Chapter 21

As twilight cloaked the world, a faint warmth lingered in the sky. The planet Venus twinkled brightly above the approaching night. Beneath the stars, the young girl sat stiffly atop the horse, biting her lip hard, words stuck in her throat, eyes brimming without tears.

The handsome man below the horse furrowed his brows. After a moment of restraint, he stepped onto the stirrup and mounted the horse, one hand holding the reins, the other supporting her shoulder, as if he were embedding her within the circle of his chest.

Outside the training field, Xin Zhi witnessed the scene and sucked in a sharp breath. Something felt off. He turned to Du Ming, uneasy: “I brought this horse, which forced the General to ride together with a noble lady. Should I go accept punishment with ten military lashes?”

Du Ming, eyes cold and silent, said nothing. Usually sharp, Xin Zhi wasn’t quite so clever this time. If the General didn’t want to do something, no one alive could force him.

Xin Zhi still remembered the last time he left Miss Xie on the roadside—he’d also received military punishment. Whenever it involved the young lady from the Xie family, he always ended up suffering in some way.

As the northern wind picked up and the chill of spring deepened, the training field fell into quiet.

Li Shan still needed to inspect the city defenses and headed straight for the military camp outside Xiangyuan.

Inside the tent, a brazier glowed red. Striding in with good spirits, Li Shan glanced around and saw no sign of Xin Zhi. Casually, he asked Du Ming, “Where’s Xin Zhi gone off to now?”

Du Ming replied honestly, “Deputy General Xin felt he’d failed to fulfill your order. He brought the wrong horse and took ten military lashes on his own accord. He’s now lying down to recover.”

Li Shan hadn’t planned to punish him, but found the act amusing: “At least he’s self-aware. That horse he picked was no pony—it deserves a penalty.”

But just as the words left his mouth, he paused. The smile at his brow faded, turning into something quiet and cold.

Li Shan wasn’t good at swallowing discomfort. Months ago in Luoyang, he’d dragged himself through indulgence and revelry—not entirely against his nature, but partly because he craved the thrill of galloping.
When hooves thundered beneath him, it felt as though he was carried skyward on the wind, looking down at the land below—all within reach. But if he had to bring another person on horseback, and that person happened to be a noble lady he instinctively resisted… He steadied himself, yet a heaviness suddenly settled in his chest.

Du Ming noticed the shift in his mood and wisely fell silent. Soon, the flap of the tent lifted, and Fan Zhanxian stepped in, wrapped in a cloak. Rubbing his hands, he muttered, “Xiangyuan is bitterly cold.”

Sensing the tense silence, he chuckled lightly. “What’s happened—has that troublemaker Xin Zhi angered the General again?”

Li Shan removed the sword from his waist and set it down. “No.” His gaze swept over the sand table—its terrain marked with clarity, detailing the mountains and rivers of Bingzhou, Jizhou, and Youzhou. Then he asked Fan Zhanxian, “You came at this hour—do you bring word?”

Previously, when Fan Zhanxian returned to Xiangyuan, he brought unexpected news: the rebel Supreme Army, which had taken Fanyang in Youzhou, expressed a desire to surrender to Bingzhou.

Their leader, Gao Zhuan, reportedly descended from the Bohai Gao clan, though that lineage had long since faded into obscurity. Hearing tales of Bingzhou’s powerful military and the prestige of the Li family, and finding himself at a deadlock with the Lu clan in Fanyang, Gao Zhuan began to contemplate his allegiance.

One of Fan Zhanxian’s old friends, now serving as a strategist in Gao Zhuan’s camp, had delivered a letter seeking his help as a mediator.

At first, Li Shan didn’t think much of the rebels. He dismissed Gao Zhuan’s noble ancestry and found the name “Supreme Army” laughably pretentious.

But Fan Zhanxian insisted Gao Zhuan was a man of real governance potential. He had held Fanyang for over a month, and the people bore no grudge against him. To rule a realm, Fan Zhanxian said, one must know not only how to conquer, but how to govern.

Li Shan had been closely monitoring the rebellion. Since Bingzhou stood to gain, he agreed to consider it. Naturally, the affair was kept quiet. They couldn’t afford to draw Bingzhou into the situation prematurely.

Now, Fan Zhanxian said to Li Shan, “Yes, General. If you dispatch someone to meet them, Gao Zhuan will hand over Jizhou and Youzhou’s border intel. That will seal the deal. Only… Fanyang’s Lu clan is the Young Madam’s family. Should you inform her?”

Li Shan paused before answering, “No need.” He had no patience for aristocratic entanglements.

Du Ming stepped forward and offered, “General, I volunteer to travel to Fanyang in Youzhou.”

Fan Zhanxian was reassured when Du Ming offered to go, and had just voiced his agreement when Li Shan interjected, “I’ll go myself.”

Taking in the rebels wasn’t his main aim—he wanted to use the opportunity better to understand the current state of Youzhou and Jizhou.

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After returning Xianchun to the stables, Yaoyao was still reluctant to part. But too much too soon could overwhelm her—she’d only just overcome her fear and was starting to get used to being on horseback, which was already progress.

After bathing, she changed into a loose and soft outfit and lay back with her eyes gently closed in feigned sleep. Xin Zhu was applying skin balm for her, though her eyes kept drifting to the window. She asked Yaoyao, “Madam, will the Marquis not return tonight?”

Yaoyao paused, then caught Xin Zhu’s meaning and smiled softly. “I don’t know either.”

Nanny Zheng entered with a lantern and gave Xin Zhu a pointed look before ushering Yaoyao off to bed. As soon as Yaoyao slipped beneath the soft covers, she fell into a sweet, peaceful sleep, her brow entirely untroubled.

Watching her rest, Nanny Zheng lowered the bed curtains and said to Xin Zhu, “Step outside for a moment.”

Outside, she asked, “Were you waiting for the Marquis on Young Madam’s behalf?”

Xin Zhu looked a little crestfallen but admitted, “Yes. He taught Young Madam to ride today—it was such a rare chance. I didn’t expect he’d be so busy and wouldn’t return tonight.”

Nanny Zheng replied frankly, “To be honest, Young Madam doesn’t expect much from the Marquis. If he’s here, that’s fine. If he’s not, so be it.”

Xin Zhu was surprised but soon understood. Her lady had always been gentle and open-hearted—even as a young girl in the Xie household, she would only choose accessories after her sister, Xie Shu, had her pick of the new silks and hairpins.

Li Shan may have offered to teach Yaoyao to ride, and she may have genuinely enjoyed it, but if anyone expected her to pine over him because of that, how wrong they’d be.

Xin Zhu flushed with guilt. “I was foolish. It’s all because her cousin came looking for her—I must have gotten ahead of myself.”

This brought to mind what had happened earlier that evening. Lu Xin’er had come to see Yaoyao, but finding her away, started asking directly about the whereabouts of both Yaoyao and Li Shan.

Xin Zhu was tight-lipped and didn’t take kindly to Lu Xin’er’s probing. She replied curtly, “Whatever the Young Madam and the General are doing—how is it any concern of Miss Cousin?”

Lu Xin’er retorted, “I fear Cousin and the General are not getting along.”

Xin Zhu bristled. As if Yaoyao’s affairs could be casually speculated on?

She snapped back, “They’re husband and wife,”—a reminder that she always looked forward to Li Shan’s return.

Hearing this, Nanny Zheng shook her head and said, “You’ve known this cousin’s temperament from the start. Years ago, she even tried to stir up trouble between Young Madam and Miss Xie. But Young Madam paid it no mind. There’s no point fuming over it now.”

Xin Zhu agreed, though a touch of regret remained. Their lady was such a gentle, lovely soul—if only she met someone who truly cherished her. Li Shan, for all his power and stature, was still a brute at heart.

The next day, the group continued northward.

Yaoyao said to Lu Xin’er, “This trip is for escorting captured Hu prisoners. It’s official duty—I can’t keep you along the whole way.”

Lu Xin’er wasn’t pleased, but understood. With matters urgent at home, if this route failed, she’d head south to Luoyang to seek help from the Xie clan—so she bid farewell.

Yaoyao had someone ask Li Shan whether he could assign an escort for her cousin’s journey south. She hadn’t pleaded for Lu Xin’er’s sake or the family’s, but didn’t want to deny them all dignity. Though Lu Xin’er had several guards with her, the world was unsettled—more protection was better than less.

Soon, a detachment of twelve soldiers from the Li army was arranged to escort Lu Xin’er. Nanny Zheng and Xin Zhu personally saw her off at the gate, feeling relieved.

Days later, the party arrived at Yanmen County. The beacon towers stood tall. Remnants of the ancient Great Wall, dating back to the Qin and Han dynasties, had been reinforced many times; however, the erosion of time was still evident. Beyond the walls stretched a vast desolation.

On that day, the citizens of the city were overjoyed—everywhere one could hear them talking about Li Shan escorting the Hu prisoners into Yanmen County.

Instead of staying at the post station, Yaoyao resided in the side courtyard of the governor’s residence, which was usually managed by Madam Bai, the governor’s wife.

Madam Bai was in her fifties, with a kind and gentle demeanor. Since both Yaoyao and Li Shan were resting in the side courtyard, it was clear Li Shan held Yanmen County in high regard, which pleased Madam Bai greatly. And with Yaoyao’s exquisite beauty and graceful bearing, Madam Bai couldn’t help but be fond of her at first sight. She invited Yaoyao to view the Hundred-Character Stele housed in the courtyard.

The stele was originally an ancient relic from Yunmo Temple in Yongzhou—a masterpiece crafted by a great calligrapher of a previous dynasty. Years ago, when the Hu people invaded Yongzhou, the stele was shattered into sixteen pieces and transported to the Hu royal court. Now, with Li Shan’s forces driving the Hu back, the fragments had been reclaimed and temporarily reassembled here.

Yaoyao had studied calligraphy under the renowned Master Gu, and she knew well that one of his greatest regrets was never seeing this stele in person. As someone skilled in the art herself, she studied it intently.

Suddenly, a little girl’s head popped out from behind the stele. She stared blankly at Yaoyao and exclaimed in awe, “Are you a fairy?”

Yaoyao: “…”

Madam Bai quickly scolded the maid, “Take Fifth Miss away now!” Then she smiled apologetically at Yaoyao. “That’s my granddaughter. Children speak without thinking—so excitable.”

Yaoyao was used to others being struck by her looks, but the candid words of a child still made her blush slightly. She smiled without replying.

Not far from the stele, the rest of Madam Bai’s grandchildren were playing war games on toy horses, shouting, “I am the Plain-Robed General! Who dares challenge me?”

Even Nanny Zheng, who’d seen much in life, couldn’t help but remark with admiration, “The Marquis truly holds the heart of the people.”

Yaoyao nodded softly.

That night, the county governor’s residence hosted a banquet. Yaoyao and Li Shan attended together. She wore her hair in a graceful crane bun and donned a moon-white triple-sleeved gown. A delicate plum blossom was drawn across her forehead, her radiant beauty outshining flowers themselves. Li Shan, dressed in broad robes with an air of quiet confidence, looked strikingly heroic. The two entered side by side—not only as honored guests, but also as a perfectly matched pair, drawing admiring gazes with their natural grace.

Fortunately, they were used to the attention. The seats were arranged facing east, and as a maid arranged the footrest, Xin Zhu gently straightened Yaoyao’s hem before she sat down.

The banquet began. Yaoyao was not a heavy drinker; she only brushed the rim of her jade cup with her lips. Li Shan, on the other hand, smiled as he drank one cup after another.

After three rounds of drinks, the official wives quietly left the hall. Yaoyao returned to the side courtyard to rest. Although she’d barely sipped wine, the lingering aroma made her uncomfortable. She asked Nanny Zheng to prepare a cup of salt-steeped Renhan herb tea to rinse her mouth.

She also instructed, “Leave one cup for the Marquis, too.”

She didn’t know when Li Shan would return—likely quite late. Luckily, she was well-rested in recent days, so she curled up with a book of musical scores.

Near the hour of hai (late evening), Li Shan came back. His gaze was clear and his stride steady. He sat down with composure, though he couldn’t mask the strong scent of alcohol.

Yaoyao handed him the tea. Li Shan pressed a hand to his brow and muttered, “I’m not drunk.”

Yaoyao had never seen him admit to drunkenness before. She began to explain, “It’s tea, for—”

At the word “tea,” Li Shan raised the porcelain bowl and, in two strong gulps, drank it down. His sharp Adam’s apple shifted visibly as he swallowed. He frowned deeply. “Why is this so bitter?”

Yaoyao: “…” Because… it’s for rinsing, not drinking.

She almost laughed but pressed her lips together. What she didn’t know was that beneath the bright candlelight, the glimmering amusement in her eyes made her beauty all the more luminous. She thought she hid it well. In a gentle, soft voice, she said, “Rest now, husband.”

Li Shan focused his gaze and stared directly at her. Realizing what had just happened, he scowled faintly and said, “You did that on purpose.”

Yaoyao’s voice wavered with guilt: “I… I did what on purpose?”

Suddenly, Li Shan stood up.

While he had been seated and she standing, they had kept a comfortable few inches of distance. But once he rose to full height, he filled the space between them, and their shadows instantly overlapped under the lamplight.

Yaoyao’s lashes trembled, and she instinctively took a small step back, opening the gap between them once more.

Li Shan glanced down at that retreating step, keenly aware this time. From his throat came a dry laugh: “Don’t worry. I’ll be heading to Fanyang soon. I won’t crowd you.”

The moment he said it, his mood shifted. He hadn’t planned to bring it up, but the wine had loosened his tongue, and now it was out.

Yaoyao froze. She couldn’t worry about anything else and asked softly, “Husband, why are you going to Fanyang?”

Given the ongoing conflict between the Lu clan and the Supreme Army in Fanyang, there could be only one reason. But Yaoyao didn’t believe for a moment that Li Shan was going for her maternal family’s sake.

Li Shan said nothing. He strode to the bed where everything was already arranged and lay down, arms folded, eyes shut.

Yaoyao called again, “Husband?”

His voice, low and distant, came back: “Too far. Can’t hear you.”

Yaoyao: “…”