Chapter 21 Chapter 21 "Hurry, hide."
These words were like a nail driven into my heart, and they stayed there for a long time.
Ji Yang's expression remained unchanged, but his hand unconsciously knocked on the corner of the table twice.
He sneered, his tone unchanged. "How could I be prejudiced against her? I've always been impartial. If anyone does something wrong, I won't show partiality. If anyone is innocent, I won't blindly believe what others say and put them to death."
After he finished speaking, he felt his throat dry. He raised his hand, picked up the teacup on the table, and drank it all in one gulp. The bitterness spread on the tip of his tongue.
Lu Linchuan didn't say anything back, but just looked at him quietly, with a complex look in his eyes that seemed to see through him.
Ji Yang frowned, suddenly feeling as if the air within the tent had frozen. He abruptly stood up, his hands clasped behind his back as he faced Lu Linchuan, and said in a deep voice, "This matter must not be spread outside."
"I understand."
Ji Yang stood in the tent, the wind blew in from the gaps, his robe fluttered slightly, and his palm unconsciously covered the tiger-head amulet.
He didn't want to admit it, but at that moment, he felt a faint sense of guilt. But he didn't know what he was feeling guilty about.
He recalled what Jiang Ci had said to him: "You married me only to buy time, I'll accept it. Even if you don't believe me, I'll accept it! But I want to tell you, if I wanted to destroy you, why would I have to collaborate with the enemy? I could have just stabbed you in your sleep."
There was no hatred in her eyes at that time, but every word she said was like a knife, piercing her heart.
It suddenly occurred to him that she might have really intended to kill him.
As soon as this thought occurred, his heart felt like it was being poured with kerosene, and his irritability suddenly flared up. He frowned and swept the remaining tea on the table with his sleeves. The porcelain cup fell to the ground with a clang, shattering into several pieces.
He stood up and walked out of the tent, saying solemnly to the soldiers outside:
"Report today's battle situation on the border between Qingzhou and Hanbei. Also, send a scout team to investigate first to see what Lou Qi is up to. Is he bluffing or planning a real fight?"
In Fengdu, the afternoon was gloomy. The wind blew scraps of paper and dead leaves in the dark alleys, and the sound of weapons clashing could be heard faintly from the street corners.
Several Dongyang soldiers were chasing a man in black through the alley. The man was extremely fast, his steps light and unsteady, yet he never stopped. His body was stained with blood, and every step left a mark.
"Don't let him run away! He stole the map from the Governor's Office!" The leading soldier shouted angrily and rushed forward with his sword.
The man in black sneered, turned over and jumped onto the corner of the wall, throwing out a handful of silver-gray powder with his backhand.
Dust exploded in an instant, and the alley was blurred. The soldier coughed continuously, his eyes hurt, and he had to stop.
The man in black took the opportunity to jump off the wall, his body swayed and he almost fell. He covered the bloody wound on his abdomen and forced himself to step into an old clinic on the street.
He kicked the door shut, tore down the wooden sign that said "Closed for Business" behind it, hung it outside the door, and then locked the door. The whole action was swift and silent.
Inside the clinic, the old doctor was grinding medicine powder. When he looked up, he was so shocked that his hands shook and the medicine cup almost fell over.
The man in black grabbed him by the collar without saying a word, dragged him to the side of the examination table, and placed his cold sword on his neck, the blade icy.
"Heal my wound." His voice was hoarse and bloody, and his tone was iron-like and merciless.
"You...you are robbing the clinic!" the old doctor screamed.
At this time, the curtain of the back hall was lifted, and Jiang Ci, wearing a plain white middle-length robe, with a cold brow and eyes, and although his steps were light, he carried an air of intimidation.
"stop!"
She shouted in a cold voice, and the words were like a gust of wind and snow crashing into the room. The man in black was shocked and the blade in his hand paused slightly.
He turned around subconsciously and met her gaze.
The whole person seemed to be suddenly frozen.
The woman stood under the door curtain, wearing a plain white middle-length dress, with no makeup on her hair, and a few strands of black hair scattered on her temples.
Her eyebrows resembled distant mountains slicing through water, her eyes like cold stars reflecting the snow, clear and bright, yet concealing a chilling edge. Her skin was whiter than snow, her lips rosy, and even without makeup, her aura was like a frozen lake just broken open, a winter plum blossom in bloom, pure and charming.
His breathing hitched.
He boasted that he had seen countless women and had never been tempted by beauty, but the woman in front of him... was like a stunning sight that appeared out of nowhere, shaking his heart like thunder.
The man in black was startled, and the knife that was originally pressed on the doctor's neck slid down a little bit imperceptibly.
The man in black listened to her scolding, his eyes flashed, and he slowly retracted the knife that was on the old doctor's neck.
The blade fell on the medicine table, but his fingers were still tightly gripping the handle, as if he was unwilling to let go.
Suddenly, his feet gave way, and he stumbled, falling to one knee. The tip of the knife made contact with the ground, making a dull sound.
Jiang Ci was stunned.
His face did not show much pain, but the black clothes under his sleeves and on his chest were already soaked with large patches of blood, as red as ink, which were quietly dripping onto the floor along the corners of his clothes.
The old doctor was so frightened that he shrank to the side, half of his face turned pale, and he dared not move.
Jiang Ci took a step forward, frowning slightly, and said in a cold voice: "Who are you? Why are you injured like this?"
The man in black raised his eyes, his hair covering half his face, and his eyes were dark. He didn't answer, only uttering a low, hurried word:
"I'm not a bad person... I'm being plotted against. Help me."
As soon as the words fell, Jiang Ci turned around and walked towards the still trembling doctor. He gently supported his arm and whispered, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Her voice was filled with a hint of chill, yet surprisingly steady. The doctor, reassured by her words, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Jiang Ci turned around to look at the man in black and said calmly, "Then come in and sit down."
The man in black nodded, slowly stood up with his knife in hand, and followed them with heavy steps.
When they reached the inner hall, the doctor was busy spreading out the gauze and, with trembling hands, trying to take off his outer robe. However, Jiang Ci had already rolled up his sleeves, leaned over to pick up the scissors on the table, and while expertly cutting open the torn collar of his clothes, he spoke calmly:
"When I was in Zichuan, I bandaged the wounds of refugees and wounded soldiers, and I saw many deaths. Now you are a patient, and we should treat all patients equally. I will help you, and we can move faster."
At this moment, something in his arms suddenly slipped and fell to the ground, and a piece of blood-stained paper rolled out.
Jiang Ci and the man in black bent down to pick it up at the same time, their fingertips almost touching, but she was one step ahead of him and grabbed the paper roll first. When she spread it out and took a look, her expression suddenly changed.
It turned out to be the water control map she drew herself and gave to Ji Yang.
Her face darkened, her eyes sharpened instantly, and she stared at him: "How did you get this picture? Are you... a spy?"
The man in black was stunned, obviously not expecting her to recognize the picture. His eyes flashed and he asked, "How do you recognize this picture?"
Jiang Ci frowned, then calmly put the scroll away, saying in a cold tone, "My master works for the governor, and I've seen this painting in his room."
Then she asked back: "What about you? Who are you?"
The black-clad man's eyes flickered, his mind racing. He remembered she had mentioned "Zichuan" earlier, and with a sudden inspiration, he whispered, "I'm from Liangzhou. The area near Tingzhou in Liangzhou has been experiencing heavy rain for days, and there's already flooding. I heard the Governor of Dongyang has a method for controlling the floods... but I can't wait for the Governor's order, so I had to risk it and steal a map."
Jiang Ci's expression relaxed a bit after hearing this, and the sharpness between her brows also faded a little. But she didn't completely relax, and her tone was still a little tentative:
"If you are truly from Liangzhou, then I cannot give you this map. The Governor and my master are old acquaintances. If there is a flood emergency in Liangzhou, I will have my master write to him and ask him to intervene. He will resolve the issue as quickly as possible."
The man in black saw that she was being cautious in her words and actions, and knew that he would not be able to get the map today. He could only remain silent for a moment, hummed softly, lowered his eyes, and said no more.
Although he didn't answer, he looked at her more seriously: besides being beautiful, she was also so meticulous and secretive.
He sat beside the examination bed with his back straight, allowing Jiang Ci to expose the knife wound on his chest to the air.
Jiang Ci held his shoulder with one hand, and used tweezers to pick out the rags and weeds with the other hand, and then wiped the wound with sake.
When the sake touched the wound, the man in black frowned and hissed. Jiang Ci slowed down her movements and told him, "If you don't clean out the dirt in the wound, if it gets infected, you will die here soon." She changed the blood-stained gauze one piece after another, her expression completely focused.
The man in black said nothing, but just stared at her face quietly.
She lowered her head and concentrated on treating the wound. Her hair was slightly messy due to sweat and fell on her cheeks. Her cold eyebrows and eyes glowed softly under the light.
"Don't look around."
Jiang Ci suddenly looked up, her voice not loud, but she did not hide her displeasure at all.
The man in black was slightly startled, then lowered his eyes. His long eyelashes cast a shadow, covering the strange emotion that had just emerged in his eyes.
Jiang Ci was picking up the bandage and wrapping it carefully from his shoulder to his side. His fingertips occasionally touched the bloodstains and bruises on his body. His movements were neither fast nor slow.
Suddenly, I heard hurried footsteps outside the yard, followed by "bang bang bang" knocks on the door.
"Officials are doing their job! Open the door!"
The old doctor was startled and almost dropped the medicine bottle in his hand. The man in black was also nervous and habitually put his hand on the hilt of the knife.
Jiang Ci's expression changed, and he whispered, "Hide quickly."
Her eyes turned and she quickly opened the door of an unattended cabinet in a corner of the inner hall. It was so narrow that only two people could curl up in it.
"You have to hide too." The old doctor grabbed her sleeve and said, "It would not be good if your identity was recognized."
Jiang Ci paused, then nodded: "You go deal with them."
"Okay, okay..." The old doctor wiped his sweat, carefully lowered the curtain again, and tiptoed all the way to the front hall.
Jiang Ci pushed the man in black into the small compartment and followed closely behind him. He ducked in, closed the wooden board, and tightened the curtains. The room suddenly fell into darkness.
The small space was so cramped that it barely allowed for a full breath. Jiang Ci pressed against the black-clad man's side, her knee accidentally brushing against his leg. He subconsciously moved, his lips almost brushing against her forehead. "Don't move," she whispered, her breath carrying a faint medicinal aroma and warmth, yet revealing a suppressed calm.
The man in black didn't move, but his ears suddenly felt hot.
Through the thin gauze, he could clearly feel the woman's warm body temperature and soft hair. Her hand had just been pressing on his injured shoulder, but now it was supporting his chest to stabilize her posture.
Her breathing was very light, yet very close, and a few wisps of air landed on the side of his neck, like a dragonfly skimming the water.
He had never been so close to a woman before, not to mention that this woman was... so beautiful.
The back of his ears felt very hot and his Adam's apple moved slightly, but he remained silent. He just clasped his knees tightly with his fingers, trying his best to restrain himself from moving.
From outside the wooden board, the old doctor's voice came:
"Sir, I really don't see any wounded soldiers... I'm the only one in this shop, how could I dare to take in some gangsters?"
The soldiers walked in a chaotic manner and had already entered the front hall to investigate.
Jiang Ci heard it clearly and quietly placed one hand on the hilt of the sword on the black-clothed man's waist, signaling him not to move.
The man in black felt the strength of her fingers at that moment, and a strange throbbing arose in his heart for no apparent reason.
Time seemed to stand still in this narrow dark compartment. For a moment, for a moment, it was so quiet that only the overlapping heartbeats of the two people could be heard.
When the footsteps faded away, the old doctor hurried back to the house: "Let's go, they didn't check it carefully..."
Jiang Ci finally breathed a sigh of relief, pushed open the wooden board, and air rushed in instantly. The man in black finally stood up.
She was about to stand up when she suddenly felt someone gently support her waist. It was the man in black who subconsciously reached out, fearing that she would fall.
"...Thanks." He whispered, his eyes turned away, not daring to look at her face again.
Everything was over. It was already evening, and the night was gradually falling. Jiang Ci stood up, his back slightly aching. The man in black suddenly stood up, pulled out a small bag of heavy silver from his pocket, and placed it on the table with a "thump".
"See you later."
He lowered his voice and looked at Jiang Ci with an indescribable look in his eyes, as if he wanted to say something else. But in the end, he said nothing, turned around, opened the door, and quickly disappeared into the alley in the night.
The night was dark, and the forest outside the city was deep and dense. The moonlight shone through the branches and leaves onto the ground, casting mottled light and shadows.
The man in black was tall, with sharp shoulders and a broad frame. He walked steadily yet swiftly as he crossed the forest path and stopped under an old tree.
Soon, a nimble figure flashed out from behind the tree. The woman was tall and straight, with a sword slung across her shoulder. She was dressed in tight clothes, and her brows were sharp with a hint of heroism. She said in a cold voice:
"Prince Yan, have you retrieved the map?"
The man in black took off his mask and brushed away the leaves stuck to his temples.
Under the moonlight, a handsome face that is young but not immature is reflected.
He had perfectly normal facial features, a distinct bone structure, sharp eyebrows, and slightly raised eyes. He had an imposing air of nobility, and there was always a hint of a careless smile in his eyes, like the wind in March, or the melting river water.
"No," he said lightly, but the corners of his lips were raised, "but this trip is not a loss."
"Oh?" "You didn't even get the map, isn't that a loss? You even got injured along the way."
He suddenly smiled, his smile full of pride: "Su Yu, help me check if there are any stunning beauties in Zichuan, Liangzhou..."
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