Chapter 12: Lies

“Thank you for your kindness, General.”

Perhaps because they had left the confined space of the bed and were now on the road, the sound of turning wheels overshadowed their breathing, making it easier to conceal their emotions.

This time, the two cooperated with much better tacit understanding than before.

When Li Youqing saw clearly who the man who had suddenly entered was, she became like a lamb waiting for slaughter. Her slender back pressed against the carriage wall, and her entire body went limp, losing all ability to resist.

She clearly remembered the man saying that eliminating the Gu poison would take seven days, and tonight was the second time.

During the day, she had drunk some blood-tonifying herbal soup, but it hadn’t been of much use. Her body remained weak and feeble, and her head still felt dizzy.

She kept her eyes closed throughout, relying only on the man’s large hand pressed against her shoulder to maintain balance.

Due to the discomfort from her injury, she couldn’t help but let out soft gasps. After taking a deep breath, she held it for a long time without exhaling, feeling only a dull pain in her chest.

“General—” The road was very uneven, and the carriage’s jolting made her voice fragmented.

Word by word, as if shattered and remolded, mixed with the sound of wheels from outside, each syllable struck at the heart.

At this moment, Xuan Rui particularly disliked hearing her speak. Feeling her slender fingers resting on his wrist, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of irritation.

Weren’t you afraid? What are you doing now—

Li Youqing wanted to know if he was truly as calm as he appeared on the surface, so she quietly felt for his pulse. To her surprise, she found that his heartbeat was as cold and still as an ancient well, much like the man himself.

As pain washed over her, her wrist weakened and slid down, resting on the silk soft pillow beside her, her fingers slightly curled.

Xuan Rui, seeing the hand on his wrist finally move away, let out a soft sigh of relief.

Noticing her upper body leaning back slightly and her waist in a precarious position, he silently picked up the nearby soft pillow and tucked it into the gap between her lower back and the carriage wall.

At first, she struggled reluctantly, but after realizing it was indeed more comfortable this way, she leaned back and remained still.

After this series of actions, both of them felt slightly more at ease.

It wasn’t until the edges of the silk pillow were frayed by her long nails that Xuan Rui sat up.

They kept a distance from each other, resting against opposite ends of the carriage.

Li Youqing’s head still felt somewhat dizzy. Lifting her eyes, she caught sight of the bloodstain at the corner of the man’s mouth, and her gaze flickered.

The blood was black, indicating that there was indeed poison in her body.

But why was he saving her—

There were many ways to detoxify, so why did he have to choose the one that humiliated her the most?

Just as she was feeling troubled and uneasy, the carriage suddenly jolted violently, and she immediately lunged forward.

A sharp pain shot through her forehead. Propping herself up with her hands, she realized she had crashed into the man’s embrace.

How absurd—

Even though he had kindly placed a pillow behind her waist just moments ago, Li Youqing hadn’t forgotten how ruthless he could be.

She shrank back, lowered her head, and said, “General, I didn’t mean to do that just now. It was the carriage jolting—”

Before she could finish her sentence, the carriage shook violently again. Li Youqing, unable to find a stable foothold, nearly fell to the floor.

A sturdy arm shot out in front of her, preventing her from falling while trapping her in the narrow, confined space beside him.

As they drew close again, the air in the carriage suddenly grew thin. The faint ambiguous atmosphere that had just dissipated moments ago began to heat up once more.

To maintain her balance, Li Youqing had no choice but to place her hands on his arm.

He remained cold and detached, devoid of any emotion, yet provided enough stability.

The faint scent of licorice from him drifted into her nostrils, each whiff carrying a rough, gritty texture that made her breathing ache slightly.

Outside the carriage curtain, the starry river stretched endlessly, with sparse light filtering in and casting upon the man’s profile, softening the usual fierceness about him.

Unbidden, the image of him leaning over her earlier surfaced in Li Youqing’s mind, and her cheeks flushed crimson instantly.

“The road ahead is rough,” Xuan Rui lifted the carriage curtain and said something to the coachman outside, slowing the pace slightly.

Li Youqing hummed in acknowledgment, inwardly wondering where they were actually headed.

Xuan Rui sat upright, using only his right arm to prevent her from lurching forward. Half of his body was shrouded in darkness as he began to rest with his eyes closed.

Since he had boarded the carriage, Li Youqing’s nerves had been on edge. Only now, with his eyes shut, did she dare to study him closely.

The man was dressed today in a lake-blue robe woven with gold brocade, his hair tied back with a black jade clasp. His appearance was clean and refined, his features clear and handsome, resembling a noble young master from a prestigious family.

Yet his expression remained as cold and aloof as ever, exuding an aura that kept others at a distance.

Li Youqing couldn’t help but feel perplexed—what kind of person was this adopted son of Zhenbei Wang, the Mad Wolf General of the northern deserts?

No matter what intentions he harbored toward her, one thing was certain: if he discovered her false identity, the consequences would be far more dreadful than death.

As the road gradually smoothed out, Li Youqing was finally able to sit steadily.

“General, it’s alright now,” she lowered her hands, concealing the emotions in her eyes and adopting a submissive, ingratiating demeanor.

Noticing his sidelong glance, she curved her lips slightly and said softly, “Thank you for your kindness, General. If not for you just now, I might have fallen.”

“No matter,” came his brief reply.

Xuan Rui had thought last night that this woman was particularly noisy. Just as he was about to dismount and ride a horse instead, his gaze fell on the unfastened front of her ruqun, and he frowned.

The dress Li Youqing wore today did not have ties at the chest but instead featured five hidden buttons from top to bottom.

This design allowed it to be unbuttoned precisely to the necessary exposure.

Moreover, supported by her ample bosom, even with the top buttons undone, it barely covered half.

“Fasten your clothes properly,” he had no choice but to remind her, averting his gaze silently.

Following his line of sight, Li Youqing realized her embarrassing situation and wished she could vanish into the ground.

Seeing his look of disdain, she worried he might think she was deliberately trying to seduce him.

Unable to lift the curtain at that moment, Xuan Rui did not immediately leave the carriage but waited for her to button up.

Li Youqing’s face burned scarlet as she hurriedly lowered her head to fasten the buttons. But just as she reached the last one, the carriage came to an abrupt halt at a turn.

The strong inertia sent her lurching to the left.

As if colliding with a solid pillar, Li Youqing winced in pain, clutching her forehead and saying, “General, I truly didn’t mean to. The carriage is just too bumpy.”

Meanwhile, the dress that had barely been holding on, due to her exaggerated movement, slipped down entirely.

Before Li Youqing could react, she felt a sudden darkness envelop her, overwhelmed by the man’s pervasive scent.

Just as her skirt slipped down, the man swiftly unfastened his cloak and covered her head with it.

Li Youqing hurriedly fumbled to fasten her buttons, her ear tips flushed red as she murmured in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum, “Thank you, General.”

Xuan Rui heard the tremor in her voice and sighed softly, “Stay behind me and don’t move.”

As footsteps approached outside, he lifted half the carriage curtain to peer out.

In the pitch-black night, a column of riders advanced in formation. The leader wore a ghost mask, his appearance rendered indescribably eerie under the lantern’s glow.

The coachman jumped down and said, “Young master, it’s the Rou Lan inspection troops.”

Hearing the words “Rou Lan,” Li Youqing’s heart tightened. That was territory even deeper into the northwest than Erhai, confirming they were moving farther from the Central Plains.

Xuan Rui let the curtain fall, his hand moving to the saber at his waist as he waited silently.

His straight nose cast a shadow across his face—half fierce, half refined.

Li Youqing also sensed the danger and obediently shrank behind him, curling up on the soft couch with her knees hugged to her chest, not daring to make a sound.

A mellifluous Rou Lan language could be heard outside negotiating with the coachman. Then the curtain was lifted. She shrank into a small ball, fearfully clutching the hem of the man’s robe in front of her.

Fortunately, his stature was tall enough to conceal her completely.

The coachman, a local of Rou Lan, explained on their behalf: “Please show mercy, officers. This young master has come from the Central Plains with a pass purchased from Seventh Master, intending to settle in Rou Lan.”

He then presented the prepared documents.

The masked man said something, and the coachman turned to Xuan Rui: “Young master, they demand twenty taels as a toll fee.”

Xuan Rui took a money pouch from his sleeve and handed it over. The recipient weighed it in his hand.

The coachman smiled obsequiously at the masked man and said, “Will this suffice, officer?”

The masked man reined his horse back a step and was about to signal clearance when he suddenly caught a whiff of a delicate, sweet fragrance. He sneered, “You think you can buy passage for two with one person’s fee? You cunning Central Plains people.”

The coachman’s face changed. “Does the young master have documents prepared for his wife?”

Xuan Rui sneered and was about to draw his saber to resolve the matter in the most direct way when he suddenly felt a tight grip around his waist. Unnoticed in the commotion, a pair of slender arms had wrapped firmly around him.

“Husband, why didn’t you explain clearly to him?” Li Youqing spoke in Rou Lan language, burying her face in his chest.

Xuan Rui remained expressionless, his large hand gently stroking the slender back of the woman in his arms, the slight pressure carrying a warning.

His covert investigation in Rou Lan must not be exposed.

Li Youqing peeked out from his embrace with half her face visible and said softly, “This humble girl’s hometown is Rou Lan. This journey is my return home, so no documents are needed.”

The facial features of Rou Lan women differed little from those of Central Plains women. Combined with Li Youqing’s pronounced facial contours, it wouldn’t be strange to claim she had partial Rou Lan heritage.

The officer still seemed suspicious and asked, “What is your maternal clan name?”

“Reporting to the officer, it’s the Bai clan of the He tribe,” Li Youqing replied with downcast eyes, then gazed at Xuan Rui with shimmering, tearful orbs.

Xuan Rui understood immediately. His large hand gently smoothed down her loose black hair as he spoke in somewhat broken Rou Lan language: “This trip is to accompany my wife back to her hometown to visit relatives, hence only one document.”

Li Youqing took the opportunity to lightly punch his chest, her voice soft and coquettish: “It’s all because you’re so petty and jealous, never allowing other men to look at me normally. That’s why the officer misunderstood.”

Xuan Rui’s expression darkened as he pressed her against his chest.

The two of them performed in perfect harmony, like seasoned actors on stage.

Moreover, the Bai family name carried some prestige in Rou Lan.

The soldiers thus let them pass, and the coachman quickly urged the horses forward, speeding away along the road.

As they continued, the starry sky vanished from view, leaving the carriage interior dimly lit, making it impossible to discern each other’s expressions.

Li Youqing shifted slightly and felt a rough, large hand cover the back of her neck, causing her entire body to stiffen.

At this moment, she genuinely sensed killing intent.

With her shrewdness, she naturally understood that even if she hadn’t spoken earlier, Xuan Rui could have escaped unscathed with her.

Her decision to reveal her knowledge of the Rou Lan language had its own considerations.

Rou Lan had long been a vassal state of Daliang. As commander of the Zhenbei Army, Xuan Rui could openly travel to Rou Lan. Yet he had disguised himself and deliberately avoided detection by the inspecting soldiers—this inevitably raised questions.

The most likely explanation was that turmoil had erupted within Rou Lan, and for some reason, he couldn’t openly lead troops to suppress it, forcing him to infiltrate secretly.

On one hand, Li Youqing wanted to prove her usefulness to him.

On the other hand, once they reached the capital Wu City, they would inevitably interact with more locals. If he were to discover any clues then, she would have no chance to recover.

In this critical moment, she kept her tone as calm as possible, her voice like strung pearls carrying a hint of sweetness: “Among all the sisters in the chancellor’s residence, only I was close in age to the Third Princess. Thus, when young, I was sent to the palace as her study companion and learned some Rou Lan language while studying with Her Highness.”

The Third Princess—Emperor Jian’s most beloved youngest daughter—

Xuan Rui vaguely recalled how his adoptive father had gone through great troubles back then for her desire to learn the Rou Lan language.

Women in Rou Lan Kingdom were exceptionally skilled in dance. Since becoming a vassal state of Daliang, numerous Rou Lan dancers had traveled to the capital seeking fame.

The most renowned among them had entered the service of the Empress’s palace.