nightfall
Translator: TransN Editor: TransN
Being derived from a fairy tale, their dialogue seemed to be quite profound—it seemed to plunge headlong into the lake of life and become slag showing no sign of appearance. But, after given careful thought, one realized the two speakers were no more than two youths of fifteen to seventeen years old. Once they had taken off their clothes of a distinguished princess and a Shubi Lake wood-chopper.
There were some situations, like being stuck in the bottom of an icehouse well, where a person would forget things like status and wealth, and their interactions became pure. In the forest, next to the Northern Mountain Road that had just experienced a bloody battle, beside a burning bonfire the Tang princess Lee Yu and Ning Que simply became a story listener and a storyteller.
Because the wounded were sleeping all around, the storyteller lowered his voice, which caused the story listener to lean forward to get closer. As a result, they were naturally sitting together, shoulder to shoulder, huddled around the bonfire to talk about some meaningless gossip before they went to sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, the darkness gradually dissipated and the sky above the forest changed from a blanket of stars into the faint light of dawn. From the southern part of the Northern Mountain Road came the rapid sound of horses’ hooves.
Lyu Qingchen and Ning Que opened their eyes at the same time, exchanged glances and then woke up the rest of their companions. One grassland barbarian laid his ear to the ground to listen, and after a moment he rose his right hand up to make a gesture. He made a sign by making a fist, waving it heavily and quickly, which indicated to the companions that many people, including armored cavalries, were approaching from the south.
As the bonfire had burned out, under the charred wood was a gray dust covering the still glowing embers. The bodyguards and grassland barbarians struggled to get up, taking out their long and well-prepared single crossbow, and then aimed them down the still dark Northern Mountain Road. Since everyone was still hobbled by their severe injuries and they knew the strength of the coming party, they decided that there was no point in hiding and only to wait calmly to be saved or to be killed.
The leaves on Northern Mountain Road rolled along the path as a dozen cavalries rushed out from the dim early morning twilight, the people mounted on the horses were wrapped in very thick black armors. Their horses ran as fast as the wind, and their hooves’ sounded like heavy thunder, causing the ground to tremble. And as the burning embers vibrated, they emitted little puffs of soot and smoke.
These were the most elite black armored cavalries of the Tang Empire!
Wrapped in those heavy armors, once they assaulted first on the battlefield, these cavalries had never met a rival in the world. Even the powerful Great Sword Masters could not effectively inflict damage to these armored warriors.
Even if in the dawn light, everyone could clearly see the arrow and sword wounds on the armored cavalries who were rushing down the road, indicating that they had been attacked. Maybe they had encountered an ambush at the southern foot of the hill. In any case, everyone could imagine the anxious mood of the cavalries, who were definitely not equipped for jungle combat but still forced to go overnight through the Northern Mountain Road.
A dozen armored black cavalries roared through the entrance of Northern Mountain Road. At the front was a young armored knight, wearing a red cloak. From a distance of around 328 feet, he looked at the people beside the bonfires and shouted, “I’m the Gushan Commander, Hua Shanyue, and I’m here to ask for Her Highness!”
Hearing the name of Hua Shanyue, the bodyguard carrying the crossbow arrows suddenly relaxed, loudly responding with a reply. Ning Que lowered his eyes and looked down at Princess Lee Yu leaning on his shoulder. Her eyelashes were moving slightly. He could not help smilingly raising his eyebrows and silently lay down the boxwood bow in his left hand.
As fast as lightning, the horse ran full speed, hooves hammering, down the Northern Mountain Road, rolling up or trampling the fallen leaves that covered the road. The young general claiming to be Hua Shanyue gripped his saddle head and flew down the road on his horse. He quickly ran to the bonfire so he could kneel down on one knee with hands folded, then in a hoarse voice he said, “I’m responsible for the overdue rescue, which even death can’t atone, so I’m begging your Highness for forgiveness.”
By this time, the dozen armored black cavalries had rushed into the forest. With their faces etched with exhaustion, those Tang elite warriors all dismounted and knelt in a queue behind Hua Shanyue, and said in unison, “Your Highness, please forgive us.”
They had no idea of when Lee Yu had opened her eyes. She seemed to have just woken up, or perhaps… she had been awoken for a long time.
Lee Yu looked at the Gushan Commander Senior Captain Hua Shanyue kneeling in front of her, this loyal young general, and all the cavalry who had obviously experienced a bloody battle while rushing here. While smiling she gave an encouraging look and said, “Please, quickly get up unless you really want to accept the punishment.”
She was so happy to see the Tang cavalries that rushed overnight to help even after suffering an ambush at the southern hill of the Northern Mountain Road. They kept worrying about her life and possible death the whole night. As for the cavalries, how could they not be excited to finally see the virtuous princess after the passing of a year?
Hua Shanyue raised his head in excitement, prepared to say something. But then he saw the princess sat beside the other soldier’s shoulder wearing a particularly natural expression. Seeing this scene, he somehow had a slight uncomfortableness in his heart, showing a trace of sadness and unhappiness in his eyes, and slightly furrowed his eyebrows.
The moment this young general looked up, Ning Que who had been watching the cavalries clearly saw his face. He had a handsome and cheerful face with sword-like eyebrows, which expressed a bit of intelligence.
Hua Shanyue was very young for a Gushan Commander Senior Captain and to lead a whole team of armored black cavalries. He was no doubt the most elite and outstanding one among the young people of the Tang Empire, the best one in terms of shrewdness, tolerance, and ability.
But, unfortunately, there was always a threshold he could not cross, in which he even fell over himself a few years ago. And, this threshold was the love that he had buried in the heart. A love that had long been known by all the Tangs.
This was the deepest and the strongest love, for the Tang’s Fourth Princess Lee Yu.
Hua Shanyue suddenly showed a sad mood, naturally, not for Lee Yu. Because he wouldn’t dare to disrespect the princess, even in this current situation of danger. He was just very jealous of the soldier beside her, thinking to himself, “What a bold man, how dare he actually get so close to the Princess, who is a high noble! Not just close to her, but almost next to her!”
He had never been so lucky as to be so close to the princess in his life. And if possible, he could not wait for a time to draw his sword to chop down that lad’s shoulder!
Hua Shanyue had hidden this jealousy well and his grim emotion. And he would continue to do so, at least in front of the princess. Thus Lee Yu only saw a glimmer of shock and unhappiness flash through his eyes.
She hesitated slightly and then felt the warmth coming from her arm, thus understanding the reason for the difference in the young general’s eyes. She subconsciously raised her hand to comb her hair from her temple to conceal her embarrassment. She herself had not meant to actually spend a night lounging next to the bonfire while sitting next to Ning Que. Although it was situational, it was indeed inappropriate for the Tang princess to be so intimate with a young man.
Princess Lee Yu slowly stood up.
So, the maidservant who had listened to the story no longer existed.
The warmth of their arms was quickly blown away by the morning breeze.
After a moment of silence, Ning Que shook his head with a smile and looked at the side of her face, suddenly feeling that her eyebrows looked particularly elegant in the morning light, as it reflected off her cheek. To him, she looked much more lovely today than she had the previous days on this journey.
Indifference and pride, of course, would not be as beautiful as calmness and grace.
But, he still felt that the girl in the firelight had had the best look.