Ch 72: The Regent’s Farmer Husband

Jiang Yan decided to recreate the assassination chase that had happened before he fell from the cliff. But that did not mean it could be done immediately. For it to work, everything had to feel as real as possible. They would need to find a similar location and wait for a night of rain.

Jiang Ji looked at Jiang Yan and said, “Leave the arrangements to me. Alright?”

Jiang Yan nodded. “Alright.”

“To make it more convincing, you can’t interfere. Chen Feng and the others will all follow my instructions.”

Jiang Yan nodded again. “Fine.”

Jiang Ji immediately began giving orders. “Chen Feng, you all go find a place similar to before. Lu Shun, go into town and buy the kind of black clothing assassins wear.”

Everyone moved at once. Chen Feng and the others split into two groups to search nearby areas, while Lu Shun went into town and purchased a large number of black outfits.

Once everyone left to prepare, Jiang Ji asked Physician Yang, “Doctor, you said his internal heat is strong and he isn’t sleeping well. Should you prescribe something?”

Jiang Yan watched the concern on Jiang Ji’s face but did not interrupt.

Physician Yang nodded. “I can prescribe two doses of medicine to calm the mind and aid sleep. But ultimately, Young Master Lu must regulate himself, relax, and worry less.”

Jiang Ji glanced at Jiang Yan. “I told you not to think so much.”

Jiang Yan nodded. “Mm.”

But they both knew that, given his position and current circumstances, not thinking was impossible.

Jiang Yan’s mind was filled with information he had to remember, analyze, and plan around. It was no wonder he could not sleep well.

Chen Feng and the others returned before nightfall. Jiang Ji stopped them at the courtyard gate first to ask about their progress. After speaking with them for quite some time, he finally let them enter.

Chen Feng reported to Jiang Yan, “Young Master, we found a fairly suitable place nearby. Behind the village at the back there’s a forest, and at the edge of the forest is a cliff. A stream runs below with a drop of five or six zhang. Would you like to go see it tomorrow?”

“He’d better not go,” Jiang Ji explained. “This is a reenactment. It’s fake. He already knows that, so the environment must not be somewhere he has seen before, or the effect will be worse. And don’t tell him too many details. The less he knows, the better.”

Jiang Yan nodded in agreement. “I won’t go.”

Jiang Ji nodded, satisfied. “Good. Now I’ll explain the plan…”

He laid out his ideas, and everyone agreed the plan was feasible. Now all they needed was a night of rain.

That evening, Jiang Ji watched Jiang Yan finish his medicine before asking, “Is it bitter?”

“It’s alright,” Jiang Yan said, setting the bowl down without even frowning.

Jiang Ji picked up the bowl and sniffed it. The sharp herbal bitterness made him immediately pull it away, reminding him of his own experiences drinking traditional medicine.

“And you call that not bitter?” Jiang Ji frowned. He then produced a packet of sugar, unwrapped a piece, and popped a milk candy into Jiang Yan’s mouth.

The milk candy was something Jiang Ji had specially exchanged for. Whenever he used to drink medicine, he always wished he had something sweet afterward to cover the taste.

Sweetness spread through Jiang Yan’s mouth, quickly masking the bitterness. His eyes curved slightly. “Thank you.”

“Ge, what’s that? Candy?” Jiang Nan asked from nearby, having noticed.

“Mm. Milk candy.”

“I want some too!”

Jiang Ji looked at him. “You’re about to go to bed and still want candy?”

“Yes!” Jiang Nan refused to miss any chance to eat something. He turned and shouted toward the door, “Jiang Bei, Xiao Yi, Xiang’er, come quick! There’s candy!”

Jiang Bei and the others had been playing in the courtyard. Soon Jiang Bei rushed into the east wing, while Xiao Yi and Xiang’er hesitated outside.

Jiang Ji waved them over. “Xiao Yi, Xiang’er, come in.”

Only then did they enter. “Young Master.”

Jiang Ji opened the paper packet, unwrapped the candies, kept the wrappers in his hand, and placed one milk candy into each child’s palm. “One each only. You have to brush your teeth before bed. This candy sticks to teeth, so brush carefully.”

“Got it!” Jiang Nan tossed his into his mouth, savoring it happily. “So sweet!”

Jiang Bei quickly ate his as well. “Big Brother, this candy is really delicious.”

Seeing Xiao Yi and Xiang’er hesitate, Jiang Ji said, “Why aren’t you eating? You can’t save it. There’s no wrapper anymore. Go on.”

“Thank you, Young Master.” Only then did they place the candies into their mouths.

Sweetness filled their mouths. Xiao Yi and Xiang’er had never tasted candy this good before. All four children’s eyes curved into happy smiles.

Jiang Nan finished quickly. Still unsatisfied, he pressed the candy with his tongue and even bit down on it.

“Ah!” Jiang Nan suddenly frowned and cried anxiously, “Brother! My tooth!”

“What happened to your tooth?” Jiang Ji looked over. “See? I told you milk candy sticks to teeth, and you still bit it.”

The candy had stuck to Jiang Nan’s upper front tooth, looking rather comical. Translated on Hololo novels. Jiang Bei burst out laughing. “You look so funny, Jiang Nan!”

Xiang’er and Xiao Yi wanted to laugh too but held it in. They could not laugh at Third Young Master.

Jiang Nan shook his head and touched his lower front tooth. Tears welled in his eyes. “Brother, my tooth is broken. It’s loose! Look!”

At his words, everyone fell silent. Even Jiang Bei stopped laughing and stared at him.

“Hm? Loose tooth? Open your mouth, let me see.”

Jiang Ji bent down, gently holding Jiang Nan’s chin as he examined the lower front tooth, touching it lightly. “It is loose.”

Jiang Nan burst into tears. “What do I do? Is my tooth going to fall out?”

“Spit out the candy. You can’t eat it anymore,” Jiang Ji said.

Jiang Nan looked even more miserable, reluctant to let it go. “I can’t eat it?”

“No. You’re probably starting to lose your baby teeth,” Jiang Ji said. “Don’t cry. Haven’t you seen Xiao Song go through this?”

Jiang Nan stopped crying mid-sob. “L-lose teeth?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not broken?” he asked worriedly. “It’ll grow back, right?”

“It will,” Jiang Ji said with a smile. “But if you keep eating candy while your teeth are changing, you might get cavities. Then eating candy will hurt later.”

Jiang Nan pressed the milk candy in his mouth, still reluctant, and looked at his brother pitifully. “Can I at least finish this one?”

One piece would not matter much. Jiang Ji nodded. “Finish that one, but no more after this. You’ll have to wait until your new tooth grows in.”

“Oh.” Jiang Nan nodded. His face showed a complicated mix of emotions, happy that he could finish this piece of candy, yet devastated at the thought that he would not be able to eat sweets for a long time. His expression became wonderfully dramatic.

Jiang Ji looked at Xiao Yi and Xiang’er, both eight years old. “Are you two changing teeth as well?”

Xiang’er pressed her lips together and nodded. Xiao Yi nodded too.

“Let me see.”

Xiang’er opened her mouth, revealing that a new tooth had already grown halfway beside one of her upper front teeth. Xiao Yi’s new tooth was almost fully grown.

“Your teeth haven’t finished growing yet. After this piece, no more candy for you either.”

Xiang’er and Xiao Yi obediently nodded.

Jiang Ji took out two more candies, wrapped up the rest, and handed them to Jiang Yan. “Don’t give Jiang Nan and the other two any more candy from now on.”

“Alright.”

Jiang Nan: “…How miserable.”

Jiang Bei looked at Jiang Nan, then asked his brother, “Big Brother, am I going to change teeth soon too?”

“Mm, probably soon. Pay attention yourself.”

“Oh.” Jiang Bei immediately began calculating. “Then before I start changing teeth, can you give me a couple more candies?”

Jiang Nan instantly glared at him. “How can you say that?!”

Jiang Bei replied innocently, “Once we start changing teeth we can’t eat candy anymore, so of course I should eat more now.”

Jiang Nan: “…”

Jiang Bei looked at the candy in Jiang Ji’s hand. “Big Brother.”

Jiang Ji glanced at him. “No.”

“Isn’t that one for me?”

“This one is for your second sister.”

“Oh.” Jiang Bei felt indignant. “Second Sister gets two pieces. I want two too.”

“The other one is for Mother.”

“Oh.” Jiang Bei stared at Jiang Ji. “Aren’t you eating one?”

“I’m not. Too sweet.”

Jiang Bei immediately said, “Then give yours to me.”

Jiang Ji flicked his forehead. “That one is for your Brother Jiang Yan when he takes medicine. I’ll give you another one tomorrow.”

“Oh, okay. Don’t forget.” Jiang Bei finally fell silent, smiling in satisfaction.

“Even if I forgot, you wouldn’t.”

“That’s true. I wouldn’t forget.”

Jiang Nan glared at him resentfully. “Jiang Bei, I’ll remember this!” He was furious.

Jiang Bei replied calmly, “I’m your younger brother. You’re supposed to remember me anyway.”

Jiang Nan: “…”

Jiang Ji could not help laughing. “Is this really necessary between you two?”

“Yes, it is!” Jiang Nan declared loudly.

Jiang Yan comforted him, “If you change teeth first, that means you’ll finish earlier and can eat candy again sooner.”

Jiang Nan thought about it, then brightened. “That’s true! Brother Jiang Yan, save one for me!”

Everyone: “…”

Jiang Ji sent the children back outside to play, then went to find Zhao Ru and told her that Jiang Nan had started losing his baby teeth.

Zhao Ru smiled. “He’s reached that age.”

Over the past half year, with proper nutrition, the two younger boys had grown noticeably taller and gained some healthy weight. Without constant sun exposure, their skin had grown fairer as well. Jiang Xia had also grown a little taller, her complexion brighter, making the young girl look much more lively.

Looking at the children, Zhao Ru felt deeply gratified.

Their current life was happier than anything she had ever dared imagine before. If only Xiao Ji would marry soon, it would be even better.

That night, as they lay down to sleep, Jiang Ji held Jiang Yan’s hand and chatted with him for a while, talking about the earlier discussion with Lord Chen regarding the single-season rice seeds and explaining Governor Fan’s plans.

Jiang Yan nodded. “Tomorrow I’ll write a letter and have it sent back.”

“Mm.” Jiang Ji turned his head to look at him. “Do you have trouble falling asleep, or is it that your sleep is light and you wake easily?”

Jiang Yan held his hand. “Half asleep, half awake.”

“Ah, I know that feeling. I went through that for a while too.” Jiang Ji recalled his previous life, when the pressure during his final year of school caused the same problem. “It feels like you’re asleep, but your mind keeps thinking. That’s stress. Your brain is too active to properly rest.”

He asked again, “Did this start after Chen Feng and the others arrived?”

Jiang Yan responded softly, “Mm.”

“So it really is because of that. I shouldn’t have let you meet them yet,” Jiang Ji muttered.

“…You would have found out sooner or later,” Jiang Yan said, gently squeezing his hand.

“But if you had regained your memory first, it wouldn’t be like this. With past experience, you wouldn’t lose sleep like this.”

“Mm.”

Jiang Ji turned over, wrapping an arm around Jiang Yan and gently patting his arm. “Don’t think about it anymore. Sleep. Relax. Don’t think about anything. Take deep breaths, slow your breathing, focus only on that.”

Jiang Yan closed his eyes, listening to Jiang Ji’s voice as his thoughts gradually emptied.

Before long, the person holding him beside him began breathing steadily, already asleep.

A faint smile curved Jiang Yan’s lips. Translated on Hololo novels. Turning onto his side, he pulled Jiang Ji into an embrace, nuzzled lightly against the top of his head, and soon fell asleep as well.

Early the next morning, Jiang Ji woke at his usual time and realized Jiang Yan was holding him from the side. Turning his head slightly, he saw Jiang Yan was still asleep.

Jiang Yan slept lightly. If he got up, Jiang Yan would surely wake, so Jiang Ji simply closed his eyes again to let him sleep longer.

He accidentally fell asleep again until he heard Chen Feng outside the east wing asking, “Has the young master not gotten up yet?”

Lu Jiu replied quietly, “No. The door’s still closed. Young Master Jiang Ji doesn’t seem to be up either. He usually wakes early.”

Chen Feng said, “Then let the young master sleep a little longer. Don’t wake him. His sleep is light. Let’s go pick melons instead.”

Lu Jiu frowned. “Aren’t merchants coming today? Should we still harvest and bring them into the city?”

“Let’s ask Madam first.”

Inside the room, Jiang Ji opened his eyes and turned his head, only to find Jiang Yan already looking at him.

“You’re awake?” Jiang Ji sat up and began getting dressed. “Want to sleep a little longer?”

Jiang Yan shook his head. Glancing at the bright daylight outside, he sat up as well and started dressing. “Did you wake up earlier? Why didn’t you wake me?”

“I wanted you to sleep a bit more. Morning sleep is better quality,” Jiang Ji said. “How did you sleep?”

“Not bad. Maybe the medicine helped. I slept more deeply.”

“That’s good.”

After getting dressed, the two stepped out one after the other. Once they had washed up, they headed to the fields.

The watermelons and tomatoes still needed to be sent into the city. Customers had already formed a habit of reserving watermelons directly with the manager at the dining hall and coming the next day to pick them up.

Large households like the Lin and Qian families placed orders every day.

That morning, after harvesting the produce destined for the city and finishing breakfast, Xiao An arrived with six or seven traveling merchants. Some came to buy watermelons, some tomatoes, and others both. Each brought two or three donkey carts or horse-drawn carts, forming a long line.

Most of these merchants were from the local county or neighboring counties, while three were passing traders who had already waited here for three or four days.

The prices had already been agreed upon with the manager, and there was no bargaining. They only needed to harvest the produce, weigh it, and settle payment.

Jiang Ji’s household, Uncle Tugen’s, and the village head’s families all sold at the same price. Jiang Ji directed two merchants to Uncle Tugen’s and the village head’s homes, while the rest loaded goods at his own.

Aside from the kitchen staff and those responsible for cleaning, everyone else from Jiang Ji’s household came to help in the fields. Even Physician Yang volunteered to handle bookkeeping.

The fields bustled with activity. Some picked watermelons, others harvested tomatoes, while others carried loads or handled weighing. Everyone worked cheerfully and energetically.

Before long, several more merchants arrived.

During a brief pause, Jiang Ji asked where they planned to transport the produce.

Most intended to sell in nearby counties, some in the prefectural city, and one planned to take the goods all the way to the provincial capital.

“If they could keep longer, taking them to the capital would really make money,” one merchant said. “There are so many nobles there. Even selling for a hundred wen per jin, people would still buy.”

Another agreed. “Exactly. It’s the capital. Small towns like ours can’t compare. Just a little that slips through their fingers could feed us for years.”

Someone else suggested to Jiang Ji, “If you grew watermelons in the capital, you’d definitely get rich.”

Jiang Ji laughed. “Maybe I’ll grow them in the capital someday.”

They worked busily all morning until most of the harvest was finished.

A few merchants who had not gotten their turn grew anxious. “Is there any left? Could you spare some for me? Even one cart would do!”

Jiang Ji said apologetically, “The rest aren’t ripe yet. You’ll have to wait a few more days. Next time, I’ll let you load first. Alright?”

They still needed to reserve some supply for their own dining hall.

“Nothing at all left? Even two baskets would work,” one merchant pleaded.

After thinking it over, Jiang Ji felt bad sending him away empty-handed after he had come so far. “How about this, brother. I’ll spare you one basket of watermelons and one basket of tomatoes. Do you want bitter melon? I can give you two baskets of that to make a full cart. How about it?”

Since bitter melon was not available in the other counties, the merchant immediately brightened. “That works. As long as I’m not going back empty.”

Jiang Ji reminded him, “I should warn you first. Many people aren’t used to bitter melon’s taste, but it’s especially good in summer and helps reduce internal heat. You’ll need to explain how to cook it. If they want it less bitter, salt it first, then rinse it. It can be stir-fried, cooked with meat, scrambled with eggs, or simmered with pork ribs for soup.”

“Alright, alright, I remember. Don’t worry, I’ve eaten it at your dining hall before. Kids don’t like it much, but my old father loves it.”

Reassured that he was familiar with it, Jiang Ji had someone harvest the bitter melons for him.

By the time all the merchants had departed, it was nearly noon. Everyone tidied up and prepared to return home.

Uncle Tugen and the village head’s families had earned quite a lot that morning, and they would not need to sell goods on the street for the next few days, saving considerable effort.

Everyone returned home happily.

That evening after dinner, Jiang Yan practiced swordsmanship in the courtyard with Chen Feng and the others. He wanted to rebuild his martial skills and also see whether practicing at night might trigger fragments of memory.

To make it more realistic, Chen Feng and the others wore the black assassin outfits Lu Shun had purchased and covered their faces. Chen Feng, Lu Wen, and Lu Jiu attacked together.

Jiang Ji, several guards, and the younger children Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei watched from the west wing corridor, while Zhao Ru and Jiang Xia observed from the doorway of the main hall.

In the courtyard, the sharp clang of blades rang out. Steel flashed as the fighters moved swiftly, dodging and striking in rapid succession.

Even watching made Jiang Ji tense. Several times he thought Chen Feng’s sword tip was about to strike Jiang Yan, and he nearly cried out.

Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei stood beside him, eyes wide, clutching the hem of their brother’s clothes, barely daring to breathe.

Jiang Ji asked Lu Shun beside him, “Lu Shun, do you know martial arts?”

“A little. Enough for self-defense, but not like them,” Lu Shun replied.

Jiang Ji looked surprised. “Didn’t you grow up training together?”

“After I turned sixteen, I began assisting my father and learning to manage household affairs,” Lu Shun explained.

“I see.” Jiang Ji nodded. “So your brothers were trained as guards?”

Lu Shun nodded. “Yes. When we were young, we trained in martial arts morning and evening under Second Uncle. The young master studied at the academy during the day, while we also learned various subjects in the household. This continued until the young master passed the imperial examinations as top scholar. Chen Feng and Han Yi were actually born servants of the Han family, but we all trained together since childhood. Later, when the young master went to the battlefield, Second Uncle allowed them to accompany him. They’ve followed him ever since.”

Jiang Ji understood now why Chen Feng and the others did not share the Lu family surname.

“Lu Shun,” Jiang Ji asked quietly, “do you want your young master to recover his memories soon?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then come with me. I need to tell you something.”

The two went into the study and talked for a while.

Jiang Yan and the others practiced for an entire shichen, and by the end they were drenched in sweat.

Jiang Ji handed Jiang Yan a cloth towel and asked, “How was it? Did you gain anything?”

Jiang Yan shook his head. “It all feels faintly familiar, but when I try to focus on it, I can’t grasp the images. It’s like there’s a layer blocking them.”

Jiang Ji nodded. “That’s because you know they aren’t real assassins. Let’s try again when it rains.”

But the night rain they needed was not easy to come by. Summer showers here usually fell during the day, while nighttime rain was uncommon..

…

A few days later, the rice harvest began.

The entire village grew busy. The rice threshing beds Jiang Ji had improved finally proved their worth. Earlier, Magistrate Xu had distributed the blueprints throughout the village, and during the slack farming season everyone had built their own. Now nearly every household had one.

Jiang Ji’s family owned two threshing machines, and with many helping hands, their progress was faster than most. Although Chen Feng and the others had little farming experience, they were strong, and harvesting rice required little technical skill, so they were a great help.

Jiang Ji’s family had twenty-three mu of farmland. He had originally planned to hire villagers during the later stages of harvesting, but now there was no need.

With two threshing machines, they worked even faster than other households.

They harvested rice for three days, then transplanted seedlings in those fields. Meanwhile, the harvested grain dried in the sun. Then they continued harvesting, alternating tasks like this until the double harvest season was complete.

While transplanting seedlings, they lent the threshing machines to neighboring villagers. Everyone experienced firsthand how efficient they were. Compared to traditional manual threshing, they were faster and required far less effort. Some families had already begun discussing pooling money together to buy one jointly for future use.

During the height of summer afternoons, sudden showers would occasionally fall. While gathering grain, Zhao Ru was caught in the rain and fell ill.

Jiang Ji touched her forehead. A low fever. Fortunately, Physician Yang was already staying at their home and examined her pulse.

Jiang Ji asked anxiously, “Doctor Yang, how is my mother?”

Physician Yang replied, “She caught a chill from the rain, nothing serious. However, her body is quite weakened, with insufficient qi and blood. It seems her health was damaged during childbirth in the past and never properly recovered, which makes her prone to illness.”

“That’s right. She had a difficult labor when giving birth to Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei. Then my father passed away, and our family circumstances were poor, so her health never recovered,” Jiang Ji explained. “This year conditions improved, and she hasn’t fallen sick since spring. But in previous years, once autumn arrived and the weather cooled, she would often catch colds, have cold hands and feet, and cough for a long time without recovering.”

“That is due to underlying deficiency,” Physician Yang said as he began writing a prescription. “I’ll prescribe medicine now, and once this cold passes, we can begin gradual restorative treatment.”

“Can she fully recover?” Jiang Ji asked.

“With careful nourishment over two or three years, and by avoiding excessive fatigue, she should gradually improve.”

Jiang Ji brightened. “Thank you, Doctor Yang.”

Once the medicine was prepared, Jiang Ji personally carried it to Zhao Ru’s bedside and helped her sit up. “Mother, time for your medicine.”

Zhao Ru felt chilled and wore an extra outer garment. She sniffled constantly and coughed.

After finishing the medicine, she patted her son’s hand. “I’m fine. Go attend to your work. I’ll be better after some sleep.”

“Alright.” Seeing her wiping her nose with a handkerchief, Jiang Ji exchanged a box of tissues, opened it, and handed one to her. “Mother, use this instead. It’s softer. Just throw it away after using it and sweep it up later.”

“Alright.” Zhao Ru wiped her nose and smiled. “This is very convenient. Go on, I’ll rest.”

“Okay. After about an hour, once the medicine takes effect, drink more warm water. It’ll help you recover faster.”

“I know.”

After helping her lie down, Jiang Ji stepped out and gently closed the door.

“2977, can I request a special mission to exchange for some cold medicine?”

2977 replied: [After analysis, Zhao Ru is not in life-threatening danger. The host cannot exchange special missions for medicine.]

Jiang Ji sighed. “Can’t you be a little flexible?”

Jiang Xia and the others were on break from fieldwork, so Jiang Ji asked Jiang Xia to stay home and look after their mother while he returned to the fields.

After three days of medicine, Zhao Ru improved considerably and wanted to go outside to turn and dry the grain, but Jiang Ji refused.

“You’re not allowed to go anywhere until you’re fully recovered. No work at all,” Jiang Ji said sternly.

“I’m really better already.” Seeing her son’s serious expression, Zhao Ru relented helplessly. “Alright, alright. I won’t do anything.”

Jiang Ji told Jiang Xia, “Xia’er, keep an eye on Mother.”

“Okay.”

After six or seven days of rest, Zhao Ru finally recovered fully. By then, the double harvest season was nearing its end, with only two or three days remaining.

That evening, as everyone finished work and returned home, clouds began gathering in the sky.

Chen Feng and the others grew excited. “Is it going to rain tonight?”

Jiang Ji checked the weather forecast in the system and nodded. “Yes, it’ll rain tonight. About an hour and a half from now. Everyone go eat and rest first.”

Chen Feng and the others immediately hurried off, quickly eating dinner and lying down briefly to recover their strength.

Around the second quarter of the Hai hour, raindrops finally began to fall.

Jiang Yan and the others were already prepared. Wearing straw raincoats, they mounted their horses and rode toward the village behind them.

When they reached the entrance of that village, dogs began barking wildly. Several villagers came out wearing rain capes and carrying hoes.

Jiang Ji quickly dismounted and stepped forward. “Uncles, it’s me, Jiang Ji. We need to go into the forest behind your village to handle something. We’ll be back soon.”

Someone lifted a lantern to look closely and said in surprise, “It really is Jiang Ji. In such heavy rain, what are you all going there for?”

“We have something to do over there. In about an hour we’ll pass back through here again. Don’t worry, and sorry for disturbing everyone.”

“Oh, alright. Go ahead.”

The group rode quickly through the village. Before entering the forest, Jiang Ji reminded them, “Everyone follow the plan. Be careful. Don’t let him actually get hurt, and don’t let him fall off the cliff.”

“Understood,” Chen Feng said, adding, “Young Master, run toward the west.”

Jiang Yan nodded, looked at everyone, and said, “Begin.”

They all removed their straw raincoats and tossed them onto the grass.

At present, only Chen Feng and two others could play the role of “assassins.” Jiang Ji’s household had four guards, and Lu Shun had brought two more, making nine people in total. It was clearly fewer than ideal, but enough to attempt the plan.

Six of them dismounted first and entered the forest to lie in ambush. Lu Wen acted as Jiang Yan’s escort, while two of Jiang Ji’s guards followed behind as pursuing enemies.

After about a quarter of an hour, Jiang Yan turned with his sword in hand and rode into the forest, Lu Wen following closely behind. The guards behind them lowered their voices and shouted, “After them!”

Everyone deliberately altered their voices to sound unfamiliar.

Jiang Ji glanced at his two guards; they nodded and gave chase together.

“Hyah!”

Soon the heavy rain soaked their clothes. The road was pitch-black, visibility blurred by rain, hoofbeats drawing closer as assassins pursued relentlessly. The atmosphere suddenly turned tense and dangerous.

The forest was vast. After riding for a while, several “assassins” suddenly emerged, faces covered, forcing Jiang Yan and Lu Wen off their horses.

The pursuers arrived moments later. Their attacks were fierce, every strike aimed as a killing blow. Outnumbered, the two fought while retreating, gradually struggling to hold their ground.

As another wave of attacks came, Lu Wen stepped forward to block them and shouted, “Your Highness, go!”

Go!

Lu Wen had deliberately imitated the voice of the late Lu Ming, lowering his tone so that at first hearing it truly resembled him.

Jiang Yan froze for an instant. A fragment of memory flashed through his mind, but another attack forced him back into motion.

“Ugh—”

As Jiang Yan turned his head, he saw Lu Wen stabbed from behind. Dropping to one knee, Lu Wen blocked another strike and looked toward him. “…Go!”

After shouting the word, Lu Wen was “stabbed” again from the front and slowly collapsed.

Jiang Yan stood momentarily stunned. Rationally he knew Lu Wen was unharmed, yet his mind seemed to freeze, unable to respond.

Lu Jiu thrust his sword forward. Seeing the Regent not moving, he quickly twisted his wrist, letting the blade barely skim past Jiang Yan’s arm.

That near strike finally snapped Jiang Yan back to awareness. He deflected Lu Jiu’s attack and turned to run forward.

“After him!” the assassins shouted, continuing the pursuit.

Before long, Jiang Yan was driven to the edge of the cliff and surrounded once more.

They fought there for some time. By now Lu Jiu and the others were deliberately holding back, both to prevent the Regent from accidentally falling and to prolong the scene.

Nearly another quarter hour passed without a decisive outcome.

Rain poured down. Steel clashed again and again, blades cutting through the curtain of rain before colliding and separating, only to strike together once more.

The sound of rain, ringing swords, shouted battle cries, and the desperation of fighting with a cliff at one’s back gradually wove together into a uniquely familiar atmosphere for Jiang Yan.

But it was not enough. Still not enough.

That invisible barrier remained, like a layer of mist that refused to disperse.

Suddenly, someone rushed out from the side, chased by another assassin whose sword was raised to strike.

“Your Highness, save me!”

Jiang Yan focused and saw clearly.

It was Jiang Ji.

The assassin behind him wore different clothing from Lu Jiu and the others, and his movements were different as well.

There were eleven people involved tonight, including himself and Jiang Ji, yet this attacker was not any of the men playing assassins.

“Jiang Ji!”

Jiang Yan shouted, knocking aside two attacks and rushing toward him.

Jiang Ji ran toward him as well, but the assassin behind showed no intention of stopping, thrusting his sword straight forward.

“Jiang Ji!”

Jiang Yan’s heart lurched. He leapt forward, pulling Jiang Ji into his arms while blocking the strike with another swing. But somehow Jiang Ji’s footing slipped, and carried by momentum, the two of them tumbled off the cliff together.

Chen Feng had said the cliff was five or six zhang high.

In the instant of weightlessness, Jiang Yan only had time to shield Jiang Ji’s head, twisting so that he himself fell underneath.

At that same moment, overwhelming terror at the thought of losing Jiang Ji exploded inside his mind. Countless memories and fragments shattered through the misty barrier and surged forward all at once.

The memories belonging to Lu Huaizhou returned.

Thump—

They landed quickly in something soft. Jiang Yan froze.

“Jiang Yan, are you alright? Did you remember anything?”

Jiang Ji lifted his head from Jiang Yan’s chest and asked.

“I remembered.”

“You really remembered?” Jiang Ji asked excitedly. “You’re not lying to me?”

“Mm.” Jiang Yan nodded blankly. Feeling beneath him, he realized the soft surface was made of quilts.

“Young Master! Young Master Jiang Ji! Are you alright? Are you hurt?” Chen Feng and the others shouted from above.

“What is this?” Jiang Yan looked up at the “cliff,” now only about one zhang high, his dark eyes fixed on Jiang Ji. “Wasn’t the cliff supposed to be five or six zhang, with a stream below?”

“And why did you suddenly rush out?”

“And who was the one chasing you?”

A barrage of questions fell one after another. Jiang Ji shrank back slightly.

“Uh… I can explain…”

Jiang Yan flipped over and pinned him down, his gaze dark, his tone dangerous. “Jiang Ji, you’d better give me a very reasonable explanation.”

Jiang Ji trembled slightly.

This was bad. It seemed he had taken things a little too far.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾