Chapter 14: Mei Xi (Fourteen) Retreat

The brief moment of "sisterly love" under the plum tree was like a rare ray of warm sunshine in winter, which temporarily dispelled the haze in Lin Jiaojiao's heart.

Although Miss Wan was still a little awkward, the hostility in her eyes had completely dissipated, replaced by a kind of peace after being comforted and... an unconscious feeling of following. Miss Yan completely turned into a little fan girl, holding Lin Jiaojiao's arm, chattering non-stop, her eyes sparkling, full of undisguised love and dependence.

Lin Jiaojiao felt amused and helpless, but was also happy to enjoy this unexpected tranquility. She knew very well that this "harmony" was built on a precarious foundation, but at least at this moment, she could temporarily let go of her tense nerves.

"Sister Yuanfei, look at this plum bud, it's the biggest one!" Concubine Yan stood on tiptoe, pointing to a bud on the branch that was about to bloom, and said as if presenting a treasure.

"Yeah, very beautiful." Lin Jiaojiao looked in the direction she pointed, with the corners of her lips slightly curved.

"Sister, do you like it? I'll pick it off for you!" Lady Yan said as she was about to reach out her hand.

"No need," Lin Jiaojiao gently pressed her hand, her voice soft, "Let it bloom. It looks better on the branches." She glanced at the scattered buds on the branches with a subtle hint of pity, "Besides... in this cold winter, it's rare to see a few flowers bloom."

Her words were gentle, but carried a strange soothing power. Lady Yan immediately withdrew her hand obediently, her little face slightly red: "Yes! Sister is right! Leave it open!" She looked at Lin Jiaojiao with even more admiration.

Wan Meiren watched from the side, and the remaining bitterness in her heart gradually faded away. She looked at Lin Jiaojiao's almost transparent profile in the sunlight. The calmness and compassion in her face did not make her feel jealous at all. Instead... she wanted to get closer.

Just then, a sound of hurried footsteps approached from afar. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Asang walking quickly towards the garden. Her face was flushed from the long run, but her eyes were unusually bright. Seeing Lin Jiaojiao, she immediately quickened her pace, stopped a few steps away, and bowed respectfully: "Your servant Asang, pays homage to Concubine Yuan, Lady Wan, and Lady Yan."

"No need to be polite." Lin Jiaojiao looked at her excited expression and thought to herself, "A-Sang, what's the rush?"

Asan raised her head, her face full of uncontrollable excitement and pride: "Reporting to Concubine Yuan, today, under the guidance of Doctor Zhao, we servants cleaned the wound of the old slave with a festering leg wound in the palace area and applied a newly prepared ointment. The redness and swelling of that old slave's wound have subsided a lot, and he feels more energetic. He...he asked me to come and thank Concubine Yuan for her great kindness!" As she spoke, her voice was a little choked, and her eyes were full of gratitude.

This news was like a stone dropped into a calm lake, instantly sending ripples of joy through Lin Jiaojiao's heart. It worked! It really worked! A genuine smile blossomed on her face, like the warm sun after the ice and snow melted, so bright that Wanyan and the other girl beside her were stunned.

"That's great!" Lin Jiaojiao's voice was filled with genuine joy. "A-Sang, you did a great job. Tell the old man to rest well. The wound will heal."

"Yes!" Asang nodded vigorously. Looking at Lin Jiaojiao's smile that became more and more charming with joy, her heart was even more warm. "Your servants...you will definitely study harder and live up to Concubine Yuan's expectations!"

She bowed deeply again before turning away excitedly, her steps so light it seemed as if she were about to fly.

Concubine Wan and Concubine Yan saw this scene and were deeply shocked.

They came from tribal backgrounds and knew well the suffering of illness and injury, especially for slaves and untouchables. If they got sick or injured, it was almost like waiting to die.

And Lin Jiaojiao, the high and mighty Imperial Concubine, not only issued an order to treat the patient, but actually sent people to treat him! And...it was successful!

Looking at Asan's heartfelt gratitude and admiration, and then at the pure and joyful smile on Lin Jiaojiao's face, the little pride they had left in being tribal beauties completely vanished, leaving only an indescribable...respect?

She was really saving people, not putting on a show. Lady Yan looked at Lin Jiaojiao's profile, her eyes filled with obsession and admiration.

Wan Meiren pursed her lips, her gaze towards Lin Jiaojiao becoming even more complex. But within that complexity, the original alienation and wariness were gone, replaced by a sense of... recognition? And a hint of... yearning that she herself hadn't even noticed.

External Individual (A-Sang) Loyalty: Peak (Gratitude + Sense of Mission). External Individual (Wan Meiren) Identification: Significantly Improved. External Individual (Yan Meiren) Admiration: Peak.] The system precisely captures every subtle change.

Lin Jiaojiao's mood brightened considerably because of the good news Ah Sang brought her. She looked at the plum buds trembling on the branches and suddenly had an idea: "Chun, go get some clean pottery jars. We can collect some snow water from the plum blossoms and make tea."

"Here!" Chun responded immediately and trotted away.

When Wanyan and the other two girls heard this, they also became interested. Lady Yan immediately volunteered: "Sister! Let me help you!" She carefully stretched out her hand and gently brushed away the thin layer of snow on the plum buds with her fingertips, her movements as gentle as if she were treating a treasure.

Although Lady Wan didn't say anything, she walked silently to another plum tree and, imitating Lady Yan's behavior, carefully collected the clean snow on the petals.

Lin Jiaojiao observed their earnest expressions and smiled. Sunlight streamed through the sparse plum branches, casting tiny specks of light around her. She tilted her head slightly, eyes closed, taking in the crisp air and the faint fragrance of plum blossoms. Her long eyelashes cast thick shadows beneath her eyes, her nose was small and straight, and her lips glowed with a healthy glow in the sunlight. The tranquil beauty of being immersed in nature was as moving as a painting.

This scene happened to fall into the eyes of a young general who was ordered to patrol the palace garden not far away. He was one of the deputy commanders of the guards left in the royal court by Xia Jie. His name was Shi Hu. He was tall and strong, with a resolute face and eyes as sharp as an eagle. He was on a routine patrol with two personal guards. When his eyes swept across the garden, they were instantly caught by the figure under the plum tree.

He had never seen such... breathtaking beauty. The woman was dressed in plain clothes and had black hair. She stood under the winter plum blossoms, with her eyes closed and her head raised. The sunlight outlined her perfect profile. Her skin was so white that it was almost transparent, her eyelashes were long and thick like butterfly wings, and her lips were delicate like flower petals.

That beauty is so pure that it is not tainted by dust. It carries a kind of tranquility that is isolated from the world, but it also exudes a fatal attraction, as if all the spirit of heaven and earth is gathered in her.

Shi Hu's feet suddenly froze in place, as if he were hit hard by an invisible hammer. His heart was beating wildly in his chest, almost bursting out. His breathing stopped instantly, and his mind went blank. He had fought on the battlefield for many years and was accustomed to blood and killing. He prided himself on having a heart of stone, but he had never imagined that there could be such a beauty in the world that could shake the soul.

The two bodyguards behind him were also stunned, their mouths opened wide enough to fit an egg, their eyes staring straight ahead, as if they had lost their souls.

Shi Hu stared at the figure intently until Lin Jiaojiao seemed to notice his gaze and slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes, as clear as a cold pond, looked towards him with a hint of confusion as if she had been disturbed.

Eye contact!

Shi Hu felt a surge of hot blood rushing to his head, and that beautiful face came into view clearly. The pure eyes with a hint of ignorance were like the sharpest arrow, instantly penetrating all his defenses.

His dark and resolute face instantly turned red like a cooked shrimp. He subconsciously wanted to take a step back, but his left foot tripped over his right foot, and he stumbled. His burly body almost fell down, but fortunately he was caught by the quick eyes and hands of the personal guards behind him.

"Commander!" the guards exclaimed.

Shi Hu suddenly came back to his senses, as if he was burned by an iron. He lowered his head instantly and dared not look again. He felt his face burning and his heart was still beating wildly.

He hurriedly pushed away his guards, his voice filled with unprecedented panic and embarrassment: "No...it's okay! Let's go! Continue patrolling!" He almost shouted, then fled from the garden without looking back, his hands and feet trembling, his back looking as embarrassed as if he had lost a battle.

The two guards looked at each other, and couldn't help but look back at the still moving figure under the plum tree, then hurriedly chased after her.

[External entity (Shihu)'s emotional fluctuations: Intense shock → Extreme amazement → Embarrassed/panic (peak). Threat Level: None (reverse). Behavior: Contact avoidance.] The system calmly analyzed this unexpected incident.

Lin Jiaojiao looked at Shi Hu's fleeing figure, feeling somewhat bewildered. What... had happened to this man? She shook her head, unconcerned. Chun had already retrieved the pottery jar, and she returned her attention to collecting the snow water.

Concubine Wan and Concubine Yan also saw what happened. Concubine Yan covered her mouth and laughed secretly: "Look, sister! That big general couldn't even walk when he saw me! He almost fell down! Hehehe!"

Although Lady Wan didn't laugh out loud, a mischievous smile flashed in her eyes. The look she gave Lin Jiaojiao became even more complicated. Even that stone lump Shi Hu...

Lin Jiaojiao glanced at Lady Yan helplessly and said, "Stop talking nonsense." She took the small pottery jar handed to her by Chun and began to carefully put the clean snow with the fragrance of plum blossoms collected by Wanyan and the other girl into the jar.

The master, servants and two new fans were busy under the plum tree. The atmosphere was relaxed and harmonious, the sun was warm and the fragrance of plums was floating in the air, temporarily isolating them from the outside world's disturbances and the clouds of war.

However, this tranquility did not last long.

Just as they collected half a jar of snow water and were about to return to the side hall to make tea, a burst of hurried and heavy footsteps once again broke the tranquility of the garden. This time, the footsteps were filled with a heart-pounding panic.

A messenger, wearing dusty leather armor and covered in dust, stumbled into the garden, led by two armored soldiers. His face was pale, his eyes were unfocused, and his lips were chapped. Upon seeing Lin Jiaojiao and the others, he fell to his knees with a thud, as if grasping at a lifeline. His voice was hoarse like a broken gong, filled with great fear and despair:

"Report! Concubine Yuan! Something terrible has happened! The King... The King is at Mingtiao... The entire army... The entire army has been defeated! The Shang army... The Shang army has broken through the last line of defense! The King... The King is leading the remaining troops... and is... and is retreating towards Nanchao! The Shang army... The vanguard of the Shang army... is approaching a hundred miles from the royal capital!!"