Mo Ru was quick-witted. Instantly understanding the Prince’s intentions, he ran ahead to the rear of the troops, dismissing the inspection cavalry and leaving only a couple of trusted guards who had been instructed not to give away their identities.
During the short walk, Cui Xingzhou’s mind was in turmoil. Amid his shock, there was a glimmer of joy.
But he also felt this woman was too headstrong! Following behind an army marching to the northwest – what was she thinking?
When he saw her, he would need to scold her thoroughly!
However, when he saw the young woman crouching by the fire, wearing men’s clothing with disheveled hair looking somewhat bedraggled, Cui Jiu momentarily forgot what he wanted to scold her about.
Her journey must have been arduous. Although she had a carriage, her cloth shoes were covered in mud, and her face, without makeup, looked pale and haggard.
He wondered how this delicate woman had managed to catch up with the army…
He paused, looking at her with mixed emotions.
When Miantang saw him, her large eyes first showed confusion, then gradually brightened. She slowly stood up from the fire and suddenly stumbled towards him.
She ran so eagerly that the Prince of Huaiyang’s heart couldn’t help but warm, and he stretched out his arms to catch this rushing young woman.
But to his utter surprise, when the young woman finally stumbled in front of Cui Xingzhou, she swung her slender arm and slapped him hard across his handsome face!
Cui Xingzhou was caught off guard and didn’t dodge, his face slightly tilted from the impact.
Mo Ru was so shocked that he couldn’t help but cover his face, sucking in a cold breath and exchanging bewildered looks with the nearby guards who didn’t know whether to step in to protect the Prince.
Cui Xingzhou was once again shocked by this young woman. He turned his head to look at Miantang in disbelief, doubting if he had misunderstood earlier.
Could this woman have come all this way in anger and humiliation over being divorced, just to berate him for being unfaithful?
Miantang didn’t sense the murderous aura emanating from her husband’s face.
These past few days had felt like long years to her.
Heading north, she hadn’t brought enough clothing to ward off the cold. In the carriage, she could only huddle with her maids for warmth, wrapped in quilts.
Just now, a kind-hearted soldier, seeing how cold they were, had built a fire on the spot for them to warm up.
A moment ago, through the smoke and firelight, she saw a tall man in military attire, broad-shouldered and slim-waisted, striding towards her.
For a moment, she almost couldn’t believe it – was this imposing man with a fierce aura her husband, Cui Jiu?
It wasn’t until he came closer that she could see his mountain-like brows and eyes, his straight nose and thin lips – indeed, it was her husband Cui Jiu.
All at once, the grievances she had endured welled up from the depths of her heart like a spring breaking through ice. Without thinking, her hand seemed to have a mind of its own as it swung towards him.
After delivering that slap, she decided to vent her frustrations completely: “Do you think you’re the Prince of Huaiyang? He may have his whims, wanting to write a creative divorce letter to make a name for himself, but that’s his business. You’re just a commoner, why imitate him? Of all things, you had to write a divorce letter and silently go off to war. Didn’t you think that even if the Prince reaches the front lines, he won’t lack women to serve him? When he returns, he’ll be promoted and live in luxury! But you, in a moment of passion, divorced your wife, gave away all your property, and left with nothing. Do you think anyone will praise you for abandoning your family for the country? Have you become foolish from reading too many classics?”
The young woman’s anger flared up, her shrill voice berating him with hands on her hips, her momentum not falling short of Cui Xingzhou’s in the least.
Old Lady Li reacted quickly, muttering “What a mess” as she hurriedly came over to pull Miss Liu back, preventing her from slapping the Prince again.
But Cui Xingzhou waved his hand with a stern face, not letting Old Lady Li interfere.
Miantang then pulled out the divorce letter from her bosom, tore it into pieces, and threw it at Cui Xingzhou, saying, “I am of the Cui family in life and will be a Cui family ghost in death. Since I haven’t committed any of the seven grounds for divorce, on what basis are you divorcing me?”
Cui Xingzhou, who had never been slapped in his life, now found himself breaking that record thanks to this bold woman. Furious to the point of laughter, he said, “You haven’t borne any children for the Cui family since entering our household, you’re not very teachable daily, and now you’ve added hitting people to your list of faults. Isn’t any one of these reasons enough to divorce you? Moreover, you lack understanding of the bigger picture, following behind the army like this – what were you thinking? Hurry up and go back with Mo Ru, live your own life!”
Liu Miantang felt guilty after being scolded by Cui Xingzhou’s sharp tongue. Thinking carefully, she indeed wasn’t fit to be a good wife, not even giving her husband an heir before he went off to war… By the time Cui Xingzhou finished scolding her, her eyes were red-rimmed, and the tears she had held back for days now flowed freely: “If you want to join the army, then go ahead, but don’t worry about where I go. I’ll just follow behind the troops, I’m not going anywhere else. I’ll just follow behind you… If you die in battle, if I’m still alive… I can bring you home…” After saying this, as if Cui Jiu had died in battle, she let go of her composure and cried out loudly like a child.
By now, Cui Xingzhou could no longer feel the sting on his cheek. Those big red eyes dropping hot tears one by one were all falling into his heart, making his heartstrings ache.
He no longer cared about the people standing around. He pulled Miantang into his arms, holding her tightly, only then realizing how cold her hands were. He wrapped her in his cloak and said softly, “I was wrong, I shouldn’t have left you behind… Alright, don’t cry anymore, the wind is strong here, be careful not to freeze your face…”
Miantang also tightly hugged her husband’s waist, feeling much more secure.
When she first received the divorce letter, she felt as if lightning had struck her on a clear day. She couldn’t be sure if her husband’s letter was genuine or if he had encountered some other trouble that led him to suddenly divorce his wife.
On the day when the locals were sending off the soldiers from Zhen Province, she had rushed there too, wanting to intercept her husband and get a clear explanation. But when she arrived, she learned that the main force had already left.
Miantang was the type of person who needed to understand everything clearly. How could she let her husband have the final say and divorce her so ambiguously?
So she sent away the troublesome servant Mo Ru, and despite Old Lady Li’s objections, she brought plenty of silver and banknotes, changed into men’s clothing, prepared a carriage, and hired an experienced driver to chase after them.
Along the way, she spent a lot of money to persuade postal station clerks to let her change horses at the stations. Traveling day and night, and after experiencing some setbacks, she finally managed to catch up.
Seeing her husband soften his words and put aside his patriotic heart that sought to emulate the Prince of Huaiyang, Miantang’s crying gradually subsided.
At this point, Cui Xingzhou found the opportunity to ask Old Lady Li, “The madam is sensitive to cold, why is she wearing such thin clothes? Where is her fur cloak?”
Old Lady Li had been nervously watching on behalf of Miss Liu, seeing that the Prince hadn’t become angry even after being slapped.
Everyone who had been in the Prince’s mansion for a long time knew how vindictive he could be. If the Prince had reacted on the spot, it might have been better. But this restraint could mean he was planning a thunderous revenge in the future.
Hearing the Prince’s reproach, Old Lady Li hurriedly said, “We did bring the fox fur cloak, but yesterday… the madam lent it to someone else…”
Cui Xingzhou followed Old Lady Li’s gaze and noticed that there was a cart being pulled behind the carriage. The few secret guards he had originally assigned were either with their arms wrapped in bloodstained cloth or with bruises on their faces. They had just gotten off the cart and were standing nearby, looking embarrassed, seemingly unsure whether to come forward and ask for punishment from the Prince.
As Cui Xingzhou walked over, he discovered that the head of the secret guards, Fan Hu, was lying on the cart, with Miantang’s expensive fur cloak covering him tightly.
When he uncovered the fox fur, he found that Fan Hu had been stabbed in the chest. Although medicine had been applied, it was still bleeding.
“Husband, I encountered danger on my way here. Fortunately, yesterday I met these brave men who were planning to join the army. They came to my rescue, but Brother Fan was seriously injured while saving me. Do you have any military doctors in your army who could treat them?”
According to Miantang’s original plan, she was going to follow far behind the main force. When they reached the northwest, she would find a way to contact her husband, to avoid offending the army men and affecting her husband’s career prospects.
But yesterday, suddenly, bandits ambushed her carriage to rob them. Luckily, these righteous men who were planning to join the army and catch up with the main force happened to pass by and save them.
When Miantang saw the seriously injured righteous man at that time, she felt he looked familiar. After careful observation, she realized that this was the righteous man who had helped her several times in Lingquan Town!
Seeing that he was seriously injured, Miantang urgently had the driver chase after the army, thinking of shamelessly using more silver to request help from the military doctors in the camp. Otherwise, this kind-hearted man surnamed Fan would die with his ambitions unfulfilled!
But unexpectedly, Old Lady Li had taken it upon herself to mention Master Cui Jiu’s name to the soldiers who had caught them!
At the time, Miantang was busy pleading softly with the military officers and didn’t pay attention to exactly what Old Lady Li had said, only knowing that it had alerted her husband. She didn’t know if this would cause her husband to be scolded by his superiors…
Fortunately, her husband had some authority. After frowning and examining Brother Fan’s injuries, he called for a military doctor to treat him.
Miantang used to see her husband always in scholarly robes, looking very much like a young nobleman. But now, seeing him in form-fitting armor, accentuated her husband’s slim waist, long legs, and shapely buttocks.
Now, as he stood in the distance, discussing the situation with the group of righteous men, his aura of martial prowess truly set him apart from the crowd.
Only in this military attire could her husband’s unknown side be revealed, so handsome that it made her blush and her heart race…
And he was truly capable. Although it was his first time joining the army, he had already been promoted to the position of chiliarch by a general who recognized his talents. Miantang felt a surge of pride as she watched her husband calmly giving orders to a group of soldiers.
She knew her husband wasn’t a mere playboy! He was like King Zhuang of Chu in the books, silent until he made a stunning impact! Now her husband had found his spirit again, discovering a stage to display his grand ambitions.
So with the nation in crisis, her husband’s martial skills had found their use. She couldn’t hold him back…
As Miantang sat by the fire, wrapped in Cui Xingzhou’s cloak, Cui Xingzhou received reports from his secret guards and finally understood why the guards who were supposed to protect Miantang had all been injured.
It turned out that from the moment Miantang and her group left Lingquan Town, someone had been secretly following them.
At first, when Fan Hu and the others discovered this, they quietly subdued the suspicious person. Upon interrogation, they learned that he was someone arranged by Prince Sui to keep an eye on Liu Miantang.
And this spy wasn’t the only one. When Miantang was leaving, neighbors had asked where she was going. Miantang had explained that her husband had joined the army and she was also moving to the northwest, so someone had rushed back to inform Prince Sui.
At that time, Fan Hu knew this wasn’t good, fearing that Prince Sui might try to take advantage of this lone woman.
Sure enough, when the carriage entered the territory of San Prefecture and reached a desolate area, the people sent by Prince Sui suddenly attacked the carriage, intending to tie up Liu Miantang and stuff her into a sack.
They could no longer protect her in secret and had to reveal themselves to protect her.
It was unclear whether Prince Sui had sensed these secret guards, but the people he sent were highly skilled fighters. Although Fan Hu and his team fought hard, they were still at a disadvantage.
Just when Fan Hu had been stabbed and his life seemed to be hanging by a thread, it was Miss Liu who was prepared. She pulled out a large package of medicinal powder she had prepared in Lingquan Town and, taking advantage of the wind, scattered it over the melee.
Fan Hu knew that Miss Liu had prepared medicine before leaving the city, but he didn’t know where she had gotten the formula. It was just a few common medicinal powders mixed, with the addition of lime powder, making it extremely potent.
When the powder entered the nose and mouth, it not only made the head dizzy but also made the eyes burn so badly they couldn’t be opened!
In no time at all, several skilled fighters were all brought down by this lowbrow medicinal powder.
After the powder had been blown away by the wind, Miantang had her two maids cover their heads with veils and their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs, using the vegetable oil they had brought to wash the eyes of the secret guards.
Even so, it took a whole night before these secret guards gradually regained strength in their limbs. Fortunately, Miss Liu had the driver find an abandoned cart in a nearby deserted village, which they attached to the carriage to bring them along.
As Miantang and her maids and old women bandaged their wounds, she apologized profusely: “I was afraid you might also be affected, so I didn’t throw the powder earlier. If I had known you were no match for those bandits, I would have thrown the powder sooner…”
Miss Liu was indeed very remorseful – even if the brave men had their eyes blinded by the powder, it was still better than being stabbed. So the injuries to Brother Fan and the other righteous men were all due to her hesitation.
As for those villains rolling on the ground, howling, and unable to get up, they were dealt with by Miss Liu and her group of women. According to the secret guards’ suggestion, they should have been killed outright to prevent them from pursuing once they recovered from the effects of the drug.
However, Miss Liu and her group didn’t seem capable of killing. While the secret guards were closing their eyes and trying to think of a solution, Miss Liu came up with an idea.
“How can we, law-abiding women and children, bring ourselves to kill? But I hear wolves howling in the wilderness. Let’s tie them up and throw them far from the main road to feed the wolves!”
Later, they heard from the little maid that Miss Liu, fearing they might not attract wolves, had thoughtfully cut open wounds on the villains’ bodies, leaving those tightly bound men crying and cursing!
However, as secret guards, having their lives saved by the very person they were supposed to protect and watch over was already humiliating.
Being scorned for their lack of skill, and even hindering the young lady’s timing in using the medicine, was an even greater disgrace!
Finally, with their limbs weak, sprawled in disarray on the cart to meet the Prince, they felt they deserved death a thousand times over!
As Fan Hu lay on the cart, looking at the Prince’s cold gaze, his eyes filled with hot tears. If he hadn’t been seriously injured and unable to move, he would surely have drawn his sword to commit suicide to wash away the shame.
As Cui Xingzhou listened to their experiences, his hand slowly clenched into a fist.
He had long known that Prince Sui seemed interested in Liu Miantang, but he never imagined he would be so bold as to order his men to disguise themselves as bandits to kidnap a weak woman like Liu Miantang!
If Liu Miantang hadn’t prepared her countermeasures, she would probably have fallen into Prince Sui’s hands by now, enduring who knows what kind of humiliation…
He turned his head to look back at the fire, where Liu Miantang was drinking hot water brought by Old Lady Li, her face seeming somewhat flushed…
As the sunset faded, the main force not far ahead had already set up camp to rest.
After Cui Xingzhou had soldiers find a military doctor to treat Fan Hu, he also ordered people to fetch several thick cowhide tents from the supply wagons ahead to set up for Miantang and her group. He had charcoal stoves brought to warm the tents, finally providing Miantang with a place to rest for the night.
Miantang, having been injured before, was sensitive to cold, especially with poor circulation in her hands and feet. Now that she had let her guard down, she felt somewhat lazy and tired. When she lay down on the thick wool-felt mat in the small tent, her head began to feel dizzy, and her body started to shiver with fever.
But she poked her head out from under the blanket, pretending to be fine as she said to Cui Xingzhou: “You’ve just joined the army and been promoted to chiliarch, which is no easy feat. Don’t let the generals above reprimand you because of me. Once Brother Fan has received treatment and is out of danger, I’ll just have the carriage follow far behind the main force. When we reach Jinjia Pass, I’ll find a nearby village to stay in. You don’t need to worry about me.”
Cui Jiu felt her forehead, which was hot enough to cook an egg, and frowned as he brought medicine for her to drink: “You’ve only been out for a few days and already encountered bandits. Do you still dare to stay alone? Aren’t you afraid of being captured by bandits and forced to become a…”
He abruptly stopped mid-sentence, now very reluctant to recall the incident when Miantang had been kidnapped and taken up the mountain. Just the thought of Miantang having been possessed by another man filled him with indescribable frustration and jealousy.
But Miantang was unaware of Cui Jiu’s inner turmoil and said with a hint of pride: “Husband, you don’t need to worry about me. My maternal grandfather was escorting valuables and roaming the jianghu when these petty thieves were still drinking milk. The old man has plenty of ways to deal with these highway robbers! As his granddaughter, I’ve remembered a few useful tricks. Otherwise, how would I, a mere woman, dare to set out so rashly?”
Cui Xingzhou knew her maternal grandfather was an escort, so it wasn’t surprising that she knew how to prepare defensive drugs.
He didn’t want to argue with Miantang about her plans now, he just wanted her to quickly drink the fever-reducing medicine.
But Miantang kept avoiding it, finally hiding under the blanket and saying: “My illness isn’t serious, drinking plenty of hot water will be enough. There’s no need for medicine…”
She had been sick for a year before, drinking medicine every day, and had developed quite an aversion to these bitter concoctions. Besides, she felt her illness wasn’t severe and didn’t need such a drastic measure as taking medicine.
At first, Cui Xingzhou thought she had endless things to say after being separated from him for so long, but later he realized she was just making excuses to delay taking the medicine.
After several failed attempts at coaxing her, he finally understood Miantang’s little trick. His thick eyebrows raised high as he first took a sip of the bitter medicine himself, then leaned down towards Miantang, who was curled up under the blanket…
For the first time in her life, Miantang learned that there was such a way of administering medicine, but this embarrassing method made her blush to the tips of her toes.
So after being fed a mouthful of medicine by her husband mouth-to-mouth, Miantang actively grabbed the bowl and drank the bitter medicine in one gulp…
Cui Xingzhou, however, seemed somewhat unsatisfied and said to her: “If you don’t obediently take your medicine in the future, I’ll feed you like this…”
Miantang lowered her head, fiddling with the buckles on his leather armor, and shyly said: “If I don’t take medicine, can we still do this? Otherwise, it’s quite bitter…”
The Prince of Huaiyang, who had been frowning since leaving Zhen Province, was finally made to smile by this thick-skinned little darling.
After rinsing his mouth, he obliged his wife’s wishes and leaned down again, kissing her deeply…
That day, Cui Xingzhou didn’t stay in her small tent for too long.
After all, the main force was on the march, and the commander couldn’t linger in the boudoir.
After her husband left, Miantang’s cheeks remained flushed. It was hard to tell whether it was due to the high fever or embarrassment.
Just thinking about the passionate kiss she had shared with her husband earlier made all the hardships of the journey disappear.
People say the Northwest is a land of barren mountains and treacherous waters, especially brutal in winter. But with her husband by her side, no matter how harsh the place, she was determined to establish a home.
The road ahead was still long, but Miantang could now fall asleep with a smile, filled with indescribable sweetness, amidst the howling wind of the wilderness…
Although Cui Xingzhou couldn’t keep Liu Miantang by his side, he assigned reliable personal guards to protect this small group of women and wounded soldiers following behind the main force.
The horses pulling the carts were replaced with strong horses from the army, and additional carriages were provided so that Miantang wouldn’t have to squeeze into one carriage with her maids and old women.
After taking the medicine that day, Miantang slept soundly as the drug took effect. The next day, because they had to set out early, this small group of family members also rose early.
Old Lady Li was a capable person who could skillfully prepare soft and convenient food with just a fire.
As Miantang drank the thin porridge with dried meat and vegetables, she felt her mind clearing up, and her fever had subsided.
The soldiers left behind by her husband were very capable, efficiently packing up the small tents, preparing the horses and carriages, and continuing the journey northwest.
Sitting in the carriage lined with thick felt, Miantang eagerly looked out through the curtain – somewhere in the large group not too far ahead was her husband.
Although she couldn’t see exactly where he was, her heart could finally be at ease.
As for Fan Hu, the leader of the secret guards, his life was not meant to end yet. Although his stab wound was deep, it hadn’t damaged any internal organs. After proper bandaging and drinking some hot soup to replenish his blood, he gradually recovered. The others only had minor injuries and were not in serious condition.
This group of secret guards had lied about wanting to join the army, and now they were in a difficult position, unable to return to their covert roles. So the Prince instructed them to use the excuse of recovering from their injuries to travel alongside Miss Liu and her group.