webnovelfull Chapter 747: Falling into the He River, Life or Death Unknown
Chapter 747: Falling into the He River, Life or Death Unknown
The river surged, its turbulent waves emptied, its surging current like the roar of a mighty army. Aurora neighed, its front hooves raised high, and pawed restlessly at the river's edge. It was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily. Ma Chao lay slumped on its back, still unconscious, his life or death uncertain, unaware of the impending danger. The figures of Lü Bu and Zhao Yun gradually became clear in the distance, the sound of horses' hooves drawing nearer, the shadow of death rapidly enveloping them.
At this critical moment, BMW Aurora seemed to feel the pressure of despair. It paced back and forth around Ma Chao's body, occasionally nudging him with its head, as if begging its master to wake up and make a decision, but Ma Chao didn't respond. The rushing river kept slapping against the bank, splashing water onto BMW Aurora's legs.
Seeing Lü Bu and Zhao Yun approaching, he could even discern the cold gleam of their weapons. At that moment, BMW Aurora suddenly stopped pacing, raised its head, and once again let out a neigh that pierced the clouds, a voice filled with determination. It bent its front legs slightly, gathering strength, and then, with a sudden thrust, leaped into the river.
The icy cold water instantly submerged it, but BMW Aurora didn't flinch. It paddled with all its might, carrying Ma Chao on its back, toward the other side. The turbulent current repeatedly pushed it aside, but it consistently adjusted its course. Lü Bu and Zhao Yun chased it to the river's edge, gazing at BMW Aurora in the water, their expressions darkening.
Lü Bu stood on the bank of the great river, watching the BMW Aurora carrying Ma Chao thrashing through the water, his heart aching. He turned abruptly, looking at the soldiers panting behind him. He grabbed a lieutenant by the collar and shouted, "Do you know what this river is called?" The lieutenant, trembling with fear, hurriedly replied, "General, the soldiers report: this is the He River!" Lü Bu frowned and asked, "How long is it?" The lieutenant swallowed and replied tremblingly, "It's about a hundred miles long. It flows all the way down to merge with the Fu River, which is called the Fu River. From there, it flows westward and empties into the Feng River near Hu County."
After hearing this, Lu Bu did not dare to delay for a moment. He waved his hand and roared, "Soldiers, go into the water and chase him. We must not let Ma Chao escape!" Upon receiving the order, the soldiers jumped into the freezing cold river and swam towards the center of the river.
BMW Aurora, in the water, watched as enemy soldiers plunged into the water. Suddenly, it panicked, thrashing about in the water. Concerned for its master's safety and feeling the threat of the approaching enemy, its emotions intensified. But the more it thrashed, the harder it became to hold steady, and with a moment's hesitation, it was swept downstream by the surging current. BMW Aurora desperately struggled in the water, kicking and thrashing, trying to swim back to shore, but the swift current carried it further and further away. Ma Chao's fate hung in the balance, and the situation became increasingly critical.
The river surged like a ferocious beast, its waves crashing one after another, slamming fiercely against the soldiers who tried to dive in and pursue. The icy water seemed to drain their strength quickly, and as soon as they entered the water, they were tossed to and fro by the current.
The soldiers paddled hard, but the force of the current was too strong, and their progress was pitifully slow. Every step forward required a tremendous effort. Some were swept into the water by the waves, choking on water several times and struggling for a long time before finally emerging from the water. Others finally managed to swim some distance, but were swept back to their starting point by the turbulent current when they weren't paying attention.
Watching the BMW Aurora carrying Ma Chao disappear in the direction of the river, the soldiers were terrified, yet powerless to stop them. They could only watch as the river carried them further and further away, while they themselves were trapped in the turbulent He River, unable to catch up. Lü Bu stood on the shore, watching this scene, his eyes bloodshot, his Fang Tian Hua Ji gripped so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the strain.
Lu Bu's face was gloomy, and he stared at the direction where the river water disappeared. After a moment, he turned around abruptly and said sternly to his general Song Xian: "You, lead a team of troops immediately and continue to pursue along the river. Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, you must find Ma Chao's body for me!" Song Xian took the order and left, and the sound of horse hooves gradually faded away.
The sky darkened, and night, like a vast black curtain, quickly enveloped the land. Lü Bu mused to himself that, with his unerring archery skills, Ma Chao would surely perish after being struck by an arrow and then plunged into the raging river. His expression softened slightly as he addressed Zhao Yun beside him, "Zilong, Ma Chao is inescapable this time. Now all we have to do is search for his body. I think we should return to Chang'an and report the battle to His Majesty." His words were thick with arrogance.
Zhao Yun nodded slightly, but couldn't help but sigh, "What a pity for that BMW Aurora! Such a clever and capable horse, truly enviable." A flicker of regret flashed in his eyes. Then, reflecting on the complex situation at court, he weighed the pros and cons. Since Lü Bu had decided to return, he agreed, "Alright, let's go together." The two men reorganized their forces and slowly advanced towards Chang'an in the night. The sound of horse hooves echoed in the stillness. This thrilling pursuit had temporarily come to an end, but the turmoil within the court seemed only just beginning.
In the palace, the air was thick with the stench of blood. Inside the banquet hall, the banquet setting and the bloody scene formed a strange and terrifying contrast. On the ornate carpet, wine stains mixed with blood, sticky and pungent.
The bodies of palace guards lay scattered across the ground, their armor ripped by blades, flesh and blood swirling from the wounds. Weapons were scattered nearby, some still in their fighting stances. The bodies of officials were also mixed in, their robes dishevelled, clearly having been killed too late to escape. Their faces still wore expressions of fear and resentment. In the corners, palace maids huddled, their clothes torn, their slender limbs twisted, their once-beautiful faces now etched with pain and despair.
The candles on the golden candlesticks still burned, their wax dripping down, as if silently weeping for the tragedy. The light from the chandelier flickered and swayed, casting the shadows of the bodies on the wall. As the light and shadows swayed, it looked like the silent struggle of wronged souls.
The emperor sat high on his throne, his face flushed, his eyes gleaming with a strange frenzy. Just now, Shi A had presented him with the elixir, and after taking it, his blood seemed to boil, his spirits blazing like a raging fire. Gazing at the bloody mess in the hall, he showed no fear at all, but rather an unconcealable excitement in his eyes, as if the slaughter before him were a spectacular spectacle.
"Come here, clean up these corpses quickly! Don't pollute this hall!" The emperor shouted the order at the top of his voice, and his voice echoed in the empty hall with unquestionable majesty.
The eunuchs standing nearby trembled with fear and quickly called on the guards to frantically drag the bodies out. As they were dragging, blood and water left shocking streaks on the ground.
After dealing with the corpse, the emperor glanced around at the officials who were still in shock and sitting everywhere trembling. He forced a seemingly gentle smile on his face and said soothingly, "Don't panic, my dear ministers. What happened today was purely an accident. You are all my confidants, and you will still govern this country with me in the future." However, beneath that smile, the madness deep in his eyes had not dissipated, making the officials still full of fear. They bowed their heads to express their gratitude, but no one dared to look up and look directly into the emperor's strange gaze.
The atmosphere in the hall was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe. All the officials were still in fear, lowering their heads and not daring to breathe, for fear that they would accidentally anger the emperor.
The emperor slowly turned his gaze to Empress Lu Wan, who was being protected by Liu Bei. Lu Wan, who had a beautiful face, now looked ashen. She slumped to the ground, her eyes filled with despair.
The emperor glanced at the officials who were silent as a mouse, as if to ask them to bear witness. He then made a gesture to speak, his voice sharp and malicious: "Everything that happened today is because of that traitor Ma Chao! He had an affair with the queen and behaved improperly. He even dared to attempt to kill the king at this celebration banquet. His crime is truly heinous!" His words echoed in the hall, hitting everyone's heart like a sledgehammer.
The emperor paused, staring at Lu Wan with a hawk-like gaze, and continued, "Queen, look, if it weren't for your misconduct and your secret collusion with that Marquis Ma Chao, how could today's celebration banquet have turned into such a tragic scene with blood flowing like a river?" His voice was full of rebuke and slander, as if all the blame should be borne by Lu Wan alone.
Lu Wan listened to the emperor's slanderous words, her body trembling slightly. She wanted to defend herself, but she felt that it would be futile to say anything at this moment.
Just as everyone was immersed in this oppressive and tense atmosphere, Wang Jie, who had been hiding nearby, seemed to smell an opportunity and suddenly jumped out. With a smug yet ruthless look on his face, he quickly walked to the center of the hall, bowed to the emperor, and shouted, "Your Majesty is wise! Empress Lu Wan's misconduct and her affair with Ma Chao have led to today's disaster. Her crime is unforgivable! I implore Your Majesty to execute Empress Lu Wan and depose her from the throne, to give an explanation to the people and appease the public!"
Wang Jie's words were powerful and resounding, piercing the silence of the hall. All the officials' gazes fell on Lu Wan, filled with scrutiny, speculation, and a mixture of gloating.
Lu Wan's face was empty, not a hint of defense. She simply sat there, her face ashen. A complex tangle of emotions mingled in her eyes. There was a sense of relief, as if the heavy pressure she'd been carrying for days had finally found an outlet. There was also a sense of relief, grateful that Ma Chao had finally fought his way out of the siege and escaped this brutal palace. But even more so, there was worry, apprehension about whether Ma Chao, whose life was uncertain, could truly escape these deadly attacks.
Her lips trembled slightly, and Ma Chao's stern yet gentle face kept resurfacing in her mind. She recalled every moment she had spent with him, those rare warm memories in this cold palace. Now, his life or death was uncertain, and she herself was about to face the emperor's judgment.
Liu Bei felt a pang of pain in his heart as he watched Lu Wan's expression. He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging into his palms. He suppressed his anger, his eyes filled with disgust for Wang Jie and dissatisfaction with the emperor.
Liu Bei's eyes widened in anger, radiating a commanding aura. He stared fearlessly at Wang Jie and shouted, "Stop barking! You're making baseless accusations and smearing others based on baseless speculation. The relationship between the Queen and Ma Chao is innocent; how could there be such a foul affair? If it weren't for your nonsense in this hall, how could the situation have become so dire? You're also responsible for today's bloody storm!"