CXD - 76

Early the next morning, outside Guzang City, behind a large and spacious carriage stood one hundred cavalrymen clad in black armor, mounted on horses, ready to depart.

Beside the carriage, Jingzhe quietly waited as Jiang Zhiyi and Yuan Ce inside the carriage exchanged their final farewells. One person would give advice, then the other would follow, repeating similar phrases. The word “take care” alone was heard no less than eight times.

Inside the carriage, Jiang Zhiyi leaned against Yuan Ce’s chest, hugging his waist, and looked up to ask: “When will we meet again? Will it be when you enter the capital at the end of the year?”

Yuan Ce nodded: “Unless there’s a special summons.”

“A summons must mean important matters; it’s better not to have any. If we meet later, so be it.”

Yuan Ce lowered his gaze and stroked her temples: “Shall I see you off to the post station?”

“Forget it...” Jiang Zhiyi pouted. “A farewell after a thousand miles still ends with parting. Even if you accompany me to the post station, you can’t escort me all the way to Chang’an. Let’s part here.”

“It’s time. We can’t delay. Missing the post station means camping outdoors, and this season has many insects and snakes...”

Jiang Zhiyi’s brows twitched, and she immediately let go of him: “Then let’s set off quickly!”

Her mood changed so fast. Yuan Ce clicked his tongue softly, recalling something, shifting his gaze from her face downwards: “Does it still... hurt?”

The memories of last night unfolded like a fragrant picture book under broad daylight. Jiang Zhiyi blushed deeply and glared at him: “How dare you bring that up!”

The soft flesh that had been sucked and bitten bore a deep red mark. This morning, the maidservant who came to help her dress thought she was injured and almost went to call for a doctor, forcing her to make an excuse that it was caused by Yuan Tuan licking her.

“Are you a dog?” Jiang Zhiyi frowned.

Yuan Ce raised an eyebrow: “This is just the beginning.”

Jiang Zhiyi glanced at him sideways and cupped his face with both hands: “While I’m away, you’re not allowed to act like a puppy with anyone else.”

“What others do I have? But you, Pei Zisong left only a few days ago, not far yet. What are the chances that my fiancée happens to travel alongside the Prime Minister’s son?”

Jiang Zhiyi stuttered: “Rest assured. After your sarcastic remarks at the inn last time, he avoids me like the plague. The other day, when I saw off Xueqing Sister, he didn’t even say a word to me.”

Yuan Ce smiled and took her hand, gently rubbing it in his palm: “Alright, let’s set off.”

Jiang Zhiyi drooped her eyes and nodded. As he got up, she hooked her little finger around his until her arm couldn’t reach anymore before letting go, watching him step out of the carriage.

Yuan Ce mounted his horse, pulled the reins, turned towards Sanqi leading this hundred-strong elite cavalry, and sternly declared: “I hereby order you all to safely escort Duchess Yongying back to the capital. From now on, the duchess’s orders are as mine. Violators will be dealt with according to military law.”

“Yes—!”

The army set off, and the carriage slowly rolled forward. Jiang Zhiyi leaned out the window, waving to the distant youth seeing her off. She watched the splendid bustling city behind him, while he sat quietly on his horse, his dark hair flying in the wind, appearing lonely and desolate once again.

One and a half months later, in the scorching heat of June, within the territory of Xingzhou.

In the blazing afternoon, the high-hanging sun was so bright and hot it could not be looked at directly. With no wind and no clouds, the air seemed solidified by the heat. Everything visible was motionless, except for the incessant buzzing of cicadas along the roadside. Waves of intense heat surged fiercely, hitting people’s faces one after another.

The carriage moved sluggishly through the rolling heat waves. Inside, Jingzhe continuously fanned Jiang Zhiyi. Seeing the two buckets of ice at her feet completely melted into water, losing all coolness, and the fan blowing nothing but hot air, she grew increasingly worried.

They had been traveling for over a month, and normally they should already be in Chang’an by now. However, this summer brought unexpectedly fierce heat, rare in ten years. It had been relatively cool in Guzang, but from May to June, moving from northwest to southeast, the heat intensified, making the journey increasingly arduous.

Not only had the duchess never endured such severe heat, but even Jingzhe found it hard to bear. Outside, the soldiers exposed to the sun had to remove their armor, and the horses occasionally needed water to quench their thirst.

To find shaded areas and water sources for rest, they had to delay several hours each day. By late June, they still had thirty percent of the journey left.

Fortunately, apart from the heat, they hadn’t encountered other difficulties over the past month. In May, they received news that Lord Hou’s condition had temporarily stabilized thanks to Li Dafeng’s prescription. Although his cough hadn’t fully healed, at least his fever had subsided, sparing Jiang Zhiyi from excessive worry.

Normally during the hottest hours of the day, they should have rested. However, a few days ago, Sanqi received a letter from Yuan Ce, sent from afar, stating that droughts had broken out in the southern provinces of He, Yu, and Feng, likely causing refugees to move northward, which might intersect with their route. If they could endure the heat, they should speed up to avoid conflict with the refugees; otherwise, they should rest at the post station for a few days and wait for the situation to stabilize before proceeding.

Seeing Jiang Zhiyi sitting listlessly on the bamboo mat, leaning against the carriage wall with flushed cheeks, Jingzhe worriedly said: “Young Mistress, all the ice brought from the post station has melted. The curtains can’t block this fierce sun. Let’s find a place to rest. Don’t collapse before seeing Lord Hou.”

Jiang Zhiyi pressed her suffocating chest and struggled to catch her breath, asking: “... How far is the next post station?”

“We won’t reach the next post station anytime soon. If we want to rest, Xingyang City, the administrative center of Xingzhou, is nearby. We can enter the city.”

Jiang Zhiyi shook her head: “We’re already within the inner pass. The Xuan Ce Army’s identity is sensitive. Unless absolutely necessary, we shouldn’t enter the city...”

Jingzhe wrung out a damp cloth to wipe her face, saying: “Nothing is more important than your health. If General Shen were here, he would surely choose to enter the city.”

Jiang Zhiyi felt dizzy from the heat, unable to sweat, struggling to breathe. Her breaths grew weaker and weaker. Trying to speak again, she suddenly saw stars flicker before her eyes and collapsed weakly to one side.

“Your Highness—!” Jingzhe, startled, supported her and urgently called out to those outside the carriage, “Doctor Feng—!”

An hour later, Jiang Zhiyi slowly opened her eyes in the gentle cool breeze. She immediately noticed the unfamiliar canopy above her head and turned her head slowly to see Jingzhe sitting by the bedside, drowsily fanning her.

“Water...” Jiang Zhiyi croaked from her parched throat.

Jingzhe suddenly awoke from her doze: “The Young Mistress is awake!” She quickly poured a bowl of cool tea, helped Jiang Zhiyi sit up, and fed her the tea. “Young Mistress, do you feel better? Can you breathe easier?”

After drinking a whole bowl of tea, Jiang Zhiyi felt somewhat refreshed and lightly nodded.

“Fortunately, Doctor Li’s apprentice is with us. Doctor Feng said that you suffered from heatstroke, but luckily your body couldn’t endure it and you fainted. If you had forced yourself to continue, the consequences would have been unimaginable... Doctor Feng just finished scraping your back, and seeing you sweat profusely means the heat toxins should have been expelled.”

Jiang Zhiyi then felt the burning sensation on the back of her neck and hissed as she touched it gently, asking: “Where are we?”

“The governor’s residence in Xingyang City. Remembering your concerns, I initially planned to bring only Doctor Feng into the city while leaving the rest outside. However, San Qi said that General Shen ordered that wherever you are, they will be. By coincidence, Governor Zhu came to meet you at the city gate and heard this, so he invited everyone inside. That Governor Zhu seems very hospitable and doesn’t appear to have any reservations. However, his aide, Chief Secretary Wei, seemed concerned at the time but didn’t say anything.”

Jiang Zhiyi nodded and massaged her temples: “Help me get out of bed; I’ll personally greet the governor.”

Knowing that Jiang Zhiyi now held Yuan Ce paramount in her heart and didn’t want him to encounter any trouble, Jingzhe didn’t advise her to rest more. Instead, she helped her wash up, change clothes, and escorted her out of the rear courtyard of the governor’s residence.

In the front courtyard of the governor’s office, just as Jiang Zhiyi was led to the main hall entrance by the house steward, the slightly plump middle-aged man at the head immediately stroked his beard and greeted her, bowing deeply: “The esteemed visit of Duchess Yongying is much appreciated. I regret not welcoming you sooner... This humble official, Zhu Fengyuan, Governor of Xingzhou, greets Your Highness. May you enjoy boundless fortune and peace!”

Behind Zhu Fengyuan, the tall and slim middle-aged man also bowed deeply, succinctly saying: “This humble official, Wei Ji, Chief Secretary of Xingzhou, greets Your Highness.”

Each matched their names quite aptly.

Jiang Zhiyi sized them up and lifted her hand: “No need for formalities, please rise.”

Zhu Fengyuan straightened himself and carefully observed Jiang Zhiyi’s complexion: “Is Your Highness feeling better? Why not rest longer in the wing room? I’ve already arranged for your dinner.”

“This journey has brought along a hundred ‘guards’ who have traveled far with me and need rest. Does Governor Zhu have a place to accommodate my ‘guards’?”

Naturally, everyone knew they were part of the Xuan Ce Army, but if the Princess referred to them as guards, then they were guards. Zhu Fengyuan nodded confidently: “Please rest assured, Your Highness. They will be accommodated in the side courtyards of this governor’s residence. What do you think?”

“Can this governor’s residence hold so many people?”

“Ah—” Zhu Fengyuan drew out his voice thoughtfully and suddenly realized, “It probably can’t. I’ll find another place for them, but close to the governor’s residence?”

Jiang Zhiyi nodded in satisfaction.

Calling them guards reminded Zhu Fengyuan not to publicize the identity of the Xuan Ce Army. The hundred-strong entourage, actively avoiding trouble, prevented idle gossip.

Seeing Zhu Fengyuan as a shrewd person, these few words were enough.

After sweating, Jiang Zhiyi’s legs were weak. She had forced herself through fatigue to come here. Seeing that he understood, she turned to return to the rear courtyard. On the way, she met San Qi, who asked her: “Young Mistress, since you are staying here tonight, would it be wise to keep some people around? Besides myself, how about ten more men? What do you think?”

Jiang Zhiyi paused under the corridor, leaning on Jingzhe’s hand and nodded: “You arrange it.”

San Qi nodded in agreement and was about to go out to select soldiers when he suddenly looked up and saw a handsome youth dressed in green approaching. He abruptly stopped in his tracks.

Following San Qi’s astonished gaze, Jiang Zhiyi turned her head and was equally surprised—

“Master Pei?”

“Your Highness?”

“Why are you here?”

“Why are you here?”

Two consecutive identical questions left Jiang Zhiyi and Pei Zisong facing each other, speechless.

After her surprise, Jiang Zhiyi spoke first: “I’m returning to the capital and passed through Xingzhou where I suffered from heatstroke and entered the city to rest.”

“By coincidence, my wife encountered Brother Zisong here.” A voice suspiciously similar to Yuan Ce’s youthful tone sounded.

That sarcastic tone was extremely familiar, yet it wasn’t Yuan Ce’s voice. After over a month without hearing Yuan Ce’s voice, Jiang Zhiyi almost thought she missed him so much that her ears were malfunctioning. She turned around in astonishment.

She saw San Qi holding an open booklet in his hand, taken from his waistband at some point.

Seeing Jiang Zhiyi staring wide-eyed, San Qi hurriedly explained: “Forgive my impudence, it was General Shen’s order.”

Jiang Zhiyi blinked blankly: “...What is in your hand?”

It was naturally the transcript given by the young general on the day he bid farewell to the princess over a month ago. Having not encountered the Pei siblings after traveling for over a month, San Qi thought this booklet would be useless, but still carried it daily in case of emergencies. Good thing it finally came in handy.

Pei Zisong was also stunned for a long while before coming to his senses and bowed towards the booklet in San Qi’s hand: “Zisong is here, conveying greetings to Brother Yuan Ce.”

Jiang Zhiyi: “...”

How did they happen to encounter such a simple-minded honest person.

San Qi hastily flipped through the booklet, scanning ten lines at a time, and found the appropriate response: “Shen is fine. I wonder why Brother Zisong is staying here and met my wife?”

“Zisong encountered chaos among refugees a few days ago with my sister. We were saved by Governor Zhu’s troops and have taken refuge here.”

San Qi continued flipping: “So that’s the case. After resting, will Brother Zisong coincidentally set off with my wife?”

Pei Zisong shook his head repeatedly: “Not coincidentally, not coincidentally at all! Zisong absolutely won’t coincide!”

Jiang Zhiyi: “…………”