Chapter 5

Even though Nanny Zheng mentally prepared herself, she still felt a tightness in her chest. Her young lady was being forced to travel a thousand miles to Bingzhou for marriage—all because of that man’s outrageous demands—and he hadn’t even bothered to speak a word to her, simply leaving her behind.

Yaoyao gently patted Nanny Zheng’s hand and called out clearly, “We’ll be leaving now.”

Xin Zhi let out a breath of relief. He’d always heard that the Xie family’s eldest daughter had a strong temperament, and feared the younger might be the same. Thankfully, this one seemed mild-mannered. After all, the general detested noble families—if they had made a scene here…

Recalling his commander’s intentions, Xin Zhi didn’t hesitate further. After giving some instructions, the sky was just beginning to brighten, and the ox-drawn carriage trailed slowly behind the rest of the convoy.

Once they left Luoyang and descended onto the main road, the ox cart grew slower and slower, until it stopped entirely, gradually falling behind the Li family carriages and escort.

Noticing the Xie party lagging, Xin Zhi rode back and asked, “What happened?”

Xin Zhu stepped down to explain. Yaoyao was resting against Nanny Zheng’s shoulder, but upon hearing voices, she opened her eyes, looking dazedly at her nanny.

Nanny Zheng gave a helpless smile. “The ox is being stubborn—it refuses to move.”

The driver had whipped it to keep pace, but oxen were nothing like horses. The more they were beaten, the more obstinate they became. Now, it simply stood rooted, unmoving.

Xin Zhi felt a headache coming on.

Glancing back at the convoy—now mere black specks in the distance—he pulled out a map and handed it to Xin Zhu. “How about this: we’re stopping overnight at Fuhuai County. We’ll go on ahead—you can catch up later.”

Xin Zhu took the map, turning it several ways before finally spotting the characters for “Fuhuai.” It was eighty li away!

She said anxiously, “That’s far too far. Even if our oxen didn’t rest, we couldn’t cover that much ground in a full day!”

But Xin Zhi had already ridden off, the Li carriages and soldiers nowhere in sight.

Xin Zhu was so angry she nearly burst into tears. “How can they be like this? Aren’t they basically forcing us to go back?”

Yaoyao studied the map, then looked around—the area was deserted, with no village ahead or behind. She let out a small breath, but her eyes were still clear. She said gently, “Since we truly can’t catch up, let’s just rest here for a while.”

Xin Zhu wanted to argue, but Nanny Zheng understood: once an arrow is loosed, it doesn’t turn back. If they returned to Luoyang now, it would look like the Xie family had withdrawn from the marriage. Would Xie Zhaozhi defend the young lady for the sake of his family? Unlikely. The girl would have no place in Luoyang and might be sent off to a nunnery if she were lucky.

For now, staying put was the wisest option. If the Li family still wanted to benefit from the Xie family’s name, they’d have to come back for them.

She cut Xin Zhu off. “Everyone’s hungry—get the dry rations and divide them up.”

Madam Lu had initially intended for Yaoyao to bring pots and utensils, but the Li family said Madam Qian had packed them. Bringing an extra set would only slow them down.

Fearing delays might force Yaoyao to marry Li Shan in some roadside village, Madam Lu insisted that she at least take some dry food just in case.

At that moment, Yaoyao held a piece of cornbread and slowly chewed, sipping water between bites.

Nanny Zheng’s heart ached—when had the young lady ever been in such a state, eating by the roadside? But Yaoyao showed no panic or frustration, as composed as ever. So Nanny Zheng swallowed her complaints, unwilling to spoil the young lady’s mood.

Yaoyao ate half the cornbread, then couldn’t manage another bite. She gazed at the lush green grasses and spotted a flush of tender pink amid the growth. She hopped down from the cart shaft and crouched gently, carefully parting the grass. Nestled within were a few tiny wildflowers, swaying delicately in the breeze.

This kind of flower was known as the February orchid. They bloomed here and there, dotting the road—some hidden in the undergrowth, some nestled against rocks.

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Several iron-shod hooves brushed past the pale pink petals and came to an abrupt halt.

Li Shan’s expression was sharp and cold. With a flick, he cast off the blood from his sword—his body was immaculate, not stained by a single drop.

Vice General Du Ming knelt on one knee. “General, the captive confessed—they were assassins sent by the Xiao family.”

The head of the Xiao family was the current Grand Commandant. Last time, he had taken the lead in blocking news of the Bingzhou victory and had attempted to keep Madam Qian and other Li family members trapped in Luoyang.

But the Li clan had planted eyes in the court. They argued it would be improper to pressure Li Wang, and since the Da Qi was not ruled by the Xiao family alone, the matter had been left unresolved.

At the end of last year, Grand Commandant Xiao had been sent south to “inspect” affairs, which gave Li Shan the chance to escort his mother safely out of Luoyang. But it seemed the Xiao family had now caught wind of their movements. They clearly still didn’t intend to let the Li family go so easily.

Madam Qian shrank inside the carriage, still shaken from the earlier ambush. The clash of weapons had frightened her badly. Upon hearing the conversation outside, she hurriedly lifted the curtain. “Lilang, you’re not hurt, are you?”

Li Shan replied, “I’m fine.”

Li Wang had just ordered the assassin’s corpse to be taken care of. As he rode along the column, something struck him. “Where’s the Xie family’s cart?”

Madam Qian fumbled for words. Xin Zhi cleared his throat. “The ox cart was too slow. I told them to follow behind so we wouldn’t delay the journey…”

Li Wang immediately grasped the situation. He pointed at Li Shan with a cold laugh. “If Xiao’s assassins turn their blades on the Xie girls too, that’s on us!”

Li Shan remained expressionless.

Madam Qian realized, startled, “That can’t be right—killing them wouldn’t benefit the assassins…”

Li Wang said, “Forget assassins—this world is in chaos. They’re a group of women and children. If they run into bandits again, they’ll be slaughtered.”

Though Madam Qian disliked the Xie daughters, she hadn’t meant for them to die. She muttered, “It wasn’t Lilang’s fault—it was me who told Xin Zhi to trouble them…”

Li Wang turned to her. “No need to defend him. If he’d been more mindful, they wouldn’t have been left behind!”

Li Shan had no interest in arguing. He turned his horse around and called to Xin Zhi, “Lead the way.”

Xin Zhi hastily spurred his horse after him. Seeing that Li Shan was going back to retrieve the girls, he knew punishment was inevitable. Whatever Li Shan thought of noble family daughters, he would never treat life carelessly. Xin Zhi had made that decision on his own. He said awkwardly, “General, it was my fault…”

Li Shan didn’t even glance at him. “Go back and take twenty strikes of the military rod.”

Xin Zhi immediately replied, “Yes, sir!”

The road back wasn’t far. With both Li Shan and Xin Zhi seasoned in long, urgent marches, it wasn’t long before Li Wang spotted an ox leisurely swishing its tail and munching on grass by the roadside.

A few young women stood in the nearby grass. The wild growth reached their knees. Under the clear sky, the grass was a vivid green, making the girl in the center appear almost ethereal—her skin was so pale it nearly outshone the snow of the northern lands.

The brightness made Li Shan squint.

…

At the sound of hoofbeats, Yaoyao and the others stopped searching for flowers. Xin Zhu and Mu Lan exclaimed in relief, “It must be the Li family coming back for us!”

Yaoyao lifted her head and raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun. A young man on horseback came into view—he was already tall, and now, seated atop a horse, his shadow loomed like a small mountain, entirely enveloping her.

Yaoyao had to crane her neck to see his face clearly: sword-like brows, starry eyes, a straight nose, and a commanding presence. Veins ran faintly beneath the skin on the back of his hand as he gripped the reins, brimming with strength and vitality.

Behind him, Xin Zhi barely caught up. “General, this is the second daughter of the Xie family…”

The man before her was Li Shan.

Yaoyao paused for a breath, stunned.

Li Shan fixed his gaze on Yaoyao. His eyes were like obsidian—sharp and dark, their weight nearly palpable, pressing down with such intensity that Yaoyao could feel it scraping against skin and bone. Her back instinctively tensed like a bowstring drawn taut, and she held her breath.

Li Shan withdrew his gaze. His tone was unreadable, neither warm nor cold. “Get on.”

Nanny Zheng had just jogged over from the ox cart. Hearing this, she looked past Li Shan and Xin Zhi in confusion—where was the carriage? Could the Marquis mean to have her young lady ride with him on the same horse?

She could hardly believe it. “Marquis, what do you mean by this? My lady is delicate and has never ridden before—could you please send a carriage instead?”

But Xin Zhi understood. Li Shan coming back at all was already a sign of restrained compromise. He intended to bring just one person—he had no desire to concern himself with the rest of the Xie family.

He quickly shot meaningful glances at Nanny Zheng and the others. “Our general is worried about Miss Xie’s safety and came in person. The rest of you can follow me…”

Yaoyao also understood. She took a step forward into Li Shan’s shadow, looked up at him, and calmly asked, “How do I get on?”

She had never ridden a horse in her life, but she was composed.

Li Shan’s gaze was still like a deep well. He motioned with one hand. “Come here.”

Yaoyao took a few steps closer. He turned slightly and, with one hand, grasped the back of her collar. Instantly, her feet left the ground.

“Miss!” Nanny Zheng and Xinzhu cried out in alarm.

But in the next breath, Li Shan had placed her securely behind him on the horse.

It was only once Yaoyao was seated that she realized what had just happened. Her eyes widened, stunned—like a startled fawn deep in the woods—as she stared blankly at Li Shan.

Li Shan shifted into place himself, then gave his horse a nudge. The animal started forward.

This was his cherished steed, with a specially designed saddle, much larger than the standard, allowing him room to maneuver during battle.
Yaoyao sat neatly in the open space behind him. It was a perfect fit.

The view from the horse was both high and expansive. After a few more steps, Yaoyao felt a sudden weightlessness. Her heart lurched with panic, and without thinking, she grabbed whatever was within reach—her arms instinctively circling Li Shan’s waist.

Li Shan: “Tch.”

He wasn’t used to people being this close. He was just about to slap her hands away when, glancing down, he saw her pale, delicate hands clutching a small pink wildflower.

The wind tugged at the flower until it drooped and bent pitifully, but the tips of her fingers clinging to his belt were somehow even more tender than the petals, taut with tension.

Sensing his impatience, she whispered timidly from behind, “I… I’m scared.”

Li Shan had sharp hearing—he could detect the faintest tremble in her soft words.

The horse came to a halt. Li Shan said curtly, “Grab the clothes.”

Yaoyao softly responded, “Oh,” and quickly withdrew her arms, this time gripping the fabric on either side of his belt.

The horse finally began to gallop.

Yaoyao squeezed her eyes shut in fright. But Li Shan’s broad back shielded her from the wind, and before long, she gradually grew used to it. Her heartbeat settled.

It was her first time riding a horse. She was still afraid, but curiosity began to outweigh the fear. She opened her eyes and looked to the side. The grass, steadily retreating past them, formed a long green sash. In the blink of an eye, the gravel on the path was left behind.

Unlike the ground, the sky, the drifting clouds, and the distant hazy hills seemed to move imperceptibly. The vastness of the universe, it felt, could be no more than this.

She was momentarily mesmerized and forgot her fear.

They had just ridden past the leading edge of a cloud when the horse gradually slowed to a stop.

Yaoyao came back to herself. This time, without being told, she promptly withdrew her hands.

Li Shan dismounted with practiced ease and strode forward. He spoke to Li Wang’s deputy, “Uncle Lin, I’ve brought her back. Can I hand her over to Father for inspection?”

Uncle Lin coughed awkwardly. “…Ahem.” The father and son had their own battles—he wasn’t getting involved.

Elsewhere, driven by guilt, Madam Qian—seeing that Xie Yaoyao was unharmed—signaled Aunt Li to help her down from the horse.