Qin Yining hid with Lian Xiaozhou behind a clump of bushes, listening to the crackling sounds of burning trees, feeling an indescribable fear and desolation in her heart.
Qin Yining was someone who had survived in the mountains and had feelings for every plant and tree in the great mountains. She even felt that vegetation had life and intelligence. With this fire, how much vegetation would be destroyed, and how many small animals would suffer.
But to protect Lian Xiaozhou, she had no choice but to do this.
Gripping Lian Xiaozhou’s warm little hand tightly, Qin Yining understood even more at this moment the difficulties Pang Xiao faced in many matters.
For her to protect this child, setting fire to the mountain still made her heart uneasy. When Pang Xiao fought and killed for the stability of the world and the future of the majority, his heart must have felt even worse than hers.
Just as she was thinking this, Qin Yining suddenly heard the sound of signal arrows breaking through the air and exploding in the distance. She quickly stood up, and before she could react, responses from signal arrows came from over ten directions around her.
Qin Yining guessed these should be teams that had entered the mountains for search and rescue. She just hadn’t expected there would be so many search teams.
Perhaps having never seen so many signal arrows suddenly sounding from various distances, Lian Xiaozhou was quite frightened, her small hand tightly gripping Qin Yining’s sleeve, nervously calling “sister.”
Qin Yining comfortingly stroked her head and smiled: “Don’t be afraid. These are people coming to find us. People coming to take sister home.”
Lian Xiaozhou said with half understanding: “Sister’s home, people came?”
“Yes, so you don’t need to be afraid.”
“I’m not afraid.” Lian Xiaozhou nodded emphatically, but the hand gripping Qin Yining’s sleeve didn’t relax at all, clearly still very scared.
Qin Yining was actually somewhat nervous too.
She was also afraid that the pursuers hadn’t completely withdrawn but had been drawn here by her fire.
Before long, Qin Yining and Lian Xiaozhou both heard footsteps gradually approaching them. The sounds of stepping on snow and dry branches were very crisp, as if stepping directly on their hearts.
The two held their breath and concentrated, hiding behind the bushes, not daring to come out easily.
Through gaps in the branches and leaves, Qin Yining saw that the leader was a thin, somewhat hunchbacked young man. This person was actually wearing Huben Army colonel attire, followed by over ten others dressed as Huben Army soldiers.
How could this be!
The Huben Army had long ago returned to the Zhou Dynasty capital by imperial order. How could they appear in the mountains?
Could it be that Pang Xiao knew the convoy of surrendering officials had been attacked midway and specially rushed here?
Just as Qin Yining’s heart was in turmoil, the leading young man had already called out in a hoarse voice: “The Huben Army, by order of Prince Zhongshun, has come to find Er’Bai…”
He repeated this sentence ten times.
The soldiers beside him then took over and shouted loudly ten more times, then the next person continued.
Like this, one after another, the Huben Army soldiers searched while shouting loudly.
Qin Yining finally relaxed her anxious heart, filled with joy and emotion.
She hadn’t expected that Pang Xiao would actually send the Huben Army to find her! Afraid she wouldn’t recognize his people, he even used this kind of “code word.”
Qin Yining then pulled Lian Xiaozhou’s hand and left the bushes.
As soon as she moved, the searching soldiers immediately discovered her and all turned to look.
The leading young man immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands and bowed: “Are you Miss Qin?”
The young man’s features were quite ordinary, but his gaze was extremely sharp. When looking at Qin Yining, it contained seven parts assessment and three parts scrutiny, though Qin Yining didn’t detect any hostility.
“I am. Where is your prince?” Qin Yining held Lian Xiaozhou’s shoulders, comfortingly patting them lightly.
The young man glanced at Lian Xiaozhou again before cupping his hands respectfully: “Miss Qin, please come with us.”
Speaking thus, he instructed someone beside him: “Fire the signal arrow.”
That person immediately fired another signal arrow.
Before long, from the far northeast direction, another signal arrow sound came.
Only then did the young man smile: “Miss Qin, please.”
Qin Yining felt puzzled but didn’t show it on her face, nodding.
With these ten-plus people protecting them, Qin Yining and Lian Xiaozhou didn’t need to worry about wild beast attacks or fear ambushing pursuers, so this journey was very smooth.
Reaching the foot of the mountain, the young colonel looked into the distance, pointed toward the direction behind the mountain where cooking smoke was rising, and smiled: “Miss Qin, please come with me. The search teams seem to have gathered over there.”
Qin Yining nodded, asking puzzledly: “Why didn’t your prince come to find me personally?”
The young man looked around, then said in a low voice: “After the prince returned to the capital, His Majesty sympathized with the prince’s hardships and bestowed upon him a hundred acres of fertile land, a hundred taels of gold, ten beautiful women, and gave him a month’s leave, ordering the prince to hand over the Huben Army tiger tally. Now the Huben Army’s commander is Lord Zuo Jinwei.”
Hearing this, Qin Yining’s steps suddenly stopped, and she called out in a low voice: “His Majesty stripped the prince of his military authority?”
Those ten-plus Huben Army soldiers, seeing the two had something to discuss, retreated about ten steps to follow from a distance.
The young man nodded heavily.
When the birds are gone, the bow is put away—nothing more than this.
Qin Yining pressed her lips together, frowning: “Then why would the Huben Army come here this time? I remember the Huben Army had long since returned to the capital in formation. If nothing unexpected happened, they should already be in the capital by this time! Did His Majesty issue an edict for the Huben Army to come?”
The young man shook his head.
“It wasn’t His Majesty’s edict. It was the prince who privately mobilized troops to find you, Miss.”
“Heavens, he’s gone mad! He was already being viewed with suspicion. Privately mobilizing troops—isn’t that the same as handing over a handle to others? Where is your prince now? Where is he?”
The young man’s gaze toward Qin Yining was somewhat different from before.