That wretched vixen has disguised herself as my wife!

"Your Excellency is wise!!!"

A burst of even more enthusiastic cheers erupted from the crowd.

In the past, during the Rain Festival, after watching the selection of the Rain Master, everyone would return to their own homes. There was never a precedent of holding a nighttime banquet and celebrating with the people.

Furthermore, the recent massacre at Tingpu Villa has caused widespread panic, and a grand banquet like this is much needed to dispel the bad luck.

So when Wen Fuxiao said this, everyone was in an uproar.

For a moment, even the leader of the Divine Capital Guard stationed there forgot his duties, gripping his sword hilt while already thinking about the good wine that evening.

Having traveled from the capital, thousands of miles from home, and without a good night's sleep the entire way, I finally have a chance to relax.

Vice Envoy Chen may be strict on ordinary days, but surely he wouldn't forbid his subordinates from participating on a day like today...

That would be far too inhumane!

The team leader smacked his lips, lost in deep thought, torn between two options.

He was slapped hard on the back of the head.

"Chen! Deputy Envoy Chen!"

Upon seeing who it was, the team leader shuddered in fright and straightened his back on the spot.

"..."

Chen Sha gave him a cold glance, then looked up and met Wen Fuxiao's gaze from the pavilion.

"Your subordinate is incompetent! I failed to maintain order during the festival. Please punish me, Vice Envoy Chen!"

The team leader was about to kneel down when someone raised their hand to stop him.

"Indeed incompetent."

Chen Sha still held his head up, his tone as cold and hard as the lines of his jaw.

"Pass down the order: the guard duty must not be relaxed tonight."

"Yes!"

The team leader gritted his teeth and nodded.

"You can take turns. As for the rest of you, if you want to attend the banquet, just go."

Chen Sha turned away with a flick of his sleeve, his tone indifferent.

The team leader stood there dumbfounded for a moment, fists clenched, before finally reacting. His face lit up with joy, and he shouted:

"Thank you very much, Vice Envoy Chen!!!"

Chen Sha did not turn around, and continued walking into the carriage without stopping.

Wen Fuxiao had not informed him beforehand that she had taken the place of the city lord at the Joyful Rain Festival. Now that things were in this situation, it was too late to intervene.

Chen Sha stepped into the carriage, surrounded by cheers and excited sounds. He closed his eyes and rubbed the acupoints at the corners of his eyes.

Let them go have a drink. After all, the fugitives they're chasing are going upstairs to a banquet openly and legitimately. What are they doing standing guard like idiots?

......

"Wen Fuxiao, you old man!"

Xie Yunqi excitedly rushed up the three flights of stairs, her two little braids bouncing merrily behind her head.

How did you even realize we'd be on the ship?!

Wen Fuxiao smiled, stroked his beard, and gently patted the young lady's head.

"Since we've agreed that you young friends will return to meet us after you've finished surveying the site, I'll naturally find a way to help you. With your intelligence, you'll surely seize this opportune moment of the Rain Festival to return to the city. I just need to calculate the time, and I can successfully bring you back."

"Mr. Wen, did you even guess that we would infiltrate the selection of the Rain Master?"

Jiang Jingming followed behind the young lady and asked curiously.

No, not at all.

Wen Fuxiao smiled and shook her head:

“I was originally an informant in the crowd. After they found you, I secretly brought you into this building.”

As soon as he finished speaking, several men who looked like guards came out from behind and clasped their hands in greeting to them.

"Hey! It's you guys!"

Xie Yunqi glanced at him, then clapped his hands with a smile.

They were the guards who were responsible for guarding the gate when they first arrived in Fengling City, and they were very unlucky to be tricked by her.

"I hope you are well, young lady."

The guards exchanged somewhat embarrassed smiles.

After that day, they were not only not punished for offending the young lady, but they were also given a raise.

The brothers all longed to thank this young lady but had no opportunity, so when Chief Secretary Wen suggested sending someone to meet them, they all readily agreed.

"At first, they couldn't find you, and I was a little anxious. I didn't expect you to be so quick-witted and board the ship directly!"

Wen Fuxiao clapped her hands and laughed as she finished speaking:

"However, Miss Fang is exceptionally beautiful, truly deserving of the name Rain Master!"

"Mr. Wen, you flatter me."

Fang Zhiyi smiled faintly; she clearly had no interest in the title of Rain Master.

Looking at her expression, Jiang Jingming felt that although he already knew a little about her past, he still couldn't figure out what she was thinking.

"Young friend Jingming, your flute playing is truly excellent."

Wen Fuxiao then turned to Jiang Jingming and patted him on the shoulder with an approving look.

"In the martial arts world, there is a saying that one is 'a master of both the qin and the xiao.' Have any of you heard of it?"

"Never."

Jiang Jingming shook his head honestly.

“Jingming grew up in Yongzhou, so it’s normal that he doesn’t know.”

Lu Zhao chuckled and nudged his shoulder, then began to explain:

"The two women who are both masters of the qin and xiao are Wen Tang, the wife of Su Changqing, the leader of the Xiquan Sword Sect. Although she is skilled in swordsmanship, she became famous in the martial arts world in her youth for her xiao music."

As soon as Lu Zhao finished speaking, Jiang Jingming's breath hitched.

Wait, his own mother had this trick up her sleeve? How come he didn't know?

Jiang Jingming's expression remained unchanged, but his thoughts drifted back to the past.

Compared to his busy biological father, Su Changqing, he had even less of an impression of his biological mother, Wen Tang. He only knew that she was frail and sickly, lived in a secluded courtyard, and rarely saw anyone.

Jiang Jingming was cared for by his wet nurse when he was young. He only visited Wen Tang once a year during festivals. Sometimes she would just say some polite words behind the screen, and sometimes she would simply pretend to be sick and not see him.

When Jiang Jingming thinks back now, even her appearance is a bit blurry; he only remembers that she was indeed a beauty that comes along only once in a century.

Thinking about it this way, everything seems so illogical.

Neither Su Changqing nor Wen Tang were extremely indifferent to their biological son, but why was that?

However, upon closer reflection, it seems that their relationship as a couple wasn't actually that good.

Outsiders call them a perfect couple, but do these seemingly respectful spouses truly love each other?

"Yes, I was fortunate enough to hear Madam Su play the flute, and I still remember it vividly."

Wen Fuxiao nodded with a smile:

"At that time, Sect Leader Su and his wife stood side by side, one wielding a sword and the other playing the flute. They were truly a perfect match, a handsome couple!"

They are indeed a good match, both having a penchant for isolating and neglecting their own sons.

Jiang Jingming silently complained in his heart. If he weren't a time traveler, he would really doubt whether he was really his biological son.

"It's a pity that Madam Su retired from the martial world after her marriage, otherwise I would really like to see the scene that Mr. Wen witnessed!"

Lu Zhao sighed, feeling it was a great pity.

Xie Yunqi snorted coldly.

"What's so great about them? So what if they're famous? What kind of parents are they if they can't even protect their own children!"

"..."

Jiang Jingming looked at Xie Yunqi's angry peach blossom eyes, then suddenly lowered his head and smiled.

A spring breeze happened to blow into the pavilion, and all the complicated thoughts and feelings in his heart suddenly vanished.

There is another person in the world who feels indignant on his behalf.

Thinking about it makes me realize that life is still worth living.

“Young Miss, the pain of losing a child may be unimaginable to outsiders. The Xiquan Sword Sect and the Divine Capital Guard have always been on good terms. You must never speak recklessly about this in front of others in the future.”

Lu Zhao shook his head, feeling that what she said was a bit too much. If others heard it, they would definitely make a big deal out of it.

"Not only will I speak recklessly, but when I see them again in the future, I will also speak recklessly to their faces. So what?"

Xie Yunqi raised an eyebrow, clearly genuinely angry.

Completely different from her usual boisterous anger, when the young lady was truly enraged, an air of arrogance would hang in the corner of her eyes, making one want to bow down and beg for mercy from Ming Zhaojun.

Lu Zhao froze on the spot, clearly not expecting that his ordinary nagging would make the young lady so angry, and for a moment he was embarrassed and didn't know what to say.

Jiang Jingming stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and changed the subject.

"Brother Lu, you are skilled in both the qin and xiao. The xiao belongs to Madam Su, but what about the qin?"

"cough."

Lu Zhao coughed, putting aside his earlier surprise, and continued to explain to him:

"Qin was a court musician who had passed away. Legend has it that her music was like heavenly music, and she was so beautiful that all who saw her were captivated."

"It's no wonder that such a person is kept by the king's side."

Jiang Jingming nodded.

Wen Fuxiao listened to the two talking, then smiled and sighed:

"Actually, the flute playing that young friend Jingming just now reminded me of the tune that Madam Su played back then. It really brings back fond memories."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Jingming was startled, and his fingers, hidden in his sleeve, clenched tightly.

Since I came out of seclusion, this has actually been the riskiest time I've ever been exposed.

The problem is, his flute skills were taught by that devil Jiang Wuwang! To connect that to his character seems incredibly unfair!

Fortunately, Wen Fuxiao did not delve further into this matter.

He simply stood in the wind in the pavilion, shaking his head and stroking his beard.

"Flowers bloom and wither, flowers wither and flowers bloom, young men grow old in the world."

"When I was young, whether it was Sect Leader Su, Madam Su, or Commander Xie, they were all just promising young talents in the martial arts world. But now they are all big figures like the leaders of the righteous path."

Listening to his somewhat weathered tone, Jiang Jingming couldn't help but think that when Wen Fuxiao was young, those demons of the Crossing Moon Sect were probably just naive teenagers.

They must have once had the ambition to wield swords and vanquish evil, so how did they become demons hated by everyone?

Jiang Jingming thought that if he went further and passed through more places, he might be able to hear more stories about them from strangers.

"You really are old."

Xie Yunqi, resting his chin on his hand, successfully pulled everyone out of their sorrows about the changing world.

"..."

Wen Fuxiao couldn't help but shake her head and smile:

"Yes, as you get older, you can't help but reminisce about the past. When I first met Miss Xie, you were just a chubby little baby girl in swaddling clothes, and you were very adorable."

"Don't say it!"

Xie Yunqi blushed slightly.

Her parents both said that she was very chubby when she was born, like a dumpling.