Chapter 35 Chapter 35 "Then I will - kill him." ...
The next day, at dawn, the city had not yet woken up, so Jiang Ci took Yin Shuang out of the villa.
Although Ningling City was relatively unscathed, the streets were slick with mud from the previous downpour. Many homeless villagers gathered along the roadside, some leaning against the walls, some lying on the ground, their faces weary. Jiang Ci walked silently along, his brow furrowed slightly.
She led Yinshuang all the way up to the city wall. When the soldiers guarding the city saw that she was the governor's wife, they greeted her in a low voice and let her pass respectfully.
A slight breeze blew above the city wall, bringing with it a hint of summer heat.
Jiang Ci stood on a high place, looking out of the city.
Where the canal dam broke, mud and rocks flowed everywhere, the village was half destroyed, and the houses collapsed.
She turned her head slightly and could see the other side of the river covered with mist in the distance. That was Liangzhou.
Yin Shuang stood behind her and called softly, "Miss..."
Jiang Ci looked at the ruins in front of him and whispered, "Yinshuang, let's go and take a look at it in person." His tone was calm, but revealed a sense of determination.
The group exited the north gate and surveyed the area along the breached canal. Along the way, Jiang Ci carefully observed the terrain and the direction of the water flow, and even asked nearby villagers about past floods and river rises.
It was dusk when Jiang Ci returned home. She didn't bother to rest. She threw on her clothes and sat at her desk, calling for paper and pen. She leaned over and meticulously sketched, using maps as the framework and data as the core. She meticulously mapped out the diversion channels, designating flood mitigation areas, reservoirs, and diversion outlets, all meticulously tailored to the terrain's undulating contours.
A sleepless night, the lights are dim.
As dawn approached, Jiang Ci rubbed her aching shoulders, carefully rolled up the finished blueprint, and placed it in a slender bamboo tube. She put on her coat, quietly walked to Ji Yang's door, gently placed the bamboo tube on the steps, and turned to leave.
Not long after, Ji Yangchen got up and left the house. He looked down at the bamboo tube, frowned slightly, bent down to pick it up, and took out the blueprint. He saw the diversion diagram was detailed and clear, with detailed annotations. He looked at the dense handwriting on the paper, and a complex emotion that he couldn't explain surged in his heart.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ci had returned to his room, having just washed and changed his outer robe. Wanniang, tidying up the bedding beside him, couldn't help but sigh, "Miss, if you stay up this late, be careful you can't handle it."
Jiang Ci's voice was slightly hoarse, but he smiled and shook his head: "It's okay. In the current situation, Dongyang has sent troops to provide disaster relief. If I can do something, it's better than just standing by and watching."
As Wanniang made her bed, she smiled and said, "Master taught you about topography and water conservancy back then, and now it's finally coming in handy."
Jiang Ci lay down on the bed and pulled the quilt up: "Who says it's not true? In today's chaotic world, knowing something is better than just having an identity."
After she finished speaking, she closed her eyes and sleepiness finally came over her.
In the military camp, Ji Yang brought the blueprints into the tent and discussed matters with Pei Junshou, Lu Linchuan, and Lu Zhongshan, the dam supervisor in charge of water conservancy affairs.
The blueprints were spread out on the table, and Lawrence Lu nodded repeatedly as he looked at them: "The design is very appropriate, integrating flood diversion and storage. If it can be fully implemented, it will surely solve the urgent problem."
Pei Chengxu asked in surprise, "Who drew this picture? Didn't the governor say that there were no people in the Dongyang army who knew how to control floods?"
Lu Linchuan smiled and said, "This was painted by my wife."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lou Qi, who was standing beside him, fixed his gaze.
Ji Yang immediately glared at Lu Linchuan and said, "You're the only one who talks too much."
Pei Chengxu left the tent and reunited with Lou Qi and the others. He showed them the blueprint. Lou Qi couldn't help but ask, "Who drew this?"
Pei Chengxu said: "This is the work of the Governor's wife."
Lou Qi's eyes fell on the elegant handwriting on the lower right corner of the drawing. It was the annotation written by Jiang Ci himself.
He was stunned for a long while, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, as if smiling, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart: I thought she just knew some maps and had some talent, but I didn't expect that she could actually control floods.
But there was a hint of hidden interest in his eyes: I underestimated her.
In the evening, the sky was dyed with rosy clouds, and the whole courtyard was shrouded in a soft halo of orange and golden light. A light breeze blew through the treetops, and the shadows of the leaves swayed.
The courtyard was quiet, with only the occasional chirping of cicadas in the distance.
Jiang Ci changed into a light blue dress and stood alone on the path in the courtyard, staring at the sunset in the west in a daze.
The clouds rolled like brocade, and the setting sun was slowly sinking into the distant mountains, making the light in her eyes shine like sparks. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, as if she was thinking about something, and she didn't move.
Ji Yang saw her just like this when he walked into the courtyard. He paused, looking at her frail figure shrouded in the rosy glow, and for a moment he remained silent.
Just as he was about to step forward, Jiang Ci noticed and turned back slightly. What caught his eye was him, reflected in the sunset glow, his black clothes fluttering slightly in the wind, his brows grim.
Ji Yang walked a few steps closer, his eyes fell on her shoulder, and said: "Thank you for your hard work. I wonder if your back shoulder..."
Before he could finish his words, Jiang Ci interrupted him: "I'm much better now. Thank you for your concern, Governor."
He said calmly, "I'm not concerned about you. I'm just worried that you'll fall ill here, adding to the trouble. We're already short on staff, and if you fall ill, we'll need someone else to take care of you."
Jiang Ci couldn't help laughing after hearing this and whispered, "The governor hasn't had dinner yet, right? Wan Niang is preparing the meal. If you don't mind, let's eat together."
Ji Yang nodded: "Okay."
The dining table was set up under the porch, lanterns lit, a gentle breeze blowing. The two sat facing each other, each silently bowing their heads, absorbed in their meal. Under the eaves, the cicadas chirped incessantly, the summer deepening.
Wanniang stood aside, feeling that the atmosphere was somewhat restrained and awkward. Her eyes drifted towards Yinshuang and she whispered, "I still have some stitches to finish." Then she stepped back.
Yin Shuang immediately responded, "I just want to ask Sima Lu something." She also hurriedly followed him away.
In an instant, there were only two people left in the yard.
Jiang Ci gently stirred the rice in his bowl, occasionally looking up, his gaze fixed on Ji Yang. Although he sat upright, his expression was cold, and he didn't even lift his eyelids.
At this moment, the courtyard door creaked open, and Yue Bai stepped in, shouting, "Commander-in-Chief."
When Ji Yang heard it was him, his expression finally changed and he glanced at him indifferently.
Yue Bai spoke first, "You asked me to go find General Chen Liang. I've already had some Liangzhou cloth, tea, and rouge and powder brought back to Fengdu. Since I knew you were in Ningling, I rode straight here."
Ji Yang frowned and said coldly: "Yue Bai."
Yue Bai knew he had said too much and was about to stop talking when Jiang Ci tilted his head and asked, "There are plenty of things in Liangzhou in Fengdu, why do you need to take them from there?"
Yue Bai chuckled: "Oh, it was the governor who said... compensation..."
"Go see your elder brother, he is in the camp." Ji Yang's face turned cold and he interrupted immediately.
Yue Bai stuck out his tongue, then bowed tactfully and retreated.
There was silence in the corridor for a moment.
Jiang Ci put down her bowl and chopsticks and said indifferently, "Oh." She pretended not to understand the meaning of Yue Bai's words, as if it was just an ordinary episode.
Ji Yang lowered his eyes to look at her, and finally said: "I originally wanted to wait until you returned to tell you. Before... I burned your things."
Jiang Ci didn't wait for him to finish and continued softly: "I understand."
The words between the two were like blunt knives, unable to cut through the surface calmness, but full of hidden emotions.
Ji Yang also put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up and said, "I'm done eating." After that, he turned and left.
It was a deep night, and the courtyard of the county magistrate's mansion was silent, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind ringing in the ears.
Yinshuang tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. She put on her coat, quietly went out, and walked aimlessly along the path. When she reached the end of the courtyard, she jumped up and sat on the eaves.
On the roof, the wind was as cool as water. She sat with her knees hugged, looking at the bright moon in the night sky, with a thousand thoughts in her mind.
At this time, there were light footsteps outside the courtyard gate.
Lu Linchuan came over with a lantern in his hand, because he also had trouble sleeping that night.
Suddenly, he looked up and saw Yin Shuang's figure under the moonlight, as if she had merged with the night. He called out softly, "Miss Yin Shuang."
Yin Shuang turned around when she heard the voice, her eyes still holding the coldness she rarely showed to others, but when she saw it was him, her tone softened slightly: "Sima Lu hasn't rested yet?"
Lu Linchuan looked up and smiled: "I can't sleep. As for you, I think the you now is the original you."
Yin Shuang lowered her eyes and said softly, "I'm just a maid. What I looked like before doesn't matter. I just need to remember to protect my young lady."
"How is this not important?" Lu Linchuan looked at her seriously. "Whether you are a maid, a noble lady, or a beggar, everyone has a meaning of existence. You say it is not important, but your young lady cares about you, your stepmother cares about you, and I..." When he said this, his voice lowered a little.
"I would care about you too. Besides, you saved me."
Yin Shuang looked down at him, and for the first time, she felt the emotion of being seen by someone other than the Jiang family.
She leaped lightly and landed in front of him from the eaves. She looked straight at him with a hint of wariness and a subtle hesitation in her eyes: "Sima Lu is so eloquent, he's worthy of being a scholar."
Lu Linchuan laughed and asked her, "Can you read?"
"When I was bought by the master as a child and trained as a secret guard, I learned a little," Yin Shuang said, "but I haven't read many books."
Lu Linchuan nodded gently, paused, and asked again: "Do you have any wishes? Not for the young lady, but for yourself."
Yin Shuang was stunned for a moment, and thought seriously for a moment: "I hope that my lady will be happy and no longer worry every day about your governor's army attacking Liangzhou."
"What I'm asking is your true wish." Lu Linchuan's tone became gentler.
Yin Shuang was silent for a moment, her gaze no longer wandering, but fixed on him: "That's what I feel in my heart. Liangzhou is my home, and I have no other wishes."
The moonlight shone obliquely on her profile, her eyebrows and eyes were firm and calm.
Lu Linchuan looked at her and suddenly changed the subject, saying with a smile, "Miss Yinshuang, what if my master insists on attacking Liangzhou one day and...injures your young lady?"
Yin Shuang's eyes darkened instantly, and she said word by word, "Then I will—kill him."
Lu Linchuan couldn't help laughing. He didn't expect that Ji Yang would personally hang a knife over his head.
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