Sima Yongheng stood restlessly beside Ge Zian, craning his neck from time to time to peer into the distance, hoping to catch sight of a carriage approaching the General's Mansion.
The rhythmic clatter of hooves came from afar, and the sound of wheels rolling over the stone - paved road gradually grew louder. Sima Yongheng eagerly looked into the distance. Soon, a gorgeous light - blue carriage came into view. A look of joy spread across his face. However, the carriage sped straight past the gates of General Long'an's Mansion without even a moment's pause.
"Oh, it's not this one..." Sima Yongheng's elated expression instantly turned to disappointment.
But then, a pink carriage appeared. It wasn't as ostentatious as the light - blue one, yet it exuded a sense of understated luxury. Sima Yongheng, who initially didn't think it was the right one, watched as the carriage pulled up in front of them.
The curtain on the carriage was lifted, revealing Wei Shuxuan's beaming face. "Alright, it's time for us to set off. You two follow behind us."
"Xuan'er, godfather misses you so much!" Ge Long'an leaned in towards Wei Shuxuan.
"Godfather, stop fooling around. Hurry up and get in the carriage."
After Wei Shuxuan said this, she let the curtain fall, showing no intention of inviting Sima Yongheng into her carriage. Ge Zian grabbed Sima Yongheng's arm and whispered to him, "Don't have any illusions. Xuan'er is already the Emperor's woman, and she's the Queen of the Royal Dragon Kingdom. She must have clearly told you that she only sees you as a younger brother. Come with us and get in the carriage."
".... I've known this from the very beginning."
Sima Yongheng gritted his teeth, shook off Ge Zian's hand, and quickly walked towards the royal - blue carriage and got in. Ge Zian watched Sima Yongheng's retreating back and shook his head helplessly. This kid was quite smart; a few words were enough for him to understand the meaning.
"Xin Zizhao, how many days will it take us to reach Kele Town?" Wei Shuxuan let the curtain fall and turned to look at Xin Zizhao, who was sipping tea.
"At least half a month. Kele Town is quite far from the capital," Xin Zizhao lifted his eyes and looked at Wei Shuxuan. "It seems you should take a good look at the map of the Royal Dragon Kingdom. Otherwise, if people find out that you're the Queen of the Royal Dragon Kingdom but don't even know the kingdom's territory, you'll surely become a laughingstock."
Wei Shuxuan pouted. "Anyway, I have Wei Wei with me when I go out, and you're here too. Why do I need to look at a map?"
"You're quite justified in saying that."
Seeing the faint smile on Xin Zizhao's face, Wei Shuxuan blushed a little. "Humph, of course. I have the confidence. Don't you understand?"
"I know, I understand. But you don't want your secret to be easily exposed, do you?" Xin Zizhao raised an eyebrow, hitting the very core of Wei Shuxuan's heart. "It's better to learn about it."
Being told this by Xin Zizhao, Wei Shuxuan didn't know how to respond. She could only reply grudgingly, ".... You're so annoying. I know."
"Also," Xin Zizhao slightly raised his head, his eyes falling on the somewhat guilty - looking Wei Shuxuan. "You haven't forgotten the promise we made, have you? About the secret you're hiding from me."
".... I know..." Wei Shuxuan blushed to the point of being breathless and didn't dare to look Xin Zizhao in the face.
Xin Zizhao glanced at Wei Shuxuan. "Forget it. I won't force you. Wait until you're ready to talk."
Hearing Xin Zizhao's words, Wei Shuxuan finally let out a sigh of relief. Xin Zizhao was so shrewd that she sometimes felt she couldn't play any tricks under his nose.
Since they were eager to reach Kele Town as soon as possible, Xin Zizhao and his group didn't stay in other small towns for long. They only spent one night and then moved on. This made it impossible for Wei Shuxuan to stay and have fun in the small towns she had never been to.
"After I finish my business, on our way back, I'll accompany you to have a good time in other places, okay?" Whenever Xin Zizhao spoke to her in such a gentle voice, she couldn't resist and obediently nodded in agreement.
However, they couldn't always stay in the town's inns. Sometimes, they had to camp in the wild.
It was already very late. The carriage wheels rolled over the small stones on the ground, giving a slight jolt. Wei Wei and Xin Shang, who were sitting outside, looked around. It was pitch - black, and from time to time, they could hear the howl of wolves.
"Master, we'd better not go any further. There's no North Star to guide us tonight, and it'll be hard to reach the next town. We'll camp in this forest tonight."
"Okay. Find a safe clearing and stop to rest. You've worked hard."
After hearing Xin Shang's words, Xin Zizhao turned to Wei Shuxuan. "Xuan'er, we'll be camping in the wild tonight. You don't mind, do you?"
".... Of course not. I've never camped in the wild before. And I'll surely sleep in the carriage. It's actually Wei Wei and Xin Shang who are the ones suffering."
A fire was lit in a relatively open clearing in the forest. Xin Shang and Wei Wei were roasting the pheasants they had just caught around the fire. Wei Shuxuan sat beside Xin Zizhao, munching on a steamed bun. Xin Zizhao had long mastered the skill of roasting wild game during his cultivation on Qiuling Mountain.
"Xin Zizhao, are you done yet? I don't want to just eat this plain steamed bun!" Wei Shuxuan sat beside Xin Zizhao, complaining discontentedly.
"Soon. Stop rushing me."
Wei Shuxuan bit into the half - eaten plain steamed bun and looked at the roasting wild game in the fire with anticipation.
After spending a night in the forest, they set off again the next morning. Wei Shuxuan was still sleeping in the carriage, her head pillowed on Xin Zizhao's thigh. Just then, the carriage jolted, and Xin Zizhao saw the quilt on Wei Shuxuan slipping off. He reached out and pulled it up.
The early - morning forest still carried a lingering chill, and the birdsong hadn't been awakened by the sun yet.
After more than half a month of non - stop traveling, their group finally reached the border. They just needed to be inspected by the Royal Dragon Kingdom's soldiers before they could enter.
"This is the border."
Xin Zizhao said to Wei Shuxuan. Wei Shuxuan pulled back the curtain and looked out. At first, she thought the border would be a desolate place with sand flying everywhere and few people. But to her surprise, it looked no different from an ordinary small town.
After being inspected at the border's city gate, they entered the first town in the border area, Kele Town.