Chapter 94 Autumn Waters, Long Sky

What she finally learned from Xuanming was that her own fortune was becoming increasingly strong, much like an increasingly clear dream. Something must be happening to cause this change, but she couldn't figure it out for the time being, so she could only put it aside for the time being.

Right now, I need to get things settled in Yangzhou, get the travel permit, and then... get through the arrival of the Gui Water period.

Jiang Xi touched her lower abdomen and, upon realizing what the downward pain was, immediately looked for Aji. The moment their eyes met, Shang Yuji knew that she had left behind things like staying up late, eating cold food, and staying at home all behind the scenes.

She admitted that the Heart-Sharing Gu shared the pain, making her menstrual flow less unbearable.

A wise saying goes: a useful poison is a good poison.

"Yunxiao, drink some warm water, it's not hot anymore." Jiang Xi touched the rim of the bowl to make sure the temperature was suitable before she spoke up.

When Shang Yuji took it, she took one sip and then had to drink two more because he was watching her.

She saw that he had warmed his hands with the hot water and then gently placed them on her waist, his face serious, as if facing a formidable enemy.

A-Cuo passed by several times, and each time she stopped with suspicion. Only after the Gu worm repeatedly assured her that there was nothing wrong with the two did she feel at ease and leave.

Yi Sha didn't have so many concerns. Seeing his apprentice carefully covering Xiao Shang's stomach, he asked bluntly, "Xiao Shang, are you pregnant?"

The two looked at Elder Yi at the same time, but one was puzzled and the other was helpless.

She knew that Jiang Xi's actions were likely to cause misunderstandings. The first two times he was still a novice, so his actions weren't so obvious, but now he was making no attempt to hide it.

Shang Yuji shook her head: "No, we won't have any children."

Jiang Xi paused her hand on her stomach, then silently buried her head and continued what she was doing.

Old Master Yan once said that Jiang Xi's body was special and it would be difficult for her to have children, but Shang Yuji intuitively felt that they would not have a result. Of course, more than intuition, this was more like a kind of omen.

If anyone insists on asking about this matter, she has prepared her words in advance, saying that everything has a price, and the price she paid for foreseeing the future of Da'an was the extinction of her lineage.

If you press further, you'll be incredibly rude. What could possibly compare to her immense sacrifices for Da'an? If you dare question her again, you can talk about it in the Princess's prison!

In this era, having children is a life-or-death matter. It's actually better not to have any. Besides, Jiang Xi is easy to persuade. Her safety is his top priority. The two of them discussed this matter in advance so that he wouldn't have to secretly shed tears when people asked about having children.

After thinking for a moment, Yi Sha nodded in agreement: "Having children isn't a given, and I don't have an old woman either. I'm carefree and have no worries."

People in the martial arts world are open-minded about having children. They live a carefree life wandering the world and are not easily held back by worldly affairs.

After a moment, realizing it wasn't a child, Yi Sha asked worriedly, "Are you sick and feeling unwell? Should I take you to Old Man Fang's clinic?"

"Thank you for your concern, Senior, but it's alright. It's just that my period has started." Shang Yuji said apologetically. "It was his overreaction that frightened everyone."

Jiang Xi, who was squatting on the ground to make it easier to move, puffed out one cheek, seemingly disagreeing. But then, thinking it was Aji who had said it, she silently murmured something.

"It's good that you're alright." Yi Sha was relieved. Seeing that his apprentice was reluctant to leave, he simply asked, "How about I ask Old Man Xiang for a day off for you? So you can spend some time with Xiao Shang?"

Jiang Xi raised her head, her eyes filled with anticipation, as she looked on with a hint of longing.

As a result, Shang Yuji kicked him with her toe and smiled at Yi Sha, saying, "This is nothing, there's no need for Old Bai Xiang to come to my residence."

Having received the answer, Jiang Xi shrank back. Yi Sha covered his face and coughed twice. "Oh dear, my good disciple, it's not that I don't want to help you, but I'm powerless to help Xiao Shang."

Shang Yuji could easily see through his thoughts, but she couldn't let Old Xiang make a wasted trip, so she reached out and ruffled his hair, quickly calming him down.

While the business community enjoys a harmonious atmosphere, Yi Ning is in a state of utter chaos and distress.

The paper manuscript that was thrown to her contained some parts that she could understand and some that she couldn't, but most of it was incomprehensible. What did these strange symbols written by Miss Shang mean? And what were these cells? What was the meaning of the pea flower?

This truly left her helpless. His Highness should have sent someone intelligent enough to understand Miss Shang's intentions to Yangzhou, instead of someone like her who was completely clueless and even held the young lady back. To be on the safe side, she should first give the parts that seemed to be related to engineering tools to Geng Zhi, and leave the rest that she really couldn't understand to His Highness to decide.

It's time for the think tank to play its role.

Geng Zhi received quite a few manuscripts. The first few pages were written with a brush, but the rest were written with charcoal. The handwriting became increasingly elegant, but fortunately the content was clear and did not affect reading. However, this did not prevent them from not understanding it.

Fortunately, Shang Yuji took into account that they did not recognize mathematical symbols, so she even wrote down the introduction from memory, and they could learn it little by little from the beginning and apply it to their understanding.

But to her surprise, what she considered common sense formulas and theories were entirely new concepts to them, some of which they had never even heard of before. Therefore, sometimes, even a small page required considerable time to grasp its theories and underlying logic.

The excitement of solving the mystery was indescribable; Geng Zhi discovered that a new world was slowly unfolding before his eyes.

As for old age? The age of knowing one's destiny is the perfect time to strive!

·

Everything was ready. Five carriages were parked in front of the merchant's residence: four for people and one for goods.

Mo Xin wore clothes suitable for travel, carried a wooden sword on her back, and stood behind her master, her eyes sparkling with anticipation as she traveled with everyone.

Xiang Fengyun regretted not being able to bring more jars of new wine, but thinking that he would pass through other places along the way and could still buy new wine, he felt it was not bad.

A-Cuo carried two full baskets of pastries, following behind Hui-Gu. Last time, Hui-Gu had fed the three Gu worms by herself. Fortunately, the Gu worms were lucky and survived until she returned. This time, she had to take all the Gu worms with her on the long trip. Although they could not be seen on the surface, they were much heavier than before.

A fragrant breeze wafted in, and a beautiful young woman walked gracefully out from behind the gate. Her figure was graceful, her steps light, like a willow swaying in the wind. Her frosty white dress could not conceal her fair skin, making her seem like a fairy descended from the moon.

People I knew looked at me strangely. Although we had agreed on it beforehand, what I saw with my own eyes was a completely different experience.

Yi Sha nodded in agreement. As expected of her apprentice, he was even as good as a girl in terms of dress.

For a moment, Hui Gu's eyes were dazed; he really looked just like A Yue...

Xiao Mo had never seen such a scene before. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and even her initial anticipation turned into amazement.

What a beautiful fairy!

Her eyebrows were like crescent moons, her eyes were bright and sparkling, and every smile and frown made people's faces flush and their hearts race, leaving them unable to find their way.

It was only after Jiang Xi applied rouge that Shang Yuji was able to resolve her long-standing doubts.

When asked who Jiang Xiqu resembled, Elder Yan and Aunt Hui gave completely different answers. In fact, the answer was quite simple. Some people in the martial arts world would disguise themselves when they traveled. If she guessed correctly, what Elder Yan saw was Yue Mingzhu with a different face. Naturally, Jiang Xiqu would not resemble Yue Mingzhu in disguise. So, for Elder Yan, who was not familiar with Yue Mingzhu's true appearance, Jiang Xiqu was not like his mother, but rather resembled his father.

Hui Gu, knowing Ah Yue's true appearance, naturally felt that Jiang Xi looked like Ah Yue.

No wonder Yue Mingzhu was able to steal treasures from multiple sects without being caught. With a different face, who could guess that the person passing by was the thief who stole sect treasures?

After hearing Hui Gu's words, Shang Yuji learned that Wu clearly possessed the Gu technique to alter body shape, appearance, and voice, and she became even more convinced of her speculation.

Having solved the long-standing problem, Shang Yuji felt refreshed and happy for several days. She even had a flash of inspiration and granted Jiang Xi's wish to change her surname.

Satisfied with everyone's performance, Shang Yuji followed closely behind and went out. Unlike Jiang Xi's cold and aloof demeanor, Shang Yuji wore a lake-blue brocade robe, with a jade pendant of openwork fish hanging from his waist. With her jade-like face, red lips, mountain-like eyebrows, and watery eyes, she was a handsome and elegant young man with a refined and graceful appearance.

With a gentle wave of her folding fan, she freed one wrist, and Jiang Xi took it from her and leaned against her like a little bird.

Although Shang Yuji was a head shorter than him, his submissive demeanor and her inherent arrogance made their behavior seem natural and without any impropriety.

Jiang Xi clung to her like this, the cool and elegant fragrance brought by her makeup and attire dissipating, leaving only a tender and infatuated feeling.

Shang Yuji led him to Yi Sha and asked itchingly, "Who is more handsome, me or him?"

"Ahem." Yi Sha glanced at the two of them, still deep in thought.

Instead, her apprentice answered first: "Of course... my husband is handsome."

The answer has appeared!

She snorted, glanced at him, then tapped his tightly wrapped arms with her folding fan, shaking her head and saying, "My wife thinks I am beautiful because she loves me!"

"Mmm!" He tightened his grip, affirming, "It is, it is Changtian that is beautiful."

Yi Sha decisively gave up space for the two of them and happily went to bicker with Old Man Xiang.

Qingfeng's eyes widened, and he finally concluded: "The people down the mountain have very creative ideas; it's the people up on the mountain who are outdated."

Since Yi Sha and Xiang Fengyun, two martial arts experts, were accompanying them, Wang Si and Lao Chen did not need to escort them. As arranged, the two stayed behind to guard the residence in Yangzhou.

Once the number of participants was confirmed, the convoy from Yangzhou set off for the capital.

Shang Yuji, Jiang Xiqu, and Yi Sha rode in the same carriage. Shang Yuji put away her folding fan, looked at the beautiful Jiang Xiqu, and said solemnly, "Shang Qiushui!"

"Here!" Jiang Xi replied quickly.

"Put on a stern face, look down on people with disdain, be arrogant and haughty. You are now a cold and proud ice beauty!"

“Ah Ji, I…”

"No, you called me by the wrong name. Say it again."

"Jiang Jiang, Jiang Changtian." He lowered his eyes, his ears already flushed, and whispered, "My husband..."

Shang Yuji clapped her hands with her fan and praised, "That's it! Well said."

Originally, the plan was simply to change the name without changing the surname, but Ah Ji remembered that he had once wanted to take his wife's surname, so he decided to switch their surnames and use them together, even if it was only for the time he was going to the capital. This made him very satisfied.

What's more, not only did he take his wife's surname, but Aji also... also took his surname. What was originally a surprise, Aji turned into two. Aji is so clever; she always makes his heart pound.

Every time he called her name, he felt a sweet, sugary taste on his tongue, and the thought that he shared her surname filled him with uncontrollable joy.

She never ignored his expectations and always fulfilled his wishes unexpectedly, even the smallest ones.

As for the awkwardness of the name Shang Xi? But he's called Shang Qiushui now, and Shang Qiushui isn't hard to pronounce, which is why Aji let him take her surname! Aji doesn't dislike him taking her surname.

Shang Qiushui, Jiang Changtian.

Ah Ji, I like Ah Ji, I like, like, like—

"Lift your chin, lower your eyelashes, and look at people sideways!" Shang Yuji demonstrated the instruction from the side.

Jiang Xi raised his head and looked up, exuding an air of arrogance and disdain for the world.

"That's right, it would be even better if you put down the corners of your mouth."

"Um!"

Yi Sha felt something was off after watching the whole thing, and it wasn't until he looked closely at Yi Sha's eyes and brows that he realized what was going on.

Whenever Xiao Shang appeared in the apprentice's eyes, he couldn't hide the tenderness and affection in them. As for Xiao Shang's desire for arrogance and pride?

With her there, it really put Xiao Jiang in a difficult position.

Shang Yuji rested her chin on two fingers and affirmed, "Madam, you've imitated it very well, not bad at all."

Jiang Xi smiled faintly, her eyes sparkling: "It's all thanks to my husband's excellent teaching."

The two exchanged compliments, and Yi Sha, leaning against the bamboo window, couldn't help but smile easily.

She didn't say that Xiao Shang didn't need to teach Xiao Jiang to keep a cold face at all. When practicing martial arts, except when talking to her teachers, Xiao Jiang usually had a beautiful but expressionless face, which was intimidating enough.

Xiao Shang thought he looked weak and easy to bully, but that was only the side of Xiao Jiang she had ever seen. This little apprentice was always full of joy when he saw Xiao Shang, and he never showed a cold face.

However, she wouldn't interfere too much in the loving relationship between the young couple. She could read about the tragic love stories in books, but in reality, she had to see happy families, otherwise her old bones couldn't handle it.

The journey to the capital was unimpeded. When resources were lacking, they were replenished from the towns they passed through. If they encountered bandits or robbers blocking the way, Xiang Fei could handle them all by himself without Yi Sha and Xiang Fengyun having to lift a finger. Mo Xin followed behind him, carrying a wooden sword and fighting off any who managed to escape, thus gaining practical experience.

Given Shang Qiushui's aloof and arrogant beauty persona, Jiang Xiqu was not in a position to intervene.

This group of thieves and bandits used their brute strength to bully men and women and prey on the common people, but if it came to a fight, Mo Xin could beat them until they begged for mercy with just a wooden knife.

After handing the thieves over to the authorities and receiving the reward money, they set off again.

With the Fulai Inn token, the inns we encountered along the way provided us with a lot of convenience.

On the streets of Jining, a group of people who were looking for a Jining tavern to have dinner encountered a spoiled brat bullying a grandmother and her grandson.

The commotion was so great that pedestrians blocked their way.

The group pushed forward and learned that the reason for the incident was that the纨绔 (wan ku, a spoiled young man) had been riding his horse in the bustling market and had knocked down an old woman. He showed no remorse and even felt that the old woman was blocking his way. He was about to raise his whip to teach the grandmother and grandson a lesson, but the grandson blocked the blows with his bony back. Seeing that this person dared to disobey him, the纨绔 became even angrier and raised his whip high, about to strike his grandson in the next instant.

The child closed his eyes tightly, a burning pain searing his back, the whip whistling through the air, and he gritted his teeth to endure the next lash.

Even faster than the horsewhip came a heavy, sturdy wooden knife made of dark brown ironwood. The dull thud of the knife easily blocked the horsewhip, and the whip's rebound made the playboy's arm tremble, almost causing him to drop his grip.

Upon seeing that the person blocking the grandmother and granddaughter's way was just a young girl, and realizing he couldn't even control a mere maid, the utterly humiliated纨绔 (a spoiled, dissolute young man) angrily shouted:

"Whose child is this? You're asking for it!"

With a snap, the folding fan opened smoothly, and Shang Yuji approached while fanning herself, saying, "Then I'd like to see how you're going to bully my young lady?"

"Or are you saying you can't beat her at all?"

-----------------------

The author says: My wife praises me because she loves me. —From "Zou Ji Advises King Qi to Accept Criticism"

The pseudonyms used by the two individuals were taken from the phrase "Autumn waters merge with the vast sky," because choosing names was incredibly difficult [please help me].

Addendum: I won't have children. [roses][roses][roses]