Rong Ying gently lifted his eyelids, and a deep purple sachet came into view. He unceremoniously took it into his hand, put it to his nose, and smelled it. He recognized it as an ordinary sachet that could refresh the mind.
She then tossed the sachet back into Xiange's arms.
Confused, Xian Ge glared at him and said, "Are you ungrateful or just good at lecturing others? Why can't I accept my things?"
"Why are you bothering me? I have no interest in marriage. You've come to the wrong person," Rong Ying said, though he was drunk. There was still a part of his mind that was clear. He knew what he was doing and also knew what Xiange was thinking.
Xiange gave a soft chuckle, and without hesitation, sat down in the empty seat next to Rong Ying, tilting her head to glance at him, completely agreeing.
"I've come to the wrong place, of course. If I had a way, I wouldn't bother with you."
Rong Ying glanced at her with a hint of interest, assuming that she had come to her senses and was no longer willing to waste her time on her.
Not wanting to continue the song, she affectedly said, "Who told me I couldn't control my heart?"
Rong Ying: "..."
"The girl with the stringed song is truly persistent..."
Before Rong Ying could finish speaking, his words were abruptly cut off. He stared wide-eyed at Xiange, who was standing right in front of him, his eyes filled with astonishment.
He never expected that Xiange would be so audacious as to bite him, to bite his neck.
Rong Ying subconsciously raised his hand to push Xiange away, but Xiange immediately bit harder and sprinkled something on his neck, causing Rong Ying a brief, dense, itchy pain.
After Rong Ying was freed from his restraints, he touched a faint bloodstain: "What is this?"
When Rong Ying looked up again, he found that Xiange was looking down at him.
“My benefactor, I believe you that you have no interest in marriage in this lifetime. I put a drug in the teeth marks just now, and the teeth marks will stay for life.”
"This way I can finally comfort myself. The Cheng family is pressuring me to get married. I'll send you an invitation to my next wedding."
Seeing Rong Ying angrily about to get up, Xiange quickly raised her palm to stop her.
“My benefactor, even mingling in the palace can break the palace rules. Once you’re caught, you won’t be able to sever ties with me. Don’t do something you’ll regret.”
After she finished speaking, she wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and left satisfied.
In the end, Rong Ying couldn't even muster the strength to chase after her. She could only clutch her neck, watching Xiange walk away with barely suppressed anger.
***
After the 100-day celebration, the palace returned to calm.
Jingyan and Rongying were engrossed in watching Chenqi's declaration of war against them.
Yue Jiang gradually realized that things were not as simple as they seemed, and she became quite concerned about this potentially serious matter that threatened her safety.
She knew that Jing Yan would never take the war lightly and discuss it with others.
So when Jingyan returned to his bedchamber, Yuejiang deliberately acted sullen and absent-minded, ignoring Zhang'er's babbling and squirming in her arms.
When Zhang'er felt that his mother, who used to tease him, was ignoring him and it was no longer interesting, he wanted to pout and cry.
Jingyan was finally startled by the child's commotion and pulled himself out of his book.
He took Zhang'er and coaxed him a few times, then gently called to Yue Jiang, who was still in a daze.
"Jiang'er, Jiang'er, what are you thinking about? Zhang'er wants to play with you."
Yue Jiang belatedly came to her senses, patted Zhang'er's little hand, and her face showed a worry that she could hardly hide.
Jing Yan could no longer ignore Yue Jiang's thoughts, and he asked her about them.
"What's wrong? Did Zhang'er bother you again today?"
“Zhang’er makes a fuss every day. If I were to argue with him, I would have died of anger long ago.”
Yuejiang held out a finger for Zhang'er to pull, and Zhang'er grabbed it and tried to put it in his mouth, forcing Yuejiang to hold his little hand to stop him.
Then, without saying a word, he turned away, sighed, and then spoke with a meaningful concern.
"Your Highness, it must have been tough fighting the Feng family. That cut on your abdomen must have taken a long time to heal."
Jing Yan's hand instinctively fell to the spot where he had been stabbed before. Yue Jiang's ointment was very effective, and there was no scar left.
He explained the reason: "At that time, I was focused on avenging my family and overlooked Feng's sneak attack. It's all healed now, Jiang'er, don't worry."
"It's all healed now. He was stabbed back then, and His Highness must have been in a lot of pain. Danger is unavoidable in war," Yue Jiang said, sobbing softly with heartache.
As she finished speaking, Jing Yan gradually understood why Yue Jiang was acting this way, and shook his head helplessly.
“Since each country has its own ambitions, conflict is inevitable. If my Jing Kingdom does nothing, it will be like drawing a circle around itself and being slaughtered by others in the future.”
"I believe Jiang'er is smart enough not to be unable to understand this principle."
Yue Jiang: "Whether I understand it or not, it won't determine the overall situation. What does Chen Qi's war have to do with us? Are they asking for reinforcements from outside?"
Jing Yan pondered for a moment, then paused, preparing to speak.
Yue Jiang hurriedly waved her hand to stop him from speaking: "That's enough, Your Highness, please stop. I am just a woman, I shouldn't worry about things that are not my concern, let alone important military and political matters."
"So that Military Advisor Rong Ying doesn't find out and blame His Highness."
She acted considerately and appropriately, leaving no room for criticism.
"Jiang'er, your reaction makes me think you really want to hear it?" Jing Yan chuckled.
Yue Jiang disagreed with him and retorted angrily, appearing even more innocent and pure: "Your Highness, you doubt my intentions. In such important military and political matters, do you think I don't know my place?"
"Who said the opposite of what you meant? If you think I really want to hear it, but you say you don't want to, wouldn't that mean I'm doing it on purpose, playing hard to get?"
"If I have gone to such lengths, I dare not imagine how Your Highness views my thoughts. But then again, I am a foreigner from another country, so it is only right that Your Highness is wary of me."
After Yue Jiang finished speaking, she silently took Zhang'er back from Jing Yan's arms and held Zhang'er without saying a word.
Zhang'er seemed to sense his mother's unusual emotions. He gradually quieted down from his previous lively and boisterous behavior, blowing bubbles in front of Yue Jiang.
Jing Yan: "..."
"Jiang'er, you misunderstood me. I'm not trying to guard against you, I'm just afraid you'll panic."
Jing Yan did not worry about Yue Jiang's identity, and he was also certain that Xiange was not there to steal military secrets.
Unfortunately, the war between Chen and Qi is complicated, and if there are any unforeseen circumstances that prevent us from achieving our desired outcome, the flames of war will undoubtedly reach Jing one day.
Jing Yan lacked confidence that Yue Jiang would stand by him through thick and thin in times of crisis.
Or, if he is powerless to protect Yue Jiang, it would be better for Yue Jiang to simply abandon him rather than die innocently with him.
Jing Yan smiled faintly and explained the underlying reasons why the conflict between Chen and Qi had escalated into war.
"The war between Chen and Qi is common knowledge. There's no need for me to hide it from you. But the reason they went to war is entirely due to the instigation of An and Yu behind the scenes."
Yue Jiang paused, her eyes filled with shock as she gently patted the child's hand.
"Your Highness said that the war between Chen and Qi was started by An and Yu. Did An and Yu secretly form an alliance?"
Yue Jiang couldn't help but have a terrifying thought: if Anguo and Yuguo were plotting to sow discord between Chenqi and then seize the opportunity to annex it, it would greatly enhance their national prestige.
If Anguo and Yuguo cooperate well in the short term, their next target will surely be Jingguo.
Is Jing Yan still happy?
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