At present, everyone seemed to overlook the situation, believing that the government had made a firm decision to rectify the atmosphere of Yixian City. Some praised the efforts, while others criticized them.
Most of the supporters were common folk who had food to eat and no longer feared unscrupulous merchants. Naturally, those who spoke ill were the merchants with ulterior motives.
Every city had its wealthy merchants, closely tied to the government, profiting together while the officials bore the burdens. However, this time, the government of Yixian City had been thoroughly shaken by Li Huaiyu, and the new officials were unyielding. The three major merchants of Yixian City were dissatisfied and closed all their shops in protest.
“Who would want to do honest business in Yixian City?” Master Zhao exclaimed angrily. “If they insist on being upright and clean without regard for the situation, which merchant would agree to that?”
“Exactly,” Master Liu slammed his teacup onto the table. “Do they think this place is so easy to deal with? The young and inexperienced are not afraid of tigers! Let’s show them that with all the shops closed, who will be the one to take the blame in the end!”
“All the goods I sell are necessities for daily life. Just wait and see; in a couple of days, the government office will be surrounded by the common folk!” Master Zheng said confidently.
Just as they were speaking, a figure suddenly entered from outside.
The three men turned their heads in unison to see a person in a soft silver and snow-white robe sweep across the threshold. The newcomer held a Nanyang jade fan, and his voice was clear and carried a hint of laughter. “Good morning, gentlemen.”
“Who are you?” The merchants of Yixian City did not recognize Lu Jingxing, and Master Zhao looked him over with suspicion.
The fan closed in his fingertips, twirling around before resting lightly on the table. Lu Jingxing raised his eyes to look at them and said, “I am Lu, the owner of Lu’s shop. I heard that you gentlemen have shops to sell, so I came to inquire.”
Given the current situation with the government, many shops were indeed up for sale. However, Lu’s business in Yixian City was not substantial, just a single grain shop—how much could he possibly buy?
Master Zhao thought for a moment, gestured for him to sit, and had someone pour him tea. “Master Lu, entering the market at this time is quite bold. I have five shops, all located on the main street corner, and business was good before the government’s troubles. The situation in Yixian City is unpredictable, so naturally, the prices cannot be too low.”
“I also run a small business, and my capital is not too much,” Lu Jingxing smiled, his phoenix eyes sparkling. “I hope you gentlemen will be lenient; after all, besides me, no one else dares to buy shops now.”
The three merchants exchanged glances, and Master Zhao dipped his brush in water and wrote down a number.
Lu Jingxing swiftly opened his fan, covering his face as he laughed. “You’re joking, Master. Given the current situation in Yixian City, this price could buy three shops. The one next door has already been transferred to me. Master Zhao, don’t take advantage of my ignorance of the market.”
Master Zhao snorted with a chuckle. “The location of my shop cannot be compared to the one next door.”
Lu Jingxing raised an eyebrow and turned to the other two. “What about you two? Care to offer a price?”
Master Zheng was eager to collect cash and thought for a moment before writing down a very sincere price. Master Liu, however, remained silent, observing Lu Jingxing for a while before saying, “I don’t have much to sell; let’s discuss it separately later.”
Lu Jingxing nodded and finalized the deal with Master Zheng for five shops, instructing him to return with the property deeds.
Master Zhao’s expression darkened. “Such a big purchase, and you still dare to say your capital is not much?”
Taking a sip of tea and finding it unsatisfactory, Lu Jingxing set it down. “It’s not much; it’s just enough to buy half the shops in Yixian City. But if I encounter someone like Master Zhao, who opens his mouth like a lion, it becomes a bit precarious.”
Half the shops in Yixian City? Master Zhao was genuinely taken aback. “What’s your background?”
Given the current business climate, it was clear there wasn’t much profit to be made. Who would dare to invest so much money here?
Master Liu scrutinized Lu Jingxing for a while before suddenly asking, “Are you from the capital?”
The capital? Master Zhao realized belatedly. Lu’s shop had indeed started in the capital and expanded its business everywhere.
Lu Jingxing smiled. “You, Master, are quite well-informed.”
So he is the wealthiest merchant from the capital?! Both men gasped in surprise. Master Liu stood up, frowning. “Is Master Lu here to assist the rumored Princess Chang? Are you willing to take a loss?”
“Indeed,” Lu Jingxing replied nonchalantly. “Chasing after a beloved across a thousand miles, with deep feelings and loyalty. Would you gentlemen be willing to assist me?”
This sounded like a joke, but both merchants were deep in thought. They couldn’t reach the new government officials, but Lu Jingxing had connections. His willingness to invest so heavily indicated he had confidence in Yixian City. If they sold their shops at a loss now, they would miss out on future profits when Yixian City recovered.
Master Liu reacted quickly, moving to sit beside Lu Jingxing and pouring him a cup of tea. “For the shops I want to sell, you can name your price.”
Seeing this, Master Zhao softened his attitude. “I wouldn’t dare to impose. If Master Lu is willing to take us along, those few shops can be given to you without charge.”
Li Huaiyu was indeed correct; matters concerning merchants could only be resolved by merchants themselves. When the government intervened, they were always seen as enemies. Lu Jingxing’s arrival allowed them to gain a few shops without any cost.
With a smile and a flourish of his fan, Lu Jingxing felt that upon returning, Li Huaiyu would surely add a chicken leg to his meal.
After two days of closure, the shops on the streets of Yixian City reopened. The common folk were astonished to find that the prices of goods, which had always been exorbitantly high, had dropped significantly, with some items costing only a tenth of their previous price.
Those with silver immediately rushed to the streets to buy in a frenzy, while those without silver gathered some copper coins to buy a couple of bags of salt. The streets of Yixian City were bustling with unprecedented prosperity, and everyone wore joyful expressions.
Children were playing and running, clutching soy sauce bottles to take home. One child, not paying attention, bumped into someone. Looking up, he saw it was a new official from the government, looking fierce and intimidating.
The people around gasped, thinking the child would surely be punished. To their surprise, the official bent down, straightened the child’s tilted soy sauce bottle, and said sternly, “There are many carts on the street; watch where you’re going!”
After saying this, he walked around the child and helped secure a bamboo pole that was about to fall at a nearby shop.
The common folk were dumbfounded. What kind of official was this? Aren’t officials supposed to be aloof? Not only did he go out without a retinue, but he also helped ordinary people with their troubles.
As time passed, the common folk gradually remembered their names.
The one named Jiu Wu was the newly appointed Governor of Danyang, exceptionally skilled in martial arts, able to single-handedly take down five ruffians in the street. Yet he was gentle with the common folk; there was an eighty-year-old man in the neighboring street with no one to care for him, and he brought food to him every day.
The new county magistrate was Bai Ai, who had excellent handwriting and was decisive in solving cases, never misjudging. He neither accepted favors from merchants nor oppressed the common folk. If someone had grievances, they could simply beat the drum at the government office, and he would ensure justice was served.
Then there was a strikingly handsome man named Qing Xian, a junior official with a hot temper. He would rush to any place where trouble arose and deliver a beating, which was quite contrary to his appearance; he was ruthless in his actions.
As for Chi Jin, anyone passing through the city gate knew him. He held the position of commander in Yixian City, yet he often visited the grain distribution point. He looked fierce and intimidating, making no one dare to cause trouble, but in reality, he was very considerate.
Women coming to collect grain would greet Xu Chunyang warmly, looking at her with concern. “Miss Xu, a good girl like you should have a good home.”
Xu Chunyang was taken aback, smiling as she handed the grain bag to her. “I was divorced by my husband.”
She said it so lightly, yet the people in line gasped in shock.
Being divorced was usually met with pointed fingers, and people often thought the fault lay with the one being divorced. If you hadn’t made a mistake, how could someone divorce you?
However, now the one being divorced was Xu Chunyang, their living bodhisattva.
“Which man is so blind?” The woman holding the grain stepped aside, furious. “To not want a daughter-in-law like you? He must be out of his mind!”
“Indeed! A kind person like Miss Xu is a blessing for whoever marries her!”
Xu Chunyang smiled, calmly distributing the grain as if she had let go of everything.
Yet, her hand that passed the grain bag trembled slightly.
Chi Jin approached and whispered, “You should take a break; I’ll cover for you for a while.”
“Don’t you need to patrol the city?” a nearby commoner asked with a smile.
Chi Jin shook his head. “I’ve already patrolled; now is a good time to rest.”
Xu Chunyang had no doubts, thanked him, and walked toward the back shed.
“Does the lord like Miss Xu?” a few women gathered around, winking and asking.
Chi Jin was not very good at dealing with such matters, scratching his head. He handed them the grain bag. “Take care of it.”
“Hey, I initially thought they were a couple, what a pity,” one woman murmured as she took the grain. “Every day, I see Lord Chi at the grain distribution point.”
“Isn’t that so? Yesterday, Miss Xu wasn’t feeling well, and Lord Chi noticed from afar and came to help her… You say, a dignified commander, if he didn’t like her, why would he come every day?”
“Miss Xu hasn’t noticed, has she?”
“She’s been feeling down lately, lost in thought, how could she notice these things?”
It wasn’t appropriate to bring up her recent divorce, so they whispered a few words and left it at that. Fate should come naturally.
The documents from Ziyang confirmed the news of Princess Danyang’s return to the world. Li Huailin had initially planned to sit in the capital and watch the nearby feudal lords attack the princess, but unexpectedly, no one moved.
It was one thing for the Ziyang lord to remain inactive; he had just stabilized Ziyang and was in a period of internal consolidation. But why were the Changlin and Pingling lords also inactive? That was the Danyang princess, a scourge to the court for eight years! With her returning, the nearby feudal lords should be on guard and resist, right?
Li Huaiyu also found it strange. Setting aside Changlin, Pingling should have a deep grudge against her. She had prepared for a confrontation, yet two months had passed, and her belly was already showing. The river leading to Yixian City was almost dug through, yet Pingling had not sent troops to pressure the border city.
“What’s going on?” she curiously asked Qingsi.
Qingsi handed her the medicine in her hand, calmly saying, “This is the news just received. A month ago, both the Changlin and Pingling lords visited Ziyang. What they discussed is unknown. After returning, both have closed their doors to guests and are conserving their strength.”
Huaiyu was puzzled. Hadn’t she quarreled with Jiang Xuanjin last time? It had been so long since they had any contact, except for Yufeng delivering a divorce letter to Xu Chunyang. Jiang Xuanjin, such a proud person, would never help her.
Moreover… she had heard he had established the Ziyang residence and welcomed Bai Xuanji in.
She reached down to touch her slightly protruding belly, chuckling softly. “It’s been over four months.”
It had been over four months since the rebellion in the imperial study, and for someone as proud as Jiang Xuanjin, letting go of her should be easy, right? They were not meant to be together; he was such a rational person. He could surely start a new life. Thus, during that meeting, Jiang Xuanjin must have had other considerations, which is why he persuaded the two lords to hold back.
She wondered if Bai Xuanji would help him pluck the moon.
She gulped down the medicinal soup in one go, grimacing at the bitterness. Huaiyu smacked her lips and suddenly remembered someone had helped her test medicine a long time ago, frowning as she said, “Testing medicine is to check for toxicity, not to see how bitter it is.”
Her serious demeanor resembled that of a strict teacher in the classroom, and the deep, incense-laden voice echoed in her ears as if she had experienced a dream.
“Wake up from the dream!” She smiled, lowering her gaze and stroking the Buddhist beads on her wrist.
She had secretly hidden these, not willing to return them, treating them as a keepsake.
“Master, in half a month, it will be the fiftieth birthday of the Changlin lord,” Qingsi said. “All the surrounding feudal lords have received invitations. Your invitation has also been delivered.”
“Oh?” Huaiyu raised an eyebrow. “They even invited me?”
“You are, after all, the lord of Danyang,” Qingsi replied. “In just two months, Yixian City has changed so much, and everyone is watching.”
Two months ago, Yixian City was still filled with refugees, but now it could at least be considered a normal place. Once the river was fully opened, the city would be saved. Moreover, judging by the affection the local people had for them, it wouldn’t be impossible for Yixian City to be incorporated into Danyang.
Huaiyu felt gratified. “It seems my efforts were not in vain.”
“Should I prepare an outfit?” Qingsi looked at her. “You’ll need new clothes for your condition.”
Her belly had grown quite large over the past four months, yet strangely, the young lord hadn’t gained any weight; only her belly had swollen while her arms and legs remained slender.
After pondering for a moment, Huaiyu said, “I won’t go. It’s hard for me to move. Just prepare a gift and send it over.”
Qingsi was taken aback. “Not going?”
This was a great opportunity to win over the feudal lords from various regions! It was hard to come by an invitation…
“I’m not going,” Huaiyu firmly shook her head. “I can’t go.”
If Jiang Xuanjin saw her belly, how would she explain it? That she had eaten too much?
As she held Qingsi’s hand and stepped outside for a walk, winter had already set in. Qingsi wrapped her in a thick fox fur cloak, but it still couldn’t hide her belly.
New servants at the magistrate’s office were startled from a distance, pulling the person next to them and asking, “What’s going on?”
The more experienced servants glanced over and waved their hands. “What’s there to be surprised about? The princess is also a woman; it’s not unusual for her to be pregnant.”
“But whose is she pregnant with?”
“I heard from several lords that the child will call Master Lu ‘father.’”
Master Lu? The new servant gasped. “Isn’t there also talk that the princess was previously with the Ziyang lord…”
“Don’t mention the Ziyang lord in this magistrate’s office,” the older servant quickly scolded him, glancing toward the princess’s direction. He lowered his voice, “The most taboo thing in this office is that lord. If the officials hear, you’ll be punished!”
In the past two months, Ziyang had frequently issued documents targeting Danyang, and the relationship between the two places had become tense. Even if the two feudal lords had some entanglements before, the situation was now one of irreconcilable opposition.
The new servant realized this and felt a bit wistful. These noble individuals certainly had many stories to tell.
Ziyang welcomed its first sunny day in a long time. In the main city’s Ziyang residence, the newly appointed Protector Lu Qing stood in the study, his eyes wide. “What?”
Jiang Xuanjin, expressionless, repeated, “In half a month, it will be the Changlin lord’s birthday. You will oversee Ziyang while I go over.”
Lu Qing was Jiang Xuanjin’s childhood friend and confidant, having guarded his territory in Ziyang. After waiting for his master to return, he found Jiang Xuanjin wearing a stern face every day, making it difficult for him to leave the main courtyard. Today, he suddenly said he wanted to go to Changlin.
He felt a mix of amusement and frustration. “Your lordship, given the current situation, you could simply send someone to deliver a gift and make an appearance. Why must you go in person?”
Jiang Xuanjin replied, “To show sincerity.”
“What sincerity do you need to show the Changlin lord?” Lu Qing was furious. “Last time, you threatened him not to act rashly. You’ve intimidated him into submission for two months. What’s this about giving a slap and then a sweet date?”
Thinking of this made Lu Qing feel inexplicably confused. He increasingly didn’t understand Jiang Xuanjin. Some things seemed unnecessary to him, yet Jiang Xuanjin exerted great effort to do them. Meanwhile, he never took care of necessary matters, like sending documents to the capital or reporting for duty.
Voices in the court had already begun to question whether the Ziyang lord was plotting rebellion, yet he didn’t seem worried.
“Lord Lu,” Cheng Xu couldn’t help but speak up. “Let your master go.”
“Give me a reason!” Lu Qing pressed his forehead. “If he goes, I won’t have a good outcome!”
Cheng Xu glanced at his master and pulled Lu Qing aside, whispering, “Have you seen the guest list for the Changlin lord’s invitation?”
The list was sent along with the invitation, but Lu Qing hadn’t paid attention to it. He curiously glanced at Jiang Xuanjin, asking, “Is there someone you must see?”
“There is,” Cheng Xu nodded. “But the master won’t say it clearly, so arguing with you is pointless. The master will go.”
Lu Qing frowned deeply.
Ziyang had its first snowfall, with delicate snowflakes falling and covering the eaves in white. Jiang Xuanjin silently gazed out the window, a flicker of excitement shining in his dark eyes.
“Master, Miss Bai Er has decided to return to the capital,” Yufeng entered and reported with a bow.
Since the incident in Yinping, Bai Xuanji had been under house arrest, with four guards watching her closely. They did not obstruct her from eating or sleeping, but no matter where she was, even when resting, the four guards stood at her bedside.
At first, Bai Xuanji had been stubborn, insisting that as long as she could stay by the lord’s side, she didn’t mind anything else. However, over the past two months, the lord hadn’t even glanced at her once. She had entered the Ziyang residence relying on Bai Dezhong’s influence, but could only occupy a small courtyard, watched day and night.
The terror of waking up to four pairs of eyes had finally become unbearable for Bai Xuanji, and she cried out to return to the capital.
Jiang Xuanjin came back to his senses and took Yufeng to Bai Xuanji’s small courtyard.
Bai Xuanji was crying hard, and upon seeing him, she immediately shut her mouth in fright.
“Want to leave?” Jiang Xuanjin asked expressionlessly, standing at the door.
Bai Xuanji nodded, her eyes filled with fear.
“Why?” Jiang Xuanjin asked. “Is there something wrong with how I treat Miss Bai?”
How could he even ask that? Bai Xuanji was both angry and terrified. She had exhausted all her means to win over Jiang’s family, bribing the servants to secure her position as the lord’s wife, but it was all in vain! No matter what she did, he would always call her Miss Bai Er and never let her enter the main courtyard!
If he had never allowed her into the Ziyang residence, it would have been better. She would have despaired earlier and wouldn’t have wasted so much effort. But he had let her in, only to watch her efforts turn to nothing.
It was like someone climbing a mountain; the height wasn’t scary, but halfway up, they found the path completely blocked, with no way to advance. That was the most despairing.
She hadn’t realized it until last night when she was startled awake by the person watching her by the bed, breaking into a cold sweat and then crying out loud. She finally understood that Jiang Xuanjin was taking revenge on her.
He knew she had spoken ill of him in front of the old master Jiang and that she had tried to sow discord between him and Bai Zhuji. He hadn’t settled the score with her out of respect for her father, but he remembered everything. He wasn’t in a hurry to confront her or to explode in anger; he had chosen the most cruel way to bury her happiness for the rest of her life.
“Does Miss Bai not remember?” Jiang Xuanjin half-closed his eyes, casually saying, “You hold a decree from the emperor.”
If she returned to the capital like this, her life would be forfeit.
With a pale face, Bai Xuanji’s eyes turned red. “Even if I have made mistakes, it shouldn’t provoke such great anger from the lord. The old master Jiang is still healthy and hasn’t been angered by any illness. Why can’t the lord spare me a way out…”
“Miss?” Jiang Xuanjin scoffed, curling his lips in mockery as he looked at her. “Didn’t Miss Bai usually prefer to refer to herself as ‘this humble servant’?”
Bai Xuanji choked, crying even harder.
Wasn’t the Ziyang lord supposed to be magnanimous? Wasn’t he said to have become much gentler? Why was this Ziyang lord, whom she encountered, so vengeful and cruel, as if he had no heart?
To leave would mean death, to stay would be worse than death. What else could she do?
“If Miss Bai truly wishes to leave, I won’t stop you,” Jiang Xuanjin said, lightly brushing his sleeve as he turned to leave. His cold voice floated back on the wind. “Remember to send my regards to Lord Bai.”
Bai Xuanji stared blankly at his retreating figure, her body slowly sliding down as she knelt in despair.
She had no good ending. The Jiang family would surely enjoy the spectacle, and Gulong rushed to find Jiang Shen, wanting to cheer him up.
“Master, you didn’t see; that Miss Bai Er is in a terrible state, crying and banging her head against the wall!”
Jiang Shen lay half-reclined on the concubine’s couch, and upon hearing this, he didn’t even lift his head, only responding with a faint “Hmm.”
Seeing his response, Gulong continued, “In this day and age, a woman who has been divorced has no good days to live. Miss Bai Er is trying to feign pity, hoping to win the lord’s sympathy. Who would have thought the lord would just say a few polite words and let her go? Now she doesn’t dare to leave and can only resort to self-pity.”
A divorced woman has no good days to live?
A heaviness settled in Jiang Shen’s heart, and he sat up.
Recently, he had often dreamed of Xu Chunyang, and in his dreams, she always wore a cold expression. No matter how fast he ran toward her, he could never reach her side.
Was it because her life was difficult that she resented him, even in her dreams, wanting to make him suffer? Did she regret it now and want to return to his side?
His eyes brightened, and Jiang Shen got off the couch, thinking for a moment before putting on his outer robe and heading to Jiang Xuanjin’s study.
“I have a friend in Yixian City,” he said. “I received an invitation today, asking me to join them for a tour of the mountains and rivers.”
Jiang Xuanjin glanced at him. “Yixian City has been in drought for three years.”
There are mountains, but where is the water?
Jiang Shen chuckled dryly. “In a place ravaged by drought, there should still be wind to catch. Give me a pass to the city, and I’ll go.”
Jiang Xuanjin replied leisurely, “Getting a pass is quite troublesome; it will take half a month.”
Jiang Shen’s forehead twitched, unable to contain his anger. “Who do you think you’re fooling? Don’t think I don’t know that when Li Huaiyu left Yinping, you gave Jiu Wu a pass to the city, and it didn’t take half a month!”
Did he think people were foolish? Without a pass, how could they have reached Yixian City so smoothly?
Jiang Xuanjin fell silent, turning to look out the window.
Jiang Shen stepped in front of him, frowning. “You’re my brother; you can’t be so stingy!”
Frowning in displeasure, Jiang Xuanjin said, “If you insist, go find Lu Qing and have him arrange it for you.”
With a smile, Jiang Shen clasped his hands together and bowed to him. “Thank you!”
Then he hurriedly ran off.
His previously good mood was ruined by this. Jiang Xuanjin’s face darkened as he sat in his chair, sulking.
“Master?” Cheng Xu handed him tea. “It’s a good thing that the second young master wants to go to Yixian City. Perhaps he can reconcile with the second madam. Why are you angry?”
Taking the teacup and placing it on the table, Jiang Xuanjin gently tapped the lid against the rim, remaining silent for a long time before finally saying, “He can go, but I cannot.”
Jiang Shen could impulsively run off to Yixian City, but he could not. Jiang Shen could go find someone openly, but he could not.
He had important matters to attend to, documents to review, and countless calculations to manage. Even in his dreams, he felt the sensation of weightlessness from falling off a cliff.
Yesterday, Lu Qing said that once he returned, he would have everything he needed.
But when he opened his arms to look, there was nothing inside; he couldn’t grasp anything.
He was living worse than his second brother.
“Master…” Cheng Xu looked at him with some pity. “The birthday banquet is coming up soon. You… you could also go to Changlin for a stroll and enjoy the scenery.”
Remembering the birthday banquet, Jiang Xuanjin’s dark eyes finally lit up, but he still reprimanded, “Attending the Changlin lord’s birthday is a serious matter; how can I go sightseeing?”
“Of course!” Cheng Xu quickly lowered his head. “This is indeed a serious matter; you must prepare well.”
“Just prepare the gift; there’s nothing else to worry about.” Jiang Xuanjin snorted lightly, thinking for a moment before asking Yufeng to find two tailors to come back.
The feudal lords from various regions had not slept well in recent months, all speculating about what actions the emperor, Ziyang lord, and Princess Chang would take. Ziyang was not far from the capital. The emperor had already stationed troops at Linjiang Mountain, making his wariness of the Ziyang lord quite evident.
Some believed the Ziyang lord should indeed be cautious, while others felt the emperor was ungrateful, treating his former mentor this way. What about the other feudal lords? Would he deal with them one by one after chewing through the tough bone of Ziyang?
With uneasy hearts, the feudal lords arrived early in Changlin, planning to take this opportunity to probe the Ziyang lord.
While waiting, everyone was prepared, as Ziyang had been quite busy lately, and they had heard the lord was in a bad mood. It was possible he wouldn’t show up.
However, just as the birthday banquet began, the Ziyang lord arrived.
Dressed in a blue and purple patterned brocade robe, covered with a thick cloak lined with silver thread and fox fur, his hair was tied high, and his black eyes sparkled. As Jiang Xuanjin entered, everyone gasped in surprise.
“Welcome, Ziyang lord!”
Standing at the entrance, Jiang Xuanjin returned the greeting with a bow, first addressing the Changlin lord at the main seat. “Happy birthday, lord. This humble gift is a token of respect.”
The Changlin lord’s face lit up with joy as he welcomed him to sit at the head table. “I thought you wouldn’t come today.”
“Of course not.” Responding casually, Jiang Xuanjin glanced around with his peripheral vision.
The Pingling lord whispered to the person next to him, “Is this what he calls being in a bad mood?”
The face he had seen before was like ice, yet now he appeared spirited, almost as if he were the one celebrating his birthday.
The person beside him was also curious, secretly observing the Ziyang lord. They saw him conversing with the Changlin lord while scanning the seating area as if searching for someone.
He didn’t see anyone at first glance, and Jiang Xuanjin thought he was seeing things, so he looked again. Still, he didn’t see anyone.
His heart, which had been hanging, suddenly sank. He asked the Changlin lord, “Is Danyang not sending anyone?”
The Changlin lord quickly replied, “They are here, over there.”
Following his指向, he saw Jiu Wu sitting there.
Jiang Xuanjin narrowed his eyes.
“This…” Suddenly, he felt the atmosphere around the Ziyang lord grow cold. The Changlin lord, with a stiff neck, explained, “Your lordship, don’t underestimate this person. He is the newly appointed Governor of Danyang, quite reputable, and handles matters reliably. With him here…”
“Where is the princess?” he asked in a low voice.
The Changlin lord awkwardly said, “The invitation was sent, but it’s said that the princess is unwell and cannot come.”
What a great opportunity! A person like her, as long as she was alive, how could she not come? Jiang Xuanjin sneered, lightly tapping the table’s edge with his index finger, his brows furrowing with irritation.
Could it be that because he was here, she would rather abandon her grand plans than show up?
Just yesterday, he had finally had a good dream, dreaming that she reached out her hand to him. Although he hadn’t been able to grasp it in the end, he thought it was at least a good omen.
In the end, what he couldn’t grasp was still out of reach.
Jiang Xuanjin scoffed lightly, feeling a heaviness in his heart.
How much did she despise him that she wouldn’t even grant him a dream?