Chapter 116 Old Acquaintances Meet Again: Xue Chan Draws Her Sword.

Xue Chan and Xue Chenghuai prepared to set off for Chaoxi.

In fact, from the moment she returned, Xue Chenghuai had a vague feeling that this day would come sooner or later, so he didn't spend too much time tidying up and finishing in just three to five days.

Just after the Lesser Heat solar term, the two of them rested under the old locust tree in their secluded dwelling before leaving, eating cherry-stuffed dumplings made by Chunniang.

Before she had even finished her bowl of dumplings, Xue Chan received a letter from the northern frontier.

It was sent to her by Xiao Yangjun.

The letter, spanning several pages, began by inquiring about Xue Chan's recent situation, then recounted several events since her marriage to the northern frontier, and described the local landscape in detail. At the end, the letter asked if she wished to travel north to meet him.

Xue Chan held the letter until the ice in the porcelain cup had completely melted.

Xue Chenghuai asked her, "What's wrong?"

She pondered for a moment and then discussed it with Xue Chenghuai: "When I was in the capital, I became acquainted with the wife of the current military governor of Jing'an. Last year, she married and moved to the northern frontier by imperial decree. Recently, she wrote to invite me to come north for a visit. Father, what do you think..."

"Then let's go!"

"But we were originally going to Chaoxi, wouldn't this delay our trip?"

Xue Chenghuai laughed and said, "The Northern Frontier is not too far from Chaoxi. It's just a few more days' journey westward. Since we're going on a long trip anyway, we might as well take this opportunity to travel more."

"Speaking of which, your father still has friends in the northern border region. It's been a long time since I've seen them. It's a good opportunity for old friends to get together."

Xue Chan waved her silk fan and teased him, "How come Father has friends everywhere?"

Xue Chenghuai popped a plum into his mouth: "A former classmate."

After discussing it, the two decided to go to the northern frontier first. Xue Chan wrote a letter to Xiao Yangjun informing him of her itinerary before setting off.

The carriages and horses traveled north, and the further north they went, the more different the scenery became.

This was the first time Xue Chan had traveled such a long distance; she had never imagined she would go this far. As the carriage traveled, she observed the surroundings.

The scenery of northern Xinjiang and Yuchuan is so different from that of the capital.

The further north you go, the fewer tall, lush trees there are, and even the wind isn't as humid as in Tamagawa.

The only downside is how dry it is; every gust of wind carries very little moisture. Taking a breath of air feels like the wind is stealing all the moisture from your body.

Even though they made many preparations, there were still many unexpected events.

Xue Chan also had several nosebleeds, and her face was so dry and painful that she had to apply a thick layer of cream to relieve it.

Everything in the North is more expansive, and even the sun and moon seem closer to people. Sometimes, the round, large golden disc of the moon hangs over the plains, as if you could run and reach out your hand to touch it.

As Xue Chan walked along, her originally narrow and cramped heart expanded as she absorbed so many sights and landscapes.

When they got closer to Xiangcheng, Xue Chan's reply finally reached the Huan residence and Xiao Yangjun's hands.

Xiao Yangjun was drawing up blueprints for an improved loom when he received the reply and was overjoyed.

When she first married him, Jiang Ce went to war, and the next news she received was of his death.

She heard from Cheng Huaizhu that Xue Chan was going to Chaoxi, so she tried to invite her to the Northern Frontier. She didn't expect Xue Chan to agree and set off so quickly.

When Huan Che, the military governor of Jing'an, returned to his residence, he saw her holding a rabbit and talking to it. Seeing how happy she was, he couldn't help but ask her why.

He asked, and Xiao Yangjun answered.

After she finished speaking, she remembered that he was away in Xiangcheng because he had gone out to quell the bandit rebellion, and she hadn't discussed this matter with him yet, so she squatted down and tugged at his sleeve to ask him.

Will you agree?

Huan Che squatted down next to her and teased the rabbit, laughing, "What's the big deal? You can see your friend whenever you want, why ask me?"

Xiao Yangjun smiled and said seriously, "But we are husband and wife, so we should discuss things together."

"Yes, what you said makes sense."

He lowered his eyes and stroked the rabbit in her arms, then said, "The bandits have been causing a lot of trouble lately. I'll send another detachment of soldiers to pick them up."

Xiao Yangjun nestled her face against the soft rabbit, turned her head to look at him, and blushed in the rosy light: "Thank you."

Huan Che said, "I still need to leave Xiangcheng to catch the scattered bandits. If you really want to thank me, just let me have two strokes when we play polo after this is over."

"good"

She smiled, and the two of them squatted down together under the tree to feed the rabbits.

As evening approached, the afterglow faded, and a silvery full moon hung in the dark blue sky.

The moonlight was so bright that it made the distant sand dunes shimmer like silver.

Due to an unexpected delay along the way, Xue Chan and her party did not have time to reach the next official post station.

They could only choose a spot in the wilderness to pitch their tents and rest for the night, waiting until dawn before setting off again.

The travelers helped each other set up tents by a spring, lit a fire, and cooked food.

Although it's already June, the difference between night and day in northern Xinjiang is still significant. During the day, it's unbearably hot, with steam rising from every patch of sand, making one feel as if they're inside a yellow and blue pot.

But at night it gets as cold as late autumn, and you shiver from the cold if you don't wear thick clothes.

Xue Chan, Yun Sheng, Chu Tao, and the others wrapped themselves in blankets and sat around the fire to keep warm. Xue Chenghuai cooked hot wine for them.

"Have some hot wine to warm yourself up."

The sweet fruit wine flowed down my throat and into my stomach, and the chill was melted away by the gentle warmth.

After drinking hot wine and eating soup dumplings, Xue Chan felt sleepy.

Xue Chenghuai told her to sleep in the tent.

Xue Chan yawned as she followed Yun Sheng and Chu Tao away. The tent was dimly lit, with a glass lamp lit inside.

She took off her outer garment, touched the goose-feather knife under her pillow, and confirmed that it was still there.

Yun Sheng and Chu Tao slept next to her, but Yun Sheng sneezed several times as soon as she touched the blanket.

Xue Chan said, "Could it be that you caught a cold? Go outside and have a bowl of ginger wine. It wouldn't be good if you got sick on the way."

"I'll go outside first. If I'm really sick, I might pass on my illness to you." Yun Sheng covered her mouth with her handkerchief and sneezed twice. She put on her padded jacket and went out from the tent.

Xue Chan wanted to check on her, but Yun Sheng pressed her back down, saying, "Go to sleep, Miss, it's alright."

She was really sleepy and fell asleep after a while.

Xue Chan didn't sleep very soundly; she was still somewhat drowsy.

I don't know how long I slept, but then I heard a commotion outside, and I could faintly hear the sound of swords clashing.

Xue Chan heard what sounded like Xue Chenghuai shouting outside the tent.

"Qiao Niang!"

She immediately sat up and forcefully woke Chu Tao. Chu Tao was still half asleep when Xue Chan said sternly, "Wake up! Something's happened outside!"

Chu Tao suddenly woke up, completely wide awake.

The two quickly put on their outer garments and stood close together, and Xue Chan reached for her knife.

"Swish---!"

A gash was cut into the tent, and the glass lamp reflected half of a blood-dripping scimitar.

The two were terrified and retreated.

The opening was ripped open, and half of a man's body was squeezed inside. Seeing the two of them, he grinned sinisterly and reached out as if to climb in and grab them.

Xue Chan immediately drew her knife and first cut off the hand that the other party had reached out. The blood smeared on the glass lamp, and the dark red light shining into her eyes made them look blood red.

"ah!"

A piercing scream rang out, and Xue Chan lunged forward, thrusting her goose-feather saber into the wound. With the sound of the blade piercing flesh, her body trembled slightly, but her grip tightened even more.

"Pfft---"

Xue Chan drew her knife, and the person pulling down the tent fell backward to the ground with a heavy thud.

The tent was already on the verge of collapse. Xue Chan, with a knife in one hand and Chu Tao, who was unable to make a sound, in the other, ran out through the large gash.

Outside, the ground was already a bloodbath, and the sounds of clashing swords continued.

The carriages and horses were in disarray, with their contents scattered all over the ground.

They encountered bandits. By the moonlight, Xue Chan quickly counted about ten of them, all tall, burly, and vicious thugs wielding weapons.

Seeing that her own men were evenly matched with the bandits, Xue Chan realized that the people Jiang Ji had arranged to accompany her were all experts.

Upon seeing Xue Chan and the other woman emerge from the tent, the two men immediately stood in front of them, one in front and one behind.

"Don't be afraid, my wife."

Their group had been scattered, and Xue Chenghuai didn't even know where he was.

Xue Chan was extremely worried, but she was also trapped and unable to escape. Afraid that the blood would make her hands slip and cause her to lose her grip on the knife, she quickly wiped her hands on her body and tightened her grip on the goose-feather knife.

The two guards fought with the bandits while protecting them as they searched for Xue Chenghuai.

They were skilled in martial arts, but unfortunately they were facing vicious criminals. After several fights, they inevitably suffered injuries, but they still persisted.

There were four or five people who tried to intercept them, but half of them had already been killed and were on the verge of death.

Xue Chan carried each of them to their deaths with a goose-feather saber in her hand, then picked up a saber from the ground and stuffed it into Chu Tao's hand: "Take this!"

Although Chu Tao was frightened and speechless by the scene, tears streaming down her face, she still tremblingly accepted the knife Xue Chan handed her and gripped it tightly.

With most of the enemy casualties, the group then circled around to look for Xue Chenghuai and his companions.

The campfire burned out, its greyish-white embers buried by the wind and sand. The moon on the dunes gradually moved and sank, the sky fading to a bluish-white.

After going around in circles, Xue Chan and the others finally found Xue Chenghuai.

He also carried a knife, and his usually meticulously groomed beard was now soaked in blood, a tangled mess mixed with the yellow sand. His robes were torn in several places, and when Xue Chan touched them, her hands were covered in blood.

"father!"

Xue Chenghuai comforted her, "It's alright, Dad's alright, these are all injuries that will heal."

For some unknown reason, most of the bandits were killed or wounded in the ensuing fighting. The majority of the bandits were injured, while the majority of the bandits died.

Xue Chan looked around twice more and saw Yingyue, but couldn't find Yunsheng.

"Where's Yunsheng? Where's Yunsheng!" She stepped forward, grabbed Yingyue's arm, and asked her loudly.

Yingyue fell to the ground, clutching her sleeve and crying.

"Those bandits wanted to steal our valuables, but Sister Yunsheng drove the carriage away to protect the paintings on the cart."

"Where did you go! When did you leave? Which direction did you go?"

Xue Chan shook her, and Yingyue, sobbing uncontrollably, still managed to point to the sand dunes on one side of the woods and said with all her might, "They went that way, about a quarter and a half hours ago."

"Green Eyebrows! Green Eyebrows!"

A white horse galloped out of the woods.

Xue Chan immediately drew her sword, mounted her horse, and headed towards the place where the moon had fallen.

"Hurry and catch up with her!"

She rode off at breakneck speed on her Green Eyebrows.

Xue Chenghuai, disregarding his wounds, immediately tried to give chase, but due to his injuries and leg ailment, he fell to the ground and could only order someone to ride a horse to pursue him.

The sky gradually turned blue, and the morning glow gradually turned red.

As the group rode their horses across the sand dunes, Yun Sheng stood on the carriage, wildly slashing with her knife. However, she was no match for the bandits and was dragged off the carriage by her hair.

Xue Chan spurred her horse forward, and Green Eyebrows kicked the man who was dragging Yun Sheng, sending him sprawling. The horse's hoof landed, crushing the man to death as he coughed up blood.

With one hand holding the reins and the other a goose-feather knife, she rode high on her horse and scattered the sand bandits.

Upon seeing Xue Chan and her companions arrive, they hurriedly scattered and fled.

Xue Chan rode after them, leading Green Eyebrows to trample two of them, shattering their sternums.

As she raised her knife high, she beheaded two bandits in quick succession.

She did not close her eyes as blood splattered on her face, body, hands, and the knife.

Xue Chan felt she should shed tears, but she had no tears to shed.

The pale yellow sun slowly rose from the rolling sand dunes, its crimson and purple rays instantly illuminating the vast expanse of yellow sand.

Xue Chan dismounted and stumbled forward, knife in hand. She walked towards Yun Sheng, her steps uneven on the sand.

Only then did Yun Sheng feel the relief of surviving a disaster, and his voice choked with emotion, unable to speak.

She threw herself into Xue Chan's arms and cried loudly, "I...I thought I was going to...I was going to die here."

Xue Chanchan wiped the sand off her face, hugged her back, and gently patted her back to help her catch her breath.

"It's alright now, it's dawn, it's all over."

The two sat tightly embracing each other in the wind and sand, while the sound of horses' hooves approached from behind.

Xue Chan turned around and saw a group of people riding tall horses approaching them in the bright morning light. She immediately stood up, picked up the knife in her hand, and used it to shield Yun Sheng, who was still sitting on the sand, behind her.

Those people approached.

The leader was very young.

He was extremely tall, with high eyebrows, deep-set eyes, and a broad, well-defined frame. His skin was slightly dark, but his blue-green eyes shone brightly. He wore a dark green robe embroidered with gold, carried a curved sword, and his gaze swept lightly over the group of them.

They are from a different race.

However, the people behind him were dressed in the military robes of the Liang Dynasty officials. Since there were many foreign officials in the northern border, Xue Chan guessed that they were from the Liang Dynasty.

She took a couple of breaths to calm herself down.

"May I ask who you are...?"

The man's gaze shifted downwards and landed on the goose-feather knife in Xue Chan's hand.

He dismounted, cupped his hands in greeting, and spoke.

"I am Huan Che, the military governor of Jing'an. I greet you, my sister-in-law."

Xue Chan asked, puzzled, "You know me?"

Huan Che shook his head and said, "Although I have heard of Xue Taisu, the daughter of the Xue family, I do not recognize her. I only recognize the goose feather knife in your hand, which belongs to an old friend."

Xue Chan held the goose-feather saber horizontally in her hand; it was the one Jiang Ce had left her before he went to war.

“Recently, a group of bandits robbed merchant caravans and plundered civilians. I led men to pursue them, but after capturing most of the bandits, the rest escaped. We have been chasing them all night and have run into you. Madam has already informed you about Madam Xue’s trip to the northern frontier. We originally sent a troop of soldiers to meet her, but they failed to meet her and instead suffered this misfortune.”

He smiled and gave a respectful bow.

"I am truly ashamed that I failed in my task of apprehending the suspect and caused you distress."

Xue Chan smiled slightly and said nothing: "You're too kind, sir."

Huan Che cupped his hands in a gesture of invitation: "Since we have met, why don't you and Madam Xue accompany me back to Xiangcheng?"

It would indeed be much safer to travel with them, Xue Chan agreed.

Aside from a few knife marks, the carriage that Yun Sheng had brought was still drivable. Xue Chan and Yun Sheng boarded the carriage first, followed by their entourage who dismounted and headed back to find Xue Chenghuai.

Despite the bumpy and difficult journey, most of those books, paintings, and manuscripts are still intact thanks to Yun Sheng's protection.

When Xue Chan met Xue Chenghuai, she quickly recounted what had happened.

Xue Chenghuai and Huan Che exchanged greetings. Some people stayed behind to clean up the mess, while the rest followed Huan Che to the next post station to rest.

By the time they arrived at the post station, it was getting late, and they were already very close to Xiangcheng.

After this harrowing night, Xue Chan finally calmed down and felt terrified and exhausted. The inn was simple, and she collapsed onto the couch without even making the bed.

Xue Chan was sleeping so soundly that she didn't even wake up when Chu Tao moved the pillows and blankets slightly.

Chu Tao lit the lamp by the window, walked to the desk, and nudged Yun Sheng, who was still organizing Xue Chan's manuscript.

She said softly, "You should go to sleep too. I'll stay here and watch over things."

Yun Sheng lifted his face from the dim light, pursed his lips, and shook his head: "I can't sleep."

"Sigh," Chu Tao sighed softly, noticing the dark circles under her eyes and her voice hoarse. She simply moved a small stool next to Yun Sheng and said, "How about I help you? Otherwise, you'll get sick if you stay up all night."

“These things are complicated, I’m afraid you won’t be able to do them.”

"Hey, teach me!" She smiled affectionately and moved closer to Yun Sheng. "I'll be your page."

Yun Sheng smiled and said, "Okay."

The two sat side by side, with Yun Sheng teaching and Chu Tao learning.

After a while, Yingyue tiptoed in and saw the two people quietly organizing their manuscripts under the lamp. She leaned closer and smiled, "Why are you imitating 'nighttime strolls by candlelight'?"

Chu Tao rested her chin on her hand and laughed at her: "You even know about 'holding a candle for a night stroll'? Where did you learn that?"

“It’s obvious you weren’t listening carefully. The young lady just talked about this in the carriage a few days ago.” Yingyue raised her chin, sat opposite them, and pinched Chutao’s chin. “If I were you, I would be so embarrassed.”

"Pah, who are you laughing at?" Chu Tao spat at her lightly.

Yingyue pretended to hit her, and Xue Chan on the bed turned over. The group stopped what they were doing and shushed each other.

Once Xue Chan's commotion subsided, the three of them sat quietly together, laughing and joking.

The candle burned quietly until it went out with a "pop" when it reached its end.

The dim yellow light faded into the walls, while the pale blue light shone through the window. Several stacks of paper manuscripts were neatly piled on the desk, even tied together with different kinds of silk threads.

Xue Chan sat up, half asleep, and found that the bed, which was neither too big nor too small, could fit four people.

She yawned silently, covered them with the two blankets, and rolled into the corner of the bed to sleep.