Chapter 14: Match

Chapter 14: A Perfect Match

Qiao Wan never imagined it would be Jing Lan who saved her.

The words of gratitude she intended to speak died on her lips as she caught sight of his utterly displeased expression. Frowning in distaste, Qiao Wan snapped, "I should be the one asking, what are *you* doing here?!"

Jing Lan's expression subtly shifted.

He had come here because of his old man's decree: "Make a name for yourself in the Imperial Guards."

Recently, bandits had taken advantage of the New Year to stir up trouble in the mountains, repeatedly disturbing the populace and plundering their wealth. The court was at its wit's end.

He had volunteered to lead the剿灭 of these bandits, which would be a significant achievement. Then, he could easily find an excuse to dissuade the Emperor from his intention to arrange a marriage between him and Qiao Wan—the timing was perfect.

Unexpectedly, the one being robbed by the bandits was Qiao Wan, and he had inadvertently saved her.

Considering this, Jing Lan raised an eyebrow and drawled, "I thought that after saving the princess, I might be graced with a few words of thanks."

Qiao Wan, irked by his smug grin, glared at him. Then, noticing Jing Lan's hand still clutching the scruff of her fox fur cloak, she barked, "Let go."

Jing Lan's eyebrow arched, and he released his grip instantly.

Qiao Wan's legs immediately felt like jelly. Her body, still reeling from the shock, had little strength left, and she collapsed helplessly to the ground.

She looked up, glaring at Jing Lan.

"The princess commanded me to let go, so I had no choice but to obey," Jing Lan said, smirking arrogantly as he looked down at her. Then, raising his head to glance at the bandits not far off, his expression tightened slightly as he addressed the nearby guards, "You all secure this area."

With that, he tapped his toes and soared towards the bandits.

Yicui helped Qiao Wan up and into the carriage. With nearly a hundred Imperial Guards now present, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But as she watched Jing Lan effortlessly cut through the bandits, her expression changed, and a chill slowly crept up her spine.

That day at Yuxiu Pavilion, he had truly been holding back. If he had been serious...

Qiao Wan secretly resolved to stay far away from this scoundrel in the future.

However...

Considering the palace coup, there might not be much of a future left anyway.

The bandits had not anticipated the arrival of the Imperial Guards. With only a few dozen men who had descended the mountain, the situation was quickly brought under control.

Qiao Wan finally relaxed completely.

Just as her tense nerves began to ease, a loud clamor of fighting and killing sounds approached from the distance, growing closer and closer.

Qiao Wan's heart leaped into her throat again, and she hurriedly opened the carriage window.

Over a hundred bandits from the mountain were charging downhill with broadswords in hand, occasionally accompanied by large rocks and dead branches tumbling down.

"Major General!" someone shouted loudly.

Qiao Wan quickly glanced over at Jing Lan. Clad in silver armor, he looked toward the mountain, then smirked and said, "Looks like the whole gang is mobilized. Saves me the trouble of going to find them."

Qiao Wan pouted. Even at a time like this, he still had to show off.

Jing Lan seemed to sense her gaze and glanced in her direction.

Qiao Wan quickly ducked back inside, just in time to hear Jing Lan outside the carriage say, "You all hold this area. Those who surrender will be spared. I'll go take on their leader."

Another wave of clashing steel and battle cries followed, occasionally accompanied by a cold wind carrying a faint metallic tang of blood.

Yicui sat beside Qiao Wan, perhaps comforting her or herself, repeatedly saying, "Princess, don't be afraid. Everything will be fine. The princess is blessed with good fortune..."

Before she could finish, the carriage was suddenly struck by a heavy object, shaking violently. The object then fell to the ground, and the horses, startled, let out a high-pitched whinny.

Yicui gasped in shock. Qiao Wan flung open the carriage door and saw two large men dressed in tiger-skin felt clothing lying in a heap in front of the carriage, covered in blood, unmoving, whether dead or unconscious.

Jing Lan stood tall in front of the large men, holding a long sword. His helmet with its red tassel was gone, and his silver armor was stained with blood. The red jade bead on his high ponytail swayed in the wind.

His shoulder plate had been torn off, revealing a vermilion robe underneath. A slash across his chest had split the fabric, exposing a wound and...

Qiao Wan's eyes widened sharply, locked intently on Jing Lan's chest.

With the fall of the two large men, the bandits fell into a momentary silence, their morale plummeting. Many gave up the fight and surrendered, discarding their weapons.

Qiao Wan continued to stare at Jing Lan's chest.

The tear in his robe was small, revealing only the edge of a red mark beside the wound, but it looked strikingly similar to the cross-shaped scar from her dream.

Could it be that the person in her dream... was Jing Lan?

In an instant, Qiao Wan's thoughts became chaotic, and a jumble of ideas uncontrollably flooded her mind.

The Jing family held military power, and Qiao Heng had always been quite wary of them;

Besides, didn't Jing Lan like Qiao Qingni? When he said he wouldn't marry her back at Yuxiu Pavilion, he had mentioned that "she and the Third Princess are as different as clouds and mud."

So, it made sense that the person in her dream would lead troops into the palace, commit regicide, and stage a coup; and that tall, blurry figure would protect Qiao Qingni so carefully behind him...

Thinking more carefully, the timing of the palace coup was just a few days before the Third Princess was set to leave for her political marriage in Great Qi!

Everything fell into place.

Qiao Wan thought in a daze.

The Jing family was under suspicion, and Jing Lan didn't want the one he admired to marry someone else. Rebellion and coup were only natural.

As for her, she was just a pitiful soul with no further use, and one who was at odds with Jing Lan—killing her was as easy as swatting a fly.

"Big brother! Third brother!" Qiao Wan's thoughts were interrupted by a furious roar.

She snapped back to reality and saw a man in a gray cloak, who looked like a strategist, kneeling beside the two bloodied large men, his face ashen as if he had long lost the will to live. He allowed a soldier to escort him toward the prisoners.

Jing Lan had retreated to the side of the carriage, frowning as he listened to someone beside him.

The strategist-like man, being held by the Imperial Guards, suddenly broke free with force when he passed near Jing Lan. He pulled a dagger from his sleeve, eyes wide with fury, and lunged at Jing Lan.

Qiao Wan, who had been watching Jing Lan the entire time, stared in shock, her eyes wide. Remembering the suffocating feeling of having her throat crushed in her dream, for a moment, she felt that it would be fine if Jing Lan died just like that.

But then it occurred to her—Jing Lan couldn't die. If he died, she would be trapped in Lingjing for the rest of her life.

Taking a deep breath, Qiao Wan shouted clearly, "Be careful!"

Gritting her teeth, she rushed forward.

"Princess!" Yicui cried out in panic.

Jing Lan frowned at the sound and turned around, only to see a flash of red as a slender, warm figure crashed straight into his arms, hugging him as they both tumbled onto the official road.

His back hit the ground hard, and the figure landed on top of him.

Jing Lan’s chest, already wounded by a blade, jolted with pain from the impact, sending cold sweat beading across his forehead and leaving his face pale.

When he realized it was Qiao Wan on top of him, his anger flared. She hadn’t even thanked him for saving her earlier, and now she was biting the hand that fed her.

“Qiao Wan, have you lost it—”

His words died in his throat as he turned his head and saw the imperial guards rushing in, pinning the mountain bandit behind him to the ground.

—The bandit held a dagger, his attempt at revenge foiled, and was now glaring at Jing Lan with pure malice.

“Our apologies, Princess Changle, our apologies, Major General,” a soldier in silver armor knelt on the ground. “I failed to properly restrain the bandit, nearly allowing harm to come to you and the Major General.”

Hearing this, Jing Lan’s gaze fell on Qiao Wan, who was still on top of him, and his expression became unreadable.

Unaware of his look, Qiao Wan only heard his earlier insult and retorted immediately, “You’re the one who’s out of your mind!” She then sucked in a sharp breath, climbed off Jing Lan, and quickly examined her palm.

The official road was littered with sharp, fragmented stones. When she fell heavily, her delicate palm scraped against the ground, leaving a bleeding scrape, with tiny stones and dirt still embedded in the flesh.

“Princess, are you alright?” Yicui hurried over, pulling out a silk handkerchief to carefully wipe Qiao Wan’s hand.

Jing Lan also snapped out of it, clutching the wound on his chest as he stood up. Watching the blood on Qiao Wan’s palm, his emotions were even more mixed.

She saved him?

If she had been even a moment slower, that dagger would have pierced her body.

Was she really so into him that she would risk her life for him?

Unaware of Jing Lan’s racing thoughts, Qiao Wan only felt regret. When she fell on him earlier, she should have yanked his robes open to get a clear look at whether the mark on his chest was the red mark from her dream.

“Princess,” a soldier approached her respectfully, “I have already reported to His Majesty. To ensure your safety for the remainder of the journey, the imperial guards will escort you back to the capital. However, we must first mop up the remaining bandits. Please wait a moment.”

Qiao Wan nodded in agreement. As the soldier left, her eyes once again fell on Jing Lan nearby.

His usual laziness and cynicism were gone, replaced by a pensive frown as someone tended to his wounds.

Qiao Wan’s eyes shifted, landing on the jar of *White Jade Ointment* Yicui was using to dress her wound.

This ointment was extremely precious, typically only used in the palace and rarely seen outside.

Pursing her lips, Qiao Wan took a deep breath, grabbed the ointment, and marched over toward Jing Lan.

“Princess.” The soldier attending to Jing Lan hurriedly bowed.

Jing Lan’s eyebrows twitched, and he looked over uneasily.

“You may go attend to other matters,” Qiao Wan waved dismissively. “I’ll handle this.”

The soldier glanced in surprise at Qiao Wan, then at the silent, frowning Major General, before quickly leaving.

Qiao Wan walked to Jing Lan’s side, cleared her throat, and deliberately softened her voice. “Major General Jing…”

Jing Lan’s eyes immediately turned wary. “What do you want?”

“To apply medicine for you,” Qiao Wan replied with a sweet smile, afraid he might refuse. “This is *White Jade Ointment*, an excellent remedy. Since you were injured saving me, it’s only right that I tend to your wounds.”

As she spoke, she reached out to grab the torn fabric over his chest.

Jing Lan stared at her bold move, his expression stiffening as he quickly pulled back.

But seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, the refusal died on his lips. After a moment, he said stiffly, “Just tend to the wound on my arm.”

It was only then that Qiao Wan noticed the sword wound on his arm. She plopped down listlessly beside him and quickly dressed the injury.

Jing Lan frowned, enduring her clumsy handling with a grimace. Was she deliberately torturing him?

Then again, she was waited on hand and foot—knowing to clean the wound before applying medicine was already a step up.

After finishing with his arm, Qiao Wan smiled “sweetly” again. “Major General Jing, you also have a wound on your chest. Let me help you with that too.”

With that, she leaned in again to pull open the clothing over his chest.

Feeling the soft, slender weight of her body against his arm, Jing Lan’s ears turned red. He grabbed her wrist before it could reach his chest and scolded, “Qiao Wan, what kind of girl are you?”

After repeated failures, Qiao Wan grew frustrated. “How is helping you apply medicine not something a woman would do?”

“What kind of woman acts like you…” Jing Lan paused, a suspicious redness spreading across his cheeks. “Shameless!”

Qiao Wan let out a bitter laugh. “Helping you with medicine is shameless? I heard you used to crawl under maids’ skirts when you were six—doesn’t that make you shameless?”

“I was looking for dice!”

“What about when you visited brothels?”

“I went to listen to music!”

“I command you to halt!”

“A general in the field does not heed the emperor’s commands.”

“…”

*

Among the trees not far away.

Si Li caught up, panting, only to find Mu Chi already standing atop a concealed rocky ledge.

His white brocade fur coat fluttered in the wind as he stared blankly down at the foot of the mountain.

He’d been standing there awhile.

“Young Master,” Si Li called softly.

But Mu Chi seemed not to hear, his eyes fixed on the pair “squabbling” beside the official road in the distance.

He had seen it all clearly—from the hero saving the beauty to the beauty saving the hero.

He watched as Jing Lan yanked Qiao Wan away from the path of the bandit’s arrow;

He watched Qiao Wan zone out staring at Jing Lan;

He watched Qiao Wan cry out “be careful” in alarm before stepping in front of Jing Lan without regard for her own life.

And now, he watched her dogging him, insisting on applying medicine for him.

Using that very jar of *White Jade Ointment* he couldn’t stand.

Just as she had once done to him.

He recalled hearing someone mention that "Princess Changle is fickle," but now it seemed her ways of showing interest were all the same—they never changed.

"Si Li," he suddenly spoke, his hand pressing lightly against his chest, his voice bewildered, "can the Snow Bodhi truly cause a sensation of pain?"

Otherwise, why would there be this hard-to-define unease?

Si Li was puzzled, "Young master?" he asked.

But Mu Chi went quiet again, and after a long while, he let out a low chuckle, his voice gentle and elegant.

Yet Si Li only felt a shiver run through him, colder than the forest wind.

"A good match?" Mu Chi asked softly.

Si Li looked toward the foot of the mountain, unsure how to respond.

Mu Chi did not need an answer.

His presence here now already meant he was very unhappy.

He shouldn't care about Qiao Wan's life or death.

And indeed, he did not care.

He could not allow even the smallest mistake to appear on his path.

If one did appear, he wouldn't hesitate to correct it personally.

"If we leave now, Qiao Wan will undoubtedly send people to search everywhere. If we alert Qiao Heng, it will only cause more trouble," Mu Chi said with a faint smile. "Why not let her and Jing Lan have their happy ending first?"

A married woman surely could not go searching all over the city for other men.

And he would never allow himself to lose his composure inexplicably over a married woman, as he had just moments ago.

Si Li was surprised: "Does the young master plan to return to the princess's residence? What about Princess Zhaoyang…"

"Send the Frost Mountain Dawn sheet music to her," Mu Chi replied, his gaze still fixed downhill, his tone somewhat distracted. "I will handle the rest."

"Yes."

Mu Chi took one last look at that flash of fiery red, his tone laced with sarcasm: "A spoiled and ill-mannered little princess and an unaccomplished young prodigal—truly made for each other."

Author's Note:

Today, we have another diligent Mu, as always working hard to put a green hat on himself~