Empress Natsume ✓

LXVIII

How many days has it been since she last saw him? Her hands clenching and unclenching on her lap, heart beating like the racing horse's hooves.

Yuan Kang didn't let her off so easily for they were chased by soldiers for two days before they reached her husband's army who is now making a lair in Zhuo, one of the city states of Xue.

Putting the curtains aside, she can see the dragon banner hanging in front of the city gates, replacing the silver metal board that was engraved with the words 'city of Zhuo'

The carriage stopped near the gate. A thousands of archers at the top of the city wall are already pointing their arrows at their direction.

"What is your purpose here?"

One of the soldiers shouted from the top of the gate.

"We're here under the order of Lord Izumi Ryuu, to bring back a woman from the palace of Xue"

The carriage driver showed a silver token and the character of Ryuu is engraved on it. He continued his speech.

"I presume she's the queen, no?"

Putting down all their weapons at the mention of the queen, they all immediately got down from the wall. Opening the gate to personally welcome Natsume, arranged in neat line and saluted her.

How could they not? This is the woman who started all this. The carriage she's riding rolled inside the city.

"Lower your eyes unless you want someone to gauge it out for you"

A middle aged man warned the young man next to him. The youth let out a mischievous laugh. How can he missed the chance of seeing the woman who's responsible for this bloody war? She must be a beauty under the heaven.

Staring at that fading carriage from a far with a stunned expression, he only saw the lower part of her face when the carriage passed by and the curtains were lightly lifted because of the wind. Skin as white as snow, rosy cheeks, reddish pink lips that is more charming than cherry blossoms, hair like satin reflecting a silver light. Such a captivating sight.

"Heard that her majesty is actually kidnapped by the king of Xue, that's why our king rushed the invasion here earlier than the original plan"

The youth whispered, well not totally in a whisper for the soldier next to him heard too and made a comment.

"How can that be? The queen is tightly guarded back in Nagataka palace"

"Yuan Kang is a crafty fox, don't know what kind of trick he played to actually have the Dark Cultists give him a helping hand. If he's not the king of Xue, the whole states of Sang would have easily gone to us"

A scholarly looking man, who looked like he was misplaced in the battlefield joined in the conversation.

"It's true that beauty is the source of all troubles. When the queen was abducted by the Cultists who are being ignored by the king before, didn't the king also declared a war against them after that particular incident? Because she wanted to be crowned as an empress of the whole states of Sang, we're now waging wars from left to right. Now we're even up against that Dark Cultists who used black magic. Who said that we're cornering the state of Xue? We're the one being cornered here"

The previous middle aged man before also voiced out his opinion.

"The situation is more complex than that. Didn't we have the imperial noble consort as a hostage before but was soon beheaded? Then the queen unknowingly got kidnapped until recently. A few days ago, didn't the king of Xue crowned her imperial noble consort named Natsume Takahiro who he greatly favors? who is the one who got crowned when the noble consort is already dead?"