Chapter 84 Chapter 84 "Husband, you have to...
Ji Yang knelt on one knee, blood dripping down his temples. He supported himself on the ground and slowly stood up, the look in his eyes was completely different.
He has remembered who he is.
He is Ji Yang, the Grand Commander of Dongyang.
But right now, he is not, and he cannot be.
He looked at the soldiers lying on the ground groaning, then turned around to look at the child who was paralyzed on the ground in fear, and the little boy who was crying while holding his mother's body.
He spoke word by word, his voice low and cold: "We can't let them lie here."
Yu Niang stared at him blankly: "What did you say?"
Ji Yang looked at Brother Xu Jiu: "Brother Jiu, do you have the strength?"
Brother Xu Jiu stood up, pressing his hand on the wound: "Yes!"
"Help me," Ji Yang said coldly, "gather all these people at the valley entrance over there and bury them."
Yu Niang was shocked: "Buried? But these are soldiers!"
Ji Yang looked at her, his voice calm but unquestionable: "They are not soldiers, they are bandits. What they have done has completely violated military discipline. They deserve to die."
"But if anyone knew they died in our village, the entire village would be executed."
He said in a deep voice, "So we can't leave any traces. We can't let anyone know it was us who did it."
Brother Xu Jiu reacted: "You mean, you want to fake the scene?"
Ji Yang nodded, his eyes as calm as ice. "They say bandits have entered the village, killed the conscripts, and robbed people. We need to act quickly, and take action as soon as it gets dark."
"But leave one alive."
Yu Niang opened her eyes wide: "Why keep him alive?"
Ji Yang turned to look at the small leader who was still breathing and struggling desperately.
"This group of people, under the guise of conscription, plundered the people and killed countless people. Not everyone in charge of Beiting is aware of this," he said calmly. "This person will pass on the news for us, saying that it was bandits who did this. The incident happened suddenly, and he was lucky enough to escape with his life."
Yu Niang understood and nodded: "You want to use the bandits as a cover to exonerate the village."
Ji Yang walked up to the little leader and said condescendingly: "If you don't tell me..."
He leaned over and slowly inserted a bloody knife into the dirt next to the man's ear. His voice was low and slow: "I can kill you at any time."
The soldier took a deep breath and broke out in a cold sweat.
"Besides, you wouldn't want your master to know that you were defeated by unarmed villagers. You might even get a reward by claiming to be protecting the villagers."
He nodded with all his might, but his throat couldn't make any sound, only a few vague whimpers came out.
Ji Yang stood up and looked at him coldly: "Get lost."
Brother Xu Jiu stepped forward and asked him in a deep voice, "What about you?"
Ji Yang lowered his eyes and said softly, "I want to go back to Liangzhou."
Yu Niang opened her mouth, but in the end she said nothing. She just nodded: "Then...can we go with you?"
Several middle-aged villagers slowly gathered around and looked at Ji Yang, their eyes full of awe and hesitation.
Suddenly, an old man with a weather-beaten face came out with a wooden stick. His eyes were red. The person who had just died was his daughter-in-law.
He looked at Ji Yang, his eyes solemn as he bowed and said, "Little brother...you saved us."
Behind him, there was also a woman with a child, who echoed softly: "Thank you... If it weren't for you, my son would have died."
A younger villager stepped forward and said boldly, "We don't know who you are, but you can take on more than a dozen soldiers by yourself, so you must be no ordinary person."
"Our village has been devastated for a long time. We have to collect grain and conscript soldiers every year, and we can't even farm the land because of the war."
"If you're willing to take us away, all of us will obey you! We just want to find a place where we can survive, plant some crops, and eat, and stop watching people get beaten to death and bleed..."
As the words fell, more and more people gathered, including the elderly, women and children, all with miserable looks but determined gazes.
"We can't walk far, and we walk slowly, but we are willing to go with you."
"Wherever you take us, we'll go."
Ji Yang looked at these faces that were carved by wind and frost, and his expression was complicated for a moment.
They have a very hard life.
He nodded slowly, "I... have some friendship with the Governor of Liangzhou."
"He is a man who values friendship and loyalty. I think he will be willing to accept you."
When they heard about the Governor of Liangzhou, many people whispered that he had opened the granaries to release grain and provide relief to the people, and the news had already spread to the territory of Beiting.
Yu Niang quietly pulled Ji Yang's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Do you... do you really know that governor?"
Ji Yang looked at her, the corners of his lips moved, as if he was unsure, but in the end he just nodded lightly: "I won't lie to you."
The words were spoken.
The crowd nodded as if they had grasped at straws, "Let's follow this little brother after we've dealt with these bastards."
March in Zichuan is the time when spring flowers are in full bloom.
Since Lou Qi left, Jiang Ci would go up to the city wall almost every morning and look at the end of the official road from afar.
She always stood there, silent and motionless, her gaze fixed on the horizon, as if waiting for someone to come through the dust. From sunrise to sunset, until dusk fell and Wanniang came to find her, she would slowly leave.
That morning, she climbed up the city wall wearing a moon-white cloak as usual.
The spring breeze caressed the foothills of the mountains outside the city, already tinged with a tender green. The peach blossoms of Zichuan were also in full bloom, looking from afar like rosy clouds and snow. She looked into the distance and whispered softly, "It's already March."
"Yes," Wanniang answered from behind her, her tone also light, "The girl also got married to Fengdu around this time last year."
These words seemed to touch upon Jiang Ci's sorrow, and she lowered her head.
Seeing this, Wanniang changed the subject and continued with a smile, "Miss Yinshuang is quite remarkable now. She trains the Liangzhou troops intensively all day long. I can't tell you how happy she is. When she wears that armor, she looks so majestic. Everyone respects her."
Jiang Ci listened, and unconsciously curled the corners of his lips, but his eyes remained calm: "I am happy for her too."
Wanniang took out a letter from her sleeve and said, "Miss, the King of Yan sent someone to deliver a letter the other day. Would you like to read it?"
Jiang Ci stretched out his hand, and just as his fingertips touched the corner of the letter, his expression suddenly froze, as if his soul was captured by something.
Her eyes passed over Wanniang's shoulder and looked into the distance at the official road.
A cloud of dust rose on the road as a group of people slowly approached. They were a group of people, young and old, wearing slightly threadbare clothing, and their steps were heavy. Among the leading group, a familiar figure suddenly caught my eye.
He was dressed in a long, gray robe, his hair tied back. Although thinner, he was still as tall and straight as a pine tree. He just walked quietly, his eyes gentle and his expression calm, but that face...
Jiang Ci seemed to have stopped breathing for a moment.
She pushed the letter away and said in a trembling voice, "Wan Niang... look over there, who is that?"
Before Wanniang could react, she looked in the direction she pointed. Her expression suddenly changed, and she almost blurted out, "That's... the governor?!"
Jiang Ci murmured, as if whispering in a dream: "I am not dreaming, Wanniang, I am not dreaming."
Wanniang's voice trembled with excitement: "Girl, this is not a dream... It really is the governor! It really is him!"
They stood on the city wall, one of them still holding an unopened letter in her hand, and the other with tears in her eyes.
And that person was moving towards Zichuan City step by step.
Jiang Ci suddenly turned around and ran down.
Her cloak was blown by the wind, her hair was wet with sweat, and she ran towards the official road in a hurry, almost stumbling.
Wanniang called her from behind, but she could not hear it at all.
The city gate opened and she rushed out. At this moment, there was only that person in her eyes.
And Ji Yang in front finally looked up and saw her.
At that moment, he paused, as if his soul had been held captive by a breath. His eyes swept over her running figure inch by inch, his eyes filled with intense shock and disbelief.
"Jiang Ci..." he murmured.
He took a slow step, then a second, a third... until he could no longer control his feet and began to run.
The villagers following him were stunned.
"Why...did he run away?"
"Who is that?"
"That woman seemed... as if she had walked out of a painting."
Yu Niang was astonished and murmured softly, "That woman looks like a fairy."
Under everyone's gaze, two figures walked through the wind and dust, through longing and waiting, and finally, under the warm spring sunshine, they stopped in front of everyone.
From a few steps away, Jiang Ci looked at him, his vision already blurred by tears.
She called his name slowly, as if pouring all the longing and pain she had experienced along the way into this one sound: "Ji Yang——!"
This sound penetrated the wind, penetrated the years, and penetrated Ji Yang's heart.
He almost rushed forward, hugged her in his arms and held her tightly.
At that moment, his world became quiet.
Jiang Ci buried her head in his shoulder, trembling uncontrollably, her tears soaking his clothes.
"You're finally back... You're finally back..." She choked, "I was so scared... I was so scared."
Ji Yang gently stroked her hair, his voice low and gentle: "Jiang Ci, I'm back."
When he said this, it seemed like he was comforting her, but more like comforting himself.
He hugged her tightly, as if he wanted to embed her into his body and never separate from her.
The wind blew across the official road, blowing off the first peach petal from the branches in spring.
Jiang Ci came to his senses and ordered the generals who followed him: "The west wing of the government office in the city is empty. Order people to settle these people first. Make sure they have food, water and medicine. Don't neglect them for half a day."
Her tone was gentle but firm, she was calm and composed, and her demeanor even had some of the grace of a general.
The villagers behind him heard it clearly and looked at each other with complicated expressions.
Ji Yang listened to her words of "well-arranged" and his eyes were filled with tenderness. He was about to speak when he suddenly felt warm.
Jiang Ci slowly raised his hand and gently stroked his cheek. His eyes were full of smiles as he looked at the faint scar at the corner of his eye. He whispered, "You've lost weight."
Ji Yang held her hand, clasped it in his palm, his eyes so gentle that they almost melted: "But I'm back."
The two of them stared at each other quietly, their eyes filled with thousands of words, and neither of them was willing to look away.
At this moment, there was a rustling sound behind him.
Brother Xu Jiu pulled Yu Niang up and knelt down with a plop. His voice was as straightforward and honest as his nature: "I was blind and didn't know that you were the Grand Commander of Dongyang. Please forgive me."
Yu Niang also knelt down and said, "Thank you, Governor, for saving our village from disaster."
Ji Yang quickly stepped forward and helped the two of them up, saying solemnly, "Please don't do this. I'm only able to stand here alive now because of your life-saving grace."
His voice was steady and powerful, but his eyes were filled with gratitude and emotion that could not be concealed: "If it weren't for you taking me in and taking care of me, I would have been buried in a foreign land long ago."
Brother Xu Jiu and Yu Niang looked at each other, unable to tell whether they were shocked or moved, and they just nodded repeatedly.
Jiang Ci stepped forward and bowed gently to the two of them: "I am so glad to see my husband return safely today. I, Jiang Ci, should also thank you two for protecting him for this period of time."
Yu Niang looked at her, her plain clothes, her autumn-water eyes, and her gaze fixed on Ji Yang's shoulder, her eyes full of sincere admiration. She couldn't help but sigh softly, "A woman worthy of the governor is truly stunning... How wonderful."
Ji Yang smiled and turned back, pulling Jiang Ci into his arms. He put one hand on her shoulders and patted Xu Jiuge's arm with the other: "My wife is much more capable than me. Her beauty is probably her least noteworthy quality."
He looked down at the person in his arms, his eyes filled with undisguised pride and tenderness: "If we're talking about matching, I'm afraid I'm not worthy of her."
Jiang Ci glanced at him sideways, his cheeks slightly red, but he didn't struggle away.
Yu Niang looked at it and shook her head, saying softly: "What a fairy's companion..."
Brother Xu Jiu smiled innocently and touched his nose: "Look at how emotional they are, and then look at you and me...ah."
Everyone laughed, and the heavy and suppressed atmosphere that had been suppressed for many days finally dissipated a little in this spring light.
The lights in the governor's mansion were quiet, the wind chimes rang softly under the eaves, and the night was particularly gentle.
Hot water was already prepared, and Jiang Ci personally filled a basin for Ji Yang and removed his outer robe piece by piece, her movements extremely gentle. But when she saw the hideous scars on his back, her fingertips suddenly paused, and her heart felt like it was being twisted hard.
"These...are all left over from that time?" Her voice trembled.
Ji Yang lowered his head, not wanting to talk about it any further, and simply said, "It's all in the past."
Jiang Ci couldn't help himself after all, so he reached out and gently touched the old slanted wound on his shoulder blade.
"Does it hurt?" she asked in a low voice.
Ji Yang turned his head to look at her, his eyes reflecting the tears in her eyes, and shook his head: "It doesn't hurt." His voice was very soft.
After bathing, he emerged dressed only in a plain white shirt. The candlelight still lingered, a warm fragrance lingering in the room. Jiang Ci, already dressed in a soft, thin shirt, sat quietly beside the bed, his expression peaceful.
Seeing him come out, she turned around and the corners of her lips curved up.
Ji Yang stood by the door and spoke awkwardly, "Where... shall I stay tonight?"
Jiang Ci didn't say anything, but stood up and walked slowly to him. She looked up at him, gently raised her hands, and put her arms around his neck, slowly interlocking her fingertips behind his neck.
Those eyes seemed to be filled with mist. She opened her red lips slightly and called softly, "Husband."
Her voice was as gentle as the night wind, falling into his ears, but it made his whole heart tremble.
"Where do you want to go?" she asked.
Ji Yang's breathing stagnated, but after a moment he laughed softly.
He picked her up, lowered his head close to her ear, and said in a hoarse voice: "We're not going anywhere."
He laid her gently on the couch and looked down at her with a gaze so deep that it seemed to swallow her up.
His fingertips slowly slid across the loose hair on her temples, his movements so careful as if he was touching the most precious treasure.
"Jiang Ci..." He called her name softly, the last syllable falling on her ear, like a feather brushing her heart.
Jiang Ci looked up at him, her lips moving slightly, but before she could say anything, Ji Yang leaned over and kissed her.
It was a very light kiss, like a test, but also like piety. She kissed him back gently, their lips touching, their breaths intertwined more and more, as if only each other's breathing and heartbeats were left around them.
Her hand touched his neck, as if clinging to her only support. He lowered his head, resting his forehead against hers, smiled gently, and murmured, "I'm back."
The clothes slipped off inch by inch from his fingertips and fell beside the couch.
The night wind blows gently outside the window, the curtains bulge gently, and the gauze shadows inside the bed curtains float like ripples in spring water.
Jiang Ci's eyes were hazy, and a trembling sound escaped from his lips. Ji Yang's throat moved slightly, his eyes darkened, and his fingers slowly and firmly fell on her waist, holding her tighter inch by inch.
His movements were neither hurried nor slow, his eyes were scorching, yet extremely gentle. She gently grasped his arm.
After a few breaths, he finally held her tightly in his arms. Jiang Ci's fingers drew circles on Ji Yang's chest. Suddenly, he looked up at Ji Yang's deep eyes and murmured softly:
"How about... one more time?"
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