HMHSE - 76

Early in the morning, Hu Shiyi, with his injured back, hunched like an old man, ascended to the top of the city gate, forcing himself to go on patrol.

A guard immediately ran to support him. “Hundred-Captain Hu, why aren’t you continuing to rest and recover?”

“Rest my ass! If I rest any longer, I’ll grow fur! I was brought up by our boss, so how can I be so useless?”

Hu Shiyi grimaced, rubbed his shoulder to stretch, and looked down at the city. After a quick glance, he leaned on the city wall and looked out carefully again. “Isn’t that the boss? He left the city from the official residence?”

The guard replied, “Yes, the boss has been staying at the official residence these past two days.”

Hu Shiyi squinted his eyes, then looked beside him, there was another figure riding on horseback. He immediately understood. “I knew it. I heard she arrived, no surprise.”

Who else could it be? Jin Jiaojiao, of course!

________________________________________

The mountain mist had just dispersed, and Shen Rong entered Wangji Mountain.

Several officials from the Ministry of Works responsible for mining, who had returned, were still on standby in the city. For now, only the group of convicts remained here, moving ore in groups of three to five.

Occasionally, someone would see her appear, merely glancing a few times.

Weishen Wu carried a large stone past her. Seeing her, he simply let out a strange, mocking laugh. As he walked, heavily, step by step, his eyes were still fixed on Shan Zong, who was behind her.

Shen Rong turned her head. “What’s wrong with them?”

Shan Zong approached her, touching the saber in his hand. “They’ve been quite well-behaved recently.”

Shen Rong looked at them with some surprise. The word “well-behaved” being associated with this group was quite unexpected.

“I need to take over the mine, so I need to look around,” she said, moving forward.

As soon as her foot moved, her hand was caught. Shan Zong pulled her hand to his side. “You’ll have to let me guide you.”

Shen Rong looked left and right, seeing no one paying attention, and then followed him out.

They circled almost half of Wangji Mountain, and the ground they saw was stable.

Shen Rong stopped, looking beside her. “You personally guiding me shows that this mountain is not safe right now.”

Shan Zong, with one hand on his saber, shifted his eyes from scanning the surrounding mountain forest to her, and chuckled lowly. “Even if it were safe, I would still guide you.”

Shen Rong’s heart stirred slightly, and her eyebrows subtly arched, but she deliberately maintained an unruffled expression.

Shan Zong saw her expression and merely smiled, then turned to continue scanning the surroundings.

Actually, she wasn’t wrong. The defense matters that Zhao Jinlian had discussed with him during the welcome feast that day were related to this place.

The areas outside the pass had been quiet for several years in a row, but now they were making a comeback. The previous few incursions were likely just probes.

He glanced at Shen Rong again, not wanting to scare her unnecessarily. He turned and said, “Let’s go.”

Shen Rong had just followed him when a whistle suddenly pierced the air from a distance, soaring into the sky.

The scout had given another warning.

She looked at Shan Zong in surprise. He had already become serious, grabbing her hand. “Go.”

They hadn’t walked far through the forest when Zhang Wei, fully armored, arrived with his men.

“Boss, more enemy traces!”

“Proceed according to plan,” Shan Zong ordered, while leading Shen Rong out of the mountain.

Shen Rong had heard such whistles before, but she had never seen the military forces so vigilant. Her steps, pulled along by him, were urgent, and she couldn’t help but feel a tightness in her chest. “Are we leaving the mountain?”

Shan Zong looked back at her. “I’ll send you back first.”

So, he just wanted to send her out of the mountain.

“Then you...” She stopped halfway through her sentence.

Shan Zong stopped. “What about me?”

Shen Rong said softly, “Nothing.”

Shan Zong stared at her, a smirk playing on his lips. “I almost thought you were going to tell me to be careful.”

She couldn’t help but purse her lips. “I already said it was nothing.”

Shan Zong’s smile faded. He nodded towards a nearby spot.

Donglai received the signal and quickly approached.

“Leave the mountain,” Shan Zong ordered, pushing Shen Rong towards Donglai. “You go back to the city first. I’ll come find you after I’ve dealt with things here.” With that, he turned and headed towards the pass city.

“Young Mistress, please,” Donglai urged Shen Rong.

As she left, she glanced again at Shan Zong’s receding figure. In fact, she had just wanted to say those words.

________________________________________

The autumn wind swept across the land, and the sky grew dim.

While the sudden changes in the mountain were being dealt with, the Changsun family guards followed Donglai, hastily escorting the Young Mistress back to Youzhou city, with several military soldiers following behind.

Shen Rong rode a fast horse, her cloak’s hood, which covered her hair, already blown open by the wind.

The entire journey from the mountain to the outskirts of Youzhou city was uninhabited, with only dust stirred up by horse hooves drifting in the wind, like curtains or shrouds.

Not far from the city, another group of people and horses suddenly appeared diagonally ahead, rushing towards their direction.

“Young Mistress, please go back,” Donglai immediately spurred his horse forward. The guards on either side, directed by him, fanned out to protect her.

Shen Rong glanced from her horse. Those people were not wearing military uniforms. They were not soldiers. They should have avoided her when they saw her, but they didn’t. They still charged straight towards them.

Donglai had already drawn his saber, and even the few military soldiers behind them had drawn their weapons, but they heard the leader of the approaching group shout, “Please, Lady Changsun, come with us!”

“Wait,” Shen Rong reined in her horse. The people escorting her stopped one after another.

She looked closely ahead as the approaching group came closer, and recognized them. “They’re from Chang’an.”

________________________________________

Near the Youzhou border, the official road was deserted, flanked by vast wilderness on both sides. In the distance were rolling mountains.

Shen Rong’s horse stopped here. By the roadside was only a single earthen house, previously a place for changing fodder for passing post horses. Now disused, it was dilapidated.

The group that had blocked her path had long since retreated far into the wilderness.

Donglai, with his guards, followed and only guarded the other end of the road.

Shen Rong dismounted. She glanced at the dim sky. A long time had passed. She wondered if the situation in the mountains had been resolved. As she thought, she adjusted her cloak and walked towards the earthen house.

The door creaked open. Inside, a figure, one hand lightly covering his mouth and nose to ward off dust, paced anxiously. Only when he saw the light from the opened door did he come to his senses. He looked up and hurriedly came forward. “A-Rong!”

Shen Rong walked in, looking at his dusty figure. “Second Elder Cousin.”

It was Pei Shaoyong. The hem of his round-collared robe was stained with dust, and even the jade coronet binding his hair was slightly askew.

The group who had blocked her path were his men.

There was nothing in the house, only a mess, covered in dust. Shen Rong could only stand, also covering her mouth and nose. She wondered why he would rather send people to block her path than not see her. She said indifferently, “I just arrived in Youzhou, and Second Elder Cousin is already here. You must have set off early.”

“That’s right,” Pei Shaoyong said. “I went to the Duke’s mansion to find you. When I learned you had left, I immediately took leave and came. But you didn’t reply to my letter, so I had no choice but to use this method to invite you.”

“So I had no choice but to come,” Shen Rong glanced at him. “Second Elder Cousin, why exactly do you want to see me? Just say it directly.”

“I’m here for Shan Zong.” Pei Shaoyong took a step closer. “I know he wants to turn back. When he was in Chang’an, he intended to propose marriage to you, isn’t that right?”

He blurted it out, which made Shen Rong frown. “Yes. Is that all you came for, Second Elder Cousin?”

“Of course!” Pei Shaoyong seemed a bit agitated. “Just for that, I had to make this trip! You absolutely cannot accept!”

Shen Rong looked at his face, which had turned slightly red. She had never seen him like this. She took a small step back, lowering her voice. “Since Second Elder Cousin has spoken to this extent, I have nothing to hide. I have already had physical intimacy with him.”

Pei Shaoyong was stunned, then immediately said, “So what? You were already husband and wife with him. What does that count for? Besides, our dynasty, from its beginnings in Guanlong, has always been open-minded in its customs. Even many royal nobles divorce if they are not compatible. That’s just a past segment of your life, not worth mentioning.”

“Yes, I know all this,” Shen Rong said. “When I tell you this, it’s not because I think a woman should be bound by such matters. I’m talking about now, not the past.”

Pei Shaoyong understood immediately, his face turning somewhat pale. “You mean, you intend to accept him?”

Shen Rong nodded gently.

Pei Shaoyong’s face seemed to whiten further. His normally warm, sun-like face was now as if plunged into winter. He suddenly said, “No! Absolutely not!”

Shen Rong looked at him, her brows furrowing again. She felt he was particularly strange today. Since what needed to be said had been said, she could only stop there. She moved to leave. “Youzhou is unsettled right now. Second Elder Cousin should return quickly after finishing what he has to say.”

Footsteps hurried behind her. Pei Shaoyong grabbed her sleeve.

Shen Rong turned back, looking at him in astonishment.

Pei Shaoyong anxiously said, “You simply don’t know what kind of person he is. Do you know that he is to forever guard Youzhou, never to leave Youzhou?”

Shen Rong quickly regained her composure. “I’ve heard Prefect Zhao mention it before, but not in such detail. It’s said that this was decided when he accepted his appointment. But it’s just a regulation, what does it have to do with his character?”

“What if he isn’t ‘not leaving Youzhou’, but ‘cannot leave Youzhou’?”

Shen Rong suddenly looked up. “What did you say?”

“I said he cannot leave Youzhou!” Pei Shaoyong tightly gripped her sleeve, almost crumpling her cuff, his voice lowered. “If he attempts to leave Youzhou privately, he will be punished!”

Shen Rong gripped her cuff, shaking off his hand, her face gradually turning cold. “Second Elder Cousin, you’d best not speak such baseless words again.”

Pei Shaoyong pressed his lips tightly, seeing that she didn’t believe him at all. He took another step closer. “A-Rong, you must know my feelings for you, but don’t think I’m deliberately targeting Shan Zong because of them. If I truly had that intention, I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to find you. I could have directly told my aunt and uncle, or even submitted a memorial to the Emperor. I have no intention of harming him. I just want you to stay away from him, don’t be deceived by him! He is absolutely not as simple as you and I see him!”

He spoke faster and faster, as if afraid she would truly leave.

Shen Rong’s face was solemn. “Then how can I believe Second Elder Cousin? What makes him unable to leave Youzhou?”

“Because he is a criminal!”

Shen Rong froze.

Pei Shaoyong, who had suddenly roared, also froze. Fine beads of sweat even appeared on his forehead. He looked at her with a pale face, then gritted his teeth and said, “I saw it in the palace. It’s a secret decree, not to be revealed to outsiders. He cannot leave Youzhou; he is imprisoned in Youzhou! Only because he is a criminal!”

On that yellow silk scroll, the Emperor’s imperial seal that finally caught his eye, and a vermilion character “Secret,” but beneath it were two more characters: “Amnesty.”

His voice even trembled slightly. “Only criminals are granted ‘amnesty,’ and it applies to grave crimes.”

Shen Rong’s mind went blank from his words. She walked to the door. “Second Elder Cousin must be joking. If he’s truly a criminal, how can he be the military chief of a province?”

“You’ll have to ask him and the late emperor that,” Pei Shaoyong tried to pull her. “A-Rong, you know I’ve never told you a single lie since we were children.”

Shen Rong avoided his hand, but she remembered that this was true; he had indeed never lied to her.

But that man had just entered the mountains with her not long ago, and now he was being called a criminal. Who could believe it?

She still turned to leave. “I should return to the city. Second Elder Cousin should also return to Chang’an.”

As the door was just pulled open, Pei Shaoyong quickly stepped forward, pushing it back shut, and walked two hurried steps inside. “You’re still going back?”

Shen Rong’s chest rose and fell slightly. “I came specifically to take over for my brother. I’ve been here long enough to see you. I’ve already delayed my return to the city and must go back.”

“Then what will you do after you go back?” Pei Shaoyong asked. “He’s a criminal, and you don’t care at all?”

Shen Rong was almost annoyed. “Second Elder Cousin, please don’t say that anymore.”

“You still don’t believe it?” Pei Shaoyong’s eyes widened. He didn’t dare to raise his voice, as if afraid of disturbing something, or perhaps afraid himself. “He really is a criminal!”

Suddenly, with a crash, the door was kicked open.

Shen Rong immediately turned to look, her chest feeling as if it had been struck.

A man, as tall and straight as a pine tree, walked in from outside the door, holding a slender, straight saber. His dark eyes stared into the room.

Pei Shaoyong unconsciously took a step back.

Shan Zong had just left the mountain when he heard the news from the escorting military forces. He came quickly on horseback, the tip of his saber still carrying wet blood that he hadn’t had time to wipe off.

He glanced at Pei Shaoyong, his brows low, his eyes like sharp blades. He grabbed Shen Rong’s hand, holding it tightly, and said, “Come with me.”