Chapter 82 Taming Love's Sinful World and Imprisoning This Life.
Jiang Xu stared at her bloodless face and said slowly, "So, at this moment..." His words, like poisoned arrows, pierced her precisely, "are you willing to die?"
The sound exploded in Shi Wan's ears, making her tremble slightly. The burning sensation of her high fever subsided a little, and as she got closer, she could almost feel the chill emanating from him.
And... hatred.
To die? Of course she didn't want to. Things hadn't reached the point of no return. She hadn't yet gained the freedom she wanted, so how could she be willing to die?
A complex emotion that Shi Wan herself couldn't quite grasp continued to surge within her, and the dull pain in her chest intensified. She opened her mouth, but her throat felt as if it were blocked, and she couldn't utter a single word.
Too close...
It seemed that Jiang Xu's hatred was clearly conveyed to her as well. The intense emotion made her fearful and helpless, and when she met those dark eyes, she was somewhat confused.
Confused emotions, confused relationships, confused...everything.
Jiang Xu waited a few moments, then noticed the struggle on her face and suddenly stopped talking.
Everyone has a natural resistance and fear of death. There's no need to keep agonizing over and testing it. Hasn't Shi Wan already given him the answer?
Thinking of this, the last extremely faint emotion in his eyes, which he himself had not even noticed, was completely extinguished at this moment. Mockery and deep-seated hatred gradually took over, dissolving in his eyes and transforming into a sense of understanding.
He stepped back a little, his gaze slowly shifting away from her, as if looking at her any longer would annoy him. He said sarcastically, "Why... say things you can't do so easily?" His words were like knives, scraping across Shi Wan's cheek.
He paused, his gaze lingering on her peach-colored dress, "Similarly, since it's a deception, you don't need to keep making those pretentious promises in the future."
Why still wear the clothes he sent over? Peach blossom...
Jiang Xu said calmly, "Peach blossom red is what concubines wear, but..."
"Shi Wan." He called her name, but his tone was devoid of emotion, filled with sarcasm, "You are indeed unworthy of this position."
She was unworthy to be his concubine, unworthy to bear his children, and even more unworthy to... cause him to harbor such resentment, love, hate, anger, and infatuation, all stemming from this.
That's fine too... Jiang Xu lowered his eyelashes slightly, a twisted calmness passing through his heart.
If she is unwilling, then he need not force her. Even if he cannot obtain her true feelings, it is still good enough to keep her firmly locked in his body. In this way, she will forever remain within his reach.
Once he leads his army to Luoyang, eliminates those troublesome parasites, and ascends to a high position with no more worries... he can keep her firmly by his side, break all her wings, smooth out her edges, and make her depend on him for survival.
Until... he gets tired of it.
Coming to his senses, the last trace of emotion in Jiang Xu's eyes faded, gradually settling like a deep pool.
Seeing that Shi Wan was still staring blankly at him, he turned around, strode to the table, and stopped looking at her. His tone was extremely calm, "Go back by yourself, and you'll suffer less."
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, two guards stepped forward and stopped two steps to Shi Wan's side. Although they did not say it explicitly, their meaning was very clear.
Seeing this, Shi Wan tried to steady herself and stand up, but due to her weakness, she inevitably staggered. Judging from Jiang Xu's current appearance... she must have succeeded in deceiving him.
only......
only......
After a few moments of silence, she asked in a low voice, "How is your injury...?" However, her voice echoed throughout the room, but it was like a pebble thrown into a lake, leaving only a few ripples and nothing else.
No one answered for a long time.
......
A few days later, Shi Wan regained some energy and was just beginning to recover when she suddenly learned that Jiang Xu was going to take her to Luoyang.
The imperial capital, Luoyang.
She had never been to such a luxurious place. Her country was only a small and insignificant nation. Although Shi Wan enjoyed a few years of fine clothes and delicacies when she was born, her memories of that time were still very vague. Later, after many twists and turns, she arrived in the Yuan Dynasty and had heard about the luxurious scenery of the Southern Yuan capital along the way.
Prosperous and bustling.
But at this moment... Jiang Xu has annexed Youzhou and completely settled the entire north. Going to Luoyang at this time is more like "declaring war" and "sending troops" than "paying a visit" or "accepting an invitation".
Shi Wan listened quietly to the maid's eloquent speech, her face showing no extra emotion. It was unclear whether this was due to the influence of Jia Yun's side or whether Jiang Xu was simply unwilling to put any more effort into her.
In short, the person who served her this time stayed a little longer, and they must have been instructed beforehand, as their words were consistent, both overtly and covertly advising her.
On the day of departure, just before Shi Wan boarded the carriage, she caught a glimpse of Jiang Xu in the distance. The two had not seen each other for many days. He was whispering something to the guard beside him. After a moment, he flicked the reins slightly, rode up, and stopped beside her carriage.
The low murmur of conversation drifted in intermittently through the carriage curtains on the wind: "...seriously ill, a golden opportunity, we must not let this go to waste."
"...divide the troops into several groups...and keep a close watch on them."
Shi Wan kept her eyes down, listening intently until the sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance, and Jiang Xu did not lift the curtain. After traveling by car for several days, then by boat, and then by carriage for several nights, the group quietly entered Luoyang City in mid-October.
There were no crowds, and markets were rare. There was not even any extra smoke from cooking fires. Instead, the streets were empty, and the market gates were tightly closed. Even when pedestrians hurried by, they looked anxious and kept their heads down, not daring to look around.
Shi Wan leaned against the carriage window. After the long journey, her face had turned pale and fragile again, and she looked sickly. The shackles on her ankles were barely visible because they were hidden by her long dress, but the few times she moved during the journey, as well as the bumps in the carriage, would bring her pain.
Although Jiang Xu himself did not come to Luoyang, he ordered his trusted confidants to keep a close eye on her. Judging from the bleak and gloomy atmosphere in Luoyang, it was clear that everyone in the capital was also on edge.
She suddenly remembered the words she had heard before she left. At that time, it was mentioned that someone was critically ill, which showed that... this person held a high position and great power, and his status in the court was extraordinary. There were only a few people who could make even the most powerful and influential people keep a low profile and avoid him.
Shi Wan thought for a while, silently noted the matter down, and turned to look for Jia Yun. However, when she looked up, she saw a woman staring blankly at her not far away. When she saw Shi Wan looking over, her face lit up immediately.
Dressed in coarse linen, with bright, sparkling eyes, it was Caiyue. Behind her followed a few others, including Hualan.
Shi Wan stared intently for a few moments, but fearing that her personal guards might notice something amiss, she could only secretly memorize the surrounding scenery. She pretended to admire the view and exchanged glances with Caiyue and her group for a while.
Fortunately, the guards probably had more important matters to attend to, or perhaps Shi Wan had been extremely obedient throughout the journey, so her current enthusiastic sightseeing did not arouse suspicion or attention.
With her mind in turmoil, Shi Wan found an excuse to summon Jia Yun that very night after settling in. Jia Yun must have used some method she didn't know to contact the palace. Upon meeting her, Jia Yun immediately asked, "Does Miss want to ask about the situation in the palace?"
Shi Wan was worried about her, but she also knew that this kind of transparent exchange, with equal stakes, could maintain a balance in the short term. "Everyone on the street is on edge, and the atmosphere has been extremely tense all day. It seems there has been an accident in the palace."
She asked, "But...who is it?"
Jia Yun didn't hide it from her and whispered, "Lord Ning... I'm afraid things are not good."
Shi Wan was taken aback, but then she felt that this person was "perfectly reasonable". If it were someone else, perhaps Luoyang City would not be in its current state, but it just so happens to be... the Empress Dowager's brother, the current Imperial Tutor.
"And what about His Majesty...?" Shi Wan had previously been exposed to the situation at court and knew a little about it, so she couldn't help but ask, "Didn't Minister Pei use this as an excuse to make trouble?"
Ke Jiayun's expression was somewhat complicated. She seemed to be weighing her options. After hesitating for a few moments, she finally spoke up: "The Imperial Concubine has a past relationship with Lord Ning and knows some of the inside story. Lord Ning's sudden fainting is not due to anything else, but rather... poisoning."
When this topic came up, neither of them spoke for a moment.
Shi Wan was unaware of Jiang Xu's plan, but she instinctively felt that in a few days at most, this man would find some pretext to enter Luoyang. Ning Hong was highly respected and far superior to someone as greedy as Pei Sheng. Now that he had suddenly fallen into a coma, the court was surely in chaos, and even the Imperial Guards had been mobilized...
Although she didn't know the details, she knew that a storm was brewing. Compared to the Jingbei Army, the troops in Luoyang seemed rather weak. Soldiers who had fought on the battlefield were far more capable than these incompetent fools. So... her token would probably be able to play a greater role.
Returning to her senses, Shi Wan casually asked, "I have a request, and I wonder if you could help me?"
As expected, Jia Yun agreed very readily this time, "What is it?"
Shi Wan lowered her eyes slightly, her thick eyelashes obscuring all the color in her amber eyes, leaving only helplessness and melancholy in her voice, "I have a letter here, and I would like to ask you to put it somewhere for me."
Thinking of Caiyue and the others, she took a deep breath and took out a letter, saying, "You are a smart person and you are devoted to your mistress. Although we haven't seen each other for many years, I think that if Aunt Zeng were alive, she would be very pleased to know that you are still loyal to your mistress."
In Luoyang, even without the Prince of Jingbei himself present, sending a message was naturally a piece of cake.
Upon hearing this, Jia Yun gazed at her for a long time, her eyes lingering briefly on the blank sheet of paper. After a few moments of silence, she respectfully replied, "Don't worry, Miss, I understand."
only......
Jia Yun bowed and withdrew, glancing back in the direction of the capital, remaining silent for a long time.
However, such news must be reported to the Empress.
*
The autumn air is cold, and the distant mountains have lost their verdant hue. A patchwork of withered yellow stretches out, interwoven with the surrounding landscape.
Jiang Xu walked slowly, coldly surveying the surrounding scenery. In the past, he had passed through this official road many times, and even before entering the city, he could feel the endless prosperity. There were thousands of acres of fertile fields, and on both sides of the road, there were taverns and teahouses, bustling with people coming and going. Further in, there were even more dignitaries and nobles coming and going in an endless stream.
What a magnificent scene it was, a scene of dazzling prosperity and abundant beauty! Now, it has deteriorated to the point of ruin... It was nothing but a beautiful illusion, extravagant to the extreme, but inside it is full of scars. Tear open the outside, and you will find a bloody mess.
How ironic.
Sitting on horseback, Jiang Xu's gaze lingered on several tall buildings. In an instant, a thought that had existed for a long time, a mixture of absolute control and dark possessiveness, quietly crept into his mind again.
It's only natural.
He... wanted to build a cage for Shi Wan in the deepest part of this city.
He wanted to create an extravagant, magnificent, and unparalleled prison, one where everything was exquisitely carved and adorned with jade. He wanted to ensure she had everything she needed, to let her enjoy all the material luxuries that the world envied! But there was one thing…
She did not have the freedom that Shi Wan longed for.
The more she hated these shackles, the more she hated these constraints, the more she hated... him, the more he wanted to give her the most magnificent shackles in the world, the most comfortable constraints, relentlessly, year after year, until she was completely tamed, until he...
Until you get tired of it.
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Author's Note: If nothing unexpected happens, the next chapter should feature a death ruse [glasses emoji].
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