Chapter 104: Pengpeng, I Fancy You (6)
Translator: Storm in a Teacup
Xie Yi looked at me embarrassedly. Her beautiful face turned from red to pale, then back to red. After a while, she stumbled and explained, “Your Majesty, I was made to do it. And, and I am absolutely loyal to you.”

I had been an Empress for such a long time and I had heard it for so many times that I was getting sick of it. It didn’t matter she was loyal or not, as long as she could run your errand! For example, Xie Yi. I knew she was only loyal to Qi Sheng, but I relied on her to run my errand now, so I had to make use of her.

I looked at the porridge in her hand and asked her, “Could we eat first? We’ll talk about loyalty afterwards.”

Xie Yi pressed her lips, then concentrated on serving me meal.

For the following few days, the war continued. I was jailed in the little yard, eating and sleeping. But Xie Yi was growing more and more anxious every day. At the sixth day, I finished my lunch. Just when I wiped my mouth and was about to have a nap, Xie Yi followed me and asked nervously, “It is such a fierce war outside, Your Majesty, aren’t you scared?”

I turned around and asked in surprise, “No one asks you to get on the city wall. What are you afraid of? We are guarding the city, and we have an adequate storage of grains and soldiers. We won’t have any problem guarding it for a year or so.”

Xie Yi was so anxious that she almost cried, “Your Majesty, but we don’t have that much soldiers and horses in the city. I heard that the barbican entrance at the north gate was broken yesterday. General He led an army and drove the Tartar soldiers out, so that we are still safe inside.

I was shocked, then remembered that I did hear some thunderous noises from the north side yesterday afternoon but I only assumed that the Northern Desert soldiers had a sumptuous lunch, which made them rejuvenated…

I didn’t respond so Xie Yi thought I didn’t believe her. She hastily added, “It’s true. I heard that Tartars attacked us fiercely and a lot of generals and soldiers died guarding the city. Even the cook of the camp climbed to the top of the city wall.”

Why was it so difficult to guard the city? Was the north tour army in Pingning city at all? Then why did Qi Sheng enter Pingning City? I was contemplating but then heard rapid footsteps in the yard. In an instant, they were already at the porch. I heard someone asking reverently by the door, “Your Majesty, are you still in the room?”

What a funny question? Qi Sheng didn’t even allow me out of the yard. I was not in the yard, so where else could I go if I wasn’t in the room? On the rooftop?”

I shot a glance at Xie Yi and instructed her to open the door.

Several fully armed soldiers were standing outside the door. The general that was in lead was wearing a set of armor, but there were scratches and blood on it. He lowered his head, and held his fists together to salute, “Your Majesty, I am here to protect you at the command of His Majesty. For safety precautions, please change your cloths.”

Then the guard following him approached with a set of thin armories and handed it straight to Xie Yi.

But the voice of the general sounded familiar so inevitably I took a second look at him. I asked tentatively, “What’s your family name?”

He looked at me with a little embarrassment and answered, “My name is Li Hong. Your Majesty, you have seen me before.”

He raised his head and I had a clear look. I had indeed met him before. This was exactly the guard that forced me into the water at Wan River.

I chuckled and said, “We have more than just met. We are old acquaintances! So, where are you planning to take me to?”

Li Hong looked embarrassed. After some consideration, he bent down, and knelt on one knee, “Your Majesty. I was only following orders that time. Please forgive me. Now we are in an intense war. His Majesty has ordered me to protect you. If the city was broken, I will protect you to leave. So Your Majesty, please get changed as soon as possible.”

I asked coldly, “Where is Qi Sheng?”

Li Hong hesitated and replied, “His Majesty is at the north gate.”

I started to move outside as soon as I heard his answer. Li Hong spread his arms and stopped me, “Your Majesty, you can’t go.”

“I can’t go?” I said coldly, and kicked at Li Hong’s shoulder. When everyone stood stiff in astonishment, I drew out the sword of the guard standing near me, and asked, “Who dare to stop me?”

Then I rushed outside with the sword in my hand. There were many guards in the yard, but none had expected that I would break out like this. They were all stunned for a moment.

Li Hong yelled behind me, “Stop her!”

Some of the guards reached out their hands, but they didn’t dare to touch me, only spreading their arms and standing in front of me. Seeing them like this. I knew what I should do, then I started to break out without any fear. Some courageous guards tried to grab me, then I put the sword on my neck and threatened, “Don’t you dare touch me!”

The guard was shocked and retrieved his hands, taking a few steps backwards.

I arrived at the gate of the yard without any disturbance. When I was about to run, I heard Xie Yi yelling behind me, “Your Majesty, Your Majesty!”

I was immediately infuriated, turned around and asked, “What? Do you want to stop me as well?”

Xie Yi was tightly grabbing Li Hong’s waist, dragging him behind like a heavy weight. Her face was reddened and her neck swollen. She poked her head from one side of Li Hong’s waist with difficulty and yelled, “It’s wrong. You are in the opposite direction.”

My face turned red, then I turned around and ran towards the opposite direction.

There were a few guards left in the mansion, let alone in the city. I was dressed like a man, so I was able to ran to the north gate without any disturbance.

The war was a lot worse than I had expected. Injured soldiers were continuously carried down from the wall, then other soldiers went up. I ran too quickly and I only climbed half of the packway leading to the gate of the city before I was too tired to take one more step forward. I stood besides, panting with my hands on my waist. In the middle of the chaos, a general was carried down from several soldiers, covered in blood. He immediately halted when he walked past me and exclaimed in surprise, “Your Majesty?”

I took a careful look at his bloody face then I was finally able to recognize him, “He Bingze?”

He Bingze pushed away the soldiers who were carrying him, took couple of steps towards me and asked hastily, “Why are you here? Where is Li Hong? Where the hell does he go?”

I grabbed him by the collar and asked, “What is happening? Where is the army?”

He Bingze opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

“Talk! How is this happening? What is Qi Sheng up to this time?” I asked furiously.

He Bingze had no way but answered, “His Majesty secretly split the army force. There were only thirty thousand imperial guards left in the city. Zhao wang took the rest of the army to back up General Yang Yu. We don’t know where the Tartars get to know about the situation in Pingning. They gave up their own capital, and concentrate all their forces to attack here.”

I was so shocked. Heck! I didn’t imagine Qi Sheng would be so bold and take risks with his own life at stake. He sent all men out to capture their capital, only leaving thirty thousand soldiers to protect himself.

Why shouldn’t the Norther Desert attack here with all their power? You had already broken our capital, then I would kill your Emperor. One emperor in exchange for another, that was a fair trade! If I were someone in Norther Desert, I would attack Pingning City to the death as well!

Before I was able to fully restore myself, Li Hong caught up with us with the other guards.

He Bingze turned around and yelled at Li Hong, “Didn’t His Majesty command you to take her to the south gate? Why do you bring her here?”

Li Hong was speechless and he made no explanation. He approached me and grabbed my arm, telling me in a low voice, “Your Majesty, Sorry.”

Then he put his one arm under my knees, and carried me off the ground without any respect. He turned around and walked back.

I came to my sense and yelled hurriedly, “Let go of me.”

Li Hong turned a deaf ear to it.

Seeing his reaction, I decided to change my tactic, so I lowered down my voice and discussed with him in my good temper, “The Northern Desert haven’t had the south gate surrounded, right? So this is why Qi Sheng asked you to take me away from south gate. But what is this called? You are a soldier yourself, have you ever heard of leaving an opening when surrounding your enemies? The reason why they have left the south gate open is that they want us to escape. How far is Jing Yan from south gate? Almost two thousand li, right? Do you think they will let us go without causing any trouble?”

Li Hong’s pace paused, but he said, “I will certainly protect Your Majesty and send you back to Jingyang safely.

I didn’t have any other way to deal with this kind of person, who wouldn’t listen to anything.

Li Hong carried me down the packway, and to the avenue. A troop soldiers rushed past us. It seemed they were backups coming from somewhere else. I watched them go way, and inadvertently saw the man standing on the wall.

Tall and straightened up, scarlet tassel waving in the wind, the black robe flying in the wind, the golden armor underneath revealed, glorifying under the sun, he looked like a god.

His eyes travelled through chaotic crowds and landed on me, calm and distant.

I looked at him in a trance, unable to shift my attention away.

He rose the corner of his lips, and showed me a faint smile. His lips moved and he told me silently, “You have to survive!”

Then he firmly turned around.

I took a deep breath, and pressed my sword against Li Hong’s neck. I simply told him, “Let’s get back.”

Maybe Li Hong believed that I didn’t dare to do anything, so he didn’t respond at all, only carrying on forward.

I put more pressure on it, and a bloody line appeared on his neck, “Further down here is the artery. As soon as I cut it, even a god can’t save you. Go back! Don’t make me kill you.”

Li Hong was someone with senses. Hearing my words, his body went stiff for a moment, then he turned around and walked towards the city wall.