The winter seemed long and arduous, yet in the blink of an eye, it vanished without a trace.
Overnight, the vast earth donned a new coat.
Zhong Changrong stood atop the fortress wall, listening to his officers while taking a map handed to him by his personal guard. Below, troops and horses hurried in and out incessantly.
"General Zhong!" a scout galloping over reined in his horse and called out, "Commandant Xie is back."
Zhong Changrong tossed the map to the officers. "That rascal, why is he so slow?"
The officers, all trusted aides, knew what Xie Yanlai had been tasked with and were equally pleased.
"Slow?" one of them counted on his fingers. "It feels like he returned in the blink of an eye. Did he even get to see the Empress?"
Zhong Changrong suddenly felt it was indeed too fast.
"Did that brat slack off and not even go?" he fumed, stomping down the fortress steps. "I'll go ask him myself."
He couldn't wait for Xie Yanlai to come and report.
But even Zhong Changrong's personal visit didn't grant him an audience with Xie Yanlai—Xie Yanlai was bathing.
"What are you washing up for, you brat!" Zhong Changrong stood in the room, scolding through the door curtain. "It's not like you're about to become a groom. You noble-born types always have such fussy habits."
From behind the curtain came Xie Yanlai's lazy voice: "Indeed, we noble-born types have many fussy habits. Not only am I bathing, but I'm also going to eat—" He raised his voice and called for his personal guard Xiao Shan, "Hurry up with the food I asked for, Xiao Shan!"
Outside the door, the guard Xiao Shan chuckled and acknowledged the order.
"General, don't be impatient," he even said to Zhong Changrong. "Our young master took a shortcut and got covered in weeds, dirt, and stones. He really can't see anyone without washing up."
Xiao Shan had originally been chosen by Zhong Changrong from his own ranks to serve Xie Yanlai, but judging by his words now—referring to him as "our young master"—one might mistake him for a lifelong servant of the Xie family.
Zhong Changrong glared at Xiao Shan. "Who cares what he looks like?"
Xiao Shan grinned without arguing and ran off. "I'll go hurry the kitchen along. Don't let the food get too hot, cold, or salty—"
Zhong Changrong cursed him as a bootlicker, then turned his ire toward Xie Yanlai behind the curtain. "Look what you've turned a good kid into."
"Stop nagging like a gossipy old woman," Xie Yanlai lazily retorted from inside. "You're not here to see me anyway. She wrote you a letter—it's on the table. Go read it."
A letter? Zhong Changrong forgot to take offense at being called a gossipy old woman and hurriedly rummaged through the cluttered table. A belt, a leather pouch, and grimy, unrecognizable clothes were piled on top. He pushed them off and tossed them on the floor before spotting two letters and a paper package.
The letters were marked with names. Zhong Changrong sat down, opened the one addressed to him, and began reading with the ease of a fish leaping into water, thoroughly enjoying it.
The letter wasn't long, but it clearly detailed recent events and subsequent instructions, including arrangements for Mu Mianhong. Zhong Changrong felt a mix of sorrow, relief, and a lingering sense of incompleteness as he read—
His gaze swept over the table and landed on the other letter.
"Why did she write to you too?" he said. "Didn't you meet in person? What did she write to you about? Let me see what it says."
With that, he picked up the letter, but before he could open it, the door curtain was flung aside with a whoosh. The person inside rushed out like a gust of wind—
Zhong Changrong's vision blurred as water splashed across his face, and the letter was snatched from his hand."You wretched brat!" he cursed, wiping the water from his face as he saw Xie Yanlai wrapped from the waist down, dripping wet as if he'd just leaped out of a bathtub. "What madness is this!"
Xie Yanlai held a towel with one hand and a letter with the other: "How dare you read someone else's letter? Are there no military rules and regulations?"
There were indeed rules against privately opening letters—Zhong Changrong thought, but then he slammed the table: "What does A Zhao's letter count as—"
"A Zhao is the Empress," Xie Yanlai said, raising his eyebrows. "Can you just casually read the Empress's orders?"
With that, he stormed back into the inner room like a gust of wind, letter in hand.
Zhong Changrong was still dazed: "The Empress's orders—"
Before he could finish, Xie Yanlai rushed out again, snatching the small paper package from the table—
"And what is this?" Zhong Changrong shouted, glaring.
The door curtain swayed as Xie Yanlai's voice came from inside: "My snacks."
Zhong Changrong was baffled: "Who cares about your snacks? I'm not a child." He slammed the table again. "You actually had time to buy snacks? What exactly were you doing out there!"
From inside came the sound of the young man humming a tune: "Finally escaping that wretched Border Commandery and arriving in Prince Zhongshan's city, of course I had to enjoy some shopping and drinking."
Zhong Changrong sneered twice, no longer concerned. He now knew this kid was just provocative with his words but still understood boundaries—he definitely wouldn't actually go out drinking and carousing.
Sitting at the desk, he could only read the letter in his hands again for satisfaction, waiting for Xie Yanlai to finish dressing and come out.
"What did A Zhao write to you?" Zhong Changrong asked again, even offering his own letter. "Come on, let's swap and see if there's any missed information."
Xie Yanlai ignored him entirely: "The Empress has her own arrangements; nothing will be missed. Do you not trust the Empress?"
Of course he trusted A Zhao, but—Zhong Changrong stroked his chin—what could A Zhao possibly have to say to this kid? He glanced at Xie Yanlai, the young man freshly bathed, his profile sharp as if carved by a knife, droplets of water still glistening on his skin. No matter how he looked at him—he was just irritating!
"What did A Zhao say when you saw her?" he asked irritably.
Xie Yanlai replied, "Nothing much."
Zhong Changrong grew even angrier: "How could it be nothing? Then what did you do?"
Xie Yanlai said, "Oh, me? I slept."
Zhong Changrong stared wide-eyed: "Slept? You went all the way there just to sleep?"
Xie Yanlai explained, "I had a tough journey. Once I saw her, knew she was safe, and got the letter, naturally I went to sleep."
Zhong Changrong flung his sleeve and stood up: "What use are you!" He stomped away, letter in hand.
Xie Yanlai raised an eyebrow and curled his lip, then flopped onto the bed with the letter and snack package in hand. Exhaustion washed over him like a tide, and as he stared at the canopy, he frowned again.
Truth be told, he didn't know how he'd fallen asleep back then!
After finally seeing her, having only exchanged a few words, he'd actually fallen asleep!
He was tired, yes, but not that exhausted.
It must have been because Chu Zhao was chattering away beside him—he probably got fed up and decided to take a nap.
What was she going on about back then? He really hadn't heard it after falling asleep. Maybe he should have listened—
...
...
"Young master, food's here—and I swiped a jar of good wine from General Zhong—"
Xiao Shan cheerfully entered carrying a wooden tray, only to find Xie Yanlai lying motionless on the bed."Young Master?" he called softly, placing the tray on the table and leaning in to look.
The young man had already fallen asleep, breathing deeply with his chest rising and falling steadily. The paper package in his hand, which was dangling off the bed, was slowly slipping—.
Xiao Shan reached out just in time to catch it before it hit the ground. He opened it and saw several flattened pastries inside. Shaking his head sympathetically, he sighed, "Look how hungry the young master is—he’d even eat such shabby-looking snacks—"
As he spoke, he tossed one into his own mouth.
"I’ve prepared fine wine and delicacies for the young master. I’ll just take care of these unappetizing snacks myself."
Xiao Shan wore a pleased expression.
"Being so thoughtful, next time when the young master selects troops, he’s sure to pick me. Then I can fight alongside him."
……
……
By the time the land of the Border Commandery was blanketed in green, the heartland of the Central Plains had already reached the peak of spring’s splendor.
Rounding a ridge, they saw ahead a peach grove, vibrant as a multicolored cloud, dazzlingly beautiful.
Chu Zhao lifted her veil to gaze into the distance.
"Miss, shall we go enjoy the flowers?" A Le suggested, noticing her captivated expression.
Chu Zhao thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Better not. We should focus on the journey."
A Le nodded and said, "Let’s hurry. Once we reach the capital, there will be plenty of flowers to admire."
Chu Zhao smiled and urged her horse forward. But not far ahead, she noticed someone standing on the hillside by the road, his blue robe fluttering gently as he gazed at the peach grove in the distance.
Was he admiring the blossoms?
Chu Zhao urged her horse onward, and the person on the hillside turned around.
"Miss," his voice was clear and bright, "the flowers are at their best. Why not pause for a moment and enjoy them?"
Chu Zhao reined in her horse and lifted her veil to look.
The young man on the hillside had features as gentle as warm jade.
"Young Master Xie the Third!" A Le exclaimed without thinking, "What a coincidence! Who would have thought we’d run into you here."
Coincidence? Chu Zhao chuckled inwardly. Who could possibly have a chance encounter with Young Master Xie the Third?
She dismounted and hurried up the hillside.
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