Jiang Yuan followed his gaze and saw a man standing on horseback at the end of the long alley. The people around him were all dressed in plain white armor, like feathers, clean and without a trace of impurity. At a glance, Jiang Yuan recognized those battle uniforms. They belonged to the archers privately raised by Song Yanji, who were best at mounted archery and could kill with a single arrow from a hundred paces away.
Jiang Yuan had imagined countless times what it would be like to see Song Yanji again. Perhaps it would be a fleeting encounter, or perhaps it would be on his way to the palace in triumph. But never like this, with his bow and arrow aimed at her.
Meng Xizhi's kung fu is high, so he might be able to dodge it, but it's different for her. Her mediocre kung fu is only good for fighting thugs and hooligans, but once she faces an elite opponent like this, she will have no chance of survival.
"Can we dodge this?" Jiang Yuan shook off the various thoughts in her mind, her eyes filled with a glimmer of hope as she looked at Meng Xizhi with anticipation.
Seeing her eager expression, Meng Xizhi raised the corner of his mouth slightly. "I can, but you definitely can't escape it." With each word he spoke, the light in Jiang Yuan's eyes dimmed a little.
Suddenly, Jiang Yuan leaned sharply into his arms, startling Meng Xizhi. "You've taken me hostage!"
She didn't want to die, so now she had no choice but to take a gamble.
Thinking this, Jiang Yuan shouted at the top of her lungs toward the figure in the distance, her voice urgent and shrill, "General, save me!"
The figure on horseback paused, and Song Yansi looked at the petite figure in the distance. His fingertips, which were resting on the bow and arrow, twitched slightly. How could she be here?
Seeing that Song Yansi had stopped, and given the secluded location, Jiang Yuan guessed that only a few people in the alley would know about her cries for help. So she immediately announced Jiang Zhongsi's name and shouted, "I am the eldest daughter of Zuo Fengyi's family. I have been kidnapped by villains. General, save me!"
"Are you sure he'll save you?" Meng Xizhi's teasing voice rang in her ear.
"Shut up." Jiang Yuan had no intention of arguing with him right now; her mind was full of gambling—gambling on the fact that she was Jiang Zhongsi's daughter, gambling on her current worth.
Song Yansi stared at the figure in the distance for a long time before signaling the archers to put away their bows and arrows. Jiang Yuan's heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled down when she saw him dismount.
Song Yansi watched as the person in the distance seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, even waving her arms less vigorously. A faint smile appeared on her lips, then vanished again. It seemed she hadn't yet mastered the art of putting on a convincing act.
Today is the day for Prince Fei'an to show his skills, so Song Yanji naturally wouldn't want to upset him. Therefore, he didn't wear his battle robes, but only a black long robe with a thick gray fox fur coat over it, and a jade hairpin tightly tied up his black hair.
He walked towards Jiang Yuan with very steady steps, his black satin boots with blue soles imprinted on the gray stone slabs. With each step he took closer, Jiang Yuan became more nervous. When he was still three zhang away, he stopped and looked past Jiang Yuan at Meng Xizhi behind her.
"My name is Song Yansi."
"I have long admired General Song's reputation." Meng Xizhi didn't exchange many pleasantries. He grabbed Jiang Yuan and leaped onto the rooftop beside him, creating distance between them. He looked down at Song Yanji not far away. "I have no connection with Southern Liang. Why are you treating me like this?"
"Oh? I don't understand what you mean." Song Yanji raised his head, looking surprised. "We were ordered to arrest spies, but we happened to encounter the Crown Prince kidnapping the young lady of an official family in Southern Liang. How come it's become my fault in the Crown Prince's mouth?"
"I wonder if the spies have been caught."
"No." Song Yansi smiled immediately, his smile exceptionally bright, but the moonlight shining through the withered branches onto his face made his expression unclear.
Jiang Yuan's fist was clenched tightly in his sleeve, his fingertips sinking slightly into his flesh. If one had never seen this man's ruthless and murderous side, one would definitely think of him as a gentle and refined gentleman.
The more dissatisfied he was, the more radiant his laughter became. Jiang Yuan had not personally experienced Song Yanji's great defeat of Lin'an, so naturally he had no idea what kind of wicked scheme he was plotting now.
The laughter grew softer and softer, and Song Yansi's voice floated out, seemingly unintentional but every word piercing Meng Xizhi's heart, "A few days ago, I, Song, happened to acquire a girl from the State of Wei. This girl is extremely beautiful, especially the red mole on her back, which stands out against her snow-white skin, making her even more charming and lovely."
Meng Xizhi suddenly tightened his grip on Jiang Yuan's arm, and the blade lightly sliced across her neck. Jiang Yuan winced in pain and couldn't help but groan.
"General, you have quite the skills." Upon hearing this, Meng Xizhi knew that the person was Lü Qiong, and his tone immediately became somewhat impolite. "What do you intend to do?"
“Release Miss Jiang, and I will allow the young master to leave Lin'an.” Song Yansi’s voice turned cold as he pointed to Jiang Yuan’s chest and continued, “As for the Wei woman, Huo Ze can be used to exchange for her.”
Chapter 7 A Deal
Meng Xizhi turned his head and deliberately looked at Jiang Yuan, who was standing in front of him with his head down. His face returned to its usual faint smile, and he stepped on Jiang Yuan's sore spot without any politeness. "General, you are indeed worthy of being from a merchant family."
He not only left Wei Guo with a major threat, but also gained Jiang Zhongsi's gratitude. He really played his cards right.
"Not as good as the Crown Prince," Song Yansi replied calmly. "It's just a win-win situation."
"Hahaha, I never thought that all my efforts would end up benefiting you!" Meng Xizhi put away the dagger from Jiang Yuan's neck, smiled, looked into Jiang Yuan's eyes, and silently said: Miss Jiang, I apologize for the offense.
Then he pushed back with his hand, using some force in this palm strike. Even though Jiang Yuan was pulling on his sleeve, she couldn't withstand the force of his body leaning back.
Sizzle—
The sound of tearing fabric rang in her ears. Jiang Yuan stared in horror at the man on the roof. Meng Xizhi seemed to have not expected her to grab him. He was dumbfounded as he watched the torn half of his sleeve fall to the ground with Jiang Yuan. He even slowed down his steps to get away. "Qingshu Pavilion in the suburbs. Bring someone to exchange for him in three days."
There was no pain as she had imagined. Jiang Yuan fell into a warm embrace, and the pleasant scent of the rooftop filled her nostrils. It was so familiar that she felt a little dazed. She didn't dare to look at him, so she just blinked and stared at the now empty rooftop, murmuring, "He ran away."
"Yes, they ran away." Song Yansi's voice was very calm, like a vast ocean, only this ocean was not as calm and peaceful as it appeared on the surface, but with turbulent undercurrents.
"Jiang Yuan?" Seeing her lost in thought, Song Yansi called out softly, his chin drooping in a perfect arc, but his arms were as firm as iron, showing no intention of putting her down.
Jiang Yuan was anxious, her mind searching for the image of her first meeting with Song Yanji. It seemed that from the very beginning, she had been following behind him, calling out "Zhongli, Zhongli" repeatedly. She must have liked him. Forced to raise her head, she twisted the piece of clothing she had torn off with both hands, meeting Song Yanji's eyes with a pitiful expression. "I was so scared, thank you for saving me, General." As she spoke, her eyes glanced intentionally or unintentionally at the ground, indicating that he could put her down.
“Miss Jiang, you have been frightened. I will escort you back to your residence.” Song Yansi was taken aback for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face. However, the smile did not reach his eyes, and in Jiang Yuan’s eyes, it was an indescribable sarcasm.
"No need to trouble the general." With just one glance, she hurriedly lowered her head and impatiently pulled away from his arm.
Song Yansi stared at her for a long time before finally putting her down on the ground and sighing softly, "This life has finally been repaid." It was unclear whether he was speaking to Jiang Yuan or to himself.
A life? He owed her more than just a life. Jiang Yuan pretended not to hear, walked past Song Yansi, and headed towards the alley entrance. The alley was deserted, and the white stone slabs were covered with a thick layer of withered leaves, which crunched underfoot. She kept her head down and walked faster and faster, as if the person behind her was a raging beast that would devour her if she slowed down even a step.
Suddenly, her wrist was grabbed tightly, and Jiang Yuan felt dizzy. When she came to her senses, she was already on the horse's back.
Jiang Yuan turned to look at the man behind her. After her initial surprise, she was filled with uncontrollable anger. She smiled coldly, put her arm on his chest, and kept a sufficient distance between herself and Song Yanji. "What kind of behavior is it for an unmarried woman like me to ride a horse with a general?"
Song Yansi continued to look straight ahead, seemingly unaware of Jiang Yuan's voice.
"After I return to the manor, I will prepare a generous gift. Please convey my gratitude to the general for saving my life." Jiang Yuan pushed him hard and was about to jump off the horse when Song Yanji's voice rang in her ears, "Your father is trapped in the Taiji Hall."
What? Jiang Yuan was startled and suddenly turned around to glare at Song Yansi.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" At this moment, Jiang Yuan looked like a frightened little wildcat, his small nose red from the cold wind. He couldn't help but reach out and touch his own nose. The sleeve with the dark embroidery seemed to intentionally reveal a piece of flint.
Jiang Yuan's mind went blank. Whether it was from the cold or the shock, her lips were pale. She stared intently at Song Yansi. She had never heard Jiang Zhongsi mention that her father was trapped in Taiji Hall. For a moment, she didn't know if her going along with the flow had disrupted her father's plans or if her father had never mentioned this matter at all.
"How did you know?" Jiang Yuan's hair stood on end, then his expression turned ferocious. He grabbed Song Yansi's arm with his other hand, his fingertips turning slightly blue from the force he used. "Did you do this?"
"That's giving me too much credit." Song Yansi slapped her arm away, his eyes as dark as an abyss, his voice filled with disdain. "But Miss Jiang, why are you so sure it was me?"
"I...I..." Jiang Yuan was speechless. At this moment, Song Yanji was still weak and in dire need of the court's help. He had not yet decided to kill her father. It was Jiang Yuan who had acted rashly and said something she shouldn't have.
The sound of horses' hooves clattered on the road, neither hurried nor slow. Song Yansi gradually felt the strength in his arm waning. Just as he was about to speak, a warm sensation melted on the back of his hand. He frowned and looked into his arms. The person in his arms had their head drooping very low.
"You will save my father, won't you?" After a long pause, she finally said, her voice thick with emotion, "I will repay you."
"Let's call it even then." Song Yansi smiled, reached out and lifted her chin, looking down into her eyes. His gaze was somewhat familiar yet distant. His voice suddenly lowered, "I don't want to owe anyone anything."
Ten thousand taels of gold? Jiang Yuan was originally immersed in his tragic acting, but unexpectedly he suddenly said such a sentence, and the tears that were about to slide down were forced to stop in his eyes. He couldn't hold them back, nor could he let them fall.
Jiang Yuan stared at Song Yansi with her mouth agape for a long time, and only when she saw that he didn't seem to be lying did she show a hint of embarrassment. However, she kept searching through her past life for that forgotten history. Ten thousand taels of gold—perhaps because of the long years, the matter of her saving Song Yansi had become so vague that she naturally couldn't remember whether she had really made such a fantastical request.
"Have you forgotten that fall on the artificial hill?" Song Yansi said with a smile, seemingly unconcerned. "If I had known, I wouldn't have brought it up."
Boom! Jiang Yuan's mind exploded.
The Jiang family was very strict, and few of the maids and servants dared to gossip. Only the people in the mansion knew that she had fallen off the rockery. Song Yanji was far away in Moze and had just arrived in Lin'an, but he knew that this incident was a clear indication that her every move was under his watchful eye.
Jiang Yuan felt a chill run down her spine, but what terrified her even more was when he had reached into her residence.
The pleasant male voice continued to ring in his ears. Song Yansi had now distanced himself from Jiang Yuan. "I was prepared for Lord Jiang's situation. At the very least, I need to let Lord Jiang know who saved him."
Song Yansi smirked, took Jiang Yuan's hand and led her to the flint tube in his sleeve. Jiang Yuan held the palm-length bamboo tube firmly in her hand. Song Yansi raised her arm with his left hand and put his right hand around her neck to light the fuse at the bottom of the flint tube.
Boom—boom—two loud explosions, and a bright patch of light burst open in the sky.
Jiang Yuan had barely been sent back to the Jiang residence by Song Yansi when Jiang Zhongsi was carried back, covered in blood, which horrified Aunt Zhao so much that she fainted on the spot.
Lin'an had just fallen when the Jiang family was greeted by Song Yanji, a devil incarnate. Coincidentally, Jiang Zhongsi was injured, so Song Yanji stayed openly, claiming to check on Lord Jiang's wound. Naturally, no one with the guts to actually ask him to leave the mansion.
Although Jiang Zhongsi's wounds looked serious, they were just superficial injuries. As soon as the wounds were bandaged, he sent all the servants away, leaving only Song Yansi behind.
"General Song's kindness is beyond my means to repay."
Seeing Jiang Zhongsi struggling to get up, Song Yansi quickly pressed down on his shoulder. "Lord Jiang, you are too kind. It was just a coincidence. However..." Song Yansi's face was expressionless. "When I rescued Miss Jiang just now, I vaguely felt that the thief looked quite familiar."
"General Song, you've gone to so much trouble regarding my daughter." Reminded by Song Yansi, Jiang Zhongsi remembered that Rui'an had told him on the way that his young lady had been kidnapped but rescued by a young master. Jiang Zhongsi glanced at Song Yansi, who was dressed in plain clothes, and seeing that it was indeed him, he followed up with the question, "General, do you know who that thief was?"
"The Heir Apparent of Marquis Ansui of Weiguo." Song Yanji spoke calmly but with a serious expression, yet his words stirred up a storm in Jiang Zhongsi's heart. The Heir Apparent of Marquis Ansui, wasn't that the assassin who tried to kill the Prince of Fei'an?
He then thought of the gentleman he had seen in the courtyard a few days ago. No wonder he felt that the man had an imposing aura. Looking at Song Yanji’s calm and collected expression, he obviously knew the truth.
"This matter was made by my own foolishness." Jiang Zhongsi had been in officialdom for many years and was quite shrewd. He was naturally grateful that Song Yansi was being frank with him and had no intention of turning against him. However, Song Yansi had helped him several times, which made him a little unsure of himself. "If you ever need my help in the future, please feel free to ask, General."
“Lord Jiang is well aware of the ways of officialdom. After the Prince ascends the throne, he will inevitably be promoted and ennobled.” Song Yansi sized up Jiang Zhongsi and saw that he had a calm demeanor. If he hadn’t captured the guard in Li Sheng’s camp, he would not have known that Jiang Zhongsi had this idea. He couldn’t help but sigh in his heart: What an old fox!
Song Yansi put down his teacup, straightened his clothes slightly, and said in an eerie silence, “I advise Lord Jiang not to have such thoughts.” His gaze was somewhat deep, and his voice was as cold as the night wind.
Raising an eyebrow, Jiang Zhongsi suddenly felt a pain in his wounds, but still smiled and said, "I don't understand what you mean."
"It's best if you don't understand." Song Yansi said, taking a sip of tea. "If you do too much, it's inevitable that people will become suspicious."
Chapter 8 Auspicious Days and Heavenly Virtues
Seeing his suspicious expression, Song Yansi continued, "Miss Jiang saved my life, so this is my way of repaying that favor."
These words were so blunt that Jiang Zhongsi was so shocked he almost couldn't breathe. He had considered all sorts of possibilities, but he never expected it to involve his own daughter. His fingers trembled slightly, and suddenly, something flashed through his mind. He tentatively asked, "The general has known my daughter for a long time?"
"Of course." Song Yanji didn't hide this from him, only replying with the useful information, "I exchanged ten thousand taels of gold for a small pearl from you, Miss."
Ten thousand taels of gold for a single pearl.
Jiang Zhongsi had always known that his daughter was shrewd, but after all, she was still a young woman. He never imagined that his daughter would be involved with Song Yanji. Then, he thought of the Jingzhou incident. No wonder Jiang Yuan had urged him to send out the strategic map. His heart skipped a beat.
He subtly observed the man before him. Song Yansi was Li Sheng's subordinate and was well aware of Li Sheng's thoughts. Although he had surrendered early on, he was, after all, an old minister of the previous dynasty, and in Li Sheng's heart, he was ultimately no match for him.
Song Yansi glanced at the moonlight outside the window, calculated the time, and figured that Fu Zhengyan should have finished making arrangements by now. He stopped there and, seeing that Jiang Zhongsi remained silent, knew that he was planning something in his mind. He had no intention of staying any longer and got up to take his leave.
Jiang Zhongsi was unable to get up easily, so he had to ask his servants to see Song Yansi out.
Just as Ruian reported that the King of Hell had left the mansion, Jiang Zhongsi angrily smashed his cup. Thinking about how his daughter had kept all this from him, he felt a pain in his chest. He didn't even care that Aunt Zhao had dragged her newly awakened body to see him, and directly ordered someone to drive her out.
"Where is A-Yuan?"
"At Chunnuan Pavilion, I heard he was frightened earlier." Rui'an kept his eyes downcast. "He just took his medicine and is lying down now."
Frightened? She can be frightened? Jiang Zhongsi's mind finally caught on, and he immediately slammed his hand on the table. "Go, call the Third Miss over. If she's stopped by the Madam's people, tell them that if the Third Miss doesn't come, I'll go myself!"
Sure enough, as soon as Ruian arrived, he was stopped by Madam Jiang's head maid, Cherry. Jiang Yuan lay in the quilt, her big round eyes peeking out, her ears slightly tilted, listening carefully to the conversation between Ruian and Cherry outside the door. When she heard that her father insisted on seeing her today, she knew that something bad had happened.
You can't hide forever, so Jiang Yuan pretended to have just woken up and asked in a hoarse voice, "Sister Cherry, does Father want to see me?"
"Yes, Miss." Cherry's voice sounded somewhat hesitant. "Madam is in the small kitchen right now. Perhaps you could wait until Madam arrives, have something to eat, and then go?"
"No need, don't keep Father waiting." Jiang Yuan said, gesturing for Zhu Chuan to help her change. The master was determined to see the young lady, so Zhu Chuan couldn't say much. He could only keep putting thicker clothes on her, as it was cold outside and she shouldn't get cold.
When Jiang Yuan arrived at the main room, it was already past midnight.