Chapter 168 The Bell of History Rang in Her Mind…

Chapter 168: The Bell of History Tolled in Her Mind...

Tuoba Xiao never returned to Changning Courtyard again. He stayed at the military camp, only sending A Long back to fetch some clothes. If the subordinates had matters to report, they would seek him there instead.

He was refusing to share the same roof with her anymore, heartbroken.

Jiang Congyan had thought about resolving the issue, but the core problem remained unchanged. If she couldn’t change that, no amount of words would make a difference.

Since he refused to return, there was nothing she could do but leave things as they were for now.

The king and his Khatun were in a cold war.

The news slowly spread.

At first, no one was too worried. The two had fought before, and there had been instances where Tuoba Xiao moved out for a few nights. Besides, outsiders shouldn’t meddle in couples’ business. But as more than ten days passed with no sign of reconciliation, the people in the royal court began to realize the severity of the situation.

Lan Zhu was the first to lose patience and visit.

She had been wanting to ask earlier, but Qiu Liju had repeatedly advised her not to interfere.

"Sister Ah Yan, what exactly happened between you and the king? Did he do something to upset you?" she asked cautiously.

Jiang Congyan sighed and shook her head. "No, it was me who made him unhappy."

"Then... can you apologize and make up with him?" she asked even more carefully.

Jiang Congyan replied, "This isn’t something an apology can solve."

Lan Zhu was baffled. What kind of issue could cause such a rift between them?

Observing Jiang Congyan’s expression—calm and composed, showing no trace of sorrow or grievance—she found no opening to press further and had to leave empty-handed.

A few more days passed, and seeing that the two were still locked in their cold war, Qiu Liju finally couldn’t sit still either.

Qiu Liju, now four months pregnant, came over. After some pleasantries, she steered the conversation toward the couple.

"A couple of years ago, Tuoba Wuxi and I fought all the time too. When tempers flared, I even yelled at him to stay out and never come back. Things got pretty heated back then. Who would’ve thought I’d now be carrying our second child? So, married life is just... full of ups and downs. Though I’m an outsider, I can see that you and the king share deep affection. If the feelings are still there, how could there be any obstacle too great to overcome? You’re a smart and gentle person—I’m sure you’ll find a way to work it out."

"If there’s anything you’re too embarrassed to say, I can relay it for you," Qiu Liju added.

Jiang Congyan smiled and thanked her for her kindness.

"I know you’re worried about me, and I appreciate it, Qiu Liju. I don’t intend to cut ties with the king forever. I just need time."

Then, as if struck by a thought, she asked Qiu Liju, "Do you love Tuoba Wuxi? How did the two of you get together in the first place?"

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Qiu Liju paused, her eyes drifting into memory. "We met at the Spring Festival many years ago. He was only a teenager then, but already skilled in horseback riding and archery. My sisters had heard of the Sixth Prince’s heroic reputation and dragged me to watch their competition. Since I was a girl from the Helan tribe, the Second Prince had a grudge against me. He deliberately shot arrows toward me to tease me. Tuoba Wuxi saw it and couldn’t stand it, so he fought the Second Prince..."

It was a memorable first encounter—young Tuoba Wuxi meeting the teenage Qiu Liju by standing up for her against her tormentor.

Qiu Liju continued, "I had a crush on him back then. Later, when my family decided I should marry him, I was happy too. But after we actually got married, I realized he wasn’t as perfect as I’d imagined—his temper drove me crazy... Still, over the years, no matter how fiercely we fought, once we cooled down, we always chose to keep living together. I never thought much about love or anything—I just wanted us to live well for the rest of our lives. Honestly, just staying together for a lifetime is hard enough as it is."

Jiang Congyan felt a pang in her heart. Perhaps a marriage like Qiu Liju’s was the norm. Wasn’t that what she had originally intended too? A partnership with a hint of affection, supporting each other—wouldn’t that have been a good life?

But Tuoba Xiao refused. Before the truth was laid bare, he might have let things continue naturally. Now that the facade was torn away, he felt his sincerity had been misplaced and wouldn’t settle for less.

During this time, Jiang Congyan had also thought about the future.

Unless Tuoba Xiao was determined to sever ties with her completely, she wouldn’t just walk away from the Xianbei. Most of her assets and people were here—her life’s work. She could never simply abandon it all.

Truth be told, deep down, she wasn't without some lingering feelings for him—but was it really love?

When Qiu Liju got back, she felt her attempt at mediation had failed. Jiang Congyan hadn’t reacted with anger or sadness—just eerie calm.

If she were the one fighting with Tuoba Wuxi and someone came to mediate, she’d either rip into him or just brush the mediator off—there was no way she’d stay this composed.

Qiu Liju lay in bed, unable to sleep.

Tuoba Wuxi felt her tossing and turning beside him, making it hard for him to sleep too. He reached out an arm to hold her still. "Still not asleep?"

"I can’t sleep," Qiu Liju replied, forced to stop fidgeting.

After a moment of silence, she kicked his leg lightly. "I went to advise Khatun today, but it didn’t seem to have any effect. You go talk to the king tomorrow."

"Hell no. Their fights aren’t my problem," Tuoba Wuxi retorted, thinking she was nuts.

"Besides, have you forgotten? Tuoba Xiao already dislikes me—why bother sucking up to him?"

Qiu Liju: "..."

"Are you going or not?"

"No."

"Going or not?" She dug her fingers into his side.

"...Fine, I’ll go." Tuoba Wuxi grumbled, half-asleep. "Alright, alright, I agreed. Now go to sleep—you’re pregnant, after all."

Finally, Qiu Liju quieted down.

The next day, after she nagged him endlessly, Tuoba Wuxi finally mounted his horse and headed for the military camp.

He loitered at the gates, stalling, unsure how to broach the subject. He never should’ve caved last night just to shut her up.

After hesitating for so long, it was Tuoba Xiao who emerged first, riding out as if heading somewhere.

Tuoba Wuxi quickly caught up.

After riding for a while, Tuoba Xiao noticed him following and finally reined in his horse. "Why the hell are you following me?"

His tone was flat-out pissed.

Suppressing his irritation at the man’s attitude, Tuoba Wuxi replied, "Like I wanna be here? It’s just that Qiu Liju’s worried about you and Khatun. She already tried talking to Khatun and sent me to talk to you."

"I mean, what’s the point of a grown man arguing with a woman? Whatever she says, just let it go. Qiu Liju once told me to go die in a ditch, and I didn’t hold it against her." Midway through, he realized he’d just exposed his own embarrassing moment and coughed, averting his gaze.

At his words, Tuoba Xiao’s gaze wavered for a split second. "How did she react?"

"What reaction? She just advised Khatun—" Halfway through, Tuoba Wuxi suddenly realized the "she" in question wasn’t Qiu Liju but Khatun. Pausing, he recalled what Qiu Liju had told him the night before. "Nothing. No reaction. Just thanked Qiu Liju for her concern and sent her back."

Hearing this, Tuoba Xiao’s breath hitched. His expression grew even colder.

Hah. Nothing. Of course—she didn’t care about him, so why would she react? Even with Qiu Liju urging her, she refused to see him.

Without another word to Tuoba Wuxi, he spurred his horse and took off.

The gust of wind and kicked-up dust left Tuoba Wuxi standing there, spitting out dust. Cursing under his breath, he turned and headed back.

Qiu Liju had asked him to mediate, and he’d done it. Whether Tuoba Xiao took the advice or not was on him.

Tuo Baxiao did not return, and Jiang Congyan didn’t delay her own affairs. She still summoned Ruo Lan and the others to discuss matters. The weather had finally warmed up a bit, and many activities could resume.

"My lady, the King went to the northern plains today for military training," A Fei mentioned after seeing her finish her work, seizing an opportunity to speak.

"Hmm, I know." Since they started giving each other the cold shoulder, A Fei had been reporting Tuo Baxiao's daily activities to her. Jiang Congyan did not stop her, but she showed no particular reaction either.

On the other side, Tuo Baxiao returned late at night. While fetching water to wash up, A Long also briefly mentioned Jiang Congyan's situation.

Hearing that she had summoned people for discussions, and recalling how she had been like this all along—no one had seen her grieve or get angry, only focusing diligently on these "serious matters"—her emotions remained so stable it was as if nothing had happened. Compared to his own frustration these past days, he felt like a complete joke.

From beginning to end, he was the only one bogged down by emotions. She had never been emotionally invested, so naturally, she wouldn’t feel unsettled by his neglect.

"Stop updating me about her," Tuo Baxiao said coldly.

A Long shut his mouth. He sensed the King's mood was growing worse.

By late March, the long, half-year winter finally ended. The ice and snow melted, and the weather warmed up, yet the royal court wasn’t as bustling as in previous years.

Jiang Congyan remembered something and, after some thought, decided to visit the military camp.

Seeing this, A Fei felt a flicker of hope—the lady had finally taken the initiative to seek out the King.

However, upon arriving at the camp, the Imperial Guard on duty said, "The King left before dawn today for border patrol. It’s unclear when he’ll return."

Border patrol?

This was something Tuo Baxiao did every year. The nomadic tribes were spread out, and power wasn’t as tightly held as in the Central Plains. Without an adult son, he had to personally inspect the territory annually to strengthen control.

In previous years, he would have set out around early February, but this year, the bitter cold had put it off until now.

Jiang Congyan didn’t know whether he had simply forgotten their agreement to return to Liangzhou or if he had left the court at this time because their relationship had soured and he no longer wanted any ties with her. Regardless of the reason, he wouldn’t be returning anytime soon.

Even if he were here, it wasn’t certain he’d still be willing to go with her. But she had come today anyway, as this was their agreement, and she held out a sliver of hope for reconciliation.

Just bad timing.

After waiting two more days, there was still no sign of Tuo Baxiao’s return.

Running out of time, she instructed A Fei to prepare for their journey back to Liangzhou.

She wasn’t just returning to Liangzhou to see her maternal grandparents but also to discuss with her grandfather the future path for Liangzhou.

Liang was already crumbling. If Liangzhou refused to cut loose, it would inevitably get pulled down with it.

She hoped her grandfather would support her—that would be ideal. Tuo Baxiao had half-Han blood and was willing to push for Han customs. With her mediating, if the Xianbei unified the realm, it might still be possible to stabilize the people and head off the chaos of a coming collapse.

Failing that, she also hoped to persuade her grandfather to play it safe and avoid becoming an enemy of the Xianbei—otherwise, it would be a losing battle.

This trip to Liangzhou would take a little over a month if all went smoothly, or two to three months if delayed. She wouldn’t be gone too long. After delegating some tasks, she set off with her Imperial Guards.

The royal court was about 1,400 li from Liangdu. Traveling light, the journey would take roughly twenty days. The Marquis of Liangzhou’s birthday was in late April, so setting out now was just right—any later and they might miss it.

Jiang Congyan and her party set off as planned. After traveling for over ten days, they crossed the Yellow River at Zhongwei, nearing Liangzhou.

Meanwhile, Tuo Baxiao, who had been away for over half a month, finally returned to the royal court.

The Imperial Guards, upon receiving news of his return, immediately went to report it.

"My King, the Khatun has left the royal court and returned to Liangzhou."

The words hit him like a thunderbolt. Tuo Baxiao’s face twisted in shock as he grabbed the guard by the collar. "When did this happen? Why wasn’t I told?"

The guard, grabbed and trembling under his rage, could barely breathe. "It’s been almost... almost two weeks. I sent men, but... but we couldn’t catch up with you."

The guard felt wronged. The king had previously ordered them not to report the Khatun's movements, yet he had still dispatched messengers the moment she left. But Tuo Baxiao's patrol had been too swift and erratic—utterly impossible to track.

Two weeks! The words echoed in Tuo Baxiao's mind. She’d left right after he did.

Did she leave because she was done with him? Liangzhou was her home—was she gone for good?

Liangzhou held her family. That day, during their argument, she had said she never truly intended to marry him, only to remain in Liangzhou.

The longer he dwelled on it, the surer—and more frantic—he grew.

At this moment, nothing else mattered. He leaped onto his horse and tore southward.

"My King!" A Long, shaken from his stupor, hastily rallied the remaining Imperial Guards to pursue him.

Tuo Baxiao was deaf to it, eyes locked forward, urging his horse faster as the spring wind screamed past his ears.

He’d thought ignoring her would make it easier. But the agony was his alone. There had not been a single moment of ease. The moment he closed his eyes, her face filled his mind—her joy, her anger, her scolding, her laughter—no escape, no forgetting, no peace.

He’d sulked and iced her out, hoping she would yield, hoping she would love him. But he had never imagined she might leave.

What if she was really gone?

Tuo Baxiao realized he could not bear the thought. He wouldn’t allow it—wouldn’t let her abandon him. He’d drag her back in chains if he had to.

He was already drowning in love—how could she simply walk away?

Even if she didn’t love him, she must stay with him forever.

Tuo Baxiao rode through day and night, desperate to reach Jiang Congyan's side.

A Long clenched his jaw, struggling to keep up. Seeing no sign of the king slowing, he urged his horse forward to advise, "My King, even if the men can endure, the horses cannot. If the horses drop, how do we move?"

The words snapped Tuo Baxiao back to reason. He finally slowed, realizing his steed, the Li Eagle, was panting heavily.

The Li Eagle outlasted any normal horse. If even it was exhausted, the other mounts would not last much longer.

Tuo Baxiao halted briefly to rest, feeding the horses some bean cakes.

Then he barked, "Two horses each. We ride."

The accompanying Imperial Guards did carry spare horses, but not nearly enough for such a ratio. A Long heard the finality in his voice and gave up. He followed orders, selecting a smaller group, each equipped with two horses.

That cut their force in half—under two hundred now.

Tuo Baxiao didn’t care. He spurred his horse onward, chasing toward Liangzhou.

——

Jiang Congyan's party crossed the Yellow River and, after two more days of travel, neared the border of Liangzhou.

They had just left Xianbei territory, not yet reaching Liangdu. The region was rough—Qiang tribes and bandits prowled the area. The second they crossed in, Jiang Congyan tightened security.

The group was passing through a forested valley, with dense trees on both slopes. The surroundings were dead silent, nothing seemed out of place.

Scouts had been sent ahead to scout the route, yet no warning signals were returned, so the procession continued forward.

However, halfway through, Lingxiao suddenly flew back, shrieking loudly in the air.

He Zhou recognized this as Lingxiao’s warning and went rigid. "Ambush! On your guard!"

The Imperial Guards swiftly rallied around her, raising shields and drawing bows, quickly forming a defensive formation.

Moments later, hidden forces indeed emerged from the distant woods.

As they drew closer, it became clear that this seemed to be a horde of bandits. Their equipment was makeshift, with only a few blades and arrows, lacking proper armor, yet their figures radiated menace, and most crucially, their numbers were way more than they’d anticipated.

Jiang Congyan had set out with five hundred Imperial Guards, all elite and well-equipped. Ordinary bandits would’ve bolted at the sight of them. Yet these men, fully aware of the formidable escort, still dared to pick a fight?

The bandits charged forward on horseback in a massive horde. Just then, a tripwire suddenly snapped up, catching the vanguard off guard and spilling them from their saddles. Those behind, unable to stop in time, trampled over them in chaos.

Before they could recover from the tripwire, a barrage of crossbow bolts pelted them.

These crossbows were developed by Jiang Congyan’s workshops, with a range far exceeding ordinary arrows. Naturally, she had taken extra precautions for the journey.

After suffering two waves of attacks, the bandits’ morale tanked, yet they refused to retreat, still pressing forward.

Though numerous, the bandits were no match for the Xianbei Imperial Guards, and soon, bodies stacked up.

Jiang Congyan closely observed the battle, something felt off. Bandits raided for plunder and captives, yet these men, knowing they faced certain death, still refused to flee.

But soon, she understood why.

Lingxiao, still circling overhead, cried out another warning.

He Zhou immediately ordered the sharp-eared Imperial Guards to drop to listen carefully.

"Khatun, there are two forces approaching nearby, likely numbering over a thousand."

Jiang Congyan’s face hardened. So it was.

These bandits were just a stalling tactic, meant to divert her attention while masking the movements of the main force. The real threat lay ahead.

The only two powers in the vicinity were Liangzhou and the Qiang. The approaching force couldn’t possibly be the Liangzhou Army. As for the Qiang—they were too ragtag to act alone. How dare they ambush her like this? No, last year, the Qiang had allied with the Xiongnu to attack Liangzhou. They must have colluded again, and this ambush was likely the Xiongnu’s doing.

She hadn’t publicly announced her return to Liangzhou and had stayed under the radar along the way. How had the Xiongnu learned of her movements so quickly and arranged such a meticulous plan? Or had someone ratted her out?

But there was no time to ponder now. She could handle the Qiang bandits before her, but against a thousand-strong regular army—

"Everyone, move out, double time! Break through before the enemy encircles us!" Jiang Congyan commanded.

Outnumbered, she might not win a fight. In that case, fleeing was the best option. She wasn’t here for battle—as long as they avoided encirclement, they’d reach Liangzhou territory within a hundred li, where they’d be safe.

The mountain path was too tight and rough for carriages. To break through at full speed, riding in a carriage was no longer feasible.

Jiang Congyan slipped into her light armor, abandoned the carriage, and mounted a horse to ride with the others.

The enemy closed in rapidly. Seeing Jiang Congyan’s attempt to escape, they likewise accelerated in pursuit.

They had hoped to intercept her here, but she had detected the trap early and broken through before they could fully encircle her. Now, they could only give frantic chase.

After riding nonstop day and night for two days, Tuo Baxiao finally crossed the Yellow River.

However, when he reached the wooded valley and saw the devastation on the ground, along with the wreckage of the familiar carriage pocked with arrows and slashes, his face instantly turned ashen.

A Long, realizing the implications, panicked and quickly said, "The Khatun has the Imperial Guard with her, and she's so clever—she must be fine."

Tuo Baxiao remained silent, his expression utterly grim.

Just then, a blood-soaked Imperial Guard staggered out from the northwestern woods. He was hanging on by a thread, pierced by multiple arrows, but the moment he saw Tuo Baxiao, his eyes lit up with desperate hope.

"My King, the Khatun was ambushed! The group was forced to flee northwest—her fate is unknown!"

Tuo Baxiao felt like he'd been struck by lightning. He nearly fell from his horse, grabbed the guard's collar, and roared, his eyes wide with fury, "What? What happened to the Khatun?"

The guard, already on the brink of death, used his last breath to point in the direction he had come from. "The Khatun... the Khatun is over there..."

Tuo Baxiao nearly buckled, his heart hammering with fear. He couldn't bear the thought of what might have happened to her. Regret flooded his mind—why had he argued with her? Why hadn’t he accompanied her back to Liangzhou? If he had been by her side, she wouldn’t have been in danger...

For a moment, he stood frozen, but then he swung back onto his horse, and without hesitation, spurred his horse in the direction the guard had indicated.

The path was marked by hoofprints, scattered corpses, and abandoned weapons. Tuo Baxiao followed the signs of battle for miles, yet there was no trace of Jiang Congyan.

Only when he entered a narrow valley did he suddenly realize something was wrong and yanked his horse to a stop.

But it was too late. Soldiers came pouring out from both sides of the valley.

——

After riding hard for thirty miles, Jiang Congyan and her group finally shook their pursuers. Ahead lay the Liangzhou Army's encampment, and the enemy didn’t dare pursue further.

Worn out from their flight, they now found safety and paused to rest, staying the night in a small village. The next day, she resumed her journey toward Liangzhou.

They had barely traveled two miles when someone caught up from behind.

"Khatun! Khatun!"

The Imperial Guards at the rear raised their defenses, but upon recognizing the man as one of Tuo Baxiao's personal guards, they let him through.

The man rushed straight to Jiang Congyan and gasped, "Khatun, the King has been ambushed by the Xiongnu—he’s in mortal danger!"

"What?!" Jiang Congyan couldn’t process what she was hearing.

Tuo Baxiao was supposed to be in Xianbei—how could he have been ambushed by the Xiongnu?

"After returning from patrol, the King learned you had gone back to Liangzhou and chased after you in haste. Once he crossed the river, he found signs of battle and your carriage in a valley. Then a guard returned, reporting that you were being pursued. In desperation, the King led his men northwest—only to fall into a Xiongnu ambush. Now, his fate is unknown."

For a moment, Jiang Congyan felt as though she couldn’t comprehend the Xianbei language.

Her legs failed her, and she swayed before falling from her horse. Luckily, Si Zi moved quickly and caught her.

She still couldn’t stand, her body devoid of strength, and she leaned heavily on Si Zi for support.

"In the eighteenth year of Yongan, Tuo Baxiao perished."

Jiang Congyan had never imagined that, despite all her precautions, she would be the one to cause his downfall.

At that moment, the peal of history’s bell struck a deafening chime in her mind, rattling her to the core.