Su Rong sat upright, intending to have a honest talk with Jiang Xing.
So, under Jiang Xing’s bewildered gaze, she lowered her voice and asked him directly, "If you are implicated by Jiang Sheng and your entire clan is threatened with execution, would you prefer to live or die?"
Jiang Xing was taken aback, "What...what do you mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like." Su Rong stared into his eyes. She wanted to save Jiang Xing, but arranging this meeting through Zhou Gu posed a certain risk. After all, if word leaked from Jiang Sheng’s end, it would be difficult for Zhou Gu to explain himself to the Crown Prince.
Jiang Xing’s face gradually paled, and he looked terrified, "Implicated...execution of the entire clan...this...this..." He was momentarily speechless, "What about my parents..."
He is the only child in his family.
"Since your entire clan is facing execution, your parents will naturally be implicated too." Su Rong watched him, patiently waiting for Jiang Xing to absorb the shock of her words, as anyone would be startled to hear such a thing.
Jiang Xing opened his mouth, "Did...did you receive any news?"
He was smart and figured that Su Rong would not have summoned him here to tell him such a thing, especially under the circumstances that Zhou Gu was present.
Su Rong nodded, "Correct."
"Then you..." Jiang Xing’s face changed again.
Su Rong said straightforwardly: "We have known each other for several years, and you are a good friend to my elder brother. You are talented and of good character. Knowing that your plans for the Autumn Examinations may be affected, and even your life might not be spared if you are implicated, once I received the news, I immediately thought of you. If you still want to live, I can devise a way to save you, together with your family members. Of course, if you choose to die with the Jiang Family Clan, ignore that I have ever sought you out."
As she finished speaking, she added unceremoniously: "Inviting Zhou Gu here also carries great risks, as word of what I have said must not reach Jiang Sheng. And of course, I won’t let you leak this to Jiang Sheng either. No one can save Jiang Sheng now, his death is inevitable."
Jiang Xing’s face turned pale, looking at Zhou Gu who was sitting leisurely, not intending to voice his thoughts. From Su Rong’s words, he faintly sensed that this information came from Zhou Gu.
He strived to steady his mind, "My household is but a branch of the Jiang Family Clan which you are well aware of, thus, we’re not particularly close to my granduncle Jiang Sheng. But...the Jiang Family Clan has hundreds of members, did my granduncle commit a great sin?"
Su Rong discerned from his words that he did not care much about Jiang Sheng’s household, but he cared about the Jiang Family Clan. Indeed, having a large Family helped to secure the prosperity of their descendants. Even though he was from a branch family, he was still given protection within the clan. If the clan was gone, he would have nothing left to support him.
She was not afraid to tell him, "Attempting to assassinate the Crown Prince, is that not a severe crime?"
Jiang Xing shuddered at heart, attempting to assassinate the Crown Prince was indeed a major crime, a crime that warranted execution of the entire clan.
Su Rong made it clear to him, "Therefore, even if it were just Jiang Sheng’s family, how could it atone for such a major crime? If so, everyone could attempt to assassinate the Crown Prince. I can’t save the entire Jiang Family, neither can you. The only person who can be saved now is you, and at most, your parents."
Jiang Xing nodded, the gravity of this information was overwhelming, and he needed some time to digest it. After a while, he finally said in a difficult voice, "I started my education at the age of two, began studying at three. My parents scrimped and saved just so I could receive a good education, pass the exams, and bring honor to our family. Naturally, I don’t wish to die, nor do I wish for my parents to die."
He raised his head, looking at Su Rong, making a decision, "Miss Su, thank you."
"Don’t rush to thank me." Su Rong shook her head, "I wanted to save you, that’s why I sought you out. It would be such a waste if you were implicated."
Having settled this, she looked towards Zhou Gu. "I can only inform you of this and let you make a choice. If you want to protect your family, you must truly save yourself."
"How can I save ourselves?" Jiang Xing asked.
Su Rong had said all she had to say. Observing that Zhou Gu had remained silent, she tugged at his sleeve, "Brother Zhou, tell Jiang Xing what he should do."
Zhou Gu wouldn’t admit that he had been silent all this time just to hear Su Rong call him Brother Zhou. At their initial meeting, he had sternly rejected Su Rong calling him that, yet after a mere twenty days, he found it unexpectedly pleasing to the ear.
What a strange turn of events!
Zhou Gu straightened up and faced Jiang Xing’s waiting gaze, "The person who caused the trouble should be the one to fix it. Jiang Sheng brought this calamity upon your family by trying to assassinate the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince uncovered his plot. If you want to protect your family, you should side with the Crown Prince! The Crown Prince is naturally lenient towards his own people."
Jiang Xing murmured, "Side with the Crown Prince?"
"Yes." Zhou Gu nodded his head, "You are talented, and I can recommend you. Pledge your allegiance to the Crown Prince. Before the royal decree of executing the entire clan arrives in Jiangzhou, I will draft a letter, and you should gather evidence against Jiang Sheng. Expose his heinous crimes. By showing that you are not in league with him, you and your household can be excluded from the family punishment, and be considered purged of his crimes. The Crown Prince could use this as a reason to spare your family, and you can still proceed to your exams as scheduled."
When Zhou Gu finished speaking, he added, "This is the only way."
Jiang Xing knew he had no choice given the punishment of nine familial exterminations. He nodded, the fear fading from his eyes, "I heard that the Crown Prince is a just and humble person, conducting himself in an upright and sincere manner, refined and dignified, possessing both virtue and talent?"
"Indeed."
Jiang Xing let out a sigh of relief, "To follow such a prince is my wish."
After leaving Drunken Goose Tavern, Jiang Xing, Su Rong, and Zhou Gu parted ways to prepare their own residences.
Watching him walk away, Su Rong said to Zhou Gu, "Send someone to keep an eye on him in secret."
Zhou Gu raised an eyebrow, "Being this cautious?"
"Yes, I’m afraid I might have misjudged him and let you down." Although Su Rong knew Jiang Xing well, their interactions were minimal. Even though he made his decision and spoke sincerely, she couldn’t fully trust him.
Zhou Gu smirked, visibly pleased, "I thought he admired you and you should have some faith in him."
Su Rong was speechless, "It doesn’t work that way."
Zhou Gu raised his eyebrow, "Then how does it work? I didn’t realize your defensive measures were this strong." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮
If Su Rong wasn’t this defensive, she would have been dead hundreds of times over from her childhood till now, she thought to herself. She intentionally spoke comforting words, "Isn’t this related to you? I’m afraid if there’s a mistake on Jiang Xing’s side, it may complicate things for you and the Crown Prince."
Zhou Gu responded ambiguously, he beckoned to someone and said, " Follow Jiang Xing in the dark, if anything seems out of place, kill him immediately."
The person nodded, and silently followed the departing Jiang Xing.
Su Rong had no objections to this. If Jiang Xing was deceitful in his words and actions, he was bound to die sooner or later. He deserved to be killed by Zhou Gu’s men if that was the case.
Zhou Gu glanced at the sky, then asked "Shall we head back to the mansion?"
"Are you tired?" Su Rong asked.
"Not at all," Zhou Gu shook his head.
Su Rong smiled at him, "Since you’re not tired, how about we visit Brocade Pavilion? Yesterday I ran into Zhou Xi, he was asking me which embroidery shop in Jiangning had the best skilled embroiderers. He mentioned you didn’t bring many clothes when you left the capital and need to make some more. I told him I’ve got your wardrobe covered, and he need not worry."
Zhou Gu paused for a moment, "You want to gift me clothes?"
"Don’t you want them?" Su Rong looked at him.
Zhou Gu wanted to say yes, but he looked at Su Rong, "Do you have the money, though?"
"I have enough money to buy you a few sets of clothes, just like buying wine, Brocade Pavilion can put it on a tab." Su Rong blinked.
Seeing her response, Zhou Gu suppressed the joy in his heart, "Yes, let’s go!"
No matter how much he spent, he decided he would pay her back in the future.
If it wasn’t for Xie Lin’s arrival in Jiangning, he would have felt reluctant to accept clothes from his fiancée. But now, Xie Lin was here in Jiangning, and when they met, he needed something to show off, didn’t he? Empty words could easily sound unconvincing, it would be more persuasive letting him see with his own eyes. If he was wearing the clothes Su Rong gifted him, that would surely convince Xie Lin.
With light and easeful steps, Zhou Gu followed Su Rong towards Brocade Pavilion.
They had not walked far before he heard someone call out to him from behind, "Zhou Gu!"
The sound was completely familiar to him. He had heard it since he was young.
Zhou Gu turned around and sure enough, saw Xie Lin calling him, appearing from somewhere behind him. Zhou Gu raised an eyebrow, thinking that Xie Lin had impeccable timing. Just a moment ago, he was planning to show off to him after dressing up in the new clothes. And now, here he was. But his appearance now was perfect, he could invite him along to Brocade Pavilion.
Xie Lin didn’t have a fiancée to present him with clothes, let him be jealous!
Zhou Gu broke into a smile, seeing Xie Lin felt like seeing family, he was extremely excited. Seeing Xie Lin call out to him, then just stand there motionless, he warmly waved at him, "Xie Lin? How come you’re here? Why are you just standing there? Come over here!"
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