Chapter 36 He once gave a bouquet of flowers to a girl…

Chapter 36: He once sent a bouquet of flowers to a girl...

Jiang Congyan noticed Zhang Fu's expression—a mix of surprise, frustration, and tension—and she almost laughed. However, considering his pride and the fact that she hadn’t given him any psychological preparation, she ultimately held back.

"My lady, you..." Zhang Fu frowned deeply, wanting to say something but not knowing where to start.

"Do you want to ask why I’m using contraception?" Jiang Congyan proactively addressed the issue.

Zhang Fu nodded stiffly. He couldn’t understand why she’d want to do this.

If she had asked him to help regulate her body to make it easier to conceive, he could have understood. But contraception... For her, wouldn't it be more beneficial to have a child early? It was said that the Prince of Mobei had no children yet. If she could give birth to the eldest son, wouldn’t that be more advantageous for her?

Jiang Congyan poured tea for herself and him, took a sip, and then spoke unhurriedly, "After all, I’m Han Chinese. Even if I marry Tuo Baxiao with the proper rites of a wife, I may not be able to establish myself immediately. You’ve seen how Chigan Balie and others act. In the Xianbei royal court, there are likely many like him."

"There’ll be no shortage of hidden dangers. If I get pregnant, it’ll give others a chance to exploit me. It’s better to wait until I am firmly established and no one can threaten me before considering this matter."

Zhang Fu listened; her words made some sense.

"But... contraception can harm the body," Zhang Fu expressed his concern.

He knew how weak her body had been in the past. It took years of care to get her health close to normal. Now, she was willing to harm her body for contraception. It was like nurturing a precious flower for years, only to have to personally cut it off just as it was about to bloom.

As a doctor, he couldn’t stand seeing patients ignore advice and neglect their health, let alone have to personally harm her.

Zhang Fu’s distress was almost suffocating.

"My lady, your body’s naturally cold, so conceiving isn’t easy..."

"Not easy, but there’s still a chance, right?"

Before Zhang Fu could finish trying to talk her out of it, Jiang Congyan cut him off. Her calm, clear eyes held an authority and determination that left no room for doubt.

Zhang Fu knew he couldn’t convince her and, defeated, looked away.

Doctors are compassionate, and seeing him like this, Jiang Congyan wondered if she was pushing too hard. So she spoke in a gentle tone, "I haven’t stopped caring about my health. Isn’t that why I’m asking you to check my pulse and make medicine to reduce the harm? If I just went to some doctor and took strong drugs, that’d be reckless. Only if you stay by my side can you keep me from ruining my health."

Her tone was sweet, but the implication made Zhang Fu furious.

She was clearly threatening him. If he refused, she’d find some quack.

Zhang Fu’s face twisted in anger. He gritted his teeth, thought it over, and realized he couldn’t change her mind. Finally, he raised his eyelids and glared at her in frustration, "Fine! I agree, my lady!"

"This is a secret between the two of us. Don’t tell my grandfather or them, and especially don’t tell Ruo Lan," Jiang Congyan blinked.

Zhang Fu: "..."

Tell Ruo Lan? He’d be insane to tell Ruo Lan. If Ruo Lan found out he was giving her such drugs, she’d kill him.

Having already compromised, he stopped struggling pointlessly and instead began to consider how to prevent harm to her body while using contraception.

"Please allow me to diagnose your pulse again, my lady."

Jiang Congyan complied and placed her wrist on the pulse pillow once more.

This time, Zhang Fu examined her pulse much more carefully, his expression serious, his brow furrowed, and his pupils constantly moving.

After a long time, he finally let go and asked Jiang Congyan about her recent sleep and menstrual cycle. After much deliberation, he said, "I can prescribe a formula to make pills that have an 80% contraceptive effect. This is the strongest medicine I can use. Anything stronger would truly damage your foundation. Moreover, this medicine should not be taken for more than a year, and after stopping, you will need to recuperate for a year or so."

"Then let’s proceed as you suggest."

Eighty percent seems reasonable. The remaining twenty percent is up to fate. As for the one year he mentioned, I’ll go along with it for now. One year can lead to another, and then I'll persuade him again.

After sending Zhang Fu off, Jiang Congyan also breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she had finally fooled him.

If Zhang Fu were more politically savvy, he would realize that her earlier reasoning didn’t hold up, especially at the cost of her health.

Worrying about being targeted was the least of her concerns. In her previous life, she suffered from chronic illness, enduring pain throughout her entire life. In this life, her health was still not good. She wanted to be healthy more than anything, to run and jump like a normal person. During those years of recuperation, she could drink even the bitterest medicines without hesitation, all to regain her health. But now, she had no choice but to do this.

What she truly cared about was whether Tuo Baxiao could escape his fate three years later. If he survived, everything would be fine. But if she couldn’t change his fate and he still perished, she had to plan for her own future.

The grassland tribes still followed a primitive system of power transfer. They chose the bravest as their leader. In their perception, only a brave warrior could lead them to resist strong enemies and wild beasts.

Three years was too short to raise a child. Having the child of a former Xianbei King would only bring disaster. She couldn’t bring a child into this world knowing chaos was coming, and moreover—

What if the child was... sickly?

This was her deepest fear.

——

"...Mother is Amodun, father is Ado, brother is Agan, Zhiqin is a prince, also called Teqin..."

"Shè~ Shiyi is an arrow..."

In the carriage, A Mao was diligently teaching the young lady Xianbei. The lady bent her head, writing intently on a small table.

The carriage curtain was drawn, and sunlight poured in. From her view, she could see the lady’s cloud of black hair, her slender neck, and her pale profile glowing softly in the sunlight, so flawless it left her in awe.

A Mao, embarrassed by her humble background, felt like an insect before the lady. She usually avoided looking at her too much, afraid of sullying the celestial lady. But now, she couldn't help but be drawn to her beauty.

"Continue," Jiang Congyan said after noting the pronunciation with letters.

Hearing the cool, clear voice, A Mao snapped out of her trance. She was deeply troubled by her earlier behavior and instinctively glanced at the lady, relieved to see she didn’t seem angry. She pulled her thoughts back and continued sharing what she knew of the Xianbei language.

Her Hunnic language was learned from overheard conversations, and her vocabulary was limited, but enough for daily communication.

Jiang Congyan studied diligently. Her memory was good, and she quickly learned many words using phonetic notes, starting to form complete sentences.

A Mao was amazed by her rapid progress and couldn't help but exclaim, "Lady, you learn so quickly!"

Jiang Congyan smiled, gently touching her still somewhat dry hair. "You're very clever too. Not everyone can learn several Hunnic languages."

Jiang Congyan knew her quick learning was due to her method. This girl, who had suffered from birth, had a true talent for languages. She was illiterate and had never known any learning methods, yet at a young age, she had mastered several languages.

The lady touched me!

A Mao was overwhelmed, her eyes wide in disbelief, afraid it was just an illusion.

Even now, she felt these past few days were too good to be true. She no longer had to go hungry, had new clothes, and such a beautiful, gentle lady.

In her simple imagination, even going to the celestial realm after death couldn't be better than this.

In A Mao's humble understanding, the lady was like a goddess. Though A Chun and A Fei had told her many times that the lady was human, just like them, she felt otherwise. The lady was different—

The lady was her deity!

Despite Jiang Congyan's exceptional memory, it was unrealistic to fully master a language in such a short time. So, she first had A Mao teach her vocabulary, then practiced specific scenarios. She envisioned possible situations and communicated with A Mao in Xianbei.

In the afternoon, Jiang Congyan rested for a while and then reviewed the Xianbei vocabulary and sentences she had learned in the morning inside the carriage. As she diligently reviewed her notes, the carriage suddenly came to a halt. Just as she was about to inquire if something was wrong, a familiar hand suddenly appeared at the window, holding a bunch of colorful wildflowers that bloomed brilliantly, as if capturing a ray of warm spring sunlight.

Jiang Congyan was stunned, taking a while to react.

"Don’t you like them? Are you still angry?" Tuo Baxiao stood outside the carriage. Seeing her lack of response, he leaned in through the window, revealing his cold, handsome face.

Looking through the bouquet at Tuo Baxiao’s eyes, perhaps due to the vibrant colors of the flowers, his deep, jade-green eyes seemed exceptionally bright. Jiang Congyan suddenly felt a strange sensation, as if a face from an ancient painting had come to life before her.

"He" slowly raised eyes that had been veiled for millennia, dust falling from "his" lashes, gazing at her across the vast expanse of time.

Her heart skipped a beat for a moment, then returned to its usual rhythm, the subtle change almost imperceptible.

"For me?" she asked.

"Of course, no one else deserves them," Tuo Baxiao replied, though he thought it was obvious, he answered politely.

"Did you pick them yourself?"

It was Tuo Baxiao’s first time picking flowers to please a girl, and he felt an unusual awkwardness. After a moment of silence, he nodded, pretending to be calm as he said, "Naturally, who else would dare pick flowers for you?" Unless they wanted to die.

Jiang Congyan noticed his fingers tightening around the bouquet, the veins on his hand stood out. Seeing through his calm exterior to the discomfort he was hiding, she smiled faintly.

"Is this supposed to be an apology?"

The question took Tuo Baxiao by surprise; he hadn’t thought that far.

"No, I just wanted to make you happy with the flowers," Tuo Baxiao said. "If you want an apology, just say so, and whatever I have, I’ll bring it to you."

Give her anything, huh? Hmph, Jiang Congyan didn’t trust men’s sweet talk, but the first part of his words still lifted her mood.

She reached out and accepted the bouquet, humming lightly, "I’ll take your flowers, but that doesn’t mean I forgive you."

Tuo Baxiao heard her say she hadn’t forgiven him, but her eyes held a faint smile, her fair, rosy cheeks even more delicate than the flowers, and his jade eyes also flickered with joy.

While riding ahead, he noticed clusters of wildflowers blooming by the roadside and suddenly remembered the spring gatherings on the grasslands.

During the spring gatherings, men and women on the grasslands could freely pair up, and young warriors would pick wildflowers for their beloved girls. So, he had the same idea.

When he suddenly dismounted, General Modolou and the others thought something serious had happened and were on high alert. When they saw he was just picking wildflowers, they almost dropped their swords.

Though they didn’t dare speak up, Tuo Baxiao sensed their confusion and bewilderment, which made him, who had always led his subordinates with bravery and authority, feel somewhat uneasy.

As the lofty Xianbei King, it was the first time he had done something like this to please a woman.

When General Modolou saw him walking toward the Han Princess’s carriage with the flowers, he suddenly understood, and laughter erupted from the crowd—their king had picked flowers for the woman he loved!

Even the king, when facing the woman he liked, was just like any ordinary man.

Hearing their laughter, Tuo Baxiao felt a bit annoyed, but now, seeing her so enchanting, the discomfort in his heart vanished, and he curved his sharp lips into a smile.

Tuo Baxiao had come simply to deliver the flowers. He only looked at her through the carriage window for a while before leaving, not attempting to climb into the carriage to take advantage of her, which somewhat surprised Jiang Congyan.

After he left, she sat in the carriage, her gaze still fixed on the colorful bouquet of wildflowers.

History would document his achievements and feats, but it would never capture that one bright spring afternoon when he gave a woman a bunch of flowers.

Whether it was because he had done it once and completely let go of his inhibitions or for some other reason, from that day on, for the next several days, Tuo Baxiao would bring her a bouquet of flowers every day, sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on what was blooming by the roadside.

Jiang Congyan accepted all the flowers without saying a word of forgiveness.

After several times, Tuo Baxiao realized she was doing it on purpose and finally seized her wrist while handing her the flowers when she wasn’t paying attention.

“You still mad at me?” he raised an eyebrow.

For the past few days, he had been very proper, only speaking to her from outside the carriage. Jiang Congyan didn't expect him to ambush her again; her eyes darted, trying to pull her hand back but couldn’t.

“No,” Jiang Congyan pursed her lips.

“So you forgive me?”

Jiang Congyan remained silent.

Tuo Baxiao got the message: not being mad wasn’t the same as forgiving. She was still talking to him normally, but greeting him with a smile was out of the question.

But he wasn’t about to let her keep him at arm’s length with her cold shoulder, so he firmly held her delicate wrist, his rough fingertips rubbing and wandering over her soft palm, again and again.

Jiang Congyan's skin was super sensitive, especially the palm, which was stimulated by his calloused fingertips, causing her to tremble reflexively. Her brows knitted together, her teeth biting her full lower lip, her expression one of discomfort.

“Let go!” she snapped.

The tingling itch was unbearable. She clenched her fist, trying to block his wandering fingers, but the man's grip was like iron, unmoving—not only did he not let go, but he escalated.

She struggled to pull her hand back, practically leaning against the carriage wall, even her wrist was red from the friction but still couldn’t break free from the man’s restraint.

Her strength was no match for his.

Tuo Baxiao saw her expression of extreme restraint and noticed her fair skin flush from the struggle, showing a charming allure under the thin light.

He squinted, studying her for a moment, his gaze finally settling on her lips—once pale, now a deep red—from being bitten hard by her teeth. This made her beautiful face even more captivating.

He suddenly flashed back to when he had her pinned beneath him. She was also blushing with watery eyes, her lips swollen from his kisses, her moans driving him wild…

If he hadn’t tasted it, he would only imagine, but once he tasted that wonderful flavor, he was hooked, like an addict. A gentleman could never quit. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, day and night. Sometimes in the middle of the night, he dreamed and uncontrollably wanted to rush into her room and hold her in his arms, but thinking of their agreement, thinking of her angry and frightened eyes, this burning desire was doused like a flame under ice water.

At this moment, his body stirred with desire again, his blood rushing rapidly to his lower abdomen.

Tuo Baxiao's eyes suddenly darkened, his breath hot and scorching.

Jiang Congyan couldn’t see the man’s physical changes through the carriage, but just by his dark eyes and the tense skin on his neck, she could feel the change in atmosphere. She was freaking out inside.

She thought Tuo Baxiao had been on his best behavior and wouldn’t act up again, but here he was again...

“So, do you forgive me?” the man asked again, his deep voice slightly hoarse, with a hint of threatening desire.

At this point, Jiang Congyan didn’t dare to be stubborn with him. She was scared he’d lose his temper and go off the rails again, so she could only answer honestly, “I forgive you. How could I keep being angry with you?”

Hmph, she spoke well—if it wasn’t for him forcing her, she wouldn’t have said this. But whether he forced her or not, as long as she said it, she couldn’t avoid him anymore.

Jiang Congyan had already spoken submissively, but the man still didn’t let her go. She hinted, “You’ve made my wrist red.”

Tuo Baxiao let go. The skin he had held was indeed red.

“Your skin is too delicate,” he said. He felt he hadn’t used any force, just gently holding her wrist.

Jiang Congyan: “…”

So now it’s her fault?

Tuo Baxiao had never encountered a woman as delicate as her, especially with her thin and tender skin, as fragile as cheese, crumbling at the slightest touch. Yet, he was utterly captivated by her.

The man's gaze was fixed on her, making her uneasy despite his inaction. Jiang Congyan rubbed her wrist, averted her eyes, and said with a serious expression, "We’re still traveling; we shouldn’t delay too long."

Was she subtly asking him to leave?

Tuo Baxiao understood her meaning but didn’t leave immediately. Instead, under her shocked gaze, he reached out again, his rough hand grazing her soft cheek.

"One more month."

After uttering this cryptic remark, he turned around briskly, his tall, imposing figure vanishing from view.

Jiang Congyan froze for a moment before realizing what he meant. There was only one month left before they reached the royal court. Given his recent self-control, would he go easy on her then?

Jiang Congyan couldn’t help but feel a bit of worry. It wasn’t that she cared about her chastity, but she worried if she could handle his strength and physique if he lost control in a fit of emotion. A little more force from him could snap her wrist. And given his fierce demeanor that day, he wouldn’t be gentle in that regard...

But there was no use worrying about it now; she’d cross that bridge when she came to it. Jiang Congyan brushed aside her worries and picked up her notes to continue studying.

A few days later, Jiang Congyan had learned a considerable amount of Xianbei language, enough for everyday conversation. Even Ruo Lan, Si Zi, A Chun, and A Fei had picked up some. She even had Zhang Zheng and the Imperial Guards learn some.

Living in the Xianbei royal court later, it was important to learn the local language to communicate with them.

Jiang Congyan had observed that Tuo Baxiao spoke fluent Chinese, likely influenced by his mother, but among his subordinates, few spoke Chinese. General Modolou and a few officials were the only ones who could, while most, like Chigan Balie, didn’t understand a word of Chinese.

Fortunately, she had previously worked to educate those around her, and even maids like A Chun and A Fei hadn’t been left behind. Everyone followed her teaching methods, and although their learning speed wasn’t as fast as hers, they were steadily improving. Combined with the natural language environment of the royal court, they’d be able to manage daily conversations in three to five months.

A Mao had always felt utterly insignificant. Every maid around the lady seemed more useful than her. In the village, only the bravest warriors who had killed the most enemies were worthy of eating such delicious wheat cakes and rice porridge, yet she, a lowly servant, was also given such precious food by the lady.

Every time she ate, she was immersed in the sweet taste, but at the same time, she felt a deep unease, as if she’d gained something far beyond her worth. She was trembling with fear, afraid that one day it would be taken away from her.

There were so many people around the lady. If she didn’t become a useful person, would the lady continue to treat her so well in the future? Could she stay by the lady’s side forever?

Now that the lady had assigned her the task of teaching them Hunnic, A Mao not only didn’t feel tired but was filled with motivation, wishing she could use all twelve hours of the day for this purpose.

After spending two days teaching her how to ride a horse and assigning her a small horse, A Mao spent her mornings teaching the lady in the carriage, afternoons riding on horseback teaching Zhang Zheng and the others while on the road, and evenings pestering Si Zi, A Chun, and A Fei to practice Xianbei.

Sometimes, when Zhang Zheng and the others were so overwhelmed with learning that they wanted to take a break, A Mao wouldn’t let them waste time. She didn’t dare to argue with them, so she just looked at them with pitiful eyes.

Zhang Zheng, a military officer who only knew a few words and could read some military books, now had to learn a foreign language, which gave him a terrible headache. But he couldn’t be harsh to a little girl, so he just stared straight ahead, her babbling Xianbei constantly ringing in his ears.

A Mao was finally satisfied. She wasn’t just freeloading; she was finally becoming useful. She would definitely become even more useful in the future.

On this day, the team finally arrived at Beidi County on the border of Liang State.

The group settled in the military town at the border, unpacking and settling in as usual. Jiang Congyan was having her tired shoulders and neck massaged by A Fei when A Chun came in to report that General Xie was requesting an audience.

Jiang Congyan paused, signaling A Fei to stop. After a moment of thought, she said to A Chun, "Please ask General Xie to wait in the courtyard."

Then she had A Fei help her change into a slightly thicker outer garment, tidied her appearance, and walked towards the front courtyard.

The spring daylight in the north was short, and by the time the team entered the city, it was already dusk. Now, the sun had set, leaving only a few strands of blue-purple clouds in the sky, while a faint full moon rose on the other side.

In the middle of the courtyard stood an ancient peach tree with twisted branches, still holding onto some lingering flowers. Under the tree was a set of stone table and stools, and Xie Shao was sitting on one of them.

When Jiang Congyan walked over with her maids, she saw the young general in silver light armor silently waiting there, his straight back resembling a sharp sword gleaming in the thin moonlight.

Hearing the footsteps, he looked over first, then immediately stood up and bowed to her in greeting.

"General, no need for such formalities," Jiang Congyan raised her hand slightly.

"Please, take a seat."

Xie Shao glanced at the stone stool, hesitating to move.

At that time, etiquette still required kneeling and sitting, but in the northern regions closer to the nomadic tribes, the use of nomadic chairs and stools had become popular. As a military man from a humble background, he naturally didn’t care much for such formalities, but the princess was a noblewoman…

Jiang Congyan seemed to sense his hesitation and smiled. "General, no need to stick to these formalities. Just sit."

Then, A Chun took out a silk handkerchief and laid it on the stone stool. Jiang Congyan smoothed her skirt and sat down first.

She gave A Chun a glance, and A Chun quietly left, leaving only the two of them in the courtyard.

Since the princess had said so, Xie Shao didn’t hesitate and respectfully sat across from her.

"Pardon my intrusion, Your Highness. I’ve come to say goodbye," Xie Shao said.

"I can only take you this far. Tomorrow, after we cross the border, I’ll lead the Lüben Guard back to Chang'an."

As he spoke, Xie Shao kept his eyes down, maybe out of courtesy, maybe because he couldn’t meet her gaze, or maybe both.

In truth, whether or not to bid farewell was inconsequential; it had been decided from the very beginning. Yet he had come, driven by some inexplicable force.

Jiang Congyan was unfazed by his words and simply asked, "Have you made your decision, General? Will you take the path I have laid out for you?"