The horse suddenly accelerated. Lian Zhiji had no time to react and instinctively grabbed Xie Yi’s arm in panic.
The muscles under his palm tightened like cast iron, locking his waist firmly in place without the slightest looseness despite the horse’s violent speed.
Xie Yi lowered his body. His warm chest pressed tightly against Lian Zhiji’s back, shielding him from the wind.
His chin rested on Lian Zhiji’s shoulder, and as the horse jolted, his lips brushed against Lian Zhiji’s earlobe.
Lian Zhiji was terrified and couldn’t care about such details. His voice was torn apart by the wind. “Slower… slow down…”
Riding at speed was completely different from walking.
His body was thrown up and down, entirely dependent on Xie Yi’s arms to keep him from falling.
That was his only sense of safety.
He screamed several times, instinctively clutching Xie Yi’s arm.
Their backs and chests pressed together so tightly it was seamless, as if he were being embedded into Xie Yi’s body.
Xie Yi hadn’t intended to truly scare him, so after a short sprint he slowed the horse again.
Lian Zhiji panted heavily.
Once the initial panic passed, a thrill of riding in the wind emerged.
And Xie Yi was holding him so securely that his arm felt more reliable than a seatbelt.
So after calming down a bit, he turned again and asked to run once more.
Xie Yi raised a brow. “Not afraid?”
“I—I’m not afraid!”
The moment he said it, the horse sped up again.
Lian Zhiji: “AAAAAH—”
After a short sprint, Xie Yi slowed the horse again.
Lian Zhiji’s once neat hair had turned into a bird’s nest.
Xie Yi reached out to smooth it, but before he could, Lian Zhiji grabbed his arm. “Don’t move… let me breathe…”
Xie Yi smiled faintly. “Weren’t you not afraid?”
Lian Zhiji: …
He really was exactly like that—bad at it, but eager to play.
So he could only insist, “It’s just a little… exciting…”
“Exciting?” Xie Yi chuckled. “There’s something even more exciting. Want to try it?”
“Wha—”
Before he finished speaking, warm sensations interrupted him.
Xie Yi bit his earlobe lightly. His tongue traced along the curve of his ear like a probing serpent, warm breath falling onto sensitive skin.
A shiver ran through his spine. Lian Zhiji let out a short gasp, but it was immediately swallowed by Xie Yi as he invaded further, disrupting his breathing completely.
…
When Songlü and the others finally caught up with the carriage, they saw Xie Yi casually shaking out a cloak, wrapping Lian Zhiji inside it—only half of his flushed face visible.
By the time they reached the horse grounds, it was already noon.
The redness on Lian Zhiji’s face had faded. He peeked out from under the cloak.
Before him stretched endless rolling grasslands, with herds of horses galloping down the slopes, the earth trembling with their force.
It was his first time seeing such a magnificent scene, and he froze in awe.
From Xie Yi, he learned this horse ranch was secretly operated by the Qu family. A large portion of the horses were imported from the Jie tribe, originally prepared for future invasions of the Central Plains.
Few people knew of its existence. Even the Qu family head had died without revealing it, preferring it to rot rather than fall into Xie Yi’s hands.
Lian Zhiji asked curiously, “How did you find it?”
Xie Yi jumped off the horse, then helped him down as well. “Thanks to you.”
“Me?”
It turned out that after Xie Yi took control of Qingzhou, Chen Ben led the Qilin Village people down the mountain and opened a cement workshop, which became extremely successful. They hired many workers, attracting attention from other bandit groups in Qingzhou.
There were seventy-six bandit strongholds in Qingzhou. Xie Yi, occupied with governance and disaster relief, only wiped out those tied closely to the Yan and Qu families or those guilty of serious crimes.
The rest were either like Chen Ben’s group—forced into banditry—or recluses unwilling to be bound by law.
Most bandits actually preferred becoming lawful citizens if given the chance.
But they didn’t trust the authorities, especially after seeing Xie Yi’s ruthless suppression of major bandit groups.
Until they saw Chen Ben openly running his cement workshop and even joking with soldiers. That completely shocked them.
After investigating, they learned that Xie Yi had not only spared them but also allowed them to redeem themselves through merit and even granted them the cement formula.
Now Chen Ben had fully shed his bandit identity and was thriving.
Naturally, others began to consider the same path.
One small bandit group happened to learn of the Qu family horse ranch, and after great effort, located it—earning a massive merit.
Inside were over five thousand horses, most of them excellent Jie steeds far superior to those of the dynasty.
An unexpected windfall that solved Xie Yi’s urgent need.
After Xie Yi had finished tidying him up, Lian Zhiji immediately jumped off the bed. “Let’s go quickly.”
Xie Yi looked at his slightly flushed cheeks and his evasive gaze.
As if thinking of something, his eyes shifted faintly.
This outing did not bring many people—only a convoy of about a dozen.
Qingzhou was now completely under Xie Yi’s control, so leaving the city was extremely easy.
Lian Zhiji lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside.
Rice fields and irrigation canals were filled with groups of ducks. Some previously abandoned fields had been replanted with bean seedlings.
Officials in indigo clothing moved through the fields, recording or resolving disputes.
Children squatted in shallow water, digging up locust eggs and placing them into baskets behind them.
…
This was an entirely different Qingzhou—alive and full of vitality.
Lian Zhiji was slightly dazed, then subconsciously looked toward Xie Yi riding beside the carriage.
The book said Xie Yi was cold, cruel, and manipulative with power.
When he had first bound Xie Yi, he had stirred chaos in the capital, deliberately letting the Prince and the Crown Prince fight, causing countless families to be destroyed overnight.
But now…
Lian Zhiji had heard from Luo Zhitang.
Xie Yi’s original plan was to have him stockpile grain, then eliminate the Yan and Qu families along with the original Qingzhou officials to calm public resentment. After that, when the locust disaster struck, he would use disaster relief to quickly win the people’s hearts and fully control Qingzhou.
As for how many people would die in the process, no one cared.
“But my lord suddenly changed his mind,” Luo Zhitang had said. “He ordered the study of texts, sought out experts in locust control, compiled methods, and put them into practice…”
Compared with the original plan, this was far more complicated.
No wonder Xie Yi had been so busy before.
He had changed—and yet, also had not changed.
He still manipulated the world in his hands, but beyond that, he had gained a faint compassion for ordinary people.
For others, such a change would already be shocking.
Let alone for someone like Xie Yi.
And the reason for that change was obvious.
This realization made Lian Zhiji’s heart tremble slightly.
Xie Yi was very sensitive to his gaze. He turned his head slightly. “What are you looking at?”
Lian Zhiji pressed his lips together, then smiled and shook his head. “Nothing. I just think the scenery outside is beautiful. I want to go out and take a look. It would be nice if I could learn horse riding…”
“What’s difficult about that?”
Before Lian Zhiji could react, Xie Yi leaned down, grasped his waist, and lifted him straight out through the window—placing him onto his horse.
Lian Zhiji: !!!
Wait—he meant “someday,” not right now!
He sat stiffly in front of Xie Yi, startled, his view suddenly raised. His hands and feet felt weightless, and his body tensed, as if he might fall at any moment.
But the next second, a hand like iron locked firmly around his waist, while the other guided his stiff hand to grasp the reins.
Xie Yi’s tall body enveloped him completely. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t let you get hurt.”
That familiar, reassuring presence filled his senses.
Lian Zhiji slowly calmed.
Xie Yi controlled the horse forward at a slow pace.
From initial panic, Lian Zhiji gradually adapted and began looking around at the scenery.
It felt completely different from riding in a carriage.
He became excited and bolder, even turning back several times to talk to Xie Yi.
His back repeatedly brushed against Xie Yi’s chest.
The jade pendant and pouch at his waist swayed between them with every movement.
Xie Yi’s throat moved heavily. “Want to run a bit faster?”
“Huh?”
Before he could react, Xie Yi pulled the reins—and the horse instantly sped up.
Lian Zhiji was thrown directly into Xie Yi’s arms.
Their heartbeats collided, as if merging into one.