Jiang Ci turned around to see Wei Zhao leaning weakly against the carriage wall, a sword wound bleeding on his ribs and a black-feathered arrow protruding from his shoulder.
Alarmed, she hurried to help him lie down on the couch. Wei Zhao said softly, “There’s medicine under the couch.”
Jiang Ci quickly retrieved the medicine from beneath the couch, relieved to find a complete set of medical supplies. Having spent time with Cui Liang, she had learned some wound dressing skills. She tore open Wei Zhao’s night-walking clothes and examined the sword wound. Fortunately, it wasn’t too deep. She cleaned the wound with medicinal wine, applied the salve, and bandaged it properly.
She then turned her attention to the arrow in Wei Zhao’s shoulder, feeling somewhat apprehensive as she had never removed an arrow from someone before. Wei Zhao opened his eyes and, seeing her hesitation, removed his mask and chuckled breathlessly, “What? Scared?”
Inside the carriage, the swaying lantern cast flickering shadows on Wei Zhao’s face, making him appear at times like a blooming snow lotus and at others like an Asura emerging from hell.
Jiang Ci gritted her teeth and grasped the arrow with both hands. Closing her eyes, she said, “Third Young Master, press on the acupoint and bear with the pain. I’m going to remove the arrow.”
Suddenly, Wei Zhao’s right hand shot out, grabbing Jiang Ci’s hands and pulling them back forcefully. Jiang Ci cried out as the black-feathered arrow was pushed further into Wei Zhao’s shoulder.
She panicked, “Third Young Master, you—”
Wei Zhao’s right hand moved like the wind, pressing the acupoints around the arrow wound. He said coldly, “Pull it out quickly!”
Jiang Ci controlled her racing heart, gripped the arrow shaft, and with a burst of strength, pulled it out. A jet of blood sprayed onto her chest. She tossed aside the arrow and pressed a soft cloth firmly against the wound. After a while, the bleeding slowed. She struggled to keep her hands steady as she applied the medicine, but fresh blood washed away the powder. She had to press the wound again and reapply the medicine several times before it finally stopped bleeding. When she finished bandaging Wei Zhao’s shoulder, sweat dripping from her brow, she realized he had already passed out.
Feeling exhausted, she managed to position Wei Zhao properly on the couch. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she gazed at his serene face, disheveled black hair, and the beads of sweat on his brow. Sitting down beside the couch, she whispered, “Do you trust me that much?”
As the carriage sped on, Jiang Ci, still weak from her cold and drained from the intense stress of treating Wei Zhao’s wounds, saw that his breathing had stabilized. Relieved, she fell asleep leaning against the couch.
The bumpy carriage ride, perhaps hitting a stone on the road, jolted Jiang Ci awake. Seeing Wei Zhao still unconscious, she struggled to her feet, gathered the bloodstained items, wrapped them in a cloth, and set them aside. She then found a plain robe in the wooden compartment under the couch.
Wei Zhao was tall, and Jiang Ci had to exert herself to prop up his upper body. She let him lean on her shoulder as she slowly removed his night-walking clothes and dressed him in the plain robe. Her gaze lingered on his neck, where several old marks, seemingly bite marks, were visible. She couldn’t help but touch those teeth marks, wondering who would dare bite the powerful Wei Zhao.
Wei Zhao stirred slightly, and Jiang Ci quickly called out, “Third Young Master!” But he didn’t move again. Feeling the carriage’s intense jolting, Jiang Ci decided to hold him in her arms, leaning against the carriage wall. Lost in her thoughts, she eventually dozed off, unable to stay awake any longer.
Throughout the journey, Old Lin drove the carriage extremely fast, seemingly following Wei Zhao’s prior instructions. He didn’t stop all night, only slowing down when daylight broke.
Jiang Ci awoke with a start, finding herself face to face with Wei Zhao’s half-open eyes. She quickly laid him down flat and asked, “You’re awake?”
She leaned over to check his wounds and, seeing no fresh bleeding, sighed in relief. “That’s good. I’m far worse than Brother Cui. Third Young Master, please don’t mind my clumsiness.”
Wei Zhao glanced at his wounds, the corners of his mouth curling slightly. “You’ve studied medicine?”
“Not formally,” Jiang Ci smiled. “When I was bored living in the West Garden, I learned a bit from Brother Cui. It came in handy today.”
“Cui… Zi… Ming?” Wei Zhao said slowly.
Jiang Ci nodded, then asked, “Third Young Master, may I ask a question?”
“Go ahead.” Wei Zhao sat up on the couch and closed his eyes.
“You’re so badly injured. Why didn’t you let the Younger Holy Maiden come along instead of me, a prisoner? What if—”
Wei Zhao smiled but didn’t answer, slowly exhaling a long breath. Jiang Ci realized he was starting to use his Yuan Power to heal and didn’t dare disturb him, moving to sit far away.
Traveling east from Yu Jian Prefecture, they soon reached Xiang Prefecture.
Throughout the journey, Wei Zhao drifted in and out of consciousness, though he was mostly awake towards the end. When he was unconscious, Jiang Ci held him in her arms to prevent his wounds from reopening due to the carriage’s jolting. When he was awake, he cultivated his Yuan Power to heal, and during the remaining time, he rested with his eyes closed, rarely speaking to Jiang Ci.
As the carriage entered Xiang Prefecture, Old Lin rented the back courtyard of an inn and drove the carriage directly inside. Once in the courtyard, Wei Zhao ordered Old Lin to leave, and the inn’s servants had been instructed not to enter. Seeing Wei Zhao lie down on the bed, Jiang Ci drew water from the well, boiled it in the kitchen, and brought it to the main room in a copper kettle.
She approached the bedside and said softly, “Third Young Master, it’s time to change your dressing.”
Wei Zhao allowed her gentle hands to change his dressing and bandages. He listened to her singing as she moved from the room to the courtyard, smelled the aroma of chicken porridge, and let her prop him up to slowly sip the porridge she brought to his lips.
After eating the chicken porridge, Wei Zhao’s complexion improved. Jiang Ci was delighted. She filled her stomach and returned to sit by the bed. Seeing Wei Zhao’s phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, watching her, Jiang Ci said gently, “Sleep now. You’ll recover faster if you rest well.”
Wei Zhao said softly, “I don’t need to recover quickly. As long as I don’t die, it’s fine.”
Not understanding his meaning, Jiang Ci still smiled and said, “You still need to sleep. How about this, Third Young Master? I’ll sing you a song. In the past, whenever my senior apprentice sister heard me sing this song, she would fall asleep quickly.”
Wei Zhao couldn’t help but smile. “Your senior apprentice sister is so much older than you, yet you’re coaxing her to sleep like a child.”
Jiang Ci smiled and said, “Although my senior apprentice sister is a few years older than me and has a cold personality, she’s very fragile inside. I often comfort her.”
“Then let me hear your song.”
In Changfeng Manor, there was a high tower built on the higher ground of the “Plum Garden,” an excellent spot for viewing the surroundings. On this day of beautiful spring weather, Pei Yan sat by the railing of the tower, smiling slightly as he looked at the secret report in his hand.
The maid Yingtao knelt to the side, rinsing the tea set and brewing a cup of fragrant tea, which she presented to Pei Yan.
Pei Yan reached out to take it, letting the tea’s aroma permeate his lungs. He said softly, “You may all leave.”
The sound of footsteps echoed as An Chen ascended the tower. After the maids had left, he approached and reported, “Lord Prime Minister, they have passed through Xiang Prefecture and are heading towards Nan’an Prefecture.”
Pei Yan’s hand, holding the teacup, paused in mid-air, his eyes showing a hint of amusement. “Oh? They’re moving quite fast.”
An Chen also smiled and said, “Wei Zhao seems to have a death wish.”
“How could he die so easily?” Pei Yan said leisurely. “For so many years, he has endured what others couldn’t. At such a young age, he entered Prince Qingde’s mansion, survived under that unruly tyrant, and managed to be sent to the palace as he wished, climbing to his current position. Do you think he’d die so easily? I fear that even the extent of his injuries was calculated in advance.”
“It seems the Cheng sisters must undoubtedly be his people.”
Pei Yan nodded. “Mm, this play in Yu Jian Prefecture is Wei Zhao killing three birds with one stone.”
An Chen thought for a moment. “This subordinate can only think of two.”
“Let’s hear them.”
“First, naturally, is to wound the young Prince Qingde and frame the Emperor. Even if the young Prince Qingde doesn’t rebel, he will certainly communicate secretly with the Yue clan, giving them the confidence to revolt. Second, Wei Zhao wants to pretend that he was injured while breaking the Xiaojing River, to avoid the Emperor’s suspicion. But the Emperor is astute and will surely be able to tell from the wounds approximately when they were inflicted and to what degree. Wei Zhao’s ‘assassination attempt and injury’ in Yu Jian Prefecture happened on the sixth day of the second month, which is about the right timing.”
Pei Yan smiled and said, “Think about it. In this play, having Cheng Yingying pretend to ‘save’ the young Prince Qingde, combined with the prince’s flirtatious nature, it shouldn’t be too difficult for the Cheng sisters to secretly influence the tens of thousands of troops in Yu Jian Prefecture and stir up trouble there, right?”
An Chen shook his head and sighed, “Wei Zhao has truly gone to great lengths to throw the world into chaos, even risking his life. It’s terrifying.”
“Indeed. He has meticulously planned to use Yao Dingbang’s connection to force Lord Bo to rebel. For these three months, he has been pretending to investigate Lord Bo in Long Prefecture. With Lord Bo’s rebellion, he naturally had to pretend to be injured and fall into the water while breaking the Xiaojing River to dispel the Emperor’s suspicions.”
An Chen still didn’t understand. “Why did he have someone break the Xiaojing River? Wouldn’t it be better to let Lord Bo continue south and attack the capital?”
Pei Yan smiled slightly. “I had long guessed that he would send someone to break the Xiaojing River, and I even had Jian Yu give him a little help.”
An Chen waited for a while, but seeing that Pei Yan didn’t continue, he knew his master’s nature and didn’t dare to ask further.
After thinking for a moment, Pei Yan asked, “Have there always been just three of them?”
“Yes. One driving the carriage can be considered a skilled fighter. Wei Zhao and Miss Jiang have always been inside the carriage. At night, they sometimes stay at inns, sometimes continue traveling.”
Pei Yan let out a cold snort and said no more.
An Chen, having followed him for many years, shuddered at the sound of his cold snort. After a moment of hesitation, he carefully said, “Lord Prime Minister, calculating their journey, they should reach Nan’an Prefecture tomorrow. What do you think—”
Pei Yan slowly sipped his tea, looking at the layered mountains under the spring light and the azaleas blooming brilliantly all over the hills. He calmly said, “Have someone tidy up the ‘Tranquil Thought Pavilion.’ Tomorrow, I want to have a good meeting with Wei… Zhao… there!”
It was still only February, but the spring sun made people feel comfortably warm. In the wilderness, azaleas and peach blossoms competed to bloom, as brilliant as clouds and as beautiful as brocade. The spring breeze passed, scattering petals all over the ground, creating a sea of pink, white, and fragrant snow.
Traveling eastward from Xiang Prefecture, they entered the territory of Nan’an Prefecture on this day.
The carriage moved slowly, with the spring breeze occasionally lifting the curtains, revealing the lush spring scenery along the road. However, Jiang Ci was no longer in the mood to appreciate it, feeling restless.
Wei Zhao’s condition had improved, and he was no longer unconscious. He leaned against the couch, staring at Jiang Ci for a long time before suddenly asking, “What are you afraid of?”
Jiang Ci was startled and lowered her head.
Seeing her flushed cheeks and fingers tightly gripping the hem of her dress, Wei Zhao asked, “Still don’t want to return to the Young Lord?”
The pain Jiang Ci had been suppressing in her heart for so long was stirred by his words, and her eyes began to moisten. Wei Zhao saw this clearly and smiled, sitting down beside her and looking down at her intently. “The Young Lord has been waiting for me to bring you back. He doesn’t know yet that I’m about to take you back to Changfeng Manor. I should give him a surprise.”
Jiang Ci looked up and pleaded, “Third Young Master, can you—”
Wei Zhao closed his eyes and leaned back against the carriage wall. Jiang Ci’s last glimmer of hope was extinguished, and tears began to fall.
Wei Zhao showed some impatience. “What’s wrong with the Young Lord? Other women dream of entering his manor, yet you’re putting on airs!”
Jiang Ci angrily wiped away her tears and said, “I’m not putting on airs! No matter how good his manor is, what does it have to do with me?”
“Didn’t he fall for you? He even got injured trying to save you. For someone like him, that’s extremely rare,” Wei Zhao said leisurely, leaning close to Jiang Ci’s ear.
Jiang Ci shook her head, her voice filled with a sadness Wei Zhao had never heard from her before. “No, I never know which of his words are true and which are false. I don’t even know how he sees me—” Remembering the unspeakable night in the thatched cottage, that nightmarish experience, and realizing that this carriage was heading towards Changfeng Manor, Jiang Ci’s hands intertwined, and she choked up, unable to speak.
Wei Zhao stared at her for a long time before saying, “You don’t want to go back?”
Hearing a hint of flexibility in his tone, Jiang Ci quickly looked up. “Third Young Master.”
Wei Zhao lifted the carriage curtain, seeing Baolin Mountain in the distance. He slowly let the curtain fall back and calmly said, “But I need to take you back to show my sincerity and to negotiate cooperation with him. What should we do?”
On the southern slope of Baolin Mountain, passing through the plum forest on the east side of Changfeng Manor, there was a stone stairway lined with towering ancient trees that cast deep shadows. Following the small path upwards, there was a rock wall covered in green vines on the mountainside. In front of the rock wall, an octagonal wooden pavilion named “Tranquil Thought Pavilion” stood in a clearing.
Standing in the Tranquil Thought Pavilion, one could see the entire view of the fields and countryside to the south of Baolin Mountain. It was a time of beautiful spring weather, and Pei Yan, dressed in a deep green silk robe, stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the official road at the foot of the mountain. He felt the splendor of spring and a sense of refreshment.
An Chen came to report, “Lord Prime Minister, they are now three li away.”
Pei Yan turned to look at the chessboard on the stone table and smiled. “It’s a pity we didn’t bring the ‘Ice Jade Chess Set’ from the manor. This chess set doesn’t quite match Wei Zhao’s caliber.”
As the spring breeze brushed over the mountains and fields, petals fell like rain, and the pines whispered. Sunlight filtered down onto Pei Yan, causing him to squint slightly. He looked toward the foot of the mountain where a carriage was approaching from afar, eventually stopping at the base. A smile formed on his lips.
At the base of Baolin Mountain, the carriage came to a slow halt.
Old Lin’s voice rang out from outside the carriage: “My lord, we have arrived at Baolin Mountain.”
Wei Zhao donned his mask and turned to look at Jiang Ci. Jiang Ci, feeling flustered and her heart pounding heavily, suddenly grabbed Wei Zhao’s wide blue hat and placed it on his head.
Wei Zhao brushed off his plain robe, stood up, and reached for the carriage door but hesitated and slowly sat back down.
The drifting clouds rolled leisurely from south to north.
Pei Yan stood with his hands clasped behind his back in the pavilion, a gentle smile on his face.