The next day, Wei Rao came downstairs directly dressed in men's clothing, though she wore a veil over her face.
Zhao Song and the others had already finished breakfast in the main hall. Hearing footsteps, ten men looked up simultaneously and saw the Young Lord followed by a young man and a maid. However, upon closer inspection, the young man's exposed skin was as fair as snow, and a pair of phoenix eyes sparkled with life. The men immediately lowered their heads, not daring to look further at the Young Lord's wife.
Noticing this, Lu Zhuo descended the final step and said gently, "Let's set off."
The carriages and horses were ready. The two leading steeds were Lu Zhuo's Flying Ink and the chestnut horse Wei Rao had newly purchased.
When they bought the horse the previous evening, night had already fallen. Even with lanterns hung in the stable, the colors were unclear. Now, under the cold, bright morning light, the chestnut horse's coat shone a vivid red, truly resembling freshly ripened dates, majestic and spirited.
If Flying Ink was the king among horses, this chestnut steed could at least be considered a great general.
Wei Rao carefully admired her mount once more before swinging onto its back.
The eight officers behind her, observing her mounting posture, immediately recognized that the Young Lord's wife was a skilled rider.
The master and mistress led the way, while the others naturally maintained some distance.
The morning market in the county town was bustling. Wei Rao looked left and right as they moved along until she spotted a pancake stall. Ordinary pancakes were golden on both sides, but this stall's pancakes were dotted evenly with black specks. Curious, Wei Rao urged her horse toward the stall to see how the vendor made them.
Lu Zhuo gestured for Zhao Song and the others to continue ahead, then joined Wei Rao.
The chestnut horse was not as tall as Flying Ink, and Wei Rao was not as tall as Lu Zhuo. Thus, with a downward glance, Lu Zhuo could see the petite woman on the chestnut horse. She wore a veil, revealing only her shimmering, watery eyes—eyes that could be charming whether joyful or angry. At this moment, they were fixed intently on an old man making pancakes.
"Young masters, would you like to buy some pancakes?" The old man picked two steaming pancakes from the charcoal bucket and greeted them with a smile.
Wei Rao gestured toward the row of pancakes. "Old uncle, what are those black things on the pancakes?"
The old man explained in heavily accented Mandarin, "These are pickled vegetables. They turn this color when dried. Young master, don't be fooled by their dark appearance—they taste wonderful. Here, let me break off a piece for you to try. If you like it, you can buy some."
Wei Rao was intrigued.
The old man broke off about a quarter of a freshly baked pancake and handed it to Wei Rao.
Wei Rao glanced at the old man's rough hands and hesitated.
A long, fair hand suddenly reached over and took the pancake from the old man.
Wei Rao looked at Lu Zhuo in surprise.
Lu Zhuo broke off a smaller piece from an untouched part and handed it to Wei Rao, his gaze gentle, as if looking at a younger brother.
Wei Rao thanked him softly, accepted the pancake, lifted her veil with one hand, and brought the pancake to her mouth with the other. The thin, crispy pancake had just the right amount of saltiness, making it suitable as either a staple or a snack for the road.
Lu Zhuo ate the remaining portion.
Seeing this, Wei Rao thought of their party of thirteen and said to the old man with a smile, "I'll take fifty, divided into five bags."
The old man was overjoyed. In his small business, he loved encountering big customers.
The old man busied himself enthusiastically.Lu Zhuo was about to take out money when Wei Rao had already produced a small piece of broken silver. With a light toss, it accurately landed in the old man’s coarse ceramic bowl, which held copper coins.
After waiting for about two quarters of an hour, the old man, smiling cheerfully, tied five oil-paper bundles together and handed them to Lu Zhuo.
He could tell that this elder gentleman was quite attentive to the younger one. Tasks like carrying things were naturally to be left to the elder gentleman, even though the latter looked as ethereal as an immortal, entirely unlike someone who should be doing such chores.
Lu Zhuo thanked him gently and, smiling, accepted the large string of baked cakes.
After making the purchase, Lu Zhuo wanted to speed up to catch up with the caravan. But after walking some distance, he sensed something amiss. Turning back, he saw Wei Rao still strolling leisurely, unhurried.
Lu Zhuo halted his horse and waited for Wei Rao to catch up. In a low voice, he said, “The journey is the priority. Once we reach Jin City, you can stroll as much as you like.”
Wei Rao replied curiously, “The carriage moves slowly. Even if I fall behind, I can just gallop a bit after leaving the city to catch up with them. What’s the rush? If I were to catch up now and then stick close to the carriage like Zhao Song and the others, I might as well have stayed inside the carriage. Why bother buying a horse specifically?”
Lu Zhuo pressed his lips together.
Wei Rao suddenly grew curious. “If Bitao and I weren’t here, would you, sir, ride in the carriage or gallop directly to Jin City on horseback?”
Lu Zhuo answered frankly, “I would ride.”
Wei Rao calculated: the journey that would take seven days by carriage could likely be completed in two or three days if riding at full speed.
“I’ve delayed you from attending to important matters,” Wei Rao said, dropping her playful tone and speaking seriously as she discussed with Lu Zhuo. “Why don’t you take a few officers and go ahead? Let Zhao Song and Zhao Bai stay behind to guide us.”
Lu Zhuo looked at her and said, “You and I are husband and wife. Since I brought you along, what would they think if I abandoned you halfway? Besides, this trip to Jin City isn’t an urgent mission. We only need to return to the capital by the beginning of June.”
Wei Rao understood and then smiled, teasing him, “Then why do you keep urging me? As long as I can keep up with the caravan and not slow it down, isn’t that enough?”
Once again, Lu Zhuo was left speechless. Logically, that was indeed the case.
Wei Rao had already moved past him and continued her leisurely stroll through the morning market.
Lu Zhuo watched her retreating figure and suddenly realized what felt off.
The journey itself wasn’t urgent; it was just that Lu Zhuo was accustomed to following a set routine. Going to Jin City meant just that—traveling on the road without distractions. But Wei Rao was different. Unrestrained by nature, she couldn’t stand the monotony of focusing solely on the journey. She preferred to pass the time with interesting diversions, which created a divergence between them.
Lu Zhuo lowered his head and looked at the stack of baked cakes in his hand.
The cakes truly tasted delicious. If not for Wei Rao, he might never have had the chance to try them.
Once they passed through the city gate, the morning market vanished, leaving only an endless yellow-earth official road and the merchants and travelers hurrying along it.
Wei Rao glanced at Flying Ink beneath Lu Zhuo and said with a smile, “I feel like galloping. Care to race, sir?”
Lu Zhuo had no choice but to agree. If he didn’t race, she would gallop off on her own, disappearing without a trace.
He nodded.
Seeing this, Wei Rao nudged her horse’s sides with her legs, and the chestnut steed shot forward like the wind.
Lu Zhuo had no desire to race; he only wanted to keep an eye on her to ensure nothing went wrong. So he maintained a steady pace, following at a certain distance.
The two fine horses quickly caught up with the caravan.
Wei Rao did not stop but overtook them directly.Lu Zhuo helplessly tossed the pancake in his hand to Zhao Song: "Keep one packet in the carriage, share the rest among yourselves. Just follow the main road ahead, no need to wait for us."
Before his words faded, he had already rushed after Wei Rao.
Little did he know, without their masters around, Zhao Song and the others felt more at ease.
Unwrapping the oiled paper packet, the savory aroma of the pancakes wafted over. Zhao Song counted—ten pancakes per packet. He opened two packets, turned his horse around, and distributed two pancakes each to Zhao Bai and the eight squad leaders. Two pancakes remained. Zhao Song handed the oiled paper packet along with them to Bitao, who sat obediently in the cargo cart.
Bitao had seen him distributing the pancakes—everyone else got two, and now the last two were given to her. Wasn’t he going to eat any himself?
"You have them, I’m not hungry," Bitao said with a light smile.
Her small face was pale and delicate, like a camellia in bloom. Zhao Song’s cheeks warmed slightly as he extended his arm toward her: "I still have two large packets back there. Please, have these."
Seeing his blush, Bitao’s own face grew warm. Embarrassed, she accepted the packet, quickly took out one pancake, and called out to Zhao Song as he prepared to leave: "I’m really not hungry. One is enough for me. You take this one."
Zhao Song was about to politely refuse when one of the squad leaders teased him, "Since when did Brother Song become so hesitant?"
Zhao Song immediately shot a sharp glare in his direction. Noticing Bitao’s neck had turned pink as she bowed her head in embarrassment, he hastily grabbed the pancake, spurred his horse, and rode ahead.
Wei Rao had no idea her maid had been flustered by Lu Zhuo’s subordinate. The morning breeze was cool and refreshing. She galloped over ten miles in one go, only slowing when a babbling stream appeared by the roadside. She turned her horse, left the main road, and headed toward the stream.
Lu Zhuo followed her like a guard—wherever Wei Rao went, he went.
The two dismounted, letting the reins rest on their horses’ backs, allowing the steeds to drink freely from the stream.
Wei Rao was thirsty too. Choosing a spot upstream, she removed her veil and placed it on a riverside rock. Then, lifting the hem of her robe, she crouched down and scooped water with her hands to drink.
The stream was clear, and her hands, bathed in the warm sunlight, took on a delicate pink hue. A section of her fair wrist was exposed where her sleeves were rolled up.
Lu Zhuo turned away, looking back along the road they had come.
After drinking and washing her hands, Wei Rao noticed Lu Zhuo gazing toward the main road. She teased, "Back in the county town, the young master complained I was too slow. Why not go hurry the coachman now?"
Lu Zhuo glanced sideways. Her face was tilted upward, radiant as a peony by the stream, exuding unparalleled charm.
Without a word, Lu Zhuo moved upstream from her, knelt, and drank from the stream.
The water reflected shimmering ripples. Along the bank, grayish-yellow grass was quietly turning green. Scattered willow trees lined the stream, their drooping branches swaying leisurely in the gentle breeze.
Feeling tired, Wei Rao chose a willow tree and sat with her back to the sun. "Let’s rest for a while," she said to Lu Zhuo. "We can set off again once they catch up."
Lu Zhuo nodded. Noticing a caravan approaching on the main road ahead, he reminded Wei Rao to put on her veil.
Weary of his nagging, Wei Rao leaned against the tree trunk, closed her eyes, and complied.
Lu Zhuo sat by the stream, observing the caravan. It appeared to be a merchant group, accompanied by a dozen or so burly guards alongside several cargo carts.
The guards glanced in their direction but soon averted their eyes, continuing on at their original pace.
Suddenly, Wei Rao opened her eyes: "By the way, where are the pancakes?"
Lu Zhuo looked toward the water: "They’re in the carriage."Wei Rao sighed in disappointment.
Lu Zhuo glanced at her sideways. "Hungry?"
Wei Rao placed a hand on her abdomen and said listlessly, "Not hungry, I just feel like eating something."
Lu Zhuo's gaze quickly swept over the area above where her hand rested.
Having shared many meals with Wei Rao, he knew how hearty her appetite was. A woman who ate so much ought to be quite plump, yet Wei Rao had a slender figure with only two places from head to toe that were full.
As if guided by some supernatural force, Lu Zhuo recalled yesterday afternoon again - Wei Rao's figure reclining across the couch in the carriage.
Lu Zhuo stood up.
Wei Rao watched him curiously.
Lu Zhuo walked over to Flying Ink and pulled out a packet of jerky from the saddlebag.
This was a habit he'd developed at the border - always keeping rations with his horse.
"Here."
After returning to sit by the stream, Lu Zhuo opened the oilpaper package and tossed a piece of jerky to Wei Rao.
Wei Rao caught it, lowered her head to smell it, and asked him, "What kind of meat is this?"
"Pork."
Wei Rao tore off a strip and put it in her mouth. It was a bit salty and very chewy.
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