The yellow sand filled the sky, and in the distance, a whirlwind could be seen rising from the ground, growing larger as it swept up more sand.
The wedding procession was forced to stop.
The camels and horses were uneasy, stamping their hooves restlessly, and the accompanying soldiers couldn’t open their eyes against the wind and sand.
The leader of the procession, sitting on horseback, covered his face from the sandstorm and shouted, “We’ve encountered a sandstorm! Retreat!”
The soldiers hurriedly turned the camels and horses around, retreating in the face of the storm.
Qin Sheng removed the red veil from her head and lifted the curtain of the bridal sedan slightly to look outside.
Ever since entering the territory of Liangzhou, she had been paying close attention to the surroundings.
Before her marriage, a loyal servant of the Qin family had received a letter at the market, secretly placed in their vegetable basket.
The letter was from her sister, reassuring her to proceed with the marriage.
It mentioned that someone would come to take her away once she reached Liangzhou.
Her mother and brother would also be secretly escorted out of the capital.
Qin Sheng’s mother had been bedridden after a series of devastating blows.
But after receiving the letter and learning that her eldest daughter was safe and planning their rescue, she cried out of a mix of sorrow and joy, which improved her condition.
It had been over a month from Bianjing to Liangzhou.
Apart from one maidservant from the Qin residence, everyone accompanying her was Li Xin’s people.
She didn’t know where her sister was or whether her mother and brother had safely left the capital.
Sleepless nights were common, her thoughts often turning to the current plight of her father and the Qin family, making her cry into her pillow.
“Mulberry, what’s happening outside?” Qin Sheng, still in the sedan chair, could only see the soldiers suddenly turning their horses around.
Mulberry helped Qin Sheng lower the curtain, her voice scattered by the wind. “A sandstorm is coming. Princess, don’t lift the curtain, the wind and sand are too strong outside.”
Qin Sheng obediently let down the curtain, but for some reason, her heart raced, and her palms began to sweat, as if she sensed that something significant was about to happen.
To make it easier to escape, she had worn another set of clothes underneath her wedding dress.
As the wedding procession retreated into the narrow path between two sand dunes, another wave of sand rose from both sides.
Hundreds of sand bandits, clad in fur and felt, charged down on horseback, raising long knives and shouting battle cries.
“Sand bandits are here!”
One of the soldiers shouted, and the already weary and anxious group panicked further as they tried to avoid the sandstorm.
The leader of the wedding procession, holding a knife on horseback, shouted, “Form a shield wall! Archers, ready!”
The panicked soldiers hurriedly formed a shield wall around the bridal sedan, shooting arrows at the approaching bandits.
However, the strong winds greatly reduced their accuracy.
The bandits, though they appeared to be a ragtag bunch, attacked with great strategy and ferocity, causing the escorting soldiers to fall back continuously.
Seeing they were no match for the bandits, the leader of the procession realized the bandits were after loot and called out to their leader, “We are escorting Princess Sheng to the Northern Rong for a peace marriage to ensure there is no more war for the people of Da Chen.
We are willing to offer three carriages of dowry for safe passage. Please let us through, or else war will ignite south of Liangzhou, and the people will suffer.”
The bandit leader, holding a long curved saber and covering most of his face with a black cloth, sat high on his horse.
Hearing the soldier’s plea, his eyes flashed with murderous intent.
He sneered and coldly commanded, “Kill!”
The bandits, like a pack of wolves, surged forward relentlessly.
The soldiers couldn’t withstand the attack, and the leader of the procession quickly gathered some men to protect the bridal sedan, shouting, “Quick, escort the princess back to Wucheng!”
Wucheng was their previous rest stop.
However, the bandits pursued them relentlessly.
The soldiers abandoned all the dowry carriages, but the bandits still didn’t relent.
The leader of the procession soon realized that the bandits were not after the loot; they were after the princess!
He rode up to the sedan, “Princess, forgive me. The bandits are too close. I must take you through the lines.”
He lifted the curtain and pulled Qin Sheng onto his horse.
Surrounded by their escorts, they fought their way out.
It was Qin Sheng’s first time on horseback, and the ride was rough.
She clung tightly to the soldier’s armor to avoid being thrown off.
The air was filled with the sound of arrows, and her veil had long been blown away by the wind.
Her hair, adorned with golden pins and ornaments, came loose, and the accessories scattered.
Suddenly, a horse charged at them from the side, ridden by the bandit leader.
He swung his curved saber, striking down the soldier’s horse by severing its neck.
As the horse collapsed, the soldier struggled to regain control.
Qin Sheng, thrown forward by the motion, was caught by a large hand that grabbed her by the belt and lifted her onto another horse.
The bandit leader himself.
Qin Sheng was clamped between the saddle and the bandit leader’s body, her limbs dangling in the air as she struggled to maintain her balance.
The bandit leader, with one hand restraining her and the other wielding his blade, swiftly ended the life of the procession leader, splattering blood across Qin Sheng’s face.
The galloping warhorse, combined with witnessing the killing up close, caused her stomach to churn violently, and she vomited uncontrollably onto the horse.
An annoyed voice from above commented, “Don’t dirty my horse!”
Qin Sheng continued retching, paying no attention to his words.
The bandit leader whistled to call back his comrades who were fighting the soldiers.
He intended to leave with her, but another group of riders approached.
Clad entirely in black, they were obviously trained warriors.
The bandit leader clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Looks like you have quite a few allies.”
He wrapped her in a large cloak, covering her conspicuous wedding attire.
Another person from the bandit group found a set of bridal clothes and placed them on a dead maid lying beside the convoy.
As the bandits fled with their loot, Qin Sheng initially mistook the black-clad warriors for the reinforcements her sister Qin Zheng had mentioned in her letter.
Despair overwhelmed her, and she struggled and cursed on the horseback.
The bandit leader tried to subdue her, but she bit his hand fiercely, drawing blood.
Enraged, he forcefully pushed her jaw with his elbow, causing her to release her grip and cough from the pain.
Glancing at the bite mark on his hand, the bandit leader gritted his teeth. “You woman!”
As the horse continued its mad dash, Qin Sheng fought and cursed until she had no strength left.
Eventually, she quieted down.
The bandits took a circuitous route and entered the territory of Beiting.
When they arrived at the gate of Beiting City, the bandit leader removed his black cloth to reveal a handsome face.
He shouted to the guard on the city wall, “Open the gates!”
“The Young Lord is back! Open the gates!”
The heavy iron city gates were pushed open by dozens of soldiers, and Xie Chi led the way into the city, greeted warmly by the soldiers along the way. “Young Master Hou!”
Qin Sheng, who had been jolted half to death on horseback, surveyed the unfamiliar city and the armored soldiers calling the man on horseback “Young Master Hou.” Finally, she realized that something was terribly wrong.
When she was lifted off the horse, her face was pale.
The steward of the Leizhou Protectorate’s mansion, Yin Chen, hurried out to greet Xie Chi.
Upon seeing Qin Sheng, he asked with a hint of confusion, “Young Master Hou, who is this...?”
Xie Chi glanced coldly at the mess on his warhorse’s leg from Qin Sheng’s vomiting, exuding a chill that made his breath visible.
Despite the bite mark on his hand, which no longer hurt as much, he smiled, his sharp white teeth gleaming like those of a wolf. “She’s a slave I picked up. Tell her to clean up Zu Yun for me!”
Zu Yun was his warhorse.
The steward glanced at Xie Chi, who strode confidently into the mansion, then back at the bewildered Qin Sheng standing at the door.
Although she appeared disheveled from her struggles, the quality of her clothing indicated that she was no ordinary girl from an ordinary family.
Could she really be just a randomly picked-up slave?
News of the attack on the marriage convoy, the theft of the dowry, and the murder of the princess quickly reached Bianjing, stirring anger among the court and the people.
Li Xin summoned his courtiers to discuss countermeasures.
“The remnants of the former dynasty are causing trouble in Qingzhou, and the marriage convoy has suffered such a mishap. What do you esteemed ministers suggest?” Li Xin sat behind the dragon desk, and the dragon head carved on the armrest of his chair seemed fierce and intimidating,
As if it could come to life and devour the clouds and moon, making people dare not look directly at it.
“I believe that to resist the Northern Rong’s aggression, we must join forces with Lord Lian Qin. As for the tragic death of Princess Shengping, we must also compensate the Qin family to demonstrate Your Majesty’s benevolence to the people.” An old minister stepped forward to speak.
Li Xin smiled with a hint of malice. “Even after the Northern Rong seized the four counties of Hexi, Lord Lian Qin never dispatched troops.
Do you think Lord Lian Qin will agree to an alliance now? As for the death of Princess Shengping, I am also saddened.
However, the widow and son of Lord Qin left the capital after Princess Shengping went to marry the Northern Rong. I intended to offer condolences, but I could not find their whereabouts.
Furthermore, have you not heard the poems and writings composed by the eldest son of the Qin family? Or does Minister Tao wish for me to console the Qingzhou rebels alongside the Qin family?”
Li Xin had kept a close watch on the Qin family, and when Lady Qin and Qin Jian left the city secretly, he was furious.
He couldn’t let the public know about the surveillance of the Qin family, so when an old conservative minister mentioned them, Li Xin was even more irritable.
In the city of Bianjing, there were still too many hidden nails that hadn’t been pulled out.
The old minister who had just spoken was so frightened that he knelt down and repeatedly kowtowed, “Your Majesty, please calm down, I never meant...”
Li Xin made a gesture, and immediately, some imperial guards entered the hall and dragged the old minister away.
His sharp and gloomy gaze swept over the courtiers below, observing their expressions closely.
This was a warning to the former officials of the Chu Kingdom.
Li Xin didn’t even regard the small Qingzhou as a threat.
He could crush that faction with a flick of his thumb.
However, it was also good to show them the warning bell, to let them know who the master of this dynasty was now.
He said, “Now that foreign invaders are coming, and the former prince has rebelled in Qingzhou, plunging the people into misery. Are those who support him intending to offer their wives and daughters to him as well?”
Although his words were somewhat harsh and undignified, this figure on the dragon throne was originally from a peasant family in Qixian County.
Some courtiers might not say it aloud, but they secretly looked down on him.
It was indeed a fact that the former prince forcefully married a woman from the Qin family.
But when Li Xin rebelled in Qixian County, the Northern Rong had already invaded Hexi Corridor.
Wasn’t he also putting the people in peril?
One of Li Xin’s advisors, Gao Zuo, felt his eyelid twitching when Li Xin brought up this topic.
He changed the subject and said, “Your Majesty, although Qingzhou is small, this rebellion must be suppressed.”
Li Xin asked, “What suggestions do you have?”
Gao Zuo replied, “If the Northern Rong continues to advance south, we must send troops to stop them.
However, we cannot afford to move troops from Bianjing to Qingzhou. The garrison in Meng Prefecture, which is close to Qingzhou, must guard the granary and cannot act rashly.
It would be better to order the prefectures of Xu and Hu to join forces and attack Qingzhou from both sides, putting pressure on them.
With the supply of grain from Meng Prefecture, recapturing Qingzhou would be like taking something out of a bag.”
Li Xin was pleased with this plan and nodded in approval, “This plan is feasible!”
Before the prefectures of Xu and Hu could mobilize to attack Qingzhou as ordered by the court, they heard that Qingzhou had sent troops directly to Meng Prefecture.
The most uptodate nove𝙡s are published on frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓.
Meng Prefecture was the granary of the Huainan region.
In the Battle of Minzhou, the grain and grass were also sent from Meng Prefecture.
If Meng Prefecture was lost, it would affect the situation in Minzhou.
They were afraid that they would not be able to escape blame for this failure.
The commanders of Xu and Hu prefectures immediately summoned their troops to discuss their plan.
The soldiers from Xu Prefecture would head to Meng Prefecture to provide support, while those from Hu Prefecture would take advantage of the empty Qingzhou city and launch an attack.
This plan aimed to eliminate the forces of the former prince and recapture Qingzhou.
As the troops from Xu Prefecture marched towards Meng Prefecture, they were surprised to find the city gates tightly shut with no soldiers stationed outside.
It didn’t seem like a city under attack at all.
Upon inquiry, they learned that a few days ago, a large army had indeed approached, causing panic among the scouts who mistook them for an attack from Qingzhou.
However, this army had only stayed outside the city for a few days before suddenly changing direction towards Hu Prefecture.
Realizing they had been deceived, the commander of Xu Prefecture understood that Qingzhou, despite its weakness, needed to be kept in check.
The false attack on Meng Prefecture was just a ploy to divert attention while they targeted Hu Prefecture.
Unable to leave Meng Prefecture lightly defended, the commander decided to rush to the aid of Hu Prefecture, believing that the army from Hu Prefecture was currently engaged in battle with the forces from Qingzhou.
However, upon reaching Hu Prefecture, they found no signs of a siege.
The soldiers stationed there informed them that the army from Qingzhou had merely passed through on their way back.
Realizing the deception, the commander of Xu Prefecture felt a chill run down his spine despite the scorching sun.
The army from Qingzhou had lured them away while they took advantage of the situation to capture Xu Prefecture.
As they hurried back, they received news of Xu Prefecture’s fall.
The messenger even delivered a letter written by Chu Chengji personally, which, upon reading, caused the commander to fall off his horse in shock.