Chapter 62 Connecticut in Peril
She remained silent for a long time. Although Lian'er did not know what happened later, she could tell that Ji Shu intended to help.
He then gently comforted her, saying, "My godfather still needs to rely on my godmother's family for the time being, so he probably won't do anything too outrageous. Madam, you don't need to worry too much."
“Lian’er, why is the world so unfair to women? Even if a woman wants to support her family, it is as difficult as climbing to heaven.”
Lian'er lowered her eyes and sighed softly: "Who can say otherwise... But this has always been the case for women. Even someone like my adoptive mother, who came from such a background, had to suffer from the infighting among wives and concubines and the neglect of her husband. How much more difficult must it be for women from ordinary families?"
Ji Shu was a little tired. She leaned against the car wall with her eyes half-closed and asked softly, "What are your plans for the future?"
Lian'er was startled and hurriedly knelt down, clutching Ji Shu's skirt tightly: "Madam, please save me..."
After that night, anyone else might have tried every means to win the favor of the Marquis of Yan.
The poor boy was terrified of Pei Yanzhi. His legs would go weak at the sight of him, let alone serve him.
The thought of being hacked to death and left with no trace if he failed to win favor made him prefer to end his own life rather than implicate his parents and siblings.
Seeing that Ji Shu was willing to help the Jiang family today, a glimmer of hope rekindled in her heart. She only asked that the lady could save her parents from Song Zhaonian's control, even if it meant sacrificing her life.
Lian'er kowtowed deeply, her slender body trembling slightly. Ji Shu gestured for Chunzhi to help her up, then lowered her eyes and asked, "What do you want?"
Lian'er's eyes were red and she choked up as she said, "I was originally a daughter of a good family... but because the local village chief saw that I was not bad looking, I was handed over to Prefect Song all the way through the village."
"Now my parents are under his control. If I don't obey his orders and gather information for him, their lives will be in danger..."
“My life is worthless, I deserve no regrets. But my parents are old, and my brothers, sisters-in-law, and nieces are still young. How can I let them die with me? I beg you, Madam, to save them…”
Ji Shu remained silent for a moment before saying, "You could have gone to serve Marquis Yan. As long as you gained his favor, not only you, but your whole family could have lived a peaceful and worry-free life."
"What Song Zhaonian wants is simply a useful person. If you can prove your worth, then everything will be fine."
Lian'er collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face: "Originally... I might have still held onto a sliver of hope. But after seeing Madam that night..."
A bitter taste rose in her throat, and her voice grew even weaker: "Lord Yan only has eyes for you. I am of lowly birth, how could I possibly be worthy of your attention?"
She was so afraid of even getting close to him that she trembled all over.
Ji Shu pondered for a long time, never expecting that she would be unwilling to attach herself to Pei Yanzhi.
"Okay, let me think about it carefully."
She finally said softly, "I can only say a few words on your behalf to the Marquis of Yan; the final decision rests with him."
Lian'er's eyes lit up, her joy almost overflowing, and she repeatedly kowtowed, "Thank you, Madam! Thank you, Madam..."
Back at the inn, Chunzhi watched Lian'er's departing figure and couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Young lady, do you really want to help her?"
After all, this is a woman with ulterior motives who once intended to get close to the lord... Is she worth the lady's trouble?
Ji Shu remained silent, gazing out the window, her mind a jumble of thoughts.
He removed his veil, stepped into the inn, and said to Wu Yang, who was not far away, "I'm all done here, you can go now."
Wu Yang bowed and withdrew.
Back in the room, she found Pei Yanzhi was not there. She touched the temperature of the daybed and found it was ice cold, indicating that he had been out for some time.
Meanwhile, in the gallery on Lake Connecticut, the air is filled with the fragrance of incense, and a woman is playing the pipa behind a beaded curtain.
The tea was boiling in the pot with a "glug-glug" sound.
Pei Yanzhi and Jiang Baiyang sat facing each other. After the tea was boiled, he put the tea leaves in.
Jiang Baiyang, dressed in an inconspicuous gray outfit, said, "Lord Yan, it's common knowledge that Empress Dowager Song wants to pacify the Yanzhou army. What are your plans to do next?"
If he wasn't mistaken, Empress Dowager Song would definitely send warlords from all over the country to offer their congratulations on her sixtieth birthday next year. In that case, even if Pei Yanzhi wanted to decline, he wouldn't be able to find a suitable reason.
Pei Yanzhi placed the teacup in front of Jiang Baiyang and asked, "Brother Jiang, what are your thoughts?"
Jiang Baiyang was willing to risk being recognized to meet him. The humiliation of being assassinated by Song Zhaonian was still a thorn in his side, and he wanted to know what Jiang Baiyang planned to do next.
Jiang Baiyang glanced outside, a dark glint flashing in his eyes, and whispered, "Now that you're gone, I'm going to take direct action against Song Zhaonian. I hope you won't interfere, because I'm determined to avenge him for trying to assassinate me last time!"
He knew that Song Zhaonian had been frequently hosting banquets for Pei Yanzhi these past two days, which was why he couldn't stay still in Suizhou.
If Pei Yanzhi is persuaded, he can foresee that Song Zhaonian will definitely not be able to resist taking action against Suizhou first.
Why not strike first?
He continued, "Song Zhaonian, relying on the support of Empress Dowager Song, has exploited the people to the point that public resentment is boiling. Even if I don't take action, I believe that Your Excellency will not be able to stand by and watch."
If the imperial court had simply assigned a capable person to govern Kangzhou, he wouldn't have been so wary. But Song Zhaonian didn't do anything practical; he only knew how to amass wealth.
Now they've even extended their reach to Suizhou. If he doesn't retaliate, he might have already been a victim of their blade that very night.
Pei Yanzhi pressed his temples, roughly guessing why he did this: "Brother Jiang, do you know that his cavalry are not to be trifled with? If you try to force your way in, I'm afraid you won't come out on top."
Jiang Baiyang was well aware of this, which was why he had tried to win over Pei Yanzhi several times before. However, someone like Pei Yanzhi would never make a move without seeing tangible benefits.
He gave a mocking smile: "My lord, as you know, our Suizhou is neither as good as Chongzhou nor Kangzhou, but if Song Zhaonian is a good person, I will gladly hand over Suizhou to him if he wants to take it over. At my age, I can retire from the army and return to my hometown in a few years."
"...However, I don't want to drag you into this. As long as you don't interfere, I'll be satisfied. I'll accept whatever the outcome may be."
Pei Yanzhi met his gaze and, for the first time, felt a sense of awe towards Jiang Baiyang, seeing his gray hair and his unwavering concern for the people.
He sighed softly and said, "Brother Jiang, although I can't help you openly, I can allocate a group of assassins to you. Although it's not many, it might be of some help."
Jiang Baiyang was overjoyed; this was an unexpected delight: "Excellent, excellent!"
“The people of Suizhou thank you for your help, Your Excellency. If you ever need my help in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Pei Yanzhi gently lifted his arm: "I also hope to end this chaotic world as soon as possible. The emperor is incompetent, the relatives of the empress interfere in politics, and the court is in a state of chaos, which is why these maggots have been bred. If all the prefects in various places were like Brother Jiang, how could there be so many rebel armies in this world that are fighting against the court under the banner of uprising!"
These words brought tears to Jiang Baiyang's eyes. These were exactly what he had been thinking. Ironically, they coincided with those of Pei Yanzhi, whom the court feared most.
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