Almost everyone with eyes could see that the young girl was infatuated with this handsome gentleman. At her age, just coming of age, it was the time of budding romance.
The head guard's face was taut and very unpleasant. He coughed.
Pei Lian came to her senses, only now realizing her lapse in manners. Her ears instantly flushed red.
The blush on the young girl's cheeks was as beautiful as the glow of dawn, shy and delicate.
Just now, the way she looked at him was full of admiration and reverence.
She was clearly a girl of status. Enjoying the adoring gaze of such a girl of status was truly delightful for Zhao Jingwen.
With a smile, he asked, "Young lady, do you need any help?"
The head guard quickly said, "No need. Young miss, we've already sent word home."
Pei Lian had just been embarrassed and now redirected her anger, "So you did secretly send word!"
The head guard said helplessly, "We couldn't exactly not inform the family."
Pei Lian was even more angry. "Who did you notify?" she demanded.
The head guard said, "Naturally, the general."
Zhao Jingwen's ears perked up slightly at the mention of "general".
Pei Lian also heard this "general" without any prefix. She knew it referred to He Lian.
She had run away from home exactly to show her father her resolve—that no matter what, she would never marry He Lian.
Just mentioning He Lian was crossing her bottom line!
Yet the head guard pleaded with her softly, "Young miss, our injuries are not serious. Let's not bother Sir Zhao and just go home?"
Pei Lian was angry that he had taken it upon himself to send word.
Moreover, she had run away from home. If she took the initiative to go back now, wouldn't that be a joke?
If He Lian was on his way to come get her, she absolutely could not take the initiative to go back!
Fury and indignation welled up in Pei Lian. They wanted her to go back with He Lian? She'd rather die!
She turned her head again and saw the handsome gentleman.
The way he had looked just now, like a white horse and silver spear, seemed imprinted on her heart.
This concerned her own marriage, her whole life! How could she give in!
Pei Lian gritted her teeth, stepped forward, and pleaded to Zhao Jingwen: "Sir Zhao, I'm being coerced by these people! Please save me, Sir Zhao!"
Zhao Jingwen raised an eyebrow and looked towards the head guard.
It was clear the head guard really was extremely helpless.
A spoiled, willful young miss.
Zhao Jingwen gently said, "Miss Pei, correct? This place really is unsafe, not suitable for long stays. Your family will definitely worry if they don't hear from you. I think it'd be best if..."
He turned to the head guard to discuss, "First go to my residence. Send someone back to inform the young miss's family and have them come get her from my residence."
What else could the head guard do? Although Sir Zhao did seem to be a bit of a flirt, he had after all just saved them. And right now, Sir Zhao had strength in numbers on his side.
He had no choice but to agree.
Pei Lian was elated, "Then shall we go?"
Zhao Jingwen was even a little exasperated. "Your guards are injured. How can we just leave like this? There are also the fallen to bury. Will it be onsite or...?"
The head guard said, "Bury them here."
Pei Lian said, "Tell them to hurry up."
The head guard didn't make a sound.
Zhao Jingwen said, "No rush. My men will stand guard here. Everyone tend to your injuries first."
The guards who were dressing their wounds all glanced at him gratefully.
Pei Lian was escorted back to the carriage, after all she was a lady.
Sitting back in the carriage, she saw her handmaid weeping and asked, "What's wrong?"
The handmaid wiped her tears. "Ying'er is dead."
Pei Lian's gaze turned cold.
"How did she die?" she questioned.
The handmaid couldn't answer.
"She jumped from the carriage, trying to abandon me and flee," Pei Lian said. "She deserved to die."
The handmaid didn't dare speak again or shed another tear.
Years ago, for the sake of the circumstances, the master had abandoned his wife and child and fled. This was a wound in the hearts of the Pei family's three people.
Everyone knew this and didn't dare touch upon it.
Pei Lian ignored her and secretly lifted the carriage curtain to peek outside.
Sir Zhao was still speaking with her head guard. He was a head taller, very straight-backed and handsome.
Pei Lian watched him, recalling how he had descended from the heavens on his white horse and silver spear just now. She was somewhat entranced.
During those years wandering with loyal servants, she had fantasized countless times about her father descending from the heavens like this and saving her from hardship.
Yet her father had disappointed her every day.
Pei Lian never expected that one day she would see someone who was just like in her dreams—
Descending from the heavens.
Majestic and heroic.
Rescuing her.
Sir Zhao was just like this, exactly the same.
Zhao Jingwen and the head guard were taking each other's measure.
"We came from Fangling," the head guard asked. "And Sir Zhao?"
"Deng Prefecture."
"I heard Deng Prefecture is peaceful. We were hoping to pass through there."
"Truly passing through?"
"Hmm, that's what I told the young miss."
Zhao Jingwen had seen maps before. His memory was excellent. After thinking briefly about Pei Lian's route, he said, "Heading to the capital?"
The head guard said, "The young miss wants to go."
Zhao Jingwen said, "This route really shouldn't be taken. Why not go along the north road?"
"Tsk," the head guard said. "We went that way, went in circles. Didn't expect our luck to be so poor."
Zhao Jingwen immediately understood.
So they were misleading the young miss, delaying time while waiting for the pursuers to catch up.
"It must have been you all going in circles that attracted attention," he said.
The head guard also realized this and could only blame his misfortune.
Soon, the injuries were dressed and the burials complete.
Zhao Jingwen led them towards the river bank, "My men are stationed there."
The head guard probed, "What brought you from Deng Prefecture to this area?"
The two chatted while riding. In the end, they reconciled their stories.
The one who had killed the miscellaneous general and scattered his troops turned out to be Pei Lian's people.
Zhao Jingwen admonished, "Why didn't you absorb them? Letting so many people run wild, running all the way to disturb our Deng Prefecture."
The head guard waved his hand. "Those people are useless."
His implication was clear: looked down on them.
Zhao Jingwen felt a chill.
Such a high opinion of themselves!
Even higher standards than Ye Suijin.
But as Zhao Jingwen observed, he also knew the other party wasn't boasting idly.
Pei Lian's guards were well-trained elites. Even if Ye Suijin saw them, he'd be drooling.
Zhao Jingwen thought of the two who had died to protect that spoiled girl earlier and felt true heartache!
If they were his, he would treat them warmly like personal guards, not let them die in vain by the roadside.
Ruining the family fortune!
Zhao Jingwen did not hide his feelings on this matter.
Although the head guard and his men didn't speak again, they felt closer to Zhao Jingwen.
Arriving at the river bank town, people were busy in the fields. Seeing the troop return, they all stood up to look.
"Sir Zhao has returned!"
"Sir Zhao!"
"Have some water, Sir Zhao!"
Men and women, young and old called out.
Zhao Jingwen really did dismount to take a coarse ceramic bowl from the villagers and drink half a bowl before remounting with a smile and thanks.
Pei Lian had been watching through the slit in the curtain the entire time.
She felt Zhao Jingwen looked good whether mounting or dismounting, as if he had a special elegance.
She didn't know this was because in the past when dismounting Zhao Jingwen had looked unrefined and was mocked. Ye Suijin had led his horse into the yard, shut the gates, and instructed him to practice mounting and dismounting hundreds of times a day.
After several days, his posture had become elegant.
The largest mansion in the river bank town had been cleared out for Zhao Jingwen by the scouts who returned early to prepare. By the time Pei Lian got out of the carriage, hot soup and hot water were ready, with a separate room prepared just for her.
Pei Lian stepped over the threshold and looked back to see Zhao Jingwen still chatting with her head guard. He seemed much more interested in her guards than in her.
Pei Lian bit her lip and went inside.
Indeed, Zhao Jingwen didn't have much interest in Pei Lian.
Admittedly, it was very pleasing to enjoy the adoring gazes of a girl of status. But her guards truly attracted him more.
Zhao Jingwen only regretted that he didn't have enough capital to recruit them.
It was frustrating.
He asked, "When do you expect your family's people to arrive?"
The head guard said, "I guessed they would have caught up to us today."
Sure enough, in the afternoon someone caught up to them.
The boy looked about nine or ten years old.
Wearing brocade robes and a gold crown. Although his features didn't resemble Pei Lian's very much, he had a child's full cheeks yet was very mature. He greeted Zhao Jingwen with a bow, "Many thanks to Sir Zhao for assisting my elder sister. We are deeply grateful."
The head guard introduced, "This is my household's young master."
Zhao Jingwen returned the formal greeting seriously, "Young Master Pei, no need for thanks. Coming upon injustice, one should naturally step in to help."
Zhao Jingwen did not look down on him for being a child. Young Master Pei's first impression of him was very good.
Everyone took their seats as host and guest.
Zhao Jingwen noticed that following the young master of the Pei family was a tall, aquiline-nosed man with stubble on his chin.
Compared to the young master's elegant attire, this man's clothing was much plainer and did not stand out at all.
Yet despite not having said a word, his presence could not be ignored.
Whether it was his brows, eyes, lips, or the two scars on his face, the sword at his waist, his whole being exuded an icy aura.
One could not help but glance at him again.
The Pei family young master said, "I happened to encounter a messenger on the way to pick up elder sister, and this unexpected incident occurred. I have not yet prepared a gift of thanks for Sir Zhao, please forgive me."
Zhao Jingwen waved his hand with a laugh. "As long as elder sister is unharmed, what else matters between us men?"
The young Pei master's liking for him grew deeper.
After expressing his thanks repeatedly, he went to see his sister.
The tall, deep-eyed man did not follow him in, remaining outside instead.
Yet he did not acknowledge Zhao Jingwen either.
Zhao Jingwen realized this was no ordinary guard. But the man was exceptionally silent, and the head guard did not introduce him either.
Zhao Jingwen had never feared such things. He smiled and took the initiative to greet him, "How may I address this brother?"
The man looked older than him, with a somewhat weathered air, likely not yet thirty.
The man glanced at him and said, "He Lian."
He Lian was a Han surname taken by assimilated foreigners. No wonder his features were more pronounced than the average person's.
Zhao Jingwen smiled. "So it's Brother He Lian."
He Lian cupped his fists in a bow. "I shall repay today's kindness in the days to come."
Zhao Jingwen waved his hand. "Well said, well said."
But he wondered to himself, the young Pei brother had already thanked him, so what was this He Lian's status that he thanked him again?
Inside the room, the brother and sister were arguing.
"Why didn't Father come?" Pei Lian asked.
Pei Dingxi sighed. "How could Father get away? Sister, stop making a fuss. Brother-in-law is truly good to you."
Pei Lian angrily retorted, "Who's your brother-in-law? I'm telling you, I won't marry him!"
"You always call me the young miss of the Jian Nan Military Governor Manor, so how could the young miss of the Jian Nan Military Governor Manor marry such an ugly, coarse, old military man?"
Tears streamed down her face. "Has our family fallen to such straits?"
Pei Dingxi was also helpless, just like the head guard.
But after all, he was still a child, and couldn't help arguing back, "He Lian isn't ugly."
There was no way to refute that He Lian was a bit old at twenty-seven.
But he really wasn't ugly!
Pei Dingxi said, "Everyone says he's heroic and valiant."
Pei Lian angrily retorted, "He's ugly! Ugly to death!"
With scars on his face and bristly stubble, he wasn't handsome at all!
In the past, she had only casually complained about He Lian's looks. But today, there was a Sir Zhao outside.
A white horse and silver spear, the bright colored flowers on the side of his light-colored shirt's arrow sleeves.
All He Lian knew was riding horses and wielding blades, slashing and killing people. He couldn't even speak a gentle word, and didn't even have a smile on his face.
When Sir Zhao smiled, how it stirred one's heart like a spring breeze!
