Chapter 8 Holding her calf

Wei Xichen pulled on the reins, and the convoy came to a stop.

Yan Zhuyi, who was being helped by the maid, turned around and saw the scene in the distance. She suddenly gripped the maid's wrist tightly, ignoring the maid's pained expression.

Her heart was even more bitter.

That unruly, wild little scrambled horse gradually became docile under Jiang Yinyue's taming.

Both ears, which were facing backward, twisted at the same time, tilting to the sides.

Those who understand horses know that this is a sign that the horse is no longer agitated.

An old minister from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices smiled knowingly after watching the spectacle, saying, "They've been tamed."

Another senior official chimed in, "Jiang Song's daughter is no mere figurehead. If she hadn't been so unrestrained back then and angered His Majesty, the vacant position of Crown Princess would still be hers."

"I think you should tone it down, brother."

"Yes, yes, I've said too much, I've said too much."

Amidst the whispers of the crowd, Yan Zhuyi glanced at Han Jian, who was walking towards her with her head down, and said, "Please accept your punishment," before turning and walking towards the Crown Prince.

"May I ride with Your Highness?"

Wei Xichen paused for a moment, then leaned forward and reached out his hand, pulling her behind him, no longer paying attention to the situation behind the convoy.

"Let's keep going."

No one dared to be negligent and put away their playful amusement.

The scout suddenly turned back and reported, "Your Highness, a group of troops is approaching this way, about ten miles ahead."

The group numbered at least a hundred, with strong soldiers and well-fed horses, and their momentum was overwhelming. The leading general was even more imposing and majestic.

Everyone in the convoy had their own thoughts.

Yan Zhuyi tugged at Wei Xichen's sleeve, "Your Highness, it's best to be cautious when traveling. Let's hide and observe from the shadows for now."

Fu Zhongcai, who was walking nearby, glanced at Yan Zhuyi and smiled meaningfully. Could a group that dared to openly reveal their identities be uninvited guests?

Wei Xichen gently stroked the texture of the reins, glanced in the direction of Jiangning, spurred the horse, and continued onward.

Flowers fluttered from the branches along the way, sparkling and translucent in the midday sun.

Around noon, the group crossed the snow-capped mountain and rested at its foot.

Wei Xichen returned to the sandalwood carriage alone, rested his chin on his hand and pretended to doze off, not in a hurry to go to the post station, as if waiting for something.

Before the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), the sound of hooves stirred up waves, making the horses in the caravan restless. On the contrary, the scraggly horse that Jiang Yinyue had tamed raised its neck high and swayed its long mane.

It cannot compare to the keen senses of a horse.

Jiang Yinyue chuckled, and as the sound of horses pounding the ground grew louder, she began to guess what was going on.

Before long, a group of about ten people arrived first. The general in armor hurriedly dismounted, knelt down and clasped his hands in greeting. His deep voice revealed his respect for the distinguished guest, "Cheng Gao, the Deputy Commander of Jiangning, has come to meet His Highness the Crown Prince on the orders of the Commander!"

The subordinates who followed immediately knelt down and said, "Your Highness, we pay our respects! May Your Highness be blessed with good fortune and peace!"

After a while, the sound of horses' hooves continued, and a large group of armored soldiers knelt down to pay their respects, creating a magnificent scene that echoed continuously at the foot of the open mountain.

A clear, gentle voice finally came from the sandalwood carriage.

"My beloved generals, please rise."

A figure in white emerged from behind the curtain, her wide sleeves billowing in the wind like a crane spreading its wings.

Ethereal and otherworldly.

Wei Xichen stood on the carriage corridor, his gaze falling on Cheng Gao, the Deputy Commander of Jiangning. "Thank you for your hard work, General."

Cheng Gao bowed, not daring to look directly at the Crown Prince, "Your Highness has traveled a long and arduous journey, and we were merely there to provide assistance along the way. We have not suffered any hardship."

Wei Xichen stepped down from the foot of the horse and personally helped the second-rank official up. "There is a post station ahead. General, please come with me by carriage."

"Your Highness's kindness is too much for me, and I humbly accept your offer."

Cheng Gao hesitated for a moment, carefully glanced at the people in the convoy, and slightly raised his hand to signal his subordinates to send the sedan chair over.

"Having heard that Consort Liangdi is traveling with His Highness, I have specially ordered a sedan chair to be made to alleviate the discomfort of the journey for Consort Liangdi."

Upon hearing this, Wei Xichen shook his head and did not stop them. However, he saw two soldiers carrying a sedan chair past Yan Zhuyi and jogging towards Jiang Yinyue at the back of the convoy.

"Please, Your Highness, get into the sedan chair."

The convoy erupted in uproar; some chuckled, while others watched with amusement.

Yan Zhuyi maintained her composure, though her posture was slightly unsteady.

Jiang Yinyue really wanted to rub the eyes of the two soldiers. How did they manage to accurately identify the wrong person?

"Your empress is over there."

The two soldiers turned around hastily, sweating profusely despite the cold weather, and sheepishly slunk towards Yan Zhuyi...

"I was blind and ignorant, please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Just now, when they looked around, they all noticed Jiang Yinyue, who had a more outstanding temperament, but did not notice the other woman.

Yan Zhuyi gestured to the maid to help the two up, saying, "Ignorance is no excuse, please rise."

Cheng Gao, extremely embarrassed by his failed attempt to please her and instead making a fool of himself, immediately chimed in, "Your Majesty is magnanimous."

Yan Zhuyi didn't mind. She got into the sedan chair, and the moment the curtain fell, the corners of her mouth that were turning up suddenly fell down.

The two groups met and continued their journey, arriving at the post station in the twilight.

Jiang Yinyue, still at the back of the carriage, gave Wei Qin a wink, signaling him to say goodbye to Fu Zhongcai, then leave and buy the mongrels.

Their meeting was fate, but it was a tragic fate, and she didn't want to linger and amplify her resentment. She thought she might never forgive Wei Xichen in this lifetime, even if Wei Xichen didn't care and forgot the past.

This is perhaps what people who have been through it say: the end of fate is not life and death, but forgetting in a sense of relief.

It's not that she can't forget Wei Xichen, but that she can't forget the past when she was misunderstood and insulted.

Flowers may bloom again, but youth never returns; this is true for everyone.

Wei Xichen taught her that sincerity will inevitably lead to defeat.

She reached out and stroked the horses pulling the carriage. "After a long journey, we'll rest ahead. I don't even know what name Wei Qin gave you."

The scraggly horse stretched its neck to block Jiang Yinyue's hand, clearly intending to vie for her favor.

Jiang Yinyue couldn't help but chuckle as she saw Wei Qin returning with a money bag in the distance.

Fu Zhongcai refused their farewell, without explicitly stating that it was the Crown Prince's intention, but it was obvious.

Wei Xichen is a man who thinks three steps ahead before taking any action, and he must have given instructions to Fu Zhongcai.

Seeing Wei Qin unload the carriage shaft, Jiang Yinyue jumped off the carriage with little interest and strolled into the post station, asking the innkeeper where she was staying.

The inn was quite large, but the two were still placed in a secluded courtyard with a broken door latch.

Wei Qin went to the stables, while Jiang Yinyue opened the guest room door alone and asked for a bucket of hot water.

She managed to latch the door, walked to the bucket, wet a cloth, and wiped her body little by little with her back to the door.

When he rolled up his trouser leg, there was a bruise on his left knee, most likely from an accidental bump while training the horse.

She pressed it hard and couldn't help but hiss.

No wonder I had some dull pain back then; it was a slight dislocation.

Just then, someone knocked on the door, and the broken latch came loose.

Jiang Yinyue turned around, pulling up her trouser leg, and called for Wei Qin to help set her bones, but saw the person outside the door quickly turn around.

It's Crown Prince Wei Xichen!

He was carrying goose fat pastry and osmanthus sugar sweet potato that Cheng Gao had brought from Jiangning.

These are all snacks that Jiang Yinyue liked when she was a child.

Jiang Yinyue lowered her trousers and skirt, her dark eyelashes trembling violently. "Does Your Highness not know how to avoid suspicion?"

"I knocked on the door."

"Please leave."

Are you kicking me out without even asking why I came? Wei Xichen felt a little uncomfortable, unsure whether it was because of her rudeness or her being too distant.

The bruise on the woman's left knee flashed before his eyes, and coupled with the phrase "bone setting," he suddenly turned around, stepped over the threshold, and walked straight to the woman.

"Dislocated?"

Caught off guard, Jiang Yinyue immediately retorted angrily, "This has nothing to do with Your Highness."

"The risks of dislocation can range from minor to major."

Jiang Yinyue ignored it completely, giving a perfunctory "please" gesture, which was quite forceful.

To everyone's surprise, Wei Xichen not only did not leave, but also put down the food wrapped in brown paper, squatted down in front of Jiang Yinyue, and when Jiang Yinyue stepped back, he raised his hand and held her calf.

When her trouser legs were rolled up, Jiang Yinyue lost her balance and leaned against the edge of the table behind her.

The contact, which hadn't occurred in three years, happened in the blink of an eye.

Wei Xichen gripped Jiang Yinyue's injured knee, feeling it carefully, and suddenly exerted force when she tried to dodge.

"hiss......"

"alright."

Wei Xichen raised his head, looking up at the woman who was both unfamiliar and incredibly familiar, his light-colored eyes slightly darkening. He stood up, took a step back, and reminded the woman not to ride a horse for the next few days.

Jiang Yinyue not only didn't appreciate it, but also pointed to the food on the table and then to the door, silently dismissing the guest.

Only when no one was around did she dare to act recklessly without considering the consequences.

Wei Xichen was extremely proud, and his jade-like face gradually tightened. He turned and left, ignoring the unwelcome food on the table.

Its straight figure blends into the twilight.

The evening glow on the horizon grew thicker, shimmering in the distance and dazzling up close.

Jiang Yinyue patted her crumpled trouser leg, slumped wearily onto the table, and didn't understand Wei Xichen's intentions.

Make amends? Forget about her deserting at the last minute?

Fate is fickle, and people's hearts are hard to discern. At a palace banquet on the eve of the assassination, Wei Xichen, tired of socializing, took her to hide in a rockery in the Imperial Garden, away from the insincere pleasantries, and listened with a smile as she talked endlessly about her daily trivialities.

Even someone who is extremely busy will always find time to spend with her.

"Brother Crown Prince, I've been of marriageable age for ten days now, what about your coming-of-age ceremony?"

Wei Xichen rarely kept things in suspense, yet he had yet to present her most cherished coming-of-age gift.

She was being temperamental and unhappy, and was about to return to the main hall in a huff. Just as she was about to walk past the man who was leaning against the artificial hill, looking relaxed and indifferent, the man grabbed her waist and pulled her back.

A kiss landed on her cheek.

The man smiled warmly and asked in a low voice, "Did you receive it?"

That was the only time Wei Xichen was impolite. He crossed the line, pulled her into a tight embrace as her cheeks burned, and made her call his name.

However, not long after, a premeditated assassination attempt suddenly struck, besieging the crown prince who had left the palace. This assassination became the watershed moment that ended their relationship.

Amidst the clamor of accusations that she abandoned the crown prince and fled for her own life, Wei Xichen still treated her gently, regarding her as an honored guest, but he never showed her any affection again. It was only later that she realized that Yan Zhuyi had appeared between them.

For some time afterward, whenever the Crown Prince brought her in or out of the Eastern Palace, he would always include Yan Zhuyi...

Three years ago, they parted ways. If her father hadn't repeatedly reminded her of the consequences of offending the Crown Prince, she might have broken all decorum and made a huge scene.

"The Crown Prince's authority cannot be trampled upon; at best, he will be demoted to a commoner, and at worst, exiled to a harsh and desolate place," was the warning the father almost gritted his teeth out.

"The Crown Prince will no longer spoil you. Stop being willful. I'm begging you."

"But he shouldn't have used his daughter."

"It's because you're arrogant and domineering that you've lost the Emperor's favor, and that's why you've benefited others!"

Without the Crown Prince's indulgence, even her grievances became mere whining. She burned for three days and three nights, remained unconscious, and never received any more tonics from the Eastern Palace or any concern from the Crown Prince.

The only compensation the Crown Prince offered her was the words, "Yinyue, I can grant you a marriage; you can choose any talented man in the court," which plunged her into further turmoil.

The prominent families in the capital avoided her like the plague, fearing that she would become a laughingstock and the subject of gossip.

Jiang Yinyue snapped out of her thoughts, gave a bitter laugh, her voice sweet yet slightly hoarse. She picked up two bags of food, tossed them into the wastebasket by the door, got up to fix the latch, and then dampened a cloth to continue wiping her body.

When Wei Qin returned, she had changed into a new dress, looking refreshed and without any sadness, and she didn't mention the dislocated shoulder again.

"What's your old buddy's name?"

Wei Qin understood, knowing she was asking about the horses pulling the carriage, "Chasing the Wind."

"Let's name the new guy 'Lightning Chaser'."

Wei Qin looked at her seriously, and when she seemed to understand, he took out the money pouch from his clothes.

Clearly, the deal fell through.

"What Consort Yan meant was that the horse was a gift from the Crown Prince and was priceless."

A gentleman does not take what others cherish. Jiang Yinyue had no intention of competing with others, but the force of Han Jian's whip was enough to kill that stubborn young horse that had just grown up.

Yan Zhuyi's desire to conquer it through whipping was nothing more than an attempt to regain the face she had lost the previous day.

Transactions are based on mutual consent. Jiang Yinyue was angry, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn't just go to Wei Xichen and beg him like she used to.

"never mind."

Jiang Yinyue didn't consider herself a kind-hearted person, and there was no need to force things beyond her capabilities. She stood up, intending to open the window for ventilation, when suddenly her left knee ached.

Wei Xichen's bone-setting technique is skillful, but a dislocation is still a misalignment, and even a minor one will take some time to recover.

Seeing her frown and clutch her knee, Wei Qin stepped forward. His extensive experience in horse training meant he knew what had happened without asking any questions. "Let me see."

"It's fine."

When it comes to stubbornness, Jiang Yinyue couldn't win against the man in front of her.

The obvious bruise on her left knee looked like a withered rose on her straight, snow-white leg.

Wei Qin raised an eyebrow slightly, "Has someone ever set your bones?"

Yes, yes.

Being helped was not something she wanted, so there was nothing to be ashamed of. Jiang Yinyue straightened her back and recounted the twists of fate that had happened.

Wei Qin didn't say anything, helped her to bed to rest, and then silently left the post station. No one knew where he went. When he returned, he was carrying a bag of ice wrapped in a thin cloth.

My ten fingers were red from hitting the ice in the stream.

Jiang Yinyue felt a little guilty. When his trouser leg was rolled up again, she still stared at his pale, red knuckles.

Wei Qin's hands were slender and well-proportioned, with calluses on his fingertips. When he massaged Jiang Yinyue with safflower oil, a slight itch spread along his delicate skin, directly targeting his coccyx.

Jiang Yinyue curled her toes, feeling a little embarrassed. As a young woman, she was shy and found it difficult to be touched without any barriers.

She stole a glance at Wei Qin, who was standing by the bed, bending over.

His overly refined face and serious expression made Jiang Yinyue vaguely feel that he was gentle, but his rigorous demeanor also made him seem cold and aloof.

"What are you looking at?"

Wei Qin suddenly looked up and met Jiang Yinyue's furtive glance.

Jiang Yinyue's face felt hot, and she felt an indescribable embarrassment. The man's fingertips were pressing against her left leg, stimulating every inch of her skin.

What was supposed to be a regular massage turned into an intimate encounter because the man and woman were alone together.

A moment later, Wei Qin released Jiang Yinyue's legs and applied a simple ice pack to her affected area, noticing that her face was flushed.

"I'm sorry, I offended you."

Jiang Yinyue took a deep breath, not feeling offended; Wei Qin was helping her.

There's something on your face.

A smear of oil glistened on his cheek. Wei Qin rubbed it off with his fingertip and discovered it was safflower oil. He met the woman's crescent-shaped eyes and knew she was teasing him, using this to break the awkward silence.

“You have it on your face too,” he said in a low voice.

Jiang Yinyue couldn't dodge in time and frowned as Wei Qin retaliated in kind, making her cheeks oily and shiny, like a layer of osmanthus honey smeared on mutton fat jade.

Having fallen into a disadvantageous position, Jiang Yinyue admitted defeat and stared intently at Wei Qin, who was wiping his fingers at the table.

How can this person be so serious while fooling around with her?

A note from the author:

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Xiao Wei is the most thoughtful! [Thumbs up]

Crown Prince: No, he's just preoccupied.

Me: [doge emoji]