Chapter 318: Walking Together Along the Way
Second Young Master Jiang had finished a day of work in the imperial palace.
When the yellow palace gates lowered, it was time to clock out.
Eunuch Yan escorted Second Young Master Jiang as he left work.
The paths within the palace were very wide.
High walls lined both sides.
There were guards as well.
The bluestone slabs were massive, engraved with patterns, and provided good traction so one would not slip.
They never expected that they would have the chance to walk together like this again.
In fact, back in Kaner Village, they used to walk like this often.
When Jiang the Second finished his shift at the county government office and headed home, he usually walked.
Jiang the Second was physically frail.
When he first started working, the road to Kaner Village was dark, and hooligans would often intimidate him.
Jiang the Second would carry a knife, adopting a stance of being ready to perish together with the hooligans, which was the only way he could scare them off.
As a result, the next day, that hooligan brought his accomplices to surround and beat up Jiang the Second.
Jiexi happened to encounter them and helped fight off the group of hooligans.
Of course, neither of them came out unscathed; both were injured.
Jiexi’s already tattered clothes were completely ruined, his pants were torn, and he felt a cold draft on his backside as he walked.
That was how it was.
Sometimes, Jiexi would wait for Jiang the Second to finish his shift, accompanying him on the way back to Kaner Village.
It was also at that time that the villagers began calling him Jiexi.
As the two walked back to the village together, that long stretch of road would always start with a little darkness, and by the time they reached the village, it would be pitch black.
Sometimes there would be a sunset.
Most of the time, there were only dark trees on both sides.
Sometimes, when it was late, they would not talk and just focused on walking, hearing only each other’s heartbeats and breathing.
Other times, they would exchange a few words.
They would gaze into the future, talk about the widow at the end of the village, or recite a few lines of poetry.
In reality, it was mostly Jiexi talking, while Jiang the Second just nodded and replied a few times.
Back then, Jiexi was a talkative youth.
When he was happy, he would stretch his neck and sing loudly, his voice filling the entire path.
The two chatted happily.
At least, that is what Jiexi thought.
Because he felt that Jiang the Second was the same kind of person as him.
He always said he liked Luo Xia, but in reality, he liked her as one would a sister; there were no romantic feelings involved. He just thought she was a very good person, truly very good.
So, he spent his days idling around with nothing to do, waiting until it was time to accompany Jiang the Second after his shift. It seemed boring, but in truth, he just wanted to protect him.
He was just a hooligan with nothing better to do anyway.
Later, as Jiang the Second gradually became able to stand on his own, deal with those hooligans maturely, and even developed methods to subdue them directly, Jiexi stopped making a point of accompanying him every day after his shift.
However, he never expected that.
Many years later.
He would actually be accompanying him after his shift once again.
Jiexi wore the magnificent attire of a eunuch. Eunuchs had ranks, and he was at the highest level, dressed in deep purple garments with incredibly beautiful and ornate patterns.
With a winter cloak and fur collar, he looked quite noble. Perhaps because he had been castrated later in life, even as a eunuch, he did not appear effeminate, nor did he have any foul odor; he was very clean and had a neutral presence.
He had the kind of looks that both men and women would find attractive.
Meanwhile, Second Young Master Jiang wore a navy blue robe. In truth, after the Princess recognized her son, she wanted to promote him and grant him a title, but Jiang Changtian refused.
Primarily because Jiang Changtian felt from the bottom of his heart that his Princess mother was unreliable.
She could not be counted on.
Better to just leave it be.
Knowing his mother was still alive.
Knowing his mother was a princess.
Knowing she was safe and sound, able to eat and drink well, was enough; he had no extravagant expectations.
Jiang Changtian believed that one had to walk one’s own path and carve it out for oneself.
Pies do not fall from the sky; if one did, it would certainly be poisoned.
Judging by his own luck, he had used it all up on meeting Xia Mei.
That was enough.
Whether he had more in the future did not matter; because of this one thing, he could forgive the heavens for all their injustices.
With Xia Mei, he had children and a home.
That was enough.
After many years, with their statuses changed, the two were reunited and left work together.
Jiexi accompanied Jiang the Second.
At this moment, they did not have to worry about not having a meal for the next time they were hungry.
Back then, Jiexi had boasted, “One day when I have money, I will keep two dogs. I will eat three bowls of noodles at a meal, and whatever I cannot finish, I will feed to the dogs.”
Now that he had money, he did not keep any dogs, and he could not even eat three bowls of noodles in one sitting; a single bowl was enough to fill him.
“When I left your home, I snatched your tea to drink. I vomited for half the night, but in the days that followed, I felt my body slowly recovering. Although I suffered various hardships along the way, I never fell ill. It was only after I arrived at the palace and accompanied the Emperor in consuming pills that my health started to deteriorate. Later, when I drank the tea you sent me via Eunuch Duan, I felt my body slowly recover again,” Jiexi said, as if chatting casually.
His voice was very soft.
The space on either side was vast.
He had waited until they walked into the wide plaza to say it.
Only Jiang the Second could hear him.
Jiang Changtian was cautious in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged, appearing nonchalant.
“The Emperor has already become dependent on the pills, and it is beyond saving. You must be careful when delivering food.”
Jiang Changtian nodded slightly.
“You must be careful.”
“Mm.”
The two continued walking forward.
But they did not speak anymore.
They just walked quietly.
The road that used to be very long felt exceptionally short today.
It was as if they had returned to the mountain paths of Kaner Village.
On both sides were trees, dark and black.
Finally, they reached the yellow gate.
Eunuch Yan stood inside the yellow gate, watching Second Young Master Jiang depart.
The eunuch guarding the gate, seeing that Second Young Master Jiang was actually being escorted personally by Eunuch Yan, smiled even more obsequiously and bowed even lower.
Thank you for reading + listening 🙂 I hope you all liked my translations. If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi 😉
