The several hundred wounded from the earthquake in Liyang were fully treated and the plague conditions in this area had gradually stabilized. Mu Fulan prepared to leave and set out for the next location.

Before her departure, she gathered the people she had selected from the local community over the previous days to assist her in practicing medicine — among them the Liyang chief’s daughter, Yongfu — and relayed to them some important notes on the use of medicines.

The chief led his people and came in person to bid farewell and see her off, his gratitude overflowing.

Yuan Handing had been occupied these past days with distributing the grain that Changsha had transported here. Hearing she was leaving Liyang, he handed off the remaining matters to others and hurried over, ready to escort her onward.

Mu Fulan asked him about the grain distribution and, learning it had been handled smoothly, said, “Now that the grain matters are arranged, Brother, please return — there is no need to trouble you further here.”

Without waiting for him to speak, she smiled again and said, “Brother, set your mind at ease. We have been here for some time now. At the beginning we did not know, but now you have seen with your own eyes — wherever I go, the local people escort me the whole way, and guards travel alongside me. I am very safe. Besides, the epidemic is also improving. It will not be long before I too can go back.”

“There is nothing the matter here. Compared to this place, home needs you more!”

The iron ore mines, the armory, and the daily drills at the military training grounds in Ru territory — matter upon matter, a thousand threads and ten thousand loose ends — could not be entrusted to just anyone, given the importance of keeping knowledge of them to as few people as possible. Without him there, although Prince Changsha was managing things, the prince himself was already occupied with the heavy duties of his own daily affairs as the ruler of Changsha. Without Yuan Handing, he would likely find it quite taxing.

Mu Fulan had been waiting for the grain distribution to be complete all this time; now that it was finally done, she naturally urged him to return early.

Yuan Handing knew well enough what his responsibilities were. He deliberated a moment, then nodded.

“Very well, I’ll head back first. All the people I brought — I’m leaving every last one of them here with you.”

“You must also take care of yourself. Don’t exhaust yourself. Once matters are done, come back early.”

He gazed at Mu Fulan’s somewhat thinner face as he spoke.

Mu Fulan smiled. “I know. Thank you for your concern, Brother.”

Having said so, she glanced at the crowd gathered at some distance behind her, took out an exquisitely crafted small pouch embroidered with local totems, and — under Yuan Handing’s puzzled gaze — held it out to him with a smile, saying, “This is from the Liyang chief’s daughter, Yongfu, entrusted to me to pass on to you. She says it contains a protective talisman. She is grateful for your help to her people these days and hopes you will accept it, as a blessing for your lifelong peace and safety.”

Yuan Handing was startled. Following Mu Fulan’s gaze, he turned his head instinctively, and there, behind the crowd of well-wishers, a local girl of fifteen or sixteen was gazing at him.

The girl stood beneath a flowering tree, dressed in blue, with willow-leaf brows and almond eyes, her face like a full moon — exceedingly beautiful. Seeing him look back at her, a flush spread across her cheeks, and she turned, weaving around the flowering tree, and vanished swiftly into the crowd.

“Brother, the people here worship the sun. Yongfu set out in the middle of the night to climb this area’s highest mountain — Liyang Peak — and prayed devoutly to the divine at sunrise to obtain this. It is her sincere feeling, Brother. Please accept it.”

Yuan Handing turned back and met Mu Fulan’s smiling gaze. After a moment’s silent exchange, understanding dawned in his heart.

His Lady, from childhood until now, had always called him Brother.

In her heart, he would always only ever be her brother.

The hand she held out — still holding the protective talisman — was extended toward him.

He finally raised his arm, slowly accepted it, and said in a low voice, “I must trouble the Lady to convey my thanks to her when it is convenient.”

Mu Fulan nodded. “Then I’ll be on my way first. Brother, take care of yourself too.”

Yuan Handing watched her figure become surrounded by the crowd of well-wishers, pressed down the sorrow rising in his heart, and turned to leave.

Yongfu slipped over quietly and asked Mu Fulan in secret whether he had accepted the talisman.

Mu Fulan smiled. “He accepted it, and asked me to thank you on his behalf.”

Yongfu’s eyes immediately lit up, a flush once again rising on her face, and she said softly, “Thank you, Lady.”

This chief’s daughter had helped her a great deal over recent days; Mu Fulan was very fond of her. She nodded and smiled, saying, “The methods of treatment I taught you — keep them firmly in mind. After I leave, remember to continue caring for the patients who have not yet recovered. If you encounter difficulties, come find me or one of the physicians in the nearby settlements.”

Yongfu nodded in agreement.

Just then, Mu Fulan saw the boy named Wuji come running over from the distance, calling out to her, as if he had something to say. Thinking it might be that his mother’s illness had taken a turn for the worse again, she hurried to meet him and asked, “What has happened? Is something wrong with your mother?”

“No, no! This morning I ran into some people who asked me to guide them to find you, Lady. I suspected they might be bad people, afraid they meant you harm, so I’ve come to warn you!”

Wuji had run until his head was covered in sweat. Between gasping breaths, he recounted his earlier encounter with that group.

Mu Fulan was startled, and immediately asked him to describe their appearance. Wuji gave a description.

Before he had even finished, Mu Fulan had already guessed that the person he was describing was Xie Changgeng.

But what she could not understand was this: several days ago, he had clearly already left. Why would he have returned today, coming back here to find her?

And even more puzzling — now that he had come back, had already entered Sanmiao territory, and was clearly not far from her, why had he suddenly turned around and gone again?

Full of misgivings, she asked Wuji to recount the details again from the beginning, not leaving out a single word.

Wuji thought carefully and told her everything over again, one by one.

“…I asked the leader who he was and what business he had with you, Lady. His attendant said he was your husband.”

“I had heard earlier from my mother and the others gossiping that General Yuan was your husband, Lady. So wasn’t that man just talking nonsense? I refused to guide them. They caught me, the leader pressed me for an answer, and I said: General Yuan is your husband, Lady — that man was lying. And then that man said nothing, just turned around and left. I hurried right over to warn you to be careful.”

Mu Fulan listened to the end and stood stunned.

By Wuji’s account, Xie Changgeng had turned and gone. But her instincts told her the matter was absolutely not that simple.

She thought back to the words he had said to her just before he left several days ago.

A feeling of ill omen swept over her all at once.

She was lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly recalled that night when he had entered Liancheng and encountered Xi’er — her heart lurched violently.

She could not remain here another moment. She immediately dropped everything and set out at once for Liancheng. Halfway there, she met a messenger sent by the Liancheng magistrate, and learned a piece of news she least wanted to hear — yet which had truly, undeniably, already happened.

Xi’er had been taken by Xie Changgeng!

All these days, since arriving here, she had been extremely busy, worn thin by work and worry. In the days since the earthquake, the number of people in need of treatment had surged all at once. In her most exhausted moments, she could sit down anywhere at all and fall asleep on the spot — she had not rested properly at all. Now, upon suddenly hearing this news, it was as if someone had violently ripped out all five of her vital organs at once. Fury flooded her heart, and the world before her suddenly went dark.

Her body swayed several times and was caught in one swift grip by someone nearby.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the churning, surging force in her chest to settle a little. She slowly opened her eyes, gave the order to continue forward, and went on back to Liancheng first.

Mu Fulan arrived at Liancheng, returned to the quarters she had been staying in, stood before that empty bed, and stared at Xi’er’s small garments and little shoes — still lying there, not yet taken away. Her tears could no longer be contained, and poured from her eyes.

The maids knelt on the ground behind her, not daring to lift their heads.

Mu Fulan quickly wiped her tears away and turned to walk out.

Nanny Mu, who had already fallen ill from anxiety, learned she had returned, mustered herself to get down from the bed, and suddenly seeing her walk in, struggled upright and was about to prostrate herself on the ground. Choking with emotion, she said, “My Lady, it is entirely my fault — I was of no use…”

Mu Fulan stepped quickly forward, supported her, and asked her to lie back down.

“I already know what happened. It was none of your doing. Even if I myself had been there at the time, I doubt I could have stopped him. Nanny Mu, do not blame yourself. Get your health back as soon as possible — that is what will set my mind at ease.”

Having comforted Nanny Mu and instructed the maids to take good care of her, she turned and went out to the front.

Yuan Handing had already received word and rushed over. He was waiting there with the Liancheng magistrate. The magistrate knelt on the ground looking ashamed; Yuan Handing’s expression was anxious. Seeing Mu Fulan appear, he stepped forward quickly and said, “My Lady, I’ll lead men to catch up now. No matter what, I will bring the young lord back. You stay here and wait for my news.”

“Brother, I’ll go myself.”

She said this to Yuan Handing.

“Very well. I’ll bring men along with you! I’ll send someone back to Yuezhou to get word to His Highness at once! My Lady, wait a moment — we’ll be ready to set out very shortly!”

He said so and turned, about to leave at once.

Mu Fulan called him back.

She ordered the Liancheng magistrate to rise, told all the others to leave as well and to keep their distance, leaving only Yuan Handing behind.

“Brother, this time — don’t go.”

He could not go either.

If he went, it would only stir up more misunderstandings and more fury. Not only would the matter go unsolved — it was entirely possible that Xie Changgeng might harm Yuan Handing.

This had begun with her, and it was hers to end.

“Brother, this is a private grievance between him and me. I cannot tell you all the details, but rest assured — he would not go so far as to harm Xi’er. I will go myself. I will negotiate with him and bring Xi’er back. Trust me.”

She said this to Yuan Handing.

Yuan Handing was silent.

Mu Fulan had made up her mind.

“Brother, I know you care for me. All this time, I am sure your heart has held many doubts. There are things I truly cannot tell you in full. But regarding Xie Changgeng — there is one thing I want you to know: he is wildly ambitious, with his sights set on toppling the dynasty.”

She looked steadily at Yuan Handing and said slowly.

Yuan Handing seemed startled, and glanced at her.

“He once promised not to make trouble for us — even said he was willing to protect us. But all of that rests on a condition: that we do not obstruct his great ambition to overturn the dynasty. If the day comes when the court truly no longer tolerates Changsha, and we become a threat to his plans, he will certainly sacrifice us. The only one we can trust is ourselves.”

The events of the past rose through her heart one by one; Mu Fulan could not quiet her feelings.

She said: “The Mu clan’s ancestors were men of great valor. Our family members are upright and moderate. For two hundred years, we have held our territory, harbored no other ambitions, and have never once coveted what belongs to others. Yet the world seldom goes as one wishes. In the past we were constrained at every turn, our military strength depleted. Brother, within a few years, this realm will certainly fall into great chaos. I have no wish to make an enemy of Xie Changgeng, but this man truly cannot be trusted. If we do not wish to be slaughtered at will, we can only rely on ourselves. I am not saying we must necessarily do this or that in the future — but if we possess an army capable of standing against others, our hearts and people united as one, backed further by the Sanmiao territory, then in the days ahead, whoever it may be — even Xie Changgeng — when they want to take a bite out of us, they will at least have to weigh the matter first and give it some thought.”

“Brother, you once said you still needed one year. That year is upon us now, and this is Changsha’s most critical hour. Brother, listen to me — do not worry about me. Train our soldiers and horses well. That is your first and foremost duty right now, above everything else.”

Yuan Handing looked at Mu Fulan with a complex expression for a long moment, then gritted his teeth and said, word by word: “When others do not attack me, I do not attack them. When others attack me, I will fight back to the death. What the Lady has said — I will keep it in my heart. I will arrange the escort for you, and then return to Yuezhou!”

He said so, then turned and walked out with quick strides.

The next morning at dawn, Mu Fulan set out.

She traveled the official road.

By her original estimate, setting out from Liancheng heading north, riding hard, she should reach Hexi in a little over a month. She could not have anticipated that barely ten days out, when crossing the Yuan River, the upper reaches had burst into flood several days prior, the roads were submerged, and she was blocked on the southern bank. After waiting in bitter anticipation for many days, the floodwaters finally receded, only for the road ahead to be found washed out and impassable, forcing her to detour around a longer route.

She had left Liancheng in the seventh month. Beset by one setback after another, winding her way through obstacles — by the day she finally, her heart burning with anxiety, entered the territory of Hexi, wild geese were flying south overhead and withered grass stretched as far as the eye could see. The season had already turned to the deep autumn of the tenth month of that year.