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墨書 Inktalez
She had a restless sleep, and by the time she woke up, it was already bright outside.
She was covered with a blanket that he had tucked around her last night, but now it was on her. She tried to get up but felt sore all over; if it weren't for the absence of any wounds, she would have suspected that Zhong Xue had taken the opportunity to beat her while she slept.
After folding the blanket neatly and putting it in the drawer, she lifted the carriage curtain and asked outside, "Where did Lord Jun go?"
A guard replied, "Lord Jun is feeling frustrated in the carriage and has gone horseback riding."
She looked outside to see Zhong Xue riding a horse, still appearing half-asleep. She couldn't help but sigh; it was her fault for making him so upset, no wonder he was unwilling to be with her.
She was concerned about Ji Xun's well-being and kept urging everyone to hurry along. Zhong Xue grew impatient with her nagging and simply let her have her way; if she wanted to rest, she could rest, and if she wanted to move on, they would move on. If she wanted to exhaust everyone, so be it.
The group hurried along and soon entered the territory of Zhao Kingdom.
Zhong Xue was from Wei Kingdom and needed a suitable reason to enter Zhao Kingdom. He had found a good excuse: bringing his wife for a family visit. Of course, this wife was not her but rather his legally married wife, Princess Ying of Zhao Kingdom. He specifically brought Princess Ying from Wei Kingdom so that he could smoothly enter Zhao Palace.
As an outsider, it was inappropriate for him to meddle in their domestic affairs; however, as Zhao's son-in-law, he could speak more freely.
San Chun understood this principle but still felt uncomfortable seeing him laugh with Princess He Ying.
Although she wouldn't admit it out loud, in her heart, she had long accepted that he was the one. Her fate with Ji Xun had come to an end; saving him was purely to repay his kindness.
Princess Ying was very happy to see Chengyang Jun; her chubby face was full of smiles as she continuously adjusted her clothes, appearing quite nervous. Although she and Zhong Xue were married, they had never consummated their marriage and had met no more than five times, so seeing him inevitably made her feel awkward.
Zhong Xue didn't care about Princess He Ying at all; in his eyes, everyone else was utterly boring except for the woman he loved. He only pretended to be affectionate towards others just to provoke her. If she could have other men, why couldn't he?
Noticing San Chun peeking at them from a distance, he smirked slightly. So she dared to look at him.
He took Princess Ying's hand and said affectionately, "Princess, I've been busy with battles these days and haven't had time to see you. I truly apologize for making you feel wronged."
Princess Ying covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, "As long as Lord Jun remembers me, I'm... not wronged."
"You truly are understanding," he replied.
"For Lord Jun, this is what I should do."
Zhong Xue glanced to the side again; San Chun was still watching and seemed to have no intention of avoiding it.
He pretended not to see and continued to hold Princess Ying's hand affectionately. "It's been a long time since I've been home. Do you miss it?"
"I do miss home. Thank you, Lord Jun, for bringing me back."
Zhong Xue smiled and said, "I just won a victory in battle and was going to bring some good gifts for your father. It is only right to bring you along."
Princess Ying bowed her head. "Thank you, Lord Jun."
"That's only natural. We are husband and wife, and your Zhao Kingdom is also related by marriage. If there are benefits, we should naturally share them with your Zhao Kingdom."
Even without the matter of saving Ji Xun, he would have come to Zhao Kingdom. The Wei Kingdom had conquered the Chu Kingdom, which was like a big pie falling into his lap. If he were to swallow that pie alone, there would be plenty of jealousy. If he didn't share some of the sweetness with others, it wouldn't be good. Therefore, this trip to Zhao Kingdom was necessary; even if he didn't come himself, he would send someone else.
This time it was for the sake of national interests; as for being coerced by San Chun, he would rather die than admit it.
The news of the princess returning home had spread as soon as they entered the country, and Handan received the news and sent a team of guards to welcome them from several miles away.
The Six Young Masters of Zhao personally led the welcoming party.
During this trip to Handan, San Chun felt that it was better not to show her face and disguised herself as a soldier hidden among the attendants. So aside from Zhong Xue, no one else knew she was there.
Seeing Ji Yan outside Handan City, San Chun was not surprised at all. The two of them had always had a somewhat conspiratorial relationship; Ji Yan would definitely not fall behind in openly showing his enthusiasm.
As soon as these two met, they were particularly warm with each other, like old friends. Ji Yan smiled and said, "I heard that Lord Jun just won a great victory; how fortunate indeed."
Zhong Xue replied, "The Chu Kingdom has enmity with us; it was only a matter of time before we went to war with them."
He took Ji Yan's hand and said, "This time we indeed won a victory and exchanged quite a few good things. I was anxious and came over first; several carts of goods will be sent to your residence shortly."
The two exchanged a smile, understanding each other without words.
Zhong Xue had always been skilled at navigating social situations. No matter which country he visited, he would shower the influential figures of the day with gifts, as if his family had an endless supply of money. This time in Handan was no different; there were a hundred carriages accompanying him, all filled with presents for the State of Zhao. Perhaps this was his way of sweetening the deal.
It was no wonder he had earned a reputation for being immensely wealthy. However, according to San Chun, this was merely a facade; his actual treasury was nearly empty, and even if there were funds, they were likely allocated for military expenses.
After settling into the inn upon entering the city, San Chun sought out Zhong Xue to ask when he would release the captured individuals.
Zhong Xue replied coldly, "Do you think it's as simple as letting out a cat or dog?"
"That depends on who it is. For Lord Jun, there’s nothing that can stump you," he said. He was a favored figure in front of the King of Zhao, and rescuing someone should be just a matter of words.
"Flattery won't help," Zhong Xue scoffed before walking out.
Ji Yan was hosting a banquet at his residence that evening; Zhong Xue likely went to attend.
Having come this far, San Chun knew it was pointless to urge him further and could only wait quietly at the inn.
In the following days, Zhong Xue was extremely busy, hardly spending any time at the inn. It seemed there were endless meals and social gatherings to attend. Whenever he returned home drunk, he would vomit profusely.
San Chun knew that his tolerance for alcohol wasn't great and that drinking so much was detrimental to his health. She advised him several times, but he refused to listen.
She couldn't help but sigh inwardly, wondering if this stubborn fellow still hadn't calmed down.
One day, Zhao Wang hosted a banquet in the palace to drink merrily with Chengyang Jun.
When she wanted to accompany him into the palace, Zhong Xue refused, saying, "If you behave, leave Zhao and go wait for me in Wei Kingdom. I will rescue Ji Xun for you."
San Chun shook her head. "If you don't leave, I won't either."
He sneered, "It's not that he won't leave; it's that you won't leave."
He waved his sleeve and walked a few steps, but feeling uneasy, he stopped again. "Don't blame me for not reminding you, something big is about to happen in Zhao. At that time, I might not be able to take care of you alone."
San Chun was startled. "What is going to happen? Are you conspiring with Ji Yan to rebel?"
Zhong Xue shot her a glance. "You really have a vivid imagination."
If it’s not this, then what could it be?
She thought deeply for a moment and finally grasped his deeper meaning. In fact, having Ji Yan ascend to the throne would not benefit Zhong Xue much. The best idea would be to stir up the chaos in Zhao even more, waiting for those vying for power to fight until they were bloodied and exhausted. Then he could strike decisively and reap the benefits. By that time, conquering Zhao would be as easy as taking candy from a child.
If that were the case, then once the situation in Zhao became chaotic, it would indeed be very dangerous for them to stay here. Not everyone in Zhao would buy into his schemes, nor would everyone play by his rules; they might encounter some unexpected events that could cost them their lives.
Of course, this was all her speculation. She didn’t know what Zhong Xue was truly thinking. But right now, she couldn’t afford to think too much; she couldn’t leave here at ease without rescuing Ji Xun.
During these days, besides inquiring about Ji Xun's situation in prison, she also had people looking around for that outsider who claimed Ji Xun's life was short. She had to find a way to save him—not only to rescue him from prison but also to cure his illness.
The person she heard mentioned last time was called Yuzhen. The name sounded increasingly familiar; it seemed that a friend of Master Yu Rong, who taught her painting back then, was also named Yuzhen.
Grabbing her hair and thinking hard, she realized she should have heard Master Yu Rong mention this person before. Yuzhen was already half-immortal, knowledgeable in literature and geography, understanding human nature, and specialized in researching rare items. The jade pendant Master Yu Rong gifted her seemed to be Yuzhen's cherished possession.
Now that she had a lead, she needed to search thoroughly—not just by herself but also sending out the warriors of Wei Kingdom.
In fact, when she was about to leave Handan last time, she had contacted the shopkeeper of the inn to help find this person.
However, at that time, she hadn’t thought of so much information and didn’t know what the person looked like or what name they went by; it would have been strange if those people could find him.
Perhaps they were just pitying her plight; after all, it was like a blind person trying to feel an elephant—she had indeed stumbled upon something by chance.
Meeting Yuzhen was also unexpected; she had been tired from searching and happened to buy two buns on the street.
Just as she picked one up and took a bite, she heard someone behind her say, "Are the buns good?"
She turned around and saw a man in his fifties sniffing at her, with drool at the corner of his mouth that seemed ready to drip onto the ground. He looked like someone who hadn't eaten for days.
San Chun handed over another bun, "Do you want to eat?"
The man shook his head, "I won't eat the bun, but if you invite me to have something else, that would be fine."
This person was gentle and refined, and he didn't seem like someone who would deceive others for food and drink. Perhaps he had encountered some trouble.
San Chun handed him a string of silver coins and said, "I have matters to attend to today and need to find someone. I will invite you for drinks another day. Please use this string of coins for tea."
The man took the money and tucked it into his pocket. "Another day is fine, but I have one question to ask you."
"Please go ahead, sir."
"I must ask you, have you ever died once?"
San Chun was startled. "How did you know, sir?"
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