Killer Queen: Tyrant, prepare to die!

Chapter 66 He risked his life to say goodbye that very night: If I don't return, the entire Northern trade route is yours.

At midnight, the sound of rapid hoofbeats suddenly rang out outside Qihuang Garden.

Not just one horse, but more than a dozen fast horses, shattering the tranquility of Hangzhou.

The guard on night duty had just drawn his sword when he heard a familiar voice from outside the door: "Xiao Jue of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion requests an audience with Lady Yehuang!"

His voice was hoarse, carrying the weariness of a long journey.

Ye Huang hadn't slept at all.

She sat in the study, a map of the Northern Border spread out on the table, and beside her lay Xiao Jue's brief, urgent letter. The candlelight flickered, illuminating her tightly furrowed brows.

"Miss, Prince Xiao, he..." Jinshu hurriedly pushed open the door and came in.

"Please come to the front hall." Ye Huang stood up, casually grabbing the cloak draped over the back of the chair. "Prepare tea, strong tea. Also, have the kitchen make a bowl of noodles, with two extra eggs."

"Yes."

---

In the front hall, Xiao Jue, dressed in a black outfit, looked travel-worn.

His eyes were bloodshot, his lips were chapped, and there was still frost on his shoulder armor—he had traveled all night from the North, probably without even having a sip of water along the way.

"Young Master Xiao." Ye Huang entered and handed the cloak to Jin Shu. "Sit."

Xiao Jue, however, remained standing still.

He looked at her, his gaze deep, as if trying to etch her image into his eyes: "Something has happened in the North."

"I know." Ye Huang sat down opposite him. "I've read your letter. How is the Prince of Zhenbei's injury?"

"He was shot in the shoulder with an arrow, and the arrow was poisoned." Xiao Jue's voice was terribly hoarse. "The army doctor has temporarily suppressed the poison, but Father is old, and it's hard to say whether he can pull through."

He paused, then said, word by word, "The Northern Kingdom has assembled 100,000 iron cavalry and breached Beishan Pass three days ago. They are now launching a fierce attack on Zhenbei Pass. If Zhenbei Pass falls as well... the sixteen cities of the northern border will be left defenseless."

Ye Huang's fingertips trembled.

One hundred thousand iron cavalry.

She knew that the northern deserts were strong, but to gather 100,000 elite troops at once meant they were going to fight to the death.

"Where are the imperial reinforcements?" she asked.

Xiao Jue smirked, a cold smile playing on his lips: "The Ministry of War says they're allocating provisions, and the Ministry of Revenue says the national treasury is tight. Liu Chengzong's men are blocking the way, so reinforcements won't arrive for at least another half a month."

half a month.

Can Zhenbeiguan be held for half a month?

difficult.

"So you rushed back overnight because..."

"I'm going back to the Northern Border," Xiao Jue interrupted her, his gaze fixed on her face. "I'm leaving tonight."

There was silence in the hall.

The candlelight crackled and popped.

Ye Huang looked at him: "From Hangzhou to the Northern Border, even at the fastest horse, it would take seven or eight days. You should hurry back..."

"We can make it in time." Xiao Jue's voice was steady. "The people of Mobei need to rest and regroup after breaking through the pass. It will take at least five days. I'll take a shortcut and arrive in six days. I can also bring my father out before the city falls."

He spoke calmly, but Ye Huang understood—

He wasn't there to guard the pass.

He went to rescue people.

Faced with 100,000 iron cavalry, Zhenbei Pass could not be defended. All he could do was to get his seriously wounded father and the soldiers who could still evacuate out before the city fell.

This is going to one's death.

At the very least, it's a matter of life and death.

"Xiao Jue." Ye Huang called his name for the first time, "You..."

"Night Phoenix." This was the first time Xiao Jue had ever called her that. It wasn't "Madam" or "Miss," it was just Night Phoenix.

He stepped forward, took out a letter sealed with wax from his pocket, and placed it on the table: "Inside are the contracts and contact lists for all of Jinxiufang's trade routes in the Northern Territory. From Liaodong to Hexi, there are a total of seventeen trade routes and thirty-nine outposts, all of which I have arranged."

He looked at her, his gaze so focused it sent shivers down her spine: "This journey is perilous. If I do not return... this will be enough for you to establish yourself in the North."

Ye Huang suddenly stood up: "Xiao Jue!"

"Let me finish speaking." Xiao Jue pressed her hand down.

His hands were cold, and there were bloodstains from the reins on his palms, but the force was great, as if he wanted to remember the temperature of this moment.

"Although the North is harsh and cold, its people are fierce and untamed, unlike the deeply entrenched communities of Jiangnan. You have money, goods, people, and these established connections. Once you get there..."

"Xiao Jue." Ye Huang grabbed his wrist with her other hand, her voice tight, "I don't want your trade routes."

Xiao Jue smiled.

He actually has a very handsome smile; his brows and eyes relax, softening the coldness and hardness he has developed from years of battles.

"I know you don't want it," he said, "but this is the only thing I can give you."

He withdrew his hand, took a step back, and solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Night Phoenix, take care."

After saying that, he turned and left.

"Wait!" Ye Huang called out to him.

Xiao Jue stopped at the door without turning around.

Ye Huang strode into the inner room, took out three palm-sized white jade bottles from a hidden compartment in the dressing table, then turned back and stuffed them into his hand.

"What is this?" Xiao Jue asked, looking at the bottle.

"Life-saving stuff." Ye Huang spoke quickly. "The white bottle is for internal use, to stop bleeding and relieve pain. The red bottle is for external application, to detoxify and promote tissue regeneration. The black bottle... is anesthetic powder, used when the pain is unbearable, it will make you fall asleep."

She paused, then looked up at him: "Xiao Jue, the Northern Frontier needs you, the Prince of Zhenbei needs you, and those soldiers... need you too."

Her eyes shone brightly in the candlelight: "So, you came back alive."

Xiao Jue held the three jade bottles that still held her body heat, his Adam's apple bobbing.

He looked at her deeply, and in that look there was so much—reluctance to part, concern, gratitude, and... some feelings that were hard to describe.

Finally, he only said three words:

"it is good."

Then he pushed open the door, stepped out, and mounted his horse.

Ye Huang chased after him to the door.

In the courtyard, more than a dozen warhorses had already turned around. Xiao Jue, sitting on the black horse at the front, turned back to look at her one last time.

The moonlight shone on his face, highlighting his resolute features.

"drive!"

The sound of horses' hooves rose again, sweeping out of the courtyard like a gust of wind and disappearing at the end of the long street.

Ye Huang stood at the doorway, the cold autumn wind blowing in, making her cloak flutter loudly.

Jinshu took out a thick cloak and gently draped it over her shoulders: "Miss, it's cold outside, let's go back inside."

Ye Huang didn't move.

Looking at the empty street, she suddenly asked, "Jinshu, do you think he can come back?"

Jinshu's eyes reddened: "Young Master Xiao is highly skilled in martial arts and is familiar with the terrain of the Northern Border. He will surely be able to turn misfortune into good fortune."

"Mmm," Ye Huang responded softly.

But she knew that nothing was certain on the battlefield.

Before 100,000 iron cavalry, individual martial prowess is insignificant.

She turned and went back into the house, walked to the table, and unfolded the map of the North.

The finger traces a path from Zhenbeiguan southwards, across the Yanshan Mountains and the Yellow River, finally stopping in the capital.

Liu Chengzong...

He was delaying reinforcements at this time in order to make both the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion and Mobei suffer heavy losses so that he could reap the benefits.

Or... is he actually colluding with Mobei?

A cold glint flashed in Ye Huang's eyes.

"Mo Shisan!"

Mo Shisan, who was guarding outside the door, immediately came in: "Miss."

"Two things," Ye Huang said coldly. "First, utilize all of Tingfeng Tower's spies in the Northern Territory. I need to know the real-time movements of the Northern Desert Army and the battle situation at Zhenbei Pass. Report daily without delay."

"yes!"

"Second," Ye Huang looked at him, "investigate Liu Chengzong's dealings with Mobei. I need evidence; no clue can be overlooked."

Mo Shisan's heart skipped a beat: "Does the young lady suspect..."

"It's not a doubt," Ye Huang pointed to the location of the capital, "it's certain. Go investigate."

"Understood!"

After Mo Shisan stepped down, Ye Huang sat back down in her chair.

She looked at the flickering candlelight, recalling Xiao Jue's gaze before he left, the bloodstains on his palm, and his words, "This journey is perilous; if I do not return..."

My chest suddenly felt extremely tight.

She pressed her hand to her chest, where the original owner Shen Qingci's lingering emotions remained, along with a kind of... attachment that she herself hadn't even realized she possessed.

"Xiao Jue," she whispered, "you absolutely mustn't die."

Outside the window, the autumn wind was bleak.

The snowstorm in the North is fast approaching.

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[Next Chapter Preview: Liu Chengming seizes the opportunity to launch an attack! Jinxiufang faces a government raid! Ye Huang reveals the Zhenbei Prince's token, and Liu Chengming sets his sights on her!]