67. The storm
The carriage was driven up to the open space in the forest where a large pavilion stood that overlooked a large lake. The four ladies inside hadn't peeked out yet, as they were in a joyful conversation. So when they stepped down from the carriage they were surprised to see that only Madam Luan was seated in the pavilion. Su being the highest ranked lady lead Rushuang, Yunchuan and Xunan up to the pavilion. "Madam Luan, where is the dowager empress? We were meant to meet her here."
Madam Luan smiled, knowing who this woman was Su felt a cold shiver running down her spine, but she knew well enough not to show this anxious feeling. "The dowager empress was called back to the palace, she asked me to entertain you while she takes care of an urgent matter." Su nodded and all ladies sat down. Two royal maids stepped forward and placed the tea and refreshments on the table. There was a strange energy in the air. Su could see that the maids also seemed a bit nervous. One of the boys, who had come with the four ladies, came and placed a small travel crib next to Su. Yunchuan who had been holding Mei Ling placed the sleeping baby in the crib. Before the boy returned to the carriage Su stopped him and asked him to bring the carrying harness. "I wish to take a walk along the lake with Mei Ling." She said as an explanation. When the boy returned with the basket with straps with which Su could easily carry her daughter on her back, Su covertly checked the inside and placed it next to her.
After they'd finished the tea and Mei Ling had been fed Su declared she wished to walk along the lake. Madam Luan said she was too tired but that the young women should go without her. And so the four friends did. Su glanced backwards one last time, still suspicious of something, but unsure of exactly what.
Upon their return it was quickly apparent that something was horribly wrong. Surrounding the pavilion were the bodies of the royal guardsmen, who the empress had left behind to guard madam Luan and the other ladies. The two maids were lying on the pavilion, blood glistening around them. Su turned her head to check that the carriage was still there, it was, but the boy and coachman had also been killed. Upon the pavilion madam Luan stood, she was surrounded by men dressed in black, all had their swords drawn, one had his sword against the neck of madam Luan. Just as Su turned to check on the others she saw warriors in black step out of the bushes and engage the guards who had escorted the ladies in combat. The fight wasn't long as the unknown warriors outnumbered the guards easily. At sword point the four ladies were driven back to the pavilion. The warriors forced the four ladies in the carriage. Su could just hear two of them discuss orders to take madam Luan in their own carriage, just before she herself stepped into the carriage. Two warriors joined them, effectively cutting of the possibilities of the four women to discuss the predicament they found themselves in. So they remained silent, anxiously looking at each other and the warriors. Yunchuan dared to speak first: "How dare you take us, don't you know who we are?"
"Of course we know who you are. You're the reason a war will break out between Liang and Beirong. And the warriors of Xuan will emerge victoriously, re-establishing the great empire that our empress Xuan established before the unfaithful emperors destroyed it." One of the warriors fiercely declared.
"Where are you taking us?" Yunchuan then demanded.
"That is none of your concern. Be quiet!" the warrior replied.
Sighing Su looked out of the carriage and saw the surrounding forest slide by in silence. The only other sound, beside the rattling of the carriage wheels on the hard floor, was the rustling of the leaves high above them.
This military parade was the complete opposite of the military parade she'd seen a couple of months earlier. Xin once more stood on the street with Xian next to her, as they saw the soldiers march up to them. They marched to the gates to leave the city, they were marching to war. Xin looked around and saw the anxious faces of woman and children, she heard names being called out, pleas for those men not to leave them. It was all useless: war was upon them and the soldiers had been called to protect Liang and all it's citizens. She turned back to the long line of soldiers coming towards her, with Prince Qi in front, leading them.
Like last time she could see his confidence, but unlike last time he was fierce and there was an urgency about him that clearly indicated that anyone who stood in his way would meet death. Xin, like every other citizen in the capital, knew the reason for this urgency: a week ago the Princess Consort Qi hadn't returned from an outing to the forest. A day later news reached the Mansion Qi: the Princess Consort and her newborn daughter along with the other ladies had been taken by Beirong soldiers. Xin had been at the palace when Yan had stormed into the study of the emperor. Yan had been furious and nearly demanded the emperor to allow him to march on Beirong. Although the emperor wasn't nearly as furious as Yan, Xin had been able to see he also was very angry and very ready to allow Yan to march on Beirong. But the emperor had also voiced his concerns, namely that Beirong would blame Liang for the abduction of princess Yunchuan as she was a guest of Liang and therefor under their protection. Yan had been very short and told the emperor he didn't care and that he, should it be necessary, would even fight with prince Shuomo if it meant getting Su and Mei Ling back.
"We can't sit idly by and let Beirong get away with this abduction your majesty." Yan had said. The emperor had then given him permission to march, but gave one condition: they would let the Mingjing Office investigate the case and recover the lost ladies. Yan then said he'd give them one week, that was the time he needed to get the army ready to march. That week came and went without a rescue, so now the army marched.
Thoughtful Xin took in the stern, severe face of Prince Qi, resplendent in his military gear as always, but his mood was solemn. The joyful light she always saw in his eyes was gone, his eyes were now harsh and firmly fixed on the road ahead. Xin had spent enough time with the Yan brothers to know they didn't relish war and fighting, but now it was a necessity. She remember the conversation she'd had with Yi after Yan had left. "Had it been you I would have done the same. I'm sure the Feiyun warriors will join the search and fight in order to find the Lady Xie. Let's hope they are still alive and found, for I do not think we want to see what will happen should they perish."
"But I don't understand. Why would the Beirong soldiers would take Princess Yunchuan and Xunan? They are Beirongian ladies."
"It is very likely they have already been returned to Beirong, we haven't had any communication about them." That had changed a day ago when a pigeon had delivered a letter from Beirong ordering the emperor to come to the border town to bear responsibility for the disappearance of the three Beirong ladies who had been under guardianship of Liang when they had been taken. And now the emperor was preparing to follow the army to her hometown.
As Xin and Xian walked back to Pei Mansion it appeared to Xin as if all the light had left the capital, leaving it in a gloomy gray mist. Everything seemed subdued, even more so than when news of the abduction reached the capital. "I'm going to the temple to pray, do you want to join me?" Xin asked Xian when they reached Pei mansion. Xian agreed to come as well, but she needed to get something first, so she left Xin standing at the gate of Pei Mansion. As they needed the carriage to get to the temple, Xin walked to the butler asking him to prepare the carriage.
A long while later Xin stood again at the gate, the Pei carriage was standing in front of her, she looked around seeing if Xian was already coming out of the gate. It happened so quickly that Xin had no time to react: someone grabbed her from behind, one arm tightening around her waist and the other hand clasped over her mouth. In panic Xin grasped the hand over her mouth, trying to pull it away, but the man was to strong. He lifted her and pushed her onto the carriage, where another man shoved her inside, followed her and pushed a knife against her neck telling her he would kill her if she made any sound. Too scared to do anything else Xin nodded her head. She heard a heavy thud and felt the curtains behind her being blown out when the carriage lurched into movement. The man inside kept looking at her for a short while and then he was apparently sure she wouldn't do anything so he moved to the front of the carriage and stuck his head through the curtains to talk to the coachman. The rattling or the wheels was quite loud, keeping Xin from hearing what the men said. But then she heard some distinct knocks near her head. They were repeated again and again. Then Xin heard her name, she looked around realizing that the sound came from outside near the window. Carefully and as silently as she could Xin slid over the bench and turned to the window. Then she looked out, at first she didn't see anything, but when she looked down she saw Xian clinging to the carriage, the curtains that had blown out had hid her from view. "Xian leave, go to Fei Yuan and tell him what happened." Xin softly said, keeping an eye on the door opening where the man was still seated. She couldn't see Xian shake her head. "He'll know soon enough, those men killed the guard and the coachman. I'll stay with you, maybe we can find a way to escape. Why did they do this?"
"I don't know, you can't stay here, they'll find you."
"There is no way to hide. It's quite difficult to hang on." Xian softly responded, grasping the windowsill tighter when the carriage bumped over a rock. Xin looked out of the window to the side and considered their possibilities, she suddenly recalled something Su had once told her. She looked out again, trying to pinpoint where they were.
"I have an idea. Su told me this bench is hollow, it fits a grown man. We are near the gate. At the gate I'll try to get out so the ruffians don't see you, you climb into the carriage and into the bench. When we stop for the night we'll try to escape." She still wondered if she should push Xian to leave and get help, but how could they know where they were? Having Xian with her could help getting away from these people. But wouldn't it be too dangerous for Xian? "Xian, you can't stay with me it's too dangerous. Leave and get help, please." Xian said decisively.
"We'll have no way of knowing where they are taking you." Xian once more repositioned her hands and Xin checked the other sides. There were a few men walking along with the carriage and Xin wondered whether she should scream to get their attention. But something about those men stopped her from trying. She saw they were almost at the city gate, the soldiers guarding the city gate could perhaps help them. Xin watched the man who still had his head outside, she considered what she should do to get past him She thought back to those mornings in the Marquis' home when Zhu would show her defensive moves, which could help her. Those would come in handy now, she was grateful the man hadn't bound her hands together, now she would have full movement to put her plan in action. Sooner then she'd anticipated the carriage lurched to a slower pace at the first gate, it was quiet so they could pass through easily. After they'd cleared the first gate Xin swung her hands to swiftly strike the man in the carriage. The surprise and the strike were enough to incapacitate the man temporarily and Xin stepped out. She then didn't hesitate to strike the coachman as well. For a brief moment Xin thought she could just run to the gate, but then she saw the surrounding men come towards her and it was immediately clear that they were also part of the warrior group who had taken her. From the corner of her eye she saw a few guards run to the upheaval. Her only chance was to get to the guards, but before she was halfway there two other men had grabbed her and dragged her back to the carriage. Roughly they hoisted her up and pushed her back into the carriage. The man who was supposed to guard her had regained his consciousness and enraged raised his hand to strike her, but before he could one of the other men grabbed the raised hand and said: "We can't harm her. Bind her hands, we need to get to the rendez-vous point." The carriage suddenly jerked into action and Xin fell backwards, her original guard took some rope from the floor, where someone obviously had chucked it in, and quickly bound Xin's hands. Both men remained in the carriage. Xin could hear the sounds of clashing swords and people running after the carriage. But soon the sounds died down and the carriage was flying through the lands outside the capital Xin could only hope that Xian had either escaped or gotten in the carriage, there was no way for Xin to check, so she remained seated, trying to think of ways to escape, only to wonder how she or they would find their way home in the wilderness should she or they actually manage to escape.