Chapter Five: The Arrival of Black Seven

So Li Yanhe searched back and forth through the reeds, while six-year-old Lin Miaomiao stood on a stone and watched him. When Lin Miaomiao first crossed into this world, she distinctly felt someone strangling her, but why would anyone target a six-year-old girl? It was a question worth pondering, and Lin Miaomiao sensed that things were far from simple, for the original owner’s death was not at the hands of those soldiers.

As Lin Miaomiao mulled this over, absentmindedly rubbing the marks on her neck, she failed to notice that the man in the reeds had vanished without a trace.

Li Yanhe was searching for duck and goose eggs in the reeds. Fortune favored the diligent—he finally found some. What he did not expect was to see Anqi there.

When Li Yanhe spotted Anqi, he nodded at him, and the two slipped away quietly. Lin Miaomiao looked around but saw no sign of Li Yanhe, which made her a bit anxious. Yet, with her small arms and legs, venturing into the reeds would be unsafe, so she sighed softly and waited in silence.

“Master, the others have already been…” Anqi began, but Li Yanhe waved him off. “I know. For now, our task is to confuse the enemy and see if we can uncover who’s behind this.”

Anqi nodded, lowering his voice, “Yes, Master. But what about the child…”

“She’s my child bride now,” Li Yanhe replied, turning away and leaving Anqi stunned.

Though Anqi did not understand his master’s reasoning, as a servant, he knew better than to ask unnecessary questions.

When Lin Miaomiao saw Li Yanhe again, she was astonished. She realized she had underestimated him; though he spoke little, he was highly efficient in his actions.

She glanced at Anqi and asked Li Yanhe, “Ice-face, who is he?”

Following the little girl’s gesture, Li Yanhe looked at her. Even at six, Lin Miaomiao was already a budding beauty. As the ancients said, true beauty lies in the bones, not the skin—perhaps this was what they meant. Seeing Li Yanhe lost in thought, Lin Miaomiao waved her little white hand in front of his face.

When he finally snapped out of it, she asked, “What exactly is the relationship between us?”

Her serious question amused Li Yanhe, but he needed a new identity for cover, and making the child his betrothed seemed suitable. After a moment’s thought, he replied, “You are my child bride. From now on, call me Brother Li.”

Lin Miaomiao’s eyes twinkled as she asked, “Then what’s your name?”

“Have you forgotten?” Li Yanhe replied.

She nodded seriously, which made him want to laugh. But he decided to tease her instead, “Then how do you know our relationship?”

Now it was Lin Miaomiao’s turn to fall silent. She had just guessed, or perhaps she’d watched too many dramas. If he had claimed to be her father, she probably would have believed that too. She stared at the ground, muttering, “I don’t know. I was just guessing. Who knew it’d be right—how awkward.”

Li Yanhe sighed and finally said, “My name is Li Zhong.”

Suddenly, Lin Miaomiao recalled her studies of the Analects—Bo was eldest, Zhong second, Shu third, and Ji youngest. The thought made her want to laugh. “Ice-face, your name means Li the Second—ha! That’s hilarious. Your parents really didn’t put much thought into your name!”

Li Yanhe’s face darkened instantly. Seeing him sulk, Lin Miaomiao raised her brows, “Just joking, big brother. No need to get mad over it!”

Anqi was astonished at her boldness—even his master’s own sister didn’t dare joke with him like this.

Li Yanhe glanced at the sky, then scooped Lin Miaomiao up like a chick. “Time to go,” he said to Anqi.

Anqi nodded. The pursuers would be arriving soon, and if they didn’t leave now, they’d be caught in the crossfire.

Lin Miaomiao watched Anqi carrying the duck eggs and Li Yanhe carrying her and couldn’t help but ask, “Ice-face, can you tell me who he is?”

Li Yanhe looked at Anqi, then answered, “He is An…qi.” He hesitated, then added, “He’s called Black Seven.”

Walking behind them, Anqi froze—had his name changed to Black Seven now? He could only force a wry smile at how crude his master’s naming had become.

Lin Miaomiao didn’t doubt it, but suddenly caught the humor. Lying on Li Yanhe’s back, she teased, “Are you part of some number squad?”

Her voice, warm with laughter, reached Li Yanhe’s ear. He gently patted her head, helplessly saying, “Be quiet now.”

“Why?” she asked, wide-eyed.

He paused by a tree, while Anqi crouched on the ground, listening intently. When sure they weren’t being pursued, Li Yanhe explained, “We’re fleeing for our lives.”

At once, Lin Miaomiao recalled the soldiers from that night. Her face paled at the memory of their brutality.

Seeing her fear, Li Yanhe reassured her, “Don’t be afraid.”

Lost in her thoughts, Lin Miaomiao was jolted by his deep voice. She quickly composed herself. “I’m not afraid,” she declared, puffing her chest out. Li Yanhe shook his head with a smile, moved by how mature she was for her age—a feeling he’d never experienced in his twenty-odd years.

His heart was at Tengqiao, though he didn’t understand why. It would only be years later that he realized, at that moment, his heart beat for this little girl.

Since he’d saved Lin Miaomiao, she hadn’t cried or made a fuss. Any other child would have wept endlessly.

For a six-year-old to endure all this—the sudden loss of both parents and a younger brother before her eyes—must have been devastating. She seemed to have forgotten her past, but Li Yanhe’s heart was filled with compassion for her. He hadn’t wanted to involve the Lin family, but he was powerless; he too was fleeing for his life and could only do his best.

Lin Miaomiao noticed Li Yanhe and Anqi running ahead, faces tense, never daring to linger. They didn’t even ride horses. She suddenly remembered a story she’d read: in ancient times, masters could track enemies by the sound of horse hooves. That explained why she refrained from peppering them with endless questions.

Any inquiries would have to wait until they reached safety. Suddenly, something occurred to her. She tapped Li Yanhe’s shoulder, “Wait a moment.”

He stopped and looked at her curiously, “What is it?”

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“To Da’ankou, of course,” he replied.

She looked at him seriously. “I don’t mean the destination. Which route are we taking?”

Anqi spoke up, “Master, I understand Miss Lin’s meaning. You want to know which path we’ll take?”

She nodded. Hearing their exchange, Li Yanhe frowned, “We’ll follow this path, then turn onto the official road.”

“Will there be many people?”

He grew serious. “It depends. There are usually fewer people on small paths, and the official road isn’t much busier. But these are troubled times, so the roads are quite empty.”

“Could we change our route and travel through more populated areas to reach Da’ankou?” she suggested.

Anqi frowned, but when Li Yanhe agreed, he objected, “Master, it’s a time of crisis. If we delay too long, we may miss important military matters.”

“Even if we lose some time passing through crowded towns, our pursuers could track us by our footprints or other traces on empty roads. We need crowds to cover our movements,” Lin Miaomiao reasoned.

She didn’t elaborate further, but Li Yanhe understood and agreed.

Anqi, upon hearing this, immediately calmed down. Indeed, he’d been too eager to return to the Da’ankou garrison and had forgotten that their pursuers could quickly catch up. Without this six-year-old’s insight, he and his master might have faced their enemies head-on.

Time was of the essence; they had to keep moving. Li Yanhe was being hunted by both the imperial court and the southern barbarians. The Nanman army eyed Da’ankou hungrily, ready to breach the gates, pillage the people, and seize women and children at any moment.