Chapter 163: "My Things Must Always..."
At daybreak, the snow ceased.
Zheng Hu crawled out of his tent bleary-eyed and spotted Xiao Li sitting before a nearly extinguished bonfire. Rubbing his eyes, he exclaimed with a start, "Oh heavens! Second Brother, have you gone another night without sleep?"
His outburst drew the attention of Zhang Huai, who had just emerged from his own tent, his brow slightly furrowed.
Xiao Li's jaw was shadowed with faint stubble, his stern face bearing traces of fatigue, yet his eyes remained sharply penetrating—like a wild wolf that had lain in wait for prey all night.
He swept away the rough map drawn with twigs on the ground with his foot, stood up, and fastened his arm wraps. "The scouts returned half an hour ago with news of that barbarian troop's whereabouts. Clear the snow to bury the fire remnants. The second battalion will join me in pursuit."
Zheng Hu hurried forward. "No, no! Second Brother, you haven't slept properly for three days straight. Let me go in your place!"
Xiao Li merely clapped him on the shoulder. "Lead the third battalion back to camp for rest. Only by eliminating that barbarian force can we sleep soundly later."
Still uneasy, Zheng Hu, seeing he couldn't dissuade Xiao Li, insisted, "Then I'll accompany you on this mission. Let the strategist lead the third battalion back first!"
Zhang Huai chimed in, "General Zheng speaks sense. The barbarians are cunning. Having him accompany the Prefect would provide mutual support if anything arises."
After a brief consideration, Xiao Li nodded in agreement.
The soldiers hastily gnawed on a couple of flatbreads, extinguished the fire with shoveled snow, and quickly struck camp.
Xiao Li mounted his warhorse and led his troops galloping away. The tassels on his saddle swayed back and forth in the biting cold wind, transforming in his mind's eye into the fine bamboo curtain tassels fluttering outside the mountain convent's window.
Wen Yu sat by the window, holding a chess piece, her expression serene as she placed it on the board.
The wind ruffled the white fur trim at her collar, and her jade-like features, in a moment of distraction, took on the clarity and translucence of icicles hanging from gray eaves.
Gongsun Sanniang, watching this picturesque scene of the beauty playing chess by the window from the rockery in the courtyard, sucked in a breath and called to the guard at the gate not far away, "How many days has she been playing chess against herself like this? Doesn't she ever get bored?"
The guard remained silent and expressionless, continuing to grip his weapon while staring fixedly outside the courtyard.
Finding it utterly dull, Gongsun Sanniang pursed her lips. "Oh, I forgot. You're all left here by that blockhead Song Qin. Every one of you is just as wooden."
Glancing up at the sky, as if recalling something, she couldn't help muttering, "And that handsome young man from that night too. The only two times after that, he came at night, didn't even enter, just stood in the courtyard like a stone waiting for his wife for a while, then left without seeing anyone. What did he come all this way for anyway?"
A soldier appeared at the end of the moon gate path carrying a food box. Gongsun Sanniang stopped her muttering, unfolded her arms, and reached out to take it. "Give it to me."
A small squad remained at the mountain convent for their protection.
Whether Song Qin had specifically instructed them or not, Gongsun Sanniang had grown accustomed to these men acting like mutes, speaking only when absolutely necessary.
Carrying the food box, she crunched through the snow into the courtyard. Before even entering the room, she called out to Wen Yu by the window, "Madam, I've brought your lunch."The nunnery had stocked up on rice, grains, and vegetables earlier, so they could prepare their own meals. Gongsun Sanniang checked the supplies in the kitchen and found they had enough to last at least half a month.
When Gongsun Sanniang entered the room and placed the food box on the table, beginning to unpack the dishes one by one, Wen Yu’s gaze never strayed from the chessboard. She only let out a faint, cool "Mm."
Gongsun Sanniang glanced again at Wen Yu sitting by the window, her silhouette seemingly enveloped in a hazy glow, and thought it no wonder that young gentleman would come to see her even if he only stood in the courtyard for half the night.
Such a beauty, carved from snow and jade—even she felt captivated just looking at her.
As Gongsun Sanniang approached, Wen Yu’s attention remained entirely on the chessboard, as if deeply lost in thought. Her slender, pale fingers held a white jade-like chess piece, hesitating to make a move. Her fingertips appeared even more lustrous than the piece itself.
After watching for a while but failing to grasp the battle between the black and white pieces on the board, Gongsun Sanniang couldn’t help but ask, “What is my lady observing?”
Wen Yu seemed to have finally found her move. With two fingers, she placed the white piece on the grid of the board. Her thick, dark lashes, slightly upturned at the ends, veiled eyes as deep and serene as a clear pond. “Observing the board, observing the heart.”
And observing the world.
Gongsun Sanniang was momentarily taken aback by her words. Though she didn’t know Wen Yu’s identity, her observations over the past few days had revealed an extraordinary grace, suggesting her status was anything but ordinary.
She smiled and remarked casually, “I suspect my lady is no common person. The soldiers have set up such tight defenses on the mountain—are they guarding against those searching for you?”
Wen Yu placed another black piece on the board and asked an unrelated question, “I’ve heard the lady warrior is a bodyguard?”
Gongsun Sanniang laughed. “It’s a quick way to earn money. After this job for you, I’ll have some leisure time.”
Wen Yu said, “It seems the lady warrior is also eager to leave the mountain soon.”
Gongsun Sanniang stretched lazily. “Who wants to be stuck in this godforsaken place? I don’t have your patience, my lady. These days, not only has my blade rusted, but my bones are starting to stiffen too.”
Wen Yu replied, “In that case, if you happen to see any white-feathered sparrows in the mountains, could you help me send a message? No one else would know of this, and I would reward you handsomely.”
The Azure Guard did not use ordinary carrier pigeons but white-feathered sparrows for communication.
Gongsun Sanniang declined with a smile. “That won’t do. If my lady wishes to patronize my services in the future, I’d be delighted. But this job isn’t finished yet, and I must uphold the ethics and rules of the trade. Otherwise, I’d have no face left in the martial world.”
Wen Yu said calmly, “My apologies for the presumption.”
Gongsun Sanniang studied her for a moment before suddenly saying, “If my lady wishes to leave this place, it’s simple enough. That handsome gentleman is clearly smitten with you. If you show him some kindness and share a fleeting romance, wouldn’t he do anything you ask?”
Wen Yu seemed to frown slightly, her cool countenance like moonlight veiled by frost. “There are misunderstandings between us. We may have shared some affection in the past, but now he likely harbors more resentment than admiration for me. How could there be any fondness?”
Gongsun Sanniang clicked her tongue. “Then this is the first time I’ve seen someone show resentment by traveling through the night just to see the other person, not even meeting face-to-face, but standing outside their room for half the night before leaving.”Probably swayed by that pouch of gold fragments and the striking compatibility of their looks, Gongsun Sanniang couldn't resist adding, "I've never had much good to say about men, but watching that gentleman rush over every few nights, I can't help feeling exhausted on his behalf. The way he acts seems less about pride keeping him from facing you and more like he simply doesn't dare. Such a handsome man—well-built and clearly no hollow show—wouldn't be a loss as a romantic partner. Why must you be so stubborn?"
Wen Yu's next move hovered briefly in her fingers before she finally placed it on the board. "I'm married," she said calmly, "and he has a bright future ahead. There's no need for entanglement."
Gongsun Sanniang sighed sympathetically. "Are you and your husband deeply devoted?"
Wen Yu offered no reply.
Reading the answer in her silence, Gongsun Sanniang exclaimed, "There you have it! That gentleman may seem a bit fierce, but he clearly respects you. Are you afraid he'd hold it over you later if you became involved?" She clicked her tongue in frustration. "If men can indulge in romantic affairs outside, so can we women. You don't strike me as the conflicted type."
Wen Yu said, "He will marry eventually."
Thinking she was held back by guilt toward his future bride, Gongsun Sanniang suggested, "Just end it when he gets married." She then boldly hoisted herself onto the opposite windowsill, adopting the tone of a seasoned advisor. "Don't overestimate a man's constancy. By then, he might already be pining for some other lady. Why would he cling to you? Men are like seasonal blooms—best enjoyed fresh."
Idly toying with the tassels on the bamboo blind, she mused, "In all my years, the only decent man I've known is that blockhead who follows your handsome gentleman. But such men are tiresome too—so sluggish in matters of the heart. Anyone with eyes can see he's smitten with the top courtesan at Yongcheng's Drunken Red Chamber. Yet when he sees all those wealthy patrons vying to redeem her, he denies his feelings, claiming he's remained single for some hometown girl. With him saying that, even if she secretly cares for him, how could she lower herself to wait?"
Her train of thought in the game disrupted, Wen Yu faintly furrowed her brow and returned the black stone to its jar. "What is mine," she stated evenly, "must remain mine."
Gongsun Sanniang nearly toppled into the snowdrift outside. Clutching the windowsill to steady herself, she stared at the sleeve-gathering figure calmly resetting the board—a vision of celestial composure—and found herself utterly speechless.
What could she possibly say?
This lady who appeared gentle yet aloof... she'd assumed her reluctance stemmed from rigid moral teachings. Who could have guessed such possessiveness lay beneath?
Though spoken with utter calm, those words sent an involuntary shiver down Gongsun Sanniang's spine. This wasn't some lover's jealous warning, but rather the marking of territory by one accustomed to ownership.
After several coughs, she finally managed, "Well... couldn't you just... enjoy him for a while?"Wen Yu had already placed the final chess piece into the bamboo container, her slender fingers gently closing the woven lid as she lifted clear, piercing eyes: "Each has their own aspirations—mine lie elsewhere."
Just as Gongsun Sanniang was feeling perplexed, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded beyond the courtyard. Turning her head toward the entrance, she saw an armored guard striding rapidly inward. The moment he passed through the moon gate, he clasped his hands and reported: "There's trouble on the mountain. May we trouble the lady warrior to escort that madam into the cellar for shelter?"
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