[Prince Zhan's Manor • Side Courtyard Corridor]
Unsurprisingly, Shadow Blade's heroic feat—charging through the city in the purple-gold royal robes to rescue Huo Xi—had quickly become the most talked-about scandal among the citizens of Zhanchuan.
Rumors spread like wildfire. Some claimed with absolute certainty that Princess Consort Chu was on her deathbed due to the plague, and the Prince was in a frantic search for a new flame. Others added vivid details, describing how the Prince had fallen for a beautiful maid and intended to take her as a concubine while his primary wife was still ailing. The gossip grew so wild it even included fabricated details of "nightly favors."
The afternoon sun bathed the corridor in a warm glow. Huo Xi sat on a wooden bench, fiddling with the redwood tag that Shadow Blade had re-strung with a new red cord. Recalling the "Prince and the Little Maid" stories she'd heard in the kitchen earlier, she couldn't help but let out a mischievous chuckle.
"Heh." Huo Xi leaned against a pillar, glancing at the black-clad figure beside her who was silently sanding a new piece of wood for her. She teased playfully, "Master Shadow, have you heard? My status has skyrocketed. I've gone from being the 'Third Young Master's concubine' to the 'Prince's concubine' overnight."
Shadow Blade's hand froze. The sharp carving knife nearly took a chunk out of the wood. At the mention of the word "concubine," the steady breath of this cold man faltered for a moment.
"Do not listen to the nonsense of those long-tongued hags," Shadow Blade muttered, his voice raspy but carrying an indisputable authority. "What do they know?"
"But everyone is talking as if they saw it with their own eyes," Huo Xi raised an eyebrow, leaning in closer. Her sparkling eyes fixed on his slightly reddening ears. "They say the Prince ignored the Princess's illness just to pick up a little maid in the middle of the night... Master Shadow, what do you think that 'Prince' was thinking at the time?"
Shadow Blade set down his knife and slowly turned his head. His gaze was deep and burning as he looked at her. Recalling the sight of her curled up in the dirt and the way his own heart had nearly stopped in terror, his voice dropped to a seductive, low rumble:
"You are no one's concubine. You can only be my, Shadow Blade's, wife."
Huo Xi's cheeks flushed a bright crimson under his intense gaze. Her playful spirit vanished, replaced by a flustered shyness. She lowered her head and twisted the hem of her apron. "...You, why so serious all of a sudden? You make it sound so real."
Looking at her, the annoyance Shadow Blade felt from the rumors dissipated. He reached out and placed a large palm gently on her head—a clumsy but incredibly tender gesture.
"I will never take a concubine," he murmured, almost to himself.
"What?" Huo Xi didn't hear him clearly and looked up in confusion.
"Nothing." Shadow Blade withdrew his hand and picked up the carving knife again, his eyes resolute. "Let the rumors spread as they wish. In this lifetime, you know whose person you are, and I know it too."
To him, the title of "Prince" or the status of a "concubine" in the eyes of outsiders was nothing but smoke. He only needed to protect the warmth within this small space.
[Prince Zhan's Manor • Back Gate]
Late that night, all was silent. A series of light, chaotic, and weary hoofbeats shattered the stillness of the back alley. Xiao Zhan and his party had avoided the eyes of various factions in Zhanchuan, slipping into the manor through the back gate under the cover of thick darkness.
As the crimson door swung shut and the heavy wooden bolt clicked into place, the group of warriors, who had been tense for days, finally let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Phew, finally back," Blue Five muttered as she dismounted. Despite her exhaustion, she couldn't stop talking. "Traveling long distances in ancient times is absolute torture. No GPS, no shock absorbers... I feel like my old back is falling apart."
Inside the manor, Chu Yuning and Shadow Blade had already received Xiao Zhan's secret letter. Aside from the itinerary, the letter contained a bombshell that had shocked Chu Yuning to his core—his elder brother, Chu Fengning (Lin Feng), who was rumored to have died on the battlefield, was alive!
Chu Yuning stood in the shadows of the courtyard, watching the group approach. When his gaze fell upon that familiar yet weathered figure, all his calm and composure crumbled.
"Second Brother..." Chu Yuning's eyes reddened, his voice trembling with a hint of vulnerability.
Chu Fengning looked at his younger brother, who was now capable of standing on his own. Thinking of what Blue Five had mentioned—about Yuning being imprisoned and tortured in the Western Yan mines—his heart felt heavy. He stepped forward and gripped Yuning's shoulders firmly. "Yuning, I've heard everything on the way back. You've suffered in Western Yan. Your brother returned too late."
The two brothers stood facing each other, both survivors of death, their gaze reflecting the unyielding spirit of the Chu family army.
Auntie Mei, standing nearby, wiped tears from her eyes and rushed forward. "It's enough that the Second Young Master is back safe. Heaven be praised... Look at you, you're skin and bones..."
"Mother, don't cry. It's a good thing the Second Young Master is back," Huo Xi comforted her sweetly.
"Silly child, these are tears of joy," Auntie Mei laughed through her sobs.
Crimson Nine approached with Yellow Seven and the Qi siblings. "Auntie Mei, these two are the Qi siblings. Please arrange for someone to look after them."
"I shall see to it," Auntie Mei replied immediately, her manner respectful yet efficient. She bowed to the group, her composed and capable self returning instantly. "Your Highness, Princess, and honored guests—hot food and baths are ready. The charcoal fires are burning bright. Please move to the guest rooms to wash away the dust and cold, and get a good night's rest."
Her tone was gentle but held a touch of firm care. "Whatever matters there are, they can wait until you've eaten and rested. There is no rush."
Amidst the bustle of the reunion, Chu Yuning's eyes never left Blue Five. Since she had departed for Southern Tang, his heart had been hanging by a thread. Seeing her back safe—though covered in dust and clearly exhausted—made his heart leap with joy.
He had a thousand questions and a thousand things to tell her. He wanted to ask if the journey was dangerous; he wanted to tell her how much he had missed her.
But seeing the dark circles under her eyes and her visible fatigue, the poetic confessions stayed trapped in his throat. He watched her rubbing her lower back while whispering to Yellow Seven about how bumpy the carriage was, and he couldn't help but smile inwardly.
Forget it. The girl was probably too tired to even hear a love confession.
Chu Yuning stepped aside and signaled the servants to prepare extra thick silk quilts. He thought to himself: Let her rest first. Tomorrow, when the sun shines on the manor again and she's had her fill of sleep, I will have all the time in the world to speak with her slowly.
Xiao Zhan watched the scene, sharing a silent look with Shadow Blade. Shadow Blade faded back into the shadows, while Xiao Zhan nodded to Auntie Mei. The aura of slaughter he had brought back from the wilderness finally began to dissipate as the scent of home-cooked food filled the air of the manor.