Chapter 45 My heart is cold, this hatred is endless, with no end in sight.
Seeing his indifferent expression and still high-pitched tone, Lin Feiran seemed to realize something, suppressed her inner thoughts, and smiled gently, "It would be impolite to refuse."
Outside the door, the servant tried to go further in, but a patrolling soldier saw him and, from a distance, whispered a rebuke, "Hey you over there, stay away!"
"What's going on? So impulsive!"
The servant boy then seemed to wake from a dream, walked quite a distance, looking extremely frightened and uneasy. He was taken away by the soldiers to sweep and clean another area, and soon the courtyard returned to silence.
Outside the window, snowflakes fell softly. Inside the study, the chill seemed even greater. The plain gauze covering the windowpanes revealed the gloomy sky. In the charcoal brazier beside the desk, the silver charcoal burned brightly, silently radiating warmth. This warmth mingled with the flickering candlelight, illuminating the clear handwriting on the documents. After reading through them one by one, Lin Feiran's expression remained unchanged, only his tone was somewhat hesitant. "Your Majesty is handsome and holds great power; you should have no shortage of candidates for a principal wife."
She traveled from the outside world to the frontier, where warlords held sway and there were many displaced people, yet she had almost no influence on the rulers who were stationed in the region.
In the north, Jiang Xu rules over almost three-quarters of the territory. He has heard that there have been frequent uprisings and disturbances by displaced people in Youzhou recently. As a result, many powerful clans will tend to side with the Jingbei Army.
With such a favorable situation, why would he do this business with her?
“I am already extremely grateful that Your Majesty has given me a place to stay. However, even if we can each get what we need after the marriage, this is still…” She frowned slightly. “After all, this is a woman’s marriage, a once-in-a-lifetime event for most people.”
"Furthermore, I already have someone I love, which is not really fair to Your Majesty."
Although... arranged marriages have always been far from fair, and have always only considered social status and family background.
The saying "marrying someone of equal social standing" should be applied here.
but......
Seeing her polite refusal, Jiang Xu wasn't too disappointed. He changed the subject, telling Lin Feiran to put the documents away and that they could play chess again in a couple of days.
After everyone left, Jing Yan, who had been waiting outside, entered. "Your Majesty, the man has been captured. Shall we continue...?"
"No need." Jiang Xu said calmly, gazing at the chessboard after the battle, pausing slightly, "Let's keep an eye on it for now, and then wipe them out in one fell swoop."
He hadn't been to this residence in a long time, and the number of traitors planted inside far exceeded his expectations; this matter couldn't be rushed.
After a moment's thought, he said, "Once we've tracked everyone down, we don't need to report it; we'll just kill them immediately."
......
*
West of the house, inside the bedroom.
Near the bed, beside the charcoal brazier, a brass incense burner was placed at the end, quietly warming the quilt. A gentle fragrance wafted out, dispelling most of the medicinal smell, and quietly spreading, filling the room with a sweet aroma.
The warmth of the brazier and incense burner, like tangible objects, gently enveloped this quiet and secluded bedside space.
As soon as Jiang Xu entered the inner room, he was suddenly enveloped by the warmth, which instantly dispelled the biting chill from his body, but the depression in his heart lingered for a long time.
He's been neglecting her for days, yet she hasn't come back to him even once; he's truly stubborn and unsettling.
Upon entering the inner room, he saw Wan'er lying alone on the couch, her expression slightly cold. He subconsciously approached, but almost as soon as he took a step, she suddenly looked over.
His gaze, devoid of any impurities, was subtly different from the ones I had seen before.
Jiang Xu was taken aback and stopped in front of the long screen. "How are you feeling?" He had heard from the servants that he should have pulled through for the time being, but why did he still look sickly after resting for so many days?
In the silence, seeing that she didn't intend to answer, Jiang Xu, somewhat used to it, continued, "Since you've chosen to stay in your room, you should take good care of yourself and recover."
"Otherwise, you should go out and move around."
This was an ordinary sentence, and Jiang Xu was about to continue when he saw Wan'er staring at him blankly, slowly getting up, her gaze somewhat unfocused.
"You said it was my choice to stay in the room."
His tone became even more erratic, "Was it...my choice?"
How could it have been her choice?
She... actually had no choice.
From the moment she was kidnapped and taken to the dungeon, and met Jiang Xu, her fate had already sealed.
It hit her on the head.
She wouldn't be allowed even the slightest chance.
Yes... she had no choice.
The topic changed abruptly, and Jiang Xu, observing Wan'er's expression, suddenly frowned for a brief moment.
A warm glow emanated from the charcoal brazier, and among all the houses, this place had the most abundant amount of charcoal.
Shi Wan raised her eyes and looked at the man on the other side of the screen. The candlelight flickered, casting a long shadow. He was already tall, and the shadow made him even more imposing, making it hard for her to breathe.
As if she had lost all her strength, she clearly exposed her suppressed vulnerability to Jiang Xu, conveying it to the other side through layers of gauze and the winding landscape screen.
It's as if I'm asking myself, "Was this...my choice?"
"Meeting is a blessing from heaven." Jiang Xu saw that her brows were furrowed and her expression was blank and dull. He felt a little sad and understood what she wanted to do. In the end, he still comforted her and said, "Why care so much?"
Such a blessed union must have been predestined.
If we insist on resisting, wouldn't we be asking for trouble?
Upon hearing this, Shi Wan blinked slowly. Everything around her seemed to disappear instantly, as if she were standing on a shaky ice surface, her face turning deathly pale. Her reactions slowed considerably. She stared blankly at the corner of a garment opposite her and said absentmindedly, "Yes, why bother with so much?"
In the past few days, a strange woman suddenly came to the mansion. The two maids inquired about her in great detail, and Shi Wan also heard a lot of news from her.
She seemed to be encouraging herself, forcing her gaze to look diagonally upwards. When she saw those dark eyes, she said, "Your Majesty."
Jiang Xu paused, looking down at her without saying a word.
"Why... does it have to be me?"
"The servants in the manor say you are going to marry a principal wife. If that's the case, why me?" There are other women to take her place, so why her?
This sudden, despicable thought gave her a tiny bit of courage, urging her to continue, "With your power, Your Majesty, beautiful singers are certainly at your disposal."
Jiang Xu stared at her intently, and when he saw her panting heavily as if she had exhausted herself after saying those words, he couldn't help but say coldly, "You still know that you were a singer?"
Ordinary singers don't have such an arrogant demeanor.
I wonder how the people at Willow Terrace are trained...
However, this lifeless Wan'er was also something he disliked seeing.
Only by taming the unruly horse can one demonstrate heroic spirit; if one stops halfway up the mountain, then that is not Jiang Xu.
He softened his tone and comforted her, "Don't overthink it. You still have a place in my heart."
"Your Majesty means that you forced me to watch those people bleed, which caused me to have nightmares for days and vomit repeatedly... Is this because you have me in your heart?" Shi Wan asked incredulously, her lifeless tone distorting. "You repeatedly reprimanded and humiliated me, also because you have me in your heart?"
Such a flawed relationship...
"Such a place..."
"Aren't you going to ruin me?"
"Destroyed? Do you think... it's destroyed you?" Jiang Xu said calmly as he strode closer.
Shi Wan coldly watched Jiang Xu walk through the sandalwood landscape screen because of her words, and slowly undress himself. The despair in her tone was even greater. "Has Your Majesty considered the betrothed wife in this matter?"
Faced with a woman who was also going to suffer the same torment, Shi Wan found it difficult to harbor such filthy thoughts. She knew the problem, but she was also distressed because she could not shake this mountain.
She simply closed her eyes and refused to look at him. "What's the meaning of being in a servant's room before the wedding?"
"You are not a servant. As I have said, I will formally take you into my family at a later time."
She heard a rustling sound, followed by a depression beside her. Jiang Xu's unique warmth flowed over her, quickly warming her sick and cold limbs.
But her heart remained weary and cold, uttering sharp words, "Indeed... the king enjoys such self-degradation."
"Wan'er." Jiang Xu reached out to check her forehead temperature, and seeing that she was just staring blankly with her eyes open, his tone turned cold. "Do you know what you're saying?"
Willing to debase herself? This woman really won't shed a tear until she sees the coffin. Jiang Xu turned her around, reached out and pulled her into his arms. The distance between the two of them shrank infinitely, and even the air became extremely thin.
Shi Wan's expression suddenly wavered again, as if she wanted to move away, but Jiang Xu held her tightly in his arms. She tilted her head slightly, looked directly into his cold gaze, and asked, "Did I say something wrong?"
Amber eyes, overflowing with a hint of stubbornness and mockery, revealed Jiang Xu's own reflection.
A strange sense of familiarity washed over him, and he instinctively pulled the person closer.
To take her into the family?
"Slap me, then give me a sweet date." Shi Wan's voice was very soft, and in the quiet night, it seemed even more ethereal, like a drifting duckweed, with nowhere to return.
After a long silence, she sighed, "...Before, when you played these cat-and-mouse games with me, watching me gloat, you were very pleased with yourself, weren't you?" The bright eyes that had been sparkling when she scolded him quickly dimmed and gradually faded.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Xu felt a strange sense of unease, which vanished in an instant. After a long while, he spoke again, "No."
As if answering his own question, he whispered, "Now, I..."
Shi Wan had her eyes half-closed. Her illness had not yet fully healed, and she was forcing herself to stay awake. She was already very sleepy. Jiang Xu waited for a long time and could only hear the soft breathing of the person in his arms.
He stared for a long time, then muttered a few words again, repeating the same phrase, as if trying to persuade someone.
However, love can collapse in an instant.
This sorrow is endless... with no end in sight.
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