Chapter 61 The Show Begins

Chapter 61: The Show Begins

The girl was dressed in coarse linen clothes, old but clean and tidy.

Only her messy hair gave away that she had just gotten up.

Upon seeing Jiang Wang and his companions, she was clearly taken aback, then covered her face and said reproachfully, "Ma, why didn't you tell me there were strangers in the courtyard? I'll go back and change before coming out."

She returned to her room and waited a short while before opening the door again.

She had changed into a more stately and elegant long gown with wide sleeves, completely different in style from the previous one, which made her seem much more demure.

Moreover, she wore a light purple veil that covered her nose and mouth, revealing only her eyes.

The mother brought the last dish to the table and glanced at her daughter, who looked quite different from usual.

"You're always the one hoping for company, even saying you'd show guests around the mountains. Why today did you put on the clothes you usually dislike and start acting so shy all of a sudden?"

"Mother, I'm a young lady, really! Must you embarrass me?"

The girl lowered her head, staying far away from Jiang Wang and his group. She even sat at the opposite corner of the table during the meal, took only a couple of bites, and hurriedly returned to her room.

After the meal, the mother smiled apologetically at Jiang Wang.

"I'm sorry, Young Master. My daughter is probably shy and likely won't be able to show you around the hill behind the house."

"Not at all, not at all. Our sudden visit has troubled you. We're just glad you don't find us a nuisance. We can look around by ourselves, it's no trouble."

Jiang Wang waved a dismissive hand and then took his polite leave with Xiao Yan and Changle.

However, he didn't go far.

He stood behind a large rock, watching the household's every move.

"What is it?" Xiao Yan asked.

"That girl is the maid who led me into the mountains that day."

Jiang Wang spoke slowly but firmly.

When the girl first emerged from the side room, her disheveled, just-out-of-bed look only seemed familiar; he couldn't be certain.

It was actually her later appearance, well-groomed with only her eyes visible, that convinced Jiang Wang it was her.

Although the girl had covered her face, she left her carefully drawn eyebrows exposed, which were identical to those of the maid who had lured him into the mountains that day.

Moreover, her inadvertent stunned look upon first seeing them and her subsequent deliberate avoidance under the pretext of shyness kept fueling Jiang Wang's suspicions.

She was feeling guilty.

Furthermore, she lived in these mountains, and her family were hunters, so it wasn't strange for her to know a few rudimentary martial arts moves.

This also explained why the imperial guards hadn't received any news of anyone descending the mountain, yet that maid had vanished into thin air.

Because that maid had long since changed her appearance and had been staying safely in the mountains all along.

Jiang Wang was certain that maid was her.

However, judging by her parents' hospitable manner, it seemed they were unaware of what their daughter had done. Otherwise, they wouldn't have presented their daughter to them like that and even asked her to show them around.

Since the girl named "Xiao Xia" didn't want her parents to know, Jiang Wang wouldn't be the one to pierce the veneer.

He had the patience to wait. He was waiting for the girl to come out on her own.

Sure enough, they didn't have to wait long—about the time it takes an incense stick to burn—before there was movement from the hunter's household.

The girl had changed back into her practical coarse-cloth outfit, slung a basket over her shoulder, and left the yard.

Jiang Wang lowered his voice and said, "Let's go, follow her quietly."

However, perhaps because there were several of them and their footsteps were somewhat disorderly, they were quickly discovered by the girl.

The girl raised the machete in her hand and swung it wildly.

"What do you want? Why are you following me!"

This time, facing such a long machete, Jiang Wang wasn't afraid at all.

First, he knew Xiao Yan's martial arts were good.

Second, he knew Xiao Yan would protect him.

"Why are you so upset, miss? We mean no harm."

They weren't wearing their official uniforms for this outing, instead opting for ordinary clothes convenient for travel. The only difference, if any, was that the fabric was slightly better, nothing more.

So under normal circumstances, if they had never met before, the girl had no reason to be so hostile towards them.

"Or is it... the young lady knows our true identities?"

Qi Xia fell silent, unable to utter a word.

She dejectedly threw down the machete and let her hands hang limply.

She knew it. She had given herself away from the very beginning. She had thought she could fool them.

Jiang Wang looked just like an innocent-looking young master, but she hadn't expected his powers of observation to be so sharp.

"Young Master Jiang, I've done wrong. You can kill me or cut me into pieces, I'm at your mercy, just please don't tell my parents."

"If you care so much about your parents, why would you do such a thing? Do you know that leaving a person alone in the mountains at night could cost them their life!"

Changle couldn't listen any longer and spoke indignantly.

That night, he had been worried sick. Thankfully, his young master returned safely. How could such a life-and-death matter be spoken of so lightly by this woman?

"Left in the mountains?" Qi Xia frowned, puzzled. "Didn't someone come to pick up Young Master Jiang afterward?"

As a hunter's daughter, she certainly knew how dangerous the night could be, so she had never agreed to do such a thing for anyone.

She only wanted money; she didn't want to harm anyone's life. Moreover, Jiang Wang had no grudge against her, so why would she do such a thing?

The noblewoman had told her that as long as she disguised herself as a maid and led Jiang Wang to the agreed-upon location, someone would come to pick him up after she left.

The noblewoman said they just had a minor conflict and wanted to teach Jiang Wang a lesson.

It was because of this that she agreed to the noblewoman's request.

However, when she took Jiang Wang to that location in the mountains, Jiang Wang reacted in time, causing her task to remain incomplete. Still, it wasn't far from the agreed-upon spot, so she still received the money the noblewoman had promised her.

Jiang Wang asked, "What do you need the money for? Is it for your parents?"

"Yes, although my parents have lived in the mountains since they were young, making a living by hunting, they are getting older now and their strength is failing," Qi Xia explained. "I want to buy a small house in the city for my parents to live in. Life in the city is just easier overall."

Jiang Wang's heart softened.

This young woman before him wasn't as bad as he had thought; she had simply been deceived by Chang Ying.

After a moment's thought, he said, "Alright then. Since you've admitted your mistake and didn't do this intentionally, we can work something out."

"If you serve as my witness, I'll give you a house. That way, you won't have to worry about your parents anymore, and it will ensure your family's safety. How about that?"

The two reached an agreement, and Qi Xia walked away, her figure growing distant.

Xiao Yan glanced at Jiang Wang and teased, "Minister Jiang can already just hand out houses to others?"

Jiang Wang, knowing he had boasted, clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Of course not, Your Majesty. It's only because I know you have my back that I dared to say such a thing."

Jiang Wang smiled ingratiatingly and took the basket of wild vegetables from Xiao Yan's hands.

"Your Majesty, listen—it sounds like Commander Fang and the others are looking for you. We should head back."

Xiao Yan seemed quite pleased with this response and didn't press the matter further.

*

After nearly half a month at Zhaoshan, news finally arrived that the Emperor was preparing to return to the capital. Chang Ying, who had been on edge all this time, finally felt a sense of relief.

Jiang Wang hadn't found the maid who had lured him into the mountains that day. She was safe.

Chang Ying thought to herself, to be honest, she had acted impulsively at the time, and looking back, it gave her a scare.

Moreover, right after the "Calming Incense" incident, her father had ordered her to behave herself these past few days. She hadn't even dared to tell him about this matter.

But speaking of returning to Zhaojing, another headache arose.

That awful business with my reputation—she didn't know if her father had handled it yet. If not, would she have to be confined to the estate for a few more days?

Chang Ying sat in her tent, idly twisting her handkerchief as she pondered these troubling matters.

"Xiao Tao, when do we depart?"

"Miss, we'll set off once His Majesty's sacrificial ceremony is over. We'll likely leave around the Hour of the Goat and arrive in Zhaojing by the Hour of the Rooster."

On a large open space halfway up Zhaoshan, the ministers who had come for the spring inspection stood in two rows, holding incense and bowing their heads. Together with Xiao Yan, they offered sincere prayers to the heavens, hoping for favorable weather and the well-being of the people this year.

Of course, Jiang Wang was not included.

He was using a sprained foot as an excuse to sit and rest on the side.

He scanned the area but didn't see Chang Ying's figure.

This posed a problem. If Chang Ying didn't come, how could Qi Xia identify her in front of everyone?

Suddenly, a good idea popped into Jiang Wang's mind.

If Chang Ying had sent someone to lure him into the mountains, then he could also send someone to lure Chang Ying here.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

Jiang Wang raised his hand, wrote a note, and handed it to Ling Hai, who had been hiding in the shadows to protect him.

He smiled slightly and said, "Lord Ling, do me a favor. Deliver this note to Miss Chang."

Ling Hai accepted the order and left. With a light leap, he landed on a tree branch, and with a few agile movements, he reached the top of Chang Ying's tent.

He wrapped the note around a small stone, sent it flying with a flick, and the note accurately slipped through the overlapping gaps of the tent, landing neatly on the table inside.

The small stone bounced away from the impact, but the note fluttered gently onto the table.

Chang Ying had just stepped into the tent when she saw the note on the table, and her face turned pale with fright.

What was going on? She had only stepped outside for some fresh air; no one had entered. How could this note have appeared out of thin air?

It definitely wasn't there before she left!

She searched the entire tent, but aside from herself, there was no one else.

But what shocked her more was what the note said.

"I already know about that matter of yours. If you don't want me to speak of it, come to the woods beside the sacrificial ceremony."

That matter?

Was it about her tricking Jiang Wang into the mountains?

But she hadn't told anyone about it, not even her father.

Was this a bluff, luring her to the sacrificial ceremony only to set another trap?

But...

If she really didn't go, what if the person who sent the note actually revealed her secret?

Almost everyone in the camp had witnessed her humiliating episode during the "Calming Incense" incident. If another unfavorable matter like this came to light, her reputation would be completely ruined.

No, whether it was real or not, she had to go.

"Xiao Tao, you start packing. I have to take care of something and need to go out."

"Huh? Miss? Where are you going? We're leaving soon. Should I come with you?"

However, Xiao Tao didn't hear her mistress's reply. Chang Ying hurried off, and by the time Xiao Tao chased after her, all she could see was her mistress's retreating back.

Ling Hai returned first and gave Jiang Wang a subtle nod.

Jiang Wang received the signal and broke into a confident smile.

Here she comes. The show is about to begin.

Being the mastermind behind such a grand scheme for the first time was strangely nerve-wracking.

Jiang Wang stared at the two thick candles burning on the sacrificial altar.

Wouldn't it be fun if they went out?

"001, when is that gust of wind coming?"

In ancient times, Zhuge Liang borrowed the east wind. Now, it was his turn to borrow a little.

Author's Note:

System: A capable assistant for Jiang Wang!