Chapter 18 "It's getting dark, it's not convenient to entertain guests any longer..."
"Oh dear, it's all purple!"
As the sun sets behind the window, it stretches and distorts the patterns on the carved window lattice, imprinting them onto the cold blue bricks.
The room was brightly lit, casting the shadows of the girls onto the brocade screen with auspicious cloud patterns.
Feng Mian lay face down on the couch, her bare shoulders and back covered in bruises, the pale skin making the bruises look particularly gruesome.
Liu Ying knelt to the side, scooped out a little ointment from a wide-mouthed white porcelain medicine bottle, rubbed it in her palm to dissolve it, and gently applied the dissolved ointment to the bruises on Feng Mian's shoulders and back while muttering, "The princess should have come back immediately to apply the medicine, but she insisted on sitting there for half a day, and I didn't see His Highness give the princess a kind look."
And not even a word of concern, which really infuriated her.
The cool ointment touched her skin, causing a slight stinging sensation. Feng Mian couldn't help but flinch, but dared not move, forcing herself to remain calm and lying still.
"I didn't stay because of His Highness. The burning of the grain supplies is a serious matter, and I wonder how the investigation is going..."
During the day, Chu Jingqi recounted all the information he knew, and at the end, he instructed that when sending someone to look for the girl named Tu Mi, they should not frighten her.
They really have a big heart.
They didn't care at all who set the fire, what their purpose was, whether other grain supplies would be affected, or what impact it would have on them and the King of Qin.
I wonder if the army still has enough food supplies? Although there is no war in Yunzhong County, the surrounding prefectures and villages are at risk of being plundered every day. If the army's food supplies cannot be supplied, it will inevitably affect morale.
Bai Lixun left in such a hurry today that she didn't have time to ask. Sending someone to investigate such military matters privately would seem like being a spy...
Knock knock.
"Has the princess gone to sleep?" Baili Xunzhou's tall figure was reflected in the bedroom door.
Why is he here?
Feng Mian paused for a moment, then was about to get up, "Not yet..."
The next instant, Liu Ying covered her mouth and pressed it down, lowering her voice: "Ancestor, how can you receive guests now?"
Feng Mian chuckled awkwardly, almost forgetting that he was still disheveled...
"Quickly, help me put my clothes on."
Bai Lixun, who was outside, only heard Feng Mian's reply and then pushed the door open.
Wu Liu, who was brewing tea, dropped the teapot and rushed to the door to block it.
"Your Highness, please wait in the courtyard for a moment. The princess will be ready soon."
Baili Xunzhou, standing outside the door, stared at the door that had been blocked with a "bang," paused for a moment, and then realized that he probably shouldn't have pushed the door open directly.
He used to be so carefree in the military that he had lost all sense of discipline.
He responded softly, turned around and stood in the courtyard. He looked around listlessly, and suddenly noticed a wooden board hanging on a locust tree in front of him, with some words written on it.
Curious, he stepped forward and saw that it was written in delicate small characters: "Some people are forbidden from using locust leaves in cold noodles, how pitiful! I hereby bestow upon you the name 'Flower Flower,' and hope that you will bloom profusely, so that you can make locust flower and wheat porridge to satisfy your hunger."
Baili Xunzhou: ...
Bai Lixun chuckled. How could someone name a tree just for a bite to eat?
"Flower, if you stop blooming, won't someone be so hungry they cry?" He touched the trunk, joking with a locust tree.
He heard the sound of a door opening behind him, and Baili Xunzhou immediately stopped what he was doing. He turned around as if nothing had happened, took a few steps back, and looked up to see Feng Mian walking out of the door.
Feng Mian was worried that Baili Xunzhou would be impatient waiting, so she did not dress up. Her black hair was cascading down like a waterfall, and her fair face, without any makeup, was wrapped in the fur collar of her cloak, making her look even more petite and pretty.
When it comes running over in small steps, it looks like some fluffy little animal.
Feng Mian ran up to Baili Xunzhou in a flash, looked up at him expectantly, her dark and moist pupils sparkling like some kind of gemstone.
She asked impatiently, "But what did they find out?"
A faint, sweet fragrance wafted from Feng Mian on the breeze. Baili Xunzhou's nostrils twitched, and he caught a whiff of medicinal ointment mixed in with the scent. Instead of answering, he asked, "How is the injury on your back?"
"I just applied the medicine according to the prescription given by the physician, it's nothing serious." Feng Mian said, raising his shoulder, then wincing in pain and sheepishly lowering his arm.
These bruises from falls don't feel like anything when you're still, but they become painful and aching as soon as you move around.
A small celadon bottle was held up in front of her, the fingers holding the bottle were slender and the lines were as smooth as bamboo shoots.
Bai Lixunzhou: "This is the military's Panax notoginseng ointment, and its effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis far surpasses that of external prescriptions."
"For me?" Feng Mian looked up in surprise and tentatively reached out to take the celadon bottle.
Baili Xunzhou shoved the porcelain bottle into her hand and said solemnly, "I was indeed reckless today and caused you to suffer an undeserved disaster. I'm sorry."
Young people are always ambitious and concerned about their reputation. Even a spoiled brat like Chu Jingqi would grumble and whine a bit when forced to apologize.
Baili Xunzhou, however, apologized as soon as he realized his mistake, open and honest, without any of the burdens of being from a noble family.
Feng Mian smiled slightly, put away the porcelain bottle, and said, "Then thank you very much, Your Highness."
As she lowered her head, a few strands of her dark hair quietly slipped down from her shoulders and softly fell in front of her.
Baili Xunzhou's gaze followed the strands of hair that were being blown by the wind for a moment, then he looked away, stood with his hands behind his back, and answered her previous question: "The Miss Tu Mi that the young marquis mentioned disappeared after the granary caught fire. Shanyi investigated in the vicinity and can almost confirm that she is a foreign spy."
Do you know which tribe they belong to?
"Based on the clues left behind, it is inferred that it was either the Alna tribe or the Uh tribe. However, it cannot be ruled out that it was a setup by other tribes to shift the blame eastward."
In the northern frontier, there were thirty-six tribes of varying sizes. In the seventeenth year of Yongchang, they formed an alliance and invaded the border, prompting Emperor Zhaowu to issue an edict to relocate the capital overnight. After moving south from Zhuojun, they were scattered by successive Dingbei Kings. Now, the alliance of the thirty-six tribes is no longer valid, and internal divisions are severe, with infighting commonplace.
As soon as she finished speaking, Baili Xunzhou saw Feng Mian's dark eyebrows furrow slightly. Her eyebrows were also fluffy and misty, unlike the finely curved eyebrows of a typical young lady, which were quite natural and fresh.
Feng Mian: "Who the culprit is is secondary; the real issue is that the newly arrived supplies have been burned, and the soldiers in the army..."
Seemingly not expecting Feng Mian to ask whether the soldiers had enough food, Baili Xunzhou paused for a moment before saying, "Princess, don't worry. The Jiyu Camp seized a lot of stolen goods at Langgu Ridge. After they were confiscated, they can still last for a while."
"The escorting officer was still on duty when the military rations were destroyed. I'm sure His Highness Prince Qin won't shirk responsibility and won't delay any longer. The second batch of rations will arrive in a few days. The Swift Feather Battalion will personally go to pick them up then."
"That's good." Feng Mian felt relieved, and a smile just appeared on her face when she suddenly thought of that night at Wolf Bone Ridge, and how the person in front of her regarded the lives of innocent wealthy merchants as mere ants and weeds. Her smile froze for a moment.
These past few days she had tried hard not to think about the scene from that night, but now she could no longer avoid it.
The soldiers had rendered meritorious service in suppressing the bandits, and the stolen goods had been converted into military supplies to help them through their difficulties. However, the incredulous voice of the bandit leader, who loudly questioned, "These are the people of your Dayong," and the cries for help from the wealthy merchant also echoed in her ears.
She didn't know if her conflicted thoughts were a case of "letting others eat cake," but she found it hard to connect the Baili Xun boat she had seen in the past few days with the ruthless young general from that night.
She forced a smile and awkwardly saw him off: "It's getting dark, so it's not convenient to keep guests any longer. Please, Your Highness."
Baili Xunzhou was unaware of what had happened. He only felt that the girl in front of him seemed to have suddenly become distant, and he was also a little confused.
Father was right; a woman's heart is indeed as unfathomable as the bottom of the sea.
He had no intention of investigating further; he had already delivered the items and the message, and since he had nothing else to do, he nodded slightly and took his leave.
Dusk gradually swallowed the daylight.
Wu Liu held a candle to illuminate the room, and Liu Ying reapplied the ointment sent by Bai Li Xun Zhou to Feng Mian.
Looking at Feng Mian's back, which showed no signs of improvement, Liu Ying frowned so deeply that it could trap a small flying insect. "Princess, do you think the saying about the 'Star of Relief from Calamity' can be true?"
Why are you suddenly asking this?
“This servant thinks that His Highness is clearly the one who brings misfortune to the Princess…” Liu Ying recounted indignantly, “When we were in trouble at Wolf Bone Ridge, His Highness was there too. After we entered the city and the Prince’s Mansion, the Princess fell ill again. And this time, the Princess was injured because of His Highness.”
"In short, nothing good ever comes from meeting the young master. I still had a sliver of hope, even if this was just a pretext set up by Consort Rou to deceive you, what if it actually came true? But now it seems it was all just lies."
Feng Mian chuckled twice before slowly saying, "The theory of fate is inherently mysterious. A person's destiny can only be held in their own hands. How can one rely on others? Besides, I have no relation to the young master, and I have no gratitude or affection for her, so I can't rely on her at all."
Liu Ying sighed softly, "It seems we'll still have to rely on us servants to protect the princess."
Feng Mian slightly raised herself up and made a bowing gesture: "Yes, this humble woman is entirely relying on the two heroines."
Wu Liu lowered her head and smiled faintly, while Liu Ying burst out laughing, her body trembling.
Feng Mian quickly ducked back to avoid danger: "Okay, okay, don't poke my bruises, they hurt a lot."
Liu Ying chuckled to herself for a while before continuing to apply the medicine. Then Feng Mian instructed, "Tomorrow, go to the Yuan residence and invite Miss Yuan out for me. I left her here before we had a chance to do much sightseeing today, which was quite impolite. You two go together and bring some gifts to apologize."
After a moment's thought, she added, "Judging from the Princess's attitude that day, it seems she doesn't want us to enter the Yuan residence. When you go, just say you're from the Prince's residence, don't enter, and don't inquire about Miss Yuan's private affairs."
"This servant understands. However, if Miss Yuan is not highly regarded in the household, I'm afraid the servants in the Yuan household might also neglect her. If we bring gifts, they might not even reach Miss Yuan's hands." Wu Liu was more thoughtful; in some wealthy and powerful families, it was not uncommon for wicked servants to bully their masters.
“That’s true. Then I won’t bring any gifts. I’ll personally escort her tomorrow.” Feng Mian nodded and instructed Wu Liu to make a point of remembering every road they would take the next day.
She wanted to create a map of Yunzhong County herself.
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