As the mao hour approached, a hint of grayish-white gradually appeared on the horizon.
The pale golden morning sun pierced through the clouds, creating a fiery red color near the horizon.
Yan Zhe found two horses tied up overnight under the locust tree, one of which had a finely crafted, crimson saddle, decorated with patterns that seemed to be specially made for military officers above the regiment.
As soon as he untied the rope, a clear whistle sounded in the woods.
As if spirited, the crimson horse neighed in response, shook its mane, and trotted into the depths of the forest.
Everyone was surprised, and they followed the crimson horse into the woods.
In the early morning of the end of June, a hint of mist lingered in the mountain forest, exuding a rare and fresh beauty.
When Yan Ruoxu and Lu Yuanzhe climbed out of the abandoned ice cellar, the sky was already getting brighter. She was still wrapped in Lu Yuanzhe's outer robe, but she still felt cold and her head was heavy, probably from catching a chill last night, and now she felt a bit feverish.
Lu Yuanzhe walked in front, wearing only a close-fitting white undergarment, knowing that even when it was bright, the pursuit team from the Xiao family would still be ordered to withdraw, but he dared not let his guard down and remained cautious all the way.
It wasn't until they reached the foot of the mountain that Lu Yuanzhe whistled, and he heard a response from his horse. He couldn't help but smile, but before the smile could fade from his face, the horse galloped up to him on its own.
Lu Yuanzhe patted the horse's neck. "Old boy, sorry to keep you waiting for so long."
He helped Yan Ruoxu onto the horse and led the horse in front, looking at the increasingly open road ahead, finally feeling some relief both physically and mentally.
Yan Ruoxu showed a tired smile, with one hand hugging the horse's neck, and whispered softly in its ear, "I shouldn't have hit you last night, I feel really guilty about that. What should I give you as a reward? How about a pair of solid gold horseshoes?"
Lu Yuanzhe found her rambling amusing, but before he could make a joking remark, he saw Yan Ruoxu looking serious and sitting up straight on the horse.
Following her gaze, Lu Yuanzhe turned to look ahead and saw three groups of riders lined up in the middle of the not-so-wide mountain road.
The leader was none other than Yan Zhè, the young lord who was worried that he might stir up trouble when searching for someone. He stared at the disheveled pair, his face turning red with anger, then glared at Lu Yuanzhe fiercely.
But Lu Yuanzhe's gaze was not on the furious young lord, instead, he saw Xiao Yanchen in the crowd and the two of them exchanged a silent look despite the ten or so meters between them.
"Lu Yuanzhe, you bastard!" The young man's movements were very agile, and a bright silver sword flashed out and swiftly struck towards Lu Yuanzhe.
Lu Yuanzhe dodged the angry strike and took a step back, realizing very well that last night's events were probably not going to end well.
"Yan Zhè!" Yan Ruoxu stopped the young lord who was on the verge of losing control, "Go back to the palace first."
Yan Zhè already had at least ten different guesses in his mind, each of which made him extremely indignant. He sheathed his sword and restrained the urge to beat up Lu Yuanzhe, then reached out to hold Yan Ruoxu's hand, "Sister, are you alright?"
"It's okay," Yan Ruoxu shook her head.
After a night of hardship, the massive group finally dispersed before sunrise. Each person who participated in the search operation received a reward, along with a strict order from their master to keep quiet about the matter.
Yan Ruoxu boarded the carriage that had been prepared early on, absentmindedly holding the ginger soup brought to her by Zhuier.
From the tentative or speechless gaze of Zhuier and Yan Zhè, she could already guess what they wanted to ask. But how could she explain, especially to the Xiao family? Any explanation might not dispel Xiao's suspicions of the two of them.
Yan Ruoxu couldn't help but feel a headache, closed her eyes and sighed deeply.
Zhuier, who had been frightened all night, had never seen Yan Ruoxu in such a disheveled state. She handed over a fox fur coat that was only worn in winter and choked up, "Princess, your clothes are dirty. Put this on, it'll keep you warm."
Hearing this, Yan Ruoxu looked down at the muddy men's robe and rubbed her temples, "Zhuier, it's indeed time to change this dirty robe, but the fur coat you have is too thick. I'm just a little sick, not on my deathbed."
Zhuier sniffled, her eyes brimming with tears that were about to spill over. She seemed unwilling for Yan Ruoxu to see her cry, so she turned her face and wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.
Yan Ruoxu, seeing this, felt anxious and understood what it meant to be "unable to wash away one's sins even if one jumps into the Yellow River."
Once inside the palace, a physician immediately came forward to check her pulse and prescribed several cooling medicines.
Yan Ruoxu, with a heavy head, was supported by the maidservants to bathe and change clothes. When she soaked in the hot bath, her head felt even more heavy.
After finally managing to drink a large bowl of bitter medicine, she lay down on the bed to rest. Before she could even close her eyes, Yan Zhè, who had been waiting outside the door for a long time, pushed the door open and came in with a determined look, "Sister!"
Yan Ruoxu lifted her heavy eyelids and barely saw Yan Zhè's face, her voice somewhat weak, "What is it?"
"I want to ask you, did you go there willingly last night or did Lu Yuanzhe force you to go?" Yan Zhè looked resolute and patted the sword at his waist. "If he forced you, I will go kill him!"
Yan Ruoxu felt even more drowsy, and her eyes were full of helplessness. "He didn't force me. There are some difficulties to explain in this matter. I'll tell you later."
After pacifying her concerned younger brother, Yan Ruoxu finally found peace and fell into a deep sleep.
Near the Xiao family's orchard on the outskirts of the imperial city, people had not yet dispersed.
Lu Yuanhan sat on his horse, looking down from a high vantage point, surveying his not-so-familiar older brother. There was a faint smile outlining his eyes and brows, "Lu Yuanzhe, you haven't been in the capital for long, but every time you come back, you manage to stir up some trouble."
Lu Yuanzhe's face remained dark, and he did not respond to his younger brother's obviously mocking remark. He took the outer robe handed to him by the family servant and mounted his horse in silence.
The two brothers did not have much affection for each other, and if not for some kind of restraint, apart from their blood ties, there was nothing else between them but mutual aversion and dislike. There was no deep-rooted enmity that could not be resolved, only mutual antipathy.
Lu Yuanhan watched Lu Yuanzhe's retreating figure, knowing that today there would be another tumultuous event at their family mansion. Since Lu Yuanzhe's return to the capital before the new year, there was not a single day of peace at home. However, family matters were kept secret, and many things did not spread outside.
Having followed his father since he was young, there were occasional misbehaviors, and he was sometimes punished with kneeling in the ancestral hall or copying military books, and these punishments already seemed severe to him.
Lu Yuanhan understood the principle of stopping at the right point. A mistake punished often did not happen again.
But Lu Yuanzhe was completely the opposite. After being punished, he would become even more incorrigible and would surely repeat his mistakes. Every time, Lu Ruqing, a man of great composure, was so infuriated that he lost his temper at Lu Yuanzhe's antics.
The most serious incident was during the Lantern Festival after the new year.
At that time, it was also the most notorious and increasingly scandalous period rumored about Lu Yuanzhe, who had supposedly made a solemn vow to spend his life with a handsome man and never marry or have children for the sake of a beautiful man.
Rumor is spreading wildly, and amidst the grapevine, it has been exaggerated and embellished, to the point where Lu Yuanzhe has become a hero. He has fought fiercely for a forbidden love, which could be described as legendary.
Lu Ruqing attaches great importance to the reputation of the Lu family. They are not as deeply rooted in the imperial city as the Xu family. To establish themselves in a group of arrogant and privileged noble families, they need to be cautious every step of the way.
After years of building an image, it was all ruined by this unfilial son with a peach-colored symbol, a different color at that. How could Lu Ruqing not be furious?
"Qingge, tomorrow ask Shen Ran to go to the accounting room to collect some money, and let him go back to Xu County. A twenty-year-old man should go back and start a family and career."
At the Lantern Festival reunion banquet, Lu Ruqing, after drinking a few cups of clear wine, was slightly tipsy and suddenly addressed Lu Yuanzhe about the recent troubling rumors.
Upon hearing this, the people at the table were all surprised, even cautious in their chewing.
Shen Ran is another key figure in the rumors, a distant relative of Lu Yuanzhe's birth mother, Madam Shen. After his mother's death, Lu Yuanzhe accompanied Shen Ran to the capital. Shen Ran's family had encountered a tragedy, and he had been adopted by Lu Yuanzhe's mother at the age of five or six. Lu Yuanzhe had always treated him like a brother.
Lu Ruqing knew that Shen Ran was an orphan with no family. How could he be sent back to Xu County? Wasn't it just because of those baseless rumors tarnishing his honor as a general?
"He doesn't need to go back. General Lu has arranged for me to go to guard the Yaoji Mountains, and I will take Shen Ran with me." Lu Yuanzhe smiled, took a sip of wine, and pushed back his father's command with ease.
But that's not all. At today's private banquet in the mansion, when Lu Yuanzhe did not address his son as a father, but referred to him by his title, it was obviously a slap in the face for Lu Ruqing.
Lu Ruqing's previously calm expression changed, and with the mention of "General Lu," a fierce and piercing gaze was directed at Lu Yuanzhe, causing his chest to rise and fall in anger.
Everyone present understood that this was a sign of Lu Ruqing's impending anger, but no one dared to step forward and advise him.
Lu Yuanzhe, seemingly oblivious, poured himself another cup of wine and drank it with an indifferent air, once again provoking Lu Ruqing.
"You dare!" he stood up, pointing a finger at Lu Yuanzhe's nose, his eyes almost spewing fire.
"Oh, where do you see the audacity?" Lu Yuanzhe put down his cup and stood up. With a smile that was not quite a smile, he said that he could not leave Shen Ran alone in Xu County. Lu Ruqing's attitude of vigorously upholding an empty reputation was something he found intolerable.
The two men stood facing each other, each filled with their own indignation.
Lu Ruqing, a civil official, had been educated in the ways of the virtuous and believed in using virtue to conquer others. However, in front of Lu Yuanzhe, his years of discipline failed him. He lifted a wine pot from the table and smashed it fiercely on the ground, angrily proclaiming, "Bring the family's discipline! If I don't discipline this ungrateful son today, I would be letting down the ancestors of the Lu family!"
At this point, Lu Yuanhan snorted coldly. It seemed that the two broken military sticks from that night were in vain. Lu Yuanzhe didn't care at all. Tough bones, wasn't it? I'd like to see how you will end up today.
"Let's go!" Lu Yuanhan clapped his horse and followed the rest of the troops towards the Lu mansion.