In the firelight, the cold, hard lines of the Jinyiwei commander Ji Cheng's face, as if cut by a knife or an axe, were clearly visible. His eyes were like the most accurate probe, scanning the situation in the cave at the first moment. When he saw Jiang Songyi just raised her head from Xinyi Daoyi's lap, with sleepy eyes, especially when she was still covered with the outer robe that clearly belonged to the crown prince, Ji Cheng's deep eyes instantly flashed with an extremely subtle fluctuation, like a torrent surging under the ice. But this abnormality was so fast that it was almost impossible to catch. He immediately looked away, suppressing all emotions back into the cold silence, turned to Xinyi Daoyi, bowed, and said in a rigid and calm voice:
"Ji Cheng, commander of the Imperial Guard, greets His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Xinyi Daoyi, using the firelight, took in Ji Cheng and several other Jinyiwei guards behind him, also clad in Feiyu uniforms, soaking wet and covered in mud. The night was cold and rainy, and it was clear they had been searching for most of the night. He nodded slightly, his tone calm, "Did my father send you here to look for someone?"
"Yes." Ji Cheng lowered his head and replied, his voice still flat. "The emperor was shocked to hear that His Highness and the county lady were in danger, and was extremely worried. He ordered our ministers to search with all their might. His Highness and the county lady are safe and sound, and we are glad to have fulfilled our mission." As he spoke, his eyes quickly swept over Xin Yi Daoyi and Jiang Songyi again, confirming that apart from looking a little disheveled, the two of them indeed had no obvious scars. Only then did his tense jawline relax a little imperceptibly.
"Young Master Jiang seems to be seriously injured." A Jinyiwei captain following behind Ji Cheng reminded in a low voice.
Ji Cheng then turned his gaze to the corner he had subconsciously ignored: Jiang Jinzhao. He saw that the eldest son of the Yongding Marquisate was as pale as paper, his left arm tightly wrapped in torn cloth, the cloth soaked with large patches of dark blood, and his robe was also covered with mottled mud and dried blood. His whole body exuded the weakness of a spent force.
That entire night, everyone's attention was focused on the missing prince and Princess Jiaqing, and no one noticed that Young Master Jiang had failed to return to the tent in time.
Jiang Jinzhao noticed Ji Cheng's gaze and subconsciously pulled his injured arm back behind him. He straightened his already stiff back and said with all his strength, "Thank you for your concern, Lord Ji. It's just a flesh wound, nothing serious." He took a deep breath, suppressing the throbbing pain in his arm and the dizziness from a sleepless night. He looked out at the dawning sky outside the cave and said, "The rain has stopped outside. To avoid worrying His Majesty by keeping him waiting for too long, we should return to the tent as soon as possible."
Jiang Songyi had finally regained consciousness and quickly stood up, leaning on Xinyi Daoyi's arm. Xinyi Daoyi naturally brushed the grass debris from her robe, and the two stood side by side. Ji Cheng's gaze lingered on the brief physical contact for a fraction of a second before quickly averting it, stepping aside to clear the way. His voice was cold and hard: "Your Highness, the County Lady, Young Master Jiang, please follow me down the mountain."
The mountain rain had just subsided, and a thick mist filled the air. Wet branches and leaves drooped, occasionally dripping icy drops of water that hit the muddy ground, creating a monotonous, chilly echo. The mountain wind carried a chill, making clothes cling to the skin.
Ji Cheng deftly opened a large oil-paper umbrella, his gaze sweeping over the injured and stumbling Jiang Jinzhao, then the pale, weak-footed Crown Prince Xinyi Daoyi. Without hesitation, with a flick of his wrist, he extended the wind- and rain-proof umbrella directly to Jiang Songyi, who stood beside the Crown Prince.
This action caused the eyes of the accompanying Jinyiwei to flicker slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed through their hearts - the commander's handing of the umbrella seemed to have a deeper meaning?
"Thank you, Master Ji." Jiang Songyi took it calmly, feeling the coolness of the bamboo. She raised the umbrella high, attempting to shield the prince beside her. However, the edge of the umbrella barely reached the crown of his head, making it seem a little cramped.
Xin Yidaoyi chuckled softly, her laughter remarkably clear in the quiet mountain night, tinged with a subtle gentleness. He naturally reached out and took the umbrella handle from her slightly cool fingers: "Let me do it."
The space beneath the umbrella suddenly became delicate and private. Jiang Jinzhao followed silently a few steps, the wound on his right arm aching slightly, but his eyes involuntarily fell on the pair walking side by side in front of him. The night was as dark as ink, the mountain road meandered, and the dim light of lanterns cast a halo around them. The prince stood tall and straight, the girl slender and graceful. Under the oil-paper umbrella, their silhouettes cast a blurred yet harmonious outline on the wet mountain path, like a profound painting.
Xin Yidao's grip on the umbrella handle was incredibly steady, and the umbrella tilted silently and firmly toward Jiang Songyi. The mountain breeze, mixed with fine raindrops, drifted down again, but it seemed as if separated by an invisible barrier, not a drop of rain could touch the corner of her clothes.
The young crown prince at this moment didn't yet know that the moment this umbrella tilted towards her tonight was like a silent omen. In the long and turbulent years to come, he would do the same, devoting all his energy to shielding her from the wind and rain for half her life, keeping her from the slightest bit of frost and cold.
…
In the center of the camp, the emperor's main tent was brightly lit, but the pervasive anxiety could not be dispelled.
The clamor of the ministers' banquet had long since faded, leaving behind a dead silence of waiting. Emperor Xin Yihong had been awake all night, restless and irritable. He sat at his desk, a carving knife tightly gripped, working on a piece of fine boxwood, attempting to suppress the turmoil in his heart with his beloved carpentry. However, the blade's repeated strikes were misplaced, leaving only a chaotic, uneven mark on the wood.
"Your Majesty!" The chief eunuch practically stumbled into the tent, his voice trembling with the trembling of someone who had just survived a catastrophe. "Found them! Commander Ji... we've found His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Princess Jiaqing! They're already outside the camp!"
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