Chapter 67

Chapter 67

Yu Chiyi thought his relationship with the emperor was close enough that helping the emperor take off his outer pants to apply medicine wasn’t a big deal. Besides, they were both men, and it was just the two of them. There was no need to be shy since the undergarments were still on.

Su Yu: "..." The problem was, she wasn’t a man. Letting Yu Chiyi apply medicine for her would be suicidal.

Unbuckling the belt was out of the question.

Su Yu’s eyes darted, and she asked Yu Chiyi calmly, "Where’s the medicine?"

Yu Chiyi pulled a small bottle of medicine from his pocket. In the army, injuries were common, so he always carried external medicine for bruises and swelling.

Su Yu held out her hands, and Yu Chiyi, noticing the redness from the reins, hesitated before not giving her the medicine.

He said, "Your Majesty’s hands need medicine too. Let me do it for you."

Su Yu smiled and shook her head, "Zhong Yun brought up our first meeting. Remember who I let help me back then?"

Yu Chiyi remembered that Su Yu had let Yu Chiyou help her. He looked at her, puzzled.

Su Yu took the medicine from him and said, "Go out, call Ayou in, and think about why I picked him then and now."

Yu Chiyi was speechless.

He walked out silently and ran into Yu Chiyou, who’d just returned from scouting.

Yu Chiyou called out cheerfully, "Uncle!"

Yu Chiyi paused. He understood why Su Yu trusted Yu Chiyou more at first, but now, for something as simple as applying medicine, why him again? He was confused.

"His Majesty wants you inside," Yu Chiyi said, then walked off, lost in thought.

Yu Chiyou scratched his head. Was it his imagination? He felt his uncle’s gaze was a bit hostile.

He stepped into the dimly lit tent. Su Yu sat under the candlelight, smiled as he entered, and said, "Ayou, guard the door. Don’t let anyone in, especially your uncle."

Yu Chiyou hesitated but didn’t ask why. He turned around and went out again.

When Yu Chiyi brought food, he found his nephew standing at the door. "Why are you out here?"

Yu Chiyou blocked him. "Uncle, just hand it over. His Majesty said no one’s allowed in."

Yu Chiyi stared at Yu Chiyou, who looked ready for a fight.

Yu Chiyi handed the food over. "Take it in. I’ll wait here."

Yu Chiyou took the food and asked Su Yu, who’d overheard their conversation. She let Yu Chiyou in, who was about to step in happily but turned back, warning, "Uncle, don’t come in."

Yu Chiyi felt like hitting someone!

Since the emperor didn’t allow him in, he wouldn’t go in. Yu Chiyi waited at the entrance. When Yu Chiyou came out, he moved his fingers and said seriously, "We haven’t sparred for a long time. Let’s go."

Soon, Su Yu heard Yu Chiyou’s wails, silently thanked him in her heart, and then applied the medicine to herself without any psychological burden. When the medicine was almost applied, she leisurely called Yu Chiyou and Yu Chiyi in.

The uncle and nephew entered together.

Yu Chiyou’s mouth was bruised from Yu Chiyi’s punch, looking somewhat ridiculous on his handsome young face. However, with his drooping eyes, he also looked pitiful. He looked at Su Yu with grievance and slightly glanced at Yu Chiyi, accusing his uncle with his eyes.

Yu Chiyi noticed all these little actions, his mouth twitching as he thought he had gone too easy on him earlier.

Su Yu gave them a warm smile, pointed to the nearby medicine bottle, first thanked Yu Chiyi, then gestured for Yu Chiyou to come closer: "My hands are covered in medicine, Ayou, come and feed me."

Yu Chiyou instantly forgot about tattling on his uncle, quickly walked over to Su Yu, tore the bread he brought into small pieces, and fed them to her.

The emperor trusted Yu Chiyou completely, eating whatever he offered her.

Yu Chiyi observed Su Yu and Yu Chiyou's interaction, pressed his lips together, and started to seriously think about where he went wrong.

After the meal, Su Yu felt her hands and feet regain strength. She stood up, pulled out the pre-departure map, and inquired about Yu Chiyou's scouting mission.

Yu Chiyou said, "From what I saw, the road ahead is clear for a hundred miles, no blockages. I'll scout again tomorrow."

Su Yu nodded, "You must be exhausted, get some rest."

Yu Chiyou gazed at her with eager eyes, his hopes obvious. He wanted to stay in her tent!

Su Yu gave him a gentle smile and shook her head. Yu Chiyou felt a bit let down, could only gaze at Su Yu and say, "Then I'll stand guard at the door."

"Go rest, you have more scouting to do tomorrow, General Yu is here." Su Yu insisted he rest, knowing Yu Chiyou had more scouting ahead, she wouldn't be too hard on him.

Yu Chiyou did not insist, obediently went to another tent.

Yu Chiyi thoughtfully observed from the side, he seemed to vaguely understand what Su Yu wanted him to reflect on.

After a night's rest, early the next morning before dawn, Su Yu, who usually liked to sleep in, got up very early, before Yu Chiyi could call her, she was already ready to go.

Yu Chiyi paused, asked with extra care, "Your Majesty, are your hands and feet better?"

"Much better." It must be said, the medicine Yu Chiyi gave was really effective. Su Yu was refreshed and her hands and feet were flexible enough to ride for three days and nights when she got up.

Yu Chiyi used a dagger to cut the hard bread into bite-sized pieces, then handed them to Su Yu. When Su Yu looked at him, he didn't hold back, frankly apologized, "Your Majesty, I was too rash yesterday."

Su Yu chuckled, patted his shoulder.

Riding along, they soon entered the territory of Shuozhou, further ahead the road was blocked by snow.

Fortunately, the sky had cleared, the temperature was warming up, and the snow began to show signs of melting.

When Su Yu set out, she not only brought coal but also coal slag. She first had the soldiers dig water channels along the terrain, then had the soldiers spread coal slag on the snow, and began to shovel snow to clear the road.

The snow mixed with coal slag melted faster under the sunlight, allowing the soldiers to clear the road more quickly.

Su Yu was well prepared, everything was progressing smoothly, but Liu Wushi's situation was not so good.

Although the snow had stopped, the accumulated snow still blocked the door, and the food and firewood inside the house were getting less and less.

Liu Wushi gritted his teeth, ordered the nearly frozen horse to be killed, distributed as food, and also gave a lot to the owner of the house.

However, the owner of the house looked at them with increasingly unfriendly eyes.

Liu Wushi noticed, but they couldn't leave for the time being. He pulled Guo Laidong to a corner, whispered to him, had the caravan people take turns on night watch these days, all be on high alert, just wait for the snow to melt a bit, they would leave Shuozhou first.

But the day after Liu Wushi gave the order, at night, sounds came from outside, indistinguishable whether it was the sound of an avalanche or the footsteps of a group of people.

When the sound was heard, Liu Wushi was still awake. He immediately called up the caravan people, hesitated for a moment, he also called up the owner of the house.

The owner of the house was a couple in their thirties, with two sons, one about ten years old, the other seven or eight.

The male homeowner hurriedly said to Liu Wushi, "There's likely an avalanche outside. I already spoke with the village chief during the day, and he was also worried about an avalanche at night. There's a shelter at the other end of the village. Come with me."

Even in the dim light of the room, Liu Wushi keenly noticed the strange look in the male homeowner's eyes. He quickly declined, "No need. We have many people; we can find another place to take shelter."

Liu Wushi's hand rested on the dagger at his belt, highly alert.

Sure enough, a cold glint sliced through the night—it was the male homeowner wielding a kitchen knife, slashing toward Liu Wushi.

Liu Wushi blocked with his dagger and, using his height to his advantage, kicked the shorter male homeowner to the ground, shouting, "Guo Laidong, take the brothers and go!"

The sound outside probably wasn’t an avalanche but the villagers gathering to kill and loot before the snow melted!

The male homeowner also shouted, "Eldest son, call the village chief! Don't let them escape!"

With such a heavy snow disaster, the death of a merchant caravan would go unnoticed. Once the snow melted, no one would know they were responsible!

Before Liu Wushi could reach the door, he saw the homeowner's seven or eight-year-old second son standing there. Assuming it was just a child, he tried to go around, but the child lunged at him. If he hadn't dodged quickly, the knife in the child's hand would have struck his waist, though his right hand was slashed and bleeding.

Liu Wushi's right hand loosened the dagger, and his left hand caught it. He stabbed the child's right shoulder, quickly pulled out the dagger, and rushed out the door.

The dark sky loomed over the endless white expanse.

The merchant caravan was already grappling with the approaching villagers.

Although the merchant caravan knew some martial arts, their strength was sapped by the snow. Coupled with days of enduring cold and hunger, they were no better off than the villagers. Only Guo Laidong still had some fight in him, while the others were barely holding on.

Liu Wushi yelled for everyone to flee, intending to leave everything behind and save their lives first.

Just as the merchant caravan retreated, creating distance from the villagers, a loud roar echoed through the sky, as if the entire mountain range was trembling.

Liu Wushi's heart tightened—this time, it was likely a real avalanche!

Without hesitation, he shouted, "Head for higher ground! If you find a cave, take shelter!"

In the biting wind and pitch-black darkness, Liu Wushi pressed forward. He didn't know how many people had escaped with him or how far he could go.

His arm continued to bleed, speeding up the loss of his body heat. He might not make it to a safe cave before his life ended here.

This wasn’t Liu Wushi’s first encounter with death. Since he was fourteen, he had traveled far and wide, encountering robberies by nomadic tribes in the north and pirates in the south. Each time, he narrowly escaped death. But in the past, he had no attachments. This time—

His thoughts turned to Su Yu, their first meeting, how he had carried her through ten streets, and that evening in Puzhou when he looked up and saw her sitting in the sunset, their eyes meeting.

Liu Wushi suddenly realized that he had been making excuses, but in his heart, he had already developed feelings...

His consciousness grew fuzzier. Liu Wushi didn't know when he had run into the cave. He leaned against the cave wall, slowly sliding down. He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to think: if he could survive and return to the capital... No, if he could just survive, he would immediately set off for Taiyuan. He wanted to tell Su Yu: he loved her!

Maybe it was a last surge of clarity. In his haze, Liu Wushi seemed to see a fire, and the woman he longed for was sitting beside him, draping a fox fur over him.

He forced his mouth open, hoarsely calling, "Su Yu..."

Su Yu's hand seemed to pause. The fox fur she held nearly suffocated Liu Wushi before she pulled it back and tucked it around his neck. "Liu Buyi, stay awake. Stay with me for a while."

Liu Wushi's heart pounded violently. He reached out and grabbed Su Yu's hem, struggling to speak, "Su Yu, I know I’m just a merchant, not worthy of a noblewoman like you, but I truly care for you... more than Cui Xingjian, more than Yuchi Zhongyun..."

Su Yu asked casually, "How do you care for me?"

Liu Wushi's eyes were tightly shut. Su Yu thought he had passed out and gently patted his face. But he grabbed her hand, icy but firm, "If you... if you're willing, I'll beg the emperor, using all the wealth I can muster to secure your freedom..."

Most of the Liu family's wealth had been built by him. Even if he excluded the portion from before he took over, it was still a fortune that could rival a nation.

Su Yu's laughter was crisp as she asked in his ear, "Would you spend all your fortune just to set me free?"

Her warm breath brushed against Liu Wushi's cheek, causing his face to flush red.

Liu Wushi’s breathing was labored, but the cold in his body gradually faded, and he felt much warmer from the fire. After a long while, he spoke again, "Give me a year... just one year, and I will earn back all the wealth I’ve lost, and I’ll marry you with a lavish wedding procession..."

Su Yu laughed twice more, and it seemed someone suddenly came to take her away.

Liu Wushi’s vision was blurry, but after waiting for a long time without hearing Su Yu’s voice, he frantically reached out his hand. A large, coarse, hairy hand grabbed his flailing arm.

The hand was big and covered with hair, nothing like Su Yu’s...

Liu Wushi’s eyes widened in shock as he saw Guo Laidong’s rugged face right in front of him.

Startled, his fox-like eyes grew even wider, and he bolted upright.

Liu Wushi looked around; aside from the fire and the luxurious fox fur covering him, there was only Guo Laidong. There was no sign of Su Yu.

Guo Laidong sighed in relief, "Sir, you’re finally awake."

"Where is she?" Liu Wushi asked urgently.

Guo Laidong was confused, "Who?"

"Su Yu, of course! Where did she go?" Liu Wushi’s eyes were filled with anxiety.

Guo Laidong looked puzzled, "When I arrived, you were the only one here."

Liu Wushi leaned against the cave wall and stood up, looking down at his bandaged arm and then at the fire, "My wound has been treated, the fire is clearly lit with charcoal, and this luxurious fox fur is of the finest quality, clearly from the capital. If she wasn’t here, how could these things have materialized out of nowhere?"

Hearing this, Guo Laidong noticed the fire was indeed lit with charcoal, and when he arrived, there was a path cleared of snow leading down the mountain.

"But when I came, there was really only you here..." Guo Laidong paused, uncertain, "Maybe it wasn’t her?"

Liu Wushi firmly pressed his lips together. He couldn’t be mistaken; she had spoken so much to him...

"Let’s return to Shuozhou City and find out if Xie Zhiwei has been sent here for relief efforts," Liu Wushi speculated. Perhaps the court had sent Xie Yiguan for relief efforts, and Su Yu had come with him.

"But sir, your health..." Guo Laidong was somewhat concerned. Although they were still within Shuozhou, they were nearly out of the city. He had already seen paths cleared of snow, and leaving Shuozhou now seemed the smartest move.

Liu Wushi, however, insisted on returning to Shuozhou City.

In Shuozhou City, much of the snow had been cleared, and order was gradually being restored. Soldiers patrolled the streets continuously.

Among the soldiers were local frontier soldiers from Shuozhou and imperial guards from the capital, further clearly indicating that the court had sent people for relief efforts.