Chapter 13 Chapter 13 “Who allowed you to touch anything in this room…
Yin Shuang coughed and looked anxious: "I don't know either... The young lady rushed into the house and said... her baby is still inside."
Just when everyone was panicking, Jiang Ci walked out of the fire quickly, holding several picture albums and some notebooks. His hair was already messy, his clothes were stained with smoke and dust, and he was breathing slightly, but he still held the scrolls in his arms steadily.
Ji Xu hurried forward, held her, and asked anxiously in a low voice: "Are you okay? Did you choke?"
Jiang Ci shook his head, coughed a few times, and said in a panic: "It's okay, why is Big Brother here?"
This scene happened to be seen by Shen Ru'an who was standing not far away and watching.
As the smoke and dust still lingered, Jiang Ci was carefully supported by Ji Xu, her tone of concern concerned. She was dressed in plain clothes, holding scrolls of plans in her hands. Her gaze was slightly lowered, but in the firelight, it seemed even more calm and resolute.
And her cousin's eyes clearly showed worry and tenderness.
Shen Ru'an looked at the scene, his fingertips unconsciously clenched the handkerchief, and the smile on his lips gradually cooled down.
"You are such a foxy girl. It's not enough to have your second cousin, now you want to seduce your cousin Zixu."
It was almost midnight when the fire was finally put out.
The courtyard where Jiang Ci originally lived has become charred, the window paper is burnt and curled, the beams and pillars are blackened, and the courtyard is filled with a pungent smell of wet soil and burnt wood.
Everyone in the mansion knew that this courtyard would not be habitable for the time being.
Ji Yang returned from the military governor's office that night. As soon as he entered the mansion, a servant reported, "There's a fire in the Second Madam's courtyard."
He frowned. "How could there be a fire out of nowhere? Fengdu has just entered summer, it's very humid. Where did the fire come from?"
The servants looked embarrassed and whispered, "We don't know... the fire started suddenly."
Ji Yang's expression darkened. Without saying much, he took a team of personal guards and went to the backyard.
Although the fire has been extinguished, the ashes are still there.
Ji Yang squatted down to investigate the fire. He reached into the scorched earth with his fingertips and twisted it. His brows immediately furrowed. He brought the handful of earth close to his nose.
It smells like kerosene.
His eyes darkened a little, he slowly stood up and looked back at the people behind him.
"If word gets out about this, just say that the lights were left on inside the house and caught fire on the curtains. No one should say anything more."
The personal guards received the order.
Shen Ru'an and Ji Qiu, who were standing aside, looked at this side from afar. Seeing Ji Yang's calm tone, they also breathed a sigh of relief.
Not far away, Jiang Ci stood quietly, with dust on his clothes, sweat on his forehead, and his hair slightly messy.
She said nothing, but just stared at the half-collapsed roof.
Ji Yang walked up to her and his eyes fell on the cigarette ash that had not been wiped off her face and the fatigue in the corners of her eyes.
His tone was flat: "This courtyard can't be lived in tonight, and there's no time to clean up the other courtyards next door."
He paused, his back straight, and looked at her with emotionless eyes. "Mother is not at home, and you are the nominal mistress. You can't live in this courtyard, and there is no room elsewhere. You can live in my room, and I will go to the study."
As soon as he finished speaking, he didn't wait for her to respond and passed by her.
Jiang Ci stood there, slightly stunned.
She never thought that this man who was always on guard against her like a thief every night would ask her to live in his house at this moment.
The wind blew, and a little light emerged from the remaining fire, falling into her eyes, flickering suddenly.
Jiang Ci followed Wanniang up the stairs and walked into the red-painted gate.
This was the first time she had entered his room since she married into the Dongyang Marquis's Mansion.
The door was pushed open with a creak, and a faint scent of wood and rust blew in.
It was extremely quiet inside.
Jiang Ci looked around. This was not the bedroom of a powerful general that she had imagined.
There were no fancy clothes or brocade curtains, and no silk curtains or drapes. The furnishings in the room were extremely simple, with only ebony tables and plain white screens. Even the bed curtains were just dark brocade curtains. The whole room looked like an iron military tent, revealing solemnity and restraint everywhere.
Scrolls were neatly stacked on the desk, and a glazed white porcelain wine pot stood alone. Next to it was a half-rolled letter, and on top of it was a yellowed old paper, which seemed to be a manuscript from a certain year and month.
Jiang Ci took a few steps closer and brushed his fingers across the wooden table beside the bed.
She suddenly realized that this man was busy with military and political affairs every day, and there was no place for him to take off his armor, warm his wine and sleep.
This is not a bedroom.
After Jiang Ci finished washing up, Wanniang whispered, "Miss."
Jiang Ci came back to his senses and smiled at her: "You guys go down, I can do it alone."
Wanniang nodded, quietly retreated, and closed the door gently.
The house fell silent again.
Jiang Ci walked to the bed and sat down beside it. She lowered her head to adjust her hair, but her fingertips paused in her hair.
Her heart was actually warmed slightly, and she lay down gently, with a lingering scent of sandalwood still on the pillow.
Looking at the darkness in the tent, Jiang Ci slowly closed his eyes.
When he woke up the next day, looking at the empty house, Jiang Ci only asked Wanniang and Yinshuang to clean the house carefully, trying not to disturb the place or disrupt the order.
But the window frames were covered with thick dust, the desk was covered with fine crumbs, and there were even a few yellowed old books piled behind the curtain.
Wanniang whispered, "Miss, I never thought the governor's residence would be so...unventilated."
As she spoke, she gently brushed off some dusty clothes from behind the screen and smoothed out the folded pages of the book one by one.
The candlestick by the window was tilted, so Jiang Ci straightened it out; a corner of the carpet in front of the couch was curled up, so she gently straightened it out.
These small movements did not cause any disturbance, but gradually a subtle warmth came over the room.
"Girl, I bought the flowers."
Yin Shuang came in carrying a small flower basket, which contained a few wild flowers bought from the east city market. There were white crabapples and hyacinths, with a light fragrance, neither gaudy nor vulgar.
Jiang Ci took a look and said with a smile, "Good choice."
She personally picked three branches from them, inserted them diagonally into a plain white porcelain vase, and placed it on the table by the window.
The sunlight slanted down from the window lattice, falling on the branches of flowers, casting a warm light and shadow.
"This way, it won't look so cold." Yin Shuang whispered.
Jiang Ci didn't respond, just smiled slightly and looked at the vase of flowers again.
As evening approached and the sky was getting dark, Ji Yang returned home.
He was dressed in black, which gave off a slight chill at night. As he stepped into the bedroom, his footsteps stopped in front of the door.
There was a bit of liveliness in the room that shouldn't have been there.
In the originally empty porcelain vase in front of the table, there were a few small white flowers picked from somewhere. They were simple and elegant, and stood out here.
There were more incense in the corners, soft blankets beside the couch, and even the window frames were wiped clean.
His brows instantly frowned, and a cold look suddenly rose in his eyes. He swept his eyes like cold iron towards Jiang Ci who was bringing the water cup to the table.
"Who gave you permission to touch anything in this room?"
Jiang Ci was stunned. Before he could speak, he quickly stepped forward, picked up the vase of flowers, and put it back on the table, saying coldly:
"Not a single inch of this room can be changed."
"If you move anything again, you will sleep in the woodshed!"
His tone was cold and full of hostility that brooked no room for argument. Then Ji Yang turned around without saying a word.
But that back view was colder and harder than the cold night.
Jiang Ci stood there in a daze, with wet stains still on his fingertips. She had never seen him so angry before.
She originally just had good intentions, thinking that since she had moved in, she couldn't let it be as deserted as the day before. Adding a few wild flowers and a lamp would be a bit of a welcome addition, wouldn't it?
But unexpectedly, these were taboos that could not be touched in his eyes.
The atmosphere in the room was as stagnant as ice, and no one spoke anymore.
At this moment, a light cough suddenly came from the door.
It was Ji Yang's personal attendant Yue Bai, who was originally delivering a letter for Ji Yang. Seeing the tense and cold atmosphere, he hesitated for a moment before speaking in a low voice:
"If Madam is unaware, I would dare to say..."
"This house, Governor, was originally the residence of the Marquis of Dongyang...that is, the Governor's father."
"That year, the governor escaped from Liang Province and returned to Fengdu, but he missed the last meeting with the Marquis of Dongyang."
"After the Marquis was buried, the governor moved into this house, saying that he wanted to keep everything as it was."
As soon as the words fell, the room fell into silence.
Jiang Ci stared at him blankly for a long time, then lowered his eyes and said softly, "I'm being nosy."
After saying that, she quietly put away the vase, took the white flowers and the small incense into her arms, and took them away one by one.
At that moment, she suddenly understood that the reason why the room was cold was not because there was no temperature, but because Ji Yang was missing his father in his own way.
She was rude.
Pingyang Marquis Mansion, early summer.
The long corridor reflected the sun, the green locust trees swayed in shadow, and a carriage decorated with silver and red slowly stopped in front of the red gate.
Madam Ji was supported by her servants as she walked out slowly, her back straight and her expression as dignified as ever. The maidservants who accompanied her helped her walk into the mansion.
The gatekeeper had already informed everyone, and everyone in the Pingyang Marquis's mansion had already come out to welcome them.
"Sister." Pingyang Hou personally came out to greet her. Though his hair had turned a little frosty, he still couldn't hide his former noble air. Standing behind him was none other than Pingyang Hou's wife, her eyes gentle and radiant. She smiled and saluted upon seeing Madam Ji.
"It's a rare sight for my sister to come here in person. It brings such a great honor to our humble home. Unfortunately, Brother Chen has caught a cold recently and was unable to come out to greet you."
Madam Ji frowned slightly when she heard this: "I just heard that Chen'er was sick, so I hurried here."
While they were talking, they had already entered the flower hall and sat down.
Pingyang Hou personally poured a cup of tea and handed it to Madam Ji, saying, "But sister, it's strange that you've come. The Dongyang Hou family just got married, so why aren't you, as the elder, at home to take care of her? Instead, you've come here alone?"
The wife of the Marquis of Pingyang also smiled gently and said, "That's right. I heard that your Zisu's wedding is only a few days away. This new bride has a lot to learn now that she has entered the family."
Upon hearing this, Madam Ji also laughed, but there was a hint of certainty in her eyes.
"First of all, of course, I want to see Chen'er. My health has been declining in recent years, and I haven't visited you much. Now that I have some free time, I should go and see you."
"Secondly..." She gently put down the teacup, her voice calm and powerful, "I want to give that girl a chance."
"You all know Zisu's personality. He's cold and taciturn, and he won't easily acknowledge anyone. I originally thought this marriage was just a bargaining chip to weigh the pros and cons, but Jiang Ci turned out to be more calm and reasonable than I thought. He handles things properly, isn't afraid of things, and doesn't avoid them. He also has a good personality. The more I see him, the more I like him."
"So, I thought it would be a good idea to let her shoulder the burden on her own while I'm out. If she can keep everyone in the mansion in check, then she'll truly be worthy of the position of mistress of the Dongyang Marquis's mansion in the future. After all, as you know, Zixu, he hasn't wanted to marry again since that incident."
The Marquis of Pingyang's wife nodded and said with a smile, "I heard that Jiang is the daughter of the Governor of Liang Province. She has been intelligent since she was young, and is well versed in music and literature. If she really has such a temperament, you are very discerning."
Madam Ji nodded, a glint of approval in her eyes: "She is a woman who can endure. She is not arrogant or impatient, and she does not argue or debate."
"I can see that in the future, she won't be a woman trapped in the backyard, but someone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Zisu."
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall became quiet for a moment.
Madam Ji picked up the teacup, took a sip, and smiled slightly. Madam Pingyang Hou's wife had never expected that this girl from the Jiang family could gain such recognition from her elder sister. Her elder sister was also the woman who rode on horseback and galloped across the battlefield with the Queen of Dongyang.
At the same time, in the Dongyang Marquis Mansion.
Shen Ru'an sat alone in the inner courtyard, in front of the sandalwood couch, with golden brocade hanging lightly. It was so quiet that one could almost hear his heartbeat.
She clutched a string of beads between her fingers, the string unconsciously stretched extremely tight by her, but the scene of the fire a few days ago kept appearing in her mind.
Flames were everywhere and Jiang Ci rushed into the fire scene. Ji Xu rushed over after hearing the news. His words "Are you okay?" were full of anxiety, and even his eyebrows were filled with worry.
"Jiang Ci..."
Shen Ru'an's eyes darkened, and he exerted a little force with his fingers. With a "snap" sound, the string of beads broke, and the round beads rolled to the ground, making a series of crisp sounds, which were particularly harsh in this quiet courtyard.
She took a deep breath and lowered her eyes to look at the pages spread out on the table in front of her.
On the paper was the draft of the map that Ji Qiu had stolen from Jiang Ci. On both sides of the map were Jiang Ci's annotations. Shen Ru'an stacked it with the newly written page and compared them carefully.
The ink on the side was still wet, and it was the word "Xiliang" that he had practiced many times.
Shen Ru'an held the brush and concentrated on drawing the two words over and over again until every stroke was exactly the same as the original. She slowly put the brush down, her wrist slightly sore, but her brows relaxed.
At this moment, Ji Qiu opened the curtain and walked in. Seeing her focused expression, he called out softly, "Sister Chen?"
Shen Ru'an raised his eyes, a smile slowly rose on his lips, and beckoned her over: "Look."
She handed the copied handwriting to Ji Qiu, her eyes filled with complacency, "Now this handwriting is exactly the same as the original one, right?"
Ji Qiu took it and looked at it carefully, and was indeed surprised: "Sister Shen, you are so amazing... Who can tell that this is fake?"
Shen Ru'an curled her lips and smiled. She leaned forward slightly, close to Ji Qiu's ear, and spoke in a tone so soft that it almost sounded like a love word, but every word was filled with murderous intent:
"Of course, it has to be done perfectly, leaving no loopholes. Now, I just have to wait for her handwriting to become proficient, and then, through my second cousin, I can frame her for treason. Ji Qiu, you know that treason is a capital crime."
"I want to see how Jiang Ci can turn things around."
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