“Three months ago, this humble woman found a man on the border, severely wounded and near death, and brought him back to Wu City for treatment.”
“We spent over half a month together, moving from mutual wariness to mutual affection. He told me his name was Ji Changfeng, and that he was a Cavalry General leading troops in battle on the frontier.”
“Eager to return to the battlefield, he left as soon as his injuries showed slight improvement.”
“Before departing, he gave me a jade pendant and asked me to wait for his triumphant return, so he could marry me with great honor.”
“Who would have thought…”
“This humble woman has come today to propose a spirit marriage and mourn for him…”
After speaking, she took a jade pendant from the pouch at her waist and handed it to the maid attending her.
The maid examined it before presenting it to Ji Changqing.
It was a cloud-patterned pendant made of mutton-fat jade, white and fine, warm and smooth, with the lustrous sheen that comes from being handled countless times.
Ji Changqing rubbed the pendant between his fingers, lowering his eyes slightly.
Aside from his trusted aides, no one knew that “General Ji” and “Prime Minister Ji” were actually the same person.
When he was nine years old, his elder brother choked to death on glutinous rice balls.
His mother was overwhelmed with guilt and grief, nearly driven mad with remorse.
He quietly buried his elder brother, then disguised himself as his brother, deceiving his mother into believing he had come back to life.
His mother believed it and gradually recovered.
From then on, he played two roles simultaneously—being himself while also impersonating his elder brother.
“Elder brother” practiced martial arts, while he studied literature.
His mother hoped her sons would achieve greatness, so he took both the military and civil examinations.
Somehow, he ended up embodying both a civil official and a military general.
Fearing exposure, after passing the imperial examination as the top scholar, he requested an assignment outside the capital, serving as a county magistrate in a remote area. “Elder brother,” claiming he did not want to be too far from his younger sibling, became a county lieutenant in the neighboring county.
Far from the Emperor and distant from superiors, no one in his county knew whether the magistrate was usually present at the yamen or not.
Petitions were still accepted, cases were still tried, governance was smooth, and the people were content—only the magistrate never appeared in person, with everything handled by his secretary instead.
With peregrine falcons helping him transmit messages instantly, conveying decisions was effortless.
And so he muddled along, rising from county magistrate to prefect, until he was appointed Prime Minister.
While local officials could be easily fooled, the Prime Minister had to attend court daily, forcing him to arrange for “elder brother” to die in battle.
This jade pendant had been lost before “elder brother” died in battle.
At that time, he had lured the enemy deep into their territory but was betrayed by a lieutenant colonel, falling into an enemy ambush. He narrowly escaped with his life, collapsing in a river valley over twenty li from Wu City.
When he awoke again, three days had passed.
His wounds had been bandaged, his fever had subsided, and he lay in a dilapidated temple in Wu City.
His sword and longbow were still with him, but his pouch and the jade pendant he always carried were missing.
He had assumed they were lost during his escape, but it turned out…
He looked at the delicate woman before him, dressed in plain clothes with a white flower in her hair, her face etched with sorrow, thinking that the story of her saving his life needed verification, but—
Spending over half a month together?
Mutual affection?
Gifting a jade pendant upon parting, asking her to wait for his glorious return to marry her?
Could this be any more fabricated?
Seeing the other party holding the jade pendant without speaking for a long time, Feng Qingsui felt slightly uneasy.
Were there any flaws in what she had just said?
Although she had stretched the treatment period a bit and fabricated the affection out of thin air, Ji Changfeng was busy with military affairs and likely had no time to write letters home. The Ji family probably didn’t know about his injuries and thus couldn’t know the specific details.
After some thought, she added, “If the Prime Minister does not believe me, this humble woman can describe his unique physical characteristics…”
Unique physical characteristics?
Ji Changqing’s face darkened.
Could this woman possibly be…
He clenched the jade pendant and spoke to stop her: “No need.”
“This jade pendant was personally carved by our father before my elder brother and I were born.”
“My elder brother and I have always kept our jades with us at all times. Since he gave this pendant to you, it is enough to prove your relationship is far from ordinary.”
Did she… pass the test?
Feng Qingsui breathed a sigh of relief.
“Then shall we choose a date for the wedding ceremony? As a lone woman with neither father nor mother, there is no need for a grand wedding. A simple ceremony at the ancestral hall will suffice.”
Ji Changqing: “…”
Why insist on being a widow instead of staying as the savior with a clear conscience? What exactly is she after?
“May I ask your surname, miss?”
“My surname is Feng.”
“Miss Feng,” Ji Changqing said solemnly, “you are my elder brother’s savior. How could our Ji Fu repay kindness with enmity by having you enter into a posthumous marriage with him?”
“If you wish to start a family, I can find you a good match and provide a dowry so you can have a splendid wedding.”
Feng Qingsui bit her lip, squeezing a tear from her right eye.
“Having seen the ocean, one finds it hard to admire other waters; having visited Mount Wu, no other clouds seem beautiful. After encountering a great man like General Ji who stands tall between heaven and earth, how could I ever look upon ordinary men?”
“Never mind. I come from humble origins. It is only natural that your noble household does not wish to accept me.”
“I shall return to Wu City, carve a memorial tablet for the general, and live out my days guarding it.”
Ji Changqing: “…”
A betrothed who once saved his life wants to remain faithful and become a chaste widow, yet the Ji family won’t even let her through the door?
If he really lets her do this, once word gets out, the Ji family’s reputation will be ruined.
He sighed: “The life of a widow is not easy. Why should an unmarried young lady like you rush to become one?”
Feng Qingsui: “You are not a fish; how can you know the fish’s happiness? I am more than willing to remain a widow for the general.”
Ji Changqing: “…”
The more persistent Feng Qingsui was, the more he doubted her intentions.
Could it be that those aristocratic families who saw him as a thorn in their side, after repeated failed assassination attempts, had decided to try a new tactic against him?
For example, finding a beautiful woman to become his widowed sister-in-law, then framing him for defying human ethics and having an affair with his brother’s widow.
Just then, Chunyun, the chief maid serving his mother, rushed into the hall with a panicked expression.
“Second Master, the old madam is choking on osmanthus cake!”
His face changed abruptly.
He immediately stood up and strode out of the hall, heading straight for the inner courtyard.
Seeing his mother clutching her neck, her lips and fingernails turning bluish-purple, with Fu Momo patting her back in a fluster beside her, the scene from years ago reappeared before his eyes, leaving his hands and feet icy cold.
Before he could react, a slender figure brushed past him, rushed behind his mother, pushed Fu Momo aside, wrapped her arms around his mother’s waist, and pulled her backward with an impact.
Recognizing it as Feng Qingsui, his breath caught.
Before he could think about how this woman had followed him into the inner courtyard, he moved forward to restrain her.
But he was blocked by the plump maid she had brought, who spread her arms to bar his way.
“Miss is saving a life. Please do not disturb.”
Saving a life?
Clearly, she’s killing someone!
“How dare you!”
Furious, Ji Changqing reached out to grab the plump maid’s arm, intending to throw her aside… He pulled once, twice, three times, but she didn’t budge?!
In his astonishment, his mother let out an “ah” and spat out the object stuck in her throat.
Feng Qingsui released her encircling arms and helped her sit down in a chair.
The plump maid stepped aside.
“Mother!”
Ji Changqing strode forward.
“How are you feeling?”
“Mother is fine now.”
Madam Qi coughed a few times, her complexion easing as she turned to look at Feng Qingsui.
“Thanks to this young lady. May I ask who you are?”
Ji Changqing thought to himself, “This is bad,” but Feng Qingsui had already spoken: “I am General Ji’s widow.”