Beauty, Power and Intrigue Chapter 17

Ever since joining the caravan, Qiao had not appeared even once. She merely sent people over to summon Zhao Yilou. The first two times, she had indulged him: when Zhao Yilou refused to go, she did not force him. The third time, however, she simply sent guards to seize him and bring him over.

Song Chuyi was not worried, though. Since Qiao needed to make use of Zhao Yilou’s appearance, she would not resort to overly forceful methods and provoke his resistance. She guessed that she was probably teaching Zhao Yilou proper conduct and etiquette.

The changes in Zhao Yilou over the past few days confirmed Song Chuyi’s guess. At the very least, he no longer assumed that almost beast-like, constantly defensive posture at the slightest provocation.

Whenever Song Chuyi found the opportunity, she had Zhao Yilou report to her in detail everything Qiao had been teaching him. Once she learned that Qiao was only instructing him in etiquette, manners, and some basic literacy, Song Chuyi was quite satisfied and told Zhao Yilou to study seriously.

After spending a full half-month with the caravan, Song Chuyi was treated much better than the other slaves, apart from the inferior food. At the very least, she did not have to travel on foot.

After observing the caravan for some time, Song Chuyi discovered that they were passing through the states of Wey and Song.

Neither Wey nor Song was particularly large. Now that they had already spent some time within Song territory, Zhang Yi’s expression remained calm and composed, but certain little movements betrayed the anxiety in his heart.

Song Chuyi noticed it all and knew exactly why he was so uneasy.

Zhang Yi had been humiliated in Chu and had been determined to flee back to his homeland. He had never imagined that, with his homeland practically within sight, he would somehow end up being bound and brought back as a male favorite. Once the caravan entered Chu territory, he might soon be delivered to the residence of some powerful noble. And even if he managed to escape then, he would still carry the reputation of having been a luan pet – a man kept as a sexual favorite. For a distinguished disciple of Guiguzi such as himself, such humiliation would be enough to make him die in shame before his master and fellow disciples.

As they drew closer to Chu territory, the temperature was somewhat higher than it had been in the lands of Qi and Zhao. Shortly after noon, they were caught in a torrential downpour. The roads became so muddy that travelling was practically impossible, yet on either side of the road there was nothing but woodland or open wilderness, with nowhere suitable to stop.

Song Chuyi and Zhang Yi, however, were not worried in the slightest. Zhang Yi in particular gazed happily at the pouring rain through the carriage window and tugged at Song Chuyi. “Looks like even Heaven pities me.”

Song Chuyi was fast asleep beneath her blanket. Hearing him say this, she responded lazily and indistinctly, “If Heaven really pitied you, you’d have gone home and seen your wife and children by now.”

“Fortunes change with the times,” Zhang Yi grunted unhappily before turning back to watch the rain. The longer he looked, the more pleased he became with the weather.

Then he turned and saw that Song Chuyi was still sleeping. Unable to resist, he tugged at her blanket. “Get up, get up! For the past half-month, all you’ve done is eat and sleep. Have you actually used your brain to think about anything important?”

Song Chuyi’s head spun from being shaken. She half-opened her eyes and replied perfunctorily, “I have, I have. I’m discussing great plans with Duke Zhou in my dreams. Just wait a little. Duke Zhou is very busy. Don’t interrupt my schedule.”

Zhang Yi released the blanket in despair, letting her drop.

Thud.

Song Chuyi landed flat on the carriage floor, and the impact jolted her completely awake.

Although there was a straw mat spread over the carriage floor, it was still hard. Rubbing the lump on her head, Song Chuyi glared at Zhang Yi and snapped, “I’m telling you, just because it’s not your head, you don’t care about it, do you? You make your living with that tongue of yours, so you’re reluctant to bite it off and kill yourself. But I make my living with my head too, you know. Mine isn’t any less precious than your tongue!”

When it came to the arts of diplomacy and persuasion, one needed not only a thorough understanding of the great political currents of the world, but also a sharp tongue. Zhang Yi often relied on his eloquence to get things done, so naturally his tongue was exceedingly valuable.

“I noticed it doesn’t seem to like moving very much. I was genuinely worried that if this went on for too long, it might grow rusty, so I was anxious and thought I’d help it get some exercise.” Zhang Yi smiled faintly and reached out to pat her on the head. “See? It’s much livelier now.”

Song Chuyi waved his hand away. “Lively my ass.”

Zhang Yi stared at her, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open wide enough to swallow a duck egg. He pointed at her with a trembling finger. “You…”

For a long while, he could not get another word out.

The harshest insults people used in those days were little more than things like “Your mother is a slave,” or perhaps “Brat,” or “You are no man at all.” Where had anyone ever heard an insult as cutting and vicious as Song Chuyi’s?

Song Chuyi, hand on her heart, could honestly say she had already been very restrained.

She also knew where to draw the line. After spending some time with Zhang Yi, she knew that, given his temperament, he could take a remark like this without issue. That was why she had cursed him without the slightest hesitation. She could not be bothered with him after that, simply pulled the blanket around herself, lay back down, and went straight back to sleep.

The roads were muddy and difficult to traverse, so the caravan stopped where it was and sent four or five guards out to scout the surrounding two miles.

That worked out perfectly for Song Chuyi. She got to enjoy a good, uninterrupted sleep without the carriage jolting her awake.

By the time the sky was completely dark, the guards finally found a place in which they could take shelter from the rain. But the woods were choked with dead grass and fallen branches, and there was not even a path leading through them.

The rain was coming down heavily enough that the roads would probably not dry for a day or two. They were in the middle of nowhere, with no village ahead or behind them, and there was no guarantee they would find a suitable place to stop if they continued onward. So the caravan master ordered half the men to clear a path.

Zhao Yilou had been summoned to the carriage belonging to the caravan master early that morning to learn how to read. As a result, nearly all the guards stationed around the carriage carrying Song Chuyi and Zhang Yi had been withdrawn, leaving only one man nearby.

At last, Zhang Yi saw his chance. He immediately grabbed Song Chuyi and shook her.

“Huaijin, Huaijin! We must be getting close to Chu by now. Another twenty or thirty li and we’ll reach a small city in Chu. We can’t wait any longer.”

Song Chuyi lazily sat up. After pondering for a moment, she lowered her voice. “Calm yourself. I’ve noticed that every time the caravan reaches a city, they always enter to replenish their supplies. The portions of food they’ve given us these past few days have also noticeably decreased. They should be nearing a city within another day or two. I have a way to escape.”

Zhang Yi’s eyes lit up. “Really? Do you need my help?”

Song Chuyi nodded and was just about to continue when –

Bang!

The carriage suddenly came to a violent stop, one of its wheels dropping into a ditch.

Song Chuyi and Zhang Yi were thrown heavily against the carriage wall.

Before either of them could scramble back to their feet, the horses, startled by the impact, began to whinny in panic. The wheel stuck in the ditch was suddenly wrenched free, and the horses bolted wildly in every direction.

Song Chuyi hurriedly grabbed the window frame. In his panic, Zhang Yi seized her leg, but the violent jolt of the carriage made him lose his grip. Instead, his hand caught only the hem of the trousers beneath her clothes.

The carriage continued to lurch and bounce, racing off in some unknown direction. Song Chuyi’s trousers had already been dragged down below her buttocks, though thankfully she still had her clothes covering her.

Half of Zhang Yi’s body had already slipped outside the carriage.

Song Chuyi roared, “You bastard! You’ve pulled my trousers halfway off! Grab my leg properly! What good is it doing you to hang on to my trousers?!”

As she shouted, she straightened her leg so that Zhang Yi could get a better grip, while simultaneously looking out through the window.

Everything outside was pitch-black. The trees were sparse, so the carriage had not yet collided with any trunks, but it kept running over rocks, and several times it came perilously close to overturning.

Staying inside the carriage was dangerous enough, but if Zhang Yi fell out and landed on one of the sharper rocks, he would at the very least suffer serious injuries. If that happened, escaping would become practically impossible.

Yet in a situation like this, Song Chuyi simply did not have the strength to do much. She could have ten heads and still have no solution.

Fortunately, her foot was still within Zhang Yi’s reach. All he needed to do was stretch out his hand a little farther and he could grab it.

Awooooo–

Just then, a familiar cry sounded beside them.

“Wolves!” Song Chuyi exclaimed.

She did not dare move an inch, clutching her trousers tightly in place.

Losing her trousers was nothing.

If Zhang Yi fell out, he might end up as wolf food.