Chapter 39
"Bear with it a little longer."
The group dared not linger in the city. Seizing the moment before the city guards could seal the gates, they spurred their horses and galloped out of the city. Only after covering dozens of li did they halt at a sheltered pavilion.
Despite being wrapped in a cloak, Wen Yu was still provoked into a fit of coughing by the chilly wind.
Cen An dismounted and asked, "Is Your Highness alright?"
The man behind her seemed to want to reach out and pat her back but then realized one of his arms was still tightly wrapped around her waist. Aware of his impropriety, he stiffly withdrew his hand, dismounted, and retrieved a leather waterskin from the side of the saddle, handing it to her. "There's warm water inside. Drinking some might make you feel better."
When Tong Que saw the stranger who had rescued them offering Wen Yu the waterskin, she instinctively reached for the one they had reserved exclusively for Wen Yu during their escape. But her hand found nothing at her waist, and she remembered it must have been left behind in the abandoned temple in their frantic flight.
She parted her lips, about to politely decline on Wen Yu's behalf, when she saw Wen Yu accept the waterskin and hoarsely express her thanks. Wen Yu then said to Cen An, "I'm fine. Tong Que took an arrow to her leg—her injury needs immediate attention."
Tong Que quickly shook her head. "I'm alright. They must have coated the arrowhead with Mafeisan. My body is severely numb and immobile, but I don't feel any pain."
Secretly, she wondered if the Princess was reluctant to refuse due to the man's rescue and the urgency of their situation.
Though those raised in the martial world were often unbothered by minor details, she knew the Princess's noble status meant she couldn't treat her with the same informality.
Seeing that Wen Yu made no move to uncork the waterskin and drink, Tong Que grew more convinced of her speculation and asked, "This brave warrior is…"
Cen An was sorting through the medicines he had brought from the market and was about to introduce him when Wen Yu spoke first, "He is one of us. He has helped me before."
Xiao Li clasped his hands in salute toward Tong Que, his voice cold and clear. "I am Xiao Li. I once had the honor of serving in Zhou Jing'an's household after gaining his appreciation."
By invoking Zhou Jing'an's name, he immediately eased much of Tong Que's suspicion. Still on horseback, she returned the salute and said, "I am called Tong Que."
Cen An, having gathered the necessary medicines, chimed in, "Brother Xiao joined the Manor Guards after we had already accompanied Her Highness south. You wouldn't know him. But if I mention the man who single-handedly held off Huo Kun's entire battalion during the assassination, you might recall."
Tong Que's face showed astonishment, and she saluted Xiao Li again. "So it's that Martyr! I heard the brothers who went to assist speak of you upon their return. They all praised Xiao Yishi for his extraordinary valor."
Xiao Li simply replied, "You flatter me."
Tong Que's arrow wound needed urgent treatment. Cen An helped her dismount and led her toward the pavilion to tend to the injury.
She glanced back at Wen Yu and said, "Your Highness, the wind is strong here. The pavilion is sheltered—would you like to rest there for a while?"
Wen Yu nodded. However, weakened by illness, her lips pale and devoid of strength, she couldn't grip the saddle to jump down on her own.
Just as Tong Que thought to push through her paralysis and assist her, the stern young man dropped to one knee and said in an utterly calm tone, "Step on my shoulder to dismount."
Wen Yu hesitated briefly before finally gripping the saddle, swinging her long leg over, and using his broad shoulder and arm for support to land steadily on the ground.
Once standing firmly, she looked up at the man who, even while crouching, exuded an intense presence, and said hoarsely, "Thank you."Xiao Li stood up and said, "It was my duty."
Wen Yu furrowed her brows slightly at his words but said nothing.
Tong Que sensed from that statement that Xiao Li also knew Wen Yu's identity, which put her more at ease. As Cen An helped her into the pavilion, she asked, "Brother Cen, how did you meet Xiao Yishi?"
Cen An sighed, "After buying medicine at the market, I heard that soldiers were heading toward the abandoned temple. On my way back, I ran into Brother Xiao, who had also received news and was rushing to the temple. That's how we managed to steal two horses from the soldiers to rescue you."
He added with some shame, "Today, it was all thanks to Brother Xiao. If I were alone, I might not have been able to protect our lady."
Then, with some confusion, he asked, "But Brother Xiao, how did you happen to be here as well?"
Wen Yu, seated inside the pavilion, also glanced at Xiao Li.
After helping her into the pavilion, Xiao Li had taken his sword and stood outside, silent as an ancient pine as he gazed at the distant official road. Only when questioned did he speak: "There have been some changes in Yongzhou."
Cen An's expression turned grave. "We've heard about the lord's martyrdom..."
Xiao Li paused briefly before saying, "Madam Zhou has also passed. She struck her head against the coffin before the lord's spirit tablet."
The faces of those in the pavilion paled. Wen Yu frowned and asked, "What happened?"
Xiao Li recounted the events of that day in a flat, calm tone, then added, "On the road, I heard about your ambush and followed the soldiers' movements to find you."
When Wen Yu learned that Madam Zhou had chosen to die by crashing into the coffin rather than suffer humiliation, her eyes turned icy.
Tong Que's eyes reddened with rage. She slammed her fist against the bench beneath her, cursing, "Those beasts!"
Cen An was also filled with indignation, but as he was in the midst of removing the arrow from Tong Que's leg, he urged, "Please be careful, my lady. If you damage the tendons, your leg could be permanently crippled."
Tong Que sat back, seething with hatred.
Wen Yu looked at Xiao Li, who remained silent outside the pavilion, and asked, "What about Auntie?"
Xiao Li waited a moment before answering, his gaze fixed on the official road winding around the mountain: "She died protecting Madam Zhou, both slain by Xing Lie's blade."
Wen Yu felt her heart grow heavier, understanding now why Xiao Li had become so reticent.
When they parted in Yongzhou, Xiao Huiniang had been too heartbroken to see her off. Who could have known that would be their final farewell?
Having experienced the pain of losing loved ones herself, Wen Yu knew that words of comfort were useless—only revenge could truly ease the hatred in one's heart.
She looked at the solitary, upright figure outside the pavilion and said slowly, "I will avenge Madam Zhou and Auntie's blood."
Xiao Li did not mention that he had already killed Xing Lie. He turned to meet her gaze, his wolf-like eyes half-lowered, and said only, "I will escort you to Nan Chen."
The small stones on the ground trembled slightly as the distant sound of hoofbeats grew faintly audible.
After bandaging Tong Que's leg, Cen An knelt to listen closely, his face darkening. "At least forty or fifty riders—likely pursuers! We must go, now!"
They hurriedly fled the pavilion. With Cen An tending to Tong Que, who was injured and still partially paralyzed, Wen Yu once again shared a horse with Xiao Li.
Just as their horses charged onto the official road ahead, cavalry emerged from the distant mountain bend. Spotting them, the soldiers shouted, "There they are! After them!"Xiao Li and Cen An both whipped their horses fiercely, but with two riders on one horse, the steeds' endurance gradually waned. The pursuing soldiers closed the distance relentlessly.
Xiao Li glanced back and saw many cavalrymen holding bows. His expression darkened as he shouted to Cen An, "They have bows! We mustn't fall within their range!"
He then extended a hand toward Wen Yu behind him, saying, "Give me your hand."
They had mounted in haste earlier—after swinging onto the horse, he had pulled Wen Yu behind him.
Now, battered by the cold wind, Wen Yu's high fever returned. Her head throbbed unbearably. As Xiao Li's voice, torn by the rushing wind, reached her ears, she barely grasped his meaning and placed her hand in his. A dizzying spin followed, and she found herself hauled sideways in front of the saddle, her abdomen pressed against the pommel.
Sensing her discomfort, Xiao Li's strong arm slipped under one of her armpits while his other hand tugged at her shoulder, lifting her. Wen Yu was seated securely before him, just as she had been before leaving the city.
She was too weak. Despite her efforts to sit straight, the horse's galloping jolts repeatedly threw her against the chest of the man behind her.
"My apologies," he explained. "The soldiers have bows. If you're behind me within their range, you'd be an easy target."
His voice, so close, seemed to vibrate from his chest directly into her eardrums.
Knowing he meant well, she thanked him in a hoarse voice.
They had just rounded a sharp bend when a fork in the road came into view ahead, the soldiers still behind the mountain curve.
Cen An had also moved Tong Que to the front of his horse. Staring at the fork, he said, "Our horses are carrying double—they'll be caught sooner or later. Tong Que and I are already wounded. Staying with you, Noble Master, would only hold you back. Splitting up might draw some soldiers away. Brother Xiao, I entrust our Noble Master's safety to you!"
He then turned to Wen Yu. "Noble Master, if we survive, we'll rendezvous in Pingzhou to serve you once more."
With that, he tossed over the packet of cold medicine he had fetched for Wen Yu, dug his heels into his horse, and galloped down the right path.
A pang of sorrow struck Wen Yu's heart. Countless guards who had accompanied her southward had already perished along the way. Clutching Xiao Li's arm, her eyes slightly red, she cried out, "Guard Cen! Tong Que!"
Tong Que, on horseback, choked out, "Take care, Noble Master!"
Xiao Li caught the medicine packet and silently stowed it in a bag hanging from the saddle. Tightening his arm slightly to secure Wen Yu, he pressed his lips together, whipped the horse, and charged down the left path.
Seeing the group split to protect a woman, the pursuers hesitated only briefly before dividing into two groups to continue the chase.
Xiao Li and Wen Yu covered several li but failed to shake them off. When they rounded another mountain curve, he yanked the reins hard, bringing the horse to an abrupt halt. After helping Wen Yu dismount, he retrieved the bundle from the horse's back, plucked a hairpin from Wen Yu's hair, and drove it deep into the horse's rump. The animal neighed in shock and bolted down the official road.
Grabbing Wen Yu's wrist, he pulled her toward the dense forest, commanding, "Go!"Wen Yu knew he was doing this to shake off the pursuers. She lifted her skirt and struggled to keep up with his pace, but her illness had left her utterly exhausted. Once they entered the dense forest, they encountered nothing but untamed wilderness with constant steep slopes. The soft, decaying soil underfoot required extreme caution to avoid stumbling, while branches frequently scratched her face and tangled in her hair, making the journey arduous.
Despite her care, something scraped her ankle, the sharp pain forcing a muffled groan from her lips.
Xiao Li turned back to look at her. Wen Yu’s face had paled from the pain, yet she insisted, "It’s nothing, probably just a scratch from a branch. Let’s keep going."
Xiao Li glanced at the broken log jutting sideways and the tear in her skirt. "Don’t move," he said, scooping her up horizontally and carrying her to a relatively flat spot. He then removed his outer robe, spread it over a moss-covered rock, and helped her sit down.
When he knelt and grasped one of her ankles, Wen Yu’s weakly drooping eyelids fluttered. Her fingers, resting at her sides, curled slightly as she tried to pull her foot back with some effort, but failed to free it.
She could only rasp out again, "It really isn’t serious."
Among commoners, there were fewer restrictions between men and women—after all, impoverished families might not even have a full set of decent clothing, and many went barefoot for three seasons. But in aristocratic families, exposing one’s feet to an unrelated man was considered improper, let alone allowing him to touch them.
This minor scrape was something Wen Yu could endure.
Xiao Li remained silent as he rolled up her trouser leg, revealing her silk stocking stained with a patch of blood.
Frowning slightly, he said, "That broken log was covered in rotting mud. If the wound isn’t cleaned, it could worsen."
Weariness from illness clouded Wen Yu’s eyes. Clenching her fingers, she finally said nothing more.
She watched silently as he carefully removed her silk stocking. The friction of the fabric against the scraped skin sent a stinging pain through her, making her breath quicken slightly. Seemingly aware, he kept his gaze down but slowed his movements, murmuring, "Bear with it a little."
With the stocking off, her entire foot was exposed to the chilly air, making the sensation of his large, warm hand gripping her ankle all the more distinct.
Wen Yu lowered her eyes, her hands clutching helplessly at the robe Xiao Li had placed beneath her.
Using his other hand, Xiao Li picked up the water flask, removed the stopper with his teeth, and meticulously rinsed her wound with warm water. His expression was focused, his long lashes lowered like a crow folding its wings. From this angle, his high nose bridge and refined brows appeared even more pronounced.
Wen Yu stared at his profile, momentarily lost in thought, until he placed her foot directly on his knee and used his robe to wipe away the water droplets on her instep. Snapping back to reality, a faint blush tinged her pale cheeks, though it was unnoticeable under her fever. She tried to withdraw her foot, saying, "This isn’t proper."
Xiao Li glanced at her, gripped her ankle, and pulled her foot back firmly onto his knee. "Don’t worry," he said, "I wash this garment often. It’s not dirty."
Wen Yu pressed her chapped lips together. "That’s not what I meant."
Tearing a strip from his inner garment to bandage her wound, he replied casually, "Then it’s fine."
After tying the bandage, he added, "You’ve long repaid the debt you owed my mother. Since Official Zhou once took me in as a guard, just consider me the escort he sent to protect you on your journey south."Wen Yu watched as he put on her shoes and socks, her mind muddled by high fever and headache. Yet upon hearing his words, a voice in her heart instinctively responded: It’s not the same.
Kindness doesn’t vanish once repaid.
He was no longer a guard of the Zhou residence, nor had he received any instructions from Zhou Jing’an. Knowing she faced danger on her southern journey, he had traveled thousands of li to find her—this couldn’t be lumped together with past obligations.
But deeper thoughts were not to be dwelled upon. After a long silence, she only replied, “Alright.”
Xiao Li looked up and noticed the wooden carp pendant hanging at her waist. He smiled faintly and said, “You’ve been keeping it with you?”
Wen Yu replied calmly, “Mm. Didn’t you say it’s the Carp Leaping Over Dragon’s Gate? I wear it as a prayer for blessings.”
Xiao Li said, “Someone of your status would look better wearing jade.”
Wen Yu gazed at him, her sickly appearance like a clear moon reflected in water, and said, “I’ll switch to jade later.”
Xiao Li nodded, glanced at the sky, and said, “After the soldiers discover the injured horse, they’ll likely search back along the road. Taking the main path isn’t safe—we’ll have to cross this mountain ridge to avoid them. I’ll carry you on my back. If we don’t find a household beyond these mountains before dark, we’ll need to find a cave to take shelter in.”
He knelt on one knee in front of Wen Yu.
Wen Yu looked at his broad back. A cold wind swept through the forest, stirring another cough in her throat. She knew her ill body couldn’t endure walking far. After a moment of silence, she finally lifted her arms around his shoulders and leaned onto his back.
Xiao Li supported only the back of her knees with his forearms, careful not to overstep, and carried her steadily.
Wen Yu rested her full weight on his back. Even through two layers of thin clothing, she could distinctly feel the firm, shifting contours of his muscles beneath.
But she had no energy to dwell on anything else. Her head throbbed, her eyelids felt heavy, her body was cold, and a needle-like pain pierced deep into her bones.
Exhausted, she rested her head against that broad, reassuring back. In her daze, it felt less like being carried by a person and more like being borne through dense forests by a fierce beast.
After what seemed an eternity, her body felt like a burning coal, her blood sizzling as if aflame. Her eye sockets ached, and her mouth was parched.
Faintly, she heard someone call, “Han Yang, don’t fall asleep.”
Many people called her Han Yang, yet somehow it felt like very few. Wen Yu couldn’t immediately recall who would use such a tone to address her by her title.
As she pondered, her consciousness cleared slightly. Lifting her heavy eyelids, she saw a sturdy back and the sweat-beaded, refined profile of the man beside her. Amused, she wondered why he had suddenly used her title.
Her parched throat weakly let out a murmur: “I’m not asleep.”
Even as she spoke, her eyelids slowly, uncontrollably, drooped shut again.
Xiao Li could feel the scorching heat of the person on his back. The hand resting on his shoulder had grown weak, and his heart clenched as if squeezed by a heavy grip. Not daring to pause for a moment, he kept his eyes forward and continued speaking to Wen Yu: “I listened to you. I’ve been learning to read.”
After a long pause, the person behind him weakly responded, “That’s good. Which characters have you learned?”
The wind rustled loudly through the forest leaves. Xiao Li said, “I can now read all the names of the commanderies and counties along every route from Yongzhou to Pingzhou on the map.”The person on his back lay slumped over his shoulder, murmuring drowsily, "Are you reciting the Thousand Character Classic?"
A drop of sweat trickled from Xiao Li's jaw. "I'm reading the characters one by one from a map," he replied.
The person on his back mumbled weakly, "Such a clumsy way to learn characters... Why are you using a map to study them..."
As the wind grew increasingly fierce, Xiao Li echoed softly, "Yes, very clumsy."
He had sprinted a great distance when the person behind him fell silent again, as if having slipped back into unconsciousness. He called out to her once more, "Han Yang."
Only a faint, feeble response came from behind: "Hmm?"
Xiao Li turned his head as if to check on her, but when he tilted his face, all he felt was the brush of her cool temple hair against his cheek.
The wind died down.
Sensing the weight on his back, heavy as a rain-laden cloud, he said, "Even when you have a jade fish pendant in the future, keep this wooden one too, alright?"
Author's Note: The male lead's bone fracture will come a bit later~
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