CXD - 27

This aggressive offer to “bandage” might as well be a threat to “wrap” the young general’s hand and “stab” him with a knife the next moment...

Seeing the hand at the young general’s side falter, and the face under Pei Xueqing’s veil seemingly pale, the atmosphere in the corridor instantly grew tense—

The last time Mu Xin Hong witnessed such hostility was during a battlefield encounter where he took on twelve opponents.

Hearing the approaching voice behind her, Pei Xueqing stepped aside and lowered her head. Her eyes beneath the veil dropped uneasily.

Jiang Zhiyi glared at Mu Xin Hong, who was steadfastly guarding Yuan Ce.

Mu Xin Hong contemplated his options and gave Yuan Ce a look that said, “You’re on your own,” then quietly retreated back behind Yuan Ce.

Yuan Ce: “...”

Jiang Zhiyi raised her boot and stepped forward, standing on the brick where Pei Xueqing had been moments ago. She looked straight at Yuan Ce and lightly nodded her chin: “What does General Shen think?”

Yuan Ce looked at the person across from him, sighing faintly: “Thank you for your concern, Young Master Jiang, and Miss Pei. It’s just a small wound; I can handle it myself. No need to trouble yourselves.”

“?” Jiang Zhiyi’s face turned cold as she scrutinized him from head to toe. “I thought General Shen skipped lunch to do something else...”

Mu Xin Hong was about to say that it was because he was reporting military affairs to the general when—

Jiang Zhiyi: “So you were practicing holding water?”

Yuan Ce: “...”

“But you’ve practiced quite effectively; you’re holding it very steadily.” Jiang Zhiyi said sternly, “However, I personally dislike others holding water. Your Highness—commands you to let me take care of this.”

After saying this deliberately, Jiang Zhiyi grabbed Yuan Ce’s hand and, in front of the other two, simply pulled him away.

As the young general was helplessly dragged further away, Mu Xin Hong gawked and muttered, “She’s really strong,” before remembering someone was still there. He quickly bowed to Pei Xueqing, apologized, and excused himself: “Miss Pei, please forgive the rudeness. Farewell.”

Pei Xueqing lightly trembled her eyelashes and nodded, watching the gradually retreating figures at the end of the corridor. Her shimmering gaze slowly dimmed.

At the end of the corridor, Jiang Zhiyi dragged the person around the corner. Seeing an empty bamboo grove, she let go and turned around.

The warm touch disappeared from his fingertips. Yuan Ce looked down and rubbed his now-empty hand.

When he looked up again, Jiang Zhiyi was already in a confrontational stance: “Well? What’s going on between you and this Miss Pei?”

Yuan Ce slightly raised an eyebrow: “I thought you’d ask first where I’m injured.”

“...”

“Oh,” she had forgotten, “Where are you hurt?”

“The place you just grabbed.”

“Ah?” Jiang Zhiyi’s face changed immediately. She quickly picked up his hand and saw a wound oozing fresh blood on the second joint of his middle finger. She gasped in shock.

His hand was too big; she had only grabbed three fingers earlier, and it seemed she had precisely caught the wound... That must have hurt so much!

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier!”

“Your Highness commanded—I dare not disobey?”

“I was just frantic...” Jiang Zhiyi quickly pulled his hand and walked towards a nearby octagonal pavilion, carefully avoiding his wound this time. “Come here and let me see.”

Yuan Ce was led into the pavilion and pressed onto a bench by the shoulders.

Jiang Zhiyi sat beside him, examining his fingers anxiously: “It looks like it’s about to bleed again. Did I cause this just now...?”

Looking up, she saw Yuan Ce casually letting his hand hang loose, looking completely unconcerned and staring at the top of her head without even glancing at the finger.

“What, are you not close to this finger?” Jiang Zhiyi asked incredulously. “It’s bleeding, doesn’t it hurt?”

Yuan Ce chuckled as if he heard something amusing: “This little cut, since I was three years old—”

“Huh?” Jiang Zhiyi paused. “Three years old?”

Yuan Ce’s gaze flickered: “I mean, over the past three years, I’ve endured so many wounds that this one doesn’t compare.”

“You don’t feel pain, but I do!” Jiang Zhiyi gently pressed a silk handkerchief against the bleeding wound and couldn’t help but hiss in sympathy.

Yuan Ce lazily leaned against a pillar of the pavilion, curving his lips: “No need to suffer on my behalf. If you got this wound, you wouldn’t feel it either; you’d have fainted already.”

“...”

Jiang Zhiyi glared at him, then lowered her head again: “Such a fine cut, yet quite deep. What injured you—”

Halfway through her sentence, Jiang Zhiyi suddenly paused, recalling how her lips brushed his jaw, and the arrow he shot that slipped out of his grasp.

Like the soft hum of a bowstring, both froze simultaneously. They silently stared at each other before quickly averting their gazes.

A sudden heat rose in the chilly air.

Jiang Zhiyi blushed and stared at her boot tips: “That, even a small wound is still a wound. Maybe we should bandage it...”

Yuan Ce looked at the bamboo grove: “...As you wish.”

“The lining of my handkerchief is clean; it just needs to be torn. I can’t tear it...” Jiang Zhiyi handed him the handkerchief, eyes downcast.

Yuan Ce took it, avoiding her gaze, tore off a strip, and continued to look at the scenery beyond the bamboo grove while handing it back to her.

Jiang Zhiyi slowly wrapped the strip around his finger.

The wound disappeared, and the heat in her face finally subsided.

Pinching the remaining ends of the strip, Jiang Zhiyi pondered for a moment, tied a knot, and said: “...Done, take a look.”

Yuan Ce turned his head: “...”

Jiang Zhiyi blinked: “Wh-what’s wrong?”

One finger was wrapped twice its thickness, topped with a prominently visible butterfly knot. What could possibly be wrong?

Yuan Ce: “Is this your—rudimentary medical knowledge?”

“...”

“Isn’t bandaging just wrapping it up and tying it? Where did I go wrong? So picky, why don’t you let Miss Pei, who also ‘slightly understands medicine,’ help you!”

Jiang Zhiyi pouted unhappily, then remembered the matter almost slipped past him: “You haven’t explained yet. What’s going on between you and Miss Pei? Why did she talk to you and show such concern?”

They had merely met in the corridor. She greeted him, and he returned the gesture, revealing the wound.

Yuan Ce answered truthfully.

“Then why does she refer to herself by her intimate name in front of you?”

“Is that unusual?” Yuan Ce blinked. “More than half of the young noblewomen I’ve recently encountered in Chang’an do the same.”

“...”

Alright, if he hadn’t let it slip today, she wouldn’t have known there were countless Pei Xueqings in Chang’an!

Jiang Zhiyi stamped her feet and stood up: “All those girls who refer to themselves by their intimate names in front of you are forbidden to speak to you from now on, or else they’ll face consequences!”

After finishing their meal, students began heading back to the classroom. Walking side by side publicly wasn’t appropriate, so Jiang Zhiyi told Yuan Ce to wait in the pavilion until Gu Yu brought the lunch box over. After eating, he would return; she went ahead to Tian Zi Zhai.

After noon came the first afternoon class. The room was initially filled with drowsiness. When the teacher entered, Jiang Zhiyi noticed that half of the sleepy noble sons in the front row suddenly became alert.

The elderly teacher with silver hair walked to the podium, slammed the ruler, and woke the other half.

Jiang Zhiyi remembered yesterday afternoon’s class with the young teacher. Almost everyone fell asleep. Seeing this stern-looking elder, it seemed he was a formidable figure like Instructor Feng.

But Jiang Zhiyi wasn’t afraid. Sitting in the back row, she occasionally glanced at Yuan Ce on her right, lost in her thoughts.

She mistakenly thought he was still the once-disliked rich brat from outside, forgetting how glorious he was now, making him a sought-after bachelor among the noblewomen of the capital.

With no official title herself, she couldn’t blame those noblewomen for showing interest in him. Perhaps she should throw a banquet and subtly hint to them that this “flower” was already taken?

On the podium, the teacher began the lecture. Jiang Zhiyi occasionally listened, more often preoccupied with planning her banquet.

After an unknown amount of time, she suddenly heard, “Young Master Jiang.”

Jiang Zhiyi lifted her eyelids, meeting the sharp gaze of the elderly teacher on the podium.

“This question, please answer it.”

Jiang Zhiyi was startled, seeing some people in the front row turn around, surprised that the teacher would call on her.

Realizing the reason for the teacher’s impact when entering, Jiang Zhiyi understood.

Scholars unafraid of power, even Emperor Bo finds hard to deal with.

Jiang Zhiyi opened her mouth—

What was the question again?

Though seeing through that she hadn’t been listening, the teacher spared her dignity and repeated: “If you were a court minister now, would you advocate for war or peace?”

A simple binary choice, so she could randomly guess.

Just as Jiang Zhiyi was about to speak—

“What’s your reasoning?”

“...”

Jiang Zhiyi closed her eyes lightly.

Unlike the boys in the class fearing corporal punishment, she knew this teacher wouldn’t punish her. But being questioned in front of these spoiled brats, if she appeared clueless, it would be too embarrassing.

If news of this spread, forget hosting a banquet; she wouldn’t even bother with a wedding feast!

She’d never show her face again!

Jiang Zhiyi masked her forehead with her sleeve, secretly glancing to her right.

By chance, Yuan Ce put down his pen, tore off the written white paper from his desk, and folded it in his palm.

“Teacher, please allow me a moment to think—” Jiang Zhiyi stalled, hoping the note would arrive soon. Just then, she noticed a flash from the front.

Jiang Zhiyi turned her gaze and saw someone in the front row seemingly unintentionally raising their book.

In the blank space of the book, several large characters were clearly written.

Glancing over, Jiang Zhiyi felt relieved: “I advocate for peace.”

On her right, Yuan Ce stopped the note he was about to throw, following Jiang Zhiyi’s line of sight to the front.

Clearing her throat, Jiang Zhiyi recalled the reminder from the large characters and continued: “The combined forces of the northwest tribes have initiated war. If we fight, our army will suffer heavy losses. Looking back at history, Minister Lu Shiqing managed to subdue enemies without fighting when facing the combined forces of Tubo and Nanzhao. If negotiations can break and dissolve the alliance of the northwest tribes, why fight at all?”

The elderly teacher stroked his long beard and nodded with relative satisfaction: “There’s no definitive answer to this question. Advocating for war or peace is merely expressing opinions. Young Master Jiang referencing the historical conflict between Tubo and Nanzhao is relevant—alright, that concludes today’s lesson.”

Jiang Zhiyi sighed in relief, having salvaged her dignity.

Once the teacher left the classroom, the noble sons in the front row collectively turned around: “Young Master Jiang is truly knowledgeable, leaving us in admiration!”

“If I had half of Young Master Jiang’s ability to quote classics, I wouldn’t always get punished!”

“...”

Everyone should just shut up! The truly knowledgeable person who quotes classics sits in front of her.

Jiang Zhiyi gestured for them to stop, awkwardly looking toward the front seat.

Pei Zisong seemed to sense something, partially turning his head and whispering: “This praise belongs to Young Master Jiang. I merely wrote a few words as a reminder. Without knowing this historical fact, Young Master Jiang wouldn’t have understood. Without genuinely advocating for peace, she couldn’t have answered.”

...These words weren’t without merit.

No wonder he was the son of the prime minister; his compliments were measured, avoiding embarrassment, unlike those flatterers.

Jiang Zhiyi slowly nodded, acknowledging her own knowledge.

“Naturally, peace is precious!” Advocating for peace was unquestionable. If war broke out, wouldn’t Brother Ce have to endure hardships at the frontier, separated from her?

Smiling, Jiang Zhiyi felt a gaze land on her face from her right. Turning her head, she exchanged a knowing smile with Yuan Ce, winking her right eye lightly.

Yuan Ce glanced at Pei Zisong, who was speaking eloquently, then expressionlessly turned away. In an unseen corner, he tore the note with the words “advocate for war” into two pieces.