Chapter 247
Chapter 247
After resting another night at Mingyue Villa, they set off for Liangzhou City.
Below Mount Yuebei, the snow still stretched in a vast white expanse. The villa and deserted post station soon faded into it until they vanished from sight.
The snowy road was rough. By the time they reached Liangzhou City’s outskirts, the sky was growing dark.
Everyone looked forward to finding somewhere to stay inside the city and having a proper meal.
But soldiers stopped them at the gate.
“Everyone out of the carriage. Routine inspection!”
Yu Lang was driving. As the Junior Minister of Dali Temple, he was accustomed to traveling freely. When had he ever encountered anything like this?
Yet Lord Ren had instructed them not to reveal their identities for the time being. They needed to investigate the situation inside the city first.
So no one argued. They got down from the carriage one after another.
Once outside, they discovered a considerable crowd blocking the gate.
Everyone entering or leaving had to undergo a thorough search.
Yu Lang said quietly, “I never expected Liangzhou City to be so tightly guarded. It is even stricter than Shangjing.”
Ren Fengjue replied, “Something must have happened suddenly. It was not like this when I entered yesterday…”
At this, Yu Lang immediately craned his neck to look ahead.
The snow was still falling. Seeing how badly the gate was blocked, Ren Fengjue reckoned they would not get through anytime soon and glanced at Xia Ximo standing in the snow.
He instructed Axia, “Fetch my cloak from the carriage.”
Axia went at once.
But as soon as Ren Fengjue received it, he walked straight to Xia Ximo and put it around her.
A man’s cloak was far too large for Xia Ximo’s slender frame.
And Ren Fengjue was taller than most men, so his was larger still.
Now draped over Xia Ximo, it almost covered her completely.
Just then, a group approached through the snow.
At their head was a young woman in a purple cloak and black leather boots, carrying a whip.
With her aggressive air and the well-trained personal guards following her, she looked at first glance as though she had come to cause trouble.
Then Yu Lang suddenly spoke. “Oh, no. I nearly forgot she was in Liangzhou City too!”
Yan Zhengchu could not resist asking, “You know her?”
Yu Lang glanced at Ren Fengjue and lowered his voice. “As it happens, she is one of the Young Marquis’s… admirers.”
“What?”
Sure enough, the next moment a clear voice rang out. “Ren Fengjue! I told you I would recognize you even if you were burned to ashes.”
“…”
At those words, Yu Lang fought desperately to keep the corners of his mouth down. He wanted to laugh but dared not, and the effort was considerable.
Ren Fengjue, by contrast, remained composed. “Princess Fenghua. It has been a long time.”
Princess Fenghua, Zhao Wan, was the current emperor’s own niece and the eldest legitimate daughter of the late Prince Wu.
Two years older than Princess Ding’an, Zhao Wan had just turned seventeen.
She had spent several childhood years in the palace and had known Ren Fengjue since they were small.
But Princess Fenghua had a fierce temper and was even more willful and unreasonable than Princess Ding’an.
Her reason for “liking” the Ren Family’s Young Marquis was strange too: it was entirely because her younger cousin, the princess, liked him.
Ever since childhood, she had demanded a share of whatever Princess Ding’an had.
Remembering his late elder brother, Emperor Qingkang had always shown this niece particular favor.
During his years at the palace school, Ren Fengjue had been constantly pestered by the two cousins.
The difference was that Princess Ding’an called him “Brother Feng” at every turn and treated him with a fair measure of respect.
Princess Fenghua was different. She always called him directly by name, and when angry, she added all manner of absurd nicknames that made people laugh.
Three years had passed since they last met.
Princess Fenghua had grown much taller and blossomed into a radiant beauty. Her temper, however, had not changed at all.
She walked straight up to Ren Fengjue and looked him over, then suddenly frowned. “Why are you still so much taller than me?”
“I have grown taller these past few years too.”
Ren Fengjue merely smiled, his tone mild and plainly maintaining a proper distance. “I did not expect to meet you here, Princess.”
Then he glanced at the personal guards behind her.
They were unlike the Golden Feather Guards in the capital. All had been selected from the Golden Plume Army specifically to protect Princess Fenghua.
The Golden Plume Army was the elite force Prince Wu had built himself.
When Princess Fenghua first heard that the Ren Family’s Young Marquis had been taken to its camp for training, she had invented all kinds of excuses to insist on visiting him there.
Zhao Wan replied, “A thief broke into my residence and stole quite a few things. I am hunting for the culprit.”
Beside them, Yu Lang immediately understood.
No wonder there was such a sudden commotion. Someone had offended Princess Fenghua.
But Ren Fengjue said, “I recall that troops from the Golden Plume Army have always been stationed at Prince Wu’s Mansion. How did a thief get in?”
Zhao Wan’s fine brows arched, and she immediately cursed. “I do not know who had the nerve, but if I catch the wretch, I will whip his skin to ribbons.”
At this, the people nearby could not help glancing at the supple whip in her hand.
“Oh, right!”
Compared with catching the thief, Zhao Wan was clearly more interested in Ren Fengjue’s arrival. “Why have you suddenly come to Liangzhou City? Did you make the journey especially to see me?”
As she spoke, her eyes swept over the people behind him, from Yu Lang to Yan Zhengchu, then Axia, before finally settling on Xia Ximo.
“Who are these people?” she asked.
Yu Lang stepped forward to speak, but Zhao Wan said, “You need no introduction. I recognize you. Your name is Yu Lang.”
“I am honored that you remember, Princess.”
Ren Fengjue began the introductions. “This is Daoist Yan of Mount Yunhe.”
Yan Zhengchu cupped his hands in greeting. “This humble Daoist, Yan Zhengchu, pays his respects to Princess Fenghua.”
Zhao Wan merely nodded. Then she pointed at Xia Ximo a short distance away. “What I want to know is who she is.”
Xia Ximo was wearing Ren Fengjue’s cloak. The hood concealed half her face, leaving only a little of her chin and her slender neck visible.
But her skin was fair and fine, making it obvious at a glance that she was a woman.
Zhao Wan had never seen any woman around Ren Fengjue. It was said that he did not even keep maids in his residence in the capital.
Yet a man like him had brought a woman on a long journey?
Highly suspicious!
Ren Fengjue glanced at Xia Ximo as well, then introduced her with great solemnity. “This is General Xia’s daughter, Xia Ximo.”
Zhao Wan’s expression changed at once.
“Her surname is Xia?”
She had already guessed something of the woman’s identity.
Ren Fengjue’s rumored fiancée, promised to him before they were born, was the daughter of Xia Qing, the Great General Protecting the State.
Yet he had never mentioned her before.
Rumor in the capital had it that the Young Marquis was dissatisfied with the match but could not prevail against his parents.
And the Xia Family’s daughter was a sickly creature who might perish any day.
But now Ren Fengjue had actually brought her along on his travels?