The Abandoned Empress General | Chapter 14 | Flight Through the Inferno | Novela.app

Ten days later, the fifteen-thousand-strong army of Northern Yu marched into Mayi City. As they passed through Suye, Wen Qi opened the city gates and welcomed them inside. The Northern Yu forces drove deep into the territory with irresistible force, reaching Daji City in a mere six days. To all appearances, the Kingdom of Yan had already lost half its lands. Meanwhile, a military report reached Jinyang, claiming that Northern Yu had launched a massive invasion, easily breaching the gates of Suye. It declared that the Second Prince, Murong Yan, and Grand General Wen Qi had committed treason. The entire nation was shaken to its core. In Daji City, Murong Yan led over ten thousand infantry and five thousand light cavalry into the city alongside the Northern Yu army. Under his command were Wen Qi’s most capable commanders; in addition to the lieutenant Yuan Xi, six others had joined his camp. All were fierce warriors capable of taking on a hundred men alone. Murong Yan looked them over one by one and smiled. "Having served as 'farming generals' for a few years, I imagine your hands are itching for a fight?" A sharp light gleamed in the eyes of the six men. "Our hearts are more than itching!" They didn't particularly respect Murong Yan, but the moment he arrived, there was a battle to be fought. There was nothing more satisfying than that. Murong Yan’s smile turned cold. "How can divine weapons be left to gather dust forever? Generals, we are people of Yan. We are not the dogs of West Jing, nor are we meat on Northern Yu’s chopping block! From this day forward, whoever dares to despise us, we shall gouge out their eyes! Whoever dares to spit in our faces, we shall tear out their tongues! The blood of our enemies shall forge our supreme glory." He and Wen Qi were different kinds of men. The generals sensed it immediately. But they liked this kind of leader; they liked this feeling of blood surging through their veins. A man didn't join the army to till the soil, and enduring insults in silence was a task for saints, not soldiers! In a fractured world of chaos where heroes vied for supremacy, a monarch who could end war through war was exactly what they dreamed of. The commanding general of Northern Yu was named Sha Xingsheng, a meticulous man. He had been cautious when entering Suye, but seeing no resistance even upon entering Daji City, half of his suspicions were laid to rest. He kept Murong Yan close by his side, and hearing that Wen Qi had already led his troops forward as the vanguard, he couldn't help but feel a sense of disdain. *Such a beautiful land,* he thought, *and yet these princes are willing to hand over their mountains, rivers, and people to another country just for the sake of one man’s glory.* What was there to fear from such a prince, even if he did become the King of Yan? The timing was calculated to perfection. After nightfall, the army rested in Daji City. Sha Xingsheng maintained fairly strict discipline and had already begun inspecting the camp. The soldiers led by Murong Yan were Wen Qi’s elites, veterans of many years. As the hour drew near, they began to gather together. At the arrival of the midnight hour, flames suddenly erupted outside the city. Murong Yan ordered the Yan troops to disperse into the civilian houses and hide in the cellars with the people. Moments later, fire arrows rained down upon the city like a storm. Great fires soared into the sky, and the army within the city instantly fell into chaos. Sha Xingsheng reacted immediately. Realizing he had been duped, he roared, "Capture Murong Yan! Do not let him escape!" Countless soldiers lunged forward, but the Yan troops had already dispersed. With only Murong Yan and Zuo Canglang together, their target profile was very small, making them difficult to hunt. The wind and oil fueled the inferno; the city gates had been locked tight. Thick smoke billowed, and everywhere the eye could see was a blinding, searing light. Wen Qi had ordered men to guard the gates; the moment anyone tried to break out, they were driven back by a hail of arrows. Zuo Canglang fled through the thick smoke with Murong Yan. There were over a hundred thousand enemy troops; if they truly ran into the main force, even a Great Immortal would be hacked into mincemeat. Fire arrows whistled into the city, and everything was burning. Broken timbers lay scattered; occasionally tripping over debris, even the most elegant person would look wretched while running for their life. Zuo Canglang and Murong Yan were like stray dogs now, fleeing blindly. Whenever they were spotted by small squads of Yu soldiers, Zuo Canglang desperately fired arrows to cover them. The smoke was thick and black, the air scalding; she began to lose track of whether she was even hitting her targets. Her bow had raised blisters on her hands, and the air she inhaled felt like steel needles. But finally, the voices around them faded. Zuo Canglang stopped to gasp for breath. Murong Yan turned and grabbed her hand, pulling her forward. His black robes fluttered and swirled amidst the city-wide fire and smoke, a scene beyond the reach of poetry or painting. Zuo Canglang suddenly found her strength again. She shot down the pursuers while Murong Yan scouted the path for retreat. Before long, the two arrived at an abandoned dry well. Murong Yan said, "Get down." Knowing the situation was critical, Zuo Canglang didn't waste words and immediately descended into the cellar. Murong Yan followed, then hoisted the half-moved stone slab to cover the opening. The sounds from outside instantly muffled. Faint firelight flickered through the cracks above; the entire city of Daji was burning. A large clump of Zuo Canglang’s hair had been singed, and she didn't even know where she had been injured on her face or body. By comparison, Murong Yan looked relatively tidy, though he too was covered in soot. His face was even worse; sweat and soot had mixed into a muddy grime. If he wiped it once more, he could go straight onto a stage to perform a play. The two looked at each other. Zuo Canglang started to laugh but quickly suppressed it, stepping forward to gently brush the ash from his clothes. "Master..." Murong Yan stared at her. "What is the meaning of that stiff, fake smile?" The heat waves seeped in, making the space stifling. Zuo Canglang helped him unfasten his armor, whispering, "This subordinate is incompetent for allowing Master to fall into such danger." After fighting and fleeing through a city-wide fire, Murong Yan’s inner robes were completely soaked. Wearing such damp clothes was clearly uncomfortable. Murong Yan gave a light huff. "You're right, you did fail to protect your master. Come here." Zuo Canglang was speechless. *Uh, I was just saying that. Are you really going to blame me?* She walked over, and Murong Yan reached out, personally unfastening her armor. Zuo Canglang’s face was already flushed bright red; it was impossible to tell if it was from embarrassment or the searing heat of the fire. The heavy armor was set aside. Murong Yan had planned to use this place as a hiding spot, so the interior had been cleaned quite thoroughly. There was even a bucket of fresh water and two sets of clean clothes for replacement. Murong Yan waved a hand. "Turn around." Zuo Canglang turned her back. He used the fresh water to wipe his face and then changed into clean clothes. Finally, he said, "Come and change." Zuo Canglang walked over and saw that he had only wiped his face, which surprised her. He was so soaked with sweat, how could he not wipe his body? She hesitated, and Murong Yan understood instantly. "You are a girl; using my bathwater would be inappropriate after all. But if I wash and leave you dirty, it would be an assault on my nose. You wash." Zuo Canglang opened her mouth, then hesitated. A man and a woman alone... this wasn't right, was it? Murong Yan smiled. "I have decided, for the time being, not to peek." With that, he truly turned around, his back to her. Zuo Canglang wrung out a corner of a wet cloth and started with her face. Seeing that he really had no intention of peeking, she turned her back and slowly began to wipe her body. The sound of the water was crisp and pleasant. Murong Yan turned his head. In the faint firelight, he saw her clothes half-undone, the skin of her back as smooth and warm as jade. Zuo Canglang finished wiping herself and turned her head for a glance, only to meet Murong Yan’s gaze directly. "Ah!" After a long moment, she reacted and hurriedly pulled her clothes together. Murong Yan chuckled. "I only took one look, yet you act as if I'm more terrifying than those hundred thousand Northern Yu troops." Zuo Canglang finally grew angry. "You said you wouldn't look! You... you are a Prince of Yan, yet you go back on your word! You..." She couldn't go on, her vocabulary failing her. Murong Yan laughed. "I said I wouldn't look *for the time being*, and I was indeed as steady as a mountain before. Now that the 'time being' has passed, I took a look. How is that breaking my word?" Zuo Canglang turned away. Murong Yan leaned closer, scrutinizing her. "Are you truly angry?" Zuo Canglang said stiffly, "Why must Master act like this? If you are truly interested in this subordinate, you need only give the order. I would undress and serve you as required." Murong Yan sighed. He spread a garment on the ground and sat down. "When a man falls on hard times, it truly is the end. It’s one thing to flee in panic and look wretched, but even my subordinate mocks and sneers at me." Zuo Canglang felt a surge of frustration, but after a moment, her heart softened slightly. Heaven knew how a man as fastidious as him had endured the soot and grime while fleeing for his life amidst a hundred thousand enemy soldiers. And with what kind of heart did he now take refuge in a dry well in the middle of nowhere, listening to the fire consume the city and the screams of the enemy? She lowered her eyes and said softly, "If... if..." She tried several times but couldn't continue. Murong Yan leaned in curiously. "If what?" Zuo Canglang bit her lip. "If my body could provide comfort to Master’s heart, I would be willing. Even if only for a moment, if it were truly possible, I would be willing." Her voice was faint but firm. "But I know that it cannot. For years, the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince have had many wives and concubines, yet only the Second Prince has kept a position vacant for Miss Jiang. Your feelings for Miss Jiang have always been the envy of others. Now that you are in a position of adversity, what you need is not comfort, but sufficient endurance and resolve. Therefore, I ask Master to maintain self-discipline and self-respect. This subordinate is willing to follow and accompany you to reclaim everything that was lost, one by one." Murong Yan paused for a long time. "White-eyed wolf." Zuo Canglang looked up, her gaze as intense as strong wine. Murong Yan slowly looked away. *Fine, I believe you are serious.* He reached out and covered her eyes. *Don't... don't come close to me. Don't look at me with those eyes.* *** **Glossary** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation ---|---|--- 马邑城 | Mayi City | A city in Yan territory. 大蓟城 | Daji City | A city in the Yan heartland, the site of the fire trap. 晋阳 | Jinyang | The capital city of the Kingdom of Yan. 沙星升 | Sha Xingsheng | A general of the Northern Yu army. 袁戏 | Yuan Xi | A lieutenant/vice-general under Wen Qi. 白眼狼 | White-eyed wolf | An idiom for someone ungrateful or heartless; here used with complex affection/frustration. 姜姑娘 | Miss Jiang | Referring to Jiang Bilan, Murong Yan's love interest.