Surviving in the General's Mansion - Chapter 124

Xia Heng asked whether Xiao Yaqing wanted her to get some “medicine.”

Xiao Yaqing knew she meant medicine from the system shop, but after thinking it over, she declined.

It was only a shallow cut, not a serious wound, and it had already stopped bleeding.

If she used a potion and healed at once, anyone who saw it would be astonished!

Xia Heng agreed.

The wound medicine from the shop worked instantly, just like the antidote. If Xiao Yaqing used it on a cut like this, the scab might fall off on the spot…

Wouldn’t anyone who saw that take them for monsters?

Instead, Xia Heng secretly exchanged points for scar-removal cream and handed it to Xiao Yaqing, telling her to apply it after the scab fell away.

By the time everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the site had nearly been cleared.

The captives’ hands and feet were bound, and all of Huyan Lie’s belongings had been packed and loaded onto carts.

At last, they could set out for home.

Dongfang Wei left with his shadow guards after drinking his salted milk tea. Cang Chuli led the others back down the mountain to where they had left their horses.

Xiao Yaqing absolutely insisted on riding in the carriage with Chuqing and the others. But the carriage could hold four at most, and squeezing Xiao Yaqing inside already put them over capacity.

There was no way Xia Heng could fit. She could only find Deputy General Zhang beside Cang Chuli and ask whether he could place her in one of the prisoner carts.

Deputy General Zhang was considering which cart might take her when Cang Chuli spoke from beside him.

“Didn’t you want to learn to ride?”

Xia Heng’s eyes widened. “Now?”

Cang Chuli nodded.

“This is a good opportunity.”

Remembering her painful experience in the rear courtyard of the General’s Mansion, Xia Heng was reluctant.

“Wouldn’t… wouldn’t that be a bad idea with so many people watching?”

“Once you learn, you can ride alone the next time something like this happens.”

Xia Heng inwardly spat at him for jinxing her, but when she thought about it, he had a point.

Mo Qing had carried her the last time, and the General had taken her this time. She could not always make someone else ride with her.

And so she nodded obediently.

Mo Qing, Mo Bai, and the others bringing up the rear were fortunate enough to witness their General patiently teaching a young woman how to mount.

Zhuxiao stood quietly and let Xia Heng fumble about, so docile it was unbelievable. When she could not quite reach, the horse even knew to bend its leg for her.

Where was the unruly beast from the army camp that kicked anyone it disliked?

Mo Bai rubbed his eyes.

“Is that Zhuxiao? I seem to remember that when Zhao Huo tried to ride it in the north, one kick left him unable to recover for three days.”

Deputy General Zhang sounded aggrieved too.

“Forget Zhao Huo. I once tried to take it for a walk, and it spat at me.”

Mo Qing glared at the two of them in exasperation.

“Is Zhuxiao really the problem here? You should be asking whether that’s actually the General!”

Since when had their General ever taught another young woman to ride? And on Zhuxiao, no less?

When they came earlier, it had been an emergency. Mo Qing had also seen Xia Heng’s little map, so he assumed the General might need her to identify the route. That explained why they shared a horse.

But now? What explained this?

Once Xia Heng was mounted, she also felt something was not quite right. Hesitation crossed her face, but before she could speak, a string of instructions came from behind her.

“Straighten your back. Don’t lean backward. Lower your shoulders.”

She immediately focused, every stray thought vanishing. She nearly shouted, “Yes, instructor!”

Cang Chuli handed the reins entirely to Xia Heng.

“Now do as I just taught you. Gently squeeze the horse’s flanks.”

Xia Heng obeyed, and Zhuxiao began walking at a leisurely pace.

“Woo-hoo! We’re moving, we’re moving!”

Cang Chuli poured cold water on her excitement from behind.

“Don’t get excited. Loosen your legs.”

Remembering the previous lesson, Xia Heng hurriedly spread both legs away from the horse.

“…Not that far. Relax and let them hang naturally.”

Xia Heng concentrated on controlling the horse as she listened to Cang Chuli behind her.

Before long, she could make the horse trot.

Cang Chuli lightly steadied her waist.

“Focus. Keep accelerating!”

“Hyah!”

And so Mo Qing, Mo Bai, and Deputy General Zhang watched the pair who had started at the very rear ride Zhuxiao at a gallop all the way to the front.

Deputy General Zhang fell into thought. He practiced mounted archery every day, so his eyesight was quite good. Had their General just held the young woman by the waist?

And had the corner of his mouth lifted? Had teaching horsemanship given him such a sense of accomplishment?

Xiao Yaqing lifted the carriage curtain and narrowed her eyes at the sight.

*No. Something is wrong with that Cang Mingxu!*

The Xiao Family waited outside the city at the foot of the mountain. They did not know the exact route and feared that if they went up, they might miss the returning party.

Xiao Huan paced back and forth. Madam Xiao had fainted earlier. When she regained some consciousness and heard that Cang Chuli’s group seemed to have found a clue, she insisted she was fine and demanded to come.

Now she sat in the carriage, staring outside in torment.

The moment she saw the party finally descending the mountain, she hurriedly jumped from the carriage. A wave of dizziness struck as soon as her feet touched the ground. She paused briefly to recover, then went forward to meet them.

“Yaqing! Yaqing!”

Cang Chuli and the others dismounted one after another.

Xiao Yaqing climbed out of the carriage she shared with Chuqing and the others, Dongfang Wei’s handkerchief still wrapped around her neck.

Like a young swallow returning to its nest, she flew straight into her mother’s arms.

Xiao Huan hurried over as well and embraced both his wife and daughter.

“It’s enough that you’re back! It’s enough that you’re back!”

After a short while, Xiao Huan came over and offered Cang Chuli a cupped-fist salute.

“Mingxu, I owe you my thanks yet again! Since returning to the capital, we have needed your help time after time. We’ve caused you far too much trouble!”

“Uncle Xiao, please don’t say that. Huyan Lie has been executed. You and Aunt Xiao can rest easy from now on.”

Madam Xiao also led Xiao Yaqing forward.

“Mingxu, Ah Heng, Deputy General Zhang, I… I…”

Madam Xiao had not slept all night and had endured endless fear. She looked utterly haggard, and even speaking left her short of breath.

“Yaqing is blessed to have met all of you!”

As she spoke, she tried to bow. Xia Heng hurriedly caught her arm.

“Aunt Xiao, the sun is up, but there still aren’t many people around. Hurry and take Yaqing home before someone sees you and you have to explain everything!”

Xiao Yaqing’s heart ached at the sight of her parents’ bloodshot eyes. Only a single night had passed, and though nothing much had happened to her, a large blister had already risen beside her mother’s mouth.

Xiao Huan urged her too.

“That’s right, Wife. Let’s go home first. The children have been awake all night. We should let them return and rest!”

Only then did Madam Xiao release Xia Heng’s hand.

“Yes, yes. Hurry home and rest!”

As she spoke, she performed a wanfu salute toward everyone.

“You have my thanks!”

When she saw the young women who had shared Xiao Yaqing’s carriage, she repeated herself.

“Thank you, young ladies, for taking care of Yaqing!”

They hurriedly stepped aside to avoid receiving the courtesy.

“Madam Xiao, you are far too polite!”

Xiao Yaqing also bowed to everyone. She truly did owe them her thanks. Otherwise, who knew where she would be now?

At last, she waved to Xia Heng and her close friends before following her mother back into the carriage. Her parents immediately began another round of anxious questions and concern.

Chuqing watched the Xiao Family’s carriage depart and said softly, “Madam Xiao must have been so frightened and heartbroken. Her eyes were red from worry. She treats Miss Xiao so well!”

Everyone knew she was missing her own mother and was trying to decide how to comfort her.

Then they saw Xia Heng running toward them from the front. Now that Xiao Yaqing had left, she could finally ride in the carriage!

Halfway there, she tripped over Cang Chuli’s cloak.

*Splat!*

She hit the ground before Cang Chuli, behind her, could even catch her…

But only a moment later, she climbed back up and continued running toward them.

“Pfft! Ah Heng’s legs are so short!”

As she spoke, Chuqing walked forward several steps to meet her delicate and helpless second sister.

Zhao Die and the others relaxed as well.

Only after Xia Heng sat inside the carriage did she realize she was still wearing Cang Chuli’s cloak. She had worn it the whole way and completely forgotten.

On the journey back, they all finally relaxed. Leaning against one another in a crooked heap, they drifted off to sleep.

Xia Heng spread part of the cloak over the women beside her, then closed her own eyes.

*Sigh. What a terrifying night.*

*She would have to sleep for an entire day and night to make up for the damage to both her mind and body.*