After Ye Che prepared the grain and fodder needed by Meng Jiangming, Xue Xingyue returned to Zhen Wuguan with Meng Jiangming the next morning.
Sitting in the carriage, Xue Xingyue tried her best to be unobtrusive, while Meng Jiangming sat with his eyes slightly closed.
As it approached noon, the carriage stopped. Meng Jiangming got out first, followed closely by Xue Xingyue, who was already exhausted from the half-day carriage ride.
Xue Xingyue stretched languidly behind the carriage.
Suddenly, her gaze met someone else's. The person's eyes lit up with surprise upon seeing her.
Xue Xingyue frowned slightly.
This person was none other than Feng Wu, who had been arrested the previous day.
At that moment, Feng Wu's hands were tightly bound with rope and tied to a tree.
Upon seeing her, Feng Wu instinctively stood up. The soldier watching him immediately shouted, "Sit down."
Feng Wu stared at her, unmoving, his eyes even appearing a little moist.
Xue Xingyue walked forward. Feng Wu became more agitated and moved his lips, about to speak, but she cut him off first, "Do I know you?"
Feng Wu was stunned, not understanding why Xue Xingyue would say such a thing.
Xue Xingyue continued, "Am I your long-lost sister? Or your long-lost elder sister?"
Feng Wu blinked and asked, "You don't recognize this subordinate?"
Xue Xingyue shook her head and said, "No, I don't. I don't think I have a younger brother as old as you, nor did my mother give birth to a son as old as you."
Feng Wu was at a loss for Xue Xingyue's meaning and dared not respond rashly.
Xue Xingyue stepped closer, arriving beside Feng Wu. The guards dared not scold Xue Xingyue. Not only did the驸马 (fù mǎ - imperial son-in-law) treat her with special regard, but even if she were General Xie's person, he still couldn't touch her.
"So, you know me?" Xue Xingyue asked Feng Wu.
Feng Wu blinked slightly.
Xue Xingyue continued, "Since you don't know me, why do you say you recognize me?"
"Subordinate..."
Hearing this, Xue Xingyue sneered, "You don't actually think I'm Princess Xingyue, do you? My good sir, I clearly look like a man. If you think I'm Princess Xingyue, I think your brain isn't working properly, don't you?"
After saying this, Xue Xingyue left as if looking at a monster.
Feng Wu watched Xue Xingyue's retreating back, lost in thought.
Upon returning to the carriage, Xue Xingyue found Meng Jiangming already inside.
Xue Xingyue sat in a corner, preparing to continue being invisible.
"You went to see the assassin arrested yesterday?" Meng Jiangming suddenly opened his eyes, which were unusually cold.
Xue Xingyue knew that her visit to Feng Wu would not escape Meng Jiangming's notice. Moreover, she didn't intend to escape it; otherwise, she wouldn't have gone so openly.
Xue Xingyue nodded, "Yes, the assassin seemed to recognize me."
Meng Jiangming heard this and said, "Recognize you? How do you know?"
Xue Xingyue replied, "The way he looked at me was different."
"And you know her?" Meng Jiangming asked.
Xue Xingyue shook her head, "This subordinate does not. I've thought about it, but I can't recall my mother ever giving birth to a brother or elder brother for me."
"Then what did he say?"
"He said I was Xingyue.驸马, I am male. How could a male be named after a female? Is it possible someone resembles me, and she mistook me?" Xue Xingyue said.
Meng Jiangming studied her for a long while and said, "Perhaps."
"It must be. I don't have any siblings at all."
Meng Jiangming furrowed his brow slightly and fell into thought.
After that, for the rest of the journey, whether it was because of her words or someone's instructions, she never saw Feng Wu again.
They finally arrived at Zhen Wuguan, where she immediately saw Xie Yunliu waiting outside the city.
For some reason, her heart felt a slight sense of relief.
Xie Yunliu rode his horse over and cupped his fist slightly towards Meng Jiangming, saying, "驸马, you have worked hard!"
Meng Jiangming replied faintly, "General Xie is too polite."
"驸马, please enter the residence to rest. I will handle the rest," Xie Yunliu said.
Meng Jiangming did not refuse and left in the carriage.
Xue Xingyue alighted from the carriage at the city gate, and Meng Jiangming did not stop her.
Xie Yunliu's gaze fell upon her inadvertently. Seeing that she was not acting unusually, he then said, "Let's return to the residence."
Upon returning to her room, Xie Yunliu also entered and asked, "Was the journey safe?"
Xue Xingyue nodded, "It was peaceful, but..."
"But what?" Xie Yunliu asked.
Xue Xingyue whispered, "Feng Wu was captured."
Xie Yunliu stiffened, "Feng Wu?"
Xue Xingyue nodded and continued, "However, I'm not sure if it was Feng Wu. Her appearance was indeed Feng Wu's, and no flaws have been found yet."
Xie Yunliu frowned slightly and said, "Even so, you must be cautious. After all, appearances can be disguised."
Xue Xingyue nodded, "That's what I thought, so I didn't acknowledge Feng Wu. I need to investigate further."
At such a crucial time, she dared not take risks. Otherwise, if any mishap occurred, everything would be in vain.
"You did very well," Xie Yunliu nodded in agreement with Xue Xingyue's thinking.
"So, I may need to ask you to probe further," Xue Xingyue said.
Xie Yunliu replied, "Naturally."
Suddenly, he remembered something and said, "Miss Jiang has been found."
Xue Xingyue was startled and asked, "Where was she found?"
Xie Yunliu replied, "At the city gate yesterday."
Xue Xingyue was taken aback and asked, "Did Jiang Xiuyi say anything?"
Xie Yunliu said, "Miss Jiang has gone mad."
"Mad?" Xue Xingyue was somewhat surprised.
Xie Yunliu nodded, "Yes."
Meng Jiangming heard about this and showed no reaction. He had no good feelings for Jiang Xiuyi at this point. The reason he kept Jiang Xiuyi was out of fear that Jiang Xiuyi might say things she shouldn't.
Now that Jiang Xiuyi was mad, he no longer needed to worry about her spilling secrets.
In fact, Meng Jiangming was satisfied with this outcome.
After all, keeping someone was fine as long as they were obedient.
With the grain and fodder, the soldiers of Zhen Wuguan no longer had to worry about going hungry in battle.
However, Qi State had been surprisingly quiet these past few days.
The day after returning from Ye Cheng, an imperial decree arrived from the capital, ordering Meng Jiangming to return to the capital immediately.
Meng Jiangming tidied his belongings and then sent for Xie Yunliu and Xiao Luo.
Hearing that she had been summoned, Xue Xingyue was a little surprised and felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
However, unease or not, since the驸马 had invited her, she had to attend no matter what.
Arriving at Meng Jiangming's room, after Xue Xingyue paid her respects, Xie Yunliu sat down, while she stood behind Xie Yunliu.
"General Xie, this驸马 will be returning to the capital. I don't know when I will be back in Zhen Wuguan," Meng Jiangming said.
Hearing this, Xie Yunliu thought to himself, "I should have left long ago."
"驸马, there is no eternal feast. I wish you well on your journey!"