Chapter 33
After a moment, Gao Jingxi’s voice came from inside the carriage, filled with a delight unlike anything she had shown before. “Liejin, I think it’s a kitten.” She swiftly lifted the curtain and rushed out of the carriage.
The two walked toward the bushes together and slowly pushed aside the withered leaves buried beneath the ice and snow. Sure enough, they found a kitten whose entire body was pitch-black except for its completely white belly. It appeared to be barely three months old. Its eyes were half closed as it let out faint, pitiful meows.
It was wrapped in a scrap of cloth—perhaps it had only recently been abandoned, as its body was still warm.
Ignoring the dirt, Gao Jingxi immediately bent down and gently gathered the little black kitten into her arms.
“We’ll reach Changyong in half a day. The kitten should survive.”
“Mm, good.” Gao Jingxi could not resist rubbing the kitten’s fluffy little head. “I’ll use a small silver spoon to feed it some water first.”
However, after examining the area more carefully, Lian Liejin suddenly noticed a long trail of blood in the bushes. Just as she was about to tell Gao Jingxi to return to the carriage quickly, sounds of shouting and fighting came from behind them.
A group of men dressed in dark clothing appeared to be pursuing a woman.
The man who seemed to be their leader released a flash of blue starlight from his palm, and a wall of light suddenly appeared before the fleeing woman.
Unable to stop herself in time, the woman crashed directly into it. Her body convulsed as though she had been struck by lightning before she collapsed to the ground.
The leader had likely already reached the rank of Starbreaker. Had he joined the army, he could have obtained at least the position of deputy general. Yet he was here bullying a defenseless woman, which made Lian Liejin somewhat angry. “Your Highness, be careful. These men have no restraint and may injure you by accident.”
Gao Jingxi glanced toward the commotion, held the little black kitten more tightly against her chest, and firmly gripped the hem of Lian Liejin’s clothes with her other hand.
The woman had already climbed back to her feet and was rushing toward their carriage, crying out for them to save her.
Looking at the woman’s attractive face, Gao Jingxi revealed a meaningful smile. “Liejin, let’s help her.”
Lian Liejin removed a folding fan made of black jade from her robes. Holding it in her left hand, she slowly opened it, and the refreshing fragrance of medicinal herbs gradually filled the surrounding air.
She pulled the woman behind her, then walked toward the men.
All Lian Liejin did was open and close the fan, then swing, chop, point, tap, and thrust with it. Those simple movements caused all four or five men to collapse to the ground, unable to release even the slightest trace of stellar power.
When Lian Liejin returned to the carriage, Gao Jingxi took out a handkerchief and wiped the thin layer of sweat from her forehead. “Your techniques are truly extraordinary. Earlier—”
“I merely used four liang to move a thousand jin. No matter how powerful they are, their own strength will rebound against them.”
The two began gazing at one another as though no one else were present. Gao Jingxi tilted her face upward, her eyes slightly unfocused and her red lips faintly parted, seemingly contemplating Lian Liejin’s words.
When a cold gust of wind swept past, Lian Liejin instinctively wrapped an arm around Gao Jingxi and shielded her from it.
The tender scene was suddenly interrupted by the woman’s voice. “Thank you, benefactors, for saving me. This humble woman, Yu Qian, has no way to repay—”
Afraid she would say something about repaying the favor with her body, Lian Liejin immediately interrupted, “No, no, no. We don’t do that sort of thing.”
Yu Qian’s eyes filled with tears. “How can that be? You saved my life. I’m willing to become your servant, labor like an ox or horse, and obey your every command.”
Lian Liejin was about to object again when Gao Jingxi asked, “Where did you come from? Why were they pursuing you?”
Yu Qian looked timidly at Gao Jingxi. “This humble woman comes from Qingzhou. I traveled to Changyong with my father to visit relatives. Unexpectedly, Father contracted a sudden illness and passed away. Those villains took an interest in me and tried to force me into marriage. I refused and ran away.”
“In that case, your circumstances are indeed pitiful.” Gao Jingxi had Lian Liejin take out ten taels of silver and hand them to Yu Qian.
Ignoring the cold, Yu Qian immediately knelt on the ground. “This humble woman has now lost both parents and is completely alone. I beg my benefactors to take me in.”
A thin layer of ice covered the ground, and Gao Jingxi watched as Yu Qian supported herself with both hands directly on the frozen surface. After a long while, she sighed. “Very well. You may follow me for now.”
“Thank you, benefactors. Thank you!”
“Get into the carriage. Yu Qian can sit inside with me.”
Yu Qian waved her hands in panic. “Please allow me to drive the carriage for my benefactors. May I ask where you are going?”
Lian Liejin helped Gao Jingxi into the carriage and wrapped a thick cloak around her before turning back. “Are you familiar with the road to Changyong?”
“Fairly familiar. Please enter the carriage, benefactors. The weather is cold and the road is slippery, so please sit securely.”
The charcoal fire inside the carriage had gone out. Lian Liejin added several fresh pieces of charcoal and began brewing a new pot of tea over the clay stove.
After rinsing the tea leaves and washing them twice with hot water, Lian Liejin happily drank her tea. Since an outsider was present, she could not address Gao Jingxi as “Your Highness.” She could only cough twice before speaking to attract her attention.
“Ahem, have some tea.”
A while later, “Ahem, it’s a little stuffy. Shall we open the window?”
“Ahem, would you like to play chess?”
No one responded. Gao Jingxi had eyes only for the little black kitten. She even removed her outer robe herself, wrapped the kitten inside it, and dipped a handkerchief in warm water to wipe the dirt from the corners of its eyes.
Unexpectedly, after drinking the warm water, the kitten recovered some strength. It crawled all over the carriage, and its tiny claws managed to pull loose the stitching on the stack of clothes inside.
Seeing this, Gao Jingxi merely smiled indulgently and hugged the kitten even more tightly.
The degree of tenderness she showed left Lian Liejin clicking her tongue in amazement. The princess truly loved cats. It was only a pity about that stack of clothes…
Half a day later, their carriage finally reached the outskirts of Changyong.
Beside the Suiyu River, Gao Jingxi calmly ordered them to stop. She then took out a stack of banknotes and had Lian Liejin give them to Yu Qian, who was driving.
“We have arrived at Changyong. Take these banknotes into the city. Whether you visit your relatives or find yourself work, they will be enough for you to live on.”
Although Yu Qian was reluctant to leave, she still obeyed Gao Jingxi. After thanking both women once more, she accepted the banknotes and entered the city ahead of them.
Gao Jingxi lifted the curtain and watched Yu Qian’s retreating figure, a cold smile flashing through her eyes. “I didn’t expect her to leave so obediently. Perhaps I was overly suspicious.”
“Is there something wrong with her?” Lian Liejin played with the kitten in her arms, occasionally feeding it warm water. “Still, traveling to visit relatives in the middle of winter is rather unusual.”
“Liejin, let’s hurry back to the Princess’s Residence.” Gao Jingxi reached out, took the kitten, and held it in her arms. “There are still many things to handle after we return.”
Lian Liejin heard the weight of worry in Gao Jingxi’s voice. When she looked again, the woman and kitten inside the carriage had already closed their eyes at the same time.
Within three ke, Lian Liejin drove the carriage to the Princess’s Residence.
Outside the residence, A-You anxiously paced back and forth across the frozen ground until she saw Gao Jingxi descend from a carriage.
“Your Highness, why have you only returned now? It’s almost dark.” A-You rushed over and happened to see Lian Liejin standing beside Gao Jingxi. “Princess Consort, are you all right? I-I…”
Gao Jingxi laughed helplessly. “Catch your breath before speaking. The Princess Consort is fine. Let’s enter the residence first.”
A-You’s smile widened until it nearly split her face. She stepped forward to support Gao Jingxi and loudly ordered the others to hurry and heat water and prepare refreshments.
“Your Highness, where did this little black kitten come from?”
“The Princess Consort and I found it on the road. Have them prepare some minced meat suitable for a young kitten, along with clean water.”
A-You nodded. A maid dressed in pink stepped forward, accepted the kitten, and carried it away.
When they reached the dining hall, several young maids were already standing nearby with hot water and towels. After the two women merely wiped their hands and faces, Gao Jingxi dismissed everyone else. “Liejin, go rest in the room for a while. Tomorrow, the two of us will likely need to enter the palace. I’ve also sent someone to the Duke of Yan’s Residence to report that you’re safe.”
The servants of the Princess’s Residence had not reacted with joy and celebration to Gao Jingxi and Lian Liejin’s return. Instead, the atmosphere was extremely heavy. Lian Liejin had already noticed the forced smile on A-You’s face.
Something troublesome had clearly happened.
“Your Highness, I’m not leaving. As long as it isn’t a matter of state, I believe I can listen as well.”
Now that they had returned to Changyong, Gao Jingxi naturally would not indulge Lian Liejin as she had on Qingyue Mountain.
She personally stood, picked up a piece of braised pork, and fed it to Lian Liejin, her phoenix eyes brimming with gentleness. “Go and take care of the kitten for me, all right?”
“Your Highness, I…” Lian Liejin naturally did not wish to leave, but she understood the meaning in Gao Jingxi’s eyes. Although the Seventh Princess was gentle, she could still be extremely stubborn when necessary. “Fine. I’ll go and check on the kitten first.”
After leaving the dining hall, Lian Liejin turned and looked at the roof. An idea immediately formed in her mind. Seeing no one nearby, she quickly slipped off to the side.
The food in the dining hall was still steaming. A-You used silver chopsticks to serve Gao Jingxi. Apart from the sound of bowls and utensils touching, the room was utterly silent until Gao Jingxi put down her chopsticks and asked for water to rinse her mouth.
“Speak. What went wrong?”
A-You immediately knelt on the ground and could not speak for a long time. Only after quite a while did she whisper, “Your Highness, A-You failed in her duties. Please punish me.”
Gao Jingxi shook her head, her voice becoming increasingly cold and severe. “How many times have I told you to explain what happened first?”
“On the second day after you left, two people whose star charts were respectively a loach and a chipmunk came and rescued the assassin Luo Qian’er. The captain of the Sun Radiance Guard has already entered the palace to report the matter to His Majesty. His Majesty will certainly blame you.”
“Luo Qian’er has a powerful background. Her rescue was within expectations. The fault is mine, not yours. Stand up.” Gao Jingxi’s voice softened noticeably. Seeing A-You remain kneeling, she bent down and helped her to her feet, then said solemnly,
“I’ve told you before that I dislike the empty words found in all those cumbersome formalities. You and I grew up together, and our bond is no ordinary one. I don’t need a servant who knows only how to beg forgiveness. Do you understand?”
A-You wiped away her tears and stared at Gao Jingxi in a daze. The princess had indeed never liked complicated rituals or empty formalities.
A-You had previously believed Gao Jingxi told her to get straight to the point merely because she was impatient. She had never considered that what the princess truly needed was a capable and trusted confidante.
Having understood this, A-You curtsied. “Your Highness, the palace may send someone tomorrow to summon you before His Majesty.”
“Prepare a horse now and send the Princess Consort to the Duke of Yan’s Residence. I will personally explain everything to His Majesty later.”
A-You looked deeply worried. The princess would certainly receive severe punishment this time. If the Princess Consort remained here, perhaps His Majesty might show some mercy…
Unexpectedly, a large mass of snow suddenly fell into the silent dining hall and landed squarely on A-You’s head.
Gao Jingxi raised one hand and released a sheet of golden stellar power, instantly overturning the dining hall’s roof.
Dark-purple glazed tiles crashed noisily to the ground. Amid the thunderous clattering came a miserable cry of pain.
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