17 Holding Hands
◎Unexpectedly soft.◎
At the post station where he rested in the evening, the postmaster had already cleaned out several upper rooms to welcome His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.
A map of nearby villages and towns is hung in the hall on the first floor, with more detailed markings.
They walked along the Feng River, heading towards the imperial mausoleum. Gu Ningxi paid special attention to the locations of several embankments.
Tomorrow we will go to Hekou Town and Zhaohe Township first. Although there will be a local guide to lead the way, Gu Ningxi still memorized a few small paths.
After nightfall, the sky turned cloudy. Yinyue made the bed and closed the window for fear that it would rain.
The post station had long since fallen silent. Gu Ningxi had untied her bra and changed into her pajamas, preparing to go to sleep. But then she suddenly remembered that the post station's rooms were adjacent to each other, especially Prince Zhao's room on the right. If something happened at night, it would be inconvenient to run into them.
She stood up, lit a candle, opened the box, and took out a bra from the bottom.
This was a piece of clothing her mother had made for her, specially for summer wear, and it was much thinner and lighter. She was afraid it would be hot while she was traveling, so she had given her two pieces.
It came in handy at this time, allowing Gu Ningxi to sleep more peacefully.
After all this tossing and turning, she was temporarily no longer sleepy. If word reached the Crown Prince about what she had witnessed over the past few days, he would likely be even more worried about Prince Zhao's arrogance and his achievements becoming too powerful for the emperor. The trust and friendship built on the battlefield far surpassed the bonds of friendship forged in Kyoto.
Prince Zhao and his Black Armor Army may obey Your Majesty's orders, but they may not necessarily submit to the Crown Prince. In all fairness, Prince Zhao led his army to conquer half of the Jin Dynasty, with his spearhead targeting the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace. How could he willingly submit to His Majesty?
According to etiquette, Empress Yao was Your Majesty's first wife and the successor to the Empress Dowager, the mother of the nation. Meanwhile, the late Empress Zhen was the consort of the Prince of Jin, appointed Empress Dowager upon Your Majesty's ascension to the throne. The distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children is difficult to discern; the only true distinction is seniority.
The Zhending Prince's Palace naturally supported His Royal Highness Prince Zhao. The current Prince Zhending was Empress Yiwen's full brother. Back then, the Prince Zhending led 120,000 troops in surrender, agreeing to form a friendly alliance with His Majesty. Today, the Prince Zhending still commands 80,000 troops, guarding the western border. His Crown Prince Zhen Yuan even achieved remarkable military exploits alongside His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.
Your Majesty is not a mean-spirited person; otherwise, so many generals would not have followed him and helped him conquer the Central Plains. Since ascending the throne, Your Majesty has always treated his meritorious officials with kindness, and there is even a story of harmonious harmony between the ruler and his subjects at the Zhending Palace.
Everyone knew His Majesty and Empress Yao were deeply in love, but Gu Ningxi, recalling their childhood memories, knew His Majesty also genuinely loved Empress Zhen. His first act upon ascending the throne was to confer the princess as empress, ordering the Ministry of Rites to hasten the production of a phoenix robe, so that in his final moments, his beloved wife could legitimately become empress and share his glory.
It was hard to tell what was right and what was wrong. The moonlight was dim and Gu Ningxi fell into a deep sleep without knowing when.
…
It didn't rain last night, and the golden light of the morning broke through the clouds.
Several people rode their horses along the country road. Although it was not as wide as the official road, it was still smooth and passable.
There are farmlands on both sides. Everything comes back to life in spring. The tender green seedlings are bathed in the east wind, and the vibrant colors make people happy.
The river water is so clear that you can see the bottom. A waterwheel stands in the river, continuously sending water into the farmland to irrigate the crops.
Spring plowing is the people's hope for the year, and water is essential. Now that the war has settled and the people are recuperating, farmland and irrigation projects are being built in full swing across the country, and the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works have a heavy responsibility.
Seeing that Prince Zhao had been looking at the waterwheel, Gu Ningxi explained with a smile, "That's a waterwheel. The Ministry of Works finally built it last year."
As a prince and a minister, he should be concerned about the people's livelihood.
Seeing that Prince Zhao was quite interested in exploring, Gu Ningxi went down to the river with him. They sat on the ground, the Feng River gurgling eastward beneath their feet, the drum wheel turning endlessly.
Gu Ningxi explained in detail: "The water wheel of the drum cart stands upright in the river, with small bamboo and wooden drums installed diagonally around the wheel, sometimes with as many as forty-two. The river water continuously pushes the wheel, and the small drums around the wheel are filled with water one by one, which then pours out from the top. A wooden trough is connected to the top to channel the collected river water into the canals and fields. Hence the name 'water-turning drum cart'."
"Originally, the keel waterwheels commonly used in the fields required human or animal power to continuously deliver water to the fields. However, the drum wheel relied on the terrain and the force of the flowing water, which greatly saved labor and ensured the irrigation of crops."
She talked freely, a breeze ruffling a few strands of her dark hair. Her originally fair face, as white as jade, became even more handsome and beautiful in the light, making people slightly dazed.
Gu Ningxi accidentally met the gaze of the person next to him, and was startled, and then a little panic surged in his heart.
She quickly lowered her head and pretended to watch the fish swimming in the river.
"Your Highness, why are you staring at me? Did you hear what I was saying?" She joked, trying to keep her voice calm.
Lu Jing also realized his own impoliteness and coughed unnaturally.
He said, "We are just talking about the terrain."
He had originally thought the waterwheel was interesting, but for some reason, after his distraction, he could hardly hear a single word.
Gu Ningxi, fearing he might be suspicious, quickly continued, his gaze still fixed on the water. "Although the drum wheel saves effort, it relies on favorable terrain and must be built where the river flows rapidly. Sometimes, during the dry season, the drum wheel is powerless and must still be driven by human power. In some places, the banks are high and the water level is low, making the drum wheel completely useless. Further improvements are needed."
The chirping of birds and the splashing of water indicate that it is the busy farming season again.
When it was time to set off again, Gu Ningxi stood up and deliberately fell half a step behind.
She used the excuse of being tired and hid in the carriage for the last part of the journey. She did not appear in front of King Zhao for the next half day.
…
They traveled for two days, passing through four villages. This year, the rains were plentiful, and farmers could be seen working in the fields everywhere, their crops growing vigorously.
Around noon, there were no villages within a few miles. Following Prince Zhao's instructions, they rested for an hour by the stream. The dry food they had prepared was more than sufficient. Xie Qian was in high spirits today, and he and his guards even hunted a few rabbits in the forest.
They chose a cleared spot, about sixty or seventy paces from the riverbank, offering easy access to water and a damp soil. They gathered some dry wood and started a fire, then placed the cleaned rabbit meat over the flames. Smoke curled up, and soon the aroma of roasting rabbit filled the air. Sprinkled with seasonings, the freshly roasted rabbit sizzled in the hot oil, a tempting sight.
Gu Ningxi was preoccupied, and after half a day in the carriage, she had no appetite. She broke off half a piece of naan and ate a rabbit leg, and then she felt about 70% full.
She stood up and went to the riverbank downstream to wash her hands, then sat down on a riverside rock. Prince Zhao said they would depart in an hour, and since they still had plenty of time, they could rest for a while. Gu Ningxi deliberately walked a distance. Because of the lesson she had experienced at the waterwheel the day before, she hadn't dared get too close to Prince Zhao for the past two days, fearing he would notice something.
The only people in the mansion who knew her identity, besides her parents and grandfather, were her wet nurse and a few loyal servants. All of them had signed life-indentures and had no reason to betray the mansion. So, according to the dream, what was the moment that led King Zhao to discover her identity? After nearly twenty years of deception, and after a criminal deceiving the emperor, his anger and punishment were understandable.
After much thought, there was no answer, so Gu Ningxi could only take precautions.
As for their current relationship, although she obeyed the orders of the Eastern Palace and the court was in turmoil, their friendship was no longer what it once was. But in fact... Gu Ningxi sighed softly. He didn't regard her as an enemy, nor did he deliberately make things difficult for her.
However, Gu Ningxi always kept one thing in mind: between them, only His Royal Highness Prince Zhao could do as he pleased. He was the superior, and his willingness to associate with her could be seen as a gesture of old friendship. However, she couldn't actively show her affection, as doing so would not only earn her a reputation as a flatterer, but also the charge of betraying the Eastern Palace.
Feeling bored, Gu Ningxi picked up a few small stones and threw them into the water one after another.
With a few clear "ding dong" sounds, ripples suddenly appeared on the calm river surface.
Gu Ningxi knew that he still had some of the nobleness of a scholar. Since he had not shared hardships with King Zhao on the battlefield, he certainly would not dream of sharing wealth and honor with him.
Two more stones fell into the river, but the sound they should have made was drowned out by the noise coming from behind.
The swords collided, and Gu Ningxi subconsciously looked back. A large group of assassins suddenly emerged from some corner of the forest.
They were all dressed in black, holding swords and knives. They were a huge crowd that dazzled Gu Ningxi. There were about fifty or sixty of them.
Black scattered everywhere. These assassins were clearly well-trained. In a split second, they surrounded them, their attacks brutal and ruthless. The clash of blades was heard in the wind, making everyone tremble with fear.
Because they were at the feet of the emperor and for fear of disturbing the people, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao brought only a few personal guards with him and was soon surrounded.
However, they were all elite soldiers, and had even served on the battlefield with His Royal Highness Prince Zhao. Although the assassins were numerous and powerful, they couldn't capture any of them in a short time.
Just a few breaths later, when Gu Ningxi had just come to her senses, two assassins discovered her location and came towards her with knives.
Picking on the weak?!
This thought suddenly popped up in Gu Ningxi's mind. The view from the river was wide and there was no place for her to hide.
If she ran back, she would be trapped by the assassins; but if she went in the opposite direction, she would be further and further away from King Zhao and the others. Once she was alone, it would only be a matter of time before she fell into the hands of the assassins.
This was the first time in Gu Ningxi's life that she encountered such a critical situation. She had no time to think carefully and could only follow her instinct and run upstream along the river bank.
Several more assassins noticed the commotion here and attacked her.
The stones by the river were slippery, and Gu Ningxi's legs kept slipping. He stumbled several times and couldn't even make a sound to call for help.
She listened to the assassin's footsteps approaching, the smell of blood filling her nostrils. The mirror-like surface of the lake reflected her panicked form, and the assassin closest to her raised a bloodstained long knife.
Blood dripped, and scarlet flowers bloomed on the stones.
Just as Gu Ningxi's mind went blank, a long arrow shot out from the air and pierced the assassin's throat from the direction of the river bank.
The force of the blow was so strong that it pinned the assassin into the river, sending up a large splash of water. Blood splattered, staining the river red.
One arrow to the throat.
Then three arrows were fired in succession, and four assassins fell one after another. One of the arrows pierced two of them.
Blood flowed along the pebbles, everything happened in a flash, and the assassin's body was lying all over the ground.
The crisis was temporarily resolved, and Gu Ningxi stared at the unforeseen event in astonishment. Unable to support herself any longer, she took a half step back, barely avoiding the assassin's body and falling to the ground.
The blue robe was stained with blood, the red was glaring.
Amidst the corpses, Gu Ningxi was at a loss. She stared blankly at King Zhao Lu Jing, who had thrown away his longbow, used his long sword to clear away the assassins, and strode towards her.
Just now, in a moment of desperation, he snatched the arrow from the assassin's hand. With just one glance, Xie Qian knew that he had to protect His Highness, and he cooperated with him in perfect harmony.
"Are you hurt?" Lu Jing asked.
Gu Ningxi looked up at him blankly, her chest still heaving, and shook her head slowly.
The body of the assassin closest to her was less than three steps away, his eyes wide open, as if he had died with his eyes open.
"Come, get up." Lu Jing stretched out his hand to her.
Behind him, the secret guards of Prince Zhao's palace had already taken control of the situation. Xie Qian methodically directed his personal guards to keep the prisoners alive. Some assassins, seeing the situation was hopeless, bit the poison hidden between their tongues.
Gu Ningxi's reaction was still slow, and he didn't move for a moment. Lu Jing half-crouched down, held out his hand to the man, and his voice unconsciously became much gentler: "It's okay, get up first."
At this height, Gu Ningxi and he met each other's eyes. She placed her hand in his palm, her fingertips still trembling.
Lu Jing put his five fingers together and easily held the hand of the person in front of him.
He lifted the person up and found that the person's hands were very cold and... unexpectedly soft.
【Author’s words】
Xiao Lu: How about good friends helping each other...ber?
Female goose (brain temporarily down version): ………………
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