Chapter 950: Release Her

Hui Qingping's gaze paused only briefly on Quan Taifeng before sweeping across the surroundings.

Seeing her current wretched appearance, Quan Taifeng kept a smile on his face but sighed inwardly with emotion.

Her hair was loose and disordered, bits of straw caught in it. Her clothes had been rubbed filthy, yet she was still wearing the garments of an empress. The contrast was especially striking.

Rights and wrongs, favors and grudges—Quan Taifeng no longer wanted to say anything about any of it. He stepped forward. "Let's go."

Hui Qingping gave a cold laugh. "I never expected you would be the one to send me on my final road."

Quan Taifeng froze, then gave a bitter smile. He understood that she had misunderstood. Moving aside, he extended a hand to invite her forward. "This isn't the place to talk. Let's leave first."

Hui Qingping stood where she was without moving. "If you're going to do something, say it directly. There's no need to drag this out."

"Hui Qingping..." The words reached Quan Taifeng's mouth, but he swallowed them again. He did not bother explaining further. Reaching out, he grabbed her by the arm and simply dragged her away.

He did not take her anywhere else. He brought Hui Qingping directly aboard a large flying mount.

Afterward, three large flying mounts spread their wings and departed. They rose into the dawn sky and quietly left while most of the people in the Song capital had yet to wake.

Because of Hui Qingping's status, quietly sending her away was preferable to releasing her openly. It preserved at least some face for the Song court.

It also helped protect Hui Qingping's safety.

Wu Gongling had considered killing with a borrowed knife. For example, perhaps some accident might happen on the journey, or perhaps word could somehow be leaked to Tiannü Sect.

In the end, however, he had not dared make any reckless move because of Niu Youdao's arrangements.

Niu Youdao had not sent anyone to receive or protect Hui Qingping. He had demanded that Song itself deliver her safely to Zijin Cave before he would consider the matter settled. If she failed to arrive safely, nothing counted. No one was going to play tricks with him.

Neither Wu Gongling nor Song's three major sects dared act recklessly. On the contrary, they were terrified something might happen to Hui Qingping on the road.

As for why Quan Taifeng had been given responsibility for escorting her, this kind of compromise and submission was hardly glorious. No one wanted the assignment, and everyone feared being held responsible if something went wrong.

So Quan Taifeng failed to escape. Those who suggested he go all used his relationship with Niu Youdao as their argument. They said he was the most suitable person to escort her, and that there was no shame in it because he was simply doing his sworn brother a favor.

He had been sent to Zijin Cave to speak with Niu Youdao because of his relationship with Niu Youdao. Now he was being sent to escort Hui Qingping because of his relationship with Niu Youdao.

Because of that one thing, he had been forced to make trip after trip back and forth to Zijin Cave. Quan Taifeng had nowhere to complain about the injustice of it. As far as he was concerned, he did not have much of a relationship with Niu Youdao at all. How had the two somehow become entangled beyond getting free?

Looking back at the receding Song capital beneath them, Hui Qingping said, "Are you taking me outside the capital before you make your move? If you mean to kill me, do you really need to be this cautious? Oh, you're afraid Wu Gongling will lose face if word spreads, aren't you? Quan Taifeng, you're a dignified Elder of Lingxiao Pavilion, yet you've reduced yourself to running errands for Wu Gongling?"

She still believed Wu Gongling intended to kill her.

Once she had cleared her head after being trapped in the middle of events, no one understood more clearly than she did that Wu Gongling would not spare her.

She also knew nothing about what had been happening outside.

Although she was not especially familiar with the affairs of the secular world, she knew enough to judge something from the prison guards' attitude toward her. This time, when they brought her out, nothing in their reactions suggested they intended to let her go. If she were truly safe, there should at least have been some sign of it. At the very least, they would not still have dared treat her so rudely.

What she did not know was that the guards themselves did not understand what was happening either. Her release had been kept secret. The same reason applied: the Song court was afraid something might happen to her.

Quan Taifeng sighed. "Hui Qingping, stop talking in that barbed tone. You've escaped this calamity. You should be satisfied."

Escaped this calamity? Hui Qingping was startled inwardly. Suspicious, she said, "Wu Gongling would let me go? He won't spare me. I have no one left to rely on. I've lost all value to him. He would have no scruples about killing me."

"No one to rely on?" Quan Taifeng chuckled and shook his head. "Originally, I thought you wouldn't escape this calamity either. I also thought you had no one left to rely on. Who could have known someone would suddenly step forward to protect you? When this person moves, the effect may be greater than if Tiannü Sect itself came forward. Even Tiannü Sect probably couldn't threaten Song into submission, and Wu Gongling certainly wouldn't give Tiannü Sect this much face. Hui Qingping, I don't think you'll be able to guess who it was."

Hui Qingping was alarmed and uncertain. "Someone is still protecting me? Who?"

Quan Taifeng teased, "Think again. Think about what other relationships you still have."

Hui Qingping frowned and searched her memory. She thought and thought, but finally shook her head. She still could not imagine anyone among all her connections who possessed that kind of influence.

At first she had assumed Tiannü Sect might be demanding her return for punishment, but Quan Taifeng had already made it clear that Wu Gongling would never give Tiannü Sect that face.

In the end she could not resist asking, "Who? Tell me directly. Stop playing riddles."

"Ah!" Quan Taifeng sighed. "I knew you wouldn't guess it. I also knew you wouldn't think of him. That's understandable. Forget you—even I found it hard to believe he would step forward to save you. Hui Qingping, perhaps you've forgotten one person. But that person doesn't seem to have forgotten you. Have you forgotten that the two of us share a sworn younger brother?"

A sworn younger brother? Hui Qingping was dumbfounded.

She had only ever sworn siblinghood once in her life. With the reminder made this explicit, how could she not know who he meant? After the name flashed through her mind, she blurted, "Niu Youdao?"

Quan Taifeng chuckled. "Who else could it be? If he doesn't have some other purpose this time, then you truly ought to thank him properly. To save you, he caused quite a commotion. He practically put a blade to Song's neck and forced our three major sects and the imperial court to compromise and release you."

Hui Qingping found it difficult to believe. "He would save me?"

Quan Taifeng said, "Exactly. I found it strange too. To tell the truth, I couldn't see any particular reason he needed to save you."

Hui Qingping asked, "He can force the imperial court and the three major sects to compromise and release me?"

Quan Taifeng said, "You didn't expect it, did you? Neither did I. Only after he acted this time did I realize that his influence over Yan's military is far greater than we imagined. All of Zijin Cave cooperated with him. Forces throughout Yan began mobilizing on a massive scale. The Bozhou army stood poised like a tiger, while Meng Shanming personally reached the Bozhou front to deploy troops and issue a proclamation. He gave the court three days. If they didn't release you, Yan would immediately attack Song!"

He sighed. "Back then, he was nothing more than an abandoned disciple of Shangqing Sect, making trouble in some forgotten corner. Who would have taken him seriously? Things are different now. Hui Qingping, he is no longer the Niu Youdao we met at Maolu Villa, someone you and I could threaten. Today, neither you nor I is capable of threatening him."

He chuckled again. "You should remember that sworn-sibling ceremony at Maolu Villa quite clearly. I doubt you ever dreamed that one ridiculous sworn bond—a bond even you yourself never took seriously or thought worth noticing—would one day save your life at the moment you were in the greatest danger."

Hui Qingping frowned. "What does he want?"

Quan Taifeng said, "You're asking me? I don't know. I asked him as well and never got the answer I wanted. That fellow may look unserious, but more and more he gives people a feeling of unfathomable depth. If you want the answer, ask him yourself after you meet him. If you find out, you might as well tell me too. Then this escort trip of mine won't have been wasted."

Hui Qingping fell silent for a while. Looking down at herself, she suddenly said, "If you've decided to release me, why are my restrictions still in place? Undo the restrictions on me."

Quan Taifeng refused. "No. That fellow Niu Youdao is slippery. He was afraid we'd play tricks, so he specifically demanded that Song personally deliver you to him. Otherwise, if anything happens, he refuses to recognize the matter as settled. If I remove your restrictions, you become difficult to control. What if you run away? I won't be able to answer for it. Once we reach Zijin Cave and I hand you over to him, you can do whatever you want. It won't have anything to do with me anymore."

Hui Qingping said, "I've already fallen this far. Where could I possibly run?"

Quan Taifeng was not about to yield easily. He had to guard against Hui Qingping hating Wu Gongling enough to return to the Song capital and cause trouble. He reminded her, "You're being escorted in secret this time. You can probably guess some of the reasons. We have to guard against people with ulterior motives interfering. Those who would love to see Yan and Song go to war cannot be ignored. Leaving everything else aside, Tiannü Sect would never let you go if given the opportunity. Stay quiet until we reach Zijin Cave. Once you're there, you'll be safe. Tiannü Sect doesn't have the ability to charge into Zijin Cave and do whatever it pleases. You've already spent so long in prison. Do these few extra hours really matter? Endure it."

After hearing that much, Hui Qingping stopped arguing.

Song had released her.

Faced with Yan's military threat, Wu Gongling had ultimately yielded.

Times had changed.

During the earlier war with Han, he could still act like a cracked pot that no longer cared about another fall, pushing every responsibility onto the dead Mu Zhuozhen. Things were already ruined anyway, so he had had little left to care about. Now, however, he truly could no longer smash the pot simply because it was already cracked. The old logic that the barefoot man has nothing to fear from the man in shoes no longer applied to him.

Handing his own woman over to someone else was certainly humiliating, but plenty of rulers had done the same sort of thing. One did not need to look far for an example. Mu Zhuozhen himself had sent one of his favorite consorts to Shang Jianxiong, Emperor of Yan. As for rulers sending daughters away in marriage alliances, such examples were beyond counting.

Of course, it was not that Wu Gongling had yielded.

He had merely been forced by the pressure of his court officials. They had threatened him with their lives, leaving him no choice but to agree...

Across a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers, Quan Taifeng returned once more to Zijin Cave and finally delivered Hui Qingping safely to the Maolu Annex.

The moment Niu Youdao received the news, he personally hurried out of the Maolu Annex to welcome them. Seeing the two arrive, he was overjoyed. He cupped his hands respectfully, bent at the waist, and greeted them. "Greetings, Big Brother, Big Sister."

Yuan Gang watched from a distance. He could never bring himself to make a gesture like Niu Youdao's.

Hui Qingping still looked somewhat disheveled, though she was much better than when she first left the prison.

She had not wanted to appear before others in such a state. Along the road she had wanted to bathe, wash, and tidy herself, but Quan Taifeng refused.

He was afraid that landing anywhere along the route might expose them to an ambush. As far as he was concerned, delivering Hui Qingping safely was more important than anything else. He would permit no accident. Hui Qingping's dignity and appearance were not his concern.

Left with no choice, Hui Qingping had removed the outer robe that represented her status as Empress, then loosened her hair and let it fall over her shoulders.

Now, faced with Niu Youdao's greeting, Hui Qingping did not know what to say. Seeing Niu Youdao again left her feelings complicated.

Quan Taifeng, on the other hand, laughed cheerfully. "Little Brother, I kept my word, didn't I? I've delivered her to you safe and sound."

"Many thanks, many thanks." Niu Youdao cupped his hands in gratitude, then immediately looked at Hui Qingping with concern. "Big Sister, are you all right? They didn't do anything to you, did they?"

Hui Qingping shook her head.

Niu Youdao immediately turned back. "Hongniang, take Big Sister to bathe and wash up. And examine her carefully as well."

He was clearly afraid someone might have poisoned Hui Qingping.

[End of Chapter 950]