东宫 Eastern Palace: The Flowers in the Pavilion Resembles the Snow Under the Moonlight (Part 2)

I said: "You can stay by the Princess's side, but from now on, you should regard her as your master and keep your mouth shut. You must not tell the Princess anything about the Jie Shuo clan, especially the things that happened in the past. If you do, I will kill you immediately and take the Princess's life as well." 

The moonlight reflected on her face, she revealed a faint smile, I suddenly remembered that she had no tongue. 

Naturally, she would not let the Princess know. 

Seeing that I understood, she nodded slowly, as a promise. 

Jie Shuo people emphasize on the importance of promises. The feng nu was very loyal, she promised to regard the Princess as her master, naturally she would never betray. 

I don't know where the feng nu had found these herbs. Under her care, the Princess's condition finally became better, gradually recovering her senses and could recognize people. 

The Princess was very grateful to me for allowing the feng nu to stay. After her illness gradually recovered and she could walk around, she especially came here to thank me. 

I said: "It was the Crown Prince who had ordered me to take care of Princess. If Princess wants to thank someone, then you should thank his Highness." 

The Princess was very serious, wanting to thank the Crown Prince, but she was denied entrance. 

The Crown Prince seemed to hate her more than ever. 

"A barbarian woman from Western Liang." He said, "She's ugly, but still have a lover, Ah Zhao..." 

I didn't know what he was going to say, so I looked at him with a smile. 

He choked, but then said: "Besides, I have the twelfth daughter of the Zhao family." 

The twelfth daughter of the Zhao family, that was another hidden worry, but at this moment, I could only say: "The Princess of Western Liang is still young, so maybe she does not know what is affection. Your Highness doesn't have to worry about this."

The Crown Prince did not seem to care.

In the eyes of everyone, the Princess was just a cover. 

When the Princess was given the title of Crown Princess, the twelfth daughter of the Zhao family had also entered the Eastern Palace and was given the title of Liang di. 

It felt like autumn had come again soon after spring ended, the days had gone by just like that. 

The Crown Prince treated the Crown Princess indifferently, so naturally was not good. Occasionally, he would quarrel with the Crown Princess because of Zhao Liang Di. 

The people within the Eastern Palace were not getting along, which gave the Empress countless excuses to interfere with the affairs of the Eastern Palace.
 

His Highness naturally knew about this, but the Eastern Palace itself was like a sieve that was leaking. No one in the world knew about the past fate between him and the Crown Princess, even the Crown Prince himself and the Crown Princess have forgotten all about the past, it was just me having this hidden worry in my heart. 

Fortunately his Highness still has great ambition, and the Crown Princess was an unrestrained person. Within the solemn palace, she raised and played with fishes every day, spending the days unrestrained. 

The river of forgetfulness, to forget a love. 

Maybe this was actually good. 

The Crown Princess was still very childish, at times she would call me "General Pei" with a smile. 

I suddenly thought of the past, which happened a long time ago. 

After the two of them jumped down into the river, I led the army to search the mountain in a hurry. I did not hesitate to make a detour for hundreds of miles. Finally when we found the entrance of the valley, we tried to search the valley with little hope. 

The army has been searching for many days in the deep valley.

A very steep and dangerous cliff with layers of rocks, heavy rain like the waterfall, pouring over everyone, making their faces pale. After a while, the raindrops had turned into snowflakes. 

The snow fell on the vast land.

A horse stumbled and slipped, several people tried very hard to hold onto the rein. The horse's nose started to bleed as a result of the pulling force, but in the end the rein was finally released, and the horse plunged into the furious torrent with a sad cry. The surging jade coloured waves quickly devoured the horse, leaving behind only white foam in the whirlpool. 

Someone murmured: "What kind of place is this?" 

It snowed during the eighth month, it was not rare for it to snow at this time. The valley was in the middle of a huge mountain. Only when the sky was clear, were we able to see the sky. During the first few days of entering the valley, the sandstorm covered the surroundings, and then it rained heavily. 

There was no pathway in the valley, people and the horses could only walk cautiously upstream along the river valley. It was a river valley, but also a cliff. There were continuous falling rocks from the top, and a surging torrent below. The river flowed too fast, no matter whether people or horses fall, they can not be rescued.

In the middle of the night, you can only camp on the slope wall, turning around would fall into the water. One time there was a landslide in the middle of the night, causing the mountain to collapse. A hundred people were buried instantly. Since then, every night, everyone only dares to sleep in shifts by the cliff, wrapped in felt blankets. If there was any movement, they will get up and run away.

The people and horses were tired, traveling on this arduous journey all this time. The horses carrying the dried food were always falling into the water.

Running out of dried food.

I have never encountered such a desperate situation while leading an army.

The solider in front of the horse finally couldn't help, but pull my horse's rein: "General Pei, if we go further, I am afraid that no one will be able to come out alive."

I did not answer, I just cheered them on: "Let's go to the open area ahead and make a fire! Roast some dry food to eat!"

It was snowing more and more, only a few people responded feebly.

I know that the morale of the Yu Lin army was almost at its limit. Originally, these Yu Lin soldiers were the children of prominent officials from the Capital. Before heading to a foreign country, many of them thought that it was very easy to obtain military merits. When they had left the Capital, they went hunting, everyone was excited.

Before they had fought in battle with the support of the army from the Anxi Protectorate. The Yu Lin army was only the rear army, when the enemy broke through, they rushed in disorder and thought that it would be a bloody battle.

It wasn't until we had entered the valley, that they had finally encountered the real enemy.

But we cannot retreat.

Because we haven't found the Crown Prince yet.

That person whom I have served since childhood, who will become the ruler of the world.

From the age of six, I knew clearly that I had to protect this person even if my life was in danger.

In front of me, the deep jade coloured foamy torrent had finally calmed down. I could see a hillside ahead. Once the ground was even, I rode the horse and passed down an order. The army was on top of the slope, eating lunch. 

The snowy wind covered the sky, everyone suffered from the bitter coldness. 

I got off my horse and stood in front of the slope, watching the last person in front of me pass by. This time I told a soldier to pay attention to the falling rocks on the mountain. 

Bonfires had been set up, everyone around it shivered. 

The hard flat bread was the only dry food left. 

Several horses' hooves were injured and bleeding. The horses would stamp their hooves on the snow, soaking the snow with blood, which resembled a blossomed inauspicious flower. 

I ruthlessly unloaded the dry food on the horse's back and ordered someone to kill the injured horse. 

The smell of roasted horse meat lingered, and everyone was cold and hungry that their stomachs rumbled. 

I looked at the thousands of people left. More than half of the three thousand army of soldiers have already died, but the Crown Prince's whereabouts was unknown. If we continue to move forward, it would be more dangerous. If we retreat now, I am afraid that many people will also die before we can leave the valley.
 

It was a real dilemma.

It was still snowing.

When the horse meat was roasted, everyone got a piece, I also took one myself. I just took a bite, suddenly the soldier that was guarding the place called out: "Falling rocks! Falling rocks!" 

I was startled, the falling rocks were often accompanied by landslides. Almost everyone jumped up, I called out: "Stick to the mountain wall! Hurry and go up!" 

All the soldiers dodged the falling rocks, the mountain heights echoed a frightening muffled sound. My heart sank as soon as I heard that sound. This sound I had heard before, it was on that terrible night of the landslide. More and more rocks rolled down, which gradually became more concentrated. Some people were hit by the rocks and fell into the turbulence; some people's faces were covered with blood, lying on the ground and crying in despair. More people dodged the rocks while protecting their heads, trying to climb up the mountain. 

I suddenly saw a wide stone beam not far away, just like the eaves of a house, sticking out in midair. However if there was a landslide, I was afraid that such a large stone beam would fall down, and everyone would still be crushed into meat paste. But the rocks were like rain, more and more people were hit by it, falling into the turbulence. I could not hesitate. 

I called out: "Stone beam! Hide under the stone beam!" 

I dodged the falling rocks and pushed a soldier to the stone beam, who was almost hit by a falling boulder. Everyone also saw the huge stone beam lying in the middle of the mountain and climbed towards it. 

I pulled up a wounded soldier and a soldier who almost fell as a result of a misstep. The soldiers pulled up one after another. At last, I don't know how long it took, all of them finally hid under the stone beam. 

The falling rocks fell down like raindrops, we kept silent, looking at the falling rocks outside. 

A number of people were injured, they had clenched their teeth tightly without uttering a half groan. 

These past few days, many of the people and horses were injured. No one dares to say anything in front of me, however there was a rumour spreading around that this was a sacred mountain of Jie Shuo. If intruders disturb the mountain god, then the landslides must be the expression of anger by the mountain god. 

No one knows how angry the mountain god would be, there were more and more falling rocks outside, it became even more concentrated. If half of the hillside collapses like last time, I'm afraid that the stone beam will not be able to stop it. 

The muffled noise grew louder and nearer, and large boulders fell from the mountain. 

I'm afraid there will be another landslide. 

The stone beam vibrated slightly and made a frightening noise. I don't know if there were too many huge rocks falling on the stone beam. Obviously, the stone beam was about to collapse. 

Everyone looked up at the stone beam, and there was despair on everyone's faces. 

I'm not afraid of death, but I'm sorry that I didn't find the Crown Prince because I was disloyal; it was because of injustice that I led the soldiers to die here; I was unfilial to let my parents see me die before themselves.

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