Xiao Shao had turned to look at her. His beautiful eyes were like the star-dotted night sky, bright and sparkling. “To defeat ten thousand of the enemy’s troops, yet lose three thousand of your own[1] – is this your strategy?”
[1] 杀敌一万，自损三千 (sha di yi wan, zi sun san qian) – lit. kill 10,000 of the enemy, lose 3000 of your own. The numbers may vary, but the disparity is always great. Fig., it means that even though victory has been achieved, a relatively heavy price has been paid.
He had observed her methods when dealing with the Grand Councillor fu – without batting an eyelid, she had closed in step by step, luring the snake out of its hole, then rendering the final blow and totally decimating the Grand Councillor fu, giving them no hope of return. Her methods were fiercely ruthless and her mind was meticulous. This was the first time in his life that he had observed these qualities in someone so young. From what he could see, her jumping off the cliff had been part of her calculations. Such calculations, where the slightest deviation could result in death, indeed required ruthless methods, and for one to be ruthless even with oneself. Only someone with courage could be this courageously reckless.
“You’re wrong. It’s defeating a hundred thousand of the enemy’s troops, and losing three thousand of my own,” Jiang Ruan corrected him. Thinking of the desperate straits the Grand Councillor fu was in now, a sliver of elation flashed across her heart.
However, she knew that this would never be enough. The suffering that Li Dong had caused her, the suffering that he had caused Pei’er, she had to make him repay all of it, down to the last measure. Looking pensive, Xiao Shao asked, “Why is there such deep hatred between you and the Grand Councillor fu?”
At first, he had thought that she was one of Xuan Li’s people, but then he had witnessed her manoeuvring Xuan Li into an embarrassing and difficult situation, whereupon he knew she was not. The attack featuring the reservoir had been aimed straight at the Grand Councillor fu. Since she had not hesitated in burying all members of the Grand Councillor fu, there had to be a deep animosity between them. However, the Jinyi guards he had sent out to investigate the connection had come up empty. What exactly had happened between them? When Li Dong and his son visited the Jiang fu, this was the first time Jiang Ruan and those people from the Grand Councillor fu had met. She had then responded with cruel ruthlessness. Why?
Jiang Ruan smiled slightly and said, “No comment.”
She found it hard to be at ease with Xiao Shao, but the words had hardly left her mouth when she coughed and her entire body suddenly felt extremely cold as she teetered on the verge of fainting.
Xiao Shao stood up. Before Jiang Ruan could gather her thoughts she felt warmth enveloping her body. Xiao Shao’s black and gold rain silk brocade cloak fell lightly over her.
This crane-patterned cloak was nice and warm, but it was also as light as a feather. Since Xiao Shao had just taken it off, it still held his body warmth. Then, Xiao Shao walked out of the cave, leaving a startled Jiang Ruan behind.
Jiang Ruan wrapped the cloak around her. This act of receiving the cloak at the moment felt like receiving coal in the middle of winter. Her body, which had just felt as cold as an icicle, finally felt a degree of warmth. Not long later, Xiao Shao walked back in, carrying some dry firewood which he had picked up from goodness knows where. In the middle of these cliffs, the rain never stopped falling, and the snow did not melt. It was harder to find dry firewood in this place than to climb up to the sky. With his head and body dusted with snow and frost, Xiao Shao placed the firewood on the ground and used a firestarter[2] to start the fire. The firewood crackled into flame and the dark of the cave immediately gave way to light, and it was so warm and cosy that it felt like an illusion.
[2] 火折子 (huo zhe zi) – according to Baidu, this is a tight paper roll made of very rough earthen paper, which is ignited with fire and then blown out. Although there is no flame at this time, the red highlights can be seen burning faintly, which can remain unextinguished for a long time. Phosphorus and some oxygen-reactive substances are present in the huozhezi. If one blows on it or shakes it very quickly, these substances will react violently with the oxygen and burn.
Xiao Shao said, “Sit over here and dry your clothes, otherwise the cold will seep into your bones and cause many illnesses in future.”
Jiang Ruan did not decline his invitation. Holding the crane-patterned cloak firmly around her, she stood up and walked to sit in front of the fire. Sure enough, once near the fire, her body became much more comfortable. She could not stop herself from holding out both hands in order to warm them further.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Shao reached out to grasp her wrist. Jiang Ruan jolted in surprise, but before she could react, Xiao Shao had already felt her pulse and quickly released her hand with a frown. He eyed her thoughtfully.
Observing his expression, Jiang Ruan asked, with surprise, “Does Xiao Wangye have something to say?”
Xiao Shao shook his head, and his gaze dropped to her shoulder. Jiang Ruan had borne with the wound on her shoulder as she moved, but there was still something strange about her movements. Xiao Shao was so alarmingly perceptive that he could tell something was wrong with one glance. After some thought, he retrieved a small celadon bottle from within his clothes and threw it into her lap. Jiang Ruan picked it up and removed the stopper after a moment’s hesitation. A refreshing scent wafted out, and Xiao Shao said indifferently, “Jin Chuang Yao (lit. golden sore ointment), it will prevent scarring.”
Celadon bottle
Jiang Ruan smiled faintly and said, “Many thanks.”
She was even more suspicious now. That Xiao Shao would help her was turning out to be increasingly strange. This person had always handled himself in a cold and detached manner; why was he now so considerate of her needs? Anyway, to get back to the point at hand, he actually had medical experience? Xiao Shao was such an enigmatic person. In her previous life, Xuan Li had been intent on luring him over to his side, but he was unable to unearth any inside information on Xiao Shao, let alone know he had medical expertise.
On seeing Jiang Ruan accept the medicine, Xiao Shao did not linger, but again left the cave. It appeared that he had left to offer her some privacy, so Jiang Ruan quickly applied the medicine from the celadon bottle on her wound, then roughly bandaged it up. She had no idea that the medicine would be some kind of miracle cure; it was highly effective, such that the wound no longer hurt, and there was a cool and comforting feeling.
Jiang Ruan relaxed.
After a while, Xiao Shao returned with more firewood and a freshly skinned hare. Throwing the firewood on the ground, he selected two branches, tore apart the hare and spitted the meat on the branches, then set them over the fire to roast.
Jiang Ruan watched his movements dazedly.
Xiao Shao looked very serious as he roasted the hare. He was naturally handsome, but now, this moment, being in front of the fire, the flames highlighted his profile, so that he looked incomparably elegant and supremely heroic. His eyes gleamed like black laquer, while his eyebrows were as if brushed on with ink, and his thin lips were tightly pursed. He looked for all the world like a hero roasting a hare in the wilderness of the jianghu, and moved with a natural and unforced grace, like water flowing. His black brocade clothes outlined his slender, straight figure, and while he was always cold and detached, the flames softened his features a little, giving them just the right degree of warmth.
This young man was truly, without a match, handsome and uniquely magnificent.
He offered the roasted hare meat to Jiang Ruan. When he noticed that she was looking at him strangely, he lifted his eyebrows and asked, “What is it?”
Jiang Ruan came back to her senses. She stared at the hare, roasted to perfection, and giving off a heady aroma. The meat had a beautiful, mouth-watering golden hue. Today, her exhaustion was bone deep, and she was famished. When she saw this delicious fare, she took it without any pretence at politeness and, forgetting her reservation towards Xiao Shao for the time being, smiled and said, “Xiao Wangye has excellent cooking skills.”
Xiao Shao wordlessly roasted his share of the meat, the expression in his eyes concealed by his long eyelashes.
Jiang Ruan took a bite of hare and said, “Xiao Wangye, you are as precious as gold and rare jade. That you can manage such trifles with ease is truly unexpected.”
This scion of noble family who was born with a golden spoon in his mouth could not only heal people, but could also handle such menial tasks. Jiang Ruan could not help but think about the rumours regarding Xiao Shao which she had heard in her previous life. Xiao Shao had yet to reach adulthood when the previous Jinying Wang had died and so Xiao Shao had to take over command of the Jinyi guards. At the beginning, everyone had been waiting for him to make a fool of himself, thinking that this young man who was still wet behind the years was only good for laughs. Who knew, after he had assumed command, Xiao Shao managed everything with an iron will. It was not long before he established his absolutely solid standing among the Jinyi guards, and three hundred thousand Jinyi guards followed his every command. People always saw the glory without seeing the hardship that went into attaining that glory. That Xiao Shao achieved this kind of success meant that he must have suffered much in the process. Such an unyielding and tenacious person could never be looked down on.
She inclined her head to look at the young man before the fire. He was only twenty years old, but his usually calm and quiet demeanour, born of many years, made it very easy for people to overlook his age. He was assertive, yet reserved, and arrogant to the bone. The brocade clothes he wore for night work were distinguished yet romantic. Thus, in this gloomy, frosty and wind-swept place, it was possible to have the stirrings of a sense of security because of him.
However, was he a friend, or a foe? It was difficult to tell.
Was it possible that Xiao Shao had rescued her because of the Grand Councillor fu?
In her previous life, Xiao Shao had, in the end, stood with the Crown Prince. Xuan Li and he were absolutely irreconcilable. She had dealt with the Grand Councillor fu, which meant that she was Xiao Shao’s friend. Was that right?
Jiang Ruan softly asked the question which had been on the tip of her tongue this whole time. “Xiao Wangye, why rescue me?”
* * *
At this moment, in the Jiang fu, all was chaos.
Four identical carriages had shot off in four different directions. Except for Jiang Ruan’s carriage, the other three carriages had knocked into boulders or towering trees, and the passengers in the carriages had likewise been thrown around the entire time.
The priority of Guan Liang Han’s men had been to find and rescue them. Jiang Li and Jiang Dan were injured to some extent, but it was not possible to tell if this was deliberate or accidental. When they finally located Jiang Su Su, her injuries were the most severe out of them all.
Hu Die and Qing Ting had lacerations on their foreheads. Jiang Su Su’s carriage had toppled over on a long, steeply inclined slope, and when it had rolled over, Jiang Su Su had been thrown out into a thorny patch of thistles. Because she was wearing a thick layer of clothes, the multitude of thorns had not hurt her body, but her face . . . the previous wound under the veil had already healed to a shallow scar, but the thorns had pricked her all over. When the imperial bodyguards located Jiang Su Su, her face was a mask of blood. With her frightful expression and her hoarse voice calling for help, she appeared to be some kind of demon.
Guan Liang Han ordered someone to escort the injured Jiang young ladies back to the Jiang fu.
Xia Yan was waiting anxiously, when Xiao Si came in unexpectedly to report that soldiers had escorted the carriages back. Her heart thumped alarmingly.
How could it be so fast? It would take the authorities half a day to get to Xue Yi cliff. How could it be so fast?
Then her worst fears were realised as Xiao Si said, “Second Young Miss was also injured.”
Xia Yan stood up straightaway. When she saw Jiang Su Su’s unconscious form, her insides were in turmoil and she was close to fainting.
How did Jiang Su Su come to be so badly injured? Why did she have to have facial injuries? In future, who would want to marry a disfigured woman as his family’s furen?
She grabbed a soldier and asked, “Sir, what happened?”
On seeing that she was the mistress of the Jiang fu, the soldier’s manner took a gentler turn. He said, “Li An of the Grand Councillor fu was raising a private army with the intent of staging a rebellion. He has been captured, and several young ladies were injured, so the General ordered us to escort them home.”
Already been captured? Xia Yan’s face was deathly white. Li An had failed? To have such elite troops, and yet to have failed? She panicked as the thought hit her – if Li An had really been captured, would he implicate her as well? She was terrified at the prospect of being charged with the crime of colluding with a traitor.
Very cautiously, she asked, “Why did he suddenly rebel?”
The soldier noticed that she was not tending to the fu’s injured young ladies, but was instead concerned with these inconsequential matters, and could not help but eye her doubtfully. Upon seeing this, Xia Yan promptly said, “What does this villainous rebel have to do with my fu’s young ladies, such that they would be so wronged? I wish I could skin him alive! Going to prison is too good for him.”
The soldier, no longer suspicious, said, “He has already been escorted back to the capital city. The young ladies in your fu are all safe and sound, apart from Eldest Jiang Miss.”
Xia Yan’s heart skipped a beat. It was only then that she realised that Jiang Ruan had not returned. With a great effort, she suppressed her elation, and effected an exceedingly anxious appearance to ask, “Sir, what do you mean? What has happened to Ruan’er?”
The soldier apologetically looked at her and said, “ Eldest Jiang Miss was forced into a dangerous situation by Li An, so she voluntarily jumped off the cliff. The General has already sent men to look for her, so Furen need not be too worried.”
The gloom that had settled on Xia Ya’s heart due to Jiang Su Su’s disfigurement was instantly swept away. She was dying to scream out loud – Jiang Ruan was dead! Jiang Ruan was dead! How could anyone survive jumping off the cliff? Perhaps the wolves would devour her corpse and leave nothing behind, not even the bones.
Outwardly, her expression changed. Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears, and she looked as if she had suffered a terrible blow. She mumbled to herself, “My Ruan’er . . .”
“Furen, please don’t worry. If you really want to worry about someone, then you should be concerned about the fu’s Second Young Master.”
“Chao’er?” Xia Yan laughed stiffly, and a vague premonition flitted across her heart. “What about Chao’er?”
“The rebel soldiers were pursuing the four young ladies with the intention of killing them, but completely ignored Second Young Master Jiang. When the General found your second son, he was still sitting in the carriage, leisurely drinking tea. The General suspected that he was in collusion with the rebel troops, so he has been imprisoned with Li An.”
Xia Yan could not seem to get a grip on herself. “What? How could Chao’er be a traitor? You all have definitely made a mistake, Chao’er is innocent.”
The soldier bowed to her and said, “We will know what is going on after the interrogations have been completed.” Having said this, he turned and was just about to leave when he suddenly remembered something and turned back to say, “Furen, take comfort. Although Eldest Jiang Miss jumped off the cliff, Jinying Wang has personally descended to the base of the cliff to rescue her. She ought to return safely.” Once he had finished speaking, he departed without looking back.
Xia Yan stood where she was, staring blankly, for a moment. Abruptly, the world before her turned black, and she fainted.
