Chapter 31
She didn't know how many days she had slept, and the first thing she did after waking up was to look at A Yao.
Ayao looked at her with her lips pursed and her eyes red.
Her mother let go of her, pulled A-Yao in front of her, and said in a choked voice, "A-Yao, quickly say something to your mother, there are only a few more days..."
At this point, her mother turned her head away and gently wiped her face with a handkerchief.
Jiang Yunshu's heart sank. What should she do?
"Mother, I'm not afraid, don't worry about me." Ayao comforted her in her soft voice, "I will stay in the palace and accompany you in your studies."
Looking at the half-person-high A Yao, she felt even more heartbroken, wondering how Consort Li would torment A Yao.
In her previous life in the Shen family, A Yao suffered neglect and abuse because of her early death and the confiscation of the Jiang family property.
I thought I had escaped the Shen family, but I never expected that Mo Yanzhou would take me to the palace first.
What should she do?
A faint warmth in her throat caught her off guard and made her vomit.
"Ah Yun!"
"Stop thinking about it! If you keep doing this, your body won't be able to take it!"
The room seemed shrouded in dark clouds, filled with sobs, whimpers, and shouts.
Ling Jingchu's eyes were deep and dark, and his clenched palms were almost digging into his flesh.
Deep down, there is resentment and disgust towards oneself.
He heard a voice outside, and without listening closely, he knew who it was.
Today, Mo Yanzhou was dressed in a black brocade robe with cloud patterns woven with gold thread, looking dignified and imposing.
But those eyes inexplicably gave off a sinister feeling.
Jiang Jinhong was called out by a servant. Ling Jingchu's eyes were dark as he gave Jiang Yunshu a deep look before following the servant out as well.
Mo Yanzhou had been waiting in the front hall for a long time, but there was no anger on his face from being neglected. In fact, after seeing the two, he asked with great understanding, "Master Jiang, is Miss Jiang alright?"
"I never expected Miss Jiang to..."
After saying this, Mo Yanzhou frowned and sighed, looking very worried.
If everyone didn't already know about this, they would probably be fooled by Mo Yanzhou's expression.
Jiang Jinhong's eyes darkened with anger, but he could only force a smile: "Thank you for your concern, Third Prince. My daughter is not in any immediate danger."
A hint of doubt flashed in Mo Yanzhou's eyes, then he seemed to let out a long sigh of relief: "That's good then. In that case, my brother and I will also be returning to the capital. We will definitely treat Ayao well in the future."
"My sister is about the same age as A-Yao, so we will get along well. Miss Jiang, please rest assured."
Jiang Jinhong lowered his eyes and responded. Mo Yanzhou then said quietly, "Because of Miss Jiang's matter, I asked my brother to stay a few more days. Now that people from the palace are urging us to return to the capital, we should return as soon as possible."
"Ayao, come back with us first."
"Now?!" Jiang Jinhong was stunned for a moment, unable to say anything for a long time.
"Third Prince, affairs in the capital are numerous and complicated, and you should indeed return as soon as possible. However, Jiang Yunshu is still unconscious. I wonder if the Third Prince could allow the mother and daughter to bid each other a proper farewell before leaving?"
Mo Yanzhou lazily glanced back at Ling Jingchu, who was sitting below him. The man had clear features, but his expression was gloomy and dark.
He is exactly the same as him.
He had initially admired this person to some extent.
but……
Mo Yanzhou narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled inscrutablely, but the man was determined to seek death.
Even Zhuge Liang, if he could not be used by him, he would kill him.
He smiled enigmatically: "Is it true that I am wrong, Young Master Ling?"
Jiang Jinhong turned pale with fright and was about to say something to calm things down when Ling Jingchu clasped his hands and bowed to him.
"I dare not. I believe that the Third Prince is kind-hearted, as everyone in Jiangzhou knows. It will be difficult for Jiang Yunshu and Ayao to see each other again after this separation. It is Your Highness's benevolence to let the mother and daughter say goodbye properly."
Mo Yanzhou looked at Ling Jingchu with great interest, then smiled and said, "Young Master Ling is truly blessed with a silver tongue."
Ling Jingchu didn't say anything more, only lowered his head even further.
Mo Yanzhou laughed loudly as he stood up: "Alright, alright, let's wait two more days."
As he stepped out, Mo Yanzhou whispered in Ling Jingchu's ear, "What a pity."
He then chuckled softly, suddenly opened the folding fan in his hand, and began to fan himself freely.
After everyone left, Jiang Jinhong said to Ling Jingchu earnestly, "Jingchu, how could you speak to the Third Prince like that? If you offend them, how will you ever get along in the officialdom!"
"Your Aunt Ruan and I will figure something out. You're still young, don't waste your whole lives in a muddle."
For the one time, Ling Jingchu didn't respond; instead, he stared straight at Jiang Jinhong.
He pulled the man to a chair and sat him down, his expression serious: "Uncle Jiang, with your experience in Jiangzhou over the years, you should know what the Third Prince is coveting."
"The reason we married Yun Shu to the Marquis was to give the Jiang family a branch to rely on, but now that Yun Shu has divorced, there will inevitably be conflict in the court."
"At that time, the Jiang family will definitely be pushed to the forefront of the storm. It will be far more than just letting Ayao go to Kyoto alone to accompany her to study. It may be the destruction of the entire Jiang family."
Ling Jingchu's voice was deep, and when he lowered it, it sounded even more frightening.
Jiang Jinhong knew this as well, so he didn't say much after learning about Jiang Yunzheng's situation.
But now it seems to him that the Third Prince, Mo Yanzhou, is not someone he can rely on.
Although the situation in the court is unclear, the eldest prince is the legitimate son of the empress and is the rightful heir. If the Jiang family can attach themselves to him, they will have nothing to fear.
Ling Jingchu saw through Jiang Jinhong's thoughts and said in a low voice, "The situation in the court has always been quite clear."
Jiang Jinhong looked at him, and Ling Jingchu said in a low voice, "He was born to the Empress and is the legitimate son, so he is the rightful heir."
Jiang Jinhong nodded, surprised that Ling Jingchu thought the same way. Just as they were about to discuss it, Ling Jingchu shook his head slightly.
"But the Second Prince has been the Crown Prince since birth."
“His birth mother, Consort Yu, died early, and the Chen family was convicted and executed. Under such circumstances, even the court officials could not stop him from continuing to hold the position of Crown Prince.” Ling Jingchu raised his eyes and suddenly smiled. “Uncle Jiang, among all the clans in the world today, only the He clan of Longxi remains, but the Empress has still not been able to shake the Second Prince’s position over the years.”
"People say that the Second Prince is dissolute, immoral, and uneducated. In my opinion, that's just a bunch of tricks."
Jiang Jinhong felt uneasy upon hearing this.
"But... the Second Prince has no one backing him. The Emperor's heart is unpredictable. What if..."
Ling Jingchu's smile faded: "The He family of Longxi is a century-old clan. What such a family fears most is a double-surname servant."
“Even if the Jiang family sends more gold and silver, if that person gains power in the future, and someone deliberately sows discord, that person will become suspicious. If that happens, the Jiang family will never have a peaceful day.”
Jiang Jinhong lowered his head and sighed, then shook his head: "According to Jingchu's intention, it is the Second Prince."
Ling Jingchu nodded slightly: "Yes."
"He has no one behind him, so he cherishes this hard-won resource even more. He who controls the Jiang family controls the world. This prophecy must fall on him so that the emperor will not suspect him."
The emperor's favoritism towards this deposed crown prince was common knowledge.
But no one believed that this crown prince could ascend the throne; it was feared that the Jiang family would disappear along with the deposed crown prince.
But Jiang Jinhong couldn't think of a better way either. Frustrated, he rubbed his temples and waved at him.
"Let me think about it. You should go back first."
Ling Jingchu then stood up and politely took his leave. As he passed Jiang Yunshu's courtyard, he stopped and happened to run into Baili Chuan, who had come to visit him.
"Jingchu, I've been quite busy these past few days and haven't had a chance to visit Miss Jiang. I wonder how she is doing now?"
Ling Jingchu looked up at him and said, "You'll see when you see it."
After saying that, she was about to step inside when she suddenly turned around and stopped: "Yun Shu is not in good health, and I'm afraid she doesn't want to see you."
Baili Chuan was baffled and stared at him for a long time without saying a word.
"Young Master Ling, it's good that you're here. Miss is looking for you."
Qing Shuang's voice came from behind the two of them. Only when they got closer did they see Baili Chuan. Qing Shuang bowed to Baili Chuan again.
Then he said to Ling Jingchu, "Come in with me."
Ling Jingchu gave Baili Chuan a meaningful look before following Qing Shuang inside.
After learning that her mother hadn't slept for days and nights, Jiang Yunshu persuaded her mother to go back home.
Ayao was also exhausted from crying. She put the person on the couch and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the door.
As soon as Ling Jingchu arrived, she got up and went to greet him.
However, her legs were weak and she couldn't stand steadily. Just as she was about to fall, Ling Jingchu quickly stepped forward and caught her in his arms.
Jiang Yunshu was still burning up, wearing only a thin outer robe over her inner garment, the light green gauze making her face appear even paler.
Her almond-shaped eyes had lost their luster, leaving only a deathly silence.
Ling Jingchu already knew that Jiang Yunshu had become frighteningly thin these past few days, and now when he reached out to hug her, the person in his arms seemed to be nothing but bones.
It looked like it would break if he squeezed it.
His eyes darkened, and he exuded a gloomy and ruthless aura.
Jiang Yunshu asked in a hoarse voice, "Ling Jingchu, when are you going to the capital to take the imperial examination?"
Ling Jingchu was stunned for a moment, but quickly realized what Jiang Yunshu wanted to do.
"It will be ready the day after tomorrow."
There are still some matters at the county school that need to be delegated to others, but they won't take long. As for other things...
The Jiang family was his home, Jiang Yunshu...
His eyes reflected Jiang Yunshu's sunken eye sockets, haggard face, and utterly despondent expression.
Where Jiang Yunshu is, that's where he wants to go.
"The day after tomorrow?"
Jiang Yunshu asked softly, and Ling Jingchu nodded again.
A sudden pang of sadness gripped her heart. In her past life, Ling Jingchu had died a violent death for the sake of the Jiang family, yet in this life, she had still led him down the same path.
"good."
"Do you want to say goodbye to the woman you admire?"
Upon hearing her question, she felt that Ling Jingchu's eyes had become even more gloomy and terrifying, revealing a complexity she couldn't fathom.
Seeing Ling Jingchu like this, she didn't press her further. Although Manyue Yin's poison had been cured, she was now in more than ten times the pain she had before.
My mind, in particular, is always foggy and groggy.
She then began to think again about going to Kyoto, what she needed to bring with her, and the person she had once saved.
Kyoto is lush and vibrant. Seven years ago, when she first set foot in Kyoto, she couldn't resist sneaking out.
There are rumors of a mountain-guarding tiger in the mountains outside Beijing. She has never seen one and is very curious about it.
They went with Qing Shuang, but before they could even begin to use their archery skills, they encountered someone dumping a corpse.
They hid carefully, waiting until those people had completely left before coming out.
Both of them saw that the person in the bag was still struggling, but the person next to them seemed oblivious and just kept pouring sand on it.
They waited until the people left before rescuing the woman.
That person was none other than Gu Hanyu, the legitimate daughter of the Grand Secretary who had been wandering for many years.
However, at that time, the Grand Secretary's household had many concubines, and the original daughter seemed to be very favored, so Gu Hanyu had no status at all.
She saved her then, and after learning Gu Hanyu's identity, she actually wanted Gu Hanyu to run away.
But she remembered those eyes filled with hatred. Gu Hanyu said nothing, only that he would repay the great kindness in the future.
In the following years, Kyoto only had one daughter of the Grand Secretary, Gu Hanyu.
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