Chapter 22 Departure

“I have Qing Shu and my personal guards,” Ling Wei said. Seeing that he was still pursing his lips, she reached out and gently tapped his forehead. “Alright, guard the capital for me. Places like Xishan are full of mosquitoes and the roads are bumpy; your legs…”

She didn't finish her sentence, but she conveyed the meaning.

Yi Shao was about to say something when he heard soft footsteps coming from under the corridor.

He saw Shen Zhilan walking slowly towards him. Today, he was wearing a moon-white casual dress with a light blue gauze robe over it. He looked as pure and simple as if he had stepped out of a traditional Chinese ink painting.

Ling Wei also saw Shen Zhilan and raised an eyebrow slightly: "Is there something you need?"

Shen Zhilan stepped forward, stopped three steps away from her, took out a folded piece of paper from his sleeve, and handed it to her with both hands.

Ling Wei took the scroll and unfolded it; it was Shen Zhilan's work.

[The Western Mountains are treacherous. Zhilan traveled through the southwest with his uncle in his youth, gaining some knowledge of the mountains and rivers and knowing several local dialects. If Your Highness needs to investigate the people's conditions on this trip, Zhilan may serve as your eyes and ears. Moreover, Zhilan is knowledgeable in medicine and herbal medicine; if any inconvenience is encountered in the mountains, he can be of assistance in times of emergency.]

The reasons are clearly stated, but at the end of this passage, there is another line of smaller print:

[Furthermore, Her Highness the Crown Princess once said that mining is the foundation of a nation's stability, and that the well-being of the people and the peace of the land are of paramount importance. Now that Zhilan has entered the Prince's residence, I wish to follow in her footsteps and do my utmost to comfort my old friend.]

Ling Wei's gaze lingered on those few lines of small print for a moment.

"You want to go?" Ling Wei asked.

Shen Zhilan nodded gently.

Ling Wei remained silent for a while. Yi Shao's talent lay in business acumen and shrewdness, and staying in the capital would indeed allow him to make the most of his abilities; as for Shen Zhilan...

His reasons, both publicly and privately, were hard to refuse.

Moreover, leaving him in the capital, alone with Yi Shao in a mansion... Ling Wei had some inexplicable considerations in her mind.

Shen Zhilan is too quiet, so quiet that it's impossible to see through him. Rather than keeping him out of sight, it's better to keep him by your side.

"Okay, pack your things, we'll leave tomorrow."

Shen Zhilan nodded again, bowed, and turned to leave.

Yi Shao felt a slight stinging sensation in his palm, caused by his fingernails pinching.

Ling Wei turned to look at him. Yi Shao's expression at that moment made her pause. His phoenix eyes, which always held a smile, were slightly lowered, and his long eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes. His lips were pursed tightly.

It wasn't the feigned resentment she usually put on to get her to compromise and cooperate with the "treatment," but genuine sadness.

A soft spot in her heart was gently touched.

She reached out and touched his cheek with her fingertips: "It's not like I'm not coming back. I still have to come back and wait for you to make a fortune."

These words, though spoken lightly, strangely soothed the sharp bitterness in Yi Shao's heart.

He turned back and looked into her eyes, which were so close to his. There was no pretense in them, only a hint of helplessness and a hint of indulgence that he dared not think too deeply about.

"My lady..." Yi Shao suddenly said something very softly, his voice so indistinct that it was almost inaudible.

"Huh?" Ling Wei didn't hear clearly and subconsciously leaned closer.

Yi Shao grasped one of her hands, which was hanging by her side, and his fingertips habitually caressed the inside of her wrist.

That was a little gesture he often made at night; the way his fingertips brushed against that spot always caused her a subtle shiver, and it had become a secret understanding.

Ling Wei's wrist trembled, and her breath hitched for a moment.

Taking advantage of her momentary lapse in concentration, Yi Shao used their clasped hands to pull her down a little further, while his other hand held onto the wheelchair armrest, supporting his slightly reclining upper body.

The faint, refreshing scent of his breath landed on her lips.

The moment their lips touched, it was as if some incredibly familiar mechanism had been triggered, and Yi Shao naturally entangled herself in it, knowing all too well how to seduce.

With a delicate lick and skillful pressure, Ling Wei's body reacted before her mind could process it; her waist went weak, and the fingers holding his hand unconsciously tightened.

The entanglement was brief yet profound, and no one noticed the figure under the corridor who had not yet completely left.

Shen Zhilan stopped walking at some point and stood sideways beside the pillar.

Yi Shao let go first.

He stepped back slightly, his breathing noticeably erratic, a hint of red at the corners of his eyes, and his voice low and hoarse: "I await Your Highness's safe return."

Before dawn the next day, carriages and horses were already prepared in front of the Prince's Mansion.

Qing Shu mustered fifty personal guards, all lightly armored and dressed simply, with strong and capable horses. Ling Wei's own warhorse, Taxue, was also brought out. It was a jet-black Northern steed with only four white hooves, tall and strong, and had accompanied her in battles in the Northern Frontier.

In the three years since Ta Xue returned to the capital after being seriously injured, she has been recuperating like her master, occasionally being taken out for a run by Ling Wei.

Upon seeing Ling Wei, it affectionately rubbed against her palm and snorted.

Ling Wei patted its neck, mounted the horse with nimble movements, and her gaze swept across the group, pausing for a moment on Shen Zhilan.

He was also riding a horse, a fine steed with a glossy coat and a steady gait. It was clearly a well-bred horse, which surprised Ling Wei. Shen Zhilan had been living a secluded life since entering the mansion, yet he had such a mount.

Shen Zhilan noticed her gaze and nodded slightly.

"Let's go." Ling Wei withdrew her gaze and tugged on the reins.

Treading through the snow, he strode forward, followed closely by fifty riders. The sound of their hooves broke the silence of the early morning as they headed towards the city gate.

The first two days of travel went smoothly as usual.

Ling Wei rode in front, with Qing Shu guarding her side, and Shen Zhilan and Yun Qi followed in the middle of the group. They set off every day at dawn and rested at post stations or towns before sunset, making for a tight schedule.

On the afternoon of the third day, the group stopped to rest in a grove of trees.

Ling Wei dismounted to stretch her muscles, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over Shen Zhilan, who was tying up his horse. He moved a little slower than usual, pausing for a moment while holding onto the saddle before regaining his balance. Yun Qi, who was beside her, hurriedly stepped forward, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something, but was stopped by a look from Shen Zhilan.

Ling Wei narrowed her eyes.

When she mounted her horse again and continued on her way, she deliberately slowed down and rode alongside Shen Zhilan for a while. Her gaze fell on the saddle under his crotch. The leather was brand new, and the saddle bridge was high and straight. This kind of saddle would chafe the thighs after riding for a long time.

"Are your legs chafed?" Ling Wei asked, her voice low, only the two of them could hear.

Shen Zhilan was slightly taken aback, then shook her head and made a sign for "no problem".

Ling Wei sighed.

In the past, she and her guards often rode horses, and they always had soft padding sewn into their trousers and wrapped fine cloth around the inside of their knees. She forgot to tell Shen Zhilan about these details.

"When we arrive at the post station tonight, have Yunqi sew you some soft cushions," Ling Wei said. "We still have to travel tomorrow. There are bandits in Xishan... we can't delay."

Shen Zhilan turned to look at her. Ling Wei was looking straight ahead. The sunlight outlined her straight nose and tightly pursed lips. Her usually lazy, half-closed eyes were now slightly narrowed as she gazed at the official road stretching into the distance.

She didn't spout any grand principles, just stated the facts, but Shen Zhilan's heart skipped a beat.