C7. Back to the Mansion.

Chapter 7: Back to the Mansion

Ji Li looked at him, "Although Ronghua Temple is a nice place, I don't like the people here."

"Which idiot made you angry?" Xi Che suddenly spoke, a hint of coldness unintentionally showing.

The young man's concern in his words warmed her heart.

Although she did have ulterior motives when she saved him, during these past few days, she had also been sincere.

In her heart, there was a desire that she wasn't even aware of.

A yearning for reciprocation, even if just a little.

"I'm fine." Seeing Xi Che's serious expression, she joked, "Who dares to provoke me?"

He lowered his head and fell silent.

After a moment, he looked up at her, "I'm willing to go back with you."

"And... I also know it's because of me." He lowered his gaze.

Ji Li was taken aback, listening as the person beside her continued to explain.

"I just... ran into A Lin."

The young man lowered his eyes slightly, the thick eyelashes casting a curved shadow on his eyelids, hiding the joy in his eyes.

"He saw me and immediately ran away." His clear gaze revealed a sense of grievance as he spoke, "I... You should know about the issues between him and me."

His dark eyes then lifted, quietly staring at her.

"I hid and watched him leave in a hurry from a distance, and I knew that you had stood up for me."

"Thank you for believing in me... and helping me." He lowered his head, looking a bit at a loss, "I really don't know how to repay you."

Thinking of the things she had privately discovered, Ji Li inevitably muttered to herself: It's not just a matter of issues...

Clearly, it was the person's own arrogance, openly bullying you.

But she wouldn't say that.

She simply responded with a faint "Hmm, you know now."

Doing good deeds without leaving a trace has never been her style.

Facing Xi Che, she felt that if she did something, the other party had to know about it.

But... not everything needed to be known in full detail.

At least for something that damaged one's self-esteem, she didn't want people to dwell on it too much.

So she brushed it off with a wave of her hand, "Let's not talk about this; let's discuss the plans for returning to the mansion later."

"Yun Yi and the others have already gone to prepare, and we will leave later." She continued, "You are not familiar with the General's residence, right? Let me explain to you, okay?"

"Of course!"

Upon hearing this, the person across from her went from pitiful to full of anticipation in an instant, looking at her with watery eyes as if about to cry.

Since they met, he rarely showed such outward emotions.

This made Ji Li glance at him more than necessary before she started explaining the layout of the residence.

Midway through, she accidentally met the young man's dark eyes.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" she felt a bit puzzled.

Her appearance was only above average, not a renowned beauty in the capital.

Yet this person repeatedly seemed to be lost in thought while looking at her.

To her surprise, the young man seemed to have just realized that he had been caught staring and with a clear, slightly playful tone in his pure voice.

As the pitch of his voice rose, as if showing affection, he directly admitted, "I... accidentally got lost in staring at you."

Ji Li was left stunned by his blunt words, unable to speak for a moment.

"Huh?"

It turns out she had hit the nail on the head; it couldn't be true.

If we're talking about looks alone, Xi Che is much more handsome than she is.

At first glance, she was also greatly impressed by him.

But her straightforward nature couldn't quite comprehend it, and after a while, she blurted out, "Are you trying to please me or something?"

"Are you complimenting me out of the blue because I charmed you?" he unexpectedly added the absurd second half of the sentence.

"You're so cute, miss." Surprisingly, the person opposite actually picked up on her comment.

Ji Li decided to play dumb.

"I was just talking nonsense; why are you responding to it?" she quipped.

The young man kept smiling, "Every one of miss's words deserves a response." He said it so matter-of-factly, as if it was an unwritten rule.

Ji Li couldn't help but recall all the times in her past life when she had many days of talking to herself after marriage.

Turns out... people could respond to each of her words.

Even if they were as offbeat as that.

She pushed aside her thoughts and didn't argue with the young man's comment.

She simply picked up her teacup, took a few sips, and then continued with her previous explanation.

She planned to check on how Yun Yi's preparations were going.

Seeing Xi Che looking hopeful, she decided to call him along.

As they walked, orchids were planted all around, emanating a delicate fragrance with gentle breezes blowing, and the sky was clear.

After the intermittent rain had stopped for half a day, the afternoon sky became even clearer.

On the open space in the courtyard, there was a set of purple sandalwood shelves, on which stood a large plate with dozens of yellow jade-colored Buddha statues.

It seemed to be a unique display in the temple.

Ji Yunshan turned his head upon hearing movement, and in the distance, he saw Jili approaching in a sky blue dress.

In the next moment, his gaze naturally fell on the young man standing behind her.

The young man's expression changed, and in a casual tone, he remarked, "Here she comes." At first glance, it looked like the demeanor of a commander before a battle.

Ji Li was already accustomed to this and calmly greeted him, "Greetings, father."

Ji Yunshan nodded and naturally turned to look at the clear and elegant young man, still speaking with a serious tone.

As if he didn't know Xi Che before, he inquired, "Who is this...?"

Ji Li glanced at him, her lips twitching slightly.

Apart from matters of leading troops in battle and serving the people, her father had always been childishly playful in daily life.

"He is Xi Che, whom I mentioned to you before," she said, turning to the young man beside her.

"General Ji, hello," Xi Che, dressed in a dark robe, pressed his lips together slightly.

During the greeting, the young man's admiration and nervousness were evident.

The old robe had been given by Ji Yunshan, thick and warm in texture.

But when worn by Xi Che, it seemed a bit too loose around the waist.

Fortunately, he stood tall and straight, with deep phoenix eyes, not appearing feminine despite his striking appearance.

Ji Yunshan agreed with a nod.

"I was just about to have Yun Yi call you, so this works out perfectly," he said before heading towards the mansion carriage.

For this visit to the temple, father and daughter had come in light attire, so there were only a few carriages.

But thanks to the abundant resources of the General's residence, the interior of the carriages provided ample space despite their small number.

As the Jin Dynasty was not overly strict about segregating men and women, and given that Ji Li had deliberately mentioned it to Ji Yunshan earlier,

it was decided to have Xi Che join Ji Li's carriage on the way back to the mansion.

Once inside the carriage, Xi Che realized it had a different atmosphere within.

The carriage, a marvel of craftsmanship, boasted windows on all four sides. Each window was wrapped in the finest silk, a luxurious cocoon shimmering with threads of gold and adorned with sparkling jewels.

A light-colored plain silk curtain hung before them, acting as a veil, only hinting at the hidden opulence within.

At a glance, it was enough to reveal the hidden luxury inside.

The interior space was quite large, with soft velvet carpets covering the floor, and intricate patterns carved on the doors and windows.

As soon as he entered, he could smell a faint fragrance, like the refreshing scent of mint leaves, subtle yet captivating.

Unconsciously, he clenched the fingers hidden under his sleeve, feeling that inexplicable emotion welling up in his heart.

Miss treated him so kindly, he must do even better.

The carriage rolled forward, and with every turn of the wheel heading home lightened Ji Li's mood, relaxing her thoughts.

With her goal accomplished and time still early, she had plenty of time to strategize for the family.

Lost in thought, she didn't realize how much time had passed until the rhythmic rumble of the carriage ceased.

Looking up, she saw Xi Che sitting not far from her left, lost in thought.

"Ah Che, are you okay?" She thought the poor boy looked a bit nervous, and comforted him, "Don't worry, the people at the mansion are very kind, much nicer than the people at the temple, you'll see."

She elaborated, trying to ease his apprehension, "My mother, for instance, is a woman unlike any other. She runs a tight ship, but factions and inner struggles are not her style."

"Your mother?" Xi Che perked up, his youthful curiosity piqued.

Seizing the opportunity to divert his attention, Ji Li continued, "I apologize. In my eagerness to explain the layout and introduce you to the servants, I may have neglected to mention her."

She glanced at his face, gauging his reaction. "You met my father earlier. Surely, you have heard of him?"

He nodded silently.

Seeing the person opposite nodding, she continued, "I won't introduce him to you in detail then."

"General Ji is highly skilled in martial arts, dedicated to his country, stationed at the border for decades, protecting many people from displacement... Ah Che admires him." A flicker of admiration crossed Xi Che's face.

"He is a hero," he declared softly.

Hearing this, Ji Li couldn't help but raise her eyelids to look at him, recalling the past, pausing for a moment.

Then she continued, "As for my mother, she's completely different from ordinary women, she's a remarkable person!"

Memories swirled in her mind, transporting her back to her childhood. "When I was young," she began to narrate, "she would regale me with tales of the wonders beyond the Great Wall. As I grew older, she embarked on yearly trading missions, venturing out to explore the vast unknown."

"Trading Missions?" Xi Che echoed

"Yes, accompanying the escorts and traders from our side, exploring outside." She explained to him, getting excited, "You don't know, the scenery outside the Great Wall is full of treasures."

Her eyes sparkled as she reminisced. "Every time she came back, she would bring back many exotic treasures, I always felt like a bumpkin, not having seen this or that."

A thought struck her. "Speaking of treasures," she turned to Xi Che, "have you heard of the exquisite spices from Bei Di and Xi Liang, those regions bordering the Great Wall?"

"The spices from these two places are particularly valuable, selling for a fortune in the Central Plains."

"Despite this, the imperial palace and nobles are flocking to it, the demand is still high even in the capital."

Xi Che's dark eyes seemed to absorb the information, his gaze unwavering. A fleeting flicker of recognition crossed his face when she mentioned "Bei Di."

If one observed closely, they might notice an otherworldly glow emanating from his eyes for a brief moment. A smile appeared at the corner of his eye, quietly listening.

"It seems that Miss's mother often goes to the border, with a broad knowledge, she must be a remarkable and open-minded woman," he finally spoke.

He turned slightly, as if thinking of something, for a moment suppressing the smile, and momentarily exuding a sense of oppressiveness that was not appropriate for his age.

The next moment, it seemed like a misconception.

Ji Li was engrossed in these extraordinary stories and did not notice the slight change that had occurred.

By the time she finished speaking, the young man had returned to his usual self, no longer showing the complex expression from before.

The carriage continued forward.

The scenery outside the windows changed several times, finally stopping in front of a red gate.

The surrounding fences were all painted red, with stone steps at the entrance, exuding grandeur.

A black and gold signboard on the lintel hinted at deep significance.

They had arrived at the General's Mansion.

———

TNote:

The Jin Dynasty (pronounced in Middle Chinese IPA: /tsìn/), was a dynasty in Chinese history that lasted for 154 years (265-420 CE).

It marked a period of reunification following the fragmentation of the Three Kingdoms era.

The Jin Dynasty is traditionally divided into two distinct periods:

• Western Jin (265-316 CE): Founded by Sima Yan (Emperor Wu of Jin), the Western Jin reunified China proper by conquering the last kingdom of the Three Kingdoms, Eastern Wu, in 280 CE. The capital was initially established in Luoyang, but later moved to Chang'an. However, the Western Jin was plagued by internal power struggles and barbarian invasions from the north. These factors eventually led to its collapse in 316 CE.

• Eastern Jin (317-420 CE): Established by another Sima prince in Nanjing, the Eastern Jin continued the legacy of the dynasty in southern China. Despite facing constant threats from northern nomadic groups, the Eastern Jin era witnessed a flourishing of arts and culture, including the rise of landscape painting and the development of Buddhism.

Because the Jin Dynasty was ruled by the Sima family, it is also referred to as the Sima Jin Dynasty to distinguish it from other dynasties that might share the same name "Jin."