Chapter 69: The Mark Hates Her for Being So Unrepentant.
Shi Wan's thoughts, which she had just managed to compose, quickly became chaotic again. She even wondered if she had seen things wrong. For a moment, she thought Jiang Xu's voice came from a great distance, but unfortunately, the two of them were right next to each other.
She was so close that she could easily see the pleading and sorrow in his eyes.
"I..." Shi Wan's tone was hesitant, still hiding a bit of fear in her heart. Looking at Jiang Xu's aggressive gaze, she suddenly lost her voice. After a moment, she said firmly, "I've said it many times, I don't want to."
As soon as she finished speaking, she lowered her eyes somewhat guiltily, staring intently at a certain spot in the darkness, deliberately avoiding the man's piercing gaze.
All was quiet. The pounding of his heart grew even more piercing, one beat after another. Jiang Xu glanced around and asked, "Are you really unwilling?"
"No." Shi Wan answered quickly this time, so quickly that it seemed as if she was desperately trying to cover up or deny something. He saw it, and the gloom and displeasure hidden between his brows and eyes miraculously retreated a few points, returning to the precarious safety line.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xu gently touched Shi Wan's chest with his finger. "Is that so?" He continued to ask questions, leaving her no room to evade them. "If you are unwilling, then why?"
"The sound of a heartbeat, so...deafening?"
After speaking, as if to confirm his words, her heart pounded louder and louder, but Shi Wan's expression remained unchanged, and she still said coldly, "The circumstances are different, so the abnormal is also normal."
Before Shi Wan could finish speaking, Jiang Xu suddenly pulled her into his arms. She could hardly breathe. The next moment, her neck was bitten, the warm breath burning her skin, and their hair became tangled.
"Well......"
Sharp teeth pierced her skin, followed by continuous biting and grinding, which gradually intensified over time. As Jiang Xu slowly tightened his jaw, fine beads of blood began to seep from her wound.
Shi Wan's suppressed breathing was intermittent. After a while, she finally couldn't hold on any longer and fainted. Jiang Xu seemed satisfied when he saw this. Seeing her brows furrowed, as if she had fallen into a bizarre nightmare before fainting from the pain, he smiled.
He gazed at the bleeding mark on Shi Wan's neck, gently stroking it, and pulled her into his arms, falling asleep together.
......
*
Youzhou.
Mao Maochong was discussing matters with his advisors in his residence when news of Jiang Xu's great victory over the Turks was like a pebble dropped into water, creating ripples everywhere. Three of the previous thirteen prefectures had been lost and remained unrecovered for a long time. He had planned to teach the Turks a lesson this time, but unexpectedly, he had been outmaneuvered once again.
He was over fifty years old, and the soldiers who had fought alongside him had long since changed batch after batch. Those who were still with him now, apart from the relatives of his deceased comrades, were just people trying to make a living.
Everyone wants to have food to eat, and no one wants to be swallowed up silently like this.
However, Mao Maochong now asks himself honestly, and he realizes that his feelings toward Jiang Xu, this junior, are indeed more complicated than murderous. He has witnessed the other party grow from a child to where he is today, and if possible, he would naturally be willing to shake hands and make peace.
Inside the study, the staff members were talking amongst themselves.
Some people worriedly said, "Grand Marshal, the Prince of Jingbei has dealt a heavy blow to the Turks; I'm afraid we'll be the next to strike..."
After much deliberation, someone said, "Grand Marshal, the best course of action now is to find out exactly what happened on the battlefield that day."
Mao Maochong snapped out of his daze, recalling the information his secret guards had gathered, and sneered, "These aliens were only thinking of provoking us, but they ended up messing things up themselves."
Giving them Jiang Su's skull wasn't to let them bully and humiliate him. If a father is treated like this in front of his son, who wouldn't be bloodthirsty?
What a bunch of idiots! They've wasted this "good move" he provided. He was hoping to keep the people there a little longer so he could take the city from the rebels in one fell swoop.
One wrong step leads to another.
Everyone had their own thoughts and discussed for a while. After resting for a bit, a soldier came to report that someone outside the mansion was requesting an audience with the Grand Marshal, and it seemed that the person was from Luoyang.
Mao Maochong was already annoyed by the noise of this rabble. Upon hearing this, he called two of his personal guards and went out. He saw dozens of men standing in front of the long blue brick steps outside the mansion. He paused for a moment and glanced at them. The leader of them had a gloomy face and a beautiful appearance. Behind him were mostly strong men who were seven or eight feet tall.
Seemingly aware of his gaze, the burly men shifted their positions, revealing three or four petite young people behind them.
At first glance, it was clear that it was a woman.
Mao Maochong's expression remained unchanged. "Your journey has been arduous, and I wonder if you have come here on His Majesty's behalf...?"
The leading eunuch hurriedly said he dared not, his high-pitched voice carrying a hint of obsequiousness, "You're too kind, I'm just here on orders." With that, he took out a piece of bright yellow silk from his sleeve and respectfully handed it to him.
Mao Maochong glanced at them, but did not refuse. Instead, he quickly put them into his pocket. After exchanging pleasantries, the group left. Before leaving, he did not forget to force a few smiles, which gathered at the corners of his eyes, revealing a commonplace, sarcastic smile. "Grand Marshal, these four girls were all carefully selected. Please treat them as if they were in the courtyard and enjoy them."
When Mao Maochong returned to the mansion, the group of advisors in the study had different expressions. She walked straight to the desk, took out the bright yellow cloth, unfolded it, and examined it carefully.
He had anticipated this all along, and now the people everywhere were in a state of agitation, fearing that some might turn civilians into soldiers. They were enraged and pushing each other, a situation that was all too common.
Previously, the north had him and the Turks, sandwiching the Jingbei Army in the middle. Now, if the balance is lost, Luoyang will definitely take action. But I didn't expect...
Mao Maochong calmed down a bit, when his trusted confidant, who had been left outside, suddenly strode in and reported, "Grand Marshal, there is a large group of soldiers near our camp who say they have come to surrender."
For a moment, the already suspicious staff members in the room began to speculate among themselves, and Mao Maochong raised his hand to signal them to quiet down.
In such chaotic times, it's common for big fish to eat small fish, so he wasn't surprised. He simply asked absentmindedly, "Who is it?"
Unexpectedly, the guard replied with a complicated expression, "Reporting to the Grand Marshal."
"Yes... he is a general under the command of the Prince of Jingbei."
*
In early May, as the weather gradually warmed up, the courtyard was bathed in clear blue skies—a truly beautiful day.
The plum blossoms that used to bloom have long been replaced by newly planted pomegranate trees, their lush branches laden with green, round, and tempting fruits. Birds occasionally flit by and land on the branches.
Shi Wan gazed at the birds for a while, until they flew away, before turning her gaze away.
The bite marks on her neck hadn't faded for days. Every time she touched that spot, it reminded her of that night. Jiang Xu's words, though gentle, were ultimately a complete shackle on her, not allowing her to retreat even an inch.
Would such a person truly keep their promise?
He said he would give her some freedom after she gave birth to his child. How could that be possible?
But after much deliberation, Shi Wan realized that she no longer had much trust in Jiang Xu, and she couldn't just wander around aimlessly. These past few days, Jiang Xu had been busy with other things, and she was feeling quite unsettled, so she just stayed in the courtyard, enjoying the scenery and daydreaming, occasionally reading some books to distract herself.
As evening approached, as usual, she picked up a copy of "The Traveler's Diary" to read, when she heard a maid come from outside to report, "Madam, the King says he will be staying at your place tonight."
Shi Wan gave a perfunctory reply. The maid knew what had happened that night, and seeing this, she didn't dare to urge her, for fear of incurring bad luck.
After a moment, seeing that she was still standing there waiting, Shi Wan said, "I want to be alone for a while. You can go out first."
She didn't recognize the man, but at this moment, she had no time to worry about anything else. After observing him carefully over the past few days, she had rejected her own thoughts one by one. Now that she was about to see Jiang Xu, Shi Wan couldn't hold back any longer. She wished she could find a quiet place to scream, or... die.
But, death...
She thought of Jiang Xu's nonsense about "summoning the soul," and felt even more annoyed. This man's behavior was becoming increasingly strange, and his crazy talk was becoming even more terrifying.
Since Jiang Xu said that, she subconsciously had no doubt that one day he would really do it.
The maidservant had already hurriedly retreated outside the door when she gave the cold order. Coming to her senses, Shi Wan breathed a sigh of relief and continued to flip through the book casually. After reading it attentively for a while, she suddenly heard a voice announcing something outside. The next moment, a man pushed open the door and entered, his tall figure casting a shadow of darkness.
On the table by the window, inside a white-glazed vase, freshly picked hosta flowers still had a few drops of dew on them, which, along with the rising steam, created a uniquely pleasant aroma.
As Jiang Xu moved, the pleasant scent was gradually dissipated by the herbal aroma emanating from him. Seeing that Shi Wan was still oblivious, he strode closer and sat down next to her. "Reading a book?"
After speaking, he gently stroked the marks on her neck, applying a little pressure with his fingertips. Sure enough, he saw Shi Wan frown slightly. The next moment, he opened his mouth and said, "Didn't you see it? Why bother making trouble?"
Although her words carried a hint of reproach, her expression was indifferent, and her tone was unhurried, as if... she had returned to her old ways. Jiang Xu looked at her and for some reason felt a surge of dissatisfaction. He said in a deep voice, "Who is the one who started this trouble? If you hadn't been pretending not to see me, why would I have acted this way?"
As he spoke, he glanced at her lower abdomen and said, "The army doctor said that your menstrual period will end the day after tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Shi Wan finally glanced at him and said, "I've heard about it too."
Jiang Xu is currently riding high, having repelled the Turks and secured nearly a decade of peace in the north. His reputation here is even beginning to surpass that of the Emperor in Luoyang. Consequently, many powerful families, rural clans, and other such groups are eager to get on board.
The number of women sent over was not in the hundreds, but rather quite a few, of various types, all of whom were outstanding in appearance.
With her thoughts returning to normal, Shi Wan continued, "...I've also heard that you've been very busy lately, finding it hard to escape the comforts of your home."
Jiang Xu subconsciously said, "They insisted on giving them to me, but I refused them all." As he spoke, his expression improved considerably, and he glanced at her, "Are you jealous?"
"How could that be?"
Shi Wan lowered her eyes. "I was just thinking that you'll eventually get married, and as more wives are sent over, you'll eventually accept them." She smiled gently. "Sooner or later, it's just a matter of time."
She was already a caged bird, so when she saw the instigator of all this, she found it all laughable.
But compared to before, now... her own heart seems to have become somewhat laughable as well.
It's disgusting, frightening, and then suddenly you'll burst out laughing.
Jiang Xu originally came to claim credit, but he was surprised by Shi Wan's speculations. He busied himself with taking care of her health, and even if there were any problems, they should be completely offset, right?
He is a promising young man. Is it really so bad to stay by his side?
Even though he had experienced it beforehand, he still felt chilled to the bone, and even felt a surge of hatred.
I hate that she is so unrepentant.
Jiang Xu said coldly, "Let me see the mark." Like a wolf patrolling its territory, he ignored Shi Wan's hands that were about to resist, directly grabbed them and pinned them against the bed frame. "Don't move."
Upon seeing the white expanse, the red mark faded slightly. Without further hesitation, Jiang Xu quickly bent down.
The sound of Shi Wan's exclamation and sobs only deepened the mark on her face.
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