The Legend of Moonflower

Chapter 29 - Revenge and Reflection

The wheels of the carriage drew to a creaky stop. The ancient trees loomed on both sides of the well-traveled path. Wen Ning stepped out of the shadows dressed as an imperial Lan guard. He waited for the driver to dismount before taking his spot. He waved to the retinue that was guarding the carriage and with a quick salute in return the guards turned their horses and began their long journey back to Gusu.

If the prisoner wondered why they stopped, he didn't voice it. Wen Ning snapped the reins and the carriage jolted forward. They were still a distance from their destination, at least a shichen by carriage and then they would need to walk for a distance. Judging by where the sun was in the sky, it was likely they would reach the base of the mountain before dusk.

When the emperor's message reached him, he was about to leave the area he'd been sent to investigate. There had been no trace of the rumoured rebellion, in fact most of the villages were deserted or were only inhabited by the elderly. He posed as a cultivator traveling through in search of mercenary work.

Seeing he was a stranger, most remained tight lipped around him. Only after staying for a few days in one of the more populated villages did the innkeeper let slip how all the young and capable decided to move east just before the Jin and Wen war started. However, even with careful probing, Wen Ning was unable to garner more information. So, he decided to travel east to find out more. It was at this time the emperor requested he meet the royal retinue to transfer a prisoner. Unhappy that he needed to abandon his investigation, he ripped open the coded letter which explained what transpired while he was away. He read quickly, but paused partway through, feeling sorrow for the emperor's and Wei Wuxian's loss.

"Will we be stopping soon?" The former noble consort's voice was still haughty despite his current predicament. "Or do you plan to starve me?"

He glanced down to the bundles at his side. The previous guard had left food and something else wrapped in cloth for him. Wen Ning reached for the food and opened the package to find a few steamed buns. Opening the door just a fraction, he tossed two buns at Jiang Wanyin, who managed to catch them even though his hands were bound together.

"Plain buns?" Jiang Wanyin scoffed. "And not even warm."

Wen Ning didn't deem it was necessary to reply. Picking up a bun for himself, he happily took a big bite. From the silence in the carriage, he assumed the former royal was consuming the food he was given.

Their trip was smooth and they arrived at the time he assumed they would. After grabbing the long bundle wrapped in cloth, he opened the door to help Jiang Wanyin out. "We must travel by foot to the next stop," he said to the omega who was too busy looking at his surroundings to acknowledge him.

He led the omega to a less-traveled path that was barely visible from the main road. This path was only wide enough for them to travel single file. "Keep following the path," he directed.

Wen Ning walked behind Jiang Wanyin while the latter complained and grumbled of having to walk on such uneven ground. The former noble consort tripped a couple of times, but managed to keep himself from hitting the ground. He listened to Jiang Wanyin bemoan his time in the prison cells and how'd he'd make everyone pay for how he was treated. It was only two weeks he'd been kept in the prison, but the former noble consort made it sound like he'd been kept down there for years. With every step Jiang Wanyin's complaints amplified and the distance to the clearing seemed exorbitantly longer. It was a relief for Wen Ning when he stopped the omega and released the binds around his hands.

"You're leaving me here?" Jiang Wanyin asked in disbelief.

"This is where his majesty said you should be left," he replied.