Focused on chasing An Hua and still weak from her illness, Jiang Ci’s steps were unsteady. She stumbled right into the person’s embrace. Her forehead knocked against their chin, and she let out an “Ah!” Instinctively, her hands pushed forward, smearing her rouge-red lip print all over the person’s chest.
Before she could stand up straight, Jiang Ci caught a faint scent of wine and chrysanthemums on the person’s clothes. She sniffed hard and exclaimed, “Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs!”
Just as she called out, she heard An Hua’s voice, tinged with fear: “Your Excellency!”
She looked up and met a pair of bright, deep eyes with a hint of amusement. It was Minister Pei Yan, whom she had seen at Changfeng Manor. He was now wearing a brilliant white cloud-patterned brocade robe, exuding an air of calm comfort. His right hand gently pushed her away to steady her as he smiled and said, “Indeed, Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs.”
Jiang Ci stood up straight, her gaze falling on Pei Yan’s chest. The red lip print she had left earlier with her five fingers splayed out looked like a crab waving its large pincers, perfectly matching his words. She froze for a moment, then burst into laughter, unable to resist pointing at Pei Yan’s chest.
Pei Yan looked down, understood, and couldn’t help but chuckle. He shook his head and said, “I was drinking chrysanthemum wine and eating Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs with a friend earlier. I’m sorry I didn’t bring any for Miss Jiang.”
Jiang Ci stopped laughing but her eyes remained crinkled in amusement as she looked at Pei Yan without speaking. Pei Yan could see the words “hairy crab” written all over her expression, but he wasn’t annoyed. Instead, his smile grew even more gentle and elegant. “Won’t Miss Jiang invite me in for a seat? Are you upset that I didn’t bring hairy crabs to apologize?”
Jiang Ci tilted her head back, let out a light snort, and walked into the room. As they passed each other, Pei Yan caught a glimpse of her dark pupils, sparkling with mischief and coquettishness, flashing before him for an instant.
“Is Miss Jiang finding her stay here comfortable?” Pei Yan asked leisurely as he entered the room.
Jiang Ci sat down at the table, not looking at him as she put away her rouge and powder in a pear wood patterned box. In her mind, she kept repeating: Hairy crab, dead hairy crab, you injured me, sent people to monitor me, had that girl try to get information from me, investigated my background, and yet you’re still pretending to be nice. I hope you turn into a hairy crab every day and get eaten with wine.
Despite her internal grumbling, her face remained calm as she said, “I’m honored by Your Excellency’s concern. I’m just a common woman, I don’t deserve such attention.”
Pei Yan walked around the room with his hands behind his back, then turned to see Jiang Ci leaning on the table. Her cheeks were like peach blossoms after rain, and her right hand, transparent as spring onions, tapped idly on the table.
His suspicions grew. He decided to sit down across from Jiang Ci at the table, lightly lifting his robe as he did so. He smiled and said, “Miss Jiang, I was rash that night. I struck without looking clearly, causing you serious injury. I feel truly awful about it.”
Jiang Ci waved her hand dismissively. “It was my fault too. I climbed that tree just to watch the show. My martial arts are poor, and I didn’t know someone was hiding above me. You mistook me for a thief, and that thief used me as a stepping stone to escape. It was just my bad luck. Your Excellency shouldn’t take it to heart.”
Pei Yan’s expression turned serious. “It was still my fault for striking too hard, causing Miss Jiang to suffer for over a month. I must make amends to you for this.”
Jiang Ci pouted. “Forget it, forget it. You’re the esteemed Minister of State. I can’t handle you apologizing to me so meekly. Besides, I’ve been staying here for a while, eating your food and using your things. I’m thin-skinned and feel bad about it too. It would be best if you send over a few Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs and some jugs of chrysanthemum wine tomorrow. I’ll have a taste, then clap my hands and leave. We’ll be even and owe each other nothing.”
“If Miss Jiang wants to eat hairy crabs, I’ll certainly have them sent over. But your injuries haven’t fully healed yet. You should stay patiently at my residence for a while longer. When you’ve fully recovered, I’ll have someone escort you home.”
Jiang Ci pursed her lips and said, “That’s not necessary. I have no home to return to anyway. You go your official way, and I’ll live my life as a wandering martial artist. From now on, you and I, in officialdom and the jianghu, from one end of the earth to the other, above the sky and below the ground, from the yellow springs to the blue horizon, with misty green mountains and distant flowing waters, for all lifetimes to come, we’ll forget each other—”
Pei Yan stared at Jiang Ci, watching her slightly pouting red lips, as beautiful as begonia flowers, spout an increasingly outrageous string of words. The amused smile at the corner of his mouth deepened.
He leaned back in his chair, and when Jiang Ci paused to take a breath, he suddenly leaned forward, placing his hands on the table in front of her, staring intently.
Jiang Ci was in the middle of catching her breath and was startled. She choked and began coughing violently.
Pei Yan teased, “It seems Miss Jiang’s injuries haven’t healed. You should stay comfortably at my residence. After all, my household is large and wealthy, and won’t miss the small expense of your stay.”
Jiang Ci’s face turned red from coughing, and she glared at him fiercely. He chuckled as he stood up and walked to the door. Turning slightly, he said, “Both hairy crabs and chrysanthemum wine are harmful to one’s health. For the sake of your recovery, I think I’ll have them sent over in a few days.” With that, he turned and walked away, hands clasped behind his back.
Jiang Ci glared at his retreating figure, her coughing subsiding. She couldn’t help but make a face, then burst into laughter a moment later.
As Pei Yan stepped out of the courtyard gate, An Hua silently approached and bowed respectfully.
Pei Yan stopped and asked, “Her lightness skill… you couldn’t tell which sect it belongs to?”
“No, Your Excellency,” An Hua replied, head bowed. “I deliberately led her to chase me, but her movements don’t resemble any sect style I know.”
“And in daily conversation, there were no slip-ups, no clues at all?”
“No, Your Excellency. She only said she lived in remote mountains and wilderness and came down the mountain to travel after her master passed away. She doesn’t know her master’s name, only calling him ‘Master.’ When asked where she lived, she said she didn’t know either, that she had traveled hundreds of li before reaching Nan’an Prefecture. Every word she says seems innocent and genuine, but it’s impossible to find any lead.”
Pei Yan gave a cold laugh. “For someone so young to be so cunning, she’s truly extraordinary.”
An Hua lowered her head even further, not daring to speak.
After thinking for a moment, Pei Yan said, “Since she’s so cunning, there’s no need for you to try to get information from her anymore. Have the people outside the courtyard change from overt to covert surveillance.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
A cool breeze wafted by. Pei Yan felt the effects of the chrysanthemum wine he had drunk at Prince Jing’s residence earlier, making his face feel warm. After pondering for a moment, he headed towards the West Garden.
At this time, a crescent moon hung like a hook in the ink-black sky. Pei Yan loosened his collar slightly, letting the cool night breeze dispel some of the effects of the wine as he entered the West Garden.
He saw Cui Liang reclining in a bamboo chair, one leg crossed over the other, with a plate of boiled peanuts on the chair in front of him. He was holding a wine jug in his left hand while his right hand peeled peanuts and tossed them into his mouth. Pei Yan smiled and said, “Ziming is in good spirits!”
Cui Liang didn’t get up but pushed the bamboo chair beside him forward with his right hand. Pei Yan’s toes touched the ground lightly, his body spinning like a falcon folding its wings, and he landed gracefully in the chair. His right hand extended, perfectly catching the wine jug Cui Liang tossed to him.
Looking at the wine jug in his hand, Pei Yan gave a wry smile. “I just came back from drinking several jugs of chrysanthemum wine. I’m afraid I can’t handle your carved wine jug, Ziming.”
Cui Liang pushed the plate in front of him. Pei Yan tossed the wine jug back to him with his right hand, then swiftly caught the plate, balancing it steadily in his palm. He picked up a few peanuts and began peeling them as he spoke, “I heard from Pei Yang that you’ve been working hard to save that girl these past few days. Thank you for your efforts, Ziming.”
Cui Liang raised his chin, catching the peanut tossed by his right hand in his mouth. As he chewed, he mumbled, “Is Your Excellency saying this because you think I’ve overstayed my welcome in this West Garden?”
Pei Yan smiled slightly, relaxing into the chair and looking up at the sparse stars and moon in the sky. “To be honest with you, Ziming, it’s only when I come to your West Garden that I feel I’m not just the Minister of the Left. If you were to leave, my position as minister would become even more tedious. Why don’t you come to help me, Ziming? Let me catch my breath a bit.”
Cui Liang smiled, his face calm, but a hint of mockery rose in his heart.
After two years of association, Cui Liang knew this Minister of the Left very well. The man was extremely intelligent and perceptive. His rapid rise to power at a young age was certainly related to his ruthless actions, tenacious personality, and capability and skill. But most importantly, it was due to his intense desire for power and innate obsession with fame and fortune.
This man was a born hunter, with an unparalleled passion for pursuing power. In this treacherous and perilous arena of power, not only did he not feel weary, but he thrived like a fish in water, tirelessly deriving endless pleasure from the process of struggle and combat.
If he truly found his position as Minister of the Left tedious, he would likely lack the strength to sustain this unfathomably deep ministerial mansion, let alone stand at this lofty height in the public eye.
Cui Liang leaned back in his chair lazily and said, “So you see, I live more freely as a commoner. If Your Excellency ever retires, why don’t we travel the world together? It might not be such a bad thing!”
Seeing him avoid the topic again, Pei Yan felt a slight annoyance, but his face still wore a gentle smile. “That would be wonderful. Traveling the world with you, Ziming would surely be a marvelous experience.”
He sighed again. “Alas, even if I wanted to walk away now, I couldn’t. The situation at court is complex, the martial arts world is in turmoil, affecting the military situation. I feel somewhat overwhelmed, and yet few of my subordinates give me peace of mind.”
Cui Liang didn’t respond to his words. Instead, he suddenly leaned forward, examining the rouge “claw print” on Pei Yan’s chest closely. After a while, he frowned and said, “Your Excellency, I was wondering why you never married or took concubines. It turns out you have someone close to your heart outside.”
Pei Yan looked down, both amused and exasperated. He simply took off his outer robe and looked at the sprawling red print on it. Thinking that at this moment, someone might be cursing him as a hairy crab, he couldn’t help but smile slightly.
Cui Liang looked at his slightly cruel and playful smile, and the natural arrogance in his handsome brows and star-like eyes, and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. He raised the wine jug high, and the stream of wine arced through the air, pouring directly into his throat.
The tall ginkgo tree in the courtyard was bathed in a faint golden light from the setting sun. Jiang Ci paced back and forth in the yard, occasionally glancing at the ginkgo tree.
An Hua sat on a small stool at the door of the room and smiled, “Miss Jiang, aren’t you tired of walking back and forth like this for half an hour?”
Jiang Ci looked at the bird’s nest in the ginkgo tree, a hint of worry between her brows. “It’s been a day and a night, and the big bird hasn’t flown back. Won’t the little birds starve to death?”
An Hua smiled. “Miss Jiang is so kind-hearted. I’ve never even noticed when the bird built its nest in this tree.”
Cui Liang entered the courtyard and saw Jiang Ci looking up at the sky. He approached with a smile and asked, “What are you looking at?”
Jiang Ci was startled and straightened up, meeting his bright eyes. She smiled and then pointed at the big tree. “The big bird in that tree hasn’t flown back for a day and a night. I’m afraid something might have happened to it, and I’m worried the little birds might starve to death.”
An Hua, sitting in the corridor, laughed and said, “Master Cui, Miss Jiang has been watching for a whole day. If the big bird doesn’t fly back soon, you might need to check Miss Jiang’s neck.”
Cui Liang squinted at the treetop, barely making out a bird’s nest among the branches. Without a word, he tucked the hem of his long robe into his waist and began climbing the tree.
Although he had practiced martial arts, he couldn’t compare to those from orthodox martial arts sects, and his lightness skill was particularly poor. The ginkgo tree trunk was quite straight and smooth, with no footholds. He climbed up a section, only to slide back down.
Jiang Ci laughed so hard she bent over. “Master Cui, aren’t you supposed to be born in the year of the monkey? How come you’ve forgotten your signature skill completely?”
An Hua burst out laughing. Cui Liang wasn’t annoyed. He shrugged and spread his hands, saying, “This monkey has been lost in the mortal world for twenty-one years without achieving any merit. I’ve even forgotten my signature skill. How embarrassing!”
After laughing, Jiang Ci became interested. She gathered her energy and leaped up, her arms quickly grasping and using the momentum to float upwards towards the top of the ginkgo tree.
She pushed her internal energy to its limit. Although she had just recovered from a serious injury and her lightness skill had only recovered three or four-tenths, she managed to climb to the lowest branch in one go. She sat among the branches and waved triumphantly at Cui Liang below.
It was late autumn, and the beautiful fan-shaped ginkgo leaves were golden in the setting sun. Cui Liang looked up and saw her radiant smile amidst the golden leaves, as bright as the morning glow and as clear as the moon. He suddenly felt his neck was craned too far back and took a small step backward.