Her frail body should be well cared for. Jiang Xuanjin glanced at her, nodded lightly, and didn’t suspect anything.
Huaiju leaned against his shoulder, clenching her small fist in frustration. How could she be so forgetful? After a few days of peaceful living, she almost cast aside her deep-seated hatred.
The person beside her was Ziyang Jun, the one who had personally sent her to the underworld. Even if he had truly been deceived, he was still half an accomplice! If it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t have died so quickly or so unwillingly.
She was not Bai Zhujing; no matter how well he treated Bai Zhujing, it was of no use. He had wronged Danyang!
Grinding her teeth, Huaiju closed her eyes.
This justice, she would eventually seek from him.
Jiang Xuanjin quietly flipped through the documents. Unlike the complex emotions of the person beside him, he was in a very good mood.
The sunlight filtered through the wooden-carved paper windows, and the room was filled with the scent of incense. Holding matters of state in his hands, with a soft beauty nestled beside him, the breeze blew in from the door, stirring the gauze curtains, and filling the room with the essence of spring.
If possible, Jiang Xuanjin thought, he wouldn’t mind spending his life like this.
“Master.”
In the evening, while Huaiju was strolling in the courtyard, Qingsi, who was following her, whispered, “The servants released from Feiyun Palace are being watched by the people of the Jun.”
Discreetly observing her surroundings, Huaiju nodded slightly. “I knew he wasn’t simply trying to grant amnesty.”
He was using people as bait, with the line in his hands, waiting for the fish to take the hook.
Who said Jiang Xuanjin was merciful? He didn’t even regard the lives of her palace people as lives!
Lowering her gaze, Huaiju said softly, “Find a way to send a message to Manager Lu, telling him to protect those people and not let them be swallowed whole.”
“Understood.”
Continuing her walk as if nothing had happened, she was deep in thought when she suddenly felt someone watching her from the side.
“Who?” Huaiju tensed, and Qingsi reacted even faster, leaping up to pull out the person hiding behind a pillar.
“Miss… Miss.” Lingxiu looked at her anxiously.
“What are you doing?” Relaxing her guard, Huaiju smiled. “Why are you hiding behind the pillar?”
Lingxiu bit her lip. “I was waiting for you, Miss. There’s something important that hasn’t been prepared yet.”
“Something important?” Huaiju was a bit confused. “What is it?”
With a complex look, Lingxiu was both surprised and a bit angry. “You don’t remember?”
Seeing her expression, Huaiju felt something was off and quickly rubbed her temples in distress. “I don’t remember what happened before. Can you remind me?”
Lingxiu stamped her foot. “Tomorrow is the anniversary of the Third Madam’s death. It doesn’t matter if you forget other things, but how can you forget this? According to the usual rules, we need to prepare incense, candles, and paper money today!”
The Third Madam of the Bai family, Bai Zhujing’s biological mother.
Li Huaiju suddenly realized, then slapped her forehead. “I shouldn’t have forgotten. Luckily, you reminded me. Qingsi, hurry and help prepare!”
“Yes.” Qingsi nodded and turned to head outside the courtyard.
Huaiju smiled and took Lingxiu’s hand, shaking it gently. “Good Lingxiu, don’t be angry. You know your lady has been foolish for three years; it’s inevitable to forget some things. If there’s anything important in the future that I forget, just remind me.”
Lingxiu looked at her, feeling a mix of emotions.
She had always hoped her lady would regain her senses. But now that she had, it seemed like she had completely changed. If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have believed that the person before her was her timid lady.
Previously, she had her doubts but thought it was just a matter of her having a great adventure and changing a bit. But seeing her lady with Qingsi, Lingxiu felt like she was the superfluous one; Qingsi seemed more like someone who had served her lady for many years.
It didn’t seem like her lady anymore.
“Hey, don’t ignore me.” Huaiju waved her hand in front of Lingxiu’s eyes. “Are you really angry?”
Lingxiu snapped back to reality, lowering her head. “How could I be angry with the Miss?”
“I’m terrified that you’ll cry.” With her hands together, Huaiju bowed and smiled. “As long as you don’t get angry or cry, I’ll listen to you, okay?”
Looking at her smiling face, Lingxiu couldn’t help but recall the time in the Bai residence when her lady was covered in injuries, comforting her not to cry.
Her heart softened, and she sighed. “Miss, you’re too much. I’ll go prepare the things. You remember to get up early tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Huaiju obediently agreed.
Lingxiu bowed and left, taking a few steps outside. She couldn’t help but look back at her once more.
Still, that porcelain-white face, hair-like clouds, and almond-shaped eyes curved like crescent moons. No matter how similar people in the world might be, it was impossible to find two exactly alike.
The person was still the same, just with a greatly changed temperament.
Shaking her head, Lingxiu lifted her skirt and exited through the moon gate.
Huaiju stood in place, watching her, the smile on her face slowly fading, a hint of distress creeping in. Deceiving people was not an easy task; there would always be places where one would slip up.
She needed to act quickly before her deception was exposed.
The gambling house case had been investigated for over half a month. Bai Dezong finally brought a thick stack of memorials and reported to the emperor on the first day he resumed morning court.
Jiang Xuanjin was granted a seat beside him. With a slight lift of his eyes, he could see the perfectly smooth sleeve of Bai Dezong’s court robe.
“I thought it was just a minor matter among the people, but who knew it would involve court officials?” Li Huailin’s face was still pale, his left hand resting on a soft pillow, while his right hand flipped through the memorials held by the eunuch, speaking in a deep voice. “Lord Bai, you’ve worked hard.”
Bai Dezong cupped his hands. “I must supervise the officials and purify the atmosphere in the court. I just didn’t expect Lord Yi to be involved as well.”
The bowl of soup from Ziyang Jun led him to Yi Yang. Upon investigation, he discovered that Yi Yang had a close relationship with the gambling house. It was clear that preparations had been made to capture people in advance, using deceit to ensnare the two young masters of the Bai family, with Yi Yang responsible for sending them to prison.
Bai Dezong couldn’t figure out the intention behind this, but it was evident it was aimed at the Bai family. Since that was the case, he did not need to hold back.
After carefully reading the memorial, Li Huailin’s expression darkened. “The guards of the capital are involved with a gambling house? Have you searched his residence?”
Bai Dezong nodded. “We have searched, and that is the second matter I wanted to discuss.”
Saying this, he took out another memorial from his sleeve, holding it above his head with both hands. “I have no authority to deal with a general of a thousand stones; I ask Your Majesty to make a judgment.”
Hearing this, it was clear that Yi Yang had gotten himself into trouble. Li Huailin quickly had the eunuch present the memorial. After reading it, he furrowed his brows in anger. “Over a hundred thousand taels of silver? Why was I not aware of when the annual salaries of my ministers were exchanged for silver?”
The court was in an uproar, unable to suppress their whispers. Liu Yunlie, standing beside Bai Dezong, looked displeased.
Originally meant to trap Jiang Xuanjin, who would have thought it would drag Bai Dezong into it? This was good; instead of forcing Jiang Xuanjin to yield, it had instead implicated Yi Yang.
But why was Yi Yang involved with the gambling house? How could he have hidden so much silver? Why was he unaware?
“I have investigated thoroughly. The gambling house on Chang’an Street has a total of over eight hundred thousand taels in black accounts, with three large transactions. One was a full twenty thousand taels sent to the gambling house in June of the sixth year of Daxing, exchanged for chips, and then withdrawn on the same day, going to the former Prime Minister’s long history, Li Fengxing’s residence. The other two transactions this year flowed to the Yi residence, matching the amount we found.”
Bai Dezong sighed. “When I inquired with General Yi, he said he won the silver at the gambling house. But that gambling house is known for cheating; it’s absurd that Yi Yang won over a hundred thousand taels…”
Li Huailin slammed his hand on the armrest, angrily saying, “With such ironclad evidence before us, he still dares to quibble?”
Jiang Xuanjin, who had been silent, finally spoke up. “The silver flowing out of the gambling house could only have been won.”
“Your Majesty?” Li Huailin looked at him in surprise.
Jiang Xuanjin raised his eyes and cupped his hands, continuing, “But I don’t understand; the laws of Northern Wei clearly state that officials cannot gamble, and violators are to be dismissed. Why did Lord Yi break the law?”
Upon hearing this, Bai Dezong recalled something and frowned. “If that’s the case, Lord Yi is not only suspected of accepting bribes through the gambling house but has also violated the law.”
This charge was much easier to substantiate than accepting bribes; officials’ gambling directly led to dismissal and investigation.
Li Huailin pondered for a moment, closed the memorial, and nodded. “Then let it be handed over to the Grand Judge for sentencing.”
Hearing this, Liu Yunlie reluctantly came to his senses, lowered his head, and stepped forward, cupping his hands. “I obey.”
Looking at him, Jiang Xuanjin added, “Lord Bai just mentioned that another twenty thousand taels flowed to Li Fengxing’s residence, and the timing coincides with the embezzlement case during the drought in Jiangxi. It seems the former Prime Minister’s long history can also be thoroughly convicted.”
Li Fengxing was originally to be exiled, but because Liu Yunlie had not clarified where the twenty thousand taels in his residence came from, he was temporarily detained. Li Fengxing had been hoping for a stroke of luck in prison, waiting for someone to plead for him.
Liu Yunlie silently sighed and bowed to Jiang Xuanjin. “Your Majesty is right.”
This time, he truly misjudged the person; no matter how unwilling he was, he had to bow his head to Ziyang Jun.
However, he bowed his head, but Jiang Xuanjin had no intention of letting him off easily.
“Speaking of the drought in Jiangxi during the sixth year of Daxing, I dare to ask, does Your Majesty still remember the incident when the ministers forced their way into the palace?”
Jiang Xuanjin asked gently, lightly brushing his sleeve, as if he were chatting with the emperor on the dragon throne.
However, this statement shocked the court, causing many ministers to gasp in surprise, and Li Huailin also trembled.
“Ziyang Jun!” Liu Yunlie was furious. “How can you bring this up after so many years?”
Back then, Princess Danyang had first embezzled disaster relief funds, causing the disaster to worsen and a plague to spread throughout the city, inciting public outrage. Then, she stubbornly sealed off three cities in Jiangxi and executed dozens of officials, provoking the anger of the ministers. In a fit of rage, Liu Yunlie led the officials to storm the palace, kneeling outside the young emperor’s chamber, pleading for the young emperor to take charge.
Though they claimed it was for justice, that action was tantamount to a palace coup; even if it was only against the princess, the young emperor might not have been pleased.
Now that the emperor had taken power, everyone had tacitly forgotten about this incident.
Who would have thought Jiang Xuanjin would bring it up in court?
Liu Yunlie was furious, feeling both anger and a bit of panic, unable to help but glance at the person on the dragon throne.
Li Huailin’s expression was serious; he lowered his head and remained silent for a long time before finally speaking softly, “I remember.”
At that time, he was only eleven years old, held in the arms of his elder sister, sitting on the dragon throne, watching the palace servants nervously brace against the palace doors, hearing the shouts of “Your Majesty” from outside, trembling in fear.
His elder sister was braver than him, continuously patting his back to comfort him. “Don’t panic; once General Xu returns, everything will be fine. Later, I’ll take you to the Imperial Garden to play.”
“Will they rush in?” Young Huailin anxiously clutched her sleeve.
Huaiju smiled and shook her head. “No, if they rush in, your elder sister will stand in front of you.”
Even if the sky fell, there would still be an elder sister to shield him.
Recalling that warm and reassuring feeling, Li Huailin felt a bit teary-eyed. Realizing he had lost his composure, he quickly took a deep breath and focused on the Ziyang Jun below.
“Why does Your Majesty bring this up?”
Jiang Xuanjin calmly replied, “Li Fengxing has already confessed, and the whereabouts of the disaster relief funds are clear. Shouldn’t Your Majesty seek justice for your elder sister?”
Upon hearing this, not only Liu Yunlie but also Qi Han, Situ Jing, and others all stood up. “Your Majesty!”
The late princess had passed away, and it was not an exaggeration to call it a taboo in court. He had already mentioned the palace coup; how could he ask the emperor to seek justice for her?
He was crazy; truly crazy! Liu Yunlie thought correctly; Ziyang Jun must have been bewitched by someone, not only favoring the remnants of Danyang but also wanting to speak up for Danyang?!
Li Huailin was also surprised, looking at Jiang Xuanjin with a complex expression for a long time before quietly asking, “Is this possible?”
Jiang Xuanjin chuckled lightly. “Right is right, and wrong is wrong. Since the truth is clear, what’s wrong with clearing someone’s name?”
His eyes brightened, and Li Huailin smiled.
Everyone in the court was staring at Jiang Xuanjin, their gazes sharp, filled with doubt, and more so with unquenchable anger. Jiang Xuanjin sat calmly as if he hadn’t seen anything, his demeanor composed.
After court, Jiang Chong accompanied him all the way, unable to help but say, “Third Brother, what you did was the right thing, but in doing so, you might have isolated yourself from the ministers.”
Jiang Xuanjin got into the carriage, calmly saying, “I have never blended in with them.”
“But Princess Danyang…” Jiang Chong sighed. “Even if everyone made a mistake back then, it doesn’t change anything; she has already passed away.”
“It wasn’t meant to change anything.” Jiang Xuanjin shook his head. “Just like this matter being cleared of charges won’t change her other crimes.”
Jiang Chong understood; his third brother wasn’t suddenly helping the princess out of some enchantment but was simply doing what he believed was right. But this… was truly stubbornness to the extreme.
Helplessly shaking his head, Jiang Chong changed the subject. “Now that you can move, go pay your respects to Father. He has been worried about you; the day before yesterday, he even went to the temple to pray for you.”
Pray for Guanyin. Jiang Xuanjin nodded, feeling it was time to pay his respects.
Thus, upon returning to Moju, he looked around for Bai Zhujing, intending to take her along, but found no one in the main building or the courtyard.
“Where did she go?”
Yufeng answered softly, “She’s by the ink-washing pond.”
The ink-washing pond? That place was secluded, and Qingsi had already been released; what could she possibly be doing there? Jiang Xuanjin was puzzled and walked over to take a look.
The pond had good feng shui. Lingxiu set up a table with incense, candles, and offerings, while Li Huaiju knelt beside the fire pit, burning paper money one by one.
Bai Zhujing was also quite pitiful; at least she had been raised by her mother until she was four, while this girl had never even seen what her biological mother looked like.
However, thanks to the engagement arranged by the Bai family, she wouldn’t have smoothly mixed into Jiang Xuanjin’s life otherwise.
Thinking of this, Huaiju gratefully stuffed paper money into the fire pit.
“Miss!” Seeing the figure of Jun in the distance, Lingxiu was startled and quickly pulled her up. “You must stop the Jun; don’t let him see!”
Jiang Xuanjin had returned? Li Huaiju turned to look, pouting. “He’s already seen everything; what’s the point of stopping him now?”
“Then you must stop him!” Lingxiu said anxiously. “If the Jun sees, he will be unhappy!”
A married woman burning paper for her biological mother at her in-laws’ home, though not a major taboo, should still be avoided in front of her in-laws. That’s why she chose such a secluded place, thinking that Jun would send someone to look for her when he returned. There was also time to cover it up.
Who would have thought the Jun would come personally?
Lingxiu was in a panic, gently pushing her lady’s waist to urge her to move.
Li Huaiju felt a bit confused but still followed her suggestion and bumped straight into Jiang Xuanjin’s arms.
“Ouch!”
Jiang Xuanjin stood with his hands behind his back, coldly asking her, “What are you doing?”
Huaiju looked up, seriously covering her forehead. “You bumped into me; pay me!”
Tired of being a thug, now he was acting like a robber? Jiang Xuanjin shot her a glance, looking past her. “What are you doing here?”
Lingxiu was in a flurry, trying to gather things, but couldn’t hide the scent of incense in the air. The paper money in the fire pit hadn’t burned completely, and the offerings on the table had nowhere to hide for the moment, making her anxious to the point of tears.
Huaiju glanced over and quickly covered his eyes.
“Just pretend you didn’t see anything, okay?”
Pulling her hand down, Jiang Xuanjin said slowly, “I’ve already seen.”
Huaiju was slightly angry, grabbing his arm and turning him around, speaking in a rather cheeky manner, “I’m just borrowing a place to burn some paper; you don’t mind, do you?”
With such a domineering tone, it was as if she was saying, “If you mind, I’ll call all the brothers from the market to chop you up.”
Jiang Xuanjin shot her a sidelong glance. “Normally, you should be apologizing to me now, not threatening me by grabbing my arm.”
“Why should I apologize?” Huaiju glared. “Am I not doing this for you?”
Burning paper money in his residence was still for his sake? Jiang Xuanjin scoffed, lightly raising his chin at her. “Nice try.”
“You listen to my reasoning… ah, spit! You listen to me!” Li Huaiju wiped her mouth. “That day you mentioned the seven reasons for divorce; I later asked Lingxiu, and she said the first reason is ‘disobedience to parents’—a woman who is unfilial to her parents is to be divorced!”
“Today is the anniversary of Bai Feng’s death. If I don’t burn paper for her here, wouldn’t that be unfilial? Since you like me so much, if I were to be divorced by the Jiang family for being unfilial, wouldn’t you be sad?”
“For your sake, I must burn this paper money today!”
Her reasoning was indeed logical.
Jiang Xuanjin pondered, “Should I thank you then?”
“We’re family, no need for thanks.” Hearing the sarcasm, she still thickened her skin and replied earnestly. Seeing Lingxiu had tidied up, she pulled him to leave.
With such an obvious situation before him, could Ziyang Jun really be fooled?
He could.
The emperor, with his sharp gaze in court, now turned a blind eye, allowing the person beside him to pull him away from the ink-washing pond without any further consideration.
Lingxiu, who was sweating profusely, let out a huge sigh of relief.
Li Huaiju was unaware of these household rules, so she didn’t think Jiang Xuanjin’s lack of reprimand was a big deal. Once they exited the ink-washing pond, she cheerfully asked him, “Did you come looking for me for something?”
Jiang Xuanjin replied, “To pay respects to Father.”
“Okay.” Huaiju nodded with a smile. “It has indeed been a while since I last saw the old master.”
Seeing her like this, it seemed she had completely forgotten that she had been locked in the Buddhist hall by the old master before.
Li Huaiju wasn’t really forgetting; it was just that the actions of the elders were within reason. She couldn’t keep holding onto it and nitpicking, could she? In other places, she would be petty and hold grudges, but when it came to someone she had to call “father,” she was always very forgiving.
At least she still had someone to call.
Compared to Bai Dezong, Huaiju felt that the old master of the Jiang family had one advantage: he was kind and spoke little, unlike the old Bai who would go on and on about teachings.
However, today, the situation seemed a bit different.
“This is the Guanyin I prayed for you.” The old master leaned on his dragon-headed cane, seriously instructing the steward to stuff a porcelain Guanyin into her arms.
Huaiju smiled in thanks, looking at it with confusion, and quietly asked Jiang Xuanjin beside her, “Why does this Guanyin hold a child?”
Jiang Xuanjin’s expression darkened slightly.
Hearing his elder brother’s words, he felt a bit moved because the old master of the Jiang family was not very superstitious. For him to pray for Guanyin was quite unprecedented.
But what he prayed for was the Guanyin of childbirth.
“Father.” Rubbing his forehead, Jiang Xuanjin said, “As for offspring, I have never been in a hurry.”
The old master frowned. “You married late; if you don’t hurry to have a child, what if Yan’er gets ahead of you? Wouldn’t that mess up the family hierarchy?”
“What’s there to mess up?” Jiang Xuanjin helplessly replied. “No matter the age, those who should be a generation older will always be a generation older.”
“You’re still arguing with me!” The old master slammed his cane on the ground, frowning. “While I still have a few years left to live, hurry up and give the Jiang family another grandson. Is that so difficult?”
As he spoke, he glanced at Li Huaiju.
Huaiju innocently blinked, her expression as confused as could be.
Jiang Xuanjin frowned slightly, stepping forward to shield her behind him, displeased. “Such matters depend on fate; how can they be forced?”
The old master sighed. “I’m not saying you must have one tomorrow; just don’t keep me waiting too long.”
“Understood.” Jiang Xuanjin lowered his gaze in agreement.
Li Huaiju watched him, feeling that although he didn’t seem to like the old master’s urging, he still seemed to be looking forward to having a child.
What a pity, she thought, touching her belly. She wouldn’t miss a single dose of the medicine she needed to take.
In the following days, aside from attending court, Jiang Xuanjin spent the rest of his time cooped up in Moju with her.
Huaiju reached out to tug a strand of his ink-black hair, weakly saying, “You’re really strange. You complain about your wound hurting and need someone to feed you during meals, but at night, it doesn’t hurt at all? You’re full of energy!”
Jiang Xuanjin opened his mouth, blocking her words back down her throat.
Did he really take the old master’s words to heart? Huaiju raised an eyebrow, shamelessly entangling with him, and with a flick of her toes, she lowered the bed curtains.
In the throes of passion, they were insatiable, and he took as much as she could give, as if to make up for the years Danyang had missed out on the joys of love.
But afterward, she could not escape a bowl of “blood-nourishing and energy-boosting” medicine.
As the moon rose high, casting a gentle glow, Huaiju held a wooden comb, gently combing through his ink-black hair. Jiang Xuanjin reclined on the couch, intently watching her.
This was his person.
The thought flashed through his mind, and his heart warmed slightly. He couldn’t help but take her hand, which held the comb, and place a light kiss on it.
A wave of tingling sensation traveled from the back of her hand to her heart, causing Huaiju to shiver and blink at him.
Jiang Xuanjin’s features were illuminated by the moonlight, his dark eyes glistening, staring at her without moving. His hair was loose, and his robe half-open, exuding an unparalleled beauty.
Swallowing hard, Huaiju couldn’t help but reach out to caress his face. “Beautiful one, would you go to the temple with me tomorrow?”
“To the temple?” Jiang Xuanjin asked, puzzled. “For what?”
Pointing to the porcelain Guanyin on the table, Huaiju smiled. “This thing still needs to be prayed for in person.”
Jiang Xuanjin fell silent.
Did she really think he was eager for children?
Rubbing her shoulder with his finger, he didn’t explain further, pulling her closer and whispering, “It’s better to rely on oneself than to rely on others.”
Li Huaiju was both amused and exasperated, pushing him away while saying, “I still have to go tomorrow; I’m going stir-crazy.”
“Alright.” He agreed, gently rubbing against her, pulling her back into the quilt.
The next day, Jiang Xuanjin got up to attend court, while Huaiju lay on the bed, clutching her waist and wailing.
Lingxiu, blushing, helped her rub her waist, whispering, “People say the Jun used to not like women.”
“Pah!” Li Huaiju rolled her eyes. “The more proper he is in front of others, the more of a rogue he is behind closed doors!”
“This is all favor, Miss.” Lingxiu said, “Others can’t even hope for it.”
She knew that Jiang Xuanjin liked her and wanted her to have a child, but couldn’t he have some restraint? Poor Bai Zhujing’s back was almost broken.
After grimacing for a while, Li Huaiju caught a glimpse of Qingsi returning and quickly instructed Lingxiu, “Bring me some breakfast.”
“Yes.” Lingxiu responded and went out, while Qingsi entered and casually closed the door.
“How is it?”
“Reporting to the master, the news has been sent out.”
“Very good.” Supporting herself with her hands, Huaiju got up and changed into a simple dress. After finishing her meal, she prepared to head out.
Chengxu was still guarding the courtyard gate. Seeing her come out with Qingsi, he asked in surprise, “Aren’t you waiting for the Jun?”
Huaiju replied, “I’m feeling stifled in the room. I’ll head to Bailong Temple first to burn some incense. When the Jun returns from court, you can have him come find me.”
Having been cooped up in Moju for so many days, it was normal to feel uncomfortable. Chengxu had no doubts and nodded in agreement.
After getting into the carriage, Qingsi whispered, “Manager Lu said he would send news within the hour.”
Li Huaiju lowered her head, touching the Buddhist beads on her wrist, feeling a moment of guilt, then calmly said, “Let’s go.”
Jiang Xuanjin used her people from Feiyun Palace as bait to catch those behind the scenes, so why couldn’t she use him as bait to catch those behind the scenes as well? With his abilities, it would be much easier for him to save his life than those palace people.
She had made this plan a few days ago, waiting for an opportunity to lure him out of the residence and secretly release the news to see if the mastermind would be tempted by this perfect assassination opportunity.
If they were tempted, she would have a backup plan to catch them; if not, she would just accompany Jiang Xuanjin to burn some incense.
This was a reasonable arrangement, but for some reason, she felt a bit anxious.
Jiang Xuanjin knew nothing. After court, upon hearing Chengxu’s message, he took people and headed to Bailong Temple.
“Master seems to be in a good mood.” Looking at the people in the carriage, Chengxu whispered, “He seems to have been quite happy these past few days.”
Yufeng said, “Everything is going smoothly, plus the Madam is obedient.”
Mainly because the Madam was obedient, allowing him to bully her; how could he not be happy? Such a serious person, now secretly smiling behind the Madam, his cold black eyes turned into a spring mountain when he smiled.
Recalling the smile on the Jun’s lips when he left Moju that morning, Chengxu couldn’t help but shiver.
As the carriage passed through the woods in the northern part of the city, the surroundings were eerily quiet. Chengxu and Yufeng fell silent, becoming alert.
Usually, many people passed through this woods, but today, for some reason, there was not a single person in sight. Chengxu found it strange when suddenly, a sharp whistle pierced the air.
“Master, be careful!” He shouted, blocking the hidden weapon. The two of them quickly got out of the carriage, surrounding it with the nearby guards.
The shadows in the woods flickered, and soon figures appeared, dim and indistinct. Jiang Xuanjin lifted the curtain of the carriage to take a look, frowning slightly.
Yufeng drew his dagger and moved forward with Chengxu, but they found that there were indeed many people, and the sounds of movement came from all directions, the branches rustling. However, they seemed to be cautious, not making a move for a long time.
“The number of people is increasing.” Chengxu’s heart sank, and he turned back to whisper, “Master, let’s create an opening and you leave first.”
Jiang Xuanjin stepped out of the carriage, scanning the surroundings, shaking his head. “We can’t escape.”
The other side was clearly prepared, knowing the usual number of guards he brought with him, and had set up an ambush several times their number, waiting specifically for him.
The situation was dire.
Chengxu grew anxious. “Who leaked the news?”
Who knew? Jiang Xuanjin pressed his lips together; his injuries hadn’t fully healed yet. If he got hurt again, Bai Zhujing would definitely scold him again.
But now, he wasn’t even sure if he could return.
The rustling sounds continued, and the number of people around them went from a few to dozens, and finally over a hundred masked individuals surrounded them.
“Long time no see.”
The leader stepped forward, raising the knife in his hand. “Your Majesty, as I said last time, if you want to protect that beast, then die together!”
This sentence… Jiang Xuanjin’s brows furrowed. “It’s you again.”
The group that had wanted to smash Danyang’s coffin on the palace road, Yi Yang had never tracked them down, but he hadn’t expected them to appear here.
“It’s me. Last time, I respected you and didn’t go too hard.” The man sneered. “This time, it’s different.”
Seriously sizing him up for a moment, Jiang Xuanjin said, “I’ve seen you before.”
The leader was startled, instinctively touching the mask on his face, frowning. “Who are you trying to scare?”
With only his eyes exposed, even if he had seen him, he wouldn’t recognize him.
Jiang Xuanjin shook his head, about to say more when someone beside him said, “My lord, we need to buy some time; be careful of this person’s tricks!”
That made sense. The leader nodded, waving the large knife in his hand, leading his people to slowly close in.
A dark mass of people made Chengxu and Yufeng feel utterly hopeless. With such a disparity in numbers, no matter how high their martial arts skills, it was useless; they could only risk their lives to see if they could create a glimmer of hope for the Jun.
The glint of knives was chilling, and the killing intent was overwhelming. A dozen guards were pressed together, anxiously protecting the Ziyang Jun in the center, the atmosphere tense and ready to explode.
At that moment, the rustling sounds in the woods grew louder.
The people on the outermost edge of the encirclement noticed, turning back in shock, quickly signaling to those around them to be cautious of what was behind them. One layer after another, just as the leader was about to make a move, someone patted his shoulder.
“What’s going on?” he impatiently turned back.
In the woods, the flags of the city guards fluttered, and Deputy General Jiang Qu and the Grand Judge Zheng Xuan stood at the forefront. Seeing they had noticed, Jiang Qu waved his hand and shouted, “Capture them!”
“Yes!” Two hundred city guards shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.
The first reaction of all the masked individuals was to flee, rushing forward to tear a hole in the encirclement and desperately trying to escape.
Jiang Xuanjin ordered in a deep voice, “Capture one alive.”
Chengxu and Yufeng complied, leaping forward to block the leader.
The woods erupted into chaos, swords clashing, and shouts ringing out. The fleeing masked individuals ran without looking back, while those who couldn’t escape fought desperately. The mantis, which had seemed to have the upper hand, was swallowed by the yellow bird in less than half an hour.
Xu Yan and Jiang Qu hurriedly approached, bowing. “Your Majesty, you’ve been startled.”
Looking at them, Jiang Xuanjin felt no joy of having survived a disaster; he coldly asked, “Who gave you the courage?”
Jiang Qu was confused. “What do you mean, Your Majesty? I and Lord Xu heard reports that you were surrounded by thieves, so we rushed over…”
“Less than a stick of incense.” Jiang Xuanjin interrupted him. “I was surrounded for less than a stick of incense, and you managed to gather so many people from two miles away?”
A stick of incense? Xu Yan was stunned, shaking his head. “Your Majesty, we received the news an hour ago. When we arrived, we didn’t see anyone and were about to withdraw. Who knew your carriage would suddenly arrive? We felt something was off and stayed a bit longer, not expecting…”
An hour ago, they received the news?
Now it was Jiang Xuanjin’s turn to be stunned. An hour ago, he had just finished court and hadn’t even headed this way; how could someone say he was surrounded?
Turning to look around, he saw bodies lying haphazardly on the ground, the faint smell of blood in the air. Chengxu and Yufeng were struggling to restrain the leader, tying him up.
Stepping forward, Jiang Xuanjin reached out and pulled off the man’s mask.
It was a very familiar face, but he couldn’t recall where he had seen it.
“You actually went so far as to use yourself as bait to catch me.” The man spat, laughing loudly. “It seems Ziyang Jun values me this much; I’m not at a loss!”
“…”
He hadn’t used himself as bait; it was others who had treated him as bait.
Feeling a surge of anger, Jiang Xuanjin stood tall and said, “Since you’re an assassin, I’ll trouble the two lords to take him back to the yamen for thorough questioning.”
“Your Majesty isn’t returning to the city with us?” Xu Yan asked curiously.
Jiang Xuanjin shook his head. “I still have matters to attend to; you may take him away.”
“Yes.”
Chengxu frowned, whispering, “After such an incident, you still want to go to Bailong Temple? I’ll inform the Madam and bring her back to the residence.”
“Such a place, you want her to go? Wouldn’t that frighten her?” Suppressing his anger, Jiang Xuanjin said this and waved his sleeve, getting into the carriage.
Chengxu fell silent, and he and Yufeng got back on the carriage, continuing toward Bailong Temple.
At Bailong Temple, the incense wafted gently.
Qingsi kept glancing at the person beside her several times, finally unable to hold back and spoke, “Please don’t bite your nails.”
Li Huaiju came to her senses, looking down to realize she had been biting her nails all along. She chuckled awkwardly and quickly wiped her hands on her clothes.
“Nervous?” Qingsi frowned.
“No, what am I nervous about?” Casually picking up a fortune stick to shake, Huaiju said nonchalantly. “Life and death are fated; wealth and nobility are in the hands of heaven.”
“You…” Qingsi looked at her with a complex expression, shaking her head. “You shouldn’t gamble with your life.”
Marrying Ziyang Jun was indeed a somewhat absurd decision. Although Ziyang Jun had indeed developed feelings for her as she wished, what about her? Couldn’t she hate him like before?
“Ah, don’t worry.” She smiled lightly. “I’m fine; it’s all just a game. Don’t let my act fool you.”
Is that so? Qingsi pursed her lips and sighed.
The fortune stick rattled as it was shaken, and Li Huaiju stared at the entrance of Bailong Temple, becoming a bit distracted.
A stick fell out with a “thud,” and she froze, bending down to pick it up.
“Zhujing.” A voice filled with the scent of incense rang out at the entrance.
Li Huaiju was startled, quickly looking up. Upon seeing the familiar figure in the distance, she broke into a wide smile.
Jiang Xuanjin looked as handsome as ever, not a speck of blood on him, walking toward her with the grace of a celestial being, his brows and eyes filled with ethereal clouds and brilliant sun and moon.
Looking down at the stick in her hand, she smiled even wider, raising it in front of him, excitedly saying, “Look, you came, and it’s a good fortune stick!”
Having just experienced a life-and-death situation, Jiang Xuanjin still felt uneasy and angry, but when he looked down at her, he couldn’t help but smile back. “Is it?”
“Wonderful!” Holding the stick, Huaiju hugged him, burying her head in his chest, pausing for a moment before repeating, “It’s really wonderful!”
It was just a good fortune stick; was it worth being this happy? Jiang Xuanjin was puzzled but still allowed her to hold him, standing together for a while.
His heart felt a bit tight, and he couldn’t explain why. Li Huaiju closed her eyes, tightening her grip, wanting to bite her teeth and meld him into her bones.
However, she couldn’t lose her composure. She couldn’t let him sense anything amiss.
Taking a deep breath, Huaiju released him, half teasingly and half tenderly asking, “Did today’s morning court get delayed again?”
Jiang Xuanjin shook his head. “I encountered some matters on the way.”
“What happened?” She looked up, her eyes clear, without a hint of guilt.
After staring at her for a moment, Jiang Xuanjin lowered his gaze. “It’s nothing, just some minor disturbances that have been resolved.”
What could be called minor disturbances? Chengxu behind them still looked pale; if the city guards hadn’t come, what would the consequences have been? He didn’t dare to think further!
Pulling her into the main hall of the temple, Jiang Xuanjin said, “Let’s burn incense and bow.”
There weren’t many worshippers today, and upon learning that Ziyang Jun was coming, the main hall had been cleared. In the vast Buddhist hall, only the two of them knelt. Jiang Xuanjin wanted to withdraw his hand to bow, but the person beside him held onto him tightly, refusing to let go.
“What are you doing?”
Holding his hand tightly, Huaiju smiled. “You promised not to let go.”
“Don’t be ridiculous; you’re desecrating the Buddhist temple.”
“The Buddha wouldn’t think this is desecration.” Gripping him with one hand, she raised the other to face the golden Buddha statue, bowing sincerely.
Jiang Xuanjin struggled in vain, glancing at her with disdain, and bowed three more times before the Buddha.
After they finished, they headed back to the residence. The two sat in the carriage, and Huaiju chattered about the things she had seen while waiting for him, such as the lovesick women seeking marriage and the filial sons praying for their sick mothers to recover quickly—ordinary matters that, when spoken from her lips, added a touch of charm.
Jiang Xuanjin listened quietly, calculating that they were about to reach the woods, so he took out a handkerchief and, without saying a word, covered her mouth and nose.
“What’s wrong?” Li Huaiju blinked, her voice muffled. “Did you suddenly find me stunning and are afraid I’ll be snatched away by bandits?”
“Overthinking.” He shook his head.
Huaiju laughed, allowing him to cover her, pretending not to smell the blood scent wafting in from outside.
Upon entering the main city, Jiang Xuanjin still asked her in a low voice, “Did you mention going to Bailong Temple to anyone else?”
“I mentioned it.” Huaiju replied, “I had to inform the people in Moju.”
“Anyone besides those in Moju?”
“I was in the main building; where else could I have mentioned it?”
Nodding, Jiang Xuanjin didn’t ask further.
Li Huaiju lowered her head, holding his hand, feeling that this person was actually quite simple. Whatever she said, he believed.
As they passed the official road, the outside was bustling with noise. Huaiju curiously asked, “What’s going on? Did something happen again?”
Chengxu turned back to the carriage and said, “A royal edict has been posted.”
“Hmm? What does it say?”
Listening to the discussions among the common people nearby, Chengxu said, “The emperor personally wrote an edict regarding the crimes of the former Prime Minister’s long history, though I didn’t see the specifics, but it seems everyone is mentioning Princess Danyang.”
Huaiju was taken aback, shaking Jiang Xuanjin’s hand. “You must know, right?”
Jiang Xuanjin replied, “You saw it a few days ago.”
A few days ago… Huaiju exclaimed, “Is it the one that wronged the princess?”
He nodded.
Her heart stirred slightly, and she pouted, acting spoiled. “I want to see the excitement; it’s the emperor’s personal writing! I’ve never seen what our emperor’s handwriting looks like.”
“No.”
“Why not?!”
“There are too many people; it’s dangerous.”
Li Huaiju gritted her teeth. “Then you should go with me!”
This person was truly becoming more and more unruly. Jiang Xuanjin shook his head, withdrawing his hand and turning his head away coldly.
Seeing this, Huaiju loosened her grip and immediately jumped out of the carriage, squeezing into the crowd.
“Master?” Chengxu stopped the carriage by the roadside, watching his lady’s bouncing figure, calling out awkwardly.
“Who cares about her?” The person in the carriage snorted coldly.
There were simply too many people in front of the royal edict. Although Li Huaiju was dressed simply today, she couldn’t push through the wall of people in front of her, making her so angry that she jumped in place. When she jumped the highest, she could just barely see the shadow of the royal edict. But it was only for a moment before she had to land, and she couldn’t see the words clearly at all.
With a belly full of anger, Huaiju gathered her strength and stomped hard, unwilling to give up, glancing back one last time before landing.
However, this time, before she could land, her waist suddenly tightened.
Someone reached out and grabbed her waist, not only stopping her from falling but lifting her higher.
Huaiju was stunned, turning her head in confusion to see Jiang Xuanjin’s expressionless face.
“Look quickly.” He said coldly.
Li Huaiju was dumbfounded; this position was indeed… many onlookers were surprised and turned to look at them.
“Not looking anymore?” Seeing her unresponsive, Jiang Xuanjin released her and turned to leave.
“Hey!” She reached out to grab him, feeling both amused and exasperated, hugging his arm tightly. “Since you’ve endured the pain to lift me, why not walk a few more steps with me to take a look?”
Jiang Xuanjin was very impatient. “There are too many people.”
“Just treat them like cabbages!” She stomped her foot.
Glancing at her with annoyance, Jiang Xuanjin looked at Chengxu and Yufeng behind him.
The two understood and got out of the carriage to clear a path.
The crowd had originally been watching the royal edict. Once they squeezed in, everyone’s attention shifted to Jiang Xuanjin.
Jiang Xuanjin’s face darkened.
Noticing that this lord seemed to be getting increasingly irritable, Huaiju quickly looked up and scanned the royal edict as fast as she could.
Li Huailin had issued an edict regarding the crimes of Li Fengxing, directly stating the whereabouts of most of the disaster relief funds from the sixth year of Daxing. He didn’t explicitly clear Princess Danyang’s name, but anyone who read it would understand that Li Fengxing was the main culprit, and they had wronged Danyang.
Her heart warmed, and Huaiju took a deep breath, satisfied as she pulled Jiang Xuanjin back to the carriage, burying her head in his chest.
Thank you.
She said this in her heart.
Jiang Xuanjin naturally couldn’t hear it, thinking she was just tired from jumping, and quietly urged Chengxu to hurry back to the residence.
“I still need to go to the yamen.” Upon reaching the Jiang residence, he set her down and said, pursing his lips, “You can have lunch first; don’t wait for me.”
“Okay.” Huaiju smiled and nodded, watching his carriage continue toward the yamen.
Chengxu followed him, but Yufeng stayed behind.
Standing beside her, he hesitated for a moment before quietly saying, “Earlier on the way to Bailong Temple, the Jun was surrounded and nearly lost his life.”
Li Huaiju paused, slowly turning around, her expression complex as she asked, “Was the situation very urgent at that time?”
“Extremely critical.”
“Then how come your Jun seems to be acting as if nothing happened?”
Shaking his head, Yufeng said, “No matter what happens, he won’t let you worry.”
Even on the way back, he was worried she would find out that people had died in the woods, thinking of ways to cover it up.
His face was cold and indifferent, but his heart was softer than anything else.
Feeling a tightness in her throat, Huaiju gritted her teeth, taking a deep breath to suppress this strange feeling.
She couldn’t be moved; how could she be moved by a killer?
Jiang Xuanjin’s past methods were no less than hers; there was nothing to feel sorry for. Even if he had nearly died, he was still alive, unlike her, who could never return to being Danyang.
Clenching her fists, Li Huaiju steadied her mind, putting on a false look of urgency, murmuring, “When he returns, I must comfort him well.”