Translated by : Shl
Edited by : Anks & Ely
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The light in the cave flickered. The surroundings were crude, but the firelight made the scene somehow moving.
Shrubbery had been used to block the cave mouth tightly so that the cold wind could not enter. Jiang Ruan leaned against a rock in front of the fire and closed her eyes in weariness.
At such a tense time, they were a single man and a single woman together in a secluded setting. Yet, contrary to what one might expect, she was not the least concerned that Xiao Shao would do anything to her. In her previous life, he had been notorious for being cold and detached, completely indifferent to feminine charms. Xuan Li had attempted to gift him with beautiful women many times but, in the end, had to return without success. Moreover, at present, she was still quite young, and was currently in such a sorry state; if he could even consider making a move towards her in this state, then he must be blind.
After using Xiao Shao's medicine and eating something, her body was gradually warming up. After rushing about the entire day, she was truly exhausted. Thus, she could not stop herself from drifting into slumber.
Before she fell asleep, she thought about the question she had asked Xiao Shao, and how he had answered.
He said, "Xiao mou[1] owes you his life."
[1] 某 (mou) – It is used to refer to oneself.
What did this mean?
Jiang Ruan fell into a deep sleep. The young man who was staring into the fire, lost in thought, turned to look at her pensively for quite a while.
The young lady had shed the incisiveness and hostility that accompanied her customary antagonistic, tit-for-tat nature, and all that remained was a gentle and beautiful appearance. The facial features she had been born with were bright and beautiful, and the glow of the fire enhanced them with a faint charm. In time, she would definitely be a vibrant beauty.
However, the beautiful scene before his eyes did not tug at his heartstrings in the slightest. He merely lowered his head and retrieved an object from his sleeve – that bright, inlaid jade die lian hua pendant earring.
Time seemed to run backwards to five years ago...
Five years ago, he had already accepted command of the Jinyi guards for five years. He had just finished his martial arts training when he received a mission, and his opponent was a fierce, tough Commander in South Xinjiang. It was not the Commander himself who was to be feared, but the sorcerer by his side whose methods were bizarre. In order to cement his standing in the Jinyi guards, as well as to preserve the secrecy of the mission, he had penetrated deeply into South Xinjiang by himself.
After seven days and seven nights of moving around, he killed the Commander and the sorcerer. However, the sorcerer used his familiarity with the region's terrain to harm him via gu poison[2].
[2] 蛊 (gu) – a legendary venomous insect; could also mean to poison, bewitch, drive to insanity, harm by witchcraft. Also an intestinal parasite.
The people of South Xinjiang would not help him remove the parasite. So, the teenaged youth spurred his horse on towards the capital, barely managing to hang on to life the whole journey. The people who wanted him dead in the capital were too many to count, and as soon as the people of South Xinjiang broadcasted the news that he was grievously injured, the dark, hidden places of the capital were crawling with assassins.
Even though he was highly skilled in martial arts, he was unable to hold back the overwhelming effect of the gu . His entire body felt weak, and he was ambushed multiple times on his way back to the capital, leaving him bruised and wounded. This was the worst state of injury he had ever experienced..
In front of him, more men in ambush; behind him, troops in pursuit. In a moment of desperation, he sought refuge in a prayer hall in Bao Guang Temple.
But there was someone there.
Under the moonlight, a young girl stared at him dumbfounded. Xiao Shao frowned, and a glinting dagger appeared in his hand.
However, the girl moved forward clumsily and asked in surprise, "You're hurt?"
He had suffered countless serious injuries, and his black clothes were soaked with blood. Even though it could not be seen, the reek of blood was evident.
As he sat there in a daze, she quickly knelt down beside him and retrieved a small porcelain bottle from her clothes. She said, "This is medicine for your wound. Are you all right?"
The medicine was ordinary, without any special healing properties. When the young girl carefully pulled away his clothes, he was initially wary, but observing her awkward posture, he thought to himself that the situation was quite ridiculous. Such a young girl! Who knew which family's maidservant she was.
He assumed she was a maidservant because she was dressed as one. Her words were unaffected yet quick-witted. Although the illumination provided by the moonlight was faint, her face was clearly visible. It was delicate and smooth, and her aura was captivating. Her big eyes were alert, clear, and glistening; she was indeed a natural beauty.
However, even though she was a maidservant, her demeanour did not seem to be like one.
He felt slightly astonished.
The young girl insisted on applying medicine for him. He was exceedingly weak and unable to move, and believed that he would, without a doubt, die that night. Even if he could elude the assassins pursuing him, he did not know if he could endure the full force of the gu poison. Either way, the result would be death, which would cause the young girl torment.
When the young girl saw that his breathing was becoming weaker, her eyes filled with tears. Without warning, she stood up and ran outside.
He thought that she had run out to call someone, but he had absolutely no strength to stop her, and also had no will to do so. He slumped in the room, waiting for his moment of death to arrive.
Under the waning moonlight, the youth's appearance was exceptional, yet his expression was cold and detached. All this time, he had battled extreme danger just to take one step after another, to move forward. The higher his position, the more stable it was, yet the more desolate and empty. He did not know the meaning of life, and neither did he know why he lived.
But, not long after, the young girl returned.
She held food and clean water in her hands, but her face was bruised. Shly, she pushed the items towards him and said, "Eat, if you eat, you'll regain your strength."
Xiao Shao had some knowledge of medicine, and when he looked at the marks on the young girl's face, he knew she had been beaten by someone. Such a quick-witted and graceful young girl, how could anyone beat her so? He frowned and glanced at the food on the ground. Then, he understood – this little maidservant had probably been caught by someone as she stole the food for him, resulting in her bruises.
Something stirred in his heart. The young girl looked at him eagerly, and realising that he was not moving, she did her best to lift the bowl and brought it to his lips. He was indeed thirsty, so he lowered his head to drink. Although the young girl was struggling to help him, her movements were practised, by which he surmised that she regularly served people tea.
"Don't die," the young girl looked at him and said, "I won't tell anyone you're here."
Xiao Shao remained silent.
The young girl started to feed him a steamed bun.
Slowly, she began to talk. She spoke of nothing serious, just that the pear blossoms in the western mountains would be blooming in a few days' time, and so would the peach blossoms in the eastern mountains. She wanted to see the flowers with her mother and father, she wanted to make new clothes and new shoes, the girl next door had raised a small hunting hound so she wanted one too. The essay her older brother had recently written had won her father's praise, one day in future he would definitely be the zhuang yuan (top scorer in the Imperial examinations)...
Thus, she chitter-chattered away, doing her utmost to talk about something of interest to lift his spirits so that he would not become drowsy and sleep. Xiao Shao clearly understood her tender and innocent intentions, and her determination caused him to act as if he had heard something funny, even though he had no interest in what she was saying.
He felt that this young girl must come from a happy and blessed family in order for her to be born so kindhearted and warm. Indeed, all the descriptions that tumbled out of her mouth were expressed with abundant interest.
Surprisingly, the gu poison did not flare up that night. Moreover, applying the rudimentary medicine and eating the food offered to him had helped him gradually regain his strength. In that prayer hall in Bao Guang Temple, a night of moonlight, a night of spring breeze, a youth and a young girl, one person sitting quietly, one person prattling on- the scene was surprisingly harmonious.
She talked the entire night, but when dawn broke on the second day, and the gong for the morning gruel sounded, a soft call came from outside, "Miss, Miss."
The young girl stood up abruptly and said, "My maidservant is calling for me. Leave quickly when you have recovered. Be careful not to be discovered."
So, she was not a maidservant after all.
Xiao Shao whispered, "Many thanks."
The young girl had already walked to the door, but she suddenly turned her head on hearing his words. She looked at him with a smile and said, "There's no need for thanks. Today, I saved your life. In future, should I be trapped in some dangerous circumstances, and you happen to pass by, just save my life in return."
In the end, he did not die that day. After his health had slowly been restored in Bao Guang Temple, he sent the Jinyi guards a signal. He waited until his return to the capital before moving swiftly with unstoppable power to deal with the assassins out for his blood who were lurking in the capital city. He cemented his position as the commander of the 300,000 Jinyi Guards, and for a period of time, the secret alleys of the capital were purged clean.
From that time onwards, everyone in the imperial court avoided him as if he were taboo, and he was given the name, 'Rebellious Scoundrel'.
He had absolutely no idea who the young girl in the Bao Guang Temple that night was, his only clue being the earring that she had dropped. The Xiao family understood the meaning of gratitude, and so he dispatched Ye Feng to investigate. Ye Feng discovered that a young lady from the Jiang family had been at the temple that day to offer incense, and it was Second Jiang Miss .
Therefore, when Jiang Su Su found herself in a desperate situation on Ling Long Boat, he remembered the commitment he had made: "In future, should I be trapped in some dangerous circumstances, and you happen to pass by, just save my life in return", and he had helped her once.
From a young age, Xiao Shao had lived a cruelly dangerous life, often walking on a knife's edge, as entrapments and risks were commonplace[3]. He had endured what ordinary people could not, he had experienced what ordinary people never would, and his intuition was spectacularly precise. After he had rescued Jiang Su Su, he had already felt that something was amiss.
[3] 刀口上舔血 (dao kou shang tian xue) – the background for this idiom seems to be as follows: hunters will bury sharp knives, coated with sheep's blood in the snow. A hungry wolf will lick the knife, and unknowingly cause its own blood to flow (thereby also increasing its bloodlust), but will not realise it, until it faints and/ or dies from blood loss. It, therefore, is used to describe a life that is full of danger, and cruelty.
In the capital, Jiang Su Su had a wonderful reputation, and she was also called 'ethereal' and 'fairy-like'. She was good-hearted and innocent, and her talent was peerless. She was truly the Jiang family's much beloved pearl. This was very much in accordance with the wholly good-hearted young girl from that night.
However, with one glance he had ascertained this female's hypocrisy and pretense, and found it difficult in reality to connect the two persons.
It was at this time that Jiang Ruan appeared.
Jiang Ruan's eyes and those of the young girl were strikingly similar, yet they were also not similar. Jiang Ruan's murderous spirit and vicious tendencies could be seen in her eyes, her behaviour was merciless, and she had honed to perfection[4] the art of attacking using the strength of another[5] while keeping her own hands clean. Such a shrewd and subtle person was a complete contrast to the young girl from that night.
[4] 炉火纯青 (hu huo chun qing) – lit. the stove fire has turned to bright green (allusion to Taoist alchemy); Fig. brought to the point of perfection.
[5] 借刀杀人 (jie dao sha ren) – lit. lending someone a knife to kill someone else. Fig. to get someone else to do one's dirty work; to attack using the strength of another.
What's more, his Jinyi guards had found out that Jiang Ruan was not regarded as someone of value in the Jiang fu. Jiang Quan was not fond of her, her mother had died young, and her older brother was dejected by his unfulfilled aspirations. Where was the happiness that the young girl had spoken of?
His intuition and reality were poles apart.
Yet, now that the whole truth had been revealed, everything gained clarity in an instant. So, it turned out that Jiang Su Su was not the young girl that night, after all.
Since Jiang Ruan was the young girl from Bao Guang Temple, how did her good-hearted and innocent temperament become so aggressive and menacing? Could five years of oppression in the rural residence and her biological father and stepmother making life difficult for her really have caused such a transformation? Setting aside the change in temperament, how could such a young lady come up with methods like these?
There was also another mystery surrounding her. Hui Jue's prophecies were all thanks to her, as was the early warning of the flood situation in the capital. Who on earth was she? Xiao Shao returned the jade pendant earring to his sleeve, and his eyes shone like brilliant starlight in the depths of the night as he pursed his lips.
As the pendant earring had confirmed it, he owed Jiang Ruan his life, and he would surely repay her in future.
"Many thanks," he said softly.
* * *
Jiang Ruan had a dream.
The time period in the dream seemed to be a long time ago, so she wasn't too sure when it was, but it was very likely five years ago.
Five years ago, Zhao Mei was bedridden with a serious illness. A doctor had come to examine her but then pronounced it a hopeless situation and suggested that it would be best to start considering the funeral arrangements. She looked upon Zhao Mei's emaciated body lying on the bed and her heartfelt sorrow beyond measure.
It just so happened that it was time for the annual visit to Bao Guang Temple to offer incense. Bao Guang Temple's touzhu incense was the most efficacious, and she wanted to go and offer incense. However, Jiang Quan said that since Zhao Mei was gravely ill, and Jiang Ruan was her biological daughter, she should stay behind to tend to her.
At that time, Jiang Ruan had felt frustrated and angry, but could also not refute Jiang Quan openly. So, she decided to secretly follow Xia Yan and Jiang Su Su's carriage, dressed as a Jiang fu maidservant and blending in with them. Once she reached Bao Guang Temple, she would beg the head monk to allow her to burn one stick of incense, to plead that Zhao Mei's condition would take a turn for the better.
Thus, she asked Lian Qiao to accompany her, and left Bai Zhi in the fu to pretend to be her. She changed into a maidservant's outfit, and completely blended in with the other maidservants, and they all went off to Bao Guang Temple together.
That was the boldest thing she had ever done. After she had succeeded in infiltrating the group of servants, she felt proud of herself for a time. However, she did not know that the ease with which she had become part of the group was because Xia Yan had known much earlier that she was there, and had deliberately let it pass.
After that, she seized the opportunity when no one was paying attention to her to hide in a prayer hall, waiting for an opportune time to slip out.
Even though she had infiltrated the group of servants, she could not eat the vegetarian meal with the maidservants, so as not to be found out. She could only visit the temple's kitchen secretly in order to steal some food. She never thought that she would be discovered and handed over to the Jiang fu's head servant, in order to be 'well disciplined'.
That old female servant did indeed 'discipline' her firmly. She was beaten black and blue but did not dare call out, for fear of her identity as Eldest Jiang Miss being disclosed. At that time, her body bore a multitude of bruises, a witness to her great difficulty in obtaining a portion of food.
The situation did not end there. The next day, she was unable to burn the touzhuincense. Even though Bao Guang Temple was so well-regarded, in reality, favour was determined by how much was donated via the buying of incense. Since Xia Yan had donated a considerable sum of money to the temple, she was the one who offered the incense.
On thinking about it, her heart's desire at that time must have been that Zhao Mei and Jiang Ruan died horrible deaths. In Jiang Ruan's previous life, the incense offered due to this desire had certainly been efficacious.
On the way home, Xia Yan 'accidentally' discovered she was in the crowd, and they returned to the fu in such an uproar that her name was known in every household. When Jiang Quan found out that Bai Zhi had pretended to be her in the fu he was boiling with rage, and made her and Bai Zhi kneel in the fu's main hall in front of all the servants while they were punished according to the rules of the fu.
Shame, resentment, anger, aggrievement – her emotions at that time were multitudinous but, in the end, they could only be manifested in completely useless tears. Jiang Xin Zhi went head to head with Jiang Quan on her behalf, and was made to kneel in the ancestral hall for three days as punishment. When Zhao Mei heard about it, her condition worsened until she was even closer to death's door. As the situation escalated, Xia Yan and Jiang Su Su came to plead for leniency on her behalf.
On thinking about it now, she was itching to skin them both alive.
It seemed that, from that time onwards, everyone began to ostracize her and she was even forbidden to step foot outside; eventually, the people in the capital only knew of the Jiang family's Second Miss, with no idea who the Jiang family's Eldest Miss was.
From that time onwards, Bao Guang Temple had become her nightmare. In this life, Xia Yan had still thought of scheming against her at Bao Guang Temple, and had hoped that she would agree to go. If it could be said that Bao Guang Temple was her execution ground in her previous life, then, in this life, it was the stage for the massacre she had orchestrated. For the Grand Councillor fu, it had only just begun.
At the end of her dream there seemed to be a gleam of moonlight, in which a pair of eyes, like cold stars in a gentle night, twinkled at her brightly while impassively watching her.
Who was that?
It was as if, within the memory of having stolen the food that night, she had not been the one to eat the food in the end. It was as if something extraordinary had happened in the prayer hall that night.
Time is like a musty veil of light muslin concealing a treasure, quietly covering our memories. If, one day, a spring breeze should happen to blow, lifting a corner of the veil, the memories will be as fresh as before, still emitting a faint lustre.
It was as if she heard a cold, indifferent voice whispering beside her, "Many thanks."
Who was it?
* * *
Sunlight gradually filtered through the dense shrubbery and into the mountain cave, the interior of which appeared a mottled green due to this tiny gleam of light.
The long-absent sun, in all its glorious warmth, was reflected in the verdant mountain forest. Clear and melodious birdsong twittered through the desolate mountains and steep valleys. With a sudden flutter and flap of wings, the birds flew away. Light ripples danced across the surface of a tranquil green lake, which tapered to a point at one end.
The weather had cleared.
Jiang Ruan unhurriedly opened her eyes. When she had opened them, she saw that the sorely missed sunlight was illuminating the cave. She had slept peacefully the entire night, and she was in exceptionally good spirits. She tilted her head from one side to the other, and abruptly went rigid.
Her body was leaning against something warm, and her arms were tightly wound around an unfamiliar waist, clad in ice-cold, stiff, black brocade. When she looked up, she found a pair of beautiful eyes looking down at her.
Quickly Jiang Ruan withdrew her arms. Had she really slept all night embracing Xiao Shao, no, holding on to Xiao Shao's waist?
Observing their current position, it seemed as though she had enthusiastically taken the initiative to hold on to him.
Jiang Ruan took a breath.
Strangely, Xiao Shao did not seem to notice. When he saw she had awoken, he stood up and said, "I have made a mark outside. They will be able to get here quickly once they see it."
Jiang Ruan's clothes were already dry. She took off the black and gold, crane-patterned cloak and gave it back to Xiao Shao, saying, "Many thanks, Xiao Wangye."
As if something had come to mind, Xiao Shao turned and addressed her, "Your body is very weak, and you have a tendency towards coldness*. In the fu, pay more attention to what you eat and drink."
* 寒凉 (han liang) – lit. cold. According to traditional Chinese medicine, everything in nature is a balance of yin (dark) and yang (bright) energy. If there is an excess of yang energy, then your body is 'heaty', whereas an excess of yinenergy causes one's body to be 'cooling'. One can be innately 'heaty' or 'cooling'. Symptoms of 'coldness' include a pale face, lethargy, cold hands and feet, and an intolerance to cold. It is recommended that people with a 'cold' constitution eat more 'heaty' foods to achieve a balance, and thus to dispel cold and improve circulation. More .
He did not say anything further, but Jiang Ruan felt that there was a hidden meaning behind his words – someone had poisoned her?
Xiao Shao noticed the unasked question in her eyes and said, "This 'cold' constitution was developed in the womb, and has been worsening continuously. It has been present for many years."
Jiang Ruan looked down. So, there was also such a situation?
In her previous life, had Jiang Quan and Xuan Li already known about this, and thus agreed without qualms to allow her to take the place of Jiang Su Su in entering the palace, so that the healthy and perfect Jiang family daughter could be kept for the new Emperor, to be his Empress?
No, that wasn't it. Even if she did not have this 'cold' constitution, Jiang Quan would not have let her remain in place. Jiang Quan and Xuan Li had chosen her to be the sacrificial lamb from the start.
However, Xiao Shao did her a favor by telling her this..
His helping her in this way reminded Jiang Ruan of his words the previous night. He owed her his life?
She was about to ask him to clarify his statement, when she suddenly heard the sound of horse's hooves outside. Xiao Shao pushed aside the shrubbery at the mouth of the cave and, sure enough, a pleasantly surprised voice could be heard saying, "Wangye!"
Jiang Ruan walked out as well. Outside, the sun was shining brilliantly. Within the forest, a group of horses and troops saw them, and rode in their direction in quick succession.
Foremost among them were Guan Liang Han and Jiang Xin Zhi.
"Ah Ruan!"
"Third Brother!"
After searching fruitlessly for an entire night, Guan Liang Han and Jiang Xin Zhi were extremely anxious, especially Jiang Xin Zhi, who hated that he could not comb through the entire mountain. His hands were constantly trembling. Now, on seeing Jiang Ruan safe and sound, he let out a long, relieved breath. Calling her name, he raced towards her on horseback.
The soldiers also rushed over. In front of the mountain cave, the black-clad youth and the young lady in plain clothes stood, bathed in the sunlight, looking into the distance, and presenting a sight to warm the heart. When Jiang Xin Zhi drew nearer, the expression on his face morphed into something more complicated.
Jiang Ruan's hair was mussed, her clothes were slightly disorderly, and a man's black and gold rain silk crane-patterned brocade cloak was still in her hand. She looked as if she had woken up not long ago, and her face was still rosy, just like the most beautiful rose-tinted clouds at sunrise, exquisitely gorgeous.
On the other hand, Xiao Shao presented a cold and detached countenance. Yet, at that moment, he seemed to think of something and his eyes became softer and gentler. Such a scene lay before everyone's eyes, and immediately inspired a myriad of contrasting thoughts. These two possessed a natural beauty that was indeed rare, and even with the difficulties they had just experienced, their graceful bearing and beauty still shone through. Moreover, the slight smiles on their faces at present brought the same thought to the minds of everyone there.
It was truly . . . exceptionally harmonious.