The First Jasmine - Chapter 77

Chapter 77: Southern Frontier Border

Since ancient times, the Southern Frontier has been a land of barbarians, with customs and folkways vastly different from those of the Central Plains. Its territory teounds with poisonous insects, venomous plants, fierce birds, and wild beasts, while its people value martial arts and possess a fierce and unyielding temperament. People from the Central Plains mostly avoid it out of fear, eager to stay as far away as possible. A thousand years ago, the Southern Frontier and the Central Plains were originally one, anciently known as Kuizhou. In the late years of the previous dynasty, the Nanzhao royal family rose up and established the Nanzhao Kingdom. Afterward, the Grand Ancestor founded Great Chu, spending his entire life campaigning across the realm on horseback. By the time the Grand Ancestor's successor, Grand Ancestor Taizong, finally had the leisure to turn his attention southward, Nanzhao had already been established as a country for well over a century, its foundations firmly rooted. Meanwhile, the Central Plains, having weathered decades of warfare, was in urgent need of peace, recovery, and rest. From then on, the Southern Frontier officially stood independent outside the borders of Great Chu's territory.

Suiqiu Pass is situated at the border between the Southern Frontier and Great Chu's Yongzhou. Although the two countries alternate between states of war and peace, the common folk on the border still maintain contact and engage in mutual trade from time to time. In Yonglin, a small town thirty li past Suiqiu Pass, people dressed in peculiar Southern Frontier attire can frequently be seen coming and going. Yonglin Town is not large, and because it is close to the border pass and lies two hundred li away from Yongzhou's prefectural capital of Yongzhou City, it does not appear particularly bustling. Aside from the people mixed in the crowds who clearly wear alien ethnic attire, this place resembles any ordinary small town. Standing on the not-very-wide street, Ye Li looked at the people coming and going with serene expressions and smiled faintly in her heart. In an era like this, living in such a border town and enjoying this kind of peace and tranquility was truly very rare. Or perhaps one should say that the ordinary common people's capacity to adapt to life and their environment always exceeds human expectations.

An San stood beside Ye Li, holding his sword, and looked somewhat strangely at his master, who was standing at the entrance of the inn instead of going inside, yet wearing a rather peculiar smile. "My lord, there don't seem to be many inns in this Yonglin Town, and this one is already the best."

Ye Li glanced at him, shook her head, and smiled. "Let's go in. I'm not finding fault with the inn." With those words, she took the lead and stepped into the somewhat shabby-looking inn. An San arched his sword-like eyebrows; he also figured that the imperial princess consort wouldn't mind if the environment was too poor. After all, journeying all this way, whenever they failed to reach the next town in time, they sometimes had to sleep out in the wilderness. Moreover, back in the capital during the training beneath Mount Heiyun, there were places even secret guards like them were reluctant to set foot in, yet the imperial princess consort had walked right in without blinking an eye.

Entering the inn, compared to those extravagantly and magnificently decorated inns in Chu Capital and Guangling City, this small establishment couldn't even be considered third-rate. Yet, it truly was the best inn in Yonglin Town. The main hall only held seven or eight tables, of which three were already occupied at the moment, while an elderly innkeeper sat behind the counter with his head lowered, tallying accounts. Although Ye Li wore simple plain cloth garments, her age, appearance, temperament, and An San—who followed closely behind her holding a sword, with a tall, straight posture and an imposing aura just from looking at him—caused everyone in the inn to cast sideways glances at them the moment they entered. At present, neither sightseeing nor conducting business made for a good time, so the inn appeared somewhat bleak and chilly. Ye Li walked up to the counter, raised her hand to tap lightly twice, and the elderly innkeeper tremblingly raised his head, looked over the two of them for a long time, and finally asked, "Are you young masters staying at the inn?"

Ye Li smiled gently. "If we aren't staying at the inn, did we come just to drink tea?"

The elderly innkeeper ingratiatingly smiled. "What is your honorable surname, Young Master? How many rooms do you need?"

"Chu. Two superior rooms."

The old innkeeper summoned a waiter to lead the two of them to the rooms upstairs. Dismissing the waiter, An San skillfully inspected the entire suite. The suites of such a small inn, even the superior ones, were neither spacious nor luxurious. They merely consisted of a bed, a wardrobe, and a screen partitioning the table and chairs outside. An San stood by the doorway, watching Ye Li neatly and efficiently arrange her belongings, and frowned as he asked, "My lord, when are we heading to the Southern Frontier?" Having finished putting away her luggage, Ye Li turned from behind the screen, pointed to a chair nearby to signal An San to sit down, and smiled. "Such matters cannot be rushed. I think... we need a guide."

For anyone entering the Southern Frontier for the first time, rushing in blindly without doing one's homework was practically courting death. And unless it was absolutely necessary, Ye Li never liked taking risks.

"A guide?" An San asked, uncomprehending.

Ye Li smiled. "To us in the Central Plains, the Southern Frontier is far too mysterious. Since we are strangers here, traveling blindly won't do. Finding a local from the Southern Frontier or a person from Great Chu who is familiar with the Southern Frontier to lead the way is a good choice."

An San frowned. "However... bringing an outsider along might drag us down."

Ye Li played with her folding fan, tapping it absentmindedly against the edge of the table as she said, "That is why we must also wait. I have already had someone find a guide. Unfortunately, the person seems to have arrived two days later than us." Seeing An San's puzzled expression, Ye Li smiled without explanation. Signaling that An San could return to his room to rest, An San knew his master's temper all too well; if she didn't want to speak, he could rack his brains and still not get an answer. With a depressed expression, he had no choice but to stand up and return to his room.

Watching An San leave with a smile, Ye Li took out the dossier sent by Tianyi Pavilion from her luggage and resumed reading. Once he obtained his benefits, Han Mingxi's execution of tasks was still quite reliable; all the way south, almost every few days she would receive a large batch of intelligence on the Southern Frontier sent by Tianyi Pavilion. Ye Li had grown accustomed to reading through them completely, committing them to memory, and destroying the evidence the very first time she received them. The one in her hands now should be the final dossier before entering the Southern Frontier. Along this journey, the situation and general conditions of the Southern Frontier had gradually formed an impression in her mind, but exactly how much of it was true would still have to be verified after entering the Southern Frontier. Reading the thick dossier in her hands at ten lines a glance, Ye Li with a calm expression burned these densely written dossiers to ashes.

Early in the morning, Ye Li rose early as usual and went downstairs. Two tables of people were already seated in the downstairs hall, and one of those tables was occupied by An San, who sat in a spot against the wall. Seeing Ye Li come down, An San hurriedly stood up. "My lord."

Ye Li nodded and smiled. "So early?"

An San remained silent. Ordinarily, with the others around, there was naturally no need to wake up so early, but now that he was the only one following, although he knew his master was not without the ability to protect herself, he still couldn't help but worry. How could Ye Li fail to understand his thoughts? With a helpless smile, she said, "There's no need to be so tense. If you remain like this all the time, I'm afraid that before we even enter the Southern Frontier, you'll have worn yourself out. Does having you follow me put a lot of pressure on you?"

An San shook his head. "No. This subordinate thanks my lord for your trust." It was just that he had grown up alongside the other three since childhood, and he was only slightly older than An Four, yet his temperament was still not as steady as An Four's. Therefore, he was usually accustomed to listening to An Yi and An Er's opinions. Now that he was all by himself, it was inevitable that he felt a bit unaccustomed to it. Ye Li smiled and nodded, sitting down to summon the waiter and order breakfast.

"Two young masters, are you also planning to head toward the Southern Frontier?" Just as Ye Li was calling An San to eat breakfast, a man from the neighboring table stood up and walked over to ask.

Hearing this, Ye Li put down the chopsticks in her hand and raised her head to size up the newcomer. He had a robust and tall physique and plain features, and although he tried his utmost to project goodwill toward the two of them, the fierce murderous aura between his brows was difficult to conceal. An San reached out and gripped the sword resting on the table; Ye Li raised her hand to press down on the scabbard, patting it casually. An San frowned, cast a look at the man, and only then withdrew his hand to lower his head and continue eating.

The newcomer naturally saw their actions clearly, but he didn't mind and smiled, saying, "This brother need not be nervous. The few of us are also heading to the Southern Frontier, which is why I wanted to ask if the two young masters would like to travel together." The man pointed toward three people sitting at the opposite table and smiled. Ye Li glanced over there: an elderly man of fifty or sixty dressed like a wealthy merchant, clad in luxurious and expensive fabrics, wearing a jade thumb ring on his finger, and holding a golden abacus in his hand—he practically had "I am very rich, come rob me" written across his forehead. He was accompanied by a middle-aged man who looked like a steward and a sickly young scholar. Such a combination could definitely be described as eye-catching. Initially, Ye Li had been somewhat worried that she and An San would stand out too much, but after looking at these people, she realized she had been worrying for nothing. Come to think of it, those with the guts to venture deep into the Southern Frontier were rarely good-for-nothings.

Ye Li looked at An San and smiled. "I'm afraid we might bring trouble to you gentlemen."

The man laughed heartily. "How could that be? I see this brother's martial arts skills are quite good, and I've been to that place called the Southern Frontier a few times—it's utterly bizarre. Wouldn't it be better if we have a few more people to look out for one another?" The man looked at An San, then shifted his gaze back to Ye Li. It was obvious that Ye Li was the one who could make decisions, yet he couldn't discern the depth of this young man before him. He could only secretly guess whether it was some ignorant young master from a prominent family who had brought guards along to play outside.

"We plan to go to the capital of Nanzhao, and there shouldn't be any danger along the way. I wonder where you gentlemen are headed?" Ye Li narrowed her eyes and smiled gently, her expression innocent and kind.

The man laughed out loud. "The few of us are also going to the capital of Nanzhao. Originally, the road to Nanzhao's capital was considered fairly peaceful, but starting from last year, things have gotten rather uncanny. Our master is going to Nanzhao to conduct some medicinal herb business; if the young masters don't mind, why don't we travel together?" The wealthy merchant sitting opposite cast a haughty and sideways glance at Ye Li, whereas the sickly young scholar nodded politely and smiled at the two of them.

Ye Li lowered her gaze and smiled, politely declining, "I've merely heard that the scenery of Nanzhao is unique, so I plan to travel there for a spell to broaden my horizons. Therefore, I have already arranged for a guide in advance, though he won't arrive for another two days. I wouldn't want to delay your journey." Seeing Ye Li refuse, the man didn't press the matter and simply smiled, "In that case, I've disturbed the young master. Perhaps we'll meet again in Nanzhao's capital." Ye Li nodded slightly, watching the man return to his seat opposite. Vaguely, complaints from the wealthy merchant could be heard criticizing the man for meddling and expressing disdain toward Ye Li and her companion, but Ye Li didn't mind, smiling faintly as she lowered her head to eat her breakfast.

When that table of guests departed, An San finally raised his head and said, "My lord, be careful of those people."

Ye Li raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you know them?"

An San nodded, then shook his head. "I know that sickly scholar."

"?" Ye Li looked at An San, somewhat curious as to how someone who had practically never left the capital could recognize such a sickly scholar. "Judging by that, the identity of that sickly scholar is not simple?" An San nodded and said, "His nickname is literally the Sickly Scholar, and no one knows his real name. Not even Tianyi Pavilion." Ye Li lowered her head and thought of the sickly-looking scholar she had seen earlier; he didn't look like a top-tier expert nor did he have any particularly special features. Where on earth had An San discerned his identity? An San said, "He is the Third Pavilion Master of the Western Frontier's King of Hell Pavilion. A few years ago, almost all assassin organizations accepted contracts to assassinate the Prince, and the King of Hell Pavilion was no exception. Quite a few of our secret guards died at his hands. However, he was also struck by the Prince with a palm strike that damaged his heart meridians, turning his fake illness into a real one. Did my lord notice his right hand earlier? The Sickly Scholar is skilled in poisons, and the color of his left-hand fingernails differs from ordinary people's. Others simply assume he is like that because of his poor health. In truth, long before he was injured by the Prince, it was already like that; that hand is extremely toxic due to his lifelong practice of poisons."

Ye Li lowered her head in recollection, and indeed recalled that the left hand hidden within the scholar's sleeve had been slightly exposed when he stood up, appearing to indeed be a dark reddish color. "Refining one's own hand into poison? Isn't he afraid of poisoning himself to death?" Ye Li was puzzled, feeling that this practice truly lacked any real meaning. A body completely immune to all poisons did not exist in any true sense; one could only say that certain bodies possessed resistance to most poisons due to various reasons. If a person covered in poison could live safely and steadily, then Shen Yang wouldn't need to expend so much effort treating Mo Xiuyao.

After finishing breakfast, Ye Li went out and strolled around Yonglin Town, incidentally gaining an understanding of the conditions in the Southern Frontier and Suiqiu Pass. When she returned at dusk, she saw that the group of four was still sitting in their original seats eating dinner; evidently, they hadn't set off to leave today. The Sickly Scholar once again nodded amicably toward Ye Li and her companion, and Ye Li smiled back and prepared to head upstairs.

"Oh? When did such a fair and tender little young master arrive in Yonglin Town?" Before Ye Li had even set foot on the staircase, a voice full of vulgar and sleazy undertones came from behind her. Ye Li turned slightly to see a young man dressed in Southern Frontier attire, as lean and withered as dry wood, staring right at her. His gaze was uninhibitedly full of lustful evil, and even his small, rat-like eyes were brimming with turbid depravity. She couldn't help frowning; throughout her past and present lives—including the underworld drug lords and terrorists she had faced—she had never seen someone whose appearance tested the limits of aesthetic standards quite like this.

An San whipped his head around, his gaze icy as he stared at the young man. His warning glare was fraught with murderous intent; as long as this scoundrel dared utter another word, he would turn him into a ghost beneath his sword. How could the imperial princess consort of the King of Ding's Manor be desecrated by such vermin?

Yet the young man evidently took An San's warning as a provocation, becoming even more arrogant. His dim, vulgar gaze lingered repeatedly on Ye Li, while he arrogantly sneered at An San, "What are you looking at? Didn't this lord speak the truth? This brat has a powdered face; you men of the Central Plains all look like women, and this brat looks even more like a woman than a woman." In all fairness, Ye Li's disguise was extremely successful; even though she looked prettier than most women, due to her age, actions, posture, and demeanor, no one would ever suspect she was a woman. Therefore, An San naturally wouldn't waste words arguing with that sleazy man. He drew his sword directly—

With a crisp swoosh, the long sword cleared its scabbard and hurtled straight toward the sleazy man at lightning speed.

The opponent clearly hadn't expected An San to strike directly without even a word of warning. The sleazy man froze for a moment, looking as though he was about to be pierced right through. The people accompanying him hurriedly yanked him aside, and one of them flicked their wrist, sending a slender object hurtling straight at An San. An San let out a cold snort, his hand turning the long sword into a blooming lotus of steel. With two rapid snaps, the object shattered into three pieces and fell to the ground. When everyone looked closer, it turned out to be a poisonous snake. Although the breed was unknown, just looking at its mottled, colorful skin made it obvious that it was a venomous snake carrying deadly poison.

An San arched an eyebrow in disdain. Since they were heading to the Southern Frontier, how could they possibly fail to familiarize themselves beforehand with the usual tricks employed by people of the Southern Frontier?

Those Southern Frontier men's expressions shifted, though only the sleazy man continued to clamor, "You've got some nerve! Do you know who this lord is?"

An San curled his lip and sneered, "To dare act so arrogant in Great Chu, you must be a Nanzhao prince. This lord remembers the King of Nanzhao only has two daughters, right?" The man wanted to say something more, but he was so frightened by the long sword raised in An San's hand that he was forced to swallow his words. Looking utterly suffocated, he retreated several steps until he hid among his companions before yelling, "Kill this brat for me!"

The men by his side clearly looked somewhat hesitant, muttering something or other to the man. Standing at the landing of the stairs, Ye Li lowered her gaze and listened. It sounded somewhat like the minority languages of the Yunnan-Guizhou region from her past life; because she had operated in the Yunnan-Guizhou region for many years, she was basically conversant with the minority languages of this area. Those attendants were clearly advising their master that since they were currently on Great Chu soil, it wasn't advisable to kill people in broad daylight, whereas the sleazy man stubbornly refused to listen to advice, insisting on killing An San and capturing Ye Li. After fruitless communication, the several Southern Frontier men exchanged helpless glances and closed in on An San and Ye Li.

Seeing a fight about to break out, the patrons in the main hall instantly scattered like birds and beasts, leaving even the Sickly Scholar's table with only him and the middle-aged man. The old innkeeper had long since hidden behind the counter in terror, not daring to come out. Ye Li frowned and said, "Throw them out, and don't break other people's things." An San cheerfully replied, "Understood, my lord!"

"Who's got such guts, making our Young Master Junwei angry?"

Just as An San was about to move, a lazy voice tinged with a silky smoothness rang out from upstairs. The moment Ye Li looked up, she saw a handsome man leaning against the railing upstairs, dressed in loose dark red robes, his every gesture dripping with seductive allure. An evildoer! Glancing sideways at the dumbfounded sleazy man who was drooling profusely, Ye Li looked with a headache at the Fengyue Young Master, who was smiling at her with bewitching charm. "Brother Han, why are you here?"

Han Mingxi deftly executed a backflip over the railing, fluttering down lightly onto the stairs as he smiled, "As for this... your elder brother thought it over and still couldn't rest easy letting Brother Junwei go to such a dangerous place as the Southern Frontier alone. And since Junwei also needs a guide, doesn't he? So your elder brother volunteered himself." Ye Li couldn't help herself and rolled her eyes at him. "Brother Han, do you even know the road to Nanzhao?"

"Underestimating people." Han Mingxi looked at Ye Li with a grievously wronged expression. "Your elder brother has traveled to and from Nanzhao at least seven or eight times; I wouldn't take a wrong turn even with my eyes closed. Besides, by following along, your elder brother can protect Junwei. Look at you, traveling with just one person—you haven't even stepped out of Great Chu yet and you've already run into a lecher." Ye Li ground her teeth. "Brother Han, I am a man!" Han Mingxi raised an eyebrow in surprise, covered his mouth with his folding fan, and chuckled softly. "Junwei is young and doesn't understand; who says men can't encounter lechers? That idiot over there, tell me, isn't that right?"

That stupid and sleazy youth over there had already been drooling while nodding fiercely. Ye Li felt a wave of nausea, looked away, and glared hatefully at Han Mingxi. She had thought this fellow merely liked picking flowers; turns out he batted for both teams.

"Don't misunderstand, Junwei. Even if your elder brother bats for both teams, I wouldn't deign to look at trash like this. How could I... it has to be a handsome young master like Junwei." Han Mingxi batted his eyes flirtatiously at Ye Li and made as if to reach out and pinch Ye Li's delicate cheek. How could Ye Li let him succeed? Folding the fan in her hand with a sharp snap, she struck his wrist. Han Mingxi's face instantly drooped.

Han Mingxi sauntered down the stairs, his phoenix eyes lazily sweeping over those Southern Frontier men. "Are you going to leave on your own, or do you want this young master to escort you out?" The sleazy man stepped forward with a ingratiating smirk. "Is this young master also heading to the Southern Frontier? This young master is the young chieftain of the Luoyi Tribe; why not let this young master lead the way for you?" He imitated the affected speech of Central Plains scholars, but paired with his turbid, squinting eyes, a skeletal frame that looked like skin stretched over bones, and his self-perceived dashing smile, it was truly rather hair-raising. Ye Li's mouth twitched as she mentally lamented Han Mingxi's romantic entanglements, casually pulling An San to stand beside her. Since someone else wanted to step up, why should they bother doing the work themselves?

Han Mingxi's peach-blossom eyes twitched, and with a deadpan expression, he spat out a single word: "Scram!"

He might be romantic, true, but he certainly hadn't reached the point of indiscriminate tastes regardless of gender. Even if he batted for both teams, he was still a picky eater, alright?

This sleazy youth, who claimed to be the young chieftain of the Luoyi Tribe, felt his dignity had been wounded. His initial bedazzlement and pity for jade had instantly transformed into rage. "Kill these two brats for me, and drag him back!" Ye Li was astonished. Just a moment ago they wanted to kill An San and drag her back, and now that this evildoer Han Mingxi had appeared, they were going to kill her too and drag Han Mingxi back? What kind of mess was this? Han Mingxi curled his lips into a cold sneer. "Scram out of here immediately, for this young master! Or do you want General Murong to personally send you across the border?"

At these words, a shred of hesitation finally surfaced in the sleazy youth's eyes. Urged by the companions beside him, he cursed under his breath, hurled a harsh threat, and bolted out the door.

The main hall fell into a profound silence. Seeing that a fight had been averted, the old innkeeper cautiously stood up from behind the counter, gingerly offering apologies to the only remaining table of guests. Ye Li walked toward the stairs while quietly instructing An San to give the innkeeper a bit more money as compensation when settling the tab. Following behind her and listening to Ye Li's instructions, Han Mingxi chuckled and said, "Junwei is truly soft-hearted. That old innkeeper has run an inn in Yonglin for decades; what hasn't he seen? Do you really think he was scared out of his wits?" Ye Li glanced at him and said indifferently, "Driving away his customers because of our affairs is still a fact. It has nothing to do with whether he was frightened or not. Furthermore... Brother Han, this is my room."

Han Mingxi smiled. "Won't Junwei invite me in for a cup of tea?"

"If you wanted tea, why didn't you drink it in the main hall just now?"

Han Mingxi curled his lip in disdain. "Drinking tea in a place like that doesn't match this young master's noble tastes. Besides... I certainly don't want to be slipped some unknown poison while drinking halfway through. Junwei has pretty good luck, running into the Jianghu's most feared Sickly Scholar right as you step out the door." Ye Li raised an eyebrow, stepped aside to let him enter, and asked, "You know the Sickly Scholar? What is he doing in the Southern Frontier now?"

Han Mingxi shrugged, leaning lazily against a chair with his hands resting behind his head as he smiled down at Ye Li. "Who knows? A few years ago, he was nearly beaten to death by the Prince of Ding, and it took the First Pavilion Master of the King of Hell Pavilion personally stepping forward to save his life. He hasn't shown his face in years, and now he suddenly appears in the Southern Frontier... Heh, every time that fellow shows up, it's a wasteland of corpses and a river of blood. Junwei, you mustn't let him fool you. Better to stay far away from him." Ye Li nodded absentmindedly, her thoughts already wandering elsewhere. "I don't know him, so naturally I won't go provoking him. Brother Han, doesn't need to hold down the fort at Clear Wind and Bright Moon Tower anymore? How is it you have the leisure to run all the way to the Southern Frontier?"

Han Mingxi scoffed derisively. "Since when does Clear Wind and Bright Moon Tower need me to hold down the fort? I'd rather come keep an eye on Junwei for peace of mind. After all... Junwei's Xunya Pavilion is the only enterprise that belongs exclusively to me. If anything happened to Junwei, this young master's losses would be massive." While speaking with a completely straight face, his seductive phoenix eyes revealed a playful glint.

With a calm expression, Ye Li looked at him. "I have matters to attend to on my trip to the Southern Frontier, and it's not convenient to bring Brother Han along."

"It's fine, you don't need to bring me—I'll just follow behind Junwei. If Junwei wants to climb a mountain of blades, this brother will certainly not lag behind a sea of fire. How about it?" Han Mingxi's smile was dazzling. "I'm very useful, you know. Doesn't Junwei want to use Tianyi Pavilion's intelligence? As long as I'm around, you can access any intelligence from Tianyi Pavilion anytime, anywhere. That's much more convenient than Junwei waiting for news to be delivered to your doorstep."

Ye Li silently studied him for a long moment before saying, "I'm just afraid that if Young Master Mingyue finds out I brought his younger brother into a dangerous situation, he'll turn around and plot my death out of carelessness."

At the mention of his older brother, Han Mingxi's good mood instantly darkened significantly. Letting out a cold snort, he said, "Don't mention that man to this young master; does he even remember he has a younger brother like me these days? Sooner or later he'll die in—heh heh! When that time comes, this young master will just go collect his corpse." A ripple stirred in Ye Li's heart. Although she had outmaneuvered Han Mingyue and escaped safely from his grasp last time, Ye Li retained a sort of innate wariness toward him. Yet she felt no such sensation whatsoever toward Han Mingxi, who looked so strikingly similar to him. Perhaps it was due to Han Mingyue's methods and capability in single-handedly founding Clear Wind and Bright Moon Tower and Tianyi Pavilion; perhaps it was because of those entanglements between him and Mo Xiuyao that defied simple explanation; or perhaps it was because he was genuinely the first person capable of threatening her.

Maintaining a nonchalant expression as she looked at Han Mingxi, who was still nursing his grievances, Ye Li said indifferently, "Since you're worried, just go check on him. Why must Brother Han tag along everywhere I go? Leaving aside the danger, what if something happens to Young Master Mingyue? Wouldn't that leave Brother Han with lifelong regrets?" Han Mingxi started, but quickly laughed again. "What could possibly happen to him? There are still very few people in this world who can lay a hand on him. Besides, he doesn't need my help with anything; in his eyes, I only ever cause trouble." Ye Li rested her chin on her hand and smiled as she watched him. "I thought Brother Han and Young Master Mingyue had a wonderful sibling relationship?"

Han Mingxi let out a light snort. "In any case, this young master is coming with you to the Southern Frontier. Even if you don't allow it, this young master will follow you regardless. As for my eldest brother, you needn't trouble yourself over him; he won't be returning anytime soon, and Clear Wind and Bright Moon Tower won't collapse either." Ye Li shrugged nonchalantly; speaking too much would only easily arouse his suspicions. Since they were going to spend such a not-inconsequential period of time together, she would surely find a way to figure out where Han Mingyue had specifically gone. She hadn't forgotten that Han Mingyue had almost ruined her reputation on account of a certain woman connected to Mo Xiuyao. Who said she couldn't hold a grudge just because she offered a formal apology? It was just that taking revenge didn't need to be rushed. As for utilizing Han Mingxi... Ye Li glanced at the man smiling with peerless coquettishness—well, who told him to be Han Mingyue's younger brother and insist on throwing himself right into her path?

Seeing that Ye Li no longer raised objections, Han Mingxi was overjoyed. With overflowing delight, he began planning out their itinerary. "Junwei, I've been to the Southern Frontier several times; we can visit Cangshan Mountain first, then head west along the Qingming River, which happens to be just right for viewing the phoenix flowers and the Southern Frontier's lantern festival, and then head to Nanzhao's capital. How does that sound?"

Ye Li looked at him with a cold expression. "I assumed Brother Han knew we were in a rush. Following your itinerary, will we even make it to Nanzhao's capital by late May?" Han Mingxi instantly deflated, looking sullen and dejected as he said, "In that case, let's hurry straight to Nanzhao's capital first, and we can go look at the lantern festivals after Junwei finishes handling matters."

Looking at the pitiful Han Mingxi, Ye Li felt the veins on her forehead throbbing with exceptional vibrancy. Chasing the fellow out impatiently, she found An San standing to the side gazing at her with a worried expression. Ye Li raised an eyebrow. "Got something you want to say?"

An San frowned. "My lord, this Han Mingxi..." None of them understood a person like Han Mingxi, but as secret guards, they had all previously familiarized themselves with Han Mingyue as someone who might concern the Prince or Princess Consort. He was an extremely difficult person to deal with, and since Han Mingxi was Han Mingyue's younger brother, he was likely no benevolent soul either. More importantly... Han Mingxi's reputation was truly quite poor; if the Princess Consort spent a prolonged period of time interacting with him... Thinking of certain possible consequences, An San shivered involuntarily.

Ye Li said helplessly, "Bringing Han Mingxi along has both advantages and disadvantages, but since he has already tagged along, shaking him off won't be easy either." Tianyi Pavilion's intelligence network spanned the entire world, and more importantly, there were certain people whom you couldn't drag along willingly yet would stubbornly cling to you if you tried to drive them away. Han Mingxi was clearly this type of tedious nuisance.

Waving her hand, Ye Li instructed, "Don't worry, let's not consider other things for now. Let's first reach the Southern Frontier and find Eldest Brother. An Er should have already found Eldest Brother by now, right?"

An San nodded and said, "An Er is very skilled at tracking people down; he traveled faster than us and should have already found Young Master Xu."

Ye Li nodded and said, "Then let's bring Han Mingxi along. After entering the Southern Frontier, keep an eye out for the clues An Er left behind. We will go rendezvous with Eldest Brother first."

"Understood."