Princess Agents 特工皇妃楚喬傳, Chapter 159 English novel translation

Princess Agents - 特工皇妃楚喬傳 

Chapter 153 - Chapter 158 Synopsis

After Zhuge Yue's death, Chu Qiao is ill for quite some time. At first it's psychological and she doesn't want to wake up in a world without him.  She finally realized she was a woman, and that having her heart broken was painful. Then it's a long rehabilitation process because her health was seriously damaged by being dunked in the cold for so long.   Making her emotions worse was that Yan Xun had told the world Chu Qiao instigated Zhuge Yue's death, so everyone loyal to the Zhuge family would come after her.  Though Yan Xun and He Xiao made sure no one ever touched her, the assassins' curses and their vitriol made her truly feel his death was her fault.  Yan Xun is such an @ss…..

Her sister ZhiSu is married to an officer of Yan Bei.  Chu Qiao withdraws from politics thereafter.  She transfers the city of Shang Shen to Mr. Wu's stewardship.  Yan Xun monitors her, but mistakenly believes she will eventually turn around and see things his way.  When he remembers that she had told him she would never forgive him if Zhuge Yue died in Yan Bei he realizes she has left him to live elsewhere.  After recovering she goes out to a lantern festival where she breaks down and cries for the first time since Zhuge Yue's death.

Two years later, she lives with her new make-shift family; the little soldier Ping An; his sister JingJing; the shepherd boy DuoJi and his uncle; MeiXiang, her servant freed from slavery, and He Xiao lives in a nearby hut to keep an eye on her.  The county of QuiLan where they live prospers because Yan Xun protects it, and the people are exempt from military service.  Chu Qiao has made improvements so it becomes a large, prosperous area.  Her loyal followers from Shang Shen came to live here too, and as a result of Yan Xun's propaganda, many people think her the reincarnation of the Yan Bei goddess.   She spent the first year helping reconstruction all over Yan Bei after the wars.  She wanted to escape but Yan Xun emotionally manipulated her by letting commoners go to her and beg her to stay.  The remains of the XiuLi Army also stays with her.

Though Yan Xun carved a perfect little place for her, the rest of Yan Bei suffered under his taxes, his stringent military service, and Yan Bei became less free under his tyranny than DaXia.

The Zhuge family expunged the 4th son from their family records and tried to distance themselves from his disgrace, but they lost power in the government as a result of Zhuge Yue's embarrassing death of being tricked by a woman.  His betrothed, Le WanYi, daughter of General Le Xing, declared she never knew her betrothed was such a deceitful man and declared the engagement was fraudulent and an insult to the Emperor, and she would rather be a nun.  She and her father became rather devout Buddhists after that, so his power in the government did not diminish.   Zhao Che also suffered by association and was sent to guard the northeastern border garrison that didn't really need any protection.

Southwest of HeLan Mountain rose the small kingdom of QingHai, ruled by someone who mysteriously ascended and crowned himself King of QingHai, barring Yan Xun's entry into DaXia.  QingHai was mostly desert, a place where exiled prisoners were sent to die.  When Yan Xun tried to attack the southern gate of YanMing Pass, he was stopped by this fierce, mysterious force of the QingHai King, who incidentally took over CuiWei Pass.  So in addition to DaXia forces opposing him at MeiLin Pass, he had to worry about CuiWei Pass on the other side.

Behind her house, Chu Qiao erected a simple tomb for Zhuge Yue.  Two years ago, she found out that his family had disowned him and refused to bury him in the family cemetery, whipped the corpse as punishment and buried him in a mass grave. She was very upset.  With 300 XiuLi warriors she stole the body.  Wild dogs had gotten to the corpse so she pieced it back together and cremated the remains.   Later, when she heard about Miss WanYi, she was so unsettled by the girl's actions Chu Qiao ambushed her on the road back from the temple and shaved off the girl's hair so she could really be a nun.  ^__^;;; (OMG girl, I'm dying….)  It was that time she finally accepted that he was dead, and his remains were in a jar in her possession, and there was nothing she could do to save his name, his reputation, his dignity, or his body.  It was then that she stopped coming down from her mountain.

I'm guessing she has frequent one-sided conversations with him in the pine forest behind her cottage where she erected his tomb.  In Chapter 154, there is a scene where she sits and makes mutton stew in front of his grave.  She scolds DaXia for him, saying they are all incompetent without him and knows that he wants to take revenge because he is rather a vengeful person.  She asks him whether the reason she isn't able to see him in her dreams is because he is still alive, or is it because he's still sulking that no one else has cared to come kill her for revenge recently, but she complains that the assassins have really been of poor quality of late.  ^__^;   She also reminds him that she gave him paper money since she has nothing else to repay him with.  Since he came from a rich family she guesses he is unable to get along in the underworld without money, but as he had so many people go with him that he will continue to be a big shot down there.  She also asks him to watch over Mo'er since she has been unable to locate him.

She confesses that she didn't sleep the prior night, going over what she could have done that day on the lake to save him.  She should have used the XiuLi Army better, she should have taken out the archers first and she should have taken Yan Xun hostage.  She also blames him for pushing her back up to the surface because she had a dagger, and they could have gone downstream, then broken out of the ice.  After all, if Jack in 'Titanic' stayed alive for a while, they obviously would have better chances since they were both trained martial artists….  ^___^;;; (Literally LOL'd when I read that, and everyone around me looked at me like I was crazy)

She remembers a time when they fought back to back and they were so compatible, their movements were like one mind.  She kicks herself for not being more level headed before he died and tells him, "Zhuge Yue, this is our life now."  This scene is both touching and sad that she would finally show some loyalty to him after he is supposedly dead, and that she's gone a bit crazy.

The next morning she received word that Yan Xun was purging and executing members of DaTong in Yan Bei by labeling them traitors for opposing his war tax.  This includes Mr. Wu, Ms. Yu, and his sister's husband.  They were all killed by ZhiSu's husband.  The now pregnant ZhiSu saves ChuQiao from house arrest and apparently dies in a fire.  (This has to be a running gag because ZhiSu never dies when I think she has, but I haven't seen her in many chapters after, so maybe….?)

Yan Xun then traps Chu Qiao and the Xiu Li army between the forces of DaXia and BeiShuo City.  The city has orders not to open their gates.  Yan Xun sent ordinary citizens along the way to beg her to return.  So essentially he calculates that she would want to protect these people and agree to go back into custody.

Though Yan Xun accused her of not knowing who he really was during the 10 years they lived together, she also knows that Yan Xun didn't know who she was either.  He clumps her together with women like ZhiSu, but Chu Qiao is definitely not that kind of person.  He asks her if she is willing to defy him to protect these irrelevant people (DaTong), and she sneers at his condescension.  He asks her if she is willing to sever her love for him like this, to which she responds that he should never say that word because he is unworthy of it.  (Burn) 

She finally says goodbye to Yan Bei, the land she vowed to free but only ended up leading it to more tyranny.  Chapter 155 ends the "Yan Bei" novel, and Chapter 156 begins the "QingHai" novel, which is the final installment.

She chooses to fight to the death.  She and the XiuLi Army fight hard for days, and some people from BeiShuo and in the mountain garrison are horrified that they cannot help her.  Just as she's about to give up, just as things get really grim and her soldiers are dying around her, help comes from two unexpected sources: the Emperor of Bian Tang who swoops in at the last minute, and the King of QingHai who creates a diversion to lure Yan Xun's forces away.  That's where we begin….

Chapter 159: A Tide of People

"Protect Her Excellency!"

Someone had shouted this at the top of his lungs, but the soldiers had rushed so far ahead that it was impossible for them to charge back.  There were corpses everywhere, and before their eyes was just a palette of bright red.  The wind blew to stab their bones.  The entire sky of wind and snow continued to permeate everywhere.  Chu Qiao thought, There is already nowhere to retreat.  So it's like this.  She nodded her head slightly, and in a raspy voice she said, "So be it, then.  So be it."

A row of sturdy bows all pointed upward and the entire sky was filled with a dense cluster of arrows piercing through the cold wind, whistling as they flew.  Chu Qiao looked up and saw the life robbing arrows in mid air in a daze, her mind wandering.

She thought, perhaps she was going to die soon, and time suddenly seemed to stand still.  In a trance she remembered her entire life.  From when she was a little girl in the orphanage who was selected by the government, who, after more than ten years of grueling training, was admitted to the military academy, joined the war department to assassinate, spy and finally gave her life for her country.  (TN: Lord, that's a sad existence…)  Then she came to this bold and unconstrained land of chaos, and once again went through this kind of doomed reincarnation for ten years.  She suddenly felt that she was so very tired and burnt-out.  The wind was blowing from across the way.  She faintly wanted to give up all her persistence and struggle.  In these past few years, no matter what dilemma she faced, she never gave up her desire to live, but now, she suddenly didn't want to continue desperately fighting.  She really felt very tired, so she wanted to let it be.  Going like this, being able to rest, was also fine.

"Excellency!!"

He Xiao gasped in horror at what he saw.  He stared as Chu Qiao stood on the battlefield, raised her head and gazed at the rain of arrows in mid air without dodging or flinching; merely indifferent, like a frozen icicle.

He felt as though his heart was about to be shredded, and he wielded his sword like a madman, the edge of his blade like lightning, crashing like a white light coming down in mid air, sending two human heads flying.  The fresh blood splashed all over He Xiao, but the tide of the enemy rushed up again and he was unable to get away, nor was he able to push his way through.  He could only watch with both eyes open as the arrows slipped closer to her person.

The Yan Bei troops on the top of LongYin Pass also watched the scene with wide-eyes.  The face of a young soldier turned white, and his knees suddenly went weak, and in that moment he knelt down onto the ground, gazing at the pale woman standing in the middle of the blazing, raging fire, and he wailed, "Excellency!"

He was also a soldier from Shang Shen City.  Chu Qiao had rescued both his parents and his sisters from slavery, abolished their status and even gave them land.  But he was not a courageous man, and when the XiuLi Army fought outside the gates he dared not speak out.  When DaXia robbed them time and again he dared not speak out.  When the snowstorm raged over their camp he dared not speak out.  When the people down below were pitifully crying outside the city he dared not speak out.  Not until this moment, when his mother's words came back to him.  The old woman with a full head of white hair shouted and cried out on their land, something they had never once owned in their entire lives, "We will remember this kindness for a thousand years, Her Excellency is our benefactress."

A loud wail went up from the tower.  On the field the tall grass rustled and the snow fell thick and fast, a canvas of endless white.

In this half month, all of Yan Bei witnessed the loyalty of an army, and in this moment, the entire world saw the misery of one woman.

The arrows flew up, rising, higher and higher, until they reached their apex, then passing their half arc, came down with swift and violent speed.

Everyone's eyes opened wide.  The wind tossed up Chu Qiao's clothing, and she slightly narrowed her eyes as the severe gust of air tousled the hair on her forehead.  Penetrating pain pricked her scalp, her mind went blank, and in that sparse space in-between a pair of eyes were watching her, saying slowly: Keep on living, keep on living.

She smiled slightly, light and teasing, like mist.

I can't continue, after all. I'll come and find you then, all right?

Suddenly, the sound of a burst abruptly cleaving the wind rose up.  There on the western side of the slanting snow peak of LongYin Pass, pitch black figures looked as though they was about to leap down like apes.  They carried long cords in their hands and from the sky they repelled downward.  Hundreds of scimitars flew out.  Rather miraculously they were so precise that they struck the arrow shafts that filled the sky.

In an instant the entire area erupted in uproar.  The black clad men quickly slid down from the snow peak, each of them wearing dark blue leather armor, their posture robust and swift as they leaped, shifted and jumped rather like ominous jungle beasts.  Against the light from the fire, each of them had a dark red tattoo on their face.  (TN:  In ancient China, they branded criminals on their faces to wear their shame for the rest of their lives.  These are all people of QingHai, the barren land where criminals are sent to die)  Their eyes were like those of wolves, valiant and brave, coming to slaughter the dumbfounded DaXia soldiers.

Before the DaXia soldiers could even react, from the southwest came a sudden clamor.  Snow, fog and dust rose up with the wind, and thousands upon thousands of men and cavalry's hoofbeats trampled the ground like a rumbling drum.  The elite cavalry in the front row rushed into the camp, their swift swords cleaving and hacking, their skills swift and fierce.  These were armed forces of quality, charging in the style with weapons pointed, seething with murderous air.  As the horses arrived, the inscription depicted on their silver blades revealed they were soldiers of Bian Tang.  Gleaming silver armor rushed into the camp and the young emperor suddenly pulled her entire person tightly and so fiercely that the force of it seemed as though it would break her to pieces.  His armor was cold as a knife, his breaths heavy, leaving puffs of white in the air.  The sound of battle gradually faded away and she could smell the peaceful scent of fallen pine needles everywhere.  The light from tens of thousands of torches reflected back on them, and it was bright and warm like a noon day sun in the middle of June.

The strong wind had gone far away, rumbling over the earth.  Li Ce's voice was low and calm, but still a trace of indistinct panic seeped through as he whispered over and over, "It's all right now, it's all right now, it's all right…."  (TN: Poor Li Ce, he was really scared for her)

Chu Qiao didn't want to cry.  The bottom of her heart was a large expanse of boundless emptiness, as if everything was was unreal. But her tears fell bit by bit, and a few even spilled onto Li Ce's chest plate and rolled all the way down.  She closed her eyes and it was as if she could see tens of thousands of mountains and rivers splatter and wreck.  The stars fell before turning to ash, brightly burning as they descended from heaven.    The seas ignited into raging fire, boiling over and falling down, pouring into a bottomless abyss.  (TN: She broke up with her long time boyfriend, she lost her new love, and now all of her dreams were flushed down the toilet.  Yeah, I would cry too…)

She wanted to speak, and actually had a lot to say, but she opened her mouth and only could make small noises like a deaf mute.

Li Ce, did you know?  Mr. Wu is dead, Ms. Yu is dead, a lot of people are now dead.  Yan Xun has killed a lot of people.  Tell me, would he kill me?

Li Ce, Zhuge Yue is also dead.  It was my fault he died, did you know?  He died because of me.

Li Ce, you were right, Yan Bei is a really cold place, the people's hearts are already frozen to death.  Even promises turn to ice.

The world was suddenly so open and empty.  Chu Qiao slowly drifted to sleep leaning against Li Ce's chest, exhaustion creeping over her entire face.  Li Ce lowered his head and only saw how pale and thin and frail she appeared.  He thought that perhaps he was really going crazy.  As he thought of that moment not so long ago when the sky was filled with arrows as he arrived he was so frightened that he was going mad.  If he had come any later, if he had come any later--!

A large gust of wind blew onto the, and he took off his fur cloak and wrapped Chu Qiao against his chest.  She was so thin, shrunken into a little ball, like a small child.

He raised his head looking at the snow filled sky, looked over the nearby powerful army of DaXia seething with murderous air, and looked at the lofty tower on LongYin Pass, and his heart was so angry he could no longer suppress his indignation.

Yan Xun, how could you be so hard-hearted?

You, how could you be so heartless?

"Your Majesty, DaXia sent a messenger to ask why Bian Tang has interfered in its internal affairs.  How should your subordinate respond?"

His guards dismounted and rushed forward, Li Ce carried Chu Qiao, his face cold.  He said lightly, "Tell Zhao Yang it was I, Li Ce who took this person away.  If he wants, We respectfully await him in Tang Jing."

"Your Majesty, we have brought him here."

TieYou came forward, and following behind was a middle aged man with a tattoo.  Impressively he was the leader of the group who had just come down from the snow peak to rescue Chu Qiao.

Li Ce's facial expression eased up a bit and nodded as he said, "Thanks to you all."

The man with the tattoo on his face lowered his head and replied, "We are few in number, and if it wasn't for the Emperor of Bian Tang, Her Excellency would have had a perilous end."

"Regardless, it was you all who came in time to save her.  This favor We will remember in Our heart.  If there is an opportunity in the future, We will repay it."

"I wouldn't dare presume.  I was merely following orders."

Li Ce's brow slightly rose, probing with a question, "From your master?"

"My master has already barred the Yan Bei main force.  He has also merged troops to reinforce at each strategic pass.  Bian Tang should hurry and get back on the road.  We will cover your retreat."

Li Ce slowly nodded, his gaze deep as he said in a low voice, "Mere thanks do not begin to express my gratitude for this favor.  Please be careful."

When all was said and done, Bian Tang's great army and the XiuLi Army left rapidly.  The army at LongYin Pass only numbered about 6,000.  As they saw Li Ce bring close to 200,000 troops in such stately fashion, for a moment they didn't know whether they should go out and pursue.  The defense commander considered it for a long time, until finally gritting his teeth and saying, "Hurry, go and ask for instructions from His Highness."

His troops all sighed in relief.  It was good since by the time they received further instructions, this threat will have already passed.  (TN: the threat is described as 'falling comets' or to describe a volatile and dangerous situation)

In less than half an hour, when the row of troops arrived at the ShiChuan exit, a prearranged group of about 2,000 people were quietly waiting.  After Li Ce's people exchanged a few words with them, those men left a horse carriage behind, turned around and left.

TieYou came back and said, "It's still those people, saying that they're prepared horses and food for the next 20 miles.  They've also left a carriage saying that Yan Bei was cold and chilly.  Your Majesty can ride in the carriage as you go."

He opened the curtain, and say that the interior was quite spacious and covered in soft brocade.  Under the high bed was an iron plate, and underneath two braziers burned.  Inside was warm as springtime.  There was also a small stove, and the lid to the medicine pot released white puffs of steam.  Lifting it up, he saw it was a hot, bubbling pot of ginseng chicken soup.  (TN: OMG where do I find a man like this?  I have to say it's a lot fancier than the smelly carriage they rode in on route to Bian Tang many chapters ago…. ^__^;)

"Your Majesty, this King of QingHai, what on earth kind of saint is he?  He gets a tide of people involved to do this, but is he really just trying to curry favor with Bian Tang?"

Li Ce quietly looked at the pot of chicken soup, and for a long time he did not speak.  Chu Qiao was lying on the bed inside the carriage, her little face so pale it was pitiful, but it seemed as though she felt the warmth and she slowly breathed a long sigh.  She then quietly curled up on the bed, peacefully, like a sleeping rabbit.

"TieYou, if it was you, who would do such things for you?"

Tie You was surprised, thought about it for a long while, then said in slow, halting words, "I'm afraid only my mother would.  Not even my wife would do it."

The corner of Li Ce's mouth pulled upward, and he smiled slightly, "Exactly. These kinds of people are quite few."

"Your Majesty, do you know who it is?"

"I know," Li Ce nodded.  He turned his head and gazed towards the boundless mountain range in the distance hidden away by the pure white snow.  His voice carried traces of light uncertainty, "If it was in the beginning I only had my suspicions, but now, I am certain."

Fate was tricky, with a deceptive, layered strategy and every one was wrapped in its silk threads like puppets, walking on their own path in a predetermined trajectory, and unexpectedly, no one was able to break free.  So why would he unveil the outcome during the prologue?

Li Ce smiled slightly, gently, with a bit of casual calm at the reversal of fortunes.

Zhuge Yue, I can't compete with you.  (TN: He literally says he is 'inferior' to him, but in English this fits too.  I think Li Ce is conceding to Zhuge Yue here, since Yan Xun is out of the picture.  This girl is boss, her reverse harem has quality choices….)

Before the brightness of dawn broke through, the thick snow finally stopped.  Before the sun showed its head, the vast land was still immersed in bleak darkness, and high on a mountain summit stood a man dressed in casual green robes.  The snow bird flapped its wings from a distance.  The man extended his arm and the most ferocious bird of the QingHai plains landed docilely upon it.  Its entire body was white except its tail, which had three long red feathers, bright like fresh blood.

He removed the written message. Even having escaped from calamity without dying, the hand writing had not progressed at all and was still ugly as ever, about as pleasing as a common shop sign, and it read: Tang Emperor took troops already returning to TangShui Pass, in good health, do not miss.

The man's face was calm, his eyes clear and cold as always.  He automatically hears his subordinate's ridicule for him.  Who is in good health? And whom should he not miss?

He used his pen to reply: No need to withdraw.  Just die there.  (TN: ^__^;;  The bromance between Zhuge Yue and Yue Qi is real)

When the young general received the message he grinned broadly, bearing all his teeth.  He waved his hand and called to the soldiers still bitterly complaining to high heaven, "Withdraw, we're withdrawing.  Let's go home."

"General Qi, you miss your wife then, eh?"

A man in his forties laughed heartily.  He had taken an arrow to his shoulder and had just now wrapped it, and he was currently like a hale man in his guffaws.  The tattoo on his face trembled, like a small, wriggling snake.

"Get out of here! You old bachelor.  I hope you will never suffer from the pain of yearning for your love in your entire life."

"Damn it, this Yan Bei whelp is too vicious!"

A 30 year old or so soldier came inside.  Despite the cold weather one shoulder was exposed.  The front of his chest was wrapped in white cloth, and it was apparent he had just been wounded in action.

"Ain't like I stole his wife, damn him, playing with my life."

General Qi laughed, "You weren't the one who stole his wife, our master stole her.  Let's go, we're not here to fight a war anyhow.  Tell QiLang to prepare the evacuation route.  Everyone go back and man your posts.  Get ready to make yourselves scarce."

The one General Qi called 'old bachelor' was also a general, and he muttered to himself as he stood up. He spoke as he walked away, "Methinks this battle the master has fought is not his style.  He didn't even take a look at his wife before letting someone else snatch her up.  It's not like we would have lost to them for sure.  This was kinda bad, as deals go." 

The men in the large tent gradually left, and General Qi stood on the battlefield, and having listened to the others' his mind slightly drifted for a bit, meditated on it for a while longer, and then whispered, "The Young Master cannot risk this danger!"  (TN: I don't think Zhuge Yue has fully recovered from his near death ordeal, but also it probably isn't the right time to reveal himself)

Exactly, a short battle ending in stalemate for the sake of diversion, there is death and misfortune there, and even if it produced a victory, what was the point?

General Qi thought of the person he saw on the battlefield earlier, a pair of young eyes gently narrowed, carrying with it a faint trace of bitterness.  This account will need to be squared away sooner or later.

 When Li Ce took Chu Qiao to TangShui Pass and boarded his ship, three dawns had already come and gone.  As the sun rose over the horizon it sprinkled gleaming, glittering golden light.  The sky was very high, clear and cloudless, none to be seen for miles.  TangShui Pass was close to the southwest, its climate very mild, and the river water was like a pulsing green jade.

The large ship set out with a thundering noise that rang out to the horizon.  Upward of a thousand large ships were anchored in a row, the frothy waves were set off in all directions encircling them, like rolling avalanches of snow.  The horizon appeared to be color glazed in a gorgeous cyan blue.  Each mast raised their fluttering white sails.  

"Set sail--"

TieYou called out loudly, his shout prolonged, carrying a few traces of cheerful air.

Li Ce stood at the stern, dressed in pine green brocaded robes, the shape of his eyes roguish, an uninhibited handsome man. He turned his head slightly upward to one side, saw the lofty CuiWei Mountain, and saw the faintly visible figure in rustling robes at its peak.

The sea of faces, the sea tide and the climate are interchanged.  The wind from the river blew upward to the mountain peak, bringing with it the delicate fragrance of dusk and it seemed to stir a subtle ache and numbness inside the bones.  Without precedent, his train of thought became clear.  (TN: Don't know who this line is referencing, but perhaps it's referring to Zhuge Yue here remembering the last time he confessed to her in Bian Tang as he watches them leave?)

Li Ce suddenly laughed, laughing like a crafty fox, happily grinning to reveal all his white teeth.  Then, to the horror of all his subordinates, he blew a passionate kiss towards the lofty mountain peak.  (TN: OMGROFL….)

Everyone became embarrassed, and TieYou asked cheerlessly, "Your Majesty, did you see a village woodcutter girl on the mountain?"

Lie Ce turned his head in pleasant surprise, "Ah! How did you know?"

Everyone sighed helplessly: Your Majesty, who would not know?  (TN: hahahaha)

The large river was like a chain, the ships meandering, the rising sun was starting to ascend, everything was perfect.

At the mountain peak a man stood quietly.  He clearly saw Li Ce's provocative gesture, his brow wrinkled slightly, but he did not turn around to leave.

The ships gradually went far away, but he remained there for a long, long time.  His heart was tranquil and quiet like the mountain and wind.  There was no sadness, no exhaustion.  The wind from XiaoXiao Mountain blew at his back.  His long shadow dragged behind him with a faint, clear radiance.  In the mountain forest the dust and water vapor mingled their scents and sprinkled onto his face with unusual warmth.

He absently thought of the expression in her eyes.  As if following the barren wasteland spread over with weeds that was his memory, he suddenly saw a tall tree and her gentle expression, her chilly disposition gone completely.  

He never needed her to know.  If he could, he would rather maintain the status quo, and send her off to a place of peace and quiet.

It was the ninth month, 29th day of year 778, when Bian Tang's chrysanthemums were blooming in season.  He could hear the sounds of horses in the city.  The bright and sunny day sprayed its golden light onto the ground.

The ships went south, slowly sailing into the direction of that extravagant and wasteful, sweet fragrance.

Translator's notes: I translated this chapter because the connection between Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao is real, even through his 'death', and even though they are both alive but apart, their connection is still there.  It's romantic without being a romantic scene.  She would rather die and go find him; he would save her at whatever expense.  But also he wants to keep her safe, even if it means she will never meet him, which is dumb, but I can see why he thinks that.  Even in his new position, he still has many battles to fight and he knows she is exhausted at this point.

We see how evil Yan Xun has become; he literally gives 0 f's that she's about to be pierced by a rain of arrows.  What was he thinking?  If she won't come back to me, then she's better off dead?  I will never let her go? That's messed up, man.  What a psychopath.

I have to say, I really love Li Ce.  He's fun and wise and loyal.  I almost spit out my tea when he blew a kiss to Zhuge Yue from afar….  These two make a good team.

So in the next part we have another time jump, another year, before she and Zhuge Yue meet at a local lantern festival…. ❤❤❤ -Kero