Chapter 112 Father and Daughter Reunion She whimpered a couple of times, then looked up again...
She whimpered a couple of times, then looked up at someone's chin.
She lowered her voice and complained in a low voice, "Your Highness looks down on my family background. Could it be that you've been planning to change the Crown Princess for a long time?"
The man's slightly upturned lips slowly smoothed out.
Jiang Zhuoying lowered her head and wiped away a few crocodile tears: "Waaah, I'm so pitiful. My brother, the Crown Prince, is now my only support."
"Ah Zhuo is my most beloved husband, won't you even help Ah Zhuo?"
"A-Zhuo's fate was destined to be like this; she was meant to die a violent death early on."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Before she could finish speaking, she was forcefully interrupted.
Jiang Zhuoying looked up and saw that the man had a sullen face and his lips were tightly pursed: "It's getting more and more outrageous."
Looking into those deep, dark eyes, her beautiful eyes filled with tears, wet and timid, yet soft.
Their eyes met.
Someone will always be the first to fall.
Qi Fan pursed his lips and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. His voice was slightly deep: "The Crown Princess is young. If she makes a mistake, even if it means destroying the Crown Prince's residence, I can forgive her. But there are some things that I cannot bear to say."
Even through the mist, Jiang Zhuoying could still discern the sternness in the man's eyes.
She swallowed hard and looked away: "I am a reasonable and obedient person, and I would never tear down this mansion at the drop of a hat."
Furthermore, if she were to actually destroy the Crown Prince's residence, where would she go to rest?
"Crown Princess." His voice deepened, and his expression became solemn.
Jiang Zhuoying pursed her lips: "I understand, and I will never say such things again."
After saying that, she glanced sideways at someone and asked, "Is Your Highness satisfied?"
Although the man still had a stern face, his expression was no longer as unpleasant as before.
After the two had rested for a while, he slowly began to speak...
*
Once a plan is made, it should be carefully implemented.
In the following days, Qi Fan left early and returned late, no longer having any extra time to spend with her and talk about love.
As for Jiang Zhuoying, she also has things she needs to accomplish.
According to Jiang Zhuoying, Qi Fan truly lives up to his title as Crown Prince; his actions are indeed bold and resourceful.
The night the two made their agreement, he went to the palace to meet the emperor early the next morning. Naturally, he needed to report to the emperor first regarding Jiang Lang's matter.
The man didn't hurry back home until evening.
Seeing his hurried steps and calm expression, but with dry and chapped lips, Jiang Zhuoying felt a pang of tenderness and personally poured him some tea.
The man took off his cloak and handed it to Chu Yixin, who was waiting to the side. When he turned around and saw her action, he frowned instantly.
"Is there not enough maids in Kunning Palace?"
His voice was clearly displeased, and Xiangyue and Xiangxing, who were standing beside Jiang Zhuoying, immediately knelt down.
Jiang Zhuoying glared at him: "Your Highness is quite majestic. Does that mean I can't even pour tea for my own husband?"
The man pursed his lips.
Knowing his temperament, Jiang Zhuoying glanced around and then dismissed several maids.
She stood up and took the man's hand in her own: "Crown Prince Brother~"
Qi Fan glanced at her, then turned and wrapped his hand around hers.
Jiang Zhuoying curled her lips and said softly, "Your Highness feels sorry for me, but I'm not allowed to feel sorry for you too?"
"You must be exhausted after a long day. Have some tea and rest."
She pulled Qi Fan to sit down and handed him a teacup.
The man's tense jawline had already relaxed. He drank a few sips of tea and then began his brief explanation.
Jiang Zhuoying listened attentively, nodding from time to time.
"Can we tell Jiang Ying about this?" she asked at the opportune moment.
Qi Fan paused for a moment, his gaze deepening: "The Crown Princess can make the decision."
Jiang Zhuoying lowered her eyes. Logically speaking, if more people knew, there would be a risk of complications. But emotionally, if she kept it from Jiang Ying this time, their relationship would never be the same again.
*
Two days later, Jiang Zhuoying met Jiang Zheng and Jiang Jinran, whom she hadn't seen for five years, in the suburbs.
When I left the mansion, my father was appointed General of the Cavalry and sent to conquer Xiyan. He was full of ambition and determined to succeed.
At that time, Jiang Jinran was only a few inches taller than Jiang Zhuoying, and he looked like a vigorous young man.
But when we meet again today, everything has truly changed.
My father's temples were already gray, and he looked haggard. The wrinkles on his face were many times more than they had been a few years ago, and his eyes were covered with a thick layer of dark circles. Although his eyes were bright, you could still see the dejection in them.
Jiang Jinran, needless to say, the tall and thin boy of the past has grown up. He is now strong, tall and imposing, and is more than a head taller than Jiang Zhuoying.
Jiang Zhuoying immediately noticed his empty left arm. She turned her head abruptly, unable to hold back her tears.
"Ah Zhuo." His voice was low, but trembling slightly.
Jiang Zhuoying bit her lip and glared at him: "Call me elder sister."
Jiang Jinran suddenly smiled. He was much darker than when he left the manor five years ago, but his teeth were as white as ever.
He clicked his tongue lightly: "What kind of behavior is this, crying and sobbing? This is hardly the demeanor of an elder sister."
His voice had changed too, becoming more mature and deep compared to its crispness five years ago.
Jiang Zhuoying didn't want to cry, but tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes. She sniffed, and a sob she was trying to suppress suddenly filled the room.
"Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince bullied you?"
"You cry so ugly, tsk, it seems I'll have to take charge of things for you from now on."
He took a few steps forward, his rough, strong hand gently stroking the top of her head. A look of heartache flashed in the man's dark eyes; more intimate actions were now inconvenient.
Upon hearing his words, Jiang Zhuoying's tears, which she had barely managed to stop, burst forth uncontrollably. She covered her face and glared at him.
"Look at yourself now, in such a sorry state! Who's really in charge here?"
But as soon as she finished cursing, she paused for a moment.
These words, which would have been considered playful banter between siblings in the past, sound more like a deliberate act of harassment in this context.
The girl suddenly looked up, a look of helplessness flashing in her eyes: "Chengyun, I..."
The tall young man standing in front of her did not change his expression. He raised his hand and pressed the back of her head, pushing her onto his shoulder, and then roughly rubbed the top of her head.
"If you dare to mock me again, I will teach you a lesson."
Jiang Zhuoying could no longer hold back and burst into tears, as if she no longer intended to suppress her emotions and used all her strength to release the grief and worries she had accumulated over the past five years.
Suddenly, a young woman's loud, heart-wrenching cries echoed from inside the room.
Jiang Jinran's brow twitched, and she looked back helplessly, her eyes pleading for help.
His father has been here the whole time, so Jiang Zhuoying can't frame him now.
But he soon realized that what he should worry about was not his father's punishment.
Now, someone else is taking charge of this ancestor beside him.
The tightly closed door was suddenly flung open from the outside with a loud bang, and to Jiang Jinran's shocked gaze, a man who seemed like aloof and otherworldly immortals strode in.
This was the first time Jiang Jinran had met Qi Fan.
Even without knowing his identity, he could tell at a glance that this person had an extraordinary aura.
His demeanor was cold and aloof, radiating a chill. His slightly furrowed brows spoke volumes about his displeasure, and when his gaze shifted from the person in front of him to him, he unleashed an undisguised pressure.
It's an aura of authority that commands respect without anger.
Jiang Jinran swallowed hard, until a shrill voice rang out from inside the room.
"How dare you! Why aren't you paying your respects to His Highness the Crown Prince?"
His eyes regained focus, and he immediately withdrew his hand from pressing down on the back of Jiang Zhuoying's head, kneeling down on one knee together with Jiang Zheng, who was rushing forward from behind.
"Your humble servant Jiang Zheng/Jiang Jinran pays respects to His Highness the Crown Prince."
Jiang Zhuoying finally stopped crying. She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. She had been crying so hard for a while that she felt a little dizzy.
She stumbled slightly, and a strong arm immediately wrapped around her waist, followed by a man's cold and distant voice: "Take a seat."
...
Before long, the four of them were seated. Chu Yixin busied herself serving tea to each of them before respectfully withdrawing.
Jiang Zhuoying drank water to moisten her throat while listening attentively as her father and younger brother recounted their experiences over the past few years.
It turns out that Jiang Jinran originally led a small group of elite troops to burn the enemy's grain supplies, but she fell into Xiyan's empty city ploy. She managed to escape with her men, but was constantly pursued by those behind her.
At the same time, news of Jiang Jinran and a group of elite troops being captured reached the camp.
The capture of the general's son and several hundred men, coupled with the repeated interception of their supplies, severely damaged morale and led to a series of defeats.
Jiang Zheng led his remaining troops to defend a strategically important but difficult-to-attack location, cutting off all contact with the outside world. However, they were eventually defeated due to being outnumbered, and Jiang Zheng fell off a cliff as a result.
Jiang Zheng, who fell to the bottom of the cliff, was rescued by people from the Li Kingdom who came to gather information, but his legs were severely injured. He pretended to be a merchant who had been framed and recuperated for more than a year before he could walk again.
In order to return to Darong with a suitable identity, they went through many twists and turns. Later, the father and son unexpectedly met at Jiaohai. The hardships they went through were indescribable...
The root cause of all this is the intercepted grain supplies.
"The situation back then was really strange. Several routes for transporting grain were intercepted by the Xiyan people. My father suspected that there were spies in the army and originally planned to test them one by one to lure them out."
At this point, Jiang Jinran paused, then sighed heavily: "It was my overconfidence that led me to burn down the Xiyan people's granary. I never expected to be ambushed."
The warm water in Jiang Zhuoying's hand had long since cooled, and her fingertips unconsciously caressed the smooth porcelain glaze.
She looked up at Jiang Jinran, who was silent and dejected, and felt a little bad.
“This matter is the fault of the commander-in-chief. You could not have done this without my permission,” Jiang Zheng then concluded.
After saying that, he suddenly stood up, knelt down in front of Qi Fan, straightened his back, and clasped his hands.
"This guilty subject will appear before Your Majesty one day and is willing to bear all the blame."
How could Jiang Zhuoying bear to see her once majestic and imposing father like this?
She stood up abruptly and took Jiang Zheng's arm, saying, "Father, there are other hidden details about what happened back then. Please get up first so we can discuss it in detail."
Jiang Zheng not only did not get up, but even looked at Qi Fan and continued to apologize: "My daughter has been spoiled in her maiden home. She has been so rude. I hope Your Highness will forgive her."
With that, Jiang Zhuoying also turned to look at Qi Fan.
The man stood up and first took Jiang Zhuoying's hand: "My Crown Princess is very polite, Father-in-law, you are overthinking it."
Upon hearing this, not only was Jiang Zheng slightly taken aback, but even Jiang Jinran turned to look at her older sister.
The most polite person?
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