Youthful Glory

The night was extremely quiet, with the newly risen crescent moon casting a hazy glow that gently bathed the two figures.

Ming Tan tilted her head slightly to meet Jiang Xu's gaze. His deep eyes seemed to hold the still, moving waters of a lake, his handsome features drawing closer as the warmth of his breath brushed against her lips. Ming Tan felt lost in the moment, unsure how to react.

When the distance between their noses was less than half an inch, the sudden sound of barking erupted nearby—

"Woof!"

"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

Ming Tan snapped out of her daze, immediately pulling away from Jiang Xu's embrace and limping to her feet. Whether from shock or something else, her heart raced uncontrollably, refusing to calm down for a long while.

The barking had been abrupt and fierce. Jiang Xu gently stroked her back. "Were you frightened?"

Ming Tan covered her chest and shook her head, then awkwardly twisted out of his broad palm. As she walked forward, she muttered, "Don’t touch me. Don’t think a few sweet words will be enough to brush me off."

"Every word I spoke came from the heart, not mere platitudes."

Ming Tan hobbled forward, glancing back at him with a disdainful tone. "I didn’t hear your heart speak."

"I spoke on its behalf."

"..."

"Did Prince Dingbei borrow Second Young Master Shu’s mouth tonight? You’re unusually talkative."

Ming Tan was about to mock him further when, in the pitch-black darkness, she stepped right into a hunting pit hidden among the crops!

The pit was well-concealed even in daylight, covered with a layer of soft mud and dry grass, making it nearly impossible to spot—let alone at night. Before she could react, her foot plunged downward, and the words she had meant to say turned into a scream that pierced the night sky: "Ah—!"

"A Tan!"

Jiang Xu, who had been a few steps behind, rushed forward only to find Ming Tan already trapped in the pit. The soft mud and dry grass that had covered the hole now clung to her, but worse—the bottom of the pit held a hunter’s trap.

Ming Tan’s already sore foot was now clamped tightly in the iron jaws. At first, she felt nothing, but after a few breaths, excruciating pain shot through her. A flash of white light crossed her vision, and she couldn’t hold back a broken, tearful cry: "It hurts! It—it really hurts!"

The pit was deep and spacious, large enough to fit two or three people—originally set up to catch wild boars that ravaged the crops at night.

Jiang Xu crouched at the edge, gripping her hand tightly as he tried to pull her up.

But she shook her head frantically. "My foot’s stuck in the trap—I can’t move!"

Jiang Xu paused. He had assumed her cry of pain was from twisting her ankle, but now he realized it was the hunter’s trap.

"Don’t move. There might be more traps down there."

Terrified, Ming Tan froze completely.

Seeing her trembling, Jiang Xu reassured her in a steady voice, "Don’t be afraid. I’m here."

Avoiding Ming Tan, he unsheathed his sword and probed the bottom of the pit. Sure enough, several more traps lay scattered around. With a few sharp

clicks

, the jaws snapped shut where his blade had touched.

Only then did Jiang Xu sheathe his sword and leap into the pit. Wrapping an arm around Ming Tan’s waist, he lifted her out of the trap.

Covered in dirt and weeds, Ming Tan was a complete mess. Her fair face was smudged with grime, streaked with tears from the pain, making her look like a little dirt-covered ragamuffin freshly dug out of the earth.

Jiang Xu examined her injured foot—the trap still clamped tightly around it, blood seeping through her white sock.Ming Tan's forehead was beaded with sweat, every slight movement sending waves of bone-deep pain through her body.

Jiang Xu didn't act rashly. After carefully examining the animal trap clamped on Ming Tan's foot, he noted that this older style of trap—now largely out of fashion—lacked the spikes and blades of contemporary models. Yet ironically, these outdated traps were harder to open, requiring a specialized key.

Tears streamed down Ming Tan's face in torrents, carving pale streaks through the grime on her cheeks. Between hiccups, she demanded, "C-can you... actually... open this thing or not?"

Jiang Xu glanced up at her hair, noticing how unusually simple her hairstyle was today—adorned only with a single wooden hairpin.

Finding no better tool at hand, he reached to remove the wooden pin from her hair.

Seeing him prepare to use the hairpin as a makeshift key, Ming Tan tearfully warned, "Be careful with that!"

Assuming she feared the pin might snap inside the lock, Jiang Xu was surprised when she continued, "That hairpin is made from premium Chenli wood tribute from the South Sea. It naturally carries a lasting, subtle pear fragrance and was crafted by Master Lu the Artisan—a truly one-of-a-kind masterpiece! Don't you dare damage it!"

The moment she started talking about her precious possession, her hiccups vanished, her foot seemed to hurt less, and her tears paused mid-fall as she stared anxiously at the trap.

Jiang Xu paused briefly, his voice tinged with resignation: "I'll replace it if broken."

"It's irreplaceable!"

"Is that Master Lu still alive?"

"Yes."

"Then nothing's truly irreplaceable. I'll have him make another. He won't leave until he recreates an identical hairpin."

"...!"

"Brute!"

A soft

click

sounded as the trap sprang open.

Though freed, the pain in Ming Tan's foot didn't subside—instead, it intensified as if unleashed.

Jiang Xu steadied her.

In agony, she bit down hard on his arm.

Jiang Xu remained still, gently stroking her back until her body relaxed slightly. Then, in a low voice, he reassured her: "I'll carry you back. Once we treat it, the pain will fade. Be good."

He carefully lifted her onto his back, avoiding her injured foot.

Ming Tan lay limply against the familiar-yet-unfamiliar breadth of his shoulders. For some reason, tears began streaming down her face again uncontrollably.

"You say it won't hurt, but you're not the one feeling it! Liar!"

The wound seemed to reawaken memories of her previous arrow injury. All her pent-up grievances, fears, and tangled emotions erupted at once. Hiccuping violently against Jiang Xu's back, she cried relentlessly. Though he murmured continuous reassurances, nothing calmed her as she poured out her frustrations.

"You promised I wouldn't get hurt again, yet I've been injured twice right under your watch! Some Prince Dingbei you are—utterly useless!

Hic

!"

"My mistake. I'm sorry, A Tan."

"Of course it's your fault!" Ming Tan's eyes ached from crying, swollen into two puffy peaches that blurred her vision. Between sobs, she accused, "A-and you always embarrass me! Always! The jade from Wuheng, Lingmiao Temple, Huichun Pavilion... You knew, so why did you have to say it out loud? Do I have no dignity?!"

"No one else heard." He tactfully omitted the many instances others

had

overheard.

"So my dignity doesn't matter if others didn't hear? Now you're making excuses...

Hic

!"

"Alright, that's my fault too.""It was your fault to begin with. And yet, even Second Young Master Shu would speak up for you. Why couldn’t you explain it to me yourself? All you ever say is to trust you, that you care for me, that it’s your fault—but where exactly did you go wrong?"

Jiang Xu fell silent for a moment.

Truth be told, after Shu Jingran had spoken on his behalf, he had even sent Jiang Xu a letter, specifically advising him to personally explain things to Ming Tan again.

But while Shu Jingran could say these words, Jiang Xu found himself utterly unable to voice them. After all, his initial purpose in marrying her had been impure, and he had long guessed Emperor Chengkang’s intent to reclaim military power. Any justification from his lips would only make the unintended scheming seem like an excuse to shirk responsibility.

Ming Tan hiccuped again, her voice already hoarse from crying. "What, have you lost your words again?"

Jiang Xu gently adjusted his hold on her, lifting her slightly. "Hurting you, making you live in fear, failing to consider your dignity, not explaining things to you in time—all of it is my fault. And failing to stop His Majesty from reclaiming your father’s military authority, putting your father in danger—that is also my fault. Once we return to the manor, I will personally visit your father to apologize. Will that do?"

Ming Tan thought to herself that this was more like it, though she didn’t voice her agreement.

Somehow, Jiang Xu found his way, and after walking a stretch, the faint glow of familiar lights appeared ahead.

Suxin and Lǜ'e had initially thought it a good thing for their Miss to have some time alone with the Lord, and had busied themselves packing, assuming they might return to the manor by morning. But who could have guessed that while the two were indeed alone, they would end up with dirt-streaked faces and an injured leg? The maids hurried forward to meet them, while others rushed to boil water and summon a physician.

The physician at the estate was only skilled enough to handle minor injuries. After bandaging Ming Tan’s wound, he trembled slightly, lowering his voice as if to discreetly inform Jiang Xu, "Her Highness’s injury… it will heal, but it may leave a scar—"

Upon hearing this, Ming Tan bristled. "I don’t want a scar!"

"There won’t be one," Jiang Xu reassured her before dismissing the physician.

"How can you be sure? Even the best scar ointment Minmin found for my previous arrow wound couldn’t completely remove it." Ming Tan’s nose was red, her eyes brimming with tears that threatened to spill at any moment.

"That’s because the ointment she found wasn’t good enough. On our way back to the capital, I obtained Frostbloom Balm."

"Frostbloom Balm? Really?"

Frostbloom Balm was a secret royal remedy from the small western kingdom of Banshuang, renowned for its miraculous scar-healing and skin-nourishing properties, leaving the skin fair, smooth, and porcelain-like. Ming Tan had only recently learned of its existence when Bai Minmin lamented how hard she had tried, yet failed, to procure it.

Jiang Xu produced the small vial of Frostbloom Balm he carried with him. The delicate white jade container held a translucent ointment with a faint, soothing fragrance.

Ming Tan reached to apply it, but Jiang Xu stopped her. "I’ve already sent for Imperial Physician Feng. Let’s wait for him to examine it and advise on the best way to use it for maximum effect."

That made sense.

Ming Tan released the vial and nestled deeper into the embroidered quilt.

"Frostbloom Balm is indeed made from rare ingredients and has remarkable scar-healing properties. However, it can only be applied to fully healed wounds. Her Highness’s previous arrow wound may benefit from it, but the injury on her foot—it’s best to wait a few more days before use." Imperial Physician Feng, who had arrived in the dead of night, examined the precious remedy and reported cautiously.

Jiang Xu nodded. "Thank you for your trouble.""This is merely my duty as a physician." Imperial Physician Feng seemed to recall something. "Ah, by the way, has Lord finished his medicine? The cold nature should no longer be an issue now. One more bottle should completely clear the remaining chill poison."

"What chill poison?" Ming Tan looked bewildered.

Imperial Physician Feng paused, slightly surprised. "What? The Consort doesn't know?"

Jiang Xu interrupted: "It's nothing."

But Ming Tan insisted, "Imperial Physician Feng, what exactly is this chill poison?"

"Well... previously when the Consort was struck by an arrow, the arrowhead was coated with a rare poison that required snowgrass as an antidote. At that time, the Consort couldn't swallow medicine on her own, so the Lord had to... transfer it mouth-to-mouth. The snowgrass is extremely cold in nature. Since the Lord didn't need this antidote himself, he consequently suffered some chill poison during the transfer—" Imperial Physician Feng hesitated, "However, the Lord wasn't severely affected, and with his strong internal energy, he only suffers from chill attacks about once a month. With the medicine I've prepared to alleviate it, it's... not particularly serious."

Hearing this, Ming Tan turned her gaze to Jiang Xu.

Jiang Xu avoided her eyes: "It's nothing serious."

Ming Tan remained silent.

After Imperial Physician Feng left, only Ming Tan and Jiang Xu remained in the room. Jiang Xu said softly, "I'll stay. Call me if you feel pain at night."

"What's the use of calling you? You can't stop the pain," Ming Tan muttered under her breath, yet her body honestly moved aside to make space for Jiang Xu.

By nightfall, the pain in Ming Tan's foot had lessened considerably. Seeing her asleep, Jiang Xu carefully tucked in her blanket corners before slowly closing his own eyes.

In the deep quiet of night, noticing Jiang Xu was sound asleep, Ming Tan used the moonlight streaming through the window to very gently lift the back of his inner robe.

His back was broad and straight, yet covered with numerous old scars and fresh wounds, crisscrossing in a terrifying pattern under the moonlight.

Ming Tan lightly touched two of them, then carefully retrieved a jar of Shuanghua ointment from beneath her pillow. Dipping her ring finger into the salve, she began applying it to his scars with the utmost care, one gentle dab at a time.