CXD - 4

Until the wind picked up, and thousands of troops galloped past beneath the teahouse, Jiang Zhiyi’s hand resting on the windowsill remained stiff, unmoving. Her eyes were fixed on the now-empty street, unblinking.

The spectators by the roadside erupted into murmurs, whispering and pointing as they discussed something.

Jingzhe quickly pulled the dazed Jiang Zhiyi back inside and closed the window.

The chattering voices were shut out, and the private room fell silent.

Jiang Zhiyi’s face alternated between pale and flushed as she stared at the now-closed window. After a long while, she came to her senses and slowly turned her head: “He... just said what?”

Jingzhe coughed lightly: “Young General Shen asked if you wanted to drink the tea. When you didn’t respond, he left...”

“The sentence before that.” Jiang Zhiyi gripped her handkerchief and steadied herself against the windowsill.

“He seemed... he seemed not to recognize you...”

“He doesn’t— He doesn’t recognize—” Jiang Zhiyi laughed bitterly in anger, “Did fighting blind him?!”

“Surely it’s because you’ve grown even more beautiful over the years, so enchanting that Young General Shen couldn’t recognize you at first glance!”

“So you’re saying I wasn’t this enchanting before?”

“Then maybe he recognized you...” Jingzhe forced herself to continue thinking, “But he was afraid to drink your tea, so he pretended not to know you to drive you away?”

“You think I’m stupid enough to fall for his tricks in public?”

Jingzhe was speechless.

Jiang Zhiyi’s chest rose and fell as she calmed her breathing, then sat back down in the chair.

Jingzhe hurried over to pour tea, noticing the storybook Yiyi Zhuan on the small table. Suddenly realizing something, she exclaimed: “The story says to use the male protagonist’s sword to break the spell. Since the male protagonist is written based on Young General Shen, did you intentionally invite him upstairs to see his sword?”

“What else about him could possibly be worth my second glance?”

Jiang Zhiyi drank some tea to cool her temper, sat quietly for a moment, and still couldn’t figure it out.

If it had been in the past, this person would have retorted by the time she spoke the first sentence and rushed upstairs by the second. But seeing Shen Yuance remain calm and composed, seemingly unmoved, she found herself uncertain whether he truly didn’t recognize her or if fighting had changed his nature.

Jiang Zhiyi gestured to someone beside her: “Mirror.”

Jingzhe took out a small handheld bronze mirror from her belongings and held it up for her.

Jiang Zhiyi turned her face left and right, examining herself in the mirror. Then she spread her arms and looked down at herself.

Having been beautiful from childhood, steadfast and unwavering in her beauty, how could someone be so blind as to not recognize her?

Jingzhe: “Young General Shen has gone to the palace to meet the Emperor. What do we do now?”

“Is he the only one in Chang’an with a sword? Must I rely solely on him?” Jiang Zhiyi picked up the storybook and slapped it aside, “Isn’t this book supposed to predict everything accurately? Go to the Three Remainders Bookstore now and tell them to change the male protagonist!”

In the afternoon, a luxurious carriage adorned with silver roofs and pearl curtains, intricately carved and inlaid with jade, stopped at the entrance of the suburban military camp.

Inside the carriage, Jiang Zhiyi, whose body felt numb from the bumpy ride, sat with a sullen expression, swallowing her frustration.

She didn’t know what misfortune she had encountered this morning. After leaving the teahouse, she hit another snag at the Three Remainders Bookstore.

The shopkeeper also claimed to have never seen the book Yiyi Zhuan , speculating it might have been mistakenly placed in the box sent to the Marquis Mansion before being officially recorded. He promised to trace its origin and immediately deliver any subsequent volumes or the original author to the mansion once found.

By the time they found it, she might already be beyond saving. So she visited Taiqing Temple next, seeking advice from Daoist Zhang about the prescription.

As it turned out, Daoist Zhang’s explanation matched the one in the storybook: if selecting a weapon, a blood-stained sword was naturally the best choice, and the fresher the blood, the better the result.

Speaking of fresh blood, who could be fresher than Shen Yuance, just returned from the battlefield?

After leaving the temple, Jiang Zhiyi sat calmly in the carriage for half an hour, reciting “patience brings great plans” eight hundred times in her mind. She then set off here—

Except for the generals, border troops weren’t allowed to stay in the city. It was said that after leaving the palace, Shen Yuance hadn’t yet returned home and went directly to the suburbs to settle the Xiance Army that had returned with him.

At the camp entrance, the soldiers on duty saw the imperial token presented by Jingzhe and immediately let them pass to inform inside.

Jingzhe returned to the carriage and helped Jiang Zhiyi put on a veil hat that hung to her waist: “This countermeasure must be done personally. You’ll have to go down. When you see Young General Shen, please control your temper.”

Endure it; this might be the only time in her life. Once she got through this ordeal, she would never visit Shen Yuance again.

Jiang Zhiyi took a deep breath and bent down to get out of the carriage.

Surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing water on one side, the air was filled with a cold earthy smell. As soon as she stepped out of the carriage, Jiang Zhiyi couldn’t help but cover her nose with a handkerchief. Stepping down onto the footrest, she hesitated.

“My lady,” Jingzhe whispered softly, “patience brings great plans.”

Jiang Zhiyi lifted one foot, staring at her shiny white shoe, then glanced at the muddy ground about to touch her shoe tip. She withdrew her foot and gritted her teeth: “How can this be tolerated?”

Jingzhe gave a look to the accompanying guard.

Understanding, the guard fetched a roll of pristine velvet blanket from the spare carriage and unfurled it with a flick of his wrist.

The blanket rolled out, all the way from the carriage into the camp.

“...” The busy soldiers in the camp watched the rolling blanket with their eyes wide open, stunned like wooden chickens.

Looking up, they saw the young maiden stepping out of the carriage, draped in a white fox feather cloak, wearing a dazzling colorful dress. Her embroidered pointed shoes lifted the front hem of her skirt high, gazing down at this “path of clouds,” satisfied. She lifted her shoe tip and walked into the camp, her veil fluttering in the breeze, her jewelry jingling melodiously.

The tall and sturdy deputy general stumbled, almost tripping over a post. After a pause, he quickly stepped forward: “Deputy Mu Xin Hong pays respects to the princess!”

Jiang Zhiyi stood still in the middle of the camp, amazed by the sight of tents being erected.

Could people live in such simple structures made of a few wooden poles and a piece of cloth?

Though the Shen family wasn’t among the prestigious clans, since Commander Shen rose to prominence through military exploits, they were considered new nobility. Shen Yuance had indulged in luxury from a young age. How could he endure living in such rough conditions? Had he truly transformed into a different person?

Jingzhe approached the deputy general: “Our princess is grateful for Young General Shen’s rescue of the cat this morning and has brought gifts to express her thanks. Is Young General Shen in the camp?”

“The young general...” Deputy Mu looked around, “should be out inspecting.”

“Oh, then my visit is ill-timed.” Jiang Zhiyi’s words were cold and indifferent, but her lips curled slightly under the veil.

It was better that he wasn’t here. After all, she was looking for the sword.

Given the relationship between Shen Yuance and her, if he knew what she wanted, he wouldn’t cooperate willingly. She never intended to openly borrow the sword today and had been pondering how to distract him when the opportunity arose. Now, this step was conveniently skipped.

Fate was indeed on her side.

Seeing that the weapons displayed outside weren’t valuable, Jiang Zhiyi subtly scanned the surroundings and targeted the prominent large tent in the center of the camp.

Jingzhe caught on to Jiang Zhiyi’s intention: “Do you have a place for us to rest here?”

“This... as you can see, the tents haven’t been fully set up yet...”

“That one isn’t set up?” Jingzhe pointed behind him.

“That’s our young general’s tent; it might not be appropriate...”

“It’s freezing out here. Even if our young general were here, he’d invite our princess inside to warm up. If you stand here making excuses and our princess catches a chill, can you bear the responsibility?”

“But this...”

A soft “snap” sounded, and Mu Xin Hong shivered, touching his lower back where a pebble had struck him. He slowly turned his head.

“This—” Mu Xin Hong cautiously focused on the gap in the tent door, “seems like it can’t be borne?”

Jiang Zhiyi: “? “

Does this need to be imagined?

Didn’t your general teach you that the princess holds a first-rank position, even higher than him?

After a moment of silence, Mu Xin Hong quickly turned back, bowed, and gestured respectfully: “You’re right, you’re right… Princess, please follow me.”

Indeed, they were Shen Yuance’s men, appearing somewhat dim-witted.

Jiang Zhiyi looked at this person strangely, stepped onto the velvet carpet, and waited for Mu Xin Hong to lift the tent flap. Standing at the entrance, she scanned the interior.

The hexagonal tent was divided into two parts by a curtain. The inner part was unseen, probably where the bed was located. Outside, there was a desk, a sand table, a row of weapon racks, and…

Spotting the solitary ebony sword stand beside the weapon rack, Jiang Zhiyi’s gaze sharpened, and she glanced at Jingzhe.

Jingzhe immediately frowned at Mu Xin Hong: “Why is it so cold inside the main tent? Doesn’t your young general’s tent have any charcoal fire?”

“The young general…” Mu Xin Hong glanced at the curtain inside the tent, “isn’t afraid of the cold.”

“Our princess is. Shouldn’t there at least be hot tea prepared?”

“I’ll send someone to fetch it immediately.” Mu Xin Hong walked to the entrance, ordered a soldier, then retreated back into the tent, standing steadfastly to one side.

Jiang Zhiyi silently observed him through her veil.

Though not very bright, he seemed loyal. Perhaps Shen Yuance had spoken ill of her to his subordinates, making them treat her like a thief.

She owned mountains of gold and silver; could she really steal their pile of scrap metal?

Suppressing her irritation, Jiang Zhiyi thought for a moment, beckoned Jingzhe, and walked inside.

Jingzhe followed her all the way to the curtain, leaned close, listened for a moment, and nodded.

Mu Xin Hong stared at the curtain, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. He wiped his sweaty brow.

Jiang Zhiyi turned around, sat on a rosewood chair brought by the accompanying guards, and lightly tapped her fingers on the armrest: “When will your young general return?”

Mu Xin Hong: “To answer the princess, he might not return for a while. Shall I send someone to…”

Jiang Zhiyi raised her palm to stop him: “The young general is busy with official duties. No one is allowed to disturb him.”

“Allow me to thank the princess on behalf of the young general for her consideration.”

“My relationship with your young general…” Jiang Zhiyi smiled silently, tapping her fingers on the armrest more briskly, “need not be so formal.”

The soldier fetching tea soon returned, approached Jiang Zhiyi, and respectfully handed over the tea bowl.

Jingzhe reached out to take it, just touching the rim—

“Ah!” The tea bowl wobbled, spilling tea everywhere. Jiang Zhiyi lifted her skirt and abruptly stood up.

“How could you handle this!” Jingzhe stepped forward, blocking Jiang Zhiyi’s “wet” dress, glanced back at her “dire state,” and hurriedly instructed their guard outside the tent, “Quickly fetch a spare outfit for the princess from the carriage!”

The soldier delivering tea was dumbfounded, looking fearfully at Mu Xin Hong.

“If the princess needs to change, why are you still standing here? Do you want to lose your eyes?” Jingzhe gestured to the two of them.

Mu Xin Hong awkwardly rubbed his trouser legs: “Uh, perhaps, the princess should still...”

“Hurry up and leave!”

“This...” Mu Xin Hong sneakily eyed the motionless curtain, “then... may I take my leave?”

Even taking leave required asking the air for permission. Could the air grow hands to hold you back?

Just as Jiang Zhiyi was about to say something, Mu Xin Hong swiftly pulled the soldier away, exited, and gently closed the tent flap.

Only the whistling wind seeped through the tent seams. Jiang Zhiyi lifted her veil and winked at Jingzhe.

“Princess, you are truly resourceful.” Jingzhe whispered.

“Of course.”

Jiang Zhiyi signaled Jingzhe to approach the ebony sword stand and carefully examined the sword, about three feet long and three inches wide.

“A sword this big, can he even wield it...” Jiang Zhiyi muttered suspiciously. As she leaned closer, she suddenly recoiled, stumbling backward two steps.

“What’s wrong, princess?”

“It stinks! What is this smell?”

Jingzhe approached and sniffed: “Sword... sword smell?”

“? “

“Maybe,” Jingzhe uncertainly inhaled deeply again, “there’s a hint of blood?”

Jiang Zhiyi’s nose wrinkled, but her eyes lit up.

Blood smell—it made sense.

Daoist Zhang had said that to estimate how much blood a sword has bathed in, besides counting how many people it has killed, one looks at whether its groove was long, deep, and wide.

Now with the tent door closed and a thick curtain blocking half the incoming light, it was hard to see clearly.

Jiang Zhiyi nudged Jingzhe with her chin, signaling her to unsheathe the sword while she walked to the curtain, preparing to pull it open.

Jingzhe hesitated, pointing at the scabbard and mouthing to Jiang Zhiyi: It will make noise.

At this point, Jiang Zhiyi lost patience, pointed at her throat, and signaled her to follow her lead: “Cough, cough, cough...”

Jingzhe was taken aback.

Isn’t this too much like “plugging one’s ears while stealing a bell”?

Jiang Zhiyi urged her with a glance, covering her mouth as she coughed and forcefully pulled the curtain open.

With a whoosh, daylight flooded in, instantly illuminating the tent.

Behind the curtain, a half-naked youth with a slightly damp upper body stood, holding a bloodstained towel by the washbasin. He tilted his head curiously at them.

Their eyes met, and Jiang Zhiyi choked on her own throat: “Cough, cough, cough...”

“You... Cough, cough... What are you doing here!”

Yuance looked at her indifferently, tossed the towel aside, and turned to pick up a roll of bandages: “Shouldn’t I be asking you that, princess?”

Jingzhe scrambled over, raising her arm to block Jiang Zhiyi’s view.

Jiang Zhiyi belatedly blinked at the sight of his well-defined bare torso, quickly turning her back: “Why aren’t you dressed!”

“This is my tent; why can’t I undress?”

“Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear that I, the princess, arrived?”

Yuance raised an eyebrow: “I heard. Didn’t you say we shouldn’t be so formal?”

“...Not this informal either.” Jiang Zhiyi clenched her teeth, forcing each word out.

“Then perhaps next time, warn me before pulling the curtain?”

Facing the tent entrance, Jiang Zhiyi clenched her fists tightly, her blood rushing to her head, her mind replaying the scene of her pulling the curtain open.

“You, get dressed immediately, or don’t blame me for reporting your misconduct to the court!”

No response came from behind, only the rustle of fabric moving.

Seems like he was scared into dressing properly.

Jiang Zhiyi exhaled lightly, her hand slowly relaxing at her side. Just as she relaxed, she tightened her grip again and cleared her throat: “You heard everything just now.”

“‘Wait until the tea arrives, then knock it over’—is that what you’re asking about?” A snicker escaped from behind her.

“...”

“Or perhaps—’Princess, you are truly resourceful’ ‘Of course’ these two sentences?”

“...”

Ask if you heard or not, just answer yes or no. Who told you to jump in?

“After all this commotion in the tent, why not just say what you want? If it’s something I can give, I won’t be stingy.”

Jiang Zhiyi was slightly startled, touching her warm ears.

This Shen Yuance, wasn’t he always arrogant? Why does he address himself as “this subject” in front of her?

The rustling sounds behind her ceased, replaced by the sound of someone sitting down.

Jiang Zhiyi came to her senses, adjusted her cloak, and turned around gracefully: “I, the princess, have taken a fancy to you...”

...Still not dressed?!

Without waiting for her feet to touch the ground, Jiang Zhiyi hastily turned around again, hiding her face.

Behind her, Yuance sat nonchalantly on the edge of the bed, legs crossed, wrapping a bandage around his shoulder with one hand, glancing down at himself: “Me?”

“? “

“This—” the person behind her pondered seriously for a moment, “I’m afraid I can’t offer myself to the princess.”