Chapter 119 -
Su Yueqing felt every single bump and rock in the dirt road right through her thick cushions.
She had been stuck inside the carriage for hours. Outside the window, the faint light of evening had turned into pitch-black night, and the air had grown freezing cold.
[Nine!] Yueqing complained in her mind, her hands holding tight to her heavy fur blanket as the carriage jolted again. [I feel sick! My back is breaking! Why is this road so rough?! Are we even on a real road?!]
DING!
[System 009: Host is traveling on the main northern military road. The road quality is very poor. Please try to stay calm.]
[Stay calm?!] Yueqing squeezed her eyes shut, her heart pounding every time a branch scraped against the wooden carriage. [It is completely dark outside! What if there are bandits?! What if there are wolves?! What if enemy soldiers find this carriage and take me hostage?!]
Duchess Lin Meiyun had sent two senior doctors, a box of rare medicine, and eight elite shadow guards to protect her, but Yueqing was still terrified.
[This is all Wenzhe’s fault!] she cursed in her head, pulling the warm quilt up to her chin. [That stubborn husband of mine! If he hadn’t gotten into trouble, I would be sitting in my warm room right now, drinking sweet tea and eating red-bean buns! Instead, I am freezing in the middle of nowhere! If I get sick, I am going to make him pay!]
DING!
[System 009: Advice: Try to sleep. It will help you stop worrying and make the trip feel shorter.]
[Easy for you to say!] Yueqing grumbled, burying her face into her pillow.
She tried to sleep, but the bumpy road kept waking her up. She slept and woke up a million times, spend the whole night complaining in her head, fearing wild animals, and blaming Wenzhe for everything.
Just as the sun began to come up and light up the sky, the carriage finally slowed down.
The rough shaking stopped, replaced by the heavy sound of horses walking on gravel. Outside, she could hear men shouting commands, drums beating, and armor clanking together in the morning air.
The carriage came to a complete stop.
Yueqing sat up, rubbing her sore neck as her heart jumped into her throat.
Outside the window, the head guard got off his horse and spoke politely. "Young Madam, we have arrived safely."
Yueqing carefully pulled back the curtain to look outside.
spread out across the big plain was the giant military camp. Hundreds of white tents covered the land, surrounded by tall wooden fences, burning torches, and long lines of marching guards. Big war flags carrying the Xi family crest waved wildly in the cold wind.
They had finally made it to the main camp at the northern border the place where Wenzhe and his soldiers were preparing for the upcoming war.
Su Yueqing stepped out of the carriage with the help of a guard, her feet finally touching solid ground.
As soon as her silk slippers hit the dirt, she noticed the surrounding soldiers staring at her. Hundreds of rough, battle-hardened men paused their work, their eyes wide with complete shock. None of them had ever seen a delicate, high-ranking noblewoman dressed in fine silk show up at a freezing northern war camp.
Yueqing just rolled her eyes at their baffled faces.
[What are you all staring at? Haven’t you ever seen a suffering wife forced into military service by her mother-in-law?] she grumbled internally.
She turned around and called out to her personal maid, who had traveled in the secondary carriage behind her. "Come here quickly and massage my lower back. My waist hurts so much from that awful carriage ride, I feel like my bones have rearranged themselves."
While the maid hurriedly began kneading her sore waist, another heavy carriage rolled to a stop just a few yards away. It was the supply carriage from the rear guard.
Several soldiers immediately rushed over to unpack the crates of food and medical supplies. A moment later, a slender figure stepped down from the carriage steps.
It was Li Mei.
She was supposed to be a low-ranking maid, but today she wasn’t dressed like one at all. Instead of a servant’s uniform, she wore a clean, soft cream-colored hanfu, and her long black hair was let down gently over her shoulders, tied with a simple ribbon. She looked elegant, gentle, and striking, looking nothing like a maid, but rather a tragic, beautiful heroine.
Yueqing blinked, staring at Li Mei in pure disbelief.
[Wait a second...] Yueqing’s mind buzzed as she turned to her system interface. [Nine, look at her! Is she going to a war zone or a beauty pageant?! Why is she wearing soft cream silk while I am out here freezing in heavy furs?! Who authorized her outfit change?!]
Before Nine could even reply, heavy, fast footsteps echoed across the hard-packed dirt.
Xi Wenzhe emerged from between the large command tents, accompanied by Dong Li, and a squad of lieutenants. He looked tall and imposing in his dark silver armor, a thick black cloak draped over his shoulders.
Spotting the supply carriage, Wenzhe’s gaze landed on the cream-clad figure first.
"Li Mei," Wenzhe called out calmly, stepping forward to check on the rear guard’s arrival.
But as he took another step, his eyes shifted to the side and froze.
Standing just a few feet away, leaning against a luxury carriage while a maid massaged her waist, was Su Yueqing.
Wenzhe stopped dead in his tracks. His jaw tightened, and his dark eyes widened in absolute, utter shock. He stared at her as if a ghost had just materialized out of thin air in the middle of his military camp.
Yueqing turned her head at the sound of his voice and froze too, her mouth slightly opening in equal shock as her eyes locked onto his tall, uninjured frame.
"You? You are here?!" Wenzhe blurted out.
Yueqing gasped, pointing a finger straight at him.
"You? You are alive?!" she blurted back.