Chapter Sixty-One: Meeting Ling Zetian Again

After watching the sunrise, Feng Qiuji and Ying Xuanyu began their arduous climb up the mountain.

They climbed for what felt like ages, and just when Feng Qiuji thought she might starve to death deep in these mountains, Ying Xuanyu suddenly spotted a small village. Upon hearing this, Feng Qiuji was immediately reenergized—for a village meant food, it meant a proper bed, and it meant she could once again play happily as she used to.

They spent several more hours descending from the mountain, and by the time they reached the village, noon had already passed.

Feng Qiuji now found herself conflicted about the Axe Gang; she was rather eager to return and resume her life as a bandit. After all, Yang Siyuan and Second Dog and Third Dog had been wounded because of her, and she felt guilty, thinking she should at least go back to see them. But returning now would be courting death. She could only wait, hoping to get her hands on some money before she went back to check on them.

As soon as she entered the village, Feng Qiuji noticed it was quite different from others. It was eerily silent; no children ran along the paths, and no villagers strolled through the lanes. She nudged Ying Xuanyu, “Don’t you feel something’s off about this place?”

“Yes, I do,” Ying Xuanyu replied, sharing her sense of unease—the atmosphere was lifeless.

A few more steps, and Feng Qiuji suddenly spotted several people in matching uniforms standing guard outside a small courtyard. If this were an ordinary household, it seemed unlikely they could afford bodyguards, especially for such a humble cottage. And the uniforms—she felt she’d seen them before!

“Imperial Guards?” Ying Xuanyu was the first to realize, blurting out in confusion.

Feng Qiuji, hearing this, suddenly remembered: the silvery-gray uniforms were those of the Imperial Guards of the Ling Dynasty. If Imperial Guards were stationed here, what did it mean?

Feng Qiuji looked toward the small cottage. It could only mean a person of importance from the palace was present—perhaps even Ling Zetian himself!

“Could the emperor be here?” Ying Xuanyu hit right on Feng Qiuji’s suspicion.

“Um…” Feng Qiuji hesitated, unsure whether she should run. If she stayed, she really didn’t want to see Ling Zetian or explain what she’d been up to these past days. But if she ran, she had no idea where to go. She’d finally found a village and was too exhausted to go any further. All she wanted now was a meal at a farmer’s home. “What should we do?”

“Let’s go have a look.” Ying Xuanyu said, lifting his leg to head that way.

“No!” Feng Qiuji quickly grabbed him. “Wait, let’s take a detour.”

“What, you’re so afraid of the emperor now? You’re planning to avoid him altogether?” Ying Xuanyu teased lightly, though a shadow of discomfort crossed his heart.

“Not at all—it’s just trouble if I see him.” Feng Qiuji turned, clutching Ying Xuanyu’s sleeve, “Come on, let’s find somewhere to eat.”

“What trouble could there be in meeting me?” A familiar voice suddenly sounded behind her, making Feng Qiuji’s heart skip.

She stood awkwardly, unable to move forward or turn back. After a few moments of silence, she finally turned and forced a smile. “Hey, Your Majesty, what a surprise to see you here.”

At that moment, Feng Qiuji was clad in coarse linen, dressed as a man, her face smeared with dust, hair disheveled, looking thoroughly down-and-out.

Ling Zetian, by contrast, wore a white robe, his face handsome and refined, noble and elegant.

Feng Qiuji realized something: male protagonists tended to favor either white or black clothing, and especially Ling Zetian—she’d rarely seen him in anything else. She almost wanted to ask if he was in mourning!

Ling Zetian frowned—a gesture he often directed at Feng Qiuji—and strode over, eyes filled with disdain. “What happened to you after just a few days? Are you so poor you’ve resorted to begging?”

Wasn’t she supposed to be having fun as a bandit? How had she ended up like this?

“Heh, heh, heh.” Feng Qiuji had nothing else to say, so she could only laugh dryly. After just a few days apart, he was already criticizing her. If he didn’t like what he saw, he could always go look at his Lady Qin; it wasn’t as if she’d asked him to look at her.

“And you, Little Yu—why are you with my empress?”

“Sigh, Aye, it’s a long story. Let’s go inside and talk.” Ying Xuanyu glanced at Feng Qiuji, knowing she was annoyed. But he could see that upon seeing Ling Zetian, Feng Qiuji was suddenly more spirited, even with enough energy to be angry.

“Very well.” Ling Zetian looked at Feng Qiuji, then turned and walked away.

Ying Xuanyu followed, but after a few steps, he noticed Feng Qiuji still standing there, conflicted, as if she wanted to go her own way.

“What, are you still not done with your tantrum? Still planning to run away from home?” Ling Zetian noticed Feng Qiuji’s hesitation and glanced back at her. “Ano is missing, so don’t make trouble.” With that, he strode into the cottage.

Feng Qiuji was shocked. Wasn’t Ano safe in the palace? How could he be missing? She forgot her annoyance and hurried after Ling Zetian, eager to find out what had happened.

Inside the cottage sat several people, presumably the farmer’s family. Yu Fan and Wei Long stood silently at the side, waiting for Ling Zetian.

“Little sister, tell brother—who took Ano?” The voice belonged to another man, skilled at captivating others.

Feng Qiuji looked toward the source. Ling Zexin was crouched beside a little girl, gently patting her back to comfort her, exuding the warmth of a caring mother.

“It was a big man with a beard.”

Ling Zexin, hearing this, suddenly recalled someone.

“How old was he, roughly?”

“A strange uncle, about thirty years old.”

Now Ling Zexin was certain who it was.

“Which way did he take Ano?”

“I don’t know—I only saw them walking down the main road, and then they disappeared.”

“Oh, you’re a good child.” Ling Zexin stroked her head in praise, then said to Ling Zetian, “I think we have a lead.”

This farmer’s home was the very one where the old man had brought Ano. The little girl was Xiao Hua, the one from that day. Yu Fan and Wei Long had been asking around, and since the villagers were aware of the child’s disappearance, they were about to report it to the authorities. After some inquiries, Yu Fan and Wei Long found the old man’s house.

The old man described how he’d met Ano, brought him home, and how Ano had been abducted.

“In that case, let’s go.” Ling Zetian, seeing Ling Zexin confident and finished with his questions, prepared to leave.

Ling Zexin handed over some silver as hush money and compensation, then followed Ling Zetian. Now, his only hope was to find Ano to atone for his mistakes, so he was working with particular diligence.

“Zexin, Aye.” Ying Xuanyu, seeing them about to leave, hesitated before calling out. “I can’t go with you. My sister, Sakura, ran away from home and is missing. I must search for her, so I’ll take my leave. We’ll catch up another time.”

“Wait,” Ling Zexin stopped him, patting his shoulder. “Don’t worry. Your sister is at my residence, perfectly safe. You don’t need to look for her.”

“At your residence?” Ying Xuanyu was astonished.

“Yes, but this is not the time for explanations. Once things are settled, I’ll speak with you in detail.” He was determined to report Sakura’s behavior to Ying Xuanyu and discuss their marriage.

“Very well.” And so, the group followed Ling Zetian, heading back in grand procession. Feng Qiuji, now concerned only with Ano’s disappearance, focused solely on helping find him, forgetting her quarrel with Ling Zetian.

Ling Zexin’s confidence was justified. After hearing Xiao Hua’s description, he immediately thought of the man—the bearded fellow who had struck him at the brothel that night.

He had intended to send someone to beat up the bearded man for revenge, but then reconsidered. Since Ano had already given him medicine as punishment, he thought it best to let him go. But now, Xiao Hua’s words brought the man back to mind. From the moment he saw him, Ling Zexin had felt he wasn’t a good person. And men with such beards were rare on the street, so his appearance was distinctive. Now, all they needed to do was go to Fragrant Pavilion and ask the madam to confirm his identity. If they found the bearded man, they could discover where Ano had been taken.

Outside the cottage, Ling Zetian and his party mounted their horses, leaving Feng Qiuji and Ying Xuanyu standing awkwardly on the ground.

They hadn’t expected to meet up, so Ling Zetian and the others had brought no extra horses. Seeing Feng Qiuji’s predicament, Ling Zetian rode up, and without asking her consent, lifted her onto his horse to share the saddle.

Ling Zexin, observing, smiled at Ying Xuanyu, “Little Yu, looks like you’ll have to ride with me.”

Yu Fan and Wei Long led the way, Ling Zetian and his group followed, and behind them rode a troop of Imperial Guards. Thus, the entire party galloped down the official road, heading for the imperial capital.

Feng Qiuji, riding with Ling Zetian, felt uneasy.

Though they’d once been closer, now she felt awkward, yet couldn’t express it. She sat rigidly, trying not to touch Ling Zetian.

Ling Zetian, noticing her stiff posture, pressed his lips together and suddenly asked, “Doesn’t it tire you to sit like that?”

“Ah?” Feng Qiuji, surrounded by the rushing wind, hadn’t noticed. She laughed awkwardly, “Not at all.” With that, she sighed in relief and leaned into his arms.

Yes, this was much more comfortable.

Ling Zetian, seeing her like this, couldn’t help but smile—whether from happiness or mockery, it was hard to say.

——Extra note——

Ling Zetian and Feng Qiuji have finally reappeared. The author truly writes with such hardship—