The three of them dragged their exhausted, filth-streaked bodies through the jungle.
It was easy to lose one's way in the woods at night. Wan'er suggested waiting until daybreak to search for a path, but Jiang Yu refused.
"They will come back again when it's light."
The bandits wanted to see people if they were alive, or corpses if they were dead; once dawn broke, they would return. There was little time left to escape, and they could not simply sit and wait for death.
The three women gritted their teeth and pressed forward, their bodies pushed to the brink of collapse. In truth, Wan'er and Qing'er had long since lost their sense of direction; they followed Jiang Yu blindly. Wherever their mistress told them to go, they went.
They did not know how long they had been walking before they spotted a faint light in the distance. It was a torch—people!
"Let's go!" Jiang Yu said with firm, iron-clad resolve.
These were the men of Heir Xiao, Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan was a man who rarely appeared in public and disliked being disturbed. To ensure his peace was not interrupted, his personal guards were strictly trained, and the surrounding area was under constant surveillance.
"Who goes there?"
Upon hearing the voice, Jiang Yu stopped in her tracks, choosing not to advance further.
"Who is it!" After closing in on Jiang Yu, the men asked again.
"I am the daughter of Jiang Zhiping, the Marquis of Pingchang. I was traveling back to the capital today when I was intercepted by bandits who sought to rob and kill me. I beg you all to escort me back to the capital; you shall be handsomely rewarded."
Jiang Yu’s gaze was as calm as water. Seeing the team of guards surround them, she remained utterly unfazed. She could not simply demand to see Xiao Yan; if she knew the exact whereabouts of a man like him, it would only invite suspicion.
Although Xiao Yan enjoyed a sterling reputation among the common people, at his core, he was a suspicious and cautious man. As the saying went, there were no simple figures among the nobility and the imperial clans.
In her previous life, Xiao Yan had died because he was too talented and shone too brightly, leading others to plot against him until he met an untimely end. Xuanyuan Ling had deeply regretted that—if only Xiao Yan had been at his disposal, the path to seizing the throne would not have been so difficult.
Yet, no matter how difficult it had been, she had walked that path with him, only to face such a tragic end. Jiang Yu sneered inwardly. If Xiao Yan were truly still alive, he would have met a grim fate following Xuanyuan Ling as well.
The leading guard scanned the mistress and her two maids, unable to stop himself from frowning. "The Marquis of Pingchang's daughter, why would you appear here?"
Jiang Yu, having anticipated his doubt, spoke truthfully: "Because I have been in poor health since childhood, my father, out of his deep love for me, sent me to the countryside estate to recover."
Jiang Yu’s words were half-truth, half-deception. She had gone to the estate only because she had been manipulated by Madam Zhao into acting as a pawn and had committed a blunder, leading her father, the Marquis, to banish her there. But to the outside world, it was claimed she was recuperating due to illness.
Thinking back, the error she had committed back then was likely a frame-up. There was no rush; she would eventually pay them all back, one by one.
The leading guard stared at Jiang Yu for a long moment. Though her clothes were filthy and disheveled, she remained composed, her eyes devoid of even a hint of fear. Such temperament and courage were not traits found in the daughters of ordinary households.
"If you do not believe me, you may inspect this jade pendant to see if it bears the crest of the Marquis Pingchang's Estate."
The guard took the pendant and held it up to the lantern light; his expression shifted slightly.
"You, go back and report this to His Grace," the guard commanded, then turned to Jiang Yu. "Follow me."
Only then did Jiang Yu finally exhale in relief. Even if the cold-hearted and detached Xiao Yan refused to help escort her to the capital, finding shelter at Linchan Temple would be enough—at least she would have a couple of days of peace.
It was a pity she hadn’t known this in her previous life; not only had she sacrificed Qing'er, but she had also nearly lost her own virtue.
Before long, Jiang Yu’s party was led into a courtyard.
"Miss Jiang, my master dislikes being disturbed by too many people. Your two maids..."
Before the guard could finish, Wan'er frowned in concern, "That won't do. Miss, we cannot fully trust them."
Seeing this, Jiang Yu smiled and patted Wan'er’s hand. "It is fine. I have long heard of the great name of Linchan Temple and did not expect to have the chance to see it. While I do not know who your master is, I believe that Linchan Temple is a place of Buddhist purity and would not harbor those who slaughter the weak."
Jiang Yu remembered a report she had read from her spies—a detail she found quite memorable: this Heir Xiao loved being praised. Others thought he was like a clear breeze and a bright moon, a man of integrity who welcomed honest criticism, but in reality, he never once inconvenienced himself. People thought they were merely flattering him, but he truly believed himself to be worthy of every word.
The leading guard said nothing more and gestured for Jiang Yu to follow.
Jiang Yu took a deep breath and followed without a moment's hesitation. In her previous life, she had only seen Xiao Yan from afar. At the time, she had been so infatuated with Xuanyuan Ling that she had not paid much attention to other men. But she had to admit, Xiao Yan was truly worthy of the title of the most handsome man in the Nan'ao Kingdom. He truly embodied the saying: "Of all people in the world, he is like jade; no other nobleman can compare."
It was a shame he had died so young. If she had his support to assist the legitimate successor to the throne, where would there be any room for Xuanyuan Ling?
Jiang Yu did not know to whom the former Emperor had actually bequeathed the throne. Xuanyuan Ling had kept that matter tightly sealed, claiming to the world that it had been left to him. But if a true imperial decree had existed, Xuanyuan Ling would have produced it immediately—there would have been no need for the struggle among the princes. This remained the point most criticized after he ascended the throne.
As she thought about this, she turned a corner and saw two figures playing chess in the courtyard. The candlelight illuminated the entire space, and one could tell from their posture alone that neither man was a common soul.
"Master, I have brought her." The guard brought Jiang Yu to the front of the pavilion and bowed his head to report.
Jiang Yu could not see the two men clearly, especially the one whose back was turned to her. After a long while, she heard the man sitting opposite say, "You have won again. When it comes to careful deliberation, I am truly no match for you."
Then, a cool voice, as pleasant as celestial music, replied, "You are too kind, Uncle."
Jiang Yu observed her surroundings calmly, but the man with his back to her stood up and turned around.
Xuanyuan Ling’s face was already handsome enough—she had looked at it day and night, thinking she had become accustomed to such beauty. Yet, even so, she was momentarily stunned by the person before her.
He cast a calm glance in her direction. His figure was tall and slender like a crane in the clouds, his demeanor untainted by the dust of the world, like a flower blooming on a high, unreachable peak.
Elegant and refined, a god-like figure indeed.
"Your surname is Jiang?" The man stood on the courtyard terrace, two steps higher than Jiang Yu, looking down at her.
She did not know why, but despite the ordinary conversation and the fact that he exerted no pressure upon her, Jiang Yu felt as if this person could see right through her.
One could not underestimate a man praised even by the Emperor as the "fortune of the Nan'ao Kingdom."
"Yes. I am Jiang Yu, and I pay my respects to Heir Xiao."