Meng Xizhi sneered twice and ignored her. Just as Jiang Yuan was prepared to sit at the door all night, he slowly opened his mouth while fiddling with the nuts in the fruit box, "Yuan Yuan, what do you think of the name Duoyue Courtyard? I wrote it myself."
"It fits the situation in the courtyard quite well." A group of women were vying for him, and Jiang Yuan looked at Meng Xizhi and said, "A constellation of stars chasing the moon."
"Hehe, Yuan Yuan is joking. I am a man, and men are yang, so how could I be moon?"
"Then who is Yue?" Jiang Yuan wasn't very interested and casually replied, "Could it really be the moon in the sky?"
"You got it right." Meng Xizhi tapped the table, picked up a tangerine, and casually tossed it to her as a reward. He was so fast that Jiang Yuan didn't react in time and was hit on the forehead by the tangerine, falling backward on the spot. Fortunately, she was quick-witted and grabbed the door frame.
This made Meng Xizhi laugh uncontrollably. After he had finished laughing under Jiang Yuan's angry glare, he pointed to the clear night sky outside the door and showed it to her.
Against the dark sky, the starlight was dim, making the moon appear even brighter.
"It's pretty." Jiang Yuan rubbed her forehead and glanced at it, then focused her gaze on the orange in her hand, her eyes practically wanting to gouge a hole in it.
“That’s right.” Meng Xizhi stood up, walked to the door, leaned against the door frame, glanced down at Jiang Yuan who was wrapped up like a dumpling, and then looked up at the sky again. His voice was very pleasant, “Stars should be like this. If they try to compete with the bright moon, they are overestimating themselves.”
A chill crept up her back, and Meng Xizhi's words continued to echo in her ears, "They dare to steal the moon?"
Jiang Yuan was completely sleepless that night. A gentle breeze blew in through the cracks in the window, causing the flower spikes by her bedside to sway slightly. She stared intently at the sheer curtains above the bed, Meng Xizhi's words swirling in her mind, refusing to leave.
She couldn't wait any longer; she had to escape, no matter what.
This man treated everything in the world as a game. He enjoyed the thrill of bloodshed and also preferred silent battles. The women of the Moon-Snatching Courtyard were like a play after he had grown weary; each one was a pawn. He saw through them all, yet he reveled in watching them fight, snatch, and try every means to please him, while deep down he held them in profound contempt.
Jiang Yuan escaped seven days later. It happened to be Huo Zidu's birthday, and a banquet was held in the palace. The experts in the mansion followed Meng Xizhi into the palace early in the morning.
She went to great lengths to trick the maidservant beside her into unconsciousness before she could change her clothes and put on makeup to conceal her true appearance. She had been crafting her lie about leaving the mansion for days, and only used it when she felt it was flawless. In the end, she left the mansion openly, chatting and laughing with the maids and servants who were shopping.
"They ran away?" Green Jade was admiring the flowers in the courtyard when she heard the news and was momentarily stunned. "When?"
“It was this morning, or rather at noon when Ping’er went to deliver food to her, that she discovered it.” Tao Cui was also surprised that someone would actually dare to escape from the Marquis of Ansui’s residence. “The valuables are still there, but the silver coins used for rewards are all gone.”
Where are the people serving you?
"Qiu Tang was knocked unconscious, stuffed with cloth, and tied to the bed. There was a circle of candles around her, with only a copper base left. If she woke up and struggled a lot, the candles would fall over, and since the room is full of flammable materials, there would definitely be a fire." Tao Cui thought of what she had seen earlier.
Jiang Yuan's method was essentially gambling with Qiu Tang's life; whether she lived or died was entirely up to her. If she wanted to live, she should stay quietly and wait to be discovered, or wait for the candle to burn out. Out of consideration for human nature, Jiang Yuan was certain that she wouldn't dare to make any rash moves.
Chapter 35 Willow Leaves Facing South
"What a vicious method." Green Jade stroked the delicate petals with one hand, her face unusually devoid of a smile. "If that maid struggles, the fire will disfigure her face first. Once she's burned to charcoal, it will be hard to tell who's who. You really can't judge a book by its cover."
"What should we do now?" Tao Cui didn't care about any of that. All she knew was that the person was now out of her young mistress's sight.
"Send someone to inform the Marquis immediately." Green Jade parted her red lips slightly and whispered in her ear, "Remember not to embellish or exaggerate, say nothing more or less."
Tao Cui nodded, and when the news reached Meng Xizhi in the palace, he was with Huo Zidu, who was watching a play.
Xuesheng carefully observed Meng Xizhi's expression. He saw that Meng Xizhi was focused on the stage and seemed not to have heard anything, so he quietly stepped aside.
When the actor finally collapsed on the stage, and the play seemed to be coming to an end, Meng Xizhi finally spoke, "I must be alive to see people."
"My lord." Xuesheng leaned forward and bowed.
“Shenxing is gone, so we should find a chance to see if the rest can amount to anything.” Meng Xizhi’s eyes were still on the stage as he casually untied the token from his waist and tossed it to him. “Go, keep them alive.”
This was the first task Meng Xizhi assigned after Shen Xing died in Liang's camp. Xue Sheng, seeing their eagerness, gave them a final instruction: "Be careful not to get hurt."
"Alive" is synonymous with "lively and energetic," which is his interpretation of Meng Xizhi's statement.
Jiang Yuan was unfamiliar with the land of Wei, relying almost entirely on fragmented memories from her previous life to find her way. She didn't have much money; after buying a simple cloth outfit and some lead powder, she had almost nothing left. Lead powder was essential for changing one's appearance, crucial for a fugitive. She walked and searched, occasionally touching up her makeup by the water. The woman in the water had a sallow complexion and deep wrinkles; properly dressed, she looked no different from a local Wei woman of about forty.
Jiang Yuan's escape plan was carried out in secrecy for more than half a month. In her previous life, she had spent a year in the State of Wei and could speak a few words of the local dialect. Her low-key appearance made it quite difficult for Meng Xizhi's people.
However, the young fox, new to the jungle, was no match for the experienced hunter and eventually made a mistake, being dragged out of a farmhouse.
Meng Xizhi looked at the woman kneeling before him. Her gray-blue clothes were faded from washing, with a patch sewn on the cuff. Her face was patchy with yellow and white, and her hair, dyed white ash, was neatly tied up. From a distance, she truly looked like she had grown white hair.
"cousin."
"go out."
Seeing that neither of them spoke, Lü Qiong wanted to smooth things over, but she didn't expect to be met with a snag as soon as she opened her mouth. He rarely spoke to her like this, which made her a little stunned for a moment, but she quickly regained her usual smile, gave a slight bow, and then led Tao Cui and the others away.
Xue Sheng was observant. Seeing that Lady Zhuang Ji had already left, he dared not linger and closed the door behind him as he left.
"Thank you for your hard work." Meng Xuesheng had just stepped out when he heard Lady Zhuangji's voice. He quickly bowed and said he didn't deserve it. The door was tightly closed, and Lüqiong smiled at Meng Xuesheng, "It's rare for cousin to be so thoughtful."
Meng Xuesheng felt a chill run down his spine and could only offer a forced smile and flattery, "No matter how good an outsider is, they can never compare to Lady Zhuang Ji."
Luqiong remained silent, and as she left, her gaze swept across the tightly closed door without leaving a trace.
The sunlight was perfect, and fine gold rays filtered through the carvings into the room. The once somewhat crowded hall suddenly became empty after Green Jade and the others left.
With her chin lifted by a finger, Jiang Yuan was forced to look up and meet Meng Xizhi's gaze. Meeting his suppressed anger, Jiang Yuan stubbornly met his eyes. She had almost, almost escaped from that farmer's house.
"Where does Yuan Yuan want to go?" Meng Xizhi looked at her with a half-smile, his fingertips gently stroking her chin.
Jiang Yuan felt extremely uncomfortable with this action and almost instinctively waved her hand away. She turned her head to the side, neither replying nor looking at him.
"say!"
What did she say? Where did she want to go? Jiang Yuan sneered inwardly. Of course she wanted to go back to Nanliang! Every day she stayed in Weiguo, her future path would become more dangerous, and every day and night would be torture.
The air inside the room grew increasingly tense due to Jiang Yuan's silence, and her negative emotions completely ignited Meng Xizhi's explosive temper.
Before she could react, she was yanked up from the ground, her throat instantly gripped by a hand, and she was slammed against the wall by the force. Her back burned with pain, but Jiang Yuan ignored it, desperately trying to pry the grip on her neck.
The air grew thinner and thinner. She grabbed Meng Xizhi's fingers with one hand and pushed him away with all her might with the other. Was she going to die again? She thought to herself. Having been given a second chance at life, her neck had suffered a lot with her.
However, if she died now, would the Jiang family have no further connection with Song Yanji? Would her parents and brothers be able to live a peaceful life? Jiang Yuan's consciousness gradually began to dissipate, and her strength diminished. She suddenly felt that this might not be so bad.
Just as she gave up struggling, Meng Xizhi suddenly let go. Jiang Yuan lost her strength and couldn't even stand up. Her legs went weak and she fell directly to the ground. Her vision went black, and she closed her eyes and lost consciousness, fainting.
The wind rustled through the branches in the courtyard. Meng Xizhi looked at Jiang Yuan lying on the ground with a complicated expression. She had scratched the back of his hand with her fingernails, and a few drops of blood were seeping out.
She was laughing, just as he was about to kill her.
Meng Xizhi squatted down and used his sleeve to wipe away the yellowish-brown lead powder from her face. Her fair skin was exposed to the sunlight. She kept her eyes closed, her eyelashes slightly upturned, and her lips looked pale because of the lack of blood.
His fingers gently traced the corner of her mouth, as if her radiant smile was still there. His voice carried a hint of confusion, "What are you laughing at? It's like you've been relieved."
When Jiang Yuan awoke again, the pale sky in the east was gradually turning gray.
The windows were wide open, and the willow trees by the window were lush with leaves. The drooping branches swayed back and forth in the wind. Interspersed among the willows were a few pomegranate trees, their flowers blooming like fire.
She stared unblinkingly out the window, the afterglow of the sunset spilling onto the ground, peaceful and serene—if only the man standing by the window frame were there.
Jiang Yuan tried to turn over, but only after moving slightly did she realize that not only her throat, but her whole body ached. Her elbows were scraped and had just been bandaged with medicine.
"Want some water?" Meng Xizhi's cold voice reached her ears. Jiang Yuan glared at him. Now that things had come to this, she stopped struggling and lay stiffly on the bed like a fish waiting to be slaughtered.
Seeing that she did not reply, Meng Xizhi stopped asking and walked over to her side, sitting on the edge of the bed. He did not look at her, but stared at the flowers and willows outside the window.
It was very quiet around, with no noise from women or servants coming and going.
"This is Anhe Garden." He unusually refrained from mockery when facing Jiang Yuan, instead looking down to meet her gaze, and asked疑惑地问道, "What are you laughing at?"
Laugh? She didn't even need to look to know that her face was as black as if Meng Xizhi owed her 80,000 taels of silver. Her throat still burned, and her voice was hoarse. Jiang Yuan frowned, "Are you sure I'm laughing right now?"
"Fine, you can stay here for now." Seeing her like this, Meng Xizhi lost interest and got up to leave. But as soon as he stepped out the door, he remembered something. "Anhe Garden is not like other places. Don't even think about escaping."
Jiang Yuan propped herself up, clutching her throat. All around her were books covering an entire wall and a neatly arranged pearwood desk with writing implements and a jade-green porcelain vase containing a few withered branches.
There is nothing else besides that.
"Miss, I'm coming in." As soon as she spoke, a maid in a yellow dress pushed open the door and entered with a cup of tea. Before Jiang Yuan could speak, she introduced herself, "This servant is Lu Rui. I was specially sent by the Marquis to serve you, Miss."
"What kind of place is Anhe Garden?" Jiang Yuan disliked beating around the bush and went straight to the point.
“This is the courtyard where the Marquis lived when he was the heir.” Having been informed of Jiang Yuan’s previous actions, Lu Rui added with a smile, “The guards in the courtyard are all the Marquis’s men, so you can stay here with peace of mind, Miss.”
No wonder he told her not to even think about escaping; the difficulty of getting out of here was comparable to being in prison. Jiang Yuan lowered her head and remained silent, the grape ribbon on her chest hanging down in front of her. She gently turned her fingertips and kept rubbing them.
Since that day, Meng Xizhi would come over every few days for a stroll. Jiang Yuan didn't like to pay attention to him, so he would sit alone under the willow tree, drinking wine and tea without saying a word, and stay there for an entire afternoon.
Lu Rui seemed used to it, and once she served him tea, she wouldn't disturb him anymore. This way of getting along made Jiang Yuan a little curious. Sometimes irritable and easily angered, sometimes quiet and silent, he really was a strange person.
Jiang Yuan was imprisoned in Anhe Garden. Her days consisted of nothing more than walking around the courtyard and counting the days. Whenever Meng Xizhi arrived, she would lock herself in her room, leaving the doors and windows open only after he left, watching the sun rise and set day after day.
Meng Xizhi had been troubled by matters of the court these past few days, and the conflicts between him and Huo Zidu were increasing, with rifts growing between them. He didn't even want to go to Duoyue Courtyard, and he had other plans for Lü Qiong and couldn't let her be distracted for the time being. After thinking it over, he somehow ended up at Anhe Garden.
Jiang Yuan closed the doors and windows as usual, but Meng Xizhi couldn't sit still. He shook the fine wine in his hand and tapped the window with the pot, "Come out and have a drink together."
Jiang Yuan remained silent, still resting her chin on her hand and twirling the teacup in front of her. Suddenly, the window was shaken rapidly a few times, and the wooden bolt was pulled down. Without thinking, Jiang Yuan got up to hang it back up, but just as she reached the window, the bolt was shaken down again.
The window was pushed open, and sunlight streamed into the room.
Flowers bloom among the trees, and willows turn south. Meng Xizhi stood outside the window, propped up on his elbows, wearing a loose-fitting robe, holding two crystal-clear jade wine cups in his hands, smiling at her with narrowed eyes, "Come out for a drink."
Chapter 36 Yellow Flower White Wine
As soon as he finished speaking, without waiting for Jiang Yuan's consent, he grabbed her sleeve. His pull was quite forceful, and Jiang Yuan lost her balance and was about to crash into the window frame. Meng Xizhi slightly turned his wrist, turning her halfway around so that she sat right on the window frame.
He held her half-embracing him, the scent of Ye Suhan lingering around her. Even without drinking any alcohol, he seemed somewhat drunk.
"Let go!" Jiang Yuan had never been hugged like this by another man before, and she was immediately furious. She grabbed the window with her slender fingers and tried to get up.
"Since half of your body is in my arms, then come out!" With that, Meng Xizhi pulled on his arm and Jiang Yuan was lifted off the windowsill. A gentle breeze blew down pomegranate blossoms, and she was spun around twice in Meng Xizhi's arms. What came into view was a tree full of fiery red blossoms.
"Have a drink with me." The woman in his arms parted her lips slightly, her face full of surprise, her pupils reflecting the flame-like pomegranate blossoms, making him unable to look away for a moment.
"With so many women around you, why do you have to humiliate me?" Jiang Yuan finally came to her senses, both angry and furious. His arms were tightly wrapped around her, and Jiang Yuan struggled for a long time but couldn't break free.
He didn't say anything, just smiled and hugged her. In the end, Jiang Yuan gave in and said fiercely, "I'm not a good drinker."
"It's alright, would you like a drink?"
"Will you put me down if I don't drink?" Jiang Yuan thought to herself, but dared not be stubborn. She gritted her teeth and squeezed out a single word: "Drink!"
With the wine cups full, and after a few sips, Jiang Yuan's tense nerves gradually relaxed. She rarely drank; aside from her wedding night, the only other time before that was when she jumped into the Guanyun Pavilion.
She couldn't drink, yet she loved it. Everyone said that the more you drink, the warmer you feel, but she never felt that way. All she remembered was that every time she got drunk, her heart was chilled. In those years, she and Song Yanji kept stabbing each other in the heart, each time more painful than the last. No one brought her flowers, no one offered her wine, no one cared when she was drunk. In the end, the pain became so intense that even wine couldn't warm her heart.
When she opened her eyes again, having been given a second chance at life, she abandoned this carefree existence, refusing to even touch it. But now, Meng Xizhi forced her to drink a few cups; the mellow wine slid down her throat, and her mind began to gradually become unclear.
Yellow flowers and white wine meet, let us drink and adorn ourselves with flowers as we face the evening breeze.
Meng Xizhi did not restrain her, and they drank one pot of wine after another until the bright moon was high in the sky.