Chapter 30 Jiang Congyan was hugged from behind by him.

Chapter 30 Jiang Congyan was hugged from behind by him.

Soon, he shook his head, shaking off his momentary daze from her beauty. His face hardened again, his voice icy: "You still haven't told me why you were with him."

Jiang Congyan, however, did not answer him. Instead, she lifted her arm, revealing the delicate white wrist bone under her sleeve, and gently pushed the whip that was pressing against her chin with her tender fingertips. "Your whip is causing me pain," she said.

Her cool voice carried a hint of coquettish grievance, and Tuo Baxiao stiffened as if hit by a pressure point, his gaze frozen on his face.

After reacting, a quick flash of remorse crossed his eyes, and he immediately withdrew the whip. Then, the image of her fingers, pale and delicate like bamboo shoots, involuntarily appeared in his mind.

Just a glimpse of her hand set his thoughts adrift, as if it wasn't the whip that was being caressed, but himself...

Tuo Baxiao's thoughts drifted for a moment, then he realized she still hadn't answered his question. He dismounted and closed the distance between them, gripping her slender shoulders with both hands, demanding through gritted teeth, "What were you two talking about just now?"

This was the third time he asked her.

"Nothing," Jiang Congyan said with a straight face.

"I don't believe it."

Jiang Congyan couldn't help but laugh; this man was truly persistent.

"Then what do you think we were talking about?" Jiang Congyan tilted her head, deliberately countering.

She now saw Tuo Baxiao as a big cat, proud and standoffish, looking terrifying when angry with claws and fur bristling, but as long as you followed his temper, he would quickly be soothed.

Tuo Baxiao couldn't say.

In fact, there was at least an arm's length between them, and there was no physical contact. But when Tuo Baxiao saw that scene, saw the soft and tall figures alone together with no one around, it looked exactly like lovers on a night date, and his anger flared up uncontrollably, as if someone else was coveting his prized flower.

"Your Majesty, do you realize how strong you are? You're hurting me," Jiang Congyan softly complained, the gentle "Your Majesty" seeming to carry infinite charm.

Tuo Baxiao instinctively loosened his hands and reached to her collar, wanting to pull back her clothes to check.

Jiang Congyan was startled by him and quickly retreated a few steps. "You, you, stop!" she even stuttered.

"Didn't you say I was hurting you?"

Jiang Congyan: "..."

She still held onto the front of her clothes, afraid that, with this man's mindset, he might try something again.

"I just wanted you to let go of me, not..."

At this point, she couldn't continue.

She should have known, given the man's rough nature, he was completely unaware of the issues of propriety.

A soft blush spread across her porcelain face, which should have been invisible in the dim night light, but Tuo Baxiao's vision was exceptionally sharp, and he caught this shy expression of hers completely.

Seeing her skin, as pink as peach blossoms, the fire in his heart burned a bit brighter.

He stepped forward, and Jiang Congyan immediately retreated two steps, looking at him with wide, alert eyes like a deer, her expression seeming to say, "Have you forgotten what you promised me?"

Tuo Baxiao had to suppress the fire in his heart, but his words carried some emotion. "You Han women are so fragile."

He hadn't even used much force and she complained of pain, this was off-limits, that was off-limits. If he really exerted a third of his strength, wouldn't she snap?

Jiang Congyan couldn't stand the mockery and retorted, "This Han woman was your own choice."

Humph, if you find her too delicate, then you shouldn't have chosen her in the first place.

For the first time, Prince Tuo Baxiao found himself repeatedly speechless in such a short span of time, all because of the same woman, which left him feeling rather frustrated.

Since he had solidified his position as the prince, few dared to speak to him in such a manner.

He had long known that she was different from other women, remarkably bold, but now the feeling was somewhat different from the beginning. Besides being calm and daring, she had become more lively and spirited, no longer an unattainable goddess but a living, breathing young lady.

She would smile at him and even bicker with him.

Yet, with this hint of earthly charm, it made him all the more restless.

The kind of woman he wanted to marry was just like this—beautiful, gentle yet strong, courageous, wise, and never giving up, even in the face of adversity.

Prince Tuo Baxiao felt that she perfectly matched his ideal of a wife.

Therefore, he was willing to indulge her within the boundaries he set.

"I heard you went hunting? How was your hunt?" Lady Jiang Congyan, unwilling to dwell on the previous topic, quickly changed the subject.

Prince Tuo Baxiao raised his chin, a natural pride in his eyes, and said in a tone as if you even need to ask, "Quite bountiful."

He added, "You’ll join me in enjoying it."

Lady Jiang Congyan originally had no interest in such game, but after a moment's thought, she nodded.

"Alright."

His expression then softened, like a young man showing off his success in front of the girl he liked.

The two then headed towards the Xianbei cavalry camp.

As they turned, Prince Tuo Baxiao caught a glimpse of Xie Shao in the distance, and a thought flashed through his mind. Suddenly, his expression changed again, and he turned sharply to look at Lady Jiang Congyan, exhaling heavily, almost hissing through his teeth, "You still haven't told me what you were talking about earlier!"

For the first time, Prince Tuo Baxiao found himself so irrational, led by a woman’s words for so long. He had been asking her this question from the start, and she still hadn't answered him.

Seeing his flustered and exasperated expression, for some reason, Lady Jiang Congyan couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.

This laugh certainly provoked the man, as he strode over, raising his thick arm to grab her.

Lady Jiang Congyan wasn't foolish enough to stand there waiting for him; she gathered her skirt and turned to run. But her speed was no match for the man's. Prince Tuo Baxiao, tall and long-legged, caught up to her in a few strides.

Lady Jiang Congyan was caught from behind, his iron-like arms firmly wrapped around her.

She was slender, her entire body fitting snugly into his embrace.

Her back felt the hard press, his body heat and scent enveloping her.

Warm breath hit the back of her neck, making her skin itch and goosebumps rise.

Lady Jiang Congyan was extremely uncomfortable with such an intimate posture, yet she was powerless to break free from him.

"We really didn't say anything. General Xie was just worried about your safety when he saw you went hunting and wanted to send someone to look for you, but I persuaded him otherwise. I said the Prince of Mobei is peerlessly brave, how could he be harmed by mere beasts." Lady Jiang Congyan dared not tease the man any further, pleading softly and even flattering him in a roundabout way.

But the man no longer cared. Holding the incredibly slender and soft figure in his arms, his eyes darkened bit by bit.

Although he had promised her that he wouldn't take her before the wedding, with such a peerless beauty before him, a woman he liked, speaking softly and smiling at him, if Prince Tuo Baxiao had no reaction, he wouldn't be a man.

One hand slid to her waist, his large palm covering her thin waist, the heat from his palm transmitting through the soft fabric to her skin, causing Lady Jiang Congyan to tremble slightly, arching her back to escape the searing heat.

Jiang Congyan was inwardly groaning, she had no idea the man could be so easily riled up, just a few words and he was already losing control like this...

Most importantly, there were so many people around!

Although they didn't dare to come closer and the sky was dim, the distance was still close enough for others to see their movements, especially since the two were now pressed tightly together, it looked anything but decent.

Thinking of this, Jiang Congyan's sense of shame grew even stronger, her fair, delicate skin instantly flushed so red it seemed about to bleed.

Tuo Baxiao, however, wanted to go even further, the girl's delicate fragrance subtly enveloped him, he buried his face and took a deep breath, utterly intoxicated.

It was even more intoxicating than downing a whole jar of strong liquor and galloping across the grasslands.

He looked at her soft, black hair, the strands at her temples slightly disheveled, clinging to her fair cheeks and neck, Tuo Baxiao's throat involuntarily moved.

With a gentle tug, he turned Jiang Congyan around to face him.

The next moment, his handsome face rapidly closed in.

Something soft pressed against his face, Tuo Baxiao's movement paused in mid-air.

Her hands cupped his face.

No, to be exact, Jiang Congyan used both hands to stop his descending face.

Tuo Baxiao was momentarily taken aback by her soft hands, and Jiang Congyan took advantage of his distraction to quickly push him away and hide to the side.

She looked up, her snow-white face coldly beautiful, her clear, sharp eyes strikingly vivid even in the dark night, shining with a resolute light, serious and unwavering.

She pursed her lips, her small face slightly puffed up.

Under the faint misty moonlight, her flowing silk skirt fluttered and danced in the night breeze, like a goddess descending from the moon.

Tuo Baxiao was rejected again, but looking at this face, he only felt more restless, yet couldn't summon any anger.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, examining her inch by inch from head to toe, his jade eyes gleaming with a hunger fiercer than a wild wolf's.

One day, he would claim and pluck this unattainable delicate flower.

Seeing that Tuo Baxiao's gaze was still very dangerous, Jiang Congyan thought he wasn’t ready to give up and might try again, wondering if she should swallow her pride and call for help, but unexpectedly, after a moment of flickering in his eyes, he returned to normal.

He composed his expression, instantly reverting to the legendary hero who gazed upon the grasslands with awe-inspiring majesty, so composed it was as if those earlier shameless acts weren’t his doing.

"Let's go."

Jiang Congyan carefully glanced at him, making sure the man wouldn't go crazy, then silently followed him to his tent.

They had been fooling around for a while, and Tuo Baxiao's subordinates had already skinned and cleaned the hunted pheasants, rabbits, and even a deer, now rubbing salt on them and roasting them over the fire.

Seeing Tuo Baxiao approach, everyone quickly stood up and made way for the central position.

The journey was rough, and the barbarians were accustomed to roughness, there were no stools or cushions by the fire, all sitting casually on the ground.

Even Tuo Baxiao didn't mind, lifting his robe and sitting on the ground, his long, sturdy legs stretched out, more about casual majesty than rudeness.

None of his actions deliberately displayed the dignity of a superior, but he was like a natural king, any action, whether rough or elegant, carried an air of domineering arrogance when done by him.

Especially when he wasn't smiling, his high brow and deep eye sockets appeared sharp and cold, such a demeanor easily made people overlook his handsome appearance and charm, like a sharp sword gleaming with edge.

He was indeed the most dazzling star of this era, but also the most fleeting one.

He blazed briefly but brilliantly across the dark night sky, leaving future generations with endless imagination and regret.

Jiang Congyan shook her head gently, clearing away the jumble of thoughts in her mind, glanced around with lowered eyes, but did not sit down. She still stood there with poise, like a white lotus swaying gracefully in a moonlit pond.

Tuo Baxiao raised his eyebrows and looked over. "Why don’t you sit?"

Jiang Congyan glanced at the ground, giving him a look that said, 'Figure it out yourself.'

Tuo Baxiao followed her gaze, then returned to her, finally realizing she was too fastidious to sit on the ground.

"It’s not dirty," Tuo Baxiao said dismissively, thinking the Han Princess was just too high-maintenance, but he waved over an Imperial Guard.

Soon, the Imperial Guard fetched a woolen cushion from the tent and set it beside him.

The ground wasn’t particularly dirty—by the river, it was mostly sand, smooth pebbles, and the fresh spring grass—but Jiang Congyan had a bit of a cleanliness fixation.

In her past life, her long hospitalization for heart disease had left her with a psychological fixation on cleanliness. She washed her hands a dozen times a day and favored plain-colored clothes that would show even the slightest speck of dirt.

Today, she wore a moon-white gauze dress, a soft white with a hint of serene blue—a color she adored—and she wasn’t about to let it get dirty.

Jiang Congyan examined the cushion by the firelight. It was fairly clean, with a fierce eagle pattern in the center, its wings spread wide, and she guessed it might be Tuo Baxiao's cushion.

She lifted her skirt and slowly settled onto the cushion, not kneeling this time but sitting directly, knees bent and legs together, then smoothed her skirt over her lap.

As she sat, the layers of her gauze skirt fanned out, the pure white striking against the night, with Tuo Baxiao’s tall frame beside her, making her look like the most radiant and powerful flower beside a king’s throne.

She could only flourish by his side.

The meat was soon roasted, and the Imperial Guard took the golden-brown rabbit from the grill, divided it into two portions, and served it to Tuo Baxiao and Jiang Congyan on plates.

Jiang Congyan stared at the hefty chunk of meat and went quiet.

Was she really expected to just pick it up and gnaw on it?

She glanced at Tuo Baxiao and, sure enough, he was tearing into it with his teeth.

Normally, such an act would seem crude, but he did it so effortlessly that it didn’t come off as gross.

But just because it wasn’t gross didn’t mean Jiang Congyan would follow suit.

She hated the idea of greasy hands, so she left it untouched.

Tuo Baxiao noticed and turned to look at her. "Why aren’t you eating?"

Jiang Congyan pursed her lips, unsure how to explain without sounding pretentious.

Even without her saying it, Tuo Baxiao figured the noble princess wouldn’t stoop to such barbaric behavior.

He paused, then pulled a small knife from his pocket—its hilt inlaid with a ruby the color of pigeon’s blood—and unsheathed it to reveal a cold, sharp blade.

Then, with this surprisingly ornate little knife, he sliced the rabbit meat on her plate into bite-sized pieces, flipped the knife around, and handed it to her.

"Eat."

Jiang Congyan, watching his smooth series of actions, took the knife in a daze. "Th-thank you."

She hadn’t expected Tuo Baxiao’s rough exterior to hide such a thoughtful side.

She had to admit, she had some preconceived notions before.

But she also thought, she couldn't be blamed entirely, because in the few encounters they had, Tuo Baxiao looked at her like a wolf eyeing a rabbit, which left her with a rather unfavorable impression.

Jiang Congyan was lost in thought, holding Tuo Baxiao's small knife and picking up a small piece of meat. Just as she was about to put it in her mouth, she suddenly thought of something and widened her eyes, quickly turning to him: "You haven't used this knife to kill anyone, have you?"

Tuo Baxiao was silent for a moment, frowning.

This only made Jiang Congyan more uncomfortable, and then she heard him say: "If it had killed someone, you wouldn't eat it?"

"..."

Jiang Congyan put the knife down on the plate, replying firmly: "I wouldn't eat it."

She was being picky and had a thing about cleanliness, so what? When she had the choice, she naturally wanted to live comfortably and wouldn't suffer unnecessarily.

Tuo Baxiao stared at her small face for a while, "Skipping a meal over something like this, no wonder you're so thin."

Jiang Congyan: "..."

"Don't worry, it hasn't killed anyone, not even a rabbit, except for the one in your bowl."

His teasing tone put her at ease.

Jiang Congyan picked up the knife again, carefully steering clear of the blade and putting the meat on the tip into her mouth.

Ouch, it's so tough!

It's way too salty!

Jiang Congyan couldn't help but frown, tempted to spit out the meat. But it would be impolite and somewhat disrespectful to Tuo Baxiao, so she managed to swallow it after chewing it with difficulty for a long time.

After finishing this piece, she refused to eat a second one.

It's terrible!

In her previous life, Jiang Congyan's family was wealthy, and even though she was ill, she never lacked for anything. After crossing over, her grandparents doted on her, afraid that their frail little granddaughter wouldn't be well taken care of. Whether it was food, clothing, or other necessities, they spared no effort in pampering her. She had never truly experienced a life of hunger, naturally becoming quite picky.

Of course, if she had no other choice, she would try to accept it, but the current situation was clearly not the case.

Tuo Baxiao had been glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, noticing her struggling with the food, his brow furrowed again.

"Not tasty?"

Jiang Congyan didn't speak, but her silence spoke volumes.

Tuo Baxiao stared at her thin profile, which in the firelight was smaller than his palm, and couldn't help but doubt—

Could he really handle such a delicate flower?

She's too delicate.

She wouldn't eat the meat if it was too big, and she wouldn't eat it if it didn't taste good. He knew that on the grasslands, there were many who couldn't afford meat, and if they saw such a piece, they would probably be as eager as starving wolves.

Even he himself, as a child, had gone through a long period of...

Tuo Baxiao stopped his thoughts and continued, "If you don't eat, you'll go hungry tonight."

Jiang Congyan retorted, "Who says? Clearly, it's your cooking skills that are lacking."

Hmm?

Jiang Congyan didn’t bother arguing with him but instead called out loudly into the distance, "Auntie Ruo Lan."

Hearing the call, Ruo Lan quickly walked over. "What’s the matter, miss?"

Ruo Lan had been tailing Jiang Congyan since her conversation with Xie Shao, keeping her distance. Later, when Tuo Baxiao approached, she kept her distance, watching from afar and waiting to see when Jiang Congyan might need her.

Jiang Congyan gave her some quick instructions.

Ruo Lan nodded, headed back to her camp, grabbed something, and returned quickly, with Si Zi following behind her.

Each of them carried a package. When unwrapped, one package held various seasonings, and the other was a set of flawless white porcelain tableware.

After placing the seasonings down, Ruo Lan asked General Modolou, "Excuse me, General, do you have any uncooked game left?"

Modolou led her to grab a rabbit and some venison.

Ruo Lan rinsed the meat in the river, Si Zi chopped it into small pieces and skewered them with iron rods.

Modolou handed them a grill and watched closely, curious to see what tricks these Han people had up their sleeves.

He was inwardly disdainful, but soon he was proven wrong.

The sauce-coated skewers started giving off an irresistible aroma after being roasted over the fire for a while.

It wasn’t just meat—it was an indescribable, mouthwatering scent that permeated the air, directly invading his nostrils as if it wanted to go straight to his stomach.

Modolou instinctively took a deep breath, then began to stare intently at Ruo Lan and Si Zi—or more precisely, at the skewers in their hands.

Even with the rich aroma, they kept adding seasonings as they roasted, the glistening skewers occasionally sizzling with the sound of dripping fat.

Modolou couldn’t help but drool.

Even Tuo Baxiao was drawn to look. "Is this some family secret? I haven’t smelled this in Chang’an," he asked.

Jiang Congyan also slightly raised her chin, a faint smile on her face, and said in a proud and reserved tone, "You might say that."

It wasn’t a secret—just spices. However, in this era, spices were not yet widespread, and many spices were still far away in the Western Regions or even West Asia, not yet introduced to the Central Plains.

Liangzhou was strategically located between the Central Plains and the Western Regions, and the Marquis of Liangzhou indulged her every whim. So when she proposed sending people to the Western Regions for spices and seeds years ago, he agreed immediately.

Years later, the team returned with a bounty of spices and seeds, even something similar to cotton, though it looked somewhat different from what she had seen in documentaries in her previous life, perhaps due to varietal improvements over a thousand years.

Either way, it thrilled her, and the spices were just a bonus.

Unfortunately, Liangzhou was only one prefecture, and it had to prepare for war against the barbarians while being wary of the Emperor of Liang's withholding of military funds. With food already scarce, it was impossible to stop growing food and plant cotton on a large scale in the short term. So far, it has only been planted and selected in small areas, hoping to cultivate higher-yielding varieties.

In the next decade or so, this land would enter a severe ice age. If cotton could be successfully promoted, it might save many lives—if she was lucky enough to actually change history.

But even without knowing the future, there were things she still had to do. She might not see the day when the seeds she sowed would bear fruit, but Jiang Congyan believed that one day, they would take root and sprout.

The skewers were ready. Ruo Lan slid the golden, glistening meat off the iron skewers onto the white porcelain plate brought by Si Zi and served it to Jiang Congyan, also giving a portion to Tuo Baxiao.

Her expression was calm, showing nothing, but in her heart, she was unwilling, though she didn't want to cause trouble for the miss.

This Prince of Mobei had been so fierce when he first returned, even pressing his whip against the miss, truly unpredictable.

Such a man, when he likes you, naturally indulges you, but if he ever tires of you, who knows how cold he might become.

The humble roasted meat looked surprisingly elegant on the pristine porcelain plate.

Tuo Baxiao gazed at the strikingly white porcelain in the night, its whiteness and fineness unparalleled, radiating an air of nobility, much like the person beside him. Even the most ordinary things seemed elegant and refined when linked to her.

Tuo Baxiao watched as she placed the plate on her lap, holding it gently with one hand while using a small fork with the other to pick up a piece and bring it to her mouth.

A simple act of eating, yet so graceful.

Jiang Congyan noticed the man's intense gaze, feeling a bit uneasy, and looked up at him, "Prince of Mobei, won’t you have a taste?"

Tuo Baxiao then followed suit, picking up a piece of meat and putting it into his mouth, but his eyes remained fixed on her face.

"Indeed delicious," as if he were savoring not the food, but the beauty before him.

Jiang Congyan blushed slightly under his gaze, feeling shy and annoyed, she ignored him and focused on her meal.

However, her long-term frailty had accustomed her to a light diet, and after just a few bites of the greasy meat, she no longer wished to continue.

Seeing her set down her fork after just a few bites, Tuo Baxiao couldn't help but frown, "Why aren't you eating anymore?"

Her servant’s cooking always suited her taste, right? He had tried it himself, and it was indeed quite good.

Jiang Congyan hadn't expected him to be so concerned about her eating habits; she just shook her head, "I prefer rice and vegetables."

At that moment, Si Zi brought over a bowl of vegetable porridge.

The plump, white rice grains were dotted with green vegetables, making it look very appetizing.

Tuo Baxiao glanced at it, unable to see the appeal of such a bland porridge, which wouldn't even fill one up. So he grabbed the plate she had set aside, dumped all the remaining meat into his own bowl, and began eating heartily.

Jiang Congyan: "..."

Though she hadn’t touched the meat and it wasn’t tainted with her saliva, still left her feeling a bit awkward.

This man was really...

Jiang Congyan focused on drinking her porridge.

On the other side, General Modolou had been swallowing his saliva over and over, almost drooling like a dog.

He boldly approached Ruo Lan, asking flatteringly, "This... auntie?" He scratched his head for a long time before coming up with this address, "Could you let me have a taste too? Just one piece."

Ruo Lan looked at him coldly; she certainly didn’t have a nephew that big.

But since his attitude was somewhat acceptable, and there was plenty of barbecue, sharing a bit with him wouldn’t hurt.

Just as she was about to take a skewer, a hostile voice suddenly came through the air.

"Modolou, if you want something, just order this Han woman, being so submissive is really spineless!"

This was a sentence in Hunnic, which Jiang Congyan and Ruo Lan didn't understand.

Following the voice, they saw a Xianbei man with brown hair and beard, a face full of flesh under a dense beard, dressed in animal skins with fine armor over it, surrounded by a group of people, likely another general.

Jiang Congyan hadn't seen him before, perhaps because he didn't speak Chinese, so he hadn't been brought into Chang'an by Tuo Baxiao like Modolou.

Even though Ruo Lan didn't understand, she could sense the malice in that sentence.

She slowly put down the skewer in her hand, looked at Modolou, and asked, "I don't understand Xianbei, General Modolou, could you explain to me what this general just said? So I don't inadvertently slight him."

Her tone was respectful yet assertive.