Chapter 31 Chapter 31 "It's better to stay away from her."...
Ji Yang stood in the corridor, his back straight, his tone as calm and cold as ever: "We will set off today."
Jiang Ci was stunned, still recovering from the thought of organizing the documents. "Today? Now?"
"Yes." He said in a straightforward tone, "If you want to go, ask Wanniang and Yinshuang to get ready. I'll wait for you at the gate of the mansion."
After he finished speaking, he turned and left without allowing any further comment.
Jiang Ci stared at his back for a few breaths before slowly coming back to her senses. She'd thought she had a day's respite, but he'd left so suddenly. But thinking of Ningling's proximity to Liangzhou, and the possibility of seeing her homeland from afar, she felt a surge of excitement.
"Wan Niang, Yin Shuang!" She turned around and called out, her steps brisk.
Wanniang was yawning and tidying up the medicine cabinet, and Yinshuang was still hanging clothes outside. They heard the noise and rushed over: "Young lady?"
"Pack your things, we are leaving for Ningling." Jiang Ci said in a hurried tone.
"Now?" Wanniang was so startled that the handkerchief in her hand fell down.
"Yes, the governor is waiting for us at the gate," Jiang Ci said as he rolled up his sleeves and began to pack. "Just enough for the journey. Eldest Brother recently passed away, so we shouldn't be extravagant. Keep clothes and jewelry simple. We can buy anything we need once we arrive in Ningling."
"That's fine," Wanniang agreed, turning to pack her clothes. "I'll bring two sets of thin clothes, some ginger soup, and some herbs."
Jiang Ci pursed his lips, turned around and suddenly said to Wan Niang: "You go and pack first, I'll go to my mother-in-law."
Wanniang was stunned: "Go to see Madam Ji? Madam Ji has been staying indoors these past few days..."
Jiang Ci nodded: "The more this is the case, the more we should go."
She changed her shoes and walked towards the east wing. Arriving at Madam Ji's bedroom door, Jiang Ci knocked twice and said, "Mother-in-law, it's me. I'm going to Ningling with the governor to control the flood today... I don't know when I'll be back, so I came to pay my respects."
The room was silent for a long time. Just as she was about to get up and leave, the door creaked and slowly opened from the inside.
Madam Ji stood behind the door, her linen clothes still unbuttoned, her hair slightly disheveled, her eyes dark circles, but her expression remained calm and composed. She saw Jiang Ci, her eyes moved slightly, and she finally said, "Come in."
Jiang Ci followed her inside and looked at Madam Ji, the daughter of a general. She used to be very energetic, but now she was very haggard because of the death of her eldest brother. He couldn't help but feel a little distressed.
Madam Ji sat down, her eyes fell on Jiang Ci, and she said calmly, "Are you going to Ningling with him today?"
"Yes," Jiang Ci said softly, "The governor said it suddenly when he came. Wanniang was packing her things, and I thought I should come and see her before I leave."
Madam Ji was silent for a moment, as if considering something. After a long while, she slowly said, "Zixu's matter... Alas."
Jiang Ci didn't know how to comfort him for a moment, but when she thought about the time she spent with her elder brother in the past, she felt a pang of sadness.
Madam Ji looked up at her, her tone surprisingly gentle. "But since you've gone to Ningling, I beg you to do me a favor. Look after Zisu for me. He's a cold and hard person, and he keeps many things to himself. If you truly wish to have a relationship with him, don't be afraid of him rejecting you... Over time, he'll see your good qualities."
Jiang Ci was stunned, his lips moved, but he finally nodded: "I understand."
The two sat facing each other in silence. Outside the house, the wind began to pick up and the corners of the curtains swayed gently.
Madam Ji suddenly whispered again, "When you come back, if you have any Liangzhou specialties, please bring some back for me. I haven't been to Liangzhou for many years."
Jiang Ci replied softly, "Okay."
Before leaving, she glanced back inside. Madam Ji was still sitting on the old couch, her back straight as a pine tree, as if her years of military service had been etched into her bones. But she looked much lonelier than before.
She bowed her head, turned around and left, reuniting with her wanniang Yinshuang.
Yin Shuang went to prepare dry food and water bags, and soon the three of them were ready. Jiang Ci changed into a plain light blue dress, with a white jade hairpin in her hair and the small white flower in her hair, a symbol of mourning.
The carriage was ready in front of the mansion, and Ji Yang stood at the horse's feet, wearing a dark robe and cold armor.
He glanced at the few people who had just arrived late, and said in a cold tone, "Women are troublesome. They can take up half a day just to pack something."
Jiang Ci didn't want to argue with him, so she just rolled her eyes and got into the car holding her skirt.
Ji Yang didn't even look at her: "I'll go first."
After saying this, he lightly stepped on the horse's belly, and the steed galloped away.
Lu Linchuan jumped on his horse and followed closely behind. Seeing that Ji Yang looked calm, but there seemed to be a hint of subtle contemplation in the corner of his eyes, he smiled and joked, "Why did the governor bring his wife with him on this flood control trip?"
"She is familiar with the terrain." Ji Yang said casually.
"Familiar with the terrain? Doesn't Madam live in Zichuan?" Lu Linchuan glanced at him sideways, raised an eyebrow and smiled, "She just escaped a disaster in front of you, and you learned that she missed her hometown, so you asked her to come with you, right?"
Ji Yang didn't say anything, just tightened the reins.
Lu Linchuan continued slowly, "You rode away quickly, leaving your wife in the carriage. If someone saw you, it would be disgraceful for her as the governor's wife. If she lost face, whose face would she be slapping?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Yang's horse suddenly slowed down.
Lu Linchuan saw him rein in his horse and stop at the official road outside the city, his eyes staring straight into the depths of the official road behind him.
After a long time, the carriage finally arrived.
Ji Yangcai urged his horse again, came to the side of the carriage, and rode side by side with it.
Jiang Ci sat in the carriage, eyes closed, the clatter of horses' hooves drifting in and out of the distance. Wanniang and Yinshuang sat on opposite sides, leaning against each other and whispering quietly. But they were afraid of disturbing Jiang Ci's peace, so they tired after a few words and dozed off, leaning against the wall.
There was silence in the car for a while, but Jiang Ci couldn't fall asleep.
She opened her eyes slightly, moved her fingertips to open the gap in the curtain, and gently lifted a corner of the curtain.
The sun outside was not yet at its highest point, and the sunlight was somewhat blocked by the high hanging branches, casting mottled light and shadows.
She immediately saw Ji Yang walking beside the carriage.
He rode his horse, his face stern and solemn, his expression heavy, as if enveloped in a layer of oppressive melancholy. There was a shadow between his eyebrows and eyes, as if something was constantly pressing down on him, unable to dissolve or dissipate.
Jiang Ci looked back and saw that behind the carriage, there were dozens of Dongyang soldiers following in an orderly and solemn manner, providing guards.
Suddenly, Ji Yang whispered, "I blame myself."
Jiang Ci was startled and turned to look at him, but he was looking ahead, not at her: "If I hadn't asked Zhu Niang to take A Fan to become a disciple that day, and Zhu Niang was in the mansion... perhaps none of this would have happened."
Jiang Ci was silent for a moment, then said softly, "But even if Zhu Niang was there that day, she would be gone one day. If someone is determined to harm you, she will always find a way. What Shen Ru'an wants is not just an opportunity. If there is no opportunity, she will create one herself."
Ji Yang said nothing, but just pursed his thin lips, his expression unchanged.
Jiang Ci looked at his hair messed up by the wind and his tense jawline, and sighed slightly in his heart.
She knew that no matter how much she said, it was just consolation. He and Ji Xu were brothers who grew up together. The death of his elder brother was, after all, an indelible pain in his heart.
Just as he was thinking, Ji Yang spoke again, his tone calm but with a hint of distant memories:
"When I was ten years old, Shen Ru'an was brought into the mansion by my father to live with me and my eldest brother. At first, she was indeed well-behaved and sensible, always pestering my eldest brother and not talking much. But one time, I didn't want to give her one of my beloved sword tassels, so she broke into my room at night and pretended to be a ghost to scare me."
He chuckled at this point, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Since then, I haven't liked her much. But she always hangs around big brother and is genuinely kind to him. Since big brother doesn't care, I didn't say anything. Later, when she returned to Dongyang, I didn't think too much of it. She wrote to say she wanted to visit big brother, and I agreed... I should have refused."
Jiang Ci said softly: "But it's not your fault."
Ji Yang didn't respond, but just lowered his eyes with a gloomy expression, as if the past events of the past year were passing through his heart inch by inch.
Jiang Ci looked at him and suddenly felt that the man's back seemed heavier and lonelier than ever before.
At this moment, she said nothing more. She knew that many things could not be resolved or repaired by others. Only he could soothe the pain.
Jiang Ci lowered the curtain, and the car returned to darkness. She leaned back on the cushions, closed her eyes, and rested.
But Ji Yang, who was standing beside the horse, suddenly had an idea.
Somehow, his mind suddenly flashed back to that night when she was drugged in the yard, in a trance, clinging to him softly as if she had no bones, whispering to him.
At that moment, her body was very close to him, the corners of her lips were slightly parted, her breath was warm, her eyes were affectionate, yet there was a hint of innocent temptation.
My heart felt warm, as if some inexplicable emotion was stirred in my chest.
Ji Yang frowned suddenly, took a deep breath, tightened the reins, and squeezed the horse's belly hard.
As the horse's hooves flew, he whipped the horse forward, trying to dispel the distracting thoughts in his mind.
"Beauty can ruin a country... Lu Linchuan is not lying to me." He spoke softly, his eyes dark. "It's better to stay away from her."
In the carriage, Jiang Ci heard the sound of horses' hooves fading away. He opened his eyes slightly and asked, "The journey from Fengdu to Ningling is not short. We will probably be a day later than them if we take the carriage. Wanniang, when we rest later, go ask if there are any post stations along the way."
Wanniang replied, "I've made a note of it."
Jiang Ci nodded slightly, closed his eyes, and continued to sit quietly to rest.
As the sun rose higher, a stream meandered not far ahead. Willows swayed by the stream, the water gurgled, and the scenery was elegant.
Ji Yang and a team of Dongyang soldiers had arrived earlier and were now standing by the stream to rest. Lu Linchuan stood beside him, and the two seemed to be whispering something.
Not long after, Jiang Ci's carriage slowly arrived, and the wheels made a slight sound in the shade of the trees.
As soon as the car stopped, Wanniang and Yinshuang helped Jiang Ci out. She was wearing plain clothes, with a small white flower in her hair. As she got out of the car, she looked up at the green mountains and clear water in front of her. Suddenly, she felt a sense of relief in her chest and couldn't help but stretch her body.
"The scenery here is really beautiful," Jiang Ci whispered, "Let's rest for a while before we go on."
Yin Shuang responded with a smile and said, "Miss, I'll go to the stream to fetch some water." After that, she picked up the kettle and walked quickly towards the stream.
Wanniang placed a soft blanket on a flat stone on the ground, and Jiang Ci sat down, leaning against the shade of the tree, half-closing his eyes, quietly enjoying a moment of coolness.
The stream was clear. Yinshuang chose a stone step upstream to stand on, bent down to drink water, but her foot slipped. With a "ah" sound, she fell into the water with a splash, causing a large splash.
The voice was quite loud, attracting Ji Yang and Lu Linchuan to look over.
Ji Yang frowned, put his hands on his hips, looked at the person still struggling in the water, and whispered: "Every one of them is so clumsy, just like her master."
Lu Linchuan laughed when he heard this, but didn't say much. In a blink of an eye, he took two steps at a time and walked to the stream. He didn't even bother to take off his shoes and socks. He went straight into the water and picked up Yin Shuang from the water.
Yin Shuang was soaking wet, her cheeks flushed, and she clutched Lu Linchuan's sleeve tightly. The moment she looked up, she saw him standing against the light.
His eyebrows were picturesque, his eyes were bright, and a smile rose at the corner of his lips, like a spring breeze blowing on his face: "Are you hurt?"
Yin Shuang was stunned for a moment before quickly shaking her head: "No, no..."
Lu Linchuan looked at her miserable appearance and without saying anything, he reached out and helped her ashore.
On the shore, Ji Yang took a glance, snorted coldly, turned around and ignored it.
Yin Shuang sat on the bank, shaking off the water, lowering her head and not looking at Lu Linchuan. Seeing this, Lu Linchuan glanced at her with a half-smile, then walked away, twisting his clothes.
In the direction of Xiling, the sky gradually darkened and the dusk was like a tide.
At the end of the mountain path, there is an isolated inn hidden in the woods, and the bells under the eaves are ringing slightly in the wind.
Ji Yang ordered the Dongyang army to rest nearby, and he and Lu Linchuan went in first. Jiang Ci, Wan Niang, and Yin Shuang followed shortly after. As they crossed the stone path in front of the courtyard, the wind picked up, blowing her long black hair lightly.
The shadows of the trees swayed and fell obliquely in the corner of the yard.
Meanwhile, a man in a dark suit leaned against a tree, his expression lazy, his fingertips slowly turning a blade of grass. Suddenly, he looked up and saw Jiang Ci looking back. The cool moonlight made her eyebrows and eyes look like a painting, and her skin looked like winter snow.
He was stunned for a moment, then chuckled softly, with a faint curve at the corner of his lips.
"Finally I'm here."
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