Though she had answered Jin’an that way, Li Shuang knew her own body’s condition well.
Lu Xin couldn’t help but advise from the side: “General, you must take care of your health.” She left much unsaid, but Li Shuang understood her meaning—every time she was injured, the military physicians would say the same thing after checking her pulse.
But military affairs were inherently austere, especially during campaigns when anything could happen. When facing an icy river, the entire army had to cross it—how could she, as their general, ask to be carried across just because she was a woman? How could she command troops that way?
Li Shuang nodded perfunctorily. Lu Xin opened her mouth but held back what she truly wanted to say, only stating: “If the General is still in pain tomorrow, I’ll return to apply more acupuncture.”
“Mm.”
“It will still hurt tomorrow?” Jin’an’s brows furrowed tightly.
Li Shuang rubbed his head: “She’s just saying ‘what if.’ It usually doesn’t hurt, and if it does, Miss Lu can certainly cure it.” Her tone was clearly meant to comfort a child. Jin’an noticed but couldn’t argue.
“Well, it’s getting late. I need to change and go to the City Defender’s mansion for the banquet. You should all leave now.”
Lu Xin complied, obediently withdrawing. Jin’an followed her out where Ji Ran was still waiting. Lu Xin meant to exchange a few words with him, but Jin’an grabbed her sleeve and pulled her aside without explanation.
“Miss Lu.”
“Uh…” Being addressed so formally by a child made Lu Xin uncomfortable. “Oh, you can call me sister…”
“What does the General need to be careful about? How should she take care of herself?”
Such a forceful child… Lu Xin found herself answering automatically: “Nothing too special, just stay warm, don’t let cold qi enter the body, avoid cold foods, stay away from ice water, don’t stay up late…”
Jin’an committed each point to memory: “What else?”
“That’s about it.” Lu Xin paused. “You really care about the General, don’t you?”
“Yes, I like her.”
“…”
Just as Lu Xin was at a loss for words, Ji Ran came over: “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing much. Brother Ji, the children in your Changfeng Camp adore the General…” Before she finished speaking, she turned to find Jin’an, who had been standing right there, had already disappeared.
Ji Ran nodded: “That kid Jin’an? The General picked him up. He’s quite attached to her.” He turned to Lu Xin and asked, “Have you finished attending to the General? Shall I escort you back?”
“Thank you, Brother Ji.” After walking a bit with Ji Ran, Lu Xin ventured, “Um, I think I left some soup simmering before I left. If you don’t mind…”
“There’s a banquet at the City Defender’s mansion tonight. I’ll be accompanying the General.”
“Oh…”
The evening had fallen, and heavy snow was coming down again. The streets of Lu City were soon covered in a thick layer, but the snow couldn’t dampen the festivities.
Li Shuang attended the banquet with the Changfeng Camp commanders. The feast was lavish, and both civil and military officials conversed cheerfully before the Crown Prince. Li Shuang maintained a polite smile.
Yet while drinking, she couldn’t help but wonder when the banquet would end.
There were many reasons why Li Shuang had left the capital and planted herself in this northern wilderness, never to return. Perhaps the simplest was her desire to escape these tedious social obligations.
As the banquet drew to a close, the Crown Prince raised his cup to praise the border troops, exchanged toasts, and gave an encouraging speech about the future. As everyone settled back into their seats for casual conversation, Li Shuang couldn’t bear it any longer. She made an excuse, had Qin Lan cover for her, and escaped to the mansion’s garden for fresh air.
Snow was falling heavily from the sky when Li Shuang suddenly noticed a paper fan appear above her head, blocking the snow. Her heart flashed to the black-armored man’s face, but when she looked aside, she saw Sima Yang’s smiling face instead.
“I knew you couldn’t stand it and would run away eventually. Didn’t expect you to endure this long today.”
Li Shuang stepped back and bowed: “Your High—”
Sima Yang grabbed her arm, stopping her bow: “Shuang’er…” He sighed. “Must you be so deliberately distant with me?”
His palm was cool in the northern snow. Li Shuang lowered her head without answering.
“Three years ago when you requested to be posted to the northern border, I thought you’d stay at most a year, establish some military merit, and then return to the capital. Who knew you’d be so stubborn, not returning to the capital once in three years? Even if you’re angry with me, hasn’t it been long enough?”
“Your subject trembles with fear.” Li Shuang finally stepped back and knelt on one knee in a military salute. “Your subject dares not harbor any anger toward Your Highness.” She replied calmly and steadily, “Your subject has guarded the border for three years because of deep love for this frontier landscape, and attachment to the border city and its people. Being able to defend the frontier for Great Jin and His Majesty is Li Shuang’s fortune, and for this, Li Shuang feels proud and honored. There were never any other thoughts.”
Sima Yang looked at Li Shuang in her subject’s pose and fell silent for a moment: “Attached to the border city and its people? Li Shuang, do you no longer have any feelings for me?”
The falling snow quickly muffled his voice.
Li Shuang knelt on the ground and answered coolly: “Your Highness’s relationship with your subject is that of ruler and subject. Your subject is grateful for your grace and will never forget it until death.”
“Shuang’er.” Sima Yang bent down, held Li Shuang’s arm, and tried to pull her up with gentle force. “When I heard the Western Rong army was pressing the border and Changfeng Camp was in danger, my heart burned with anxiety. I rushed thousands of li here not for this ruler-subject relationship.”
Li Shuang’s eyelashes trembled slightly.
Sima Yang truly understood her; he knew what words would soften her heart. But…
Suddenly, a cold glint flashed in Li Shuang’s peripheral vision. Her heart tightened: “Your Highness, look out!” She called out softly, immediately pulling Sima Yang back with one hand and sheltering him behind her, while her foot swept the ground, kicking up a cloud of snow to confuse the attacker’s vision.
However, the attacker’s long sword pierced through the snow mist, striking directly at Sima Yang behind Li Shuang.
Li Shuang spun around and exchanged two moves with him, but still couldn’t stop the sword wielder’s momentum—the difference in their martial arts was too great! She wouldn’t be able to block the next strike. In that instant, without thinking, Li Shuang placed herself directly in front of Sima Yang.
She used her body as a shield to protect him!
The attacker’s sword suddenly halted just before piercing Li Shuang’s chest, the tip twisting and suddenly being thrown to the side.
The sword struck a stone pillar of a nearby pavilion with a “thud,” embedding itself three inches deep—a testament to its tremendous force.
Li Shuang’s exchange with this person had been so fast that the snow mist hadn’t even settled. Now, as the brief clash ended and the snow settled, Li Shuang recognized the person and frowned: “It’s you?”
It was the mysterious black-armored man—he… was trying to kill the Crown Prince?
“Why do you protect him?” The black-armored man’s words carried more frost and fire than Li Shuang’s.
This question caught Li Shuang off guard. She looked back at Sima Yang, who clearly hadn’t figured out what was happening either and was frowning slightly while staring at the black-armored man.
Sima Yang had heard many times about this mysterious black-masked person who had single-handedly repelled the Western Rong army during his journey and immediately guessed his identity. But why did he speak to Li Shuang in such a manner?
Li Shuang seemed used to it though. These two… were they familiar?
He had thought no one in the northern frontier was familiar with this mysterious black-masked person. But Li Shuang…
“Why would you harm our Great Jin’s Crown Prince? Do you know what crime this is!” Li Shuang was both anxious and angry. How could this grown man be as confused as little Jin’an?
It was fortunate she had been present to barely protect Sima Yang. If she hadn’t been here, given Sima Yang’s modest martial arts skills, if this person had killed him, he would have instantly changed from Great Jin’s benefactor to its criminal…
Though… perhaps becoming Great Jin’s criminal wouldn’t matter much to him, considering… he had so easily killed three Western Rong generals…
This person seemed to do whatever made him happy, without regard for consequences.
“I don’t know.” Jin’an stared at her, the crimson eyes behind his black mask reflecting only the white snow and her. “I only know he was going to hurt you, and I won’t allow anyone to hurt you.”
Li Shuang’s heart stirred.
Behind her, Sima Yang narrowed his eyes slightly.
Li Shuang sighed: “He wasn’t hurting me.”
Hearing Li Shuang defend him, and seeing her still standing protectively in front of him, Jin’an’s clear eyes seemed wounded as they flickered: “Do you like him?”
Li Shuang was stunned, not understanding why his thoughts always jumped so quickly: “I…”
Sima Yang cut off Li Shuang’s words: “So you’re the warrior who broke through thousands of Western Rong troops?”
Jin’an completely ignored his existence and asked Li Shuang again: “Do you like him?”
“I am a subject, he is the ruler. I must protect him.”
“If I kill him, will you be heartbroken? If I kill him, will you hate me?”
Under Sima Yang’s gaze, Li Shuang didn’t know how to answer while considering all factors. This mysterious person was as simple as a child—in his world, things were black and white. How could she explain to him all the tangled interests behind her, and those past, inexplicable emotional entanglements? Besides, she had no time to explain so much now.
The guards outside the garden had heard the commotion and were moving to surround it.
Jin’an only stared at Li Shuang, leaving her no choice but to say softly: “Go quickly.”
Jin’an’s eyes darkened. At this moment, he felt no tearing pain in his heart, but instead an extreme heaviness that made it hard to breathe.
He felt wronged.
The guards outside had drawn their bows and released three arrows in his direction. Though the arrows came fiercely, none hit him. He didn’t even dodge the one that landed at his feet, simply pulling it up. His gaze swept over, looking coldly toward the direction the arrows had come from.
Li Shuang had witnessed his abilities and immediately called out: “Stop!”
Jin’an glanced at her, let the arrow drop from his fingers, and then spun around, stirring up a cloud of snow as he vanished without a trace.
Li Shuang gazed in the direction he had gone, issuing no pursuit orders. Sima Yang likewise gave none.
When the guards came forward to ask Sima Yang’s wishes, he merely waved his hand: “You won’t catch him.” He turned to look at Li Shuang, but she had not looked back at him once from beginning to end.