Chapter 75 Coming to See Him

"Coming!"

Jiang Wang shouted back, and hurried to the door.

But when he opened it, there was no one outside, not even Changle, who had just been calling for him.

"Changle?"

Jiang Wang hesitated, glancing down the corridor and calling softly.

No one answered.

Jiang Wang's guard went up instantly. His eyes darted around nervously, even snatching up a broom from behind the door for self-defense.

His mind flashed to plots from TV dramas.

Like inspection teams getting ambushed and injured by local personnel, or team members vanishing without a trace, their bodies never found, the cases going cold.

Then again, wasn't his own role essentially that of an inspection team? What's more, he was the team leader.

Was someone out to get him, too?

Changle, who was just speaking moments ago, was now silent. Was he already dead?

In this situation, acting tough with his weak frame wasn't the answer. He should get back inside, secure his safety first, *then* call for help.

Jiang Wang turned back, bolted the door, felt it wasn't secure enough, dragged a table to block it, even checking all the windows.

After doing all this, he felt a little safer.

But something still felt off...

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a faint... figure near the gauze curtain in the inner room?

Holding the broom, Jiang Wang took one slow step at a time.

The curtain actually moved!

It swayed gently, as if from a breeze.

But that made it even more wrong...

The windows were shut. Where was the breeze coming from...

Jiang Wang raised the broom to his chest in a defensive posture and shouted.

"Who's there? Show yourself! Do you have any idea who I am? I'm the Emperor's own Favorite Minister! If you dare harm a single hair on my head, that's a crime punishable by extermination of your nine clans! I'm giving you one chance. Get out through that window now, and I won't press charges!"

Sorry, Your Majesty, Jiang Wang silently apologized to Xiao Yan. He was too weak to fight or hide, so scaring the intruder with his title was his only hope.

If the plan went smoothly, the intruder should flee through the window.

Unfortunately... things didn't go as Jiang Wang wished.

The intruder did come out from behind the curtain, but didn't head toward the window. Instead, he walked toward Jiang Wang.

The intruder wore the military uniform of the Great Jing Dynasty, just missing the outer armor, likely a messenger.

His skin was dark, his figure lean, looking as if weathered by wind and sun, yet there was a hint of familiarity in his eyes and brows.

But Jiang Wang searched through all the faces in his memory and couldn't find a match.

"Don't come closer! Hurting me is like cutting off your own escape route. Think carefully!"

His heart pounded loudly, thumping against his eardrums.

He had given the intruder a chance, but he still didn't leave. Jiang Wang felt his life was about to end.

Thinking this, he simply closed his eyes and wildly swung the broom in his hands, making a final stand.

What a shame. His mission was unfinished; he still didn't know who was behind the attacks on him.

And a pity for the people of Lingnan; he was afraid he couldn't help them anymore...

But just as he was feeling tragically heroic, ready to meet his death, a light chuckle came from beside him, followed by the broom being pulled from his grasp.

What was this?

Was the intruder laughing at him?

Even in this state, that person was still laughing at him.

A scholar can be killed but not humiliated!

Even though he was weak, he still had self-respect!

Furious, Jiang Wang thought, if that's the case, then let's have a direct confrontation! Even if we both perish, he'd consider it a win!

He picked up a nearby stool and swung it, but the intruder easily blocked it, gave a sharp tug, and used the momentum to pull Jiang Wang toward him.

They were extremely close, only a fist's distance apart, even able to feel each other's breath.

What was this? He, a court official, was now "getting intimate" with an intruder?

Jiang Wang was both angry and anxious, just wanting to push the man away and get far from him.

Who knew the man laughed again.

"Has Minister Jiang recovered from his illness?"

"Who is Minister Jiang? Who are you calling..."

Jiang Wang retorted indignantly. This intruder dared to tease him, calling him Minister Jiang?

How shameless!

But halfway through his words, Jiang Wang suddenly realized.

Only one person here had ever called him "Minister Jiang."

It could only be that person...

"Your Majesty?!"

Jiang Wang stood frozen in place, his eyes widening in disbelief.

No wonder there was that inexplicable sense of familiarity... but Xiao Yan wasn't this dark...

Xiao Yan looked at Jiang Wang, who looked bewildered and startled, then peeled off the thin layer of lifelike mask from his face, revealing his true appearance with a mischievous smile.

"Do you recognize your emperor now?"

It really was Xiao Yan!

What was he doing here?

Shouldn't Xiao Yan be in the imperial palace in Zhaojing right now?

"Your Majesty, wasn't it risky for you to come out here like this? What if Chang Wenji and the others notice?"

"It's fine. Have you forgotten I am supposedly 'frail and on death's door'? I'm supposedly bedridden all day, too weak to even get up, so how could I possibly meet anyone?"

"Pah, pah, pah, Your Majesty, quickly say 'pah, pah, pah'—don't speak such unlucky words!"

Even though he knew Xiao Yan was saying this because he was pretending to be ill, hearing it spoken aloud still felt strange.

Xiao Yan obediently went 'pah, pah, pah', and only then did Jiang Wang's serious expression relax a bit.

"But Your Majesty, why did you come so suddenly?"

Jiang Wang asked, a thought suddenly occurring to him.

"Someone told me Minister Jiang was ill, so I came to check on you."

Xiao Yan gazed at him, his eyes like a tranquil pool of water.

"Huh?"

Jiang Wang let out a short, surprised sound before the meaning belatedly dawned on him.

The world seemed to fall silent in an instant, and a flush of heat crept up from his neck. Jiang Wang didn't need to touch his face to know it had turned red.

"I-I'm already fine. It was just heatstroke, and all I needed was a good sleep," he stammered in explanation, then suddenly remembered something. "Who exactly reported this to Your Majesty? Was it Changle or Eunuch Wu?"

In less than half a second, Jiang Wang had identified the informant. It must have been Eunuch Wu—Changle was too scatterbrained to think of such things.

Downstairs, Eunuch Wu, who was feeding the horses, sneezed and suddenly felt an inexplicable chill surrounding him, finding it quite odd.

"But Your Majesty, I only had heatstroke yesterday afternoon. How did you get here so quickly?"

There were no high-speed trains or airplanes now, so how had Xiao Yan managed to reach him so swiftly after receiving the news?

"On horseback."

On horseback?!

Xiao Yan said it as if it were nothing, but in that brief moment, it sent a shockwave through Jiang Wang's heart.

They had already traveled by carriage for five days. Even though carriages were slow and they rested at night, they had still covered a considerable distance.

Traveling solely on horseback would likely require riding day and night without stopping, and even then, only a fast horse with excellent stamina could manage it.

Looking more closely, Jiang Wang noticed Xiao Yan's lips were pale and slightly chapped.

It was clear he hadn't rested properly—this would not do.

Now, Jiang Wang no longer cared about distinctions between ruler and subject or proper etiquette. He firmly pulled Xiao Yan down to sit, placed a large bowl of tea and some simple food from the post station in front of him, and coldly uttered a single word.

"Eat."

Xiao Yan didn't mind being treated this way; in fact, the smile at the corner of his lips seemed to deepen slightly.

He obediently drank all the tea in the bowl and finished the food on the plate, then pushed the two empty dishes toward Jiang Wang as if seeking praise, indicating he had completed the task.

Finally, he blinked his eyes, feigning innocence. "I'd like another bowl of tea."

Seeing Xiao Yan's pitiful, puppy-like look of contrition, Jiang Wang's already soft heart melted even further.

What could he say? There was nothing he could say.

Xiao Yan had pushed himself to this state all because he wanted to see him.

Jiang Wang sighed and refilled the empty bowl, the clear tea gently rippling inside.

"Your Majesty, the conditions here aren't as good as in the palace, so please make do with this for now."

Xiao Yan drank the tea in one gulp. "It's fine. Minister Jiang, you don't think I was raised in luxury from childhood, do you?"

Seeing Jiang Wang's interest, Xiao Yan began telling him stories from his youth.

He spoke of how mischievous he was as a child, how his elder brother punished him by making him kneel for days without food, how he once sneaked out of the palace to play and nearly got kidnapped by human traffickers, and how he practiced martial arts in the mountains and foraged for wild fruits to eat...

It had been a long time since Xiao Yan had spoken so freely, and Jiang Wang listened with sparkling eyes, thoroughly enjoying it.

However, good times are always fleeting, and the harmonious atmosphere was shattered by a knock at the door.

"Young master, the sun is about to set. It's time for us to depart."

He had asked Changle to wake him at sunset if he was still asleep.

The time had come; they needed to take advantage of the cool night to continue their journey.

Jiang Wang felt an inexplicable emptiness in his heart and strangely didn't want to leave.

He couldn't tell if he was reluctant to part with the room that allowed him to rest so thoroughly or if it was something else...

And Xiao Yan, too, didn't want to part, but both of them had more important matters to attend to.

"This distance is already the limit. If Minister Jiang's convoy travels even one more day, I'm afraid I won't be able to catch up with you."

Xiao Yan stood up, gently pulling Jiang Wang into an embrace and whispering softly in his ear.

"Go now. Stay safe, and don't get hurt."

*

As the sun completely sank below the horizon, a convoy slowly departed from the post station, continuing its journey south.

Just before parting, Xiao Yan mentioned that he knew Jiang Wang was using the title of "Favorite Minister" to protect himself, and it made him happy.

This immediately made Jiang Wang bristle with embarrassment. It was already awkward enough, but having the person himself witness it made it even more mortifying.

Without even saying goodbye, he directly boarded the carriage.

Now, after much internal struggle, Jiang Wang finally lifted the curtain and looked back. They had already traveled far, and he could only see a faint, blurry figure at the entrance of the post station.

He stretched out his arm and waved vigorously.

Goodbye. I hope we meet again soon.

The tiny figure in the distance seemed to stir as well, as if responding.

Jiang Wang sat back in the carriage, resting his head on his arm, a hint of melancholy about him.

"Don't be so down, Master. We’ll arrive at the next post station early tomorrow morning."

Changle, the little fool, clearly knew nothing and thought his sadness was about leaving the station.

"Here, have something sweet, Master."

The familiar aroma, the familiar taste—though a bit squashed, it was unmistakably the flavor of Ruifangzhai!

"Where did this come from?!"

Changle said, puzzled, "Master, this was in your room. I found it while packing your things just now."

So it must have been brought by Xiao Yan. Not only did he come in person, but he also traveled all this way to bring his favorite pastries.

What a fool.

Xiao Yan watched the carriage fade into the distance until it disappeared, then mounted his horse and spurred it straight toward Zhaojing.

Although he was feigning illness to avoid court, he had to make an appearance in front of everyone. Two days was already the limit—he had to return to the imperial city before tomorrow night.

Otherwise, Chang Wenji would grow suspicious.

Author's Note:

So sweet and mushy, oh my~