Deng Yi and his party rested at the courier station for one night. After arranging for the carrier pigeon message to be sent to Prince Zhongshan, they set off once more.
Though Prince Zhongshan had helped intercept them, they couldn’t let him escort the captives all the way to the capital. They would continue on to rendezvous with him.
As the horses and men faded into the distance, the wind whipped up dust. The Station Chief stood outside the station, squinting, his hand resting on his waist and feeling the empty coin purse.
The events of the past few days had ultimately dissolved into a dream.
"Sir," a courier approached, "that A Fu turned out to be Garrison General Chu Ling’s daughter. That little girl is truly a master of deception. While others deceive with a few words, she rolls out a whole opera troupe with drums and gongs."
The Station Chief scoffed, "Deception? You’re underestimating her. This isn’t deception—it’s outright banditry!"
Such lavish spending, one scheme layered upon another, leaving everyone spinning in circles—this was the essence of a bandit’s spirit.
The Station Chief thought of A Fu, how she often kept her head down, occasionally lifting her gaze to glance at someone. Those eyes of hers had actually looked quite fierce.
At the time, he hadn’t paid it much mind, thinking she was just a young girl.
Hmm—that courier named A Jiu had questioned so meticulously back then. Had he sensed something amiss?
The Station Chief shook his head again. What did it matter? In the end, A Jiu had still taken her along. The story was just too perfect—who would have guessed that this little girl had paid people to act it all out?
Still, it was truly strange that Chu Ling’s daughter would be like this.
Then again, perhaps it wasn’t so strange. The things Chu Ling had done back in the day were far more shocking than a young girl’s trickery.
"Sir," the courier asked curiously, "what exactly happened with Garrison General Chu Ling? It sounds like he was obscure, given his low rank, yet everyone seems to know of him when his name comes up."
The Station Chief glanced at him. This courier was still young, just seventeen or eighteen. When Chu Ling was at the peak of his fame, this lad was still nursing.
"When General Chu Ling was your age," he said, "he was already renowned."
"How he won Your Majesty’s favor, I’m not entirely sure. There’s a rumor that Your Majesty visited the military camp incognito, and Chu Ling mistook him for a spy and knocked him off his horse. Who knows if it’s true? If it is, then Chu Ling was an unruly young man from the start."
"Later, he left the capital and became a minor officer in the Border Commandery. He was skilled in battle, courageous and extraordinary, turning the tide against Western Liang’s unchecked advances in the border regions. In one relentless push, he forced the King of Xiliang to send a letter of surrender to the Emperor, addressing him as a brother."
"Chu Ling rose rapidly through the ranks, soaring all the way to Garrison General, with the title of Grand General seemingly within reach."
"Your Majesty favored him immensely, even allowing him to correspond directly without going through the Ministry of the Guards or the Secretariat."
"For his sake, the courier stations were specially equipped with couriers to deliver his letters."
Such favor was indeed unheard of. The courier clicked his tongue in amazement but remained puzzled, "Then why did he end up only as Garrison General? And why did he stay in the Border Commandery all along? I heard he hadn’t left for over a decade."
The Border Commandery was no pleasant place. Officers came and went—only exiled criminals would stay there that long, wouldn’t they?
The Station Chief smiled faintly. "As the old saying goes, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. Excessive favor isn’t always a good thing. Chu Ling was young and reckless, arrogant and conceited. In the end, he grew so spoiled and lawless that he offended Your Majesty. If not for his many military merits, he might have lost not just his position as Garrison General, but his life as well."One moment soaring in the heavens, the next plunging into the abyss—the courier grew even more curious. "What crime did he commit?"
The Station Chief paused, thinking for a moment. "It likely started with bandit suppression. In a place like the Border Commandery, where Western Liang runs rampant and the people suffer, bandits and horse thieves are everywhere. Besides repelling Western Liang, Chu Ling was ordered to suppress bandits. But during one operation, he privately released captured bandits. When local officials impeached him and His Majesty questioned him, he accused His Majesty of incompetence in governance for allowing bandits to thrive—"
The courier’s jaw dropped. "Th-this is... far too bold!"
The Station Chief wore a world-weary expression. "It’s not surprising. Once military officers gain the emperor’s favor, they often become like this—claiming ‘generals abroad need not follow all imperial orders,’ spouting arrogant nonsense, acting recklessly, and ruining their own futures."
The courier shook his head. "His Majesty would’ve been justified in beheading him. Yet he still allowed him to remain as Garrison General—such mercy."
The Station Chief tucked his hands into his sleeves, gazing toward the Border Commandery. "From then on, Chu Ling was cast aside by His Majesty in the Border Commandery, fading into obscurity."
The courier sneered. "Serves him right. With a criminal official for a father, how dare Miss Chu act so arrogantly? She truly doesn’t know her place."
Was Miss Chu arrogant? The Station Chief patted his round belly. Judging by appearances—well, never mind. He had no right to judge this Miss Chu, especially since he’d been fooled by her.
This time, all his efforts had come to nothing, leaving him empty-handed and nearly costing him his official position. He’d steer clear of Chu Ling, and this Miss Chu was not to be provoked either.
"Let’s go, back to work."
"Keep your eyes sharp!"
"Rein in your kindness!"
...
...
The further north they traveled, the harsher the wind and cold grew. When night fell, they sought shelter from the northern winds, lighting a bonfire to thaw their stiffened bodies.
Zhang Gu unwrapped his scarf, exhaled a breath, and nudged his companion beside him. "Any rations left? Let me have a bite."
Before his companion could reply, someone nearby handed over half a piece of dried rabbit meat.
"Master Zhang, roast this to eat," a timid female voice offered.
Zhang Gu turned to see a girl bundled in a headscarf, round and shapeless. "A Fu, this rabbit meat—from a few days ago, right? How did you—"
"I preserved it with herbs, Master Zhang. Don’t worry, it hasn’t spoiled," A Fu explained hurriedly, wiping the meat with her hand. "This isn’t dirt—it’s herb residue."
Zhang Gu chuckled. "A Fu, I'm not disgusted by it." I meant, this was for you. Why haven’t you finished it?"
A Fu shook her head. "I eat very little and couldn’t finish it. You’ve worked hard, sir. Please have it."
"You silly girl." Zhang Gu pushed the meat back toward her. "We’re all enduring the same journey now—who’s to say who suffers more? With your frail little frame, you need it more. Eat it!"
"Master Zhang is truly kind," A Fu said, her large eyes brimming with gratitude.
A hand suddenly reached over and snatched the rabbit meat.
"Eating too much isn’t good for a small frame," he said. "Weakness cannot bear strong tonics."
A Fu fell silent. Zhang Gu sighed in resignation. "A Jiu, stop picking on a child."
A Jiu sat down beside him. "What child? Brother Zhang, I’m only a few years older than her. I’m a child too."
He even gestured between himself and A Fu to emphasize their similar stature.
With his long limbs, when he sat, he was almost as tall as A Fu standing.
"See? We’re about the same," he laughed heartily.Zhang Gu shot him a glare, then looked at A Fu again. A Fu had already stepped back and was sitting quietly by the edge of the campfire, while her sister took out dry rations to roast over the flames.
A Jiu merely waved the rabbit meat over the fire a couple of times before tearing into it and eating.
"Brother Zhang, try it, it's really not bad," he said.
Zhang Gu snorted, "I'm an adult, I don't fight with you kids for food."
A Jiu burst into loud laughter.
The other Couriers also laughed, taking out their dry rations and some wine. They ate and drank merrily, though they couldn't drink too much—just a sip or two each to ward off the cold.
"That A Fu, or whatever your name is, do you want a drink?" A Jiu deliberately asked.
He had remembered A Fu's name, but her sister had been quiet and withdrawn the entire journey, sticking close to A Fu like a shadow. Even now, no one had remembered her name.
"Thank you, sir," A Fu expressed her gratitude. "My sister and I will just drink hot water."
A Fu's sister hung a small clay pot over the campfire, filled with water they had fetched. Once the water was heated, she poured it onto a piece of cotton cloth, took A Fu's hand, and gently rubbed it.
After washing her hands, she took out a clay cup and poured water into it—this was for drinking.
A Fu held the clay cup in one hand to drink, while her sister held her other hand and applied Scented Balm. A faint medicinal fragrance wafted through the air.
Traveling in the harsh winter was tough, and it was easy for hands and faces to get frostbitten. A Fu's sister had prepared the balm to soothe her younger sister.
"As the saying goes, an elder sister is like a mother," Zhang Gu remarked softly upon seeing this. "It's truly good to have an elder sister."
A Jiu took the wine flask that was passed to him, tilted his head back for a sip, and said, "You don't necessarily need one. Having a maidservant works just as well. My maidservant is just as attentive—no matter the season, she always remembers to carefully apply Scented Balm for me."
This kid! Courier Zhang glared at him, then shook his head. Oh well, this kid had grown up in a life of luxury and comfort—how could he possibly understand the hardships of the world?
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