The Hostage Girl - Chapter 79

Jiang Xiurun had already anticipated Feng Liwu’s reaction.

If it were in the past, she wouldn’t have dared to insist on anything once he raised his sword-like brows.

But now, Jiang Xiurun had gradually figured out his ways. She knew that Feng Liwu was not an overbearing person when it came to trivial matters, so she cautiously leaned toward him, fiddling with the knot of his collar as she said, “Your Highness, do you know how many days you’ll be in the residence over the next month? You won’t let me go to the academy, and now that the teachers and students have all gone to attend the Mochi Literary Gathering, the academy will be closed for a month. That means I’ll have to spend all my days idling away in the residence…”

Feng Liwu was somewhat distracted by the way her slender fingers played with his collar.

“Why? Is staying in the Crown Prince’s residence properly not good enough for you?”

Jiang Xiurun exhaled softly against his chin.

“Next month, Your Highness will be inspecting the river defenses before the autumn freeze sets in, ensuring the key projects are in order. You’ll be away for a whole month. Actually, though Wei is far, it’s not too distant from where you’ll be inspecting. If the literary gathering ends early, I could even meet up with Your Highness and return together—wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

Feng Liwu hadn’t expected Jiang Xiurun to calculate his schedule so precisely.

Just the thought of her carefully estimating how long he would be away, all while acting reluctant to part, made her seem all the more endearing.

His tone softened.

“I’m only going to inspect the river routes and defenses along the way. I won’t be gone for long. If you can’t bear to be apart… you may come with me.”

Jiang Xiurun shook her head like a rattling drum.

“If I were to follow Your Highness, wouldn’t that mean disguising myself as a man? And if Your Highness were to pull me into your tent, what if someone saw? What would happen to Your Highness’s reputation?”

Feng Liwu, initially firm, was already swayed by her coaxing.

He knew well that Jiang Xiurun disliked staying confined in the residence.

Recently, the servants had reported that Cao Xi had been keeping a close watch on Young Master Jiang, seemingly trying to catch some leverage against him and Lady Jing.

She had even stationed people outside both courtyards.

Because of this, Jiang Xiurun hadn’t dared to return to Concubine Yao’s courtyard to dress as a woman for several days.

Since she disliked the suffocating atmosphere of the inner residence, letting her go out for a while to clear her mind might be for the best.

She could always return once things settled.

Having thought it through, he finally relented and granted her request to attend the literary gathering.

Seeing the joyful light in Jiang Xiurun’s eyes as she gazed at him, Feng Liwu simply smiled and pinched her cheek.

She was still just a child at heart.

Since she had yet to bear him an heir, he might as well indulge her whims while he could.

Once she had played enough, she would eventually settle down.

With this in mind, Feng Liwu decided to let her enjoy herself.

He had once seen her at the academy, standing atop a high platform, debating eloquently with scholars, her brows raised in spirited confidence. If she enjoyed such things, then she might as well go.

With Feng Liwu’s approval, the next steps were easy to arrange.

To ensure her comfort during travel, he had a carriage specially modified for her.

This carriage was originally one of the Crown Prince’s personal vehicles, its front and back adorned with bronze-horned beasts symbolizing the heir to the throne.

The roof featured a carved wooden blue-eyed white tiger, exuding an imposing air.

However, its most unique feature was that the carriage cabin was not fixed directly to the wheels but was instead suspended using soft springs. No matter how fast the carriage moved, the interior remained stable.

After removing the bronze-horned beasts and the royal railings, the carriage retained its original soft-spring frame. Apart from reinforcing the small table inside, Feng Liwu also had a snack compartment added for the food-loving Young Master Jiang. There was even a fixed chamber pot with a gilded, sealable lid, allowing the maids to discreetly clean it after use—ensuring convenience on the road.

This carriage had been crafted by master artisans and was rare in the estate, with only two in existence, both used alternately by the Crown Prince himself.

Yet now, he had painstakingly modified one just to gift it to Young Master Jiang.

Cao Xi, who had long coveted the carriage, was furious when she heard the news. She couldn’t help but complain to Concubine Tian.

“What exactly is so special about that Young Master Jiang? Or is it that Yao whispered sweet nothings to get her brother this privilege?”

Concubine Tian silently nibbled on a pastry, taking tiny bites as if afraid to drop even a crumb.

“Sweet nothings? That brat doesn’t need anyone to coax the prince—he goes on his own! What’s so great about a man’s backside anyway? Why is the Crown Prince so obsessed with it?”

On the day of departure, Young Master Jiang arrived at the city gates in the grand carriage to meet his mentor and fellow scholars. Since not everyone had arrived yet, she chatted idly in the open space near the gate.

Dou Siwu, who had been waiting, whistled in surprise.

“Haven’t seen you for a few days, Jiang, and now you’re riding in such a flashy carriage?”

Jiang Xiurun, inwardly blaming the prince for making her stand out, merely chuckled.

“I just borrowed it from the residence. You know how much I make each month—there’s no way I could afford a carriage like this.”

Curious, Dou Siwu climbed inside.

When he saw the finely crafted chamber pot, he suddenly felt an itch and wanted to try it out.

But before he could pull down his trousers, Qian’er, standing outside the carriage, reached in and grabbed his waistband.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Startled by the sudden grip, Dou Siwu thought for a moment—if he had been a little faster, wouldn’t his bare butt have been caught in someone’s hand?

He turned and saw it was that plain-looking maid who often accompanied Jiang Xiurun. Immediately, he glared. “What? Never seen someone take a dump before?”

As a nobleman’s son, he respected Young Master Jiang but saw no reason to be polite to a mere servant.

Yet to Qian’er, aside from her master, rank meant nothing.

Especially not to this man she often sparred with at the training grounds.

She didn’t let go.

Glaring back, she said, “Young Master’s carriage has just been scented with musk—it’s fragrant and clean! And here you are, shamelessly trying to christen it first. If you dare dirty my master’s carriage, I swear…”

She squeezed the two half-boiled eggs in her hand, causing the yolks to burst and ooze through her fingers.

Dou Siwu had only wanted to test the seat; he wasn’t actually going to use it.

But seeing how aggressive she was, he grew annoyed.

He yanked his waistband back and jumped off the carriage.

“Tugging at my pants so desperately—are you interested in me? Maybe I should have Jiang buy your contract and bring you into my household to keep you busy!”

Qian’er, confident that her master wouldn’t be swayed by money, scoffed as she sized him up.

Her gaze finally settled below his waist before she rolled her eyes.

“Why don’t you go home and weigh yourself? With everything included, do you even have half a tael down there? Me, interested in you? I’d say you’re not up to the task.”

When it came to crude banter, Qian’er had no rivals in Luo’an City.

Dou Siwu was no match.

The other scholars who had come to see them off burst into laughter.

One even egged him on, “Come on, Dou! Drop your pants and blind that maid’s ‘dog eyes’—let her see what she’s missing!”

Jiang Xiurun, having been chatting with her  elder brother nearby, hadn’t expected such a commotion.

She quickly pulled Qian’er aside and reprimanded her.

Dou Siwu, face slightly red, glared at her a few more times.

He had once thought that, despite her birthmark, she had striking features.

Now he only felt she was a troublesome, unsightly woman—one he would definitely teach a lesson at the next martial match.

After the commotion settled, everyone from the academy had finally arrived. Mr. Mufeng took attendance, then distributed the passage tokens. After organizing the carriages from each household into a formation, they proceeded through the city gates one by one and set off.

Feng Liwu, constrained by his status, did not personally send her off. However, he ascended a high platform near the government office, gazing from afar as that graceful figure boarded the carriage and left the city.

He had indulged her too much—so much so that, in a moment of weakness, he agreed to her request. Though the guards accompanying her were all capable men under his command, Feng Liwu still felt an emptiness in his heart the moment she passed through the city gates.

Only after the carriage disappeared from sight did he withdraw his emotions and descend from the platform.

Once he had taken care of the matters at hand, he would reunite with his tutor Jiang.

Now, more than ever, he longed to eliminate every obstacle standing in his way.

When he finally ascended to rule the world, whatever she desired, wouldn’t he be able to place it before her with ease? Why should she have to leave simply because the residence no longer offered her peace?

This time, those traveling were all young men, most of whom had never journeyed far before. Since time was not an issue, Master Mufeng insisted that the journey be conducted with utmost caution. They followed official roads, and if any territory ahead seemed unsafe, they would rather take a longer route than risk trouble.

Being young, the group became lively as soon as they left Luo’an City. They chatted and laughed along the way, many taking out the snacks their families had prepared for them, eating as they walked, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Before departing, Jiang Xiurun had taken a copy of the Classic of Mountains and Seas from Feng Liwu’s study. The collection of myths and strange creatures proved to be an intriguing read.

(T/N:  The Classic of Mountains and Seas, also known as Shanhai jing, formerly romanized as the Shan-hai Ching, is a Chinese classic text and a compilation of mythic geography and beasts. Early versions of the text may have existed since the 4th century BCE, but the present form was not reached until the early Han dynasty.)

That day, as they approached Yanzhou—the border between the Great Qi and the Wei—the distant sound of galloping hooves echoed along the official road.

Jiang Xiurun poked her head out for a look, her brows furrowing instantly.

She naturally recognized the approaching figure. After all, she had seen him for two lifetimes.

When had Qin Zhao been transferred to Yanzhou?

After several months apart, Qin Zhao had changed dramatically.

Perhaps due to frequent border patrols, his skin had darkened from the sun, and he had grown noticeably leaner.

Faint lines creased his brow, stripping away the effortless arrogance and pride that once marked him as the son of nobility in her past life.

Riding up to Master Mufeng’s carriage, Qin Zhao cupped his fists in greeting while the old scholar leisurely gnawed on a sugarcane stalk.

“I am the governor of Yanzhou,” Qin Zhao announced.

“Upon hearing of your passing through, I have come to welcome you.”

Master Mufeng calmly spat out the sugarcane pulp, disembarked, and returned the greeting with a bow.

“We are but common folk—why trouble the governor with such a grand reception?”