Chapter 24 Disguise
On the fourth day, Shen Zhilan's riding posture became noticeably stiff.
Even though he tried his best to hide it, his occasional small movements still caught Ling Wei's eye.
Yunqi silently followed beside him, his eyes filled with heartache, but he dared not say a word.
When they arrived at the post station in the evening, Shen Zhilan dismounted more slowly than the day before. He held onto the saddle, took a deep breath, and then slowly landed.
Ling Wei saw it all but said nothing.
After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms to rest. Ling Wei paced around her room for a couple of steps, then suddenly turned around and went out, heading straight for Shen Zhilan's room.
Yun Qi, who was guarding outside the door, saw her arrive and his expression changed. He hurriedly stepped forward to stop her, saying, "Your Highness, my lord..."
"If you won't let me see, then don't follow me tomorrow," Ling Wei said calmly.
Yun Qi froze, struggled for a moment, and finally retreated to the side.
Ling Wei pushed open the door and entered. The room was lit only by an oil lamp, casting a dim yellow light.
Shen Zhilan was sitting on the edge of the bed when she suddenly barged in. She stopped abruptly and instinctively pulled down her rolled-up trouser legs.
Ling Wei walked closer and stood in front of him, blocking most of the light. Shen Zhilan raised his eyes and met her lowered gaze.
He released his grip on the trouser leg, turned his head slightly, and his ears turned a faint blush in the shadows.
Ling Wei squatted down and examined the fabric by candlelight. Her eyes noticed a darker patch in the fabric, with a hint of grime showing through, and frayed edges visible at the corners.
There's no need to expose the injury; the situation speaks volumes.
She frowned, reached out, and gently pressed her fingertips on the fabric just inches away from the wound.
Shen Zhilan tensed up for a moment, then forced herself to relax, her breathing becoming slightly rapid.
"Is it chafed? Is it bleeding?" Ling Wei looked up and asked directly.
Shen Zhilan pursed her lips and nodded gently.
"How many days has it been?" she pressed.
He hesitated for a moment, then held up three fingers.
Three days, it started on the second day of our trip, and we've been enduring it ever since.
Ling Wei closed her eyes, suppressing the inexplicable anger in her heart. She stood up, walked to the door, opened it, and said to the outside, "Bai Ji."
The young physician standing guard outside the door immediately responded.
"Muscle-regenerating ointment, anti-inflammatory powder, gauze, and a soft pad," Ling Wei said calmly, listing several items. "Bring them here now and place them outside the door."
"Yes, Your Highness." Bai Ji replied without hesitation, her footsteps quickly fading into the distance.
Ling Wei then looked at Shen Zhilan again. "Shen Zhilan," she called him by his full name, her tone more serious than ever before. "Listen to me carefully."
"I brought you out here to be my eyes and ears, not a burden. But if you hide your injuries and pain, and drag it out until you're unable to move and become a real burden..."
"That was your own choice. If you don't report this next time, you two, master and servant, will have to stay in the carriage and not follow along."
The air inside the room seemed to freeze.
Ling Wei stopped looking at him, turned and walked out. When she reached the door, she paused slightly and said, "Take care of your injuries, and we'll set off as usual tomorrow."
As night deepened, Yun Qi cleaned and applied medicine to Shen Zhilan again, his movements as gentle as could be, yet it still caused Shen Zhilan to break out in a cold sweat.
"My lord, will His Highness really not allow us to follow?" Yunqi asked in a low voice.
Shen Zhilan was silent for a moment, then gestured: "If she insists on abandoning us, we'll continue along the same route."
Yun Qi's eyes reddened: "But your legs..."
No problem.
Shen Zhilan shook his head. Now that he was here, everything should be based on the plan.
The team prepared to depart early the next morning.
Shen Zhilan walked towards his horse, his back ramrod straight, his face showing no sign of anything amiss.
Just as he reached out to take the reins, Ling Wei rode over on Mo Yun, stopped beside him, and patted the thick, soft padding that had been specially added to the back of the saddle.
"Come on up, sit in the back."
Shen Zhilan was stunned. Ling Wei had already turned to the side and reached out her hand. He pursed his lips and finally took her hand.
Her hands were steady, and her strength was just right, as she helped him onto the horse's back. He didn't straddle it, but sat sideways on the thick, soft cushion behind her.
This position brought the two of them close instantly. Shen Zhilan was already taller than Ling Wei, and sitting like this, he could see the top of her head with just a slight downward glance.
His body inevitably stiffened, his arms hanging in mid-air, unsure of where to put them, his whole being exuding a tense helplessness.
Ling Wei noticed this and said with a lazy laugh in her voice, "Just hold on tight, don't worry about it if it falls."
Shen Zhilan's ears felt slightly hot. He wrapped his arms around her waist, his palms resting on her slender waistline, his body heat seeping through the fabric.
Ling Wei pulled on the reins, and Mo Yun started moving.
At first, Shen Zhilan was tense, but gradually he relaxed with her rhythm. Her breath was very close, and her hair occasionally brushed against his chin.
He lowered his eyes and saw her hand holding the reins, her wrist slender yet strong; he saw her tied-up ponytail swaying gently with her horse's movements; he saw a small patch of fair skin on the back of her neck, gleaming softly in the morning light.
Her heartbeat suddenly became a little unsteady, and Shen Zhilan subconsciously tightened his arms around her, holding her even more tightly.
Ling Wei felt the person gradually transferring their weight to her, even unconsciously pressing their head against her.
Could it be that the Shen family made him traumatized by the thought of being a burden, so he would rather endure the pain and not say anything than try to prove himself useful?
Mo Yun accelerated but remained steady. The wind whistled past, and Shen Zhilan closed his eyes, leaning gently against her back.
Ling Wei let him lean on her without saying anything more.
Even traveling light and on horseback, it took six days to cover more than 600 li (approximately 300 kilometers).
On the sixth day at noon, the group arrived at the border of Fuling County, but instead of heading towards the county seat, they turned onto a secluded mountain road at Ling Wei's instruction.
After traveling for about an hour, they stopped in a sheltered mountain valley forest.
"Rest on the spot and check your equipment." Ling Wei dismounted, giving clear instructions.
The guards silently dispersed to maintain order, while Qing Shu directed several people to carry out a rather heavy-looking woven soft basket from their luggage.
When the box was opened, it didn't contain gold, silver, or valuables, but rather neatly arranged clothes, headscarves, wigs, face powder, and even a few sets of rough pottery bowls and jars, as well as other miscellaneous goods.
“Baiji,” Ling Wei called out.
"exist!"
"Get the people settled." Ling Wei thought for a moment and added, "Shen Langjun and I also need to be replaced."
"yes!"
Bai Ji was extremely quick and efficient, clearly not doing this for the first time. She opened several porcelain jars containing ointments of various colors and shades, and took out some hair-like things, beckoning everyone to come forward.
Half an hour later, the once neat and uniform guards were completely transformed: sorrowful village women, traveling peddlers, small-household mistresses... even the warhorses were made less conspicuous.
Ling Wei also changed into an old, faded lotus-colored dress, and applied a little yellow powder to cover up her beauty and add to her haggard appearance.
She walked up to Shen Zhilan and handed her a set of blue cloth clothes: "Change into these, the material is a bit rough."
Shen Zhilan took it and looked at her.
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