HomeAfter I Bloom Hundred Flowers DieChapter 635: A Small Welcome Gift

Chapter 635: A Small Welcome Gift

“The people of Dengzhou…” Xiao Huayong murmured, then smiled with an indecipherable meaning.

Indeed, Xiao Huayong had planned to use Dengzhou’s disasters as cover, letting deaths appear natural amid catastrophe, making it convenient to erase traces. But he had never intended to harm Dengzhou’s common people – everything was merely following circumstances.

He didn’t believe that Shen Xihe, knowing him as well as she did, wouldn’t realize this. Yet she still used the people’s well-being as her reason, stubbornly avoiding saying she was worried about him. Perhaps this was a cover, or perhaps it was an excuse she hadn’t consciously recognized.

Regardless, his actions had startled her, so Xiao Huayong decided to pull back and delay his plans.

With Xiao Huayong promising to hold back, Shen Xihe felt relieved. Thinking of her unprecedented vulnerability moments ago, she felt somewhat uncomfortable. The couple, lost in different thoughts, fell silent after their heavy conversation.

The carriage continued steadily forward. Soon after entering Dengzhou’s territory, a drizzling rain began falling everywhere, thick clouds woven tightly together blocking all light. The mud below grew increasingly treacherous, making travel very difficult.

“The carriage cannot pass ahead. Would Your Highness be able to ride horseback?” They stopped at a relay station, and Xiao Zhangqin led guards to scout ahead personally.

They had been following official roads, but these wound through mountains. Knowing Xiao Huayong was coming to Dengzhou, and this being the hope awaited by suffering people after the strange stone appeared, local officials had risked repairing the roads. Many commoners had even voluntarily joined in, clearing a path that could reach Wendeng County directly.

But with endless rain for days, no one knew if the cleared road was safe. As an escort, Xiao Zhangqin naturally prioritized Xiao Huayong’s safety.

“How far is it to the next relay station?” Before Xiao Huayong could speak, Shen Xihe asked.

Xiao Zhangqin had already investigated everything: “The next station is a hundred li away, but bypassing the mountain path, we can rest in a village. However, the mountain path is slippery and requires extreme caution.”

“Thank you for preparing the horses, Fifth Brother.” Xiao Huayong said warmly.

Xiao Zhangqin responded directly and went to prepare.

“What did Prince Xin mean?” Once Xiao Zhangqin left, Shen Xihe looked up at Xiao Huayong.

Traveling with Xiao Huayong, Shen Xihe hadn’t bothered with things like scouts and intelligence gathering along the way. She trusted Xiao Huayong wouldn’t overlook anything, so there was no need to waste her people. Moreover, uncertain of his complete plans, she worried that rashly deploying people might leave traces and disrupt his arrangements. Thus, she knew nothing of their surroundings.

Xiao Zhangqin’s words held hidden meanings. Though they had entered Dengzhou and these areas indeed had continuous drizzle with soft, muddy roads, in Xiao Zhangqin’s mind, Xiao Huayong was feigning illness. He wouldn’t treat Xiao Huayong as a true invalid. His attitude indicated he knew something and was subtly warning Xiao Huayong.

“Eighth Brother’s welcome gift to us,” Xiao Huayong’s lips curved slightly. “Just a small game, not worth worrying about.”

Seeing Xiao Huayong so confident, as expected, Shen Xihe asked nothing more.

When Xiao Zhangqin had everything ready, Xiao Huayong and Shen Xihe both donned straw rain capes and bamboo hats. As Xiao Huayong mounted his horse, he coughed several times, then turned to Shen Xihe as she prepared to mount her horse: “I suddenly feel weary and fear I cannot ride long. Youyou, could you carry me along?”

Shen Xihe: …

Not only was Shen Xihe speechless, but even Tian Yuan and the others were stunned by the Crown Prince’s casual lie.

Xiao Zhangqin maintained an expressionless face, eyes fixed straight ahead.

Thinking of the “welcome gift” still awaiting them, Shen Xihe said nothing more, decisively abandoning her horse to walk to Xiao Huayong’s side.

Xiao Huayong held the reins with one hand and slowly extended the other.

Shen Xihe looked at the palm already wet with rain, placed her hand in his – it’s center ice-cold – and used his strength to mount the horse, sitting before him, encircled by his seemingly thin and tall frame.

She snatched the reins from his hand: “Hold tight to me.”

His long arms locked around her waist, holding her close.

Shen Xihe looked down at the slender fingers interlocked at her waist, pressed her lips together, then raised her hand with the whip and galloped forward. Tian Yuan, Zhenzhu, and the others hurried to follow. Xiao Zhangqin also led his guards in pursuit, passing the couple to take the lead.

Fine rain fell on branches and leaves, its whisper amid the thundering hoofbeats like the hoarse sound of snakes disturbing dreams in the night, creating an unsettling chill.

Riding against wind and rain, occasionally racing past branches extending over the road, faces splashed with icy water in the wind, many quickly became disheveled. Shen Xihe controlled her horse excellently, maintaining good speed while consistently avoiding these obstacles.

“Youyou, your horsemanship has greatly improved,” Xiao Huayong couldn’t help but praise.

“Where have they set their ambush?” This was Shen Xihe’s concern.

Xiao Huayong raised his eyes to look at the narrow bend ahead, with high mountains on one side and a bottomless cliff on the other, a gleam passing through his eyes: “One lie ahead.”

Shen Xihe’s hand tightened on the reins. Just then, eagle cries circled overhead, and looking up, she saw three to five eagles spread their wings, seemingly blocking much of the rain above them. She couldn’t help calling out to the guards approaching the bend: “The path ahead narrows, be vigilant…”

Before Shen Xihe finished speaking, her pupils contracted. She glimpsed rocks rolling down the slope above the bend, immediately yanking back on the reins. The horse responded by rearing up, its body nearly vertical, almost throwing Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong off. It took a while to steady the horse.

By then, rocks were thunderously rolling down, accompanied by large amounts of mud, even washing away some trees – appearing like a normal landslide.

Then huge sections of the mountainside began falling, as if an invisible giant axe had cut off a corner of the slope. Suddenly, the face of the slope separated from the mountain, crashing down mercilessly. Shen Xihe was about to retreat.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Huayong behind her first grabbed her hand on the reins and slapped the horse, charging forward.

Under his control, the horse seemed to share his mind, jumping when needed, turning sharply when required, and charging like the wind when necessary.

He precisely avoided all falling mud and rock. When occasional dirt and pebbles flew toward them, he raised his cloak to shield Shen Xihe.

Shen Xihe turned to look at his cold eyes, sharp as blade edges. When she came back to herself, they had passed the bend, escaping an exciting and dangerous “natural disaster.”

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest Chapters