Unyielding Spring Mountains - Chapter 40 - Heartstrings

Qi Yan’s embrace was warm, his robes shimmering with a golden glow.

The young lady held in his arms felt as if she were soaking in sunlight, and the sour emotion in her chest gradually dissipated.

“I’m fine, I just had a nightmare last night. I hadn’t fully reacted yet and thought I was still in the dream.”

Wei Zhen withdrew from his embrace and looked at the young man bathed in sunlight. His features were sharp and defined, his eyelashes adorned with specks of light, making his eyes appear bright, carrying a faint gentleness.

In the dream, the older version of him had gone through many hardships. There was more steadiness in his brows and eyes, and something bright within them had vanished, replaced by restraint and depth.

Looking at the person before her now, an unreal feeling arose within her.

She murmured, “Young General, you came so early today?”

Qi Yan raised a hand to rub his brow, his gaze carrying a lazy air. “Mm, the weather is cool today, so the convoy set out a bit earlier.”

Wei Zhen rested her head against the wooden window, a few strands of dark hair lifted by the soft morning breeze, drifting towards him. Her bright eyes gazed at him without blinking.

Qi Yan asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Wei Zhen’s lips curled into a faint smile. “It’s nothing. I just dreamt of you last night and wanted to take another look at you now.”

Qi Yan raised an eyebrow. “You had a nightmare because you dreamed of me?”

Wei Zhen chuckled. “How could that be? I dreamed of my future, of some bad things that might happen at the Jin Kingdom’s royal court. I’m afraid my path ahead will be too difficult, full of thorns.”

Her voice grew lighter. “Qi Yan, no matter what happens, you’ll stay with me, right?”

In the summer breeze, wisps of hair at the young lady’s temples danced, framing her soft and luminous eyes.

With such a gaze and such a gentle tone of request, perhaps no man in the world would have the heart to refuse.

“Mm.” He responded.

A simple word, blending into the warm wind.

Wei Zhen smiled faintly. In truth, her question had another layer of meaning—no matter what happened in the Jin royal court, she would stay by his side as well.

Having received his firm response, she felt even more at ease and more resolute in her thoughts.

In their past life, he had faced great dangers in Jin, surrounded by wolves and tigers. There was no guarantee that this life would not follow the same path.

The power struggles within the Jin royal court were deeply entrenched, and she and Qi Yan were merely outsiders. As newcomers, they were highly likely to be ostracized for disrupting certain vested interests.

The past life’s affairs were truly difficult to navigate.

The good thing was that the death of the Jin King should occur a year and a half after Qi Yan entered the Jin Kingdom. They still had a year and a half to find a way to avoid the worst outcomes.

For now, they would enter Jin and observe. When the time came, she would remind Qi Yan to be cautious.

Wei Zhen looked past him.

Her carriage was parked at the edge of the forest, where the trees cast dappled shade over most of Qi Yan’s figure. There were no maids or soldiers in sight.

No one should have seen the embrace they just shared.

But Wei Zhen did not dare to linger in conversation with him against the wind. She raised a hand and slowly lowered the rolled-up bamboo curtain.

The moment the curtain fell, his voice sounded from outside.

“Wei Zhen, are you still dwelling on that night’s event, feeling shy and embarrassed to face me?”

Qi Yan mentioning it only made Wei Zhen want to disappear on the spot.

This question was truly difficult to answer… If she admitted she was embarrassed, it would seem like she couldn’t stop thinking about it. If she said she didn’t mind, it might appear that she lacked propriety.

Her face flushed slightly as she carefully considered her response, but before she could speak, he said, “Then let’s interact as we did before. If you’re really struggling with it, you can pretend it never happened.”

Wei Zhen let out a quiet sigh of relief. “Mm.”

Interacting with him as before was indeed within her comfort zone.

But then, memories surfaced in her mind. Looking back, their past interactions—such as the time she almost exposed herself to him in the water, or when they had shared a bed—weren’t exactly distant.

Wei Zhen was unaware of Qi Yan’s true intentions—

He had noticed that she had been too tense around him lately.

By suggesting they return to their old ways, he hoped to ease her defenses, allowing him to slowly draw closer to her heart.

As the convoy neared the capital, both she and he became increasingly cautious.

Wei Zhen’s music lessons continued. She had already mastered the basics; what remained was to delve into musical compositions, memorizing and practicing them day after day. Occasionally, Qi Yan would help correct mistakes in her playing.

To avoid suspicion and ensure that everyone could see there was no impropriety between them, every time she practiced, she would roll up the bamboo curtains on both sides of the carriage and have Wei Ling sit in the carriage to supervise.

With such precautions in place, even Old General Qi had nothing to say.

The convoy traveled northward. The journey was exhausting and long.

From time to time, the sound of the zither drifted from the carriage. The soldiers, listening to the music carried by the wind, felt their restless hearts gradually soothed, as if touched by a cool spring.

Inside the carriage, Wei Zhen and Qi Yan sat facing each other. In the fleeting touches of their fingertips as he corrected her hand positions, a vague sense of intimacy unfurled between them.

With Wei Ling present, they never spoke much. But silence spoke volumes.

Sometimes, Qi Yan would take out his bamboo flute and accompany her melody.

Last time, he played a melody from Zheng for her on the flute. The tune was elegant and melodious. Later, as Wei Zhen browsed through musical scores, she discovered its meaning—

“A maiden shares my carriage, fair as the blossoming magnolia. She floats and glides, adorned with jade and pearls. That beautiful Meng Jiang, truly elegant and refined.

A maiden shares my carriage, fair as the flourishing iris. She floats and glides, adorned with jade and gold. That beautiful Meng Jiang, her virtue never forgotten.”

It was a song praising the beauty and grace of a woman sharing a carriage.

Wei Zhen’s fingers brushed over the musical manuscript, then lifted her gaze toward the young man at the carriage door. He sat with his knee bent, relaxed and unrestrained. The wind lifted the corner of his bamboo-green robe, revealing a carefree, dashing aura that effortlessly flowed from his sleeves.

In this moment, he seemed just like any ordinary young man in the world.

Inside the swaying carriage, it felt as if an invisible spring rain had fallen, leaving the young lady’s heart damp, stirring the first budding feelings of love.

The convoy continued northward, crossing mountains and ridges, their melodies drifting away in the wind.

Passing through the wilderness, they saw many refugees. The farther north they traveled, the more people they encountered.

Wei Zhen lifted the curtain and saw a dried-up riverbed.

The farmland had withered, the soil was barren, and raggedly dressed commoners filled the roads, all heading toward the northern capital.

Refugees, seeing the noble convoy, rushed forward, pleading for food, only to be driven back by the guards.

Yet they persisted, unwilling to leave.

Wei Zhen looked at the huddled masses behind the convoy and asked, “Where are they from? Their accents don’t sound like those of the Jin Kingdom.”

“They’re not from Jin. They are refugees from Qi, east of Jin.” The reply came from a cool and calm voice.

Zuo Ying, seated inside the carriage, had just finished checking Wei Zhen’s eyes and answered her.

Wei Zhen turned to him. “Mr. Zuo, how can you tell?”

“From their accent and clothing. Right now, in the east, the King of Qi rules in decadence, indulging in feasts and extravagance, while the common people live in unrest. Adding to that, a severe drought has struck the land, forcing countless refugees to flee to Jin.”

After completing his examination, Zuo Ying stood up, excused himself, and left the carriage.

He had deliberately disguised himself, growing a beard on his chin to avoid being recognized by the Crown Prince and his entourage.

Watching him leave, Wei Zhen turned to Qi Yan outside the carriage and asked, “Has Mr. Zuo been to Qi before? He seems to know a lot about their accent.”

Qi Yan replied in a low voice, “No, but his sister is in Qi.”

Wei Zhen was puzzled. “Sister?”

“She was an adopted daughter of the Zuo family. Years ago, she was taken into the Chu palace as a servant. Later, she accompanied a princess in a political marriage to Qi. Due to her outstanding beauty, the King of Qi took her by force and made her his consort. That’s why he knows so much about Qi and also harbors resentment towards the Qi king.”

From Qi Yan’s words, Wei Zhen sensed there was more to the story.

The relationship between Zuo Ying and his adopted sister might not be as simple as mere siblings.

Qi Yan sighed. “The King of Qi is a short-lived ruler. He won’t last long in this world.”

The afternoon sun was scorching. The soldiers, drenched in sweat, had no choice but to halt the convoy and rest for half an hour.

Inside the carriage, Wei Zhen was having her midday meal when she suddenly heard a commotion outside. She exchanged a glance with Liang Chan and stepped down from the carriage.

“What’s going on?”

“Reporting to the princess, it’s the refugees again. They approached, begging for food. We’ve already driven them away.”

An old woman, ragged and disheveled, was being dragged away by the soldiers. Upon hearing them address Wei Zhen as “Princess,” she immediately cried out in a hoarse voice, “Princess, Princess, please, I beg you, save my granddaughter! She’s dying…”

The old woman threw herself to the ground, knocking her forehead hard against the earth. A deep red patch of blood appeared on her head, trickling down the wrinkles of her face and staining the yellow soil beneath her.

Her cloudy eyes were filled with despair. “If we have no food left, I’ll have to cut my own flesh to feed my granddaughter… Princess, I beg you…”

In her arms, a little girl lay curled up, nothing but skin and bones. Her complexion was ashen, and she seemed barely alive.

Wei Zhen’s brows furrowed slightly.

The soldiers, seeing the princess remain silent, did not dare to act rashly.

“I advise you not to interfere.” A voice sounded from behind.

Jing Heng stepped down from his carriage, gazing at the kneeling grandmother and granddaughter. He said, “The roads are full of refugees, all secretly watching the convoy. If you give to one, the rest will swarm upon us.”

Wei Zhen understood this truth well, which was why she hesitated.

She could give food to one person, even a second, but she could not save the third or the fourth…

Once she took the first step, the remaining refugees would undoubtedly swarm forward, seizing the food by force, and might even resort to attacking the soldiers. If that happened, the situation would spiral out of control, and bloodshed would be inevitable.

After some thought, she came up with a better solution.

Jing Heng once again tried to stop her, but Wei Zhen had already walked towards the old woman. She squatted down in front of her and spoke gently, “Elder, would you be willing for my guards to escort you and your granddaughter to the nearest city?”

Outside the city, there were establishments specifically set up to provide porridge to refugees. Once they arrived there, they would not have to starve to death in the wilderness.

The old woman hesitantly raised her head. “The princess won’t give me any flatbread?”

Just as Wei Zhen was about to explain, the old woman suddenly lunged forward, throwing herself at her.

“Princess, be careful!” the soldiers shouted.

But the old woman was not after Wei Zhen herself—her target was the precious jade pendant at her waist.

She pounced on Wei Zhen, desperately grabbing for the jade pendant. Once she had snatched it, she no longer cared about her dying granddaughter on the ground. Turning around, she was about to toss the pendant to her grandson, who had been waiting by the roadside.

She had barely taken a step when, suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her foot.

A young figure appeared behind her.

The old woman was kicked to the ground, and a pair of black leather boots ruthlessly stomped down on her back, forcing pained screams from her mouth.

Qi Yan, expressionless, bent down and picked up the jade pendant from the ground. At the same time, his sharp sword was drawn, slashing directly at the old woman’s hand.

A blood-curdling scream rang out—the old woman’s hand had been severed.

Qi Yan stood up and walked toward Wei Zhen. His bloodstained hand held the jade pendant, and he handed it back to her. Wei Zhen took it.

Seeing this, the old woman’s grandson had long since crawled away in terror, not sparing a single glance at his grandmother’s suffering.

“Princess…” The old woman writhed on the ground like a mudfish, covered in dust and dirt.

Wei Zhen’s face was tinged with coldness. She no longer wished to involve herself in this matter. Turning to those around her, she ordered, “Find a guard to take her granddaughter to the nearest city.”

A soldier cupped his fists. “Understood.”

As Wei Zhen walked toward the carriage, Jing Heng’s voice sounded from the side. “Wei Zhen, you see? You showed them kindness, but did they care for you in the slightest? I warned you just now—these lowly peasants are nothing more than leeches, feeding off others.”

His words dripped with mockery.

Just as Wei Zhen was about to respond, Qi Yan raised his hand first, shielding her as she boarded the carriage.

Qi Yan’s lips curled slightly. “Why does the Crown Prince not condemn the old woman’s greed, but instead blame the princess’s compassion? Your Highness has lived a life of luxury, born into wealth—what right do you have to look down on everyone else?”

Jing Heng sneered. “I was merely offering the princess a kind reminder.”

Wei Zhen lifted the curtain and entered the carriage. Once inside, Liang Chan brought water to clean her soiled dress.

There was still a layer of dirt on Wei Zhen’s neck from where the old woman had touched her. It felt grimy and unbearably itchy.

As she reached for a handkerchief to wipe it away, Liang Chan suddenly cried out, “Princess, why do you have a rash on your neck?”

Wei Zhen picked up a bronze mirror and saw that the right side of her neck, where the old woman had touched, was now covered in clusters of red rashes, each about the size of a fingernail.

Before long, Qi Yan returned with Zuo Ying to the carriage. At the same time, Wei Ling and the Jin envoy, having heard the commotion, also rushed to the outside of the carriage.

The envoy stood by the window, his brows deeply furrowed.

The rash was spreading rapidly. Within moments, it had crawled across Wei Zhen’s right cheek.

The envoy said, “That old woman had rashes on her face earlier. Could this have been passed from her to the princess?”

Zuo Ying sterilized a needle over a candle flame. “Yes. This rash is highly contagious—it must be a disease spreading among the refugees.”

The envoy sighed. “Will the rash subside? Will it leave scars in the future? The convoy still has four or five days before reaching the capital.”

The carriage fell into silence, and the envoy couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

After a long pause, he let out a helpless sigh. “The princess shouldn’t have gotten off the carriage earlier.”

Wei Zhen lowered her gaze. “Had I known beforehand, I naturally wouldn’t have stepped down. But what’s done is done—regret is useless. There’s no need for the envoy to sigh over this matter. I know you’ve worked hard along the journey, and now that my face is damaged, it is I who have let you down.”

A burning pain seared across her cheek. As the needle pricked her rash, the sharp sting spread through her body. Instinctively, she clenched the sleeve of the person beside her.

Seeing how much pain she was in, Zuo Ying momentarily paused his treatment.

He turned to the envoy. “There’s no need for alarm, my lord. I’ve carefully examined it—the medical texts document this rash, and it can be treated with acupuncture. As long as treatment is timely, no scars will remain.”

He hesitated briefly before adding, “I didn’t answer you earlier because you mentioned that the convoy will reach the capital in four or five days. By then, the wounds will not have completely healed.”

Upon hearing this, the envoy—and everyone present—let out a breath of relief.

Zuo Ying continued, “For the next few days, I must perform acupuncture on the princess daily. She will also need to apply medicinal ointment for half a month and use a veil to cover her face. In time, she will recover.”

“That’s good, that’s good. Princess, you must take care and rest well.”

Knowing that acupuncture required quiet, the envoy did not disturb Wei Zhen further and stepped away.

He sighed. Wei Zhen’s portrait had been sent to Jin months ago, and her beauty was already widely known in the capital.

Now, in her current state, she no longer matched the image in the portrait. When she first arrived in the capital, she would surely face some criticism.

But still, it was fortunate—this was far better than suffering permanent disfigurement.

A civil official following behind asked, “Should today’s incident be recorded and reported to His Majesty?”

The envoy sighed. “Of course, it must be recorded.”

The evaluation of the marriage alliance princess was officially set to begin upon her arrival in the capital, but in truth, it had started the moment the convoy set off.

The King of Jin had specifically assigned officials to document everything the princess encountered along the way, so he could review it later.

Over these past days, Wei Zhen had performed excellently in etiquette lessons, music studies, and her interactions with noblemen. Even today’s incident with the refugees had showcased her kindness—though not blindly naïve.

A temporary blemish on her face was of little consequence. In the King of Jin’s eyes, it only proved that she was a compassionate ruler, mindful of her people, yet not foolishly soft-hearted.

The envoy had a strong feeling—once this Wei family woman entered Jin’s capital, her future would be boundless.

Though the next heir to the throne had not yet been chosen, it was entirely possible that the position of the future crown prince’s wife would be decided in advance.

Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Wei Zhen was enduring what felt like a brutal ordeal.

The sharp needles repeatedly pierced her skin, forcing out the infected fluids. The pain radiated from her cheek, searing through her limbs, making her entire body tremble.

She knelt, grasping Qi Yan’s hand tightly. Her fingers unconsciously intertwined with his.

The young man murmured softly, his expression gentler than ever before.

And this scene happened to fall right into Wei Ling’s line of sight.

His expression was complicated as he looked from Wei Zhen to the young man whispering to her.

After waiting for two full moments, seeing that Qi Yan still refused to let go of his sister’s hand, Wei Ling finally lost his patience and barked, “Qi Yan, come outside. I have something to say to you!”

Wei Ling: Unless I’ve gone completely blind today, how could I not see the illicit affair between the two of you?

“Riding together with a fair maiden, as beautiful as a blooming magnolia.” — Quoted from Zheng Feng: A Maiden Rides With Me.