Ever since the incident by the river, Big Brother Lin had been treating Achou differently.
Before, he had never even glanced toward the prisoner cart. Now, whenever they stopped to rest, he would find himself drifting a few steps in its direction.
Sometimes he would bring over a waterskin; other times he would toss in a couple of pieces of hardtack. He never said anything, but Achou could tell he was repaying his debt to her.
Head Zhao had noticed, too.
“You, boy. Getting all lovey-dovey with that ugly girl, are you? Got your eye on her?” Head Zhao spat in front of everyone, his face creasing with laughter. “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”
The two veteran soldiers beside him burst out laughing.
Big Brother Lin’s face went bright red. He gripped the hilt of his saber without saying a word, then turned and walked away.
Achou heard them from inside the cart, but didn’t rush to say anything.
That night, while they were resting in a ruined temple, she told the Crown Prince what had happened as she changed his bandages.
“Your Highness, Head Zhao is getting worse and worse. He humiliated Lin Yue in front of everyone. If Lin Yue keeps quiet, he’ll never be able to hold his head up again.”
The Crown Prince leaned against the wall with his eyes closed.
“It’s about time,” he said.
“What is?”
“His grievances have built up enough.” The Crown Prince opened his eyes and looked at Achou. “Tomorrow, find an opportunity to call him over. I want to speak to him myself.”
Achou stared at him. “You want to speak to him yourself?”
“You mended his clothes and washed them for him. That’s a debt he owes you. But if we want him to make up his mind and take our side, you alone aren’t enough.” The Crown Prince paused. “He needs someone who can change his fate. That person isn’t you. It’s me.”
Achou nodded.
The following evening, the party stopped in a mountain hollow.
Head Zhao took the two veteran soldiers to a nearby village to look for wine, leaving Big Brother Lin alone to guard the prisoner cart.
Achou knew this was her chance.
She leaned against the bars and beckoned to him. “Big Brother Lin, could you come over for a moment?”
Big Brother Lin hesitated, but came over anyway.
“What is it?”
“His Highness wants to speak with you.” Achou lowered her voice and pointed to the Crown Prince inside the cart.
Big Brother Lin’s expression shifted.
He looked at the cart, then at Achou. His lips moved as if he wanted to refuse.
But there was something in Achou’s eyes that made it impossible to say no.
He stepped up to the cart.
The Crown Prince leaned against the bars and lifted his head to look at Big Brother Lin.
There was no overbearing arrogance in his gaze, nor any dejection at being the Deposed Crown Prince.
He simply looked at Lin Yue calmly, as if he were an equal—and someone worth speaking to.
“Big Brother Lin,” the Crown Prince said, calling him by name.
Big Brother Lin’s whole body jolted.
He hadn’t expected the Deposed Crown Prince to remember his name.
“Aheng told me you have an elderly mother at home. You haven’t been back in three years. You must miss home.”
Big Brother Lin’s throat bobbed, but he said nothing.
“I may have been deposed, but there’s a saying among the people: even a lean camel is bigger than a horse. I still have a few old comrades in the army. If you want to return to your native home, it would take no more than a word from me.” The Crown Prince drew the copper seal from inside his robe and held it up in the moonlight.
Big Brother Lin stared at the seal, his eyes lighting up.
“Your Highness, is that true?”
“Xiao Yi never breaks his word. I can give you what you want.” The Crown Prince put the seal away. “But there’s one condition.”
“What condition?”
“On the way there, if anything happens, you must tell me in advance. As long as I make it safely to Wuzhou, you can go home, care for your mother, and see her through to the end of her days. If you’d rather stay, I can also find you a promising future, then bring your mother here so you can enjoy your family together and let her spend her old age in peace. You won’t have to suffer the pain of parting from a loved one again.”
Big Brother Lin’s breathing quickened. His hand trembled around the hilt of his saber.
The Crown Prince added, “If you don’t believe me, then forget I said anything.”
Lin Yue lowered his head and fell silent for a long time.
So long that Achou thought he was going to refuse. Then he raised his head, his eyes red.
“Your Highness, my life is worth nothing.” His voice was hoarse. “But if you really can let me care for my mother until the end of her days, I…I’ll serve you like an ox or a horse.”
“You don’t need to serve me like an ox or a horse, and I don’t want your life.” the Crown Prince said. “You only need to do one thing: what you’ve always wanted to do, but never dared.”
Big Brother Lin clenched his jaw, then suddenly clasped his hands in a formal salute. “Your Highness, you have my word. Big Brother Lin is willing to follow your lead.”
After saluting, he turned and left.
Achou watched his retreating back and let out a long breath.
“Your Highness, you’re amazing. A few words and he’s on our side.”
“I’m taking a gamble. So is he.”
Achou bit her lip. So the Crown Prince’s name was Xiao Yi. She wondered which characters it was written with.
The day the convoy entered Qingzhou, heavy rain fell.
The mountain road was muddy and difficult to traverse. The prisoner cart got stuck several times, and the soldiers cursed as they pushed it, soaked through.
Head Zhao rode on his horse, his face as dark as the clouds above.
Achou noticed that he kept glancing toward the woods by the road, as if he were waiting for someone.
That night, they stopped at an abandoned post station. For once, Head Zhao didn’t drink. Instead, he called the two veteran soldiers over to a corner, where they muttered together for a long time.
Big Brother Lin pretended to be feeding the horses, but kept a close eye on them.
In the middle of the night, Achou woke to a faint tapping.
Someone had knocked three times on the bars of the prisoner cart.
She opened her eyes and saw Big Brother Lin crouching outside. He lowered his voice. “Head Zhao says someone will be waiting along the road after we pass Qingfeng Ridge tomorrow. They’ll pretend we’ve been attacked by bandits and make it look like a gang of outlaws killed us. His Highness…His Highness…”
His voice trembled.
Achou’s heart sank.
She glanced back at Xiao Yi. At some point, he had woken too. He was watching them in the darkness, eyes open.
“How many?” he asked.
“Head Zhao said there are seven or eight of them. All capable fighters.”
“When tomorrow? Where?”
“Before dawn. After Qingfeng Ridge, there’s a place called Soulbreak Cliff. Cliffs rise on both sides, with only one road running between them. They said it would be the easiest place.”
The Crown Prince nodded and asked nothing more.
After Big Brother Lin left, Achou’s palms were slick with sweat.
“Your Highness, what do we do?”
The Crown Prince said nothing. He only closed his eyes, his brow furrowed.
A long while later, he opened his eyes and said quietly, “Tomorrow, do as I say.”
The convoy set out before daybreak.
The rain had stopped, but the road was still muddy.
The mountain track through Qingfeng Ridge was narrow and slippery. On one side rose a steep cliff face; on the other, a bottomless drop.
“Your Highness, aren’t you afraid?”
“Afraid of what?”
“They’re going to kill you.”
“They’re going to kill the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince has already died once.”
Achou didn’t understand, but she didn’t ask again.
The prisoner cart rounded a bend. Soulbreak Cliff lay ahead.
“Give me your bundle,” the Crown Prince said.
Achou did as he asked.
At that very instant, the bushes on the mountainside suddenly shook. Seven or eight masked men burst out from both sides, their blades glinting coldly in the morning mist.
Achou’s heart leaped into her throat. They were here!
“Bandits!” Head Zhao shouted. But he didn’t draw his saber. Instead, he stepped back.
Big Brother Lin stood beside the prisoner cart, his hand on his saber hilt.
He looked at Achou. She gave him a slight nod.
The masked men rushed straight for the cart. Their leader chopped through the lock on its door and reached in to grab the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince suddenly sprang up and lunged at the masked man. At the same time, he snatched the heavy red bridal robe from the bundle and flung it over the man’s face. Then he seized Achou’s hand and yanked her out of the cart.
“Run!”