Lu Zhuo's saddle was stocked with dried meat, and each carried a waterskin. They had a simple lunch in the small grove.
Had the assassins not delayed them, they would have been nearing Jin City by now.
Wei Rao's sweat-soaked robe had dried from her body heat and the summer's high temperatures. Although she had women's clothing in her bundle, Lu Zhuo was injured, and Wei Rao needed to remain vigilant against potential assassins. There was no opportunity to find a place to change clothes. When circumstances didn't permit, she wasn't that delicate.
After adjusting her hat and veil, Wei Rao looked at Lu Zhuo: "Shall we go?"
Lu Zhuo nodded, his gaze falling on Flying Ink grazing nearby.
The bay horse had died, leaving only Flying Ink for the two of them to ride.
"Let's share the horse for now. We can buy a carriage in Ying County," Lu Zhuo suggested. Ying County was the nearest town. In his current condition, he couldn't ride at a gallop. Whether walking slowly or riding in a carriage, their speed would significantly decrease, and they might have to spend the night outdoors.
Wei Rao had no better alternative. But sharing one horse—how would they sit?
Wei Rao didn't want to give Lu Zhuo another chance to hold her waist, nor did she appreciate his breath near her ear. With a stern face, she said, "You sit in front."
Lu Zhuo complied entirely with her arrangement. If he had any other ideas now, she would surely suspect ulterior motives.
Flying Ink knelt on the ground. Wei Rao helped Lu Zhuo mount, and only then did the horse rise.
Though Lu Zhuo couldn't use his left leg or right arm, he was an experienced rider and had no trouble maintaining balance.
Wei Rao waited for him to settle, then stepped into the stirrup and swung up behind him.
The saddle was only so long, and Wei Rao's legs unavoidably pressed against Lu Zhuo's. She pursed her lips and told him to hand her the reins.
Once he did, Lu Zhuo leaned forward slightly, supporting himself with his left hand on Flying Ink's back. Even so, his tall frame blocked Wei Rao's view.
The position was awkward—one leaning forward, the other straining backward—exhausting for both.
Wei Rao dismounted again and had Lu Zhuo move to the back.
"Unless the road is rough, keep your hands to yourself," she said coldly.
Lu Zhuo smiled wryly. "I wouldn't dare."
Wei Rao mounted in front of him.
The middle of the saddle dipped lowest. Wei Rao edged forward as much as possible, while Lu Zhuo courteously shifted back. Each occupied one end, leaving a slight gap between them except where his knees brushed her legs.
Wei Rao was satisfied and gently tugged the reins.
Flying Ink carried its two masters out of the grove.
The woods were dense with trees. To navigate through them, Flying Ink had to twist and turn both entering and exiting. Almost as soon as the horse moved, the jostling caused Wei Rao and Lu Zhuo to slide back into the saddle's dip, their bodies pressed inseparably together.
Lu Zhuo noticed the reddening of her ears.
No matter how wild she seemed, she was still a delicate young lady.
He untied his bundle with one hand and wedged it between them.
Wei Rao breathed a sigh of relief.
Back on the main road, the path was smooth, but with Lu Zhuo injured, Flying Ink could only maintain a walking pace.
It was noon, and the blazing sun shone directly overhead, the sparse tree shadows offering little shade.
Lu Zhuo watched a bead of sweat roll down Wei Rao's fair skin and vanish beneath her veil.
"There's no one on the road. You can take off your veil for now," he gently reminded, thinking she wore it to avoid being seen by passersby and that removing it would bring some relief from the heat.Wei Rao said lightly, "I'm afraid of getting sunburned."
Lu Zhuo had no choice then.
The road was long, and Flying Ink walked far too slowly. With their legs pressed together, Wei Rao felt extremely uncomfortable and could only make conversation to distract herself: "Does your Lu Family have any enemies? Since we're husband and wife now, I should know who to be wary of when we go out visiting."
Lu Zhuo gazed into the distance and said softly, "The Lu Family has held the emperor's favor for generations—it's hard not to attract jealousy. Even foreign enemies wish to eliminate us. With limited clues now, I can't determine which side it is."
If even he had no leads, Wei Rao had even fewer ideas. She simply stopped thinking about it and mocked herself: "Young Master, you must protect yourself well. Otherwise, if anything happens to you, those who hate me will surely pin the blame on me for being a husband-killer."
Lu Zhuo smiled. "Don't worry, Miss. I will never let you bear the stigma of being a husband-killer."
The horse's hooves clopped along. Two quarters of an hour later, a donkey cart emerged from the village ahead and came toward them.
Wei Rao's eyes lit up. She told Lu Zhuo to sit tight, then dismounted and waited for the old man driving the cart to approach. She stopped him and offered two gold leaves in exchange for his donkey cart—only the cart, not the donkey.
The old man was so overjoyed he nearly floated away. Afraid Wei Rao might change her mind, he deftly untied his little donkey and helped her hitch Flying Ink to the cart instead.
It was an ordinary farm wooden cart, empty except for dust and dirt. If one sniffed carefully, they might even detect the smell of chicken droppings and rotten vegetables. Not to mention it being used by Lu Zhuo and Wei Rao—even for Flying Ink, Wei Rao felt sorry for the shabby little cart.
Yet this wooden cart could greatly increase their travel speed.
The old man happily rode off on his donkey. Wei Rao helped Lu Zhuo sit in the cart, then took her seat on the front shaft.
Lu Zhuo teased her, "You know how to drive a cart?"
Wei Rao never had before, but she trusted Flying Ink. This was an intelligent steed that even knew how to help her transport a corpse—what was pulling a cart to it?
Wei Rao flicked the whip, and Flying Ink immediately broke into a brisk trot along the official road.
Wei Rao glanced back and saw Lu Zhuo had placed his bundle behind his waist, leaning lazily against the cart rail. The jolting of his body likely wouldn't reopen his wound.
"I'm fine," Lu Zhuo said with a smile, as if knowing what she was looking at.
Wei Rao then turned her gaze forward.
As they approached Ying County, a wooden cart pulled by a mule came toward them. The driver was a man in simple cloth clothes, and on the cart behind him sat a young woman wrapped in a red headscarf.
As the two carts passed each other, Lu Zhuo's gaze briefly met the young woman's.
The young woman's eyes widened, and she kept twisting her neck to look back at Lu Zhuo.
Lu Zhuo had already averted his gaze, his eyes fixed on Wei Rao driving ahead.
How ridiculous—he, a deputy general of the Divine Martial Army, was now sitting in Wei Rao's cart like a young bride.
When they reached Ying County, Wei Rao used another handful of gold leaves to exchange for a spacious and comfortable carriage with shock-absorbing wheels. Flying Ink could run even faster now. However, because they had been delayed too long in the woods, by dusk Wei Rao had no choice but to stop at a small town ahead and find an inn to stay the night.
"How many rooms would you two like?" The innkeeper was a middle-aged woman. After glancing at the veiled Wei Rao, she fixed her gaze on Lu Zhuo, posturing coquettishly.Wei Rao couldn't help but suspect that if Lu Zhuo didn't have martial skills, the innkeeper might have forced her way into his room and assaulted him tonight.
"What are your best guest rooms like?" Wei Rao asked.
The innkeeper smiled. "The best are the Celestial rooms. There are only two, each with inner and outer chambers."
"I'll take both," Wei Rao said.
The innkeeper regretfully replied, "Unfortunately, one has been reserved by Young Master Ye. Only one remains."
When mentioning Young Master Ye, the innkeeper gave Lu Zhuo a meaningful glance. Though Wei Rao noticed, she couldn't be bothered to care at the moment. After paying for the room, she asked the innkeeper to send up two buckets of hot water and two buckets of cold water, then helped Lu Zhuo upstairs with quick steps.
The guest room was decently furnished, with a bed in the inner chamber and a daybed in the outer chamber.
Having exerted herself extensively that day, Wei Rao only wanted to bathe quickly.
After a brief rest, two attendants brought up four buckets of water—two placed inside and two outside.
"Would you mind keeping watch outside for me first, Young Master?" Wei Rao politely asked Lu Zhuo.
Lu Zhuo nodded.
Wei Rao moved a chair to the doorway. After Lu Zhuo sat down, she closed and bolted the door, then went to the inner chamber.
With the windows tightly shut, Wei Rao eagerly removed her clothes, dampened a cloth, and meticulously wiped herself down twice. After washing her hair, she cleaned the discarded male attire and hung it up. Having worked up another sweat, she wiped herself down once more, finally feeling refreshed and clear-headed.
Only two sets of women's clothing remained in her bundle. Wei Rao changed into one, then went to open the door.
As the door opened, Lu Zhuo looked up and saw Wei Rao in white robes and a green skirt—fresh and lovely, like a tender lotus bud just emerging from the pond.
Her face was fair with a rosy glow, her skin radiant, no longer bearing the dust of the journey.
Wei Rao helped him inside first, then closed the door and asked, "Would you like to bathe, Young Master? If so, I'll call for the attendants."
Hearing the first part of her sentence, Lu Zhuo's heart skipped a beat. After she finished speaking, he calmly replied, "I can manage on my own. You should rest in the inner chamber first."
Wei Rao lowered her eyes. "I'll keep watch outside."
Lu Zhuo reached out to stop her. "This inn is full of unsavory characters. Earlier, I saw a young man enter the room next door. It would be better if you didn't go out."
That young man was clearly a lecher, and Lu Zhuo absolutely did not want him to see Wei Rao.
Wei Rao understood.
Lu Zhuo sat on the chair while Wei Rao carried two buckets of water to his feet, then retreated to the inner chamber.
Lu Zhuo's wound was less painful now. Moving slowly, he managed to wipe himself down and sluggishly change into fresh robes.
Just as he finished changing, the attendants came up to collect the water.
Lu Zhuo had Wei Rao hide in the washroom before allowing the attendants to enter. Two attendants came in and carried away the four buckets from both chambers. Strangely, though there had clearly been two people in the room earlier, only one was visible now.
As they left, Lu Zhuo instructed them to bring up a meal immediately.
When the food arrived and the attendants withdrew, Lu Zhuo called Wei Rao out to eat.
They sat facing each other at the small table in the outer chamber, eating in silence.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor, heading to the neighboring room.
Soon, flirtatious banter between a man and a woman could be heard, along with some vulgar language.
Wei Rao immediately put down her bowl and chopsticks, returning to the inner chamber.
Lu Zhuo also lost his appetite. How could someone be so brazen and shameless while lodging at an inn?
When the attendants came to collect the dishes, Lu Zhuo asked, "Is it possible to change rooms?"The attendant understood his meaning and whispered, "Switching rooms won't help. That's Young Master Ye from our town. He has a peculiar habit—he enjoys having people overhear his private moments. Ours is a small inn, so no matter where you move, you'll hear everything clearly."
In truth, the attendants actually welcomed Young Master Ye. If they couldn't encounter beauties themselves, listening to the sounds was the next best thing.
Lu Zhuo frowned deeply. Before the neighboring room's activities could properly begin, he walked to the inner chamber door and consulted Wei Rao: "Shall we continue our journey instead?"
Wei Rao was only too willing, but worried about him: "Is your health up to it?"
Lu Zhuo: "It's fine. Let's leave earlier."
Wei Rao quickly packed their belongings. As she stepped out, the neighboring room's activities had just begun. The inn's walls might as well have been made of paper—the woman's moans, indistinguishable between pleasure and pain, came through with startling clarity.
Gritting her teeth, Wei Rao supported Lu Zhuo as they descended the stairs.
The innkeeper was about to close up when she saw them coming down. Though Wei Rao wore a veil with her feminine attire, her breathtaking beauty remained evident. The innkeeper smiled and said, "Are you two not staying? If it's because the neighboring room is too noisy, I can move you to another room."
"Prepare the carriage," Lu Zhuo said coldly.
Though usually gentle, when angered he made the innkeeper feel a chill run through her heart. She hastily called an attendant to bring out their carriage.
Wei Rao glanced at Lu Zhuo, thinking to herself that this man had finally acted like a true gentleman for once.
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