Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Noble Person.

After getting Shu Jian's approval, Zhang Jingxian was too excited to sleep at night.

Facing the flickering candlelight, she laid out all her belongings, placing bows, arrows, powder and other items on one side, and gold and coins on the other.

Mainly counting gold and five-zhu coins.

Ying County is far away from Wuling County. They can't just walk back, so they have to spend money to buy a few ox carts in Ying County. Horse carriages are too expensive, and the oxen can be brought back to plow the fields.

You should also buy some corn, wheat, salt and sugar for use on the road.

Finally, Zhang Jingxian gave out a small piece of gold with a somewhat lonely look on her face. Brother Liu Cang had lost an arm, so she would find an opportunity to give this to him.

She counted the remaining items and found they were still quite a bit, enough to cover her fine grain for over a decade. Back in Wuling County, Cai Shu hadn't touched the medicinal herbs and rare manuscript she'd given her as a token of gratitude. Zhang Jingxian felt much more at ease after considering this.

Huang Ying watched her fiddle with a bunch of shiny things, then took out a pen and paper to write and draw. Then, she suddenly seemed to be in a trance and stopped moving. She flapped her wings and flew in front of her.

Humans, what are you thinking?

The oriole tilted its head to look at her, then chirped.

Zhang Jingxian pursed her lips, stroked the bird's feathers, and murmured softly, "He deceived me, and I deceived him back. I saved him, and in turn, my cousin and the villagers were freed."

"In this life, I am even with him."

From now on, they will never have any intersection again, and will never see each other in life or death.

-

Jiang Garden late at night became completely different from the daytime, with the sound of conversations constantly ringing out.

"Why did you ask us to give our names and places of origin?"

"Didn't the girl explain that the master is seriously ill and we might have to go somewhere else?"

"Where are we going? To the barracks?"

"No, she said there's a possibility we could return home!"

As he spoke, a hint of hope seemed to appear on the faces of the one or two hundred people in Jiang Garden.

They were commoners who were conscripted from the village four years ago. They thought they would be assigned to the barracks to fight against the Di people, but they did not expect that at the end of the war, they would unknowingly fall under the command of Lang Zhu.

The master was the eldest son of the Xie family. He provided them with food and clothing, and ordered them to be trained. At first, no one thought it was wrong, thinking that the treatment in the barracks might not be as good as following the master. But then, as groups of people were sent out and disappeared without a trace, they felt scared.

Some people tried to escape and were severely punished.

Afterwards, Mrs. Ban told them that the master was raising them because he needed them to serve him. As long as they were loyal and made contributions, the master would confer official titles on them in the future. Those who disappeared had gone to places where they were more valued.

They said so, but they felt in their hearts that it couldn't be true. Over the past four years, they had gradually become the swords in the hands of the master, and their hearts had become numb.

However, Mrs. Ban was quite kind to them, and they accepted this kind of life.

But the prince suddenly fell seriously ill, and a chief secretary from the prime minister's side came to Jiangyuan. The girl's words rekindled their desire.

"Rushan may know that the girl named Zhang today is his sister."

"Zheng Qi, you are close to Rushan, can you ask for us?"

Someone's eyes stopped on a young man in the room. Although they were all commoners of similar status at the beginning, he was different from the people here.

Zheng Qi could read and write, and according to his fellow townsmen, he was a descendant of the aristocratic Zheng family.

"He is not here because Mrs. Ban has called him away from the mountains." The young man looked over with a lukewarm expression on his face.

Everyone used to hate his conceited look, but now they didn't care. They all thanked their husband for being in Jiang Garden, and what Mrs. Ban was doing in the mountains late at night. This should be their excuse.

"People from Jiankang, our master is seriously ill. Do you think Madam Ban is still the master who has the final say? What you want to know, Madam Ban naturally wants to know too." Zheng Qi sneered, his disgust for Ban Jiang and this place clearly evident.

Rather than staying in the manor like a half-human, half-ghost, he would rather fight in the barracks, and perhaps even gain fame.

"So is the Miss Zhang today really the sister who went into the mountains?" After hearing what he said, some people's thoughts calmed down, and they were still afraid of Mrs. Ban and others.

"...Yes." Zheng Qi was silent for a long time and responded, but he refused to say anything more.

Someone asked again anxiously, and he replied irritably that we would know the answer tomorrow.

Hearing this, the people who disliked him became angry and immediately raised their fists to hit him in the face and body. Just at this moment, Zhang Rushan walked in and stopped them.

When they saw him, the people around him surrounded him and asked what Mrs. Ban had said.

"Madam said that we should listen to the chief secretary in everything and not resist. He is an official under the prime minister, and the prime minister will make a reasonable arrangement for us." Zhang Rushan glanced at his friend and explained in a deep voice to the people who gathered around him.

When they heard the word "Prime Minister", they all calmed down. This was a more noble existence than the previous Lord.

They could no longer resist.

Zheng Qi followed Zhang Rushan to his house. Because Ban Jiang trusted him in the past few years, he also had his own separate room.

At this time, the small room was already crowded with people, including Liu Cang, Liu Xie and others.

Seeing him, Liu Cang seemed very impatient and asked, "Why is Ah Xian here? She also told me that Ah Chuan was waiting for me at home."

Everyone's eyes were focused on Zhang Rushan, and a ripple appeared in his eyes. "Ah Xian saved a noble man. In return, we can all return home with her."

Not long ago, the lady's actions also indirectly proved that what Ah Xian said was true.

Liu Cang and others were very excited when they heard that they could return home.

"Why did Ban Jiang look for you?" Zheng Shixian regained his composure and asked.

"Madam learned from Mr. Xie that Ah Xian is now a guest of the Xie family. She asked me to help her escape. She was afraid that the Chief Secretary would not let her go."

"In the past four years, we have indeed received Mrs. Ban's protection."

Zhang Rushan's eyes quickly swept over Liu Cang's empty sleeves, and he slowly said, "That day, Ah Cang's arm was cut off by a knife, and it was she who gave me the medicine to stop the bleeding."

His eyes moved back to Zheng Qi's face, "Qi, if you can return home, you and Ah Xian will go ahead for the time being, and I will stay to help Madam."

Zheng Qi's expression turned cold, and he cursed, "Are you crazy? That woman is not someone to be trifled with!"

"I have received a favor, so I must repay it." Zhang Rushan shook his head. Ah Xian spoke on behalf of his wife today, but the uncle did not agree. "Don't tell Ah Xian about this."

"But Ah Xian won't leave easily until she sees you. Four years have passed, and there's no rush to return home. If I stay now, it won't necessarily be a bad thing."

There was some contradiction in Zheng Qi's eyes. He didn't want to stay, but he didn't want to go back home even more.

Going back without accomplishing anything would only be an insult to the Zheng family.

-

The next day, Ban Jiang's situation took a turn for the better.

When Shu Jian came again, he agreed to let Ban Jiang go anywhere freely as long as she gave up Jiang Garden and explained everything she had been involved in over the years.

Ban Jiang responded without hesitation and readily presented to Shu Jian all the letters that the son of the Xie family had written to her over the past four years. She also told him everything she knew about the King of Donghai.

Zhang Jingxian couldn't help but look at her with higher regard. She was more intelligent than the eldest son of the Xie family. She could take it or leave it, and could bend and stretch.

"Uncle Changshi, Madam Zhang, I am a weak woman, but at least I have served the eldest young master for four years. Could you please allow me to take some jewelry and clothes and leave?"

As if he noticed Zhang Jingxian's curious gaze, Ban Jiang gave her a pitiful look, which made people feel pity for her.

Zhang Jingxian quickly turned her head to look at Shu Jian and said dryly, "Master Shu Jian, this matter is up to you. It seems reasonable for a woman to bring some clothes and jewelry."

Shu Jian waved his hand casually, not caring about this trivial matter.

Seeing this, Ban Jiang covered his mouth and laughed, very happy.

Her eyes turned slightly, and she walked gracefully to Zhang Jingxian's side, pulled out a red jade lotus hairpin from her bun, and raised her hand to insert it into her black hair tied with a hairband.

"Ah Xian, this hairpin is for you. Maybe we can meet again in the future."

Ban Jiang walked away with a smile on her face. Soon, she took her packed belongings and left in a carriage with three or two taciturn maids.

The carriage moved forward slowly, and no one knew where she was going, but Zhang Jingxian noticed that she looked back through the open window.

Following his gaze, I saw a heroic and resolute face.

"Brother," Zhang Jingxian pulled out the red jade hairpin from behind her head and held it in her hand. She walked over and said that she had already made a plan. "First, let's go to the city to buy a few cows and a few carts. After that, we will go back to Xishan Village."

Zhang Rushan felt relieved to see that the matter he had been worrying about all night was solved so easily. He couldn't help but say, "Ah Xian, we can walk back."

What's the point of buying a bullock cart? It's such a waste of money.

"No, walking is too tiring. I originally wanted to buy a carriage, but none of you can ride a horse, brother." Zhang Jingxian said that she had a lot of money and showed him the gold she had on her body.

"Yes, quite a lot." Zhang Rushan looked at the heavy gold and did not dare to say that they had also learned to ride horses.

-

In the afternoon, the hometowns of everyone in Jiang Garden were sorted out. Shu Jian put away the list and told them to gather together.

The loud voice briefly stated Prime Minister Xie's arrangements for them.

These common people who were conscripted four years ago had two choices.

One of them chooses to return to his or her hometown from Ying County, and each person will be given corresponding coins.

The second one went to Changling and joined the Northern Palace Army according to his original fate, and the money was doubled.

But no matter which arrangement they choose, nothing that happened during these four years must be mentioned to others. If leaked, this list will also bring danger to them.

“They actually let us go back home!”

"But I don't remember the way home, and I can't go back alone. How about we go to Changling?"

"That's the Northern Army!"

The sounds came one after another. Zhang Jingxian only listened for a while and then left quietly.

As the golden crows set in the west, a strange sight appeared at the gate of Ying County. A young girl was leading a horse, followed by three ox carts, and a small yellow bird was perched on her shoulder!

The astonished gaze followed them for a long time, and only disappeared when they were far away from the city wall.

At this time, Liu Cang, who had been holding back for a long time, shouted loudly to vent the frustration he had been feeling for all these years.

Influenced by him, others no longer had a stern face, and some cried, laughed, or sighed.

On the first day, they hardly rested except at night and kept on traveling.

The next day, the depressing atmosphere dissipated, and more than a dozen people smiled. When they took a break, they talked to Zhang Jingxian about many things that had happened in the past four years.

On the third day, Zhang Jingxian sat on a wobbly ox cart and told them about the spectacular battle between herself and the villagers against a wild boar. The colt listened with great interest, wagging its tail.

That night, they found a few dilapidated thatched huts to stay in.

At night, Zhang Jingxian was half asleep and seemed to hear the sound of galloping horses. But when she opened her eyes, she found herself surrounded in the middle of the thatched hut, and her cousin was adding fuel to the fire.

Seeing her wake up, Zhang Rushan whispered that only three or five young men came over and wanted to stay overnight. They greeted him and had no bad intentions.

There was nothing unusual, and since there were only three or five people there, Zhang Jingxian fell asleep peacefully.

After about a quarter of an hour, a pleasant male voice was heard outside the hut.

Someone knocked gently on the dilapidated wooden door. "It's cold outside. Could you lend me some light?"

Zhang Jingxian was still sleeping and had no idea that her cousin had already opened the door and was friendly enough to let the man in.

"The fire is here, please use it."

The nobleman smiled, the firelight shining on his face obscurely.

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The author has something to say: Muah, when Ah Xian wakes up and sees the noble man...