Pray for protection

There was no light in the room. Jiang Nian sat in front of the desk, staring silently at the clean table in front of him, which was tidy and empty of anything. He seemed to want to touch something, but when his fingertips touched something cold, he withdrew his hand.

......

Is it true that I am too deeply in love?

When the people around her found out that she was not the original owner, the relationship built on the original owner broke down, leaving only debris on the floor.

No matter how I pieced it together, it wouldn't fit.

The moonlight silently shone through the window, leaving a ray of light for her.

Jiang Nian raised his hand, looked at the lines on his palm for a moment, then clasped his hands together and placed them on his chest.

She should have expected it.

When a cuckoo takes over a magpie's nest, everything it has previously obtained will be taken back once it is discovered.

Even if it was something she didn't want to do, she still wanted to resist.

But the fact is the fact, and it will not disappear just because she wants to escape or hide. On the contrary, it will meet her faster and more unexpectedly.

Just like the order that Emperor Changde had issued back in Cang County, wanting Jiang Nian to go to the capital.

Even if Xiao Yingzhu extended the time for her, when the time ran out, this irresistible fact would eventually come.

The only choice she had was to stand up, look it in the face, and move forward with firm conviction.

The fingertips on the table moved, Jiang Nian closed his eyes, opened them again, and began to pack the luggage he would take with him on this journey, just like when he was leaving Youguan Mansion for Zuihualou.

The luggage required is not much. This time the mission is to be bait, so it should be as simple as possible.

Therefore, Jiang Nian only brought the self-defense items he had previously brought, and also brought some small, handy weapons that he had made later.

After packing up the bag, Jiang Nian saw the small packed cloth bag on the table and suddenly smiled.

Although Pingzhou has left her with thoughts and many memories.

But when you really leave, the only things you can take with you are the things you have made.

You can't take anything with you when you die, Jiang Nian now has some understanding of this.

If she died in Donglan, or died on the way as bait, there wouldn't be much left behind, let alone the things she couldn't take away.

These things should be cleaned thoroughly with Poria cocos or cinnamon twigs, or replaced completely, waiting for the return of the mistress who truly belongs to them.

Thinking of all this, Jiang Nian felt a headache. He wanted to stand up and walk towards the bed, but when he thought that these also belonged to the original owner, he could only sit down at the desk dejectedly and rub his forehead which was beginning to throb.

I have never felt so tired and bored.

It was as if all my energy had been used up, I couldn't muster the energy to do anything, and there was only one thought in my mind.

Forget it, let it be, it doesn't matter, the ending is already like this anyway, on this road, she never had any real choice.

Every time she faces a choice, she will be constrained by the surrounding environment and choose the option that suits it.

The depression in her heart was even worse than when she had confessed to Jiang's father and mother just now. It was almost as fierce as a tide, devouring her mercilessly, wanting to swallow up her reason, emotions, and control.

Immersed in endless depression, Jiang Nian felt that the cold moonlight in front of him was about to dim and no light would be seen, as if the whole world was about to sink into infinite darkness.

No matter how hard I try to reach out or touch, I can't reach it or achieve it.

She could only tiptoe and watch the only ray of light slip away from her sight, escape far away, and finally disappear mercilessly from her world.

......

"Miss, Miss?"

"Miss?"

The distant call grew clearer and clearer until it rang distinctly in her ears.

Jiang Nian suddenly pulled himself out of his thoughts, his sight gradually focused on the moonlight, which became bright and cool again.

She blinked slightly and turned to look at the person next to her.

Qing had stood beside her at some point, looking at her calmly.

An inexplicable sense of loss rose from the bottom of her heart. The person she was meeting at this moment should be Guizhi or Fuling. She wanted to hear words of comfort from their mouths.

But Jiang Nian also knew that in the face of this fact, no one could remain indifferent and talk to her calmly.

She needs a calm space, and so do ginger mother, ginger father, cinnamon twig and poria cocos.

Jiang Nian's violently beating heart calmed down again. After taking a breath, he met Qing's eyes, which showed little emotion, and finally broke free from his tangled thoughts.

In the afternoon, Tong Qing told Xiao Yingzhu some things he wanted to say. Now that Qing appeared in Jiang's house again, he could be regarded as conveying Xiao Yingzhu's words back.

Jiang Nian had a clue in his mind, so he asked, "How did he respond?"

Qing responded, "Miss, the master wants you to go sit with him."

"If possible, it would be best to bring your packed luggage with you."

“…”

Unexpectedly hearing such words, Jiang Nian was stunned for a moment, then turned his head subconsciously to look at the luggage on the table.

Did Xiao Yingzhu expect that she would confess to Jiang's father and mother today, or was there something new that she wanted to tell her in person?

But Jiang Nian quickly dismissed the second idea.

If there was something new to discuss with her, she would not be allowed to carry her luggage.

The meaning of taking your luggage with you is simply to set off on your journey.

But Xiao Yingzhu would not choose to go to the capital at this point inexplicably. She must have anticipated the choice she would make and the reaction she would have at the moment.

But being able to leave the Jiang Mansion and go to a new place might change her mood.

I have to say that Xiao Yingzhu arrived at the right time under such circumstances.

Jiang Nian sometimes wondered how Xiao Yingzhu could make such accurate predictions, but then he remembered that he had always been intuitive and sensible, and living in an environment where people's minds were so unpredictable, he could understand why.

Before, she would feel uneasy because Xiao Yingzhu saw through her.

But now, she only felt at ease.

Extra reassuring.

It was as if the mansion where he was was the place where she could completely let go of the troubles in her heart.

After all...she had no secrets to keep in front of Xiao Yingzhu.

Xiao Yingzhu already knew and accepted the most important secret.

Especially tolerant, hiding her secrets.

“…”

Maybe it was because of this thought, but Jiang Nian's depressed mood suddenly became much lighter, like a breeze passing by, soothing her heart.

Right now, she just wanted to see Xiao Yingzhu immediately and get away from this place that made her feel bored.

—

Qing moved as quickly as before. After bringing her to the door of Qishan Mansion, she left silently.

When she came here before, she had not been to Xiao Yingzhu's study, but had discussed matters in another side hall. Now that she was in the place where Xiao Yingzhu usually handled affairs, and was about to see Xiao Yingzhu, whom she had not seen for two months, she felt inexplicably nervous.

She seemed a little homesick.

Thinking of this, Jiang Nian couldn't help laughing. He raised his hand helplessly and knocked on the door that was not closed.

There was an extremely subtle sound from inside, and the voice that hadn't been heard for two months but was still familiar reached Jiang Nian's ears even through the slightly opened door.

"Enter."

It was a very familiar scene, and similar scenes from the past replayed in her mind.

Jiang Nian lowered his eyes, pushed open the door in front of him which was not closed, took a step forward and went in.

—

The person inside came into view through the dim candlelight the moment she raised her eyes.

Xiao Yingzhu seemed to have countless documents to deal with. After Jiang Nian came in, he stopped reading and looked at her.

They stared at each other in silence for a moment. Jiang Nian's heart skipped a beat and he suddenly closed the door behind him.

The slight vibration of the lattice doors touching each other was transmitted to the palm of her hand. She blinked and then shifted her gaze back.

"...Why did you suddenly ask me to come here?"

After finding the voice, Jiang Nian felt his throat was a little hoarse. He coughed softly before turning his head to look directly at Xiao Yingzhu.

Xiao Yingzhu propped up her head, looking as relaxed as ever, but the gentle smile in her eyes made her tense mood relax a lot.

"You should know the reason."

As expected, it was another ambiguous answer. Jiang Nian felt like laughing, so he said, "Yes, someone wanted to talk to me, so he asked someone to pass the message to me."

Jiang Nian stared directly at Xiao Yingzhu, his gaze unwavering. He took a few steps forward and continued, "Now that I'm here, the person I want to see has seen me. I wonder if there's anything you want to say?"

“…”

Jiang Nian intuitively felt that Xiao Yingzhu called her over not to discuss how to set off, but probably to discuss something else.

Seeing Xiao Yingzhu slightly shift her eyes away, Jiang Nian knew in his heart that he had guessed right again this time.

Not to mention that Xiao Yingzhu could see through her, she could also guess what Xiao Yingzhu was thinking.

Jiang Nian smiled for a moment and was about to say something else when Xiao Yingzhu in front of him appeared in a somewhat awkward and arrogant state that had not been seen for a long time. It would be a waste not to miss this opportunity, but Xiao Yingzhu just moved her eyes slightly, turned her gaze indifferently, and raised her hand to motion her to sit on the wooden chair next to her.

Xiao Yingzhu put the papers on the table aside. The dim candlelight flickered slightly for a moment because he stood up. The dim candlelight shone on his cold and distant face, softening his aggressive facial features and making it easy for people to let down their guard.

When he first met Xiao Yingzhu, he used this appearance to deceive her and tried to get the secrets hidden deep in her heart from her.

The other person took out an envelope from the drawer and sat down opposite her. His long hair, like a waterfall of black ink, was shining with a soft light. He slowly opened the letter inside and placed it on the table.

Xiao Yingzhu didn't say anything, but Jiang Nian had a premonition of something. He reached out and picked up the folded letter and read the contents carefully.

This is a letter written by Emperor Changdeok himself.

The rift between Xiao Yingzhu and Emperor Changde, which had never been made clear, had now become a knot in the hearts of both parties.

In the letter sent by Emperor Changde this time, in addition to those words hoping that Xiao Yingzhu would bring Jiang Nian to the capital, he also played the emotional card.

Jiang Nian has always known that Xiao Yingzhu's parents are a forbidden area in his heart. Unless it is a special moment, he generally cannot ask about them, otherwise it would be suspected of revealing scars.

Now Emperor Changde brought up Xiao Yingzhu's parents simply to remind him of something through his parents.

But Jiang Nian previously believed that Xiao Yingzhu should have reached an unspoken consensus with Emperor Changde.

This letter shattered her somewhat naive fantasy.

What Xiao Yingzhu valued was not the Duke's Mansion, but his parents.

So he just followed what he had been taught and the beliefs he kept in his heart, not for power or profit.

Because he had a premonition in his heart, Jiang Nian was not overly surprised when Xiao Yingzhu completely confirmed it, but was completely relieved.

"I have always believed that you have some grudges against Emperor Changde's previous actions."

After folding the letter, Jiang Nian gently placed it on the table.

"Now that I think about it, you just wanted to put a relatively perfect end to your parents' past glory."

Because of those experiences, Xiao Yingzhu's mentality naturally changed. He regarded himself as the last tough knife in the Duke's Mansion, cutting off all evil thoughts from others.

But at the same time, those evil thoughts will also attach to him, creating a distance between him and ordinary people called "fear", so that ordinary people no longer dare to approach him or touch him.

At present, the only way to eliminate all these barriers is to completely win the battle between Huandu and Donglan, and remove this "unstable" Duke from the court. Only then will the world belonging to Emperor Changde become completely peaceful and tranquil.

This is the best ending.

It’s not that Jiang Nian couldn’t guess, she just didn’t want to think about it. Even if a person did something based on his own beliefs, those things also made the people and the court more stable.

If Huandu can return to peace, Xiao Yingzhu will have made an indelible contribution.

But now, he has to follow in his parents' footsteps.

Make the final concession in Emperor Changde's game of chess.

Jiang Nian couldn't figure out how to settle this bloody debt, and what language to use to say the appropriate words at this time.