Strictly speaking, this wasn’t an avalanche but rather a ‘snowballing’ phenomenon caused by the unique terrain of Xiaoyue Mountain.
Under normal circumstances, as the weather gradually warmed, the snow on the mountain would begin to melt from the highest and outermost layers, slowly revealing the greenery beneath. However, for some reason, the peak of Xiaoyue Mountain remained exceptionally cold. While the snow layers at the mountain’s waist and base gradually thinned, the accumulated snow at the summit remained massive and solid—forming a lollipop-like shape.
When the snow beneath the peak also began to melt, the enormous snow pile at the summit could no longer hold its position. Shao Shang and her companions were simply unfortunate enough to encounter the moment when the ‘snowball’ began to roll down.
Though Xiao Hou Ban was timid, his voice was piercing. As he screamed, all the guards and servants at the base rushed up the mountainside, using carrying poles, swords, nets, and even their outer robes to desperately dig out those buried beneath the snow.
Two imperial princes, one general, two noble young lords and ladies, plus a learned scholar—if all of them perished here, the accompanying guards and servants would inevitably face severe punishment—at the very least hard labor, with no upper limit.
Fortunately, Xiaoyue Mountain wasn’t particularly large, and the snow from the peak scattered as it rolled down. The snow that landed on this platform was no more than ten feet thick at most. Everyone braved the cold and dug with all their might, quickly uncovering the figures beneath the snow.
Aside from the guards and servants buried underneath, the first to be dug out was Cheng Shao Gong, followed by the two princes, and finally the old scholar. Excluding frostbite, only the Fourth Prince had the misfortune of being struck in the back by rocks mixed in the snow, while the old scholar fell unconscious due to prolonged suffocation.
Cheng Shao Gong suddenly shouted, “Shao Shang! Where’s Shao Shang? Where’s my little sister? Lord Ling, Lord Ling…!”
Liang Qiuqi said gravely, “My lord is not here.”
Only then did everyone realize that nearly all the snow on the platform had been cleared, yet Ling Cheng was nowhere to be found. Even the usually cold and fearless Third Prince grew uneasy, sharply ordering everyone to search the surroundings.
At that moment, a servant timidly spoke up, “When the snow came crashing down earlier, I saw Lord Ling reach out to pull Cheng Niangzi, and then both of them were swept over the cliff…”
Truly, there was no limit to misfortune.
Everyone else had been standing toward the middle or rear of the mountainside platform, closer to the cliff wall. Only Shao Shang had been standing at the edge of the cliff, admiring the view. When the snow came crashing down, she was struck head-on and pushed over the cliff. Ling Buyi had lunged to grab her but was also swept over the edge.
Everyone rushed to the cliff’s edge to look and indeed saw Ling Buyi’s thick fur cloak caught on a protruding rock below the cliff, but there was no sign of the two. Cheng Shao Gong was on the verge of tears from anxiety, while Xiao Hou Ban was already whimpering in fear.
Liang Qiuqi’s forehead beaded with sweat—he had no idea how deep the cliff was. If there was some buffer, they might survive, but if they fell straight down, they would likely be killed on impact. Not daring to delay any longer, he let out a sharp whistle, and the guards behind him immediately began securing ropes to descend the cliff and search below.
…
When the snow came crashing down, Ling Buyi watched helplessly as a massive chunk of compacted snow struck Shao Shang. He lunged forward and caught her limp body, but the overwhelming force of the snow still pushed them both over the cliff.The small mountain lacked towering old pines, but fortunately, there were a few protruding rocks on the cliff face. Ling Buyi held Shao Shang with one arm and, with the other, snapped the gemstone chain, flinging his cloak over the rocks to suspend them both.
However, the snow mound was enormous, and the part extending beyond the platform kept falling away. With the unconscious girl in his arms and one hand gripping the edge of the cloak, Ling Buyi had to endure the constant barrage of snow chunks, large and small, tumbling down.
At first, Ling Buyi managed to hold on. But then a snow chunk the size of a horse crashed down. Not daring to take the impact head-on, he pushed off the cliff face with his foot, releasing the cloak and leaping to the side.
Thankfully, he was dressed elaborately today, adorned with jade belts, decorative chains, and fitted sleeves—all of which he tore off one by one to hook onto the rocks along the cliff face, descending step by step.
By sheer luck, the mountain was small, and the valley below wasn’t deep. When Ling Buyi finally used his golden hairpin to scrape against the cliff wall, he spotted the snowdrift at the base. Clutching the girl tightly, he leaped toward the highest point of the snow pile, then rolled uncontrollably until they came to a stop.
Ling Buyi crawled out of the snow and immediately checked Shao Shang’s injuries. Blood seeped from her forehead—clearly struck by a hard chunk of snow earlier. She was now half-conscious, murmuring incoherently.
Drawing from years of experience in wilderness campaigns, Ling Buyi knew staying put would allow Liang Qiuqi and the others to find them fastest. But the girl couldn’t remain here—the snow would slowly sap their body heat, eventually proving fatal.
After a moment’s deliberation, he hoisted Shao Shang onto his back and steadily made his way down the slope of the snowdrift, leaving marks on the cliff face in hopes Liang Qiuqi would see them. He wasn’t worried about wild beasts—large predators roamed high mountains and deep forests, while small hills harbored only smaller creatures.
Shao Shang’s injuries weren’t severe, but her dizziness was overwhelming.
Jostled on the broad back of the man, she heard the snow crunch beneath his steps and faintly glimpsed bloody streaks on his neck and shoulders—some even trailing frozen blood from sharp debris in the snow while he’d hung onto the cloak.
Then she blacked out again. When she awoke, she found herself cradled in his arms. Ling Buyi had unfastened his brocade robe, wrapping her snugly against his chest within its folds. The familiar crisp scent filled her nose, her fingers brushing the firm contours of his chest beneath the soft underwear. Above them, the valley winds howled, yet Shao Shang felt utterly warm and safe.
“I… I also want to make a vow,” she murmured haltingly. “From now on, I’ll trust you—just like I trust Father and Mother. I’ll never argue with you again. If I break this oath, may I… may I be left alone, trapped in sorrow, forever unable to escape!”
A large hand gently stroked her hair. He said nothing.
…
When she fully awoke, Shao Shang was inside a large, warmly lit tent.
Dazedly, she looked at the young man seated beside her bed and blurted out her first words: “You’ve grown stubble.”
Ling Buyi laughed joyfully, while Cheng Shaogong, beside him, lunged forward, his voice choked with tears. “You’re finally awake! You slept longer than the Third Prince’s Teacher! So young, yet you can’t even outlast an old man!”Before he could finish speaking, Liang Qiu Fei dragged him out while chattering, "Young Master Cheng, you've seen that the Female Lord is fine now, so you can rest assured! Alright, hurry back and get some rest! What do you mean I have ulterior motives? Young Master Cheng, don't make wild guesses! Our Young Master nearly froze into an ice block for the Female Lord—what more could you possibly worry about? If you're concerned about propriety now, they were already alone together at the bottom of the cliff earlier..."
As Liang Qiu Fei's voice gradually faded into the distance, Shao Shang giggled, her cheeks slowly regaining color. When her gaze returned to Ling Buyi, her second question was: "Why is your hair down?"
Ling Buyi's hair was thick and glossy, cascading like satin over his shoulders. He smiled faintly. "I haven't had time to tie it up."
Liang Qiuqi, standing nearby, couldn't help interjecting, "Young Master, now would be a good time to freshen up and change clothes."
Shao Shang sat up in surprise. "You've been by my side all this time—" A wave of dizziness hit her, and she steadied herself with a hand to her head. "Alright, Liang Qiu, please fetch some hot water and fresh clothes."
Liang Qiuqi responded instantly and left.
Thanks to her months of experience serving the Empress, Shao Shang's caregiving skills had improved significantly. She helped Ling Buyi remove his damp outer garments, underwear, and inner layers, wiped him down with warm water, and dressed him in fresh, dry layers of clothing. When it came time to change his lower garments, she pushed the quietly amused Ling Buyi behind a screen.
Then she brought over a basin of warm water, knelt beside his feet, and prepared to wash them. She also instructed a maid to fetch the dried ginger powder she carried with her—originally prepared for brewing warming drinks—and dissolved it into the water.
She remembered clearly: he had walked through the snow for a long time and held her while waiting even longer. Prolonged exposure to damp cold was devastating to the feet—trench foot, which once terrified soldiers, began with tissue decay and necrosis, sometimes even requiring amputation in severe cases.
Unlike her usual spirited self, Shao Shang's movements were exceptionally gentle and steady. The Liang Qiu brothers stared in astonishment, while Ling Buyi gazed at her deeply, as if a lifetime of looking wouldn't be enough.
The warmth from the ginger powder gradually seeped into his skin, reviving his muscles. Shao Shang carefully dried his feet with thick, absorbent cloth. Ling Buyi was tall, so his legs were naturally long—though most of them were hidden beneath his rolled-up pant legs, leaving only his slender toes for Shao Shang to admire.
Beyond their elegant bone structure, Ling Buyi's legs and feet were covered in calluses, puncture wounds, and bruises of varying depths. Shao Shang finally understood: "So when fighting on horseback, the legs and feet are the most vulnerable."
Ling Buyi chuckled and pinched her cheek affectionately.
After washing his feet, Shao Shang forbade Ling Buyi from putting on socks or shoes, insisting he lie barefoot on the couch until they were completely dry and warm.
By then, Liang Qiuqi had finally snapped out of his daze and was dragging his brother out. True to form, Liang Qiu Fei couldn't resist chattering even as he was being pulled away. Just before exiting the tent, he called out, "...Eldest brother, did any of your four lady loves ever wash your feet for you?"
Hearing this, Shao Shang laughed and beckoned them back. "Liang Qiu, you have four lady loves?"
Ling Buyi picked up a fleece blanket from the couch and draped it over his ankles, leaving only his soles exposed to air-dry. "Which four lady loves?" he asked lightly.With a hint of teasing in his smile, he said, "Could it be Aunt Zhao who oversees the kitchen, Aunt Qian in charge of sewing, Aunt Sun who tends to the flowers and trees in the backyard, or perhaps Aunt Li guarding the wine cellar?"
Liang Qiu Fei was dumbfounded, feeling as if the world was slowly crumbling before his eyes. He looked up in disbelief and wailed, "Brother, the Young Master isn't serious, is he?!"
Liang Qiuqi smacked his younger brother on the forehead. "Can't elderly women be bosom friends?!"
Liang Qiu Fei's vision darkened, nearly fainting on the spot. The cheerful laughter of the Female lord rang in his ears, alongside the Young Master's relaxed and unrestrained smile—many years later, Liang Qiu Fei would still remember this joyful scene.
Just as everyone was joining forces to tease the dark-faced Liang Qiuqi, a guard outside loudly announced the arrival of the Third Prince.
Ling Buyi's expression turned serious. Shao Shang quickly rose from the couch and stood at attention.
The Third Prince swept aside the tent flap and said gravely, "Something has happened in the Capital City. Someone has been posting flying letters all over the city."
"What do the flying letters say?" Ling Buyi asked.
The Third Prince replied, "Nothing much, just a single allusion—the story of the Crown Prince of Emperor Xuan."
Author's note: Extra update delivered. Next update will be on Friday. Thanks.
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