Chapter 66 Drinking Snow (Part Six) The prince is truly mute. ...

The lamplight swayed in the wind for a moment, the tent curtains were lifted from the outside and quickly closed. As soon as Zhi Rou entered the tent, she felt a chill as if she had been licked by flames, the warmth almost unreal.

The scene by the lake felt like a dream; her heart pounded, and she vaguely realized something, yet remained uncertain and unsure.

Because of the large number of people inside the tent, the murmurs of conversation never ceased. Zhi Rou walked to her stall, and as soon as her gaze fell upon it, Jing Yao's face turned ashen white.

"Sister?" Zhi Rou frowned, knelt down beside her, and patted her. After a short while, she coughed twice and slowly opened her eyes.

"Sister, are you feeling unwell?" Zhi Rou looked at her for a moment, then turned and went downstairs. "I'm going to find the physician."

Jingyao was so ill that she didn't even have the strength to open her mouth. Her vision was blurry, but she could still hear every word around her.

Someone stopped Zhi Rou, glancing at the corner of the dormitory: "It's no use, Miss Song, Jing Yao won't make it."

"Yes, someone just died in the main tent tonight, and all the imperial physicians are waiting there... Jingyao is seriously ill this time, and probably won't make it through the night. Why should Miss Song go to the front and cause trouble?"

Another person looked at Zhi Rou, sizing her up and down: "Miss Song has been taking care of her for several days. I hope she doesn't catch a cold and end up like that person in front, meeting the King of Hell."

The people speaking were female officials who had previously worked with Jingyao. Since Jingyao fell ill, they continued to talk loudly in their tents every day. They were even afraid of the illness and had considered moving Jingyao to another tent.

Zhi Rou had just seen all the guards withdraw from the lakeside. If the imperial physicians were all in the main tent and the guards had gone too, could it be that Princess Huai Xian had an accident? If that were the case, the camp would have been in an uproar long ago, so why was it so quiet?

"How do you all know that the person in front died of illness?" Zhi Rou raised an eyebrow. "Physician Zhao said that Sister Jing Yao was just not used to the local environment, and he can cure her."

After speaking, he pushed them aside and went outside to find the physician.

After Zhi Rou left, the woman at the head of the tent scoffed softly, "She's not very old, but she has quite the temper."

"Isn't she the daughter of Lord Song? She must have committed some offense in the capital to be sent here."

Because of her different status, everyone was somewhat wary of her. But then they thought, she had been put into the marriage alliance, how could she possibly return to the capital?

Even if she is a phoenix, she is no different from them now.

The woman in the lead stopped glancing outside the tent: "Forget about it. We tried to advise her with good intentions, but she wouldn't listen... The princess is already dissatisfied with her, otherwise why would she send Yanliu to monitor her every day? Just wait, if she tries to curry favor with the princess now, she'll definitely suffer the consequences."

Someone chimed in, "Just don't let her drag us down with her."

Even before approaching the main tent, the surroundings were shrouded in a somber atmosphere, with guards standing firm and torches illuminating the area as if it were daytime.

Zhi Rou did not rush to see the princess, but waited outside, thinking about the Northern Li delegation.

Before even leaving the border of the Yan Dynasty, the Bei Li delegation was distributing mutton to the marriage procession. Was this considered a courtesy? Although she was inexperienced in worldly affairs, this action was strange and she couldn't help but have some doubts.

Jing Yao, hailing from the Northwest, has a particular fondness for mutton, and her symptoms suggest poisoning. If it truly involves the Northern Li delegation, are they trying to sabotage the marriage alliance? Why go through all this trouble, risking offending the Yan Dynasty? It's a losing proposition... Zhi Rou shook her head.

After a while, people began to emerge from the main tent. Zhi Rou watched intently, and when she saw that Physician Zhao was among them, she quickly straightened her sleeves and slipped out of the darkness.

"Imperial Physician Zhao."

The sudden appearance of the figure startled Zhao Xuan. He looked up, and the firelight clearly illuminated the girl's face.

She bowed respectfully to him: "Sister Jingyao's illness is getting worse. Please, Physician Zhao, save her."

Having just experienced the suffocating situation inside, Zhao Xuan was already exhausted. He thought that the change in climate could not be serious. He would get better sooner or later by resting according to the prescription he had given.

He raised his sleeve to dismiss Zhi Rou, but she whispered again, "Sister Jing Yao's illness is not due to water or soil incompatibility, but rather seems to be caused by something she ate by mistake." She paused for a moment, then lowered her voice even further, "I heard that the princess also tasted the mutton sent by the Bei Li delegation that day."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xuan observed her suspiciously for a moment. The young girl's eyes were sincere, possessing an inexplicable power to convince him. He pondered for a moment, his expression gradually becoming serious. He straightened the box and said, "Please lead the way, young lady."

A trace of crimson blood appeared on the sleeve of her robe as she lifted it. Zhi Rou silently took a half step back and glanced back at the main tent.

Who is the person who lost their life tonight?

The next morning, Jingyao was able to speak. Zhirou fed her some porridge, and by the afternoon, she was in a completely different state from the day before. She could get out of bed and walk around, and apart from her poor complexion, she was almost no different from a normal person.

Jingyao and Zhirou had only known each other for half a month, but Jingyao was very grateful for Zhirou's kindness.

While everyone else was washing their hair in the outer room, Zhi Rou sat alone on the bed, playing with a wooden dagger that looked like a knife.

The dim yellow light made her brow bone appear slightly more prominent than average, her eyelashes were long and thick, and her hands were even more beautiful. The dagger spun wildly between her fingers, impossible to remove, and possessed a dangerous allure.

"Miss Song." Jing Yao called out to the front of the dormitory.

Zhi Rou turned around at the sound, put the wooden tools into her bosom, and asked, "Are you hungry, sister?" She got down and put on her boots, feeling quite refreshed.

Seeing that she looked like she was serving her, Jing Yao was so frightened that she took several steps back, stammering, "No, I... I meant to say..."

"What do you want to say?" Zhi Rou kicked off her boots and stood up, raising her gaze from the ground to look at her patiently.

Jing Yao's face flushed under her gaze, and she kept her eyes lowered: "Yesterday... I heard everything they said. Miss Song sought medical help for me, and I... I have nothing to offer, I don't know how to repay her..."

Zhi Rou smiled, but Jing Yao opened her eyes and said confidently, "In the future, if Miss Song has anything you need me to do, I will not refuse as long as you ask."

"It is because of Physician Zhao's superb medical skills. I only went to invite him. It was a small matter and not worth mentioning."

Zhi Rou took two steps forward, her gaze lingering on the curtain for a long time. She didn't see any of Princess Huai Xian's people coming to watch her today.

"By the way, there is something you can help me with, sister." She turned around and looked at her with a smile.

"Please speak, Miss Song."

"Sister, please don't call me 'Miss Song' anymore. My name is Zhirou."

Still mindful of their respective identities, Jing Yao awkwardly parted her lips and said, "Zhi... Miss Zhi Rou."

Another day passed, and those in the group who had fallen ill were all fully recovered thanks to the skillful treatment of Physician Zhao. To avoid delaying the journey, His Highness the Crown Prince ordered the camp to be disbanded.

Jingyao had altered Zhirou's leather boots at some point; they were soft and comfortable, not rubbing her feet at all. Zhirou smiled at her, but then suddenly remembered her mother, and her expression darkened slightly.

It was cold. A light rain fell at noon, and the chill clung to my collar like a wisp of silk, making my neck shiver slightly.

In this situation, Zhi Rou, like Wei Yuanzhan, pays great attention to her appearance. She looks relaxed and powerful, and her actions are different from those of others.

Princess Huaixian summoned her again at this time.

Zhi Rou entered the carriage and bowed slightly to Huai Xian: "Your Highness."

Huai Xian observed her for a long time, then hesitantly asked, "Does Miss Song know martial arts?"

The nightmare from the previous night was still vivid in Huai Xian's mind, and she could not shake it off. Just thinking about how Yan Liu fell in a pool of blood to protect her only fueled her hatred for the royal family.

For no reason at these times, she always remembers another person.

Upon hearing her question, Zhi Rou slightly raised her long eyes, reflecting on where her words and actions might have gone wrong. After a moment, she replied, "Your Highness, I have indeed learned some basics, but I haven't practiced in a long time, so I'm afraid I've become rusty."

Huai Xian seemed not to hear him and abruptly asked, "Would Miss Song be willing to stay by my side?"

As soon as the words were spoken, Zhi Rou frowned in surprise, her gaze fixed on her face.

Compared to before, her face was pale and unsightly, and because she was made up too perfectly, she looked like a porcelain doll.

Zhi Rou's lips twitched slightly, revealing a hint of mockery: "Is Your Highness joking with me?"

Huai Xian's face immediately darkened.

She herself did not know what she was thinking about Song Zhirou, but she really disliked Song Zhirou's fearless appearance.

Even if she went to Beili, she would still be a princess, and Song Zhirou would just be a dowry gift from His Majesty.

A maidservant given away so casually, and a princess promised so easily… Huai Xian suddenly sneered: “Miss Song, what was your answer when I asked you last time if you believed in fate?”

"Your Highness, I did not answer, nor did I believe it."

Huai Xian disagreed: "But look, aren't you about to leave your homeland just like me?"

Zhi Rou stared directly at her, her eyes bright and clear: "Your Highness has summoned me several times. What is it that you want to hear from me?"

After a period of silence, Huai Xian had to admit that Song Zhirou was very perceptive and difficult to tame. She clearly knew what she wanted to hear, yet she insisted on saying the opposite of what she meant to hurt her.

Sitting in the embroidered cage, no matter how magnificent the scenery outside was, I was oblivious to everything else. A north wind blew in at just the right time, carrying the faint scent of hay and sand, a scent that was absent from the winds of the capital.

"Does Miss Song have someone she misses?"

Huai Xian looked up and waited for a while before continuing, "There is a trading company in Yuyang that is not under the jurisdiction of the imperial court and has frequent dealings with Beili. They can take the letters to Yanjing."

The two countries had a strict border, making correspondence difficult.

Huai Xian used this as bait, and Zhi Rou stood quietly in the carriage for a moment. Her mother's face flashed through her mind, and then, like a golden sun shining on snow, it gradually melted away.

"Why does Your Highness care so much about me, a nobody?"

Zhi Rou looked at the woman in front of her with a puzzled expression, but there was a hint of certainty in her glassy eyes. "Is it guilt, Your Highness Jiayang?"

"The title was wrong." Huai Xian's beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly, but she didn't answer her question.

After a long silence, he responded with a voice that seemed to be directed at no one: "You are no nobody."

The next day, Zhi Rou was transferred to Princess Huai Xian's side. Those who had originally shared a tent with her, seeing that she was not disliked by the princess, secretly regretted not having climbed up to her earlier like Jing Yao.

According to the timeline, the princess's entourage should have passed Liangcheng and arrived in Yuyang more than a month later. However, when the news reached Beili, the Yan Dynasty princess had only traveled one-third of the way. Moreover, there were treacherous individuals in the delegation who plotted to harm the princess.

The Khan was furious when he learned of this, and upon hearing that Enhe was behind it, he had him whipped in public.

Enhe did not defend himself.

Sari muttered, "The prince is really mute."

Enhe smiled frankly, and after he finished, he put on his robe and went to sleep. Sari couldn't do anything with him, so she sang to him by his blanket like she was coaxing her own child.

The sky at dawn was still a dark blue-green, with an inescapable fog everywhere.

Sari woke up in a fright and heard the horse neighing softly outside. He rushed out and saw Enhe patting the horse's head and then taking the reins and riding up.

"Where has the prince gone?" he shouted.

Enhe's smile was pure and innocent, concealed by the thick fog, and the contempt in his eyes was well hidden: "Didn't Father Khan send me to welcome the Yan Dynasty princess?"

Harm, that's quite a nice-sounding crime.