Yan Xiao withdrew her gaze and looked at Zhang Kangnian, who was filled with resentment, and smiled:
"General Zhang is truly deeply in love with Doctor Jiang. Even on his deathbed, he was still protecting her. I'm quite moved. I just don't know if Doctor Jiang appreciates your feelings."
A sentiment like General Zhang's, for which he would risk his life, is something that cannot be repaid even with a life of devotion!
Zhang Kangnian seemed to have his secret exposed, and his expression became somewhat uncomfortable, but he remained defiant:
"Hmph, you vile woman, don't even think about ruining Doctor Jiang's reputation. I only feel gratitude and respect for Doctor Jiang, and I have no improper thoughts whatsoever."
"Ha! You're not a three-year-old anymore, who would believe this nonsense you're spouting?"
Yan Xiao chuckled, ignoring Zhang Kangnian, and instead addressed the crowd present, saying loudly:
"Everyone says I act arbitrarily and capriciously, and I admit that. But I would like to ask all the soldiers and the elders of Jiangbei City."
I smiled and said, "Since I came to Jiangbei, have I ever done anything to harm the people of this city? Have I ever abused my status to bully anyone?"
Of course, none of that happened. Although Yanxiao was greedy, she acquired her wealth in a proper way and never engaged in forced buying or selling. On the contrary, because of her, most of the refugees outside the city have gradually settled down, which can be considered as accumulating good deeds, something that everyone can see.
When Yan Xiao asked this question, those who were prejudiced against her found that they had no way to refute it.
Yan Xiao didn't seem to expect them to answer, and continued talking to himself:
"Many of you here have received kindness from Dr. Jiang when you were injured, and I understand why you are grateful to her. But I have a question I would like to ask you: Is Dr. Jiang the only military doctor in our camp?"
Have you not received help from other military doctors? If so, are you as grateful to other military doctors as you are to Dr. Jiang, and are you willing to give your life for them?
Or is it that when other military doctors treated you, you felt it was their duty, but only Dr. Jiang treated you, making you feel that she was different? Only she could show you the true goodness and beauty of humanity, so much so that you admired her so much and even fell in love with her?
She even thought that I, Shen Muzhi's first wife, should die outside so that she could make room for him.
But what wrong have I done? Why should I give up my place just because she likes a married man and shamelessly stays with him?
Yan Xiao's tone grew colder as she spoke. She slowly stood up and walked to Zhang Kangnian, asking clearly:
"General Zhang, you keep calling me a poisonous woman and a witch, but why do I feel that Jiang Xinrui is more like a witch who can bewitch people?"
Any other woman who did something as shameless as her, clinging to a married man, would be ridiculed and scorned. But when it comes to Jiang Xinrui, you all think it's only natural, and even feel sorry for her? What a joke!
You say Jiang Xinrui didn't defect but was forced to flee by me. Then I'd like to ask you, since I came to Jiangbei, have I done anything against her? Despite the many rumors circulating, have I ever caused her even the slightest trouble because of them?
But Jiang Xinrui, yesterday in front of a large crowd at the General's Mansion, flaunted her medical skills and spouted nonsense, trying to frame me. But I forced her to do it.
Although I intended to investigate her because of what happened yesterday, I didn't have time to take any action, let alone cause her any trouble.
If she wasn't guilty, why would she flee Jiangbei City overnight without a reason? Did I force her to do that? Then I'd like to ask, what did I do? And how did I force her to do that?
Yan Xiao's words were reasonable, well-founded, and all true. Zhang Kangnian had no idea how to respond. His lips trembled a few times, but he still stubbornly insisted:
"No matter what you say, Dr. Jiang could not possibly have defected. There must be some misunderstanding here."
"Misunderstand?"
Yan Xiao was really moved by this pure love warrior. Even at this moment, he was still protecting Jiang Xinrui. She didn't know if it was Jiang Xinrui's own charm or the halo of the female lead.
Thinking this, she turned her head and glanced at the people present. Seeing that most of them looked somewhat bewildered because of what she had just said, she knew that her words had had some effect.
Putting everything else aside, at least it can make these people set aside their blind trust and affection for Jiang Xinrui and take a good look at the true nature of this matter.
Now that it has been effective, we must press our advantage. Zhang Kangnian is the key to completely dismantling the beautiful and kind-hearted persona that Jiang Xinrui has cultivated in Jiangbei.
Yan Xiao withdrew her gaze and looked back at Zhang Kangnian, her tone carrying a hint of sympathy and disappointment:
"General Zhang, I really don't know whether to call you naive or stupid. Even at a time like this, you still think Jiang Xinrui is a kind-hearted person?"
If she were truly kind-hearted and had no grudge against you, why would she want to kill you?
"Ha, what nonsense are you spouting now? When did Doctor Jiang ever intend to kill me? Wasn't it you, you poisonous woman, who ordered my execution?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Kangnian reacted as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, feeling that Yan Xiao was talking nonsense.
"That's right, it was my order, but wasn't I just following military regulations? Your beautiful and kind-hearted Doctor Jiang only found you because she didn't know what would happen to you if you broke military regulations, and asked you to risk your life to help her get out of the city."
Do you really think you can do it without anyone noticing, or do you think she just wants to use you to achieve her own goals and doesn't care whether you live or die?
Yan Xiao chuckled at this point, ignoring Zhang Kangnian's suddenly stiff expression, and continued his mockery with two "tsk tsk" sounds:
"Even a three-year-old knows what crime it is to open the city gates and let people out of the city without permission. If Doctor Jiang says he doesn't know, would you believe him? To put it bluntly, your life is probably worthless in Doctor Jiang's eyes."
How pitiful! General Zhang's devotion is so profound, even I, his wife, am moved. It's a pity, though, that his love is destined to be misplaced. He's truly a sycophant, sycophantic to the end, ending up with nothing. How pathetic!
"You're lying, that's not how it is, no!! You, you..."
Zhang Kangnian wanted to refute, but Yan Xiao's words hit the nail on the head, every sentence striking at the heart of the matter, leaving him with no reason to refute.
He had never thought of it that way before. He only thought that although he had violated military regulations, he had only let Jiang Xinrui leave the city to save her life. He never thought that this matter would be related to defection, let alone that Yan Xiao would actually dare to order his execution.
Now that he's in this situation, thinking about what Yan Xiao said, he can't help but start to doubt whether he really misjudged people and was used.
After all, Yan Xiao didn't seem to have done anything to force Jiang Xinrui, but he was so flustered by Jiang Xinrui's crying that he didn't have time to think about anything else, let alone consider it. That's why he agreed to let Jiang Xinrui leave the city.
Once a person's faith is fractured, the fracture will only grow wider.
He was already on the verge of death from the torture, and now the courage that had come from his passion crumbled almost instantly, and the energy he had just mustered vanished in an instant.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com