Chapter 4: Princess An Le

  Ji Qingchu got off the carriage and just mounted his war horse when a maidservant hastily walked up to him, bowed and said, "Your Highness, the princess is waiting for you on the mountain slope ahead!"

  "What's wrong?" Ji Qingchen was taken aback, and with a loud crack of the whip, the warhorse galloped up the mountain slope ahead.

  On the mountain slope, a red-clothed figure stood facing the wind, it was Princess Anle of Liguojing. She was quietly gazing at Ji Qingchen. Ji Qingchen dismounted and quickly walked to Princess Anle's front, only to find that the girl's eyes were already brimming with tears.

  "Xiao'er——" Ji Qing whispered softly, now the thousands of words in his heart were hard to utter.

  Princess Anle didn't say a word, she slowly turned around and stared blankly at Ji Qingchen.

  When Ji Qingchen saw the girl in front of him with tears all over her face, he suddenly felt a pang in his heart. He walked a few steps forward and instinctively used his hand to wipe away the tears from the corner of her eyes.

  "Sorry..." he said softly.

  Princess Anle did not resist, quietly allowing his icy fingers to lightly stroke her cheek.

  She suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, gently pressing her face against Ji Qingchen's chest. Ji Qingchen was taken aback by the girl's actions, but the unique fragrance on her body wafted to his nostrils, causing his heart to flutter. Suddenly, their past memories flooded his mind, and he recalled the promises he had made to her, feeling a surge of inexplicable guilt. He tightly hugged her into his embrace.

  The two of them stood there quietly, embracing each other, neither of them saying another word. It was as if the whole world had narrowed down to just the two of them. At this moment, the sun in the east slowly rose, casting a warm glow over their bodies, making them look like a pair of divine lovers descended from heaven.

  After a moment, Princess Anle slowly lifted her head and said in a low voice, "Qingchen brother, I want to ride the horse again."

  "En!" Ji Qing answered softly.

  He slowly knelt down in front of the girl without hesitation.

  Seeing Ji Qingchen's actions, Princess Anle's eyes were filled with tears once again. The scene from ten years ago reappeared vividly before her eyes.

  Ten years ago, he was just a seven-year-old boy who had just arrived in the country as a hostage. The first time they met, she told him that she wanted to ride a horse. At that time, she saw a flash of anger in his eyes, but he still crawled obediently in front of her and let her ride on his back, making him crawl around the main hall like a horse for her.

  But who would have thought that this ride would determine their lives?

  Ten years have transformed him from a young man full of resentment to the confident and wise prince before her eyes. Ten years have turned her from a spoiled and willful little girl into the most beautiful princess in the kingdom. Ten years have also changed them both, she has become the only person he can confide in, and he has become the one she can rely on and be pampered by.

  And the reason she has never asked her imperial brother for anything is because she has a light dust brother who always protects her and treats her like a fairy. She knows that no matter what she wants, as long as her light dust brother can do it, he will not refuse her.

  Just like seven years ago, she said she wanted to ride a horse, he quietly crawled in front of her, his eyes no longer had hatred, only a faint love.

  Just like two years ago, they went hunting together. At that time, the team encountered a royal cavalry of Ximeng in the western desert. From afar, she had her eyes on a purple sable on the saddle of the opposing leader, which was extremely beautiful. She opened her mouth and said she wanted it. He just nodded slightly, rode out alone, and fearlessly charged into the enemy's 3,000 elite cavalry. Within hundreds of meters, he killed twelve of the opposing generals one after another. Finally, he rushed to the front of the opposing leader, beheaded him with a single spear thrust, and retrieved the purple sable she wanted.

  It was on that day that she cried for him for the first time, and for the first time she truly felt how important her position in his heart was. It was only at that moment that she understood that he had been willing to be her horse all along, not for her power or status, but because he loved himself.

  That day, she found herself falling in love with him too and said to him, "Qing Chen Gege, when I grow up, will you marry me?"

  "He said, 'Good! Ni'er, when your hair grows down to your waist, I'll marry you!'"

  Another two years have passed, since she fell in love with him, she never said that she wanted to ride a horse again, except that she was a princess and grew up knowing the difference between men and women, it's because she truly regarded him as the man who could spend his life with her, she felt he shouldn't be treated like a horse crawling on the ground, but should be like an eagle soaring in the sky, striking across the vast expanse, galloping freely.??The Imperial Map 4

  It has been two years since she last made such a request, and today when she mentioned it again, she thought he would refuse because he was going back to his country to become the Ninth Prince, or even the Crown Prince of Great Yan, or perhaps even the Emperor.

  But as soon as she spoke, she found that her younger brother Leng Chen still responded without hesitation, just like ten years ago.

  The only difference from ten years ago is that when he heard his own words ten years ago, his eyes were full of hatred, but now when he hears his own words, his eyes are filled with love.

  Princess An Le was stunned!

  Her fragrant shoulders trembled, her whole body shook violently, tears gushed out like the Yellow River bursting its banks, and she hugged Ji Qingchen tightly as he knelt in front of her. "Qingchen brother, I don't want you to be like this, I hate you, I hate you to death... I was just joking, I just wanted to say it..."

  Ji Qingchen slowly raised her head, looking at Princess Anle with a gentle expression, and smiled wistfully. "Nuan'er, I once promised you that I would take care of you for the rest of my life and never let you suffer any grievances. But today, because I really want to return to Yan Guo... Nuan'er, last night I dreamed of Mother Empress, and when I woke up, I found myself crying. It's been ten years since I left my country as a hostage, and now I don't even remember what my mother looks like. Nuan'er, it's not that I'm afraid to stay in this country or that I don't want to marry you and grow old together with you... but because I fear that if I stay here for too long, I'll forget who I am? Forget that I'm still a man from Yan Guo, that my blood still has the bronze-like blood of a Yan Guo man?"

  "Brother Qingchen! I know! All the things you said, I remember!" Princess Anle said with a choked voice. "Brother Qingchen, as long as you live well, no matter what you do, I won't blame you. I will always remember the words Brother Qingchen said. Even if Brother Qingchen returns to Yan Country, I won't forget about Brother Qingchen. I believe that one day, Brother Qingchen will definitely get everything he wants!"

  "En!" Ji Qingchen nodded heavily at Princess Anle.

  At this moment, he felt a gentle and icy lip tightly pressed against his own.

  Princess Anle's soft lips lightly kissed Xi Qianchen's mouth.

  The girl's soft, fragrant tongue shyly and awkwardly pried open his tightly closed teeth, entwining with his tongue, and the tip of his tongue also sent a wave of intoxication.

  He instinctively held Princess Anle tightly in front of him and immediately responded to her kiss.

  This passionate kiss seemed to make him forget everything between heaven and earth.

  Just as Xiāng Jī was deeply entranced in the girl's kiss, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his tongue tip, piercing his heart!

  "Ah!" He grunted and held back from making a sound.

  The corners of Princess Anle's mouth were stained with a hint of blood, and she was looking at him with a satisfied expression.

  "Xu'er——" Just as Ji Qingchen was about to speak, Princess Anle said in a firm tone, "Brother Qingchen, you're leaving soon, let Xu'er dance one more time for you?" Without waiting for Ji Qingchen to respond, she got up and stepped forward a few steps, beginning to dance gracefully on the snowy official road.

  She wore a red skirt with silver-edged hems, a pale pink sash around her waist, and as she turned lightly, her sleeves rose like snowflakes drifting, or like dandelion fluff dancing in the breeze.

  Mei Di is as lovely as an immortal fairy descending from heaven!

  Ji Qingchen and the Yu Lin riders on the official road were all stunned.

  Suddenly, Ji Qingchen let out a loud roar, "Bring me my Focused Tail Guitar!"

  He was preparing to accompany Princess Anle.

  But he forgot that he was no longer under the protection of the Yu Lin Lang guards beside the horse carriage.

  Half a moment later, a maid hastily retrieved an ancient zither and handed it to Ji Qingchen.

  Ji Qingchen took over the zither and sat cross-legged on the official road, placing the frets on her own legs.

  "Qiang——" The sound of the guqin rose, its tone rich and lingering, like the gentle babbling of a brook, yet with a hint of sorrow, reminiscent of the secluded orchid in the mountains. As the ancient melody "Eternal Longing" faded away, his singing voice also began to drift:

  North Mountain has geese, feathers like snow.

  The autumn wind is mournful, paired wings flying south.

  The wings are broken in the rain, what can be done about it?

  The north wind is howling, but it will never leave you.

  With the sound of the zither and singing, Princess Anle's dance steps became more lithe, her dancing posture even more beautiful.

  She twirled with a lithe dance step, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, as if never getting tired, and seemed to be in a myriad of spinning movements.

  It's hard to distinguish between face and body. The speed of rotation seems to exceed the speeding wheels and the swift whirlwind.

  The residual sound is lingering, and the dance posture is fluttering.

  On the hillside, in the afterglow of dawn, a maiden dances lightly, and a young man plays the zither on the ground.

  Just like a picture of celestial lovers! Forever imprinted in the sky!

  "——Clang——" As the last note fell, Princess Anle stopped her light dance steps.

  At this time, beads of fragrant sweat had already appeared on her forehead.

  Ji Qingchen saw the situation and immediately got up to wipe away the sweat on her forehead. Princess Anle stopped him, she beckoned to a distant place, and a follower led a snow-white war horse that was as white as snow to her side.

  Princess Anle took the reins and led the warhorse to Ji Qingchen's face, then took out a letter from the saddle, along with the reins and the letter, and put them in Ji Qingchen's hands. "Brother Qingchen, this is Yu'er's White Rabbit-born horse, it's already three years old, and can go to battle with you now. Yu'er will give it to you! Also, when Yu'er left the city, General Li asked Yu'er to deliver this letter and this sword to Brother Qingchen. Brother Qingchen, Yu'er is leaving now, Brother Qingchen take care on your journey, from now on Yu'er won't go anywhere else, just wait in the capital for Brother Qingchen, waiting for Brother Qingchen to ride the little white horse to the capital to marry Yu'er."

  "Teacher's letter?" Ji Qingchen was taken aback. Just now, the teacher was in the carriage, why didn't he hand over the letter and knife to himself? But instead wanted to pass it through Princess Anle's hands? Was there some unspeakable secret in the letter? Ji Qingchen's gaze shifted towards the direction of the imperial carriage that had just left the country, feeling a bit bewildered.

  "Teacher..." he muttered to himself, his thoughts suddenly returning to ten years ago, the scenes of getting to know the teacher, learning swordsmanship from the teacher, and learning military strategies from the teacher.

  Princess Anle saw Ji Qingchen silent and did not interrupt his thoughts. Just as Ji Qingchen was dazed, she flipped onto the horse, whipped the white rabbit's back fiercely, and the warhorse's four hooves left the ground, flying swiftly, disappearing on the mountain slope in an instant.

  Princess Anle walked away resolutely, not giving Ji Qingchen a chance to bid farewell. When he came back to his senses from the sound of horseshoes, Princess Anle's figure had already disappeared into the distance, leaving only a small black dot.

  Ji Qingchen had just swallowed the words that were hidden in her heart, and could only silently gaze at the departing figure of Princess Anle, lost in thought.

  After a long time, he let out a faint sigh and walked to the side of the little white horse, taking down the war knife his teacher had given him from the saddle.

  The battle knife is very ancient, three feet long, with a ferocious wolf head carved on the handle.

  Ji Qingchen's expression changed as soon as he saw the knife, and he couldn't believe his eyes. "This... is actually Li Yaoshi, the War God of Liguojun's, Wolf Blade."

  This was the ancestral treasure of his teacher Li Qingyi, the battle knife of Li Yaoshi, the war god who left the country and Li Qingyi's grandfather. Now that his teacher had given him the family heirloom, a nameless melancholy surged up in Ji Qingchen's heart.

  He slowly grasped the hilt, and as soon as the knife entered his hand, a cold and murderous aura pierced into his bones. His body trembled, and he made a great effort to calm his mind before slowly pulling out the battle knife.

  The sword was drawn from its scabbard, emitting a deafening roar like a dragon's cry, with an aura of slaughter that pressed in on people.

  She tightly grasped the war knife, gazing quietly for a long time before putting it back in its scabbard and securing the Wolf's Edge to her waist. She gently patted the neck of the little white horse and muttered to herself, "Little White Horse, from now on you'll be called Xi Ying! You've left your mother, I've left Xie Er. Today we leave Li Guo and return to Da Yan to conquer the world. Don't worry, as long as Ji Qingchen still has a breath in her body, when we become strong enough one day, I will take up my knife again with you and head north to welcome back Xie Er at the Imperial City of Li Guo, to welcome back your mother. Alright?"

  Xī Yǐng seemed to have understood Jiāo Qīng Chén's words, and let out a few low, mournful cries. It gently rubbed its head against Jiāo Qīng Chén's face several times.