Whereabouts

On the day military intelligence from Wuyuan reached Pingjing, Wen Chan was woken up by Pei Rusong, who had just returned from night duty in the palace. At that time, the sky was just beginning to brighten, and Wen Chan's mind was still groggy. Fortunately, she wasn't grumpy upon waking, only lifting her eyelids with some effort: "What's wrong?"

"The palace received an urgent military report from Wuyuan in the middle of the night. Something happened to Lu Shuo." Pei Rusong supported her by the shoulder, looking at Wen Chan's eyes that had instantly cleared. He quickly recounted the contents of the military report to her in a low voice, then asked softly, "I remember the last incident was in the tenth month. Have they acted ahead of schedule this time?"

In her previous life, Lu Shuo had indeed been severely injured once in Wuyuan, but it hadn't reached the point of an urgent military situation. He had been leading several dozen light cavalry on patrol when his whereabouts were betrayed by the nearby Chuohan people, attracting Tongluo assassins. Fortunately, He Lanzhi was infiltrating the Chuohan Tribe with a merchant caravan to gather intelligence at the time. Hearing the news, he rushed over and saved Lu Shuo, preventing this star of a general from falling prematurely beyond the frontier.

Now, He Lanzhi had already returned to Wuyuan, and Wen Chan had instructed him to keep an eye on Lu Shuo's movements. At the time, both she and Pei Rusong had a premonition that something might happen, but they never expected it to be such a major incident, one that even involved mobilizing troops.

"The report says Lu Shuo's whereabouts are unknown. If nothing unexpected happened, he should have been rescued by Peacock." Wen Chan pondered while hugging her quilt. "What I don't understand is, in the previous life, Bo Hanshan was training troops on the Chuohan border. The King of Chuohan, Jian Yuduo, sent out his army, and the Wuyuan Commandery garrison held the rear in support. The two sides joined forces to defend the border and didn't trigger a major war. Now, Xiao Dingfang and Jian Yuduo are exchanging furtive glances, clearly feeding the wolf by cutting off their own flesh in an attempt to avoid battle. For him to cast aside the Chuohan Tribe and take the initiative to dispatch troops this time, and to act so quickly... it's not in line with his usual style."

Pei Rusong helped pull the quilt up for her, wrapping it around her shoulders to shield her from the draft. "Since Lu Shuo is alive but would rather hide his tracks than return to Wuyuan, it means the person in the army he's wary of is, in all likelihood, Xiao Dingfang."

Wen Chan sighed, feeling weary. "Lu Shuo's dog-like temper, trusting no one, always stirring up trouble by poking the hornet's nest. If you want to bail him out, you have to practically beg him. He's just been spoiled."

After her rebirth, Wen Chan often engaged in self-reflection. She felt that she had tried too hard in her previous life, wanting to grasp everything in her own hands and make things develop in her desired direction, which sometimes led to unsatisfactory results. So this time, even though she foresaw Lu Shuo was about to make a move, she didn't interfere much since he didn't want to borrow her strength, only leaving him a backup plan. As it turned out, the consequences of this hands-off approach were mixed—the good thing was that Lu Shuo might have really pulled off something big; the bad thing was that Wen Chan and Pei Rusong, the two who were reborn, had completely lost their advantage and could only wait for news in a fog of confusion like everyone else.

"What did Father Emperor say?" Wen Chan asked.

"His Majesty has ordered the Ministry of War to reward merit and commanded Xiao Dingfang to search for Lu Shuo's whereabouts with all his might—he is to be found, dead or alive." Pei Rusong said, "Although it was a great victory, His Majesty is not in a good mood. It seems he is very worried about Lu Shuo's safety."

"Mm." Wen Chan nodded. Perhaps because she was sleepy, her tone was much softer than usual. "Lu Shuo was raised in the palace since he was a child; he grew up under his watch. Father Emperor has always been very fond of him. Not letting him go to the Northern Border before, although partly due to wariness of the Lu Family, was also out of genuine concern, for fear that he would be harmed."

Pei Rusong sat sideways on the edge of the bed, holding her, and added in a low voice: "He also wanted to make him a Prince Consort, to keep him in the Capital City for a long time, to be a wealthy, idle official for life."

Wen Chan suddenly laughed, finally laughing away the last trace of sleepiness. She reached out and poked his cheek: "I'll have the kitchen make you a pot of dumplings later. Otherwise, all this sour vinegar will go to waste."

In the past, when Wen Chan laughed at him for being so jealous, Pei Rusong would grumble a few words, pretending his jealousy was well-founded. But this time, uncharacteristically, he said nothing at all. He just leaned over and hugged Wen Chan, quilt and all, silently accepting the title.

In their previous life, after Wen Chan's death, Lu Shuo was the first to throw everything aside. He abandoned the Wuyuan army and rushed back to Zhaojing alone, where he had a huge fight with the Prince of Yan, questioning why he hadn't noticed anything sooner and failed to save the Princess. Pei Rusong had seen his figure standing amidst the ruins of Ciyun Temple. It was only then that he vaguely understood the real reason why Lu Shuo had remained unmarried for so many years—he held in his heart a person he could never reach in his entire life.

Lu Shuo carried the bloody feud of his forefathers and shouldered the mission of reviving the Lu Clan. He had too many promises to fulfill in this life and had to stand firm on the battlefields of the Northern Border. Even if behind him lay the endless mortal world, with its gentleness, riches, and a life of ease, he could not retreat a single step. If he lost his military power, he would be a bird with clipped wings in a golden cage, never to dream of soaring high again in his life.

To him, Wen Chan was that golden cage. No matter how much he yearned for the mortal world, he would not take half a step closer.

It was hard to describe Pei Rusong's feelings at that moment. He was both surprised by Lu Shuo's concealment and obsession, and a little glad that he himself had no reservations about his status or position. Then, amidst the scorched earth of the mountain, he was struck by a sudden realization: that person was already gone.

Wen Chan glanced up at him, able to roughly guess his thoughts. But since she was right there, there was no need for many words of comfort. She just reached out to stroke his back a few times and patted his shoulder blade: "Go change your clothes, have something to eat, and get a good sleep. You have dark circles under your eyes."

"And Your Highness?"

"I'm going to the palace to keep an eye on things." Wen Chan got out of bed and sighed with feeling, "This whole affair is really coming full circle."

Pei Rusong was inexplicably tickled by her words and couldn't help but chuckle. The lack of sleep had made him look a little haggard, but as he sat in the faint morning light and smiled brightly, there was an indescribable sense of peace and tranquility about him, as if his whole being had lit up.

Wen Chan had already taken three steps away when she suddenly turned back. Looking down at him, she pressed on his shoulders, leaned over, and gave him a kiss.

Pei Rusong: ?

Several days later, in the evening, a carriage engraved with the Helan Clan's crest stopped in the back alley of the Princess Manor. He Lanzhi helped a tall, thin man wearing a bamboo hat out of the carriage. Crow and Cheng Xuan, who were already waiting at the back gate, took the man from He Lanzhi's hands. Supporting him on either side, they helped him into the courtyard. As they walked, a weak voice came from under the veil: "Thank you, cough, cough... Where is Her Highness?"

Cheng Xuan exchanged a look with He Lanzhi and answered cautiously: "Her Highness personally instructed that even if the sky were to fall, we are to wait until the doctor has finished examining the General's injuries."

Lu Shuo: ......

He Lanzhi clicked his tongue and said sympathetically: "See? You just had to be stubborn. What did I tell you?"

Lu Shuo and Wen Chan had few opportunities to meet, but they corresponded frequently enough through documents that he had some understanding of her temper. Hearing this tone, he knew the Princess was bottling up her anger and looking for someone to vent it on. He could act as recklessly as he pleased outside and no one could control him, but in the Princess's territory, even a dragon had to coil up obediently.

"How is he?"

Wen Chan and Pei Rusong were waiting in the outer room of the guest quarters. The doctor bowed to them and replied: "The young master has multiple sword and knife wounds on his body. The shallower ones have already healed, but the deeper ones will require several days of recuperation. Fortunately, none of them struck any vital points. The only troublesome injury is the one on his right leg. Luckily, it was treated promptly, so the bone was not set improperly, and high-quality wound medicine was used. As long as he takes good care of it, there should be no lasting impact on his movement. For now, the main concern is that the patient is somewhat weak, deficient in both qi and blood. I shall write a prescription. He should take the medicine according to the prescription for five days, after which I will come for a follow-up consultation."

Wen Chan nodded, her expression serious. "Thank you for your trouble, sir. Cheng Xuan, please escort the doctor to the front hall to write the prescription."

When the two of them entered the guest room, Lu Shuo had already heard them and was struggling to sit up in bed to salute. Pei Rusong quickly stepped forward and gently pressed him back onto the pillow. Their eyes met, and Pei Rusong gave him a look that told him to behave. "General, you are injured. Do not move recklessly. Taking care of your health is what's important."

Lu Shuo: ......

Although this was his first time meeting the Prince Consort, Young Master Pei had a fine reputation which Lu Shuo had long heard of. He had originally thought Pei Rusong would be the arrogant and reserved type, one who wished he could float three feet off the ground, untainted by the mortal world. He hadn't expected him to be so... approachable.

Wen Chan said coldly, "No need for formalities."

Lu Shuo sighed quietly and said solemnly, "Thank you, Your Highness, for saving me."

"How would I dare," Wen Chan sat down in the armchair opposite him and said lightly, "How can such a trivial act compare to General Lu riding out beyond the frontier alone to fight a thousand soldiers? I apologize for delaying the General's glorious death in service to the country."

Lu Shuo said, his head aching, "Your Highness, can we talk properly?"

"What, you don't like to hear it?" Wen Chan rested her chin on one hand, not even lifting her eyelids. "If you don't like it, then bear with it. In any case, your whereabouts are unknown right now. Even if Xiao Dingfang digs three feet into the ground, he won't find you in Pingjing. I could throw you in the cellar for three years and no one would ever find out. Lu Shuo, when I spoke to you nicely, you didn't take it to heart. Now that you've fallen into my hands, do you still think you can call the shots?"

Although the Princess didn't physically strike people, Lu Shuo felt as if her words had just dealt him two heavy slaps across the face. Feeling utterly helpless, he couldn't help but look up pleadingly at Pei Rusong, who was standing to the side.

Pei Rusong: ......

In a silence so thick no one dared to breathe, he leaned closer to Wen Chan and whispered a dissuasion, loud enough for everyone to hear: "Your Highness, rein it in a little. You're being a bit too scary... We're supposed to be the ones doing a good deed here."