Thousand Miles of Bright Moonlight

Chapter 77: Western Regions

The personal soldiers had not eaten for several days, so they grabbed handfuls of snow and stuffed them into their mouths. Fearing that Yaoying would see them, they turned their backs to her one by one.

Yaoying touched the animal skin pouch on her waist. Xie Qing had not eaten anything these day, and all the dry food that could be eaten was given to her.

They were starving and freezing, and so were the horses. Trekking for days, quite a few horses have died in the past few days, and the soldiers had to share a horse.

Her favorite colt, the Wusun horse, could not hold up much longer.

It was the horse Li Zhongqian had given her.

Yaoying untied the animal skin pouch and handed it to Xie Qing: "Take it and give it to them to share."

Xie Qing refused to take it.

Yaoying's voice was serious and said, "They have been working hard for days, and must eat something to keep up their strength. I have some flat cakes saved. Ah Qing, if something happens to you guys, I cannot go far on my own."

Xie Qing took the animal skin pouch and gave it to the personal soldiers to divide up.

The soldiers said they did not want it, they could carry on.

Xie Qing said expressionlessly, "Eat it. If you don't eat, the princess won't eat it either."

The soldiers had to take it.

Xie Qing returned to Yaoying's side empty-handed.

Yaoying leaned on his shoulder and handed him a piece of dry and hard flat cake: "Ah Qing, I saved this for you."

Xie Qing did not say anything. He took the flat cake, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed in silence.

Yaoying looked at the dark night sky overhead and asked softly, "Ah Qing, do you think Xie Liang and the others are still alive?"

Xie Liang was one of those in the first group of personal soldiers sent to deliver letters.

Xie Qing said in a deep voice: "Judging from the strength of the Northern Rong pursuers these days, they are more than likely to have had bad luck."

The corner of Yaoying's mouth curled up, "You really don't know how to comfort people."

Xie Liang and the others had probably died at the hands of the Northern Rong. They had come thousands of miles away in order to protect her in the Yelu tribe, risking their lives in order to carry out her orders through layers of blockades. They were merely her personal soldiers while living, and after their deaths, the people of the Central Plains would not know about their deeds.

Yaoying was shivering with cold and curled up into a ball.

Xie Qing bowed his head and secured the blanket around her. His dark eyes looked at her: "Princess, even if Xie Liang and the others died, they died for loyalty and righteousness. They died with no regrets."

Yaoying thought back to when Xie Liang first came to her side. He was a docile young man. As soon as he looked up at her, his face was red, and he didn't know where to put his hands and feet.

When they laid out the escape plan at the Yelu tribe, Xie Liang accepted the command without asking a single question.

Yaoying asked him if he was afraid of death.

He scratched his head: "Afraid."

Then why do you follow my orders?

Xie Liang continued to scratch his head: "Because you are the Seventh Princess! When I was chosen by Qin wang, I made a vow to heaven, earth, and my ancestors!"