A misunderstanding? Could it be that they've come looking for their son?
Guilan raised an eyebrow, and then heard Yuluo ask again, "May I ask if five young people came yesterday?"
Guilan's eyes suddenly cleared, and without uttering a word, she looked Yulu up and down. Seeing that she was tight-lipped, Yulu felt relieved, and her smile became more friendly. "My young master's surname is Xiao. Have you met him before, young lady?"
Guilan's eyebrows twitched, and she glanced into the distance.
In the milky white morning mist, a flamboyant splash of red appeared. Shangguan Yi, draped in a cloak, glanced at the low courtyard wall. His gaze seemed focused, yet somewhat indifferent. His handsome eyebrows, reaching his temples, were subtly raised, revealing nothing of his mood.
After a while, Yu Luo curtsied to the courtesan and walked towards him against the wind. Although the light was dim, he could even see the fine lines on Yu Luo's face. He had never paid so much attention to anyone's expression before; not only did he notice it, but he was also somewhat uneasy. Now, Yu Luo's expression was strange, and her eyes trembled slightly. Could it be...?
Shangguan Yi pondered to himself, then looked at Yu Luo, whose steps were light and whose expression seemed more like suppressed laughter than worry. Under his cloak, his clenched fingers suddenly relaxed.
"Just as Young Master predicted, Young Master and his entourage have headed north." Afraid that her eyes might reveal her smile, Yu Luo glanced away, not daring to look at him.
"He's really impatient."
Shangguan was slightly annoyed, but not truly angry. Knowing he was complaining that someone had slipped away quickly, Yu Luo covered her mouth and smiled.
“At least Miss Yu didn’t hide it from the young master, from Dagu to the port of North Korea, and then to this Chunxiang Pavilion.” She glanced at the closed back door and added, “Miss Yu knew that the young master would definitely find this place, so she asked a reliable person to pass on the message. Why should the young master be angry?”
With a soft hum, Shangguan Yi walked towards his newly purchased swift horse. His back was turned, obscuring his expression, but his slow, deliberate voice rang out. "That's all?"
"Not only that, the young lady also left a message for the young master."
"Oh? What did she say?" The tone remained casual, but upon closer listening, there was a hint of suppressed urgency.
With a soft chuckle, Yu Luo's lips trembled slightly, a smile spreading across her face. Seeing her young master turn around, she managed to suppress the upward curve of her lips, cleared her throat, and said earnestly, "The young lady only said four words—"
Four words escaped Yu Luo's lips softly. Shangguan Yi squinted at the drifting white mist, and could almost picture the crescent-shaped eyes of her as she spoke.
From the Great Wei to Korea, he thought he was leading the way, but in the end, she led the way. But who went first and who went last didn't matter. The most important thing was that they walked together. Whether she held grudges or lured him forward, as long as she was willing to reach out to him, she would be in his palm.
Thinking of this, Shangguan Yi mounted his horse, his crimson banner piercing the morning mist, radiating confidence and imposing presence. However, this spirited display did not last long…
"Young Master, Miss Yu asked that shopkeeper to leave a message for you."
"Young Master, this is a note left by Miss Yu at the Shangguan family's Korean General Trading Company."
"Young Master, it's those four words again."
"Young Master... the usual rules..."
"Young Master..."
From Huanghai Road, which faces the Great Wei across the sea, to Ping'an Road, which borders the Northern Di, Yu Luo's hints became less and less frequent. In the end, he could predict which four words the girl would leave behind without saying a word.
With a barely perceptible furrow of his brows, Shangguan Yi took the Korean paper from Yu Luo's hand, slowly unfolded it, and then gently folded it.
"Can you still hold on?" He glanced at Yu Luo and tucked the note into his sleeve.
Despite having traveled through the night and her slightly pale face, Yu Luo still said, "Thank you for your concern, young master. Let's continue on our way."
"Hmm," Shangguan responded, his dark eyes narrowing dangerously.
"We're getting closer."
Not far away, the winter sun swiftly traverses the undulating mountains, its rays rippling like the clear, moonlit eyes. In the wind, the mountains and rivers seem to laugh.
Young master—run!
Chapter Twenty
A chill ran down his spine, and Yu Zigui covered his mouth, burying the sneeze in his nose.
A strong sense of resentment.
She looked up at the pale blue sky and realized that it was just a temporary illusion.
"Maki!" Cong Luan called out from outside the inn, waving.
Yin Zhenxi was her name when she passed through customs. Thanks to Guilan's forged document, they were able to travel north and arrive at Sanjiangli.
She folded the note she had written, gave the shopkeeper some loose change as usual, and then went out.
"Park An-jin is about to set off," Cong Luan said in a low voice as they drew closer.
"So fast?" Yu Zigui was somewhat surprised.
Thanks to Lord Park's swift travel these past few days, they were able to shorten their five-day journey to three. She had originally thought that Lord Park, who looked exhausted, would rest for a while after passing through the Korean pass. However, she had underestimated his stamina and willpower.
Park An-jin must be carrying a heavy responsibility as he leaves the country this time.
Judging by her assessment, she led over the new horses her companions had bought from the border market and leaped onto the hill. From this vantage point, one could see Changbai Mountain, its snow-capped peaks shrouded in white clouds, making the surrounding air seem somewhat bleak. The five people and five horses followed at a leisurely pace, with Pu'an Town and his group about half a mile ahead.
"We shouldn't be far from the Northern Barbarians' pass," Xiao Kuang reminded them, estimating the journey.
“Korea is easy to cross, but the Northern Barbarians are difficult to enter. Just now, that small town was full of merchants trying to pass through. I heard that some people have been lingering here for half a month, which shows that the Northern Barbarians were prepared and determined to close the pass.” Cong Luan opened the book she carried with her and analyzed the information she had collected one by one. Finally, she looked at Zigui and said, “With the documents we have, we definitely can’t get through.”
"Didn't you already make up your mind, young lady?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Zigui looked at Wei Zhuofeng. He saw a hint of understanding in Wei Zhuofeng's handsome eyes, which were less cold and more like the legendary Heavenly Pool, rippling gently.
“Let Park Anjin pass through Korea, and then rob him here.”
Cong Luan opened her eyes wide, looked at Wei Zhuofeng, and then at Yu Zigui.
"You mean substitution?" She was slightly surprised. "But if you wanted to substitute someone, you should have done it long ago. Why wait until now? The border guards from the Northern Barbarians could appear at any time."
As Cong Luan gazed into the distance, she saw a narrow path winding through the valley, leading up to a city. Against the backdrop of pristine white snow, banners fluttered atop the city walls, and a snow wolf seemed poised to leap from one of them. That was the Northern Barbarians, the land of wolves. Thinking this, Cong Luan looked again at the delegation that had traveled half a mile ahead, feeling that the road ahead was long and fraught with uncertainty.
“We should have made our move sooner…” Cong Luan hesitated, when she heard a faint voice beside her.
"No, it's just right."
She was taken aback and looked at Yu Zigui, who was riding forward.
"Only the real Park An-jin can pass through the North Korean border."
Luan's eyes lit up. "You mean!"
“In that case, the King of Joseon is certain that the people who have left the pass are true envoys, and the Northern Barbarians also believe that we are true envoys.” Xiao Kuang looked at her with sudden realization.
Yu Zigui glanced at them, then pointed with his whip at the birch forest not far away. "That's it!"
Five riders charged forward simultaneously.
"drive!"
Park An-jin had no idea how it all happened; he only remembered that he had traveled day and night under the escort of Hwarang to reach Samgang-ri. He declined the border general's offer of fine wine, and the group continued their journey without stopping, crossing the border town between the two countries. They were about to reach the City of Snow, and not far behind the city was the Central Capital of the Northern Barbarians—their destination on this mission.
We were almost there, and then...
With the last Hwarang falling, he was left all alone.
"You...you..." Years of experience dealing with neighboring countries with their fierce and dangerous nature allowed him to quickly calm down. He stared intently at the five people.
This group of men and women, dressed in Korean attire, made no attempt to conceal their faces or use weapons. With just a flick of their bare hands, they instantly killed the most skilled Hwarang among the royal guards. Were they assassins sent by political enemies, or simply bandits?
"If you want money, it's in my bag. Please spare my life." He tried to persuade them, but they seemed to ignore him and continued to rummage through his scattered luggage.
It seemed they were after the money; he breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking about how to save his life after being robbed. As he cautiously pondered this, he saw the massive, mountain-like man look behind him. Park An-jin was startled and took two steps back, trying to hide the box behind him, but the man's long arm swept it away. He tried to snatch it again, but the box was already empty.
The king's letter of surrender!
Park An-jin was helpless and could only watch as the man handed the letter of state to a cold-faced man.
"Third Young Master."
...Chinese? Park An-jin felt a chill run down his spine, hoping he had misheard.
Unfolding the scroll, Wei Zhuofeng quickly skimmed through it, then looked expressionlessly at Park An-jin, whose face was covered in cold sweat.
"How is it?" Cong Luan asked first.
They are from the Great Wei!
With a firm resolve in his heart, Park An-jin, feeling weak in the legs, leaned against a tree.
On the night of the winter solstice, he fled, gambling with his life and future, and barely escaped back to Korea to advise the king. He argued that the emperor of Wei was terminally ill and that it would be better to abandon him and surrender to the wolves of the north. With the border defense maps of Wei that he had risked his life to steal, Korea would no longer be a rat caught in the middle. The day the northern barbarians swept through the Central Plains would be the day Korea enjoyed glory.
This glory was earned with his life. Even when the king, pitying his tireless efforts, wanted to send someone else as an envoy to the Northern Di, he refused. Merit cannot be divided in two, and his insistence back then has now led to deep regret. He knew he had given up this deadly mission, and he regretted it so much that his back trembled.
"The Great Wei's Defense Deployment Map?" Unfortunately, the five small characters in the official letter did not escape Xiao Kuang's sharp eyes.
"Destroying their own Great Wall! Destroying their own Great Wall! Are all the officials of Great Wei brainless? How could they allow such a person... such a person..." Looking at Ambassador Park cowering and trembling, Cong Luan was furious. "Where is the stuff! Where is it hidden!"
The group, some cold and some angry, all looked at Park An-jin. His mind raced, thinking that he still had a chance of survival as long as he had the defense map, when he heard a cheerful female voice say, "Just kill him. Anyway, once he's dead, no one will know about the map."
Park An-jin was startled, clutching his chest and staring at the person who had spoken.
Walking and stopping, he picked up a gleaming North Korean knife from the ground. Yu Zigui smiled and, without blinking, swung the knife in front of Park An-jin, felling a small white birch tree as thick as a bowl.
"Not bad, pretty fast." She flicked the blade and laughed carefree. "Could you please pull up your collar a bit, sir? I'll try to make one cut."
Park An-jin stared in horror at the white blade.
Don't worry, it's just to scare him. As long as he's safe, he won't lose his life. It's definitely true.
Thinking this, he subconsciously covered the place where the map was hidden.
Having witnessed everything, Yu Zigui's moon-like eyes curved into crescents as she suddenly approached. Park Anjin thought to himself, "My life is over," just as the blade stopped an inch from his nose. With a swift turn, the hilt struck him heavily.
He can't move.
“That’s right.” Yu Zigui tilted his head and looked at him, then waved his hand behind him. “We’ve been traveling for days, let’s rest here.”
"Rest?" Xiao Kuang's eye twitched slightly. "Future aunt, are you joking?"
She turned around, her eyes fixed on Hwarang lying on the ground, then on Park Anjin, who looked like a wooden sculpture. "One person is still missing."
"Huh?" Xiao Kuang was a little out of sync with her.
Without explaining, she used the tip of her knife to pick out the exquisite document from Park An-jin's arms, flicking the blade to deliver it to Xiao Kuang. "Five Hwarang and one envoy. I think even the most barbaric Northern Barbarians can count."
Opening the Yellow Register, the surnames and official positions of the six people in the row were clearly displayed, and at the end, a royal seal was firmly stamped on it.
“This…” Xiao Kuang hesitated.
“We can pretend that someone died suddenly on the way,” Wei Zhuofeng said.
“The Third Young Master is right.” Yu Zigui nodded slightly. “But is there anyone here who speaks the Northern Di language?”
All eyes were stunned.
"We must play our part convincingly. Once we're in the Northern Barbarian territory, we can't afford to give ourselves away in the slightest." Yu Zigui looked at the "wooden figure" whose eyebrows were gesturing wildly and giving him hints, and laughed, "Lord Park, do you intend to work for us?"