On the tenth day of the first month of the fourth year of Xiliang, the imperial court, under the supervision of the Grand Marshal, revised the imperial succession law, confirming that women could inherit the throne. On the fifteenth day of the first month, Empress Yin Zhi Xiao of Xiliang ascended the throne and changed the imperial era name to Guangshuo. Thus, that year was the first year of Guangshuo. (Don’t quote me on this, but I think it means something along the lines of first light.) 

On the twenty-fifth day of the first month, Wei Zhi, the envoy of Tiansheng, returned to his country. The Empress and all the court officials personally saw him off. The ten-mile-long pavilions were filled with crowds of people. The dashing Marquis Wei of Tiansheng bowed and let out a spring breeze-like smile. However, her eyes kept searching among the crowd fruitlessly. 

The person who had spent nearly every day of the last four years with her, the one who will be apart from her, didn’t come. 

Suppressing the hint of loneliness in her eyes, Feng Zhi Wei spurred her horse forward. The spring breeze at the Longjiang Post Station was immensely gentle, yet her heart felt desolate in an instant. 

The bustling crowd seeing her off slowly faded into the distance as the long and seemingly endless road stretched out before her. Feng Zhi Wei shook the reins, ready to let the horse go fast and quickly leave Xiliang behind, but as if hit by a sudden moment of unspoken understanding, she turned her head and looked back toward the distant woods. 

There, at the far edge of the distant forest, beneath the sunlight, someone stood silently on the slender branches. The figure was so light and graceful, as if the very wind could sweep him straight into the clouds. His sky-blue robe swayed gently in the breeze like a stream of clear flowing water. 

Dazed for a moment, Feng Zhi Wei felt as if she had once again caught sight of that young man standing silently at the gates of Qingming Academy that year. 

In the blink of an eye, the seas had turned into fields. (This is a Chinese saying referring to the power of time to change everything drastically.) The jade-carving-like youth of all those years ago has finally grown to become warm and alive, finally living in a world that belongs to him. 

Feng Zhi Wei chuckled softly, and a faint mist of moisture appeared from the corners of her eyes. 

Through that crystalline shimmer, she could not clearly see the man gazing at her intently from the distant treetop, but could vaguely see him lifting a corner of his veil in the sunlight and slowly forming words with his lips.  

A brief but resolute mouthing movement.

He said:

“Wait for you.” 

————————————————————–

After passing through the five prefectures of Xiliang, Feng Zhi Wei’s party finally arrived at the Wei River at Tianshui Pass, the border between Xiliang and Tiansheng, half a month later. 

Across the river, an army could faintly be seen moving about, their armor gleaming with a chilling reflecting light, looking exceptionally imposing and well-organized. Feng Zhi Wei smiled lightly, thinking that Hua Qiong was probably growing impatient waiting for her. 

She had just stopped by the banks of the Wei River and was about to board the boat prepared for her by Xiliang when a medium-sized boat from the opposite shore slowly drifted close. 

The boat was exquisitely crafted, pale brocade curtains hung on all four sides of the cabin. She was just wondering since when did Hua Qiong had adopted such a low-key yet luxurious style when someone suddenly lifted the curtain and stepped out with a smile. 

Feng Zhi Wei raised her head and froze. 

The person approached unhurriedly, his posture calm and composed. Even the vibrant spring sunlight seemed to sparkle because of that composure. He leaned down slightly at the bow of the boat, first studying her carefully for a moment, before letting out a soft sigh, and extended his hand, tenderly taking her hand. 

“I clearly sent word that I would come and pick you up. How could you bear to let me wait so long?”

Feng Zhi Wei tilted her face upward and gazed at him intently. After a moment, she smiled.

(Horray! We actually have a male lead!) 

She looked up at the man and said with a smile, “If you waited more than three days, I’ll take your surname.” (A common way of daring someone, so alas not a marriage proposal.) 

“Lord Wei, you have wronged His Highness this time.” someone said with a laugh, “His Highness clearly waited three days, five hours, and three-quarters of an hour.” 

Feng Zhi Wei turned her head and greeted him with a big smile, “Xiao Yao!” 

On the side of the ship, Yan Yangyu smiled and bowed to her. His complexion has gotten much darker, looking healthy and cheerful. It seemed that the military life had truly tempered this once-spoiled young nobleman into a clear-minded and strapping young man. 

Suddenly, a large fist appeared, grabbed Yao Yangyu by the collar, and pulled him aside. “Can’t you read the room? Get lost already!” 

“Hey, hey, Chunyu, what are you doing?” A thoroughly confused Yao Yangyu grabbed the railing, refusing to move, “I haven’t seen Marquis Wei in ages, let me talk to him some!” 

“Xiao Yao, you have excellent memory.” Ning Yi leaned lazily against the ship’s railing as he looked Yao Yangyu up and down with a half-smile, “Then, while you are at it, help me calculate something. Last month, how much grain did each soldier of your Longbei army consume on average? Of that, how much was grain, meat, and vegetables, respectively? Convert that into silver, what was the total cost? Are the rations in peacetime and wartime appropriate? If adjustments are needed, what should they be adjusted to? How many supply convoys would be required to ensure provisions for more than three months at a time…alright, that’s it for now. I want to hear your report in an hour. That’ll be all.” 

“An hour!” Yao Yangyu wailed before he was promptly yanked away by Chunyu Meng. Even from far off, Chunyu Meng’s gloating voice could still be heard, “Idiot! That’s what you get for insisting on standing there! Calculate yourself to death!” 

The bow of the boat returned to calm. Ning Yi reached out and pulled Feng Zhi Wei toward him. Feng Zhi Wei had assumed that in broad daylight, he must be merely offering his hand symbolically, but who would have thought that Ning Yi would exert force and pull her forward, causing her to stumble straight into his arms. 

With a soft thud, she collided squarely with a certain someone’s chest. Before she could even let out a yelp of pain, her face turned red instantly when she heard a low chuckle vibrating from his chest as his faint, elegant, cool fragrance enveloped her completely. Raising a hand, she gave him a push, “Are you crazy? Look where we are! Let go already!” 

Ning Yi smiled without answering. He raised his arms, and Feng Zhi Wei’s sight went black as his cloak covered her head. Ning Yi wrapped her in his cloak, leaned against the ship’s railing, and said with a laugh, “There’s water ahead and no one behind. Whoever wants to see can see.” 

It was rare for Feng Zhi Wei to see him so forceful and unrestrained. With his cloak covering on top, the ship’s railing behind, and Ning Yi pressing against her so tightly that she couldn’t move, push, or hit, Feng Zhi Wei was about to consider whether to use her “classic” knee move when everything suddenly went dark before her eyes. Ning Yi’s lips were already pressing down heavily on hers. 

All text copyright @www.Ninja-Reflection.com  

Whew! Our hero is back! Here is an interesting question I have been pondering: “Which of our three male leads would our heroine be so unguarded with that one simple tug would send her body crashing into his arms?” I am thinking she would be pretty relaxed with Gu Nan Yi for that to happen, but I am not too sure about Helian. I think as much as Feng Zhi Wei cares about Helian and counts him as a true friend, I am not sure she would let her guard down enough. 

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