Chapter 83 Year After Year Wild Geese (Part 5) Don't you recognize me?

A gray falcon circled in the sky. Zhi Rou, without stopping, returned from the guards' quarters to Huai Xian's tent, lifted the curtain, and went inside.

"Your Highness, the carriages and entourage have been arranged. We can set off tomorrow after the snow stops."

The wind and snow were drawn into the tent by her movements. Huai Xian glanced at her and said, "I know." She gently patted the felt blanket with her jade hand. "It's cold outside, come and sit here."

Zhi Rou has been under Huai Xian's command for more than half a year, and since her arrival, many thorny issues have been resolved. On the surface, Huai Xian maintains the airs of a princess, but in reality, she regards Zhi Rou as her backbone and cannot do without her.

Zhi Rou had her own purpose, and since this trip north wasn't entirely fruitless, she didn't dwell too much on the past with Huai Xian. In short, she wouldn't go through fire and water for her; it was simply a matter of each getting what they needed.

Upon hearing this, Zhi Rou strode over, lifted her robe, and sat cross-legged on the felt carpet, subtly clenching her hands.

The weather was bitterly cold. Huai Xian tugged at his collar and held the sleeve warmer back in his hand: "What happened to those gossipy people from the other day?"

After the Khan's death, Alamusu succeeded him to the throne, and also to his Han concubine from the Yan Kingdom. However, the etiquette of the Central Plains had never been so perverse. Huai Xian felt humiliated and ordered the guards in front of the felt tent to keep her under guard until the Yan Emperor issued an edict.

Alamusu rose to power because Enhe was called a slave race, a distinction based on bloodline. Therefore, he was preoccupied with winning over his ministers and paid no attention to the soon-to-be-returned Princess Yan.

Unexpectedly, the day before yesterday, Alamusu got into a fight and drank some sake. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, he went into the wrong tent and entered the Huaixian tent.

Zhi Rou and Jing Yao were riding horses in the birch forest when they returned and saw Su Du dragging someone out of Huai Xian's tent, their arms around each other's shoulders.

When they met eyes, Su Du gave her a nonchalant look and led the new king away.

Unfortunately, the commotion was too great, and many people saw it, which is how the rumors started.

Last night, Zhi Rou heard strange noises. She put on her clothes and went outside, where she saw two ghostly figures standing under a tree, with the smell of blood lingering in the air.

"...Alamusu whipped them until they were barely alive."

Huai Xian nearly dropped the sleeve warmer she was holding, her dark eyelashes fluttering slightly: "How...how dare he?"

Although those men spoke rudely and displeased her, she left it to Song Zhirou to handle and had no intention of taking their lives. They were her people, people of the Yan Dynasty; how could Alamusu dare to do that?

So ruthless and capricious, Huai Xian couldn't help but wonder if he really meant to let her go back.

Zhi Rou remained silent.

How Alamusu ascended the throne was unknown to others, but she witnessed it. That night, Sudu quietly entered the Khan's tent, and from then on, no one else entered or left except for Alamusu.

He entered during the day, stayed for a long time, and when he came out, he had the handprint of the Khan's succession on his body.

Su was helping him.

Last night, Zhi Rou also saw Su Du. He stood opposite Alamusu, neither making a move nor stopping her, just watching coldly. He probably noticed her coming out and then stopped her.

At that moment, Zhirou truly felt a sense of fear.

Su Du is a man who does not kill surrendered soldiers on the battlefield, unlike the grassland generals described in the book. His subordinates do not massacre cities. However, last night he stood by and watched, indifferent as if he did not exist, just an empty shell.

Not long ago, Su showed her his mother's jade pendant. Underneath the coiled dragon pattern was a character, inconspicuous, that looked like seal script. She had seen it before but hadn't paid it any attention until he told her that it was the character "遇" (yù, meaning "encounter").

When Zhi Rou first heard this, she vaguely felt that some of her vague guesses were being confirmed.

She had considered that her mother might not be named "Lin He".

Doubts arose in her heart, and she wanted to dispel them, but dared not, especially in front of Su Du, Zhi Rou dared not ask.

The next day, as dawn broke, the snow gradually stopped, and the earth was covered in a golden white.

After the team was reorganized, the number of people was about 10% less than three years ago. Zhi Rou bent down and came out of the felt tent, only looking for Jing Yao, but when she looked up, she met Su Du again.

He changed into Yan Dynasty clothes and removed his braid; at first glance, he bore no resemblance to a steppe person. Zhi Rou remained silent, wondering to herself, was he going to return to Yan with them?

For some reason, Zhi Rou seemed somewhat resistant, her brows furrowed. Unexpectedly, Jing Yao strolled over from the side and also looked in that direction. After a moment, she murmured, "No wonder..."

Everyone around felt that the general had a cold and hard face and a stern personality, and they were all somewhat afraid of him, both openly and secretly.

Jing Yao was different; she found him very friendly and gave off a reassuring feeling. However, this feeling came inexplicably; she didn't know him at all.

Zhi Rou also has a pair of eyes like that.

...

After the group set off, Su followed on horseback at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

After passing the Shengzhou boundary marker, the snow completely stopped, and the sky became clear and bright.

Zhi Rou walked beside Huai Xian's carriage as usual, alongside Jing Yao, stepping on the path they had come from, and suddenly felt that everything was not quite real.

Time seemed to pass both quickly and slowly; sometimes it passed so quickly it frightened her, making her wonder if she was going to waste her whole life here. She had so many things she wanted to do, so many people she wanted to see, but she absolutely couldn't.

But as she lay on the grassland, smelling the sunshine and the scent of grass, she felt that time was incredibly long, long enough for her to fully recall what had happened in the capital.

Inevitably, she thought of Wei Yuanzhan again.

What did he say during our last meeting? Is he in Yuyang now?

Zhi Rou couldn't imagine what it would be like to see him again.

Thinking about it this way, Zhi Rou felt a vague sense of bitterness in her heart, and a bit of the feeling of competing with Wei Yuanzhan in the past, which made her very resentful.

Although she didn't think about Wei Yuanzhan all the time, she never forgot him for a single day.

The more she thought about it, the tighter her beautiful lips became, and she quickly turned her thoughts to her mother.

Once she returned to the capital, she would finally be able to see her mother and father... Thinking of this, Zhi Rou's brows furrowed again, her chest tightened, and she didn't know how to face them.

Thinking of all the love and care her father had shown her, she refused to believe it was all fake.

Her thick, curled eyelashes drooped down, casting a radiant glow on her face, revealing a hint of annoyance.

Jing Yao glanced at her, seemed to notice something, and whispered, "Zhi Rou, what's wrong?"

Since His Majesty granted the princess permission to return to the capital, Zhi Rou has been in high spirits and has never shown any signs of agitation.

Upon hearing this, Zhi Rou paused for a moment, then pulled her coat tighter and said, "No, it's too cold."

Jingyao then took off her own collar and handed it to her.

When Zhi Rou tried to refuse, she simply placed the item in her palm, then looked ahead and exclaimed joyfully, "I see them! They've come to fetch His Highness!"

Zhi Rou looked up and saw a dense mass of people in the distance, guarding several miles outside Lan City. Could that be considered a welcoming gesture?

A north wind whistled in, and Zhi Rou put on her scarf, covering her exposed skin completely.

Jing Yao's voice continued: "Once we return to the capital, will I never see you again?"

The two had spent a long time together and developed a deep friendship. When Zhi Rou fell from her horse, Jing Yao took care of her for three days without taking off her clothes.

As the saying goes, true friendship is revealed in times of trouble, and this was certainly true of the two of them. Zhi Rou was grateful to her and also reluctant to part with her, so she asked, "What are your plans, sister?"

Jing Yao glanced around discreetly and lowered her voice: "Actually... I want to ask Your Highness to give me the palace register. I want to leave the palace."

Zhi Rou looked surprised.

When she left with the army, she asked Jing Yao if she would like to go with her, but Jing Yao refused. She thought Jing Yao was a cautious person who disliked risks.

Seeing Huai Xian's tender expression, Jing Yao was about to continue speaking when Huai Xian suddenly pushed open the window and peeked outside. Helpless, she had no choice but to remain silent for the time being.

After a short while, the procession stopped.

The guard leader negotiated ahead, and soon his men returned and reported to the carriage: "Your Highness, Minister of Rites Zhao and General Gao have come to greet you. Would Your Highness like to disembark here?"

A few moments of silence filled the carriage before Huai Xian's voice slowly drifted out: "We haven't entered the city yet, have we?"

The man, after considering the situation, accepted the order and spurred his horse back to the front.

As a result, the convoy remained stationary for a long time.

Hearing what they said, Zhi Rou thought to herself that Huai Xian's temper had not changed at all, and couldn't help but feel a little admiration for him.

She lowered her eyelashes and listlessly fiddled with the short knife at her waist. This was a "special honor" she had received for following Huai Xian; apart from the guards, she was the only one who carried a sharp weapon.

After waiting for the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, the sound of approaching hooves grew louder.

The pace was slow, a "clattering" sound. The figure on horseback looked handsome, his upper body swaying slightly with the rhythm of the horse. He seemed to be looking around. When he was almost next to Zhi Rou, the horse's hooves stopped.

Zhi Rou's hand, which had been resting on the sheath, fell to the ground. She raised her eyebrows in suspicion and looked up.

A golden thread shone down from the sky, and the moment their eyes met, Zhi Rou's breath caught in her throat.

Wei Yuanzhan stared at her for a long time, his eyes seemingly glued to her, scanning her every move, unwilling to miss the slightest change in her.

Her appearance hadn't changed much, even her clothes were neat and tidy, with a hint of heroism between her brows. But the look in her eyes as she looked at him seemed to have something more to it than it had three years ago. It was quiet, surprised, and like still water rippling gently, flowing straight into his heart.

Her heart was racing, but her expression remained relaxed. Wei Yuanzhan smiled at Zhirou, his tone teasing.

"Don't you recognize me?"

Zhi Rou clenched her knuckles, feeling a living thing struggling to break free from her chest. She had never imagined she would see Wei Yuanzhan like this.

He was somewhat different from three years ago. Although still green, his sharpness was undeniable. Perhaps the tempering in the army had deepened his demeanor. On his tall horse, wearing armor, he looked remarkably different.

But the way he smiled at her and the tone of his voice were exactly the same as the Wei Yuanzhan she remembered, reminding her that when they first left the capital, he was also sitting on horseback and called out to her.

Zhi Rou's heart clenched, and a tingling sensation spread from her chest to her arms, palms, and all the way down... She forgot to speak for a moment, her gaze fixed on him as if she couldn't get enough of looking at him.

Wei Yuanzhan chuckled softly.

Someone called him from behind. He glanced back, then turned back to Zhi Rou and said, "Wait for me."

He then pulled on the reins and turned to leave.

The sound of horses' hooves was loud and clear, as chaotic as the beating of drums.

Zhi Rou watched the departing figure and finally opened her mouth, but no one heard her voice.

"It's been a long time... Wei Yuanzhan."