When those eyelids moved back, revealing a pair of bright eyes and long, curly eyelashes, a painful dizziness struck. She had to close them again, her eyelids trembling, and her brow furrowed from the pain. She had to calm herself for a few moments before opening them again.
After a few minutes passed, the dizziness subsided and she opened her eyes again. The first thing she saw was a dark brown ceiling decorated with colorful paper that danced as the wind blew gently.
Lian Hua looked left and right, all the tables and several small cabinets were there, but from all of that, she knew that the place she was in now was a foreign place that she had never been to before. It wasn't her room that had always made her comfortable for sixteen years, nor was it her mother's room, where she had spent her time, nor was it a temple or an old hut or a sky covered with shady trees like the past few weeks. It was a room, a comfortable and warm room. Comfort and warmth that she hadn't felt since she left the capital.
Lian Hua lowered herself, and realized that now she was wearing new, clean clothes. She was also covered with a warm blanket, although it was not as soft as the blanket she usually used, but it was able to provide more warmth.
Lian Hua hurriedly got up, threw off the blanket that was covering her, and ran towards the exit. Her hand blocked the dazzling light. When she lowered her slender hand, the scene before her was a bustling scene. Snow had already fallen, leaving traces on the streets. People were passing by. Some were galloping on their horses, others were in palanquins, but most were sitting by the roadside, ignoring the cold snow beneath them.
Lian Hua, who didn't know where to go, led her feet into the crowd. Along the way, she encountered more and more things. A child being chased by several people for stealing a piece of bread, a person being forcibly dragged and thrown onto the snowy road, a man freely molesting a woman without anyone to help her, and even someone being whipped in front of everyone.
Lian Hua shuddered in horror as she watched the blood turn the snow white. One thing she realized was the stark disparity here. Those who were being treated inhumanely wore worn, faded white clothes, while those who had mistreated them wore better clothing.
Lian Hua stopped in front of a middle-aged woman. "May I ask where this is?" She asked with her eyes constantly scanning the surroundings. The middle-aged woman looked Lian Hua up and down, noticing the sky-blue clothes Lian Hua was wearing, the woman replied lazily. "You don't know where this is?" Lian Hua also looked the woman up and down. She wasn't wearing shabby white clothes like the others, so Lian Hua could conclude that this woman was a noble.
"This is the Borders. Are you new? Who is your master?"
Borders? She's currently at the Borders? How is that possible?
Lian Hua ignored the woman who shot her a disapproving glance from the corner of her eye, but Lian Hua ignored her and continued on her way. As far as she could remember, before she lost consciousness, the last time she had been was by the river. Exhaustion caused Lian Hua to lose consciousness. So, was it possible that someone had found her and taken her to the Borders?
Throughout her journey, the bright-eyed woman kept observing her surroundings. The Borders wasn't what she'd expected. It wasn't the relentless torture she'd expected. She'd expected all criminals to be punished, with lifelong floggings and other punishments, but as far as she could see, it was no different from any other city she'd ever visited.
Perhaps the most striking thing here is how criminals or those who are outcasts are treated arbitrarily by those of higher social standing. They all seem to have no self-respect.
Lian Hua stopped when she saw a group of people in white, one of them was a girl who reminded Lian Hua of Shen Yandao.
Shen Yandao! Has the boy arrived? How long has it been since they parted? With hurried footsteps, Lian Hua approached a guard holding a bottle of wine. The guard looked half drunk with a flushed face. "Do you know where the people from Yishu are?" The man narrowed his eyes, staring at Lian Hua foolishly. "Huh? What do you mean? You're asking me where the people from Yishu are? Are you telling me to check everyone from Yishu one by one?" The guard stood unsteadily, his speech also incoherent.
Lian Hua grumbled, she let out the word 'useless' without the guard noticing.
"The new arrivals, where are they?"
"Oh... Usually, people who have just arrived will be immediately 'released' after reaching the Borders. If you are looking for someone, you can ask me, I will be happy to help you, beautiful." The guard's hand mischievously poked Lian Hua's chin, Lian Hua roughly pushed the hand away from her.
"What do you think I'm doing? I'm asking you a question! But you're useless! Don't touch me!" Lian Hua warned. She took out a dagger from behind her arm. When she woke up, she saw her dagger was also by her side.
The guard raised his hand, but it wasn't out of fear; instead, a disgusting smile grew even more evident on his face. "Then who are you looking for? Perhaps I can help."
"A boy. He probably just came."
"Oh! You're looking for children? Usually the children are kept in an old building up there." The guard raised his hand, pointing it towards a hill behind.
"They will take in the children for a few months. But once it's full, they will be thrown out along with their useless parents! Hahaha, what a pity, just because of their parents, the children also have to suffer here." This man said pity but his face did not show any pity at all. Lian Hua, who did not like this man, harshly gave him a punch in the face before leaving. This was the Borders, anyone could do whatever they wanted.
...
Walking up the hill seemed quite difficult for the princess, who always had to sit in the comfort of her palanquin. Only a few minutes had passed, and her legs were already giving out. Her breath was ragged, and sweat beaded on her forehead in the cold snow. She just wanted to confirm whether Shen Yandao had truly arrived.
Her ears caught the sound of something falling. The sound was quite loud. "You! Don't be rude! I'll punish you!" The sound was replaced by a beating.
"I just want to meet my mother! I want to meet my mother!"
Lian Hua was stunned because she recognized the voice clearly.
Yanyan!
...