Chapter 59: She was fed up with Mo Huadong and wanted to abandon him...
Cui Yiluo returned to Jixuezhai. Lilan was worried and still stood guard at the bedroom door. When she saw Cui Yiluo coming back, she was shocked.
"What's wrong with you, girl?" Lilan asked in panic.
Cui Yiluo shook her head. "Don't worry about me."
The moment she knew that Jiang Yunjin was using contraceptive pills, she should have known that she was nothing more than a pawn. Even though she was the one who gave him the drugged wine and spent a night with him, it was hard to say that he didn't have the intention of going along with it.
Putting the person in the present moment would minimize the uncertainty. In Daye's eyes, marriage was nothing, not to mention that in his eyes, it was just a short-term marriage.
Tonight, his panic, worry, and words were all to help the Second Prince seize the throne in a better and less risky way.
She had never been able to rely on anyone, yet, as if she had lost her mind, she once again placed her hopes in him. Just because he had helped her a few times, she let down her guard against him. Letting down her guard was simply giving him the opportunity to hurt her.
But it made no difference; she could only rely on herself.
After coming out of the bathroom, Cui Yiluo asked Lilan to secretly find paper and pen, wrote a letter and handed it to her.
"Tomorrow, use the excuse of buying rouge for me and secretly deliver it to Yuan Mansion. Don't let Jiang Yunjin's people find out."
Jiang Yunjin hid her life experience from her and didn't want her to know, so she had to investigate it herself. Xiao Zheng and the emperor would not let her go. She had to protect herself and could not trust anyone anymore.
At this time, the study door was closed.
Inside the room, Xiao Jing was still wearing the moon-white brocade robe embroidered with a python pattern and gold thread, standing opposite the man who was as cold as the snow on the mountain.
"I finally learned that Concubine Qiong is allergic to peach kernels, and then I learned that Xiao Zheng is also allergic to them. I wondered if your wife is also allergic to peach kernels, so I decided to give it a try. Xiao Zheng has already lost some influence in the court. If we don't take advantage of this victory now, when will we wait? If this is exposed, either the Chu family will be punished for deceiving the emperor, or they will abandon them and save themselves. Either way, we will benefit from it. Even if we don't reveal it tonight, being allergic to the same thing is strange, so we can use this as an excuse to investigate further later."
Xiao Jing frowned and shook his head: "Shenzhi, I really don't understand why you stopped me tonight?"
To prevent dietary manipulation, the dietary taboos of the palace nobles were mostly private matters, known only to those closest to them. Xiao Jing had to go through several difficulties to find out about this matter. Just as he was about to succeed, Jiang Yunjin abruptly stopped him. He immediately lost his usual gentleness and let out a hint of impatience.
"Give it a try?" Jiang Yunjin's face, illuminated by the dim yellow candlelight, was as cold as ice, with a hint of ruthlessness in his coldness.
"Your Highness, are you gambling with my wife's life?"
His voice was low, not harsh or urgent, but threatening.
Xiao Jing looked stunned. Jiang Yunjin was indifferent to people and things. This was the first time he saw him unhappy.
"Be careful..."
"Tonight, Concubine Qiong consumed an entire bowl of yogurt, and even with the Imperial Physician at her side, her life was in jeopardy. Your Highness, have you ever considered that if my wife were careless, she could end up like Concubine Qiong, or even die? Your Highness, in that case, do you still want to give it a try?"
Faced with the hidden anger beneath Jiang Yunjin's coldness, Xiao Jing stood there in shock.
After a long while, Xiao Jing's tone softened a bit, "I will not let anything happen to your wife. Furthermore, I previously discussed exposing this matter with you, but you repeatedly refused. Be careful, exposing this matter will not be a loss for your wife. To conceal the true inside story of what happened back then and to enhance Concubine Qiong's reputation and favor, perhaps the Emperor will grant your wife the title of County Lady. She won't have to worry about Xiao Jing and Concubine Qiong hunting her down. So why not?"
"Because she doesn't know what happened back then." Jiang Yunjin slowly raised his eyes and looked at Xiao Jing. "Your Highness, isn't it too cruel to ask her to accept the fact that her mother deliberately abandoned her and even allowed her son to take her life under such sudden circumstances?"
As if he couldn't see Xiao Jing's surprised expression, Jiang Yunjin continued, "Besides, Yiluo wouldn't like the title of County Master that comes with this."
Xiao Jing frowned and looked at Jiang Yunjin in shock: "Shenzhi, you have always put the greater good first. Her identity will be revealed sooner or later. How can you do this for her now..."
Jiang Yunjin spoke softly, the candlelight illuminating his face with a hint of resolve. "Your Highness, I've already said this: I will never remarry. As for the rest, I believe I don't need to explain it again. Your Highness understands."
How could Xiao Jing not understand his words so decisively? But he never thought that Jiang Yunjin would be so obsessed with love that he would even neglect his career.
Xiao Jing hesitated to speak and stood there for a long time without saying anything.
"If Your Highness succeeds in his great cause, I will certainly fulfill my duty as a subject."
Jiang Yunjin had only spoken halfway when Xiao Jing's heart skipped a beat and he looked at him in disbelief.
Jiang Yunjin continued with a cold expression, "But before that, I'm afraid I can no longer assist Your Highness."
"Shenzhi, you——"
Xiao Jing opened his mouth unconsciously, but didn't know what to say. Although Jiang Yunjin was polite and courteous, he was also stubborn. He was afraid that after he opened his mouth tonight, he would never be able to undo it. Xiao Jing felt a surge of regret, but he had no idea how important Cui Yiluo was to him.
Before leaving, Xiao Jing stood at the door and couldn't help but ask, "Will Shenzhi still consider me a friend in the future?"
Inside the room, Jiang Yunjin was half-ascended into the darkness where the lights were not yet on. He lowered his head slightly and said, "Your Highness has helped me a lot. I will never forget it."
Xiao Jing said nothing more and turned away.
He knew that if he attacked Cui Yiluo tonight, Jiang Yunjin would no longer consider him a friend.
After Xiao Jing left, Jiang Yunjin stood in the study, staring blankly ahead, his eyes dark and unclear. After a long while, he slowly pulled something out of the hidden pocket in his sleeve.
It's a note.
He slowly unfolded it, and the contents of the note jumped into his eyes again. His eyes darkened even more, and he swiftly brought the note close to the candle. The flame danced, reflecting on his cold, pale face.
Under the firelight, the black handwriting stood out against the white paper.
"Madam is safe and sound. I met Commander Yuan on the way, and the two of them had a pleasant conversation. We were too far apart to hear what they talked about."
Jiang Yunjin lowered his eyes and watched the flames licking and climbing up quickly. In just a moment, the note turned into ashes, and its original appearance could no longer be seen.
-
When I returned to the room, the candle in the bedroom had been extinguished and the room was immersed in the cool and faint moonlight.
Jiang Yunjin frowned slightly and went to the bathroom.
Not long after, Cui Yiluo felt a warmth covering her back.
As if to acknowledge that she was not asleep, he turned his body towards her. She had her back to him, her long black hair cascading across the bed, her exposed shoulders and neck slightly tense.
"I'm sorry to have frightened you tonight."
His voice was muffled in the darkness. Cui Yiluo was silent for a few breaths before softly saying, "No."
She was shaken for a moment, but then calmed down in an instant.
There was silence behind him for a while, and no one spoke again.
Just when Cui Yiluo thought he had fallen asleep, a big hand suddenly wrapped around her waist, and her back was pressed tightly against the hot hand. His breath even lightly sprayed on the top of her head.
Cui Yiluo was already tense and almost pushed him away subconsciously.
But she had to hide it from him first and couldn't show anything unusual in front of him, so she had to suppress it and didn't move.
Was he already used to falling asleep with her in his arms? Even though she had been the one instigating this.
If she was no longer useful in the future, he would probably find a capable and smart mistress for the Jiang family, and he would also...
Cui Yiluo's heart trembled, and she immediately stopped herself from thinking any further. She didn't know what situation she would be in by then, so how could she care about how he was doing? Besides, they were a couple without any feelings to begin with. Unlike Yang Jingling and Jiang Mingxun, childhood sweethearts, or Jiang Zhaoyue and Jingzhao Yin, who were in love with each other.
She fell into the man's arms. Too many things happened tonight. After the warmth came over her, she quickly fell asleep.
The man behind her still had a clear look in his dark eyes. His gaze swept over her tightly closed eyes, her upturned nose, and finally landed on her rosy lips. A strand of hair fell on them.
After a few breaths, he gently raised his hand and pushed the hair back behind her ear.
Then he gently moved closer, put his arms around her waist, and pressed their bodies together perfectly.
The next day, when Cui Yiluo got up, the man beside her had already left. She turned her head and stared at the empty space for a while. As her mind slowly returned, she put on her clothes, went to bed, and washed up. She had more important things to do today.
She and Yuan Ling made an appointment at Yaoxing Tower. Since she made an appointment with Zhao Jian at Ruyi Tower last time, she wanted to deal with Zhao Jian, but when she opened the door, she saw Jiang Yunjin. This time, she deliberately avoided Ruyi Tower. Mingguang Tower is in the south of Shengjing and is the farthest away from the imperial city.
She wondered if Jiang Yunjin would send someone to follow her. After all, if anything happened to her, wouldn't it be a waste of a chess piece? Therefore, Cui Yiluo had someone drive around the city for a good part of the way, finally stopping the carriage in front of Minghua Pavilion. She pretended to go get some winter clothes, changed inside, and then got another carriage through the back door before heading to Yaoxing Tower. This whole process took the better part of an hour.
Yuan Ling was already waiting in the private room.
"Master Yuan, you've arrived really early. I think our appointment was at 3:30 PM, right?"
Yuan Ling had a smile on his lips and slowly poured her a cup of tea.
"Miss Cui has timed it just right."
Cui Yiluo didn't want to argue with him and said bluntly, "I agree to the deal proposed by Master Yuan. Tell me, what do you want?"
Yuan Ling did not look surprised. The moment he received Cui Yiluo's letter this morning, he knew she had agreed to the deal.
Yuan Ling smiled meaningfully: "But I haven't thought about it yet. What should I do? Didn't Miss Cui say that she doesn't do deals without clear terms?"
Cui Yiluo's eyes darkened, but priorities were crucial, and since she was the one offering him a deal, he naturally maintained his composure. "If Lord Yuan truly believes I won't regret it, it's fine to go back and think about it. If I can do it, I'll do my best."
The implication was that if Yuan Ling asked her to do something she couldn't do, she would not agree.
Yuan Ling casually turned the white porcelain teacup. "What do you mean by 'Miss Cui can't do'?"
"Of course those..."
"If I ask you to divorce Lord Jiang, will you do it?"
Cui Yiluo frowned immediately. Yuan Ling's words were beyond her expectations. Seeing that his expression was slightly restrained and serious, she couldn't tell whether he was serious or joking.
Suddenly, she had no idea what Yuan Ling was up to. Was he trying to test her relationship with Jiang Yunjin?
After a few breaths, Yuan Ling casually put down the teacup he was spinning in his hand and said with a half-smile, "Just kidding. Miss Cui is frightened? It seems that Miss Cui and Lord Jiang are deeply in love."
Cui Yiluo's brows relaxed slightly, and she didn't want to pay attention to Yuan Ling's sarcastic tone.
Yuan Ling wasn't angry. He raised an eyebrow and continued, "I'll send someone to help you investigate. But I do know a little about what happened back then."
Seeing Cui Yiluo looking up instantly, Yuan Ling raised the corners of his mouth again, "But why don't you ask Lord Jiang to help you check? I think he should know a lot more than me."
He only obeyed the emperor's orders and naturally would not investigate what happened eighteen years ago on his own, but Jiang Yunjin was different.
Cui Yiluo's expression turned cold, but then she suppressed it. "Didn't Lord Yuan say that relationships of interest are the most enduring?"
She didn't like owing favors to anyone, and it was better to exchange benefits cleanly.
Yuan Ling's smile froze for a moment, then he raised it again as if nothing had happened. "Indeed. But after what happened last night, I advise Miss Cui to be more careful these days."
"I know." Cui Yiluo winked at Lilan, and Lilan quickly took out a paper bag and put it on the table.
Cui Yiluo pushed the paper bag in front of Yuan Ling. "This is the drug I gave to Master Yuan before. I brought two more bags this time. I'll just give them as interest to Master Yuan. How about this, Master Yuan, can you tell me what you know first?"
Yuan Ling stared at the paper bag in front of him for a few moments, then laughed and took it without hesitation.
"Miss Cui is so thoughtful."
In fact, he would have told her even without the two packets of medicine.
"I don't know much. It's all recorded in the palace records. I've only picked up a few clues from them."
Yuan Ling straightened his expression and said, "In the third year of the Yongming reign, the emperor went on a southern tour and passed through Ningzhou in June. This tour lasted more than three months. A month after the emperor returned to the palace, the Chu family brought back their young daughter, who had been raised in the temple since childhood due to her frail health."
Cui Yiluo's fingertips gently pinched her palm. It was June of the third year of Yongming, exactly six months after she was born.
Yuan Ling's tone was complex, and it was hard to tell what emotion was behind it: "This is the Concubine Qiong, who later became the most favored concubine in the six palaces and is the only one favored by the emperor to this day."
The moment Yuan Ling said this, Cui Yiluo's heart sank.
"Not long after Noble Concubine Qiong entered the palace, she became pregnant. His Majesty was delighted and sent someone to carefully care for her. However, Noble Concubine Qiong was born with a weak constitution, and she gave birth prematurely after eight months of pregnancy. Fortunately, both mother and child are safe."
Yuan Ling didn't need to explain what was next; Cui Yiluo understood. Eight months after entering the palace, Concubine Qiong gave birth to the fifth prince, Xiao Zheng, and the following year, Princess Hejia, Xiao Ying. After Concubine Qiong entered the palace, the emperor rarely visited the other concubines' wombs. Later, she gave birth to the seventh prince, further solidifying her position. While not officially empress, she held the same rank as a vice-empress.
Giving birth after eight months of pregnancy does not necessarily mean premature birth.
Cui Yiluo suppressed the emotions welling up in her heart, nodded, and said, "I understand. Thank you, Master Yuan. I'll trouble you with the rest."
Yuan Ling hummed, but his eyes were still on her face.
The conversation ended here. Seeing that Yuan Ling had no intention of adding anything, Cui Yiluo stood up and said goodbye.
She left Yaoxing Tower through the back door, and returned to Minghua Pavilion to change back into her original clothes. She pretended to have spent the entire afternoon choosing clothes, then left Minghua Pavilion and took the Jiang family's carriage back to the Jiang Mansion.
It was almost dusk. Cui Yiluo opened the window and looked at the sky. The sunlight was slightly golden.
It should take about an hour before Jiang Yunjin finishes his shift and returns home.
-
In the study of Yuzhuyuan.
Jiang Yunjin sat by the window. It was early winter, and the forsythia trees outside had lost their leaves, leaving only bare branches. His slender fingers grasped a black dot, about to drop it.
"Young Master."
Wen Feng entered the study hesitantly. Seeing Jiang Yunjin playing chess calmly and composedly, he felt even more panicked. He had served Jiang Yunjin for many years and knew that Jiang Yunjin always relied on playing chess alone to relieve his stress.
Today, the young master had some official business in the suburbs, so he returned home early after finishing it. As soon as he got home, he went back to Jixuezhai, but Jixuezhai was empty, with no sign of the young lady.
"explain."
Jiang Yunjin slowly placed the black piece down.
Wen Feng frowned, hesitated for a few moments, and finally told the news he had received.
"The young lady first had the driver drive around the city for a good part of the way. We almost lost her. Then she went to Minghua Pavilion, changed her clothes, her hair, and her hairpins. Then she took another carriage out the back door and headed for Yaoxing Tower..."
Wen Feng paused, looking conflicted as to whether he should continue.
Jiang Yunjin placed the white piece, picked up a black piece, and looked at Wen Feng.
His eyes were calm, yet filled with immense authority. Wen Feng had no choice but to continue, "The young lady and Commander Yuan met. They were in a private room, and their voices were muffled, so our people couldn't hear what they said clearly."
With a light click, Jiang Yunjin loosened his fingertips, and the black piece gently fell back into the chess box, merging with the other black pieces.
Jiang Yunjin said nothing, his expression even more indifferent, as if he was just listening to daily trivial matters, but Wen Feng understood clearly that it was not that simple.
He tried to soothe her, "Lilan followed in as well. I think the Young Madam and Commander Yuan just have other important matters to discuss..."
"Got it. Go on down."
Jiang Yunjin whispered.
Wen Feng looked at Jiang Yunjin worriedly for a few times, but knowing his temper well, he didn't say anything. He just obeyed the order and left, closing the study door.
A breeze blew by, and the early winter wind in Shengjing was already a bit biting, but the man sitting in front of the window was still unaware of it and continued to sit upright.
He lowered his eyes to look at the black jade necklace on his wrist. The red jade in the middle looked even brighter in the ink-black color, and it was particularly abrupt, as if it had squeezed in abruptly, breaking and destroying the harmony and balance, but it also seemed to bring a unique touch of bright color to the ink-black color.
Jiang Yunjin gently stroked Hongyu, his eyes extremely obscure.
He broke the rules, broke the rules, so the only thing about him that made her feel happy was gone. She got tired of him and wanted to abandon him, right?
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The author has something to say: I am beginning to doubt that my life is not good enough [dog head] The most advanced hunters often appear in the form of prey
Thanks to the babies who irrigated the nutrient solution [heart]
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