As Yue Qingyang spoke, he took off the jade pendant and handed it to Jiang Songyi. However, his hand was still tightly clenched, and a look of reluctance and pain appeared on his face.
In the past, Jiang Songyi was always so considerate. She would never accept the relics of Yue Qingyang's mother, let alone pawn them.
However, Jiang Songyi is now full of dissatisfaction with Yue Qingyang, and she no longer considers his inner feelings.
She snatched the jade pendant, her smile full of sarcasm: "Don't worry, Your Highness, I will find a good price for you. Not only can I offer a perpetual lamp for your mother, but also for your entire family."
Xiang Zhu was extremely shocked and thought to himself: "Miss, how can you say such things? Isn't this cursing the death of someone else's family?"
The veins on Yue Qingyang's forehead throbbed and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes.
Jiang Songyi!
I want to see if you can really offer a perpetual lamp for your whole family!
One day in the future, I will not only soak your eyes in a glass bottle, but also make you into an ever-beacon to avenge today!
Jiang Songyi pretended to be innocent, covering her mouth with her hands and chuckling softly: "Oh, I haven't read much and I'm not very good at speaking. Your Highness, please don't take it to heart."
What else could Yue Qingyang say? He could only endure it for the time being: "Young Miss's great kindness, Yue Qingyang will always remember it in his heart."
Jiang Songyi brought the Thousand Character Classic confiscated from Yue Qingyang, as well as the jade pendant, and returned to Jinghongyuan with Xiang Zhu.
The moment she turned around, the boy who originally looked weak and vulnerable stared at the direction where Jiang Songyi disappeared with a sinister look like a dormant beast, and his fists under his sleeves dug into his flesh.
After a while, the servant who was originally taking a break under the peach tree not far away appeared behind Yue Qingyang. He treated Yue Qingyang with respect and caution.
The servant asked, "Your Highness, Jiang Songyi didn't fall for it, so what should we do next?"
Yue Qingyang stroked the black jade ring on his hand, pondered for a moment, and replied: "I can only change the plan slightly."
Contacting the informant at Rong'en Temple through Jiang Songyi was the easiest and safest method. After all, the most dangerous places are often the safest. Marquis Yongding would never have imagined that he would dare to tamper with something right under his nose.
However, he would not completely block his own path, as Jiang Songyi was not the only option.
"It's time to use that hidden chess piece."
"Yes, sir."
The servant understood what he meant and was about to turn around to carry out the order when Yue Qingyang called him again.
"Wait a moment."
The servant stopped and waited for his order.
Yue Qingyang pondered for a moment and said softly, "Go and redeem the jade pendant that Jiang Songyi pawned."
If he had known that Jiang Songyi was so stubborn, he should not have used the jade pendant to gain sympathy.
…
The moonlight is like water, and I walk alone with a lantern. The peach blossoms are looming in the night, hazy and charming.
Xiang Zhu and Jiang Songyi walked side by side and couldn't help but sigh: "I didn't expect that Yue Qingyang's life story was so miserable."
Jiang Songyi's tone was calm, yet it revealed deep emotion: "He doesn't need our sympathy. His misfortune stems from the actions of our Yongding Marquisate. If the Yongding Marquisate had failed to hold its ground, repel Dongling, and force them to offer a hostage in exchange for peace, then we would be a thousand times more miserable today than Yue Qingyang."
Xiang Zhu was slightly stunned, then nodded in agreement: "Miss, what you said is absolutely right."
The Western Jin Dynasty had enjoyed a long period of peace, and the people had almost forgotten the cruelty of war. They even nearly forgot the deep hatred between the lonely hostage in the palace and their own family.
…
At the edge of the peach grove south of the Yongding Marquis's residence, there lay a quiet little courtyard. Candlelight flickered in the night, never extinguished. Yue Qingyang, a thin and frail young man, sat at his desk, wolf-hair brush in hand. With focused concentration and breath, he scrawled a secret letter on paper, then carefully sealed it with wax and handed it to the servant behind him.
Suddenly, he heard hurried footsteps outside the door and quickly blew out the candle.
Then, there was a soft knock on the door.
At this time, who would come to disturb him in the Yongding Marquis's Mansion?
Yue Qingyang pretended to be awakened, and asked in a tired voice, "Who's outside?"
In the darkness of the night, the girl's crisp and gentle voice came through the crack of the door. She lowered her voice deliberately, but it was still clear: "Yue Qingyang, it's me."
Jiang Songyi?
What was her purpose in coming to see him so late?
In the darkness, a hint of surprise flashed across Yue Qingyang's deep eyes. He quickly jumped off the bed, put on his inner clothes, and went to open the door.
The moonlight is shining outside the door, and the peach blossoms under the moon are blooming beautifully.
In the chill of the spring night, the girl wore a hood and a cloak. A circle of snow-white fur set off her jade-white skin, which was cold, white and translucent. The gentle light between her eyebrows and eyes was even more moving in the moonlight.
Those eyes were brighter than the stars in the night sky, making Yue Qingyang want to hide them deep in his heart.
Yue Qingyang's heart skipped a beat. His voice was a little flustered, yet still a bit bewildered: "Miss, it's so late, what do you want from me?"
A hint of cunning flashed in Jiang Songyi's eyes. She took out a package from behind her and gently handed it to him.
Yue Qingyang was stunned for a moment.
Suddenly, the scene described in the storybook of a rich girl eloping with a scholar on a moonlit night emerged in his mind.
Could it be that Jiang Songyi wanted to elope with him? !
Yue Qingyang stood in the shadow of the doorframe, his entire body bathed in darkness. Suddenly, he felt his cheeks burning. Jiang Songyi whispered, "Haven't you always regretted not being able to go to Rong'en Temple in person to light the eternal lamp for your biological mother? I'm willing to take you there, but if my family knew, they would definitely not agree. So, I decided to take you there secretly."
Yue Qingyang's expression froze again, like a stone statue.
It turned out that Jiang Songyi was cleverly performing a drama in front of the maid, and she unconsciously blocked the eyes and ears of Yongding Hou for him.
Yue Qingyang murmured softly, "The eldest lady is so caring towards me."
Does she harbor deep affection for him?
"Tomorrow, you will pretend to be sick, then quietly put on this dress and pretend to be my maid. I will take you to Rong'en Temple."
Jiang Songyi gently untied the bundle, and a set of pink uniforms of a maid in the Marquis' Mansion came into view, with even a hairpin that had accidentally slipped off.
Yue Qingyang's figure disappeared in the darkness inside the door. He lowered his eyes and stared at the bundle that Jiang Songyi opened. The expression on his face was unreadable.
It turned out that she had no intention of eloping with him.
"Hurry up and take it. I'll be waiting outside Jinghong Courtyard tomorrow. I have to sneak out quietly, otherwise the maids will find out soon."
Seeing that Yue Qingyang was still hesitant, Jiang Songyi simply stuffed the maid's dress into his arms, then wrapped herself in a cloak and disappeared into the depths of the peach forest like a dancing butterfly.
Yue Qingyang's eyes were as deep as the night. He stared at the direction where Jiang Songyi left for a long time before slowly looking away.
The servant quietly appeared behind him and asked curiously, "Your Highness, are you really going to endure the humiliation and dress as a woman to follow Miss Jiang to Rong'en Temple?"
Yue Qingyang casually threw the bag aside and smiled contemptuously: "Absolutely impossible."
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