spoiled brat

Chapter 112, Section 111: Lingering Resentment (Part 11)

On the boat, the young nobleman, thinking he had escaped, breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear a servant exclaim, "Young master, the people from the Prince of Ning's mansion are coming after us!"

He suddenly looked back and saw that the people galloping across the ice... were the woman and child he had seen during the day.
Just as he was about to say that the two women were nothing to fear, a fiery arrow flew by. His eyebrows twitched, thinking that the boat was about to catch fire again, but he saw the arrow drifting into the river a dozen steps away from the boat. The child had not drawn the bow with enough force!
The young nobleman sneered, drew his bow, and exchanged arrows with Zhao Zhao. Yuan Zhen dodged the first few arrows on his horse, and the last arrow grazed Zhao Zhao's ear.

He had murderous intent, but then he saw people from the Prince of Ning's mansion chasing after him in the distance. It was not wise to linger, so he frowned and said, "Quickly, row the boat!"

The servants hurriedly disembarked and rowed with all their might, their arms practically smoking from the effort. The boat sped along, soon entering a wide, deep, ice-free section of the river.

Yuan Zhen whipped his horse and barely managed to catch up to within a hundred paces, then asked Zhao Zhao without turning his head, "Are you even capable?! Hurry up and get hit by an arrow!"

A cold wind howled, and Zhao Zhao fiddled with a tinderbox in her hand, an arrow between her teeth, and mumbled, "I wish I could hit it! But Lu Bu could only shoot a hundred paces at a time, how could I possibly shoot a hundred paces away on horseback against the wind?!"

"You're stronger than Lü Bu! You're my ancestor!" Yuan Zhen clearly felt the ice beneath his horse's hooves gradually narrowing. "Hurry up, ancestor, if we keep chasing, we'll both fall into the river!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Zhao Zhao shouted and buried her head.

Yuan Zhen was quick enough that the flaming arrow still grazed her scalp. She quickly patted her scalp and cursed, "You damn Zhao Zhao, who the hell are you shooting at! My hair's on fire!"

"Look ahead! The boat is on fire too!"

Zhao Zhao's arrow was shot with exceptional skill, landing precisely on the large sail. How could the ramie sail withstand the fire? Flames erupted instantly!
The young nobleman panicked and hurriedly called for help to put out the fire, but the servants had only been sent to the bottom deck to row, and there were only a few people on the deck, which was not enough to serve them.
The boat was desperately trying to put out the fire, and the crew was still rowing furiously. The strong wind was whipping the flames, and the large sail was burning even more fiercely! In just a moment, the large sail, whose ropes had broken, crashed down like a fireball, igniting the entire deck!
Flames soared into the sky, accompanied by screams and wails. The servants jumped into the water to escape, but a few loyal ones urged the noble young man, "Young master, the spare raft is also on fire! Quickly take off some of your clothes, and a few of us will help you swim!"

The situation was critical, so he quickly took off his winter clothes and fell into the water with a splash.

It was cold, bone-chillingly cold, so cold that his blood seemed to freeze, and he couldn't muster any strength in his hands and feet. If it weren't for the servants holding him back, he would have sunk straight to the bottom of the river.

Although the servants had some strength, they were, after all, just mortals. No one could withstand being soaked in ice water for too long, and their strength waned.

The young man, Kisuke, was tossed about by one person and pulled by another until he finally reached the shore. He then discovered that there were only two people left beside him; the rest had frozen to death in the river!

I used to think the servants were just being obsequious, never imagining that there was genuine affection mixed in with their flattery, that they would risk their lives to save me.

Soaked to the bone, he wept bitterly in the cold wind. After only a few sobs, he heard two screams and the two remaining servants were knocked unconscious.

Suddenly, a foot stomped heavily on his lowered head, and the person stepping on him said casually:
"Does the Wu family only produce mediocre people like you?"

Needless to say, this must be the little girl who was shooting arrows at him on horseback.

He was just a teenager after all, and even with his face pressed against the ice, he refused to admit defeat, shouting angrily, "Come on, if you dare!"

Another voice laughed from above: "He's a bit useless, but he's not a spineless coward. Don't step on him, I'll exchange a few blows with him."

It was freezing cold. Zhao Zhao moved her feet away, and the boy pulled his face up from the ground. His right cheek was frostbitten and bleeding.

He was born into privilege and grew up in good health; he had never suffered such torment before. He grimaced in pain, his hands trembling as he wiped away his tears.

A Miao knife, long and slender, was thrown in front of me with a "thud".

When border troops fight on horseback against barbarians, they need to be skilled in archery and long swordsmanship.

He had never been on the battlefield and was unfamiliar with swords and arrows, but he was unwilling to lose face in front of two women. He struggled to get up, drew his sword, gripped the hilt with both hands in a fierce tiger-like stance, stared at the composed Yuan Zhen in front of him with bloodshot eyes, and then stepped forward!

Sparks flew as the swords clashed. After only a few moves, Yuan Zhen could tell that he had some skill; although his strength was lacking, he was very good at choosing the right angles to strike.

This confirms the earlier conjecture that he was of noble status and usually had many attendants and guards, so he only learned a sword technique that could kill with one strike, saving it for life-saving in times of crisis.

Unfortunately, he hadn't even mastered this basic swordsmanship, and having been soaked in the river, his sword swings were sluggish and weak. In Yuan Zhen's eyes, it was like a child playing with a twig, easily dodged by Yuan Zhen.

Too lazy to draw his sword, he simply used the scabbard to deflect the blade as it slashed at him, gradually figuring out what kind of swordsmanship he was using, and guessed in advance: "High leap! Low crouch! Straight slash!"

With each recitation, the clanging sound of a blade snapping against its sheath rang out. Yuan Zhen guessed correctly every time, which was even more humiliating than stepping on his face: "Shut up!"

Enraged and humiliated, he swung his sword with increasing madness and erratic movements, while Yuan Zhen remained unfazed, casually saying:
"Your outburst sounds like you're being spoiled. You're not going to cry, are you?"

"...I'll kill you!"

This can hardly be called a duel; it's just one-sided teasing.

Zhao Zhao, who was watching from the side, found it uninteresting and swallowed a mouthful of liquor to warm herself up: "Why are you teasing him in this freezing weather? Hurry up and get rid of him."

"okay!"

Yuan Zhen suddenly drew her sword, and a stream of cold water, like moonlight, flowed into her hand.

The boy heard a buzzing sound, and half of the blade in his hand was severed. He stared blankly at the broken sword, blood dripping from his shattered hand, which froze into ice as soon as it hit the ground.

A cold gust of wind swept by, and the blade rested against his neck. Yuan Zhen said casually, "Let me guess who you are. I know all the older young masters and ladies of the Wu family, except for the youngest one... Are you the fourth young master who was not favored and was raised in the old family home since childhood?"

The boy remained silent.

“Your eldest brother is causing trouble on the front lines, and your third sister shamelessly came to ask for help. But you’re quite something, using your position for personal gain to transport grain meant for saving the country back to your hometown.”

The boy remained silent.

Yuan Zhen held a knife to his throat and gave Zhao Zhao a wink. Zhao Zhao stepped forward and searched the man, but there was nothing on him except his face.

Left with no other choice, they had to tie the man up and take him back to report.

Just as Zhao Zhao turned to grab the rope, she heard Yuan Zhen shout. When she looked back, the boy was nowhere to be seen on the shore. Only Yuan Zhen, having dropped his blood-dripping knife, hurriedly jumped into the water to rescue him.

How could she possibly win over someone who's determined to die?
A moment later, Yuan Zhen surfaced, his face deathly pale from the cold, and said dejectedly, "...Zhao Zhao'er, I've messed things up."

The boy was found dead.

He guessed why the two men had tied him up and brought him back. Not wanting to give the Wu family any leverage, he took advantage of Yuan Zhen's unpreparedness, brought the blade close, slit his throat, and fell into the river.

It's not that Yuan Zhen was careless; few scions of noble families are willing to risk their lives, and they would never be determined to die unless absolutely necessary. His decisiveness was truly unexpected.

“Really…” Yuan Zhen wiped his face and said with a wry smile, “They are so fearless in their pursuit of personal gain, yet they exploit the nation to the bone. With such a reversal of priorities, how can the war not end in defeat?”

People from the Prince of Ning's residence arrived one after another. The leader stepped forward and briefly reported, "We pulled up seventeen members of the Wu family who were nearly frozen to death. They were cautious; they didn't bring any identification documents, so even if we tied them up, we couldn't nail them shut." When asked why they had stolen grain, they replied, "We used a bit of brute force to pry open the mouths of a few of them, but they didn't seem to know much. They only knew that Minister Wu's family was short of grain, and his relatives were complaining bitterly, so they stole some grain to take back and feed themselves."

When asked if the grain on board had been damaged, he replied, "Their ship looks unremarkable, but the fire prevention in the hold is quite good. Not much grain was burned, but some fell into the water. It will need to be dried before it can be eaten after it is transported back to the Prince's Palace."

This pursuit ended in failure, as they ultimately failed to apprehend any key witnesses.

Yuan Zhen stared at the ice-covered river for a while, then said to Zhao Zhao, "Go back and send a message to explain this matter and tell the manor to reduce the amount of grain fed to the bookworms."

Zhao Zhao nodded: "And what about you?"

“Me?” Yuan Zhen sighed deeply. “I’ll try to transport the rescued grain back, and then hire people to search downstream to see if we can find that guy’s body.”

It is not too late.

Zhao Zhao mounted his horse with his bow slung over his shoulder, and before cracking the whip, he touched the patch of Yuan Zhen's singed hair, comforting him, "Even if we didn't catch him, we've still won a great victory this time!"

Yuan Zhen forced a smile and said, "Yes, a great victory."

-

Zhao Zhao rode back quickly, the wind was gentle and the snow was soft, and she arrived at the north of Yunzhou City in just two days.

Even before entering the camp, one could smell the metallic stench carried by the wind and snow; one wondered how many murderous blades must have gathered in one place to create such a menacing aura.

Closer up, one can hear the booming of military drums and the sounds of soldiers drilling on the drill ground, a deep, rumbling sound like thunder rumbling from the ground.

Upon reaching the watchtower of the main camp, a troop of scouts surrounded him. Zhao Zhao raised his sign and explained his purpose: "I have something to report to the young master."

The cavalry captain verified her identity and led her through the gate. After passing through several checkpoints, she dismounted and walked, winding her way through a series of large tents before finally stopping outside a medicine tent.

"The young master is applying medicine inside, please wait here, young lady." The cavalry captain cupped his hands in greeting and turned to leave.

Light snow was falling from the sky. Zhao Zhao hid under the eaves of the tent and faintly heard a hoarse voice inside: "Your Highness is really something, why bother with military law for such a trivial matter..."

He got beaten up?

Zhao Zhao's eyelids twitched, and she quietly lifted the oilcloth curtain, only to see Xiu Yi half-naked, with several whip marks on his back dripping blood.

The military doctor seemed to know him well. He folded a clean towel and handed it to him, saying with concern, "...You need to clean the wound. Do you want to bite on this towel?"

Zhao Zhao knew that when she was in pain, she liked to bite on something to keep herself from crying out. Did he do the same? Xiu Yi simply said, "No need."

The military doctor sighed with a smile, "I'm getting old, and my eyesight is failing. I'll always think of you as a child."

After saying that, he took a silk cloth, dipped it in yellow wine, and wiped away the bloodstains along the whip wound.

Zhao Zhao knew how painful it was to soak a wound in alcohol, and she considered herself quite brave to endure it without making a sound.

Seeing Xiu Yi's calm, almost numb expression, her breathing slowed for some reason. An indescribable emotion weighed on her heart, and she suddenly understood why this person was so aloof.

His life consisted only of what should and shouldn't be done, what should and shouldn't be done. He rarely acted willfully, had no emotional ups and downs, and was like a straight road that would never go wrong and would never reach its end.

Zhao Zhao was lost in thought and didn't even notice that she had been discovered spying until she heard the army doctor shout, "Who's outside?" which jolted her awake.

She put down the tent flap and tried to slip away, but the army doctor darted out like an old cat, grabbed her by the back of her collar and wouldn't let her go, then threw her into the tent with a thud.

Upon seeing that it was a little girl with a hunched back, the military doctor frowned and asked, "Whose daughter are you? Women are not allowed in the inner camp! Who is your father?"

Zhao Zhao fell hard, clutching her bottom and gasping for breath. She looked up to meet Xiu Yi's condescending gaze and his upper body, which was only wrapped in a bandage.

"..."

"You're still looking!" The military doctor stepped in front of Xiu Yi. "You're so young and you're already watching men take off their clothes. Who knows what you'll be like when you grow up!"

Zhao Zhao smiled wryly and had no choice but to take out the sign and explain her purpose.

She had something to report, but the military doctor couldn't listen. Before leaving the tent, he brought a clean cloth shirt for Xiuyi to put on quickly.

Only the two of them remained in the tent. Zhao Zhao sat down by the stove to warm herself and said helplessly, "I..." She was speechless for a moment, "I heard you were punished by military law, and I wanted to see how badly you were injured."

"It's not considered an injury." Xiu Yi said calmly, putting on his clothes and light armor with steady, normal movements.

Zhao Zhao doubted that the whip marks she had just seen were an illusion, but then she heard Xiu Yi ask, "What's wrong with your ears?"

The frostbite on her ears was red and purple, painful when it was cold and itchy when it was warm. Sitting by the stove, she couldn't help but scratch it: "I've been rushing on the road these past two days and the wind has been too strong."

Xiu Yi remembered that she had gone to transport grain with Yuan Zhen: "Didn't your sister Zhen get you a hat?"

"I got this, it's super warm bunny ear hat, I can sweat all over when I wear it normally."

"Then why aren't you wearing one?"

At this point, Zhao Zhao took the opportunity to confess everything about the Wu family stealing grain, their pursuit, and setting fire to the boats.

When mentioning the young master of the Wu family, it was only said that he fell into the water and drowned, without mentioning at all how Yuan Zhen had tricked him. The story ended with:

"When I rode away, I saw that the patch of hair that I burned on Sister Zhen's head was almost bald, which looked really bad, so I put the rabbit ear hat on her head to cover it up."

Xiu Yi gave a light "hmm," took out a box of badger oil for treating frostbite from the wooden cabinet, and said to Zhao Zhao, "Come here."

Zhao Zhao sat down on the couch as if possessed.

Xiu Yi had just applied the medicine, and his body had a slightly bitter smell that was strangely pleasant. He dipped his finger in badger oil and gently applied it to Zhao Zhao's ears.

Perhaps it was the slight coolness of his fingertips, but Zhao Zhao felt her frostbite getting even itchier, and her ears felt like they were burning.

She felt strange about herself. Before, when she was at the manor, she had spent every day learning archery and writing. Hadn't she been close to him quite a few times?