The evening glow on the horizon was a vibrant red.
But it wasn't as blood-red as Little Phoenix Fairy.
Little Phoenix Fairy looked down at the blood on her body in disbelief.
She remembered how earlier, a man had killed his original wife in front of her to express his love and sincerity.
That wife had been plump and had borne him three children.
The man's sword could barely pierce his wife's body, and it took several stabs before she died.
At the time, Little Phoenix Fairy had only found it boring. That brainless man, she had merely given him a few smiles and uttered some ambiguous complaints, and he thought she was exclusively his, that only his wife and children stood in the way, using his wife's murder to prove his love.
Little Phoenix Fairy was determined to find the most handsome man, who would one day come to fetch her, dressed in red and riding a white horse.
He came.
His long hair flowing, red clothes blazing, riding a white horse, he came trampling the sunset.
He had come.
He was exactly like the man of her dreams.
The moment Little Phoenix Fairy laid eyes on him, she vowed that this time, she would use no tricks. She wanted to grow old with him.
She wasn't worried about his original wife and children.
Those foolish people would never be a match for her; she only wanted him.
This time, she had truly fallen in love.
Then she looked down.
She felt her heart flutter.
It seemed as if her heart had been pierced.
It throbbed a few times.
She opened her eyes in disbelief, looked down, then up again.
Finally, she fell straight backward.
Her eyes wide open, staring at the red clouds on the horizon.
The officials and attendants who had come to welcome Commander Jiang were stunned.
The old nanny and maids around Little Phoenix Fairy trembled, not daring to shout or cry.
Because following Lord Jiang, a vast entourage had appeared.
They still looked like the old, weak, sick, and disabled, but they were numerous.
If Commander Jiang hadn't been at the front, one might have thought the rebels had returned.
But then again, Commander Jiang was also of rebel origin.
This dark mass of people didn't look like they were coming to take office, but rather to conquer the Provincial Capital.
To kill such a beautiful young woman so casually, wouldn't his heart ache?
One of the two officials wiped Little Phoenix Fairy's blood that had splattered on his face.
The other wiped the sweat that had fallen on his forehead.
Both had been standing straight, but now they were bent over, hunched, and not daring to imitate Little Phoenix Fairy by bowing and craning their necks to entice people.
They obediently looked at the ground.
There were suddenly many more ants on the ground.
Who knows where they came from.
"My Lord, this humble official has come to welcome you back to the Provincial Capital."
The imperial court was always particularly generous to those who accepted amnesty, willing to give money, housing, women, food, drink, entertainment, and enjoyment – a full package. They were willing to give anything.
Even empty titles could be given; you could hold various positions and titles, but if you really wanted your troops and horses, that was not available. Everything else was possible.
This tactic never failed.
Those who accepted amnesty were usually blinded by luxurious mansions and wealth.
Those with more self-control were drawn into the official system, constantly attending meetings, big and small, competing for various titles. By then, the rebels would completely forget about rebelling, losing themselves in this system.
When rebels no longer had the strength to rebel, their death wasn't far off. In the official circles, one could kill without bloodshed; any excuse could be used to have you killed.
But throughout history, how many of those who accepted amnesty could withstand this?
So despite the shame, those civil officials still agreed to offer amnesty.
Once we pull you into our system, we'll be damned if we can't finish you off.
But this Jiang fellow didn't play by the rules from the moment he arrived.
Such a beautiful girl, pierced with one sword, wouldn't his heart ache?
It was afternoon, late autumn, not hot at all.
But the two welcoming officials were dripping with sweat.
Whether Lord Commander's heart ached, they didn't know, but Little Phoenix Fairy's heart must have ached.
Little Phoenix Fairy's body was still twitching at their feet.
Until it stopped.
"My Lord, this, this Provincial Capital cannot accommodate so many people, and the mansion this humble servant prepared for you is, is not big enough." One of the officials, wiping the sweat from his forehead, stuttered and then knelt down, deeply worried that he might be stabbed to death after speaking.
"It's fine, these are just fellow villagers who escorted me to the Provincial Capital, they won't enter the city," Jiang replied.
The other official also weakly knelt down, getting closer to Little Phoenix Fairy's body.
Damn, with his salary, this was the first time he had been so close to Little Phoenix Fairy's body.
"Lo-Lo-Lord Commander, le-le-let's enter the ci-ci-city now." This official, next to Little Phoenix Fairy's body, couldn't stop stuttering.
So Commander Jiang's family finally entered the city.
Jiang Feng and Meng Shaoxia took most of the troops to settle at Meng Shaoxia's estate. Besides Meng Shaoxia's estate, Mianmian also had an estate, which Zi Xiaochong had sent people to give her on her birthday.
It wasn't far from Meng Shaoxia's estate.
It was even a bit larger than Meng Shaoxia's estate.
Meng Shaoxia: ... was very speechless. He couldn't compete in terms of wealth.
Jiang Mianmian, Jiang Yu, and Grandma were together in the carriage.
Earlier at the city gate, Grandma had pulled the curtains, not letting them look out.
She instructed, "Noble young ladies shouldn't casually show their faces, to prevent being seen by those with ill intentions. Besides, in such occasions, it's impolite to lift the curtains."
Then they heard a woman's voice.
Grandma's face darkened.
She had just finished saying that women shouldn't casually show themselves in public, and outside, a woman was doing exactly that.
These people would use any means.
Offering a woman in front of someone's wife and daughters.
If the master accepted out of courtesy, there would be more troubles in the future.
Grandma heard the woman outside introduce herself and realized who she was. Her brow furrowed even more.
The women in this carriage were all so naive.
Facing someone like Little Phoenix Fairy, they'd probably be wiped out in one round.
Some men just fall for that act.
When she was in the Provincial Capital, she knew of people who abandoned their wives and children for Little Phoenix Fairy, and worse, killed their wives and children just to let Little Phoenix Fairy in.
Despite being so flamboyant, she was still alive and well.
Then they heard a "swoosh" sound.
Even Aunt Yin was stunned.
She had been thinking about how to explain to the children about the ways of officialdom, about the woman outside, and how to deal with it.
But that "swoosh" sound was crisp and decisive.
The master's steady voice came through, "Feng'er, you were too hasty. You could have killed her later when no one was around. It's a bit too bloody in front of these officials."
So, that person was just... gone?
Little Phoenix Fairy was dead?
Aunt Yin could hardly believe it.
She saw the older and younger girls' eyes widen.
The younger girl couldn't help but let Little Ant lift the curtain.
She flicked the ant away and said, "Your father didn't kill an innocent person. He must have investigated beforehand. This woman was vicious. Don't be fooled by her weak appearance; many women and children have died because of her. Other courtesans just hope to reform, but she's different. She enjoyed breaking up families."
Jiang Yu widened her eyes and nodded.
Jiang Mianmian puffed up her cheeks and nodded.
Their family was already in a precarious position as pardoned rebels, and this action was very rebellious.
"Grandma, can we take a look? Is she beautiful? Next time I encounter someone like this, I'll avoid them," Jiang Yu, now married, couldn't understand at all. If one day Meng Shaoxia shouted about beating or killing her for another woman, she would definitely make a pot of mushroom soup and let everyone go together.
If they were to die, they'd die together.
Aunt Yin thought for a moment and nodded.
After all, they needed to see the world.
Jiang Mianmian was also very curious.
From what she heard, it sounded like an ancient courtesan figure, but she died as soon as she arrived? She had thought there would be some household drama or something.
She was worried that her mother might not be able to handle it.
After all, her mother seemed like a very straightforward person.
She probably couldn't stand that kind of passive-aggressive behavior.
So Grandma opened the curtain.
Not just a small corner, but wide open.
Because Grandma had taken two pieces of gauze and covered Jiang Yu and Jiang Mianmian's faces.
Jiang Mianmian thought Grandma was being overly cautious... she had only been weaned for a few years, it really wasn't necessary.
However, the two girls wearing light veils unanimously looked down at Little Phoenix Fairy lying on the ground.
Jiang Yu took one look and then retreated, patting her chest and saying with relief, "Thank goodness, Brother Meng doesn't like this type. This type with a pointy chin, Brother Meng thinks they look like snake spirits and would prick people."
Aunt Yin: ... The person is already dead, what are you saying?
Jiang Mianmian examined her carefully, then sat back and said to Grandma, "This girl's waist is so thin, I wonder if we cut her open and looked, would she have two fewer bones in her waist than others?"
Aunt Yin: ... The flesh on her cheeks twitched involuntarily.
Her worries were unnecessary.
"Squeak squeak."
The wheels continued to roll.
The road into the city was paved with bluestone slabs, making the sound of the carriage wheels much crisper.
Grandma didn't lower the carriage curtain.
The two young ladies sat inside, looking out.
Indeed, it was worthy of being called the Provincial Capital.
There were so many shops.
Various signboards fluttered in the breeze.
There were also many pedestrians on the street.
They were all dressed better, not appearing gaunt or malnourished.
Along the road, there were quite a few two-story and three-story buildings.
There was even a small river by the roadside.
And there were horse-drawn carriages passing each other.
There were sounds of vendors calling out, the flowing of water, and laughter.
It was a scene of worldly prosperity and bustle.
