No one from the capital came to look for them, and everything seemed calm as if nothing had happened. Qin Yuanxi continued to head south, nearing the jurisdiction of the capital. However, Zhao Tuo refused to go any further, regardless of how Qin Yuanxi tried to persuade him.
No matter what Qin Yuanxi said, Zhao Tuo wouldn’t agree.
“There are bandits in the mountains, it’s not safe.”
The road ahead led to Changze Town, a bustling place where Qin Yuanxi had felt safe all along the journey. Besides, this was the territory under the Emperor’s feet, although a bit far from the capital. Would those reckless bandits dare to cause trouble here?
What else could they want if not a death wish?
Qin Yuanxi didn’t take Zhao Tuo’s warning seriously; he thought Zhao Tuo was just trying to scare him, urging him to return to the palace quickly. The more Zhao Tuo tried to persuade him, the more determined Qin Yuanxi became to continue southward. After all, the General held his Emperor in high regard and wouldn’t force him to turn back. So, Qin Yuanxi insisted on proceeding south, and Zhao Tuo had no choice but to follow.
As fate would have it, they indeed encountered bandits.
Under the bright blue sky, the carriage was surrounded by a group of masked men.
One big man waved a dagger and shouted with a threatening tone, much like those Qin Yuanxi had seen on TV. It was probably something like ‘leave your money, or your life.’ The main road was not going to be a free passage.
However, Qin Yuanxi still had some doubts about this real-life banditry.
He couldn’t help but wonder how bandits could dare to rob in the vicinity of the imperial capital, even if it was a bit far. Didn’t they fear the Emperor? Wasn’t this tantamount to rebellion?
Perhaps, they were planning to rebel?
The thought sent chills down Qin Yuanxi’s spine.
He couldn’t simply believe that these bandits were merely after rebellion. Qin Yuanxi’s mind led him to suspect that the Regent Lu back in the capital might be plotting a rebellion. He deliberately had Zhao Tuo lead him to this place, where they coincidentally encountered a gang of bandits, and even the mighty General’s desperate fight couldn’t protect him. Thus, this ill-fated puppet Emperor would meet his end here.
Qin Yuanxi could even imagine what would happen next. Either they would quickly find another more controllable puppet to replace him, or the Regent Lu might end up donning the yellow robe himself.
This was the way the story went, as it had for thousands of years, and Qin Yuanxi had mentally prepared himself for this.
What he hadn’t prepared for was Zhao Tuo, the one driving the carriage outside.
When they had been traveling together for so many days, Qin Yuanxi couldn’t find a single fault with Zhao Tuo’s behavior. He always put Qin Yuanxi’s needs first, taking care of every aspect of their journey flawlessly. Whether it was food, clothing, shelter, or anything else, Zhao Tuo had it all taken care of, making Qin Yuanxi unable to find any faults. With just a glance, Zhao Tuo could tell whether Qin Yuanxi wanted something salty or sweet to eat. If they slowed down while walking, Zhao Tuo immediately knew what little trinket had caught Qin Yuanxi’s eye, and he would quickly buy it for him.
The attentiveness was on point. Actually, Zhao Tuo had already won Qin Yuanxi’s heart, and Qin Yuanxi had long thought of taking this loyal dog as his personal belonging.
If, just if, all of this turned out to be a pretense, Qin Yuanxi might find it hard to accept. Not just hard to accept, but he feels like his emotions have been deceived. To kill, to rob, to vie for the throne, do whatever you want, what’s the point of deceiving people like this? Are there too many plays to act out?
Sitting inside the carriage, Qin Yuanxi shivered all over, almost able to foresee his future. With trembling hands, he lifted the curtain and was about to speak up when Zhao Tuo executed a spinning kick, kicking the curtain with a burst of internal strength, sending Qin Yuanxi tumbling back into the carriage.
Fortunately, the carriage was padded softly, so he wasn’t hurt badly, but that impact was still quite painful. “Young Master, stay put, leave it to me.”
Zhao Tuo’s voice was steady, followed by the sounds of swords clashing chaotically. The more chaotic it got, the more confused Qin Yuanxi felt. He had already been certain that Zhao Tuo was the henchman of the Regent Lu who had come to take his life, but now, it seemed not so certain.
Through the gap in the curtain, Qin Yuanxi saw at least thirty to forty people surrounding the carriage, each wielding weapons. Zhao Tuo defended and attacked around the carriage, resolutely preventing those bandits from approaching even half a step, protecting Qin Yuanxi firmly. It was evident that he wasn’t just pretending or showing some superficial defense; Zhao Tuo’s moves were lethal, each strike aimed at critical points, bloodshed without mercy!
In a split second, Zhao Tuo was already surrounded and being attacked from both front and back, a slash hitting his arm directly.
“Zhao Tuo!”
“Young Master, stay inside!”
Ignoring the wound on his arm, Zhao Tuo retaliated with a backhand slash, followed by a kick to push the assailant away. He then turned to glance at Qin Yuanxi, relieved to see him unharmed, and shouted loudly, “Young Master, stay hidden, don’t come out!”
Zhao Tuo was skilled, very skilled. These mountain bandits were no match for him, and he quickly drove them away. But no matter how skilled he was, he was still flesh and blood. After the thieves retreated, Zhao Tuo leaned against the carriage, addressing Qin Yuanxi on the opposite side, “Apologies for startling you, Young Master.”
“How are you? Get inside quickly!” Qin Yuanxi pulled and dragged Zhao Tuo, determined to get him inside the carriage. At first, Zhao Tuo was unwilling, but faced with Qin Yuanxi’s stern expression, he didn’t dare refuse and could only follow his orders, obediently entering the carriage.
Zhao Tuo was quite injured, and Qin Yuanxi didn’t want to delay. Guiding the carriage, they rushed forward slowly and finally arrived at Changze Town before dark. They knocked on the door of a medical clinic, and an elderly doctor opened it. Upon seeing the two covered in blood, he wasn’t very pleased. Qin Yuanxi handed over a bag of money before the doctor reluctantly agreed to help.
“Looks frightening, all external injuries. Just take good care of them, change the dressings on time, and there shouldn’t be much of a problem.”
The doctor washed his hands, looked at Qin Yuanxi, and seemed hesitant to speak. Qin Yuanxi thought there might be some changes in Zhao Tuo’s injuries that weren’t good, so he quickly went outside with the doctor, finding a secluded place before asking, “Doctor, his injuries, are they-“
The doctor waved his hand, “The injuries are fine, it’s just that you two have all these knife wounds. If you’ve offended any enemies, it’s best to leave quickly. My shop is small, and I’m getting old. I’ve already done you a favor by opening the door for you, but I can’t afford any more trouble.”
So that’s the reason. Qin Yuanxi’s mood dropped a bit, “I don’t know, we encountered a group of bandits on the road before entering the city, but I’m not sure if it was real or not. Don’t worry, Doctor, we’ll leave right away and won’t trouble you any further.”
The old doctor, relieved, replied, “It’s that group of people. They arrived three years ago and occupied a village in the northwest mountains. They set up their lair there and demand tribute from passing wealthy merchants and households. If not, there won’t be any good fruits left to eat. Young master, you’ve stirred trouble with them.”
“What? Real bandits?” Qin Yuanxi wasn’t fully convinced, “This place isn’t far from the imperial city, under the Emperor’s feet. How could these bandits dare? Doesn’t the government take any action?”
“The government wishes to intervene, but unfortunately, they lack the ability to do so. They attempted several campaigns to suppress them, all in vain.”
The old doctor waved his hand, “It’s not difficult to understand. As you said, it’s still under the Emperor’s feet, a plum position. Who would be willing to give it up? If this matter was reported, even if they manage to save their official hats, they’ll still have to return to their local positions.”
With the explanation, Qin Yuanxi understood. The old doctor knew they had tangled with mountain bandits, not some personal rivalry. This realization eased his worry, and the doctor didn’t rush them to leave. Instead, he brewed another round of medicine for Zhao Tuo. After Zhao Tuo finished the dose, Qin Yuanxi led him away from the medical clinic.
On the way, Qin Yuanxi repeated the doctor’s words to Zhao Tuo and questioned, “Did you know there were bandits there all along?”
Zhao Tuo nodded, “Yes, I knew.”
That was why he didn’t want Qin Yuanxi to go there, but Qin Yuanxi didn’t listen, and he couldn’t do anything about it.
“Zhao Tuo,” Qin Yuanxi stopped and turned to look at him, hesitating for a while before apologizing, “I misunderstood you.”
Zhao Tuo seemed puzzled by his words, simply responding, “There’s no need for such apologies, protecting you is my duty.”
“I’m a bit confused,” Qin Yuanxi continued, “The old doctor said the local authorities didn’t report the presence of bandits to the court, so that’s why the imperial government didn’t send anyone to suppress them. If that’s the case, how did you know?”
Zhao Tuo stopped as well, showing a hint of confusion in response to Qin Yuanxi’s question, “W-why would I know?”
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
