Wei Chi Cheng smiled and simply said, "This is a tradition of the Red Desert. Hunting is held at this time every year, and it does start a bit earlier than ours. The Red Desert is a tribe subordinate to the Northern Cold. They have to pay a certain amount of tribute to the Northern Cold every year. The purpose of the hunting is, on the one hand, a national tradition, and on the other hand, to collect enough tribute for the Northern Cold."
"So, the purpose of our visit is actually to collect the tribute?" I squinted my eyes.
Wei Chi Cheng nodded. "Yes. Actually, the Red Desert is also within my sphere of influence. There are dedicated people taking care of and managing my shops there. There are also people helping to maintain law and order in the Red Desert. So I brought you here because I thought it would be safe."
"All right... I didn't know you already had your own territory. Is this given to you by your aunt and uncle? What about Prince Xu? Does he have one too?"
Hearing this, he paused for a moment. "Why do you suddenly ask about him?"
I thought for a while and decided that this topic wouldn't lead to any results. So I said, "I'm just curious... It doesn't matter if you don't want to tell me."
But Wei Chi Cheng said, "It's okay to tell you. Prince Xu's sphere of influence is in the south. If you want to return to the Great Yong, you'll have to pass through his territory."
"Will he capture me then?" I deliberately asked in a spooky tone.
Wei Chi Cheng laughed upon hearing this. "Why do you think he's so terrifying? Whether considering the overall situation or your gender, he shouldn't take action against you."
— Well, this little bit of banter seemed to lighten the atmosphere.
Seeing that I still wanted to say something, Wei Chi Cheng stood up and said, "I've rested enough. I'll go out for a stroll first. Are you sure you don't want to come out and ride a horse?"
"Yeah." I nodded. "I still prefer to ride in the carriage. There will be plenty of opportunities to ride a horse tomorrow."
"All right." He smiled, opened the carriage door, and after the carriage stopped briefly, he was no longer in it. I faintly heard Ao Qing's horse approaching. Sighing, I began to wonder what my elder brother and Xi Yao were doing at this moment. I wondered if they missed me a lot since I had been away for so long. And that always serious Zi Zhen must have been bullied by my elder brother again to help him complete the tasks assigned by the tutor. Oh, it's really nice to have a warm home where you don't have to think about anything. Unlike me here, I have to consider the consequences of every action because there are always people watching...
...
The carriage was moving at a steady pace. In just one day, we arrived at the Red Desert.
When I got off the carriage, it was already evening. The first thing I saw was the brightly lit Red Desert City, bustling with people. It was really lively.
Wei Chi Cheng helped me get off the carriage and then told me to follow my uncle and aunt and walk towards the welcoming people.
Their clan chief first showed respect to my uncle and aunt. Then he turned to look at me and Wei Chi Cheng. Wei Chi Cheng chattered away to the clan chief. As soon as the clan chief saw me, his eyes immediately lit up, which gave me the illusion that Wei Chi Cheng had sold me. My uncle and aunt were smiling at me, so I smiled at the clan chief. The clan chief chattered some more and then led my uncle and aunt to the palace in the Red Desert City.
After settling my uncle and aunt, the clan chief looked at me and chattered a lot. I couldn't understand a single word. It wasn't until he went to talk to Wei Chi Cheng that I whispered to Ao Qing beside me, "Hey, what did he just say?"
Ao Qing replied arrogantly, "You're asking me? How would I know!"
I was extremely surprised. "Huh! Aren't you from the Northern Cold? Why can't you understand the Northern Cold language?"
Ao Qing said, "This isn't the Northern Cold language. It's the language of the Red Desert itself. You don't need to understand what he said to you. Just know that he's welcoming you."
I was immediately speechless. Seeing Wei Chi Cheng's flickering glances at me from time to time, I felt that the atmosphere tonight was a bit strange.
Before long, Wei Chi Cheng finished chatting with the clan chief, and the clan chief began to arrange accommodation for us.
It was quite funny when it came to assigning rooms. The clan chief of the Red Desert was used to separating men and women. He insisted on taking Ao Qing to the west wing and letting me and Wei Chi Cheng stay in the east wing. Ao Qing rushed up to argue with him, so I heard two different dialects arguing with each other, but I couldn't make out the result. Wei Chi Cheng whispered to me beside me, "It's like they're talking at cross - purposes. The clan chief thinks you're a man."
I couldn't help but snicker and said, "The decision to disguise myself was really a good one."
In the end, although Ao Qing was reluctant, she was still assigned to the west wing. Just as I sat down in the room in the east wing, Wei Chi Cheng came over and pulled me out. "Come on, let's go out for a stroll and take a look at the Red Desert City."
"Okay." I also liked to wander around when I arrived at a new place to see what was interesting. So when Wei Chi Cheng said he would take me out, I agreed without even thinking.
However, by the time we settled down and went out, it was already a bit late. Many places were closed, the lights in the city were not as bright as before, and there were also many fewer people on the street. But it was this kind of unadorned prosperity that made me feel a kind of intimate fondness for this city.
At this moment, the night breeze was gently blowing, and the stars were shining brightly. Wei Chi Cheng and I walked side by side on the streets of the Red Desert, feeling the tranquility of the Red Desert at night, and my heart also calmed down.
Wei Chi Cheng said, "Actually, sometimes I think it would be nice to be born into an ordinary family. You can work at sunrise and rest at sunset, take a walk with the person you like, and enjoy the scenery without having to be on guard against others all the time."
"Really? But ordinary people wish they could live your life because they have to struggle for a living from birth, while you've always had no worries about food and clothing."
Suddenly, a male voice spoke up. I couldn't help but turn around and saw a tall and imposing man with a turban walking towards us. When he reached Wei Chi Cheng, he placed his hand on his chest and bowed respectfully, saying, "Your Highness, the Great Prince."
Wei Chi Cheng looked at him, patted his shoulder, and gave him a hug. After releasing him, he greeted him, "It's been a long time, Yue Ze. You've become even stronger."
The man smiled modestly and then looked at him with bright eyes. He said in fluent Chinese, "Previously, I hadn't finished my work, so I didn't come to pick you up. Please forgive me."
Wei Chi Cheng quickly waved his hand. "We're all our own people. Why say such things?"
"Who is this?" The young man named Yue Ze noticed me standing beside them...
Wei Chi Cheng immediately took over. "This is the great prince of the Great Yong, Yong Zi Ming. He's been a guest in the Northern Cold these days and said he wanted to experience hunting, so I brought him here."
"Oh, so you're the prince of the Great Yong. You're really a handsome young man." The man named Yue Ze nodded and praised me.
"Hahaha..." I couldn't help but force a laugh and lowered my voice. "Hello, Brother Yue Ze!"
The man blushed slightly. "Hello to you too." Then he looked at Wei Chi Cheng. "Do you want to find a place to have a drink first? Let's catch up as brothers."
Wei Chi Cheng laughed. "No need. Brother Zi Ming is a bit carsick. I'm just taking him out to get some fresh air and then we'll go back to rest. If you want to drink with me, I'll be waiting for you tomorrow night."
"All right. Let's get drunk tomorrow night." When he said this, he was extremely steady. It was obvious that he was a sensible person.