Since childhood, Jiang Li had been thoroughly protected by her parents. After her father's passing, Yang Huiniang became even more sharp-tongued and unyielding, refusing to tolerate the slightest injustice.
People often attributed Yang Huiniang's temperamental change to widowhood.
But Jiang Li knew—her mother had become this way to shield her and Jiang Ling.
Fortunately, the neighbors on Zhu Fu Street were all kind-hearted. Growing up, the only person who had ever taken advantage of her was Su Yao. Later, there was the incident when she fell into the water, but after her recovery, Xue Zhen had completely vanished from her life.
In Jiang Li's eyes, most people in this world were good and trustworthy.
Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that someone who constantly made her laugh and cared for her so attentively would, in the blink of an eye, try to seduce her husband.
She couldn't help but think—if Taobi hadn't been from the Duke of Dingguo's household but instead sent by Huo Jue and Wei Huan's enemies, if her intention hadn't been to climb into bed but to kill Huo Jue, then last night, Huo Jue might have been in grave danger.
Jiang Li vaguely sensed that Huo Jue and Wei Huan's origins were something that couldn't be revealed to outsiders. If others found out, it might invite disaster.
If someone sought to harm Huo Jue in the future and tried to use those close to her to do so, her tendency to trust too easily could very well be his downfall.
Wei Huan, noticing the young woman's face alternating between red and pale, couldn't help but smile. She waved away the attendants, leaving only Nanny Tong in the room.
"Sit down first, then tell me what you think you did wrong."
Jiang Li took the floral tea Nanny Tong handed her, sipped it lightly, and then poured out her thoughts like scattered beans.
Wei Huan hadn't expected Jiang Li, after circling around the issue, to ultimately blame herself for putting Huo Jue in an imaginary danger.
The girl's unwavering loyalty to her younger brother was truly rare.
"I'm glad you can see this, A Li. But you don't need to be too hard on yourself. Everyone makes mistakes—even A Jue and I have made plenty in the past," Wei Huan said gently, taking Jiang Li's hand. "If you don't mind, I can share some of the lessons I've learned the hard way, so you won't have to stumble down the same path."
How could Jiang Li possibly mind? She shook her head like a rattle-drum. "Of course I don't mind! If you don't think I'm too slow-witted, I'd love to learn from you every day."
Wei Huan and Nanny Tong, seeing Jiang Li's earlier dejection completely gone, couldn't help but smile.
Jiang Li ended up staying with Wei Huan for a full hour.
When she stepped out, Tao Zhu hurried forward to drape a cloak over her shoulders and handed her a freshly warmed hand-warmer. After hesitating for a moment, she whispered, "You're such a kind mistress. It's Taobi who didn't know how to appreciate her fortune."
Jiang Li didn't respond, only glanced at the snow falling heavier outside and said, "Come with me. I want to see Taobi."
---
Huo Jue had left before dawn, sending a fast horse with a letter to White Water Village. Afterward, he visited Su Shiqing's residence to confirm the old man's health was stable before dragging Zhao Qian out of bed to return with him.
Zhao Qian trailed behind him, yawning and grumbling, "I'm telling you, Scholar Huo, it's perfectly normal for young women to have some stomach pain during their monthly cycle. A couple of doses of medicine will fix it—no need to make such a fuss."
Huo Jue gave him a cool glance, and Zhao Qian's complaints instantly died in his throat.
It was strange. He had never feared anyone in his life—except for Xue Wu, whom he followed willingly. But after spending a few months in Tong'an City and witnessing Huo Jue's methods firsthand, he had gained a second person to fear.
Staring at Huo Jue's back, Zhao Qian muttered to himself, This man looks righteous and noble, but he's actually ruthless—black-hearted through and through. I almost feel sorry for that little wife of his.
Grumbling aside, once they arrived, he dutifully took Jiang Li's pulse, administered acupuncture, prescribed medicine, and even personally brewed the decoction before leaving.
Jiang Li felt rather embarrassed that a minor stomachache had caused such a commotion.
She had caught a chill the night before, and the pain had been so severe that even a hot water bottle couldn't soothe it. Fortunately, Huo Jue had kept his hands pressed against her abdomen the entire time. His palms were so warm, the heat seemed to seep straight into her core, quickly easing much of the discomfort.
After a peaceful half-night's sleep, the pain had mostly subsided by morning. Yet, to her surprise, he had gone to fetch Dr. Zhao at the crack of dawn.
"You didn't have to do this. It was just a little pain," Jiang Li murmured, nestling into Huo Jue's arms after finishing the bitter medicine, her eyes half-lidded.
Huo Jue popped a candied fruit into her mouth and said softly, "We'll be traveling again tomorrow. Taking a few extra doses today will make the journey easier."
Jiang Li chewed on the sweet apricot preserve, her lips curling into an unconscious smile.
He treated her so well. Since their marriage, every day had felt like being soaked in honey.
No wonder Taobi, having witnessed his kindness, had gotten ideas.
At the thought of Taobi, Jiang Li sighed again.
Earlier, after leaving Wei Huan's quarters, she had allowed Taobi to return to her room to rest. Having knelt in the snow for over an hour, Taobi would undoubtedly be ill for days.
Between sobs, Taobi had kowtowed to her, admitting her wrongdoing and thanking her for sparing her life.
In all the time Jiang Li had spent with Taobi, this was the first time she had seen such genuine gratitude from her.
She had always treated Taobi and Tao Zhu with kindness, never regarding them as mere maids but more like friends.
Yet Taobi had never thanked her like this before.
Wei Huan had told her that the art of managing people involved three things: luring them with benefits, deterring them with punishment, and moving them with kindness.
For most people in this world, none of these alone was sufficient. Only when all three were employed could someone truly be made to serve you wholeheartedly.
In Taobi, Jiang Li had finally seen the effects of balancing kindness with authority.
After this incident, Taobi would certainly never dare to entertain thoughts about Huo Jue again. But Jiang Li had no intention of keeping her.
With this in mind, she propped herself up slightly and turned to look at Huo Jue. "I've sent Taobi back to Nanny Tong. She said that once we reach the capital, Taobi will return to Wushuang Courtyard."
"You can decide such matters," Huo Jue said, shifting her so she sat facing him. "She's from the Duke's household—it's only right to send her back. Once we reach Yunyang City, I'll arrange for new attendants to serve you."
Jiang Li nodded obediently, studying him for a moment before suddenly breaking into a bright smile. With utmost sincerity, she said, "Huo Jue, I will become a good wife to you."
Outside the window, snow swirled wildly in the wind, rattling the lattice panes.
Though it was the dead of winter, Huo Jue felt as though the room were as warm as spring—and all the most beautiful spring light in the world was pooled in Jiang Li's glistening eyes.
He had never been able to resist her.
Even the strongest self-control crumbled under her soft, sweet voice. His darkened gaze dropped to her rosy lips. Cradling the back of her head, he leaned down and kissed her.
Jiang Li tilted her head to meet his ardor, feeling the heat of his body stirring. For once, she cast aside her usual shyness and boldly reached for him.
She had thought it through.
Whether it was her monthly cycle or the days during pregnancy when intimacy was forbidden, she refused to push him toward another woman. If necessary, she could always find... alternative methods.
No sooner had this thought crossed her mind than she acted on it.
But the moment her fingers brushed his belt, he caught her wrist. Blushing furiously, Jiang Li murmured, "Huo Jue, I can use my hands—"
Before she could finish, her lips were sealed again in a searing kiss.
Yet he still held her wrist firmly. After a long moment, Huo Jue finally released her, pulling her tightly against his chest. His voice was hoarse as he said, "You don't need to, A Li."
She never had to please him—she didn't need to, and he couldn't bear the thought.
In this lifetime, it was his role to cherish her.
---
In the days that followed, Jiang Li rode in Wei Huan's carriage, only joining Huo Jue in their own carriage when he wasn't on horseback.
Traveling at this pace, they finally arrived in Yunyang City by the twelfth month.
Yunyang City wasn't far from the capital—about seven or eight days' journey. The city was named after Mount Yunyang in its outskirts, which bordered the infamous White Water Village, a place feared by all traveling merchants.
Jiang Li had heard of White Water Village before. It was said that the bandits there were so fierce they could hold off an army single-handedly—even the imperial troops couldn't subdue them.
At first, Jiang Li had been slightly uneasy. But as the journey progressed, neither Huo Jue, Wei Huan, nor Nanny Tong seemed the least bit concerned about the bandits, so she gradually stopped worrying.
On their first night in Yunyang City, Huo Jue said he needed to meet an old friend and didn't return until the next morning.
When Jiang Li woke, Tao Zhu informed her that the young master had come back.
Stepping outside, she saw that Huo Jue hadn't returned alone—behind him stood a tall, imposing man and four delicate young women.
The man had a long scar running down his face, but his refined features made it seem less intimidating.
Spotting Jiang Li, the man strode forward and dropped to one knee, bowing deeply. "Shen Ting pays his respects to Madam."
Jiang Li was startled by the gesture but kept her composure, smiling as she urged him to rise.
After Shen Ting stood, the four women behind him also knelt in unison.
"From now on, these four will serve as your attendants," Shen Ting said respectfully, cupping his hands. "Please bestow names upon them, Madam."
Jiang Li shook her head. "There's no need. They can keep their original names."
The moment she spoke, one of the women—a girl with twin buns in her hair—immediately looked up pleadingly. "Oh no, Madam! My mother always called me Erya. I've been waiting forever for a proper name!"
Shen Ting's temple twitched. "Erya!" he scolded sharply.
Erya promptly clamped her mouth shut but stuck her tongue out at Jiang Li when Shen Ting wasn't looking.
Jiang Li couldn't help but laugh. After a moment's thought, she said, "Then let it be Suyi, Su Cong, Yun Zhu, and Yun Xiu."
The names flowed effortlessly from her lips, and only after speaking did she pause in realization.
Her gaze instinctively flew to Huo Jue—and found him already looking at her, his deep eyes brimming with amusement.
Her ears burned.
Suddenly, she remembered the other night when Huo Jue had recited The Book of Songs to her in bed.
The verse had originally read, "Plain robe with crimson collar, I follow you to the marsh. Having seen my lord, how can I not be glad?" Yet he had insistently changed it to "Having seen A Li, how can I not be glad?"—pinning her beneath him and repeating it over and over before finally relenting.
He must have recited it so many times that she had unconsciously drawn from it to name the maids.
Now, every time she called their names, she would remember how Huo Jue had whispered "Having seen A Li, how can I not be glad?" against her ear.
---
Author's Note:
The verse referenced is from The Book of Songs, "Yang Zhi Shui":
"Plain robe with crimson collar, I follow you to the marsh. Having seen my lord, how can I not be glad? Plain robe with crimson embroidery, I follow you to the lake. Having seen my lord, why should I grieve?"
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