TCN: Mei Gongqing

Chapter 178

Chapter 178: Disheveled

The captains left in short order, turning to cast Chen Rong a glance as they passed her.

"Come in," she heard Murong Ke call from the tent.

Chen Rong bowed her head to walk in.

Murong Ke looked at her and proceeded to say: "We're leaving. Get ready."

She didn't think she had anything to get ready for, but she hummed an agreement regardless.

As she turned away, he added, "Put on the red outfit, and stop wearing a man's topknot."

His order was for the benefit of the two servant girls standing next to her. They fretfully gave him a reply before helping Chen Rong back to her tent.

Two clever pairs of hands wove through her hair as she sat, from time to time grazing her face. Soon, a beautiful woman appeared in the bronze mirror.

She was, however, biting her lips; her mien somber.

Chen Rong stared at her reflection and intuitively knew Murong Ke had begun his plans — dressing her up like this so that anyone who laid eyes on her would take notice. Things seemed to bode more ill than good.

Chen Rong was dressed by the time she ended her thoughts. She took a deep breath to compose herself as she quietly awaited Murong Ke's order.

Time felt stagnant.

When nothing happened after half an hour, she asked for her zither and played a piece as she habitually did.

Zither playing in this era was a privilege belonging to the scholars. Men who faced hardship would play as she did to while time away. It was so normal that Murong Ke and his soldiers were already used to hearing her play.

The notes trickled down like a winding creek and gradually brought Chen Rong's restless heart to a calm.

Unknowingly, the music halted when she was lulled to sleep.

"Wake her up, we have to leave," someone barked.

"Aye, aye."

The maidservants quickly roused Chen Rong and whispered to her, "Miss, we need to leave."

"Leave?"

Chen Rong sat up, which gave the maids the chance to fix her hair.

Neighs and shouts continuously filled the air. "What's keeping you dawdling?" she heard another bark.

"Aye, aye, we'll be right there."

They pushed her out of the tent.

Once outside, Chen Rong raised her face to the sky. There was a streak of light from the east, and a cool wind on her face. She breathed in the coldness of the morning air and saw beads of dew on the swaying grass.

It was dawn.

Chen Rong pulled from the servant girls' hold and slowly made her way to Murong Ke's tent.

Several horses were waiting outside his tent, mounted by his bodyguards. Wolf-like eyes immediately fixed on her, their owners' swallows clearly heard.

Those terrifying eyes seemed to be burning through her layers of clothes. She quickly turned her head and stepped inside.

Murong Ke was already armored with sword in hand. The flaming torches outside made the cold blade look as if blood was flowing from it.