Chapter 34 Encounter with bandits.

Shanhe turned pale upon hearing this.

Just as she was about to speak, the mule suddenly let out a long whinny, and then an arrowhead pierced through the air, half of the shaft penetrating straight into the cart.

Shanhe and Qingyue were both stunned. Before they could ask anything, Chengmin jumped off the carriage and shouted, "We've run into bandits! Huaisong, quickly ride Cheng'an's horse to find the master!"

Upon hearing the words "bandits," Shanhe's heart sank. She quietly lifted the carriage curtain a crack, and saw a row of masked men standing neatly about forty or fifty paces away. A quick glance revealed about ten of them, all dressed in short, simple clothing, carrying steel knives, and riding brown horses. The leader of the bandits was burly and robust, his thick beard spilling out of his black mask. He was currently nocking an arrow and aiming at the blue silk carriage.

The man had sharp eyesight and caught sight of half a pink face peeking out from behind the curtain. Her features were delicate and charming, and he couldn't help but laugh with his brothers beside him, saying, "There's a lady in the carriage!" With that, he lowered his arrow, aimed at the mule in front of the carriage, drew his bow to its fullest extent, and released the arrow.

With a swift "whoosh," before Shanhe could react, the arrow struck the mule squarely. Startled and in pain, the mule neighed and reared up, pulling the blue silk cart left and right, crashing into the withered grass by the roadside in an instant.

Shanhe and Qingyue were jostled about, bumping their foreheads and backs, unable to find a moment's peace. Poor Qingyue's left arm, still injured and not fully healed, was further battered by the jolting. In the chaos, her arm slammed hard against the carriage wall with a "crack," followed by a sharp, knife-like pain—her arm was broken. Qingyue cried out in pain, her head lolled to the side, and she immediately fainted.

Just as Cheng Min and Cheng An retrieved their weapons from under the cart, they saw a mule pulling Shan He and charging wildly. The two of them didn't bother to deal with the bandits and rushed to rescue Shan He.

Upon seeing this, the bandits burst into loud laughter. With a whistle from the bearded man, a dozen brown horses galloped forward. Dust billowed like a fog, and steel blades flashed and gleamed. Seeing this, Cheng Min and Cheng An had no choice but to abandon their silk carriage and engage the bandits in battle.

Unfortunately, they were outnumbered. Cheng Min and Cheng An were only two people, and soon they were injured and exhausted, and were at a disadvantage. Each of them was surrounded by four or five burly men like an iron barrel.

Inside the blue silk carriage, Shanhe whispered Qingyue's name urgently, but received no response. She dared not go out, nor make any noise, for fear of attracting the group of fierce-looking bandits. While Chengmin and Chengan were engaged in a fight with them, Shanhe desperately wanted to wake Qingyue so that she could escape with her in the chaos.

Unfortunately, Qingyue was terribly dizzy, and Shanhe had no choice but to lift her right arm and place it on his shoulder, intending to drag her out. Before they could move, the carriage curtain suddenly flew up with a "whoosh," and a waterfall of sunlight streamed in.

The bearded man, holding a steel knife to lift the felt curtain, saw the beautiful woman from before with her back to him. She had slender shoulders and a narrow waist, and her black hair was like seaweed. She was leaning shyly against the carriage wall, her round, jade-like buttocks and two golden lotuses hidden under her skirt facing him. He felt a slight itch in his heart.

Seeing Shanhe frozen in place, clearly frightened, he grinned, grabbed her shoulder with his large hand, and forcefully turned her around to get a good look at her face. A fair face, delicate eyebrows, almond eyes, cherry lips—he glanced at her briefly, but before he could get a good look, a flash of silver light shot straight toward his shoulder.

Shanhe gripped the plum blossom hairpin tightly, and heard the man groan. With trembling hands, he pushed the hairpin in another inch.

The man was slightly taken aback, but then laughed loudly: "You've got some spirit!" With that, he grabbed Shanhe's wrist with one hand, almost breaking her arm.

Shanhe had thought she could at least temporarily repel the man, but he didn't expect him to completely disregard the injury on her shoulder. With such a disparity in strength, and his forceful twisting of her arm causing her excruciating pain, she had no choice but to loosen her grip on the plum blossom hairpin and plead tearfully, "Sir, sir! Please have mercy! Let me go!"

How could the man let go? He held Shanhe's wrist tightly while pulling out the plum blossom hairpin from her shoulder, the tip of the hairpin sizzling and drawing a trail of blood. The man haphazardly stuck the hairpin into Shanhe's hair, saying, "It's your good fortune to have met me today! I don't blame you for hurting someone without reason, and don't be shy. Come to my village tonight, and we'll have a good time together!" With that, he grabbed Shanhe's arm and dragged her outside.

Shanhe gripped the car window tightly with her other hand, pleading and weeping incessantly.

The man paid no heed to any of this. Seeing that Shanhe was beautiful and elegant, though simply dressed, she possessed a refined and graceful air, suggesting she came from a respectable family. He had long harbored a desire to possess her, and since she had injured his family, he was even less willing to let this young woman go easily. He had originally intended to politely take her back, but seeing Shanhe's utter disrespect, anger welled up within him. He raised his hand and delivered a vicious slap to Shanhe's cheek.

Sin-hee was dizzy and her eyes were swollen from the beating. She collapsed onto Qing-yue, breathing heavily. When she looked up again, half of her face was bright red, and her almond-shaped eyes, swollen and red like peaches from crying, made her look utterly pitiful. Upon seeing this, the man's lust intensified. Without a word, he dragged Sin-hee away and hoisted her onto his shoulder. Sin-hee struggled wildly with her hands and feet, but was slapped several more times. Seeing that Sin-hee was struggling incessantly, the man simply tore her clothes, shredded them into strips, and used them to bind her hands behind her back. Finally, Sin-hee lay limp on his broad shoulder like a lump of mud. Her mind was clear, but her body had lost all strength, and she could no longer move an inch, like a piece of dead meat on a chopping board.

Outside the car, Cheng Min and Cheng An were both subdued, their hands twisted behind their backs as they knelt on the ground.

The man smiled at his brothers: "There's one more in the car! Here you go—" As soon as he finished speaking, his body suddenly stiffened, and he froze. Then he vomited a mouthful of thick blood, which instantly stained Shanhe's tattered clothes.

The sword flashed swiftly, and before anyone could see it clearly, a feathered arrow had already pierced straight into the man's chest, sinking deep inside.

Liang Ye, perched on his white horse, slowly lowered his carved bow and coldly surveyed the approaching figure. Behind him followed a dozen or so mounted guards, all clad in soft armor and wielding long swords, clearly of military background.

Seeing the imposing presence of the newcomers, especially their leader who was dressed in fine clothes and exuded an air of nobility, the bandits knew they were no ordinary people and dared not act rashly. After exchanging glances and making a decision, the bandits abandoned Cheng Min and Cheng An, rushed to rescue the bearded man, uttered a few more harsh words, and then scattered like birds and beasts on horseback.

Among them was a burly man who tried to kidnap Shanhe. Just as he hoisted Shanhe onto his shoulder, he was struck by an arrow and tumbled off his horse. The bandits had no choice but to rescue him, abandon Shanhe, and flee.

Shanhe lay prone on the ground, her hands tied behind her back, her face covered in a layer of yellow dirt, looking utterly disheveled. She weakly raised her eyes and saw Liang Ye riding up to her. He dismounted, anxiously untied the cloth binding her hands, pulled her into his arms, and gently patted her back to comfort her.

Shanhe was utterly weak, half her face hidden beneath Liang Ye's brocade robe, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She trembled, and upon seeing Liang Ye, a surge of immense grievance welled up within her. She choked out, "Brother, I..."

Still the eldest brother.

Liang Ye paused in patting her back. He smiled awkwardly, took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her mouth, saying in a steady voice, "Alright, alright, I've chased those villains away. Shanhe, don't be afraid."

Shanhe wept uncontrollably, when suddenly a rich, sweet fragrance wafted to her nose. She was about to speak to Liang Ye to save Qingyue when everything went black before her eyes, and her thoughts ceased. Shanhe's head lolled to the side, and she fainted in Liang Ye's arms.

Liang Ye gradually stopped laughing and casually tossed aside the handkerchief soaked in bewitching incense.

By then, the guards had already pulled the blue silk carriage back to the main road, and the mules had been replaced with horses at the carriage shaft. Cheng Min and Cheng An were both untied from their bonds. Liang Ye picked up Shan He and was about to head towards the blue silk carriage.

Cheng An said urgently, "Sir, I'll go report to the authorities!"

Liang Ye didn't stop, looking down at Shanhe in his arms, ignoring her. Cheng Min, on the other hand, laughed, "What are you reporting? Send our master in too?"

Cheng An was completely baffled.

Huaisong tossed the ropes binding the two men into the withered grass and smiled slyly: "Brother Cheng'an, I led those bandits here."

Cheng An was stunned, no wonder Liang Ye had arrived so quickly.

He looked up and saw that Liang Ye had carefully carried Shanhe back to the carriage and settled her in.

*

On the canopy bed, the curtains hung loosely; beside the footstool, wisps of smoke curled and swirled.

Liang Ye stirred the benzoin incense burner, and when the nearly extinguished incense showed signs of reigniting, he returned to his desk and continued to repair the burned calligraphy and paintings.

When Shanhe woke up, she felt dizzy and weak. She turned her head and looked in the light. She saw a figure sitting outside the pale yellow bed curtains embroidered with twin lotus flowers. The figure was indistinct and not very clear.

Where is this place? Who is this person?

She rested for a while, and when her mind was clear, she slowly felt that the place where she was lying was swaying and rocking, as if she were sleeping on a boat.

Sleeping on the boat!

Shanhe suddenly realized she was in the cabin and hurriedly tried to get up. But she got up too quickly and her vision blurred. She raised her hand to her forehead and shook her head. Before she could shake off the dizziness, someone gently held the back of her hand.

"Shanhe," Liang Ye said gently and with concern, sitting on the edge of the bed, "this will only cause the instructor more pain."

Shanhe was completely stunned. In an instant, a flood of past events rushed into her mind: her escape from Liang Shao, her following Wu Tianqi to the farmhouse, being forced to leave with Cheng Min and the others, only to encounter bandits on the way. Finally, she remembered sleeping in Liang Ye's arms, watching him, his face filled with anxiety, comforting her as she was frightened.

Liang Ye grasped her shoulders and whispered, "Let's rest a little longer." His grip wasn't strong, but it didn't allow for resistance.

After he pressed her down to lie back down, Shanhe realized she was still weak all over, and her hands and feet were cold. She swallowed hard, opened her mouth, but her voice was hoarse and barely audible: "Wh...what's wrong..."

Liang Ye gently smoothed her disheveled hair, his long, slender fingers lightly touching her cheek, stroking her skin almost imperceptibly. He said, "Shanhe, you encountered bandits on your way back, but luckily I arrived in time to save you. Do you remember?"

Shanhe turned her head slightly to avoid his touch. Her throat was so hoarse that she could barely speak, so she simply hummed in response.

Liang Ye didn't care about her resistance at this moment.

He had already reached his territory. He had plenty of time and energy to slowly build a relationship with Shanhe.

A blue-and-white porcelain covered bowl sat on the small table beside the bed. A spoon filled with porcelain secret-color medicine was brought to Shanhe's lips, and Liang Ye continued, "Drink your medicine first."

Shanhe pursed her lips and remained silent.

He was very patient, holding the spoon to her lips without taking it away. Liang Ye said slowly, "I heard from Cheng An that those bandits want to kidnap you and take you back to be their wife." He chuckled softly, "Shanhe, this is the freedom you've been so desperately seeking."

With just this one sentence, two lines of clear tears instantly slid down her cheeks.

She understood Liang Ye's meaning. If it weren't for him, she might have already been taken advantage of by those villains.

Shanhe closed her eyes, letting tears well up, and managed a weak "Mmm." She wanted to tell him she didn't need his help, but the grotesque face of that bearded man seemed to be right before her eyes again, gripping her arm, pressing his foul, sticky sweat against her skin, and saying, "Little lady, let's get intimate!" In this world, she truly couldn't protect herself, nor could she protect Qingyue. She no longer had the confidence to tell Liang Ye that she could "live on her own."

Seeing her in such a state, Liang Ye didn't force her. He simply said gently, "Even if you resent me or blame me, you should at least take good care of yourself. There's no need to hold a grudge against me and ruin your health. At the very least, Qingyue is also injured. If you refuse to take your medicine, I'll have to stop giving her any more. After all, you only see her as family and take my intentions as malicious."

His expression was indifferent as his gaze fell upon Shanhe's face, which was faintly sobbing. Her face was pale, her left cheek still somewhat swollen, and her lips completely bloodless. Further down, her collar revealed her withered shoulder bones, and her chest rose and fell with each sob. Her thin, lackluster body was truly emaciated. After examining her pulse, the doctor said, "Madam, your qi and blood are severely depleted. You must quickly recuperate to avoid further harming your health and regretting it later."

But he wasn't in a hurry; he knew Shanhe's weakness. As long as he knew her weakness, he could always find a way to make Shanhe take the initiative.

Sure enough, upon hearing Qingyue's name, Shanhe slowly turned her face back, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at him: "Why are you forcing me like this!"

The voice was still hoarse and still unpleasant.

But it's okay.

There's plenty of time ahead; he has many years to accompany her as she gets better, to help her become the beautiful Xue Shanhe who often appears in his dreams.

"It's not me who's forcing you, it's the world." Liang Ye smiled gently. "I've always been doing this for your own good."

The medicine spoon came closer.

"Really not going to drink?"

Shanhe bit her lower lip.

"Really not going to drink?"

Shanhe remained still.

"That clear moon—"

Shanhe suddenly loosened her teeth, as if all her strength had been released, and a slight gap finally appeared in her tightly pursed lips.

Liang Ye's smile reached his eyes. He spooned her food, one spoonful after another, until the bowl was empty. Then he reached out and, with his fingertips, which were slightly calloused from years of calligraphy practice, pressed against her pale skin and slowly wiped away the porcelain-colored medicine stains from the corner of her mouth.

“Shanhe,” he seemed to be in a good mood, “someone will be here soon.”

Liang Ye paused for a moment, then said, "You must say goodbye to him properly in your heart, okay?"

Having said that, Liang Ye lowered the curtain and carefully hid Shanhe inside. He summoned Caixiang and whispered an instruction. Caixiang then carried the lacquered tray containing the medicine, curtsied, and withdrew.

Liang Ye returned to his desk, picked up his brush again, and continued to restore the burned paintings and calligraphy.

Before long, the cabin door was pushed open with a whoosh, and sunlight streamed in.

"Brother, what brings you here?" Liang Shao asked, his face tense and his voice distant and cold.

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Author's Note: The Jade Plum Hairpin!! Do you all remember the Jade Plum Hairpin?!

I don't know why I can write nearly four thousand words in each chapter...