"This journey is dangerous, and I won't allow you to go on this risk with me. Xiao Shi is my younger brother, and I need to go and make sure he's safe. Do you understand?"

Liu Huan turned away. "I don't understand, and I don't want to understand."

Su Yi's attitude was firm: "You and your sister wait for me to come back. If you're bored, go play with the princess. Also, the matter you mentioned about making paper for His Highness the Crown Prince has not been put on the agenda yet."

"I understand, you don't need to say anything more." After saying that, Liu Huan got into bed, drew the curtains, and refused to speak.

Su Yi watched for a long time before turning off the lights and leaving. He was going to the city gate to join everyone; they would be setting off at dawn the next day.

Su Wan and Guan Chang saw him to the door. "When you see Xiao Shi, remember to let him know you're safe. When you send us a letter, don't forget to send one to your parents too."

"I know, sister. Please take good care of her."

Su Wan knew he was worried, so she assured him, "Don't worry, Huanhuan is very sensible, she knows."

She said Liu Huan was very sensible. After they returned to their room, she secretly changed her clothes, left a letter, and left with her bag.

The next day, at the crack of dawn.

The main force heading to the border began to assemble and set off. A group of people walked in front, with Su Yi and another official, Lord Feng, riding horses in the middle.

Because there was so much stuff, the line seemed endless.

The official surnamed Feng joked, "I never expected that Lord Su could ride a horse."

Su Yi replied casually, "I know a little bit."

Lord Feng continued, "I've heard this journey is extremely dangerous. Is Lord Su not afraid?"

Su Yi glanced at him and said, "If Lord Feng isn't afraid, why should I be?" He then spurred his horse forward and took a step, clearly not wanting to talk to him.

Lord Feng grinned behind him and said in a low voice, "Ungrateful wretch."

After traveling for ten days, the group rested in an open area. There was a river nearby, and Su Yi took his water bottle to fetch water.

I overheard several soldiers talking.

These are newly recruited soldiers who are going to the front lines with them to provide support, and also to add an extra layer of protection to the supplies.

"Brother Liu, how could your family bear to let you join the army? Look at your small frame, can you really defeat the enemy?"

Another soldier, who was dark-skinned, thin, and short, said, "There's no other way. My younger siblings are too young. If I don't join the army, I'll have no one else to rely on."

Another person sighed, "That's true! Don't even mention you're only sixteen; this time, even a fourteen-year-old from our village came."

Su Yi looked at the soldiers, and the voice of the one who was speaking with his back to him was very familiar, which made him tremble with anger.

He strode forward, and several people noticed him. Seeing his dark face, they assumed he was unhappy with them.

He got up, said hello, and then tried to run away.

"stop!"

The group stopped in their tracks. "What are your orders, Lord Su?"

After she finished speaking, she noticed that Su Yi didn't say anything, and then she realized that he was looking at the new ice willow stone that had come out with them.

Liu Shi swallowed hard and said uneasily, "Sir, have you mistaken me for someone else?"

The man still had a gloomy expression.

Liu Shi waved for everyone to go ahead, and without asking why, they ran off quickly.

When they were all alone, Su Yi pulled him by the hand and led him behind a rock.

"I'll have Changbai send you back in a bit." The voice was icy and terrifying.

Liu Huan simply stopped pretending and said with her head held high, "Impossible, I will not go back."

Seeing that Su Yi didn't seem to be joking, she said, "Even if you send me back, I will find my own way back. You can't stop me."

Su Yi suppressed his anger and said, "If you don't go back, my sister will worry."

Liu Huan said, "I left a letter when I came, so my sister knows I came to see you."

That noon, Su Wan waited for her to eat but she hadn't gotten up yet, so she went to check on her herself and found that she was gone. There was a letter on the table, and after she opened it and read it, she told Guan Chang to go after her.

Guan Chang said, "You know her personality. Once she has an idea, you can't stop her. It's better to let her stay with Shi Tou for peace of mind."

Su Wan was so angry that she didn't eat anything all day.

Su Yi knew her personality, and he was so angry that he stood there for a long time without hitting her.

After catching his breath, he said, "Whatever," and stormed off.

Liu Huan crouched down and returned to his group. Several people surrounded him. "Liu Shi, what does Lord Su from next door want with you?"

"Yes, it looks so fierce, I'm so scared."

Liu Huan smiled and said, "It's nothing. Lord Su and I are from the same hometown. He asked me about his family, and I almost didn't realize what he was talking about."

The group suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. We really envy Brother Liu for being able to know Lord Su."

Liu Huan chuckled awkwardly, "We're just fellow villagers, from the same village, not close at all."

"That's still better than us. I've heard that many people like us never came back. You know Lord Su, so maybe he'll bring you back with him when he returns."

The group was quite envious. The general who was in charge of escorting them came over and said, "Everyone, rest well. We'll set off in an hour."

The group lay down and dozed off for a while, and when the time came, they followed the main group again.

After walking for more than ten days, many people developed blisters on their feet. Although Liu Huan was not exactly pampered and had always lived a comfortable life in the Prince's Mansion, she had never suffered like this before.

The blisters on the soles of my feet burst and hurt terribly.

A few days later

A caravan of about several dozen people came chasing after them. They said they wanted to go to the border to do business with the caravan, but they hadn't hired a security escort agency. They asked if the soldiers could send a few men to help protect their goods.

No one asked why they were doing business at this time, since many people know that war is the best time to make money.

It's just a bit risky.

Su Yi told the leading general to select a few people from the caravan.

Liu Huan and the others with her were all chosen, much to the general's surprise. "Why didn't Manager Zhou pick a few more skilled and tall people?"

The main problem was that Liu Huan and his group were all short, and the only tall one was as thin as a bamboo stick.

Shopkeeper Zhou smiled and said, "It's alright. I think these people are quite good. Besides, with the general in charge, they can't be bad."

The general only cared about collecting money; he didn't care who he chose. "Alright, you guys follow Manager Zhou to the back and escort the goods with him."

The men dared not disobey the order, packed their belongings, and waited for the last carriage to arrive.

As she passed by Su Yi, Su Yi didn't even glance at her, and even turned away.

Liu Huan sighed, "I'll coax her when we get there."

After moving a little distance away, Changbai said, "Master, you really can't tell that's a young lady at all. She's as dark-skinned as those country boys."

Su Yi glared at him, "Don't talk to her."

Changbai nodded repeatedly, "I know, I won't say a word to Miss without Master's permission."

After Manager Zhou's carriage procession arrived, Liu Huan and his group prepared to follow.

Manager Zhou said, "Each of you should get on one of the carriages and protect the things on it. If anything gets broken, you'll have to pay for it."

Everyone was overjoyed; such a wonderful thing had happened.

The last team looked back with envy, wondering why they weren't the ones guarding the things; at least they wouldn't have to walk.