Chapter 48 It was only once, is he going to remember it for a lifetime?!
Jing Qianheng's expression shifted slightly, looking somewhat bewildered.
Jiang Zhishui lowered her eyes and saw his fingers still playing with her hair, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Jing Qianheng saw her purse her lips, her gaze fixed, and her fingers tremble slightly as she rubbed them together.
He clenched his fists and whispered, "I was just kidding."
Jiang Zhishui's eyes twitched, a hint of anger in them, but her expression relaxed considerably.
Jiang Zhishui whispered, "You...you're not angry with me anymore?"
The way they entered was truly frightening; Jiang Zhishui thought they were doomed. But unexpectedly, after all the commotion, they suddenly calmed down and are now lying together peacefully. It's unbelievable.
Jing Qianheng glanced at her, his tone calm but his words sharp: "What's making you angry? About that incident? Or did you say afterwards that it never happened, or... do you see me as someone else's substitute?"
Jiang Zhishui threw back the covers, sat up, and asked in confusion, "What substitute?"
As she stood up, the strands of hair that Jing Qianheng had been twirling in his hands came loose. He looked down at his empty fingers, rubbed them a few times, rested his arm behind his head, and calmly looked at Jiang Zhishui above him.
Jing Qianheng looked away, staring at the ceiling, and murmured, "Ayu..."
Jiang Zhishui exclaimed in shock, "He's not...!"
Her voice suddenly rose considerably, but she abruptly stopped halfway through her sentence, her eyes darting away.
"Who is he?" Jing Qianheng slowly sat up, staring intently at Jiang Zhishui. "Why didn't you go to him, but instead came to me?"
Jiang Zhishui sighed deeply, inwardly cursing: "It was just once, is he going to remember it for the rest of his life?!"
Unable to explain the existence of "Ayu," she could only cover herself up and ignore him, hoping to get away with it.
Jing Qianheng did not press the matter further.
Jiang Zhishui was woken up by Jing Qianheng early in the morning.
She was dazed and confused as she was pulled to sit down at the dressing table.
"From now on, I will help you comb your hair and draw your eyebrows." Jing Qianheng gently combed her hair with a comb. "Don't sleep so late, have breakfast with me, okay?"
Jiang Zhishui, who was so sleepy that she could only nod, was completely unaware of what she had promised.
——
When Emperor Jingcheng of Jin was a prince, he was honest, unassuming and inactive. No one in the court took him seriously. It wasn't until he became emperor and purged a group of so-called treacherous officials that the entire court was filled with fear and unease, and they finally realized the true strength of this monarch.
Midnight.
Imperial Preceptor Li Si was summoned to the palace.
"How did the invitation to the gods go?" Emperor Jingcheng sat at his desk, writing intently. "I heard that the old nanny Xu who took care of Qingxue back then is not dead?"
Following His Majesty's decree, Li Si took advantage of the chaos at the Invitation of Gods gathering to eliminate several senior officials. These were all powerful demons who supported the Jing family and were ministers who respected the direct line of succession.
Emperor Jingcheng said in a low voice, "I remember that old nanny particularly disliked me."
Li Si stood in front of the desk, his hands clasped over his stomach, head bowed and silent.
"After Qingxue had a child, she became very cold towards me." Emperor Jingcheng wrote slowly and patiently, stroke by stroke, "...all the flattery and jealousy were just an act. Once she achieved her goal, she was no longer willing to waste any more time on me."
Li Si remained calm, his eyes shifting slightly, somewhat puzzled as to why His Majesty suddenly brought up Zhou Qingxue at this moment.
Emperor Jingcheng chuckled softly. "I thought I was using her, but it turns out she's even more hypocritical than I am. I just wonder if she's ever considered that she's risking her life to give birth to this child. Is it really worth it..."
Seizing the opportunity after the conversation ended, Li Si replied, "It seems that the Seventh Prince has been in contact with Granny Xu in private, and... the Sixth Prince and General Sheng's daughter, Sheng Yuchen, also have close ties with the Seventh Prince. The Seventh Prince came to the Divine Gathering, but for some reason, he suddenly left halfway through. I originally wanted to lead him to the Ancient Porcelain Cave to try the Dragon Leading Technique."
Emperor Jingcheng put down his pen, looked up and asked, "Who did Qianheng go with? With that newly married princess? What was her name again... Jiang... Zhishui?"
Li Si had been studying the Dragon Drawing Technique for the past few days, his mind filled with how to verify his deductions. His thoughts drifted slightly, and upon hearing this, he paused for a moment, then said, "It seems so."
Emperor Jingcheng smiled slightly and said, "It's rare for this child to care so much about someone."
“He’s always been a quiet, reserved person.” Emperor Jingcheng lowered his eyes and stared at the words he had written on the table. “He would bleed when asked to, and he’d keep quiet for years when locked up. His eyes are cold and distant, unlike his mother’s or mine. Perhaps his true nature is that thousand-year-old monster. It’s really unsettling.”
Emperor Jingcheng put down his pen and said coldly, "I thought he was just an empty shell, but I didn't expect him to have a heart."
Li Si asked, "Does Your Majesty consider this person a troublesome figure?"
Emperor Jingcheng stood up and walked out from the left side of the desk. "Marquis Chengyi is outwardly engaged in marriage with Prince Ling, but in private he is loyal to the Crown Prince. Jiang Zhishui is a pawn that the Crown Prince has placed beside Prince Ling."
Li Si paused for a moment and then said, "Not necessarily. Perhaps Marquis Chengyi wants to hedge his bets on both sides."
Emperor Jingcheng looked at him and said in surprise, "Your ideas are truly unique."
Li Si's perspective is always different from others, quirky and absurd, yet not without reason, often giving people a refreshing feeling.
Emperor Jingcheng pondered for a moment and said, "That old fox... never mind, let him scheme. Zhou Linyuan ran away quickly. It's a waste of all the hard work I put on. He's very ambitious, single-mindedly wanting to seize this blessed land of the dragon vein for himself, but I didn't expect him to be so cowardly, actually evacuating his entire clan overnight."
Li Si spoke frankly: "Your Majesty, when I learned that the entire Jin Kingdom was inhabited by demons, I was also quite frightened."
Emperor Jingcheng looked at him with amusement, "Your expression back then is the same as your expression now; I can't sense any fear from you at all."
Li Si lowered his head. "I'm scared."
"What's there to be afraid of? Everyone here is respectable and well-behaved. How are we any less than ordinary people?" Emperor Jingcheng's eyes turned slightly cold. "The demons under my rule don't eat people. There are many things among ordinary people that are far more terrifying than us."
Li Si glanced at the emperor, his expression unchanged.
Emperor Jingcheng turned to Li Si and asked, "Haven't you made any progress with your Dragon-Drawing Technique yet?"
Li Si said in a low voice, "There's some progress, but we still need to test it."
Emperor Jingcheng pondered for a moment and said, "Qianheng is becoming increasingly difficult to fool. Do you have any ideas?"
Li Si looked up, thought for a moment, and said, "I have no idea. Isn't Your Majesty the most skilled in intrigue and trickery? Perhaps Your Majesty should think about it."
"..." Emperor Jingcheng paused for a moment, then said with a forced smile, "Alright, I'll think of it, and you, Grand Preceptor, will handle it."
——
After breakfast, someone from the Chengyi Marquis's residence informed them that Madam Jiang missed her daughter and invited Jiang Zhishui home for a chat.
Jiang Zhishui sensed that Jing Qianheng was acting strangely, and since she didn't want to be alone with him, she quickly got up and left.
Like Jing Qianheng, Su You's memories were restored after Granny Xu used the Crimson Gu Technique to break Zhou Linyuan's seal.
He also knew Jiang Zhishui's true background. Looking at Jing Qianheng, who stood motionless in the courtyard watching Jiang Zhishui leave, he advised, "Your Highness, I feel that Jiang Gu...Madam's intention to marry Your Highness is not pure?"
Jing Qianheng said, "I know."
Su You hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, only to be met with Jing Qianheng's nonchalant reply: "I know, we were caught off guard."
"Then Your Highness..."
"What's wrong with me?" Jing Qianheng turned to look at him.
Su You felt that Jing Qianheng didn't like Jiang Zhishui when he was in Ziyang Immortal Mansion, and His Highness clearly cared more about Liu Chuxi. Now that he had lost his memory and married someone he hated, he should have been furious and kicked Jiang Zhishui out of the mansion. But not only did he not do that, he also resignedly accepted the fact.
This was unusual, and Su You couldn't figure it out.
Su You muttered softly, "His Highness can't stand not seeing her for even a moment now..."
Jing Qianheng turned his head and looked at the gate again.
Su You paused for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Granny Xu sent a letter saying that His Majesty has dealt with all the outsiders in the capital quietly. His Majesty is ruthless, and Granny Xu wants Your Highness to go out and hide for a while."
"Where can I hide?" Jing Qianheng said, "Now even the immortal sects want a piece of the pie. The world is so big, where can I go?"
Su You frowned: "I didn't expect... even Miss Liu would get involved."
Jing Qianheng removed the black wristband from his wrist and fiddled with it with his fingers.
As crabapple petals drifted down in the courtyard, Jing Qianheng stood under the tree and said softly, "Senior Sister Liu was also acting under orders. Now that the immortal sects know about my background, the Ziyang Immortal Mansion will inevitably come to investigate and deal with me."
Su You had always felt that Jing Qianheng liked Liu Chuxi, and now that she heard her prince say this, she felt sorry for him. "Why doesn't Your Highness meet with Miss Liu and explain things properly? Miss Liu is kind and righteous, and perhaps she will forgive Your Highness."
"Why make things difficult for her?" Jing Qianheng put his hands behind his back, his fingers gently hooking the black bracelet, which swayed gently in his hand. "Even if Senior Sister Liu can understand, Ziyang Immortal Mansion will not tolerate me. They will be too busy severing ties with me. Any further involvement will only invite criticism from the various sects of the immortal world."
Su You said indignantly, "No matter what, we've spent some time together, so there should be some affection between us. It's one thing for Miss Jiang, but Miss Liu often practices Taoism with His Highness and is very kind to him. It's not easy to have such a girl by His Highness's side. I just feel it's a pity."
"Why did you just let Jiang Zhishui go?" Jing Qianheng didn't turn around to look at him, his fingers, which were hooking the bracelet, paused slightly. "You also think she... has no feelings for me, right?"
Su You and Jing Qianheng were talking about Liu Chuxi when he asked if Jiang Zhishui had any feelings for him. Su You was silent for a moment, then couldn't help but ask, "Miss Jiang used to pester His Highness in every way. Didn't His Highness hate her? He even refused to see her repeatedly. This time, she traveled all the way to Jin Kingdom, and took advantage of His Highness's amnesia to trick him into marriage. Why isn't His Highness angry at all? Why is he... so good to her?"
Jing Qianheng laughed and said, "Who said I hate her?"
“Who… But Miss Jiang thinks so too. She even said that His Highness often scolds her.” Su You said confidently, “I have also seen His Highness angry. Whenever Miss Jiang appears, His Highness is often so angry that he trembles all over, and he looks at her as if he wants to eat her alive!”
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