Chapter 45

Proofreader:- Mim

The next evening, in front of the stables.

Li Zhi was walking out of the stables with Li Cien, preparing to head back to their quarters on foot.

More than a dozen bullock carts, loaded with horse feed, rattled and swayed their way into the horse farm. Xie Lanxu was sitting on the last cart.

The locals in charge of distributing the horse feed took over his task, and Xie Lanxu walked toward Li Zhi.

His gaze fell on the bruise on Li Zhi’s cheek, and with slight surprise, he asked, “Miss Li, what happened here?”

Li Zhi replied, “I met a kind person too.”

Li Cien covered her mouth and giggled beside her.

“I see.” Xie Lanxu smiled calmly. “It seems we’re both quite lucky.”

“Sister, you and His Highness can keep talking. I’ve already promised to go ahead with brother,” Li Cien said, giving Xie Lanxu a curtsey. She then winked at Li Zhi and ran off, as lively as a sparrow, toward Li Xiangsheng waiting at the horse farm gate.

“Would you like to ride a horse?” Xie Lanxu asked.

“I don’t know how to ride.” Li Zhi replied.

“There’s a kind person willing to teach you.”

Xie Lanxu turned to Steward Li, who was shouting instructions about moving the horse feed, exchanged a few words with him, and walked toward the far-left stable.

A moment later, he led out a large, well-fed, chestnut-colored Luosha horse.

The Luosha horses come from the distant Luosha Kingdom, where the climate is cold and frigid. Not only are the people there extraordinarily tall, but even the horses are the same—Luosha horses are a superior breed and are also the key warhorses bred at the Xipeng Horse Farm.

Leading the horse, Xie Lanxu took Li Zhi to the vast meadow outside the horse farm.

He mounted the horse first and then extended his hand toward Li Zhi.

Li Zhi grasped his hand, stepped into the stirrup, and, with a slight push, smoothly climbed onto the tall Luosha horse with his help.

“Giddy-up!”

At Xie Lanxu’s command, he squeezed the horse’s sides with his legs, and the Luosha horse reared its front hooves before dashing forward.

The wind roared past them.

The wounds on her back pressed tightly against Xie Lanxu’s chest. With every jolt beneath her, she was pushed closer to the rhythm of his heartbeat.

In this unfamiliar embrace and unfamiliar scent, Li Zhi felt a little awkward. She used all her strength to hold onto the saddle, trying to control her body from swaying.

From behind her, Xie Lanxu asked, “Why have you suddenly stiffened up?”

Li Zhi couldn’t answer.

“Relax,” he said, with a slight hint of displeasure in his voice.

Li Zhi ordered her tense body to relax and leaned backward like boneless snow.

Xie Lanxu’s arms were on either side of her, his heartbeat just a foot away, pulsing through flesh and bone. Countless winds swept through the crook of his arms, brushing across Li Zhi like countless strands of silk.

“Look there,” he said softly.

Instinctively, Li Zhi lifted her head.

The vast meadow was under the dominion of twilight. On the pristine, snow-capped peaks of Xian Naiyue Mountain, the setting sun glowed red. The gentle, welcoming winds of early summer rippled through the grasslands, carrying an intoxicating floral fragrance toward her face.

Li Zhi was mesmerized, momentarily forgetting everything else.

The galloping horse gradually slowed to a trot, carrying the two of them leisurely through a sea of wildflowers.

“Do you dare to try?” Xie Lanxu handed her the reins.

“What’s there to be afraid of?”

Li Zhi took the reins, mimicking Xie Lanxu by squeezing the horse’s sides. “Giddy-up!”

But the horse didn’t respond to her command.

Xie Lanxu smiled, grasped her hand, and lightly flicked the reins with her. “Giddy-up—”

The reins snapped against the horse’s back, and the Luosha horse snorted, speeding up.

“I understand now,” Li Zhi said.

Xie Lanxu released her hand. “Try again.”

Li Zhi flicked the reins and squeezed the horse’s sides. “Giddy-up!”

Perhaps her reins were too forceful, or perhaps she shouldn’t have squeezed again—whatever the reason, the Luosha horse suddenly bolted.

Li Zhi instinctively fell backward into Xie Lanxu.

She heard two light chuckles behind her.

Xie Lanxu simply wrapped one arm around her waist, while his other hand took hold of the reins. “Giddy-up!” he shouted.

The Luosha horse ran even faster.

Li Zhi bounced on the horse’s back, flailing helplessly in Xie Lanxu’s embrace, but when she looked up, she saw an expression on his face she had never seen before.

It was as if he had become one with the wind, forgetting all earthly matters. The suspicions, calculations, and untrust she knew so well had all vanished in this moment.

Xie Lanxu looked down at Li Zhi, intrigued. The girl’s expression was joyful, and her almond-shaped eyes were clearer and livelier than usual.

Their eyes met, and before they knew it, they both smiled.

“Your Highness, have you ever considered raising another horse?”

“Never.”

“Why not?”

No one had ever asked him this question before, and Xie Lanxu found himself truly considering it.

After Thunderbolt’s death, why hadn’t he raised another horse?

Did he want to raise another?

No.

As long as you don’t possess, you will never lose.

As long as you don’t trust, you will never be betrayed.

This was how he had always lived.

“I’ve never met one that caught my eye,” he said.

“If it were a gift from me, would it catch Your Highness’s eye?” Li Zhi asked with a smile.

Having received no further commands, the Luosha horse slowed to a stop amid the sea of flowers.

“By autumn, the Luosha mare I’ve been tending will give birth. If Your Highness is willing, you can come during the foaling. Seeing the birth of a new horse with your own eyes should make it truly one of a kind for Your Highness.”

“…All right.”

The colorful sea of flowers resembled a luxurious carpet embroidered with gemstones and golden thread, sprawling across the layered hills. Li Zhi and Xie Lanxu sat atop the horse, quietly gazing at the beautiful scene before them.

It was only after the sun had set that they finally returned to their quarters.

That night, Li Zhi still went to the hillside for her practice. After she left the small courtyard, Xie Lanxu pushed open his door and stepped out, standing under the eaves while watching the direction she departed. A white figure appeared behind him.

The man wore wide robes with flowing sleeves, and his long beard reached his chest.

“Your Highness.”

“Go and investigate the foreigner at the horse farm called Hei Huo,” Xie Lanxu said. “If he’s a spy, just kill him.”

The man looked at Xie Lanxu, bowed deeply, and said, “As you command.”

—-

The next day, before dawn, Li Zhi and Li Cien arrived at the horse farm. Steward Li instructed the two of them to sit in a bullock cart and head into the city to purchase some supplies.

Since being assigned to the horse farm, this was the first time Li Zhi and Li Cien had the chance to go into the city.

The two climbed onto the bullock cart, happily setting off for town.

On the way, Li Cien kept stretching her arms and lightly tapping the bruised spots on her joints.

“Last night, I couldn’t even count how many times the wooden block hit me. It hurt so much I couldn’t sleep…” she said, grimacing in pain.

Compared to Li Zhi, Li Cien’s reaction speed was a little slower. Aside from Jia Sui, she had taken the most hits.

Li Zhi smiled and patted her sister’s head. “Come to my room tonight. I’ll give you some medicine and massage the bruises.”

Li Cien hugged her arm and snuggled into her, playfully saying, “Thank you, Sister! You’re the best sister in the world!”

The two of them entered the city, chatting and laughing. The bullock cart dropped them off at the marketplace, and Old Zhang, who was driving the cart, agreed to meet them at the city gates at sunset to return together to the horse farm.

Steward Li had listed the supplies they needed in various places, and Li Zhi purchased them along the way. When they reached a three-way intersection, Li Cien suddenly appeared uneasy, repeatedly glancing in one direction.

“What’s wrong?” Li Zhi asked.

“I… I know an old lady who lives in this alley!” Li Cien said.

Li Zhi immediately understood what she wanted to do.

“We still have time. After I finish shopping here, I’ll go with you to visit her,” Li Zhi said with a smile.

“That’s great!” Li Cien exclaimed, hugging Li Zhi excitedly.

Since they were going to visit someone, Li Zhi also bought some fresh fruits from a nearby grocery store.

Led by Li Cien, the two of them walked through the narrow, complex alleys and stopped in front of an old, rickety wooden door. The door was on the verge of collapse and no longer fit the frame properly. Through a crack left slightly ajar, Li Zhi could see nothing but darkness inside.

“Old Madam? Old Madam?” Li Cien called softly at the door.

After a short while, the sound of someone moving inside reached them. Soon, hurried, unsteady footsteps approached the entrance. The creaking wooden door slowly opened, revealing a wrinkled face behind it.

The old woman’s eyes were clouded and silvery, her gaze unfocused as she looked at the empty space between the two of them. Her dry lips murmured a few sentences, but Li Zhi couldn’t understand a word. However, it was clear that the old woman was overjoyed to hear Li Cien’s visit.

Li Cien supported the old woman and turned to Li Zhi with a smile. “Sister, this is Granny Yushan. Her ancestors were once part of the royal family of Yi Kingdom. She can’t speak the official language.”

After saying this, Li Cien turned back to the old woman and began chattering in a language Li Zhi couldn’t understand.

“What language was that?” Li Zhi asked, surprised.

“Yi Kingdom language—nowadays it’s called Yi State dialect,” Li Cien explained. “Back when we were at the Duhu Mansion, I often sneaked out to learn the Yi language from Granny. Now I’ve pretty much mastered it. Granny says I speak just like a Yi person.”

“Let’s not just stand here chatting. Granny asked us to bring out some stools and sit with her at the door,” Li Cien said, directing Li Zhi to grab the small stools from inside the house.

Li Zhi stepped into the dark house. Using the faint light coming through the doorway, she found three small stools that had been polished smooth and dark from years of use.

Carrying the stools back to the entrance, the three of them each took a seat.

Li Cien and the old woman chatted, with Li Cien translating their conversation into official language for Li Zhi.

The old woman said that the sunlight was nice at her door, and sunbathing every evening helped prevent illness.

However, from what Li Zhi could observe, sunlight had probably stopped reaching this alley decades ago. The towering new courtyard walls blocked the sun, leaving only floating dust particles in this silent and desolate alley.

Li Zhi didn’t ask why the old woman had gone blind, and Li Cien didn’t either.

They both understood that the world held too much helplessness.

While Li Cien kept the old woman company, Li Zhi fetched water to wash the fruits she had brought. She cut the fruits into small pieces and offered them to the old woman.

The three of them quietly ate a strip of crisp yellow melon in the tranquil alley.

Li Zhi left the remaining fruits with the old woman, along with a quilt she had hurriedly bought from a nearby grocery store to replace the old woman’s tattered blanket that could no longer keep her warm.

As they walked out of the alley, Li Cien said, “The incense ash I wanted my brother to eat that day was given to me by Granny.”

Outside the alley, the sunset once again bathed the two of them in golden light.

Li Cien said, “That incense ash was originally meant to save her son, but sadly, her son didn’t survive. Sister, why do you think there are always people in this world who suffer?”

Li Zhi couldn’t answer her question. She couldn’t even ease the suffering of her own twin sister, let alone understand why people endured such hardship.

“I don’t understand either,” Li Cien said softly, quietly taking Li Zhi’s hand. She gazed up at the sunset above them. “My wings aren’t as broad as yours, Sister, to shelter so many people. I just want you and Brother to be safe. No matter what I have to do, I’ll do it.”

She seemed to hint at something, her eyes filled with meaning as she looked at Li Zhi.

Li Zhi smiled and gently brushed her finger over Li Cien’s small, adorable nose.

“Let’s go. We still have two more things to buy.”

Notes for Context:

1. Luosha Kingdom (罗剎国): A fictional reference resembling the “Russian” lands in ancient Chinese texts, often depicted as cold, vast, and producing strong people and animals.
2. Xian Naiyue Mountain (仙乃月神山): A fictional, divine-sounding location that evokes mystical beauty and serene majesty, likely drawing from classic imagery of sacred Chinese mountains.