Miss Wang ultimately put forward no further requests.

Whether it was Li Wu’s lion-opens-wide-jaws demand of a thousand taels that frightened her into silence, or the sheer thickness of his shameless hide, Miss Wang said nothing more after that and stayed quiet for the duration.

An hour later, Li Wu stopped at a town they were passing through and purchased another carriage, specifically to accommodate Miss Wang and her maidservant.

The moment the carriage door closed, the Miss Wang who had moments ago seemed a picture of delicate vulnerability underwent a complete change.

The maidservant opened her mouth: “Miss—”

A slap landed hard across the maidservant’s fair cheek.

Wang Shiyong forcibly pressed down her fury. She looked at the maidservant Chun Guo, who had dropped to her knees on pure reflex, and squeezed words out through her teeth:

“…You still have the face to look at me?”

“Miss…” Chun Guo’s expression was one of wretched distress.

“I will not forget the sight of your back as you fled and abandoned me—” Wang Shiyong said through clenched teeth. “If you think I would forgive you simply because you brought people back to rescue me, then you are sorely mistaken—”

“Miss, Chun Guo did not flee — I ran to find help and bring someone back for you…” Chun Guo wept.

“Silence!” Wang Shiyong raised her hand sharply. Chun Guo instinctively squeezed her eyes shut, face tight with fear.

Yet the blow never fell.

Wang Shiyong stared at Chun Guo’s cheek, already swelling red, as if something had just come to mind. Her fingers clenched reluctantly into a fist, then slowly lowered.

“…Find something cold and press it against your face. I do not wish to see any marks remaining when you step out of this carriage.” Wang Shiyong lowered her voice to a threatening murmur. “Do you understand me?!”

Chun Guo nodded hurriedly, blinking through her tears.

“Miss Wang—” Li Que’s voice came from outside the carriage door. “The carriage is about to depart — are you both seated?”

Wang Shiyong cast a cold stare at Chun Guo still kneeling on the floor, then turned with graceful composure to her seat on the cushioned bench, and her voice as she replied was as warm and gentle as a spring breeze:

“We are settled. Please do not worry, Third Brother Li.”

The carriage moved off along the main road. Inside the compartment, silence reigned. Chun Guo knelt in the rocking carriage, weeping without a sound.

After a long while, Wang Shiyong suddenly spoke. “Did you tell them my identity?”

“This servant was afraid they might take advantage of Miss, so I only said that Miss was the daughter of a wealthy merchant within Xuzhou city — I disclosed nothing further…”

Wang Shiyong leaned back against the carriage wall and said in a low, distant voice, “Chun Guo — if this matter were to get out…”

“It won’t!” Chun Guo said quickly. “Did they not say that for a thousand taels, they would treat the matter as though it never happened?”

“…Something that has already happened cannot be made to have never happened.” Wang Shiyong said softly. “From the time I was thirteen years old, matchmakers seeking my hand never ceased coming to our door. After every poetry gathering or spring outing, there were always young men who wished to make my acquaintance.”

“Miss comes from a distinguished family, possessing both virtue and beauty — families wishing to seek a match with you would stretch in a line all the way around Xuzhou. That Miss is so admired is entirely as it should be!”

“And yet you saw it with your own eyes…” Wang Shiyong’s voice dropped even lower. “They would not even share a carriage with me.”

“Miss, that is not your fault!” Chun Guo shuffled forward on her knees. “They were the ones who went too far — not content with extorting money from us, they drove us out of that carriage as though we were a pair of insects to be rid of… Were it not for Miss falling into misfortune, people like them — reeking of money and nothing else — would never have had the chance to share a carriage with you even in their dying moments!”

“Chun Guo… am I ruined?” Wang Shiyong’s voice cracked.

Chun Guo denied it without hesitation. “Don’t say such things, Miss!”

“And yet… there is no keeping a fire wrapped in paper. Once we return to Xuzhou, as soon as our convoy is seen to be missing, they will know what we have been through…”

“It will be fine, it will all be fine…” Chun Guo tried hard to console her. “As long as they keep their word—”

“Chun Guo—” Wang Shiyong cut her off. “You once said that for my sake you were willing to do anything — did you mean that?”

“Of course!” Chun Guo was startled for a moment, then said with certainty, “For Miss’s sake, Chun Guo is willing to do anything!”

“Then can you help me this once?” Wang Shiyong’s tear-blurred eyes sought hers, and she took hold of Chun Guo’s hand. “If this matter gets out, I cannot go on living…”

“How can Chun Guo help Miss?”

“The fact that we were set upon by brigands cannot be concealed. What we can keep hidden is only one thing…”

“What thing?” Chun Guo asked urgently.

“Who was dragged away by the brigands — and who escaped to call for help.”

Chun Guo stared wide-eyed, frozen as she looked at Wang Shiyong.

“Chun Guo — you are the only one who can save me now…” Wang Shiyong’s tears fell. “I have a sharp temper, and there are times I have been impatient with you. But you know that in my heart, I think of us as sisters. Whenever I have something good to eat or something beautiful, you are always the first person I think of…”

Chun Guo’s tears spilled over as well. “Miss, Chun Guo knows…”

“I will not force you. You decide for yourself.” Wang Shiyong lowered her gaze and let a single tear drop fall. “In any case, my heart is already ash and cold. If the worst comes to worst, I may as well take my own life…”

“Miss, please don’t think such thoughts!” Chun Guo was so agitated her face flushed. Without a moment’s pause for thought, the words tumbled out: “Chun Guo will help you! I signed a contract of indenture — I was always destined to serve Miss my whole life. What does reputation matter to me? If it helps Miss, Chun Guo will do anything!”

“Chun Guo…” Wang Shiyong’s expression shifted with what appeared to be deep emotion, and she clasped Chun Guo’s hand tightly.

“Of course Chun Guo will help Miss without reservation. But those people who already know the truth…” Chun Guo’s face clouded with worry.

“Don’t concern yourself. I will handle the negotiations with them.” Wang Shiyong lifted the sleeve of her robe and gently dabbed the tears from her face. As she lowered her hands, she let Chun Guo’s right hand, which had been resting on her lap, slip away as if by accident.

The plodding beat of hooves carried on endlessly outside the window.

Inside the compartment, silence settled once more.

Three days later, with Xuzhou drawing nearer by the hour, the carriages stopped at midday to replenish supplies. Wang Shiyong climbed down and approached Li Wu, who was in conversation with Li Que. She inclined her head in a slight bow.

“Young Master Li, is this a convenient moment?”

“What is it?” Li Wu raised an eyebrow.

Li Que glanced at Wang Shiyong. “I’ll go check on the carriage.” After Li Wu gave a nod, Li Que turned and walked away.

“Young Master Li, how long until we reach Xuzhou?” Wang Shiyong asked.

“If we push the pace, we should arrive by evening.”

Wang Shiyong paused, then said, “Shiyong has an impertinent request to make…”

Li Wu’s brow knitted, but for the sake of that thousand-tael silence fee, he endured and said, “Speak.”

“These past few days, Chun Guo has been urging me to reconsider. She knows how strict my family’s rules are — if my father were to learn of this, I would have no way to prove my innocence except by taking my own life. She urged me not to tell anyone what happened, because those who wish me ill would not believe I emerged unharmed — they would only fan the flames and spread word everywhere. By then, even if I threw myself into the Yellow River, I could not wash myself clean…”

Li Wu’s brow grew more and more tightly furrowed.

Listening to her speak was like listening to a mosquito drone on and on beside one’s ear — buzzing left, buzzing right, never arriving at any point, never working toward any aim. It served no purpose whatsoever beyond irritation.

“…She said, let her be the one who was dragged away — and let me be the one who escaped to call for help.” Wang Shiyong’s face was a picture of grief. “I did not want to agree. But Chun Guo said… said that if I refused, she would rather take her own life than watch me be pointed at and whispered about.”

Li Wu listened with only half his attention but finally caught the crux of the matter.

“You want to align our accounts?”

A flicker of discomfort crossed Wang Shiyong’s face. “That is not exactly—”

“As long as the silver is sufficient, anything can be discussed.” Li Wu said.

Wang Shiyong lowered her eyes and said softly, “…Young Master Li, have I been irritating you?”

Li Wu’s brow was just beginning to draw together — he was on the verge of telling her that the thousand taels did not include the price of a heart-to-heart conversation — when Shen Zhuxi appeared with a look of confusion.

“You were looking for me?”

“Who said I was—” Li Wu caught himself. “Right, I was looking for you. Have you been hiding in the carriage embroidering? You haven’t come down in so long — surely you have not had your fill of sitting in the carriage on the road?”

“Didn’t you tell me to stay in the carriage and sort the luggage?” Shen Zhuxi’s eyes went wide.

“I told you to stay in the carriage and you stayed? When did you become so obedient? Are you trying to avoid me — is that why you deliberately stayed inside and didn’t come down?”

That—

Was utterly unreasonable!

Shen Zhuxi’s face flushed bright red. “What are you talking about?!”

Wang Shiyong’s expression grew more and more unpleasant. She said quietly, “…I will return to the carriage first. Do take your time.”

Once she was gone, Shen Zhuxi immediately swatted Li Wu on the arm. “What was all that nonsense in front of Miss Wang?!”

Being stung by a bee at least left a mark. Being struck by Shen Blockhead didn’t even carry the force of a bee’s sting.

This little fool — she must be completely besotted with him.

After all, the moment that tiresome Wang woman had come over to speak with him, she had not been able to stay put inside the carriage any longer.

And what was that about “you were looking for me?”

Such a flimsy excuse — only Li Kun would actually believe it.

Li Wu did not want his satisfaction to show too plainly. He cleared his throat and deliberately kept a stern expression. “All right, she is gone now — stop performing. We should be entering Xuzhou by evening. Have you finished packing your things? Don’t go losing and leaving items behind and then dragging me back to the carriage to look for them—”

“I was packing! I was still taking stock of everything when you sent for me before I had finished!” Shen Zhuxi said, looking aggrieved.

“Fine, fine, fine — nothing needs your attention here. Go back to the carriage and keep packing.” Li Wu said.

What on earth was he even saying?

Shen Zhuxi was completely at a loss, half-convinced this man could not understand plain speech and was simply quacking away to himself like a duck.

Had he not sent Li Que to fetch her, saying he needed to speak with her?

This insufferable, impossible man — amusing himself at her expense with nothing better to do?

Shen Zhuxi had been called down from the carriage for no apparent reason and was sent back up for no apparent reason, and could only console herself that it was at least good to get some fresh air.

Just as Li Wu had said — she’d had quite enough of sitting in the carriage on the road; any chance to stretch her legs was welcome.

She came to this conclusion quickly and cast the whole business out of her mind.

A different kind of excitement and anticipation occupied her thoughts instead — growing stronger with every li that brought them closer to Xuzhou, swelling in her chest and her mind until it was almost overwhelming.

Once they reached Xuzhou, she would see the Crown Prince — the Emperor Yuanlong, as he was now.

Shen Zhuxi opened her dressing case and carefully took out a gold phoenix token, holding it in her palm. She looked at the vivid, exquisitely wrought golden phoenix, and suddenly thought of another flight of phoenixes — blue-green ones, swimming across skin the color of golden wheat.

…How would Emperor Yuanlong deal with Li Wu?

How would Fu Xuanmiao deal with the man who had shared a bed with her?

The joy of reuniting with family was diluted by worry. Shen Zhuxi found herself pulled in two opposite directions by two entirely different feelings, and for a moment she could not determine which was greater — her hope of entering Xuzhou without trouble, or her hope that their arrival in Xuzhou might be delayed a little while longer.

If their guarantee came through and they entered Xuzhou without difficulty, she would have to find a way to make Li Wu understand the full weight of the situation and dissolve the false marriage between them. She would also have to persuade Li Wu to align their accounts with her, making everyone believe theirs was a perfectly proper false marriage, with no private feelings between them.

Only then could she secure a future for him.

Shen Zhuxi made up her mind. The moment they entered Xuzhou, she would confess everything to Li Wu.