The Third Scholar of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 31

Everyone ate and chatted, making the best of it and enjoying the food. Only Li Yuxuan felt like there was a pair of eyes watching her, and she felt uneasy. She scanned the room and, apart from the Khitan prince occasionally meeting her gaze, she didn't see anyone paying special attention to her.

This feeling was so strange that it made her feel cold all over.

Just like when she saw the Corpse Child, the thought of the Corpse Child sent a chill down her spine. She immediately got up and sat down between Prince Xin and Zhan Zhao. Seeing her strange expression, the two asked, "What's wrong with you?" "I can't explain it. I just feel very strange. I feel like someone is watching me from somewhere."

Prince Xin chuckled: "It's the chill in this cave that's making you cold!" He took off the mink fur around his neck and wrapped it around her: "I told you to wear more clothes, but you insisted on following Zhan Zhao's example. What kind of body does he have? What kind of body do you have? You have no self-awareness at all."

"What kind of body do you think Brother Zhan has?" Li Yuxuan wrapped a mink coat around his waist, feeling less numb in his vest, and relaxed. He squinted and teased, "Is he a Transformer, Ultraman, or Astro Boy?" I know you won't understand, but that's the effect I wanted.

The two men did not engage with her ravings, because Xiao Feng, who had been with the Khitan prince, had somehow appeared beside their table. After staring at Li Yuxuan for a few seconds, he reached out, grabbed her by the waist, and flew out of the cave. Prince Xin and Zhan Zhao were shocked and gave chase.

Duan Yu and Xu Zhu wanted to chase after them when they saw this, but they were stopped by several palace maids at the door.

Li Yuxuan was also bewildered by this unexpected situation. He was carried by Xiao Feng, who flew straight back to the cliff top. Once there, Xiao Feng put Li Yuxuan down, saying, "Forgive me."

Prince Xin and Zhan Zhao arrived at almost the same time.

Li Yuxuan took a deep breath to calm his body, which was naturally shocked by the unexpected event, and laughed, "Brother Xiao, what are you saying? I will obey all your actions unconditionally. Just tell me what happened!"

A hint of shame appeared on Xiao Feng's face: "Lord Li's words make me ashamed. Since you trust me so much, I will speak the truth. I just heard the prince plotting something with someone, which seems to be related to you. He is probably jealous of your relationship with Princess Xinyun and wants to harm you. So I volunteered to kidnap you. It's best if you don't participate in this game."

After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Let me add one more thing: after today, you should hurry back to court! I'm afraid Lord Li might inadvertently get involved in even more trouble."

The expressions of Prince Xin and Zhan Zhao both stiffened for a moment, but it didn't escape Li Yuxuan's notice.

Zhan Zhao clasped his hands and bowed to Xiao Feng: "Great Hero Xiao, you are so kind. I thank you. We will go back and pack our things now, and we will set off on time tomorrow. Also, when you see Lord Xu later, please tell him to come back and join us immediately."

Xiao Feng nodded: "I will certainly pass on the message."

Prince Xin took Li Yuxuan's hand and started walking outside. Li Yuxuan followed him for a couple of steps, then suddenly remembered something very important. He turned around and called out to Xiao Feng, who was about to leave, "Brother Xiao, please wait!"

Xiao Feng stopped in surprise: "Is there anything else, Lord Li?"

Li Yuxuan rubbed his nose, wondering how to tell him about the impending disaster at Yanmen Pass. He wanted him to listen, but he couldn't let him know he had some kind of precognitive ability. He thought for a moment... "Brother Xiao, I haven't known you for long, but I'm deeply impressed by you. I know you're a hero of unparalleled courage and righteousness, a true man of steel. However, life is rarely easy, and not everything can be solved by one's own strength. For example, relationships, and war. Since the war between the Yellow Emperor and Chiyou, humanity has never stopped fighting. Even Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang, who are remembered in history, fought their way up through war. Human desires are endless, so war will never stop. As long as history doesn't perish, no matter how powerful an individual is, they can only be a passerby in history. Do you understand?"

Seeing Xiao Feng's stunned expression, he probably didn't understand. "Let me put it this way, Brother Xiao, I see a bluish tinge on your forehead, and I predict that you will face danger within six months. When you have no way to avoid it, remember my words and you will understand."

Xiao Feng nodded: "I understand what you mean. You mean that if a war breaks out between Song and Liao one day, I will not know how to deal with it, right? I will do my best to stop it. Now that I hold the position of the Southern Court King, I hope to use my own strength to make the King give up the idea of invading Song."

"Brother Xiao, don't be too fixated on some things. Just like how you were so obsessed with revenge back then, which resulted in the accidental injury of A'Zhu. Don't be too fixated on war now either, or you'll leave behind eternal regrets. I just know that once I leave for the Central Plains, I don't know when I'll see Brother Xiao again. Knowing Brother Xiao's temperament, I couldn't help but say a few more words. Please remember my words, Brother Xiao." Was this her earnest advice? She truly hoped that Xiao Feng wouldn't die.

Xiao Feng was indeed moved by her words. He reached out and grasped her hands, saying in a deep voice, "Brother, Xiao Feng will remember your words. Since you called me 'brother' here today, I will acknowledge you as my sister."

Li Yuxuan was overjoyed: "Brother!"

Xiao Feng reached out and hugged her: "Good sister, if anyone bullies you in the future, just tell your brother, and I will definitely avenge you. Also, I will definitely come to the Central Plains to see you." After saying that, he took a dagger from his waist: "I don't have anything to give you, but this dagger was given to me by Xu Zhu in the Misty Palace. I'm giving it to you now for self-defense. I don't have much time now, but next time I come to the Central Plains, I'll teach you a few real kung fu moves."

Taking the dagger from Xiao Feng, Li Yuxuan's nose stung with tears. The thought of not knowing if he would ever see him again overwhelmed him with bitterness: "Brother, you must remember your promise, you must come to the Central Plains to see me—"

"must!"

“But I’m definitely not as important to you as your country and the world…” Li Yuxuan pulled up his sleeve and wiped his eyes: “Anyone who doesn’t come to see me is a dog!”

Xiao Feng raised his hand and carefully wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes: "Silly girl, go back quickly, it's not like we're parting forever." After saying that, he laughed: "Hurry up and go back to get married, stop coming out here acting crazy."

"You must come for a drink when I get married!" All this talk has only one purpose: I hope you remember your promise to me, and please don't die so completely when the time comes— Li Yuxuan silently added the last part to his heart before smiling at him: "Big brother, I'm leaving!"

"Go well, and have a safe journey!"

Li Yuxuan nodded heavily, "Take care too!" Then he followed Prince Xin and Zhan Zhao, turning back every few steps as he walked out. He watched as Xiao Feng's tall figure stood atop the pristine white cliff, the mountain wind whipping his cloak in the wind.

Back at the inn, Zhan Zhao immediately went to arrange the return journey. In the afternoon, he sent someone to the Western Xia Palace to bring Xu Qingzhi back. It turned out that Xu Qingzhi had been kept in the inner room by Li Xinyun for drinking. When he was brought back, he was covered in alcohol and was still saying things like "I won't leave until I'm drunk" and "I wish all lovers will be together forever."

It seems that Li Xinyun and Xuzhu finally became a couple.

Remembering that she had to travel the next day, Li Yuxuan prepared to go to bed early to rest, but was stopped by Prince Xin with a solemn expression. Li Yuxuan thought of Xiao Feng's words and knew that Prince Xin was worried about her safety, so she obediently stayed by the table and dozed off. Around midnight, Zhan Zhao came in wearing a set of commoner's clothes and threw the same set of clothes to Li Yuxuan, telling her to change.

Li Yuxuan couldn't understand and wanted to ask, but the two immediately retreated. Li Yuxuan sensed something was amiss; even the two foxes had become so cautious. She quickly changed her clothes, hid the dagger Xiao Feng had given her in her boot, and called out, "I'm ready, come in!"

This time, Zhan Zhao carried two bundles on her back. Prince Xin walked to her side and suddenly reached out to hug her. "You and Zhan Zhao go first, leave immediately. I'm injured and can't take care of you. Be careful." After saying this, he abruptly pulled away from her embrace, took a step back, and whispered to Zhan Zhao, "Let's go!"

Zhan Zhao nodded: "Your Highness, please be careful." He pulled Li Yuxuan over: "Let's go!"

Li Yuxuan possessed a fine traditional virtue: when danger struck, he never hesitated or stammered; escaping was his top priority. He and Zhan Zhao immediately mounted their prepared horses and left Qingyun City under cover of darkness.

Absolute Temptation

As dawn broke and the two rode their horses across the grassland, Li Yuxuan finally found time to ask Zhan Zhao, "Will Prince Xin and Brother Xu be in danger if we leave like this?"

Zhan Zhao glanced at her sideways: "So you finally remembered whether they were alive or dead?"

"I've always cared about their lives!" He said this with righteous indignation: "The reason I ran away with you is because I care about their lives. If the enemy comes, they will have to care about both themselves and me, and they will be unable to care about either one. That would be what it means to not care about their lives."

The man still glanced at him sideways: "Don't you have the internal energy of those two Khitan warriors in your body? Didn't Xuzhu teach you a few moves of the Plum Blossom Hand? Why are you still so cowardly?"

"Xu Zhu said that my internal energy is only good enough to be useless against enemies. By the way, how about you share some of your internal energy with me?"

"You!" Zhan Zhao lashed her horse's rump with his whip. "Hurry up, we'll cross this grassland before sunrise." The horse, in pain, bolted. Li Yuxuan grabbed the reins and called back, "Where are we going?"

"Khitan!"

"What???" Li Yuxuan almost fell off his horse: "Isn't this tactic of feigning an attack while secretly advancing another avenue a bit too audacious?"

"We'll simply move into Khitan territory, wait for the prince and the others to return to the Central Plains, and then turn back to Yumen Pass. This is called a feint, a surprise attack."

...

At noon, the two found a sheltered hillside to stop, ate some dry food and drank some water, and then continued on their way. Li Yuxuan really wanted to ask what had happened. Even if that drooling Khitan prince had gone berserk, it shouldn't have caused such a commotion, panic, and trembling.

Is war between the Khitan and the Central Plains about to break out? Does that Khitan prince want to use her as a sacrifice for his flag?

That's impossible. If it's about sacrificing a flag, Prince Xin is far more suitable than her.

Why is that? Why are they all choosing to remain silent and not tell her the truth? This silence is driving her crazy with all sorts of wild thoughts.

The torment of wanting to ask but not daring to was even more distressing for her. Looking at Zhan Zhao's cold, unsmiling face and the occasional knowing smile that appeared at the corner of his mouth, she knew that he had never really liked her, even knowing that she was a woman.

By the way, did Prince Xin tell him that she was a woman?

Judging from the tone of his voice when he spoke to her, he probably knew. She also knew that his relationship with Prince Xin was extraordinary. Whether there was any romantic involvement between them, she didn't know, but given that he had taken care of Prince Xin for a month without relying on anyone else, it wouldn't be surprising if there was something going on. If that's the case, and they're both so assertive, then who would be the one being pounced on?

The sound of hooves faded, followed by the crack of a whip: "Hurry up!" What a tragedy! What was she thinking? Was she still trying to escape? A sudden tightening gripped her legs, and she clung to the horse's back. This life was truly...it seemed like all she did was run for her life, with the only time she fared better was when Li Xinyun drugged her.

As evening fell, snow began to fall again. The two found a herdsman's family to stay the night. Although they couldn't understand each other's language, the herdsman's family could at least understand their hand gestures. That night, they drank horse wine over a campfire. Watching the warm and loving herdsman's family, Li Yuxuan felt a moment of disorientation. For the first time, she wavered in her decision to disguise herself as a man and enter the imperial court. Was revenge really that important? Or was she simply unwilling to settle for a mundane life, using revenge as a pretext to prove her strength in the Northern Song Dynasty a thousand years later?

Or perhaps she was simply excited to meet Su Shi.

However, things have taken a far cry from her original intentions. Even if she and Zhan Zhao successfully return to Bianliang this time, with so many people knowing she is a woman, even if they don't inform on her, she won't be able to maintain her position as a third-ranked scholar.

She sighed softly. "Too clever by half, she's ruined her life. She should go back while there's still time. She should return to Prefect Li's hometown in Jiangnan and live the life of a young lady, far from disputes and grudges, peacefully enjoying the family happiness that belongs to Li Youying."

They slept on a shared kang (heated brick bed), something Li Yuxuan already knew, so it wasn't strange. The herdsman couple slept on the left, their daughter next to them, their son, about fifteen or sixteen years old, in the middle, with Zhan Zhao beside him, and Li Yuxuan on the far right. The herdsman couple shared one quilt, their two children shared another, and she and Zhan Zhao shared a quilt. Thank goodness, it wasn't six people sharing one quilt. Zhan Zhao was like a screen, completely isolating Li Yuxuan from their world.

Li Yuxuan had been jostled on horseback all day and soon fell asleep.

She woke up early the next day and saw that they were all still asleep. She wanted to stay a little longer, but being so close to Zhan Zhao's body and so awake made her very uncomfortable, so she had to get up quietly.

The snow outside had lessened considerably; it must have snowed all night, as the snow on the ground was quite thick. She pulled back the curtain and stepped outside, a blast of cold wind hitting her face, making her shiver and shrink her neck. Her foot sank into the snow, immediately creating a deep crater.

This is a sheltered hillside with a dozen or so tents pitched at varying distances, probably a small gathering place for herders. There is no one in sight outside, so they are probably still asleep.

She took a few deep breaths at the sight of white all around, and immediately felt refreshed. She went to the place where the horses were grazing, stroked the horse's head, and looked into its big eyes. Yesterday and the night before, they must have traveled at least eight hundred li, if not a thousand li a day. Where are they now? Judging from the herdsmen's clothing, they should have already entered Khitan territory.

This era is great; you can roam freely across the vast grasslands, and there's no need to smuggle yourself anywhere. As long as you don't enter the city, no one will check your identity.

She looked at the spot where the herdsmen had released water yesterday. It was covered with a thick layer of ice. She tapped it with her fist until her hand hurt, but the ice didn't react at all. She followed the method that Xu Zhu had taught her, gathering all the energy in her body into the Quchi acupoint on her hand, and then punched it into the ice hole.

First, let me clarify that this is the first time she's testing her skills. Duan Yu mentioned that she had never practiced internal energy before, and her body was completely pure. Practicing the Northern Darkness Divine Art was a lucky accident, yielding twice the results with half the effort. This is because the first requirement for practicing the Northern Darkness Divine Art is to discard all previous martial arts skills.

With a loud bang, before she could even react, she was drenched from head to toe by splashes of ice and water. It was truly freezing; being drenched in sub-zero temperatures, she took a step back, wiped the water droplets from her face, and looked at the ice cave again—only a few pieces of ice were left skipping across the surface.

He turned his hands over and over to check them, but there was no change. Ignoring the cold, he chuckled foolishly. Nothing is more exciting than a beggar suddenly discovering he has a treasure map on him.

She was already this capable. She scooped up a handful of water, put it in her mouth, let it swirl around her teeth a few times, and then spat it out. Actually, she just wanted some water to rinse her mouth.

She heard a clicking sound behind her, and when she turned around, Zhan Zhao was walking towards her with a good mood: "Lord Li is amazing. It seems that you can protect yourself without my protection."

"Not at all, my little tricks are nowhere near as good as Brother Zhan's unparalleled skills and ingenious strategies." He shivered again: "It's so cold. When shall we set off?"

Zhan Zhao sighed and walked to her side: "You seem smart, but sometimes you're really silly." He took off his cloak and handed it to her: "Give me your cloak!"

Li Yuxuan looked at the cloak he was offering her and asked somewhat foolishly, "Why?" Did he see her embarrassing situation and want to exchange cloaks with her so easily?

As expected, Zhan Zhao glared at her and said, "I don't want you to freeze to death!"

"Hehe." Li Yuxuan chuckled, took off his own cloak, and then took the cloak from Zhan's hand and put it on. "Brother Zhan is truly a chivalrous and loyal man, with both iron will and tender heart. Your wife is so lucky to have married you."

"sister in law?"

"yes!"

"I'm a wanderer, always on the move even when I was in the capital. Where would I find a sister-in-law? Besides, what woman would want to marry a playboy like me?"

"Don't try to fool me. A dashing and skilled young hero like you is every woman's dream lover. I wouldn't believe you if you lied to everyone in the world that you don't have a wife." Prince Xin once said with absolute certainty that he did have a wife.

Zhan Zhao fell silent, gazing at the endless white expanse in the distance with his hands behind his back. After a long while, he sighed softly, "A scholar will die for one who understands him. I have been working for Lord Bao for ten years. I met Lord Bao when I was eighteen and was impressed by his magnanimity. Since then, I have vowed to serve him faithfully. Lord Bao is getting old, and his health is deteriorating. I don't know how much longer I can stay by his side."

Judge Bao? Judging from his usual physique, he probably won't last much longer. "What will you do if Judge Bao dies?"

"Me? Of course I'll go back to my old profession, like you said, stay away from the court, that place of trouble, get married, and live a good life."

"You really don't have a wife?" This news was too shocking to process.

"I'm away from home most of the time. If I marry a wife and keep her at home, will she become a bitter, resentful woman?"

That's true!

I'm so conflicted.

Zhan Zhao doesn't have a wife! This man doesn't have a wife! Prince Xin actually lied to her! How despicable!

The air suddenly became a little tense. Li Yuxuan unconsciously touched his nose: "Don't mind me, I was just asking casually, I didn't mean to pry into your secrets. By the way, when do we leave today?"

"We're not going anywhere today. Our hoofprints from yesterday must have been covered by this heavy snow. If we continue today, the hoofprints will give us away. So, we might as well rest here for a few days."

"oh!"

For some reason, after learning that Zhan Zhao didn't have a wife, Li Yuxuan wasn't as relaxed around him as before; he felt a little awkward. An awkwardness he couldn't quite put his finger on.

The awkward day continued until evening. The family's little girl, about ten years old, had rosy cheeks and two big dimples when she smiled. She had spent the whole day playing and laughing with Li Yuxuan and was quite familiar with her. She was often made to giggle by Li Yuxuan, but when Li Yuxuan asked her to sleep with him that night, she glanced timidly at her parents and shook her head in refusal.

Not wanting to embarrass Zhan Zhao by being too deliberate, she had no choice but to give up. Tears welled in her eyes as she watched her master's family climb onto the kang (heated brick bed), and she had no choice but to follow suit, sharing a quilt with them. What a tragedy! Was it really necessary to test their loyalty like this?