Yaoying's throat choked up a little. She took a breath and glistening tears surfaced in her eyes.
"Princess, to become your escort, not only do you have to win the tournament, but you must also trade a few moves with Qin wang."
Xie Qing gestured to Xu Biao and others to continue to walk forward while saying, "Two years ago, I won the tournament and Qin wang wanted to test my skills, so I received a few attacks from Qin wang's hammer. Qin wang asked me, if he and the princess were in danger at the same time, who would I save. I did not hesitate to answer: save the princess."
Li Zhongqian was Qin wang. Xie Qing's answer would undoubtedly offend him and thus lose the opportunity to become an escort.
Xie Qing knew he should have answered more evasively, but he did not care to lie.
Li Zhongqian was not at all angry. He laughed loudly and patted Xie Qing's shoulder, "Remember your answer. No matter what happens, your duty is to protect the princess."
Xie Qing looked at Yaoying, gripped the hilt of his saber, and said firmly, "Princess, to this day, my answer is still the same. No matter what the political situation is, I only remember one thing: to protect you."
Yaoying smiled bitterly and lifted her hand to tuck back her hair. Her sadness contained an indescribable charm.
"Ah Qing, the sons in the capital privately say that I am the most stunning person they have ever seen in their lives. What about you, do you think I am beautiful?"
Xie Qing paused for a moment then said, "Princess has the countenance of a flower and face like the moon. Your beauty is unmatched."
Yaoying smiled lightly, "My mother is Xie clan's daughter, my father is the emperor of the Wei empire, and I am the number one beauty in the capital. The people of the Eastern Palace want to eliminate me, others want to take me for themselves, Tribal Chief Yelu is eyeing me, and there are more people who have been secretly plotting against me for a long time. Do you think I will be safe as long as I escape from Chang'an?"
Xie Qing was silent.
"Ah Qing, have you ever fought in a war? Ever been to the battlefield?"
Xie Qing shook his head, "I grew up practicing martial arts, but I have never been to war."
Yaoying felt her body was weak and leaned against the carriage window, looking to the distance at the blue skies to the south.
She had completely calmed her thoughts and figured out her situation.
When Li Zhongqian was around, she could live another day in peace. When Li Zhongqian was gone, she was meat on the chopping block with no one to protect her from those demons and monsters.
Where could she escape to?
Noble birth and outstanding beauty was a gift from heaven, but when this gift attracted the lust and longing of evil people, beauty became a calamity.
Li Zhongqian had no desire to fight for the throne, and had long thought of taking her and Noble Consort Xie away. However, the world was in chaos. Smoke filled the air and no matter where they fled to, they could not escape from those with ill intentions.
Not even mentioning the others, just the Li family's enemies and the powerful forces spying on the Wei royal court would not let them go.
Yaoying bowed her head and tucked the bright moon pearl back into her sleeve, "When I was five years old, I was abandoned on the battlefield. I had seen what it was like to be surrounded by hundreds and thousands of enemy troops. The guards around me were the most loyal generals of the Xie and Li families, all of whom were highly skilled in martial arts and could take on ten alone. But there were too many enemies, so many that they were too dense to count. To protect me, they all died under the enemy's sword. I didn't dare to cry out, and I escaped by hiding among the corpses of my guards, soaking in the foul-smelling blood. By chance, I made it out of the disaster."
The memory had made her unable to bear seeing a trace of blood since.
"Ah Qing, I believe you would rather die protecting me. But, no matter how good you are at martial arts, you can't defeat an army."
Xie Qing straightened his back and wanted to refute Yaoying. He hesitated for a moment, but finally did not make a sound.
The princess was right. He could not possibly hold back an army by himself.
Yaoying looked around and swept her gaze across the faces of Xu Biao and the others one by one.
Xu Biao and the others immediately halted their horses and looked at her respectfully.
"After leaving the city, my situation will not be much better, so I might as well stay in the capital. At least no one dares to break into the wangfu at present."
Yaoying's voice was hoarse and her eyes were determined: "Return to the wangfu."
Everyone complied and turned their horses around.
The wangfu was already in chaos. With Li Zhongqian dead and Li Yaoying sent out of the imperial city, the remaining people were in a state of confusion and fear.
Everyone knew that there was hatred between the Second Prince and the Eastern Palace. Now that the Second Prince was dead, would the Eastern Palace spare them? How would the noblemen that the Second Prince offended punish them?
Before it was dark, rumors were already flying around the residence.
The chief historian disposed of several unruly servants and was standing in Li Zhongqian's courtyard wiping his tears. When he heard that Yaoying had returned, he paled and ran out of the inner courtyard in a hurry.
He was so anxious that his voice changed its pitch: "Princess, what are you doing back?"
Yaoying calmly said, "There is no need to further discuss this matter. I will not abandon everything to leave the city by myself. Send someone to the Ministry of War to inquire. How did my second brother get ambushed?"
The chief historian sighed and did not urge her further.
The princess had been weak and sickly since she was a child and had grown up in the midst of upheaval, but was not cynical like the Second Prince. Her nature was tolerant and generous, and he knew he couldn't persuade her.
Yaoying asked, "How is my aniang?"
The chief historian replied, "Noble Consort is safe."
"Don't let her know what happened to my second brother."
The chief historian sighed. Looking at Noble Consort Xie, even if they told her to her face that Li Zhongqian was dead, she would not understand.
As they talked, the person sent to the Ministry of War to find out information had rushed back.
The chief historian looked at the soldier with a face full of hope.
The soldier said: "The Ministry of War is in an uproar! Some people even want to question if it was our prince's fault! Some say that the king was attacked by Southern Chu, while others say that they were caught in a trap by Western Chuan."
Southern Chu and the Wei empire often fought over the East Shannan and Huainan provinces. When the Xie clan was destroyed because Southern Chu suddenly sent troops to attack both Li De's camp and Jingnan, Xie Wuliang rushed to meet the enemy to relieve Li De's burden. Afterward, Jingnan was besieged and Li De was trapped in Xiangzhou, unable to help. Xie Wuliang held out until the grain ran out and Jingnan City was captured.
Shu had also sneakily attacked the Wei army. The king of Shu did not claim vassalage to Li De, who had sent people to Shu to draw monks and famous scholars to return to the capital. The Meng clan of Shu was greatly displeased and sent soldiers to prevent those monks and famous scholars from returning to the capital many times.
One by one, the battle reports were sent back to the capital. Chief Supervisor Zhao Tong didn't know who had attacked them, but each report said with certainty that the right army led by Li Zhongqian had been completely destroyed.
The chief historian's whole face was mourning.
Yaoying willed herself not to show her disappointment and ordered the soldier: "Continue to inquire for information and send someone to the Eastern Palace. The Crown Prince and the army's general are close. He should know more information and more details about the situation."
The soldier answered yes.