Jing Shuo suppressed his arrogance, bowed even lower, and became even more respectful: "Your subject dares not, Your subject only wishes to ask for your guidance, sister-in-law."
Yue Jiang didn't believe Jing Shuo could be so humble, because the more humble he was, the more suspicious he seemed.
If she helps him once, he might use that as an excuse to come and beg her every time, and then she'll be dragged down by him.
"Second brother, you flatter me. I haven't heard of what you're talking about, so it's really not appropriate for me to do my best. Why don't you go and tell them yourself?"
Jing Shuo suddenly looked up, his gaze deep and unfathomable: "Sister-in-law Crown Princess, if you are so disrespectful, I'm afraid the secret I've been keeping for you can no longer be concealed."
“Back then, you threatened me with the Moon Kingdom and with An Yuchenqi, and I was intimidated by you. But after thinking about it again, I realized that you were not fooled.”
"The Yue Kingdom has sent many princesses abroad for political marriages over the centuries, all in order to maintain good relations with other countries. Does the Yue Kingdom have no ulterior motives at all? Otherwise, why would they send out someone as strange as you, sister-in-law?"
"The nations will soon arrive. Sister-in-law, you don't want your secret with the Moon Kingdom to be revealed and bring disaster to your motherland, do you?"
"Let me tell you another secret, sister-in-law. I suspect that the first country to attack the Moon Kingdom will be the An Kingdom, and the one who will be the one to bring about the downfall of the kingdom is you, sister-in-law."
Jing Shuo pondered for a long time afterward. The reason why the Yue Kingdom has stood firm to this day is because it knows how to be pragmatic. But what if the other countries knew that the Yue Kingdom not only knows how to be pragmatic, but also has ulterior motives?
The other countries will surely be resentful and wary. Knowing that he has been deceived, Anguo will definitely take the opportunity to recoup his losses.
With the alliance of several nations, destroying the Moon Kingdom would be a piece of cake.
Yue Jiang sneered: "Jing Shuo, you are despicable and shameless, and besides being despicable and shameless, you have no brains at all."
If the Moon Kingdom had truly harbored any ulterior motives over the years, it would have been destroyed by a coalition of other nations long ago. How could it have survived until now?
Jing Shuo thought he had Yue Jiang under control and that victory was assured. He became arrogant and straightened his back.
“Since you think what I said makes sense, why don’t you go back and help me?” His gaze fell on the sachet at Yue Jiang’s waist, and he looked at her with even more fearlessness.
"Otherwise, no matter how many sachets my sister-in-law wears, it won't cover up the fact that the Yue Kingdom has impure intentions."
Jing Shuo then bowed and left.
After Jing Shuo disappeared from Yue Jiang's sight, Yue Jiang pondered for a moment and called back Qing Ke: "Get me some magnolia flowers."
"Yes," Qingke nodded.
...
Not long after Yue Jiang returned to the East Palace, Qing Ke brought back several sprigs of magnolia. Yue Jiang asked Qing Ke to take them to the kitchen to make rice porridge and send it to Jing Yan.
Magnolia flowers are not rare, but they are most abundant in the Yongshou Hall and in the residence of Consort Cheng.
Jing Yan doesn't usually put much effort into his food. Yue Jiang knows his habits well. After taking a bite, he noticed something was wrong and stared at the barley.
"Did the Crown Princess go to Yongshou Palace today? Was she given any trouble?"
Qingke shook her head: "The Crown Princess did not go to Yongshou Palace, but she was stopped by the Second Prince on the way, and she did not go out after returning."
She glanced at the rice porridge, then quickly lowered her head and said, "The flowers were also a gift from the Second Prince to the Crown Princess."
Upon hearing this, Jing Yan slowly lowered the spoon in his hand.
Before long, he put down his soup bowl and went to Yichun Palace. When he entered the courtyard, he saw Yue Jiang eating through the window. It was a simple meal of congee and side dishes, which was quite boring and uninteresting.
"Your Highness!"
Qingfei, who was standing beside Yuejiang, saw the person and quickly curtsied and greeted them.
Yue Jiang then looked up from her meal and saw Jing Yan. She was momentarily lost in thought, but then smiled brightly again.
"Your Highness, what brings you here at this hour?"
Jing Yan continued walking inside with his hands behind his back, explaining, "When I saw you had someone bring porridge, I thought I'd come over."
"Why is Jiang'er only eating plain porridge? Didn't Second Brother send some magnolia flowers?"
Yue Jiang's smile gradually faded, replaced by a look of disdain: "He wouldn't come to the Three Treasures Hall without a reason. Who cares about his magnolia flowers? Didn't we just put them in His Highness's porridge?"
Looking at Yue Jiang's angry expression, Jing Yan felt both amused and sorry for her for no reason.
"How so? Was it not a coincidence that I ran into my second brother today?"
Yue Jiang complained angrily: "Of course I didn't want to run into him, but he blocked my way and kept talking about begging and asking for help, wanting to join the Xuanjia Army."
"Do I know anything about white armor or black armor? I told my second brother to come directly to His Highness, but he refused."
When it came to the Xuanjia Army, Jing Yan immediately understood. He preemptively won over General Du, thus thwarting Empress Dowager Cheng's previous plans.
With no way to help Jingshuo, Jingshuo inevitably became anxious.
After all, even the Longevity Palace had asked the Emperor for favors, intending to send Jinglu to General Du for training.
"I understand. I will make him face reality. As husband and wife, there will always be people who will rack their brains to pull strings. Jiang'er, you don't need to pay attention to them."
Yue Jiang snorted softly, looking sullen: "I don't want to pay any attention to it. I only ask that the Second Prince stop stopping me all the time, that's all I ask..."
She turned away, seemingly finding it difficult to continue her sentence.
"Successively?" If Jing Yan couldn't see Yue Jiang's unusual behavior, he wouldn't be worthy of being a husband. His expression was serious and cautious as he asked gently.
"Jiang'er, what else did Jing Shuo say? If he offended you, you should tell me, and I will seek justice for you."
Yue Jiang forced a trembling voice, speaking in a barely audible whisper: "I am his sister-in-law. How could he say such things to me? Do you think he can even blend perfume?"
Jing Yan immediately thought of the sachet that Jing Shuo had given to Yue Jiang a while ago. It turned out that he was not only overthinking things, but Jing Shuo had also not listened to his reprimand that time.
Jing Yan's pupils trembled slightly, and his breathing became heavier and slower: "Jiang'er, is it because of those magnolia flowers this time?"
Yue Jiang bit her lip and said awkwardly, "I dare not repeat what my second brother said. Your Highness would surely feel embarrassed and disdain me if you heard it."
Jing Yan's brow twitched, suppressing his anger, and he still spoke gently to Yue Jiang: "What did he say? Don't be afraid. You are my wife. I will not listen to any rumors or slander."
"If I cannot protect my wife and leave her to wallow in self-pity and grief, that would be a loss of face."
"Really? Will Your Highness always stand by my side?" Yue Jiang looked up at Jing Yan with hopeful eyes.
Jing Yan nodded emphatically.
Having received Jing Yan's promise, Yue Jiang felt as if she had found a harbor to rely on, and lowered her eyes in embarrassment and annoyance.
"Your Highness, how could my second brother say something like 'I smell good'? Such an embarrassing thing to say! I am Your Highness's woman!"
"I always felt that the few white magnolias he sent me were an insult to me."
When Yue Jiang uttered her words of grievance, Jing Yan's mind went blank.
Yue Jiang usually protects herself very well to avoid gossip and criticism from others because of her body fragrance. Even when Jing Yan is in close contact with Yue Jiang, he rarely smells it.
But Jing Yan had deeply felt her body fragrance at night, and he knew what kind of thoughts that alluring and lingering scent could evoke in a person.
Jing Shuo does have some skill with spices, so it makes sense that he could detect them, but he shouldn't have been so unaware of the need for discretion.
Unbeknownst to him, Jing Yan's eyes were filled with anger, but the next moment Yue Jiang trembled even more violently. Jing Yan quickly returned to normal, pulled her into his arms, and gently stroked Yue Jiang's thin back.
"I know this has nothing to do with you, but I will seek justice for you."
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