The next day, before dawn, Mei Lin was kicked awake. Murong Jinghe, while allowing his attendants to arrange his clothes, lightly kicked her until she opened her eyes.
“Get up. You’re allowed to join me hunting today,” he said as if bestowing a great favor.
Mei Lin’s eyes were still sore. Hearing this, she felt confused. Her naked body, hidden under the blanket, moved slightly, immediately causing her to draw in a sharp breath of pain, her features contorting. However, when Murong Jinghe’s next glance fell on her, she still managed to sit up, supporting herself on her waist that felt as soft as if it had melted. She fumbled to dress behind the blanket.
Perhaps due to her habit of training while injured, even in this situation, she never considered trying to find an excuse not to go.
As they left, A’dai, who had ultimately remained by Murong Jinghe’s side, was already fully dressed and standing at the tent entrance, her head slightly bowed, respectfully seeing them off. However, when Mei Lin passed by her, she raised her head, making no effort to hide the contempt and disgust in her eyes, clearly looking down on Mei Lin’s willingness to debase herself.
Mei Lin smiled, ignoring her.
Murong Jinghe didn’t have an extra horse prepared, instead having Mei Lin ride with him. She couldn’t understand his intentions, certainly not foolish enough to believe that after one night he had become so fond of her that he would risk angering the old emperor.
Recalling the emperor’s reaction before they set out—his face darkening and beard quivering with anger when he saw her sitting in Murong Jinghe’s arms, yet unable to express his displeasure due to the setting—Mei Lin found it amusing but was even more puzzled by Murong Jinghe’s motives. It wasn’t until they encountered the woman in military attire that everything became clear, including A’dai’s special treatment.
They met at the edge of the forest. Just as Mei Lin’s entire body began to protest from the horse’s jolting, a woman riding a large, jet-black steed appeared in their view. Or rather, Murong Jinghe had been lingering at the forest’s edge, waiting for this person, which is why he immediately rode towards her when she appeared.
“Luomei,” Murong Jinghe called out. Without turning her head, Mei Lin could sense his mood suddenly becoming elated.
Mu Ye Luomei, the first female general of Great Yan, was a household name. Mei Lin had no reason not to know of her, but she hadn’t expected her to be such a young woman.
As they drew closer, the face beneath the plumed hat became clearer—bright eyes, cherry lips, skin as white as jade—she was truly a stunning beauty. However, her gaze was too sharp, and coupled with her neat, soft armor and battle robes, she exuded a valiant charm alongside her allure.
The beauty cast a cold glance at Mei Lin nestled against Murong Jinghe’s chest, snorted, and without a word, rode directly into the forest. Mei Lin noticed her nose was delicately pointed and tilted upwards with a hint of playfulness, very similar to A’dai’s, but without the sense of incongruity. At that moment, she suddenly understood—A’dai had been chosen at first sight probably because her nose resembled the female general’s.
Murong Jinghe was accustomed to this coldness and paid it no mind. He pulled on the reins to follow her, waving off the guards from accompanying them.
After yesterday’s hunt, numerous small paths had been trampled through the forest, making it easy for the horses to navigate, but naturally, there was little game to be seen. To have any success today, they would need to venture deeper into the forest. Within the time it took to burn a stick of incense, they encountered several groups of riders, including Murong Xuanlie and his guards.
Seeing Murong Jinghe with a woman in his arms and following another, Murong Xuanlie was both amused and annoyed. He couldn’t help but tease them a bit before quickly leaving with his men, disappearing into the dense woods before Mu Ye Luomei could react.
With nowhere to vent her anger, Mu Ye Luomei turned to glare at Murong Jinghe, coldly saying, “Your Highness should stop following this humble official, lest it invite gossip.” With that, she spurred her horse and galloped ahead.
This time, Murong Jinghe didn’t immediately give chase. Instead, he slowly rode with Mei Lin in the direction Luomei had gone.
“Do you know how to hunt?” he suddenly asked Mei Lin.
Uncomfortable in her seat, Mei Lin first shook her head, then realizing her mistake, quickly said, “No, my lord, this slave doesn’t know how.” As she spoke, she didn’t dare look at him, inexplicably feeling some fear towards him, perhaps a lingering shadow from the previous night.
She thought this impromptu topic would end there, but unexpectedly, Murong Jinghe, for some reason, enthusiastically said, “I’ll teach you.” He took the crossbow from the horse’s back and began to earnestly teach her how to use it, seemingly unconcerned about Mu Ye Luomei’s departure.
Of course, Mei Lin had learned how to use powerful bows and crossbows in the dark facility, but with her martial arts disabled, she couldn’t even draw a normal bow. Fortunately, Murong Jinghe’s was a light, compact repeating crossbow, which she could manage. However, his suddenly gentle and intimate attitude made her uncomfortable, unsure of how to position her hands and feet, let alone use the crossbow. Murong Jinghe was amused by her clumsy movements, laughing repeatedly, and became even more determined to teach her how to shoot a game.
Before they knew it, they had entered the depths of the dense forest, with no sign of others around. Suddenly, there was movement in the underbrush. Murong Jinghe reined in the horse, then whispered in Mei Lin’s ear, “Watch over there.” As he spoke, he raised her arms holding the crossbow, helping her aim.
Feeling his hot breath on her ear and his near-embrace, Mei Lin became momentarily dazed. Before she could regain her senses, the bolt had been released from the crossbow with a “whoosh,” disappearing into the grass.
“Hit it,” Murong Jinghe said, releasing his hold, his voice returning to normal.
She could still feel the slight vibration of his chest against her back as he spoke. For a moment, Mei Lin suddenly thought his slightly husky voice sounded pleasant. She shook her head, biting her lip. The sharp, light pain cleared her mind, and she realized she had nearly been bewitched, breaking out in a cold sweat.
As far back as she could remember, she had always faced harsh environments and cold, cruel human nature. She had long since learned to cope with these. But no one had told her what to do when someone was kind to her.
“Let’s go take a look,” Murong Jinghe’s voice sounded again just as she was feeling lost and uncertain. Then her body was lifted from the horse’s back and gently set on the ground.
Perhaps from sitting on the horse for too long, coupled with last night’s ordeal, Mei Lin’s feet had barely touched the ground when she felt a wave of weakness, nearly collapsing to her knees. Fortunately, Murong Jinghe caught her in time, only letting go once she was steady.
Gathering herself, Mei Lin awkwardly walked towards the underbrush. Parting it, she found a gray wild rabbit lying on its side, an arrow piercing its belly, lifeless. Supporting her aching waist, she slowly crouched down, then reached out to grab the rabbit by its ears and lifted it, turning to look at Murong Jinghe.
The man sat high on his horse, his back to the rising sun, his habitual frivolous expression unclear. His silhouette against the morning light gave an unexpectedly imposing and intimidating impression.
Thinking she had encountered a useless and harmless person, she now realized she might be facing someone more ruthless than anyone else. Mei Lin frowned slightly, troubled by her misjudgment.
“What are you thinking about?” Murong Jinghe, seeing her crouched there for a long time without getting up, pulled on the reins, slowly walking the horse over.
Seeing him approach, Mei Lin felt an inexplicable panic. She quickly stood up, smiling, “I was thinking how accurate your aim is, my lord.”
“When shooting, one naturally aims to hit the target with a single arrow. Otherwise, once the prey is alerted, capturing it becomes much more troublesome,” Murong Jinghe said leisurely, his voice carrying a hint of chilling coldness.
Mei Lin suddenly felt uneasy, sensing deeper meaning in his words.
Before she could dwell on it, Murong Jinghe bent down and lifted her back onto the horse, slowly heading deeper into the unexplored dense forest. Occasionally, pheasants or deer would leap across their path, but he no longer aimed. Mei Lin grew puzzled.
“My lord, aren’t you going to hunt anything else?” From last night’s distribution of beauties, it was clear that the amount of game represented one’s ability and was closely tied to personal honor.
To her surprise, Murong Jinghe patted the rabbit dangling from the horse’s rump and asked with a smile, “Isn’t this enough?”
Mei Lin was momentarily speechless.
He paused, then added, “What’s the point in killing these small creatures with no ability to resist and little use…”
As they were speaking, a flash of fiery red suddenly darted past not far away, emerging from a patch of wild grass among scattered rocks. Murong Jinghe’s words cut off abruptly as he raised his crossbow to shoot. Unexpectedly, an arrow flew in from the side, forcefully knocking his bolt off course. With this interference, the red figure immediately vanished into the dense forest.
Mu Ye Luomei appeared on her unusually large black horse under a tree to their left rear, raising an eyebrow at Murong Jinghe. She said coolly, “Murong Jinghe, let’s have a competition.” The content of the competition was obvious—it was for a suddenly appeared and quickly escaped small red creature.
Mei Lin wasn’t sure how she had gotten behind them, but noticing that she addressed Murong Jinghe by his full name, she immediately realized that Luomei might not dislike him as much as she appeared to on the surface. More likely, there was a deeper relationship between them that outsiders weren’t privy to. Of course, these were just speculations. What didn’t need speculation was Murong Jinghe’s suddenly joyful expression upon seeing her appear.
“Since Luomei is in the mood, how could I refuse?” he said with a smile. With one hand holding the crossbow and the other around Mei Lin’s waist, he was about to spur his horse towards where the red figure had disappeared when Mu Ye Luomei blocked their path with her horse.
“You, bringing her…” She pointed her small, round chin at Mei Lin, then said haughtily, “Even if I win, it wouldn’t be a fair victory.”
Mei Lin’s heart skipped a beat, but before she could react, she heard Murong Jinghe laugh. Then her body swayed, and she found herself placed on the ground.
“Wait for me here,” he said, bending down to meet her startled eyes, his voice gentle but his attention elsewhere. Before his words had faded, he had straightened up, yanked on the reins, and disappeared into the forest with Mu Ye Luomei, one in front of the other.
Mei Lin stood among the wild grass. A gust of wind blew through the gaps in the trees, causing her to shiver involuntarily.
Without much thought, Mei Lin found a spot where the grass leaves were soft, flattened it, and sat down, leaning against a nearby wild rock to doze. Although being left behind like this wasn’t ideal, her tired and aching body could finally get some rest, which wasn’t entirely bad.
She understood that Murong Jinghe had achieved his purpose in bringing her out. Mu Ye Luomei’s reaction, if not proving how much she liked him, at least showed that she cared—cared enough to be bothered by another woman diverting his attention. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have turned back and used the pretext of fair competition to have him leave behind the bothersome presence. Of course, that bothersome presence was Mei Lin.
At first, Mei Lin thought they would return quickly, so she didn’t dare fall into a deep sleep. However, as she watched the sun climb higher and higher in the sky, and her stomach began to growl with hunger, yet there was still no sign of them, she realized she had probably been forgotten.
Understanding this, she simply lay down in the grass, taking advantage of the warm sunlight to sleep soundly, disregarding any potential dangers.
This nap lasted until the sun was setting in the west and the autumn chill began to creep in.
Rubbing her empty stomach that hadn’t been fed all day, Mei Lin sat up, looking at the blue-green sky visible through the branches above and the thin clouds tinted red by the setting sun in the distance. She let out a long sigh.
Should she take this opportunity to escape, to flee from all this and live like a normal person? Her heart fluttered, and a look of intense longing appeared in her eyes, but it quickly faded. Of course, she hadn’t forgotten about the poison in her body, which required an antidote every month. Without it, the agony of the poison alone would be enough to leave her caught between life and death. Moreover, she had nothing with her and could barely protect herself at present. Where could she escape to? Become a beggar? Even if Murong Jinghe hadn’t said he didn’t want her, if he truly told her to leave, she would probably have to beg him tearfully to keep her.
She took out a wooden comb from her bosom, loosened her grass-covered hair, combed it smooth, and tied it into a loose bun. Then she got up and started walking back along the path they had come. If she didn’t leave now, it would be too late once the night fell. The mountain forest was fraught with dangers at night; even experienced hunters had to be extra cautious, let alone someone as defenseless as her.
The only thing she could be grateful for so far was that after resting, her body’s discomfort had greatly diminished, allowing her to walk with less difficulty than in the morning. She wasn’t worried about getting lost in the forest; after all, her training in the dark facility hadn’t been for nothing. Her only concern was the gnawing hunger in her stomach.
Suddenly, a grasshopper jumped from a leaf in front of her onto a tree bark. She quickly caught it, pinched off its head, and put it in her mouth, chewing twice before swallowing.
She had no time to leisurely search for food. Instead, she foraged as she walked, picking up whatever edible items she could find—bitter wild fruits and insects that would make ordinary people’s hair stand on end. In truth, when a person reaches a certain level of hunger, anything non-poisonous becomes palatable. Although she wasn’t at that point yet, she had been before. Since these things were edible, there was no reason to go hungry. After all, she needed strength to escape the forest.
As autumn set in, darkness fell quickly once the sunset. Before long, the woods grew dim. Fortunately, the moon had risen, and though its light was faint, it was better than nothing. Mei Lin carefully traced her steps back, using the dim light to navigate the dark forest while avoiding nocturnal predators. The journey was arduous. At times like these, she couldn’t help but long for her lost martial arts skills, which inevitably led her thoughts to her enigmatic master.
If she hadn’t understood why her master had stripped her of her skills before, she certainly did now, given her current mission. It was easy to detect whether someone possessed martial arts abilities. For a woman accompanying a princess in a political marriage, such skills would undoubtedly be cause for concern.
Mei Lin sighed resignedly. Thoughts of her past in the secret facility, the previous night’s events, and the life that lay ahead overwhelmed her with indescribable fatigue, leaving her almost too weak to continue.
She paused, resting her forehead against the rough tree bark. After a moment, she caught her breath, shook off the unwelcome thoughts that always crept in during darkness, and pressed on, gritting her teeth.
“No matter what, I must escape all this,” she told herself, swatting away the mosquitoes buzzing around her ears. As she spoke, an image of wildflowers she had seen through a carriage window years ago flashed in her mind, bringing a faint smile to her lips.
By the time she emerged from the forest, the moon had reached its zenith. Mei Lin gazed at the distant lights between the tents, her leaden legs barely able to move.
“I don’t want to go over there,” she laughed at her hesitation.
However, she wasn’t given much time to deliberate. A stern voice called out, “Who goes there?”
The sound of hoofbeats arose as a group of horsemen carrying torches emerged from another part of the forest. Leading them was a man dressed in a dark warrior’s outfit with sea holly on his shoulders. His beauty was so striking it was almost intimidating—it was Crown Prince Murong Xuanlie. The guards behind him had their horses laden with game, including a leopard, indicating a bountiful hunt.
Surprised by their appearance, Mei Lin hesitated before bowing deeply.
“This slave greets the Crown Prince,” she said. Judging by their appearance, they had just returned to camp. She wondered if Murong Jinghe and Yu Muye Luomei had returned as well.
Murong Xuanlie narrowed his eyes, studying her for a moment before seeming to recall who she was. He looked puzzled.
“Weren’t you the one who entered the forest with Third Brother this morning? Why are you alone here? Where is the Third Prince?”
The barrage of questions left Mei Lin unsure how to respond, yet she couldn’t remain silent. Choosing her words carefully, she said, “This slave became separated from the Third Prince in the forest. I was returning to camp to inquire if His Highness had returned…” It was only then that she realized Murong Jinghe was the third son. There must be another prince above him whom she hadn’t seen yesterday.
As she spoke, one of Murong Xuanlie’s guards suddenly leaned forward and whispered something in his ear. When he looked at her again, his phoenix-like eyes held undisguised sympathy. Whether it was because he learned she had been abandoned or for some other reason, she couldn’t tell.
“Come with us, then,” he said, gesturing for his men to provide a horse for her.
In truth, Mei Lin would have preferred to walk rather than ride, for reasons she’d rather not mention. However, she couldn’t refuse. She could only sit slightly askew, trying to keep her expression as normal as possible.
As she was now considered part of Murong Jinghe’s household, Murong Xuanlie didn’t speak to her for the remainder of the journey.
Riding at the back, Mei Lin occasionally glanced up at Murong Xuanlie’s tall, imposing figure. She couldn’t help but recall the scent of incense she had smelled when she fell against him the previous night, causing a wave of unease to wash over her.
Murong Xuanlie’s men escorted Mei Lin to Murong Jinghe’s tent, confirming his safe return before departing to report back.
When Mei Lin entered, Murong Jinghe was lounging lazily against some cushions, drinking wine and watching A’dai, who knelt beside him, play with a small, fiery red creature.
Mei Lin stood at the tent’s entrance, bowing respectfully without moving further inside. After a while, Murong Jinghe seemed to notice her presence. He looked up and beckoned her over.
Mei Lin approached and, seeing that he was half-lying down, didn’t dare remain standing. She knelt like A’dai, but before she could settle, Murong Jinghe pulled her into his arms. He pressed his nose to her neck, inhaling deeply, then asked in an intimate tone, “Where did you pick up this floral scent?” His manner and tone suggested he had completely forgotten about abandoning her alone in the deep forest. There was no trace of guilt, not even a perfunctory excuse.
While Mei Lin might have been at a loss when others showed her kindness, she had no difficulty handling this situation.
“My lord is teasing me. How could there be flower fragrances in late autumn? It’s just the scent of mountain herbs and leaves,” she said coyly, pretending to sniff her sleeve. She didn’t mention or complain about the morning’s events at all.
“Is that so? Let this prince have a closer smell…” Murong Jinghe smiled, leaning in again, but this time his target was her chest, which was fuller than that of most women.
Mei Lin’s heart skipped a beat as memories of the previous night flooded back, making her body ache all over again. Thinking quickly, she raised her hand to gently block her chest, but the movement was subtle enough not to feel like a rejection—more like shyness. Simultaneously, she stammered, “My lord… this slave… is hungry…”
She wasn’t lying. Although she had found some odds and ends to eat on her way back, it was far from satisfying.
Murong Jinghe paused, seemingly remembering that she hadn’t eaten all day. Perhaps disappointed by the interruption, he lifted his head with a slightly disgruntled expression, but still said, “Go to the tent next door and find Qing Yan. Have him prepare some food for you and arrange a place for you to rest.” The implication was clear—she should eat and then sleep, without returning.
Mei Lin inwardly sighed with relief. She quickly rose from his embrace, knelt to express her gratitude, and then hurriedly retreated, not even bothering to put on a show of reluctance. Only she knew that her haste was due to fear that the stubborn A’dai might cause trouble, leading Murong Jinghe to take out his anger on her.
She could see that Murong Jinghe was particularly indulgent towards A’dai, likely because of his resemblance to Yu Muye Luomei. Mei Lin neither dared nor wanted to compete with A’dai for favor. She only hoped to avoid undeserved punishment and complete her mission safely, then make her escape.
Once outside the tent, she took a deep breath. Looking up at the faint moon and sparse stars, she calculated the time. In ten days, she would need to change her antidote. She wondered if the hunt would be over by then.
Qing Yan was a eunuch in his early twenties, with a pale, beardless face. He looked younger than Murong Jinghe but was a few years older. Perhaps it was because eunuchs often appeared more youthful.
Since Murong Jinghe wasn’t asleep yet, Qing Yan didn’t dare sleep either. Upon hearing Mei Lin’s request, he frowned, his eyes narrowing. He left for quite a while before returning with a plate of cold roasted meat.
“Eat,” he said, looking down his nose at Mei Lin, his tone affected.
Mei Lin didn’t complain, thanking him instead.
“Don’t think that just because you’ve been in the master’s bed, you’re half a master yourself…” he began lecturing in a sarcastic tone as she struggled to cut the cold, tough meat with a thin knife.
“The eunuch’s words are wise,” Mei Lin replied without anger, pausing her efforts and lowering her eyes submissively. Her temperament had been tempered long ago in the secret facility, and Qing Yan’s attitude didn’t stir even a ripple in her heart.
Seeing her reaction, Qing Yan muttered a few more words before stopping, finding it uninteresting.
Mei Lin lightened her movements and chewed as quietly as possible, but her speed didn’t slow. In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, she had devoured the entire plate of roasted meat.
When Qing Yan saw the clean plate, he was so shocked he couldn’t close his mouth for a long time.
“How many days has it been since you’ve eaten?” he finally asked, his expression changing several times.
“One day,” Mei Lin smiled without further explanation. Then she asked, “May I trouble the eunuch to tell me where I should take this plate?”
Pleased by her humility, Qing Yan no longer gave her a hard time. He waved his hand and said, “Leave it there. Someone will collect it tomorrow.” Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he looked her up and down with a frown. “How can you serve the prince looking like this?” he said, walking out.
Mei Lin was a bit stunned. Looking down at herself, she realized that after a day in the forest, her white clothes were not only wrinkled but also stained with the juices of grass and wildflowers, creating a colorful mess of yellows and greens. Recalling how Murong Jinghe had embraced her without disgust earlier, she felt a strange sensation in her heart. She also understood the true meaning behind his comment about her being covered in floral scents.
As she was lost in thought, Qing Yan returned, followed by two men in imperial guard uniforms. One carried a large wooden tub, while the other brought two buckets of hot water.
Qing Yan directed the men to set down the tub and pour in the water. After they left, he placed clean clothes, towels, and soap nearby. He then addressed Mei Lin, “Clean yourself up properly. Don’t let people say that the people of Prince Jingbei’s household don’t know etiquette and look like filthy beggars.”
Before Mei Lin could respond, he added, “Leave the water there when you’re done. You’ll have to make do here for the night. Tomorrow, I’ll have someone set up a tent for you all.” With that, he left the tent and didn’t return.
The water in the tub emitted a thin white mist. The clear surface was sprinkled with small, golden flower petals the size of rice grains. Steamed by the heat, their fragrance filled the tent, making it very inviting.
Mei Lin stood still for a while, making sure no one else would enter before slowly undressing and stepping into the water.
As she sat down, the water in the tub rippled and rose, just covering her chest. The slightly hot temperature stimulated and soothed her aching muscles. She couldn’t help but let out a comfortable sigh, leaning against the tub’s edge and completely relaxing.
This Qing Yan, though sharp-tongued, was thoughtful and attentive. Mei Lin thought whether it was for Murong Jinghe’s sake or simply fulfilling his duty, it didn’t prevent her from feeling grateful to him.
After soaking for a while, as her fatigue began to dissipate, Mei Lin reached up to remove her hairpin. Her long hair fell loose, and she took a deep breath, sliding down to submerge her head underwater. Her mind became increasingly clear.
Earlier, when she had occasionally heard Murong Jinghe refer to himself as “this prince,” she had thought it was a slip of the tongue. Only now did she realize he had been granted a princedom. For a prince to be given such a title, it was either due to great merit or a form of exile. Regardless of the reason, it meant the old emperor’s position was certainly not meant for him.
Jingbei. That place…
As she ran out of breath, she emerged from the water with a splash, wiping away the wet hair and droplets clinging to her face. Her eyes sparkled in the candlelight.
That place… that was where she had come from.
That year, when she and the other children were crammed into the swaying, bumpy carriage, watching ridge after ridge of green mountains recede into the distance, fragmented white flowers swaying in the misty rain, her heart had been filled with uncertainty about where they were being taken. At the very beginning of that journey, she had overheard travelers mentioning Jingbei most frequently.
Perhaps Murong Jinghe would take them back to Jingbei. The thought of this possibility excited Mei Lin, and an inexplicable hope rose in her heart.
However, this hope didn’t last long. From the next day until the end of the hunt, she never saw Murong Jinghe again, as if she had been completely forgotten.
In stark contrast to her situation, A’dai, who had finally submitted to reality, stayed in Murong Jinghe’s main tent, basking in his favor. This led Qing Yan to look at her with pity every time they met.
What completely dashed her hopes was that after the hunt, Murong Jinghe didn’t return to Jingbei but instead accompanied the imperial entourage back to the capital. It was only then that she learned he had always lived in Zhaojing. As for Jingbei, it was probably just a nominal fief.
(End of Chun Hua Yan – Chapter)