Did he suffer from heatstroke?
With steady footsteps, he approached in the night, his somber face almost blending into the darkness.
A deep, straight brow bone cast a shadow, and the dim candlelight shone on the bridge of his nose, making his eyes appear even more profound.
"Jiang Yunshu, how did you know Li Chuan wasn't in the room?"
She felt a tightness in her chest with nowhere to vent, and she never expected that this person would ask this question.
She took a deep breath and calmed herself down before speaking.
"This person has nothing to do with you, what are you doing?"
Before Ling Jingchu could reply, she continued, "A strange man has moved into our house. Can't I keep an eye on him? What if he sets the house on fire in the middle of the night? Wouldn't our Jiang family be finished?"
She gave a soft hum, and Ling Jingchu stared straight at her with his deep eyes for a long time before he seemed to smile.
She became even angrier. This guy could still laugh. He'll realize how wrong he was when Baili Chuan killed him with one stroke!
"The enemy is in the dark, while we are in the light. It's always better to have people right in front of us than to know nothing at all."
Ling Jingchu's cool voice suddenly calmed the burning anger in her heart.
Yes, how could she not have thought of that?
Moreover, the Jiang family's property was confiscated several years later; she was simply being overly suspicious.
Perhaps with the hostage here, she can actually better hinder the Third Prince from succeeding.
Ideally, the Third Prince would never meet A Yao in his entire life.
“My parents died more than ten years ago. Even if that person really is my cousin, I’m afraid Li Chuan has already silenced him.”
She looked at Ling Jingchu, and the dim candlelight made his face appear particularly lonely. His clear, cold voice seemed to carry a faint sorrow in the night.
"We don't know what their purpose is. If we let them stay in the shadows, it will be disadvantageous for us."
Ling Jingchu's expression remained unchanged, his eyes fixed on her.
"Your injury..."
Following Ling Jingchu's gaze, she touched her neck. Actually, she wasn't seriously injured that day, although her face was slightly scratched.
But after applying the medicine, Qing Shuang is now much better.
But when she touched it, she discovered a small, raised scar on her neck that she hadn't noticed before.
She touched it again carefully, and it was indeed...!
She herself didn't even realize it.
"Thank you, Ling Jingchu. I... didn't mean that just now."
Ling Jingchu's gaze was hidden in the shadows, seemingly fixed on somewhere.
His voice was muffled: "That Li Chuan isn't simple. He even investigated Su Ye, and you..."
She knows!
What good things could possibly be related to the Third Prince?
"Don't go out alone at night anymore. You are a woman after all." He paused, "Don't go to places like Zuiyue Tower."
She gasped. Ling Jingchu had also sent someone to keep an eye on her?
How could he know that he went to Zuiyue Tower!
"Yun Zheng often smells of perfume."
She racked her brains but couldn't figure out that it was the scent that betrayed her.
After saying that, Ling Jingchu turned and left, with Su Ye following behind him. The two stepped into the night and gradually blended into it.
She took the ointment from the table and asked Qing Shuang to apply it to her.
"When did I get injured here? It's all my fault for not applying the medicine carefully. It's starting to scab over now. I wonder if Young Master Ling's ointment will be able to help?"
"How about we go see Dr. Li instead?"
As Qing Shuang applied the cream, she muttered to herself.
Her mind was no longer on this; the images of Baili Chuan and Jiang Yunzheng lingered in her mind.
She decided to talk to Ling Jingchu about this next time she had time, hoping he might have some new perspectives.
That's what she thought, but there's absolutely no need for it.
Just a few days later, the imperial court issued a new decree, designating the Jiangnan region as a pilot area to implement a system where male adults pay taxes.
All males aged 15 to 60, regardless of whether they are host or guest, are subject to the poll tax. Each male pays 200 cash per year, equivalent to half a bolt of silk, or in silver at the market price.
She didn't really feel any connection to these government decrees; she just watched as her father's face grew heavier each day.
When Jiang Yunzheng came to the house, Jiang Jinhong's face, which had been gloomy for many days, finally softened a bit.
"Yun Zheng, your uncle isn't trying to make things difficult for you, but this matter is impossible for him to carry out. If it were to actually be implemented, it would surely lead to endless troubles!"
Jiang Jinhong frowned and sighed deeply: "I'm a businessman, I don't understand the intricacies of their officialdom."
"But this is absolutely unacceptable."
Jiang Yunzheng frowned and sighed, "Uncle, they all know how outrageous this is, but it's the Crown Prince's new policy."
"With so many people from top to bottom, why is it that only when we get to you do we start to feel that something is wrong?"
"Are all people unaware of their own thoughts?"
Jiang Yunzheng's tone deepened: "That's the Crown Prince. Behind the Crown Prince is the Emperor. Who can refute him, and who dares to refute him?"
“Uncle, disobeying the imperial decree is punishable by beheading. Even if you don’t think of yourself, you should at least think of Aunt, Ayun, and Ayao, right?”
Jiang Jinhong sighed deeply and fell silent.
Ling Jingchu found her immediately.
"Jiang Yunshu, if I told you that this matter involves the Jiang family... would you hate me?"
She didn't say anything, she just looked at him.
Ling Jingchu is indeed intelligent, but also quite strange.
Why hate him?
"You mean Jiang Yunzheng and Li Chuan, right?"
The atmosphere froze for a moment before she spoke.
Ling Jingchu's tightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly: "You know?"
She recounted the scene she had witnessed of the two meeting secretly.
Ling Jingchu remained silent for a long time, his eyes deep and his expression still cold.
After a long while, he finally spoke softly.
"So that night..."
"Um?"
She didn't quite hear him, tilted her head in confusion, and leaned closer to him.
As the summer heat intensifies, she only stood outside for a short while before fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
A faint fragrance mingled with her intense heat lingered around Ling Jingchu's nose.
He froze. Jiang Yunshu raised her eyebrows to look at him again. Seeing that he didn't speak, she frowned unhappily and stepped back.
"I don't know what kind of deal Jiang Yunzheng made with them, but they certainly didn't intend for the Jiang family to prosper."
She sighed deeply, while Ling Jingchu remained dazed, lost in thought.
She was so hot and impatient that she simply dragged the person into the room.
Since Jiang Yunshu returned, dry ice has been placed in her home. These things are extremely precious, and she had never been so extravagant when she was in the Marquis's mansion.
Stepping into the room, I felt much more comfortable; the cool air chased away waves of heat.
"Ling Jingchu, since you already know, I don't need to find time to tell you again."
"But... how did you know?"
As if blown by a cool breeze, Ling Jingchu's thoughts returned.
He looked down at Jiang Yunshu holding his sleeve. His clothes were loose and dark, making Jiang Yunshu's hands look snow-white.
Her fingers were long and slender, with the tips tinged with a light lotus root pink, which was very pretty.
He swallowed hard, looked away, and his expression darkened.
"They always make mistakes."
"Ling Jingchu, are you so hot?"
Jiang Yunshu suddenly stared at him intently. Ling Jingchu had fine beads of sweat on his forehead and his cheeks were flushed, as if he was suffering from the heat.
"Want some water?"
She looked at Ling Jingchu's profile and asked a question.
Ling Jingchu turned his face away from her, but she felt that Ling Jingchu's face seemed even redder and he looked a little uncomfortable.
Ayao had been like this before when she was in the Marquis's mansion due to the heat; she was listless and her face was red, making her look very uncomfortable.
Thinking of this, she quickly poured herself a glass of water.
"Ling Jingchu, are you in such poor health? You get heatstroke after standing for just a short while?"
The cup was handed to him, and Ling Jingchu froze. When the cup touched his fingertips, the icy touch sent a jolt of electricity through his body.
He turned to look at Jiang Yunshu, whose face was full of worry and a hint of mockery. Her lips were still moving, but he could no longer hear her.
He took the cup from her and tilted his head back to drink it down in one gulp.
Jiang Yunshu stared in disbelief; it seemed she was truly thirsty.
She sighed inwardly, thinking how Ling Jingchu, with his sickly body, still had to endure the daily annoyances of those unruly students at the county school.
Will he really not die young?
Or does having the brains of Zhuge Liang mean you have to have the body of Xi Shi?
“Li Chuan is very smart, but you won’t find any breakthroughs in him. You should avoid contact with him.”
After saying that, Ling Jingchu walked out in a few quick steps.
She was walking so fast, you'd think something was chasing her!
She stared at the man's retreating figure, completely bewildered.
However, Ling Jingchu's words reminded her that Baili Chuan was cunning, but Jiang Yunzheng was not.
Perhaps she's also targeting the wrong person.
"Aono."
A figure flashed past the window, and the next instant, he knelt before her.
"master."
"Li Chuan doesn't need to keep an eye on things anymore. You go and keep an eye on Jiang Yunzheng."
"yes."
After saying that, Qingye disappeared, and Qingshuang came in carrying a bowl of ice cream.
"Miss, Young Master Li is tutoring A Yao. Master praised him for his enthusiasm and asked him to help out more."
She lost her appetite for the ice cream that Qing Shuang handed her; Baili Chuan absolutely could not have any contact with A Yao!
When did this happen?
She hurried out, and Qing Shuang naturally walked in front of her, leading the way.
"After speaking with the master today, Young Master Li saw A Yao and for some reason decided to teach her her lessons."
I don't know why?
What else could Baili Chuan, with his dark and sinister mind, be thinking about but controlling A Yao to threaten the Jiang family or Jiang Yunzheng in the future?
She would never allow that to happen!
In Ayao's courtyard, she could hear Baili Chuan's voice from a great distance.
"Ah Yao is so smart, she memorized it so quickly!"
"It's because you taught me well."
A Yao's voice blended seamlessly with Bai Lichuan's hearty laughter, sending chills down her spine.
"Miss Jiang."
Baili Chuan's smile was warm and friendly, which didn't match his shrewd and calculating eyes.
Jiang Yunshu pulled Ayao up and put her arm around her from behind.
“Young Master Li is aiming for officialdom, so there’s no need for you to worry about A Yao. I will find a tutor for her myself.”
Baili Chuan wasn't angry at her rude attitude; instead, he smiled and said, "Miss Jiang seems to have misunderstood me. I wonder what I did to offend you?"
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