CHAPTER 127: CHAPTER 127: SHE REALLY NEEDS HIM

On this journey northward, the Imperial Carriage was naturally heralded with great fanfare and majesty, with tens of thousands of people stretching several miles. At each city they passed, officials knelt to welcome them, and the local people hurried to make way. Although the journey was only a few hundred miles, it took them over a month.

By the time they reached Yanmen County, it was already the beginning of October.

And in Shuo Bei, there is no autumn.

As soon as they crossed the Great Wall, there were no more undulating mountains or cities scattered high and low. What lay ahead was a vast grassland stretching to the ends of the earth.

The sky was vast, and the wilderness boundless.

Only those who have seen such a vista can truly understand the meaning of these words. The northern wind swept up some withered yellow grass into the sky, making the flags in the procession flutter, and people swayed in their saddles.

After leaving Yanmen County, there were no more smooth roads across the grasslands. Even the Emperor’s golden carriage required a large group to clear stones from the path and flatten the grass ahead for passage, while narrower carts couldn’t travel this terrain at all, as they risked being overturned by small stones. So, upon reaching Yanmen County, Shang Ruyi left her carriage in the city and switched to riding a horse.

A veiled hat shielded her from the incoming sand and wind.

Hearing many in the procession complaining, Shang Ruyi glanced around and saw Mu Xian riding carefully behind her, seemingly ready to support her at any moment.

She smiled and said, "No need to worry, my riding skills aren’t that bad."

Mu Xian was a bit embarrassed too; he had witnessed Shang Ruyi’s horsemanship and archery at the Taiyuan Military Camp and knew that this bit of rough terrain was no obstacle for her, yet he cautiously said, "Young Master instructed us before departure to protect the Young Madam well along the way."

"..."

Hearing this, the smile on Shang Ruyi’s face froze.

Protect yourself...?

He truly is attentive.

Over the past month, nearly every mile they traveled, Shang Ruyi would turn back for a glance, hoping to see that familiar figure emerge from the crowd and return to their entourage, to her side.

Even if it’s just a transaction, even without affection—they are, after all, husband and wife. Along this journey, she has to face everyone and everything alone, including the Emperor, who is casting covetous eyes on the Yuwen Family.

She really needed him.

But, throughout the whole month, she never managed to see him come.

By now, the second wave of people should have already left Luoyang too, but she didn’t know where he and Princess Xinyue were traveling at the moment.

Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi smiled faintly, "With His Majesty the Emperor’s carriage here, there shouldn’t be any danger."

As she spoke, another familiar figure rode up beside her.

It was Lei Yu.

Unlike Shang Ruyi, she rode boldly on horseback without any cover. The cool wind brushing her face turned her already not-so-fair cheeks red, making her eyes twinkle all the more brightly.

Shang Ruyi held the reins with one hand, lifted a piece of veil with the other, and smiled at her, "Miss Lei."

Lei Yu looked her over, especially her ability to sit steadily on horseback with one hand on the reins, and said, "You’re pretty good at riding. They told me you were adept at archery and horsemanship, and I didn’t quite believe it."

During this journey, they hadn’t talked much, but the atmosphere was far more amicable than their first meeting.

Shang Ruyi smiled, "Not too bad."

"Feng Chen taught you?"

"No, I learned from a young age."

"Oh, right, I forgot your father was—"

Stopping herself, Lei Yu awkwardly glanced around before continuing, "Many people on this journey have been talking about General Shang’s great achievements back in the day."

Shang Ruyi said, "Those words are too much for me to accept."

In fact, in the years before Shang Ruohong’s illness and death, he had already withdrawn from public office, and it was precisely because of those words.

Great achievements, some might call it—overshadowing the master.

Especially now, having passed Yanmen Pass and nearing Turkic territory, she had to be extra cautious; after all, their lives were effectively in the Emperor’s hands. Though the Emperor hadn’t done anything to trouble her on this journey, she could always feel a gaze from the golden carriage fixated on her; being close to the Emperor is like lying near a tiger, any incident could easily upset him, making her life even more difficult.

Moreover, there wasn’t even someone who could protect her by her side.

But then, thinking again—why would she need him for protection, hadn’t she lived well in those first ten years without it?

Thinking this, she couldn’t help but shake her head and smile lightly.

Lei Yu asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Shang Ruyi quickly replied, "Oh, nothing."

Lei Yu gave her another look before raising her head to look forward. The Emperor’s golden carriage was already too far ahead to be seen, yet after traveling for half a day, there was still no sign of stopping. She couldn’t help but ask, "Where on earth are we going?"

Shang Ruyi glanced forward and said, "From here, it’s still three or four hundred miles to the Turkic Yatai; we probably won’t proceed any further forward."

"..."

"Any closer, and we might encounter the people on the other side."

Lei Yu looked at her in surprise, "How do you know where the Turkic Yatai is—oh, it must be something your father told you?"

Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "My father used to take me when he was on a mission to the Turks. Although I was young then, I spent several months on the grasslands and became quite familiar with this area."

Besides, that was one of the rare times she had spent together with her father.

Lei Yu asked again, "So where are we headed?"

Shang Ruyi glanced towards the front of the line and then said, "If I’m not mistaken, if we continue heading northwest, there’s a sweet water well ahead. Back when His Majesty the Emperor toured the Northern Border, his camp was set up in that direction. He must be planning to revisit the old place this time."

Lei Yu slightly raised an eyebrow.

Your Majesty the Emperor loves to travel around. He went to Jiangdu four or five times, and early in his reign, there was an impressive tour to the Northern Border.

On that occasion, he led an army of two hundred thousand men camped on the grasslands opposite the Turkic Yatai. At that time, it coincided when both the Eastern and Western Turks were at their weakest, and especially when the Western Turks had already submitted to the Da Ye Dynasty, so the two Turkic Khans, along with various states from the Western Regions, sent envoys to congratulate him, setting up camps extending dozens of miles across the grassland, a glorious event recorded in the annals of history.

This time, the Emperor’s journey to the Northern Border apparently aims to recreate that past splendor.

Lei Yu sneered, saying, "In my opinion, it’s unnecessary. It exhausts finances and labor, and the Turks aren’t like they were back then. What if—"

Before she finished speaking, she saw Shang Ruyi suddenly pointing to the north.

"What is that?"