Chapter 5 – Encounter with Rival in Love

Li Xiuning’s clothes were simple and elegant, her jade countenance was without the slightest makeup at all, she was only wearing a cloak and padded gown to give her shelter from the wind and the snow, which made her extraordinary grandeur, personality traits and breathtaking beauty even more prominent.

To Kou Zhong, she was the unattainable bright moon in the sky; he would never be able to pick her, ever.

This Great Tang’s noblewoman dismounted her horse and beckoned Kou Zhong to come with her to the side. “Xiuning is here to see you off,” she spoke softly.

Kou Zhong’s gaze swept Li Jing, husband and wife, who were standing in the distance, holding the rein of Li Xiuning’s horse. Suddenly a strange feeling welled up in his heart, a feeling that made him feel dejected, as if everything that has happened in the past, as well as at this moment, has lost its meaning, while the future was vague. “Where’s Chai Shao?” he asked blankly.

Even he himself did not understand why he was so untactful as to even mention this man.

Hanging her head down, Li Xiuning spoke in low voice, “He didn’t know I was coming. Ay! Why didn’t you want to see me?”

Kou Zhong’s mind went blank. Smiling ruefully, he said, “Even if I did, what could possibly happen?”

Li Xiuning’s face suddenly turned pale; distressed, she said, “Why do you insist on setting yourself against Er Huang Xiong [second emperor brother]? Don’t you know that he really regards you and Xu Ziling as his good friends?”

Kou Zhong took a deep breath of the cold air, his mind was clearing up a bit. “Even brothers can obstruct the wall as well,” he said heavily, “Much less friends who are just strangers coming together by chance. Tell me, is Li Xiuning actually helping your Er Huang Xiong, or Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji?”

Li Xiuning tightly bit her lower lip. Revealing a sad, tired look, she shook her head and said, “I don’t know! I really don’t know.”

Kou Zhong’s heart softened; he deeply felt the contradiction and depression from which she could not extricate herself. The fact that her very own brothers were fighting against each other ought to torment this touching princess like a heavy nightmare.

“Princess, set your heart at ease,” he spoke gently, “This time I am entering the Pass, perhaps it will be a good thing for Qin Wang. Ay! They are waiting for me; I must go!”

Li Xiuning also looked like she could not find anything else to say, she nodded and said, “Let Li Jing, husband and wife, come with you! If some mishaps happen to Khan, how could Xiuning answer Er Huang Xiong?”

Kou Zhong was shocked. Finally his mind was clearing up completely. He quietly pondered that if those two journeyed together with them, wouldn’t it be difficult to carry out the ‘secretly crossing the Wei River at Chencang’ stratagem?

“Absolutely not,” he hastily said, “Because …”

“Do you want Xiuning to talk directly with Khan?” Li Xiuning cut him off.

Kou Zhong thought that if he refused again, he would only be trying to hide it but made it more conspicuous. Defeated, he said, “We’ll do it according to Gongzhu’s [princess] order!”

Li Xiuning’s pair of elegant eyes emitted a complex, difficult-to-understand expression; gazing deeply at him, she said, “When you get to Chang’an, can Shao Shuai see Xiuning?”

Kou Zhong was stunned.

Three warships slowly steered away from Luoyang. They sailed to the east along the Luo River first, and then after reaching the Yellow River, they started to change direction inland.

Kou Zhong came to the main deck to look for Qin Shubao; he asked, “The Zheng troops on those two ships, are they under your, LaoGe’s control?”

Revealing a strange smile on his face, Qin Shubao replied, “Right now they are not, but very soon they will be!”

Pleased, Kou Zhong patted his shoulders and spoke in low voice, “Just expel the generals who don’t belong to our side off the boat; it’s not worthwhile to have them killed. Let them return and pass on the message to Wang Shichong. Making him so angry that he is half-dead will be more satisfying to everyone.”

Qin Shubao laughed and said, “In this matter your are still a bit more tenderhearted. I dare to bet my life that on the boat, there is one who thoroughly understands old thief Wang’s overall evil schemes, plus he must have a way to secretly communicate with Song JinGang on the other side. If we can catch this man, and then using heavy punishment to pry open his rotten mouth, we can beat them at their own game, to have Song JinGang fall head first in big tumble. Humph!