Chapter 121: The Vastness Of Heaven And Earth

Her birthday, Zhang Zhe actually said he remembered it.

Jiang Xuening felt a suppressed joy, thinking that even in their most peaceful moments in the previous life, he had never been so kind to her. After a moment of surprise, her eyes slowly lowered.

The Heavenly Sect couldn’t stay here for long. Once everything was packed, they had to leave with everyone.

There weren’t many horses.

But Zhang Zhe had basically gained the trust of the Heavenly Sect, and since he represented Du Junshan, they didn’t dare to neglect him and gave him a horse.

Xiao Dingfei had ridden a horse when he arrived.

Now, he sat high on his horse and extended his hand to Jiang Xuening, smiling somewhat flirtatiously, “The journey to Tongzhou is long. A delicate person like you should let me take you along.”

He was inviting her to ride with him.

Jiang Xuening knew that Xiao Dingfei was a scoundrel who judged people by their looks. Moreover, she was not in a good mood at the moment, so she glanced at him and couldn’t be bothered to respond.

Xiao Dingfei raised an eyebrow, “Do you want to ride with your ‘brother’?”

Jiang Xuening replied indifferently, “What’s it to you?”

These four words carried a hint of sharpness, lacking the delicate softness that her appearance usually conveyed. However, Xiao Dingfei, being naturally shameless, was even more intrigued by her thorny demeanor. Instead of being discouraged, he cast a teasing and scrutinizing glance at Zhang Zhe, who was holding the horse nearby.

Zhang Zhe: “…”

He didn’t say anything, just lowered his eyes to adjust the saddle.

After a while, when everyone was ready to depart, he extended his hand to Jiang Xuening, his Adam’s apple moving slightly as if he hesitated before slowly saying, “Get on the horse.”

Xiao Dingfei wasn’t wrong; the journey to Tongzhou wasn’t short. Although they would reach a town soon, there wouldn’t be any carriages available. How could a young lady like Jiang Xuening be expected to walk?

So, despite the impropriety, they had to make do.

Jiang Xuening smiled lightly, extended her hand, and was helped onto the horse by Zhang Zhe. She looked up and met Xiao Dingfei’s displeased gaze, deliberately giving him a provocative look.

Xiao Dingfei, who was usually very good at charming women, especially with his looks, had never encountered someone who didn’t give him face. Looking at Zhang Zhe, whose expression was indifferent and devoid of any charm, he wondered what kind of normal girl would like someone like him.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

He gritted his teeth slightly and snorted, “Hmph, siblings!”

But he didn’t say anything more.

Xiao Dingfei just laughed at Zhang Zhe’s seemingly emotionless face, then whipped his horse and rode ahead on the mountain path outside the dilapidated temple.

The others followed behind.

Only then did Zhang Zhe mount his horse.

Sitting behind Jiang Xuening, he naturally held the front of the saddle, as if embracing her.

His cool scent easily enveloped her.

Jiang Xuening’s body stiffened slightly. She couldn’t see Zhang Zhe’s expression behind her, only the pair of hands in front of her. His hands weren’t particularly attractive, but they were long and well-defined, suggesting that their owner had endured hardships.

She didn’t dare to lean back against him, instead gripping the edge of the saddle tightly.

The horse moved forward, following the others.

The winter mountains were particularly silent and cold.

All around was wilderness.

There was no sound of birds, only the wind whistling past her ears and the thud of hooves on the snowy ground.

Riding with Zhang Zhe was a completely different experience from riding with Yan Lin.

Yan Lin was passionate and proud, trained in martial arts from a young age, always galloping down the wide roads of the capital as if nothing could stop him, with the bustling world flashing by on either side.

Zhang Zhe, on the other hand, was restrained and serious, silent and reserved. The winding mountain path was full of obstacles, and from the horse, she couldn’t see the end of the sky. The wind and snow had stripped the trees and grass of their color, and in the biting wind, only the faint warmth of the embrace behind her provided any comfort.

Jiang Xuening’s mood gradually calmed down.

Zhang Zhe, behind her, couldn’t see her expression either.

But he sensed her unusual quietness.

Her silent gaze forward reminded him of her demeanor on her birthday in the previous life, and he finally recalled the rumors about her background in the capital.

She was originally the legitimate daughter of Jiang Boyou’s wife, Madam Meng. But on the day she was born, she was secretly swapped with the daughter of a concubine who had a grudge against Madam Meng. By a twist of fate, she was sent to a farm with the concubine and raised there for fourteen years before returning to the capital.

Many said that her sharp and unruly temperament, so different from that of a noble lady, was due to the bad influence of that concubine.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

He gritted his teeth slightly and snorted sarcastically, “Hmph, siblings!”

But he didn’t say anything more.

Xiao Dingfei just laughed at Zhang Zhe’s seemingly emotionless face, then whipped his horse and rode ahead on the mountain path outside the dilapidated temple, not caring about the others.

The rest followed behind him.

Only then did Zhang Zhe mount his horse.

Sitting behind Jiang Xuening, he naturally held the front of the saddle, as if embracing her.

His cool scent easily enveloped her.

Jiang Xuening’s body stiffened slightly. She couldn’t see Zhang Zhe’s expression behind her, only the pair of hands in front of her. His hands weren’t particularly attractive, but they were long and well-defined, suggesting that their owner had endured hardships.

She didn’t dare to lean back against him, instead gripping the edge of the saddle tightly.

The horse moved forward, following the others.

The winter mountains were particularly silent and cold.

All around was wilderness.

There was no sound of birds, only the wind whistling past her ears and the thud of hooves on the snowy ground.

Riding with Zhang Zhe was a completely different experience from riding with Yan Lin.

Yan Lin was passionate and proud, trained in martial arts from a young age, always galloping down the wide roads of the capital as if nothing could stop him, with the bustling world flashing by on either side.

The person behind her was restrained and serious, silent and reserved. The winding mountain path was full of obstacles, and from the horse, she couldn’t see the end of the sky. The wind and snow had stripped the trees and grass of their color, and in the biting wind, only the faint warmth of the embrace behind her provided any comfort.

Jiang Xuening’s mood gradually calmed down.

Zhang Zhe, behind her, couldn’t see her expression either.

But he sensed her unusual quietness.

Her silent gaze forward reminded him of her demeanor on her birthday in the previous life, and he finally recalled the rumors about her background in the capital.

She was originally the legitimate daughter of Jiang Boyou’s wife, Madam Meng. But on the day she was born, she was secretly swapped with the daughter of a concubine who had a grudge against Madam Meng. By a twist of fate, she was sent to a farm with the concubine and raised there for fourteen years before returning to the capital.

Many said that her sharp and unruly temperament, so different from that of a noble lady, was due to the bad influence of that concubine.

Originally, not many people knew about this.

Even the Jiang family claimed that she had a bad fate and had to be raised outside for fourteen years to avoid disaster. But after she became Empress, rumors about her background spread throughout the capital.

So, what did Jiang Xuening think of on her birthday?

Compared to an adult man, the girl was still petite.

Even sitting in front of him, her head barely reached his chin. Her delicate neck was exposed, her skin as white as snow, giving her a fragile appearance in the wilderness.

Zhang Zhe suddenly felt as if something had struck his heart.

There was a faint pain.

For a moment, he wanted to embrace her, but as the horse’s hooves stepped through the mud, he didn’t move. He just silently used his wide sleeves to shield her from the cold wind.

*

Tongzhou was only fifty miles from the capital, and with a good horse, it would take less than an hour to get there.

But not everyone in this group had horses, and many were escaped criminals without clean clothes to change into. They couldn’t boldly enter the city at full speed.

The Heavenly Sect had clearly considered this.

On the way, they stopped outside a small riverside village.

It was midday, and the sun had come out, dispelling some of the cold. The village was made up of thatched cottages, and occasionally, the barking of dogs could be heard. Smoke rose slowly from the chimneys.

Huang Qian blew a whistle outside the village, and a few young men in rough clothes came out. They began to talk.

Jiang Xuening dismounted with Zhang Zhe’s help and saw this scene. Seeing that everyone had stopped to rest, talking or checking the surroundings, she lowered her voice and asked, “Master Zhang, what’s going on?”

She had wanted to ask for a long time.

But they had been traveling with the group, and there was no opportunity to talk privately. Even though she had questions, she couldn’t find a chance to ask.

Zhang Zhe knew he was taking a risk and wanted to explain the situation to her. But just as he was about to speak, he saw Feng Mingyu from the Heavenly Sect approaching with a smile on his wrinkled face.

So he swallowed his words.

He looked at Feng Mingyu and asked, “Are the people in this village trustworthy? Can we stay here?”

Feng Mingyu smiled, “Our Heavenly Sect has followers everywhere. We have people here to help. These criminals from the prison need to change clothes and disguise themselves to enter Tongzhou. We can also have a meal and rest here before continuing.”

Zhang Zhe nodded, “Very well.”

Feng Mingyu asked a few more questions, even inquiring about Jiang Xuening, before leaving.

Everyone rested outside the village.

The villagers brought out their prepared lunches, some more lavish than others, treating these “rebels” warmly like brothers.

Everyone was happy to eat, having had little to eat the night before, especially those who had been surviving on prison food.

Jiang Xuening also ate some food.

The villagers had prepared some clean clothes, but they hadn’t expected a girl among them. They called a woman from the village to bring clean clothes for her.

The men, being used to rough conditions, changed clothes on the spot.

Zhang Zhe’s expression darkened.

Jiang Xuening couldn’t do the same. She told Zhang Zhe and went into a nearby forest to change.

But she didn’t return for a long time.

Zhang Zhe’s brow furrowed.

After waiting a while longer, he told Huang Qian and Feng Mingyu, “Please wait a moment, I’ll go check.”

Huang Qian and Feng Mingyu didn’t object, not knowing if something had happened to the girl in the wilderness.

But they didn’t dare to go themselves.

Since Zhang Zhe had brought her, it was natural for him to check. No one suspected anything.

The winter forest wasn’t very deep, but it was hard to see inside due to the dense cover.

Zhang Zhe was worried.

He walked deeper into the forest but didn’t see her. After a few more steps, he saw the light ahead brighten and found himself outside the forest, where he saw Jiang Xuening.

Outside the forest was a river, calm and lying in the riverbed in winter.

Sunlight shone down, dispersing the mist from the forest.

The water reflected the bright sunlight, which then covered her.

She had changed into simple peasant clothes, and her original robe was placed on a large stone by the river. The light green fabric wrapped around her body, not matching her beautiful face.

Some women seemed destined for wealth.

But Jiang Xuening was calm, not minding the clothes, as if she had expected him to come. She smiled and said, “Now we can talk, right?”

Zhang Zhe was slightly stunned but understood.

He realized that Jiang Xuening, being a girl, had avoided the others to change clothes. Since the others had no close relationship with her, it was only natural for him to come looking.

And he would definitely come.

He had been too worried to think of this.

Jiang Xuening asked, “Why are you here, Master Zhang?”

Zhang Zhe briefly explained, “The Heavenly Sect colluded with the rebel faction of Prince Pingnan, angering the Emperor. The court destroyed the Heavenly Sect and killed a leader named Gongyi Cheng, learning some secrets. I was tasked with posing as Du Junshan, a little-known figure in the Heavenly Sect, to investigate and eliminate them. We knew about the prison break, but I didn’t expect you to be there…”

Jiang Xuening had been visiting Yan Lin.

She thought that involving Zhang Zhe in the Marquis of Yongyi’s affairs would be troubling, and since he didn’t ask, she didn’t explain, just looking at him as if trying to brush it off.

Zhang Zhe had thought about it last night.

Who else could make Jiang Xuening risk sneaking into the prison at night?

It was probably Yan Lin.

Zhang Zhe didn’t pursue the matter further and simply said, “Your sudden disappearance would surely worry Master Jiang. This journey is dangerous, and I should get you to safety as soon as possible. However, this village is also a base for the Heavenly Sect, so I can’t leave you here. The Heavenly Sect has an important branch in Tongzhou, their largest stronghold in the north. When we find their lair, there will likely be a fierce battle. The Yongding Pharmacy in Tongzhou is a place where the court has support. So, when the time comes, please pretend to be ill, and I will use that as an excuse to get you to safety and back to the capital.”

Jiang Xuening felt a chill in her heart, but as she looked out over the vast expanse of water and the wide-open world beyond, a thought that had been circling in her mind throughout the journey took hold—

Why go back to the capital?

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity given to her by the heavens!

Since her rebirth, everything she had done, whether voluntarily or under duress, was to leave the capital and avoid the prison of her previous life.

The high walls of the palace had become her nightmare.

Countless times in the middle of the night, she had dreamed of becoming a bird she had seen as a child, sitting under a leaky eave, flying over the nine layers of the palace, escaping the nightmares of her past life, and reaching the rivers, lakes, and seas that You Fangyin had visited in her previous life and Yan Lin had spoken of in this life, to roam freely?

Now she had already left the capital.

If she didn’t go back and just fled far away, who would know her whereabouts?

Although she didn’t have much money with her, she could head to Shu first, where You Fangyin and the Ren family’s salt fields were. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about her livelihood. She could decide where to go next later.

She didn’t want to go back.

Not at all.

She looked down at the flat riverbank in front of her, not knowing how to respond to Zhang Zhe’s words. She felt a bit stifled and finally said in a low voice, “But Master Zhang, what if I don’t want to go back?”

Zhang Zhe was stunned.

Jiang Xuening finally turned to look at him directly and said without any hesitation, “Life in the palace, life in the capital, is not pleasant. I don’t want to go back.”

Such words would be shocking to anyone.

A young lady from a noble family, lost and wandering outside, would naturally want to return home rather than stay outside.

But Zhang Zhe remained silent.

Her clear gaze seemed to pierce into his heart, making him feel like he was going crazy.

Seeing his silence, Jiang Xuening thought he disapproved of her disregard for propriety and lowered her head dejectedly, saying, “I was just joking, Master Zhang—”

“If you don’t want to, then don’t go back.”

Before she could finish, Zhang Zhe’s calm voice interrupted.

Jiang Xuening looked up in surprise, “Master Zhang?”

She met Zhang Zhe’s gaze, but he looked away uncomfortably and said, “No one in Tongzhou knows your identity. Once there, you can find a place to hide. Leave the city before the court’s forces attack the Heavenly Sect. It’s the same.”

Jiang Xuening’s surprise turned into joy.

It was as if the dark clouds over her head had suddenly cleared. Her mood brightened like the clear water on the riverbank, and she felt indescribably happy.

She almost jumped up with a smile, “Master Zhang, you’re so kind!”

Her previously furrowed brows relaxed, and her small face, without makeup, seemed to shine even more brilliantly than usual, reflecting the shimmering light on the river, dazzling anyone who looked.

Zhang Zhe watched this scene with near reverence.

In both her past and present lives, he had rarely seen her so carefree and happy…

Jiang Xuening, in high spirits, stepped on the riverbank and noticed a few flat stones that had been smoothed by the river over the years. She remembered something and tugged on his sleeve, winking playfully, “Master Zhang, do you believe that if I throw this stone, it won’t sink immediately?”

The stones were flat and relatively thin, more like “stone flakes.”

He saw them, and his gaze darkened slightly, but he said nothing.

Jiang Xuening assumed he didn’t believe her. After all, in her previous life, when she had playfully teased him like this, he hadn’t believed her either.

She raised her hand and threw the thin stone.

This was a game she often played with friends as a child.

In the countryside, it was called “skipping stones.”

The flat stone flew from her fingers, touched the water’s surface, and made a “pop” sound, splashing some water. It didn’t sink immediately but skipped twice on the water before losing momentum and sinking into the river.

The once calm winter river surface slowly rippled with three sets of overlapping waves, spreading out and wrinkling the entire lake with shimmering light.

Jiang Xuening thought she might be rusty after not playing for so long, but her old countryside skills were still there, and she felt quite proud of herself. She turned to Zhang Zhe, chuckling, and handed him the remaining two stones, “Master Zhang, would you like to try?”

The two stones fell into Zhang Zhe’s dry palm, still covered with some mud.

He looked at them silently, picked up one, hesitated for a moment, and then threw it.

With a “plop,” the stone sank straight into the river as if it were drunk.

Jiang Xuening saw this and laughed so hard she almost couldn’t breathe.

Master Zhang, despite his humble origins and ability to endure hardships, knew nothing about playing games, especially those played by uneducated countryside children.

In her previous life, even after teaching him for a long time, he couldn’t get it.

Zhang Zhe wasn’t very interested in learning either.

But since she was the Empress and wanted to see him make a fool of himself for amusement, Zhang Zhe had to endure her antics with a less-than-pleased expression.

Seeing this scene again after two lifetimes, Jiang Xuening felt an indescribable satisfaction. However, seeing Zhang Zhe looking down at the remaining stone in his palm, she remembered that he hadn’t been interested or happy about it in the past life. She finally stuck out her tongue and restrained herself a bit.

Just then, someone shouted loudly from the other side of the forest.

It seemed their absence had worried the Heavenly Sect people.

Jiang Xuening shrugged, knowing that staying out too long would arouse suspicion. She said, “I’ll go back first and say I didn’t see you on the other side.”

With that, she picked up her robe from the ground and walked back. Zhang Zhe watched her figure disappear into the forest, then slowly looked down at the stone in his palm.

The distant mountains were covered in snow.

The midday sun shone on the river.

He stood among the rocks on the riverbank for a long time, his face showing no emotion. His long, bony fingers held the flat stone and gently tossed it towards the river. The stone skipped three or four times on the water before sinking.

Ripples spread out, overlapping into patterns.

The stone felt heavy in his hand; once thrown, his hand felt empty.

The river gradually calmed.

Zhang Zhe watched for a while, then slowly wiped the mud from his palm and turned to walk back.

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