In the Western Xia Imperial Palace, Li Qiushui also learned of the rumors that she had supposedly abducted Xuzhu from Lingjiu Palace and brought him back to Western Xia as her male favorite. Furious beyond measure, she shattered the table before her with a single strike of her palm.
"I kidnapped a monk to be my male favorite, and yet I know nothing about it myself?!
"What utter outrage! It must be that slut from Lingjiu Palace spreading rumors in secret just to sicken me!
"Someone, assemble everyone from the First-Rank Hall! I shall lead the campaign in person to annihilate her Lingjiu Palace!"
A maidservant said timidly, "Your Ladyship, please reconsider! Most of the First-Rank Hall's men were wiped out by Qin Zheng in the Apricot Grove, and the remaining few were led away by Duan Yanqing and Li Yanzong, after which all contact with them was lost.
"The men we can still mobilize now number fewer than a hundred. With so few people, even if we employ Heart-Softening Clear Breeze, there is no way we could take Lingjiu Palace."
Upon hearing this, Li Qiushui could not help but freeze in shock. "Has the First-Rank Hall truly been reduced to so few men...?"
At that moment, a cry rang out: "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager arrives!"
Empress Dowager Xiao Liang of Western Xia entered in haste, leading an entourage.
The Emperor of Western Xia was young, and Empress Dowager Xiao Liang ruled from behind the curtain. The Liang clan completely monopolized military and political power at court, and her word was virtually law in Western Xia.
However, because Li Qiushui held such senior generational rank and possessed extraordinary martial arts, the Empress Dowager ordinarily treated her with great respect. To barge in so rashly as she did today was a first.
Seeing her arrive, Li Qiushui furrowed her brows slightly. "Empress Dowager, what makes you so flustered?"
The Empress Dowager cut straight to the point and demanded, "Imperial Mother, if you wanted a male favorite, could you not find one in our state of Xia? Why on earth did you have to go seize that Xuzhu? You have courted disaster!"
Li Qiushui's expression darkened. "Never mind that I did not take Xuzhu. Even if I had, what of it? A mere little monk from Shaolin Temple—what difference would capturing him make?"
The Empress Dowager eyed her suspiciously twice. Seeing no sign of guilt in her, she sighed. "It seems he truly was not taken by you, Imperial Mother.
"Just now, the Emperor of Chu sent an official letter claiming that Xuzhu is Chu's Imperial Preceptor, demanding we return Xuzhu within seven days, or else he will mobilize his armies to invade our Western Xia.
"We have waged war against Song year after year, and our national strength has steadily depleted. Right now, we have no strength to face Chu's military might. That is why I am troubled."
Li Qiushui flew into a towering rage. "This is an intolerable outrage! Qin Zheng sent an open letter of inquiry. True or false, it will be recorded in the history books! Isn't he deliberately trying to leave my name reeking through the ages?!"
The Empress Dowager gave a bitter smile. "What choice do we have? In the past, Liao was our suzerain, and we had to pay tribute and declare vassalage every year. Now Chu has fully absorbed Liao's territory, and its entire court is driving vigorous reforms, wielding power even greater than Liao once did.
"Even if he openly makes things difficult for us, what can we do?"
A glint of murderous intent flashed in Li Qiushui's eyes. "Dispatch men to search for Xuzhu's whereabouts within the realm, while I go to assassinate Qin Zheng. We will prepare two courses of action. If I succeed, all is well. If I fail, you can simply return Xuzhu to him."
A flicker of joy crossed the Empress Dowager's eyes, yet she said, "Will that work? If Imperial Mother is recognized by him, that would only make matters worse..."
Li Qiushui took off her veil, revealing a face crisscrossed with scars. "It matters not. I have always lived in deep seclusion and no one has seen me. With this face of mine, who would believe I am the Imperial Consort Dowager of Xia?"
Startled by the horrific face, the Empress Dowager quickly composed herself, cupped her hands, and bowed. "We rely entirely upon you, Imperial Mother!"
Taking advantage of the dark and windy night, Li Qiushui silently departed the Western Xia royal palace. After many days of travel, she arrived at Yanmen Pass, where Qin Zheng was stationed.
Xiao Yuanshan had also gathered intelligence through various channels and learned of Qin Zheng's whereabouts. He arrived outside Yanmen Pass, intending to assassinate Qin Zheng and rally his clansmen to plot the restoration of their kingdom.
Looking at the familiar pastures and his fellow clansmen, Xiao Yuanshan could not help reminiscing about his youth. Stepping forward, he conversed in Khitan with a young clansman.
"I see joy on your face. Has something good happened?"
The young man said cheerfully, "How did you tell, Uncle? My son was born, and I named him Yelu Ping'an."
Xiao Yuanshan trembled. "You belong to the Liao imperial clan?"
The young man smiled. "Uncle, you must have been away from home for a long time. Liao was destroyed by the Emperor long ago. Nowadays, commoners like us are allowed our own surnames, and we no longer have to suffer the exploitation and oppression of nobles and officials.
"Once my son grows up, I will send him to school so he can serve the imperial court and help more poor folks like me!"
Xiao Yuanshan's expression shifted several times. He saw a group of clansmen approaching in the distance, waving with smiles and calling the young man over. The young man called back loudly, then said to Xiao Yuanshan, "Uncle, we're going to collect relief grain. Do you want to come with me?"
Puzzled, Xiao Yuanshan asked, "What relief grain?"
The young man said with profound reverence, "The Emperor took pity on us poor folks who couldn't get enough to eat. He opened the granaries to distribute grain and salt to us, which will continue until this year's crops ripen.
"Once the crops are harvested, we can trade our fattened cattle and sheep for the newly harvested grain. That way, we'll have enough to eat every year from now on."
Frowning, Xiao Yuanshan asked, "Can the land of Liao sustain enough food for so many people?"
The young man said, "The Emperor sent people to cultivate land in the northeast, saying the soil there is fertile and the crops grown will be enough to feed us all.
"The nobles and officials from the previous dynasty whose crimes were lighter were all exiled there to clear the wasteland."
After seeing the young man off, Xiao Yuanshan did not continue north. Instead, he came to the place where his wife had died and stood before the stone monument, agonizing in doubt.
How was it that with Liao fallen, most of his clansmen were living better lives?
Where had things gone awry? Back when the Liao Emperor ruled and Xiao Yuanshan served as instructor of the imperial guard, why had he never seen such bright, vibrant smiles on his clansmen's faces...?
Should he assassinate this Qin Zheng, or shouldn't he?
While he hesitated, he suddenly saw a woman wearing a veil traveling with lightness skill. Her movement was graceful as a startled swan, supple as a swimming dragon, like an immortal descending from the heavens. Xiao Yuanshan was slightly taken aback.
What formidable lightness skill!
The woman was none other than Li Qiushui, who had come to assassinate Qin Zheng. Seeing Xiao Yuanshan, she halted and asked, "Do you know where Qin Zheng is?"
Xiao Yuanshan's gaze narrowed. "What business do you have with Qin Zheng?"
Li Qiushui lashed out at him with a whip of her sleeve. "Just answer what you are asked!"
Xiao Yuanshan ducked to dodge. The sleeve brushed past his chest. Letting out a soft exclamation of surprise, Li Qiushui struck toward his chest with a palm.
Feeling the ferocious palm wind rushing toward him, Xiao Yuanshan was astonished. Tilting his body to the side, he was just about to strike back when the palm force suddenly curved along an arc and struck solidly against his right arm.
Staggered by the blow, Xiao Yuanshan instantly broke into a cold sweat. "What palm technique is this?!"
"Tianshan Plum-Blossom Hand."
A sudden flash of inspiration struck Li Qiushui, and she lied to Xiao Yuanshan on the spot, immediately following up with three consecutive palm strikes.
Xiao Yuanshan barely dodged two of the blows. Raising his hand to meet the third with Prajna Palm, he used the recoil to leap thirty feet away, shouting, "Hold! I don't know where Qin Zheng is either!"
"I am going to kill Qin Zheng. The world calls me Tianshan Tonglao; you may simply call me Granny. Furthermore, your Prajna Palm is far from mastery."
Li Qiushui cast a glance at him, threw down these words, and drifted away using Lingbo Weibu.
Xiao Yuanshan stood rooted to the spot for a long while with a conflicted expression. Finally, gritting his teeth, he headed south from Yanmen Pass, no longer seeking vengeance against Qin Zheng.
As for whether Qin Zheng could survive the hands of this "Tianshan Tonglao," that would depend entirely on his own fortune!
Chapter 50