Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Feng Qi lifted a corner of the carriage's curtain, gazing back at the dark, shadowy path. After a brief moment of silence, she suddenly said to Rong Yue, "Halt the carriage. I wish to inquire what that man meant."

Rong Yue was startled and asked, "My lady, are you going to ask him yourself? Shouldn't we have Xiao Yi and the others handle it?"

"Those fools? What could they possibly uncover?" Feng Qi scoffed dismissively. "Naturally, I shall inquire myself."

She was headstrong, often behaving in ways that flouted convention, which particularly displeased her stepmother and sisters at home. Yet Rong Yue knew that once Feng Qi resolved on a course, not even the Prince of Jin himself could dissuade her. He could only indulge her whims, which had nurtured the young lady's eccentric temperament.

Rong Yue could only acquiesce, "Very well, but we must keep him bound, lest he prove to be a bandit. We cannot risk him harming you, or even startling you!"

She spoke with resolute determination, then once more inspected the carriage meticulously. The first thing she observed was the torn curtain, and the young maid sighed, pressing her hand against it.

Indeed, the man was exceedingly weak. Even unbound, he could scarcely walk without faltering. When he was presented before Feng Qi's carriage, his labored breathing was distinctly audible even within the carriage.

"What do you mean..." Feng Qi mused momentarily before addressing him directly, "that we ought not light torches whilst traveling? How peculiar. Are you suggesting there are bandits on the outskirts of Bianjing?"

The man, as though drained of all vigor, took a moment to reply, "The outskirts of Bianjing were once peaceful, but that is no longer the case. Now, with a tempest looming, no place is safe."

"Hmph... And who might you be? What authority do you have to make such claims?"

The man gasped for breath, "I had only heard rumors before, but today I witnessed it firsthand."

"Witnessed what?"

His breath halted momentarily. Outside, the wind abruptly rose, whirling through the forest and onto the path, producing an eerie sound.

Finally, he said, "I missed my chance to rest, so I thought I'd hurry through the night to find a roadside inn. But in the forest, I heard drumming. I followed the sound and saw a scout. Don't you think that's dangerous?"

Feng Qi's heart seemed to skip a beat, as if countless threads of thought surged through her mind, but she couldn't untangle them, leaving her thoughts in chaos.

She didn't fully trust the man before her, nor did she know where his vulnerabilities lay. Instinctively, she scolded him first, "How dare you address me so casually in front of this lady?!"

A servant from the Prince of Jin's household softly reminded the man, "In front of the lady, you should refer to yourself as 'this humble one'!"

The man, however, laughed in frustration and after a moment said, "With wolves and tigers at our doorstep, you're worried about formalities? How utterly pedantic! Forget it! Light your torches if you want, just let me go."

Immediately after, he was kicked, letting out a muffled groan of pain as he fell to the ground with a thud.

Feng Qi thought to herself, "Serves him right!"

As the wind blew, she caught a glimpse of him through the gap in the curtain, curled up on the ground and struggling to get up. She sneered, "That was light. If I were to take you to Bianjing, just for wandering around the outskirts of the city at night, the magistrate would sentence you to at least forty lashes."

The man propped himself up, glancing sideways at the elaborately decorated carriage. The carriage frame was made of beechwood, surrounded by blue woolen felt, with vermilion tassels and small silver bells hanging from the canopy. At the back of the carriage was the banner of the Prince of Jin's household. Except for the curtains on the doors and windows, which were made of Shu brocade and gauze, giving it a luxurious appearance, the rest of the carriage was modest and not overly extravagant.

He chuckled and said, "I should address you as 'my lady,' but I am also a scholar, so I beg your pardon for not demeaning myself." Shaking off the two household servants who were holding his shoulders, he bowed deeply to the carriage and then stood up proudly.

Feng Qi heard the commotion outside:

"Who said you could stand up?"

"How dare you! Such insolence in front of the lady!"

"Seize him! Beat him hard!"

From inside the carriage, she said, "Enough. He's too badly injured to withstand a beating."

She tried to guess the man's expression, but unfortunately, the torn part of the curtain was being held by Rong Yue, and the gap was too small to see clearly. She was very curious, itching to break the rules once more. Casually, she said, "I won't hold it against you. You mentioned encountering a scout? How did you confirm he was a scout? And from which country?"

She had been her father's darling since childhood, sometimes accompanying him to hear his advisors discuss fiefdom affairs. She thought that if she could find a loophole in this man's words and make a fool of him, it would be much more amusing than simply using her position to have him beaten.

The man seemed to look down on her a bit, saying, "What Your Ladyship cares about is whether I respect you or not, not what kind of scout is coming. If that's the case, why waste time with my nonsense?"

"Can't you explain yourself properly?" she retorted, trying to provoke him.

There was no sound from outside.

Feng Qi curiously imagined his expression, dying to see him humiliated. Unfortunately, the curtain blocked her view, completely blocking the light.

The man outside snorted lightly, then spoke rapidly, "The Princess of Jin... surely has lived in Jin for years. Jinyang is the capital of Bingzhou Prefecture, which is a vital north-south corridor, bordering Daizhou. Further north, past Yanmen Pass, lies Yingzhou and Yunzhou, part of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. In such a strategically important border region—if Your Ladyship truly cared about state affairs, you wouldn't ask such a naive question as 'which country's scout is this?' If you're testing me, there's no need. Just treat me as a deceitful villain. Might as well arrest me and take me back. I've run all the way to the capital on my own two feet, and I'm tired enough to hitch a ride in your carriage."

His brazen attitude caught Feng Qi off guard, leaving her speechless. After a moment of stunned silence, she glanced at Rong Yue.

Rong Yue understood her thoughts and immediately raised her voice, "Such an insolent man, and you still let him speak? Tie him up again, toss him in the baggage cart, and take him to the magistrate to teach him some manners."

The servants acted roughly, and the man, already injured, let out a pained grunt.

Feng Qi, however, felt she'd been outmaneuvered and was deeply dissatisfied. Finally, she spoke, "Most Imperial Academy students come from well-off families and have excellent upbringing. It's rare to see someone like you, so tactless and brash, unafraid of offending others."

There was a moment of silence outside.

The Imperial Academy was a state institution, and most of its students were either from official or noble families. Only a few were recommended from the provinces due to their exceptional talent, and even they came from decent backgrounds. Imperial Academy students were essentially future bureaucrats, and some might even rise to the rank of prime minister. The servants of the prince's household, after all, were just lowly servants, and they likely hesitated to act now.

Not just the servants, but even Rong Yue was stunned. Her grip loosened, and the half-torn Shu silk curtain slipped from her hand, revealing the two of them face to face, clearly visible to each other.

In that moment of eye contact, both felt an odd sense of recognition.

Though one was cold and the other disheveled, there was an inexplicable feeling that they had met somewhere before.

The man was in the process of untying the ropes that bound him halfway. He wasn't wearing a headscarf, and his hair was disheveled, held up by a twig. His clothes were torn and bloodstained. Upon closer inspection, his face was bruised and swollen, but his eyes shone like morning stars. Despite being just an Imperial Academy student, he appeared completely unfazed in front of the princess. Only when he saw Feng Qi's face did the sharpness in his gaze soften for a moment, making him appear slightly dazed.

Rong Yue quickly adjusted the curtain, muttering curses, "You impudent wretch! How dare you stand straight and look at the princess! You must have a death wish!..."

Feng Qi waved her hand to stop Rong Yue's rambling. The discomfort in her heart suddenly melted away, and she called out to the man outside, "I'm merely curious. An Imperial Academy student with such a bright future—why would you be wandering around outside? Let's not dwell on that."

After a moment of thought, she ordered, "Put out the torches first."

Outside, everything turned dark, with only the pale light of the crescent moon illuminating the outlines of the mountains and forests.

The man's eyes gleamed in the moonlight, and he finally clasped his hands in a gesture of gratitude, "Your Ladyship, I'm grateful for your saving my life. However, we cannot stay here for long—not just here." He trailed off, his thick brows furrowing.

Feng Qi asked, "You mentioned earlier that you encountered a scout. In recent years, the court has had dealings with the northern and eastern nations. Relations aren't particularly good, but one is bound by a treaty, and the other is engaged in trade. So, was this scout from the east or the north? And how did you tell?"

The man's mocking expression faded, and he spoke seriously, "The world revolves around profit and gain. Isn't that the way of court politics?"

He smiled, "Your Ladyship is a lady, and most ladies might not concern themselves with such state affairs. I was presumptuous to discuss this with you."

"Go on," Feng Qi urged.

"The man was from the 'north.' Though he wore Han clothing, I saw him washing by the stream, and he had a wolf tattoo on his chest—a symbol of the 'north.'"

"How did you end up so injured?"

The man replied, "I'm just a bookish scholar, but having grown up in the south, I'm a good swimmer. So, I caught him off guard and pushed him into the water, holding him until he passed out. I dragged him to the shore and tied him up with wild vines. But I made a mistake—I didn't notice the drum signals from his companion in the woods. Before I could interrogate him, another scout arrived, and we fought. It was a fierce fight, and I barely escaped with my life."

"What about the other scout?"

"He's probably half-dead too," the man answered quickly.

Feng Qi recalled the man's appearance earlier and found it hard to believe that such a frail scholar could fight a trained enemy scout and not lose. Her initial trust gave way to suspicion.

Rong Yue was extremely worried and quietly tugged at Feng Qi's sleeve, "My lady, whether he's a scholar or a scout, we should leave him and hurry to the capital! If anything happens to you, even ten of my lives wouldn't be enough to make up for it."

Feng Qi paid no heed to Rong Yue's concerns. In fact, it only fueled her curiosity further.

She tilted her head, pondering for a moment, then suddenly stood up, lifted the curtain, and jumped down from the carriage. She walked over to the man.