Chapter 78 A Turning Point "You can only...be by my side..."
how?
Upon hearing this, Shi Wan was struck dumb, and even began to wonder how the other party could say such bastardly things so calmly.
Looking up, the man just inches away still had sharp, cold eyes and a commanding presence. Even though he was wearing clothes that didn't quite match his temperament, it didn't diminish his overall aura. Everything remained the same.
But right now, Shi Wan suddenly felt that this person was a stranger, and along with that, countless feelings of absurdity and disconnect arose in her heart.
Perhaps her gaze was too easy to understand; Jiang Xu only glanced at her before understanding what Shi Wan was thinking. He smiled and asked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
Shi Wan paused for a moment, then said calmly, "...What did you say?"
"Aren't you accusing me?" Jiang Xu raised an eyebrow, his tone subtle yet teasing, as if these misunderstandings between them had never occurred. "I see nothing but dissatisfaction in your eyes."
Jiang Xu's tone was too casual, and Shi Wan stared at him for a while, unable to tell whether this was yet another new trap.
After a long silence, she said in a complicated tone, "How...how did you become this kind of person?"
Unexpectedly, these words seemed to touch his sore spot. Jiang Xu's expression hardened. "This kind of person?" His arm was as hard as iron, gripping her tightly. Although for a moment he had the thought of painting a beautiful picture of the future, his every move was increasingly deviating from it.
Without moving an inch, his arms tightened even more, almost squeezing Shi Wan until she was in pain.
Overwhelmed by the fear of the past few days and the humiliation of being completely controlled by Jiang Xu, Shi Wan struggled violently and cried out, "Let go...!"
"Let me go!"
However, her words were barely out of her mouth when she was met with an even deeper constraint. Jiang Xu lowered his head, glanced at her coldly, and said in a tone that revealed neither joy nor anger, "Don't move."
"You want to run another stretch and then ruin both your legs, right?"
Shi Wan was speechless for a moment, her voice trembling, "You...you've become so scary." The Jiang Xu of the past, while not exactly easy to get along with and somewhat stubborn, would never have been like this these past two days...
Jiang Xu stared at Shi Wan's expression, noticing the barely suppressed aloofness and fear in her eyes. His grip remained firm, his heart cold, but a subtle smile played on his lips as he answered her question, "This kind of person?"
He paused for two breaths as if sighing, and under Shi Wan's gaze, he repeated, "Become...this kind of person?" There was a strange sarcasm in his tone, whether directed at Shi Wan or himself, "I wasn't originally this kind of person."
Shi Wan was taken aback. The next moment, she heard the other person's words, which carried a hint of accusation, "It's you." As soon as she looked up, their eyes met, and Jiang Xu's gaze was so complex that she couldn't understand it.
There was anger, control, hatred, and a few... something deeper that her question stirred up.
“It’s you.”
“Shi Wan”.
His voice lowered, each word like a blade, piercing her heart: "Running away time and time again, lying time and time again, using self-harm to force me."
“I didn’t force you.” Shi Wan suddenly interrupted, quickly denying, “I didn’t force you… Jiang Xu.”
Jiang Xu looked down at her. The woman's eyes were frighteningly red, and tears streamed down her face. She looked quite disheveled, but compared to several hours ago, she still had some of the stubbornness she used to have.
He hated her for refusing to back down no matter what.
Jiang Xu remained silent for a few moments, then suddenly chuckled very softly. The smile didn't reach his eyes, but upon closer inspection, it was even more chilling. "Think what you want."
His tone was extremely indifferent, as if Shi Wan's fierce accusations and tears of despair were nothing but dust to him.
"Whether it is or not, it doesn't matter."
The voice was very calm, like a judgment: "Anyway, you can only stay here."
You can only... stay by my side.
......
The two looked at each other in silence. After a short while, a guard came to find Jiang Xu. Whether it was a misperception or not, the guard stopped several steps away and seemed to lower his head even further.
Only after Jiang Xu nodded did he speak, "Your Majesty, Luoyang has sent someone again, saying they wish to discuss this in detail with you."
Shi Wan nestled in Jiang Xu's arms, not moving at all. Upon hearing this, her eyes flickered slightly, but on her face, she had completely suppressed all her emotions, revealing no trace of them.
After a while, Jiang Xu said calmly to the guard, "Send Madam back." After speaking, he turned his head and looked over, "Behave yourself for a few days. I'll come to see you again after I'm done with this."
Shi Wan simply lowered her head, unwilling to say anything more to him.
On the way back, she was unusually quiet, pondering the words she had just heard.
Luoyang.
People in the capital city of Luoyang are looking for Jiang Xu, and they are looking for him "again".
Logically speaking, although His Majesty is young, he is still the legitimate ruler. Does he need to treat a subject like Jiang Xu with such courtesy? Judging from the tone of the guard, it seems that this has happened several times before.
When they returned to the familiar place, the bloodstains on the floor tiles had been completely cleaned up, leaving them spotless. The bed and mattress were brand new, and all traces had been wiped away.
The maids serving them had changed again. Among the new batch of maids, one was particularly quiet and taciturn, quick and efficient, and always meek and obedient.
Shi Wan has become more familiar with her surroundings over the past two days, but Jiang Xu is keeping a close eye on her. When she occasionally loses her focus, she can't help but think about the things she told Hua Lan back in Linzhou.
Just as the gauze was being changed as usual, the only sound in the room was a slight rubbing. A moment later, Shi Wan suddenly felt a short touch on her palm, as if something had been stuffed inside. She was startled and subconsciously opened her eyes. The maidservant's expression was normal, but she lowered her voice, as soft as a mosquito's buzz, precisely piercing Shi Wan's ear, "May I lend you a hand?"
Blood rushed to her head and then quickly receded. Shi Wan opened her mouth, but found that she couldn't make a sound. She just trembled all over and stared intently at the little maid.
After a short while, the wound was properly bandaged. After the person bowed and withdrew, the door was completely closed. Shi Wan waited for a while before slowly getting into bed and lying down. Then, under the cover of the brocade quilt, she uncovered the piece of paper she was holding in her hand.
She read ten lines at a glance, her face drained of color, a mix of excitement and unease welling up inside her. The room was silent, save for the sound of her heartbeat growing faster and louder.
The piece of paper was as thin as a cicada's wing, and there were only a few words written on it, but Shi Wan's hand trembled violently.
"The old friend longed to see me again, and his wish was fulfilled."
Old acquaintances? What does that mean?
A vague, absurd suspicion crept into Shi Wan's mind, quickly taking over her thoughts. She had many questions, but seeing how this little maid had managed to sneak in so quietly, she couldn't help but look forward to their next meeting.
No matter what the circumstances, this hope should always be grasped.
That evening, after confirming that Jiang Xu was still busy outside and unable to come to find her, Shi Wan once again summoned the little maid under the pretext of changing her dressing. The maid had an ordinary appearance, but upon closer inspection, her eyes were not as dull as they had been in the previous few days; instead, they revealed a shrewdness.
"Time is tight, let's get straight to the point." To prevent eavesdroppers, Shi Wan deliberately used the time of changing her dressing to close the distance between them as much as possible. "Who are you? Why does this handwriting look so much like...my mother's?"
“Miss.” Upon hearing this, the maidservant immediately said respectfully, “Madam is in Luoyang and cannot come here in person, so she sent me to make contact. You can call me Jiayun. I am… Aunt Zeng’s daughter.”
Mentioning someone from the past, Shi Wan unconsciously softened her breathing, her guard lessening slightly, but she still asked, "Mother isn't dead...she's in the Luoyang Palace?"
"Yes, Madam... she is the late Emperor's Consort Yue."
Consort Yue? In the current capital of Luoyang, only this one was not treated with the respect due to a Dowager Consort after the late Emperor's passing. Instead, she retained her previous title and rank. Even though Shi Wan hadn't paid much attention to these outside news events for over a year, she was still very familiar with this person.
It is said that her identity is questionable. She was brought back from a foreign country by the late emperor during his southern tour. In just two years, she rose to the rank of Consort. Unfortunately, after the late emperor passed away and the new emperor ascended the throne, she seemed to have offended the faction of the emperor's uncle, Ning Hong. She was not officially conferred the title of Dowager Consort for a long time and just awkwardly retained everything as before, staying in the palace.
This person actually said...that she was her mother?
Having not seen her birth mother for so long, especially after believing her to be dead for so many years, and then suddenly receiving this news, Shi Wan felt a mix of emotions, with any feelings of filial piety or affection almost nonexistent.
She paused for a moment, then immediately said, "My mother must have her reasons. Since you are Aunt Zeng's daughter, could you show me your left shoulder?"
She vaguely remembered that her aunt had treated her very well when she was young. When the child was born, her aunt had jokingly said that her daughter's birthmark was very close to hers, and she was amazed that it was fate.
Memories flashed by, and Shi Wan's tone softened. "If..." Before she could finish speaking, the little maid Jia Yun suddenly unbuttoned her clothes, revealing a bluish-purple birthmark on her left shoulder.
Apart from the difference in color, her birthmark was only a few inches away from hers.
"...You've worked hard, quickly put on your clothes." Shi Wan was mostly convinced, and seeing that Jia Yun's expression didn't seem fake, and that her guard seemed to be gradually lowering, she asked, "Mother said she could grant my wish, what does that mean?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Jia Yun pulled out something wrapped up from somewhere and handed it to her. Shi Wan took it instinctively and found that it was a dagger.
It was heavy and cold to the touch, an extremely sharp short blade. Upon closer inspection, the blade was faintly black, clearly indicating that it had been poisoned.
On one side, Jia Yun's voice was fast and urgent, "Miss, the Imperial Concubine has been thinking of you for a long time, but she was misled by false information before, which is why she was unable to contact you immediately. Now... she only wishes to be able to see her daughter."
As he spoke, his gaze lingered briefly on the shackles around Shi Wan's ankles, concealing the chilling hatred and impatience in his eyes, and his tone became even more somber, "...I also hope that you can get your wish and escape from this cage."
Upon hearing this, Shi Wan unconsciously softened her breathing. As if bewitched, her gaze could no longer leave the dagger. Her hand trembled slightly, but the knuckles holding it remained extremely steady.
She was filled with suspicion, so much so that her heart was pounding wildly, almost bursting.
A chill ran straight to the top of my head, and it took me a moment to realize it.
This means she has to kill him.
He killed... Jiang Xu.
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