth and urged the horse, faster, faster——
Not long after they left, another army of soldiers came and asked the guards if a group of soldiers had just passed by. After receiving a positive answer, the leading general's face relaxed slightly, but then he became solemn and took down the crossbow.
Look at the guards in front of you.
"Prepare for war."
At the same time, there was suddenly some commotion outside the city, with groups of officials driving away the people in the market.
"No stalls allowed!"
"Put away all the goods!"
"It's all gone, it's all gone!"
The officials were so arrogant that the people were angry and confused, "Why?" "The market has always been like this."
The leader of the official said lazily: "What's been going on? We have never had a princess come to Fengcheng. Now that the princess is here, don't affect her travel."
It turns out it's for the princess. The princess is indeed extraordinary, and the merchants and people are a little helpless.
Seeing their expressions, the leading officer was dissatisfied again, "Everyone, be happy! Do you know what big happy event is coming soon? The crown prince of Xiliang and the princess are going to negotiate a marriage for a princess of Xiliang to marry the fifth prince——"
This sentence was really awkward to say, and it was difficult for him to finish it in one breath.
Some people heard clearly and some heard more confusedly. The officials stopped talking and impatiently shouted and urged people to disperse. There was a buzz of discussion and chaos everywhere.
There were also Xiliang merchants in the market. When the officials saw it, they specifically told them, "Don't worry, it won't delay your business. Once your crown prince has negotiated with our princess, it will be a great event. We in Fengcheng will definitely celebrate it.
It’s time to get richer.”
The merchants of Xiliang thanked each other one after another. Looking outside the city, there were also requisitioned handymen sweeping the streets and spreading water to pave the roads——
"Stay at home, keep the door closed, and don't run around."
"There are children at home, so keep an eye on them. They are not allowed to run around and bump into the princess. I will not spare you."
"The princess's chariot is coming out soon."
I heard that it was a custom in Daxia that the royal family would clear the roads, sprinkle water, etc. when traveling as nobles. So the Xiliang merchants packed up their goods with the others and left obediently.
Sure enough, at nearly noon, the princess's car, surrounded by official guards, slowly drove out of the city and headed towards the camp where the crown prince of Xiliang was stationed.
The Crown Prince of Xiliang was impatient to wait. When he heard the princess was coming, he hurriedly welcomed her out. The princess had already entered the tent first.
The crown prince of Xiliang wanted to visit, but was stopped by an old official from Honglu Temple.
"Princess is a little inconvenienced." He said with a somewhat embarrassed expression.
The crown prince of Xiliang glanced at the tent and asked with a smile: "Is that young master coming with you?"
The old official of Honglu Temple had a straight face and did not answer. He only said: "I am the emperor's envoy. I can just discuss the specific matters with the crown prince."
The Crown Prince of Xiliang laughed. He was a well-informed person and did not forcefully disturb the princess and her lover. So he led the old officials towards his tent. Behind them, other officials followed, including two
The three of them even crowded next to the Crown Prince of Xiliang.
"The Crown Prince is extraordinary."
"I also met the King of Xiliang back then. He was really a man who was better than his master."
Everyone said that the officials of Daxia were arrogant, and his father often cursed the officials of Daxia for being too bullying. Now it seems that these officials were very polite to him. The crown prince of Xiliang walked to his tent and was about to leave in Daxia.
Xia officials walked in surrounded by people, and an entourage rushed to the side.
"Prince, there is news——" he shouted, "our troops have been discovered——"
He spoke in Xiliang dialect, and many Daxia officials did not react. The old official of Honglu Temple understood it, his face changed, and he grabbed the arm of the Xiliang Crown Prince and said, "Do it!"
But it was still a step too late. The Xiliang Crown Prince waved his thick arm and instead of letting the old official catch him, he grabbed the old official's collar and lifted him up.
"Old guy!" There was no smile on the face of the Xiliang Crown Prince, "Looking for death!"
The officials crowded around the Xiliang Crown Prince also rushed over at this time, holding knives hidden in their sleeves——
The Crown Prince of Xiliang roared angrily, swept the old official with his hands, and pulled out his knife. After several screams, a piece of him fell on the ground, and the knife was finally inserted into the chest of the old official.
"Where is the princess?" The crown prince of Xiliang shouted.
The old official spit out a mouthful of blood and died.
The entire camp was now in a fight.
The Crown Prince of Xiliang stepped on the corpse, pulled out his sword, and ran towards the tent in front of him. As expected, Princess Jin Yao was deserted. He raised his sword angrily and roared.
"They can't run away-"
...
...
Fengcheng has been surrounded, and it is more serious than previously guessed.
Dusk enveloped the earth, the wind in the ears became stronger and stronger, and the vision became blurred. The guards around him continued to fall. From the initial nearly a hundred people, there were only a dozen left.
Princess Jin Yao held the reins and clamped the horse's belly tightly to prevent it from falling when it bumped.
She had no idea where they were at this moment. They had rushed in several directions and were ambushed and intercepted. The pursuers at the rear could not get rid of them.
"We can't go around any more." Zhang Yao's voice shouted, "The more we go around, the more pursuers we get!"
"We have too few people." One of the guards said, "The princess's identity has also been discovered, and she can't be killed."
Princess Jin Yao shouted: "Leave me alone, as long as someone can go out and send the news, otherwise it will be too late in Xijing."
It’s not too far from Fengcheng to Xijing, and Fengcheng will definitely not be able to stop it for long. Princess Jinyao gritted her teeth, and the officials of Honglu Temple and Fengcheng were afraid that--thinking of them, Jinyao
The princess stopped crying, her eyes were red with only hatred.
"There is a risky way." Zhang Yao said, looking ahead, "Listen -"
What else are you listening to at this time?
The sound of wind, the sound of hooves from the pursuers behind me, and the sound of water.
"There is a river in front of us -" Zhang Yao said, "the direction is towards Xijing. We will definitely not be able to outrun these Xiliang soldiers on horseback. We go down the river, we are fast, and we can avoid the pursuing soldiers."
How to go down the river? There are no boats in this wilderness.
Zhang Yao looked at everyone: "Jump into the river."
What, isn’t that seeking death?
"We don't know how to swim." Several soldiers said helplessly.
Princess Jin Yao actually didn't know how, but she didn't say anything. What she thought was that if she really couldn't escape, she would jump into the river and drown, and she would never let the people of Xiliang get her body.
Zhang Yao said: "You can find a piece of wood or something floating to hold."
Is this like this? The guards looked at me and I looked at you. While they were thinking, fires were coming from behind, the ground was shaking, and a large number of pursuers were coming, getting closer and closer.
"Get the princess!"
"They can't escape!"
Everyone moved forward without thinking anymore, and a river soon appeared in sight. The water was fast and turbid. It looked very scary in the night, and the sound even drowned out the sound of the horse hooves of the pursuers behind them.
"This-" The guards were a little at a loss.
If there was a mountain of swords and a sea of fire ahead, he would rush forward at the first command, but facing the river, he would hesitate.
And the area around here is bare and there are no trees.
Zhang Yao jumped off his horse and stretched out his hand to Princess Jin Yao. Princess Jin Yao did not hesitate to dismount and put her hand on his.
"I am good at water, so I will take the princess by water." Zhang Yao said, "If you are good at water, just follow me. The rest of you will have a greater chance of escaping if you go alone."
If there was no need to protect the princess, everyone would indeed be more flexible, but their duty - the guards hesitated again, and those who were not familiar with water did not retreat.
"The most important thing now is not to protect me, but to get the news out!" Princess Jin Yao looked at them and ordered, "I order you, no matter what, try your best to stay alive and get the news out to Xijing and the capital.
Everyone is ready to fight."
A harsh sound broke through the air, Zhang Yao pushed Princess Jin Yao down, and a sharp arrow grazed her.
"Catch the princess——"
"The princess is here-"
The Xiliang people's pursuers could already see each other. They held torches and came overwhelmingly.
"Let's go!" Zhang Yao shouted, pulling Princess Jin Yao and rushing towards the river, stepping on the high and low river banks and quickly reaching the river.
The churning river water in the night looked like a roaring monster.
Princess Jin Yao felt her heartbeat stopped and held Zhang Yao's hand tightly.
"Princess, don't be afraid." Zhang Yao shouted, "Close your eyes and take a deep breath."
Princess Jin Yao suddenly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The next moment, Zhang Yao hugged her waist and jumped down with her.
The inhalation turned into a scream, and soon the person and the sound disappeared into the river.
Behind them, four people jumped down, and the rest chose different directions, running toward an unknown future amidst the roar of fire, swords, and guns.
