After spending half a year together, Huaiyu had seen Jiang Xuanjin in various states: his eyes sparkling with joy, his body tense with anger, and his ears turning crimson with embarrassment. She thought she understood him thoroughly, but who could have imagined…
Raising her eyes to look at the person standing before her, and then glancing around the room with just the two of them, Huaiyu chuckled lightly, “What instructions does His Highness have for me?”
In the past, she could never hear his breathing. After all, his demeanor was perfect, and his inner strength was steady. But now, even standing two steps away, she could hear his ragged breaths, like a fish out of water, weakly inhaling air that did not belong to him, on the verge of death.
Jiang Xuanjin lifted his eyes to look at her, his gaze devoid of light, as dark as the sea under a stormy night. He moved closer, his pale fingers seemingly wanting to touch her round belly but stopping an inch away. He spoke slowly, his voice like a dry bucket falling into an empty well, rough and hollow, “I’ve been thinking for a long time…”
“No matter how long I think, I can’t figure out, what makes Lu Jingxing better than me?”
His tone carried grievances and trembled with extreme anger and choked sobs. His Adam’s apple bobbed as if he had been drinking constantly. Yet, his face showed little expression, as if frozen by the cold wind outside.
If she couldn’t guess what was going on now, it would be a waste of her intelligence. She had been worried he would come to fight for the child in her belly, but now it seemed almost laughable. Huaiyu asked, “Who told you the news?”
Jiang Xuanjin didn’t answer, instead, he asked, “If no one else had told me, were you planning to keep it a secret from me forever?”
Huaiyu chuckled, “What good would it do you to know?”
His heart aching, Jiang Xuanjin lowered his eyes and let out a hoarse laugh, “Can you lie to me once more? Just say this child is mine, that when you were with me, you didn’t think of anyone else.”
“Sure.” Huaiyu clapped her hands, laughing, “This child is yours.”
He gripped her hand, pressing it against his chest. His lips were pale, and his long eyelashes trembled, clearly not believing her words. Huaiyu tilted her head and touched him with her other hand.
The imposing Lord Ziyang was trembling all over, his body cold, his clothes filled with chill. Suddenly, she wanted to hold him, intertwine her fingers with his like long ago, to give him her warmth.
But… looking down at her belly, Huaiyu pulled a self-mocking smile. It was impossible now. If she stepped closer, she would be shattered. It was better to step back, far enough to at least protect the little one in her belly.
“Does the Eldest Princess still hate me?” The person in front of her spoke, his voice as light as a feather, “If you still hate me, how do you plan to retaliate? Can you tell me in advance so I can be prepared?”
Huaiyu wanted to continue in a light-hearted, teasing tone, but inexplicably, her throat tightened. “I don’t hate you anymore.” She pursed her lips, “Xu Xian and the others are unharmed, and I am unharmed. You escorted me out of the palace and back to Danyang. We are even.”
Even, meaning no longer connected, which is why she avoided him, refused to see him, never wanting to be entangled with him again. Missing someone was a feeling that belonged to him alone.
Gripping her hand tighter, Jiang Xuanjin’s voice deepened, “What if I don’t want to be even?”
“What if I still want to trouble you?”
Huaiyu froze, her body tensing, “What do you want?”
A mocking smile spread across Jiang Xuanjin’s lips, “Does the Eldest Princess not always do bad things? How can you not guess my thoughts now?”
Hearing these words from his mouth, Li Huaiyu felt extremely uncomfortable. Did he want to deal with her? Because he believed the child in her belly wasn’t his, was he so angry that he wanted to destroy her?
A chill ran down her spine, and Huaiyu instinctively took half a step back. However, behind her was a soft couch with a two-inch high step in front. In her panic, she didn’t notice it, stumbled, and lost her balance, falling backward uncontrollably.
Just moments ago, the fierce Lord Ziyang turned pale, grasping her hand and pulling her with all his might, barely stopping her fall. He turned his body, shielding her back before she could hit the edge of the couch.
With a thud, the person behind her grunted, supporting her waist and gently placing her in his embrace. Li Huaiyu’s pupils contracted as she stared blankly at the furnishings in the room, and it took a while before she turned to look behind her.
Jiang Xuanjin pressed his lips together, his eyes clouded with a mist as if still shaken. He extended his arms around her, holding her tightly with his chin resting on her shoulder, eyes closed.
“You…” Huaiyu opened her mouth, wanting to ask if he was hurt, but she felt it inappropriate and stopped herself.
The room fell silent, the greenish hem of his robe scattered on the step, mingling with the peony-patterned corner of her dress, both picking up some dust.
Outside the room, people stood in a crowd. Qingxian and the others attempted to enter several times, but Juwu blocked them. Chengxu and Yufeng looked concerned, while Lu Jingxing, though still smiling, had a tense expression.
The two had insisted on talking alone, but with Huaiyu pregnant, what if something happened during their conversation?
Jiang Shen, standing a distance away, pounded the nearby red pillar. “Why did he still come?”
Frost Heaven sighed, “I told His Highness the truth, but he insisted on entering the city.”
“What is this foolish child thinking?” Jiang Shen shook his head. “Does he have to come here to torment himself?”
“I don’t know, but His Highness is truly angry,” Frost Heaven said worriedly. “I’m afraid he might do something rash… We’re still in Yixian City.”
“Calm down,” Jiang Shen said irritably. “I’ll bet a hundred taels of silver that no matter how angry he is, he won’t harm Li Huaiyu.”
But the heart-wrenching pain he had to endure was another matter entirely.
Feeling suffocated from being held so tightly, Huaiyu moved a bit and frowned. “I want to get up.”
The person behind her released her, bracing himself on the couch to stand and helping her up as well. Huaiyu glanced at him twice, scratched her head, feeling somewhat embarrassed, and lifted her skirt, intending to leave.
“I’ll be staying for a while,” Jiang Xuanjin said calmly. “Please prepare a few guest rooms.”
She paused in her steps and frowned. “What if I don’t want to?”
Carefully collecting his emotions, Jiang Xuanjin pressed his lips together, adjusting his sleeves. “The other day, a personally written letter from the capital arrived in my hands. It said that as long as Ziyang agrees to lend the way, an imperial edict will be issued, granting me three cities.”
Behind Ziyang was Danyang. The intention behind borrowing the way was clear.
Huaiyu’s expression turned serious. “Is His Highness threatening me?”
Jiang Xuanjin nodded. “Yes.”
He had the leverage to threaten her, and it was significant enough, so why not use it?
Li Huaiyu fell silent, her eyes turning as if trying to determine whether he was telling the truth.
Jiang Xuanjin extended his hand, directly presenting a letter written by Li Hualin from his sleeve.
The familiar handwriting, with words far more hostile towards Danyang than Jiang Xuanjin’s brief explanation, was much more severe.
“His Highness doesn’t want the three cities?” Huaiyu frowned. “What benefit does staying in Yixian City bring you?”
Looking down indifferently, he replied, “Do I need to explain my actions to the Eldest Princess?”
Fair enough, he didn’t need to. Huaiyu shrugged. “This deal doesn’t harm me, so I have no reason to refuse. But Your Highness, I’ll say this upfront: your days here might not be pleasant. Don’t regret it if you get angry and break your word.”
Taking a fox fur cloak from the side and wrapping it around herself, Jiang Xuanjin didn’t look at her again. He turned and opened the door.
A gust of wind blew in, causing the soft fox fur to ripple. Jiang Xuanjin looked up, facing Lu Jingxing standing outside.
After all these years, this person hadn’t changed, still carrying an air of casual nonchalance. He stood with a lazy posture, his eyes and eyebrows exuding a roguish charm. He didn’t seem like someone who lived a stable life.
Yet, this very person had stayed by her side for years, knowing more than he did and holding a deeper place in her heart. She never deceived Lu Jingxing, treating him well for years, while she was ruthless to him as if they were sworn enemies.
“To receive such a look from Your Highness is an honor,” Lu Jingxing said, his eyebrows relaxing. He twirled his folded fan in his fingers, laughing heartily.
The envy and chill in his eyes matched the emotions he suppressed inside, quite fitting indeed.
A ray of sunshine pierced through the gloom in Lu’s heart, casting a brilliant light.
Jiang Xuanjin remained silent, leading Yu Feng past Jiang Shen.
“Weren’t you here to enjoy the scenery with a friend?” Jiang Xuanjin’s voice was cold as he faced Jiang Shen. “Is there anyone in this mansion you consider a friend?”
Jiang Shen choked up, stepping behind the red pillar. “I understand… I know you’re not in a good mood, but I’m innocent. Why involve me?”
“If it doesn’t involve you, then who else?” Jiang Xuanjin said. “Tomorrow, you’ll leave and deliver a message to Lu Qing. Tell him to temporarily manage Ziyang’s capital city.”
Clutching the pillar, Jiang Shen shook his head repeatedly. “I won’t!”
“You don’t have a choice,” Jiang Xuanjin said indifferently before walking past him.
Jiang Shen’s face darkened. Furious, he laughed bitterly. “How can he become so unreasonable?”
Frost Heaven whispered behind him, “Well, he does have a point. You should go back.”
“Hmm?”
“I mean… His Highness is indeed quite unreasonable!”
With a cold snort, Jiang Shen walked to his room, muttering to himself, “I’m not leaving. Yixian City is perfect for writing poetry, especially with all the dry corpses lying around.”
Frost Heaven fell silent, thinking that both young masters of the Jiang family seemed a bit out of sorts lately.
Wrapped in blankets, Li Huaiyu held a bowl of chicken soup while Lu Jingxing lounged at the head of the bed, fiddling with his fan. “What are we going to do?” he asked.
Frowning in distress, Huaiyu replied, “It’s not about what I’m going to do now, it’s about what he plans to do.”
“He already considers this child mine. What else could he do?” Lu Jingxing smirked. “Either retaliate against you or me.”
If the little accident hadn’t occurred just now, Huaiyu would have agreed with this statement. But now, she shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
If he truly wanted revenge, he wouldn’t have helped her. He could have let her fall, ensuring the child’s demise, which would have been revenge against both her and Lu Jingxing, killing two birds with one stone.
But he didn’t do that.
“For now, the most important thing is what’s happening in the capital,” Huaiyu said. “I announced my identity publicly before to give Huai Lin an excuse to come after me, so I could retaliate against him openly and rightfully. But we haven’t heard anything from him. I thought maybe he didn’t dare to act, but who knew he was plotting all along? If Jiang Xuanjin hadn’t intervened, we might have been caught off guard.”
While Jiang Xuanjin’s intervention had its benefits, ensuring Danyang’s safety, it also had its downsides. No matter what, Huai Lin couldn’t openly attack Yixian City now. He could only act covertly. If she resisted, it would give Huai Lin a reason to rally support for the emperor, and even if she claimed she was wrongfully accused by the emperor, no one would believe her.
What should we do? Rubbing her chin in contemplation, Li Huaiyu was pondering when Qingsi entered with a peculiar expression. “Madam, Lord Ziyang has truly settled in here. They’ve moved a lot of things, all into the guest rooms.”
Huaiyu shrugged. “What’s the fuss? If he says he’ll stay, then he’ll stay.”
“But…” Qingsi pursed her lips. “He’s staying in the guest rooms of your courtyard.”
Huaiyu blinked. “…”
Turning to Lu Jingxing, she asked, “Does this man think life isn’t exciting enough, so he came to me?”
Lu Jingxing nodded sagely. “Why don’t we add some excitement?”
“Sure,” Huaiyu said. “You can tell him you’re pregnant too. That should be thrilling enough.”
“…,” Lu Jingxing rolled his eyes, lightly tapping the table with his fan. “Speaking seriously, now that he considers this child mine, when do you plan to marry me?”
Huaiyu chuckled, taking a few sips of soup. “I won’t force you. Why are you so eager for me to force you? With your looks and wealth, you could marry any decent girl’s family. Why insist on being a stepfather to my child? He thinks the child is yours, but I haven’t said so.”
Lu Jingxing’s phoenix eyes darkened. “You’ve been forcing me for five or six years. How can you say that?”
“Let’s be rational,” Huaiyu set down the bowl, leaning on the table by the soft couch, and looked at him seriously. “If our five or six years of friendship turned into marriage, wouldn’t it feel awkward for you?”
“Awkward for you?”
“Of course!” Huaiyu pointed at Qingsi. “I’ve known her for eight or nine years too. Logically, we’re closer. But if we became a couple, wouldn’t that feel weird for you?”
…It did seem a bit awkward.
Lu Jingxing lowered his head, seriously pondering for a moment before feeling something was off. “Can I be compared to Qingsi?”
“What’s the difference?” Huaiyu widened her eyes. “Aren’t you both the closest people to me?”
Lu Jingxing finally understood. The damn bastard didn’t see him as a man!
Rubbing his forehead in frustration, he muttered, “Troublesome.”
Huaiyu laughed carelessly for a while before saying, “I’ve already arranged everything for your stores in Yixian City. Why not return to the main city of Danyang? We don’t know how things are going with Xuxian and the others there, and your presence might be needed.”
Narrowing his eyes, Lu Jingxing asked, “Are you trying to drive me away?”
“Come on, how could I do that?” Huaiyu waved her hand. “It’s just that there’s nothing much happening here in Yixian City now. Instead of accompanying me here idly, you might as well do something else.”
The dozens of Lu family stores scattered throughout Yixian City had solved the problem of high prices in the city with affordable goods. Although they offended many merchants, they earned the unanimous support of the people. Nowadays, mentioning “Lu Jingxing” hardly anyone would say he’s a “rascal”. Most would say he’s a businessman with great courage and conscience.
Not long ago, matchmakers came to him for marriage proposals, claiming that this or that girl admired him, but it was a matter of life and death. Lu Jingxing went and came back to tell her that women are all liars. One girl threw herself at him with such force, that saying she was a hungry tiger coming down the mountain wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
Huaiyu felt that there should be someone by Lu Jingxing’s side. Whether it’s a hungry tiger or someone else, she couldn’t let her “female leopard” status continue to hold him back. Marriage was out of the question. Even in the face of their mutual understanding, she would have to work hard to clear her name, let alone drag Lu Jingxing into the mess.
Sensing her thoughts, Lu Jingxing lowered his eyes.
After a while, he spoke, “I was just teasing you. Marriage is serious business, and I didn’t intend to marry you for real. The shops here in Yixian City have just turned a profit, so I can’t leave yet.”
“Hmm?” Huaiyu raised an eyebrow. “You’ve earned a month’s worth of silver and you call that just turning a profit?”
“You’re not a merchant, what do you know?” Lu Jingxing leaned his fan against her forehead. “I know what I’m doing.”
He appeared carefree, but his mind was sharp. If she didn’t want to hold him back, he would naturally step back. She was right; after five or six years of friendship, it wouldn’t be worth it.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Jingxing turned away. “You’ve been focused on Jiang Xuanjin, neglecting Changlin Jun. I’ve arranged everything for him. You can chat with him when you have time.”
“Okay,” Huaiyu nodded, watching his retreating figure, lost in thought.
Jiang Xuanjin went to the streets of Yixian City. He had heard countless reports about this place in the memorials and had been eager to see it for himself. With his mind in turmoil, he couldn’t sit still in the house, so he decided to go for a walk.
The streets of the main city were not bustling, but they weren’t deserted either. Many new shops had raggedly dressed commoners standing in them. Although the passersby looked worried, they weren’t in despair.
Li Huaiyu had saved this place, injecting life into Yixian City in just two short months.
Passing by a teahouse, he sat down to listen to people talk. The people at nearby tables praised Jiu Wu, praised Chi Jin, and even praised Lu Jingxing and Xu Chuniang, but in the end, he didn’t hear a single word of praise for the Princess of Danyang.
It seemed like these people didn’t even realize who was saving this drought-stricken city.
“Yo… Young master?” A girl who had been hovering nearby for a long time plucked up the courage to approach, her face red as she handed him a bowl of hot soup. “Your face is freezing. Warm up.”
After handing it over, she ran off and hid in the alley, peeking out to look at him.
Jiang Xuanjin frowned, placing the bowl of soup back on the table. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his fingers one by one, showing no intention of expressing gratitude, before continuing to walk forward with Cheng Xu. Cheng Xu glanced sympathetically at the girl; there were many brave people in this world, but those who knew that their master had a cleanliness obsession were few and far between. When something was handed over like that, the master naturally wouldn’t be grateful.
Moreover, His Highness’s complexion wasn’t the pallor of cold.
Reports from various regional lords requesting reduced taxes were delivered to the capital, and Li Huailin’s expression soured. While others were subdued by Lord Ziyang, he didn’t utter a word. But what about Pingling Jun?
The current Pingling Jun was Li Shan’s illegitimate son, Li Fangwu. Although he hadn’t been favored by Li Shan since childhood, developing into a timid and weak individual, he was still his brother. It was one thing not to assist him, but to aid Jiang Xuanjin instead.
Li Huailin sneered, promptly decreeing Li Fangwu to come to the capital for a performance review.
An annual journey to the capital for a performance review was nothing out of the ordinary. But Li Fangwu was apprehensive. Why was he being summoned first, even before others had been called? Had he requested too many tax reductions, prompting the Emperor to intend to teach him a lesson and perhaps show strength?
For two days after receiving the imperial decree, Li Fangwu feigned illness, hiding in Pingling Jun’s mansion, afraid to move.
In his state of confusion, a young man with rosy lips and white teeth arrived at the door.
“I am Jiang Yan, greetings to Pingling Jun.”
Li Fangwu scrutinized him for a while, then realized, “Young Master Jiang from the Jiang family. Former Left Supervisor of the Court of Judicial Review, what advice do you have?”
Jiang Yan cupped his hands, “Lord Ziyang foresaw the difficulties Pingling Jun might face and especially sent me to assist.”
Lord Ziyang had known about it earlier? Li Fangwu was astonished, then asked, “What did His Highness say?”
“His Highness said that there are unresolved old cases in Pingling, which have long been a thorn in the Emperor’s side. Combined with the tax reduction issue, Pingling Jun is bound to be targeted. Once you go to the capital, you may not be able to return.”
“…,” Li Fangwu sighed, sharing his worries. His father had committed too many sins. Since assuming the position of Pingling Jun, he hadn’t had many peaceful nights, afraid that those killed by his father would come seeking retribution in his dreams.
It was said that sons should bear their father’s debts, but even when his father was alive, he didn’t treat him as his son. How innocent was he to bear his sins?
“But I’ve already received the imperial decree. How can I avoid going to the capital?” Li Fangwu said with difficulty. “If His Majesty accuses me of defying the decree, I won’t be able to bear the blame.”
“If His Highness can’t bear it, isn’t Lord Ziyang there to support him?” Jiang Yan said. “You can pretend to be ill for a few more months, and the rest will be taken care of by His Highness. There won’t be any blame falling on you.”
Li Fangwu was puzzled, “Why would Lord Ziyang help me?”
“It’s the principle of mutual support in times of danger. His Highness should understand,” Jiang Yan smiled, “We’re all neighboring fiefdoms, so it’s only natural for Lord Ziyang to assist you.”
Is that so? Li Fangwu remained skeptical.
Over the next few days, he truly continued to feign illness, nervously awaiting the reaction from the capital. However, five days passed without any correspondence or memorials from the capital. His days of feigning illness were quite comfortable, and gradually, he began to believe Jiang Yan’s words.
Someone reminded him, “Your Highness, in three days, it will be your father’s death anniversary. According to the usual practice, you should go to the capital to pay respects at the ancestral temple.”
“I won’t go this year,” Li Fangwu said. “I’ll just say I’m too ill to rise, and it’s already a matter of life and death. I believe His Majesty won’t hold it against me.”