Considering the harsh environment of the desert, besides Zhou Huairang, Zhao Mian brought along only martial arts experts for this westward journey, including Shen Buqi and the Marquis Anyuan. 

Bai Yu was occupied with refining the antidote and couldn’t leave, so Zhao Mian ordered her to remain in the capital on standby. Rong Tang was even more out of the question—his body couldn’t withstand the desert’s scorching sun, nor was the freezing winter in the capital suitable for him. Zhao Mian had initially wanted to send him to the perpetually spring-like southern border to recuperate, but Rong Tang insisted on returning to Shangjing.  

“Since this subject came to the capital under Your Majesty’s command, after the matter is concluded, this subject should return to Shangjing to personally report to Your Majesty.” Rong Tang said.

Zhao Mian did not insist, “Teacher, take care on your journey.” 

Meanwhile, Wei Zhenfeng was also preparing for the westward journey. Before departure, he unexpectedly received a secret decree from Shengjing.  

He had previously written a memorial detailing his strategy for Nanjing and specifically named the recently married, overly amorous young man to deliver it. He didn’t expect to receive his father’s official reply in the capital, but to his surprise, the young man managed to return just before he set off.

Wei Zhenfeng couldn’t help but wonder what kind of spirit supported this young man, allowing him to successfully travel between the capital and Shengjing in just over ten days. 

Wei Zhenfeng carefully observed the young official named Ji Chong. His nose wasn’t black anymore, but his eyes were bloodshot and his face was flushed, a sign of excessive internal fire.

Ji Chong felt a shiver run down his spine under the Young Prince’s gaze. He swallowed and asked, “Does Your Highness have any other commands? If not, this subordinate will take his leave?” 

“What’s the hurry?” Wei Zhenfeng smiled, but his eyes held a mischievous glint, “You came back at a great time. I plan to return to the desert and will need to bring a lot of people.”

 Ji Chong’s expression froze, as if he had been struck by lightning.

“I see that you have a unique bone structure, a most suitable physique for traveling and surviving in the desert. Staying at the Beiyuan embassy would be a waste of your talent,” Wei Zhenfeng said, half-jokingly, “How about this, you go back and pack up, and join me on my westward journey tomorrow?” 

Ji Chong wanted to cry but couldn’t, asking with a tragic face, “May I ask, Your Highness, have I committed a heavenly crime? Why must you punish me so…”

Wei Zhenfeng thought to himself, I haven’t committed any heavenly crime, yet aren’t I in an even worse situation than you?

 Wei Zhenfeng had only been teasing, but who would have thought that Ji Chong would actually show up with his luggage the next day. Apparently, Madame Ji had heard that the prince wanted to “reassign” her husband. She had forced him to come, telling him to seize this rare opportunity to serve the prince and to stop thinking only of bedroom pleasures and start doing some real work.

The Beiyuan group traveled light, each with a fast horse, eating dry rations with cold water for three meals a day. In contrast, the Nanjing group had a newly refurbished carriage for the crown prince, with heavy curtains on the windows to block the fierce sun. Due to the extreme temperature difference in the desert, ​​both a cooling mat and a cotton blanket were prepared inside the carriage.Shen Buqi also managed to get ahold of some ice, which was used for storing ingredients and keeping the Crown Prince cool.

The closer they got to the desert, the more pronounced the extreme climate became.

During the cold winter of the Central Plains in the eleventh month, the desert’s daytime was as hot as summer. There was no shade from greenery, flowers, or trees to absorb the heat along the way. The sun shone directly on every rider. Within two days, Beiyuan’s people were all sunburnt, many of them shedding a layer of skin.

On the seventh day of their journey, the imprisoned Huo Kangsheng gradually realized they were heading towards the desert, which made him extremely uneasy. During a lunch break, he called out to the passing Zhao Mian and asked in a hoarse voice, “Where are you taking me?” 

After being exposed to the sun for several days, Huo Kangsheng looked like a dehydrated squid, his lips cracked like dry yellow earth after a drought, and his beard was as withered as dead grass. 

But Zhao Mian in front of him still looked pampered and well-kept. His luxurious silk clothes made him look clean and cool, from head to toe, every single hair exuding refinement. 

Behind him, Zhou Huairang held an umbrella for him, ensuring that the annoying sun would not harm the crown prince’s delicate skin.

“To find the lost treasure of Western Xia, naturally,” Zhao Mian said.

Huo Kangsheng’s face visibly tightened.

Zhao Mian’s lips curved slightly, “Judging by your reaction, it seems we haven’t found the wrong location.” 

“Who?!” 

Huo Kangsheng rushed to the edge of the prison cart, his shackled hands grabbing the iron bars. His eyes wide with fury, “Who told you?!” 

“I advise you to ask fewer questions you won’t get answers to,” Wei Zhenfeng said as he passed by, taking the umbrella from Zhou Huairang and standing behind Zhao Mian. “In the desert, talking too much will only make you die of thirst.”

Huo Kangsheng glared at him, then suddenly grinned, revealing two rows of teeth, “So what if you know about the desert? It’s so big, you’ll search until you die and never find it!” 

Wei Zhenfeng let out a meaningful laugh, “I will find a way. You don’t need to worry about us.”

At this moment, Shen Buqi found Zhao Mian and said, “Young Master, it’s time to eat.” 

Zhao Mian walked toward his carriage. As Wei Zhenfeng was about to follow, Zhou Huairang reached out to stop him. “Hey, hey, hey, where are you going, Your Highness? Your lunch is over there.”

Wei Zhenfeng looked at his own camp and saw Ji Chong taking out two large flatbreads from his bag, “Your Highness, it’s time to eat!” 

Wei Zhenfeng was speechless. Zhou Huairang took the opportunity to snatch the umbrella back and ran after the crown prince, “Farewell, Your Highness!”

In the blazing heat of winter, Shen Buqi made cooling, heat-reducing dishes. The vegetable dishes were mostly cold salads, which were sour and appetizing; the main courses were cooled rice porridge and cold noodles, served with cured meat and ham that had been pickled in the capital. 

In contrast, the people of Beiyuan looked like refugees fleeing a famine.

Hua Ju gnawed on a tasteless flatbread and couldn’t help but ask, “Your Highness, is Nanjing really much richer than Beiyuan?” 

“It’s true,” Ji Chong said dryly, “Just look at the granaries in the national treasury. The combined granaries of Beiyuan and Dongling probably don’t even amount to half of Nanjing’s.” 

Even the usually quiet Yun Yong joined the discussion, “Last time, I heard Sister Bai say that her monthly salary was this much, and she gets two days off every seven days.”

Hua Ju added, “Shen Buqi’s salary was doubled this month for his successful capture of Huo Kangsheng.” 

“… That’s enough from you guys,” Wei Zhenfeng said.

Working for the Crown Prince of Nanjing was indeed a great job. In the Eastern Palace, it goes without saying that their food and clothing were the best in the palace. Even when traveling with the prince, he never treated them poorly. They ate whatever he ate, and stayed in the best inns in the city. If they occasionally got sick, they could see the highly skilled divine physician, Bai Yu, for free. 

What more could they ask for? 

Furthermore, the crown prince also cared a lot about their appearance. Seeing them getting tanned, he would find ways to give them sunscreen. 

So, when Wei Zhenfeng came to see Zhao Mian, he saw Zhao Mian give a box of fragrant ointment to Shen Buqi.

“This is a special cream specially made for me by Bai Yu, and it has a sun-blocking effect when applied to the skin,” Zhao Mian said. 

“Apply a layer to your exposed skin before sunrise every day. Don’t let yourself get tanned.” 

“This subordinate doesn’t need it,” Shen Buqi said.

 “You must use it,” Zhao Mian said forcefully, “The Eastern Palace does not allow tanned skin.”

“…Yes.” 

Zhao Mian added, “Give some to the others, including the Old Marquis.” Getting tanned was secondary; he didn’t want the old man to get any skin diseases from sun exposure. 

Wei Zhenfeng, who had been watching for a long time, suddenly chimed in, “What about me?”

Zhao Mian looked at the young man, “You? What about you?”

 “Why aren’t you giving me any sunscreen? Aren’t you afraid I’ll get a tan?” 

Zhao Mian said, “No.”

 Wei Zhenfeng laughed, “That’s strange, you didn’t used to say that. Zhao Mian, what am I to you? A close friend?” 

Probably not even a close friend. 

Even Marquis Anyuan got sunscreen, but he didn’t. This was too much. 

Zhao Mian was baffled, “You don’t get tanned anyway.” 

Wei Zhenfeng’s physique was special; after a day of sun exposure, his face would get a little red, but after a night’s sleep, it would turn back to white again. No wonder the Young Prince could remain fair and clean despite being on the road all the time.

Wei Zhenfeng was slightly taken aback. “How do you know that?”

Zhao Mian explained, “Because I noticed it about you a long time ago.”

Wei Zhenfeng was silent for a moment before returning to his usual self. “Oh, never mind. Let’s get moving.”

As the sun set, the intense heat faded, replaced by a sudden and sharp cold. Everyone put on their cloaks, but they still couldn’t block the howling north wind. The cold wind whipped up yellow sand, stinging their faces. Even the Young Prince, who was used to hardship, didn’t want to endure this torment and set his sights on the Crown Prince’s luxurious carriage.

The carriage was tightly sealed with curtains, almost completely isolating the sound of the wind. Zhao Mian lay on a warm brocade quilt, reading an ancient text about the Yi clan that Zhou Huairang had found by candlelight. Suddenly, the door opened from the outside. 

The only person who would get into his carriage without asking was the Young Prince. 

Zhao Mian’s eyes didn’t even move from the book, and he asked, “What’s wrong?” 

“The wind is strong outside, I came in to take shelter,” Wei Zhenfeng said, patting the dust off himself. 

Zhao Mian said sarcastically, “Is your prince’s manor so poor that it can’t even afford a carriage? Stop patting yourself! Don’t get my carriage dirty.”

The crown prince’s eyes were sharp and domineering, his words were so unpleasant, yet his face was excessively beautiful. 

Truly, he was someone to be both loved and hated.

Wei Zhenfeng sat down beside Zhao Mian, “Isn’t it a bit too late for you to be disgusted with me now? What are you looking at?” 

Zhao Mian turned a page, saying flatly, “You wouldn’t be interested even if I told you.” 

Wei Zhenfeng indeed wasn’t interested. He was too close to Zhao Mian, close enough to smell the faint tea scent on him. Spending the night in the wilderness, Zhao Mian was not comfortable changing into his sleeping clothes, so he only took off his jade crown.His long hair fell over his chest, with one lock playfully curving over his collarbone.

Wei Zhenfeng’s eyes grew hot, and he couldn’t help but lean in closer. Zhao Mian felt the young man’s proximity and finally looked up from his book. The first thing he saw was that all-too-familiar pair of teardrop moles. 

Zhao Mian was in a moment of disorientation. 

What was Wei Zhenfeng… trying to do? Just as their noses were about to touch, Zhao Mian suddenly snapped back to his senses, raised his hand, and used his fingertip to block the young man’s lips, “Your Highness?”

Wei Zhenfeng didn’t move forward but maintained his original position, and asked in a low voice, “Zhao Mian, have you ever considered that this matter of going to bed, actually doesn’t require picking a special day?”

 Zhao Mian raised his eyebrows, “Of course I know. Don’t doubt it, I definitely know more than you.” 

Wei Zhenfeng’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, “Then, do you want to…?”

 Zhao Mian looked at him, “What do you think?” 

Wei Zhenfeng said earnestly, “You’re my age. There’s no reason why I’d want to, and you wouldn’t, right?”

Zhao Mian answered Wei Zhenfeng’s question with silence. 

But Wei Zhenfeng didn’t believe him. “You’re eighteen, not thirty-eight. Why wouldn’t you want it?” Wei Zhenfeng couldn’t understand, “I didn’t hurt you last time, and I even cleaned you up afterward.” 

Zhao Mian said slowly, “Last time it certainly didn’t hurt as much as the first time, but I didn’t find it
particularly enjoyable either.”

Wei Zhenfeng’s expression froze, as if he had been struck by lightning. 

“Therefore, in my opinion, Your Highness and I should still…” Zhao Mian paused, and changed to a more formal way of speaking, “…avoid going to bed unless absolutely necessary.”