Chapter 108

When Pei Zhi said this, Xie Lin's expression suddenly changed, and his gaze also turned toward him.

Only then did he notice that the cloud pattern on Pei Zhi's white robe was almost the same as the cloak draped over Shen Shuangning's shoulders, appearing as a set.

Xie Lin had already noticed when Shen Shuangning stepped down from the carriage that her cloak was overly large, dragging on the ground, ill-fitting, clearly a man's.

At this moment, seeing Pei Zhi made it all the more clear.

Xie Lin narrowed his eyes, already understanding that whether the other was a political rival remained to be said, but he was certainly a love rival!

He felt a pang of jealousy, disliking that Ningning had another man's thing on her, but seeing her pale face, he ultimately restrained himself and did not snatch away that eyesore cloak.

He merely loosened her hand and said, "I'm going to see A-Yuan."

Shen Shuangning nodded, then glanced at Pei Zhi.

She knew Pei Zhi had said that on purpose, but the words were ultimately inauspicious, and she didn't like to hear them.

But if it weren't for Pei Zhi, Xiao Jingyuan might not have survived to now; thus, although Shen Shuangning was a little dissatisfied, she said nothing.

The subordinates had already prepared a stretcher; Xiao Jingyuan remained unconscious, his wounds bandaged, that stunningly handsome face in the sunlight showing a sickly pallor, making one's heart clench at the sight.

Although Xie Lin had long known that Xiao Jingyuan was injured, he hadn't expected the wound to be this severe, and he couldn't help but worry.

Shen Shuangning stood aside and briefly explained, "On our return we encountered rebel ambush; thanks to the Junior Master bringing reinforcements to break the siege. At that time the heir was already at death's door, and it was only Junior Master Pei's intervention that saved him."

Xie Lin keenly noticed that she said "we".

That being so, it was Xiao Jingyuan who had found her first... a subtle displeasure quietly spread in Xie Lin's heart.

Xiao Jingyuan had already been lowered; Qingyun and the others followed behind, and upon seeing Xie Lin they paused, cupped their fists and greeted, "Young Marquis."

Xie Lin came to his senses; he knew Xiao Jingyuan had also taken people out last night, and for some reason he felt relieved.

Xie Lin gave a slight nod and said gratefully, "You've worked hard; go get treatment quickly."

Qingyun finally glanced at Shen Shuangning, then left with the others.

The two guards who died protecting Shen Shuangning were also brought back; she remembered their names and addresses, and since there was no one else in the camp, she could only first ask Pei Zhi to properly settle them.

Pei Zhi naturally acceded to her request, and this was indeed his duty.

Behind the troupe were still escorted rebels, as well as a pile of rebel corpses.

According to protocol, these people must be taken down for identification; perhaps some clues could be found from them.

But the princess is still present; Yan Zheng, fearing that the ill omen of the dead would offend her, politely said, "The Fourth Miss has returned safely; Your Highness the Princess should first take her people back to rest."

"That's right." Jingyu then realized, and taking Shen Shuangning's hand said, "Don't stand here; let's go too. You must be exhausted—go rest first, we can talk later."

These matters are not for them to worry about.

Shen Shuangning nodded, about to leave, then remembered she should return the cloak to Pei Zhi.

But when she took off the cloak she discovered it was dirty, and feeling a bit embarrassed she said, "Maybe I should have someone wash it clean before returning it to you."

"No need, just give it to me." Pei Zhi said warmly, naturally reaching out to take it.

There was a natural familiarity between them, which Xie Lin observed, his gaze deepening.

It turned out that during his absence, his Ningning had not only met a new man, but that man was openly scheming to win her over!

Xie Lin was extremely displeased.

Yan Zheng was in a bad mood, finding everyone displeasing; his gaze wandered between Xie Lin and Pei Zhi, finally settling on Shen Shuangning's retreating back, and he snorted inwardly, "A beauty that brings disaster."

After Shen Shuangning left, Xie Lin no longer needed to maintain a composed facade; his face turned stern as he stepped toward Pei Zhi.

Pei Zhi leisurely smoothed the wrinkles on the cloak, as if he didn't see the hostility in Xie Lin's eyes, his expression unchanged.

Or perhaps in his view, Xie Lin was merely an inexperienced youth whom he could suppress with one hand, so he didn't care.

Before Xie Lin could speak, he heard Pei Zhi say, "Perfect timing; I have something to tell you—come with me."

Pei Zhi's tone was flat, yet carried the domineering authority of a superior; Xie Lin unconsciously followed, only then realizing why he was obeying him.

Xie Lin thus stopped.

At that moment, Pei Zhi's voice came from ahead.

"I suspect you don't yet know where your brother went or what he did; if you don't want the Yongning Marquisate to be destroyed, you'd better obey me."

Xie Lin's pupils contracted.

Pei Zhi turned his head and said, "This isn't the place to talk; hurry over."

With a single sentence Pei Zhi had Xie Lin under his control.

Seeing him follow, Pei Zhi then turned to the person beside him and ordered, "Go tell Deputy Commander Yan that when he's free, have him come over."

The subordinate respectfully assented and turned back to find Yan Zheng.

"What does Junior Master Pei want with me?" Yan Zheng asked instinctively.

"The Junior Master didn't say."

Upon hearing that, Yan Zheng stroked his chin, thinking it likely concerned the Xie family; his eyes shifted and he replied, "I understand; I'll go shortly."

……

In the mountains and forests, foxtail grass almost grew over one's head, while the uneven stone path beneath wore raw the soles of one's feet.

Zhai Ji, accustomed to luxury, always traveled in a canopy carriage; he had never endured such hardship, and even with guards clearing the way ahead, his patience was gradually exhausted.

Thus he glowered at Xie Yan walking ahead, face dark, and said impatiently, "How much longer?"

Xie Yan replied gently, "Almost there; Your Highness, please be a bit more patient."

He had uttered similar words countless times.

Zhai Ji suspected Xie Yan didn't know the way; this little-used trail hardly seemed to lead to any exit.

Perhaps this person had taken a wrong turn and was deceiving him?

Zhai Ji endured, thinking that if they hadn't reached the place Xie Yan mentioned by nightfall, he would kill that softshell turtle and toss it here to feed the wolves.

Besides, he was an unfavored son of a marquis household, unloved by father and mother; as the eldest legitimate son he lived worse than a concubine's child, and killing him would matter to no one.

Zhai Ji, used to doing as he pleased, felt that viciousness rise again; he grabbed the wild grass stuck in his head, snapped it, and threw it at his feet.

Fortunately, after a moment, they finally walked out of the wilderness and arrived on a flat forest path.

Not far off, in a mountain gully, a few thatched huts hid among the slopes, unnoticeable; nearby, several terraced fields followed the hillside, and the cooking smoke rising from the roofs swayed gently in the wind, lending the place a slight air of being isolated from the world.

Zhai Ji secretly marveled that such a place actually existed.

Zhai Ji was already parched and, not bothering to argue with Xie Yan, strode ahead; the few guards, seeing this, naturally followed close behind the Third Prince.

Xie Yan and Tingfeng fell behind.

"We don't know if Suoying will be able to come back; go mark that tree," Xie Yan said softly.

Tingfeng nodded, drew his waist dagger, and carved a plus sign on the tree trunk.

Zhai Ji focused entirely on finding a place to rest, paying no heed to the two behind him; he quickly approached the village, yet saw not a soul.

As he wondered, a rough‑clothed, honest‑looking woman suddenly emerged from somewhere and stood before him, startling Zhai Ji.

"Honored sirs, are you here to look for someone, or is there something else?"

The woman wore a smile, a vegetable basket hooked on her arm, its lid a bleached‑white blue cloth, giving no hint of what lay inside.

Zhai Ji, conscious of his status, certainly would not lower himself to speak with this country woman; he turned and gave the guard a glance.

The guard stepped forward, pulled a tael of silver from his purse and tossed it over, as if sending off a beggar.

"My lord lost his way and needs to rest here; please clear a clean room and prepare some food and drink—you'll certainly be rewarded afterward."

Seeing the silver, the woman pocketed it without further question and still smiled: "Oh, you lost your way—come with me quickly."

While speaking, the woman glanced at Xie Yan, then calmly looked away.

Zhai Ji surveyed the village, feeling an indescribable strangeness; though the village wasn't tiny, he saw hardly anyone, especially men.

The woman led the group into her courtyard, where a boy with his hair tied in an upward braid was riding a wooden horse; seeing her return, he happily called out, "Mother, you're back......"

Immediately upon seeing the strangers, the boy's smile vanished; he timidly ran to hide behind the woman, saying nothing.

The woman smiled at Zhai Ji and the others and said, "This is my child."

No one paid attention; the guard even urged a few times.

The boy clung to the woman's leg, lifted his face, and softly asked, "Why hasn't Father come back yet?"

The woman's eyes darkened a little as she patted his head: "Father went up the mountain to hunt hares for Daobao; he'll be back soon. These are honored guests—Daobao will go to the chicken coop and catch that big hen, and we'll treat the guests well."

Upon hearing this, Daobao seemed to understand, glanced at Zhai Ji and the others, then turned and walked away.

The woman readied a room; Zhai Ji's face showed disdain, but he was truly exhausted, so he forced himself to sit and rest, his expression growing even more impatient.

The guards dared not provoke his bad mood, and for a moment none dared speak.

Only Xie Yan remained composed, saying, "Your Highness, hand over the token to me; I'll have my servant take it outside to find people, so you can also leave quickly."

Since entering this place, Zhai Ji had felt uneasy; now he looked at Xie Yan with some suspicion, saying nothing.

Xie Yan said, "If Your Highness doubts me, you may send an attendant along; in another hour it will be dark—surely you don't wish to spend the night here?"

Zhai Ji thought, since Xie Yan was here and appeared a weakling, moreover injured, there was nothing to fear from his scheming.

Zhai Ji longed to return to his comfortable manor; after a brief consideration, he handed over the token and assigned a guard to follow.

Clearly, he did not trust him much.

Xie Yan didn't mind; he simply sat back down obediently.

Soon a fragrant waft arrived; the woman entered carrying chicken soup, smiling, "In this rural place we have only coarse tea and plain rice—nothing grand to offer; please bear with us."

Accustomed to mountain delicacies and seafood, Zhai Ji was very particular; he would rather starve than touch anything here.

The guards had no such qualms, rushing over to stuff their mouths.

The woman ladled a bowl especially for Xie Yan, placed it before him with clean chopsticks; everyone assumed she was simply honest and kind, paying extra attention because he was wounded.

As the sky gradually darkened, the whole village fell silent as a deserted grave, with not a sound.

The Third Prince, accustomed to the prosperity of Jingcheng, was unaccustomed to this deathly stillness, as if it magnified his inner unease.

Zhai Ji inexplicably thought of Shen Shuangning, his teeth itching; if not for her, how could he have fallen into such a predicament?

Xie Yan tended his wound, then borrowed a clean gray garment from the woman; now he sat leaning against the wall in a corner, eyes closed, cultivating his spirit, his whole person in darkness untouched by candlelight, like a cold, solemn Buddha statue.

Zhai Ji stared at him with a strange expression and suddenly said, "Aren't you anxious to go back?"

Xie Yan calmly replied, "What's the use of hurrying?"

What kind of answer is that?

The calmer Xie Yan appeared, the more irritated Zhai Ji became, reminding him of Xiao Jingyuan's dead‑pan face and the Crown Prince's attendant, Minister Pei.

Likewise, his composure in any situation, his ability to plan amid change.

Thinking of this, Zhai Ji felt extremely unbalanced: why could the Crown Prince attract such talent, while his own entourage consisted only of ineffectual good‑for‑nothings; after mulling it over, he found not a single usable person.

Truly hateful.

Zhai Ji glanced again at Xie Yan, eyes shifting, and said, "Xie Lin constantly outshines you; have you never thought of plotting for your own future?"

This was a probe; if Xie Yan showed even a hint of ambition, Zhai Ji wouldn't mind giving him a lift. After all, Xie Lin is on good terms with Xiao Jingyuan, and Zhai Ji dislikes Xie Lin as well.

If he could sow discord between those two brothers, he would welcome it.

Who would have thought Xie Yan would reply with three words: "Never considered it."

Zhai Ji: "......" Simply impossible to converse.

Yet he remained unwilling to drop it, continuing on his own: "I've heard you're engaged to the Lin family maiden? But the Lin household's rank ultimately cannot compare to the Rongguo Duke's manor. When Xie Lin eventually marries Shen Shuangning, even your wife will be overshadowed—such a situation is really too miserable."

The woman was bent over wiping the table; Zhai Ji did not even regard her.

He looked at Xie Yan and, speaking from on high, said, "Actually I think you're not much inferior to Xie Lin; if you have that ambition, I can help you."

Zhai Ji felt he had spoken so clearly that unless Xie Yan were an idiot, he could not fail to understand.

In his view, being a prince while Xie Yan held no power or influence, what reason would he have to refuse this olive branch?