Chapter 4, fourth side continues drying.

As expected, the Jiang family left Lu Huantang out of the house for several days, until he was old enough to get out of bed and walk. Apart from a servant boy who changed his dressings, there was no one else at the door to keep an eye on him.

The dramatic fall from grace didn't leave Lu Huantang devastated for long. He had already succumbed to despair while recuperating, and he understood the Regent's strategy of sacrificing a pawn to save the king. If it were him, he might have killed him in front of the common people to silence him, pinning the reputation of cruelty on the Jiang family and winning back public support in the process.

From this perspective, the regent is an unqualified... ruler, possessing ample authority but lacking ruthlessness.

He thought it would only be a few days, but he didn't expect to wait for more than a month. It seemed that they had really forgotten about him. Lu Huantang became more and more impatient and said that he wanted to go and thank Jiang Linzhi, but the servant just looked Lu Huantang up and down and then said indifferently, "Our young lady is busy on weekdays, and you won't be able to see her even if you go."

Lu Huantang took out the only piece of silver he had and placed it in the servant's hand, saying, "Please give me your guidance, young sir."

The servant weighed the loose silver in his hand, tucked it into his sleeve, and sighed, "I'm just a lowly servant, how could I possibly speak to Miss? But there is someone in the manor who can make decisions for her." As he spoke, the servant once again sized up the man before him. Although he was still ill, his face and body wrapped in bandages, his imposing stature and dashing appearance would surely win Miss's favor. If he made the first move...

Thinking of the handsome men and women guests in the Jiang mansion, the servant became more and more convinced that this was possible. He quickly changed his attitude and took the initiative to befriend the young lady, saying, "Mr. Qi is in charge of all matters in the mansion. If you just try to please Mr. Qi, you will naturally have the opportunity to see the young lady through him. Once you win the young lady's favor, then you will be the one in charge."

Lu Huantang smiled and said, "Then this Mr. Qi..."

"Hey, don't worry, he comes over often."

Before she could even drink some water to moisten her throat after speaking, Qi Lingjun had already walked into the backyard of the clinic.

He stopped outside the window, nodded slightly to Lu Huantang inside, and said gently, "Is it convenient for you, sir?"

Lu Huantang had heard of Qi Lingjun before, but upon meeting him today, he found him quite different from the effeminate, pretty-boy image he had been portrayed as. The person before him was indeed so beautiful that it was difficult to tell whether he was male or female, yet he was like a green bamboo in the mountains, seemingly slender, but possessing a tenacious spirit that would not bend in the wind.

Especially those calm, expressionless eyes; they appear humble and polite, yet reveal not a single thought of their own.

How could someone like that be willing to be a male concubine?

Lu Huantang put away his probing expression and returned the greeting, "It's windy outside, please, sir."

Qi Lingjun entered the room and saw that Lu Huantang's exposed half-face still looked sickly. He placed the tonics he had brought on the table and said, "Miss always acts on a whim. If there is anything I have done wrong, please feel free to tell me and I will take care of it."

Lu Huantang said with a wry smile, "A dog abandoned by its owner is already extremely grateful to have survived, how could I dare to ask for anything?" As he spoke, he stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and knelt on one knee, "Huantang thanks Miss Jiang and Mr. Qi for saving my life. In the future, I will go through fire and water for you without hesitation."

This was the truth, and also self-deprecating, but it just so happened to match Jiang Linzhi's description.

Lu Huantang's self-deprecating words stuck in Qi Lingjun's throat like a thorn, making him inexplicably uncomfortable. In the end, he still accepted the bow, then helped Lu Huantang up and said, "I understand your good intentions, but Miss never asks for anything in return for her good deeds. We will be at ease once you have recovered from your illness."

This makes it very clear that the Jiang family does not value Lu Huantang's loyalty.

Lu Huantang understood that they must know he had failed in his attempt to harm her, but he still shamelessly insisted, "I have martial arts skills. I'd be willing to be your henchman, as long as I can repay your life-saving grace."

Seeing his insistence, Qi Lingjun stopped with pleasantries, his eyes turning cold, but his tone remained calm as still water, "With one sword strike from you, Miss almost lost her life. How can Miss trust you to serve her?"

Lu Huantang was the culprit who caused the neck injury to Jiang Linzhi; they exposed him, laying it bare in the open.

A few days ago, during the harvest season for the Crimson Flower, Jiang Linzhi was on his routine patrol when he came to a village by the Guanshan Road. While asking for a bowl of water, he was abducted by the villagers.

The villagers were unaware of Jiang Linzhi's identity; they had simply abducted the well-dressed passerby into the village.

Coincidentally, Lu Huantang and his group were returning from escorting snuff bottles for a sale, so the Regent ordered them to go ahead of the Imperial Guards to find Jiang Linzhi's whereabouts.

Lu Huantang was ordered to commit murder.

Lu Huantang found Jiang Linzhi ahead of the Imperial Guards based on the clues, and the rest is history.

Qi Lingjun's gaze involuntarily fell on the sword hanging on the wall, his pupils contracting slightly as he recalled the horrific scene from that day. He patted his crumpled clothes, the fox fur on them conveniently concealing his momentary loss of composure, and sighed, "Logically speaking, if Miss hadn't saved you, her conscience wouldn't have been tormented. However, you were acting under orders and were abandoned by your master, so Miss couldn't bear it and set aside her grudges to save your life."

An ordinary person would be tempted to confess upon hearing this, but Lu Huantang refused. He knelt on one knee and bowed again, saying, "I was truly just lacking in martial arts skills and unable to properly rescue you. I had no intention of harming you, Miss. Please, Mr. Qi, let me stay by your side. I will definitely improve my martial arts and repay your kindness in saving me."

Unable to get the answer he wanted, the servant who had been silently taking notes outside the door, like a ghost, stopped writing and slowly disappeared into the shadows, his footsteps so light that even the cats under the eaves slept peacefully.

If Lu Huantang had confessed just now, they would have rushed in and forced his handprint onto his forehead. Even if he refused, they could have simply cut off his fingers and pressed the fingerprint in his place. In that case, although the Regent might still appear unharmed, the Wu family would be guilty of ordering the murder of Jiang Linzhi, and neither the Regent's moneybags nor Lu Huantang would escape punishment.

The problem is that Lu Huantang stubbornly refuses to admit it; he is just a useless pawn discarded by his master for his incompetence.

Qi Lingjun, while Lu Huantang remained kneeling, slowly tapped his fingers and said, "I am in a difficult position because of your situation. If the rescue is ineffective, Miss will not dare to keep you in an important position. If you are just a foot soldier... that would be too much of a waste of your talent."

These words struck a nerve with Lu Huantang. According to Qi Lingjun's understanding, Lu Huantang's skills were all for the purpose of getting ahead. If he were to become a mere pawn, it would be better to kill him. However, Lu Huantang unexpectedly said, "I'll do anything as long as I can serve you, Miss."

Qi Lingjun realized that he couldn't get any information out of Lu Huantang today. If he took Lu Huantang into custody and slowly coaxed out his confession, even if Lu Huantang confessed, the Regent would definitely exonerate him on the grounds that it had been a long time and that he had been bribed.

This matter is difficult to handle no matter what.

After a moment's thought, Qi Lingjun helped Lu Huantang up and said, "My abilities are limited. Your decision to stay or leave is up to Miss. Please wait a few days."

As Qi Lingjun got up to leave, he noticed that Lu Huantang's black clothes had been stained with the fox fur on his body. He suddenly smiled and said, "I'm so sorry. I was surrounded and entangled by Miss's little pets when I went out, so I couldn't help but be disheveled and soil your clothes."

"Does Miss like keeping small pets?" Lu Huantang asked casually, not taking it seriously.

"I suppose so," Qi Lingjun said, a fleeting hint of doting helplessness finally appearing on his gentle and perfect face when he mentioned Jiang Linzhi. "Miss likes to keep things that are not available in the manor because she is curious. But even if she keeps them, she only plays with them for a day or two before leaving them to me to take care of."

Qi Lingjun, a man who doesn't waste words on outsiders, was merely using the pet to subtly remind and advise Lu Huantang, telling him to have no other intentions once he entered the manor and to obediently serve as Jiang Linzhi's pet. If he were to change his mind now and not enter the Jiang manor, there would always be a place for him in the world.

Lu Huantang said respectfully, "Then I'll have to put in more effort, Mr. Qi." He chose the first path without hesitation.

Having received the answer, Qi Lingjun said nothing more and left. The moment he sat in the carriage, Qi Lingjun's face turned completely cold, and he couldn't suppress the sneer on his lips.

Lu Huantang was resting on the bed when a servant came in and cautiously inquired, "You don't look well. What's wrong? Is Mr. Qi wary of your appearance and doesn't want you to go in and serve the young lady?"

"I just want to be a guard, I have no other intentions." Even if he did, Lu Huantang would not admit it.

“That’s not up to you. Our young lady is a heroine among women. Last time, even the Regent, dressed in his finest attire, was harassed by her in the street. You, with no power or influence…” the servant continued to ramble on.

Everyone in the capital knew about this: when the Regent returned in triumph from the border, Jiang Linzhi, who was drinking and having tea on the second floor, threw a flower at his head.

The flower landed squarely in the Regent's arms. Given the fierce nature of the people, this wouldn't have been a big deal; it could even have become a romantic tale. The problem was that the battle wasn't won gracefully; it was almost a lose-lose situation. What was worse was that the Regent's mother had also died in the chaos that ensued in the Jiang family.

Anyone can throw flowers, but not Jiang Linzhi. If she throws flowers, it's just a joke, a provocation.

The Regent held his tongue at the time, believing that his status didn't warrant arguing with a mere merchant in the street, but he never forgot the grudge. This old grudge led to Jiang Linzhi being assassinated every few days; even without this incident, the Regent would have continued to try to kill Jiang Linzhi from time to time.

Listening to this comparison and discussion, which sounded like a business transaction, Lu Huantang felt awkward. However, since they were on someone else's turf, he had to restrain himself. He clutched his chest and said, "My chest hurts. Could you call a doctor to take a look?"

When Qi Lingjun returned, he saw Jiang Linzhi scribbling and drawing in a small booklet. He had seen the booklet before; it contained strange characters that resembled talismans, and pictures that were half-drawn and half-written. Even someone as learned as Qi Lingjun couldn't figure out which country's script it was. However, Jiang Linzhi had her own methods. She was never bad at social interactions, and she kept those unscrupulous shopkeepers under her completely under her control. She could raise them however she wanted.

However, this time was slightly different. Jiang Linzhi had drawn a wildflower in the booklet, along with two elegant cursive characters: "Go find it."

Qi Lingjun had no idea what he was up to this time. He assumed she liked this kind of flower, so he didn't take it too seriously and coaxed her, "Okay, I'll send someone to find it, but it'll be freezing cold soon, so don't get your hopes up too high."