In the mountains, time passes unnoticed, yet what is destined to come will arrive, unavoidable.
The Third Prince, Li Ang, dispatched men to search the mountains for the missing Zhang He'an and Li Qingxun.
Li Qingxun sighed softly, changing into dry clothes to cover the red marks on her neck. Zhang He'an also dressed, his dark eyes gazing outside the cave.
It was time to leave.
"Once we return to Yanjing City, I will marry you," Zhang He'an promised slowly.
Li Qingxun smiled, elegantly patting Zhang He'an's handsome face. "No need. What happened in the mountains—I can pretend it never occurred."
Zhang He'an's expression instantly turned cold.
A ridiculous sense of being discarded after being toyed with washed over him.
He had long suspected that Li Qingxun’s feelings for him were not particularly deep. To her, he might just be an amusing plaything—something she entertained herself with for a month or two before losing interest and casting aside.
...
The searching guards found the cave and escorted Zhang He'an and Li Qingxun back to Liangzhou City.
Liangzhou was remote, plagued by relentless winds and sand, its borders frequently harassed by bandits and soldiers from the Yue Kingdom. Life was hard for its people. Now, Liangzhou City was heavily guarded, as Qing State and Yue Kingdom were set to sign a temporary peace treaty and establish trade relations.
Having spent three months in the cave, Li Qingxun returned to the government office in Liangzhou City and immediately collapsed into deep sleep, seizing the chance to rest.
She slept from day till night.
Li Qingling, who lived next door, grew restless with worry. As night fell, she knocked on Li Qingxun’s door.
Li Qingxun was already awake, lazily seated at the table eating dinner. The simple vegetable dumplings of Liangzhou City tasted unexpectedly delicious to her.
"How can you eat at a time like this? The Crown Prince of Yue Kingdom arrives tomorrow. Our Qing State, only two generations old and still rebuilding, has no choice but to send princesses off in marriage," Li Qingling lamented, sitting on a low stool with a troubled expression.
Li Qingxun didn’t even look up, finishing one dumpling before picking up another.
In the mountains, she had survived on wild fruits, rabbits, and Zhang He'an—she’d nearly grown sick of it. The plainest vegetable dumplings here, made from flour and steamed greens, tasted like a delicacy.
Though Li Qingling had traveled a great distance to Liangzhou, complaining all the way about Li Qingxun’s rough manners, Li Qingxun was the only person she could confide in.
Over time, Li Qingling had even developed a grudging admiration for her.
When Li Qingxun went missing, Li Qingling had secretly worried for a long time.
"Eat slower. Life in the mountains must have been hard—you’ve lost weight," Li Qingling said, pouring her a cup of hot tea.
Li Qingxun took the tea and gulped it down.
Li Qingling watched her carefree demeanor with envy. "You really don’t let anything bother you. When the Yue Crown Prince arrives tomorrow, he’ll surely pick me. As for you... you’ll probably be sent to Yelang Kingdom. Eat up while you can—the emperor there is already over sixty."
Li Qingxun set down her cup. "Is Yelang Kingdom powerful?"
Li Qingling sighed. "They say their emperor is a fool, but he’s lucky—Yelang is rich in gold, silver, and gemstone mines, along with other strange ores."
With such wealth, even a foolish ruler could thrive, unlike Qing State, still struggling to rebuild.
Li Qingxun quietly noted this—Yelang had abundant mineral resources.
Li Qingling’s gaze drifted to Li Qingxun’s collar, spotting the red marks on her neck. Frowning, she pulled two jars of ointment from her sleeve. "Here—one repels insects, the other reduces swelling. The mountains must be full of mosquitoes—look how badly they bit you."
Li Qingxun took the insect-repellent ointment. "Thanks—but how do you know these are mosquito bites?"
Li Qingling scoffed. "If not mosquitoes, did Chancellor Zhang bite you?"
Li Qingxun: "Couldn’t he have?"
Li Qingling rolled her eyes.
Zhang He'an was a proper, aloof gentleman—an untouchable flower on a high peak. There was no way he’d be interested in someone as crude as Li Qingxun.
No one would believe it.
After chatting a while longer, Li Qingling finally returned to her room to rest. Having slept all day, Li Qingxun wasn’t tired. She loosened her collar, studying the marks on her neck in the bronze mirror.
Red traces everywhere.
Zhang He'an might appear dignified and composed, but in private, he was like a wolf. Li Qingxun happily reminisced about their wild month together, still craving more.
She opened the swelling-reducing ointment and began applying it to her neck. The door creaked, and soft footsteps approached. In the candlelight, Zhang He'an’s elegant figure appeared in the mirror.
He, too, held a jar of ointment.
Seeing Li Qingxun in only a thin underrobe, he opened the jar. "Let me help."
Li Qingxun didn’t refuse.
Free service—why turn it down?
Zhang He'an worked gently, carefully spreading the ointment. Soon, their eyes met in silent understanding, and they naturally moved to the bed.
Outside, the night deepened. Inside, the candle burned late into the darkness.
The next morning, Li Qingxun rose sore but clean, fresh clothes neatly laid out beside her.
Checking the mirror, she saw the marks on her neck had faded significantly—barely visible unless inspected closely. Zhang He'an had been careful not to leave obvious traces.
"He’s quite considerate," she murmured, changing into a new dress and heading downstairs for breakfast.
The spread was decent—a table full of authentic Liangzhou dishes. Having exhausted herself the night before, Li Qingxun ate heartily.
Li Qingling, however, barely touched her food, her lovely face clouded with worry. Watching Li Qingxun devour her meal, she snapped, "Were you tearing down the house last night? All that banging—I nearly came over to hit you."
Li Qingxun shrugged. "A rat got into my bed. Had to chase it out."
Liangzhou had plenty of rats.
Li Qingling had seen her share.
Sighing, she rested her chin on her hand. "I just want to return to Yanjing City... This wretched place is unbearable."
The Yue envoys wouldn’t arrive until afternoon.
After two sips of porridge, Li Qingling retreated upstairs, consumed by anxiety. Li Qingxun, intrigued by Liangzhou, rode out to explore the city.
Liangzhou, ravaged by years of war, was a land of emaciated citizens, crumbling buildings, and relentless sandstorms. Riding through it, Li Qingxun felt as though she’d entered a living hell.
Starved children littered the streets, alongside ragged beggars and limbless elders—even the rats were thin.
The sight struck her deeply.
Born into a prosperous era of technology, she’d been surrounded by well-dressed, comfortable people. Even commoners had lived without want.
In hindsight, her transmigration luck wasn’t bad. Though an overlooked royal princess, she at least had food and shelter.
Had she ended up a servant or a war-torn peasant, she might not have survived—just another speck of dust in history.
A wave of sorrow rose in her heart, and she couldn’t help reciting a verse:
"If only I could shelter all the poor beneath a thousand spacious halls, where wind and rain could never shake their joy."
The people couldn’t hear her impassioned poetry, each drowning in their own suffering.
After riding through Liangzhou until nearly noon, Li Qingxun finally turned her horse back toward the government office.
The envoys of the two nations were to meet, and she had to make an appearance. The Crown Prince of Yue Kingdom would undoubtedly take a liking to Li Qingling, while Li Qingxun would merely serve as a backdrop. Riding her horse, she pondered the uncertain future in her mind.
...
In the afternoon, the Crown Prince of Yue Kingdom arrived with his envoys, meeting the delegation from Qing State at the official office in Liangzhou City.
Both Li Qingxun and Li Qingling made their appearances.
When the Crown Prince of Yue Kingdom arrived, Li Qingxun sat at the far end of the seating area, casting a distant glance at him. Tuoba Yu, the Crown Prince, appeared to be under thirty, with dignified features and a demeanor of grace.
True to his name, Tuoba Yu resembled an unadorned piece of fine jade.
During the drafting of the alliance agreement, the Crown Prince of Yue Kingdom and the Third Prince of Qing State, Li Ang, negotiated the specifics of the treaty, their words laced with veiled implications as they exchanged verbal blows.
Li Qingxun rested her chin on her hand, concluding that neither of these men was ordinary.
Tuoba Yu was clearly no fool—his notorious reputation as a libertine was merely a smokescreen. Similarly, Li Ang of Qing State was no simple figure, holding his own despite his youth.
As the envoys of both nations engaged in heated discussions, Li Qingxun sat idly in the back, sipping tea. Her gaze wandered from Li Ang to Tuoba Yu, before finally settling on Zhang He'an with satisfaction.
After surveying them all, she decided Zhang He'an was still the most handsome.
Truly a man worthy of her admiration.
Amused by the spectacle, Li Qingxun inadvertently locked eyes with Tuoba Yu, the Crown Prince of Yue Kingdom. He nodded at her, offering a cordial smile.
Uncertain of his intentions, she returned a perfunctory smile of her own.
This exchange happened to be witnessed by Zhang He'an at the negotiation table.
That night, Zhang He'an arrived in silence to settle the score. Li Qingxun, left sore and exhausted, slapped him without restraint: "Are you a dog?"
Zhang He'an kissed her palm, murmuring "Ah-Xun," before resuming his relentless attentions.
...
The alliance negotiations lasted half a month.
Finally, after fifteen days, a lengthy agreement was finalized. Li Qingxun packed her belongings, preparing to return to Yanjing City.
Before her departure, an envoy from Yue Kingdom unexpectedly paid her a visit, politely informing her that Crown Prince Tuoba Yu wished to see her.
Li Qingxun arched an eyebrow.
Outside Liangzhou City, the desert winds howled. Riding her horse, she met Tuoba Yu at the city gates. He told her, "The Emperor of Qing sent two daughters for me to choose from. I have selected you."
Li Qingxun: "..."
Tuoba Yu continued, "I had heard the women of Qing State were coddled and delicate, yet your horsemanship is quite impressive."
Li Qingxun tilted her head, baffled. "My younger sister is far more beautiful. Why not choose her?"
Tuoba Yu replied, "Beautiful, yes, but devoid of spirit. The other day, while wandering Liangzhou, I overheard the Sixth Princess recite, 'If I could shelter all the common folk under a thousand vast halls, shielding them from wind and rain, unshaken as mountains.' That was when I knew you were no ordinary woman."
Tuoba Yu had truly taken a liking to Li Qingxun.
Fair ladies were plentiful, but a woman of substance was rare.
A skilled rider who cared for the people—if taken as his Crown Princess, she would be an invaluable asset to his ambitions.
Tuoba Yu admired Li Qingxun and was willing to take her as his wife.
Noting her composed expression, he asked curiously, "I wish to marry you. Are you not pleased?"