Chapter 15

During the war years, bandits were rampant everywhere. In recent years, frequent anti-bandit campaigns had stamped out much of their momentum, but some remnants remained.

The bandit leader at Mount Yan had lain low, escaping notice for many years, but his influence had gradually grown. The local government couldn’t suppress them, which was why they reported to the imperial court for assistance.

To understand the internal situation of the bandits, we engineered a bridal escort. I was the bride in the sedan chair.

Because I was a woman, the bandits weren’t very wary of me. When they abducted me up the mountain, they only tied my hands.

I followed submissively behind them. My gaze involuntarily fell onto the waist of the fierce bandit in front of me. Tucked there was a dagger that looked very familiar.

The bandit, annoyed by my slow pace, suddenly yanked me forward. Stumbling, I crashed into him. The dagger fell to the ground, revealing its complete appearance. He picked the dagger up, shoved me again, and said, “Behave yourself.”

My heart skipped a beat. This dagger looked exactly like the one I had given to Liang Ji.

Someone joked, “Be gentler, don’t scare the bride. Watch out, or the Head Boss will settle the score with you.”

To avoid disrupting the plan, I suppressed the panic in my heart. Keeping my eyes lowered submissively, I let them lock me into a room while cowering. A massive tiger skin was draped over a wooden chair.

At that moment, I heard someone outside say, “This bride has quite the nerve. Every other one before this did nothing but cry and weep, annoying us to death.”

Understood. Time to start crying.

I cried louder and louder until the person got annoyed and violently kicked the door open. He pressed a dagger against my neck. “Cry again and I’ll chop you up, Laozi [I] swear.”

I then switched to soft sobbing. “Master, this slave’s hands hurt.”

They were a bunch of burly men and hadn’t gone easy on me; the ropes were practically digging into my flesh.

“When the Boss gets back, he’ll untie you.”

I looked up at him. “Rest assured, Master, this slave won’t run. This slave was already sold by my parents to an old rich man as a concubine. To be able to serve a hero like the Boss, this slave is more than willing.”

“Then what are you crying for?”

I started sobbing and hiccuping again. “Because before getting married, this slave drank poison. I only have a few days left to live. Who would have thought that today I could… What a pity it’s too late, I won’t live.”

I covered my face, crying “woo-woo.”

They looked at each other and discussed for a moment. Someone said, “How about we have her looked at?”

“Fine.”

They all left. A short while later, hurried footsteps sounded outside. Covering half my face, I looked up—and met a pair of autumn-water eyes.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Liang Ji had already found an excuse to send those two away.

He crouched down to untie my ropes. I asked in a low voice, “What rank have you worked your way up to?”

A smile hooked the corners of his lips. He answered in the same low voice, “I’m ashamed to say, I’m still just an abducted doctor.”

I explained my reason for being here, and he had just nodded when the door was suddenly thrown open. A burly, robust man walked in, casting a large shadow over the floor.

I was originally sitting on the ground with Liang Ji crouching in front of me. The sound of the door opening startled both of us.

His reaction was incredibly fast. He pressed down on me, causing my upper body to involuntarily fall backward.

Liang Ji held my waist. Our faces were extremely close. Looking up, I could gaze straight into a pool of autumn water. He blinked.

My heart suddenly began beating very fast.

“Brother Liang, you fancy this one?”

Liang Ji let me go and stood in front of me, shielding me. “I’m ashamed to say, this younger brother has traveled to practice medicine for over ten years and has never given his heart to a woman. Today… I was presumptuous.”

The man burst into loud laughter. “Heroes love beauties, normal, very normal!”

Liang Ji bowed to him with folded hands. “Over these past days, the Head Boss has shown me much favor. However, today this younger brother has an unreasonable request and wishes to shamelessly ask the Head Boss to part with what you love.”

The Head Boss draped an arm over Liang Ji’s shoulder, making Liang Ji look quite petite in comparison. “We’re brothers, what’s with the polite talk? She’s just a woman. How could she be more important than a brother?”

He turned around, yanked me up, and shoved me into Liang Ji’s arms. His massive palm, heavy as a small mountain, clapped our shoulders. “Tonight is yours. The wedding night.”

My entire body almost stiffened into stone, not even knowing how to move. In just those few short breaths, I felt more exhausted than if I had held a horse stance for two hours.

Liang Ji hesitated. “Is this not… a bit too fast?”

“Fast? Not fast at all!”

“Marriage should involve matchmakers, betrothal gifts, a selected auspicious day, and an eight-bearer sedan chair to welcome her through the doors. Though that is impossible to achieve right now, this younger brother still wishes to give her a complete wedding banquet to the best of his abilities.”

He let go of me and bowed to the Head Boss again. “I beg the Head Boss to grant this.”

Only then did the Head Boss look at me seriously. I lowered my eyes, letting him examine me.

“Is it necessary to be this serious?”

Liang Ji looked seemingly bashful. “Love at first sight. I simply cannot bear to treat her poorly.”

I stared at him blankly. He looked back at me, his eyes watery and his cheeks slightly flushed, looking exactly like a pure youth falling in love for the very first time.