SIX

“My Lady, we have arrived”. Ru Qing lifted up the curtain so Jiang Xi Yu could see how the people of Luoyang were getting prepared in the morning.

Duke of Jiang’s entourage reached Luoyang just within almost eighteen hours of travel time. The road was rougher than the previous one. Jiang Xing Yu was thinking it might be because Li Fei Long’s grand carriage must be way steadier.

“We arrived much faster than when we left this city with wang ye”. Jiang Xi Yu blurted out casually. 

She stuck out her head from the window to smell the morning scents. She saw her brother’s silhouette vaguely and she smiled proudly. In this era, her brother was one of the great generals. He has good posture. It would be funny if she mentions to him how he looks in the modern era. 

“My Lady, last time wang ye specifically ordered General Lou Sheng to choose a smoother road but slower. Wang ye wanted you to be more comfortable.” Ru Ming explained to her. “With the horses that Duan Wang Fu owns, we actually could manage to finish the trip in less than twelve hours. Actually, wang ye is very much concerned about you, my Lady. He even made sure to stop whenever you started to feel tired, or even when you were excited to see something along the way”.

Jiang Xi Yu turned around and checked her maid’s expression. She needed to make sure that Ru Ming did not praise her lord highly to the extent of lying about those details. But her maid stayed cheerful as usual. No trace of sly motive from what she saw. 

Instead of entering Jiang Gong Fu, the entourage stopped right in front of the main gate. Because the Duke of Jiang was the Deputy Head of the Shen Du Palace, The Late Emperor bestowed him a huge mansion right next to the secondary palace. The Late Emperor built Shen Du Palace for him to spend his old days in that palace. He passed away in Shen Du Palace as he wished. After a period of mourning, the current Emperor preferred to occupy the main palace in Chang’an. 

“Inform the Duchess that the Duke of Jiang and I have returned with Jiang Xi Yu Gong gege”. General Jiang Zhen Hai shouted loudly then jumped down from his horse. The people who were originally just passing by in front of Jiang Gong Fu, started to gather to see the commotion of the entourage. 

One of the front guards ran inside the moment he saw Duke of Jiang and General Jiang Zhen Hai walking near to the carriage. The Duke of Jiang could not stop laughing happily. General Jiang Zhen Hai was still shouting very proudly and happily. 

“This is truly the mandate from heaven. Our gong gege got kidnapped but was saved by the heroic Duan Qin Wang.” 

General Jiang Zheng Hai opened the carriage and helped his sister step out of it. The people started to cheer and shouted how heroic Duan Qin Wang was. Some women on the street were gossiping to each other. They pointed at Jiang Xi Yu and nodded here there. 

With her face half covered with a silk scarf, Jiang Xi Yu followed her brother to the main gate. Ru Qing and Ru Ming followed them closely behind, also wearing silk scarves covering half of their faces. The head servant appeared at the gate along with the Duchess and her pozi. Her shouts of joy made the people in front of the fu give more praise towards Duan Qin Wang and thank the heavens for Duke of Jiang’s luck. 

The moment Jiang Xi Yu saw the middle-aged woman ahead of her, once again she was shocked. Her mother was very noble. Her silk robe was flowing, her radiant was elegant, her face much rounder but she still has the same facial similarity with her modern mother. They were destined to be blood related no matter which era they were living in. 

Jiang Xi Yu let go of her brother’s hand. She ran forward to hug her mother. Her cries made all the bystanders who were watching from far felt touched. The reunion of the mother and daughter was very heartwarming and moving. 

Her silk scarf accidentally fell off and got blown away by the breeze. General Jiang Zhen Hai caught it before it touched the ground. To complete the touching moment, the Duke of Jiang gave a sign to his head servant. He then faced the crowd and happily announced.

“To celebrate this moment, today Jiang Gong Fu will distribute nine necessity items for the impoverished subjects. Get in line at this main gate. In an hour, the head servant will start to distribute”.

***

Duke of Jiang and General Jiang Zhen Hai left the fu to make an official report just like the plan they made with Li Fei Long. Both left the Duchess of Jiang and Jiang Xi Yu to have some time together to embrace one another. 

“You have lost all of your memories?” The Duchess of Jiang asked her with teary eyes. 

Nodding reluctantly, somehow Jiang Xi Yu felt guilty because she had to lie about her state. No one would believe that she came from the modern world. Her family would think she was out of her mind. Who would believe if she says that their faces were similar to the one they will have more than a thousand years ahead? 

“I only recognize mother, father, and ge”. Jiang Xi Yu reached for the Duchess of Jiang’s hand the moment she saw her mother frown. She might call her differently in this era. “Duan Qin Wang’s personal eunuchs saved me that night.” She added.

“Duan Qin Wang knew that you are Jiang Gong gege but never informed our fu?! Every day I cried. Your father and brother looked everywhere and investigated the case by themselves. We are all worried sick about you”. The Duchess continued to cry her heart out. Jiang Xi Yu cried too and felt guilty.

“Wang ye did not believe me because my father never reported that I was kidnapped. Wang ye thought that I got mistaken”. She explained carefully. After all, Li Fei Long did try to find out the truth about her. “Mother, how did I get kidnapped? And how did my servants get cruelly killed?”

Her question snapped Duchess of Jiang out of her sadness. The Duchess wiped her tears then leaned forward to wipe Jiang Xi Yu’s tears off her face. She then tapped gently on her precious daughter’s cheek and tried to smile calmly. 

“You have forgotten everything. It is better this way. Let’s not try to regain memories of that unfortunate thing. You were just back in the fu. The head steward had summoned the taiyi”. 

The Duchess of Jiang brushed her finger along Jiang Xi Yu’s face. She was really relieved that her daughter had finally returned to the fu. As long as Jiang Xi Yu was fine, the Duchess did not mind her memory loss. 

The Duchess’s sight stopped on top of Jiang Xi Yu’s head. “This buyao is very beautiful. The gemstone is a red beryl which is very rare.”

“Aah…” Jiang Xi Yu touched her buyao with a big shy smile. “Wang ye gave it to me. I once let Ru Qing gave it away to bribe one of the servants. But somehow wang ye got it back and gave it back to me before I left Duan Wang Fu.”

Jiang Xi Yu never kept any secret from her family. She got used to speaking freely towards her own family. So now, in front of the Duchess of Jiang, Jiang Xi Yu never held back. 

“The imperial edict has been announced. Knowing how great wang ye has been treating you, mother feels relieved”. The Duchess of Jiang left out a long sigh. Her words sounded nice but her facial expression was sad. Jiang Xi Yu noticed that. She rushed to grab her mother’s hands. She lowered herself and sat forward as she whispered. 

“Mother, do we have any possibility to object to the degree?”

The Duchess of Jiang sucked in her breath in fear, she turned her head to the left and right. Inside the nei yuan were Duchess of Jiang’s trusted pozi and the two yahuan who were from Duan Wang Fu. Three of them were also full of fear like the Duchess of Jiang. They obviously heard what Jiang Xi Yu had just said.

“Do not mention it again!'' 

The Duchess of Jiang hissed at her own daughter. She held Jiang Xi Yu’s shoulder and stood up with her. “It was a match made from heaven, Duan Qin Wang had met and rescued you. The mandate from the Holy One was fate for you.”

“Gong gege must have been exhausted. Bring Gong gege to her chamber to rest. After the taiyi arrive, I will bring him to the chamber”. The Duchess of Jiang gave the order to Ru Qing and Ru Ming. Her pozi bowed towards Jiang Xi Yu and led them out of the room. 

The Duchess of Jiang could not stop watching her daughter bow to her and disappeared into her own chamber. Her heart still held many worries about Jiang Xi Yu. The Duke of Jiang has once promised her that he will let Jiang Xi Yu marry another noble son. They both agreed that pursuing power would only lead to sorrow. Therefore, their fu remained low profile. 

Who would know someone would commit such a crime towards Jiang Xi Yu? Although it ended like a fairytale, she was saved by Duan Qin Wang and then received the Emperor's decree. This truly was the irony of fate.

***

For the next few days, the news about the Duke of Jiang’s daughter getting kidnapped and being saved by Duan Qin Wang was spread all over the empire. People on the street, the nobles, every single person talked about it. 

The heroic story became too excessive. Even the poets made romantic poems out of it. The opera theaters made a love story about it. The only one who did not know was Jiang Xi Yu who was enjoying her time inside Jiang Gong Fu.

The very next day after her arrival, the wedding gifts from Duan Qin Wang started coming in. Besides that, The Emperor, Jing Gui Fei, and other noble families have sent so many gifts to Jiang Gong Fu as a sign of being concerned. From the rarest ginseng to the beautiful flower plants that started to bloom around summer time. All the finest gifts have been filled up the mansion.

All the people inside the fu were also doting on Jiang Xi Yu and she was never complaining about it. The Emperor has given his permission for General Jiang Zhen Hai to spend his leisure days in Luoyang. The Emperor even bestowed him with land and more men for his troops. After Jiang Xi Yu's wedding day, General Zhen Hai would be back to his post, guarding and protecting the empire in the west border. 

“Father, mother, may I go out from the fu and take a look at the city?” Jiang Xi Yu clashed her hands in hope. She blinked at both her parents while they were enjoying the evening at the main courtyard. 

The Duke of Jiang was playing xiàngqí with General Jiang Zhen Hai. The Duchess of Jiang sat next to the Duke of Jiang, fanning herself while watching both father and son try to show their intelligence in strategy.

Three of them immediately stopped their movement. They turned their focus toward Jiang Xi Yu who sat next to her brother, looking cute waiting for an answer. 

“No! You are not allowed to step foot outside.” The stern voice from the Duchess of Jiang startled her. Jiang Xi Yu has never seen the Duchess of Jiang frightened. The fan in her grip was already dropped on the ground. The Duchess’s face was reddened to the point she began panting.

“Mother, I just wanted to see what is outside the wall. If mother scares that someone might kidnap me again, I would not go. Just do not feel resentful.” Jiang Xi Yu regretted speaking about her own interest without considering any trauma this family has experienced because of her. 

The Duke of Jiang affectionately embraced his wife. “No one would dare to try to kidnap or do anything bad toward Xi Yu again. Now she is the future Duan Wang Fei. The Imperial Family protects her. Jiang Gong Fu protects her. The executant must be asking for death if they want to do it once again.”

General Jiang Zhen Hai put down his chess piece on the table. He said calmly. “To be honest, it would be good for Xi Yu to go play outside once in a while. She might regain her memories by doing what she likes. Mother, do not be worried. I will look after her.”

***

Her calm brother must love her dearly. The next day, Jiang Xi Yu was already in her carriage, guarded by some men. Jiang Xi Yu with Ru Qing and Ru Ming rode the carriage around the main streets until they stopped by the Neitai Lake.

 This lake covers an area of over five acres. Weeping willows are waving along its bank and numerous fishes are swimming in it. The hill is artificial and has lots of rough caves on it. The waterfall rushing down made a stunning scene and brought energy to the whole flower park. Jiang Xi Yu cannot wait to lay on the grass near the lake, but Ru Ming suggested to stroll along the stone road around the lake first.

Jiang Xi Yu was holding the umbrella and enjoying the beautiful scenery around her. The bright sun was not too hot at that time and her guards were standing within distance. They did not come too close to her and her yahuan. They knew their boundaries to keep their master still able to enjoy the moment.

One of the guards came forward the moment they noticed someone had approached them. From a distance, Jiang Xi Yu looked at the person with full curiosity. The man looked eagerly to meet her. He looked younger than Li Fei Long. From his attire, Jiang Xi Yu assumed that the person was someone from a noble family.  

“This man is handsome but not as manly as Li Fei Long.” The moment Jiang Xi Yu blurted her mind out of her will, she rolled her eyes full with regret. She did not want to take a glance at her yahuan. She covered her embarrassment with other questions and tried to make it sound more cheerful. “Who is he? He seems to know me.”

Ru Ming stepped forward, covering her master and gave her stern face to the man who was still in discussion with the guards. “My Lady wants to know who you are.”, shouted Ru Ming. 

The man was hurt by the question. “I am Yu Yan He. The first son of Duke of Yu. Your lady knows me very well.”

“Please pardon me. I have lost my memory because of the kidnapping. Therefore, I cannot recognize you, my Lord.” Jiang Xi Yu gave him a sad smile. She nodded to the guards to let the man come closer towards her. Ru Ming stayed in between them while Ru Qing was very alert behind her. 

“You really cannot remember me?” The man seems like he almost shed his tears.

Were they in love before?!

Jiang Xi Yu fixed her eyes on his face. She tried to find any possible way to remember this man. His face was as smooth as a girl. The shape was round. If he was a girl, he would be a pretty girl. As for now, he looks like an innocent young man who just experienced his first puppy love. 

She was still shaking her head when slowly her eyes caught something. The feeling that she might know this person in front of her. His face has a little bit of a trace of her ex-boyfriend. Gradually her mouth started to widen open. She was in shock. So, everyone she met in this life might have possibly met her in her modern life. 

“You did know me.” Yu Yan He exclaimed with a big smile after he saw the change in Jiang Xi Yu’s expression. He tried to hold Jiang Xi Yu’s hand but Ru Ming quickly stepped in to block his moves. 

“I-I-I might.” Jiang Xi Yu stammered. She cannot explain to anyone what she found in her personal misery. “I think I might have met you before. But I cannot remember anything about you.”

“Xi Yu, remember I gave you the jade bracelet that you love so much? The white jade bracelet? We met by the river and I gave you the bracelet. You have worn it every day since then. You said you were happy and promised me that the bracelet will be on your wrist from the day forward.” Yu Yan He desperately explained to her and now he looked down to her wrist. Obviously, he was heartbroken the moment he saw Jiang Xi Yu was wearing another bracelet. 

Jiang Xi Yu did not know how to answer him because she did not know what kind of bracelet it was. In her modern life, he dumped her for unknown reasons. For now, it appeared like she was the one who dumped him. This may be their karma.

“Xi Yu……” Yu Yan He looked at her with a sad face. 

The grudge that she has from modern life made her unable to give any sympathy to him. His sad face just made Jiang Xi Yu realize his immaturity. Completely different from Li Fei Long’s character and nature.

“My Lady has just returned. This stroll is good for my Lady’s recuperation. My Lady will also soon be Duan Wang Fei. This lowly servant begs the Lord to give her respect.” Ru Ming interrupted him by giving him formal respect. 

“When I heard about the marriage degree, I was unable to hold myself to find you. But then I learned that you got kidnapped….” Started to wail, the man looked even more pitiful. The guards were in confusion since it was inappropriate to drag the man away because he was the son of a Duke. 

But Jiang Xi Yu concluded on a big point. This man was not the kidnapper. He did not know she was kidnapped until the news got spread. 

“Duan Qin Wang has saved me despite not knowing my identity. My love toward him has been growing each day since then. I can only ask for the understanding of the lord for this. The marriage degree clearly shows that this is fated to be.”

Little bit bent on herself, Jiang Xi Yu gave him respect so he could leave her as soon as possible. But his next move was unpredictable. Apparently, the man was still in his sorrow and too desperate. He came forward and snatched Jiang Xi Yu’s wrist. He attempted to pull her toward himself but Ru Ming was faster than him. 

A small blade was right on his neck when Jiang Xi Yu lifted up her head. The man’s hand was on her waist, the other held her wrist tightly. If there was no blade around his neck, Jiang Xi Yu would already be on his chest.

“Let go of my lady.” Ru Ming shouted angrily. Jiang Xi Yu did not expect her yahuan to bring a small blade everywhere. But she was pleased with her yahuan for being prepared. 

“My Lord, you have the guts to touch the woman who soon will be Duan Wang Fei.” Jiang Xi Yu wanted to make the man understand what he just did. 

“I lost all the past memories and coincidentally met Duan Qin Wang. It is all meant to be. If anyone sees what you are doing right now, do you think this would not offend Duan Qin Wang or even The Holy One? My Lord, you are risking not only your life but also your family’s.”

The young lord let go of her hand very quickly. His face was in between scared and heart broken. Without saying anything towards Jiang Xi Yu, he turned his body and walked away in the same direction as he came.