Chapter 14 You Want to Marry Me? Maybe in Your Next Life.

Jiang Yunqian's eyes lit up, and she couldn't sit still any longer. "Then what are we waiting for? Quickly tell the gatekeeper to prepare the carriage. I'm going there myself!"

Once she has repaired the jade pendant, she can return it to Prince Xie in person when he returns. Wouldn't that give them a chance to spend time together?

Thinking of this, Jiang Yunqian was extremely excited.

*

"Miss, do you think the Second Miss will really go to Linglongzhai?" Qingxing couldn't help but ask Jiang Zhi.

Jiang Zhi curled her lips into a smile. "My stepsister is deeply obsessed with Xie Qi. She can't see anyone else but him. If she sees a flaw in his jade pendant, she will do everything she can to fix it."

Although Jiang Yunqian married Xie Qi as she wished in her previous life, on their wedding night, Xie Qi received a military order to go on a northern expedition before he could even lift his veil, and did not return home for three years.

The Jiang family had been kind to Xie Qi, and the Marquis of Wuyi felt deeply sorry for Jiang Yunqian. Over the past three years, they had done their best to treat her well and even petitioned the Emperor to grant her an imperial title.

She has a high social standing and a prominent husband, yet she doesn't have to endure the pain of childbirth. Her in-laws also dote on her and have no complaints about her.

Despite living such a blissful life, Jiang Yunqian listened to the slander of those around her, fearing that Xie Qi might have other women outside. After waiting bitterly for three years, she secretly took only a few maids and guards, disguised as men, and went north to find Xie Qi.

Unexpectedly, she encountered a group of wandering Di people at the border. The Di people forced her to reveal her identity and captured her to threaten Xie Qi into withdrawing his troops.

As a member of the Jiang family and Xie Qi's lawfully wedded wife, Jiang Yunqian could not be allowed to be captured and humiliated by the Di people. That very night, Xie Qi led a troop of elite soldiers to raid the Northern Di camp and rescue her.

Jiang Yunqian was rescued unharmed, but Xie Qi was hit by an arrow and seriously wounded. He barely managed to command the army to capture the Northern Di camp before fainting.

Afterwards, the Northern Di army suffered heavy losses and sent a letter of surrender. However, Xie Qi lost too much blood and could not be cured by medicine, and died on the way back to the capital.

Jiang Yunqian indirectly caused Xie Qi's death and should have been punished, but Xie Qi pleaded for her in his will, divorced her, and let her return home. Not only did Jiang Yunqian not receive any punishment, but the emperor also bestowed upon her the title of princess out of respect for Xie Qi, and she enjoyed a life of luxury.

Thinking of this, Jiang Zhi couldn't help but calm herself down.

Therefore, by sabotaging Xie Qi and Jiang Yunqian's marriage, she indirectly saved Xie Qi, which is a great deed.

"Is everything settled?" she asked Qingxing.

Qingxing nodded. "I found a little beggar on the street and have already sent a message to the Beilifang area."

"Alright, then we should head to Linglongzhai."

Today, not only Jiang Yunqian, but she also has important business to attend to at Linglongzhai.

Linglongzhai was the largest jewelry shop in Kyoto, frequented by high-ranking officials, nobles, and celebrities.

Jiang Zhi and Qing Xing spent about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea inside when they saw a familiar figure enter, led in by a servant.

He was dressed in a moon-white Shu brocade robe, with a jade belt and a gold crown, and a sachet at his waist. On the surface, he looked like a handsome young master from a wealthy family, but he still couldn't hide the decadent and frivolous look on his face.

It was Yan Wenkang, the young master of the Zhongqin Earl's family.

Upon seeing him, Jiang Zhi instinctively clenched her sleeves.

Although so much time has passed, the pain and humiliation left in the backyard of the Earl's mansion are something she can never forget, even if she were to live a second life.

Yan Wenkang was addicted to gambling and womanizing, with no moral compass whatsoever. He had so many concubines in his harem that you couldn't count them on two hands. After scheming to bring her into the Earl's mansion, Yan Wenkang injured his body and became unable to have sex. However, he blamed all the faults on her, frequently beating and scolding her, and his mind became increasingly twisted and perverse.

In the dead of winter, he forced her to kneel outside the door, serving him and his concubines their foolishness. When entertaining friends, he forced her to come out and dance, but she refused. Yan Wenkang then whipped her severely in front of everyone, locked her in the woodshed, and let snakes, insects, and rats bite her.

Even an ordinary servant in the Earl's mansion could be bullied at will, making life worse than death.

If Yan Wenkang hadn't been wary of her being the daughter of a high-ranking official, she might have been dead long ago.

On this day in her past life, she met him in this very jewelry shop, where he relentlessly pursued her. Even after she boarded his carriage, he continued to chase after her, making the whole affair public knowledge.

Therefore, when she was later drugged at a banquet, everyone assumed she had been having an affair with Yan Wenkang, and no matter how she explained, no one believed her innocence. In the end, she was carried into the Zhongqin Earl's mansion without any status or title, becoming a lowly concubine.

This time, she will not sit idly by and wait for her doom.

Jiang Zhi took a deep breath, concealing the intense emotions surging in her eyes.

As soon as Yan Wenkang entered, he saw Jiang Zhi. His eyes lit up and he squeezed past the others to get closer. He casually opened his folding fan with a flourish, "What a coincidence, Miss Jiang! I couldn't forget you after our meeting at the waterside pavilion last time. I never expected that we would meet here. It seems we are destined to be together."

The woman before him had hair piled high like raven feathers and skin whiter than snow and frost, like a plum blossom just beginning to bloom in the cold winter, pure and beautiful, captivating the soul with just one glance.

The thought of her soon becoming his woman ignited a fire within him, filling him with excitement.

As soon as Yan Wenkang approached, Jiang Zhi smelled the strong perfume on him and couldn't help but frown and take a step back. "Please be careful with your words, Young Master Yan."

After saying that, he turned around and left with Qingxing.

“Miss Jiang, please wait a moment,” Yan Wenkang said, leaning closer again. “Are you here to buy jewelry today? Just tell me what catches your eye, and I’ll put it all on my tab!”

Jiang Zhi's face showed a sneer, "What doesn't the Minister's mansion have? Who cares about your few earrings and hairpins? Get out of the way and stop blocking the way."

Yan Wenkang wasn't about to give in, and shamelessly tried to take her hand.

"Don't go, Miss Jiang. Haven't you heard your elders mention that you're going to marry me soon? You'll be mine sooner or later, so why are you being so coy, Miss Jiang..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yan Wenkang received a solid slap across the face.

"How dare you! What do you think you are, wanting to marry me? In your next life!" The intense disgust in her eyes almost overflowed, and she disgustedly wiped the palm of her hand that had slapped him with a handkerchief, as if she had touched something dirty.

Yan Wenkang's face was turned to the side after being hit, but he became even more itchy and restless.

The harder something is to get, the more he likes it.

Seeing that Jiang Zhi had already left with her maid, he immediately stepped forward to chase after her.

Jiang Zhi had arrived at her carriage and was about to get in when Yan Wenkang stopped her again.

“Miss Jiang, our engagement has been approved by both our families. We just need to wait for the Yan family to come and propose marriage in a while before we can finalize the engagement. The Zhongqin Earl’s Mansion will provide you with mountains of gold and silver to enjoy. I swear to God that as long as you marry me, I will dismiss all my concubines and only have you by my side. I will spend the rest of my life with only you.”

Shen Ci'an, who had just bought calligraphy practice books at the bookstore next door, overheard this conversation as he came out.