"Brother Zhu, Anbai County lies just ahead. We'll rest there tonight and set off again tomorrow morning. In two more days, we'll reach Tang Capital."
A burly man with a thick beard and robust build, yet bearing an honest and simple expression, called out loudly toward a carriage covered with blue floral cloth.
Then, a pair of slender yet not delicate hands—elegant and noble in appearance—reached out to draw aside the curtain, revealing a handsome and refined face. The man wore simple blue robes, unadorned yet graceful. His phoenix eyes were slightly narrowed, his expression calm, and his demeanor distinguished. It was clear at a glance that he came from an affluent family. Even when he smiled, there was an air of nobility in his expression, making others feel neither too distant nor too familiar. He addressed the man on horseback, saying, "Thank you, elder brother."
The burly man grinned broadly, revealing a set of white teeth, and replied in a deep, resonant voice, "Is your wife feeling better?"
At this, the man immediately broke into a faint smile. He nodded and said with a laugh, "Thanks to your effective medicine, she's much better now."
"Hehe," the burly man chuckled happily, "If it works, that's good. I could tell at once that you two are from a wealthy family, unaccustomed to such hardships."
The man nodded slightly, as if unwilling to say more, and merely replied with a light smile, "Elder brother, you have a keen eye."
The burly man waved a hand genially but said nothing more. As he watched the carriage curtain fall back into place, hiding the man's faintly smiling face, he let out a long, relieved sigh.
This man, even when smiling, wore an icy expression. The smile never truly reached his eyes, sending chills down one's spine. Except for his beautiful young wife, he seemed to treat everyone with the same detached demeanor. Yet, his wife's attitude toward him was far from warm.
The burly man shook his head in puzzlement. To remain silent despite being so gravely ill—such a woman was truly the first he had ever encountered in his life.
"Giddy up! Brothers, let's pick up the pace! Push on, and we'll rest properly once we reach Tang Capital!"
A chorus of agreement rose from the group. The men's booming voices pierced the high clouds, startling a flock of peacefully flying birds into a flurry of panic.
As soon as the curtain fell, the smile vanished from the man's face. Inside the carriage sat a young woman dressed in a lake-green gown. Her attire was elegant, though the hem showed signs of wear, clearly evidence of a long and arduous journey.
These two were none other than Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue. No matter how resilient Chu Qiao was, her severe injuries had left her struggling to endure. Had it not been for Zhuge Yue's unwavering protection along the way, she would likely have perished in the wilderness long ago.
The woman named Xijiu had spoken the truth—this was no ordinary poison, though it was not a deadly toxin either.
While films and television often portray ancient poisons as mysteriously potent, most people living in the 21st century tend to dismiss such notions. It is widely believed that, given the technological limitations of ancient times, it would have been difficult to refine highly potent toxins. Aside from a few rare snake venoms, there were hardly any truly lethal substances.But as the commander of Military Intelligence Division 11, Chu Qiao knew that many things were not as simple as they appeared on the surface. In the 21st century, the development of poisons had reached an almost miraculous level. A single small NH6099 poison gas bomb could destroy a medium-sized city with a population of one million within thirty seconds. Just one drop of Country M's newly developed VX3 toxin could contaminate twenty nautical miles of seawater. Not to mention Country R, which was deeply versed in this field—their research on lethal drugs had already led the world during World War II, and now they were even further ahead.
This was a type of research utterly devoid of humanitarian spirit. Compared to atomic bombs, poison gas bombs were more powerful, cheaper to produce, caused more cruel deaths, and had more profound aftereffects. And Chu Qiao knew that as early as two thousand years ago, poison research in her country had already reached miraculous levels. One should not underestimate the wisdom of the ancients; only when standing face to face with them would one realize how insignificant one truly was.
Just like now—she had no means or ability to reverse the complete paralysis of her body.
After emerging from the marshland that day, they did not head to Xiangma Pass to intercept Zhu Shun. In their current condition, going there would be nothing short of suicide. Therefore, Zhuge Yue decisively chose to head south, toward Tang Capital. After traveling for a day, Zhuge Yue noticed Chu Qiao's pale face and ashen lips, realizing that her stubborn nature kept her from admitting her exhaustion despite her obvious physical weakness. So he called for a stop. By chance, they encountered a group of armed escorts transporting goods to the capital and hitched a ride with them. It played out like the most clichéd movie trope: he became a destitute scholar traveling to the capital with his seriously ill wife to seek refuge with relatives.
"How are you?" Zhuge Yue asked in a low voice as Chu Qiao slowly opened her eyes.
Chu Qiao's complexion was still far from good, her body extremely weak, and her eyes unable to conceal a trace of exhaustion. She took a deep, heavy breath and slowly shook her head. Suddenly, the carriage jolted violently, as if it had run over something hard. With no shock absorption to speak of, the carriage swayed wildly. Losing her balance, Chu Qiao slumped weakly toward Zhuge Yue. Quick to react, Zhuge Yue supported her waist with one hand and her shoulder with the other, preventing her from hitting her head. It took a while before the carriage gradually steadied.
Chu Qiao, leaning against Zhuge Yue's chest, hurriedly pushed herself up with both hands, tucking the hair at her temples behind her ears, her expression somewhat awkward. Zhuge Yue, however, remained impassive. He released her, leaned back against the carriage, and stayed silent.Chu Qiao shot him a sidelong glance, suddenly feeling how truly bizarre life could be. If someone had told her a year ago that one day she would be sitting in the same carriage with Zhuge Yue without trying to kill each other, she would never have believed it even if beaten to death. Now, even she found their awkward relationship confusing. She wanted to stubbornly insist that they were still enemies with numerous past and present grievances, irreconcilable class opposites. Yet, even she found such words forced and unconvincing, so she simply stopped dwelling on it. After all, once they reached Tang Capital, Zhuge Yue would attend Li Ce's grand wedding, while she would head south to Nanjiang. From then on, they would be worlds apart, never to meet again. Some things were better left unexamined too deeply.
She slowly closed her eyes to rest quietly when she suddenly heard Chief Escort Yu's loud shout.
"Steady now! Scholar Zhu's wife is ill!"
His words only deepened the awkward silence between them. Fortunately, the bustling noise of a crowd soon reached them. Chu Qiao lifted the window curtain to look outside. The official road was packed with throngs of people—commoners in plain clothes carrying shoulder poles and flower baskets, old and young, men and women, all walking forward together. Along the way, everyone chatted and laughed loudly, painting a scene of peace and prosperity.
Daxia and Biantang were vastly different. And this difference grew more pronounced the closer one got to Biantang's capital.
Outside, Chief Escort Yu, riding a tall horse among the escorts, laughed heartily and said clearly, "Madam Zhu, we've reached Anbo County! We'll find you a good doctor soon. Once we enter the city, we'll stop at an inn!"
Chu Qiao responded with a smile. The crowd was dense, with people coming and going, all sorts of merchants and travelers hurrying ahead. She gazed into the distance, where the thick fog gradually dissipated. The evening sun shone through the branches, casting light on their convoy of escort carriages. She slightly raised her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Ahead lay Anbo County—a key city of Biantang—already within sight.
Suddenly, a sharp shout interrupted Chu Qiao's reverie. Before she could react, a coarse, hairy hand—disgustingly thick—yanked open the carriage curtain.
It was a soldier in city guard uniform. Chief Escort Yu, standing nearby, cautiously explained, "It's just a scholar traveling to the capital to visit relatives, with his sick wife. You've seen them now, sir. Please let us pass."
The soldier hadn't intended any trouble—he merely wanted to extort a few coins for drinks, as was customary with large escort teams. But the moment he lifted the curtain and saw Chu Qiao's cold, exquisite face, his eyes fixed on her, unblinking.
Noticing the soldier's gaze, Zhuge Yue's eyes turned icy, his brow twitching slightly as he prepared to intervene. But then he saw Chu Qiao take out a few copper coins—universally accepted across the Ximeng Continent—and hand them to the soldier, saying softly, "Please grant us some leniency, sir. My husband and I are new here, unfamiliar with the place. If we've offended in any way, we beg your indulgence."The soldier was instantly flattered and overwhelmed, dumbly obeying the order to let them pass. The group quickly cracked their whips, striking the horses' hindquarters, and entered the city in a grand procession, hauling large quantities of goods.
The carriage curtain slowly fell back into place. Zhuge Yue cast a strange look at Chu Qiao, who glanced sideways at him without meeting his gaze directly, merely curling her lips coldly and muttering, "More trouble than you're worth..."
Yet, unusually for the man Chu Qiao had repeatedly accused of being narrow-minded, Zhuge Yue did not retort or mock her as he usually would. He didn't even let out a snort. Instead, he turned away with rare composure, gazing out at the bustling street filled with a steady stream of carriages and horses, appearing quite engrossed.
Seeing him remain silent, Chu Qiao found it somewhat dull. She lifted the curtain on her side and also looked outside, paying him no further mind.
At that moment, however, the Fourth Young Master of the Zhuge family wore a slightly softened expression. In his mind, he slowly replayed those words from earlier: "My husband and I..."
Anbo County was situated in the east. Though it did not border Daxia and was far from the border cities of Huai Song, as a strategic location of the Biantang Empire, it faced no threats from powerful neighboring states. However, because heading east from the city led to the continent's largest wilderness, the Pinggui Wasteland, it had long been a heavily garrisoned military stronghold with over ten thousand troops stationed there to guard against invasions by the fierce bandit gangs from the wasteland. Although Biantang had never been known for its martial culture, the martial spirit in this frontier fortress was somewhat stronger. Those skilled in martial arts often received high treatment and respect, which led to the proliferation of martial arts schools and arenas throughout Anbo County. Along the way, they encountered three separate public martial arts competitions, leaving Chu Qiao utterly amazed.
Beyond its strong martial culture, Anbo County was also an important commercial district in eastern Biantang. Bordering the Pinggui Wasteland, it occasionally clashed with the powerful bandit gangs there but also frequently engaged in trade and exchange. The import of cattle, sheep, and horses accounted for nearly half of the nation's total. Additionally, since Biantang neighbored Huai Song, which boasted the longest coastline of any country on the continent, the salt trade in Anbo County was highly developed, almost single-handedly supporting Biantang's entire fish and salt industry. For instance, the escort team they had joined, led by Chief Escort Yu, was commissioned by the Liu family of the Xianyang trading firm to transport sea salt to the Tang Capital.
Moreover, due to Anbo County's proximity to Huai Song, many islanders from Huai Song's coastal regions came to Anbo County to conduct business, trading local products for daily necessities such as silk, tea, bronze swords, pottery, and medicinal herbs.
On the wide street, spacious enough for eight Western Black Blood Dragon Horses to run abreast, pedestrians streamed endlessly. The carriage meandered through the crowd and suddenly came to a halt. The voice of Chief Escort Yu loudly urging everyone to disembark echoed from outside. Zhuge Yue lifted the curtain and looked up to see an inn with a wine banner fluttering at its entrance. Though it was not yet dark, two large red lanterns had already been hung. The facade was elegant and unadorned, bustling with people, clearly indicating thriving business. Two bold, ink-splashed characters were written across the signboard. Escort Li, who had been driving the carriage, hurried over when he saw Zhuge Yue emerge and asked with a smile, "Master Zhu, you're a learned man. Could you tell me what those characters say? I can't travel all this way and not even know where I'm staying. If I ask the others, they'll surely laugh at me."This escort team had two deputy chiefs, one chief escort, fifteen guards, and over forty more escorts handling the horses and carts. Everyone was honest and sincere, and the escort chiefs were particularly forthright, always treating Chu Qiao and her companion with great courtesy. Although Zhuge Yue was not one for many words, he still replied politely, "The inn is called Returning Wild Geese. When you return, just say you stayed at the Returning Wild Geese Inn."
Guard Li silently repeated the name twice, then beamed with delight. He jumped off his horse and walked over to Guard Liang, who was supervising the escorts as they unloaded the goods. Though they were some distance away, Zhuge Yue’s sharp hearing allowed him to catch every word clearly. He heard Guard Li slap Guard Liang on the back and laugh heartily, "Old Liang, can you read? Do you know the name of this inn?"
Zhuge Yue smiled faintly. In his life, he had rarely interacted with common folk from the lower rungs of society, but after this brief encounter, he found himself rather fond of them.
Just then, an alert inn attendant came running out and called loudly, "How many guests do we have? Staying or dining? Our inn is comfortable and quiet. Once you’re here, you’re home! Our food is delicious, with all kinds of meat and fish, and seventy-year-old aged Huadiao wine to make you feel right at home."
Chief Escort Yu laughed heartily and said, "What a clever tongue! It’s a pity this lad is just a waiter. Why not come with me? I’ll find you a pretty wife in the future."
The waiter, accustomed to dealing with all sorts of guests, had long honed an unflappable wit. With a smile, he replied, "You flatter me, sir. My son is already two years old. Thank you for your kindness, but my wife is quite the tigress—I dare not entertain such thoughts!"
The escorts found the waiter’s reply highly amusing and burst into loud laughter. Chief Escort Yu chuckled and said, "You rascal, enough nonsense! Find us three superior rooms, and the rest can share rooms for two. Also, bring us good wine and meat right away. We’ve been traveling through the wilds for over ten days—my mouth is so bland I could spit out a bird."
Seeing their cheerful banter, Zhuge Yue lifted the carriage curtain and helped Chu Qiao alight. The journey had been rough, and Chu Qiao, weakened and constantly assailed by poison, would have long been bedridden if not for her strong will. That she could still stand at all was remarkable. Seeing her pale face, blue-tinged lips, and unsteady stance, Zhuge Yue felt a surge of anxiety. However, her poison was too potent, and ordinary physicians could only prescribe common remedies. Their only option was to proceed slowly to the capital to seek a cure.
Without another word, he scooped her into his arms and said to the waiter, "Prepare two quiet superior rooms for me and bring the meals to the room."
Chief Escort Yu frowned and exclaimed, "You’re husband and wife—why two rooms? Your wife is so ill, you should stay by her side." He then turned to the waiter and said, "Listen to me—one room. Bring the food and wine quickly, and put it all on my tab. Also, fetch a physician."
The waiter acknowledged the order and called out, "Right away! Four superior rooms—gentlemen, please follow me."
Zhuge Yue said nothing more and glanced down at Chu Qiao. She lay quietly in his arms, breathing evenly as if asleep, though her cheeks were slightly flushed.
The room was very peaceful. Pushing open the window, they faced a grove of peach blossoms, their delicate fragrance wafting in, refreshing the heart and soothing the mind.The sunset on the horizon was as crimson as blood, its warm red glow falling upon Zhuge Yue's face. The ink-black hair at his temples fluttered gently in the breeze. Dressed in a pristine blue robe with a tall, straight posture, he carried an unexpectedly rare air of scholarly refinement.
At this moment, he no longer resembled the influential figure of the Zhuge family who could overturn clouds and rain with a flick of his hand. Instead, clad in light robes with a relaxed sash, his demeanor was open and bright, exuding an extraordinary handsomeness and ethereal grace.
"Zhuge Yue," Chu Qiao called out softly from the bed.
Zhuge Yue knew she wasn't asleep and quietly turned around, saying, "Are you hungry? I'll ask the waiter to bring food."
"No need," Chu Qiao took a deep breath and said slowly, "Sit down. I have something to tell you."
Zhuge Yue remained standing where he was, not sitting down. After thinking for a moment, he finally said in a deep voice, "I know what you want to say. You don't need to say it, nor do you need to ask, because I don't know why either. I only know that right now, I can't bring myself to abandon you. After all, you were injured saving me. Let's talk about everything after you've recovered."
Chu Qiao looked at Zhuge Yue, and the words she had pondered for so long suddenly became impossible to utter. Between the two of them, it might truly be a tangled mess of accounts. They had betrayed each other, fought each other, saved each other, and shown each other mercy countless times. Now, a simple word like "hatred" could hardly define their relationship.
"Zhuge Yue, I owe you another life."
Zhuge Yue frowned and looked at Chu Qiao, saying in a puzzled, deep voice, "Why do you never count how much others owe you?"
Chu Qiao shook her head, avoiding the question, and said, "I will repay you in the future."
Zhuge Yue let out a cold laugh and didn't respond further, knowing she was trying to distance herself from him. He sat down in a chair and poured himself a cup of tea.
Just then, someone suddenly knocked on the door. When Zhuge Yue opened it, he saw Chief Escort Yu standing there, looking rather troubled as he said, "Master Zhu, I'm afraid I won't be able to travel with you anymore."
"Oh?" Zhuge Yue asked, "Has something happened?"
"Our young master has arrived," Chief Escort Yu immediately became excited and said, "The young master came from Xianyang and is heading to Biantang. Our escort team will merge into the young master's convoy. We'll rest in Anbo County and return to Wupeng in three days. However, I've already spoken to the master, and you'll be traveling back to the capital with the master's convoy."
Zhuge Yue expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Chief Escort Yu, but there's no need to trouble you. We'll buy a carriage and horses later and set off on our own."
"How can that be?" Chief Escort Yu exclaimed, "You've already paid. How can we let you spend more money? Besides, the journey isn't safe—there are many bandits. It's much safer to travel in a larger group. The master has brought four to five hundred guards this time. Don't worry, the road will be absolutely safe."
Unable to decline such earnest hospitality, and considering it unwise to stir up trouble, Zhuge Yue nodded and thanked him, "Thank you, Chief Escort Yu."
"Don't mention it. At home, we rely on our parents; abroad, we rely on friends."
"By the way, Chief Escort Yu, may I ask where your young master is from and what his name is?"
Chief Escort Yu said with pride, "Our old master is the grain magnate Mr. Liu from Xianyang. The old master has no sons, so he adopted his nephew. The one leading the team this time is the young master. His name is Liu Xi. Have you heard of him, Master Zhu?"Zhuge Yue froze, frowning as he said in a low voice, "Liu Xi?"
————Break————
That's all for today's update. I didn't post for two days, but I've made up for it today. Please don't scold me anymore.
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