Chapter 199: A Woman's Destiny is Not Long

Jiang Jingyan had planned everything, but he overlooked one thing: she wasn't a woman of this era. Not only was there no legitimate reason for them to be together, but Su Zhenzhen didn't care about an unconventional relationship.

People can only be trapped by what they care about. Su Zhenzhen doesn't care about titles or status, so this thing is completely superfluous for her.

"If Young Master Jiang has no other intentions, I think our conversation can end here."

Su Zhenzhen was sending a signal that if Jiang Jingyan couldn't offer something satisfactory, there would be no cooperation between them.

If they are not partners, they can only be adversaries.

The fate of hostile elements is self-evident.

Jiang Jingyan didn't expect Su Zhenzhen to be so ruthless, showing her fangs at the slightest provocation.

This marks the end of not only the conversation, but also his right to speak while standing.

However, Jiang Jingyan was still unwilling to give up, or rather, he was confident enough.

“Miss Su, are you really not going to reconsider? We both have the surname Jiang. Although my lineage is a collateral branch, it has still multiplied for thousands of years, just like the main line. The Crown Prince of the Jiang Dynasty is now a complete person, and his starting point is far inferior to that of us collateral branch descendants.”

Su Zhenzhen rubbed her temples, unsure whether she hadn't explained herself clearly or whether Jiang Jingyan couldn't understand her.

"Young Master Jiang, what exactly gives you your confidence?"

Jiang Jingyan saw Su Zhenzhen rubbing her forehead and was about to say a few words of concern when he suddenly heard these words, and his expression turned ugly.

"Miss Su, what do you mean by that?"

"May I ask if Young Master Jiang is a man of unparalleled handsome appearance and extraordinary demeanor, surpassing all other men in the world?"

"May I ask if Young Master Jiang is so wealthy that he spends money like water, with his halls piled high with gold and jade?"

Su Zhenzhen just stared at Jiang Jingyan, as if she wanted him to give a definite answer to these two questions.

Jiang Jingyan's face was quite a sight, changing from black to purple, and then from purple to green.

Su Zhenzhen was determined to tear off all the fig leaves on his body. "Young Master Jiang, speak up! Why won't you answer my questions? Is it because you don't like these two questions?"

"If you don't like it, I'll ask another question. Young Master Jiang, what are the clothes and everyday items you wear that you earned yourself? If you were to sever ties with your branch of the Jiang family, how long could you survive in this chaotic world on your own?"

Jiang Jingyan's face looked like a spilled paint palette, with all sorts of colors mixed together, messy, ugly, and unsightly.

"Miss Su is joking. Why would I sever ties with my family?"

Su Zhenzhen feigned ignorance and asked, "Then why does Young Master Jiang bring up his family's heritage? Why use his strengths to provoke others' weaknesses?"

Su Zhenzhen didn't know how far Jiang Jingyan could go after leaving the family, but she had personally witnessed Hensheng's growth along the way.

Jiang Jingyan's face instantly lost all color; he didn't want to admit that he would achieve nothing after leaving the family.

No one had ever revealed this bloody truth to him.

Although the collateral branches of the Jiang family cannot compare to the direct line, their history is longer than that of other prominent families.

However, the Pang family members are relatively low-key, for fear of offending the direct line.

However, if one were to accidentally encounter a scion of a powerful family, it would be the other party who would have to humble themselves and act subservient.

No one has ever stepped out of this game of power hierarchy to ask these offspring of the Jiang clan what they could achieve if they left the family.

For a moment, Jiang Jingyan thought about many things.

Even within his own branch of the family, there were many brothers, but none of them possessed extraordinary talent.

He was able to promise Su Zhenzhen the position of his true wife only because he knew that this woman was extraordinary, not because he could absolutely make the decision on the marriage.

Jiang Jingyan's eyes were cold and unfathomable, as if he was unconvinced or simply wanted to get back at them.

"And what about the Crown Prince of Jiang Dynasty?"

Su Zhenzhen looked around and stared at the self-satisfied man opposite her as if he were an idiot.

"Didn't you see it after you entered Yangcheng? The local customs, the military discipline—aren't they enough to explain everything?"

Jiang Jingyan pursed his lips. "This is all thanks to that lady."

Jiang Jingyan had subtly inquired with the common people and learned that the lady seemed to have some connection with the late General Huo.

Su Zhenzhen laughed. Why can people be so blind? But if you look at it from another angle, isn't this a kind of self-confidence?

"So, Young Master Jiang, do you think all of this is thanks to Lady Jiang? Why didn't Lady Jiang choose to be independent, but instead submitted to the Crown Prince of the Jiang Dynasty?"

“Naturally, it’s because she’s just a woman, destined not to go far,” Jiang Jingyan blurted out without thinking.

Su Zhenzhen narrowed her eyes slightly. "You are a member of the Jiang family, so you must have heard at least a little about the prophecy about the destined noblewoman, right? Did your promise to me as your principal wife just now have anything to do with this? You've all gone mad in your search for the destined noblewoman, and you firmly believe that she can give birth to a benevolent ruler for all time. So why do you look down on women from the bottom of your hearts?"

Jiang Jingyan was speechless. What could he say? A noblewoman destined for heaven could not give birth to a benevolent ruler on her own; she had to be born with the blood of the Jiang family.

Su Zhenzhen was not stingy in telling Hensheng's "relatives" how outstanding he was, starting with everything she had seen when she was sent there.

"The Crown Prince of Jiang was born with a disability and was confined to a small area, unable to go out. If it were you, what would you do? He studied from a young age and was exceptionally knowledgeable. Later, he also practiced martial arts with great diligence. He could learn to make coffins by hand and make coffins for the soldiers who died defending their country. He could also bend down to pay tribute to the old soldiers who died peacefully in their sleep."

Su Zhenzhen paused, her eyes revealing genuine emotion, "Along this journey, he didn't want to reach that position for his own selfish desires. Rather, it was because he carried too many lives on his shoulders, and he could only gamble everything to move forward. If he stopped, those who died because of him would not find peace. He fought for the world for the greater good."

Su Zhenzhen's tone suddenly changed, her expression sharp, "May I ask, Young Master Jiang, what brings you to Yangcheng? Has your Jiang clan's branch long harbored rebellious intentions? Otherwise, why did the Jiang clan's branch act as if they were dead when the capital was besieged by the rebels?"

Su Zhenzhen originally thought that Jiang Jingyan would reflect on his actions, but she didn't expect that after listening to him, he only heard what he wanted to hear.

"So what physical defect does Crown Prince Jiang have?" Jiang Jingyan asked fervently, as if he wanted to confirm that Hensheng really had some problem, so that his collateral descendants would have an opportunity to manipulate things.

Su Zhenzhen smiled coldly, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I have already cured the Crown Prince of Jiang Dynasty."

Jiang Jingyan was visibly disappointed; he shouldn't have made his thoughts too obvious.

Su Zhenzhen didn't want to continue communicating with such a pretty face. Showing off in front of someone of equal ability could earn her recognition and admiration, but trying to outdo someone who was utterly incompetent was like throwing a flirtatious glance at a blind person.

They have no idea how amazing you are.