That wretched vixen has disguised herself as my wife!

Aqing went out repeatedly to bring him cold water, rolled up a towel, and wiped his face and forehead.

He finally fell asleep, and when he opened his eyes it was the next morning. Jiang Jingming found himself sleeping on A Qing's lap.

She just sat there blankly all night.

"Little Lord."

Aqing's voice pulled him out of his memories.

Jiang Jingming snapped out of his daze. The thin, stubborn little girl in his memory had grown into the cool and serene young woman before him.

"what happened?"

“When the young master asked me where my hometown was, I said I didn’t remember, but that was a lie.”

Ah Qing spoke slowly, as if she had made a great decision.

Jiang Jingming leaned on the railing with one hand, looking into her clear eyes.

"I do not mind."

"Ok?"

Seemingly surprised by his answer, Aqing paused for a moment.

"I do not mind."

Jiang Jingming repeated it again, and seeing her helpless look, like a child who had made a mistake, he couldn't help but laugh.

“Aqing, tell me whenever you want. There’s no need for so much fuss between us.”

"..."

Aqing lowered her eyes, lost in thought.

"Aqing, you are the person I trust most in this world."

Jiang Jingming leaned down slightly, forcing her to look directly into his eyes.

"All I want is for you to promise that no matter what happens in the future, you won't have to bear it all alone. I will protect you, just as you have always protected me."

It was rare to see her young master speak so seriously. Ah Qing looked at him quietly for a long time before finally nodding gently.

Jiang Jingming breathed a slight sigh of relief and straightened up.

For some reason, the closer he got to Fengling City, the more uneasy he felt.

Fortunately, Ah Qing was still by my side.

The rain of petals finally stopped, and a sigh of regret came from the boat. Looking back, the flowers had fallen and the water was flowing on.

The sailors began distributing food from the ship to the passengers who hadn't had enough fun: crispy fried pastries and small fish, common street food in Fengling City.

Jiang Jingming was about to ask the two of them for a share when he heard Aqing whisper beside him:

"Young Master, my hometown is Fengling City."

Jiang Jingming stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her.

How could someone be abducted by human traffickers?

Human traffickers are such heinous criminals that if they are discovered, they will surely die a horrible death. Even if their anxious parents kill them in the street, it is not considered a serious crime.

Therefore, in general, when human traffickers abduct children, they will go to other places to sell them to avoid the children being discovered by their parents or their local acquaintances.

If Aqing's hometown was in Fengling City, how could she have been sold right at the ferry crossing?

"Because everyone else in my family died, and I'm the only one left."

Aqing spoke these words in a very soft tone, as if she were talking about someone else's business.

Jiang Jingming remained silent for a long time before finally raising his hand and rubbing her head.

If a child has lost their family and been devastated, then it's no wonder that human traffickers are so rampant.

Aqing has never mentioned her family over the years, so Jiang Jingming didn't ask, but he figured it probably wasn't a good thing, otherwise Aqing wouldn't be such a quiet and reserved person.

Will you feel sad to return to Fengling City?

Jiang Jingming's fingers slid through her hair, stopped at her cheek, and gently pinched it.

"will not."

Aqing shook her head, her fair face turning red from being pinched.

Jiang Jingming released his grip with satisfaction and smiled slightly at her:

"Once things are settled here, we'll travel around and have our fill before heading back. Would you like to go to Cangzhou to see the real merfolk?"

"think."

Aqing nodded obediently.

She didn't really want to, but wherever the young master went, she followed.

Chapter 57 The World Isn't That Bad

Stars hang low over the plains, the moon surges in the great river.

As the ferry sailed into the night, most passengers chose to go to their cabins to rest early.

The sailors brought out several jars of strong liquor, and everyone except those on night patrol drank it from large bowls.

The boat captain, who usually took the night watch himself, was making an exception today and wanted to get drunk with his newly acquainted young men.

Since Jiang Jingming had accepted the invitation, he did not refuse.

A cloth was casually spread out on the deck, and a few plump mandarin fish that had just been caught were handed over to the ship's cook to set up a grill and roast.

The group sat down together, the fish sprinkled with chili powder was grilled and smelled delicious, and the sailors poured them wine from jars, one cup after another.

"We're adrift on the river today, and we don't have anything good to eat, so please make do with what we have!"

The boat captain raised his wine bowl and shouted loudly.

Thank you for your hospitality.

Jiang Jingming picked up the wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

The spirits the sailors stored on the ship were incredibly potent; one sip and they burned like fire, making one's tongue tingle with spiciness.

Jiang Jingming choked and snatched Xie Yunqi's wine bowl away.

She had been craning her neck and waiting for ages before finally happily accepting it.

"Hey Hey hey!"

The young lady immediately reached back to snatch it.

Jiang Jingming easily dodged her raised wine bowl, and said with a smile as he looked down:

"You can't drink this."

"Jingming, you look down on people!"

Xie Yunqi was very unconvinced. If he hadn't said it, fine, but since he had, she was determined to try it no matter what.

Jiang Jingming couldn't refuse her, so he had no choice but to hold the bowl to her lips:

"Okay then, take a small bite."

Xie Yunqi revealed a triumphant smile, and then took a big gulp.

"..."

"Cough cough cough!!!"

Sure enough, she choked and her face turned red. She tugged at Jiang Jingming's sleeve for a long time but still felt uncomfortable.

Actually, this was the young lady's first time drinking alcohol. Xie Jichuan usually didn't allow her to touch alcohol, so drinking such strong liquor right away was something no one could handle.

"It tastes awful."

Xie Yunqi's entire face scrunched up:

"Why do you people like to drink such awful stuff?!"

Lu Zhao leaned over and clinked bowls with Jiang Jingming, saying in a tone that suggested he had seen through the complexities of romantic relationships:

"The appeal of wine lies precisely in its unpleasant taste."

"Stop pretending!"

Xie Yunqi snorted and turned to look at the mandarin fish with its charred skin.

Jiang Jingming smiled and took a small sip.

After you've calmed down, you'll be able to appreciate the delicious taste of this strong liquor.

Sailors spend most of their time on the water, and what they need is this kind of hot liquor that evaporates from their bodies to relieve the dampness of the river.

In the blink of an eye, Lu Zhao had already downed three large bowls of wine. The sailors who poured him the wine gave him a thumbs up and praised his amazing drinking capacity.

Jiang Jingming was sitting right next to him, but it was clear that he wasn't a heavy drinker at all; he was already drunk.

"I'm talking about Jingming."

Lu Zhao put his arm around his shoulder and spoke in a drunken slur.

Jiang Jingming hummed in agreement, waiting for him to say the next thing.

"I heard from Miss that you're going to Zhongzhou this time to visit relatives in Fengling City?"

Lu Zhao said slowly.

Jiang Jingming thought about it and realized that when the young lady explained his background to Lu Zhao, it was probably a mix of truth and falsehood.

He only said he was going to stay with relatives, but didn't say that the relatives he was going to stay with were from Tingpu Manor. At the same time, he concealed the fact that his purpose was to investigate the massacre of his family.

Of course, this also includes the fact that she herself is also investigating the case.

Therefore, Lu Zhao is currently the one who is most kept in the dark among the group.

He probably thought that the group would part ways after arriving in Fengling City.

He sent the young lady back to the capital, Aqing and Jiang Jingming went to stay with relatives, and Fang Zhiyi continued her journey.

Thinking of this, Jiang Jingming paused before continuing:

"Yes."

"Fengling City has been quite turbulent lately. Why don't you come with us to the capital, Jingming?"

Lu Zhao patted his shoulder forcefully, his expression excited:

"With your exceptional knife skills, why would you need to rely on any relatives? Come with me to the Imperial Guard, and you'll surely rise to great heights!"

"Thank you for your kind offer, Brother Lu Zhao."

Jiang Jingming smiled faintly and clinked his wine bowl against his:

"Unfortunately, I am not a person with great ambitions. I just want to hide in a place where the mountains are high and the rivers are far away, to watch the sunrise and sunset, and the grass grows and the birds fly."

Lu Zhao listened to his words and remained silent for a long time. He then tilted his head back and took another big gulp of wine before finally speaking slowly:

“Jingming, my parents are just ordinary tenant farmers. They are always bullied in the village and don’t even have a piece of land of their own. So from childhood to adulthood, I have always felt that I have to make something of myself.”

“My family was poor and couldn’t afford to send me to school to learn to read, so I would hide outside the door and eavesdrop. I would listen to the teacher recite ‘Dwell in the broadest dwelling of the world, stand in the most upright position of the world, and walk the greatest path of the world.’ I didn’t understand it, but I felt that this was the way to get ahead.”

"So later, when I was ten years old, a high-ranking official from the Imperial Guard noticed my talent and asked me if I dared to go to such a far place as the capital to learn swordsmanship. I agreed without hesitation."

"The first time I met the commander, he asked me why I joined the Divine Capital Guard. I said I wanted to serve the court and uphold justice. Actually, it was all nonsense. At the time, I just thought that if I made more money, I could bring my parents and two younger sisters to live in the capital."

"After all these years, I seem to have actually come to believe in the will I made up myself. Do I really want to uphold justice? I just want to climb higher so that my family can have a better life. I don't have any grand ambitions at all."

Lu Zhao looked up at the swirling stars in the sky, his eyes revealing a youthful sense of bewilderment.

Jiang Jingming also raised his head, looking at the faintly visible Big Dipper on the horizon, and said calmly:

"Striving to make life better for your family is a noble aspiration."

From this perspective, we're actually all pretty much the same.

He left Mangya to protect those around him, while Lu Zhao entered officialdom to give his family a better life.

But this chaotic world forces everyone to the battlefield.