"That one might come during this drought."
He didn't explicitly say who that person was, but Jiang Tian understood.
In recent years, Xuanyuan Ye has worked even harder to govern the country, and even the vassal states have benefited from his efforts.
Not to mention that the Southern Kingdom still doesn't have an emperor, with only the left and right prime ministers barely holding onto the government.
The drought alone is a major issue.
Xuanyuan Ye is very likely to come.
Jiang Tian smiled faintly: "An Yi, there's no way to hide. In recent years, he has increasingly grasped the world in his hands. If he wanted to investigate someone, he could always find out. But he didn't."
"Our escape methods were ingenious, and I even deliberately chose the Southern Kingdom, betting that his injuries would prevent him from coming. But three years have passed, and he must have figured it out: I won't die easily. The fact that he hasn't sent anyone to look for me only means that he has seen through my thoughts, but he doesn't dare to take me back."
Jiang Tian guessed correctly; Xuan Yuan Ye had indeed guessed it—she was not dead.
Three years ago, he learned of her death. The suicide note was not fake; he knew all along that she did not want to lock the child in the deep palace.
His thoughts were in turmoil, and he was overcome with grief. Before he could think any further, he fell seriously ill.
During his illness, he was in a daze and rarely had a clear mind. What flashed through his mind were scenes from the time he met her.
He should have realized sooner that despite her outwardly agreeable and gentle nature, she was actually quite proud.
Whether she lives or dies is up to her; he cannot interfere in the slightest.
He thought that having a child would keep her tied down, but he didn't realize that she was not someone who could be tied down.
In the end, everything was destroyed, which was entirely his own fault.
Xuanyuan Ye was ill for three months. If it weren't for the devastating floods, who knows what might have happened to him if he had just managed to stand up.
Now that three years have passed, even the most confused mind should have cleared up.
He couldn't deny that the letter Jiang Tian left behind was the most potent remedy.
Upon learning that it was his stubbornness that had led to the deaths of his wife and children, Xuan Yuan Ye felt dizzy and his mind went blank. He dared not think any further, nor could he think any further.
Later, he ordered others to investigate, to investigate that small courtyard, to investigate Qin Shaoqing, and to investigate everyone in that mansion.
There were no flaws.
When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. He even went to check the body in the middle of the night, but to no avail.
Qin Shaoqing had been an undercover agent in the Southern Kingdom. The emperor of the Southern Kingdom was even more suspicious than Xuan Yuan Ye, yet he was able to deceive him. How much more so when they had simulated countless possible scenarios? Naturally, it was flawless.
After further investigation, it was confirmed that Jiang Tian had deliberately set herself on fire, leaving Xuan Yuan Ye feeling utterly hopeless.
Three years have passed, and he has had people watching Qin Shaoqing for three years. He has not made a single mistake, nor has he contacted any strangers.
But once the mind is clear, that sense of unease grows stronger.
A strong voice in Xuanyuan Ye's heart told him that Jiang Tian was not dead.
She cherishes her life the most. Even if she is driven to the brink of despair, she will still seek a glimmer of hope. How could she easily give up her life?
There are countless ways to commit suicide, but fire is the most undignified way to die. At that time, he thought that Jiang Tian didn't want him to have her body, and was afraid of getting dirty, so she simply burned it clean.
But that woman was far more insightful than others. She believed that once a person was gone, they were gone, and what was wrong with people not being allowed to see a corpse?
Unless it's not her.
But what can she do if it's not her?
Her desperate act of faking her death to escape only proved her resolute determination.
She didn't want to have any connection with him, even if he found her and trapped her in the palace, he still wouldn't be able to have her.
Xuanyuan Ye thought about it for three years and finally figured it out.
If neither of them gives in, he will never win her over.
What's the point of fighting over it then?
"Sir, we have arrived at Anping County."
Xuanyuan Ye suddenly opened his eyes.
He pressed his temples. In recent years, his sleep had become increasingly poor. As soon as he closed his eyes, memories would flood back like a tide.
That's all in the past.
His eyes regained their clarity.
This time, he was traveling incognito to inspect the disaster situation; how could he possibly keep his mind on past events?
"Um."
Anping County was one of the counties most severely affected by the drought. Xuanyuan Ye wanted to help the people, so naturally he had to start with the most severely affected areas.
He disguised himself and got out of the car.
Anping County is much quieter than before. There are very few small vendors still hawking their wares on the streets. Fortunately, although the people are thin, at least their clothes are clean, and they have not become refugees.
After thinking for a moment, Xuan Yuan Ye instructed, "Go to the county government office."
The disaster relief funds have already been allocated, and he needs to check whether the money has been used properly.
The Southern Kingdom had never had an emperor, which caused some discontent among the court officials. However, they were unaware of Xuan Yuan Ye's true intentions.
There's no better way to control a vassal state than to directly annex it into the Zhao state.
His visit was also aimed at winning the hearts of the people.
The emperor of the Southern Kingdom has been on the throne for hundreds of years and has long accumulated the trust of the people. We still need to plan carefully.
Upon arriving at the county government office, Xuan Yuan Ye felt somewhat satisfied.
If the money were embezzled, the county government wouldn't appear so impoverished, with even the signboard unchanged for years.
The yamen runners inside looked strong and powerful, but they were not fat and strong men.
His eyes flickered, and just as he was about to leave, he heard the distant sound of children playing.
"Brother Chen is only three years old (by Chinese reckoning), how dare he compete with Brother Lu in reciting texts?"
"You don't know this, Brother Lu's father has long had designs on Brother Chen's mother, and he'll be coming to ask for her hand in marriage soon. Brother Lu keeps calling Brother Chen 'little brother,' how can Brother Chen not be angry?"
"Hey, how do you know so much?"
"My mother told me that the news has spread throughout Anping. She said that the county magistrate is going to marry a divorced woman."
"No wonder Brother Chen got angry!"
…………
The conversation between the two children reached Xuan Yuan Ye's ears, but it did not arouse his interest.
Xuan Yuan Ye said, "Let's find an inn to stay in first and observe for a few days."
"yes."
Several hours later, at the Jiang residence.
Chen was holding Jiang Tian and crying his eyes out, snot bubbles coming out one after another. Jiang Tian found it amusing and smiled.
Seeing her smile, Chen cried even harder: "Mother, are you really going to marry Brother Lu's father?"
Jiang Tian deliberately asked him, "Does Brother Chen want Mother to marry Brother Lu's father?"
Chen shook his head vigorously, crying like a kitten: "No, no, I beat Lu in reciting the text, so Mother is mine alone!"
Jiang Tian finally couldn't help but laugh out loud: "You little brat, how old are you? How come you're already making bets with people?"
However, she patiently explained to Brother Chen that she had been in close contact with the county magistrate recently because her herbal medicine shop offered affordable prices, and the magistrate had bought a lot of herbs from her.
As for remarrying, that's just nonsense.
"Won't Mother find me another father?" Chen Ge's eyes were swollen from crying.
"Didn't your mother tell you that she was deeply in love with your father, and that other men were insignificant in her eyes?"
Chen was finally satisfied, and with a sense of relief, he fell into a deep sleep.
After placing the child in the crib, Jiang Tian's face turned cold: "An Yi, prepare the carriage. I need to go out for a while."
Meanwhile, Xuanyuan Ye heard about the reputation of Huichuntang.
"Boss Jiang?"
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