Chapter 33 – The Tuoba Clan

Just a little later, a maid brought Murong Zhining into the room. Tuoba Zhi dismissed everyone else, then he also tactfully left the room and closed the door while he was at it.

Murong Zhining indifferently swept a glance at Chiyun Yuexuan. “General was in a coma, so I had no choice but to seek help. Fortunately, I met Mister Tuoba, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable. The doctor said you still need to recuperate for a while, so rest at ease.”

Looking at Murong Zhining’s expressionless face, Chiyun Yuexuan suddenly recalled that ruthlessness when she pulled out the arrow and couldn’t help but chuckle. Murong Zhining glared at him. “You nearly lost your life, and you still have the heart to laugh? I don’t see anything funny about it.”

Chiyun Yuexuan still couldn’t restrain himself from laughing. “Isn’t this what you wanted, Princess? Are you pulling a face because I didn’t die?”

Murong Zhining remained silent. She found his question unworthy of responding.

Seeing Murong Zhining ignore him, Chiyun Yuexuan deliberately teased, “By the way, when you took off my clothes, I was still conscious, but only too weak to resist. Don’t think you can refuse to take responsibility after looking at my body.”

Whoosh! Murong Zhining’s face blushed beet red in embarrassment. If it wasn’t for the fact that Chiyun Yuexuan was nursing an injury, she would have slapped him without mercy.

Chiyun Yuexuan retracted the hint of smile on his face, his expression turned grave. “My body no longer has any problem. We don’t know anything about this Tuoba person, I’m afraid that he may do harm to Princess. We should leave as quickly as possible.”

Murong Zhining crumpled her brocade handkerchief. “Mister Tuoba seems gentle and refined. He doesn’t look like a bad person at all. If he wants to hurt us, he would have done it much sooner. The doctor said you still need to recuperate for a while. If your wound gets worse, it will take your life.”

Chiyun Yuexuan abruptly switched back to his usual cold expression. “Have you ever seen a bad person with the word ‘bad’ written on their face? You conclude that someone is a good man just because he acts nice. No, I can’t let any danger get to you. We must leave immediately.”

Murong Zhining retorted, “That’s right, General Chiyun doesn’t have bad written on your face either.”

Chiyun Yuexuan shot her an angry glare and punched the bed pillar. Perhaps this touched his wound, because his mouth twitched and let out a painful hissing sound.

Murong Zhining said in an overbearing and non-negotiable tone, “You must listen to me this time. I order you to rest for a few days, otherwise you will be a burden on me out on the road.”

Chiyun Yuexuan slightly creased his brows. “By the way, why is it there are people so outrageous to chase and kill you in your own father’s country? Is there something that I don’t know about?”

Murong Zhining’s face sank a little, but she decided to hide the truth in the end. “Maybe it’s just some rebels who want to use me to threaten my father.”

“Knock knock,” the sound of something tapping the door rang out. Tuoba Zhi fluttered his folding fan as he pushed open the doors and entered. “General Chiyun can rest here without worry. I will take good care of Miss Murong for you. Since your injury is likely to make moving inconvenient, I’ll have dinner delivered to your room. After you finish your meal, please lie down and have a good rest. I’ll be taking Miss Murong to the lobby for dinner.”

After finishing what he needed to say, Tuoba Zhi gracefully made a gesture to invite Murong Zhining, looking both very polite and caring as he did so. Chiyun Yuexuan frowned intensely as he watched them leave while chatting happily. The maid bought hot porridge and several side dishes to Chiyun Yuexuan on a tray.

For five days straight, Chiyun Yuexuan stayed idly in the room to nurse his injury. The maid did her best to serve him, but Murong Zhining never once came to see him.

Angry and unsettled, Chiyun Yuexuan asked the maid, “Where has Miss Murong been the last few days? Why haven’t I seen her at all?”

The maid respectfully replied, “Our young master has taken Miss Murong to the tea garden on the mountain. The Tuoba family is one of the top merchants in the capital. This period of time is a good time to harvest tea leaves. Young Master has brought his sister and a group of servants to Shunyi County, which is very far from the capital and where the best tea garden of the Tuoba family is located. Mister Tuoba is very particular about his tea. He only drinks from the leaves that he personally supervises being picked and processed.”

Chiyun Yuexuan was enraged. From the looks of things, Tuoba Zhi seemed like he really knew how to win Murong Zhining’s favor.

Afternoon the next day, the maid informed Chiyun Yuexuan in high spirits, “General Chiyun, Young Master has returned to the manor with Miss Murong.”

At dinner time, Tuoba sent people to invite Chiyun Yuexuan to the lobby, as he was holding a feast tonight to celebrate the good harvest of his tea garden this year. During the banquet, Tuoba Zhi never stopped assiduously serving food to Murong Zhining. The table was filled with all sorts of staggeringly luxurious and rare delicacies: bear paw, camel hump, shark fin, swallow’s nest, sea cucumber, venison…, everything.

Chiyun Yuexuan sat on his seat, detached as he looked coldly from the side, thinking, this Touba Zhi is so eagerly attentive to Murong Zhining. Is he really scheming something? But Tuoba Zhi saved his life and treated him with hospitality, so even if Chiyun Yuexuan was angry, he felt self-conscious enough not to make a fuss. However, Chiyun Yuexuan wasn’t a magnanimous person. Forbearing his temper as he might, he still wanted to embarrass Tuoba Zhi a little.

As he ate his food, Chiyun Yuexuan pretended to be casual and mentioned, “They say the Murong clan and the Tuoba clan are mortal rivals, but Mister Tuoba is treating Young Miss Murong so nicely, it’s truly touching to see.”

Tuoba Zhi gave him an elegant smile, his face easy-going. “That’s all past history, it’s not as serious as it sounds. The changes of dynasties are but passing clouds, how can there be such things as mortal enemies?”

Murong Zhining looked incredulously at the two men exchanging verbal blows, unable to get what they meant. “Who and who are mortal enemies? What are you two talking about?”

Chiyun Yuexuan tried to put on a face as casual as a breeze, “Nothing. Your ancestors, the Murong clan of Beiyan, had their country driven to extinction by the Tuoba clan of Beiwei .”

Tuoba Zhi stopped his chopsticks, his face still graceful and confident. “General Chiyun has said it wrong! That was hundreds of years ago. Besides, as far as I know, when Beiyan was destroyed, the Feng clan had already replaced the Murong clan as the one in power, so there was no such thing as ‘destroying the Murongs country’ nor ‘mortal rivals.”

Chiyun Yuexuan originally had no plans to make things difficult for Tuoba Zhi. However, now that he was meeting his match in this argument, he refused to lose. “It seems Mister Tuoba wants to discuss history with me! Perhaps the Murong clan wasn’t in power when Beiyan fell, but when the Tuoba clan forced the entire nation to become fugitives, wasn’t the Murong clan among them? You’re saying your ancestors never killed a member of the Murong clan?”

The atmosphere grew a little tense at this. Tuoba Zhi was an experienced person. He chuckled and responded calmly, “There is no detailed record in the history books about what happened during their escape, that is, aside from a few unofficial sentences. Brother Chiyun, are you trying to impose a crime on my head?”

Chiyun Yuexuan only wanted to intimidate the guy into giving up on fawning over Murong Zhining, and not humiliate him. After all, he still owed Tuoba Zhi a favor for his help. Therefore, Chiyun Yuexuan smiled a little and no longer continued arguing. Murong Zhining lapsed into a long silence. Her intuition told her that this matter had something to do with the sheet music on her body.

Just when the atmosphere reached its most awkward moment, a young girl entered the door with a beautiful smile. “You guys didn’t wait for me to have dinner? That’s so not nice.” The young girl was dressed in pink, her chubby round face still maintained traces of baby fat which gave her a naughty and cute look. Around sixteen years old with a sweet face and beautiful, luxurious clothes, one could tell from the first glance that she was a darling daughter of a rich family.

"This is my younger sister, Tuoba Lan. She’s one stubborn naughty fellow,” Tuoba Zhi introduced to Chiyun Yuexuan. Tuoba Lan curtsied to Chiyun Yuexuan and shyly greeted him, “Lan’er greets Grand General Chiyun. Lan’er has heard that you’re a hero from a young age and admires you very much.”

Chiyun Yuexuan didn’t say a word and only returned with a cupping of his fists.

Tuoba Lan acted cute as she sat down next to Murong Zhining and stuffed herself with some food. “My brother is so nice to Big Sister Murong, I’ve never seen him act so nice to anyone else. Murong Zhining, how about you be my sister-in-law?”

Chiyun Yuexuan deliberately harrumphed. The atmosphere turned awkward again.

Tuoba Lan directed Chiyun Yuexuan a dubious look. “General Chiyun, aren’t you Big Sis Murong’s brother? And you aren’t related to her by blood, so you can’t object to Big Sister Murong being with my big brother.”

Murong Zhining’s face reddened. She furtively tugged on Tuoba Lan’s clothes under the table.

Chiyun Yuexuan tried to suppress his rising anger and pretended like he didn’t mind. “Hmm? What? Did Miss Murong say I was her brother?” His phoenix eyes stared intently at Murong Zhining with a frosty look. Afraid that Chiyun Yuexuan would say something inappropriate, Murong Zhining tried to show her white feather to him by a slight pucker of her lips. She didn’t want the atmosphere to get awkward again.

Chiyun Yuexuan shot her a side glance and smiled in tacit understanding. “How can I be her brother? She still has to call me Uncle. Her father asked me to bring her home. As for her marriage, I still have some say in this matter as her uncle.”

Murong Zhining lowered her head to hide her face that had flushed red from embarrassment and anger. Tuoba Zhi cast Chiyun Yuexuan a meaningful glance.

Tuoba Zhi decided to break the deadlock. “I have collected enough tea leaves in the recent days and plan to return to Nanjin. I heard that you guys are heading there as well. We can travel as companions and take care of each other on the road.”

Chiyun Yuexuan refused, “I already feel bad for troubling you these past few days. Miss Murong and I are being pursued by enemies, it’s unseemly for us to accompany you for so long.”

Tuoba Lan remarked innocently, “That’s the more reason you should travel with us, we can have your back on the way. Don’t worry, General, our family has a lot of strong servant guards, normal people are no match for us. Let Big Sister travel with us, we can also help hide her trace.”

Tuoba Zhi also looked expectantly at Chiyun Yuexuan, hoping that he was convinced by Tuoba Lan.

However, Chiyun Yuexuan was dead resolute. “I have promised to deliver her to Nanjin safe and sound. I can’t put her in any risks. Thank you for your kindness, though. When I have the chance, I’ll repay your favor.”

The Tuoba siblings both revealed expressions of disappointment.

Early the next morning, Chiyun Yuexuan changed into a casual outfit provided by Tuoba Zhi. It was a light-yellow long robe with narrow sleeves, the most suitable type to wear on a trip. The clothes fit quite well on Chiyun Yuexuan and he looked refined in it.

Murong Zhining also changed into men’s clothing. Tuoba Lan even pasted two fake moustaches on her face, which made her better resemble a man. Chiyun Yuexuan nearly laughed out loud upon seeing this. He lifted Murong Zhining onto the horse and flung himself behind her. His armor and halberd were wrapped up in cloth and tied to the horse.

Tuoba Zhi and Tuoba Lan waved goodbye to them with much reluctance to part. Tuoba Lan’s eyes brimmed with tears as she repeatedly made Murong Zhining guarantee that she would come to find her after returning to Nanjin. Murong Zhining solemnly nodded.

The black horse spread its four hooves and picked up a cloud of dust, quickly receding from view in front of the Tuoba siblings. Luoba Lan was crestfallen as she looked at the direction where the horse disappeared. “I wonder if we can see Big Sister Murong and General Chiyun again.”

Tuoba Zhi lamented, “Although Miss Murong didn’t tell me about her real situation, I can still guess some. If I’m not wrong, she should be Princess Fengyi of our Shangxia. The two of them aren’t people that someone of our status can befriend.”

Tuoba Lan’s eyes went wide from the shocking news.

The horse galloped along the main road for a while before gradually slowing. Chiyun Yuexuan sat behind Murong Zhining and smelled the scent of her hair. He couldn’t help but lean close and whisper into her ear, “Yesterday, you told them that I was your brother?”

Murong Zhining shrank her neck in fright and cover her ears with her hands. Chiyun Yuexuan’s lips softly landed on the back of her hand. Frightened again, Murong Zhining hastily moved her hand away. The instant she did so, Chiyun Yuexuan mischievously pressed his lips on her ear. Helpless, Murong Zhining had to cover her ear again with a red face.

Enjoying her quandary, Chiyun Yuexuan laughed heartily. As his heart for paybacks was satisfied, he didn’t tease her anymore and tightly wrapped his arms around her waist.

In the evening, the two passed by an inn. Chiyun Yuexuan feared that a day of riding on horseback would be too much for Murong Zhining, so he decided to stop here for a night.

The server welcomed them with zeal and diligently took the horse. “The two young masters, please come in. Our inn serves good food and wine, and also offer top-quality rooms.”

Chiyun Yuexuan instructed the server as he entered the inn. “One top-grade room, and deliver a table of food there.”

Murong Zhining gently tugged on the corner of his outfit, her voice almost inaudible, “Two rooms.”

Chiyun Yuexuan wordlessly swept her a glance and kept walking.

The serve bent in a posture of invitation. “Please proceed upstairs, honorable guests. The second room on the upper floor is a top-grade room.”