Chapter 66

◎Osmanthus cake.◎

Zhu Guang rarely disobeyed Ci Ying's advice and went out to find a doctor.

When the doctor returned with Zhu Guang, Ciying had returned to normal. Under Zhu Guang's worried gaze, she obediently raised her hand to allow the doctor to take her pulse.

The doctor was an old doctor from a nearby pharmacy. He was out of breath after being led by Zhu Guang all the way. He thought that the patient's condition must be serious to make the girl so anxious. However, the old doctor took Ci Ying's pulse for a long time and found that she was not sick and did not look sick. For a moment, he could not help but feel that he was being teased.

Ci Ying apologized: "I was just having a heart palpitation. She was so worried about me that she was so anxious. You must have had a hard time traveling." As she spoke, Ci Ying poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to her, looking very respectful.

The old doctor's anger subsided a little. He looked at Ciying's face and asked about her heart palpitations: "Does it happen often? Bring your hand over so I can take a look."

Ci Ying extended her hand and said gently, "Not often, only twice."

The old doctor stroked his beard and asked, "How many nights do you usually sleep? Do you have insomnia?"

Ci Ying couldn't say for a moment, but the old doctor understood immediately. He took a sip of the tea in his cup, asked Zhu Guang for paper and pen, and wrote a prescription: "It's for your health. Go to bed early from now on."

Zhu Guang took the prescription and held it tightly.

After sending the doctor away, Zhu Guang put the prescription on the table. She looked at Ci Ying, who was resting with her eyes closed on the stool. The doctor said that she was fine, but Zhu Guang couldn't get rid of the panic in her heart.

Ci Ying opened her eyes and found Zhu Guang spun around anxiously. She felt a little sorry for disturbing Zhu Guang again and said softly, "I'm really fine. I'm probably worried about meeting Yan Ji in two days, so my heart is beating so fast."

Zhu Guang was also a little worried, but there is no such thing as having the best of both worlds in the world.

If Ci Ying wants to borrow the military token to take a piece of Mobei meat, she must get past Yan Ji.

Zhu Guang was anxious and his hands were itching, so he started practicing martial arts in the yard. The sword light reflected Ci Ying's gentle eyes in the distance. She looked silently at the pharmacy on the table, covering her chest. Ci Ying felt that she should worship Buddha instead of taking medicine.

The weather in Mobei is unpredictable, not much better than Chang'an. Besides being a little hotter, it is also as stuffy as the summer rain.

This time it started to rain at night. Ci Ying was awakened by the lightning and thunder. She clutched the thin quilt to cover her head. After a long time, she stood up and sat up. It was pouring rain. The big raindrops fell along the eaves, forming a long rain curtain in the dim light.

Although the weather was very stuffy, Ci Ying felt a little cold. She put on a coat and walked to the corridor.

She sat by the railing and looked up at the sky.

The thunder and lightning had dissipated, and there was no moon on a rainy day. She could only see a pitch-black expanse.

The other side.

Zhu Yi and Zhu Er were guarding outside the house. The old doctor who had just rushed over from Chang'an had been giving acupuncture all night. They were guarding outside the door. Zhu Yi looked at the dark night, and Zhu Er kept looking back at the closed door of the house.

He came out once during his time as imperial physician, and his expression was very serious.

The usually deserted courtyard was now full of people running back and forth, decocting medicine, boiling medicine, and boiling water. The servants all lowered their heads and dared not make a sound.

Zhu Er recalled the scene he saw in the evening and was about to rush out despite the heavy rain, but was stopped by Zhu Yi.

Zhu Er's eyes turned red: "Brother!"

Zhu Yi remained unmoved, and slowly pulled his brother back. He looked into Zhu Er's eyes and said, "I'll tell you one last time. We are just secret guards. Everything we do should be in accordance with the Master's wishes. Do not act on your own without the Master's orders."

It was rare for Zhu Yi to speak so long. Zhu Er's face was full of anger, but his anger slowly subsided during the confrontation. He sat silently by the wall, tightly gripping the sword in his hand.

Zhu Yi was actually not as calm as he said. After Zhu Er sat down, he turned his head and looked for a long time into the candlelit room. It was so bright that they could even see the doctor giving acupuncture.

One stitch after another.

Basins of blood were brought out, and when it was dawn, the old doctor came out.

Without the palace clothes, he actually looked like an old man. He had lived a life of luxury for many years. It had been a long time since Doctor Xu had endured such a physical illness. The maidservant respectfully supported his trembling hands. Doctor Xu walked silently to Zhu Yi and Zhu Er and said, "I have done my best."

After a long pause, Doctor Xu lowered his eyes and said, "No matter how good the medicine is, it can only keep the body alive. Whether he can wake up depends on the eldest young master's luck."

A quarter of an hour had passed since he came out, and Doctor Xu's hands were still shaking and his face looked very bad.

Another maidservant respectfully handed over a medicine bottle. Doctor Xu pulled out the cork and took two pills. After swallowing them, his complexion looked a little better. He looked at Zhu Yi and Zhu Er, wanted to say something, but then sighed, stood up and left.

There were two doctors guarding the room. After candles were lit, they went in. The young master still looked the same as before he fell into a coma. His plain clothes were stained with blood and he hadn't had time to change them. The bright candlelight made his face look even paler.

Daybreak came and soon became dark again.

During this period, Xie Huaijin was sleeping quietly.

Candle One and Candle Two watched from dusk to dawn, and from dawn to dusk. During this time, Xie Huaijin never woke up.

The next day.

The day came when Ci Ying was going to meet Yan Ji.

They met at a restaurant with roads on all sides. Ciying's men were spread all around the restaurant, and there were secret sentries in every nearby place. If anything went wrong, Zhu Guang, who was hiding in the dark of the restaurant, would appear and take Ciying away.

Time is limited, and Ciying doesn't have many people in Mobei, so he can only arrange it to this extent.

She touched the hairpins on her head, and the tinkling sound made her a little dazed.

Ci Ying came back to her senses after Zhu Guang patted her on the shoulder. Zhu Guang asked with concern, "Did you not sleep well again?"

Ci Ying shook her head. If she didn't understand her own body well, she would have thought she was sick. She took the warm tea handed to her by Zhu Guang to wake herself up. She usually drank the same kind of tea, but today's was a little bitter.

Ci Ying took a sip and didn't want to drink it anymore, but she also wanted to refresh herself, so she resisted the urge to finish the glass.

"Let's go out." She said softly.

Zhu Guang nodded.

It rained all day and all night yesterday, but today the sun rose and the bright warmth hit us again.

Ci Ying got off the carriage with the curtains on. Seeing the secret sentry in the restaurant made a "nothing happened" gesture to them, she went in with Zhu Guang. As they walked up the stairs, Ci Ying said softly, "I'll go in alone later. You check around the restaurant. When Yan Ji arrives, find a way to get to the compartment without making any noise."

Zhu Guang nodded. This was what they had discussed early in the morning.

The waiter pushed open the door of the box in front. Ci Ying arrived half an hour earlier than the agreed time, which was normal. Yan Ji had not come yet.

Ci Ying walked in and sat down in the main seat on the east side. The waiter brought another pot of tea and then left respectfully.

The window was open, and Ci Ying looked at the people walking on the street below. Some people were holding umbrellas because they were afraid that it would rain suddenly today. Ci Ying looked up at the dazzling sun, and somehow, she also felt that it would rain today.

Mobei is dry in summer, but this year it seems to have an unusually high amount of rain, and the heat hasn't subsided at all.

There was wind blowing in through the window and sunlight shining in. Ci Ying stared into the distance for a long time and became distracted again. She had an urge to go out, but the meeting with Yan Ji was very important, so she tried hard to suppress her emotions and calm herself down.

After closing her eyes for a long time, when she opened them again, Ci Ying's eyes regained their composure.

She no longer looked at the bustling street, but only at the closed door.

The next moment, the waiter knocked on the door.

Before Ci Ying could respond, Yan Ji had already pushed the door open and walked in, a teasing look on his face: "It's been a long time since we last met, Miss, how have you been lately?"

Ci Ying specifically inquired about Yan Ji, who always acted unruly in front of everyone. That was why some veterans in the Yan family army still did not obey Yan Ji.

But Yan Ji is definitely not what she appears to be, otherwise the Yan family army would have become Yuwen Shu's private property over the years, and she wouldn't even need to negotiate.

Ci Ying called Yan Ji's name: "Yan Ji."

Yan Ji felt a little uncomfortable being called by his name by a little girl. There was a clear smile on his face, which was full of teasing.

Ci Ying did not give in at all and stared at Yan Ji seriously.

Yan Ji found it interesting because he saw a bit of Xie Huaijin in Ci Ying, but the two were so different. This made Yan Ji curious about today's conversation. With a cheeky smile, he sat down across from Ci Ying and said, "Miss, have you ordered yet? Mo Bei doesn't come here often, so I'll recommend two dishes to you."

The waiter didn't understand the tense atmosphere between the two people, and immediately came over when he heard that they wanted to order food.

Yan Ji really started ordering dishes, six in a row, and asked Ci Ying if she wanted anything else, as enthusiastic as if they were just here for a meal. Ci Ying said no, so Yan Ji added two more dishes. Ci Ying didn't say much during the whole process, and only looked at Yan Ji again after the waiter left.

Yan Ji was drinking a cup of tea, but he didn't actually think about what serious matter Ci Ying had come to talk to him about.

When he had finished half the cup, he suddenly heard Ci Ying ask, "Yan Ji, did you know my identity from the beginning?"

There was no need to hide it. Yan Ji never treated people as fools. He smiled and admitted, "Of course."

Ci Ying then asked, "Do I look like Madam Yan?"

This made Yan Ji, who had been teasing all the time, become serious. He put down the teacup in his hand. He didn't seem to want to answer the question. After a long pause, he said, "I don't know."

Yan Ji looked at Ci Ying's face: "I forgot too. When my aunt died, my adoptive father burned all the paintings. Who still remembers them after all these years?" Although he said he didn't remember, Yan Ji looked at Ci Ying's face again and again.

Ci Ying saw Yan Ji's expression and gradually asked, "I know General Yan Fei left you a last message."

Yan Ji gradually put away the joke in his heart and looked at Ci Ying seriously again.

Ci Ying continued, "Is it because of General Yan Fei's last words that you have been loyal to Yuwen Shu all these years?"

Yan Ji still didn't say anything, just looking at Ci Ying to see what else he could say.

The next moment, Ci Ying smiled and refuted herself: "It shouldn't be entirely true. Ci Ying looked at Yan Ji's clothes, recalled the scene on the boat before, and what else, let me think..."

Yan Ji didn't know why he could sense such a strong pressure from a little girl. It was probably because of the clarity in Ci Ying's eyes. He pointed out sharply, "Also, the Yan family army has been short of money these years, right? You fought for Yuwen Shu, and all the earnings were withheld by Yuwen Shu. You're not good at business, so part of the Yan family's assets have gone to Yuwen Fu, and the rest have been sold at a loss, and you used them as your final military pay."

Yan Ji's eyes became serious, but he still didn't understand what Ci Ying was going to do.

The next time, Ci Ying spread out her hands and said helplessly, "If I'm not mistaken, that part should be what Madam Yan and General Yan Fei left me. Brother, you are only in temporary custody. Now that I'm back and we've recognized each other, brother, please return the property that my mother and uncle left me."

Yan Ji never expected Ci Ying to say such words, but everything Ci Ying said was right, and he couldn't refute a word. However, all the family property had been used to pay military salaries over the years, and there was nothing left but a house with only a few servants. Yan Ji looked at Ci Ying's serious expression and felt that he should not have come today.

Ci Ying seemed to see through it, covering her mouth with her hands and asked in surprise: "Are you trying to run away?"

Yan Ji's face looked bad, but he had no place to complain. He said sullenly, "It's gone. I'll give it back to you after I fight a few more battles."

Ci Ying supported her head with her hands, a slight smile spreading across her brows, and kindly reminded: "You've fought a lot of battles over the years."

This is the truth. Yan Ji led the Yan family army to fight many battles, big and small, otherwise Yuwen Shu would not have been able to dominate one side. Yan Ji's face became more and more ugly. When he looked at Ci Ying, he was hurt by the bright smile on her face.

Yan Ji is not a fool, so he naturally understands that things are not that simple.

Yan Ji poured himself another cup of tea and asked, "Miss, what do you want? Just tell me."

Ci Ying, of course, wouldn't say it directly, but suddenly mentioned, "Do you think that if General Yan Fei were here, would he be manipulated by Yu Wenshu like this?"

Yan Ji felt pouty in his heart and just wanted to say "even better". After all, his aunt was in Yuwen Shu's hands. Wasn't it Yuwen Shu who used his aunt to control his adoptive father and the Yan family army?

Yan Ji looked at Ci Ying again and said seriously, "Miss, what do you want to say?"

Even though the person in front of him was his aunt's daughter, Yan Ji's good temper came to an end. After all, he had never been so tolerant towards Yuwen Fu.

Ci Ying said softly, "What did you just ask me?"

Yan Ji thought Ci Ying really didn't hear clearly, and was a little impatient, but he had no choice but to repeat: "Miss, what do you want to say?"

This is exactly what Ci Ying was waiting for.

Her tone was calm, and she didn't think she had said anything shocking, but after she uttered the last word, Yan Ji looked at her for a long time, with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Ci Ying said, "Yan Ji, you and the Yan Family Army can both change your master."

Yan Ji was certain that Ci Ying's words were not a joke. He played with the wine glass in his hand, a smile on his face but no trace of it in his eyes: "Miss, you should know that it will only take me a quarter of an hour to capture you and take you back to the palace."

Ci Ying's heart skipped a beat, but it didn't show on her face. It wasn't the time for her to take out her last chip yet. She looked at Yan Ji and asked, "Can you?"

Good question.

Yan Ji originally wouldn't do it, after all, he had promised Xie Huaijin, and the young man's light threat was always like a sword hanging over his head. But Ci Ying kept pressing him with words, and Yan Ji felt that he could do it, and it was not a complete dead end.

Ci Ying ignored his silence and stared into Yan Ji's eyes: "It seems you won't."

Now it was Yan Ji's turn to stop.

Ci Ying's voice was relatively gentle, without any sharp tone, and every word she said made Yan Ji look the person in front of him again.

"You can't take me back, because if you hand me over to Yuwen Shu, he will use me to exchange for benefits with Xie Huaijin. Yuwen Shu has long been dissatisfied with you. I can do a lot more when I go back than I can now. Do you think Yuwen Shu will use you and me to exchange for more things?"

Yan Ji's expression grew even uglier, and a dark glint even appeared in his eyes. He had only one thought in his mind: Ci Ying and Xie Huaijin were indeed a married couple; their threatening tone was exactly the same.

Ci Ying kept watching the changes in Yan Ji's eyes and whispered, "Want to kill me?"

This is actually what Ci Ying is least afraid of. From Yan Ji's "blind loyalty" to Yuwen Shu over the years, it can be seen that the Yan family holds a very important position in Yan Ji's heart. Otherwise, he would not be loyal to Yuwen Shu until today because of General Yan Fei's last words.

Ci Ying didn't want to push him too hard, so she gave him a way out: "I don't think you would. After all, I have to call you my sworn brother."

Yan Ji looked at Ci Ying strangely, not knowing how to respond to the call of "brother." He advised Ci Ying stiffly, "Don't even think about it. Yu Wenfu has been trying for so many years and still hasn't gotten it. No matter how many times you try to get in touch with her, it's useless."

As he spoke, Yan Ji added: "It's useless to threaten me. This is not something I can decide alone."

Ci Ying, however, caught the loophole in Yan Ji's words and said, "Brother, you said Yuwen Fu had been trying to get it for many years but still couldn't. Hmm... then did you teach him the channels, or rather... the ways, to take down the Yan Family Army?"

Ci Ying spoke slowly, seemingly weighing her words, but in fact she was confirming the information bit by bit through Yan Ji's changing emotions.

Yan Ji knew that Ci Ying was smart, but he didn't expect Ci Ying to be so smart.

If Yuwen Fu had not been stupid enough to tell Ciying about this matter, Ciying would have guessed it herself.

Yan Ji's face turned grim, but he finally said honestly: "Yes, I am not partial to one or the other."

Ci Ying was waiting for these words. She smiled softly, and Yan Ji's heart was alarmed, but it was too late. When he saw what was in the girl's tightly clenched hand, his expression changed drastically, and he even stood up in fear: "How did the military token end up in your hand?"

Ci Ying sat quietly, the military amulet on her open palm gleaming black in the sunlight. Smiling, she repeated Yan Ji's words, "Brother said he wouldn't play favorites..."

Yan Ji swallowed his saliva, and wanted to escape. He said subconsciously: "Even if I have the military token, it won't be enough."

Ci Ying lost her initial kindness and continued to sit there. She interrupted Yan Ji and said, "Money, huh?"

Yan Ji: “…Yes.”

Ci Ying smiled: "Yes, I do have a lot."

As she spoke, Ci Ying untied the token from her waist and launched her final attack on Yan Ji: "The military token is in my hands. I will be responsible for the army's pay from now on. Brother, is that enough?"

Military talismans, money, and relationships.

Ci Ying skillfully incorporated these three points into a sentence, and every word seemed to hit Yan Ji's heart. Yan Ji's eyes were complicated, and he sat back in his original position little by little.

Ciying poured a cup of tea and handed it to him.

Yan Ji didn't answer, but only asked: "Where did you find the military token? Yuwen Shu hid it very well, and your brother hasn't been able to find it all these years. I originally promised him that if he got the military token, I would help him recapture the Yan Family Army, but he hasn't found anything yet."

Ci Ying held up her tea and was silent for a moment after hearing Yan Ji's words. After a long pause, she said, "In my mother's tomb."

After these six words were spoken, the room fell into silence.

After a long time, Yan Ji laughed. He raised his hand to take the tea handed to him by Ci Ying and called out "Master" willingly.

Ci Ying's stiff back finally relaxed. Yan Ji, who was sitting opposite her, couldn't see it. The layer of clothes sticking to her back had already been soaked. Fortunately... she won the bet.

Later, Yan Ji explained to Ci Ying the internal situation of the Yan family army.

The adoptive father had such great influence that after he died, the family split into two factions.

One group of people obeyed his orders, and the other group of people obeyed the orders of the military order.

Yuwen Shu worked hard for many years but only achieved this result.

Because of this, in order to control the Yan Family Army and him, Yuwen Shu has been withholding military pay, which has become more and more excessive in recent years. Yan Ji noticed the strangeness of what happened back then early on, but if he and Yuwen Fu fell out with Yuwen Shu, the Yan Family Army would have no choice but to engage in civil war, so he kept asking Yuwen Fu to look for the military order.

But Yuwen Fu searched for it for decades but couldn't find it, and those years just passed by like that.

Thinking of the place where the military token was, Yan Ji fell into silence again. No one knows a son better than his father. Yuwen Fu will never find his aunt's tomb in his lifetime.

After finishing his explanation, Yan Ji became serious for once. He looked at Ci Ying, his eyes devoid of his usual teasing. He bowed his head in respect, "If the master can make up for the shortfall in the army, with the military seal and the identity of a Yan family girl, it will only be a matter of time before the people will allegiance to him."

When it came to the word "master", Yan Ji found it a little difficult to pronounce and it took him a long time to figure it out.

Ci Ying didn't want to hear a formality, so she said softly, "Just call me the same as before."

"Yes, miss."

Ci Ying actually wanted Yan Ji to call her by her name, but "Miss" would also be fine. There was no need to argue about such matters. She followed Yan Ji's words and said, "As a daughter of the Yan family, I may need to trouble you. In a few days, we will go to Dingyang to perform a play. You can then bring your trusted followers and capture me."

Yan Ji nodded, this was indeed the best way.

The lady needs a legitimate identity.

Before leaving, Yan Ji suddenly remembered Xie Huaijin's threat that day and felt angry.

He casually asked Ciying, "Where did you get the news, Miss?"

Ci Ying smiled but didn't answer. Then she heard Yan Ji suddenly say that name: "Xie Huaijin?"

Ci Ying, who had been doing quite well all day, suddenly froze. After a long pause, she could only utter one sentence: "Why did you mention him?"

Yan Ji observed Ci Ying's expression and keenly realized that it was not the case. He was overjoyed and had an easier time making a complaint.

Yuwen Shu couldn't do anything to Xie Huaijin when he complained to him, but it was different when he complained to Miss Ciying. Yan Ji raised the corners of his mouth and looked "pitiful", pretending to be aggrieved, but it looked a little funny because it was completely inconsistent with his real face.

Ci Ying's hands trembled slightly as she heard Yan Ji say.

"That day, Young Master Xie threatened me and said he would kill me and all of the Yan family soldiers."

Yan Ji observed Ci Ying's expression, thinking about making things difficult for Xie Huaijin, but he only heard Ci Ying say softly, "Oh, when did he arrive in Mobei?"

Yan Ji didn't feel something was right when he heard it, but he recalled the past and told Ci Ying.

Ci Ying moved the time forward little by little, and it was two days earlier than hers.

Then Ci Ying thought of the faint medicinal fragrance on the young man in the hazy cave that day. It was so bitter that she picked up the sweet and greasy osmanthus cake beside her and took a bite.

Very sweet, very bitter.

【Author’s words】

Yes, I won't write "be" in the crematorium. It's always there in the copywriting. Don't worry, babies~