Shao Jingyu looked at Yan Yiming's seemingly surprised yet distant face, and remembered Yan Yiming's words "I just learned it", and his mind went blank for a moment.
Yan Yiming dragged her "injured" leg and pretended to greet Shao Jingyu. Shao Jingyu subconsciously stretched out her hand to help her, but Yan Yiming dodged it cleverly and raised her beautiful eyes and invited Shao Jingyu to sit down.
When he turned his head, Shao Jingyu had already noticed the mark behind her ear. He clenched his hands involuntarily, but then loosened them weakly.
Perhaps, he really had been thinking about her for too long, and now he was thinking too much.
Yan Yiming saw Shao Jingyu's expressionless face from the corner of his eye. He calmly put down the chess piece in his hand and sighed a little exaggeratedly, "I don't want to play anymore. I can't win."
Yun Xiao was happy for a while before saying, "When I first started playing, I was just like the princess. I couldn't win no matter what."
Yan Yiming also smiled and casually responded to Yun Xiao's deliberate guidance, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
When seeing Yun Xiao playing Go today, Yan Yiming had an idea and took the initiative to expose her flaws in front of Yun Xiao. Although this move was very deliberate and inconsistent with her usual IQ, Yun Xiao was the first to make the move and she just joined in out of curiosity. Coincidentally, her acting skills were really good.
With these conditions, although Shao Jingyu would not give up all his thoughts, the doubts in his heart would certainly increase a lot.
Yan Yiming didn't want to confront him directly at all. Yan Yiming could almost imagine how aggressive Shao Jingyu would be if they confronted each other face to face. He would seize one flaw after another and press him step by step like interrogating a prisoner. Yan Yiming might not be able to control himself and fight with him on the spot.
Therefore, it would be great if we could save Ming in a roundabout way.
Yan Yiming is now secretly watched whenever she goes in and out. When Jiang Yi came back, he heard that she was sitting in the back garden and talking with Shao Jingyu and Yun Xiao, and he was a little surprised.
During his communication with Yan Yiming, Jiang Yi discovered that Yan Yiming was indeed very resistant to Shao Jingyu, or in other words, he tried his best to avoid being recognized. In fact, she didn't want to be recognized by anyone. She just wanted to leave, but Jiang Yi caught her by the tail. Now she can only accept this fact.
Now that Shao Jingyu has some doubts, Yan Yiming must be preparing to take some measures to dispel Shao Jingyu's doubts.
Thinking of this, Jiang Yi was actually somewhat glad that he was the first person to become suspicious. At that time, Yan Yiming had not been on guard and had not tried to deceive him in every possible way, so he would also be the only one who understood her and could truly possess her.
Jiang Yi waited for a while, took the cloak that the servant hurriedly brought to him, and then walked slowly in the direction.
The chessboard had been put away. The weather was getting colder. The servants prepared some hot tea and brought it up. Yun Xiao saw Jiang Yi coming and actively invited him to sit down. She sat opposite Yan Yiming and vacated the seat next to her for Jiang Yi. She smiled and said,
"Lord Jiang arrived just in time, so I can have a cup of hot tea."
"It's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early. Thank you for your hospitality, General." Jiang Yi smiled and walked over. He shook the cloak in his hand and put it on Yan Yiming's shoulders, and tied it carefully in front of the two of them. "You are still sick, be careful not to catch a cold."
It would have been fine if he hadn't said it, but once he did, it was really a bit cold. Yan Yiming glanced at Shao Jingyu and smiled, "You are still careful."
"You are not careful, but I am." Jiang Yi joked, took the hot tea handed over by Yun Xiao, paused, and handed the cup in his hand to Yan Yiming, replacing the cup in her hand that was already a little cold.
Many years ago, Yan Yiming was much weaker than she is now. The doctor warned her not to use this or that, but she never took it seriously. However, Jiang Yi will always remember it clearly.
The tea brought to him was always hot, the stove beside him was always warm, and the longans sent from afar were always peeled by him personally and placed in beautiful celadon bowls.
This was the case when it was just the two of them in private, and it was also the same when the maid was around. Even after Jiang Yi and the Jiang family gradually got along better, when they had meals with the elders, Jiang Yi took good care of her and there was nothing to fault with him.
So it was natural for Jiang Yi to take care of her now, and it was also natural for Yan Yiming to be taken care of. But it was precisely because of this that it seemed particularly different in the eyes of Yun Xiao and Shao Jingyu.
Yun Xiao just thought it was a show of affection, but Shao Jingyu was seeing the indescribable warmth and tacit understanding between the two. The weather was getting cold, and even the tea was getting cold, and it even had an indescribable bitter taste. He immediately lost interest in tasting tea.
Jiang Yi saw this and said to Yun Xiao leisurely, "It seems that General Yun's Huangshan Maojian is not to General Shao's taste."
Yan Yiming glanced at Jiang Yi. Shao Jingyu was a very oppressive person, but he liked lighter tea. Jiang Yi was clearly looking for trouble on purpose, but it would be better for him to stay quiet and not interrupt at this moment.
Yun Xiao also looked at Shao Jingyu in confusion. He had been by Shao Jingyu's side for so many years that he knew his preferences. Just as he was about to say something, Shao Jingyu raised his eyelids and said, "After a few years in the northwest, I do prefer tea with a stronger flavor."
Yun Xiao immediately shut his mouth.
Jiang Yi nodded in understanding, "Your Majesty just recently gave me a lot of top-quality Tieguanyin. In that case, have someone send some to the General's Mansion after we return to Beijing."
"No need," Shao Jingyu said calmly, "The General's Mansion doesn't lack this little tea."
Jiang Yi chuckled and said, "The princess and I both prefer Biluochun. It looks like this tea will be wasted. I wonder if General Yun likes it?"
"Of course I do."
"The princess also likes Biluochun?"
Yun Xiao and Shao Jingyu spoke at the same time. Jiang Yi put down the teacup in his hand and said to Yun Xiao, "Since General Yun likes it, have someone send it over."
He glanced at Yan Yiming lazily, his brows relaxed and his eyes widened as he said, "Because Jiang loves Biluochun the most, and the princess loves me, so she can only follow my taste."
Yan Yiming choked on a mouthful of tea and glared at Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi seemed to sense it and blinked from the side.
Shao Jingyu finally couldn't sit still anymore, put down his teacup and wanted to leave. Jiang Yi glanced at Shao Jingyu and said slowly, "General, are you leaving now? Jiang has something else to say to you."
Shao Jingyu paused, Yan Yiming was stunned, and immediately looked up at Jiang Yi.
Jiang Yi finally put away his careless smile, and his dark eyes also lost the remaining warmth. He said to Yun Xiao, "General Yun, please send the princess back to rest first."
His heart beat wildly for a moment, and he glanced at Jiang Yi before standing up, "I'll go back and rest first."
Shao Jingyu watched Yan Yiming and Yun Xiao leave. He did not sit down but continued to look down at Jiang Yi, with a hint of impatience on his stern face. "Master Jiang, what else do you want?"
Jiang Yi sat there, with a handsome face and a thinner figure than Shao Jingyu, but his aura was not weaker at all. He slowly straightened his clean sleeves and said, "Jiang arrived in Changzhou a few days later than the general, and I should thank the general for taking care of the princess."
"It's just a piece of cake," Shao Jingyu frowned.
"If that's the case, can you please remove the hidden spies around the princess?" Jiang Yi said, "Oh, and there's the maid who serves her. Yesterday, the princess wanted to find her, but she went to see the general. Then we found out that she was the general's man. If you're so reluctant to let her go, please take her back so that she doesn't have to run around every day. It's a pity for the girl's kindness."
Jiang Yi deliberately avoided the truth but every word he said was sarcastic, which was more embarrassing than directly exposing Shao Jingyu's staring at Yan Yiming. Shao Jingyu was already a little angry, but he was unable to refute Jiang Yi's sarcastic words.
Jiang Yi had been mocking Shao Jingyu intentionally or unintentionally since he arrived today, so how could Shao Jingyu not notice it?
He originally thought that Princess Lin'an was too much like Yiming, so he did some investigation. He never thought that Princess Lin'an had such a past with Jiang Yi.
Shao Jingyu was silent for a moment, and suppressed his anger and said to Jiang Yi, "Princess Lin'an has made great contributions in saving the prince, so she should not be detained like ordinary criminals. However, she is the daughter of King Jiangxia after all, so I ordered people to monitor her. Please be careful with your words, Lord Jiang."
"I see. I was wrong about General Shao." Jiang Yi acted in coordination with Shao Jingyu, but the mockery in his tone could not be stopped. "But now I have arrived in Changzhou. The princess is my person after all. For the sake of the general's reputation, please keep your people away from the princess, so that they don't misunderstand anything."
Shao Jingyu's forehead was throbbing with veins. He could no longer bear it and looked at Jiang Yi coldly, saying, "Master Jiang is protecting Princess Lin'an like this now. I wonder if his deceased wife in the underworld would be heartbroken if she knew about this."
"Jing's wife was born with a disability. She told me that she didn't want to be a burden to me with her illness. Now that I have found a good partner, Jing's wife would be delighted. But the general indulged his clansmen and forced his beloved to death. Now that General Yan has been dead for only four years, he is already coveting other women. Isn't this even more chilling?"
Over the years, no one had dared to mention Yan Yiming in front of Shao Jingyu, but Jiang Yi did. Not only did he mention it, but he also exposed Shao Jingyu's bloody scars. Shao Jingyu clenched his fists and said word by word, "What did you say?"
Jiang Yi chuckled and stood up. Although he was a little thin, he was still very tall. Jiang Yi looked directly into Shao Jingyu's murderous eyes, "I heard from General Yun that the princess has a red mole at the corner of her eye just like General Yan. And the princess happens to know some martial arts. The general is thinking of General Yan, so it's inevitable that he has some unrealistic thoughts. But the princess is the princess, and General Yan is General Yan. Please look at the person clearly, so as not to make a fool of yourself."
"Master Jiang, are you sure that Shao has recognized the wrong person?"
"There are no ghosts or gods in the world. General Yan is dead." Jiang Yi raised his eyebrows. "Instead of believing in such absurd rumors, the general should go and see General Yan's tombstone. I almost forgot that before General Yan died, he said that he didn't want to see you again in this life."
Jiang Yi finally finished the last sentence. He looked at Shao Jingyu's stunned face. He sneered and took two steps back, passing Shao Jingyu and leaving.
Shao Jingyu stood in the cold wind, with only Jiang Yi's last words in his ears: General Yan didn't want to see you even after his death, so how could he appear in front of you again?
The scene of Yiming dying in his arms reappeared in his mind, and those words would repeat themselves over and over again every night without warning.
She didn't want to see him even if she died, she hated him so much, so how could she talk to him with a smile on her face like Princess Lin'an?
Shao Jingyu's heart, which had been silent for many years, suddenly began to hurt again. He covered his chest tightly and sat back on the stone bench in a daze after a long time, letting the cold wind of early winter make his eyes red.
At dinner time, the maid who had been serving Yan Yiming had been replaced. Yan Yiming was surprised for a moment and then he realized that it must be something that Jiang Yi and Shao Jingyu had said to each other after he left today.
The maidservant was replaced, Xiao Pingguo said, and even the spies hidden around him were removed completely.
This is a bit curious. I have given Shao Jingyu so many hints over and over again but failed to make Shao Jingyu give up. But Jiang Yi's words had such a significant effect.
When Jiang Yi came again, Yan Yiming asked him what he had said to Shao Jingyu. Jiang Yi glanced at her and teased, "The young wife is too cute because her husband is not around, which makes everyone covet her. Now that her husband is back, it would be too shameless if she doesn't back down."
Yan Yiming almost choked on his mouthful of water again. Jiang Yi's analogy was indeed a good one, although the words were crude.
But, we haven't reached that point yet, okay?
"You told me at the beginning that there is no difference between us and married couples," Jiang Yi went back to the past, "How could I be wrong to say that?"
Jiang Yi was only sixteen at that time. Under the clear sky of the summer night, he told her that even if no one else in the world wanted her, he would want her, and even if no one else married her, he would still marry her.
In order to coax him, Yan Yiming said, our relationship is closer than that of husband and wife, so why should we care about this status.
Later, the Jiang family agreed to his request, and he became the real son-in-law of the Jiang family. When the two were playing together, Jiang Yi once said that even if they had not really gotten married, no couple in the world could compare to his love for her.
Yan Yiming didn't know how to start again. He looked at Jiang Yi's face and sighed helplessly.
Facing such a Jiang Yi, how could she tell him that she would definitely leave and there would be no ending between them.
At most, they only have half a year left to talk and play like this.
That's all.
The affairs of Changzhou were finally dealt with, and the emperor's edict was delivered to Changzhou, ordering Shao Jingyu and Jiang Yi to escort the prince, and to escort Princess Lin'an, Jian Yuyan and others back to Beijing.
Although they were escorted, the treatment of these "prisoners" was really too good.
Jian Yuer and Madam Jian were arranged in a carriage, followed by Jian Yuyan's carriage. Yan Yiming was supposed to ride in the same carriage with Jian Yuer and Madam Jian, but Lord Jiang ordered that Princess Lin'an could enjoy a carriage alone.
So that Lord Jiang can come in and rest when he gets tired of riding.
Shao Jingyu seemed to have disappeared from their side since that day. He was nowhere to be seen even when everyone set out. The maids said that Shao Jingyu was there to escort the prince to safety, and was probably at the front.
Yan Yiming said "Oh", but she didn't really want to know.
The prince's return to the capital was much more grand than Yan Yiming's trip to the capital, not to mention that he was accompanied by Jiang Yi and Shao Jingyu, who were both highly appreciated by His Majesty. Everyone sat down to rest. Jian Yuer, whom they had never met before, also sat with them. Jiang Yi asked someone to buy Yan Yiming's favorite Poria cocos cake.
The clear and delicate snacks were brought over, and Jian Yuyan happened to see them and suddenly said, "So the princess also likes Fuling cakes."
Shao Jingyu paused again. Only the Crown Prince, who had no idea what the Crown Princess liked, was a little confused. Who else would like it?
"Women always prefer desserts, they just picked a few of each," Jiang Yi said.
After that, the maids hurriedly brought more, "Master Jiang ordered people to prepare three servings. I wonder if Madam Jian and Miss Jian like them."
Jian Yuyan glanced at Jiang Yi for a second longer. He originally thought that he was very attentive, but now it seemed that he was no match for Jiang Yi.
Everyone continued on their journey. Yan Yiming sat in the carriage eating snacks and drinking tea. After a while, Jiang Yi came in and Yan Yiming poured him a cup of tea.
Jiang Yi drank his tea and looked at her and suddenly said, "Just now I suddenly discovered something interesting."
"What's the matter?" Yan Yiming asked casually.
"Just now when Miss Jian was here, the Crown Prince and General Shao avoided Miss Jian. Then I remembered that Miss Jian and General Shao were childhood sweethearts and she almost became the Crown Princess." Jiang Yi looked at Yan Yiming's slightly frozen expression and continued, "The actor that Jian Yuyan once liked also looked very similar to Miss Jian. It's interesting to say that several of them have some unclear relationship with Miss Jian. Ah Ming, what do you think is the reason?"
Yan Yiming opened his mouth and said after a while, "Miss Jian has outstanding looks and a gentle personality. It's not surprising that so many people like her."
"That's right," Jiang Yi nodded, "but unfortunately, these people all fell in love with other people later..."
"Others." Yan Yiming picked up a piece of lotus cake and stuffed it into Jiang Yi's mouth. "Let's not talk about the past."
Jiang Yi smiled as he chewed the sweet pastry that he didn't really like, "Then let's not talk about it."
Shao Jingyu has given up. The prince and Jian Yuyan have not discovered anything so far, so let the past be the past. What he wants is only Yan Yiming's future.
Because of the prince, the trip back to the capital was less than a hundred miles a day and took nearly half a month to arrive.
The crown prince had been missing for nearly several months, and the queen had been crying all day in the harem. The King of Yue, who was supposed to return to Beiping, also stayed in the capital because of the queen.
Now that she was finally able to return, the Queen even wanted to go out of the city to see her son in person, but was detained in the palace by the Emperor and the King of Yue, and several princes went out of the city to greet her in person.
As for the so-called "sinners" Yan Yiming and Jian Yuyan, Jiang Yi smiled and pinched Yan Yiming's cheek and said, "I'm sorry to have to inconvenience you for now."
No matter how meritorious they were, they were still "traitors" at the moment. After entering the capital, Yan Yiming and others finally parted ways with the prince and others. The prince and others went to the palace to report, while they went to the sky prison to await their fate.
Two hours later, Jiang Yi came to the prison in person to pick someone up.
Yan Yiming turned around and glanced at Jian Yuer and the others. Jiang Yi already understood and said, "Your Majesty has been trying to find out Jian Yuyan's identity. Now that he has made a contribution, he will be fine."
Yan Yiming breathed a sigh of relief. Jiang Yi smiled and put the cloak on her shoulders. "They are fine, and you are fine too."
"Everyone is alive and well, and your goal has finally been achieved," Jiang Yi looked at Yan Yiming's stunned face and said slowly, "After so many years, you can finally leave."
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