The road to Xuzhou was smooth and peaceful. Not a single assassin appeared again.

The newly purchased brown horse clattered along steadily, pulling the carriage at an even pace along the wide main road.

Great strings of water deer jerky hung outside the cart. Li Kun sat at the front, reaching out every so often for a piece — the jerky had not yet fully dried, and yet it visibly dwindled day by day.

On this particular day, Shen Zhuxi had finished her midday nap inside the cart and was, at Li Wu’s insistence, recounting the Zizhi Tongjian to him once more, when a woman’s tearful cry for help made her stop.

Outside, Li Que called out a soft “Whoa,” and the carriage gradually rolled to a halt.

A thud came from just beyond the cart, followed by the sound of a young woman kowtowing again and again in rapid succession: “Please, I beg you — save my mistress!”

Shen Zhuxi frowned and pushed open the cart door.

A young woman dressed as a maidservant was weeping so hard her face was drenched in tears. Her fine-quality cloth garments were stained with blood. She looked terrified and frantic. The moment the cart door opened, she immediately pressed her forehead to the ground again in deep bows before Shen Zhuxi and Li Wu: “My lord! My lady! Have mercy, please — save my young mistress!”

Li Que and Li Kun looked toward Li Wu inside the cart. Li Wu leaned against the carriage wall with his usual languid ease, his expression as unhurried as ever.

“What happened to your mistress?” Shen Zhuxi spoke first.

“My mistress’s convoy was set upon by a band of brigands. They killed our coachmen and guards and dragged my mistress into the woods. I beg you, please help us!” The maidservant sobbed. “We are a prosperous merchant family from Xuzhou. If you lend your aid, my lord and lady, my master will certainly reward you handsomely!”

Li Wu’s ear gave an almost imperceptible twitch. “A merchant family from Xuzhou?”

“Yes — my master is a well-known merchant in Xuzhou—” Seeing a glimmer of hope, the maidservant implored once more. “There is no time to lose! I beg you, please — please save my mistress…”

“Li Wu…” Shen Zhuxi looked at him, a trace of quiet pleading in her eyes.

“Those brigands — do you know how many there are?” Li Wu finally spoke.

“Not many! Only seven or eight!” the maidservant said quickly.

“Seven or eight men brought down your entire convoy?”

“They are deserters from somewhere — they have armor, long swords, and they are well-trained. Our household guards were no match for them…” the maidservant wept.

Li Wu said, “Li Que — you and Li Kun go.”

The maidservant, seeing only two of them move, immediately grew anxious. “There are only two of you — you can’t beat them all! You—” Her gaze fell on Li Wu, and she fell silent, the thought written plainly enough in her eyes.

By any measure, the larger and more solidly built Li Wu appeared to be considerably more formidable in a fight than Li Que.

Shen Zhuxi, worried further delay would cost the young woman her honor, spoke up: “You go with Li Kun. Li Que will stay here with me.”

Li Wu hesitated for a moment, and under Shen Zhuxi’s gentle nudging, finally stood.

“…Where are they?”

“I will lead the way!” the maidservant said eagerly.

Li Wu and Li Kun each took up their weapons and followed the maidservant into the woods.

Li Que sat up at the front of the cart. After a good while, he said, “Sister-in-law isn’t worried this could be a trap?”

“That maidservant is telling the truth.” Shen Zhuxi shook her head with certainty.

“How can sister-in-law be so sure?” Li Que turned to look at her with curiosity.

“…A feeling.” Shen Zhuxi said. “I can tell — her fear and desperation are real.”

“Sister-in-law is truly kind-hearted,” said Li Que. “If it were just the three of us brothers, that young woman would have been out of luck.”

“But you all saved me once as well,” Shen Zhuxi said.

“That was different.” Li Que smiled. “It was Eldest Brother who decided to save you. Had it been this young woman… the outcome would have been different.”

“How so?” Shen Zhuxi did not understand.

Li Que only smiled and offered no reply.

“Sister-in-law, have you ever been in love?” Li Que asked suddenly.

The abrupt question made Shen Zhuxi blush involuntarily. “…Why do you ask that all of a sudden?”

“Curiosity.” Li Que smiled. “My guess is — no.”

“How did you know?” Shen Zhuxi forgot to conceal her surprise and blurted it out.

“A feeling.” Li Que gave her a mysteriously knowing wink, echoing her own words back at her.

Shen Zhuxi knew she shouldn’t have asked the next question, but there were only the two of them here, and after all this time together, they had become something like genuine family.

She couldn’t help herself. “…And have you ever been in love?”

“No.” Li Que answered without a moment’s hesitation. He looked at Shen Zhuxi with a gentle smile. “I’m not particularly fond of people.”

Shen Zhuxi stilled at his words. The fragments of his past history surfaced in her mind, and her voice took on an involuntary note of sadness. “Li Que…”

“But I am fond of Eldest Brother, and of Second Brother and sister-in-law.” Li Que smiled on. “Don’t worry about me, sister-in-law.”

Shen Zhuxi immediately said, “I am fond of you too—”

The words were barely out before she realized they were improper, and she hastened to add: “Both me and your eldest brother — and second brother too — all of us are fond of you.”

“I know.” Li Que smiled, the dimples on his cheeks shifting shape slightly. “Still, it might be best if Eldest Brother doesn’t hear that said — he will have plenty to grumble about otherwise.”

Shen Zhuxi felt this deeply, and nodded in ready agreement.

The sounds of hurried footsteps came from the woods. Li Que jumped down from the carriage and peered into the interlaced shadows between the trees.

“They’re back.”

Shen Zhuxi hurried out of the carriage.

Li Wu’s figure emerged from the treeline, and behind him came Li Kun, missing his outer robe. The maidservant, weeping as she went, was supporting a beautiful young woman who could barely walk. The woman had Li Kun’s missing outer robe draped over her shoulders; her hair had come undone and hung half-loose at the back of her head, her face was drained of all color, and her red, swollen eyes still held the tears of someone who had not yet recovered from a terrible shock.

Shen Zhuxi did not know what the woman had endured, but she looked to be in a very bad state.

“Quickly — help her inside!” Shen Zhuxi stepped aside from the carriage doorway, calling out urgently.

“Many thanks, my lady…” The maidservant spoke the thanks on behalf of her mistress, who was too shaken to find words, and helped the woman up into the carriage. As they passed Shen Zhuxi, the young woman’s gaze lingered for a moment on Shen Zhuxi’s married woman’s hair arrangement.

Shen Zhuxi found a blanket and draped it over the woman’s torn skirts, then lifted her own teacup, poured a cup of hot tea, and held it out to her.

“It’s over now. Drink some tea and gather yourself.”

The woman raised her head and looked at her. Her trembling hand emerged from beneath Li Kun’s robe and accepted the hot tea, holding it for a long moment before finally bringing it to her pale, bloodless lips and taking a small sip.

“My lady, could you spare my mistress a change of clothes?” The maidservant looked at her imploringly.

The woman’s torn and ruined dress was indeed not fit to be seen. Since she was an unmarried young woman, if word of this were to spread, it would be a devastating blow to her reputation.

Shen Zhuxi didn’t hesitate for a moment. “Of course.”

She found her bundle and rummaged through it, drawing out a set of garments she had never worn. As she handed them to the maidservant, the young woman said in a voice barely louder than a mosquito’s hum, “…Thank you.”

Shen Zhuxi smiled. “Change your clothes then. I’ll wait outside.”

She pulled the carriage door shut and was just about to climb down herself when a hand reached over from beside her.

Li Wu took hold of her hand, his other arm curling around her waist, and lifted her lightly to the ground.

Shen Zhuxi’s face instantly turned scarlet. She wanted to reproach him for flouting their premarital agreement and taking advantage of her again — but Li Kun and Li Que were both standing right there. Li Wu might not observe the rules of propriety, but she could not afford to abandon them.

To prevent anyone from uncovering the truth of their fake marriage, she fixed Li Wu with the most fierce glare she could muster.

The insufferable man actually grinned right back at her.

She could not stoop to squabbling with an insufferable man. Shen Zhuxi consoled herself with this thought.

She pulled him aside, out of earshot of the two in the carriage, and lowered her voice. “…What exactly happened in there?”

“We got there in time — nothing of consequence occurred. Except her clothes were torn.” Li Wu said carelessly. “Those eight deserters — Li Kun handled them all by himself. It’s not that the brigands were particularly strong. Miss Wang’s convoy was just particularly feeble.”

“Her surname is Wang?” Shen Zhuxi said. “Did the maidservant tell you that?”

“On the way back, the young woman herself said so.” Li Wu glanced toward the carriage. “It’s just as well you weren’t there—”

“Why, what happened?” Shen Zhuxi asked with curiosity.

“The moment Miss Wang laid eyes on me, the way she looked at me—” Li Wu’s expression turned distinctly displeased. “Anyone who didn’t know better would think it was I who had done something to her.”

Li Wu suddenly recalled something and frowned toward the carriage:

“She had better not get Li Kun’s robe dirty. That garment cost me six taels of silver—”

The carriage door suddenly opened. Shen Zhuxi hurriedly jabbed Li Wu with her elbow, cutting off his unfinished complaint.

“My lord, my lady—” The maidservant stood in the doorway and respectfully invited the two of them aboard in the manner of a servant welcoming her master home.

Li Wu helped Shen Zhuxi up into the carriage. Li Que and Li Kun took their seats at the front, and the carriage resumed its steady, slow progress.

Inside the compartment, the pale-faced Miss Wang inclined her head to Li Wu in a half-bow.

“I am deeply grateful for the kindness of my savior. I shall repay this debt of gratitude a thousandfold in the days to come…”

Li Wu regarded her with complete indifference. Shen Zhuxi, left with no choice, stepped forward on his behalf, supported Miss Wang’s half-kneeling figure, and said with a smile, “There is no need for such formality, Miss.”

Shen Zhuxi told Miss Wang not to stand on ceremony, but the one who took that advice was Li Wu.

He came straight to the point. “How do you intend to repay us?”

“Gold, silver, jewels — or connections that may prove useful to your career. What does my benefactor require?” Miss Wang said.

“I want only a permit to enter Xuzhou.”

“Since my benefactor is bound for Xuzhou, vouching for your party is the very least I can do.” Miss Wang gave a faint smile, feeble as a beauty pressing her hand to her heart.

“Good. In exchange—” Li Wu said, “you need not pay for driving off the brigands or for the ride.”

“…Agreed.”

It was remarkable that Miss Wang could keep her composure in the face of Li Wu’s peculiar manner of speaking. Her maidservant at her side, however, had already stared round-eyed in open shock.

“Benefactors, there is one more matter I must beg of you. Could the two of you keep this matter in strictest confidence? Otherwise, I…” Miss Wang’s eyes reddened, and she seemed on the verge of tears.

“Of cour—”

Before Shen Zhuxi could finish, Li Wu spoke first:

“Silence fee — one thousand taels.”

Not only the maidservant, but Miss Wang herself was struck dumb. Even the tears poised in her eyes seemed to forget to fall.

It was Li Wu who was shameless — yet it was Shen Zhuxi whose face blazed hot enough to catch fire. No matter how she poked and pinched at him beneath the concealment of her sleeve, he sat unmoved as a mountain, his expression resolute, every line of his face declaring his absolute dedication to that thousand-tael silence fee.

How she wished she could switch places with Li Que and sit outside!

“…That is agreeable.” Miss Wang let out a wan, pale smile and said softly, “When I return home, I will prepare a bank note of one thousand taels for my benefactor.”

“Good sense.” Li Wu gave a nod and finally allowed the faintest trace of a genuine smile toward Miss Wang. “If there is anything else you require, speak up now. I am in a fine mood today — I might even knock a bit off the total for you—”