different
"Jin, what's wrong?" Tian Sui asked, looking at Jiang Jin who was hiding behind him.
"Were there prison vans and ambulances passing by outside?" Jiang Jin didn't dare to look up, and could only ask Tian Sui.
"There's only a prison cart, and it looks like there's a woman inside." Tian Sui suddenly felt a chilling gaze upon her. The man on horseback glanced in their direction before looking away.
"That must be Wei Shu." Jiang Jin breathed a sigh of relief as the sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance.
"Ah Jin, let's go back to the clothing store first. We can talk about anything else later." Tian Sui carefully escorted Jiang Jin back to the clothing store.
"I'll boil some water for you to rest. We'll talk again after curfew tonight." Tian Sui pulled Jiang Jin to the small courtyard behind the clothing shop.
"Have some soup dumplings after you bathe." Tian Sui placed the clean clothes on the rack, then closed the greenhouse door.
Jiang Jin breathed a slight sigh of relief after entering the water. The wound on her foot had begun to scab over. Touching her arm hairpin, she suddenly thought of Wei Shu, wondering if his treatment of Lady Wang would cause him trouble. Then she chuckled to herself; he was the emperor's confidant, and he wouldn't easily lose his life.
As the water gradually cooled, Jiang Jin hurriedly put on clean clothes, opened the greenhouse door, and saw a food box on the stone table in the courtyard, containing steaming hot noodle soup.
Jiang Jin picked up her chopsticks and wolfed down a whole bowl of soup noodles before returning to her bedroom and falling into a deep sleep. She hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time.
When Jiang Jin woke up again, she was awakened by the night watchman. Under the bright candlelight, Tian Sui was checking the daily accounts.
"You're awake. I left you some cold noodles." Tian Sui put down her calligraphy brush and looked at Jiang Jin with a smile. "You look much better after a nap."
"I've been working day and night, and I haven't had a full night's sleep at all," Jiang Jin said, taking a sip of noodles and chewing.
"Tell me, how did you end up looking so disheveled?" Tian Sui sat down next to Jiang Jin and tidied her hair.
Jiang Jin smiled and then recounted everything that had happened in Yuezhou.
"Jiang Jin, who can be as capable as you? You orchestrated the assassination attempt yourself, poisoned yourself, and then even tested the medicine for Wei Shu. I can only imagine how terrible His Highness's face will be when he finds out." Tian Sui simply took the bowl and put it aside.
"I'm just using a last resort. Wei Shu is too wary. If I don't gain his trust, I have no way to contact the clothing store."
Jiang Jin knew that what she had done was somewhat outrageous, but she really had no other choice.
"Couldn't you have taken it slow? Assassination and poisoning, thankfully this time you managed to pin the blame on the Crown Prince and the Third Prince. But what if they trace it back to you next time? Let's see what you'll do then!" Jiang Jin could tell from Tian Sui's tone that she wasn't truly angry.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I'll definitely think twice next time," Jiang Jin said, clinging to Tian Sui's arm affectionately.
"You said Ziyuan was unruly, but you're even more audacious than her. Tell me, what's your plan?" Tian Sui placed the cold noodles back in front of Jiang Jin.
“There’s something amiss in Bianzhou. Make a new list of people there; I need to consider it carefully. However, after what Lady Wang did, it seems other methods won’t be able to get to Wei Shu for now. But I suppose I was overestimating myself. How could someone commanding the Imperial Guards not be able to distinguish between those methods?” Jiang Jin laughed self-deprecatingly.
"I lied to him, he tested me, so we're even." Jiang Jin forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.
"Jin, it's okay to cry, I'm here." Tian Sui hugged Jiang Jin and gently patted her back, just like when she was a child.
"Ah Sui, actually I should be happy. Yi Er sent word that Wei Shu was frantically searching for me. Whatever the reason, this tactic of feigning retreat to advance has worked. But I don't know why I can't be happy." Jiang Jin sobbed, burying her face in Tian Sui's shoulder.
"It must be Zhai Wan's medicine that made me sick. I'll give her a good scolding when I get back!"
Jiang Jin cried herself to sleep. Tian Sui covered her with a thin blanket and then went out. Countless stars were falling from the sky. Tian Sui sat on the stone bench and looked at the sky.
"Since you're here, why not come down and greet some old friends?" Tian Sui said to the darkness behind him.
“Madam Jiang is resting, but I haven’t. Even as a secret guard, I can’t work day and night without rest.” Yi Yi darted to sit down next to Tian Sui.
"Tell me, what do you think of Wei Shu?" Tian Sui poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of Yi Yi.
"Isn't it a bit late to ask now?" Otsuichi drank the tea without any hesitation.
"It's never too late with me." Tian Sui glanced at the closed door and sighed.
"Wei Shu, at least, never intended to harm Lady Jiang. When Lady Jiang was poisoned, he immediately summoned doctors from within a hundred miles. Later, as time was running out, he disregarded everyone's objections and transferred the poison to himself." Yi Yi poured himself another cup of tea.
“Even when Madam Jiang fainted during the medicine testing, he stayed by her side every day. And even during this greenhouse incident, he was holding a dagger in his right hand, one he hadn’t yet thrown. Wei Shu is inherently suspicious, so it’s understandable that he would test him further,” Yi Yi said in a deep voice.
“However, there are still some differences.” Yi Yi picked up an empty teacup and placed it in front of Tian Sui, gesturing with his eyes for her to pour him some tea.
"Speak!" Tian Sui placed a full cup of tea in front of Yi Yi.
"For example, when they were on the river, he would fish and make soup for Lady Jiang. Even though he could have transferred the poison to someone else, he was afraid of hurting Lady Jiang, so he would use himself to draw the poison. He would be afraid that Lady Jiang would fall during tests, he would arrange a carriage for her, he would buy her clothes and jewelry, and he was afraid that Lady Jiang would tease him." Yi Yi couldn't help but laugh.
"Who would have thought that someone so powerful in officialdom would personally pick flowers for Lady Jiang?" Yi recalled the scene with deep emotion.
“Ah Jin is wonderful, so wonderful that anyone who is by her side will feel happy.” Tian Sui looked up at the moon. “She is as bright as the moon in the sky, and I think Your Highness thinks so too.”
"Isn't it what you all wanted that Wei Shu was moved?" Yi Yi drank the tea from the teapot in one gulp.
"Yes, others are scheming for positions, while we are scheming for hearts. Ah Jin did a good job; Wei Shu was moved, but Ah Jin was also moved."
Tian Sui sighed, “I met A Jin when we were still young. She was the daughter of an official and I was an orphan. When we first met, she knew how to behave and was very polite, just like a finely carved porcelain piece.”
Tian Sui looked at the moon and continued, "That year she was six years old and I was twelve. She learned the six arts of a gentleman: music, chess, calligraphy and painting. She could not rest for more than three hours a day and eventually collapsed from exhaustion. After resting for two days, she returned to the horse farm and came to practice riding and archery every month for four consecutive years."
A tear fell onto the stone table, and Tian Sui reached out to wipe the tear stain from her face.
"When she was ten, Lord Jiang was promoted, and A-Jin's status rose even higher. She was then placed under stricter control. Later, she temporarily resided in a temple but actually left the city. With His Highness's backing, she quickly traveled all over the capital and surrounding areas, recruiting destitute women and opening clothing stores throughout the entire Great Yan. She spread His Highness's spies throughout the Great Yan. Just think, ten years of hard work for a vague and unrealistic ideal, how foolish..." Tian Sui's face was already streaked with tears.
"She could have become a noble lady and managed the household, living an easy future paved for her by the Jiang family. But she said that the people are suffering, especially women. They have no chance to make a name for themselves or pass the imperial examinations. However, their ignorance is due to a lack of education. I hope that in the future, men and women can work together, and that everyone can be educated and have a way to realize their ambitions."
Yi Yi looked at the moonlight shining on Tian Sui like water and said, "Aren't you stupid too? You also entered into a life-or-death gamble."
"There's nothing we can do, we're just too stupid." Tian Sui looked at Yi Yi with a smile and a hint of tears. "Look at us, we're all big idiots."
The moonlight remained the same. Jiang Jin rose and sat on the stool. In the darkness, she examined her own heart. She never shied away from the fact that she left Wei Shu to escape; there was no need to lie to herself about those high-sounding reasons.
Jiang Jin roused herself and began writing a letter to His Highness, covering everything from Yuezhou to Bianzhou in great detail. It wasn't until the moon began to set that she realized she had mentioned Wei Shu dozens of times throughout the letter, and a drop of ink from her pen left a blot on the paper.
"Never mind." Jiang Jin lit the oil lamp and burned the letter, intending to rewrite it, when she heard a sound from outside the door.
"Ah Jin, get some rest!" Tian Sui gently knocked on the door, and Jiang Jin responded with a smile. Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves echoed from the front yard, accompanied by shouts of people.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Jin took Tian Sui's hand and led her into the shop. The two dared not light candles and could only look outside by the moonlight.
Wei Shu and the Imperial Guards stood on the long street, opposite Wang Niangzi, who was drugged by Jiang Jin.
"Why is Lady Wang still outside during curfew?" Wei Shu, seated on his horse, pointed an arrow at Lady Wang, who was running away. The arrow flew past and embedded itself in the ground in front of her, startling Lady Wang so much that she trembled and fell to the ground.
"General Wei, please spare me! I'll go to the temple right away and I promise I won't appear before you again!" Lady Wang knelt on the ground and kept kowtowing to Wei Shu.
"Too late." Just as Wei Shu was drawing his bow and nocking an arrow, a sharp arrow struck him down before he could even fire it. Instantly, the Imperial Guards were on high alert, fearing an assassin.
Jiang Jinyang led Yi Yi to a distant house and fired an arrow at Wei Shu, stopping Wei Shu's murderous intent.
"Is Madam Wang plotting against you? Why did you save her?" Yi Yi stood in front of Jiang Jin, blocking Wei Shu's view.
“I’m not trying to save her, but she can’t die right now. We can’t afford to break ties with Governor Wang for the time being, otherwise I would have sent her to meet the King of Hell while she was in the greenhouse.”
Jiang Jin's archery skills were so good that even if Wei Shu wanted to retaliate, he couldn't hit the target.
"Perhaps Wei Shu never intended to kill her. He had already achieved his goal: to return the favor he had shown her that day. The prison cart that Lady Wang rode in was his doing. Otherwise, given his personality, would he have spared Lady Wang?" Yi Yi felt Jiang Jin's breath catch in her throat behind her, sighed, and carried her out of Wei Shu's sight.
"I overestimated myself again." Jiang Jin felt a mix of disappointment and indescribable sadness.
"No, it's because we were too cautious and too worried." The two wandered back to the backyard, and Tian Sui breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Jiang Jin was safe and sound. "The Wang family has taken Madam Wang away, and Wei Shu is searching for the assassin."
"I'm sorry, I was too reckless." Jiang Jin looked down at the shoes.
"I know you're worried that Wei Shu might recklessly escalate things, but the clothing store has a secret room, so don't worry," Tian Sui comforted Jiang Jin, patting her face.
"Okay." Jiang Jin shook Tian Sui's arm, and the atmosphere among the three of them was very peaceful.
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