Chapter 319: Birthday 1 on March 9
Fengyu hadn’t expected Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin to personally deliver her birthday gift. The two arrived in West Continent with just a dozen men, pushing their horses hard along the way. As soon as they dismounted, Fengyu dashed out of her mansion to greet them, making Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin simultaneously smile and wave at her.
"How is it you two?" Fengyu exclaimed in surprise. Even after sunset, West Continent remained brightly lit like daytime. Gazing at these once-dignified young noblemen clad in luxurious attire, her astonishment gave way to joy. Seeing old acquaintances again naturally brought happiness.
Watching Fengyu rush over in the twilight, Lin Xiao’s heart raced like a startled deer. Though he knew their fates didn’t align—she and Xie Xun were promised to each other in this life—her eyes would never hold him. That youthful infatuation was hard to forget, yet he no longer clung obsessively to having her, nor would he impulsively ask her anymore if she ever liked him.
The evening breeze gently lifted Fengyu’s pale purple dress hem, resembling the delicate lilac blossoms blooming outside Ningzhou City—a sight Lin Xiao found to be the most captivating color in his world.
The weariness from days of non-stop travel disappeared instantly at her smile.
Fengyu welcomed the two delightedly into the mansion. Having not seen each other for months, Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin had both become noticeably slimmer and tanned. Their entire demeanor seemed transformed. The carefree ease they once exuded in the Capital City was gone, yet their resilience shone through, and the youthful vigor in their eyes had not dimmed.
The perpetually irritable and brooding Lin Xiao, and the spoiled and reckless Zhang Boxin had, in a way, perished during that torrential rainstorm in the Capital City.
"What is the Prince making you do that’s turned you so... spirited?" Fengyu couldn’t find the right word to describe them.
Zhang Boxin burst into hearty laughter. "You can just say we’ve turned ugly."
Fengyu protested insincerely, "Not at all!"
Lin Xiao explained, "We’ve been working on constructing Liangma Road. The Prince calculated the timeline; we were supposed to be near West Continent around your birthday. So he prepared the gift early and sent us to deliver it on your special day."
The gift was placed in a roughly one-foot-long sandalwood box, intricately carved on the outside. Fengyu didn’t rush to open it. Instead, she asked Qiuxiang and Chunlu to set it aside, instructed others to prepare a meal to host Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin, and readied rooms for them to rest.
Zhang Boxin said, "We’ll leave after dinner. We won’t stay in West Continent."
"Leaving so soon?"
"The Prince originally intended for us to just send someone to deliver the gift, but I thought we hadn’t seen each other in months, so I decided to come with Zhang Boxin myself," Lin Xiao said frankly, "but we can’t linger here too long."
"How’s the road construction coming along?"
"It’ll be completed before the end of the year without delaying next year’s supply transport."
Today was Fengyu’s birthday, and both Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin had brought their gifts. Knowing her love for jewelry, the duo seemed to have coordinated in advance, choosing a pair of jade bracelets. However, the quality of the bracelets wasn’t particularly extraordinary.
Zhang Boxin and Lin Xiao appeared somewhat bashful when presenting their gift. Zhang Boxin remarked, "Lin Xiao and I are as broke as can be now, relying entirely on military stipends to get by. We really can’t afford anything extravagant."
It wasn’t entirely their fault for feeling embarrassed—they both came from distinguished families, accustomed to lavish lifestyles and seeing only the finest things. By their usual standards, this quality of jade bracelet would even be scoffed at by the mansion’s maids. But now, truly, they couldn’t procure anything finer.
"Even a hero can succumb to financial hardship!"
Fengyu said gently, "I’m richer than nations; gifts hardly matter to me. I’ve seen every kind of exquisite jewelry before. But camaraderie is rare. Since leaving the Capital City, I haven’t had much chance to talk properly with you. After arriving in West Continent, I’ve been fighting this battle alone. Though it’s my own choice, the loneliness can be inevitable at times, especially during festivals—those are when I miss my loved ones the most. I spent Mid-Autumn alone and thought my birthday would be equally solitary. I never imagined I’d get to see you. This is worth more to me than gold and silver treasures."
As dishes began to be served one after another, Fengyu’s words dissolved Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin’s awkwardness. Fengyu raised her cup and said, "Thank you for coming to celebrate my birthday with me."
The three clinked cups together. Zhang Boxin toasted, "Then let’s wish Fengyu blossoms full and moons bright, eternal spring and autumn."
Lin Xiao added, "And years upon years of peace."
They deeply cherished the bonds of their youth. Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin, starving as if famished, began devouring the food in large bites, focusing especially on the meat dishes. Initially, Lin Xiao had tried to maintain a polished image before Fengyu, but soon gave in, joining Zhang Boxin in wolfing down the feast.
Fengyu asked, "How long has it been since you last ate properly?"
"Luxury is easy to adapt to; frugality is hard to endure. You can imagine what kind of lives we used to live and what kind we live now. Two meals a day, and going three days before seeing any meat—and not even proper meat at that. Sometimes it’s just hardtack mixed with bone broth, and that broth, oh—one thin layer of grease floating on top, bitter indeed." Zhang Boxin abandoned his childhood dining etiquette entirely. "Pack us a few roast chickens to take with us, will you?"
"...Fine!" Fengyu chuckled, instructing Chunlu to prepare them. Seeing how ravenous they looked, it wasn’t surprising they’d lost so much weight. "Is the military budget really that tight?"
"The Second Young Master is frugal and practical. We eat wherever we work. If we want fresh meat, we have to hunt it ourselves in the mountains. At first, we thought roadwork and hunting might be conveniently compatible, but after an exhausting day’s labor, it’s hard to muster much energy—even for hunting. And with thousands of us, we’d strip a mountain bare of birds and beasts in no time," Lin Xiao said. "I think the wildlife in the mountains hates us now."
Laughing, Zhang Boxin added, "Don’t listen to his nonsense. News from the court says troops might be sent to Ningzhou, so the Second Young Master is concentrating military supplies on the front lines, and the Prince has already left for Jiaozhou. That’s why we have to make do during the roadwork."
"Are they preparing to launch an offensive on Zhongzhou?" Fengyu asked in shock. "This quickly? If Xie Xun is in Jiaozhou, then this isn’t just about Ningzhou... Could Zhongzhou be planning to target all twelve provinces?"