Chapter 96: Grew Taller

Chapter 96: Aftermath of Training

After nearly two hours of equestrian training, Jiang Congyan initially only felt exhausted from the loss of strength. But when A Fei came to apply jade-infused balm to her back after her evening bath, she discovered bruises covering the young lady’s back, waist, abdomen, and arms—nearly as bad as when Wudati Hou trained her.

“Young lady!” A Fei gasped in shock. “What happened?”

Jiang Congyan glanced at herself and grimaced. “It’s nothing. Bumps and bruises are unavoidable when practicing riding.”

This was actually the better alternative—Tuo Baxiao hadn’t let her fall outright. These bruises came from crashing into his arms. The man was built like a fortress; she ended up bruised all over, yet he didn’t have a single mark on him.

Hearing this, A Fei had no choice but to switch the moisturizing ointment for a bruise-dispersing salve, carefully applying and massaging it into Jiang Congyan’s skin.

Once everything was done and Jiang Congyan had changed into a set of purple satin pajamas with knotted buttons, covering herself completely, she finally allowed Tuo Baxiao into the bedroom.

They’d agreed he’d keep his hands to himself for half a month, but if that rascal could really behave himself, it would be a miracle. Though he hadn’t crossed the line, he was never fully obedient at night, persistently bothering her, testing her boundaries, trying to wear down her resistance. Only her firm refusal kept him in check.

Tuo Baxiao finished washing up quickly, casually draping a bed robe over himself without even tying the sash, leaving his damp, glistening chest exposed.

The man was shameless. He had even tried coming out naked before, his clothes always in disarray. Sometimes, when she needed to call A Fei in for something, it was inconvenient. It wasn’t until she scolded him several times that he improved slightly.

Climbing onto the bed, Tuo Baxiao pulled her into his arms.

“You fell so many times during practice today. Let me check if you’re bruised.”

Jiang Congyan: “… Could your intentions be any more obvious?”

“How about I massage it for you?” the man added, his big hand already at her waist.

Jiang Congyan took a deep breath and pushed him away. “If you keep talking and don’t let me sleep, go sleep in the royal tent yourself.”

Tuo Baxiao: “… So hard to fool.”

Sigh. Half a month—it was too long. After abstaining for nearly two months during the campaign, he had only enjoyed himself for one day after returning. One day. If he had known, he would’ve held back. But after reading so many books, his urges had become overwhelming—how could he possibly restrain himself?

The next day, Jiang Congyan almost couldn’t get out of bed.

Having not exercised for a long time, suddenly engaging in such intense activity brought a peculiar mix of pain and satisfaction.

Her entire body ached unbearably, especially her thighs and waist, which had to remain tense to control the horse. After a night of stiffness setting in, every muscle felt stretched to its limit.

There was no way she could continue practicing today.

After resting for two days, once most of the soreness had faded, Tuo Baxiao took her out for archery practice.

Knowing she had little strength, he specially found a small bow for her, with a draw weight of about 12 pounds.

“… Stand straight, don’t lean. Lower your center of gravity. Balance the force between pushing the bow and drawing the string. Open your shoulders…”

Tuo Baxiao first demonstrated and explained, then moved behind her, adjusting her posture as he spoke.

Tall and broad, when he stood behind her and stretched his arms, she was completely surrounded by him. Jiang Congyan could feel the heat radiating from his chest as it drew closer to her cheek.

She suspected he was doing it on purpose. He could’ve just instructed her from the side, yet he insisted on standing so close.

Tuo Baxiao pretended to be completely natural on the surface, but his body was nearly pressed against hers. He held her hands to help her adjust her stance, using his strength to guide her as she drew the bow.

“Keep your right arm close to your body. Relax your wrist—don’t bend it outward or inward. Aim, breathe from your belly, hold it steady.”

"Loose!"

At the man's command, Jiang Congyan released her grip, and the arrow flew from the bowstring with a *thwack*, embedding itself into the target thirty paces away.

"I hit it!"

Tuo Baxiao wore an expression of complete indifference. He could shoot accurately at a hundred and fifty paces—thirty paces was child's play for him, hardly worth any excitement. But Jiang Congyan was different. Back in Liangzhou, she had wanted to learn archery alongside her cousins, but she had been too young and frail then, unable to even draw a bow. It wasn’t until now, under Tuo Baxiao’s guidance, that she finally got the chance to try her hand at it.

"Now try it on your own."

"Alright!" Jiang Congyan was eager to give it another go.

She gestured for him to move back and recalled the posture he had taught her, raising the bow again.

With his strength guiding her earlier, she hadn’t realized how heavy it was. Now, pulling it on her own, it felt impossibly heavy. She put all her strength into it, barely managing to draw it halfway.

Her arms trembled violently, and just as she was about to lose control, she hastily released the string.

The arrow wobbled through the air, falling short of the target entirely.

"..."

"Beginners often miss," Tuo Baxiao reassured her, sensing her embarrassment.

"Again," Jiang Congyan gritted her teeth.

This time, she deliberately moved closer, standing only twenty paces away.

Tuo Baxiao’s eyes widened. "..."

At this distance, was a bow even necessary? You could just hack at it.

Jiang Congyan paid no mind to his thoughts and continued shooting a few more arrows.

Not a single one lodged in.

Again.

Despite the chilly autumn air, her cheeks flushed pink with exertion, a light sweat glistening on the tip of her nose. Her lips parted slightly as she panted, her face glowing with effort, brightening the bleak landscape behind her.

The girl was stubborn. Worried she might strain her arms, Tuo Baxiao held her back. "That’s enough for today."

"You’re not strong enough for a bow," he said bluntly.

Jiang Congyan deflated, scuffing the grass with the tip of her foot.

"But your aim isn’t bad," Tuo Baxiao added, feeling a pang when he saw her downcast expression.

"Really?" She looked up at him, checking if he meant it—was he just saying that to comfort her?

"Mhm, it’s decent. If you had more strength, you might actually become quite skilled."

So much for that.

Not that she was entirely surprised. Martial arts took time. No matter the discipline, you needed a strong body first—and that was precisely what she lacked.

...

In later practices, though she improved slightly from her first attempt, her lack of strength remained her biggest hurdle. Even when she hit the target, the arrows did no damage. But Jiang Congyan realized Tuo Baxiao hadn’t lied—her aim truly was decent. Five times out of five, she could hit the target four times, even if the distance was laughably close.

But what if we catch them off guard?

Twenty to thirty paces on the battlefield is but a blink of an eye—before the arrow is even nocked, the enemy would have already charged. But she had no intention of facing them head-on.

Once she figured this out, Jiang Congyan gave up archery and switched to practicing with a handheld crossbow.

Not the heavy military crossbow, but a small and compact one. Though it wasn’t as lethal, it was lightweight, easy to carry, and perfect for self-defense.

After switching to the handheld crossbow, she found her accuracy had improved even more, which delighted her.

See? She wasn’t completely hopeless.

Days passed like this, and finally, after half a month, Tuo Baxiao’s birthday was just around the corner.

His birthday fell on the 27th of September. By then, the northern lands were already dusted with scattered snowflakes. Mornings were blanketed in frosty mist, the air so cold it felt almost frozen, and only when the sun rose by midday did a hint of warmth return.

A Fei had already pulled out last year’s winter clothes, washing and storing away the summer and autumn garments.

Jiang Congyan’s favorite was still that white fox-fur cloak—windproof and warm. But the moment she put it on, A Fei stared at her for a second.

"What? Is something wrong?"

A Fei: "...I feel like this cloak seems a bit shorter."

Jiang Congyan looked down. Hmm... it did seem so.

Before, the cloak had reached her ankles, but now it was an inch shorter.

"My lady, you’ve grown taller again," A Fei said.

Jiang Congyan: "..."

She’d hit her growth spurt later than her cousins, only starting to sprout up after twelve or thirteen. Last year, she hadn’t grown much, so she thought her growth spurt was over and she wouldn’t get any taller.

Still, being taller wasn’t a bad thing.

On the afternoon of the 26th, the weather was unseasonably warm. Jiang Congyan brought two Imperial Guards and went horseback riding with Lan Zhu.

Under Tuo Baxiao’s careful guidance, she had picked up quite a few riding skills, especially improving in galloping, though she still needed more practice.

Lately, she’d been sleeping better, and her stamina seemed to have increased a little too. Whenever she had time, she came out to train.

Lan Zhu, knowing she was riding, volunteered to join her and even shared her own riding tips.

During the days when Tuo Baxiao and Tuoba Wuxi were away on campaign, Lan Zhu and Qiu Liju often brought Mica over to play with her. The three had grown close—good friends by now. Mica, especially, would trail behind her calling "Auntie, Auntie," begging for snacks, irresistibly cute.

"Ah Yan-jie, let’s see who reaches that poplar tree by Yanzhi Lake first!" Lan Zhu snapped her riding crop.

"A race? Sure." Though she knew she couldn’t beat Lan Zhu, Jiang Congyan still agreed.

"Then let’s begin!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, their horses surged forward, red and blue figures streaking across the fields like two blurs of color.

Nearby herders paused to watch.

Just as Jiang Congyan expected, Lan Zhu quickly left her behind. But just as she neared the poplar tree, she slowed down and turned to look back at her.

"Why didn’t you keep going?" The moment she spoke, cold air rushed into her mouth.

"I'll wait for Sister Ah Yan."

Jiang Congyan suddenly felt an indescribable warmth, her heart swelling with warmth.

"Alright, let's go together."

The two girls reached the large poplar tree together and slapped palms.

Jiang Congyan was breathing hard, her face stinging from running in the cold wind, yet her entire body felt warm.

Lan Zhu recovered much faster, catching her breath after only a few light intakes.

After resting for a while, they slowed their pace on the way back, still chatting as they went.

Jiang Congyan noticed the chapped skin on Lan Zhu's cheeks—common in the dry, windy autumn and winter weather.

"I have some face cream that prevents chapping. Do you want some? I'll give you two bottles later, and you can take one back for Qiu Liju too."

"Really?" Lan Zhu was overjoyed, touching her cheeks lightly.

At her age, when they cared most about their looks.

"Test it out first, and if you like it, I’ll give you more."

"Thank you, Sister Ah Yan."

Still chatting and laughing, they were about to head to Jiang Congyan's tent to fetch the balm when Lan Zhu suddenly froze.

Tuoba Wuxi stood not far away, glaring at them darkly.

Lan Zhu’s heart pounded with fear—her brother looked furious, and dread filled her chest.

"Lan Zhu." Tuoba Wuxi barked her name.

Lan Zhu moved toward him instinctively. "Brother..."

"Didn’t I tell you not to get so close to Tuoba XIAO’s Han Princess?"

Lan Zhu lowered her head. "Brother, Sister Ah Yan has always been kind to me..."

"Kind? She’s just trying to manipulate you. And you fell for it." Though his words were directed at her, his eyes remained fixed on Jiang Congyan, convinced she was the villain corrupting his sister-in-law.

Lan Zhu tried to explain, but Tuoba Wuxi wasn't listening anymore. "Go back."

Hesitating, she glanced at Sister Ah Yan, then at her brother’s furious expression. Fearing he might make trouble for her like he did that night, she had no choice but to follow him.

Jiang Congyan remained where she stood. Saying anything would only have made Tuoba Wuxi even angrier, making things harder for Lan Zhu. Better to let it go—after all, she was his sister, so he wouldn't mistreat her, but she'd certainly get scolded.

Sighing, she headed back to her tent alone.

At the entrance, A Fei was wringing her hands anxiously, as if Jiang's return had saved her.

"Young Mistress, you’re finally back!"

"What’s wrong?"

"The Prince of Mobei... he... your bed in the bedroom... You should see for yourself."

A sense of dread came over Jiang Congyan as she hurried inside.

The bedroom was completely transformed. Where her bed once stood, an enormous bed now took up nearly all the space—so large that nearby furniture had been moved aside to make room.

"Tuoba Xiao!"