Chapter 4 Strategy Objective [Your strategy objective is—]...

absurd.

That's utterly absurd.

Anyone who has lived in Chang'an for a long time knows of the feud between the two, which can be traced back to their infancy. Their open and covert struggles, spanning over a decade, have made them irreconcilable enemies, their clashes sharp and their coexistence impossible.

The fact that these two agreed to meet under the marriage tree is undoubtedly more shocking than seeing a ghost in broad daylight.

Jiang Shiyan found it utterly ridiculous, yet dared not question Qin Jin aloud. As he hesitated, he heard Xue Rongyue speak, her voice frosty: "That day, I did indeed go looking for him."

Jiang Shiyan didn't believe him: "Why would you go looking for him?"

Princess Yu'an, based on her understanding of the two, asked: "Shall we chop each other up?"

Qin Jin lazily raised his eyes, his sharp gaze deeper than a cold pool, meeting Xue Rongyue's indifferent eyes.

Two pairs of gazes clashed, neither biased nor indifferent, their expressions cold and direct.

Qin Jin raised an eyebrow slightly, meeting Xue Rongyue's gaze, and gave her a perfectly timed smile.

To outsiders, she had a friendly smile, but Xue Rongyue had been fighting with Qin Jin for over a decade and knew his every move inside and out. She was well aware that Qin Jin was provoking her.

Suppressing her anger, Xue Rongyue calmly replied to Princess Yu'an, "We're going to kill him."

Xu and Jiang Shiyan were surprised by Xue Rongyue's boldness and were even more astonished by the intensity of their feud, so they dared not utter a word for a moment.

"It really is true." Only Princess Yu'an put a hand to her forehead. "How did it escalate like this again?"

Even though the two have been locked in fierce battles for years, they are no longer children and rarely utter phrases like "I want to kill him" anymore, lest they give each other ammunition to use against them.

Qin Jin seemed not to hear, and Xue Rongyue did not speak either.

With a helpless sigh, Princess Yu'an asked Qin Jin, "So, you came here today specifically to testify for Second Mother?"

Princess Yu'an herself found these words laughable, and sure enough, Qin Jin and Xue Rongyue burst out laughing as soon as she finished speaking.

The two exchanged a glance, one sneering and the other scoffing, both feeling a mutual loathing for each other, and both stopped laughing.

Princess Yu'an: "..."

Hu Shang drew the appearance of the Taoist boy. The moment Qin Jin stepped into the pavilion, he found that the boy was already tied up, so he did not want to say anything more.

Qin Jin frankly said, "Firstly, I want to thank Madam Xue for sparing my life that day; secondly, I'm just here to watch the show and see if there's a chance to kick someone when they're down."

Despite her burning anger, Xue Rongyue smiled and said, "No need to thank me, we have a long future ahead of us."

"Indeed." Qin Jin's smile deepened as he spoke slowly and deliberately, "There's plenty of time in the future."

Unwilling to continue this farce and let Qin Jin laugh at her, Xue Rongyue said coldly, "The monks at the temple were all witnesses when I met him that day. You and your son insist on making false accusations, so don't take it to court. Jingnu, go get the token. We'll go to the palace and clear things up before His Majesty!"

Xu was startled and hurriedly grabbed Xue Rongyue's sleeve, pleading, "I can't see the Emperor, I can't see the Emperor, Madam Xue, it's all a misunderstanding... No, it's all my fault, it's all my fault. You can punish me however you want, I will accept it without complaint."

Regardless of the truth behind today's farce, given the Emperor's favor towards General Xue, the Jiang family can't possibly gain any advantage, especially since...

Madam Xu sighed bitterly. Today's events were entirely their fault. If the Emperor were to intervene, her son's future would be ruined, and the Jiang family would also suffer.

Xue Rongyue coldly watched as Madam Xu pleaded desperately: "You drugged me today so you could push me into the water and kill me to vent your anger?"

Xu was startled and hurriedly explained, "No, no, I wouldn't dare."

The female official's gaze fell on Jiang Shiyan, and a surge of anger rose in her heart: "Then what exactly are you planning? You drugged him and even invited Young Master Jiang here. I'm afraid you have some wicked intentions and are plotting something untoward!"

The female official was naturally furious.

Princess Yu'an entrusted her with the task of managing this banquet. If an irreparable scandal were to occur at the banquet, and the person involved was the only daughter of the Xue family, she would bear the brunt of the blame and would be unable to escape responsibility.

Although the lady-in-waiting did not speak directly, the underlying meaning of her words was crystal clear. Princess Yu'an's gaze grew colder; though she remained silent, her words were enough to send chills down one's spine.

Madam Xu and her son knelt down together. Madam Xu faced Princess Yu'an and kowtowed, crying out for justice: "Your Highness, even if you gave me a hundred more lives, I would not dare to do such a despicable thing."

Seeing that she was not interrupted, Madam Xu quickly explained, "This is a grand banquet hosted by you. I am foolish and clumsy, but I would not dare to cause trouble at this banquet."

"I only wish for the two of them to meet and talk today. This will not only temporarily ease my son's longing for her, but also allow me to ask Lady Xue if she has any unspeakable difficulties. If they are truly in love, I am willing to try my best no matter what obstacles there may be."

Madam Xu lowered her head in deep regret: "I never imagined that Madam Xue would fall into the water by accident, almost causing a terrible mistake."

Madam Xu knew that even if the drugging was perfectly concealed, as long as her son and Miss Xue created a scandal together, the Xue family would not let it go, regardless of whether they believed the Jiang family was innocent. Furthermore, Princess Yu'an was the Emperor's elder sister; for her to cause a scandal at her banquet, regardless of the truth, was a blow to the royal family's reputation.

Therefore, even though Madam Xu resented Xue Rongyue for being heartless and ungrateful, she dared not risk the entire Jiang family and her son's life to gamble that the Xue family would compromise for their daughter and that Princess Yu'an would show them special mercy.

The female official, however, had a sudden inspiration, fearing the fool: "They're just having a chat. We can simply send someone to invite Madam Xue. Why go to all this trouble to poison her?"

“My son said that because Madam Xue is going to be engaged to the Liu family, she is not replying to any of the letters he sent and is avoiding him. The Liu family is also at the banquet today, so how can I be sure that Madam Xue will agree?”

Xu Shi glanced timidly at the long whip in Xue Rongyue's hand, feeling a lingering fear: "If Madam Xue sees my son clinging to her and gets angry, she might whip my son and me. How will I ever face anyone again?"

So, after learning of Xue Rongyue's whereabouts, she ordered her servants to bribe a young Taoist priest to add some muscle-strengthening medicine to the incense burner. That way, even if Xue Rongyue became angry, he wouldn't be able to wield the whip, and she and her son could escape. Xue Rongyue couldn't very well barge into the Jiang residence and cause a scene, but who knew...

Wiping away her tears with grievance, Madam Xu dared not raise her head: "Since Granny Liu and the Taoist boy have confessed, it proves that I had no such intention. Otherwise, how could Madam Xue, who is able to shout and is of sound mind, have succeeded?"

Princess Yu'an remained silent, looking at Xue Rongyue as if waiting for her to speak. Madam Xu also followed suit, looking at her with trepidation.

Xue Rongyue frowned and asked Jiang Shiyan, "Letters? When did you last send me a letter?"

Jiang Shiyan was in a daze for a long time, as if he had lost his soul, until Xu Shi pulled him and he came to his senses: "After the news of your marriage to the Liu family spread, I have been writing to the General's Mansion, hoping to see you."

Xue Rongyue looked at Jingnu, who frowned and recalled, feeling a chill run down her spine: "During this time, the manor has not received any letters from Young Master Jiang."

Jiang Shiyan's expression changed, and Xue Rongyue immediately made a decision: "Whoever you sent to the General's Mansion to deliver the message, have him tied up and brought here right now."

This matter turned out to be unexpectedly difficult.

Xue Rongyue had already read the testimonies of the old servant and the Taoist boy, and it was precisely because she had read them that she felt there were many suspicious points.

The old servant's account was identical to Xu's, but she still vividly remembered the drowning she had personally experienced.

Jingnu took the fighting rooster and left first. When she walked to the lake, she suddenly felt her limbs go weak and knew something was wrong. Just as she was about to call for help, a maid rushed towards her. When she got close, the maid decisively pushed her into the lake and quickly fled into the depths of the garden. Jingnu couldn't even see the maid's face clearly, only remembering that there was a noticeable black mole on the neck when the maid lowered her head.

Is it that the Xu mother and son are hiding something, or... is someone taking advantage of their thoughts to cause trouble?

The female official went to find the personal servant who had delivered the letter to Jiang Shiyan. Xue Rongyue lowered her eyes and carefully sorted out this farce.

The system's voice suddenly rang in my mind.

[Congratulations, host! You have successfully completed the mission and apprehended the true culprit, Xu. Your reward is now being issued.]

[Congratulations, host! You have triggered a key plot point and activated the ultimate conquest objective.]

Based on the original storyline, reader votes, and rigorous data analysis, your ultimate strategy goal is—

The system's tone was impassioned and deliberately paused to create suspense.

Unfortunately, Xue Rongyue did not focus her attention on her so-called target.

With her family background, talent, and beauty, she was enough to make any man in the world swoon. If she were willing to take the initiative to show her affection, no man could remain unmoved.

She was angry that the Xu mother and son had indeed concealed something and almost deceived her, but she couldn't help but wonder if the truth was really so simple, given all the strange things that had happened.

Suddenly, a light shone in front of her.

A golden light, brighter than sunlight, appeared out of nowhere and fell into the pavilion from above. She looked up in astonishment and saw Qin Jin sitting under the blinding light, enjoying the farce.

Perhaps sensing her gaze, Qin Jin slightly raised her eyes, met her gaze, and gave her an undisguised mockery.

The system's voice boomed, revealing the answer—

Your target is—Qin Jin, the heir of the Marquis of Ding'an!

What?

Xue Rongyue didn't hear the system's words clearly at the moment they were spoken. She squinted, feeling a buzzing in her ears, panic, and a blankness in her mind. It wasn't until the system announced it loudly three times that she opened her eyes wide and belatedly realized what was happening.

It was far more than just anger; her breath was choked, as if someone were choking her, making it hard for Xue Rongyue to breathe. Her face flushed red, and her vision blurred as she met Qin Jin's gaze.

Blood surged, and vital energy rushed to the brain like a dam bursting, like a firecracker about to be lit, waiting for the tether to ignite before it exploded with fury throughout the body—

Blood gushed from her mouth and nose. Xue Rongyue felt dizzy and her vision went black. She could no longer hear any sound and her body fell backward uncontrollably. The last thing she saw was Princess Yu'an rushing past Qin Jin, who had just stood up in shock, and hurriedly embracing her, her mouth opening and closing.

Before she completely fainted from anger, only one thought remained in Xue Rongyue's mind—

If only I had known...

If she had known her target was him, if she had known she would suffer this humiliation today, she would have preferred to have died at the bottom of the lake!

A note from the author:

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Xue Rongyue: If you want me dead, just say so. [Cracked]