Yan Shi finished washing the bowls and chopsticks in the kitchen.
After a moment’s thought, he went to the back mountain to fetch water for boiling, and took the opportunity to refill the water jar.
Once done with all that, he carried the dirty sheets and Li Mianyu’s outer robe to the stream by the back mountain to wash them.
The young man crouched beside the stones by the creek, lowering his head as he began to scrub Li Mianyu’s outer robe.
But after just a few scrubs, the garment tore open with a large hole, worn and ruined.
Yan Shi was briefly stunned, staring down at the frayed garment in his hands without moving.
After a long while, he placed the robe on a nearby stone and scrubbed the sheets with the same force.
The sheets remained intact without a single tear.
He glanced again at the outer robe with its big hole, then at his own hands.
His eyelashes twitched lightly as he let out a faint sigh.
When Yan Shi returned from the back mountain, dusk had already fallen.
Back at the dormitory, he hung the washed sheets and clothes on the drying rack behind the house.
The room felt strangely quiet.
He approached the door and found no lights on inside.
Li Mianyu sat low-headed at the table, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.
His footsteps made a little more noise than usual.
Li Mianyu was absorbed in her own mind.
Hearing Yan Shi return, she nervously looked up.
Her face was not tear-streaked but flushed deeply red, biting her lip and holding her belly.
Yan Shi stepped inside without a word and went to light a candle.
“Yan Shi…” the girl’s voice was weak, nearly breathless.
The candlelight illuminated the dim room as Yan Shi turned to look at Li Mianyu.
Her lips resembled camellia petals, fragile and beautiful, but now nearly bitten through.
Her flushed face looked delicate, but her brows were tightly furrowed and her hands clenched in her lap, as if something serious had happened.
Yan Shi frowned quietly.
Li Mianyu did not meet his gaze, only whispering, “I want to change my clothes.”
Yan Shi exhaled softly and moved forward to carry her to the outhouse, but Li Mianyu had apparently prepared herself.
Both her feet were already slipped into embroidered shoes.
No longer delicate as before, she suddenly seemed resolute.
“Just take me there.”
This was even stranger.
Li Mianyu could not explain to Yan Shi directly.
She wasn’t sure if the abdominal pain was truly because she needed to change clothes or if her menstruation had begun…
Though her cycles were usually punctual, the Aunt had said the first year after arrival here might be irregular.
Yan Shi said nothing and found a lantern inside the room, lighting it and carrying it ahead.
Li Mianyu lowered her head and followed him.
Inside her sleeve was a menstrual cloth that Qingling Aunt had prepared.
The dormitory’s outhouse was not far, just a few steps away.
The night before, Li Mianyu had changed clothes outdoors in the woods.
Seeing a small thatched hut to hide behind now brought her a strange relief.
Without waiting for Yan Shi to speak, she took the lantern from his hand.
“Stand a little farther back.”
Yan Shi obediently stepped back several paces, becoming nearly invisible in the darkness.
Li Mianyu calmly opened the outhouse door and stepped inside, but no sooner had she taken one step than she let out a piercing scream.
Yan Shi dashed forward the moment he heard her cry.
She staggered as if about to fall inside, and he immediately grabbed her arm.
The instant Yan Shi held her, Li Mianyu gasped for breath, cold sweat dripping from her forehead.
She had almost ended up like the Twelfth Imperial Prince!
“Get out! Quickly, get out!”
Li Mianyu trembled as she urged, wanting to forget everything she had just seen.
She had never imagined a changing place in the countryside looked like that—pitch black ground, no chamber pot to be found.
Holding the lantern freely, a glance downward sent chills crawling over her scalp.
Emerging from inside, she covered her mouth and gagged, her face pale.
She couldn’t speak, one hand still clutching her belly as tears welled in her eyes, looking helplessly at her capable Dark Guard.
“Seems not everyone can be the Twelfth Imperial Prince.”
Yan Shi was silent for a moment, then looked at her and asked, “Go into the woods?”
The woods were full of grass and no telling what snakes, insects, or flies lurked…but it was still better than what she’d just seen.
Li Mianyu nodded through tears.
“Can you walk?”
There was some distance through the woods.
Li Mianyu, now resolute but trembling like two twisted ropes, shook her head.
Yan Shi bent down, and Li Mianyu leaned on him.
In the back mountain forest, Yan Shi first swept the surroundings with his sword to make sure there were no snakes or insects.
Only then did Li Mianyu enter, and he cautioned her repeatedly, “Stay at least ten yards away.”
Seeing him turn his back, Li Mianyu put down the lantern, lifted her skirt, unfastened her undergarment, and looked down with relief—no blood.
Then that terrible pain must have been something else…
Yan Shi waited for a long time before hearing soft rustling behind him.
“Let’s go.”
Li Mianyu lowered her head, shy and trembling, her legs numb and unsteady.
When she was a child, she’d raised a lion dog who patrolled the garden daily.
Li Mianyu vaguely thought, if she were a lion dog, this area would definitely have a “beware of dogs” sign.
She had completely lost the grace of a princess.
Yan Shi squatted down, and Li Mianyu leaned against him, quietly saying, “Bring me some hot water when we get back.”
The Dark Guard nodded without a word.
Not long after returning to the dorm, Yan Shi brought two buckets of hot water. His dark eyes fixed on Li Mianyu by the bed’s edge.
“There’s no bathtub.”
“It’s fine,” Li Mianyu paused, then asked, “Where will you sleep tonight?”
“Outside.”
On any other day, Li Mianyu might have asked more, but now her mood was too heavy.
She was still mourning her lost dignity and simply nodded.
“After the door closes, you just sleep. Don’t mind me.”
Yan Shi left.
Li Mianyu immediately took out a clean set of clothes from her bundle, quickly stripped, dampened a handkerchief, and wiped herself down.
When she put on the clean clothes, the fragrance Aunt Qingling had infused made Li Mianyu feel she had regained a bit of her princessly composure.
Yan Shi stood with his arms crossed, casually leaning against the wall with eyes closed.
Though youthful and handsome, when still like this, he resembled a sword waiting to be drawn—his sharp aura vigilantly guarding the night.
The next morning, Yan Shi made some corn cakes and porridge.
After Li Mianyu ate, her Dark Guard accompanied her on a short walk through a small grove.
When they returned, she again appeared dazed for some time.
When Yan Shi was about to leave, Li Mianyu called after him, cheeks flushed, eyes clear and watery, hesitant and delicate.
As a Dark Guard, Yan Shi rarely showed emotions.
He waited quietly.
Li Mianyu finally whispered, “Could you also inquire about Cui Yunqi for me?”
“Cui Yunqi?” the youth repeated slowly.
Li Mianyu blushed with pride.
“He’s my fiancé, the eldest son of the Cui Clan’s main branch. I told you, right? He’s a scholar with unmatched talent, handsome beyond compare, gentle and refined—the First Gentleman of the Capital.”
Yan Shi said nothing but nodded.
After he left, Li Mianyu hurried back to her dorm and closed the doors and windows tightly.
Yan Shi did not go to find beggars as he had said but headed to the Messenger Station, which wasn’t far.
The station bustled with people, noisy and chaotic, a hotbed of information.
Yan Shi took a shortcut through the forest.
Upon arrival, he found the station overcrowded, with an undertone of displaced refugees.
Carriages escaping from the Capital were jammed on the road.
Soldiers prowled about, armed with swords and knives, fierce and terrifying as they searched the station.
Official roads to the Capital were guarded, accompanied by hunting dogs.
Faces were filled with panic and fear.
Yan Shi observed closely.
The soldiers’ uniforms differed from the Great Zhou troops who had chased them in the woods before—they wore foreign-style clothing.
He then bent down to overhear a few anxious scholars’ conversations.
His expression hardened.
Without lingering, he silently retreated to the forest, caught a horse halfway, and set off toward Southern Pure Temple.
Back at Southern Pure Temple, Yan Shi quickly assessed the situation.
The temple was orderly and calm, which eased his mind.
He returned to the dormitory and knocked on the door.
“Princess.”
Li Mianyu had been tense inside the room.
Hearing Yan Shi’s voice, she hurried over with a limp and looked up at him, eyes sparkling.
“You’re back so quickly!”
She gazed at him expectantly.
Yan Shi gave her grim news.
“It’s not safe here. We must leave immediately. I’ll go to the kitchen to pack some provisions.”
Li Mianyu’s heart wrenched.
“Why isn’t it safe? You said Southern Pure Temple was secure. What news did you get?”
Yan Shi looked at her.
“The Emperor has disappeared. The Zhao King was beheaded. Now the Northern Di bloodline’s rebel leader occupies the Capital, slaughtering those who resist. Some officials and noble families have betrayed us.”
Li Mianyu’s face turned pale as she stammered, “Northern Di? That worthless Li Qiyi of Great Zhou!”
Li Qiyi was the Zhao King who had recklessly conspired with foreign enemies!
“Imperial Grandfather… is there still a chance he’s alive?”
Li Mianyu’s eyes reddened instantly.
Yan Shi lowered his voice.
“That’s why we must leave now.”
Li Mianyu’s breath hitched.
After a moment’s silence, she nodded tearfully and returned inside to pack. She ignored the dirty clothes on the ground and hurried out with her bundle.
She left so hastily she bumped into Yan Shi, who turned back to find her.
She fell backward but was caught swiftly.
Just as she relaxed, Yan Shi lowered his eyes and leaned close, his nose twitching as he inhaled her scent, warm breath brushing her lips.
The youth’s handsome face was close to hers, his warm body enveloping her.
“D-daring!”
Li Mianyu froze, cheeks flaming.
Yan Shi clearly didn’t care about her scolding.
He grabbed her arm and sniffed it, frowning slightly.
Her heart jumped again.
She bit her lip, wondering if she’d picked up some smell in the woods.
“Burn all the palace clothes.”
The youth finally released her, expression stern.
Li Mianyu couldn’t believe it.
“Why?”
Yan Shi rarely spoke so much: “The palace clothes are scented with a special incense. Hunting dogs can detect it and tracked it twenty miles to the Messenger Station. The night before, the princess only wore one piece, so the scent was faint. They searched slowly and only roughly narrowed down the direction, but sooner or later they would find Southern Pure Temple.”
Li Mianyu didn’t understand—how could the scent linger in the air like that?
Were dogs really that powerful?
She clutched her garment.
“Then what do I wear?”
Yan Shi paced into the room, opened a cabinet, and took out several sets of martial robes and a pair of shoes.
He handed one set to Li Mianyu and packed the rest in another bundle.
Li Mianyu hesitated, “Do I have to take off the inner clothes too?”
Yan Shi repeated firmly, “Palace clothes cannot be kept.”
Li Mianyu asked, “What about my golden hairpins and jewelry?”
Aunt Qingling had packed some for her.
Yan Shi blinked his dark eyes, “I’ll take them out and check.”
With that, he slung the bundle on his back and took the large bundle Li Mianyu had dropped on the floor outside.
Li Mianyu pursed her lips and sat quietly on the bed, holding the clothes.
When she began untying her clothes, her hands trembled and her eyes moistened again.
She wondered if leaving the palace and Imperial Grandfather was a mistake.
She stripped completely, shaking out the martial robe Yan Shi gave her.
Inside were rough cloth inner garments, but no bellyband.
Once she put it on, her skin prickled painfully.
Especially since her menstruation began, her chest was sensitive and often swollen.
She covered her chest and rested a moment before slowly putting on the robe and slipping on the oversized shoes.
The clothes must have belonged to Yan Shi.
The sleeves and hems were long, and the shoes were huge—like boats. She wondered just how tall Yan Shi really was.
Holding up the hem, her eyes red, she said, “Too big.”
Yan Shi turned and looked at her.
He stepped forward, tearing off the long sleeves and shortening the hem, then tightened the waist belt.
He used the torn cloth to bind the boots firmly to her calves.
“Turn your back.”
Li Mianyu looked at him in grievance and turned around.
Yan Shi pulled off her hairband and grabbed her thick, smooth black hair, tying it tightly on top of her head just like his own.
Li Mianyu had never worn a man’s hairstyle before and found it a little novel.
She touched it hesitantly.
Yan Shi went back into the room and picked up the clothes Li Mianyu had taken off.
His fingers happened to circle around the thin red string of her bellyband.
He was seeing it for the first time and froze for a moment, staring with curiosity.
Li Mianyu looked up just in time to see him twirling the bellyband string with his eyes lowered.
Her breath caught, and she rushed over to snatch it away, scolding, “Daring!”
Yan Shi looked at her quietly with an innocent expression.
Li Mianyu flushed and glared, shouting, “What will you do with these clothes?”
Yan Shi didn’t answer and carried the clothes outside.
Li Mianyu followed and watched as he tossed her dresses, shoes, and socks into the latrine pit, stirring them with a pole.
Li Mianyu thought bitterly: A princess’s clothes, mixed with a monk’s filth.
Yan Shi glanced back at her holding the bellyband.
Seeing her stunned expression, he said nothing and took it from her hand to throw it in the pit as well.
Li Mianyu was dazed, barely coming to her senses when Yan Shi lifted her onto the horse.
She huffed, “You bold Dark Guard!”
Yan Shi said nothing, tugged the reins, and turned the horse around.
Li Mianyu had learned to ride from Imperial Grandfather, but her horses were always docile and smaller than normal.
It had been half a year since her arrival at Guishui that she’d last ridden a horse.
Suddenly on this tall steed, she panicked for a moment.
“Where are we going?”
“I don’t know,” came the low, distant voice at her ear.
Li Mianyu blinked. “…You don’t know?”
The young Dark Guard lowered his head and looked at her.
“The Emperor only said to take the princess somewhere safe. He didn’t say where.”
Li Mianyu blinked, withdrawing her gaze to the road ahead, eyes swollen and dazed.
Without Imperial Grandfather’s protection, where could possibly be safe for her?
She sighed softly.
Unfortunately, her Dark Guard was unsympathetic to her melancholy and suddenly cracked the whip.
Li Mianyu yelped in surprise and scolded, “Yan Shi!”
Though she shouted, she hurried to steady herself.
Two hours after leaving Southern Pure Temple, the group ascended the mountain, accompanied by a hunting dog that sniffed constantly.
The person surrounded wore white robes, tall and graceful, adorned in elegant robes with wide sleeves brushing the ground.
His long black hair was stirred by the wind like dissipating mist.
He glanced over the courtyard and walked to the front door.
Upon opening the door, he furrowed his brow slightly. Light fell on him unevenly.
He turned his face and ordered those behind him, “The man left. Go after him.”
A remarkably handsome young man, his jawline smooth and refined, his face gentle and jade-like yet tinged with a cold edge.
Li Mianyu: Cui Yunqi has appeared!
Yan Shi begins sharpening his blade—someone is here to steal his wife.