Chapter 194: Verbal Clash

Upon hearing the name Chang Yuan, Su Zhenzhen immediately thought of his forward-thinking remarks from back then.

In Chang Yuan's cellar? That lustful demon...

Su Zhenzhen narrowed her eyes. "So you're from a branch of the Jiang clan, and you were the one who ordered the Desire Demon to capture me?"

Jiang Jingyan was quite frank, "I misunderstood at the time, please forgive me, Miss Su."

Su Zhenzhen was speechless. This was no different from a kidnapper abducting you, then you running away, and after a long time, the kidnapper coming to you to reminisce, saying that he kidnapped you because he was having a mental breakdown.

Although Su Zhenzhen did not suffer any real harm, if the Thunderbolt Bomb had not killed the Desire Demon, who knows what would have happened.

I was able to escape from you because of my abilities, not because of your kindness.

"Young Master Jiang, when you say 'reminiscing,' you don't mean you want to apologize for what happened in the past, do you?" Su Zhenzhen stared at Jiang Jingyan's face, not intending to miss a single expression. She wanted to see what kind of high-sounding words this self-important man could say.

"If Miss Su wishes to hear my apology, I can offer her tea as an apology." Jiang Jingyan stood up, but unfortunately the teapot on the table was empty, so he could only bow and apologize.

Su Zhenzhen turned to the side, making her stance clear through her actions that she did not accept such a perfunctory apology.

"Young Master Jiang's apology is far too insincere."

"Oh?" Jiang Jingyan thought he was smiling very elegantly and charmingly. "I wonder what kind of sincerity Miss Su is looking for?"

Su Zhenzhen casually glanced at the man in front of her, and for some reason, she felt that he had a bit of a peacock-like air about him.

"How many people are there in the collateral branches of the Jiang family? Whom do your people obey?"

The established families banded together for mutual support, possessing a deep-rooted foundation, while Hensheng's foundation was still too shallow. Coupled with the unpredictable changes in the south, it's uncertain whether there will be other disasters this year.

Now, when facing the imperial court and powerful families, the odds of victory are only fifty-fifty.

But that's far from enough. Once the fight starts, it's hard to stop until a winner is decided.

If we lose, it won't be as simple as just retreating to the border regions.

The title of Crown Prince of the Jiang Dynasty was tantamount to being trampled on, and even if he made a comeback in the future, he would not have enough prestige to convince the world.

Therefore, the support from the collateral branches of the Jiang family is very important.

"Miss Su, you're an outsider, why are you meddling in the affairs of my Jiang family? Isn't that a bit too much of a meddlesome thing for you?" Jiang Jingyan said with a smile that held a hint of disdain, his face full of sarcasm.

Su Zhenzhen doesn't mind putting on a big show.

“Speaking of which, I am the fiancée of the Crown Prince of the Jiang Dynasty. The collateral branches follow the direct line, so I am the matriarch of the entire Jiang family.” Su Zhenzhen’s aura instantly intensified, and she looked at the person in front of her with a commanding gaze.

It's a pity that Jiang Jingyan knew the truth, otherwise he would have been intimidated by her demeanor.

However, Jiang Jingwei's ability to predict the future cannot be revealed yet.

Jiang Jingyan sat back down in his chair with an air of nonchalance. If he were to also have a folding fan, he would truly be a carefree and unconventional young master.

"Madam Jiang? May I ask if there is a marriage agreement between your parents? Or is there any ancestral temple or family genealogy to prove it?"

Of course, none of these were true, but that wasn't Su Zhenzhen's intention. When she mentioned the Crown Prince of Jiang Dynasty, the person in front of her showed no surprise at all.

It is evident that the collateral branch of the Jiang clan knew of Hensheng's existence and identity.

Jiang Jingyan's question stumped Su Zhenzhen. If she wanted to act like the matriarch of the Jiang family, she first had to produce a marriage certificate.

However, Su Zhenzhen likes to do things unconventionally.

A light, cheerful voice rang out, and Su Zhenzhen picked up the teapot beside her and filled the cup with tea.

"Young Master Jiang, now that we've finished catching up, please take care and don't see me off."

Filling a cup of tea before seeing a guest off is a tactful yet direct way of asking them to leave.

A wise person would get up and take their leave at this point.

But Jiang Jingyan was clearly a self-important smart guy. Although he couldn't keep up with Su Zhenzhen's pace, it didn't stop him from being shameless and refusing to leave.

"How do the servants in this courtyard behave? Why is the teapot on the guest table empty?"

If you fill my cup with tea and send me away, I will say that you are not hospitable, as the guest has not even had a bowl of tea.

Su Zhenzhen didn't expect this person to be such a stubborn leech, so shameless and obstinate, just like Jiang Sijin. She wondered if it was a characteristic of the Jiang clan.

"Young Master Jiang is here as a guest. You should accept whatever the host offers you. Why are you going over the head of the household and picking on the servants? What kind of status are you using?"

You just said that I am acting improperly as the matriarch of the Jiang family, meddling in the affairs of the Jiang family's collateral branches.

I will now retaliate against you for being a guest who bypasses the master's house and chooses your servants.

Jiang Jingyan's eyes darkened slightly. She was indeed a sharp-tongued and logical woman. If this woman hadn't already known that she was a woman destined for nobility, she would have been able to tell that she was extraordinary after just a few rounds of verbal sparring.

There was silence for a moment; it seemed like a pointless verbal battle.

But whoever bows down and agrees with the other party's words and actions first will be at a disadvantage in subsequent negotiations.

That's how it is between respectable people; words can be sharp and veiled, and it all comes down to who can be more eloquent.

Su Zhenzhen used to find this kind of talk annoying. If both parties have any demands, they should talk about them if they can reach an agreement, and if they can't, then forget it. Why make things so roundabout and confusing?

However, times have changed. The person in front of me is a shrewd and calculating ancient person, and it would be a mistake to be completely frank and open.

Su Zhenzhen has plenty of time right now. She has no demands and is not in a hurry. It's just a matter of who can outlast whom.

After a stalemate lasting about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Su Zhenzhen finally had some water to drink. Jiang Jingyan, on the other hand, had been traveling non-stop for days, and even after arriving in Yangcheng, he still had to play mind games. He was already exhausted, and not only did he not have any water to drink, but he was also being pressured by someone.

"Slurp—" Su Zhenzhen deliberately made some noise while drinking water.

This made Jiang Jingyan feel even thirstier.

Jiang Jingyan, being from a collateral branch of the Jiang family, was not inclined to directly ask someone for water.

An unbearable dryness filled his throat, and Jiang Jingyan moved his lips, only to find them extremely dry.

"Tsk, this tea is a bit cold and tastes bitter," Su Zhenzhen said, smacking her lips.

It's a pity that we didn't ask them to serve a pot of fresh tea, so that Jiang Jingyan could take the opportunity to suggest that the tea he was being served should also be changed.

Another incense stick's worth of time passed.

Su Zhenzhen had almost finished her pot of tea, but Jiang Jingyan remained unmoved.

Wow, he's quite composed.

However, on the other hand, if he weren't a patient person, the Jiang clan wouldn't have sent him to Yangcheng.

Su Zhenzhen wanted to lie down, so she drank the last drop of water in the teapot before getting up and walking out.

He also instructed the servants to conserve water since it hadn't rained recently and not to boil extra water for tea.

That's blatant lying. It didn't rain, but we don't usually use rainwater either.

However, Jiang Jingyan did not expect that something even worse was yet to come.