Lu Yuqing’s eyes widened as he watched Xie Jiang’s actions.
The two men wrestling rolled to the riverbank and stopped.
Lu Yuqing was slightly disappointed that neither of them fell into the river.
Xie Jiang tossed the mat aside and sat down again.
Xia Zeshi went forward and forcibly pulled the two struggling men apart. He worried that if he didn’t, Xu Hengyi wouldn’t be able to get out of bed for the next few days. Ruan Ziji had never lost a fight since he was young.
Before long, Xu Shuo and his group also returned. Lu Yuqing patted his hands after eating and ran over. He glanced at the prey loaded behind them. “No wonder you and Marquis Xie are back so late!”
Xu Shuo dismounted with a smile. “Marquis Xie just returned? How was your harvest?”
Lu Yuqing’s face was full of smiles. “We thought it was quite good, but compared to you guys…”
However, they weren’t out here for the harvest, so Lu Yuqing didn’t dwell on it.
Xu Hengyi ran to Xie Jiang to complain, wanting Xie Jiang to see Ruan Ziji’s true colors. “Xie Jiang, look how insidious Ruan Ziji is! He always pretends to be innocent and harmless in front of you…”
When it came to schemes and underhanded tactics, Xu Hengyi was no match for Ruan Ziji. He didn’t feel ashamed to complain to Xie Jiang; he was open and honest, and losing a fight wasn’t shameful.
As he spoke, he unbuttoned his collar, showing Xie Jiang his bruises. After displaying his upper body, he started to unbutton his pants.
A moment ago, Ruan Ziji thought Xu Hengyi was useless, seeking humiliation and a beating. Now, he wished he had been the one beaten!
How could he not have thought of this!
Ruan Ziji clutched his still wet shoes, wanting to smash Xu Hengyi’s face, but looking at the distance between Xu Hengyi and Xie Jiang, he was afraid of splashing water on Xie Jiang.
Xie Jiang frowned and stared at Xu Hengyi. “Take off any more, and I’ll make sure you can’t have children.”
Xu Hengyi’s hands paused as he was unbuttoning his pants. He felt that Xie Jiang was capable of anything and quickly stepped back, putting his clothes back on.
He wasn’t married yet!
Ruan Ziji threw his shoes on the ground. Seeing Xie Jiang’s disgusted attitude towards Xu Hengyi, he suddenly felt refreshed.
He scanned the campsite. Xia Zeshi sat down beside Xie Jiang. “It’s getting late. Why hasn’t Su Yang returned yet?”
Xia Zeshi already had a vague guess in his heart.
He worried that if something happened to Su Yang, Xie Jiang would lead people to smash the Marquis of Anyuan’s mansion.
After all, Su Yang was Xie Jiang’s subordinate. Could the affection between Xie Jiang and Ruan Ziji outweigh the life of Su Yang?
Seeing Xie Jiang about to pull at his hem after finishing the rabbit leg, Xia Zeshi reacted swiftly and handed him a handkerchief.
“Perhaps he fell into a hunter’s trap,” Xie Jiang said, wiping his hands and returning the handkerchief.
Xia Zeshi held the handkerchief blankly, his eyelids twitching violently. Did Xie Jiang know everything?
But he couldn’t tell anything from Xie Jiang’s expression.
Xie Jiang didn’t seem to care.
As Xia Zeshi was lost in thought, he heard the sound of horse hooves.
It was Su Yang returning.
The moment Xia Zeshi saw Su Yang, he knew his guess was correct.
Su Yang and his retinue were all covered in wounds, similar to Ruan Ziji’s group earlier.
However, Su Yang still maintained his aggressive, proud demeanor, like a fighting cock. Despite his injuries, he didn’t look disheveled.
Ruan Ziji turned to look, and his gaze met Su Yang’s. They were both glaring fiercely at each other.
However, it was clear that both sides had reservations and hadn’t gone all out.
This was for the best.
It would prevent further trouble.
Su Yang and Ruan Ziji exchanged intense glares, then acted as if nothing had happened, going about their business.
Xia Zeshi glanced at Xie Jiang. These two wouldn’t draw their swords in front of Xie Jiang, so today’s events would end here.
As for whether there would be a next time, Su Yang was Xie Jiang’s subordinate. Xie Jiang wouldn’t be ignorant of today’s events, and Xie Jiang should restrain Su Yang. Xia Zeshi breathed a sigh of relief.
“Heh yo—”
Looking at the harvest Su Yang’s group brought back, Xu Hengyi and Lu Yuqing’s mouths fell open in astonishment. Then, they both ran over.
“Brother Su, you’re amazing! Two bears and a tiger!”
“This tiger suits Marquis Xie very well!”
“What are you saying!”
“I mean, the tiger skin can be made into a blanket for Xie Jiang.”
On the way back to the city, they encountered a woman carrying a basket selling osmanthus flowers. Xie Jiang watched from his horse for a while and then had someone buy them.
Xu Hengyi immediately became interested. “What delicious food are you making with osmanthus flowers?”
Xie Jiang asked, “Do you want to eat osmanthus flowers?”
Xu Hengyi nodded. “Of course, I do.”
A few days ago, he had eaten several osmanthus-flavored dishes at the Marquis of Nanhai’s mansion, and the pastries he brought back for his grandmother and sisters were also well-received.
Nie Tong directly brought back a whole basket of osmanthus flowers. Xie Jiang took a sprig of osmanthus from the basket and gave it to Xu Hengyi.
“You gave it to me to eat.”
“Huh? A fake flower?”
Xu Hengyi then realized that the basket contained not real osmanthus flowers, but exquisite hair accessories that looked like lifelike osmanthus flowers.
The small clusters of golden osmanthus flowers and the lifelike emerald green leaves, when held, seemed to emit a rich floral fragrance. “You bought so many, are you going to give them away again?”
Xu Hengyi immediately guessed what Xie Jiang was buying the flowers for. The last time Xie Jiang gave his sisters hibiscus flowers, this scoundrel Xie Jiang was really determined to become his brother-in-law!
Even from this distance, he could see that the basket in front of the woman contained hair accessories!
“There must be twenty or thirty branches in the basket. Can you give them all away?” He didn’t have twenty or thirty sisters.
“Don’t tell me you’re the only one with sisters? When we go back later, everyone take a few branches for the ladies in your households. This woman’s craftsmanship is passable. Give them to your sisters and cousins to play with.”
When they entered the inner city and prepared to go their separate ways, Xie Jiang gave the basket of osmanthus flowers to everyone to share. Which of them didn’t have sisters?
Besides sisters, they could also give them to the elder ladies in their families. Women liked delicate and beautiful accessories, regardless of age.
None of them disdained the osmanthus hair accessories made by a country woman as cheap.
Did people of their status lack pearls and jewels? Did it matter what Xie Jiang gave them?
Seeing Xie Jiang put away the remaining two branches, Xu Hengyi, thinking he understood, said, “Who are you planning to give these last two branches to? Is it Liu Yingying or the Hua Jin and Hua Fu sisters?”
“Whoever I meet later, I’ll give it to them.”
Everyone said their goodbyes and dispersed.
Lu Yuqing, who was about to turn his horse around, looked at Xu Shuo and Yue Lin. Seeing that they had sent their respective guards ahead with the prey back to their mansions, they themselves continued to follow Xie Jiang like sentinels.
“Are you still going to the Marquis of Nanhai’s mansion?” Do you have to be so dutiful!
Yue Lin said, “Our books are still at the Marquis of Nanhai’s mansion.”
“…Then I’ll be going first.” Lu Yuqing waved goodbye to the two of them.
On the way back to the Marquis of Nanhai’s mansion, Xie Jiang suddenly turned his horse around.
Xu Shuo and Yue Lin exchanged a glance. “Where is Marquis Xie planning to go?”
Xie Jiang casually took out the osmanthus flowers he had tucked into his chest. “I suddenly remembered something. Didn’t Song Ze promise to give me the bicolor lotus?”
“Ah, right!”
At the palace banquet that day, Marquis Xie had been very surprised to see the bicolor lotus. Upon learning that it was cultivated by Song Ze, he had specifically asked Song Ze for some. Everyone at the banquet that day had heard about it.
Xu Shuo nodded, remembering. “There was such a thing. Is Marquis Xie going to the Duke of Dingguo’s mansion?”
Xie Jiang looked as if he had just remembered after seeing the osmanthus flowers. “Song Ze told me to come to his mansion to get them anytime. I almost forgot. Since I remembered now, I’ll go there on the way. I just don’t know if they’ll have wilted after so many days.”