Chapter 93t: Compensation - A complex entanglement of love and hate, difficult to separate. ...
Her cold words only fueled Jiang Xu's bitterness and resentment. After a moment, he belatedly reacted, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, a somewhat distorted smile appearing on his face. "Fine."
Kill him, in her heart...
As expected, it could only hold the thought of killing him.
For a moment, Jiang Xu wished he could take out his own heart and present it to her, letting her trample on it, to see if she could really keep her word. Even on the verge of death, seeing that he only had one breath left, Shi Wan remained unmoved.
But strangely...
In this boundless grief, for a fleeting moment, a twisted pleasure arose; Shi Wan's hatred was so pure, so intense, so...
It was clearly directed at him alone.
Does that mean that, deep down, Jiang Xu was ultimately different from others?
"You just said that if you were forcibly detained, you would take your own life." His voice suddenly became low and hoarse, carrying a hint of madness. "Now, you're saying you'll kill me..."
"In this way, you and I will be a pair of doomed lovers, and we will be buried together from now on."
"To share a grave together?" Shi Wan said coldly, "You've probably used the wrong metaphor."
Jiang Xu stared intently at her, seeing that her expression remained unwavering and showed no sign of regret. In that instant, hatred overwhelmed his resentment, and he suddenly exerted force, pulling her hand to press it against his heart.
Through two or three thin layers of clothing, the sound of his hands beating wildly and erratically filled the air.
Shi Wan paused for a moment, then saw Jiang Xu loosen his grip slightly and take out a hairpin from somewhere with his other hand. The hairpin was warm and white, made of white jade, with a blooming jade hibiscus flower carved at the top. The petals were layered and lifelike, almost identical to the one she had taken with her when she fled, which had later broken.
Jiang Xu handed over the hairpin. As soon as she touched it, she felt a cool sensation. Shi Wan came back to her senses, lowered her eyes, and saw that the white jade hairpin with hibiscus flowers shimmered with a few soft rays of light under the candlelight.
Just then, the man spoke meaningfully, "I will make up for everything I owe you in the past."
Shi Wan pursed her lips, remaining frozen in place, refusing to accept the gift.
Seeing this, Jiang Xu did not force the issue. He simply turned his hand and tried to insert the hairpin himself. The bottom of the hairpin sank into the hair, causing a strange sensation. Suddenly, Shi Wan raised her hand and pinched the hairpin.
“I’ll do it myself.” Her voice was icy.
However, after only a moment of surprise, Jiang Xu quickly let go of her hand, and even felt a sense of anticipation growing in her heart as she waited quietly.
Shi Wan gripped the hairpin tightly. The white jade was warm and cool, and now it was obediently in her hand, but she only felt cold, a bone-chilling cold.
This conversation with Jiang Xu brought back all her past memories in an instant, leaving her with mixed feelings. When she looked up, the person in front of her still had dark eyes that seemed to be an abyss, as if they wanted to suck her in.
Looking closely, all that remained were some emotions that she still found difficult to understand, yet seemed to faintly glimpse.
But more than understanding these things, she cares about her own happiness.
The bloodstains on his ankles, the despair of leaping off the platform, and finally being engulfed in flames... all these things seem so insignificant compared to the peace and tranquility of the past two years.
Even... annoying.
Shi Wan exerted sudden force, and in an instant, the white jade hibiscus flower scepter transformed into a sharp weapon, stabbing fiercely towards Jiang Xu's heart.
The sharp blade pierced the flesh with a short, muffled thud.
Impartial and unbiased, right to the center of one's heart.
The jade hairpin was not as sharp and hard as those blades, but under Shi Wan's almost all-out stabbing, it still easily tore through their clothes. Dark red blood gushed out instantly, staining their robes and her fingertips that were tightly gripping the end of the hairpin.
Jiang Xu's body jolted suddenly, his face turning pale, but he showed no intention of dodging.
Instead, he remained calm, looking down silently at the hairpin embedded in his chest. After a moment, he raised his eyes again, gazing greedily at the person he had been longing for day and night, who was so close to him.
Shi Wan felt her hair stand on end under his intense and complex gaze, and her hand trembled slightly involuntarily. The next moment, she steadied herself and plunged the penis deeper into her flesh.
"Close your eyes," she couldn't help but say.
Jiang Xu had tossed and turned for nearly a thousand days and nights, his beloved had come back to life, and his heart was filled with intense emotions. He shook his head, smiled slightly, and stubbornly looked at her again without saying a word.
Shi Wan couldn't hold back her temper and snapped, "I told you to close your eyes!"
Such a gaze held no fear or resentment, but rather... relief? Or perhaps... contentment.
In an instant, a few extremely subtle feelings of unease, which even she herself found quite repulsive, rippled through her heart, but this slight ripple was immediately overwhelmed by a deeper hatred.
As the hairpin sank deeper, more blood gushed out. Shi Wan stared at the ever-expanding bloody halo around Jiang Xu's chest, her face expressionless.
She murmured, "You ruined my clothes."
Jiang Xu was stunned. The pain from blood loss and the exhaustion from working non-stop made him dizzy, but his mind reacted to those words almost instantly.
She was blaming him.
"I don't necessarily want you dead, Your Majesty."
If only I could get rid of you, get rid of this nightmare, this shackle.
Get rid of it completely.
Shi Wan's lips parted slightly, but she did not continue speaking. Jiang Xu's face had become somewhat frightening due to blood loss, with bloodshot eyes and dark circles under his eyes. Given how intimate the two had once been, she could tell at a glance that he was putting on a brave face.
and......
She felt little joy, only sorrow, a tangled web of love and hate, impossible to separate. Drops of blood trickled down, staining the brocade quilt like blooming red plum blossoms.
The hall was deathly silent.
Their breathing rang out one after another, one in excruciating pain, the other resolute.
Jiang Xu struggled for a long time, but finally couldn't hold on any longer and fell straight backward.
......
*
The strong smell of medicine filled the air. When Jiang Xu slowly woke up, the morning light was already faint outside the window. His eyelids were heavy, and it took him a while to clear his eyes.
With each breath, a tearing pain shot through my chest.
His reaction was a beat slow, and the next moment, he glanced over and saw a dark mass of figures kneeling on the floor beside the bed.
The imperial physician, attendants, and several trusted confidants who rushed to the scene all looked fearful. They all breathed a sigh of relief when they saw him wake up. However, everyone present was quick-witted, and seeing that His Majesty was in a bad mood, they simply lowered their heads even further.
"Your Majesty! You've finally woken up!" After a long silence, the head imperial physician spoke first, his voice trembling. "Fortunately, your heart wasn't damaged, but the excessive blood loss, combined with your recent hard work, has severely damaged your health. You absolutely must... you absolutely must rest and recuperate!"
Jiang Xu listened quietly, his gaze unconsciously searching. When he looked up, he saw that it was the most senior physician in the Imperial Medical Academy, Wang, an elderly man in his eighties, who was upright and had superb medical skills. On the surface, he could only pinch his nose and reply.
"I have taken note of Imperial Physician Wang's words."
Unexpectedly, this was as if a magical switch had been flipped. For the past two weeks, His Majesty had been engrossed in politics, purging the remaining factions with decisive action. When he returned yesterday, he was as terrifying as ever. The advice that everyone had been holding back for so long suddenly came out one after another.
“Yes, Your Majesty, the state is of utmost importance!” Another imperial physician, a few years younger, kowtowed, his voice choked with emotion. “The affairs in the Jiangnan region have been settled. Your Majesty’s good health is the greatest blessing for the nation. I implore Your Majesty not to lose your temper and harm your health!”
"Your Majesty, your health is not good. Perhaps you should depart for Luoyang in a few days, where the imperial physicians in the capital can discuss your condition and provide careful treatment..."
One person after another offered advice, which suddenly pulled Jiang Xu back to the court when he first ascended the throne. At that time, there were constant doubts, both openly and secretly, in the court and among the people. The discussion was about whether his ascension to the throne was legitimate. The debate was in full swing. Now, he was in a daze.
Amidst the cacophony of voices and clichéd arguments, Jiang Xu patiently listened for a few moments before growing increasingly annoyed. He waved his hand, and instantly, the room fell silent once more.
His gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on a few guards standing at the rear. "Tell them to hurry up and show no mercy."
This refers to the people sent out to arrest officials from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.
Several trusted confidants immediately agreed, and the next moment, the person on the bed suddenly asked, "Where is she?"
Although no names were mentioned, everyone present understood His Majesty's meaning.
A royal physician stepped forward, still kneeling, his snow-white beard drooping down his chin, trembling slightly as he spoke. His posture was respectful, and his words were clear. “Your Majesty, that woman is incredibly audacious. She dared to assassinate you with a weapon. The evidence is conclusive, and she shows no remorse. According to the law, she should be executed!”
"We fear that he may further harm Your Majesty's health, so we have placed him under strict confinement in the western section of the palace, with additional guards assigned to watch over him, awaiting Your Majesty's decision!"
After speaking, the few guards at the back of the crowd silently moved further away.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xu's brows furrowed abruptly. "Confinement?"
Upon seeing this, the old imperial physician immediately exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, "Indeed! This man shows no remorse and his conduct is despicable!"
But the next moment, under everyone's watchful eyes, Jiang Xu actually used his hands to prop himself up and forcefully stood up.
"Your Majesty...!" At the edge of the bed, several people panicked and stepped forward to help.
"Shut up." Jiang Xu's face was as cold as ice. He said in a cold voice, "Bring the person here immediately."
In the crowd, someone caught a glimpse of the emperor's guards' movements. Recalling the emperor's mad behavior when he first ascended the throne, they vaguely realized something and, with tears streaming down their faces, earnestly pleaded, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
"The hairpin was right in her heart, which shows that she had already made up her mind long ago...!"
"That woman... she... she's trying to kill you!"
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Xu narrowed his eyes, a hint of annoyance flashing through his mind. On the surface, however, he still maintained a posture of accepting advice, nodding and saying, "I know." But his tone was unquestionable, displaying a certain imposing authority.
"I...I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"
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