Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn

Chapter 78

"I just wanted to know how the young prince and the others are doing now," I said truthfully.

Prince Qing frowned slightly: "Didn't I say this matter must not be made public? How did you find out?"

I smiled wryly: "I had a premonition yesterday, and when I asked Shi Nan, he said it was nothing, so I thought I was just overthinking it. But today I accidentally found out that yesterday's premonition has come true."

Prince Qing frowned even more deeply: "You had a premonition yesterday?"

I shook my head and said, "Not just yesterday, but ever since the young prince and the others left, I haven't slept soundly for a single day."

Prince Qing suddenly smiled: "You're worried about your brother, aren't you?"

When my secret was exposed, I blushed deeply and lowered my voice considerably: "Everyone is worried, not just Zinuo, not just the young prince, but everyone who went with me is worried. We are all brothers who have been together in the Prince Qing's mansion day and night."

"I can tell you that Yu'er was stabbed twice, your brother is unharmed, and the others suffered some injuries or deaths," Prince Qing said slowly, his voice carrying a subtle chill.

I was astonished. Everyone else had been injured, so why was Zinuo completely unharmed? I knew Zinuo was far more skilled than me, but surely not to this extent? Was Prince Qing's coldness an accusation that Zinuo had failed to protect his master?

Taking a deep breath and suppressing my doubts, I calmly said, "Your Highness, please allow Huai'en to fetch the young prince and the others back."

Prince Qing looked at me with amusement: "What are you going to use to pick me up? There isn't a single spare guard in the palace for you to take with you."

"I'll risk Huai'en's life to bring the young prince back safely." Thinking of Zinuo's unharmed state brought me some peace, but a different kind of fear crept in—not worry about Zinuo's safety, but about what had allowed him to escape unscathed. So, I had to go and see for myself.

Seeing that Prince Qing was still looking at me thoughtfully, I slowly asked, "Your Highness knows Huai En's mother, doesn't he?"

Upon hearing this, Prince Qing's tall, slender body trembled slightly, and he looked at me with a hint of embarrassment. I had to admit, Prince Qing was a good man—handsome and capable. Although middle-aged, he exuded a mature charm unique to men his age. Compared to Marquis Qiyun, I felt more favorably toward Prince Qing. If that incident hadn't happened, and my mother had married Prince Qing, would she be alive and well now?

"Your Highness, on behalf of my mother, I thank you for everything you've done for the Mo family." Thank you for your tireless efforts after the Mo family was wrongly accused and convicted. Therefore, even though my strength is meager, I must try to bring back my younger brother and the young prince.

The study was eerily quiet, with only the suppressed breathing of the two men and the soft rustling of snowflakes falling from the trees outside. After a long while, Prince Qing finally said, "Go, be careful on your way."

Back at Qiufeng Garden, I quickly packed a few warm clothes. After thinking for a moment, I decided to take the fox fur cloak that Shen Haoyu had made; it was the warmest one available, and I couldn't afford to get cold while out and about. I checked my belongings to make sure nothing was missing, then strode out of the room. In the corridor, Yin Yan, wearing a purplish-brown cloak and holding a bundle, stood quietly. I asked in surprise, "Sister Yin Yan, where are you going?"

Yin Yan smiled and said, "Wherever you go, I will go."

I shook my head and exclaimed, "Impossible! It's so dangerous, how could they let Yin Yan go too?"

"Let's go quickly. I've already told the Princess that the Master is injured, so I can go and take care of him. Besides, my martial arts are better than yours. If you can go, why can't I?" Yin Yan said, pulling me out.

After selecting two fine horses from the stables, Yin Yan and I braved the wind and snow to head south. I no longer cared how many dangers lay outside the Prince Qing's mansion. Even if the Prince Qing's mansion was safe, I would never be at peace if anything happened to Zinuo and the others outside.

Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 62 of the main text.

Chapter word count: 3722 Update time: 09-08-15 15:21

Servants at Prince Qing's residence regularly shoveled snow, so it didn't seem particularly thick. The streets of the capital were bustling with carriages and horses, so the snow melted relatively quickly. However, it wasn't until they reached the outskirts that they realized how heavy this year's snowfall was. The official roads were somewhat better, but on the smaller paths, several layers of snow had piled up, with ice on top of snow, and then more snow on top of ice, making it even harder to melt.

The further we got from the capital, the more difficult the road became. The snow was still falling heavily, making things very difficult for Yinyan and me. In many places, the snow was so deep that half of the horses' legs were buried in it. Yinyan and I had to abandon our horses and walk, and we had to pull the horses that were stuck in the snow from time to time. Even in this freezing weather, we still broke out in a light sweat.

Yin Yan wiped the sweat from her forehead and laughed, "Sweating like this is the easiest way to catch a cold."

I pulled hard on the reins and said, "Who told you to run away?"

"It's because my master never takes me out. I can't let this opportunity slip by." Yin Yan giggled, her pretty face flushed.

I shook my head inwardly. Was that really the case? Whose face turned pale with fright when they learned that Shen Haoyu was injured? Yet I only smiled to myself and didn't say anything.

As dusk approached, Yin Yan and I had only traveled fifty or sixty li. Seeing that the wind and snow were too heavy, we quickly found a relatively clean inn to stay in before it got completely dark. For safety reasons, we only shared one room. After eating our fill and soaking our hands and feet in hot water, we finally lay down comfortably.

I hadn't exerted myself this much in a long time, and as soon as my head hit the pillow, I felt so comfortable that I just wanted to fall asleep. But then I heard Yin Yan whisper in my ear, "At this rate, when will we ever see them?"

I smiled slightly and reassured them, "Don't worry, the further south you go, the less snow there will be, and you'll be able to travel faster then."

We traveled at a pace barely faster than walking for three more days, and had only covered less than a tenth of the distance. Yinyan grew increasingly anxious. I had to reassure her again, "Don't worry, maybe by the time we get there, the young prince's injuries will have healed." But how could I not be anxious? Perhaps by the time we arrived, he wouldn't be able to see anything at all.

This slow pace is really not good. We didn't reach the town before dark, so Yinyan and I had to stay in a small village. The villagers were very honest and kind. I had been wearing men's clothes the whole way, but Yinyan hadn't changed. When they saw Yinyan and me, the villagers assumed we were a young couple rushing home for the New Year and warmly invited us to stay the night.

The family we stayed with was surnamed Wang. The head of the household was a burly farmer in his forties, while his wife was thin and petite. However, appearances can be deceiving; despite her small frame, she was quite efficient at housework, keeping the several rooms spotless. The couple had a son and a daughter. Their son was in his twenties and already married, while his wife had just given birth to a baby boy. The whole family was very happy. Their daughter had married into a neighboring village last year but would often come back to visit.

Under the dim oil lamp, Aunt Wang brought Yin Yan and me two bowls of steaming hot egg noodles. It wasn't anything fancy, but Yin Yan and I were cold and hungry, so we didn't care and started eating heartily. After we were full, Aunt Wang brought us hot water to wash our faces, and we quickly jumped off the kang (a heated brick bed) to thank her.

Aunt Wang's son and daughter-in-law went back to their room early. Laughter and the occasional cry of a baby could be heard from inside. Aunt Wang tidied up her daughter's room for Yinyan and me, then went back to the main house. The night was quiet. Lying in bed, we could vaguely hear Aunt Wang talking to Uncle Wang about what else they needed to buy for the New Year, and that they would buy some at the market in a couple of days…

Normally, Yin Yan and I would have been asleep long ago, but tonight I unexpectedly couldn't sleep. I stared out the window, and the occasional barking of dogs echoed through the snowy night. Yin Yan's breathing was shallow; she probably wasn't asleep either. I sighed softly, and then I heard Yin Yan say, "I envy them so much."

It turned out that Yin Yan thought the same thing as me. "I wonder if we'll ever have the chance to live like this again." I couldn't help but think of the days I spent with my aunt, Zi Nuo. For the first time, I wondered if our happiness would have lasted longer if I hadn't run off to the Prince Qing's mansion and had stayed by my aunt's side. Then I thought of Zi Nuo's current uncertain situation, and I became anxious again, unable to sleep at all.

I got up very early; if it weren't for the snow's glow, it would probably still be dark. Aunt Wang's family was still asleep, so I practiced my martial arts in the yard. This is something I've been doing every day for the past few days; with danger drawing ever closer, I can't hold anyone back. A little while later, the door creaked open again. I turned around and saw Yinyan had also gotten up. Seeing me practicing, Yinyan smiled slightly and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

Before long, Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang also got up. Aunt Wang went to the kitchen, but I heard her say repeatedly, "Young lady, how can this be?" Not knowing what had happened, I stopped my fists and ran to the kitchen to see. I found out that Yin Yan was already making breakfast and had heated a whole pot of water.

"Auntie, you're too kind. We've been bothering you all night, it's only right that we do something for you," Yinyan said with a warm smile. It was dark yesterday, so it might have been hard to see clearly, but now, in broad daylight, Aunt Wang was utterly astonished to see Yinyan. I knew Yinyan was quite beautiful, considered top-tier even in the Wang family; such a person was a rare sight in this small village. Yinyan seemed a little embarrassed by Aunt Wang's expression, looking at me pleadingly, but I only blinked at her. This made Aunt Wang even more reluctant to let Yinyan do anything, and she quickly ushered Yinyan out. Seeing me standing at the door, she was startled again, exclaiming, "So it was such a pair of celestial beings who came to my house yesterday!" This made me feel embarrassed too, and I quickly went into the courtyard.

At breakfast, the whole family gathered around the kang table. Breakfast in the countryside is usually very simple: plain porridge, sweet potatoes, boiled eggs, and a few kinds of pickled vegetables. These eggs were probably only boiled by Yinyan and me here; they're not usually served this way.

At the dinner table, Aunt Wang kept praising how well Yin Yan and I matched, and asked us where we were from, asking all sorts of other questions. I answered casually, while Yin Yan kept her lips pursed, trying not to laugh. Why didn't I notice how talkative Aunt Wang was yesterday?

After finishing her meal, Yinyan was about to get up and say goodbye when I grabbed her arm and turned to ask Uncle Wang, "Uncle, are there many dogs in your village?"

Yinyan looked at me with confusion, but then heard Uncle Wang say, "Almost every household has a dog."

"I wonder if this dog is for sale?" I asked hesitantly, as many people develop an attachment to their dogs.

Uncle Wang chuckled and said, "Most of the dogs that every household keeps are waiting to be slaughtered in the next few days so they can stew dog meat for the New Year."

What? How could they be so cruel? I'd rather they be bought by me than killed by their owners. I quickly asked, "Uncle, could you please ask around and see if anyone is willing to sell their dogs? The price is negotiable. We're all going to eat meat anyway, and it'll be easy to just bring the money when we buy them."