Chapter 18: The Fault of Your Beauty

The meaningful conversation developed from the fable seemed to

throw a rock into the lake of life and sank to the bottom. The two

people communicating with each other might seem different at first,

but if their social status as the royal princess and the lumberjack in

Shu Bi Lake were disregarded then they were just two regular

teenagers.

When young people were surrounded by extreme environments such

as the depth of a well or a frozen cave, they will usually forget about

their status, responsibility, or some other things. They became purer

and more innocent under such circumstances. The campfire in the

nightly forest of the entrance to the North Mountain that just

underwent a bloody battle was one of such setting. Under its

influence, the Tang Princess Li Yu and Ning Que were simply an

audience and a storyteller.

Since the wounded soldiers around them were sleeping, the voice of

the storyteller must be low. To hear the story clearly, the audience

needed to be right next to the storyteller. Therefore, they sat next to

each other naturally, their shoulders were touching each other, They

exchanged some meaningless conversations around the campfire

until they felt sleepy.

After a long time, the darkness of night retreated. The stars gave

the sky above the tree branches back to the sun, and sound of

horses’ hoof was heard from the southern North Mountain.

The elder, Lu Qing Chen, and Ning Que opened their eyes at the

same time. They looked at each other and woke up the soldiers

around them. A barbarian soldier lay on the floor and listened, then

raised his right hand and made a sign. He made a fist and shook heavily and then fanned swiftly, telling the group that a mob of heavy

riders were coming from the south.

The campfires were put out. The burnt firewood left behind traces of

grey ashes that still lingered a few sparks. The guards and

barbarian soldiers struggled to push themselves up and took out the

crossbow that they prepared for emergency. The weapons were

aimed at the entrance to the North Mountain, which was still dark at

the moment. The group could not move quickly because the wounds

were too severe for swift movements. Furthermore, they knew the

power of heavy riders, it was useless to hide. The only thing they

needed to do was to wait patiently – wait to be saved, or to be

killed.

The fallen leaves on the North Mountain were blown off by strong

gales, and a couple dozens of cavalry rushed out of the gloomy and

dimmed forest. The knights and horses were both equipped with

thick black heavy armor; the combination of their weight and speed

trembled the earth and travelled like thunder. The leftover ashes

were vibrated off the ground and created a mist around the camp.

It was the most elite force of Tang Empire, the heavy armored

riders!

The calvary covered in heavy armor was unstoppable after they

started charging on the battlefield. Even the powerful Sword

Masters cannot deal effective damage against these heavy riders.

But the group in the entrance saw the knife marks and arrow holes

on the armors of these knights, clearly they got ambushed before

arriving; perhaps they were under attack at the southern exit of the

North Mountain. Under a situation like this, this group of heavy riders

still crossed the North Mountain overnight to reach and give aid to

the princess, it was clear they were desperate to protect her safety.

The couple dozen knights rushed out of the entrance and were thirty

yards away from the two campfires. The leading young knight

wearing a red cloak glanced at the group gathered around the

where is the princess!”

After hearing the name of Hua Shan Yue, the expressions of the

guards holding crossbows relaxed, they answered back loudly. Ning

Que lowered his head and looked at Princess Li Yu, who was

leaning on his shoulder. Her eyelashes twitched slightly and seemed

to almost woke up, Ning Que held back his simile and raised his

eyebrows. He quietly put away the yellow hard bow in his left hand.

Just like thunder strikes the horses’ hoof stepped over the North

Mountain, tearing or ripping the fallen leaves part. The young leader

named Hua Shan Yue got off his horse and ran quickly to the

campfire and kneeled on one knee. He then raised his two fists to

make a gesture, and spoke with his hoarse voice, “Shan Yue was

late of aiding and support. My crime is worthy of a thousand death,

please forgive my sin, Princess.

Now the couple dozen knights all arrived near the campfire. Fatigue

was undoubtedly on the faces of the most elite heavy riders of Tang

empire. The riders all got off their horses and kneeled behind Hua

Sha Yue and pleaded, “Please forgive our sin, Princess.”

Li Yu opened her eyes, it was unclear that if she just woke up or

maybe……she woke up a long time ago.

She looked at the province general of Gu Mountain who was

kneeling before her. Looking at the young general who was loyal to

her and looking at the riders who overcame ambushes and battles to

get here, her expression was filled with joy and excitement. She

smiled and said, “How long are you going to kneel, do you really

want me to punish you?”

She was very happy. These Tang cavalries had worried her for days

and hurried to the south way of the North Mountain overnight. After a

year they finally saw this able and virtuous princess again, how could

they not feel excited?

Hua Shan Yue turned his head up excitedly. He was going to say

something, but he saw the Princess was lying naturally on a young

campfire and yelled, “I’m Hua Shan Yue of Gu Mountain Province,soldier. Seeing this, his heart tightened up for no reason, his eyes

showed a sense of unhappiness and surprise, and his eyebrows

frowned.

Ning Que, who paid attention to the heavy riders, saw the young

general’s face as he turned his head up. It is a handsome face, with

the eyebrows extended upward like two swords, adding some heroic

manner to him.

At such young age, he was already a province general at Gu

Mountain Province, leading a regiment of heavy riders. Hua Shan

Yue no doubt is one of the contemporary Tang’s most outstanding

character, possessing great shrewdness.

However, in his life, he could never pass one threshold. He fell on

this threshold hard several years ago — this threshold had been

always buried in his heart, yet the entire Tang had known his love.

It was the heaviest and hottest love to Tang’s fourth Princess Li Yu

highness.

Hua Shan Yue’s sudden cold feeling, obvious was not towards Li Yu,

he was not dared to show any disrespect to the princess even if he

had to die — he was just very disliked the young soldier standing

next to the princess. Who did he think he was, how dare did he to

get so close to the noble princess, actually not close, but touched!!

He never got close to the princess even once in his life. He had

never enjoyed such nice treatment, if possible he would take out his

knife and chop off that young soldier’s shoulder!

Hua Shan Yue hide his jealous very well. At least in front of the

princess he would hide it well, so Li Yu only saw a temporary

unhappiness and surprise in his eyes.

She was surprised, then felt the warmth coming from her arm,

eventually understood where the young general’s strange feelings

came from. Subconsciously, she lifted her hand to neaten her hair in

order to hide her embarrassment — she did not even think it herself

that, she already lied on Ning Que’s shoulder for a night. Even though it happened in a special condition, but to Tang’s princess,

having such intimate interaction with a young man was certainly not

right.

Princess Li Yu slowly stood up.

Thereby, the maid eager to hear stories no longer existed.

The remaining heat on the two people’s shoulders were blown away

quickly by the morning wind.

Remained silent for a while, Ning Que shook his head and smiled,

looked towards her side face, suddenly he felt that she looked much

more lovely than before.

Coldness and arrogance obviously were not as beautiful as

calmness and grace.

However, he still thought that the girl looked the prettiest when she

was sitting by the firewoods.

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