The Woman Disguised Herself as a Man and Abolished the Prince, Married a Princess and called the Empress - Chapter 4

The next morning, after an early breakfast, Xiong Shaoqing and Su Xianfeng settled their bill and left the inn. Xiong Shaoqing, in her heroic attire, successfully flew under the radar. Even with her wanted poster plastered on the city gates, the soldiers checking people failed to recognize her.

The two journeyed westward. The first few days were peaceful, but trouble soon followed. Imperial soldiers were searching everywhere, and bounty-seeking martial artists came to hunt them down.

Xiong Yishan had issued a new wanted poster, significantly increasing the bounty.

Xiong Shaoqing’s heart was filled with indignation. This damned emperor, he’ll stop at nothing to drive me to my death.

To evade their pursuers, Xiong Shaoqing and Su Xianfeng avoided towns and took a winding path through the countryside.

This day, their journey led them into a deep, secluded mountain valley, where a thick sea of trees stretched to the horizon. Sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, casting a mosaic of dappled shadows on the ground.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, but as Xiong Shaoqing listened, an unsettling feeling crept into her heart.

Suddenly, a sharp, young girl’s scream tore through the silence, echoing through every corner of the forest. The sound startled the birds resting there, and they fluttered into the sky, leaving a flurry of panicked cries in their wake.

“Help!” the voice cried out again, filled with boundless despair.

Xiong Shaoqing and Su Xianfeng exchanged a glance and quickened their pace toward the sound.

“No, please don’t…”

“Be a good girl and do what I say, and you can escape being a prisoner of war. You’ll have all the delicacies and fine wines you want.”

“Hey, boss, hurry up! We’re waiting for our turn.”

“Get lost! What’s the rush? I haven’t had my fill yet. It’s more fun when they resist. If she just gave in like a wooden puppet, where’s the fun in that?”

Hiding behind a tree, Xiong Shaoqing saw a sight that filled her with rage:

A girl, no older than twelve, had her hands and feet bound. Her already tattered clothes had been mercilessly torn, revealing large patches of pale skin.

The leader of the bailiffs, a man with triangular eyes, leered at her, his expression even more perverse in the glinting light. He extended his filthy hand toward the girl, continually groping her.

Several other bailiffs stood by, watching and chuckling with disgusting smiles.

Not far away, a dozen other prisoners of war were chained together. They watched with numb, indifferent expressions. No matter how the girl cried for help, they remained unmoved.

Though bound, the girl was still struggling with all her might, and every scream felt like a knife twisting in Xiong Shaoqing’s heart.

Seeing this, Xiong Shaoqing’s pupils contracted. She instinctively clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.

Bastards! To act like beasts in broad daylight, to not even spare a minor!

They deserve to die! I can’t let them succeed!

As Xiong Shaoqing prepared to act, another voice echoed in her mind.

Have you forgotten what happened at the Jadeite Pavilion? Just because you felt compassion and saved a mistreated girl, you brought her back to the royal manor, which became the ‘evidence’ of your treason.

If you had been a little more cold-hearted, you wouldn’t be in this mess. Now, you can barely protect yourself. Besides, the Yu Kingdom and the Bairi tribe have always been enemies. It’s common for Bairi soldiers to burn, kill, and pillage. By that logic, this girl is a Bairi tribeswoman, so isn’t this what she deserves?

No, that’s not right. The rulers and nobles start the wars; the common people below are innocent. They have no control over their own fate.

Su Xianfeng, sensing her fury and inner conflict, gently patted her shoulder and encouraged her: “Do what you think is right. Your master will help you.”

Xiong Shaoqing’s heart was a battlefield of good and evil, but in the end, her kindness won out. With a resolute expression, she drew her sword. Flashing like lightning, she appeared instantly before the girl.

“Stop!” she yelled, her voice like a thunderclap that startled the thugs into a daze.

Her fury burning, she aimed her sword at the bailiff leader with impeccable precision. Unable to dodge, he was struck, and blood instantly stained his sleeve.

The girl watched Xiong Shaoqing descend like a divine soldier, her eyes instantly sparkling with hope. Seeing the shocking red on the leader’s sleeve and smelling the faint scent of blood in the air, a sense of relief and satisfaction washed over her.

A confident smile played on Xiong Shaoqing’s lips. The girl was stunned, her fear and despair instantly replaced by a feeling of safety and peace.

The bailiff leader spat, gritting his teeth and enduring the intense pain. He yanked his left arm back from the sword, and blood sprayed from the wound.

“Damn you, are you all dead? Get over here and help!” he roared at the other bailiffs.

They quickly drew their weapons, preparing to surround Xiong Shaoqing.

Her heart tightening, she remained vigilant, her eyes fixed on their every move.

At that moment, a figure descended, carried on the wind. The ground shook, and dust billowed up.

The figure twisted gracefully in mid-air, a folding fan in his hand unleashing streaks of brilliant light. They were as dazzling as a meteor shower. The bailiffs were stunned by this sudden assault and instinctively tried to defend themselves.

But the light streaked toward them, moving at a breathtaking speed, too fast to be caught.

The bailiffs no longer had the luxury of dealing with Xiong Shaoqing; they had to work together to fend off Su Xianfeng.

Sword light and fan shadows intertwined, clashing with a cacophony of piercing metal.

When the light and shadow dissipated, several bailiffs were already on the ground, incapacitated.

The leader realized his fight was over. He was a spent force, and Xiong Shaoqing’s attacks grew more and more ferocious. He was so preoccupied with defense that he didn’t notice his foot had slipped.

Xiong Shaoqing saw the opening and, with a quick flicker of her form, changed her attack. The leader was shocked and tried to block with his sword, but his strength was spent. Xiong Shaoqing took advantage, thrusting her sword forward. The leader’s wrist stung, and his great sword flew from his grasp, embedding itself in the ground. He swayed and was pushed aside by Xiong Shaoqing, no longer able to fight.

“Master, keep an eye on them,” Xiong Shaoqing said, turning to Su Xianfeng. She then began walking slowly toward the girl.

Su Xianfeng smiled and nodded.

The girl watched the heroine in the dark blue tunic walk toward her. The heroine’s eyebrows were like a painting, her eyes as bright and deep as autumn water, holding a thousand stories. Her gaze flickered between a resolute determination and a gentle concern.

The heroine’s nose was straight, and her cheeks, like mutton-fat jade, held two dimples when she smiled, making her approachable and endearing. Without any makeup, she exuded a valiant and heroic aura that the girl would never forget.

Seeing the girl staring at her blankly, Xiong Shaoqing cleared her throat.

“You must be terrified,” she said, untying the girl’s restraints. “Don’t be afraid, you’re safe now.”

Though Xiong Shaoqing spoke few words, her voice was as pleasant as a mountain spring, and the girl’s heart was utterly captivated.

Xiong Shaoqing frowned at the girl’s torn clothes. “Follow me.”

The girl meekly obeyed, slowly getting to her feet.

Xiong Shaoqing took a set of clothes from her bag and handed them to the girl. “They’re a little big, but wear them for now.”

Then she took some silver from her bag and gave it to the girl. “Take this and go find your family.”

The girl’s hands trembled as she took the clothes and silver. She quietly looked up at Xiong Shaoqing with clear eyes, her gratitude evident.

“Thank you for saving me, sister. What is your name? I will repay you for saving me today, my name is Meng’er.”

Xiong Shaoqing looked at the girl and shook her head faintly. “We met by chance; don’t give it another thought. Now go.”

A pang of bitterness welled in Meng’er’s heart, like a sudden spring rain dampening her full-hearted hopes. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, but she didn’t feel any pain.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she fought them back, trying to push them away.

“But… but…” Meng’er tried to find a reason to object, but the words were stuck in her throat. Though she had only just met the heroine, she could see her resolute character; once she had made up her mind, she wouldn’t change it easily.

The girl lowered her head, a strand of hair covering her flushed cheeks. Gratitude and regret intertwined in her heart, forming a silent sigh.

She knelt and kowtowed to the heroine. Then, she got up and turned, running away as fast as she could. She didn’t dare look back, afraid that if she did, she would shamelessly beg the heroine to take her in. She hated this weak version of herself.

Xiong Shaoqing watched the girl’s silhouette disappear into the depths of the forest. She didn’t immediately let the bailiffs go. Instead, she and Su Xianfeng sat on the ground and took out some dried food from her bag.

“Master, I made some beef tongue biscuits. Please, have a taste.” Xiong Shaoqing handed him a biscuit, her thoughts drifting back to yesterday.

Yesterday, I used a farmer’s kitchen to make the beef tongue biscuits from my dream. Father, Mother that dream… I will never forget it.

Mother, I’ve completely mastered the beef tongue biscuits you taught me to make in my dream. The flavor is exactly the same as yours.

Su Xianfeng took a biscuit and tasted it carefully. After one bite, an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

“The flavor is exactly the same as Wang’s shop.”

Xiong Shaoqing was about to explain the reason to Su Xianfeng but saw the thugs still there and swallowed her words. It was better to talk about it at a more suitable time, as they were still on the run.

These bailiffs, escorting the Bairi prisoners of war, were corrupt to the core. They acted like beasts and publicly attacked that young girl. The other prisoners were completely spineless, ignoring what didn’t concern them for fear of getting into trouble, even as the girl was being humiliated.

“What are you thinking about?” Su Xianfeng asked, seeing Xiong Shaoqing lost in thought.

Xiong Shaoqing came back to her senses. “I’m thinking about what to do with them. Should I kill them, or…”

Before she could finish, the bailiff leader quickly knelt and begged for mercy in a loud voice. “Heroine, spare our lives! I swear I’ll never do it again!”

The other bailiffs saw this and immediately knelt as well, echoing:

“Yes, heroine, please spare our lives.”

They kowtowed repeatedly, their foreheads swelling.

“I can let you go,” Xiong Shaoqing’s voice was calm.

The bailiff leader’s face instantly lit up with relief, a feeling of surviving a disaster. The other bailiffs also breathed a collective sigh.

Xiong Shaoqing saw their relief but didn’t intend to let these thugs off so easily.

However, if she killed them, her whereabouts would surely be exposed. And those dozen Bairi prisoners of war would also be a major problem if they escaped.

Considering this, Xiong Shaoqing raised an eyebrow, a look of contempt on her face. “Don’t be so happy. You haven’t paid the price yet.”

Hearing this, their hearts began to race, and fine beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads. The tension was like a cold snake, coiling around their hearts.

“Either die, or suffer the same way that girl did. You choose.”

Xiong Shaoqing’s words exploded in their ears. Though her voice was as pleasant as a ringing bell, no one noticed. The bailiff leader, in particular, instantly went rigid, his face ashen, his eyes filled with terror.

“Have you chosen? My patience is limited.”

Xiong Shaoqing said this while slowly drawing her sword and walking toward the leader.

The struggle in the leader’s triangular eyes was intense. Finally, he gritted his teeth and made a decision to endure humiliation, for it was better to live than to die.

“I… I’ve chosen. We’ll suffer the same way the girl did.” The leader gave up resistance and accepted the result.

The other bailiffs had always taken their cues from the leader, so they naturally had no objections.

Under Xiong Shaoqing’s supervision, the bailiffs, holding back their disgust, began to rip the leader’s clothes off. As they were torn away, his yellowish skin was revealed. The fresh wound on his left arm reopened, and blood seeped out.

The bailiffs’ hands continually groped the leader. Unable to hold it in, he vomited the contents of his stomach all over the ground.

Xiong Shaoqing watched indifferently. “Continue.”

The bailiffs had no choice but to obey. They tormented the leader this way for several hours.

Xiong Shaoqing waited until she guessed the girl had gotten far enough away before she told them to get lost. The leader and the bailiffs quickly herded the dozen prisoners of war and fled as if their lives depended on it.

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