Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The snow wasn’t heavy, but I had found it too bothersome to let Xiao Mian hold an umbrella for me. Because of the delay from my encounter with Shen Guichi on the road, a thin layer of snow had settled on my shoulders and hair by the time I reached my mother’s quarters. Mother hurriedly called for the servants to help me out of my cloak, handed me a silver-threaded hand warmer, and beckoned me closer, pushing a cup of hot milk toward me.

“Aren’t you cold? You don’t even know to have a maid hold an umbrella when it’s snowing this hard. What would I do if you caught a chill?” Though her words were a reprimand, her face was full of concern.

“I won’t catch a chill.” Before I could finish, a soft sob escaped my throat. I quickly took a sip of the hot milk, using the rising steam to hide the tears that were on the verge of falling.

At this age, I was the apple of the Song Family’s eye; they couldn’t even bear to see me dusted with a little snow. Later, during a winter years from now, I would travel thousands of miles to find a doctor for Shen Guichi. I would lose my way, both myself and my horse, nearly freezing to death in the snow, and there would be no one left to ask, “Yanshu, are you cold?”

Mother reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair back behind my ear, her voice gentle. “That marriage contract with the Shen Family doesn’t count for anything. I will discuss it with your father later. We will find a way to resolve this engagement properly for you.”

This engagement between Shen Guichi and me had been set by our grandfathers. Unfortunately, the Shen Family’s fortunes had declined until only Shen Guichi remained, alone and destitute. If the Song Family broke the engagement now, they would be branded as snobs who favored the rich and despised the poor, tarnishing my father’s lifelong reputation.

“Yanshu, Mother only hopes you find a husband who suits your heart and that you live a peaceful, smooth life.”

I reached out and took my mother’s hand; it was so warm. I felt my tears about to fall, so I forced my lips into a smile.

I didn’t care about finding a husband who suited my heart, nor did I seek a peaceful life for myself. I only wished for the Song Manor to remain in peace, spared from the undeserved suffering of my previous life.

Mother sighed. “Today is the Winter Solstice. We should have had a grand celebration, but because of that Shen boy, everyone in the manor is upset, so it was set aside. Your brother went to the training grounds outside the city early this morning to practice martial arts, venting his frustrations there. It’s a bleak sight.”

My hand tightened around the cup. My eyes widened as I asked in a trembling voice, “Today is the Winter Solstice?”

I finally remembered-today was indeed the Winter Solstice. On this day in my past life, something terrible happened. The current Emperor’s younger brother, Lu Yuan, was ordered to leave the capital, only to fall into an ambush. He didn’t die, but he was left with a crippled leg. My brother had rushed to his rescue upon hearing the news, but in his haste and lack of preparation, he nearly lost his life. He was left with a permanent ailment; the young man who should have commanded the winds and clouds spent half his life bedridden.

The winter Shen Guichi arrived was spent by the Song Family in such a dismal atmosphere. People called Shen Guichi a jinx, saying he cursed his parents at home and brought disaster to the young masters of the Song Family once he arrived.

I set down the cup and closed my eyes to steady my mind. When I opened them again, they were sparkling with a smile. “Mother, I want to go out of the city to see Brother. Prepare some of the sweet glutinous rice balls he likes. He’s likely in a bad mood, so I’ll go check on him.”

I had always been pampered at home, so Mother was unlikely to refuse such a request. She glanced at the sky outside; fortunately, the snow had stopped. Still, she frowned. “In such cold weather…”

Anxiety burned in my heart, but I continued to coax her. Eventually, she nodded. I stood up and headed straight out.

I wouldn’t take a carriage; they were too slow. It was already past noon. I remembered that it was just as dusk began to fall that my brother was brought back covered in blood. If I didn’t hurry, it would be too late.

I had a horse named Zhuxue. She was white as snow all over and could chase the clouds and the moon. I sent my most capable guard to the military camp first, while I set out to intercept Lu Yuan. I owed Lu Yuan a life; this time, I would pay him back.

The north wind whistled past my ears as I rode Zhuxue through Shangjing, out the city gates, and toward Shili Pavilion. The wind was so cold it made my chest ache as I breathed it in, but I snapped the whip to increase my speed.

In my previous life, after the Emperor died of illness, the young heir was only three years old. It was Lu Yuan who served as the Regent Prince, stabilizing the court alongside Shen Guichi. The two were bitter political rivals, like the tip of a needle to the edge of a blade. Lu Yuan had a crippled leg, and though he walked with a cold face and a limp in court, no one dared to show him disrespect. Yet, I had once mocked him to his face, calling him the “Lame Prince.”

And yet, it was he who-when Song Ying and I were both captured by enemies and Shen Guichi only sent five chests of gold and silver-shot the enemy dead with a single arrow and saved my life.

I have always been clear about my debts and grudges. I died by my own hand before I had the chance to repay him. This time, I will ensure his legs remain sound. I hope he remains noble and that no one ever laughs at his infirmity again.

The biting wind howled. The snow had come early this year, leaving the city outskirts deserted, with nothing but a vast expanse of white beneath a leaden sky. I urged my horse onward at a gallop. My constitution was delicate, and as I licked my lips, I tasted a faint hint of blood. After being buffeted by this wind, I didn’t know how long it would take to heal my chapped face. I pushed on, and finally, Shili Pavilion appeared ahead. Seeing several people resting inside, I finally allowed myself to relax. A little further past Shili Pavilion was the place where the bandits lay in ambush.

My robes fluttered in the gale, and the silver hairpins at my temples jingled. As I dismounted, I noticed someone leaning against a pillar in the pavilion, watching me for a long time. He wore purple robes with a jade belt, and a jade pendant carved with the character ‘Yuan’ hung from his waist. His long hair was tied high, with a few loose strands at his temples dancing in the wind. Lu Yuan was strikingly handsome, with brows that swept toward his temples and long, narrow eyes that now held a hint of unrestrained arrogance. Beneath his high nose, his thin lips were slightly curved. He possessed a natural, youthful elegance that even this harsh winter could not obscure.

I froze. The Lu Yuan I had known in the past was somber, his methods cruel and uncompromising. I hadn’t realized that before his legs were broken, he had been such a spirited youth.

He looked down at me from his elevated position. His trusted subordinates found it a novelty to see a young lady out in this wilderness; they looked at me, then at Lu Yuan, exclaiming in surprise, “The Young Prince is truly popular. Even as we leave the capital, there’s a noble lady rushing to see him off.”

Lu Yuan tilted his chin slightly, his narrow eyes crinkling as he curled his lips into a half-smile, watching me with an inscrutable gaze.

I turned back to take a food box from Zhuxue’s back. Stepping forward, I covered my face, feigning bashfulness. “Today is the Winter Solstice, and I’m sure Your Highness hasn’t had a chance to eat any yuanxiao yet. I’ve come to see Your Highness off to fulfill the desires of my admiring heart.” As I spoke the last few words, I took two more steps forward and held the food box out to Lu Yuan. However, my foot slipped on the snow. With a small cry, I lunged toward Lu Yuan’s embrace, only to be caught by his hand firmly gripping my arm, preventing me from getting an inch closer.

Lu Yuan gritted out, “Have some self-respect, Miss,” before casting a cold glance at his subordinates, who were watching the scene with wide eyes. They immediately looked away.

Taking advantage of the proximity, I whispered, “Poison. A traitor. An ambush.”

Lu Yuan was skilled in both scholarly and martial arts. However, in my past life, he had been crippled for two reasons: first, a traitor among his inner circle had severely wounded him from behind; second, he had been poisoned. The poison wasn’t inherently fatal, but it would trigger once he circulated his internal energy, seeping into his meridians. In my past life, I had learned all this in detail to help Shen Guichi-even the initial recipe for the antidote. In the end, that knowledge was now serving Lu Yuan.

His eyes darkened. He lifted my chin with one hand, and a cold gleam from a hidden blade in his sleeve looked ready to slide out and slit my throat. I met his gaze without flinching and repeated, “I am the legitimate daughter of Chancellor Song. Since Your Highness thinks so little of me, you should at least eat this bowl of yuanxiao I prepared with such care. Only then will I let this heart of mine give up.”

I opened the food box, and a delicious aroma wafted out. I picked up one of the round, white dumplings and ate it myself. “It’s not poisoned.”

I was gambling that he trusted my father, Chancellor Song.

His dark eyes searched mine for a long time before he let out a soft chuckle and took the food box from my hands. When a subordinate tried to intervene, he waved them off with a smile. “She’s just a young girl; there’s no harm.” He likely ate with some reluctance, but his eyebrows quirked up after the first bite. My cooking had always been excellent.

Lu Yuan looked elegant as he lowered his eyes to eat, showing none of the ‘God of Death’ demeanor he had in my past life. Bored while waiting, I rested my face in my hands and said with a beaming smile, “Since Your Highness has eaten my yuanxiao, you must have some feelings for me. It just so happens that I am not yet wed…”

Before I could finish, Lu Yuan nearly choked. He looked up at me with a flash of flustered panic and spat out a dark “Shut up.” His subordinates couldn’t help but chuckle nearby.

By the time he finished, I took the food box back. I had already notified my brother about the dangers of this location, and he was likely on his way. I had also hidden the antidote inside the filling of the yuanxiao to neutralize the poison in Lu Yuan’s system, so everything should be fine now.

The snow began to fall sparsely again. I shivered from the cold, but mounting my horse felt unusually light. As I turned to ride away, someone called out to me. I looked back. The wind whistled through the pavilion where Lu Yuan stood, snow swirling around his feet. He asked indifferently, “What is your name?”

With a weight lifted from my heart, I was naturally in high spirits. I gave him a rare, bright smile. “Song Yanshu. My name is Song Yanshu.”