Chapter 3, Third Side Ignored
The next morning, the distant sound of bells from the Bell and Drum Tower broke through the stagnant chill of dawn and reached the tightly closed tent.
Qi Lingjun, who was in a light sleep, instinctively protected Jiang Linzhi's neck. His eyes, which he opened, were instantly filled with murderous intent. When he realized where he was, his gaze returned to its usual coldness, and he breathed a silent sigh of relief.
That day, Jiang Linzhi was covered in blood on one side, and he was somewhat panicked. If she, the orphan of the Jiang family, died, the Jiang family's assets would really be taken away.
Jiang Lin snuggled into Qi Lingjun's arms, his fresh breath dispelling Qi Lingjun's worries.
The morning meeting with the various chambers of commerce was early, and with the weather so cold, Jiang Linzhi would be a fool to get out of bed.
Qi Lingjun helped her put on her clothes under the covers, but Jiang Linzhi hugged Qi Lingjun's waist to stop him from dressing her, muttering, "Cold, cold."
Grinding and crushing, limbs entangled.
Qi Lingjun, feeling breathless from being entangled, grew impatient and suddenly threw off the blanket, leaving Jiang Linzhi with nowhere to escape the cold air.
His tone was slightly stern. "Someone, prepare water."
The maids filed in, seemingly unfazed by the scene, and bowed their heads to serve.
A quarter of an hour later, Jiang Linzhi finally got into the carriage after Qi Lingjun's fussing.
Qi Lingjun looked at Jiang Linzhi, who was still squinting, took out a folded document, and said, "The man last night was a trusted guard of the Regent. A few days ago, when you were kidnapped, the Regent sent him with a few men. You didn't die, but the Regent pushed him out to take the blame, saying that the Wu family had sent him on their own initiative, thus clearing himself of any wrongdoing."
Jiang Linzhi finally opened her eyes. She carefully wiped them to avoid smudging her eye makeup and said sarcastically, "The goods were also stolen by the Wu family. Now, the Wu family can just throw out someone as a scapegoat and say it's a case of inadequate rescue, a case of good intentions gone wrong. I didn't die, so how much can he be punished? He'll just have to pay a few desolate, godforsaken mountains. In the end, they still profited."
The more he talked, the angrier he became, until he was no longer sleepy. Jiang Linzhi paused and then his eyes lit up. "But I heard that kid is very skilled in martial arts. He only stayed with the Regent for a few months and he already exposed several spies. Are they really going to let him go like that?"
Qi Lingjun wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and said, "I have already ordered someone to vacate a room in the mansion. When to bring her back is up to you."
Qi Lingjun has been with Jiang Linzhi for nearly twenty years. He knows what Jiang Linzhi wants to do without her saying a word. Even if Jiang Linzhi can't do it, he can help her do it.
As expected, Jiang Linzhi said with satisfaction, "I'll leave this to you. If you're useful, keep you; if not, kill you."
Jiang Linzhi glanced at the contents of Qi Lingjun's memorial, arranged the affairs of the various chambers of commerce according to his own wishes, gave a warning to a few fickle people who wavered at the first sign of trouble, and then returned to his residence to deal with other matters.
Yesterday, Cui Jiu brought a half-dead man and caused a scene. People in the capital don't know how they'll talk about her now. We can't let those with ulterior motives get away with it.
Jiang Linzhi felt a headache coming on just thinking about all these complicated matters. She wished she could dump all the trouble on Qi Lingjun, but given his status, there were still many things he couldn't do. So she had no choice but to take matters into her own hands.
Decades ago, the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, along with several other merchant families, attempted to burn down the Zhuyan Flower Field, where the Jiang family made snuff bottles. Despite committing such a treacherous act, the eldest daughter of the Jiang family was still praised by others.
The reason for this is simply that snuff bottles are addictive. Although they can temporarily boost one's creativity and martial prowess, once inhaled, they become addictive. Moreover, this stuff is said to cost "one hundred taels of gold for one tael of snuff oil," which is beyond the reach of ordinary families.
Countless families have been torn apart and destroyed because of this; countless people have turned against each other in the struggle for it. Those who profit from it exploit the hardworking, while those who can no longer bear the burden turn around and assassinate those in power. In this cycle, not a single one of them has a good end.
Therefore, burning the rosy flowers was a righteous act, and many people immediately responded.
However, some people didn't think so. After all, in this chaotic and disorderly slaughter, the crumbling Sui Kingdom barely survived. Thanks to this income, even the barren land could support countless people, and the soldiers on the border could withstand the invasion from the south.
No matter how heinous or how much he takes lives, this thing has protected a country.
That incident enraged the emperor of Sui, who punished several ringleaders, such as the Qi family.
They also thoroughly rectified the laws governing the sale of Baiyao (a traditional Chinese medicine) in Sui: anyone in Sui who smokes snuff bottles, or who sells snuff bottles to their own people, will be executed immediately.
The snuff bottle trade was crucial to the stability of the country, and snuff bottles had always been sold by the government. This robbery of snuff bottles was either carried out by desperate criminals or was premeditated.
Clearly, it was the latter. However, without any evidence, the Wu family still received the credit for their "rescue," and the Jiang family couldn't find anything even if they pressed on.
Jiang Linzhi was lazy, so she simply stopped investigating things that were too much effort for her. After all, the snuff bottle business was highly profitable, and she could make her money back in just one order.
Upon returning to the manor, Jiang Linzhi inquired about the bloodied man's condition. The servant respectfully replied, "His life has been saved, but he hasn't woken up yet."
Jiang Linzhi didn't care much. He waved for the servants to leave, then slumped onto the table, watching Qi Lingjun keep accounts.
Before her lay a page filled with official documents written in small characters. After looking at it for a while, Jiang Linzhi felt a headache coming on. She simply closed her eyes and asked, "What are we having for lunch today?"
"Braised lamb chops with hawthorn, stir-fried bok choy with garlic, and rice."
Seeing that Qi Lingjun answered fluently, Jiang Linzhi became playful.
What about at night?
"Duck congee and fish tofu buns."
What about tomorrow morning?
"Fresh meat soup dumplings, scallion pancakes, and soy milk."
"What about tomorrow at noon?"
"Crispy pork ribs, spicy stir-fried red amaranth, and purple rice."
"Ah, I like red amaranth." Jiang Linzhi got annoyed by the questions and gave himself a way out.
Qi Lingjun is like a walking encyclopedia shrouded in human skin; he knows everything, big and small, yet he is neither arrogant nor presumptuous, but humble and composed. It's almost impossible to find any faults or flaws in him. How utterly boring!
Whether during the day or at night, although Jiang Linzhi often felt that he was trying to seduce her, seeing his calm and composed demeanor made her feel that she was the one who had tarnished the gentleman's reputation.
Just as Jiang Linzhi was about to go to bed for a nap, Qi Lingjun suddenly said, "That man's name is Lu Huantang, he's twenty-two years old, and an orphan. He said he learned swordsmanship from a wandering knight, and last year he entered the Regent's Palace with a token from the Prince of Nanyang's Palace."
To balance the interests of aristocratic families and commoners, the regent of the Sui Kingdom would send a "recommendation" token to aristocratic families every three years. Those who held the token did not need to undergo three years of training before participating in the selection process; instead, they could directly participate in the selection process and enter the regent's palace.
The opportunity to openly send people into the Regent's Palace, whether for currying favor or for training, was certainly not to be missed by the major aristocratic families. Many of them would even send their eldest sons and daughters there for experience.
However, the Prince of Nanyang's mansion has always been neutral, neither close to the royal family nor the regent. In previous years, the token would probably have been stuck in their hands and they wouldn't have given it away. What happened this time? Have they changed their minds?
Jiang Linzhi became interested, sat back down, and asked, "Who put it there?"
"On his first day in the city, he met Princess Nanyang and passed the test the next day. However, he did not have any contact with Princess Nanyang after that."
"Speaking so tactfully, and yet you claim to know him?" Jiang Linzhi knew Nan Jinping's methods all too well. She understood immediately and her face turned slightly cold: "It seems this person is no good in bed. Nan Jinping forgets him after sleeping with him."
Qi Lingjun raised his eyes and looked calmly at Lin Zhi, who was spouting nonsense, and reminded him, "This concerns the princess's reputation, so please be careful with your words."
Although Jiang Linzhi and Nan Jinping had always been at odds, what she said was the truth, not the kind of derogatory remarks that men make when they can't have something.
Jiang Linzhi pouted and complained, "There are no outsiders here, that's why I said that. Besides, reputation can't put food on the table. I'm not trying to slander her. Compared to when she was deceived by a man, I prefer her now. But she's still not respectable..."
Qi Lingjun sighed softly, "Can't you teach me something better?"
"What do you mean I didn't teach them well? To outsiders, you and all the men in the manor are my male lovers. Nan Jinping would naturally want to learn that too." Jiang Linzhi stood up anxiously to argue, "I'm the one who's wronged! I want to enjoy myself too, but I have so many things to deal with every day, how can I possibly enjoy myself? Take yesterday for example, how much did I drink to discuss business? That male prostitute was practically on top of me, and I still had to pretend to be a virtuous man, damn it..."
Before he could finish speaking, Qi Lingjun glanced over and then quickly looked at the two maids waiting at the door.
Jiang Linzhi swallowed hard and sat up obediently.
Suddenly, Qi Lingjun calmly said, "Then you might as well confirm it."
Jiang Linzhi was somewhat surprised by these words. She looked at Qi Lingjun's face, which showed no trace of romantic emotion. His words and actions were completely separate. What did this mean? Was he just being official?
Jiang Linzhi coughed lightly, "Let's get down to business. Lu Huantang is obsessed with power, and now that the Regent's path is blocked, he has no choice but to stay here. This matter is entrusted to you."
The suggestion he made earlier went unanswered. Qi Lingjun lowered his eyes slightly and said, "Back then, he was going to take advantage of the chaos to kill you."
"What's there to be afraid of? So many people want to kill me. As long as I can serve the Sui Kingdom, what's the harm?" Jiang Linzhi said nonchalantly. "Think about it, he's fallen from the Cloud Ladder to this place he looks down on. If we keep ignoring him, what will he do?"
It's nothing more than self-exile or working harder to prove oneself because of self-doubt. With such great ambitions, how could Lu Huantang just give up like this?
Qi Lingjun looked up and saw that the woman in front of him was exactly the same as she had been years ago. If there was any change, it was that she had become more human, but that was not necessarily a good thing.
Jiang Linzhi noticed that Qi Lingjun was looking at him and thought he had said something wrong again. After thinking for a moment, he quickly said, "I'm not comparing him to you. I didn't mean to treat you like this back then."
Qi Lingjun didn't care at all and said respectfully and humbly, "It's fine if you compete, it's fine if you bring him back as a male concubine. The whole mansion is yours, so naturally you have the final say."
Jiang Linzhi still noticed the gloom in his eyes. Although she didn't know what she had said wrong, she quickly apologized, "You know I'm not good with words, please don't hold it against me if I said something wrong, I..."
Before Jiang Linzhi could finish speaking, Qi Lingjun, unusually, interrupted her, carried her to the bed, and said softly, "You've just recovered from a serious injury, so please rest for a while. I'll call you when there are documents that require your review."
Although Qi Lingjun was friendly and spoke gently, Jiang Linzhi could tell he was unhappy. However, once she got into bed, she really didn't want to move and quickly snuggled into the covers and fell asleep.
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