In the early morning, without so much as a farewell from her family, Su Jing Fei took off in a small carriage for the countryside. Yize sat quietly at her side, but the young girl’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. Su Jing Fei had a weakness for children, and coupled with the fact that Su Jing Fei knew Yize’s loyalty would result in Yize also being mistreated, she reached out and wrapped her arms around the small girl in a comforting embrace.

“It’s okay, da xiaojie! I’ll be fine. I must become stronger so that I can properly support you.” Yize sniffled quietly but quickly wiped away the tears at her eyes.

“Thank you, Yize.” Su Jing Fei smiled warmly, letting the girl go. They settled into a comfortable silence as the carriage rocked slightly, moving slow and steadily towards their destination. As their journey continued, the sun rose and fell, resting on the horizon when they reached the inn of a small town they’d be staying in for the night. Yize had told Su Jing Fei that the countryside manor would be a three day journey, so they’d have to rest for two nights at towns along the way. Luckily, sitting and waiting was not an issue for Su Jing Fei. She was used to it; her previous job involved quite a bit of sitting and waiting for customers so she’d grown accustomed to it.

The carriage driver helped Su Jing Fei down from the carriage before moving away to help take care of other matters. Yize had informed her that the carriage driver’s name was Si Qiang, and he was also a guard of the Su family. Su Jing Fei was unsure if she could trust the man or not, but he seemed to hold no ill intent so she did not worry too much. As they entered the bustling inn, an older woman greeted them at the entrance. “Welcome to our inn, young miss. Will you be staying the night?”

“Yes, I’ll need two rooms for the night. Are there any available?” Su Jing Fei asked. One room would be for her and Yize, but she also had to take into consideration the carriage driver, Si Qiang. She had originally worried about money, but this morning, she’d received a few banknotes and a small bag of silver taels(*currency). A gift from Su Lao Furen; it seemed the old lady still regarded Su Jing Fei as her granddaughter and wouldn’t let her go hungry. Either that or the fact that they didn’t want any further humiliation for the Su family by having Su Jing Fei kick up a fuss somewhere they couldn’t see when she realized she had no money.

“We have two rooms available for you. We also have private dining rooms available if you want any food or refreshments before being brought up to your room.” The older lady politely suggested.

“Yes, that’d be great.” Su Jing Fei thanked the older lady, following her further into the dining area. It seemed the first floor served as a dining area, and the second floor was where the rented rooms were. In the back of the first floor, the older lady guided Su Jing Fei and Yize into a private room where they were seated at a table. Su Jing Fei glanced at the menu, ordering a few things before the older lady retreated and left the two of them alone. Removing a few silver taels from her pouch, Su Jing Fei handed them to Yize. “Give these to Si Qiang so he can eat at his leisure. Also inform Si Qiang that a room has been prepared for him.” Yize nodded and left quietly.

Finally alone, Su Jing Fei let out a sigh. The movie Blossoms in the Wind had prepared her for her banishment to the countryside, but beyond that, she was in the dark about what the actual future had in store for her. She knew the plot of the movie, but those facts were only helpful in regards to the third prince, Jiang Li Ling, or the capital. From this moment on, she could only tread onwards carefully.

Suddenly, the door to private room opened slightly. Peeking inside, a small child curiously glanced around, settling his big round eyes on Su Jing Fei. He ducked his head shyly behind the door, but continued to stand in its entrance. Su Jing Fei smiled gently at the curious child. “Little one, are you lost?”

The small child was quiet, regarding her suspiciously for a second. But he seemed to deem her harmless as he nodded his head, giving her a wide-toothed grin. He stepped inside, happily settling at her side as he tugged at her sleeve. “Jie jie, jie jie!”

“I don’t remember having such a mischievous di di(*younger brother),” Su Jing Fei laughed softly, tapping gently on the child’s forehead. The small child looked to be around three years old. She knew that whoever was missing this child would be sick with worry by now, so she stood up gently, taking ahold of the child’s hand. “What’s your name, little one?”

The chubby hand pointed to himself, and he gave a toothy smile. “Me, Ming Ming.” He stuck out his chubby hand and pointed at her. “Jie jie?”

“My name is Su Jing Fei.” She enunciated the words slowly so that he could hear it clearly.

He tugged at her arm excitedly, pointing to himself and then to her. “Ming Ming! Jing Jing!”

Su Jing Fei chuckled at Ming Ming’s excitement. “Okay, let’s go. Someone must be looking for you, Ming Ming.” She took careful small steps as they left the private room, returning into the public dining hall. The place was a little crowded, so Su Jing Fei reached down to lift Ming Ming up into her arms. He was a slightly chubby boy, but she managed to carry him without too much trouble. As they walked around some more, Ming Ming suddenly began to cry out. “Mama! Mama!”

“Mingyu!” Cried a young woman, running over to them.

Ming Ming wriggled out of Su Jing Fei’s arms and ran into the open arms of the other woman. “Oh, my little Mingyu, where did you go?” Sighed the young woman, wrapping the young boy tightly in her embrace. “You made me so worried!”

“Mama, Ming Ming lost. Jie jie help me!”

The other woman finally noticed Su Jing Fei standing quietly. The young woman took note of the young girl’s clothes; they looked to be made of fine materials. The two intricate ornate pins in the young girl’s hair were also an indication that she was possibly from a noble family. The young woman’s face flushed in embarrassment and shame, and she set Mingyu down to kowtow before the young girl. “This lowly one thanks young miss for helping to find my son!”

“No need, you may rise. My name is Su Jing Fei, and I’m merely a traveller on her way to the town of Fuo Lan. Your son only happened to come into my private dining room by chance,” Su Jing Fei spoke gently, stepping forward to help the woman up. “Such a cute and lovable young boy. I knew he would have a mother missing him.” There was a hint of sadness at her words. In Su Jing Fei’s previous life, her parents had died from an accident, and so she lived much of her childhood being shuffled around from relative to relative. And in this world, Su Jing Fei’s mother had been mostly ill and then died when she was young. It seemed that the love of a mother was something she was fated to yearn for but never to receive.

The young woman noticed the young girl’s sad smile. Although she was hesitant to ask more, she could tell that her love for her son Mingyu had caused it, so she wondered at what sort of unfavorable family situation must this young girl be in to elicit such a heartbreaking expression. “I am Han shi, wife of Guo Li Wei. The Guo family are merchants from Fuo Lan. Please let me express our gratitude by paying for your meal tonight.”

Su Jing Fei was just about to refuse when Mingyu tugged at her sleeve, looking up with bright adoring eyes. “Jie jie, yes! Yes, jie jie!” He said excitedly. Su Jing Fei sighed, but the corners of her lips couldn’t resist tugging into a smile.

“Alright, then I’ll graciously accept.” Su Jing Fei gave a bow of gratitude. They parted ways after a few more words, and then Su Jing Fei returned to the private dining room. Yize arrived at the same time, looking surprised at seeing Su Jing Fei walking around. Su Jing Fei explained the situation, and Yize smiled happily at the thought of Su Jing Fei’s kindness. She had long known of Su Jing Fei’s kindness, even if others around them only spoke ill of Su Jing Fei’s demeanor.

Soon enough, the sun set beneath the horizon as dinner passed quietly. The rest of the night remained uneventful, and when the next morning came, Su Jing Fei’s carriage had already began its journey back on the road to the countryside. In their free time, Su Jing Fei had managed to gain quite a bit of information from Yize. The town of Fuo Lan sat at the outskirts of eastern Chu country; however, because Fuo Lan was a merchant town, there was a well-traveled path from Fuo Lan to the imperial city. Su Jing Fei tried her best to learn more about the country of Chu itself, but luckily, Yize also knew the rumors and barebones of geography to give Su Jing Fei an idea of its surrounding counterparts. The country of Chu was a wealthy place with access to rivers for trade and the ability to cultivate foods with fertile lands. They experienced the four seasons, unlike the cold of a northern country called Bingxue. To the southeast of Chu was a country called Xinyi that flourished from trade due to its location near the sea. Bordering southwest Chu was another country called Shanzhe that was known for its mountains. Overall, it seemed like the country of Chu was in a pretty precarious situation to be surrounded on all sides by other countries. Just as Su Jing Fei was going to ask more, the carriage came to an abrupt halt as the horses made loud neighing noises and seemed to kick up a fuss outside.

“Why has the carriage stopped?” Su Jing Fei spoke loudly as a question to Si Qiang.

He responded promptly and calmly, but there was a hint of concern in his voice. “There’s a merchant wagon carriage in front of us, but it’s been stopped. The scene looks dangerous, da xiaojie, so for your safety, this lowly one recommends we turn around and head back to the nearest town to report.”

A merchant wagon carriage? Su Jing Fei was curious to look, but she also did not want to encounter any unnecessary danger due to reckless behavior. She was about to give the order to turn around when suddenly, a realization caused a ripple of fear to run through her body. Merchants? Heading to Fuo Lan? The coincidence was too noticeable to be ignored. “Si Qiang, are you skilled in any martial arts?”

“This lowly one knows a bit,” He replied from outside.

This was understandable. Si Qiang should at least know the basics because from her understanding of ancient nobility, the guards of noble families usually learn sword art and basic martial arts. “Are you able to tell if there’s anyone in the close vicinity of the wagon carriage?” Su Jing Fei understood the basics of martial arts, though it seemed almost like magic. Through training, most martial artists gained a skill of perceptibility in which they can detect others’ strong auras for defensive combat purposes.

“No, but if I get closer, then I possibly can.” Si Qiang sounded confident in his answer.

Su Jing Fei glanced once at the slightly frightened Yize as her thoughts became heavy with endless possibilities. She could send Si Qiang to check the wagon carriage, but that would leave her and Yize alone at a distance. If anyone was watching them from the shadows of the trees along the forest path, she wouldn’t even see it coming, and they’d be killed like sitting ducks. If they somehow were not killed on the spot, Su Jing Fei could manage to pull the carriage out of danger due to the distance, but that’d mean abandoning Si Qiang. There was another possibility of moving the carriage forward towards the stopped wagon carriage. However, if they were surrounded by attackers, they’d be cornered at such a close distance. She honestly was frustrated at the uncertainty and danger of either possibility, but she knew that guilt would be a heavy burden in the future if she did not go. With a calm voice, Su Jing Fei ordered, “Keep the carriage moving forward until we reach the stopped wagon carriage.”

“Yes, da xiaojie,” came Si Qiang’s immediate reply.

“Da xiaojie, it’s dangerous!” Yize spoke as the carriage jolted and began moving steadily again.

“I know, just trust your da xiaojie, okay?” Su Jing Fei replied softly, giving Yize a comforting smile. The young yatou seemed to settle down a bit after seeing Su Jing Fei’s own calm demeanor, but there was still a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.

After a few minutes, Si Qiang’s voice rang out again. “There seems to be no one nearby, da xiaojie.” The carriage stopped once more at those words.

Su Jing Fei understood that they had arrived. “Go, search the wagon carriage quickly!”

“Yes, da xiaojie!” Si Qiang’s footsteps were heavy but quick on the path. Su Jing Fei could hear the noise of him ruffling through the wagon carriage, and she resisted the urge to step out and look as well. However, soon enough, Si Qiang returned. He didn’t stop at the front of the carriage though, and he continued to the side where her window was. “Da xiaojie, I found this identification plate in the wagon carriage.”

A small piece of metal peeked in from outside the carriage. Su Jing Fei took ahold of it, reading the imprinted letters. As she suspected, the words indicated ‘Guo’! This identification plate belonged to the Guo family! Yize also saw the letters and her face gave an expression of horror.

Su Jing Fei closed her eyes for a moment, forcing evil thoughts out of her mind. How did the Guo family’s merchant wagon carriage end up abandoned on the road? And most importantly, what had happened to them? After a moment of silence, Su Jing Fei opened her eyes again and looked at Yize with a serious expression. “Yize, we’re going out of the carriage. Stay close, and if I tell you to do something, don’t question it. Just do it, alright?”

Yize gave a frightened expression but nodded her head with pursed lips. Su Jing Fei opened the carriage door to the surprise of Si Qiang, but he didn’t object and helped her down. Turning, Su Jing Fei took in the sight of the abandoned wagon carriage. The contents of the wagon were scattered along the path, and the carriage doors were opened. Su Jing Fei tucked the identification plate into her sleeve and walked forward, observing as she went. Her eyes were quick to survey the area to determine a possible reason for the Guo family to abandon their carriage. From the cases of goods strewn across the path, there was only one conclusion to the evidence. Bandits!

“Da xiaojie…” Yize’s voice was small and quiet, as though she was afraid of speaking loud in case the villains would return. “This is dangerous!”

“Si Qiang, stay out here and keep watch. Yize, help keep an eye out as well. Don’t follow me.” Su Jing Fei commanded, stepping further into the back of the wagon carriage. She pushed aside a pile of fallen boxes, catching the glint of something reflecting the sun. Stepping carefully, she reached down and lightly ran a finger across the wooden frame of an arrow lodged into the side of one of the wooden boxes. From the front, she could see the holes in the carriage where the arrow had pierced through. It was strange… This was the only arrow to be seen. A warning shot? But when did bandits ever warn their victims before attacking?

Suddenly, a small noise caught Su Jing Fei’s attention from the back of the carriage where it connected to the wagon front. It sounded like wood creaking… like something had moved. Her steps were light as she made her way towards the wooden part separating the carriage from the wagon. There was a bit of wood connecting the the wagon to the back part of the carriage, but otherwise, there was nothing else. However, Su Jing Fei felt like something was off. Kneeling beside the small wooden wall, her fingers traced along its edge until… there! Part of the wood was slightly misaligned, sticking just a little bit out further than the rest of the wall. A secret compartment! Her fingers weren’t able to grasp at the small edge enough to pry it open though. She glanced around, looking for anything to help, and she quickly found a few thin silver darts. Grabbing one, she carefully inserted its thin edge into the small separation where the wood was misaligned, and the secret compartment door was forced open.

“Mingyu!” Su Jing Fei recognized the young child laying in the small compartment. Mingyu’s eyes were closed however, and he didn’t respond to the sound of his name. Su Jing Fei quickly reached into the compartment, pulling out the small child that had been hidden away. As he lay in her lap, Su Jing Fei found his chest rising and falling steadily, and she gave a sigh of relief. He was still breathing, which was good; it seemed he was just unconscious. Carefully, she tucked him into her arms and carried him out of the back of the wagon.