A Single Tie Of Long Hair Seals A Lifelong Commitment - Chapter 96.2

But since the situation had escalated to this point, she had been kept completely in the dark. Jiang Bojin couldn’t have managed that; only Chen Luan could have hidden it from her.

“Ximu Qing knew you would never agree to destroying fields, which is why he hid it from you. Have you considered that the Emperor is also clear that you wouldn’t do something like destroying fields? Only this way will the Emperor not suspect you. What do you think the Emperor is apprehensive about by confining the Grand Princess? The thing he fears most isn’t the little bit of authority Her Highness holds; he fears you—colluding with the Grand Princess.”

Jiang Bojin knew his words had sunk in.

“The Xi Ma Nou are the strongest tribe on the prairie, their military is formidable, and both the Grand Princess and the Emperor want to win them over. The Censorate and Yong’an Prefecture are already involved in this matter. Why would you want to stick your neck out?”

Chen Liangyu said, “Her Highness values agriculture most. It was I who told you to find Ximu Qing and relay the message, so I can hardly absolve myself of responsibility for this. If Ximu Qing destroys a few more mu of farmland, Her Highness will be the first to strike me down after she comes down the mountain.”

No matter how strong the Xi Ma Nou army was, she would be the one to face them if they attacked.

“The Xi Ma Nou people are naturally fierce and barbaric, with no compassion for life. Even if one of their own dies, the body is immediately dragged to the wilderness to feed the vultures. If they are not stopped now, I fear there will be bloodshed.”

Her Eagle Head Army was the natural nemesis of the nomadic bandits.

In the past two years, her several campaigns had beaten the three largest prairie tribes—the Qiu Di, Kui Rong, and Xi Ma Nou —into a panic, driving them deep into the heart of the steppe. After that, no tribal leader dared to challenge her face-to-face again. It was likely Xiqing did not know she was in Yongdu.

The trouble started because of her, and it should be solved by her.

If Ximu Qing saw her, he would naturally restrain himself and settle down, thus averting a conflict.

When Chen Liangyu and Li Hezhang arrived at the city outskirts, the Xi Ma Nou horses were still frolicking in the fields and eating the wheat ears.

The Xi Ma Nou had brought around three hundred horses this time.

As far as the eye could see, the green seedlings were trampled beyond recognition.

On the paths trodden hard between the ridges, there were distraught farmers everywhere, kneeling and crying out, constantly kowtowing toward the Xi Ma Nou’s iron hooves.

The Xi Ma Nou’s colorful banners fluttered around the horsemen’s shoulders. They were cheering, their mouths issuing sounds of mockery.

“Hahahahahaha, don’t stop, keep kowtowing, hurry up and kowtow!”

From afar, the other prairie people also cracked their horsewhips, laughing as they chimed in, “Kowtow, keep kowtowing! Hurry up and kowtow!”

The commoners couldn’t understand the garbled prairie language, but they could recognize the malicious intent. Desperate, a grandfather and grandson stepped into the field, standing with their arms spread wide in front of a horse. A massive prairie brute wrapped in a leopard hide reined his horse back a few steps, then took a running start. The black horse neighed and leaped over the heads of the grandfather and grandson.

Another burst of thunderous cheering.

The tall, robust black horse turned and crushed more wheat ears.

The old man raised his hoe, striking at the animal chewing the wheat.

The Xi Ma Nou horses were outfitted with iron-plated head armor. The old man did not know the horse’s weakness was its lower legs. The hoe clanged against the iron armor with a deafening noise.

It didn’t injure the horse at all, but it enraged the man on its back.

The man violently lifted his thick right leg and kicked the old man hard in the shoulder. The old man fell heavily into the wheat patch, crushing another swath of ears. He lay spread-eagled, coughing up blood from the corner of his mouth.

The brute on horseback, wrapped in leopard hide, stared with wide, round eyes. He gently stroked his beloved horse’s head armor, muttering some unintelligible words to calm it. In an instant, his gaze turned savage. His messy beard and hair flew wildly in the wind. He tugged the reins back, and the horse’s hooves lifted, preparing to stomp on the old man.

The black horse neighed, rearing up.

The young boy flung himself onto the old man. “Grandfather…”

The iron hoof did not shatter the boy’s back. Instead, a spinning short saber flew in and sliced through the horse’s forelegs.

Chen Liangyu retrieved her Eagle-Cloud Patterned Saber and held it in her hand as she dismounted in the field. The black horse collapsed in the wheat field, its blood gushing out. The man on its back was also thrown, tumbling several times.

Li Hezhang quickly caught up with Chen Liangyu, explaining the background of the brute who had fallen from the black horse.

This person was Ximu Qing’s younger brother, named Xicang.

Chen Liangyu helped the grandfather and grandson up and led them to the path.

Xicang struggled to his feet and knelt before the black horse, staring at it for a long time. Only when the black horse finally breathed its last did he slowly stand up straight. He looked at Chen Liangyu with a sinister glare and spoke in broken Central Plains dialect: “Who are you?”

Chen Liangyu did not answer; she countered with a question: “Where is Ximu Qing?”

Xicang said, “I don’t know you. Why did you kill my horse?” The prairie people did not value human life, but they were exceptionally fond of their horses. Their mounts were chosen from foals and personally raised. Given the urgency of the situation moments ago, Chen Liangyu could not have been more concerned.

Chen Liangyu asked, “And why did you injure the citizens of my dynasty?”

“I don’t understand.”

Chen Liangyu repeated her question in the prairie language, then added, “Where is Ximu Qing? Tell him to come and see this General.” She had not seen Ximu Qing among the barbaric people trampling the seedlings, which meant this Xicang was the leader of this group of nomadic bandits.

Xicang said, “My brother is not here. You killed my horse, so I will kill you.” As he finished speaking, he brandished a long saber.

The moment the blade swung toward her, Chen Liangyu instantly flicked her wrist, placing her Eagle-Cloud Patterned Saber against Xicang’s blade and pressing down hard. Her saber technique was extremely fast. Before Xicang could react, the short saber’s edge had flown around in a semicircle and sliced open his wrist. Blood spurted out.

The long saber clattered to the ground. Xicang clutched his wrist and cried out, kneeling.

Chen Liangyu demanded, “Where is Ximu Qing?”

Agonizing pain shot through Xicang’s wrist. It began to tremble slightly beyond his control. Cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead, dripped down his temples, and landed on the green wheat ears at his feet.

He said, “My brother did not leave the city.”

“Now, call your men to get out of the fields immediately!”

Upon hearing this, Xicang blew a strange-sounding whistle. The prairie people scattered around immediately gathered their horses and moved toward the official road as if they had received an unquestionable command.

A moment later, a carriage quickly approached on the official road. The surname placard hanging from the carriage roof read “Sheng.” The carriage slowed to a stop a distance away from Chen Liangyu.

Sheng Yuyan leapt from the carriage, hurrying over with short strides.

“Great General, why did you trouble yourself to come?”

Li Hezhang patted his chest. “I invited her.”

Sheng Yuyan bowed to him. “Minister Li.”

“Minister Sheng, your arrival is timely,” Chen Liangyu ordered Sheng Yuyan to stay and pacify the farmers whose fields had been destroyed. “This General is going to find Xiqing and settle this account. You stay here and tell them the court will compensate them for this year’s harvest. Be sure to stop them from throwing their bodies against the horse.”

Xicang was still rolling on the ground clutching his wrist. Chen Liangyu had intended to tie him up and use him as a meeting gift for Ximu Qing, but she hadn’t brought any soldiers today, only a few of her personal guards. For miles around, besides the green seedlings in the fields, there were only Xi Ma Nou people dressed in animal hides and innocent commoners. If a fight broke out between the two sides, she wouldn’t fare well, and the innocent would be harmed.

So, she let Xicang go for now.

Chen Liangyu took her horse’s reins. The Jade Lion nudged her hand and followed her forward.

The grandfather and grandson bowed to Chen Liangyu. Li Hezhang and Sheng Yuyan stepped forward, one helping the old man, the other helping the young boy. Sheng Yuyan still had his hand resting on the boy’s shoulder when, unexpectedly, a cold arrow shot from behind, piercing straight through the boy’s chest cavity.

The blood had not yet soaked the fabric over his chest, but the boy’s eyes had already glazed over.

Chen Liangyu abruptly turned back.

Right before her eyes, the boy’s knees hit the ground first with a dull plop. Then, his body slowly tilted. He instinctively tried to brace himself with his arms but uncontrollably fell backward.

“Grandfather…”

After weakly calling out “Grandfather,” he collapsed onto a patch of broken wheat stalks.

“He Sheng!” The old man stumbled and threw himself beside his grandson.

“He Sheng, wake up… wake up…” The old man’s hands frantically searched the boy’s face, tears of old age streaming down as he wailed inconsolably.

Xicang was half-kneeling on the ground, holding up his other arm. A sleeve crossbow was hidden inside his sleeve. “Someone must pay for my horse’s life. If I can’t kill you, I’ll kill him.”

Several personal guards swarmed forward, pinning Xicang to the ground, binding his hands and feet, and confiscating his long saber and sleeve crossbow. Seeing this, the surrounding Xi Ma Nou people immediately spurred their horses forward, circling Chen Liangyu and her group.

Xicang seemed to realize their numbers far exceeded the other side. He roared: “Baiya gahala!”

Kill them for me!

In an instant, the Xi Ma Nou people erupted in savagery, issuing wild roars. Without warning, they raised their sabers and began to hack and slash. A scene of utter chaos ensued.

Chen Liangyu hastily drew her saber to meet the attack. In the confusion, she shoved Li Hezhang and Sheng Yuyan into the carriage, deflecting several swinging blades. Suddenly, amid the crashing of metal, she distinguished the sound of a weapon plunging into flesh.

Xicang was plunging a spear into the old man’s throat.

Chen Liangyu seemed not to hear the wind or the mad roars. She cut through the sweeping sabers, carving a path of blood through the Xi Ma Nou’s heavy encirclement.

With one strike, she sliced through Xicang’s neck.