From what Wanyan Su told her, Qin Yunuan got two pieces of information. One was that Sima Ray already held power, or he wouldn’t have the imperial seal to issue the arrest order. The other was that he had many henchmen in Qingzhou, given that the arrest order and they nearly showed up here at the same time.
The entrance check near the gate was stricter than before. Even farmers, who lived in the suburb area and went to town to sell vegetables every day, would take strict security checks. The huge group Wanyan Su led had drawn many people’s attention. So soldiers came to question them when they were still meters away from the gate.
Wanyan Su and his men already disguised themselves to pretend they were a trade caravan, by specially filling three carriages with spices to cover the blood smell of Leng Changxi’s wound. However, gate guards were too sharp.
“All people, get off.”
Qin Yunuan sat bolt upright in the carriage while Leng Changxi slightly leaned forward with the dagger pulled out. He was ready to fight with people outside at the risk of life. Qin Yunuan pulled his sleeve to reassure him. He had become a bit too sensitive recently.
Outside, Wanyan Su said humbly, “My Lord, it’s my little sister sitting in the carriage, but now she has an eye problem and can’t be exposed to sunlight. Please pardon her for not going out.”
“This is not up to you.” The leading guard pointed to other carriages in the line and said, “Everyone in this line should get off to get examined, and so should you.” Then he hinted a soldier near him to get on the carriage, but Wanyan Su raised his arm to stop him.
“We’re truly a trade caravan who just wants to live a peaceful life. My sister really can’t get out, so please forgive us.” While saying this, Wanyan Su handed a shiny silver ingot on his palm to the leading guard. “Please, allow me to treat you to tea.”
The leading guard looked cold and smiled. “Sorry, we have no reason to take this.”
Qin Yunuan heard everything they said in the carriage. No guards would refuse bribes, so obviously, this meant that Sima Ray was determined to find them.
Wanyan Su was still persuading the guard. He had experienced this before. After all, there were many people waiting in the line. But as long as he kept saying something good to please the guard and insist to “treat” him, the latter would give in.
When Wanyan Su and the guard were arguing, someone pulled the carriage curtain back a bit. The hand she reached out was fair, and on it was a silver bracelet which only North Di women wore. Her sleeves were embroidered with galsang flowers, North Di women’s favorite. Then, a young nimble woman jumped out of the carriage, and she had a voice as clear as the silver bell.
“Now that you want to check me up, well, do it now.” Qin Yunuan wore a bamboo hat covered with the black valance, and she sounded lively.
“Who asks you to get off?” Wanyan Su deliberately scolded her and said to her in a low voice, “Go back to the carriage.”
The leading guard stopped her immediately and said, “Now that she’s out, why not let us give her a check?” Then, he pulled back the valance of Qin Yunuan’s hat. Wanyan Su wanted to stop him, but it was too late.
Her hat was falling down. The guard tended to take a careful look at Qin Yunuan’s face but was scared by rashes on her face and kept stepping back Wanyan Su seemed very embarrassed. He picked up the hat and put it on Qin Yunuan, apologizing to the guard, “I’m so sorry that I forget to tell you that my sister has not only an eye problem but also rashes.”
Hearing this, several guards who walked towards Qin Yunuan to check her up all stepped back and didn’t dare to get close to her. The guard, who looked more ferocious than others, said in a scary tone, “You, North Di boor, why not tell us earlier? How can you allow her to go outside and scare people with this look?”
Wanyan Su smiled and apologized, “It may after all ruin her reputation if I tell everyone about her rashes. And she cares so much about her face. So please pardon us.”
The leading guard shouted in a cold voice, “Now that she has leprosy, she’d better go back to the carriage. Let them go.”
Wanyan Su’s carriages were all allowed to enter the town. Qin Yunuan was back to the carriage and took off the human-skin mask with rashes which Leng Changxi made last night for emergency. They were so lucky to pass the check.
But Leng Changxi kept frowning.
“What are you worrying about?” Qin Yunuan put her fingers on his eyebrows, trying to comfort him.
Leng Changxi analyzed calmly, “I was thinking that why those gate guards let us go so easily if Sima Ray really was that determined to arrest us.”
“Maybe, they are really scared by my face?”
“Leprosy is not the fatal pestilence. They don’t have to relax their vigilance because of this.”
“So you mean…?”
Leng Changxi leaned forward a bit and gently took off the white silk covering Qin Yunuan’s eyes which already started to recover under the care of Leng Changxi. But Qin Yunuan still couldn’t expose her eyes to the sunlight. Leng Changxi always wanted to find a safe place to get her a good doctor. But Qin Yunuan knew clearly that before her rebirth, she already wore out her eyes for embroidering for Dou Qing’e and Qin Yunzhuang all day and night. However, at that time, she died before her eye condition worsened.
“Let’s just move ahead with caution.” Leng Changxi wiped away the tear mixed with blood around the Qin Yunuan’s eye corner with clean silk. “You have to see a doctor.”
They already arrived in the suburb area. The breeze took the air mixed with the mist from the fresh leaves here to people and refreshed them. Qin Yunuan couldn’t help pulling back the window curtain a bit, but she felt the carriage suddenly stopped.
It was quiet outside, and she subconsciously put her hand on the dagger under the cushion that Wanyan Su gave to her for protecting herself.
“Changxi?” Qin Yunuan reached out to Leng Changxi but found out he was not in the carriage. Then she heard groan and scream outside.
Seemingly, Qin Yunuan also heard that people quickly pulled out the sword and stabbed others. The heavy blood smell suddenly permeated the air.
Then she heard Wanyan Su’s straightforward praise. “General Leng, you are really skilled. We just sensed that there were attackers, but you already killed them all.”
Judging from Leng Changxi’s cold voice, Qin Yunuan knew he was walking towards the carriage. “It’s nothing. I just prepared for this in advance.” He was in a hurry to take Qin Yunuan out.
Qin Yunuan pulled back the carriage curtain. When she just reached out, Leng Changxi held her hands tightly and then put his hands around her to carry her out of the carriage.
“What happened?” Qin Yunuan already took off the white silk, and she could see things roughly now. She saw four vague corpses on the ground near whom there were blood and daggers that were specially designed for Qi’s palace guards.
While asking people to deal with those corpses, Wanyan Su answered Qin Yunuan, “Those guards played a trick. Although they let us go, they followed us. I’m afraid other than these four. There are more.”
Leng Changxi added, “I felt that the leading guard looked very sharp. He was staring at the rut our carriage left in the mud. Based on this, he could estimate the weight our carriage carried. Those carriages full of spices are fine, but the one Nuan and I take is not. The true reason why he insisted on calling Nuan out is not to see what she looks like. But to check whether there is anyone else in the carriage. I am his target.”
“No wonder.” Qin Yunuan sighed.
Leng Changxi cupped his hands towards Wanyan Su and said, “Your Highness, I’m really grateful that you saved Nuan and me. But now, if we continue to go with you, we will bring more trouble to you. If you trust me, can you borrow two horses to me? Nuan and I won’t go with you anymore, and we’d better bid farewell to each other here.”
Wanyan Su frowned. “But I promised Qin Yunuan to escort you to the border.”
“Don’t bother.” Qin Yunuan declined resolutely. “I listen to Changxi.” She believed in every decision Leng Changxi made.
Wanyan Su still wanted to persuade them, but Qin Yunuan was determined. “I’ve repaid you by giving you three trade routes and all crop distribution channels. See you then.”
Qin Yunuan said these words to shut Wanyan Su’s mouth. Before he said anything, Leng Changxi already wielded the sword to cut off the rein, chose two bay horses from four and handed the rein of the milder one to Qin Yunuan.
“Your Highness, farewell. Please take care.”
Leng Changxi helped Qin Yunuan get on the horse and then jumped to another on his own. Before Wanyan Su found any excuse to stop them, they already left.
Da, the servant standing near Wanyan Su, asked, “Your Highness, do we have to chase after them?”
Wanyan Su took a deep breath and said, “No. We will meet again. I’m not hurry.”
Qin Yunuan’s eyes hadn’t fully recovered, so they couldn’t ride fast. After riding for about half a day, they stopped to take a rest in a cool wood. Then, Qin Yunuan asked, “Why don’t you trust Wanyan Su anymore?”
“I didn’t.” Leng Changxi picked up a Japanese banana leaf to shelter Qin Yunuan from the sunshine. “I just found out that the drug he gave us to treat your eyes is not that effective. I think he has no intention to hurt you but just wants to keep you at his side for a longer time. I don’t like this. Besides, he has a large team. Although this can act as a shield sometimes, it will draw more and more attention in the long run.”
Qin Yunuan nodded. She didn’t know why Wanyan Su wanted her to stay, but she didn’t want to spend time on thinking about this. What was most important for them was the future.
“Where do you want to go?” Qin Yunuan held his arm and asked gently. “Never mind. No matter whether you go, I’ll follow you.”
Leng Changxi stroked her head and said, “Sima Ray has locked every pass between Qi and West Xia, so we have to go to North Di first before entering West Xia. Now, there is only one man who can help us get everything back.”
Leng Changxi squinted. “That is Jing Donghua, the emperor of West Xia.”
