Chapter 36 Snow
The important matter is the priority.
Shang Yuji ignored Jiang Xiqu's rambling and pinched his cheek to stop him from talking.
He fell silent upon receiving the message.
"Let's go over the conversation we just had."
She picked up her pen and wrote the character for "moon" in the middle of the paper.
The story begins with the Moon Pearl.
From her departure from the village to her travels in Da'an, and then to her passing, although the news we learned not long ago cleared up some doubts, it also brought new questions.
Why did she enter the Jiang family residence in Hebei Province?
Why did Tongjiang Prefecture go to Da'an Capital?
And Madam Jiang, as Master Jiang's second wife, why did she hide behind Yue Mingzhu after her death and raise Jiang Xi in a seemingly distant manner?
Madam Jiang... she must know something.
It seems we need to re-establish contact with the Jiang family.
As for the two people from the southern border, Shang Yuji was skeptical of their words. What concerned her most was the "Heart-to-Heart Gu" on Jiang Xi's body. She might as well tell Yan Taifu and the others about the conversation and see what they had to say.
She stopped her hasty writing and glanced at Jiang Xi, who was grinding ink while watching her write. After she stopped, he turned to look at her.
Shang Yuji raised her hand and touched his head. Jiang Xi lowered his head, his tied-up black hair sliding down his porcelain-white neck. From her perspective, a section of his bent neck could be seen.
If Hui Gu's "Heart-Connecting Gu" only works when used for intercourse with one's beloved, then what about the scene in the original text where Jiang Xi was forced by everyone?
She froze, remembering a line from the princess's letter:
"Hui Gu and the other two came from the Second Prince's residence."
Isn't the Second Prince's residence the place where Jiang Xi was sold by the Jiang family?
In addition, Hui Gu asked Jiang Xi to learn Gu poison today...
Shang Yuji was lost in thought and stopped what she was doing. Jiang Xiqu didn't say anything, but took the initiative to shake his head and rub his palm against hers.
Perhaps, from the very beginning, she got one thing wrong.
She withdrew her hand, turned around, and looked straight at the person in front of her who could be described as a celestial being.
Yes, who would doubt that this face is worthy of being forcibly taken?
In an era where power reigns supreme, those with power and influence disregard the law; doing whatever they please is their defining characteristic.
Not to mention the eldest and second young masters of the Jiang family, there are princes, grandsons of emperors, generals, prime ministers, and even the emperor himself...
Which one is not the supreme being?
And coincidentally, what they all have in common is power. Taking them down is tantamount to taking down... the throne.
In the book, it is ultimately the second prince who ascends the throne.
Assuming everything is true, then from another perspective, it should be that Hui Gu and her group went to the Second Prince's residence to arrest A Shuang, and the Second Prince learned of Jiang Xi's existence through them, and then went to the Jiang residence to retrieve him.
Seeing that Jiang Xi had a talent for learning Gu poison, Hui Gu wanted to take him back to the Southern Frontier, but the Second Prince would most likely refuse. In the end, Hui Gu stayed in the capital to teach Jiang Xi Gu poison.
After Jiang Xi completed his studies, the Second Prince ordered him to take action against his political enemies.
Just as Yue Mingzhu could use Gu to interfere with Master Jiang's cognition, Jiang Xiqu could naturally use Gu to influence those in power in the court.
Gradually, under the influence of the Second Prince, the imperial court became his personal fiefdom.
There was no physical or emotional abuse or forced love involved; it was all political infighting from beginning to end.
Moreover, to ensure that Jiang Xiqu would not die from the Heart-Connecting Gu, the Second Prince had to isolate him from others.
Seeing Shang Yuji's increasingly pale face, Jiang Xi asked worriedly, "Aji, are you alright?"
"Ha, it's nothing..." Or rather, she was more excited that the problem that had troubled her for so long had suddenly been solved.
“Jiang Xi, you’re a genius.” She finished speaking and laughed.
Who would have thought that the protagonist of a restricted novel could suddenly become the villain in a political intrigue novel?
He actually succeeded in doing it; one could say he single-handedly overthrew the entire court.
Jiang Xi laughed and said, "Aji is much better than me. Aji is a genius."
However, it seems that without Jiang Xi's help, the Second Prince's path will not be so easy.
How can this not be considered a good deed done by accident?
If the above assumptions come true, then Jiangxi is the key to it.
With this in mind, she said apologetically, "Can I ask you for a favor?"
Jiang Xi's eyes lit up: "Of course!"
Ah Ji needs him! He'd go through fire and water for her without hesitation!
If Shang Yuji knew what he was thinking, she would just laugh at him for reading too many storybooks.
"Although I will respect your opinion, I would like to trouble you this time to learn Gu poison from Aunt Hui."
Since the Second Prince knows about the witchcraft in the Southern Frontier, he might seek cooperation with other people from the Southern Frontier to continue trying to use witchcraft on the Eldest Princess. If our side also has people who understand witchcraft, then we can be fearless against the Second Prince using witchcraft to frame us again.
Hui Gu is from the southern border region. If the princess is too closely involved with them, it is hard to guarantee that someone will not report her.
But Jiang Xiqu was different. She and the princess had long been aligned, and it was the duty of a staff member to help the lord.
It is justified, reasonable, and beyond doubt.
"Okay." Jiang Xi agreed. "It's no trouble at all. I wanted to learn anyway, so please don't make things difficult for me, Aji."
He observed Lin Mingshan's martial arts style and realized that he would likely lose in a direct confrontation. However, after Hui Gu mentioned that Gu poison could also be used in combat, he began to consider learning Gu poison.
But now it's different. Ah Ji needs him to learn Gu poison, because if it's Ah Ji, he will definitely learn it well.
Shang Yuji waved his hand and said, "Thank you, Xi Qu. Considering how hard you've worked, here's a reward of two hundred taels!"
Jiang Xi smiled, her fox-like eyes sparkling, and said softly, "I should be thanking Aji."
The two hundred taels for the pear blossom hairpin had already been covered by Shang Yuji's regular tips and wages, making his purse quite bulging again.
With the two hundred taels he received as a reward, he could go to the cloth shop again and buy some new silks and satins.
He's really learned how to bargain this time, he'll definitely be able to negotiate with the shopkeeper several times over!
Shang Yuji remembered something and said to him, "By the way, last time I heard from the medicine boy that you often went to buy medicine for injuries, why didn't you tell me you were injured? Was it from practicing martial arts? Senior Yi has been traveling the martial arts world for many years, and her martial arts skills are unmatched. If you really can't beat her, just run away. There's no need to fight her head-on. Where are you injured? Do you need me to apply medicine for you?"
"Ah Ji, I'm sorry," Jiang Xi said softly, twisting her sleeves with both hands.
"Hmm? You didn't do anything wrong. If you're injured, you need to go to the clinic to get it treated. Just don't get seriously injured next time. It will hurt me to know."
“It’s not that…” He looked at me with his misty, fox-like eyes, hesitatingly stammering, “It’s…it’s for other reasons…”
"Can't I know?"
"No, no! You know, it's me who intends to..."
Shang Yuji poked his flustered face: "Alright, it seems it's best if I don't know. I won't make things difficult for you. Tell me when you want to."
Suddenly, she was embraced tightly by the person who jumped up: "Aji, you're so good to me."
She smiled helplessly and patted his back: "It's because I know you wouldn't lie to me."
They'd rather remain silent than lie.
Snowflakes drifted outside the window, but the charcoal fire inside kept the house warm, so it didn't feel cold.
Perhaps it was the nurturing environment of Yangzhou that helped Jiang Xi overcome his unease, which faded considerably as they spent time together day and night.
Just as he believed Shang Yuji's words, they would stay together until death separated them.
In fact, even death cannot separate them, unless he leaves before Aji, in which case he would hope that Aji can live longer.
According to folklore, people go to the underworld after they die.
He went to explore the underworld first, so that when Aji came down, he would be there and Aji wouldn't have to be afraid of the underworld anymore.
But what if Ah Ji leaves before him...
He will stay with her.
If Aji went to the unfamiliar underworld alone, she would be scared, and he couldn't let her go alone.
The book says that the separation between the living and the dead is the hardest to overcome.
He wouldn't do that; he'd rather die with Aji.
The charcoal crackled, and perhaps because the embrace was too warm, Shang Yuji heard him say, "Aji, you must live a long and long life."
She didn't understand why he suddenly said that, but she still replied, "I'll do my best."
Squeezed together on a bench, their face-to-face embrace felt a little awkward. She wondered how to get him up when he said gently, "Aji."
"Um?"
The book also says that he was willing to share life and death with her...
He paused for a moment, then laughed out loud: "I love you."
"……Um."
Looking out the window at the falling snow, Shang Yuji said, "The snow outside is perfect, let's go get some snow."
“Getting wet in the snow will make you catch a cold and get sick, and Ah-Ji can’t get sick.”
She pushed him away effortlessly, and their eyes met.
Jiang Xi was troubled about how to dissuade her from getting wet in the snow, but didn't want to spoil her mood. Finally, she came up with a solution: "Let's watch the snow together under an umbrella?"
Jiang Xiqu always held a firm and stubborn stance on preventing Shang Yuji from getting hurt or sick.
Shang Yuji pleaded softly, "My dear Xiqu, let me get soaked in the snow. There's a saying that two people who get soaked in the snow can grow old together. I wonder if we can grow old together."
These words swayed him.
He longed to grow old with Aji.
After saying that, he struggled for a while before finally getting up, running to the study to rest, and bringing back a pile of thick clothes and cloaks: "If you want to go out, you have to wear these!"
Shang Yuji walked up to him and opened her arms. Jiang Xi knew that she had agreed, so he began to help her put on the clothes one by one.
Gradually, she felt as if she were buried in a pile of clothes when Jiang Xi brought out a hand warmer. With everything ready, the two of them went out.
Opening the door, the chill was kept out by her thick clothes. Shang Yuji murmured, "It's not cold when it snows, it's when the snow melts."
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jiang Xi's expression, which looked like she was facing a difficult problem. In order to save her freedom of dress on snowy days, she added, "I try not to go out on snowy days."
Jiang Xi lowered his head. He wanted to hold Aji's hand, but worried that the cold wind would blow into her cloak, so he quickly stopped himself from doing so.
The trees in the courtyard have shed their former lushness, and their clean branches are covered with patches of white snow, as if they have shed their green leaves and grown white ones instead.
Snowflakes fell on Jiang Xi's head, making his high ponytail look like it had turned into frost. Shang Yuji pointed at his hair and laughed, "Old Jiang."
Jiang Xi imitated her and said, "Mrs. Shang."
Shang Yuji was speechless, then sighed, "You're quick-witted."
Two long footprints were left in the snow-covered courtyard, which were slowly covered by the new snow.
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Author's Note: Xiaoxi seems like a well-behaved girl, but she really is capable of committing suicide for love.
It's the kind of situation where you hold a corpse lying in your arms, find a good feng shui spot, dig a pit, clean both of them up, and then die together in bed. The saying "I would die without Aji" is actually true.
He looks like a person, but beneath the surface, he's just a person held together by obsessions.
Thinking about it that way, he's actually pretty crazy. ( ) [melted]
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