HMHSE - 36

It wasn’t until they were ten li out of the city that Shen Rong reined in her horse. She had been riding so fast that she was still a little out of breath when she stopped.

Shan Zong stopped in front of her, pulling on his reins and looking back into the distance. “We shook them off. He didn’t catch up.”

Shen Rong glanced at him, took a breath, and said, “What a heartless big brother.”

Shan Zong looked at her slightly disheveled hair, blown by the wind, and her slightly flushed cheeks, asking with a smile, “Then what about you?”

“What about me?” Shen Rong replied matter-of-factly, “I’m not part of the Shan family. It’s only right that I leave. No matter what, it can’t be called heartless.”

As she spoke, she pulled on her reins and rode past him.

Shan Zong’s gaze followed her figure for half a circle. His smile twisted a bit, because she wasn’t wrong.

“I am naturally heartless, you know that best,” he said, pulling on his reins and following slowly.

Shen Rong turned her head at his words. He was looking at her with deep, dark eyes, as if speaking in riddles.

She couldn’t help but let out a soft “hmph” through her nose, turned back, and whispered, “That’s right, I know it best.”

All along, he was still a heartless scoundrel.

In the distance, the military’s cavalry had already arrived at marching speed. Zi Rui and Dong Lai, leading the remaining Changsun family guards and attendants, quickly followed.

Since the two leaders had already slipped away, Shan Zhao wouldn’t stop them.

The队伍 trailed dust as it came to meet them.

Zi Rui dismounted from the carriage and asked Shen Rong to switch horses and get into the carriage.

Just as Shen Rong was about to dismount, the man’s arm, bound with an armguard, reached out and stopped her.

“If I were you, I’d still ride,” Shan Zong said.

Shen Rong couldn’t help but ask, “What do you mean?”

“It’ll be more convenient,” he said with a playful smile. “Don’t worry, I have no reason to lie to you about this.”

Shen Rong thought about it. Leaving directly just now was also his idea, which saved a lot of trouble, so she didn’t dismount. “Then I’ll trust you for now.”

Shan Zong’s scabbard lightly patted her horse’s hindquarters this time, and he led the way forward.

________________________________________

The group continued their journey.

On the road after that, Shen Rong indeed no longer rode in the carriage. Whenever they set off, she always rode on horseback, traveling alongside Shan Zong.

As time passed, Shan Zhao and the Hedong land he guarded were left behind.

Winter gradually deepened. The sun was farther away and had no warmth left, but thankfully, the weather remained good, with no wind or snow.

Shen Rong sat on her horse, wrapped in a thick cloak, her hood pulled tight.

In the distance, a range of mountains appeared in their view, like swords unsheathed, pointing towards the sky.

Shen Rong wasn’t truly familiar with this shortcut, but she was familiar with mountains. As her horse moved forward, she looked around and suddenly realized, “So we’re almost at Luoyang.”

Looking at the mountain range’s formation, it was clearly the mountains near Luoyang.

Shan Zong rode alongside her. “Yes, that’s right.”

Luoyang was to the east, but Shen Rong, looking at the direction he was riding, which was towards the other side, understood and said, “It seems you don’t want to pass through Luoyang.”

Shan Zong turned his face to her. “Do you want to pass through Luoyang?”

She replied without surprise, “No.”

The Shan family was in Luoyang. When she came, she had deliberately taken a detour to avoid it. How could she pass through it on her way back?

Shan Zong saw her turn away, her eyebrows and expression fading, and knew what she was thinking. He pulled the corner of his mouth, said nothing, and only raised his hand to wave twice towards the rear.

The military cavalry understood the signal and immediately followed closely.

Shan Zong moved closer to Shen Rong’s horse, pointing at Dong Lai behind them. “My men are with them, but they’ll have to fall behind again.”

Shen Rong asked distractedly, “What do you want to do now?”

“There’s a small city to the right that can bypass Luoyang. We’ll go that way so we won’t be intercepted.”

Only then did she focus, looking at him. “Intercepted?” Then, realizing everything, she said, “So that’s why you had me ride a horse all this way? Are you perhaps preparing to run again at any moment?”

Shan Zong stared at her, his pitch-black eyes suddenly shifting, glancing towards the mountains, signaling her to look.

Shen Rong turned her head and vaguely saw a thin trail of dust at the foot of the mountains, a group of small, black figures on horseback, appearing and disappearing.

“Did you find them?” he asked. “They’re the same annoying subordinates as Shan Zhao’s leading officers. Once they see you and me, they’ll clamor to pay their respects, and we won’t be able to get away for ten days to half a month. Do you want to see them?”

Shen Rong thought, see what? What do those people have to do with her? “Of course not.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Shan Zong suddenly chuckled. “If we don’t run now, it’ll be too late.” With that, his scabbard precisely struck her horse.

Shen Rong was immediately carried away by her galloping horse.

Shan Zong followed closely with his troops.

He had known for a long time that once he encountered Shan Zhao, the news of his return would surely be sent to Luoyang.

With the Shan family’s power in Luoyang, as long as he appeared anywhere near Luoyang, he couldn’t escape their eyes.

Sure enough, this time, even before they reached the gates of Luoyang, someone had already spotted them.

They must have received the news and rushed here overnight to wait.

The small black dots in the distance seemed to sense something, and the thin smoke twisted, approaching them.

Shen Rong found it troublesome, and as she galloped away, she called out, “Dong Lai!”

Dong Lai’s response from behind drifted with the wind: “Young Mistress, don’t worry!”

This was her asking him to help block those people.

The abandoned Changsun family guards then turned and went to intercept that group of black dots halfway.

On the other side, two fast horses had already chased each other far away, followed by a neat formation of cavalry, trailing dust that hadn’t had time to dissipate.

________________________________________

After galloping for dozens of li, a town appeared.

A large, gray city gate stood majestically open in front of them.

Shen Rong’s horse ran quickly into the city before slowing down.

The city was surprisingly bustling, with people everywhere, so she couldn’t ride slowly either.

When she looked back, holding her hood, which had been blown askew by the wind, she realized Shan Zong was nowhere to be seen.

Just a moment ago, she had clearly heard his and the military’s orderly hoofbeats close behind. With the commotion of entering the city, he had vanished in an instant.

She hadn’t found him yet, but the crowd on the road was growing.

Shen Rong’s horse was squeezed forward for a good while before she realized there was a temple fair in the city.

There were stalls and shops along the street, and people were like a flowing stream.

A high platform was set up in the middle of the street. Monks from nearby temples were chanting sutras on the platform, and below them were a tide of devotees.

Shen Rong, holding the reins, rode her horse to the base of the platform. She could no longer move, so she simply stopped.

Her eyes scanned the surroundings, still not seeing Shan Zong. She couldn’t help but frown. She was completely surrounded and couldn’t advance or retreat.

Shan Zong was still outside the city.

He found that a few people hadn’t been blocked and had still followed. Finding them annoying, he directed his men to circle them before entering the city, completely shaking them off.

He hadn’t expected the city to be so lively today.

Shen Rong wasn’t at the entrance, and in this short time, she had disappeared.

He only scanned a few times, then signaled his left and right to advance.

The military cavalry parted the crowds on both sides. Even the most crowded passers-by had to make way.

Only a two-person wide path was barely cleared, and Shan Zong had already ridden directly through.

It wasn’t until the center of the bustling street, where the chanting from the high platform was heard, that he saw Shen Rong still on her horse below.

One hand held her hood, her eyes slowly scanning her surroundings, her brows slightly furrowed.

Seeing her within sight, Shan Zong reined in his horse, waved his hands to signal his men to regroup, and kept his eyes fixed on her.

Shen Rong was occasionally jostled, unable to fully concentrate on finding him. Her brow furrowed even tighter, and she bit her lip, even wanting to open her mouth to call out, but seeing so many people, she held back.

Shan Zong saw her expression clearly and couldn’t help but smile. One hand lightly stroked his scabbard, watching to see when she would discover him.

Suddenly, a tap of a wooden fish sounded from the high platform. A monk began to recite from the Platform Sutra: “At that time, the wind blew, and the banner moved. One monk said the wind moved, another monk said the banner moved...”

Amidst the chanting, Shen Rong’s face finally turned in his direction.

Shan Zong met her gaze, clearly hearing the monk recite the second half of the scripture: “Neither the wind moved, nor the banner moved; it was the mind of the benevolent that moved.”

His smile widened.

Shen Rong, however, was already frowning at him, moving slightly as if she wanted to ride over but found no way.

Shan Zong was straightforward too. He raised his hand and deliberately drew his sword.

Half of the sword came out of its scabbard. The sound was not too loud or too soft, but the people close by were already scared and moved away.

The military’s cavalry gathered again, parting the crowd.

On the high platform, the monks continued to chant peacefully, unconcerned with worldly affairs.

Shan Zong rode past. Although the surrounding people moved away, they couldn’t help but look at them, especially at Shen Rong.

He glanced at them, then reached out and grabbed the reins of Shen Rong’s horse, pulling them towards himself. “Let’s go.”

Shen Rong’s horse was completely under his control, led by him out of this muddy crowd.

“You almost lost me. Is this how you escort someone?” As they left the crowd, she deliberately looked at him and asked.

Shan Zong glanced at her, smiling. “You weren’t lost, were you?”

Shen Rong gave him a slight glare, about to say something, but seeing that they were already heading out of the city, she remained silent.

Pulled by the reins, the horses naturally moved closer, their lower legs almost touching, her light, flowing clothes brushing against his hard leather boots.

Shen Rong couldn’t help but move her leg.

Shan Zong felt her leg brush against his side, lowered his eyes, and instead tugged the reins again.

They were closer now, and she couldn’t move.

They rode straight through the city and out the other gate, which led them outside the city walls.

The two horses, previously close together, finally separated. Shan Zong released the reins. “No one is blocking us here. If Dong Lai is smart enough, he might have already circled around from the other side.”

This was near Luoyang, and he naturally knew it like the back of his hand. Shen Rong said nothing after hearing this, grabbing her reins. “So fast.”

Shan Zong looked at her. “What’s so fast?”

She glanced at the heavy sky above and suddenly said, “Come over here and I’ll tell you.”

With that, she dismounted, secretly moving her feet.

It was all his fault for pressing her lower leg with his boot for too long.

Shan Zong stared at her, tugged on his reins, rode closer, and also dismounted.

Shen Rong walked along the road outside the city, looking at the mountains on all four sides, then ascended a small slope.

A gust of wind blew, opening her hood and revealing her cloud-like black hair.

Shan Zong followed behind. “What are you looking at?”

“What do you think I’m looking at?” She turned back, looking at him. “Don’t you know that after Luoyang, Chang’an isn’t far?”

Shan Zong’s eyes rose, staring at her.

He certainly knew.

Shen Rong had only casually glanced; she hadn’t actually looked in the direction of Chang’an.

She turned and walked to his side, stopping in front of him, her gaze calmly fixed on him. “You’ve escorted me all this way. Chang’an will be here soon. Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

Shan Zong met her gaze. “Like what?”

“Like...” Shen Rong drawled, her pale chin slightly raised, deliberately not finishing.

So close, Shan Zong could almost see the slight sweat on her nose, just squeezed out by the crowd, now tinged with red from the wind outside the city. If he just lowered his head, their noses would touch.

He felt her breath in his throat, his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and the corner of his mouth twitched, revealing a roguish smile. “With your abilities, you should return to Chang’an and enjoy wealth and honor.”

Shen Rong stared at him, her bright black eyes flickered over his face. He still had that bad look. She turned her face away. “Do I need you to tell me that?”

She was too lazy to say anything more. She turned around and walked back the way they came.

Suddenly, Dong Lai’s voice came from a distance. He had indeed circled around from the other side.

“Young Mistress!”

Shen Rong looked up. Dong Lai and Zi Rui, with the Changsun family guards and attendants, were waiting on the official road ahead. She didn’t know when they had arrived.

Behind them was another group of people.

One person rode out from behind them, wearing a round-collared wide robe, with his hair tied up in a jade coronet. His features were bright and clear. He smiled and called out, “A-Rong.”

Shen Rong paused. “Big Cousin?”

The person who came was unexpectedly Pei Yuanling, her big cousin from the Pei family.

Her big cousin had always been reliable and meticulous in his affairs, earning the favor of both families’ elders, and also had marital ties with the Changsun family, so his arrival wasn’t surprising. She just didn’t know how or when he had arrived.

Pei Yuanling smiled and nodded, “Your brother guessed you’d be arriving soon and had been keeping an eye out. Your second cousin didn’t know your whereabouts, so he asked me to come and pick you up.”

Shen Rong understood, tilting her head slightly to look behind her. “My escort has arrived.”

Shan Zong stood there. “I see.”

She then said, “Then I’ll go over there.”

“Mm.” He said nothing else, as if a task had suddenly ended and there was nothing left to say. He simply kept his eyes fixed on her retreating figure.

Shen Rong thought, heartless is heartless. He hadn’t lowered his head all this way. She bit her lip and walked forward without stopping.

Pei Yuanling smiled, watching her approach. Zi Rui immediately stepped forward to help her into the carriage.

As Shen Rong walked to the carriage, she suddenly saw that her big cousin hadn’t moved. His gaze was fixed on Shan Zong. “Chongjun, it’s been a long time.”

Shan Zong nodded. “It certainly has been a long time.”

Only then did she remember that her big cousin was an old acquaintance of his.