Losing your temper so quickly? Liu Chang thought with satisfaction as he pushed away Jiang Changyang’s whip. “Why so aggressive, Brother Jiang? I was merely stating a fact out of goodwill. Even if you’re not grateful, there’s no need to be so rude.” The words “rude and impolite” were what he wanted to say to Jiang Changyang.
Jiang Changyang withdrew his whip, turned his horse, and moved closer to Liu Chang with a slight smile. “Rude and impolite?” He suddenly threw a punch, hitting Liu Chang hard on the left side of his face. “So what if I’m rude? This is for you, you senseless scoundrel!”
Liu Chang hadn’t expected Jiang Changyang to act so swiftly and had no time to dodge. As he saw stars and his ears rang, another punch landed on his right side.
Despicable scoundrel, he ambushed me! Liu Chang nearly fell off his horse, only managing to stay seated by clinging tightly to the horse’s neck.
“Stop hitting him!” Qiushi tumbled off his horse and rushed over, grabbing Liu Chang’s leg and letting out an ear-piercing scream. “Young Master, Young Master, are you alright?”
“Shut up!” Liu Chang shook his head, seeing multiple images of the person before him. He futilely reached out to grab Jiang Changyang, but Jiang had already backed his horse away and stood watching him from a distance, a hint of a smug smile on his lips. “You can still curse, so it seems you’re not dead yet.”
Liu Chang was filled with indescribable hatred. He glared fiercely at Jiang Changyang. “Jiang Changyang, you despicable scoundrel, how dare you ambush me! If you have the guts, fight me fair and square!”
Jiang Changyang replied coolly, “Liu Chang, this is called a lesson. I tried reasoning with you before, but you wouldn’t listen. Reason doesn’t work with everyone. Listen carefully: since you’ve already divorced Danniang, keep your good intentions for your princess. Danniang’s affairs, and my affairs, are none of your business. If you meddle or run your mouth again, I won’t mind teaching you another lesson.”
“Who do you think you are to teach me a lesson?” Liu Chang’s hand moved to the sword at his waist. Jiang Changyang looked at him coldly, his lips curling in mockery. “You’d better save your energy. My blade isn’t for slaughtering horses; it’s for slaughtering people.”
Liu Chang suddenly remembered that day at Prince Ning’s estate, when he had publicly killed a horse with his short sword—the horse that had thrown Qinghua off its back. An overwhelming sense of shame made his face turn pale, and he clenched his teeth to keep them from chattering. He gripped his sword hilt tightly, wanting to draw it and slash at Jiang Changyang, but he knew he was no match for him. His hand tightened and loosened on the hilt repeatedly before he finally told himself to endure it. The future was long; there would be other opportunities.
So he raised his eyes to look at Jiang Changyang. “You have nothing worth showing off to me. You’re just taller and stronger, and you’ve spent more time in the military. If I were like you, I could do the same, maybe even better.”
Jiang Changyang looked straight at him. “Indeed, there’s nothing to boast about. I’m merely repaying you in kind. Danniang is just a weak woman; what did you have to boast about to her? I’m embarrassed for you.”
Liu Chang pressed his lips together, stubbornly staring at Jiang Changyang.
Jiang Changyang gently nudged his horse’s belly and slowly passed by Liu Chang, maintaining eye contact. Liu Chang couldn’t help but mutter, “We’ll see what becomes of you in the future.”
Jiang Changyang turned back to look at him with a confident smile. “I’m afraid you might die of anger before then.”
Wu San was waiting for Jiang Changyang in the stone-paved courtyard. As soon as he saw him enter, he went to meet him. “Liu Chang has left. Did you catch up with Miss He?”
Jiang Changyang briefly recounted what had happened, omitting the part about punching Liu Chang. Wu San was silent for a moment before saying, “I’m afraid after this incident, Miss He might avoid you. What are your thoughts? Have you made up your mind?”
Jiang Changyang didn’t respond. They walked through the middle gate before he finally spoke. “I wrote a letter to my wife a few days ago. Send it out tomorrow.”
As expected, Wu San thought. He had been with Jiang Changyang since he was thirteen and understood his temperament. He wasn’t a frivolous person; if he didn’t have intentions or hadn’t made up his mind, he wouldn’t have repeatedly sought out Mudan. Wu San did some mental calculations. “It’s already late autumn. We probably won’t receive a reply from your wife until next spring. I dare to guess that there shouldn’t be any issues on your wife’s end, but what if she agrees and things fall through on this end? Also, regarding the Duke, no matter what, you’re still a Jiang… That might be a difficult hurdle, and we need to guard against people causing trouble. Why not settle things here first, then proceed with everything else?”
Jiang Changyang thought of how Mudan had thanked him earlier and felt somewhat dejected. “I understand. It might be difficult to settle things with her first. Not to mention that the He family wouldn’t agree just on my word alone, she wouldn’t easily believe me either. Even if it could work out, preparing afterward would be hurtful. It’s better to proceed on both fronts. If things don’t work out here…” He paused. “If they don’t work out, at worst I’ll be laughed at once.” As he said this, he began to feel uncertain and increasingly frustrated.
Wu San smiled. “Then I’ll start making arrangements. When you’re less busy, you should visit Miss He’s shop more often. Oh, and Young Master Pan is waiting for you in the study. He says he wants to play chess with you.”
Jiang Changyang entered the study to find Pan Rong casually dressed in a green-lined robe, half-reclining on a couch, deep in thought over a half-finished game of chess. He didn’t look up at the sound of Jiang Changyang’s footsteps, instead moving a chess piece back and forth, unable to decide where to place it.
Jiang Changyang sat down across from him and said bluntly, “Since when did your chess skills become so formidable? Even a monk couldn’t solve this half-finished game.”
Pan Rong frowned. “Don’t disturb me. I almost figured it out just now.”
Jiang Changyang poured himself a cup of tea and drank it in one gulp. “Then congratulations. I’ve tried a few times, but I can’t solve it for now.”
Pan Rong looked up at him. “Are you sure you can’t solve it?”
Jiang Changyang replied, “Of course.”
Pan Rong carelessly tossed the chess piece onto the board, disrupting the game. He clapped his hands and grinned. “Then I’ll stop here and not waste any more energy.”
Jiang Changyang sensed that Pan Rong was hinting at something and frowned. “I just met Liu Chang on the road. I punched him twice, so we’ve burned our bridges. I’m telling you this so you’re aware and won’t bring up your brother again in the future.”
“Alright, I won’t mention it,” Pan Rong sighed. “He deliberately provoked you again, didn’t he?”
Jiang Changyang’s silence was as good as confirmation.
Pan Rong stood up and paced around the room. “I don’t understand him. He used to treat her like an old shoe, making such a fuss. Now that he’s gotten what he wanted, he still can’t let go. He’s obsessed. And you, Jiang Dalang, what are you thinking? Are you serious about this? I think she’s just a bit pretty, knows how to grow peonies, and has a generous dowry. That’s all.”
Jiang Changyang said unhappily, “I don’t like you talking about her in that tone.”
Pan Rong blinked. “I’ve always talked like this. Axin likes her a lot too, which makes me uncomfortable. I’m just curious, why is that?”
If Jiang Changyang were to explain why, he couldn’t put it into words. He began to recall when it all started. The first time he saw Mudan, he was impressed by her peonies and her beauty, and sympathetic to her situation, but that was all. When they met at the cold noodle shop in the East Market, he was amazed by her cheerfulness and radiance—how could someone who had been through such hardships be so joyful?
On the Dragon Boat Festival, when he saved her, she was the first woman he had been in such proximity to since becoming an adult. But at that time, his heart was filled with righteousness and indignation, and he was also deliberately making a show for someone else to see, leaving no room for other thoughts. He watched her regain her composure and then angrily shout at Princess Qinghua in the street, calling herself “this old woman,” and yell at Liu Shangshu, who was still her father-in-law at the time, demanding divorce papers. She then rushed to save Li Xing. He found her interesting and thought her phoenix eyes, flashing with anger, were particularly beautiful. He had been about to leave but changed his mind at the last moment, deciding to help her and see how the story would end. In the end, she successfully intimidated and persuaded Qi Yuzhu, and her relatives were quite formidable, so he didn’t need to intervene at all.
Afterward, when her father and brother brought her to thank him, her expertise in talking about peonies was impressive, as he already knew she was skilled in that area. But when she saw his Mudan from Nanzhao, she circled it repeatedly, trying but failing to hide her excitement and eagerness. It was quite amusing, especially with her father shamelessly trying to help his daughter. It left a deep impression on him and made him feel a bit melancholic. He firmly remembered this family and her request for Mudan seeds.
During the polo match, when she fell ill, he learned that she was sick. He ordered Wu San to deliver the eaves tiles and started paying attention to her, thinking he had found something to hold over Jiang Changyang. Wu San eagerly went to inquire about her and reported back, constantly bringing her up until Jiang Changyang felt as if he had known her for a long time and was very familiar with her.
They became neighbors, and Wu San kept mentioning her until Prince Ning’s steward came to their door. Should he help? He was planning to build a pond and waterside pavilion anyway. He had been living in this estate that others had occupied for so many years and wanted to renovate it to his liking. It was a perfect opportunity. He loved doing things that benefited both himself and others.
When she met him on the road and thanked him so sincerely, her smile was sweet, and her eyes shone brilliantly in the sunset. She was beautiful, but it also made him feel embarrassed because he wasn’t the good person she thought he was. At least not entirely. He just thought since he could help someone he found agreeable and make a certain someone else busy and frustrated, why not do it?
Out of guilt, he asked about her illness. When he heard it was fake, he felt inexplicably happy for her. When they parted at the city gate, he took on full responsibility, telling her to blame everything regarding Prince Ning’s affairs on him. At that time, he truly thought that if she asked, he would find a way to help her himself, rather than going through that person.
But she never made a move. Even when they met at Fuyuan, she didn’t say anything. He thought perhaps she didn’t need his help, and since she had many relatives, there probably wouldn’t be any major problems. Later, when Wu San went to deliver the seeds and asked, the matter had indeed been resolved. Wu San also handed him a small purse.