Chapter 118: The Hard Journey, next chapter: Xiao Xie appears, waiting in the wings too early.
Yunjing did not have a leisurely New Year.
Because of the war in the northwest, the court cut back on spending and many grand banquets were cancelled, but officials traveled more frequently in private, all wanting to know more and know things earlier in this chaotic court situation.
On the second day of the first lunar month, it snowed all morning. Prince Jin was summoned to the palace. He took a rare break from work and was too lazy to do his hair and makeup. He snuggled up on the Arhat couch by the stove, making tea while flipping through a book of notes.
Around mid-morning, Ah He returned from visiting the princess's residence to pay New Year's greetings, and Wei Yin'er also entered the house with her.
Wei Yiner bowed gracefully towards Ying and said, "Your Highness the Princess has a letter for Sister Ying, so I stopped by to wish her a happy new year."
Cong Ying exchanged a few pleasantries with her, took the letter and read it, but fell into deep thought and remained silent for a long time.
The princess explained in her letter that the military situation in Xizhou was extremely urgent. His Majesty had agreed to appoint Xie Xuanlan as temporary commander of Xizhou, and had ordered Xuan Zhiyuan to coordinate with the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue to transport grain and fodder, with the departure for Xizhou to begin tomorrow. The princess announced that she had recommended Cong Ying as the imperial envoy and military supervisor, and that all necessary documents had been prepared. However, considering the Prince of Jin's silence, she instructed her to find a way to escape tomorrow. She would meet Xuan Zhiyuan and others at the South City Gate in the afternoon and depart together.
At this time, Zong He came up and said mysteriously, "The princess gave me a leave and asked me to go with my sister and protect her safety."
Cong Ying smiled and touched her head: "Okay, I'll take you with me."
Since she was leaving secretly, she didn't have anything to prepare. Cong Ying felt a little guilty towards King Jin, but she also felt that it wasn't her fault. She had previously tentatively mentioned wanting to go to Xizhou, but King Jin had immediately and firmly rejected her.
When Prince Jin came back in the afternoon, he saw her sitting by the window in a daze. She hadn't taken a few sips of tea or turned a few pages of the book, and she looked uninterested.
"Why, who made you unhappy?"
"No."
Cong Ying saw the fine snow falling on his temples, so she raised her hand to brush it away, then held his cold hand and blew on it gently until it felt a little warm again before letting go.
Prince Jin was greatly touched by her thoughtfulness. He looked at her with a lingering smile in his eyes and leaned forward to kiss her with his soft and cool lips.
Normally, she would not indulge him in his frivolous behavior during the day, but today she changed her mind and took the initiative to deepen the kiss, melting away the chill brought by the wind and snow bit by bit, and still reluctantly bit the tip of his lips.
Prince Jin looked down at her with half-closed eyes, his gaze thoughtful.
After a while, he said, "Your Majesty has made a decision today. Regardless of Xie Xuanlan's crimes, he will be allowed to serve his sentence while serving his sentence and command the Western Province. He must achieve a great victory within two years."
Cong Ying nodded: "That's good."
She had been following this matter with great concern for the past few days, and even sat up on New Year's Eve, looking west, feeling anxious and sighing. But when she heard the good news he brought back, she didn't show any surprise.
King Jin felt strange and looked around. He caught a glimpse of a thin layer of dark embers in the brazier. It was not the color of silver charcoal, but more like a layer of paper ash.
His gaze remained fixed on it for a long time, and I don't know what he was thinking.
The next day, with nothing to do at home, the two of them sat in the tea room by the window, admiring the snow. Cong Ying suddenly suggested making him a necklace to tie to his jade pendant. Seeing her immediately start working on it, the Prince of Jin was also busy. He picked up the book she had placed on the table yesterday and read to her.
Snow rustled outside the window, boiling water on the stove hit the sand pot, and the fragrance of tea filled the room with the mist.
The gentle voice of King Jin fell into his ears, his sentences were as smooth as music, and contained a kind of tenderness that was not easily noticed. It was as moving as the sound of imperial edict.
Such beautiful moments are most likely to give rise to greed and weakness.
Cong Ying wanted to pray that time would stop at this moment, yet she couldn't bear to see her partner suffer endlessly in the cold of Western Province. She knew parting was imminent, and her heart was filled with bitterness. She tried hard not to show it on her face, but she unconsciously tightened her lips and furrowed her brows.
While reading the words in the book, Prince Jin kept his eyes on her eyebrows.
He actually wanted to calm her down and relax her brows, but some words, once spoken, would be difficult to carry out.
At this time, he looked up and saw someone walking into the yard. He bowed to Cong Ying from a distance, then turned and left.
Cong Ying also saw this. She stood up and fastened the jade pendant, now with its new string, back around Prince Jin's waist. She said, "I almost forgot. I promised Ji Caibing I'd go with her to look at the new shop today, so I have to go out for a while now."
The King of Jin looked at her and said, "It's snowing heavily outside. Can't we postpone it for two days?"
Cong Ying said, "It's already been postponed from before the New Year to after the New Year. If I delay any longer, I'm afraid someone else will take it first, and I can't always break her promises."
The King of Jin hummed, then said, "No hurry, this travelogue is quite interesting, let me finish reading it."
He turned the page in his hand and continued to read the sentences in the book. The sound was as clear as the sound of jade being struck, and the boiling water on the stove was like pearls falling. In this moving harmony of pearls and jade falling on a plate, Cong Ying listened and looked out frequently.
The snow was getting heavier and heavier like cotton wool, with no sign of stopping. However, military orders were as strong as mountains, and the army had to march without waiting, so she was afraid of missing the time.
I sat there for another quarter of an hour, feeling reluctant and uncomfortable.
"It will be hard to hear the good news tomorrow, so take a moment to relax and listen carefully. Why rush so fast and look back at the faint sound of the strings?"
After reading this last sentence, the King of Jin slowly closed the book and said, "Let's go."
He actually stood up as well.
Cong Ying stopped him: "It's cold outside, you need to take care of yourself. Besides, Ji Caibing has always been afraid of you, she..."
Prince Jin smiled faintly: "I will only see you off to the carriage."
He took the cloak from the maid, pinched it and found it thin, then ordered, "Go get the Phoenix Torch Fur Coat that the Princess gave you."
The maid brought it quickly and Prince Jin put it on Cong Ying.
Tinder mink fur can melt snow three feet away. Dozens of wild mink furs are needed to sew this Phoenix Torch Fur Coat. The outside is made of black gold woven feather silk, and the inside is soft and warm red fur. It does not look bloated when worn on the body, but can make people not afraid of wind and snow.
The King of Jin tucked her into his fur coat and stuffed a hand warmer inside her, only to be satisfied. He himself, wearing only a single layer of clothing and holding an umbrella, walked out with Cong Ying in his hand.
Along the way, Zong Ying didn't say a word. He stepped on the snow and felt a lump in his throat. He was afraid that if he spoke, he would reveal his fear.
When she stepped onto the bench and boarded the carriage, Prince Jin called her, "Aying."
Looking back, Zong Ying saw snow on his sleeves and his knuckles holding the umbrella were red from the cold. She couldn't help but feel a little pity for him, "Go back quickly."
Prince Jin raised the corner of his lips and gently reminded her: "Don't rush in the snow, and go slowly on the road."
Cong Ying nodded and got into the carriage, where she saw Ah He waiting. The carriage moved slowly forward, and when it had gone a few steps, Cong Ying parted the window felt and looked back, only to see the Prince of Jin still standing there, silently watching them leave.
A layer of snow fell on Zixuan's shoulders, chilly and thin, like a clump of Xiangfei bamboo once carefully nurtured, now abandoned in the world, bullied by the wind and frost, and oppressed by the cold snow. Yet he seemed insensitive to the cold and pain, waiting for a long time for the return of a traveler.
Cong Ying didn't dare to look anymore, so she loosened the window mat and finally let go of the sobs she had been suppressing, letting the tears flow down her cheeks.
…
When the carriage disappeared from sight, Prince Jin covered his lips and coughed several times. When he loosened his grip, a few drops of blood fell from his palms and sank into the snow, still scarlet and warm.
Chen Zhang, returning from outside the palace, saw this and quickly jumped off his horse to help. However, the King of Jin pushed him away calmly and asked, "Is everything arranged?"
Chen Zhang replied, "Everything is as Your Highness expected. Those people are under surveillance."
"Don't be so confident. King Ying is no fool." King Jin turned and walked back. "Wait until the military envoy leaves Yunjing and passes Qianzhou, then we'll take action."
＊
Leaving Yunjing and heading towards Xizhou, the snow on the official road becomes thicker and thicker, like a river flowing into the depths.
Two days later, the military troop arrived at Qianzhou Inn before sunset, preparing to rest for a night before setting off again.
Congying was an imperial military inspector recommended by your lord and conferred by the emperor. She was also the princess of Jin. She was both respected and noble. The officials of Qianzhou Post Station sent their own wives to serve her, but Congying refused to see them and even returned the fine clothes and delicious food that were sent to her. She only ordered three dishes and one soup according to Xuan Zhiyuan's specifications, and had a full meal with Conghe.
Cong He saw her fingers were red and her grip on the chopsticks was stiff, so he exclaimed, "Sister, your hands are going to get frostbite!"
Cong Ying said, "It's okay, don't make a sound."
Xuan Zhiyuan had taken good care of her these past two days, even slowing down the march for her. Although he was kind-hearted, she didn't want to appear squeamish, lest she be looked down upon by her fellow military envoys.
But the scholar cherishes his hands, and feels melancholy in his heart.
After dinner, He took out a small porcelain bottle from his package. Inside was a precious ointment made by the imperial court. He took it from Ying and sniffed it. It had the scent of musk and deer antler, which was very rare.
"Where did it come from?"
Cong He said, "The day before I left, His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin gave it to me and told me to take it with me. There are also many other things."
He took the package from Ying and flipped through it. There were pills to prevent typhoid and epidemic diseases, ginger and safflower powder to treat menstrual cramps, and a sachet containing a peace charm obtained from Xuandu Temple.
Cong Ying was stunned for a moment: it turned out that he had guessed it a long time ago.
All kinds of emotions surged in her heart, and she subconsciously looked in the direction of Yunjing. She felt that her longing was like the dark night outside the window. She quickly put away the package, closed her eyes and sat quietly for a long time, until the sourness in her nose subsided.
She said, "I'm going to discuss this with Commander Xuan."
He Ma raised his sword and bow: "I will protect my sister!"
The two descended the wooden staircase of the inn to the second floor, where they found Xuan Zhiyuan's room ablaze with lights, and all the military envoys were present. Cong Ying paused by the doorway, overhearing Xuan Zhiyuan say he wanted to first travel to the neighboring states of Xizhou to requisition provisions, but he was also concerned about escorting the Princess of Jin and worried about missing the military schedule. Someone chimed in, complaining that she was troublesome and squeamish, before someone, noticing the silhouette reflected on the doorway, coughed heavily.
Cong Ying then pushed the door open and entered the room. He glanced around and spoke amidst the awkward and resentful atmosphere among the generals, "I am the Imperial Supervisor of the Army. Commander Xuan should not have called a meeting without notifying me."
Xuan Tongling said politely: "You have been tired these past two days, and it is late at night. There is a difference between men and women."
Cong Ying curled the corners of his mouth and walked straight to the map beside the long table. After looking at it for a while, he picked up the chess pieces and placed them on three points on the map.
"Food and grass are also in short supply near Zhanzhou. These places may have water transport docks or transportation between the north and the south. Although they are farther away, they can still transfer surplus food."
Xuan Zhiyuan was slightly surprised. What Princess Jin said coincided with the answer he had been thinking about for a long time.
"Since I'm slowing down Commander Xuan, why don't we go our separate ways? I'll take the imperial edict to Xizhou to announce it, and you guys can take a detour to get the grain. That way, even if we're a few days late, it won't matter."
Xuan Zhiyuan said, "How dare I let Her Royal Highness travel alone? If anything goes wrong, I will be hard-pressed to explain myself."
Cong Ying said, "My little sister can escort you."
Cong He was still young, with round, deer-like eyes, and a childish air. The soldiers present looked down on her, some unable to suppress their laughter. Cong He furiously frowned, and when her sister nodded, she leaped onto the table with both hands and kicked the man who had mocked her. The man was caught off guard and stumbled backwards, realizing just how strong she was.
The man said angrily: "Why did you suddenly attack me? You don't even listen to reason!"
Cong He pinched his waist and said, "Come on, let's fight fairly. I'm afraid you won't have an excuse if you lose!"
Everyone retreated to make room for the two of them. Cong Ying took the opportunity to look around Xuan Zhiyuan's room and saw a shadow protruding from under the bed, as if there was a box.
Cong He exchanged a few moves with the young soldier, then pinned him down again. He looked around proudly, "Is there anyone else who refuses to accept?"
Someone wanted to leave the group, but was stopped by Xuan Zhiyuan, who praised her, "Young Miss Jiang is a formidable young woman, but..."
Cong Ying said, "I am an imperial envoy, and this is a military order."
"I have no control over Princess Jin, but I cannot give you the imperial edict. If it is lost, I will not be able to bear the consequences."
Cong Ying didn't insist: "Okay."
In the middle of the night, Cong Ying lay on the couch and gently poked Cong He's shoulder. Cong He turned around, his eyes shining like two stars.
"You were really great today." Cong Ying praised her.
Cong He chuckled: "Actually, I can beat anyone except Commander Xuan. If they look down on you, I'll just smash their front teeth."
Cong Ying also laughed and asked her, "Then can you steal things?"
Cong He was stunned: "Huh?"
…
The next morning, Commander Xuan and his entourage were having lunch downstairs when they heard a woman's scream from the second floor. Princess Jin cried out in a tearful voice, "Hurry up! Hurry up!"
Several military envoys looked at each other in confusion, and Commander Xuan had no choice but to put down his chopsticks and go upstairs. In order to avoid suspicion, he called all the people who were going to eat together.
He stood outside the second floor door and asked, "Is Princess Jin okay?"
Cong Ying suddenly opened the door, tears streaming down her face, she cried timidly, "There's a mouse! Catch it!"
Someone else couldn't help laughing. Xuan Zhiyuan breathed a sigh of relief and said helplessly, "Princess, please be patient. We will be leaving soon."
Cong Ying pretended to be angry: "Go catch it!"
Everyone had no choice but to go in. As they were looking around for mice, they suddenly heard the door close behind them and then be locked from the outside with a click.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
Cong Ying lifted her skirt and went downstairs. Cong He just came out of Xuan Zhiyuan's room. He shook the stolen scroll in his hand and smiled triumphantly.
Cong Ying took her hand and said, "Let's go! Let's abandon the car and ride horses!"
The two of them carried their packages, went to the stable to get their horses, and left quickly. When Xuan Zhiyuan and others kicked open the door, they had already run two miles away and disappeared.
Xuan Zhiyuan cursed and kicked over the table. "Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to do as she says. This military supervisor is not a pushover. Send a pigeon to Xizhou to warn Xie Ziwang to be careful!"
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The author has something to say: Damn it, I misjudged the progress of another chapter... I won't give previews anymore [shut up][shut up]
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