Chapter 46: The Mask Slips

Yang Xi certainly guessed that Guo Xin would be astonished upon hearing his words, but he misinterpreted the reason for her shock.

She was indeed stunned to learn he held an official post in the military, but she was even more taken aback when he mentioned the names of several individuals. Who was Yang Xi to dare address such prominent, highly respected generals by their given names? Due to a special connection with one of them, she found his casual familiarity almost intolerable.

However, Yang Xi misunderstood her reaction. Before she could speak, he chuckled and continued, "I will not hide it from you, Miss. I serve in the Tongguan garrison. I only returned to Chang'an today to report on some matters and must return to Tongguan tomorrow. I truly do not know when I might return next. It is a great honor to have met you today. With the country in such dire straits, a real man must be prepared to sacrifice his life for the cause, using his bravery and loyalty to serve the nation and restore peace to the lives of the common people. Swords and arrows are heartless on the battlefield; I do not know if I will ever have the chance to meet you again!"

Yang Xi knew his time was limited; Yang Guozhong would likely emerge at any moment. Once he did, Yang Xi would have no chance to remain with Guo Xin. There was no need for polite platitudes; he figured a few "grand words" that might leave a favorable impression would do no harm.

A thick skin can sometimes be invincible. Although Guo Xin had been annoyed by his audacity just moments before, his subsequent "grand words" immediately dispelled her irritation, replaced by a sense of melancholy. Yang Xi was so young—seventeen or eighteen at most. If he were truly to go to the battlefield and meet with an accident, never to return to his parents, it would be a heartbreaking tragedy.

Her own father rarely returned home to be with the family. Her mother and siblings often missed him, and she often thought of how devastated they would be if they were to lose her father or the several older brothers who fought alongside him.

With this thought in mind, not only did her resentment vanish, but a sense of pity took root. She said apologetically, "Master Yang, I truly apologize. I did not mean to pry into your itinerary; I was merely curious why you were wandering about during such turbulent times. Please do not blame me for being meddlesome. I only hope that you stay safe in the army and that, once the chaos settles, you will be able to return to your family."

"Many thanks for your well-wishes, Miss Guo. A virtuous person is protected by heaven; I trust that fate will not claim the life of my—" He almost blurted out his own name, but caught himself at the critical moment, forcing a change in his words.

He did not intend to deceive her, but he feared that his father’s notorious reputation would frighten or disgust her. After all, his own name was now quite famous; there were few in Chang'an who did not know that he, the son of Yang Guozhong, had led the defense of Tongguan.

At this moment, Yang Xi felt a sense of loathing for his identity as Yang Guozhong's son; he felt he could hardly hold his head up.

Although Guo Xin found his sudden pause strange, she did not overthink it. She followed his lead with a polite remark: "So, you are the fourth eldest in your family. I shall call you Master Yang the Fourth from now on. By the way, I am the seventh in my household, and my family calls me Seventh Miss Guo. You may address me as such!"

"Seventh Miss Guo!" Yang Xi echoed immediately. He did not know if she had seven older sisters or a mix of siblings, but regardless, her father’s fertility was impressive. He teased, "Seventh Miss, are you the youngest in your household, just like me?"

"No, I have two younger sisters and two younger brothers below me; I am not the youngest," she said, before pausing to realize, "So, you are the youngest in your household!"

"Indeed. I have three older brothers and no sisters. I am the youngest and the one most doted upon by my parents, haha!" Yang Xi mocked himself before turning the topic back to her. "I assumed you were the youngest too. Being the youngest is good—you get the most affection. But since you aren't the youngest, you might not be the most favored, heh!"

"That is not true!" Guo Xin immediately retorted with pride. "My youngest sister is still small and doesn't understand much. My parents love me the most because I make the fastest progress in martial arts, and my calligraphy and painting are the best. They always say I am the brightest among all the siblings."

"Ha, someone is blowing their own horn," Yang Xi said, seizing the chance to tease her with a laugh. "Do your siblings also think you are the smartest?"

Seeing his skepticism, Guo Xin grew anxious and hurried to explain: "I didn't say it; my parents did! They said that out of all sixteen of us, I am the most intelligent and studious. Hmph, believe what you want!" She gave him a cute eye-roll.

"Wow, your father is truly impressive to have had so many children!" Sixteen siblings left Yang Xi speechless, though he felt better upon remembering that Li Longji had over sixty children. The way she rolled her eyes was quite charming, leaving him with a soft, warm feeling.

Hearing this, Guo Xin rolled her eyes again but couldn't help but burst into laughter. Her household was indeed bustling with so many siblings!

After a few lighthearted exchanges, the distance between them seemed to shrink significantly, and their conversation flowed more naturally.

"Master Yang, since you are the youngest child, how did your parents agree to let you join the military?"

"It was my own request. My parents could not sway me, so they eventually agreed. Besides, I have already achieved great military merit, and my father has praised me highly for it!"

"Ah, is that so?" Guo Xin could not help but grow even more curious. After a moment of thought, she asked, "By the way, Master Yang, during this recent defense of Tongguan, there was a man with the same surname as you, named Yang Xi—the son of the Chancellor Yang Guozhong—who led the troops to repel the rebels. Surely you have heard of this..."

As she spoke, she stopped and looked at him with confusion, hesitant to voice the doubt in her mind. Yang Xi was Yang Guozhong's fourth and youngest son, and this "Yang Ziliang" before her, who called himself "Master Yang the Fourth," was also the youngest son of his house. Could it be such a coincidence that they were the same person?

Yang Xi immediately grasped why she had stopped. He forced a bitter smile; it seemed that when facing a clever person, one should not talk too much or boast, lest they slip up.

Just as he was about to explain, a servant hurried to his side and whispered a few words. Upon hearing the report, Yang Xi sighed inwardly. He stopped walking and bowed apologetically to the astonished Guo Xin. "Seventh Miss Guo, I am truly sorry. I have an urgent matter to attend to and cannot accompany you any further. I hope you do not mind. I hope that the next time I return to Chang'an, we might meet again! Farewell!"

"Ah, you are leaving just like that?" Guo Xin felt a pang of disappointment but, knowing he had urgent business, could only sigh helplessly. "If you have matters to attend to, Master Yang, please go. I wish you safety in the future!"

After walking a few steps, Yang Xi stopped and bowed one last time to the woman watching him leave. "Seventh Miss, until we meet again. If we have the chance to see each other next time, I will tell you a bit more!"

With that, he turned and strode away without looking back.