Deng Yi’s party rested at the relay station for one night. After arranging for the carrier pigeon message to Prince Zhongshan, they set out again.

Prince Zhongshan would help intercept her, but they couldn’t have Prince Zhongshan also escort the person back to the capital—they still needed to continue forward to rendezvous with Prince Zhongshan.

The horses and riders departed into the distance, wind rolling up dust and sand. The Station Master stood outside the relay station, squinting his eyes, his hand falling to his waist, touching his empty money pouch.

The events of these past days had ultimately transformed into a dreamlike illusion.

“My lord,” a station worker came over. “That A’Fu turned out to be the daughter of Guard General Chu. This little girl is truly too skilled at deception. When others deceive, it’s just a few words, but she beat drums and gongs and brought out an entire theatrical troupe.”

The Station Master scoffed: “Deception? You’re underestimating her. This wasn’t deception—she’s practically a bandit!”

Scattering money with such grand gestures, one scheme linked to another, leading everyone around in circles—this was clearly bandit-like audacity.

The Station Master thought of that A’Fu, often keeping her head lowered, occasionally raising it to glance at someone. Those eyes actually looked quite fierce and savage.

At the time he hadn’t paid attention or cared, since she was just a little girl after all.

Hmm—that relay soldier called A’Jiu had questioned things so carefully at the time. Had he sensed something was wrong?

The Station Master shook his head again. So what if he had? In the end, A’Jiu still took her along. The story was too perfect—who could have imagined this little girl had paid people to perform it?

However, it truly was peculiar that Chu Ling’s daughter would be like this.

On further thought, it wasn’t peculiar at all. The things Chu Ling had done back in the day were far more frightening than a little girl’s deceptions.

“My lord,” the station worker asked curiously, “what exactly is Guard General Chu’s situation? He sounds rather obscure, given such a low rank, yet when mentioned he’s very famous—everyone knows of him.”

The Station Master glanced at him. This station worker was still young, only seventeen or eighteen. When Chu Ling was at the height of his prominence, this boy was still nursing.

“When General Chu Ling was your age,” he said, “he had already made his name.”

“How he won His Majesty’s favor, I’m not quite clear. Street rumors say His Majesty was making a private inspection of a military camp when Chu Ling struck His Majesty off his horse, thinking him a spy. Who knows if it’s true—but if it is, then from the very beginning this Chu Ling was an unruly and untamable youth.

“Later he left the capital to become a junior officer in a border commandery. Capable in battle and skilled in warfare, extraordinarily brave, he reversed the situation where Xi Liang entered the border commandery as if into uninhabited territory. Then in one decisive push, he beat the Xi Liang King so badly he sent a peace petition to the Emperor, addressing him as brothers.

“Chu Ling rose rapidly through the ranks, ascending in one breath to Guard General. Becoming Grand General was only a matter of time.

“His Majesty’s favor toward him was extremely heavy. He could even correspond directly with His Majesty without going through the Guard Bureau or the Ministry of Personnel.

“For him, the relay stations were specially equipped with relay soldiers to deliver letters.”

This kind of favor truly was unheard of. The station worker clicked his tongue in amazement, but was still puzzled: “Then how did he end up only as a Guard General in the end? And he’s stayed in the border commandery all along—I heard he hasn’t left for over ten years.”

The border commandery wasn’t a good place. Military officers came and went. The only ones who could stay so long were probably exiled criminals, right?

The Station Master smiled: “The old saying goes well—fortune and misfortune are interdependent. When favor is too heavy, it’s not good either. This Chu Ling was young and impetuous, arrogant and haughty. Eventually he was so indulged he became lawless, offending His Majesty. If not for his many military achievements, never mind Guard General—he might have lost his life.”

One moment in heaven, the next in hell. The station worker grew even more curious: “What error did he commit?”

The Station Master paused for a moment, thinking: “The cause should have been bandit suppression. In a place like the border commandery, with Xi Liang running rampant, people couldn’t make a living, and mounted bandits were everywhere. Besides blocking Xi Liang, Chu Ling also had to suppress bandits on orders. But during one bandit suppression, he privately let the bandits go. When the local officials impeached him and His Majesty questioned him, he accused His Majesty, saying the bandit plague was due to His Majesty’s incompetent governance—”

The station worker’s mouth fell open: “That, that’s too—how audacious!”

The Station Master wore an expression of one who had seen through worldly affairs: “It’s not strange. Once military generals are favored by the emperor, they easily become like this. Saying things like ‘when the general is abroad, some imperial commands need not be obeyed,’ speaking wild and rebellious words, doing arrogant things, destroying their own futures.”

The station worker shook his head: “His Majesty could have beheaded him and it wouldn’t have been excessive. To actually keep him on as Guard General—truly too merciful.”

The Station Master tucked his hands in, looking toward the border commandery’s direction: “From that time on, Chu Ling was cast aside by His Majesty in the border commandery, disappearing among the masses.”

The station worker curled his lip: “He deserved it. With such a criminal official for a father, Miss Chu still dares to be so arrogant—truly ignorant of how high heaven is and how thick earth is.”

Was Miss Chu arrogant? The Station Master touched his fat belly. In terms of outward appearance—forget it, forget it. He had no qualification to judge this Miss Chu, since he’d been deceived after all.

This time had truly been much ado about nothing, ending empty-handed, nearly losing his official position. He would stay far away from Chu Ling, and this Miss Chu mustn’t be provoked either.

“Come, come, let’s get to work.”

“Everyone keep your eyes sharp!”

“Put away all your kindness!”

……

……

The further north they traveled, the colder the wind became. When night fell, taking shelter from the north wind, campfires were lit, and frozen-stiff bodies gradually recovered.

Zhang Gu removed his scarf, exhaled a breath of air, and patted his companion beside him: “Do you have any dry rations left? Quick, let me have a bite.”

Before his companion could speak, someone nearby passed over half a piece of dried rabbit meat.

“Zhang-ye, you can roast this and eat it,” a timid female voice said.

Zhang Gu turned his head to see the girl bundled up round like a ball in her headscarf: “A’Fu, this rabbit meat—from several days ago, wasn’t it? How did you—”

“I preserved it with medicinal herbs. Zhang-ye, don’t worry, it hasn’t spoiled,” A’Fu hastily explained, wiping the rabbit meat with her hand. “That on top isn’t dirt—it’s herb residue.”

Zhang Gu laughed: “A’Fu, I’m not disgusted by it. I’m saying, this was given to you—why haven’t you finished eating it?”

A’Fu shook her head: “I eat very little and can’t finish it. You soldiers work hard—please eat it, soldier sir.”

“You silly girl.” Zhang Gu pushed the rabbit meat back. “Right now we’re all traveling the same road. Who’s working harder than whom? With your weak, slender frame, you’re the one working harder. Eat it quickly!”

“Zhang-ye truly is a good person,” A’Fu said, her large eyes visible outside the wrappings full of gratitude.

A hand reached across and took the rabbit meat away.

“A small frame eating too much is actually not good,” he said. “Too weak to be nourished.”

A’Fu said nothing. Zhang Gu felt somewhat helpless: “A’Jiu, don’t always tease a child.”

A’Jiu sat down beside him: “What child? Brother Zhang, I’m only a few years older than her. I’m also a child.”

He even gestured between himself and A’Fu with his hand.

With his long arms and legs, sitting down, he was almost level with A’Fu standing up.

“See, we’re about the same,” he laughed heartily.

Zhang Gu glared at him, then looked at A’Fu. A’Fu had already retreated, sitting quietly at the edge of the campfire where her sister was toasting dry rations over the fire.

A’Jiu only waved the rabbit meat over the fire twice before tearing into it and eating.

“Brother Zhang, try some—it’s actually quite good,” he said.

Zhang Gu snorted: “I’m an adult. I don’t compete with you children for food.”

A’Jiu laughed heartily.

The other relay soldiers also laughed, taking out dry rations and wine, eating and drinking in lively fashion. The wine couldn’t be drunk in excess—it was only for warding off the cold. One or two sips per person was sufficient.

“That A’Fu, A-whatever—do you two want to drink some?” A’Jiu deliberately asked.

They had indeed remembered A’Fu’s name, but as for her sister, who remained silent throughout the journey, constantly staying close to A’Fu like a shadow—even now no one had remembered her name.

“Thank you, soldier sir,” A’Fu expressed her thanks. “My sister and I will just drink hot water.”

A’Fu’s sister hung a small clay bottle over the campfire, filled with fetched water. When the water heated up, she poured it onto cotton cloth and pulled over A’Fu’s hand to gently rub it.

After washing her hands, she took out a clay cup to pour water—this was for drinking.

A’Fu held the clay cup in one hand drinking water while her sister held her other hand, applying medicinal salve. A faint medicinal fragrance wafted out.

Traveling in deep winter was arduous—hands and faces easily became frostbitten. A’Fu’s sister had prepared salve to ease her younger sister’s discomfort.

“The saying goes, an eldest sister is like a mother,” Zhang Gu also observed, sighing quietly. “Having an elder sister is truly a good thing.”

A’Jiu took the wine flask passed to his hand, tilted his head back for a drink and said: “Not necessary. Having a maidservant is the same. My maidservant is just this attentive. No matter spring, summer, autumn, or winter, she always remembers to carefully apply fragrant salve for me.”

This brat! Zhang-ye glared, then shook his head. Forget it—this boy grew up in wealth and tender comfort. How would he know the sufferings of the mortal world?