Chapter 76 Is he possessed?
Jiang Liangxu looked somewhat helpless. "It's been too long, and I didn't have much contact with that man, so I don't remember him very clearly."
Zhao Xian didn't quite believe this, "But you still remember Madam Meng."
Jiang Liangxu lowered his eyes and wiped the water stains on the table, his tone tinged with a hint of sourness as he said:
“She’s from the same hometown as you and often works at the county government office. You two got along very well, while I became the one who got in my way. It’s hard for me to forget her.”
"Madam has amnesia, and she can't remember anything either. I am the closest to you, so why is it that she is the first person you remember, and it's something from so long ago?"
The words that followed were so sour they practically assaulted Zhao Xian's face.
For some reason, his accusations made Zhao Xian feel somewhat guilty.
But such emotions only lasted a moment. "Ahem, she's a woman, don't talk to her like she's a rival in love."
Jiang Liangxu raised an eyebrow: "Isn't that so? When you met Meng Yingniang in Huquan County, you had endless things to talk about, but you looked exhausted when you saw me; you slept in the same bed with her, leaving me alone in the study; you took Wei'er out for a spring outing with her, leaving me, your husband, at the county office... She stole my wife, so she's not a rival in love?"
Under that accusing gaze, Zhao Xian kept picking up and putting down her chopsticks, holding Wan's bowl and picking up food, the busy person had changed.
A feeling of guilt overwhelmed her.
Even though she couldn't remember any of these things, it was as if she had really done them.
Jiang Liangxu noticed her subtle movements and continued, "I really don't know what you were arguing about. You usually avoid me when you're talking intimately."
They always used the excuse that it was inconvenient for a man like me to know about my daughter's private matters to kick me out of the house.
As for the man who harassed Lady Meng, he's been dead for so many years, I don't remember anymore.
However, it is a fact that Madam Meng is in poor health; and it is also a fact that she has a fiery temper.
To be honest, Jiang Liangxu thought Meng Yingniang was stupid in some ways.
Zhao Xian was too young back then and didn't know how to use her status. The two of them stubbornly used their clumsy methods, and the ending was predictably bleak.
Jiang Liangxu recalled the past and had to embellish their story, saying, "As Madam saw in her dream, Madam Meng did indeed commit suicide. She was too strong-willed and unyielding."
Zhao Xian frowned. What kind of oppression must a woman who had transmigrated have endured to drive her to suicide? "What was the reason for her suicide?"
"I wanted to get rid of their entanglement." Jiang Liangxu only mentioned the final result; as for the process...
Zhao Xian suddenly had a whimsical thought, "Do you think that after she committed suicide, she went back to her original world?"
Jiang Liangxu's heart skipped a beat. "It shouldn't be."
Zhao Xian: "How do you know you can't?"
Jiang Liangxu: "My wife once went to burn incense and pray to Buddha to inquire about her past life."
"Is there really such a capable person?"
"have."
Zhao Xian fell silent after hearing this.
Jiang Liangxu appeared calm, but inwardly he was calculating; he had lied.
He couldn't tell Zhao Xian the truth. Of all the memories he had lost, he could tell her the truth about anything else, but not this one.
Zhao Xian once blamed herself for Meng Yingniang's death, blaming herself for harming her.
He felt he shouldn't have encouraged her to run away, otherwise Meng Yingniang wouldn't have been so resolute in her decision to die.
In Jiang Liangxu's view, Meng Yingniang's death had nothing to do with Zhao Xian. She had already been prepared to die, and only after meeting Zhao Xian did she have a glimmer of hope.
I ask the Bodhisattva, Zhao Xian did indeed do it.
To put her mind at ease, many monks, at his behest, told her that the outcome was good.
But he couldn't tell her about the good outcomes he'd promised, lest she believe him and send him on his way...
Zhao Xian casually asked, "Are there any imperial physicians skilled in treating amnesia?"
Jiang Liangxu paused in wiping the table. "Madam, you mean..."
Zhao Xian opened her mouth, "...Never mind, is there any news about Master Huineng? No, right? We'll still have to trouble Lord Jiang to put in more effort and help us find Master Huineng."
For some reason, Zhao Xian suddenly lost trust in Jiang Liangxu. Why was she so sure before that he would keep the three-year agreement?
Zhao Xian was initially very interested in knowing about the woman in her dream, but after hearing the story, although she was intrigued, she still couldn't recall her.
However, the other person's death gave her inspiration.
Don't many novels have plots where the protagonist can go back after death?
A hint of eagerness flashed in Zhao Xian's eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. "Now that you're back, when do you plan to 'get better'?"
He was pretending to be sick and staying home because he wasn't in Jin'an before, but now that he's back, it's time for him to show his face.
In just over two months, Zhao Xian had learned firsthand the masterful techniques of flattering the powerful and belittling the weak. Although Jiang Wei was also an official in the court, the rank of the men in the household determined the social standing of the women at banquets.
Even though they were enthusiastically choosing a husband for Cui Tingyue, it still required the man to be willing.
Because Jiang Liangxu was 'seriously ill,' those ladies of high status, being shrewd women, avoided discussing the children and instead subtly inquired about the possibility of Jiang Liangxu waking up.
He has to show up for her to elevate her status.
He didn't miss the look in her eyes. Jiang Liangxu's hand clenched slightly under his sleeve. "It's probably going to be another month or so. Jin'an is likely to change its weather for a while. Let's stay home and have some peace and quiet."
Zhao Xian was unaware of the affairs of the court, but since he said so, the banquets would probably have to be canceled for a while.
"Hiss~" As Jiang Liangxu got up, he suddenly frowned and reached out to cover his stomach.
Zhao Xian quickly got up to help him, "What's wrong?"
"I got a minor injury."
He spoke casually, but Zhao Xian dared not be careless. She helped him back to the inner room of the study and said, "I'll have Qin Da quietly go and call the family physician."
Just as she turned around, her wrist was grabbed, and a force pulled her backward, causing Zhao Xian to fall uncontrollably onto the bed. An arm wrapped around her waist, and her back was pressed tightly against the bed. Hot breath sprayed on her earlobe. "No need, I just want Madam to keep me company."
"You're not hurt?" Zhao Xian tried to stand up, but her body was held tightly and she couldn't break free.
The two sat on the bed, and Jiang Liangxu hugged her from behind, her whole body encircled in his arms.
"One cannot embrace the lady unless one is injured?"
Zhao Xian sensed that something was wrong with him. "Are you alright?"
Jiang Liangxu's voice was somewhat muffled: "Just a little sad."
Why?
Jiang Liangxu buried his head in Zhao Xian's neck, his voice soft but clear enough for her to hear: "You have amnesia, and I am the one who has forgotten the most. You don't remember even a little bit of our past affection."
We have known each other, been friends and loved for over twenty years, yet your husband is not as good as someone you've known for more than six months.
Even the person you think of first in your dreams isn't me.
When I was wounded in the border town, all I could think about was my wife. I wondered what unforgivable thing I had done to make her forget me and even divorce me.
Jiang Liangxu's voice was tinged with sorrow, which made Zhao Xian feel guilty, but she didn't know why she felt guilty.
She raised her hand and touched the head buried in the crook of her neck. "Lord Jiang, don't underestimate yourself. You are very good, really."
At least from the moment she met him, he was very nice. She didn't know how the other person would react or handle the situation if it were someone else.
Does Lang Mingxuan lack talent? Yes, he has. He has studied for so many years and has literary talent and learning. Even though he knows that Lang Zhizhi is not his sister, he still uses those poems to promote himself and gain fame and fortune.
In comparison, Jiang Liangxu's approach was much gentler, even though he kept hinting at it to her.
However, he gave her the divorce papers when she asked for them, without forcing her or using any means to make her remember anything.
Zhao Xian couldn't see what he, as a man, wanted to do? Yet she endured it all, especially after their detailed discussion, he never pressured her.
Regarding the dream, Zhao Xian explained, "The timing for that dream was probably right. I saw Lang Zhizhi that day... Since we both come from the same place, that's probably why it triggered some things from the past, and that's why I had that dream."
That was the first time she had a direct conversation with Lang Zhizhi. Perhaps it was because they were both time travelers that she was reminded of some things from the past.
"Opportunity." Jiang Liangxu pondered these two words.
Just as Zhao Xian finished praising Jiang Liangxu in her heart, she felt a tremor run through her body. She tried to pull away, but he pressed closer, kissing her neck tenderly and repeatedly.
"Jiang Liangxu." Zhao Xian's heart started pounding, and she reached out to grab him.
Before Zhao Xian could react, the hand around her waist loosened, and she fell onto the bed with Jiang Liangxu on top of her.
The disparity in strength between men and women made it even more difficult for Zhao Xian to move.
But as Zhao Xian fell, she crossed her arms in front of her chest to block him, saying, "What are you doing? It's broad daylight."
Jiang Liangxu easily removed her from his grasp, pinning her above his head. His breath tickled her earlobe, making her feel restless and aroused. "Does Madam mean it can be done tonight? But I can't wait."
"Pah, don't misunderstand me. I was just thinking how nice you are, that you never pressure me, um..."
Their breaths mingled and intertwined. After a while, Jiang Liangxu finally released her, gently stroking Zhao Xian's cheek with his thumb. "Yes, my wife said that a husband should respect his wife. I can't bear to see my wife resent me, so I dare not force you."
Zhao Xian, having been deprived of too much air, gasped, her chest heaving, "So what are you doing now?"
"I just realized that after being your husband for so many years, I feel less loved than someone else after just half a year. I guess it's because you don't love me enough."
"You're just arguing..."
Before she could finish speaking, soft lips covered hers, silencing her.
Zhao Xian wasn't averse to touching him, but initially she avoided it due to moral issues. Later, she was unwilling to accept the truth and kept rejecting the inevitable answer. To put it bluntly, she was afraid to face it.
Zhao Xian didn't know when her clothes were taken off, but he sat up and held her in his arms.
While she was in a daze, she saw the wounds on his body and was instantly jolted awake.
“You’re really hurt.” Zhao Xian gently touched a wound on his abdomen.
The fingertips touched him very lightly, and Jiang Liangxu, whose skin was tingling, trembled all over and his movements became more vigorous.
"No, you're hurt."
"Would it be alright if Madam took the initiative?"
...
"Jiang Liangxu? Do you know what it means to stop? You're still injured."
"Call me husband."
Are you possessed?
"Wanting to sleep with one's own wife is a sign of being possessed?"
Zhao Xian felt her ears burning, but she had to tell him to restrain himself, especially after seeing the injuries on his body. However, the man did not listen at all.
Zhao Xian went to the study in the morning and didn't leave until the afternoon. Her steps were unsteady as she left, and she cursed Jiang Liangxu in her heart.
The next day, Zhao Xian did not plan to go to the study. She did not know whether Jiang Liangxu had been stimulated by going to the border town or if he was really stimulated by mentioning the events of fifteen years ago.
Injured and still...
The more I think about it, the angrier I get. Since he can't stay idle, then he shouldn't stay idle at all.
Zhao Xian carried the portraits of the men she had chosen for Cui Tingyue to the study: "Tingyue will be out of mourning next year. You should hurry up and select some suitable men for her, and give her time to choose them so that you can arrange a marriage before the end of the year."
Having served in the court for many years, he must have a good understanding of the officials. As someone who works in intelligence, he should investigate and filter out any unknown dirty deeds beforehand.
Jiang Liangxu looked at the thick stack of portraits and raised an eyebrow: "How many have you collected? It's almost like a talent show."
"It's not that exaggerated. I'm not familiar with those families, so I just collected some of everything." Actually, she hadn't finished taking them all; this was already a selection process.
Since the upper-class families were only focused on finding out about Jiang Liangxu, she had no choice but to turn her attention to the middle-class or lower-class families.
It is precisely because there are more and more choices that things have become complicated.
Especially this year's spring imperial examination, there were a total of 120 successful candidates, from whom some more can be selected.
Jiang Liangxu picked up the portraits and looked them over as he said, "How will you thank me for helping Madam with this?"
"Lord Jiang, you want to thank my whole family? Then let me thank you a few more times."
“But Madam has distanced herself from me.”
Zhao Xian picked up the portrait and threw it at him, "Was that a ghost who tormented me in bed yesterday?"
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