Ch 63: The Regent’s Farmer Husband

After eating, Jiang Ji felt much more clearheaded. He had Jiang Yan bring him a pencil and some paper, then sketched from memory the shape of a composite bow.

Jiang Yan watched, his eyes lighting up slightly.

Jiang Ji frowned and said, “It looks like this, but I do not know the exact dimensions. I can only draw a rough version. Once it is made, it will have to be adjusted bit by bit.”

“Can it shoot very far?”

“Yes, and it takes less strength. This more complicated one might not be easy to make, so we can try making this simpler one first and see whether its range is farther than the bows we already have.” Jiang Ji pointed to another bow as he spoke.

“Alright. I’ll go find a blacksmith tomorrow.”

Jiang Ji frowned. “Why not have someone else go instead? Ask Uncle Tugen. If mountain bandits show up, I’m afraid they might recognize you.”

“Uncle Tugen doesn’t understand bows, and we’ll also need to find guards. I’ll go and come back quickly,” Jiang Yan said.

Jiang Ji reminded him, “Be careful.”

Jiang Yan nodded.

That night, so Jiang Ji could rest properly, Jiang Bei went back to sleep with Jiang Nan, and Jiang Ji slept together with Jiang Yan again.

The oil lamp was not extinguished. Jiang Ji’s body ached, and he slept restlessly. Lying on his stomach for too long was exhausting, and every time he needed to turn over, Jiang Yan would wake up and help him shift.

The next morning, after breakfast, Jiang Yan took the drawings and rode out on horseback.

He first went to the restaurant to drop off the dried chilies it needed. Then he went to the county office to inform Magistrate Xu of Jiang Ji’s condition. After that, he found a carpenter to make the wooden body of the bow, and then went to the broker’s office to look for Wang Song.

Wang Song took Jiang Yan to the people market to find another broker who had guards for hire.

Jiang Yan tested them one by one, asked clearly about their identities and backgrounds, and in the end selected six people. Three were purchased outright, with the paperwork completed and their indenture contracts written under Jiang Ji’s name. The other three were free men hired on contract.

Finally, he brought the six guards to the best blacksmith shop in the city. He had them choose suitable weapons, picked out blades, swords, and many bows and arrows for himself, and handed the drawings to the blacksmith, asking him to help forge the bow.

“I don’t know how to do the wooden part in the middle,” the blacksmith said.

“You just need to forge the metal parts on both sides,” Jiang Yan replied.

“Alright. Come back in three days.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Yan returned with the guards, having taken care of everything in a single morning.

…

In the afternoon, a little past the hour of Wei, around two o’clock, four young men on horseback wearing fitted outfits entered through the north city gate.

“Chen Feng, find a place to grab a bite. I’m starving,” one of them said.

The young man at the front, named Chen Feng, looked around and happened to spot a restaurant ahead called Jiang Ji Dining Hall. “This one will do.”

When the four reached the entrance, the attendant in charge of carriages and horses immediately came forward to take their reins, and Xiao Shan, who greeted guests, stepped up right away.

“Welcome to Jiang Ji Dining Hall. Four honored guests, please come inside. Would you like seats in the main hall, or a private room upstairs?”

Chen Feng lifted his chin slightly. “The main hall is fine.”

The four went in and chose a spot by the window. Seeing that there were still quite a few diners inside, Lu Jiu asked, “Your business seems pretty good. There are still so many people at this hour.”

As Xiao Shan poured tea, he smiled and said, “Honored guests, you’re not from our county, are you? Then you’ve come to the right place. Our restaurant is now the most famous in Changping County. Our dishes are one of a kind. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied.”

Lu Jiu raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Yours is the best business in town?”

“Absolutely. Customers line up every day,” Xiao Shan said with a grin. “Honored guests, would you like me to introduce our dishes?”

Chen Feng shook his head. “No need. Just bring four of your most famous dishes. We’re in a hurry.”

Xiao Shan laughed. “Oh my, honored guest, that puts me in a difficult spot. All our dishes are famous.”

Chen Feng fell silent.

Seeing that they did not seem very patient about ordering, Xiao Shan quickly said, “Then shall I choose for you?”

“Fine. Make it quick.”

“Right away!”

Lu Jiu whispered to Chen Feng, “This place has seen all kinds of customers.”

Chen Feng glanced at him, then called over a server. He took a portrait from his robe. “Have you seen the person in this picture?”

The server looked at the handsome young man in the painting, blinked, thought for a moment, and said, “This… this person looks like our eldest young master.”

Lu Jiu said, “…your eldest young master?”

“He looks quite similar. Wait a moment, I’ll have Xiao An come take a look,” the server said, turning his head and calling out. “Xiao An, come here.”

Xiao An walked over. “What is it?”

“Take a look. Does this person look like our eldest young master?”

Xiao An looked at the portrait and froze for a moment. He did not answer directly. Instead, he looked at the four men with suspicion and asked, “Who are you? Why are you looking for this person?”

Lu Jiu and Chen Feng exchanged a glance. “You recognize him?”

Xiao An looked at the swords at their waists. Thinking of how Jiang Yan had arrived in their village badly wounded back then, he quickly shook his head. “I don’t recognize him.”

Chen Feng looked at him, narrowing his eyes slightly. His gaze swept over Xiao An’s hand clenched tightly around the corner of his clothes, then he withdrew his eyes.

The server beside them said in confusion, “Doesn’t he look a lot like Jiang Yan?”

“Not at all. How does he look like him?” Xiao An hurriedly pulled the server aside. “Jiang Yan is way better looking than this, alright? Go, go, go, the kitchen’s plating the dishes. Hurry up.”

The server scratched his head and went to the kitchen. Xiao An apologized briefly to the four men and left.

After reaching the back courtyard, Xiao An walked in a circle, feeling that something was not right. The person in the portrait really was Jiang Yan.

Someone was looking for Jiang Yan, and they were carrying blades. This absolutely had to be reported back to Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan.

Earlier, Jiang Ji had specifically told everyone in the village that if anyone came looking for Jiang Yan, they were to say they did not know him.

After thinking it over, Xiao An pulled the manager aside to the back. “Manager Lü, please keep an eye on the table of four by the window.”

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem with them?” Manager Lü asked.

Xiao An replied, “They’re asking about the boss. They might not have good intentions. No matter what they ask, have all the servers say they don’t recognize the person in the portrait.”

Manager Lü looked at him. “A portrait?”

“Anyway, Brother Jiang Ji told us to do this. Just have everyone say they don’t recognize him,” Xiao An said impatiently.

Hearing that this was something the owner had instructed, and knowing that Xiao An was from the same village and more familiar with things, Manager Lü nodded. “I understand.”

“Manager Lü, I need to go back to the village to find Brother Jiang Ji. There’s something important I have to tell him. I’ll be back in the evening.”

“Alright, go.”

After asking for leave, Xiao An hurriedly ran back toward the village.

After he ran out, Chen Feng gave Lu Jiu a look. Lu Jiu nodded and followed him.

Lu Jiu followed all the way to the village. He saw Xiao An enter it, but there were soldiers guarding the village entrance. Not knowing the situation, Lu Jiu did not approach rashly. He walked some distance away into the fields and watched as Xiao An entered a household, only then turning back.

Panting heavily, Xiao A ran to Jiang Ji’s house. “Brother Jiang Ji, Brother Jiang Ji!”

In the main hall, Jiang Yan was speaking with the six guards. Seeing Xiao An drenched in sweat, he asked, “Xiao An, why are you back?”

Xiao An entered the hall and saw several unfamiliar men, all wearing swords. He froze for a moment, then said, “Brother Jiang Ji, I have something to tell you. It’s very important.”

Jiang Yan instructed the guards, “Just do as I said earlier. Thank you for your hard work.”

“Yes.”

The guards cupped their fists and left the hall. One went behind the house, one stood guard at the courtyard gate, and four rested against the wall under the eaves, waiting to rotate shifts in the evening.

Once everyone had left, Jiang Yan asked, “What is it?”

Xiao An said anxiously, “This afternoon, four people came to eat at our restaurant. They took out a portrait and were looking for someone. The person in the portrait looks exactly like you.”

Jiang Yan was momentarily stunned. Jiang Ji’s voice came from inside the room. “Xiao An, come in and talk.”

“Coming.” Xiao An entered the room and saw Jiang Ji wrapped in bandages. He had heard from the villagers about Jiang Ji being kidnapped and injured, and asked worriedly, “Brother Jiang Ji, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. I won’t die. Sit,” Jiang Ji said, then looked at him and asked, “You said someone is looking for Jiang Yan?”

“Yes, four people,” Xiao A said as he sat on a wooden stool. “They showed the portrait to Xiao Yong. Xiao Yong thought the person in the portrait looked like Brother Jiang Yan, so he called me over. When I saw it, the person in the portrait looked exactly like Brother Jiang Yan”

Jiang Yan also came in and sat down by the bed.

“Did you tell them?” Jiang Ji asked.

Xiao An shook his head. “Didn’t you say before that if someone came looking for Jiang Yan, we should say we don’t know him? So I told them I didn’t recognize him. I also had the manager tell everyone else the same, then I asked for leave and came back.”

Jiang Yan asked, “What were those four people like? Their age, how they were dressed. Be as detailed as you can.”

Xiao An replied, “They all looked to be in their twenties, very spirited. They were wearing black clothes with tied sleeves, the fabric was very good, and they were carrying swords. They looked like martial men. They also seemed to be in a hurry. They didn’t even listen to the server introduce the dishes and just told him to bring food at random.”

Jiang Yan and Jiang Ji exchanged a glance. Jiang Ji thought for a moment, then asked, “What kind of bearing did they have? I mean, did they look like good people or bad people? Were they polite when they spoke? Cold, rough and savage, or fairly normal?”

Xiao An recalled carefully and answered, “They were quite polite when speaking. The one who seemed to be in charge looked rather cold. Two of them didn’t speak much. The other one looked more easygoing and even chatted with the server. When I said I didn’t recognize the person in the portrait, they didn’t press the issue.”

Jiang Ji asked again, “Were they wearing hats or anything like that?” Assassins, for example, usually cared about hiding their faces.

Xiao An thought for a moment. “No. I didn’t see any hats while they were in the restaurant. They came on horseback, so I don’t know whether there were hats on their saddles.”

“What about their accent?”

“A northern accent,” Xiao A said. Lately, having come into contact with traveling merchants from all over while working at the restaurant, he had learned to distinguish between northern and southern accents. “It sounded like it was from around the capital.”

From the capital area. Jiang Yan and Jiang Ji exchanged another look.

“Did anyone follow you when you came back?” Jiang Yan asked.

“Huh?” Xiao An looked confused. “I, I was in a hurry running back. I didn’t pay attention to whether anyone was behind me. I… was I followed?”

Xiao A stood up anxiously. “Then, then what do we do now? Do they know Brother Jiang Yan lives here?”

Jiang Ji reassured him. “Don’t worry. If they really suspect anything, they only need to ask around a little to know which village our family is in. It’s fine.”

“Really?” Xiao An was still uneasy. “I… I didn’t get Brother Jiang Yan into trouble, did I?”

“It’s fine,” Jiang Yan said. “It’s a good thing you came back to tell us. That way we can prepare. Thank you, Xiao An.”

“Then what are you going to do now?”

“We’ve hired guards, and there are soldiers at the village entrance,” Jiang Ji said. “Nothing will happen.”

“The people I saw in the main hall just now, were they the guards?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good then. It’s good to have guards.” Only then did Xiao An calm down a little. There were six guards just now, they should be able to protect them. “Then Brother Jiang Ji, I’ll head back first? I told the manager I’d return in the evening.”

“Alright. Be careful on the way back.”

“Okay.”

After Xiao An left, both Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan fell into thought.

After a while, Jiang Ji said, “It doesn’t sound like that group of assassins.”

He added, “What are assassins usually like anyway? Would they go into a restaurant to eat? Aren’t they generally very low-key?”

Jiang Yan shook his head. “Hard to say. It depends on their temperament. Most of them are very good at disguising themselves and hiding their identities.”

“So they’d need good acting,” Jiang Ji nodded. “Then there’s no way to judge. What if it’s your family coming to look for you?”

Jiang Yan thought for a moment. “Safety first. I’ll go give some instructions.”

“Mm.” There really was no other option. They could not just pack up and flee immediately. Jiang Ji said, “Tonight, should we have Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei sleep over at the new house?”

The new house was in its final stages. Many rooms were already livable. It was hot anyway, so laying out bedding on the floor would do. If someone came to kill at night, they would not go over to the new house.

“Alright. You should go over too.”

Jiang Ji thought about it. In his current state, he really would only be a burden. “Okay.”

*

In the city, after Lu Jiu left, Chen Feng and the others quietly observed the people in the restaurant.

They saw the manager call all the servers to the back, seemingly to say something. When they returned to the main hall, several servers kept glancing over at them from time to time.

Lu Wen, who was sitting to Chen Feng’s left, used rubbing his nose as an excuse and whispered, “Looks like we’re being watched.”

The few of them exchanged looks and said nothing more. Three of them stood up. Lu Wen took some loose silver from his belt and tossed it onto the table, then headed for the door.

“Hey, honored guests, your dishes haven’t been served yet,” Xiao Shan said.

“We have urgent business. We’re leaving,” Lu Wen replied. The three of them left the restaurant and led their horses away.

Once they reached another street and saw that no one was following, the three of them stopped at a roadside stall and ordered three bowls of noodles.

Lu Wen whispered, “Last time we came to this county, we searched for several days and still couldn’t find the prince. Everyone said they hadn’t seen him.”

“That server’s reaction to the portrait just now was too strange,” Lu Wu said. “The other server said he looked like their eldest master, but he said he didn’t. There’s definitely something wrong. And he hurried out afterward. He probably went back to report it.”

While the stall owner was cooking the noodles, Chen Feng took out the portrait and asked passersby on the street, “Brother, excuse me, have you seen this person?”

“No impression.”

Seeing this, Lu Wen and the others also took out their portraits and started asking.

They asked several people, all of whom said they had not seen him, until Lu Wen asked a couple passing by with shoulder poles.

“Brother, may I ask, have you seen the person in this picture?”

The man looked up at it, blinked, and said, “He looks a bit familiar?”

Hearing that, Lu Wen’s eyes lit up. He said eagerly, “Brother, you’ve seen him? Think carefully.”

The man patted the woman beside him. “Take a look. Doesn’t he look familiar? I feel like I’ve seen him before.”

The woman looked at the portrait, thought for a moment, then suddenly slapped her thigh. “This person looks like, like Jiang Ji’s older brother. Didn’t we see him when we went to buy seeds? Wasn’t it him?”

The man remembered as well and nodded. “Yes, yes, that’s him. I knew I’d seen him somewhere.”

Lu Wen became excited immediately and called out, “Chen Feng, Lu Wu, this brother and sister-in-law know.”

Chen Feng and Lu Wu hurried over. Chen Feng asked anxiously, “Brother, sister-in-law, where did you see him?”

The man said, “He’s Jiang Ji’s older brother.”

“Jiang Ji?” Chen Feng asked. “Who is Jiang Ji?”

“Oh, you don’t know Jiang Ji?” the man said in surprise. “He’s the one who brought back the new rice seeds and sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn. Now the whole county is planting the new rice. In a while the grain will be harvested. Other counties are planting it too. It yields much more grain than the old varieties! I really regret that I only planted one mu in the first season. Luckily, there were seeds for the second crop too!”

Chen Feng and the others did not care at all about new rice seeds or whatever tubers and beans he was talking about. All they wanted to know was where this Jiang Ji was.

“Brother, then where does Jiang Ji’s family live?” Chen Feng asked.

The man looked at them suspiciously. “Why are you asking about them? Are you buying seeds?”

Lu Wen quickly nodded and went along with it. “Yes, that’s right. We saw how good the harvests are here and came to buy seeds.”

“Ah, then you’ve come too late. They’re all sold out already. And the seeds for the second rice crop have already been sown. The county office issued a notice and everyone planted at the same time.”

Lu Wen said, “…We got the news a bit late. We still wanted to try our luck. Brother, could you tell us where their family lives?”

The man thought for a moment. “Their home is in Shanqian Village, west of the city.”

The woman beside him asked in confusion, “Weren’t you looking for his older brother?”

Lu Wen paused, then said, “Yes. We heard about him from someone else. That person was a small-time painter passing through. He happened to see people selling grain seeds here, thought this man was good-looking, and painted him. He didn’t know who was selling the seeds, so we had no choice but to carry the portrait around to look for him.”

The woman laughed when she heard that. “Jiang Ji’s older brother really is very handsome.”

“Yes, yes,” Lu Wen said, then confirmed again, “Sister-in-law, you’re sure it’s this person?”

“Of course. Exactly the same. He’s so handsome you remember him after just one look.”

Lu Wen repeated, “Shanqian Village, west of the city?”

“That’s right. Just go there and look for them.”

“Sister-in-law, do you know how far Shanqian Village is from town?”

“It takes about half an hour on foot. When you’ve gone seven or eight li in that direction, just ask around. Everyone there knows.”

“Alright. Thank you, brother and sister-in-law.”

After asking, the three of them did not even eat the noodles. They hurried toward the west side of the city.

“Hey, your noodles,” the noodle stall owner called out, holding a bowl in each hand.

Smack.

A piece of broken silver was tossed onto the table.

“Not eating.”

The three mounted their horses and headed west. Halfway there, they ran into Lu Jiu on his way back.

They stopped.

Chen Feng asked, “Did you follow that server to Shanqian Village?”

“Yes. How did you know?” When Lu Jiu had left earlier, he had asked villagers along the way and learned that the village was called Shanqian Village.

Chen Feng said, “We asked around on the street just now. Someone saw the prince’s portrait and said he’s Jiang Ji’s older brother from Shanqian Village. We were just about to go take a look.”

Lu Jiu said, “There are soldiers guarding the village entrance. I don’t know what’s going on. Dressed like this, I didn’t dare ask too much, afraid of arousing suspicion. Did you find anything else?”

Lu Wu said, “Apparently that Jiang Ji is very famous in this county. He brought in new rice seeds and several new kinds of crops. Several nearby counties are all planting the new rice now.”

Lu Jiu frowned. “So that means Jiang Ji is the owner of Jiang Ji Dining Hall?”

“Most likely,” Lu Wen nodded.

Lu Jiu said doubtfully, “That server said our prince looks like their owner’s eldest brother. What do you think?”

“How could the prince become their owner’s eldest brother? It’s probably just that they look somewhat alike,” Lu Wu said.

Lu Wen frowned. “But that server named Xiao An was clearly acting strange.”

Lu Jiu said, “We’ve been searching in the city this whole time. It really is possible the prince is in some village in the countryside. What do you think? Could he have been unconscious all this time, or something happened and he lost his memory?”

Chen Feng frowned. “Don’t talk nonsense.”

“Then how do you explain why the prince hasn’t appeared for so long?” Lu Jiu glared at him. “Unless the prince is unconscious or has lost his memory, there’s no way he’d still be alive and not return. Even if he couldn’t move easily, he would definitely have sent word home.”

It made a lot of sense. The group fell silent.

Lu Jiu added, “If only we could just post notices to look for him openly.”

“Enough talk,” Chen Feng said calmly. “We’ll know once we take a look.”

“Let’s go,” Lu Jiu said as he swung onto his horse. “I hope it’s the prince.”

They went on ahead, with Lu Jiu leading the way. After entering the country road for a while, they spotted that same server. They ignored him and galloped past.

Xiao An was stunned.

Heavens. He really had been followed.

Those people had found their way to the village.

Xiao An immediately turned and ran back, hoping Brother Jiang Yan’s guards were capable enough.

Chen Feng and the others rode all the way to Shanqian Village. Two soldiers stood at the village entrance. Seeing that the newcomers were dressed like martial men and fearing they might be bandits, they raised their spears.

“Who goes there?”

The four dismounted. Lu Wen stepped forward and said, “Officers, we are guards from a wealthy household in Fengyang County. We heard that rice seeds are being sold here and came to find Jiang Ji to buy them.”

The two soldiers exchanged a glance. One of them said, “The rice seeds are already sold out.”

Lu Wen frowned and said with difficulty, “Officer, perhaps Jiang Ji’s family still has some left. We’ve come from far away. Please let us see him and ask in person. If this year’s seeds are really gone, then we’d like to reserve some for next year. This is an errand our master personally instructed us to handle. Please show some leniency.”

As he spoke, Lu Wen took out silver and tried to press it into the man’s hand.

“Don’t let them in. They’re not good people.”

Xiao An’s voice came from behind. The soldier quickly pushed the silver away and leveled his spear at them. “Who exactly are you? What are you doing here?”

Lu Wen fell silent.

Chen Feng and the others also went quiet.

The commotion attracted the villagers working nearby. Knowing about Jiang Ji’s situation and fearing these men might be bandits, they all rushed over holding hoes.

Xiao An, panting heavily, also ran back. He circled wide around the four men and stood behind the soldiers, saying, “You followed me!”

Lu Jiu said, “…Little brother, you recognize the person in the portrait. We’re here to find the person in the portrait. We’re his family.”

Xiao An looked shocked. “You’re the family of the person in the portrait?”

“Yes.”

A villager asked, “What’s going on? Who are they? Are they bandits?”

Chen Feng and the other three saw the villagers gripping hoes and shovels, glaring at them with hostility, and all felt that something was off.

Chen Feng said, “We’re not bad people. We’re here to find someone.”

He took the portrait from his robe and unfolded it for everyone to see. “We’re looking for this person. We’re his family. Is he in your village?”

The villagers froze the moment they saw the portrait.

“Isn’t this—”

Someone had only managed to say a few words when the person beside him suddenly covered his mouth.

Everyone began exchanging looks. None of them had really encountered something like this before. Some stared at the sky, some at the ground, some coughed awkwardly.

Seeing their reactions, Chen Feng understood immediately.

“To be honest with you all, the person in this portrait is my young master. He’s been missing for several months, and we’ve been searching everywhere for him. Everyone at home is frantic. The master and madam can’t eat or sleep, and the old madam cries every day, not knowing where he is or whether he’s safe. If he’s here, we ask that you please let us see him, just to confirm whether he really is our young master.”

Hearing this, the villagers hesitated. Missing for several months—just like Jiang Yan, who had arrived in their village a few months ago.

They looked at one another. Coupled with how sincere the man sounded, many of them began to believe it.

The village head stepped forward and said, “We don’t have this person here. You should leave.”

Lu Jiu said flatly, “Your reaction just now already gave you away.”

Everyone fell silent.

Chen Feng said, “Everyone, please make an exception for us. We truly are just looking for someone. We promise we won’t harm a single person here.”

The village head asked, “How do you prove that? Bad people never say they’re bad.”

Chen Feng was momentarily speechless.

Lu Jiu said, “How about this. We won’t go into the village. You have so many people here—just call him out to meet us. If he really is the person we’re looking for, he’ll recognize us, and you’ll know whether we’re good or bad.”

The village head frowned. “What if he’s lost his memory and doesn’t recognize you?”

As soon as those words were spoken, the four of them froze.

Chen Feng said urgently, “He’s lost his memory?”

Seeing how earnest they looked, the village head said, “We do have an outsider here, but he has lost his memory.”

Lu Jiu was stunned. He had only guessed casually, yet it had turned out to be true.

He reflexively slapped himself, a sharp crack ringing out and startling the villagers.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Feng said, “Then could you go ask him whether he’s willing to see us? If nothing unexpected has happened, my young master should be carrying a piece of emerald-green jade. The carving depicts a scene of boating on Fan Zhou Lake. Please ask him about it.”

The village head and the others were startled again.

Brother Jiang Yan really did have a jade pendant. As for what was carved on it, they had never looked closely, but it was true that he had one.

The village head pondered for a moment. “Wait here.” Then he instructed the villagers, “Keep an eye on them.”

Everyone nodded.

The village head headed toward Jiang Ji’s house.

At Jiang Ji’s gate, one of the guards noticed that the villagers in the fields were all running toward the village entrance. After watching for a bit and finding it odd, he went inside and said to Jiang Yan, “Master, something seems to have happened at the village entrance. The villagers are all running over there.”

Jiang Yan immediately went out to take a look. The other guards who had been resting all opened their eyes and followed him out.

Hearing the commotion, Zhao Ru and the others also hurried to the doorway.

“Auntie, you all stay inside. I’ll go take a look,” Jiang Yan said.

Zhao Ru grabbed him. “Don’t go.”

One of the guards immediately said, “I’ll go check.”

That guard had only been gone a short while when the village head arrived.

“Village head, what’s happening outside?” Zhao Ru asked.

The village head looked at Jiang Yan. “Let’s talk inside.”

Everyone went into the house, with the guards standing watch at the courtyard gate.

The village head said to Jiang Yan, “Four people have come from outside. They’re on horseback and carrying swords.”

Jiang Yan paused. Jiang Ji’s voice sounded from the room, “What’s going on? Come in and say it. I want to hear too!”

They exchanged looks. Jiang Yan nodded, and everyone went into the room.

Jiang Ji lay face-down on the bed and asked, “Did something happen?”

The village head repeated what had just occurred.

Jiang Ji was stunned. “They actually came?”

“You knew?” The village head was surprised as well.

Jiang Ji explained, “They went to eat at the restaurant and took out a portrait asking around. Xiao An thought the portrait looked like Jiang Yan, so he came back to tell us.”

The village head nodded. “I wondered why that kid Xiao An came back.”

Jiang Ji asked anxiously, “What’s going on with them? Did you stop them?”

“They’re stopped at the village entrance. Don’t worry, we have numbers,” the village head said. “The portrait really does look like Jiang Yan. They said they’re here to find their young master and that he’s been missing for months. They said the family is extremely worried. They also said their young master should be carrying an emerald-green jade pendant with a carving of boating on Fan Zhou Lake.”

Hearing this, Zhao Ru, Jiang Yan, and Jiang Ji were all stunned.

All three of them had seen that jade pendant before, and the carving really was a scene of boating on Fan Zhou Lake.

Everything matched.

Jiang Ji reached under Jiang Yan’s pillow and took out the jade pendant. He glanced at it—it was indeed Fan Zhou Lake.

He handed it to Jiang Yan, who took it and looked as well.

Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan exchanged a look.

“Do you want to see them?” Jiang Ji asked.

Jiang Yan nodded.

Jiang Ji then said, “Village head, please trouble yourself to let one of them come in. We’ll meet them.”

“The jade pendant matches?” the village head asked.

“Yes.”

“Alright. I’ll go bring one person over.”

Before long, the village head returned to the village entrance and said, “Only one of you may come in. Weapons are not allowed.”

Hearing this, Chen Feng and the others’ eyes lit up. It meant what they had said matched.

“Alright. I’ll go.”

Chen Feng handed his sword to Lu Jiu. Just as he was about to go in, the village head stopped him.

“Wait. We need to search you.”

“Yes, search him. No weapons allowed,” the villagers echoed.

“Fine.”

Chen Feng spread his arms. A villager stepped forward and searched him thoroughly, finding a dagger hidden in his boot. He then nodded to the village head.

The village head said, “Follow me.”

The villagers made way. After Chen Feng passed through, they quickly closed the gap again.

Lu Jiu and the other two were left speechless.

Chen Feng followed the village head to Jiang Ji’s house. At the courtyard gate, he was searched again by the guards before being allowed inside, with two guards following behind him.

Chen Feng was led into a room. At a single glance, he saw the person he had been searching for.

“Your… young master!”

His expression turned agitated. He hurried forward, but the two guards immediately blocked his way, not allowing him to approach.

Chen Feng stopped, dropped to one knee, clasped his fists, and said, “Young master, your subordinate arrived too late!”

Everyone in the room looked at him, then at Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan frowned. “I don’t know you.”

For a better view, Jiang Ji lay half turned on the bed and asked, “Look carefully. Are you sure he’s your young master?”

“Absolutely,” Chen Feng said. “I grew up at the young master’s side. There’s no way I could mistake him.” He lifted his eyes to look at his lord. “Young master, have you lost your memory?”

Jiang Yan replied calmly, “I have indeed lost my memory, so I can’t confirm your identity.”

Chen Feng hurriedly said, “Young master, I’m Chen Feng. You should still have your jade pendant on you. It’s carved with a scene of boating on Fan Zhou Lake. Your maternal grandfather carved it for you when you were young.”

“Even if you know about the jade pendant, we can’t be sure you aren’t an enemy,” Jiang Ji said, turning his head to look at Chen Feng. “When he came to us, he was covered in wounds. Knife wounds, arrow wounds. Extremely serious. He nearly died.”

Hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Chen Feng’s eyes. “I know. It was our fault. We arrived too late and allowed the young master to suffer such severe injuries.”

Jiang Ji said bluntly, “I don’t trust you. I can’t be sure whether you’re an enemy or one of our own. In wealthy households, even family members can turn blades on each other, can’t they?”

Chen Feng looked at the young man lying on the bed, covered in injuries. Though his body posed no threat, his gaze was sharp and his words incisive.

He nodded. “I understand. And I’m very grateful that you’ve protected my young master so carefully.”

Jiang Ji raised an eyebrow. “He’s still part of my family right now.”

Jiang Yan glanced at him, and his brows and eyes softened immediately.

“Yes. Our family,” Jiang Bei said quietly, peeking out from behind Jiang Yan.

Chen Feng froze for a moment. Looking at this family, ordinary farmers though they were, it was clear they were sincerely protecting the prince. He could not help but feel grateful to heaven. Thankfully, the prince had been saved by such a good family.

“Alright. Since you say he’s your young master, tell us this,” Jiang Ji said, curiosity plain in his tone. “What is his identity? What is his original name? Where is his family from?”

At this, Chen Feng could not tell the full truth. He could only answer briefly. “From the capital. His surname is Lu.”

Jiang Ji raised his brows. “That’s it?”

Chen Feng said awkwardly, “I’m sorry. Aside from the young master himself, no one else is permitted to disclose his identity.”

Jiang Ji fell silent.

Jiang Yan fell silent.

Everyone else fell silent.

Jiang Ji refused to accept that. “Then you can leave.”

Chen Feng was speechless.

He looked at his young master. “Young master…”

“Either you say it here, or you leave,” Jiang Yan said calmly.

Chen Feng fell silent again.

Seeing that the young master trusted this family deeply, Chen Feng clenched his teeth and said, “Then I’ll only tell the two of you. Is that acceptable? This concerns the young master’s safety.”

Jiang Yan looked to Jiang Ji, leaving the decision to him.

Jiang Ji frowned. Since it involved safety, he nodded. “Alright.”

He turned and said to Zhao Ru and the others, “Mother, village head, please go to the main hall for now.”

Everyone left and closed the door. Only Jiang Ji, Jiang Yan, and Chen Feng remained in the room, with Jiang Yan standing guard beside Jiang Ji’s bed.

Jiang Ji lifted his chin slightly. “Go on.”

Chen Feng looked at his young master, then at Jiang Ji. Gritting his teeth, he said, “The young master’s name is Lu Huaizhou.”

“Lu Huaizhou?” Jiang Ji turned to look at Jiang Yan. “That name sounds really familiar.”

Jiang Yan paused, frowning as he looked at Chen Feng.

Chen Feng looked at Jiang Ji and said truthfully, “The young master is the current dynasty’s Regent Prince.”

Jiang Ji’s eyes widened.

“The Regent Prince?!”

He froze for a moment, memories flooding back. He had heard Magistrate Xu mention it before. The Regent Prince was indeed named Lu Huaizhou.

Jiang Ji turned to look at Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan was actually the Regent Prince?!

No matter how he thought about it, he never would have imagined that the person he had picked up and brought home was the Regent Prince.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾