Chapter 270: Slaying the White Horse to Swear an Oath, a Bird in the Cage of Heaven and Earth

【At the banquet!】

【Everyone emitted their own aura, to varying degrees.】

【Those who have held high positions naturally carry an air of dignity!】

【Even the monarch of Han, though outwardly showing great appreciation for the dancers' performance, harbored an almost imperceptible disdain in his eyes.】

【This disparity in status and identity seemed like an innate chasm, impossible to cross.】

【But on Lu Chen, there was none of it.】

【It startled her!】

【As night deepened, the songs and dances within Gaoque Tower faded, shifting focus to the main matter—each side began detailed negotiations on the specifics of the alliance.】

【The final decision!】

【At the banks of Zhi River the next day, a white horse would be slain as oath, sealing the alliance.】

【Until the horizon began to lighten.】

【Movement began on the second floor!】

【At this moment.】

【Inside a side room on the second floor, a group of dancers waited in silent vigil, their breaths held so lightly they dared only crack open a sliver of the door, peering through the narrow gap toward the room that would decide their fates.】

【Their hearts were filled with dread and unease; every footstep outside made their chests tighten.】

【These women of Beifeng had once been daughters of official families.】

【Their families' misfortunes in court had dragged them down, stripping them of status, reducing them to entertainers and courtesans, doomed to lifelong servitude!】

【Though lowly in station, their lives were affluent—dressed in gold and silver, surpassing even wealthy young ladies.】

【Yet they had no freedom!】

【A few days ago.】

【The Grand Supervisor of the Ritual Chamber brought unexpected news:】

【If they performed their dances and songs flawlessly at Gaoque Tower's banquet, they would be freed from slavery and restored as commoners.】

【Upon hearing this, the women eagerly volunteered!】

【The Grand Eunuch smiled and warned them: if their performance failed to begin as scheduled or any mistake occurred, every participating dancer would face execution.】

【This cruel decree plunged the dancers' hearts back into despair; they became painstakingly cautious.】

【The lead dancer had spent nearly a decade among the entertainers, the most seasoned among them.】

【If we cannot have human rights, better to die.】

【Many sisters were stirred by this.】

【Some were older women, like golden cage birds with no freedom—what difference did they have from the dead?】

【Others sought to be with their lovers outside; only by shedding slavery could they marry legitimately.】

【They carefully selected twenty-eight sisters skilled in song and dance, throwing themselves into intense, grueling rehearsals.】

【In just three days and nights, they barely slept, repeating every movement, every expression over and over.】

【At this crossroads of fate, no one dared slacken!】

【They waited only for today!】

【They had not slept a wink; the twenty-eight dancers were filled with tension.】

【At this moment!】

【The second floor finally stirred.】

【The lead dancer—the eldest and most accomplished among them—gathered her courage, boldly pushing open half the window to look out.】

【She saw!】

【Inside the chamber, shadowy figures descended slowly down the stairs to the first floor.】

【Her timing was slightly late—only two figures remained.】

【One of them smiled faintly at her.】

【It was Lu Chen!】

【Her heart jolted; she slammed the window shut with a sharp, abrupt snap—startling the group of women behind her, who exchanged uneasy glances, fearing disaster had struck!】

【Just as tension gripped them, footsteps approached from afar; the women tensed again.】

【The door burst open—it was the powerful Grand Eunuch of the Ritual Chamber, his face unmistakably gleeful.】

【"Ladies, you labored through the night. His Majesty is delighted and has issued an edict: your slave status is revoked. From this day forth, you are free women, commoners."】

【"Whether you choose the Celestial Court's Ritual Chamber or the tender embrace of Qingxiao Tavern, the heavens and seas are yours—you are no longer entertainers!"】

【With that, he turned and hurried away.】

【Left behind were the dancers, stunned, joy and disbelief mingling in the room.】

【The Grand Eunuch's voice was shrill; the women felt as if in a dream. Tears streamed down their faces as they clung to one another, weeping with joy.】

【But the lead dancer paid no heed—she hurried to the window, gazing down at Gaoque Tower.】

【He had mounted his horse and ridden off; her heart sank with loss.】

【A sister beside her wiped her tears, asking with confusion and hope:】

【"Sister Rong, where shall we go now? Back to Chengtian?"】

【The woman's name was Ouyang Rongyue.】

【After hearing this, Ouyang Rongyue paused, then a thought struck her.】

【"To Yan!"】

【Her father had been killed after Tuoba Shuyi seized power—she bore blood vengeance against the north.】

【To Yan, under the rule of the Prince of Yan!】

……

……

By the banks of the Zhi River, the winds and clouds converge!

【Forty to fifty thousand cavalry stood in formation, their dark ranks lining both shores, turning the banks of Zhi River into a solemn, chilling scene!】

【Strong winds surged!】

【The waters of Zhi River churned violently!】

【Beside the grand bridge spanning Zhi River, war drums pounded.】

【It was said that a white horse possessed divine power to bridge heaven and earth; sacrificing it could forge an eternal alliance.】

【Tuoba Shuyi, following ancient rites, ordered a pure, flawless white horse brought to the banks of Zhi River.】

【At his command, a sharp blade sliced through the air—the horse cried out, its blood gushing forth, staining the earth beside Zhi River red.】

【A massive bronze cauldron was carried by several guards to the site.】

【The white horse's blood was carefully poured into the cauldron.】

【Tuoba Shuyi, clad in battle armor, his gaze resolute, dipped his finger into the steaming blood and smeared it on his forehead.】

【He swore before Zhi River and Changsheng Tian!】

【By the oath of the white horse, the four nations and Yan shall harm not each other for ten years.】

【Whoever breaks this oath, all four nations shall unite against them!】

【Yuwén Yán and Gongsun Zhongshu followed, staining their brows with blood.】

【The Empress of Qianyuan, too, stood by the riverbank beneath the long wind, lifting her mask.】

【A face of exquisite beauty stunned the crowd; she slowly swore her oath.】

【You stood last here, swearing the oath.】

【"In Yanbei, ten years of rest and recuperation!"】

【With your oath sealed.】

【Drums pounded again, horns blared high.】

【A golden eagle soared through the sky!】

【Tuoba Shuyi and the others smiled.】

【We shall vie for the world again in ten years!】

【You did not linger—you could cross the bridge and return north.】

【You took your leave.】

【You and Lu Yu crossed the bridge slowly, above the ten thousand soldiers on either shore.】

【Tuoba Shuyi watched your back, lost in thought.】

【Yuwén Yán looked at the two of you, his smile fading.】

【The Empress replaced her ghost mask, expression hidden, and did not turn back for a long while.】

【Gongsun Zhongshu also took his leave.】

【The Oath of the White Horse was complete.】

【The world would know peace for ten years.】

……

……

Lu Chen and Lu Yu crossed the bridge slowly.

Spur the horse!

Autumn is clear and crisp!

Lu Chen replaced his straw hat and gazed at the Beifeng soldiers on both banks.

The wind along the flood-control river blew upward.

Lu Chen pressed one hand down on his straw hat to keep it from blowing away, looked up at the Beifeng sky, and said slowly:

"A bird in heaven's cage, rain over rivers and halls, life like a floating duckweed."

Lu Yu chuckled after hearing it: "Brother, that doesn't rhyme."

Lu Chen smiled and whispered, as if only he could hear:

"Playing chess with the ones above!"

(End of Chapter)