Early the next morning, outside Guzang city, one hundred horsemen in black armor sat high on their mounts behind a large, spacious carriage, ready to depart.
Beside the carriage, Jing Zhe quietly waited as Jiang Zhiyi and Shen Yuance said their final farewells inside. After one finished giving instructions, the other began again—their words were much the same, with the word “take care” repeated no fewer than eight times.
Inside the carriage, Jiang Zhiyi leaned against Shen Yuance’s chest, holding his waist. She looked up and asked, “When will we meet again? Must we wait until you come to the capital at year’s end?”
Shen Yuance nodded. “Unless there’s a special imperial summons.”
“A summons would surely mean serious matters, so it’s better not to have one. Meeting later is fine.”
Shen Yuance lowered his eyes and stroked her temple. “Shall I escort you to the post station?”
“Let’s not…” Jiang Zhiyi pursed her lips. “Even after a thousand li of escort, we must still part. If you can’t accompany me to Chang’an, let’s say goodbye here.”
“But we can’t delay. If you miss the post station, you’ll have to stay in the wilderness overnight. At this time of year, there are many insects and snakes outside…”
Jiang Zhiyi’s brow twitched, and she immediately released him. “Then let’s depart quickly!”
Her expression changed so fast. Shen Yuance clicked his tongue softly. Remembering something, he shifted his gaze from her face downward. “Does it—still hurt?”
Last night’s memory unfolded before her eyes like a fragrant picture book. In broad daylight, Jiang Zhiyi’s face reddened as she glared at him. “How dare you mention that!”
The soft flesh where he had sucked and bitten had left a deep red mark. This morning, when her maids came to help her dress, they thought she was injured and nearly called for a doctor. She had to make up an excuse, saying it was from Yuan Tuan licking her.
“Are you a dog?” Jiang Zhiyi frowned.
Shen Yuance raised an eyebrow. “This is hardly the worst.”
Jiang Zhiyi looked sideways at him and cupped his face with both hands. “When I’m away, you’re not allowed to be a puppy with anyone else.”
“Who else do I have? As for you, Pei Zisong left only days ago and hasn’t gone far. Wouldn’t it be quite the coincidence if my fiancée happened to travel back with the Prime Minister’s son?”
Jiang Zhiyi was taken aback. “You can rest assured. Ever since your passive-aggressive behavior at the inn last time, he has avoided me like the plague. A few days ago, when I was seeing Sister Xueqing off, he didn’t say a single word to me.”
Shen Yuance smiled, taking her hand and stroking her palm gently. “All right, it’s time to depart.”
Jiang Zhiyi nodded with drooping brows. As he rose, she hooked his little finger with hers until her arm wasn’t long enough to keep hold, and she watched as he bent down and left the carriage.
Shen Yuance mounted his horse, pulled the reins, and turned toward the hundred elite cavalry led by San Qi. His expression grew solemn. “I command you to escort Princess Yongying safely back to the capital. From now on, along the way, the Princess’s orders are to be treated as my own. Anyone who disobeys will face military punishment.”
“Yes, sir!”
The troops set out, and the carriage rumbled forward. Jiang Zhiyi leaned out of the window to wave at the young man who was seeing her off from a distance. Behind him stood the magnificent, bustling city, while he sat alone on his horse, his black hair flying in the wind, once again looking solitary and desolate.
A month and a half later, in the scorching heat of June, they reached the territory of Xingzhou.
In the blazing afternoon, the sun hung high in the sky, so hot and bright it could not be looked at directly. With no wind or clouds, the air seemed to thicken like congealed soup. As far as the eye could see, not a blade of grass stirred, with only the incessant chirping of cicadas along the road. Wave after wave of dense heat surged toward them relentlessly.
The carriage moved slowly through the rolling heat waves. Inside, Jing Zhe fanned Jiang Zhiyi without pause. Seeing that the two buckets of ice at her feet had completely melted into water without a trace of coolness, and that even the wind from the fan was unbearably hot, she grew increasingly worried.
They had been traveling for over a month, and by now they should have nearly reached Chang’an. Who could have predicted this unexpectedly scorching summer, the likes of which hadn’t been seen in a decade? Earlier in Guzang, it had been relatively cool, but from May to June, traveling from northwest to southeast, the heat had grown increasingly oppressive, making the journey more and more arduous.
Not to mention that the Princess had never endured such suffocating heat—even Jing Zhe could barely stand it. Outside, the soldiers exposed to the blazing sun had no choice but to remove their armor as they marched, and the horses frequently needed water to quench their thirst.
To find shade and water sources for rest, they had to delay several hours each day. Now, in late June, they still had three-tenths of the journey remaining.
Fortunately, apart from the scorching heat, they hadn’t encountered other difficulties this past month and more. In May, they had received news that under the treatment of Li Dafeng’s prescription, the Marquis’s condition had temporarily stabilized. Although his cough remained unhealed, at least his fever had subsided, which prevented Jiang Zhiyi from becoming anxious.
Today, during the hottest hour, they should have been resting. However, a few days earlier, San Qi had received a message from Shen Yuance thousands of li away, warning that a drought had broken out in the southern prefectures of He, Yu, and Feng, and there might be refugees heading north, potentially intersecting with their route. If they could endure the heat, they should quicken their pace to avoid conflicts with the refugees. If not, they should rest at a post station for a few days to observe the situation and wait until it stabilizes before departing.
Seeing Jiang Zhiyi sitting limply on a bamboo mat, leaning against the carriage wall with a flushed face, Jing Zhe was deeply concerned. “Princess, the ice we brought from the post station has all melted, and the carriage curtains can’t block this poisonous sun. We should find a place to rest. You mustn’t collapse before seeing the Marquis.”
Jiang Zhiyi, pressing her chest where she could hardly breathe, laboriously asked, “…How far is it to the next post station?”
“We can’t reach the next post station right now. If we need to rest, Xingyang City, the administrative center of Xingzhou, is nearby. We could enter the city.”
Jiang Zhiyi shook her head. “We’re already inside the pass. The Xuance Army’s identity is sensitive. Unless necessary, we should avoid entering the city…”
Jing Zhe wrung out a wet cloth to wipe her face, saying, “Nothing is more important than your health. If General Shen were here, he would certainly choose to enter the city.”
Jiang Zhiyi was dizzy with heat, yet couldn’t sweat. Her chest felt tight, and her breathing grew increasingly faint. She tried to speak again, but as she drew breath, spots appeared before her eyes, and she collapsed limply to one side.
“Princess!” Jing Zhe cried out in alarm as she caught her, urgently calling outside the carriage, “Doctor Feng!”
An hour later, Jiang Zhiyi slowly opened her eyes to a gentle, cool breeze. Seeing an unfamiliar ceiling above, she gradually turned her head and noticed Jing Zhe sitting beside the bed, drowsily fanning her with narrowed eyes.
“Water…” Jiang Zhiyi squeezed out a word from her parched throat.
Jing Zhe snapped awake from her drowsy state. “The Princess is awake!” She quickly poured a bowl of cool tea and helped Jiang Zhiyi sit up to drink. “Do you feel better, Princess? Can you breathe more easily now?”
Jiang Zhiyi drank the entire bowl of tea, feeling somewhat relieved, and nodded lightly.
“Thankfully, Doctor Li’s apprentice was with our group. Doctor Feng said you were suffering from heat stroke. Fortunately, you fainted when your body couldn’t endure it. Had you forced yourself to continue, the consequences would have been unthinkable… Doctor Feng performed gua sha on you earlier. Seeing that you’ve broken into a sweat, the heat toxins should have been expelled.”
Only then did Jiang Zhiyi notice the burning sensation on the back of her neck. She hissed softly as she reached up to touch it, asking, “Where are we?”
“At the Prefect’s residence in Xingyang City. I remembered your concerns and had intended to enter the city with just Doctor Feng, leaving the others outside the city temporarily. However, San Qi said General Shen had ordered that wherever you were, they would be too. Just then, the Prefect of Xingzhou came to the city gate to welcome you and, hearing this, invited everyone into the city. The Prefect Zhu seems quite attentive and doesn’t appear to have any reservations. Though his deputy, the Administrative Assistant Wei, seemed somewhat doubtful at the time, he didn’t raise any objections.”
Jiang Zhiyi nodded and rubbed her temple. “Help me get up. I should personally greet the Prefect.”
Knowing how deeply Jiang Zhiyi cared for Shen Yuance, not wanting him to face even the slightest trouble, Jing Zhe didn’t urge her to rest more. She helped her wash and change clothes, then supported her as they left the back courtyard of the Prefect’s residence.
In the front courtyard of the Prefect’s office, as soon as Jiang Zhiyi was led to the main hall’s entrance by the residence steward, a slightly plump middle-aged man with a quivering beard hurried forward to meet her, bowing deeply. “Princess Yongying’s grand arrival—my apologies for not welcoming you from afar… This humble official, Zhu Fengyuan, Prefect of Xingzhou, greets the Princess. May the Princess have boundless fortune and peace!”
Behind Zhu Fengyuan, a tall, slender middle-aged man also bowed, saying concisely, “This humble official, Wei Ji, Administrative Assistant of Xingzhou, greets the Princess.”
Each truly lived up to his name.
Jiang Zhiyi surveyed the two men and gestured with her hand. “No need for such ceremony. Please rise.”
Zhu Fengyuan straightened his back and carefully observed Jiang Zhiyi’s complexion. “Is the Princess feeling better? Why not rest longer in the guest chambers? This humble official has already ordered the preparation of your evening meal.”
“This Princess travels with one hundred ‘guards.’ They have endured long journeys by boat and carriage with me and now need rest. Does Prefect Zhu have a place to accommodate these ‘guards’ of mine?”
Of course, everyone knew they were from the Xuance Army, but if the Princess called them guards, then guards they were. Zhu Fengyuan nodded with certainty. “The Princess need not worry. We shall accommodate them in the side courtyard of this Prefect’s residence. How does that sound?”
“Can your Prefect’s residence house so many people?”
“Well—” Zhu Fengyuan drew out his voice as he pondered, then had a sudden realization. “Perhaps not. This humble official will find another place for them, but close to the Prefect’s residence?”
Jiang Zhiyi nodded with satisfaction.
By calling them guards, she was reminding Zhu Fengyuan not to publicize the Xuance Army’s identity. With such a large contingent, it was best to proactively avoid suspicion and prevent gossip.
Seeing that Zhu Fengyuan was a perceptive man, these few words should suffice.
Jiang Zhiyi, weak-legged after sweating, had been forcing her tired body to come here. Seeing that he understood her meaning, she headed back to the rear courtyard. On the way, she encountered San Qi, who approached her for instructions. “Young Mistress, since you’re staying here tonight, you should keep some guards by your side. Besides myself, perhaps ten more men. What do you think?”
Jiang Zhiyi stopped in the corridor, holding Jing Zhe’s hand, and nodded. “Make the arrangements as you see fit.”
San Qi acknowledged with a nod and was about to leave to select men when he looked up and saw a handsome young man in flowing green robes approaching. His steps suddenly halted.
Jiang Zhiyi followed San Qi’s astonished gaze and turned around, also startled—
“Young Master Pei?”
“Princess?”
“What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?”
After speaking in unison twice, Jiang Zhiyi and Pei Zisong stood frozen face to face.
Jiang Zhiyi recovered from her surprise and spoke first. “I’m returning to the capital on urgent business. Passing through Xingzhou, I was struck by the heat and entered the city to rest.”
“What a coincidence. My wife has unexpectedly encountered Brother Zisong here.” A youthful male voice, reminiscent of Shen Yuance’s tone, rang out.
This aggressive manner of speaking was extremely familiar, yet it wasn’t Shen Yuance’s voice. After more than a month without hearing Shen Yuance speak, Jiang Zhiyi almost thought her ears were playing tricks on her due to missing him. She slowly turned around in astonishment.
She saw that San Qi had somehow taken out a folded booklet from his waistband and was holding it open.
Seeing Jiang Zhiyi staring with wide eyes, San Qi hastily explained, “This lowly one presumes too much. The Young General ordered me to speak thus.”
Jiang Zhiyi blinked in confusion. “…What is that in your hand?”
It was, of course, the booklet of phrases that the Young General had given him the day he bade farewell to the Princess over a month ago. After traveling for more than a month without encountering the Pei siblings, San Qi had thought this booklet would go unused, but he still carried it daily just in case. As they say, train soldiers for a thousand days to use them for one moment—it was finally put to use at the critical moment.
Pei Zisong was also stunned for a good while before coming to his senses. He cupped his hands toward the booklet in San Qi’s hands. “Zisong is here, sending distant regards to Brother Yuance.”
Jiang Zhiyi: “…”
How fortunate to encounter such a forthright, honest person who followed along.
San Qi hurriedly flipped through the booklet, scanning ten lines at a glance, until he found the appropriate response. “I, Shen, am well in all respects. May I ask why Brother Zisong is lingering here, where he has met my wife?”
“A few days ago, Zisong and my sister encountered trouble with refugees. We were rescued by Prefect Zhu’s troops of Xingzhou and came here to take temporary shelter.”
San Qi continued flipping through the pages. “I see. So after your rest, might you happen to be departing together with my wife?”
Pei Zisong shook his head repeatedly. “Not at all, not at all! Zisong absolutely will not coincidentally travel with her!”
Jiang Zhiyi: “……”