Chapter 5

 

Three days had passed since Li Zhi’s punishment, but the wounds on her back were still bleeding.

Her scabs, hard-won, would dissolve again each time she sweated. As an exiled person, the luxury of rest and recovery was unthinkable. With no doctor on the road and no chance of obtaining medicine from the guards, she was left to fend for herself.

Recalling what she had read in a miscellaneous book, Li Zhi foraged a plant called dog’s tooth grass from the wilderness. At night, during their rest stops, she chewed it into a paste and applied it to her wounds.

Though common as weeds in the hills, the plant was known for its hemostatic and healing properties. She remembered reading about it in a travelogue where the author, after surviving a wild animal attack, had used the plant to treat his wounds successfully.

Luckily, she had found the right remedy. Within a few days, her wounds had begun to scab over.

That evening, the exiles set up camp on a desolate stretch of land.

As usual, Li Zhi pulled a handful of dog’s tooth grass from her pocket and placed it in her mouth. The bitter, astringent taste made her expression freeze, but she endured the nausea and spat the chewed paste into her hand.

Since treating her wounds in plain sight was out of the question, Li Zhi used the only privacy available: the shadow of the carriage.

Behind the carriage, shielded from prying eyes, she removed her shirt and applied the herbal paste to her back. With no one to assist her, the process often took much time.

The imperial grandson’s presence inside the carriage provided an unspoken deterrent. Despite knowing what Li Zhi was doing behind the carriage, neither the exiles nor the guards dared to approach.

As for Xie Lanxu himself—Li Zhi trusted he had no interest in the “scenery” outside his carriage.

Once she had finished dressing her wounds, she adjusted her clothes and, as always, tapped on the carriage wall before leaving.

Then came back and waited for a long while with a piece of dry rations in hand before the curtain was finally drawn back.

Xie Lanxu appeared paler than usual, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead and nose. His lips were tightly pressed, as if he were suppressing some pain.

“Your Highness, are you feeling unwell?” Li Zhi asked immediately.

Xie Lanxu shook his head weakly. “I’m fine…” he rasped.

Li Zhi’s sharp eyes noticed the stiffness in his right leg and the awkwardness in his movements.

After a moment’s thought, she deduced the source of his discomfort—though walking three thousand miles was grueling, sitting in the carriage for the entire journey wasn’t much easier.

After a brief hesitation, Li Zhi reached out and pressed her hand against his right leg.

It was the first time she had touched a man’s leg, and she couldn’t help feeling embarrassed. She fought to keep her expression neutral, but her ears grew warm despite her efforts. She knew if Xie Lanxu rejected her touch, she would want to find a hole to crawl into.

To prevent him from refusing, Li Zhi pressed down firmly on the tense muscles beneath her hand.

A groan of pain escaped through Xie Lanxu’s clenched teeth. Embarrassed, he pressed his thin lips together even harder.

“It’ll feel better soon,” Li Zhi said, trying to ease the awkwardness. “My twin sister used to come to me for this after practicing her dance routines.”

“Your twin… Is she in the convoy too?” Xie Lanxu asked, his brow furrowed as he endured the discomfort.

“…She’s dead.”

Li Zhi quickly changed the subject. “Still numb?” she asked as she kneaded his leg a few more times.

Xie Lanxu shifted slightly, successfully straightening his posture.

“Thank you,” he said.

Satisfied, Li Zhi unwrapped the steamed bun she had carried in her handkerchief and handed it to him without waiting for his response.

Xie Lanxu, still holding the bun, watched as Li Zhi tucked her handkerchief back into her sleeve. In a quiet voice, he asked,“If you give your rations to me, what will you eat?”

Li Zhi smiled. “Eating every other meal keeps me more alert. Right now, what matters is Your Highness’s recovery.”

“My illness won’t be cured by simply eating enough,” Xie Lanxu said softly.

“Then what will cure it?” Li Zhi asked, her gaze earnest. “If it’s medicinal herbs you need, tell me their characteristics. I’ll do my best to find them.”

“It’s an old condition,” Xie Lanxu replied evasively.

He broke the dry bun in half, offering the larger piece back to Li Zhi.

“Thank you for your kindness, Miss Li, but only a small piece is needed to feed the dog.”

Though he mentioned feeding the dog, Li Zhi wasn’t offended. She accepted the returned portion cheerfully.

“In that case—”

Before she could finish, several barking dogs interrupted her. The sudden commotion caused a stir in the convoy ahead.

Li Zhi thought she was hearing things.

Though dogs may bark alike, their owners can always tell theirs apart. This bark wasn’t from the pack of strays Xie Lanxu had used for amusement.

This was her dog’s bark. But how could her dog possibly be here?

Heart racing, Li Zhi rushed forward.

At the front of the convoy, a large black dog barked ferociously at a group of exiles blocking its path. Li Zhi’s chest thudded as shock and joy surged through her like a tidal wave, leaving her feeling like a helpless boat caught in a storm.

“Shendan!” she cried out instinctively.

The black dog lifted its head, spotted her, and became even more excited. Dodging through the legs of the exiled people, it darted toward Li Zhi, reaching her in an instant.

“Woof! Woof, woof, woof!”

Shendan jumped onto Li Zhi’s legs, barking continuously, its wet nose pushing against her hands.

“Shendan…” Li Zhi’s voice cracked with emotion.

She crouched down, cradling Shendan in her arms as she gently stroked its shaggy head. She remembered a dog whose glossy coat once gleamed like silk, a proud and lively creature. Now, her Shendan was little more than skin and bones, its belly sunken, its ribs protruding under her fingers. The once-sleek fur was matted and dull.

She had found Shendan during the Lantern Festival of the third year.

The children of the Li family had gone out to celebrate, spending their New Year’s money on various trinkets—jewelry, masks, toys. Only Li Zhi had returned with a small, abused black puppy she had bought from a farmer, enduring her siblings’ ridicule.

The only person who supported her decision had been her twin sister.

They had cleaned the puppy’s wounds together, applied medicine, and used their fingers to smear minced meat onto its mouth, teaching it to eat.

They had named it Shendan, wishing it a life free of illness and misfortune.

The once-clumsy puppy had grown into a bounding black dog, its tail wagging furiously whenever it saw them.

Shendan was loyal dog, a creature of simple instincts. Li Zhi had told it to wait at home, but all it knew was that its owner had disappeared. No matter the distance, no matter the hardship, it had chased after her trail.

No matter how much the world had changed, no matter whether she was a prisoner or a noble daughter, her dog’s eyes remained bright, reflecting its unwavering love for its master.

Li Zhi buried her face in Shendan’s neck.

Feeling the dampness on its fur, Shendan turned to lick her hand, its gestures as gentle as ever.

Pulling herself together, Li Zhi stood and returned to her family’s gathering place, Shendan by her side.

“Shendan!” Li Xiang stared at the large black dog Li Zhi had brought back, her eyes wide with disbelief.

The other members of the Li family turned their attention to the dog as well.

Madam Wang, restraining the excited Li Huizhi, looked uncharacteristically surprised. Normally stern, her expression softened ever so slightly.
“How did it manage to follow us here?”

Li Zhi smiled and patted Shendan’s head. “Its nose is sharp. It probably sniffed its way here.”

For once, Madam Wang refrained from lecturing her. Instead, she looked at Shendan with a rare moment of sentimentality. “Poor thing…”

Li Xiang struggled to her feet. Her face was sallow, and she had been ill for several days.
“Shendan, Shendan—you clever creature! You actually made it here.”

She squatted down in front of Shendan, stroking its head. The dog wagged its tail in response.

“Look at how skinny you’ve become. Why would you leave a wonderful place like the capital to follow us all the way here?” she said, pulling out a piece of steamed bun no larger than her pinky finger from her pocket.

“Xiang’er!” her birth mother, Madam Zheng, called out in alarm.

“It’s just a tiny piece. It’s fine,” Li Xiang said, holding the morsel out to Shendan. The dog sniffed it and quickly snatched it into its mouth.

Madam Zheng glared at her daughter furiously but, mindful of the other Li family members, refrained from causing a scene.

Li Jinzhi, the eldest son of the Li family and Madam Zheng’s son, stepped in to ease the tension.
“Mother, let Xiang’er be. It’s her ration, after all. It’s just a crumb—what harm could it do?”

The Li family’s dynamics were a web of simmering tensions. Li Qiaonian, the patriarch, had three sons: Li Jinzhi, born to his favored concubine Madam Zheng; Li Xiangsheng, from the nearly invisible Madam Zhu; and Li Huizhi, the youngest, born to Madam Wang, the legal wife. Though these sons rarely interfered in each other’s lives, their mothers had long been engaged in a silent battle of wits.

With Li Jinzhi’s interjection, Madam Zheng had no choice but to let the matter drop.

Li Zhi pulled out the half bun that Xie Lanxu had returned to her earlier and broke off a piece to offer Li Xiang.

Li Xiang’s face darkened instantly. “Why are you giving me this? I don’t want your charity!”

“Xiang’er!” Li Jinzhi scolded. “We’re all family. What’s the meaning of this?”

“I’m not family with her!” Li Xiang shouted angrily, glaring at Li Zhi. “If it weren’t for you, Li Xia wouldn’t have died—I’ll never forgive you!”

“Li Xiang!” Li Jinzhi’s sharp tone silenced her. She sat back down with a sour expression.

“Li Zhi, don’t mind your sister. She’s stubborn. Let her be. When hunger gets the better of her, she’ll realize who truly cares for her.”

Li Jinzhi walked over to Li Zhi and casually pocketed the bun piece that Li Xiang had refused. Li Zhi didn’t call him out on it.

“You’re not wrong, Xiang’er,” Li Zhi said with a faint smile.

“You’ve always been the kindest of us,” Li Jinzhi said, patting her shoulder. “Even sparing flowers when you walk by. I know what happened with Li Xia wasn’t intentional. Don’t blame yourself too much. For now, our priority is getting the family safely to Mingyue Tower.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Brother,” Li Zhi replied, still smiling.

Pleased, Li Jinzhi nodded. “Sit down and rest. You’ll need your strength for tomorrow’s journey.”

Li Zhi accepted his suggestion and sat beside him. She took the bun, now missing a small piece, and broke it into halves. One half she fed to Shendan, who devoured it eagerly.

The remaining piece, Li Zhi ate slowly, almost granule by granule. As the dry, hard crumbs absorbed her saliva, they finally released a faint, elusive sweetness.

Back in the capital, this would have been food even beggars would reject. But on the road to exile, it was a priceless treasure.

As Li Zhi ate, a thought occurred to her.

Why didn’t Xie Lanxu use the rations given to him by the guards to feed the dogs?

She glanced toward the lowered embroidered curtain of the carriage at the rear of the convoy. Perhaps she was overthinking it.

—–

Ahead, Zhen Qiao halted and turned to Xie Lanxu. “Go ahead, but be quick about it.”

Xie Lanxu gave a slight nod and headed toward a nearby thicket.

Even imperial grandsons couldn’t escape nature’s call. While other exiled people didn’t require escorting, Xie Lanxu did. The consequences of losing a regular prisoner and those of losing an imperial grandson were worlds apart. Fortunately, the former crown prince’s lingering prestige meant the guards treated him with grudging respect, keeping their distance while he relieved himself.

Walking a few paces ahead, Xie Lanxu glanced back to ensure Zhen Qiao wasn’t watching. He pulled out the ration he had been given that morning and discreetly tossed it into the bushes. Then, he bent down to gather what looked like safe-to-eat wild herbs and leaves, tucking them into his robes.

After a leisurely 15- 30 minutes, Xie Lanxu returned to Zhen Qiao before the guard’s patience could wear thin.

Back in the carriage, Xie Lanxu took out the wild greens he had picked and gently dusted off the dirt with his fingers. Without hesitation, he tore off a leaf and placed it directly into his mouth.

Expressionless, he chewed the bitter greens, forcing himself to swallow each bite like a lifeless automaton. He consumed the entire plant, stem and all, despite the bitter juices triggering waves of nausea. Suppressing his body’s instincts, he began on the next handful of herbs.

By the time the moonlight streamed through the carriage window, Xie Lanxu had finished the pile of greens and leaves.

—-

Outside, the stray dogs roamed restlessly, their howls cutting through the night.

Xie Lanxu picked up the small piece of bun Li Zhi had given him earlier. His pale fingers crumbled a bit of it into fine crumbs.

For a long moment, he stared at the tiny crumbs in the moonlight. Then, slowly, he brought them to his lips and let his tongue absorb their faint sweetness.

The taste was fleeting, barely perceptible, yet it filled his mouth. He held himself back, suppressing the roaring hunger within. Finally, he tossed the remaining bun to the dogs outside.

As he watched the pack fight over the scraps, their snarls and saliva flying in the moonlight, Xie Lanxu’s gaze turned icy.

No matter what trials lay ahead, no matter the suffering—

He would be the one to reach Mingyue Tower alive.