Returning to the capital dagger
The caravan had made preparations well in advance to continue camping out, and had prepared enough supplies to last for two or three days without having to stop at a post station for resupply.
A fire was lit just before dusk, and the sun quickly set, leaving the woods silent once more.
Jiang Yanhui sat by the fire, using the light to check the route for tomorrow. Dou Yu, unusually, sat beside her, his hands neatly placed on his knees, his gaze following A Chou, who had finished making Jiang Yanhui's bed and then went to help him tidy it up.
The small sense of guilt that came during the day exploded at night, especially when she saw how sincerely Ah Chou treated her, and she nervously clutched the fabric on her knees.
Dou Yu said, "Cousin, I feel that A Chou cares a lot about his background. Why don't we tell him?"
Thinking of the villager's description of Ah Chou as someone of extraordinary status, and how he lost his memory and ended up being sold into slavery, it's fortunate that Jiang Yan brought him back to the Prince's Mansion, and thankfully he's alive and well now.
Watching him bustling around doing the work of a servant, Dou Yu felt even more uneasy.
"You are not allowed to interfere in his affairs." Jiang Yan turned her gaze away from the map, her deep eyes fixed on Dou Yu's panicked eyes, and said, word by word, "I will handle this, do you understand?"
"I...I understand." Dou Yu rubbed his arms.
Jiang Yanhui usually seemed nonchalant and indifferent to everything, but when she got serious, she actually frightened Dou Yu.
He muttered, "I just think Ah Chou is a good person, even if he is... I don't want Ah Chou to get hurt."
Jiang Yan looked at the smiling young man walking towards her and said softly, "His name is Losang."
"What?" Dou Yu didn't hear clearly, but Ah Chou had already walked up to her, so she didn't dare to say anything more.
Keeping it a secret, I felt incredibly guilty just looking at each other, so I pretended to yawn and made an excuse to sneak into the carriage.
Jiang Yanhui was sitting on a log, with another person's seat next to her, but no one dared to sit next to the King of Jiangbei.
Ah Chou stared for a while, then tugged at the fingers in front of her. As if making up her mind, she stepped forward and sat down next to Jiang Yan Hui. The two sat shoulder to shoulder, very close, and looked very intimate.
The firelight illuminated Ah Chou's flushed cheeks, making her exceptionally beautiful. Her clear eyes shone brightly as she intently watched the leaping flames.
Jiang Yan asked back, "Are you hungry?"
Ah Chou immediately relaxed. The fact that she wasn't driven away proved that Jiang Yan Hui didn't dislike her.
He nodded truthfully, having just finished making the bed and hadn't had time to eat yet.
Jiang Yan picked up a branch about two fingers thick from the ground, poked it in the fire a couple of times, and a round thing rolled out and stopped right next to A Chou's feet.
After Ah Chou waited for it to cool down, she folded the handkerchief several times before picking up the sweet potato. She puffed out her cheeks, pouted, and blew on it vigorously. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Jiang Yan and asked what this dark, black thing was.
“Sweet potato,” Jiang Yan said.
Then she used that expensive, sharp dagger to make a cut in the sweet potato, and immediately the golden-yellow inside emitted an extremely tempting aroma.
Ah Chou's stomach growled twice, and he gave an embarrassed, shy smile, holding the sweet potato, unsure whether to pick it up or put it down.
"Be careful, it's hot."
Knowing that this was for him, Ah Chou carefully avoided the outer skin and took a bite. The soft and sweet taste was much better than that of boiled sweet potatoes.
Her already large, round eyes widened even more when she ate something delicious, making her look incredibly cute.
"I've already eaten."
Jiang Yanhui declined Ah Chou's offer of help, watching the little hamster nibble on the sweet potato. It was so easy to feed; it was happy eating anything.
Before long, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky. The mountain climate is changeable, and rain is a frequent occurrence.
The experienced guards efficiently erected a simple shelter over the fire to protect it from the wind and rain and keep it burning.
The fire should not be extinguished unless absolutely necessary when the convoy spends the night in the mountains. The fire can not only drive away wild animals lurking in the darkness, but also prevent people with bad intentions from stealing things in the dark.
The oil lamp illuminated the carriage brightly. Ah Chou knelt on the carpet to check if the windows on both sides were closed tightly to prevent rain from blowing in and wetting the mattress in the middle of the night.
They also thoughtfully left the sliding door of the carriage slightly ajar for ventilation. There is a canopy covering the front of the carriage, so there is no need to worry about rainwater leaking in.
Having made all the necessary preparations for bed, Ah Chou untied his headband, letting his long, soft hair, just like his personality, fall down. He patted his round pillow, smiled at Jiang Yan Hui, and his eyes seemed to say goodnight.
A flash of white light appeared, followed by a deafening roar.
Ah Chou's smile froze on his face. He stiffly turned his neck, lay down, and silently pulled the blanket up to cover most of his face.
While they weren't afraid of thunder, it wasn't exactly safe in the deep mountains and forests amidst wind and rain, let alone for Ah Chou, who was already afraid of sleeping outdoors.
"Afraid?" Jiang Yan asked back.
Ah Chou only showed his big eyes, which gleamed under the oil lamp, and nodded without trying to be clever.
Jiang Yan patted the soft couch beneath her. "Want to come up and sleep?"
Ah Chou shook his head and refused without even thinking.
She absolutely dared not squeeze onto the cramped bed with Jiang Yan Hui again; she knew she would lose control of her body's reaction, and she would need Jiang Yan Hui's help then. What if the sound leaked out and someone else heard...
Even before it happened, just thinking about it made Ah Chou blush.
Thunder rumbled outside, and large raindrops pounded against the carriage floor. The oil lamp was extinguished, and Ah Chou lay on his makeshift bed on the floor, unable to fall asleep.
I went through all the possible dangers of a rainy day in my mind, and the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt. I wished I could get up and watch everything outside to feel at ease.
There was still a journey to take us tomorrow, so Ah Chou closed his eyes tightly, turned to the side and curled up, forcing himself not to think about so many meaningless things.
Time ticked by with each falling raindrop. Just as Ah Chou was thinking about how to pull Jiang Yan away to escape the landslide, a hot body pressed against him from behind, sweeping away all the chaotic thoughts in his mind.
Ah Chou held his breath, unsure whether it was a dream or reality. How did Jiang Yan Hui, who was sleeping on the soft couch, suddenly appear beside him?
It wasn't until an arm wrapped around his waist that Ah Chou truly realized the person behind him was Jiang Yan Hui, and he was more confused than excited.
Undeniably, with Jiang Yanhui in her arms, A Chou's uneasy heart calmed down. She softly lowered her eyelashes, cherishing the tender moment between the two of them.
"Still too scared to sleep?"
With mixed feelings, Jiang Yanhui pulled A Chou closer to her, closed her eyes, buried her face in her neck, and inhaled his scent.
After nodding, Ah Chou realized that it was too dark in the carriage and that no one could see his movements, so he slowly turned his body to face Jiang Yan Hui.
Their breaths mingled, their noses almost touching, and their hearts pounded uncontrollably. Ah Chou was even afraid that the drum-like pounding of his heart would disturb Jiang Yan Hui's ears.
Ah Chou nodded, but then felt it wasn't enough, so she squeezed Jiang Yan Hui's hand under the blanket.
With a rustling sound, Jiang Yanhui seemed to be holding something and handing it to A Chou. The cold metal touch made A Chou shiver with gratitude.
The object felt like a dagger, with an uneven surface that was probably carved with patterns. Ah Chou was a little scared of it and urged Jiang Yan to take it back.
The woman said in a low voice, "Take it, use it to weigh down the pillow."
Perhaps it was because it was late and she was tired, but Jiang Yanhui's voice was a bit hoarse than usual, as if she was desperately suppressing something.
It's a pity the carriage was too dark, otherwise Ah Chou would have definitely taken a closer look to see what was wrong, in case he was just pretending to be unwell.
There was another rustling sound, the warmth around her vanished, leaving her feeling empty inside. Ah Chou blinked uncomfortably, her arms twitching as if trying to hold onto the hard-won warmth.
Then I saw a blurry outline; he had already lay back on the soft couch.
Ah Chou gripped the dagger tightly until the metal scabbard was warm in his palm, then reluctantly put it back under his pillow, obediently listening to Jiang Yan's instructions to use it as a pillow weight.
Strangely enough, Ah Chou slept soundly all night without any dreams after placing the dagger under her pillow. Whether it was due to the dagger or Jiang Yan Hui's embrace before she fell asleep, no one knows.
A series of clear birdsong echoed through the mountains and forests. Ah Chou, who had just opened her eyes, lay on the mattress for a moment, then turned her bright black and white eyes to look for the person on the soft couch. Jiang Yan Hui had already gotten up.
Ah Chou suddenly remembered something and, with a little excitement, reached under his pillow. Sure enough, he felt something hard. Last night's dream wasn't real.
When Ah Chou took it out and looked at it, he was stunned.
The dagger was engraved with intricate patterns, which Ah Chou couldn't understand the meaning of, but he thought it was very beautiful.
The scabbard is inlaid with various small, finger-sized gemstones, the most eye-catching of which is the bright red ruby in the center.
Even if Ah Chou didn't understand the value of the dagger, he could tell from its appearance that it was quite expensive. He had also seen Jiang Yanhui handling the dagger several times, clearly enjoying it.
A warm feeling welled up in Ah Chou's heart. The cold dagger was now imbued with extraordinary meaning, and he liked it no matter how he looked at it.
After quickly washing himself up, Ah Chou busily tidied up the carriage. When he arrived at Dou Yu's carriage, he was surprised to find that it had already been tidied up.
Dou Yu sat in the front of the carriage without any regard for his image, fanning himself with his hand. He was exhausted from his battle with the bedding.
"You don't need to help me tidy up anymore, I've already learned how!"
Dou Yu puffed out his chest proudly. Making the bed and folding the quilts was nothing to him.
Ah Chou curiously looked into the box at the back of the carriage. The bedding wasn't folded in at all; it was just haphazardly crumpled up and stuffed in, with a corner sticking out.
Ah Chou was both amused and exasperated.
When Dou Yu saw Ah Chou roll up his sleeves to help him tidy up, he quickly stopped him, saying, "Hey! I've already finished, so don't bother helping me anymore. I'm already feeling embarrassed."
Knowing that Ah Chou was no ordinary person, yet unable to tell him the truth, and still taking advantage of Ah Chou serving him, Dou Yu was so ashamed that he couldn't sleep all night.
He got up at the crack of dawn and struggled with the mattress, finally managing to stuff it into the box. He wasn't sure if he could manage it if he tried again.
Ah Chou didn't understand Dou Yu's thoughts. It was just a small favor, but Dou Yu made it sound like a huge deal.
But Dou Yu didn't like it, so A Chou didn't force her.
The dagger was valuable, and Ah Chou didn't want to lose it, but since it was given to him by Jiang Yan Hui, he didn't want to put it in the box either.
So I found a dagger pouch that could be hung on my waist and put the dagger there. That way, I could see it anytime, anywhere, and I wouldn't lose it.
The dagger hung at Ah Chou's waist, its ruby gleaming in the sunlight, making it impossible to miss.
Ah Chou then noticed that many people were staring at him today, and upon closer inspection, they realized that they were all looking at the dagger on his waist.
Ah Chou felt a little uncomfortable, keeping his head down and following closely beside Jiang Yan Hui. The probing gazes suddenly disappeared.
One autumn rain brings a chill. The fine, continuous autumn rain is neither as intense as summer nor as cold as winter. It is refreshing but also carries a hint of chill and a lingering dampness.
With the experienced Pan Qiu leading the team, they avoided many troubles along the way. Upon reaching a government office, they took Wang Xiaojuan away. Pan Qiu had presumably already explained clearly how to deal with the bandits on Phoenix Mountain.
The convoy returned to Beijing in late autumn, half a month earlier than expected.
The prosperity of the capital city was indeed well-deserved. The bustling economy was evident even from the street vendors hawking their wares. While not everyone on the streets wore silk and satin, they were all dressed warmly. Even in the most remote corners, there was no dirt or homeless beggars; everywhere exuded a thriving and prosperous atmosphere.
The happiest person to return to the capital was Dou Yu. He had been eager to share everything he had seen and heard with his friends, and he also wanted to ask them if anything shocking or unusual had happened in the capital while he was away.
Because the guards were given military ranks, Pan Qiu led them to temporarily enter the city's garrison to await orders.
By the Emperor's grace, and considering the hardships of the journey, he was permitted to rest at his residence for a day before entering the palace for an audience.
As soon as the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree left, Deng Jiajin couldn't wait to ask for a horse to return to the mansion. She shook off her fatigue and dejection and rode the horse with great spirit.
Dou Yu was taken away by her uncles who were waiting at the city gate as soon as she entered the city, so she probably won't see her best friend for a while.
Dou Yu looked at Jiang Yan Hui with a pitiful plea for help. Putting aside whether Jiang Yan Hui would speak up for Dou Yu, the fighting power of Dou Yu's uncles was well-known in the upper-class circles of the capital.
The Jiangbei Prince's Mansion is located on a relatively secluded street. Upon entering, one immediately feels a sense of quietness, as if one were not in the capital city where land is incredibly valuable.
Several senior servants in front of the Jiangbei Prince's Mansion eagerly awaited their master's return. The moment they saw the carriage, those who were easily moved to tears turned away to wipe them away.
The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the gate. As soon as Jiang Yan Hui got out of the carriage, he was surrounded. The old man at the head of the group took Jiang Yan Hui's hand affectionately, and his cloudy eyes carefully looked at his young master whom he had not seen for many years, with tears in his eyes.
"Young master, you've lost a lot of weight." The old man said with great concern, patting Jiang Yan's hand and comforting himself, "You'll be back soon enough. You'll have a good New Year."
Jiang Yanhui's expression softened unexpectedly. She bent slightly, mindful of the old man's advanced age, and raised her voice considerably as she asked, "Uncle Wang, how are you feeling?"
"Great! It's great!" Uncle Wang said with a smile.
They noticed the young boy who got off the carriage after Jiang Yan Hui. He was fair-skinned and very pleasing to the eye. He stood obediently behind Jiang Yan Hui, his eyes never leaving her.
Naturally, he also noticed the dagger hanging on Ah Chou's waist. A glint flashed in his cloudy eyes, and his smile deepened.
He waved to Ah Chou and said kindly, "Good child, come here and let your uncle take a look."
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Author's note: It's gotten colder lately~ Everyone, please keep warm! [cheering emoji]
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