Turning around
"Young master, please wake up."
"Doctor, what's wrong? I can't get the medicine down my throat."
"This can't go on."
...
In Luomei Courtyard, a thin figure lay on a sickbed. His handsome face had lost its former elegance, and he looked somewhat dejected and haggard. Yun Qing had never seen the young master like this before. Even during the most difficult days, the young master was always self-satisfied and composed. Now, he was unconscious and could not even be fed medicine.
Yun Qing had no choice but to repeatedly feed Shen Ji with the spoon.
After several rounds, the medicine didn't get into his mouth; instead, it all spilled onto the mattress. Yun Qing sighed, then suddenly remembered something and said, "Today, Miss Wu asked me if the young master has fully recovered."
Yun Qing carefully observed Shen Ji's expression, and sure enough, he finally reacted the moment he heard Jiang Mian's name.
He used this method to slowly feed the bowl of medicine down his throat. Just as he put the bowl down, he suddenly noticed a sinister gaze fixed on him.
Looking up, I saw a young boy standing in the corner, his eyes somewhat dark.
Who is the Fifth Miss?
"It's none of your business."
"Then I'll go kill her." The boy curled his lips, his eyes full of curiosity.
"Stop." Yun Qing's tone was somewhat cold: "Xin Zhuo, don't forget, what did the young master summon you here for?"
Upon hearing this, the young man slowly stopped in his tracks. He looked at the person on the bed with their eyes tightly closed, a somewhat enigmatic light in his eyes: "The Fifth Miss you mentioned must be the woman from last night!"
"Don't pry into things that don't concern you."
"Is it her who caused you to become like this, young master?" Although it was a question, the young man's tone was full of certainty.
Yun Qing couldn't help but look at him seriously. The few people in the army who followed the young master were all law-abiding, but Xin Zhuo was an exception.
No one knows his background, nor does anyone know why the young master insisted on using him, but apart from being ruthless, this guy's actions are indeed hard to describe. However, the fact that he was here last night was unexpected.
"Xin Zhuo, step down."
Suddenly, a voice that left no room for argument came from the bed. Yun Qing turned her head and saw that Shen Ji had woken up at some point.
Xin Zhuo's eyes showed a hint of joy, and he couldn't help but step forward: "Young Master, I have not failed in my mission, and I have completed all the tasks you assigned me."
"Okay, you can go now. I have something to say to Yun Qing."
The boy looked somewhat disappointed, but he didn't say anything. He got up and walked out, closing the door behind him.
"Young Master, are you feeling better?" Yun Qing couldn't help but ask with concern.
"From now on, don't mention Jiang Mian's name in front of me." Shen Ji frowned, his fingertips slowly covering his chest, but his tone was somewhat cold and hard.
Yun Qing paused for a moment, then nodded: "This subordinate understands."
Shen Ji slowly closed his fingers, his gaze lowered: "Did you discover anything at the banquet last night?"
When the conversation turned to serious matters, Yun Qing's expression also became serious.
"Young Master's guess is correct. His Highness the Crown Prince is indeed in cahoots with the Salt Commissioner of Tongzhou." Yun Qing's voice was calm as he reported the intelligence he had gathered yesterday. The Emperor was critically ill, and the inner palace was keeping it a closely guarded secret. The Emperor did not appear at last night's banquet; it was Consort Ning and the Crown Prince who jointly managed it.
The inner palace announced that His Majesty's illness had improved and that it was not advisable for him to move.
Yesterday, Xin Zhuo sneaked into the imperial city and clearly saw that the old emperor was lying on his sickbed, his life hanging in the balance, looking as if he only had one last breath left.
It is clear that all parties involved wanted to keep this matter a secret.
Although the crown prince has been established, Prince Cheng is eyeing him covetously. The crown prince is eager to win over the people, and the struggle for the throne has almost become an open secret.
"Young master, someone is here."
The snow had just stopped falling when a deep voice suddenly came from under the eaves: "Boy, you didn't even send someone to inform me of your return to the capital."
A man around forty years old, dressed in a dark blue robe, with a stern face and a natural smile on his lips, and long eyebrows that reached his temples, adding to his serious and cold demeanor.
Shen Ji was somewhat surprised, and a hint of warmth slowly crept into his eyes.
"Uncle Wei".
Wei Ting patted his shoulder with his large hand, feigning displeasure in his eyes: "When did you come to the capital? You managed to keep it a secret so well. If I hadn't received the news last night that you were attending a banquet in the palace, I'm afraid your Uncle Wei would still be in the dark today."
Facing Wei Ting, Shen Ji's eyes finally showed a bit more humanity.
He curled his lips into a smile, a hint of helplessness in his eyes: "It's not that I'm afraid of causing you trouble."
Wei Ting immediately raised his eyebrows and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? I've heard about your situation. Take good care of your injuries these next few days and get well before you can make any plans for the future."
Shen Ji nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Wei Ting didn't stay long. He just came to see Shen Ji and found him safe and sound, which put his mind at ease.
"Take good care of yourself. If you need anything, send someone to let me know."
"good."
Wei Ting's figure disappeared into the entrance hall. Shen Ji withdrew his gaze and casually stroked the jade ring at his waist.
Wei Ting came from a poor family. Because of his talent, he passed the imperial examination that year. He not only caught the eye of the powerful and wealthy, but also attracted countless jealousy and attempts to frame him. He was upright and incorruptible, and stubborn. Once he made up his mind about something, he would never give up halfway unless he was beaten to a pulp.
If it weren't for the guidance and promotion of the Crown Prince of Yong'an, he would probably have been corrupted by the dirty officialdom long ago. He has climbed step by step to his current position and is one of the few people in the world who know Shen Ji's true identity.
"Young master, the tea has gone cold. I'll go and get you a fresh cup."
Yun Qing had just seen Wei Ting off when he noticed the young master staring blankly into space. He walked over and said softly.
"Go and investigate something."
"Please speak, sir."
Shen Ji whispered a few words in his ear, and Yun Qing's expression slowly became solemn. After the person left, his eyes returned to their coldness.
People's hearts can change.
"Someone come here."
"What are your orders, young master?" Xin Zhuo had been waiting outside for a long time, and upon hearing this, a hint of excitement finally appeared in his eyes.
"Go and investigate Zhang Xiang and the Ningguo Duke's Mansion."
"Yes." Xin Zhuo smiled. One day, he would become the sharpest sword by the young master's side.
...
"Miss, please rest well. I'll take care of these things." In the backyard of the Jiang residence, a maid took the shovel from Jiang Mian's hands.
"We've got nothing better to do. The snow is so heavy; if we don't clear it, it might freeze over," Jiang Mian said with a smile.
The servants of the Jiang family had a good impression of this suddenly appearing cousin. She never put on airs and instead led them to discover many new and interesting things.
Over time, everyone grew to feel much closer to Jiang Mian.
The maid in charge of sweeping was named Yu Hui. She hesitated, unsure whether to speak. Another maid who worked with her noticed the unusual behavior and said, "What's wrong with you today? You seem distracted."
"Sister Yuluo, have you heard?"
"What?" Yu Luo was in charge of taking care of Jiang Mian's daily life and usually directed her subordinates to do their work. If she hadn't discovered that Yu Hui was clumsy, she wouldn't have come to give her special instructions.
"It was at yesterday's palace banquet that the young princess from the Ningguo Duke's mansion took a liking to our lord."
"You little brat, daring to criticize your master instead of doing any work!" Yu Luo pretended to get angry.
Yu Hui quickly lowered her head and begged for forgiveness: "Good sister, I dare not do it again. I was just worried about you, Miss. I heard that the princess is not easy to get along with. If she really enters the manor one day, will you still have a place to stay, Miss?"
"That's not something you can speculate on at will. Today you're fined half a month's wages. If there's a next time, I'll definitely report to the magistrate and have you kicked out of the manor."
Yu Luo was a straightforward and honest person. Yu Hui knew she had made a mistake. When she saw Jiang Mian suddenly appear, she didn't dare to beg for forgiveness and quickly hid to the side with her broom.
"Miss, why did you come out? It's chilly outside." Yu Luo hadn't expected this, and didn't know how much Jiang Mian had overheard: "Please don't mind, the servants are being neglected and are becoming more and more disobedient."
"It's alright."
Jiang Mian pursed her lips, watching Yu Hui walk away with her head down, and sighed inwardly. Yu Hui just liked gossip and could not be said to have caused her any harm. If you think about it carefully, she has troubled Jiang Qiyu enough since she came to the capital. If she continues to stay here, she will probably bring him a lot of unnecessary trouble.
She should leave too.
There are many women in the capital. Although she doesn't have any special skills, she can open a teahouse first. Once she has saved enough capital, she can stay if she can, otherwise she will have to think of other ways.
She could never go back to Jeju or Yangzhou. She had already died once. If she were to come back to life, she would be unable to explain herself to her maternal grandmother. She couldn't very well say that she had a relationship with her cousin and had spent several months together intimately.
Jiang Mian still felt a headache coming on when she thought of Shen Ji.
After making up her mind to move out, Jiang Mian secretly looked at several rooms. As the end of the year approached, the house prices had risen. She looked for half a month, but either the location was not good or the rent was too expensive. She could not find a satisfactory one. There was only one place. The place was a little small, but the landlady was kind. She not only did not charge her deposit, but also warmly welcomed her.
That evening, she had just returned to the Jiang residence when she suddenly saw an unfamiliar carriage parked outside.
As they walked in, they caught a glimpse of a beautiful woman standing beside Jiang Qiyu in the garden.
“Brother Qi Yu, you have rejected me for several days now.”
Ning Zhi tugged at Jiang Qiyu's sleeve in dissatisfaction, with many maids standing behind her.
"Princess, I..."
"I already found out that the woman who accompanied you to the banquet was not your concubine at all, but your younger sister from your hometown. Brother Qi Yu, you are not married yet."
“The princess is of noble status, and I, Jiang, am not worthy of her.”
Ning Zhi seemed to be meeting someone who didn't care about power for the first time, and she happened to like this kind of person.
Her father wanted to consolidate his power through his children's marriage. Although she was not good at politics, she knew that the Crown Prince and the Seventh Prince were fighting each other, and even her aunt, who was a Noble Consort of the court, could not say which side she would take. She had been pondering this for the past few days and guessed that her father had a plan. She did not want to become a sacrifice. Although Jiang Qiyu was not of noble status, he belonged to the Qingliu faction and had a bright future.
Moreover, the fact that he helped her out of a predicament when they first met shows that he is not a cold-hearted person. From any perspective, he is a reliable and steady person.
Ningzhi trusted her own judgment.
“Brother Qi Yu, I am hosting a banquet at my residence the day after tomorrow. If you do not come, it means you do not respect my Ningguo Duke’s Mansion.”
Ning Zhi ignored his refusal and placed the invitation directly on the table; this was her main purpose for coming today.
As for Jiang Qiyu, as long as his heart isn't made of stone, she doesn't believe she can't warm it.
Ningzhi left.
Jiang Mian witnessed the whole process. She had heard that the young princess of the Ningguo Duke's mansion was always arrogant. She was about to leave when Jiang Qiyu suddenly saw her and strode over.
"Sister Mian, let me explain, it's not what you see..."
“Cousin, I know.” Jiang Mian smiled, her eyes full of laughter. “I also have something I want to tell you.”
There's no need for formalities between us.
"I've already found a place to live, and I plan to move out tomorrow."
"Why so suddenly, Sister Mian? Is something making you unhappy?" Jiang Qiyu asked, somewhat flustered.
"I've already troubled you for months." After saying that, Jiang Mian bowed deeply to him: "Thank you for taking me in, cousin. You've already helped me enough. I'll take care of the rest myself."
“You’re an orphan, it’s safer for you here,” Jiang Qiyu said, raising her voice.
"Before my grandmother passed away, she left me some money, enough to settle down and establish myself."
It was her oversight. Jiang Qiyu had just established himself in the capital. They were not related by blood, and he had already done her a great favor by helping her. She couldn't be impolite. She lived here every day. Although he didn't care, Jiang Mian knew that she would bring him a lot of trouble.
"But……"
“Cousin, there’s no need to say anything more. My mind is made up.” Jiang Mian bowed gently to him and turned to leave without hesitation.
As she packed her things, she suddenly felt a little dazed.
From Yangzhou to Jizhou, and now to Beijing, everything seems to have been forced forward. Now, she wants to settle down with her own two hands.
Early the next morning.
Jiang Mian then arranged everything, sent someone to inform Jiang Qiyu, and left.
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