"I thought you said that it was just Khenbish and Baagvai?" Ye An whispered urgently to Xi Chen.
Behind Khenbish and Baagvai, there was a group of thirty or so well-built Northern warriors. All of them equipped to the teeth and ready for combat.
Before Xi Chen could reply, Khenbish cut in with his thick accent. "You think you lost me, didn't you, boy? I was merely going around the mountains getting reinforcements."
Khenbish smirked. "You see, you might have your fortress but we have men camped out all over the mountains on our side. You could try running and getting reinforcements from your wall." Khenbish uttered the last word in a mocking tone. "But frankly, you and I both know that you don't have the time."
Beside Khenbish, Ye An noticed that Baagvai had on a troubled look. His eyebrows knitted as if replicating the knots in his thoughts as he watched Khenbish.
Baagvai scooted closer to Khenbish before hunching over to whisper in his ear in Northern. "Don't you think this is too much, Khenbish?"
With irritation etched on his visible eye, Khenbish whispered back to Baagvai, his voice less repressed than the larger man. "Do you want our heads to get chopped off? If we don't bring him back, that's what will happen. Dead or alive, I'm bringing the boy back. And since the emperor is here, I might as well bring the emperor back too. That should be enough for brother to forgive the both of us."
Baagvai still looked unconvinced. "But-"
"Another but and our heads leave our bodies tonight! Is that what you want?!" Khenbish hissed.
Ye An couldn't catch their conversation but she could see that Baagvai's uneasiness deepened.
Khenbish decidedly ignored Baagvai by giving out the Northerners' war cry, spearheading the group of men behind them as they charged at Ye An and Xi Chen.
When Xi Chen was locked up in the box, he was stripped of all of his weapons, even White Tiger, which was now strapped securely to Khenbish's waist. As such, the only thing Xi Chen could do was spur the horse forward as Ye An brandished her sword.
The Northern warriors who were fetched by Khenbish and Baagvai only came on foot. Ye An slashed her way through the throng of men as they galloped through the crowd.
"What's your plan?" Ye An breathed heavily when they had galloped past the aggregation of Northern warriors.
Xi Chen pulled the reins so that they were facing the group of Northerners once again. "Khenbish is right, they have the numbers. We wouldn't make it even if we make a run for it on horseback. Not without any distraction." Xi Chen's breath was like a soft breeze on Ye An's ears as he spoke.
Ye An nodded grimly. "Unfortunately I have to agree, I see some of them even have crossbows."
Xi Chen continued, his tone of voice somber. "So, the only thing we could do is to continue with this for a couple of times in hopes that they're worn out before I could have a chance of overpowering them in physical combat."
YOU ARE READING
THE DAY EMPEROR: 阳明王 【The Night Emperor Book 2】
Historical Fiction"There are enough bad things in life, hold on to whatever it is that gives you joy." In the months after Ye An had ascended to the throne, she has learned about all the secrets that were kept from her. Secrets that had spanned generations. But is th...
