Chapter 64 Chapter 64 My Wife Smells So Good
Her voice was very soft, almost a breath escaping from her throat, but it made Ji Yang's heart suddenly tighten.
"I... am so thirsty..." She blinked, her eyes a little confused, but also as if she recognized him.
Ji Yang stared at her, his breathing heavy. He stood up suddenly and said in a low, hoarse voice, "I'll go get some water... Don't move."
When he finished speaking and turned around, his back was still tense and his palms were covered in cold sweat.
She woke up, and his heart finally relaxed.
Ji Yang quickly poured some warm water, held the porcelain cup in his trembling hands, and walked back to the bed.
Jiang Ci's eyes were still hazy, and her lips had the paleness that only comes with illness. She tried to sit up, but the movement strained her wound, causing her to frown.
"Don't move."
Ji Yang quickly placed the porcelain cup on the bedside, leaned over, held her shoulders with one hand, and supported her back with the other. His movements were so careful that they were almost clumsy, as if he was afraid of breaking something.
He slowly helped her up and let her lean on his arms, then he took the water cup again and brought it to her lips.
"Slow down and drink in small sips."
Jiang Ci took a sip, his throat rolled, and the warm water flowed down his throat, slightly relieving the burning and exhausted feeling.
After taking a few sips, she turned her head away from the water cup and asked in a hoarse voice, "How long...have I been sleeping?"
Ji Yang lowered his eyes and looked at her. He was silent for a moment and said, "Two days."
Jiang Ci nodded slightly, his eyes turned slightly, and suddenly he caught a glimpse of a low couch in the corner of the room. There was a somewhat messy mattress and soft pillow on it, as if someone had rested there.
Her eyelashes moved, and she asked in a low voice: "So these past two days... have you been taking care of me?"
Ji Yang was startled, then he retracted his hand and placed the porcelain cup back on the tray, saying in a normal tone, "No. I just came here to see how your injury was."
He paused, then continued calmly, "Wan Niang has been taking care of you these days, and that couch is where she rests."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ci just said "Oh" softly, lowered his eyes and smiled softly.
The room was silent for a moment, with only the sound of the wind blowing through the corridor outside.
She didn't say anything else, and he didn't say anything more either.
But he still held her back, maintaining the same position, and did not withdraw his hand immediately.
Jiang Ci leaned against him, his eyes calm, his cheeks slightly flushed from the fever, and it was unclear whether it was because of the residual heat or because she felt uncomfortable with his overly quiet waiting.
She took a deep breath and said, "What about Wan Niang?"
Ji Yang said in a low voice, "I think Yin Shuang called him to the backyard. I was the only one in the room just now."
Jiang Ci nodded and didn't ask any more questions. She leaned against him quietly for a while, then suddenly chuckled softly, "The governor is...doing it himself today."
Ji Yang coughed lightly, looked away, his Adam's apple moved slightly, and his voice was low and hoarse but with a rare frankness: "You blocked the knife for me, that's what you should do."
Having said that, he finally let her go slowly, letting her lean against the thick quilt. He stood up and straightened his cuffs, with tension still lingering between his brows.
Jiang Ci watched him leave the bedside, the corners of his lips slightly raised, and he said softly: "Then my life... can be considered saved."
Ji Yang paused, but did not look back. He just said in a deep voice: "You didn't pick it up, you survived it."
After saying that, he turned back and gently tucked the corner of the quilt at the head of the bed, his eyes lowered on her face, as if he was not sure enough that she was really awake.
"You still need to rest well and continue to change the medicine. I'll go call Wan Niang now." Ji Yang said, and was about to get up and walk out.
"Commander-in-Chief."
Jiang Ci suddenly called him softly.
Ji Yang paused, turned around and looked at her, his expression subconsciously showing a hint of nervousness.
She looked at him, her tone somewhat hesitant, as if cautiously testing the waters, and said, "When I was sick as a child, my mother would always read to me by my bedside... I wonder if you, Governor, could... read a passage to me as well?"
Her voice was slightly hoarse, but her tone was soft, with a hint of expectation.
Ji Yang was stunned for a moment, then nodded slightly without saying anything. He turned and walked towards the bookcase, his fingertips slowly running across the spines of rows of books, and finally took down a book.
He returned to the bed, sat down, and opened the book. He lowered his head and flipped through the old volume when he suddenly stopped.
Jiang Ci tilted his head to glance at him and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Ji Yang turned the book around and said, "I've never heard of any of these stories. Let me just read this one, 'No Return Date'."
Ji Yang recited in a low and gentle voice.
The words are clear and the voice is warm and pleasant to the ears.
"Once upon a time, there was a general who was defeated and wounded in battle, and wandered to a mountain village. There lived a mute girl in the mountains who took him home. She spent her days preparing medicine, cooking, washing clothes, and changing medicine. The general was taciturn, and the mute girl was also speechless, but the two of them grew close day by day.
She would not speak, but would pat him on the back when he coughed badly at night, and would bring him hot porridge and put it down without asking any questions when he was staring out the window in a daze.
He once asked her what her name was, and she wrote the word "peach" on his palm with her finger. He looked at her handwriting and suddenly laughed, saying that she wrote like a child.
Later, the general's men came looking for him. He was about to return home, and before leaving, he said to her at the village entrance: "Wait for me. I will come to marry you after I have accomplished something great."
Ji Yang paused when he read this, his eyes swept across Jiang Ci's profile, but he did not continue to look at her.
He lowered his head, gently turned the page, and continued:
“She really waited.
One year, three years, five years, she planted peach trees behind the house and made his favorite sweet-scented osmanthus cake in the twelfth lunar month. The villagers laughed at her naiveté, but she stared at the mountain pass every day.
Ten years later, the war ended and the emperor ascended the throne. She happened to see a huge wedding procession in the market. At the head of the procession sat the general who had called her Tao'er that year.
She chased after him and stopped in front of the horse, her eyes full of surprise, but her hands were shaking. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
He looked down at her and said to the people around him: "I don't know her. Send her away."
As the troops passed by, she fell to the ground in the mud, clutching the jade buckle he had given her that year, unable to utter a word.
Ji Yang stopped reading here.
He slowly tightened his grip on the book, and after a moment he whispered, "She's a mute girl, she can't even complain."
The room was silent for a moment, with only the sound of Jiang Ci's gentle breathing.
She looked at him, the corners of her lips trembling slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she only whispered: "This general... is so heartless."
Ji Yang lowered his eyes and said, "Yes, it is true."
Jiang Ci's eyes moved, and he asked softly, "What happened next?"
Ji Yang lowered his eyes to glance at her, then gently closed the book in his hand: "There is no later."
"Letting go of such a heartless man just like that..." Jiang Ci lowered his eyes slightly, his tone revealing a hint of unwillingness, "It's too easy for him."
Upon hearing this, Ji Yang whispered, "If he is truly forced to marry someone else due to circumstances... taking a mute woman as a concubine would be better than being so decisive."
Jiang Ci raised his eyes and looked at him. His voice was light and clear, but every word was distinct: "But not all women are willing to be concubines. If you have made up your mind, you should be faithful to your partner."
After she said this, she suddenly frowned and turned her head slightly.
Ji Yang noticed it immediately and his tone tightened a bit: "What's wrong?"
"It's okay..." Jiang Ci bit his lower lip lightly, "The wound hurts a little, probably because I talked too much."
Ji Yang's expression calmed down, and he quickly put the book aside. He bent over and carefully helped her lie back on the couch, and said in a very gentle tone: "Don't say anything, just lie down."
He tucked the quilt for her and whispered, "I'll go see if Wanniang has made anything to eat. You haven't eaten in the past two days, so you need to eat something to heal your injuries."
After saying that, he glanced at her, making sure she was resting comfortably on the pillow before he quietly walked out.
Ji Yang left Jiang Ci's room and walked quickly towards the corridor. He happened to meet Wan Niang returning with a basin of clean water, her face full of anxiety and fatigue.
He called her: "Jiang Ci is awake, go to the kitchen and prepare some light soup to nourish the qi and blood."
Wan Niang was startled for a moment, then her eyes warmed up and she said in surprise, "The girl is awake? That's great, she's finally awake! She's had a high fever for the past few days and I couldn't sleep..." She raised her hand to wipe the corners of her eyes, "The governor has worked hard these past two days. I'll make one for you later."
Ji Yang nodded, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards his room.
He returned to the house and ordered Yue Bai to prepare some hot water. After changing his clothes, he sank into the water, feeling a bit dizzy from the heat. The image of Jiang Ci's frail expression the moment he opened his eyes still lingered in his mind, and his heart tightened slightly.
After bathing, he got up and put on his clothes. Suddenly he remembered something and frowned slightly. After a moment, he put on his coat and quickly left the house.
A moment later, inside Dongyang City's most famous jewelry store, the shopkeeper was calculating. Seeing Ji Yang enter, he hurried over to greet him with a beaming smile, "Oh, Lord Commander, you're here! The jewelry set you ordered was made a few days ago. As you requested, it wasn't delivered to your residence, so it's been waiting here for you. I'm bringing it over for your inspection."
As he spoke, he respectfully held out an ebony carved jewelry box.
Ji Yang took it, opened the lid, and a set of jewelry lay quietly in the brocade-covered box.
A pair of carved lotus hairpins, a pair of jade and pearl earrings, a pair of delicate and elegant gold bracelets, and a necklace of warm white jade and red gold. The style is simple, but extremely elegant.
He stared at the pair of hairpins for a moment before gently closing the box. He took out a bag of silver from his sleeve and placed it on the counter, saying calmly, "I'll take it."
The shopkeeper smiled and bowed: "Take care, Governor. The young lady will surely be pleased to see you."
Ji Yang did not respond. He strode out of the store with the jewelry box and rode his horse at full speed towards the Dongyang Marquis Mansion.
In the past few days, the knife wounds on Jiang Ci's body have gradually healed, and he is slowly regaining his complexion.
Autumn is creeping in, and the nights are getting cooler. The evening breeze sweeps through the courtyard, bringing a slight chill.
She was wearing a thin coat and sitting on a low couch in the corridor, with an ancient book spread on her knees. She looked focused, but there was a sense of tranquility between her eyebrows.
The gate of the courtyard creaked open.
When Ji Yang returned from the Governor's Office, he saw her sitting alone in the distance, her hair blown by the wind.
He frowned slightly, walked over quickly, took off his coat, and gently put it on her shoulders.
Jiang Ci was slightly startled, thinking it was Wanniang. When he turned around, he was met with a pair of cold and steady eyes.
Ji Yang was slightly displeased: "You've just gotten better, and you're so reckless? It's autumn now, and it's getting colder in the mornings and evenings."
Jiang Ci smiled, pulled the cloak he had draped over his shoulders, patted the seat beside him, and said softly, "Sit down."
Ji Yang did not refuse. He nodded slightly and sat down next to her.
As night fell, the only sounds in the yard were the chirping of autumn insects and the sound of book pages being gently turned by the wind.
Jiang Ci closed the book and turned to look at him: "Why are you back so late today?"
Ji Yang raised his eyes and said calmly, "There's an extra report on border defense. It says Xiliang has recently mobilized troops, seemingly intending to test our Xiling defense line."
"Xiliang..." Jiang Ci repeated in a low voice, his expression slightly gloomy. After a long pause, he asked, "Do you think there will really be a war?"
Ji Yang was silent for a moment, then said, "Not necessarily. But the King of Xiliang is old, and his son is so foolish that he only has ambition left. Sooner or later, he will cause trouble."
Jiang Ci frowned slightly and whispered, "If a war really breaks out... the people will suffer again."
Her voice was soft, but it seemed to touch a corner of Ji Yang's heart. He tilted his head to look at her. The night reflected her profile, the outline was gentle, but it concealed a firm and resolute tenacity.
After a long while, Ji Yang whispered, "Have you ever thought about doing something else before?"
Jiang Ci turned to look at him.
Ji Yang looked into her eyes and spoke more gently: "If you don't want to be the daughter of the governor, or anyone else's relative...if you only want to be Jiang Ci, what do you want to do?"
Jiang Ci was stunned.
She rarely heard such questions, as if the world had never really allowed her to want something.
After a long moment, she smiled softly, "If I could follow my heart... I'd like to open a clinic. If I can't cure the suffering in the world, then I can heal illnesses and save lives. It's always useful."
She replied, "What about you? If you weren't the governor of Dongyang, if there were no hatred, and no chaotic world, what would you want to do?"
Ji Yang was silent for a while before he whispered, "Maybe... farming."
Jiang Ci couldn't help but laugh out loud, with a hint of sarcasm: "You farm? Do you know how to plow the soil and plant rice?"
"No." Ji Yang also smiled, but his tone was unusually gentle. "But if the days can be quiet, it wouldn't be a bad thing to guard a few acres of land with someone who wants to guard it."
The night was dark, and a gentle breeze rustled through the corridor. Jiang Ci, draped in a cloak, sat beside Ji Yang, his book closed and the teacup beside him slightly cool, yet the atmosphere was not dull.
Suddenly, Ji Yang seemed to remember something and whispered, "Chen Ting'an has gone back, and Xiling has not mentioned the matter of Shen Ru'an again. They know in their hearts that they are in the wrong."
He paused, his expression growing colder, "But I don't intend to let them go just like that."
Jiang Ci glanced at him and asked softly, "What does the governor intend to do?"
Ji Yang pursed his lips slightly, speaking slowly and calmly, "He actually dared to kidnap the wife of the Governor of Dongyang. If this matter remains unaddressed, others will only think that I, Ji Yang, am vulnerable. I must teach them a lesson."
Jiang Ci lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, his tone steady but measured: "Old General Shen is sending his son to his death. We must suppress him, but we can't push him too hard. If we use this opportunity to put pressure on him and make him feel guilty, it will actually make him humble himself."
She turned to look at Ji Yang, paused slightly, and continued, "My mother-in-law told me two days ago that she had already written a letter to General Shen detailing the whole story."
"The Shen family now knows they are in the wrong and dare not easily associate themselves with Old Xiliang. If we delay, we can only keep them on edge, making them live in fear every day, waiting for the coming reckoning."
"Instead of hastily liquidating them, it's better to wait for an opportunity and make them willingly hand over their military power."
Ji Yang looked at her, his eyes slightly moved, and his tone softened a bit: "What you said is quite similar to what Lu Linchuan said. He also advised me to wait a little longer. But in this situation, this opportunity, how can we create it?"
Jiang Ci pondered for a moment, his fingertips slowly rubbing the rim of the teacup. His eyes were as calm as still water, and his tone was extremely steady. "The Shen family army has been stationed in Xiling all year round, facing Xiliang across the river. Xiliang has always been interested in winning them over. If anyone comes to negotiate peace in the near future, or sends disaster relief food and fodder as a gesture of friendship, according to custom, you should personally send someone to meet them. After all, the Dongyang Army holds the power of command, and border defense affairs cannot be arbitrarily handled by others."
Before she finished speaking, Ji Yang's eyes darkened. He tapped the table with his fingertips, his eyes fixed on her: "Using Xiliang to set up a trap?"
Jiang Ci nodded slightly, his expression unchanged, his tone as calm as ever: "That's right. We can arrange for your uncle to be the envoy to negotiate with Xiliang this time, and have him lead the troops to the border to meet us. On the way, we will also plant a trusted confidant to pretend to be a Xiliang spy and infiltrate the delegation."
She paused for a moment, her fingertips tapping the edge of the teacup. She slowly said, "I deliberately sent a fake letter. It said Shen Qinghe had privately promised to relax defenses and pass on information. The wording was vague and ambiguous, neither completely clear nor completely false, which made people suspicious at first glance."
She raised her eyes to look at Ji Yang, her expression firm, but the corners of her lips were still gentle: "And your uncle is the one who accidentally intercepted this letter. He will definitely make a big fuss about it."
Ji Yang's expression grew serious, and he stared at her for a moment without saying a word, as if weighing every inch of the pros and cons of this plan. The light in the room flickered slightly, reflecting the faint contemplation between his brows. Jiang Ci did not urge him, but just looked at him quietly, speaking in a low voice:
"When the time comes, we'll investigate, ostensibly to eliminate the thieves, but in reality to apologize. If Shen Ting'an reacts carelessly, he'll be suspected of 'collaborating with the enemy'... Then, my mother-in-law will step in and, under the pretext of protecting the Shen family's loyalty, take back the military power. This will both subdue the Xiling generals and protect the Shen family's reputation from total ruin. Killing two birds with one stone."
Ji Yang's eyes fell on her calm face for a long time before he slowly spoke: "This plan is thorough, both offensive and defensive. We can seize power without moving our troops."
When he said this, his voice was very soft, but it revealed an unconcealable approval.
He added in a calm tone, with a hint of a smile: "The only ones who know me well are you and Sima Lu..."
The tone of these words seemed indifferent, but it revealed an unprecedented confidence and approval. Jiang Ci was stunned for a moment, then gently lowered his eyes, the corners of his lips raised slightly, and a faint smile said: "Thank you for the kindness, Governor."
A gust of wind blew, the eaves rustled slightly, and a leaf swirled down from the sky, floating right into her temples.
Ji Yang subconsciously reached out his hand, brushed his fingertips through her hair, and gently took off the leaf with extremely light movements.
Before he could withdraw his hand, she had already raised her eyes to look at him. When their eyes met, neither of them spoke, but neither of them looked away.
Ji Yang paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on the lingering light in her eyes, his expression deepening. He leaned forward slowly, his movements extremely gentle, as if giving her enough time to refuse.
But Jiang Ci didn't move.
She just looked at him quietly, with a little panic in her eyes, but she seemed to be waiting for him to come closer.
Their breathing overlapped more and more, and their breath could be clearly heard. The distance between their lips was only an inch.
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