A young girl entered the city amidst the wind and snow.
She had been pampered since childhood, a delicate blossom doted upon.
Though her parents had not accompanied her on this visit to see her second elder brother, they had made ample arrangements. Several wet nurses had prepared a exquisite small courtyard, warmed by the finest silver-thread charcoal, making the entire residence balmy. As she stepped inside, she shed the snow-white cloak draped over her.
Mu Nian surveyed her surroundings, finding them most satisfactory.
The furnishings here were remarkably similar to her chambers in the capital, elegant and familiar, allowing her no discomfort. A wet nurse nearby brought a basin of hot water to cleanse her cheeks, her eyes filled with tender concern.
"This long journey has truly exhausted our little county princess."
"Look at this little face, it's gone so pale!"
Her attendant, devoted to her young lady, believed a rosy complexion was the epitome of beauty. Her fingertips gently caressed her face, meticulously wiping it clean.
"I heard the Rong tribes are causing trouble in the north, and it's a time of turmoil and war. Little county princess should not have traveled at this moment."
"His Highness Prince Yan has taken the young master to the northern military camp. The young master likely won't return for some time. Fortunately, this city is relatively safe, with Prince Yan's thirty thousand troops stationed here; it can be considered impregnable."
As she spoke, she added with continued apprehension,
"That Prince Yan, though skilled in leading armies, is said to be a living Yama, a natural harbinger of doom, a ruthless killer."
"A few days ago, he reportedly apprehended some spies from the military camp and executed them directly. The blood pooled outside, the cold droplets scattered everywhere, a sight that chilled the heart. The blood itself was black..."
"You have no idea, the wails... they unsettled the soul."
After uttering a few sentences, the old woman glanced at her young lady's delicate and beautiful face, suddenly freezing before clearing her throat awkwardly.
"Miss is afraid of such things, isn't she? I shouldn't have spoken so much, for fear of giving Miss nightmares."
"Miss, don't listen. Let's talk about happier things. When Second Young Master returns, he will surely be overjoyed, as he doted on Miss the most when you were at home!"
"Perhaps he will even choose a small pony for Miss. Although Miss is frail, keeping one would be beneficial."
The old woman continued speaking, attempting to win over the pampered young lady.
Mu Nian, however, suddenly inquired.
"What does that Prince Yan look like?"
The old woman faltered.
After a moment of hesitation, she replied.
"This Prince Yan is a ruthless killer, so naturally, he is burly and imposing, and quite frightening. He personally engages in battle often, which is why he wears a mask, but no one knows what his face truly looks like beneath it."
The old woman coughed, then added.
"Naturally, he is not as handsome as Second Young Master. Moreover, there are always rumors in the city that this Prince Yan's appearance is extremely unsightly."
"Fearing ridicule, he never removes his mask."
Little did she know that while she worried her pampered young lady might be frightened, her young lady's eyes lit up at her words, brimming with sparkling starlight.
This explanation.
This person must be Ling Qianhe!
The old woman continued to prattle on about how fearsome Prince Yan was, while Mu Nian was already somewhat absent-minded. In her heart, she wondered when this Prince Yan would finally return. Noticing Mu Nian's distraction, the old woman sighed.
"Is Miss tired?"
"I will leave now, allowing Miss to rest well."
...
After the old woman departed, Lin Mu Nian immediately called out to her little system in her mind.
"When will that Prince Yan return? This time, you said I need to stop this villain from going on a killing spree, right?"
The little system presented her with a challenge.
"The host's mission in this world is actually to help him ascend to the throne, but you must ensure your parents and brother survive and do not perish by his hand."
This mission—it was indeed somewhat difficult.
"What, so he will spare my family and give them a way out for my sake? Do I have that much influence?"
Lin Mu Nian snorted lightly. Although her current body belonged to a little county princess of the Duke's mansion, doted upon by her parents and brother, her heart had long since drifted beyond the heavens. She was undoubtedly on Ling Qianhe's side.
The little system then explained.
"In any case, you must find a way."
"It's best if he can't bring himself to harm you."
"After all, host, you are quite skilled. Don't you always manage to expertly handle your younger brother Qianhe?"
"Don't you?"
Hearing the little system's question.
Lin Mu Nian snorted lightly and said.
"That's not always a sure thing. And what identity have you all assigned him? Didn't you say he wasn't a prince?"
"Also, most importantly, when will I get to see him?"
Though she saw Ling Qianhe daily, small worlds like this were different. Lin Mu Nian was already eager to see Ling Qianhe in this world! Her tone carried a hint of urgency.
Upon hearing Lin Mu Nian speak, the system's voice on the other end sounded extremely peculiar.
"This... you will see him soon."
...
The little system told Lin Mu Nian that she would see Ling Qianhe soon, so she settled into this small courtyard. Although it was the harsh northern land with heavy snowfall, everything she ate and used was of the highest quality.
The charcoal fire in the courtyard never went out, its warmth making the small courtyard feel like spring.
The pastries she ate were made by a renowned pastry chef specially invited from Jiangnan, all her favorite delicate flavors. This little county princess of the Duke's mansion, Mu Nian, was truly pampered to the bone, cherished to the extreme, as if they feared she might dislike anything even slightly.
However, she was also well-behaved and not overly picky, eating her meals on time every day, much to the relief of the wet nurses and maids serving her.
It was just that Prince Yan's arrival was delayed, which made Lin Mu Nian a little anxious.
She had tried to inquire, but she was always told that the front lines were in a critical state, so—Prince Yan's absence was understandable.
He must still be on the battlefield leading troops in conquest.
This little county princess of the Duke's mansion was at a loss for what to do, unable to think of any solutions, and could only wait obediently.
She waited for ten days. She gained a little weight, her face filling out, recovering all the weight she had lost from the arduous journey. But as she was already exquisite, this only made her appear more charming. A plump and lovely young girl, one would wish to cradle her in their hands.
Lin Mu Nian grew somewhat anxious. If she didn't see Prince Yan soon, she might have to devise a plan.
After all, she couldn't stay here for too long.
If she couldn't meet Ling Qianhe, if she couldn't establish contact with him, she might fail. Thinking this, Lin Mu Nian made up her mind: should she pay a visit to Prince Yan's mansion?
And then, she finally heard news about Prince Yan.
This news, however, stunned her completely.
"What? You say Prince Yan is missing?"
The person who arrived was her second elder brother.
A tall young man, his face etched with worry, he wryly stretched out his hand and rubbed her head, his tone laced with deep helplessness and sighing.
"Yes. His Highness Prince Yan is missing—"
"It shouldn't have happened, to be honest."
"But Prince Yan suddenly vanished. He was leading a scout squad to pursue the Rong chieftain. Unexpectedly, they fell into an enemy trap. That scout squad desperately protected him as he escaped, but after Prince Yan fled into the mountains, his trace vanished."
"Such a major event, I must report it to the imperial court immediately and gather more troops to search for His Highness Prince Yan's whereabouts."
"He might have fallen into the hands of nearby farmers; he must be found as soon as possible. If anything were to happen to Prince Yan, the northern frontier would likely be in peril."
"These thirty thousand troops here, they only obey his command..."
Mu Nian's second elder brother, Mu Wu, had been given this name from birth, which fostered his ambition to join the army from a young age. His parents had also encouraged him to strive in the military. He had now risen to the rank of副将 (deputy general), nodding at his sister as he spoke.
"Little Ci, you stay here and rest for a few days."
"Once I find His Highness Prince Yan's whereabouts, I will take you to tour the city properly. However, this matter is truly urgent, imminent..."
Mu Nian nodded immediately, showing her understanding.
"What's important comes first. If Brother needs to go, go quickly."
"I understand completely."
Her second elder brother hurried away, not even having time to drink a sip of water. Lin Mu Nian sighed and quietly asked her little system in her mind.
"Wait a moment, where is Prince Yan now?"
"You must know, right?"
The little system stammered.
"This... I cannot tell the host."
Lin Mu Nian immediately snorted coldly.
She wouldn't be fooled by the little system's mysterious demeanor.
"Is there anything else you cannot tell me?"
"You must know, right? Hurry up and tell me, don't hesitate or be indecisive! Explain clearly, what is going on?"
The little system swallowed, its voice growing somber.
"This—"
"This..."
The little system's tone was very low as it said.
"I truly cannot tell the host, but he will appear before you proactively. You don't need to worry. This part of the plot is for the host to earn favor points... So, don't ask anymore, he will appear soon."
But Lin Mu Nian remained somewhat puzzled.
"Earn favor points?"
Lin Mu Nian was quite perplexed.
"If he appears... will I have to go out again?"
The little system gave its answer with great caution.
"Going out more often is never a bad thing."
However, Lin Mu Nian still couldn't quite understand. Even if she went out more, if she found a living person, could she really just ignore them?
She was very confused.
But this confusion worsened that very afternoon.
Because, that afternoon, in her own courtyard, she did indeed find something, but it wasn't a person, but a small, snow-white fox!
She was walking on snow through the corridor, intending to break off a few plum branches to place in a vase. Unexpectedly, after passing through the corridor, a small fox leaped out from the plum blossoms and landed precisely in her arms, motionless.
This was simply...
This was simply trying to feign injury.
Lin Mu Nian's eyes widened. This small, snow-white fox lay directly in her arms, not moving a muscle, its eyes slightly closed, looking quite pitiable.
She looked closely, and it seemed there was a wound on its snow-white paw, from which blood was trickling.
This snow-white fox curled up in her arms.
Obedient, helpless, and pitiful.
The wet nurse beside her was startled at first, then reached out to take the little fox.
"This little fox, I don't know where it was injured. It is quite pitiful, but I worry it might scratch our little lady."
She reached out to grasp the little fox's fluffy tail, but with just a slight bit of force, the little fox immediately seemed startled and quickly burrowed further into Mu Nian's embrace, trembling all over, looking incredibly pathetic.
It whimpered a few times.
Opening its eyes, a pair of moist eyes looked pleadingly at Lin Mu Nian.
Clearly, it did not want to leave.
Lin Mu Nian had no intention of picking up a little fox. She had been eagerly anticipating meeting her husband, but instead of seeing Ling Qianhe, this little snow-white creature had nestled into her arms. She sighed with a hint of helplessness.
"I cannot possibly keep you here."
The little fox looked at her with teary eyes, so pitifully that one's heart would melt.
Lin Mu Nian hesitated for a moment, her fingertip slowly stroking the fox's soft fur.
"How about I let you recuperate here in my humble abode?"
"But you must promise me that once you are healed, you will leave. Can you do that?"
The little fox gazed at her expectantly, then quickly nodded. Seeing the fox nod, Lin Mu Nian decided to prevent the wet nurse from taking the fox away.
"This fox is very intelligent, perhaps it understands human sentiment. Go find some medicine, preferably find a veterinarian to treat it. Such a beautiful little fox, it's a shame it's injured."
The wet nurse leaned over to take a look.
"This fox is indeed rare. Its fur is entirely snow-white, without a single speck of impurity. It would make an excellent fur collar for our little lady..."
Before she could finish speaking, she saw the little fox fiercely wave its paws at her.
"Aowu aowu!"
This little fox was quite fierce.
Lin Mu Nian immediately shook her head.
"Why are you scaring it? This little thing is clearly intelligent, it can understand. I am treating its injuries, not planning to skin it for a fur collar. Besides, I don't lack a fur collar."
"Take it back and apply the medicine first."
The wet nurse then complied.
Lin Mu Nian sighed.
She had hoped to find her husband, but instead, she found a fox.
Speaking of which, this fox's appearance was so bizarre. Could it be, could it be a fox spirit?
In this ancient setting, are there such spirits?
She intended to investigate thoroughly later, to see if there were any hidden secrets in the background plot that the little system had kept from her!