Video Editor

In the twenty-third year of Jingming, the spring was chilly.

Jiang Si suddenly opened her eyes, and the cold river water seemed to still be wrapped around her limbs.

She coughed violently, digging her fingers deep into the mud on the river bank. The tingling sensation from her fingertips made her sure that she was really alive.

"Girl, are you okay?" A cold voice came from above.

Jiang Si looked up and met a pair of eyes as dark as a deep pool.

He was a young man dressed in dark clothes, with a short knife in an ebony sheath at his waist and a dark red silk rope wrapped around the handle.

His outstretched hand stopped in mid-air, not daring to touch her.

"Thank you for saving me, sir." Jiang Si's voice was hoarse.

However, he calmly avoided the other person's hand and stood up by supporting himself on the ground.

She remembered this face. It was this person who rescued her when she fell into the water in her previous life.

But she was so panicked at that time that she didn't pay attention to the appearance of her savior.

The man withdrew his hand, his eyes lingering briefly on her wet collar, then moved away.

"The girl's clothes are thin. If you don't mind, this robe..."

"No need." Jiang Si interrupted him and subconsciously straightened his collar.

She remembered that after being rescued in her previous life, this man had also stared at her clothes, and at that time she just thought it was a lecher's flirtation.

Now that I think about it... Jiang Si's heart shuddered. Could it be that he saw something?
The man seemed to sense her vigilance, took a half step back, bowed and said: "My name is Yu Qi, if you need any help..."

"Jiang Si." She briefly gave her name, turned around and left.

She had to go home immediately to make sure her father and brother were safe.

In her previous life, not long after she fell into the water, her father met with an accident while working at the Imperial Observatory, and her brother also died while trying to find out the truth.

Thinking of this, Jiang Si didn't bother to find out why she traveled through time. She walked faster, her wet skirt tangled around her legs, so she simply lifted the hem of her skirt and started running.

Yu Qi's subordinates whispered behind him, "Master Qi, the flame pattern under the girl's collar..."

"Longdan, go check the Dongping Marquis's residence." Yu Qi's voice faded away, "Especially this Fourth Miss Jiang."

"Yes!"

White lanterns were hung in front of the Dongping Marquis's mansion, and faint sounds of mournful music could be heard from inside the mansion.

Jiang Si stood in front of the vermilion lacquered gate, his chest heaving violently.

Is she still late? Father and brother have already...

"Fourth Miss?" Old Zhang, the doorman, widened his eyes and dropped the lantern in his hand to the ground with a "clack". "You...you've already died, haven't you?"

“…” Jiang Si didn’t bother to pay attention and rushed straight into the mansion.

In the front yard, several old women were setting up a mourning tent. When they saw her come in, they screamed and ran away in all directions.

"Ghost! The fourth girl's spirit is back!"

In the main hall, Second Madam Xiao was clutching her handkerchief and pretending to cry, "My poor niece, she's so young..."

Hearing the commotion, she turned around impatiently, but her face turned pale the moment she saw Jiang Si.

"You...are you a human or a ghost?" Xiao took two steps back and bumped into the altar, causing the incense burner to fall over and the ashes to spill onto her expensive gold-woven skirt.

Jiang Si coldly glanced at the memorial tablet with his name on it, and stabbed Xiao with a look like a knife: "Second Aunt, are you really looking forward to my death?"

Xiao quickly calmed down, a sardonic smile forming on the corner of her mouth: "Oh! So you're alive! If you're not dead, why didn't you come back earlier?
The whole mansion is going through all this trouble just for you. Your father and brother haven't eaten or drunk anything for days and nights just to find you, and they're still going crazy by the lake!"

Jiang Si's heart tightened, but then he noticed the key point in Xiao's words: his father and brother were still alive!

Then she suppressed her ecstasy and stared at Xiao's well-maintained face.

It was this person in her previous life who, after her father's death, couldn't wait to take over the uncle's house, forcing her and her brother into a desperate situation.

"Why, are you mute?" Seeing that she was silent, Xiao became even more proud, "I heard that you fell into the water because of an argument with the young master of the Ji family?

If an unmarried girl were to flirt with her fiancé in the middle of the night, how would our Dongping Marquis's family stand up to shame if this were to get out?"

Jiang Si suddenly laughed.

This smile made Xiao feel inexplicably uneasy.

"Second Aunt is right." Jiang Si stepped forward slowly, speaking softly, "But compared to my reputation, why don't you worry about Sister Pei's marriage first?

I heard that she secretly went to see the son of a horse dealer in the south of the city last month?"

"Jiang Si, what nonsense are you talking about here?" Xiao's face turned pale and she raised her hand to slap.

Jiang Si caught her wrist steadily and slapped her with his backhand.

There was a crisp "pop" sound, and the entire front yard fell silent.

"This slap is for me in my past life." Jiang Si whispered in Xiao's ear, then raised his voice, "Second Aunt, you should change your clothes quickly. The incense ash on your skirt is not easy to wash off."

"Miss!" A round-faced maid rushed over crying. It was Ah Man, Jiang Si's personal maid. "I knew you would be alright! The master and the eldest young master are almost going crazy with worry. Let's go to the lake to find them!"

Jiang Si let Ah Man drag him out. Behind him, Xiao Shi screamed hysterically, "Jiang Si! How dare you hit me! You'll be in trouble when the old lady comes back!"

……

By the Mirror Lake, Jiang Ancheng hadn't slept for three days.

The Duke of Dongping, who was over forty years old, looked as haggard as an old man at this moment, with morning dew hanging on his beard and the hem of his official uniform covered with mud.

Jiang Zhan's voice was a little hoarse, "Father, please go back and rest for a while! I will stay and continue to look for my sister's body."

Jiang Ancheng punched the tree trunk, blood seeping from his knuckles. "If he's alive, I want to see him. If he's dead, I want to see his body! How could Si'er, who is such a good swimmer, drown?"

"Father! Brother!"

The familiar voice made both father and son freeze.

When Jiang Si ran towards him with her skirt lifted up, Jiang Zhan thought he was hallucinating.

"Si'er?" Jiang Ancheng reached out his hand tremblingly, and only when he touched his daughter's warm cheek did he dare to believe it, "It's really you... Are you okay..."

"Wuwuwu...Father..." Jiang Si threw herself into her father's arms, tears streaming down her face.

In her previous life, her father was falsely accused of collaborating with the enemy and committed suicide in prison. She didn't even get to see him for the last time.

And now, the sound of my father's heartbeat is so real.

"Sister, where have you been? We've searched almost the entire Mirror Lake!"

Jiang Zhan, who was standing by, also questioned with red eyes, but his hands were tightly grasping his sister's sleeves, fearing that she would disappear again.

Jiang Si wiped away her tears and looked at her father with a serious expression: "Father, you must promise me that from today on, you will not work at the Imperial Observatory."

Jiang Ancheng was stunned: "Nonsense! As the deputy director of the Imperial Observatory, how could I..."

"Father, please consider this as your daughter's plea!" Jiang Si knelt down. "The Imperial Observatory will surely encounter disaster in the near future. If you believe me, please stay home on sick leave."

Jiang Zhan frowned and helped his sister up: "Sister, did you hit your head when you fell into the water? Why are you talking nonsense?"

Then Jiang Si turned to his brother and said, "And brother, you are not allowed to come to the lake to practice martial arts tomorrow, and you are not allowed to participate in the school exam the day after tomorrow!"

"How can this be possible!" Jiang Zhan was anxious, "I have been training hard for three years just for this opportunity.

As long as you pass the exam to become the Chief of the Imperial Guards, I can take you and your father away from the Earl's Mansion and no longer have to worry about Xiao's face!"

Jiang Si felt a pain in his heart.

In his previous life, his brother was ambushed during a martial arts competition in the training ground and became disabled for life.

"Okay, Si'er just came back, let's not talk about this." Jiang Ancheng tried to smooth things over. "Go back home and freshen up first. We can talk about it tomorrow if there's anything."

On the carriage back home, Jiang Si looked at the tired but lively faces of her father and brother, and secretly vowed: In this life, she would never let the tragedy happen again.

……

At dinner time, Jiang Si formally proposed to cancel the engagement at the table.

"Pah!" Jiang Ancheng slammed his chopsticks on the table. "Nonsense! The Ji family and we have been friends for generations. The marriage was arranged during the reign of the previous emperor. How can we just call it off?"

"Father, do you know who Ji Chongyi is?" Jiang Si put down his soup bowl. "Not only does he have a mistress, he also has a huge debt in the gambling house. The day before yesterday, I fell into the water because he wanted to use my dowry to pay off his debts. I refused, so he..."

"What?!" Jiang Zhan jumped up, "I'm going to kill that beast right now!" Jiang Ancheng held his son down, his face gloomy, "Si'er, are you serious?"

"If my daughter tells even a single lie, I will be struck by lightning." Jiang Si looked directly at her father, "The Ji family may appear glamorous on the surface, but it's already rotten on the inside.

Rather than marrying and suffering, it is better to break off this marriage as soon as possible."

Mrs. Xiao had been standing outside the hall since some point, and upon hearing this, she shrieked, "Cancel the engagement? That's easy for you to say! We've already accepted the betrothal gifts, and now you're going back on your word, how can you save the reputation of the Bo family?"

Jiang Si had anticipated her obstruction and said calmly, "If Second Aunt feels it's a pity, why not let Sister Pei marry him? The Ji family is a marquisate after all, so it wouldn't be a disgrace to her."

"You!" Xiao was shaking with anger. "My Pei'er won't marry someone like that..."

"Which one?" Jiang Si raised an eyebrow. "Didn't Second Aunt just say that the Ji family is a good match?"

Xiao was speechless and turned to put pressure on Jiang Ancheng: "Brother, this is a matter of friendship between the two families, you can't let the child do what he wants.

Besides, the old lady values credibility the most. If she knew that Si'er wanted to cancel the engagement..."

When the old lady was mentioned, Jiang Ancheng hesitated.

Seeing this, Jiang Si pulled out a stack of papers from his sleeve and said, "Father, please take a look. These are copies of the IOUs Ji Chongyi has kept from gambling houses over the years, as well as the love poems he wrote to his mistress. If these things get to the ears of the censor..."

Jiang Ancheng flipped through the book for a moment, his expression becoming increasingly grim. "You bastard! I'll go to the Ji family tomorrow to break off the engagement!"

Xiao screamed, "What about the betrothal gifts?"

"Just return it as it is." Jiang Si said lightly.

"It's too late!" A hint of pride flashed in Xiao's eyes. "The old lady asked me to collect the betrothal gifts. The warehouse leaked a few days ago, and many items have been damp. They are being sent for repairs."

Jiang Si knew that this was Xiao's delaying tactic and was about to retort when he heard a commotion outside the door.

At this moment, the housekeeper rushed in in a panic: "Master! It's bad! Something happened to the Ji...Ji family!"

"What's going on?" Jiang Ancheng stood up.

"Just received news that Master Ji Chongyi and his parents...were all murdered! The entire Ji family was burned to ashes."

"What?" Everyone in the room was shocked.

At this moment, even the teacup in Jiang Si's hand fell to the ground with a "bang", and the hot tea splashed on her skirt, but she was completely unaware.

In her previous life, until her death, the Ji family was fine. How could it be that now...

Then Jiang Si thought about his own fantastic time travel, as if this was indeed a problem that must be figured out.

The steward at this time continued to explain, "Now the guards of the entire capital have been dispatched."

Jiang Si suddenly looked up, and a terrible thought came to her mind: Could it be that someone not only made her reborn ten years ago, but also wiped out the entire Ji family?

……

The night was as dark as ink. In a deserted tea shed on the outskirts of the city, a man in black took off his mask, revealing an extremely handsome face.

"System, mission accomplished." Su Ning shook the blood beads on his sword and looked at Ji Chongyi's body on the ground with disdain. "This kind of scum is worthy of being a villain? He can't even block my sword."

[The host has perfectly completed the first mission.] An emotionless electronic voice rang out in his mind, [Next, please approach Jiang Si as planned and gain her trust.]

Su Ning took out a snow-white handkerchief and wiped his fingers: "Can't you just go and ask for marriage directly? She doesn't have a fiancé anyway."

[Warning! Jiang Si has become extremely vigilant after his rebirth. Approaching him roughly will result in mission failure. It is recommended that the host start with a "chance encounter."]

"Trouble." Su Ning curled his lips, and suddenly his ears moved, "Someone is coming."

Outside the tea shed, Yu Qi and Long Dan were tracking a batch of smuggled firearms and happened to pass by.

"Seventh Master, there is a smell of blood." Longdan pressed the hilt of the knife.

Yu Qi signaled him to be quiet and approached the tea stall quietly.

Through the broken window frame, he saw corpses all over the ground and a young man humming a song and polishing his sword.

The most horrifying thing was that there was a fresh peach blossom stuck on Ji Chongyi's body at the feet of the young man, the symbol of the Nanwu Assassin.

"Sure enough..." Yu Qi's eyes flashed, "People from Nanwu have already sneaked into the capital."

"Who is your Excellency?"

"Yu Qi, I advise you to stay out of other people's business! Some people are not someone you can mess with."

"Sir, I would like to give it a try."

"court death."

Su Ning's expression suddenly changed. He gently swung the sword in his hand, and a burst of sword energy made Yu Qi retreat dozens of steps.

"Puff" a mouthful of blood spurted out, and Yu Qi looked at the mysterious man in front of him with fear on his face.

"Yu Qi, remember! There won't be a next time."

"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Excellency."

……

The next morning, Jiang seemed to have not slept all night.

The news of the annihilation of the Ji family made her restless. This change, which was so different from the trajectory of her previous life, made her feel that things were getting out of control.

"Miss!" Ah Man rushed in, "The young master has secretly gone to the training ground!"

Jiang Si suddenly stood up: "Prepare the horses!"

There were crowds of people outside the school ground.

Jiang Si, wearing a veiled hat, squeezed into the crowd, anxiously looking for his brother.

Suddenly, she noticed several people wearing the uniforms of the Duwei Division on the platform, and the one leading them was... Yu Qi?
Why is he here?

But Yu Qi's face was as pale as paper, as if he had been seriously injured.

In the center of the field, Jiang Zhan had won three games in a row and was proudly bowing to everyone around him.

Jiang Si saw the clue, those opponents were defeated too easily.

"Aji!" She pulled her brother's servant over and asked, "Did my brother bribe the enemy?"

Aji hesitated, "Don't be angry, young lady... The young master is also afraid of failing the exam..."

Jiang Si stamped his feet in anger.

In the previous life, my brother was attacked and crippled because his cheating was exposed.

Just as she was about to rush in to stop it, the situation on the field suddenly changed.

A burly man jumped onto the stage and said, "Master Jiang, you are very skilled! I am Zheng Ming, and I want to learn a few moves from you!"

Jiang Si's pupils suddenly shrank.

Zheng Ming! In his previous life, it was he who crippled his brother's legs in a martial arts competition!

"Brother, be careful!" Her warning was drowned out by the cheers.

Zheng Ming's moves were ruthless, and Jiang Zhan was quickly at a disadvantage.

After a feint, Zheng Ming's sword pierced Jiang Zhan's throat!
At the critical moment, a dark figure rushed into the field and blocked the long sword with a "clang" sound.

Yu Qi stood with a knife in hand and said coldly, "In a duel on the training ground, we must stop when the time is right. Sir Zheng, are you planning to kill someone?"

Zheng Ming's face changed: "Master Yu, you are too kind. I made a mistake..."

"Really?" Yu Qi suddenly made a move, shaking out several poison needles from Zheng Ming's sleeves. "Then what are these?"

The scene was chaotic.

Jiang Si took the opportunity to rush into the field and help his brother up. When he looked up, he met Yu Qi's inquiring gaze.

"Hello again, Miss Jiang." Yu Qi said meaningfully, "It seems we are destined to be together."

Before Jiang Si could respond, he caught a glimpse of a strange young man standing at the edge of the training ground.

The man was dressed in white, holding a folding fan, staring at her intently with an uncomfortable smile on his lips.

What was even more terrifying was that Jiang Si clearly saw that the man had a cold and sharp sword on his waist.

...(End of chapter)