Chapter 8
Although Hua Zhu Yu was saved, she did not get good treatment.
After they had come down the mountain, the guard put Hua Zhu Yu down, tied up her hands and stuffed her into a sack on the cold man’s order. Once the sack’s mouth was bound, she could not see anything. Then, he tied the sack onto a horse’s back like she were just a thing.
Shortly, the horse started to run, ran very vast, its rider did not slightest care about her. Hua Zhu Yu b.u.mped on the horse’s back, many times she was unable to breathe, and nearly fainted.
Unbeknownst to her how long they had traveled, sound of horses’ hooves galloping gradually slowed down, gradually people’ voices sounded.
Hua Zhu Yu was carried on a guard’s shoulder down the horse’s back, she heard that guard’s voice asked “Your majesty, what should we do with this woman?”
“Take a look first whether she has died!” a man said faintly, there was bone-chilling coldness in his voice, just like this Northern air, so cold that it made people shiver.
The guard opened the sack’s mouth, took Hua Zhu Yu out of the sack. The sudden bright light caused her to close her eyes instantly.
After a moment, she slowly opened her eyes. She was in a state of total disarray that her original looks could not be told anymore. The blowing wind carried along Northern cold air, ruffled her hair. Her face was smeared black and dirty, her hair sprawled messily. Only a pair of black clear eyes exuded a brilliant radiance.
They were in a gently sloping field, there were hundreds of tents linked up into a single stretch. Constantly, there were Northern Dynasty’s soldiers came out of the tents, they did not speak, all looked respectfully towards the man before her.
Hua Zhu Yu was very familiar with this kind of scene. Clearly, this was actually a place where an army quartered.
“A pair of pretty eyes, but… it is a pity.” The man in front of her narrowed his eyes and sighed lightly. Only now Hua Zhu Yu could see clearly this man who stood on a high slope last night. He wore a purple cloak and was casually standing there. He had tall stature. Carving-like handsome face, a pair of long eyes slightly closed, revealed a glimmer of brilliant purple color.
Purple eyes?!
That pupils of those eyes were just like high grade ice jade, the brilliant purple color added a touch of charm. If the icy cold aura that he gave off and a hint of mockery in his cold smile were overlooked, this man was truly a feast for the eyes.
Unfortunately, his natural icy cold, hard to get close aura made people could not help but overlooked his outer looks.
Who is he?
Hua Zhu Yu recalled someone called him ‘your majesty’ just now, then this man must be Xiao Yin, the crown prince of Northern Dynasty, the man whom she was going to marry.
Hua Zhu Yu had heard about Northern Dynasty’s crown prince before.
There was a talk widely spread among the people about South White Phoenix, North Purple Roc, West Ashura and East G.o.d of Fortune. These four were well known as being peerless in martial arts.
Xiao Yin, the crown prince of Northern Dynasty, was the north purple roc. (I’m really not sure I translate the other three correctly, so rather than delay my update, I just leave it for now)
At that time, Hua Zhu Yu scoffed at it, what four peerless men, how many people were there that truly worthy of their names. Just took her as an example, her reputation was out-and-out fake, so they must also not be necessarily really peerless.
But, at this very moment, it appeared that this man, the purple roc before her, truly had a peerless master demeanor.
Hua Zhu Yu’s scrutiny surprised Xiao Yin. He did not expect that this woman’s nerve was actually not small, he had never seen people who dared to look at him straightly this way before.
He brought a spear in his hand up to Hua Zhu Yu’s chin, narrowing his eyes, he scrutinized her, shiny tip of the spear reflected together with brilliance in Hua Zhu Yu’s eyes and made her black pupils shone even more brightly. Xiao Yins’ wrist moved slightly, the sharp spear’s tip scratched Hua Zhu Yu’s chin skin, a drop of blood dripped down the tip of the spear.
Xiao Yin frowned. Such delicate skin, this is a woman of Southern Dynasty?
“Crown prince, don’t act rashly. Even though this time we fell into Southern Dynasty’s scheme, but as long as the princess is not dead, perhaps this matter still can take a turn for the better.” xian w.a.n.g said with a deep note in his voice.
“Royal uncle, you have always been soft on Southern Dynasty, but you also have seen that Southern Dynasty has been eyeing us, Northern Dynasty. The matter this time is merely a pretext. Even if we can avoid it this time, they still won’t let us off next time. Why not meeting the enemy head on, are we, Northern Dynasty, afraid of them?” Xiao Yin spoke coldly, withdrew the spear from Hua Zhu Yu’s neck.
Hua Zhu Yu became alarmed on hearing that, if Northern Dynasty determined to wage war against Southern Dynasty, was she be able to stay alive?!
No!
She could not die.
She wanted to live, there were still many things she needed to do! Hua Zhu Yu thought.
“Crown prince….” Hua Zhu Yu began to speak, and at once found her voice so hoa.r.s.e that she felt terribly uncomfortable. She did not drink a single drop of water for one day and one night, the corners of her mouth had long been chapped, her voice had long been hoa.r.s.e.
“What crown prince said is right, Southern Dynasty has an ambition, but…. *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough*” Hua Zhu Yu kept coughing. She was speaking disjointedly for a long time “Presently, It is better to avoid war, you know very well that you stand no chance of winning war at this time. I may be able to help you avoid this war …*cough” *cough* *cough*….”
Xiao Yin lowered his head and stared at the woman whose both shoulders were shaking with a violent cough, he held out his hand and someone hurriedly brought over in both hands a wine pouch made of cowhide. He opened the wine pouch, a strong fragrance came out of the pouch’s mouth.
Reaching out, he pinched Hua Zhu Yu’s mouth open and poured the liquid from the wine pouch into her mouth. This seemed to be Northern Dynasty’s special milk wine. It was salty and fishy. It carried pungent fragrance of wine.
The wine filled her mouth too fast and choked her, white liquid came out of her nose and she felt an unbearable pain, but Xiao Yin did not stop nevertheless. He grasped her hair firmly and continued to pour the wine. Finally, he was willing to stop when Hua Zhu Yu could drink no longer that the wine dripped out of her mouth and nose.
He leaned toward her slowly and gave a faint smile. This cold man’s smile actually had indescribable charm, only that there was a hint of mockery that could make people shiver in that smile.
“Ben w.a.n.g¹ is not afraid of war, also doesn’t want to avoid it. Also, you may rest a.s.sured, even though you are not the woman whom ben tai zi² takes a fancy to, even though you are only a subst.i.tute, but ben tai zi won’t let you die.” Finished speaking, he smiled faintly, and then left while coldly commanding “Come, send her to red tent.”
¹ and ² This is how Xiao Yin refers to himself, w.a.n.g means king, tai zi means crown prince,.
Xian w.a.n.g could hardly believe his ears, crown prince actually wanted to send the princess to red tent? But that red tent was the place for army prost.i.tutes, is that possible…?