Once Xiao Rong and Qu Yunmie fell asleep, at almost the same time, Sun Renluan woke up.

The private soldiers’ actions disturbed the citizens, but under Yang Zangyi’s deliberate concealment, there were no sounds from the palace. By the time Sun Renluan learned the full story, everything had already been settled.

It was easy to imagine how angry he must have been, especially when he found out that Qu Yunmie had personally crossed the Huai River to rescue Xiao Rong.

 

…

 

At court, Yang Zangyi was already lower than Sun Renluan in rank. Now that he had made a mistake, he could only endure Sun Renluan’s furious scolding. Unlike Empress Dowager Sun, who was all show and no substance, Sun Renluan feared no one, including Yang Zangyi. Yang Zangyi, however, wasn’t afraid of Sun Renluan. He didn’t think he had done anything wrong. He had simply been unlucky and trusted the wrong person.

Thus, he endured the barrage of criticism in silence. After Sun Renluan had vented his anger, Yang Zangyi straightened up and argued with him, trying to shift Sun Renluan’s focus from himself to Xiao Rong.

Even if Xiao Rong truly had exceptional insight and could immediately detect Xizhu’s subterfuge, how could Qu Yunmie have known in advance what Xiao Rong was going to do? How did he happen to appear outside Huaiyin City at just the right time? This wasn’t a matter of keen insight but rather the two of them had some sort of foreknowledge.

They both knew that such foreknowledge was pure nonsense. The only explanation for why Qu Yunmie suddenly appeared was that he and Xiao Rong had discussed their plans in advance. They intended to do something in Jinling, but because Yang Zangyi had abruptly interrupted them, they had been forced to abandon their plans and flee.

Sun Renluan: “…”

In truth, he could tell that Yang Zangyi’s explanation was weak, but what else could he do? The pursuit of Xiao Rong had failed, and it had led to the personal rescue of Xiao Rong by the King of the North, revealing the actions aimed at killing him. The relationship between the court and the King of North was already extremely precarious, and now, even a small misstep could lead to open war between the two.

However, Sun Renluan didn’t intend to use Yang Zangyi’s suggestion. Yang Zangyi’s idea was to turn the facts around, to accuse the King of the North of having malicious intentions, thus bringing about this disaster. Most scholars already sided with the court, so this approach wouldn’t be unreasonable. After all, the events happened in Jinling, and those who hadn’t seen it firsthand could only rely on others’ accounts. Xiao Rong and the others had no other evidence, but they had mouths. The court had even more mouths.

This strategy might suppress the King of the North for a while, but the King’s fury was likely already burning with rage. This approach would only buy a little time but would eventually provoke an even fiercer retaliation from the King of the North.

With that in mind, Sun Renluan glanced at the graying hair of Yang Zangyi.

As for handing Yang Zangyi over to the King of North for punishment…. No, he wouldn’t do that either. The court’s reputation was on the line. Handing over the Prime Minister to the King of the North would be like slapping his own face, and the consequences for the Yang Family would be disastrous. Scholars placed greater importance on their reputation than on their lives. If he did this, the court would immediately fall into chaos.

Sun Renluan’s temples throbbed with pain. Unable to come up with a good plan, he cursed Yang Zangyi for being a self-important, foolish man who thought he was clever. “You think you’re playing a higher game, but everything you’ve done is under Xiao Rong’s watch! How old is Xiao Rong? How old are you? All these years you’ve lived, have you been feeding them to the dogs?!”

Yang Zangyi was seething with hatred, his heart bleeding. This was supposed to be a foolproof plan! If it weren’t for Xizhu’s slip-up. Damn assassins, damn Qingfeng Sect, and damn Sun Renluan! If it weren’t for you all dragging me down, how would I have ended up in this situation!

 

… 

 

The Southern Yong court was in chaos. The two thousand private soldiers sent by Yang Zangyi returned with only a little over six hundred alive. More than a thousand had died on the battlefield, and the other two hundred, afraid of facing the wrath of the Yang family, had simply deserted.

The conflict was neither large nor small, and as for the rumors that spread, it was hard for anyone to judge how much they would ferment at that moment.

Meanwhile, Xiao Rong sat on a mat in the corner of the military tent, playing with the silver hairpin in his hand, his mind fixed on one thought.

That thought was — he hoped the Southern Yong had prepared for great losses. There was no reason to let go of this opportunity that had been handed to him.

 

…

 

The beds in the camp were actually made from several wooden planks, with stones used as support posts. A layer of hemp cloth was spread on top, and that was considered a bed.

People with lumbar disc herniation would likely appreciate this kind of bed, but Xiao Rong, being a healthy person, found it quite uncomfortable.

He hadn’t slept long before being awoken by the hard surface. After he woke up, it took more than an hour before Qu Yunmie finally opened his eyes.

For Xiao Rong, the bed felt almost like torture, but for Qu Yunmie, it was just right. In fact, he felt even more secure on it than on the high, soft beds in the royal palace. After all, for more than twenty years, this was how he had always slept.

Sleep was part of his healing process. Before sleeping, Qu Yunmie felt weak and exhausted, but after waking up, he felt much better. However, the loss of blood had drained the color from his face, and that wasn’t something sleep could remedy. He would need food to recover.

He slowly sat up, the action tugging at his unhealed wound. In front of Xiao Rong, Qu Yunmie acted as though he was uninjured, but only he knew that he was pretending. He felt pain, he was just particularly good at enduring it.

At first, he thought Xiao Rong had already left, so after feeling the tearing pain, he furrowed his brow. However, when his peripheral vision caught the figure sitting on the ground, he stiffened and quickly adjusted his expression back to calm.

– The Strange Competitive Spirit of Men –

 

…

 

If Qu Yunmie wanted to move quietly, most people wouldn’t notice him. Perhaps he was well-suited to being an assassin.

Xiao Rong sat casually, elbows resting on the low table in front of him. One hand supported his head, and the other kept spinning the silver hairpin.

Whether seen from an ancient or modern perspective, the craftsmanship of this silver hairpin was exquisite. The pin was shaped like a bamboo branch, with the head carved into delicate bamboo leaves, a cluster of them together, coated with a greenish paint. However, it wasn’t the enamel that Xiao Rong was familiar with, and he couldn’t tell what dye had been used.

Beneath the pinhead hung a tiny lantern-shaped pendant, playful and eye-catching.

Silver wasn’t expensive, but the craftsmanship of this hairpin was far beyond what an ordinary artisan could create. The bamboo leaves were carved with lifelike detail, and anyone capable of such artistry would likely have been hired by a prominent family as their family artisan.

A female assassin was just a tool, trained from a young age to become a deadly weapon. She had long severed ties with emotions and love, and it was unlikely she would’ve had the time or interest to customize a delicate piece of jewelry for herself. Moreover, Xizhu mightn’t even be her real name. It was probably given to her by her Master, intended to attract those who fancied higher culture and sophistication.

So, this hairpin was likely a gift from her Master, and the care shown in its creation revealed how much her Master valued her.

Xiao Rong wondered, ‘Was her master Yang Zangyi?’

The noble families indeed sought to monopolize everything by taking back all the good things to their own families, but when had they started raising assassins? Such lowly and despicable tactics should be looked down upon by noble families, shouldn’t they?

Was Yang Zangyi truly unique in his behavior, or was there someone else behind Xizhu?

Xiao Rong was lost in thought. In truth, he had no solid evidence to stand on. He was merely speculating based on his tendencies. After last night, he began to see conspiracy in everything. He had relied too much on historical texts, gradually forgetting that people were far more complex than what was recorded in books. Not everything was written down, and he couldn’t only focus on what had been recorded.

This should have been his advantage, but it had instead become his blind spot.

Xiao Rong quietly reflected on himself, in deep thought. Before he could finish his reflection, he heard a mocking voice behind him.

“I thought you had suffered a lot in Jinling, but now it seems like you’re living a life of luxury.”

Xiao Rong: “…”

He froze and stared ahead, blinking slightly before turning his head. “Are you referring to the owner of this silver hairpin, Xizhu?”

Qu Yunmie smiled, but it was a cold, sinister smile. “So you’re calling her by her real name now? Seems I misjudged you, Master Xiao. You’re quite a man of passion. If that’s the case, why not bring this lady back with you instead of reminiscing over her with this hairpin?”

Xiao Rong looked at him, then replied, “I can’t bring her back.”

Qu Yunmie sat across from him. This time, even though he was pulling at his wound, he didn’t feel the pain. All his attention was on mocking Xiao Rong. “Hmph. What would a Jinling woman see in the land of Chenliu?”

Xiao Rong: “…”

After a brief silence, he said, “I can’t bring her back because she’s already dead.”

Qu Yunmie froze, and before he could think of how to respond, he heard Xiao Rong change the topic. “However, if she hadn’t died, I would’ve actually wanted to bring her back to Chenliu.”

Qu Yunmie: “…”

The King of the North had just made a joke, but you actually dared to think this?!

He angrily said, “You are now my advisor and part of the Northern Army. The Northern Army cannot be overly involved with the people of Jinling! Even if she hadn’t died, with me here, you cannot bring her back to Chenliu! There are plenty of women in this world. What’s so special about her that you can’t forget her after escaping death?”

Qu Yunmie felt his words were righteous, but Xiao Rong’s gaze became even more strange.

In the end, Xiao Rong didn’t point out the strangeness but instead sighed and said to Qu Yunmie, “It’s precisely because I escaped death that I can’t forget her. She was the one who wanted me dead.”

Qu Yunmie’s expression changed, and then Xiao Rong explained how he had recognized her as an assassin during the banquet.

He went on to say that he had originally intended to knock her out and take some evidence, but it turned out she was faking unconsciousness, and this assassin was so fragile that the head of the guards killed her with one strike.

Qu Yunmie: “…”

The head of the guards was a middle-ranking officer in the Northern Army, responsible for leading the charge against the enemy lines. He could easily tear through gaps in enemy formations, so facing a fragile assassin should’ve been no problem.

Even so, Qu Yunmie didn’t plan to tell Xiao Rong that because he knew Xiao Rong well. If Xiao Rong knew that he had assigned such a fierce general as his guard, Xiao Rong would likely lecture him again.

Qu Yunmie hadn’t expected something like this before the pursuit, and his heart sank further. Fortunately, it was all in the past now, and Xiao Rong had seen through the enemy’s tricks. As he had said, he wouldn’t let Xiao Rong leave Chenliu in the future, so there was no need to keep dwelling on this matter.

Xiao Rong didn’t know that Qu Yunmie was serious. He thought Qu Yunmie was just saying something out of anger, so he didn’t take it to heart. At that moment, Qu Yunmie wasn’t foolish enough to repeat himself, instead, he asked Xiao Rong, “How did you recognize she was an assassin?”

The truth couldn’t be told, but Xiao Rong had his own explanation. “I don’t know. I just felt something was off when I saw her. Later, when I heard Yang Zangyi say he was going to send those dancers to me, I knew something was fishy.”

Qu Yunmie had never heard of this idiom, but after thinking about it for a moment, he understood its meaning. His expression relaxed a little, and he smiled lightly. “That’s right. Anyone who’s overly attentive to you, whether man or woman, you must treat them like an assassin.”

Xiao Rong: “…”

There was no need to be so paranoid.

Although Xiao Rong didn’t agree with Qu Yunmie’s statement, he didn’t think it was worth arguing over something so trivial. They exchanged smiles, and Xiao Rong asked if Qu Yunmie’s was hungry, then went out to find Ah Shu and have him bring over the warmed-up food.

Qu Yunmie watched Xiao Rong’s figure standing by the tent curtain, and the corner of his mouth slowly relaxed.

Neither of them mentioned it, and the argument and awkwardness from the morning felt like it had never happened. This was probably how adults interacted: when they encountered irreconcilable conflicts, they just ignored it and pretended it didn’t exist.

Some things could be handled this way, but with others, the more you ignored them, the more they would become a thorn in your heart.

Qu Yunmie had never experienced this before because there had never been someone like Xiao Rong by his side, making him feel this angry yet having no outlet. Well, he thought, he would take things one step at a time. After all, there was still a long road ahead.

 

…

 

Soon, Ah Shu came in with the food. It was all the large dishes Xiao Rong had specifically requested from the cook: pig liver, pig heart, pig knuckles, red dates, red beans, red carrots. Looking at the table, everything was red and glaring.

Qu Yunmie: “…”

He did enjoy eating meat, but not to this extent.

By the time Qu Yunmie woke up, everyone else had already eaten, so Xiao Rong sat across from him, watching him eat all the dishes.

Qu Yunmie had been injured before, and at his worst, he had been near death. Even then, his dining table hadn’t been filled with so much red food. He knew this must have been arranged by Xiao Rong. Xiao Rong always had these strange and stubborn habits, speaking of customs and rules that others had never heard of.

In order not to waste Xiao Rong’s intentions, even though he was starting to feel nauseous, Qu Yunmie silently finished all the food. Seeing him so obedient, Xiao Rong smiled slightly and then gave Ah Shu a look.

Ah Shu nodded and quickly ran out, bringing in the last dish that had been kept warm in the kitchen—a sweet soup.

Ah Shu placed the sweet soup beside Qu Yunmie, who took one look at it and said, “Take it away.”

He was already full, and he didn’t want to drink something so sweet and nauseating.

Qu Yunmie didn’t think there was anything wrong with what he did. He had already eaten all the food as Xiao Rong had intended, so it wasn’t a problem not to eat this.

However, as soon as he spoke, Xiao Rong froze. Ah Shu looked caught off guard, and he quietly murmured “Ah” before looking at Xiao Rong with some sympathy.

Qu Yunmie: “…”

He was completely confused by the reactions of the master and servant. When he saw Xiao Rong’s lips slowly press together, his pitiful intelligence finally resurfaced.

“Did you make this yourself?”

Xiao Rong didn’t answer, and when Qu Yunmie saw him unwilling to speak, his heart sank.

This time, he didn’t dare say anything. He picked up the bowl of sweet soup and gulped it down in two large swallows.

He didn’t know what the sweet soup was made of, but it was filled with transparent ingredients. As Qu Yunmie drank it, his face twisted, and he forced himself to say, “It’s very delicious.”

Xiao Rong: “…”

He finally spoke. “Your Majesty doesn’t need to force yourself. Most medicinal dishes don’t taste good, but they help replenish energy and nourish the blood. So, I must trouble Your Majesty to drink a bowl every meal until you’re fully healed.”

Qu Yunmie stared at him blankly. “Every meal?”

Xiao Rong smiled. “Yes, the same as mine.”

That meant three meals a day, plus afternoon tea and occasional late-night snacks.

Qu Yunmie: “…”

It would be better to just kill him.

After the meal, Qu Yunmie intended to go out for a walk and check on the soldiers who were injured yesterday, but Xiao Rong wouldn’t allow it. He raised three fingers and emphasized each word.

“The doctor said that Your Majesty needs to stay in bed for three days. For these three days, you cannot go anywhere and must stay in bed.”

Qu Yunmie disagreed. This was even worse than drinking the sweet soup. Regardless, Xiao Rong was determined to watch over him, like he was a prisoner. He crossed his arms and sat at his bedside. Whenever Qu Yunmie moved slightly, his eyes would snap to him.

Qu Yunmie: “…”

Helpless, he gave up on the idea of going out. However, as soon as he raised his hand, Xiao Rong immediately looked at him cautiously.

Qu Yunmie raised both hands slightly, adopting a surrendering gesture, then reached for the old clothes by the bed. These were the blood-stained clothes he had changed out of earlier. Xiao Rong had wanted them thrown away, but when a lethargic Qu Yunmie stopped him, Xiao Rong had to toss them into the corner.

He wasn’t sure when Qu Yunmie had retrieved them.

His hand rummaged inside, and finally, he found the item. He carefully pulled the paper out of the clothing and handed it to Xiao Rong.

Qu Yunmie had an expression of barely concealed pride. “Look, I’ve deciphered it.”

Xiao Rong looked at the wrinkled paper in his hand. It seemed as though it had aged ten years overnight. When he had sent it with the Captain of the Guard, it had been in perfect condition, but now there wasn’t a single flat spot on it. There were even faint stains on it. He wondered how many methods Qu Yunmie had tried, and how he managed to preserve the paper while attempting each one.

Still, he had succeeded in the end. The faint yellow writing had emerged on the paper, and Qu Yunmie had treasured it just to hand it back to Xiao Rong at this moment.

It was just something hastily written, meant to pass the time. Even a fool might think it was a blank sheet of paper, but Qu Yunmie was at least smarter than that.

He hadn’t been unable to figure it out, he just trusted himself, so he had put all his effort into deciphering it.

There were only eight words on the paper: ‘Congratulations, Your Majesty, your wish has been fulfilled.’ Qu Yunmie waited for a while, and when he saw Xiao Rong remain silent, he couldn’t help but urge him. “Is it your turn to fulfill your promise?”

With a light laugh, Xiao Rong folded the paper and put it in his pocket. He stood up and smiled slightly at Qu Yunmie. “Of course, Your Majesty, please wait a moment, I’ll bring in the gift.”

It was naturally a joyful occasion when one could receive a gift, so Qu Yunmie pursed his lips and replied with a restrained “mm.” He hid his expectation inside, but his eyes remained honestly focused on the tent curtain. After a long while, Xiao Rong finally returned, holding the gift meant for him.

Wait.

Holding?

Xiao Rong pushed Song Shuo, the eldest son of the Xiangdong Song family, who was licking a malt sugar, toward Qu Yunmie. He then enthusiastically introduced him. “Your Majesty, please take a look. This is Song Shuo, the eldest son of the Song family from Xiangdong. Young Master Song is talented, diligent, simple, quick-witted, and eager to learn. Having the Young Master Song is like adding wings to a tiger. Does Your Majesty like this gift?”

Qu Yunmie: “…”

He had already lost the ability to speak.

Song Shuo looked at the stunned Qu Yunmie, then glanced at Xiao Rong who was holding onto him.

With his innocent big eyes, Song Shuo continued to lick the malt sugar in his hand.

Meow meow meow? Diligent, simple, quick-witted, eager to learn… is this describing me?!

 

Edited by: Antiope

 

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