The Zhou family tea gardens were spread throughout Fu Province and Qing Province in the Great Mu, producing abundant tea annually. They were imperially appointed tea households, with most of their production dedicated to the court’s tea taxes and implementing the tea monopoly policy in Dantat.

Zhou Tinghe had been traveling in Dantat on imperial orders to exchange tea for horses for nearly half a year. He didn’t usually go to Guo City, but due to the recent warfare in Di City, he had changed his tea route to enter and exit Dantat through Guo City instead, using it as a stopping point.

Encountering Gu Yi was truly unexpected for him. Upon reflection, he wondered if she had come to Dantat with the Emperor’s campaign.

If so, why was she alone and traveling under an alias with a Dantat horse caravan?

Zhou Tinghe didn’t have time to think too much about it. He first brought the unconscious Gu Yi to his residence in Guo City and quickly sent for a doctor from the city.

The young horse trader called Ba Tuoye stubbornly refused to leave. “I came with Sister Pi. I’ll only leave after she wakes up and tells me you’re not a bad person!”

Zhou Tinghe appreciated his kindness and specially gave him ten catties of tea leaves as thanks. If Ba Tuoye exchanged this tea for silver, it would easily compensate for his lost horses.

After examining Gu Yi, the city doctor said she was exhausted, anemic, and weak, which was why she had fainted. There was nothing seriously wrong; after sleeping for a day or two, she would recover her strength.

Zhou Tinghe felt somewhat relieved and had the kitchen prepare ginseng soup to be ready for when Gu Yi woke up, so the maid could feed it to her.

Guo City was already cold in October. The grasslands mostly had clear skies and thin clouds, but the sunlight provided little warmth.

Zhou Tinghe stood in the courtyard for a short while before hesitantly stepping into the east wing room.

Gu Yi was still lying on the bed, breathing steadily in her sleep. A maid standing nearby saw him and softly called out, “Young Master.”

Zhou Tinghe nodded and stopped in front of the bed, looking at her closely.

Gu Yi’s face no longer showed the dusty, travel-worn appearance she had arrived with. The maid had wiped her body with warm water and changed her dust and grass-covered outer robe and clothes.

He glanced at the golden soft armor by the bed. Gu Yi wearing this armor while galloping on horseback was truly unexpected. The Gu Yi in his memory was not like this. He thought dejectedly that the past was ultimately just the past.

On the bed, Gu Yi’s head moved slightly. Zhou Tinghe was startled, but saw she hadn’t awakened. Her jet-black eyebrows just furrowed a bit, and her lips moved as if speaking in a dream.

He couldn’t help but lean down to listen, and after a moment he could make out what she was saying.

“Dog…” Gu Yi seemed to be saying.

Dog?

Zhou Tinghe was even more surprised. Was she having a nightmare?

But after waiting for quite a while, Gu Yi fell back into deep sleep and spoke no more in her dreams.

Zhou Tinghe waited anxiously and conflicted for another day. Now wearing the robe of an eighth-rank official, he should report Gu Yi’s whereabouts upon seeing her. But he repeatedly convinced himself that Gu Yi was still unconscious, and he would report after she woke up and explained her situation.

News of the great victory at the capital had arrived several days ago, and the Emperor should be in the capital. If he sent an urgent letter to the capital, it would arrive in just seven or eight days. Even with the war coming to an end, the Emperor would send someone to bring Gu Yi back. Perhaps sending Gu Yi back to the Great Mu would be more appropriate.

Zhou Tinghe thought and thought until the candle on the table was nearly burnt out before finally writing the letter and ordering a guard to deliver it to the capital.

*

Gu Yi slept for two days and two nights before finally recovering her strength. She was truly startled to find herself lying properly on a four-poster carved wooden bed.

She half sat up and saw a round-faced girl wearing a light brown padded jacket approach her and hand her a cup of steaming hot tea, saying, “Madam has awakened. Are you thirsty? Have some tea. The kitchen has warmed some ginseng soup; I’ll bring it right away…”

“Wait,” Gu Yi held the teacup and asked puzzledly, “Where is this? Who is the owner?”

The girl answered with a smile, “This is Lord Zhou’s residence, his regular lodging in Guo City.”

Lord Zhou?

Gu Yi thought of the official tea banner on the carriage top she had seen before fainting.

Could it be such a coincidence?

Of all her calculations, had she overlooked this unofficial brother?

But if it were some other person with the surname Zhou, Gu Yi felt she wouldn’t receive such attentive care.

Seeing that she had nothing more to say, the little girl ran out to fetch the ginseng soup from the kitchen.

Gu Yi had just taken a sip of the ginseng soup when Zhou Tinghe entered wearing a blue-green robe.

He paused for a moment, then bowed and said, “Greetings to Concubine Rou.”

It was indeed him!

Gu Yi, half-reclining against the headboard, gathered the saffron-colored cloak around her shoulders. “Lord Zhou need not be so formal.”

Zhou Tinghe straightened up, avoiding her gaze, and bowed again, saying, “I have already written a letter to be sent to the capital for His Majesty. Concubine Rou, please remain calm. As soon as there is a reply, I will certainly report it to you.”

Gu Yi’s heart was in tears. She had worked so hard, running for so long, just to quietly survive past the endpoint of the storyline!

Still hopeful, she asked, “What day of what month is it today? When did you send the letter, and approximately how long does it take to go to and from the capital?”

Hearing the urgency in her voice, Zhou Tinghe answered truthfully, “Today is the fifth day of the tenth month. The urgent letter was sent yesterday. If nothing unexpected happens, it should reach the capital by mid-month.”

Gu Yi sighed in relief. Calculating on her fingers, the timing was just right. If by the fifteenth day of the tenth month she hadn’t been reset, waiting in Guo City for a reply wouldn’t matter.

Zhou Tinghe noticed from the corner of his eye that she seemed to sigh, and said, “If Concubine is concerned, I can write another letter…”

“That won’t be necessary!” Gu Yi said firmly.

Zhou Tinghe said no more. “Please rest well, Concubine. I shall take my leave.”

No sooner had he left than Ba Tuoye arrived.

Ba Tuoye was delighted to see her awake and told her about the tea leaves Zhou Tinghe had given him.

Gu Yi nodded with satisfaction. “Be careful on your return journey. Wait until the chaos settles a bit before you go.”

With the capital fallen, the Great Mu would soon send people to deal with the aftermath.

Xiaoyan, at this time, must certainly be too occupied to attend to other matters.

Thinking of this, Gu Yi felt somewhat relieved, yet also a bit dejected.

*

On the day the capital fell, Xiaoyan had set out to return south. With the situation in Dantat as it was, he guessed that if Gu Yi had escaped, she would return to the Great Mu.

So, he dispatched several teams to search along the various routes leading south to the Great Mu and ordered several checkpoints at the Great Mu border to watch for anyone resembling Gu Yi. But if Gu Yi had escaped before Hamu’er returned to the capital, she should have already returned to the Great Mu by now.

For the return journey from Dantat, one could choose the official road going south from Di City, but for speed, crossing Tiger Hill from Guo City on horseback was a shortcut.

Xiaoyan, eager to return, chose this shortcut. Because of this, he met the messenger sent by Zhou Tinghe halfway.

Seeing the urgent letter with the tea tax seal, he thought it might be about the war affecting the tea routes, but didn’t expect it to be about Zhou Tinghe encountering Gu Yi.

For a moment, his heart was both relieved and somewhat bitter.

In the end, it was Zhou Tinghe.

But ultimately, the relief far outweighed other emotions. Whenever he thought of Gu Yi alone wandering the grasslands, galloping through the night, he felt deeply worried and couldn’t sleep. He feared that one day he would wake up only to see Gu Yi’s cold corpse.

Now, knowing she was in Guo City, even if under Zhou Tinghe’s care, he felt immense gratitude.

*

The weather grew colder, with breath turning to frost, but Guo City showed no signs of quieting down. After the war, more people traveled through Guo City heading south to the Great Mu.

Fearing unrest in the city at night, the city gates closed from the Hour of the Dog, and a curfew was imposed within the city.

Gu Yi didn’t go out either. After a few days of rest, her spirits were good, but the pressure grew greater each day as she counted the days, feeling as if each one lasted a year.

The midnight drum had just struck in the city, marking the thirteenth day of the tenth month.

The cold light outside the window was dim. Gu Yi lay on the bed, turned over, and closed her eyes, forcing herself to sleep. She didn’t know how much time had passed. Just as she was finally drifting into a hazy sleep, a cold wind suddenly blew from behind her, like the night wind from outside.

She didn’t want to open her eyes and get up to check the window, so she simply snuggled deeper into the thick quilt.

Earthy smell.

A moment later, Gu Yi smelled an earthy scent, the familiar smell of the grassland’s gray soil.

What kind of wind was so strong that it blew in soil?

Gu Yi made a “tsk” sound and irritably turned over, wanting to look at whether the window had been blown open by the wind. Unexpectedly, she saw a tall black silhouette standing at the foot of the bed, faintly dark, its shadow elongated by the moonlight.

“Mo—”

Before she could finish the “ther,” a cold, large hand covered her mouth.

“My dear, it’s been so long since you’ve seen me that you’ve forgotten how to address me. This form of address, I truly don’t deserve.”

Xiao Gouzi!

In an instant, Gu Yi was wide awake, her eyes as big as brass bells, finally recognizing Xiaoyan’s face.

His eyes flickered with a dim light, but his appearance was somewhat disheveled. His black hat seemed askew, with a few messy strands of hair scattered across his forehead. His black cloak was infused with the smell of earth. The hand covering her mouth had thin calluses and still carried the leather scent of reins.

She reached up to pull down the palm covering her lips and tremblingly said, “Your Majesty!”

Coming so quickly! This wasn’t scientific! Wasn’t it supposed to be after mid-month?

Seeing that Gu Yi was truly unharmed, just with slightly thinner cheeks, Xiaoyan’s suspended heart finally settled.

The charcoal brazier in the room burned vigorously, making crackling sounds. He withdrew his hand and took off his cloak, throwing it on the floor.

Gu Yi quickly got up from the bed and lit the bronze candlestick on the table.

It was Xiaoyan.

She stared at him blankly. After several months, Xiaoyan had grown thinner and darker.

Seeing her expression, Xiaoyan smiled at her. “What’s wrong? Now that Concubine Rou has lit the lamp, she doesn’t recognize me?”

It was an ordinary tone, but for some reason, Gu Yi wanted to cry out loud.

Why? With just two days to go, why did she have to fail when she was so close?

Seeing her eyes redden, Xiaoyan’s smile faltered, and he stepped forward to embrace Gu Yi tightly.

Gu Yi’s nose touched his cold neck, and the horse smell on him made her want to cry even more.

“Your Majesty, wouldn’t you like to bathe first?” she said, her voice tearful.

Xiaoyan’s body suddenly stiffened. His hands loosened but didn’t let go completely. He said helplessly, “How impertinent.”

Gu Yi took the opportunity to bury her head in the crook of his neck and sniffed. Without the cloak, the earthy smell seemed to have diminished somewhat.

After a while, Xiaoyan sighed, “Early tomorrow morning, we’ll set out to return to the palace.”

Gu Yi closed her eyes lightly, with a final stubbornness, clinging to her last hope. “I don’t wish to return to the palace yet. I want to enjoy a few days of freedom outside the palace. But I know Your Majesty has just settled the war and must have many matters to attend to. Your Majesty need not concern yourself with me. Please return to the palace at dawn tomorrow!”

Xiaoyan gave a cold laugh and held her tighter. “What does Concubine Rou mean? Is it that the scenery of Guo City is so captivating, or is it Lord Zhou’s residence that makes one forget to return?”

Gu Yi heard the jealousy in his words but still said in a muffled voice, “I just don’t want to return to the palace. Your Majesty should go back first.”

Xiaoyan was silent for a moment, his fingers lightly stroking the ends of Gu Yi’s hair. “Why doesn’t my dear wish to return with me to the palace?”

Gu Yi naturally did not answer, and then heard him ask, “When you said you loved me in the past, were you deceiving me?”