Looking forward to the spring breeze

Chapter 20

As soon as she stepped out of the room, she immediately ran towards the stables.

Along the way, she frequently encountered servants from the manor. Seeing her ashen face, none of them dared to approach her. They could only watch as she casually picked up a tall horse, leaped onto it, and then, amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, rode away from the villa.

You Tong had only vaguely heard from Hui Ying that the guards' camp was in a valley more than 30 li east of the villa. After leaving the villa and finding her way, she didn't care what others thought of her and rode her horse at full speed.

It was the hottest time of summer, and there were almost no people on the road. Even the cicadas were chirping weakly.

The scorching sun beat down mercilessly on Youtong. Before long, her cheeks were sunburned red, and sweat seeped from her back, which was quickly dried by the sun, leaving only a sticky residue on her back, making her feel very uncomfortable.

She didn't care about anything else, and rode her horse at full speed. She didn't know how long she had been riding when she vaguely saw a cluster of white tents in the distance.

She was overjoyed, and then she lashed the whip hard. The horse, in pain, charged forward like a madman.

As soon as she reached the camp gate, someone came out and stopped her, barking like a dog: "This is a military camp, dismount immediately!"

You Tong said urgently, "I'm looking for Cui Weiyuan, I have something urgent to tell you."

The soldier ignored her and said, "Do you think our commander is someone you can just see whenever you want?"

State your name, and we'll inform them when we go in.

You Tong knew this was the camp's rule, and although she was impatient, she still patiently said, "I am Cui Weiyuan's sister. There is an emergency at home. Please inform them immediately."

The soldier squinted and sized her up, his face full of disbelief. He sneered, "Girl, at least make your story believable. Our commander's sister is the daughter of the Cui family, rarely venturing out of her home. How could she possibly ride a horse into the camp like a wild girl?"

Seeing You Tong's expression, as if she was about to explode, he chuckled and said, "Alright, I'll go inform them right away. You just wait here, okay?"

After saying that, he gave her a couple more malicious glances, then shook his head and swaggered back to the camp.

You Tong was seething with anger and had nowhere to vent it, so he could only ride around near the dog gate, cursing under his breath as he went. He vowed to teach Huo Weiyuan a lesson once he understood what had happened.

But after waiting for ages, there was still no sign of him. As time ticked by, You Tong grew increasingly anxious and couldn't help but ask, "Why hasn't Cui Weiyuan come out yet?"

The soldier who had spoken earlier said dismissively, "Our commander is too busy to bother with such trivial matters."

They were still discussing the dog issue when I went to report it; I didn't dare go in.

Let's wait until they've finished discussing it before we talk about it.

You Tong retorted angrily, "By the time the discussion is over, everyone will be dead!"

After saying that, he looked around and saw that there weren't many guards, so he figured it wouldn't be difficult to break in.

Shan Yi, not caring about anything else, pulled the horse back a few steps.

The soldier assumed she was turning back and shook his head with a smile. Just as he was about to say something sarcastic, he saw You Tong suddenly jerk the reins, and the horse and rider charged towards the gate. In the blink of an eye, they rushed into the camp.

The soldier was still in a daze when You Tong had almost disappeared from sight before he finally reacted and barked urgently, "Quick, someone's broken into the camp!"

The camp erupted in a commotion, but because most of the soldiers were on duty in other areas, there weren't many people in the camp. After a while, a dozen or so people rushed out.

By this time, You Tong had already spurred his horse into the center of the dog camp, cracking his whip and shouting, "Wei Yuan, get out here!"

Huo Weiyuan and the others also heard the noise outside. At first, they didn't think much of it, but as the sound grew closer, they heard "Cui Weiyuan!"

As the three words became clearer, his expression changed, and he threw down his pen and rushed out.

Everyone was quite surprised, exchanged glances, and then rushed out of the tent.

As soon as Cui Weiyuan stepped out of the tent, he saw You Tong, dressed in green, riding a horse and galloping wildly through the camp.

She wasn't wearing a mask; her long, oily hair was blown about by the wind, with a few strands curling around her fair neck. Her snow-white cheeks were flushed red by the sun, her lips were red, and her eyes were bright and piercing, with a hint of urgency in them.

Upon seeing him, You Tong's face lit up with surprise. With a flick of the reins, the horse immediately changed direction and galloped towards him.

"Cui Weiyuan—"

From afar, You Tong reached out her hand to him. Huo Weiyuan felt a jolt in his head, followed by a period of confusion. When he regained his senses, he found himself sitting behind her.

The wind rushes past my ears, and before me lies a tender young tung tree. My fingertips seem to still hold its warmth and touch, soft and delicate, with a faint scent of grass.

He heard what You Tong was saying, but he couldn't make out a single word; his mind was filled with only her image.

Standing so close, he could clearly see her small, lovely ears and snow-white neck, with her jet-black hair entwined around them, the contrast between black and white making her even more beautiful.

Aside from the time he kidnapped her, this seemed to be the first time they had been so close, so close that it seemed he could touch her skin if he moved forward just a little, and he could hold her in his arms if he reached out just a little more.

But he couldn't.

Now, she is his sister, and the fiancée of his best friend. He feels guilty even thinking about it, let alone doing it.

Therefore, when the second wife hurriedly sent her away, he felt both disappointed and relieved.

So even when he came to the villa, even though he knew she was next door, he forced himself to stay far away from her.

It's better not to meet than to meet.

But why did she reappear when he had already avoided her?

If he hadn't kidnapped her, if she hadn't met Xu Wei, would everything have been different?

Is it possible that he still has hope?

He used to not understand Wen Feng. What kind of feelings could make a girl like her give up everything and resolutely abandon the only family that could protect her?

Now that he finally understands, it's too late. "Did you hear me?"

After speaking for a while, seeing that Huo Weiyuan hadn't said a word, You Tong couldn't help but turn around and say, "Say something if you hear me."

Huo Weiyuan stared at her intently, his eyes flickering. He moved his lips as if to say something, but hesitated for a long time before finally lowering his head and sighing with a bitter smile.

When he looked up again, his eyes were clear, and he replied in a low voice, "I didn't hear you clearly because of the strong wind."

Say it again.

You Tong had no choice but to patiently repeat the story again, and then asked, "You know that person, right?"

Cui Weiyuan's face was shrouded in a dark aura, and his expression was quite cold. "Third Duke Wang Guangxin."

You Tong was taken aback, then pulled on the reins, and the horse suddenly stopped. The two of them leaned back and struggled to their feet.

"Is that the Three Dukes?"

How could that be?

You Tong could hardly believe it, shaking her head and saying, "She is a prince after all, how could she..."

Her attire was completely unrelated to the noble princes and noblewomen of the palace.

Cui Weiyuan clearly didn't have a good impression of the Three Dukes and Princes. He looked impatient when she was mentioned. "When the late emperor was alive, she was very favored. She learned some martial arts from the palace guards. Although she wasn't very good, she was ruthless and could fool people quite well. No wonder you were deceived by her."

You Tong angrily said, "How could I not see how much real skill she has? She said she wanted to see you, so I guess you have some kind of relationship with her. Otherwise, I would have ended her life long ago."

When the earth is cleared away, who will know it was me who did it?

Cui Weiyuan looked helpless and shook his head, saying, "So, I should thank you?"

You Tong remained silent, her face stern, and said, "No need for thanks, just rescue my two maids later."

Those three princes—

Thinking of her ruthlessness, You Tong couldn't help but shake her head again.

"Why did she come looking for you?"

You've been wandering around the neighborhood these past few days just looking for her?

This doesn't make sense. Isn't it said that the Three Dukes are no longer favored by the Empress? Even if they slipped out, a few guards could easily be sent to search for them. Why would Cui Weiyuan need to personally come out to look for them?

Huo Weiyuan paused for a long time, and just when You Tong almost thought he wouldn't answer, he suddenly said, "It would have been better if she had left the palace alone. She's incredibly audacious; she actually dragged His Majesty out with her!"

The young dog was startled, and the pitiful face of the little emperor flashed through its mind, and then it thought of Xu Wei.

As the General of the Imperial Guard, he would be implicated if His Majesty went missing from the palace, regardless of whether anything happened to him.

The capital was already in chaos, and someone might take advantage of his misfortune and try to pin the blame on him.

Perhaps because You Tong's expression was too obvious, Huo Weiyuan quickly guessed what she was thinking and shook his head, saying, "Brother Xu is the Left Gate Guard General, in charge of palace access control. How could the responsibility for His Majesty leaving the palace fall on him?"

Besides, Xu Wei is such a shrewd person in private, how could he be so easily schemed against? You Tong is truly worried and confused.

Feeling somewhat relieved, You Tong turned around and continued riding towards the villa.

He couldn't help but wonder what grudge the Three Dukes had against Cui Weiyuan, otherwise, why would they go to such lengths to see him?

The two, each lost in their own thoughts, arrived at the villa. The villagers at the gate were quite surprised to see the two of them riding together, but they were clever enough not to care and instead came over to help lead the horse.

The two of them remained silent, their faces expressionless, and headed towards the backyard.

You Tong was about to call out twice at the door before going in, but Cui Weiyuan stopped her, quickly walked to the door, kicked the dog door open, and rushed into the house with lightning speed.

The three kings were shocked and thrust their swords at Huiying. Just as they were about to slit Huiying's throat, Cui Weiyuan moved his hand and drew his short sword, blocking her long sword.

Seeing this, You Tong quickly stepped forward and pulled Hui Ying away, taking the Emperor to a safe place at the door before starting to untie the ropes binding her.

Huiqiao was also tied to a pillar by the Third Prince. When she saw Huo Weiyuan and Youtong enter, she immediately shouted loudly, her face showing the joy of surviving a disaster.

The Third Prince's martial arts skills were not high, and he was subdued by Huo Weiyuan in just a few moves. His face immediately showed a look of anger and fury, and he barked: "Cui Weiyuan, how dare you! Release me at once!"

Huo Weiyuan said coldly, "Your Highness, I ordered you to return to the palace, but neither the Duke nor the Empress Dowager told me that I could not use force."

After saying that, he winked at You Tong. You Tong knew that he still wanted to track down the whereabouts of the young emperor, so she quickly told Hui Yang and Hui Qiao to get up together.

As soon as they stepped out of the room, Huiying and Huiqiao finally couldn't hold back their sobs and burst into tears.

The crying quickly attracted Hongye and Hongyun from the outer courtyard. Seeing their disheveled appearance, especially Huiying who was covered in blood, they were terrified.

You Tong whispered to the two women, Di Huiyang and Hui Qiaobu, to go and wash and heal their wounds, while she herself stood guard at the door to prevent any outsiders from coming in and disturbing the two inside.

After a long while, the door finally opened, and Huo Weiyuan walked out with a sullen face. The Third Prince was still in the room, and no one knew what had happened; he was crying his eyes out.

"I must go to fetch His Majesty. Please take care of the Three Dukes for now."

Huo Weiyuan gently advised, "She has a bad temper, so you don't need to be overly polite to her, lest you wrong yourself."

Having said that, he was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something and turned back, saying, "You should prepare yourself well; let's go to the capital together tomorrow."

Watching his figure disappear behind the door, You Tong frowned and forced herself to go into the room.

The three dukes were still sobbing, their faces streaked with tears, making it seem as if she were the victim.

When You Tong recalled the ruthlessness she had shown to Hui Yang, she felt a surge of disgust and didn't want to talk to her. After pouring a glass of water and placing it in front of her, she ignored her completely.

The Three Dukes were, after all, of the highest rank, and when had they ever been so disregarded? Feeling a bit angry, they swept their hands and knocked all the teacups and teapots off the table to the ground.

You Tong sneered and said, "A set of Jun ware celadon teaware with floral patterns, one pot and four cups, costs twenty taels of silver. Put it on the tab for now, and we'll settle the bill with Consort Mi later."

The Third Prince was furious. He stood up angrily, said nothing, and slapped You Tong across the face.