The soldier who shouted thought he had misheard and scratched his ear, looking up to ask, “What?”
“I said, the gate will not open,” the man on the city wall stood with his hands behind his back, speaking slowly, “Today, Yixian City is under martial law. No entry or exit for those of unknown origin.”
The soldier was taken aback, fuming with anger, and rode back to Jia Liang, exaggerating, “Sir! There’s a young master on the city wall who says your status isn’t high enough to open the gate!”
Jia Liang’s smile vanished instantly. “What?”
The soldier continued indignantly, “That man isn’t even wearing armor, just common clothes, with delicate skin—a kept man! He’s using a feather as an arrow, obviously not taking you seriously!”
“This is outrageous!” the deputy general behind him shouted. “Sir, you have the imperial edict with you!”
Jia Liang squinted at the distant city wall, vaguely seeing a figure in light-colored robes. He sneered, “Ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth. Today, I will make him kneel and apologize!”
“Sir, mighty!” the guards behind him cheered in unison.
With so many people backing him, Jia Liang straightened his back, spurred his horse, and led his guards to stand beneath the city gate.
“Ho—” Thousands of troops shouted, countless arrows aimed at the city wall. Jia Liang, holding the reins, said leisurely, “Being kept by a woman, do you think you have some skills? Where’s the person who said my status isn’t enough? Why don’t you dare show yourself?”
The people behind him jeered, and Jia Liang continued mockingly, “Eating soft rice so much that you don’t even have the strength to open the gate?”
The flags fluttered on the city wall, and many people stood there. The soldier who reported pointed at the figure in the green robe and said, “Sir, there he is!”
Following his direction, Jia Liang was about to continue his mockery, but when his gaze met the man’s eyes, he paused.
Why did he look familiar?
With handsome brows and eyes, a cold demeanor not of this world, a jade crown properly worn, and a majestic presence like a celestial being. Jia Liang had seen the Ziyang Lord in court before and had secretly praised his unparalleled elegance. Now, seeing this man, he was stunned for a moment, and when he realized who it was, his mouth twitched.
The soldier didn’t notice his expression and, seeing the man step to the edge of the wall, pointed at him and said, “The imperial envoy is here. If you have the guts, keep the gate closed! Let’s see what happens to you…”
Before he could finish, he was hit hard on the back of the head, stopping him in pain. Confused, he turned to see Jia Liang, who had been so imposing, now sweating profusely and scolding him with trembling lips, “What are you shouting about!”
“Sir… Sir?”
Sliding off his horse, Jia Liang looked back at his army, hesitated for a moment, and finally stepped forward to salute.
“Your servant Jia Liang greets Your Highness!”
His bow left the soldiers behind him dumbfounded. There was only a seemingly frail person on the city wall. A single command to “release arrows” would turn him into a beehive. Why were they afraid of him?
Jiang Xuanjin looked calmly at the people below and repeated, “Yixian City is under martial law. The gate will not open. If you have an urgent business…”
He paused, looking at the restless troops behind, “Then why not try forcing your way in?”
Such provocative words, Jia Liang could endure, but the ignorant deputy generals and soldiers behind him couldn’t. They booed, and their horses pawed the sandy ground.
“Don’t act rashly!” Jia Liang hurriedly said, “Dismount!”
The deputy generals reluctantly dismounted, looking dissatisfied.
If the person on the city wall were a fierce general like Xu Xian, they might consider backing down. But who was this? Someone with no presence at all, why should they retreat for him?
Yixian City was already on the brink. They followed Jia Liang to clear the rebels, hoping to get a share of the spoils. Everyone knew how much they could gain during the process. Otherwise, why would they flatter Jia Liang all the way here?
Now, at the city gate, he seemed to want to back down.
“The people below are blind, not knowing Your Highness is here, and have offended you!” Without looking at the people behind him, Jia Liang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, “We dare not force our way in, but I have brought the imperial edict. Your Highness should at least let me in to deliver it.”
Jiang Xuanjin nodded understandingly, “If you wish to deliver the edict, you may enter alone. The rest will camp outside.”
“This…” Jia Liang hesitated. How could he dare enter alone?
“Sir!” someone whispered behind him, “Didn’t you say that even if the Ziyang Lord is in the city, he would help us?”
Jia Liang wanted to know what was going on! Wasn’t it said that the Ziyang Lord had broken with the Grand Princess? The rumors were vivid, saying that the person claiming to be the Grand Princess had offended His Highness, who then ordered the blockade of Ziyang’s border city, cutting off contact with Danyang.
But now, the situation seemed off.
“Sir, let’s just charge in,” the deputy general said in a low voice. “Who cares about the Ziyang Lord? Can he alone stop our thousands of troops? Once we enter the city and eliminate the rebels, we can apologize to him later.”
“Yes, we can’t give him such a face. The brothers need an explanation.”
Their chatter made Jia Liang anxious. He waved his hand, “No, no.”
The deputy general grew impatient, “If you don’t dare, I’ll lead the charge. You can rest in the back.”
With that, he waved for someone to help Jia Liang away.
Jia Liang half-heartedly complied. After all, he wanted to enter the city but didn’t dare offend the Ziyang Lord. If he didn’t show up now, once inside, he could still curry favor with the Ziyang Lord and push the deputy general to take the blame. His Highness couldn’t blame him.
Thinking this, Jia Liang feigned difficulty, struggled a bit, and retreated to the rear of the army.
“Charge!” Facing the gaze of the young man in green above, the deputy general arrogantly raised his sword.
The men behind him responded in unison, mounted their horses, and charged at the gate. Meanwhile, the archers received the order, and a rain of arrows shot towards the battlements.
“Your Highness, be careful!” someone shouted from the city wall.
Jiang Xuanjin focused on the arrows coming from below. The arrow’s momentum wasn’t strong, and he easily caught two with a stretch of his hand.
“Such poor aim,” he commented objectively.
Ladders were placed against the wall. The deputy general, having studied military tactics, wasted no time and aimed to capture him first. He moved swiftly over the ladder, his agility evident. Climbing over the battlements, he launched a fierce attack, aiming for Jiang Xuanjin’s throat.
Chengxu and Yufeng stood nearby, showing no intention of helping. Instead, they used long poles to knock down the ladder he climbed.
The deputy general’s hand reached out, visibly unwashed, with dirt under his nails. Jiang Xuanjin frowned, dodged his grasp, and struck his elbow, twisting his arm behind his back.
In pain, the deputy general tried to counterattack, aiming for Jiang Xuanjin’s lower body to break free. Jiang Xuanjin released him, dodged the sweeping kick, and stepped directly on the man’s ankle.
A cracking sound echoed, and the deputy general’s face turned pale.
This man seemed to have no strength, yet his blows were so heavy.
Numb with pain, the deputy general felt humiliated. Gritting his teeth, he drew his sword, intending to slash at Jiang Xuanjin’s neck.
Jiang Xuanjin reacted faster. As the sword left its sheath, he kicked the man’s hand, sending the gleaming blade flying. He landed a palm on the deputy general’s shoulder, using the force to flip in the air, catching the sword and landing back in place, the blade aimed at the deputy general’s throat.
“Is this what you intended?” he asked.
His swift movements, unhindered by armor, made him much more agile. Feeling the cold blade at his throat, the deputy general’s expression changed. “You… you know martial arts?”
Wasn’t the Ziyang Lord supposed to be a scholar?
Jiang Xuanjin replied coldly, “I know a little.”
The phrase reminded him of Jiu Wu, and he smirked slightly, adding, “Better than the average person who knows a little.”
“Achoo!” Leading his men to intercept reinforcements from Pingling, Jiu Wu suddenly sneezed, startling his horse.
“What’s going on?” he muttered, rubbing his nose. “Maybe His Highness is thinking of me. Everyone, move faster!”
“Yes!” The large group followed, cutting across from the southeast, about to meet the reinforcements in the canyon ahead.
On the city wall, the wind howled. The deputy general turned to find himself alone on the wall, the ladder broken, with no guards behind him.
“Your… Your Highness, spare me,” he pleaded, softening his tone. “I was just following orders.”
The sword hilt was dirty, so Jiang Xuanjin tossed it aside, saying, “Tell your men to retreat.”
If the sword were still at his throat, he would have had to comply. But seeing Jiang Xuanjin discard the sword, a vicious glint flashed in the deputy general’s eyes. He nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes, I’ll have them… send you off!”
His tone changed abruptly on the last four words, and he flipped the sword on the ground into his hand, slashing at Jiang Xuanjin.
As if anticipating this move, Jiang Xuanjin calmly sidestepped, twisted the man’s wrist, and kicked him in the chest.
Not letting go, he pulled the man back after the kick, turning his face blue. The deputy general tried to fight back, but with a dislocated ankle, his movements were sluggish. In a moment of hesitation, Jiang Xuanjin punched him in the abdomen.
The force penetrated the armor, shaking him. Before he could react, he tasted blood in his throat and spat it out.
Below, the soldiers continued their assault, and the shaky city gate collapsed with a roar, the shouts echoing.
The deputy general spat blood, sneering, “Even if you kill me, you can’t stop us from entering the city. Surrender obediently!”
Frowning at the bloodstains on his sleeve, Jiang Xuanjin grabbed the man’s armor, dragging him from the outer wall to the inner wall, throwing him against the stone.
Dazed, the deputy general looked up to see the situation inside the city.
A dense crowd filled the streets and alleys, a line of shield soldiers at the gate protecting the archers behind, their sharp arrows aimed at those entering the city.
From his angle, the number of people he could see was already comparable to those they brought, not to mention those unseen behind.
“How can this be?!” the deputy general exclaimed, “Wasn’t it said that Yixian City had no garrison?”
They relied on their numbers to be so arrogant. If it came to a real fight…
The soldiers who rushed into the city were stunned by the scene before them, stopping in their tracks, not daring to advance. Some timid leaders even began retreating.
“Your Highness, let’s talk this over,” the deputy general finally lost his temper, smiling apologetically. “I’ve been serving in Pingling and didn’t know of Your Highness’s reputation… Let’s consider this a misunderstanding. Please calm down, and let’s sit down and talk?”
Jiang Xuanjin sneered.
Moments later, the deputy general was thrown off the city wall.
“Ah—”
A scream so loud that Jia Liang in the rear heard it and quickly asked, “What’s happening?”
A trembling messenger reported, “There’s an ambush in the city. Deputy General Liu was thrown off the wall and seems to have broken bones.”
Gasping, Jia Liang jumped up, “I said we shouldn’t fight, but you wouldn’t listen! Now look, the Ziyang Lord is angry! Retreat quickly!”
“But what reason does the Ziyang Lord have to keep us out of the city?” the strategist asked, “Everything needs a reason. We’re here by imperial decree. Is His Highness defying the edict?”
Jia Liang thought for a moment, clinging to a sliver of hope, and sent someone respectfully to inquire—why couldn’t they enter Yixian City?
A message quickly came down from the city wall: “His Highness said the Lady is resting in the city and dislikes disturbances.”
Jia Liang’s eyelid twitched.
What a flimsy excuse! Everyone knew the Ziyang Lord wasn’t swayed by women. How could he defy the edict for his wife?
Perhaps there were other interests involved? He pondered for a while and decided to wait for reinforcements, camping outside the city for now.
There were some skirmishes between the two sides, resulting in dozens of casualties. However, the outside forces retreated quickly, and by the time the hour of Si arrived, the city gate of Yixian City was quiet again.
Chengxu followed his lord back to the Princess’s residence, watching him wash and change into a fresh robe before casually heading to the main house.
Li Huaiyu had just woken up, lazily leaning against the bed. Seeing him enter, she smiled, “I was just asking where you went.”
Sitting down by the bed, Jiang Xuanjin replied calmly, “Just went for a walk.”
“Really?” Huaiyu looked suspiciously at Chengxu and Yufeng behind him.
Could they say anything? They could only nod repeatedly, yes, yes, just a walk, casually scaring off an army, and casually throwing their deputy general off the city wall.
If the master said it was casual, then it was casual. No matter how much they had to say, they swallowed it.
“It’s this late, why haven’t you had breakfast?” Jiang Xuanjin frowned, looking at the tray beside him.
Huaiyu smiled, snuggling onto his lap, “I just woke up, not hungry at all.”
“You should eat anyway.” He picked up the red bean porridge, tasted it, and said, “It’s still warm.”
“You feed me!” The person on his lap acted spoiled.
In the past, Jiang Xuanjin would have sneered, needing someone to feed her to eat. Her hands weren’t broken!
But now, he looked at her increasingly large belly, said nothing, helped her sit up against him, and fed her the porridge.
“Hey, not with that,” Huaiyu grinned mischievously, pointing at his lips, “With this.”
The veins on the back of his hand bulged, and Jiang Xuanjin glared at her, “What nonsense are you talking?”
Pouting pitifully, Huaiyu said, “Qi Jin said my emotions are unstable lately, you need to humor me a bit.”
“No matter how much I humor you…” Jiang Xuanjin said, embarrassed, “Can’t you be serious?”
“I’m always serious. Look at me in front of them, am I, not a qualified leader?” Huaiyu hummed, her eyes full of bright laughter, “But when I see you, I can’t help it, I want to be close to you, want you all to myself!”
Jiang Xuanjin: “…”
Since meeting her, he seemed to be constantly at a loss for words, her mouth never speaking seriously, yet she was shameless, leaving him speechless.
“Ah, my stomach hurts!” Seeing no reaction, Huaiyu rolled onto the bed, acting spoiled, “It hurts so much, only Ziyang Lord’s hugs and kisses can make it better!”
The veins on his forehead also twitched, and Jiang Xuanjin said coldly, “If you keep this up, I’ll leave.”
“Woo woo woo!” Huaiyu covered herself with the blanket, fake crying, “In this desolate place, abandoned for over twenty years, pregnant and ignored by the lord, so pitiful, no one cares for me… Why is my life so hard!”
The sound of the door opening and closing came from outside, and Huaiyu’s heart sank.
Did he leave just like that?
She was pretending to cry, but hearing the door close, she felt a bit wrong, her eyes misty. She turned to curse.
However, as soon as she turned, a green robe enveloped her.
“Is it worth making such a fuss?” Jiang Xuanjin turned her face, seeing the tears in her eyes, frowned, placed her belly properly, and hugged her, then lowered his head, gently kissing her eyes as she did.
“I’ve hugged and kissed you, why are you still crying?”
Huaiyu blinked, then blinked again, hugging his waist, murmuring, “You didn’t leave?”
“I had Chengxu and Yufeng leave,” he said, turning his head, “In front of them, what do you want me to do?”
“Pfft,” Huaiyu laughed, hugging his neck, “They’re all trusted aides, are you still shy? Learn from me, even with Qingsi around, I can pin you against the wall and kiss you!”
Jiang Xuanjin said indifferently, “Do you think everyone can act like you?”
“What about me?” Huaiyu glared, hands on hips.
Jiang Xuanjin paused, closed his eyes, and said, “You… free-spirited and unrestrained, not bound by conventions, it requires a high level of enlightenment.”
Entering the court without flattering the monarch, and leaving the palace without currying favor with colleagues, the Ziyang Lord was known for not speaking empty words. He used to think this was a kind of integrity, that power and wealth couldn’t make him bow.
But now…
Staring at the suddenly smiling face before him, Jiang Xuanjin thought, some empty words should be said, life doesn’t have to be too hard on oneself.
Li Huaiyu was satisfied, snuggling back into his arms, obediently taking the red bean porridge to drink herself.
“Why hasn’t the imperial envoy reached us yet?” she asked while drinking.
Jiang Xuanjin replied without a hint of guilt, “Perhaps the scenery in Pingling is good, and the envoy decided to stay a few more days, not in a hurry to come to Yixian City.”