Insufficient balance

  When the first rays of dawn fell on the camp outside the city, the embers of the bonfire were still rising with a faint wisp of blue smoke.

  Some early-rising servants and slaves were now preparing the morning meal for their masters, with strong tea flavored with sugar, mint, and lemon, pancakes, and leftover meat from last night's supper.

  At this time, the temperature quickly rebounded from the cold of the night, and the busy servants and slaves became a little more relaxed. Their laughter and chatter quietly spread throughout the quiet camp in the early morning.

  "Hah! Rumble...!"

  The sound of galloping horses was like a flash of lightning in the desert. The horse team ran on the hard sandy road, making a low rumbling sound like thunder.

  With a loud noise, a long yellow dust rose from the city gate and rushed straight towards the camp.

  In this not-so-peaceful place outside the city, such a shout would interrupt the sweet dreams of most people. Even some so-called "unlawful traders" would worry that their transactions had offended the master here.

  Shu Yu'er, who couldn't fall asleep for a long time last night because of a bet, was startled awake by the sound. With sleepy eyes, she looked out from behind the mosquito net.

  When she saw the visitor's appearance, her heart skipped a beat. She muttered to herself in a low voice while hastily putting on her clothes and repeatedly urging the rough servant girl beside her.

  "Terrible... why is it him... hurry up, that annoying big fellow is coming again!"

  The man riding in the front was wearing a white long gown called Gandura by Arabs, which made him look quite elegant.

  "Ugh... this guy, disturbing people's peaceful sleep early in the morning!"

  Shu Yiner is only slightly different from other little maids, with a somewhat arrogant and spoiled personality due to her status.

  It was just Dàláng from the host family who had arrived, and she couldn't help but be slow.

  In a flurry of activity, she finished washing and stood beside the carriage with her rough servant girl, bowing respectfully to greet the arrival of Zhao Xu.

  The latter was now bringing his own escort, with a trail of dust, getting closer and closer.

  "Huh... Ji Er Lang... Hmph, where's that sleepyhead?"

  When she had dressed herself up neatly and was waiting by the car with her head lowered, Shu Yu'er's mind suddenly started racing.

  The first reaction was that Erlang was close at hand. Or maybe only when he was by her side did she feel a little safer.

  Beautiful eyes swept around through the corners, didn't see Zhao Fubo's figure, couldn't help but feel hatred in her heart, immediately used the new nickname she had given him.

  But now she was also in a predicament, Zhao Xu's horse getting closer and closer to her.

  "I am your humble servant, awaiting your orders, sir!"

  Zhao Dalang rode a handsome white Arabian horse, and in just a few strides he was already in front of Shu Yiner. He pulled hard on the reins, and the beautiful white horse let out a loud, long whinny.

  Then it used soft little steps to carry Zhao Xu around several circles beside Shu Yu'er and the others.

  When the white horse brought Zhao Xu to her back, Shu Yiner could feel the hot air sprayed from the horse's nostrils. She could even feel Zhao Xu's gaze, through the collar of her palace dress, staring at her neck.

  This is where the women of Zhao's family differ from local women, apart from wearing "abaya" robes on the outside, they wear palace dresses cut and sewn by Zhao's tailor inside.

  Although it's a bit hot when traveling far, for a girl like Shu Yu'er with icy skin and jade bones, it's nothing. When at home, the women of the Zhao family, whether mixed-blood or not, all wear Hanfu palace makeup.

  Just then, because Zhao Xu arrived too suddenly, Shu Yu'er didn't have time to put on her "Ama Ya" long gown. She had no choice but to wear the palace skirt she was wearing for traveling and wait by the side of the road.

  *sigh*...

  A soft sigh escaped from someone's mouth behind her, and due to this sigh, the hairs on the back of Shu Yiner's neck almost stood up.

  But due to family rules, at this moment before Da Lang's demonstration, she could only not move. In her heart, however, she was constantly cursing her pet - Miao Dian.

  "This deadbeat, where did he run off to so early in the morning? What a way of thinking, I'll have to find someone to send him a message!"

  At this time, the white horse in the "dang dang" sound brought Zhao Xu to Shu Yun'er's face. A folded bamboo fan came to Shu Yun'er's chin and lifted her bowed head. A pair of eyes carefully examined Shu Yun'er's face.

  What made Shu Yin'er afraid was that there seemed to be a ball of fire in those eyes, and once that fire burned up, it would probably burn herself into a pile of dirty ash.

  Looking at Shu Yu'er, Zhao Xu smiled and then leaned down, close to Shu Yu'er's ear, whispering a sentence.

  "Tsk, tsk, tsk... Still, the girls from our Han family are the best, not only is their skin tender and delicate, but their bodies also have a feminine fragrance that is simply delightful! Unlike those coarse-skinned and rough women who give off an unbearable stench, it's truly enough to knock someone out!"

  Da Lang's words made Shu Yu'er's face burn like fire, and she also guessed one or two things about Zhao Da Lang's encounter last night.

  It was that water snake with a fox-like waist (fox smell), in her heart she couldn't help but laugh, yet at the same time felt somewhat worried.

  "This sleepyhead Second Brother is going to get it when he comes back! He's not even here early in the morning, but instead leaves me to suffer this kind of harassment!"

  Holding a folding fan in his hand, he gently lifted Shu Yu'er's chin, gazing at her eyebrows and eyes as if they were a painting, inhaling the fragrance of her body like the scent of orchids.

  Unfortunately, in front of everyone, he didn't dare to take action, for fear that once back in Huangsha City, it would be hard to explain. Zhao Xu shook his head and swung his brain, feeling extremely anxious.

  He immediately straightened up and looked around, but his heart was filled with joy. He bent down again and whispered to Shu Yiner.

  "This Second Master is a good-for-nothing, why should a beautiful and talented person like you suffer for him? Look, he's already abandoned you here at the crack of dawn and run off without a trace. Why not come back to the city with me instead?"

  Shu Yiner's face was tense, her eyes didn't meet Zhao Xu's, but when she spoke, her attitude was clear.

  "Shu Yin thanked the young master for his concern, but as if he had already completed his task, he was also thinking of San Niang who asked him to return early after finishing the matter. Shu Er didn't dare to delay, and when the second young master returned, they would have to set off immediately!"

  The words of refusal had barely left his lips when they provoked the anger of Zhao Xu, the eldest young master who had been nursing a burning fire in his heart all night. His face sank and he spoke in an extremely low voice, full of hatred.

  "You little hoof, you think you can follow Erlang? Today I'll take your head! As for Erlang, humph, that foolish child won't live for many days, how could he have the chance to enjoy such a blessing?"

  He finished speaking, raised his head and put on a proud expression, saying loudly:

  "You all go and busy yourselves, I just want to have a few words with Yu'er in the carriage. Later, without my summons, no one is allowed to come into the carriage, otherwise, you will be dealt with by family law!"

  In the end, Da Lang's face suddenly revealed a ferocious expression.

  The servants and guards beside him, one by one, hurriedly dispersed to attend to their respective duties. Even the little maids beside Shu Yu'er lowered their heads and rushed away in a hurry.

  It was Zhao Xu's guards who were used to doing such things and one by one they had already surrounded the horse carriage with their swords drawn.

  All she could see was herself, but Shu Yiner had already become so flustered that her heart was in disarray. If it really came to pass that the man with a murderous glint in his eye before her became a reality, then she feared that all that would be left for her was to seek death as the only way out!

  In the midst of panic, he disregarded family rules and raised his head to glance around hastily. Unfortunately, among the onlookers, not to mention Zhao Er Lang, none of the people beside him had ever been seen before.

  Under the temporary bitterness, Shu Yun'er sighed sadly in her heart.

  "Let it be, let it be. Let him go. After this is over, I'll die to prove my will and make that cowardly Second Master regret his actions!"

  Thinking in her heart, but under the repeated urging of Da Gongzi, she took a step back and slowly ground into the carriage, hoping to get through every moment.

  At this time, the young master Zhao Xu no longer cared about Shu Yun'er, but instead rushed into Shu Yun'er's car and shouted loudly inside.

  "Come quickly......come quickly......"

  As she stepped onto the footboard in front of the carriage door, Shu Yu'er was certain that she would not be able to escape her fate today and might have to bid farewell to Erlang for this life.

  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then bowed his head and entered the carriage.

  At this moment, Zhao Xu was already lying down in the car, on his own soft and fragrant country bed. Shu Yiner stopped in her tracks, and a kind of inexplicable fear arose in her heart.

  "Come quickly......come quickly......"

  Young Master Zhao Xu had already thrown the folding fan in his hand to one side, stretched out both hands in a virtual embracing gesture, and kept calling out loudly.

  Under the dim light in the car, the flames in both eyes were already burning fiercely as if they were about to spew out.

  The cry in his mouth revealed a kind of complacency, as if a mountain monkey had eaten the fresh peach that it had been craving for a long time.

  "Get out of the way..."

  Suddenly a loud thunder-like shout rang out, and upon hearing this sound, Shu Yu'er first felt a slight relief in her heart, but then hatred began to rise up again.

  "This dead Second Brother, is he trying to scare me to death? I'll make you regret it, you good-for-nothing Second Brother...!"

  Hating at the same time, he turned around and got out of the car.

  It's probably the nature of girls' families, and instead want to see how this sleepy second son comes to rescue himself.

  But then two horses came galloping from a distance, the man in front was riding a black horse, wearing cowhide armor, holding a large spear, and on the spearhead was a white long streamer.

  The man behind him was riding a yellow horse, with a shield and a long knife in his hand, but it was not Mu Ke again, who else could it be.

  "Come ride stop step......!"

  The guards standing around the carriage beside Zhao's west house, held up their thick iron spears to welcome them. The Mamluk cavalrymen were tall and robust, just like Mu Ke. With a swing of their iron spears, they exuded an extremely powerful aura.

  Looking back at Zhao Fubo on the black horse, he was just a young man who had just grown up. The big gun in his hand even shook when facing the enemy, as if his tense hands and feet were trembling with fear.

  Watching this scene, Shu Yiner's heart was tight like a tightened string. At this moment, just a slight movement would make her scream out loud.

  Especially when she saw the thick iron gun in Mamuruk's hand, fiercely colliding with Zhao Fubo's trembling gun head, she was so frightened that she closed her eyes tightly.