Chapter 39 The Sick Villain's Father
The shouts from outside the door made Grandma Xu pause, and her eldest granddaughter took the opportunity to break free from her grandmother's hand.
Grandma Xu shouted at the top of her lungs toward the backyard, "Old man, come out quickly!"
A short while later, Old Man Xu came out from the backyard, carrying several thinned wooden boards for writing. "What's wrong?"
As he asked, Old Man Xu placed a wooden slab on the table under the eaves. There had been many wooden slabs on it in the past few days, all with writing on them.
Upon seeing someone standing at the door, he said, "Genzi's here. Why are you all sweaty? Come in and have a bowl of water."
The villager named Genzi glanced at Jiang Liangxu in the courtyard and said to Old Man Xu, "Old Man Xu, a lot of yamen runners and soldiers have come to the back mountain. They say they are looking for a Lord Jiang. My father is leading the way for them. I heard this and rushed over to inform you."
The Xu family rescued a handsome young man who couldn't remember who he was; everyone in the village knew that.
I originally thought he was just a wealthy merchant's son, but I never expected that it was yamen runners and soldiers looking for someone, and they immediately addressed him as Lord Jiang.
Their Xing'an Village has made something of itself; they actually saved an adult.
After realizing that the other party was an adult, the villagers dared not greet or call out to people as casually as before, for fear of displeasing the adults.
Upon hearing this, Old Man Xu looked at Jiang Liangxu and hurriedly rubbed his hands against his body, saying, "Lord Jiang."
"Uncle Xu, there's no need to be nervous. Let's wait until they arrive and see if I'm the person they're looking for."
He didn't remember his own name, but he had a guess that the arrival of these people was probably related to the sky lanterns he had released.
Is it the surname 'Jiang'?
Jiang Liangxu injured his foot, and since Uncle Xu's son had gone to work in the fields, he couldn't leave the Xu family home even with his crutches, because there were stone steps leading out of the Xu family home.
Genzi said the other party was on their way to the Xu family, so he decided to just wait.
Grandma Xu knew that the person they had rescued was of high status, after all, that brocade outfit was not something an ordinary family could afford.
It wouldn't be surprising for an adult.
The others were even more excited than Jiang Liangxu, and they were so nervous that they didn't know what to do with their hands and feet.
Before long, I heard sounds coming from a distance. It wasn't noisy, but it felt like there were a lot of people.
Genzi stood at the entrance of the Xu family compound and peered out, saying, "They're here, they're here."
Old Man Xu and Old Woman Xu walked to the door and saw a large group of people coming towards them across the village road. They looked at each other and saw unease in each other's eyes.
"Old man..." Old Mrs. Xu sensed something was wrong. Why were there so many people? What kind of high-ranking officials were they?
As they looked down, the people below pointed at them and said:
"Sir, that's Old Man Xu's house."
"Old Master Xu, where is the teacher? All these adults are here looking for the teacher."
"What teacher? He's Lord Jiang," someone reminded him.
They ran ahead of the villagers who were leading the way, chattering amongst themselves.
Jiang Liangxu, leaning on his toe, reached the entrance of the Xu family courtyard. Just as he looked down, he heard the boy's voice:
"father."
Among the group of people entering the village, the young man in brocade robes suddenly quickened his pace, quickly passing the villagers who were leading the way, and swiftly arrived in front of Jiang Liangxu.
"Father, are you really still alive?"
When Xu's eldest granddaughter saw the boy, who was about her age, call her "Master Father," her face turned deathly pale, and she ran back into the house.
Looking at the cheerful young man in front of him, Jiang Liangxu was not surprised that he had such a grown son. It seemed as if it were the natural thing to be this way. He blurted out, "Your words are a bit annoying."
His familiarity with the subject was evident in his words.
Jiang Liangxu didn't forget to inquire about his identity: "Tell me your identity first. I don't remember you, and I don't know my name either."
“Brother said you might not remember who you are, and he was right.” Jiang Heng wasn’t surprised to hear him say that, because his older brother had indeed guessed correctly.
The writing on the lantern was his father's, but his father did not reveal his identity. At the time, he and the others thought it was inconvenient to disclose, and that he might have been kidnapped.
But his brother said that if he could find paper to send messages out, he must not be trapped, and if he didn't reveal his identity, he probably didn't remember who he was.
“Your surname is Jiang, given name Liangxu, courtesy name Cangming. You are a third-rank official, the Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs, and the person in charge of the flood in Changzhou. A little over a month ago, while evacuating the people, you accidentally fell into the water and were swept away. I am your second son, Jiang Heng. Your eldest brother is named Jiang Wei. He is carrying out an imperial order and cannot come.”
Jiang Liangxu silently recited his name.
"Master Jiang——"
"Lord Jiang, we pay our respects to you."
Several voices, panting heavily, sounded behind Jiang Heng.
Several officials dressed in their robes arrived outside the Xu family's gate.
Because of the steps, they did not come up, but bowed outside the courtyard.
Among these people, some bowed twice, while others knelt in worship.
Jiang Liangxu couldn't recall these people and glanced at the man who claimed to be his son.
Jiang Heng understood instantly with a glance, "Father, this is the Prefect, and that one is..."
Jiang Liangxu returned the greeting almost subconsciously, as if it were ingrained in his very being. "No need for such formalities, esteemed gentlemen."
People dressed in official robes entered the Xu family courtyard one after another, occupying the small courtyard.
As for the yamen runners and soldiers, they all stayed outside.
Grandma Xu was busy pouring tea.
The village head and Old Man Xu accompanied him, both of them quite reserved.
The two usually went to the town government office to handle business, and the highest official they had ever seen was the county magistrate.
When they brought out the stools, they discovered that the county magistrate was standing, and among the officials in their robes, he was not entitled to sit down.
The two looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Uncle Xu, Village Head, please have a seat," Jiang Liangxu said, noticing their awkwardness.
"Please have a seat, Mr. Xu." Jiang Heng was very perceptive; this man was his father's savior.
Old Xu had lived most of his life and this was the first time he had seen so many high-ranking officials. He dared not say a word out of turn, but fortunately, the village head was with him.
Hearing Jiang Heng say this, he waved his hands repeatedly, "I dare not accept such praise, young master, please sit down."
Jiang Heng half-helped, half-pulled the two to sit down. "You saved my father, so it's only right that we do this. How can we let our benefactor stand?"
...
Later, when he talked about this incident, it was always the proudest moment of his life.
--
On the road from Jin'an to Changzhou.
Zhao Xian wished she could be embedded in the carriage. She really couldn't understand whether King Yu had some serious illness.
He said he had important business to attend to in Chu Huai City, but instead of hurrying on his way, he insisted on traveling with her.
They called it an escort, but they also gave her gifts and would come up to her whenever they had a chance.
Zhao Xian truly hated these powerful and influential people, and also hated that she wasn't an even more powerful one, unable to wield her power.
Along the way, whenever she arrived at a post station, she instructed her servants to spread the word that she was going to find her husband and make a big scene, in order to prevent King Yu from doing anything crazy.
"Are all married women this reserved?" Looking at the gift that was returned again, King Yu glanced at Fu Xi, the eunuch serving beside him.
This was the first time he had ever coaxed a woman; usually, it was the women who went to great lengths to please him.
Is it so hard to coax someone who's married?
Fuxi dared not laugh, nor did he dare offer any advice. Based on his understanding of the prince, Madam Jiang was not within his preferred category, and he really couldn't understand why she had taken a liking to him.
He could offer advice if the other party was widowed, but the problem was that Madam Jiang was on her way to find her husband, while Lord Jiang was only missing and it was not confirmed that he was dead.
Even if someone dies, the mourning period can last for three years, or at least a year.
Who can say for sure what will happen a year from now?
After all, no one can match the prince's ability to get bored with the old and crave the new; perhaps it was just a passing fancy.
Fuxi lowered his head and said, "Madam Jiang is now married, so she has no legitimate reason to accept the prince's things. Accepting them would only damage her reputation."
Fuxi wanted to offer some advice, but as a servant, he dared not advise his master; he could only try to make amends.
Does Your Highness think of these women as just like those women in your harem? You think you can just send them gifts and beckon them with a pinky swear?
Look at this gift! Didn't you notice that Madam Jiang only dared not show her face in the carriage when she stopped at the post station?
Several have already been returned, yet they still send them away.
King Yu disagreed: "Jiang Liangxu is already dead, why can't we take him back?"
Fuxi didn't know how to speak, so he whispered, "Your Highness, Lord Jiang is just missing."
Besides, if Madam Jiang really accepts it, then her character will be questionable.
Zhao Xian was also in a real bind, as both books only described her mother-in-law within the inner quarters of the house.
This unexpected turn of events troubled her greatly, especially since the other party was of high status and she knew nothing about King Yu.
Without prior warning, she was unable to cope.
He kept urging them to hurry on their journey and get to Fuyang City as soon as possible.
As you get closer to the Zhanjiang River within Changzhou, the more houses you see that have been damaged by floods.
However, the people did not suffer great hardship or leave their homeland due to the disaster.
After the floodwaters receded, many families have moved back into their own homes.
Those houses that were severely damaged were reportedly provided with special accommodations by the government, and everything was in good order.
"I heard that Lord Jiang has been found."
"I've heard about it too. If it weren't for Lord Jiang, who knows how many more people would have died in this flood. Fortunately, God had mercy and protected Lord Jiang from harm."
"Do you know how Lord Jiang was rescued?"
"Oh? There's more to this story?"
At noon, the group found an inn for lunch. They had been eating dry rations before, so they decided to have a hot meal to prepare for the long journey ahead.
It is said that the further down you go, the more difficult it becomes.
Just then, I overheard a diner mentioning the name "Lord Jiang".
Upon hearing this, Steward Jiang brought two jugs of wine to the diners and asked, "Young man, is the Lord Jiang you mentioned the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review from Jin'an?"
"That's right."
"May I ask, young man, when was Lord Jiang found? Is he well now?"
"We do not know that."
"We'll have to ask the authorities about that."
Butler Jiang nodded and served them several more dishes to go with their drinks. "Young man, please tell me more. Is there any explanation for being rescued?"
"Of course, of course. The story of how Lord Jiang was rescued is quite remarkable." The diner looked at the wine that the other party had brought. He was going to tell the story anyway, and the other party's polite gesture of bringing wine and dishes made him even more interested.
"...It is said that the lantern can fly and is called the Sky Lantern. The yamen found Lord Jiang based on the words on the Sky Lantern."
After hearing this, someone exclaimed in surprise, "That's amazing! We wouldn't have been able to come up with this idea."
"Yes, yes, I've never seen a flying lantern before. How is that possible?"
Zhao Xian, wearing a veiled hat, sat in the corner, with King Yu sitting at the next table.
She was puzzled, since there were no records of the Three Kingdoms period in this era, and naturally no mention of Kongming lanterns.
According to the young man, the flying sky lantern should be a Kongming lantern.
I glanced at the bundle on Peony's back, and there was a locked box inside.
She had her own guesses along the way.
Most likely, Jiang Liangxu is someone she knew before, and he recognized her.
But after thinking about it carefully, she couldn't see who he resembled.
Moreover, they didn't spend much time together, so did she reveal so many flaws?
This guess was the most reasonable one she could think of, yet it was strange in every way.
To find out the specifics, you'll have to ask the person in person.
Peony clasped her hands together and smiled, "Master is truly blessed by the Bodhisattva."
The lady went to Huguo Temple to pray for blessings and burn incense, and it really worked.
Zhao Xian immediately became wary: "You can't say that. He's just a lucky man who's blessed by heaven."
Peony was puzzled. The lady prayed to gods and Buddhas so much, how could it not be considered a blessing from the Bodhisattva?
However, the master is lucky to be alive, so it doesn't matter. He nodded and said, "Madam is right. The master is a lucky man who is blessed by heaven."
The Jiang family was happy to learn that Jiang Liangxu was still alive, but King Yu's face darkened.
With a snap, the chopsticks in his hand broke in two.
Fuxi noticed Yu Wang's displeasure and reminded him, "Your Highness, we are about to reach Fengshi Town. Many students from Chuhuai City are waiting for you."
They were already several days later than expected. Although the impact wasn't significant, if word got out that it was for a woman, and a married woman at that, it would damage the prince's reputation.
Yu the Great gripped the broken chopsticks tightly.
He was certain that Jiang Liangxu wouldn't survive, which is why he tried every means to create opportunities to talk to Zhao Xian along the way.
King Yu was well aware that Zhao Xian's status was special, and if he rashly proposed to marry her as his second wife, she would probably never agree. Therefore, he thought he should get to know her better.
As a result, Zhao Xian repeatedly returned his gifts, and now she has learned that Jiang Liangxu is still alive.
King Yu slammed the broken chopsticks on the table and said, "Give the order to set off immediately back to the palace."
Upon hearing that Jiang Liangxu was still alive, King Yu was instantly disappointed, and his previous enthusiasm vanished in an instant.
Fu Xi immediately replied, "Yes."
See? His prince's interest has waned.
After Steward Jiang inquired about the news, he learned that before the Jiang family had even set off, King Yu's troops had already left.
Butler Jiang looked at the inn lobby, which was now more than half empty: "Madam, has Prince Yu left?"
Zhao Xian put down her chopsticks. "Give the order, and we'll hurry on our way. I wonder how my husband is doing?"
King Yu insisted on escorting her all the way without any reason, which was completely inexplicable. He even gave her gifts, which was simply insane.
His departure seemed inexplicable, and Zhao Xian assumed he was mentally unstable.
After much deliberation, he ordered someone to inquire about King Yu and his son.
In the angst-filled novel, the Crown Prince of Yu is a villain, and a villain who also enjoys other men's wives.
As the villain's father, King Yu was clearly not normal either; the journey had given her quite a fright.
This place isn't too far from Chu Huai City, the fiefdom of King Yu. We can send someone to inquire about the father and son, and hopefully find some dirt on them so we can deal with them next time.
We wouldn't be in such a passive position as we are this time.
--
Inside the government office.
The imperial physicians took turns taking Jiang Liangxu's pulse.
The wound on my leg was re-bandaged and the dressing was changed.
After some discussion.
The head of the hospital said to Jiang Liangxu and Jiang Heng, "After the gentleman fell into the water, his head was likely injured by a hard object in the water, which may have obstructed blood flow and caused memory loss. We have discussed this and unanimously agreed that he should be treated with medicine to promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, calm the mind and stabilize the spirit."
Jiang Heng didn't understand much and asked bluntly, "When will my father remember everything?"
"Second Young Master, don't worry. Head injuries are the most troublesome and require slow and gradual treatment. It's not something that can be recovered overnight."
Jiang Heng thought that having the imperial physician examine him would help his father remember everything faster. "Isn't there a faster way?"
"Second Young Master, you may not know this, but the head is the most important part of a person. You must not be too hasty, lest you overstimulate it and make things worse."
After seeing the imperial physician off, Jiang Heng looked Jiang Liangxu up and down, asking, "Didn't you say you couldn't remember anything? How come you can handle these things?"
The matter he was referring to was the backlog of official business caused by the disaster.
Fortunately, Jiang Liangxu had made arrangements before the incident, so things didn't fall into chaos. However, the subordinates were not capable enough, and there were still many problems. Although they hadn't been exposed yet, they were all potential threats. As soon as Jiang Liangxu returned, he took over and got busy.
Jiang Liangxu put down his pen and looked at his son in front of him. His eyebrows and eyes resembled his son's, but he probably took more from his mother.
"I just have amnesia and don't remember people, not that I've lost my mind and become an idiot."
Jiang Heng: "..."
"I received word that Mother is here. Father, are you going to keep your amnesia a secret?"
-----------------------
Author's note: This holiday was busier and more tiring than working. I haven't had a proper rest yet, so I can't keep up with the promise of extra chapters.
Sigh, tomorrow's Monday again, time to go back to being a workhorse, so tiring.
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