HXC Chapter30

Fine rime coated the bare branches of the dead trees in the suburbs. The wind stirred, and the frozen dust fell, like strands of white hair breaking off.

 

Jiang Yunyu bowed deeply. “Thank you both for your help today. If there ever comes a time I can repay you, I will face any danger without hesitation.”

 

Ji Zhen copied Jiang Yunyu’s bow in farewell. “Thank you, Miss Wang and Lord Lu.”

 

Lu Chen said, “You’re too kind. It’s not convenient for Lingzhi and me to see you off further. The journey ahead is long. General and Young Master Xiao Ji, please take care.”

 

Just as the group was saying their goodbyes, they heard the sound of hooves approaching from a distance. Jiang Yunyu was the first to notice. His face darkened, and he pulled Ji Zhen’s hand, shielding him behind his body.

 

With only bare trees around, there was no place to hide. Wang Lingzhi’s brows, slender like willow leaves, drew together. “Get on the horse first.”

 

The four of them quickly got into the carriage. The coachman snapped the whip, and the horses galloped away. But four wheels were no match for the powerful legs of the chasing horses. The carriage lurched as the sound of hooves drew closer.

 

Ji Zhen’s breath became uneven with anxiety, and a light cold sweat formed on his palms.

 

Jiang Yunyu tightened his grip on the sword, prepared to fight to the death and break through the encirclement.

 

With a sharp neigh, the carriage lurched violently and was finally forced to a stop.

 

A voice, as dry and frosty as the winter wind, pierced the sealed carriage. “I am Shen Yanqing. I ask Miss Wang to alight and meet with me.”

 

The familiar voice was so close yet felt so far away. Ji Zhen’s back stiffened, and he was unable to move.

 

Wang Lingzhi made a shushing motion, then bent down and lifted the curtain, stepping out to stand in front of the horse. “I thought it was some mountain bandit who dared to block my way. I didn’t expect it to be Lord Shen.”

 

Ji Zhen turned and peeked through a gap. He saw an entire squad of city guards thirty feet behind the carriage, all fully prepared. Each stood tall and imposing, brandishing an iron blade as if detaining the most notorious criminal in the court.

 

Jiang Yunyu held his breath, the veins on the back of his hand bulging as he gripped the sword.

 

Wang Lingzhi attempted to maintain the pretense with Shen Yanqing. “May I ask why Lord Shen is blocking my path?”

 

Shen Yanqing leapt gracefully from his horse and spoke directly, his voice gentle, “Miss Wang, I didn’t mean to abrupt you. You and I both know who is inside that carriage. This time, I’m only here to ask my wife, who has run away from home, to return to the mansion. I don’t want to cause any more trouble. As for the others, I can pretend I don’t know they are there.”

 

Wang Lingzhi was silent as she glanced back at the carriage.

 

Lu Chen bent down and stepped out. “Lord Shen,” he said as he stands beside Wang Lingzhi with a seemingly embarrassed expression, “I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood something. There are only Lingzhi and me in the carriage. This minister was slow to show himself earlier because I feared that a man and a woman alone would damage Lingzhi’s reputation. I hope Lord Shen will understand.”

 

Shen Yanqing stood with his hands behind his back. His gaze passed over the two standing side-by-side and rested on the carriage curtains. He was unwilling to play the guessing game any longer. He said in a low voice, “I have only given the city guards a quarter of an hour not to come forward and investigate. If we wait any longer and they realize there are people in the carriage who shouldn’t be in the capital, it could cause serious trouble.”

 

Wang Lingzhi said angrily, “You…”

 

Shen Yanqing narrowed his eyes. He said bluntly, “Ji Zhen, are you still not coming out?”

 

The person whose name was called instantly went pale as if doused in cold snow, his limbs freezing.

 

Jiang Yunyu gritted his teeth, unable to sit still any longer. He reached for the carriage curtain, intending to step out. Ji Zhen’s breath hitched, and he frantically grabbed Jiang Yunyu’s wrist, shaking his head. “Don’t…”

 

Jiang Yunyu had returned to the capital without an official summons. If he revealed himself, it would start another storm.

 

Ji Zhen pressed his whole body against him, wrapping his arms around Jiang Yunyu’s arm to stop him from getting out.

 

Shen Yanqing seemed to have expected Ji Zhen to appear and did not urge him again.

 

Amidst the whistling wind, Jiang Yunyu’s voice was full of murderous intent. “I’m not afraid of these few little soldiers. Ji Zhen, let’s fight our way out. Once we reach the northern desert, what can he do to me?”

 

Ji Zhen still shook his head. The Ji family had already fallen, and the Jiang family was also in a precarious state. If the news of Jiang Yunyu’s unauthorized return to the capital was confirmed and reached the emperor, there would be another excuse for him to act.

 

“Jiang Yunyu,” Ji Zhen said with difficulty. “I’m useless. I was completely unaware when the Ji family met with disaster, and I couldn’t save my elder brother. But I don’t want to become a burden to you as well as bring you to prison. The Jiang family can’t afford any more trouble. You should go…”

 

Jiang Yunyu’s phoenix-like eyes flickered, and his fingers cracked as they clenched into fists.

 

Everyone has their own duty. Jiang Yunyu, too, could not forsake the Jiang family for Ji Zhen.

 

Ji Zhen choked out, “I can’t go to the northern desert with you.”

 

He turned resolutely and lifted the carriage curtain, but Jiang Yunyu suddenly grabbed his hand with all his strength.

 

However, what can’t be kept will still turn to nothing no matter how hard you try to hold on.

 

Shen Yanqing finally saw Ji Zhen, who had run away from home. In just three days, he had made himself look so disheveled.

 

Ji Zhen squinted slightly, as the weak sunlight was too harsh. He and Shen Yanqing, who was close at hand, stared at each other. The sensation in his heart was like drinking water boiled with coptis and sugar; a myriad of emotions swirled within him.

 

Shen Yanqing stepped forward. He glanced at the hands tightly holding Ji Zhen’s and said in a cold voice, “Young General, Ji Zhen and I have a marriage contract. For you to abduct him from the capital on your own is wrong, both legally and emotionally. I am not reporting your whereabouts today for Ji Zhen’s sake. I hope you don’t push your luck.”

 

After he spoke, he put one arm around Ji Zhen’s waist and the other on his wrist, pulling him out of the carriage and completely into his embrace.

 

Jiang Yunyu’s veins throbbed. He finally, wearily and painfully, loosened his fingers, seeing Ji Zhen off once again as the curtain fell.

 

The lives of dozens in the Jiang family rested on his shoulders. He had his parents, a prestigious lineage, brothers who had fought and fallen in battle, and humble commoners who relied on him to fend off the Xiongnu. He was Jiang Yunyu, a son of the Jiang family and the young general of the Great Heng Empire.

 

He had too many concerns and too many attachments.

 

Ji Zhen could neither witness the winds of the battlefield nor the snows of the wilderness, and so he could only pass through the vast northern desert alongside the man from the great sands.

 

So it was true that a moment missed in youth meant no chance to start over.

 

“Shen Yanqing,” Jiang Yunyu said in a hoarse voice. “Ji Zhen knows nothing about the Crown Prince’s matter. Don’t make things difficult for him.”

 

In the end, all he could do was make one last powerless plea.

 

Ji Zhen’s face was filled with pain. He instinctively wanted to step forward but was held firmly in Shen Yanqing’s embrace.

 

Shen Yanqing said solemnly, “Ji Zhen and I are a married couple. We are to know and cherish each other until we’re old. There is no need for the Young General to worry.”

 

It was a promise and also a stern warning.

 

“That’s good then…”

 

“Since we are to part ways today, Yanqing wishes the Young General success in all his endeavors and a glorious return to court.”

 

Seeing this, Wang Lingzhi and Lu Chen also got back on their carriage. “Lord Shen, farewell.”

 

Ji Zhen stood still, his eyes filled with tears as he watched Jiang Yunyu’s carriage go off into the distance. After it had gone halfway, Jiang Yunyu suddenly lifted the curtain and looked back from afar. His phoenix-like eyes, which always carried an air of arrogance, now held only emptiness.

 

“Ji Zhen, take care.”

 

The horses’ hooves faded into the distance, and light snow began to fall from the sky.

 

Where have the drifting willows and scattered blossoms gone? The sheets of ice and piled-up snow have melted away. A lone, desolate tree endures the chill of the fifth watch.

 

The dream of bygone affections lies shattered, impossible to carry on. How deep must the hatred be, that even the west wind cannot sweep the furrow from his brow?

 

—

 

On the way back to the Shen Mansion, Ji Zhen curled up in a corner, not saying a word.

 

To avoid being searched, he was wearing the roughest cloth clothes. His fingers were red from the cold, and his body ached everywhere from the escape. In the past, even with a small scratch, he would have found a way to get Shen Yanqing’s attention to seek a little bit of his pity.

 

But too many things had changed in a short time. Moreover, three days of hardship had drained his spirit, leaving him so worn that even the pain seemed to have grown numb. He had no energy to seek Shen Yanqing’s attention.

 

He just sat quietly with his head down, not daring to speak or look at Shen Yanqing.

 

Ji Zhen didn’t expect Shen Yanqing to be the one to speak first. Although his voice was as clear as before, one could still detect the underlying anger. “Don’t you have anything to tell me?”

 

“I…” Ji Zhen raised his dirt-streaked face; only his eyes still carried a trace of light, yet the moment they met Shen Yanqing’s gaze, that glimmer quickly faded. “Thank you for not reporting Jiang Yunyu.”

 

Shen Yanqing had waited so long, only to receive Ji Zhen’s thanks on behalf of someone else. On what grounds?

 

“What else?”

 

Ji Zhen recalled the words “marriage contract” and “know and cherish each other” that the other had spoken just moments ago, and a bleak emptiness welled up in his heart. These were the words he once longed for even in his dreams, but now hearing them, he only felt fear. He couldn’t see through Shen Yanqing and didn’t know how much of what he said was true and how much was false or what his intentions were. He had been deceived too many times and no longer dared to believe a single word from Shen Yanqing.

 

After a long pause, Ji Zhen answered weakly, “I want to talk to you after we get back to the mansion.”

 

Shen Yanqing watched him silently. The displeasure and anger that had been accumulating for days surged like a tide. Although he wanted to question him immediately in the carriage, he maintained his gentlemanly composure, only subtly furrowing his brows. “Alright.”

 

It would not be too late to question him once they returned to the mansion and closed the doors.

 

About everything—where he had gone, what he had said, and what he had done with Jiang Yunyu for the past three days—had to be accounted for in every detail. Above all, Ji Zhen had to recognize the fault he had made in leaving the mansion without permission. If he had been even a quarter of an hour later, he might have had to chase him all the way to the northern desert.

 

The thought of Ji Zhen actually wanting to go on a long journey with Jiang Yunyu made Shen Yanqing want to report Jiang Yunyu’s unauthorized leave from the camp to the court, regardless of the consequences. He could also have released the news of Ji An’s capture or used Ji Jue as bait to make Ji Zhen appear. He possessed countless means to bring Ji Zhen back to his side of his own accord, yet doing so would only drive a deeper wedge between them.

 

Shen Yanqing closed his eyes, ultimately suppressing the fleeting, sinister thought.

 

For nearly an hour afterward, neither of them spoke again.

 

By the time they arrived at the Shen Mansion, the sky was already dark. Guards had already been sent ahead to announce that Ji Zhen had been found, so Father and Mother Shen were waiting at the gate. As soon as they saw Ji Zhen got off the carriage, they both let out a sigh of relief.

 

“It’s good that you’re back.” Mother Shen patted her chest. “Why are you dressed like that? Hurry, the bathwater is all ready. Go and wash up first.”

 

Ji Zhen looked at Shen Yanqing and said softly, “I have so much to tell you…”

 

Father Shen cleared his throat. “It’s been a few days since they’ve seen each other. Let them go back to the courtyard to have a private talk.”

 

Mother Shen gave an ‘ah’ and kept looking back as she left. Although Shen Yanqing had not expressed it after she let Ji Zhen leave, she could sense that her son was displeased with her actions. Now that Ji Zhen had returned safe and sound, she could finally sleep peacefully.

 

Before, she had been displeased with Ji Zhen, but now that her daughter-in-law’s family was gone, she couldn’t bring herself to kick him out while he was down. Instead, she felt more pity. If the couple could live a peaceful life in the future, nothing else mattered much.

 

Ji Zhen trotted behind Shen Yanqing with his head bowed as he counted the small pebbles on the ground.

 

He had walked this path to the main courtyard many times. Before, he had never paid much attention to it, but now he realized how long it was. He couldn’t even keep up with Shen Yanqing’s pace.

 

He looked up at Shen Yanqing’s back a few steps ahead of him. The bright moonlight fell on his dark hair and broad shoulders, like a layer of dazzling silver light. He had once yearned so much to stand side-by-side with him. Seeing Wang Lingzhi and Lu Chen today was an enlightenment: two evenly matched people could be neighbors without one needing to chase after the other.

 

He had been slow-witted and had realized it too late.

 

Fortunately, it was still not too late to retreat from the edge of the cliff.

 

Ji Zhen kicked a stone at his feet and saw Shen Yanqing’s pace slow down as if he were waiting for him.

 

It was probably just his imagination. Ignoring the stinging pain in his thighs, he quickened his pace, even breaking into a jog, but instead of stopping next to Shen Yanqing, he ran all the way into the main courtyard.

 

Shen Yanqing watched Ji Zhen’s back as he entered the room, his brows slightly furrowed. When he got to the main room, he saw the other party rummaging through a cabinet as if looking for something. It was a rare moment of confusion for him.

 

Ji Zhen retrieved a small box from the bottom of the cabinet and approached the dressing table. He opened the jewelry box to reveal the Shen family’s heirloom pink jade and his beloved colorful string.

 

He stood still for a long time, then placed the pink jade into the box. But as he looked at the colorful string, his eyes welled up with tears.

 

The trip to Jiangnan three years ago was the only beautiful memory he had.

 

The dream had vanished without a trace, yet these four years had been real and could be treasured as a memory.

 

Ji Zhen put the colorful string on his wrist tremblingly, then held the box and looked at Shen Yanqing through the candlelight. He parted his lips, wanting to speak, but tears flowed first.

 

The author has something to say:

Lord Shen (pretending to stop and wait for his wife): Hmm? My wife is quite a fast runner!