Fields of Gold

Chapter 569 – Civil Unrest

Xiao Rong looked battered and exhausted. Although he had a rough appearance, he looked quite handsome upon closer inspection. Yu Xiaocao felt that he looked somewhat familiar, and after she carefully pondered for a while, she suddenly blurted out, “Qiao Feng——no, you should be Xiao Feng!”

If Zhu Junfan was here right now, he would definitely agree with Yu Xiaocao’s statement. This person really resembled Felix Wong’s version of Qiao Feng. Even the clothes he was currently wearing were similar——his clothes were shabby and looked like a beggar’s clothes.

Xiao Rong was shocked as his tiger-like eyes locked on the thin figure in front of him. Last year, an elder brother from the same clan, who resided in the Central Plain for the majority of his life, had come back to the tribe to look for his roots, and his name was Feng. He couldn’t remember whether or not his elder brother’s surname was Qiao, but based on the surnames of the Khitan tribes, this elder brother should be called Xiao Feng. Could the young girl in front of him, who was as delicate and tender as grass, recognize the elder brother from the same clan? Did she see through his identity?

The prosperity of the Khitan tribes had long become history. During the Song Dynasty, their Liao Empire had taken over half of the country. But ever since the Yuan Dynasty started, their empire gradually declined. In order to avoid disaster, most of the people from the Yelu Clan lived with the Han people and changed their surnames into common Han surnames.

They were ambitious and wanted to restore the former glory of their ancestors. But their wishes were quickly smothered when they were faced with the well-trained and powerful army of the Great Ming Dynasty and the fierce tribes such as the Jurchen and Mongols. With them eyeing their clan, the survival for his clan members was extremely difficult.

While the clan had external worries, they also suffered internally. His brainless younger brother was incited by his own ambition and started a rebellion while he was celebrating his younger son’s birthday. Amid all the panic, he entrusted his wife and child to one of his confidants and tried to pacify and control the armed rebellion under good faith.

He never expected that the brother he entrusted had been bribed by their enemy and gave him a critical strike. Fortunately, he had brave and loyal soldiers accompanying him. They protected him and helped him escape from the rebel army’s siege. But after they broke out from the siege, there were merely a dozen good soldiers left.

When it rained, it poured. They had just broken out from the siege when the blood from their wounds attracted a pack of wolves. If it weren’t for the person standing in front of him, then he, Xiao Rong, the grand leader of the tribe, would’ve been eaten by wolves.

Xiao Rong secretly observed his ‘savior’. As he observed the other party and the other party’s subordinates, he realized that they were ‘well-trained’. The group in front of him didn’t consist of many people, but they were definitely not merchant caravans either. He could guarantee with his own life that these people definitely had military background and were brave and capable martial arts experts!

This was especially true for the leader of the group. Although he looked more beautiful and charming than a woman, he couldn’t hide the stern and imposing aura his body was exuding. Just by looking at his face, Xiao Rong could already feel the blood-thirsty spirit that was directed at him. Even the best fighter from his tribe stood no chance against that man.

Although they were close to the border right now, this territory still belonged to the Great Ming Dynasty. Even if he didn’t have a brain, he could already guess that the warrior standing in front of him was a soldier from the Great Ming Dynasty. But he hadn’t heard about a war breaking out at the border? Could it be that his stupid younger brother’s rebellion had already been exposed? Did the soldiers from the Great Ming Dynasty already prepared a counterattack plan?

Or could it be...the person who encouraged his stupid younger brother rebel was actually someone sent by the Great Ming Dynasty? The Great Ming Dynasty had become stronger and stronger with each year. They had a well-trained and powerful army. They even developed a very powerful firearm that could kill people that stood ten meters away. Could it be that the Great Ming Empire was starting to become impatient and wanted to immediately unify the various tribes outside its borders? Was the rebellion started by his own tribe, one of the conspiracies planned by the people from the Great Ming Empire? For a period of time, Xiao Rong was immersed in his thoughts.

What should he do? The young girl seemed to have recognized his identity. Although his wound was fully treated, his physical strength and energy were vastly depleted. It would take him a while to completely recover. Xiao Rong glanced cautiously at the tall and handsome man standing next to the young girl. Even if he was in his best condition, he still may not be able to escape from his opponent’s grasp. Furthermore, he could tell that the handsome man dressed in white was not someone that could be easily dealt with either.

Zhu Junyang remained calm and collected as he silently observed the battered and exhausted man standing in front of him. He noticed that the man’s muscles became taunt and his gaze towards Xiaocao was full of alarm and ill-intention when his little girl blurted out the words ‘Xiao Feng’.

However, Zhu Junyang didn’t take this person to heart. The man in front of him was injured, but even if the man was not injured, he was confident that he could protect the person he loved. Furthermore, Chief Steward Su looked as if he was inadvertently trying to protect the young girl by sticking to her side.

He glanced at Little White who was baring its teeth at the unfamiliar man. A glint of praise towards Little White flashed by Zhu Junyang’s seductive phoenix eyes. Little White was always alert and loyal. Its first priority had always been to protect its master. It seemed like he should give Little White an extra chicken leg later!

“Yongxi, do you know this person?” Yongxi was the name bestowed to Xiaocao by the empress, but Zhu Junyang usually preferred to address her as ‘Cao’er’ or ‘little lass’ since it seemed more intimate.

Yu Xiaocao was embarrassed as she touched her nose. She recalled that The Great Hero Qiao Feng was a character from a book written by Sir Jin Yong. She didn’t transmigrate into Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, so there was no one named Qiao Feng here. She chuckled dryly and said, “Uhm...I mistook you for someone else! I’m sorry!”

Her explanation allowed Xiao Rong to relax. He knew that he didn’t look like the elder brother from the clan that much. How could a young girl like her possibly see through his identity immediately? There were similar items in this world, so there were also people who resembled each other a lot. It was not impossible for the young girl to mistook him for the wrong person. However, he must act cautiously since he was now at the enemy camp.

Xiao Rong believed that he was hiding his identity very well, but he didn’t know that his reaction and action did not escape Zhu Junyang and Su Ran’s sharp eyes. The two people exchanged glances but decided to bide their time for now.

Zhu Junyang already noticed a few things. Judging from Xiao Rong and his two guards’ build and appearance, they looked slightly different from people who came from the Central Plains. Based on the way he talked and his manners, he was different from the commoners living outside the border. It was obvious that he had caught a big fish. A man with the surname Xiao? Didn’t the leader of the Tuha’erhanbu tribe use the same surname, Xiao, from the Liao Empire?

If he was indeed the leader of Tuha’erhanbu tribe, then it was strange for him to suddenly appear in the Great Ming Dynasty’s territory. From his current attire and wounds, he looked like he had run away! If he could boldly guess the reason, then he would assume that perhaps, there was civil unrest in the Tuha’erhanbu tribe.

Zhu Junyang was a talented military strategist. He was able to guess the other party’s identity quite accurately and quickly.

“This...warrior, would you like to have some barbecue?” Yu Xiaocao pointed at the rabbit they were roasting over the fire as she greeted the three guests enthusiastically.

In the past few days, in order to hide from the rebel army that was trying to kill them, Xiao Rong and his men had not had a warm meal for many days. To be more precise, they had not eaten in the past two days because the soldiers chasing after them were hot on their heels.

After he hesitated for a moment, Xiao Rong took the roasted rabbit from Xiaocao and divided it among the remaining two guards with him and devoured the food. The rabbit meat was grilled until charred on the outside, and the meat was tender on the inside. The rabbit meat was coated with honey and an unknown spice, making the meat flavorful and delicious.

“If that’s not enough, then the roasted lamb over there will be ready soon. Have some soup to moisten your throat!” Seeing how the three men were choking until their necks were straight, Xiaocao hurriedly gave them the remaining hazel grouse soup. They seemed quite pitiful. How long had they survived without food? How are they living worse than refugees?

Xiao Rong gnawed at the roasted rabbit and drank the bowl of fragrant hazel grouse soup that Xiaocao had given him. His belly was finally somewhat full. He sighed happily and looked up at the innocent young girl. He sincerely expressed his gratitude, “Thank you for your help and the food. Xiao Rong will not forget your kindness!”

Zhu Junyang nodded at him indifferently. He continued to roast the wild goats that Little White had hunted. Under the flame’s light, Zhu Junyang’s handsome and charming face dazzled Xiao Rong. It was such a pity that such a beautiful and charming face belonged to a man.

The people from the Central Plains were as beautiful as the rumors had said. The two men standing close by, one looked charming and the other one looked refined. Even the young girl who had yet matured looked as pure as the cold spring in the high mountains. There wasn’t even a trace of dust or dirt in her large eyes.

Did he guess incorrectly? Why would an innocent and young girl appear in the middle of a marching army? Furthermore, these people had tents set up and are barbecuing meat. They didn’t look like a marching army, instead, they looked like people who came out to play.

Xiao Rong thought of another possibility. Didn’t the Great Ming Dynasty have an imperial hunting ground? In the previous year, the emperor had also hunted in the hunting ground! Could it be that the three people standing before him were people from the Great Ming Dynasty’s imperial family? Could the well-trained guards who were standing beside them be the imperial guards that were assigned to protect these people?

Xiao Rong’s eyes flickered with that in mind. If this was the case, if he can contain these people, then wouldn’t he have enough bargaining chips to negotiate terms with the emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty? Wouldn’t he be able to ask him to send their army to help him regain his position as the head of his tribe?

However, he needed to take his time to make a final decision. Among the three people, the two handsome men were unlike the warriors he had fought against before. This was especially true for the charming and beautiful man. He gave off a dangerous aura. When his cold gaze met his eyes, he looked like a wild beast that was about to escape. Xiao Rong couldn’t help but tremble at that thought. The man dressed in white was a mystery. There was a glint in his eyes from time to time, and he couldn’t be underestimated. It seemed like, among the three people, he should start with the young girl who seemed like she knew nothing about the cruelty of the world.

“Have a taste of the roasted lamb leg made with my secret recipe. I added cumin, honey, and tomato sauce on it. It’s crunchy on the outside, and soft and fragrant on the inside. I promise that you will never be able to forget the taste once you eat it!” Yu Xiaocao was arrogantly flaunting off her cooking skills. However, the seasoning she made for the roasted lamb was finally made after many repeated attempts to perfect the recipe. Everyone praised her after eating it!

Xiao Rong subconsciously took the roasted lamb leg from her. He took a bite of the roasted lamb leg under the young girl’s expectant gaze. Sure enough, the meat was crispy on the outside, and soft and rich in flavor on the inside. The meat was tender and fragrant. In contrast, all the roasted lamb he had eaten before suddenly tasted like flavorless dregs.

After he finished the meat and soup, the young girl gave them the only unoccupied tent to them and said, “The three of you are injured, so sleep in the tent tonight! You can sleep peacefully because Little White and Little Black will keep guard. The wolves won’t dare to come close with them guarding!” With that said, she patted the two formidable wolves that were snuggling her.

Although the two wolves had a different colored coat compared to ordinary wolves, Xiao Rong had lived in the grassland for nearly 30 years. How can he fail to recognize the difference between a wolf and a dog? The black wolf had just killed off the leader of the wolf pack with just a few bites. The white wolf looked feistier and more difficult to deal with. It just happened that the two ferocious wolves were snuggling up against the young girl standing in front of him. They acted more docile and gentler than regular dogs. From a glance, it was impossible to believe that they were once wild animals. He felt incredulous at the sight.

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