Chapter 105: At the Break of Dawn

Li Xuan bit her lip, her eyes flashing with cold disdain as she squeezed them shut, allowing Kong Sheng to carefully feed her half a bowl of meat broth. Despite her animosity, the broth was the most delicious she had ever tasted.

She never asked what Kong Sheng had put into the broth, and he, naturally, never mentioned it. In Li Xuan’s mind, it was obvious: given the treacherous and shameless nature of this young thief, he must have drugged the soup to coerce her.

In reality, Kong Sheng was merely putting on a show; he had added nothing. The porcelain bottle contained only refined salt. Kong Sheng often found the food of the Tang Dynasty unpalatable and carried the salt to mask the taste of the crude fare.

Once the feeding was finished, Kong Sheng opened the inn door, letting the whistling cold wind sweep into the room. Then, under the stunned and silent gaze of Li Biao, the leader of the soldiers outside, he gently and meticulously retied the headband that held Li Xuan's hair in place, before finally untying her bonds.

To any onlooker, they appeared to be a pair of deeply devoted lovers; the tenderness, care, and consideration he displayed were beyond what any ordinary person could fathom.

Li Xuan took a deep breath, a flicker of murderous intent vanishing from her eyes as quickly as it had appeared. She rose, stretched her stiff limbs, and turning her back, said in a low, stern voice to Li Biao outside, "Li Biao, leave me be. Call the others to set up camp in the town. We continue our journey at daybreak!"

"As you command!" Li Biao, though astonished, bowed and departed.

Li Xuan turned back to face Kong Sheng and said coolly, "You little thief, you have finally achieved your goal. However, I still have some doubts. Henan is a land ravaged by war. Why are you heading there instead of fleeing to the south of the Yangtze River? Is that not strange?"

Li Xuan truly could not fathom his motives. She had initially assumed that Kong Sheng’s party was merely traveling to Shouzhou for academic purposes and had fled here in a panic after clashing with her men. For the sake of safety, he should have held her hostage and escaped deep into the southern territories, rather than pushing into Henan. Yet, he was doing the opposite, which she was certain masked some sinister intent.

Kong Sheng waved his hand dismissively. "They say it is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books. I wish to traverse Henan and Hebei, to observe the local customs and broaden my horizons. It would be a life well-lived."

Li Xuan curled her lip in contempt. She knew Kong Sheng was not telling the truth, but she did not press him further. With Henan in chaos and danger lurking everywhere, what customs were there to observe? Since this little thief had a death wish, she would let him have it.

The night grew deep.

Inside the inn, Li Xuan claimed the best guest room for herself. Even as a "captive," the proud Princess did not know the meaning of modesty. Kong Sheng took another room, while Mu Changfeng squeezed into one with Wu Xian and Wu Xie. As for Li Xuan’s military escorts, they camped in the town, surrounding the hundred or so grain wagons to guard them.

***

Kong Sheng had somehow "turned enemies into friends" with Li Xuan. Mu Changfeng and the others did not know the specifics, nor did they care, but the result was favorable—a fact that left Wu Xian and Wu Xie overjoyed. Regardless of how Kong Sheng achieved it, it was a piece of good news that offered them a lifeline in a desperate situation.

Despite Li Xuan’s orders, Li Biao remained uneasy. He led a dozen battle-hardened soldiers to keep watch outside the inn in shifts, ready at a moment's notice. If there was the slightest disturbance, they would storm the inn, annihilate Kong Sheng and his companions, and rescue Li Xuan.

They might have remained at peace until dawn, but at first light, everyone—Kong Sheng’s group in the inn and Li Xuan’s escorts camping in the town—was jolted awake by the thunderous sound of hooves and the vibrations of marching feet.

Kong Sheng threw on his robes and stood up. Li Xuan, followed by Mu Changfeng, rushed out of the inn. With a stomp of her feet, she soared through the air, leaping onto the roof ridge. Such mystical agility left Kong Sheng inwardly envious.

If only he could move with such grace and ease, how wonderful that would be.

A moment later, Li Xuan and Mu Changfeng descended.

Li Xuan’s face turned deathly pale and grim. She glared at Kong Sheng and hissed in a low voice, "You shameless little thief! You broke your promise and deceived me—you’ve actually led the government army here!"

Kong Sheng frowned and turned to Mu Changfeng. "Brother Mu, what is happening?"

"Young Master, a large army has arrived outside the town. All of them are cavalry, numbering over a thousand. Judging by their uniforms, they seem to be... they seem to be the Jiangning garrison troops!" Mu Changfeng leaned in and whispered, "Young Master, did you truly not signal them?"

Kong Sheng gave a bitter laugh. "This has nothing to do with me. Princess, we are still on the border between the south of the Yangtze and Huainan. The rebels would not dare come here. If I am not mistaken, these must be local government troops or the Jiangning garrison. Their intentions are unclear, so please, do not act rashly."

Li Xuan spat. "Nonsense. We are a merchant caravan; how could we oppose the government? Li Biao, pass the order immediately: tell our men to stay calm, show no flaws, and let us see what these government troops want."

As the dawn light brightened, the arrival of this massive cavalry force threw the small town into a state of chaotic panic.

The thousand-strong force surrounded the town with grim, murderous intent. A young commander, clad in the armor of a Jiangning garrison lieutenant, led dozens of riders into the town. He stared coldly at Kong Sheng and Li Xuan’s group, shouting, "Government troops pursuing rebels! Stay where you are and await inspection!"

***

Li Xuan’s subordinates had already received orders not to act recklessly, so they stood obediently by the grain carts they were guarding, submitting to the inspection. Their personal weapons, such as their long blades, had been hidden nearby in the town.

The young lieutenant rode up, eyeing Li Xuan and the others, his long spear leveled across his horse. He demanded, "Who are you? Report your names, your origins, and produce your travel permits!"

Li Xuan signaled to Li Biao with a glance.

Li Biao immediately stepped forward, his face wreathed in smiles as he bowed. "General, we are a merchant caravan from the Shunfeng Trading Company in the north. We are transporting grain from the south back to the north and happen to be passing through. We have already registered at the Runzhou prefectural office; here is the clearance permit from the prefecture. Please, General, have a look!"

The young lieutenant examined the "travel permit" while still on horseback. In truth, there was no issue with it. Although Li Xuan’s caravan was disguised as troops from the north, they did indeed have people from the Shunfeng Trading Company with them and had utilized the company’s legal documentation.

However, the young lieutenant was not satisfied. He tossed the permit, stamped with official seals, back to Li Biao and waved his hand, declaring sternly, "Men, search thoroughly! Do not let a single cart or a single rebel slip through!"

Watching the government troops ransack their caravan, overturning many of the grain wagons and scattering sacks of rice onto the ground, Li Xuan’s brow furrowed. Just as she was about to speak out to stop them, she saw Kong Sheng drift out from behind her.

Kong Sheng bowed to the young lieutenant. "May I ask, General, are you from the Jiangning garrison, under the command of Commissioner Yang?"

The young lieutenant finally noticed Kong Sheng. After a brief look, he was startled and exclaimed, "Could it be the young master of the Kong family?"

Kong Sheng smiled. "Kong Sheng of Jiangning, greetings, General!"

The young lieutenant laughed heartily. He jumped off his horse and walked over to Kong Sheng, cupping his hands in a salute. "I am Jiang Ping, under Commissioner Yang. I am under orders to pursue rebels. I did not know you were here, young master. Please forgive my rudeness!"