Ming Tan had never left the capital since birth. Her farthest excursion had only been to suburban temples to pray for blessings. The sudden suggestion of accompanying him to Lingzhou left her momentarily stunned.
Go with him? What would she do there? Could she go?
Ming Tan looked at Jiang Xu, first in a daze, then slowly coming to her senses, hesitant yet unable to suppress a flutter of excitement.
She gently tugged at his sleeve and asked cautiously, “Do you mean it, my lord? I can go too. Won’t I be in your way?”
“It’s fine, but the journey is long and arduous—”
“That’s all right, I don’t mind hardship!” Ming Tan replied without hesitation, her eyes sparkling.
Jiang Xu: “…”
He wasn’t quite convinced.
However, he soon understood why his usually pampered wife could so decisively claim she didn’t fear hardship.
Originally, he had planned to depart directly from Yongchun Garden for Lingzhou. But Ming Tan wanted to return to their residence first, and he needed to visit the Ministry of Justice prison before leaving, so he agreed.
What he didn’t expect was to return from the prison to find a neat row of carriages parked at the second gate of their residence.
His brow twitched as he belatedly recalled the five carriages she had taken to Lingmiao Temple for prayers.
“Are all these the luggage the princess wants to bring?” he asked.
“Yes, Your Highness. The princess said—”
“My lord!”
The servant’s words were cut short by Ming Tan, who was inspecting the luggage nearby. She called out joyfully and hurried over, lifting her skirts.
Reaching him, Ming Tan proudly took Jiang Xu’s wrist, her eyes bright. “My lord, come see what I’ve prepared for our journey.”
She turned, and Suxin respectfully presented a thick inventory book.
“I had them write an inventory organized by carriage order. We can easily check what we need during the trip. Isn’t it convenient?” she said, flipping through the pages. “The first carriage is naturally for us to ride in. The journey to Lingzhou is long and it’s midsummer, so we’ll need ice. There’s an ice mirror inside, and three wooden windows added to the curtains so rain won’t get in if we encounter bad weather.”
Jiang Xu: “…”
As she spoke, Ming Tan pulled him towards the first carriage. Suxin followed to lift the curtain.
This carriage was extremely spacious. Inside was a soft couch large enough for two, a table in the middle big enough for a game of chess, and a curio shelf beside it. The couch was layered with soft cushions, the topmost made of cool silk fabric to prevent overheating. Vases and paintings adorned the interior, showcasing meticulous luxury in every detail.
Besides this traveling carriage, the others mostly contained their clothes, utensils, and dry provisions.
Ming Tan wanted to introduce each carriage, but after looking at two, Jiang Xu interrupted, “We’re going to Lingzhou on official business. Do you think it’s appropriate to bring over a dozen carriages?” Anyone who saw this procession might think she was going to take over Lingzhou.
“It’s not over a dozen, only ten,” Ming Tan corrected him precisely.
“…”
Only ten? Did she think that was few?
Jiang Xu didn’t know where to begin. Looking at the last empty carriage, he asked, “Never mind the others, what’s the empty carriage for?”
“Lingzhou is prosperous, surely there will be many unique items. Plus, I need to bring back many gifts. How will we transport them back without an empty carriage?”
“If there’s not enough space, couldn’t we just acquire more carriages for the return journey?”
“But those wouldn’t match our household’s. The procession wouldn’t look as neat and impressive on the way back.”
“…”
He was truly at a loss.
Ming Tan continued to reason, “My lord, I understand travel isn’t easy. These carriages have already been pared down. The remaining items are all necessities.”
Jiang Xu believed this. After all, she needed five carriages just to visit Lingmiao Temple. For the long journey to Lingzhou, she had painstakingly reduced it to ten carriages, which must have taken considerable effort.
However, it was impossible to bring all this luggage. Tired of arguing, he decisively stated, “If you want to come with me, you can only bring two carriages at most.”
“Two? That’s far too few!”
Ming Tan looked up at him in disbelief, her expression pitiful.
Unmoved, he said, “The choice is yours.”
With that, he gently removed her soft hand and strode inside.
Ming Tan couldn’t help but stamp her foot in frustration, twisting her handkerchief. She wanted to go to Lingzhou—she had never left the capital in her life. But looking at the row of carriages, she furrowed her brow, truly unable to decide what to eliminate.
The carriage they would ride in was non-negotiable. The curio shelf inside could barely fit some of her jewelry, but nothing else. How could one carriage possibly fit all the extra bedding, clothes, shoes, utensils, and provisions?
She flipped through the thick inventory book, feeling a headache coming on.
Meanwhile, Jiang Xu went to his study to handle official business after making his declaration.
When he returned to their chambers to rest at the hour of Hai (9-11 pm), he found that Ming Tan seemed to be sulking over the matter. Hearing him enter the inner room, her small figure, originally lying flat, suddenly shifted to the side, deliberately making noise.
Ming Tan waited for quite a while—waited for him to enter the room, waited for him to undress and get into bed, lying heavily by her side.
But no matter how long she waited, no words of comfort came. It seemed he was ready to sleep. Unable to contain her frustration, she deliberately turned over twice more, determined not to let him rest easily.
This tactic, though deliberate, was quite effective.
Jiang Xu had initially planned to ignore her, but he eventually sighed. With one long arm, he pulled her into his embrace.
“Why the tantrum?” he asked softly.
“Who’s throwing a tantrum? Your humble wife has obediently reduced the carriages to two as you ordered!”
Referring to herself as “your humble wife” while claiming not to be throwing a tantrum.
“Does my lord think all those things I prepared were just for myself? In any case, if you find yourself lacking anything later, don’t blame me for not bringing it along!”
“I won’t,” Jiang Xu replied.
“…!”
Ming Tan was about to turn away again in frustration.
Jiang Xu patiently explained an unusual occurrence for him: “On this journey south to Lingzhou, we won’t pass through remote areas. If we lack anything, we can simply buy it.”
Ming Tan remained silent.
Jiang Xu added, “Whatever you want, I’ll buy it for you.”
Hearing this, Ming Tan finally let out a satisfied “hmph,” her anger dissipating.
—
Early the next morning, before sunrise, Jiang Xu set out with Ming Tan and her two streamlined carriages.
The journey to Lingzhou was mostly overland. Considering Ming Tan’s low tolerance for hardship, Jiang Xu adjusted the route to ensure they could find good inns in bustling areas for rest.
With luggage so drastically reduced, they couldn’t bring many maids. Unable to choose between Suxin and Lü’e, Ming Tan decided to bring Yun Yi instead. Having someone skilled in martial arts would add an extra layer of security while traveling.
When Shu Jingran met them outside the city, he was surprised to see Yun Yi. “Miss Yun.”
Yun Yi looked at him in confusion. “You are…?”
Shu Jingran paused, then chuckled. It wasn’t that he was conceited, but this was the first time a woman failed to recognize him on their third meeting.
Just then, Ming Tan lifted the curtain, smiling as she greeted him. “Second Young Master Shu.”
Shu Jingran quickly bowed. “Greetings to the Princess.”
“No need for formalities, Second Young Master Shu.”
Yun Yi finally remembered – this was the man the Princess had insisted she save. She had met him again at the residence later and exchanged pleasantries, nearly walking away with a roast chicken.
She had mentioned this to the Princess when reporting, and the Princess had irritably said that he was the most handsome man in the capital, how could he do something as uncouth as taking a roast chicken?
She quickly lowered her head and echoed Ming Tan’s greeting: “Second Young Master Shu.”
“So Miss Yun remembers me now?”
Yun Yi nodded honestly. “The Princess said you’re the most handsome man in the capital.”
Shu Jingran chuckled again.
Ming Tan felt slightly embarrassed, but that was what everyone in the capital said, so she hadn’t misspoken.
Suddenly, Jiang Xu set down his military treatise and said coolly, “If we want to reach Hezhou before dark, we should depart now. Otherwise, we’ll be sleeping in the carriages tonight.”
Ming Tan glanced at him hesitantly, wondering: Could he be jealous because she called Shu the most handsome man in the capital? Surely not – weren’t he and Second Young Master Shu close friends? Looking at his expression… she couldn’t discern anything.
The journey continued in silence, but Jiang Xu’s words proved prophetic.
Near dusk, the previously clear weather suddenly changed. A fierce wind and heavy rain lashed at them, causing the horses to whiny and balk.
“Your Highness, we can’t continue,” a guard holding the reins calmly reported.
“Find a place to shelter from the rain,” Jiang Xu replied evenly.
Thanks to Ming Tan’s meticulous preparations, their carriage remained comfortable inside when the windows were closed. Only the sound of rain outside was alarming.
Ming Tan asked worriedly, “My lord, does this mean we won’t reach Hezhou?”
Jiang Xu grunted affirmatively. “As you wished, we’ll sleep in the carriage.”
Ming Tan: “…?”
How was this what she wished for?
In reality, Hezhou bordered the capital. After leaving the city, one only needed to cross two low mountains to enter Hezhou territory. Normally, riding alone, for half a day would suffice.
But with two carriages, their speed was inevitably slower. They had planned to reach Shu Town in Hezhou before sunset, but this sudden storm made that impossible.
There was a stone pavilion midway up the mountain for travelers to rest. While Jiang Xu and Ming Tan remained in the carriage, the others – including Shu Jingran, whose window didn’t keep out the rain – took shelter in the pavilion.
By the time the rain stopped, night had fallen.
Ming Tan was dazed. She could hardly believe that on the first day of their journey, they faced spending the night in the wilderness.
“So tonight I can’t have a meal, or bathe, or sleep comfortably in a spacious bed?” she asked.
Ming Tan lit a lamp, maintaining her elegant posture of sitting on the couch reading a book, though her composure was strained.
Jiang Xu glanced at her and merely grunted before exiting the carriage.
Ming Tan wanted to ask where he was going, but he moved too quickly, leaving before she could speak.
She felt inexplicably wronged. Abandoning her dignified pose, she kicked off her embroidered shoes, drew her feet onto the couch, and hugged her knees. She thought: If he treats her like this on the first day, who knows how their marital affection will fare by the time they reach Lingzhou? Perhaps she should request to return home tomorrow rather than be a burden.
About a quarter-hour later, Jiang Xu lifted the curtain. Seeing her posture, he paused. “What are you doing?”
Ming Tan turned away, ignoring him. Her eyes suddenly reddened.
Jiang Xu: “…”
He wasn’t sure if he had brought a daughter or an ancestor figure on this trip.
He entered the carriage, kneeling before Ming Tan. As he put her embroidered shoes back on her feet, he calmly said, “Didn’t you want a meal, a bath, and to sleep comfortably in a spacious bed?”
Ming Tan looked at him, startled.
Jiang Xu stood. “Come down. I’ll take you there.”
“Where? Didn’t you say we couldn’t make it?” Ming Tan asked, confused as she rose.
Without answering, Jiang Xu walked to a horse.
The horse carried a storm lantern. Jiang Xu turned back, lifted her onto the horse with him, and tightened the reins. The horse whinnied, lifting its front hooves slightly and shaking the raindrops from its mane.
“It’s half an hour’s hard ride to Shu Town. It will be bumpy, so bear with it,” he said. Then he suddenly cracked his whip. “Hya!”
The horse galloped swiftly. Ming Tan, still dazed, couldn’t help but cry out at the sudden motion.
The wind whistled past her ears. The storm lantern illuminated the faint path ahead. The night sky after the rain was clear as washed silk, stars bright and moonlight pure.
After a long gallop, Ming Tan finally gathered her wits. “My lord, are you taking me ahead to Shu Town to rest?”
“What else? If I didn’t bring you ahead to rest, wouldn’t you want to turn back tomorrow?”
“How did you know?” Ming Tan blurted out.
“…”
He had brought an ancestor figure with him.