Chapter 100, Extra 2: Previous Life (I)
It has been more than half a month since General Ji Rang returned to Beijing after his victorious southern expedition.
Ji Rang rarely stayed in the capital for so long. In previous years, after returning from a victorious battle, he would report the battle situation and receive rewards, then lead his personal guards to leave the capital and stay at the border all year round. Therefore, the general's mansion was only managed by three or five old servants, and it was simple and deserted.
This time he stayed for half a month. It was said that it was because His Majesty intended to marry the third princess to Ji Rang. The imperial edict granting the marriage had been drafted and was only waiting for an auspicious day to be chosen for its issuance.
The Ji family has been loyal for generations. Ji Rang grew up with his father at the border since he was a child. He went into battle at the age of fifteen. Since his father died in the Battle of Shanhaiguan nine years ago, the eighteen-year-old Ji Rang took the lead and personally led three thousand cavalrymen to attack the enemy camp at night, beheaded the enemy and avenged his father.
Over the past nine years, Ji Rang has fought wars in the south and the north, and has never been defeated wherever he has been. The surrounding countries are "terrified when they hear of Ji". He has become the undefeated god of war in the hearts of the people, and also the general who protects the Jin Dynasty.
Ji Rang is now twenty-seven years old and still unmarried. In the past few years, many people came to propose marriage, including the prime minister's daughter, but Ji Rang refused them all on the grounds that "I have been stationed in the border town all year round, and the environment is cold and windy and snowy. I don't want to offend the beautiful woman."
The Ji family has always kept to themselves and never participated in court affairs. Furthermore, they seldom returned to the capital. Many people could hardly even meet the great general, let alone make friends with him. Those officials who wanted to win over the general by means of marriage had their plans dashed and had to give up.
As soon as the news of the emperor's marriage was spread, countless girls in the capital who admired General Ji were heartbroken. However, Ji Rang, who was meeting the emperor in the palace at this time, submitted a letter of resignation to the emperor.
"Yesterday I received an urgent report from the army that the Western Xia have been harassing small border towns in recent days. I am afraid there may be unusual movements. Please allow me to leave the capital, Your Majesty."
The king, half leaning on the couch, waved his hand and smiled, "Western Xia is nothing to mention." He sat up a little with the help of the eunuchs, looked at the man in black clothes with extraordinary demeanor in the hall, and said with a smile, "My dear, have you considered my previous proposal?"
Ji Rang lowered his eyes and said, "The war is not over yet, and the world is not yet unified. I have no intention of taking care of my family. I ask Your Majesty to choose a good match for the third princess."
The king stopped smiling and said in a deep voice, "Is it that my third princess is not worthy of you?"
The ambergris spread silently, and the atmosphere in the room became solemn for a moment.
Ji Rang still had a look of shock on his face. He stood up and knelt, saying neither humbly nor arrogantly, "I dare not. I am not worthy of the Third Princess. The battlefield is ruthless and the swords are blind. I dare not delay the princess. Please think twice, Your Majesty."
The king looked at him for a long while, and finally sighed, "Forget it, since you don't want to, I won't force you. But it's almost the end of the year, and you haven't spent the New Year in the capital for a long time. Now that you are back, you should stay a little longer."
Ji Rang bowed his head and said, "I obey your order."
After resolving the biggest worry in his heart, when he walked out of the palace gate, Ji Rang felt that the cold palace walls were much more pleasing to the eye.
The white plum blossoms were in full bloom inside the wall, clustered on the branches, and the air was filled with cool fragrance. He was in a good mood and picked two branches to take out of the palace.
As soon as they returned to the general's mansion, Zhang Bo, the old butler who had been in charge of the mansion since the old general was in office, came to greet them immediately. Seeing Ji Rang holding the plum blossoms and smiling, he looked excited and asked, "Is it done?"
Ji Rang glanced at him slowly: "What?"
Zhang Bo asked anxiously, "Your Majesty has granted me your marriage! Have you accepted the order? When will I get married?"
Ji Rang handed the plum blossoms to him and said, "Put them in a vase and put them in my room. Oh, and plant some white plum blossoms in my yard next spring. They are quite fragrant."
Uncle Zhang stamped his feet, knowing that the plan had failed again.
She doesn't like this, and she doesn't want that. Now she even dares to refuse His Majesty's princess. He can't help but start to worry. Could it be that his own general likes men?
However, this worry did not last long. Yue Mo Ji Rang simply led his personal guards to suppress the bandits, and when he returned to Beijing, he brought back a little girl.
Zhang Bo, who was waiting at the gate of the mansion, was so frightened when he saw his general walk in holding a woman, that he almost sprained his old waist.
The little girl in his arms was wrapped tightly in a black cloak. Zhang Bo didn't even see what she looked like. He only heard Ji Rang's order: "Clean up the yard."
Zhang Bo hurriedly agreed, and after making the arrangements, he finally found a chance to ask Ji Rang's deputy general, "Whose girl is that, General?"
The deputy general said, "It was the woman the general rescued from the bandits. The rest of the subordinates don't know either."
Rescued from bandits?
And brought it back home?
Zhang Bo thought back to the general's demeanor and behavior just now. He had watched him grow up, so how could he not see the difference in the way Ji Rang, who had not been close to women for so many years, treated the girl in his arms.
But if this girl was from some innocent family, it would be fine, but we don't know her origins...
Forget it, at least she's a girl.
Better than men.
Zhang Bo, who was relieved in an instant, happily arranged for his men: "Choose two servants who are good at serving and obedient and send them to the West Courtyard, and then buy some clothes and jewelry for the girls. Oh, yes, the Oncidium in the flower garden bloomed a few days ago, and transplant some to the West Courtyard. I remember that there seemed to be swords used by the general in the wing room? Move them out quickly, don't scare the lady."
Servant: "Madam?"
Zhang Bo stroked his beard happily and said, "Yes, we have a general's wife."
…
The west courtyard had not been cleaned up yet, so Ji Rang carried the person to his room.
The general was incorruptible and always distributed most of his rewards to his soldiers without any private storage. Therefore, his room looked simple and plain. There was only a half-person-high white-glazed porcelain vase with a few plum blossoms in it placed in front of the window.
The flowers gradually withered, but the fragrance remained, half hazy and half cold. The little girl who had been curled up in his arms slowly raised her head and looked around cautiously.
Ji Rang put her on the soft couch in the outer room.
She looked thin and small, her face covered in blood. She huddled up in his cloak, not daring to look up at him.
Ji Rang closed the doors and windows to block out the cold wind and snow, and lit the bronze heater beside the couch. Finally, some heat rose in the room. He sat down beside the couch, trying to keep his voice as low as possible so as not to scare her: "Are you still cold?"
The little girl lowered her head, her black hair spread on both sides, her face could not be seen clearly, and she just shook her head slightly.
Ji Rang thought for a moment and asked again, "Are you hungry?"
She still shook her head.
For the first time, the general, who was known for his decisiveness in killing, felt helpless.
He grew up in the army, surrounded by a group of rough men, and his temper became harder and harder after years of fighting in the south and the north. He knew how to manage an army of 200,000, but he didn't know how to get along with a little girl who looked like he could break her wrist with two fingers.
Fortunately, the guards knocked on the door soon, breaking his embarrassment: "General, the hot water is ready."
Ji Rang said in a deep voice: "I understand. Let's go down." After the figure outside the house left, he stood up and looked down at the little girl in front of him: "Shall I take you to take a bath?"
She finally stopped shaking her head. When she looked up at him, her eyes were clear and soft. She asked in a low voice, "General, are you going to keep me in the mansion?"
Ji Rang smiled and said, "Do you want to stay?"
She pursed her lips, and after a while, she nodded gently.
He leaned over, picked her up with his hands, turned around and walked out: "Then stay."
When the little girl was bathing in the room, Ji Rang stood outside the door. Not long after, Zhang Bo came over with a set of clean clothes. "There are few women's clothes in the mansion. I have sent someone to buy them. These are the clothes left by the lady. General, take a look..."
Ji Rang took it and said, "No problem."
Zhang Bo was very excited. He rubbed his fingers and asked, "What's the name of the girl the general brought back? How old is she? Is she married? Are her parents still alive?"
Ji Rang thought for a moment and said, "Her name is Qi Ying."
Uncle Zhang: “No more?”
Ji Rang: “No more.”
Uncle Zhang: “…”
Ji Rang smiled and patted Zhang Bo's shoulder: "Wait until she has rested well, then you can ask her yourself. Clean up the west yard as soon as possible. Oh, and put more heaters in the house, she is afraid of the cold."
He actually knows how to feel sorry for people.
Zhang Bo's face was immediately filled with relief and he took the order and left.
After a while, the sound of water in the house gradually became smaller. Ji Rang was a military general with extraordinary hearing. He knocked on the door, and the sound of water disappeared instantly. He could almost imagine the little girl frozen in the water.
He sneered silently and cleared his throat: "I found some clean clothes. Can I bring them in for you? If I don't come, I'll just put them on the screen and you can take them yourself."
The little girl's soft voice came out with water vapor: "Okay."
He pushed open the door, and the room was filled with heat. At the door stood a six-panel screen with a landscape painting of a pond, moon, and bamboos. He kept his word, draped his dress over the screen, and turned to close the door.
There was a rustling sound behind the door, and soon the little girl came out wearing her dress.
After shedding the blood stains, the girl was now dressed in white and green, her eyes and brows reflecting the flying snow and cold moon, more beautiful than the clusters of white plum blossoms within the palace walls.
It was getting dark.
Ji Rang led her around the corridor, and when they returned to the room, the cook had already brought the food. Ji Rang was always kind to his servants, and there was no distinction between master and servant. The cook smiled when she saw the pretty girl following him: "It's rare to have a female family member in the mansion, so eat first, girl. If there is anything that doesn't suit your taste or you want to eat, just tell me."
Qi Ying nodded shyly, and when she saw the food on the table, she swallowed secretly.
She had never seen so many delicious foods.
Over the years, she had been fleeing with the refugees, and had even chewed tree bark during famine. Even though the general's mansion was simple, it was still better than her previous life.
This man not only saved her, but also gave her clothes and food. Qi Ying looked at the man in front of her with gratitude and sat down beside him obediently.
She was a little reserved. If the general didn't pick up the food, she wouldn't touch it either. She also wouldn't touch the food that the general hadn't picked up.
When they were halfway through eating, Ji Rang suddenly called her, "Yingying."
Qi Ying almost dropped the chopsticks, and the blush climbed from her neck all the way to behind her ears, like the blooming peach blossoms in late March.
He raised his eyebrows slightly: "You don't mind me calling you that, right?"
She lowered her eyes, her thick eyelashes trembling slightly, and said in a mosquito-like voice: "I don't mind."
Ji Rang picked up the dish of kidney bean cake that he had not touched with his chopsticks and put it in her bowl. He said softly, "I don't like sweets. This is made by the cook specially for you. Try it and see if it suits your taste."
She was a little surprised by the word "specially", as if it was the first time that someone treated her so well, and her wet eyes were full of emotion.
After taking a bite obediently, she curled up the corners of her lips into a sweet smile: "It's delicious."
Ji Rang also smiled and picked up another one for her. "Since you want to stay, you can treat this place as your home from now on. Don't be restrained."
The sweet aroma of kidney bean cake spread along her tongue. She had never eaten such delicious cakes before. It was so sweet to her heart.
While they were still eating, Zhang Bo came over with a lantern. When he entered the room, he saw the pretty girl and bowed cheerfully: "This old servant greets the Madam."
Qi Ying was chewing a kidney bean cake when Zhang Bo called her "Madam" and she was choked for a long time.
Ji Rang was carrying water and patting his back. He looked at Zhang Bo, who looked embarrassed, with amusement and changed the subject: "But has the West Courtyard been tidied?"
Uncle Zhang said immediately, "Yes, please... Miss Ying, please go over and take a look. If you need anything, just tell me."
Ji Rang nodded and asked Qi Ying, whose face was red from choking: "Are you full?"
She nodded repeatedly.
Ji Rang stood up and walked to the inner room, took out a black coat and put it on her shoulders, "Then go over and take a look."
The snow was still falling, and a canna in the yard was weighed down by the snow. Under the light of the lamp under the eaves, the dark green of the roots was visible. Zhang Bo walked in front with a lantern. He was still interested in asking about Qi Ying's life experience. When he learned that she was an orphan, he sighed and knew that there was no need to ask more questions.
In those years, wars were raging everywhere. He had followed the old general to the northern border, and wherever he went, there were refugees everywhere and the land was devastated. Later, the young general was ordered to take over the seal of command in times of crisis, and gradually calmed down the chaos.
The girl looks so frail, she must have suffered a lot over the years.
Uncle Zhang asked again, "I wonder how old Miss Ying is?"
Qi Ying replied in a low voice: "It will be the fifteenth day after the Chinese New Year."
Before Zhang Bo could answer, Ji Rang, who was walking at the end, smiled and said, "She's still a little girl."
Qi Ying's ears felt inexplicably hot.
When I arrived at the west courtyard, there were two lanterns hanging under the eaves of the gate, swaying gently in the night breeze. Two maids were waiting at the door. When they saw someone coming, they bowed respectfully.
There were no maids in the mansion originally. Ji Rang did not like outsiders to serve him closely. These two maids were newly added today. Zhang Bo said, "This is Miss Ying. You must serve her well from now on."
Qi Ying hid behind Ji Rang and smiled at them shyly.
The two maids had been worried that it would be difficult to serve their master, but when they saw Qi Ying's look, they smiled with relief.
The west courtyard is quiet and elegant, with lush flowers and plants even in winter. The bright moon shines over the Oncidium orchids, and the rose vines climbing the courtyard wall have their dead leaves hidden by the snow.
According to Ji Rang's instructions, heaters were placed in all four corners of Qi Ying's room, making the room warm. The maid and Zhang Bo closed the door and left, leaving only the two of them in the room. She looked around and asked in a low voice, "Is this my room?"
Ji Rang nodded: "Do you like it?"
She was a little excited: "I like it."
When he saw her smile, he was happy and smiled too: "You were frightened today and you must be tired. You should rest early. If you need anything, tell me tomorrow."
He made a move to leave. Qi Ying was stunned for a moment and subconsciously called out, "General."
Ji Rang turned around, his eyes gentle: "Hmm?"
The girl lowered her eyebrows, clenched her fingers into fists, and spoke softly after a long while: "Don't you want me to serve you?"
She is not a little girl anymore. After all these years of wandering, she has already understood many things.
He brought her back home and gave her a new life, which couldn't be a good deed.
But she wasn't disgusted.
This man is a hero admired by the whole world. The moment he entered her sight, he also entered her heart.
Besides, he saved her, so she should repay him.
After he asked this question, the room was silent for a moment, and only the sound of sparks jumping in the stove could be heard. Her heart was beating fast, her ears were red, and she didn't dare to look at him at all.
Ji Rang looked at her for a long time and couldn't help laughing.
Qi Ying looked up, confused, and met his deep gaze. She heard him say, "You are still a little girl."
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