Hexi

After Afang left, Qingnu prepared to leave Yongcheng.

However, at that very moment, she encountered a diplomatic mission arriving from Chang'an. At their head was a young man holding a diplomatic staff.

Zi Ying’s funeral had passed nearly half a year ago; for the messengers to arrive only now, their efficiency seemed somewhat sluggish.

Yet, she soon learned that this mission was merely passing through.

To the west of Han, were there other lords besides the King of Qin?

Where exactly were these people heading?

Seeing the mission depart Yongcheng the following morning, Qingnu skipped over to the commandant guarding the city gate and asked, "Where are they going?"

The commandant was startled by her sudden appearance. Seeing her exquisite attire and the bamboo hat she wore, he assumed she was a noble lady from some prominent house out playing the lady-errant, so he treated her with considerable respect.

"They go to the west," the commandant said. "To seek the Dayuezhi!"

The Dayuezhi?

So...

"Is that man Zhang Qian?"

Qingnu’s gaze fell upon the man riding the tall horse at the front of the line.

The Western Regions!

Wasn't that exactly where he was headed?

The commandant looked at Qingnu with a hint of surprise and nodded. "I have heard that the envoy is named Zhang Qian."

"My thanks!"

Qingnu thanked him, tossed a bag of coins his way, and followed the group.

The commandant, hit by the pouch of coins, stood in a daze.

"Truly a noble lady-errant..."

Hongluan, seeing Qingnu so excited, asked curiously, "Are you going to follow them?"

Qingnu nodded her small head. "Yes! That is the Western Regions!"

After passing Yongcheng, Zhang Qian’s mission traveled west. Just as they were about to step into the lands of Hexi, they saw a woman in green wearing a bamboo hat standing by the banks of the Yellow River. Her sleeves fluttered in the wind, and behind her, the Yellow River surged with magnificent, torrential power.

Zhang Qian spurred his horse forward and cupped his hands in greeting. "I am Zhang Qian, envoy of Han. I travel to the west of Han by imperial decree. Noble lady, are there any boats here?"

"There are boats, there are boats, but... I have a condition!"

Qingnu lightly lifted the front of her hat and turned sideways.

Zhang Qian suddenly noticed a large ship on the surface of the Yellow River behind her. He couldn't help but feel momentarily dazed.

Had that ship... been there just now?

Zhang Qian shook his head and asked, "What condition does the lady have? We represent the Emperor of Han, after all. Perhaps the lady should..."

Before he could finish, Qingnu said, "I want to go with you!"

"What?"

Zhang Qian was stunned.

Seeing his confusion, Qingnu added, "Don't worry, you won't lose out by letting me join. I'll provide all the meals for this journey. How about it?"

Recovering his composure, Zhang Qian said slowly, "The lady need not worry about the provisions, but are you certain you wish to accompany us? We are heading to the furthest western reaches of Han! No one has ever been there before, and we do not know how long it will take."

"Everything on the road ahead is unknown!"

Qingnu laughed. "If you all dare to go, why wouldn't I?"

The Han court's envoys were mostly composed of men with the spirit of adventurers and wanderers; one more Qingnu wouldn't hurt.

The group crossed the Yellow River and set foot in the Hexi Corridor.

The land of Hexi was lush with grass and water. To the south stretched the towering, snow-capped peaks of the Qilian Mountains for a thousand miles.

Zhang Qian gazed at the vast expanse of the Hexi oases and sighed with emotion. "With such abundance here, no wonder the Xiongnu have such formidable national strength!"

On this journey, he was determined to find the Dayuezhi for the Great Han!

After venturing deep into the heart of the Hexi Corridor, the mission encountered Xiongnu cavalry.

The riders of the nation of archers came and went like the wind. A large contingent of Xiongnu cavalry surrounded the diplomatic mission of over a hundred men in a matter of moments. Their excitement grew when they saw the diplomatic staff in Zhang Qian’s hand.

They shouted in a language the Han men could not understand.

After Tangyifu translated for them, the group realized the Xiongnu were cheering.

A Han envoy was a rare prize on the grasslands.

After capturing Zhang Qian, whether they kept him in the Xiongnu lands to teach crafts and culture or used him to trade with the Han court for grain and iron, it would be a windfall for the Xiongnu.

The Xiongnu cavalry spotted Qingnu and shouted even louder.

"A Han woman! A Han woman! There's a Han woman!"

Zhang Qian’s face turned pale. He looked at Qingnu with extreme guilt and hurriedly said, "Lady Qingnu! We will hold them back. You must flee for your life!"

Ever since the era of Emperor Gao, the fate of any Han woman captured by the Xiongnu was beyond horrific.

Seeing the men around her closing ranks to protect her, Qingnu raised a hand and patted Zhang Qian’s shoulder, saying, "Do not fret."

"Lady Qingnu, you have never encountered the Xiongnu. They..."

Seeing how calm Qingnu was, Zhang Qian grew even more anxious.

Qingnu remained smiling and waved her hand. "Just some Xiongnu cavalry. I'll handle it."

"You'll handle it?"

Zhang Qian’s expression froze.

He watched as Qingnu leaped into the air, cleared the crowd, and landed outside the circle of Xiongnu cavalry.

As she landed, a blast of white frost and snowy wind surged forward!

In a single breath, every Xiongnu rider was dead.

Ice sculptures fell to the ground, shattering with a crash. Far off in the Qilian Mountains, the wind and snow surged violently!

Qingnu stood at the front, then turned back to look at Zhang Qian’s group.

Zhang Qian looked at Qingnu in utter shock and murmured, "Qingnu... Qingnu, who controls wind and snow... The Jade Maiden of the Azure Heavens? Immortal, you... You are Our Lady the Jade Maiden!"

The members of the mission were all from Guanzhong. They had been immersed in the legends of the Jade Maiden of the Azure Heavens since childhood. Seeing Qingnu like this, they guessed her identity immediately!

The others began to kowtow to Qingnu one after another.

"Our Lady the Jade Maiden!"

Qingnu twirled her fingers, and a gentle breeze of snow lifted Zhang Qian and the others. She leisurely hopped onto a horse and said to them, "The Xiongnu horses are better than the ones from the Han court. Zhang Qian, switch horses. The sooner we reach the Western Regions, the sooner we return to Chang'an!"

Hearing these words, Zhang Qian remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Very well!"

Both sides reached a tacit understanding and did not speak further of her identity as the Jade Maiden.

With Qingnu present, the mission’s journey through the Hexi Corridor was extremely smooth. Although they encountered Xiongnu cavalry more than once, they treated the encounters as if the Xiongnu were merely there to deliver fresh horses.

Watching the number of horses in their train grow, Qingnu shook her head and clicked her tongue. "How polite. Too polite!"

The Xiongnu were quite courteous, coming every few days to deliver horses.

The Western Regions were vast, home to dozens of states.

Zhang Qian sent men to inquire in all directions, only to learn that their objective, the Dayuezhi, had already migrated further west!

Without hesitation, he prepared to continue westward immediately.

"Zhang Qian, what if the Dayuezhi no longer wish to return to their old lands and cannot join Han to surround the Xiongnu? What will you do then?"

Seeing him ready to depart without a moment's rest, Qingnu asked this question.

Zhang Qian shook his head and looked at Qingnu. "That is not something Zhang Qian should consider now. His Majesty ordered me to serve as an envoy to the Dayuezhi. Regardless of the outcome, I must go!"

Qingnu asked again, "There are dozens of states in the Western Regions. Facing such a vast world, Zhang Qian, are you not tempted?"

As soon as she said this, Zhang Qian suddenly realized something!

He took a deep breath and bowed to Qingnu. "Thank you for the reminder!"

Zhang Qian divided the mission of over a hundred men into several teams, sending them in different directions to represent the Han court and open communication with the various states of the Western Regions.

He personally took Tangyifu, and the two of them headed straight for the Dayuezhi!

Qingnu stayed behind in the Western Regions.

She gazed at the dozens of states in the vast Western Regions and whispered, "Sister Bird, there is plenty of meat, milk, and fruit here!"