Aoyama

Chapter 468 Trading
On the mountain road outside Baidadan City.

Chen Ji carried the unconscious Jiang Xiansheng in his hands, while Hong Zu'er pulled the limping Princess Liyang along.

A strange noise came from behind me; someone had crushed a tree branch in the distance.

Chen Ji looked back and saw the clear moonlight shining on the shadowy figures in the birch forest. The elite troops who came to rescue Princess Liyang stayed fifty paces away, neither daring to approach rashly nor going far away.

Princess Liyang, pale-faced, shouted at Chen Ji, "Boy, my men have definitely brought medicine for your wounds. Stop and rest for a while, and I'll have them send some medicine. Otherwise, Jiang Xiansheng in your hands will die."

Chen Ji looked down at his hand.

The arrow from that morning was still stuck in Jiang Xiansheng's leg, and it hadn't been removed by nightfall. Jiang Xiansheng had been unconscious for two hours and had begun to vaguely talk nonsense.

But Chen Ji ignored him and continued on his way.

Princess Liyang said weakly, "I also have an injury on my leg. If it is not treated soon, I may die."

Princess Liyang was pale, her skirt was covered in blood, and her embroidered shoes were worn out.

Chen Ji still ignored him.

Princess Liyang began to curse: "How can there be such a heartless person? Aren't you afraid that Jiang Xiansheng is really dead? If he dies, won't all your efforts be in vain? I kindly sent someone to deliver the medicine, and you don't even appreciate it."

Chen Ji remained expressionless: "You just want the officer to get close and see if there's a chance to rescue you. Don't worry, he won't die, and neither will you."

Princess Liyang was being dragged along the mountain path by Hong Zu'er, staggering along. Seeing that she couldn't persuade Chen Ji, she immediately began to urge Hong Zu'er again: "This hero doesn't want the gold, so don't you want it either?"

Hong Zuer said in a deep voice, "No."

Princess Liyang then asked, "I see you also come from a military background. Don't you want to become a governor of a prefecture and bring glory to your ancestors?"

Hong Zu'er grinned coldly: "So, are you going to offer yourself in return next?"

Princess Liyang glanced at Hong Zuer and hesitated before saying, "Let's forget about this one."

Hong Zu'er laughed angrily: "You look down on me, but I look down on you too."

Princess Liyang turned to look at the birch forest behind her. Her people were right there, and she had plenty of gold and power, yet she had encountered two stubborn people who wouldn't listen to reason.

She turned her head again, and the black outline of Baidadan City appeared on the horizon.

Princess Liyang grew anxious; if they continued walking for another half an hour, they would reach Baidadan City.

If they really entered Baidadan City, there would be no chance of escaping.

At this moment, Hong Zu'er also saw Baidadan City. He knew that if he didn't act now, he might not have the chance to kill Jiang Xiansheng.

Hong Zuer pulled Princess Liyang along and silently approached Chen Ji.

Chen Ji was quick-witted and immediately grabbed Jiang Xiansheng and moved away.

Hong Zuer said in a deep voice, "How long are you going to protect him? We came here to kill him. Now the opportunity is fleeting. What are you waiting for!"

Chen Ji remained silent.

……

……

Princess Liyang's eyes darted between the two, and she finally discerned some clues amidst the chaos.

The two men in front of him, one wanted to kill Jiang Xiansheng, and the other wanted to protect him.

This is your chance!

She whispered to Hong Zu'er, "Hero, do you intend to kill Jiang Xiansheng?"

Hong Zu'er glanced at her and said, "This is none of your business."

Princess Liyang refused to give up: "You want Jiang Xiansheng to die, and I want Jiang Xiansheng to die too. As long as you release me, I will order the elite troops in the mountains to shoot Jiang Xiansheng to death with a hail of arrows!"

Hong Zu'er's grip on Princess Li Yang's hand suddenly tightened; his heart was moved.

Princess Liyang winced in pain, but continued, "You're not as strong as him, are you? It doesn't matter. You can't kill Jiang Xiansheng, but my archers in the mountains can!"

Chen Ji, carrying Jiang Xiansheng, stepped back in front of Hong Zuer: "Think carefully. Our people are still in Jiang Que's hands. If you kill Jiang Xiansheng, you'll never see them again."

Hong Zu'er said solemnly, "To become a night watchman, you must first learn to disregard life and death. Everyone can cherish their life, but a night watchman cannot. That's what my master taught me, and that's what I'm teaching Asheng."

Chen Ji's heart sank.

By revealing Ye Bushou's identity to Princess Liyang, Hong Zu'er effectively cut off all avenues for retreat for both of them, intending to fight to the bitter end.

At this moment, Princess Liyang also realized what was happening and suddenly exclaimed in shock: "You are people from the Southern Dynasty!"

Chen Ji glanced at her and took a deep breath: "Master Hong, Asheng has always regarded you as a father, you..." Hong Zu'er interrupted: "My heart is as hard as iron, don't try to persuade me with Asheng! I've said it before, if he wants to not be taken away that night, that's his fate!"

Seeing that kinship could not sway Hong Zu'er, Chen Ji could only take a deep breath: "Yuan Cheng should return to Jing Dynasty to check Yuan Xiang and Lu Jin. Only in this way can the war be stopped!"

"This is just wishful thinking on your part, yet you're willing to gamble with the blood feud of tens of thousands of people in Chongli Pass?" Hong Zu'er sneered. "I understand now. You came to Chongli Pass to welcome the envoy from the Jing Dynasty!"

After saying that, Hong Zuer looked at Princess Liyang and said, "If you order these two to be shot now, I will definitely let you go."

"Wait!" Chen Ji looked at Princess Li Yang: "This man is Hong Zu'er, the night thief of Chongli Pass. He hates Jing Ren to the bone. Once I die, you will be next. He will not keep his promise!"

Princess Liyang looked at Hong Zuer: "Release me first, and I will immediately order them all to be killed!"

Hong Zuer looked at Chen Ji: "You killed Jiang Xiansheng, and I'm holding Princess Liyang hostage here to buy time so I can spare your life!"

froze.

The three of them were trapped in a vicious cycle, unable to break free, and none of them dared to be the first to let go.

In the deathly silence, Chen Ji, disregarding Princess Li Yang's presence, slowly said, "Master Hong, I promise you, I will not let Jiang Xiansheng arrive in Ning Dynasty alive. But now, I must take Jiang Xiansheng with me. If Jiang Que and Jiang Guo don't see Jiang Xiansheng alive, they will definitely go on a killing spree... Think of Asheng, think of Zhang Baishi. I know you are not afraid of death, but they could have survived! Let's save people first, and then we can discuss things further!"

Hong Zu'er seemed to be deep in thought, but after a moment his voice turned cold again: "You're full of lies, how can I believe you?"

Chen Ji was about to speak.

Seeing that the two seemed to be trying to reconcile, Princess Liyang immediately shouted angrily, "My younger brother is still in the capital, surrounded by wolves and tigers, with no one to protect him. I cannot go to marry that dog emperor in the Southern Dynasty. If I am forced to go to the Southern Dynasty to marry that dog emperor, we might as well fight to the death here! Guards, do not hesitate to kill them all!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the elite troops who had been following him from the mountains and forests emerged from behind the trees, drawing their bows and closing in step by step.

Chen Ji turned around and retreated, facing the archers.

Hong Zuer pressed the hairpin against Princess Liyang's neck, but this time she was no longer afraid. She gritted her teeth and said, "If you have the guts, kill me and we'll go to the Yellow Springs together!"

However, at that moment, the faint sound of horses' hooves came from the end of the mountain road.

It was the troops from Baidadan City.

Princess Liyang's heart sank. It was too late. Even if Chen Ji and Hong Zu were willing to let her go now, she wouldn't be able to leave.

The sound of horses' hooves grew closer, and Princess Liyang's expression gradually calmed down. She said to Chen Ji, "Boy, you've won. It seems that the people who went to Baidadan City persuaded Emperor Jiang Xianzong, otherwise he wouldn't have come out of the city so openly to welcome the envoy."

She stared blankly at the direction from which the sound of horses' hooves came, and said, "I am going to marry into the Ning Dynasty. I will be a plaything of the Southern Dynasty in the deep palace of the Southern Dynasty. When the two dynasties are at odds, the Southern Emperor can vent his anger on me at will, and will also display me as a trophy to the Southern people at various ceremonies... There is no more precious plaything in the world than me. And my younger brother, carrying such a stain on his reputation, will never have a chance to become the Crown Prince again."

The fire of desperation that had burned in Princess Liyang's eyes had vanished: "Let's fight to the death! Fire the arrows!"

"Wait!" Chen Ji glanced back at the mountain path. He could already hear the teeth-grinding sound of the iron plates of the armor rubbing against each other.

He turned to Princess Liyang and said, "Why don't we make a deal?"

Princess Liyang asked in confusion, "What kind of deal?"

Chen Ji calmly said, "Don't cause any more trouble. Once I've confirmed that my wife and maid are safe, I guarantee you'll be able to return to Jingchao afterwards."

Princess Liyang was even more puzzled: "How can you allow me to return to the Jing Dynasty?"

“You’ll know when the time comes,” Chen Ji said in a deep voice. “I know you’re the kind of person who won’t give up as long as there’s even a sliver of hope. Rather than die here, you might as well trust me this once and make a decision quickly.”

Princess Liyang listened to the approaching sound of horses' hooves, pondered for a long time, and then smiled at Chen Ji, saying, "Deal."

Having said that, she gestured to the distance, and the archers retreated back into the forest.

Chen Ji then looked at Hong Zu'er: "I guarantee Jiang Xiansheng won't live to see the capital."

Hong Zuer pondered for a moment: "Deal."

Chen Ji finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The next moment, a cavalry unit rushed up the mountain road and surrounded the group.

Chen Ji announced loudly, "Envoy Jiang Xiansheng from the capital and Princess Liyang are here!"

He did not let go, and was ready to take Jiang Xiansheng hostage at any time.

The cavalry formation slowly parted, and Jiang Xianzong, clad in full armor, rode up to him, looking down at Chen Ji with a smile, and asked, "Who are you?"

Chen Ji calmly replied, "I am Zhou Sheng, a native of Liaoyang Prefecture, from the capital."

Jiang Xianzong looked Chen Ji up and down for a moment and said, "The people of the Southern Dynasty are really bold."

Chen Ji's expression changed upon hearing this. Had Zhang Xia's identity been exposed?
He immediately grabbed Jiang Xiansheng by the neck and said coldly, "Where is my wife? Release her, or Jiang Xiansheng's life will be in danger."

Jiang Xianzong glanced at Jiang Xiansheng, turned his horse and rode away, leaving Chen Ji with only his back view: "I think I know why that girl dared to break into the White Tiger Hall. Don't worry, she's fine. If you don't believe me, you can come with me to Baidadan City to see."

(End of this chapter)