The one in the gorgeous armor, who had stepped out in front of all the other riders, turned his head to stare at the pale, frightened face that had two streams of tears dripping from its eyes. It was clear that she had only just begun to cry, of course. But she made it seem as though she had been weeping for hours.Li Changtian, the second of the Duke of the Westland"s children, and the older of his sons, gave out a sigh as soon as he saw what his older sister was trying to do. It was not the first time that he had encountered her schemes, after all. In fact, he was already immune to all her ploys. Did she never bother to think of new ones?
But that was something that would have to be handled at another time. There were other more pressing issues to be dealt with. The Ducal Heir flicked the reins of his mount at the rider next to him and dismounted with a grace that told of long hours of practice. The heavy-looking scale breastplate that he had on his torso seemed almost weightless as he strode past his sister"s kneeling Honor Guard, silently gesturing for them to get up.
"What have you done this time, older sister? Why are you desperately running away from the old man?"
The impatience in his voice was obvious, and the disdain exuded from his over six-foot-tall frame was so palpable that the still kneeling soldiers could not help but tremble as he strode past them. Even the leaders of the escorting troop, who had dismounted and lowered their heads, shivered upon hearing the chiding tone.
"Younger Brother, I ..."
The Ducal Prince, Li Changtian held up a hand, stopping his elder sister from completing her reply as he glanced at the soldiers layered in front of her. Sighing, he waved hand at the trembling leaders who were standing next to their sweat-covered horses.
"Make camp. A simple one. Get your men and the horses fed. I will speak to my sister in her carriage while you do so," he ordered softly, in a tone that seemed to exude a.s.surance. Clearly, he had no doubt that he would be obeyed.
"Hong Qi. Gather six men from those here. Those who are still able to stand and who are more or less alert. Have them organise sentry formation about the carriages. We will set up camp here and now."
One of the riders who had come with the Ducal Prince clasped his hands together in a quick salute, and started pointing at the men around him. Those that he picked out stiffened their backs at once and rushed to do his bidding. The mere sight of that made Prince Li Changtian"s lips twitch slightly. Which of these soldiers would not do as Hong Qi asked? He was one of the most charismatic young generals in Li Changtian"s Scarlet Flag Riders Troop after all.
Once he was done, however, he stepped over to his sister"s carriage. A simple wave of his hand sent the groom-c.u.m-driver running off immediately. Leaving his somewhat disappointed sister sitting inside with the door-curtain of the carriage still drawn to one side. The maid who was supposed to hold it back was already dazzled by Li Changtian"s appearance, and had her mouth slightly open as her eyes followed his every move.
There was even a hint of saliva, dripping from the corner of her lips.
His sister, Li Xiuxian, on the other hand, had a very childish, very sour pout on her lips. "Why did you stop us here, Younger Brother? We would have reached Father"s recruit training camp to the North, just a little further away if we kept going," she grumbled at him softly.
"Because that training camp that you mentioned is no longer in existence. Father and I had shut it down almost five years ago, and opened a new one further to the East. You could have just kept going until you reach the border crossing into the Northern Duchy in ... oh, five to seven days?
"That is if your men don"t collapse from exhaustion first."
He sniffed at her, as she froze and pretended to wipe away the tears that had already streaked her face, and completely upset the make-up around her eyes. Li Changtian naturally did not show that he noticed the same. To be honest, he wondered how his sister still dared to use such a juvenile play; she was already in her late thirties, and he could see that there were some wrinkles already, at the corner of her eyes and her lips.
Did she think that she could use a young girl"s methods at her age? What was she thinking?
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"Brother! You must help me! That b.i.t.c.h is intolerable!"
The First Ducal Prince rolled his eyes at his sister, who was still pretending to dab away her crocodile tears. Wasn"t that the reason why he had bothered to chase after her? The moment that he had word of what she had tried to do?
And failed?
Li Changtian also knew that this last attempt of his sister"s had some serious ramifications. Did she know what would happen, when she sent that other idiot, that Zhuo Jinhu, after their younger brother? Did she think that Feng Xueli would not take steps, the moment that she realises that her son was in danger?
The Duke"s second wife was not a soft persimmon! Li Changtian knew that! Unlike his sister who had merely thrown her temper at the woman ever since she married their father, the First Ducal Prince had actually sent his own people to the South, to find out more about this Marquis" daughter.
And what he had discovered had made him swear not to cross her in any way whatsoever! In fact, he was surprised that his father would dare to marry her as a second wife, after what she did in the Kingdom"s Capital City as a child!
Of course, he wasn"t about to tell his older sister what he had discovered, and simply warned her not to p.i.s.s off their stepmother too badly. After all, it would not do for her to spread the gossip about, as he was certain that she would do, thinking that it would harm Lady Feng"s reputation.
He was rather certain that his sister, Li Xiuxian, would be lucky to escape with her reputation in tatters, if she did so. That is, if she did not anger Feng Xueli to the point where the latter would go after her life.
Sending Zhuo Jinhu after Li Changhai, on the other hand, was likely to result his older sister"s death! Of that, he was certain!
* * *