Chapter 23: The Masked Man
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“Brother Jiang, that’s hardly fair.” A man in black, who had somehow been hiding behind the curtains, strode out and headed straight for Jiang Lie, who was devouring the pastries. He reached for a piece of spiced cake from the box. “How can you keep all the good things for yourself?”
“And what of it?” Jiang Lie hurriedly raised the pastry box out of his reach, looking even more childish than before. “My sister gave these to me. They were never meant for you. If you’re capable, have your own sister send you some pastries.”
Only then did the newcomer turn and notice Jiang Zhuo standing by the window.
“This young lady must be General Jiang’s sister. I have long heard of Miss Jiang’s reputation. Now that I have met you, I see the rumors were not exaggerated.”
His bright eyes shone all the more vividly behind the dark iron mask. The sharp corners of his lips curved faintly as he took the initiative to introduce himself to Jiang Zhuo.
“My surname is Bai, and my given name is Feijun. I am General Jiang Lie’s military adviser.”
Jiang Zhuo froze.
This was the masked man she had been searching for.
“Humph! Be whoever you like!” Jiang Lie mumbled through a mouthful of pastry, his expression tinged with displeasure.
“What do you mean by that, Brother?”
Could one simply decide one’s own identity?
Jiang Zhuo pressed him curiously for an answer.
Bai Feijun, however, stepped between the two siblings and explained with a smile, “To be frank, Miss Jiang, I am a man of mediocre ability and hold no official title at present. I am merely a commoner, which is why I serve as Brother Jiang’s personal military adviser.”
“Master Bai, you must not belittle yourself. Earlier, I saw how you moved—agile as a swimming dragon. And now you serve as my brother’s military adviser, so you must possess the ability to command from behind the scenes. With such talent and intelligence, once fortune favors you, I am certain you will become a renowned general whose name will shake the realm.”
Jiang Zhuo offered him the words with genuine sincerity.
“A renowned general? Him? How could that possibly—” Jiang Lie burst out laughing, only to choke once more on the pastry crumbs. “Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough!”
“Brother! One must neither doubt those one employs nor employ those one doubts. Since you recruited Master Bai as your military adviser, why are you laughing at him?”
With an exasperated sigh, Jiang Zhuo went over and thumped him on the back.
“I—I never dared laugh at him!” Jiang Lie protested, his face red from coughing.
Watching the boisterous siblings, Bai Feijun’s smile deepened.
“In that case, I must truly thank you for your auspicious words, Miss Jiang.”
“What do you mean, ‘Miss Jiang’?” Having recovered, Jiang Lie straightened and cautiously moved Jiang Zhuo behind him. “Let me make one thing clear: my sister is now the Princess of Zhaoning, a member of the imperial clan personally enfeoffed by His Majesty. Don’t even think of setting your sights on her.”
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“I see. Then I have been presumptuous.” Bai Feijun maintained his faint smile and offered a gentle apology.
“Don’t listen to my brother’s nonsense. When we boarded the ship earlier, I still had to thank you for picking up my veil. I should be the one thanking you, Master Bai!”
Jiang Zhuo struggled to peer around the tall and broad-shouldered Jiang Lie, poking her head through the gap to speak with Bai Feijun.
“What do you mean, when you boarded the ship? What veil? Did you approach my sister the moment you got on board?”
Jiang Lie angrily tried to force the two of them apart.
“It was merely a small favor. You need not thank me, Your Highness.” Ignoring Jiang Lie’s questions, Bai Feijun continued chatting with Jiang Zhuo with a smile. “Even without me, someone else would surely have helped you that day. I merely happened to be there.”
“An official title and rank are only temporary honors. There is no need to be so formal, Master Bai. And you certainly need not call me ‘Your Highness’ every time.”
Seeing her cousin bristle with anger, Jiang Zhuo found the scene rather amusing. Once again, she leaned out to speak with Bai Feijun.
“Just as I thought. Miss Jiang and I took to each other at first sight, and our minds seem to be in perfect accord. I, too, find that title rather distant.”
“Hey! Could the two of you spare a thought for me?”
Wedged between them, Jiang Lie shouted in outrage.
Jokes were one thing.
The serious matters still had to be discussed.
Jiang Lie was traveling to Hangzhou to take up the post of Inspector.
“The military system has been changed, and His Majesty wants me to see how well it works.” Jiang Lie spread his hands. “If you ask me, there was no need to change any of these regulations. They have been in use for so long without causing trouble. Now they have suddenly been overhauled for no reason, wasting both manpower and money. Even my colleagues at court think it is nothing but a nuisance.”
“This was also the long-cherished wish of Chancellor Wang and Minister Jiang.” Bai Feijun smiled as he tapped Jiang Lie lightly on the head. “If the new policies are implemented successfully, they will not only eradicate the entrenched power of the great clans, but also help prolong the dynasty. This is a strategy for the next hundred years. We must take the long view.”
“You may be thinking far ahead,” Jiang Lie muttered unhappily, “but if the new policies fail and we have to restore the old ones, all this will be nothing more than exhausting work with no reward.”
Jiang Zhuo listened quietly from the side without saying a word.
Since her rebirth, she had often heard court officials speak of new policies, old policies, and factional struggles.
Now, she was gradually beginning to understand the situation.
At present, the ministers at court could broadly be divided into supporters of the new policies and supporters of the old. Jiang Dun and Chancellor Wang were the leading figures of the reformist faction.
Considering the circumstances of her previous life—her father’s wrongful accusation and the rebellion of the Fifth Prince, who was stationed far away on the frontier—her father’s murder by bandits after retiring to his hometown was far too coincidental. It seemed much more likely that his political enemies had acted to eliminate a future threat.
Who were her father’s enemies at court?
Jiang Zhuo pondered in silence. Judging by the division between the old and new factions, they were perhaps the leaders of the conservative party.
Perhaps, once she returned to the capital, she should ask Chancellor Wang.
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And then there was the Fifth Prince. The enemy of one’s enemy was a friend.
The Fifth Prince had been falsely accused of exchanging secret messages with her father. His position must therefore have aligned with her father’s...
“Watch out!”
Someone suddenly yanked Jiang Zhuo by the sleeve. She staggered and fell into the arms of the person behind her.
An arrow shot through the air, grazing a strand of Jiang Zhuo’s hair before embedding itself in the wooden wall of the cabin.
Before she could react, a second arrow came hurtling toward them. It narrowly swept past Bai Feijun’s back as he held Jiang Zhuo.
One arrow before them, one behind.
Had they been aimed at her? Or at...
Jiang Zhuo stiffly turned to look at Bai Feijun behind her.
“Find somewhere to hide, now!”
Jiang Lie had already reacted. He swiftly drew his sword and shouted at Jiang Zhuo at the top of his lungs.
At the same instant, Bai Feijun drew the black longsword from his waist and charged to meet the attackers.
Knowing that her martial skills were inadequate and that she would only hinder them, Jiang Zhuo turned and slipped behind the layers of curtains inside the room.
Outside, blades clashed in a ceaseless ringing din.
There appeared to be more than a dozen attackers, but none was a match for Jiang Lie and Bai Feijun.
Through the hazy screen of gauze, Jiang Zhuo cautiously observed the battle.
The cabin door had not been opened. Judging from the direction, the attackers seemed to have entered through the window she had opened earlier.
Realizing her mistake, Jiang Zhuo felt a pang of regret.
Fortunately, the assassins in black were already on the verge of defeat, with only two or three stragglers remaining.
Just as Jiang Zhuo was about to breathe a sigh of relief, one of the black-clad assassins noticed the embroidered shoe protruding from beneath the curtains.
“There’s a woman hiding here! Seize her first!”