On the first day of departure, everyone was very excited, but by the second day, they had grown tired of the scenery along the road, and everyone returned to their normal state. This so-called “normal” was a state of melancholy, with their faces showing signs of longing.

If someone said that people in ancient times were more sentimental than modern people, that’s simply not true. Back then, if someone wanted to stab you, they would do it without hesitation, and if they wanted your life, they would take it. At least in modern times, there are laws to restrain people. However, in an era where the government was virtually powerless, as long as you were strong enough, the cost of committing a crime was almost nonexistent. This led to bandits being everywhere, and every person you encountered while alone could potentially be a thief.

As a result, people placed greater importance on farewells, as no one knew if they would ever see each other again after parting ways. For long journeys people especially treated the farewell as their last meeting.

Time was limited for everyone. After accounting for sleep and the time spent making a living, the time left for friends and family was very little. The luxury of hesitation and deep consideration was something only the nobility could afford. For ordinary people, decisions like marriage or sworn brotherhood could be made with just a few words or a drink.

This may seem casual, but it was the inevitable result of the larger environment. Xiao Rong felt that his younger brother was too warm towards him, but if it were anyone else, they wouldn’t find it strange. After all, Xiao Rong knew he had plenty of time, but Xiao Yi believed they only had these few days together, so naturally, he wanted to repay the person who had helped him with everything he had.

Xiao Rong sat in the carriage, leaning on his feather pillow, half-reclining, lost in thought.

He wasn’t good at dealing with close relationships.

In modern times, his parents had long been divorced. He had lived with his grandfather for a few years and then with his grandmother for a few years. Both of his parents were second-generation wealthy, which meant that his grandfather’s and grandmother’s families were all self-made and had stern personalities.

It wasn’t that he had never experienced familial affection in his life, but in his family, affection was somewhat indifferent. Xiao Rong didn’t feel sorry for himself though; he liked this way of interacting. His family had never treated him poorly in terms of material things, and his parents occasionally messaged him on his phone, asking how he was and if he wanted to go out for a meal.

He didn’t want to study management, and his family never forced him. When he had an accident in school and insisted on taking a break, his family agreed right away, even telling him that it would be okay if he never went back to school.

So, Xiao Rong felt that he had lived quite well before. He had inherited his parents’ genes and was naturally someone who enjoyed solitude. Those happy family scenes often shown in New Year’s commercials only made him feel strange.

Despite this, his solitary life was about to end.

From the moment he accepted the identity documents of the unfortunate person named Xiao Rong, he knew that this old woman and the young man had become his responsibility. This was an era where family was everything, and filial piety governed the nation. Family relationships were incredibly close and one person never represented just themselves when they stepped out, but an entire family. Even if the family was small, their fortunes were tied together.

Xiao Rong had a weary expression on his face.

He began to ponder once again how he had ended up in this situation.

Before he could figure it out, the reason presented itself.

The carriage was still moving, yet someone managed to jump on it with ease, startling Xiao Rong. His entire body stiffened, and then he quickly sat up straight, patting his back and adjusting his clothes to maintain a proper sitting posture.

Qu Yunmie: “…”

He had seen everything. What was the point of hiding it?

There’s a saying: “A gentleman is cautious when alone” meaning that a gentleman must always maintain proper conduct, whether or not anyone is around. Clearly, Xiao Rong couldn’t do this, but he didn’t want others to know that he couldn’t, so he shot up like a spring.

The two of them locked eyes, and Xiao Rong felt a bit embarrassed, while Qu Yunmie glanced at him and then casually sat down, lifting his robe.

He picked up the teapot beside him and poured himself a cup of tea. While doing so, he said, “In my presence, you don’t have to be so formal. Sit however you like.”

Xiao Rong: “…”

The way he said it made it seem like Xiao Rong should be grateful to him.

Feeling a bit displeased, mostly because he felt embarrassed, Xiao Rong asked, “Does that mean I can’t do this in front of others?”

Qu Yunmie took a sip of tea and looked at Xiao Rong. After a moment of hesitation, he asked in disbelief, “Aren’t you afraid of others making fun of you?”

Xiao Rong: “…”

He denied it outright. “Who said that? I’m not afraid!”

Qu Yunmie glanced at him but said nothing, simply taking another sip of tea.

Xiao Rong was fuming.

He couldn’t argue with Qu Yunmie. After all, this was the King, and he had to take the lead in respecting him. So, sulking, Xiao Rong ignored him and grabbed the sword of the academy’s headmaster. He lowered his head in frustration and studied the patterns on the scabbard.

Qu Yunmie hadn’t seen this sword since Xiao Rong had been kidnapped. He had almost forgotten about it. Seeing it now, his eyes lit up, and in a low voice, he praised, “That is indeed a fine weapon.”

Xiao Rong felt a twinge of envy. He had been in the Northern Army for two months without receiving a single compliment from Qu Yunmie. Yet, this sword had just appeared, and it was already receiving high praise.

Xiao Rong pursed his lips and said, “Of course, it’s made of meteorite iron. It took three years to forge, and every part was personally polished by a master swordsmith. Do you see these patterns, Your Highness? They’re all crafted with gold and silver inlay. And this technique has been passed down in the master’s family for generations, something you can’t learn elsewhere.”

As for whether it was true or not, Xiao Rong didn’t know. He was just repeating what the headmaster had told him.

After hearing this, Qu Yunmie responded with an, “Oh.So how sharp is it?”

Xiao Rong: “…”

Typical.

Xiao Rong looked at the sword in his hand and shook his head. “I don’t know. It hasn’t been sharpened.”

Qu Yunmie was shocked. “Not sharpened?!”

Xiao Rong: “… No.”

Qu Yunmie was puzzled. “Why not?”

Xiao Rong frowned. “Why should it be? I’m a scholar, not a Confucian warrior who practices swordsmanship. This sword was a gift from a mentor I met by chance. Although I didn’t know him for long, this sword was truly his most prized possession. I just want to preserve it well and not damage it.”

Qu Yunmie: “…”

That was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard.

He wanted to scold Xiao Rong right then and there. Such a fine weapon was wasted in his hands. If he didn’t want to use it, that was one thing. It could be kept as a family heirloom. However, to leave it unsharpened?!

Absolutely… absolutely a waste!

Look at that, he was so frustrated that he was using complex idioms.

Xiao Rong was watching him, his eyes filled with suspicion and alertness, clearly aware of Qu Yunmie’s attitude and ready to argue with him.

Qu Yunmie: “…”

Forget it. He was a gentleman, and he wouldn’t stoop to arguing with a frail scholar.

Qu Yunmie closed his mouth, his gaze lingering on the sword with some reluctance. He let it go and turned the conversation to his own weapon. “Indeed, it’s a fine weapon, but it may not surpass my Snow-Drinking Vengeance Spear.”

Xiao Rong suspected this was an attempt to provoke him into sharpening his sword and challenging Qu Yunmie. He didn’t take the bait and instead asked, “I’ve been wanting to ask Your Highness for a long time, why is your weapon called the Snow-Drinking Vengeance Spear?”

He knew what a spear was, but why the prefix “Snow-Drinking”? It was common knowledge that after Qu Yunmie’s fall from grace, scholars criticized him for naming his weapon “Snow-Drinking.” They said it indicated his fondness for snow and winter, which froze people to death, proving he was anti-human and deserved a miserable end.

There were even more absurd accusations, as scholars eagerly sought to curry favor with the new regime and make a name for themselves. As Xiao Rong had initially thought, they were just trying to gain attention by loudly denouncing the once-powerful Northern King.

Qu Yunmie was taken aback by the question, but then he explained, “Because the person who forged it lived in the Snow-Drinking Hall. All the weapons he made had this name—Snow-Drinking Sword, Snow-Drinking Knife, and Snow-Drinking Vengeance Spear.”

Xiao Rong: “…”

That was an answer he had never expected.

It almost made Xiao Rong want to laugh. “Then why have I never heard of the Snow-Drinking Sword or Snow-Drinking Knife?”

Qu Yunmie’s expression subtly changed, becoming somewhat proud, though he tried to hide it. “Because the weapons he forged were too heavy to use. Even if others bought them, they would only display them as decorations. Only I use mine daily.”

After speaking, Qu Yunmie lowered his head to drink tea, but Xiao Rong noticed his eyes subtly shifted in his direction.

This time, Xiao Rong couldn’t hold back his laughter, though it was just a slight curl of his lips, making it unclear why he was laughing.

Qu Yunmie’s suspicious nature kicked in, and he suspected Xiao Rong was mocking him.

Still, Xiao Rong didn’t explain anything. After he finished smiling, he leaned back comfortably against his fluffy feather pillow. Qu Yunmie frowned. His senses were sharper than others, and although Xiao Rong had washed and aired the feathers twice, he felt the smell was faint but still present. Even sitting some distance away, Qu Yunmie found the pillow’s scent quite strong.

The pillow was also very large, square, and oddly shaped.

Qu Yunmie showed his displeasure, but Xiao Rong ignored him, sitting comfortably as he raised a matter with him. “Your Highness, if you have time, could you write a few letters? I’ve been thinking that the Xianbei Campaign shouldn’t be left to the Northern Army alone. Since we are all from the Central Plains, we should join forces in this endeavor.”

Qu Yunmie: “…”

He wasn’t so solitary-minded to insist on going it alone, especially since the Xianbei were numerous, nearly 200,000. Even if he spent a year killing them, he wouldn’t be finished. He didn’t mind sharing the revenge with others.

Even so, he knew that others wouldn’t hate the Xianbei as much as he did. They were just waiting to reap the benefits.

Thinking this, Qu Yunmie said, “Writing them won’t help, they won’t come.”

Xiao Rong raised an eyebrow. “Why is the Great King so certain?”

Qu Yunmie didn’t know how to explain it; he just knew it was an obvious fact. This time, however, his silence was useless—Xiao Rong kept looking at him, insisting that he provide a clear explanation.

Qu Yunmie said, “In the eyes of others, there is no difference between me and the Xianbei Emperor.”

Letting the two of them exhaust each other was precisely what those people most wanted to see happen.

Xiao Rong was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Qu Yunmie to hit the nail on the head, nor had he expected that Qu Yunmie was aware of this situation.

He knew, yet he still went ahead without hesitation. Should this be called carefree, or just plain foolish?

After a moment of silence, Xiao Rong sat up and looked at Qu Yunmie carefully. “Your Highness, this statement is somewhat biased. The Xianbei Emperor is the mortal enemy of all the people of the Central Plains, but you are not. You are also one of the people of the Central Plains. It’s just that… Your Highness is geographically closer to the Xianbei and has more vendettas than others, so naturally, you’ve ended up in this position on the chessboard. If it were Sun Renluan or He Tingzhi, it would be the same. They don’t harbor personal animosity toward you, but each person is calculating for their own benefit, so they must abandon those who might threaten them.”

Qu Yunmie frowned, not understanding why Xiao Rong was telling him this.

He didn’t care whether those people hated him or not.

Xiao Rong said, “May I ask, Your Highness, what kind of person do you think the Imperial Uncle is?”

Qu Yunmie thought of Sun Renluan’s face. Although his expression wasn’t pleasant, he still gave an objective answer, “He has some integrity.”

Xiao Rong fell silent. This evaluation was actually a bit low. In the eyes of later generations, Sun Renluan was already considered a great hero.

After all, when the Yong Dynasty moved south, Emperor Guangjia quickly fell ill, and the entire Southern Yong court was walking on thin ice—one wrong move could lead to the country’s downfall. It was Sun Renluan who reorganized the court, and it was he who, when the entire North was under barbarian control, strove to divide the barbarian alliance and led the Southern Yong army in firmly defending the Han River.

Crossing the Han River was no easy task and it required a strong commander. Otherwise, it was just a river—sooner or later, it would be crossed.

It could be said that he held the line for those two years, giving Qu Yunmie the opportunity to develop rapidly. Without the period of recuperation in Southern Yong, Qu Yunmie might have been lost in the river of history.

However, where there are advantages, there are also shortcomings. Sun Renluan protected Southern Yong, but this couldn’t hide his rebellious behavior. Once the crisis passed, people no longer respected him. Some secretly and others openly mocked the legitimacy of the young Emperor’s throne, while others conspired together to try to bring down Sun Renluan.

Speaking of which, the young Emperor’s throne was indeed questionable. When he ascended the throne, he was only a few months old, born to the Empress Dowager Sun, but no one knew whether he was the biological son of Emperor Guangjia.

Emperor Guangjia’s illness was triggered by the news that the Xianbei were attacking. He turned over in panic in his sleep, falling and breaking his leg. Afterward, he was bedridden, with his health deteriorating during the time Empress Dowager Sun was pregnant.

The affairs of the royal family were not something outsiders could fully understand. While a broken leg doesn’t necessarily prevent certain activities, Emperor Guangjia was in very poor condition at that time. Meanwhile, Sun Renluan had already taken power and desperately needed his sister to give birth to an heir to stabilize his position.

Whether the young Emperor was Emperor Guangjia’s biological son no longer mattered. After all, there were no paternity tests in those days. The current problem was that many people had determined that the young Emperor was illegitimate.

In other words, Sun Renluan’s reputation was on the brink of collapse. He hated anyone mentioning the young Emperor’s lineage, so he needed someone to help divert attention. Additionally, doing more good deeds could improve his reputation.

Xiao Rong explained all of this to Qu Yunmie, who agreed with him but still didn’t think Sun Renluan would send troops to help.

Forget it, writing a letter was no big deal. After all, if Sun Renluan refused him, Xiao Rong would give up.

Qu Yunmie reluctantly agreed. He wasn’t one to procrastinate, so he was ready to write immediately. Xiao Rong suddenly grabbed his arm. “Wait, after Your Highness finishes writing, don’t send the others out yet. Only the one addressed to the Prefect of Jianning—please have that one sent out quickly.”

Qu Yunmie paused for a second, startled. “Why send a letter to Huang Yanjiu?”

Xiao Rong looked at him as if it were obvious. “Huang Yanjiu now has a large household and vast estates. He has been suppressing bandits and cultivating land in Ningzhou and has taken in many refugees. Clearly, he is very capable, so naturally, we should invite him as well.”

Qu Yunmie: “…”

He stayed still for a moment. Xiao Rong looked at him curiously, and after a long pause, Qu Yunmie said, “This man has a grudge against me.”

Xiao Rong: “…”

So, you do have moments when you feel guilty.

Xiao Rong was silent for a moment, then smiled and said, “Your Highness once served under Huang Yanjiu’s elder brother. That is no secret. At that time, Your Highness had no choice. Although Huang Yanqin took you in, you were never someone who could be constrained. How could you remain under him forever? I believe Huang Yanjiu understands this.”

Qu Yunmie said, “That’s not the issue.”

Xiao Rong was taken aback. “It’s not?”

Qu Yunmie frowned and continued, “Huang Yanjiu is ten years older than me. When we were in Lujiang, he bullied me constantly, and I didn’t retaliate out of respect for his brother. But before leaving Southern Yong, I couldn’t swallow my anger, so I took his horse and weapons.”

Xiao Rong was a bit surprised but not overly concerned. “It’s just some horses and weapons. It’s been so long, he probably wouldn’t—”

Qu Yunmie added, “And his concubine.”

Xiao Rong: “…”

He widened his eyes. “His concubine?!”

Qu Yunmie tried to defend himself. “Huang Yanjiu seems honest, but he’s actually cruel. The women in his household couldn’t stand him. One of them asked me to take her away, so I did, along with four others.”

Xiao Rong: “…”

If they weren’t in a carriage, Xiao Rong might have stood up.

“Your Highness!!”

Qu Yunmie tensed up at Xiao Rong’s shout. “They were all unfortunate women! You always wanted me to do good deeds to earn a good reputation among the common people. In my eyes, this was a good deed.”

Besides, he was only fifteen at the time, impulsive and brash. If it were now, he would have just given them some money to escape on their own—no need to take them across the Han River, flaunting his defiance.

Xiao Rong was exasperated. How could this be considered earning a good reputation? Who would know those women were victims? Not the common folk, and certainly not Huang Yanjiu, who likely thought Qu Yunmie had cuckolded him and then fled with his five concubines to live happily ever after.

Xiao Rong’s expression was quite colorful, changing from red to green. No wonder Huang Yanjiu immediately resorted to torture when he captured Qu Yunmie. In this era, stealing someone’s wife was an unforgivable offense—Huang Yanjiu likely held a lifelong grudge.

Under Qu Yunmie’s slightly nervous gaze, Xiao Rong sighed deeply. “Forget it.”

He muttered to himself, “Now Your Highness is the King of the North, and Huang Yanjiu is just the Prefect of Jianning. The difference in power is enough for Huang Yanjiu to swallow his pride. If he could bide his time until today, he must have a steady temperament. Your Highness should still send the letter. I believe he will come.”

Qu Yunmie: “…”

Listening to Xiao Rong praise Huang Yanjiu, Qu Yunmie felt very displeased. To Huang Yanjiu, Qu Yunmie was an enemy, and the feeling was mutual. He hadn’t killed him because Huang Yanqin had done him a favor; otherwise, he would have taken Huang Yanjiu’s head back in Lujiang.

Qu Yunmie wasn’t afraid of seeing his old nemesis again. He was just more curious about one thing. “Do you also think I was wrong in this matter?”

Gao Xunzhi believed he was wrong, saying it wasn’t his business to meddle in others’ domestic affairs. Taking those women made him a villain in everyone’s eyes.

Xiao Rong paused slightly and then asked Qu Yunmie, “Where did you take those women, my lord?”

Qu Yunmie replied, “After crossing the Han River, I made sure that Huang Yanjiu couldn’t see them anymore, and then I let them find their own way.”

At that time, his mind was full of thoughts of revenge, and he figured those women wouldn’t survive long if they stayed with him.

Xiao Rong was speechless. “So, you did this just to anger Huang Yanjiu, didn’t you?”

Xiao Rong tried to keep his expression gentle. “My lord, you did the right thing. Helping those in need when you have the ability is an act of kindness. Still, there was no need to turn this act of kindness into an act of revenge. You could have let them find their own way before crossing the Han River. Crossing it only created an unnecessary enemy. Was it really worth it?”

Qu Yunmie frowned. “Huang Yanjiu? He doesn’t even have the qualifications to be my enemy.”

Xiao Rong sighed. “A dam of a thousand miles can be breached by an ant’s nest.”

Qu Yunmie still didn’t fully agree with Xiao Rong’s words, but seeing Xiao Rong’s tired expression, he didn’t argue. Instead, he quietly sat and pondered the meaning of those words.

Xiao Rong was indeed a bit exhausted and wanted to sleep, but Qu Yunmie showed no intention of leaving. As Xiao Rong was trying to think of a polite way to ask him to leave, they suddenly heard the chaotic sound of galloping horses outside.

The speed was fast, clearly at full gallop.

Qu Yunmie reacted faster than him, quickly lifting the curtain just as the messenger arrived beside the carriage.

“My lord! There are several thousand troops ahead, led by someone who calls himself Yu Shaocheng, saying he’s here to join you!”

Qu Yunmie was surprised. He vaguely remembered Yu Shaoxie mentioning that his brother would be coming—was this the brother?

Qu Yunmie didn’t care much for scholars, but he had a keen interest in warriors. Also this man had brought several thousand troops with him, showing his loyalty with actions. Qu Yunmie was about to go down to assess the situation when Xiao Rong suddenly rushed over from behind.

Grabbing Qu Yunmie’s arm, Xiao Rong anxiously said, “My Lord, take your weapon!”

Qu Yunmie replied, “Is that really necessary?”

He wasn’t planning to engage in a duel with Yu Shaocheng.

Still, Xiao Rong was insistent. “You must take it!”

Qu Yunmie sighed. “Alright.”

 

Edited by: Antiope

 

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