room
"Miss Jiang said so."
Coming back to his senses from his melancholy, the emotion that suddenly appeared in Xizhen's eyes faded away like the tide, and he sat back in the chair with his eyes curved.
"Just now, I saw the young lady lingering on my face for a moment. Could it be that there is something on my face?"
Xizhen was jumping around so quickly that Jiang Nian paused for a moment before continuing with a smile, "Mr. Xi's makeup is elegant, with dark colors, like a brilliant brushstroke, which makes me stop and stare."
The corners of his eyes are dotted with deep red, making him look extremely charming. His facial features are bright and his temperament is mysterious and feminine, which often makes people want to get closer.
Unfortunately, beneath this beautiful appearance, there is not such a kind and friendly heart.
Otherwise, he would not have been able to hold the position of civil chief for so long despite his obvious unknown identity.
The fragrance of herbal tea wafts out from under the tea lid, outlining white smoke that drifts into the air.
Xizhen's gaze lingered on the wisp of white smoke for a moment, then he raised his eyes and smiled softly at Jiang Nian: "Really? It seems that this humble servant and Miss Jiang have something in common."
Although I see many handsome men every day, each with his own merits, the only one who is very good at dressing up is the one in front of me.
Xiao Yingzhu has always been simple and has no intention of dwelling on this.
Like her adopted relative Qin Lan, Ai has no particular need for dressing up.
And Miss Tao...
When in the sect, Tao Yu wore all the sect's clothes.
I don't see much preference for dressing up.
Jiang Nian's eyebrows curved slightly, and he smiled softly: "Your Excellency is absolutely right. I wanted to discuss aromatherapy with you earlier."
The conversation went so smoothly that when the word "aromatherapy" came out, Jiang Nian remembered the bottle of perfume that Xiao Yingzhu had prepared for her, and in the end she didn't hand it to her personally.
Noticing the fleeting distracted look on her face, Xizhen pushed the poured herbal tea towards her.
"Miss Jiang, are you having any troubles with this aromatherapy?"
"..." Retracting her inexplicably lost thoughts, Jiang Nian shook her head and took the cup of tea. "How could that be? When I develop a new fragrance, I will definitely present it to you first."
After a short break and casual chat, the remaining snacks and tea were replaced by the servants. After everyone left the small garden, Jiang Nian continued:
"Let's continue with the previous topic. The official said he would personally participate... When will he participate?"
If possible, Jiang Nian naturally hopes that others who can provide assistance can take action on the first day she enters Zuihualou.
After all, she really felt that her skills were unreliable.
By then, you will be in an unfamiliar place and trapped to the point where you cannot escape by using your brain and can only fight with your fighting power.
If there were not enough manpower, and the supporting Mo Qing or other secret guards were intercepted by the goddess's men...
Then life and death will be unpredictable.
If possible, Jiang Nian didn't want to die at the hands of the goddess.
She couldn't accept traveling through time like this, not figuring out anything, not finishing anything, and dying in such an unclear way.
But it takes more than a day or two to develop agile skills.
When one has enough intelligence but lacks physical strength, one can only rely on the support of others.
It really doesn't feel good to put your life in someone else's hands.
Xizhen looked at her for a moment, sighed softly and said, "It's not that there is no way out."
"If it really comes to a point where both sides are desperate, you can still use your debate to buy time."
"Although the goddess is unpredictable, has an extreme temper, and can be a bit hysterical, if a hamster pleads with her pitifully... she still has the patience to listen."
"So there's no need to worry, Miss Jiang."
Xizhen preferred sesame crisps. After eating one, he picked up another from the plate and put it in his mouth, mumbling, "If it really doesn't work... I think Xiao's secret guards are not vegetarians either."
"Don't treat them as mere decorations."
Without providing any reassuring information and adding to Jiang Nian's burden, Xi Zhen finished what he wanted to say, then smiled and brushed off the crumbs on his fingertips, tilted his head and ended the topic.
"That's all I can answer. If you still have any questions... please ask that 'powerful' soldier."
He finished his words slowly, and his gaze towards her became much deeper. His smiling face contrasted sharply with his bright yet sharp facial features, making him seem even more meaningful.
Having known Xiao Yingzhu for so long, Jiang Nian had already figured out who the people were who could get along with Xiao Yingzhu.
If it is not something that can be said, people can know it at a glance.
As for the rest of the things he didn't want to say, no matter how hard he tried to find out, he couldn't see any clues from the other person's expression.
Jiang Nian is already completely familiar with this elusive feeling.
Not intending to confront him head-on here, she put the notebook away and returned it to her bag. She glanced at the sky and casually asked, "Soldier, may I see you here today?"
Before Xizhen could reply, a servant appeared from somewhere in the garden and answered for him.
"The general has instructed the soldiers to wait at the post house. I have come specially to guide you."
Xizhen smiled and put down the teacup in her hand: "Miss Jiang, please take your time."
"...Thank you for your care. I'll take my leave."
Jiang Nian turned his head to look at Xi Zhen with a gentle smile. After a slight gesture, he turned around and followed the officer.
As soon as you say goodbye to one riddle man, you have to go to meet the next one without stopping.
Thinking of the last conversation with the soldier and his habit of speaking half of what he said, Jiang Nian suddenly felt a headache.
Walking through the lush green garden, her eyes fell on the posthouse facing the courtyard gate, and she sighed softly.
All I could do was try my best to get some useful information out of the soldiers.
Even if you don't spend much time with this kind of people, you will easily get tired.
For some reason, Jiang Nian missed the first time he tested Xiao Yingzhu in Pingzhou.
Compared with the situation now, the situation then was simply child's play. Even if the test failed, there was no need to risk one's life.
How on earth did she willingly come to this point?
Perhaps when she took the initiative to propose to Jiang's father to take over the Liangdu Pharmacy, she had already tacitly agreed in her heart that this mess would be resolved by her.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have thought of cooperating, and then...
This led to a series of nesting doll incidents.
—
The black and white pieces were fighting on the chessboard, neither giving in.
By the time the last move was made, it was almost noon outside the window.
Amidst the chirping of cicadas, Xiao Yingzhu casually picked up the white piece and placed it on the side of the chessboard.
"Commander Yu had originally refused to budge, but now he hesitated for a moment. Could it be that something had struck him, or that something had occurred to him?"
His voice was casual, as if he was asking casually, not caring whether the other party would answer seriously.
Yu He's gaze fell coldly on the empty space on the chessboard, and he looked away after a while.
"It's alright if Duke Xiao guessed it."
"Yeah?"
Xiao Yingzhu paused as she put away the chessboard, then raised her eyelids with interest and looked at Yu He: "Even if you meet her in person someday, will you be able to remain calm and not let personal feelings get in the way?"
Under the green leaves, fine sunlight rain fell on the window paper, and the deep and shallow shadows of the trees shone onto the desk, layer upon layer.
Yu He closed the lid of the chess box that was placed aside, his tone calm.
"How can personal feelings be allowed to interfere with public affairs? This is the foundation of one's conduct and the guiding principle of governance."
He met the other person's cold, inquiring gaze and spoke in a calm voice.
"I believe that Duke Xiao should be the first person to understand this matter."
"——Could it be that Duke Xiao has other opinions?"
Yu He unexpectedly mentioned what happened in the capital that year. This question was equivalent to exposing Xiao Yingzhu's past.
The dull sound of the sun shower hitting the window paper made Xiao Yingzhu's worries more serious. However, her expression did not change, and the smile on her lips was not visible in her eyes.
"Commander Yu has a clear mind, so why should I, Xiao, say more?"
"No matter where you are, he has eyes and ears following you, always checking your every word and action."
"What I said today may be redundant, but I hope the commander will not be offended."
The tone of these words was slightly milder than when he first arrived in Cang County, but the sharpness in them did not diminish, but rather increased a little.
——If it weren’t for playing chess, I would have discovered a place that I had no intention of paying attention to.
Xiao Yingzhu would not have nothing better to do than to say this.
However, after a few rounds of conversation, he had gained some results. He had found out what Yu He was thinking.
The round black pieces revealed his charming eyes and eyebrows. Xiao Yingzhu lowered his eyebrows and eyes without any emotion. The black color contrasted with his fingertips for a moment, and then fell into the deep chess box.
The chessboard on the table soon returned to its original state before the game began. Fine raindrops drifted into the room through the gaps in the window lattice and landed on the tidy table.
But even though there is no game at the moment that can keep them arguing, the topic is far from over.
After looking at each other tacitly, Xiao Yingzhu's expression became a little less serious, and she was thinking about something more important than the personal emotional dispute just now.
"Have you found out his identity?"
Yu He shook his head slightly, a rare hint of confusion flashing across his eyes.
"He was originally a good subordinate of Meng Yao, but how he naturally became someone's subordinate is still unclear."
Xiao Yingzhu was not surprised by this answer.
After Jiang Nian said that the soldier had some connection with her, he guessed that this soldier was probably a person who did not exist in this era.
It's just that you need to borrow other people's bodies to move freely here.
...same as Jiang Nian himself.
Thinking of what was written in the information Yunxiu handed to him before coming to Cang County, Xiao Yingzhu hid the hidden meaning in his eyes.
"That's fine. More importantly, since Commander Yu allowed him to rest here, doesn't that mean you allow his presence?"
Would anyone inexplicably trust a person with unknown origins, unknown identity, who appears and disappears without a trace like a ghost?
Even if he is as good as a god, ordinary people would still feel nervous when asking questions if they met him.
Not to mention those of you who have been fighting in this game of power for a long time.
In terms of words, Qin Lan was the same as him, but he agreed with Jiang Nian's point of view on the surface.
But needless to say, Jiang Nian himself was quite wary of the soldier's origins.
Yu He lowered his eyes, calmly picked up the white piece from the chess box, and placed it on the small eye.
"A deep garden is bound to be overgrown with weeds. If a scavenger comes to tidy it up, even the most aloof person will treat him with courtesy and give him what he needs."
"Besides, the only gift I can give is a place to stay."
Come and go freely, following the will of nature.
This was the conclusion he came to after fighting in countless battles.
Xiao Yingzhu twisted the black piece and placed a piece next to the small eye without stopping.
"Really? Then who does Commander Yu think can control him?"
“If you miss the opportunity, even if your foundation is strong, it will be difficult to win.”
Yu He's expression was calm and composed. He took out the white pieces slowly and continued to move forward at his own pace. "Just as Duke Xiao said, I also think that my thoughts this time are exactly the same as Duke Xiao's."
"Someone who is neither radical nor conservative...Among you all, perhaps only Miss Jiang still has a place."
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