Chapter 24

Following the muddy footprints up the slope, they arrived at a makeshift shelter constructed by mountain villagers. The roof was soaked and damaged by the rain, but Du Ming had spread dry straw to make it a barely usable refuge.

Inside the grass hut, a woman clutched her toddler—no more than a year old—and cried softly. The baby didn’t understand what was happening, its eyes darting around curiously, staring into the dim shelter.

Yaoyao sat at a rickety wooden table. Apart from her damp shoulders and hair, her shoes and socks were perfectly dry.

Xin Zhu removed her own wet shoes and wrung them out. Holding up a cloth wrap, she asked, “Young Madam, are you cold?”

Yaoyao shook her head. “I’m fine. You use it.”

Xin Zhu replied, “I’m fine too.”

Since Li Shan had carried Yaoyao to safety, his body heat had kept her warm. Her limbs still felt toasty. A short distance away, Li Shan stood in the rain, directing the villagers to build mud walls and dig drainage trenches to hold back the floodwaters. The rain soaked his broad, towering figure. His gaze was steady and resolute. He was the first to notice the river had overflowed and immediately warned the villagers to evacuate. With his commanding presence, no one questioned his orders—he rallied the people effortlessly.

A true general can mobilize anyone at any time. That is the mark of greatness.

Yaoyao withdrew her gaze and accidentally locked eyes with the baby, whose clear gaze and gurgling laugh made her smile in return. She turned to Xin Zhu and said, “Give them the cloth.”

The woman immediately tried to kneel and bow, but Xin Zhu caught her just in time. She wrapped the cloth around the baby. As she did, she couldn’t help but stare at Yaoyao’s radiant face, exclaiming, “Madam is truly a fairy—with a heart and beauty like one!”

The baby reached out a tiny hand and waved in the air.

Yaoyao’s heart softened. She gently held the child’s hand and played with her.

Not long after, the rising floodwaters were stopped by the low wall. The rain gradually fell silent. Yaoyao had dozed off with her head resting on Xin Zhu’s shoulder when excited voices called out: “The water’s receding!”

“Thank goodness—Buddha has blessed us!”

“It’s all thanks to this young gentleman!”

“…”

By then, dawn had broken. Li Shan and Du Ming stood soaked in mud, their clothes heavy with grime.

Li Shan had brought two soldiers skilled in waterworks on this trip. He arranged for them to stay behind and help assess the breach in the riverbank. The villagers thanked him repeatedly. Though they had just survived a natural disaster and had almost nothing left—not even clean water or food—they still managed to offer a modest pot of coarse tea.

Li Shan drank two sips. Yaoyao followed suit. Just a little—to let the villagers know their kindness was accepted and appreciated.

Then Li Shan said, “My wife and I are continuing our journey. We won’t stay long.”

Du Ming and the others managed to free the carriage. Thankfully, it hadn’t been damaged.

Yaoyao climbed aboard first. Li Shan followed. Behind the carriage, the villagers watched with earnest eyes. The child wrapped in the cloth Yaoyao had given was now seated on her mother’s shoulders, arms raised high.

As the carriage slowly began moving, Yaoyao was just about to look away when she noticed Li Shan wrinkling his brow at the damp, musty smell of his repeatedly soaked and dried clothing. With brisk movements, he began removing his outerwear.

Yaoyao quickly averted her eyes, focusing quietly and politely elsewhere.
After a while, Li Shan finished changing, adjusted his cuffs, and just before stepping out of the carriage, suddenly said, “Don’t worry—if you want to change clothes, I won’t look.”

Yaoyao glanced up at his retreating figure, bit her lip, and in the end couldn’t help but shoot him a glare.

…

The journey continued smoothly into Youzhou’s Fanyang region. Thankfully, there were no disasters like the flood they had endured before. Upon arrival, Gao Zhuan, wanting to show his respect, personally came to receive them.

Gao Zhuan had the appearance of a refined scholar—his face pale and delicate, with long whiskers framing his features. He was in his thirties, and although he bore a gentlemanly air, managing Fanyang had clearly taken its toll; his face showed signs of exhaustion.

Upon seeing Li Shan, he stepped forward with a respectful bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you! Might I ask your name?”

Li Shan concealed his true identity. “I’m a strategist under the general’s command—Shang Li.”

Gao Zhuan had never heard of such a figure under Li Shan’s command, but showed no suspicion. His eyes drifted to the veiled woman beside him. Though her face was obscured, her graceful figure and elegant bearing clearly marked her as someone far from ordinary.

Li Shan said, “This is my wife, Madam Xie.”

After the brief exchange of pleasantries, Gao Zhuan did his utmost to host them well, arranging the finest courtyard and serving good meals.

Having been unable to bathe on the road, Yaoyao finally took a hot bath and emerged feeling refreshed and light. Xin Zhu whispered, “Young Madam, shall we send a letter to the Lu family?”

Yaoyao replied, “There’s no rush.”

Li Shan clearly already had plans. As expected, when he returned that evening, he stated directly, “I’ve spoken with Gao Zhuan. He’ll join the Bingzhou army—but we must first reconcile with the Lu clan.”

Only with reconciliation would Gao Zhuan’s rebel forces have an escape route when faced with pressure from the Chen and Situ families.

In truth, Gao Zhuan had long wished to make peace with the Lu clan, but they had barricaded themselves in their fortified manor, refusing all dialogue. Ironically, it was the Lu clan that had become the obstacle. Li Shan’s arrival had turned him into an unintentional mediator.

Yaoyao smiled softly. “Husband, shall I write a letter to the Lu family? Or better yet—visit them directly, as a messenger.”

Li Shan was quiet for a moment, then gave a low “Mm.” He felt a little uneasy, as if he were exploiting Xie Yaoyao.

But Yaoyao felt relieved—he was at least willing to let her act as a peace envoy. If Gao Zhuan aligned with Li Shan, given how much Li Shan despised noble families, and if chaos broke out in Jizhou or Youzhou, the Lu clan could easily face eradication at the Li family’s hands.

After resting for the night, Yaoyao sent a formal calling card the next morning. Within half an hour, the heavy doors of the Lu clan’s manor opened wide to welcome her in.

That day was deeply significant for the Lu family. Their granddaughter had traveled a thousand miles to visit, not just for family, but clearly in connection with the current political strife. It was the best news they’d had in weeks.

Resources in the fortified manor were nearly depleted. Food and water were hard to replenish, and delicacies even rarer. Old Madam Lu quickly instructed the kitchen: “Yaoyao loves osmanthus cakes—go make some, quickly!”

Even before the cakes were ready, Yaoyao was ushered into the main residence by her female cousins.

The old matriarch hadn’t seen her in three years. Yaoyao wore a travel veil, parted and draped from her hat. Her simple updo and plain robes highlighted her luminous beauty, refined and blooming beyond even her mother’s charms. She was simply breathtaking.

Seeing her grandmother, Yaoyao’s eyes welled up with tears. “Grandmother…”

The elderly lady rose with her cane, and Yaoyao rushed into her embrace. Three years had transformed her from a young girl to a grown woman, but her grandmother’s light sandalwood scent hadn’t changed.

Yaoyao was deeply moved.

The old madam’s eyes welled with tears. “Good child—you’ve grown so much!”

Before the two could catch up properly, she noticed the man standing behind Yaoyao—his brows sharp, eyes bright. Years of experience allowed her to recognize him as a skilled martial artist. She asked, “And this gentleman…?”

Yaoyao wiped her tears. “He’s… a bodyguard. He’s been protecting me on the road.”

Li Shan’s identity in Youzhou couldn’t be revealed, so he was posing as Yaoyao’s escort.

The old lady responded with a terse “Oh,” clearly dissatisfied. After all, Yaoyao was the future mistress of the Li household—it was utterly improper for a man to accompany her so closely. She muttered, “Your father married you off to those wolves of the Li family—that was truly inhumane.”

Yaoyao stiffened slightly, stole a quick glance at Li Shan, and cleared her throat. “My husband… hasn’t treated me badly.”

The old madam narrowed her eyes at Li Shan, determined to stand firmly for her granddaughter. She said sternly, “There’s no one else here. Speak honestly with me. No one’s going to gossip.”

Yaoyao’s aunts joined in: “Yes, you mustn’t suffer in silence!”

Li Shan remained composed, calmly waiting for Yao Yao to speak truthfully.

Yaoyao had never criticized anyone in front of others. Blushing slightly, she whispered to her grandmother, “Don’t worry, Grandmother. The Li family treats me quite well. My parents-in-law are gentle by nature, and my husband…”

She paused, then continued in one breath, “He’s not bad. Though he can be temperamental at times, he’s a dependable man—true to his word, open to advice, and able to separate personal feelings from official matters.”

Li Shan subtly pressed his lips and adjusted his stance.

The old madam sighed. “As long as everything is truly well.”

Yaoyao added, “I’ve come this time at my husband’s request—to deliver a message to the family.”

She glanced around. The old madam had clearly anticipated a deeper reason behind her granddaughter’s visit. She instructed her daughters-in-law to leave the room and had the windows checked for privacy. Li Shan quietly took the opportunity to step outside.

Inside, it was just Yaoyao and her grandmother now.

Yaoyao, originally seated at her grandmother’s side, suddenly stepped back, knelt, and bowed deeply.

The old madam was startled and hurried to help her up. “What are you doing?”

Yaoyao said, “Granddaughter has come to bring disappointment. A while ago, my cousin Xin’er approached me, but I wasn’t able to do anything for the family. I can only ask that Grandmother hear me out.”

Fanyang was already in turmoil. The tides were turning. Li Shan was unlikely to maintain the kind of aristocratic patronage Da Qi had once offered. For now, preserving what remained was what truly mattered.

…

After leaving the main hall, Li Shan and Xin Zhu were invited to a smaller pavilion within the fortified manor. The pathways were winding and narrow. Halfway there, they spotted a tall, slender young man standing beside the pavilion. He wore wide-sleeved robes, his fair complexion and refined features perfectly fitting the image of a noble son.

Xin Zhu clearly recognized him. She quickly lowered her head and said, “Young Master Cousin.”

This man was Lu Qiong, elder brother of Lu Xin’er and cousin to Yaoyao, who had once stayed with the Xie family as a visiting scholar.

Lu Qiong smiled kindly at Xin Zhu and asked warmly, “Where is Yaoyao?”

Xin Zhu replied, “Young Madam is in the main hall speaking with the Old Madam.”

Lu Qiong nodded, “Then I’ll wait a little longer.”

He had already taken note of Li Shan and now turned his gaze toward him, thinking silently—Even a mere bodyguard from the Li household appears this formidable. Half out of politeness, he offered, “Thank you for escorting my cousin safely to Fanyang.”

His phrasing was subtle and carefully chosen—but Li Shan wasn’t clueless, and he caught the nuance immediately.

Li Shan wasn’t the type to politely indulge flattery. He shot a cold glance past Lu Qiong and, once inside, turned to Xin Zhu and asked, “Who is that? Seems close with your lady.”

A chill ran down Xinzhu’s spine. She gave the proper reply, “That is Young Madam’s cousin, Lu Qiong (琼).”

Li Shan asked, “Just one character? Qiong?”

“Oh,” he said, glancing toward the window with a sneer tugging at his lips. “Lu Qiong (Poor 穷).”

Xin Zhu wanted to slip out and alert Yaoyao, but Li Shan pointed to the bedding. “Lay this down first.”

As for persuading the Old Madam to guide the Lu family into cooperation with Gao Zhuan—and secretly align with Bingzhou—it proved less difficult than expected.

After Yaoyao laid out the situation, the Old Madam stood, paced a few steps, and finally made her decision: “Alright. We’ll do as you say. But there are conditions.”

Yaoyao listened carefully. The stipulations weren’t unusual, such as ensuring that the sons of the Lu clan wouldn’t be targeted.

If the Lu clan kept up their resistance to Gao Zhuan, and he allied with Li Shan, it was all but certain the Bingzhou army would crush them.

The Old Madam, having witnessed Da Qi’s rise and decline, understood well that no noble family stays powerful forever. Only those who adapt swiftly can escape the storms of change that lie ahead.

After a few more words, seeing that the old madam was tired, Yaoyao left the main hall carrying a small basket of osmanthus pastries.

Outside the pavilion, under the pear blossom tree, Lu Qiong appeared as though he’d been waiting anxiously. Upon seeing her, he smiled warmly: “Yaoyao.”

Yaoyao gave a polite nod. “Cousin.”

They were still several steps apart. Lu Qiong wanted to approach—but knew she would pull away. His eyes lingered on her face, and he asked gently, “It’s been years since we’ve seen each other… is there nothing you want to say?”

A maid from the Lu household stood behind her, visibly surprised by the ambiguity in Lu Qiong’s tone. Yaoyao quickly composed herself and replied with calm firmness, “I don’t quite understand what Cousin means.”

Lu Qiong’s heart ached even more. “Yaoyao, I know marrying into the Li family must’ve been a hardship for you. It was my failure for not fighting for the bond we once shared.”

But Yaoyao chose decisively. “I was still young then. There was no deep bond between us worth mentioning.”

Lu Qiong’s expression dimmed with sorrow.

Yaoyao fell silent too. When her cousin stayed with the Xie family, she learned the guqin piece “Scattering Clouds” from him. She had always treated him as an elder, never entertaining deeper feelings for him. She never imagined he’d carry those emotions so long.

Madam Lu had disapproved of Lu Qiong’s poetic, overly romantic temperament—part of why she’d never considered marrying her daughter back into the Lu family.

Now that things were clear, Yaoyao bowed gracefully and walked past him. A breeze swept through, scattering pear blossoms. Lu Qiong reached out instinctively, as if to touch her sleeve—but his fingers only brushed the trailing edge.

What they said couldn’t be clearly heard from inside the pavilion. But from the vantage point within, that final image seemed to hold countless unspoken threads of emotion.

Li Shan slowly clenched his jaw.

As Yaoyao stepped inside, she saw Li Shan striding toward her, clearly on his way out. She tried to stop him, hoping to discuss the Lu family’s decision, but he passed by with his hands behind his back.

Xin Zhu quickly approached and whispered, “When Young Madam was speaking with Cousin Lu earlier… the Marquis saw it.”

Seeing that it wasn’t some offense from the Lu family, Yaoyao relaxed.

Xin Zhu looked confused, so Yaoyao explained with a smile, “I was worried he’d been offended by the Lu clan. If it’s about me, it’s not a big deal.”

Li Shan’s moment of temper stemmed from feeling that his wife was being coveted. That reaction was natural to any man, regardless of how deeply he loved his wife. Pride always finds a way.

Yaoyao felt no guilt. Her conversation with Lu Qiong had been honest and restrained. Even if someone had overheard it under the pear tree, she had no shame.

If Li Shan were upset, well—he’d brought it on himself. And given his self-control, no matter how petty he could be, he’d surely work it through in time to return to his usual distant attitude toward “aristocratic women.”

Yaoyao suddenly felt she was beginning to understand this quick-tempered, blunt-edged man. She set down the basket and took out an osmanthus cake, offering one to Xin Zhu.

Xin Zhu wanted to comment on the Marquis’s expression, but didn’t want to worry Yaoyao unnecessarily. She sighed quietly instead.

After a short rest at the Lu manor, Yaoyao prepared to depart. The old madam and her sisters were reluctant to let her go, but it wasn’t appropriate for Yaoyao to linger in Youzhou. Staying at the Lu stronghold made movement difficult, so she bid a proper farewell. When she returned to the post station, it was still early. After dinner and a bath, the sky darkened.

Normally, she would tidy up and go to sleep. But tonight, she hadn’t yet explained the Lu family’s stance to Li Shan. She rested her chin on her hand, reading. Slowly, her vision blurred, and her eyelids dropped.

Xin Zhu entered and said, “Madam, the Marquis is still drinking with Lord Gao out front.”

Gao Zhuan’s enthusiastic hospitality was hard to refuse, and Yaoyao understood. She stifled a yawn behind her hand and turned to the next page.

Much later, footsteps approached from outside.

Yaoyao rose from the couch as Li Shan entered—carrying the scent of alcohol, his gaze clear, settling at the table without a word.

Yaoyao asked softly, “Are you drunk, husband? Shall I make you a sobering brew?”

Li Shan replied, “I am,” and glanced at Xin Zhu. “Go make the soup.”

Yaoyao paused in silence for a moment, half expecting him to deny being drunk. But with Xin Zhu dismissed and only the two of them left in the room, she knew he wasn’t truly drunk. So she began explaining her family’s position.

Li Shan let out a cold laugh. “Your maternal clan—more pretentious than your own family. Even now, they still think they’re in a position to negotiate with Gao Zhuan?”

Yaoyao didn’t take offense. She was resigned. “If my husband dislikes the Lu clan, then there’s little I can do.”

Could she force him to like her relatives?

Li Shan replied, “You seem to like them well enough.”

Yaoyao sensed something off, but didn’t dispute the word ‘like.’ In a soft voice, she said, “They’re blood relatives, after all.”

Even if she couldn’t help them much, she couldn’t just watch them walk into ruin.

Then, Li Shan looked up. His gaze, utterly sober and razor-sharp, locked on her. “So you like your cousin, too?”

Yaoyao froze. Only now did she understand the root of his behavior tonight—it wasn’t what she had expected at all. Lowering her eyes, she replied calmly, “Please don’t make baseless assumptions, husband. My cousin and I have never overstepped any boundaries.”

Li Shan felt as if he’d struck cotton with a clenched fist—completely ineffective. He wasn’t blind. In fact, he was painfully observant. Lu Qiong clearly still harbored feelings for Yaoyao, and Xin Zhu had awkwardly tried to conceal it. Did they really think he was that oblivious?

But Yaoyao wasn’t wrong either. She had never touched Lu Qiong, nor had she behaved improperly. Her conduct was impeccable, and she was forthright in this very moment. Li Shan didn’t want to fixate on it. Still, that stuck-in-the-throat discomfort remained. And with wine sharpening his mood, the question had just spilled out.

He stared at Yao Yao in silence, his fist tightening.

Yaoyao assumed his petty streak was acting up, as men often did. But she knew it was best to respond with patience, rather than get dragged into a pointless argument. She asked gently, “Is there anything, husband, that still feels… wrong to you?”

Under the lamplight, she pressed her lips together—soft as flower petals, shimmering faintly with a gilded sheen.

Li Shan abruptly stood. “There is something wrong.” He stepped toward her. “I’m supposed to be this wolf, tiger, leopard—and I haven’t taken a single bite out of you. Yet you’ve bitten me once.”

Yaoyao: “…” She had never seen anyone dig up the past so efficiently, right back to Yanmen County. Half curious, she asked, “Want to bite me back?”

Li Shan: “Mm.”

Yaoyao froze, her eyes wide with surprise. For once, she believed he really might be drunk. Her pearly teeth lightly caught her lower lip.

“Then… alright.”

She whispered, “Just be gentle.”

Li Shan lowered his head. Yaoyao felt his shadow envelop her; her lashes trembled as he gently grasped her chin and tilted it upward. Then, he lightly pressed his lips to hers.

A moment later, he released her mouth, recalling the kiss he’d seen between the princess and Tuoba Cong. Thoughtfully, he urged Yaoyao. “Open your mouth.”