Cai Huan was sent out of the Palace in secret. All the precious jewellery and clothes she accumulated over the years weren't allowed to be worn, and all of her Xia clothes were stripped off. She could only wear an ordinary robe. The most valuable thing currently in her possession was the golden hairpin that Xia Xi secretly gave her.
She saw the golden hairpin and began to wholeheartedly regret it. She knew just how important it was to Xia Xi, but he was willing to give such a thing to her, just to ensure that she wouldn't have a hard time in the future. Whenever she thought of this Cai Huan would feel guilty and at the same time secretly thank the heavens that she didn't get the chance to make an irreversible mistake. At least Xia Xi's body wasn't harmed because of her shameful behavior.
Holding the golden hairpin in her arms, Cai Huan sat on the narrow carriage and truly couldn't help crying this time. She felt uncomfortable, regretful. She remembered when they first came to the Barbarian country. She was young at that time. She was sad because she was chosen but Xia Xi fed her candied fruit and took care of her along the way. When she was sleepy he would even let her sleep on his thigh... and how did she return the favor? She knew that Xia Xi also loved the King very much, but she still deliberately seduced him for her own selfish desires. She also told Xia Xi about it, begging him to fulfill her wish... She saw Xia Xi's kindness and knew that he valued herself, so she triumphantly took advantage of it all..
After Xia Xi went to the temple, although her limelight wasn't as good as Hu Jie's, and although she really wasn't favored, she was still fascinated by the beautiful clothes, valuable jewelry, and power. After Hu Jie died, she even vaguely hoped that Xia Xi wouldn't return to the Palace, leaving her the only one in it. She believed that one day the King would see her in a good light and finally favour her. But she was too undignified and excessive, deliberately going to see Xia Xi in her spare time, deliberately showing off in front of him, and deliberately taunting him...
How could she do so many harmful things at that time?
Perhaps growing up in the Xia palace affected her thoughts to some extent. Everyone there was always scheming on how to climb up unscrupulously, Cai Huan felt that she could do it too, but now she regreted it, she had done too many wrong things.
Cai Huan cried for several hours, she cried until she was exhausted and gradually fell asleep in the carriage. She's been used to living well for several years now, she usually slept on a soft bed covered with a quilt, although she was very sleepy, she still woke up after just two hours of sleep in this cold and hard place.
There was a bit of light coming in from the gaps of the carriage, Cai Huan stretched out her hand to open the curtain and saw a white cloud appearing on the horizon. The carriage was walking on grassland, occasionally she could see piles of messy rocks but couldn't tell where they were, Cai Huan turned towards the Palace servant who was manning the carriage and asked: "Where is this?"
The Palace servant replied without turning his head: "We'll be there soon."
Cai Huan asked: "Are we still in Yudu?"
The Palace servant responded with a perfunctory attitude but Cai Huan didn't dare to complain. There were seemingly no shops in this village, and there seemed to be only two people and a carriage left in this world, it made her panic. She regretted her behavior again. If not, she would've still been sleeping beautifully on her large bed at the moment. When she woke up, someone would wash her up and dress her up, she'd still have a delicious breakfast to eat. Afterwards, she could tease the cat and pet the dog and then go to Xia Xi's place to gossip with him, if she was lucky, she might be able to see the King...
However, everything was ruined now because of her, if Xia Xi hadn't been benevolent, her act of attempted murder towards the Queen and unborn Prince should've asked for no less than a hundred lives in return.
Fortunately, her life was still there and there was a valuable golden hairpin in her hands. She was only 20 years old this year, as long as she returned to the Xia kingdom, she could sell the golden hairpin at a good price and buy a bit of property. She could have a family, she would marry peacefully and give birth to a few children...
When Cai Huan thought of this hope arose in her heart again. She hadn't eaten anything for two days, before leaving, she only ate only cold and hard naan. During this long journey, her belly naturally became hungry and her throat felt thirsty, but when she searched the carriage she found no dry food. She could only open the front curtains and ask, "Brother, do you have any food? I'm hungry. If there's none, water is fine."
The Palace servant said: "No."
Cai Huan looked down at his waist which clearly had a water flask and said: "You have water on you, give me a bit to drink?"
The Palace servant looked back at her, stopping the carriage, untying his flask to throw to her. Cai Huan picked it up in a hurry, she unplugged the stopper and poured it into her mouth to only almost spit it out. She said, "This isn't water, it's wine." The wine of the Barbarians was extremely strong, not at all like the sweetness of Xia spirit, ordinary people were naturally unaccustomed to drinking. The Palace servant took the flask back, he took a sip and said, "I told you there's no water."
Cai Huan's face was a little red because of the wine's spicy taste. The servant man suddenly said: "Maybe you should have a drink now, it's better than drinking water."
Cai Huan shook her head repeatedly, "I won't drink this horrible thing." She coughed a few more times, and the Palace servant stuffed the water flask and hung it on his waist again. He raised his whip to drive the horse and said, "We'll be there soon."
Cai Huan finally suppressed the taste of alcohol and asked, "Are we coming out of Yudu?" She knew they were going to the border between Xia and the Barbarians, and would definitely not be able to get there in just one night. The Palace servant didn't answer, he only drove the carriage further, the sky was getting brighter and brighter, as if someone was gradually pulling away the dark curtain covering the sky. From the initial light slowly bloomed the bright dome, and the golden sun in the distance also came out, letting people know that today was another fair sunny day.
There were some messy stones erected on the endless grassland, some of which were man-made, and there were only more stones the more they moved forward. Cai Huan had been out of the city several times but had never been here. She felt puzzled in her heart and couldn't help asking: "Where is this? Why are there so many stones?" The Palace servant didn't answer, just driving the carriage and navigating around skillfully. After walking past those stones, Cai Huan gradually panicked when she saw his attitude. Some bad associations appeared in her mind, her face turned pale and she said, "Where are you taking me?" The Palace servant still didn't answer, Cai Huan asked again and again and even waited for the horse-drawn carriage to slow so she could escape. The carriage suddenly turned over a huge stone, it stopped and the Palace servant finally said, "Here."
Cai Huan felt even more panic in her heart, she wanted to ask him where this was. She raised her eyes and looked forward, there were many people not far away. Seeing the person in front, Cai Huan weakened.
The person riding on the tall horse was the King of the Barbarians. Chu Lan, the man like a wolf.
When he wasn't with Xia Xi his temperament condensed with a coldness that encapsulated his body, as if he would attack someone at any given time. Cai Huan admired him, but she was also afraid of him. She wanted to get close to him, but she dared not approach him. Seeing him appear in front of her at this moment, even if she was naive, she wouldn't imagine that she was actually important enough for Chu Lan to personally send her to the border.
Unless there was another meaning in"sending".
The handsome man looked down at her condescendingly. The Palace servant hurriedly got out of the carriage and saluted him. Chu Lan nodded slightly, and the Palace servant stood aside with his head down. There were twelve riders beside Chu Lan, all majestic and strong, and he was at the centre of them, the most dazzling one. Even if ordinary people just casually glanced at them, they would still know who was the head among them.
Cai Huan wanted to shrink into the carriage, but knew that she couldn't hide herself in plain sight, she had to come out tremblingly. Her voice quavered as she called the King and asked: "Does His Highness have any more instructions?" She knew that she might end up badly, mentioning Xia Xi at this moment may be equivalent to a ray of life.
When Chu Lan heard this he laughed mockingly, he squinted at her and said, "You still have the face to mention him?"
Cai Huan was flushed with embarrassment, but threat was ahead so she had to muster the courage, she said: "I... I know that I've made a huge mistake, and I'm extremely grateful to His Highness for sparing my life, and for the King, I am also grateful for the kindness of the King..."
Hearing these words, Chu Lan suddenly sneered. He said, "Who said I was kind?"
Cai Huan looked at him in surprise. Although she knew that Chu Lan had two faces in front of Xia Xi, she didn't expect the difference to be like this. Chu Lan took back his smile and said, "Benevolence and kindness are for the deserving, and you've happened to have done the most nefarious of things. From the day you started to calculate against Xi'er you should've understood that I wouldn't be fair towards your affairs."
Cai Huan drew back in fright, she cried out as if she had lost strength and said loudly: "The King had already agreed to His Highness, His Highness said that he would spare my life. If the King insists on violating this, then are you not afraid of His Highness becoming devastated once he knows?"
Chu Lan didn't move at all, he smiled lightly and said, "If it weren't for his sake, I would chop you off and feed you to our wolves. First, I'll make you watch how your legs are torn to shreds, your hands devoured, and your internal organs..." Cai Huan yelled in fear when she heard this, "No... no... don't say... forgive me... please..."
Chu Lan watched her collapse coldly, unmoving. Cai Huan cried loudly, sad and afraid when she suddenly heard a peculiar sound. It sounded like someone hoeing the ground. Cai Huan followed the sound and found three people in a group, they were not hoeing the ground, but digging a hole. Cai Huan trembled all over, she said in a trembling voice: "My lord, what are they- what are they doing?"
Chu Lan said, "This is the burial grounds of the Barbarians, what do you think they are doing?"
Cai Huan finally knew why there were so many rocks here. The burial of Barbarians were completely different from Xia rites. She only heard about it occasionally before, but now she seeing it with her own eyes on her death date.
The sound of digging kept ringing, Cai Huan knew that unless Xia Xi appeared things wouldn't have a turnaround, and how could Xia Xi appear here and now? Her heart went from hopeful to desperate, to fear to panic, and now she was numb. After some time, she heard the sound of "digging up" and blankly regained her senses.
The sun had become brighter, it was slanting down. When she looked up, she found that this place actually had very good scenery. Cai Huan slowly got out of the carriage and tidyed up her hair and clothes, trying to make herself look decent. When Chu Lan's horse was finally in front of her, she plucked up her last bit of courage to ask, "Your Majesty, you could've left this kind of thing for others to do. Why did you come in person? Is it... is it because of me......"
Anticipation arose in her eyes. As long as she knew that the man she had admired had little affection for her, even if it was just a little pity, she would be satisfied.
Chu Lan laughed mockingly when he heard her, he said, "Are you prone to thinking too much? How could I put you in my eyes? If it weren't for Xi'er, I wouldn't even spare a look towards you."
Hearing such merciless words, Cai Huan trembled, "Then you... then why are you here? Why did you make me your concubine before?"
Chu Lan tilted his head and gestured. A guard next to him turned over and got off his horse. He walked towards Cai Huan and reached out to search her. Cai Huan hadn't reacted yet, but the handkerchief she had hidden had already been taken. After touching it briefly, he held it up in front of Chu Lan. The next moment Chu Lan took it, checked it, and then carefully hid it in his person, he sneered: "I'm here to take back something that Xi'er cherishes. You don't deserve this. As for why I agreed in the first place, it's of course to stimulate Xi'er, do you really think I'll lust for you?" He sneered again, and this time, didn't even bother to look at her.
When the pit was big enough, Cai Huan was pushed in. She laid down without resistance, her tears fell as the shovel took dirt to cover it. She took one last look at the blue sky and closed her eyes. She only wished for one thing before she died; she prayed that Xia Xi would never do anything against this man, otherwise there would be terrible consequences.
She could already see clearly that in her humble life, only Xia Xi had been sincere to her: generous enough to forgive her faults and give her the most cherished things, so she only hoped that Xia Xi would never experience such suffering in this life.\n<b>____</b>
<b>PastTimer: I always feel that a death flag had been raised</b>