Can't We Just Not Divorce After All? - Chapter 2

Before the other party could kick him, Xiao Yanshi flipped off his horse, a smile playing on his lips. “I was only afraid of you slitting my throat. It was just a hug around the waist you act as if you want my life…”

His tone was frivolous and indifferent; Xiao Yanshi was acting the part of a complete rogue. However, under the cover of night, no one knew that there wasn’t even a shred of genuine mirth in his eyes.

After trading blows, if this person truly were just a bandit leader, it would be strange indeed.

Yet, observing the others, they did not seem to be from a military background; their actions, behaviors, and manner of speech were no different from common ruffians.

Xiao Yanshi’s mind raced with a thousand thoughts, but he ultimately decided not to alert the enemy just yet.

He had no way of knowing how many people the other side had, where their stronghold was, or whether there was some hidden figure pulling the strings behind them. Furthermore, his elder sister was right behind him; once a desperate struggle began, he would be unable to spare the attention to protect her.

In the blink of an eye, Xiao Yanshi had made his decision.

“Does the beauty have some sort of hardship that forced you to become a bandit here?” Xiao Yanshi chatted familiarly, not a trace of his earlier ruthless fighting style left in his demeanor.

The soldier beside Xiao Yue poked him and whispered, “Is the Young Master actually fond of men…”

Xiao Yue shot him a look, and the soldier went silent. “…”

However, feeling that he had caught onto a great secret, his mind was in a turmoil.

Then, a hand patted the back of his head. “Think clearly before you speak. Is that person merely just a man?”

The soldier was only thirteen or fourteen; not grasping Xiao Yue’s meaning, he asked blankly, “If he’s not a man, what is he?”

“He doesn’t look like a man dressed as a woman, either…”

“He is a beauty,” Xiao Yue said profoundly. Even from his perspective, no matter how beautiful a man was, there was no “flavor” to it hard and unyielding, one would not find him pleasant to hold.

While the two of them were carefully discussing Xiao Yanshi’s “secret affair,” Xiao Yanshi was already “deeply immersed” on his end, every word sounding as if he were determined to rescue this “beauty” from a life of misery.

“Are you done yet?” The beauty finally lost his patience and flourished his soft sword with a twist of his wrist.

Seeing the other party draw his sword in confrontation, Xiao Yanshi hurriedly raised a hand. “One last sentence!”

“Speak.” The beauty suppressed his anger.

“Do you have food?” Xiao Yanshi pointedly aimed his gaze toward those supply carriages. “Not just food for people… we need horse feed as well.”

As soon as his voice fell, the soft sword in the beauty’s hand stiffened.

Xiao Yue covered his forehead.

His Young Master was good in every aspect, but his thick-skinned nature… was truly unparalleled!

Perhaps realizing that he had been a bit presumptuous, Xiao Yanshi stroked his horse’s mane. “It is not for nothing; we have plenty of specialties from the Northern Frontier in our baggage. We can trade goods.”

As for those few carriages of dowry pulled at the back… Xiao Yanshi rubbed his chin.

Forget it!

Just a moment ago, he had been locked in a fierce battle, having beaten the other party’s underlings until they were scattered and still rolling on the ground wailing—yet in the blink of an eye, he was able to bargain with them.

The people present had varying expressions, but Xiao Yue was happy to see it happen. His Young Master could bend and stretch, and being thick-skinned was also a talent!

“Northern Frontier?” The beauty frowned. “Who are you people?”

Although they were not wearing military uniforms and the long sabers they carried were not the type used by military personnel, the scent of blood on them and the agility of their strikes were difficult to conceal.

“The Hedong Army, subordinates of General Yao.” As Xiao Yanshi spoke, he pulled out a piece of his sleeve, which had a complex, intricate pattern embroidered around the edge.

Xiao Yanshi did not hide his identity in the slightest. The bandits wailing on the ground panicked as soon as they heard this. “Military Lord, military lord, have mercy! We were blind and did not recognize Mount Tai, and we actually blocked your path…”

“That’s right, military lord! If we had known you were passing through, we would have been waiting on the side of the road for a long time; how would we have dared to delay your journey!”

“Have mercy, military lord…”

The Hedong Army had always been adept at fighting. The current Hedong Army was led by Yao Li; in five years, they had wiped out banditry in thirteen prefectures and destroyed the remnants of the Wudong tribe. These two achievements alone made all the citizens of the Great Wei hold them in awe.

“Does the beauty not believe me?” Xiao Yanshi rode his horse a few steps forward, his chest almost touching the tip of the sword. With the slightest exertion of force, the other party could easily take his life.

Yet, the person retracted his sword. “Blocking the path of the military lord should be a crime punishable by death, but I am a coward who clings to life. I hope the military lord will spare me. Consider those few carriages of gold and silver as my tribute to the military lord…”

Cowardly? Xiao Yanshi thought to himself, I didn’t see a single trace of fear of death in your eyes.

However, as long as the beauty said it, it was correct. If the beauty wanted to act, then let him act!

He curled his lips into a smile, appearing roguish once again. “Beauty, no need to panic. We have already beaten those who needed beating; they can just go turn themselves in to the local government later. As for those carriages of gold and silver… you can handle them as you see fit. After all, the Hedong Army has strict discipline, and as a mere captain, I dare not accept these treasures of unknown origin.”

Having said that, he added, “It is just a pity for you, beauty…”

“What?”

Xiao Yanshi narrowed his eyes and suddenly leaned in close, his warm breath fanning against the man’s ear. “Compared to those carriages of gold and silver, I would much rather take you back with me…”

After some trouble, they finally arrived at the dilapidated relay station in the early morning. Although there were few signs of human life, being able to get a bowl of hot soup was not bad at all.

After getting Xiao Yanxun and the others settled, Xiao Yanshi and Xiao Yue squeezed onto a stiff, hard bed. Both were exhausted, but they held on, not daring to sleep.

“Young Master, are we just going to let those bandits escape?” Xiao Yue was still indignant.

“Escape?” Xiao Yanshi rested his head on his arms. “Do you think that person would let them off?”

“That person?” Xiao Yue became interested in an instant. “The beauty the Young Master likes?”

Xiao Yanshi hummed lightly. “His martial arts are good, his temper is spicy enough, and that face of his…” He grew somewhat unhappy as he spoke. “It is a pity he is a man, and a man with secrets at that!”

“So the Young Master doesn’t like men after all…” Xiao Yue thought to himself, but before he was careful, it slipped out. As a result, Xiao Yanshi kicked him off the bed. “Ouch, my butt…”

“Who told you I like men?” Xiao Yanshi sat up. “No matter how beautiful he is, he is still a man.”

Xiao Yue looked aggrieved. “But the Young Master went to kiss him when you were leaving…”

Xiao Yanshi: “…”

To avoid sleeping on the floor for the night, Xiao Yue admitted his mistake readily and turned the page on the “beauty” matter, little knowing that Xiao Yanshi had pondered over it for half the night.

The person was indeed to his taste, but his identity was mysterious, filled with traps at every turn, and on top of that, his gender…

Forget it!

After that small interlude near Jiangling, the rest of the journey was smooth. Before they reached the capital, people from the Pingbei Marquis estate came out to welcome them. On such a cold day, the biting wind drilled straight into their collars; the welcoming party tucked their hands into their sleeves, wishing they could even tuck their heads inside, their feet shivering, yet they dared not retreat to the grass pavilion behind them.

It was the man at the very front who stood out—clad in white clothes as pure as snow, his features gentle, though his slender figure looked like a bamboo stalk about to collapse in the drifting snow.

“Brother!” Xiao Yanshi flipped off his horse and bounded over in a few steps. “Brother, why did you come out? In such cold weather, can your health handle it?”

As he spoke, he hurriedly had Xiao Yue hand over a heavy cloak to drape over him.

Xiao Yanshi had just opened his mouth to retort when his throat tightened, and he began to cough violently. Xiao Yanshi could not bear to scold him, instead pushing him straight into the carriage.

“You escort my brother and my sister back to the estate first; I am going into the palace to see His Majesty.” Upon entering the capital, Xiao Yanshi instructed Xiao Yue. As he was turning his horse around to leave, he turned back and said, “Also, remember to have Doctor Zhou take a look at them both; don’t let them catch a chill and hurt their health.”

After Xiao Yanshi finished his long-winded instructions, he tugged on the reins and headed toward the palace gate.

The men of the Pingbei Marquis estate had taken root in the Northern Frontier for generations, while the women stayed in Jiangling. Only in Xiao Yanshi’s generation, because the eldest young master of the estate, Xiao Yanzhi, was in poor health, the Marquis only took Xiao Yanshi, leaving Xiao Yanzhi in Jiangling to guard the estate.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yanxun had been born in the Northern Frontier, and the Lady of the Marquis had been confined to her sickbed for many years, unable to travel. To take care of her mother, Xiao Yanxun had remained in the Northern Frontier. It was not until the beginning of last year, after the Lady of the Marquis passed away, that Xiao Yanxun had fallen into a deep depression and illness for over half a year.

A month ago, the grandson of the Grand Tutor and now a rising star in Jiangling, Meng Tan, had asked King Rui to propose marriage to the Pingbei Marquis estate.

The Xiao and Meng families had indeed made an agreement to set up a betrothal between Xiao Yanxun and Meng Tan while they were still in the womb.

But at that time, there was no written agreement, and not many other people knew about it. The two families had not been close in recent years; if this matter had never been brought up, it would have been fine. However, the Meng family, whose status had risen, had suddenly proposed marriage, using that previous betrothal as an excuse.

Xiao Yanshi did not understand it, and many others could not figure it out either.

Upon entering the palace, someone led the way. Xiao Yanshi did not come here often, but he had a good memory, and after walking for a while, he stopped. “This direction is not the road to the Qian’ding Hall.”

The guard bowed. “Young Master, it is the Second Prince who wants to see you.”

Xiao Yanshi frowned, just about to decline, when footsteps sounded behind him. “A-Shi, do you not want to see me?”

Xiao Yanshi turned his head and bowed in salute. “Second Prince.”

“Look up.” Xue Shao stepped closer.

Xiao Yanshi looked up, unwilling. Entering his vision was an extremely resplendent face.

It was not an exaggeration to describe Xue Shao as “a flower blooming in the spring dawn.” His features were affectionate and captivating; just a slight arch of his brows could attract the admiration of countless people.

Yet, this “countless people” did not include Xiao Yanshi.

“What instructions does Your Highness have? This subordinate still has military reports to present to His Majesty, if…”

“Xiao Yanshi!” Xue Shao was both angry and irritated. “As soon as I heard you had arrived in the capital, I cast everything aside to come see you. Must you be so distant?!”

It was only because of this sentence that Xiao Yanshi noticed Xue Shao was not even wearing a cloak. There was mud on his boots, and his hair was slightly disheveled.

The Second Prince rarely had a moment where he was not properly groomed, and he seldom wore his emotions on his face. But before Xiao Yanshi, he was flushed red with anger, his resplendent face appearing even more moving.

Xiao Yanshi sighed. “Yuanxiu, it is cold…”

The moment the two characters “Yuanxiu” were spoken, Xue Shao’s expression instantly turned into a smile. He tightened his clothes. “I know you are busy with military affairs, and I know you are worried about your brother and sister in the estate. After you finish meeting the Emperor, you will surely return home, so… I wanted to take the time to come see you.”

Xiao Yanshi was soft-hearted and disliked being forced. With Xue Shao’s explanation, he could no longer continue to be stubborn. Looking at the person before him, he called for an attendant to drape a cloak over Xue Shao and promised, “In two days, I will send a message to your manor, how about that?”

Xue Shao’s expression turned joyful. “Really!”

“I have never been one to lie.”

“Fine, then I will wait for you.”

“Good.”

Xue Shao was surrounded and taken away by the eunuchs who had come looking for him. Xiao Yanshi exhaled in relief. The guard who had been silent all this time suddenly said, “The Second Prince likes the Young Master.”

Xiao Yanshi’s footsteps paused, and he looked at the other person. “You can eat indiscriminately, but you cannot speak indiscriminately. You could lose your head for that.”

“His Majesty will not cut off the Young Master’s head.”

Xiao Yanshi laughed. “I was referring to… cutting off your head.”

The guard felt a chill creep up his back instantly.

When he looked at Xiao Yanshi again, he saw that the other person’s expression was indifferent. “Let’s go, let’s go see the Emperor.”

“Yes!”