Jiang Jinzhao watched the two cuddling together, suddenly understanding the reason for his sister's persistence. He fumbled to remove the jade pendant from his waist and gently placed it beside Jiang Songyi. The "Zhao" carved into the corner of the pendant was already blurred, just like the bond between them in their previous life.
At five o'clock in the morning, the torches of the Black Iron Cavalry illuminated the cave. Jiang Songyi opened her eyes and found herself covered in the prince's cloak. She hurriedly stood up, only to find Xinyi Daoyi whispering with her father outside the cave. In the morning light, the wound on his back had been bandaged, and the snow-white bandage pricked her eyes, making them ache.
"Time to return to camp," Xin Yidao said, looking back and smiling faintly, her pale face gilded by the morning sun. Jiang Songyi clenched the giant clam bracelet in her palm, suddenly hearing the death knell of a distant past life—this time, the bells became the trumpets of triumph.
Jiang Songyi's grip on the tweezers was as steady as a rock. The moment the arrowhead left her flesh, a vein bulged on Jiang Jinzhao's forehead. Blood splattered on the crabapple blossom embroidered on her sleeve, making it look like a new red plum blossom.
"Bear with it." She pulled the cork from the celadon bottle, and the cool ointment covered the swollen flesh. Jiang Jinzhao stared at his sister's drooping eyelashes, suddenly remembering the same focused expression she had on her face last year when she applied medicine to the injured Yanzhi horse.
Xin Yidao fiddled with the fire, sparks crackling and exploding. He caught a glimpse of the sweat on Jiang Songyi's temples, and curled his fingers in his sleeves. In his previous life, when she had removed the poison from his arrow, she had said that this Jade Dew Cream should be mixed with midnight dew.
"One thousand taels." Jiang Songyi suddenly shook the medicine bottle, "A holy scar removal product, fair to everyone."
Before Jiang Jinzhao could speak, Xin Yidaoyi suddenly started coughing violently. The firelight made the tips of his ears red. Last year, when Jiang Songyi had brewed this medicine, he had clearly said that three taels of silver would be enough for a pot.
"Your Highness, have you caught a cold?" Jiang Songyi raised an eyebrow and tapped the medicine bottle with her fingertips. "Your Highness, I have some cough pills here."
"No need!" Xin Yi said, covering her lips. "I think this medicine is worth the money."
Jiang Jinzhao looked at the two of them exchanging glances, and suddenly reached for the purse at his waist: "Send someone to deliver the banknotes to Tingyuxuan tomorrow." He deliberately emphasized the last three words. That was the courtyard where Jiang Yuyao used to live.
"Cash is fine." Jiang Songyi tossed the medicine bottle to him, "So that I don't get sick seeing the Jiang family's carriage." She turned and fiddled with the fire. The dancing flames gilded her profile, as if she were boiling medicine in the alchemy room in her previous life.
The sound of heavy rain pounding against the cave entrance faded, and the distant clap of Black Iron Cavalry hooves could be heard. Jiang Songyi suddenly grabbed his brother's right hand, dipped it in blood, and traced the arrowhead emblem onto the handkerchief. "The Ministry of Works specially crafted this wolf-head pattern last year, exclusively for the Fourth Prince's personal guards."
Xin Yidao picked up the blood-stained arrow shaft and said, "This arrow will be stuck on Fourth Brother's desk at the court tomorrow morning." He stroked the wolf's eye mark with his fingertips, remembering that during last year's autumn hunt, this arrow should have pierced his throat.
Inside the camp, a elk roasted over a charcoal fire until it sizzled with oil. Marquis Yongding held up the deer's leg and drank from it, the amber liquor dripping down his beard. "Do you know how difficult it is to remove the antlers?" He gestured, stepping on the table. "That beast leaps faster than an arrow!"
The Minister of Revenue twirled his goatee and sneered, "Your daughter is more promising than your son." Before he finished speaking, a commotion erupted outside the tent. A young eunuch stumbled in, "Your Majesty! The Crown Prince has been assassinated!"
The wine cup in Yongding's hand fell to the ground with a clang. He caught a glimpse of his daughter, soaking wet, rushing into the tent, dead leaves clinging to her hair, followed by the pale crown prince and the bloodstained eldest son.
"Father!" Xin Yidao presented the blood-stained arrow, "Your Majesty, I was lucky enough to be rescued by the two young masters of the Yongding Marquis' Mansion." He deliberately emphasized the word "two" and caught a glimpse of Jiang Songyi secretly hiding behind his father.
The emperor stroked the wolf-head pattern on the arrow shaft, a cold light flashing in his eyes: "What a wolfish ambition!" He suddenly looked at the Marquis of Yongding, "Jiang Qing raised good children! They deserve a reward!"
Jiang Dinglian knelt on one knee, his armor clanging against the ground. "I am terrified! Your Highness is blessed with great fortune, and my daughter is but a coincidence."
"You happened to hunt for an auspicious sign, and you also happened to save the crown prince?" The emperor interrupted with a laugh, "Issue an imperial decree! Princess Jiaqing is promoted to Princess Jiaqing, and is granted gold-threaded soft armor!"
The ministers were in an uproar. As Jiang Songyi prostrated herself in gratitude, she heard her father's stifled gasps—the soft armor was a tribute from the Western Regions, of which only three existed in the entire Wei Dynasty. She looked up and met the crown prince's smiling eyes, a trance that brought back his last glance from across the hail of arrows on the city wall in her past life.
When the banquet was over, the Marquis of Yongding dragged his daughter by the collar towards the tent. "Have you become capable now? Have you learned how to go into the dragon's den alone?" He caught a glimpse of the blood on his daughter's sleeve and his voice suddenly rose. "Are you hurt?!"
"Dad!" Jiang Songyi suddenly threw herself into his arms. "My daughter wants to eat some steamed yogurt with sugar." Her muffled voice was exactly the same as the day she went missing at the age of seven. Jiang Dinglian's raised hand froze in mid-air before finally resting gently on the top of her head. "I'll have your brother buy it tomorrow."
The words stopped abruptly. Both father and son looked outside the tent. Jiang Jinzhao, his right hand wrapped like a rice dumpling, was clumsily pouring tea for the prince. The moonlight cast the three people's shadows on the tent cloth, vaguely forming the word "home."
…
The charcoal fire roasted the elk until it was golden and juicy. Marquis Yongding walked around the room holding a wine cup: "Everyone, look at these antlers!" He pointed his finger at the top of his head, making an exaggerated arc. "Thank goodness my son is such a god of archery. If it were my son, he would be so handsome." Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by the emperor: "Jiang Qing!"
The eunuch trotted forward, carrying a gilded tray. The deer leg was still steaming. Jiang Dinglian took it and chewed it until his mouth was greasy. "Thank you, Your Majesty!" He chewed it loudly. "This auspicious meat is truly extraordinary. I will save half for my daughter."
The emperor rubbed his temples and waved his hands. Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside the tent. The Second Prince, Xin Yiwei, entered carrying a bamboo cage. Inside, a golden pheasant hung its head, its feathers smeared with mud. Following behind him, Qi Yingxiong looked smug, like a victorious rooster.
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