Unyielding Spring Mountains - Chapter 41: Brother-in-Law

Qi Yan raised his head and looked at him in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

Wei Ling’s face was cold. “Just come out.”

Qi Yan saw him staring at the hands he and Wei Zhen had clasped together and slowly withdrew his hand from Wei Zhen’s.

Sweat beaded on Wei Zhen’s forehead. As soon as Qi Yan left, she tightened her grip on Liang Chan’s hand again.

Deep in the forest, under the shade of green willows, the branches intertwined.

Wei Ling waited until the person behind him approached, then turned his head. The first thing he asked was, “Qi Yan, since when have you become so close with my sister?”

Qi Yan had already guessed that this was what he cared about and said, “Your sister was enduring pain just now. Didn’t you see that the moment I left, she grabbed someone else’s hand again? I just happened to be next to her at that moment, that’s all.”

Wei Ling said, “Qi Yan, I know you. These past days, your excessive care for my sister has been unusual, so I started keeping an eye on it. At first, I wasn’t certain, but the closer you two became, the more convinced I was.”

Wei Ling’s gaze, sharp as a blade, stabbed straight at Qi Yan’s face.

Qi Yan responded calmly, “Wasn’t it you who asked me to take care of her? It’s only right that I pay more attention to her.”

—It’s only right.

Previously, when Wei Ling thanked Qi Yan for looking after Wei Zhen, Qi Yan had responded with the same words: It’s only right.

So it turned out that when he said “it’s only right,” he hadn’t meant it as a protector but as a brother-in-law.

All this time, Wei Ling had been wary of Ji Wo’s improper intentions and suspicious of other soldiers attempting anything indecent toward his sister—only to have overlooked the most cunning and devious one.

Wei Ling curled his lips into a smile. “Then let the Young General swear to me right now that you don’t have the slightest other intention toward my sister.”

Qi Yan raised an eyebrow. He didn’t acknowledge his relationship with Wei Zhen because they had yet to break through that final layer of ambiguity.

Qi Yan glanced at the woods behind him. “The convoy is only a few days from the capital. Watch closely on the journey—your sister treats me no differently than she does anyone else.”

Wei Ling’s smile faded. “Of course. In the days to come, I will keep my eyes on the Young General every single day.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of footsteps rustling through fallen leaves came from the distant woods.

Liang Chan emerged from the edge of the forest. “Young General, Young Master, the Princess has sent word—the physician has finished applying the needles.”

Wei Ling shot Qi Yan a glance, then turned and walked out of the forest.

Inside the carriage, the scent of medicine was strong.

Wei Zhen knelt before the dressing table, carefully examining her face in the bronze mirror, tilting left and right.

The right side of her face, below the eye, was covered with a layer of yellowish-gray medicinal paste. Since the color of the paste was close to natural skin tone, if one did not look closely, it merely appeared as if her skin was naturally coarse.

When Wei Ling and Qi Yan, who followed him in, first caught sight of her, they were both momentarily stunned.

Wei Ling’s eyes brightened, his smile warm, but as soon as he entered the carriage, his expression changed.

He asked, “A’jie, how long must this medicine be applied?”

“Until the rash is completely gone—at least ten days, at most a month. Once the paste dries, it sticks to the skin and cannot be washed off. Doctor Zuo applied extra to prevent the rash from spreading to other areas.”

But it truly did affect her appearance.

Wei Ling leaned in for a closer look. “If I had known earlier that the old woman carried a disease, I would have stopped her.”

Wei Zhen smiled gently into the mirror. “There’s no use saying that now. None of the convoy’s medics had seen this kind of rash before. If Doctor Zuo hadn’t been here, we might have missed the best treatment time. I am extremely fortunate.”

“Though I do have some regrets, when that little girl pleaded with me, I couldn’t just stand by and watch her die.”

Wei Zhen turned her head to the young man behind Wei Ling. “Young General, I remember you were in close contact with that old woman at the time, even cutting off one of her hands. Did you develop any rash?”

Concern flickered in Wei Zhen’s eyes.

Qi Yan replied, “No, I picked up the jade pendant from the ground. I never touched her hand.”

Wei Zhen nodded. “That’s good. As long as you didn’t touch the parts with rashes, you wouldn’t have been infected.”

Before long, the maids brought up the meal.

Because of the delay earlier, none of the three had eaten lunch yet. Wei Zhen invited them to stay and dine together.

During the meal, Wei Zhen couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off between the two. It made her wonder—why had Wei Ling called Qi Yan outside earlier?

Was it because she had held Qi Yan’s hand while applying the medicine?

But she had been in intense pain at that time and had instinctively grabbed someone’s hand. She initially thought it was Liang Chan’s. It wasn’t until Qi Yan left and she opened her eyes that she realized she had grabbed the wrong person.

Yet Wei Ling’s expression remained normal, so Wei Zhen chose not to ask further.

As the convoy resumed its journey, Wei Ling did not disembark. He simply said he would stay and accompany her.

Since they were close to the Jin Kingdom’s capital, having her younger brother around more was a comfort. Wei Zhen smiled and agreed.

She took out her qin and placed it on the table. Just as she set her hands on it, Wei Ling stopped her. “A’jie, you’re injured today. Do you still need to practice? Just rest.”

Wei Zhen shook her head. “Compared to those who have practiced for years, my qin skills still have many shortcomings. The Jin King is passionate about music—if I perform in front of him like this, I will surely make a fool of myself.”

“Actually, mastery of the qin isn’t just about years of practice. What matters is having a unique understanding of the music and being able to express it through your playing,” Qi Yan said. “You have great talent. After practicing day and night for so long, your playing is already exceptional. You won’t embarrass yourself.”

Wei Zhen smiled gently.

“A’jie, you talk with Qi Yan. I’ll take a nap,” Wei Ling said, leaning his head against the carriage wall.

Wei Zhen nodded and continued practicing.

After a while, she saw that Wei Ling had fallen asleep and looked up at the young man before her.

“Actually, Doctor Zuo said the rash should be curable to reassure the envoys, but he also mentioned that there’s a chance it might not fade completely. I need to apply the medicine diligently every day. I didn’t tell Ah Ling because I didn’t want him to worry.”

Qi Yan’s hand, holding the teacup, curled slightly at the corner of his lips.

He thought—why couldn’t she tell Wei Ling this, but she could tell him?

Qi Yan tapped his fingers on the table, intending to remind Wei Zhen that Wei Ling was still in the carriage. But before he could, Wei Zhen had already turned around and was searching through a pile of scrolls behind her.

After a moment, she said, “Qi Yan, the bamboo melody you played for me last time—was it this one?”

Wei Zhen took out a scroll and spread it on the table, speaking softly. “‘A maiden shares the carriage, her beauty like blooming orchids’—this one.”

The young woman’s gentle breath brushed against his nose.

Qi Yan hadn’t expected her to recognize it. His fingers, resting on the teacup, clenched slightly.

Sitting with his back to them, Wei Ling’s eyelids fluttered.

Qi Yan glanced at him and gave her a look.

Following his gaze, Wei Zhen’s eyes landed on Wei Ling. She immediately realized and blushed. Hastily, she said, “I must have heard wrong.”

Her face flushed as she exchanged a glance with Qi Yan.

Thinking back, she felt sure—Wei Ling must have said something to Qi Yan earlier.

When Wei Ling awoke, he stretched and looked at his sister, who was still playing the qin. “A’jie, you’ve been practicing for so long. Shouldn’t you take a break now?”

Wei Zhen smiled. “Alright.”

Wei Ling got off the carriage and walked a distance away from Wei Zhen’s carriage before turning to look at Qi Yan.

“You say she treats you the same as everyone else—is this the same?”

Wei Ling’s hand clenched around the hilt of his sword at his waist, his expression dark. “In any case, there are still four or five days left in this journey. You are not allowed to approach my sister again.”

Without waiting for Qi Yan’s response, the young man turned and left in anger.

Qi Yan sighed lightly. In truth, he had been the one at fault as a brother in this matter. It was only natural for Wei Ling to resent him.

For several days in a row, Qi Yan rode outside on horseback and refrained from having any overly close interactions with Wei Zhen.

Wei Zhen vaguely guessed that it must have been because of Wei Ling. She had already prepared her words to deal with her younger brother, yet Wei Ling spoke to her as usual and never once mentioned Qi Yan’s name in front of her.

The carriages traveled along desolate mountain roads. After four days, the entourage finally arrived at the capital of Jin—Jiangdu.

As the heart of the kingdom, Jiangdu was blessed by nature, its terrain flat and its commerce thriving due to its location on a vast plain. The streets were bustling with activity.

The towering palace structures stood in a staggered arrangement. From a distance, the eaves of the buildings resembled mighty eagles spreading their wings, exuding both grandeur and majesty.

At dawn, the city gates were already wide open. Soldiers lined both sides of the road, clad in armor and holding long spears, standing in strict formation as they awaited the arrival of the princess’s wedding entourage.

The princess’s carriage was undoubtedly the focal point of all attention. In the past, there had also been instances of princesses passing through the city gates for diplomatic marriages. Though not a rare sight, such grand processions were not entirely unfamiliar. However, today was different—the number of people who had gathered along the roadside was unprecedented.

There was only one reason—the princess’s beauty had already become the talk of Jiangdu.

From the moment the portrait of the Chu princess entered the Jin territories, it had left the royal family in awe. Later, copies of the painting spread into the common people’s hands, becoming so highly sought after that they were worth a fortune. Wealthy merchants spared no expense, eager for a single glimpse of the princess’s face.

Rumors had only grown more extravagant over time.

It was said that the princess’s beauty rivaled that of Xi Shi, that she bore the divine grace of a goddess, that she was so stunning she could make fish sink and geese fall from the sky. She was hailed as the number one beauty of Chu.

Those who had the fortune of witnessing her procession along the road to Jin all spoke of her ethereal elegance, claiming she was a celestial maiden descended to the mortal realm.

As the day progressed, more and more people gathered. The crowd swelled like a rising tide, forcing the welcoming soldiers to dispatch additional guards to maintain order. Yet, even with their efforts, the fervor of the common folk was impossible to contain.

Beneath the city gates, amidst the shade of green trees, a row of tall and powerful steeds stood upon the wide road. Seated atop these horses were young noblemen of Jin.

Among them was a young woman, around seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in a crimson riding outfit. Her hair was adorned with an elaborate golden hairpin that swayed with her movements, her beauty dazzling and radiant.

This young woman was Jin’s princess, Ji Ying.

“We were ordered out here at the crack of dawn to welcome this Chu princess, yet it’s nearly noon, and there’s still no sign of the procession. How can they be this slow?” one of the royal grandsons of Jin grumbled.

“I’ve heard that the Chu princess is a peerless beauty. Which one of us will be the first to greet her?”

At these words, the other royal grandsons chuckled.

Ji Ying scoffed. “Brothers, I wouldn’t be so sure. Haven’t we seen portraits of previous princesses sent for marriage? The women depicted in those paintings looked like celestial fairies, but what was the reality?”

At the mention of this, the gathered royal grandsons all revealed looks of disdain.

When that particular princess had arrived in Jin, everyone had discovered that she was barely more attractive than a plain-looking woman.

“These girls from remote lands are always the same. They have such low standards and love resorting to cheap tricks, all in the hopes of winning the favor of our Jin royal family.”

Ji Ying waved her riding whip with a smirk. “I really want to see for myself whether this Chu princess is truly as beautiful as Xi Shi or if she simply bribed the painter to create an unrealistic image.”

At noon, the princess’s grand procession finally appeared in their line of sight, causing an uproar among the crowd.

The sunlight cascaded onto the gilded canopy of the carriage, reflecting off the gold-adorned mythical beasts decorating its eaves, creating a dazzling spectacle.

Behind the thin curtain of the carriage, a faint silhouette could be seen—a graceful figure veiled in layers of light and shadow. As the sunlight streamed through, it cast a golden sheen over her, making her appear even more ethereal and enchanting. The lack of clarity in her features only added to the allure, as though she were a beauty glimpsed through mist, captivating yet elusive.

The escorting guards stepped forward to welcome the princess as she descended from the carriage.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed upon her.

Ji Ying, however, found her gaze caught by the young nobleman assisting the princess.

It had been a casual glance, yet her eyes lingered.

The young man wore a robe the color of fresh bamboo and a jade crown upon his head. His features were unmatched in their beauty, his posture tall and refined. As he gracefully extended his hand to support the princess from the carriage, he seemed to render all the surrounding men utterly insignificant by comparison.

For a brief moment, Ji Ying’s gaze was locked in place.

The gathered crowd’s curiosity only intensified. If even the escort beside the princess was this striking, then surely the princess herself would be just as breathtaking as the rumors claimed.

The princess slowly stepped out from the carriage.

Her silk robes billowed in the wind, her long black hair swayed with the breeze, and the jade ornaments at her waist clinked softly with each movement.

Her eyes were luminous, brimming with brilliance, like boundless autumn waters reflecting the heavens. Anyone who met her gaze was instantly captivated, unable to look away.

Such beauty was indeed worthy of the phrase “a national treasure.”

Just then, a gust of wind swept past, lifting the veil from her face, revealing the rough and sallow complexion of her right cheek.

A hushed murmur spread through the crowd.

A royal grandson atop his horse sneered, “How could she be so plain?”