Chapter 817 – Jianzhou Prefecture, Setting a Capital (Part 6)
Wei Ci lowered his gaze and turned his head away, making a conscious effort not to look at Jiang Pengji.
Indeed, names may hold little value; what truly matters is the person in question.
But how could she possibly understand the turmoil within him?
Names can be replaced, but what if a person becomes unrecognizable?
In this life, he was unwilling to serve the king. Would she meet another like-minded companion? In that case, what would it mean for him, Wei Ci?
Two names that were critically important to him had already been claimed by others, and the course of the future would diverge greatly from the history he knew, which was precisely what he wanted to see… Yet, even so, the discomfort in his heart was not something that could be alleviated in a short while.
“Men are truly hard to understand.”
Jiang Pengji sighed softly, and before Wei Ci could act up, she suddenly pressed her arm against her waist, her brow furrowing as if in pain.
Seeing her this way, Wei Ci had no mind for anything else and quickly asked, “Is my lord unwell?”
Jiang Pengji, with pale lips, replied, “Earlier, I had no choice but to personally lead the charge against Jiamen Pass…”
Before she could finish, Wei Ci’s mind conjured a grim picture, flashing before him were scenes soaked in blood.
“It has been over a month since the battle at Jiamen Pass. Why has my lord’s injury still not healed?”
Wei Ci didn’t dare to touch her, fearing that he might accidentally aggravate her wound.
To let this naturally stubborn woman show vulnerability in front of others must mean her injury was grave and still unhealed.
Sure enough, Jiang Pengji gradually relaxed her brow and nonchalantly said, “Perhaps the wound is just too deep, but it won’t cost me my life.”
A fire of fury ignited in Wei Ci’s chest.
Whether in this life or the last, she had always treated her body carelessly. What does “it won’t cost me my life” even mean?
She was still young, fit, and could run around without a second thought, completely oblivious to any consequences.
But when she grows older, wouldn’t those old injuries come back to torment her?
“Ci will go summon the Young Doctor.”
Wei Ci’s voice was low, edged with an unyielding undertone.
Yet Jiang Pengji wouldn’t allow him to cause a commotion; she raised her hand to grasp his, preventing him from getting up.
“No need, it’s just a small injury,” she smiled, pulling Wei Ci close, taking advantage of his hesitation to speak, “Don’t you see how dark it is outside? It’s already late at night. If you go summon the Young Doctor, by dawn, word will spread that Liu Xi stayed overnight at a subordinate’s residence. In the past, that would have been a lovely tale. Now that I’ve returned to my true identity, it’s no longer a lovely tale, but a scandal.”
Jiang Pengji’s words were like a bucket of cold water dumped over Wei Ci, jarring him awake from within, cooling his heated thoughts.
What she said was indeed what Wei Ci feared, but watching Jiang Pengji endure the pain and not seek healing unnerved him even more.
“Perhaps the wound accidentally reopened; it shouldn’t matter much,” she remarked, all the while not releasing her grip on Wei Ci’s hand, and he was so focused he hadn’t even noticed.
“Don’t talk; just let me catch my breath.”
Helplessly conceding, Wei Ci suggested, “My lord, why not let me quietly take you back to the county office?”
But Jiang Pengji pouted, “No need, going back to the county office would disturb the guard and doorkeeper; isn’t that too obvious? Why not let Zixiao kindly tidy up a room for me? If it’s too late, I can stay here with Changsheng for the night.”
What more could Wei Ci say?
You are my lord; you are the biggest here, and whatever you say goes.
Just as he was about to stand, he awkwardly realized he was still holding her hand, and their skin touched, perspiring tangentially without her loosening her grip.
“I’m sleepy—Zixiao, don’t disturb me.”
Jiang Pengji insisted on lying down to sleep, leaving Wei Ci with no choice but to swallow his words.
Maintaining a rigid kneeling position, he looked at the laid-back figure resting on his leg, unable to muster any irritation.
He battled with his heavy eyelids, planning to wait until Jiang Pengji was deep asleep to free his right hand.
“Yah—”
At that moment, Changsheng, in all her sleeping glory, rolled from the head of the bed to the foot, kicking the thin blanket onto the floor beside the bed. Her plump body sprawled out, resembling a freshly baked flower cake, striking a pose reminiscent of a golden rooster standing alone.
With a sip, she revealed a few teeth, and a shiny droplet of drool dripped from the corner of her mouth.
Wei Ci’s brow twitched severely.
Cautiously, he leaned forward, pulled the abandoned blanket from Changsheng, and covered her back up again.
As for lifting Changsheng back to the head of the bed to continue her slumber?
Such a high-difficulty maneuver was beyond him at the moment.
Staring at Changsheng’s sleeping face and then at the person on his leg who obviously had no boundaries, Wei Ci felt his head pounding.
Why did he feel he could no longer keep his true identity hidden?
Why did it seem Jiang Pengji was doing this on purpose?
This must be his imagination, right?
Wei Ci sighed, propping himself against the elevated table, searching for a slightly comfortable leaning position.
The surroundings were too quiet, and his mind wandered into many thoughts, none related to official business.
He felt he had fallen from grace.
Perhaps due to his exhaustion, Wei Ci couldn’t resist pointing at his forehead with a finger and dozed off.
However, the dreamscape was extremely unstable, with chaotic scenes unfolding in succession.
【Those uncles just want the Crown Prince’s younger brother, not Changsheng… Tutor, am I a burden to my mother?】
When the young girl said this, it struck Wei Ci’s heart achingly.
The scene shifted again; the weeping girl blinked and turned into a poised princess, her expression as rare as her mother’s.
【Tutor, is that my royal brother?】
Wei Ci replied in the dream, “Your Highness, there is no brother in this world who can be yours.”
【Mother told me the truth; Tutor doesn’t need to be so alarmed… I will take good care of you and my royal brother…】
Though without status, they were still kin.
Jiang Zhao, the eighteenth year of Yongchen, as the Emperor’s ancestor was gravely ill, the capital trembled with alarms.
It was during this time that a scandal known as the “Zhang Zuo Crown Prince Incident” shocked the court.
【I am the Zhang Zuo Crown Prince!】
【Rebellious child!】
… As the dream unfolded, it grew increasingly chaotic, and Wei Ci stood lost, bewildered by the state of the world.
Images melted away, twisting into countless specters that grinned maliciously as they closed in on him.
Just as he was about to be swallowed by the phantoms, Wei Ci cried out in fear, and his body lurched forward—
Jiang Pengji had initially been feigning sleep but truly fell asleep. As dawn’s light began to appear, she was roused by the subtle movements of Wei Ci tormented by nightmares.
She saw Wei Ci drenched in cold sweat, his complexion pale, and his lips trembling from fright.
Just as Jiang Pengji was about to shake him awake, unexpectedly, Wei Ci let out a loud shout, leaning forward with too much force, and bumped his nose against her face. Ouch—how could this scenario be nothing like the romantic lines those audience members rave about in the livestream?
