Climbing trees
Although the Third Prince's wedding couldn't surpass the Crown Prince's, it was still the most extravagant among the princes. The Wang family daughter's wedding dress alone took three months to embroider, and the beads on her wedding crown were worth tens of thousands of gold pieces, not to mention the hundred-mile-long red bridal procession.
"Now it seems the Third Prince's smile is a little more genuine." Jiang Jin, wearing a light pink jacket, stood beside Wei Shu and poked him, noticing his uninterested face.
"No matter how much you dislike it, you have to endure it. This is the Third Prince's wedding. If you ruin it, His Majesty will be unhappy too." Jiang Jin's face had already been replaced with a polite smile.
"They're going to the palace to pay respects to their ancestors and won't be back for a while." Wei Shu led Jiang Jin quietly out of the crowd. The outer courtyard of the Third Prince's residence was left for guests, but the inner courtyard was guarded.
"Want to go check out the inner courtyard?" The two stood side-by-side, Jiang Jin glancing at Wei Shu. "You're incredibly audacious, but I wouldn't dare."
Jiang Jin felt a gaze behind her, though only for a moment, but she knew it was the Third Prince left behind to monitor the guests.
"Let's go back." Jiang Jin looked at Wei Shu, whose eyes also held a knowing look.
As dusk fell, Jiang Jin finally saw the Fifth Daughter of the Wang family. She possessed an extraordinary bearing and impeccable manners; her jeweled hairpins and ornaments jingled without making a sound, and the maidservants accompanying her were equally graceful in their movements.
"No wonder Lord Dou planned this so meticulously; it's a pity that in the end, it was the woman who became the sacrifice." Jiang Jin couldn't help but feel complicated as she watched Wang Wu Niangzi being helped into the bridal chamber.
"Let's go out for a walk." Wei Shu knew that Jiang Jin didn't like the Third Prince, so he didn't plan to stay for the meal.
"Won't this show favoritism?" Jiang Jin asked, looking at Wei Shu walking ahead hand in hand.
“I also attended the Crown Prince’s wedding and left right afterward, so this counts as the same thing, right?” Wei Shu draped a cloak over Jiang Jin’s shoulders. It was already dark outside, and the wind and the chill made everyone shiver.
"It's still best when we're getting married." Wei Shu warmed Jiang Jin's hand and saw a soup noodle stall outside.
"Would you like some?" Jiang Jin looked at the steaming soup dumplings, which stirred up her hunger that she had been suppressing.
"Eat! A bowl of soup noodles would be perfect for dinner!" Wei Shu wiped the stool for Jiang Jin before helping her sit down.
Outside, the wind was cold and bleak, but the soup stall was unusually warm. "The people in the manor have all been cleared out. Those who were still in doubt have been sent away and given good places to go. Those who were certain have been left to their master."
Jiang Jin took a bite of the steaming hot soup dumpling and quickly grabbed the cold tea from the table, gulping it down.
"I burned my tongue." After taking a big gulp of cold tea, Wei Shu smiled at Jiang Jin and said, "Jiang Lushi actually burned his tongue with a soup dumpling. I wonder if he can speak normally now. He'll probably be laughed at when he's on duty tomorrow!"
"General Wei, if you keep quiet, no one will think you're mute." Jiang Jin blew on the soup dumpling and stuffed it into her mouth in one gulp. This time, she finally tasted the deliciousness of the soup dumpling.
"I've arranged for new people to go to Sangzhou, but there's been no news yet." Wei Shu smiled, looking at Jiang Jin's puffed-out cheeks.
"Yes, everything now points to Sangzhou, and I have a feeling that the person who took Ziyuan away must know our personalities very well, otherwise they wouldn't have gone to such lengths to arrange a meeting with Ziyuan." Jiang Jin put down her chopsticks, omitting Zhai Wan's words.
"So you suspect this person is inside, or that these people have been watching you from the beginning?" Actually, Wei Shu felt that the possibility of someone being inside was more likely, otherwise the reaction wouldn't have been so swift.
"But I really have no one to suspect. There are very few people who could remain indifferent to the death of Sanfeng, and no one would harm Sanfeng in any way." Jiang Jin still felt a pang of pain in her heart when she thought of Sanfeng.
"Then investigate those who aren't familiar with Umbrella Wind, but are acquainted with you." A hint of suspicion flashed in Jiang Jin's eyes upon hearing this.
"I understand." Jiang Jin didn't say another word, but she already had several suspects in mind.
"The rumors surrounding the Second Prince and the Jiang family are escalating, and even my intervention can only provide temporary relief." Wei Shu was somewhat curious about the Jiang family's plans.
"Father wants to send Fourth Sister back to her hometown, but Fourth Sister is willing to go to a temple outside the city to practice Buddhism." Jiang Jin looked at the soup noodles bobbing up and down in her bowl and suddenly felt a sense of helplessness.
"Actually, marrying the Second Prince isn't necessarily a bad thing," Wei Shu said, noticing Jiang Jin's concerns and offering to help.
"This is Fourth Sister's choice. Besides, although the temple is austere, it's a place away from conflict. We can just spend some money to make arrangements." Jiang Jin wasn't too worried about the temple. Jiang Su had volunteered to leave home, so her father would definitely feel more guilty. They could just spend more money to make things easier.
"I thought you would help Jiang Si Niang the way you helped Jiang San Niang." Wei Shu had seen how Jiang Jin schemed for Jiang Ru, so he thought Jiang Su might do the same.
“It’s different. Third Sister is marrying into a respectable family anyway, and the benefits of marrying the eldest son will be even greater, so there will be no obstacles. The Jiang family will also fully support Third Sister. But Fourth Sister is different. Does a princess consort without the support of her maternal family have to rely on the love of the second prince to live?”
Jiang Jin looked into Wei Shu's eyes and said, "There are many reasons why you don't take a concubine, but the Second Prince's love has vanished without a trace, leaving only his own abilities."
Wei Shu understood that Jiang Jin genuinely cared for Jiang Su, but she was still somewhat hurt by the distrust in Jiang Jin's eyes.
“I didn’t take a concubine before because of the court, and I won’t take one now because of A-Jin.” Wei Shu held Jiang Jin’s hand. “Giving birth is like going through the gates of hell for a woman. Since you’re on duty, we can already adopt a child from the Jiang family. A-Jin, you’re the most important person in my heart.” Jiang Jin buried her head in her soup noodles, feeling a little embarrassed. With curfew approaching, the two rushed back to the mansion.
Seeing the renovated garden, Wei Shu suddenly felt both strange and familiar. "Those are plum trees. They will bloom in winter, so the garden won't be so bare anymore. I also had some flowers and plants planted by the lake, and the pavilion has been repaired. It's such a waste for His Majesty to bestow the Wei Mansion upon you. It would have been better to just give you a small courtyard with two courtyards."
"To me, the Wei residence and the two-courtyard house are no different. It's just that these flower-filled lakes and fish-themed pavilions have gained color since you came into my life." Wei Shu embraced Jiang Jin and walked to the lakeside.
"That person has been identified; he was placed in here by the Third Prince." Hearing Wei Shu's calm words, Jiang Jin couldn't help but feel worried.
"Today is his wedding day, you didn't do anything underhanded, did you?" Jiang Jin was afraid that Wei Shu would retaliate in kind.
"Don't worry, I wouldn't stoop so low as to use the royal family's reputation to set a trap." Wei Shu disdained the Third Prince's methods and naturally wouldn't resort to such despicable means.
"The Third Prince values his few civil officials the most, so I'll deliberately strike at his weak point." Wei Shu, holding Jiang Jin's hand, made a stabbing motion in the air.
"It seems General Wei still has his own ideas." Jiang Jin turned around and patted Wei Shu on the chest.
"Ah Jin, should we build a swing in the yard so we can push you around in the spring?" Wei Shu suddenly felt a surge of anticipation for the future.
"Then let's get a raccoon dog. I heard there's a kind of raccoon dog that was brought as tribute from Persia that's especially cute. I'll hold it in my arms and you can push us around in a wheelchair." Jiang Jin snuggled into Wei Shu's arms, listening to his heartbeat.
"Ah Jin, what were you like when you were little?" Wei Shu was very curious about what Jiang Jin looked like as a child. Unfortunately, his own childhood consisted mainly of martial arts training and studying; there wasn't much of anything interesting to do.
"When my mother was still alive, I loved climbing trees. Later, when my father became an official, he made us learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. After my mother passed away, I had to pretend to be even more gentle and quiet. I almost forgot what kind of person I was." Jiang Jin nestled in Wei Shu's arms, her voice humming, but Wei Shu could hear the longing in her words.
"Do you want to climb a tree?" Before Jiang Jin could recover, Wei Shu pulled her to the thickest tree in the mansion.
"Don't be afraid, I'll protect you down here!" Jiang Jin looked at the tree and thought of her childhood memories, feeling a bit eager to try it out.
"I still have Yi Yi and Yi Er. Even if you can't catch me, I won't be in any danger!" Jiang Jin reached out, took off his cloak, tossed it to Wei Shu, rolled up his sleeves, and started climbing the tree trunk.
Although she hadn't acted recklessly for many years, the memories etched into her bones slowly resurfaced. Jiang Jin quickly sat down on a tree branch and waved to Wei Shu below.
"A-Shu, I'm jumping now, remember to catch me!" Jiang Jin watched as Wei Shu stretched out his arms before leaping down, and was caught in Wei Shu's arms.
"Am I the first woman you've ever caught like this?" Jiang Jin asked curiously, hugging Wei Shu's neck tightly.
"Yes." Wei Shu tapped Jiang Jin's nose, and the atmosphere between the two was very harmonious.
"What should we do? Quickly, send someone to fetch the young master!" Since her last plan failed, Ziyuan had refused to eat or drink, and now, far from her former spirited self, she lay pale on the couch.
When the masked man saw Ziyuan again, she lay lifelessly on the couch like a dying bird.
"What's going on? Didn't I tell you she can't die!" The man glanced at the people kneeling below.
"My lady hasn't eaten or drunk anything for three days, we're at our wits' end!" The maid kneeling on the ground trembled, not daring to imagine her fate.
"Have someone cook some porridge and force it down her throat!" The masked man glanced at Ziyuan, who lay lifeless on the couch. "Prepare the supply wagon and I'll take her away. You lot who failed in your duties, all of you go and receive your punishment. If there's a next time, I won't keep any useless people here!"
Zi Yuan felt unsteady beneath her in her sleep and stumbled, falling onto the wooden table. "Awake?" The masked man breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Zi Yuan awake. If Zi Yuan had died, he would have lost one of his trump cards to threaten Jiang Jin.
"It seems my life is quite important." Zi Yuan's voice was hoarse, but she still looked at the man in front of her warily.
"So I took you away, but that doesn't mean I'll keep compromising. Your life is very important, which is why Jiang Jin and Zhou Cong have been searching for you. But if your body were found, do you think those two would be devastated? Wouldn't Jiang Jin and Wei Shu have a falling out?" The man looked at Zi Yuan's slightly changed expression and suddenly felt a little relieved.
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