Chapter 93: Selfishly understand her and control her.

Golden bells hung from the eaves of the chariot, tinkling as they swayed in the cool breeze.

A hand as cold and white as jade, holding the handle of a fan upside down, rolled up the carriage curtain, revealing a fragment of a dark robe embroidered with a golden python. The hem shone brilliantly, revealing the court attire the prince wore for an audience. Cong Ying stared at him, bewildered, wondering how he could find him so precisely, even after entering the palace.

The Prince of Jin's face was mostly hidden by the shadows of the rolling curtain, making his expression unclear. "Jiang Congying, are you waiting for me to get out of the carriage and invite you personally?"

Cong Ying walked forward slowly, stepped onto the carriage using the horse stool, and sat down opposite the King of Jin with his head lowered.

The King of Jin handed her a cup of ginger tea and said, "You haven't fully recovered yet. You shouldn't be running around. Besides, the wind is cold near the water. Be careful not to cause further illness."

Cong Ying heard his gentle words, as if he was not angry with her. She felt a glimmer of hope in her heart: "Your Highness, I just have a few words to tell Sanlang. I will be back soon after I finish speaking. If we take a carriage to Xizhou, it won't be a big deal if we go a little slower."

Upon hearing this, the King of Jin laughed and said, "Do you think I'm so easy to talk to?"

He called out through the curtains, "Chen Zhang."

"I'm here."

The King of Jin ordered slowly, "Go along the official road to Xizhou, catch up with Xie Xuanlan, and give him thirty strokes of the cane."

Cong Ying suddenly exclaimed, "Your Highness Prince Jin!"

The King of Jin said, "He has already left the capital, yet you are still disturbed. How despicable! Today you ran away for him once, and I will only punish you with thirty strokes of the cane. If you do it again, I will send men to tattoo and scratch his face, and see how he can face you again. If you truly love him, then stay in Yunjing."

Seeing that Chen Zhang had really obeyed his orders, Cong Ying was anxious to get off the car, but the King of Jin held him firmly, "Sit tight."

When she showed signs of struggling, the King of Jin threatened her, "Do you want to give him another thirty strokes of the cane?"

Cong Ying was stunned for a moment, as if she didn't know him. She stared at him quietly, with confusion and disappointment in her eyes.

She said, "I once considered Your Highness a close friend, a true confidant, but I never imagined Your Highness could be so tyrannical and arbitrary. If my past misdeeds have angered Your Highness, I am willing to apologize and accept Your Highness's decision. However, please do not vent your anger on Third Young Master Xie regarding the matter between you and me."

After saying this, she bent forward and knelt before King Jin. When she was about to bow down, her jaw was clamped by a warm and cool hand, refusing to let her lower her head.

King Jin's voice sank slightly: "Get up."

Cong Ying was forced to look at him, her eyes gradually reddening: "I can't fight for it, and I'm not allowed to beg... Your Highness, what do you want?"

The King of Jin said coldly, "What do I want? I should be the one asking you this. You were so close to me, and you said you wouldn't go to the northwest. Then you took advantage of my illness and hurriedly married me. You made a solemn vow to him. For this little bit of love and pleasure, you gave up your future and even your life. Jiang Congying, are you worthy of your current behavior? Get up!"

Cong Ying was pulled up by him and sat back on the mat. She saw that his face was as gloomy as frost and he was speechless for a moment. He lowered his head and looked at the incense burner on the small table, with confusion in his eyes.

Is her future to be exchanged for Saburo's life?

The carriage moved forward slowly, and the clear golden sunlight shone through the window panes, and the light spots that moved like golden scales on the water fell on Cong Ying's face.

She was wearing old clothes that she had redeemed, but her beauty could not be concealed. Her plump lips were slightly pursed, and her soft eyes passed through the slowly rising smoke and looked into the empty distance, revealing a silent and flexible loneliness.

Prince Jin looked at her quietly, and the anger and anxiety in his heart were slowly calmed down and turned into a helpless sigh.

How could he not remember that in his previous life, when he left Beijing for Xizhou, she saw him off at the Ten-Li Pavilion with the same reluctant look on her face, and told him to put on more clothes and eat more, and to be careful in everything.

At that time he promised her: "When I come back, I will make you wear a phoenix crown and a red robe, and make you a glorious lady."

Cong Ying adjusted his helmet tassel. Hearing this, her long black eyelashes fell. She said in a gentle voice, "I don't wish to be a marquis, but I hope the sea is peaceful. These are secondary. What matters is that you are safe. Don't act rashly. Take care of your life."

Don't be impulsive, cherish your life...

Doesn't he value her life?

Cong Ying lifted the curtain and looked out, then turned and asked him, "Isn't this the way to Ji Su Garden? Where are you taking me, Your Highness?"

The Prince of Jin said, "Since Jisu Garden cannot hold you, you should live in the Prince of Jin's Mansion first."

Congying frowned when he heard this, feeling that something was wrong. Just as he was about to say something, he met the deep and quiet gaze of King Jin. He knew that it was useless to say more, so he leaned against the wall of the car in silence, feeling disheartened.

＊

A new courtyard was built next to the Guanxi Garden of the Prince of Jin's Mansion, also named Jisu Garden. Its construction and structure were almost identical to the Jisu Garden next to the Xie Mansion, even the paintings on the screen wall were exactly the same.

A garden like this could not be built in a day, so I think it must have been prepared for her a long time ago.

Cong Ying stared blankly at the characters on the lintel that were exactly the same as Xie Xuanlan's. For a moment she felt that the affection was too heavy for her to bear, and for a moment she felt that his plan was too deep and frightening.

Prince Jin walked forward slowly, his hands behind his back. "I want you to live more comfortably. Why, you don't like it?"

Cong Ying said, "What is this? A beautiful woman in a golden house?"

"It's still a long way from the golden house," King Jin said with a smile, "you're not a spoiled child either."

"Then what am I?"

The King of Jin thought for a moment and said, "It's probably like the osmanthus fragrans that can't be locked up, or the golden-winged thrush that can't be locked up. I've only gone through all this trouble to provide you with a temporary stay. You'll inevitably have to leave someday, so I hope you feel at ease while you're here, and don't waste all my trouble."

Cong Ying was silent for a moment, then walked into Ji Su Garden where Xie Xuanlan was not.

Zi Su helped her pack up some things and brought back some manuscripts she had written for Xue Luwei, as well as the half of the Zhaoshi Baojian.

Seeing Congying sitting alone by the window, Zisu felt guilty and hesitated to tell her some of the inside story, even if it would be helpful for her to have someone to vent her anger on. However, Congying smiled and shook her head gently, stopping her from confessing.

Cong Ying said, "It's better if we just keep it to ourselves. Otherwise, I won't even have anyone to talk to."

She picked up her pen, dipped it in ink, wrote a letter, put it under a paperweight to dry, and then gave it to Zi Su, asking her to help find a way to send it to Xizhou.

"But……"

Zi Su thought that this letter would definitely fall into the hands of King Jin.

Cong Ying smiled slightly: "Isn't he exactly your method?"

Zi Su had no choice but to take the letter to see King Jin.

On paper, it was just an ordinary family letter, a few ordinary words of concern and a wish for more clothes and food. But the King of Jin stared at it for a long time, his fingers dipped in tea, and wrote and drew on the small table. After a long time, he wiped it away and sighed with a smile: "Ah Ying..."

He knocked on the table and the maid brought in a plate of silver ingots. A quick glance showed that there were at least two hundred taels.

This time, Zi Su refused to accept the money. She said, "I'm telling His Highness the news because I also think Ah Ying shouldn't go to Xizhou. If I accept the money, I'll be treated as a villain. I really can't face seeing Ah Ying."

Prince Jin chuckled and said, "You are able to say such words, you must have been deeply influenced by her."

He didn't force her, but waved goodbye and told her to leave.

The game of splitting and reassembling characters was something she had come up with while bored in her boudoir. She had only taught the rules to Xie Xuanlan. From the surface, it looked like an ordinary family letter; she was confident that no one else could figure out the trick, so she had Zisu take it to the Prince of Jin for review.

Unexpectedly, during dinner, Prince Jin came to see her and sent the letter back.

Cong Ying put down her chopsticks with a cold expression. "Your Highness only said that I'm not allowed to go to Xizhou to visit him. Does that mean I'm not allowed to write a letter to ask about his safety? Besides, Your Highness has already read the contents of the letter. It's just a few casual words. If you don't allow this, then it's too obvious that Your Highness is seeking revenge. Why bother pretending to be affectionate and saying it's for my own good?"

Prince Jin remained calm and let her scold him quietly.

Seeing that she was so angry that she hadn't even eaten, he walked over to the table opposite her, sat down, took a new set of bowls and chopsticks, and served her the food. He said in a gentle voice, "If scolding me and belittling me can make you calm down and relieve the depression in your heart, I'd be happy to hear that... This food is barely touched. Come, have some more."

Zong Ying was dissatisfied and turned her face away. When she heard him continue to persuade her, she couldn't help feeling annoyed. She suddenly turned around and knocked the bowl and chopsticks out of King Jin's hands.

Oil stains fell on his clothes and the porcelain bowl broke into pieces on the ground.

Prince Jin was slightly stunned, his eyelashes drooping in sadness, as if he couldn't believe that this was her action.

Cong Ying said with a choked breath, "If Your Highness wants to keep me captive, like a canary, sealed off from the world, with even my food and daily needs dictated by you, I don't want such a future. I'd rather die on the way to Xizhou than waste my time by your side. If Your Highness is angry, you can just kill me."

She turned to go out when she heard Prince Jin calling her urgently from behind: "A Ying!"

A few suppressed, painful coughs made her pause slightly. She heard him say, "Wang Chuping and Xu Dezheng are indeed in cahoots with the Western Tartars, but they grew up in Western Province and have never been to Beijing. You rashly wrote to Xie San to alert him. How would you explain the source of your information to him? What if he suspects you're being used, or even coerced, and disregards the imperial decree to return and rescue you, only to end up in a worse situation? Is that the outcome you want to see?"

Cong Ying's face turned pale in an instant, and she looked back at King Jin in disbelief, her slightly shrunken pupils filled with shock and confusion.

"How could Your Highness know the contents of this letter..."

The King of Jin sighed weakly, "Care leads to confusion, and this is true for both you and him."

A word can wake a person up from his dream.

Cong Ying's heart suddenly sank, and he couldn't help but think of what happened during the hunting in Xunling. Xie Xuanlan slaughtered dozens of Western Tartar envoys, but he was still not satisfied, so he openly picked up a knife and chopped off the heads of Princess Wenshuang and Prince Huai.

It was not for the sake of the country or the safety of the government, but because they had the intention to kill her.

If I scare him again this time, he will come back with a knife, and what kind of irreversible situation will be caused?

Cong Ying slowly squatted down, picked up the letter from the ground, and lowered his head in thought with a blank look.

Seeing that her attitude seemed to be softening, the King of Jin stepped forward and said, "Don't worry. I have already mentioned the names of these two people to him, and also warned him about some other things. As long as he confirms the information I got, it will be able to help him. Ah Ying, I have taken care of everything you are worried about. Don't be angry with me, okay?"

Cong Ying looked up at him steadily: "Your Highness, why...why are you helping Saburo?"

Prince Jin smiled gently. "He and I have a secret connection. In this world, my first hope is for your well-being, and my second hope is for his. I've told you before that I would never harm him. Ah Ying, do you never believe me?"

This sentence made Cong Ying's nose sour, and she didn't know what to say for a moment.

She picked up the wet handkerchief used to wash hands by the dining table and walked forward to wipe the oil stains on King Jin's white clothes. Only then did she discover that the corners of his sleeves were stained with blood. There were bloodstains as big as lotus bowls, and they looked like they were embroidered on his sleeves.

It was the blood he coughed up because he was so angry at her just now.

After hearing his explanation, Ying's anger subsided, and was replaced by guilt and shame, which surged into her heart like waves, tormenting her and making her feel even more uncomfortable.

She clutched the bloodstained sleeve of Prince Jin, the mist in her eyes condensing into beads, which fell one by one on the bloody scene. She said helplessly, "It turns out that I misunderstood Your Highness. I am so mean-spirited and I am sorry for Your Highness... But, I don't know why, I was not like this before..."

Whether she was disgusted or hated, she had never lost her temper like this even towards her mother Zhao and the people from the eldest branch of the Jiang family.

Occasionally, when Sanlang provoked her, she would just talk to him with reason in silence. How could she treat the King of Jin like she did today, throwing bowls and turning her face away?

She felt so guilty for torturing a sick person like this.

The King of Jin observed the changes in her expression and could guess what she was thinking almost exactly, which was even more accurate and satisfactory than he had expected on the way here.

He held Cong Ying's face, gently wiped her tears, then held her in his arms, stroking her back soothingly, letting her tears flow endlessly, breaking down her defenses and letting all the pent-up emotions of many days burst out in one breath, soaking through his clothes layer by layer, soaking his flesh and blood, and seeping into his heart.

This was the first time in his life that he had the opportunity to face her unconcealed emotions.

With infinite pity and tenderness in his heart, he whispered to her, "I know you've been feeling aggrieved these days. It's all my fault, and you're right to blame me, but you shouldn't blame yourself."

He added, "There's not much else in the house except for plenty of bowls and chopsticks. You feel relieved when you throw them, and it sounds good, so what? From now on, I'll come over every day to play with you."

This was a bit outrageous. If it hadn't come from the mouth of Prince Jin, it would have sounded like someone was making fun of her.

Cong Ying had cried enough, so she withdrew from King Jin's arms, turned her back and wiped her eyes quietly.

Knowing she was embarrassed, the Prince of Jin said considerately, "I'll go change my clothes and have everything removed. I'll set up a new table under the osmanthus tree in Guanxi Garden and invite you to dinner. Is that okay?"

Cong Ying nodded gently: "I'll go in a while."

She washed her face and changed her clothes, then looked left and right in the bronze mirror. Her eyes seemed to be red, like a funny rabbit.

So she picked up her powder case from the dressing table, dipped it in pearl white jade powder, and applied it carefully around her eyes. Although her eyes were no longer red, a closer look revealed a certain deliberate attempt to conceal the redness. After some thought, Cong Ying decided to simply apply powder and rouge all over her face. The powder made her lips appear lighter, so she applied a layer of lip balm.

So what the King of Jin waited for was Jiang Congying, who was dressed up and radiant.

She was wearing a goose yellow saffron skirt and came to sit under the osmanthus tree. She poured tea and handed it to Prince Jin to apologize for her previous gaffe. Seeing that Prince Jin was reluctant to take it, she looked up at him and fell into a pair of phoenix eyes that were as black as ink and full of surging emotions.

Such an affectionate and nostalgic look made Cong Ying's heart beat faster, and the fingertips holding the tea trembled slightly as if they were burned.

But she immediately thought of Xie Xuanlan again, remembering that the Prince of Jin had a deceased wife who was deeply in love with him, and that there were thousands of mountains and rivers between them. She forced herself to suppress the turmoil in her heart and raised the teacup to her eyebrows: "Your Highness, please have some tea."

Prince Jin took the tea from her hand, lowered his eyelids and said, "Such sincerity is unacceptable."