On the border of Yuzhou.
On the wide, bright main road, the clatter of hooves echoed as a procession of lavishly decorated carriages passed by, their bodies carved with exquisite patterns.
This road ran adjacent to Yuzhou, one of the most prosperous provinces in the Central Plains. As such, it was wide, paved with bluestone, and bustled with a great, unceasing flow of people.
The travelers were a varied lot: traveling merchants and their caravans of camels and horses, scholars in simple blue robes and cloth shoes on their way to the imperial examinations, heroes of the Martial World, and common townsfolk. Of course, there were also scions of the great clans, riding in ostentatious ebony carriages, flaunting their status without restraint.
The Great Jin dynasty was currently at the height of its power. Although corruption was still rife in various regions, it was masked by the nation's overall strength. The people were, at the very least, fed and clothed—it would not be an exaggeration to call it an era of prosperity.
Most of the vehicles on the road were simple carts made of rough-hewn wood. The occasional appearance of a magnificent ebony carriage would draw gasps of admiration from many.
Suddenly, a sound like thunder rolled across the road as hooves pounded the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. The neighing of Crimson-Blood steeds pierced the air.
Every traveler on the road turned to look. Seven riders in black armor rode forth with solemn dignity, their faces hidden behind black iron masks that revealed only their eyes, which glinted with a cold light. The prized Crimson-Blood steeds they rode made the eyes of many a young noble go wide.
If they weren't mistaken, that was a rare breed of black steed, specially supplied by the Longyou Stables of Xizhou!
Trained for the army from birth, they had a fierce temperament. Countless young nobles had traveled thousands of miles in hopes of acquiring one. To be fortunate enough to own such a steed was enough to make one the envy of all their peers.
And now, they were merely the mounts of guards?
Who on earth could be inside the carriage they escorted?!
Many people shifted their gaze to the carriage, their mouths agape in wonder.
It had a vermilion lacquer base, painted with golden cloud patterns. On the hanging brocade banners were embroidered dragons, phoenixes, and a Rosefinch. The roof was adorned with kingfisher feathers that shimmered with an emerald light, and the shafts were inlaid with gold and wrapped in silver, carved into the shapes of lions and tigers.
They had seen luxurious carriages of the great clans before, but none had ever witnessed such opulence. Perhaps only a few young masters who had been fortunate enough to visit the Imperial Capital had seen anything comparable.
"Good heavens! I've never seen such a magnificent carriage in my life."
"A single piece of jade falling from that thing could probably buy a hundred acres of land!"
"Last March, when the eldest son of the Qiushan Wang Clan went on a trip, his carriage looked like a mud cart compared to this one..."
Many people on the road simply stopped their vehicles, staring in a daze at the vermilion carriage.
Even the owners of other luxurious carriages pulled over, terrified of offending the noble person within.
"It's the Heir of the Northern Marquis! It must be the Heir of the Northern Marquis!"
Someone cried out, and the expressions on everyone's faces changed.
Some days ago, the Heir of the Northern Marquis had visited the Bingzhou Governor, Liu Gongyun. He had departed Lin'an County seven days prior and headed south, passing through Zezhou, Luzhou, Huaizhou, Mengzhou, and Zhengzhou. And now, he had arrived in the territory of Yuzhou.
A group of well-informed veterans of the Martial World gathered together, their faces flushed with excitement as they gazed at the vermilion carriage disappearing into a cloud of dust. New chapters come out on novelping . com first.
Some muttered to themselves—
"Our ancestors must have done some great deeds for us to run into a person of such high station!"
"Haha! Now we can say we've seen the Heir of the Northern Marquis!"
"That's right! Old Liu bragged for twelve years straight after he caught a glimpse of Crown Prince Jing on his southern tour by the Qin River in Linzhou. Today, we breathed the dust from the Heir of the Northern Marquis's carriage—that's not too shabby either..."
Long after the carriage had vanished from sight, many people on the road still hadn't come back to their senses.
A number of farmers rushed forward to pick up a few stones that the Heir's carriage had rolled over, planning to take them home to see if they could absorb some of his noble aura.
They all knew that they would most likely never see a person of such high station again in their lifetimes...
...
Inside the distant vermilion carriage.
Pei Su could feel the increasing flow of people along the road.
"Banxia, where are we?"
"Your Highness, we are about three hours from the Yuzhou border."
"Yuzhou?"
Pei Su murmured the name.
Unlike the rugged, powerful northern terrain of Bingzhou, Yuzhou was situated squarely in the heart of the Central Plains. It was a land of vast plains, crisscrossed with fields and irrigated by the Huai and Yellow Rivers—a truly heaven-sent granary.
Its capital, Luodu, was known as the "Center of the World." Its terrain was a natural fortress, a place of coiling dragons and crouching tigers. Its prosperity rivaled even that of the Great Jin's own Imperial Capital.
Pei Su remembered visiting Luodu in Yuzhou with his grandfather as a child. His most vivid memory was of the "Wonder of the World"—the peonies of Luodu, blooming lushly along the banks of the Luo River, their fragrance spreading for miles...
"Zhe Yue."
Pei Su called out softly.
Standing on the other side, the young woman in the pale gold dress seemed somewhat dazed. It took her a full three breaths before she hastily replied, "Yes."
When Pei Su didn't speak, Jiang Suining asked nervously, "What is it, Heir of the Northern Marquis?"
Pei Su's brow furrowed slightly. He remained turned to the side, seemingly admiring the scenery through the beaded curtain without responding.
Banxia glanced at Pei Su before speaking to Jiang Suining.
"Zhe Yue, since you are now His Highness's handmaiden, how can you call him 'Heir of the Northern Marquis'? That is what outsiders call him. To address him so is far too distant."
Only then did Pei Su slowly turn his head. There was no trace of anger on his face, only a pitying tone in his voice.
"Your Highness, the Princess, it is not my intention to make things difficult for you. But if you expose your identity in front of outsiders because of this, you know that not even my Pei Duke's Mansion can protect you from the Li Imperial Family..."
Jiang Suining said in a low voice, "I understand..."
At that moment, her feelings about Pei Su grew more complex.
Although he had used veiled threats to force her to stay by his side, he always spoke to her with a gentle warmth...
"It's alright," Pei Su said, comforting her.
"It is indeed a bit demeaning to ask a princess to be a handmaiden. There's no need to rush. Just watch how Banxia speaks and acts."
After speaking, Pei Su paused, then glanced past the beaded curtain.
A white pigeon had just arrived. Pei Su reached out and took a bamboo slip from its leg.
He unrolled it.
Pei Su slowly read its contents.
A moment later, he closed the bamboo slip, the corner of his mouth curling into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
"Banxia."
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"What do you think of this Xiao Lin?"
Banxia's brow knitted in confusion, but she answered dutifully.
"For him to become the Imperial Guard Commander, his mind and strength must be extraordinary. The fact that he could evade the Imperial Court for twenty years shows he has his methods...
"He is decisive and ruthless in his actions, more like a swordsman from the Martial World than a disciplined member of the Imperial Guard. And there was that move where he turned the tables on us. If Your Highness hadn't anticipated it, he might have escaped. Also, regarding his adopted son...
"Mm... it was a bit strange."
"How so?"
"Initially, when he went along with the plan, he clearly didn't consider how Zhao Lan would bear the wrath of our Pei Family. But in the end, as he was dying, he was extremely concerned for Zhao Lan..."
Banxia couldn't quite put her finger on the strange feeling. She asked, "Your Highness, why do you bring up this dead man?"
Pei Su gave Banxia a cool, sidelong glance.
"Who told you Xiao Zhongyong is dead?"