Chapter 465 Extra: Each Finds Joy 8
Late at night.
Chu Changsheng followed Murong Bi up the mountain.
They walked for a long time but still couldn’t find any glowing herbs.
“Your Highness, are you tired?” Murong Bi stopped walking. “Our luck isn’t great today. Perhaps we should head back.”
Chu Changsheng gazed into the pitch-black forest and nodded. “Alright, let’s go back.”
She wasn’t the stubborn type. Since they couldn’t find what they were looking for, they could always return another day.
As she turned around, her foot slipped.
Murong Bi, who was beside her, grabbed her wrist, and the two of them tumbled down the mountain path together.
Chu Changsheng felt her head being cradled in a warm embrace. Various sounds brushed past her ears, and before long, she had rolled to the bottom of the mountain.
“Your Highness, are you hurt anywhere?”
An urgent voice sounded beside her ear.
She quickly replied, “I’m fine. What about you?”
“I’m alright too.” Only then did Murong Bi realize he was still holding Chu Changsheng and promptly released her.
If it weren’t for the deep darkness of the night, Chu Changsheng would surely have noticed the blush on his cheeks.
However, she keenly detected the scent of blood. “You’re bleeding?”
Following the scent, she discovered a long gash on his leg, scraped by a tree stump on the mountain. The torn flesh was faintly visible.
She hurriedly stood up. “Guards!”
Not a single one of the shadow guards who usually followed her every step appeared.
Chu Changsheng couldn’t help but feel annoyed. Those people were always sticking close by, yet when they were truly needed, they all vanished.
“Your Highness, do you see the grass beside that rock? The leaves are pointed, and the stems are purplish-red.” Murong Bi’s voice remained calm. “If you could please pick two stalks, that will be enough to stop the bleeding.”
Chu Changsheng said in surprise, “Your eyesight is remarkable. You can even see that clearly.”
Murong Bi smiled. “This kind of medicinal herb usually grows at the foot of the mountain, near rocks. Please take a look for it, Your Highness.”
Chu Changsheng quickly gathered the herbs. Murong Bi chewed them and wrapped them in a cloth strip, which he tied over his wound. Then, he found a long stick to use as a crutch and said, “I’ve been to this mountain before. If we follow this path down and go around a village, we’ll reach the western gate of the capital. Please don’t be afraid, Your Highness.”
Though it was pitch dark, he could indeed discern the direction. After walking for about an hour, the two finally reached the city gate.
It could be said that, from birth until now, Chu Changsheng had never walked such a long distance in one go.
Whenever she felt like giving up, she would see Murong Bi calmly walking with his stick, and that kept her going.
However, when they reached the city gate, it was tightly shut and wouldn’t open until dawn the next day.
Murong Bi took off his outer robe and spread it on the ground. “I’m afraid you’ll have to make do here, Your Highness. The gate should open in about two hours.”
Chu Changsheng’s hand had been resting on the jade pendant at her waist—proof of her identity, which allowed her to enter and leave the capital at any time.
But seeing his actions, she withdrew her hand from the pendant and sat down on the ground. Curiously, she asked, “I heard that Duke Xingguo wanted to arrange a marriage for you, but you refused. Why?”Murong Bi gazed into the distant darkness and spoke: "My parents wish for me to start a family and establish a career, walking the path they've long prepared for me—to become an official in the court. But I dislike the political arena. I prefer healing and saving lives. The highest achievement for a physician is to become an imperial physician, yet my father says it's somewhat disgraceful for the son of a prestigious Duke's household to serve as an imperial physician."
"Among noble families, it's true that no legitimate heir becomes an imperial physician," Chu Changsheng shook her head. "But imperial physicians hold official ranks with grades—how could it be disgraceful?"
Murong Bi looked thoughtfully at Chu Changsheng.
He suddenly said: "Why don't you, Princess, take me as your consort?"
"What?" Chu Changsheng stared blankly. "You... why would you suddenly say that?"
Murong Bi's face flushed red again.
Ever since their chance encounter on the street last time, he had been dreaming of the princess's face every night. Only then did he realize he had fallen lovesick.
For the first time, he recognized that he might be a shallow person, having fallen for a woman's beauty.
Thus, he sought information about the princess.
In his understanding, princesses were typically arrogant and domineering. Perhaps by learning about her deeds, he could banish that face from his mind.
Yet unexpectedly, he only fell deeper.
The princess was enfeited at eight, and at nine began traveling extensively with the Retired Emperor and Empress Dowager. Whenever people across the Great Jin mentioned the princess, there was only one word: benevolent.
Wherever the Retired Emperor went, bandits were eradicated.
Wherever the princess traveled, suffering ceased to exist.
Many impoverished people struggling at the bottom desperately hoped the princess would visit their regions, praying she would rescue them from hardship.
When the princess turned twelve, she took over the Orphanage and established branch facilities specifically to aid elderly and disabled people without support...
It could be said the princess was renowned throughout the land for her compassion.
The more he learned, the more deeply moved he became.
Just as Murong Bi was about to speak,
Suddenly, someone approached from the side.
This was the capital's main gate, where every dawn numerous commoners awaited entry, with many carriages and horses parked nearby.
A young man dressed in silk approached Chu Changsheng and Murong Bi: "Might I ask if you two are also waiting to enter the capital?"
Chu Changsheng looked up.
When she saw the youth's face, she suddenly froze.
This face... where had she seen it before...
Murong Bi had already risen and replied: "Indeed we are. May I ask your purpose?"
"I noticed you sitting on the ground and specially invite you to drink tea in my carriage," the youth said smiling. "The grass carries heavy dampness—sitting too long isn't good for your health. Please."
Chu Changsheng stood up and involuntarily asked: "Might I ask where this young master comes from?"
The youth clasped his hands: "My home is in Luochuan. I've come to the capital for business, originally planning to stay at an inn in the suburbs, but somehow they're all full, so I can only wait here at the city gate."
"Luochuan..."
Chu Changsheng murmured.
This was the former fiefdom of her father when he was Prince Pingxi. That year when she was kidnapped by people from the Eastern Tomb Kingdom, Xie Shiyun rescued her and consequently lost his memory.
Later, her mother arranged for someone to send Xie Shiyun to Luochuan, providing him with new parents—a childless couple.
The youth before her must be Xie Shiyun.
His face bore some resemblance to Xie Shi'an's, which was why she recognized him at first glance.
Seeing Xie Shiyun's attire, Chu Changsheng concluded he must be living decently. Those past matters need not be brought up again.She smiled and said, "Then I'll trouble you, young master. How should I address you?"
The young man replied gently, "My surname is Luo, single-character given name Cheng—Luo Cheng."
"Brother Luo." Murong Bi cupped his hands in greeting, and thus they became acquainted.
As they walked together to the carriage and looked at it, Murong Bi hesitated.
The reason he had agreed to come was that he didn't want to subject the princess to any inconvenience.
But for the princess to ride in a carriage and share the confined space with an unrelated man would be detrimental to her reputation.
Just as he was hesitating, the carriage curtain was lifted, and a heavily pregnant woman smiled and said, "Come on up, the tea is already brewed."
"This is my wife," the young man explained. "Please, both of you, get in. It's perfectly fine."
Chu Changsheng boarded the carriage. The interior was spacious, more than enough to accommodate four people.
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