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“Whoever dares to come forward, I’ll kill her!”
The journey was long, and Li Yunli personally experienced the slowness of ancient carriages and horses.
After five days of stop-and-go travel, they finally arrived at the northwest border.
The cold wind whistled, and the landscape was filled with barren rock and soil.
The convoy set up camp by a river, lighting a fire to rest.
“Your Highness, have some tea.”
Zhilian took a freshly boiled pot of water from the fire and brewed a cup of hot tea for Li Yunli.
The fire had just started, the sun had set, and Li Yunli sat beside it, warming her hands with the tea. Even her breath turned into white mist in the cold air.
A warmth settled on her shoulders—a cloak was draped over her.
Li Yunli turned to see Yun Chu walking over, bending down to place a skewered fish over the fire.
Zhuihui’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the fish, which weighed nearly two pounds. She gasped in amazement, “Wow! That’s impressive.”
“The water is cold, so the fish hide under the rocks.”
Yun Chu smiled lightly and found a flat spot by the fire to sit.
Li Yunli also smiled slightly. “We’ve had a steady supply of provisions, but you’ve caught more live game than I’ve received intelligence reports.”
Yun Chu plucked a few mugwort leaves to remove the fishy smell, lowering his head with a soft chuckle.
Two days ago, he had caught a fluffy gray rabbit in the forest. Li Yunli had used it to warm her hands for half a day before releasing it when they approached the city.
They had come for disaster relief, so they avoided stopping at provincial capitals along the way, except for resupplying. This allowed them to arrive within a few days.
Now that they were here, things had slowed down. They needed to send people with imperial decrees to coordinate grain and supplies with the surrounding local governments.
Moving forward, they would soon reach the Yongzhou territory.
Throughout the journey, Li Yunli had been gathering intelligence. Aside from military scout reports, she also received additional information from the secret guards.
Most of the reports were consistent, with minor differences in details, but she never stopped issuing the order for intelligence gathering.
“Your Highness, there’s something unusual ahead.”
Shiliu approached, kneeling on one knee to report.
They had camped between two mountains, on a vast flatland that led to rolling hills.
Li Yunli turned. “What is it?”
“The secret guards report that a group of people is approaching and will soon cross the hill.”
“Do we know who they are?”
“They are not in uniform—possibly civilians, possibly bandits.”
“This place is a hundred miles from the city. They won’t be ordinary civilians.”
Li Yunli gazed at the rolling hills behind them, speaking calmly.
The Yongzhou region was not peaceful. Even though Xiao Linjia had led troops to suppress the northwest bandits a few months ago, it was impossible to eradicate them completely. Once the army left, they would reemerge.
Some officials even colluded with the bandits—lying low when the military arrived, only to resume their ways once the troops departed.
This time, their arrival had been swift, leaving little time for local factions to react. And now, they had indeed encountered a roving band.
“Tell everyone to extinguish the fires. Where is General Xiao?”
Xiao Linjia was at the rear of the convoy. Ever vigilant, he received the scout’s report at almost the same time. His soldiers had already put out their fires, covering the embers with sand and stones, preparing silently for battle.
He ran over. “Your Highness, there’s a situation ahead. Please retreat to safety.”
“No need. I’ll take a look.”
Li Yunli donned a cloak and followed Xiao Linjia to the hill.
Their camp was not beside the main road. Climbing the small hill gave them a clear view of the official road.
Li Yunli concealed herself as she observed, and Yun Chu lay beside her.
Lowering his voice, he murmured, “Your Highness, be careful.”
About the time it took to burn half an incense stick, a few black dots appeared at the end of the road. As they came closer, they could see several people riding small horses. The horses carried baskets, and a long rope trailed behind them.
The rope was tied in a series of knots, binding the hands of about a dozen people.
Armed men with swords escorted them on both sides, with about ten more men bringing up the rear.
Yun Chu whispered, “Boldly traveling on the official road… Are they transporting prisoners?”
“There are no prison carts, and they wear no official uniforms.” Li Yunli’s voice was low as she continued to observe. “Let’s watch a little longer.”
The group drew nearer, finally entering clear view.
When Xiao Linjia saw them clearly, his gaze darkened, and he reached for his sword.
Li Yunli could almost hear crying.
The captives were all women—thin, weak, and all young!
Two soldiers whispered, “Tsk tsk. I’ve heard that when times are truly desperate, even noble families sell their servants first.”
Li Yunli focused on the riders at the front. “Slave traders selling maids should be heading toward the city, not out into the wild. And buyers wouldn’t only purchase young women.”
These women were either abducted or deceived!
“General Xiao.”
Li Yunli looked at Xiao Linjia and nodded.
Xiao Linjia had already signaled his soldiers. Upon receiving her approval, he swiftly drew his sword and shouted, “Attack!”
The hidden soldiers brandished their weapons, charging down the road.
The enemy was caught completely off guard. In their panic, they fumbled for weapons.
But they were no match for the elite troops under the command of General Xiao Linjia. Their formation was quickly broken.
Xiao Linjia’s blade flashed. “Take them alive!”
The soldiers overwhelmed them with numbers and discipline. Within moments, every captor was subdued, bound tightly with thick ropes.
The women, still bound together, were terrified. Unable to run, they struggled and collapsed into a huddled mass, crying and shaking.
Xiao Linjia’s men were highly disciplined. Once the captors were secured, they backed away slightly to avoid frightening the women further.
Li Yunli stepped forward and motioned for her attendants.
“Untie them.”
Four maids stepped forward and cut the ropes with small daggers.
Having fellow women release them eased the captives’ terror somewhat. Though still confused and shaken, they slowly realized they had been rescued.
But the ordeal had left them traumatized. Even after being freed, they sat motionless on the ground, eyes vacant with fear.
Li Yunli crouched down and spoke gently. “Where are you from? How did they capture you? Where were they taking you?”
But the women only shook their heads, glancing nervously at their captors, afraid to speak.
Li Yunli stood and looked at Xiao Linjia. “General.”
Xiao Linjia nodded, then kicked the leader off his horse, sending him rolling into the dust. “You! Speak!”
The man sneered, glancing around at the soldiers. “You’d better let us go. If this mission fails, you won’t even know who comes for your life in the dead of night!”
Xiao Linjia smirked and borrowed a soldier’s sword. With one swift motion, he pressed the blade to the man’s shoulder.
“You’ve got guts! What if I kill you now?”
The man remained defiant. “You wouldn’t dare! My boss won’t let you off!”
Xiao Linjia returned the sword and made a cutting gesture toward a nearby hill.
“Take him over there. Execute him.”
The captive’s arrogance vanished. “No—you wouldn’t dare!”
Then, a single swift, clean cut.
Blood splattered onto the sand.
Xiao Linjia roared, “Who’s next?!”
The remaining captors finally broke.
“I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”
But just as the interrogation began—
A woman from the rescued group suddenly grabbed Li Yunli from behind, pressing a dagger to her throat.
“Whoever dares to come forward, I’ll kill her!”