Princess Agents: 特工皇妃楚喬傳
Chapter 104: Lifelong Faith
The next morning, even though Zhuge Yue went out early and had plenty of money to spend, after searching throughout the city he was unable to buy a horse or a carriage. Even the traders' own mounts were all taken the prior evening. Frustrated, Zhuge Yue tried to buy other means of transport, such as donkeys, mules, and even condescended to ask about cows, no matter the price. [TN: ^_^;;]
The result was all the same.
At the same time Chu Qiao was sitting in the upper rooms of the second floor of the inn. She watched the members of the escort coming and going, shouting loudly, and lightly creased her brow as she then felt a trace of discouragement.
When Zhuge Yue returned, they stared at one another without saying a word.
When the caravan left the city, it was far from the four to five hundred members escort leader Yu had mentioned. Those in front had already departed the gates while those behind had yet to leave: it was altogether more than two-thousand people. They had a large number of supplies and armed gear, hay, gold and silver and cash commodity loaded onto more than three-hundred wagons. There were countless heads of women and children further than the eye could see dressed in noble clothing, bustling in diversity, horse carriages clustered one after another from front to back--a magnificent spectacle.
Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao were relegated to the back of the entourage in a relatively worn carriage, apparently just purchased, and inside lingered an unpleasant odor. Their original worries were simply unnecessary as there was no chance of them even getting close to young Master Liu based on their current status.
In the morning Chu Qiao followed behind the servants carrying the luggage out, and from a distance she saw a man dressed in lake blue robes under guard enter a carriage. AnBai's weather was very hot but the man wore a large cloak. His physique bordered on lean, his hood partly covered his face, but amid the half hiding and half revealing morning mist Chu Qiao's heart startled.
Unwittingly she stopped mid-step, staring at the back of the man's figure, watching him enter that magnificent carriage that had been there for a long time.
"What is it?"
Zhuge Yue walked in front of her and turned back to ask her quietly.
"Oh, it's nothing." Chu Qiao gave a self-mocking laugh, and shook her head as if she wanted to shake off some ridiculous notion from her head. "Let's go."
As the carriage slowly pulled out of AnBai, Chu Qiao knelt in front of the window and lifted the curtain, pushing the partition outward and looked past the thin veil.
"Oh, that's right," she said as she suddenly thought of something. Chu Qiao took out a small bundle for Zhuge Yue and said very calmly, "I had the inn's attendant go out and buy this in the morning." Zhuge Yue took hold of the bundle, opened the bag and saw a hood used to block the wind and sand. Even though wearing it at this time would be a bit unsuitable, but the workmanship was rather refined and the materials used were thin, and wearing it would not be stifling.
"Careful is always good," Chu Qiao said softly, and then smiled lightly, "Although there may not be an opportunity to use it."
With more than 2,000 men and horses, and hundreds of heavy carriages on the main road, seeming continuous and unending form their position, they couldn't even see the front of the entourage.
Zhuge Yue placed the hood aside, but he did not withdraw his hand, and instead, kept touching it.
"Xian Yang's merchants want to flee."
Chu Qiao smiled faintly, "You've seen it."
"Yan Bei and DaXia will start their war soon and these old foxes want to hide away in the lands of Sui and Tang. They dare not start en masse from Xian Yang, so they can only break it up in parts, only to regroup in An Bai, and go together to Tang Jing. All these wagons and horses are probably carrying their lifelong savings."
Chu Qiao nodded slightly and said softly, "Yes, they refuse to be drawn into war."
Unlike Zhuge Yue, Chu Qiao's heart suddenly felt a flurry of panic, she knew the identities of several large merchants in Xian Yang, and even more so knew how they prospered these past years, and just like that, they were now fleeing. Remembering the figure she saw earlier, Chu Qiao suddenly felt a large conflagration in her heart. She really wanted to leave the carriage and go see. But she only laughed at herself, shook her head, and leaned against the rocking carriage and closed her eyes.
Chu Qiao are you too tired? From the beginning of your uprising against Zhen Huang, you've been unable to handle the journey, so now you've started to indulge in unrealistic fantasies?
Yan Xun, they're all fleeing before my eyes. What should I do? How do I stop it?
What can we do? [TN: Chu Qiao recognized the members of the DaTong Association in this crowd and realized they protect their possessions before their beliefs]
It was already midsummer, and the days were long, everyone had followed the sun due west until they reached a ravine and set up camp and lit cooking fires.
Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue were assigned a small tent, short and small, where your head could reach the top even when sitting up.
Those who lived on the outskirts of the camp with them were a few servants. After a brief exchange, they found out this group was not only made up of Xian Yang's Liu family, but also Wang, Jia, OuYang, and so forth.
After being jostled about for a day, Chu Qiao's body became more and more weak, and the air inside the tent wasn't good, so Zhuge Yue helped her out onto a low tree stump. Then he personally exchanged money with the escorts for a freshly hunted rabbit and in no time set up a fire to cook it, and the delicious aroma of barbecued meat floated in the air, enough to feed a few people.
He tore off a piece and lowered it to Chu Qiao's mouth. Chu Qiao opened her mouth to bite but felt a pain on her forehead. Zhuge Yue had flicked her forehead and he said calmly, "It'll burn your mouth!"
"Oh," Chu Qiao grinned, puffed her cheeks and twice blew on it gently, then used her fingers to pick it up. It was delicious and Chu Qiao couldn't help but give it a thumbs up as she said, "I would never have thought you had this skill."
"I learned it from the years I spent on the mountain," Zhuge Yue said casually and pulled out a dagger, cut up the rabbit into smaller pieces, and gave them to Chu Qiao a piece at a time.
It was presently nightfall, the sunlight had slowly been engulfed by darkness. She sat on a patch of green grass under the resplendent starry sky, the cicadas chirping, with the occasional lark or cuckoo returning in the night; the entire ravine a slice of tranquility.
In the distance, a large number of guards were hustling and bustling about, along with the sound of people collectively, giving a sense of calm and warmth.
Chu Qiao took a deep breath and smiled as if drunk with happiness, like a simple child, suddenly sighing, "How I missed this!"
Zhuge Yue was inclined to interrupt, "Missed what?"
"I miss this feeling," Chu Qiao said as she leaned against the stump. Her expression was serene and she even smiled as she said, "I miss the long grass, the green trees, camping in the wild, a group of people making a fire together, cooking; and after dinner making up the campfire and chatting, drinking wine and eating the rabbit we caught. I miss the days when I didn't have worry about tomorrow, when I didn't have to spend my days fighting for survival."
Zhuge Yue looked at her quietly and asked, "Have you ever lived like this?"
"Of course," Chu Qiao lifted her head and smiled gently. "It was a very long time ago, with me and three of my good friends, in a ravine just like this, eating a roasted hare. But our skills were better and our seasoning was definitely tastier than yours."
"Humph!" Zhuge Yue harrumphed disdainfully and turned his head away.
"Xiao Shi learned her cooking from a French chef, her skills were first-rate, and her roast meat was the best."
Zhuge Yue up-ticked his brow and asked softly, "French? Is that a dining establishment?"
"Huh?" Chu Qiao smiled and nodded, "Sure. It's a restaurant."
Zhuge Yue's lips disdainfully curled, "I've never even heard of that place, so it must not be a well known restaurant."
In the distance a large bonfire ignited, followed by the sounds of hoots and hollers, a slice of merriment in the night.
"Continue."
"Huh?" Chu Qiao asked, dazed.
"Continue, since free time is idly spent anyway." Zhuge Yue looked down and continued to cut up the rabbit. "Continue to talk about your friends."
"Oh." For some reason, Chu Qiao's mood was a bit heavy tonight, or perhaps it was the actions of the DaTong Association elders that hurt her and she had to talk about something else to divert her attention. The grass swayed, the gathering darkness on the western border, and she said quietly and calmly, "All of their kung fu was better than mine."
Zhuge Yue's brows lifted upward, "They were all women?"
"Right," said Chu Qiao casting a sidelong glance at him. "You probably look down on women."
Zhuge Yue didn't make a sound, and Chu Qiao continued to say, "But that was back then. If we were to compete now I would estimate I'd be around the same level as them.
"Xiao Huan was an excellent markswoman, yes, even with a bow and arrow. Xiao Shi excelled in hand-to-hand combat, and once she even single-handedly defeat seventeen skilled, brawny men. Mao'er wasn't good at either of those things, but if we're talking about killing technique, she had the best."
Zhuge Yue raised his brows slightly, "And what about you?"
"Me?" Chu Qiao laughed out loud. "I am a well-rounded talent."
The man glanced at her impatiently, "Shameless braggart."
Chu Qiao wasn't angry, and turned to ask, "Zhuge Yue, what is it you wish for?"
Zhuge Yue frowned at her and finally said coldly, "I wish you would hurry up and beat it, and never let me see you again, and then burrow yourself in a Yan Bei mountain gully, never to come out in this lifetime."
"Impossible," smiled Chu Qiao, as if they were talking about something very common. "Even if you all don't bring the fight to Yan Bei, we would bring the fight down to you."
"Then I hope Yan Xun brings utter shame and ruin upon himself, Yan Bei will be annexed by the Batuha Clan, and you will wander around until you finally come begging for a meal at my doorstep."
Chu Qiao shot him a glance, "What a cruel man.
"But this is not possible," Chu Qiao smiled gently. "If there really came such a day I would likely have already been killed in battle and would not be able to come to such a meal."
Zhuge Yue was suddenly stunned in the moment, and stopped speaking.
"Back then the four of us asked that same question." Chu Qiao's gaze had a far away look, quietly recalling a past that now only existed in her mind. She propped her chin with both hands and whispered, "Xiao Shi looked cold on the outside, but in truth she was the most fragile among us all. She liked to collect dolls, really expensive dolls, always straining her monthly budget because of this expense. Her greatest wish was to have a giant nest egg after she left the organization, and then marry an ordinary and good man and become a good housewife. She had a friend she grew up with since childhood and if other matters hadn't come up, she probably would have had her wish."
Chu Qiao's smile was suddenly sad, and lightly pursed her lips. "Xiao Huang was the noisiest one, her family background was good, and she was a big risk taker. At the time she wanted to climb a mountain, and her wish was to carve her name at the top of it.
"Mao'er's wish was always very simple: to make a lot of money." Chu Qiao smiled gently and added, "She was greedy and she was bold. She would dare to pick up any business and had no sense of loyalty to the organization. The way she put it, it was just scraping a living to raise her family."
Zhuge Yue gently lifted his brow and asked, "What about you?"
"Me?" Chu Qiao was taken aback by the question. After a long while she answered slowly, "I don't know. I was planning an action at the time, and I only hoped everything would go smoothly and the mission was completed as soon as possible."
Zhuge Yue grunted disdainfully.
Chu Qiao turned around and said with a light smile, "In fact, I've always been this way. I have no desires and I've always been dogmatic and rigid. I only hope that my belief is correct, that it's worth spending my lifetime having this goal, and it's worth the struggle and my best efforts.
"For example," Chu Qiao pondered over their meeting, "If you owe me, I will take it back. If I owe you, I will pay it back."
"I think I appreciate Mao'er the best," said Zhuge Yue blandly. "This organization you speak of must be the DaTong Association then? If you have the opportunity you must introduce her to me."
Chu Qiao shook her head silently, and forced a laugh, "I'm really strange that I would even say these things to you."
Zhuge Yue grunted, "I didn't force you to say these things."
At that moment they suddenly heard the sound of careful footsteps approaching from a distance. Both of them raised their heads in alert and simultaneously noticed a girl of five or six, dressed completely in red, with two pigtails and a chubby little face, staring at the pieces of rabbit in Zhuge Yue's hands.
They were aware that in this group, aside from the masters of the escorts, there were also many slaves of those masters, and some of those slaves even brought their families. This child must have been from a slave family.
Zhuge Yue furrowed his brow and was about to speak but Chu Qiao suddenly waved and said, "Come over here."
The child was suddenly happy and opened her hands, running over in a swaying waddle. The little girl's eyes were like grapes, large and shiny. Chu Qiao grinned and asked, "How old are you?"
The little girl looked nervously at Zhuge Yue but then answered thereafter, "I'm six."
"What's your name?"
The little girl though this big sister was quite amiable, and put a finger in her mouth as she answered, "I'm called Star." As soon as she spoke the two were a bit shocked.
Zhuge Yue looked at the child in irritation and said in a low voice, "Go back and tell your parents to never call you this name again!"
The little girl looked frightened as she looked at Zhuge Yue's calm face, her smile withered, blinking her eyes as if she were about to cry.
"Why are you scaring children?!" Chu Qiao frowned, pulled the child closer to her and started to whisper in her ear. After a moment, the child started to laugh.
Zhuge Yue sat to one side, watching the laughing merriment between Chu Qiao and the child and felt it was a bit strange. The Chu Qiao of his memory was not like this; she was calm, taciturn, unruffled even in the face of danger, intelligent and cunning -- seemingly as if she should never have any of the moods a normal woman would have.
But now in reuniting with her again, he saw more and more sides of her. He laughed at himself, or perhaps she had been putting on an act all along. She had always considered him an enemy, never showing any trace of authenticity that was more than necessary. Even now, it may not really be her true self. Otherwise why would she still have her weapon at her side, carefully taking precaution even when heavily injured?
Zhuge Yue's mouth sneered and his eyes grew dark.
But damn it all to hell, he was really infatuated with this feeling right now.
At that moment the child suddenly approached him, shamelessly holding his sleeve, pointing at the roasted rabbit meat in his possession and asked in a really cute voice, "Are you gonna eat that?"
Zhuge Yue impatiently handed what he had in his hands to her and the little girl smiled broadly, turned to him and said, "You're really nice!" Then she returned to Chu Qiao's side, stretched out her plump little legs onto the ground and sat down to generously share her rabbit meat with Chu Qiao.
Zhuge Yue was slightly stunned that the little girl had actually called him "nice." The man smiled cooly in spite of himself for he had long not been able to shoulder that word.
A while later someone called the child's name, and she jumped up and ran to them but turned around to say goodbye to Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue with a brilliantly sweet smile, her giggles reverberating on the night breeze.
Chu Qiao pointed at the child in front, turned towards Zhuge Yue and smiled resolutely, pausing between words, "I wish that someday all the children in the land will smile like that."
The night breeze blew in the gentle scent of grass. DaXia learned the hundred schools of thought in this era, and he had already heard words like these thousands of times. But this time, he suddenly didn't know how to refute it. Not because of the underlying significance of the words, not because of her resolution or her yearning expression, but he suddenly felt that she could really do it.
Although he immediately quashed his own notion.
What he didn't know was that many years later this world would go through changing upheaval because of this sentence, that the old world order would combust, the flames would burn, and the man who held the torch aloft, step by step towards her ideal, would have the blood of those cut down like wheat at his feet serving as oblations for the burial of the old hegemony. At that time, all the people on that high alter would only wear pale faces, their lips never to smile with this same longing again. [TN: That's really a beautiful and dark sentence… TT__TT;]
The road ahead had so many extreme dangers, and in order to reach the opposite shore one had to brave the waves, and after passing the icy river would be baptized by storm, gain experience by the flames of war, ground down and tempered, overcoming opposition, overcoming betrayal, overcoming slaughter, overcoming despair, overcoming all the weakness and kindness of one's character, only to become a sharp sword. Only then would it be possible to stand atop the summit and rule the world.
Chu Qiao stared at the far away figure of that child in front, and suddenly remembered many years ago, amidst the heavily falling snow on the JiuYou Terrace, she looked up gazing into the hidden, heavy shadow, the sacred golden oath of high office. [TN: ?? Don't really know what I translated….but I think she was this way even in her past modern life.]
"In fact, I've always been this way. I have no desires, and I've always been dogmatic and rigid. I only hope that my belief is correct, that it's worth spending my lifetime having this goal, and it's worth the struggle and my best efforts."
…..
It was in this moment a panic-stricken scream pierced everyone's ears like a sudden clap of thunder exploding. Zhuge Yue stood up but at that moment countless multitudes of sabers were pulled from their scabbards, and hundreds of archers held their notched bows aloft and entered the defensively lax camp.
In a split second the cold edge of swords countered with a state of mutual hostility.
"You!"
A haughty looking, young imperial captain pointed a single finger at Zhuge Yue and coldly said, "Kneel!"
Translator's notes: Well that turned very bad, fast….
No comments:
Post a Comment