Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Climbing the high branch, no matter who he is
Ji Yang finished reading the letter in silence, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he crumpled the letter paper in his hand into a ball bit by bit.
He lowered his head and gazed down, his mind drifting back to the image of Ji Xu, his emaciated figure sitting in the courtyard before his death. His brother, who usually smiled, had ceased to smile after killing Shen Ru'an.
The murderous intent was all due to Shen Ru'an's malicious intent to drug her and frame her. If he hadn't arrived in time, her and Ji Xu's innocence would have been ruined and their reputations would have been lost.
But how could such a thing be so easily spoken of? Jiang Ci was now the wife of the Marquis of Dongyang. If word got out that she had nearly lost her virginity to her eldest brother, not only would her innocence be in jeopardy, but even after Ji Xu's death, she would be branded a promiscuous woman, subject to endless criticism.
Ji Yang's fingers loosened, and a wad of paper was tossed onto the table. He raised his head, his expression unmoved. His tone was calm, yet with a hint of authority: "Cousin Shen, do you remember someone?"
Shen Tingan said coldly: “Who?”
Ji Yang's eyes remained fixed. "Your sister's close friend, Ji Qiu."
Shen Tingan frowned, his voice still sharp: “Of course I remember.”
Ji Yang spoke slowly, "She's currently serving time in Qingzhou. If you have any doubts, you might as well transfer her back and ask her what your sister has been up to."
Shen Tingan narrowed his eyes, as if he didn't believe it: "Ji Yang, what do you mean?"
Ji Yang finally raised his eyes, his eyes as deep as an ancient well, hiding a coldness that made people dare not look directly at him: "Young General, you may not understand what I mean. I also regret your sister's death. But if you insist on taking my wife's head based on a letter full of nonsense -"
He paused, a sneer curling up at the corner of his lips: "Then there's no need to discuss any kinship with me."
Shen Tingan’s expression darkened a bit, and he seemed to be about to speak.
Ji Yang suddenly stood up, put his hands behind his back and paced for two steps. He changed the subject, but his tone suddenly tightened: "Young General's father, even when you see me, you have to call me Governor. You keep calling me by my name and questioning me. Do you know your limits?"
Shen Tingan’s eyes narrowed, and his fists clenched slightly.
Ji Yang turned around and looked at him calmly: "I call you cousin because of our blood relationship. But if you don't take my position as the governor of Dongyang seriously, then it's just a matter of a subject to a master, and military orders are as heavy as a mountain. If you don't investigate the truth, you want me to hand over Jiang Ci."
His gaze was as cold as a frosty blade, and every word he said was sonorous: "I'm sorry, I can't fulfill your wish."
Shen Ting'an's face was ashen, his chest heaving violently. He stared at Ji Yang, his gaze like a sword, as if to pierce the man's cold face.
After a moment, he snorted coldly, his eyes brimming with rage, barely suppressed. He took a step forward and slammed his palms down on the table, making a dull thud that even shook the teacup on the table.
"What a great commander," he gritted his teeth, his voice tinged with curses, "You are indeed bewitched by that woman. For her, you even dared to offend the Shen family."
He paused and chuckled softly, his tone becoming even colder and more sinister. "You may be able to protect me for a while, but not forever. Ji Yang, just wait for me."
After saying this, he didn't linger any longer, turned around and strode out the door.
He pushed the door open and it hit the door frame.
The room was silent for a moment.
Ji Yang stood with his hands behind his back, his expression unchanged, watching Shen Ting'an leave. He only lightly instructed Du Mengqiu beside him: "Have someone keep a close eye on the young general. If he makes any unusual movements, report it immediately."
"Yes." Du Mengqiu took the order and left.
Ji Yang closed his eyes slightly, as if those words hadn't caused him any disturbance at all. However, the fingers clenched tightly under his sleeves had already pricked his palms painfully.
He knew that the Shen family would not give up. They always protected their shortcomings without any reason.
Although Ji Yang had not told Jiang Ci about the dispute with Shen Ting'an in the Governor's Office, the news eventually got out.
A few days later, in the evening, the sunset glowed, and Jiang Ci, wearing a thin cloak, knocked on the door of Ji Yang's study.
When the door opened, Ji Yang was just coming back from outside. He still had a bit of a dusty smell on him. Seeing her standing at the door, he frowned slightly: "Why are you here?"
Jiang Ci looked straight at him, his tone steady but sharp: "How do you deal with the Shen family's affairs?"
Ji Yang paused for a moment, then lowered his eyes and said, "I will take care of this matter, you don't have to worry."
Jiang Ci walked into the house, closed the door, and said, "Shen Ru'an left that letter before she died, just to use the Shen family to destroy Xiling's trust in you. She can't get what she wants, so she won't let others live in peace. She is really a lunatic. Now, if we really break off our friendship with the Shen family, it will play into her hands."
As she spoke, her eyes calm and clear in the candlelight, "If the ferry crossing at Xiling is truly lost, it will be extremely difficult to coordinate operations along the Dongyang and western frontiers, and the consequences will be endless."
Ji Yang didn't respond, but walked to the desk and slowly sat down. He lowered his eyes, tapping the tabletop lightly with his long fingers. After a long pause, he said, "No matter what, I can't let outsiders talk nonsense about your and my brother's reputations. Ignore the nonsense in her letter."
Jiang Ci smiled lightly, but his eyes were fixed: "If I return to Liangzhou temporarily now, the Shen family might calm down a little and give you some room to recover."
Ji Yang suddenly raised his eyes, with some reluctance in his eyes, and his voice became deeper: "You don't have to go anywhere."
He spoke each word with a calm and firm tone: "Jiang Ci, it was that vicious woman Shen Ru'an who committed the evil, and you and Big Brother are both victims implicated in it. If you just walk away from this matter, you will only be labeled as someone who is avoiding trouble out of guilt, and they will become even more presumptuous. If you avoid it, won't you just confirm the false accusations in her letter?"
Jiang Ci said, "I know."
Ji Yang suddenly said, "Don't overthink it—by the way, Master Xie is leaving for Liangzhou tomorrow, go see him off."
Jiang Ci was slightly stunned. He didn't expect him to bring it up so frankly.
She was originally wondering whether to take the initiative to speak up, but was worried that he would mind. Unexpectedly, he brought it up before her, and his tone was calm and natural, without any strangeness.
She lowered her eyelashes and nodded gently: "Okay."
The night was dark and the lights in the mansion gradually went out.
Chu Yao quietly came to the side room and called Yue Bai. Yue Bai happened to be passing by and saw her hesitant expression. He whispered, "It's so late, what's wrong?"
Chu Yao glanced at him, her tone gentle but with a hint of urgency: "I want to go out for a while, could you please take me out?"
Yue Bai was stunned: "It's already past the time. According to the rules of the mansion, you are not allowed to go out at night."
Chu Yao's expression darkened, and a hint of pleading appeared in her eyes. "I have an old acquaintance from Ningling who passed through Fengdu. He's an elder from the same hometown. I asked him to bring some things back, but I haven't heard anything yet, so I just want to go look for him myself. If you don't agree, I won't force you."
Yue Bai hesitated for a moment, but finally, seeing her submissive appearance, he softened his heart. He sighed softly, "Okay, I'll take you out the back door. Remember to come back early."
Chu Yao responded in a low voice and followed him through the corridor to the back door of the Dongyang Marquis's Mansion. When Yue Bai opened the door, he reminded him, "It's dark and the road is slippery. Be careful when you're alone."
Chu Yao nodded and thanked him. After the figure disappeared at the entrance of the alley, she stood where she was, pinned the hair accessories hidden in her sleeves back into her temples, straightened her clothes, and turned to walk towards the restaurant in the city where Xie Guijing was staying.
The lights in the restaurant were still on, and Chu Yao knocked on the door gently.
Xie Guijing was flipping through a book under the lamp when he heard the sound. He opened the door and saw her. He was slightly startled and asked, "Miss Chu? It's so late. What's going on with Ah Ci?"
Chu Yao took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to him: "Big sister does have something important to ask of you, but she is currently being entangled and her journey has been delayed. She asked me to pass on the message first and wait for her here."
Xie Guijing heard her mention Jiang Ci and looked at the handkerchief in her hand. It was embroidered by Jiang Ci, and it was also a style she liked. Then his expression changed slightly, and his tone couldn't help but lighten up a bit: "Then please come in quickly. Does she...do she have something to discuss with me?"
Chu Yao lowered her head and walked into the room, but there was a hint of hesitation in her eyes, as if she was hesitant to speak.
Xie Guijing asked her to sit down, and she slowly opened her mouth: "My elder sister said that her life in the Dongyang Marquis' Mansion is not going well. Now that General Shen has come to threaten her life, she is afraid of implicating the governor and does not want them to conflict because of her. She wants you to take her back to Liangzhou."
Xie Guijing was stunned for a moment before he asked in a low voice, "Is that really what she meant?"
Chu Yao nodded. "She didn't dare ask you in person, so she asked me to test you first." Then, she took out a pot of wine from the basket and placed it on the table. "This is brewed by her own hands. She said she wanted to give it to you. Regardless of whether we can go together in the end, it can be regarded as a thought."
"She brewed it?" Xie Guijing's eyes lit up when he heard that. He quickly reached out to remove the seal, and a faint floral fragrance filled his nose. He gently shook the pot and said gently, "She still remembers that I love this taste."
Chu Yao smiled and replied, "Big sister is worried that you won't be able to sleep well, so this wine is a mild floral brew that will soothe you."
Xie Guijing smiled, poured a glass, and drank it all in one gulp: "It is indeed very fragrant."
Chu Yao filled his second cup and spoke softly, "Sister is in Zichuan, and you and Mr. Young Master must be in love with each other. I think you two are a match made in heaven."
These words seemed to touch the hidden pain in Xie Guijing's heart. He paused, lowered his eyes and whispered, "That was just my wishful thinking. She never said...she wanted to marry me."
After saying that, he raised his glass and drank it in one gulp, with a trace of loneliness that was hard to conceal passing across his face.
Chu Yao looked at him quietly, with an unpredictable emotion in her eyes.
As Xie Guijing drank, his brow furrowed slightly. He'd always held his liquor well, never losing his composure even when drinking with the best of the Dongyang army. But tonight, after just two or three drinks, his head felt foggy, his consciousness felt like it was being plunged into warm water, and a heat spread through his limbs, making him uneasy.
He shook his head, stood up and wanted to go to the window to get some fresh air, but he stumbled and fell on the edge of the bed, his throat slightly tight.
Chu Yao immediately stepped forward to support him, her voice anxious: "Master Xie, what's wrong with you? Is there something wrong with the wine?"
Xie Guijing looked at her, his eyes blurry and blurry, trying to discern the outlines before him. He gasped and said, "Is this wine...really what Jiang Ci brought you?"
Chu Yao looked calm, smiled and nodded: "Of course it was her order, how dare I delay."
Xie Guijing frowned and leaned back an inch, as if to avoid her support. "Something's wrong... Miss Chu, please leave first. I'll be fine after a while."
Before he could finish his words, his legs went limp and he fell onto the couch.
Chu Yao stood beside him, watching his eyes gradually lose consciousness, and a smile slowly rose at the corner of her lips. She gently fiddled with the pearl hairpin in her hair, then lowered her head to straighten her clothes.
She slowly leaned closer to him, whispering, coaxing, "Xie Gongzi, I have always liked you... I don't expect you to marry me, I just hope that I can stay by your side at this moment."
Her hand covered his chest and slid down inch by inch, but as she touched him, Xie Guijing grabbed her wrist.
He looked at Chu Yao's outline. His vision was blurred and the lines that should have been clear gradually overlapped. At that moment, he almost thought that what he saw was Jiang Ci.
His force was not strong, as if it was instinctive, but with a struggling hesitation: "Aci... No, you are already married... We can't..."
Chu Yao trembled slightly, but the moment he let go, she climbed onto his chest. She leaned over and whispered in his ear: "It's me, I came to see you... Haven't you been waiting for me..."
Xie Guijing's eyelashes trembled, and a look of pain and confusion appeared on his face. He tried to push her away again, but his body was too weak to move, and his consciousness was even more blurred.
The next morning, the morning light shone into the house through the window lattice. Xie Guijing slowly opened his eyes, still feeling a little dizzy. He subconsciously tried to sit up, but when he saw the messy clothes on the floor, his heart skipped a beat.
He turned his head and saw a person lying next to him, with disheveled hair and a piece of white skin on his shoulder exposed under the quilt.
It’s Chu Yao.
Xie Guijing sat up suddenly, as if struck by lightning, his face pale. His throat was dry, and his voice trembled: "What happened last night?"
Chu Yao also woke up. Seeing his panic-stricken expression, she pulled the quilt to her chest. Her eyes were red and she said in a choked voice, "Yesterday... I came to bring wine to the young master. After he drank it, he treated me... like an older sister..."
Her voice became lower and lower, and tears fell down, looking pitiful.
"I... I was originally a virgin, but now..." She paused, "From today on, I belong to you, my lord."
Xie Guijing felt as if something in his head had exploded, and even his breathing was stagnant. He stumbled out of bed and lifted a corner of the quilt. He saw a shocking speck of bright red on the white quilt.
He took two steps back, as if he couldn't believe it: "Impossible... Impossible!"
He shook his head violently, his emotions nearly breaking down. He put on his clothes while muttering, "How could I... I couldn't possibly do such a thing..."
Chu Yao sat on the bed, her eyes filled with anxiety. "Master...what should I do? I've given you my innocence..."
Xie Guijing stood with his back to her, his fists clenched, his body tense. His mind was in a turmoil.
He was born into the prominent Xie clan of Zichuan. He had been brought up in a strict family and behaved in a well-behaved manner, never once breaking any rules. But last night... he had actually done something so absurd.
He lowered his head, as if trying to calm the turmoil in his heart. After a while, he finally uttered:
"Miss Chu...I'm sorry, I...can't be responsible for you."
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and was about to leave.
"Sir!" Chu Yao flung aside the quilt and chased after him barefoot. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice trembled with sobs. "I never dreamed of being your wife. I only wish to stay by your side, even if I'm just a concubine. As long as I can stay by your side, even if the title isn't legitimate and the words aren't right... I'm willing to do that."
Xie Guijing stopped and slowly turned around.
His gaze swept across the bed, then settled on the half-empty wine jug on the table. The aroma of wine was familiar to him, yet there was a faint whiff of something amiss. His heart sank slightly, and his eyes cleared a little.
"I've always been a good drinker. I only had a few glasses last night. How could I have been so drunk and unconscious?"
He stared at Chu Yao, his tone calm but low: "Did you tamper with that pot of wine?"
Chu Yao shuddered slightly, bit her lip, lowered her eyes, and wanted to open her mouth to argue.
Xie Guijing seemed to suddenly understand something and pointed at a detail under her clothes: "You are still wearing Ah Ci's clothes... You imitated her hairstyle and breath, deliberately making me mistaken..."
His voice was hoarse. "You set me up. I can't possibly marry you. Just give up on this idea."
After saying that, he hurriedly put on his clothes, pushed open the door and rushed out.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ci and Yin Shuang were walking down the alley leading to the restaurant. Jiang Ci suddenly remembered something and whispered, "Oh, that pastry shop in the west of the city is pretty good. Go buy some for him on the way."
Yin Shuang nodded in agreement and turned away.
Jiang Ci walked alone to the entrance of the restaurant. Just as he looked up, he saw Xie Guijing rushing out from the building, his face panicked and his brows full of anxiety. He bumped into Jiang Ci, stumbled back, and looked up—it was her.
He stood there in a daze, as if frozen in place.
Jiang Ci was slightly shaken by the collision, and seeing that his expression was not right, he asked with concern: "What are you doing——"
Xie Guijing forced himself to remain calm and interrupted her, "Zichuan...something urgent happened at home, and I have to leave immediately. When there's a chance in the future, I...I'll bring Ayao to Fengdu to see you."
He spoke hastily and with an evasive expression, barely giving Jiang Ci room to exchange pleasantries. He turned and walked quickly towards the stable.
Jiang Ci stood there, watching him lead his horse away, gradually going further and further away. His brows knitted together, and he murmured to himself, "When did Xie Guijing become so unstable? ... Well, since he wants to leave, let him go."
She sighed slightly and was about to turn and leave.
At this moment, not far away, two figures quietly disappeared behind the crowd, watching Jiang Ci's every move from beginning to end. Seeing her leave alone, the two exchanged glances, followed her silently.
Sunlight streamed through gaps in the clouds as Jiang Ci was about to reunite with Yin Shuang. She crossed East Street and turned into West Lane. The alley before her was long and narrow, sparsely populated, and strangely quiet. Jiang Ci planned to take a shortcut.
She didn't stop and just turned into the alley when suddenly a force attacked her from behind.
Someone covered her mouth and nose.
Jiang Ci's eyes suddenly widened in horror, and before she could utter a sound, she subconsciously tried to struggle. But the next moment, the back of her neck felt numb, and the man's knife came down accurately. Her eyes went dark, and her consciousness was instantly broken.
Her limp body fell down helplessly, and the person behind her picked her up and quickly put her into a carriage that had been parked in the alley.
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