Chapter 50 Girl
After leaving Bianliang, we headed westward and finally arrived in Zhengzhou when it was dark.

Xiao Yan lit a bonfire beside the carriage on the side of the trail, then took off his eye-catching imperial guard uniform and threw it into the fire.

The flames fluttered, instantly engulfing the bloody robe, leaving only a pool of ashes.

The carriage was covered with snow, reflecting the light of the fire at night.

It was quiet now, and although Xiao Yan was in a hurry to get on with his journey, he also had to give the horses pulling the cart time to replenish their power.

Ji Ruxue's complexion improved slightly. After feeding the horse with beans, she went over and squatted by the campfire.

Seeing her coming, Xiao Yan handed her most of the roasted meat jerky, and used a branch to dig the fire, asking, "You have lost three hidden stakes in a row, do you have any way to remedy it?"

Knowing that he had really assumed the identity of sharing the information of Huanyinfang, Ji Ruxue smiled secretly in her heart, but shook her head and said, "We can only rebuild slowly. Besides, most of us in Huanyinfang are women. Xuanming Sect has had these experiences and should have a clearer target for us."

She bit the tasteless meat slowly while saying, "After this, my empress will probably reorganize the Central Plains intelligence network."

Xiao Yan frowned after listening to it, then stared at the campfire in thought.

Ji Ruxue saw that he had eaten all the jerky in just a few gulps, so she handed the rest to him.

Xiao Yan did not refuse, and took it and threw it into his mouth, then said: "After all, your people are too single-minded. Although the sources of intelligence are wide, they are too limited. You can't compete with the Xuanming Sect."

The girl raised her head and whispered, "No way. Being a girl is my biggest flaw in this world."

Her voice was a little low, but mostly indifferent.

"In troubled times, men are always valued over women, especially in a time of turmoil that has lasted for so many years. All forces have always treated human life as worthless, let alone women. If you are unlucky, ordinary women will easily become camp prostitutes..."

Xiao Yan listened quietly, but his brows began to frown slightly.

Ji Ruxue sat on a piece of firewood, looking at the swaying bonfire. "So the King of Qi is more like an alien in this world. If she hadn't established Huanyinfang, who knows how many sisters would have suffered misfortunes and become floating duckweed in troubled times..."

She paused, and then continued, "That's why Huanyinfang gradually became a place for all the sisters to stay, but it was also looked down upon and despised by other forces."

Xiao Yan frowned slightly, and finally he understood why Ji Ruxue was so loyal to Qi Country and Huanyinfang in his memory.

To them, the empress is not only the person they are willing to serve, but may also be the person they respect the most.

"In times of chaos, people eat each other, regardless of gender." He said, "Under the spell of war, nothing can remain unharmed. Even if you, the King of Qi, only want to maintain peace in your area, this is not enough."

Ji Ruxue nodded slightly.

But she was just a maid of a slightly higher status and had no say in Huanyinfang.

Xiao Yan understood this truth, so he rubbed his palms and said, "When you return to Fengxiang, ask your empress if she can spare some time to talk to me."

"But is it still about sharing intelligence?"

"What else is there to discuss since this has already been decided?" Xiao Yan smiled and said, "Could it be that I want to meet your King Qi in person because I admire him?"

Ji Ruxue suddenly corrected him, "King Qi is King Qi, and the Empress is the Empress."

Xiao Yan smiled but did not refute her.

The girl tightened her face and stared into Xiao Yan's eyes, but she felt as if he knew everything.

Most of the time she still couldn't see through his thoughts, so she simply tilted her head and stared at the campfire.

The falling snow in the sky grew heavier, but she didn't feel that cold. She didn't know if it was because Xiao Yan was by her side.

But she was suddenly surprised why she had such an idea and raised her head in panic.

Xiao Yan was throwing the remaining firewood into the fire. Although he had an upright figure, he was too thin, making his profile look particularly angular.

Ji Ruxue lowered her head slightly and asked, "Do you still want to go to Luoyang?"

"Yes, but Zhu Wen's carriage should have just passed Zhengzhou, so there is still time."

"Zhu Wen..." Ji Ruxue hesitated, but finally advised: "Aren't you taking a risk? The deposed emperor is clearly in your hands, why do you have to take the risk yourself?" "Some things cannot be done with just a few words."

Xiao Yan threw the last piece of firewood in his hand into the fire, clapped his hands, and said, "For example, as you just said, Huanyinfang is a place for those floating girls to stay. But Huanyinfang is just a safe place after all, and besides, you are not really safe there."

"These are just appearances. The world will not be at peace because of one person, nor will the world stop attacking because of someone's life or death."

He calmly watched the bonfire rise and fall, and said: "But if you want to take grain from the fire, you can find that peace..."

Ji Ruxue was a little confused by what he said and frowned.

Xiao Yan reached out, pulled out the last piece of firewood from under her buttocks, and finally threw it into the fire.

The girl was startled by this action, but saw Xiao Yan had stood up and walked towards the carriage.

"Go to sleep."

Ji Ruxue was stunned for a moment, watching his back as he walked into the car.

Finally, Xiao Yan poked his head out again.

"Aren't you going to sleep?"

The girl felt a little awkward, but when she looked around she saw snow fields all around her. The campfire also gradually got smaller and the warmth was gone.

She bit her lip bitterly, bent down and got into the car.

----

The sound of wind and snow in the early morning woke Ji Ruxue up.

The cold wind blew the thick curtains of the car, letting some air in. But she didn't feel much cold, instead she felt a warm breath around her.

When he turned his head to look, he saw that she and Xiao Yan were leaning against the soft backrest tightly together.

Xiao Yan's internal strength was much stronger, so his body was warm, which attracted people to come closer to him without them noticing.

Ji Ruxue fluttered her eyelashes and quietly distanced herself from him.

I don't know when I fell asleep during the night, but when I woke up now, I felt extremely relieved.

She touched the gauze on her wrist and finally decided not to stay in the carriage anymore. She lifted the curtain and got out.

After a long time, when Xiao Yan woke up with satisfaction, he found that the carriage had gone a long way.

There was a faint fragrance from his plain long gown, and even the entire carriage seemed to be fragrant.

When I lifted the curtain to look, I saw Ji Ruxue driving the carriage towards the west.

The sky was not actually very bright. Snowflakes fell on the girl's shoulders, contrasting with her ponytail, creating a unique beauty.

He brushed it off for her and Xiao Yan sat down.

"How long have you been gone?"

"Less than half an hour, but I have seen the secret signs left by Saint Ji, so I should be able to catch up with them soon."

Ji Ruxue was calm and asked, "Do you need help when you go to Luoyang?"

"I don't need a helper with mediocre martial arts skills." Xiao Yan said with interest: "If you can be stronger, you may be able to help me."

"Who wants to help you?"

The girl had a cold look on her face and swung the whip heavily.

(End of this chapter)