Chapter 66 Then go die!

The rain outside is fine and dense, and I don't know when it will stop.

Qingxing brought over a clay stove and placed it under the eaves, then brewed some tea, allowing Shen Ci'an to drink tea while drying clothes.

Shen Ci'an thanked her and handed the key to Qingxing, saying, "Please give it to your young lady."

Qingxing immediately waved her hand, "No, no, young master, you should give it to Miss yourself. If Miss finds out that I accepted your things on her behalf, she will definitely punish me."

Shen Ci'an coughed lightly a few times, covering his mouth, "It's fine to leave her with Miss Qingxing for the time being. As Miss Qingxing's tutor and cousin, if she suffers any grievances in the future and has nowhere to go, the doors of the Shen residence will always be open for her."

Qingxing hesitated and didn't dare to accept.

At that moment, a slender white hand reached out and took the key from Shen Ci'an. "Alright, I'll take it. Lord Shen, may you leave now?"

She handed him the oil-paper umbrella.

Shen Ci'an's clothes were almost dry, and he took the umbrella and was about to leave.

As he walked into the rain, he suddenly turned back. “Young Miss, the Eastern Palace is not a good place to stay. The court is rife with infighting and factionalism. Once you get involved, you’ll be mired in it and won’t be able to get out easily. If you want to find a safe and long-term place to stay, you need to think it over carefully.”

Jiang Zhi was startled.

Shen Ci'an, does he perhaps know something?

The person in the rain simply smiled, but the smile was shrouded in the darkness of the night, hazy and indistinct.

"I've been thinking about why the young lady treated me so specially these past few days, and I've finally figured it out. She's walking on thin ice in the Jiang family, with no one to rely on, and her marriage is being controlled and manipulated at will."

He sighed, his figure appearing particularly lonely and desolate in the rain, his voice muffled by the pattering rain, "I don't blame the young lady, I only blame myself for not being capable enough back then. Now that the hardship is over, the young lady no longer needs me."

Jiang Zhi was astonished.

It turns out he knew everything.

"May the young lady be happy and joyful every year, may all her wishes be fulfilled and all her hopes be realized. I will take my leave now."

After saying that, he didn't linger and stepped into the rain and mist without looking back.

"Miss, it's raining heavily outside, be careful not to catch a cold. You should go inside quickly." Qingxing draped a cloak over her shoulders.

Jiang Zhi stood under the corridor for a while, then suddenly smiled.

The last trace of resentment and anger she felt towards Shen Ci'an vanished.

Inside Xia Yin Garden, Jiang Yunqian sat by the window in a daze when Wang Yuru's joyful voice came from outside the door, "Yun'er, Yun'er, Mother has some wonderful news to tell you."

Jiang Yunqian's expression was indifferent, not even sparing Wang Yuru a glance. "What's wrong?"

Ever since she was rescued from the bandits, Jiang Yunqian has been in a state of listlessness and lack of enthusiasm for anything.

No matter how much Wang Yuru tried to comfort and persuade her, she remained listless and dispirited.

"Your father has already spoken, and he wants to betroth you to Shen Ci'an! Tomorrow, your mother will have someone from the silk shop come to your door to take your measurements and make you several new outfits!"

A flicker of emotion finally appeared in Jiang Yunqian's calm, unwavering eyes. "Shen Ci'an? I won't marry him."

“Silly daughter, Shen Ci’an is no longer the poor scholar he used to be. He is now an outstanding scholar and a close advisor to the emperor. If you marry him, you will be the wife of a top scholar, and you will receive an imperial decree in the future, bringing glory to your ancestors.”

"I said I won't marry him, don't you understand?" Jiang Yunqian's eyes were cold and mocking. "If you like him so much, then go and marry him."

Wang Yuru's words were stuck in her throat, and her face turned ashen.

"What kind of attitude is this? Your mother has gone to great lengths to find you a good husband. Not only are you ungrateful, but you also say such things. Are you trying to break your mother's heart?"

"Who ruined me like this?" Jiang Yunqian screamed, her feigned calm vanishing. "If it weren't for the bandits you bribed, would my reputation be ruined? If you hadn't deliberately spread the word, would Prince Xie have known about this? He saw me being embraced by bandits, would he still want me? Huh?"

Jiang Yunqian swept the teacup beside her to the ground, splashing tea everywhere. Her face contorted with hysteria. "It's all your fault! It's all your fault! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be like this now! If you really feel sorry for me, then find a way to get Xie Qi to marry me! What kind of man is it to give me up to another man?"

Wang Yuru was dumbfounded.

She did feel guilty towards her daughter, but she never expected that her daughter would blame all the mistakes on her.

"Yun'er, you're stabbing your mother in the heart with a knife! Your grandfather was reprimanded by his superiors and almost lost his job because of his poor handling of the bandit incident. And now you're saying such things. Do you want your mother to die?"

“Then go die,” Jiang Yunqian gritted her teeth. “How can there be someone like you in the world who has harmed your own family like this?”

Wang Yuru clutched her chest and took a few steps back. Her vision blurred, and she had to gasp for breath to relieve the waves of dizziness that were washing over her.

"Yun'er! You, you have been so disrespectful! How could I have raised such a daughter?"

"I don't care, unless you find a way to make me marry Prince Xie, I will never acknowledge you as my mother again!"

Wang Yuru had absolutely no way to deal with this daughter.

When his daughter was first born, she suffered hardships with him outside. After returning to the Jiang family, she was always overshadowed by Jiang Zhi. He always felt sorry for her and felt a lot of pity for her.

She had thought that her daughter would be happy if she could be promised to Shen Ci'an.

Now, however, I can only abandon this idea.

She took a few deep breaths and finally calmed down. "I know you're blaming your mother, but I'll make sure you get what you want! It's just a man. I'll find a way to get you into the Marquis of Wuyi's mansion just as I did into the Jiang family. I'll go back and plan this out carefully!"

"That depends on whether you are fit to be a mother."

As Jiang Yunqian watched Wang Yuru's departing figure, a sinister smile curled at the corner of her lips.

No matter what, she was determined to marry Xie Qi.

No one can stand in her way, not even her own mother.

＊

Jiang Zhi waited seven or eight days before summoning An Yue and asking her to deliver a message to the Earl of Zhongqin's mansion.

Not long after, An Yue brought back Yan Wen Hong's message, inviting her to meet him at the usual place in Shuyu Tower the next day.

The next day, Jiang Zhi changed into casual clothes, and as usual, covered her face with a light veil. She rented a carriage that did not reveal any characteristics of the Jiang family mansion and went there.

Shuyu Tower was as lively as ever.

She knocked on the door of the private room on the second floor and, sure enough, saw Yan Wenhong already sitting there.

"I wonder what news Miss Jiang brought me today?" He casually held his teacup, seemingly unconcerned about her arrival.