Chapter 5 Dream Soul Fragrance

Cui Qi hesitated for a moment, then gathered his courage to ask the man next to him, who was addressed as "big brother".

"Brother, I am ashamed. I fainted just now. May I ask if you and my master are acquainted?"

The "big brother" looked to be around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, the shortest of the seven, but still about the same height as Cui Qi. Upon hearing this, he did not speak, but glanced at a young man walking at the back of the group.

It was only at this moment that Cui Qi noticed the young man. He was only thirteen or fourteen years old, tall but slightly slender, with a dusty face but no beard. Upon closer inspection, his features were surprisingly handsome, but his eyes lacked the youthful vigor one would expect, seeming indifferent to everything around him.

Cui Qi thought to himself, no wonder he didn't notice this person earlier. He's just a kid who hasn't fully grown up yet.

After sizing up the young man for a few moments, Cui Qi respectfully turned his gaze back to the "big brother", as if looking at a close friend of his master.

His deference made the "big brother" somewhat at a loss, and he glanced at the young man before saying, "We are wanderers of the jianghu. We do not know Master Luo, but thanks to Miss Luo's favor, and the protection of the city's official, we were entrusted to escort you and your master to Changping."

Cui Qi was shocked. It was unbelievable that such a thing had happened while he was unconscious.

Miss Luo was just a seven-year-old mute girl, and she certainly couldn't have arranged all this. It seemed that he had underestimated the girl named Xia Zhi. Not only did she gather these rough men, but she also managed to get the city official to provide protection. No wonder the official mentioned something about being a constable.

Suppressing his astonishment, Cui Qi's face showed admiration as he said, "Brothers, to have the city official's protection, I believe my master will be grateful. Moreover, you are all strong and capable men. My master will surely take you to an official position, and you will rise in rank and wealth. I will even address you as Constable Sirs."

Cui Qi's words were extremely humble, and the "big brother" and the accompanying men burst into laughter. Suddenly, a dry cough came from behind, and the laughter abruptly stopped. Cui Qi turned around to see the young man with a calm expression and a hint of desolation in his eyes.

Bah! He's just a laborer trying to make a living, pretending to be something he's not!

Cui Qi cursed in his heart, but his face still wore a fawning smile.

Inside the cart, Luo Jinyan huddled in a cotton quilt embroidered with honeysuckle, her small feet cold and shivering even under the blanket. She had always been delicate, and every winter was a struggle for her. Only when early spring arrived could her father, Luo Shao, breathe a sigh of relief. For this reason, he dared not bring her back to Changping in the snow, and instead sought shelter for her in the plum blossoms.

The men's laughter could be heard through the curtain of the cart. Xia Zhi tucked in the blanket for Luo Jinyan and whispered in her ear, "That Cui Qi has no shame, pretending to be a loyal servant in front of those brothers. When we arrive in Changping, let's see how my master deals with him."

Luo Jinyan smiled and wrote in Xia Zhi's palm: "Tell Fang Si, there are often thieves around. Be careful."

Xia Zhi furrowed her brows slightly. She had heard her master say that the last time the young lady came to the capital was when her father brought her from Xingtang in Jiangxi to see a doctor. But at that time, the young lady was only four years old, just recovering from a serious illness, and her speech was not yet clear. How could she remember that there were thieves on the road from the capital to Changping?

However, the young lady was very clever, and her ability to remember things from when she was four years old was not surprising at all.

Xia Zhi stopped thinking further and relayed the young lady's instructions to Fang Si.

Xia Zhi's voice was crisp, and not only did Fang Si hear it, but Cui Qi and the other men also heard it clearly.

A hint of malice flashed in Cui Qi's eyes. Changping was only a day's journey from the capital, and this was the emperor's territory. How could there be thieves in broad daylight? Xia Zhi must have guessed that he had accomplices, which was why she warned Fang Si to be careful.

The young military officer sent by the city official to escort them, named Luo Ming, looked somewhat displeased. He was already reluctant to take on this task assigned by the city official, and now he had to ride ahead of the cart on a tall horse, while hearing Xia Zhi's words, he grumbled, "Little girl, stop talking nonsense. There are no thieves on this road."

But Xia Zhi was not one to back down. She pointed at Cui Qi and said, "If the officer doesn't believe me, just ask Cui Fool. He knows better than anyone if there are thieves on this road."

The military officer, named Luo Ming, looked at Cui Qi with some annoyance, and Cui Qi quickly shrank back, mumbling, "Miss, please don't take it seriously. I was just speaking casually."

Casually speaking?

Inside the carriage, Luo Jinyan smiled, her eyes sparkling. She wrote in Xia Zhi's palm: "Ask the officer to find a place for us to stay ahead, and go on ahead."

Xia Zhi was startled and whispered, "This may not be appropriate. If the officer goes ahead, what if these rough men have ill intentions? What should we do then?"

Luo Jinyan smiled faintly and wrote in Xia Zhi's hand: "It will be fine."

Xia Zhi didn't understand why the young lady trusted these jianghu men, and she wanted to ask again, but in the dim carriage, the young lady's eyes were like bright stars, calm and unruffled.

Xia Zhi's heart settled once again. If the young lady said it would be fine, then it would be.

"General, it's getting late, and it's freezing cold. If we miss the place to stay for the night, it will be troublesome. You and the other heroes are used to traveling in all kinds of weather, but my young lady cannot endure such hardships. If the high-ranking official finds out that we made a well-intentioned mistake, even my master will be restless."

Luo Ming was taken aback. This young lady and maid were really troublesome. They were just a seventh-rank county magistrate and local gentry from Changping, yet they somehow gained the attention of the high-ranking official and made him escort them to Changping.

Ignoring Xia Zhi, Luo Ming turned to Fang Si, the coachman, and said, "You keep joking around. Don't drive the carriage into a ditch. I'll arrange rooms at the official post ahead. You all catch up from behind."

Without waiting for Fang Si to promise, he urged the horse forward.

Through the crack in the door curtain, Luo Jinyan helplessly shook her head as she saw the snow and ice kicked up by the horse's hooves. These people all inherited their military positions and relied on their ancestors' influence to hold some official positions. They were adept at eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring, but when it came to handling matters, they were careless.

Like Luo Ming, who was tasked by his superior to escort them to prevent any ill intentions from these martial artists, but he just listened to a few words and went off to handle things alone. He didn't even consider how he would explain himself to his superior if something went wrong.

What made Cui Qi faint was the fragrant pill made by Luo Jinyan herself.

After being reborn, Luo Jinyan often woke up screaming in her dreams. She dreamt of the three-foot white silk bestowed upon her by the Emperor Tongde, and she also dreamt of the heart-wrenching cries of her son before his death. She dared not sleep through the night, fearing that she would dream of those unbearable memories again.

In her previous life, she was chosen at the age of four. In addition to learning music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and dancing, she also learned to make various fragrances and scented lotions. She was destined for the palace, and many things were difficult to bring into the palace, so she had to make them herself. Her uncle spared no effort to bring in a fragrance master to teach her, and the effects of the fragrances she made were even beyond the discernment of the imperial physicians.

And this fragrance was specially made for herself. Unlike the slow-acting sleep-inducing agarwood, this fragrance, once smelled, would immediately dispel dreams and illusions, allowing one to sleep peacefully until dawn. However, this fragrance quickly melted and evaporated once the wax seal was removed, making it difficult to preserve. She carried several pieces with her, sealed with wax, and when needed, she would remove the wax and sniff it at the tip of her nose.

Luo Jinyan gave this fragrance a poignant name: Dream Soul Fragrance.

Cui Qi did not faint; he simply fell asleep, thanks in part to the ice pack placed on his forehead by Fang Si, or else he might have slept until the next morning.