Old friends
With the Jiang family's affairs settled, and since Wei Shu wasn't returning home that evening, Jiang Jin had dinner and rested in her original courtyard at the Jiang family's residence.
Returning to her familiar couch felt like stepping into another world. Without Wei Shu by her side, she suddenly felt uneasy. Jiang Jin tossed and turned on the couch, unable to fall asleep for a long time, finally drifting off around 3 AM.
Jiang Jin finally felt a little relaxed when she returned to the Wei residence at noon after struggling to finish reviewing the memorials in the morning. Without realizing it, she seemed to have come to regard the Wei residence as her own home.
"My lady, the clothing store has something to say." Ah Bei ran up to Jiang Jin with a note in his hand.
Jiang Jin glanced at it and then it burned out. "I understand. You go and prepare lunch." Having not rested well yesterday, Jiang Jin wasn't feeling well today; her right side of her head ached. She lit a little calming incense and felt a bit better.
Jiang Jin flipped through the Xuan paper and began practicing calligraphy. A delicate fragrance filled the room, permeating the air with a calming scent. Just as Abei brought in the meal, Jiang Jin had finished writing a calming mantra.
"My lady, the accounting department says the account books for the past few months have arrived and they would like to be reviewed." Jiang Jin washed her hands and walked to the table. Seeing the somewhat greasy food, she lost her appetite and only ate some clear chicken soup.
"Put all the ledgers on the table; I'll look at them when I have time." Abei felt a pang of heartache seeing Jiang put down her chopsticks after only a few bites.
"My lady, would you like some more, or should I have the kitchen make some snacks?" Abei instructed the maid to clear the dishes from the table.
"No need, prepare the supply wagons, I'm leaving the city." Jiang Jin glanced at Abei. "Don't be afraid, go and prepare." Jiang Jin rubbed her temples, got up, and walked to the window. The Wei residence was very large; the main courtyard offered a view of a corner of the garden.
"Wei Shu..." Jiang Jin composed herself, grabbed her dagger, and left with Abei. Abei drove the carriage the entire way; no one from the Wei family was with them.
"Abei, let's go to the manor." Jiang Jin only revealed their destination after they had left the city gates.
"Yes, my lady." The cart kicked up a cloud of dust on the road. Half an hour later, Abei drove the cart to the outside of a small manor. A servant was already waiting outside the gate, taking the reins from Abei.
Ah Bei pushed open the door first, then helped Jiang Jin inside. A young man in green robes sat in the courtyard, watching Jiang Jin.
"Why are you suddenly appearing in the capital instead of staying in Sangzhou?" Jiang Jin frowned at the self-satisfied man. "And you even had the clothing store deliver a letter to me?"
"You're married?" The man in green simply looked at Jiang Jin's face quietly.
"Your news is a bit outdated. His Majesty has bestowed a marriage upon me, arranging for me to marry Wei Shu." Jiang Jin spoke from a distance between the two without stepping closer.
"Someone doesn't want me to know, so what can I do?" The man in green smiled as he looked at Jiang Jin. "You're being a bit distant."
“Now that I’m married, I naturally need to be more careful.” Abei pulled up a chair for Jiang Jin to sit down. “You didn’t come back to the capital just to ask me about my marriage, did you?”
"Congratulations on your return and your promotion." The man tossed a wooden box to Jiang Jin. "There are some little trinkets inside; I think you'll like them. Congratulations, Jiang Jin."
Jiang Jin gripped the wooden box and stood up. "If there's nothing else, I'll go back now. Also, Song Zhimin, don't come back unless necessary. Back then, His Highness and I went to great lengths to protect you. Don't let our efforts go to waste."
“Jiang Jin, if I still…” Song Zhimin paused, looking at Jiang Jin who raised her hand to gesture for her to shut up.
“I don’t have ‘what ifs’ here. Song Zhimin, what you should be thinking about now is revenge, not ‘what ifs’.” Jiang Jin took a few steps forward and looked at Song Zhimin. “Go back quickly. If you are discovered, no one can protect you.”
"Jiang Jin, I only want one answer. I will never come back from now on!" Song Zhimin took out a silk handkerchief. "This is the handkerchief you used to wipe my face. I've kept it carefully ever since. If I were still the second son of the Song family, would you be willing to marry me?"
"Song Zhimin, if you were still the second son of the Song family, would you be willing to marry me?" The two looked at each other, one standing and one sitting, and in the end, it was Song Zhimin who lowered his head.
“That’s right. Song Zhimin, you’ll marry a noblewoman and have her stay in the inner courtyard to be a wife and mother, while I’ll never even come into the Song family’s sights.” Jiang Jin took the handkerchief from Song Zhimin’s hand.
"Now that I'm married, I can't leave this weakness in your hands. I'm taking the handkerchief; take care of yourself." Jiang Jin left the courtyard without looking back, leaving Song Zhimin to look at this familiar yet unfamiliar estate.
"My lady," Abei said, helping Jiang Jin into the carriage. Seeing her somewhat lost in thought, he suggested, "Since we're out of the city, why don't we stop by the temple?"
"Alright, Abei, you can drive now." Jiang Jin opened the wooden box inside the carriage. Inside was a magnificent necklace, as intricate and beautiful as the ones she had loved as a child.
Jiang Jin's fingertips landed on the cool gemstone. She recalled her first meeting with Song Zhimin. It was springtime when the Song family offended Lord Dou and were executed along with their entire family. The second son of the Song family, the brilliant strategist, took pity on Song Zhimin and went to great lengths to replace him.
The days of imprisonment had left him in a terrible state. Jiang Jin, spurred on by Zhai Wan, was flipping through medical books when a patient happened to arrive. She then used her rudimentary pulse-taking skills to take his pulse.
The pulse was so weak that even Jiang Jin, a novice, was terrified. She quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe it for him. Just then, Song Zhimin opened his eyes and the two looked at each other. In her nervousness, Jiang Jin blurted out, "You're about to die," which startled the doctor who came to treat him. Song Zhimin, on the other hand, nodded gently and said, "I'm sorry for scaring you."
At that time, she rarely interacted with men and felt a growing respect for this gentle older brother. Later, he stayed at the estate. Jiang Jin would sometimes bring him pastries and news from the outside, but most of the time he was alone in his room while Jiang Jin practiced riding and archery outside.
Later, as Jiang Jin grew older, she understood the look in Song Zhimin's eyes. No one could remain indifferent to the admiration of a brilliant scholar like Song Zhimin. Unfortunately, his departure to a distant land before avenging his family's death was an inevitable choice. Thinking this, Jiang Jin put down the wooden box and stuffed it inside along with the silk handkerchief.
"My lady, we've arrived at Dacheng Temple." Jiang Jin, familiar with the route, arrived at the back mountain and saw Lou Xuan discussing Buddhist scriptures with the abbot.
"You've arrived?" Lou Xuan glanced at Jiang Jin and continued with what he hadn't finished saying earlier. The abbot, however, warmly greeted Jiang Jin and brought her to him.
"I heard you got married?" The abbot took a string of Buddhist prayer beads from his hand and placed it in Jiang Jin's hand. "I hope it will keep you safe and sound."
"Thank you, Abbot." Jiang Jin quickly bowed in return and sat down to listen to the Buddhist scriptures.
"Alright, I won't disturb you two any longer." Seeing that Jiang Jin had something to say to Lou Xuan, the abbot left the courtyard without lingering any longer.
"Did you see Song Zhimin?" Lou Xuan asked, looking into Jiang Jin's eyes.
"Yes, I've already told him to leave quickly. Now we can't escort him; he'll have to rely on himself." Jiang Jin nodded, her gaze towards Lou Xuan somewhat strange.
"Why is Your Highness looking at me like that?" Jiang Jin raised her hand and touched her face. "Is there something dirty on it?"
"So you just let him leave so decisively?" Lou Xuan recalled that Jiang Jin had been just as decisive back then, seemingly without a trace of affection.
"The longer he stays in the capital, the greater the risk of exposure, which is not good for anyone." Jiang Jin flipped through the scriptures Lou Xuan had placed on the table.
"Really not even the slightest attempt to stop her?" Lou Xuan had thought Jiang Jin would at least have a moment of hesitation.
“Everyone has their own path, and there’s nothing to hold onto between Song Zhimin and me.” Jiang Jin spoke from the heart. “Back then, it was just companionship during a low point. If Awan and Zhiyuan had been by his side, he might have fallen for them too.”
Jiang Jin's gaze fell on Lou Xuan's face. "You were the one who allowed His Highness to enter the capital?"
"He needs to see you at least once before he can give up." Lou Xuan didn't deny it, but she genuinely hadn't expected Jiang Jin to be so decisive.
"Only when you give up can you focus on important matters." Jiang Jin didn't say anything more. Song Zhimin disappeared from Jiang Jin's life like a fleeting cloud.
"Is Wei Shu in the military camp?" Lou Xuan asked curiously, looking at Jiang Jinyun's calm and collected demeanor.
"Whether he's at the Wei residence or not, I'll be the same." Jiang Jin looked at Lou Xuan and said, "However, it seems the Consort is not quite satisfied with the decree to establish the Empress. Is His Majesty indulging her as well?"
"It's just to elevate the Fifth Prince's status; Father is probably quite annoyed by it." Lou Xuan understood this to some extent.
"By the way, Wei Shu and I ran into the Fourth Prince at Gaoyun Pavilion in Pingkang Ward. He spent a high price to buy a dancer, so it seems the impeachment memorial has already been placed on His Majesty's desk." Lou Xuan seemed somewhat interested in this.
"My unknown fourth brother is actually bidding high prices for dancers in Pingkangfang. Are you sure you didn't see my second brother?" Jiang Jin patted his chest and assured him, "Wei Shu and I saw it very clearly with our four eyes. It's definitely the fourth prince. There's no way we could mistake him for the second prince."
"Understood, I'll arrange for someone to keep an eye on them." Lou Xuan sighed wearily. "None of my younger brothers are easy to deal with."
“As a member of the royal family, it is only right that we do this.” Jiang Jin reached out and massaged Lou Xuan’s shoulders to comfort her. “It’s getting late, so I should head back early before the city gates close.”
"Okay, go back." Lou Xuan didn't linger, but silently watched Jiang Jin until her figure disappeared from his sight.
"It's hard to see through Ah Jin's thoughts these days," Lou Xuan said to the shopkeeper beside him.
"People always have to grow up. Once Jiang enters officialdom, she'll need to wear several masks." The shopkeeper, noticing Lou Xuan's displeasure, could only silently offer kind words.
"Fine, you all always side with her." Lou Xuan looked at the dense forest behind the mountain and said with a wry smile, "I wonder who she learned this from?"
"Your Highness, now that Lady Jiang has returned, let's head back to the city too," the shopkeeper suggested, standing behind Lou Xuan. "If we don't make it before the palace gates close, it might be bad if the Imperial Concubine finds out."
"Understood, let's go." Lou Xuan suppressed his dissatisfaction and led his men away from Dacheng Temple.
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