Xiao Si pushed Xiao Wangye in. He heard that Ye Qingcheng and Physician Chu were going to Zhong Han Mountain. He couldn't help but worry. Although Lin Xiao was leading the team, he was still uneasy.
What if Ye Qingcheng ran away? Who would treat his leg ailment then?
It must be like this. Xiao Wangye lowered his eyes, trying his best to ignore the surging emotions in his heart.
"Why did you come over?" Ye Qingcheng looked at Xiao Wangye who had just entered. "Your leg ailment isn't healed yet, it's inconvenient to go together."
"It concerns me, so of course I have to go," Xiao Wangye said. "Let's set off tomorrow."
With that, without giving Ye Qingcheng a chance to speak, Xiao Wangye had Xiao Si push him away.
"Why does he always cause trouble for people?" Ye Qingcheng said, looking at Xiao Wangye's retreating back.
"Miss, you need to take good care of yourself," Bi Xi said to Ye Qingcheng as she watched Huang Li pack her luggage.
"Don't worry, just stay in the manor and recover. Tell Xiao Yuan and Xiao Xiao if anything happens." Ye Qingcheng knew that Bi Xi really wanted to go with her, but her own injuries hadn't healed yet.
Moreover, she wasn't planning to bring any maids this time.
Xiao Wangye didn't bring many guards. Including Lin Xiao, Xiao Si, and Physician Chu, the entire group was only ten people. It was unknown how many hidden guards there were.
When they first set off, Huang Li asked if they needed a carriage. Ye Qingcheng refused. A carriage would slow them down, and riding horses directly was better.
Conversely, Xiao Wangye directly arranged for a carriage, as his leg ailment hadn't healed yet.
"Princess Consort, why don't you and His Highness ride in the carriage?" Xiao Si, after settling Xiao Wangye inside the carriage, pulled open the curtain and said to Ye Qingcheng, who was leisurely riding her horse ahead.
At this time, she had changed into men's riding attire, pulled all her long hair back, tied it into a high ponytail, revealing her delicate features. Without any makeup, she sat upright on her horse, flicking her whip, which couldn't help but draw attention.
When they set off, Xiao Si and Lin Xiao were even startled by her attire. Xiao Wangye stared at Ye Qingcheng for a while until she looked at him curiously, and then he shifted his gaze.
"No need, the air outside is better." Ye Qingcheng flicked her whip again and galloped ahead.
"Your Highness..." Xiao Si looked back and saw Xiao Wangye silently flipping through the book in his hand. "The Princess Consort she..."
"Let her be," Xiao Wangye said with an unchanged expression, turning another page.
Xiao Si could clearly feel the temperature inside the carriage suddenly drop significantly. It was so cold here already, not even at the snow mountain yet.
Outside, the sun was still shining brightly, and the wind was warm and pleasant. Xiao Si now desperately wished he could switch places with the Princess Consort and ride his horse outside.
As they neared Zhong Han Mountain, looking at the towering white peaks, the group first settled in a nearby small town.
They dispatched guards to purchase some cold-weather supplies, and everyone prepared to get a good night's sleep before heading up the mountain tomorrow.
The inn's only attendant was busy preparing meals for them.
Upon hearing that Ye Qingcheng's group would be going up the mountain tomorrow, he kindly came over to remind them, "Guests, please be careful when going up the mountain tomorrow."
He pointed to the distant snow mountain and said, "There are wild men up there. Several people from nearby villages and towns have gone up the mountain and disappeared."
"Wild men?" Lin Xiao frowned. "Tell me more."
"The story of these wild men has been circulating for a long time. Several people from nearby villages and towns went up the mountain to collect medicinal herbs and never returned. There's so much cold and little food on the mountain, and sometimes the wild men even bring people down the mountain to rob them."
Everyone listened and became more vigilant.
"Didn't the local officials deal with them?"
"The officials wanted to, but they organized several expeditions up the mountain. Either they couldn't find their residences, or they were beaten back with heavy losses. Gradually, they stopped caring." The attendant sighed softly.
Seeing that the innkeeper at the counter wasn't paying attention, he whispered, "Most of the people here have left. This inn will probably close down soon."
After listening to Lin Xiao, Xiao Wangye said, "These wild men seem to have formed a tribe. They are quite organized."
"Your subordinate believes that our main purpose this time is to pick snow lotuses, so it's best not to get into conflict with them for now," Lin Xiao said.
"After descending the mountain, we can discuss how to deal with them with the local officials," Xiao Wangye said. After all, Ye Qingcheng and Physician Chu were still in the team.
The next day, Xiao Wangye and Xiao Si stayed at the inn. All the guards and Lin Xiao accompanied Ye Qingcheng and Physician Chu up the mountain.
Ye Qingcheng found this strange. "Don't you need to leave two guards behind?"
"No need," Xiao Wangye lifted his gaze from his book. "Don't worry."
"Who is worried about you? If a Regent like you were assassinated here, no one could escape responsibility," Ye Qingcheng said, shaking her head and leaving.
Xiao Wangye watched her leave, then lowered his gaze to his legs sitting in the wheelchair. His eyes were inscrutable.
The closer they got to the snow mountain, the colder it became. Ye Qingcheng inserted a wooden stick into the snow and walked with difficulty. The snow on the ground here was indeed thick.
Fortunately, the weather was clear, not harsh.
Lin Xiao walked behind, observing the surroundings from time to time. He felt that the branches in the distance seemed to sway slightly, but when he looked closely, he found nothing.
The surroundings were a vast expanse of white. Staring at it for too long was somewhat damaging to the eyes. Nevertheless, Lin Xiao maintained a high level of vigilance.
"Lin Xiao," Ye Qingcheng handed him a black gauze scarf. "Looking at the snow for too long can cause snow blindness. Tie this black gauze around your eyes. You can still see the path this way."
"Thank you, Princess Consort."
"Princess Consort, it's this one!" At this moment, Chu Xiu exclaimed in surprise from ahead. Ye Qingcheng and Lin Xiao hurried over.
In front of Chu Xiu, the crystal-clear snow lotus looked like an exquisite work of art carved from ice. Ye Qingcheng bent down and observed it with Chu Xiu.
"Next, we will pick its flower." Chu Xiu took out a sharp small knife and was about to attack the snow lotus in front of him.
Suddenly, a sky-covering barrage of stones rained down on them from all directions.
The guards immediately stood around Ye Qingcheng and Chu Xiu, surrounding them.
A group of people wearing white animal skins appeared before them.
A small man was chattering something to a strong man, often pointing angrily in their direction. It seemed that the strong man was their leader.
"Who are they?" Ye Qingcheng asked, deflecting the flying stones.
"They are wild men," Lin Xiao said. This group should be the wild men tribe on the snow mountain mentioned by the inn attendant.
Before Lin Xiao could react, the leader, who was at the forefront, charged at them. Seeing the stone weapon being swung, Lin Xiao raised his hand to block it with his sharp sword.
With a "clang," his tiger's mouth went numb. Seeing the sword thrown to the ground, disbelief appeared on Lin Xiao's face. He hadn't expected this wild man to be so strong.
His expression gradually turned serious. "Listen, protect the Princess Consort and retreat as soon as possible."
Drawing two short blades from his waist, Lin Xiao looked at the wild man leader. Since he couldn't compete in strength, he could only outwit him.