Translated by : Shl
Edited by : Anks & Ely
**********
The jade die lian hua pendant earring was on the ground. Bai Zhi was about to pick it up but Xiao Shao grasped it first. Bai Zhi's fingers trembled slightly and her voice was fraught with suspicion when she asked, "Why do you have my young miss' earring?"
Xiao Shao seemed to be slightly startled. "Jiang Ruan?"
"This is my young miss'," Bai Zhi said. "It's been lost for many years, how did you come by it?"
Xiao Shao turned to glance at Ye Feng, who was looking stiffly back at him.
Zhao Yuan Feng and the others were also looking at him in bafflement. Xiao Shao walked to the edge of the cliff and, contrary to everyone's expectations, lifted the corner of his robe and leaped forward in a sweeping motion. He moved so quickly that no one could stop him in time. Ye Feng only had time to shout, "Master!"
The mist and clouds swirled around Xue Yi cliff. One could only catch glimpses of mountain streams and thick forest in this quiet and secluded place. Yet, it also seemed to harbour boundless danger.
Ye Feng rushed to the cliff edge, a look of self-recrimination on his face. After a momentary shock, Guan Liang Han gradually calmed down and walked over to pat Ye Feng's shoulder. He said, "Xiao Shao's qing gong* is exceptional. If he didn't fully believe that he would succeed, he would not have attempted it. Why don't you return first? Zhao daren and I will work together to send soldiers down there to search for them."
[1] 轻功 (Qing Gong) – a Chinese martial art which tends to be exaggerated in wuxia (martial arts) stories e.g. people being able to move swiftly at superhuman speeds and perform gravity-defying acts such as skimming over tree tops (Think 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'). More .
Although he was also shocked and baffled as to why Xiao Shao had unexpectedly jumped off the cliff edge, he knew that his fellow disciple had never been a headstrong person. Therefore, something must have happened for him to act this way.
Ye Feng listened to Guan Liang Han, and knowing the extent of Xiao Shao's martial arts skill, believed that nothing was likely to befall Xiao Shao. Thus, he regained his composure and walked back to Guan Liang Han's side. While walking past Bai Zhi, he could not help but give her a complicated look.
When Bai Zhi heard Guan Liang Han speak of a search, she heaved a sigh of relief, and hurried to check on Lian Qiao, who looked half-dead as she lay on the ground. Her suspicions plagued her – Jinying Wang and Jiang Ruan were not connected in any way, so why was he carrying this? That jade die lian hua pendant earring had been from a pair of Zhao Mei's favourite earrings; she had brought them with her from the General fu when she got married, and she had always loved them. The workmanship was beautiful, and the raw materials were hard to come by. When Jiang Ruan grew older, Zhao Mei had given the earrings to her, and Jiang Ruan had worn them at all times. Later, on some unknown occasion when Jiang Ruan had gone out, she had returned with only one. Naturally, she could not wear only one earring, so she had put the other one away; because it had belonged to Zhao Mei, Jiang Ruan locked it into a small box, which she wiped clean regularly.
At present, that one was still locked inside the box, but the other earring was on Xiao Shao's person. Why?
Bai Zhi just could not make sense of it.
Two others who could not make sense of it were Zhao Yuan Feng and Zhao Yi. In their eyes, Xiao Shao had jumped off the cliff because of Jiang Ruan. However, as people who were familiar with Xiao Shao's character, they were sure that he was not someone who had tender feelings for the fairer sex. It seemed that there was a close relationship between Xiao Shao and Jiang Ruan, but, the expression on the face of Jiang Ruan's maidservant cast a lot of doubt on that assumption.
However, suspicions notwithstanding, they still had to search for those two. Zhao Yuan Feng waved his hand and said, "I will bring Li An and the captives from the Chi Lei army back to the capital city. Yi'er, you stay with Guan Liang Han, and locate Jiang Ruan's whereabouts." After some thought, he added, with heavy emphasis, "You must find her."
Although the Zhao family had only known Jiang Ruan for a short period of time, the Zhao family truly regarded her as a young lady from the General fu. As her uncle, he was already experiencing much distress about the current situation, and if Jiang Xin Zhi were to find out . . . Zhao Yuan Feng shook his head and sighed inwardly, apprehensive that there would once again be chaos.
* * *
Deep in the mountain forests, the steep cliffs towered over the rest of the terrain. In the middle of the mountains, the snow had not yet melted, and the snow and ice was piled half a foot high. With every step, one's foot sank into the snow, and the cold attacked one's bones like stabbing needles.
The rain fell incessantly, and the icy wind grew colder, as did one's body.
Jiang Ruan walked with an uneven gait on the valley floor of the steep cliff. The mud and snow had rendered her clothes exceedingly dirty, and she cut an extremely sorry figure. She paid no heed to her eerie surroundings and simply kept walking, only stopping when she saw a small cave appear in the distance.
She pulled her clothes tightly around her as she searched for the entrance to the cave and finally entered it. The cave was not big, and there were dense bushes at the entrance, which were barely able to block the icy wind.
As the sky gradually darkened, Jiang Ruan sat down in the depths of the cave entrance leaning against the wall and let out a sigh of relief. Then, she pulled up her sleeve to expose the wound on her shoulder.
Her plain clothes were completely sodden and clung tightly to her arms, and there was the faint reek of blood. As she pulled on the cloth, the slight sound of flesh and skin tearing was heard, and the cloth slowly came apart to reveal the wound beneath it, stuck to it with blood.
It was a deep cut, such that the raw flesh within was protruding from the cut. She must have sustained the laceration from the sharp branches she had encountered as she fell. She had been carrying some medicine with her, but she had no idea where it was now; she had probably lost it during the fall.
Jiang Ruan exposed the wound to the frigid air, and gazed at the cave mouth, lost in thought.
The topography of Xue Yi cliff's Calabash Mouth made it a strategic location. It was highly romantic to view the clouds from the cliff, especially early on a spring morning, when the clouds and mist had not yet dispersed. As daylight advanced, standing on the cliff watching the rosy light of sunrise spread across the heavens, with the sound of the wind in one's ears, the rain evaporating into a fine mist, the flowers and plants perfuming the air – it was truly paradise on earth.
In her previous life, Xuan Li had once brought her here to watch the sunrise.
At the moment of her astonishment at the beauty of the scene, Xuan Li had held her by the waist and jumped down with her. She had initially cried out in alarm, but laughed on hearing Xuan Li's bright voice. So it is that there are people in this wide world whose knowledge was far reaching; who knew such a landscape presented itself below Xue Yi cliff. What was concealed by the clouds and mist was not a haphazard array of craggy rubble, but a smooth and gentle slope. If one were to step off the cliff suddenly into thin air, one would only drop a short way to this stone platform.
She had always cherished every minute, every second of the time she had spent with Xuan Li. This was especially so after she had entered the palace, and she would reminisce about the beautiful scenery from time to time. She knew the terrain and layout of Xue Yi cliff better than anyone.
Thus, she had unhesitatingly leaped off the cliff, dropped through the clouds, and landed on the stone platform. Then, she had followed the route in her memory and climbed downwards.
The soldiers would descend the cliff from another location and would not see this stone platform. They would simply search for her and call out her name at the base of the cliff.
She had ripped off pieces from her skirt and tied them to the branches along her way as markers. When the men sent by the Zhao family saw them, they would be able to find her.
Somewhat weary, she closed her eyes. Raising a private army, intending to mount a rebellion; all these criminal charges were sufficient to ensure that the Grand Councillor fu would never be forgiven. Moreover, all the actions that she had taken were really rather suspicious, so she had no choice but to pretend that Li An had forced her to jump off the cliff. In this way, another criminal charge would be added to Li An's record, that of conspiring to murder a member of a court official's family. As for her, she could cleanly extricate herself from the affair and brush aside all suspicion.
She had worked out everything, but her calculations had not reckoned that her body would give up on her at this present time, leaving her no option but to seek a hiding place that was sheltered from the wind.
From a young age, she had been frail and frequently ill, and having to suffer Zhang Lan and his family's mistreatment for the past few years in the rural residence had caused this condition to become chronic. Later on, falling into the water because of Chen Zhao on that one occasion had been like adding hail to snow. In this life, she had returned to the fu earlier, and Lian Qiao and Bai Zhi were constantly watching over her. Thus, her physical condition seemed to be much better than before. Who could have known that today would bring this kind of turmoil, especially in such a cold, wind-swept place. She had already felt that her body was extremely weak, and if she had to wait for the soldiers to rescue her, she was afraid that she would lose consciousness before they could reach her, and be carried off by some wild beast.
Even though she had found this mountain cave and was able to shelter from the wind and cold to some extent, she could still feel her body freezing bit by bit. Furthermore, the clothes plastered to her body were all thoroughly soaked by the snow and rain, and she had nothing with which she could warm herself. If she really had to wear these icy, sodden clothes for an entire night, she honestly did not know what would become of her.
Jiang Ruan rubbed her forehead and was contemplating going outside to gather some rocks in order to block up the entrance of the cave more tightly, when she heard light footsteps.
Her expression changed and she sat bolt upright, listening attentively to the movement outside.
The footsteps were light and unhurried, measured and steady. Yet, there was no shouting, no other noise; it could not be a soldier looking for her. Jiang Ruan's heart sank. It was getting late, and ordinary prey would not come to this place. Who could it be?
The footsteps were heading straight for the mountain cave.
Jiang Ruan reached into her sleeve. The dagger she had concealed before she left Jiang fu was still there. She clutched the cold dagger tightly and stared at the mouth of the cave hidden by the bushes.
Step by step, step by step, striking her heart step by step.
The footsteps stopped just a few paces shy of the cave mouth, and Jiang Ruan heaved a sigh of relief.
The next second, the bushes had been knocked aside by something, and a slender figure appeared.
The sky was gloomy, and it was already evening. In the hazy light, his face was clearly imprinted on Jiang Ruan's pupils.
In that split second, both of them looked at each other. One was astounded, the other was slightly startled.
Jiang Ruan stared at him fixedly. Xiao Shao was clad in black brocade and his tall figure was slim and elegant. His already outstanding appearance was enhanced by his naturally gracious disposition which also manifested itself in his bearing. Thus, he brightened the dark and dirty mountain cave by his mere presence.
Xiao Shao was also taking measure of the person facing him. A young lady whose clothes were clinging to her body, with unkempt crow-black hair, and a pair of eyes which were staring at him with equal parts alertness and surprise. She had always been gentle and calm, smilingly manipulating people, so this was the very first time he had ever seen her cutting such a sorry figure.
With these thoughts turning in his head, he strode into the cave.
"Xiao Wangye." After quite a while, Jiang Ruan came to her senses. Looking at him, she asked, "Why are you here?"
"It's already late. The path out of here is difficult, and your body is extremely weak; you shouldn't move around too much. It's best that we stay here and wait for the soldiers," Xiao Shao said calmly.
Jiang Ruan heard the meaning behind his words and laughed. "Xiao Wangye wants to rescue me?"
She still harboured some suspicion, for Xiao Shao was enigmatic and unfathomable, and no one could guess at the workings of his mind. On a previous occasion, he had helped Jiang Su Su, but he had now helped her (Jiang Ruan) several times over. She could not figure out what this meant.
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.
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 Wanghad 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.