Chapter VII. A Risky Journey

　　By now, I was still locked up in the cellar, but during the day I was taken to his room to serve him. 　　In addition to serving him with medicines and water, I sat and listened to him talk, and was insulted by him from time to time. 　　I was silent and obedient, and did not resist unnecessarily, but only kept my eyes peeled for a chance to escape. 　　His injury is sometimes good and sometimes bad, his temperament is also perverse, sometimes sickly and quiet, find some insignificant gossip with me, like forgetting that I am the wife of an enemy; sometimes gloomy and violent, often scolded subordinates, chastisement is very heavy. 　　When he was asleep, he would occasionally murmur, and his eyes showed helplessness and vulnerability, like a different person. 　　Those subordinates are loyal to him, no matter how to drink and scold, are very respectful, no complaints. 　　This person is really arrogant and sensitive, the most disgusted by the pity and sympathy, even if the bystanders out of goodwill, more care for him, he felt that the bystanders are in pity for him, immediately angry face. 　　Windowpaper was blown by the wind rattling, a few want to blow through, outside the wind sound more and more whistling sharp. 　　Counting the days have passed seven days, here do not know what is the realm, April days often windy, the last two days is even more windy and rainy. Cold winds pouring in, hastily patched up the window some loose, I probed to close the window, but the cuffs were hung by the wooden bar, hooked there for a moment. I yanked hard and accidentally hit a wooden thorn, the back of my hand was scratched with blood. 　　"Still want to escape?" 　　He woke up at some point and leaned on the bed, squinting and looking coldly, thinking that I was trying to break the window again to escape. 　　I didn't bother to answer, and I forcefully covered up the window, frowning at the bleeding wound. 　　"Come here!" He commanded. 　　I just had to go over and stand carefully a step away from him. 　　Instead, he grabbed my hand, looked at it, and actually lowered his head and opened his mouth to suck on the bleeding wound. 　　The warmth of the man's lips imprinted on the back of my hand, and I jerked my hand back in shock, subconsciously shaking it off. 　　His face chilled, looking at me askance, "Don't know what's good for you!" 　　My face, however, heated up with shame and embarrassment, looking down at the back of my hand, only to feel that the place where his lips had sucked on it was on fire, and I couldn't wait to pluck it out. 　　He stared at this appearance of mine and suddenly and inexplicably laughed out loud. 　　"Young Lord?" The door curtain lifted, and Xiaoye probed to ask, a little startled by his laughter. 　　However, he heard him let out a furious cry, "Get out, who wants you to come in!" 　　Xiao Ye was stunned by the door, looking at him with desire. 　　He was furious, grabbed the medicine bowl beside the bed and threw it towards the door, "Get out!" 　　Xiaoye withdrew in horror, as if there were tears in her eyes. 　　I avoided the corner of the house from afar, looking at this man, feeling like I was looking at a trapped beast. 　　In these few days his injuries have been improving rapidly, although he is not cured, his spirit has recovered most of the time. 　　When he was sick and emaciated, he was still somewhat sympathetic, but once his spirit improved, he became more and more violent and unpredictable, and started a fire without any reason. 　　He scolded away Xiao Ye, still not relieved, more and more irritable. 　　"Where's the medicine, I want to take the medicine!" He asked in a stern voice. 　　I turned around and walked towards the door. 　　"Asshole, did I tell you to leave?" He said angrily. 　　"You just smashed the bowl, you always need a bowl to take your medicine." I stationed myself by the door without looking back. 　　There was silence behind me for a moment, and a cold voice came out, "In your eyes, I'm dirty?" 　　I was stunned before I realized that he meant that I resented the act of flinging my hands. 　　"Men and women are not related." Was all I could muster in response. 　　He didn't make a sound. 　　As if there was a rustling sound, I was about to turn around when a pair of arms suddenly encircled my waist and my body was looped into his embrace. 　　"You mean like this, this is called male and female authorization ......," he pasted in my ear maliciously laugh, "Wangfei think has not served Xiao Qi in this way, right?" 　　I was so shocked and angry that I couldn't stop trembling for a while, but I couldn't move because he was holding me in a circle. 　　My words were choked in my throat, and all the sadness, anger, and grievances suddenly burst open in my heart. 　　First is a thunderbolt of marriage, and then the cave without saying goodbye, until the hijacking, in danger, all inexplicable bad luck, all thanks to my husband who has never met. I was humiliated because of him, but where is he now? Been robbed so far has been a few days, parents far away in the capital, can not whip long, but he as a general, guarding the northern border, but even his wife can not protect. 　　I endure humiliation, waiting for someone to rescue, but so far not see half hope. 　　Now I have to put up with this man's light insults. 　　The anger has reached the extreme. 　　I ...... 　　"This famous but not real princess of yours, are you keeping your body like a jade so far, or are you still a virgin?" He wrenched my body, forcing me to look up at him. 　　With all my might, I raised my hand and threw a loud slap onto his face. 　　He was shocked and turned his head sideways, red marks surfacing on his pale face. 　　He slowly looked back at me coldly, the smile on his lips making me shudder. 　　"I would like to see how Princess Yuzhang is three chaste!" 　　There was a sudden tightness in front of my chest, a cracking sound passed, my bodice was torn open by him. 　　I was trembling, "If you are a bloodthirsty man, you should squarely fight Xiao Qi in the sand! What kind of vengeance is it to abuse a woman? If the ancestors of the Helan Clan knew, they would be ashamed of you!" 　　His hand stopped in front of my chest, his handsome face gradually distorted, the bottom of his eyes red with anger. 　　"The ancestors know!" He laughed harshly, "The Helan Clan was ashamed of me twenty years ago, what's the harm in having one more today?" 　　He violently ripped off my chest blasphemy and slid his hands down my bare skin. 　　"You're shameless!" I struggled desperately, my hair bun was disheveled, and the only phoenix hairpin on my head came loose. 　　The phoenix hairpin was grabbed by my backhand, in desperation, I clenched my teeth and gripped the hairpin tightly, and stabbed at him with all my might - the tip of the hairpin dug into the flesh, I could already feel the softness of the blood and flesh, but I could no longer stab down. 　　Wrist was his deadly clamp, under the severe pain, hairpin off hand. 　　His eyes are full of murderous intent. 　　Wrist broken bones and tendons like pain, so that I cold sweat through the clothes, finally lost his voice and cried out in pain. 　　He backhandedly pulled out the golden hairpin stuck in his shoulder and neck, and blood snaked down from his neck. 　　"You really still want to kill me." His voice was hoarse. 　　"I regret not killing you earlier." I said in a hateful voice. 　　His pupils slowly contracted, and the bottom of his eyes were cold, like murder and despair. 　　I closed my eyes and waited for death to come. 　　A heat and sharp pain came to my shoulder - he actually lowered his head and bit me on my bare shoulder. 　　"How you hurt me, I will hurt you in return." He used the back of his hand to wipe away the blood on his lips, his smile was grim, his gaze burning, his hand climbed up my neck and slowly rubbed it, "This wound is the mark, your master, from now on, will always be He Lan Zhen!" 　　For two days and two nights in a row, I was locked into the cellar, never went out again, except for delivering food, no one came in again. 　　Thinking of Helan Zhen still made me shudder. 　　That day I was lucky to escape his abuse, I don't know what other methods he will come up with to torture me next time. 　　He hated Xiao Qi, but poured his heart full of evil on me, this person is actually crazy. 　　If he really wants to use me as bait to blackmail Xiao Qi, I am afraid that he will be disappointed, more disappointed than me. 　　Day by day waiting for rescue without result, I gradually thought, perhaps my life and death, Yuzhang Wang is all do not care. 　　I was just a pawn in his marriage with the clan family, so if I died, I could have married another one. 　　Curled up in the cellar, I only said to myself - if I can still live to escape from here, I will immediately go to see the King of Yuzhang, and ask him for a letter of repudiation - I would rather die alone, or better than to be the princess of the King of Yuzhang. 　　In the night, the sound of chaos woke me up. 　　The cellar door opens and Xiao Ye comes in silently, tossing the clothes in her hands onto me. 　　"Change your clothes!" She stared at me fiercely, like she wanted to gouge out two holes in my face before giving up. 　　The clothes on my body were in tatters, with only a hooded robe to cover my body. 　　I picked up the clothes she threw at me, but it was a set of flowery and green Hu people's clothes. 　　After dressing up, Xiaoye took it upon herself to comb my long hair into two braids that hung down over my shoulders, and draped on a colorful headscarf that covered most of my face. 　　She pushed me out of the cellar and brought me all the way to the door. 　　Last time I fled in a hurry, I did not have time to look around, this time although it is night, but the lights are bright. 　　Vaguely see, actually is a quite lively camp, the distance burning three or two piles of bonfires, surrounded by simple earth houses, near the parked many carriages, all around the people are busy coming and going. The surrounding people are mostly dressed in Guanwai, there are a few women cowering and escorted in one place, also like me general Hu dressed. 　　The sky is vaguely white, through the light of the sky, cool through the bones, probably after five o'clock. 　　Two big men and Xiaoye together to escort me to one of the carriage, the car hanging thick curtains, seems to have been fully loaded and ready to go. 　　Suddenly heard the woman's crying and wailing, followed by the sound of scolding and whipping. 　　"I beg you to be merciful, I have a child at home who is not yet weaned, and can't live without his mother, please let me go home!" 　　"Less nagging, your man sold you to me, collected the silver for nothing, you give the master honestly do business, after a decade or eight years, maybe let you come back, or else, I'll beat you to death now!" 　　In front of a carriage, a young woman climbed on the carriage and refused to go up, and was whipped by the big man behind her, crying miserably. 　　My heart chilled, I couldn't help but shrink my shoulders, but my arm was grabbed by someone. 　　Behind me was Helan Pro, also dressed as a hu man, with a pale expression, was looking at me with cold eyes. 　　"These are all private prostitutes, escorted together to Ningshuo, sold to the army as camp prostitutes." 　　I was creeped out. 　　"Get in the car, don't make me whip you too." He seemed to smile and dragged me onto the carriage. 　　The curtains dropped and the carriage sped forward. 　　I leaned against the wall of the compartment, hearing the rapid sound of the horses' hooves, and my mind was as chaotic as electricity. 　　It turned out that they had disguised themselves as brokers dealing in prostitution and mixed me in with the group of prostitutes, in order to infiltrate Ningshuo City. 　　As a rule, the prostitutes sent to the army are escorted along with the grain and munitions. 　　In order to ensure that the grain and grass can be transported to the front unhindered, there are special customs clearance tokens issued by the Ministry of Military Affairs along the way, so there is no need to pass through the checkpoints. 　　Carrying a woman, what is safer than mixing into the ranks of bootleggers trafficking in camp prostitutes? 　　On their way to Ningshuo, they will be under Xiao Qi's nose, and they will finally meet him with white knives. 　　Xiao Qi, my husband and son-in-law, the great general who looks out of the world, can he really come to save me ...... I buried my head in the crook of my arm and curled up my knees and laughed bitterly. 　　"What are you laughing at?" 　　Helan Zhen suddenly reached out and lifted my chin, his tone inexplicably warm and soft. 　　I turned my head sideways, unwilling to ignore him. 　　"This trip to Ningshuo, to fulfill your reunion as husband and wife, aren't you joyful?" 　　His cold fingers rubbed along the side of my face, causing a shiver to run down my spine. 　　I didn't say a word and stopped ignoring whatever he said. 　　He also fell silent, no longer pestering, only quietly looking at me. 　　Suddenly, the carriage lurched and threw me heavily to the front, hitting the wall of the car. 　　He Lan Zhen reached out to help me. 　　I shrank back, coldly avoiding him. 　　"Am I that repulsive and loathsome?" He looked at me and smiled inexplicably to himself, "Didn't you say that I was not at fault? That day when I heard you say this, I was very joyful ...... I could not imagine that besides my mother, the first person to say this to me was you." 　　I did say to him that there was nothing wrong with avenging the country. 　　This sentence seems to me plain and ordinary, why is it so special to him? 　　A trance-like smile appeared on his face, and he murmured, "In the past, whatever I did or said, I was taunted and rebuked; when others beat me, if I fought back, it was also my fault. Only mother has embraced me every time and said, Pro, you are not wrong ......" 　　I don't know why he suddenly talked about the past, I frowned and listened, a little sour. 　　His gaze was lost, "That day, you said ...... this way I remembered my mother and thought it was my mother talking to me." 　　My mind moved slightly, lowly asked, "You Tzu can know what you are doing now?" 　　He stiffened and said in a cold voice, "She passed away a long time ago." 　　I didn't know what to say anymore and silently hung my eyes. 　　"She always called me Zhen'er." He suddenly asked, "What did your mother call you?" 　　"Charming." I answered truthfully, and then regretted that he knew. 　　He smiled with his long eyebrows slightly raised, and the haze under his eyes suddenly turned into spring water. 　　"Ah Charming, Ah Charming." He whispered this name twice, his voice was warm and gentle, "Really nice." 　　I was stunned for a moment, unable to distinguish between the gentle man in front of me and the shadowy and irritable Young Lord, who is the real Helan Zhen. 　　Along the way, only Helan Zhen and I were alone with each other. 　　The gnarled bearded man drove in the front, while the others followed in the carriage behind. 　　Whenever I arrived at a post station to rest and feed the horses, Xiaoye also dressed up as a camp prostitute and followed me every step of the way. 　　I pay attention everywhere, but not even the opportunity to signal for help, let alone wait for the opportunity to escape. 　　As I traveled northward day by day, Ningshuo was getting closer and closer. 　　I had seen this place countless times on the map of the Imperial Palace. But I never imagined that when I really set foot on that piece of land, it would be under such circumstances. 　　This border town was not originally called Ningshuo. 　　At that time, Xiao Qi, who was still the general of Ningshuo, once defeated the Turks here and became famous in one battle, ending years of war in the north, and his fame spread far and wide in the Shuo Desert. The imperial court renamed the city Ningshuo in honor of such a miraculous feat. 　　This city has been the scene of so many legends of blood and tears. 　　Xiao Qi led a force of 400,000 soldiers to guard Ningshuo for many years, making the northern border as solid and unbreakable as gold. 　　Even the Turk's iron cavalry could not shake Ningshuo, but with only a dozen people of Helan Pro's line, he dared to enter the tiger's den. 　　What kind of sinister plot did he have in mind to take revenge on Xiao Qi? The closer I got to Ningshuo, the more nervous I became. I didn't dare to imagine what I would face when I set foot in Ningshuo - what kind of situation would Xiao Qi and I meet under, how would he deal with the revenge of the Helan people, and how would he treat me? 　　At night, the fog filled the mountain road, and the carriage was even more rugged, so the group had to stop at the Changfeng Post in front of us. 　　After this post, another half a day's journey would bring them to Ningshuo. 　　As soon as I got off the carriage, Xiaoye escorted me into my room and guarded me every step of the way. 　　In the past few days, I was meek and silent, no longer resisting, and I also spoke warmly to Helan Zhen from time to time. 　　Perhaps because I behaved obediently, Helan Zhen's hostility towards me seemed to fade, and there was no lack of care along the way. 　　Only Xiaoye, the slightest opportunity will be harsh to me bad language - if I am not wrong, she should be in love with Helan Zhen. 　　Outside to send a meal, today is the congee with minced meat and leeks, I sat down at the table and just picked up a wooden spoon, but was Xiaoye knocked down by the hand. 　　She threw over two cold steamed buns, "You are also worthy of drinking meat porridge, steamed buns are for you!" 　　The steamed buns smashed into me and rolled down the table in a dripping manner. 　　I slowly raised my eyes to look at her. 　　"Dead whore, what are you looking at, look again and I'll gouge out your eyes!" 　　"Fine, you gouge them out." I laughed, "Better hold my eyeballs and give them to Helan Pro, and see how your young master rewards you." 　　She stood up in her prancing position, her face red with anger, "You are also worthy of mentioning the Young Lord in your mouth, thinking that I can't see that you bitchy woman still presumptuously wants to seduce the Young Lord at the end of her life!" 　　"It's a pity that you didn't see it with your own eyes, I don't know who deluded who." I faintly swept her a glance. 　　Xiao Ye's anger knotted, her face reddened and her eyes looked like they were about to shoot out knives. 　　"Shameless, shameless bitch!" She was so angry that her whole body trembled, "In less than three days, I'll see how you die!" 　　Three days! 　　My heart trembled. 　　Could it be that they're going to strike so soon? 　　"Helan Pro might change her mind yet." I raised my eyebrows, provoking and angering her, "Maybe he sees me and can't bear to kill me." 　　She laughed out loud, her face nearly distorted, "With you, you can sabotage the Young Lord's great cause of revenge? Xiao Qi destroyed my family's country and has an undying grudge against the young master! Both of you, this pair of dogs, will have to pay for my Helan clan's life!" 　　Her laughter was shrill and full of vengeful pleasure. 　　I no longer make a sound, but the coldness surges from the bottom of my heart ...... Three days later, once I enter the city, I am afraid that they are going to do it. 　　The oil lamp on the table is bright and dark, not far from the bed and couch most of the cover in the shadow of the corner, scattered piles of a bed of quilts. 　　This is the last chance, I have no time to watch and wait, only to sacrifice their lives. 　　I silently stooped down and picked up the steamed buns on the ground. 　　Xiaoye coldly grunted, "Bitch, don't eat it if you have a backbone." 　　I ignored her, brought the steamed bun close to the oil lamp, carefully brushed off the dust on it. 　　"Can't spoil such a good steamed bun." I turned back to her with a smile, picked up the oil lamp, and threw it with force towards the bed in the corner. 　　The oil lamp landed on the quilt, the oil splashed out, and the quilt burst into flames. 　　Xiaoye was shocked and panicked, scrambling up to fight the burning quilt. 　　The northern climate is dry, cotton wool is ignited when it meets fire, the tongue of the fire quickly licked up to the roof, it is not easy to extinguish. Puffing between her body clothes were also licked by the fire, the hem of the clothes actually burned up. Xiaoye panicked and threw the quilt, the fire flickered, licked to the table and chairs, the fire suddenly flourished. 　　I folded and snatched the door out. 　　He Lan Zhen and other people live in the left room, so I ran along the right corridor regardless of everything. 　　Soon there were cries from behind me, "Water, water--" 　　In an instant, the stagecoach station was in a state of chaos. 　　Some people ran past me, and some firefighters came with buckets and water. 　　I bowed my head, covered my face with my hair, and took advantage of the chaos to run toward the gate.