Chapter 101. She can't die, he won't allow it. ...
Even if he was 100% certain that he could win this battle.
But when he saw Ji Wanyuan, who was being held hostage and trapped on a horse, and saw her tears streaming down her face, his heart tightened and he panicked.
Only heaven knows how much effort he expended to maintain his outward composure in order to remain unknown.
The thought that even the slightest mistake could drive Ji Lingyue to desperation and cause him to lose Ji Wanyuan filled him with dread.
The suffocating pain that had appeared in his dreams, the endless agony that made his chest ache involuntarily, made it impossible for him to control himself.
Did she even understand what her life, her vibrant existence, meant to him?
She can't die, she can't.
Perhaps she understood everything, but she was just pressuring him...
He had so much to say, but seeing her terrified and bewildered face, he found himself speechless.
She was already so scared, and had just recovered from the shock, how could he yell at her and be mean to her again?
Perhaps the one who should be blamed and reprimanded is him. It's all his fault for being incompetent and unable to have complete influence, which is why he couldn't protect her and the child, putting her in danger and making her cry so much that even the tip of her nose turned red.
So he only said those two sentences.
The man's question left her speechless for a moment, and her struggling movements stopped instantly.
Ji Wanyuan remained silent, completely unsure of what to say.
She really didn't think that much at the time; it was already quite an achievement that she managed to remain calm. Moreover, she had no idea that Ji Lingyue would be so despicable as to set a trap right there in the prefect's private residence, waiting for her to walk right into it.
Everything happened so fast that she didn't even have time to think; she could only be pushed forward by events until now.
Besides, she trusted Wen Qiyan too much, because he said that Wen Junlin would be fine, and that he had placed many people around the prefect's private residence, which made her feel at ease to go.
Ji Wanyuan couldn't help but have doubts, but she knew even more clearly that Wen Qiyan was not wrong in this matter, and these words could not be said.
But she... really couldn't bear to give up Wen Junlin.
She had no choice but to risk her life; that was her own flesh and blood, the child she had carried for ten months. In the storybook, let's just say it was her previous life. She had already tasted the bitterness of losing Wen Junlin, and she didn't want to repeat the same mistake.
To be honest, to be honest...
She had long since realized that Wen Qiyan didn't really like her and his child, and she knew exactly where this dislike came from.
All because of Wen Qiyan's concern for her, in this life, he fell in love with her, cared for her too much, and could not accept losing her. He disliked anyone or anything that might threaten her safety, including himself.
He knew that it was because the feelings between her and him had not yet blossomed at that time, and the accidental "death" was caused by a twist of fate. He was the biggest culprit, so he drank the medicine that would prevent him from having children in order to eliminate future troubles.
It was also because she had told Wen Qiyan that in her nightmares, she died in childbirth while giving birth to Wen Junlin.
Wen Qiyan didn't like Wen Junlin very much because giving birth to him had put her on the verge of death.
She could sense his coldness towards this offspring.
That's why she had no choice but to do it.
She risked her life; only by taking her along and binding her life with Wen Junlin's would Wen Qiyan truly save her and his child, and only then would he realize how much she valued this child.
She hoped that Wen Qiyan would love her and his child as much as he loved her, and that even if something happened to her in the future, he would love and protect the child because of her love for him, and not let him die a pitiful young death like in the stories.
She could accept her own death, but she couldn't accept the passing of her beloved family members; it was an unbearable pain for her.
Of course, this trick was also learned from Wen Qiyan.
In order to help the Ji family win over the Wen family, he directly tied the two families together with mutual benefits.
Now, she's following suit and getting involved herself...
With his keen insight into people's hearts, there's absolutely no way he wouldn't see through her tricks.
He must have understood when he said those two sentences.
He saw right through her.
Ji Wanyuan remained silent, waiting for the man's reprimand, but after a long time, she did not hear the question he might ask.
He held her tightly, almost as if he wanted to embed her into his very bones, so tightly that she was nearly suffocating from his embrace. He was using this method to indirectly express his anger, to show how important she was to him, how irreplaceable she was to him.
He wanted to cause her pain, yet he couldn't bear to see her suffer. This agonizing torment was twisting and distorting him.
Ji Wanyuan pursed her lips, her trembling lips parting, and tears streamed down her face once more. She didn't let the man let go; her hand, which had been still, moved again, and she hugged him back.
She also used this method to respond, soothe his anxiety, and express her apology.
She knew that a simple "I'm sorry" was really not enough.
But she really didn't know what to do.
Ji Wanyuan had been holding back her tears, but at this moment, she couldn't hold back any longer. At first, she sobbed, but gradually she burst into tears, which made him angry.
He cursed her with a mixture of love and hate, "You little bastard, how dare you cry?"
Ji Wanyuan sniffed, tears wetting the man's shoulder. Half of her face was buried in the man's strong shoulder bone. She cried and trembled, saying that she was so scared.
"Do you still know fear?" Who should be afraid?
It's him.
She received a threatening letter from Ji Lingyue, yet she went so resolutely. Where does that leave him?
In Ji Wanyuan's heart, her father was important, her mother was important, her child was important, and perhaps... even her cousin Qingru was more important than him.
He really didn't know where he ranked in this little bastard's heart; all he knew was that he wanted to kill her, yet he couldn't bear to.
“Ji Wanyuan, you can’t use the methods I taught you to deal with me…”
How could she be so mean? This is just too much!
She's so fearless because she's taking advantage of the fact that he can't touch her.
The suffocating embrace lasted for as long as Ji Wanyuan cried.
The bath they had just taken was a waste, because both of them were covered in sweat from the tight embrace, which even soaked their thin undergarments.
Wen Qiyan brought hot water and wiped her face, hands and feet again.
The coldness on the man's face hadn't lessened much.
Despite his cold expression, his movements remained gentle.
After a good cry, Ji Wanyuan felt much better. She sniffed, her nose red, and cautiously looked at the man's face. "Are you... are you still angry?"
"No," he said, dismissing her with that statement.
Ji Wanyuan said she didn't believe him because his expression was still not very good.
"Since you already know, why are you asking?"
He really didn't want to give her the cold shoulder, but she kept provoking him by asking questions she already knew the answers to.
Wen Qiyan slowed down his wiping of her face, and Ji Wanyuan said the same thing again, "I'm sorry."
"I don't want to hear this."
She didn't want to talk about it, but besides that, she really didn't know what else she could say, or what she could say to make up for what she had done.
"What I want is your guarantee." Wen Qiyan placed the handkerchief into the basin of hot water.
He lifted her chin, looking into her wet, red eyes. "Ji Wanyuan, look into my eyes and tell me you won't risk your life again."
“Don’t use yourself against me.” He wanted her to speak.
The woman hesitated for a moment, about to speak, when the man suddenly kissed her, silencing her.
Was he scared?
He was afraid she would refuse, afraid she would say she couldn't do it, because if something like that happened again, she would still abandon Wen Junlin for him.
Or perhaps, he didn't want to put her in a difficult position.
In the end, he kissed her, his lips plunging into hers, and they became entangled.
Ji Wanyuan was startled by his sudden act of aggression, but she quickly recovered and wrapped her arms around his neck in response to his kiss.
Wen Qiyan gripped her waist, his tongue swirling around hers, creating a storm in her mouth as he repeatedly kissed and sucked on her.
Ji Wanyuan couldn't take it for long.
But he didn't stop. He could only hurt her in this way, make her weak and helpless, so that she could no longer be strong and could only rely on his embrace.
"..."
Wen Yunqin led his army to the scene and quickly cleaned up the mess in Yizhou.
After a brief adjustment that night, they did not linger and immediately pursued Ji Lingyue and his men, killing their way to the border of the Wuhuan.
Just as he was hesitating about whether to attack the Wuhuan, unexpectedly, some troops within the Wuhuan tribe stirred up trouble, which was tantamount to him cooperating from within.
He was sending people to investigate and find out which side the troops were. Could it be a small country next door that took advantage of Ji Lingyue's departure from Wu to invade?
The messenger had just been sent out when a reply was received in less than half a day; it turned out to be Prime Minister Ji's men who had ambushed the Wuhuan.
Without further hesitation, Wen Yunqin sent men to attack Wuhuan. In this battle, Ji Lingyue suffered heavy losses and, still suffering from poisoning, was severely injured and fell into a coma.
One defeat can lead to total loss.
When news of the Wuhuan's defeat reached them, almost half a month had passed, and Wen Qiyan had already led his army to recapture Qingzhou.
The two sides' forces met in Youzhou and discussed marching into the Central Plains to besiege the imperial city.
Even now, Ji Wanyuan is still somewhat dazed and hasn't fully recovered. She never expected that this was actually a scheme within a scheme, such as the fact that the governor of Youzhou's surrender to her brother was fake.
The Youzhou governor's flattery, and his obedience to Ji Lingyue in dealing with Wen Qiyan, Wen Yunqin, and He Xun, were all merely to reassure Ji Lingyue, so that he could infiltrate his side to obtain intelligence and test and amplify his brother Ji Lingyue's ambitions.
Of course, this was all her father's doing. He had been planning this scheme from the very beginning, starting several years after he learned of her brother's identity.
The identity of the young master of Wuhuan is indeed special. Prime Minister Ji cannot gamble on whether Ji Lingyue's nature is pure by using the foundation of the Ji family. Moreover, this is not only about the Ji family, but also about the maternal family of Madam Ji.
Therefore, he set up a trap, taking advantage of the emperor's suspicions, and at the same time, he released information about the existence of private mines in Youzhou, thus luring Ji Lingyue into the trap.
Yes, on the surface, the exposure of the Ji family's private mine was a bait set for the emperor, but in reality, it was Ji Lingyue.
The Prefect of Youzhou was chosen by Prime Minister Ji from his wife's family. How could he be easily bribed by Ji Lingyue? This was all just to lure him into the trap.
Ji Wanyuan never expected that her father was the one playing chess.
He sent Ji Lingyue to Youzhou ahead of time, and then sent Wen Qiyan, Wen Yunqin and He Xun here, all to help her find husbands.
Whoever can find her army, subdue them, and bring them under his control, and win this game of strategy, will be worthy to become her intimate guest.
From the very beginning of his investigation into the private mines in Youzhou, Wen Qiyan noticed her brother's identity. After a long investigation, he discovered that the location of the private mines was incorrect and that they had already been mined. Later, he fell in love with her and followed the clues to bring down the Ji family. He also gradually figured out her father's intentions and cooperated with him without making a sound.
Even her father didn't realize it, but Wen Qiyan had already seen through it all.
On his way to Youzhou, he learned that He Xun had allied with Wen Yunqin. He used her brother to break the alliance between Wen Yunqin and He Xun, and then kicked them both away one by one.
He knew that Wen Yunqin was loyal and righteous, and that he was skilled in military campaigns. Therefore, he had his men join forces with the governor of Youzhou to secretly "release" him back to the capital, allowing Wen Yunqin to control the situation in the capital behind the scenes, deal with the rebellious princes, and protect the Ji and Wen families.
No wonder she hadn't heard from Wen Yunqin for so long, nor had she seen him; it turned out he had returned to the capital.
He Xun was cunning and wouldn't be easily taken away, so Wen Qiyan simply placed him next to Ji Lingyue, allowing Ji Lingyue to indirectly restrain He Xun.
Of course, there were also instances where he escaped Wen Qiyan's control and schemes. For example, He Xun actually realized at the last moment that everything was not simple and knew that Ji Lingyue's grand plan was about to collapse.
Knowing that he could not defeat Wen Qiyan in terms of manpower, material resources, and mental strength, he simply resorted to a self-inflicted injury strategy.
He faked his death to make sacrifices for Ji Wanyuan, thus securing a place in her heart and leaving a mark on her heart.
He Xun did not die.
When Ji Wanyuan saw him in Youzhou that day, she thought she had seen a ghost.
But she clearly saw her brother's sword pierce He Xun's heart and go through his back. How did he survive?
Wen Qiyan said that He Xun's heart was in a different position than that of ordinary people, but on the other side. Therefore, Ji Lingyue did not stab him in a vital spot. He only lost too much blood and was temporarily suffocated.
Even though it was just a self-inflicted injury, it was undeniably very effective.
Ji Wanyuan didn't blame him much; instead, she offered him words of comfort, but that was all.
Wen Qiyan forbade her to meet He Xun alone, telling her that He Xun was truly insidious.
Ji Wanyuan has experienced a lot these days, truly a rollercoaster of emotions.
How could a girl raised in the capital for many years possibly understand so many things?
She had no idea there was a scheme within a scheme. If Wen Qiyan hadn't explained it to her carefully, she probably would have remained in the dark for the rest of her life.
On the day of Wen Yunqin's triumphant return, the Prefect of Youzhou hosted a banquet, and everyone dined together.
Ji Wanyuan hadn't seen him for a long time, and she noticed that his face had become more resolute. She guessed that he had been marching and fighting for days, and he had gotten a little tanned and taller. It seemed that all the men in the Wen family were very tall.
He called her sister-in-law, his eyes clear and bright as he looked at her, asking with concern if she was feeling well. He also mentioned that he had brought her a lot of tonics from the capital, but because he had to pursue the enemy, he couldn't give them to her personally, and asked if she had received them.
Ji Wanyuan nodded and said she was fine and had received it.
It wasn't just Wen Yunqin who sent them; there were also many clothes and supplements from Madam Ji and Madam Wen, some from her and some from Wen Junlin. Although there were some from Wen Qiyan, they were fewer.
Even if she didn't say it, Wen Yunqin could tell that she was a good person.
After all, she had a rosy complexion and a plump figure.
It seems that her brother has indeed raised her very well.
According to the servants, her brother doted on her. During her postpartum period, he did everything himself and never asked anyone else to help. He was patient and gentle and never showed any annoyance.
But Wen Yunqin didn't admire him at all; if it were him, he would have done even better than his brother.
Unfortunately... she didn't like him. The person she liked had always been her older brother, so he didn't have that chance.
He was relieved to hear her say that she was fine.
She was no longer as timid and cautious as she had been in the Wen family; her current state was more like that of someone who was cheerful and talkative before her marriage.
As they were talking, the maid brought the child up, and Ji Wanyuan took him.
Wen Yunqin's gaze shifted to the child's face.
At first glance, he only thought that the child's eyebrows and eyes were exquisite and beautiful, combining the best features of her and her brother.
Upon seeing it again, I felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow and pain, but I had to hide my emotions.
Fearing he might lose his composure if he watched any longer, Wen Yunqin took out a brocade box from his person and handed it over.
"What is this?" Ji Wanyuan asked.
"Open it and take a look," Wen Yunqin gestured to her.
Ji Wanyuan opened it and saw a small white jade peace lock.
Did you make it yourself?
She recognized it at a glance.
"Hmm." Wen Yunqin couldn't help but feel happy. She could still recognize his craftsmanship. She must still remember the hairpins, jewelry, and straw trinkets he had given her in the past.
She thought those things were worthless, that she didn't like them, and that she didn't remember them.
Unexpectedly...
He felt pleased with just one sentence from Ji Wanyuan.
"Your craftsmanship is exquisite, I can still recognize it." Ji Wanyuan thanked him on behalf of Wen Junlin.
"Junlin?" Wen Yunqin repeated the child's name.
"Yes." Ji Wanyuan handed the brocade box to the maid beside her and instructed her to put it away carefully.
"It's a good name," Wen Yunqin said with a smile, teasing the baby in the swaddling clothes.
"Junlin, do you know who I am?"
Wen Yunqin reached out and touched the part of Wen Junlin's face that most resembled Ji Wanyuan, as if he were touching her.
He murmured softly, "I am your uncle..."
"He's still young and doesn't recognize people—" Before Ji Wanyuan could finish speaking, she was pulled to the back.
Before she could even see him clearly, she could already smell the man's cool, refreshing scent.
Looking up at the man's retreating figure, Ji Wanyuan was speechless.
Wen Yunqin felt the darkness envelop him, looked up and met the man's gaze, and the smile on his face gradually disappeared.
He replied indifferently, "Brother."
Wen Qiyan was even more aloof than him, and only replied with a single sentence, "Mm."
Then he simply took the child away. Not only did he take the child away, but he also put one arm around Ji Wanyuan and led her away.
Her brother embraced her tightly, his possessiveness overwhelming her. He could barely see her figure, let alone the hem of her skirt.
The smile on Wen Yunqin's face vanished completely, replaced by a hint of coldness.
Just as he was coldly watching Wen Qiyan's retreating figure, He Xun brought over a cup of tea. "Brother Yunqin, it's been a long time."
Wen Yunqin shifted his gaze and met He Xun's slightly gloating expression, and couldn't help but mock, "Aren't you already dead?"
He Xun raised an eyebrow. "Thank you for your concern, Brother Yunqin. Of course I'm not dead."
"Let us offer tea instead of wine to congratulate Brother Yunqin on his great victory over the enemy and his successful capture of the Wuhuan."
Wen Yunqin took the tea from his hand, and He Xun picked up another cup and clinked glasses with him.
At this moment, the two of them felt a strange sense of shared misfortune.
Wen Yunqin still drank it; he downed it in one gulp.
After finishing his drink, he scoffed at He Xun, saying, "If the self-inflicted injury trick worked, I wouldn't be here with you, clinking glasses and drinking tea."
He replaced his brother a long time ago, okay?
"It may not be of much use, but it's still something." Despite his repeated taunts, He Xun maintained a smile.
It did have some effect. After He Xun came back to life, Ji Wanyuan cared for him much more than before. If it were before, she would never have paid any attention to He Xun.
The thought that He Xun had surpassed him and gained a certain place in her heart made Wen Yunqin rise unhappily.
"Then you'd better be careful, next time, you might not be so lucky."
After saying that, he left.
As He Xun watched Wen Yunqin's departing figure, the smile on his lips gradually faded.
He looked down at the tea in his cup, but what came to mind was the image of the woman who stood in front of him that day, pleading desperately, her cries still seeming to echo in his ears.
It's unclear who was ultimately sacrificed in this elaborate scheme.
All he knew was that the tea tasted exceptionally bitter; it was clearly just an ordinary cup of tea.
I've drunk so much before, and it never felt that bitter.
Perhaps... it's because the wounds on my body haven't fully healed yet, even though they have.
"..."
After Ji Wanyuan returned to her room, she felt a chill run down her spine when she saw the coldness on the man's face.
No way, he's jealous again.
She had lost count of how many times this had happened; why was Wen Qiyan so jealous?
In front of everyone, she didn't say anything to Wen Yunqin, just a few words, and they were all very normal!
What is he doing? Who is he trying to impress with that face?
Even the maidservant beside her could sense that Wen Qiyan was in a bad mood. To prevent his displeasure from escalating and causing a scene, Ji Wanyuan had no choice but to have Wen Junlin taken away first.
At this moment, only the two of them remained in the inner room.
She pursed her lips, carefully choosing her words, trying to figure out what to say and how to explain.
Wait, what is she explaining? She didn't do anything. If she really explains, wouldn't that mean she and Wen Yunqin have something going on?
So, Ji Wanyuan said irritably, "What's wrong with you now?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the man's gaze immediately swept over her, his coldness landing directly on her face, as if asking, "How dare you say that?"
Ji Wanyuan's heart skipped a beat. She knew she was right, but she still felt a little unsure of herself.
"What do you think happened?" he chuckled. "You smiled at him."
Ji Wanyuan, “?”
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Author's Note: There will be random lucky red envelopes dropping in this chapter! [rainbow fart]
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