Yun Yi only saw General Cui leading the troops and a large group of captives.
Where was Xiao Zhi?
Wang Delan pressed his palm against the city wall and stood on tiptoe too.
“Why didn’t His Majesty return with General Cui?” His neck stretched even longer than Yun Yi’s, his brows knitting together.
Suddenly, from farther away came the melodious sound of horns.
Rumble, rumble… The sound waves grew more urgent, surging in and covering everything.
Yun Yi’s heart stirred. She leaned nearly half her body out past the gray-green wall bricks, and Wang Delan, frightened, yanked her back.
In the depths of the Gobi, a row of small black dots moved at extreme speed. The leading dot gradually grew larger.
And larger.
Until it became a crisp, galloping silhouette.
Yun Yi stared without blinking.
The Yan army, seeing the man on horseback, parted to make way and knelt on both sides after dismounting.
The man on the horse had already removed his heavy armor and was traveling light.
He seemed to sense something and looked up toward the city tower.
The wind, carrying sand, blew open the thin veil covering his face, revealing thick brows and heavy eyes.
Yun Yi giggled foolishly and waved at him.
“Your—Your Majesty!” Wang Delan shouted incoherently.
“Does your boss look like a Loulan beauty?”
Wang Delan didn’t dare answer—anything he said would be a capital offense.
Xiao Zhi saw her chattering away with the eunuch and not coming down to meet him. His expression immediately smoothed over.
Yun Yi blinked, somewhat puzzled.
Just now, when the wind blew past, the smile on his face had bloomed wildly.
Why wasn’t he smiling now?
She was about to go down the city tower to welcome his triumphant return when her gaze fixed on one spot—
Three meters from Xiao Zhi stood a woman with a seductive figure.
The woman rode a white horse and also cast an eager gaze toward Yun Yi.
Yun Yi’s face darkened. She turned to Wang Delan: “Heh, the real Loulan beauty has been brought back by your boss.”
Wang Delan: A love triangle showdown… I should have known better than to come back and report.
Xiao Zhi climbed the steps on the left side of the city tower; Yun Yi ran down the right side.
The Emperor’s face was gloomy. He looked displeased at the eunuch who came to greet him: “Where is she?”
Wang Delan was drenched in sweat. He pointed to the right: “Miss Yun, she…”
“Useless.”
Yun Yi had taken two steps when Xiao Zhi caught her.
“Where are you going?” He grabbed her by the collar.
Yun Yi flailed her sleeves left and right but couldn’t break free. She whipped her head around and glared at him: “Move your claw.”
“Don’t you want your thing?” His steady voice carried a hint of hoarseness.
Yun Yi paused. “A gift?”
Xiao Zhi stepped aside, revealing what was behind him.
That Loulan beauty dropped to her knees with a thud, her voice soft yet seductive: “Kanghua greets her benefactor.”
What benefactor? Was this sister misunderstanding something?
“Such a poor memory?” Xiao Zhi lightly flicked her head with his finger. “The person you saved—no impression?”
“Ah?!” Yun Yi darted over and circled Kanghua again and again.
Such a huge change!
This young lady was a million times prettier than before!
Kanghua was overjoyed, but constrained by the Emperor’s presence. Otherwise, by her nature, she would have already pounced and hugged her benefactor.
“Benefactor, this is what you wanted.”
Kanghua took down the bundle hanging from the saddle.
Yun Yi was excited: “What good thing?”
She untied the brown bundle.
Helian Tu’s head appeared.
Yun Yi’s breath caught in her throat: “!!!”
She hadn’t gone to see God only because she was tough.
Xiao Zhi used his sword to flick aside the few small braids on Helian Tu’s chin and said: “Didn’t you want to play cuju? Kick it.”
“…” Ah, that line about “wanting to kick his head like a ball” was a joke!!!
Seeing her benefactor’s mouth flatten, it seemed she didn’t fancy Helian Tu’s head.
Kanghua glanced at the Emperor with disdain, then feared he might punish her. She grew anxious inside.
She knew it! What girl liked playing with a dead man’s head!
On the battlefield, Kanghua had chopped off Helian Tu’s head, drained the blood, cleaned away all the grime—and even braided a few little plaits into Helian Tu’s whiskers, just in case her benefactor liked that style.
“Really not kicking it?” The Emperor followed beside Yun Yi.
The slanting sun stretched their shadows long. The tall shadow engulfed the petite one.
The small figure hopped a few steps to the side and said with disdain: “You stink.”
Kanghua and General Cui exchanged glances—neither dared speak.
Xiao Zhi pinched his collar and sniffed: “Nonsense. Lying to me again.”
Yun Yi tilted her head: “Oh? The crime of deceiving the Emperor? That’s a beheading offense.”
She was completely unafraid.
After dealing with Helian Tu, Xiao Zhi hadn’t paused for a moment, rushing all the way back.
He just wanted to see her quickly.
Who knew she’d complain he smelled.
Xiao Zhi’s expression went blank. He headed straight for the bathhouse.
The surroundings fell quiet.
Kanghua dropped to her knees with a thud: “Benefactor above, Kanghua has no way to repay you!”
Yun Yi waved her hand dismissively: “Ah, girls helping girls. Anyone would have helped you.”
Kanghua shook her head bitterly: “Not everyone is like you, benefactor.”
Yun Yi’s gaze settled on Kanghua, drifting and lingering: “That armor of yours—it’s quite dashing.”
Kanghua looked down at her leather armor.
The iron armor used by Kangju soldiers didn’t fit her figure. To march with the troops against the enemy, Kanghua had specially crafted this armor from cowhide.
“Benefactor likes it?”
Yun Yi asked politely: “May I try it on?”
“It’s yours!” Kanghua beamed.
Among the crowd, there was a short-statured soldier wearing Kangju’s distinctive lightweight leather armor, looking heroic.
After his bath, Wang Delan attended the Emperor as he dressed: “Your Majesty, this dragon robe was washed by Miss Yun herself.”
It was the black dragon robe Yun Yi had stepped on and dirtied.
At the time, this dragon robe had been left a thousand years in the future.
Xiao Zhi had ordered the Imperial Household Department to make an identical one—not for any other reason, but just to have something to remember her by.
Now it had returned to its original owner.
“Mm.” Xiao Zhi put it on and noticed the hem was a bit short.
In this past year, he had grown an inch taller.
Her? Not a fraction.
Thinking this, Xiao Zhi walked to the main hall.
This residence had been commandeered by the Emperor. County Princess Kanghua didn’t dare overstep. After kneeling to her benefactor outside the gate, she hurried away.
Not seeing Yun Yi, Xiao Zhi walked toward the gate, his dark robes stirring up cold wind.
At the gate.
A row of guards stood on either side of the stone lions.
The guard commander bit his lip, struggling to control his expression, his eyes fixed desperately on one spot.
The Emperor’s brows knitted. He said her full name: “Where is Yun Yi?”
Among the guards was a small soldier in armor. Seeing the Emperor’s gaze turn to him, the soldier stood at attention and saluted: “Here!”
Xiao Zhi studied her.
That leather armor must have been taken off County Princess Kanghua.
Now worn by Yun Yi, paired with that utterly unthreatening face, it looked a bit incongruous—yet he couldn’t look away.
Yun Yi asked: “Sir, do I look like your soldier?”
Xiao Zhi answered: “Still missing a warhorse.”
An attendant led over the imperial horse.
“So cute!” Yun Yi rushed at it.
The guards sweated for her. That horse was the Emperor’s treasure—it obeyed only him. No one else could tame it.
Miss Yun was probably in for a hard time.
But Yun Yi lunged forward, wrapped her arms softly around the horse’s neck, ruffled its mane, then pulled a small comb from her pocket and smoothed the mane stroke by stroke.
“You’re so good!”
Yun Yi stroked the glossy mane and looked at Xiao Zhi questioningly: Can I sit on it?
Xiao Zhi’s horse was indeed tall and strong. Yun Yi tried several times before barely climbing up.
The night wind dried Xiao Zhi’s hair. The long ends spread out like seaweed, set off by a few stars. Yun Yi caught a pleasant hair fragrance.
She lowered her lashes, stealing a glance at him from the corner of her eye, and combed the horse’s mane twice.
The hardest horse to tame in the palace now let out soft whickers, its rump swishing its tail left and right like a fawning dog.
This was Great Yan’s finest warhorse. The Emperor was rather speechless. He tugged the reins and muttered a few words of reprimand.
The horse turned its head away, seeking help from the girl on its back.
Yun Yi: “What are you muttering about? Did you scold it?”
“Didn’t scold.”
“You scolded it in your head.”
Xiao Zhi shut his mouth—a good man doesn’t fight with a woman.
“Not admitting it?” Yun Yi looked down at the Emperor from her high perch. “I punish you.”
She used the comb—shhk shhk—to comb the Emperor’s hair.
Wang Delan’s heart pounded with fright. That ivory comb had just combed horse hair—and now it was combing His Majesty’s hair…
Miss Yun was tired of living, wasn’t she?
But unexpectedly, the Emperor leaned closer: “Messing up my hair—what crime does that deserve?”
“Cheapskate.” Yun Yi channeled her inner Tony, combing his hair evenly. “Center part, symmetrical. Is the boss satisfied?”
The Emperor had no idea how ugly he currently looked.
Xiao Zhi asked again: “How should Helian Tu’s head be handled?”
“I’m not kicking it like a ball,” Yun Yi said. “He was so evil—hang his head on the city gate.”
“Alright.”
Riding from the residence all the way to the city gate, Yun Yi reined in the horse and looked up. The former young Khan of the Northern Di, his topknot tied with rope, hung eerily from the city tower.
A bare head dangled in midair, jarring and glaring.
“Where’s his body?” Yun Yi asked.
Cui Xiao: “Miss Yun, the Kangju Khan took it. The Khan said he would hang the corpse at the city gate for public display.”
Let the people of Kangju, who had suffered so much from Northern Di invasions, enjoy a good long satisfaction.
Just then, a veil of clouds covered the moon, and her expression dimmed.
“Ah, the big bearded one’s head and body separated.”
A very soft sigh.
Xiao Zhi’s gaze brushed her profile. He thought: She’s a girl after all. Having compassion is only natural.
Yun Yi poked Xiao Zhi’s shoulder with her finger: “Use his head to make a scarecrow. Even dead, he can still contribute something.”
Everyone: “…”
This girl’s thought process.
The next day.
The people at Yan’s border witnessed such a spectacle.
Helian Tu’s eyes were closed. Beneath his ashen head was a scarecrow’s body. Vultures circled above the fields, not daring to swoop down.
“Filthy thing even the vultures fear!” The people’s curses rang out.
Smack—
No one knew whose child shot a slingshot, but the stone hit Helian Tu’s eye socket, smashing the eyeball.
“Justice is served!”
.
Yan’s sovereign struck with thunderous force, taking only half a month to remove the Northern Di tumor. For the surrounding vassal states, it was undoubtedly a deterrent.
Learning the Emperor intended to return to the capital with his troops, everyone rejoiced.
The Kangju Khan presented many cattle, sheep, melons, and fruits.
Xiao Zhi stepped down from his high seat and picked a honeydew melon from the tribute, weighing it in his hand.
County Princess Kanghua arrived gracefully with a group of beauties.
“Kanghua pays respects to Your Majesty.”
The beauties knelt in unison.
Xiao Zhi was displeased: “The county princess is quite capable. Every eligible woman in Kangju territory—you’ve found them all.”
That familiar figure had vanished. An inexplicable irritation rose in his heart.
Meeting the Emperor’s half-smiling face, Kanghua had a bad premonition: “Your Majesty, Kanghua obeys the Khan’s orders…” She had come with a mission.
“To curse me? To bring me misfortune?”
At these words.
Everyone present paled. Who would dare curse the Emperor?
“This subject would never dare!” Kanghua’s chest tightened, her breath short. She glanced around for help.
Her benefactor wasn’t by the Emperor’s side, and the Emperor was being sarcastic and difficult!
Just then, General Cui arrived with his son Cui Xiao to discuss Northern Di captives with the Emperor. He truly couldn’t bear to see the county princess so helpless.
General Cui: “Your Majesty, the Kangju Khan has in mind the matter of consort selection. If these beauties please Your Majesty, it would be perfect to…” fill the harem.
The beauties had graceful figures, their eyes shining like lake water. They were the most beautiful women in Kangju.
The Emperor chuckled twice: “I heard Cui Xiao isn’t married yet. Among all these beauties, is there one to your liking?”
Cui Xiao dropped to his knees: “Your Majesty, this subject would not dare. This subject is already betrothed and will marry upon returning to the capital.”
“Then what about General Cui? Filling your household—how about it?”
General Cui’s expression changed drastically. He knelt beside his son and didn’t dare raise his head again: “This general thanks Your Majesty for the favor, but this general is old and would not dare… would not dare…”
The Emperor cradled the honeydew in his arm and tossed out: “Send all these women back to Kangju. Every one of you—stop causing me trouble.”
So he didn’t fancy a single one?
Seeing Kanghua still kneeling properly, the Emperor paused and asked her: “Why haven’t you left?”
Kanghua summoned her courage: “Your Majesty, this subject wishes to speak with her benefactor.”
Xiao Zhi’s expression soured.
If you go play with her, then who plays with me?
Leave a Reply