Chapter 281: Chapter 275: Jealousy 2
Fengyu couldn’t tell if the moody Xie Xun was genuinely angry.
"Why are you angry?"
"Figure it out yourself!" Xie Xun, his face dark, lay in Third Miss’s silken nest to catch up on sleep. Since the ruin of his family, he hadn’t had a single good night’s rest; both his body and mind had been pushed to their limits.
Qiuxiang and Chunlu had laid thick bedding in the carriage for Fengyu’s traveling comfort and, worrying it might be too warm for her, added a thin bamboo mat atop. Xie Xun lay on the mat, his breathing shallow and quiet. A shadow of bluish-dark fatigue lingered under his eyes. Nuanyang mentioned that since Xie Xun arrived in Ningzhou, he had been busy ceaselessly like a spinning top.
From the Capital City to Salt City, he had hardly slept soundly, always waking abruptly mid-dream. Upon reaching Ningzhou, he had to manage military affairs, dispatch troops, and deal with constant defiance from old generals. Amid a cold war with her, Xie Xun could barely rest well. While Second Young Master worked tirelessly in the government office, wasn’t Xie Xun doing the same within the army?
His injuries hadn’t fully healed yet. Fengyu pulled over a thin blanket, covering his midsection gently. She asked softly, "Are you angry because I’ve been ignoring you?"
Xie Xun snorted coldly, remaining silent. The colder his attitude, the more upset she felt. Although they were at odds, Fengyu didn’t truly want Xie Xun to feel heartbroken. She couldn’t bear to utter a single harsh word to him. Yet, she couldn’t easily yield either; if she did, she might truly become a feeble vine clinging to him—and they’d almost reached a deadlock before.
Fengyu felt an itch deep within, tormenting her heart. A light breeze lifted the carriage curtain, and faint rays of light fell across his face. Fengyu lowered her head to kiss her utterly exhausted beloved. "Zhixu, I like you so much. Sleep well now."
Xie Xun had already drifted into a deep, sweet slumber, unable to hear the soft declarations from Third Miss. His breaths were slow and steady. Fengyu picked up the bone fan nearby and gently fanned him.
Zhixu, don’t be angry.
Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you. You once told me that whatever I want to do, I should go for it without fear—you’ll always be there to support me.
I will do the same for you!
Keep moving forward, and whatever’s behind, leave it to me. I’ll carry you forward too.
The Ningzhou Iron Cavalry advanced, each soldier carrying enough rations and water to last three days without stopping along the way.
Only two hours into his sleep, Xie Xun was awoken abruptly by a nightmare, nearly crushing Fengyu’s wrist in the grip of his fear. Fengyu broke out in a cold sweat, enduring the pain until she couldn’t stand it anymore and pushed him awake.
When Xie Xun opened his eyes, they burned red, his body convulsing and fighting against invisible shadows. He seemed to be calling out something but couldn’t make a sound from the depths of misery. The glow of the setting sun reflected in his eyes, rendering him ghastly and terrifying. He couldn’t distinguish between nightmare and reality, clutching Fengyu tightly as though trying to squeeze her into his very soul. In a hoarse, desperate voice, he murmured, "Don’t leave me, Ayu, don’t leave me..."
Fengyu felt gut-wrenching pain in her heart. She kissed his jaw repeatedly while held in his embrace, comforting his agitated state with her own mounting sorrow and helplessness.
Late at night, he frequently sought her out, sitting by the warm couch until dawn. Fengyu thought that his obsession stemmed from his fear that she might leave quietly and unexpectedly. He wanted to keep her always within reach.
It turned out he woke from his nightmares, terrified of losing her. He dreamed of what? Did he dream of her leaving him too?
The trauma of that night in the Capital City had hurt Xie Xun far deeper than they had imagined.
Fengyu’s fingers combed through his sweat-soaked hair as her body tilted upward to kiss him. Awkwardly, she comforted the battered young man, kissing him over and over again.
"Zhixu, I’m here!"
Don’t be afraid!
The warmth and entanglement of her kisses pulled Xie Xun back from hell to the realm of the living. He shifted from passive to dominant, kissing her deeply, his hand pressing heavily against her lower back, instinctively trying to pull her into his embrace. The vitality of a young man surged as his freshly awakened body responded stiffly to her closeness, heightened by the stirrings of desire.
Fengyu’s face flushed crimson as she began to struggle. Xie Xun bit her lip and pressed against her throat, his labored breathing staining her ears red as blood. He licked and nibbled her earlobe lightly, leaving her squirming like a fish gasping for air in his arms, only for him to pin her firmly by the waist once more.
"Don’t move!" His voice was deep and hoarse. Fengyu dared not resist, obeying as he held her tightly. Gradually, his urgent and heavy breathing slowed, and his overheated body cooled down as well. He still held her, his large hand trailing softly along her neck, as if apologizing, or perhaps unable to suppress his emotions.
"What scent are you wearing?" Xie Xun, his face close to her neck, sniffed like a wolf savoring its prey, occasionally leaving light kisses.
"Qiuxiang and Chunlu mixed it," Fengyu’s spine tingled with nerves as her face heated. "Do you want some?"
Xie Xun, "..."
Fengyu buried her face in embarrassment. What was she even saying? Quiet laughter emanated from his chest, the vibrations making her pause. Startled, Fengyu raised her gaze to meet the hint of laughter in his eyes—subtle but unmistakable. Her eyes turned red as her fingers wiped away the sweat on his forehead. Without asking what nightmare had plagued him, she whispered, "You slept for two hours—do you want to sleep more?"
Thinking about the scenes from his dream, Xie Xun’s smile faded. He dared not sleep any longer. Sitting up with Fengyu still in his arms, Xie Xun’s long fingers lifted the carriage curtain.
The sun dipped below the mountains, and night was about to fall.
"Feiying, order the troops to rest for fifteen minutes."
"Yes!"
Fengyu looked at his stern profile, recalling the torment in his sleep and his silent cries. Hesitant, she wondered whether she should give Xie Xun more time.
The unseen wounds had been constantly tearing at Xie Xun’s heart.
She was meant to stay in Jinzhou, but perhaps she should allow Xie Xun some space too? Fengyu gazed at his back and thought to herself that it was time to have a proper conversation with him.
Xie Xun, Feiying, and Nuanyang were poring over the map. Marching five thousand soldiers wasn’t slow, but in three days, they should reach Yunzhou in Twelve Provinces before dawn.
"Send the vanguard to scout ahead and deliver a message to Yunzhou’s governor."
"Yes!"
Feiying selected a thousand soldiers to lead the way into Yunzhou. "Master, Yunzhou’s governor is of the Lin Family, named Lin Jingshan. He’s within five degrees of separation and would address you as Little Uncle based on seniority."
"How old is he?" The Lin Family’s extended relations were excessively vast. Since childhood, Xie Xun had barely managed to recognize any of them outside his maternal grandfather’s direct line; the rest were unfamiliar to him.
"Thirty-two," Feiying replied. "His wife is from the Zhou Family and has connections with the Yuwen Family. We don’t know whether they’ll try to obstruct us."
"Yunzhou City Defense has only three thousand troops—what could they use to stop me?" Xie Xun sneered.
The fastest route from Ningzhou to Jinzhou was via water, traveling from Ningzhou to Salt City, then to Bei River, always heading west. Jinzhou and Salt City lay directly on Yanyang’s central axis. Bei River served as Yanyang’s Zhongzhou defensive line, secured by eighty thousand stationed soldiers.
Zhongzhou had increased its defenses to mutually guard with Jiangnan. Should Ningzhou attempt to cross Bei River, the Zhongzhou troops would surely retaliate. They wouldn’t idly watch while five thousand Ningzhou Iron Cavalry approached Bei River’s port—such a move would be a blatant provocation that no general with even a trace of pride could tolerate. Unwilling to provoke outright war with the Yuwen Royal Family, Xie Xun had no choice but to bypass Bei River and head eastward from Ningzhou toward Jinzhou. Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin were simultaneously working on eastern grain routes to avoid Bei River by constructing new logistical grain transport routes in the rear.
For the past century, Ningzhou’s grain transport had relied on the Lanning grain route from Jiangnan’s Lanzhou Port to Salt City and then to Ningzhou—this was Yanyang’s primary route, trusted even by bandits who dared not plunder military provisions. Bei River was further safeguarded by Zhongzhou’s military escort, making it the most convenient and secure grain transport route. Now, they had to carve out a new grain path across Twelve Provinces.
The Capital City had instructed Zhongzhou to shut the Bei River grain route entirely, allowing only merchant traffic. Transporting military supplies would be exceedingly difficult. From Ningzhou to Twelve Provinces, the terrain was predominantly mountainous. Grain routes had to avoid West Mountain and Hua Mountain, prioritizing flatlands that enabled swift passage for horses and carriages.
Fengyu traced the proposed grain route’s course around West Mountain and Hua Mountain—whether it could be constructed depended on the specialized craftsmen Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin brought along to conduct surveys and map the terrain directly.
Xie Xun himself would also need to personally inspect this route.
Yunzhou was the first city they would face since rebelling against Yanyang. Twelve Provinces’ stance would hinge on Yunzhou’s response. Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin’s team avoided the official road, so they likely hadn’t yet reached Yunzhou. (Official roads and grain routes typically wouldn’t run parallel.)
When Xie Xun returned to the carriage, Fengyu was already well-rested. Her lunch had been consumed before reboarding, so she wasn’t particularly hungry. Night marching made rest in the carriage difficult. Chunlu, worrying she might get hungry at night, proposed cooking her some hot porridge to keep warm.
The weather was sweltering, and Fengyu didn’t want to light a small stove in the carriage. Additionally, they had only fifteen minutes of pause—not enough time for meal preparation. Not wanting to delay the march, she decided to eat dry rations and jerky along with everyone else. Qiuxiang, as she chewed the dry provisions, began sharing gossip about Second Young Master and Xie Xun with Fengyu.
When Xie Xun returned to the carriage, Third Miss was nibbling on tough and aged beef jerky like a little squirrel.
"Zhixu, did you make Second Young Master so angry he spat blood?" Fengyu exclaimed in shock. "You’re so..."
She caught the displeased look in Xie Xun’s eyes and remembered his earlier moody demeanor when leaving the city. Sensitive to the shift, she realized she shouldn’t have brought up Second Young Master.
"So what? Go on, keep talking!" Xie Xun rolled up his sleeves casually. "Feeling sorry for my Second Brother?"
Fengyu, "..."